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Private for Salem, sorry about the wait hun!
push it inIt was dawn, but only just. The sun was just beginning to peek over the top of the horizon, painting the fluffy snowclouds gold and pink as it did so. The ground was already covered with a thin layer of snow, though it had been trodden flat in places, some of it was still in neat drifts, built up around the bases of the trees and against the porch of the house, there was little twittering in the snow-covered boughs of the gnarled trees, the birds having taken flight for warmer climates, only a few hardier ones staying put, they were huddled in their nests, keeping warm, very few braving the elements to raise their heads and call out to the morning.
push it inSoran had once again awoken early, the same nightmare that had been plaguing her night after night waking her again. They had been the usually cruelty of her subconcious, images of her son, her youngest red boy who she had killed so soon after he had come into the world and his evil father, dancing about the place, laughing to himself. She hated that even though he was dead he still followed her, so like her father, he had chased her in his dreams for so long after he had died, she wasn't rid of him for months after he died. With a sigh she padded down the stairs of the manor, her paws barely making a sound as she padded along, the scarred lady had always been good at treading lightly, and this morning she wanted to, not wanting to wake anyone at this hour. She moved across the floor, the old wood creaking under her paws, she winced at the sound, standing still and holding her breath for a moment, listening, but it didn't seem like anyone had been disturbed so she continued on her way, nudging the door open with her nose and creeping out into the chilled lands beyond it.
push it inThe ebony female inhaled deeply, breathing in the crisp morning air, a smile twitched at the corner of her lips despite the guilt she was feeling over the memories that the dreams stirred up. Soran enjoyed the snow, she always had, and the day seemed fine. She took a little leap off of the porch, landing neatly on the snow covered ground of the lands, her paws skidding slightly as she landed. The jade eyed lady stretched, working out the kinks in her back. Before standing straight again, looking this way and that, deciding which way to wander to find breakfast.
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Salem needs booties, I've decided.
[html] knowledge locked in a tower — barons will hold the key
It was cold. Really too cold in his book to be outside playing around like he was, but they had all been restless. So they had been pushed out of the den to go and enjoy the snowfall and the sunrise and like the little brats they were, Salem and his siblings had scattered to the four winds. While everyone else was probably making a crude, lumpy, mountain-resembling snow-wolf, he made a beeline for the mansion. Screw being out in the cold, he wanted to be inside and left to his own devices!
By the time the mansion had come into view over a hill, the dark-haired D'Angelo was squeaking away in protest. Albeit, his squeaking had started out as whining, but they had become more crisp and short, and because of that even more juvenile than ever. He was so determined to get off of the snow and in where the wind wasn't harassing him that he didn't pay attention to anyone that was around, or the dark figure that had just come out of the house and jumped down the stairs. He squeaked right past her, hobbling and hopping on all four feet that were ice cold and aching.
but if knowledge is power — know this is tyranny [/html]
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I am so sorry for the wait, my scarce notice turned into more of an absence one I will admit.
pushitinThe ebony grandmother was considering which way to go carefully, knowing that going one way would take her right past little Naniko's den, she would be able to pop her head in and say good morning to her almost-daughter and her grandchildren, two of whom she had not yet met and had been aching to. She leant one way and then the other, taking her paws off of the ground alternately, trying not to leave them still on the ground for too long, it was true that the ebony lady enjoyed the snow and that her soft fur was more than capable of keeping her warm, but it didn't stop her paws getting chilled when she left them pressed into the snow for too long. She continued to think, if she went past Naniko's den perhaps she could invite the pups out, maybe teach them to hunt as she had Conri, she would enjoy that greatly, she had been looking forwards to doing fun things with the pups, teaching them to read and hunt, and perhaps when they were old enough to shift, even to write. She adored this idea, the very thought of being able to pass on knowledge to her son's offspring, knowledge that she had selfishly never passed onto her younger pups, she wouldn't waste her time with these pups whilst they were small, she would spend as much time with them as she was able, she would teach them all she knew, the way she should have done for their aunt and uncle.
pushitinThe other way would be much easier, there was more plentiful hunting, fat little rabbits to catch, but still Soran prefered the idea of taking the pups hunting and there was only one way that she could do that, and it was to go past the den and suggest it. As the ebony lady mused over this a small squeaking bundle of fur raced past her at rapid speed, it broke her out of her thoughts and she turned her head rapidly to see what it was. It took her a moment to realise what, or more who, it was, she knew the small wolven form, though he had grown since she had first met him. The little black bundle was unmistakably Salem, the small black pup looked so much like Soran herself, and his uncle Khaden, who, the ebony fae realised with a pang of guilt and pain, he had never met, and who he may never meet. The obsidian fae turned quickly, following the small boy, her long strides helping her to catch up with him easily.
"Hello there Salem, what's the hurry?” She asked, her tone warm and affectionate, she couldn't help it, everytime she looked at her grandpups a little bubble of joy welled in her chest and made itself known by coming out in her voice, she adored them already.
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Somewhere between the fence and the house, Salem realised his grandmother had caught up with him. Her question provoked such an exasperated can't you tell!? look from him that he almost felt a pang of guilt and regret for it out of fear he'd get reprimanded, but he only persisted in running a little faster. “C-c-c-c,” was all that he chattered out, failing to form his lips around the word cold without his baby teeth chattering together violently. So instead, she was stuck with a garbled sounding “cuh.”
