[html] For Adelle.
Skoll rose with the sun, and he jolted with confusion the instant his green eyes opened and he determined his surroundings: thin plains and chilly air. He heard a whickering snort behind him and lifted his head, meeting the gaze of the bay mare as she nudged at him with her velvety pink-and-black nose. She lipped his hair after he didn’t respond, and at her beckoning he sat upright, pushing his messy mane out of his face and staring at the inland coast around him. He’d spent the night out here, but why?
There was a weight around his neck as he sat up, and his fingers carefully gripped the pendant hanging there before he lifted the thing in his palm. He stared at the likeness of the sun for a few good, long minutes before letting it drop and strike him in the chest again.
He remembered: it was his birthday, and his mother was dead.
The blonde boy—a man, now, he guessed, a man more than he ever had been—had not been able to stay in the house after his mother had taken her last breath in that room. He was flooded with so much heaviness and sadness that he hadn’t experienced before, and so like a coward he’d fled, rather than the brave prince he should have been to stay behind and comfort his father and the others. As midnight trickled into the world, he’d seen prints in the mud and his mother’s horse—Hati’s horse, now—missing from the stables. He’ d given chase, but somehow missed his sibling, and spent the night sleeping out in the cold, letting it sap the hot life out of him until he felt near death too.
Hwin was normally meek around strangers, but she was as stubborn as the wolfdog who owned her. When he didn’t budge after his initial movement, she snorted and gave him a shove with her head, her reins swaying from her leather bridle. He fell down into the grass and snarled at her, but she only screamed hoarsely in his face, her nostrils flaring. They stared at each other in mutual anger for a moment before Skoll’s face fell, his eyes dropping to the ground in shame; at this point, the mare reached over to nuzzle him, nickering to him as if he were a foal. Her next nudge got him to his feet, and a few more had him hauling himself onto her back.
The horse wheeled around toward the Kingdom, but he wrenched her head around the other way; there was a momentary struggle for dominance, but the tack gave Skoll the upper hand. He gave her neck a gentle pat as apology and clicked his tongue for her to start walking further inland. He didn’t know where to go (at least, not consciously, even if their steps took them closer to a particular pack), but he knew one thing: he wasn’t ready to go home yet, and face the emptiness of that room again.
#505
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Humming Adelle patrolled along the pack. Large prints were left in the ground behind her, marks in the grass before they recovered again. There were few places along the border that she needed to remark and strengthen much to her delight. The pack was robust, always growing and ready to deal with any challenges thrown their way. She was proud to be part of the pack, proud of the strength that she lent to it. She would give her life for this pack.
The sound of hooves brought her attention up. Straightening Adelle stood tall, looking for who was coming. Nostrils flared she picked up the scent of the court pack. Even better, it was Skoll. Adelle's tail burst into frenzied wagging, running out to meet him. There he was, leading his horse. Or his horse leading him. It was hard to tell from where she was. Swiftly Adelle shifted into two legs, her run breaking down as her limbs stretched, stumbling to adjust to the shift in her weight. Skoll! Bracing herself Adelle moved to hug him, delighted to see her crush again.
Out of character
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Skoll was half-slumped in the saddle now, prodding the bay mare only when she tried to turn home, but the odor of the nearby pack lands made him straighten, his ears swiveling forward as he breathed in the scent of steel and wood, of horses’ sweat, and of a much more precious smell that made him smile. He urged Hwin on a little faster, though she slowed again once a black-streaked golden shape detached itself from the borders and ran toward them.
The young man half-slipped, half-fell from the saddle and rushed to meet her. They were a momentary tangle of strong arms and large bodies before he managed to embrace her tightly—though perhaps a bit too tightly. He wasn’t too worried, knowing that she was bigger than him and more than capable, but the sun pendant became trapped between their chests, pressing hard against his sternum. It was this discomfort that made him draw back slightly, trying to smile again, one arm still around her while his other hand reached up to touch her cheek affectionately.
