Logic VS The Impossible (Tagged and Open)

[Tiel]

E

E did not marvel at the beauty.

That wasn't to say it didn't amaze her, the tree boggled her mind. She had never seen anything like it before. Anything was possible. Imagination was reality. Frankly, the picture reminded her of dreaming.
And it terrified her.

E didn't like not knowing why things were. There was a reason for everything, that was E’s motto. But this tree completely rejected that theory, designs swirling across the bark like magic. She had heard of magic in this valley, but she had never believed it. Magic was impossible, and E didn't believe in impossible things. But here were these designs, emanating ancient power, forcing E to think differently. Magic was real.

E’s heart contracted.
If magic was real, it was all over.
Anything could happen now, and for no reason at all. Chaos. Yes, that was a good word for it. Utter chaos. At that point, E had better go dig a deep, deep den and never come out. But maybe, maybe there was an explanation. These designs didn't have to be magic. They could've been carved out by wolves.

With timid pawsteps, E padded into the clearing, out of the thicket she had been observing the Tree from. She moved slowly through the snow, eyeing the tree suspiciously. Carvings aside, it was, in a technical sense, like any other oak tree. But E’s emotional response to it said otherwise. The Tree was brimming with some strange, timeworn wisdom, and she could feel it. It was this profound force more than the brisk winter wind that made her shiver. She tried to step forward, or to turn away, but she was as frozen as the icicles dangling from the Tree’s branches, petrified.

((Emorli))

[Emorli]

Baal;

One thing that always kept Baal thinking for hours on end and what was that thing? Beauty. The beauty of things always interested the less than talkative male. A place that held the most beauty in his mind was the Adoette Tree. The tangling designs that ran over the bark were mysterious and he could never figure out how exactly they got there, however, the mystery was something magnificently beautiful in itself. It enthralled him.

It just so happened that Baal had decided to go visit the tree because of the winter it snowed frequently and the leaves all held a small amount of snow, creating a white flower-like shape on top of the large tree. Icicles hung from some areas of the tree such as some of the outer-most branches or clusters of leaves that wouldn't be overwhelmed by the stress of holding too much weight and fall off. The tree's crown covered the area around the actual trunk creating a snowless area like a force field was shielding it from the frozen flakes.

Baal's large paws made equally large prints in the snow as he moved closer to the mysteriously carved tree. He had caught the scent of another wolf but brushed it aside as he was more interested in the tree, rather than the harm that this wolf could bring to him. As he moved closer and closer the scent became stronger and stronger and the lack of sound suggests that the wolf hadn't moved. The large, foggy-grey male stood before the beautiful tree. He thought about how the tree would look in the summer if fireflies from the fields came to illuminate the carvings when they blinked their tiny lights. The thought brought a smile to his face and he walked up to the tree, bringing his paw up to touch on of the intricate designs in the bark of the tree. Bringing his paw down, he begins walking to the other side, following an interesting carving that continued around the tree. The wolf, standing still, catches his eye. Baal looks at the female, tilting his head with a small, close-eyed smile.

"Have you been frozen from the cold? I don't think I'd have the patience to try and thaw you out."

((200+))

[Tiel]

E

E flicked her ears up at the sound of pawsteps crunching through snow, steadily growing louder. They were probably coming from behind the tree, she guessed from the direction the noise was coming from.

Aside from the movement of her ears, which came naturally, she stayed frozen. Her heart was thumping quicker by the second. Should she run? Fight? Stay still?
Think, E!
Frosty grey fur glinted in the sun as a large wolf — a much larger wolf than E — revealed himself. In a fight between him and E, who would win? This question crossed her mind automatically. She shook her head, knowing it was probably the wrong thing to ask herself. Instead, she thought, could this wolf be a threat to her?Anyone could be a threat to her. E reminded herself not to forget that.

She bared her teeth, lowered her body, prepared for a fight. But her paws were pointing indecisively away from the stranger, ready to run if it came to it. She probably looked pathetic, the scrappy wolfess she was, though appearances were at the bottom of her list of concerns at the moment.

