January 26, 2025, 01:19 PM
it took hours, but when sobeille reached the summit a quiet gasp left her mouth. below her, the entire valley rolled out beneath her in waves of dark greys and blues. in a way it reminded her of standing on the cliffs of her home shore. a powerful homesickness roiled within her as she traced the backlands until they met the snarling edge of the tangle. there, just beyond the black blot of fen was --
sapphique.
she could leave now, and by the time sivaak knew she was gone and tracked her here, sobeille would be hours downhill and almost back in the loving arms of her maman.
as tempting as it was, sobeille's claws curled into the frozen earth with steady determination. she had learned much from sivaak these months. how to pull big game down by their throats. how to track. and perhaps most important of all, how to ensure her legacy.
she could not leave, not yet. the lovesickness that curled around her heart in choking smoke turned to something softer as she thought of yura, just budding into her womanhood and ready to tap into her true power. this sobeille could not miss; not for all of sapphique's embrace.
deep in thought, sobeille kicked a stone down the slope and listened to the gradually increasing plunks as the stone spun out of view below.
the wind rose and danced between the fur along her shoulder blades. it carried a scent that caused sobeille to tense, scanning around her with a hard squint.
@Mulherin?
sapphique.
she could leave now, and by the time sivaak knew she was gone and tracked her here, sobeille would be hours downhill and almost back in the loving arms of her maman.
as tempting as it was, sobeille's claws curled into the frozen earth with steady determination. she had learned much from sivaak these months. how to pull big game down by their throats. how to track. and perhaps most important of all, how to ensure her legacy.
she could not leave, not yet. the lovesickness that curled around her heart in choking smoke turned to something softer as she thought of yura, just budding into her womanhood and ready to tap into her true power. this sobeille could not miss; not for all of sapphique's embrace.
deep in thought, sobeille kicked a stone down the slope and listened to the gradually increasing plunks as the stone spun out of view below.
the wind rose and danced between the fur along her shoulder blades. it carried a scent that caused sobeille to tense, scanning around her with a hard squint.
@Mulherin?
January 26, 2025, 01:53 PM
he rarely had a direction these days.
all he knew was that something had lured him back here. in an animalistic way he gave in to his desire to follow.
now that he was here, he felt the opposite—somehow repulsed, repelled from rise.
as easily as he had come, he would be gone again.
seemingly thousands of times he’d summited these slopes. again, he picks a path and makes his way up the incline.
and then it hits him suddenly, strongly, the scent of another—familiar, yes—revealing that he is not alone out here.
somber curiosity; he tracks her.
there—the distant thud of a stone, he is close.
mulherin sees her, perched above the cliffside.
he watches the girl idly from below, his throat is too dry to rumble a greeting.
all he knew was that something had lured him back here. in an animalistic way he gave in to his desire to follow.
now that he was here, he felt the opposite—somehow repulsed, repelled from rise.
as easily as he had come, he would be gone again.
seemingly thousands of times he’d summited these slopes. again, he picks a path and makes his way up the incline.
and then it hits him suddenly, strongly, the scent of another—familiar, yes—revealing that he is not alone out here.
somber curiosity; he tracks her.
there—the distant thud of a stone, he is close.
mulherin sees her, perched above the cliffside.
he watches the girl idly from below, his throat is too dry to rumble a greeting.
January 26, 2025, 03:20 PM
his scent grew stronger, but sobeille had yet to see him.
she recalled their last encounter; chani, full of bubbling life. the quiet girl besides mulherin, that had intrigued sobeille deeply.
it was strange to her to think how much had changed in what felt a blink of an eye.
she kicked another stone from its lodging, listening with satisfaction as it dislodged rubble and scree from the slope's face. a cascade of clattering followed, echoing until it was barely audible.
craning her neck over the ridge, sobeille felt a chill rake her as a pair of eyes gazed back.
she recalled their last encounter; chani, full of bubbling life. the quiet girl besides mulherin, that had intrigued sobeille deeply.
it was strange to her to think how much had changed in what felt a blink of an eye.
she kicked another stone from its lodging, listening with satisfaction as it dislodged rubble and scree from the slope's face. a cascade of clattering followed, echoing until it was barely audible.
craning her neck over the ridge, sobeille felt a chill rake her as a pair of eyes gazed back.
