there is darkness roaming through everything

Light snow — Current Temperature: 27° F/-3° C; RE: the sky is dark with storm clouds | all welcome to play in the snow!

She welcomed the cold this time.

It swept through the long, ashen strands of fur that hung from her cheeks, tickling the side of her muzzle when the wind rustled by. Never one for winter, something about the impending season this year wasn't so concerning. Perhaps it was due to the fact that her roots had taken to the dirt beneath her feet here, among the magnolia trees that had lost all but a sparse dotting of their blossoms. Lucero never thought she could feel so at home, and yet after all the pack had been through over the summer and since Borlla's accident, she couldn't imagine ever being anywhere else. Watching the sacred trees lose their color and a hint of their beauty was but another reminder that the clock was ticking─the sky had become dark and grey and from the clouds fell the lightest flurry of snow.

Peeking her head out from the den mouth tucked away at the base of the old tree, she was delighted as the tiny white flurries tickled the tip of her nose. Winter had come so quickly, and she definitely hadn't expected snow like this already. It had fallen in thin sheets overnight and throughout the morning, painting the hills and grassy knolls the purest shade of white. The creek still flowed, however, seemingly untouched by the frost that had otherwise enveloped nearly everything. With her head poked out of the warmth and safety of the den, wide yellow eyes gazed about in awe. Stretching her long legs languorously and cat-like, Lucero slipped from the hidden hollow and out into the powdered world.

First, she would go for a run and enjoy the wonder of the snow for herself. Then, maybe she'd round up a pup or two, and perhaps the pack could make a play day of the season's first snow. Like a flash of lightning she was off with a start, her ivory and ashen coat blending in perfectly with the wintry scene. Plowing over drifts, cutting through thick banks, over the river and through the woods she sped; really, she hadn't had this much fun since, well...it had been a while. Not even the dark and churning sky overhead could damper the excitement of the season's first snow fall. Pink tongue lolling out of her mouth, Lucero eventually broke into a wide clearing not far from the main den. With a sparkle of childlike adventure in her eyes, she let loose a playful yip for any and everyone to hear─an invitation to partake in her frosty folly.

(This post was last modified: Nov 10, 2013, 03:10 AM by Lucero.)

Concern held her transfixed at the given moment. She had just returned from the mountain's base, scavenging for last living greenery that might assist with mending anything the winter strove to damage. And Borlla, Eek had a selection set aside just for the magnolia queen. There was enough for that, she was certain, but they would not keep her if the matriarch was the only one she tended to. In some packs the luminaries might see themselves as the only beasts meriting survival, but this group was so different, and that was what pushed her to do whatever she could to stay. They were truly a family, and she was finally a part of something. She would do anything to hold onto that. So as she looked over her meager supply, her heart sunk and she pushed her mind to the limit, planning and deliberating over all the options. If this particular scenario occurs, what will she do? What about this? Or... Her worried thoughts were disrupted by a mirthful sound that bounced over the swiftly accumulating snow and directly into the healer's store. Eek wasn't a girl to join in trivial social conventions; she would rather have the thought of a family close to her heart and keep the actual members at a distance, for what she desired was not compatible with who she was. This time, however, she was thankful for a distraction. After all, because of how close the community was, she would have to do more than soothe back aches to keep her place; she had to make ties with these people. And so Eek pulled herself up out of the den, and into the snow. Her thick fur had doubled during the fall, making her perfectly suited for the current temperatures. Once more anxiety raked at her mind as she was reminded of her previous winters, both consumed by the horror of barely surviving. This time Eek knew she was safe, however, as it would not be just her selfish ragtag blood relatives standing between her and starvation. As she made her way toward the bounding source of the invitation, another thought hurried Eek's wading; perhaps the pups would come out to play. She knew this pack possessed children, but she had yet to run into any of them by chance, and had been too busy to seek them out. There were only seconds between her and the sight of Lucero, and Eek was reminded of her youngest days, when she would attempt to play with her sibling Roman. Her father would have none of it, and the short-lived time she'd spent with previous packs had given her no room to act youthful. And so, unsure of what exactly Lucero would expect of her, Eek simply acted on her impulses. Lowering her head, she behaved much like a bulldozer as she trotted through the layer of snow, gathering a mound at her snout and building it up in piles. She wondered how high she could get one to be, and to this end she began to combine them.

Borlla felt as though she'd lazed her way right through the fall season. For much of the previous weeks since the incident, she'd been den-ridden, save for the moments where she simply needed to see the outside, breathe in air that wasn't heavy with her own scent. The aches and pains had began to subside, and her leg, for the most part, could bear some semblance of weight again (though not without the occasional horrid twinge). Yet there was still an overall discomfort within her, an illness that she couldn't seem to shake. The woman only could assume that it had something to do with the distance she'd initially traveled, the blood that she'd lost. It would pass eventually. But such an illness would not keep her denbound. She could smell the snow outside of the warm den. The chill it carried in caused her nose to sting a bit, but it brought a smile to her face. Her children would see the snow, and she demanded to be there to see them see it. Her toes curled as her nails reached into the dirt, giving her a bit of strength to haul her weak body upwards. The woman was generally lethargic.

