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 Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 4:23 pm
It had been a couple of days since she had reached the sea, since she had met the silver wolf name Amélie, and since she had found her sister. It had all seemed too surreal, everything that had happened. She still couldn't believe that she had acheived her goal, she had fulfilled her purpose in coming out here. Now, she didn't know what to do with herself.
She had spent a majority of her day sitting on the beach, staring out over the endless waters that were the ocean, the sea. She was absolutely amazed by the sheer vastness of it all. How could there ever be so much water?
She had, however, taken a break from her staring in order to hunt. Her sister Cassidy hadn't wanted her to hunt until she was completely rested and feeling better, and though she wasn't completely better yet, she felt well enough to do a bit of hunting for herself. Besides, she wouldn't run around and push herself to the limit. She had decided to just snag a small rabbit and eat.
After she had eaten some food and she felt mostly relaxed, she had returned to the ocean. It was peaceful and a perfect spot to allow her some thinking time. And there was nothing more she needed now than to think.
Hallie was rather confused about all of the happenings lately. It wasn't her sister or her family, but it had more to do with the silver wolf and why she had been told to come out here in the first place. She remembered the dream almost perfectly. It had all seemed awkward and slightly frightening. But she had listened to it, because something had told her that she should. But what did it all mean? She remembered that she had been told that she would find answers here, but so far nothing had come to her.
Sighing, the female sank down to her belly, the sand beneath her shifting and forming around her body. It all made her feel rather comfortable: the warm sand beneath her slim frame; the waves crashing gently against the beach; the quietness of the whole scenery.. it just made her feel like she could lose herself in absolute bliss here.
The corners of her mouth curling into a small smile, the fledgeling seer crossed her paws and lay her head down upon them. In no less than three minutes, her eyes had closed and she had drifted off into sleep. It was there that bliss was broken.
At first it was complete darkness, and it seemed like nothing was happening. Yet then she felt herself moving, drifting. It was a strange sensation, but she didn't have time to think much on it as a few seconds later she was distracted by the change in scenery. No longer was it only black, her eyes unable to detect anything. It remained rather dark, but now objects began forming and she could see that there were creatures rushing about her. They dodged here and there, these strange shadows. Turning her head slowly, she saw that they were actually wolves, though they seemed almost disfigured.
Shivering, she attempted to keep away from them. But that wasn't too hard, as it seemed that they stayed away from her. She stopped in her drifting. The shadows stopped. She began again, and they began again, although they seemed to take great care that they stayed out of her way. Looking at them again, she could see the fear in their distorted faces.
Looking past them, she noticed that she was in a sort of forest, though it was far from green and lively. It was eerie with the way that the trees seemed to be their own shadows. She shouldered her way through the thick air, feeling as if she were moving rather slowly.
Why was she here?
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Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 9:20 pm
Some ways up through the distorted dream world, the wayward seer would come upon a shadowy clearing. Objects blurred and distorted, and as she approached, the shadows occasionally ran off- appearing as the shape of wolves, their eyes glowing brightly as they scattered. But they convened upon the clearing, surrounding a pile of rocks which were a bleached white like bone. Nervously they looked upwards, to a dark figure reclined upon it, before running behind the pile- leering out from the shadows and watching the seeress as she moved.
On top of the rock pile, rested the great and massive form of the black wolf. He was no shadow- but he seemed even blacker then they. He was so black that his fur rainbowed when faint light touched the strands of hair around the nape of his neck, and his eyes burned like an eerie fire. At times he seemed to grow larger; as though his shape was not confined to one second to the next. In passing moments he seemed to be intently looking upon her- only for the next, to be nonpulsed and distracted. The massive beast shifted his shoulders, and his mouth opened. His teeth were long and white, and they blurred in the shifting shadows.
It was no face of a kind ruler, nor that of any mortal wolf. He was a monster of many sorts, and the dark wolves cowered as they moved around him. They feared him- but they feared the seer as well. Now they listened hesitantly, as if they had meaning. The great king Hrothmund- and in his time, the only great king. There were those who compared the likeness of Phib to his father- but even ethereal and distorted, enough of the dark king could be seen to know that no wolf could have ever copied the monestrous form of the brute.
