Barrow Fields beyond the reach of human rage

@Stormy Boy - <3

the young man moved on lean limbs with a carefully sweeping gaze. the field was far more open than the sound, leaving illidan with the prickling feeling of being watched – or hunted. the wildling did what he could to watch his back for unsuspecting followers, but he could not shake the distinct feeling that had nestled in the very pit of his stomach. in another life, he might have called it instinct, but instead he felt as though he was simply making a fool of himself with thoughts of things that couldn't possibly exist.

the sun tried to reach through dark clouds but could not touch the earth below. the boy paused every so often to ensure that his crunching paws in the snow were the only ones that he could hear. aside from the shifting of his own frame, the fields were completely silent. with sharp yellow eyes, illidan turned to look back over his shoulder and breathed a thick plume into the air.

she can bounce but hope this is ok :D

This whole beach thing was waaaay better the second time around.  First, her awesome sister was around, and second, she didn't catch some death plague from a random guy in a cave.  Two for two here.

Wraen was off doing something (probably highly story worthy, let's be honest) but Maia was on her usual food run.  Because she was hungry, like always, and also because this flatland was way easier to run on than the sand or mountains they'd gone through previously.  She always sank too much in the former and got way too out of breath on the latter.  This, though, this she could get used to.  Minus the whole out in the open thing.

And minus the snow.  She was starting to really think her parents had the right idea, living in a place that didn't have the stuff.  She bent down to snap a mouthful up, then immediately began to cough as she inhaled too fast and the icy flakes went down the tube.  Oh heck.

you don't have to bounce <3

after some time, the sound of paws crunching through snow had indeed taken on a different pace. it caused a wave of confusion to wash over the young man as he paused and turned his head toward where he imagined he had heard the noise of another. when the silence brushed past him, illidan curled his lip over his canines and huffed a great cloud into the air. the boy had never been superstitious before, and he was not a man of faith, so he knew that his irrational thoughts were only just that – irrational.

that was until there was a sound of a cough pulled his ears into a firm and upright position. the young savage stiffened and drew a forepaw upward toward his chest in preparation to give chase, or flee. when his bright yellow sights latched onto a dark slate figure with the strangest of peach markings along her neck. illidan furrowed his brow and released a chuff to garner her attention.

Maia was too preoccupied with not choking to death (could have happened!) to notice she wasn't alone until someone made a noise.  She jumped, then turned, self-consciously trying to stifle her issues.  It only took forever.  No big deal.

Ah, sorry, she said sheepishly when she finally got them for the most part sorted out, though her voice was still breathless and one or two coughs still followed.  I'm... Maia.  This snow is terrible! Do you live here? Those didn't really follow but she wasn't eager to dwell on her spaz coughing fit in front of this strange boy who seemed around her age.

the stranger jumped, and illidan too found himself standing quite rigidly in the snow. the young man's eyes were wide as he peered on to the woman, though she did not seem to be of any harm to him or their home. she greeted him warmly and opened their dialogue with a prompt introduction. then, she made a remark about her distaste for the snow. the wildling turned his sights toward his feet, struck silent by the overwhelming tumbling of words that had fallen from her mouth. when a question lingered in the air, he felt foolish for not having answered it.

“ah... no.”

finally, he'd managed to sputter something so he didn't appear a mute. with a swift turning of his head and a motion with the length of his muzzle, the hooded man made a gesture back to the sound. once he fixed his sights back on the dappled woman, he offered her a ghost of a smile. “i'm back that way, closer to the water,” he offered her with a gruff tone for his lack of years. then, realizing that she had offered him a name and he had stood there as though his tongue had been tied to his tail, the youthful savage dipped his head a ways before saying, “my name's illidan.”

Oh he was adorable.  She appreciated the shy ones too, almost more because they weren't ever rude like some others.  She grinned, but managed not to laugh as he gave her a slow but super nice reply.  She didn't want to make him mad.

