Until their dying days

Sophie Hughes · 03-07-2012, 07:20 PM

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Word Count → 1266 :: For Xy'rin! They're in the sugarwoods. c:

Sophie and Boothe hadn't seen much of Leon lately. As a matter of fact, they hadn't seen much of anyone lately; this being because, after a short fight with Leon about their right to wander as much as they wanted, they'd decided to run away. Trigger hadn't seen them go; he probably could have stopped them if he had. But at the moment, nothing their brothers said or did would make them come back; Sophie was too hurt, and Boothe was too angry.

She'd thought them being free from their father was supposed to be a fun thing; they were allowed to do what they wanted, as long as they followed the rules set down. Leon hadn't said they weren't allowed to wander. So Sophie went a little farther than she should have, so what? It wasn't like she'd gotten hurt! She'd met a very nice wolf, actually, one who'd helped her back after her "tiny arrow" wound made it difficult to walk. Leon hadn't needed to yell quite so loudly, or sound quite so angry. He'd acted a lot like Daire, actually, save for hitting them and locking them up.

Well, he'd done that second one for a while. But they'd escaped a few days ago, and run off with their things--their pelts, anyway--to live in the wild. They probably wouldn't have gotten far enough away that Leon couldn't find them, either, if they hadn't stolen Hamza. Sophie was still not quite sure how Boothe had pulled that one off, though he was nearly full-grown, she supposed, or at least looked it. Sophie, set atop Hamza's back, couldn't help but be jealous of her twin; he was over twice her size, now, and she remained nearly as small as she'd always been. She'd stopped being nearly the same size as he was almost three months ago. Boothe seemed to feel bad, too, since they were supposed to be twins, and now they weren't...as such. Sophie looked down at where her brother was herding Hamza through the odd, sweet-smelling trees, her ears pinned back. After a few more moments of this, Boothe noticed, and barked at Hamza to make him stop. The bison did so, curiously enough, and Boothe jumped up to rest his forelegs on the beast's side, peering up at Sophie curiously.

"Sup, Soph-monster?" He asked curiously, making her blush at the nickname. Leon often called her that, but for the moment she liked it better when Boothe did. "I 'unno..." She mumbled, and slid over carefully so that she was leaning over Hamza's side to look her brother in the eye.

"Are you regretting running away?" His ears pressed back as he spoke, and Sophie had to lift her head and blink in surprise before shaking it vigorously. "Not at all! It's an adventure, isn't it? And...we could go back any time..." She added the last part doubtfully; Leon had seemed especially upset when she'd come back from her other journey, and she wasn't entirely sure that he wasn't still upset. Boothe shared her doubts, and shook his head, hackles rising.

"I ain't ever goin' back. Never." He swore, and Sophie blinked at him, before nodding quietly. "Yeah, s'pose I'm not, either." She mumbled, and then glanced at her brother, one of those quiet, self-conscious looks that she'd been giving him lately.

"What's wrong now?" He asked, and she quieted, barely even breathing as she thought. "Well...s'like...we're not twins anymore. And...I dunno if..." She began, and had to stop. She was worried he didn't love her anymore because they weren't twins, they didn't have that bond that they'd always shared alone and with no other. Boothe seemed to catch her drift, even if she didn't say it, and guffawed, grinning and wagging his tail. "Oh, is that all." He shook his head, and leaned up to nuzzle her nose with his, his eyes bright. "O' course you're still my twin, Sophie! I'm just the big one." He promised, and she smiled slowly, blinking at him. " 'Kay."

Boothe jumped off Hamza, and circled around the little stand of trees they rested in, searching. Finally he plopped down in a sunny spot, and wagged his tail. "Ready to try again?" He asked, and she grinned and jumped down, stumbling a bit on her still-too-large paws. "Ready!" They sat together, and pressed their noses to one anothers', focusing intently.

Ever since Trigger had begun making little clothes for them, Sophie and Boothe had been trying to shift. It was incredibly hard, this shifting-thing; as much as they focused, they didn't feel anything. Sophie thought maybe they weren't imagining right, but Boothe was just as sure that there was no imagination involved; you just did. So they tried together, using their own ways, and still nothing had come up.

