no escaping gravity

This is also a random event! <3 maybe someone Lachesis hasn't met yet? but it doesn't matter :D
For a silent moment.. the snow seems to have stopped.

As much as the willowy yearling wanted to remain shelled up within his spacious den he knew that he had to venture beyond the forest in order to save his sanity. Anastasia had been far from absent in his thoughts since his return to Cut Rock – she was always lingering, tucked away in the shadows. She remained as a constant reminder of when things were good; when everything had finally fallen into place. That feeling had been ripped away when Anastasia had disappeared from his life. He was a shadow of his former self, as the Lachesis who had arrived in Relic Lore alongside the blue-eyed china doll had died on the mountain. After crossing paths with the shadow child that they had been looking for the skeleton realized how foolish – and stupid – their decision to tackle the mountain had been.

His large paws dragged against the snow, pear gaze focused on the white terrain before him. A chill of familiarity ran down his spine as the frozen edges of the lagoon came into view, his breath hitching in his throat as he paused briefly. While it was covered in a thick layer of snow Lachesis was still able to recognize where he had blindly led himself – it was where he had found the wounded body of Shade.

It was at that moment that the silence seemed to intensify around him and Lachesis was suddenly aware of the abrupt halt in snowfall. Blinking slowly the skeleton took a hesitant step forward as he fought the grief that burned furiously within him. The healer had grown so accustom to the snow that he had nearly forgotten what Relic Lore looked like without snowflakes clouding his vision. A ghost of a smile flickered against his lips as he closed the distance between himself and the frozen water. His head spun around as he studied his surroundings to properly acquaint himself with the territory that held painful memories.

stick with those who stick with you

(Hope you don't mind my jumping in, you said wolves he hasn't met yet lol)

Lalani hadn't necessarily meant to travel so far from the borders, though she hadn't really bothered to stop herself either. Though she knew she wasn't that far from the pack, she wondered if Maksim would want her on a tighter leash. Sinse her screw up with Jessup she had steered clear of him and the rest of the pack. She hadn't felt like socializing and didn't want the hostile or pittying looks that would be sent her way. So she had been sleeping apart from the rest of the pack, getting up at dawn, patrolling all day and then coming back in the middle of the night. While she hadn't really found anything worth while, she had been trying.

As she wandered, she found herself being drawn nearer to the lagoon. She recalled when she had been down here with a group of her pack mates. They had only planned going on a little adventure, but had actually ended up discovering a new territory. Staring hard, out across the water, she tried to make out the shape of the small island, but with the snow falling, it obscured anything she might have been able to see. Lani kicked at the snow watching as it separated from itself only to fall and combine again. The large flakes fell heavily, adding to the large amounts piled on the ground. Suddenly, it stopped. The last few flakes drifted from the sky before landing softly. Surprised, Lani lifted her gaze, staring into the open sky. It was strange for it not to be snowing. Most of the time Lani had spent in this land it had been snowing. It seemed almost unnatural.

As she brought her gaze back to the lagoon, she could spot the dark shape of the island out in the center of the frozen mirror. As her eyes scanned the area she spotted something she hadn't noticed before. A wolf, young, maybe her age, was standing on the shore peering down at it. Lani couldn't help but wonder what her could possibly be doing. Unable to keep her curiousity to herself she loped forward. "What exactly are you looking at?" Her tone is cool, not showing much emotion at all. She didn know this wolf, therefore she didn't trust him, but she was curious.

thanks for joining! :)

Every second XIX spent awake he could feel reality slowly slipping away from him. He was teetering on the edge of sanity, struggling to remain on the side where everything made sense. The trouble was, nothing made sense anymore. As much as he wanted to remain with the pack – his family – Lachesis also wanted to return to the mountain to search for his missing companion. She was the glue that held everything together. She had helped to make sense of the world that he had been thrown into after being forced to leave the Reserve. Without her the puzzle he had worked so frantically to complete was now missing its remaining pieces. He had never felt so lost; so alone.

A frown suddenly grew on his maw as an unfamiliar scent reached his damp nostrils, causing the young healer’s gaze to flicker to the approaching wolf. While her scent screamed of Cut Rock River Lachesis was unable to put a name to the young, coal-coloured female. Her voice, though not hostile, was unwelcome as it broke the silence that engulfed the willowy healer. Rolling his shoulders into a soft shrug the boy straightened his back, his stance appearing taller as he studied the shadow female. Unsure who she was, and where she stood within the pack, XIX automatically adopted a dominant position. It felt strange, almost alien, for the once timid and incredibly awkward yearling to assume such a position; he had been so accustom to folding his lanky body that straightening it out seemed… odd.

