Sometimes I find myself wondering
#1
[html] for Skoll Smile

It was cold, blustery in fact for the wind came and went to it’s very own tune. Alder looked out across the pastures that they kept beyond the stables. It was not too cold for the herd to go rummaging through the white crystals and dead grass in the hopes that they may find something edible.


But they all seemed far more content beneath the roof, and beside their filled troughs of hay. Alder couldn’t blame them. He walked down the line of familiar faces, looking at them as they all stood contently. Alder smiled, though felt a loss of energy. He hadn’t been watching over his stead, rather gone through the open lands in the search of faces and food. The Marshal was easy to guilt, and his own mind gave him a heavy dose of it. It had taken him a long time to clean the stalls, manage the feed-stocks as well as groom all the residents. As well as bring the place from looking neglected back to its prim and tidy (as tidy as a stable could be) condition.


He made a promise to them all, as well as himself to hunt the pack lands rather then free territory and to seek friends within the ranks rather then outside them. Though, he couldn’t help but wonder what a particular lone coywolf had come to. Trent had been on his mind since they had parted ways. It had even clouded the visit to Inferni and the meeting of his half brother. What did that matter, when he had filled the gap of that relationship with a new friend? His curiosity drifted between a friendly wondering and a worry. The male had been so tentative when they had met… Alder hoped they would meet again.


A mew came to his ears, causing him to look down. The cat called out again, louder now as he thought that Alder had ignored his first request. The kitten was much larger then when Alder had first brought him to his new home. But it was obvious that he wasn’t full grown yet. Alder scooped him up, and the white and orange hued feline reach up to rub his head against the wolf’s. He had come to understand this ritual, and lifted his higher so that he could rub again his black and tan cheek. Hickory then pawed at his face, and the Marshal scolded him lightly in low-speech before settling him onto his arm and carried him as he looked for the next chore to tackle.

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#2
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Skoll Haskel
436

Thanks for starting! ...Skoll is a spaz.

January had arrived. Though gusts of wind skirted the snow-blanketed land, sending up cold flurries, the winter solstice was past. Slowly, the sun was reclaiming its power in the heavens. The days would only grow longer and longer, and as the frigid days passed, golden light shone brightly on the snow. And as the days grew long, the sun prince grew too.

Skoll galloped through the snow now, his too-large paws leaving clumsy tracks behind him. His tongue lolled from his jaws, his eyes squinting slightly against the wind as he ran. With the blustery wind breezing through his thickening blonde pelt, he felt exhilarated—though the gusts could batter his puppy body. He lowered his head against an especially fierce wind and growled, shaking his tail out behind him, pretending to fight the breeze.

Suddenly, however, the young Haskel shut his mouth and stuck his nose forward, sniffing intently. The strong smell of horses was blowing toward him, and immediately excitement welled up within him. Letting out an eager bark, the four-month-old began to lope forward again. Though he did not move fast—and couldn’t really without tripping over his kid-clumsy feet—his endurance carried him all the way to the stables.

The disproportioned puppy stopped a safe distance from the barn, pricked ears swiveling toward the sound of horses breathing and fidgeting. Despite having ventured closer and closer to the stables these past few weeks, he still hadn’t quite gotten to know any of the steeds of Cour des Miracles. He was big enough that it wouldn’t be too much of a problem of getting trampled, but since he was too young for a two-legged form he was still awkward.

Wagging his tail furiously, he walked along the front of the stalls, glancing inside every few yards before the smell of a wolf underneath the stronger horsey odor grabbed his attention. Quickly, the prince blundered through the snow after the scent, the tall back of the timber Marshal coming into view. Without regard for his pack mate’s oblivious state, Skoll yapped and quickly ran past him, whirling around in an attempt to stand brazenly before him. However, he happened to trip over his own feet as usual and floundered in the snow.

Recovering as quickly as he could, the golden wolfdog flipped back over onto all fours and grinned broadly at the Lieutenant. “Hi Alder!” he barked, wagging his tail high over his back and shaking some of the frost from his light-colored coat. He paused then, his green eyes flicking to the orange and white shape perched upon the young man’s shoulder. “Cat!”




