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wallsWas there any place he where he really belonged, where he was supposed to belong? Or was it just based on where his priorities fell at this point? Why was it so difficult to make a concrete decision and lay whatever it was he wanted out there on the table? It would be so much easier if he had the answers. It was only one of many questions, but there were too many answers that could correspond with it alone. There were too many, and he couldn't tell which one was the right one. There were too many answers to everything.
wallsThere had to be a right one.
wallsThe boy didn't even feel like he had tried. He had gone so far and made so much progress only to come to the realization that maybe the only family he had anymore were back there, in the direction that he'd come. Maybe he was a coward. Too afraid of being no one. Too afraid of being truly alone. Suddenly everything had become different, and he didn't know how that had happened, why it had happened, or how to make it stop. The fact that he didn't even know what it was that had changed only meant that he would never be able to change it back, and he would be stuck in this seemingly alternate universe forever. He hadn't been so worried about consequence a month ago when he had left, and now it was all upside down. He wasn't happy because his confusion plagued him constantly, and there was nothing he could do to ease it. No ray of sunshine on a cloudy day could make everything all right. Who even knew what was wrong?
wallsJesile couldn't ignore the sinking feeling that leaving had been wrong. When he had left his home for the first time to look for his father, it had been different. When he had left Inferni, it was to look for his father once again, but the underlying details should have been apparent. He should have known better. That had been twice that he had left a place that either could have or had been considered his home, and each time there had been no great victory at the end. The bait had been stripped from his fishhook though, and now he did know better. It didn't matter how many times he cast his line out there anymore, because there would be no fish to offer a bite. There was no hope that an excursion would somehow solve everything. And Faolin. What would she think of him for leaving without a word of explanation? Maybe she wouldn't care at all, which happened to be his greatest fear of all.
wallsThe morning light crawled toward him across the horizon, bathing him in golden warmth in the day's frigid air. It didn't seem appropriate for him to wait at the borders of Inferni expectantly, begging for a second chance and a place in their ranks once again. In any case, he knew he would have felt incredibly guilty. Instead, he could take care of himself as he had learned to do months previously, but the important thing he felt, was that he had returned. The sand under his toes was a pleasant familiarity, and the breeze blowing shore bound whispered what felt like a quiet welcome home. |
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The sand felt uncomfortably gritty against his calloused paws that had become even more blistered from the long trek. He eased himself slowly into the water and watched as the tiny grains fell loose from his thick silver fur and drifted off into the receding tide. It had been a long day of wandering, thinking, and exploring. He felt physically, but more pronounced, emotionally, drained. Even his head was hurting from so much pondering and what felt like aimless puzzlement. Silver had always been an independent wolf, so the fact that he knew only one wolf in Bleeding Souls at the moment didn't really phase him. What did, however, was how alien this territory was to him. The boy was used to being familiar with the placement of everything -- the nearest lake, mountain, cave. Scotland had been home because he'd made it so. Jaded Shadows... meant nothing to him as of right now.
Depressed by how little his knowledge extended here, Silver had woken up this morning determined to turn it all around. He'd spent all day scoping out the place, nestling his wet nose into each nook and cranny. Lightning Bay was next on his checklist of sorts, and so here he was. Alone, but content. Until the unfamiliar scent wafted by on an inconspicuous breeze and made him stand still. It didn't belong to a Shadow member... or wolf, for that matter. Intrigued, he pulled himself away from the ocean's grasp and retreated back up the sandbank. Long strides eventually took him towards a coyote who looked to be by wandering by himself. Silver approached warily, steps slowing once he had successfully intercepted the other's gaze. "Hello," cool, calm, and collected. As always.
