and my world falls down

Tsukiko Shimazu · 09-04-2010, 01:47 AM

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For Layla, set in the Dampwoods :3 Hover over for English translation

She was close now. Smells came to her pale nose. Smells not of wolves exactly, but something similar. Setsuna could smell them too, and walked just a little ways in front of her, watching their path. The Feline had become somewhat of a surrogate mother for the orphaned girl. Of course Tsukiko would never forget her true mother, or her father, but now Setsuna was all she had in the world. Especially in this strange place. It was nothing like home, but that was why she had chosen to come here. Her uncle would never suspect her to come out to some wild place halfway across the world. He wouldn't find her here. Here she would be safe until he was gone and she could return and reclaim her rightful place at the head of the Shimazu clan. Until then though, she would have to make her way in this strange land in whatever way she could.

The small wolfess shifted the pack on her back. It was still heavy, but not as heavy as it had been on her start out from Freetown. Her supply of cured meat was beginning to run low. She still had a fairly good supply of rice, but that would not sustain her for long. She would have to join, what were they called? A pack? Yes, that sounded right. Even the way her kind lived her was strange. The Japanese noble was completely out of her element. Thank the power for Setsuna, she was so much wiser and more knowledgeable than the yearling. The dark cat paused for a moment and Tsukiko did the same. "Watashitachi ha sekkinshi teite , watashi ha koto wo chiekku surutameni senkou shimasu" Her small agile form disappeared while Tsukiko continued then to trudge forward with her burden of supplies and possessions. Despite it all though, she felt her heart lighten at the prospect of finally seeing others again. It had been a long and lonely hike from the port to this area. Her feet began to move more quickly, her simple gray travel yukata moving in the breeze. All of her nicer garments were packed away, as she had not wanted to dirty them. Softly she heard Setsuna's hesitant voice. "Tsukiko, watashitachi womou tsuno michi ni ika setekudasai, watashi gasorega mottomo yoi to omoi masu..." The words came too late though, and the girl was only able to ask, "Naze, Setsuna-chan?" before she came into the clearing and saw why.

Skulls. Wolf skulls mounted upon pikes created a wall before her. Her soft blue eyes grew wide and startled as she gasped. "Akuma..." She stood frozen for a long moment before quickly turning and fleeing into the deep woods. So frightened she was that she did not even look back to see if Setsuna was following after her. Heart pounded erratically in her breast. What kind of a place had she come to? What kind of savages lived here to do such a ghastly and immoral thing? Tears threatened her eyes and she ceased to be able to clearly see where she was running. A partially covered root grabbed her foot and she tumbled unceremoniously to the ground, some of the contents of her pack flying out across the ground. Tsukiko heard Setsuna call her name behind her, but as she pushed herself up she looked at the items that had scattered. Her heart took a blow as her eyes saw the frame with the drawing of her parents cracked. Frantically she crawled forward and took the fragile paper from the ruined frame. "Okasan...Otousan..." Tears spilled freely down her face. She missed them. She missed her home. What was she doing here? Was this any better than being locked up in her Uncle's estate? Quietly the girl wept, holding the image of her parents. Setsuna looked up at her sympathetically, placing a paw on her leg. "Tsukiko-chan..."

Layla Nishant · 09-04-2010, 06:27 PM

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WC: 711 {7 points}

Another day and another patrol. It seemed it was all Layla had to do to get rid of her boredom aside from her french lessons and herb collecting. The patrols were not so bad though. They were needed to protect the pack and their borders. Then again it was also a means to impress Conor. Since her bear attack, she was trying to be more useful to the pack and assend in her ranks. Not only that but also complete her goal of gaining the rank of apothecary. As a small sigh passed her lips, she realized she needed some more fun in her life. Sure there was Saluce and spending time with him, but what about when he was in the shop and she had nothing to do? Today was a good day to go out exploring then. Finding a place where she could run and leap and play with herself. Surely the behemoth wouldn't mind that. Maybe while she was out she could find another place for the two of them to go as well. Once she was done patroling the borders, she stretched out her limbs and began to run of the the pack's territory.