“Does it matter?” He retorted suddenly, allowing his detached voice to fill the silence that had fallen between them. It was none of her business what he was or was not looking at – strangers were always so nosey.

stick with those who stick with you

As Lani approached, she realized that she recognized his scent, if not the wolf himself. She had smelled him around the territory. She could tell the even now he carried the scent of Cut Rock River. So he's pack then. She found that she was slightly disappointed. Was this going to be another wolf that she was going to have to submit to? She hoped not.

He actually seemed rather depressed as he stared vacantly at the lagoon. The look in his eyes almost seemed...unhinged. Lani stepped carefully, not sure whether this wolf would attack her or not. He couldn't be sick could he? The scent he carried was faint but still seemed fresh. He hadn't been kicked out of the pack at least.

When he did finally notice her, saying he was displeased would be an understatement. He obviously hadn't wanted to be bothered. Well, my bad. I didn't know. The male stood and seemed to awkwardly transform himself. He forced himself to straighten and stand taller. If it hadn't been so sad, Lani might have laughed. As it was, it seemed as if he was used to being in her place. His personality seemed to be shouting submissive, even as he tried very hard not to look like it. Stopping in front of him, she didn't raise or lower her stature any. She wasn't going to submit to someone with a less dominant personality than hers but she wasn't about to challenge him either. She didn't have the right yet. Besides...he seemed so messed up already, she didn't see the point in making a big deal out of nothing. So she walked past him.

Coming to the edge of the shore, she sat. The ice in front of her was covered in a layer of snow, while the sky had remained clear. It was actually rather peaceful out here, she could understand why he hadn't been pleased by her arrival. "I suppose it doesn't really. It won't change anything." She let the words float towards him on the frigid air, but said no more. If he wanted quiet she could stay quiet. If asked her to leave, she probably would. He had been here first after all. It was sad really. This was a pack mate of hers and yet she didn't know him. She didn't even know his name.

(This post was last modified: Feb 10, 2014, 04:46 AM by Lalani.)

i apologize for the delay - life has been a bit hectic and i haven't been up to posting recently. i'll try to keep my replies quicker!

It was a welcome change to see the snow (temporarily) pause – even the winter-adapted Arctic was having troubles adjusting to peculiar amount of snow that had dumped on Relic Lore. Prey was nearly non-existent, as all the herds left for warmer territory, which left a limited amount of smaller prey to hunt. Lachesis could sense the growing desperation among the wolves of Cut Rock – they were hungry and would do whatever necessary to feed themselves and the rest of the pack. While he had been munching on a slowly diminishing supply of berries, the slender healer craved the taste of fresh meat. With young wolves in the pack Lachesis worried that one of his packmates could soon fall victim to the icy fangs of winter.

Giving his thoughts a quick mental shake, the slender healer returned his attention to his shadow-cloaked packmate. A frown creased his dark lips, pear-coloured gaze watching her movements with a detached expression. She maneuvered past him and took a seat next to the lake, her voice interrupting the silence that had settled between them. It was strange to be in the company of another as the pale yearling had secluded himself from his packmates after returning from the mountains without Anastasia. He had left the comfort of his den to stretch his legs – and continue to be alone – and was irritated that this female had disrupted his excursion.

However, regardless of how much he wanted to remain alone, he remained where he was. His lips did not move as he allowed his gaze to drift over the frozen surface of the lake, and neither did his legs. As much as she had annoyed him with her presence and her first question, he did not know her – she had done nothing wrong. She did not know what he had endured prior to their meeting or why he was so miserable (nor would she). So instead of leaving or making a fuss about her latest words XIX allowed the silence to resume once more.

stick with those who stick with you

Her gaze wondered over the icy surface of the lagoon in front of her. Lani's pale eyes took in the snow that covered the frozen water. Small drifts had built up in certain places, while in others, the wind had uncovered the dark ice. Her eyes focused on these areas, wondering that if she got close enough, would she be able to see fish beneath? What happened to the fish when the water froze? Lani knew from firsthand experience that the water didn't freeze all the way through. She wondered what it would be like to live in a world separated from the rest of them. It would probably feel something like this. The land was quiet. Her words had already disappeared from the air and now a silence had settled over her and the stranger that was her pack mate.

She should probably go back to searching for food. The pack could definitely use it. The caches were getting really low, they needed food badly. And yet, while she knew she should get moving again, she couldn't bring herself to, right then. She did nothing but search for food anymore, with very little success. It was time she got to take a break. She would take awhile for herself before she went back to searching. Maybe afterwards there would actually be something for her too find.

