The Sunspire Leave me in my dreams

The forest was dark and cold. Trees hovered above her like vultures. A thin layer of perfectly white snow carpeted the forest floor. Nara stopped walking. She peered into the darkness. There were only trees and silence. She turned around and noticed her paws had left no imprints in the snow. As she turned back, the trees had disappeared too. She started walking again, faster this time. She could hear her blood drumming in her ears. A feeling that someone was near - watching her, following her - crept along her back and settled itself in her stomach. She felt hunted. 
An ear-piercing howl made her stop. Nara looked around nervously, but there was nothing but darkness. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she could see a distorted figure slowly crawling towards her and in a moment of panic she started running - breathlessly, endlessly. 
Then Nara halted suddenly. Her eyes grew wide as she saw the scene before her. She stood there, petrified. Nara wanted to run away but she couldn't move. She stared at the pieces of fur and flesh and limbs, steaming in the red snow. Thorn to pieces. Then two figures appeared, with dark and hateful eyes. They growled in contentment as they started feeding. There was an awful sound of ripping flesh and Nara yelped, but they didn't seem to hear her. 
It was only then that she realized it was her own wretched body laying in the snow. She watched closely for any kind of movement. Any sign of life. Her life. She felt herself getting drawn away from it. Drawn into the darkness. No! she howled, please, I don't want to go! and her nails dug into the ground as she scrambled for a second chance at life. 

As she woke up in a cold sweat, the remnants of a fearful howl still echoed off the mountainside. And in a moment of relief, Nara realized she was unharmed and home safely at the Sunspire.

i know i said i'd make a thread but you have an open one so!!!!! <3 if she's in a den terance is just outside the entrance but otherwise she's just out of view of terance and he's like peering around

terance was walking back from a night of stargazing. it was late-- later than he'd meant to stay up, but he was feeling rather dull tonight. he wondered what lyra was doing-- if she had been looking up at those same stars. he hoped she was, that they were looking at them together, and maybe she was thinking of him.

but that was wishful thinking, and deep down, terance knew it.

he didn't have a den-- didn't want one. but he liked to sleep near the rest of where the pack had made their own dens-- it helped him sleep at night. and if anything happened he'd be around to help protect. he was closer to wraen, closer to rannoch and liffey, and that was important to him. he was currently passing by where a certain wolf was sleeping-- nara, he remembered meeting her once or twice-- when he heard a disruptive whimper and a scramble of claws against rock. he paused, sniffing. no other scents were nearby, so he wondered if she was dreaming-- or something. cautiously, he let out a soft bark-- in case she was asleep-- and waited to see if he got a response.

Nara's howl had caused Sunspire's Alpha to awake suddenly. With his heart racing, Rannoch jolted into consciousness and looked frantically around the den that he shared with Liffey. In the short time that it took Rannoch to realize that the pack wasn't in danger, he had jumped to several conclusions about what had happened. His frantic state of mind relaxed as he became more aware of his surroundings, and soon, his breathing followed. 

When Rannoch felt comfortable enough to do so, he slipped away from Liffey's side and wandered towards the source of the sound. Due to his delirious state, Rannoch had not recognized who had howled, and he was left to meander the mountainside to look for anything that might help him identify who had cried.

Still dazed from her sleep, a soft bark alerted her. The she saw a dark figure standing in the opening of her den and for a frightful moment she remembered her dream, but then she smelled the familiar scent of a packmate and let out a relieved sigh. She thought it was Terance when she saw a glimmer of green in his eyes, but couldn't be sure. She wondered if she had been talking in her sleep and seemingly rather loud if she had woken him up. Terance? she asked in a whisper.

terance hesitated to pin one wolf immediately, since he wasn't entirely acclimated to all of the scents in sunspire just yet. but, the voice-- maybe... "yes, it's me, is it nara? are you okay, you sounded like you were struggling," he replied, concern laced in his voice. the den was too dark to see into, even with his eyes adjusted to the night, but the more he stared the more he could make out the pale shape of a wolf. definitely nara. 

for a moment, rannoch's scent passed by, but terance didn't see him right away. he wondered why he was up and around-- since the scent was fresh-- but ultimately decided to ignore it and focus on nara.

The dark veil of the night had nearly camouflaged Terance; a fresh scent trail were the only factors that had revealed his location. Rannoch wandered and felt uncertainty begin to stew in the pit of his stomach— he hoped that everything was okay.

"Is everything okay, dude?" Rannoch called out from a distance, his eyes focusing on Terance's crouching silhouette. He took a step and drove his ears forward. "I thought I heard a startled howl," he elaborated with evident concern. A second scent wafted in Rannoch's direction as he waited, and he felt his concern grown. "Nara?" he asked, "You good?" 

