The Sentinels the curse ruled from the underground, down by the shore

again deirdre moved through the labryinthal woods that seemed to move and shift as she did, seeking; but she knew its tricks, knew its ways. in her youth, she would move beneath the gnarled roots and memorise paths unknown to even the places founders; she knew this place as only one borne to it could! the scent of starbuck was present, and this odor she traced--but the nearby scent of @Muses distracted her, and deirdre, temporarily, altered her course. the winds shifted and deirdre followed them, murmuring sweet nothings to the trees that seemed so weary in the autumn chill! but they remained strong, resolute, and evergreen; they were hardy, they had survived more seasons than deirdre and her wild imagination could number! her nose brushed against the earth, and her eyes now sought the hue that muses wore.

She did not settle into the forests of Donnelaith immediately. It was difficult to get used to the humid air and towering trees. Occasionally, Muses felt claustrophobic, and found herself wandering between the maze of trees to try and soothe her frayed nerves. She missed the chaos of family life on top of the mountain, the snow that never melted, and the closeness of her family. This was not a bad place, she thought to herself, but it was nothing like the only home she had ever known.

Finally feeling wary and defeated, she pushed her body against the base of a sequoia tree. The feeling of solid wood refusing to give in to her weight was reassuring. Comforted, she allowed her body to sink, slowly sliding down the base of the tree until she was lying down on the moss covered floor beneath her paws. No sooner had she managed to curl herself into a comfortable position did a maiden in white appear in her peripherals. Muses turned her head, initially surprised to see Deirdre. This was her realm however, and was to be expected. Thumping her tail on the ground, her mood brightening considerably, she offered an inviting chuff, hoping that her friend would come and sit with her a while between the gnarled roots.

the invitation cheered the once morose deirdre, who longed for the company of starbuck. but if she were to be here, then deirdre would find her, soon. muses was her newest subordinate and friend, both, and deirdre wanted to be certain she felt safe here, happy here. she picked her way over the thicker roots until she slid beneath one that accomodated her larger girth; deirdre was no small waif, but a curvaceous and buxom thing. the gnarled lifebringers of the trees cradled her comfortably, and she smiled radiantly at her adored companion. the trees suit you, you know, deirdre unabashedly complimented, her own thick plume tapping against the earth.

Yawning lightly, it was apparent that Muses was at ease with her company. She rarely felt reason not to trust others, but found Deirdre to be exceptionally sweet. It was impossible to regret coming to Donnelaith, even if it was incomparable to her mountain birthland. "You think so?" The young female shot back with an impish grin. Slowly, she pushed a shoulder against the bark, using the tree to reach an itch. "I loved hunting in the forests of my native land, but I've never seen trees that grow as big or as tall as these!" When she had finished scratching, she tilted her head up to marvel at the towering tree. "Everything here seems so much bigger." She paused, flicking her ears thoughtfully for a moment. "Maybe it id because there are no mountains to put things into perspective." Muses considered it a moment, thinking her theory to be plausible. "But I'm happy that I've found a place where I can rest comfortably." Her tone was earnest as she looked about the area once again. Now that she had somewhere to base herself out of, she could explore, and learn more about her new home.

deirdre hummed her assent to the others query, the smile lingering upon her features. as the other spoke on, the young queen listened to the others voice and the way it merged with the hours breeze; it pleased her to know that muses had experience within forests, and deirdre found herself gazing upward at the trees as the other mentioned the size of the sentinels. only when the other finished did deirdre's gaze find her way back to the unique eyes that she knew only her subordinate to possess, her own emerald eyes twinkling. perhaps, deirdre spoke, her voice thoughtful and unsure both--i have been told that these trees are among the oldest the valley hosts by those who reside upon their branches and deep beneath their roots, her ears cupped forward as a wind snaked its way through the heavily wooded forest, playing with her whiskers idly, the older the tree is, here, the taller it looks. the sentinels can withstand the heaviest of gales--it must have survived many a fierce storm. nearer to the coast, some of the sentinels appear bent, but they are unbroken--they grow strangely, but are no less beautiful than the rest of this place, deirdre loved this place fiercely! much of the land near to the coast looked this way, though donnelaith outlasted the storms! as for the other being happy to have found a place to rest her weary head, she too felt the same. i have never been upon a mountain before, deirdre remarked, intrigued as to what that sort of life might be like.

