Over the misty mountains cold.

Frodo Silvertongue · 03-25-2012, 07:15 AM

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Word Count :: 873 Most of it's rubbish...skip to the last paragraph if you want xD hover over for translations.

Frodo’s mind had been somewhat confused lately. He felt no longer like a hapless individual, an innocent without a clue about anything. But now he felt as if his moral beliefs had been taken away from him, and he felt as if he’d done something bad, something terribly bad. He’d gone two years of his life without sleeping with a single woman; he meant to have it be special, when it happened to him finally, with someone he loved, his mate. But no, he had lost his virginity on a drunken night, and then once again slept with yet another woman a couple of nights after. He’d always laughed at the wolves that slept around, but did this make him one himself?

Yet, it was odd. Why did he regret what had happened? He was single, after all, and had no commitment to anybody. So why was there an angry side of him just ready to spring out? He had tried to stuff this angry side, so far, deep down inside him, but yesterday he had screamed in his sleep and woken up to find his own vicious scratch marks on the wall of his hut. However, things seemed a lot better now. He had been promoted to a skilled hunter; something he’d wished for, for quite a while indeed. And now at least he could do something, something worthwhile. Other times he had hunted like a zombie, as was routine, but this time, Frodo vowed he would enjoy it, like he used to.

Dressed in his cloak and shirt, bandana and ring-necklace tied safely around his neck, Frodo arrived at the stables… for what seemed like the millionth time in his life. The Enagayahe Kanati hummed a soft song to let the horses know he was there as he ventured to the stall that was Strider’s. Rohan had unfortunately been trained up and given away to his friend, Caprica, and there was an empty stall where the bay mare had once been. This made Frodo slightly unhappy, and he wondered if he would be punished for giving away what had once been a communal horse. He would make up for it, though. He had his eye on a herd of wild horses not far from AniWaya already.

My boy. Frodo spoke fondly, the white stallion marching up to him over the stall door, pushing his muzzle into Frodo’s open palm. Lle merna aut farien? he asked softly. Many were confused by the way he spoke to horses. As far as Luperci were concerned, there were two types of speech; low and high. But the “elvish” Frodo had learnt from the gypsies was a sort of go between, a mix of the two. Strider, and other horses, Frodo had found, found it easier to make sense of the beautiful language than they did with full-on English, and even if they didn’t understand it, the words were calming all the same. Strider would respond to the strange tongue in low speech. Frodo had only just come to terms with low speech, but he was quite fluent in it now. It was quite easy, when it came down to it, with mainly just using body language. After all, low speech was in the heart of every Luperci’s body- they were all animals before the virus, as they were still animals now.

Strider agreed to Frodo’s request in low speech; he loved hunting just as much as Frodo did. And so Frodo opened the stall door and gave Strider’s pristine white coat a brush down, before going over to the riding gear that hung on the wall. There was a saddle, in supple leather, that hadn’t been used for months. But while looking at it, Frodo decided he and Strider would go on quite a long trip, to get his mind off things. They could camp out, over the borders, and look for larger and better game over the hills. And so he threw the saddle over the horse, tightened the girth, and packed the saddlebags full of grown vegetables and meat for the journey. A horse looked odd with a saddle but no bridle, though, and so Frodo added a spare bridle; one without a bit. He didn’t need the bridle; he was an experienced enough rider to guide Strider with his hips and words, but it would make him feel a little steadier.

And so the man led his horse out of the stables, pausing just as he got outside. Frodo looked to the horizon, still humming a little song to himself as he stood outside the stables. And then he remembered the words to the song he was humming.

Far over the Misty Mountains cold,

To dungeons deep and caverns old,

We must away, ere break of day,

To seek our pale enchanted gold.

The dwarves of yore made mighty spells,

While hammers fell like ringing bells,

In places deep, where dark things sleep,

In hollow halls beneath the fells.

By the time he had finished his song, he had already mounted his horse and rode all the way to the edge of the territory. The man continued to ride, past the border, occasionally halting here and there to admire the scenery.

Image courtesy of Scott Hudson **; Table by the Mentors!

Tayui Aston · 04-01-2012, 01:48 PM

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[/html]Tayui knew it was time to go to AniWaya and find her son. She'd been wandering too long and even if she wasn't certain of where she would make her new home, she needed to return to her home of old. She hoped that Claudius would be there and she suspected he would not wander far. He was loyal and quite stubborn, so she anticipated seeing him once more. Although she would have liked to see Ocèane, Claudius said she came and went. Tayui just hoped it was not too much; she wanted to know her daughter was safe, even if she couldn't see her. Attila, too, worried her and although she didn't want to admit it, perhaps the most. He was strong, but always alone. It couldn't be good to be so solitary -- Tayui would know.

