The Sidhe had been immensely isolated in the mountainous sanctuary of Gampo Abbey as soon as the Jinne first stumbled upon the grand staircase that led to the temple which had been vacant for centuries. From the temple dormitories, to the waterfall, to the gardens, and to the labyrinth of ancient books found throughout the temple grounds, Alae's heart and soul were entirely captured. This was her true home, and while Dahlia was held close to her heart, for a moment the history of Dahlia temporarily dissipated from her mind. Alae had not left the temple walls since Kael first guided them both to the Abbey. Ever since, the Sidhe was deep in mindful meditation. Not speaking to a single soul ever since Nayru came with her to view the Gampo Abbey for the first time, it appeared as if Alae disappeared from Ichika altogether. Not to say she didn't enjoy the company of Ichika, but the entire ambience of Gampo Abbey stole her soul for quite sometime.
On this day, Alae decided to emerge from the temple walls of the Abbey in order to skirt the borderlines of Ichika. Realizing that it was also her duty to greet potential newcomers to Ichika in order to gain trust and acceptance amongst the ranks, Alae wondered how many individuals had approached them since their settlement in the mountain range. For a moment, the Sidhe felt slightly disappointed she could not purge through those that sought acceptance, feeling a tinge of worry that the other leader ranked members might have had their paws full with approaching outsiders, but it didn't seem like there was turbulent air to be found over Ichika. Ever since the pack's settlement, everything had been peaceful, serene, a tad bit quiet, but tranquil. Kael resorted to sleeping the afternoon away back in the dark corners of the Abbey, while Alae enjoyed a mindful, meditative walk by herself along the borderlines, taking in the sweet scent of the summer, the light breeze, and the enjoyment of the day before her. Nature was beautiful up here.
Sorry 'bout the wait :< Life asploded, but I think I've finally figured out how to juggle my timelines around with my massive absence XD Unfortunately that also has made this post massively ADD >_>
After working up the chutzpah to go see Naniko and his bastard brood, Barry took the following week to himself--or at least that was the original plan. He spent quite a bit of time puttering around the garage doing light maintenance and combing the deserted city streets for additional supplies--sooner than not, he planned to erect a secondary greenhouse for Alae's plants. What little real estate remained in the structure Anselm raised would be dedicated to the morning glory seeds he acquired from the Salsolan coyote, Tlantli. In any case, on one of his runs for more pipes and tubing, he ran into a couple of familiar faces: Axle and Grit.
The Rottweiler and Presa Canario were in high spirits, as always, and the trio spent most of the following few days catching up. He explained the circumstances of his disappearance a year ago--they told him some kooky tales about what they did after moving on. Nobody was sore about the incident; if anything, the hired guards were apologetic for their absence in his time of need, when the rogue marauders caught the youth unawares and effectively drove him out of Nova Scotia. Barrett emphasised (through a generous supply of liquor and bud) that it was behind them now, and over some drunken negotiations, the two watch dogs agreed to resume their old posts. In exchange for a regular supply to use or trade on their own, they would keep an eye on the property and help out with some of the grunt work. Barry further agreed to set them up in one of the nearby houses.
As they worked together, they swapped more stories. Barry told them about Sedge and the mystical snails he obtained from their trade; Axle one-upped him with a fantastical description of Freetown. The hybrid simply couldn't help himself. He had to see this spectacle for himself. And so, with a hearty supply of his wares and a few tools in tow, he set off north with a merry march. His mind was justifiably at ease, knowing nothing too terrible would befall Hilsburn in his absence. Besides--who knew what kind of cool shit he'd get out of his trades in Freetown? The young man felt on top of the world! But even superstars had to eat.
He followed the circuitous trail of some goats up and around the side of Halcyon, but before he could find somewhere to secure his things and downshift to hunt, a different scent caught his attention. Alae?? So this was where she'd gotten to? Without a moment's hesitation, he dropped all thoughts of the food and jogged along to find her. He scented her around the garage from time to time, but they seemed to have awful luck when it came to actually running into each other. Why not share the good news? A wealth of other scents rushed to greet him, too--huh, he had no idea an entire pack had put down roots all the way out here in the boonies. There wasn't much time to think about it--there she was! Alae! he yipped, tail swinging furiously and one arm waving. He had all the exuberance of a human child on Christmas morning. Still, he was mindful as he drew closer; his ears fell back and he hunched closer to the Earth as he approached his friend's territory. The inquisitive look on his face said it all.
