Northstar Vale Its the sunrise

@Liri

The morning after they arrived, Sorin had woken early and trekked up the western wall of the valley, intent upon greeting the first rays of a new day. It was something that Viggo had always done, in the old valley where he had ruled. The alpha Sorin had come to respect and love would hike up the western side of the valley, looking over his home as the sun rose and illuminated all he held most dear. So Sorin, his heart full of nostalgia and reverence for the man he held in such high esteem, did the same on the first dawn of the group arrival.

It still bothered him somewhat, how similar this valley was to his old home. There were too many memories, and he worried that old expectations and sentiments would get in the way of the new path that he was forging. And he was making a new path, a new start. Meeting Liri was proof enough of that.

His thoughts drifted, unbidden, to the ivory women he had met only recently. Had anyone asked a few weeks ago if Sorin would've seen himself here now, within the company of others, he would've laughed in their face. But Liri had changed that, and Sorin was still trying to unravel how he felt about it all.

One on paw, he was overjoyed to be in the company of others. It had been a while since he had been around others who did not want him simply for his fighting abilities, who truly cared enough to look out for him. It was a relief to the shadow in many ways, to meet a kindred spirit like Liri, someone who had suffered like him and yet still lived on, kept fighting for whatever happiness that could be wrested from the cruel realities of life.

Yet, she also scared the hell out if him

It scared him, how easily his story had come spilling out. His walls had simply been shattered by her, and he really didn't have any power to throw them up at the time. All of his carefully, meticulously constructed barriers around the vulnerabilities of his past had been breached like a gaping hole in a fortress, and it scared him. She got to him in a way only one other had ever been able to, and Livia had taken advantage of that ability, had twisted his perception of her and used his emotions for her own gain. Then, she had destroyed everything he held dear.

He didn't think Liri would ever do such a thing, having suffered betrayed love herself. But Sorin couldn't let go of the fear of how easily she had gotten under his fur. He had battled with it the whole week when the group was at the lair, and had distanced himself from her somewhat as a result. Perhaps that was why he had gone up the mountainside as well, to have some distance and try to rein in his emotions.

Sorin continued his trek until he was roughly three quarters of the way up the western side wall of the valley. From there, he found a good ledge to sit upon, watching the sun begin its ascent. Eventually, the ball of fire broke over the top of the opposite mountainside, casting its warmth and light upon the man. His eyes gleamed like emerald fire as he gazed down into the valley, which was still largely cast in shadows.

He sat there, letting the sun and old memories of his mentor comfort him, and tried to chase away his fears.

The northern fae could not deny that something had shifted between she and Sorin. 

Perhaps it was the inclusion of Siqsa to their small group for the raven seemed less inclined to familiarity in her brother's company. Or mayhaps it was the silent but unanimous realization that they could hurt each other with whatever blossoming relationship they might have. 

Liri would never purposefully cause the gentle shadow harm but what if the broken remnants of her marriage to Kavik restrained the limits of her heart?

The healer had given little thought to future romance for the notion frightened her in truth. Could she bring herself to love another again, as unconditionally as one was supposed to give their heart? 

It was well before dawn when she woke from a restless dream, a confusing string of memories underlaid with tones of seeking and anxiety. Wearily, she rose to her paws and padded from the newly dug den, still pungent with the odors of wet, decaying things and upturned earth. 

With a stretch of her spine and a curl of her toes, the healer shook off the last of her grogginess. Dark optics lifted to the dome overhead - somewhere between periwinkle and lavender as the world awoke. 

Birds had begun to stir with the soft, cold breeze as the fae prowled through the glen. The forest was softened to a grey murk in dawn's dim light, fog curling around the tundrian's pale ankles as she breathed deeply of the rejuvenating air. 

Her paws led her eastward, to the boundaries of the Vale where the faintest of borders was beginning to make itself known. They had only their trio to maintain the tentative claim they had staked on the Vale but even a wolf with the dullest of noses should be able to scent that a group of some sorts called the stone shelter home. 

Steeper, narrow paths winded their way up to higher valleys, further upwards to reach near the peaks of the bowl-like walls of the territory. 

It was strenous and her hip ached in protest as Liri hauled her frame up the summits, but the healer was not one to give in to a bit of fatigue. Once on the path, the going was a bit easier on her leg but still the phantom limb tingled with awareness as if ready to take the brunt of her weight and assist with the climb. 

