[html] aus buchstaben heraus
Hopefully you don't mind that this takes place in Oberon's Spring. (: Word Count: 273
im buchstaben
Catalyst had grown worried all of a sudden, terribly worried. The siblings usually lingered around the church, which was a pretty applicable spot for protection, comfort, and security. It was to be where the pups reported back to the church during nightfall, and generally their place of returning back home for shelter. However, Catalyst grew worried about her fellow brother Palindrome. He was rarely seen among the others, and wondered where the young boy brother of hers wandered off to when everyone else was together. She wasn't sure if the other siblings noticed (or really cared for that matter), but Catalyst was amazingly observant of her surroundings at her age, and for Palindrome to be missing constantly... well, she knew by instinct that wasn't a good thing.
Whisked away to Oberon's Spring, she figured he might have been out here somewhere. It wasn't a certainty that he was, but it was necessary to not leave any stone unturned. It was really easier said than done, however, since Catalyst was still just a puppy, and this world, well... it was huge. There was no way Catalyst couldn't cover Dahlia in a day's span, not even if she tried. She knew that even for herself, but her search for her little brother was something that kept her legs and paws pushing, even all the way out here. "Palindromeee! Palindromeee!" She called out among the sweet and humid Spring afternoon air, squinting her dual eyes in the bright sun of the noon. "Wo sind sie?!" Catalyst grumbled lowly, breathlessly to herself, as she plopped down right next to the shore bank of the stream, panting immensely.
[/html]
[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/ ... xeyban.jpg); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat;">
There was something majestic about the forest surrounding Oberon’s Spring. Alexey often liked to sit in the middle of it all and stare up at the rays of sunlight pouring through the foliage. Dust particles were visible amidst the filtered light; sparkling like little diamonds. The Caregiver loved the warmth on her face. She was living a dream; enjoying every passing moment until a child’s voice echoed through the woods. Beige-colored ears perked upright, alert and ready to apprehend any upcoming sounds. That’s when she heard it again, a little girl calling out for someone. Palindrome?
Lexey remembered the pup quite well. They’d stayed up all night talking about the moon (amongst other things). He was a charming little guy. She hadn’t seen him in a little while though, and part of her truly hoped that he was nearby. However, judging from the way his name was being called out and the distress she’d perceived in the other child’s voice, Alexey seriously doubted that was the case. She stood up; aiming to find the pup she hadn’t yet laid eyes upon.
Finding her hadn’t been too hard. She’d stumbled upon the Papaver just as she plopped down next to the water’s edge. “Hello?” she called out softly, making sure to keep her distance until the pup acknowledged her presence. Alexey didn’t want to startle her. The child was already out of breath, judging from the way she was panting. She looked like the Rosea, and her face seemed rather familiar. One of Cercelee's cousins, more than likely; Lexey had briefly seen them at the pack celebration. “Catalyst?” Yes, that was her name.
[/html]
[html]
The name of Palindrome had been vociferous to her all afternoon, but to no avail, there had been no sighting of him anywhere. For the achromatic pup, it seemed as if the day's heat was testing her stableness and motivation. It was simply too hot for her to be meandering about in this sort of weather; the most applicable spot for any individual to avoid any heat strokes would have to linger about a water source. She was certainly aware there was more to Dahlia than this mere strip of territory, but lets face it, she was just too small yet to travel through successfully in one day (and doubted anyone else could do the same).
It was then the firm triangles of ears perked up, catching the sound of movement nearby. Her hope sparked some energy into her spirit and soul for a mere second, and then began to fade as soon as a feminine like voice was sounded. For a second, she thought she might have actually stumbled into the right area (or, thought Palindrome might have stumbled upon her). Before her was an adult female who was a rich and elegant cream, but the more alluring thing about her was the fact that she knew Catalyst's name. To this, she tilted her head to the side in puzzlement, dual eyes of cerulean and steel studying the female in as much detail as she could pick up. She didn't look recognizable by any means, although it was true that during her duration at Dahlia, she came in contact with more adults than she could remember. "You... you know me?" The little girl spoke, incredulously.
