i'm trying to welcome this change
#1
Set after this. Hope you don't mind if we have another one together! :][html]


Sirius had been up before Pilot. He was surprised, but then reminded himself who he was dealing with. Sirius had always seemed to be rambunctious and was definitely more outgoing than Apollo was. Whenever he would visit the two in Twilight Vale, Sirius would seem to be bursting with energy while Apollo would follow his heels looking rather bored. It was apparent that even though Sirius was physically the smaller of the two, he was the leader.



Pilot wandered to one of the many streams winding through Shadowed Sun’s lands. It was still fairly early, but that sun had already risen over the horizon a few hours prior. The sun’s rays were already heating the ground beneath him, but a light breeze blew. It wouldn’t be too unbearable today, and Pilot even wondered if perhaps there would be a chance of rain.



He knelt down on his knees, cupping the cool water in his hands and splashing in towards his face. The blue and gold lightening bolt tattoo peered out through a thing layer of white fur on his wrist. He looked up, blinking his steel colored eyes as he took in the familiar lands around him. He wondered about Urma, the girl he had met the night before. On his way home from Twilight Vale he was run into her in the woods. Now she was a new member of the pack. He wondered if she had found a decent place to sleep for the night.



[/html]
#2
[html]
http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk42 ... m_bot1.jpg) no-repeat bottom; padding-top: 20px;">

OOC:
Yay another thread with you! I was really hoping you wouldn't mind another!


IC:

Urma had fallen asleep in Pilot's den, but doubt and conflicting feelings had made her decide two hours into the night that she should find another place. So, feeling a bit lonely and knowing it was impossible to find the comfort of cuddling up next to someone else, she had wondered in the direction of one of Shadowed Sun's streams. Feeling far too tired to find a place less in the open, and thinking she was secure enough seeing as she was within pack lands, she settled for the shelter of a tree. She hadn't had much sleep, however. She felt a number of things were bothering her; firstly, she had no clue whatsoever as to how she could make it up to Pilot for all his help. Secondly, she wished he hadn't understood her abrupt departure in the middle of the night as lack of gratitude. She couldn't know for sure herself what it had been. She felt she had been trespassing, somehow forcing her way into his home and in his life. And there was nothing in the world that gave her the right to claim those things as hers. It was already too much that he had been willing to bring her into the pack.


Still a bit sleepy and with a multitude of thoughts clashing in her mind, she lay down against the tree trunk, looking at the stream as it followed its way further on. It seemed as if nothing could stand in its way. It had the tranquility, the security of always being able to move forward that Urma somehow couldn't welcome back. She needed a change. She needed to remind herself how it had been before Mörker, how she had gotten along then, by herself. But she was in a sense fighting a lost battle. Mörker was no longer a part of her life, and thinking what it had been like before was senseless; he had always been there, since she could remember. And she knew she didn't miss him now as much as she had, back then. But the feeling of belonging that she had had with him... she knew she missed that very much.


Urma pulled away from her thoughts, and looked around her. She could smell the presence of another wolf. She craned her neck a bit to see. Certainly enough, it was Pilot, some way away from her napping spot. For a moment she wanted to stand up and go talk to him. The next however, she was afraid he might be angry at her for the night before. She watched him, her plain-coloured eyes taking in every detail as he cupped water in his hands and drank it. It looked almost as if she was stunned. She still couldn't stop herself from matching his coat with hers. With home. But wasn't this home, now?
[/html]
#3
Sorry for the wait. I'm glad we're having another one together. :][html]


Pilot let the water drip from his hands to join the rest of the stream. The babbling noise of the running current made him feel this sense of serenity, especially with the soft pastels painting the dawn sky. He took in a deep breath of air, still trying to wake his body for the day. It was the middle of the month, which meant that Tayui and Pilot would evaluate ranks soon. Hopefully they would see some of the wolves rise beyond Periokoi.



