Stone Circle Without you

Patrol thread ❤

Easthollow hadn't felt the same since the incident. There was a haunting presence, and Evergreen felt alone despite the warmth the pack gave him. He couldn't help but feel as if a large part of him was ripped away that terrible day. Staying still made him sink into these thoughts, unable to pull himself up from drowning in them. So after his injuries reached a point where he could start adventuring again, he was determined to do so. The bearish wolf strode with purpose. He patrolled the edges of the pack's territory and occassionally bumped into trees and rocks on his right side. Part of him feared the monster would come back for more.

she whispered carefully to the jay on her shoulder, empty gaze settled above and to the right of the stone ring. she fell silent, and the bird began to offer her own sequence of whistles and calls, soft and careful. haezel listened, gaze unshifting, but the simply shadow and light turning to the outlines of stones, of trees, and the jay described what the woman had lost the ability to see long ago. the sterling healer nodded, smile traced out carefully on her face, until the bird trilled a short call of alarm and winged off to the protection of a tree. she hardly required the warning - she could hear his coming as easily as a bear's. 

a great deal had changed for the girl in the past year. she'd learned to see without seeing, to survive in her odd little world of shadow and light, to hone her intuition and other senses. and then she'd found Cee, who had lent her eyes in her travels and in the hunt. she offered her skills in exchange for food and shelter, and the world, as if sensing that it had once been unusually cruel to the girl, was kind.

but she'd returned here, the land of her childhood, for she had seen it more oft than not in her dreams, and knew then that she must return. the monsters of her youth could lay no claw on her, not anymore. and so she found herself here, gaze turned in the direction of the wolf and remaining on his face. practice had brought her that ability, and the healing scars and changing seasons had made her impediment less obvious. "hello," came her airy introduction, lyrically, she added,  "I am Haezel. can you tell me the name of this place?" her jay called from the canopy, and her ear flicked in her direction in response, though her gaze remained on the face of the man before her.

❤ I assumed she was outside the borders, but pls lemme know if not and I can edit!

Whenever he thought of him, his fur would stand on end. Now no longer a reality, but a nightmare that haunted his dreams. Evergreen wanted nothing more at this point but to get closure. His round ears twitched, swept from his daydreaming he woke to the soft approach of a lone wolf. She stood outside Easthollow's borders. Whatever tension the bear might've had initially melted away. His eyes widened with curiosity. Perhaps she was here to join them, or held a message for another in the Easthollow family.

Hey, he greeted casually—voice rough around the edges compared to hers, which left Evergreen feeling shy. Oh, uhm, yeah. This is Easthollow. And I'm Evergreen. Nice to meet you, Haezel! The bear grew flustered. His words almost ran together, and he hoped it wasn't too much of a mess that she couldn't understand. What brings you here?

despite the jay's flightiness, especially in the face of strangers and others, they could not be long without one another. she winged from the trees, coming to swoop overhead, so low over her spine the woman fancied she could feel the touch of her wingtips. she did not fault her companion for her skittishness but wished truly that she might stay near and tell her of the man before her - at least what she could not ascertain from her other senses alone.  

he was tall—that was apparent enough. clumsy, in movement and speech, though she saw this as no true fault. the shade of his pelt, his eyes, and these thousands of other details were lost to her, and thus she focused merely on the words he spoke.  "easthollow,"  she echoed, but it had lost all its meaning for her long ago. 

he ears twitched as she tried to pull apart his words, which melted into one another like caramel. "the stones - we saw them, even from afar, and it felt right to come." she paused, considering then. "can you tell me of Easthollow?"

Like water, his emotions seemed to change. They stormed, they softened. Just a drop touching the surface causes a ripple; and Evergreen feels more sensitive than ever.

He doesn't feel like himself, even as he stands before Haezel; awkward as he usually is, and yet disassociating all the same. Surprise lights his face, his body leans away as a jay darts from a tree. It looks as if it were about to dive-bomb the grey wolf and yet she does not shy from the near brush of wings. His eyebrows furrow in question. Part of him feels pushed back into reality, the other feels the world is a dream right now.

We? He asks quietly, tone polite yet curious. His eyes flicker to the jay, as if to question the bird if it is who Haezel is referring to. Uh, yeah. Of course. Easthollow is... a family oriented pack. Equality matters a lot, and we encourage others to treat each other respectfully. There are two leaders; our Matriach Valette, and our Patriarch Greyback, the bear pauses. Uh, despite the rank titles, we aren't all related though!

ah, but is not all the world a dream? it is, in the very least, to her. her dreams her vivid, colourful and sensational, and her waking hours are draped in light and shadow, the mystery of the intricacies beyond those simple brush strokes described and sung and felt, but never seen beyond her own imagination. her muzzle moves to point in the direction of the jay, who's distinct call Haezel can pinpoint amongst all the other evening symphonies, familiar as the sound of her own blood through her veins. "Cee - my companion, and my eyes." 

his explanation come easily enough after her request, and a smile tilts up the corners of her muzzle at his awkwardness. it is something she appreciates much more than elegant words, for it indicates sincerity, and she has come to rely on words, actions, to make her judgments of others. there has to come a certain amount of trust she must always employ, and this she offers freely, now. 

her mind wanders, and she is silent for a moment, two. the pressure all around reaches a climax, breaks, and somewhere above clouds begin to open. the rain is gentle, gathering atop her downy fur instead of pushing its way to her skin, and she knows Cee will not return until the drizzle lifts. still, she does not need her companion to make this choice. "I would like very much to join you, Evergreen." her muzzle tilts upward a fraction in her certainty, gaze resting above and to the right of his own.

So sorry for the wait!

His eyes linger upon the bird—a companion (and eyes), Haezel says, and introduces the jay as Cee. Although the bear has many questions, it is along the lines of childish curiosity. He’s never witnessed such companionship between two very different species, and perhaps, had his mother found someone like Cee, she would have had… an easier time navigating.

Alas, that is not the only thing surprising about Haezel, for she expresses her interest in… joining him. His jaw opens, hanging in the air for a moment before he quickly nods—and realizes then that she might not be able to see the motion. “Oh! Uhm, that would be… great!” Of course the decision is not up to him, however, so Evergreen tries to calm himself. “Let me, uhm, call for our leaders.”

And with that, Evergreen leans his head back and calls for @Valette. Message delivered, he hopes the Matriarch won’t have any issues coming to meet them. “Do you have any skills to assist the pack?” Evergreen asks quietly once he turns his gaze back to Haezel.

Since it was three days before the birth I will have Valette still be pregnant :'D

Valette felt the heavy weight of her body as she got herself to the border. The female was really hoping that she was close to her due date because she was not sure how long she was going to keep her duties. Valette was not as quick as she was before. As she arrived at the border she was exhausted. She tried to keep her posture but her sides were clearly heaving.

"Hi there. Welcome to Easthollow... I'm.. Valette. Excuseme," she panted and then sat down. She looked at Evergreen, silently asking him to explain the situation and why she was called. She had an idea and the female seemed like the right type for their group. Her eye caught on the bird for a moment but didn't once more again.