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Naniko sat outside of the castle that she'd built, admiring it. It had been a while since she and the other Clouded Tears wolf had constructed this, but it still stood strong. She was surprised that some big, lumbering werewolf hadn't come along and knocked it over, or that Laruku hadn't gone crazy and destroyed it himself. She'd made it to give the little ones something to play with, or on. So far it didn't seem like it was being used much...there were a few footprints around it from other animals, probably animals wondering what the big stone towers were...but not too many wolf prints.
She was in werewolf form, which made things a lot easier. She could reach things better. The hunter swept one arm up, brushing the snow off of one of the tall walls. Maybe if the snow was cleared off of it, pups would come to play on it.
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Tiny paws danced among the snow. Had she a clue where she was going? Nope, not at all. She knew where she wanted to go though. To a place that no longer existed. At least that is what she had been told. But just because the pack didn't live there anymore didn't mean that the entire place was gone did it? How could a plot of land just disappear? It sounded impossible. It was the faith in the non-existant that had her continueing her search for the remains of the place that her mom would speak of. She wanted to bring back the hope that not everything was destroyed even if she was questing for a burnt shelter.
The young lass, despite her obvious connection to her mother, did not share the same outlook. While her mother, when in her prime, seemed to not love or trust anyone the pup was proving to be her opposite. The tiny female named for the moon saw the world, as well as all those in it, through the eyes of trust and the connections of amity. She was bubbling with innocence and naivete. She took everything at face value and didn't believe anyone would ever lie to her or harm her. Despite her heritage she had actually been sheltered.
She really wanted to find this place that her mom had talked about but the fluffy stuff all around her was simply so distracting. With playful yips she found herself veering off course. Petite form was pushed through one snow drift after another. She managed to keep the river to her left though. At least until the river was no longer a river. This didn't concern her so much for she had found some little critter or another to playfully follow. The small furred being didn't want to play tag so the female settled for a came of follow the leader. At least until bright eyes landed upon a structure rose out of the snow before her. "Chimera!" Paws danced in place in an all too happy fashion for a moment before she darted forward.
Upon closer inspection she found the structure to be made of stone rather than the wood it had been described to her as. And it didn't look burnt either. Having not noticed the older female, or sibling rather, in her haste to reach the building she stood upon her back paws and placed the fore ones against the side of the structure as she sniffed at it. She was forced to travel on four paws because she had yet to master the shift. She had done it before but she looked like a managled mess trying it plus she simply couldn't hold it. No, it was just easier to remain a wolf rather than become a were.
Head tilted curiously to the side as she took in the scents and sight of the castle. "I thought Mom said you were made of wood and were burnt. You don't smell burnt and you don't look like wood." Right forepaw was lifted away only to scratch at the stone wall. "You don't feel like wood either." Had she found the wrong place again? Or maybe someone could have built this where the burnt structure had stood. Hey! Maybe they were bringing Chimera back! Maybe everyone was returning! Maybe she could find her dad! The thoughts made her wag her tail excitedly.
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This keyboard sucks so bad. The spacebar barely works. x_x Sorry for any short posts D:
Her head snapped up when she heard the sound of paws nearby, her ears tilting toward the sound. A pup! It had been a while since she had seen a young one, especially in Clouded Tears! She'd always thought that she and Conri would someday have pups of their own, until he'd dissapeared. Naniko was a very social wolf; childen always kept her pleasantly busy. The last ones that had been through here had been Khaden and Dhalia, Soran's two children. But they'd left with their great black mother, journeying away from Bleeding Souls. She hadn't seen them since she'd found Conri's note, before he went up missing.
She felt a little strange, towering over the young one. Sometimes she wondered if she made the wrong impression because of her size. Naniko was a good mix of her mother and father, possessing the pure white fur of Kaelyn and the jade eyes and massive size of Roman. Her sister Pontiac had looked almost exactly like her, except for the ears and eyes.
She hadn't thought about Pontiac in a long while, not since her sister had left Jaded Shadows to go and live elsewhere. What was bringing the old memories back now?
"Chimera?" She frowned, recalling the word that the pup had shouted. What would a youngster like this be doing looking for Chimera? Chimera was a place of death; it was where Blank and Physe had been laid down to rest, the territory that was now called the Moaning Wood...for good reason. "You've got no business looking for Chimera, Stormpup. That pack's long gone. Me and two of the other remaining members live here, in Clouded Tears."
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It's fine... Don't mind me... When I get into a charrey I can't help how long the posts turn out to be but I will try and keep them toned down.