He turned his head and now noticed the white form of another wolf tucked beside a tree. He smiled to himself, and rose to his feet, wiping his palms dry on his thighs. "Urma!" He called to her, glad to see that Shadowed Sun’s newest member had decided to stick around. After waking to find himself alone in the den, he was curious to see if maybe she had decided Shadowed Sun wasn’t the place for her. "Good morning," he offered, as he made his way closer to her and the tree trunk. She looked a bit tired, and perhaps not as rested as Pilot felt. Then again, he had been so exhausted that probably a herd of moose running over the den wouldn’t have waken him.


[/html]
#4
[html]
http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk42 ... m_bot1.jpg) no-repeat bottom; padding-top: 20px;">

OOC:
Neah, don't be sorry, I don't mind waiting, I know sometimes I take a long time to reply to threads myself =/


IC:

Urma continued to watch Pilot's movements, her thoughts far away. However, she didn't miss the sound of her name as he called her, and looked up, smiling gratefully. As he came closer and greeted her, her smile widened a bit, and she sat up on all fours, closing in the distance between them. "Hello," she answered back in a small voice, but nonetheless contentedly. "I'm sorry for last night. I didn't mean to leave like that," she explained. "I thought it was maybe better if I wouldn't be in your way in the morning. But I do appreciate what you've done for me. Shadowed Sun seems a lovely place. Thank you." Urma hoped she sounded just as grateful as she felt.


She looked up to the sky, focusing on the torn and mismatching clouds above. "They remind me of cotton candy, the winter celebration tradition at home, the multitude of small lights and glittering stars, the soft snow, the warm, crackling fires and the cheerful atmosphere," she said slowly, referring to the clouds. She knew that as soon as September or October settled in, she'd most enjoy it if she could make her way northwards to greet the northern lights. "Wolves that came to my former pack from North America told stories of the Cree and the "Dance of the Spirits" and, as a pup, I spent numerous nights listening to them, trying to picture the exact shade of each colour they described as it lit the sky. I'd like to see the northern lights, sometime," she continued absentmindedly. But that was far away, and she had to come back to here, and now. She looked at Pilot and smiled an embarrassed smile for having been carried away. "I'm sorry. I don't know what got into me to say such silly things," she tried to excuse herself, nervously.


In an attempt to break any awkward silence that might follow, she went on, "Anyway... how was your night? Slept well?"
[/html]
#5
Yay, I'm home![html]


He allowed himself to sit on the dew dusted ground, crossing his legs like a pretzel beneath him as Urma spoke. He had never heard of cotton candy or much of the other things that she talked about. The mystery behind it, though, was enough to perk his interest. He loved to know that people lived different lives in different places. He had learned that was true very early in his life when he had come to Bleeding Souls and stumbled across Storm. Now he had grown to be less naïve, but still curious about those things that remained unknown to him.



"I’ve never seen the northern lights before," but he had heard of them. Where was it… in a book, perhaps? He couldn’t quite remember, but he did know that they had sounded wonderful. Maybe one night Urma and Pilot could find them together. He would love to see them. Urma apologized, probably thinking of herself as a tittle-tattler for speaking so much about these random things, but Pilot didn’t mind one bit. He was had been intrigued. "Oh, don’t worry about that, Urma," he told her with a smile. "And I slept wonderfully. It probably helped that I was exhausted too. I didn’t wake up once." He wondered what kind of adventures Sirius was out finding. For some reason, he was feeling less and less like his father everyday. Did that make him a bad parent? Was he already a bad father? "How about you? Sleep okay?"


[/html]
#6
[html]
http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk42 ... m_bot1.jpg) no-repeat bottom; padding-top: 20px;">

OOC:Yay! Hope you had fun while visiting your sister =D


Urma felt a bit self-concious as Pilot sat down in front of her, and shifted her weight from foot to foot awkwardly, realizing for herself she was far too agitated to stand still. It was probably the way he listened to her that gave her this feeling-- it had been a very long time since anyone had paid her so much attention, had found what she had to say even remotely intriguing. She had missed the feeling of bonding, of saying something of interest to anyone. When he spoke about the northern lights and never having seen them himself, she immediately opened her mouth to say that maybe they could see them together, but decided against it. Could she really do all of that? Just invite him when she had barely any clues as to what his life was?