“Have you been frozen from the cold? I don't think I'd have the patience to try and thaw you out.”

Thaw me out? Was that a threat?
Say that out loud, now.
“Thaw me out?” Her voice was raw; she barely ever used it. “Was that a threat?”

[Emorli]

Baal;

Baal opens his eyes in response to the panicked feeling in the air. The female was definitely surprised by seeing Baal, but he simply stood straight without showing much change in emotion. Suddenly surprising a wolf in a not so populated area would give anyone reason to be surprised. She bares her teeth at the large male and he raises one of his eyebrows at her. Was this some sort of attempt at intimidation. Her lowered stance and tense look, although she didn't look like the strongest wolf, showed she was ready for a fight, or at least she was trying to make it seem so.

"Was that a threat?" The serious tone of the wolf caused Baal's eyes to widen. He didn't think he sounded so serious, in fact, he remembers purposefully making sure his tone was light and said everything with a joking tone just incase it might be misinterpreted even though it has been anyways.

"No need to fight. It wasn't a threat. You just looked like you were frozen. I don't want to fight you" Baal flashed a friendly smile toward the obviously freaked out female in an attempt to lighten the mood. Even though he looks like he'd be one to fight, he avoids conflict as much as possible, although he understands that sometimes it must be done. That being said, he doesn't know who or what this wolf might think or be, or if she will end up deciding to attack.

((200+))

[Tiel]

E

“No need to fight. It wasn't a threat. You just looked like you were frozen. I don't want to fight you.”

E kept herself in a fight-ready stance anyway. This stranger, despite showing no visible signs of fibbing, deserved no trust from E. She didn't know how experienced he was with lying. Some wolves were gifted pretenders, able to disguise what went on in their heads. Trust was such an illogical thing. There was no way to get inside someone else’s mind and see what they were really thinking, so what reason did she have to believe anything? Words meant nothing. Less than nothing from a stranger.

“Yeah? Well, prove it,” E spat, knowing proof would be impossible. She couldn't crack his brain open and peer inside, no matter how willing he’d be.

She scowled at him, her breath ragged and visible in the crisp winter air. She already felt worn out. That was one of the funny things about stress, it took a toll on the body, especially for someone who was stressed all the time.

She shifted her weight from paw to paw, anxious to get away from both the stranger, and the Tree. She kept glancing at the ragged, mysterious designs on the bark, slightly expecting them to move or attack or do something threatening. It may have been illogical, but so were they. Magic, if that's what they were, was unpredictable, so E looked back and forth between the Tree and the stranger as though they were both equal threats.

[Emorli]

Baal;

Baal's cheeks puff out as he tries to hold in a laugh, but fails. He bursts out in a bright and fruity laugh because of the immature line said by the still unknown female. "Prove it? And how do you expect me to do that?" He eventually controls his laughter, bringing his head down toward his leg to wipe off any tears that fell out of his cheerful eyes. "You're gonna have to be a bit more specific. Also, the tree won't bite." A laugh still make its way out of his throat, his voice still obviously cheery and playful. "If you expect me to be lying, I honestly don't know how to prove that I'm being honest. I guess it's all up to what you want to believe." The large male sits down across from the anxious female and his tail sweeps across the floor, making a quarter circle on the floor beside him.

The area around them gets darker as the sun travels across the sky on its journey to make its way to the horizon. The stars beginning to become visible in the faded sky make it seem like a bunch of little bright bugs sit still in the air.

[Tiel]

E

E hopped a few paw-lengths back at the male’s laugh, startled. Then, when she realized it wasn't a noise of ferocity, calmed a bit, heart still thumping at a rapid pace. She scowled at him, but blushed slightly.

“Stop it,” she barked, her voice laced with embarrassment that she failed to hide. “I don't like being laughed at.” E wanted to drop her gaze and guard her feelings from this stranger, but she still found him a threat, so her eyes stayed trained on him. She wondered if she could run now. Would he try to catch her? If he did intend to hurt her at all, it was better to flee now and get a headstart. But something inside E told her to respond to the rest of his words. He thought she was being ridiculous, and she didn't want to leave it like that. Why do you care what he thinks? she chided herself, but she remained grounded. Her mood at that point was more irked than embarrassed. Her tail lifted from between her legs and lashed.

