07-17-2009, 05:12 AM
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| http://digital-bonsai.com/katew/rp/kae/kae_columbus.jpg); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat:no-repeat;"> Arachnea's Revenge. Kaena is in Lupus form here. :3 The hybrid woman had been wandering for most of the night, still rather unfamiliar with most of the area. It was not like the last territories—she had known almost every inch of them, crawling over that soil for years and years before it all had burned to the ground. It was still very early in the morning, and the half-moon was completely obscured by clouds. The night was deeply shaded, with only the occasional silver light filtering through the thick mass of clouds that surely promised more rain tomorrow. Thankfully, the downpour had stopped for the night, and Kaena found herself at liberty to explore the woods. The hybrid woman realized this was perhaps the worst place for her to be; Arachnea's Revenge was something of a crossroads for Phoenix Valley, Dahlia de Mai, and the other packs to the south, so she was too likely to find someone she wouldn't be too pleased to see. Even so, the grizzled hybrid hadn't allowed it to weigh heavily on her mind. As she cut through the thicket of deep woods, she felt light-hearted, and her step was almost carefree. There was none of that fast-paced, business-like coyote trot there, nor any trudging to her gait—it was simply the meandering walk of one wont to explore. The coyote was older now, but even still—the lifespans of the Luperci were virtually unknown; it was too rare that they died of unnatural causes. If she tread carefully, she might come to know these territories very, very well. It was strange to think that the previous place was gone—those were familiar settings to the Lykoi woman, territories she'd roamed for the better part of her long life. It hurt to think those familiar places were really obliterated—gone were those rotted city streets and those meandering streams, that ugly and wonderful strip of beach Inferni had called home. She had stopped now, and sat quietly beside a lake, her gleaming golden eye roving over its surface. The air here was deadly still, and the trees above and around were so thick the canine hybrid could hardly see the moon, except for this break here—this large lake on the edges of this wood, seemingly the hottest point between Inferni's two antagonists. It was surreal that an area so quiet and still could be so dangerous, but the grizzled woman was well-aware of the peril lurking here, and she did not lose touch with her alert senses for a second. The moon shone through the clouds for a brief moment, and all of the water in the lake glowed an unearthly, brilliant blue color, as if the water itself was phosphorescent. The Inferni coyote had never seen anything like it, and while the silver half-moon's brilliance danced off of the lake, the fascinated hybrid watched. Her pose was dainty and very coyote, her forepaws tucked neatly between her rear paws, her head held high and her large ears perked in interest. The raven tip of her tail darted back and forth, not so much wagging as it was twitching, an almost feline response from the elder canine as she looked over the gleaming blue lake. The water was mostly still, but here and there a breeze ruffled its surface, causing all of that lovely glow to shimmer and wave before her single raptor's eye. Then the curtain of clouds fell once again, and shadow enveloped the lake once more, the incandescence disappearing with the light of the moon. Kaena wondered if it was a trick of that or some unearthly thing; in her age she had become far more suspicious of the unnatural and the unknown, those otherworldly beings her son spoke of sometimes—she now pondered the existence of a higher power, instead of merely dismissing the concept as ridiculous. The multi-colored hybrid had never truly bothered to delve deeply into philosophical issues—indeed, most of her thoughts centered around ancient history and old wounds. When pried and pushed, however, she was not entirely useless in intellectual banter, if only for the fact that she provided a beautifully primitive, violent perspective. Kaena's coal nose quivered as she inhaled a breath of the night air; it was heavy and damp with the day's rain and tomorrow's pending precipitation hovering above her head. The condition of the air made detecting an approach somewhat more difficult, but it was very quiet here, and Kaena was confident she would not be surprised by another. Besides, she hadn't moved in several minutes—and her back was to the water now. The Lykoi woman had guessed why the region was named as it was, and she noticed many glistening silver webs strung between branches and beneath bushes. Insects had never bothered her, though she realized some were far deadlier than she if they delivered but a drop of their poison. She assumed those kinds were few and far between here, though it was certainly the season of the bug now—summer was in full swing. In a moment, she would start out toward Dahlia de Mai—though she would give them a very, very wide berth, and try to avoid any coming or going into the area at all costs. For just a minute longer, though, the coyote was content to enjoy the night and the blissful silence and stillness of this place. |