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 Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 1:00 pm
Unsure of how to respond to Helios' compliment, Persephone coloured slightly. "..Thank you.." As he commented about her pack being kind, she nodded her head. "They are. They took us in when we were lost, fed us, took care of us and raised us as if we were their own. They've done the same for others too." Persephone smiled as she spoke. She truly meant every word that she said. The pack had done an enormous kindness to her and she would never, ever forget it. She wanted desperately to find a way to repay Zagreus, Calliope and Ouranos for their kindness someday.
Finding a point where the river narrowed and had plenty of rocks jutting out of the surface, Persephone decided that this looked like a good place to cross. Well, as long as they took their time. She didn't want to fall in by slipping on an icy stone. She nodded again as Helios asked about her brother. "My twin.. He's like I am," she replied simply.
"Here looks like a good crossing place I think.. as long as we watch for any ice.." Cautiously, she began to find footholds on the stones, sticking to the roughest ones she could find. They were less likely to be slippery.
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Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 1:13 pm
When the female was so shy about his compliment he began to think it might be all to easy to gain what he wanted of her. He wandered a little closer to her as they walked, his tail brushing against hers as it wagged in a friendly manner. He tried not to get too close, not wanting to scare her away. Helios wasn't often to subtle about his interactions with females but the shy, innocent ones were so easily chased off that one had to be especially careful.
Her strong feeling towards the pack, though, did not bode well for whisking her of to be by his side. He was concerned more by the knowledge that Zagreus might have collected himself an army of loyal waifs. He always had been one to take kindly to the weak and unempowered.
"You have a twin?" he exclaimed, brightly, wondering what other surprises she had in store, this small, delicate flower. It was a shame her twin wasn't another female... now that would have been a fun challenge.
As the reached the river crossing, Helios fell behind Persephone again, following her with great concentration. His one eye as not so good as both, he had found, at judging distances. The male had taken some time to get used to this weird disparity and although he had learned to be cautious he could never learn to see the same again with just one eye.
As his past judderinglyfound their way over the stones he admitted his hardship. "I ah.. have a hard time seeing the stones, getting my feet right with my eye.." he hobbled more slowly than he really needed to. "I'm getting better at it, though, day by day." Sympathy was another thing he found some females responded too. As much as he hated to be seen as weak he could show her he had overcome this particular problem and thus was a much better wolf than one who was whole.
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Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 1:51 pm
As Helios brushed up against Persephone, the young female edged away slightly. The golden wolf was being very nice to her, but she wasn't entirely sure about such close contact. Besides, they had to be careful about crossing the river here.
As Helios mentioned his difficulties with his eye, the albino's face fell slightly. She hadn't even considered that this crossing might be a lot more difficult for him, and she felt bad about it.
"Oh, I'm sorry... I didn't realise.." she began, pausing as she perched on a large, jagged rock near the opposite bank. Turning on the spot, she watched him for a moment as he made his halting way across the stones. She wondered if there was any way she could possibly help him, but realised that if she went back across to him, they could both end up in the river with one misstep.
Hopping lightly onto the gravel-covered bank, Persephone turned to face Helios again, watching him carefully. Maybe if she watched closely enough, she could check that he was stepping on the right places. He seemed to be alright though, and he did say that he was getting better at it.
"Watch that big white rock there," she offered helpfully. "It's a lot more slippery than it looks.."
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Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 2:05 pm
Helios smiled at her concern. "Ahh I'll be fi..." as he spoke his concentration had been taken away from the slippery rocks. He had tried to reach out and step on the stone she had indicated but, as he was not looking at it, his foot missed. With the icy, wet rocks, he had to chance of gaining a purchase as he careened forward, into the prettily clear but deeply colf water.
It wasn't particularly deep but it was enough to get him drenched and his forepaw felt awful. "Ack" he said, his mouth half full of water which he spat out. He slowly made his way to the bank, stepped out gingerly and stood slightly in shock for a moment. His coat was soaked through, sodden, clinging to his thinning frame. He was shivering and even after shaking himself as dry as he could he was still beaded with water. His paw, his had twisted under him, felt sore when he presed it to the ground and he whimpered unhappily.