They weren't as careful as they usually were when they tried this out in the wilderness, and it seemed this time they would get in trouble, as a large cat slunk between the trees, focusing on the two pups. Neither of the Hughes twins noticed it coming until it was right upon them, and then it was only Boothe. He yelped, jumping from their position to shove Sophie out of the way. The cat pounced just as he did, and slammed into his side, making him tumble and roll away, flopping on the floor only a moment later. Sophie's voice froze with fear as she saw her brother fall quiet, and the cat began slinking up to his prone form. She finally whined a bit, hoping he would rise, and when no sound came from him, her chest began to boil.

She'd never felt angry before; she'd never felt anything but happy or sad toward anyone. With her brother still and possibly dead in front of the beast, she felt the anger boiling up her throat in a way she'd never felt before, and then a long, low howl ripped itself from her maw. It was like the braying she'd done before, when she found something interesting, but it soon collapsed into a snarl as she braced herself and then threw her small body toward the large animal. The energy from her anger and her focus on the beast brought on the change she hadn't really been certain she could make, and though it took a long few moments to finish completely, she'd leaped before she knew what was happening.

It went rather quickly, and almost painlessly; the only hurt came from the paw that batted her away, scratching at her stomach, and the shift was done by the time she hit the tree and slid to the ground. She got up, though, and remained crouched on all fours like a feral dog, her hackles rising all along her back even as some dim part of her noted something didn't feel quite right. There was no time for that, though, and she threw herself forward again, managing to grab hold of the mountain cat's tail and pull herself up onto its back. She grabbed hold of its ears as soon as the momentum got her up there, and then began howling right near them, barking and snarling with a wild look in her eyes. The cat danced around, trying to pull her off its back, and the claws struck again on her spine, but she didn't let go.

The only coherent thing that came out of her mouth was a wild scream that sent birds fleeing from the trees; "Get away from my brother!"

Sophie speaks Boothe Speaks

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X'yrin Exultare · 03-07-2012, 09:31 PM

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ooc:

In all her dismay, in all her personal drama, she could not let the weight of it hold her down from her obligations to the pack. There was a party to make ready for, the very one she had intended to make for Kiara to celebrate her pregnancy and the life she would bring into the world. And amidst her own quiet jealousy, the autumn Shepard intended to play her part and do what she could to make the party and event to remember. The invitations were already in place, a date had been set and an assumed head count had already been made. All that was left was the gathering of food; a task the she-wolf was more than willing to fulfill on her own.

And in truth she was glad for it in the hopes that the bloodletting would grant her some semblance of internal peace.

Her beastial form prowled through the fragrant woods of which she had become familiar to. Without the deep bite of frost beneath her paws, she felt more inclined to travel further for the day than hurry for a place to rest and feel the warmth in her paws again. That, and her determination for the first kill was insatiable. She could feel her claws etching into the ground with ever paw placed forward. Her senses were alive and searching, eager as her brimming instinct to become one with the feral nature and satisfy that burning urge. The taut muscles beneath her lush pelt quivered with anticipation, the latent adrenaline coursing through her veins to prep her body for the take down sure to come. Her nostrils had yet to drink in the aroma of prey but they were searching as the whole of her remained ready.

Yet what she heard was not the call of prey she had prepared for though her body darted towards it just the same. The wolven bray set her on edge at it urgency. Her hackles rose with the distress in that voice, coupled with the war-cry of both victim and assailant. Hastily her golden form wove through the trees but came to falter as the acrid stench of a female assaulted her nose. The young female’s cry pulled the autumn dame from her stupor and into a charge into the savage beast’s flank. Her maw tore apart with fangs bore in a feral smile, seeking to claim the belly of the beast joined with the sheer weight of her bulk thrown on top of it.

419 words.

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Sophie Hughes · 03-08-2012, 12:42 PM

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Word Count → 453 :: Out of Character text.

