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Aurèle, set in The Trenches.
The wind was strong. Strong and cold, a chilling embrace, a snippy companion that insisted on making its presence known. Tayui could hear the voice of the wind whistling in her ears, consuming all of her senses, stealing them away, and tossing them off the cliff. In fact, it was probably a very, very bad idea to be up here. From what she understood about pregnancies and birth, she was due to deliver soon, in a few days, in fact. She could taste the regret in her mouth now, could feel it as it filled the pit of her stomach. I shouldn't be here, she thought as she began to make her way back to the reserve, back to Aniwaya, back to where she should have been.
She began to make her way farther from the rocks, farther from the lighthouse perched so precariously on the edge. The wind was not as strong here, for there was a scattering of trees shielding her from the stormy gales. She continued to descend to the reserve, only then realizing that the lighthouse was perched atop a gently sloping hill, further elevated by an outcropping of rocks. She shook her head, wondering how she had possibly gotten so far without injuring herself. She chuckled, then continued on, toward home.
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She was moving quickly, but not running. Adrenaline pounded through her blood and filled her head with rushes of color and sound. Her eyes were focused on the ground, and so dark they were nearly black. She vaguely imagined she could smell smoke over the wind, over the scent of iron that was clinging to her. It was peculiar, though, that despite what had just happened, she felt very little. No panic; merely tension, in knowing what she knew. Brahms has never been that close, but she could not stand the absence of light in his eyes.
The wind turned, and Aurèle felt her fur whip towards her face. It was only then that she spotted the white figure heading away from her. The dorsal stripe gave her sister away, and had there been any color in Aurèle’s face, it would have dropped. She froze, mind going blank.
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Tayui had not gotten too far from the lighthouse, and in fact, she could still see it from where she was. It looked listless, dead, completely silent. The building glowered back at her, as if angry she had managed to escape the wind, leaving the old building to rot. Tayui glanced away, feeling a chill as it crept up her spine, threatening to move farther and expand its reach. She shook her head, shuffling slightly and trying to warm herself. Despite her thick layer of fur, she felt chilled, her nerves frozen and numbed.
She lifted her gaze, only then noticing the form of another wolf making its way toward her as Tayui made her way toward her. She squinted, trying to see who it was, only able to make out the other canine's off-white pelt. Or perhaps it was white -- for some reason, everything was a little hazy. Tayui approached the other wolf, wondering why there was someone else aside from herself out here. As she neared, she noticed the wolf's eyes, ones that might have been green, but had visibly darkened to a deep forest green, almost black. Then Tayui paused, gasping quietly. "Aurèle?" she asked at last, trying to figure out why her sister had flecks of blood splattered on her once-pure pelt, why she was running so quickly from the direction of the lighthouse. "What..." she began, then trailed off. What had happened that had left her sister breathless and bloodied, yet without any wounds of her own?
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It was her name that triggered something. Aurèle registered her sister’s face suddenly; the open confusion, the red, scarred eye, and felt a cold rush of some dam breaking inside of her. She opened her mouth to explain, to vomit up some excuse, and then a second impulse hit. It drove down on the crashing waves like steel flood-gates, choking it before it reached her throat.
The color bled back into her eyes, burning neon-green as her walls went back up. “Do you always have to gawk at everything, Tayui?” She nearly snarled, sidestepping her sister. “You’re worse then a child.”
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Her first reaction was to bristle at her sister's response and reply with something equally cunning and scathing. But she knew she was no match for her sister when it came to petty insults and contests of ego. But she had most certainly not been gawking. The notion that she had been standing there, mouth opening and closing, or perhaps simply hanging open in an 'o' shape did not sound like something she would do (did it?) At the same time, her sister looked as if she was about to say something entirely different before she spoke, and for a split second, Tayui could have sworn she'd seen some other kind of emotion on her sister's face. Something other than scorn. But no, that wasn't right; she was probably just seeing things. Tayui shook her head slowly, frowning slightly. She glanced from her sister, to the lighthouse, and back again. "If it bothers you so, I'll just find someplace else to gawk. Perhaps at that lighthouse," she replied coldly as she felt the wind rush through her body. Her eyes narrowed as she sought to evaluate her sister's reply, gazing steadily into her sister's dark eyes.
