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How the world had changed, with the onslaught of winter and its never ending cold and toe freezing snow. But it was exciting; to plow through inches of snow, but once the cold had set in she had feared the fun would quickly end. Storms forced them indoors, but to her surprise when they ended they left winter wonderlands. They were playgrounds with and ever changing jungle gym, and without the warmth of the sun bearing down on them, their energy was never stifled by the heat.
Still the sun looked down at the brown pup, smiling as she traveled over new snow. Every once in a while she bent to lick a few drops of the ice off her nose, enjoying the treat. Of course she had spent the night in the cave, sleeping close to her family and staying warm, but now her little heart sought out adventure. Running at her full speed her big paws became wings that sent her flying over the thin powder.
Violet eyes spotted something particular, causing her to stop abruptly. Her front paws behaved more often then her hind, coming to the halt her mind had asked for. The two back however kept moving, almost sending her tail over head. Regaining her posture she looked on at the tree that had caught her eye. The pine was heavy with snow, bending its branches towards the ground and just about touching the earth. Brows up in interest she wandered closer, poking in only her head and letting purple eyes peer behind the fallen boughs, behind them was a space untouched by winter. Clear of snow, it mimicked her home cave and gave off a cozy feeling.
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[html]Chocolate brown eyes surveyed the white wintery land as he romped around in circles. It was a peculiar thing to do, but there was a method to Simon's madness. He had spent much of the morning and day pushing the fluffy and sometimes hardened snow together at the middle, digging a circular track around it. He stood back to look at his work. He had erected a huge pile of snow. Nodding in approval, he began to dig and burrow into the pile.
He emerged sometime later with snow dusting his coat and a numb nose, but his tail wagged in victory. He had managed to dig a small in his snow structure. It just so happened to be big enough for to. He felt warmth rush to his face when he noticed that. The lopsided, tall pile of snow was supposed to be a private castle for Mati. He had thought that the "moat" had been a stroke of genius.
Now, to find that princess! Simon put his nose to the ground and sneezed at the contact with the cold snow. He held his numb nose aloft. "Ah gess'es not a gud idea," he said to himself, sniffling. He cleared his throat and shook his head, trying out his voice again. "I is the Petty Officer of the Crimson Dreams Kingdom. I'm princess Mati's knight!" he roared in triumph, before taking off at a lope. He was lucky to spot big puppy footprints in the snow. Mati! His tail wagged wildly.
It didn't take long to locate the violet-eyed princess. He stopped just short of her, skittering a little bit to a halt as he tripped over his big feet. He just stood there and watched her for a moment, his tail growing sore from all the wagging it had done in the last few hours. He still couldn't believe his eyes every time he saw her. He had actually found a beautiful princess. And on top of that she was beautiful on the inside too. He opened his mouth and found he couldn't speak quite yet.
The young knight came up to stand next to her, mindful of giving her the proper space. "What's ya lookin' at, milady?"
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There was a good amount of space between the branches that made the roof and walls and the trees trunk. Her nose woke and took in the pine-laced air, thinking it fairly clear even though the air flow wasn’t practically good. Still it was a nice enough place to explore further. For the cautious girl it was just about the right size of place for her to poke around. Any bigger and it might hold monsters, even a dragon could have been hiding bind a larger tree trunk.
The moment she had decided to venture further a voice drew her out. She backed away, to find a knight standing before her. His tan colored coat glistening with snow crystals, like a golden suit of arm fleshly polished. Her lips formed a meek smile, though small it was evident that she was pleased he had found her once again. As always he was polite in his gestures and speech.
Her tail waved like a banner behind her, Good days sir. She could be well spoken as well, as the medieval character were in her bedtime stories. Almost forgetting his question she jumped to attention and remembered all the new things that she had found. The large pup turned to face the pine again, poking her nose around the branches to check to see if the hidden place was still there.
It’s a secrets place. she paused and turned her head toward him again, I havents been in yets. she spoke with a slightly concerned look on her features.
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Simon's face broke out into a huge goofy grin when the princess turned to address him. She was unlike what he had expected. He had expected her to be beautiful, and she had beat that expectation in spades, but she was so nice. He hadn't expected her to be so warm and welcoming, but she was. And he thought that she was perfect in every single way, but he didn't know how to tell her that. He tried to wipe the wide smile from his face, to give her the proper respect she deserved, but he couldn't.
He crept up next to her, standing shoulder to shoulder. He didn't see an imminent danger from the fallen tree, so he didn't think he should stand in front of her. He peered through the dark branches, studying it. There might be a few branches that would scratch her. He frowned and didn't like the idea of her going in for that reason, but he didn't think that should restrict her freedom either. He would just have to watch her carefully to make sure she didn't get hurt.
"It looks like a secrets place," he said in agreement. She seemed concerned about never having been there before. Well, he couldn't very well have that! She had no reason to be afraid as long as he was around. Keeping her safe was his job after all! "I's make sure it is safe for you, princess," he stated to put her fears to rest. He ambled forward, going to his belly to wiggle under the fallen branches. They were scratchy, but they didn't hurt exactly. Finally he was able to stand up. He sniffed around before he turned back to her. "You can comes now, Lady Mati. It is prickly but nothing bad." He hoped that the princess liked to explore. He certainly did.
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maybe they could find something wrong/scary and have to go running back his snow fort?
He stood close to her, and she resisted the urge to bump it in playful jest. She liked to wrestle with her brothers, but Simon was different, and she felt the need to be reserved when around him. She pawed the ground as he ventured inward, strangely afraid for his safety. Only when he returned did her tail resume it’s wagging.
Mati scuttled under the pine branches, her nose poking through the needles. She reached the inside chamber, purple eyes looking around only after she stood beside the knight once again. The floor was like a dried needle carpet, while the ceiling was supported by beams, made of sap-laden branches. She smiled, the excitement of their new adventure coming forward.
Es not too prickly. she spoke idly, as she looked down at the brown needles underpaw. Smiling again she gave into her initial urge, and nibbled at his large ear playfully. Even if there was little space around them, they could still romp. There was an unusual amount of confidence in the large pup, made only by the presence of her knight. It allowed her to take the lead and begin their adventure under the pine tree’s cover.
The smells were hard to distinguish, with the air so heavy in sap and pine. But there were certainly things she hadn’t smelt before hiding around them. It was frightening at first, but she remembered she wasn’t alone, and that he would save her. No matter what.
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The sandy colored puppy walked back to where the Princess stood at the entrance of this tree-cave. He brushed shoulders with her as he crouched to fit underneath branches. He was turning out to be a fairly large sized boy. He tripped a lot over his big paws, his legs were still skinny and too long. But he hoped to grow one day into a man capable of protecting the princess. But it didn't matter to him that much. He would find a way to keep her safe no matter what. He turned to look at her face. It was just as beautiful in profile, the hint of her purple eyes a breathtaking spot of color in the gloom of the underbrush.
He looked away quickly before the Princess could catch him staring. He needed to be more disciplined around her! It wouldn't do to have him distracted all day, no matter how pretty he found her. How could he possibly keep her safe if he was tripping over himself to sneak secret looks at her? A villain would surely sneak up on them one day if he spent the whole day staring like a big old dope. Simon shook his head a little, his ears flapping around his head.
Chocolate eyes caught a play of shadows in the gloom. Some light came in from somewhere, probably from a hole in the wood. The young knight tensed as he saw eight, long, wriggling shadows looming and growing. He realized, horrified, that those long tentacles of darkness were heading straight toward Mati.
Simon wedged his big body between the princess and the shadows, crowding her behind him and into the brush. He bared his teeth at the looming shadow tendrils, then found that they would not retreat. His shoulders tensed and he barked at it. The sound was loud and rang through the tree loudly.
But the shadows wouldn't fade as they writhed around them. He backed up, turned, and pushed at Princess Mati. He wasn't treating her properly, but that could be addressed later when she was safe and far from the shadow monster. "Run, princess!" he shouted and pushed her from the tree before scrambling after her.
If it had been a bit lighter, he would have noticed that there was a spider wriggling in a hole where the light came in, casting scary shadows.
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She might have not planned on being the damsel in distress, but she was surely playing the part. Even if just subconsciously. Eyes wandered, paying little attention to the coming trouble. It crept in the shadows, towering over then. The danger was so close, so unavoidable. And still she didn’t recognize it. In the presence of the protractor, did she just not find a need to search for what might be frightening? Her comfort was overpowering, surrounding her like a thick blanket. Surely there was nothing to fear. Her knight was here, and danger would remain miles away.
Naïve she would always be.
Their bodies were so close, it was hard not to sense his tension. It filtered into her side, then over her back and into her chest. Eyes followed his, and she found what had made him distraught. The long shadow were fingers of dread that wrapped around her, mere extensions of the evil that hid just beyond their reach. Frozen in place it took her a moment to hear the instructions that he yelled.
Run!
He pushed her, and the large chocolate pup fell into the tree’s branches. Her breathing hastened as she tried to escape the refuge that had suddenly become a prison. Her nose broke the screen of needles and set her free into the winter day’s light. She ran, as he had told her, but didn’t know where to go. Trampling the snow-covered ground blindly she sped until something stood in her way.
It was a fortress, white as the snow they ran across. The ivory tower stood over her head, its alabaster walls beckoning her forward. Her paws did not, would not, stop until she had reached its protection. Violet eyes looked behind her, searching for Simon, hoping that he had made it out. Alive.
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[html]Sorry! College pretty much opened a six pack of whoop ass on me!
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Simon struggled to escape from beneath the branches of the tree. The pine needles dug into his flesh like tiny fingers he imagined pulling him back into the shadows. He definitely did not want to be in the dark, but as he watched Mati's retreating form he was glad. If he had to fall here, at least he would not have failed her. The princess's welfare would always, always come before his own. In fact, right now he would gladly face down a million sets of shadow beasts if he knew that that would mean the shadows would never come for her again.
He looked down at the paw prints she had left in the snow, and he found the will to move again. He couldn't let it end this way. What if she ran into trouble on the way to the snow fortress? He couldn't let any harm befall her! With renew vigor, he struggled and scrambled out from beneath the tangle of brush. Snow flew as his oversized paws carried him in the direction Mati had gone.
The sandy colored puppy moved as quickly as he could, his tongue hanging out of his mouth as he ran at his top speed. He lowered his head to the ground as he went, trying to catch Mati's scent. Bending over, plus his momentum, caused him to wheel snout-over-paws twice before he landed headlong in a snow bank.
And now he found himself in front of the lopsided fortress he had erected. Standing back now, he thought it looked stupid. Where had Mati gone? Surely she wouldn't want to take shelter to a shabby fortress such as this! He should have taken more time to make the structure sounder, to make it a beautiful work of art worthy of the grace of her presence. He glanced inside the tiny tunnel-den he'd burrowed and his heart leapt with joy. He moved into the little tunnel. The fit was snug between the two puppies - snug enough that he could feel the warmth coming from her skin and her glossy brown coat. He thought he should give her some space, but the joy overwhelmed him.
"Princess!" he said exuberantly and licked the side of her face in excitement. "You made it!"
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Once in the safety of the fortress Mati was able to look behind her and search for Simon. Her little black nose searched as her eyes began to swell with tears. It wasn’t like Mati to be brought to tears; even Brooklyn couldn’t get her to cry. Still the thought of him not following after her made her heart sink. Would he be lost forever?
Brown ears swiveled forward, taking in the sound of his footfalls. Thoughts turned from disaster to complete joy. Her body rested against the side of the fort, raising her head high enough for her eyes to peer over the edge. Her tail came to life, wagging behind her as she greeted him. His words showed his excitement, though the kisses he planted on her face were unmistakable.
Mati kissed him back, Of course I did! Did you make this? she was curious to know where the fortress came from, but her eyes stayed on his face. The sides of her face became warm when she realized what they had been sharing, having never licked the face of some one other then a family member. Still there was no where to go in the snug castle of theirs, and she sat close to him enjoying the warmth between them.
Purple eyes looked over his side where she had noticed tufts of fur wildly out of place. Are you hurts? Her voice was full of sincere concern. The pup hated to think that her knight might be hurt. No one was invincible, even if she wanted him to be.
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Enter the jealous brother >D
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The sun had decided to come out today, and that made the wolf pup very happy. It was still cold, but at least when the sun was shining it didn't seem as chilly. He hadn't come across anyone to play with yet today so he was doing his best to entertain himself (which he was good at). He dashed around in the snow, plowing into drifts and rolling around in them. That frantic puppy energy had a hold of him right now so he was just running around like a maniac to his heart's content.
After a goodly amount of time doing that he found himself wearing down and out of breath. The pumpkin boy plopped himself down in the snow, panting heavily. Where was everyone today? The lands seemed so deserted for some reason. He could have plenty of fun on his own, of course, but it was always better when you had someone to share it with. Just then his ears perked up as a brown form darted into some large snow structure. Haven face lit up as he knew that it was Mati. The two siblings hadn't gotten to adventure lately, maybe now would be the perfect time!
Just as he stood up and shook some of the white fluff from his fur another pup burst into the snow thing that Mati was in. That hadn't been either of their other siblings. His brows knit together in a scowl as he stalked off towards the fort, tail held straight up in the air. What was going on here? As he came close enough to see inside he saw the two exchange licks and his jade eyes flashed with jealousy. What did this little stranger think he was doing? Mati was HIS sister. She was HIS adventuring partner. Haven walked up to the mouth of the little tunnel, fur bristling. It was too small for him to enter but he glared at the other boy. "What is you doin' with my sister?" he growled.
