Eclipse, set in Ethereal Eclipse. c: January 5th. 256 words.
There was an eerie aspect to the way she walked, moving among the tree trunks without a sound. Each of the white trees that she passed, she ran her lithe fingers over the smooth bark. The stark difference between the tree types found here fascinated her, and she found herself studying the pale bark closely. One clawed finger traced an image in the bark, a rounded, bell-like flower. The drawing was crude, but she was not an artist and had never claimed to be, and she nodded decisively. Foxglove, she thought, running her fingers now over the disturbed bark of the thin tree. It would fade soon, certainly, when the tree grew a new skin and changed with the world. Her mark on the tree would be gone then.
Drifting away from where she had crudely marked her name with a scratched picture, the gypsy girl looked up, seeing the sparkling of the scattering of stars she could see through the tangled branches. Night had snaked its way around her, evading her notice until she was cloaked in darkness now, alone as she was. The mare she was fond of was back in the tribe's territory, and Szellem had not accompanied her on this day. Being alone did not frighten the clothed girl; it never had. Being alone seemed to suit her, anyway, and there were no monsters here for her in the dark. The monsters that she had lingered in the back of her mind in the forms of feather-adorned wolves of red and grey.
The few days that had passed were quite eventful for the young woman and she knew that the days ahead would prove to be just as eventful, she had met a man from the newest pack she had never heard of and learned a little of it as well as a very nice technique of fishing. Now she was headed further south towards Cercatori, though she was headed far closer to the AniWayan borders. She was getting a bit tired of traveling and was thinking about setting camp.
The problem with that was finding a good campsite in the forest. Though it was thick with trees there was still plenty of snow to go through. Eclipse soon made up her mind as the sun was almost too far over the horizon. She could see at night, but she preferred having at least a fire up at night so she could be settled down. Eclipse had found a branch of an evergreen laying on the ground and found it to be a fine enough campsite as she pull it out over the snowladen ground to get rid of what she could, then fixed herself a fire. It was quite a cold evening and the fire was quite welcome to the young woman. She looked around but couldn’t really tell where she was, all she knew was she was pretty close to AniWaya. So what would she do when she finally reached the place? Go back, establish more ties? There were so many packs now, and so many wolves she couldn’t meet them all. That was impossible, and she knew it so it was a hard decision to figure out just when to go back home. Well tonight would be a lonely night, so she would just sit by the fire and warm up a bit before heading to sleep.
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She knew nothing of the stars and what caused them to shine so brilliantly, she realized as she tilted her head back to look at them. Looking at the stars had never seemed important to her, and this was probably the first time she had ever really studied them, wondered what they were and why they were there. They seemed so unreal, so impossibly beautiful in such a haphazard formation, and they seemed to serve no real purpose. The sun, much larger and with tangible warmth radiating from it, sustained life. Foxglove knew this, though she did not know many of the details. The moon, she was the heart of the wolf, and even with her tainted blood, the gypsy girl could feel that. But the stars, they seemed to have no real purpose. They provided nothing but pleasing aesthetics to the canines and other creatures of the world.
If she had known the truth of what stars were made of, burning masses of gas, she would have thought it impossible, and perhaps even crazy. Such a thing would make her feel nervous; it would sound terribly dangerous. It did not cross her mind that they might hold a deeper meaning, such as representing great alphas of the past, but even that she would not think highly of. After all, so many believed that Dawali had been a great and capable leader, and some surely thought Maska was, as well. Both were villains in the mind of the blonde wolfdog. Ulilohi seemed fine so far, but Foxglove was reserving judgement. She did not want to think highly of the council woman and be let down again, and she would not allow herself to be trapped again.
Out here, away from the lands of the tribe and the feather wolves, she felt less trapped than she had in such a long time. Being away was a freeing feeling, even if she knew that she would be returning to the tribe soon, probably before the sun rose in the sky above them. Her thoughts traveled to her sister as she lowered her delicate features to look at the world she lived in, the tangible aspects of life, and began walking again with little intention of going anywhere. She had nowhere to go, no one to see, at that moment. She was simply taking some time away for herself, as important as such a thing was, and had chosen these contrasting trees as her walking grounds. She could see her sister's face in her mind.
