Dawnlark Plains Oh will you persist

@Sunny 

There is beauty in the first snow and, while it means harder days ahead for those, who are stranded outside to fight for their survival, it is still something to stop for a moment and relish. Therefore Wraen, who was on the important quest of finding prey for her and Maia's lunch-table, paused to regard the fresh, white blanket that had covered the brownish yellow grass, and take in the peace and tranquillity this sight offered. 

It got dark very early now, but snow meant that they she would be able to stay in the field longer due to the reflected light it provided. Tracks were also easier to see and, when her gaze locked on a trail left by a rabbit, she followed it right away. As small as the gain was going to be, she could not allow herself to be picky about, what she chose to hunt.

He had to take some time away. It had snowed, much earlier than he had expected and the coverage was over his paws. They were so small in numbers still and had so little food, he had no idea at all what to do about this. He needed to think away from the prying eyes of his pack and he prayed that while out he found something to bring home. He had changed, the youthful boyish look gone from his face and the glimmer of optimism gone from his eyes. Even so he still walked with hope in his step, still carried himself well.


Before he even knew it he had wandered into Dawnlark. The trees were burned even now, bare and charred both from the fire and from winter. He stared around, the ghosts of memories haunting him just as a rabbit dashed in front of him and startled him out of his meloncholy. Instantly he gave chase, unaware that a familiar face was close behind his new prey.

It happened a little while later - sound of rabbit's gallop across the fields and another set of paws following it right away. Damn! Wraen swore, realizing that yet again her lunch was going to someone else, but, once she saw the two emerge from her left, she decided not to give up just yet and give herself a fair chance to join in the chase and come out as a winner from it. 

She quickly measured the distance between her and the two, waited for them to come closer and then jumped out, cutting the rabbit's path and making it swerve in a different direction fast. It's feet slipped, it lost balance, giving Wraen the precious seconds to leap forward and grab hold of it. A shrill squeak, an ominous muffled crack and the little creature was on it's ways to meet it's forefathers. It's killer, however, held it firmly in her jaws and eyed her competitor suspiciously.

He almost had it, he could have had it except suddenly someone jumped out and the rabbit swerved. Startled he growled and skidded to a halt almost slipping and falling in the snow himself. He watched bitter disappointment making his tail droop between his legs, ears going back as the smell of death and food permeated the air. What good was he to Morningside if he couldn't catch a single bit of prey to bring home?

A low rumbling started in his chest, almost ready to fight for this food before he lifted his gaze away from the rabbit and actually looked at the one who (in his mind) stole his prey. "Wraen?" he asked his tail lifting slightly and wagging. He was still upset that he'd lost the prey but if it was Wraen, he could probably move past it.

Only one blink, two blinks, three blinks later did Wraen realize that she was looking at a familiar face that she had not seen in ages. When had been the last time - winter, early summer? He had not changed much, maybe grown into his adult shoes and wore them with more pride and confidence than earlier. His eyes were of the most beautiful colour still and she found it hard to look directly at them for too long. She had a feeling that they pierced right through her. 

It seemed also that also Sunny had recognized her and, when his tension melted away, she let her guard down as well. She put the rabbit down and went around it to greet her old acquaintance the proper an polite way. With the ritual done she smiled and said: "You are a face that I have not seen in a long time. How has life treated you so far?" She hoped that he was doing better, because she was ashamed to admit that she had entirely forgotten, why he had felt bad during their last meeting in the first place.

The tension between them melted away and Sunny greeted her properly as well. It felt so amazingly good to see a familiar face, one that was a friend that he couldn't help the relieved whine that rose from his throat. How long had it been really? Since long before the fire for sure. Had he seen her after the move to this area? He wracked his brain and decided that he couldn't quite remember. He had definitely seen her before the move a few times. It stunned him that he hadn't seen her in so long, that so much horrible stuff had happened since he had been that optimistic and happy boy she had hunted with. It took him a moment to respond, maw opening once and closing before he finally opened it again eyes darkening along with it "It has been some time hasn't it? Life hasn't been very kind on my end, though I suppose I have to say I may deserve it" it had blurted out. Nothing before had been considered about karma. But he hadn't been the best person had he? Choosing Easthollow, being selfish, returning so late that bonds with family had been hard to rekindle. That plus attacking dawn and failing his brother, Aditya when he needed Sunny most had him certain that this was a test by life to see if he was truly worthy of Morningside and the members that now relied on him.

"My father died after moving here. All my youngest siblings have left. Dawn is gone. Aditya was our leader but he also vanished. The fire destoryed so much...We reside close by and I am leader now" he did the quickest update he could, leaving so much out but giving the basics. He gave a grim smile and focused in on her "And you? How's stuff been with you? You're still just as pretty" he snuck in a bit of a teasing compliment, remembering how he had awkwardly complimented her before. She was pretty, beautiful even now that he was fully able to understand the beauty that women could hold. He felt a bit bad for complimenting her in such a way when Aliac was home and his brain reminded him of that women named Fire he had almost had sex with and instantly he looked embarrassed and ashamed, gaze moving to the ground beneath his paws.