Normally Layla would go wander around Crimson's Dream's territory, but today was a day for something new. Most of the other packs were nuetral with Dahlia de Mai and she was sure they won't mind if she was just passing through their territory to get somewhere. Today's little journey took her to the pack of Phoenix Valley. The owners of a southern strip of land. There were many cliffs covered in grass and ferns. This was just what the mistress was looking for. After crounching down, she sprung off her back legs and ran straight up the rock face til she had reached a flat spot. The breeze felt wonderful as it moved through her fur and the grass danced with it. The flowers bloomed nicely and helped to add to the lifeness of the area. Layla didn't stop there, she then ran around, jumping from edge to edge before running downward. Luckily for her there was a cool strem nearby so she could get a drink and catch her breath. Once she was done, she continued on her way.

It wasn't until she was a bit of a ways away before she caught onto the scent of two creatures. After carefully examining the scent, she determined it was the scent of a wolf and a cat. Judging from the mixed scent, they were traveling together. Why a wolf would travel with a cat she didn't know but she had to find them. Their scent was leading up north. This was bad, Inferni was up to the north. While her pack and their pack were not on good terms, she felt it would be the best to warn them about the pack. With the mistress' speed, it didn't take long for her to catch up to the pair. Their location was not unusual but it was sickening to see all those skulls. "Comment dégoûter." As she approached the couple, she noticed that they too were speaking in another language. This one was not french, it sounded too weird to be. Staying at a distance for a bit to observe them, she shook her head as she yawned. "Bien ils ne semblent pas trop mauvais." Once she was sure they were done looking at the skulls, she made her move. The mistress approached slowly so they could catch her scent. It would be bad to frighten the pair after seeing the skulls. She didn't want to give them a false impression. Once she was sure they had caught onto her, she approached them with a smile on her face. It wasn't until she got a bit closer that she noticed the wolf trip and fall. Tears were not a good thing to have when Layla was nearby. Her sypathetic mood turned on as she rushed over to the wolf. Assuming that they didn't know french, she hoped they at least knew some english. "Are you ok?" Their scent was not familiar but there may still be a chance they were part of a pack. "Aren't you two a little far from home?"

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Tsukiko Shimazu · 09-04-2010, 08:03 PM

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She felt more lost in this moment than she had her whole journey overland to get here. Tsukiko had been certain that this would be the place to wait until she could return to Japan. In Freetown she had been told there were many packs and wolves here. None of them had mentioned a place where skulls were mounted as trophies. The grisly sight flashed through her mind again and she flinched. It was true she had lead a somewhat protected life, but she had never seen anything half so awful. Those poor souls. Surely they had done nothing to deserve such mistreatment, such a horrible fate. It almost made her want to retch, but she through force of will settled her stomach. Getting sick would not help things. Crying over her situation wasn't helping either, but her strong façade had cracked like such fragile porcelain. Setsuna rubbed against her and one of her delicate hands fell to lay on her only friend's back. She could find no words to say, for she did not know where to go from here. Perhaps this was an obstacle that she could not tackle after all.

So lost in her own fear and grief, no hint of the other wolf had reached her mind until they were suddenly by her side. Setsuna's back arched and she hissed in surprise and protectiveness. This woman did not appear to mean them any harm though, and the feline soon quieted herself, though continued to watch the other canine with a critical eye. Tsukiko looked up at her with surprise written plainly on her face. Words hit her ears that she knew and yet it took her a moment to understand with everything that had so quickly happened. The small wolf's face dropped, her eyes looking back to her lap. She brought an arm up and wiped her eyes upon her sleeve. Crying was a private thing, not something she would continue to do in front of a total stranger. "I...am not injured." The words still felt odd on her tongue, so unlike her birth language. She couldn't say she was okay, but her fall had not caused any physical harm. "V-very far, yes." As far as they possibly could be.

The image of the skulls came to her once again and startled, she looked back to the monochromatic woman. "You...you are not from there, are you?" she asked, voice wavering. Tsukiko didn't know what that place was, but she knew she wanted not the slightest thing to do with it or anyone who would dwell in such a place.

Layla Nishant · 09-04-2010, 09:50 PM

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WC: 525 {5 points}

Layla did not like to see wolves in pain or suffering for whatever reason. She brought it upon herself to help cheer up the wolf until she was feeling better. The mistress did back away a bit when the wolf's cat friend hissed at her. Here she was trying to help and her companion was hissing at her. She could understand though, what friends wouldn't be protective of one another? Once the cat had stopped hissing and let her get closer, Layla moved back to the wolf. She was glad to hear that she was not injured, but she was a bit shocked to hear that she was so far from home. Didn't she live somewhere. Judging from the fact that she was so far from home, she must have been a loner. The mistress' ears moved to make sure that no one else was nearby before moving her orbs back to the wolf.