Panting slightly, the waif lingered near the top - breathing the thinner air into her lungs with harsh pulls that spoke of former respiratory issues. The Vale was dim, its thin streams black inky tattoos curling across the landscape and its forests fuzzy grey brushstrokes. Golden light peeked over the western horizon, announcing that the sun would soon make an appearance. 

Patrolling was a familiar habit and one the sylph fell into as easily as breathing. It was a comfort to wander amidst the trees, to brush her scent idly over the flora as she passed. It was not a habit, however, that occupied the mind. 

Without meaning to, her thoughts turned inwards to the distance that she and Sorin had unwittingly placed between each other. Some long-forgotten, bashful side of the healer prevented her from directly seeking him out for Liri had no idea how to breach the gap. The fae did not want him to think that she was addicted to him, that he was merely a way of abating Kavik's abscence - to just broach the subject bluntly seemed to send an opposite signal. 

Again, the niggling thought that she might not ever be able to love anyone ever again whispered to her. 

Stop it, Liri told herself with a small shake of her peppered crown as she left gouges in the trunk of a tree with her claws.

It wasn't love she needed to worry about.  Sorin didn't love her - and for good reason. They'd only met recently. 

Something is going on there. 

The thought caused her to halt, dark eyes closing in defeat as she sighed. Her head fell forward wearily; were she human, she might have scrubbed a hand over her face tiredly. 

Right now, you need to fix whatever's wrong or you won't have to worry about what's happening with Sorin - he won't be around anymore to antagonize over. 

With that thought in mind, the fae pushed on, determined to find him. 

The tracker came across his scent about halfway from where she'd started her patrol, following with her nose lowered to the ground and her lips parted to intensify the odors she caught there. After a time, the scent trail grew stronger until the winter sprite could practically taste it on her tongue. 

At last, Liri lifted her head to find his dark silhouette before her. Dark eyes flickered over him briefly, unreadable as she discreetly took in the sight. 

A hushed chuff escaped her pale maw, ivory auds sweeping back against her skull as her head turned slightly in order to allow her shy eyes to fall to the ground. 

The dark man eyes had closed for a time, as he simply let the warm rays of sunlight wrap around him. In other times, darker times, the shadow would not have been so keen on exposing himself in the golden light. Instead, he would have buried himself in the dark shadows of the forest below, weaving among them and leaving little trace of his passage. But here, he felt safe and secure, a stableness he had not experienced in some time. He relished in the peacefulness of the valley, and the security being in such an area gave him. Even with the heavy thoughts weighing on his mind, Sorin found he could relax here, upon the mountainside, as he sat in quiet contemplation. At least, until the women on his mind found him.

He sensed her coming before he saw or heard her, an ingrained ability to detect the presence of others being useful to war and impossible to rid himself of even in such peaceful climes. He turned his gaze on her as she approached, his expression more guarded than their recent encounter. He hadn't planned on being so distant, so stoic, but he was a creature who had been ruled by fear for many moons now, and such fears could not be let go easily. Still, he did not want to hurt her, or worse, drive her away. He simply couldn't bear the thought of losing the one soul who could understand his own.

It wasn't love he felt, not yet, but it was deeper than mere friendship. It was a conglomeration of respect and hope, a desperate hope that Sorin had not allowed himself to feel for so long. So while he wouldn't say it was love, it was definitely strong feelings, and it was both a blessing and curse on his heart.

All of this remained guarded deep within the depths of his gaze as he regarded the ivory women, whom he had seen patrolling the border. While he had yet to circumnavigate the valley, it was certainly something he planned for, and soon. Sorin hoped to find some sort of easy route out of the valley, for while it was defensible, it was also a deathtrap if hostilities ever rose with rival packs. In fact, it was probably a good idea to do it as soon as possible. So perhaps not burying himself in the wood had been a good decision after all.

"Morning," he said briefly, his gaze searching hers for any hint of her purpose. However, she seemed to have guarded her intent as well, for he could discern little in eyes. Not that it really mattered, he was sure she would let him know in due time. "I was going to scout around the mountainsides today, try and find a good trail out of the valley. Would you care to join me?" His voice was neutral, but contained an undertone of warmth and hopefulness. It would be nice to scout around with a companion, even if his feelings for the ivory women were currently a little tangled up.

For a heavy second, the silence lingers between them. Liri can feel his eyes roving over her as her own had done to his broad form, though her own head turns away to regard the lightening glade below. 

