"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
I believe the night I’ve never met hides one elusive star I need
She doesn't really feel abandoned by guidelines or definitions. Yes, her sister, mother and father had seemingly left Taiga on a mass exodus that did include the blue girl. She should have been more disturbed or scared. She should have felt hurt and betrayed but then again, Alivia had gone off on her own. Gone to see what lay just beyond the reach of the great tress and the tall mountains. Gone to see what could satisfy her curious mind.
She had met nameless faces and faceless names. Tall tales and short yarns all woven into the fabric of this new land in which she had been born into. Alivia did miss the warmth of her sister by her side and her mother's sweet and gentle features. It all struck a sensitive nerve deep within her that she was desperate to cover up.
The blue limbs move her down the beaten paths that seemed to be so much more worn since she had left. Each hoof falls steadily and confidently to drawn her closer to where the inhabitants of Taiga lived. Each expansion of her nostrils deliver new scents that register and bring forth no names or faces. It makes her quiver slightly with each step knowing that Taiga was not the place that she had left.
It seems achingly long before the indigo reaches what she can figure is a central location (it was easy to get lost among the trees sometimes) before she finds a place to rest and survey. The warmth of the sun across her back is comforting despite the frosted chill that still clung to the branches of the great pines. "Hello?" Her voices raises slightly as she questions for a response. The young woman steadies herself for who may greet her just beyond the ferns and sparse bushes.
now don’t you understand…that I’m never changing who I am?
The wolf was on the hunt.
She paces the trees, quick-footed and nimble. She isn’t afraid of the dark—the dark is her home. She is in her element, soft padded feet barely make a sound against the brush on the undergrowth, flipping small clods of dirt as she sprints with an agile grace between the massive tree trunks. Black eyes that scan the short horizon see better here in the twilight than they do during the day, and her uncomfortable pregnancy—her massive boy—caused her to rest in the den while the sun was awake, but when the moon rose, so did she.
Reagan had gotten used to tasting flesh for her nightly meals. The stain of blood was on her maw, her fangs sharpened on the bones of her kills. For one-half year, her magic had been stopped short, sinking her into a deep depression, and leaving her in the form of a wolf. She had gone to bed with her mate, and had woken up; unchanged.
And so the white wolf stalks for her food, having for the time being lost her taste for grain. The blue smoke that winds between the trees sings a song to her, and her ears flick forward in alarm; the smell of another, the hunt forgotten. Reagan curses, her stomach and child growling at her to continue. But she cannot. Not until she knows that her home is safe again.
And so that blue smoke she follows—the small, white lights, set in a curved motion, heading her direction. Reagan’s hackles instantly go up, and her lips are furled to reveal angry eyes and sharp teeth. Her tail straightens and she stalks behind a tree, waiting for the opportune moment. Maybe abandoning the vole was not such a bad idea.
Just like her parents Jinju had learned how to lurk in the shadows. It was mostly due to her father, who had started to learn her the way of the wolf. Reagan, her mother, would learn her magic, once they both had their powers back. Their trip to the mountain wasn’t a too fond memory of the inky black girl. Yes, it had been the place where she had first called Reagan ‘mother’ and her mother had been willing to mark Jinju as her own. What the fairy had done upset Jinju, but her mother’s words had meant so much more. It was only a bit unfortunate that her mother was now stuck in wolf form.
The arrival for the indigo girl hadn’t go unnoticed by her. The forest was her home, which she had grown to know quite well. Here she felt comfortable and safe, and she naturally reacted to whatever happened in Taiga. She’s drawn to Alivia like a moth to a flame. This time Jinju doesn’t shy away from revealing herself, but Aliva was no stranger. In fact, they had once gotten lost in the forest together. In the middle of the night, far away from the others, with the howling of wolves in the background.
With her mother lurking around in wolf form, it perhaps wasn’t a very good idea to let her old childhood friend wander alone. ”Be aware of the big bad wolf~” she teases in a sing-song voice as she steps out into the little clearing. She gladly joins the indigo girl in the sunlight, letting the rays warm her skin. A soft sigh leaves her lips and a small smile trails on the corners of her lips. She did miss her own warmth. ”Long time no see, Alivia. Welcome back home.” Her ruby eyes twinkle in the light as she expands her neck into Alivia’s direction, offering the other girl her nose to exchange scents, a smile lingering on her lips.
The indigo girl, tall and lean, meets the gaze of the wolf. It was difficult to miss the snowy creature against the dark and dull drapery of forest hues. The blue girl with pale eyes are smirking slightly, amused that a stupid canine would be so tempted to dare nibble on her pretty blue hide. Brazen snort is expelled openly, challenging the creature.
