Neverwinter Forest depollute me, pretty baby

Having heard the voice of other Frostfurs in the chorus, Simone began to rove toward the North, skirting along the edge of the mountain range and minding the borders of another pack that was located nearby. By the time night fell, and myriad of stars appeared above in the dark, dark sky, she was tired and needed a place to rest. A bed of fallen evergreen nettles would suit her just as well- but once she found herself wandering through the forest, the pull of fatigue escaped her. 

Something felt old and reverent about the woods. She heard the quiet hammer of a woodpecker, and the hooting of a pair of owls, encouraging their young fledglings to learn how to fly. In the darkness, the light of the crescent moon filtered down in milky streams to light the forest floor below. Ferns danced; she moved through them, collecting small drops of clear dew as she went. 

She'd seen many forests, but few had felt this much like home.

Song is All along the watchtower by Brewer and Shipley

The forest was dark and deep. The trees standing guard over the innermost secrets that made their home among the fresh smelling pines. There was an otherworldly air to the darkness that peered out at Alaric and looked into his soul. There was a heaviness here, but also a lightness and he knew, just knew there would be stories here. Stories of lost loves and adventures. Stories of children and playmates. Stories of lovers in secret and full blown dreams of miseries and threats. So much potential beneath the boughs of the guardmen. And he wanted to know them all.

With sure footed step and gentle movements he stepped from the light into those dark boughts and he weaved his way through paths and forays. Making up stories as he went. His fur stood on end in certain places and stay low in others. There was the chatter of squirrels and other small animals and the movements of birds in the trees. Larger animals would move and he'd see their shadow before he saw them, the few light rays that made it into the darkness lit up the space like heaven beams and slowly he began to sing. Slow and soulful. His voice carrying into the darkness. He enjoyed the acoustics of the place. 

Well all along the watchtower
Princes kept the view
While all the women came and went
Barefoot servants, too
Outside in the cold distance
A wildcat did growl (like a failed man I worked from the earth up)
Two riders were approaching
And the wind begins to howl ('cause your world is the same as mine)
Pour more blood in your cup
Take a sip full of sin and let your taste buds savour the buzz
The flavour of an ill-mannered nature
That lingers on as animals in all of us
Trying to fight for the right to live a life
But some will never win though that's why they live a lie
I don't think I'll ever win
All of this is anything
When I die I hope a brother's at my side
There's no trap door, or get out clause
The world can be your oyster or a set of jail doors
You've seen mine, I think it's time I see yours
I bet you that we've been scarred by the same swords
So we are not so unalike
Apart from the fact I live my life in the light and now i'm trapped in it
The way I feel within a few years time

Is that your favourite version of that song? :3 I definitely grew up with the Hendrix version but I love folkier stuff too. 

She listened to the simple songs of the forest; the creak of the softwood trees in the gentle breeze, the soft scratching of a squirrel's claws on bark. She heard the thrum of a little bird's wings as it flitted from tree to tree, pausing to investigate her for a moment before it continued on. She felt no obligation to hide the sound of her own footsteps as none of the forest's current inhabitants seemed perturbed whatsoever by her presence; it seemed to know that wolves had been here, and that wolves belonged here. 

Her ears turned as a new sound caught her attention, one which alarmed her a bit when she first heard it. It sounded like a guy, and it sounded like he was singing? She hunkered down and began to creep, not necessarily wanting to trust some dude who just wandered through woodlands, singing, until she got a good look at him. The song was slow, meandering, and once she was close enough to understand the words, she found herself confused by their meaning. 

She wondered how close she could get, and if he would keep singing even though the song seemed to end. She couldn't see him yet to judge him by his looks, but he smelled like a pack wolf.

No i like Hendrix. Don't get me wrong i like this one too.But Alaric is a bard and he tends to sing the slower folksy stuff :). 

Alaric let his words carry and then as he got deeper olinto the shadows he grew hushed. Eyes of evergreen tracing the trees. Slow steps. There was no need to rush here. It disturbed the silence anyway.

He had thought he heard the sound of footsteps, but they too had grown quiet. Which alarmed him only slightly, because he didn't fear much. There was no room for fear in his line of work.

Alaric felt a stirring in the forest air and he stopped. Lookong sround. Someone else was here, but where. Nose twitching he waited calmly, gathering his bearings.

That makes total sense! I was just curious :3

She'd not yet been able to spot him in the forest, as the singing had stopped. She stalked him for a moment or two, hoping he might start singing again soon, but instead he fell silent. She paused, wondering if he'd picked up her scent and had stopped singing because he was shy. Honestly, that made more sense. She supposed she too might sing more if she could find a place where she felt truly alone. 

She moved forward, and finally caught sight of him. She looked him up and down, as though she might be able to tell just by the look of him whether he was simply an expressive wolf, or if he was insane. Honestly, it was kind of hard to tell. She turned her muzzle so she could regard him with a somewhat skeptical side-eye. "Yeah, I heard you singing," She admitted. She shrugged, and frowned. "Not bad."

I have ADHD and i love music. Its one of the few things that can calm me down. I haveca wide range of tastes lol. And i am always looking for more.

