The stroke of midnight would mark Maegi's second birthday, but of course, she didn't know that.
She spent the eve on the edges of the meadow, marking what was ostensibly to be their new borders. Their new home. It was chilly, and the wind whistled over the open land in ways it didn't in the first. Cut through her still-thin pelt; she trembled, but not always due to weather.
Maegi was taking stock of all she'd lost since birth. All the faces once here, now gone. Euron. Ramsay. Cicero. Miraak. Cassiopeia. Anansi. . . And while there were things to hold close, wolves that remained, it seemed on this bitter night that the positives were still outweighed by the negatives. That the net sum of gains and losses was not in her favor.
How many more deaths and departures before she, herself, rotted away? How many more fissures could her heart take? Best to just close it off entirely, let no one else in. Nothing could hurt if it didn't wound her to begin with.
But that was not her way. Beneath the ice, Maegi was fire; beneath the affected coolness was a child crying for its mother. She wanted to love, wanted to be loved. . .even if that love would eventually, inevitably, end in tragedy. Or, worse somehow, fade away, like it had never existed at all.
Hitching a sigh through tired lungs, she squatted, urinating. The soft hiss, the acrid smell. . .she felt more alive in this moment than she'd been in days.
And, yet, with the newfound spark of being came the pain again. It was one or the other, apparently: agony or apathy.
She spent the eve on the edges of the meadow, marking what was ostensibly to be their new borders. Their new home. It was chilly, and the wind whistled over the open land in ways it didn't in the first. Cut through her still-thin pelt; she trembled, but not always due to weather.
Maegi was taking stock of all she'd lost since birth. All the faces once here, now gone. Euron. Ramsay. Cicero. Miraak. Cassiopeia. Anansi. . . And while there were things to hold close, wolves that remained, it seemed on this bitter night that the positives were still outweighed by the negatives. That the net sum of gains and losses was not in her favor.
How many more deaths and departures before she, herself, rotted away? How many more fissures could her heart take? Best to just close it off entirely, let no one else in. Nothing could hurt if it didn't wound her to begin with.
But that was not her way. Beneath the ice, Maegi was fire; beneath the affected coolness was a child crying for its mother. She wanted to love, wanted to be loved. . .even if that love would eventually, inevitably, end in tragedy. Or, worse somehow, fade away, like it had never existed at all.
Hitching a sigh through tired lungs, she squatted, urinating. The soft hiss, the acrid smell. . .she felt more alive in this moment than she'd been in days.
And, yet, with the newfound spark of being came the pain again. It was one or the other, apparently: agony or apathy.
October 14, 2019, 12:38 PM
He stole in a different direction this time, passing home but never drawing near enough to be scented or seen.
Merrit had been here once, when he had been much younger. Sometime during the night. His thoughts then had been given for someone then. Whether for Stark, or for Keen, or for someone else entirely, he couldn't remember anymore, but the meadow filled him with longing and aching and anger.
There was something new to the air today. He lowered his head and inhaled the new scent. Someone had made their home here, and he lifted his crown and peered into the dimming dusk. She had passed by recently. The scent was too fresh to have been laid at any other time.
Merrit stuck along the outer perimeter of the claim, and trailed after the path of her scent. His steps once again felt purposeless, beyond the curiosity that drove him forward. When he thought he saw a shape on the horizon, he chanced the air with a low note, and refused to slow in his path to meet her.
Screw being careful for once.
Merrit had been here once, when he had been much younger. Sometime during the night. His thoughts then had been given for someone then. Whether for Stark, or for Keen, or for someone else entirely, he couldn't remember anymore, but the meadow filled him with longing and aching and anger.
There was something new to the air today. He lowered his head and inhaled the new scent. Someone had made their home here, and he lifted his crown and peered into the dimming dusk. She had passed by recently. The scent was too fresh to have been laid at any other time.
Merrit stuck along the outer perimeter of the claim, and trailed after the path of her scent. His steps once again felt purposeless, beyond the curiosity that drove him forward. When he thought he saw a shape on the horizon, he chanced the air with a low note, and refused to slow in his path to meet her.
Screw being careful for once.
with quiet words I'll lead you in
October 14, 2019, 01:40 PM
In the darkness, something emerged. The shape was wolf and it was moving, and not slowly, toward her. Without even willing it, her hackles rose, bicolored eyes flashing as she turned to face it head-on. Whatever it was—whomever it was—she was in no mood to be trifled with. Not on her new land.
Fear for her wolves. Fear for her children. Fear for the order of the world itself. Jaes, guide me, she thought fervently, squaring her shoulders.
What do you want?Maegi asked, voice cutting into the night. Her tone toed the line between commanding and rude, with perhaps a subterranean quaver if one listened carefully enough. As much as she wanted to be Blackfeather's fearless leader, it was with fear that she reacted most of all.
Fear for her wolves. Fear for her children. Fear for the order of the world itself. Jaes, guide me, she thought fervently, squaring her shoulders.
October 14, 2019, 04:20 PM
Even when the woman turned to meet him with words that broke like ice from her lips, he showed no shame. Instead he found strange satisfaction in her cool reception; he was certain he could have tempered her, with a display of gentle civility -- and he would remain a gentleman, in conduct toward her -- but he was tired of walking on eggshells, and skirting around like the world would rupture if he let his actions bleed without thought of consequence. For once he wished simply to be, and so, he would.