But the rustle of leaves and limbs draw Liv's attention away. From and unseen entrance, the familiar form of Jinju emerges almost soundlessly. Surprise sweeps away the boldness that had just occupied her young features as Liv rushes to her to friend to embrace her happily. "Oh Jinju!" Liv is rather breathless in her exacerbation before whipping her heard to find the white wolf. Something in Jinju's words have an underlying meaning.
A coy expression toys on her feminine features as she smirks. "That wolf must be one of yours?" The words split her lips momentarily before they melt back into a playful smirk. It was damn good to see another familiar face since her family had seemed to just disburse. Liv seemed to find herself wondering about her twin more than her mother or father. It was a terrible ache not knowing where your sister, your twin, was. The two had been inseparable from birth till one day -poof!- they all were gone. Trouble winks across her features in a fleeting second before she snuffs it out and smile to Jinji. "I have missed you...it feels good to be back"
When Jinju steps into the light, Reagan’s pose softens and her fur lays flat once more. Apparently this blue thing that stepped out, was not the white dots of some foreign object worth pursuing as a snack; nor was it dangerous.
It was Alivia.
With a whisp the white wolf pads over to where the two girls are standing, and suddenly Reagan’s grey hide appears once more. She bears a grin on her face as her emerald green eyes take in Maribel’s daughter, and she embraces the girl as if she were one of her own. “Hello Alivia. So good to have you home again. I believe your mother has made it back to this part of the world as well.”
On the contrary, Reagan knew of Mari’s descent back into the forest, but given Liv a chance to step out of her mother’s rather bright shadow and letting herself shine, she chose to keep this information to herself. Best let the mother and daughter reunion happen in its own time. Such as it was, since Jinju’s abilities to control her fire had come to the fore, there had not been much time to do anything, and as such, Reagan takes the opportunity to snuggle her daughter deep into her side, pressing flesh against flesh, lipping the hair that lay on her beautifully sculpted head. “And hello my darling daughter. Thank you for making your friend known, or else I fear I would have been eating her for a midnight snack. She has indeed changed much since we last saw her.”
The smile upon her lips grows wider when her greeting is return, with just as much – or even more – enthusiasm. Jinju gladly returns the hug, her own muzzle lightly brushing among Liv’s neck. They were no longer the girls that had met, but not women yet either. Nonetheless it was nice to see a familiar face returning. Except for her adopted sister Heda – for which Jinju was extremely grateful because she had always been jealous of the bond between Arete and Alivia – there weren’t really others of her age around.
The other girl’s question has her laughing softly, slightly shaking her head. Turning herself towards the white wolf she nickers softly at the creature, before turning to look at Aliva again with a smile. ”Believe it or not, but that’s my mother” she answers with a crooked grin, lightly rolling her shoulders, ruby eyes on Reagan as she makes herself known. Not for long though, her attention swiftly moving back to Alivia, smile on her lips as she once again reaches out to push her muzzle against the indigo girl’s shoulder. ”I’m glad you’re back. I’ve missed you too, just as our nightly adventures” she answers with a soft chuckle in her voice, eyes twinkling enthusiastically.
Jinju only moves away from her indigo friend’s side as her mother moves up beside her. She returns Reagan the same sweet smile, nuzzling closer in the gray mare’s side and eyes fluttering slightly upon the sign of affection. Jinju couldn’t imagine that she would ever get enough of this, loving the feeling of belonging and being loved. ”Well, I couldn’t let you take my friend away from me, not?” she answers with a soft chuckle in her voice, eyes traveling back to the indigo girl. ”But yes, it indeed has been a while. Although I’m pretty sure I’m able to recognize my friends, mom.”
Liv smiles broadly to her dark friend as she speaks of the white wolf. Blue eyes move to watch Reagan transisitons between canine to equine and Liv is quiet obviously surprised. Never had the blue girl seen such magic before. Lobes move and listen as Reagan describe Liv as a potential snack. She swallows in a gulp at the idea of her being nibbled on.
The touch of Jinju brings her back to the present, her own indigo muzzle gently touching the other girl. "Yes I miss the night as well, Jinju-", she leans closer, "maybe we can go another night." Liv muses playfully with a flickering smile but it falters for a moment when Reagan mentions her mother. "Have either of you seen my mother?" And in that moment the strong girl appears small, vulnerable as she asks about her family. "Is she well?" Concern is overwhelming her eyes as they become glassy and glittering.