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He didn't look very good. Skoll's body was slumped, shaking a little as he pushed off. Worry for him flickered through her, wrapping around his frame and supporting him. It took a moment, Adelle realizing that she had surpassed him in height. When had he gotten so small? Or perhaps it was simply that she had grown much too tall. Either way, their bodies didn't fit together the same way. Adelle was still strong, but it was nothing compared to the tight muscles running through Skoll's frame.
Eventually they pulled back a little, Adelle feeling a hard object leave from where it had been pressed into her. She had thought it was her rose pendant, but on closer examination there was a beautiful sun pendant around his neck. She brushed against him happily, feeling a curious feeling inside her. It wasn't how she normally felt around him. Well, she'd think about that later. Right now, things were bad. Skoll, it's good to see you. Her voice was a warm mellow sound, reminiscent of her deep bark.
[html] It was strange to feel the difference in holding onto her, but maybe it was just a reflection of their situations in life. The last time they’d been closer to equal in size, but he had been the one to hold onto her, to stroke her fur as she sobbed against his chest. She’d lost someone close to her, and now he was experiencing the same thing. He wanted to cling to her as she’d done to him, to lose himself and blubber all over her, to vent some of this deep grief that was threatening to pull him apart. There was still part of him that fancied himself a strong man, though, a man who was not going to just break down without a fight. He’d been good and strong for her before, and now he needed to be for himself.
Her voice seemed more mature too, but everything sounded strange to ears that had heard a death rattle. He smiled gently, his hand still cupping her cheek and his fingers brushing lightly against the fur there. It was strange to have to look up into her lovely icy-blue eyes.
“Good to see you too,” Skoll managed, his gaze darting to the different points of her face, the close-cropped hair and the V-shape of the black mask. “I—ahh—how are things with your—with Casa di Cavalieri?” He blinked rapidly, keeping his voice steady though his words became chopped. He could feel his breathing deepen and his throat begin to clump, but he fought it off.
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His voice was choked, the heavy emotion clear in his body if not in his words. He was struggling, and Adelle found that for once she knew what to do. She'd been through this, and strangely enough it was almost reassuring to know that she wasn't the only one being forced to grow up much too fast. Skoll was older than her, though Adelle thought of herself as much older. It wasn't just her size and strength that made that, but the fact that she had already faced the aging experiences that he was now being affected by.
Bracing her arms around his body Adelle held Skoll close. It was odd, but it didn't give her any tingles, or the deep feelings she'd had before. My pack is doing well. I'm doing some training with Oplader now to fight on horse back. It was casual conversation, much smoother than his own stuttered words. Smiling she licked at his head. It'll be okay. The pain passes. She still ached when she thought of her grandpa, but it was no longer the soul shattering pain she'd carried before.
[html] out of character
Adelle was a pillar for him, an anchor to his senses even as grief threatened to overtake him once more. He clung to her firm form, comforted by her strong arms wrapped tightly around him. She sounded calm when she spoke, and he wondered at how much older she seemed. Neither one of them were the kids they’d been before, that much was for sure; she’d aged years with the death of her guardian, and he… He was going through the same thing, and realizing just how much pain she’d been in before.
Skoll registered her casual words, and he tried to work up the breath to tell her how cool it was she was learning to fight from horseback, but he only managed a wordless mumble. The Cavalier bent down to lick his head, murmuring words of encouragement, and he finally released the first sob built up in his throat.
“My mama,” the young man said, nuzzling into her collarbone and clutching at her back, fingers curling in her fur. He hiccupped weakly. “God took her from us; she was hurting for a long time, and—and my father, he’s not the same, and I don’t know what to do…” His voice cracked at this admission, and he shook his head slowly from side to side. “I don’t know how it’ll ever get better…”
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A sob broke through, sounding completely desolate. Neither of them should have been forced to lose their parents the way they had, but they were gone, leaving them to move on without them. She stayed strong, feeling all of his grief and responding with her own. Her eyes remained dry, though there was no questioning that she understood his pain. His grip was tight, as if she was the only thing keeping him where he was. Adelle knew what that was like, to get lost in grief. She'd been there, and had threatened the safety of her pack mates over that with her reckless actions.