The water? Like, the ocean? She asked, both impressed and super curious.  My sis and I have been wandering around here but I didn't know anyone lived by the ocean! That's so cool.  Oh.  Shoot.  She should probably make sure the name didn't get lost in her excitement.  Illidan.  She committed it to mind.

a sense of shock gripped him as she offered an excited response. he had never really happened upon someone who was that eager about finding wolves living beside the ocean. there was a portion of him that wondered if she had traveled from some great distance. more than this, the young man was trying his best not to appear out of touch with reality or rude to the woman. she had only been kind to him since he'd crossed paths with her, and he didn't think it was fitting for him to behave so aloofly.

“yeah... right on the beach, actually,” he confirmed to her with a small nod and a ghostly little smile. after he'd managed to admit to where he lived, the dark-hooded wildling swung his head around and peered back the way he had wandered. the woman had mentioned that she had been traveling with her sister, but illidan hadn't noticed anyone else in the area. with something of a nervous flick of his tail, he fixed his hawkish sights on her and motioned with a swing of his crown, “you could come see it, if you wanted?”

He was younger than she was, she thought, but his coloring was definitely interesting.  Not in a bad way.  In a good way, honestly.  But there was something withdrawn, and Maia laughed when he again flashed a very, very small smile.  There's gotta be a better smile than that in there, and I'm gonna find it, she responded jokingly, Yeah, why not?

A part of her was nervous to go with a stranger to a strange place, but a bigger was excited to see where they lived.  She could pop by, see how it was, then to run and tell Wraen all about it.

the cheery woman seemed as though she was searching for something more inside of him. as sad as it seemed, the wildling was certain that there wasn't a better smile hiding beneath the one he had offered. in fact, maia had probably received the best damned smile he'd ever given anyone. the truth of the matter was the illidan lacked all of the charming genes that a young man might possess at his age. his familial lines had given him grit and the perfect expression of being haunted, but he had not done well in learning how to properly smile at a woman.

still, she agreed to venture with him back to the sound. illidan offered her a gentle wave of his tail and motioned with a swing of his muzzle for her to follow along. then, he set out at a well pace that would allow them a moment to chat if she should like to get to know him better. surely, her willingness to follow a strange boy around the beach was heavily influenced on whether or not she could get some normal responses out of him.

“do you... uh – are you from around here?” the dark-hooded savage inquired, glancing toward her with a nervous darting of his yellow gaze.

It would be a challenge, she sensed, getting this guy to open up and lighten up.  But she was, fortunately, awesome at challenges.  Nevermind if it was doable or he'd actually, yknow, enjoy it.  Her mind was made up!

Also lucky for him, Maia was more than capable of carrying her own side of the conversation and then some.  She could, and did, talk to herself just as easily as another body, and any participation that was friendly was more than good in her books.  

No.  Yes.  Well... kinda? She corrected as she followed, obviously thinking.  I've never been here, but my family was.  My big sisters and brother were actually born on the shore here! But I grew up in the south, in a forest.  So I'm more of a tree wolf than a... this kinda thing one. She gestured around with a smile.  Not that it isn't pretty!! And there definitely were trees.  Just not as many as she was used to, and the spaces when open were a lot more open.  Especially the ocean.  She would never get used to that much water.  Were you born here or did you travel?

it was good that she was capable of talking enough to satisfy the conversation. illidan wasn’t good at chatter, and he wasn’t the best with formalities. the young ghost was difficult in more ways than simply how open he was. he had not grown up with tools that allowed him to be good at open conversation, and in many ways, he did envy maia for her skills in that realm. a quiet voice in the back of his mind whispered to remind him that she was far cheerier a soul than he would ever be. it was a bitter voice, but it was not wrong in this reminder.
 
the girl went on to explain that she had been born in the forest, but her family had originated by the sea. he wondered how they had taken to travel so far from their home, or if they had never intended to stay by the waters to begin with. she was quick when she spoke, but that didn’t bother him at all. he did what he could to keep track of the tale and to imprint it in his memory for a later time. then, the question was turned on him and he looked at her with widened eyes.
 