“Well now, Female Child.” His voice soaked into the air. “Hallie Child, Daughter of my daughter. What a gift you carry.” The monster licked his teeth. “Do you know who you speak, Seeress?”
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Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 10:22 pm
Hallie moved along, feeling awkwardly out of place. Where was she and why were there shadows slinking around, fearful of her? She watched them, yet at the same time kept an eye on the path she was traveling along. Something was definitely off about this place, and she wouldn't allow herself to be tricked or deceived.
As she moved along, one shadow came forth and seemed to grow brave. It paused, but then proceeded forward, coming closer to the female. She pulled her lips back and snarled at it, even bit the air. It immediately shrank backwards, nearly tripping over itself as it did so. Flicking her tail angrily, she blew out of her nose and moved onward. She'd be damned if she'd let one of those things touch her. Not here.
Continuing forward, she came upon a a shadowy clearing of sorts. Stopping momentarily, she took a few seconds to survey her surroundings. They looked strange, as if there was something of importance that was about to take place. Folding her ears back slightly, she moved her head this way and that, she noticed there was a lining of rocks. And towards the top of those rocks was perhaps the biggest wolf she'd laid eyes on yet.
Her heart nearly freezing over, her jaw hung open slightly as she stared at him, completely unable to believe that she was seeing him. He moved without moving, his form seemingly growing and shrinking, and she couldn't tell exactly what color fur he had. It was all too blurry and just too much for her to take in all at once. She shook her head, closing her eyes for a few moments as if she were trying to forget everything.
But then he spoke. It shook her down to the core, and she couldn't do much else but sit. And he knew her name. Who was this? Daughter of his...
"Are you... wait. You.. you can't be. No!" she cried, rising to her paws suddenly. She was not about to believe that this wolf standing in front of her, the one that chilled her heart and every ounce of blood running through her veins, that she was actually related to him.
It was impossible.
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Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 10:15 am
A deep and throaty chuckle resounded around the clearing. It came from no direction in particular- and sometimes seemed far away, and at other moments, close enough to tickle the ear. The dark shadow folded leaned forward off the bright rocks, and directed all attentions upon the stammering seeress.
“ Without me, you would not exist. You are bound to me in blood.” The dark beast said. “You with a power nurturing in your body like a gracious disease- you would not have it, if not for I. But you- you female child with such power. Even you fear me. I sicken for my blood lost. What will she do with such power-? Waste it away? There is only existence through power. And very few people truly are worthy of such existence. It is your duty to consume them.”
The black wolf rose from his pediment, and licked his teeth. “What I would do with such power...”
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Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 10:48 am
The adolescent flinched at the chuckle. It was all over the place, and she didn't like the fact that she couldn't pinpoint it exactly. Was there someone else out there, playing tricks? What was this place? It was as if she were in some diseased, disturbed land. All she wanted to do in that moment was flee, but her paws seemed almost glued to the spot and she found moving quite difficult.
"No," she breathed, shaking her head defiantly. She still refused to believe that she was related to such a beast. And the way he spoke of power... it seemed too corrupt. She didn't know exactly what he had done in life, but it couldn't have been anything good with the way he was talking to her. And there was also the feeling churning her stomach, telling her that something was off. This wolf was a monster.
Narrowing her eyes, she glared at her kin. "I don't fear you," she spat. "That's just your ego." As he asked the questions about her, though to no one in particular it seemed, she shook her head and growled slightly. "What power? Everyone keeps talking about it but I've yet to witness this power for myself. Please, oh great one," she said, humoring him, "enlighten me." This was all crap. What had she eaten before she had gone to bed? She couldn't remember, but it must have been tainted meat. She was sick, plain and simple, and this was just a sick dream. Could it even be called a dream? It felt more like a hallucination.
As he mumbled about what he would do with such power, she rose defiantly. "Well, you don't have the power so you don't have to worry your big head over that." Hal blew out through her nose. She wanted to leave.