Muses nodded, finding sense in what Deirdre spoke. She had known old trees and young trees, and had thought her mountain to be ancient. But there were fires and avalanches and rock slides that would clear whole patches of forest. Unlike the forest beside the coast, the ones she was most familiar with were in a constant state of growth and rebirth. "These trees must be ancient indeed -- as old as the gods, I would think." To have grown so large meant that they had withstood all means of natural disasters. She marveled at the thought, awestruck beneath the dark shadows.

Finally after a while, she spoke again, her tail brushing lightly against the ground. "I think perhaps I feel about my mountains as you feel about your forest." She summarized, not sure how to do her beloved mountains any justice to their beauty if she could only use words to describe them. "The mountains are as beautiful as they are dangerous, capped with snow and ice, rocky at higher altitudes, and covered in evergreen forests closer to the base." With a dreamy sigh, she turned around, rolling onto her back to gaze up at the towering canopy. "Perhaps if there are mountains in these lands, we can travel to see them together sometime." Her invitation was shy, yet simultaneously eager. It would be nothing like showing Deirdre the place where she had been born, but she could not believe any single mountain could possibly be ugly. "We will find rivers of fresh water, crystalline waterfalls, meadows of flowers, and lookouts from which we can observe the world for days around us!" Sighing, she drew her front paws into her chest, briefly closing her eyes for a moment. Her favourite time had been during the colder seasons, surrounded by family.

deirdre marveled at the others words, and hummed. perhaps they were borne in the same age, she imagined aloud. the Old Ones resided here, she believed, dormant and resting well beneath the roots. sometimes they spoke to her in stirring breaths, but their power could be felt; donnelaith, as much as deirdre, was an otherworldly place that truly felt like it was transported from olde tales, when the Fair Folk ran rampant.

as the other spoke of the mountains, deirdre found herself upon one in her minds eye--she fantasized over the waters she spoke of, and imagined them to taste like the air itself, pure and untouched. the healing waters of donnelaith were fresh and sweet, and sated her. i think i should like to see them, deirdre offered, her ears swiveling atop her crown. but deirdre was a forest nymph, made for a place such as this! her heart ached with fear that muses might not never feel at home here--but she hoped with all her being that she would!

the other spoke of meadows, and deirdre knew donnelaith harbored such beautiful flowers past spring that she wished to share the sight of it with her friend, muses; but the flowers slept, as surely as the Old Ones did! the earth around them was still green, the sentinels ever bearing the hue and the coastal plants not to be put to bed, but so much of the brilliant shades donnelaith kept otherwise had closed their eyes to the autumn, and would 'til winter left them.

Muses suspected that the whole world came about all at once. She thought she would notice if little bits of the world were to suddenly burst into existence. Unable to think of a theory that went against Deirdre's theory, she simply nodded, amazed that anyone would come up with something so logical and deep. Deirdre was truly inspiring!

Even better, she seemed to be swept up in Muses' recollection of what a mountain entailed. Her heart leapt with joy as her friend agreed that she would one day like to see her beloved mountains. Her tail thumped fervently, and in an instant, she was on her paws and bounding towards the pure white fairy, aiming to throw a paw over her shoulders in a warm embrace, tongue seeking to caress the flat of her cheek.

"I would love nothing more than to show you something so dear to me!" She was elated, her heart singing with passion. "I don't think that you will find it as inspiring as I do," The young wolf added shyly, not wanting to be disappointed by a reaction that was less exuberant than her own; she could not imagine a more perfect place for Deirdre other than Donnelaith, but she had no doubt that her friend would understand why the mountains were so dear to her. "But I am so eager to explore your world." She murmured gently, almost breathlessly. "I want to love it as you do, and even if my own passion is a fraction of yours, that will be enough." Just as she did not think anyone else would understand her lust for cold winters high above the clouds, she knew that as an immigrant, herr love for the coast would never be quite the same.