The pack that Magnolia had taken up with after leaving their father in the kingdom seemed ethereal to Foxglove; she knew nothing of them except that they were very secretive, and perhaps very dangerous as well. If she could only get her sister to speak more of it, maybe she would not worry nearly as much as she did. However, Maggie was strong, stronger than she was, and Foxglove knew that her silver sister could take care of herself. Lolita had given them that, at least. Though there had been love, she had not been the most capable mother, and certainly not the most attentive. Both she and Maggie had grown to be very self-sufficient, and though she had not seen Poppy since they were very young, the Tsula Agateno did not think the same could be said for her. Their mother had doted on her more than the other sisters. She had been the favorite.
It was so easy to lose track of time out here, away from the hustle and bustle of tribe life. It was peaceful, she noted, and she appreciated the quiet. The noises of nature were easily appreciated, and so easily missed within the tribe's lands. Things were so different, only a short distance away and across the border. It was impossible to imagine just how drastic the difference was between AniWaya and this stretch of calm, quiet forest. She would never say it to her tribe mates, but she greatly preferred this to the life that they had fought for recently.
As she continued her rambling stroll through the trees, Foxglove began to hear the crackling sounds of a fire, and the smell told her that the fire was recently built, the wood having been damp when lit. Foxglove tilted her head, listening for a moment before she resumed walking in the direction, peering around the trees for the source of the charred scent. It was nice to be alone sometimes, but company could be appreciated.
Finally, she spotted the earthen-hued girl sitting on the fallen tree before the fire. She hesitated with one hand resting on the tree next to her at the level of her shoulder, and she made a small woof-ing sound as a greeting to let the other know she was there. "Hello," she greeted softly after a moment had passed and the other had noticed her.
Word Count » 541 :: OOC: Eclipse thinkin bout the boois
Eclipse was miles from home, and though she missed it, she enjoyed the journey. It wasn’t to get away from the pack, no she had just come back! She wanted to see what things had changed for that of the penninsula that Ichika lay over. There had been plenty of changes, and yet some things stayed the same. She had recieved many things to think about, learned a new lesson or two and found out about a new pack. That she didn’t expect. She thought the place was full and bam a pack had formed only a short while after or before she left, she couldn’t remember. In any case she was glad in a way, the lands were being used, though if they were used how they were supposed to be, was beyond her. She knew most wolves went on instinct of keeping the mother earth happy and replenished.
Her thoughts went to the encounter with the large russian man, and it made her think that there were so many different kinds of wolves out there, and though the russian had been scary at first, especially to his large size and him being angry at her for going near his fishing rod. Then her mind went back to Achtas, who was so kind to her and his words had gone deep. This had made her like the man and hoped she could meet him again, and then the handsome leader of her pack, juxt thinking about her made her feel warm inside. She was in love, though she doubted he would be ok with her feelings, so she would keep them to herself. Just thinking of all she met, even the quiet and well guarded man Itachi, made her wonder what other kinds of wolves were out there. She had met many males on her journey so far, and so to hear the woof of a female made her think that she was just hearing things... until she heard a soft “hello.” Her mind shut off it’s daydream and she sat up straighter, and more alert, how could she let her guard down? Looking around she found the creature that had spoke and saw to her astonishment a lovely looking young woman. Blinking she tried pretending that the other woman had not taken her entirely by surprise.
“Hello! I didn’t expect anyone to be out so late at night, would you care to sit and warm up a bit?”
