Heiress Loch Off By Heart

Random Event thread

It felt so cold and endless.

For hours now she wandered, deeper and deeper into the shadow of the dense forest. Her paws were hidden by the thick fog that hung above the ground, and a damp, wooden haze clung to her thick, ivory coat. It would have been creepy if not for the fact that she knew without a doubt that she were utterly alone. She squinted. For what seemed like miles in every direction, towering trees and scattered patches of a spindly sort of thicket she'd never encountered were all Luce could make out. Here and there the crack of wood or the rustling of leaves resounded, echoing through the lifeless empty space.

For the better part of the early morning she'd pressed forward through the shadow, and though she'd yet to encounter any area where the sunlight filtered through the tree tops to reach her or forest floor, she was aware that mid-day approached. Young and able, Lucero had kept a brisk, steady pace, effortlessly maintaining a graceful carriage as she weaved a path of her own southward. Traveling in this way would normally seem dubious and extraneous, but seeing as this side of the mountain was now her home (and it was plain as day that she had no intention of scaling the pass again anytime soon), there was purpose for her here. Hunting grounds needed discovering, and though Luce had little interest in medicinal responsibilities, it would be beneficial to herself and to the pack to have an awareness of useful herbs and other plants in the area. She'd already came upon a patch of stinging nettle, who knew what she was bound to find else-

Crunch.

In an instant the reasonable creature became as still as though she were icebound. Her breath held, Luce's narrowed, canary-hued eyes scanned the distance to her right comprehensively. Instinctively her posture lifted, her thick plume raising high over her back. She was far from her pack and their protection, and wasn't worried about getting her paws dirty should need be to defend herself. But...it was the strangest thing...A flash of what she rendered to be a furry shade of red bolted between two wide trunks, racing in a direction opposite her chosen path. Perhaps it was curiosity. Perhaps it was hunger and the thought that the smaller creature could be an easy meal. Whatever propelled her, the ash-stroked wolf bounded forward in pursuit. The wind resulting from her fleeting speed whipped across her face, whistling past the triangle ears now pressed backward and against her crown. With pristine agility, her long, lean body carved through the woodland, her attention never lifted from her target as a spray of dirt rained down in her wake.

Just when she could have made a move, a final leap to close the space between herself and her prey, a blinding white light stopped her dead in her tracks. She slid to a grinding halt, clenching her eyes shut and turning her face away. The warmth that wrapped her body now was a stark change from the cold that had loomed over her all morning. Luce's slowly opening eyes adjusted to the sunlight just in time to watch as the crafty fox -hardly for eating - slunk away in the distance, the victor. But he was quickly forgotten as she took in the scene before her.

The lake was dark and smooth, its shore lined by the tall, dark trees she'd become accustomed to. Overhead a pair of finches crossed before a cluster of fluffy clouds, their white-washed tone nearly matching the hue of her coat. A gentle, cool breeze swept across her muzzle, which she raised to survey the dewy afternoon air. This place was the last thing she expected - an island in a sea of conifers - but she was more than relieved to feel the sun again.

Striding along the pebbly beach, she tested the water with a single fore paw before eagerly wading out into what felt like heaven.

♥ Allie

(This post was last modified: Apr 25, 2013, 11:24 PM by Lucero.)

BEEN WANTING A THREAD WITH YOU AND LUCERO!!! :D

There was no mistaking the sound of a chase. Sagacity, who had been meandering slowly through the copse with her nose held low, so as to catch the scent of prey, heard it off in the distance; branches being brushed aside with haste, dirt being kicked up underfoot. There was no telling who was chasing whom or why the chase was taking place, but without a doubt there were two creatures lunging through the wilderness at a breakneck speed. She didn't hasten her step to see what was going on- if it was a hunt then she shouldn't interfere, and if it was an attack...Well, she certainly shouldn't interfere, then. Instead, she became one with the shadows, keeping herself close to the trees, slipping between patches of light into clouds of darkness and peering out with cautious amber eyes.

The sounds became quieter, though they didn't halt completely. There was no cry of defeat, no sharp squeal of pain. No laughter, even, if it had been all in fun. A sudden change in dynamic had occurred and she stopped, craning her ears forward to try and perceive whatever she could- but there wasn't much for her to hear. The sterling female was patient, and waited, and was rewarded by the sound of someone or something approaching. Its pace was still that of a lope, but not frantic now; the gentleness of the footfalls was one indication of what it was, and when it cam close enough, its scent became the dead giveaway. It was a fox.