Layla began to move a bit ahead of them when she heard the wolf ask if she was one of them. One of who exactly. The mistress could only think of the skulls. What an insult to think that she would causes such a thing. She shook her head and then moved a bit ahead again. "It may be best of we leave here before I introduce myself. Do not worry though. I am not one of them. I could never do something like that." She would wait for them until they were ready to leave. Surely that wouldn't take long seeing as they didn't like the sight of the skulls. She would lead them to the stream where she was before and sat at the bank. It was a much quieter setting and not so grusome. The mistress turned to the wolf and cat as she bowed her head a bit. She was showing a bit of respect, but only so she could explain her actions before introducing herself. "Ah this is much better. I'm sorry for not saying anything. My name is Layla. That structure is near the Inferni pack's border. Chances are they caused that." Her gaze moved in the direction of their border. She thought only of the Inferni that saved her life from the bear as she sighed. She stepped into the water, wanting to cool down a bit as she turned her head back. "You don't need to worry, I'm not part of Inferni. Inferni from what I heard is a pack consisted of coyote's and jackels. I belong to a nearby pack called Dahlia de Mai."

Dahlia de Mai was a kind pack and would never resort to placing up skulls as if they were prizes. Had there been no one around, the mistress probably would tear it down. Having the sudden rush of warrior blood in her viens, it was dishonor to see the heads of wolves shown like that. She was sure even her mate could agree to that. Trying to burn off the excess anger, she splashed about in the water, but made sure not to get any on her company. Now was not the time for a bad first impression.

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Tsukiko Shimazu · 09-05-2010, 02:48 PM

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It was frightening times like these where she was most grateful for the feline's presence. If it weren't for Setsuna, she would have fallen apart completely long before this moment. Even if there wasn't much the dark cat could do to physically protect her, just knowing that she was there gave the girl enough courage to press forward and not to be so terribly afraid. The strange wolf began to walk away, but stopped for a moment when asked if she came from that horrid place with the skulls. The suggestion to move further away was welcomed and relief came when she confirmed that she did not belong to whatever that place was. When she said that she could never do such a thing, Tsukiko felt a little abashed. It had been rude of her to make such an assumption. "S-sorry," she said lamely. The foreign fey was not feeling at all herself. Quickly she collected the remainder of her scattered possessions in her arms and stood back up to follow the woman, Setsuna keeping apace with her.

The place that they were lead to was a much more serene setting than the one they had come from. Water trickled calmly down the stream bed and the sound helped to restore her composure. The sound of water always reminded her of home and brought peace to her soul. Once there, the woman turned back around to face them and bowed her head. It was a gesture that the Shimazu daughter was used to receiving, but she reminded herself that this was not Japan anymore and she mimicked the action, not wanting to seem ungrateful. "Thank you, Layla-san, for assisting me." It took some effort to pronounce the name, l's not being a sound in her native tongue, but she was becoming better at it. "My name is Tsukiko, and this is Setsuna." She remembered from her lessons that family names were not the most important in this language. It was odd, not to introduce herself as Shimazu, Tsukiko, but that was the way this culture functioned apparently. It didn't much matter though, she guessed. The Shimazu name would mean nothing here.

Layla explained what the place with the skulls was, and another internal shiver ran through the slight girl's body. "It is horrible. Why would they do such a thing?" Even if Layla knew and gave her a reason, Tsukiko doubted she could understand it. Atrocious acts such as that were unforgivable in her mind. The dark woman moved into the water of the stream and Tsukiko knelt down and removed her pack from her back to replace the items that had fallen out of it. She would need to find a new frame for the drawing of her parents, she wouldn't be able to stand it if it were damaged or ruined. "Dahlia de Mai," she repeated slowly. "What is your home like?" She needed to find a place of refuge. Perhaps if Layla's home sounded good, she could go there.