[/html]
[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/ ... xeyban.jpg); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat;">
She hadn’t expected the child to recognize her. They had only seen each other once before, and Catalyst had been too busy playing with her siblings to pay any attention. Keeping up with Dahlia de Mai’s pups was her duty; hence why she’d carefully memorized all of their little faces. There were five of them, and Catalyst was the palest. Recognizing her was easy; she bore the Rosea’s color. Their eyes didn’t quite match, but were similar enough. Frankly, Alexey would’ve thought they were mother and daughter if she hadn’t known any better.
The Caregiver was glad to see that Catalyst wasn’t fearful of her presence. She was a little shocked, yes, but it probably had to do with the fact that Lexey knew her name. “Yes I do. I know your brothers and sisters too. It’s my job.” she admitted, allowing a mirthful smile to tug at her lips. Cercelee and Slay were doing a good job taking care of them all. They were polite and well-raised, at least from what she’d seen thus far. “I’m Alexey.” Introductions were always a good start.
She judged it safe to approach the child and took a seat right next to her. “I spent some time with Palindrome a few weeks ago.” she offered, hoping to appease the girl's worries by mentioning her littermate.
[/html]
[html]
It was a difficult task to put a name to a face at this point, or really a recognizable memory to a face, for Catalyst had not recalled meeting nor seeing this beige colored female before (and it was indeed that while Alexey might have stopped by the church or wherever, Catalyst was probably engaged in play with her siblings, as that was her most likely activity around them at this point). Stating that she personally knew her brothers and sisters, the little ivory girl sort of felt like she fell out of the loop with something. Tun sie meine brüder und schwestern kennen sie auch? She asked herself in her mind, wondering if perhaps she might have missed the lady when she came over to visit one day. To further say it was her job to know her brothers and sisters, Catalyst pondered just who this was. Obtaining the name (a pretty one at that, seemingly suiting her through and through), even the providence of a name didn't stir any memory about a particular creamy female as this one. It was only nice to return the favorable introduction with her own name, even though Alexey already knew who she was. "'m Catalyst." She said, dumbfoundedness laced in her voice.
As Alexey decided to gently take a place next to Catalyst, the young girl didn't inch away, but felt rather confused as to how to react with the adult sitting next to her. In doing so, the only reaction given was a nervous slide of her paw trying to make designs in the soft soil near the shore bank. As her shy nature moved in slightly, it would go as soon as it came, for the mention of her third born brother and Alexey having witness to have been in his presence made her ears perk up, her dual eyes widen, and the whole soft contours of her visage instantly light up. "Wirklich!?" She exclaimed in her native voice, forgetting to transition to English in that moment due to her excitedness. "Have been lookin' all o'er for Palindrome! Where you see him at?" Her inquiry said with fervent interest. Even though she said a few weeks ago, which was considerably a long time ago from now, Catalyst seemed to have missed that part entirely and made it go through one ear and out the other; she was just excited to know that at least somebody like Alexey seen him around.
[/html]
[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/ ... xeyban.jpg); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat;">
Catalyst’s confusion was understandable. Her bi-colored eyes were as expressive as ever; innocence radiated from her very being. The Caregiver smiled, opting for a more detailed explanation as to what her job really was. “I’m the pack’s puppysitter. I take care of puppies without guardians. Since Cercelee is your guardian, I try to help her out when I can.” Granted, the Rosea didn’t really need anyone’s help. Slay was help enough, should she ever get overwhelmed. The Lillium’s kids were the ones who needed looking after. They weren’t troublesome though; not in the least bit. Spending time with them was always enjoyable.
