Blackfeather Woods She's Never Gonna Sing Them No More

Early evening 62°F

There was beauty there, in her eyes. The grace of her step and delight in her sing-song voice, her risibility that made her laugh at every absurdity in life: it was the version of perfection he remembered. She pressed her plump body against him. When he exhaled, a gratitude filled him with joy. He closed his eyes, brushing his snout on her warm fur.
When he opened them, she was gone. Taikon was left with a chill in his bones that forced a shiver. The sun had only just given way to a pleasant twilight during his slumber. A pink and orange colour coated the sky. His smile faded. He wiped the drool from his lip with a wrist and stretched with a yawn as he stood. For a long time, a mixed relationship with sleep had kept Taikon from enjoying even the most warm dreams. When he woke, he was always reminded of the things he lacked, the things he longed for, and the things he had lost. He felt much colder than the given temperature, the trees about him giving off a fresh, moist air. His joints ached. The tireless movement over the past week had given his paws sores despite the thick callouses from lifelong mistreatment.
A deep malaise took the wolf. He took a few tender steps forward, but couldn't continue. He stared at the ground in front of him, blinked a few times, and let out a deep, long sigh that did not give him any comfort. The white male must have looked quite awkward standing in the forest, but he was no stranger to loneliness or the hold on motivation it could have.

hi plz excuse the late night post and crap writing

sagtannet was not deeply forested like this area gracious had founnd herself in. she needed a break from the treacherous dragon teeth spire and instead had searched for something outside in the lands below her. to her surprise the trip had led her to a looming forest, one that held a certain energy of darkness. gracious was never truly gifted in "reading" areas, though she would sometimes tell herself she could feel something in her gut when she approached others and places. the feeling in her stomach was like a growing pit, however, as she entered the canopy cover, it began to dissapate. whatever history that occurred here was gone, faded away. the bloodstains and shadows lingered, but they weren't hungry, they weren't angry -- rather they were merely wallflowers in this dark place.

darkness yielded to light, the void would give into the source whether it wanted to or not. exuding from her body, gracious did her best to radiate her warm mentality. "i am not scared. this place has been hurt, but it is healing. i am strong." her mind remained sturdy, though the few calls of ravens would cause her a little frightful jump. her travel continued, exploring nooks and crannies of this place. she eventually began to settle in the environment when she casted her eyes to the sky. beautiful, breathtaking -- the colors swirled and danced with each other wonderfully, quietly. however, blame gracious' lack of focus of where she was going.

a large root had suddenly tripped her front paw, snagging her and causing the sturdy woman to take a tumble forward, rolling in a summersaulting motion before settling on her haunches. she felt flustered, dirt covering her montone coat as other forest things entangled themselves into her coat. she shook her head, making sure her brain wasn't rolling around in that big head of hers. however, she failed to notice that she wasn't alone in this forest, in fact, she had an audience right in front of her, perhaps only a few yards away.

Don't ever apologize! Your writing is wonderful! (also I frequently make absurdly houred posts, case in point (it is 2 am here) :)

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Cella's death had occurred over two years ago. Markus, his only friend during that trial of life, had not come to find him. It had been so long, he doubted they would even have recognized one another. Markus was also the only creature on earth who knew of Taikon's hardships. He was the only one who understood or cared. And, Taikon had never spoken to him again.
Years later, most of the time he was numb. On evenings like this, he thought of drowning himself. Or throwing himself from a cliff. No one would miss him, he thought. The pain after a memory was almost unbearable, for he had to relive the experience over and over again.
Taikon stood up, and he wanted to scream. He could smell blood. The pleasant twilight had faded into a dark and cloudy daydream that had nothing for him but terror. His breath had quickened without him noticing it. His breathing became fast, almost rapid, and he spun himself around the corner of a tree in a frantic— and there she was.
No. The image faded, and a great beast of a woman stood in her place. Taikon stood, a bit dumbfounded, but happy to be rid of the spell. Hello there, he said, as if nothing had happened to him. A light grin crept across his fine features. I was just uh— he took a very long, stupid moment to yawn. He hadn't woken up fully, despite his attack. Well, waking up I guess. He smiled widely.

recover.

it was slow, head hunched low as a paw reached up to nudge against her head. a sting, slight and lingering. she exhaled, ears fell back in a spell of embarassment. blinking, shuttering like a camera lens, grey diamond eyes gaze from the ground beneath her to the wolf in front of her. and to her surprise, this wolf seemed aged, the same way she was.

his greeting, with a smile added to it, was returned with a flustered gracious returning to her feet -- stumbling but soon enough steady. she sheepishly smiled at him, black lips parted for a greeting. "isn't it a bit late to be just waking up?" she questioned him curiously, head tilted in the slightest manner. she had her fair share in late afternoon naps, but never before the night like this. perhaps, the only time this happened was during her insomnia days; a haunting and lingering memory, they still trail into her life.

