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+--- Thread: The Heartwood Snow Covered Pain (/showthread.php?tid=46446)
Snow Covered Pain - Howl - February 08, 2021
Howl had been to The Heartwood once before. The desolate forest free of vegetation and nearly devoid of all life. In the summer he had visited it last, the damage was clear and apparent to anyone that found their way within the woods. But now, covered in a layer of dense snow, the blackened scorched trees at a glance might look like any other winter tree having lost its leaves. Still, Howl knew, for the snow had recently changed him too.
Holding onto his last bit of hope weeks ago he had made a final effort to find Star and their children. It was the shortest outing he had been on trying to find them. In the midst, a blizzard rolled through and he took shelter, nothing he hadn't experienced before. But when he tried to return to Kaistleoki there was nothing there... Noone there... And along with his daughters, the blizzard had taken their scent and any tracks they would have left behind. He had cried and screamed at himself for hours on end hating himself for ever leaving their sides.
Now he wandered. Following the river down unsure of what to do or where to look. For all there was left to him to do was look, wander, search. Without his family, he had nothing else. Following the water, he recognized the trees despite their snow covering and understood their pain.
RE: Snow Covered Pain - Keyni - February 08, 2021
After searching to the south at the lake, Keyni headed in a north easterly direction to the Heartwood. Her hopes of finding any trace of Lunaria weren't high, but it couldn't hurt to check. She was nothing if not persistent. If this search too, turned up empty, then she would head back to the Glen to deliver the news. But, she would not jump to conclusions or lose all hope. That was the attitude of a quitter, of the weak hearted. And Keyni was neither.
There was little she found in these snow laden woods. The blackened trees hid their scars under the layer of white, making the place seem a little less depressing than it usually would have been. Her jade eyes skimmed the ground, searching for prints of both prey and wolf alike. She would catch anything she could if she were lucky enough, to replenish the stores back home. Something made her pause. A movement up ahead. Realizing she wasn't alone here, she padded closer to investigate. Another wolf, dark in color, also seemed to be searching. She didn't recognize him, but she still called out softly to announce herself.
RE: Snow Covered Pain - Howl - February 14, 2021
He had been watching his paws dampen the snow below him when a soft sound caught his ear. Looking upwards he scanned the whitened landscape through the various barren black tree trunks before landing on a female. Her coat was a myriad of colors that flowed into each other seamlessly. She was younger than him, but nowadays that was a regular occurrence for him. Only a handful of yards away she stood seemingly waiting for his response to her presence.
With a slow nod of his head, he greeted her. "Good day Miss. What brings you out to the barren forest?" he said politely. The Heartwood seemed a strange place to find wolves, given not much life or prey could be found here. Perhaps she too was simply passing by.
RE: Snow Covered Pain - Keyni - February 14, 2021
She held her breath for a split second. She didn't know this wolf and there was no telling how he would respond to her. Every chance meeting with a stranger was a risk. It's just how wolves were. Some were amicable and some were standoffish, or worse, vile natured. Luckily, this dark man seemed anything if not polite.
Letting what minute tension that had gathered in her shoulders slip away, Keyni donned her easy, but composed soft smile. Stepping closer through the snow with a gently wagging tail, she paused again to give them both some breathing room. "I am searching for someone, actually. A pack mate and a friend of mine." Her eyes shifted to her left, skimming through the distant assortment of trees, as if hopeful for Lunaria's re-appearance. Nothing. She turned back to him. "But, I haven't much luck. What draws you out to these parts?"
RE: Snow Covered Pain - Howl - February 14, 2021
Searching. That was another reason to travel where no life lived. A smile came to his muzzle. Not because she was missing a friend but because he wasn't the only one searching. If she had been going through even a fraction of what he was experiencing he wanted to help if he could. She felt comfortable enough to approach him but kept a comfortable distance. They had just met after all. "I'm sorry to hear you've come up empty. I have too, in the search for my family," he admitted. "Perhaps we could trade depictions?" he suggested, looking to help her more so than the other way around. Given his luck he thought it unlikely he would run into anyone knowing the location of either of his families.
