eavesdrop

Zia

I will always belong in the service of a Queen

The borders were secure.
No hungry, growling stomachs.
The Aesir boys aware of the snow boundaries.
The pack held promise of growth.
Kisla...
Dare he let his mind wonder? Feel the familiar pains of loss ripping through his chest. Not really. He hated building himself up, just to see if he could do it again. More than anything he hoped Jessie and Arlette would bring her back safe, and whole. Corinna had said she had traveled across the mountain in search of game. It had made his bones cold. That fucking mountain was nothing but cursed. It had started with Uncle Honijo. He had claimed the god forsaken ground, leaving Indru and Ruiko to pick up the ruins of the Tainn tree. Pack after pack, was there any left? Hardly. Kisla, oh why. Maybe, he knew. How much he craved the roar of Swift River, the familiar embrace of the grove. How paws could itch for new land, new faces, a life that was yours. A deep sigh, the brute looked nothing like a leader. Dark ears were bent, crown cast down, and his tail a stiff appendage at his hocks. If it were not for his own commitments he would have scaled it himself. Wouldn't that be just like his brother? Leave the family in the worst time.

The man growled, striding through the trees avoiding the large drifts, while letting his eyes seek the red hills. A place he didn't care much to visit. For the sake of his sanity he had needed to go on a little walk. Needed to walk about from that dire mountain of stone, and think what he could do. The herds thinning he was more than ever tempted to visit Borlla. See if she had noticed the change, and how her pack was. Her children he had yet to meet. It was a walk to the creek, and he told himself he would not. He was much too afraid of failing, of leaving his family in danger because of thoughtless actions. Eventually he found an great oak that had grown near the hills, and he sat between its large roots, brooding like the dark storm cloud he was.

(This post was last modified: Feb 11, 2014, 06:09 AM by Triell.)

are you with me through it all?

Zia heaved a sigh, her breath drifting into the bitter air in a twirling tendril of smoke. She was restless...depressed. Taking in the landscape, covered in a pristine layer of white, she normally would feel happy. But not this winter. This winter was different. And it wasn't because of the severity of the snowfall either. Not long ago, she had taken the initiative and requested from Phineas, her leader, to scout the other side of the mountain to take inventory of the prey population there. It had been a mistake. A mistake to make the journey with Inkheart, the only wolf she had grown close to after all this time. They had almost been home free, the two of them. But fate had decided to play a dirty trick. There, deep within the rocky crags of the mountain, the weather had taken a change for the worse. She didn't recall how it happened...only that it did. Her mind was too numb, the details too fuzzy. It could've been an avalanche, or a misplaced step, or the crumbling of the rocks that sealed his fate. What did it matter now anyways? Zia had been forced to return alone...without her companion. Inkheart was gone. Stricken, she was the bearer of the dreadful news to her leaders. She knew Phineas would be crushed. He had had a good relationship with the former second, often taking him out on many scouting trips or border patrols. Alongside of him, Inkheart was one of the key figures who had came to form the pack of the Glen.

After returning home, all Zia wished to do was to curl up in the back of the den, shutting herself out from the icy world. She didn't even feel compelled to make her rounds, burning up calories and stretching her muscles in her usual workout she so enjoyed. No...she just wanted to be left alone. She couldn't face them...the members of her pack. Not that they'd understand, or even care anyways. Some new faces had filled the ranks, faces of wolves she cared not to know. Guilt plagued her. She shouldn't have listened to his pleas. Shouldn't have left his side. Even if it meant being stranded on the mountain with him. A member of the pack was gone, and she placed the blame squarely on her own shoulders. Eventually, after many days of isolation, she could take no more. As reluctant as she was to do anything, she forced herself to rise...to get active. She made up the excuse that she was just going to try and find any fresh tracks by the creek, hoping for any signs of returning prey. Phineas likely had seen right through her, but she didn't care. Now was not the time to face him, nor anyone else.

