[html]
___ Though it had been rather nice these past few days, the clouds had rolled in thick that morning. Apollo had a mission today. He was going to make his ways towards AniWaya in search of his uncle. Whether or not he found him, well, he would see… As long as he made the effort, that was fine by him. Apollo, who had been limiting himself to wearing the jeans that had been ripped off just above the knee, pulled on one of the shirts he had stashed in his backpack. The one he chose for today was solid black, with a neckline that plunged in a V. He had retied the royal blue bandana around his forehead, silver hair as disheveled as ever.
___ He had spent the night in La Chateau, so it was quite a distance that the boy had to travel. He awoke while the stars were still decorating the skies, tying the clothes to his leg with a thick cord of twine. After shifting to four legs, the clothes bounced loosely around the ankle of his back leg. He didn’t mind so much as he ran, but knew it was necessary to shift if he wanted to make it there before sundown. When he had reached Serena Reserve, he shifted back and dressed himself, wrapping the twine around his wrist for safekeeping.
___ Apollo found himself at a barbed wire fence, and knew this must be the beginning of AniWaya’s territory. He paused then, unsure of whether or not he should call for Lannen. It seemed weird for him to call out to somebody he didn’t even know.
|
[/html]
[html]
She looked as she did most days, her long brown-black hair held back in a loose ponytail. She'd beaded brightly colored feathers into it today along with small pieces of shell and a few other small, shiny things. She wore a black cloak that came together with a button around her neck and flowed over her shoulders, a weapons-belt clearly visible as she walked. She had wanted to give Bayard some exercise but he wasn't quite ready to be ridden yet...so she'd stuck to walking with him. The black and white horse walked alongside her, the little feathers and beads that she had put in his mane clicking together every few strides as the great beast moved.
A fence came into view in the distance, and she stopped walking for a moment. Break time. Bayard wouldn't go anywhere without her, so she simply let go of the bit of mane she had been holding onto, flopping down onto the grass on her back. "Bayard, don't you ever get tired? I've had a stitch in my side for a mile...but you just keep going. What is with you?" She asked the horse.
[/html]
[html]
___ He ran his fingers through the mess of hair cascading over the bandana, pacing back and forth in front of the wired fence. Even if it wasn’t Lannen who happened to wander by, Apollo was sure that somebody had to come, right? After all, he was aware that most packs had sentinels or some other ranked wolf to come by and make sure the borders were in check. What if Apollo had been an enemy?
___ A sigh escaped from his throat, as he tried to decide whether or not to call for his uncle. Just when he was about to do so, he saw another Luperci and a horse. He leaned towards the barbed fence, placing a palm on the top of one wooden pole (careful not to touch the wire). He wasn’t sure if it would be smart for him to cross, but he did so anyways. Whoever it was wouldn’t be too mad once he explained himself, he was sure.
___ As he approached, Apollo spotted the raven woman wrapped in her cloak, his eyes immediately drawn to the colorful things that were adorning her hair. "Hi," he spoke, blinking his eyes for a moment. It had been some time since he had last seen her, but Apollo was sure this was the same girl from the city… the one he had gone to the library with. "Cinderella."
|
[/html]
[html]
There were only a few things worrying her today, and they weren't big worries. She was wondering about talking to Dawali about maybe starting some kind of school or academy...whatever the humans had called it...to teach packmembers certain skills. Maybe give new members a taste of what each branch of their ranks felt like, and let them pick their own way. Tayui's pups would be old enough for that soon, and there were new members who were still finding their way who could probably use a little guidance. Ember was around Aniwaya quite a bit, but she couldn't be everywhere and meet every newcomer to explain things and try and help them. And she wanted to be certain that they didn't feel lost here in this strange tribe, in new lands.