As Tayui neared the borders of AniWaya, she saw that there was no fence. She must have been a bit off her mark. She'd thought she'd find the edges ringed by old human construction, but all she could see were trees. She continued her trek onward, plodding through the wet grass and mud. After about five minutes, she noticed a new scent on the wind and slowed her pace. With her nose to the air, she followed the scent closer to the borders. There, she saw a wolf, dark, perched atop a pale white horse. Cautiously, she moved closer and barked once, softly, so as not to spook the animal.

"Hello," she called out. "I am a visitor, Tayui Aston. How do you fare?" She hoped that if she stated her intentions clearly and without hesitation, he would take more kindly to her presence. She was neither scout nor spy and would only like to catch up with the tribe she once called home.[html]

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Frodo Silvertongue · 04-02-2012, 03:24 PM

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Word Count :: 364

A bark cut across the silence. The dark furred young man froze, his horse responding and freezing with him, and turned his head to the side. He could definitely smell someone, but who, he did not know. And then he saw a sleek white form amidst the greenery. She was perhaps of Arctic or maybe Tundra blood, he realised from her pale coat. He nodded to the stranger and rode up, ears flicking forwards to catch the words that drifted across the wind. Ello, skipper! he exclaimed friendly, the cloak around him sweeping dramatically as he swerved to halt at her side. The agile wolf noted her different coloured eyes, and even the faintest details. The tiniest scars and the faintest markings he all took in, although it was her powerful build that sparked the most interest in his mind. G’mornin’, Tayui. he greeted, the new name rolling on his tongue through his spell casting voice.

I fare well, well indeed, and by my garb you may tell I’m goin’ away pronto. Not half, I’ll be dancing in the chimney’s before the dickory reaches nightfall, so to speak. he flashed a grin, hoping she was taking all this in. Few people seemed to realise what he was saying, but most were able to put two and two together once they’d got used to his odd accent and general phrases. Yer visitin’ Ani-a-waya fer any particular reason? Lookin’ fer somethin’ nifty, or yer just learnin’ it’s round-a-bouts and under-the-neaths? he pondered, chatting her ear off like he often did to people he’d only just met. It had been a while since he’d found someone new to express his thoughts and feelings too. The lean male quickly fished his feet out of stirrups and found himself swivelling round on the saddle, so he was sitting a bit like as if he was riding side saddle. He trusted Strider not to run off anywhere, and it showed just how comfortable he was moving around and up and about when on a horse, when he folded his arms across his chest and slid one leg up to meet his waist.

Image courtesy of Scott Hudson **; Table by the Mentors!

Tayui Aston · 04-02-2012, 05:27 PM

You could have Frodo say that Claudius is out of the tribe at the moment, giving them reason to chat? Big Grin

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[/html]The wolf seemed pleasant enough at first word. A cloak obscured most of his body, and although Tayui was not one to be nervous, she was one to be paranoid and not knowing whether he hid a weapon underneath the layers of his clothing worried her. She tried to push it from her mind. After all, she did not think Dawali would take kindly to finding her body on his borders. Claudius, too, would express some regret at her death. She was happy to know that she still had some family in AniWaya.

Of course, nothing could have prepared her for the gibberish that spewed from the wolf’s maw. She frowned, cross that he could not make his words clear. Certainly, he probably thought they sounded nice, but it did nothing to explain what in the world he was doing. Although she was a bit miffed, Tayui knew that everyone was different. She had never treated her son any differently because of his habit of speech, so she supposed it was only right to extend the same courtesy to this boy. Although she had no idea what the first bit of his speech was supposed to mean (the words pronto, chimney, and dickory held no meaning for her), the second half was easier to understand.

“I’m looking right here,” she replied, somewhat perplexed. “I approach the borders from the east with the intention of finding my son, Claudius. If you could summon him, I would appreciate it.” She hoped that this was sufficient explanation for the peculiar wolf. [html]

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Frodo Silvertongue · 04-05-2012, 09:46 AM

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OOC: Ook! And sorry, only just edited the table out for ya!

The woman was perhaps right to be wary. Though she could not see it, there was a bow and a sheath of arrows around his shoulders. He had a dagger in his saddle bags, and a sword around his waist, hidden by the cloak. He was far from weaponless. Though it was no worry, because he wasn't one to just attack without reason. In fact, Frodo hadn't really attacked anyone innocent in his life. He'd used weapons to save the innocent, to hunt, and to defend himself, but that was about it.

