Neverwinter Forest thanks for not killing me; here's a baby
54 Posts
Ooc — mixedhearts
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#1
All Welcome 
He's trespassing, but only just barely. Tagging @Lucy, set shortly after this thread.
The smell of Neverwinter cleared his head a little, but he still held tightly to the bruised form between his jaws. He moved across the border before his legs seemed to lock up, and he realized that he was not exactly a welcome figure in the territory proper. But this was the pack's child, was it not? Surely, they would want it returned?

Not in this state, he thought to himself, spitting the dark blob out at once and looking down at it with dawning horror. He'd stolen one of the alpha's pups! What would Neverwinter do to him, now?

More importantly, how could he have lived with himself if his fever-muddled brain had succeeded in convincing him to consume the child?

"Are you hurt?" he demanded, his terror making his tone sharp and grating.
when you're dead, there will be no grave to remember your name
146 Posts
Ooc — Mary
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#2

The soot child had spent the duration of her travel crying for help, until the sharp prick of the monster’s fangs had caused her mind to fade from that world. The darkness had crept up along the corners of her vision and had spread until she could see nothing but it; that endless swirl of inky abyss. Even in that state, she could still feel the sharp pains of being marched across an unknown terrain. As she faded in and out of her state of awareness, the little girl heard the voice of Lagan in her ears. When she would be roused by a particularly intense jostle of her body, her inky head was move about in hopes of finding something familiar to tell her that she was safe and it was her father who was carrying her home – that the only reason his fangs were so sharp in her side was because she had disobeyed him and wandered too far. But Lucy was lost and she did not know where it was she was headed.
 
After their lengthy trek, the great hulking brute spat her onto the earth and looked at her with red in his eyes that she had not seen before. The soot child cowered in fear, tucking her paw up into her chest and wrapping her tiny tassel around her rear as if it would keep her safe. There were marks on her body – scores of his canines in her flesh that ached. At once, he demanded to know if she was hurt. Too fearful to answer him honestly, the child whimpered out of fear and pressed her dark body as close to the earth as she could. If she was lucky, maybe it would swallow her up. Tears pricked at the backs of her eyes and she tried with all of her might to maintain them, but she was not strong and so they spilled into the dirt. “I… I s-s-sorry,” she whispered to him. She never should have left her home.
he came and stole the wild
1,016 Posts
Ooc — Rachel
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#3
The injured man upon their borders had lingered, and then disappeared – and the cinnamon wolf had not stopped him, believing the wolf to not be within a crazed mind in his actions. It would prove to be a mistake for Neverwinter Forest to even place their empathy upon the beast, and as the large beast rounded the borders upon the day, it was the stranger he came upon once more, though this time a child with him.
 
Alarmed at the strange man appearing with a rather battered and equally strange child, he paused in his steps, his bright eyes burning toward the man as the dark pup practically cowered to the earth. “What is this?”
he came and stole the wild
a crime so old as the sky and bone
54 Posts
Ooc — mixedhearts
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#4
Almost at once, the girl's father was upon them, and Marbas knew not what to do. He was questioned, but the words slipped past his ears as panic and madness and clarity all struggled for dominance within his fever-muddled mind.

There are too many voices, cried one of them.

"I brought your child home," he explained - that much was truth, so far as he knew it. He lowered his head as the next words tumbled forth: "She'd... wandered away."

Stepping back from the little child, Marbas turned and tried to flee, lethargy dragging his limbs upon the ground until he came to a panting halt, not a dozen yards away. The world was spinning, and he worked his legs until he realized he was simply flailing them in the air, and then still a moment after.
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#5
The cubs were at present with their cousins on a little playdate. Eshe had stood and watched for about twenty minutes in the backdrop, wondering if her babies would miss her at all. She missed them sorely, and they weren't even all that far from her...! She realized she had a bit of an issue, just watching them like that... and wanting to regain some semblance of independence and also, integrate herself with the pack again, Eshe followed the scent of her mate.

Imagine her surprise when she found him, a little cub, and some other figure in the distance. What's this? the girl looked terrible! Like she needed food, and love, too, to boot. Scimitar, she breathed, moving to stand protectively over the girl. Her eyes cast to the man in the distance; the girl smelled of him, and the wilds, but was clearly neglected. Her eyes narrowed, and she glanced to her mate in question: do you know him? what is this?
when you're dead, there will be no grave to remember your name
146 Posts
Ooc — Mary
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#6

It did not take long before there was a greater creature who appeared before her and the monster who had taken her captive. Once she caught sight of the man, she cowered. The little soot child could not bear to be carried across rocky terrain again; she had already suffered minor wounds and psychological pain. In spite of this, little Blackthorn girl had found herself wildly confused about what form of action she was intended to take. The sharp blue of her gaze drifted between the wolf with muddy red eyes and the towering male with eyes that shone brighter than anything she had seen before. Bright-Eyes did not seem pleased, but she did not understand where his agitation was stemmed from. Monster had seemingly lost interest in her and had attempted to flee the scene. Lucy turned her head to and fro to watch them exchange words with each other. Her tiny frame was pressed tightly to the earth.
 