That day, the platinum furred female set out, away from the Glen. Going somewhere where she wouldn't run into familiar faces. Zia hardly had left the little haven that she spent so much of her time at anyways. She needed to expand her horizons, even if it meant she was stuck on this side of the mountain for now. Blindly, she walked. Not with those usual, long, fluid steps that were so typically used. Only a trudging, slow waltz, never minding where she placed her paws. Head downward, her sapphire eyes were fixed decidedly on the ground. With curled lips, teeth sheathed from view, she glared at the snow, as if cursing it. As if it were to blame. She had asked to be given the role of guardian, and now look at her. What had happened. What kind of guardian let one of their own down, to fall from the face of the earth? One who was fit only to be stripped of their title. Snorting distastefully, a flash of russet amidst the snow caught her eye. She looked up, greeted by the imposing sight of steep cliffs, an angry red color. Just great...more treacherous mountains. As if she didn't need anything else to remind her of her guilt. Growling to herself, she turned away, only to see another familiar sight. Blinking, her eyes widened. There beneath an oak tree, sat an ebony figure. He was large, clearly a male. The amber eyes, his build...the pitch black coat. He was almost a replica of Inkheart. Were her eyes playing tricks on her? Was she going mad...hallucinating? Taking a tentative step forward, Zia moved closer, as if to see if she was dreaming. Had her friend somehow miraculously reappeared? As her hopes had begun to heighten, they were dashed just as quickly. This man had a distinctive white patch on his chest. Inkheart had no such marking. Sensing that he likely had noticed her staring, she turned away."Forgive my odd behavior. I...thought you were someone else." She muttered in a low, disappointed voice, laced with regret. Head low, between her shoulders pitifully, Zia turned to leave him in peace.

Look Out!

Water is beginning to freeze and some fish are trapped. Hunt Opportunity

I will always belong in the service of a Queen

No thought to be seen, he let himself try to work through his feelings in silence. What was really bothering him, and how to return better than he left. He wasn't quite sure how he felt. It would be easy if it was merely anger. Mad at himself, the world, how it had all panned out. His heart didn't burn, there was not heat in his blood, no enemy to face. Sadness, he hated that far more than being angry. Sadness never quite seemed to dissipate. It hung on in dark corners ready to creep up at the slightest opportunity. There was nothing to grieve about. Marsh was trigger of sorts Kisla, she had to be alive even if it really wasn't a fact. She was a clever girl, there were many more packs over there then here. .Ice and Merlin would be back, even if it took them till spring. What was he? The truth was he was overwhelmed, and trying to numb it all. Be cold, and empty like the ever whitening landscape wishing for a way not to let every little thing get a hold upon him. That was simply an integrated part of him to care too much, seeing all the little things and wondering how to fix them. Oh, if Ice could hear you now. He would shove your face in the snow. So would his friend have any advice? Any words?

Almost to sigh, ears whipped back, swearing they heard a growl from somewhere behind him. Odd. It was with wariness, neck stretched, and he swiftly caught view of a lovely silver lady. If it wasn't for her charcoal mask he might too have mistaken her for another as well. It was the way she stared at him, that made his throat tighten. It seemed she may have well been looking at a ghost. Unknowing what to do, or what this meant he sat like a dark statue, his fiery eyes blinking now and then. If she was to attack him, he prepared himself to try to shift away from the tree. Suddenly, even though she had moved closer the look in her light eyes was gone. Snuffed out. It seemed she had no want to look upon him any further, if she had found sunshine and it been replaced by rain. It was hard to be...rejected in such a way, and the emotions that raked her voice though not meant to be sharp, jabbed deep into his own dreary mood. Just like that she went to head on her way. Without thought the dark beast was plowing through the snow, attempting to follow her. "Wait...miss." He called, not demanding, but there was a plea to his deep tone. "Please don't go." Was it he knew that look? The way she had to force her very frame to continue onward? That he knew broken when he saw it. "I..I don't know who you are looking but, maybe I could help? Just please...it's terrible to be alone."

(This post was last modified: Feb 11, 2014, 06:10 AM by Triell.)

There is a family of deer nearby. Hunt Opportunity

Don't mind Zia. Her emotions are all over the place. <3

With her back to the hills and the stranger among them, Zia would leave this place. To escape the painful memories of her friend, and the mountains which had swept him away. But really, there was no solace. Not even in her dreams. Time was of no comfort, of no healer to her emotional wounds. Day in and day out, Zia was forced to face the truth. That her closest friend was gone, and that it was all her fault. Clenching her eyes shut as a painful grimace washed over her face, she wondered why she was still within the ranks of Magnolia Glen. Phineas had been kind and supportive. He had not stripped her of her title nor her rank. And yet...there was no one she knew. The gaps within the ranks had been filled with new faces, ones which she knew nothing of, nor cared to. Her leaders had their own problems dealing with the winter and watching the borders. It was a struggle just to get by. She wouldn't burden them with her turmoil.

Moving slowly further away, as if all the willpower had been sapped from her body, Zia didn't even bother to acknowledge a nearby stream, freezing over, in which fish were struggling to survive. She really was that bogged down, to ignore a potential food source at this time of year, when every morsel was precious. Lost in the fog of her own mind, consumed by emotions, she wasn't even aware of the dark male rising from his position, beginning to follow her. The shift of limbs pressing through the snow fell of deaf ears, the scent closing in failing to register. None of these factors drew her out of her spell. That is, until he spoke. His voice was not what she expected. Calm, but with a sense of urgency. What could a complete stranger possibly want with a lowly thing like her? What interest was she, a failure to him, an accomplished pack leader? She stiffened, coming to a standstill. By now, snowflakes had lightly begun to flutter down from the clouds, dappling their coats in a thin powder. More words...why did he want her to stay? And what was this...he was relating to her? Confused and stricken, her emotions came to a boil. For the first time in a span of five minutes, she displayed some animation. She snapped her head around to look at him over her shoulder, sapphire eyes slightly narrowed. "And why would you want to help me? It's too late, what I am looking for is gone." She replied icily. Yes, being alone was a terrible thing. The scent of deer nearby had caught her attention, but not enough to encourage her to hunt. In his favor at least, despite her cold reception, she had decided to stay a little longer.

Alright we won't take it personally. :3

I will always belong in the service of a Queen

It may have been a lost cause, the whole idea she would speak to him, or at this point even stop. It seemed she was clear on moving as far as she could, and he might as well have been another tree. If he simply let her go on her own, something told him he would forever wonder what would have happened if he hadn't. There he was, following in her wake with what might seem like no sense to let her be. Surely anyone else would not have followed her. Coldness hung from her voice, and the way ice blue eyes had snapped back to him, threatening to cut could have been warnings she was hurt enough to lash out. Why unnecessary pain was just that, he wasn't afraid. It was the boy in him that wanted to help. Hadn't he always rescued the damsel in distress?

"All right I guess I can't." The quiet admittance was plainly uttered, while he stared at her with a reserved dark face. He didn't feel sorry for her, and didn't want to appear if that was his sole reason for following her all this way. He wasn't sure he wanted to appear at her mercy either. "I just wanted to help, hopelessness isn't easy to combat." Tips of his ears perched back, he was about to turn in the direction of home. Nostrils caught something on the breeze. Deer. Then the scent of the lady herself. "You're of the Magnolia Glen pack?" Brief surprise etched across his face. He hadn't met anyone of his sister's pack, and had not heard from her in a while he wondered how they fared. The state of the silver lady, he worried it wasn't good. Drawn out sigh, he took a further step closer. "Look, I smell deer upon the wind. I could least try to help you take some food back. " He did not yet mention Borlla as his sister, waiting to see if she would take him up on his offer first.

She had not meant to be so harsh with her words. To come off as standoffish. Her icy demeanor was not reserved only for him. She was more mad at herself than anything, which resulted in a less than sociable mood. Sharpened blue eyes remained fixed on the dark figure behind her, peeking just over her shoulder. To her mild surprise, the brute hadn't moved away. He only remained in place, offering up a simple response. While he wasn't sympathetic, he wasn't offended either. And that was good. For now, Zia would rather cope with her inner turmoil on her own. She just couldn't go expelling her confessions to some stranger now could she?

Finally, the promient rumble within her belly snapped her attention towards the deer that were nearby. Food. A meal for both herself and for her pack. It was getting so rare to come by these days. Turning around to fully face the dark male, a distinguished scent crept towards her nose. While unfamiliar, she had caught a whiff of it once or twice before. "Don't worry about it. I'm just not sure how to deal with it, that's all." She took a few slow steps closer towards him as her interest heightened, as did his. "Yes, I am. I serve under the leaders there. I've been with them since the beginning." She went to say more, but the flash of a brown hide retreating into the distance stopped her. Apparently they were on the same train of thought. "Agreed, we should take advantage of this chance while we can. I appreciate the offer, too. We can divide the spoils evenly."She suggested, having heard that the Glen wolves and the Bend wolves were on friendly terms. Best to keep it that way. Creeping up the gentle slope of a hill, body low to the ground, her platinum highlights were a fine example of how she nearly melted into the snow. Zia didn't charge the group of deer yet. She only wanted to assess the options first. Two does, two young bucks. That was it. Glancing over her shoulder at him, assuming he had followed, she sent him a look that said "So, what do you think?"

I will always belong in the service of a Queen

The doubt that tempted to cloak his mind eased back as she made the choice of facing him. There didn't seem the probability she was doing so to rip him to shreds. With subtly his shoulders seem to shift downward more comfortably, dark ears pulling in her small confession. It was the sort of reply that only made him wonder further why she was upset, but he offered only silence of understanding. It felt better to let her keep her secrets.

There was a brush of a smile. So she was a loyal Magnolia Glen wolf. It was a quality many spoke of, but far less proved. Yeah, he was impressed. Before he could ask the question he wanted to know, he noticed sapphire eyes were watching something behind him. He instantly recalled food.

His sister forgotten, and an agreement made to share he followed her lead. Stealth wasn't exactly his weakness, but neither was it his strength. He crawled through the snow like a shadow keeping to the ground, pausing as she did. Orange-yellow eyes had to blink, and he had to swallow back saliva when he saw four choices before them. This meat would have to be split, and taken back if they managed to seize it. Furrow across his face, he looked them over, and caught the question in her stare. They should probably go for one of the young bucks because their antlers weren't exactly a threat at that size, and they were small..naive. Dark muzzle pointed to the pair, where he let his eyes stare. How were they going to accomplish this? She was probably more swift, but maybe they could surprise them. If she got in a bite, a distraction he could add to it. "Together, or should I try to steer one to you?"

Crouched behind the small hill, Zia used the snow to her advantage, allowing it to further conceal her body. With only the top of her head peeking up over the crest, she was tricky to spot. Still, she remained poised and quiet. They finally had a chance at a decent meal, and she'd be damned if she screwed up now. This rare opportunity was one that they could not afford to pass up. Her stomach rumbled, the sharp pangs of hunger making her wince. She had grown accustomed to such a feeling, however unpleasant it may be.

When her dark companion, Triell gestured to the young bucks, she nodded in silent agreement. Animals such as those were inexperienced, full of hormones which could lead to overconfidence, and ultimately their undoing. Her pale toes sank into the snow, rolling it beneath her pads in anticipation. Considering his question for a moment,Zia stared straight ahead, trying to make out any potential paths or escape routes amongst the snow covered hills. "Steer one towards me. There may be only four of them, but they are probably more skittish than usual with so many hungry predators around." It was the safest option, she reasoned. With just the two of them, the group was likely to panic easier. If they could seperate one, then taking it down should go smoothly.