Frodo smirked just a little at her frown. It wasn't often people were not confused by him, and this seemed to be no exception. Mentally, the wolf shrugged it off, hoping she'd get used to him after a while. He knew a couple of friends that had, and even one boy had picked up some of his words, yet whether it was mockery or admiration Frodo was not quite sure.

The young man listened to what the lady had to say, and mulled her words over, wondering if he knew a wolf by the name of Claudius. AniWaya wasn't exactly packed with people, so the boy managed to remember someone he thought that held that name. And he was pretty sure he'd gone on a trip of sorts out of the tribe recently. Ah, 'Claud. He's not 'ere, gone round-a-bouts thattaway. Frodo gestured vaguely with his hand. Long gone by now. he finished, smiling. Hopefully, the lady would stay for a chat. He didn't exactly have to rush to find more things to hunt; he was fine waiting a bit before setting off. Frodo patted his horse and then vaulted off, extending a shaggy black hand for the woman to shake. I ent goin' nowhere or nuthin' though. Frodo Silvertongue. Pleased ter make yer acquaintance, screwdrivers and all that.

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Tayui Aston · 04-05-2012, 05:24 PM

Thank ya kindly Big Grin

Also, since Tayui is in her lupus form (and I never mention these things q_q) I just had her do the wolfy thing.
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[/html]Tayui was disappointed to hear that Claudius was not in the tribe. This meant that she would have to remain near the borders until she could find him. Although she did not wish to do this, since camping out near a pack’s borders made it seem like she had intentions of attacking, she hoped that Dawali would not mind too much. She hoped that even after two years, he still considered them to be friends, if not at the least very close friends.

The wolf gesticulated in no real direction, for his hand trailed in every which way. It seemed as though he didn’t have a real idea of where Claudius has gone. Although she might have been able to track him, not knowing where he’d gone meant she had nowhere to begin. She would have to just stay here.

Tayui craned her neck as the wolf dismounted, a smile still present. He did not seem too bothered that she was so near the borders and even extended his hand out to her. She trotted closer to sniff his hand and then gave it a lick. Pleased with the scents, she took a few steps back so that she could see him without straining herself.

When he spoke again, she wasn’t sure if he had given her his name or if it was another peculiar turn of phrase. It took her a few moments to digest it all, though he said he was glad to make her acquaintance, but then said something about a screwdriver. Tayui tried not to let her confusion show, but she wasn’t sure how successful she was. All in all, she was quite sure she understood his intent, but not the meaning of his words.

“It’s nice to meet you – Frodo,” she replied. The end of her sentence contained a bit of an inflection, as if she wasn’t sure if that was really his name. She knew it was (or, she hoped it was), but she was worried of saying it wrong or worse, getting it wrong altogether. “Why do you speak this way? I don’t mean any offense – it’s just different from what I’m used to hearing. English is my second language, so sometimes it is a little difficult for me to understand,” she explained, trying to sound more empathetic than demanding. [html]

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Frodo Silvertongue · 04-06-2012, 06:08 PM

[html]:O Nah, it's prolly my fault for not making sure >.> I always assume optime, because that's my favourite, lol xD I guess it's weird on this site, sometimes I forget they're wolves, not humans :p Also, spelling mistake on my part; acquaintance, not acquittance!

The disappointed look on Tayui's face was to be expected, however the young man couldn't help but feel just a little worried. What if she really didn't want to see him? What if he had been wrong, and that hadn't been Claudius he'd seen leaving earlier; perhaps she would be angry for him for making that mistake? But no, he was being stupid. The older lady obviously was quite friendly, or at least, Frodo hoped to think so. But then again, he assumed that about almost everyone; which was usually a very big mistake. One day, his assumptions about everyone being simply nice would get him killed, no doubt. Of course, this warning never once crossed Frodo's mind. Poor, lovely chap that he was, always seeing the best in people.

At first it seemed as if Tayui realised Frodo was not quite sure of his words; especially when he waved his hand in no particular direction at all. Yet, she seemed to get the gist of it, and eventually seemed to grow accustomed to the idea of a friendly chat, perhaps. Friendly chat, most probably involving Frodo talking her ear off with complete and utter nonsense. Nevertheless, he was eager, and willing, to invite her into the strange world of Frodo.