Oh, please, do not go all Terance on me too... Wraen thought and let out a small sigh, when Sunny implied that all the troubles that had come his way had been his fault from the get-go. Maybe it really had been - after all she did not know all the facts and circumstances - but she was allergic to people blaming themselves. It was a common courtesy that refrained her from yelling out a "Come on, man, get a grip!" Come to think of it, funny, how her brother's name had become an adjective for a person, who ate himself up from inside. 

"I heard about the fire - I think I met one of your wolves, when I and my sister scouted for a new place that my then pack could settle down at. Sunspire moved from the mountains down in the valley. Our numbers had got too high - to the point that the place could not sustain us," she told, calmly retelling the facts without any emotional icing that had once caused so much anger and frustration in her. "Congratulations on becoming the chief!" she said with a smile, now recalling that the last time they had met right after Sunny's father had died and she had consoled her distraught friend. 

"I do not know, how you feel about it, but I think that this mantel suits you. You will learn a great deal, while holding the throne," she returned the compliment in a more elaborate way, because you could not tell a man that he was handsome, could you? "I tell it from my experience and found out that it was not exactly, what I had had in mind, when I stepped up. I am a free wolf now, I travel together with my sister."

He was honestly relieved when Wraen quickly moved to change the subject, explaining how her home had moved somewhere new and why. She never had seemed to be too much into emotions now that he thought on it, she was optimistic but not all mushy and cheery. She was just....mature but not too emotionless to be cold. He studied her for a moment, eyes holding her in a new light. She was an amazing woman and he wondered at the fact that he could call her a friend since fate kept tossing them together repeatedly. Then she startled him out of his musing with congratulations and flattery, his fur heating up and tail swaying as her faith in him caused him to stand just a bit taller. "Thank you...everyone seems to trust me to lead. It's a lot to handle especially when it's winter and we haven't prepared but these wolves are my friends and family, I have to make sure they survive." he said with a more confident air. 

She went on to say how she was a lone wolf, travelling with her sister and he blinked with surprise a slow smile spreading across his maw "Sister? Is she like you? that would be scary" he teased and then realised that came out more offensive than charming. He balked and stumbled over his words for a moment "because you're beautiful and a great hunter and you probably kick ass. that's why it's scary...not because of anything bad." he finally got out and then clamped his mouth shut, looking down at the snowy ground and shaking his head. "God...How did my dad do it?" he asked wondering how he had everyone, not just the women, falling at his paws.

"Winter is a very unpredictable creature and creative as well, the thing with her is that you can never prepare for it as good as you have wished. Something will always happen to throw you off the intended path," Wraen returned, wishing that Sunny would not go the same way Terance had gone with blaming himself for all the stuff that had gone wrong in his life and others. "Meaning that you should rather be smart about it and play the game as best as you can," she finished. And if you lost, well, that's, how life went. End of story.

"Someone's has drunk from the rivulet of flattering words," Wraen replied. "She is scarier. Bigger than me, stronger - definitely, and has all the wit and charm of my family's women. So - be warned," she said, thinking about Maia and, what a laugh she would have, after hearing, what Wraen had pictured her like. But all in all she was not wrong. "No way to ask him now, is it? I often wondered about my parents, when I was a leader and how handy it would have been to ask about stuff that I was not confident about. On the other hand... we have to start somewhere, don't we? And I doubt that anyone gave either your dad or my old folks a ready-made formula of how to be perfect and great."

Again, he was struck by how her words carried such a refreshing dose of logic, truth, and brutal honesy. He found himself smiling at her despite the sadness her words made him feel. She was right though, his dad had learned through life experiences as he went along just as Sunny would have to. He could wish and want for help as much as he pleased but that wouldn't get him anywhere now would it? "You're right. I'll learn as I go along and i'm sure I will be able to do as good as I can. In fact...I already have been considering a few ideas on how to make things work so perhaps I need to pick one and start there instead of continuing to mope and think so hard." he sighed softly and then shook his head slowly, laughing silently at himself "Sometimes I feel like i'm still a kid. Though honestly I don't think that's such a bad thing as long as I know when to act mature." he trailed off and looked at her curiously "Do you have any goals or plans yet or are you just living the moments as they come? It would be nice to be able to see you more often instead of these random appearances" he said a bit sheepishly. It was true though, he did find himself wishing to see her again even before they seperated. He blamed that on how close he always held his friends, it kind of sucked that she was roaming and he had absolutely no idea where he could find her to visit again.

"Sometimes the best way is moving forward and doing something than standing in the crossroads, trying to make the right choice," Wraen spoke from experience. Leaving Sunspire had been scary in the beginning, but it had been a start. There had been days, when she had not known, whether, what she was doing the correct thing, she had craved for someone else to tell her that the path she had taken indeed was. But after a while she had realized that there was no one else she had to give an account to than herself. If her actions did not go against her better judgement and conscience, then they weren't wrong.

"There is this old saying that by admitting your lack of knowledge you have taken the first steps towards wisdom," she smiled. "Congratulations on that," she bowed in an all-too-official manner that indicated her humouring with him. "I see you caught glimpse of the divine and want all it to yourself, huh?" she asked him with a whimsical grin. "What do you offer in return? After all I am a capricious and very selfish deity."

After a little more talk their parted on mutually good terms and with a promise to see each other again sometime.