The news that he might be losing two made it seem that it was even worse. Adelle had only one family member to lose, and now that he was gone Adelle had lost all family. Skoll would have to go through it twice though, making it sound even more painful. She let his tears flow and soak her fur, licking softly at his head. It won't happen overnight. Just know that each day when you wake up it will be better. It's going to be hard, but I'll be there if you need me to. It would be a long road. Adelle herself wasn't finished traveling it, and she didn't know if she'd ever be through with the loss Grandpa's death left her with.
[html] out of character
Adelle was a beacon of calmness, and holding her was enough to calm the sadness that balled up in his throat and chest. Calming his present sorrow did not lessen the weight of his grief, however, and even her encouragement that it would get easier each day didn’t sink in to alleviate it. But he hoped he could get better rather than worse like his father; the death of Ayita was yet fresh in his heart, and he prayed that he’d grow stronger in the following days. He just needed to sort this all out and accept the fact that his mother wasn’t going to be in his life anymore.
He pulled his muzzle out of the girl’s fur when she said she’d be there for him, and a genuine smile tugged at his mouth, his green eyes softening. Did she have any idea what those words meant to him? He hadn’t been sure himself, once, but with so much in his life becoming fragile, he wanted her strength, wanted the thing he’d been too scared to name when they’d been together before. He cared about her a great deal, and he wanted some way to show it so that it wouldn’t fade away.
“Thank you,” Skoll murmured, his voice deepening slightly, though still hushed after the exhaustion of his suppressed sobs. He stretched up slightly to brush his muzzle tenderly against hers.
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The sobbing lessened, Skoll drawing strength from her. Adelle was glad. She hadn't been sure that her own experience would be enough. Grief could be crushing. It was only the fact that her pack wouldn't let her slip away that had pulled her back to herself. She had a goal to complete, and footsteps to follow in. Adelle didn't know what Skoll had, but she hoped it was enough. The dog just wished that she was back to how things had been before. Adelle didn't feel that anymore, the soft young feelings that had been there before she'd grown sad. It looked like Skoll had lost that as well now.
Of course. Adelle's tail managed to wag a little thinking that she had managed to help him. It was hard to be this strong when she knew how impossible it was to go on after such a death. Skoll had more to lose than her, which was even worse. The sudden movement surprised her. Well, not sudden. Adelle found herself looking into Skoll's eyes, and feeling him stretch up. She didn't move, frozen where she was as their muzzles brushed. Her first kiss tasted of salt, and slippery. Nothing fit together how she thought it was supposed to. She stared at him in shock, unsure how to respond. Was it going to keep going?
[html] Probably my last post for this thread. Hope you don't mind me cutting it shortish. ;;
Skoll had dreamed about kissing Adelle once, but in the dream she’d been smaller, and he’d been the one to hold her rather than stretching up like some coy girl to steal a peck. There had been sparks, or something, to make it seem right.
He could sense that something was wrong when they kissed, because even while there was a sort of thrill running through him, there wasn’t much of a response; her large body had stiffened. He opened his eyes to see her icy blue ones staring down at him in surprise. Immediately, he pulled back and flattened his ears, regretting the moment and hating himself, reasoning that she probably hated him too.
“I thought—” the boy, for he was just a boy now, stammered. His ears continued to sink lower in his messy blonde mane until he thought they might disappear. “I’m sorry, I have to go,” he lied more curtly, but he made sure to reach to squeeze her hand and then lift it to his lips for a chaster kiss, gentleman to lady rather than boy to girl. He then stepped back then went to Hwin, who nickered as he mounted her before turning one last time to the girl.
“Thank you for everything, Adelle. I’ll remember what you said and…” Skoll trailed off, not sure what he was supposed to say, trying to crush his frustration and disappointment and the embarrassment that flushed his cheeks. “See you later; take care of yourself, babe,” he said clumsily, and kicked his heels into the bay mare’s flanks to ride off.
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