The early morning was chilly, though not unbearable for winter, the rising sun setting the horizon and skyline on fire. Honey golden eyes squinted against the brightness of the sun upon the snow that blanketed the earth that was gradually beginning to warm. Spring would be upon them soon enough. In hailing the crisp, cool morning air Luxuria turned her attention to the landscape around her. Her ears twitched forward ever so slightly, the sound of a nearby stream tinkling, accompanied by the drifting of ice scraping against the earthen bank and other sheets of ice. The trees around her were mostly barren, trunks twisted and knotted, branches dipping low enough to skim the top of her head as she shrugged through them in attempts to reach the stream Luxuria could hear. She followed the deer tracks that wove intricately around the trunks, the criss-crossing hooves prints carved into the snow knowing that they would probably lead her to the stream she sought.
Not much attention was expanded towards the trees themselves, nor the green buds that cling to the branches like bulbs. It did not take long to reach the small stream, and the Spartan lowered her muzzle to lap at the icy water, pausing only to lift her muzzle when a drifting flower caught her attention. It was a rather unremarkable thing, small and pale pink with a star of darker pink at it's core. Another one passed not soon after and subtly Luxuria inclined her muzzle in the direction the flowers had came from. It was taller than the others, probably older too, but unlike the other cherry blossom trees it had not lost it's flowers in the winter -- not entirely anyway. They stuck out, defiant against the layer of snow that perched on their branches.
There had been but a few cherry blossoms in Thantos Valley but they were spectacular to see in full bloom, beautiful to boot. Glancing from the stream to peer at all the barren trees around her, Luxuria couldn't help but imagine how breathtaking this place was when they were all in full bloom. "Cherryblossom Vale," The Spartan breathed softly, giving name to the previously unnamed land.
In these unfamiliar stretches of land, she found much to take in. Her senses buzzed, borderline overwhelmed, as she took in all she could. Sights, sounds, smells, energies, she eagerly read all she could in her short time passing through... despite knowing that to truly understand, it may take longer than her existence would provide.
Her paws traveled alongside the creek as it wove its path across the landscapes. There were parts of it that were small, nearly entirely iced over on the surface while in others, it was much wider. Amekaze had passed several other paths that she considered only briefly. Somehow, this creek kept her interests fairly well. She did not truly see why yet and decided that perhaps, the energies thrummed at just the right frequency to keep her around. She always did seem to prefer the vibe of waterways, even ones as unassuming as a meager creek.
The further she trekked, the thicker the foliage became. There were portions of the land where walking in the cold creek proved easiest, so she found herself with an increasingly damp legs and underbelly. She pressured on until she encountered a bizarre scent.. one rather floral in nature? Yet here, in the deep of winter, she considered this implausible. Her nostrils flared, eager to take in this aroma that reminded her so very much of springtime.
With the scent of a wolf mingled into the area she knew better than to pass up what could prove to be interesting. Now she moved with more purpose, snaking through the trees once more with fluid grace, akin to the waters themselves.
Admittedly, she spotted the tree first. It was hard to overlook, here in bloom in what was otherwise copse of trees just on the verge of new life. Her eyes narrowed upward. Flowers, here? The visage of the wolf came soon after -- a being marked in varied shades. Amekaze fanned back her ears and then forced her focus upon the other wolf, finding them to be a presence worth acknowledging first. The tree was not going anywhere, nor could it really do anything to her, unlike the unknown wolf. Certainly, an unexpected find,
she remarked coolly. Amekaze maintained her distance, a keen eye and a neutral, calm look about her still. I have never traveled this path before. It seems it was worthwhile,
she almost smirked.
![[Image: 5ifpFkc.png?1]](http://i.imgur.com/5ifpFkc.png?1)
i want to bleed in the 「r a i n」
Company was not exactly what Luxuria had intended to find, though in truth, she had not intended on discovering what had been lost, either. The lack of wolven scents - not even faintly - had told her what she needed to know. It had been many years since a wolf had stepped into this territory before her - if they had ever ventured this far to begin with. Though the flora aroma that clung to the defiant cherry blossom tree was well womanly (and would likely cling to her fur for a few days) it was not overly unpleasant. As it was, there was a slight possessiveness over it, knowing that the territory would remember her, and any other that came across it this day. Company, unsought as it was, had seemed to find it's way to her, nevertheless.
