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+--- Thread: Bearclaw Valley make the water rise (/showthread.php?tid=64739)
make the water rise - Cole - February 02, 2025
intended for @Nephele
The valley cradled him in its quiet, the hush of winter wind weaving through the willow’s hanging limbs. Cole sat beneath its sprawling branches, the earth carved in a shallow divot where the roots curled deep, like the valley itself had folded inward to hold him. The air carried the sharp bite of the cold, but here, nestled beneath the ancient tree, it was softer. Muted.He exhaled slow, watching the breath plume from his muzzle before it vanished into the stillness. The willow swayed above him, its skeletal limbs reaching toward the sky, bare but enduring. He could appreciate that.
For a while, he simply sat, forelegs stretched out, ears flicking absently to the rustle of unseen movement in the underbrush. He wasn’t waiting for anything. Not really. Just letting the weight of the day settle, the silence pressing against his ribs like something tangible.
His gaze flickered toward the distance, to the sprawl of the valley that stretched out beyond the willow’s reach. This place was steady, reliable. A quiet refuge when his mind ran too fast, too loud.
RE: make the water rise - Nephele - February 02, 2025
she'd spent the morning with @Anatolia tracking and hunting down a pair of weasels. they'd managed to catch one out of the two, to which nephele let her daughter claim the spoils. she placed a kiss atop the girl's head before splitting off from her, her path aiming her toward the meadow.
a shift in the wind altered her course, the scent of cole sweeping over her and carrying her toes toward where she last spent time in his company.
the distant, peaceful sway of the willow branches beckoned her closer, and she answered with soft unyielding steps. it was only when she drew near enough did her pace slow, some hesitance found out of fear that she might overstep in a moment of stillness.
stillness she would not break unless commanded to.
RE: make the water rise - Cole - February 02, 2025
He caught her scent before he saw her, the familiar traces of the wild clinging to her like something permanent. Anatolia as well. His gaze lifted from where he lay beneath the willow's sweeping branches, its long tendrils casting dappled shadows across his worn frame.
He didn't call out at first, simply watching as she hesitated on the edge of his solitude, as though uncertain of her place.
That wouldn't do.
C'mere,he finally murmured, his voice rough but not unkind. He shifted slightly, making space beside him in the soft grass. An unspoken invitation.
His gaze lingered on her, steady, though unreadable. Always watching. Always waiting.
RE: make the water rise - Nephele - February 02, 2025
she is moving the moment he summons her to, her steps leading her to give a gentle brush of greeting against his side before she positions herself neatly beside him. for a moment her eyes are cast out to the far stretches of the valley, appreciating the view over and over again until she pulls herself from it to look upon cole.
she couldn't place what it was about him in that moment, only that she thought him different than last she'd seen him.
"how have you been?" she inquired, eyes glancing from snout to toes for any sign of new battle scars he might have gained.
RE: make the water rise - Cole - February 02, 2025
He exhaled once she settled. Against his side, it felt natural.
It's been quiet,he mused, the weight of the words settling between them.
I could get used to it.There was something about the stillness that felt foreign but welcome, like a reprieve from the constant motion of the world.
His eyes flickered to her, assessing, always searching.
How's Anatolia?Voice steady, but there was something softer there, genuine, that was only prodded by her daughter.
And you?He shifted, turning enough to take her in fully, looking for anything out of place, anything unsaid.
RE: make the water rise - Nephele - February 03, 2025
quiet. yes, the quiet was nice, but with it came an air of uncertainty, of doubt. for how long would the quiet truly remain?
"she's doing well, went on a morning hunt with her," she shared, a faint smile teasing the corner of her lips. "she's grown up so fast." there was a swell of pride in her voice but with a wisp of something else, something sorrowful.
she didn't stray on the feeling long, perking up again quickly enough. "i've kept busy. went on a venture a few days ago, forgot how much i enjoyed traveling," she admitted with a soft chuckle. when her children had been born her entire world had been consumed by them, as such was the responsibility of parents.
she wouldn't have had it any other way, but with motherhood had come changes. she had changed.
RE: make the water rise - Cole - February 03, 2025
Cole listened, his gaze steady as Nephele spoke. The pride in her voice when she mentioned Anatolia did not go unnoticed, nor did the undercurrent of something else—something wistful. He knew that feeling well. Watching the young grow, change, become their own, it was a bittersweet thing.
He gave a slow nod, glancing out toward the valley.
She’s lucky to have you,he said simply, voice low and sure.
Her mention of travel pulled his attention back to her.
Good,he murmured, the ghost of a smile flickering across his rugged features.
It’s easy to forget when you stop for too long.There was truth in it—staying in one place, settling, it could make a man restless. It could make anyone restless.
His gaze lingered on her for a beat longer, then flicked back toward the trees.
Take me with you next time?A question, not just of her venture, but of her intentions—whether she would stay, whether she wanted to.
