Memories of a distant past
#1
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Woot! One year, and what an awesome year it has been.

Word Count → 000


Kiara stood upon the mountain's base, looking over the valley that she once knew so well. The forest behind her and the fields before her, reminding her of the pack that was long gone. Ichika no Ho-en, a pack of peace and strange beauty. One year ago, Kiara had stood upon the land and gazed at the fresh fall flowers that marked the boarders. She had arrived to Ichika after spending several months on her own and found that the luperci of legend were more real than she could have ever imagined. Back then, she had been nothing more than a wide-eyed yearling who yearned to see the world. Back then she had been untouched by the human ways of the luperci and knew nothing of there way. Even now the uninfected female could not fathom all of the strangeness around her. She couldn't understand the things luperci did and knew little of the things they created or fixed.


Closing her eyes, Kiara inhaled the scent of the valley, remembering that day one year ago. She could almost feel her puppy like joy and curiosity, almost remember what Ichika smelled like and what her homeland was like. Opening her eyes, Kiara looked around and smiled. In just one year she had become a mother, scarred by Amy's hands, learned to love and loose, and learned of her immunity to the luperci virus. So much had transpired in just one year, both good and bad.


Turning away from her old home, Kiara began to meander through the mountains. Her mind traveled back in time, to the faces she once knew so well. Without realizing it, she had turned south and began to head towards Inferni. The white female stopped at the mountains' peak. Behind her lay the less dense forest that still held the scars from the fire many years ago. Before and below her lay the dense forests that covered the mountain's southern face. Looking out, Kiara envisioned that she could see Inferni and the sea beyond it. Her thought's turned to Vesper, wondering how her old friend was doing. Sitting down again, Kiara let the gentle wind play with her fur as she stared out at the vast expanse before her, reminiscing and remembering.


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#2
She'd come north to see her friend. She really missed Kiara. Being with her was fun. Dalgina was almost a full year of age now. It would only be another month to her first birthday. She should have been ecstatic over it. A whole year of age, and she was finally seeing the return of the seasons, back to the winter she'd been born in. Dalgina had loved playing in it. Everything had been good back then. Tragedy had decided to haunt the young wolf's life however, and good things had become more and more uncommon as time passed. It ached to realize it, but Dalgina had to face the truth.

Smelling Kiara Dalgina broke into a trot. She'd shifted into lupine as she'd known that was the form Kiara preferred, still oblivious to the fact that her friend wasn't a luperci. Her earrings remained, along with a couple necklaces. The rose tattoo on her left hip stung slightly. It had finally been finished, her second tattoo. She'd been careful choosing it, trying to imprint hope into her body with the action. Kiara. Dalgina's tail wagged softly, unable to muster the same enthusiasm she'd had before.
#3
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Form :: Lupus


Hotaru had made a promise, one she had kept. Dalgina spoke of a female who had appeared in her childhood, one that chose the lupus form over any other and one that had acted as a teacher and friend. Unfortunately, this same female lived an entire two days travel away from d'Arte and was too far north for Hotaru's liking. She didn't know the area and easily got lost. On top of that, she had yet to fully recover from the deaths of her pups. But Hotaru refused to go back on her promise, so to the north they went.


As per Dalgina's request, Hotaru was in her lupus form. Fawkes and Kelia were both perched upon her back, chattering quietly to themselves with the occasional direction for their blind master. After what seemed like an impossible climb through the mountains, the pair reached a stopping point. The scent of a wolf drifted towards them, and Dalgina rapidly picked up her pace. Hotaru did her best to keep up, but her insecurity in the area and lack of familiarity prevented her from moving as fast as she would like.


The closer she drew to Dalgina and her friend, the more Hotaru noticed something was off. This Kiara, smelled like a wolf, but there was a slight distinction in her scent. Something was different about the stranger, yet she wasn't sick nor was she a mutt. Pricking her ears up and keeping her tail high, Hotaru approached the pair. "Hello, it is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Hotaru. Dalgina speaks highly of you."



Word Count :: 000 | OOC :: --

Who says I can't hide? Watch me.
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#4
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ooc.

Word Count → 000


The arctic female sat atop the mountain, simply content to remember. She felt almost at peace, as if the tranquility that once blanketed Ichika had somehow spread through her. There were so many happy and painful times, but Kiara did not seem to mind. Her son was still missing and her body covered in scars. Yet her daughter was growing up to be a beautiful young wolf, their pack was strong, and Tharin had become her mate. All that was missing were her old friends.


Coincidences were perhaps the best surprises in life. Dalgina's scent, as well as the scent of another, drifted up through the mountains and alerted the alabaster female to the pup's presence. A young black female strode up the mountain, her gait strong and her body covered in human things. The colorful images were prevalent in Dalgina's dark coat and Kiara couldn't help but smile. Dalgina had gotten paint on her again. One thing that really struck Kiara though, was just how big Dalgina had become. She was no longer a pup and the description did not fit her. No, Dalgina was a yearling, a young wolf. To see her so much older and confident almost hurt. Where was the happy-go-lucky pup that she had played with in the snow? Where was the tiny black ball of fur?