If she only knew he wasn't shy. He had simply stopped as the song had been winding down. But he also was curious as to whom was following him.

Alaric would have chuckled had he know her thought process. Because honestly it was up or down whether he was insane or expressive or a little bit of both.

Green eyed gaze found her face and brown tipped ears sprang upward as he titled his muzzle downward.

Not bad. I hopw it was good. My profession as Bard, and story teller demands it.

A small smile towards her and dip of his head. Alaric Willow.

He didn't look insulted, but he'd obviously hoped for a better review than what she'd given him. A bit of an ego? Perhaps; but apparently this was his trade, and it was obviously something he'd spent a good amount of time learning. Any skill that demanded dedication and practice deserved to be given a bit of attention. But if he was going to make it his entire personality, then he might end up finding him short on willing audiences. 

"Blame it on my ears. Half tone-deaf," She said. Not necessarily the truth, but Simone found singing to be a little bit odd. It was something her girlfriend did, a lot- especially when she was just singing a little bit to herself. Simone wasn't exactly a music lover- but it was something that'd never been in her wheelhouse anyway. 

"Simone Sawyer," She said. "You from around here?" She asked.

Clearly she didn't know his sense of humor. But that was okay not many did. And he was often mistaken for an egotist. Again he didn't get to chuffed. After all if anyway actually spent time to get him they'd know he wasn't like that.

He shrugged. It happens music isn't for everyone, tone deaf or not. 

A glimmer of impish amusement in his green gaze. He dipped his muzzle down and thought about the question.

Not originally no, been here for awhile though. Make my home on the spear.

If they looked throigh gaps she could see the tip of the mountain.

At least he seemed sensible enough. Music indeed wasn’t for her, and as long as he was alright with that, then she supposed he wouldn’t likely start singing again unless she pissed him off and he used it as a means to drive her away. She chuffed and nodded, surprised but relieved he understood.

She raised one eyebrow, clearly not understanding what it was that he was referring to until she followed his eye toward the peak of a mountain in the distance. Her lips pursed. ”That mountain’s called the Spear?” she asked. It was certainly an impressive landmark.

Alaric wondered briefly if she had the same opinion of story telling or healing, because then he'd be 0 for 3. Not that he was counting. Merely observing. It was what it was.

He shook his head. Technically its called Moonspear. Sister or branch pack of moonglow and moontide. Leader is Sialuk, daughter of moonwoman.

Alaric added the last part because moonwoman was well known in the teekon by many wolves.

She listened, with some skepticism, though she was good enough in humour to keep a light grin on her face. The pack names were actually quite pretty- and she was impressed to find out that there were three different packs all from the same family.

”So, I’m sensing a theme…” She said. ”What’s that make you, then? Moonsinger?” she asked playfully.

Though Alaric was late to the party so to speak. It was admirable to have two packs from one. And possible more. If he was remembering there had been talk of one of the other daughter's starting her own pack, but he couldn't remember fully. He hadn't been paying attention. He had met her once. Pretty fawn like thing, she had been paired with the one that had an accent. That he hadn't spoken to the night of the big hurrah. The night he had decided to take himself out of the running so everyone else had a chance.

Alaric grinned. Listen the moon swoons at my singing. She isn't tone deaf. he teased quietly. It was all in good fun. He knew she had a girlfriend and he wouldn't encroach upon that, but his general nature was to tease.

He looked around. What about you? Are you a shadowwalker? A shadowdancer?

Simone rolled her eyes, but smiled. He clearly had a sense of humour even if it was a bit cheesy. Maybe a bit of an ego, but less perhaps than other singers. When he tried to embellish her with fancy words, she sighed and rolled her eyes again.

”No, nothing fancy like that,” She said. Ballads, sonnets and poems did not bring down food or help a pack migrate. ”Just the normal sort.” She said with a shrug.

He chuckled at her eye roll and paused to sniff at some tendrils of leaves that hubg down. It smelled strong. This was a strong forest even the dirt smelled fresher? Healtheir than stale air in some forests.

He shrugged. Simple is good. Means your happier usually. I can get behind it.

And he could. Puppies, music and stories add in some plants and he was a happy dude. Though he briefly thought of his adrenaline addiction. That wasn't exactly simple.

Alaric seemed to be the sort to look on the bright side of everything. Perhaps he feared conflict, which piqued Simone’s interest more than accepting him as a happy-go-lucky bard. 

”Are you always so agreeable? Or does anyone ever really piss you off?” She asked, wondering if it was even possible to ruffle his feathers. He’d weathered her disdain for singing, and her simplicity- but was he truly impervious to a bit of goading?

Alaric didn't fear much of anything. It was a problem. He had made it his job to be aggreable b3cause if he wasn't it could get him kill3d or ousted from a place he was storytelling oe being a bard in.

He tilted an ear forward.  I'm not immune to anger, i just know how to hide it well. I have to. I am a bard, storyteller and healer. For many seasons i traveled as a lone wilf doing it. Not being agreeable could have at the very least cost me a meal at the most my life.