The sylph knows a moment of abashed embarrassment - thinking she must have disturbed Sorin's peaceful solitude - but buries it beneath a thin layer of confidence. 

No more weakness. 

Her gaze lifted, seeking his own though it was not a hostile gesture as some might interpret it. The woodland optics were open, soft as they took in the golden flecks of sunlight dappling the nightsky backdrop of Sorin's coat. Perhaps they could hurt each other, if they weren't careful, but Liri could feel only a content warmth flickering in her chest in his presence. 

"Good morning, " comes her answer after a moment, collected once more - the glimpse of something more hidden again in the dark depths of her gaze as it slid away. 

"I would, " she says simply, snowy plume swinging gently at her hocks as she rises to her paws. A small smile, polite but hinting at eagerness, graced her features as the tundrian inclined her pale dome  - gesturing for the male to take to the lead. 

Sorin sees the warmth in her gaze and cannot help the same warmth that enters his own. Despite his fears, she truly makes him feel at ease, like he can let go of his worries and wars and just be normal in her presence. It's a comforting thought, a life Sorin has hoped for but never really thought possible since the betrayal. With Liri though, he believed their might be a chance, no matter how slim.

She gestures for Sorin to lead, so he turns towards the north, intending to scour the western side wall in that direction. The group had approached from the south upon arrival, and Sorin had found little when they first entered the vale, but the northern end had not yet been thoroughly explored. He supposed there might be a way out through the southern caves, but he didn't want to force Liri into the dark spaces if she didn't want to go. Plus, a mountain trial would be more convenient and easier to navigate.

He turned towards the woman as they continued upon the mountainside, pebbles slipping under paw and tumbling down the mountains, following old trails worn by deer who traversed the sides of the valley. "You seemed to have a destination in mind when we were traveling. Have you been here before?" Perhaps she could give him some insight as to where to search for a good escape route. If nothing else, he might learn a little more about her past.

Liri falls into step by his side, feeling dwarfed beneath the raven's towering height. Snow clings to the Vale's heights, shaping against her pale paws and numbing them as Sorin leads them nort. 

Silence presses between them - something the healer has grown accustomed to in Sorin's presence. The fae could not deny that to hear the shadow's promise to stay amongst their small band, only for him to withdraw coldly the following morning, had stung. Liri couldn't help but wonder if perhaps he regretted telling her about Livia, if he regretted making such a pledge. The healer withheld her bewilderment, allowing him space to sort out his emotions, for fear of hearing Sorin say as much aloud. 

Even now, the tundrian can't bear to break the silence - woodland optics flicker to ledges and outcroppings below where deer might graze in warmer months, to the territory beneath, to the peaks and skies ahead. In the end, it's the stoic Direwood who ventures into conversation. 

Liri nodded, thinking to the summer past. It had been humid, though the rains had let up some days before. Their pack, which had swelled with characters of all shape and color, had been weary with travel. Finding the Vale had been like wandering the desert only to stumble upon an oasis just as you were about to dehydrate. Its lush, shady forests were home to scores of prey; steep walls promised protection both from outsiders and the elements. Its water trickled in streams that wove through the verdant blades like veins beneath flesh - constantly replenished by an underground source. It was paradise.

"My pack intended to claim this land last summer, " she informs him softly. "It was overrun with bears when we arrived and we were met by a hostile she-wolf from the Sunspire. It seemed best to move on at that point, but it is a beautiful place with great value. I have always believed it would make a good home, " the healer continued, gazing upon the valley and attempting to recreate the bountiful image in her mind. 

"It seems familiar to you as well, " the sylph murmured, studying him with a knowing gaze. It was buried beneath that calculated expression of indifference he always wore, but the healer could see a nostalgic, haunted glint in his summer eyes when he looked upon their new home. 

I am terribly sorry for how late this is. 

Sorin's gaze follows her own as she speaks, telling how she had intended to settle in this valley with her pack before. The light of sunrise was slowly beginning to cast rays further down the mountains and into the valley below. The shadows were playing with the eyes, drawing his gaze and setting his mind at ease. Sorin hadn't really understood why Viggo had drawn such peace from the mornings before, but being here, seeing this valley which was so similar to his old alpha's, it made sense.