She did not expect any sort of reply or movement, or any indication that her sister had heard her. In fact, she did not wish to remain standing out here for much longer, so her sister's silence would prove beneficial. It was cold, it was chilly, and the wind, though more gentle here, was slowly picking up. The sooner her sister quieted down, the sooner she could leave her. If her sister insisted on being rude, on disregarding the blood that linked them, then so be it. Tayui had abandoned her family long ago -- she could stand to see her sister abandon her as well (maybe). The promise of a relationship with Aurèle had been tempting, but now she realized it would never be anything more than a fleeting thought. Her sister had never cared for her before, so why should she now? Tayui would be on her way soon enough, whether or not her sister gave her the time of day.
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Moving her body slightly, Aurèle formed a physical barrier between her sister and the lighthouse. “Some idiot barricaded the door. I couldn’t get through it.” Her words were quick, unplanned. She was thinking on her feet, something that was not uncommon for her, but panic was still bleeding into her chest. Those twin impulses, as they always seemed to be together, grappled her. Protect herself. Protect her sister.
“You should probably head home before the weather gets bad,” she appeased. “Where are you staying now anyway? I don’t recognize the scent.” At least that way, as before, she could turn her sister’s attention away from the situation at hand.
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Tayui felt her heart sink at Aurèle's words, and for a moment, wondered if she really did want to see what was in that lighthouse. It had been nothing more than a ploy to try and figure out her sisters' motives. But she had never wanted to venture inside anyways. After all, now that she thought about it, it was likely Aurèle had just taken down a young, small, or ill deer, which had resulted in the blood stains. For a moment, Tayui felt a little annoyed her sister had not mentioned it to her, why Aurèle had not asked her if she wished to participate in a hunt. But pregnant luperci were useless when it came to hunting, and she was due any day now. Soon, soon.
But then why were her feet, and not her face and mouth, covered in blood? There had to be a good reason for it. There was always a good reason for it. A good reason might be that Aurèle was agitated due to a fight with her prey, and she had stored the food for later. Perhaps she had found a stream that was not completely frozen, and had washed the evidence (the evidence?) from her fur. There was a good reason, of course there was.
"Oh," she replied at last. "That's unfortunate." She paused, and: "you're probably right. I wouldn't want for anything to happen to... them." Again, she paused. "I'm staying in the pack to the west of here. It's more of a clan, really; it's called Aniwaya. Maybe you could run back and get some of the meat from your kill to bring it with us? I'm sure the leader wouldn't mind you coming into the borders if you brought some food," she finished, hoping Aurèle had not eaten all of the deer or caribou (or whatever she had hunted).
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She saw the cogs in Tayui’s head spinning, and saw that she was considering a thousand options. Good. Maybe that would keep her from going up that crest, up to that terrible place. She should have blocked the doorway. She should have done something before she ran, terrified of the consequences, unable to think. A nod was granted at the mention of the children, and then her eyes widened only momentarily at the request to the meat from the kill. Shit. Shit shit shit.
Above all else, though, Aurèle was a phenomenal actress. “Aniwaya,” she repeated, testing the word on her tongue. “Well, unfortunately, I only managed to take down a rabbit. Not enough to feed a pack, let alone myself. Perhaps I’ll stop by later, though. I’ll bring you something once the children are born.” She smiled, and found it felt fake despite how natural it was. “When are you due?”
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Tayui nodded in reply, feeling the beginnings of a smile as it tugged on the edges of her lips. She was a little disappointed Aurèle had nothing to bring with her, realizing then how difficult hunting could be in the winter. The snow piled up, making it difficult for most to wade through it. Although she and Aurèle both had their origins in a land that was much colder, the climate was still different. The snow here was lighter, fluffier, and harder to walk on. Instead of being compacted and hard, Tayui found it was easier to sink right through it. For anyone who was not suited to such weather (even if it only lasted for a few months), hunting could pose a greater challenge, especially if one was a loner. Of course, it wouldn't make sense for Aurèle to hunt much else. She was on her own, and it usually required the teamwork of an entire pack to fell a caribou or other large creature.
"You should stop by sometime. I'm sure they would like to meet you, and I would certainly appreciate it," Tayui replied, an honest smile accompanying her words. "They'll be due in a few days. Maybe four or five? You should drop by then, I'm sure it would be alright. I'll tell the leaders to keep an eye out for you so they don't mistake you for an intruder," she replied with a small laugh. She could not promise Aurèle anything, and did not know if her sister would be turned away at the borders. At the very least, they could try. They could try to be more like sisters, more like blood, bone, flesh and kin.