RE: Snow Covered Pain - Keyni - February 14, 2021
While his pain was unknown to her, Keyni and the Glen were going through their own form of grief. They had already lost so many at the cruel paws of the bear, and now her friend was nowhere to be found too. They said time healed all wounds, but she wasn't so sure. It remained to be seen if that was really true.
As it turned out, the wolf before her was also searching for someone. "Is that so?" She raised a brow, curiosity pricking. "Then yes, perhaps we can be of assistance to one another." Jade eyes flicked over his form in a moment of non critical assessment. He looked in a little too good condition for a lone wolf. With no scent of a pack on him, perhaps he was a recent dispersal wolf. Such answers could wait for a later time. "My friend goes by the name of Lunaria. She's on the smaller, slender side. Black fur, turquoise eyes. She has an X shaped scar on her chest." She explained, hopeful that this man may be of some assistance. With his turn before him, Keyni listened readily for the description of the one he was seeking.
RE: Snow Covered Pain - Howl - February 14, 2021
Howl searched his mind past and present for someone that may have fit the woman's description. The X-shaped scar on the chest was a distinguishable feature that would make her stand out but nothing came to his mind. "Unfortunately to say I have not crossed paths with anyone of that description," he told her. Even though he wasn't the one searching for Lunaria he felt disappointed that he hadn't been able to provide the women before him with helpful information.
He then thought about his own search. "My list is a bit longer. As I said I'm searching for my family" he began. He felt embarrassed that he had lost Star and all of his children. What kind of a man and father did that make him. Regardless, asking about them only had the possibility of helping him find them if not simply put another set of eyes out looking for them. He began to describe them in an order that became oldest to most recently lost.
"My mate is named Star. She has a white coat, dark eyes, and various scars with the most notable being a red one in a paw-like shape on her forehead. My son Calcifer would be... gosh nearly 7 months old now. He has dark fur similar to my own and is on the larger side. His sister Marble, conversely, is a bit small with white and gray fur. My other two daughters Shiloh and Rav are only slightly younger. Shiloh is a dark black and grey with green eyes and her sister Ravaryn is white, black, and brown also with green eyes." he finished. "I'm sorry if that's a lot all at once."
RE: Snow Covered Pain - Keyni - February 14, 2021
Keyni was not surprised that he had not come across a wolf of Lunaria's description. Disappointed, yes. She would still hold on to the sliver of hope that her friend was out there somewhere, hopefully alive and well. Should fate deem it fit, they would reunite again, in time. It was her turn to listen, which she did patiently, nodding every now and then with a faint hum or a soft flick of her ears. Through her minds eye and memories, Keyni tried to match each description and name with faces she knew, or had encountered before. None of them lined up.
Until the last one. A daughter. White, black and brown. Green eyes. Ravaryn. Her head snapped up to attention, ears pricking intently, all traces of regret fading from her face. Here she thought she would have been unable to be of any assistance, but then he mentioned the child. She peered at him with a new, earnest intensity. "Your daughter, Ravaryn...she is safe. About a month ago, she found her way to the borders of our pack, Firefly Glen. Purely by chance, I was nearby when she found us." Her ears fell, eyes growing soft. "She was in rough shape from traveling and scared. I couldn't think to just leave her." She held a breath, hoping the father wouldn't go on the defensive. Keyni was a strong but gentle soul, who did not actively seek conflict. "She has been under our care, namely myself and our healer and is doing well." She smiled again. "She is a wonderful young lady."
RE: Snow Covered Pain - Howl - February 14, 2021
The woman was patient and nodded along with each of the descriptions that he rattled off. Though he had lost his family he assumed that even though he was unable to find them, they would still have each other with Star, Marble, and Calcifer being together and Shiloh and Ravaryn being with Moonshadow or Conner. So when he got down to the end of his list and began describing Shiloh without any noticeable response from the woman before him he never thought that Ravaryn wouldn't warrant a reaction. But when he said her name the woman's head and ears perked up he felt his heart stop for a moment as it seemed she had recognized his little girl.