She would have enjoyed the company and the way the woman spoke and stood told Eclipse she was not threatening. She learned from her home that she should offer food and drink asa host, though she had only a few scraps of dried food left and she had hunted the night before so she was not hungry enough yet to eat anything more. She did however offer her waterskin which had been filled with come crisp cold water from a stream earlier that morning. Eclispe wasn’t sure if this fair woman was a loner or from a pack as the smell of the fire was keeping it at bay, but she held herself as though she had the burden of a pack upon her shoulders.
There was a loneliness clinging to her soul, developed over the months of imprisonment and perfected by the way she felt as if she had no one in the world. It wrapped its spindly fingers around her shoulders, over her eyes and her mouth, dragging her closer. Contact with other canines was the only way she knew to fight it off, give herself some time before it finally took over. She suspected that she knew how to fight it off completely, but she was not ready to make that step yet. Soon, very soon, she would make her journey and her choice.
It was the desire to stave of this desperate loneliness that drove the gypsy girl to speak to the strange wolf, but it was met with a quick stiffening, as if she had been completely surprised to be interrupted. This brought a tinge of guilt to the blonde wolf hybrid, and she felt that she should have made more noise to make her aware of her approach. But the earthen-hued wolf did not tell her to leave; she offered her a seat.
Once it would have been her nature to simply join her without waiting for an invitation, such is the way of the gypsies she had been partially raised by. Tribe life was different, though family was a focus. Without one, Foxglove had felt out of place. She longed for the days of feeling like she was a part of something, but now she had no one but a horse and a spirit, and a sister so very far to the north.
Tainted by prejudice as she now was, she was hesitant to approach, even after the invitation had been extended by the brown she-wolf. The girl did not seem upset by her presence and seemed genuine in her invitation, but Foxglove could not help but worry that this wolf would hate her for her blood, too, once she was close enough to see clearly.
She took a deep breath, walked to the fallen log. With a sweep of her skirts and longer scarves, Foxglove sat beside her, turning slightly towards Eclipse. Her legs crossed at her ankles, and when the water was offer, she took it gratefully. She looked away for a moment when she lifted he arms, ashamed of the bracelets of bald skin that encircled each wrist.
"Thank you," she said as she offered the water back to its generous owner. She folded her hands in her lap, studied the dancing flames of the small fire. "Where are you from?" she asked in her wispy tones, her voice melodic. She certainly wasn't from around here.
WC: 371 OOC: Sorry for the delay i'll try to keep up from now on. I had a bout of writers block
In Character
Eclipse could see the hesitance in the other woman in her offer, and it saddened Eclipse to think that someone would have second thoughts to sit with her, but the creamy wolf did sit and it made the young girl smile. She saw the girls skirts and was envious. Eclipse would adorn a light dress now and again for a ceremony or something special, but she didn’t have anything too fine, most had holes in it and she was too tall for others, but she knew that many wolves had to have theirs specially made. Watching Foxglove take a drink she couldn’t help but see scars newly healed, but Eclipse said nothing of them. She could tell already it was a sore subject as the other woman turned away.
“You’re quite welcome. The water is to show you sanctuary to my fire, and I figured you were thirsty, I do hope you feel safe in my temporary home. As to where I’m from, well I live in Ichika no Hoen, it’s far north, though I was actually born in Dahlia de Mai.”
The young girl smiled happily. She would visit her old home later, though she knew that her memories of it won’t be so fond as some of the memories she had in this very forest with her adoptive mother. A bear who had saved her life from the very stream she got her water from. Then she didn’t know what to call the woman and felt ashamed she didn’t introduce herself.
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t introduce myself, I’m Eclipse Soulstorm.”
The girl said, she hoped the other woman would return with her name. Though she suspected she was still very wary of Eclipse. She didn’t know what Foxglove had been through, nor the prejudice that she had to endure. Eclipse had noticed that the other woman was a mix of wolf and dog and that bothered her littled, what bothered her was how skittish the poor woman was. This wasn’t going to make her ask too many questions though. She knew that a wolf was entitled to her secrets and this seemed like a secret she wanted to keep.
