@Hydra had sent him out early in the day to once more continue the search for @Vela. The earth had quieted for the most part—relatively speaking, of course, for even now he felt a tremble beneath his feet that seemed faint. But the quaking was few and farther between with every day; perhaps it heralded the end of one event, but certainly not another.
Even in the foggy, frosty glaze of the prairie, he could smell ash on the wind. Though he could not see the pillar of smoke from the volcano that had awoke on the other side of the eastern mountains before the valley there, Dirge knew with some sense that it still existed. He thought little on it now as he moved along—what could he do about it? So long as it didn't impact them on Moonspear and did not pose a threat to his children, there was naught he could do than watch from afar.
But the prairie itself was a bit of a mess, tattered and torn and damp. He had crossed over a great rift that had merged itself together again, the ground there soft like trap, like loam far too wet. He had crossed it quickly, instinctively wary, and felt relief on solid ground once again. It was a shame he hadn't brought @Arcturus or @Jarilo with him, thinking perhaps they would have found it as strange as he had.
And then he saw it, something rise up through the gloom and out of his memory.
A forked tree, a marker that he had used some time ago when this world seemed new and exciting, when heavy, heady winds teased saltwater somewhere north of them. The tree had once served a resting point when it had just been @Saor, @Nyx, and himself; it had weathered the changes admirably, though it leaned now from the upheaval of rock and soil. It seemed as good as any spot to stop for a spell—it was nearing midday, and he had set out long before dawn.
Even in the foggy, frosty glaze of the prairie, he could smell ash on the wind. Though he could not see the pillar of smoke from the volcano that had awoke on the other side of the eastern mountains before the valley there, Dirge knew with some sense that it still existed. He thought little on it now as he moved along—what could he do about it? So long as it didn't impact them on Moonspear and did not pose a threat to his children, there was naught he could do than watch from afar.
But the prairie itself was a bit of a mess, tattered and torn and damp. He had crossed over a great rift that had merged itself together again, the ground there soft like trap, like loam far too wet. He had crossed it quickly, instinctively wary, and felt relief on solid ground once again. It was a shame he hadn't brought @Arcturus or @Jarilo with him, thinking perhaps they would have found it as strange as he had.
And then he saw it, something rise up through the gloom and out of his memory.
A forked tree, a marker that he had used some time ago when this world seemed new and exciting, when heavy, heady winds teased saltwater somewhere north of them. The tree had once served a resting point when it had just been @Saor, @Nyx, and himself; it had weathered the changes admirably, though it leaned now from the upheaval of rock and soil. It seemed as good as any spot to stop for a spell—it was nearing midday, and he had set out long before dawn.
tags are for visibility, this is open for anyone!
October 18, 2019, 04:48 PM
It was the need to hunt that drew her out beyond the Sleepy Fox Hollow, down into the flat lands to roam in search of more bountiful prey. The land, fruitful and promising upon her inspection just over a month prior with Blodreina, had been something of a disappointment to what remained of Diaspora's wolves. Nyx, newly driven by a desire to do her best by them, could only try.
The prairie was quiet that day, rugged and without suggestion of a herd passing through. Every rabbit burrow she sniffed at was stale, absent of their warm bodies for quite some time. Frustrated, the tawny Ostrega carried on through the fog. Still searching... always searching...
Until she heard a sound just ahead, saw movement among the mist. Nyx' tail stiffened and her ears cupped forward, whiskers twitching curiously as she tested the air with her nose and crept closer. Footsteps, she realised. Too heavy to belong to any doe, and surely no ram could be found this far into the valley.
Her heart thrummed within her chest, anxious, drawing closer to her target until an unmistakable figure materialised before her very eyes. "Dirge...?" Nyx breathed out at once, a hesitation in her voice as she hung back to await confirmation.
The prairie was quiet that day, rugged and without suggestion of a herd passing through. Every rabbit burrow she sniffed at was stale, absent of their warm bodies for quite some time. Frustrated, the tawny Ostrega carried on through the fog. Still searching... always searching...
Until she heard a sound just ahead, saw movement among the mist. Nyx' tail stiffened and her ears cupped forward, whiskers twitching curiously as she tested the air with her nose and crept closer. Footsteps, she realised. Too heavy to belong to any doe, and surely no ram could be found this far into the valley.
Her heart thrummed within her chest, anxious, drawing closer to her target until an unmistakable figure materialised before her very eyes. "Dirge...?" Nyx breathed out at once, a hesitation in her voice as she hung back to await confirmation.