Turning her attention to her pack mate, she studied him. She had been right. They were probably roughly around the same age. Her had a fluffy white coat that seemed rather...nice. It was in strange contrast with his mood. She could feel the waves of sadness and depression coming off of him. She realized why he looked so crazed. His gaze seemed haunted. Though she didn't really know him, Lani could see that this wolf could only be a ghost of who he normally was. She knew the exact feeling. Unsure of whether she should just let it go or voice what she was thinking, she hesitated. Aw, what the hell? "Who did you lose?" Lani knew he had to have lost someone, whether because they were dead or had just gone, it didn't matter. She knew that look, because she had seen it every time she saw her reflection. She had wondered lost and haunted when she had lost Caniri. She still felt like that, though she hid it now. She didn't expect him to answer her question. Why would he want to talk to her anyway, seeing as he obviously didn't want her here.

He remained silent and distant from the female as the skies remained temporarily clear – his pale gaze was focused forward, unwavering as he studied the frozen surface of the water. As much as he had initially wanted to be alone it was almost comforting being in the presence of another, even if there was no conversation. The female’s presence was only tolerated as long as she didn’t speak – the healer did not want to dabble in small talk. He wanted to remain a prisoner to his own mind, without the distraction of another.

His pack mate, however, had other plans. It seemed as though she was unable to keep her tongue in check; as soon as a silence settled words would spill from her maw, tainting the air around him. This particular question was rather unsettling, one that he desperately wanted to ignore. He had been right, she was nosey – annoyingly so. Since she had previously stopped attempting to converse with him Lachesis had not been bothered by her company, up until this question. Not only was he irritated by it, but he was also angry that she would attempt to pry into his personal life. Sure, they belonged to the same pack and shared the same scent, but they were still strangers. He did not even know her name (nor did he want to now). A deep frown appeared against his dark lips, brows furrowing as he kept his gaze forward, the tip of his tail twitching absently. As much as he wanted to open his jaws and verbally rip her head off Lachesis remained mute, allowing his frustration to bubble internally.

stick with those who stick with you

Lalani knew the moment that she spoke, that she shouldn't have. They had been content in the silence and she had broken it. Not only that but she had shattered it. She could tell just by the way he reacted. Had someone asked her the same question, she probably would have tried to take their face off. She watched him out of the corner of her eye, and could see him furrow his brow in frustration. His tail beat and annoyed rhythm against the snow beneath him, and she cringed internally. Here she had actually met someone that might know exactly how she felt and she was only making things worse.

"I'm sorry. That was...It's none of my business." She kept her gaze glued to the frozen water, unwilling to let him see the same haunted look that would show in her eyes. His pain bled over to her, making her remember her own loss. She didn't want to think about Caniri, or the fact that his death was her fault. There was no way her father would have let him live after he had defied him like that. She was continually haunted by the thought and knew it would never go away. She had nightmares about the fight with her father and sometimes saw him during the day. It was a constant sciamachy. The only thing she could seem to do was try to live with it. These was no ignoring the fact and the internal demons always seemed to be clawing at her brain, fighting for attention.

Her mind wandered as she stared blankly at the frozen surface, not really seeing it. She saw white fur and golden eyes dancing before her. So strong. Much stronger than she had ever been, and yet he was gone. He had saved her. Yet...he should have been the one to live, not her. He was the one that got along with others and was always trying to help. She was good for nothing. She had proved that point just by being here. She was annoying the hell out of her pack mate, whom she didn't even know the name of, when she should just leave. He obviously wanted to be alone. She sighed, but couldn't bring herself to leave. Instead, she laid down into the snow, letting her head fall to he paws, and stared unseeing out into the distance.

(This post was last modified: Feb 26, 2014, 06:20 AM by Lalani.)

It was difficult for the willowy yearling to actually want to converse with others, even his own pack mates. He preferred to be tucked away in the dark corners of his den, eluding others – even Capella, who he shared the den with – and keeping to himself. While others found the silence uncomfortable and awkward XIX found it incredibly welcoming. He knew conversation would help to minimize the nightmares that replayed in his thoughts (even when he was awake) but he didn’t want to put on a fake front. He didn’t know how to put on a fake front. The slender male also didn’t want others to pity him if he broke down. While he knew that Anastasia’s absence affected others both inside and outside the pack it wasn’t the same… Lachesis could never fully explain how devastated and heartbroken he was from losing her. A hole had developed in his heart, the strings snapping and pulling away as his grief worsened.

The apology to spring from the dark female’s mouth came as a surprise. A brow quirked as the words fumbled off her tongue, his pale gaze briefly studying her before returning to the lake. Huh. He had not expected that – he must have made it painfully obvious that he had not appreciated her question. If they had been more acquainted prior to this meeting there was a better chance that the slender male would share his thoughts with her. However, she still remained a (nameless) stranger to him; therefore, his deepest thoughts were remaining tucked away. He nodding suddenly, acknowledging her apology with a flick of his tail as his gaze lowered to his paws. Although a frown creased his dark lips XIX did appreciate the unexpected apology from the girl – it made him dislike her a little less.

stick with those who stick with you

There is a family of deer nearby. Hunt Opportunity