Neverwinter Forest -- ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴅʀᴜɴᴋ ᴅᴇᴇᴘ ᴏꜰ ɪᴛ

 

@Miyako, but AW!

Varick's paws brush the ground delicately as he strides, moving as all shadows do — swiftly and calmly, the long reach of his legs carrying him down the unsteady surface of the mountain with natural ease.  He surveys the snow and ice that shelters the ground beneath the steep drop from the precipice at his side and a thought crosses his mind that it is stupid to travel to somewhere so comfortable, so sentimental to him although he is in alien land.

Yet he cannot help himself — he is a captive, a slave to the memories of his desolate homeland, the deep caverns of the Azorius Syndicate.  He knows that to start over he must kill any previous incarnation of himself, burning every memory to the furthest reaches of his mind yet he still clings to the solace that the frigid mountains provide.

Varick comes to a halt where ice and stone are just beginning to break way into the territory of towering evergreen sentinels, and a fog escapes from his thick, leathery nostrils as he breathes out.  It is time to leave the tundra behind.

On her way out of the Neverwinter Forest her nostrils caught another unfamiliar scent of a wolf. This smell was different from the one she had meet only a little while prior. This scent was from a male, which intreged the dark female Rouge. She liked males a bit more then females, they were always more fun to play with she thought to herself.

But she was still on a mission. To report back to Charon with information about the neiboring packs and to see if his realatives were in the area. But a little detour couldn't hurt. Especially if that detour ended up helping her. What's that saying. All work and no play... Better yet was work with play.

A tall dark male came into her view and a smile appeared on her face as he began to enter the forest. Still in her bold mood she came out from behind a tree saying to him. "Well isn't it just my lucky day to find someone like you out here. And just in time too." her voice wichedly playful.

Having taken her fill from her hunt with Drogon, Miyako trotted on into Neverwinter Forest, satiated and curious. With hunger kept at bay, she now felt that she could explore the thick forest and all it had to offer. She still felt as if she caught a faint whiff of saltwater from the coast, but it was buried amongst all the forest scents, and she was far enough away not to be triggered by the crash of waves on cliffs.

She trotted along, breathing the thick forest air in gulps, feeling refreshed. Breaking into a slow gallop, she weaved around the pines, looking for things to kill or other wolves to play with. Despite her age--just over two; far past childhood yet not quite elderly--she was feeling whimsical, mirth-filled energy stirring her into action. Despite herself, she smiled as she ran.

Then she came across his dark pelt, and came to a standstill. He was silent, hard as a stone, looking into the forest with icy blue eyes. Taking a shuddering breath, Miyako stepped forward, staring him down. She did not mean to intimidate; only to speculate, taking him in as much as she could before she disturbed the silence with her voice.

"Hhh. . ." Her greeting tailed off, awed by the impressive specimen before her. "Good evening," she murmured, willing her voice to remain steady. "What brings you here tonight?"

Too late, she noticed the other female standing close, and fell silent, one eyebrow raised. The handsome male had company, it seemed. No surprise there.

Varick can hear them before he sees them emerge from the evergreens.  His predatory gaze lingers on their forms as they come forth, drawing him from his survey of the landscape before him.  It is not long before he is accosted by the two dark femmes — one with a croon that sours his mood and another whose unease was palpable.  Unsure of where to begin being addressed by two at once the prince graces them with his silence instead, making it look natural in the process as he scented them to take in what information he could.

Although the scent of many tangles in and out of the first woman and he is unsure of just how far her pack's borders are from where he stands, he understands this is neutral ground and in turn he positions himself tall on those long legs, his neck craning upwards not in dominance but in an assured and unwavering confidence.

Greetings.  His thunderous voice cuts through the cold air between them, echoing and bouncing off of the rock and trees that surround the trio. Good evening indeed; I come not for any reason other than to wander. To exist.  In all it was the truth — he came with no important mission or purpose but he was here nonetheless.  He looks at each of the strangers as he speaks, making sure to direct himself at both of them even though he has no response to what the first femme spoke of him.

Threw the trunks of the trees, Rouge could hear the echoing of foots steps in the distance. Her ears swiveled towards the forest and shortly after a young dark female emerged from them. All of her attention was on the male. She was tounge tied at first, swept up in the moment. So much so that she didn't even realize that Rouge had been there to begin with.

She reminded her of Rouge when she had been younger and on her own. Her scent was comprised of no others, giving Rouge the assumption that she was a lone wolf. Even more like how Rouge was when she was younger. At times she thought about going back to that life, feeling free to do whatever she chose. But she was in a pack now with things to do. Which was alittle more exciting then the everyday pattern of lone survival, but she still missed it at times.

