Dawnlark Plains toe the line

AW but tagging @Loir (sorry I've taken forever to get this up!)

it was the best of times, it was the worst of times. well. . .not so much the former.

morningside had definitely seen better days. their numbers were off-balance; lots of mouths to feed and not enough hunters to feed them. the loss of grayday had sent the pack reeling, and other small things, like sunny's absence (thank god he had returned) and his breakup with dawn did not help morale. enemies like the pale wolves loomed literally at their doorstep, and their allies at easthollow seemed farther away than ever before.

but there was, he supposed, some things to celebrate. they had a couple of new members, who seemed more than enthusiastic to be a part of the fold. the pups were growing big and strong, mostly due to the adults skipping meals to feed them, instead. catori's litter was already old enough to help out with simple tasks, and soon they would be hunters, too. all they needed to do was to get over this hump. aditya hoped that things would improve by first snow.

today, like all days, he walked the borders, hawkish gaze scanning the horizon. step by step he took--resisting the urge to count them--mind at once rooted in the present and far away, thinking of happier times. he was lonely, too, hoping that a familiar face could join him, so at least he'd have someone to talk to, for once. life at the top was a solitary existence, especially without dawn.

Loir, so far, had been enjoying her life in Morningside. She managed to make some friends, even one from outside Morningside, an Easthollow named Greyback. She was glad that she had been accepted into Morningside, she had needed the family she could be able to have, and now Loir had found the family. The way how I joined is embarrassing, though. She had told herself. Loir had wished she had not stepped into the borders but rather just in the territory entrance, then maybe she wouldn't be greeted harshly.

As Loir walked along, sniffing the ground occasionally, she noticed the familiar figure of Aditya, one of the leaders of Morningside, the Sentinel. "Oh, hello Aditya!" She had greeted him, lowering her head in respect. "Would you like for me to help go on a patrol with you, if you are?" Loir was willing to do anything, at the moment.

his mouth stretched in a smile as he hailed the somewhat unexpected arrival of loir--he had thought himself doomed to solitude, at least today. he nodded in answer to her question, flicking his tail in invitation to her to follow along. "yes, of course," he responded amiably, before resuming his patrolling.

aditya glanced over at the pale woman. "how are you settling in, so far?" he asked, head canted slightly in query. "have you had a chance to make friends, get the feel of the place?" she had been here now for about a quarter-moon; she should have some idea of how things ran, here. he could wish that she arrived under better circumstances. . .but then, they might not have shown so much mercy to her at the border, had times not been so hard for them.

he said a silent prayer for grayday's soul, thankful again that the old leader had taken a chance on his sea-battered self.

Loir was happy when Aditya had accepted her offer, and he started asking her questions during the patrol. Loir instantly had answers to those questions. "My life so far here is good! I've settled in quite well." She replied. "I have managed to make some friends here, like Aliac, Aviana, and Sunny." Loir wasn't sure if she was allowed to tell the Sentinel that she had made a friend from Easthollow as well. Was that even allowed?

She hoped it was.

Loir wasn't afraid to ask, so maybe she would just either ask or tell him. The way how she met Greyback was pretty simple. "One time while I was at the Taiga, I found an Easthollow wolf named Greyback, and he was very nice! I accidentally bumped into him while hunting a rabbit, but he was nice about it and apparently we're friends." She explained. Loir hoped it was okay. After all, Easthollow and Morningside were allies, right?

her enthusiasm was catching, and he found himself grinning along as she recounted her time in morningside so far. at her mention of the easthollow wolf, his ears pricked, intrigued, but there was no change of facial expression. he was just glad she seemed to be settling in well. that was all he could really ask for.

"i haven't yet met greyback," adi remarked, eyes straying toward the southeast, where easthollow lie. "it's good that you did, though. even though we're closer than we were on the plateau, i fear we grow apart from easthollow with each passing moon. we need to keep the bond between our packs strong."

he returned his gaze to loir. "have you any idea on what duties you want to pursue?" aditya continued. "we have hunters here, medics, scouts. . . what skills do you want to improve, going forward?" he hoped, secretly, that she was a warrior; since dauntless's departure, there had been a dearth of those, in morningside.

Loir had been glad to realize that the fact that she had made friends with Greyback had been a good thing when she had slightly expected you couldn't leave pack grounds and become friends with wolves outside of the pack, but Easthollow and Morningside were allies, after all. "Well, I'm very glad that I've managed to help the bond." Loir said with a smile. When Aditya had asked about what skills she wanted to improve, and what duties she wanted to pursue, Loir had 2 ideas already. "Definitely a warrior or hunter." She replied. "They both sound like very great ranks!"

Loir had many reasons for why she wanted to be a hunter, but for the warrior rank, she wanted to help guard her pack and protect them, and fight when she had to. She'd guard her pack and do anything for them until she dropped dead.