“Look,” she snarled, voice deep. “I don't just throw trust around like it’s nothing. You have no right to make fun of my caution when you haven't given me any reason to trust you except for a cheeky smile. Lots of evil wolves use cheeky smiles as bait to lure you in, and that's when they strike! That's when they hurt you! And I don't want to be hurt all over again!” E inhaled sharply before she closed her mouth. Her gaze at last dropped. Now she was really eager to change the subject.

“And another thing,” she said, but softly this time. She gestured to the Tree. “Do you believe in dark magic?” Up until a few minutes ago, she had thought she didn't believe in magic at all. But at this point she was unsure.

The sky was darkening. E shivered at the thought of the air growing colder than it already was. She wanted to go find shelter, curl up in a cozy ball, and stay there until daybreak. Soon the Tree would be overcome with shadows, and E did not intend to be in the area when that happened.

[Emorli]

Baal;

A raise of Baal's eyebrow was his response to her outburst. He was more interested in why she was so passionate about trust and such, but what made him more interested, was her question about magic. There are multiple gestures to things being magic in this valley, but he's never been questioned about it before. What did she mean by dark magic?

"Well, I'm not sure what you mean by dark magic, but, I guess you could say magic that is used by good wolves, can be used for evil things as well." Baal brings a paw just up under his chin and scratches it for a moment while he speaks while looking up at the mysterious tree beside them, his eyes traveling along the intricate carvings in the bark. If you're referring to the tree being evil, I don't really get that kind of vibe from it. Although I'm not sure how these carvings came to be, nor do I know how a lot of the other mysterious things in the valley came to be. He turns back to the female in front of him, his eyes so happy and bright they're almost like a nightlight keeping the darkness in the area away.

"I wouldn't say that I'd believe things if I was just told, but with everything that happens in this valley, you can't really help but be suspicious that it's real. Then again, magic could just be an excuse for something we just don't yet understand."

[Tiel]

((I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting!! I know Baal is on a mission to get to 50 posts and all, and he can't be in more than 3 threads. ))

E

Baal only raised an eyebrow at her defensive words, but he seemed keen on answering her question about dark magic thoughtfully. The response confirmed what she was afraid of: this valley was full of the unexplainable. She shook her head slowly as he continued, scared but curious.

“Then again, magic could just be an excuse for something we just don't yet understand.”

E let a breath out. She liked that answer. “Yes,” she said. “That's probably all it is.”

She gave the Tree a dubious glance, wondering what might explain those carvings. They remained intimidating, so she kept her guard up. She looked back at the male, considering the notion that he might be of some help in solving this riddle. He was still a threat, of course, but in E’s mind, the Tree was more of a threat. She asked carefully, “Do you… have any idea what might explain this tree?”

[Emorli]

(It's no problem at all! Also, sorry for this post being so short, I'm about to go out of town for holiday so I'm trying to get as many posts done as I can before I have to leave!)
Baal;

“Do you… have any idea what might explain this tree?" The question sent Baal's way causes him to stop and think a moment. What are all of the possibilities that caused these carvings to appear in the bark of this tree? Why was it this tree that was chosen? Was it the location? Did this tree hold significant importance to whoever or whatever made these carvings?

"I can't say for sure. Maybe a wolf made it long ago. That'd be incredibly difficult though, so maybe it wasn't done alone." Baal pauses for a moment to move closer to the tree, allowing him to get a much better look at it.

The tree's carvings become clearer as his steps carry him closer to it, each small, intricate carving taking shape, turning from small dark spots on the tree from a greater distance to beautiful carvings in the bark."Maybe it wasn't even a wolf who's done this. It's really confusing, some things in this valley." Baal then turns back to the female with a curious look on his face, his deep tone of voice slightly higher and more silvery out of interest of what this wolf was doing at this tree.