Aaand apologies for my own. Recruitment is finally done, THANK GOD. O_x
While her soul had been enraptured in wanderlust (for it was the reason that brought her to this continent and land in the first place), there was solace found within these mountains; a solace not felt since Ireland. Wanderlust was as passive as the breeze, and while adventure coursed through her veins rather profoundly up until the point of arrival upon the 'Souls continent, there was finally the feeling of resting her head in a sanctuary she felt comfortable enough to call home. While her presence had been temporarily stolen away from the world, in a sense, Alae was content with remaining in solitude within the sanctuary of her parkland.
A familiar presence abruptly made their presence known, as upon instantly sight her ears perked forward and her sky blue eyes widened. Her tail lashed behind in a rhythmic wag, as a grin instantaneously broke across the plain of her muzzle in an instant. Frantically waving a greet, she instantly remembered Barry as the individual met at the green house in the mutual lands, sharing a joint with her and also divulging in his project. Remembering the few spare seeds Alae provided to him, the back of her mind pondered how his garden was tending, but was more enthralled to see Barrett in high spirits before her. Toning it down some in body language as he silently expressed respect to the borders, Alae strode ahead to where she was before him, arms outreached in a gesture of a hug from a long time friend. "Well, long time no see, Barry." Alae said, her grin prominent. Ichika was certainly one of the more secluded territories, and Alae could have only assumed it was sheer fate that led Barrett right to her home base. "It's great to see you again, you look good. How are you?" Alae questioned, further thrilled to see Barry before her after quite a long duration of absence.
No worries; hope it went well And just as a heads up, my posting is largely restricted to weekends now. x_X
Wandering in graceful, meditative silence, she was a true model of tranquillity. Even his abrupt interruption and her warm exuberance failed to shatter the collected, peaceful aura of the Sidhe. As she pulled him into a friendly embrace he returned it, his mind free of any ulterior motives or misdirection (for once). Barry had a knack for sniffing out the laid back crowd, true (or maybe he just avoided those who weren't), but he'd forgotten just how genuine, pure, and amazing her energy was. She would've made the Taijitan Master proud. He always felt calm and relaxed in her presence, like he could express a part of himself he usually kept somewhat guarded or under wraps.
It wasn't that he was ashamed of his spirituality, but with Alae, he never had to worry that she wouldn't get it. Just by existing, she rekindled the thoughts and feelings associated with his training. Although he found the rigorous discipline of the monastery disagreeable at the time, he had to admit it had made him a better wolf in the long run. Around her, he didn't so much think about raising at the crack of dawn, the morning chores, and the exhausting exercises (physical and mental); no, he simply remembered the strong sense of community and order, the safety and compassion. Perhaps these sentiments were conveyed through his embrace; maybe she'd know, not psychically, but simply because she was aware and understood. As they disengaged from the hug, he heaved a contented sigh and beamed back at her.
Too long, he agreed. It was hard to believe over two moons passed since their last encounter; so much had changed. Tch, got nothin' on you, he replied playfully. He appreciated the compliment—their flirtatious banter was just another way she made him feel good—but obviously, a clunky male couldn't hold a candle to a she-wolf's feminine beauty. (At least it seemed obvious to him.) And good, good.... but we'll see how I'm holding up in a few weeks, he said with a wink. Headin' down to Freetown, he explained, the enthusiasm creeping back into his voice. Like a boy going on a grand adventure into the Spooky Cave, he was. If I'da known I'd run into ya, I'd have brought up some of your crops. Built a second greenhouse for 'em 'n planted some in the gardens—they're all doing great.
So what's new with you, eh? This don't look like Dahlia de Mai, he observed in his characteristic 'urban' slang. Not that he'd ever gone there, but he knew they were west of Inferni from Anselm's stories—not high up here in the mountains.
And just as a heads up, my posting is largely restricted to weekends now. x_X