When the sound of a woman struck her, she lifted her skull upward and peered around wildly for the form of the wolf it might belong to. When the female stepped forward and took a protective stance over Lucy’s body, the pup instinctively crouched low and moved to press herself up against the limbs of the unknown female. Her mud-caked body shivered violently as she made the most valiant effort to become invisible to the two men.
he came and stole the wild
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Ooc — Rachel
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#7
Obviously just an aim for Marbas' neck/back and not an assumed grasp. <3
He took pause for a moment, his eyes sweeping over the child. Her fur was matted with mud – and what looked like parts of blood. What had the man done to her? And where had she even come from? It was only as the greyscale wolf began to shrink away – began to skirt his paws to the territory edges did Scimitar tense once more – the words of returning his child – as if the stranger had done them a favor. The lie fell from his lips so smoothly, and yet the actions of the other spoke otherwise – that, and obviously the girl was not from the forest.
 
What mad man had he let in to his home?
 
“That’s not our child,” he spoke solemnly, and only when Eshe’s gentle form hovered over the girl to protect her, and Marbas began to flee did Scimitar shoot after him. He was not a fast wolf – his massive frame withholding agility, but it would not be required as the man’s injuries and lethargy came to light once more. The cinnamon wolf would not hold back as his fangs sought purchase for flesh – his jaws aimed for a deadly grasp, seeking the tender flesh of the man’s neck. Lotte’s healing techniques had been wasted upon a wasteful creature, as far as he was concerned – and he would remedy this as swiftly as possible.
he came and stole the wild
a crime so old as the sky and bone
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#8
Just a post to get Lucy a bit more into the forest to not see this! (Hopefully an) exit for Lucy and Esh! PP Consent given
Eshe watched as her husband went after the wolf, and only then did she step in front of the child and nose her gently toward the forest. The cub did not need to see this violence! Before anything else transpired, she gripped the girl by her scruff gently to take her inside.
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Ooc — mixedhearts
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#9
The grip was sudden and absolute. Amazingly, he felt not pain but heat, in two jagged V-shapes that fanned over the back of his neck. Even from such an awkward angle, Marbas found that he could do little to dislodge the bigger, stronger male. His wounds, having come one-after-the-other without time in-between to full heal, were grevious when put together.

Slowly, he felt the world begin to slip away. The ground became hot and dark and sticky underneath him as he allowed himself to be flattened against it.

Distantly, he thought of the family he had failed to find, and of the sins he had added to his tally that night. He thought of Siren and his lack of attonement, and then he thought of nothing at all.
he came and stole the wild
1,016 Posts
Ooc — Rachel
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#10
Gone from his vision was Eshe and the strange child – his focus solely upon the wolf who now tried to flee. It was a moot attempt – had the man dared stand his ground and try to explain, it was even possible that the cinnamon Frostfur would have listened to him. As it stood, Marbas seemed to announce his guilt through his cowardice, and Scimitar had found he wasted enough time and resources on the wolf before him.
 
His jaws found their grip to the flesh of the wolf, who went limp from injury, rather than submission. As large as he was, the regal wolf could not hold a wolf up alone, and his own form bent down with the slump of Marbas’ form as it found the earth, and with a thrash of his muzzle and the intent to tear flesh more asunder, Scimitar finally pulled back, his bright eyes fierce upon the wolf who had proven to be no more than trouble. His tongue flicked across his lips, cleaning some of the blood from them – he could only imagine how unsightly he would look to the strange child and even his two boys.
he came and stole the wild
a crime so old as the sky and bone
54 Posts
Ooc — mixedhearts
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#11
Marbas - what was left of him - laid in the dirt and moved no more. The faintest, slowest, weakest beat of his heart would not betray the life within the battered shell of his body. And even if it did, such things would not be a worry for much longer.
hämähäkki, muodonmuuttaja, satakieli
310 Posts
Ooc — KJ
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#12
A plump weasel bumped against Lotte’s soot-stockinged forelegs as she loped purposefully toward Neverwinter Forest; coincidentally, she set out for her journey just around the same time Marbas laid the unwanted gift of a stray whelp at the Frostfur patriarch’s massive paws. She arrived, feeling a sick and heavy sense of déjà vu at the sight of the broken creature she had worked so hard to repair, and her argent eyes filled with tears — but she knew the treelord to be a gracious beast. He had called for help for the little lion despite not knowing his name or story; if he used his fangs to sunder her work now, he had to have his reasons. Still, in caring for Marbas, Lotte had grown fond of him. He was a closed book to her, but she had enjoyed their time together nonetheless. Without crossing the borders, Lotte laid the long-bodied carcass at her paws and nudged it with her nose toward Scimitar. Rakeet, great king,” she said, her rich, warm timbre made tired and thick with sadness, “you have not called for me, but still I come — I have hunted this for you and your kin. Please eat it in good health.”