“oh, well… yes,” he answered in a level tone. realizing that it was a poor response from the girl who had just spilled a good portion of her life story to him, illidan cleared his throat and offered her a ghostly little smile that curled his dark lips toward his hawkish gaze. “i was born in the territory where i’m taking you now, but we were attacked by a bear when i was very young. so i’ve spent some time traveling… and now i’m back.” hopefully that was enough to satisfy the inquiry. illidan was sure that he left the heartache out of his recounting; there was no need to bring down her chipper mood.

Maia had yet to learn that her situation wasn't the norm in these parts.  Most kids didn't grow up with two loving parents, surrounded by family and siblings in a pack that was rock solid as the boulders scattered about its territory.  She didn't know inconsistency or what it was like to feel unwanted, and it showed, deeply.

That's terrifying! She shuddered, remembering.  I saw a bear not too long ago, can't remember where exactly.  Luckily there was another guy there and we scared it off. Nah that wasn't how it went, she'd been about to bolt and he'd stopped her from getting her face eaten.  Nice guy! She wondered where he was now.

I bet it wasn't the same one though. She added, figuring if the one he was talking about had forced an entire pack to move, it had to be worse than the one they met.  Hard to imagine one bigger, though.  Ugh.

What made you go back? She asked instead, both to change the subject and because she was curious. She'd thought one or two times about going back to visit her parents, but never seemed to find the time or make that jump.  It was hard to look back once you left, she was finding.

as maia recounted her own tale with a bear run-in, illidan listened intently. his sharp gaze was latched onto her features with a curious intensity. it seemed as though most creatures were fearful of the massive beasts. he wondered why he had not felt the same amount of fear himself – if he was broken. in truth, he had found himself in the pathway of the reaper several times, though he was using different tools. finding himself lost as a child, the bear that had ravaged his family's home, the bear that had then attacked the wolves of the plateau, and the odd moments in between.

“that's impressive,” he remarked to her with a sure nod. as fierce as he aimed to be, he imagined that it would take a true savage to frighten the likes of such a massive creature. “and it could have been the same one,” illidan then added with a noncommittal bob of his head toward her. there was no saying which bears lingered longer than others. one day, the young ghost imagined he would sink his fangs into the beast who had uprooted his family and find satisfaction in that.

maia then asked what had caused him to return to his home, and he turned away from her with a thoughtful and haunted expression on his young face. it was difficult when all of his stories seemed to have complicated origins and endings – that they couldn't be told in a few simple words. “someone from the pack that took me in had found my blood mother and brought her to me...” he said softly. that day still seemed as though it had never truly happened. “i had searched for her for so long that it was hard not to want to go with her then.” almost as hard as it had been to leave the wolves who had taken him in.

Maia felt a slight sad twinge as he spoke of his mom, and now it was her turn to be somewhat jealous.  She'd chosen to leave her parents, but she definitely missed them every day.  Moms are great, I'm glad you found her.  She wondered how Osprey was doing right now.  She'd always been somewhat sick, but since that was the norm, Maia had never really worried because she knew her parents would live forever.  Now, as she grew up, she knew better.

It's cool you've got the same spot.  So it's like a family thing?  Are you heir to the throne or prince or something?  Ohhhhh man.  Did she stumble upon a prince?  How freakin awesome was that.  Please say yes, please say yes.  She could turn this into an awesome story if that was the case.

illidan nodded his head in agreement with the girl, even though he wasn’t certain that what she said was accurate. as nice as it was to have found caiaphas again, he didn’t really know how good it was to have a mom. there was very little frame of reference for him to compare. liri had done well to tend to him and teach him what she thought was valuable, but he had really only known her and the sea witch who waited back in the sound. they were so different from each other. he imagined that it would have been too much to say that he had technically had three mothers – that he didn’t even know where two of them were.
 
it was good that he didn’t offer a verbal response, because maia mentioned his bloodline and whether or not he was a prince to the pack. he glanced upward and scrunched his face some in a show of thoughtfulness. if he had been away from his home and his family for so long, did that mean that he was no longer valued as one of them? trying to force down his internal dialogue, he turned and offered a soft smile at the girl. “yeah, i guess it does make me the prince,” he said. “are you a princess?”

