Quote:It's late evening in a large cavern, and it's much colder today than yesterday.
Your character can't shake the feeling someone is watching them.
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Mount Oromocto, for Carya.
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An unsettling feeling prickled the fur along the base of his neck as he made his way towards the base of the mountain. He spent a good portion of the day on horseback, winding his way through well-trodden trade routes and already beat down paths upon horseback so as not to hinder his travel. Throughout the day he could not help but feel like someone was following him, his eyes turned around to scan the area around him, but nothing on the horizon gave any indication that anyone was nearby. Fury shrugged his shoulders, flexing them back to relieve some of the tension that had settled in and hoped that his instincts were wrong.
His intention was to follow the path as far as he could to the mountain that stood tall above the horizon from where he had made camp at the edge of Amherst. At least then he could get a good scope of the lands, at least that's what he told himself. It was growing tiring, and he was lonely without the company of his sister's, although he would never admit it to them. Honestly, he was a little homesick, the excitement of his first adventure wearing off. The veil had come down, once having been the pinnacle of his transition into adulthood was becoming plagued and overshadowed by the adversities and frustrations he experienced.
Another prickle up his spine could not be supressed any longer and as darkness began to creep in the early evening, Fury wondered if he should make camp before it grew too dark. He was at the base of the mountain now, and not too far off he could see the mouth of a decent sized cave that would fit both him and his steed. With a small click of his tongue, and a soft nudge in the side he directed them towards the mouth, hoping that sooner or later, whoever was following him would leave him alone.
There was a steady feeling of calmness, that over-took the elder female's body. Finding the cave she was in was a miracle, to say the least. As the warming days began to cool off in the evening, she found it easier to travel by herself than with her steed. Aani wasn't traveling with her, either, she found it simpler to leave her mother's side and do whatever she wanted. Carya was unsteady with the habit of Aani not being by her side, but it wasn't unusual given the circumstances. The brown child often was woken up screaming, and licking her own wounds, physically and mentally. She needed space, the white Aston knew this and accepted it with a heavy heart.
Slowly, she padded towards the entrance of the cave, blue eyes tugging at the pack on her back. It wasn't often she was on edge, but she had great reason to be now. Especially after the kidnapping. Before anything, Carya waited by the entrance for twenty minutes. Twenty grueling minutes, that she wished would end, now. She was tired. Beat and emotionally drained from the previous events. The silence fell onto her ears, and her demeanor immediately changed to comfortable. She wasn't rigid with tensions of the past days, she wasn't questioning everything in existence. At least not yet.
Digging in her pack, she produced a blanket, that still smelled strongly of muskiness and blood from Aani's rescue, but she didn't care. It reminded her of the brown child she loved so dearly. A few seconds later, she set out a knife, some "soup" she made with a rabbit earlier in the week, and a shawl, that would keep her warmer with the cooling knight. She reached towards her neck to rub her fithr pendant from Vinatta, only to be disappointed. Right. Her ears flickered on her skull, suddenly remembering she had given it to her daughter. For almost seven and a half years, I never took that off. Now my daughter has it. Giving a small shake of her head, she proceeded to settle herself down on the ground, no fire, because that drew more attention.
As the Aston settled onto her "spot" she was suddenly met with the sounds of hooves on the ground. Her heart caught in her throat and her entire body hummed with electricity. The smell was equine, and then, a coywolf. Her nostrils flared as she breathed in deeper. It smelled somehow familiar, yet not. Sitting up immediately, she silently crawled towards the entrance letting a little yip escape her mouth, letting the other know she was here and if they meant ill-will she would hold her grounds. Oh Gods, please let this not be a sour animal. She prayed, eyes closing momentarily.
Perhaps he would come inside and join her, giving her an enjoyable company rather than unwelcome one.
really excited about this! <3 | [476] template by hilli Edits by Miranda
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As the male hopped off the back of the colossal equine, he could not help but notice a much fresher scent of another Luperci emanating from the cave before him. He cursed in a hushed voice wondering if he should find somewhere else, but he shivered from being out in the cold of the night, his hot breath steaming into the air, billowing like smoke around his pale muzzle with each soft huff. There was little to no coverage on the mountainside, and this would be the largest cave he could find that would fit both him and his steed.
