Twenty three...
Moonlight spills like a searchlight over the trees, tangling in their boughs. It pierces the leaves and seems to frighten the shadows into timid, static entities, left wanting by the wind and pooling jaggedly among the roots and fields. Twenty four. The scar showing open night sky heals as quickly as it split, and the light is concealed. The shadows are free to move again, crawling like the memories of animals around me. Twenty five. I am alone here tonight. The view across the vineyards is vast and beautiful in the desultory moonlight...
Grayson's internal dialogue faded as he hung, the sinews in his long arms bulging. He paused, then lifted his weight for the dastardly twenty-sixth pull-up. The low hanging pine branch bent with the strain, groaning, slivers of bark loosening under his fingers and drifting like shed skin to the ground below. The fatigued muscles shivered with pain but he forced his muzzle over the wide branch regardless. This time, though, he could not hold himself. Gray fell the remaining five feet. The aptly-named optime remained prone on the damp ground, his chest moving with each breath. This was embarrassing. Twenty five was a stupid number. Clearly, he still had a ways to go until a complete recovery could be assumed.
I think I'm starting to hate this place.
DaVinci and Alexey had found Firefly, though he was not one bit happy on where he'd placed herself in this whole damned chaotic chain of events. Shaking his head he growled softly as he leapt up onto one of the boulders along theedge of the vineyard, the faint scent of his silbing still clinging to the spot. He sneezed and shook his head, rolling his eyes at the idea. He muttered softly to himself, "Figures.. " He'd never told Firefly how much like their mother she was in many of her little habits, though he knew she was also the polar opposite of the silver and gold lady as well. Though DaVinci didn't speak much to their mother anymore, or have had the chance to lately he could remember her quite well from his childhood.. before she'd changed.
He sat back on his haunches and staredacros the silvery vineyards at the quiet world around him. He could understand why she must have liked the spot, the chilling silence, the beautiful lighting, the soft lay of the world around him.. but he wished that it was more than just that. He wished the child was here now, atleas to enjoy the world that she'd chosen as her home. He knew he still shouldn't be hanging around, but he wanted to know how this would all pan out and he'd informed the leader of the lands that he wouldn't let his sister down, no matter what happened. He planned on staying near til she was released.
{lol a (crappy) reply!}
Some time passed. He wasn't sure how much, but it was enough for the cold to seep from the ground into his back. Grayson was soon treading into the vineyard, mumbling and occasionally stretching his arms, twirling the walking stick above his head when the footing allowed for it. The field was choked with wild growth but the allies between the rows were still pretty clear. As with the passing of the minutes, it was uncertain just when he noticed DaVinci. The werewolf's course was deliberate; the almost relaxed spinning of his stick had ceased and his ears were alert. He was not one for howling questions. The stranger...who smelled like his home and yet, not...would be confronted nose-to-nose. When he was close enough, he stopped, a row of strangled vines separating him and the silvery male's rocky perch.
His nose wrinkled.
"Half-blood," the dark-eyed warrior stated tonelessly.
His ears flicked back against his skull when he heard the plain and simple words that were spoken against him. Turning his head to the side DaVinci caught sight of the dark hued male who'd decided to point out the obvious on DaVinci's behalf. Baring his fangs in disproval the silvery steele hued male was quiet for a moment as he watched the male that was stationed so close and yet beyond his reach. He wasn't in the mood to deal with the views of the world right now but he wasn't a member of this pack, and dispite how new the scent on the other was.. he had more rights to the lands then DaVinci ever would.
Nodding at the comment DaVinci spoke, "I wonder how you came to that conclusion.." he said with little or no emotion. He'd grown up with fingers pointed at him and the world believing he was bad. Hearing those words once more didn't surprise him and he really didn't care what the male thought right now.. he was more concerned on his kid sister than starting a fight, any other day and he'd probably be game though.
Grayson observed the half-blood passively with flat, sunken eyes. The only response to the other's language was a tightening of the lips. Of course, it was the intruder's parents who were at fault, not the intruder himself. He had not chosen to be born carrying diseased coyote blood, and it was not Grayson's place to turn his nose at a questionable family, his own being far from pleasant. The stranger was an embodiment of filth...but he would not let that bother him. "I do not blame you," Gray said, as if the hybrid should be thankful for this piece of information. A fly buzzed around his ear before landing...and the ear remained still, letting the dirty insect crawl and taste. "May I ask after your purpose here?" he inquired calmly, fingers regardless stiffening around the staff. Had it been another night, Grayson might have charged the wanderer without preamble, but it was, fortunately, not such a night.
DaVinci felt his heckles begin to raise at the words that the male spoke, his mood turning sour quickly as he hissed, "You don't blame me? Who would you like to blame then?" His eyes were narrowed as he watched the male, wondering to himself how these creatures got off thinking they were pure and holy in their blood when their brains were so diseased that they actually believed in such nonsense. He shook his head in disgust and decided it wasn't even worth bothering, he'd seen this a million times over, he could probably recite the answers he'd receive today.
When demanded to state why he was there DaVinci couldn't help but chuckle as he stared at the male who seemed to think he was all powerful and a notch better than the hybrid. Shrugging his shoulders DaVinci gave his answer, "I'm sitting here, resting, is that a crime now?" he asked. The male normally wasn't an ass, but his emotions were a mixture from hell at the moment with Firefly in danger and family ties all spread in a million directions and here he was waiting to find out if his kid sister would even survive to see the next day. The pack member didn't deserve his politeness, not with the attitude he was passing off to DaVinci.
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