Boothe awoke to Sophie's cry, and jerked his head up, shaking the daze from his head as he darted to his feet and shot away from the cougar. He took only a moment to look around, and then he yelped, seeing his baby sister being jerked around on the beast's back. "Sophie!" He darted forward, grabbing hold of her leg and dragging her off the thing just as it spun to swipe at her again. The smaller girl--or was she smaller? Why was she so big?--struggled futilely, kicking her legs and scratching at the ground with her front paws, but Boothe didn't let go, dragging her over to a place between two tree roots just as the familiar golden form shot through the trees and landed atop their attacker.

Boothe didn't have time for joyous cries at seeing their savior, though, too busy taking a protective stance in front of his sister. His hackles were standing on end, the fur all the way down his spine rising with it, and he growled long and low as the mountain lion became preoccupied with its assailant. The thing flailed, its back leg injured enough that it could not simply flee, and Boothe hardly took notice of Hamza until the bison gave a great huff and reared up on his hind legs, kicking at the air and then bowing his head and charging into the fray.

Sophie trembled behind her brother, wrapping her newly-formed arms around herself and staring with wide, helpless eyes at her brother. The shaking was not because she was afraid, not anymore; she was just so happy to see her brother alive, to have protected him enough that someone else could come and help. She was surprised to see Hamza rising to protect them, his short horns careful to avoid the wolf and only hit the lion it held. His tramping hooves could have hit anyone, though, and he danced around the two and bellowed, seeming angry and protective at the same time.

Boothe backed up enough to sit right in front of Sophie, his head low and his ears laid back, watching carefully to see if they needed to run. He'd only just turned to ask Sophie if she was okay when she threw her arms around his neck, nuzzling her face into his back. He didn't really need to say anything after that, pressing back into her and lifting his front legs so that they could "hug" properly. He still hadn't quite registered her new look, even after seeing and feeling it for himself; he was a little too preoccupied with the battle, and even if he had, it wasn't really the time to celebrate her success.

X'yrin Exultare · 03-08-2012, 01:17 PM

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ooc:

Her mind was too preoccupied with the fierce interlock at hand to register the familiar faces of the young ones now taking shelter. But she could smell them as clearly as the rank stench of the grappled feline gripped her nostrils. Her mind registered only the danger… the sheer exhilaration of adrenaline as it pumped through her veins and urged her vicious nature forward onto the flailing beast. She did not yet release the feline, even as it fell onto its side with the wolf trapped beneath it attempting to use its weight to suffocate the she-wolf. But the golden female was resilient and only bit down harder through fur and flesh to taste the copper essence of its blood spurt into her awaiting jaws.

The puma yowled in dismay and foolishly tried to release itself and in effect caused its own pain as the fangs locked onto its flesh tore its skin apart. Even as her vision began to darken and the rush of blood sounded in her ears, she would not yet let go, not until more of its blood ran and it was weak enough to kill with a final blow.

Both prerogatives of the beasts however were disturbed by a stampeding force into the fray of limbs, compelling both wolf and feline to disperse. The autumn wolf breathed in the free air in greedy gulps as the pressure was taken off her chest as she rolled onto her stomach in time to see the massive prey turned fighter fend off the wounded lion. It was too extraordinary of a scenario to be real and yet she had witnessed it with her own eyes. For a moment she contemplated forgoing the attack on the puma and have at the colossal helping of meat instead. Such a beast was a rarity and a fitting prize to bring to Ichika for the party to come, but her mind was fixed on the ferocious animal, the pups in danger, and the fodder overtaking her role as the warrior.

Reclaiming her breath and footing, she dove back into the scrap with claws and teeth unfurled. A hunter to her prey, she danced around the bison’s trampling steps with eyes locked solely for the throat of the feline. A well placed aim was all she needed… and when there was only ivory and flesh within reach, she took it.

397 words.

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Sophie Hughes · 03-08-2012, 01:55 PM

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Word Count → 540 :: OOC here!