A soft, but not overtly unfriendly, yip caught his attention and he could not help his curiosity as he pushed into the dim light of the cave. A woman crawled towards him at the entrance and he could not help but wonder what she was doing out all on her own. The male frowned slightly, unsure if he should just leave, but her pale eyes were already on him and she was quiet for a moment as if taking his hulking form. He was quite lanky still, but his muscle definition was beginning to fill out as he lost the softness of his puppy fat that had clung to him for so long.
"Would you care for some company? I don't mean any harm, just looking for some shelter from the cold," he stated gruffly, raising his hands in front of him to show he meant no ill will towards the elderly woman. How was she surviving on her own? She did not smell of any particular pack, although no that he was in the entrance of the cave he could smell the scent of another, although it was kind of faded now.
As she crawled on the ground towards the male, her jowls snapped shut at the sound of his voice, and her blue eyes craned up to look at his towering figure. Almost instantly, the Aston female rose up from her crouching position and was unable to make words, until her position was less threatening. Opening her cream mouth, she let a pink tongue flicker out and lick at her black lips.
Uh, she started, her tail flickering behind her and a little bristle to her coat underneath her hair-line. Something about this male smelled strangely familiar and yet, he wasn't familiar to her, at all. Carya found herself bristling and then shaking her coat out from the breeze towards the entrance of the cave. She was just getting comfy too, and he had to stroll on up and in. Oh well.As long as you ain't gonna cause me no harm, I don't see the problem in that. The words rolled off her tongue with a delicate tone, soft and un-threatening. She didn't need any troubles tonight, and she could use some sort of companionship, as it was.
Walking back towards where she had originally laid herself up, she motioned to a spot on the ground. You can put yer things there. And your companion? She turned to look at him, a crinkle in the corner of her eyes showing her age as she smiled, her hand extending to the steed. He can sleep wherever he pleases. As he whinnied and let his nose touch her hand, she gave a small laugh. Makes me miss my 'ol boy. Shaking her head, she went to sit down on her blanket, eyes looking around in the darkness towards the male's taller figure.
Another moment of silence before she fully addressed his figure. You don't seem much older than my Aani. A thought that was just a conversation starter.
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Fury watched the woman a little tensely as she surveyed him, pondering her choices. When she agreed as long as he did not wish her any harm he relaxed a little as the last thing he wanted to do was sleep out in the elements of the below zero temperatures that gripped the world around them outside. The bitter wind biting through even the thickest coats, and any bit of tender flesh exposed was frozen to the point of pain in mere moments.
"Thank you, ma'am," he said with a flick of his tail behind him. Leading the stallion just inside the mouth of the cave, he tied the reins around a tall, jutting mound of rock that would just secure him enough that he wouldn't wander anywhere and the horse nickered lightly in the gloom but settling easily as he dropped his head and snuffled at the ground below him. Fury's intense tangerine eyes drifted from the horseback to the woman that sat in the dark away from them, patting a spot beside her for him to set his things down. He made quick work of the rest of the tack that rested on the horses back and dropped it where the woman motioned for him.
"I am almost getting too big to even ride him anymore," he frowned, knowing he would soon outsize even the largest of draft horses and would no longer be able to use them as a mount, but for now his wiry, youthful frame that was slowly beginning to fill out was just enough that it did not hurt the horse's back. Only because the beast was a behemoth of his species.
As he settled in beside the woman he rubbed his hands together, sitting down and leaning back against the cool, stone wall Fury had to wonder if she had any intentions of starting a fire, it was the least they could do to keep warm, and see their company better in the dimming light of the evening. His eyes lifted for a moment, catching her words and he wondered exactly how old she was, but never formed the question aloud.
"I am about to be a year old this month," he said, his features relaxing enough to reveal a sly grin. "Is Aani your daughter?"