Sagacity hated foxes, but she decided against hunting it. The fox would have already been on alert and though it had already been on a swift run, she knew she wouldn't have the element of surprise. She didn't see the fox as it went off into the distance, but she cursed it nonetheless. Vile, plague-carrying creatures. Sagacity was hungry again, as well as thirsty. She continued along through the copse which was quite unfamiliar to her, drawn by the scent of water. It appeared as though the fox had come from a similar area, leading Sagacity to continue forward with caution- whatever it was that had spooked the fox could possibly still be around. She could smell the water in the distance but gave it a wide berth, moving through the woods quietly in an effort to pick up the trail of whatever it had been that had chased the fox.

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Yessssss!! <33

Intrigued by the abrupt change of scenery, Luce was oblivious to the fact that a silvery someone unknowingly lurked nearby. The water was cool and calm, and the fine, silty lake bed was soft on her tired feet. Submerging her face to watch as she wiggled her toes into it, she was only mildly deterred by the darkness that obscured her view. As dark as the never-ending forest had been, she wasn't entirely surprised that the lake that it guarded was just as shadowed below the surface. The force of her breath sent a fine spray from her nose as she popped back up, shaking the water from her ears. Sunlight graced the angles of her lean back, and its warmth made her submerged body feel that much cooler. This place was a breath of fresh air.

It wasn't until she began to ferociously lap up her share that she took notice to the departure of a number of blackbirds from the canopy high above the treeline where the woodland became the shore. Water dripped from the corners of her mouth as she looked back and over her shoulder. Surely it wasn't the escaped fox come to taunt her into a second chase? Lucero's bright eyes narrowed and she squinted to get a good look into the murk past the nearest trunks. For a moment she thought she saw a flash - some glint of gold or a flicker of silver. Or both? Slowly, suspiciously, the alabaster girl emerged from the lake, her long coat slick against her body as it drizzled the pebbly beach beneath her.

A single ear folded to the side, and the other pressed forward as she listened without hearing much of anything for a period. She was tentative in considering investigating further, gazing to the east at the congregation of small, sandy gray boulders that had been the red-furred scoundrel's easy escape. Testing the air with a quick flick of her pink tongue, there wasn't much of anything out of the ordinary. The breeze smelled and tasted earthy, rich with spring's signature redolence which she rendered was mostly fresh grass. Her brows furrowed when she couldn't shake the sense that she wasn't alone.

"Who's there?" she called out, her voice echoing emptily across the loch and into the forest.

♥ Allie

(This post was last modified: Apr 25, 2013, 11:23 PM by Lucero.)

Equally oblivious to who shared the location was Sagacity who kept still and quiet, unknowingly mirroring the female's actions in an effort to retrieve the same information. Sagacity, however, was more reluctant to speak up and instead held her silence. She tried in vain to catch the stranger's scent, and for a few moments, surrounded by nothing but silence, she entertained the thought that whoever it was that had been chasing the fox had left- or perhaps there hadn't been someone chasing the fox, maybe it had simply been quite obnoxiously clumsy and loud as it ran. She knew foxes were generally quite spry, but wouldn't put it past one to be idiotic.

She twitched with surprise when a voice called out. She floundered helplessly for an idea of what to do next, bewildered. But she calmed herself instead and in the voice of the stranger she found some reassurance. It was the voice of a female, silvery and light, curious. It wasn't an aggressive demand- not the kind of question Sagacity would have posed had she been the one to speak first. Her voice also gave away her location and Sagacity turned, passing quietly through the wooded lands toward where the voice had come from to peek out into the open and see her there.

There was something enchanting and sylphlike about the angelic creature standing in the water. The colour of her pelt was reflected in the water's surface and created a sort of pale halo around her ankles. Sagacity felt somewhat humbled by the woman's beauty and felt safer seeing that the stranger was one of a flawless appearance; the exact opposite of the macabre. Sagacity's black ears turned back in a display of humility. "Just me." She said quietly.

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At the sound of the not-so-distant reply, Lucero's wild-eyed gaze snapped in the direction from which it came. For a moment she wasn't actually sure what or who she was looking for, although the voice was distinctly feminine. She looked over the shoreline in every direction before averting her attention to the crest of the forest's end. There didn't appear to be anyone for a time, and eventually she caught a glance of movement within the shadows. From them peeked a figure the color of the mountainside, compact and lithe, with markings unlike any she'd ever seen before. Faint traces of sunlight danced along her back, and a flicker of the silver sheen of her well-kept coat was immediately alluring. Luce perked up.

As few as she actually had and as shy as she was, Lucero was never one to pass up the opportunity to make a new friend, or to entertain a friendly encounter, at least. The darker-coated woman was absolutely striking, from what she could discern from the wooded darkness, and the tone of her brief address was innocent enough to feed her curiosity further. Without budging from her position a few lengths away, an easy sway of her tail accompanied her reply.

"H-hello-" she said, craning her neck to try and get a better look. The woman's scent eluded her, and she took a couple of docile steps forward. "Who is "me"?" she inquired politely, honestly displaying her interest.

After a long morning by herself in the dark of the copse, she hoped the striped woman wouldn't mind her company. With the mildest enthusiasm beaming in her features, she eyed the treeline patiently.

♥ Allie

(This post was last modified: Apr 26, 2013, 03:54 AM by Lucero.)

XD!!

Just as she had suspected, even just from looking at the female with the gossamer pelt, the woman had what seemed like a kind disposition about her. She had a mildness about her lips which proclaimed no devil, something Sagacity herself couldn't quite manage to do, due to the coarseness of her character from time to time. She returned the greeting, albeit somewhat hesitantly, before she turned so that they would face each other. Ripples of water fanned away from the silver-dashed female, quiet and fluid. Sagacity, suddenly aware of the gracelessness of her own posture couldn't beg her legs to take her from the partial concealment of the woodlands. She felt gawky in comparison, and sensing the ethereal aura about the polite femme, she felt all too mortal and flawed.

"Sage." She said, once again aware of the difference between them- for the quality of Sagacity's voice was rather dull and flat at the best of times. She swallowed and pulled her lips tight. It helped, however, when she could not perceive judgement in the features of her counterpart; had she shown definite signs of disdain, seeing or hearing the tough and somewhat rough around the edges Sagacity, the sterling female likely would have turned and left on the spot- not in a huff, but simply unwilling to waste her time in the company of one who belittled her.

"Sorry," She said, tipping her head slightly, a gesture she meant to use to reference the surprise she'd caused earlier. She wasn't particularly sorry- Sagacity had been startled as well- but it was polite to say, and the last thing she wanted to do was seem both coarse and rude, when in the company of someone she perceived to be as soft and gentle as this one.

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:)

Sage. A beautiful name indeed, and fitting of the warm amber stare that contrasted with shadows in which the stranger remained. Pleased an encouraged by Sage's amiable introduction and apology - which was hardly needed but utterly appreciated - Luce smiled wide as her wagging tail swept to a fro across the dark water. It dawned on her then that the pewter-featured lady was probably most interested in the lake and a long drink, and who wouldn't be after braving that forest? She believed she was hardly intimidating, but as wolves go she thought Sage might feel uncomfortable approaching the water with Luce aimlessly splashing around in it. Perhaps an invitation was in order, if only to temper the apprehension that naturally accompanied encountering a novel face?

"It's okay, Sage," she replied. "I'm Luce," she continued, still trying to get a better look at her acquaintance from a distance before wading a little deeper out. "Why don't you come on out of there? The water's fine and the sun is warm," she encouraged, beads of water still dripping from the fur of her brows and cheeks. Across the lake came a high-pitched song sung by the local birds, and she watched as one of them fluttered about the branches of an old pine tree before settling with the rest of the flock. She wanted to look back to Sage to see if she'd come out from the woods, but she didn't (lest she appear too intrusive) and instead trained her gaze on the little waves created by an easy breeze as they rippled in a uniform direction.

♥ Allie

(This post was last modified: Apr 26, 2013, 05:50 PM by Lucero.)

SAGACITY

It appeared as though she'd met one of the wolves she hadn't liked much so long ago. The type who smiled easily at others, the type who was welcoming and warm. The type who possessed what might otherwise have been appreciated as politeness and good social skills, while Sagacity, who'd only ever been after taking care of her own interests, hadn't bothered with such things. Instincts kept her at a comfortable rank in her pack, as well as her regular performance as a scout. But being nice to a stranger had never been something she'd been particularly good at, and she became all the more aware of this as she was welcomed by Luce.

She balked a bit at the invitation, not particularly interested in going any closer to the stranger or going out into the water. Sagacity's eyes dropped to the liquid pooled around Luce's feet for a moment as she considered the invitation. She wanted to reject it. She wanted to shake her head, mutter some sort of a thank you, and then recede into the shadows. She didn't want to force herself to be friendly. But there was something about social obligation, even to a stranger, that she felt pulling her forward. She was a wolf, and wolves were meant to be social creatures. Even she was meant to be a social creature.

She sauntered forward slowly, taking her time as she approached the water. She'd moved along the shore a bit so as to not get too close to Luce who, despite her angelic appearance, still could've been a killer. Sagacity flicked one ear toward her as she lowered her head to sniff the water's surface, but decided, finally, against going in. "Not much for getting my feet wet," She said, as a lame sort of excuse.

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She could feel the energy of Sagacity's resistance, the way it radiated from her stiff, not-so-hesitant as it was calculated body language as she sniffed at the surface. For a split second she couldn't help but to feel a bit awkward - as she usual was in the presence of those she didn't know - but quickly masked it, flashing the pewter-hued woman a soft smile before looking off into the distance for the birds that had caught her attention. The warmth of the sun soothed the flicker of discord that could have threatened to snuff her contented time here. Again she soaked it up, swaying in the gentle current of the lake. The long spill of her ivory coat rustled up along her back as the wind blew through it, a single ear flexing to the side as she turned her back on the lake and the birds in the distance and stepped onto the shore.

"To each their own," she said in reply to Sage's comment about getting wet. Perhaps Sage was the wiser here, because the water was much colder than she'd realized, anyway. Now that she'd had some time to unwind after the chase that had brought her here, it caused a chill in her as it slipped down her skin and from the tips of the fur on her belly to the ground. In respect to her counterpart's cautious way, Luce walked a little further down the beach before pawing at the dirt a bit and sliding effortlessly to her belly. Like a sphinx she settled, her forelegs straight before her, her ash-stroked head held high as if to absorb the sunlight better as she mulled over the scene here. She didn't want to be intrusive, but all the same she felt that her silent company might feel to the lady like a waste of her time. Decoding this one was proving to be quite the challenge.

"It's like heaven here, after navigating through the shadows all morning," she said, nodding toward the referenced copse. "Not much in there but darkness and silence, if you ask me. Can't say I'm surprised that a fox was the first thing with four legs to cross my path- well...beside the squirrels. They're rampant around these parts, you know." She steadied her tempered gaze on Sage. "Are you from around here, Sage?"

♥ Allie

(This post was last modified: May 03, 2013, 02:14 PM by Lucero.)

This is getting pretty old- I've edited this so that it's wrapped up. ANOTHER THREAD SOON, YES!!

SAGACITY

Lucero didn't seem to look down on Sage for refusing to go into the water. Water slowed you down; she didn't want to be bogged down by water just in case Lucero turned out to be savage. She liked to have the upper hand, like a cat who sits on a shelf as a vantage point. It might've been cruel to even assume that Lucero might attack her after luring her into the water, but Sagacity was out to save her own skin in the end. And she didn't particularly like getting her feet wet with cold water, anyway. She preferred to stay warm.

Any suspicions of Lucero being malevolent faded when she began to speak, and instead, Sage felt a bit less comfortable. Lucero spoke like a poet, to Sagacity's ears; she had a dreamy kind of femininity about her- she noticed the beauty in nature and wasn't afraid to talk to a stranger about it. Sagacity was much more coarse and didn't consider such things- much less talk about them. A bit awkwardly she tilted her head and nodded wordlessly. Yes, sure, it was lovely. Heavenly? She wouldn't go that far. She felt a bit more in her element, though, when the fox was mentioned. Her gaze sharpened and she ran her tongue over her teeth. "I know. Varmints."[/b] And there it was, the extent of Sagacity's eloquence. Undeniably overwhelming. "Not really. I don't reckon I could say I'm really from anywhere in particular. I don't stay put long. What about you?" She asked, wondering what information she could glean from the beautiful young wolf.

And such is the way it was for Sagacity, whenever she met a new wolf. Even ones as beautiful and kind as Lucero were little more than a voice with information she could use to make sure her rank and title as scout weren't challenged. The conversation was pleasant, but as per usual, Sagacity- not being the type to sit and enjoy small talk- did not linger long, but politely bid the angelic female a fond goodbye and went on her way, new information in tow.

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(This post was last modified: May 23, 2013, 02:48 PM by Sagacity.)

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