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wallsIt was no wonder that this bay was by far his favourite place to be. The light that had begun to rise out of the darkness had exploded into a mass of so many colours; reds, yellows, oranges, pinks, a hint of purple, all streaming from that single line of horizon out there in the distance, filtering into the dark sky overhead and beyond. A soft but chilled breeze blew in from across the choppy water as he stood mesmerised, barely noticing with his eyes stuck to the sky. It had not sunk in yet that because he didn't live in Inferni anymore, it would be more arduous to get here whenever the desire struck him. He would have to move away from the coast and find somewhere to hole up, at least for the remainder of the winter, and even then he had not found much in the line of a shelter during any one of the many times he had walked along the coast, happily established because he lived with the clan. There would be no more coming out here every dawn and dusk to watch the sky come alive this way or to watch it darken as the stars began to speckle the sky. He had taken it for granted, and now that he had left, the coast was no longer his to call home.
wallsLarge coyote ears flicked back at the sound of quiet steps approaching across the frozen sand, his nose flaring suddenly as he swung his head around to see a large, yellow-eyed male. After a moment of sudden panic, his nerves finally settled, and he glanced curiously over the creature. Ordinarily, he would not have reacted so abruptly, but he hadn't expected anyone to come along, at least in the early morning light. Jesile had also learned in the duration of his absence that not everyone could be trusted, and that there were a select, unhinged few out there who would sooner kill him than any rational action that typically went hand-in-hand with being confronted with someone. On the other hand, the wolf didn't display hostility by any degree and he felt comfortable, even safe, despite the bulkiness the other male had on him. He had his speed, and if it had saved his life once, he could rely on it again if need be. The faintest scent of Jaded Shadows could be derived from the gray male, which put him at ease more than anything else. He was from around here. The young coyote disregarded any initial cause for alarm he may have found, his gaze shifting toward the other from where he stood firm and facing the bay.
wallsHey, he returned, his tone even enough, his expression interested. |
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Citrus eyes roved quizzically over the coyote's face, tracing their way over his champagne colored eyes and large, triangular-shaped ears. It'd been some time since Silver had crossed paths with this species, but the few times he had there hadn't ever been a problem. He was well aware, however, of the hostilities that existed between wolf and coyote more often than not -- back in Scotland, his pack hadn't been very congenial towards the slighter canines. Personally, Silver had never seen any reason to hold a grudge towards their kind; never once had one done anything to him. Although he was judgmental most of the time, one thing he wasn't was irrational or unfair.
The stranger returned his greeting equally as casually, tone cool but vaguely interested. Silver was glad he hadn't told him to beat it although he wouldn't have caused a fuss if such had been the case. Lemon eyes blinked as his inky black tail came up to curl its way around his bulky rear. Although much smaller than him, this coyote certainly made up for its height deficiency in agility and speed. Not that he was planning on challenging the tinier male to a physical fight anytime soon... "I'm Silver, from Jaded Shadows. Do you live here?"
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[html] wallsYeah, I do, he answered, but not with Inferni. He gestured easily over one shoulder toward the place where the clan existed. Maybe the detail wasn't necessary, but at least it meant that he had accepted it and in time he would be all right with it. His only tie there was Faolin, really, and eventually he would talk to her and explain his absence. If nothing else, he wanted things to be all right with her. He didn't want her to look at him and see a parallel between himself and his father for leaving when his very objective had been to find that father in the first place. Imagining the look on his sister's face if somehow he had found Segodi and brought him back, he felt more than ever that he had failed. He had let her down. It was in that moment that he wondered if he wanted to explain his reason for leaving at all. Maybe it was better if he had gone for a lame reason than if he had gone for something that meant so much, only to return without anything to show for it but the things he had managed to learn along the way. Yeah. That was even worse.
wallsWatching the other male casually, he carefully ran his voice through his mind, focusing on how he said things rather that what they were. Where are you from? The coyote didn't want to ask questions if it would end in his ass getting killed, but he was genuinely interested. His accent was different, and barring the faint Jaded Shadows scent he carried, he didn't smell like anything around here. The wolf didn't seem at all unfriendly and it felt safe enough to assume that if he didn't want to answer, he would simply say that. With his calm demeanor, Jesile couldn't see him mindlessly lashing out. Skoll had been gargantuan in size and his body scarred more than anyone else he had ever seen, a terrifying figure! and still he hadn't left Jesile to die in that building, but risked his life to save him. It felt strange now after all he'd learned, but he had never had to worry about a wolf. He could see the flaw in the argument of hate clearer than he ever had. |
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Inferni; it went without saying that Silver was not at all familiar with this term, but from what he could gather it was Bleeding Souls' resident coyote clan. He ran the name over his tongue and then stored it away for further recollection. How many members were there? Could there possibly be more than one coyote-based pack? All of these questions ran through his mind, but rather than carry their conversation away from its focus he stayed quiet. Instead, he licked his lips tentatively and shifted slightly to ease the weight on his back limbs. "I see," actually, he didn't see at all (for instance, why this stranger didn't reside with Inferni). It seemed intrusive to ask, so Silver kept his mouth shut.
