Blackfeather Woods like a Kennedy
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All Welcome 
For @Eldritch

Lane paused at the treeline of Blackfeather Woods. An inexplicable creepy feeling crawled down her spine, as it always did when she peered into the Woods' shadowy depths. Lane was not a superstitious wolf in the least, but even she had to admit that this place had bad juju. It was the primary reason she had declined when Zephyr and Rowan offered her a home here so many moons ago. 

Some instinct compelled her to scratch in the detritus at the edge of the Woods, and when she peeled away the upper layer of the forest floor, a deer skull was unearthed.  It was sun-bleached and half buried in the dirt, appearing for all the world like it had been intentionally placed. 

Lane pulled more leaves away. Another skull. And another, and another. They were arranged in a line, marking the edge of the wood. It was the most terrifying border-marking scheme Lane had ever seen. "Fuck.." What kind of deranged pack would do such a thing? She turned over her shoulder questioningly, wondering if @Eldritch could explain.
Don't fear The Darkness
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Eldritch came to Lane's flank at the border of the Woods, eyes inquisitive as the other woman peeled away the forest floor. 
To the gaze given, El shrugged softly. 
"I never knew these were here." She responded softly. "However, in my knowledge of spirits, I would assume these skulls are a way for the souls of the dead to protect the secrets within." She mused, walking fearlessly, calmly, into the shadows that made up most of the Blackfeather Woods. It somehow still felt like home, like she belonged. 

Yet, she did not. Not anymore, she thought, even as the spirits whispered sweet nothings in her ears.
Eldritch is fluent in Daedric (Valryian) thanks to Aerenys having taught her the language behind the scenes
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Lane wondered what sort of dark practices Eldritch had seen and participated in, given that her response to this macabre border marker was a simple shrug. Her packmate offered some bland explanation about the skulls protecting the Woods' secrets... yeah, by terrifying anyone who might want to go inside

Eldritch simply stepped over the skulls and made her way inside, and Lane followed only after a brief hesitation. She shuddered as the shadows fell across her back, the darkness deepening with every step forward. She would allow Eldritch to lead their search-- this whole thing was her deal, after all. Lane was just along for the (very spooky) ride.
Don't fear The Darkness
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Eldritch indeed lead the duo, sniffing frantically and everywhere she possibly could for Aerenys. 
The scents of any wolves within was either gone completely or faint  from the lightning storm that had torched the woods months before. 
"Aerenys!" El called, multiple times in fact, over the span of their time in Blackfeather Woods. But Aerenys would not answer, nor would she be found. 

The witch was simply....gone. 

Eldritch fought tears as she continued, eventually collapsing into a slouched sit after multiple hours and letting out a loss-filled, pained screech.

Here, her shoulders and sides quaked as she sobbed. 
"Aerenys..." She whimpered, continuing to cry into the dirt.
Eldritch is fluent in Daedric (Valryian) thanks to Aerenys having taught her the language behind the scenes
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They wandered for a while, with Eldritch occasionally calling out for her lost friend. Lane remained silent, knowing that if Eldritch's friend didn't respond to her, it was incredibly unlikely that Lane's call --that of a stranger-- would meet with success.

Lane's eyes drifted across the burnt trunks of the Woods, searching for any piece of the territory that was even recognizable. She'd been in once before after all, about a hundred years ago when Rowan and Zephyr still ruled. 

Lane didn't realize when her companion began tearing up. She didn't even realize that Eldritch was falling further and further behind; not until her screeching cry of pain sounded across the wood. 

Lane hurried back to Eldritch's side, fearing that her fellow Duskfire wolf had discovered the worst. She sniffed around the spot where Eldritch had collapsed, drawing a few tight circles around her packmate before she ascertained that there were no lupine remains here. Eldritch had simply worked herself up into an exhausted despair. 

Lane's bedside manner wasn't the greatest, but she did her best. She settled beside Eldritch for the long, painstaking moments that followed, murmuring quietly to her and occasionally nuzzling her grieving companion.
Don't fear The Darkness
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#6
The Seer at first didn't feel, or register, that Lane was there beside her so quickly.
Eldritch whimpered with longing and eventually, with numbness, pressed her face into Lane's neck while she cried. 


Time would pass, short or long, and eventually Eldritch would slowly rise, looking around the dark woods with a hollow look in her eyes.

"Let's go..." She murmured
Eldritch is fluent in Daedric (Valryian) thanks to Aerenys having taught her the language behind the scenes
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Lane nodded. "Of course." She had already completed her business with Redhawk Caldera, so the two were free to return to Duskfire Glacier.  Before they departed on their trip, Lane had started some apples fermenting in hopes that a batch of cider might be ready in time for Meerkat's harvest feast. She imagined that Eldritch could maybe use a nip or two ahead of the feast. 

Thanks for joining me in reviving this thread so I could squeak in another couple posts! Feel free to fade and/or archive. <3