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 Posted: Sat May 03, 2014 7:33 pm
Time away from the sitting room was time to reflect and think in relatively peace and quiet. Without having Kai trying to set something on fire or the rambunctious youths still in training to be knights, Atreyu was finally able to focus on the task at hand: training this purple and black wolf who had always looked up to him.
"You have to move faster than that." Atreyu said to the younger wolf as he weaved through the cones Atreyu had set up. "Concentrate on your paws and where you place them."
Altair was panting, trying to catch his breath and listen to Atreyu's commands. He needed to be faster and stronger if he wanted to be a knight. He wanted to protect his home along with the others but he had no experience whatsoever with fighting or physical activity. He was grateful Atreyu was spending time with him to teach him these lessons.
"Okay, I'll keep that in mind." He said breathlessly. Taking another deep breath, he turned around and began weaving through the cones again.
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Posted: Sun May 04, 2014 12:22 am
Paine was padding around slowly, looking up at the sky. It had been a while since she'd left her little apartment that she shared with other moonlit. Ever since she wandered off too far as a puppy and got herself and her friend Amethyst almost killed, she hadn't felt like going too far from the big house. And then she stopped mid-step, for a myriad of reasons.
Those little wings, purple, black? Ammy!? But...no. It didn't look quite like her. She sat back on her haunches for a moment to watch the scene unfold; a silent observer. She and Ammy...Never really saw eachother after that. She wondered - would the Moonlit's family fault her for what had happened? She had tried, with everything she had, to protect her friend. Paine's pink eyes glazed over in thought for a moment, becoming cloudy.
And then, there was the well known leader of the Knights: Atreyu. She had heard of their tales, and of their mission.She wondered - if someone of the Knights had been there...when all of that happened....Paine wanted more than anything to be able to make a difference. She watched the training session curiously, padding over slowly with very deliberate paw-falls, making her presences known, but not being intrusive. With a nod of greeting, so as not to distract the training Altair, she sat back on her haunches to watch.
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Posted: Sun May 04, 2014 10:30 am
Atreyu glanced down at the stop watch one of the knight trainees had brought back to the sitting room and smiled. Whatever doubts he had for choosing to train Altair were gone. This wolf was quick and determined and, after each run, knocked more and more seconds off his initial time. This run through the cones was no different.
Ears twitching at the sound of soft paw falls, Atreyu sniffed cautiously at the wind and found an unfamiliar scent. He turned as the female wolf approached and while he smiled in greeting, he was initially hesitant as he and his fellow knights had become when approached by others after the incident of his daughter's kidnapping. Trust but verify had become his motto since then. For now, her body language was telling him she was no threat. He felt himself relaxing and his tail began to sway lightly in the cool grass.
"Good day!" He said. "Don't be shy. Come and join us if you want."
Altair's steps were careful and sure. It did not take the black and purple moonlit to remember how sure footed and somewhat agile he'd been as child. The cones were easy enough to navigate but Atreyu wanted his time to be faster and faster each time. Weave left, right, then left again. It was a constant mantra in his head. He wasn't even aware that they had been joined by another wolf until he rounded the last cone and slid to a stop. Panting and using his small fairy wings to keep him up, he was exhausted and needed a break.
"I think that's the best run I've ever done-" He finally caught sight of the female wolf that had joined them. Oh! How rude was I being he thought to himself. Shaking out his thick fur, he sat down and wrapped his tail around his paws.
"Oh! Hello there..." He said softly.
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Posted: Mon May 05, 2014 11:27 am
When she was greeted with a mere smile, she nodded her head and made to speak, taking note of this initial apprehension and ensuring her body remained lax. She had heard the stories, and he was right to be suspicious. After all, she had just walked by unbidden. Her tail flickered into life, and she moved a bit closer to the two of them. "A fine day, indeed! Perhaps a bit warm, though..." she mused, "Thank you for inviting me to join you." she nodded nobly, eying Altair. "What are you two doing out on such a fine day?" a smile slipped onto her maw, as she watched.
She watched Altair move like a flash of lightning through the cones, never touching one of them. She had to admit that she was impressed by his prowess, and noticed he seemed proud of himself, as well. "Hello! I did not mean to interrupt. I'm just curious," she gave a bashful blink, tilting her head a bit, to punctuate her meaning. "Oh!" She had completely forgotten to introduce herself! "My name is Paine." she wore an easy, inviting, and transparent smile, though there was more curiosity gleaming in her eyes as she examined his coat further, waiting to ask the question she may well have dreaded the answer to. For now, she kept it pleasant.