Seeing Dalgina again was a bittersweet moment, but that didn't stop the arctic female from running up and showering the yearling with licks and nuzzles. Stepping back, Kiara took another moment to look at the black wolf. "Dalgina! You've grown so big and have become so beautiful!" Just as Kiara was about to give Dalgina another shower of licks, an unknown female approached. Two large birds perched on the wolf's back, but proved to be little burden for the massive, dominant female. When she spoke though, her words were pleasant. "Hello. I'm Kiara."


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#5
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She smiled widely as Kiara ran towards her. Dalgina's eyes widened realizing they were at the same height. They hadn't been before. Again she was forced to realize that she was getting older, and would soon be a full year of age. She was still thinner than Kiara, but she doubted that she would ever be very large. Dalgina was done growing. She returned the affection the best that she could, even though the darkness in her eyes was unmistakeable. She wasn't as sweet and innocent as she had been as a pup. Dalgina couldn't just let go of the past, afraid to trust again from all the pain she had suffered.


Glancing behind her to Taru she smiled widely. It was nice to have them meet. Both of them were a big part of her life. Taru was her family now, the way Kiara had been once. Kiara still was family to her, if not in the same way that she used to be. "I live with Taru now. She makes sure I don't cause too much trouble." She smiled again, though it didn't quite warm her eyes the way that it was meant to. Nuzzling Kiara Dalgina breathed in the scent. It made her feel safe, standing there with her. It reminded her of when things had been simple and happy. She wished she could go back to it. "I miss you."

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#6
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Form :: Lupus


Hotaru stood beside Dalgina, almost in a protective way as she took in the various scents of the other. Kiara's scent was strange, but in the most subtle of ways. If it weren't for the fact that her remaining senses were stronger than most, Hotaru might not have even noticed the strangeness. Either way, it was there. The blind female couldn't quite describe what was different about Kiara's scent, nor what quality it possessed.


Dalgina's shuffling paws alliterated Hotaru to the pup's change and she listened intently to the longing in Dalgina's voice. Hotaru knew that things had been better for the pup before she arrived at the artist pack, but Dalgina didn't speak much of her past and Hotaru found herself feeling almost taken aback by the pup's longing. Even so, the grey female couldn't blame her. Dalgina had suffered through so much in her short life and some of it had been because of Hotaru. When Hotaru's pups had died, the grieving mother had attached herself to Dalgina and had allowed the young female to support her. It should have been the other way around. Hotaru should have been the one to take the weight off of Dalgina's shoulders, but instead she only added to it.


"Dalgina tells me that you were both once part of the same pack. Where do you reside now?" Hotaru couldn't help it. Dalgina was like her own pup and she felt protective towards the young female. Something was off about Kiara and it made Hotaru feel nervous about letting the two of them be together.



Word Count :: 000 | OOC :: --

Who says I can't hide? Watch me.
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#7
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Woot! One year, and what an awesome year it has been.

Word Count → 000


It was so good to see Dalgina again, however something was off about Dalgina and it wasn't just the paint. Although, the paint was weird too. Last time Dalgina had been covered with blotches, but this time her fur was gone in those spots and there were actual shapes instead of splotches. Something had changed with Dalgina, and Kiara couldn't quite figure out what. It felt like more than just her getting older. However, the feeling passed as "Taru" came and the young female smiled wildly. "Thanks for taking care of her. You can get into so much trouble sometimes." Kiara's voice was gentle and teasing, although in the back of her mind she couldn't help but wonder about Jace. Something had happened, and it involved Jace. The last time the two had met, Dalgina had spoken ill of her mother and it seemed as if things had only gotten worse.


Dalgina nuzzled into Kiara's coat, and the mother couldn't help but wrap her paw around the yearling, mimicking the luperci hug. "I missed you too." White ears pricked as Taru spoke and Kiara smiled at the mention of Ichika. "Yes, we were both in Ichika no Ho-en. I remember when you were smaller than a rabbit." Kiara affectionately nuzzled Dalgina before she spoke again. "Now I live in New Dawn." The young mother had to hold herself back from speaking. She had yet to tell Dalgina of Anna and Kohaku's fate.


As if struck by a sudden realization, the arctic female stared deep into Taru's eyes. Something was off. "Your blind! How sad, you can't even see the paint the Dalgina." It wasn't Kiara's first time meeting a blind luperci, although the idea still caught her off guard. Luperci could do so much that the uninfected could not.



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#8
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OOC here!