The male greeted both of them but only truely responded to the younger females question. The three stood in somewhat of a triangle. All sharing similar coloration, an amusing coincidence. Looking over at the female first Rouge greeted her saying, "Hello there." a way of saying, yes I'm here, when she didn't see her at first. The then turned her attention towards the male, commenting on his answer. "Oh how I miss being a lone wolf sometimes. Meeting new people at every turn. So exciting." her voice no longer playful but neutral. She could also smell that he was most likely a lone wolf.

Her attention back to the other female she asked her the same question. "And what about you. Any plans for tonight?"

She turned her head to the other female. God, she was gorgeous. Even through Miyako's own beauty, she was hyper-aware of other women's appeal, and this one stood above others. Black pelt gleaming in the thin moonlight streaming through the trees, her blue eyes twin lights in the dark.

Feeling just a tiny bit self-conscious, she replied, "Nothing in particular. I was just on a hunt, and now I am exploring the forest." Lifting her nose and drawing in scent, she looked at the male. "You're alone," she told herself more than him, and then shifted her gaze to the female, "and you're a member of a pack. What are you doing out by yourself at night?"

She stepped forward, into the clearing, placing herself not quite directly, but slightly, in between the two. "My name is Miyako," she labeled herself, with a smirk. She looked back and forth between the two, trying to draw their names from their lips. "I've been looking for friends here. Acquaintances, even."

His piercing glacial gaze wavers, flickering between the two women as they size each other up and the tension rises in the subtleties they bat back and forth, the curt way they respond to each other but he notes not to him.  It is not long before he is being addressed once more and his whiskers twitch — another subtelty — as his flews pull back to reveal a toothy grin at the first female's statement although he would generally disagree about the meeting new people bit.

He is intrigued by them, this pack that the woman with the severe cheekbones boasts of with her scent yet as he calculates his next words the woman who later addresses herself as Miyako moves fluidly into what was on his mind and he lets it go.  

Varick, he interrupts, and you are each welcome to join me although I am up to nothing of interest.

As the young female went on to explain how she was now exploring the forest after supper, Rouge thought back to the ease and flexability that lone wolves had. Maybe there was some way she could do both. Be part of a pack, but also live the life of a loner. But that thought was pushed aside as the female scented the air and devised the same conclusions that Rouge had moments earlier. It was discomforting to know that even with all the time she spent away from the pack, Rouge could be identified as a pack wolf simply by smell. There was a time where she would have faught a person over such an accusation, but now it was truth and there was no reason to be angry over it.

The question was returned to her, "I may be part of a pack, but that doesn't mean I like being there. I'm scouting currently. Have been for weeks." she replied. "Plus I rather prefer the night." she added nonchalantly as a matter of fact.

The two gave their names with Miyako claiming to be in search of friends and or aqaintences. She was intreging to Rouge. So many similarities to when she was younger. Could there be more. She thought to stick around and find out. The male invited them to accompany him, but Rouge was more focused on Miyako. "I'll be your friend miss Miyako." her voice was smooth and low. "So where ever you decide to go I'll follow." she commented, keeping her focus on her and not glancing towards the Varick.

She didn't give her name. Not because she was trying to hind it, but for many years few were given her name. She was simply not acustom to giving it.

The other female, who would remain nameless of her own volition, gave Miyako an inexplicable uneasy feeling. It might have been her voice, which sounded more like a forest whisper of wind than something coming from a living being. Or the way those blue eyes surveyed her, so bright in the dim light. Not looking at Varick. Just at her.

Without even meaning to, she took a miniscule step back, receding a little into the brush. "Bad things happen at night," Miyako said. "My father turned into a demon when the sun set. Cursing, growling. In the daylight he was so different. He joked and laughed." When he was around for me to see it, at least, she added to herself wryly, heaving a rueful sigh.

She straightened, looking at the two again. "I don't know where I'm going," she continued, her voice mild. "I've been sort of all over the place." She cocked her head at the female. "Excuse me for asking, but if you don't like being with your pack, why don't you leave? I know family is important. . .but I don't know if the pain of losing them is worth the love in the first place," Miyako mused. "I don't know if I ever want to get attached to anyone again."

She turned her head to Varick. "Are you new here, too? Or have you been here for a while?"

He is displeased by the mysterious woman's seeming reluctance to give up her name.  Where he hails from it is courtesy and so far she has disrespected him twice (although he pretends he is not counting and is sure she has perhaps not noticed the subtle slights against him).  His confident posture does not waver but he steps back, creating more distance between himself and the women.

Though he is capable of commanding attention with the depth of his form and the boom of his voice he instead continues his assault of pronounced silence as the interest begins to slip away from the prince nobody.  He has not yet decided if he plans on sticking around — if the attention remains deviated from him long enough he would make his way to the back of the clearing, doubling back from whence he came to avoid the evergreens and the pair of dark femmes.

But luck would have it that Miyako would address him once more and he curses silently for being unable to retreat from the uneasy interaction.  Some of them are worth it, he muses, thinking of late Charlemagne and Luthien, and some of them are not, when his uncle comes to mind.  I suppose I would be considered new here, because he didn't even know the name of the land he traveled.  I come from far North.

