Build me up

Saxif Goldenfeather · 05-13-2011, 01:01 AM

WC: 508

Saxif had followed her pack mates that had been called to the ally lands. She would soon meet a male known as Pripyat, he was who she had been told to work with. During her travel she thought of her task at hand. She was weary of it, she felt inexperienced and uncertain. Her knowledge in any type of building was minimal; she feared she wouldn’t be able to do it. Her uncles had been skilled trap builders, everything from polar bears to squirrels. That is where she had gained most of her knowledge of any type of construction. Even so her uncles had never really let her participate, it was against their laws. She was the daughter of the Alpha in her tundra homeland; her duties were more to learn how to deal with her people than to provide them with homes.

She had been lucky though to have at least watched her uncle’s work with tools, tools she has come to realize were quite primitive compared to those offered in these parts. Saxif thought back to those days as a pup, when she would sneak into the hunter’s den listening to the males speak of strange things. But she wasn’t there to learn of females or the mate troubles they had so often spoke of. She had spied to learn the one thing she was not supposed to do, build traps. One uncle had been sympathetic and allowed her to sit with them on their constructing nights. She silently chuckled about the night she had been caught, her older cousin had grabbed her by the scruff when she accidently spilled his strange clear bronze liquid and they had commended her for being quite a stealthy pup.

Uncle Light, he had been the one who taught her a lot against her father’s wishes. So she silently sent a prayer of gratitude to her uncle, for she knew in the next long while she would be using most of what he had shown her.

As she entered the Pheonix Valley pack lands she immediately went on the search for her partner. She had a vague idea of how he looked like. Instead of finding him she found the building site, it was clear to her this was the place. She stood a moment constructing a mental plan of their task, putting together a course of action. The pale blonde wolf stood there for what seemed like a while but it was what her uncle had taught her. Never jump into making something unless you know what you are going to make in every minute detail. She mentally pictured the construction making a list of what she and her partner may need. From tools to materials, her task seemed simple enough. But she was unsure… this would be her first large build. This wasn’t a simple pheasant trap or rabbit snare, this was something that others would rely on to be safe, sturdy and strong. So she planned awaiting the arrival of Pripyat before they would gather their materials.

Pripyat Soul · 05-13-2011, 03:06 PM

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WC: 548

Simply his father expected it of him, and still Pripyat Soul worked out of perceived obligations much of the time. It never crossed his mind to search for happiness elsewhere, somewhere that wouldn’t remind the youth daily of his shortcomings and his mother’s palpable absence. The boy was old enough to go out on his own and thrive-- or survive at least--yet that wasn’t an option. It never had been, never would be. So it didn’t matter how miserable he was, or how much the boy didn’t feel like working with some idiot from Aniwaya, he was going to anyway, it was just that simple.

Two reluctant feet carried him, as idle hands tossed the sack he carried with him. When he wasn’t lingering like a ghost, hoping to run into his sea shore lady again, he was out in Halifax, rummaging. Lately his rummages had been for nails, usable wood, any tools he might come across. None of these items were for him of course. It was all with his father, and the others in mind. Xeris and Noah especially, to whom he had grown quite distant through no fault of their own. It wasn’t that he didn’t like to contribute to his home any longer, it was only that he wished he wasn’t forced to be around others when he did it. The more he avoided them, the more he could avoid saying out loud all the realities he wished weren’t true.

There was that one light, he mused. That one being with whom when he talked the words came easy and natural. His father hadn’t been overly pleased that Pripyat had offered her sanctuary without prior consent, he hadn’t meant to bypass Jefferson’s law. It was only that, how could anyone turn away that creature? Pripyat stayed pleased, to whatever extent he could, if the golden lady just stayed. And so far she stayed. For this reason he wasn’t in completely sour spirits when he finally emerged from the depths of the Valley, tossing the sack of nails loosely at the woman’s feet.

”Hey.” The slate boy stood tall, large although not one couldn’t call him bulky, or even muscular exactly. He still had the lanky-youth look to him, gaunt but energetic. The girl before him was the color of cream, with dripping honey eyes. For a moment he was silent, overly so, uncertain as he looked her over. This wan’t what he had expected. She was nearly his age, maybe even a little younger. Before this, Arye was the only creature close to his own maturity level he had come across. The others had all been adults when he was a child, and even now after living alongside them in the adult ranks, he feel inferior to them and their age.

“I’m Pripyat.” One hand reached up to scratch the back of his head, wondering just what next they were going to do. The inexperienced man had been expecting someone who would direct him, tell him how to build the stupid barn. And surely they couldn’t keep running back to Jefferson for directions, that would only annoy the gruff man. Hopefully she knew enough about constrution, he mused with a some sarcasm. “I guess we’re gonna help build this barn together?”