Yes, its Nara, she answered Terance and a moment later she heard a second voice. It was Rannoch. I'm fine, just a bad dream. She said to both of them. I'm sorry if I woke you guys up, Nara added. She had been alone for so long, it was hard to adjust to the idea that someone would come running if she called, even if it was in her sleep. Now she was glad she wasn't alone.
Nara tried to remember her dream, but the more she tried the more it seemed to dissolve into incoherent parts until only the feeling of dread was left behind. Her encounter with the Nightstalker might have something to do with it. Nara shook her head, as if she could clear the image from her mind. She didn't want to think about that anymore.

rannoch came quickly, something that surprised terance for some reason. he looked to his friend with pricked ears, searching his face. "i'm fine, just headed home-- stopped to check on nara," he told the alpha, turning to look at the pale she-wolf, nose dipping. she spoke again, and terance found himself sort of relating to her... though he'd never had nightmares like that before, his dreams were usually very empty and dull. he searched her face quietly. 

"you're okay?" he asked her softly, concern clear in his voice. he'd let rannoch handle the majority of this, since his friend was much better at handling stuff like this... but he wanted to make sure his packmate was okay before he left.

Rannoch wasn't entirely convinced that Nara was as well as she claimed to be. He strolled forward and stopped at Terance's side, finding himself driven by his suspicion. "I'm more than willing to stick around if you need to talk anything," he offered as he bowed his head and peeped into her den. "You won't be a bother, either. I promise." 

Yes, I’m okay now. Nara said. And then she quickly added, Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine, as she smiled briefly at Terance. It didn’t really feel like an honest smile, but he sounded concerned and she didn’t want him to worry. 
Then she turned to Rannoch. His words comforted her. Do you want to go for a short walk? Just to clear my head, she asked him. Then she looked at Terance to see if he might want to come too, since he had been up anyway. She wondered what he had been doing this late, but then decided it was none of her business. Nara shifted in her den. Her muscles felt stiff and achy, like she had been running for hours. A walk would do her good.

rannoch seemed to have everything under control... as always. this really was just something his friend was good at. terance? not so much. he leaned forward to nudge nara's shoulder, and then stepped back. "i'll leave you guys, call for me if you need me," terance said, and then began off after they both dismissed him.

"Thanks for your help, Terance," Rannoch responded once Terance had announced his intention to leave. When Terance departed, Rannoch watched after his friend fondly; Rannoch was glad that Terance had been able to get to Nara before he had. 

Once the Beta was out of sight, Rannoch turned to Nara with a smile. "Ready to go?" he prompted with a wave of his tail.

Nara nodded at Terance and watched him disappear into the night. Then she turned to Rannoch. I am she said and got out of her den. 

Once outside, a chilly mountain breeze ruffled her pale pelt. There was almost no moon out, and the little light that it reflected seemed to vanish into an inky haze. Nights like this always made her think that there were beings near. An entity she could feel but not see or hear. Following her. Shifting from shadow to shadow. A quick movement in the corner of her eye. But now Rannoch was here and the creatures would know not to attack an alpha. At least, that was what she hoped.

There was one path she knew would lead to a cliff. From there, you could see the great lake and valley below. It always made her feel peaceful and disconnected from life on earth. Like she was a bird.  Let's go this way she said. Oh, and, thank you she added and smiled at the Alpha, gratefully.

"Lead the way," Rannoch proposed with a smile. 

As they set off from Nara's den, Rannoch walked with lethargic strides; his tiredness was apparent even though he did his best to mask it. As Nara thanked him, Rannoch quickly shook his head. "No need to thank me," he replied with a smile. "I'm happy to help." 

"Is there anything you want to talk to me about your dream? Or would you rather not go there yet?" Rannoch asked with a hint of uncertainty; he wasn't sure how she wanted to face the issue.

Nara thought about Rannoch's question for a while. She had a hard time putting her thoughts into words - and using the right words was a critical component to make him understand what it was that she was feeling. 

She sucked in a deep breath like she was breathing the courage into her lungs. It's not really about the dream - I mean, I do have nightmares sometimes, but that's just a symptom, I guess she started and then hesitated for a moment. You see, my real mother, she left me behind before I ever got the chance to get to know her. Then another wolf found me and raised me as her own. And when she needed my help for once… I left her - just like my mother did, I left her behind She glanced over at him, to see if he had noticed the way her voice broke. She tried to gauge what he was thinking, but didn't leave him any time to reply. She wanted to get it over with. I feel like I betrayed her she said, softer now. For all I know she might be dead. And I never even said goodbye or how grateful I am or that I loved her or ... - I just left her the guilt she felt broke down any strength she had left. She averted her eyes, not wanting him to see her this vulnerable.

Nara slowed down when she realized they had reached the cliff. The beautiful view of the lake made her wish she had any family left to share it with. Then she looked over at Rannoch and, despite everything, a little smile formed on her lips. He felt like family too. 

It was reality that was haunting Nara, and although his own experience was different, Rannoch felt that he could relate to his packmate at some level. But before Rannoch could open his mouth to offer his thoughts, the pair had reached their destination, and Rannoch was distracted by the sprawling landscape before them. His preoccupation only lasted a moment, as he knew that Nara was waiting for his response. 

