The lithe young female trotted along the base of the mountain with a pleasant sway of her tail. There was an assortment of paths to choose from, though Siv was the type to forge her own. Her pink tongue hung from her mouth, causing her face to appear slightly lopsided. She didn’t think that she had ever seen a structure so massive in her life. Casting her baby blue gaze on the tip of the mountain, Siv wondered to herself if there was a possibility that she could ever reach its peak. Surely, the view from the top would have been the most breathtaking thing to exist, but it would not be without trails... if it was even possible at all. Wiggling her rear, Siv took a few leaps and bounds from wobbly rock to flat stone, and paused to glance back down. She had been following a specific path for the better part of an hour. While she had gotten slightly distracted, Siv had made a good distance. Her honey-colored pelt shone bright in the sun, and she decided that the smooth surface of the stone was a good point of stop for a break. |
It was not fear.
Whatever had brought the pale female sprinting to the place she had first called home had not been fear -- though fear was not a recurrent emotion for the yearling, she had felt it enough times to know it wasn't it. It was an even worse emotion.
Melancholy.
Her mouth was tainted with a bitter taste, and as she ran up the corridors of her old home her lungs threatened to collapse on themselves. She gasped desperatery, trying to fill them with the air of her old home, but no matter how much effort she made on swallowing, the phantom fingers wrapped around her neck did not allow her jagged breathing to cease.
She had found her home and calling in this place. But most importantly she had found her idol. Though the days since Jinx's departure were too many to count, the image of the Snow Queen would be forever tattooed on the yearling's skin --like the physical scars made by Ptarmigan and the bruises her downfall had left on her ego.
Without noticing so, the pale Queen began to trace the steps taken by the the agouti female, until reaching the same ledge she had stopped in. As soon as her scent drifted into her nose, Cara stopped brusquely, her tail raising not in dominace (for once) but in surprise, before making her position known --if Siv had not yet seen her-- Cara took a moment to study her companion. This had becomed an involuntary quirk of hers since becoming Alpha again; especially since the Spine was suffering from the lack of members.
After giving the air a last sniff, she chuffed in the girl's direction hoping to catch her attention without startling her.
Siv had not been aware that her trail up the mountain was being followed. Had she realized it sooner, the agouti-patterned wolf would have attempted to make it more interesting. As it stood, though, by the time her follower had reached where Siv was relaxing, and had chuffed out her presence, the young coywolf was already tired. The sun beamed down heavily on the thick surface of the stone where she had paused her trek. Her honey-colored pelt was collecting the rays and lulling her into a passive nap-mode. Nothing could disturb her in this state of mind; the earth could crumble around her and she would remain in place. Opening a single eye to peer at the approaching wolf, Siv flicked her rust-tinged ears forward and followed the movements of the stranger. It wasn’t an oddity that they would happen across each other on the side of the mountain. Siv had not yet climbed high enough that the trek to follow her would be difficult, and so she was not surprised that another wolf had made their way to her same stopping point. With a bit of a lazy smile, Siv’s tail brushed the slab of rock behind her as it wavered. Her eyes followed the movements of this strange wolf placidly. There was a strange comfort to the heat of the rock beneath her and the fresh autumn air. It was enough to put Siv at ease, despite having just come across a wolf she was entirely unfamiliar with. Then again, the coywolf was unfamiliar with a vast majority of the wolves in the Teekon. “Howdy-dooooo,” Siv greeted in a sing-song voice. She did not move from her stretched position on the slab of rock, but her tail flagged behind her, and there was a welcoming twinkle to her bright blue gaze. |
The rust colored stranger remained still, soaking up the sunrays like a statue, until finally one of her eyelids slid open to awknowledge the pale yearling with one of her rich blue gems.
The Queen gave a small dip of her nose as greeting. They both continued to stare at each other; even if the intensity of the female's sapphire eyes was no match against Cara's pastel yellow orbs, the Alpha did not let her gaze falter -- not because she was trying to force the pretty coywolf into submission but because she was infected with curiosity for the girl.