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#3
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Black tinted fingers ran along the head of the cat, and a soft purr was induced by the petting. Hickory had become quite the family member in Alder's small family. Hawthorn loved him just as much as the cat loved the ginormous Shire stallion. Alder could often find the kitten in the horse's feed bay, snuggled in the dry hay, and far from bothered by the horse who only nosed him gently. He traveled back to the cabin with Alder as well, and slept by the fire each night.


Tranquility turned to chaos in an instant, at at the bark the cat awoke from it's daze and scrambled to the wolf's shoulder. Alder halted in his step and before he could react there was a pup standing before him. He could recognize the young wolf as the King's son, but his breath was taken from him. The needle like claws had dug into his arm and shoulder, and the cat had the first word. He howled, and gave a enthusiastic hiss towards the rambunctious puppy.


Alder did not attempt to remove the cat from his shoulder, it was wide enough for the nimble creature to balance easily. Skoll. He spoke, rubbing the arm that had been pierced by the miniscule daggers. This cat is a friend. He tried to explain to the puppy. He placed a hand out in front of him to affirm that it was space and respect that the little creature deserved.

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#4
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Skoll Haskel
240

*****

The white and ginger cat flew up onto the tan wolf’s shoulder, startled by the young wolfdog’s appearance, and likewise Skoll was startled by the noise. He leaped back, ears lowering as the cat hissed at him like a snake, and fell down onto his rump in his attempt to backpedal away from the towering wolf and agitated feline. He’d only wanted to say hi! Maybe he’d been a little surprised by the sight of the critter, and maybe he wouldn’t say no to chasing the cat around the barn a few times for fun, but there wasn’t a mean bone in the boy’s body. He huffed then glanced up into blue eyes set in a dark mask.

Alder’s explanation and raised paw made the child frown, and he rose to all fours once more with another sharp glance at the orange-spotted kitten. “Didn’t mean to scare ’im,” Skoll mumbled, the tail once curled over his back now falling against his hocks. “I didn’t wanna eat him!” he added with horror, green eyes wide as he glanced at the creature. Perhaps if he had grown up around less humanized luperci, he might have seen the cat as prey rather than a companion. It still wasn’t the same as a proper wolf to him, but he could tell that it wasn’t food, only something to pester at worst. But with the Marshall protecting it, even that thought didn’t cross his mind.



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#5
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When the pup’s body language changed, and spoke of a greater calm the Marshal and the kitten in his care responded in the same manner. Alder was not very good at scolding anyone, he had learned that when living with Haven and his youngsters, and he didn’t keep the lesson up very long. Instead he used one hand to pluck the cat from his shoulder and held him against his chest.


With a soft smile he lowered himself to a knee and explained, His name is Hickory, he was left in Crimson Dreams by his mother. Alder patted the kitten on the head, and the yellow eyes looked out to investigate the other canine. He may have spooked easily, but Hickory’s curiosity was far too great to be scared away.


Alder wasn’t worried the golden boy would actually intent to hurt the smaller beast, but it was important to keep the calm boundaries between canine and the creatures of the stables. A horse would not appreciate a young wolf’s rambunctious movements, and if Alder could guess what brought Skoll here it was to get a glimpse of the stable’s residents.