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Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2007 6:47 am
The monster purred. “I did not need your power to do more then you will ever do. I only mean to say- how much more I could have done!” He laughed, and suddenly the scene around them began to change. It melted away into a forest- a forest far from here, but not so different in composition. What had once been black and shadowy was suddenly blanketed in blindingly white snow. Tall paper trees lined the wood- but past the paper trees, was nothing but black. It was not night- but that world simply did not exist. Disappeared also had the bone white rocks- and now, the midnight wolf stood deep in the shadowy snow. He would have faded into the nothing- but the falling snow illuminated his figure, and the paper trees made the cut out of a wolf as he moved.
“You do not fear me child?” The black wolf hummed. “Many did. Long ago.”
He started to walk in the deep snow, and as he passed a group of trees, his figure wavered as thought the image had suddenly been warped. A wolf suddenly ran through him- as though he was a ghost. This wolf however, was no dark monster and no shadow wolf. It was real- and her coat flashed grey as she moved.
Besides her, another wolf came. “Slow down, Ceda!” The new wolf howled.
The grey one stopped in the snow and danced around. She was laughing, and her yellow eyes flashed as the scene unfolded. “Fine, fine- I am.” The second wolf came into view, a large black wolf with the green eyes that by now had become stable in the north. They danced around one another, although the black one dwarfed the grey.
The female spun- and suddenly, a sweet whistle fluttered through the air. An arrow struck the female on the side of the face, and she shrieked in surprise as the arrow pierced her. Wildly she began to dance, and the other wolf froze in his tracks.
Man from the woods- the dark skinned people appeared in the darkness. The female wolf was shrieking still as she tried to put her paws around the embrested arrow. A wheeping sound- and the next arrow silenced her. In shock and horror, the black wolf ran- and the men from the shadows leaned over the fallen grey wolf and began to stroke her.
“Wolf sister has given her life for us. We thank you, sister.” They placed a pair of beads around her throat and removed the arrows that had killed her. “The shaman’s initiation is almost complete-“
The scene shifted again. It was snowing harder now, and the men in the hunting tribe were resting before the fire. Their hands were chapped and their eyes dulled. They were praying something- and man seated in the front of the fire was moving his hands around in the midst of a story. Occasionally the smoke was dusted, and bright particles fluttered up to the sky in sparkles.
And then- from the shadows, another form emerged. This one on four legs- it leapt and struck the first man in the back. There was a flash of brilliant white teeth and red blood. The others reacted quickly, although there was a shock at first. The black wolf spun and caught a knife in his shoulder- but quickly bit the arm who had flung the knife. The first bite pealed into a second on the face- and blinded, the man began to wail.
The scene changed.
Again- it was snowing. This time a group of wolves resting on a hillside. They turned- and from the shadows a black wolf came dragging the body of a man.
An old grey wolf balked and rose from his feet, and the entire pack shrunk away. “What have you done?”
The black wolf dropped the body and licked his jaws. There was blood seeping from his wounds. “I have avenged!”
“What have you done?” The grey wolf reiterated.
“Are you not proud?” He demanded. “Of what I have done? Man has killed- now we have killed!”
“You dare upset balance?” The old alpha howled in shock. “Now they will kill more! We have all made sacrifices. They only killed yearly- what have you done to us?”
The black wolf licked his muzzle again. “You’ve made us nothing but dogs. The rest of the pack will-“
Even as he spoke, the rest of the pack was shrinking away. “Cursed wolf! He has killed man! They will come now and kill us all!”
“Go from us!” The old wolf howled. “Go from us!”
The black wolf dropped the body with a lurch of blood. “Dirty dogs!”
The scene changed again- this time, a larger black wolf now grown moving through the wood. Other wolves were gathered around him, and they nervously began to twitch. “You dogs!” The black wolf shouted. They all looked up at him, and a few of the wolves growled. “We fight over this dirty ******** piece of land! There is nothing here to fight over!”
One wolf spoke up. “What do you suggest then? You’ve called us here to hear you howl!”
The black wolf sneered. “We will do something that this rock has never seen. You will surrender your packs, and together, we will conquer this mountain under an empire the likes of which we have never seen.”
The first wolf who had spoken seemed to be taken aback, and between those collected the few began to mumble. “Who is he to suggest anything?”
“At least he’s saying something.”
“Do you know what will happen if we declare war on the other packs on this rock?”
The large wolf reclined himself, and slowly shifted his tail. “The time of living in small groups is over.” He boomed. “Perhaps in peaceful days when we were not forced to the edges of the wood by man and bit on the heels by our own people. The winter sets in again.”
“The shamans predict famine...” Spoke one of the wolves.
“We need nothing of shamans.” The black wolf snapped. “Mystic fools who predict but deliver nothing. You don’t need to be a shaman to see what’s happening. Follow me, and there will be action.”
Again- shift. This time, the mountain looked bare and the hulking black wolf blotted out the sun. Below him- some scraggly looking wolves were sniffing over the remains of a group of pups. “I don’t understand why they needed to go.” One of them started.
“It’s not for you to understand,” The black wolf purred.
This ruffled the other wolf’s fur, and he snorted bitterly. A plume of mist expelled from his nostrils as he did. “Why don’t we just leave, Hrothmund? There are better places to live then this mountain. We’ve got more wolves then we know that to do with-“
”Do we? I know exactly what to do with them.” He thrummed, and stepped off the rock, callously stepping over the sprawled bodies. “We’re not leaving the mountain.”
“Why is it so personal about this damn mountain?” He spat. “It’s cold, we have no food! You’ve joined everyone into a group so large we don’t know everyone’s names, and they’re eating all the food we’ve got left. And you want to just keep adding to that horde?”
Hrothmund thrummed. “It’s this mountain. It won’t work any other way. Who gives a damn if they’re hungry. They’d be hungry in the sorry little tribes they had. This mountain. It is everything.”
The other male seemed to cave, but still did not look pleased. “You’ll take the mountain if we remove the last three packs. But they’re not stupid Hrothmund. They’re joining up and digging their heels in. They’re not going to just join us. The pack isn’t going to like running them off the cliff. Some of them are family.”
Hrothmund snorted a lazy plume and stretched. “Then we’ll make them like it. Take them to the border.” He snapped, gesturing to the small bodies. “Make them understand we’re not playing around.”
The younger male blinked, and then raised in ears. “Your taunting them to attack us first?”
Hrothmund sighed, and shifted his tail. “You will find that people’s opinions very rarely encompass themselves into them. The pack may weep for no fighting, but they’ll rise up if someone strikes them first. The southern packs won’t tolerate that.” He remarked, eyeing the pups. “They’ll make a move. And then this mountain is mine.”
The final shift- the mountain conquered. The large black wolf was older now and the pack had grown by almost double, having taken over the entire mass of stone and ice. In front of him stood another black wolf- similar to the point of being identical in looks, but this male was smaller and leaner.
“You’re asking for me to die.” The smaller wolf was speaking.
Hrothmund blinked, as if he had forgotten. “I said nothing about dying. I'm asking you to kill it."
"No one will kill that thing." The male hissed. "Not even with as many as you're asking me to take. If I go, I will die. There's no point in attacking it, Hrothmund. It's just a bear."
"It has our blood on it." The black wolf noted.
"Only because the ones dead were idiots." The smaller one snapped.
"It really doesn't matter if they were or not. The pack wants justice. You want to know what you can do for me. You can take them and get rid of it. If you die, then you've failed. I don't really need a wolf around me that fails." He thrummed.
"There's failing and then there's suicide. We'll all die, you stupid old man." He bit.
"Then don't do it." Hrothmund purred. "But you will. You want to take over? You'll do it. It's just a bear, yes. But I want it gone. It will not rival me. How many wolves did I kill and packs did I absolve? All I ask of you is to get rid of a bear. That's nothing short of robbery, on my part."
"This doesn't have a purpose." The male bit. "You're mad."
"I suggest you go before it gets dark." The old male hushed.
The smaller male looked flabberghasted, and finally, relented. "I'll do what you say then because you're my father. But know that you've killed me."
Hrothmund preened. "Nonsense, Phib. So dramatic! I don't really care, one way or another. Just make it gone and then we'll see who dies first."
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Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2007 1:47 pm
Hallie narrowed her eyes at the other. The way he spoke, it was just unnatural. There was something in the way that he bore himself that made her mind scream at her to escape, telling her that this wolf was dangerous. But he was family, wasn't he? She growled to herself and shook her head. Family or no, Hrothmund was a monster. She didn't associate herself with blood-thirsty monsters. They were too dangerous, even if you manage to become their allies.
"How do you know what I will do?" she spat. "I've more life to live than you." That was true, in a sense, but she really didn't know how long she would live hereafter. How old was this wolf when he died?
"Why should I fear you?" she asked, though she expected no answer for that. His ego was reason enough for him to think she should fear him. "You are the past." She then thought for a moment. "And it's true, the past shapes who we are, but we cannot change it and mold it to our liking. The future, that's something worth looking at. I don't pay attention to the past."
As he spoke of others fearing him long ago, she growled deep in her chest. "'Long ago,'" she scoffed. "Have you been here so long that you have forgotten--"
Her voice trailed off as she blinked, watching the scenery around her shift and take on another form. Hrothmund moved, but she paid no attention to him now. She was too transfixed on what was unfolding before her, too focused on the two new wolves that had suddenly come into the picture. They were real enough that she thought she could smell them, but they acted as if they didn't even notice her or her elder kin. Did that mean they were ghosts, not these two new wolves?
Watching them, she was horrified when the female was shot down, her screams ringing through the air and cutting it like a sharp fang. Then the humans came. She wanted to run, but was reminded that she was near invisible when they didn't even so much as flinch in her direction.
They made her sick. Her hackles rose and a deep, guttural growl rose up. She wanted nothing more than to leap on them and rip out their throats for harming one of her kind. But before she could even blink, the scene changed. Humans were being slaughtered now. For a moment she felt triumph--they were getting what they deserved. But then she saw the true meaning of revenge. This--this was not right. The humans had done wrong, killing that wolf, and they needed to be punished. But karma would have gotten around to them. This persistent back-and-forth killing, though, it tipped the balance. Now what would happen?
The scene changed again, and she felt confused. There wasn't any time for her to assess the going-ons before something else was shown to her.
The wolf who had gotten revenge, he was now outcasted. Or was he? The pack seemed to pull away from him, but he didn't seem in the least bit broken or hurt about it. Hal glowered, watching him. But the scene changed too quickly, she was forced to move on.
The black wolf was suggesting things now, to other wolves. But no... he wasn't suggesting them, he was almost demanding them. He spoke strongly, acting as if he would back up these words with even stronger action. And she didn't doubt it. After what he had done before, she didn't doubt his abilities. Fidgeting uneasily, she listened to him speak. The wolves seemed to oppose him, in some silent way, but they did nothing. Fools.
The scene changed once more--how many more changes would there be? Glancing down, she saw the lifeless bodies of pups. Her heart nearly stopped. They didn't die naturally. So many could not have died of natural causes. Something--someone had killed them. But it was obvious that it wasn't by any of the other pack members, at least not willingly. But this black wolf, he didn't even waver. He was the killer, even if the blood might not have been spilt directly on his fur.
Then his name--Hrothmund. She glanced over at the real Hrothmund, or was he the fake one? It was hard to tell. She looked back at the one who was conversing with the other wolves, telling them to move the puppies. First he had them killed and now he was moving their dead bodies for even more torture? She growled. This was all horrid.
Another shift, and the dead puppies were left behind though not forgotten by the female. Being so, she felt a sort of connection with the puppies, though she did fear them somewhat. They were too easily influenced. But that mattered not here, she was watching something else form.
There were two black wolves now. Two Hrothmunds? No, they had different smells, though at the same time they were eerily similar. They spoke of something, back and forth. What was it? The topic of their conversation was soon revealed as Hrothmund spoke of a bear. A bear? He wanted to get rid of a bear, it seemed, but his son knew better. He was smart, and it didn't appear that power got in the way of his senses. But still, he was loyal.