Saxif Goldenfeather · 05-14-2011, 05:02 AM

WC: 529+

Saxif’s focus on the area that had been the remains of the old barn was finally broken when in the corner of her vision a figure approached. She looked over the tall lanky grey and white wolf; a polite grin grew on her face. The cream lupreci kept her more regal posture; she couldn’t help but feel glad she was working with someone much near her age. She felt maybe it would give both more to talk about. As she studied the boy upon his approach she noticed a strange bitterness in his expression. He didn’t want to be here she thought. She herself was horribly uncertain of this whole thing but she was excited none the less. He dropped a large sack that clanked narrowly missing her foot. Careful buddy She had uttered. He introduced himself as she thought, this was Pripyat. His ice cold blue eyes though she noticed had a bit of a youthful sparkle behind that seemingly bored or annoyed facade. But she could only assume that hope.

She realized in a moment after confirming their assignment that the pair had been most likely both inexperienced. Were the leaders certain this was the right task for them? she thought. She figured and hoped that it was all part of their scheme of things. She lowered her torso, squatting before the sack. My name is Saxif, Saxif Goldenfeather. What’s this? She smiled when she seen the wolf had been far more prepared than she had been. Nails and quite an abundance of them, Wow, this must have taken a while. She was only slightly aware of nails, she had been collecting a few for her traps. She thought of them as fickle and annoying but they did their job well. Their first challenge would be a plan. So she began to voice her suggestions.

I haven’t built anything to this magnitude but we can go off by what was made. We’ll try to salvage as much as possible of the remnants of the previous barn. If it’s ok we’ll use its foundation since I have no idea how to make one. We can discuss a plan by plan action while we clear the area of debris. If we run into problem we’ll ask those aiding us or your Alpha. Still squatting by the bag she looks up at Pripyat hoping he will be a helpful partner. She was accustomed to taking charge when it came to her peers; it was the blood that ran through her veins. She was the daughter of many generations of pack leaders, so it came as second nature. She hoped it wouldn’t offend the male but she had a slight sense this is what they would need. But she would allow him the chance if she felt him worthy. Unless you have a better idea? She smiles politely and warmly in hopes to keep him at comfort. She knew all too well how males felt of her taking leadership qualities. Often it ended in a minor scuffle that would be sadly interrupted each time leaving her mildly inexperienced in that sense of her life. She hoped it wouldn't come to that.

Pripyat Soul · 05-14-2011, 03:44 PM

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With the slight reprimand careful buddy Pripyat merely shrugged her off. The smoky male knew what he was doing, he wasn’t going to hit her feet. Yet when she reached down and explored the bag the girl seemed pleased. Perhaps it wasn’t going to be so bad, all he had to do was help out for a while and it would be over. Then he could go back to Arye, being with her, or in the very least thinking about her. If only his father had assigned the two to work together on this, then he would have set himself to the task with such force. Working under her eyes, knowing it was only her opinion and that of his father’s that mattered. The barn would get built one way or another; did it matter if it were he and Saxif who did it or any of the others who would soon be helping? He was not out to impress Saxif or Aniwaya or the rest of Phoenix Valley. Still, he was here and there was no getting around that now.

It did not take long for the girl to assess the situation and plan out a course of action. It made sense. They were the first to arrive and work couldn’t really be done until what still needed to be cleaned up was finished. The Valley members had started to an extent, but the work did not really show. “Okay.” It was his only contribution to the plan, he merely shrugged in agreement and then turned to the work before them. Boards still lay fallen in, some unbroken and whole but some rotten and useless. Pripyat moved towards the pile, pulling at a board and inspecting it. It was fine, mostly. Not completely whole but they could use it somewhere, they’d need shorter pieces of wood somewhere.

“Good wood.” He tossed the board out one end of the barn and instantly picked up another. This one was weak and water logged, damaged by years of weathering. Tossing this in a new pile, away from the first “Bad wood.” Brilliant eyes looked at the girl, as if to say “yes?” and then he turned away, fully intending to work silently from then on out. It wouldn’t be hard, they knew their tasks. Again Pripyat pulled at the wood, tossing it into one pile or another, and found cracked concrete underneath. “Errm, the foundation might not be okay…” He wasn’t sure, he didn’t know. They’d probably have to ask someone. He lapsed back into silence, sorting pieces of wood until he came to a large section still nailed together. Still perfectly fine. Perfect expect for its immense size. Ugh. So that’s why they had to work in pairs, was it?

“Ah, could you…” The boy glanced over his shoulder, searching for wherever Saxif had set herself to work. He had actively been trying to forget her the past few moments. “Could you help me move this?” Drats. Working alone probably wouldn’t work at all, there was no avoiding it.

Saxif Goldenfeather · 05-14-2011, 09:55 PM

WC 420+

She had been surprised at Pripyat’s compliance; she felt this would make things far easier. They had set to work; she nodded in agreement of the boy’s pile creations. To be organized had been another important lesson her uncle had taught her. She began to sift through the broken wood, ensuring to note similarities of each in terms of where they may have been. Mentally she had been piecing the barn together. When Pripyat informed her of the damaged foundation her heart sank. It had been the one point to which she had no idea how to form. It would mean digging a hole or holes in a very large area was all she had been sure of. But she didn’t know about this material that seemed like massive stones or one large one.