It came in the form of an ebony creature, female the ebony creature's scent informed Lux as the Spartan's nostrils flared to take in what information she could get. Beyond that, and the tell-take scent that she, too, was a loner, it did not tell Lux much. Honey golden eyes took her in slowly, with the barest hint of caution though Lux hardly felt threatened. A Spartan's greatest glory was to die in battle, after all, if that was what the Fates had destined, though Lux doubted it. She made her own fate, not three old ladies, nor an did an oracle define it. The other woman was the first to speak, and for a few moments Amekaze's words were met with a blank look from the Spartan as Lux tried to work out if Amekaze was speaking of the tree or her and if it was the last, if that had been flirtatious or if Lux was just interpreting wrong. Deciding that she had definitely been interpreting wrong, Lux broke herself out of her hesitation. "Mhm," She drew, brazenly lifting her eyes from the woman to the tree for a few seconds before they settled back to the other wolf. "It's rare to see a cheery blossom in full bloom in winter." Not impossible (Tokio looked it up) but certainly unlikely.
A peculiar place and with a curious, strange energy about it, she still could not get over the bloomed tree and yet, there was no denying it's existence. Somehow she understood why the creek had pulled her here. Perhaps it was for this alone, to view this symbol so commonly representing the spring and its renewal of life... among other things. It was a symbol with contrasting meanings depending the context -- life, and death all at once.
Indeed,
she hummed in reply and glided closer by a few paces. She took in the other wolf's looks in full, and regarded her as seemingly strong.. almost surprisingly so. Amekaze's ears turned in interest. She could appreciate the image of power brought to life as beast.
The Rikudou suspected the tone of careful conditioning in the curve of her muscles, despite not having seen her in full motion. She wondered from where she had come. I have heard old tales before.. of departed spirits inhabiting sakura trees blooming out of season.. albeit with the help of magical ash..
She chuffed and tilted her head towards the branches, knowing how bizarre this piece of Shinto legend might have sounded. Not that she necessarily believed that to be the case here, she thought it a fascinating trinket of mythology all the same. It was certainly not one she had expected to ever be relevant, yet here in the fragrant shadow, she had been proven otherwise.
Perhaps it is places like these that inspired such stories,
Ame added, glancing to the other wolf once more. To her understanding, old legends like that had been passed around for several generations. It was hard to say where they had truly began but it was an interesting notion to entertain.
i want to bleed in the 「r a i n」
In the fail clutches of the circumstance the Soartan confirmed with a resoluteness that the ebony woman was speaking of the Cherry Blossom and not her. Which was too bad, Lux though giving the other woman a brief, appraising look before she let the thought go. The Spartan was not an overly haughty creature and knew, nevertheless, that not many wolves were like her. Or she assumed, at any rate. The woman spoke further then, referring to the Cherry Blossom tree as a Sakura leaving Lux to assume that it was another name they bore, simply in a foreign tongue to her. As it was, 'Sakura' had a nice ring to it and was beautiful in it's simplicity. The ebony woman had Lux's interest when she spoke of old tales, and spirits inhabiting cherry blossoms though there seemed to be a catch. Lux was a bit of a skeptic when it came to 'magicks' of any kind, having had enough of the voodoo crap with Persephone a self proclaimed oracle of the Gods. Lux would admit she was a witch but not the kind that had anything to do with supernatural or paranormal. "What kind of magical ash?" Lux inquired despite her internal skeptism. It sounded like nothing more than the ebony woman had proclaimed it to be: a tale. A bedtime story for children.
"Maybe," The Spartan allowed, wondering what sort of wild fairy tales a true story teller could weave from this place - archaic and untouched as it was. "This vale is probably incredible in Spring though," In fact, Lux did not even doubt it. Turning her honey golden eyes from the tree, twisted an weeping from time back to the ebony stranger once more. "I'm Lux." She offered without an society expectation of a name in return, though it would have been nice. After all, they could both claim the credit of discovering this vale, Lux felt that they should at least leave with each other's names if nothing else.