October 18, 2019, 05:09 PM
Sunlight filtered through the haze, the crooked shadows cast out by the tree held him in a perfect frame as he idled about. The crisp air didn't stop the panting, nor did he shake every droplet of dew and moisture off his back. There was absolutely nothing out here really, nothing at all that would emboldened him to hunt or to search. There was a silence here that was deafening and prophetic to far worse things if he were to linger, he thought.
These fields had once been rather full of life, but not even the birds dared to sing.
His gaze swung around, back the way he had come, and even in the fog he couldn't quite make out the staggering jut of Moonspear itself. It was obscured, nestled in with the forests that hid behind that ghastly veil. They had been fortunate thus far, but for how much longer? The quaking earth had not dismantled their mountain and the hunting had been fair up until recently, but he found worry pinching at the corner of his thoughts all the same.
The smoke and ash on the wind did little to comfort him either.
So when she spoke, it wound a thread tight in his chest but he could never ignore her. His head whipped around long before the rest of his body turned to meet her; the recognition was there steadfast and stalwart, but an apprehensive grip held his tongue. She looked worn and thin, worse than he remembered her being—but at least she was alive.
These fields had once been rather full of life, but not even the birds dared to sing.
His gaze swung around, back the way he had come, and even in the fog he couldn't quite make out the staggering jut of Moonspear itself. It was obscured, nestled in with the forests that hid behind that ghastly veil. They had been fortunate thus far, but for how much longer? The quaking earth had not dismantled their mountain and the hunting had been fair up until recently, but he found worry pinching at the corner of his thoughts all the same.
The smoke and ash on the wind did little to comfort him either.
So when she spoke, it wound a thread tight in his chest but he could never ignore her. His head whipped around long before the rest of his body turned to meet her; the recognition was there steadfast and stalwart, but an apprehensive grip held his tongue. She looked worn and thin, worse than he remembered her being—but at least she was alive.
omg i did not expect you to pick this up and i am excited
October 27, 2019, 05:56 PM
Sorry for delay here @Dirge, my phone keeps eating my post every time I try to write one here so it kinda killed my motivation for Nyx. :'(
He swung toward her, stared as though he'd crossed paths with a ghost. It took a moment for her to consider the likelihood that he had, for it was possible that Dirge had made peace with the strong possibility that they might never look upon one another again. Nyx' raven-tipped ears fell back guiltily with the recollection of how she'd chosen to disappear all those months ago.
But oh, how she felt everything at once: pain, sorrow, joy, relief. He was alive, as steadfast and solid as she so vividly remembered, outwardly unaffected by how she'd wronged him. Nyx felt her lips tremble as she bit back a whine that threatened to rob her of the breath she found herself holding, held desperately to the sudden urge to weep. For a long time she'd felt so numb, so hollow, so devoid of life. How was it that a single being could inject so many emotions into her all in only one moment?
"I'm sorry," was all that the tawny Ostrega managed in a soft rasp, as she dared to dream that Dirge might once again embrace her - flaws and all.
October 28, 2019, 05:15 PM
He watched tension snake its way through her; every muscle pulled taut as emotion seized her further, tearing asunder whatever it could as it clawed its way through. There was something about the way she drew and held her breath when it all came to a point that softened his features, and tentatively he closer to her. When she spoke, it was hushed and rough, weary around the edges, and he resisted the urge to hush her like a child.
"Don't be," he murmured back gently. His gaze followed every angle her body displayed; wondering, investigating. "I only wish you would have told me you needed to go." He couldn't, and wouldn't fault her for disappearing into the night. There had been little he had been able to do to pull her up out of the grief that had consumed her and perhaps rightfully so. Remorse was a crippling thing—they could both attest to having seen it before, if nowhere else than in the face of their mother at every impasse, every defense she had rose on their behalf when they had been too young to fend for themselves.
And he realized as his gaze settled back to her face, there was much to tell her, so much to speak of. Yet it hardly seemed proper—he picked up on the finer things about her now, specifically the medley of scents that clung to her in varied degrees. She wasn't alone—he opted to press gently instead: "Where have you been? Somewhere safe, I hope, with all that goes on lately."