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#6
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Skoll Haskel
322

~~~

Shifting the kitten against his chest and settling down closer to the pup’s level, Alder introduced the cat and its origins. Green eyes blinked at the creature, and with a few uncertain strides, the puppy came closer to give the feline a little sniff. His tail wagged lightly to show that he wasn’t going to chase the young animal, the gentleness evident in the line of his body and the softening of his face. Part of what made a King was the tender treatment of his subjects, and Skoll had learned gentleness from roughhousing with his siblings and the tiny shy girl he met on the borders. It was a surprising transformation from the rambunctious vessel of energy showing before, but the often cocky kid was nothing but full of surprises.

“Why’d his mom leave him?” the young Haskel asked with concern, looking up into the dark mask of his comrade’s face. A moment later, another question caused him to scowl and tilt his head, his tail twitching behind him with curiosity. “Is Crimson Dreams another pack?” It sounded familiar, now that he thought about it; perhaps he’d heard of it during the war, though not in the bad way as the grownups had spoken of AniWaya. He grew slightly more confident in this guess and nodded to himself before venturing one last question; at least he had learned to take breaths between them now to allow the speaker time to reply.

“Whatcha doin’ today, Alder?” Skoll yipped, his eyes returning to the cat though gingery-cream ears remained pricked for the answer. He hoped that the Marshall wasn’t too busy with something, as he’d come here to see if he could visit the horses or maybe even help if he could. It was no real secret that the boy aspired to work with them and ride them one day, though until he could shift he was limited in what he could do.



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#7
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The pup came a bit closer, sniffing at the kitten from an appropriate distance. Alder smiled at the small act. He knew that puppies' impulses were from from developed and not always suitable for the situation. But the tall male had patience, and he was impressed to see that so quickly Skoll had understood that Hickory was their friend, and it was important to be calm and gentle towards him.


Alder could only shake his head slightly, his mouth turned to a bit of a frown and he answered, I don't know, I guess he wandered away or maybe he was forgotten. It was a sad story, but Alder had taken care of the little kit and now he would grow into a large tom and keep mice and rats out of the barn. It is. Its west of our pack. My mother and brothers live there. Alder explained, demeanor turning far more upbeat as he thought of his birth pack.


At the inquiry the young Marshal stopped to think for a moment. Most of the chores were complete and he figured that there wasn't much to do other then see what the boy had in mind. Alder wondered if he was thinking of a game to play, it had been some time since he had played a game. Just finished my chores, so not much. Blue eyes looked with a inquisitive glint.

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#8
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Skoll Haskel
300

~~~

The puppy mirrored the young man’s frown as he spoke of the kitten, and he stared forlornly down at the tabby-splashed feline. He couldn’t imagine being forgotten by his own mother, even if he wandered away a lot. He wondered if Hickory had been on an adventure before he got lost, and if his parent was still worriedly searching for him. These thoughts depressed him, and he lowered his ears sadly until Alder went on to speak about the Crimson Dreams pack.

As always, learning something new held the cub’s interest, and he nodded lightly. He still wasn’t really sure about where all the packs lay outside of Cour des Miracles, having ventured only as far as the forest less than a mile outside the pack grounds, but he would try to remember for when he got bigger. A King had to know the lay of the land even outside his kingdom, after all.

“They do?” Skoll yipped, tail wagging as the brown wolf spoke of his family. “What they like? Are they nice?” He supposed they would be nice. “What’re their names? And why’re they over there and you’re over here?” The last question caused him to cock his head thoughtfully. He guessed that sometimes people went to other packs; after all, not everyone in the Court had been born there, but he couldn’t imagine leaving the pack while his family was here.

After this explosion of questions, he managed to sit still long enough for answers before turning in a quick circle when the male’s blue eyes fell on him. “I—” He paused, drew his tongue over his lips almost sheepishly as he tried to remember why he’d come to the stables. “Oh, that’s good. I was um—maybe help. Or—visit ’em horses. Or something fun.”





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#9
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Alder had worried about the kitten for some time, and thought about Hickory's mother. But the cat was thriving in his care and that was enough to allow him to ignore a mother cat that may be (though it was indeed unlikely) looking for him. His back fingers petted the creature, and then he placed the cat on the ground so that he could stretch his legs and so the puppy could get a better look at the newer creature.


The masked male nodded, his family was indeed in Crimson Dreams. The questions came more quickly then Alder was able to answer them. He kept quiet until the little wolf grew silent and tried to remember all of his inquiries. They are nice, especially my mother. I came here to live with my older brother Haven and his family, so I could tend to the horses. He gave a smile, it was the simplest way to explain his transfer from the Dreaming world to that of the Court. My mother is Anu, and my brothers are Cypress and Oak. He added, remembering that Skoll had asked about their names.


The pup was an active one, unable to sit in a single spot for too long. Alder had been the complete opposite when he was young, content to remain in a single place as long as his mother was around. He found the boy’s antics amusing and smiled. Well, who do you want to visit? Do you have a favorite horse? What color do you like best? Alder himself was drawn to the hue of the horses pelt, and had adored the darker coats. He didn’t know if perhaps if Skoll had picked out one for himself once he was old enough to begin the trials of learning to ride.