"my name is gracious, whom do i have the pleasure of speaking to?" her voice is calm, like a flowing creek that carried leaves, twigs, and peacefulness. speaking of twigs, she felt a few tangle in her tail as it slowly swung behind her.

The woman seemed embarrassed by her clumsy stumble to her feet, but Taikon was far too absorbed in himself and maintaining composure to notice much. He pushed all of his energy toward keeping that light smile on his face, forcibly pushing out any thoughts that might send him spiraling again.
There were three things he noticed when the first words slipped from the woman's mouth. The first was how unexpected the sweet tonality of her voice was, which did not match up with the towering animal in front of him. The second was the pretty colour of her gaze, grey but shining, like fine metal. The third was the thing he liked least of all, and that was her question which seemed to suggest there was something wrong with him. I keep a weird schedule. He said it firmly and with a nod, as though it was merely a fact of life. His body tensed a bit defensively, hoping she would not continue to pry.
Thankfully, she asked him his name instead in a way that immediately relaxed him. Her speech was so pleasant, he felt a wave of calm wash over him, like a warm hug. Taikon, he introduced, his smile returning as he gave a handsome and formal head bow. This was something he did rarely now, but as a prince he had been taught many pleasantries. What were you up to when you fell? He asked. Taikon hadn't really seen the full debacle, and was curious. He didn't bother asking if she was okay. She seemed no worse for wear, and was, frankly, massive.

he seemed to swell with defense to her question, one to which she shifted her weight back from his response in the slightest manner. had she upset him? of course she did, why else would he speak that way to her? she'd have to be careful when picking her words, she didn't want to upset him any further. "ah, it is better to have a schedule than no schedule at all" she comments politely to him. he was soon disarmed again with her second question, to her pleasant surprise. the bow of his head and charming presentation was enough to bring a bit of heat to gracious' pale cheeks, eyes cast downward in a bashful manner.

she nearly choked when he asked about her fall. no, no -- she was just too old to be embarassed anymore by little slip ups. she was 6 this year, 6! blossoming from her chest comes a fluttery giggle, head ducking away for a moment as she thought back to herself mere seconds ago. "i was looking at the sky, i got distracted by its colors." she was honest with her answer. gracious wasn't some master navigator who could look at the stars and exactly know where she was at. rather, she was here for the pleasantries, for the aesthetics. and for the five seconds she got of a glance, it was worth the fall.

"i came to see what was below my spire," she explained to him, connecting her eyes with his for a moment before tossing her head back towards her home, "i live just within those mountains." she glazes her eyes over taikon once her gaze returns to his figure. it was a bit comical to gracious that she nearly towered over all the wolves she's met in her life. thankfully he hadn't made some sort of snarky comment about it -- she got tired of hearing those comments, no matter how well-intentioned they were. he was quite nice to look at.

"so, what happens in your schedule now? I hope i'm not disrupting anything you have planned."  her tone becomes a bit sheepish, gracious hated interrupting others and becoming a blockade. if he had a schedule, he must have something to do then, right?

Gracious had a lovely laugh. Its purity sent a smile flashing across his lips. For such a large woman, she appeared to have the nature of a butterfly, or perhaps a dove. Clumsy though she seemed, she spoke of the sky and its distractions, and he knew she must be something of a dreamer. Taikon looked up at the twilight for a moment, peering at the clouds, pink and orange above them. It was a pleasant watercolour sequence playing there, the paint bleeding into other shapes and changing rapidly as the minutes wore on.
Ah, the Spire. I see, he said, looking at the mountains. He had crossed over the mountain passageways once to see what was on the other side. He planned to take that same path again. They were so immense, that the fact there were wolves atop parts of the mountain did not surprise him. He wondered what the territories were like; he struggled to imagine much game too far up, near the tree line. Surely the plains were a better fit for most.
Oh, I didn't really have a plan, he admitted. Usually I roam as far as my feet might take me. I stop to hunt if there is game about, but I rarely stay in one place for long. Taikon looked toward the mountains, where he had been heading for a time. Actually, I was planning to head back toward the mountains again this evening. You're free to join me if you aren't busy, he offered, giving her a pleasant smile. His heart rate had thankfully slowed during their chat. He was beginning to feel a bit calmer at last.