He either played along or he really was, but either way suited her just fine.  She smiled back, enjoying this one a lot more than the one he'd given previously.  See, she knew there was a better one in there somewhere.  Of course I am, she replied, flipping her tail as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.  But a runaway one.  I chose a life of adventure over a cushy life back home.  Too many dragons to slay and princes to meet. She giggled, liking the adventurous way that sounded but feeling like it might be a little inaccurate.  Never had to slay a dragon yet, though.  And they'd have to deserve slaying, of course.  A dragon friend would be way more useful than a dead one, I think.  She'd always wondered about that, in stories.  Why kill something that powerful when you could potentially have a huge dragon to ride around and breathe fire for you?

the young man listened to her with a more invested mindset. he thought she made a pretty fitting princess, for all he knew about them. she seemed the adventurous type, which was a plus. he was more thrilled with the idea that she could keep their conversation going without much issue. he had never met someone who was capable of carrying more than eighty percent of a talk all on their own. maia was that anomaly that seemed to be able of doing all sorts of things, and he was enjoying himself more than he had expected he would.

that was, until she mentioned the slaying of dragons. illidan was reminded of the wolves who lived on the cliffs and their savagery to the rusalka group having settled in the sound. he knew that terrible things would happen before they were free of their eyes. he turned his head away from his traveling companion with a peculiar expression on his face. “yeah... you'd better be careful with dragons – they're pretty nasty,” he offered in a soft tone.

Her mention of dragons seemed to make him... something.  Maia wasn't good enough at reading (and he wasn't obvious enough at telling) to know what it was, but his answer wasn't exactly playful in the same way her words had been.  

You've met some then? She asked,  knowing the answer was probably no but playing along.  I thought I did once, in a forest inside a mountain.  But we only found the tracks.  And a half eaten kill, with some wicked wounds.  Man that had been freaky.  

Did you fight the dragons you met, then? She asked, though something in her tone was a little hesitant.  She still had a jovial undertone, but something about his manner made her uncertain.

almost immediately, illidan felt a wave of regret wash over him. he knew that he shouldn’t have spoken about the wolves on the cliff. he had tried to prevent himself from allowing his anger to spill over. without the control over it, he had let slip how he felt and was left to face the questions that remained afterward. he had just gotten to where he liked maia; he didn’t want to mess it up any further with the trauma that he’d experienced in his life. he was certain that she would want to escape his company after hearing those things.
 
“not yet,” he answered her question about whether or not he’d fought them. there was a feeling in the air between the two packs, though. he knew that a war was coming, and it would knock down any who stood in its way. he could feel the hostility burning from across their borders. “but yeah i’ve met a few and they’re no good,” he then tacked on with a frown and a shrug of his shoulder. he was hoping she wouldn’t ask more about it afterward, but surely his curt responses were not what she was looking for.

gonna wrap in favor of our new! Unless you wanna keep goin ofc <3

He was talking about actual dragons apparently, and kinda lost Maia with that.  She glanced where he looked, but the cliff didn't hold any meaning for her.  Hmm.  Well, if you ever want to, I'm an expert. She said, cheerfully, trying to lighten the mood she'd unintentionally dragged down.

Sensing a need for a shift, she picked up her pace, bumping her shoulder (somewhat gently but with a little oomph) against his.  Race you to those rocks! She took off running with a laugh and without waiting for an answer.  Frowns were a no go, he was gonna enjoy this ok!

she had a cheery reply to his dark comment. it was surprising just how peppy she could be when faced with the dismal task of conversing with the young ghost. she carried it well, and even seemed as though she was enjoying her time with him. it was in this realization that illidan felt a sharp pang in his chest for having brought down their pleasant talk. he hadn’t realized how much of a downer he was being until it was too late.
 
maia was quick to offer a race and then to jet forward in a streak of slate and gunmetal grey. illidan followed her with his gaze for a moment before he had the mind to try and catch up. his limbs stretched out in front of him and made short work of the distance she had created. his heart thrummed the entire time.