Hamza seemed greatly distressed by the fight, though when they parted he was less so, aiming to trample the lion with sure steps and great bellows rolling out of his throat. Sophie and Boothe looked on as X'yrin danced around their friend, and finally went in for the kill. The feline was swiping desperately at Hamza's legs, and barely noticed the golden female darting forward until it was too late. It sent up a flurry of claws and snapping teeth to defend itself, but the defenses came too late, and the golden warrior's teeth snagged into its throat. The puma's struggle was futile, and in the end it did the most damage to itself, leaping back and effectively ripping out its own throat.

Hamza leaped forward to stamp on its head for good measure, and then backed away, snorting and tossing his head. His tail flicked with his agitation, but he appeared no worse for wear--his legs mildly scratched--which could not be said for his enemy. Sophie and Boothe stood a moment and waited for the very much dead creature to rise, not quite believing the spectacle they'd just witnessed. When it became apparent a stomped-in skull and a ripped-out throat really had killed the thing, they tumbled forward together, Sophie stumbling a bit on her two legs. The twins rushed up to X'yrin first, tails wagging and grins wide. "That was amazing!" Sophie chirped, and bounced a bit on her feet, slowly getting used to the shift in balance. "Totally! I wish I could do that!" Boothe chimed in, and went over to poke at the dead thing with his nose. He was very careful to avoid the head-area, not really wanting to sniff brains, and instead snuffled at its belly and legs, poking the deadly claws with his snout.

Sophie started to go over to join him, and then winced as her stomach and back began aching, looking down somewhat uncomprehendingly to see the scratches along her belly. They weren't deep, at least not enough to have ripped her open, but they hurt, and she had to reach around and see if the same could be said for her back. She had to sit down when she felt the other ones, her ears pressed back and her eyes wide. Boothe glanced over at her, and then lifted his head in concern, moving to poke at her shoulder. "Hey, Soph, whassamatter?" He asked, and glanced down at her bloody torso in some confusion. He wasn't used to seeing blood; Daire had never drawn blood, at least on them. Sure, Leon had been pretty scratched up, way back when, but they hadn't really seen much of it then, either. And he'd been too young to understand that that was what made them alive.

Now he understood. And to see Sophie like that made him somewhat ill. "Oh. Oh. Sophie!" He whined, and tried to nuzzle her somewhere she didn't hurt. Her whole body was sore, though, and she flinched away from him, whimpering. "It hurts," She complained, and poked at her stomach, as though she didn't quite understand what was happening. Boothe didn't quite know what to do, either, turning instead to X'yrin for help.

Sophie speaks Boothe Speaks

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X'yrin Exultare · 03-08-2012, 02:53 PM

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ooc:

…and then it was over. Determined fangs met their mark and there was the fresh taste of blood to show for it. In its panic the feline had torn its own throat away from the grasp of the sharply fashioned incisors ending its life in an attempt to save it. An ironic twist of fate if ever there was one. Effectively, the large beast proceeded to trample the skull for extra measure, earning the she-wolf’s full attention. Oh yes… Eagerly the female lapped her bloody maw. How could she have forgotten this other bit of meat. Even though her tongue was keen to taste this rare flesh, her body would not move her toward towards the beast. Her energy was nearly expelled with but a linger amount to keep her standing. She couldn’t take the advantage over the beast if her life depended on it… not in her present state.

Gradually the adrenaline ebbed out of her system, reacquainting her once closed off mind to genuine fatigue and the pain of the scrape. Before its demise that feline had managed to get in a few defensive scrapes with its claws across her neck and shoulder. The wounds throbbed with a vengeance, a parting gift from the departed, but it was nothing a careful cleansing couldn’t fix.

But how quickly her pain was forgotten when the excited faces and tails of the pups came bounding toward her with words of adoration. “A…amazing?” the she-wolf expelled while trying to catch her breath. A tired smile played on her lips as she greeted both pups with a haphazard lick across each head. “Do you think so?” She hadn’t thought her feat garnered any praise when it came to saving the life of another; it was more instinctual to act accordingly. But apparently the little ones had need seen an act like this before. But what a sight it was for the golden female to see young Sophie no longer the tiny pup in comparison to her brother. She could change! And just in time to experience the use of her newly acquired form. However her words of celebration were paused upon seeing the distressed look of both pups to the young female’s condition. She had done well to keep her own against the vicious lion but did not come out of the fray unscathed.