a traveler, how peculiar. gracious had thought back to her wandering days, going where the wind blew her without a complaint. she had seen many great things in her days alone; waterfalls with no end, rolling green meadows, thousands of birds and butterflies, and many more of nature's beauty. she longed to see them again, however her place was at the spire. perhaps she'd sneak away for a little and visit the coast. maybe she would find aiolos there, the fireheart wolf she had spent peaceful reany days with.

as for the invitation, gracious would humbly accept. she had gotten her taste of adventure earlier in the day, but it would be time to head back home. "i'd be happy to accompany you." the mountains could be hard to travel through at night if there is no basic understanding of the land. especially the spire, any traveler could make a grave mistake if they are not sure-footed and careful. it was especially hard for gracious and her large size, yet somehow she managed to make it all work.

she turned herself in the direction towards the spire and looked back at taikon. "do you plan to settle anywhere near the mountains? my family lives up there with me." family. gracious would always refer to her pack as her family, considering her fall from grace with her blood bretheren. she wondered if anyone thought of her as a family member too -- the court has fallen from sagtannet and only 2 remain.

Awesome, Taikon affirmed, pleased that he would have a reasonable travel companion. Gracious seemed to suit her name quite nicely from their limited interactions. Thus far, he had no reason to suspect any ill will from her. Though he had come to the Teekon Wilds bearing a suspicious nature, and often assumed the worst of strangers, he was starting to relax somewhat after realizing that he was often the one others were worried about.
The white wolf began at a fairly paced trot toward the mountains, slower than usual for him so that they would be able to talk freely without having to gasp for air. As to the grey wolf's question, Taikon shook his head. 
I'm not planning on settling anywhere, to be honest. Pack life is something I'm not sure I'm wired for, he explained, frowning a bit. Is it nice there, with your family?

trotting? gracious was hoping for a leisurely stroll but nonetheless kept up the pace. her bear-like paws smushed against the dirt, attempting their best to avoid snagging themselves on the tree roots and little divets in the ground that would easily trip up a wolf who lacked attention. when he says he is not into pack life, she tossed him an inquisitive look; a pack animal with no drive to be apart of a group? it was peculiar to the very least, what drove him away from the life with others?

as for his question about her family, gracious gave him a nod of the head. it was hard to talk and move together, but thankfully this was the very beginning of their travel, and she still had her lungs. "they're wonderful. quiet, aloof, but family-oriented once you prove you're serious. they'll do anything to help when you need it." she was quite thankful that mahler and wylla agreed to take in the court when they did, or else the court would have disbanded and gracious would've been left alone again. a sad existence for a woman of her age, she was getting too old to be forced to fend for herself. she was capable, but how many more years of capability did she have left?

"do you intend to just... travel then if you don't wish to settle? it sounds exciting." gracious hoped to make a trip to the sea in order to find her fire-throated friend and comforter. aiolos would hopefully be there, waiting for her to embrace him once more as she did when they parted.

Though Taikon loathed the idea of being stuck in a single place again, he enjoyed the way that the grand woman spoke of her own life with her family. The fondness she spoke of for them was refreshing for him, as he wasn't really much fond of anything. When he had lived with the Farukans, they also had held control of a mountain. That pack had long been devoid of love, replaced instead with something construed as "reason" and logic that was really a masquerading power monopoly. This toxic way of life would likely forever prevent him from being able to see pack life as anything other than dystopia, either forming or in action.
Taikon hoped that for her sake he was wrong. He was certain that he was not.
Gracious asked him whether he planned to simply continue travelling. It was difficult for him to give a straight answer to this, as he didn't really have a direction in his life. He had never bothered to make real plans of any kind since his life had been ruined years ago. The wolf simply drifted with the tide, accepting whatever came and rejecting anything that looked like his old life.
Does it? Excitement was generally something he associated with novelty. I think it gets less exciting when you're forced to do something for the sake of it, he explained, but quickly realized his negatively would fast leech the joy from their conversation. Sorry, I only mean that I would not want to try to stake a claim to land that I couldn't possibly hold on my own. He, especially in a land filled with canines and other predators, was no match for any organized creatures that wished to take land from him. Travelling was certainly something he liked to do originally, but there were significant drawbacks to his vagabond lifestyle.

his statement draws a bit of confuson from gracious for a split second. if he didn't enjoy it so much, then... what was the exact point? his story sounded confusing to the older woman, but who was she to judge at this point? it was not her place to question and judge others based on their choices and experiences. so long as taikon found solace and comfort in travel, then that was what mattered in the end.

the quick apology of the downer view drew a smile grom gracious' lips. "it certainly would be a feat if you held down your own large piece of territory. you'd go down as a legend and have your land named after you, like the flatlands." she had heard the tale from the travelers she had run into while here in teekon about the flatlands and its legendary companion, kinta.