A soft sound nearby made her turn her head, and she tried to sit up. She was laying on the bottom half of her cloak, and that prevented the tall girl from rising at first, but she managed to get to a sitting position after a bit of maneuvering and a few unladylike grunts. A few of the feathers in her hair looked tousled from laying down on top of them, but most of them seemed to be all right. She ran a quick hand over them, using Bayard to help her get up to her feet. The wolf that stood in front of her was instantly recognizable; he looked a lot bigger than last time, more adult-like...but it was the eyes that got her. "Sky-bird?" She said it as a question anyway, just to make sure. She wanted to run over to him, to hug him maybe or something of that sort, but she wasn't sure about it. He'd been gone for a while, and they'd only hung out that one day. Maybe they weren't close enough for that kind of thing.
[/html]
[html]
___ He watched her as she rose, adjusting the adornments in her hair with tender movements of her slender fingers. When the recognition came in form of their once spoken pet names, Apollo couldn’t help but smile back at her. She remembered, and that was all he could ask for. "How have you been?" He asked, forgetting momentarily the true reason he had actually traveled to AniWaya. As far as the young Haddix was concerned, his uncle could wait.
___ The mismatched eyes went towards the horse, studying the outline of his muscular frame. It was a magnificent animal and Apollo wondered what it would be like to ride one. He had never been close enough to be able to stroke the smooth, broad neck. "It’s been awhile," he added, turning his eyes back to Ember. She had gotten older, just as he had, but grown lovelier.
|
[/html]
[html] d'awwww. Your post = <33 We should have something fun and awkward happen in this thread  Also, here is a picture of Bayard ^^ http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c73/phys...lis/xxxxx-1.jpg
Bayard seemed content to stand there next to the two of them, not frightened by the stranger or by his odd scent. It seemed that the horse understood that they were on the tribe's lands, and that on the tribe's lands they would always be safe. Ember could speak to the lower creatures, but sometimes communication with Bayard seemed difficult. She had to perfect the art of speaking to horses; they seemed much more intelligent than some of the animals she talked to.
"I've been doing really good. Dawali, the leader here, took me and my friend Tayui in. She had some pups, and I helped watch 'em till they were old enough to be running around on their own. And since then I've just been hanging around here with my friend Bayard, learning my tribe duties and trying to be a good member." She motioned toward the horse, whose ears perked up when she said his name. He stopped munching on the grass around them and lifted his head, coming to stand at her side.
He looked at the bandana that the werewolf wore, stretching his neck forward to try and lip at it. "I think he likes your bandana" She said, laughing. "But he's just a big ol' gentle guy. Aren't you?" She patted the horses's side. "What about you? Where have you been?"
[/html]
[html]
Bayard is pretty! And I agree! Apollo should try to ride him and fall off or something. XD
___ Though he had only spent time with Ember once, Apollo was glad that he’d run into a familiar face. Since he had been back in the area, there were only a few people he had run into that were familiar to him. It seemed like many people had moved on, and Apollo was still trying to figure out where everyone had gone and what they had been up to in the meantime. "Sounds like you’ve been busy," Apollo offered, smiling towards Ember. If she was happy here, then Apollo knew that was a good thing. He himself had always been searching for the right home. He thought he had found that with the castle. It was good to know that Ember had found hers too.
___ As the horse moved its thick neck towards Apollo, the young boy ducked, raising his hands to block the bandana attack. "Hey!" He cried playfully, knowing the horse didn’t intend any harm. He adjusted the bandana, which had been skewed by Bayard’s attempts at lunch. "Me?" Apollo leaned forward, gently lifting a hand to stroke it along Bayard’s neck. It was amazing that he could feel the muscle tone beneath the thin blanket of fur. They were such powerful animals, though almost always had a gentle nature. "I left with my dad, and we went to a place called Maine. Near a big lake. I guess it was where my dad was born and we both got to meet his family for the first time." He lifted the mismatched eyes to a glance at her. "But after a few months, I decided to come home."
|
[/html]
[html]
It was good to hear from someone who knew who she was, and who she could relate to. She had mostly been hanging around adults lately, ones much older than her, or pups...who were much younger. Someone around her own age...now that was rare. She laughed at Bayard when the horse pulled away, turning his head to her. What did he want from her? She wasn't going to get the bandana for him.