She went over to the area to which Pripyat had pointed out. Sure enough the crack wasn’t just a small chip or surface crack… it was deep. A sign of age she was sure. They would need to build this barn from scratch. This is not good. This means more work. She sighs heavily. But the gray wolf provided her with a bit of good news in the end. A whole wall intact, something they can follow and less that would need to be done. It appeared to be the shorter length side without a doorway. She had hoped it was the longer side but they seemed to be unlucky. She noticed Pripyat seemed quite annoyed by this wall. She tilted her head in wonder of the odd reaction. Think of it this way. It is a whole wall we won’t have to build. She smiled warmly at the quiet boy.

She cleared the debris off the wall careful not to damage any boards, she noticed some would need replacing but for the most part it was in great shape. She set herself one side where the corners met; she hadn’t been too worried about coming off as weak. It was a part of hunter’s routine to ensure their muscles were well used. This routine had given a thicker look to her body but still it remained feminine and slender. In her optime form this extra thickness in her thighs and chest gave her an envious hour glass figure. She hadn’t seen it that way though. She thought she might look boyish with her excess muscle. As she had lifted the side with a seeming ease she kept her face calm. But her thoughts were mostly around how heavy this wall was.

Pripyat Soul · 05-15-2011, 02:45 PM

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Saxif Goldenfeather strolled over and inspected the foundation, giving Pripyat Soul information he already knew. Yes, of course it meant more work. Not for them specifically, but for everyone, it was a shame but nothing they could do about it but fix it. He shrugged off her words and went back to sorting the wood until they came across the intact wall. When her cheery words found him again, the boy’s ears flicked back in irritation. Perhaps he should have looked on the sunny side of things. Yes. This meant that they would have to nail together so many pieces of wood, but it also meant they had to move the heavy thing. Together.

When the girl lifted her end the Soul youth was surprised at her strength, the muscle that she must have was not overly evident on her slender body. As he lifted and expected most of the weight to fall on his side, she held her own and for this he was grateful. Surely there should have been another hand or two helping with this, the solid wood was heavy and thick and even with the girl’s help Pripyat felt his own muscles strain under the weight of it though he showed no sign of this. Saxif’s own cream colored face looked serene and unfazed by the task and he wasn’t able to have her telling him they could take a break if it was too heavy. No, they would do this just fine.

“Let’s carry it over there.” They had already cleared the ruins of the barn but it was best to get the materials out of the building area until they were ready to raise the wall back up. It might need some reinforcement but it seemed like it could go up just as it went down, easily enough. When they moved into the field, setting the wall back down was delicate business. Easily he lowered and tipped, in accordance with how much she lowered and tipped her end, until the whole thing was laying horizontal once more, on the grass. “Well then, that helps clear things out a bit, doesn’t it?” His words came cheerful and were even accompanied by a slight grin as he surveyed the building site, now a just a little less chaotic. What prompted the good mood and kind words he was unsure, but the boy checked himself and regained his dour expression, hoping that this small breech of chitchat wouldn’t spur Saxif to engage into too much conversation. There was of course, a lot more work to be done.

Saxif Goldenfeather · 05-17-2011, 12:40 AM

WC: 531 Sorry if my grammar is off, I was tired ^_^

Once Saxif and Pripyat successfully set down the ridiculously heavy wall she looked up at him. He seemed in better spirits and even had the slightest of a possible smile. She smiled her soft grin as he caught himself in that moment. She knew he was trying to avoid her, it was quite apparent by how he would put his back to her often. She decided she would stay silent and hope he would warm up to her company eventually. As her father always told her in her teachings, “win your people by playing their comforts, then you can start to introduce change.”

Silence had dragged on as the sun reached higher in the sky. Their pile of decent wood was fairly small compared to the large one of ruined or aged wood. The remnants of the old barn were now a mere border of thick stone and what was left of the boards. Her thoughts had been surrounding the foundation. They would build it nearby but how would they start. She made her mission to figure this plan out later. She finally decided to break the silence. Do you have any ideas on the foundation? She looked up at the wolf who seemed just as exhausted as she was. Her golden fur was slightly dishevelled from the labour of the morning. We just need something to keep it off the ground so it won’t rot and fall over within the year. Is my understanding. I had seen it happen to my cousin’s house. Her mate had built her their first den, he thought it was glorious because in the spring the area sprouted flowers but my uncle had kept trying to tell him he did it incorrectly. After a thunderstorm in the late summer a year after it was built the wind ripped the weak logs from the ground. They had to stay with my family for the winter because he was injured protecting his pups, he was making a detailed plan when I left... I wish I paid more attention but I remember my uncle telling him make sure the wood does not touch the ground. She mimicked her favourite uncle’s stern voice and furrowed brow. She waved her finger at Pripyat like she was her uncle.

She realized she had gone on like someone who had just erupted words after a very long silence. She laughed both from embarrassment and in thoughts of her uncle’s actions. She hoped Pripyat had ideas she wasn’t sure if her own were correct. She hoped they could find stone to haul to the site and set them in a sturdy border. She had seen it before but had not taken interest to inspect it. She threw a board and looked over the wreckage. They seemed about half way through the day’s duty but still had so much to do. She looked up at the sun that seemed to scorch them even with the cool breeze. You hungry? I’m hungry. She smiled at Pripyat hoping they could rest a while, she wasn’t use to this kind of work. Sure she tested her body to its limits often but this was something else entirely.