“Oh dear…” X’yrin whined softly and padded over to the young girl. “You’ve had a little accident. Just a few scratches is all… but they don’t feel pleasant, do they?” If that feline’s claws had made her feel uncomfortable, she could imagine how pained the young girl felt. “But you’ll be alright,” the autumn dame announced with a soft smile and lowered her muzzle to Sophie’s scratched belly. “This might hurt a little,” she warned, “but you will start to feel better soon.” Carefully she graced her tongue across the bleeding wounds, gentle stroke by stroke to clot the fine scratches and stop the flow of precious blood. She may not have been well versed in the medicinal arts, but she at least knew how to stop a wound from bleeding.

522 words.

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Sophie Hughes · 03-08-2012, 03:17 PM

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Word Count → 447 :: OOC here!

Hamza eyed the wolf's bloody maw as it turned its attention to him, backing away warily. The two young ones were quick to steal the hunter's attention, though, and he managed to back away to a safe distance, tossing his head and pawing at the ground as though to prepare for another battle. Boothe ignored him as the attention turned to X'yrin's amazing feat, and he nodded eagerly, his tail wagging. Sophie grinned right along with him, but the pain of her new wounds very quickly pulled her attention away. X'yrin padded over, and at her words Sophie shook her head, her eyes watering with tears. X'y assured her she would be fine, and feel better soon, but Sophie couldn't quite make herself believe that; she looked on doubtfully as the golden woman began licking at her wounds gently, and it did hurt, but it seemed...right, somehow.

Boothe, getting the idea, shimmied around behind his sister and began cleaning the shallow scratches between her shoulder blades. Sophie began feeling a bit better as she was cleaned, and finally took the time to look at herself. She looked...odd. Not as she usually did; her legs were long, and her paws had changed. She clenched her new hands curiously, just to see what they could do, and then blinked at them, somewhat surprised. She looked like Leon did; and Trigger, when he'd changed. It was an amazing difference, and as Boothe finished cleaning her back, licking his jaws to clean the taste away, she twisted around to look at him, holding out her hand-paws. "Lookit, Boothe! I did it!" Boothe grinned back at her, his tail waving happily, and leaned over to lick her cheek. "You did great, Soph!" He nuzzled her, and looked down at her belly worriedly. "Dunno if y'should test it out, though...that looks painful." Sophie touched her wounds, and then twisted her mouth a bit in a grimace. "Not really! I can still ride Hamza, right?" She wasn't stupid enough to think she could walk, but if she could get up on Hamza, they could keep moving, she thought.

Boothe looked at her doubtfully, and then turned to X'yrin, pressing his ears back. "What d'you think?" He asked, and jerked his head toward the canvas-covered Hamza. "Could we keep movin' if she rode him...?" X'yrin seemed rather tired out from the fight, and Boothe noticed a few scratches on her neck and shoulder. He was concerned for their savior, almost as much as he was for his sister, but the whole point of running away was to keep running, and they were too close to Leon still for his tastes.

Sophie speaks Boothe Speaks

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X'yrin Exultare · 03-08-2012, 03:41 PM

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ooc:

The taste of another wolf’s blood was never a favorable tinge to the senses, but it was necessary to endure in order to ensure the pup was well cleaned and taken care of. With the help of her brother, the brief patching up did not take long and the young female’s excitement was renewed again.

Smiling, the Shepard sat back comfortably on folded haunches as she watched the two marvel at little Sophie’s change. With their excitement, she deduced immediately that this was the young pup’s first change and surely she brother was not far behind, or perhaps he had already shifted his form. Given his advantage in strength and appropriate size, he was due for it if not already. “I haven’t seen a pup take to a change so easily,” the woman commented with a soft smile. “When I was of age, my family didn’t tell me anything until it had already happened. I was terrified. But you look very happy with yourself Sophie.”