"Sorry about that," Rannoch said with a hint of embarrassment, "I got distracted there for a second." But that was then, and now, it was time to share his wisdom. 

"That's a tough situation," he acknowledged with a frown, "And I could see why you would feel that way. But, I'm sure that she knew how much you appreciated her, even if you never said it outright." Rannoch paused for a moment and took a seat. "If it helps you any, it's a situation I'm familiar with." 

Nara shot him a don't-worry-about-it smile and a quick nod of her head. The view was indeed one to get yourself lost into. 

She had poured out her heart tonight, but there was still a heaviness inside her. Rannoch's words were kind and comforting and she really wanted to believe him, but she couldn't. It was a kind of guilt that she wasn't able to shake off. She laid down on the cold earth next to Rannoch, her head facing the abyss. And then she laid down her head too. She was too tired and too broken-hearted to keep her head up.

Then a sudden anger welled up inside her, she hated her self-pity. It only made her feel worse. Nara sat up again and turned to Rannoch. What was your situation? She asked. Maybe he could tell her how to stop feeling like shit. Or maybe he could just throw her off the cliff and solve all her problems.

"When I was a child, I disobeyed my parents once," the alpha began, "And it ended up changing my life forever." Although this wasn't a story that Rannoch shared often, he felt that it might help Nara with her current emotional turmoil. "I slipped away from my parent's claim to see a friend of mine. I didn't plan to be gone too long." 

"Others had a different plan for me, though," he mused, "I was kidnapped from there and taken to the ocean. By the time that I escaped and made my way back towards my birth-pack, about a month or so after I have been captured, my brother intercepted me and let me know that my parents had been killed." It was a reality that had been hard for him to comprehend but, with time, he had come to accept it for what it was. "I never saw them again because of that choice that made. I never got to see them grow old, or thank them for all that they did." 

Rannoch offered her a soft smile, and pushed aside the sadness that had pooled in his heart. "You're not alone in feeling how you do right now." 

I'm so sorry about your parents she said softly, clearly affected. At least her mothers might still be alive. She could imagine that knowing for certain that your parents are gone is much worse. Time could not be turned back. Oh, how helpless she would feel. 

She gave Rannoch a sympathetic nudge with her muzzle. I'm glad you told me she said I know it must have been hard to talk about it, but now I know I'm not alone in this she smiled at him, but it held more sadness than she had intended. Nara had come to see Rannoch as a friend, and it hurt her to see him sad. Nara wanted to make him feel better but she didn't know what to say. She looked up at the sky as if the stars would spell out an answer. And for once, the starts did. I'm sure your parents are up there now, and I'm sure that they're proud of you she said, still looking up. And they'll wait until you're there with them - then you can tell them everything and they will understand, I'm sure Nara said.

Then she turned to the abyss again and sat there in silence for a moment, watching how the moonlight reflected on the lake. After a while she asked How long before it stops hurting?

Rannoch appreciated her sentiment, and he softly smiled at what she said. "Yeah," he reflected, "I feel less alone, now, too." Rannoch had never met another with as similar of a backstory as Nara; it was comforting to know that he wasn't the only one experiencing the special breed of grief that he felt. 

He was moved emotionally as Nara envisioned what the future held, and while she spoke, he looked overhead and inspected the night sky— were Scimitar and Eshe looking down on them now? "I sure hope so," he replied, his voice quiet. Hopefully, he'd see Cypress, too. 

"It's better now, for sure," Rannoch answered as he glanced at Nara. "But, it still hurts, sometimes." He didn't want to set improper expectations for Nara.

We can fade after your post, or keep going if you want (: 

As Rannoch looked up at the stars, she hoped he would find solace in them like she always had. Each night they would greet her and shine bright with perseverance. She believed that they held the souls of animals who couldn't leave yet, at least not entirely, because they still had someone they loved and cared about down here on earth. 

She looked at him quietly when he  spoke again. He gave an honest answer and she appreciated that. It made her realize that he truly knew how she felt. Nara would have to come to terms with the fact that there really was no way to accelerate the healing process. But she was glad she wasn't alone. Thank you she said sincerely, I really needed this and gave him a heartfelt smile. 

As sleep stung her eyes, she realized how late it was. She didn't want to keep him away from Liffey any longer. We should probably go back… Nara said, but it was more of a suggestion. They had created an open environment and she wanted to give Rannoch the chance to talk about anything else if he needed to.

Rannoch smiled. "I did, too," he agreed; the conversation had been therapeutic for him. 

Like Nara, Rannoch was starting to feel tired again. "Yeah," he replied as he hoisted himself onto his paws, "I'll walk you home." With a plan in motion, Rannoch escorted his packmate back to her den, and when he was sure that she was safe in her home, he then returned home and curled up at Liffey's side.