Layla Nishant · 09-06-2010, 06:23 PM

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WC: 558 {5 points}

Layla was glad that the two some took interest in leaving the area. Who in their right minds would want to hang around some skulls, unless you were the kind of wolf who liked killing and seeing others suffer. Thankfully Layla was not that kind of wolf. She may be seen as a bad wolf but that's only when in fights or when she was needed to defend the pack or her loved ones. For the most part though, the mistress was a kind and caring wolf. Once they had gone a distance away from the skulls, she wanted to make sure that the wolf and cat were ok physically and mentally. The wolf was her biggest worry. She had been crying and hopefully moving from the skulls would have calmed her down. So far it seemd to be working. She and the black cat were calming down, feeling much better at the stream. The mistress' ears moved once she heard the wolf appologize. What was she appologizing for? She had done nothing wrong. She gave a smile to the wolf as she took a drink of water from the stream.

Layla's zetetic gaze moved back to the two some as she looked them over. They seemed like two innocent travelers. It was a shame they had to see such a disgusting sight when they first arrived. Her violent splashing stopped when she heard the wolf thanking her for before. Her smile widened. "It was nothing really." She had noticed the she wolf put something at the end of her name. Seeing as she was a long way from home and she was speaking another language, it must have had something to do with that. As the introduced themselves, she lowered her head to show her respects to them. "It's a pleasure to meet you both." Her paws were soaked but she didn't really care. All that mattered now was that these two were alright.

Layla wasn't surprised when Tsukiko asked why they would do something link this. She shook her head gently and lowered it to the water. "To be honest, I don't know why... although there is a possibility it wasn't Inferni who did that. It could have been any pack perhaps trying to hide evidence or maybe a band of loners did it. I don't know Inferni personally so I can't say for sure that they did it." She would soon find out though. She had planed to bring up with Conor the fact that an Inferni saved her and would like to travel there herself to speak to the Inferni leaders. An odd request to make to her alpha but it needed to be done if she was going to thank them and make Lucia look good. Her orbs moved back up as the wolf asked her what Dahlia de Mai was like. A big smile formed on her face and she moved her figure to face her. "Dahila de Mai is a wonderful place. There's a couple towns with some empty houses as well as a variety of sights. If you want I can lead you there and you can see the lands for yourself." If the wolf and cat agreed to come with her, then she would step out of the water, waiting for them on the other side of the stream.

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Tsukiko Shimazu · 09-07-2010, 12:33 AM

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Her soft blue eyes had never witnessed such a horrific sight as the wall of pikes and skulls. The only dead bodies she had ever seen were the bodies of her parents at their funeral. The remembrance of that choked her up, and it took all of her self control to not begin crying again. She had already spent much time in mourning, but such a great loss was not easily left behind. Here she seemed to feel it even more acutely, being so far away from everything that was familiar. The girl hadn't been able to bring too much with her, just the things that she couldn't possibly bear to leave behind. Though by far her most treasured thing was the drawing of her mother and father. She would give everything else she possessed up before letting that slip from her grasp. It was all she had left of them, aside from her memories and her love. As she repacked her bag at the edge of the stream, she carefully rolled the paper up and tucked it delicately inside. Hopefully it would be fine until she could find a suitable replacement frame.

Layla humbly dismissed the thanks that was given to her for her help. It was true, it may not seem like much, but to Tsukiko it meant a great deal. She knew nothing of these lands, and this woman could have easily passed her by and left her to frightfully stumble about without a clue. She hadn't needed to stop, but she had, and the Shimazu fey could not be ungrateful for even such small kindnesses. "Perhaps not, but it is much appreciated. I am ignorant of this place, and know no one here. All I have is Setsuna, and my small belongings." Layla hadn't asked for this information, but she felt the need to explain her situation, however abridged and brief. She wanted the other woman to see how much her help meant to her. "The pleasure is ours," she said, bowing her head once again. Setsuna followed suit, feeling much more at east now in the other canine's presence. If she had wanted to do them harm, she could have easily done so earlier.

Tsukiko listened carefully to Layla's attempted explanation at the heinous thing they had both seen. So perhaps it was not this Inferni place that had done the horrible thing. Still, it was frightening to think that there were individuals around here capable of something like that. In Japan, on the family estates, she had been well protected and had never feared attack. The samurai of the clan were strong, and would do anything to protect her and her family. They leagues away now though, and it was only now that the true danger of her lonely situation became gruesomely apparent to her. "I cannot understand such atrocities. Never before have I even heard of anything so horrible." It was the stuff of nightmares and it was now made reality before her very eyes. It was a dark subject, and Tsukiko was glad to leave it behind, especially at Layla's expression when asked of her home. They had towns in her pack? That was a promising prospect to the civilized fey. She was eager to latch onto the offer that was quickly made. "That would be very nice, to see your home. It is no trouble?" With all her heart she hoped it wouldn't be a problem and part of her wished to have not asked that at all, but as usual her polite nature couldn't help but be made apparent.