The other's question didn't catch him off guard; nearly everyone he met seemed intrigued by his thick Scottish accent and wanted to know from where he came from. Which wasn't surprising, given how outlandish it sounded for him to say Scotland. After all, the European country definitely wasn't just around the corner or anything. "Scotland. I just got here around... a day ago. You might've already figured that out, though. I don't mean to ask too much of you, but could you tell me a bit about this Inferni?
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[html] wallsScotland meant nothing to him in terms of bringing him an idea to associate the place with. He had never heard of it, or Europe for that matter, as his knowledge ended with the shore. Anything beyond was wholly unknown to him, though he was extremely interested and decided that later he might find a library where he could find out more. It seemed better than bombarding the stranger with questions that he was probably tired of hearing and answering. As for this moment, the most important thing seemed to be that the other hadn't spoken with conviction. If he had only arrived the day before, he knew nothing of Inferni, and it had been a mistake to even mention it. He knew what would be coming next, even if it were completely innocent, harmless. He didn't think anyone of Inferni would see it that way.
wallsHe was very aware of what telling the wolf about Inferni might mean. It wasn't that he feared more wolves coming to Inferni and the dangers that might encompass (both for the coyotes and the wolves) because he was not paranoid (much). He did not hate wolves. He did not suspect anything sinister about wolves unless he was given a reason to. He also didn't know Gabriel and how significant his own hate was, nor did he know the same for anyone else in the clan. What he did know, and what he was aware of was the simplicity in the way that Empusa seemed to think that they "should not trust wolves," and that "Gabriel would not like us being around one." Those were her words, and he did not know where she had gotten those ideas, but obviously it had been from within the clan if not Gabriel himself. This meant that it would be likely that Gabriel would ream him for giving information to a wolf if he ever found out. Foolishly or not, Jesile put no stock in this or the idea that it would not be right to tell this wolf about Inferni. If he didn't get it here, he would get it somewhere else, or worse, go there.
wallsInferni, or Hell's Coast, is supposed to be a coyote clan, but I think the majority of those who live there are not full blood coyotes. Had he been the only one? Their leader is Gabriel de le Poer. Other than this, he did not know what else there was to say of it. He knew that there had been disputes between the clan and various other packs in the past but he had yet to discover just what these were. What else would you like to know? There was another foolish question, but perhaps the stranger would be satisfied with what he had already been told. It was better to get whatever he wanted to know out in the open now, and answer it fully, than to have the wolf go anywhere near Inferni. It was for his safety. |
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Hell's Coast and Gabriel de le Poer -- two other unfamiliar terms. Silver filtered them into storage, feeling a bit frustrated as he did so. It annoyed him, being this unfamiliar. He wanted to be on top of everything, to understand the ins and outs of Bleeding Souls as easily as he knew the back of his hand. If only time could fly by faster, but even if one willed it to do so such an accomplishment was simply impossible. He had been right about the coyote thing -- apparently those of other species were neither acceptable nor even wanted (which didn't really surprise Silver given usual inter-specie tensions). "Thank you, I appreciate it. I don't want to pester you with questions, so this'll be my last one. How many packs are around here?"
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[html] wallsIt seemed a curious thing that it was usually neither wolf nor coyote who were adamant to hate, but those of mixed blood. That would be a poor generalization to make, but that was what experience had taught him. It also seemed a curious thing that as far as he knew, he was one of the few true coyotes who remained. It isn't any trouble, he assured calmly, quietly. He felt uncomfortable being uninformed as much as the next beast, and he had always been willing to give information he had to anyone willing to ask. There are three. Storm, Clouded Tears and Jaded Shadows, of course. The former are both further inland on the other side of the Yahraw. If he was uncertain of any of this, he would surely find out soon enough, and he did not elaborate because he had not been asked, and he did not want to overwhelm the fellow any more than was necessary. He paused, allowing the other male to voice any other question he might have while he allowed his gaze to waver, his eyes wandering toward the sea. Idly, he wondered what Scotland was like, why the male had left, and why he thought this place, of all places, was worthy enough to settle. |
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