Pripyat Soul · 05-18-2011, 02:11 PM

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The cloud colored girl responded well to his increased humor, and this did not sit well with the sour boy. Why it meant so much to keep everyone else at a distance Pripyat Soul could not explain, but the girl's soft grin made his stomach churn. It was as if the more the adolescent creature bonded with anyone else, the less of him that was available for remembering and holding onto the memory of his mother, what was left of his father, and then devoting the rest of him to whatever other worthy creature caught his eye. So far it had only been Arye who turned his head from his perpetual bad mood, and even she did not produce lasting effects for more than a few hours. And so when Saxif lapsed back into silence Pripyat was glad for that, setting back to his work with earnest.

Both piles grew, though one grew at a much faster rate than the other. As they cleared the area it was clear that years of moisture, rain and snow, had worked their way into the boards and many of them were now useless. They could burn them perhaps, fuel for a fire, but aside from that they no longer had any use. How the barn had lasted as long as it did up until the snow storm was beyond Pripyat. They had needed a new one at some point; the heavy snow fall had simply sped up the inevitable. After some time of silent work the girl's voice caught in his ears again and he turned to her, never too far away but often forgotten when she ceased speaking.

Foundations. His mind went back to the cracked and creviced concrete. A problem he didn't particularly want to deal with, but it had to be dealt with by someone. Much to the boy's indifferent Saxif lurched into a lengthy explanation of foundations, or what could happen with a bad one. Prip did not know this girl's uncle, or his family, and so aside from the lesson of bad foundations make for bad homes, he did not absorbed much of her speech. Finally she fell quiet and more to fill the silence than to add anything to the conversation he thought out loud. "Maybe we can just repair this one. Fill in the cracks with little stones and then something that will harden. Clay or something?" Pripyat sighed and peered up at the sun, the day was only half over and already it felt like it had been forever.

Saxif seemed to be thinking along the same lines, for suddenly she seemed turned off to the work. Her gentle voice inquired of the most basic needs and her ever present smile shot a pang of guilt through him. It wasn't fair to this girl that he was thorny and unkind, she hadn't done anything but responded to her leader's request to send help to Phoenix Valley. Mustering a smile of his own, however forced it was, he tried to speak kindly. "I'll find us something. Hold on." And with that he was off.

Returning he held two hares, one in each hand. The meat wasn't fresh for he hadn't the time or energy to hunt, but he made use of the meat that they caught and stored for occasions such as this. Striding up to the girl he held out the rabbit, "Here." and with that he sat where he was, unmindful of the mess that still lay scattered about them, and set to work on consuming his rabbit, Saxif almost forgotten once more.

Saxif Goldenfeather · 05-18-2011, 02:41 PM

WC: 414

She took the oppurtunity to sit on soft grass near the barn. She couldn’t help but to feel this boy was quite closed off. His forced smile seemed to be proof of that. His quick exit was the next. Saxif found this boy to be a mystery, he reminded her of her uncle. The façade that grew more and more obvious was almost identical. Annoyance and stern behaviour though had always been reserved for other people. She had always wondered why he hadn’t taken a mate but figured it had to do with his mask. Saxif was often the only person to see who he really was. She wondered if this boy was the same, if he reserved his feelings for a singular being. She pictured them laughing and talking as she and her uncle had but shook her head. The picture reminded her too much of the pain of love lost, she wouldn’t put herself through that again. Thinking of Pripyat made her miss her uncle and her chest ache it was an odd feeling. She felt determined to befriend this bazaar boy if even just to build this farm quicker, but no more she pledged herself. She realized she had been thinking about him as he had been gone. She shook her head again and focused on his suggestion.

Filling the foundation would be far easier than what she had planned. They could level out the dipped sunken areas of the cracked stone with more. Clay, she had never worked with but she hoped Pripyat would know how to use it. Suddenly a rabbit was thrust into her thought filled view. It smelled aged but wasn’t picky at the moment. She nodded Thank you. Her mood a sudden drift compared to her smiles and friendliness. Her thoughts were clouded with confusion along with thoughts of the build. She tried to focus on the scenery, the tall yellow grass that would become green soon. The birds chirping in the distance, the patches of clouds drifting giving them patches of momentary shade. The cool meat she chewed. She had been avoiding an internal topic; the topic of her once best-friend, now enemy and betrayer. She had to focus on other things, so she opened her mouth yet again against better judgement.

So how is life in Pheonix Valley? She bit into the rabbit once more. Her golden eyes a bit pleading, she required a distraction and hoped this boy would offer her new thoughts.