Layla Nishant · 09-08-2010, 12:32 AM

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WC: 623 {6 points, 1 for Word of the Day}

Layla could tell from the way that the wolf was acting that the skulls triggered something in her mind. Perhaps it had something to do with what happened to her in the past. The mistress felt it would be rude to ask just what it was that made her cry, so she turned away to let her have her moment. She cared, but she felt it would be rude to intrude on her emotions and felt that the wolf's cat companion would be better fit for calming her down. Now that she thought about it, why was the cat traveling around with her? She could understand if the cat was a pet but she seemed to treat it as her equal. She would wait for them to move their attention to her before she turned her head around and looked to them once more.

Layla's ears moved as the wolf explained herself and against Layla saying that it was no problem. Being modest was one of the mistress' features to her personality, she couldn't help if she sometimes was putting something down. In reality, she was very grateful that Tsukiko was thankful for helping her. Her smile reformed as she heard the cat and her things were all she had left. If things went well then maybe she would be able to find some more things in the empty houses. If things got better, maybe they could join Dahlia de Mai and find a home for themselves. If needed, the mistress wouldn't mind helping them look for a home. She thought for a moment if she had room back at home, but they didn't have enough. Maybe Tsukiko and her cat could stay in Layla's old home until they find a place they can settle down together. Layla then watched as Tsukiko bowed her head to her. This was new, why was she bowing to her. Wanting to be nice, she bowed her head back to the two some. Once they raised their heads back up, she did too.

Layla could not understand why it was so shocking to know that wolves would stick up their skulls as tropheys, unless of course she came from somewhere were no one ever commited a crime. A sighed passed her lips as her tail swayed in the wind. "I know it's shocking but not all the wolves out here are as nice as the next. I am sorry that you had to see that horrifying image, but it's just something to get used to. Luckily th wolves of Dahlia de Mai would never do such a thing." Layla wasn't even sure of that. She hadn't met all the wolves in her pack, but she was sure that all of them were loyal and kind. She broke from her thought as the wolf asked if it would be any trouble to see her home. She was sure Conor wouldn't mind and if Tsukiko found it suitable, maybe she could join their ranks. She nodded as she waited on the other side of the stream. "It's no trouble at all Tsukiko. I'm sure Conor wouldn't mind if I showed you both around. It'll be a little bit of a walk back." The mistress pointed her head towards the kenspeckle cliffsides. "I came from that way so it'll be a bit of an uphill climb. Will you both be alright with that?" She wouldn't mind carrying anything if she had to. Once they were ready, she would begin her way to the cliffs and started to jog her way up til she was at one of the flat parts. She looked down to Tsukiko and wagged her tail a bit, trying to bring some excitement to the saddened wolf.

Tsukiko Shimazu · 09-08-2010, 01:37 AM

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Even if her sorrow was barely hidden, she was thankful that the reasons behind it were not directly questioned by the other wolf. Tsukiko wasn't used to opening up to anyone really, especially someone she had just met. The only souls she had ever truly spoken about her emotions with were her parents before they had passed, and Setsuna. The servants, while kind, had always kept their respectful distance. The samurai had never asked of her feelings. Even if she was young, she was a Shimazu daughter which meant she was born to be a leader. Leader did not keep emotional council with their warriors. It was her duty to put on a brave face and go forward. Up until this point she had been doing an alright job of it. This all had been too much though. Half-way across the world with everything that was comfortable and familiar gone, only to be faced with the sight of such horror as she had never imagined. The one thing she could be happy for was that her people had not seen her moment of weakness.

Being humble was a virtue in her homeland, in everyone. From people of her station down to the lowest servant. It was always something to be rewarded, her father had told her. The Shimazu had the power to be tyrants, but her father had shown her how to be a good leader that the people loved. Her father and mother had been loved, by all. She hoped that everyone understood why she had fled. She had had no choice. It was either run or be subject to whatever unseemly match her uncle would have made for her. Noboro would not have cared for the character of the man, only how deep his pockets were. Tsukiko hoped they knew she had not abandoned them. She would come back, when she was old enough or when her uncle no longer posed a threat. Whichever came first.