But when the pups talked of moving on what she assumed was the bison ( no wonder the beast had come to their aid), she shared a look of confusion with the two of them. Were the little ones on a mission of some kind? Boothe seemed less inclined to let his enthusiastic sibling press her luck so soon after injury and looked to the golden woman for her input. “Well…I suppose?” she offered with an inflection of doubt. “But it is not wise. You would have to be careful not to move too much to reopen the wounds and without proper rest and cleaning they would get infected.” Her ears fell back at the uncomfortable notion and continued to impress her opinion as unabashed as possible. “Also, it depends on where you are going. Are the two of you heading back home by chance?”

310 words.

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Sophie Hughes · 03-08-2012, 04:14 PM

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Word Count → 391 :: OOC here!

Sophie beamed proudly as X'yrin commented on her change, nodding eagerly. "Trig changed 'bout two months ago, and he explained to us we could, but not how." Sophie scratched her head awkwardly, and looked at her brother, grinning shyly. "We been tryin' ever since!" He put in, and waved his tail happily, before drooping a bit. "Sophie did it first, though...I can't figure out how." He glanced at his sister curiously, but she shrugged helplessly, her ears flat. "I dunno how I did it, either. I just...did." Boothe stuck his tongue out at her explanation, a grin playing around his maw. " 'S alright! You just finally beat me at somethin'!" He teased, and the two laughed together, tails wagging.

When the topic of conversation turned, Boothe listened intently, and then gave Sophie the look, making her shrink into herself a bit. Well, alright, she could understand not moving too much; but she really didn't want Leon to catch up with them now, not when he was probably more angry than ever. X'yrin was just as doubtful about moving on as Boothe was, and Sophie couldn't rightly tell them she wouldn't move at all on Hamza's back. She usually did, after all.

With a little sigh, Sophie scratched her head again, careful to get the itchy spot behind her ear, before blinking sadly. "What should we do, then?" She asked, mostly to Boothe. X'y still had more to say, however, and Sophie couldn't help a guilty hunch of her shoulders. Boothe was prouder than that, though, and lifted his head high, rolling his shoulders back as though whatever reaction she'd have to his next words didn't matter. "We're not goin' home, we're runnin' away," He sniffed, and glanced at his sister, pressing his ears back. "Leon turned out just like Father. 'M not makin' Sophie go through that again." And while he was slightly guilty about leaving Trigger behind, the fact of the matter was Trig was Leon's brother. They'd been through a lot together already before the twins came along, and they should stay together because of that. Boothe had known Leon only a little longer than he'd known Daire, but he'd never liked him; and now that he knew what it was like to live, he wasn't going to go back to the way it had been before.

Sophie speaks Boothe Speaks

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X'yrin Exultare · 03-09-2012, 09:09 AM

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ooc: Protective X'y!

It was truly a pleasure to watch the children interact with each other. They were not yet burdened by the complications of life and evidently had an innocent way of perceiving the world. By the fright and confusion brought on by the injury this was made apparent and a part of the woman did not rightly know how to take that situation. What kind of a life had they led up until this moment? One of solitude if they did not know pain nor the sight of blood? The very idea was foreign to the she-wolf but not inconceivable. It was just another foreign element she hadn’t experienced in her youth that became a part of a growing collection in her compendium.

Yet she grew concerned by her mentioned topic of home. The pair looked more than a little reluctant to share their destination as if it were some secret not meant for the older ears to hear… until little Boothe spoke up for the pair of them. X’yrin visibly perked up at his confession sharing a troubled look with the runaway pups. “Away?” she repeated as if her ears had been mistaken the first time. “You both are two young to run away. What if you encounter another danger like that lion? Boothe, even if you could shift as well to aid your sister, the two of you are still too young to endure the dangers of this world on your own. And with Sophie injured… it is unwise for you to continue to travel right now.”

Anxiously she pawed the ground as if making to push herself to stand but the rest of her would not fully comply just yet. “What you are doing is dangerous,” though her tone remained soft it had become considerably sterner as intended to impress upon them the severity of their decisions. She may not have know the circumstances they were fleeing from, but she was aware of the unseen dangers they were unknowingly walking into. “Please tell me children, do you have friends in other packs? Anyone that could watch over you at least until Sophie heals properly? I would be glad to escort you…”

363 words.