He nodded somberly at Liri's question. "This valley is...eerily similar to the one Viggo ruled over, to where I lived with him and the others. It just threw me off really, I wasn't expecting such a drastic relatability." He sighed briefly before continuing. "I've been trying to sort it all out. I don't want those sentiments and memories to get in the way of a new start, I just can't help but remember what it was like." He looked down upon the valley once more, seeing the streams running through and the forests clinging to the edges with a swath of trees in the center. The spring runoff hadn't started in full yet, but some of the streams were just beginning to run with snow melt. The cool water had been refreshing and haunting to the shadow the previous day. "What it was like, before and after." He couldn't bear to bring up her name again, for fear that she would return from the recess of his mind. He had kept her down thus far, and had no desire to confront her again.

"It will make a good home though, I'm sure of it," he whispered, leaning closer to Liri, seeking contact for the first time in days. Right now, with all of the emotions coursing through him, he needed an anchor to steady himself. Fears be damned.

Liri remains silent as his words strike her auds, dark gaze lowered and averted. She has since learned that Sorin is adroit at reading the emotions she keeps hidden in the depths of her gaze and has no desire to allow him to transcribe the mute pain in her eyes. 

She knows only too well how dangerous it can be to remember. 

He is there ahead of her, if only she could reach. 

Her tiny body twists and wriggles as she forces herself through the brambles and undergrowth - clawing in her desperation to reach him despite the thorns that leave gashes in her flesh where ruby droplets leak freely like rain. 

The healer cries out for him, pleading for him not to go. 

Whispers of memories past reach her ears faintly - promises of love and exclusion, vows of never leaving her side, oaths of being the only one for him. 

He turns then and for one splendid, horrible moment she can see his face as clear as day - adoration in his jade optics, an all too familiar grin etching across his features. 

The ground crumbled beneath her paws and the fae woke with tears on her face and fresh pain tearing at her heart. 

"It has only as much power over you as you let it, " the northron confides at last, softly, though she cannot bring herself to look at him still. 

The whisper is closer, she can feel the warmth of his breath on her ears as her pallid crown turns. 

Her heart leaps into her throat at his proximity - though not out of fear. A flush spreads along the nape of her neck as her eyes dart away once more, confusion swirling in the mahogany hues. 

Things had been different, that was undeniable, but Liri was not certain she could keep up with his changes in mood. One night, the raven was promising to stay by her side and in the days following, he seemed to regret such a decision - avoiding the sylph as if she were diseased. Now, the healer wasn't sure what was going on in Sorin's mind. 

Something weary within begged at her to just forget it, to push it into the dark corners of her mind where everything else went that she had no desire to think about. 

"I hope so, " she murmured aloud, suddenly unable to sound anything but small and unsure.

Sorin's gaze follows the drop in her own as she seems to battle with something. He couldn't begin to guess what, but the language of her frame tells him of some misfortune, some experience that haunts her mind, much like Livia haunts his. Perhaps it had to do with the man named Kavik, he who betrayed her. But Sorin is not entirely sure, and it is not his place to pry.

Her following words, all but confirm the suspicion of her being haunted by some painful memory. He does not give any voice to the notion for fear of angering her, but he tucks it away, perhaps to evaluate latter. It made sense, considering how similarly broken they were. "That's true," he says lowly after a moment of consideration. "But the knowledge of such power does not make resisting it any easier. Especially when it has ruled you for...more time than one might hope."

He can still see the wicked expression on Livia's face as she turned towards him, her fangs bared with the blood of his mentor. He can still remember how his heart shattered as she taunted him, as she moved to stand beside Bane and acert her dominion over the pack. Most of all, he remembers the pain and fear of the following months, emotions that both held him back and kept him going. No, forgetting such emotion was anything but easy.

Sorin sees the confusion clouding her eyes as she turns to face him again, which leads to certain degree of uncertainty for the shadow. Was she confused about his actions, or her feelings towards him? Was she confused by the memory of her lost love? Or was it something else entirely. Suddenly, Sorin felt a panic rise in his chest as he considered the possibility that he had unintentionally hurt her somehow. The fear of harming her flashed almost imperceptibly across his face before being buried once again by his typically stoic expression. But a worry was still there, set deep in his eyes if she cared enough to look. He knew something was up, and it was likely something that needed to be addressed, lest he hurt her more.

"Talk to me Liri," he said simply, hoping she would understand the weight behind his request.