Bowing wasn't something that she normally did. Only to people of the same or higher station to herself, which there were few enough of. Still, Layla had bowed to her, and she knew the woman couldn't possibly know she was nobility. Clearly here, it was something done commonly to show respect to anyone, and even if it was odd to her she did not wish to cause offense to the first person she met here. Especially when that person was being so kind and helpful. It was shocking, to hear that mounting skulls was not something completely unusual here. Had she really come to so savage a land? "I do not know if I could ever get used to such a thing." She wasn't trying to be argumentative, just honest. Maybe in the battlefields of the samurai you could see such things, but they were shielded from her eyes. Still, it was a relief to hear that those from Layla's home wouldn't do those awful things. Perhaps that really was the place she and Setsuna should go.

"Thank you," she said as the offer was reinforced. As the new name was mentioned, she became curious. "Conor? He is your leader?" At least the name sounded masculine to her. It would be embarrassing if she had just given the wrong gender to the one who lead Layla's pack. When asked if they could make the hike up the cliffside, Tsukiko nodded. "I can manage it, I think." It might be a bit difficult, but the alternative of staying here was completely unappealing. She picked Setsuna up and set her on her shoulders, picking up the bottom of her yukata so as not to get it wet when crossing the water. Once across, she carefully followed Layla up the steep incline, taking it slow so she wouldn't lose her balance.

Layla Nishant · 09-15-2010, 03:07 PM

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WC: 759 {8 points, 1 for Word of the Day}

Layla could tell from looking at the wolf that she was an innocent soul. While her original home was still unknown, she obviously came from a place were violence was against their practice. How the mistress would love to see what her home was like, but she was here now and she was here to stay. As the black and white she wolf turned her head to look to Tsukiko, she could a dash of sorrow blinding her happiness. It was obvious that the scene of the skulls was still playing in her head but now it seemed like something else was too. Although the she wolf's curiousity was rising and wanted to know what else was bothering her, she was not the one to be rude and intrude on her feelings. Layla took this time to plan out a route home and waited for Tsukiko to be ready to move on. The mistress was ready to go at any time. As the she wolf was about to move, her comment on never getting used to this place was not a surprise to her. A soft sigh passed through the mistress' lips as her orbs moved to meet Tsukiko's. ”Well then the best advice I can give you is to stay away from the Inferni border. Seeing as the skulls were near their borders, it was most likely them, so probably best to stay away form them.” Layla had other plans dealing with Inferni, and one day she was going to journey there and speak to their leaders about their relationship with Dahlia de Mai, but that thought was best for some other day. Now her attention was focused on getting the she wolf back to her home.

As Layla was waiting on the flat part of the cliff, she noticed that Tsukiko was having a bit of trouble because she was carrying some things. The mistress was not one to pass up the chance to help someone. She lowered her rear to sat down as her orbs followed the she wolf's movements. ”Do you need any help Tsukiko? I can carry something if you need me to. No reason to burden yourself if this path is a bit difficult for you.” Once Tsukiko had met her up on the flat area, she would plan out the flatest way back to Dahlia de Mai and take anything if the she wolf needed her to carry anything. Once everything and everyone was ready to go, Layla began to lead the way back home. As they continued, the black and white she wolf led Tsukiko under a rock formation that looked like an arch. It was nice to take the time and enjoy the scenery that Phoenix Valley had to offer. So far the trail was easy and flat so it wouldn't be much trouble for Tsukiko and her feline friend; however, the trail soon came to an end and it was time to go a bit downhill. The mistress would let her new friends head down first and she would keep to their pace behind them. Once they were down on the flat surface again, it shouldn't be too long before they reached the Dahlia de Mai border. Layla paused for a moment to give her company a chance to catch their breath before continuing on.

Layla had forgotten to answer Tsukiko's question about who Conor was. A smile formed on her face as she began to lead the pair into the heart of Dahlia de Mai. ”You're right, Conor is the alpha of Dahila de Mai, though he normally doesn't think of himself that way. I admire how he thinks of himself as just another pack member. It puts him more to your own level and it makes it easier to talk to him, or at least that's my opinion. Some people may think otherwise.” Now that they had enter Dahlia lands, it was time to give a little tour before she headed back to Wolfville. The mistress had to admit that even she hadn't been everywhere in the packlands, but she would point out the places she had been to. The first place to visit was demon's trail. The black and white she wolf padded along as she followed one of the trails. Her gaze moved up to the golden she wolf and wagged her tail. ”This area of the land is called 'Demon's Trail'. I've explored this area a bit. There's a lot of trails you can take as well as plenty of flowers to look at.”

