Hushed Willows [BWP] Epilogue

He'd never lived here in life, but once, someone he'd loved had lived here. Once, someone he'd loved had died here.

There were many other ghosts walking among these willows, but it was this one which had drawn the lingering memories of Alarian to this place. Much of what had made him was elsewhere now, but the memories had no place else to go — so they lingered. He was a half-thing, wandering the world in a haze.

Alarian drifted, finding a cave. He stepped inside, unaware that there were living wolves here; that he was intruding.

Bit of powerplay, let me know if it's not ok!

It was late, and Reverie was sleepless again. She kept herself tucked close to @Boone, as she always did, shivering lightly every now and then. She loved winter and was looking forward to it, but Reverie was not a cold weather wolf. Her coat never thickened quite enough to keep her from feeling the chill. So her husband was her source of warmth in the night, and often the victim of cold feet pressed against his chest and belly.

She was stealthily sliding her forepaws into his chest fur when a flicker of movement caught her eye. Reverie froze. She turned her head very slowly, chin dragging along her bed and coming to a rest when she had a full view of the little room she shared with Boone. Again she saw movement, and her ears stood to their full height. Blossom, maybe? But then she saw the glint of a single pale gold eye. No — no, that wasn't Blossom at all!

Reverie let out a little shriek and abruptly glued herself back to Boone's chest, burying her face against him until it was all darkness and she could no longer hear anything but his heartbeat. It isn't real. It isn't real. It isn't real.

Soon he was aware that he was not alone. As he drifted from chamber to chamber in the oddly well-kept cave, he stumbled across a pair of hazy figures curled in sleep. This was nothing new to him, nothing out of the ordinary. Always he saw figures like this, wolves who still roamed the world in the way he once had. They never saw him, though.

But the smaller of the pair, the blonde girl; she shrieked and flinched into the dark man at her side, as if she'd seen him. Had she? He moved closer. She was familiar in some way, though he couldn't quite place it...

Alarian lowered his head to peer directly at the sleeping couple.

Powerplay with permission!

For a time she felt steadier; calmer. Boone tucked her closer to him and she tried to find sleep, tried to put that single eye out of her mind. But Reverie couldn't shake the feeling that they were not alone. It made no sense; there was no hint of anything but them, no echoing pawsteps or new scent in the air. It couldn't be real.

Maybe she was only dreaming?

Emboldened by the thought, Reverie shifted just enough to peek out with one eye of her own.

The pale eye blinked. She started to scream, and realized only belatedly that the screams were her own.

And then it was gone and it was only her, and her husband; her husband, pulling her close, murmuring to her. Reverie hardly heard him. But she calmed immediately, in tears now and eager for the comfort of his embrace. Boone didn't question her. He didn't pull away from her. Reverie pressed her face back against his chest, and all the fear fell away. Eventually sleep found her; in the morning she would apologize for waking him with what she assumed had been a nightmare.