She wasn't so so young. Naniko only topped her by about a year. So what if she was rather petite? Premature offspring generally remained smaller for awhile. It was enough that she was healthy and quite spirited. Especially since she grew up around illness. In truth there didn't seem to be much that could get her down. She was the bright spot that Taceli hadn't necessarily had. She was the optomist in a world of doubters. But then she had been sheltered from the harsh realities that her older relatives hadn't been. So basically she was an optomist because she didn't know better.
Ears perked up as she caught the sounds of a voice that wasn't her own. Looking away she noticed the other female for the first time. Woah... she was huge. Head tilted back so that she could stare up at the towering giant standing on two legs. But doing so caused Selene to topple onto her back. The youth landed with a soft 'oof.' She didn't seem to realize it, or else she just didn't care. Selene simply remained rested on her back in the snow (it did make it easier to look up at her older sibling this way) and tail wagged slowly back and forth. She had a habit of getting happy and excited over the smallest of things and so new faces and company was just another of those small things that made her happy.
"Mom said that Dad is in Chimera. She said something about a burnt building. If I can find that building then I can find my Dad." It all sounded so simple to her. The strange thing was that she actually believed that it was just that easy. Believed that if she could find the structure then her dad would be there waiting for her. Believed that if she could see her dad then her mom would miraculously get better. It just proved how innocent and trusting she really was.
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^_^
Ohh, so that was it. This half grown wolf wasn't an orphan after all, but one that had ventured out on her own. It made her a little dissapointed; she'd hoped for a moment that the youth had come to Clouded Tears looking for someplace to stay. Maybe Storm hadn't suited her,or something. As soon as she formed the thought she dismissed it, though. How cruel, to wish that this little one's parents were dead so that she would have someone to take care of. Naniko wondered for a moment if Selene's parents knew where she was. At least...if the girl's mother knew where she was. The younger white wolf was way off target, if she was looking for Chimera.
"Chimera isn't too far away from here, I suppose...but it would take while to get there if we started right now. A burnt building?" Naniko knew every nook and cranny of the Moaning Woods. "She must have been talking about one of the cabins."
She thought about this for a moment. It was too late in the day to venture out there. She looked at the younger female and shook her head. The girl was laying on her back in the snow, looking as peaceful as could be. Didn't she know proper wolf behaviour? "It's dangerous to show your belly to strangers. They could tear it out. Come on." She turned away from the castle, pointing toward the direction of her den. "It's much too late to be starting out for Chimera today. We can go in the morning"
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Well no, her mom didn't exactly know where she was. But then again her mom didn't really realize that she was in Taceli even if she had made the journey there. There wasn't much that her mom knew anymore. It was why Selene had to find the place that Kaelyn continued to speak about so that she could bring her mom back some peace of mind. As was obvious she had never met her dad. All she knew of him was that he looked exactly like Helios, that she had his last name, and her mom called him Rom. Actually... really looking at the wolf towering over her... the giant wolfess had the same color eyes as her brother.
Head tilted a bit more to the side as she continued to placidly watch the other female. "You have eyes just like my brother." The comment came out of nowhere. It certainly didn't relate to the conversation at all. But then getting back to the conversation. "Mom said that Dad went there to see her." Not that it really helped much but she was working on limited knowledge after all. Just snippets from a delusional wolf. Taking on a quest that no one had put her up to but herself. Actually she hadn't even paused to think if anyone was worried about her.
"Why would they want to do that? We are all family so we should love each other and not want to hurt each other. I'm not a rabbit so I can't be eaten. Phoenix said that I can't eat squirrels no more cause they are friends. Did you know that squirrels are friends? Are rabbits friends too? Or can I still eat rabbits?" Yes, she was inoocent and inquisitive all wrapped up in one. Rolling back over onto her paws the young lass stood up and shook the snow from her fur before trotting along behind the her older, albeit unknown, sister.
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She trotted alongside her smaller counterpart, glancing back to make sure Selene was following every few moments. Sometimes white wolves seemed to blend into the snow...she didn't want the little one to get lost. Clouded Tears was a land of vapors and ghosts. And when the fog would come, in the morning, things would be unrecognizable.
Naniko didn't know that her parents had mated again after she and Pontiac had been born, or that she had any siblings at all other than Ponti, Magdalena, Davinci, Dhalia, and Khaden...all wolves that had moved on. If she'd known she had more brothers or sister she probably would have gone out looking for them.
