aw, but for
@Ashton if you would like :3
the destruction that the tornado had wrought stunned and disheartened the druid. he stood amid the ugly gashes of earth that had ruined the meadow where he had once courted luke, and the scent of crushed flowers and dead things was in the air. small animals that had not escaped the trail of devastation now lay rotting in the summer-blaze, and he was pressed to turn away.
the cavorting had gone out of him; he stumbled into a deep swatch cut by the storm and sighed, wondering if what had been wronged could be righted, and inexplicably grief for junior began to well in his breast.
«Gonna set this before he makes it back to Cal. :) »
He was soooooo exhausted. The type of exhausted that makes you wanna curl up, and snooze the rest of the day away. But suckily for him, he couldn't.
Hippie had to hop back home.
The dudette Echo had brought him quite a ways from the mountains, and he couldn't thank the girl enough, sending her on her way with medical advice for her stature, and a large chunk of meat from a crushed moose the pair had found along the way, he bid farewell, and made his way through the rest.
He was coming to some plains, the flat lands he felt would soon help him find a landmark or something that would point him in the right direction,...
...
Well shit, scratch that.
This was tornadofied land.
About that landmark? Yea, no.
Damnit.
The golden teen crossed the ruins of a once beautiful pasture, the storm greenery and other animals, alike.
He even saw a dead bear sticking up from underneath that fallen tree, over there.
Shhhhheeeeshh.
Mother Nature, chillaxify gal.
Emeralds scoured over the wasteland until he saw a figure that was upright, standing, and very not dead.
Yay, a survivor.
Calling from afar, he barked
"Hey dude, you hurt or anything? If so, I can help ya, free of charge."
sounds good to me!
a bark roused lasher from his reverie, and he narrowed his eyes, turning toward the creator of the sound. the voice was vaguely familiar; the sun gilded the onlooker with gilded hue, and lasher drew near slowly, warily. his eyes softened as he recognized fully the gentle features of the once-aspiring caldera healer.
"ashton," he murmured, tail swaying once. halting a few feet away, he took the other's scent; it did not bespeak peregrine or fox, which perplexed the beta.
"have you been away?"
It was smashin Lash! Treppy Taltos!
The hippie had never been more happy to see a long list friend in his entire life. A sequel of tail wags and happy yips to his voice indicated his current state.
"Dude! Tal, man what's flyin in ya sky? "
He asked a question.
Right, right.
"Yea, I've been ghost for a pretty long damn time. I got caught up healin, and not wheelin. I'm gonna so get nabbed for it. Utterly boned, bro."
His emeralds came to the face of his equally if not more handsome friend.
"What's sparkin, Lash? Haven't seen you in a chop, too. You chill?"
ashton's roundabout, mellowed way of speaking brought a beam to lasher's face. "i am well. a delighted father of three now," he added, thinking of the lovely little faces that had grown sharper with the event of oncoming adolescence.
the golden boy appeared well, though the earthen beta was not pleased he was returning unto the caldera. yet he wearied of thinking of the redhawk wolves, speaking about them, and so he was silent upon the subject.
"did you learn of new skills upon your travels?" taltos asked softly, plume waving behind his hips.
The newly informed teen could only wag faster, his elation of his friend's awesome trio-fied daddy-hood causing the tassel twister.
All da hyphens, doe.
"Dude! Three? That's totally trippy. Ya got a bundle of buddies hoppin behind ya, Tal. Up for that challenge?"
A bit of a teasing smirk slid to his lips, his emeralds twinkling a bit more mischievous than the usual upfront honesty gaze he wore.
He had faith in this dark wolf. A good nature. Wise. Not bad on some his babes eyes. Good form. He'd be an amazing dad.
Well, he kinda already was,
Is,
....
Shut up.
Getting right on that.
"Well,"
You failed at shutting up.
Shh.
"I've learned that having over 3 stalks of milkweed for an open infantile infected wound can give muscle aches due to a chemical imbalance traveled between bloodstream of wound. Results is energy loss, and exhaustion. "
Ash barked a light laugh and settled down on his tight branches.
"That's only a small bit from the immensity of time I've been away from ya, man."
lasher grinned. "i must be! they keep me busy!" he too settled himself, intrigued by the words that ashton spoke. deciphering them, he gave a short nod. "that is welcome knowledge indeed. my mate would be interested in knowing such. she is a skilled healer, but always welcome to new wisdoms." it was on the tip of his tongue to ask if the gilded boy had visited the caldera, but the old weariness replaced the curiosity, and he allowed the thought to pass.
"did you prefer your travels to being home?" he teased, murkwater eyes glowing with the brevity of the joke. such distractions were welcome, with what had occurred recently.
The man returned the jest, his answer causing Ash to give him a rather appraising look. He was proud his friends was getting on well with his mate. Pups, and all.
Maybe, one day, he too could be a dad.
That made him remember his little Som Som.
He did hope she wasn't missing him back at the Dera too bad...
Hell, who was he kidding. She was surely missing him. Right?
"Well, i was upped in a nomadic pack, and staying in a place kinda makes me paranoid. Probably why i get so good at running. Helps me brain down on that fear.", he replied with a wink.
he nodded again, understanding. while he wished to extend a standing invitation for the golden child to visit the plateau, the clash of tensions between the packs made him leery of such things. junior's face swam into his mind's eye; his jaw tensed perceptibly, but in the next moment the tension had passed. "have you learned any new hunting tricks?" he jested, standing to his paws for a long stretch of his stiffened joints.
he made no mention of this, however, nor of what had transpired between the plateau and caldera. these moments were for himself and a good friend, a most affable companion.
they spoke and hunted affably together for some time before parting ways, with a promise to see one another again.