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Posted: Mon May 05, 2014 7:32 pm
The female that approached seemed easy going enough and was beautiful in appearance. Her friendly smile was enough to put him completely at ease. In many ways, she reminded him of the mate Garaden had taken. Smiling himself at her comment about the weather, he chuckled and nodded in agreement.
"Why yes, it is fairly warm out. It's probably one of the warmest days we've had this spring." He glanced up at the clear and bright afternoon sky and let out a long sigh. "I'm grateful for days like this. It makes training easier."
Approaching the two, Altair listened intently to the small exchange between the female and Atreyu, smiling at the mention of training.
"The long winter put a stop to the obstacle course we set up in the fall." He said as he slid down to the ground and lay on his belly. The cool grass felt wonderful against his fur. Hearing her question about what they were doing out here, he smirked and lifted his head with a rather boastful look on his face. He was not shy about how proud he felt that he would, one day, be a knight. "And don't worry about it. You didn't interrupt anything. He's training me to become a new knight. I was too young to join the knight school when it took place so he agreed to take the time to teach me a few useful techniques I'll need."
Atreyu chuckled at his young apprentice and shook his head.
"Yes, training for him and a bit of sunshine for this old man." He said. The fur on his snout was beginning to grey and he was edging ever closer to his twilight years. Hearing her name, he smiled warmly at the young female and bowed. "It is a pleasure to meet you Lady Paine. I am Atreyu, the leader of the knights."
"Oh... yeah..." Altair looked to Paine and gave her a friendly smile as his tail wagged happily. "I'm called Altair. Pleasure to meet you Paine!"
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Posted: Tue May 06, 2014 12:40 pm
Paine took note of Atreyu's calming. She was glad of this; the last thing she would want is to be making anyone uncomfortable. Her shoulders were held lax as she interacted with them - she had forgotten just how friendly she liked being! "Ah, yes! Not many agree with my sentiments about the temperature," she mused aloud. She had been about to ask about what 'training' meant, when Altair spoke up and filled her in. She had assumed, though her eyes sparkled with a puppy-ish wonder as he spoke of the Knights. She wondered if they had instilled that feeling in all Moonlits.
She watched the purple and black moonlit with affectionate amusement; he looked tired. "The winter had been a long one this time." she agreed, "it was rather curious." of course, she had been born in winter, so it wasn't really uncomfortable for her. Snow, however, makes for a hectic adventure for training - or nay kind of rigorous activity. She nods with understanding. "Oh!" She says in surprise. "I...did not know the knights were accepting new members. Well, good luck to you, Altair! I'm sure you'll learn lots." She nodded to Atreyu in respectful recognition.
She was slightly embarrassed with the bow, though returned it with a nervous chuckle, "Oh, I'm no Lady...Though it's a pleasure to meet you, Atreyu. I've heard many-a-tale of you and your Knights."
"The pleasure is mine!" She replied cheerfully. Thinking a moment with a curious look at him, "Say, do you....Do you know a Moonlit by the name of...Amethyst? How..." her eyes suddenly fell to the ground, an endeavor to hide the shame in them over what happened. "How is she?" her voice had changed from charged and friendly to one of somber anticipation of dread. Bringing her eyes back up, she shielded the truth from them, but it was apparent in the pink spheres that she was nervous of the answer she might receive.
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Posted: Tue May 06, 2014 7:57 pm
It was certainly true that, for the past year or so, the knights hadn't been accepting new members. Atreyu chuckled and shook his head. Aside from Altair, it seemed Paine was to be the first to know that the knights were once more looking for new moonlits. Well, the cat was out of the bag.
"For the past year, we haven't been recruiting many new members." Atreyu explained and his thoughts briefly went to the young group of trainees; his daughter and son and other children of current knights who trained successfully under Kai. "With those squires full fledged knights themselves, I think it is time to recruit more knights. The more the merrier I always say."
He smirked at her mentioning hearing stories about the knights. Atreyu pondered over how many stories there were of the exploits of the knights. He'd always wanted to have them written down somewhere. To have the stories of himself and his friends immortalized forever in storybooks like the great King Arthur would be a great honor. He smiled to himself; not noticing the change in Paine or the question she asked of Altair.
He smiled and nodded his thanks.
"Thanks! I'm sure I will learn a-- Wait, did you say Amethyst?"
His smile fell slightly and he tilted his head at the mention of Amethyst. It was a name he knew well and she was just like the others. Amethyst, Kazuki, Juliet and Gloriana were all precious to him and so, Altair was taken aback by Paine's question. He frowned; not because of the question she asked but because of how she was acting. Her entire demeanor seemed to shift and she dropped her gaze as if she were nervous. Why was she acting so strangely and how did she know Amethyst? Had something happened to her that he didn't know about or was this just curious wondering of an old friend?