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zomg I am going to start a follow-up how about that. :O
“I’ll come by in a few days then,” she offered, still planted firmly on the ground where she remained. Anything to get her sister to leave, to not see what she had seen. Her body language and her eyes did not betray her paranoia, her panic, her fear. She had learned how to hide her true heart long ago, back after the fire. “Go on, head home before the weather turns,” the white female laughed, realizing she sounded more like a sister now then she ever had.
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[html] http://i37.tinypic.com/o9mq3d.png);background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:top left; padding: 25px; font-family:georgia;"> Sounds good! I'll reply to that soon!  And I'll jump with with Bart now and have him z'homg at the murder scene!
Her heart at ease, Tayui was now able to smile and nod, without feeling as though it were insincere. Perhaps Aurèle was trying to care about her and her pups. Tayui could not forget what her sister had been in the past, what her nature was, but also knew people changed. Wolves, luperci, coyotes, hybrids -- they all changed. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. Tayui had changed after the fire, but after that, she became someone new. Her change after the fire had been abrupt, but it had taken years to become who she was now. Perhaps the same thing had happened to Aurèle, and perhaps her sister had found it in her heart to forgive Daedalus for what he had done. Tayui hadn't (she couldn't), but she had not let it hold her back. She knew who was at fault.
"Good," she replied, then laughed when she realized how serious she sounded. She shook her head slowly, letting her gaze drift easily from Aurèle, to the direction of the lighthouse, and back again. "I think I will. And, Aurèle... it was good to see you. I didn't think there was anyone left worth mention, but... I'm glad you're here. Thank you." She didn't know if this was a ploy or a ruse, if Aurèle was just toying with her, but she did know she would be glad if it wasn't. If Aurèle and she could reconcile their differences and let go of the past, perhaps they could become sisters, for the first time.
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[html] He had heard them, seen them, talking, talking, always talking, fake smiles, happy grins, a glance here, a glance there, nothing, nothing. He had not seen in them in so long (too long? Or not long enough) and he wasn't going to start seeing them now, not for real, never, never. This was too soon, they were too close, too close, too near go away, go away, go away. And there was blood. Blood, blood blood, so much blood, it was blood, red, sticky, warm (but cold now, cold and old, old like the rhymes his brother used to sing) and matted on her fur. Her fur, Aurèle's fur, his sister, sister, mean sister.
He did not want to see her again. He did not want to see his ghost sister again, his stupid, stupid sister who pretended she saw ghosts to get more love, more attention (and none for poor Barthélémy, none, none, none, none!) to get more love, to be looked at, noticed, anything. But Bart had never done that, never been noticed, never been important. But it didn't matter. Barthélémy did not care. Barthélémy cared about getting away, running, hiding, hiding from her, Aurèle, the mean sister, the one with the blood.
So Barthélémy ran. Ran faster than the wind, ran until his legs hurt and ran without looking back. He'd dodged behind a tree, snuck through a bit of a forest, hid behind the rocks and found something. It was a big building, big, tall, striped, called a silly name. A lighthouse. But it had no light. It should be a stripehouse. But it was still a house, a big, TALL scary house. Barthélémy didn't want to go in, but he knew if he didn't they would find him, (she would find him) and she would be mean to him. He didn't want that.
So he went in, further in, in, in, in, and then he stopped. He did not want to go in anymore. Not when someone had been murdered, not when that someone was Yehudi, his uncle, his nice, nice uncle who had never been mean to him (but had been mean to others). And there were others, one who smelled faintly like Yehudi, others blood that he had smelled on Aurèle's fur. She smelled like the murder, she had to be the murder (but why?).
But it didn't matter. Aurèle hadn't liked anyone, she hated them all, hated Barthélémy, hated him lots. Too much, enough to make him cry (and enough to murder him?) Barthélémy whimpered; he did not want to be killed next, not by her. She would make it hurt, and he did not want to hurt. No, no, no, hurting was bad, very bad. Aurèle was bad, very bad, too. He would have to make sure everyone knew it so no one would get hurt either. Not like Uncle Yehudi had, not like Barthélémy had (even if he had only cried). But now, Barthélémy had to leave and run far, far away.
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