The gypsy hybrid appreciated the offerings, as unaccustomed as she was to them, and in return, she smiled lightly, a ghost of what had once been her serene expression. Pale fingers touched the edges of her many scarves and she studied the earthen-hued woman hesitantly, allowing her fingers to move freely over the material until she finally lifted it, feeling the aged strands of shimmering silver that were mixed in with a silky material of the richest indigo. Foxglove unwrapped it from her shoulders, folding it in on itself before she held it out in offering to the wolf.
"This will match your eyes," was the only explanation she offered, as if that was all in the world that would matter, her voice sounding almost shy, as if she feared that the brown she-wolf would reject the gift. For sharing her warmth and water, the tribal wolfdog wanted to return the favor. Maybe the other did not wear clothing because of a dislike for it, but Foxglove hoped that the scarf would not be a scorned item. It wasn't meant for warmth, only decoration. "It can be worn in your hair, instead," she also offered.
Jade eyes that had been dulled by prejudice and abuse widened. "You were born in Dahlia de Mai?" It was not often that the old pack's name was spoken anymore, not after it had been disbanded. She had not been here when it had happened, but she had heard of it. Eclipse's face and name were not familiar to her, but she could not help but feel a lightness at the mention of her old home, a sense of solidarity in finding someone she shared that with that was not her beloved sister.
"My name is Foxglove... Foxglove Monroe. I was born in Dahlia, as well, but I left with my mother and sisters about a year ago." She did not think it was necessary to explain that she had returned alone, because clearly she had returned and she was not young enough to need an adult. Some might have disagreed when she had returned, but she had been alone for almost her entire life, taking care of herself. Would this wolf recognize her name, know her mother? Or would she perhaps know Maggie?
Eclipse felt her throat clench as the woman took off the scarf for her. She truely had not expected any kind of gifts, she wanted to decline it, but it seemed to already take the woman enough pains to just take it off and give it to her. Which meant it could mean a lot to her. In turn that possibly meant it was not a gift Eclipse should turn down. Looking at the scarf she smiled gratefully.
“Oh wow, thank you very much, it is so beautiful, I don’t know what to say!”
She said taking the scarf. For now she would wear it around her neck. She smiled as she wrapped it loosely on her neck then turned to Foxglove as she spoke of Dahlia. Eclipse nodded, it seemed to come as a surprise for foxglove, but speaking about her own name and that she had lived in the same pack made Eclipse’s ears perk. She had not heard of the Monroe’s but then she was also rather young and had not ventured far from her father. She hadn’t met Maggie either, or else she would have known her name.
“Ah I see, well I was real young a year ago, barely opened my eyes. I had heard there use to be young pups running around, but they had left. My dad, he never really said much about others. He was the leader. Did you know him? Conor?”
If Foxglove knew her father it would be nice to hear something about him that she hadn’t known or seen in him because she was his daughter. She knew him so little, and though it would have hurt to know that Foxglove might have gotten to know her father more than she, it gave her hope she might learn something about him.
Foxglove smiled timidly at the praise, hoping that it was sincere. Giving away scarves that were nothing short of overly abundant to her was nothing, but the response mattered greatly to her, and it seemed as if Eclipse truly appreciated the gift. In these troubled times, the blonde hybrid sought approval and acceptance from those around her, and already the Ichikan had shown her such hospitality that she did not expect she could ever receive again in the tribe. They had some things in common, as well, their birth places matching and their lives not matching the standard for most families. Naturally, Foxglove was not privy to this bit of information, but she felt a kinship with the earthen-toned female. It was more than she could say for the tribe.
Regretfully, Foxglove shook her head at the question. She had not lived in Dahlia de Mai for long before her mother had taken them away from this area, and she had been a troubled pup, unable to handle many social situations. Her affliction, so similar to her mother’s, had been difficult for her to handle when she was young and she had only truly begun to accept it when she had begun to travel with the gypsies; they had helped her immensely. “I’m sorry, I did not know the leader... We left when I was young, and my mother was not very socialable.” The way that Eclipse spoke made it seem as if her father was no longer a constant in her life, either dead or missing, perhaps. Maybe he had never truly been involved in her life at all, as Niro had never been involved in hers, though that was nothing she blamed him for.