"That's strange; I don't think that this is a very common color. Jade, I think it's called. My sister Pontiac had blue...I was jealous of her eyes, at time. Such a clear, peaceful color. They look a lot like yours." She said it, but didn't think much of it.
So far nothing from the conversations was alerting her to any relation between the two; Selene's parents could have been any of the many wolves that had once lived in Chimera. Maybe they had left when Ahren had left. "Where's your brother at?" She asked softly as they walked. If her brother was dead, then she was sorry that she'd brought it up, but Naniko was a naturally curious wolf. Besides...if there was another pup out there to care for, she wanted to know about them.
They walked a little farther, getting closer to the willow tree that she denned beneath. Surely the girl's pack wouldn't mind her staying one night in Clouded Tears. "If your pack has a problem with you staying here with me, which I don't think they will...then I can come with you when you go back home tomorrow, to explain." She offered. She listened to the girl's next statement and the questions that followed, then shook her head. "Squirrels? I eat them all the time. But...I did hear that the Storm wolves stay away from them. I'm not sure why...seems peculiar to me. I eat rabbit, too. And fish. I have some at the den, ready to be cooked. Have you ever tried cooked meat, dear?"
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I fixed it! See...?
Oh, she was following along quite easily. Even if it was only because she bouncing from one large patch of snow to the other. This was her first snow so of course she was going to be excited about it. Besides, it was fun to watch it fly up and stick to her as she jumped from one pile to another. "What is this stuff?" She eventually found herself asking as a flake landed on her nose. For a moment she stared at it before licking it away. Whatever it was it had started to tickle her nose.
She hadn't known that her parents had mated before her and her brother. Her mom had never spoken of any other siblings. But then her mom didn't talk much. Only while she was sleeping and only then about Chimera and the burnt cabin and Rom. It was on a rare occasion did her mom realize just where she was and recognized the faces around her. Selene wanted that to happen all the time. It was way she was so far from home.
"Helios is in Taceli with my mom and her family. Maestery says I look alot like my mom when she was my age. Helios is said to look like our dad. Maestery imagines that he will be a huge wolf as he ages cause they say my dad was like a giant." She obviously didn't have a problem with prattling on about any subject. Even if she was dropping names that wouldn't be recognized by anyone but herself. She didn't really even think about giving out unrecognizable names. She was surrounded by them and didn't think to alter them into relationship status in order to help other's understand.
Back in Storm she had her own hermitage that Pheonix had given her in which to sleep. She had gained it her first night in Storm. No on else used it and so now she had her own den within the wooded area of the packland. As the question was asked she shook her head. "Not uh... I just eat what I catch when I catch it." It was the way that she was taught. Even if they had were forms in Taceli most remained in wolf form. Only her mom and Maestery kept their were forms at all times. Even if her mom was small by were standards she still looked like a giant compared to everyone else. But then that was because she had the ability to stand erect on her hind legs for long periods of time. Just like this female was doing. "How do you do that? Question seemed to come out of nowhere for it didn't hint at what she was talking about.
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It made sense that Selene hadn't ever tried cooked meat, when she'd been mostly by herself. Naniko hadn't thought to try cooking the meat until she'd seen somebody else do it...it had looked like a good enough idea. And she'd found that the meat tasted pretty good. There were some spices that she added to make it taste even more delicious.
"Heh, I see. I'm glad that he's safe, then. This stuff? That's falling down? It's snow. You can build stuff out of it sometimes, like big snow towers and snow-wolves...it's pretty fun" She hadn't thought about playing in the snow for a while now, and the idea made her grin. "We can play once we get there--it's just a little bit more walking"
"Hmm?" She hadn't understood the question. How did she do what? "I'm not sure what you're asking. How do I walk?"
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SHe couldn't even keep to a shifted form so cooking meat was nearly an impossibility for her. She wasn't comfortable with her second skin. Everyone else could shift so elegantly and yet she looked like a deforemed mess when she had tried. It was alot harder than it looked. There wasn't much that discouraged her but the inability to shift did worry her a bit. But she didn't think about it too much usually. Though she did envy those that could walk upon two legs.
The promise of play only caused her trail along ever the more quickly. She practically leapt through snow just to eagerly keep pace. "Yeah, I can't do it. See?" And just to prove it she reared up on her hind legs just to take a couple of steps before crashing down again. Despite her demonstration and her few stumbling steps she worked on keeping up with the female leading her.