"do you hope to have others join you on your journey? it must get lonely at times when you're constantly on the move." they were social animals after all, gracious didn't want to go through another period of her isolation from others as she did when she was younger and traveling. while freedom had its benefits, her comfort was going home to the open arms of her family.

Heh, yeah it would, Taikon chuckled breathily, but realized after he said it that he was unfamiliar with the Flatlands legend Gracious was referring to. He thought about it for a moment, wondering if Kinta had been a wolf that had claimed its entirety once upon a time. This seemed like a very odd thing to do indeed. The prince made a mental note to ask Gracious about it later.
As far as lonely went, Taikon was indeed a very lonesome animal. He had attempted to convince himself that this was the way he was wired, that he was isolated this way because he was naturally introverted and didn't want to be around others. This was a lie he had been telling himself for years. Recently, perhaps because the Wilds were so overwhelmed with wolves, he had started to realize this was a fallacy.
I never thought about having anyone join me, he admitted. To be honest, most of the people I meet are not the type to be interested in teaming up. And, well.. The white wolf paused here, unsure if he should continue. He tried to think of how to word it so it didn't sound as negative. I can be hard to be around sometimes. He supposed this was true for many people, but having spent so long by himself, Taikon was not always the most agreeable animal.

He opens up more before her, like a wonderful lotus flower upon the quiet surface of a pool. Gracious was thankful for his openness, appreciating the slight vulnerability Taikon was able to express before her. Not everyone had personalities that were easy to mingle with, to put it blatantly many were assholes and that's what made the world go 'round.

But Gracious didn't see that from Taikon. She felt like he had a wall surrounding him, and slowly she was chipping away at it. He was not unapprochable, though he was flightly and bit defensive at first. But for some reason, she felt like he had a problem with abandonment and loneliness, though it was just a hunch.

"Life isn't easy when you're a doormat, believe me," she joked lightly, "besides, I find you quite enjoyable to be around so far. Not everyone has to be our friend." Great, time to take your own advice Gracious instead of spoon feeding it to others. Not everyone could be friendly and loveable and agreeable. But to Gracious, that was all she wanted out of others, the same energy she outs into the world. perhaps that is what leaves her vulnerable.

As the prince spoke to the sweet-tempered woman, his trot began to slow. Before he had realized it, they were walking at a reasonable, but much calmer pace. The effect of her listening skills was indeed a positive one on his troubled soul. Talking was not something he was used to after having spent so much of his time alone. Something about her presence, despite her enormous size, was comforting.
Taikon looked at her as she mentioned the doormat comment. She wasn't a person that he'd think of as a doormat. It was hard to imagine an intimidating figure like her to be submissive or even bending, though she had been pleasant to be around. To the second bit, he nodded. That's true, he agreed. He generally didn't expect anyone to be his friend. Such relationships were not things that lasted in his life. Everyone he had ever known had broken ties with him in one way or another.
He wondered for a moment if Gracious would be the same. Were you born at the Spire, then? he asked, quickly attempting to shift the subject away from himself. The prince found her rather fascinating.

"I'm afraid not," she said, a swing of the plume hitched itself against her leg for a moment, "I was born up north, where the snow could fall for days without end in my valley." She thought back to her home for a moment and wondered how her family held up. The wind was incredibly strong, with flecks of ice that could scratch one's eye if not careful. It was as if an ice dragon slumbered in her valley, and any who trekked through would face its wrath of winter.

"The mountains serve as a nice change, I love being able to see above everything. Makes me feel tall." Taller was probably a better word to use, Gracious was huge and didn't need to be any bigger than she was already. "Where do you come from?" He was quick to divert the conversation from him to her, though she was still curious about what he hid behind his back. What was there?

Taikon recalled his mountain home, but there had never been a time the snow had fallen year round. Even at the summit, there was a melting period that resulted in very little snowfall for much of the year. Most of the mountain had been lush and green — Gracious seemed from a place beyond what he wanted to know. They were both built for the cold, as all their kind, but such unwavering weather would shatter a worn soul like his.
He grinned when she mentioned feeling tall, but didn't think the joke needed to be voiced. He simply nodded, perhaps a touch too swiftly.
Though she was quick to turn attention back to him, he did not mind sharing. Actually, I was born on a mountain funny enough, he explained, though it was hardly a humorous statement. It was a lot shorter and greener than these great spires though. Lots of game, but most of it was farther south where humans hunted often. Especially in the Autumn. But the mountain itself was safe enough, he said, describing it as though bored. His voice seemed to drift. He stared mostly toward the ground ahead of them, apparently unable to make eye contact.