"I know of a moonlit named Amethyst. She's my younger sister." He said slowly as she looked back up at him. He studied her with his dark eyes and barely noticed his tail was twitching. "I believe she's doing well the last I saw her. She never mentioned you though. Are you friends?"
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Posted: Mon May 12, 2014 3:20 am
"The more the merrier indeed!" She gave a bright smile to Atreyu, and would have commented further on the status of Knight Training, had her breath not been baited in anticipation of Altair's response. She knew that her behavior had given something away - but she was also very honest with herself and free with her emotions. It wouldn't do to hide them anyway - he had a right to know, if she was asking questions like this; how she felt and why.
Apparently, that question had caught him off guard. She nodded, "I did," she noticed his smile fell, and it made her all the more nervous with the situation. She made to speak up, and explain her status with Ammy, nodding when he revealed he did, and that they were siblings. "I...thought you might. You have very similar coats. It's just that..." she looked at him curiously, trying to get a feel for what his reaction might be. Before she could chicken out - despite his intimidating tail and the complete drain of his active, friendly personality, she explained, "Yes. Ammy was my friend, and we went playing when we were puppies. I just..last time I saw her, we'd gotten into a bit of trouble together, in the woods, with a Moonlit called Sinnoktok and then I never really heard anything since...so I wanted to make sure she was alright, even after all this time...."
She thought for a moment, at the mention that the other Moonlit had never mentioned her. She nodded to herself in understanding; why would she when that was such a negative experience? After explaining such a heavy weight that had lay on her shoulders, she had been feeling more and more open, "I haven't really been outside all that much since, so I have yet to run into her again. I'm glad she's alright." Paine was now suddenly aware of the scar tissue she had earned in that little mess of trouble. While she kept her eyes away from the spot, she felt it tingle, and shifted her ribcage a bit, the fur along her flank puffing out just slightly with goosebumps.
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Posted: Mon May 12, 2014 4:34 pm
His sisters were famous for their explorations. Just like their grandmother, they were curious about the world and wherever they went, they were certain to make friends. And it seemed like Paine was another of his little sister's friends. While he took comfort in the reminder of his easy going sisters, as Paine spoke about the encounter they had as children, he dropped his gaze and looked away from Paine.
Atreyu was drawn from his thoughts when he noticed the tense air between the two. Paine was no longer as relaxed as she had been moments before and Altair was staring so intensely at her. He listened intently to what she had to say and it all became clear. He was old friends with Altair's mother Aura and met the rest of her children when they were very small. He recalled one given to a human named Poison that was a perfect mixture between mother and father. He understood now why there was the sudden shift.
"Any Moonlit that attacks a pup is despicable." Atreyu said gruffly as he shook his head. "They should be ashamed for harming an innocent."
Altair nodded in agreement with Atreyu but was still deep in thought; not looking at either of them. He wasn't surprised that Amethyst had kept this to herself. His sisters knew better than to tell him or Kazuki that they were in trouble. The two of them never cared about how big the other guy was. The two bumbling brothers would go off to face the danger head on. He finally looked up at her again and let out a long sigh. He was not angry at Paine. Why should he be? She hadn't harmed his sister. Altair pushed himself to his paws and approached her slowly.
"I'm sorry that that happened to you. Gods, if only I could have been there..." He dropped his head again and let out another long sigh. There was no sense getting angry ."Thank you Paine for telling me about this. I'm grateful. I wish that my sister was here to see you but we go where are humans go and I haven't seen her in many moons. I'm certain she misses you terribly." He laid his paw atop hers and offered her a soft, friendly smile. "But any friend of my sister's, is a friend of mine."
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Posted: Thu May 15, 2014 5:26 pm
Paine's eyes had fallen frequently as she reiterated the tale, focusing hard on stifling shudders. She would often glance up at him once more, but never held his gaze for very long at all. Then, Atreyu spoke up, and it was like a breath of fresh air; she was welcoming of the interruption, glad to have been drawn once again to the present. Despite the tone of his voice, Paine's muscles had relaxed, as she gave a nod in agreement. "Yes, you're right. I suppose that's why we have you Knights though, right?" She wore a fragile, but easy, smile as she said the words, showing plainly how much respect and wonder she had for all those that bore the title.