Tsukiko Shimazu · 09-18-2010, 03:40 PM

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Tsukiko's burdens were her own, as they had been ever since her parents had died. The only one she let help her shoulder that burden was Setsuna, aside from that she kept her pains as her secrets. Even though it was not the reason she had left Japan and come here, the girl viewed this as a sort of test for herself. If she could remain true and strong here, and uphold the values and practices her parents had taught her, then she would be able to lead the clan when she returned home. None of her family had ever left the islands, much less come so far to a place that was so very different. If she could bear everything she already had on top of this then she would have no questions about her ability to become the leader she had been born and bred to be. Tsukiko would make her parents proud. If they looked down on her from the heavens, she would be sure that they were pleased with what they saw and not the opposite.

The fey nodded at Layla's words. "Then I will never venture here again." She doubted that would be a hard thing to accomplish. The only time she foresaw having to come out this way again was to make her way back to Freetown when she could go back to Japan, but that was far in the future most likely, and perhaps she could find a way so she would not have to see the grisly sight. Plus, until she left her home, traveling far from home had never been something that had crossed her mind. Of course the land that her family held was expansive, but surely these packs held a good amount of land as well. Perhaps, if she decided she liked this Dahlia de Mai and was allowed to stay, she wouldn't see any reason to leave it until it was time to return to her true home.

As she climbed the side of the cliff she took her time, but it was only because she did not want to trip and spill her belongings across the ground again. The weight was not too much for her, even if she were small and not all that strong. Layla asked if there was anything she could carry to help, but Tsukiko shook her head. "Thank you, but I can manage. It is not too heavy, I just wish to be careful." Once she reached the plateau where the black and white wolf waited for her, they continued on. Despite the mood that Layla had found her in, being met with such kindness and going further and further away from that evil place was helping to life her spirits some. Her baby blue eyes looked at the scenery as they walked, intrigued with the topography of this land. It really wasn't so drastically different from Japan. There were mountains and plains there, just as there was here.

Tsukiko was very interested to hear about the man who lead this pack that Layla was a member of, and Setsuna was as well. The sable feline perched on her shoulder, ears pressed forward to catch the explanation of this Conor. The smile that the woman wore while speaking of him was a good sign. Clearly he was a good leader, not an abusive one. Still, it was very odd to hear that he did not like to think of himself as above the other members of the pack. A position such as that was an honorable and prestigious one, and it made little sense to her that he would not wish to wear it proudly. Still, Layla seemed to think of this as a good thing, and so Tsukiko said nothing to the contrary. "He sounds like a good leader," she said instead, a very small smile gracing her features. Then it seemed they passed into the territory that belonged to Dahlia de Mai, and Tsukiko's gaze grew more concentrated than simply appreciative. If this might be her temporary home, she needed to know about it.

They paused for a moment, and Layla pointed out a landmark to her. The name of it sent a small shiver down her spine, and she looked at it with trepidation. "This is...an ill trail?" Maybe it was different here, but in Japan if there were a trail called such it would be one to be avoided.

Layla Nishant · 09-24-2010, 01:46 AM

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WC: 722 {7 points}

There was quite a little period of silence as they continued along. Obviously the she wolf was deep in her thought and she was not going to break her trance. She sure hoped that Tsukiko would like all that Dahlia de Mai had to offer and cheer her up a bit. Whatever it was that she was thinking of, it must have been killing her mood too. Perhaps she couldn’t get the picture of the skulls out of her head or maybe it had something to do with something that happened on her journey over here. No matter what it was, she wished the mistress didn’t have to continue to see the hint of sorrow in the golden she wolf’s eyes.

Just then the silence was broken as the she wolf mentioned that she would never venture here again. It was a good tactic and she should stick to it if she never wanted to see the skulls again. Layla however did have intentions on coming back eventually. With her plan to meet the leaders or Inferni, she may have to cut back this way to get to their borders. If it was in fact Inferni who put up those skulls, then there was no doubt that the mistress was going to be sick to her stomach during her visit. She sure prayed that Inferni was not the cause of the skulls being up and continued on her way.