Honey-hued eyes travelled to the sandy ground where Catalyst was now drawing vague shapes. One of her own paws reached out and pressed gently against the soil, forming a perfectly defined paw print. “I saw him in Flanders Field, not too far from my house.” she explained, wondering if the child had any idea where the field was. The church was nowhere near that area and Cercelee had very little reason to bring the kids so close to the southern borders. Maybe she’d gone there looking for Palindrome; another possibility. “But this was a little while ago. I don’t know where he is now. We can go look for him together though, if you want.”
[/html]
[html]
As Miss Alexey described her job in detail, Catalyst understood. It was understandable how Alexey tried to help out Miss Cercelee with her guardianship of Catalyst and her siblings; it was figured that the ivory girl just didn't see her around as much as she should, or that she should have paid more attention to detail when Alexey stopped by every now and then. Regardless, at least Catalyst knew now, and would definitely recognized and acknowledge the puppysitter's presence whenever she chose to stop by in the near future to assist the pup's guardians. Seeing as how she was the officially puppysitter, the young ivory girl wondered if there were any other puppies in Dahlia other than her brood of siblings. "How many other puppies do y' take care of? Are there more?" She wondered. Catalyst wouldn't meet Conor Soul until after this meeting with Alexey, so for now Catalyst was completely unaware if there were any other puppies within the ranks of Dahlia, or if perhaps Alexey served to be a puppysitter for other puppies somewhere else. The topic of puppies to another puppy was always an interesting one, just for the fact one had to know where there age group was lingering and what they were doing. It was fun to play with her siblings, but Catalyst wanted her own group of outside friends too.
When the pretty Alexey made an imprint of her paw in the soil, her dual hued eyes studied the shape for a moment. Smiling gently and sweetly in that natural puppy innocent charm, Catalyst mimicked her motion and put an imprint right next to her own. Her paw pressed down a little harder, and rubbed her pads into the dirt, so when she lifted her paw, her imprint looked a little less than perfect. Still, it was an imprint right next to Alexey's. "I can' wait to be grown up someday." It was fun being a puppy, but Catalyst wanted to be big already. "How long does it take to grow up?" She asked Alexey, straying off the topic for a mere second by the imprints in the soil.
Catalyst would jump right back to the topic of Palindrome, however, seeing as how her brother was more important than a mere print in the ground. Hearing how she last seen him at Flander's Field, Catalyst wasn't sure if she visited there yet, and was completely unaware of the territories that made up Dahlia as a whole. "I... don' know where that is. I don' know if I been there yet. How many places are there here?" Flander's Field was obviously one, and one that would stick in mind on her search for her brother. Yet, it was also crucial to her to know the boundaries that rest within Dahlia, just for future reference when speaking to adults (she wouldn't be as confused and out of the loop when they were talking about the subdivisions in Dahlia).
Stating how Alexey had not seem him since awhile ago, her smile considerably faded slightly, as well as the hopeful glitter in her gaze. The adult was offering to help her look however, and well, Catalyst needed it at this point. "Yes, Miss Alexey... if... if you're not busy enough." In a sense Catalyst felt a little bad, strangely enough, that the adult would be going out of her way to help look for her brother, but Catalyst missed and worried about him terribly, and it was only going to grow worse the more he went missing.
[/html]
[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/ ... xeyban.jpg); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat;">
300+
She hesitated a moment before providing an answer to Catalyst’s question, choosing her words very carefully. Conor and Emwe’s story was an unpleasant one, especially when it came to their parents. Alexey often avoided telling people the real reason why she took care of them so much, because it inevitably gave the Lilium a bad reputation. She didn’t want to tarnish his image; it would come back to haunt her if she did. The Acer had seen what the Dahlian sub leader was capable of, and it was terrifying. “I take care of two other puppies; Conor and Emwe,” she paused, in an attempt to find a suitable explanation. “They are the Lilium’s children. He’s a very busy man. And their mom had to go away.” The truth had been diluted, but at least she hadn’t lied.
“It doesn’t take very long to grow up, Catalyst. Enjoy being a puppy while you can.” she warned, a seriousness lingering behind her words. She too, had yearned to become an adult at that age. Now it was just the opposite. Too many responsibilities came with adulthood. She hated it. “Flanders Field is situated south of the packlands. But don’t stray too close to the borders without an adult.” Another warning. Alexey didn’t want to be held responsible for the loss of a puppy, especially with that puppy-eating predator roaming about. He would’ve succeeded in taking Kol’s life, had Lexey not interfered by partially blinding him.
If he was capable of taking on an experienced fighter like Kol, he certainly was a threat to most in Dahlia de Mai. “There are other places too. Right now we’re in Oberon’s Spring. And the church where you live is in Wolfville.” she explained, finding no point in describing other locations if they weren’t going to visit them together. The Caregiver then got to her feet with a slight wag of her tail, waiting her new little friend to lead the way. “Ready when you are.” she said with an eager smile. Although she showed no outer signs of worry, she truly hoped that Palindrome hadn’t landed himself in any trouble.
[/html]
[html]
600+
The other puppies of Dahlia had been a mystery to Catalyst, seeing that while in the care of her guardians, it appeared that they were the ones whom the guardians only had time for. Tiny ears twitching at both of the names received, Catalyst would come to know in a matter of days Conor at Whisper Beach, and their meet would be one that would be unexpected and truly emotional for both of them. Relating to the event that would take place between the puppies, Conor would be in a similar, almost exact position that Catalyst and her siblings were in with their mother. Abandoned, gone, unwilling to be fit enough to care for such fragile lives. For this simple fact, however, it was actually something of an astonishing thing to find out; other puppies didn’t have mothers either? Even though such a thing was terrible indeed, Catalyst could help but feel a strange sense of comfort from this. She didn’t feel like she was the only one left for nothing from her mother. “They… they don’ have a’ mommy either?” Catalyst said aloud, as if trying to confirm this herself. Looking to Alexey, there was a soft smile written upon her tiny maw. “You’s a guardian, jus’ like Cercelee an’ Slay are. Do… they like you?” Catalyst was curious to know if it took Conor and Emwe a little time to adjust to Alexey taking care of them frequently, for it was surely a feat for Catalyst and her siblings to have firm trust in their guardians, despite how well they were to the puppies.
Alexey made it sound like growing up was something to be no rush to look forward to, and Catalyst twisted her head to the side in question to this. “Do you’s not like bein’ grown up?” The pup had mistaken Alexey’s warning tone for something of despite. No matter how much fun it was being a puppy, Catalyst simply couldn’t wait to grow up and be big like everyone else! The only thing she wasn’t aware about was the responsibilities one had to uphold while being an adult, in which Catalyst would soon come to realize in time that responsibilities and growing up isn’t as fun as imagined when she was smaller. Hearing about the different subdivisions about Dahlia, Catalyst was slightly familiar with Flander’s Field, and the borders seemed like a far away journey for her yet (despite in a couple day’s time she would venture there in search of the monster eating puppy). It seemed that there were different kinds of places, all of which the curious pup couldn’t wait to see. “Tha’ seems like a lot. Have y’ been t’ all those places? Wha’s your favorite?” She asked, the natural curious nature of a puppy never seeming to fail a barrage of questions that might otherwise be boring to an adult.
Noting that Alexey was eager to help her in the search of Palindrome, the adult softly acquitted for Catalyst to lead the way. Wagging her tail at this, Catalyst then began walking with that bounce in her step, glad to have some assistance with the search, but then stopped short suddenly. Looking up at Alexey with a frown, there was something that suddenly troubled the ivory girl. “Uhm… where’s do we start?” There was a helpless glint in her dual eyes, as while she was excited to lead the way, she just didn’t know where to begin looking. This place was certainly huge!
