"But the dream, the echo, slips from him as quickly as he had found it and as consciousness comes to him (a slap and not the gentle waves of oceanic tides), it dissolves entirely. His muscles relax as the cold claims him again, as the numbness sets in, and when his grey eyes open, there’s nothing but the faint after burn of a dream often trod and never remembered." --Brigade, written by Laura
11-19-2016, 01:29 PM (This post was last modified: 11-27-2016, 12:58 PM by Ruan.)
Ruan
It was a gradual change, a subtle shift in her posture. As they'd huddled in the shadows of that other forest, he'd settled low and spoken softly, trying to earn her trust. She was a feral little thing, and talked more when she said nothing. He'd mentioned family, and ever-slowly her tension began melting away as she chose to put her faith in him. He knew it was not an easy thing to do, and it warmed his heart that she seemed to naturally sense his integrity.
"I... I come," she'd said with a careful step forward. Her small advance spoke more to him than her words, spoke more to his wild wolf-heart. His eyes softened and a smile grew. Such courage and trust. It would be a struggle not to become too attached to this girl who connected so naturally with his own untamed side.
"You won't run off. You won't get lost," he said confidently, returning that faith and trusting her not to frighten away. Then he turned and began their journey home.
It was a mildly short trek through the woods. The Taiga began as a gradual continuation of the Forest, gently settling in a mix of new trees that tapered off into the different species that made up the Taiga. He didn't hesitate at that undefined border and simply kept walking, only slowing to a stop when they entered the general inner core.
He looked down at her with a gentle smile. Welcome home, little one. Pale, borrowed wings resettled comfortably at his sides as he inhaled deeply, absorbing the fragrance of their vast forest, a light breeze sweeping through his dark mane. His eyes warmed with elation, excited for her future among the trees with him. With them. He met her dark face again.
Do you remember your name? Your new family will wish to meet you.
11-27-2016, 03:18 AM (This post was last modified: 11-27-2016, 03:18 AM by Terra.)
some kind of quote here
"You won't run off. You won't get lost.”
A hesitant smile creases the corners of her lips as he turns away. He’s so cautious of her, so respectful. He recognizes her boundaries (even if she does not recognize them herself), and stays clear of them. It’s been so long since she last felt so comfortable around someone, so safe.
And yet … part of her worries. She will go with him (she is so desperate for family, for love), but she still worries. Camelia had promised her many of the things that he is promising, and yet, had failed (though through no fault of her own). What if he fails her too?
But she can’t help but take the risk.
She follows him on the short journey through the woods, dark little hooves placing themselves one after another in the marks he leaves upon the ground. Oversensitive, her dark eyes flit about, taking in the gradual change from thick, leafy green to great rough trunks that disappear into the fog far above her head. She’s so unused to being outside of the little territory she’d carved out for herself in the forest. Everything is foreign, everything is new. Every crunch of needles underfoot sends her ears spinning, searching out a newcomer … but they are alone.
Finally he stops, and, heart hammering in her ears she tentatively steps up beside him, ears alert and eyes wide and staring. He looks down at her, welcoming her, radiating an excitement that ever so slowly starts to work on her frayed nerves.
“Do you remember your name? She blinks, pausing. Yes, a name. She does have a name. “Terra."
And as her eyes swing out to look at the surrounding trees, she can feel the hope fluttering in her chest. Maybe … just maybe … this is home.
She can hear them coming. Reagan immediately rushes to the grotto where she knows them to be. Ruan had said he was coming back home with another. Terra was her name, and she too was in need of love, and a home. Reagan’s peace was derived from her family and she was finding her footing here within the Taiga, but it still felt nothing like the old days of leading the Forbidden Dale. The band of small adopted children and the collection of a family unit—her pack.
If anyone had said this would be her life way back when, she would have turned them all into frogs and laughed as she walked away. But indeed, life can take some interesting twists and turns, and when Ru finally steps into the clearing, the small girl in tow, she does not wait to be introduced. She immediately smiles and nuzzles the girl, drawing her into the fold. “Hello Terra,” Reggie says warmly. “Here is a small playmate for you. Your brother, Iasan.”
As if called from nowhere, the small boy bounds out from behind a rock, going as fast as his little legs can carry him. All at once, he stumbles, his legs get tangled up in themselves, and he knocks poor Terra over, landing on top of her. The spotted boy shifts his ears sideways foolishly, then grins and says “I’m sorry.”
She was careful as she stepped up to his side. Her circumspect nature warmed him as though she could melt through the very ice he used to control, so much a little cautious pup. His eyes showered her in adoration. It was as though there was an instant connection for him, to this shimmering silver and rich black child.
Terra. And as soon as she said it, Reagan was there to greet her. She reached out to nuzzle the girl, something he'd not tried with her yet, and he wasn't sure how she might react to it. A large wing lifted carefully in instinct, bowed out like the little shelter he'd often given to Jinju when she was so small and nervous. Just in case she needed a safe retreat.
Then out from hiding, baby Iasan galloped clumsily in and barreled into Terra. Ach, lad. Careful, he said in a gentle but firm rebuke, nipping at his boy and nosing him off her. Iasan was a handsome colt, but hadn't quite gained full control over his movements, like a pup with overgrown paws. Ruan clucked his tongue at him, but a smile quickly softened his features. Silly boy.
He looked down to his new girl, adopted but all his. Would you like to explore now, he asked her gently, assuming she'd want to discover her new home and map it out to herself. Or perhaps she'd rather play some.
I could come with you if you like. Or your little brother seems to be in a mood for play?
There’s a rustling in the trees and Terra tenses, muscles bunching in preparation for flight. But she senses that Ruan does not share in her apprehension, so her feet remained fastened to the forest floor. A grey mare suddenly appears from within the trees, followed closely by a bouncy speckled colt. The mare immediately reaches out, nuzzling at her with an unfamiliar warmth, and while Terra’s body screams at her to run, she has barely time to register the thought before she is bowled over by the colt. Or Iasan, as the mare had called him.
She doesn’t stay down for long though, wrenching herself upwards and scuttling backwards under Ruan’s sheltering wing (though she scrunches down to avoid touching it). Part of her recognizes that they mean no harm (which is why she simply huddles in Ruan’s shadow instead of running for the hills), but it’s just far too much too soon. She hasn’t been touched by anyone in … well, over a year, and the sensation is too uncomfortable and unfamiliar.
She stays there for a few moments, silent, shaking. But, gradually, her anxiety subsides. She takes a breath, then another, then finally pokes her silver tipped head out from under Ruan’s wing. She inspects the newcomers intently, taking in the mare’s warm, open expression, and the boy’s unbridled enthusiasm. This is Ruan’s family. Her family. In a voice barely above a whisper she finally speaks up. “Hi.”
Ruan is speaking again, looking down at her with a care and attention that she is still unused to. She considers his question for a moment, thinking. Then, “explore.” She pauses, brown eyes looking from Ruan, to the mare, to Iasan, then back to Reagan. “Together?”