Her life would have been drastically different if she had stayed in Dahlia de Mai, or if she had chosen to live in the Miracles pack with her father. She certainly would never have been a member of the tribe, and so things would never have come to her imprisonment and pain. Still, though, she had met some interesting wolves in the tribe and she had learned quite a bit, both good and bad. Perhaps she never would have learned to enjoy scouting if she had not become a member of the tribe; it had been her wanderer’s heart that drove her towards that profession, but it suited her well and she would never regret the choice. She had met many others that way.
It was then that her eyes narrowed only a fraction as she studied the wolf, light pink nose searching for the female’s scent over the charred scent of the burning logs and the fire. The color of her fur was strangely familiar, and those eyes were not the most common of colors. “Did you ever… Visit AniWaya, or come there?” She could not recall ever meeting Eclipse in Dahlia de Mai, clearly, but there was something familiar about her: her scent, her fur, but most particularly, her strange eyes. Perhaps she had seen her in passing some time.
Eclipse didn’t expect everyone to know Conor, though it would have made it easier on the young girl. She shrugged and shook her head. It was all good to her, there was nothing to be sorry about, at least to Eclipse.
“It’s ok. My dad wasn’t the best of wolves to go around to know everyone.”
Eclipse just wanted to link Foxglove her herself somehow, as though it were some how kind of important. Foxgloves question took Eclipse back and the way she was looking at her. Eclipse had to actually think on that, but she did have a memory, one where she had been escorted out by a wolf, but she had not know much details.
“Yeah, I accidental trespassed, that was when I was a pup though, couldn’t even shift. Why?”
She asked curiously. She knew that Foxglove was from the tribe, but she didn’t put two and two together. She had in fact learned her lesson about trespassing and it was one of the few events that kept her from entering another border, though she didn’t have to remember it, it just pulsated in her head telling her it was always a bad idea to enter a pack without permission. She looked at the woman in the glow of the fire, her forlorn look made Eclipse wish there was something that could be done about it. She tried to see the good in everything, but if she had been in Foxglove’s position well she probably would have the same outlook on life. She wasn’t going to try to get into the blonde woman’s life though. That was her choice to tell. Not for Eclipse to wring it out of the woman. It might be doing the other some good just getting her mind off of whatever it was, and Eclipse hoped that she didn’t march on the subject accidently.
The gypsy hybrid was sorry that she did not know Eclipse’s father, particularly because she said that he had been the leader, and she thought that perhaps she should have met the leader during the first few months of her life. Her mother had never been social with her pack mates, as far as the girl knew, and so she had not been, either. It had simply been her mother and Pippa, for a brief time, and her two sisters. If Conor had also been the type who did not go out of his way to be social, it made sense to Foxglove that she would not know the former alpha. Lolita had gone to tell him that they were leaving, but Foxglove did not remember ever meeting Conor Soul. Perhaps she had, but it was not an occasion she remembered at all, and so she had nothing that she could tell the earthen female about the man who had once led Dahlia de Mai. For a moment, she considered asking if he had made the journey to Ichika with his daughter and the rest of the pack, but the way that Eclipse spoke of him made her hesitate and reconsider whether or not that was the best idea. The younger girl seemed to be speaking in the past tense, and so it did not seem like it was something that she should press for information on.