Although her wounds had healed, her broken bones nearly mended, she slept much of the days away, ate very little, and had to force herself to find pleasure in things. It wasn't the way she wanted to live, but could only hope that it too would heal, just like the terrible paranoia and panic she'd suffered quite early on. If she could have predicted the cause of her depressive state, she might have found a new emotion: fury.

Sliding carefully out of the den, her legs shuddered as her paws met the snow. Her brain told her to go back inside, it was far too cold out here, not good for mobility...But she pushed on. She'd gotten far too used to the warmth within her den, that was all. She simply needed to reacclimate herself to the outside. The smile on her muzzle wavered as she plodded awkwardly through the snow. Her injured leg was pulled upward, protectively, although occasionally it would reach down through the snow to give the woman a less pronounced limp. She'd traveled a few yards, slowly finding her strength, when she spotted Eek, the medic, and Lucero enjoying the flurries not from from her position. Collecting a ball of cold air, she brought it into her lungs, only to release it in a misty cloud of warm breath, and a bark that made her a little unsteady on her paws. Her voice was not often used lately, and her throat suffered for it.

With a bit more confidence, she moved forward again, hoping to reach the two. She hoped her children were not far, and then they could all enjoy the season together. <b style="color:#32527a">

Lurking until the end of July - Please PM/tag me to get my attention

There should have been nothing to disturb her slumber. So she thought. The cold had reached her tender nose, and despite how hard she pressed to ignore it, the girl gave in. Opening her eyes, looking outside there was a new world. It was almost completely white. Hypatia's silver and brown mask scrunched both in bewilderment, and scorn. What was this? The world mocking her now?

Understanding better why her coat had thickened, she had been been grateful for change. The wind heaving, the rains stinginging, and the sun more scarce. All that white made her cringe. The grattitude she felt for her coat was marred. She would stick out more than ever. With fall she least felt more blended, a part. It was ok she wasn't strictly a pale wolf like her mother, her father, and brother. This was just rude.

A faltering breath she did not nudge Kyros. Afraid he would wake up and laugh at her. The thought was entirely rubbish. Kyros had no idea how she felt being the one Agryis-Tainn that was brown. Hypatia could let her worries override reality. Deciding no one could witness she wanted to test out this new stuff. Forcing herself to a stand, a paw was placed onto the frosty ground outside. Instantly she shivered and pulled herself away. Now Kyros had real reason to laugh, but when she turned her head he appeared asleep. Clenching her jaws, Hyp jumped from the entrance, landing in the sticky, wet stuff. The girl cringed thinking it would get worse, it did not. In fact, she laughed. This wasn't bad. It was actually...nice? When she walked it did not stick to her, but disappeared. Intrigued she watched as her paw print formed, and another. Then one white flake fell just by the corner of her eye. It was then she realized this stuff was coming from the sky. "Kyros! Look!" When she heard her mother's bark that was all it took.

Surprised she should hear her out, the young lady rushed to the sound. The texture did not interrupt her movement, but felt as steady as the dirt. Delighted than when she had awoke, she added her own happy yip. Orange yes spied the pale queen Hypatia told herself she could not bounce into her mother. No, she would need to be careful. Every ounce of excitement she bounded to the lady, her fluffy tail a huge indication of her happiness. "Momma!" Happily beamed, forcing a stop before reaching her, but stretching her nose to nuzzle her chin. Behind her she was aware Luce and a dark lady were playing. For the moment she only had eyes for her mother. "What is this stuff?"

The flurries fell from the sky in swirling threads of white, tumbling along the snowy surface of the ground and along the groove between her bright eyes. She met them head on, her tail wagging steadily behind her as she stretched her neck to enjoy the feel of the the cold wind as it rushed in short bursts beneath the curves of her jaws and. The sky was bright despite being occluded by the wintry clouds and in immediate view the only things that weren't white or covered in powdery snow were the trunks of the trees and the bodies of the various other plants that dotted the valley. She absolutely felt like she fit right in.

Eventually the dark figure of Eek, the pack's talented healer, emerged into view, the sables tones of her fur a stark contrast to the white that prevailed around them both. For a moment Lucero would watch the woman as she trudged her way through the snow, astutely taking in the way she pushed it around with her nose. Her eyes brightened and her head perked up. What was she doing? Whatever it was, Luce wanted to interact and so she trotted closer to Eek and announced her desire to partake with a playful bark. Mirroring the other girl's actions, she buried her snout in the snow, pushing a mound of her own toward the already constructed piles.

From the whitewashed distance emerged none other than Borlla, whose bark carried through the air like a song Luce had missed hearing. Snapping her head around to gaze over her shoulder at the creamy queen, she shot her long-time friend a wide smile. As Borlla made her way toward the pair and their piles of snow, Hypatia's voice was the next to speak, her question meant for her mother. Luce took in the sight of mother and daughter briefly─a heartwarming sight─before averting her attention back to the snow mounds.