He was polite and Carya watched him intensely as he flickered his tail behind him. What normally wouldn’t be a general “watching” made Carya even more on edge. She felt like she needed to watch him. Needed to pay the utmost attention to him, because if not, something could possibly happen to her. Like it did to Aani. The horse let out a whiny and flickered around a bit as she watched Fury tie him to a rock that rutted out of the ground. She gave a small smile on her face towards the duo, letting her tensions ease a bit towards him. Silently she wondered if he was going to harm her still, and she let her fears remain internal. His tangerine eyes shifted towards her and she found herself almost wondering if he was a Massacre. They resembled that of Izual, and someone else that she had once known.
She wouldn’t let that thought be in her mind for long, as she shrugged her shoulders and flickered her own tail, Carya found herself watching as Fury dropped all his tack and then made his way towards her. He was so awkward looking, but he would grow into a handsome male if he worked out his muscles. Carya found herself glancing at his entire body, and then made a motion for the firewood that was lain beside her on the left side, and then at him again, with kinder blue eyes. Not missing the fact that he seemed to shiver, Carya blinked a moment before she responded what her mind was wondering. Would you like to light the fire? Mainly because Carya’s hands had become rough since her last event when she first lost her daughter, and because she wanted to know if he could do it.
She was “mom-ing”—as Aani liked to call it-- the other child, like he was hers.Tsk. Tsk. Turning towards him almost motherly, she made a frown as well, and found her outter wall of hard ice, slowly begin to melt away at the reaction and sulk from the male. That’s a shame, doll. Never having those issues she wasn’t quite sure what else she could say to him. Instead she shifted her presence and would offer the wood for Fury to light. After he would light it, she would look back towards the male and give him a small fire.
Aani is 14 months old. What is your name? I’m Carya Aston. A friendly smile flickered his way again, as she thought of the time she had a one night stand with someone who reminded her of Belial. Then again, for all she knew, it could have been him, but she was too drunk and high for that to even register. All she knew was that she was pregnant about a week later.
Flickering her eyes to the male again another thought touched her tongue, and she spoke without thinking. Are you hungry? Thirsty?
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The woman seemed to be a little wary of him and rightfully so, it was not often he found too many female's let alone someone much older than him to be out and about alone in the woods. Who knew what kind of trouble one could run into, and she seemed to be wary at best, especially if she was looking for her daughter. Perhaps it was why she was alone right now without any pack scent clinging to her fur.
He came to sit beside her, keeping his space so as not to intrude on her own or make her feel uncomfortable in any way as she was kind enough to let him share this cave with her for the night. Even if he really could have taken it from her without hardly a mark on him, he did not wish to impose violence or ill will on those that did not deserve it. Her question was met with a raise of a brow before he shrugged, his eyes turning onto the wood beside her that she had managed to collect, he wondered why she did not make one herself, but perhaps she had nothing to light it with.
"Sure, I can start a fire," he said, rising to his knees to lean towards and pull the wood closer to him. He picked through the collection for some smaller branches and bark that would make for better fire starter. Most of it was dry thankfully, so it would not be too difficult with his cold fingers that were stiff from riding in the chill of the winter air. Rummaging around in his pocket, he pulled forth a piece of flint and metal, and just as he made a small pile of kindling before him, he struck the flint and metal together a few times until a few sparks caught the dried bark and twigs below. He leaned forward, blowing softly, coaxing the small flames to life, before adding a few smaller pieces of wood to the fire, bringing forth the flames to something that could keep them both warm. As he did this his attention was on the pale female beside him as she said it was a shame that he was getting too big to ride the stallion.
"Uhm, my name is Fury Massacre," he said softly to the woman he now knew as Carya. Fourteen months old? That was just a little older than he was. For a moment he wondered how old the woman was before her to have such a young daughter because he thought she was a little older to be whelping pups in the past year.
He was about to refuse, saying he was not hungry at all, but the loud pangs of his stomach and the growl that erupted from it gave him away and he smiled sheepishly at the female. "I guess I am a little hungry and thirsty," he laughed, turning to add some logs that were a little larger to help coax the flames higher as the smoke from it was sucked forth and out of the open mouth of the cave.
Fury had been gentle with her, his words were kind and he was watching her like she was watching him. It was good to be weary of everyone, and Carya though that it was a good thing to have when you were a child or teenager. Like he and her daughter. When he started the fire, she watched the flames flicker up and light up his face. He’s handsome, Aani should look at someone like this for a mate. Thoughts filled her mind at her daughter, and then, another thought flickered at the mention of his last name.
