Magnolia Glen Now and back again

It had been far too long. Zia's absence in Magnolia Glen was no accident, although she had dearly missed the comforts of her home. A week ago, she and Inkheart had informed Phineas and Borlla that they would be taking a trip over the mountain. Not just for a little sightseeing either. The silver female knew that prey had been growing increasingly scarce. It alarmed her. Normally, at this time of year, their options would be a little more plentiful. Sure, winter always presented a challenge when it came to finding a meal. But this...this wasn't normal. So she took matters into her own hands, opting to set out with her closest friend, and partner. She didn't know what they'd find on the other side of the mountain, if anything. It was in her eyes, better than sitting back and struggling. They'd never know what the conditions were if they did not investigate other possibilities. Zia felt guilty for leaving Magnolia Glen behind, without their guardians. She made a promise though, that she and the dark male would be away for no more than a week. True to her word, the Glen wolf did indeed return. Only this time, alone. Where there once was two, now there was just one.

As she marched over the border and back into the snow covered little valley, something was clearly amiss. Zia no longer carried herself so confidently, with that natural ease in her step she was renowned for. Instead, she moved slowly, as if in a daze. Her head was low, lined up with her spine, sapphire eyes downcast, her tail limp at her hindquarters. All had not gone according to plan. Far from it. Instead, it had gone terribly, terribly wrong. She shuddered, muscles quaking beneath her winter coat, a pained wince gliding over her face. Inkheart was gone...lost. She wasn't even sure if he was still alive. The ordeal of losing him had taken it's toll on her, both mentally and physically. Her normally sleek silver fur was now a ruffled, disheveled mess, patches of snow clinging to the fine hairs. She looked utterly and completely exhausted, the struggle to make it over the mountain having taken it's toll on her. She had barely made it back in time, as the rocky heights had grown slick with ice, inches upon inches of snow blocking many of the numerous pathways that led a wolf from one side to another.

Despite her fatigue, Zia was not yet ready to rest. As a wolf who upheld strict standards for herself, along with a rigorous training regimen, she would put responsibility before her personal needs first. Phineas and Borlla had to be notified, as painful as it might be for them to face the terrible news.Lingering by the outer rim of the territory, not far from the borders, Zia seated herself stiffly. Her body ached, her eyes were heavy with weariness. This nuisance was nothing compared to the emotional turmoil that gripped her being. With a deep sigh, her chest heaved as she stared at the snow, resigned. Winter had always been a favorite time of year for her, but now it was nothing but a bleak, empty eternity where time stood still. Raising her head, she parted her lips, calling for Phineas. Her voice was devoid of any emotion, hollow and empty, just as she was.

Winter had a firm hold upon the Glen wolves and it seemed unwilling to release its icy grasp. Phineas scouted the lands nearby daily, hoping to catch some scent of the herds.. all that was left seemed to be a caribou herd south of them now, and from what he had seen, even they were becoming a smaller group.

Uneasy as it made him, the ivory wolf had discussed with Inkheart and Zia, hoping to send them across the mountain briefly to report on their findings on the other side. He would have gone himself, but he could not be away from the pack lands for such a length of time, nor from Borlla’s side. Last year, the herds had remained plentiful in the western valleys, and with a heavy heart that they had chosen the wrong land to claim as home, he knew the other side of the mountains would have to be scoped out. The two had willingly gone, and as he had watched them disappear in the horizon – one figure of the deepest black, the other a sterling silver, not once had the male thought that come two weeks, only one would return.

He was trailing the borders when Zia’s cry carried across the sky. He knew her song well enough, having lived with her for many moons, and felt a pang of worry when he could detect the emotionless lilt within her tone. Without waiting, the alabaster regal quickened his pace, hoping to come across her quickly.

Of course he didn’t. The snow hindered his speed slightly, and blowing snow brought poor visibility. Yet finally he found her, and when his fiery eyes met only one form against the snowy backdrop, a frown smoothed across his features. “Zia,” he called, moving forward to close the distance between them. His nose bent down to smooth across the crown of her head worriedly, though his eyes did not stop scanning for Inkheart.

She could only wait in silence for her call to be answered. With the heavy snowfall, Magnolia Glen and all or Relic Lore was blanketed in snow, making travel difficult. Luckily, Zia was patient. Phineas was a reliable Alpha, never once failing to come forth when a wolf needed his aid. So she remained glued to her spot, empty sapphire eyes resting on the snow covered ground, or the barren, ice coated trees. She should be loving this season...not letting it weigh her down. It was only because of her bad luck, and the loss of a friend, that she felt this way. A wince flickered over her face. Why...why did this have to happen now, of all times?

How much time had passed since she summoned the ivory Alpha, she didn't know. It could've been minutes or even hours. When Phineas did appear at last, she failed to acknowledge him at first. All she could hear was the crunch of his paws upon snow, his familiar scent heavy in the chilled air. Head hanging low, eyes fixated towards the ground, she couldn't bring herself to look at him. She had known that he and the second had been good friends, often going patrolling or scouting neighboring territories together. So how would he react, seeing that his friend was no longer at her side? Even his scent was diminished, barely clinging to her pelt like a fine layer of snow, only to drift away in the wind.