"good," aditya answered, saying a silent prayer to god for their good fortune--and wondering whether she could read his mind. he gave her a look, half-scrutiny, half- pleasure. "sunny and shale fight well; they'd be happy to show you some pointers," he said. "and we're a hunting pack, so everyone is adequate--but dawn, sunny, and shale usually lead the hunts. that is who i would look up to."

he walked on, falling into silent step for a few long moments, eyes wandering along the border and beyond. finally, he glanced back at loir, gaze soft. "what's your story, loir? why did you decide to come and stay with us?"

she might not have a story. he didn't blame her if that was the case. what had been his story, after all? falling off a cliff and washing up onto an unfamiliar shore, then following a pair of pretty girls back to their territory. he had done nothing of substance in his entire life until he came here, and even now, aditya had a small resume.

so many seemed to demand extraordinary things from others, and yet, how many of those inquisitors could prove their own merits? it was fine if loir didn't have a story, if she did not carry the weight of the world on her shoulders. to be here, to be contributing. . .that was enough.

Loir was glad that there were wolves in the pack who knew how to fight and would be able to help her. She nodded as Aditya had talked about how Dawn, Sunny, and Shale led the hunts. "Great! At least I'll know who to look for advice in when I need it." Loir said, although she had known Dawn already, to know she was the Envoy of Morningside, and was well, a leader. When Aditya had asked for her story, Loir knew that this would be a hard topic to talk about, since it involved the death of her family.

"Well, I used to live with my family up somewhere outside of Teekon. I was taught to hunt by my parents, but my siblings bullied me sometimes. My siblings were basically jealous of my hunting skills, but my parents tried to get them to stop. One day, I went out hunting, and when I returned, I discovered my family mysteriously dead, and I escaped, heading to Teekon to try and find my new family." At her last words, Loir could feel hot tears swimming in her amber eyes, and she knew this subject was extremely emotional. Always having to bring up her family sometimes made her upset, and the memory of seeing them dead got her every time. Trying to cheer up, Loir made a statement. "But, at least I managed to find Morningside." She said, trying to smile a bit. "Being a member of the pack has managed to help me feel better."

his face was set in a smile, but the expression faded bit by bit as she spoke, giving him her story. by the time she had finished, aditya pulled to a halt, looking at her with a newfound respect in his gaze. suddenly, his own family crises seemed trivial in comparison. this poor woman had been put through the ringer.

"loir, i'm so sorry for everything you have been through," he murmured, knowing even as he said them that the words were wholly inadequate. "we are happy you're here with us, at morningside. hopefully, we can help you heal." that was morningside, after all--a friendly, familial place in which to convalesce from injuries both physical and spiritual.

touching his muzzle briefly to her shoulder, adi carried on, steps slower than they were before. "if you ever need to talk, know that i am here," he continued, glancing over at her. "come to me with anything you need, whether it be seeking advice or just a friendly ear." his tail swayed gently behind him as he padded along the border, a troubled frown painting his maw. her story had shook him more than he would let on.

Not too long after telling her story, the story Loir mainly refused to tell, she noticed a change of expression on Aditya's face. He looked quite sad as well, and went in a comforting mood almost instantly. Loir was at least happy that someone seemed to look out for her, along with everyone else she told her story to. To Loir, it seemed as if she was the only one who had the most depressing story out of the whole of Morningside. She offered a slight smile when Aditya gave her permission to come talk to him if she needed anything at all.

Hey, at least Morningside cared about her.

"Thanks Aditya." Loir said, trying to be a bit happier now. She did know that perhaps her story really shook him, and she began wondering if anyone else had such a story similar to hers. Am I the only one with such a depressing backstory? Loir wondered.

"mention not," he accepted her thanks with a smile, nudging her shoulder with his once he saw she had cheered up a bit. "we're family here, at morningside. always have been, always will be. we take care of our own." through thick and thin, for better or for worse. didn't matter that they found themselves in thin and worse right now--the sentiment still applied.

aditya looked over at her, curious. "how old are you?" he asked, keeping his gaze neutral. he laughed, adding "sorry if that's too personal of a question." she seemed fairly young, by her manner--dawn's age or younger. yet her physicality--her bones and muscles--seemed far more developed than that of a juvenile wolf. he blinked softly, waiting for her answer.

Aditya, y u askin loir's age

Loir honestly felt happy that she was feeling welcomed, and had Morningside to support her. They were like family, and it made Loir feel comfortable after when she had found her family dead. "This is why I love Morningside." Loir said with a smile. 

"How old are you?"

That question had made Loir stumped for a couple of miliseconds. Why would Aditya ask for how old she was? Loir didn't really care honestly at the moment, she figured it wasn't a bad question. "3 years." Loir replied.

he could tell she was taken aback by his question, and blinked a bit sheepishly, waiting for her response. when she had given it, aditya was quick to explain. "i was curious, that's all," he said, smiling. "you have a spirit younger than your age." three years! only four or so seasons younger than he. somehow, the gap seemed much wider.

adi tilted his head, gesturing toward the treeline. "come on," he said quietly. "let's go see if everything is in order by the maplewood." that area of the territory needed strict watching, after all that had transpired with the pale wolves. besides, it would do loir good to see the forest, if she hadn't been there already.

 

wanna fade out here?

Loir was glad to know that Aditya was just curious, and she had previously thought it was for other reasons. A spirit younger than her age? Heh, Loir honestly thought 3 years was still young, but she guessed maybe not. "Well, in my opinion, I'll always still be a pup." She said, chuckling a bit. 

When Aditya gestured with his head towards the treeline, Loir knew there was still patrolling to do. She nodded as he suggested they should examine the Maplewood. Loir had heard of a pale wolf problem, and she wondered what the deal was with them.

Sure