If he could have, he would have taken the porch steps out two at a time, but at best with cold feet, he hobbled up them like a cripple running from the other direction from a tsunami. But the relief was practically immediate when his feet hit the covered wood of the porch, even though they still stung like the dickens. But to his misfortunate and lack of strength, he couldn't push the door open. He wriggled, he hopped, and eventually prepared to wedge himself right up underneath Soran the moment she was close enough again to do so, teeth chattering between shivers.
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I am so, so, so sorry for the wait on this!
pushitinSoran soon realised what the rushing pup's problem was, clearly the frozen ground was chilling his little toes. The ebony fae had never really had to deal with this problem with her own pups, they had been born in the Summer, Conri had even been born on the very first day of the season, and so they had had plenty of time to grow and were gently eased into the chill of winter with the browning of the leaves and the migration of the birds, they hadn't been so small when the ground had been thick with snow and the wind icy. She felt instantly sorry for the small pup, for all of her grandchildren, having to get used to such a harsh season when they were still so young, she had never really considered it herself, she had been a summer pup as well and had been plenty big enough to cope with the cold once winter had rolled in, perhaps that was why she enjoyed it so much, she was able to play and enjoy the snow when her legs had been long enough that her stomach didn't get sodden with the snow, and her fur had been long enough to fluff up and block the chill. Salem and the other pups wouldn't have this quite yet, yes they had grown, even in the time that she had seen them they had grown, but they perhaps were still not big enough to cope with the cold.
pushitinThe ebony grandmother followed her similarly coloured grandson up back onto the porch, the ideas of hunting now forgotten, too concerned with making sure Salem didn't freeze to death on the wooden porch in front of the large house. She smiled when he came and hid between her legs, the obsidian fae instantly fluffed her fur up, trying to block the chilled wind that would be sneaking through the gap between her stomach and her grandson.
"Too cold huh? Shall we go inside?” Soran asked, leaning down to peer at her grandson, it was odd seeing him at this angle, upside down in her vision. It reminded her of her own childhood, when leaning that way to see the world upside down had been a great game, she wondered if the pups had ever tried that, had even had a moment of silliness. She leant forwards carefully, as to keep Salem protected from the cold, and pushed the door, more firmly than she had expected to do, perhaps it was, like the older wolves, getting stiff with the cold, finding it harder to move. It swung open reluctantly and the lady looked down again, peering at her young grandson.
"Come on then, let's get you in the warm." She said affectionately, wondering if gently catching him by his scruff and carrying him inside would be a good idea.
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[html] The moment his lovely grandmother got the door to open, Salem bolted from her side and into the warmth of the building within. It greeted him so happily that the young boy let out a much too loud squeal of pure happiness and shook out his coat as though to shake the cold that had draped itself over his bones. With his thin tail wagging out behind him nothing short of a flag caught in a summer gale, that sense of happy crept all over him. It would take his poor feet a little while longer to warm up because they were damp from the outdoors, but Salem was merely content with being enveloped in the warmth. Flopping down on the long and worn rug in the hallway, he rolled from side to side, smothering the cold where it rested and replacing it with something warmer and comfortable. Now this was so much better than the crisp winter outside! [/html]
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pushitinSalem clearly needed no encouragment to enter the house it seemed, for the moment that the ebony lady had pushed the door open the chilled boy had raced inside, squaking happily. Soran laughed as she looked at him rolling on the long rug in the hallway, he was clearly happy to be inside in the warmth of the house. The dark grandmother followed her delightful grandson into the house, walking though, not racing like he had, after all she had the size to be able to cope with the cold of winter, her fur was thick and kept the cold out well enough, her grandson clearly did not yet have the bosy mass to cope with the frozen lands he was being forced to live in at the moment. She walked into the house slowly, turning and carefully nudging the door until it was closed again, shutting out any pesky drafts that might sweep through the house and chill her small grandson further. Once she was satisfied that the house was draft free she shook herself, shaking out her long black fur, trying to throw the chilled air that was still clinging to her away.
oushitinThe ebony grandmother turned back to her lookalike grandson and smiled down at him.
"So now that we're in the warm what would you like to do little one?” She asked warmly, musing over what her young grandson would like to do. She wondered if he'd be happy to sit with her whilst she read him a book, or taught him to read, books were a passion of the ebony wolf's and this was something that she hoped to pass onto her grandchildren as she had done to their father, though she supposed that they wouldn't know that. If not reading then the dark lady supposed that there were lots of games that they could play, it was true that she was getting older, but she was not yet too old to chase him around the house if that was what he wished to do, she was sure that she could still manage a good game of tag, or even hide and seek. And if not that, then she was sure that she would find something to do with him, she supposed she could tell him a story, perhaps something from her own life or something that she remembered about Naniko, she supposed that she could even tell him about his father, it wouldn't be the first time she had told one of her grandchildren about him. If that was what happened she did hope that Salem would understand and not ask too many questions, she wanted her grandchildren to know about their father, but she didn't want to paint him as a monster, which she might do if she had to tell them the whole truth about why he was not there, and that was not her place, it was his job, or Naniko's, to tell them where their father had gone.
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This post sucks, sorry. >_<
[html] Now there was a good question! Just what were they to do? Salem's face pinched momentarily with thought, but it wasn't too long before he had come to an ultimately decision and one that he did enjoy. “Story!” he proclaimed! “I's wants a story!” He was quite fond of them already, having heard a couple of interesting ones from various whoever, but surely Grandma had something interesting to tell him about, wouldn't she? Bouncing right back to her with enough energy for both of them (and then some), Salem pawed at her long foreleg, urging her to go for it. [/html]
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