He grinned as she said it was nice to meet him; a completely calm grin, and so she would realise now that he had indeed been saying his name when he'd said Frodo Silvertongue. As he held out a hand for her to sniff, he chuckled quite heartily, ticklish as she licked it and then finally regaining stature when she withdrew. Her next words were hardly a surprise, either, and he simply smiled and shrugged, willing to explain. I can see why yer all enver-the-lope about it, it is quite er... different to people round 'ere, innit? he commented. Yer see, I uh, well, under the bells and rings of the north western star, I was born to er... these traveller folk. Now, yer see, they all be speaking like this, you follow? So it only come naturally that I pickin' it up... bit like a 'coaster, you know? he grinned, thinking in his head she knew exactly what he was getting at. What he meant, was that was from where he was from, everyone spoke like him. He didn't know why, exactly, they just did. Plus, I were a pirate, me. Once. he said, eyes going a bit vague as he remembered his days as a cabin boy. He still had the whip scars on his back.

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Tayui Aston · 04-07-2012, 04:50 PM

Ooh, I edited my post so it makes sense now 8D I thought it was another of Frodo's manners of speech. My bad!!
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[/html]Frodo grinned when Tayui licked her hand, but also seemed to have some sort of shy smile hiding beneath the sunny exterior. She hoped that she did not re-open old wounds; if he was like Claudius and spoke in this manner out of anxiety, she knew how devastating it could be for someone to mention and question it. It was only her curiosity that compelled her to ask, so she held her breath, hoping that she had not misstepped. She let it out slowly when Frodo acknowledged his manner of speaking as different to those around here – ‘Souls, she suspected.

He revealed that he had lived with gypsies, or some sort of travelling group, which struck Tayui as quite plausible. If they were in the business of mysteries, she could see how they might speak in riddles. Of course, the place for such linguistic trickery was not here and she would have rather he speak plainly.

“A gypsy and a pirate?” she mused with a wry grin. “You’ve had quite the adventurous life then,” she added. Her grin transformed into a sly grin and was accompanied by a twinkle in her eye.[html]

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Frodo Silvertongue · 04-17-2012, 04:19 PM

[html]Easy mistake to make. xD

Luckily, the lady had not hurt Frodo with her question like she might have hoped not to. He was used to being asked out his voice and generally odd way of speaking. In fact, he could not think of anyone who had not either questioned why he talked the way he did, or had been too polite to say anything. He could tell when they thought him odd. And so he preferred it when they spoke their mind, and asked him, rather than just ignoring the fact he spoke in a different way. Somehow, it made Frodo feel more like he was part of something; that he belonged. He could explain himself, and that would be that.

The young man chuckled at her words, though perhaps that had been an old wound to open up at the talk of pirates. Technically, he'd spent most of his life on the sea as a mere cabin boy. He'd just swabbed the decks and whatnot, and brushed up and cleaned. And the painful thing was, he'd been forced to do it against his will. And whenever he refused to oblige...no. A shiver ran up his spine at this thought, and he demanded it of himself not to think of what had happened. He had buried memories down deep, and that would be that. For as long as he could contain them.

And so Frodo merely shrugged; S'been badgerin' fun, while it lasted. he grinned. And he added mentally; the fun still lasted. He was having a good time. A little lonely, but, none the less, content. An' now you've asked me 'bout stuff, s'only fair I progress my gift of gab to yer own waggin' tongue. he grinned, basically telling her they would exchange knowledge for knowledge. He was perched upright now, but at this he crouched down, and then finally sat cross-legged on the floor, opposite the female. He was a small lad, and so was definitely eye to eye with her by now, even despite their changed forms. Where're yer from, french toast?

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Tayui Aston · 04-21-2012, 12:54 PM

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[/html]Frodo seemed to be a rather odd fellow. After Tayui commended him on his interesting life, for a split second, he looked like he was going to be ill. Tayui wasn’t sure what had brought on that reaction, but it certainly hadn’t been her; she had just been commenting on what he’d said. He really must be a rather peculiar brand of wolf. But then it was gone and he said something about it being badgering fun, which Tayui didn’t quite understand if that was a good or a bad thing, but she just shrugged. She wasn’t really too sure what he was saying most of the time, so anything she didn’t understand, she just pretended she didn’t hear. It would likely take too much time asking him to explain what he meant than it was worth. Besides, she had probably offended him enough already!