The girl greeted the Queen with a smile, and obtained one in return. The tranquility irradiated from her companion was enough to persuade Cara to drop her guard and put away her royal fachade; finally the power-hungry female could act like what she really was.
A yearling.
"Hiya" she answered coolly, with the tip of her tail twitvhing behind her. It was nice to put away the diplomacy and seriousness for a while. Being a young leader was harder than she cared to admit really.
"This used to be a kingdom you know?" she barked suddenly while giving a quick glance at their surroundings, the mix of melancholy and heat damaging the filter between mind and mouth.
There would always be a casual air about Siv; she had been raised by a very laid-back mother, who really only saw good things in others. Even after having been abandoned by her father, the young Savoy girl had only heard good things about him. It was a marvel that she didn’t end up bitter and jaded. Instead, she was a bit too trusting, and slightly air-headed, but her heart was in the right place. Watching the stoic female with brilliant golden eyes, Siv continued to watch her with a lazy happiness on her features. Her dark lips were curled in a small smile as she waited for the agouti stranger to approach where she was resting on the rock. The instant that she noted the other wolf had relaxed slightly, her smile widened and her tail flagged harder behind her. There was a pleasant exchange of greetings. Finally, Siv pushed herself up so that she was resting on her elbows and could actually look at the pretty female right-side up instead of watching her from an angle. She looked a lot prettier when faced at the right angle. Siv’s ears darted forward at the words that then fell from this stranger’s lips. Her baby blue gaze widened drastically and she glanced at her surroundings with awe on her features. Canting her head to the side, she attempted to see how the world she was viewing could have been a kingdom. Giving up on trying to see it herself, Siv peered curiously back at the golden-eyed female and frowned thoughtfully. “Okay, so when you say kingdom, you have to mean like… kings, queens, dragons, and kickass knights and shit, right?” she asked with a single quirked brow. Because if it had been anything else, then it would obviously be a slight let-down. Unless this woman had a good story up her sleeve. Siv was all about good stories. It was her life blood. |
Now that the female pulled herself up to get a better view, Cara decided to let rear end fall onto the ground, partly because she was tired of being on her paws and because she wanted to feel the mountain beneath her. The mountain she had once called home.
Though she would not trade the Spine for the world, the mighty structure of the mountain and the tunnel network within were admirable. Just like the one who had constructed it. No matter how many days or years passed by, the pale yearling would always remember the one who gifted her with what she had today. Not only had Jinx given the female a home after her father's death but she had also given her something to strive for.
The two females shared ambition and lust for power. And though Jinx's reign had been cut short due to her illness, Cara's had just begun -- and all thanks to her, the Snow Queen.
Cara's eyes fell onto the brown colored female again as she asked what kind of kingdom she was referring to. The pale yearling curled her lips into a smile, "This used to be a large pack, led by a Queen and her medic husband. This was their palace, and we were all their loyal servants." she barked, not even realizing she spoke in a way that made it feel like the end of it all hadn't been too long ago. "We didn't have real dragons but we did have a more than one beast to fight against" she continued with a light shrug. Majesty had been one of those monsters.
"Our Queen; she was the most kickass" she ended, waving her tail happily as all the good memories of Jinx played in her mind.