Foxglove’s own father had been absent in her life, but that was nothing that she could blame on him. For the first month, he had not even known that she and her sisters existed. After that, the tribal hybrid had to admit that her mother had done what she could to keep them to herself, and then once they had left, they had traveled too far for Niro to come visit. Upon her return, Foxglove had waited a long time before going to see him, and it had been a sad visit because of Magnolia’s absence. When the tribe’s tyrannical leader had ordered her to be imprisoned, her father had been involved in the efforts to rescue her, but truly she could only think of then as her memories of her father. They had never gotten to know each other, and perhaps the fault lay with both of them. Now, the mohawked man was no longer a member of the kingdom and the gypsy girl did not know where he had gone off to with his mate and their son. Unless he were to return with his Courtier family, she would never have the chance to know her father, and so she thought it was possible that she could relate to Eclipse on that level, even if she knew no details of the Ichikan wolf’s relationship with her own father, who seemed to also be absent from her life.
The response from Eclipse did not come immediately, and Foxglove thought it seemed as if she was thinking seriously about the question. If she was right… It was such a long time ago, and she wondered if Eclipse would even recall the time she had trespassed on tribe lands and had been found by the young, new hybrid scout, just fresh to the tribe. It was a day that Foxglove herself hardly remembered; it was the scent on the air and the peculiar color of the girl’s eyes that made her believe that she was right, and perhaps she was simply confusing Eclipse with someone else, for she had been through such terrible ordeals that maybe, just maybe, she was losing her mind, blending times together where they did not belong. Her mother had not been the most sane woman, and perhaps she had passed that along to Foxglove, as well as her appearance and her affliction. It was not a far stretch to think that may be true, though she hoped it was not.
Oh, but she was not wrong! Her eyes widened as Eclipse admitted to trespassing, though she specified that she was young and it had been an accident. Foxglove had not been thinking that it had been intentional and she had not meant it to sound accusatory. She nearly bounced up and down in her seat, a smile spreading over her petite, dog-like muzzle. She had known that there had been something so familiar about the Ichikan, but she had not immediately placed it. After realizing that they had been born of the same pack, she had assumed it was that, but only until she had finally come to realize that she had seen those eyes before. They had been strikingly beautiful, even for a small pup, and Foxglove could not deny that they were still just as lovely, now that the wolf was older and could take the shape that most here seemed to prefer.
“That was me,” she breathed excitedly in her wispy, dreamy tones. “I was the one who found you, when I was out scouting! I was only new to the tribe, before everything happened.” Her voice was hardly more than a whisper, for she always found it difficult to speak in louder tones after her imprisonment and weeks – or was it months? – of silence while she had been locked away in the cabin, but the gypsy girl was visibly excited. Finding that tie, the relationship that they already had but did not know of, excited her greatly, bringing a sense of belonging to the girl. No longer did she feel strange sitting by Eclipse’s fire. It was as if they were old friends now, even if they had only met once and it had only been a quiet escort out of the lands. It was not a close bond, but it was something that she felt pulled them together, and so she was excited by it. She looked hopefully at Eclipse, wondering if the earthen-toned female would be as excited about it as she was. For the gypsy girl who had been broken by the tribe, finding someone she could relate to was important, a big event for her.
It was the smile that took Eclipse back so much. It was such a change to the woman that the girl herself couldn’t help but smile as well. It seemed what she had said pleased the woman, though trespass was usually frowned upon but it wouldn’t be long before she would learn the real reason why the golden woman smiled so. Eclipse’s tail wagged more, though slightly apprehensive at first. She had been afraid at the time when the woman who had been so large back then found her. And they had not talked much, but was escorted back out of the borders. Yes it was the most awkward of times but Eclipse grinned back at the woman who seemed visibly happy. Eclipse did find a connection with the woman though it did not involve Dahlia in any way but a pack she had visited only once. The words that were spoken were soft but Eclipse could hear them and she nodded.
“Yeah I was bit of a mischievous pup back then. I learned never to trespass again though. I can’t believe it was you though of all the wolves that could be out here tonight.”
She sighed thinking. Yes it was a fated encounter she was sure. She was curious as to what all happened, for the woman did say something happened, but it seemed to put strain on her and Eclipse didn’t think she should say anything. She had not been oblivious to the AniWayan war, but she had been to the wolf dogs that had become imprisoned in their own home.