"Don't be," he murmured back gently. His gaze followed every angle her body displayed; wondering, investigating. "I only wish you would have told me you needed to go." He couldn't, and wouldn't fault her for disappearing into the night. There had been little he had been able to do to pull her up out of the grief that had consumed her and perhaps rightfully so. Remorse was a crippling thing—they could both attest to having seen it before, if nowhere else than in the face of their mother at every impasse, every defense she had rose on their behalf when they had been too young to fend for themselves.
And he realized as his gaze settled back to her face, there was much to tell her, so much to speak of. Yet it hardly seemed proper—he picked up on the finer things about her now, specifically the medley of scents that clung to her in varied degrees. She wasn't alone—he opted to press gently instead: "Where have you been? Somewhere safe, I hope, with all that goes on lately."
no worries! i'm busy and i figured you were too.
She hated the way he did that. It fucking irritated her to hear him speak so softly in response, to forgive her for all her wrongdoing - even those toward him. Nyx wasn't sure why she always expected him to berate her for them when all Dirge had ever done was accept who she was and what she became. She probably would've been pissed off if he'd done a disappearing act on her! The tawny Ostrega frowned to herself, yellow eyes averting guiltily to her paws.
It seemed the only one unwilling to let go of the past was Nyx herself.
But she'd tried! Oh, how she'd tried. For a time she thought she had, but it was difficult when the first thought of each new day was the memory of murdering of her own cubs. Nyx allowed her brother closer and, sending his weariness, made to close the distance herself. She reached out to him, muzzle extended to bury her snout among the mahogany of his ruff, and stepped in near to him if he'd allow. "I'll never deserve how good you are to me," she managed a smile into his fur, a snort of a laugh. He went on to question her whereabouts, her wellbeing, and she drew back to lift her gaze and once more look upon his face.
"In the mountains," she glanced briefly over a peppered shoulder, "I've been with a pack called Diaspora since the Summertime. Before that, after I left your weald," she sought his eyes again, "I visited Mother in Winterheart and stayed there for a while."
He'd have questions about that trip, surely, and so left the floor open as his for the taking.
It seemed the only one unwilling to let go of the past was Nyx herself.
But she'd tried! Oh, how she'd tried. For a time she thought she had, but it was difficult when the first thought of each new day was the memory of murdering of her own cubs. Nyx allowed her brother closer and, sending his weariness, made to close the distance herself. She reached out to him, muzzle extended to bury her snout among the mahogany of his ruff, and stepped in near to him if he'd allow. "I'll never deserve how good you are to me," she managed a smile into his fur, a snort of a laugh. He went on to question her whereabouts, her wellbeing, and she drew back to lift her gaze and once more look upon his face.
"In the mountains," she glanced briefly over a peppered shoulder, "I've been with a pack called Diaspora since the Summertime. Before that, after I left your weald," she sought his eyes again, "I visited Mother in Winterheart and stayed there for a while."
He'd have questions about that trip, surely, and so left the floor open as his for the taking.
October 29, 2019, 05:08 PM
Easily did she go into an embrace, one that seemed to still them both if only for a moment. He had wondered after her for a time, before things became all-consuming and then it had been a fleeting moment here and there. It was comforting to know she had survived, that she still lived, and once more he listened in as she spoke of where she had been in all the time that had passed them.
Diaspora—Mahler's pack. He knew a bit of them, if only from what Hydra had shared with him. His ideals, his wants, and how they had aligned with her vision. A different canvas but similar strokes; he hadn't met him first hand, but now he wondered of him more and what that would mean knowing Nyx was among them. But more pressing was the topic that she broached after.
"You went to see Mother?" His tone was light, bordering that of incredulous whispers. Genuinely surprised; he had not imagined her going back. "How was she, how were... things?" She was but a woman two years removed from his memory now and truthfully Dirge could not recall the last time he had wondered of her and the other two that made up their quartet.
More questions arose, off his tongue just as soon as they came.
"And our sisters... was Saor there?"
Diaspora—Mahler's pack. He knew a bit of them, if only from what Hydra had shared with him. His ideals, his wants, and how they had aligned with her vision. A different canvas but similar strokes; he hadn't met him first hand, but now he wondered of him more and what that would mean knowing Nyx was among them. But more pressing was the topic that she broached after.
"You went to see Mother?" His tone was light, bordering that of incredulous whispers. Genuinely surprised; he had not imagined her going back. "How was she, how were... things?" She was but a woman two years removed from his memory now and truthfully Dirge could not recall the last time he had wondered of her and the other two that made up their quartet.
More questions arose, off his tongue just as soon as they came.
"And our sisters... was Saor there?"
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