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Sophie Hughes · 03-09-2012, 07:12 PM

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Word Count → 489 :: Out of Character text.

X'yrin appeared worried and concerned by their admission, and Sophie cringed a bit as she began speaking, expecting her to tell them to turn around that moment and go back. She didn't, though, only explaining that they were too young to run away, and the world was a dangerous place. She hammered home the point that, with Sophie injured, it was unwise to travel; still, Sophie couldn't help but feel her heart clench, and her eyes dropped to her lap, her ears flattening against her head. Boothe moved to nuzzle her cheek again as things were explained to them, and sniffed quietly, more ashamed than he cared to admit.

It had been his idea to run away in the first place; they'd spent the weeks they were on lock-down planning to, and with Leon escorting them everywhere, they only needed a chance to get away. Sophie had been hurt by his lack of trust, and angry that he didn't consider her feelings about being walked about like a prisoner; it was only because their eldest brother didn't ask them anything that she'd agreed in the first place. In the end, though, it was Boothe's fault; his fault his baby sister was out here, his fault she'd been injured. The guilt ate at him for a moment, and the twins looked at each other uncertainly, wondering again what they were supposed to do now.

"We didn't think," Sophie admitted quietly, and bowed her head again. "But...I guess something like this shoulda happened..." Her tone became tearful, and she touched her hands to her clawed stomach anxiously. As X'yrin continued, though, Sophie had to think for a moment. She knew a lot of people; Skoll, and Hotaru, and Mordecai. But she had no idea where any of them were now, whether they'd moved. Except Skoll; he was down in Ethereal Eclipse. Somehow she felt that was too close to Leon for her to feel comfortable. She didn't want an angry big brother catching up with them any time soon.

"I don't know anyone," Boothe admitted quietly, glancing at his sister worriedly. He knew she'd made lots of friends, but she hadn't told him whether any of them would be willing to take the two in. Hesitating a moment more, Boothe nudged his sister, shrugging a bit. "And I don' know where, exactly, we're going...just as far as possible, I s'pose." Sophie nodded a bit, and glanced at X'yrin somewhat helplessly. "I dunno where any of my friends live. I met most of 'em around our old den, before we moved..." She explained. She didn't want to impose on anyone, anyway; she didn't know whether they would be in a pack or a loner, having still been too young to tell, and it was hard to make such a big decision for herself.

Where would they live, if not with Leon? Clearly they'd leaped without thinking things through first.

X'yrin Exultare · 03-15-2012, 09:13 AM

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ooc:

Though the pair were old enough to undergo the change, a sure sign of their maturity and physical growth, they were still very much children in heart and mind. This lack of foreseeing these circumstances was proof enough. But the woman could not blame the children, for like all they assumed what they thought was the right idea and intended to follow that course through to its conclusion. But they lacked guidance, a gentle nudge in the right direction yet they had wandered so far from the path that they had stumbled into the darkness with no light towards deliverance. Perhaps the golden beacon could be that light having wandered into the darkness herself to save them.

Kindly he gaze passed between the two, letting her disease for their situations ebb away with every calming breath. Their helpless expressions calling out to her for a comforting hand. Carefully the she-wolf pushed off from the ground by her back legs and crawled forward to be closer to the thick of the troubled pair. As she lowered herself again, she let her head rest gently atop young Boothe’s crown growling softly to comfort their troubled hearts. “I apologize for my tone, little ones,” she began softly. “We are all but creatures of this earth, driven by the instincts the ancestors have blessed us with. You were only doing what you felt was right and it is a quality to be admired, not scolded.”

She placed a large umber paw protectively against Sophie’s leg extending her care to the young girl as well as she continued. “But children it is not safe for you to travel alone, especially in the conditions you share now. I can offer the two of you a place to rest for a while until you decide where your paths will take you next. If you would care to share in Ichika’s hospitality, that is…”

316 words.

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