She continued to listen to him talk, finding this much more rewarding than actually saying something herself. And either way, she felt like wrapped up in a spell. She felt compelled to keep the silence from her part. Until she heard her name. It felt so different, now that he said it, in a sentence, that he addressed it to her, that it meant reassurance that she wasn't in his way. Urma smiled, some sort of mixture of happiness and confusion flooding her. "I'm glad to hear your night was good, I was beginning to feel guilty about postponing your sleep. You lost some time back in the woods when you met me. And I was too clumsy to notice you were too tired until we were on our way here." She stopped when he asked how her night had been, trying to find something, some way of putting it that would make it sound as if it had been very good. "Feels better than being all alone out there," she said evasively. "I'll have to find a place and start digging myself a den, though, since I don't plan on spending the rest of my nights under this tree," she concluded, her voice light.
[/html]
#7
Thanks! And it was awesome. [html]


"That would be a good idea. It’s always nice to have a place to go home and sleep at the end of the day." He spoke from experience and from the feeling of finally collapsing in his den to sleep the night before. After finishing his den, it had seemed rather foreign to him. After time, it had become home though. Just as Shadowed Sun had. It just took time to adjust to things. He was finding that he was rather versatile – he had been adapting to change all of his life, hadn’t he?



"We could look for a spot if you want. I mean, you haven’t seen much of Shadowed Sun yet as it is. We might be able to find a perfect spot to start digging your den." He stretched his arms above his head, yawing as he did, before hoisting himself up onto two legs. He found himself spending more time on two legs than four – a gift from Phoenix, who had turned him. "What do you think?"


[/html]
#8
[html]
http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk42 ... m_bot1.jpg) no-repeat bottom; padding-top: 20px;">

OOC:Is our plot still up? We kind of lost contact with the PMs, and we haven't really settled on anything. The last we talked about was maybe starting more threads, I was wondering, is that still up? I'm sorry if I'm nagging =/

Urma knew Pilot was right. Although her former pack hardly ever stayed in one place for more than two months, they all found places within their current perimeter for homes. Urma found the idea of having a den all to herself now very scary. She was used to spending nights outside the pack borders in caves with Mörker, or, within pack borders with her brothers and sister. Being alone in a place she had to consider home wasn't a very welcoming prospect, but she knew she had hardly any other options, unless she really planned on having a tree trunk as pillow for the rest of the time. "I'll have to get used to the solitude. Unless you'd want to visit once in a while, when you're not busy with your son or your medical priorities. And of course, if keeping me company would also be pleasant to you too," she proposed meekly, not sure herself she was in any position to ask this.


She listened to his proposal and smiled, nodding her head at the same time. "Are you sure helping me find a good spot for a den wouldn't be too much of a hassle? I'm sure you're busy, you're a leader here, you have stuff to do. I wouldn't want to be in the way. I mean... I wouldn't want you to think you owe me anything. It's the other way around, actually, and so far I've had no means of showing my gratitude." She really wanted to say more than that. She wanted to mention that she wanted to be able to do something for him very bad. Some part of her felt she was beyond gratitude. It was something else, something she couldn't name. Or didn't want to name. She felt scared of thinking about it, concentrating on it, for fear that it might destroy her barely blossoming friendship with Pilot.
[/html]
#9
I'm totally still up for it! I'll PM you.[html]


"The solitude really isn’t that bad. Even though our lands are spread out, you can almost always find someone wandering around. During the night is really the only time anyone is ever alone. But even so, depending where you choose to put your den, someone may not be too far away." He smiled towards her, hoping that he made her feel a little bit more comfortable with the prospect of living in Shadowed Sun. He was really starting to enjoy her company, even if it had only been a day or so. He found her insecurity endearing and it made him want to stick around longer than he normally would have with a new member.