Only when he had called out to her, did she dare glance upwards, keeping her head positioned between her shoulder blades. He didn't sound disappointed...just concerned. Flinching, Zia was startled by the kind, supportive graze of his nose over her charcoal tinted head. Instantly she relaxed, moving forward to rest her chin upon his shoulder in the gesture of a hug. Ears plastered against her skull, she fought for words. "Phineas...I'm so sorry..." She choked out, apologizing as if it were somehow her fault. "I tried...I couldn't save him. The snow...the mountain..." She couldn't go on, too distraught. Sure, going west to check out the abundance of prey carried it's risks. But she never had suspected that conditions would be so treacherous that they would lose a member. Or that the mountain had become impassable. Now, Zia was stricken with guilt, regretting having agreed to such a journey. But time healed all wounds...didn't it?

Rachel edit: closed tags that were open. <3

(This post was last modified: Jan 04, 2014, 07:08 PM by Phineas.)

She was distraught -- the press of her chin to his shoulder stirred the pack patriarch's heart to a stutter, almost fearful of the news she was about to deliver. With Inkheart absent in this very moment, and his Guardian so upset, it was not impossible to put two and two together. His own muzzle curled closer to her, taking in the scent of the mountain and how faded Magnolia Glen was from her now -- their expedition hadn't meant to be so long, and yet he could only imagine that the weather had held them up so.

He fell to silence, waiting for her to tell him what he could already surmise. His heart only sunk further when the words finally broke the air, and gently pulling back, his fiery eyes worriedly looked her over, seeking any injury that might have come to her physically. Emotionally, he could already feel her ruin. The mountain had claimed another Glen wolf.. one that was unlikely to come home, like Borlla had.

"Tell me everything," he spoke softly, feeling the heaviness of grief surround him like an all too familiar cloak. His mind flashed briefly with an image of the Guardian --- his swarthy pelt distinct against the snow, his eyes as fiery and alive as Phineas' own. Inkheart had become more of a brother to him than his littermates, given their anger and hypocritical accusations of him. Without him.. the pack was far weaker. "Is he dead, Zia?" There was a large difference between his death and simply missing -- hope could spur from one of these answers.

She was truly grateful for Phineas's presence. He was patient and understanding. And of course, sympathetic. Yet still, she remained numb. She drew back, taking in a shaky breath, trying to calm her racing heart. It was good to be home. If only Inkheart could've returned with her, then the reunion wouldn't have been so painful. She wondered...would this day change her? Would she ever recover from the events that had transpired on that blasted mountain? Before she could go curl up in a tight ball, she had explaining to do. It was hard to rehearse the scenario all over again, but she must.

Sinking down into the snow on her belly, in a clearly subordinate position, she dared only a tiny glance up at the chin of her leader. Ears glued to her skull, a shudder wracking her body, she sought her words. "It was tragic. Unexpected." Turning her eyes to the snow, she began to summarize the events, without going into too much detail. "It was storming...so badly that neither of us could see but a few inches ahead. We knew that it was dangerous up there. I've never seen so much snow in my life. But we had no choice but to cross, or we'd be trapped." She moistened her dry lips with her tongue, brows furrowing. "Inkheart...he was selfless. He just wanted me to get home safely. He was determined not to leave me behind. But then it happened...the avalanche. We didn't see it coming. He tried to get out of the way...but all that snow...it just...swallowed him up." She choked out, scrunching her eyes shut as a pained look washed over her face.

Staring blankly out into face, the scene replayed behind her eyes. The terror of it all. The biting wind whipping at their faces, the snow obscuring their vision. And then...then that thunderous rumble. The tidal wave of snow, rushing at breakneck speed coming to wipe them out. His pleas to save herself, her desperate cry of despair. A low whine slipped past her lips, as she buried her muzzle between her paws. "I-I didn't see him make it. I can only assume the worst..." She was a failure as both a friend, and a guardian. She wouldn't blame him if Phineas stripped her of her title. Mother nature was a cruel, random thing indeed.

Zia sprawled to the snowy grounds, whether from her distress or fatigue, he was unsure, and yet he could sense her sadness – it enveloped him as well, and as his mind flashed back to the brutishly large ebony male with the pumpkin eyes, it was impossible to believe this news was being delivered now.

Inkheart was gone.

He was brought back by her words – his fear confirmed as she continued. His own figure lowered – his haunches settled to the cold snow and his eyes fell to her crown. Avalanche. He attempted to recall if he had heard the distant rumbling of mother nature’s fury, but he recollected nothing – it was a miracle Zia herself had got through unscathed. Avalanche’s could swallow entire forests and fields. It was with this only thought that he could be grateful that the silver she-wolf was still before him.

“Zia, I never should have sent you both out. This is my fault,” he firmly stated, his tone numb now. He could see she had taken the weight of blame to her shoulders, and he could not allow that. Inkheart would not have wanted this. He stood then, moving forward, closing the distance between them. His muzzle swung down, smoothing across her brow as he preened her ears, a rumbling growl escaped him of apology. He would give her a few minutes and then they would give their grief to the sky and howl to the pack of their loss – and for the memory of the Glen’s regal guardian.