Of course, he then said something about her tongue and Tayui was thoroughly perplexed. She was quite certain that he meant to tell her that he’d talked enough about himself, but she couldn’t tell if he had more to say or if he expected her to say something else. As Tayui tried to muddle through his dialect, he hunkered down so he was more at her own level. He spoke again, clarifying his earlier question enough so that she might reply.

“North, from Quebec,” she replied. “I came to these lands a few years ago, back before the fire devastated the lands north of the mountain range. Of course, Quebec is much farther north than that, northwest, out past all those new packs springing up. It’s about a two-week journey from here, if I remember correctly.” She paused and then frowned. “What’s French toast?”[html]

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Frodo Silvertongue · 05-10-2012, 11:30 AM

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She might have got the wrong end of the stick, but that didn't phase the unruly lad. He was too focused on having a good time, and making "his" guest feel welcome, more than anything. She had not offended him in anyway, and in fact he himself was rather annoyed at his odd behaviour, hoping it had not put her off in any way. He'd never really fit in, so weird and random reactions to his mannerisms was nothing out of the ordinary, however, sometimes, he'd try to go out of his way to be "normal". But what was normal? Nothing was normal these days, and nothing could really be classified as such. Such was the nature of the modern world that Frodo lived in. And so he continued to stoop at her level and contradict his own beliefs, making himself calm and still rather than lively and wild.

He'd never heard of Quebec; the boy'd never really listened in the minor geography lessons his elders would have given him. But the name sounded pretty, and he could imagine the place well, and just the word North made his facial area bemused. He loved the cold, as his blood deemed him, and north meant cold and snow and frost. Perhaps she didn't mean that far north, but still, he let his mind get away with him.

Fire. he repeated. The very word burnt his tongue. I'm sorry. if she was upset at all about fire pushing her out of her home, he would attempt at making her feel better of it. Fire burnt and ate and destroyed, and he almost hated its very existance. But that was only when it got out of control. More often than not, fire would be his friend.

Two weeks didn't seem that long a journey from where they were now. Because Frodo himself had travelled years. He'd probably come from a different side of the planet, considering the amount of space he'd covered. He'd gone over seas many a time, so many that he didn't know where he'd started when he'd gone on his journey. If he had a better knowledge of the world, or a map in his possession, he'd know that he had been born in New Zealand. French toast? Ehh... Frodo trailed off, scratching his chin until he remembered he'd just said the very term earlier, and Tayui was, in fact, merely quoting him. It's uh, well, ah'm not too sure myself... thinkin' it's bread, with eh, jam. 'Berry jam, from where the 'coons are. Baked and...or...maybe fried? he didn't know what he was talking about, but maybe, there was a chance it sounded faintly promising. Mother, she used dance an' uh, be speakin' it to me, you follow? he looked up earnestly, hugging his knees. But tha'...tha' was before, before she- he broke off nervously, his mind going blank as he mentally begged Tayui to change the subject.

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Tayui Aston · 05-20-2012, 11:46 AM

Sorry for the wait!
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[/html]When Frodo repeated the word fire and then offered an apology, Tayui just shrugged in response. It was a long time ago and she now knew things that made the past seem different from before. Éloise had revealed so much about what had happened that she now realized there had been plots within plots and she had had no way of knowing it. She’d fled before she gave herself time to understand. She’d thought Daedalus had betrayed her and it had cut deep because she had always thought they were close. But she had abandoned her family: Aurèle, Barthélémy, Honoré, and Éloise and she was certain all of her siblings had felt about her the same way she’d felt about Daedalus. But it was a long time ago and she was making amends when and where she could. She had accepted it.

Then, Frodo repeated her words (which were actually his words to begin with) back to her and tried his best to explain what ‘french toast’ was. She recognized jam as mashed-up berries, but wasn’t sure was a ‘coon’ was—short for a lagoon? No, that didn’t make sense. Racoon? Yes, that seemed more likely. She thought she was beginning to get the hang of this, though, there was a lot she didn’t quite understand. It was a bit like when she first learned English: she caught snippets of words, but never fully grasped the entire meaning or the weightiness of the ideas.

Frodo tried again to bring up another subject, but he broke off rather abruptly. Tayui watched him as he pulled his knees to his chest in a clear gesture of pain. She wasn’t sure what brought this on—the memory of his mother, perhaps?—but she didn’t want to make him feel more uncomfortable than he was.

“So how long have you been a member of AniWaya then, Frodo? I don’t remember seeing you when I used to live here, so you must have joined as least a year or two ago—is that right?” She hoped that a less sensitive topic would help the wolf open up a bit more and hopefully help her understand him a bit better.[html]

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