Her eyes fell to Marbas, who lay bleeding and dying, and she sidestepped to set distance between herself and the mahogany-eyed wolf who had transgressed in some way against the wolves who had offered him succor. Tears slipped down her cheeks, but still she offered the forest wolf a smile to match her deep and respectful bow. “He was not my friend,” she intoned quietly, “but I was fond of him. May I bid him goodbye with a flower and a kiss? I can remove him from your borders if it is your will, treelord.”
he came and stole the wild
1,016 Posts
Ooc — Rachel
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#13
The wolf stopped moving, and Scimitar allowed his grip to loosen, dropping Marbas to the ground and his eyes studied the stranger as he slumped fully. Perhaps it had not been the best plan, for now he might not ever determine where the girl had come from – but nor did he regret the actions that had just occurred. Had any wolf dare move one of the Forest pups from their home, he would only hope the intruder would have been met with a fate similar.
 
He began to skirt back now, but it was the velvety tones of the healer she-wolf that called to him now, and warily, his bright eyes fell upon her. She had aided the wolf, and he became tense, wondering if she would question him now.
 
But she did not question him – her graciousness and acceptance to all matters of the feral beast stirred his own curiosity of her within him – something he had not felt for another outside of his pack in some time. It was not often Scimitar placed much thought toward those he did not call family – but she distinctly now scented of the shores.
 
He rounded back, his nose nudging at the weasel she offered them. Glancing up, his figure looming proudly, he gave a nod toward her. “Thank you for the gift.” He paused then, his gaze cast disdainfully in the distance toward the dark creature whose blood spilled upon his borders for a second time. “Do with him what you will – the food you provide will help nourish the pup he has stolen from another pack and injured.”
 
There was little else to say, and so the Frostfur bent his muzzle down, scooping up her offering and waited for further words – but he was eager to seek out Eshe and the little one.
he came and stole the wild
a crime so old as the sky and bone
hämähäkki, muodonmuuttaja, satakieli
310 Posts
Ooc — KJ
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#14
Very short posts to get all of my threadlogs up to date. ♥ I am sorry for the lack of quality and length.

Lotte strove for her usual jovial expression and mustered up the ghost of a smile for Scimitar and another of her gracefully sweeping bows. Hyväntahtoinen kuningas,” she intoned in her low, melodic timbre, “I will sing of your graciousness to my brothers and sister.” She tucked away the phrase “the pup he has stolen from another pack and injured” to think about another time. Could it be that Marbas was truly an evil creature? He hadn’t seemed so initially, but Lotte had been so distracted with his defenselessness and the concern writ upon the treelord’s face that she would have paid little attention even so. She had a great propensity for mothering despite her youth and her lack of romantic experience; she had been raised on war drums and love songs, tales and songs of valor and lust and folly and fate. There was a hunger in her to experience these things, and in Marbas she had found the possibility of love if not the promise.

Bending her head, she dragged the wolf’s body inch by inch away from the borders of Neverwinter, but it was slow going. He was heavy, and though Lotte was large of stature and steely of muscle, she could not remove him completely to the clearing where she’d tended to him. She thought him dead; he had not responded to any of her ministrations. “Ai!” she cried out, and dashed away, returning with a poppy flower. From it she took one seed, crushed it between her incisors, and slipped it from her mouth to his in a farewell kiss that, despite its immodest appearance, was completely chaste. His swallowing reflex was as dead and dull as the rest of him, but she thought the poppy seed would serve its purpose regardless and ease his passing — just in case there was some nerve somewhere in his body that could still register pain. It was a foolish notion, but Lotte was fond of him and could not bear to think of his passing as being painful or prolonged. The clarion call of her brother’s voice pulled her away, and reluctantly she smoothed a kiss over Marbas’ stilled and cooling brow and placed the flower over his chest. “Little mud puddle,” she sighed, “farewell.”