"It’s no hassle at all, Urma. Really. I don’t really have any other priorities at the moment. Besides, it’s always good to help out a friend." He led them off away from the water, considering the ground would be a bit too soft and there was always the possibility of flooding. Having a den too close to the water wouldn’t be a smart choice. "What kind of scenery do you like?" He asked with a grin. Really, she could decide to dig it anywhere she wanted. Pilot had picked a spot where he could start a garden, so his was at the edge of a stand of trees. It was a nice area, and he could venture in the woods if he wanted, or step out into the clearing for some sunlight. It was all a matter of personal choice.



[/html]
#10
[html]
http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk42 ... m_bot1.jpg) no-repeat bottom; padding-top: 20px;">

OOC:Thank you! =D

Urma followed Pilot's words, trying to find comfort in them. She did find a small amount of it. She knew no matter how close her den was to populated areas of Shadowed Sun, that would never rival the feeling of belonging that quietly nestled in her when she could feel the fur of another wolf against her own. But she couldn't argue, at least knowing there were people she knew around her helped her get over her feeling of abandonment. "I can say this is a lot different that I'm used to it being, in a pack. Don't take me wrong, it's much more organized here... I guess I'm just being uselessly reminiscent of the fact that my former pack was just one big family. Many of us were related in some way, be it distant or close. It was eerie, knowing some wolves you barely had contact with could just as well be cousins."


His words made her feel as much self-conscious as they made her feel guilty. Firstly, he just kept bringing on more and more reasons for her to be in his debt, and the worst part was that she had no real clue as to how to repay him, or prove to him that she didn't want to exploit his generosity. Secondly, the way he spoke to her... it hadn't been since she'd left Europe that she had heard such kind words, the lack of a double, more subtle meaning making them almost surreal. It had been that that had kept her awake as well-- the fear that in the morning, last night would have been just a dream. That she'd wake up back in the woods, guarded by thick leaves and a layer of uncertainty. She followed him as he lead the way away from the river, which made sense considering she wanted a durable home. "Well, the kind of scenery I come from would imply snow and a lot of treacherous cliffs. But I'd settle for some place in a cluster of trees, not too far away from where the rest of the wolves dwell. If there's such a place," she added apologetically, realizing she had probably sounded very fussy. "But really, anywhere where there's solid ground to dig in, that's fine," she added, trying to reassure Pilot, if he had any doubts, that he was being more than good to her.
[/html]
#11
[html]


"A lot of snow and treacherous cliffs. Hmmm," Pilot chuckled, not really seeing how that could be a nice place to call home. But he wouldn’t judge. Halcyon had cliffs, but not many within the pack’s lands. Pilot would try and help her find a place that was most suitable – something warm and comfortable.



"Well, there’s not many places with treacherous cliffs I can lead you to, but there is a nice big stand of trees kind of near where my own den is. I can show you back that way, if you want to check it out. You’ll be able to see a lot more now that it’s daylight." He unconsciously had been heading that way in the first place, since now it was almost second nature for Pilot to go in that direction. He hoped she would be able to find somewhere that she liked. After finishing a den, a place started to feel a lot more like home.


[/html]
#12
[html]
http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk42 ... m_bot1.jpg) no-repeat bottom; padding-top: 20px;">

Urma smiled a bit at Pilot's chuckle, realizing that didn't sound very nice to most. "You'd be surprised that growing up in such an environment hardly makes it seem that unwelcoming. The cliffs were nice, actually, in a strange way-- we had enclosures and caves and hiding areas. It was good for both strategic reasons, since many of the packs in the vicinity of mine were prone to violence, as well as having a nice childhood playing hide and seek," she explained, hoping she could make that place sound more like the fact that it had been her home made it for her. So maybe for her it those caves had meant more than games, had meant that exact feeling of protectiveness she had been talking about. But that was hardly relevant now. It was no use anymore prying the past for answers that couldn't change anything.