Amekaze had liked hearing the lore like that growing up. It was a rare encounter now, but her honored mother had always been willing to share them with her. She had tried to remember as many as she could.. just because. Mm, something to do with the ashes of particular relic, likely made from another imbued tree.. A strange tale, of course,
she said and shook her head, although even she had been unclear on the particular reasoning behind how exactly the story justified that -- if it even did.
She exhaled softly then, letting her eyes skim from the other nearby trees. Cherry blossoms had a tendency to bloom all at once. She imagined this copse of trees draped in pink, petals falling almost like snowfall. Amekaze would likely be back, circumstances permitting. I would only assume so. This region is.. full of surprises,
and even still, she had yet to encounter them all despite all the wandering she let her feet do. It should not be much longer, either.
There were times when she could practically smell the spring on the winds. Subtle in its ways, just like the lengthening of the daylight, it still inspired new vigor in her; winter was nearly done.
The other wolf gave her name and Amekaze nodded first, although did not leap immediately to a response. She appreciated the simplicity of the name and considered it quietly. I am Ame,
she answered. Sharing her full name, or even more of it than that much, was rare. You do not smell much like this area, do you travel with purpose?
she pressed curiously. She could smell no pack on her and wondered if she had intentions of settling here in the Teekon.
i want to bleed in the 「r a i n」
There were only a few tales that Lux knew of, and even then they were less of fairy-tales and more of history. She knew of the brave Leonidas and his soldiers of 300 and that the first King of Thantos Valley had given his life for their freedom. She had always though the "three hundred" soldiers was an extreme exaggeration as was the sea of a horde of enemies. Nevertheless, it made for a good inspiring tale; and in that she had found a figure to aspire to. Leonidas. She had always wanted to be like Leonidas, and spurred by his legacy she had trained hard and sparred often to prove to the mentors she was a worthy boy. Worthy to be a Spartan. In retrospect, she did not recall much of her brief time with her parents - wisps of a name they had once called her, and an foreign language that she remembered bits and pieces of. Lux's stories were nothing so fantastical as the ones she assumed Ame heard, given the whole magical ashes thing. "Sounds so," Lux concured in a soft, thoughtful murmur, tail flicking against her haunches as she eyed the tree once more before she rolled her shoulders casually. To each their own.
"Sort of hard to imagine that no one else has discovered this place before us." It almost seemed impossible but the land smelled clean of wolves, as if it suddenly just popped into existence. "I'll make it a point to return to see it in full bloom," Lux determined, sparing the ebony woman a brief glimpse from the corner of her eye. To her subtle surprise the other woman - Ame - gave her name and took it further by inquiring if Lux was traveling with a purpose. She had to be, though she did not state it and would never speak it so bluntly. A soldier without a purpose was a dangerous thing, a mercenary, a dog for hire and that was nothing but shame to the Spartan. "I'm pack hunting most of the time but today I decided to deviate from that." It was a impulsive choice Lux did not regret.
The L'amour followed scat and hoof print alike in her mission, her tail swaying at her hocks. They smelled to be decent in number and health both. That was good. It might deter any other pack from eyeing them this immediate moment... but she was sure that wouldn't stop hungry wolves for long. It was winter time, and when there was a motive surely they would fight for their stomachs.
It was only when she put a name to the place she had found that she moved on. She herself was only wandering, now that her mission was completed... but her nose flared as she looked to the sky. Snow within the hour. And plenty of it, but no storm. Still, it might be an inconvenience on the journey back... against the backdrop of white, she notes blossoming trees and the figures of two wolves. She whuffs to announce her own presence, wondering if three would be a crowd. She would not stay long; she'd only warn the wolves of the oncoming weather, though surely they would note it themselves? As an aspiring naturalist, she was driven to want to help. Perhaps that was why the prey was on the move, looking for a thick copse to hide themselves within...
She nodded, breathing deep the scent of the blossoms once more. Such a rich, springtime scent tingled refreshingly. There are many stories involving sakura trees and plenty of differing symbolism, though,
she said after otherwise silence. Mhm, as will I,
Amekaze agreed readily, finding herself curious if perhaps their paths may cross again here in this thicket of cherry trees.