Dalgina chuckled softly at the sound. No matter how old she got she could always count on Kiara and Taru to watch out for her. Sure, Kiara didn't have the same chance to do it as Taru did, but between them she felt perfectly safe. She could feel Taru standing behind her, protecting her. It was a nice feeling, knowing she didn't have to be strong for Taru anymore. She could just be herself, as hard as it was to do so. Kiara hugged her back, placing a paw around her. If only she was small again. Then she could snuggle down and disappear into Kiara's warmth, happy and safe.


Taru's words brought another smile from her. It was good to hear Taru speak like that, even if it was unwarranted towards Kiara. Never in a thousand seasons would Dalgina picture the white wolf harming her. Her tail thumped behind her as Kiara spoke of the time when she'd been younger. I grew. Tehu fluttered down, perching on Dalgina's back and reiterating the remark, commenting that Dalgina wasn't helpless anymore, but still needed him. Kiara's sudden remark surprised Dalgina, glancing back to Taru before realizing what the paint was. It's not paint this time. They're tattoos.


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#9
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Form :: Lupus


This other female, a wolf that Hotaru did not know, turned out to be a large part of Dalgina's past. The young pup said almost nothing about her past, but when she did Kiara's name was bound to come up. Now, they were finally meeting, the "other mother's" coming together. Even so, it was sad to hear that Dalgina relied so heavily on other females but refused to seek help from her biological mother. Not that Hotaru could fault the pup's decision.


The blind female nodded politely as Kiara spoke, only slightly surprised to hear that the other female was part of New Dawn and partially jealous of Kiara's familiarity towards Dalgina. New Dawn was the feral pack, the one that lived like their ancestors, without shelter and tools that were created by the humans. It wasn't a bad choice, but it was a world Hotaru didn't dare enter. For the blind, life was hard enough, she didn't need to add to the difficulty by refusing modern day conveniences.


Tehu's comment about not needing a protector was immediately remarked upon by Fawkes, who disagreeing with the small falcon. In low speech he argued that Dalgina was no more than a branching chick who had just discovered that her flight feathers were starting to grow. Ignoring both of them, Hotaru spoke. "It's an unfortunate shame that our packs aren't closer."


Kiara's first comment was not unusual as most wolves were often taken aback by her disability. The second one however, was strange. Surprised, Hotaru turned her attention to Dalgina, her expression clearly asking "What paint?" Dalgina's answer was not welcome. "You got a tattoo? Why didn't you tell me Dalgina?" Her voice was chiding, almost scolding as she questioned the pup.



Word Count :: 000 | OOC :: --

Who says I can't hide? Watch me.
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#10
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ooc.

Word Count → 000


Dalgina's comment rang true. She had grown, how had she grown. It hurt to see her so large, so beautiful and adult like. Seeing her as a yearling was bittersweet and made Kaira want to howl. Dalgina, the sweet puppy she had known had returned as an amazing young wolf. An amazing young wolf with a bird. The fluttering avian creature caught Kiara's attention and she cool feel the itch to chase surface. Three birds were present, and all of them were chattering away. Kiara shuffled her feet a bit and suppressed the urge to snap at the closest one. Taru's comment acted as a nice distraction and Kiara smiled at the grey female. "Yes, it is a shame."


Just as Kiara thought she was getting the hang of things, something new always came up. Luperci were so strange sometimes and their customs even more so. As soon as the subject of "tattoos" came up, Kaira was as lost as an elk in a blizzard. Her head cocked to the side as she listened to Taru's surprised and almost angry voice. What was so bad about a tattoo? There was something she was missing and without thinking Kiara asked, "What's a tattoo?" As soon as the question was out, she regretted ever asking. Around Dalgina, the arctic mother had to be the one who knew everything, a pillar of support and wisdom. Kiara's ears flicked back and she gave an awkward smile. So much for that illusion.



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#11
She listened to Fawkes chatter back to Tehu, the birds getting into a conversation again about their canine friends and what they thought was the best way to deal with it. Tehu mainly dealt with this by making himself louder and louder, convinced that the loudest one would win. A wide smile rested on Dalgina's face. It wasn't often that she could forget her nightmares. Quiet moments in Taru's home sitting by the blind wolf, or being out hunting with Ovi, those were the moments that brought her the most peace. She found it here as well in the meadow with Kiara.

It was quickly disappearing as Taru spoke. Dalgina's eyes flickered with sorrow again. She couldn't see Kiara often, even though she loved the white wolf dearly. It would be great if they could spend more time together. She really had to make more of an effort to come up and visit. Perhaps she could bring Ovi to meet Kiara. Her ears flattened guiltily at the scolding tone in Taru's voice. I didn't think it mattered. Taru wasn't her mother after all. Dalgina took care of herself. Kind of. She lived without family. That had to count as being mature enough to get a tattoo. Kiara's question brought a quizzical look from Dalgina. How could she not know what a tattoo was? It's a colored scar that you can get in whatever shape you want. Like the rose and the bird.


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