As she went on to describe that she had been within their pack and safe for near a month now his tail began to sway and gain speed. The women mentioned that Rav had been in bad shape but was far better now, seemingly nothing like threatening. The woman went on to explain that she personally along with one other pack member had been taking care of the responsibility for her. "Oh my god..." he began to say in amazement and joy "Thank goodness. Thank you" he said taking a step forward before stopping himself. He had the impulse to hug her but held back reminding himself that they had only just met. His breathing was a bit heavy with excitement as he continued "I went on a scouting trip before the storm looking for Star and our children. I got stuck for a bit and when I came back our whole pack Ravaryn, Shiloh, and all had just vanished. The blizzard covered any trace of them... I just... Thank you" he said again with a big earnest grin across his face.
"Is she far? Can you lead me to her?" he said a bit frantically still overcome knowing that his daughter was safe. Despite the others being missing, it was the only bit of hope he had had for some time and he wanted to hold onto that.
RE: Snow Covered Pain - Keyni - February 14, 2021
A typical response from any concerned, good parent was what unfolded from the male before her. She saw relief, elation and gratitude. Keyni had bore no children. She knew not what parenthood fully felt like. But her maternal instincts were fully intact, even kicked into overdrive, especially around Ravaryn. Without having to say a word, she conveyed with just the calmness etched on her face that she understood Howl's reaction. His thanks was met only with a humble, silent nod and her smile. She wasn't one to get worked up too easily, or too quickly. But she did take a step forward to him after he had moved a little closer, as if to welcome the hug he nearly gave.
In her eyes he already seemed like a decent enough man. She would deny no father or parent the right from being with their child. "I believe it was the very same blizzard which caused her to lose her way. She said her home was around the 'claw mark' in the earth. I presume she meant a gorge, as I have never been out that way myself. My leader planned to visit the area and check for himself." As of now, Keyni was unaware of how Antares trip with Melaine to the former home of Kaisteloki had turned out. That was an answer she would find out for herself, when she returned to the Glen.
"I am so sorry you and your family got separated to begin with. The blizzard has been hard on us all." Her ears lowered, as a glint of sorrow briefly came to her eyes. A subtle hint that the Glen had been through much recently. She would speak not of it here. "Of course I will take you. It is not far. Just a little ways south. I am sure she will be overjoyed to see you...?" She paused with a question in the air, so she might know the name of Ravaryn's father.
RE: Snow Covered Pain - Howl - February 14, 2021
The woman had a short summary of what Rav had told them when she arrived and her description of where the pack once lived. He thought it was cute of her to describe the landscape as 'claw marks' and he could see what she meant. The leader of this Firefly Glen would set off in search of it soon. He thought for a moment that he should help them find it, but his mind turned against it when it would include leaving Rav again or spending more time before being able to see her again. "Well, I hope they find more than I could on my own. Perhaps they might find traces of Shiloh as well" he said, revealing a very presently developed level of optimism.
She agreed without hesitation to take him to their pack only just south of where he was. To think he had been so close and so filled with hopelessness. The woman trailed off in her speech when Howl realized she was looking to him for a name. "Howl. Howl Pendragon. Very pleased to meet you Miss?" as he answered and requested her own name he walked up beside her facing southward eager to follow.
RE: Snow Covered Pain - Keyni - February 14, 2021
In her time away from the Glen, trying to track down Lunaria, perhaps Antares had already visited Kaisteloki and returned home. She would find out when he greeted her at the border. She suspected that he was just as hopeful to reunite Ravaryn with her family as Keyni was. Luck was on her side in that today, she had found a link of her family. Now all she had to do was return home with Howl by her side so father and daughter could be back together.
"A pleasure to meet you, Howl. I am Keyni." She offered simply, politely. Though they had been formally introduced now, and despite the friendly vibes he gave off, he was still a wolf she did not know. Which warranted her reason to keep a careful eye on him during their travel back to the Glen. She would keep an eye out for any alarming signals, but her gut told her she had nothing to worry about. Falling in step beside him, she turned south in the direction of home, sharing a comfortable silence with her new acquaintance.