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You can PP them going in and stuff like that, if you want to <3
The older female frowned, thinking this problem out. When had she first shifted? She could barely even remember...it'd been the day that Iskata had attacked her, out in Inferni. Naniko hadn't been very old then, and had been taking care of her younger brother with Conri for a few months without Iskata's help. She'd found her adopted mother out on the Inferni coasts, had risked her life to go out and see her. She'd thought that Iskata was dead. But really, she'd just been going crazy.
She could remember a lot of pain, and Iskata laughing at her. Shifting hadn't been fun.
"It takes some concentration. The first time I did it it wasn't by choice; it just happened. Maybe you need to wait for it to happen to you again, if you can't get it. We can try some more later on, if you want, though--when we get to the den"
They were really close to the willow tree, Naniko could see it in the distance. "There it is--the den. I'll get a fire going, and then we can work on the shifting" It was strange, how she was with this youngster. It was like they knew each other...she felt comfortable around Selene.
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Heh, okay... I try and stray away from things not previously mentioned in the post I am replying to so yah...
Selene didn't think that the ease and comfort was anything weird at all. Actually it came quite natural to her. But then she thought of all wolves as family. There was no reason to fear family after all. Quite honestly there was nothing that the young lass feared. She presented everyone with that bright, happy-go-lucky manner. Because of taht she found it rather easy to get along with everyone. All otheres were just new friends in the making in the pup's eyes.
Once the den came in sight the youth crawled on in and watched the fire being built. Head took on a curious tilt as she watched. The question was already in her eyes even if it hadn't fallen from her lips just yet. "I did it once but I'm no good at it." It had been on the night of the full moon. She hadn't taken to it as the others had. All the others had made the change in no time at all but it had taken her quite awhile and she couldn't even hold it. But what she couldn't do in shifting she made up in hunting. But even if she wasn't good at it she still wanted to increase her knowledge. She wanted to know all things. Such an ambitious goal indeed.
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Naniko concentrated on starting the fire first, clicking the pieces of stone together until they produced a spark, which then in turn lit the tiny pile of tinder before them. She had stones around the fire to keep the fire inside there, so that it wouldn't catch hold of anything else in her den and destroy it. She had learned her firemaking skills from Revlis when he had been alive, and she planned to pass it down to whatever future children she would have.
The young adult nodded to the adolescent when she spoke again. The fire was lit, and two hares roasted above it. They could talk while the food was cooking. "You've already done it once? Wow! The problem must have been...with keeping the form, then. Because when I did it I was stuck in Werewolf form until one day I woke up, and I was back to normal. After that all I had to do was concentrate real hard on what I wanted to happen, and it would happen. Let's see. Maybe if you thought about what you would look like as a werewolf, and imagined it happening to yourself. That might work"
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Bright eyes eagerly watched the fire being made. Watched the sparks created when the stones were clicked together. Watched as the spark landed against the tinder and quickly consumed it. It was all so fascinating seeing as how she never had seen it happen before. Maybe she could ask to be taught sometime. Though.... Sparing a glances to her paws. Perhaps she would need to shift first. She couldn't really hold things the way she was right now.
Nodding a bit she took the advice given to her. Concentrating she aimed to focus on the task before her. Focus on what she wanted to look like. Focus on how she believed that she should be percieved. Focus on how she seen others in this form. Focus on what the female tutoring her looked like. Eyes squeezed shut as she focused all her energy into the change. Slowly it did start to happen. Bones grinded against each other as they reshaped themselves. The elongating skeletal structure pressing tightly against her flesh and looking as if it was about the rip through thin flesh and be exposed. Pale eyes had opened about this time only to witness the sight and quickly back out of the changes. "I can't do it. It never looks right." The bright and bubbly girl actually seemed on the verge of tears. It was frustrating that she couldn't get through what others managed so easily.
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She bit her lip, thinking this over. Hmmm. It was difficult for Naniko to explain how to do something that she did every day, more than once a day sometimes. She took a moment to consider the options. They could keep trying, but that might not help Selene. Maybe the girl needed to practice by herself, so that she wouldn't feel so much pressure? But she looked so upset...Naniko wanted to help her more.
"I'm not sure" She admitted. "Each wolf looks different when they change; you have to really, really want to change for it to work. You might look a little different than some of the others when you shift, but that's nothing to be ashamed of. I look different than a lot of others...I'm very large, as you know. Even if you can get to a halfling form--a halfway shifted form--that's major progress. You're really doing well so far, Selene--it just takes a lot of time. Everybody has to start somewhere with it, to begin learning. It'll come to you in time. I don't want you to tire yourself out too quickly, though...so I'm not sure if we should keep going"
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She wasn't fluid in her movements and that made it difficult. She felt like she was about to rip herself apart. Perhaps if she could get over that feeling then she could get through it. Good things she wasn't friable. Her spirit was strong and she wouldn't let this little set back break her. She was determined to accomplish this. Maybe not right now but evebtually at least. She desperately wanted to learn.