Since she had been little, the coywolf girl had always had a love for stories. She could recall sitting beside her mother in the early hours of the evening, pressed against Finna’s shoulder for warmth and support, listening to the wild adventures that her father had had. Siv had always wanted to live a life that warranted being made into a fantastic tale. It had been the initial reason for leaving her home on Skuld Shore. There was a burning desire to face the world and forge her own path. After all, if she had the blood of her father running through her veins, she was certain that it would be considerably easy to find a means for which she could undertake journeys on her own. So far, though, Siv had only found stories in the wolves and creatures around her. Yes, they were extraordinary, but they were not hers, and so she always found herself somewhat saddened by the idea that she had not yet accomplished what she had set out to do. She was beginning to fear that she never would. Drawing her rusty ears forward, the Savoy girl listened intently to the words that fell from the female’s mouth. She was enthralled by the idea that the very land where she stood was once home to an entire kingdom. As the story continued, though, Siv’s ears caught on to something even more unexpected. This stranger spoke as though she had been a part of the entire construction. As though she had been there through the duration of the kingdom’s rise and fall. This was something that caused the young coywolf girl to grow more and more interested as the story progressed. Her eyes widened at the sound of what had been – perhaps – not too long ago. It was slowly turning into a fascinating encounter with a stranger. Flicking her tongue across her tapered muzzle, Siv canted her head to the side just slightly and blinked her brilliant blue gaze at this brilliant guest. “You’ve said ‘we…’ a good couple of times, so I’m at least 150% certain that I didn’t misunderstand you… you belonged to this kingdom of kickassery?,” she remarked with a quick smirk and a flashing wink to suggest that most of what she was saying was meant only in a joking manner. However, she was still drawn to the idea that this female very well could have been around in the times of beast-wars and queens. “Alright, missy, do tell,” she finally yipped with a tail that flagged behind her. “What brought this kingdom to fall? What became of your Queen? Did you overthrow her and take her throne like a renegade with some minor ambition issues?” she babbled carelessly. It did not cross Siv’s mind to think that there was a possibility this stranger had very well been a part of the kingdom of which she spoke. And that, seeing as they were both sitting on unclaimed land, there was an even higher possibility that it had fallen in a manner that could have caused a great sadness. It was often a slight downside to Siv’s curiosity. In spite of her good nature, she could seem quite thoughtless in her inquiries of others. And yet, if it had been a personal subject – one not to be spoken of for fear of sudden and painful flashbacks – it was not likely that the golden-eyed stranger would have spoken of the kingdom in the first place. |
and yay Kierk
Cara's life had not been a fairytale.
Even her words had just made Silvertip sound like a true paradise, there were cracks underneath the embellished story spun by her lips. There was animosity, jealousy and treason squashed in the middle, weighing down heavily on the very moment it all went down.
After her little tale was done, the female drew her tongue over her lips, in a metaphorical attempt to savour the bittersweet taste that the memory of Jinx brought to her young mind. Suddenly the rusty female piped up with a question that made the yearling's mouth curve into a smile. She liked speaking of Silvertip, even if it pained her, she spoke with great affection and pride.
"You certaintly did not. I was part of the kickassery, a great part of it really. " she barked with a satisfied smile, she did not mean to boast -- not conciously at least -- but she couldn't help herself from gushing the great experiences shared to the stranger.
This feeling of greatness was swiftly crushed by her next set of questions. Speaking of their golden times was much more satisfactory than speaking of their doom. It had not been a happy time then, and it still wasn't one now.
"This kingdom did not fall here. After a great war with the coast wolves, we moved away. " she barked. If she thought of it, the kingdom had never fallen really, it had just converted into the Spine, where it had been molded and shifted with every new change in leadership.
"Our Queen led us to new lands, far greater than these if you ask me ", she half-whispered, despite her deep love for Silvertip Cara's heart now beated for the Spine alone. "Then, she fell suddenly ill and died shortly afterwards" she barked with a thick tone of melancholy weighing down her words. She decided to omit the whole ursurper wannabe-leader fiasco. In her mind, the black bitch wasn't even worth mentioning.
It would spoil the story.
"I, my friend, was proclaimed as Alpha by her husband, who like her died shortly after" she finished softly. Lecter had been a freak, but a freak she had learned to admire.