She flicked an ear and nodded again, although much more subtly this time. Her green eyes were keened, focused, and on her tongue quivered further questions but she kept quiet and would be choosy with what she asked so not to pry unnecessarily. Understandable,
she said. Admiring the blossoms in the dark of winter easily trumped pack hunting. Amekaze knew how tiresome that became and before she could speak on further, she realized they were no longer alone. The Rikudou quieted, her posture stiffing in the presence of the unknown.
An unfamiliar voice confirmed sounded not long after with just a simple whuff. Ame's attention went that way quickly, her nimble body shifting accordingly. Ah, what brings you here as well?
she queried first and foremost to the tall female with bright eyes. She found she could not even place her pack scent, let alone anything else about her.
i want to bleed in the 「r a i n」
"Maybe next time we meet you can tell them to me," Suggested the Spartan with a wiry smile and a soft roll of broad shoulders. Of course Lux could not be certain they would ever see one another but she could not deduce that them meeting again would be an impossibility, either. Pack hunting was a tedious thing that Lux had no intention of willingly putting herself through. Thantos Valley had took her in when Agrippa had stolen her from her parents and though her true admission into the pack's ranks was hard fought and truely won she had never had to gather information -- what little she could siphon from passing loners at any rate. Most so far we're not so willing to converse, or greedy with their knowledge.
A brief silence seemed to settle over them then, for Lux could not particularly think of anything to add to their conversation before the footfalls of another caused triangular ears to perk as her head, a few seconds after the other caught Ame's attention, snapped on the direction of the newcomer. The muscles tightened beneath her coat ever so slightly, but the Spartan did not feel worried, even if she found the newest female's silence a little unnerving. Ame took the bold move and invited the unknown female into a conversation while the Spartan merely observed for the moment, assessing.
I had not meant to intrude on you,her gaze lingers on the dark wolf, then falls onto her companion and holds for a moment as she continues,
I was following the changing patterns of prey movement. When I noticed there were others nearby,once again her eyes fall to the wolf who had first addressed her,
I just thought it prudent to warn you that there is snow coming within the hour, and more than expected. I live far from here, so I must return soon... I only thought to tell you in case your trek home was a hike as well.Anemone's nose was particularly keen, one of her lines of duty requiring it. She shifts her weight and looks to Luxuria, pursing her lips.
I hope I didn't interrupt anything too important...?
Ame had nearly remarked on the suggestion when given, and words hung on the tip of her tongue but went unsaid. Perhaps so, she mused inwardly, for she decided that seeing Lux again may not be wholly unwelcome. The dark wolf had little reason to feel otherwise and something about her was exceptionally curious, although she could not say why exactly. She had only known her a few moments, after all, yet her attention was pulled elsewhere now.
Nevertheless, she had little interest in reveling in the mystery of the stranger. Amekaze was to the point and straightforward. She just may not have been the most warm about it at times, especially when the third addition to the scene was still somewhat unexpected.
Ame adapted and listened, finding the word delivered to be an unexpected turn of events. She tilted her head slightly as she took it in then swept her muzzle skyward in a quick accusatory glance. Truthfully, she had been caught up in the tree's blooms and Lux, not paying that much mind to the forecast. Hm, I thank you for the warning, truly.
she nodded and settled her eyes on the weather-watching wolf. How generous to allow strangers benefit from your skills,
she complimented coarsely. She knew few who could make such certain-sounding predictions. Amekaze was also not finding herself very thrilled about the prospect of snow -- significant amounts of it, especially, but at the very least, it would not come as a surprise. Better to expect it, she reasoned with a reluctant, self-contained huff.
Regarding the importance of.. whatever it had been the newcomer had interrupted, she found herself peering Lux's way. It is fine,
she mentioned and licked the backs of her teeth. Amekaze could not quite put an importance tab on this just yet, so she did not, and would allow Lux to say more if she so wished. If not, Amekaze was fine with that was well.
In a few moments more, she felt the urge to conclude this. With everything necessary said and done, she dipped her muzzle and offered her farewells. Amekaze would note the location, to visit again later, and remember these wolves and their faces. She turned and took her leave, assuming others would either do the same or linger longer; whatever the case, it was of no consequence to her.
i want to bleed in the 「r a i n」