At the words she simply nodded and settled herself down. Head was laid to rest on Naniko's leg. "I've got to find a Tears place. Mr. Poer says I have family in Tears." Words were spoken as she watched the food cooking. She had been told that she had two family members in Clouded Tears. She had to find those as well. Maybe if she could find them then she could learn a bit more about her dad.
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Naniko knew Ahren as he was now; she had met him before, but she had been a little too young to remember him very clearly. Right around the time that she was old enough to be venturing out of the den he and the others had left, going off to adventure to other lands. She could say that she was glad to see a few of them back, but Ahren wasn't what she had expected. She didn't get along with him, really...they were very different. Maybe it wasn't so much that they didn't get along, moreso that she just didn't understand him. And he didn't seem like he wanted to tell her anything other than what she already knew.
"This is 'Tears. Well...Clouded Tears. Ahren said that? He must know more about you than I do, to know that you had family here. He didn't say any names, though? Strange. Maybe you're related to Laruku. What's your last name again? She felt comfortable around Selene, like she had known her for a long time. Naniko had a natural connection with young ones, she'd taken care of so many...maybe that was it.
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She hadn't found a problem with Ahren. But then she didn't find a problem with most anyone. So that would mean that it really wasn't a surprise at all that she got along with someone. Now she would say that when she had talked to him Ahren had seemed rather upset about something. Not that it had put her off. There wasn't anything that she had found so far that could do that. Rather it just looked like he was having a bad day btu he had been helpful enough. He continued to answer her questions at least.
"Mr. Poer says that he knows my dad but he hasn't seen him." Names... Now what were the names that she had been given. There were three of them but only two in Tears. Herm... "Mis... Miss... Miss something... Miss Harry? And a Nana something... Nanacoo?" She had a bit of a problem with names if she didn't continue to repeat them over and over to herself. And seeing as she hadn't expected to come across these beings for awhile she hadn't exactly been practicing. But there was no doubt that she would recognize the name if she were to hear it again. She had been relying on that after all. "D'Angelo. Just like my dad."
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Haha, Miss Harry. xD!!!
”Misery! And Naniko! That’s me—I’m Naniko. Most people call me Nani. Or…my mate used to. He was the only one I really could be myself around. But you said that your last name was D’angelo? Then that must be it. That was the only part of my name that I could remember when I lost my memory, but my adopted father Physe told me that my name is actually Naniko D’angelo-Trickery. Trickery as in Kaelyn Trickery—she’s your mother, isn’t she? Mother sent you here? How is she? You said that she wasn’t doing well before…what’s wrong with her? I don’t know where dad is, I haven’t seen either of them in months…but I’m just so glad. That I know you”
It all came out at once, and she had trouble talking for a few moments afterwards. She just couldn’t believe this, believe that this was happening to her. Her /sister/ was here! She had more siblings, more family other than Pontiac! ”I’m your sister! And Misery is our aunt. You’ve got even more family here, too—we’re related to Jasper, who is Ahren’s son…he was mates with aunt Misery’s..sister, I think. Matinee.” She couldn’t believe that this was happening! And the worst part was…her sister had already joined Storm! ”But you live in Storm…while we’re all here”
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I apologize for the wait
Wow, she had a sister as well as a brother. That certainly was news to her. Paws danced excitedly as head bobbed up and down. Yes, Kaelyn Trickery was her mom. "She's my mom but she didn't send me. I don't think she even knows I am gone. She doesn't remember alot of things. All she talks about are wolves and places not around her. Sometimes she doesn't make any sense at all. She is barely ever really awake anymore. Maestery watches over her though. She always talked about Dad and Chimera though so I came here to find them myself. If I can find Dad then maybe she would get better." Perhaps it was a silly notion but it was all that she could think of to do. If she talked about him then he must know what to do in order to make things better, right?
"Is there something wrong with Storm?" She had a den in the tree filled area, a reminder of what she had in Taceli. But had she chosen the wrong pack? When she had joined she didn't know that she had family. Did that mean that they weren't allowed to see each other because they were in different packs? She honestly didn't see why it would matter. But then everyone had different views on things.
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