Cedarwood Forest trinity

Rook Lyall

July 5th; Late afternoon, few hours before nightfall; Moderate rain, slight drizzle; 55° F/13° C

Since spending time at the Marsh, Rook had been adamant about searching for clues. Every dimple in the ground, every burl in each of the cedar trees, every branch that had been left on the carpet of pine needles that covered the whole of the grove was a sign. For a majority of the day, they had spent their time along the tree line of Cedarwood Forest before turning inward to find themselves drowning in a sea of tall trees. When late afternoon had come and storm clouds had rolled in, he allowed @Namid and @Bishop to rest and, hopefully, have a bit of friendly, small talk between them - as far as Rook was concerned, he wanted Namid to be a lifelong friend and he wanted so much for his sister to accept her into their possibly expanding circle of acquaintances. After giving the Star Dancer an assuring nod and lovingly nuzzling his face into Bishop's shoulder and neck, he struck out on his own after promising to return before dark. This time he wanted to be alone, to think, and sort out all that he had learned and gathered so far.

Through the trees he tried not to drag his feet, looking down at first in desperation before finally lifting his eyes into the fading gray sky between the thick boughs above him. He missed his mother and the way she often encouraged him (Bishop, who had mastered the art of emulating her in every mannerism and quirk, was no substitute); he missed his father and how his face lit up whenever he came bounding back to the den; he missed his sisters Trisden and Aiyana and the way the commonly squabbled one moment and got along the next. But then he thought about his brothers and the sisters he had yet to meet, and the possibility of them being just within reach... if only he took that extra step or looked in a place he had not even thought of looking. Perhaps then he might have found them.

Perhaps.

A raindrop managed to hit the edge of his leathery black nose. Another hit him along the bridge of his muzzle, and already Rook could tell that he was due to return to his traveling party at any given moment. Bishop was bound to worry if the weather took a turn for the worse and he was not with her. He bowed his head briefly in a short prayer, simply asking for continual guidance, offering a few confessions in regards to his hasty and selfish needs to remain away from his true home and his family.

He had just breathed out an inaudible "Amen" when a squirrel heading back to its primary hiding place scurried along on a branch above him. Its curt chattering drew his attention skyward again but as soon as he made eye contact with it, it continued on its way. Rook leveled his head and let out a brief sigh, unsure of what to make of it. Just like the stag that had brought him into Relic Lore and the winds that had brought them to the west, this, too, was a sign. A divine intervention justified by the presence of rainfall. "What do you mean?" he asked in a hushed whisper, his gaze quickly scanning the forest around him. Somewhere behind him he thought he heard a twig snap and he instantly swiveled around. The fur along his spine already damp and bristled in pure apprehension, "...who's there?"

from here to kingdom come

Chances are I have a BEN WHISHAW gif for that.

Namid 'Star Dancer' All of the recent traveling had left her paws with an ache that she hadn’t felt since she first had set out on her own. Though you would think she would be used to it by now, being alone meant that she set her own pace to her destinations and that she could stop whenever and wherever she felt. As long as it wasn’t a pack territory, of course. Being as it was, she had turned a bit lazy over the past several months that she had been alone because of the fact that she could basically do whatever she wanted. Not lazy in fitness, but lazy in motivation. In anyone’s mind, if they didn’t necessarily have to push themselves they normally didn’t because that was how it worked. Now she needed to push herself and she was starting to hurt from it. Relief flooded her when Rook decided it was time for a rest. She nearly automatically fell to a sitting position, a sigh of bliss escaping her maw. That definitely felt nice. It seemed, though, as soon as they had gotten there Rook off to be on his own again. She had asked when they had started their journey why he did so and he had explained to her it was because of beliefs. Namid, coming where she came from, could understand this reasoning. Though her own beliefs didn’t span to a “Heavenly Spirit” as he called it, hers settled in believing in the world around her. Growing up on the Cherokee reservation she had been taught that there was a spirit for everything around her. The spirits of nature were mostly peaceful creatures that controlled their environment and allowed them to catch their food and grow the food that her people had. Most storms were gifts from the spirits, but on occasions they would bring great wrath in floods or droughts to show them what they needed to be grateful for. It was a system that she did not question because it made sense to her. Something they had in common between their ‘religions’ was that there was an after-life. Though, while the young mismatch-eyed male believed in a paradise after their demise, The Star Dancer believed in living as a ghost after life had gone. It wasn’t such a horrible idea as what most people thought, though they didn’t understand what she did about the whole thing. Offering a wishful smile to her companion as he vanished into the woods she stared after the place he had been, suddenly contemplating what would happen once they reached the destination that they had been spending so long searching for. Find a place where there's joy, and the joy will burn out the pain.

Rook Lyall

No one and nothing had been there to begin with. The twig he had heard had not been a sound at all but the result of his mind being all too aware - and somewhat fearful - of his surroundings. It had been a while since they had passed into the tree line of forest, but Rook was not completely sure what he would encounter. During his youthful days as a cub, he and Bishop had heard many a story about wolverines, lynx, foxes, and grizzly bears, but never had he even seen such creatures. Well, he might have seen a fox once, but he had been very young and had not yet known what to make of such a strange-looking, red-pelted wolf-like being.

He returned back to their small "camp" of sorts and, after addressing both ladies with a slight clearing of his throat and a courteous nod, he turned to Namid with quiet smile. His tail came up with a simple, amiable wag, "Would you like to take a walk with me?" He turned to @Bishop briefly before adding, "Just for a bit. We won't wander too far." A part of him was afraid that she might not approve, but if one thing was for certain, Rook always returned for her. Even if only lay his eyes on her to be assured that she was all right.

His left forepaw came up in the spirit of inquiry, signaling that he was somewhat anxious to have some more time with her, to learn more about her, to delve into her mind to find out all she had learned about Relic Lore since her arrival.

from here to kingdom come

Chances are I have a BEN WHISHAW gif for that.

Namid 'Star Dancer' As raindrops began to fall she felt that familiar clenching in her stomach, the knot forming in her throat, and her heart beat speeding up. She took steadying breathes by habit, as she usually did in those situations, because it was the only thing to keep her from panicking completely. With her attention on edge as it was, the rustling in the bush by her caused her to nearly break her neck as she turned her head, heterochromatic gaze wide and auds swiveling forward into alertness as she nearly had a heart attack. However, by a lucky turn of events it was only Rook and she admitted a sigh of relief. Giving a half-hearted smile at his greeting her ears pricked once again as she was spoken to, the question funneling through her ear canals and settling on her brain. A worrying glance turned toward the sky and a frown marred her maw, her ears folding on top of her pale cranium. A walk in the coming weather…the idea didn’t please her so much. But, as she looked back over at her companion and his hopeful, excited features she felt her heart soften as it usually did and, as usual, she caved in. He had said they wouldn’t be long, which helped slightly. While she wouldn’t be alone this time, she still much preferred being in a stable place where she could watch instead of focusing on not getting lost in a storm. Rising to her paws she gave a light smirk in his direction, tail wagging gently behind her lithe built frame as she nodded in consent. “Of course. I would love to,” She replied. Moving to stand beside the male, whom even at his younger age stood taller than her, she paused with the assumption that he would be leading them along. Every few seconds she would cast a wary glance toward the still dripping sky, but other than that she seemed to be very at ease at that moment. She understood that he wouldn’t let anything happen. Find a place where there's joy, and the joy will burn out the pain.

psst just a quick snipe-post. carry on as you were.

As much as Bishop tried to like this interloper she found that she could not. Though it may not have mattered to Rook, the silver girl was not, in fact, a Lyall. How blindly this brother of hers seemed to trust this stranger, this stranger who only had eyes for her brother. The star-furred girl hadn't even tried to say hello to Bishop when she had been standing just behind her brother. And he wanted to leave her, to go out on yet another walk with Namid. Was Bishop the only one who was frightened to be out here in this strange land? It might have been her father's land, but her father wasn't here anymore. Quite frankly her father was hardly anywhere. He was barely hanging on. She swallowed a whine, bitterly withholding her vulnerability from her brother — something she had never had cause to do before. Would she lose her brother as well?

Something in the stranger's glance drove a stake into Borden's youngest daughter's heart. Her eyes. They were two different colors. Like Rook's. As she watched the girl move to her brother's side — the place where Bishop belonged, the Lyall had to wonder: were they a better match? Could there be a bond stronger than the bond of a twin? She fought to keep her face straight, closed. "Yeah. Sure." she said, already turning around, "I'm just going to go hunt... over.. over there."

Frustrated and confused, she scampered away without waiting for Rook to respond.

(This post was last modified: Jul 14, 2014, 04:30 AM by Bishop.)

Rook Lyall

The rainfall seemed to be coming down in sheets now that the hour had advanced well into twilight, but Namid still agreed. Truthfully, he just needed to rid himself of the itchiness in his feet, the desire to keep moving in search of the Lyall family's last stronghold. But, there were other things that were picking at his mind, a strange variety of musings and inquiries that, for the first time, extended beyond something more than family and personal matters.

"Yeah. Sure," Bishop's choice of words might have been absolutely acceptable, but the way she had said them brought Rook to take notice of the guilt that had slowly been accumulating on his conscience. Since they had come to Relic Lore, he had barely paid attention to his sister after becoming so determined that they would find all that he had been looking for. She had turned around without any sort of hesitation, stating that she was going to hunt. The smile that should have graced his muzzle fell short of what it should have been. Only the mere corners of his mouth lifted in attempt to return to the easy-going vibe he had had before.

Once one ivory forepaw was placed in front of the other, he set off at a slow pace, just wandering while letting himself relish the aroma of saturated grass, drenched evergreen needles, and wet earth. He would address Bishop later - much later at a time when maybe Namid was asleep or preoccupied with finding a meal. He knew her every tic and cue well enough to know right then and there that she was upset. But, Namid, ah, Namid... The Lyall turned to face her, able to smile somewhat broader than before. "Don't mind her," he consoled her, partially stating such a thing to himself for his own sake. "Bishop gets jealous easily... She... This is all... new. I've never had a friend that's a girl before." He paused briefly, navigating around a few trees before shooting Namid and tickled grin, "I suspect she's rather envious of you."

from here to kingdom come

Chances are I have a BEN WHISHAW gif for that.

There is a deer that was killed by a lynx nearby. +10 Health

(Jul 14, 2014, 03:31 AM)Namid Wrote:  

Namid 'Star Dancer' Namid couldn’t help but catch the look of hurt mixed with anger in the female’s gaze. She faltered in her movement, eyes going wide with shock as Bishop whipped around and stalked off. Her brows furrowed, the corners of her blackened lips turning down in a frown. The empathy in her spiked and she felt the emotions in her like a heavy brick in her belly. Guilt began to form in the back of her mind as she thought of all the time she had spent with Rook, how much time she had taken from Bishop to spend with him. She couldn’t imagine the feeling of betrayal the look-alike to the male must be having. Her mismatched gaze turned to her companion, auds swiveling to catch his words. Envy…that was something that she was not familiar with. She knew what it was, of course, but she herself had never felt it. She imagined it was sort of like hatred, and to have someone so important to Rook hate her made her feel oh so bad. To have anyone hate her made the Star Dancer’s stomach twist with worry. It was decided with her that she would have to speak with Bishop later, to clarify with her and try to ease the hard feelings that were there. She needed to know that Namid was in no way trying to steal her brother who was so previous to her. But, that talk would have to wait. Namid would be selfish that moment and continue on the walk with her now close friend, continue to take that time away from the siblings which she knew was wrong. “I do not wish for her to be envious of me, she has no reason to be. You are siblings, blood and family. I am nothing compared to that bond, I do not want to come between you. I do hope that she knows that,” She said, a sigh escaping her maw. Her multicolored gaze turned toward the sky once again, blinking as a raindrop landed on her muzzle and a shiver rumbled her skin. Find a place where there's joy, and the joy will burn out the pain.

Rook Lyall

Namid attempted to explain herself, expressing that she did not want Bishop to be jealous at all. The corners of Rook's mouth could have touched the downward turned triangle markings on his face if he smirked any wider. He continued to walk along at a leisurely pace, "Ah, but that is just Bishop's nature," he vindicated. "And, she knows. I think it's... Well, ever since we were little, it was always just... us. We have older siblings, yes, but when I want to go somewhere, she comes along, and vice versa. It's just the way things are with us." One of his muddied paws graced the root of a tree before he fully placed it down in another step. "Being here, so far away from home, is different. It might as well be too different in some cases."

It was his turn to sigh, "You know... I think this has just been all a test, we're pushing boundaries, and how we are now is how we're handling a new set of experiences, its stresses, and its joys." His dual-colored eyes met hers through the gathering darkness. "Don't worry about her," he said again, this time trying to be more assuring than he had been before. "That's my job." His tail slightly waved.

"Thank you," he then said after a moderate pause, "for helping us... and for bringing us here." His masked gaze went back to the forest ahead of them. "Your turn to talk, though," he then stated, still smiling as he glimpsed to the side of her face. "Tell me about anything. How you got here, what your favorite thing in the world is, more about your family, about huh-yoo-mans..." He let out an eager whine; he might have been a true Lyall by nature, but after all of Borden and Jaysyek's hardships, it seemed that all his time being sheltered within the Reach had left him hungry for new information, new stories, and other perspectives about the world.

from here to kingdom come

Chances are I have a BEN WHISHAW gif for that.

Namid 'Star Dancer' One of the things that she liked so much about Rook was that she felt so at ease with him, mostly because in some ways he was like her. He enjoyed new information basically as much as she did, so it was easy to have a stimulating conversation. She agreed with him when he spoke of differences, of how everything seemed so foreign. At times it was a lot to handle, but that was life. Without those differences she wouldn’t have met Rook and she wouldn’t be where she was at that moment. Casting a glance over at the male she flushed when she found him looking intently at her, though it wasn’t necessarily something new. She chuckled at his bombardment, but she found enjoyment in it. “Hm, what I like most in the world. I like the stars. I like how they shine in the night and fight away the darkness, how they are so small but so many in numbers. It is almost like they watch over us, like guardians. With them in the sky I do not feel alone when I am. I remember as a young child my father would take me to a field and we would sit and watch the stars. He would tell me their stories, how each star came to be and who they were. I know they were stories, but at a young age stories are everything. They are adventure; they are the wind whipping through your fur as you run across a great plain without actually being there. They are your first introduction to sadness and heartbreak, to angst and anticipation. Stars remind me of stories and adventure, and that is why they are my favorite thing in the world,” She said, her voice soft. “I had three other siblings, a sister and two brothers. Neha, Viho, and Ooljee. Neha was quiet and kind, though she seemed to always be sick. She passed away when we were younger. I still remember some of her. Viho and Ooljee became my guardians of sorts, because I was their only little sister after all. Viho was loud and obnoxious as was Ooljee, but they argued a lot because of how similar they were. Nihoii broke up their quarrels and made them say nice things about each other when it happened, which was always amusing.” The Star Dancer said. She chuckled in remembrance of her brothers, sitting across from each other and mumbling praises through gritted teeth. Her father sitting to the side watching with a stony expression, but the crinkle in the corners of his gaze gave away his amusement at the whole fiasco. Find a place where there's joy, and the joy will burn out the pain.

(This post was last modified: Jul 21, 2014, 03:26 AM by Bishop.)