Eek had few expectations for Lucero's reaction to her presence and actions. However, hearing the mirthful sound off, she picked her head up and hid a grin as the young auxiliary leader mimicked her efforts. If she'd had a tail, it would've been swaying behind her; instead, her rear wriggled, phantom wagging if you will. Without a word, she continued the act of gathering snow, focusing on that single mound once more. Their solitude was brief before the queen herself joined the scene. After Borlla's self-announcement, Eek placed a smile upon her maw and abandoned her work to greet the woman. Her happiness at seeing her out and about was genuine; appearances would be everything for Eek's balancing act, after all. However, she also came to be on edge, a feeling she could never shake when reminded of her conniving deeds but always managed to hide from the view of others. Instantly she was analyzing every movement the woman made, calculating her exact health and the effect Eek's treatments were having on her. She approached her with basic submission, concern reflected by the pallid optics set inside her head, and gave her maw a single lick of affection. "Look at you, out and about!" she remarked, pulling back to a distance more suitable for conversation. "How are you feeling then?" Of course, she had also noticed the ball of fluff tumbling beside her; when first noticing Hypatia at her mother's side, Eek's heart had become slightly erratic with joy. Perhaps finally she would be able to interact with the pack's youth, and form some sort of bond. But things must be paced, something the impulsive girl was not good at but had become determined to master in order to keep her position within the pack. So for now, she focused solely on Borlla.

Though winter was upon them full force, it seemed that no one found it alarming. Borlla, admittedly, was a little nervous about the mounds of snow upon the ground. It seemed a little early for Winter yet. The feeble woman tried not to dedicate too much thought to it. Catching the pale eyes of her leader, as it was, Borlla smiled, giving the woman a little nod of respect. Indeed, she wished to speak with Lucero in a more personal setting, ask her how things were faring since she'd been out of commission, useless. But there was another here, her more or less personal medic, Eek. She offered a warm smile to the shadowy wolf as well, though it was cut short by the cries of her daughter. For a second, Borlla searched frantically for the origin of the voice, spotting the darkening child as she plowed through the snow towards Borlla.

The mother braced herself, ears resisting the urge to push against the back of her head. But the girl was smart and did not barrel into her sickly mother. It was a bit sad when Borlla thought about it and wondered if she would willingly bear the pain and discomfort that would have certainly come with Hypatia tackling her. Regardless, it did not happen and she happily took the secondary, which was her aging daughter nuzzling her kindly. Borlla pushed a chilly nose into the child's cheek, unspeakably glad to see the girl. Her eyes searched quietly for a second after, wondering if Kyros would be joining them, but Hypatia disrupted the woman's thoughts.

<b style="color:#32527a">"It's uh..." The words caught in her throat for a moment as she coughed. Recovering quickly, she went on. <b style="color:#32527a">"Snow, darling. Frozen rain." She tried to simplify it for the girl and explain it at the same time. It was one thing to just say "snow", but...what was snow? <b style="color:#32527a">"Lucero, Eek!" The woman called out, moving forward again, eyes occasionally shifting towards her daughter. <b style="color:#32527a">"Already enjoying the weather, I see?" She tried to keep her words light despite her rather scratchy voice and the subtle implications of the accumulation. Her head decanted slightly as the darker woman approached, submitting to her ward. <b style="color:#32527a">"Better, definitely. I think the weather is...Stunting the healing process, though." The woman smiled weakly, reclining on her haunches. <b style="color:#32527a">

Lurking until the end of July - Please PM/tag me to get my attention

Orange eyes that held tight to her mother's face had that glimmer of question, and adoration , while her tail curtly swept away pieces of white behind her. The young lady didn't pay attention to the bit of hesitation, she was well aware some of her questions took a little more to answer than others. Creamy brows scrunched together, a lip twitch of uncertainty as the gears in her head placed it all together. This was snow, but her mother went the next step to explain what that really meant. Knowing about ice that had appeared along the creek it clicked, and her silver and tawny face smoothed except for a rather large grin. Yet, she was still aware Borlla could not play in this new found snow to see her outside in it picked up her spirits. Lately, they had been dampened, and she hadn't quite thought of liking this snow.

As her mother would move forward, Hyp fell in step, briefly offering Lucero a shy smile. The other lady was approaching, the girl took in the black colored wolf who she believed to be new here. Eek? It had sounded like mum had said. Hypatia was marveled by the way she greeted the white lady, and how she inquired of her health. So far she seemed alright, and Hyp could not peel her eyes from midnight coat. She looked like she could hide in the dark. The girl didn't have heart to ask, nor interrupt the conversation of her mother's health. It was with worried eyes she glimpsed up, wishing there was something she could do to help her feel better.

(This post was last modified: Jan 19, 2014, 04:00 AM by Hypatia.)