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Simon reveled in the attention Mati was giving him. It probably wasn't the most proper thing. She was a princess after all, and only deserved the finest prince that any kingdom had to offer. He felt humbled at her attention, and elated as well. He ducked his head bashfully, although his tail was wagging quite merrily and scoring marks in the soft snow walls. He saw that his bit of humble architecture was marred and so he stopped. His tail didn't quite want to listen though, so he decided to sit on it. Hopefully that would keep the waggily thing out of trouble.
"Y-yeah," he answered the princess. "I mades it f-for y-y-you." He knew that his stammering sounded ridiculous, but he honestly could help it. The princess was smiling, but not just any smile. There was a special smile on her beautiful face and he had put it there. It was almost too much for him to comprehend. He suddenly felt like he shouldn't look directly at her and cast his brown eyes to the snowy walls. Looking at her shining face was like looking into the sun. She was certainly beautiful, but she was too much to take in.
Simon was being silly and he knew it. There was no reason for him to feel suddenly scared to look at Mati. She wouldn't do anything to hurt him; she was the most beautiful, kindest, gentlest spirit on the entire planet. He had just faced down shadow monsters to boot. But there was something about the way she kissed his cheek that made him suddenly feel tongue-tied and unsure of himself. The usually outgoing pup didn't know how to deal with that and he shuffled his overly large sandy paws. She didn't even think that his big feet looked stupid. On the contrary, she made him feel very special. And that was the absurd part. He knew he'd never be half as special as her. Nothing could even compare to her.
The sandy colored puppy turned when he heard and smelled another puppy with a bright coat approaching the fort. He abruptly turned and kept Mati protectively behind his back. He stood with similar posture to the stranger, his ears forward and his tail erect. He puffed his chest out for good measure. He was bigger than the orange boy with flashing eyes. The young knight blinked once when the puppy angrily demanded to know what he was doing with Mati. His sister? That would make him a prince. But Simon would not kneel before him, not when he was being so rude. "You shouldn't talk that way in front of a lady," Simon returned. He wasn't quite growling like Haven, but his tone of voice was firm. No way was this boy getting anywhere near the princess with an attitude like that.
[html] http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j40/k ... ump/05.png); background-position: top center; background-repeat: no-repeat;"> omg, I love it!
She didn’t understand how she affected him. Not truly knowing that she was why he acted the way he did. It was obvious that he liked to be with her, and that he thought she was something she never knew she could be. Still Mati didn’t full comprehend how their relationship was developing.
What she did know was that she liked him, enjoyed how well he treated her and that for once she was something more then just one of four pups. She was someone’s something. And that something just happened to be a princess.
Eyes watched him, wondering why he was so suddenly becoming bashful. She kissed him still, noticing that the more attention she lavished on him the more coy he acted. With all the courage he had shown, and the magnificent fort he had built, and all for her. He should show pride before anything else.
Their reunion was suddenly interrupted. The sounds brought her eyes to the entrance, where she found the face and voice of her brother. Excitement shone in her eyes, but was smothered as she heard his words. Growing confused, and slightly embarrassed Mati felt her ears turn and lay against her head.
Before she could speak, Simon stood before her. Their confrontation made her uneasy. Feeling like she was to choose between them. She pushed that aside, standing for her knight. We’re playing Haven. They had done nothing wrong, she was sure of it. Simon was fighting a monsters. Peering over the sandy tones boy’s back she gave him a small smile. Likes you doos
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What in the world did this guy think he was doing! Standing before Mati like Haven was going to hurt her! Ooooo that made him mad! His lip quivered over his little shiny teeth. He shouldn't talk that way? No one had ever gotten the pumpkin-colored pup this upset before. He had never even seen this puppy before. Was he even a part of the pack? What right did he have to behave like this? The Aatte boy wanted to tackle him, and not in the fun, playful way. He'd never felt any of this before, and it was confusing. He didn't know how to handle it. What was this that he was even feeling?
As Mati stood up for this strange pup, the smaller boy was completely deflated. Her words stung at him like no words had before. Ears and tail drooped and he took a step back. He was fighting monsters for her? But...that was his job. He was her protector. Did she not want him anymore? Was this tan guy replacing him? A soft whine came from him as he stared at his sister with watery eyes. Why was she doing this? Had he made her upset with him? Had he done something wrong for her to want to get someone else to protect her? Haven didn't have any idea. His chest felt all tight and weird.
As the first tears rolled down his cheeks he wanted to run. To get away from here. Maybe if he ran away all these bad feelings would go away too. The pup took some more steps backwards, still unable to peel his sad eyes off of his sister who appeared to have discarded him.
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