To live without hope is to cease to live

Liliya Russo · 08-21-2011, 01:46 AM

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Date: August 20

Setting: Drifter Bay, just east of Salsoa

Time: Early evening.

Character Form: Optime

Word Count :: 400+ Yay! First Liliya post! ... *headdesk* Lets try this again...

For days nothing but churning blue tide stretched out before her, behind her, all around her, and followed her even after disembarking. Her foot-paws were on dry land but even now, days after landing in Nova Scotia, it felt like the solid land dipped and swayed beneath her. When she looked to the sky she could imagine the white clouds becoming sea foam, and when she closed her eyelids it was like she was back on the ocean. At least the salt was finally starting to clear from her nose and she was able to smell again. Sadly, the lasting effects of oceanic travel were the least of her concerns.

The young Russo woman crouched beside a modest campfire in the dying light, feeding half-dry sticks to the flames and then holding her hands out as if to warm them. But her fingers were not cold on this balmy summer night; not because of temperature anyway. In the past, fire had always comforted her – be it from the stove or the hearth or the camp – it always meant there was family around, and wherever family was was home. She searched for that old comfort now, but no matter how much she nervously fed the fire, or how close she crept, she could not feel that solace. Why? Because her mother was missing.

Verusha and her daughter, Liliya, had sailed the coastline of the peninsula – at Liliya's insistance – navigating their modest boat up the bay to land in territory only vaguely known by the younger Luperci. It had come as a shock to Liliya when she realized they had landed just east of what was now pack territory; a pack that had not resided here when she fled 'Souls so many seasons ago. They knew the land was claimed the moment they came to land and scented the clear territory markers. To play it safe, the women hiked away from the pack before setting up camp – the plan was to rest a couple days, and then set out in search of Liliya's brothers.

A handful of nights had passed and it was time to set out, but on the eve two days ago, Verusha disappeared. The last Liliya had seen of her mother she was tending to chores, and had gone off in search of more firewood and never returned. Liliya hadn't heard or sensed a thing... Verusha just vanished.

She put her hands to her mouth and huffed on her fingers, whispering into her palm. “Ahueyet!” She lashed out, grabbing her hiking pack and hurriedly stuffing her provisions back into it. “Where is that woman? Stupid woman...” She muttered to herself, her anger a mask; the only way to avoid admitting to herself that she was terrified.

Image courtesy of mnshots@Flickr; table by the Mentors!

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