Then her eyes widened, the name of the son was revealed to her. Phib.
Turning to the original Hrothmund she had met with, her jaw merely gaped open. It seemed that Phib had outlived his father. He had defeated the bear then? It was uncertain, so she forgot about it. But whatever had happened, he had lived and Hrothmund had died with his own words.
A small grin came to her features. Phib was better than his father. But then she remembered everything that had come before then. Everything that the black monster had done and had said. Frighten feelings settled back within her bones, though she wished they didn't show physically.
"Who are you?"
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Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 9:07 pm
The great black brute heaved slowly and took a few, unnatural steps forward. It was a dragging motion which did well to remind the young seeress that this was no living creature she spoke to. “Who am I?” He snapped with a lowness which thrummed in his throat. “I am the only thing that ever mattered. And no matter how long you live prophetess, you live because I once lived, because I once did all I did. How easy it is to balk away in shame and hide your face and yet continue to draw sweet air! This is my family, and your greatness will never be but a shallow legacy of my own.” The great wolf thrummed.
“And dare you go and be nothing! You could be something I may take notice of- something I have yet to do, for none of my offspring catches my eye. Not my daughter for whom you hail, nor the son that pretends to be king.” He spoke slowly. “And yet- to my others, I care not nor even remember who they are. Perhaps my discontempt of my other two is enough respect that could ever be held.”
“But you!” he continued, his voice striking a tune. “Potential, I see. What will she do? Become a failure to my eyes? Or take from the world what you could have!”
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Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 7:58 pm
Hallie's eyes widened as the other wolf moved forward--was he even real? His movements betrayed the thought she had been toying with just moments ago. As she had been shown his life, and as she had continued to remain in his realm, she had found herself thinking more and more that he was real. That he was actually there and that she could feel his warm breath if she allowed him to get close enough. But the way he moved, it was too unnatural. It reminded her that not only was he fake, an illusion, but it remined her that she didn't belong in this place.
As he advanced in that slow, fake motion, she found herself cowering despite the knowledge that he wasn't real. His nature and the way that he carried himself, the way that he referred to himself, it was enough to make her skin crawl. She wished she were away from this place already.
And no matter what she told herself, no matter how she tried to convince herself otherwise, she knew that Hrothmund was right. Without him, there would have never been a her. She would have been nonexistant, a void in the vast universe. Because of him, she lived, as much as she hated to admit that. But as his relative, did that give her some sort of advantage over others? He was ruthless, but powerful. Maybe not respected, but he certainly had followers and had no trouble getting his point across. Perhaps, with his blood in her, she could become great.
The female shook her head. He was tainting her thoughts! She would never try to manipulate others in order to gain status for herself. If she got power, she wanted it to be because she had fairly earned it and because she deserved it, not because she had ripped out some throats to get it.
Growling at him, her lips curling back, she stepped away from him. His words, they were far too manipulative. She needed to get away from him, before he corrupted her with meaningless thoughts of power and destruction.
"I will be great," she hissed. "I will be greater than you, though you may never know it. My legacy will be greater than yours, for as young as I am I feel I have far greater power than you would have ever hoped to achieve." And as she said those words, she understood now. She understood what her purpose on earth was. Hal knew what she was and what she must do.
"I will be great."
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Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 11:58 am
The ghostly wolf chuckled, and walked slowly to the side. “Will she?” He drawled. “What will she do to be great? No creature ever achieves greatness and keeps a clean hand. Curious, to see the monster this one will be.” He creened and shifted his jaw. With a backstep he moved, and from the shadows several of the dark shapes fell from hiding and began to run circles around the seeress. The wolf shadows with their glowing eyes; burning against the black forest.
“Know also this,” Hrothmund thrummed. “All your greatness is my greatness; and I swallow it whole.” The darkness murmured, and with another backstep, he began to blow away like ash until nothing remained. The dark wolves continued circling a few final times- before they too fell into the wind and blew away.
And finally, at last, they let Hallie sleep.
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