The fae was lost in her thoughts, though some part of her longed for the peace that patrols typically brought. Absently, she brushed her scent over the budding foliage as she passed to mark it with the beginnings of a faint boundary marking. 

"Talk to me, Liri." 

The raven's words strike against her ears dully, as if from another place, bringing her back to the present. 

Her dark gaze shot to Sorin's - searching for a hint of what he wanted to hear. 

"Are you happy...here?" The fae ventured softly, carefully - heart pounding in her chest lest she set off another violent reaction as she had the last time she questioned him. 

"Do you want to be here?" Liri tried again, turning to examine a fern. "Sometimes it seems you would rather be elsewhere and I would not wish to hold you back," she confessed truthfully.

Sorin had guessed she was going to say something along those lines. With the recent distance he had created, it only made sense for her to doubt him. It did sting a little, to know that she had doubts about his loyalty, but Sorin knew he wasn't the most...outgoing or friendly of characters, nor the most trusting.

When she first spoke he opened his maw quickly, ready to assure her that of course he would stay, that he enjoyed it here, but the words wouldn't come as readily as he wanted. He knew that such a rapid promise might feel hollow to her, given the distance he had created. So he recomposed, a reflective, carefully thoughtful expression coming over him as the shadow gathered his thoughts.

"I do Liri," he said after a moment. "I do enjoy it here, with you. And I think I could enjoy the company of others, given time." He knew, right now, she needed him to be completely honest, and so he measured his words carefully. "It's just...difficult for me to contemplate living amongst others again, opening up to others. You must understand that fear and mistrust kept me alive under Bane and Livia. Those ideals, they are not something that can be tossed aside, not when you had to live by them to survive." He sighed briefly as the memory of those terrible months as an exile in his home came back to him. He had lived on fear, been saved by mistrust and caution, and had kept them close by his side ever since. "I'm going to try my best, for you and for the pack you are trying to create. Just don't expect me to be whole all at once, if ever. Some pain, as I'm sure you're well aware, runs too deep."

He paused, his gaze falling down into the valley again as he finished speaking. He hoped that she would understand, that his words had not made the situation any worse. "I will try though, that I can promise you." he said lowly.

"I understand," she murmured, nodding solemnly after having heard his explanation. "Or I'm trying to anyways," the northron corrected after a beat. She was not him, she could not truly understand what he was going through though she could empathize. 

It did make her turn to study him, to hear him say that he might never recover. Liri's dark eyes flickered slightly, wondering silently if the raven were truly broken beyond repair. 

"Thank you for your efforts," Liri murmured, truly appreciative, after a moment for it was not her place to pry. 

She thought then, on how Sorin had made her feeble heart stir and numbly, pushed the sensation away. It was clear Sorin wasn't yet ready for such a notion, and Liri wasn't sure she was either. It would be best to give him space to heal. 

"Would you like to finish the patrol with me?" She asked softly, collected once more with no hint of her tentative thoughts displayed upon her pale features.

Sorin kept himself composed, but the old haunts had resurfaced as the discussion had turned towards them. She whispered sublty in his ear, trying to turn him away. Sorin managed to keep her down for now, refusing to let his demon come between him and Liri.

He nodded in silent acceptance of her gratitude, reassuring himself to try and do his best to be more open, more trusting. His best was all he could give for now.

He smiled briefly as she asked to continue the patrol. "Of course," he said, moving to trot beside her, not quite touching her side, but in closer proximity than the last few days. His eyes shined with the eagerness that patrols always brought on, for such an action was a habit, a ritual, one used to protect those most dear.

She smiled at his agreement, falling into step with the dark titan silently. Her thoughts lingered, despite her efforts to force them elsewhere, on the raven's words. So certain was he, so sure in his presumption of being eternally damned by the spectres of his past.

Her gaze slid to him, studying. If it was the truth of it then mayhaps it was best the tundrian had kept her words sealed safely behind unsure lips. 

This connection they fostered was built on the foundation of pain and the slight of being mistreated. Sorin seemed content to remain in such a state, too absorbed by the hurts caused by the hands of others to look to the future. It would not be so with the Blackfoot. 

Her jaw set subconsciously and her chin raised a slight fraction as determination settled familiarly into her bones. The healer intended not only to survive this, she sought recovery. She would not only heal but she would thrive in this life.

The pair rounded the territory in comfortable silence and the sylph allowed no hint of her thoughts to display upon the collected mask that had become expression.