Drawing her ears forward, Siv intently awaited the conclusion of the story that was being unfurled. Her mind flashed images of battling wolves and regal warriors, fighting for the right to call that land their own or to relinquish it from those they deemed unworthy. Siv had always had an active imagination, and still the picture that was being painted for her was enough to cause her some unease. What darkness was hidden beneath the Teekon Wilds’ beautiful exterior? The coywolf female could not entirely picture the pretty face before her battling against brine and sea-salt wolves. Siv herself had not really seen any fighting; she doubted she would have been very good at it. Nonetheless, the female seemed to speak on the subject with reverence and mystery. It was enough to make the Savoy girl wish that she had been around for all of it. Instead, she was sitting on the aftermath and listening to stories of ghosts.
“Gee, that must have been rough. So, you’re the Alpha, then? Where’d you guys move to? Why didn’t you stick it out here on good ol’ mount doom?” Siv asked the female with a quirked brow. Her eyes were wide with interest, and her tail had ceased its incessant flagging. She had found herself more enraptured in the story that had been presented than she had intended. Still, there were things that had not yet been answered by the mystery she-wolf. And in that moment, Siv found it slightly odd that she was so involved in this woman’s life when she did not even know the golden female’s name. Nevertheless, the Savoy girl would be certain to find it out soon enough.
Flicking her tongue across her narrow muzzle and blinking several times at her companion, Siv wondered how she could carry so much heartache with her. She had lost leaders, and if Cara’s alpha had been anything like Peregrine or Fox, then Siv did not see how it would be capable to move on without feeling the ache of that loss. It was painful for the girl to even imagine losing the wolves of the caldera. They were just as much a part of her family as her true blood was. Even more so, the coywolf female could not comprehend what it would be like to witness that same death in a battle. Wolves were territorial and fierce creatures – protective of their lands and their families. To fall for the sake of land, though… that was a truly awful way to leave the earth.
also, i'll go ahead and wrap this old dinosaur
After the last concluding words were sputtered, the yearling took a second to re-fill her lungs with air. She had never tried to tell a tale of her own, she had always been an ambitious individual, since she was a child, but she had never thought she would be telling such glorious stories of herself and her pack at the young age of one. She had been lucky to have earned the Queen's trust, but most of all she had been a lucky girl to have been craddled by loss and calamity since her origins.
Though the fall of the empire she spoke of so fondly had really managed to shatter her heart she had bounced out of the pain relatively quickly. Those were the moments she was grateful for her tormentous childhood; with the sisters from hell, the dead mother and the dying single dad. All of it had made her what she was now. Those battles, and the battles she had fought on this very land would forever be a piece of her. Just like Jinx, and like the Spine.
"Yes I am Alpha -- we settled a bit east from here, a gorgeous ridge of mountains called the Spine" the female answere, her chest swelling again with a sense of fullfilment. "We moved on, Jix wanted something better -- she gave us better" she added shortly after, taking a look around after settling her eyes on her companion once more. Though Silvertip would also remain in her heart, she wouldn't trade the Spine for the universe.
"And speaking of which, I better get back. It was good to visit the ol' mount of doom though." she sighed, feeling the back of her head being pulled away to the exit. She didn't like being away very long. "I'm Cara, by the way" she added at last, before spinning around and sliding out the tunnels of the old Palace.
Lost in her own thoughts, the Savoy girl did not entirely catch Cara’s mentioning of returning home. When the golden-furred female turned to leave, Siv’s eyes lit up and she canted her head to the side. There were so many things to discuss. She did not know how many others had followed the female to her ‘Spine’ or if they ever planned to reclaim the lands they had lost. Nonetheless, it was a series of questions for another time. Flicking her tail upwards, the caldera wolf bobbed her head in response to the woman. “It was nice to meet you! I’m Siv,” she barked back. “Hopefully we’ll see each other again sometime!”
The Savoy girl remained on the mountain perch for some time before the sun began to set and she found the chill in the air to be too much for her thin pelt to handle. With a head full of thoughts, she jumped down from her position and made her way back to her own home, glad to smell the familiarity of the caldera when she came upon its borders.