January 26, 2025, 04:08 PM
another stone, falling,
clack, clack, clack
it whizzes past him and careens down the hill.
his gaze stays focused on sobeille, who now has noticed him.
they are enveloped in a moment of silence that feels like hours.
mulherin begins to draw nearer and winds up the slope.
clack, clack, clack
it whizzes past him and careens down the hill.
his gaze stays focused on sobeille, who now has noticed him.
they are enveloped in a moment of silence that feels like hours.
you seem familiar.he says finally.
mulherin begins to draw nearer and winds up the slope.
January 26, 2025, 04:14 PM
it took several seconds for the instinctual alarm to fade. once the chill rippled through her, it was displaced by something else: a quiet knowing.
had one of the stones hit him already? she could not recall if his manner had been so detached before. perhaps chani was the fuse in such interactions - an agent bringing inactive solvents to life.
chani promised she would like this boy, but as she cupped the stone in her paw sobeille could not find warmth in her heart.
use, maybe -- but not warmth.
you be de rise boy.sobeille dislodged another stone, cupping it between her paw. an intrusive thought wound itself around her then, forbidden only by the sudden, glaring image of chani.
had one of the stones hit him already? she could not recall if his manner had been so detached before. perhaps chani was the fuse in such interactions - an agent bringing inactive solvents to life.
chani promised she would like this boy, but as she cupped the stone in her paw sobeille could not find warmth in her heart.
use, maybe -- but not warmth.
where treow be?
January 26, 2025, 04:42 PM
sobeille recognizes him and he wonders how long it had been since they’d met.
a different time, really.
he can see the tension in her shoulders, perhaps she feels a twinge of unease in seeing him here.
and next, her intentions spill in the form of a question. she poses little amicability toward him—she’d always preferred moon runner.
he isn’t phased by this, they both weren’t each other’s first choices anyway.
and he figures he oughta dish it back to her.
a different time, really.
he can see the tension in her shoulders, perhaps she feels a twinge of unease in seeing him here.
and next, her intentions spill in the form of a question. she poses little amicability toward him—she’d always preferred moon runner.
he isn’t phased by this, they both weren’t each other’s first choices anyway.
and he figures he oughta dish it back to her.
where’s your cousin?
January 26, 2025, 07:52 PM
now the flat of sobeille's eyes turn, resting on the boy -- a man now, really -- whose rejoinder to her coldness was to exploit a wound still laid open by chani's departure.
sobeille lifted her chin, gaze hardening.
truthfully, sobeille was not certain where chani was -- somewhere in eresta, she was sure -- but they had always talked of this. what they would do when their time came.
sobeille's pupils laid flat as a colubrid's upon mulherin, sizing up his physique. he was not wanting -- while lean, there was a power to his body that could be useful.
and then, answering the intrusive thought that had been a roar in the back of her mind the moment their eyes met, sobeille pushed the stone over the rim's lip and towards him.
it was harmless in size, but she waited for his reaction in breath baited by tension.
sobeille lifted her chin, gaze hardening.
prob'ly looking for you.she responded with a deliberate sniff of the air between them. while still frigid, the distant fragrances of spring clung to every wisp of wintry air.
truthfully, sobeille was not certain where chani was -- somewhere in eresta, she was sure -- but they had always talked of this. what they would do when their time came.
you'll 'ave to prove yourself,stone bouncing from paw to paw.
sobeille's pupils laid flat as a colubrid's upon mulherin, sizing up his physique. he was not wanting -- while lean, there was a power to his body that could be useful.
and then, answering the intrusive thought that had been a roar in the back of her mind the moment their eyes met, sobeille pushed the stone over the rim's lip and towards him.
it was harmless in size, but she waited for his reaction in breath baited by tension.
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