Internally his mind was racing, angry. Stupid bloody rocks, stupid bloody crosing ARGH ******** pain. He tried not to let any of this show on the outside though. He gasped a little while, looking to the white female, the ambarrassment crossing his face not totally put on. "I think.. " he wheezed, his throat chilled from swallowing some of the water "I think I hurt my paw.."
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Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 3:14 pm
As Helios slipped into the water, Persephone rushed forward, the icy water lapping around her ankles. "Helios? Helios!? Are you alright!?" she called, genuinely concerned for his safety. As he reached the bank, she bounded over to him, staying next to him as he made his way up onto dry land.
"I'm sorry.. I should have looked for a better way.." she began, annoyed with herself for allowing her friend to get hurt. She looked around herself for a moment. Helios needed somewhere dry and safe where he could rest for a while. Then she remembered - there was another cave not far away on this side of the river.
"You need somewhere dry and warmer.. I know where there's another cave where we can stop for a while.. Can you walk a little further?" she asked, concern written all over her face.
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Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 3:35 pm
The large male nodded, a slightly weariness coming over him as the chill of the snow and wind began to leak into his bones. Somewhere warm and dry did seem like a good idea and it'd let him know the location of another possible area to exploit.
"It's not your fault." he said, truthfully thinking that it had been. If she hadn't distracted him he wouldn't have fallen.
Helios winced as he tried to put weight down on his foot. It was probably only twisted, bruised or somesuch, but it hurt like hell right now. He nodded to Persephone, even now his mind working to see how he could take advantage of this. "Yes, somewhere to rest..." alone, with you, the added in his mind.
"Is it nearby? It might be slow going... it hurts a bit to walk. I'll try though." A paragon of virtue, the injured wolf who would not be stopped. Oh yes, he was good at milking any situation.
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Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 3:50 pm
Persephone nodded her head, brushing up alongside Helios to offer support should he need it. Not that she'd be much help, in truth. He was much bigger than she was and probably weighed more than she could easily take. Nevertheless, she was willing to try and help him if she could.
"It's not far," she replied, impressed at his strength and will to carry on. She was not stupid by any means, but lack of experience in the world, and lack of dealing with wolves as conniving as Helios meant that she believed him to be sincere. Slowing her pace so that Helios could keep up, she led him towards the cave she knew about.
"There it is, over there," she nodded to a yawning opening in the wall of the gorge. "It's not very deep, if I remember right, but it should be good to rest in for a while."
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Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 4:06 pm
Heliso was tickled as the female brushed up against him - especially when he considered that she had fled from his earlier closeness. As with many females he'd run into she would do things for an injured wolf which she would not do otherwise. Females were odd, he mused, but it was a good thing for him sometimes that they were.
He admitted he was doub glad of her presence, though, as they neared the cave. Although she would never have been able tosupport his weight, her pretty little body rubbing up against him gave him the spark to continue. His body shivered happily as the pair entered the small cave through it's gaping entrance, his golden form slumping down wearily onto the dry, if cold, ground.
"You are wonderful." he smiled at Persephone, his praise beginning to take on a real glow of truth. She might be innocent and small but the female had resolve.
His mind had already thought of a way to keep her near for at least a little while more. "I don't know what I'm going to do now.." he said, his face suddenly becoming stricken. "My friend, I still don't know where she is and I won't be able to walk by the looks of it for a few days. I won't be able to hunt, to eat..." he tailed off, lowering his head. "I'm sorry, I hate to be a burden on you but... will you help me? At least until my companion comes... if she can find our trail... please?" His head came back up, his eyes on her. Although only one worked they came together to give her the most pleading, puppy-eyed, doleful look he could.
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Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 5:44 am
Persephone sat down on the ground next to Helios as he lay down. It was cold in here, but at least it was dry and it was safe. It would probably warm up soon with their body heat also.
As he asked her to stay, she hesitated for a moment. She had simply told the other pack members that she was going out to practice her hunting. If she was away for a long time, then they might start to worry about her. Still.. the golden wolf obviously needed her help, and it was her fault that he'd been hurt.
She still wasn't too good at hunting - she'd only ever caught a rabbit or two - but she'd give it her best shot. At least in the snow, she blended in far better than she did in the summer, when everything was green and brown.
After her slight hesitation, she nodded her head. "I'll stay with you until you find your companion."
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