As it were, he had no ill-intent; he stopped outside her claim. He dwarfed her, but her presence made her feel large. "Just curious," he said, with a cursory glance toward the meadow -- yet his attention was more taken her face. The shadows obscured the full depth of her scarring, but he could see small portions of her teeth within the darkness, exposed and glinting in the twilight. The sight disturbed him, not because of the scarring, but for the history the wound seemed to speak.
"Actually, I'm looking for someone," he continued, his voice collected, and unbetraying of the thoughts he kept careful tied within, "Small, pale, with a head as black as the night," and with a heart just as tainted, "Is any of that familiar?"
As it were, he had no ill-intent; he stopped outside her claim. He dwarfed her, but her presence made her feel large. "Just curious," he said, with a cursory glance toward the meadow -- yet his attention was more taken her face. The shadows obscured the full depth of her scarring, but he could see small portions of her teeth within the darkness, exposed and glinting in the twilight. The sight disturbed him, not because of the scarring, but for the history the wound seemed to speak.
"Actually, I'm looking for someone," he continued, his voice collected, and unbetraying of the thoughts he kept careful tied within, "Small, pale, with a head as black as the night," and with a heart just as tainted, "Is any of that familiar?"
with quiet words I'll lead you in
His casual response didn't help matters.
The question, though, was intriguing enough for her to cast her irritation aside. Maegi pursed her lips, thinking, and then—
She cocked her head slightly, eyes narrowed but undoubtedly curious.
You're awfully close to my borders,she remarked in turn, disliking the burning of his gaze against her scarred face. Another day, another gawker. She supposed she'd better get used to it at this point; she wasn't getting any prettier.
The question, though, was intriguing enough for her to cast her irritation aside. Maegi pursed her lips, thinking, and then—
Yes, actually,she answered after a couple contemplative moments.
I met her last winter, by the sea.
She cocked her head slightly, eyes narrowed but undoubtedly curious.
Why?He smelled of. . . Oh, goodness, he smelled faintly of Kove's new pack. Friend, or foe?
October 15, 2019, 05:57 PM
He offered no reaction to her retort. Of course he was close; he wasn't nose-blind, and he wasn't about to shout for her attention just to put himself at a safer vantage away. He did have half a mind to draw a small step back. As headstrong as he felt, Merrit had no intent to stir up trouble.
The Raven had not expected an affirmative answer, and his obvious surprise sprung across his face. "You did," he said, yet at her further query, his eyes darkened. "She attacked my family, and almost killed my baby sister. We are lucky my sister is still alive..." and the air seemed to chill around him, but he couldn't tell if that was the night rolling in from the mountains, or the nerves that chittered within his breast -- and Merrit dropped his gaze to the ground between his feet. "To murder an innocent, to attack one with that intention, and unprovoked..." his voice tightened, "there is no greater crime. And she is out there still."
The Raven had not expected an affirmative answer, and his obvious surprise sprung across his face. "You did," he said, yet at her further query, his eyes darkened. "She attacked my family, and almost killed my baby sister. We are lucky my sister is still alive..." and the air seemed to chill around him, but he couldn't tell if that was the night rolling in from the mountains, or the nerves that chittered within his breast -- and Merrit dropped his gaze to the ground between his feet. "To murder an innocent, to attack one with that intention, and unprovoked..." his voice tightened, "there is no greater crime. And she is out there still."
with quiet words I'll lead you in
Maegi was already normally anti-violence against children, so the young man would have had a receptive audience no matter when he found her. But so soon after Anansi. . . She felt her blood begin to boil, her hackles rising without her volition. A growl rattled in her throat, her irritation shifting to anger and from the stranger to this dark-headed woman. Child hurter.
She almost disclosed the story of her injury, the frightful moments with Molag Bal atop that mountain, his fangs cutting into her youthful flesh. But she didn't, because it didn't matter; they were both on the same page. No need to give away the secrets of the soul when there was no doubt.
Her brows drew together as she began to put together puzzle pieces in her mind, taking bits from what Vaati had said and her conversation with the woman.
Hopefully the information she gave the young man would be helpful. The two eventually parted, with Maegi's mind lingering on Rusalka, Scarab, and a woman who'd dare to hurt children.
I'm really sorry,she said, the words sharp but sincere.
You're right—harming the innocent is unspeakable. And she'll hopefully pay for what she did. I'll try to make sure of that when I see her next.
She almost disclosed the story of her injury, the frightful moments with Molag Bal atop that mountain, his fangs cutting into her youthful flesh. But she didn't, because it didn't matter; they were both on the same page. No need to give away the secrets of the soul when there was no doubt.
Her brows drew together as she began to put together puzzle pieces in her mind, taking bits from what Vaati had said and her conversation with the woman.
I think she might live in a pack called Rusalka,Maegi said, and thought of Scarab, her stomach plunging. Jaes, she couldn't let the boy into her clutches!
Hopefully the information she gave the young man would be helpful. The two eventually parted, with Maegi's mind lingering on Rusalka, Scarab, and a woman who'd dare to hurt children.
« Next Oldest | Next Newest »