Massacre. Like Belial? Or Izual? Did that mean? She flickered her ears on her skull, and she felt like her throat went dry, her heart fluttered in her chest, and she cleared her throat. Perhaps this was a rude question, but honestly, Carya didn’t really care at this point. Her eyes sought out his, blue onto the orange ones that looked like the flames that danced beside them. Who…who is your father? Voice betrayed her a little bit as it cracked. Could this child be her long-lost-lover’s child? Could this male be someone who was related to her little Aani? Immediately she regretted her previous thought, and she almost wanted to curl up into the fetal position and beg him to go away. Almost.
Could this really be what she thought it was? Was this one of Belial’s bastard children, like her own children were? Belial and her had a drunken and drugged up night, that barely made her even remember making love with him. Carya glanced towards the fire again. Slowly, she blinked past the frog in her throat, and swallowing hard. He began to put some wood on the fire, and they watched the smoke billow out the mouth of the cave. When his stomach growled it drew her out of her momentary daze, and she glanced at the bread and raw meat she had on hand, wrapped in bark. Without much thought, she unwrapped the meat and handed him some slivers, taking one for herself, chewing it up, and staring at the fire again. Blue eyes danced in the fire-light with an unknown emotion.
Opening her maw, she glanced towards the front of the cave and then to his steed. It’s a nice nice, don’tcha think? Her words trailed off her tongue gently, and now, Carya took a turn stoking the fire and putting a log in. If this was a Massacre child, even if he wasn’t Belial’s or Izual’s he was still a relative to Aani. It was only fair that she told the both of them. Slowly, she bit down the bile that threatened to climb up. But how could I? I don’t want either of them to deal with the heartache. Then again, it wasn’t even known if this was an offspring from the love of her life.
Eventually, the truth would come out.
<3 sorry it's such a crappy post. | [491] template by hilli Edits by Miranda
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As he coaxed the flames to life he was not sure what the woman was thinking exactly as a brief moment of quiet fell between the two strangers, typical when you did not know a person and with such a big age gap as well. For a brief moment, he felt like he was back at home, sharing a meal with his mother as he stoked the flames trying to remember what that was like. It had been so long already since he left, but he had no intention of going back just yet. He would not go back empty-handed if he went back at all. He had hoped to join his father in whatever pack he resided in around here but had yet to straight-up walk to the nearest border and demand if he was around. Perhaps he was not around here at all? He only had stories to go off of.
When he finally glanced back up at him, the pale woman seemed to be a little shocked at his announcement of his name, as if it was familiar to her, but he could not tell if that was terror clouding her gaze for a brief moment as she tried to find her words again. Her voice came out like a whip, cracking as she spoke them, wondering who exactly his father was. He had to agree, it was strange that he carried the last name of a man he did not even know, but he insisted on keeping it if only to feel some kind of connection to the man he never knew. It would not have bothered him so much if it was not for the fact the other children that he grew up within Portland had not teased so much about being a bastard.
"Uhm, his name is Belial," he murmured quietly, feeling a small heat rise to his cheeks with the realization that maybe this woman knew him a little too well by the expression that had crossed her face. Perhaps there were other Massacre's within this region, it would only be fair considering he had been born and lived nearby, so the rest of his family must have as well. It was not too long ago that he stumbled across his cousin Dystopia and had learned a little about his father at least, but that felt like so long ago now.
"Do you know him?" he asked quietly, as he sat back from the fire, gratefully accepting the meat that was offered to him after she unraveled the small pack of food that she carried with her. His stomach growled impatiently as he waited for her to take the first bite never too careful as to something being offered for free to him. Unable to stop himself he quickly tore a bite from the strip and chewed slowly and thoughtfully for a moment, if only buying himself some time before having to explain his situation to this new woman. There was not much he could say because he did not really know the man, but had some built up image in his mind of the great and powerful warrior he might have been.
"A little too cold for my liking," he mumbled, turning his eyes back to the fire as he awaited the woman's response.
pen-quote;}