She was pleased to see that while it may have been difficult for Altair, he was not angry. She shook her head in response to his apologies, "It is done. I'm just..." in just above a whisper, her relief was apparent, "Glad she is okay." If he had been there? He would have been a pup, too - what would he have done? ...Probably the same she had. She thought back...
"Although..." she shook her head with a bit of a bittersweet chuckle, "I would like to think we gave him a run for his money." Her smile began to grow larger as she thought back to her puppy-hood naivete, her laugh a bit more substantive. She looked back up at the two of them, right into their eyes. The fire that was there when she was obsessed with protecting her friend in that moment shone brightly in her eyes as she spoke: "I know that, however traumatic it was for us, it's not an encounter he will soon forget either!" her tail swept across the ground, in slight pride; her posture straightening, lightening the mood. As she did so, to punctuate her meaning, her paws sparked a bit; very minimally and muted, demonstrating her mastery of her ability. It dissipated quickly; she knew the dangers of pride, but it was what she believed helped her and Ammy get out of that confrontation alive as pups.
Turning to Altair, she looked up and smiled at him, just as he neared her. She was a bit confused with the sudden supportive gesture; his sister had gotten hurt because of Paine's childish hero complex at the time, and he...was thanking her? She blinked rapidly, a couple of times, "You're...you're welcome." she sounded a bit dazed, "I would love to see her, but I do understand. The humans are very busy at times." Returning his smile, she wagged her tail in friendship at him. "Thank you, friend." she acknowledged his statement.
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Posted: Thu May 22, 2014 9:43 am
There was no tense awkwardness in the air as there had been before. She had been open and honest and he appreciated it. Hearing her call him friend in return made his smile grow until he wore his usual goofy grin. Altair was relaxed and beginning to feel the heavy weight of exhaustion bearing down on him. There was only acknowledgement of what had happened in the past and acceptance that he truly couldn't be everywhere to save his sister whenever she was in danger. He stepped away from her and sat down between her and Atreyu.
He tilted his head at her and wrapped his tail around his paws.
"You gave him a run for his money?" He looked the female over and wondered how she would fair in a fight. He enjoyed a good spar with other wolves and his tail twitched against his paws at the thought of perhaps a new sparring partner. "I'll have to test that some time."
Atreyu smiled in return at Paine's words.
"Yes, that is true." A thoughtful look entered his dark blue eyes. He had been troubled as of late since the kidnapping of his daughters. He hated to admit it but they way things looked, the knights so many moonlits were inspired by were beginning to be outnumbered. "The number of evil doers is growing. I guess this is the perfect time that we are seeking new recruits."
Hearing Altair speak of sparring, Atreyu chuckled and shook his head.
"If I was a betting man, I'd have to put my money on her."
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Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2017 8:53 pm
Seeing her new-found friend's bright smile made her heart leap, and a peaceful, easy one found its way onto her maw. As he moved away, she shifted into an easier position, curling her tail around her flank, the tip twitching contently, as she continued watching the pair. Ever the observer, it dawned on Paine just how long it had been since she'd been an active participant with other wolves. Had she been too forward with her pride? She sure hoped she wasn't making light of a scary situation his sister was part of...
However, he seemed to take it as a challenge instead, which caused a lazy grin to sprout upon her jowls.A bashful gleam shone in her eyes at his next comment. She still wasn't sure how she felt about fighting since that incident. With a nervous chuckle, "Ah, well...I really prefer to be a nurturer, now-a-days.." her ears pressed back momentarily in discomfort. She gave a sheepish grin. "Though I suppose it might be fun to have a little training now and again, " she winked, raising her rump and swishing her tail a bit, before settling back down. "After all. When the time comes to fight, it is a skill to be honed, just as anything else." a strange look filtered across her jowls - almost a flicker of guilt. Ever since then, she'd been so afraid of conflict. Even if it was in self-defense, she left Sinnoktok with a wound he would never forget. As a self-proclaimed protector of life...She supposed she was just trying to assuage her guilt with logic. As she played with an expression on her lips, she shook herself, absently scratching at the scar on her flank, ears flopping as she did so.
She was taken aback by Atreyu's confidence, clearly portrayed by her tilted head and widened eyes. With a hearty laugh, she rose to her paws, placing her right paw to her left in front of her, and bowed. "Sir Atreyu, you flatter me," after her equivalent of a curtsy, she settled back to her sitting position, all smiles. "New recruits?" she questioned. Unable to contain her interest, "What all does that entail?" she blurted. Her tendency to be a wall-flower had made her forget some of her lady-like poise. But then...that would be part of the training, she assumed! A flicker started back up in her tail. For all her calmness, Paine was surprised to feel so giddy!
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