|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 10:09 pm
His body was stiff, unresponsive, past the point of feeling pain as he stumbled blindly forward. Always forward. He couldn't stop, not until his last reserves had been drained and he physically couldn't keep up the death-shuffle on limping paws. He'd fall eventually, and then wouldn't have much to worry about any longer.
Except that wasn't quite true. He had too many things to worry about, and so many of them were primarily his responsibility. His brother, whom his father wanted to put down. His gentle but gullible cousin. How he couldn't save them.
He could never save anyone, not even himself, and with the delirium came the steady whispering voice, drawing out each of his failures and playing them out for him as he passed them by. He saw a blue wolf, blood streaming down his sides, leap for the relative safety of an angry river to avoid death in the jaws of a monster. He saw Narangi try, honestly try, only to be viciously berated while he cowered nearby, unable to help. And he saw that soft body, damp and small, as it rolled in the shallows of the river, life long since past and all promises gone with it.
He was always too late, or too weak, and so maybe it would be best if he just gave in. he figured he sort of deserved it, anyhow, and at least then he’d be able to see her again.
This wasn’t her land, nor any land he knew, but it seemed a nice enough place to finally let his heavy frame sink to the loamy soil; he crumpled like a broken leaf and felt a heavy sigh rock through his chest, as though he felt some sort of relief with the surcease of movement. If anything, he felt an even heavier sense of nothingness.
And that was just fine. He closed his eyes, and thought of sleep.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2012 10:53 pm
 She was so bored! Sure, aunt Aduial had promised they would get to go see other packs soon, or at least find someone from outside to meet. Though she strongly suspected that it would be some tame, planned meeting with someone her aunt already knew, Aine was not going to put up too much of a fuss about it. After all, how often would she get a chance to do something so fun as meet someone new during one of her aunt's notoriously dull and mundane lessons? But this was getting ridiculous.
It had been days and they still hadn't done anything. Just how long was she expected to wait? If she did not know any better, Ainelaith might think that her aunt had merely made such a promise to get her to come to lessons every day. But no. Annoyingly frustrating and proper though Aduial may be, she was no a devious liar.
Still, Ainelaith's patience was wearing thin. If her aunt would not fulfill her promise in a timely manner, then Aine would simply have to take matters into her own paws.
To that effect, she had escaped before the older female could come and collect her for the day, and had decided to go exploring...perhaps a little farther than she had before. Who knows? She might even stumble across something interesting. She had a good feeling.
* * * * *
The day was still young when the female spotted what appeared to be a sleeping wolf in the distance, very near the edge of the territory. A sleeping wolf whom she did not recognize. A certain giddy excitement swelled in her. Oh, yes. This was going to be a most interesting day, indeed. She picked up her pace, eager to meet this stranger and most curious to find out why he would choose such a strange place to sleep.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2014 11:07 pm
Now, where had that glossy white niece of hers run off to this time?
Aduial huffed in annoyance. She was late, but that had been no fault of her own. She'd been caught up in other business, and had only just now been able to get away. Even if she was a few minutes behind schedule, surely Aine could have waited for her. It was positively uncouth for her to go running off alone.
The dark wolf's agitation was two-fold. One, she was annoyed that her lessons seemed to be sliding off her niece like raindrops slipping off a leaf. Two, she was especially annoyed that perhaps she was the wrong-headed one in this. Aduial was a princess, perhaps in her mind alone, and there were those in the pack -- certain members of her family sprang immediately to mind -- who felt that her attitude belied a certain weakness.
Well. Just because they were proud warriors was no reason they couldn't have proper decorum. Draug had a nasty reputation for barbarism, but that was something she felt could and should change, for the well-being of everyone. It was one thing to be able to defend yourself. It was quite another to jump to bullying when a good, civil conversation would do.
And there were many wolves who could teach Aine all about self-defense. Aduial was determined to give her that other lesson, to teach her some proper manners. If she didn't, who would?
And so, such conflicting ideas swimming about in her mind, the alpha daughter took nose to ground and followed Aine's trail, feeling quite put-out that she had to go through this effort. Oh, she did hope the younger wolf hadn't gotten herself into any trouble...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2014 5:31 pm
As she reached the stranger, she hesitated just a moment. He was a stranger. An outsider. Someone who could be anyone at all. Maybe he was from some faraway land. Maybe he was a prince on a quest. Or a knight. Or he could even be a spy from an enemy pack! Oh! What if he was a runaway from an enemy pack? Wouldn't that be even more exciting? Maybe he needed sanctuary. He could be holding vital information.
A voice that sounded a lot like aunt Audial's said that he could be dangerous, and she should go back to the pack and get someone, but Ainelaith did not think that sounded like much fun at all. The was her stranger. She had found him, so he was hers, right? She didn't want someone coming and saying that he had to go away because he might be dangerous. Just like that, she threw her fanciful notions out. He was probably a perfectly harmless loner. That was all. Nothing to be worried about at all. So there was no reason to go for help.
That settled, she edged closer to him to begin her inspection. His fur was a very dusky plum - not a color she was used to, but a pleasing one nonetheless. He had lighter stripes here and there, but it was difficult to tell exactly what color. He was a little dirty, after all.
"Hello?" she ventured quietly. "Are you awake?" That was a stupid question. He was very clearly not awake. "You probably shouldn't sleep here." ...and what good would it do to talk to him while he was asleep?
"Hey." She inched a little closer. "Wake up."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