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#10
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Skoll Haskel
305

~~~

As talkative and energetic as he was while asking questions, no one could say that Skoll didn’t sit still and listen carefully to answers. He was curious about the world, and he usually got ahead of himself when it came to learning all he could. He’d yet to realize that not everyone had the answers he was looking for.

Alder had answers, though, and the golden puppy nodded slightly as the older male explained his reasons for living Crimson Dreams. It was weird to think of the Marshall ever being outside of the Court, not tending to the horses; he didn’t think the stables could even exist without him! He decided that it was a good thing Alder was here, even if… “D’ya miss Anu an’ Cypress an’ Oak?” he asked, his voice a bit quieter. “If I went away, I’d miss my mom and daddy, and even Hati and Lottie I guess.” Even if they were stupidfaces sometimes, he did truly care about his siblings.

It was then the dark-masked wolf’s turn to ask questions, and the puppy wagged his tail as he looked toward the stalls. Despite coming here with his father before, he was still too young to really “visit” them as he’d wanted to. It was another reason he desired to shift, to be able to stand taller and actually interact with the horses like luperci did. They were so massive and hard to look at otherwise.

“I named a horse!” Skoll exclaimed, but he went on to answer Alder’s inquiries. “I named Jolie; she’s creamy like me! We can go see her?” He stepped toward the stables but paused, knowing it was safer for the adult to accompany him after he gathered up the kitten. “I want my own horse when I get big like Daddy. Where’d you get ’awthorn?”



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#11
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The masked male nodded. He did indeed miss his family. I do, at times. His missed his mother especially, and felt that perhaps he would go to visit her in the next day or two. After the war with AniWaya Alder had seen his mother as fragile, though she had actually grown stronger by the events. In his eyes she could be taken from this world at a whim, though he knew in his heart she would fight. He only wondered how much fight was left in her. His brothers were a bit different. Alder missed them, perhaps Oak more then Cypress, but he knew that they were fine without him. He had been the weakest of the sons and Alder remembered being on the bottom of the pile more often then not.


Alder nodded at the boy’s exclamation, and smiled for he knew which mare Skoll spoke of. Lets go. Alder replied with enthusiasm, picking up the kitten and walking behind the pup. Skoll was eager to go, but slowed in his pace to make sure that Alder was following. Just the proper thing to do in a semi dangerous area for a young wolf.


He came from AniWaya, a horse trainer gave me him for a mare and some furs. She was very generous. Alder replied, remembering the experience well. They walked down the row until the stall of Jolie came before them. Why did you name her Jolie? He asked.

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#12
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Skoll Haskel
313

~~~

Alder scooped the orange and white kitten up in his dark arms, following the puppy close behind while Skoll suppressed the urge to race ahead. He trusted his pack mate, though, and knew that the Court was safe in ways the outside world wasn’t. This was instinct, even if the boy was cocky enough to believe he’d never get in serious trouble inside or outside the pack. After all, he’d found himself in two very bad situations and was lucky enough to have met a stranger each time who’d put their lives at risk saving him. Soon, he’d learn that it wasn’t always the case, but right now he simply stayed close to the Marshall with a sense of security.

Ears flicked when the young man mentioned AniWaya, and the boy frowned momentarily before nodding. The image of the Tribe as bad guys had faded since the conclusion of the war, but he still found it strange to talk about them—even if he had met a few good AniWayans in his short life. “That’s good,” he said to fill the silence, thinking about the great dark stallion and wondering if the Tribe had other horses like that. Once he got older and more serious about obtaining his own, he’d be sure to seek Alder out again and pester him on where to trade.

The creamy legs of the mare came into view, and Skoll wagged his tail although he couldn’t quite get a look at the horse under the stall door. He couldn’t wait to shift so that being picked up wouldn’t be necessary. He cocked an ear at Alder’s question and swung around to face him, beaming. “Jolie means pretty! And that’s her other name, Prettyface. It’s a good name for a nice pretty horse right?” He lowered his ears sheepishly as he wondered if another name would’ve been more suiting.



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#13
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Alder wondered what the pup thought about the AniWayan conflict, if he understood what had happened and that they had all gone to war in defense of the puppy’s future as well as the entire pack’s next generation. But he was too shy to ask about it, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to express the question in a way in which the pup might be able to understand without feeling insecure or becoming upset. He had been upset at the mere thought of AniWaya right after the resolution had occurred. He still had a resentfulness seeded deep in his chest. Alder simply kept quiet, and forced his curiosity to focus elsewhere.


Instead of thinking about shadowed times Alder listened to the young wolf, smiling at his energy, expressive features and enthusiasm. He had no idea that the name had such a meaning, and his face showed his surprise. It’s the perfect name. He answered, a paw reaching out to greet the nose of the beautiful mare. She was friendly, and had a gentle air about her as he stood before the door.


Low speech was something Alder spoke freely with all the horses; second nature caused him to ask for her to easy with the puppy and thanked her for her patience. They called to one another in a horse-sounding way, and even the kitten meowed with the hopes of stepping into the conversation. Alder’s tail wagged, Sounds like she wants to stretch her legs. It could get stuffy in the stables for the horses, and despite the cold air, many thought it refreshing. He placed a hand on the stable door, waiting for the young male to stand back.

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#14
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SKOLL HASKEL
à cœur vaillant rien d'impossible

Word Count → 281 · Testing new table. xD Bear with me if it screws something up.



Alder’s acceptance of the name made the sun chaser smile. Green eyes watched carefully as the tall male extended a dark paw to touch the creamy mare, and he ached once more for hands to do the same. He almost sighed before he heard horse noises, normal enough around the stables, but some of the nickering came from the wolf! His ears stood to attention at once as he listened to the conversation, amazed. Perhaps he knew that it was possible to talk to other animals before, but he’d never witnessed it personally. His expression transformed into one of awed respect as he looked at the Marshall, understanding now why the young adult was so good with all of the horses.

“How’d you learn to do that?” Skoll asked, referring to the low speech. He stifled the other question: what had they been discussing? Somehow it felt wrong to ask, like it was a secret conversation or like Alder would be frustrated trying to translate and tell it all again. There was such easiness between the equine words, as if Alder were part horse himself—another theory of unlikely hybrids that almost rivaled his still-firm belief that Caspa had some ghostliness flowing through her veins.

He wagged his tail when the man mentioned Jolie wanted to stretch her legs. Maybe he wasn’t big enough to ride yet, but it could be fun to run alongside a galloping horse as long as he kept away from her hooves. He was about to bark the suggestion when he saw that Alder already had his hand on the stall door; quickly, he shuffled backwards to allow a safe distance between himself and the mare.





table by raze; template from the mentors


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#15
[html]love the table! and please feel free to pp them arriving at the pasture etc... Wink

Dark fingers scratched at the short hide of the light hued mare. Watching the pup interact with the horse reminded him of Rem, and how the horse enjoyed so much to play with puppies. Alder had been quite small when they first met, and their connection had been instant. Rem had made Alder wish to know more about the species and from there he had learned to care for and train them. Skoll’s voice was laced with curiosity, his question a genuine one. A very smart cat taught me. Then, I practiced. Alder did not know what it was like to learn other languages, such as Italian. But he figured that low speech was just as hard to teach as well as learn.


Alder turned to the mare, and asked her to careful for the pup. They all needed to take great care with King’s son, as they would with any of the pack’s pups. But Alder did not wish to tell his King that his prince was stomped by a mare and under his watch. Alder forced his body to remain calm. He placed a halter on the mare, and a lead to stay extra cautious.


We’ll take her to the large pasture and see how fast she can run. Alder spoke with a smile, the pup gave a proper distance and he nodded his approval.

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#16
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SKOLL HASKEL
à cœur vaillant rien d'impossible

Word Count → 319



Pale ears stood to attention as Alder mentioned that a cat had taught him, but Skoll decided that it made sense. If a lower animal knew high speech, they’d be able to teach wolves how to talk in the low tongue. He knew that he’d try to teach his father some words of French once, but being only a cub, he hadn’t been a very good tutor. He’d lost the practice of babbling foreign words, filtering out the ones that the majority of his pack mates could not understand, but he understood the concept of different languages now at least.

“D’ya think I could learn?” the golden boy asked, head tilted. He wasn’t sure if just anyone could learn something like that; Alder, after all, had such mastery around the beasts that he had to be a chosen one or something. Everyone had their special talents, and some limitations; the boy would never be as fast as some other canines, for example, but he was somewhat strong.

He grinned at the thought of letting the horse run, and it took all of his willpower not to break into a gallop now. They’d have to wait until they were in a safer area where the mare wouldn’t knock into something or trample someone with their hooves. Trying to remember where the passage was, he waited for the tall tan male to take the lead and trotted alongside them, his pace wolfish and his muscles contracting like steel as he kept a very steady pace.

Once they reached the pasture, however, Skoll could not contain himself. The sight of the open area flooded him with energy, and with an excited bark, he dashed forward through the grass—keeping a safe distance from the horse as not to spook her when he went careening past. He mimicked a horse’s gait as he run, clumsily, but it looked like he would never tire.



table by raze; template from the mentors


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#17
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Of course you can. Alder replied with conviction. Anyone could learn the language, as long as they practiced and had a true determination to learn and understand. But Alder could not say that it would take the youngster longer then it had Alder to learn, he seemed bright and eager and that was all the male figured was needed. He could even teach him, if Skoll really wished to learn the tongue of the lower language species.


Alder walked beside the mare, the pup along side as well. He held the lead in one paw, the other rested on the mare’s back and Alder gave a few calming words that may explain what they were doing. But by all accounts the mare understood, or even already had. She noticed the pup, gave her distance and was far from unsure about the young wolf’s presence.


Even when the pale golden pup ran off the mare did not seem shaken at the least. She gave a slight huff from her nose as if to say that pups will be pups and then gently continued on until they reached the gate. Alder untied the lead and watched the pup as he ran, remembering how he pretended just the same way when he was young. Watch her go! he spoke, and the mare began with a soft trot. Her gait grew from there, and Alder entered the field and watched them. Not too close Skoll. He reminded, his tone sounding rather fatherly instead of scolding.

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#18
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SKOLL HASKEL
à cœur vaillant rien d'impossible

Word Count → 199 · Hmm, think we should start wrapping up? :3 Didn't know if you had any other ideas.



Paws tread on cold grass, crushing the frosted blades as energy tingled through his veins. For a moment, Skoll seemed to capture the weak winter sunlight in his body. He made a good effort of holding it there, the golden beams falling across his honeyed coat, but the next moment he was just a gawky cub running through the pasture again. One day, he would indeed grow, but the path to that day had not yet revealed itself. He was only a kid who liked horses and pretended to be a horse now, tossing his head like a vainglorious stallion and even letting out an inelegant whinny as the horse was let loose.

He paused and turned to watch the creamy mare as she moved through the field, rendering his movements those of a clumsy child’s. The fine musculature of the newly-named horse captivated him for a moment, and he heeded Alder’s words with no more than an ear-twitch in his direction. Her hooves beat the earth, their vibrations traveling up through his paws into his strong young body, and he grinned broadly. He began to scamper around again before howling at the young adult.

“Run with us, Alder!”



table by raze; template from the mentors


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#19
[html] we can end here if you'd like Smile

Alder watched, leaning up against the fence as the second passed by without any mishaps. He took in the sight, the way the pup ran along without care of being judged and completely absorbed in his imagination. Alder remembered the past, when he had been caught playing the same game. He had been embarrassed, but the male who found him told him that acting was a talent and an art. Skoll seemed to have the same knack, and a similar passion. When the pup called out Alder hesitated. He was an adult, and had put those foolish games behind him.


But there were not so far that he could not return to them. He hopped the fence, and knelt on the frozen ground. One knee touching the dirt, his fore arm and paw resting on the other. He began the change like he did any other, slowly at first and then quickly as his experienced body shifted. When he opened his eyes he stood to find a different perspective. Alder took a few hurried steps, testing his legs before joining the smaller male in a full leaping gait.


Masked eyes watched both beasts in his company, careful to still be watchful of the closeness of horse and pup. But he couldn’t help but smile, mouth ajar and pink tongue hanging at the side of his jaw.

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