"It's good to meet your family. Mine was always here and there...there are tons of them running around, if I'd take some time to track them down. But they don't try to find me either, so I don't feel too bad." She patted Bayard as well as she talked, running a hand down his smooth neck. "Did you have any fun while you were gone? It's been a while since I had some real good fun"
[/html]
[html]
___ Apollo supposed he could sort of relate with Ember. He knew that he too had family around, though he had never really cared where they had gone off to. He still wondered where Sirius had gone since he had last seen him, but it wasn’t a priority for the boy to go out looking. He was starting a new life here, one with some new faces and some old. He had enjoyed meeting his cousins and other relatives, but Apollo knew he couldn’t stay there forever. After he had left, he had a feeling that this place could only ever truly be home. Perhaps that’s why he had come home the first time he had left.
___ "Yeah, it was fun. Strange, too, since they were all telling me that we’re family, but I was just meeting them for the first time. Me and a cousin got along well – Sawyer – and he even gave me his guitar. Taught me how to play it." He knew that Ember probably wasn’t aware of his musical talent, but that didn’t stop him from talking. "A lot easier to carry around than a piano," he chuckled. "And it sounds just as nice." He snuck in a few strokes along Bayard’s large side. His coloring was beautiful, especially the blanket of white that trailed the back end of his large frame. "Whadaya say we have some good fun, then?" Apollo asked, raising his gaze from Bayard’s fur to find Ember. Though as soon as he had suggested that, Apollo realized he wasn’t sure what they could do that would constitute fun.
|
[/html]
[html]
It had been a while since she'd been around anyone but Tayui, Dawali, or one of the pups, and she brightened at the idea of a new kind of fun. It was fun playing with the puppies, but Ember was always watching out for them at the same time. She was glad to be with someone who was around her same age, someone she didn't have to look out for. And Apollo was awesome!
"A guitar, huh? I think my nephew plays guitar. But I've never really seen one up close before. You'll have to show me sometime! Where did you say you were staying at? I live here, but I could come visit you to get a change of pace, you know?" If he wanted, anyway. She didn't want it to sound like she was inviting herself over. "But for today...well, we have Bayard. We could play with him, maybe. He runs so, so fast...you should hop on and take him for a ride! I've only ridden on him a few times, but he's a good boy. I think it would be ok"
[/html]
[html]
___ "They’re really interesting," he told her, picturing the smooth wooden body in his head. "Of course I will. Maybe I can show you how to play a little something too," he threw in. "I’m staying up by Inferni, along Drifter Bay. I have a big beach house that I live in. It’s huge and has plenty of space, so you’re welcome anytime." He couldn’t help the smile. He would absolutely love for Ember to stop by.
___ At Ember’s suggestion, the mismatched eyes slowly trailed over to Bayard. The young Haddix snuck another few strokes along the animal’s back as he considered the proposition. "He wouldn’t mind?" Apollo asked. He really wanted to ride him, but he was slightly afraid the horse would try and buck him off. After all, he didn’t want to look stupid in front of Ember.
|
[/html]
[html]
She didn't understand the concept of being a loner right now, though she had in the past. Maybe he needed time to himself, time to do whatever he wanted wherever he wanted without having to worry about pack duties. She didn't know what she would do without her tribe, though, without Dawali and Asha and all of the others. She liked helping them, really, and was at a place in her life where she was ready to settle down in one area.
"Wow, thanks! We could have a meal together sometime, maybe. Have you ever tried using driftwood in a fire? It turns the flames really cool colors. We could experiment!" She grinned. Sounded like a plan to her! She'd definitely seek him out soon! "Naw, he won't mind a bit" She said in reference to his comment about the horse. Bayard nodded his head in response as well, as if he understood. "You'll be good, huh Bayard" She said, laughing. "Justs take a hold of his mane and swing your leg over. That's what I always did."
[/html]
|