[/html]
[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/ ... xeyban.jpg); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat;">
300+
Honey-hued eyes darkened momentarily, overshadowed by a cloud of shame. It was her fault if Emwe and Conor’s mother had been exiled from Dahlia de Mai. Although Firefly deserved it, her absence was clearly troubling the little ones. At first she’d been glad, genuinely happy that her former friend had been punished for her actions; it meant that she wouldn’t be able to inflict harm upon her children any longer. But as time went by, guilt became ever so present in the back of her mind. Alexey had taken everything away from the two-toned woman; her children, her rank, and her pack. It became dreadfully obvious that one day soon, they would meet again. And when that day came, one of them was going to get hurt.
“They have a mommy but she’s not allowed to see them anymore. She did very bad things,” she explained briefly, unable to understand why she was poisoning Catalyst’s mind with such nonsense. Children weren’t meant to hear this kind of stuff, and the Acer almost instantly regretted the words that had come out of her mouth. “Uh, yes. I mean, Conor does. I- I think Emwe does too. I don’t know.” she stammered, now wondering if the chubby pup truly appreciated having her around. Conor was a no-brainer; he normally stuck to her like glue. But Emwe was different.
The questions kept on coming, and the Acer could only smile. She didn’t know how Catalyst came up with so many. Her curiosity was a rather cute personality trait though. “I don’t hate it, but I liked being a puppy a lot more.” she said, her features growing softer. Lexey paused for a moment, mentally scouting the nicest sub-divisions in Dahlia de Mai. “Ila Harbor. It’s the perfect place to go swimming. Have you been there yet?”
She mirrored the pup’s excitement with a slight wag of her tail. When the pup halted in her tracks, Alexey pointed in the right direction with the tip of her nose. They would scout the area where Palindrome was last seen. “South-west. That way.” she indicated, allowing the Rosea’s cousin to take the lead once more.
[/html]
[html]
Apologies for the wait, back from absence. ^^; 300+
To hear that their mommy had done bad things, well... it was stunning for her to hear. Then again, a strange sense of relief was felt every time something of the sort was mentioned. Why relief? Mainly because it told Catalyst that she was in the same boat like the rest. But when Alexey suddenly changed her story to I don't know, however, the ivory pup couldn't help but to give a sideways tilt of her head. Guess Alexey truly didn't know the whole situation, but what was shared enough was good to know that there were other mommies out there who did bad things too. Good, for she wasn't the only one who felt like this. Usually this topic had become increasingly hard for her to speak of, and since Alexey stated that she didn't know anything else, Catalyst would have to comply silently with her.
At hearing Alexey enjoyed being a puppy more, the stub that was her alabaster tail whipped in a wag behind her. Catalyst wished she could have seen Alexey as a puppy one point, not to mention most of the adults as puppies themselves! What a sight that would be! When she had spoke of Ila Harbor, Catalyst was just as unfamiliar with the names of the regions as she was with the region itself. "Nuh-uh. Will you's take me sometime?" Her head shook from side to side, although she would love to go swimming in the near future since Cwmfen taught her how to swim not but a couple weeks ago.
With having a sense of direction now, now the two could begin their journey in hopeful search of Palindrome. Her lead would start out with a bouncy trot, which simmered into skipping, which then lessened into padding. Every now and then the dual eyed puppy would turn behind her to smile up at the creamy she-wolf. "Do you's think we'll find him? Maybe he's tryin' to play hide an' seek... but he's been hidin' for way too long..." Yes, Catalyst must have thought of all this as some sort of game. Hopefully it was, in a sense.
[/html]
[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/ ... xeyban.jpg); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat;">
Questions became sparse, dismissed by the child’s apparent confusion. Alexey was somewhat thankful, appreciating the fact that it wasn’t too late to safely steer away from the taboo subject. Catalyst didn’t understand everything that was being said; the way she tilted her head made it obvious. However, the pup’s silence told the Caregiver it was time to move on. They had other things to talk about; like swimming, one of the many things they could do together. Perhaps they could invite other puppies; it would surely help alleviate the atmosphere. Dahlia de Mai’s last celebration had been somewhat ruined by Firefly’s dreary presence.
“Yes, of course! Let me know whenever you feel up to it,” she said with a nod of her head, her tail accompanying little Catalyst’s by flicking back and forth energetically. Palindrome’s well-being was most important though, swimming would have to wait. The Acer really didn’t mind exploring the lands with the alabaster girl. Catalyst was a bundle of joy; well-behaved and good company. Lexey didn’t know where the child's sibling was, but she knew he couldn’t have strayed too far from the pack lands. He was introverted; far from bold and adventurous. It seemed unlikely that he would just leave.
“Oh, we’ll find him. Don’t worry! He may be good at hiding but he stands no chance against us. Right?” she affirmed, a confident smile tugging at the corners of her lips. There was nothing to worry about. Cercelee and Slay surely would have alerted the pack if one of the pups had gone missing. Alexey followed the Rosea’s cousin for a little while, occasionally redirecting the child in the right direction. “Tell me Catalyst, do you know how to track yet?”
[/html]
[html] http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/4598 ... ttable.png); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat;">
200+
There were plenty of activities to look forward to, and Catalyst couldn't wait to fulfill such activities with her new friend Alexey. Apparently Catalyst was making friends with the adults more so than the resident pups of the pack, or really any other pups that were around in general. She pretty much only had her siblings to rely on, which in the sense was good because they were of her blood and she could trust them, but then again there were times to where Catalyst grew frustrated with them and wanted some time away from them. Looking up to Alexey, she seemed like a very young spirited adult, and Catalyst liked this trait about her.
Not only was she young spirited, but at least she was optimistic enough to give hope that Palindrome would be found by them regardless. Feeling empowered by this, her tail continued her enthusiastic lashings behind her. "Nope! He doesn't! I'mma show him a thing or two once I find him though!" There was a small, barely audible growl in her voice thereafter. She didn't like it when her siblings suddenly up and disappeared, and would make it known to them that they shouldn't be doing that to one another, especially her. As far as any tracking skills, Catalyst had zero. "How do you track? Like following paw prints?" She had somewhat of a general idea, but it was best left to Alexey to clarify more on such.
[/html]
[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/ ... xeyban.jpg); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat;">
300+ PPed them finding him. You can reply once more, if you want. Or you can just archive this. ^_^
Her encouraging words, it seemed, had rekindled the child’s enthusiasm. Optimism would aid them greatly on their quest to find missing Palindrome. The Acer could only hope that their search would not be in vain. Not only would it crush little Catalyst, but it would also indicate that something was terribly wrong. Should their plan fail, Alexey had every intention of seeking answers from the girl’s guardian. A threat escaped the Papaver’s mouth, and Lexey couldn’t help but chuckle lightheartedly at what was being said. Poor Palindrome would definitely get a piece of his sister’s mind, no doubt about it! “I bet you will!” she exclaimed, feigning awe at the little one’s growl and warning.
Catalyst’s idea of tracking wasn’t too far off from reality. Tracking could’ve involved following paw prints, but such a thing was useless in this case. Palindrome certainly hadn’t left any prints lying around. “A good tracker uses his nose. Like this.” she started, providing a hands-on demonstration by lowering her muzzle to the ground. Before doing anything else, Alexey decided that she'd explain properly. "If you practice really hard, you'll be able to smell the places Palindrome has visited." That being said, the Caregiver inhaled deeply. His smell was nothing but a ghostly trace.
Things were looking up, however, as the pair moved further south. Catalyst remained by her teacher's side, doing what was required of her in hopes of finding her long lost brother. Several minutes passed, which turned into an hour (perhaps two), before they finally picked up a substantial trace of the boy. Alexey patiently awaited her apprentice to take the lead, making sure the child was using the technique she’d recently acquired as a means to track down her flesh and blood. A wide grin spread upon both faces as the missing pup’s unmistakable silhouette materialized in the distance. But the Caregiver remained a little ways behind, watching as the palest pup caught up with her brother.
[/html]
|