Pripyat Soul · 05-18-2011, 03:37 PM

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Saxif accepted the rabbit not as warmly as Pripyat would have expected. During his short absence the girl seemed to have grown pensive and withdrawn, Pripyat wondered if something had happened but refrained from asking. The girl's thoughts seemed elsewhere, which was just as well for the boy who wasn't in a very sociable mood. He wasn't much for conversation, especially when it didn't come easy and natural and it hadn't seemed to be easy all day. Rarely did words seemed to come easily to him anymore, and when they did he often thought better of speaking them and swallowed them down, forming the many lumps that seemed ever present in his throat. Since the girl seemed to be in her own world, he was happy enough to focus on his own rabbit and leave Saxif to her's.

So how is life in Phoenix Valley? The words came like the first wave crashing against a previously peaceful beach. It startled him, having been lured into silent consumption of his meal. Sitting up straighter, sky eyes turned to the girl, sighing heavily as he resigned to answering the question. "Like life in any other pack I suppose." And he was content with that, it seemed a fine enough answer to him. Biting down and tearing dried flesh from bone, he chewed, eyes boring into the girl hoping that she was satisfied and he wouldn't have to speak with her anymore. Yet he knew this wasn't going to fly, not for the rest of lunch, not for the rest of the day, not for however long this girl was going to be his partner. It wasn't fair to her, and what's more this wasn't how his mother would wish for him to act toward Saxif, or any being for that matter.

Breathing in and out, trying to muster up something more meaningful Pripyat allowed his thoughts to be vocalized, uncensored. "My father is the leader here. My mother was the subleader, but she's gone now." Even the most simple explanation of Phoenix Valley brought him to the subject he wanted to avoid, and so he hurried on. "All our members work together like a family, much like Aniwaya does I suppose. Perhaps that's why we are allies." He didn't know much about the tribal pack, perhaps this was why she asked about the Valley. She didn't know. The question seemed normal enough, and so he asked it. Hoping she would take the conversation the way it was suppose to go. "What is Aniwaya like?"

Saxif Goldenfeather · 05-18-2011, 04:25 PM

WC: 431

She smiled again at his moment of release. She asked the right question, simple yet enough to have a common conversation. She felt it a proper choice of word to keep her mind elsewhere. She loved her new home. Aniwaya is great so far. I haven’t been a part of them long enough to give details. I’m learning how to ride a horse; I get to do what I love to do which is hunt and trap. I hope to give a lot to the pack, it’s the least I can do for them. She chewed another piece of the rabbit delighted. Interesting people. So different than my last home yet still the same if that makes any sense. At home it’s all about knowing your stature in the pack. You cannot go above or below your status. It is quite limiting. But in Aniwaya I feel I can be whomever I choose to be. It’s quite liberating. She watched the gray wolf and cared not that he seemed to ignore her. So she continued… talking was better than thinking at the moment.

Here too the flowers bloom everywhere, in my land they sprout rarely in the oddest of place. I was born in the summer so this is my first spring. I am rather much enjoying it. She felt herself slipping loose her verbal constraint. Another thing that I love is the colors, like you, your eyes are an amazing color. Most of my pack has only brown eyes. Your shading is darker as well. So many different types of creatures and I can’t help but feel I would love to meet them all.

She momentarily lost herself in all the great lupreci and lupus she had met since she first arrived in these lands. In the first little while I felt lost but then this insanely tall lupreci named Leon took me in. She smiled warmly at the thought of the chocolate and earth coloured wolf. He let me stay with him and his daughter, he’s even showing me how to ride a horse. I haven’t felt so welcome in my life. I had been so different compared to the people in my home pack. Here I feel refreshingly normal. Her last few sentences she realized she had released information she hadn’t meant to tell this young wolf. Her past home had been a hell to her but she didn’t want anyone she barely knew to know that. It was information she wanted to reserve for friends, if she ever made any she could trust in the long run.

Pripyat Soul · 05-18-2011, 04:52 PM

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His simple question, merely a courtesy reply, opened the flood gates. The details that Saxif exposed about her new home, Pripyat was surprised to hear it was a new home, were vast compared to the some trickling that he had shared with her. That she came from farther away intrigued him, it was part of Arye's appeal. They were not of Phoenix Valley, and not even of the surrounding lands. When Pripyat Soul saw Arye he saw a fictional land that existed further away than he could imagine, on some shores somewhere else, some place he could only know through her. As Saxif spoke, he sense the same kind of land, a place he would never touch foot, and yet Saxif did not make it sound so alluring. Restrictive and homogenous, was how she portrayed her home and Pripyat was for once glad to be where he was. Somewhere diverse, somewhere prolific compared to the dry, dreary place she described.

As the lady continued she turned her focus on him, and as her critical but warm eye looked him over the boy felt a sudden wave of discomfort. The ivory woman spoke about his blue eyes, and he felt his skin burning. His parents had talked of his eyes when he was a child, his sky blue to their own emerald eyes. Why hadn’t he inherited the look of envy? That Saxif complimented his eyes made him both warm and uncomfortable, and he shifted his weight, eager for the speech to continue on past him. Yet she spoke about his coat coloring and he wanted to say something, anything to make her stop speaking. Finally she came up with a new name, a new face to focus on. Leon. Pripyat didn't know this name, didn't care to, but was simply glad that the talk was off of him.

"I was born in the summer too. In a lighthouse on these shores actually. " Raven Beacon, it would always be his first home. Whenever he imagined leaving, all he had to do was picture the lighthouse and any will for wandering disappeared. "I've never been outside of Phoenix Valley actually. Well, not very far." The words came easier now, now that they had been speaking for a while, now that she wasn't focusing directly on him. "I want to leave, someday maybe, but…" But he couldn't leave his father. But his mother might come back. But Arye was here now. "but there is nowhere else for me to go I suppose." He chewed on the last of his rabbit, considering the impact of his words before he spoke them. "Do you plan on staying in Aniwaya forever?" Forever was a damn long time.

Saxif Goldenfeather · 05-19-2011, 12:38 PM

WC: 451

Forever, she wondered. You haven’t been far beyond your borders? Don’t you find it a bit suffocating? I know I had. She still pondered on the word forever. I felt the same for a while, but one day I just said no more and ran. I ran blindly for almost a month before I came here. Her head lowered slightly. As for forever, I’m not sure. So long as I feel at home and get to do what I love I’ll be happy. But its hard to say what the future will bring. She smiles warmly. Right now I love it enough to say yes I could see myself there forever. Silence sets upon them as they finish their meals. As they stand she lets out another few sentences before returning to their duty and silence.

You should travel. At least see the lands between the packs. They are filled with amazing sights just as gorgeous as your homeland. Everyday I found something new and still am. The smile seemingly plastered on her face at times returned, a habit the daughter of an Alpha was suppose to bear one constantly when addressing others. Her sister had hated the idea, the sour look on her face had in private always made Saxif roll her eyes. She knew leadership wasn’t for her sister, she more or less preferred just having the wolves do things for her. Saxif had been excited to lead, but she would never now what it was like to be Alpha. The smile habit she had not liked it much but it was futile to beat it and besides it made others more at comfort. Except this one she noticed. In a way it seemed to unease him, like being happy was a crime. She had seen two smiles upon his face in just the morning. She hoped maybe by the end of this build she would have him laughing.

Back to work. She sighed lightly. Hard labor was turning out to be quite the menial task, she felt her muscles burn in places they had not burned before. She kept her positive nature though and figured these new muscles will only help her become a more nimble hunter. She stretched her claws high above her head and twisted her body from side to side. Once she had felt loose and ready to get back at it she strode over to the wreckage and began her work. Picking up boards to inspect their worth and tossing them in the appropriate pile. Only to do it again over and over until there were no more. She was happy though her thoughts were less focused on the past and more toward the future.

Pripyat Soul · 05-22-2011, 02:21 PM

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The left triangular ear of Pripyat Soul flicked slightly as Saxif spoke about traveling. Did all young creatures feel the need to wander? Disperse themselves? Saxif had. Arye had. He hadn't. Born and raised in Phoenix Valley. More than ever after Geneva had left Pripyat felt the pull of other lands. Or his imagined other lands. Yet still his feet remained firmly upon Phoenix Valley soil. Almost he had gone. Or rather he had gone. Phoenix Valley had been left behind and he was living a whole other life, for weeks even, but he had only haunted Halifax. Haunted Halifax with the Valley ever haunting him. He had gone and almost hadn't come back. Yet like the good boy he was he came slinking back to Jefferson. And now Arye was here.

"Suffocating? eh? Nah, it's okay…" It wasn't okay. Sometimes it truly did feel like he was unable to breathe, but despite the restrictions he felt his lungs continued to fill and empty and fill again and surely the suffocation was all in his head. Pripyat let the girl continue, he didn't mind her speaking so much now. Not as he had in the morning, when her voice had sparked fires of anxiety in his bowels. Now her voice could wash over him and it did not grate upon his nerves quite so much. The content of the speech he cared little for, as much as he thought about stealing away he did not want to talk about it, but he could listen to her talk. He could almost enjoy it if he focused only on the tones and not the content.

With her cheery attitude the girl announced the end of their lunch break, yet Pripyat stayed seated as the woman the color of clouds rose up and stretched herself out. Curious sky eyes watched her, as if seeing this creature for the first time. When she arrived in the morning he had tried to block her out, but that had proven impossible. After she returned to her own tasks, Pripyat followed suit. Rising up and giving himself a quick stretch, delighting in the way the bones along his spine cracked. Moving to his own pile of wood he went back to sorting. Picking up this, discarding that, inspecting boards even now and then. He worked in silence, but every so often looked up to see how his partner was doing.

Saxif Goldenfeather · 05-28-2011, 03:20 AM

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WC: 577 Sorry it has been a crazy week. But I feel this has got to be my best piece yet since joining. ^_^

It had been a short while since they finished lunch before Saxif decided to speak again. The sun shone with a fierce height in the less cloud patchy sky. It had been fairly gloomy for the past days, but the sun decided to shine on them hard that day. As though to torture their paining bodies. Her tongue lolled from thirst getting only mouthfuls of cold air to dry it further. Why does it have to be sunny today? She barely remembered the summer days of her life, so she had been quite accustomed to winter in her short life. Her fur had shed as she traveled but it stayed fairly thick. Her breed was meant for long harsh winters so this humid climate was something she would take time to get use to as the days would get hotter. She kept silent after the single comment, her muscles burning from the labour. She knew it wouldn’t be long before they finished but with each toss of a board and shifting of debris left from the ravenous winter storm, time seemed to drag like an injured buffalo.

The sun had just begun to drop from its height so it had been some time before her next words. She stole glances at the silent gray wolf near her, hoping he was in a similar agony. She tried her best not to show her struggle, but figured it was failing. Her shoulder length hair kept falling to her cheeks and her golden bangs shifted over her left eye more often than usual. She figured it was a sign she was losing her proud demeanour. As she flipped the bangs of her eye for the seemingly hundredth time she huffed. Ok, I need a break. This is just becoming frustrating and I’m not one to complain but I’m thirsty and just wish this day would end. The toll of this new work upon her muscles was getting to her, she knew it would happen but figured it wouldn’t be that difficult. She also knew the first few days of this tiring grind would be tough on her body but she had no idea the first day would be so tiresome. Was it the repeated grind action on her bones or the dreaded silence that was getting to her? She did not know all she knew is she needed a moments rest and a drink of water to refocus herself. She walked away from the barn and sat upon a rock nearby. The weight lifted from her legs but it barely alleviated the prickle of micro tears upon her young muscles. She tried to remember this would make her stronger, faster, and tougher but it was rough to focus on anything but the annoyance of this task.

I always thought I had patience for menial tasks but when it doesn’t involve prey and a hearty meal after an exciting chase. I guess I just lose all patience. She laughs lightly at her break of poise, feeling oddly at ease with that fact. She wondered if her royalty like upbringing had kept her body in a state of constant stress. She looked up at the gray wolf and grinned, a grin that felt more real to her than she ever felt in her short months. She didn’t need to prove her status here, she could be whoever she wanted to be and the person she wanted to be the most was Saxif.

Pripyat Soul · 05-30-2011, 02:08 PM

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The piles of wood to keep and discard were not much larger than the mess of wood left from the barn. Soon, by evening, they were sure to be done and the next day true rebuilding could be accomplished. Yet even with this end in sight Pripyat noted signs of tiring in his companion. Silently and without internal or external complaint, the boy continued his labor, strapping muscles well crafted by genetics and upbringing at work. When the words floated from the girl he merely grunted in reply and turned back to his work. The sun did not bother him, the stinging strike of its rays getting trapped underneath insolating fur. Surely it made the experience more unpleasant, but Pripyat focused on the task at hand, simply throwing himself into the work and found he did not mind the heat. So it was of no bother to him to ignore her and keep working then.

Yet Saxif seemed insistent on her discomfort and after working only moments more after the initial complaint another sprouted from her lips. The irony suddenly struck him, that in the morning he had been at his crankiest, unwilling to work with the woman who now herself was growing obstinate. Ocean eyes fell upon the lady, weary from the work and it was clear she refused to continue to wear out her already tired body. A warm, deep chuckle unexpectedly arose from within the body, rolling out and growing in strength. To anyone it would look as if he were laughing at his partner's unhappiness, but the grin that he wore was so good humored surely Saxif wouldn't take offense to his sudden good nature. And as he laugh his spirit grew higher, suddenly aware that he hadn’t laugh like this since before the snowstorm, and that he had laughed most like this when he was with his mother. It felt like stretching muscle cramped from disuse, it feel refreshing, it felt almost like a heavy weight was lifted from him.

"Alright, alright. I'll find you some water lass…" And he stopped himself, suddenly aware that the slip of the word "lass" reminded him of his father. Emotionally he was his mother's child, sensitive and kind but the stubborn genetics of Jefferson had worked upon him as well, and growing up alongside the gruff Patriarch had certainly shaped the boy as well. Pripyat could be thorny like his father, but like Jefferson his heart was in the right place, and looking at Saxif he suddenly though of Arye and couldn't stand the thought of her discomfort. Suddenly, water for Saxif seemed the most pressing task at hand. Thankfully Phoenix Valley had thought ahead and Pripyat easily located a bucket suitable for transporting water. With it in hand it was not long before he returned, the metal filled with cool fresh water, and he came and knelt beside her, holding up the bucket. "Here." And the stone grey boy smiled at the ivory lady, until he caught himself and wiped the good humor from his face if not from his heart.

Saxif Goldenfeather · 06-04-2011, 04:38 AM

End of contest but we still have a barn to build ^_^

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Saxif sat there slightly offended and mildly jealous of the stone coloured wolf’s reaction to her discomfort. It was one she was hoping not to receive, but everything this wolf did seemed to surprise her. He momentarily seemed in brighter spirits and shortly offered his help to her yet again. She felt she was beginning to become unfair. He had aided her twice and she had not done a thing for Pripyat yet. She also felt better as he spoke in a manner that seemed unlike her original impression of him. She couldn’t help but to smile again nodding her head in a thankful manner. She thought to herself she would find them a meal when they were done for the day, a fresh meal. It was the least she could do since she lacked skill in anything but the hunt. She enjoyed these lands though because they were lush with small animals for the taking. It wouldn’t be hard to find them a late night dinner. As the wolf was absent she felt revitalized by the thought of hunting. It would be her reward she thought, her motivation to move forward with each day. The hunt was her love, her life and her future. She arose from her perch of self-pity and continued her work.

When the grey wolf returned with water it added to her reclamation of energy. Thank you Pripyat. Before she knew it her heart was pumping again from work but it beat with less pain to her limbs. Her second wind arrived and would stay for the rest of the day. She watched as she and the male neared the end of the clearing as though it had been just short minutes. The hours had been silent as she thought of her later hunt, her hope to offer this male the taste of meat so fresh the blood still hot. She smiled pondering his surprise of her gift, his tiny smirk that she had seen more times in the day than she had expected. She found herself staring at the wolf secretly watching his muscles shift with each lift and toss of a board. It was something that she had not done in a while. Really watch a male as a female, she shook her head. She felt silly; this wasn’t like her to feel this way. She hoped it wouldn’t show she didn’t want to feel like she had not long before her betrayal.

Pripyat Soul · 06-05-2011, 07:54 PM

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Heh we don't have to do 400 words anymore. Hope you don't mind shorter posts.

The woman thanked him and Pripyat turned back to his work, after Saxif returned to her. He did not mind if she wanted to linger and chat, but was just as happy to return to his work. They would get done sooner that way in the very least. As he worked further he felt the other sources of guilt and anger melt away. The more the sun soaked into his fur and skin, the less he resent his father and all the others. The less he hated being here. The work was almost enjoyable. Pripyat realized he was almost smiling as he worked when the ocean eyes caught sight of Saxif. At first he moved past her, ready to focus on task but then he took a double take. She was watching him?

Tilting his head to the left the boy stopped; putting down the plank of wood he had been holding he regarded the Aniwaya girl. "Do you need something else?" The words came before Pripyat realized that he wouldn't even mind if Saxif did want something else. Before any request from the girl might have annoyed him, but his mood was fine enough that he found himself willing to oblige with any of her requests. She could have him to finish the job himself because she was fatigued and he would probably smile and tell her to go sit in the shade, he'd be finished soon enough…

Saxif Goldenfeather · 06-05-2011, 11:20 PM

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I don’t mind shorter posts I was just inspired in the last one so it happened to be over 400 ^_^

Saxif chuckled lightly and shifted her bangs from her eye absentmindedly. His response to catching her glances had been one she didn’t expect. Before he seemed uncomfortable that his eyes even met his, but here he was looking into her golden eyes with an eager nature to help her. She smiled when the chuckled ended. No I am perfectly fine, but thank you. She liked the color of his eyes they seemed like deep clear waters. She realized again she was being silly and looked down. She tried to refocus on the hunt later that night but her eyes lifted again. She decided maybe it would be best to turn away from him. It was an improvement but every now and again she caught herself glancing under her arm as she bent for a new board.

The sunlight was turning orange when Saxif realized the final boards were being sorted. She wondered if she would stay outside near the barn, she kind of liked the idea to. It would be nice to be under the stars again. She had grown accustomed to it in her travel. Maybe I could build a fire and have cooked meat. She much preferred raw but figured it would be a nice change especially on a new land. She looked over at the grey wolf. I do believe we are done for the evening partner. Her tone a cheerful mix of relaxation and excitement for her planned hunt.

Pripyat Soul · 06-14-2011, 01:56 PM

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Maybe we can close this soon and have a newer thread in a few weeks? Trying to wrap up older stuff ^^

She wanted no help and Pripyat shrugged good naturedly and turned back to him work. From time to time he caught her glance again, but simply smiled softly at her and went about his business. When dusk finally came to claim Phoenix Valley for the evening again, Pripyat surveyed their work. The old unusable boards were piled up high, ready for a bonfire or simply to rot back into earth. The still useable boards were neatly stacked near to the building site and this gave the boy an unexpected feeling of satisfaction. While the work had been long and hard, it seemed what they accomplished was more than what they had put it. It felt good to see the results of their labors so clearly.

I do believe we are done for the evening partner. Eyes of the sky turned to her and he nodded. Certainly they were done, and from the ache in his muscles it was likely they might get a late start tomorrow, but the others would be helping and perhaps he and Saxif had done enough already. "Yes. Thank you for coming here to help. I hope the project in Aniwaya is going just as smoothly." Where had such sentiment come from? Since when did he care what happened in Aniwaya? Still the boy was in a good mood and it was likely to go away that evening. His mind immediately when to Arye, who he wished to see as soon as possible, and he wondered if her day had gone as well as his. Yet Saxif was still here, and Pripyat knew she wouldn't be trekking back to Aniwaya in the middle of the night. "Ah, do you need a place to stay? Some food maybe?" As soon as the slate boy got Saxif squared away then he could rush off to see Arye, and his heart beat faster at that thought.

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