Layla didn’t mind waiting for the she wolf to climb the cliff and meet up with her at the flat part. As she watched the female climb the cliff, she noticed that she didn’t seem used to this kind of climb. It was alright seeing as Dahlia de Mai didn’t seem to have as many hills as Phoenix Valley seemed to have. Once Tsukiko caught up to her, she said that it was alright and that she didn’t need the mistress to carry anything. She nodded and formed the same warm smile on her face. ”Alright then, if you insist. If you need me to carry anything later then I don’t mind helping you out.” As they moved on, the black and white she wolf turned her head around to check on her guest and was glad to see a look of relief in the golden she wolf’s eyes. She was sure that once they got to the pack lands that things would be much better and her mood would only continue to increase in happiness.

Layla was glad to here that the golden she wolf was interesting in her leader. Conor was indeed a wonderful leader and deserved the title of alpha. Tsukiko even pointed out in her statement that he sounded like a good leader. It was great to hear that the mistress could make Conor sound as wonderful as he was with words. Surely once she was able to meet the male herself, she would see how he was a little better and come to her own conclusion on what she thought of the alpha. The black and white she wolf already had what she thought of him, but that didn’t mean that Tsukiko or her feline friend thought of him differently.

As Layla moved along the trail, she looked behind to notice the look of concern of the golden female’s face. Why was she showing this sort of expression? It was then that she asked if the trail was an ill one. She looked up a bit and searched her mind. ”I don’t think so. I believe that’s just the name of the place. I don’t think it means anything. Shall we continue on?” The mistress wanted to show her guest everything that the pack lands had to offer. Thankfully the trail led to a calmer place. It took her to the spring that fed into the river. The black and white she wolf hopped into the cool water and watched as the fish swam away. As she stood still, they came back and looked over to the she wolf. ”We can rest here for a bit if you want. I could ever get you a little snack for you and your friend.” If Tsukiko agreed and wanted to take a break, then the mistress would turn her attention to the fish and began to try and catch some.

Tsukiko Shimazu · 09-28-2010, 07:05 PM

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Layla was right, Tsukiko wasn't used to having to climb up cliffs or do much traveling on foot at all really. Her only experience had been recent, with her trek from Freetown to here, and even though that had been a crash course it was still quite unfamiliar to her. Back in Japan, she had barely ever left the estate of her family, and when she had she had not been walking but had ridden in some device or another. To her, the term "walking" until now simply meant taking a peaceful stroll through the many different gardens that were on the lands owned by her parents. It had never been strenuous or unenjoyable to her before. Now she knew that it could be both those things. It was kind of Layla to offer to carry some of her things, but it was unnecessary. Tsukiko had carried them this far already, a little further would not hurt. Besides, in this bag were all the possessions she had left to her. While she didn't think the other woman untrustworthy, what she had was too valuable to set into other hands. "Thank you, I will keep it in mind."

If she liked what she saw here, in this Dahlia de Mai, she would be quite anxious to meet this Conor. The idea of needing to ask permission from someone of authority to stay somewhere was a bit intimidating, seeing as she had never been put in that position before, but hearing Layla speak of the qualities of her leader made the task seem less daunting. If he were this well liked by his underlings then surely he was a kind and understanding man. Hopefully, if she decided to present herself to him and ask for his shelter, she would have nothing too much to fear. The more she heard and saw of Layla's pack, the more she was thinking this would be the best place for her to stay, if she were allowed.

The black and white woman looked back and seemed to be surprised by the fact that Tsukiko showed some hesitance when it came to the trail that had been pointed out by here. She quickly explained that she didn't believe the name meant anything and the Shimazu daughter sighed in relief. "Oh, I see. In Japan, if a trail were named that, it would mean it was a path to be avoided," she said by way of explanation. It still seemed strange to her, that they would name it that with no intention of a bad connotation, but perhaps that was just the way here. She nodded, indicating she was ready to move on, and followed as Layla lead them down the trail to a river. The woman once again went into the water and Tsukiko watched her with interest. The proposition that was offered made her eyes grow a little wider, taking the meaning that Layla meant to catch some fish if she wished. "Oh yes, that would be very nice, thank you." It had been too long since she had tasted fresh fish.

Setsuna jumped down from her shoulder and sat herself in the grass, elegantly wrapped her tail around her paws. Tsukiko carefully unshouldered her pack and set it upon the ground. She then knelt down close to her friend, a hand reaching out to gently stroke the feline's back as she watched Layla in the river, glad for a moment of rest and the promise of something for her stomach.

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