Each of them took small steps away from where Rouge stood. It made her giggle slighly. "Come on. I can't be that scary." True she could be alittle over bearing at times when she decided to uncensor herself, but neither of them had seen Rouge as her truly wiched self. That part of her had subsided substantially since she entered the Teekon Wilds and the confindes of a pack. Pack's which she thought would never really accept her the way she was. 

What Miyako said next made Rouge lift an eye brow. Turning into a demon after the sunset. It sounded like a childrens story, for pups intreged by the night. Many things did change as the sun went down. Those that went to sleep were often replaced by those just waking up and the absence of light changed the world around you. But Rouge had never heard about a wolf changing. 

Miyako didn't have a destination in mind proceeding to ask Rouge why she was in a pack with how she felt. Assuming it was for family or other emotional reasons. The next thing Miyako said made Rouges tail wag vigeriously. Exactly what she would have said at her age. It was uncanny. "Gosh. I can't get over how much you mind me of me just a year or two ago. Even your attitude towards packs is similar." she began but then proceeded to answering the girls question beginning with a sigh. "You've got my pradicament all wrong. I don't have family in the pack, or anywhere for that matter. And I didn't join the pack to get closer to others. I wanted something more to do other then just surviving day to day as I had been doing for several years as a loner. I ask if there's anything they want me to scout for and I scout for it, nothing much past that." The male added into the conversation and Rouge's attention went to him for a moment to say. "Also true... sometimes." before returning her gaze to Miyako. She thought back to the pack she had been in before Moonspear.

Varick then went on to explain how her had been from the north. Rouge wasn't from the north, but she had been from a place that experienced similar winter tempuratures.

She saw Rouge lift an eyebrow at her story of her father, and resisted a snort. It seemed incredulous to hear, detached from the story, but she hadn't known Hiroto. He--god, her mother, too--had been something else. Beyond words. Miyako saw that Varick was uncomfortable, as if looking for an escape from the conversation. "I'm from the north as well, Varick," she said with a smile. "North coast. Fuckin' cold."

Rouge explained her place with her pack, and she nodded slowly along with her voice, understanding now. It was like a job for her. Gave her a home, something to do. That, she could get on board with. "Okay, that makes sense," she responded amiably. "I've always thought scouting sounded pretty cool, though I'm more of a hunter myself.  And I like taking care of kids, too." Miyako grinned at that last bit. She missed kids, tiring and messy and smelly as they sometimes could be.

With a wag of her tail, she nodded to both Rouge and Varick. "I'm going to take off, find somewhere to rest. I'll probably stay in this forest for a few more days, but I'm down to explore other regions as well." She gave Rouge a long look. "Where is your pack? I'd love to come visit sometime, see how it is." And then turned to Varick. "Hopefully I'll see you more if you decide to stay here in the forest."

Smiling slowly, she began to take steps back, though not turning until she heard their responses.

I'm out so feel free to wrap up but will be tagging you in threads in the future; feel free to tag or message if you want to start one up as well! <3

A small snort of laughter escaped from his nostrils.  He found it to be both humourous and mildly insulting that the dark femme thought she was anything close to intimidating.  Still he found it better to keep these thoughts to himself.  He listened closely as her rapt attention was on Miyako, noting how much alike they were, or would have once been.  He could not see it, but again it was not his place.

She then goes on to describe duties and it is both something Varick understands and somewhat misses.  The duties of princehood had been many and he missed having something to do, but lone life suited him well and he was not ready to give up the freedom it provided.

Miyako turns to him, noting that she too is from the north and his interest piques, but she rambles incessantly before taking off, not allowing him to remark one way or another.  Typical women.  He turns to Rouge, glacial gaze meeting the oceanic blue depths of the other's, and tips his chin up at her.  Perhaps we will meet again.  I think I will find a place to rest.  Do you have any pointers?

All three of them seemed to originate from places of colder climates. Rouge had originated mainly east of where they were now, but Minnesota was rarely ever described as warm. Alone with climate it seemed as though the two females again shared another interest. Pups and young wolves. Rouge had always felt she needed to be a protector over such young beings, luckily the need had never arised where she needed to take protective action. She mainly had entertained and told stories up until this point. 

The exchange between the two would come to an end as Miyako stated that she would be leaving soon. Before she left she asked where it was that Rouges pack was. "South and a bit west of here. Though if you wanted to come see me you would have a better chance of getting my attention my calling me by my name... Rouge..." she pretented to call for herself, though not as a howl.

She departed shortly after that and it was simply Rouge and Varick. Their interaction would be short lived as well as Varick asked where he should go to spend the night. "Might be a bit colder tonight. You could lay down at the hot springs to the east of here. If you don't feel like swimming at least the air will be warmer." she teased lightly. "See you around." she stated to him before heading off herself.