01-19-2012, 02:32 AM
She was tired. The snow drifted down outside the communal den in large fluffy clumps.
The events of the last month caught up with her suddenly, like a large cat nabbing it's prey. Being asked to make a final decision regarding joining the pack, Tal's issues with his mate, actually moving, telling her story, fighting with Noah, visiting with Thoirni. All of it caught up to her, leaving her feeling every bit the eight years she was. Nine, come march.
Deuce yawned, her position in the pack's den perfect to watch the snow drifting down in the gloom of the night. She knew she wanted to move up in the pack, become her mate's equal again. She knew she just needed to prove herself, needed to prove her loyalty. And yet, she felt she needed to go and see Taliesin and Sky, see how her son and daughter-in-law were doing. She had this feeling she needed to, needed to see them, needed to be near them.
A noise in the opening of the den. She focused on the cardinal who had flown down to peck at something, a seed perhaps, or a rock. She watched the blood red bird impassively, her natural instinct to scare it away from the den. It was a pretty little thing, though, and the way it cocked its head as she lifted her head to look at it was adorable. Wolf and bird stared at each other, neither one moving. Finally, the cardinal chirruped, and took to wing. Deuce yawned again, laying her head on her paws. Her eyes drifted shut.
A small room, a cabin. A fireplace, a small fire going untended and ignored. Whimpers from a corner of the room. A white wolf laid on a bed, her sides heaving with labor. Outside, the snow drifted down, ignored. Inside, a black male in optime stroked the soon to be mother's head. One pup slid out. It was too dark to see the color of it. Another pup followed shortly after. A voice in the dark. "Two boys, Deuce. One black like me, one white like you."
The scene shifted. She was on the porch of her house now, watching the boys tussle. Her mate was off somewhere, hunting maybe. An acrid smell. She looked around. In the distance, spreading rapidly, was a wall of smoke. Her heart stopped. Explosions sounded off, each one moving rapidly closer and closer. Fear, terror. She grabbed each boy by the scruff. They were so little, but they seemed huge when she tried to carry both of them. And then there was her mate, grabbing little Noah while she adjusted her grip on Taliesin.
Days later, laying exhausted and burned. The boys were safe. Naniko brought Sirius and Apollo, asking her to nurse them. They were so tiny, and she didn't know if Deirdre had made it safely. What of the pack, of Fatin and Tayui, of anyone and everyone else? They formed a new pack. Twilight Vale.
Again, a small cabin. The light faded to darkness, shadows took on ominous shapes. Willow pressed against her mother. Noah and Tal were there, too, but the same size as Willow. And then, the giant black wolf barged in, blue eyes burning with hatred. Deuce screamed, her body trying to shield the little ones. The shadow passed through her. Blood pooled on the floor as the pups screamed their last screams, as the shadow began laughing-
She jerked awake, mismatched eyes blinking blearily in the predawn light. She stood, glancing around. The cardinal was back, cocking its head and chirruping at her again. She drew a shaky breath and walked slowly outside, watching as the blood red bird took off again. She stared off into the sky. She hated having nightmares. She hated how they left her feeling. She hated that she wanted to cry. Mostly, she hated nightmares because they always, without fail, awakened the longing for just one more drink to take the edge off.
((WC:667))
The events of the last month caught up with her suddenly, like a large cat nabbing it's prey. Being asked to make a final decision regarding joining the pack, Tal's issues with his mate, actually moving, telling her story, fighting with Noah, visiting with Thoirni. All of it caught up to her, leaving her feeling every bit the eight years she was. Nine, come march.
Deuce yawned, her position in the pack's den perfect to watch the snow drifting down in the gloom of the night. She knew she wanted to move up in the pack, become her mate's equal again. She knew she just needed to prove herself, needed to prove her loyalty. And yet, she felt she needed to go and see Taliesin and Sky, see how her son and daughter-in-law were doing. She had this feeling she needed to, needed to see them, needed to be near them.
A noise in the opening of the den. She focused on the cardinal who had flown down to peck at something, a seed perhaps, or a rock. She watched the blood red bird impassively, her natural instinct to scare it away from the den. It was a pretty little thing, though, and the way it cocked its head as she lifted her head to look at it was adorable. Wolf and bird stared at each other, neither one moving. Finally, the cardinal chirruped, and took to wing. Deuce yawned again, laying her head on her paws. Her eyes drifted shut.
A small room, a cabin. A fireplace, a small fire going untended and ignored. Whimpers from a corner of the room. A white wolf laid on a bed, her sides heaving with labor. Outside, the snow drifted down, ignored. Inside, a black male in optime stroked the soon to be mother's head. One pup slid out. It was too dark to see the color of it. Another pup followed shortly after. A voice in the dark. "Two boys, Deuce. One black like me, one white like you."
The scene shifted. She was on the porch of her house now, watching the boys tussle. Her mate was off somewhere, hunting maybe. An acrid smell. She looked around. In the distance, spreading rapidly, was a wall of smoke. Her heart stopped. Explosions sounded off, each one moving rapidly closer and closer. Fear, terror. She grabbed each boy by the scruff. They were so little, but they seemed huge when she tried to carry both of them. And then there was her mate, grabbing little Noah while she adjusted her grip on Taliesin.
Days later, laying exhausted and burned. The boys were safe. Naniko brought Sirius and Apollo, asking her to nurse them. They were so tiny, and she didn't know if Deirdre had made it safely. What of the pack, of Fatin and Tayui, of anyone and everyone else? They formed a new pack. Twilight Vale.
Again, a small cabin. The light faded to darkness, shadows took on ominous shapes. Willow pressed against her mother. Noah and Tal were there, too, but the same size as Willow. And then, the giant black wolf barged in, blue eyes burning with hatred. Deuce screamed, her body trying to shield the little ones. The shadow passed through her. Blood pooled on the floor as the pups screamed their last screams, as the shadow began laughing-
She jerked awake, mismatched eyes blinking blearily in the predawn light. She stood, glancing around. The cardinal was back, cocking its head and chirruping at her again. She drew a shaky breath and walked slowly outside, watching as the blood red bird took off again. She stared off into the sky. She hated having nightmares. She hated how they left her feeling. She hated that she wanted to cry. Mostly, she hated nightmares because they always, without fail, awakened the longing for just one more drink to take the edge off.
((WC:667))