"I'd be more than happy to see it, thank you," she said immediately, quickening her pace to make it fall in rhythm with Pilot's. She looked at their surrounding area, taking in the green and the pastel colours of the sky, in such pleasant contrast with the dull gray and white she always saw back in Europe. She knew why those colours wouldn't mean anything comfortable and inviting to Pilot, that had probably lived to see these vibrant, warm colours all his life. But adapting was part of any a wolf's life. She knew that if Pilot ever had to live like that, in time he'd find it to be a sort of home away from home. Just like she'd do now, with this scenery, until gradually her former hope would seem more like a place she had spent the night in along her journey through life. Although she'd never be able to pull the snow out of her blood. Her ties with it ran too deep.
[/html]
#13
[html]


"Of course," Pilot told her, as they headed of in that direction. He was quite happy with his decision to place his den where he had. It stood just at the edge of the trees, with plenty of room for his garden, and then this river wasn’t too far for him to get fresh water. If he had still done a lot of cooking, the river would offer plenty of fish. But ever since the fire, Pilot hadn’t gone fishing or even though about starting a fire to cook meals. He supposed it was his subconscious still worried about causing such an inferno again.



He raised a hand, pointing out the different areas. "So this is the woods I was talking about." The two had just crossed into the clearing, and Pilot’s garden was visible just on the other side of the sprawling open field. "There’s this big area to set up whatever, and then," he turned to head towards the stand of trees, "you can find some solitude in here when it comes time for sleep." As he made his way into the tree line, the light was diminished. Instead, it glittered through in ribbons filtered by the tree’s leaves above them.


[/html]
#14
[html]
http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk42 ... m_bot1.jpg) no-repeat bottom; padding-top: 20px;">

Urma gazed around her, absorbed by what she was seeing. Her eyes wanted to take in every detail, her ears longed for every sound, her paws demanded that they step on each blade of grass, her smell beckoning her to explore the area in minute detail. But that was something she'd be doing later, as she wouldn't want to waste time with that right this moment, when there was still a den to dig, a resting place of sorts to be constructed. Her reverie captured her senses, and she felt compelled to remain in this blissful state for as long as she could. Nature was at its best in this place. It was retreated without being isolated from the pack. Its state of tranquility reminded Urma of the pristine snows back in Europe, of uncharted territories and far off distant lands that had yet to be explored. Her mind raced through different landscapes, picturing endless places covered by undisturbed rusted autumn leaves from the trees around, the feel of that bed sheet of leaves under her fur.


"It's beautiful," Urma finally said, the spell she was wrapped in slowly wearing off, like the aftermath of a wave splashing against the shore. She felt she needed to say something more, to add something for Pilot to fully realise how many feelings this place stirred in Urma. "I never knew there could be so many beautiful places in Shadowed Sun, but the truth is it will probably never cease to amaze me," she continued, her tone of voice still betraying awe and a sense of awareness for her surroundings. It was as if she was hypnotized, but in the same time determined not to miss any detail of what was around her.
[/html]
#15
I figured we could go ahead and close this one up? Especially now since SS isn't going to be around anymore. Pilot and Urma should have a thread together in one of the neutral territories. :][html]


Pilot was really glad that Urma enjoyed it here. And she was right. Shadowed Sun was beautiful. Pilot took it for granted much of the time, but when anyone brought it up, he almost always had to sit back and take in the scenery for a few moments. He was very lucky that with the help of a few others, Shadowed Sun had been able to claim this area as theirs.



"Really, you can choose where ever you want. This is just an idea," Pilot told her. He wouldn’t mind having a relatively close neighbor. "Well, I suppose I’ll let you have a look around. I need to do a quick border check – just make my usual round to make sure everything is in line." Especially now with the war – you couldn’t be unprepared. "I’ll come back and help you start digging if you’ve decided on a location by then," he offered with a smile.

[/html]


Forum Jump: