Paper Wings

The Wildwood borders. Overcast — Current Temperature: 46° F/8° C | RE: The sky is dark with storm clouds.

The sun's light barely made it through the clouded sky's shades of grey, and the thunder that pealed in the distance seemed to the boy a constant reminder that safe was far from here. Rain meant water, and water equated simply to a fear he didn't care to acknowledge. Having nearly drowned to death as a child, even the sound of it made his chest ache, and the only exception to that was the shallow creek with the coppery stones. And it was not this creek. Staring idly into its silvery current, he didn't know how he was going to get across, or if he even should. Behind him was the path he'd taken to get here, and on the other side of the snaking brook was a darker forest that looked both appealing and dry. A gentle sprinkle of rain seemed to hang in the air like mist, clinging to the dark tips of his thickening coat, and he knew that soon it would be too late to find higher ground. If he could just wade his way across...Biting his bottom lip, the boy pawed at the water's surface as if it were going to do him any good, and after determining that the water wasn't that cold, he boldly took a step in. And immediately regretted it. The creek was deeper than he'd expected and the cool rush of the water through his fur and across his skin made him anxious. The other bank was only a few lengths away, however, and he was a good swimmer, whether he liked it or not. Sucking it up and paddling forward, the tawny boy emerged from the stream as fast as possible. Thunder rumbled overhead and a strong northern wind rustled up his spine with a chill as he retreated into the forest to find a place to ride the storm out.

(This post was last modified: Oct 15, 2013, 07:25 PM by Mirren.)

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Jack had never been the type to sit back and appreciate nature. Be it Mother Nature’s cruelty or beauty, whatever she did for attention was waved off of Jack’s radar like a crow from a kill. Jack had all she needed to know about mother nature, what was good to eat, what was bad to eat, when to get the hell going and when to stay put. With those heuristics catalogued away the rest of her senses were better preoccupied with more important things, mainly for searching for others like her. What she desperately needed was someone to talk to, to show off for… to tease. What could the elements do to appease her need for social solidarity? Nothing, that’s what. But here was Mother Nature offering her a sip of water when she damn near had all the water she could ever want from the previous day’s accumulation, and then some left over to drown herself in.

Whether Jack noticed it or not, the day was particularly grey, the normally vibrant colors of fall lay pallid beneath the heavy clouds, which in turn harbored a foreboding hint of muted cobalt. Experience told her that heavy rain was just around the corner, the sudden call of thunder only confirmed this. What followed this outburst however, was far more intriguing.

It was what came on the wind that sent Jack into a sharp right turn without skipping a beat. A strong gust had informed her of another wolf not too far off. The information translated as follows: young wolf, not much younger then you, a male. As far as preliminary information went it was enough to send her off the beaten path, but anything that was a wolf was enough for her right now.

As a precaution Jack stopped a distance away from the stranger, before she had a chance to see him in the flesh even, and let out a small bark in greeting. Then she continued on her trajectory, hoping her companion wouldn’t find her presence distasteful.

The wind was certainly picking up a bit now, but that wasn’t really of her concern.

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So sorry for the wait! I promise I'll be quicker this time around :3

The shadows of the forest capered down upon the mottled pewter and sable tones of his back as he left the open, churning grey sky behind and ventured into the grove's safety. Even in this blustery weather, the place was beautiful. Deepening shades of rust and orange painted much of the deciduous canopy while dark and earthy tones of a certain shade of coniferous evergreen was nearly indiscernible from the shadows cast by the old trees. Hell, it even smelled different, in a good way. Back in the thicket─which he was still tentative to refer to ashome─the vegetation was so thick that sometimes the air felt heavy and smelled like dirt. Every now and then a good strong gust would find its way in, but all in all the thicket was a fortress. But this place...it felt more like a magical, mysterious labyrinth than he was really used to and he paused to peek in. All in all, his first impression was a good one. Mirren was soaked and chilled to the bone and was all but ready to find a drier, warmer place to settle in for the rest of the evening and night when a distant bark, all but swept away by the wintery winds, echoed to his ears. His head perked and swung back as he cast an attentive glance over his shoulder. Was he being followed? Looking back into the comforting shadows of the woods before him and back to the open scene of grey sky and the creek at his back, he would postpone his endeavor to at least investigate. Emerging from the treeline of Sacred Grove, he stood strong against the assaulting, icy currents of wind that cut through his fur and against his face. Approaching his second winter, the Tainn heir had all but filled into his impressive physique─inherited from his father's brute size and his mother's perfect, athletic proportions. Tall and long, cut and lean, with fur as thick as a bear and as dark as night where the tawny tones were mottled with Ruiko's cold markings. The boy's golden eyes roved the autumn-kissed hills for any sign of the creature whose voice he'd heard, but he saw nothing. A deep bark in return rumbled from the boy's throat─a greeting for friend or foe, though he hoped for the prior. Stoically watchful, he waited for an answer or for a figure to emerge as the sky opened up to pour down upon the wilderness.

(This post was last modified: Nov 06, 2013, 08:17 PM by Mirren.)