RE: make the water rise - Nephele - February 06, 2025
for a moment her attention is held only by the beauty of the scenery painted before them. of the wind stirring up early morning snowfall, of the sun casting faint rays of orange across a canvas of blue.
she didn't think she could ever grow tired of the view from here.
she let out a soft hum to his question, and then a light chuckle. "of course," came her response, the words ease on her tongue. "any place in particular you want to see?"
there were mountains, fields, valleys, and glaciers she knew of, and yet so much more she did not. she wasn't sure how much of this world cole had seen, or how much he truly wished to.
RE: make the water rise - Cole - February 08, 2025
Cole watched the morning light stretch across the landscape, painting the world in muted golds and blues. It was quiet, peaceful—the kind of stillness he had learned to appreciate.
At her question, he exhaled slowly, considering.
The plains,he admitted, voice steady, thoughtful.
Reminds me of home. No trees, no ridges—just sky and grass, stretchin’ on forever.
His gaze shifted to her then, studying her expression, the way the wind tugged at her fur.
Doable?he asked, curiosity laced in his tone. She seemed the kind to have wandered far, to have seen more than most. Maybe she had an answer to the quiet longing that stirred in his chest.
RE: make the water rise - Nephele - February 08, 2025
the plains. a soft, hushed breath escaped her as she listened to him describe of home. she knew the beauty of the rolling grasslands, of their peace and prosperity. "the plains, huh?" she mused, words drifting off to distant memories of yellowstone.
"i know a spot," she shared with a gentle bump to his shoulder, as if reminiscing on a past life. "the view isn't quite as good.." she shared as a quiet whisper before sucking in a breath to admire the valley's scenery once more, as if this would be the last time she'd ever see it.
"..but it was home once." she could almost feel the drumming hooves of bison beneath where she lay. "it's where my kids were born. though, i'm not sure if they remember it." she'd not heard either daughter mention any memory of the plains. a shame truly, for it was the plains and the creatures within that had cheered for their arrival to the world.
"maybe we could go together? the four of us, if you'd like?"
RE: make the water rise - Cole - February 09, 2025
Cole glanced at her, the weight of her words settling over him like a thick, familiar fog. Home. A place she had known, a place tied to memories of her children, of a life before now.
He shifted slightly, feeling the brush of her shoulder against his, a quiet but deliberate touch. He let the silence stretch between them, comfortable in the way it settled, before finally answering, voice low and steady.
I'm looking forward to it.
There was no hesitation in his tone. No second-guessing. Just certainty.
The idea of seeing the plains through her eyes, through the stories and memories she carried, stirred something in him. He could picture it now—the endless stretch of golden grass, the wind moving like a restless spirit across the land, the bison in the distance, heavy and slow.
The four of us,he echoed, nodding.
Yeah. I’d like that.
It wasn’t just about seeing the land. It was about seeing a part of her—one she’d once called home.
RE: make the water rise - Nephele - February 11, 2025
"me too," she tacked on to his comment of looking forward to the venture. it would be nice to take a break from the valley, to travel back over the mountains and enjoy the open winds of the plains.
"maybe we can plan on making the journey once the last snow melts?" she suggested, tipping her head upwards to try and gauge his reaction. traveling through the snow wasn't impossible, just more taxing.
"the plains are prettiest in the spring season, at least if i remember correctly." wildflowers sprouting amongst the tall grasses, herds bountiful with their newborn young. watching new life blossom was always a privilege to be had, even if she'd not realized that sentiment until later in life.
RE: make the water rise - Cole - February 11, 2025
Cole considered her words with a slow nod, his gaze drifting beyond the valley’s reach as if he could already see the endless stretch of open land she spoke of. The thought of traveling—of leaving the familiarity of the valley behind, even if only for a time—stirred something in him.
Spring sounds good,he agreed, voice steady, thoughtful.
Easier travel. Better game.He imagined the plains as she described them, alive with color, the air thick with the scent of new grass and rain-soaked earth. It wasn’t a bad thought.
His eyes settled on her then, softened by something unspoken. He wasn’t much for words, but he could appreciate what this meant to her. Maybe he even shared in it, more than he’d say aloud.
We’ll go,he said after a pause.
When the last snow melts.And then, because he figured she’d like it, he added,
It’ll be nice.
RE: make the water rise - Nephele - February 19, 2025
it was easy to get lost in time with cole. the weight, the tension in her muscles, the worries on her mind; they faded when she was with him. he helped paint a pretty picture of what could be — a far away dream she saw only when she slept.
she shifted, melting against the steady support of his side as he spoke. she let out soft hums and gentle nods of her head as the words left his mouth.
"yeah," she agreed, looking to him then for a moment, "it'll be nice." and she would dream of it that night, of the four of them at the plains together, running through the golden fields with joy. it was a pretty thought, one she hoped would one day come true.
can fade here or with your next post?