"Mind if I ask why you're so interested in this tree?" Personally, Baal prefers to enjoy these things, rather than spend all of his time questioning its existence. Every once in a while he'll wonder how it came to be, but he'd much rather prefer to just enjoy its presence.

[Tiel]

((*Sigh* Once again, I'm really late. >_< By the way, please don't be afraid to bump me if I don't respond for a while! ))

E

“It's really confusing, some things in this valley.” E sighed at this. It was an awful truth but a truth nonetheless. Confusion was E’s greatest fear, yet here she was, living in The Legendary Valley Of White Wolves, the capital of confusion. And E had no intention of leaving. This was freedom, and she would take it over the cage of fear she had constructed for herself in her old pack any day, even with frightening obstacles.

As the stranger continued, E listened on intently. Her eyes were no longer roving over him, but were instead fixed keenly on the Tree, traveling along each carved stroke as it spiraled inward or branched outward. She wasn't sure what she was looking for, really. It wasn't like there would be an explanation written on the jagged bark or hidden in some symbol. Nevertheless, her gaze had moved from watching for threatening movement to watching for an answer.

The male spoke then in a clear voice. “Mind if I ask why you're so interested in this tree?”

E looked back at him, but kept the Tree in the corner of her eye. His golden eyes stood out against his stormy coat like fire in a blizzard, which was probably a stunning contrast. Unfortunately, though, E was unnerved by both fires and blizzards, so she couldn't make herself focus on the beauty when all that passed beneath her eyes were two terrible ways to die. She made her gaze fall to the ground, and she could finally process the question he had asked. Why did the tree interest her so?

She had two choices at this point: tell him about a fear of hers, therefore revealing a weakness, or lying. E’s eyes returned to his piercing gold flames, and she swallowed once.

“I like trees,” she intoned. It was kind of a sad lie, since he had probably already taken note of the way she glowered at the Tree. In a haste, she added, “They're interesting. Sometimes frustratingly so.” Frustrating enough to glower at in apparent fear. Or maybe he would see through the lie.

[Emorli]

((It's no problem! Sorry, this post is so short. I'm a bit busy with school work!))

Baal;

"I like trees." With that line alone Baal's eyes narrow slightly and the gears in his mind begin to turn. To Baal, the seemingly pessimistic female didn't exactly enjoy the company of both himself and the tree. "Really? That's actually quite surprising. You don't really seem like you're enjoying the presence of this tree." He tilts his head slightly toward the she-wolf, his eyes narrowed slightly with a feeling that almost seems as though he could read her like a book and although he doesn't intend for his look to be so intimidating, he can't help it since it's how he usually looks. "I can't remember a time where I was frustrated at something interesting. That's just me though." A small, sweet smile grows on Baal's face and his voice is calming, "everyone's different."

Although he was slightly disappointed at the obvious lie, he was intrigued in the wolf that's before him. She didn't seem to be comfortable around such mysterious things, yet she lives in this valley. With such a mindset, why would she choose to be in this valley of all places, let alone one of the most mysterious places in the valley, the Adoette Tree?

[Tiel]

E

“Well,” said E. “Sometimes it's frustrating when you can't figure something out. This here tree is just so…” She trailed off when she realized she was walking the line between fib and truth. She had to maintain her lie. “Fascinating! I've gotta understand how it got like that.”

It was then that E felt something cold on her shoulder, then on her rump, then on her nose. With a surge of dread, she peered down her snout at what had landed delicately on the tip of her muzzle. A snowflake. Great.

Her eyes met the stranger’s again as the space between them slowly began to fill with white flakes. All the possibilities of what might happen next flashed through her mind, her thought process clear in her expression. She'd have to find shelter, and so would he. Would they have to lodge together? Could they find two different shelters? Was it worth going to all that trouble? Maybe she should part ways with him now, and find her own place to stay.

E glanced up at the sky. The snow was picking up fast, and so was the wind. She had a feeling they were in for a storm. It struck her that she would probably have a better chance at not freezing to death if she joined forces with the wolf in front of her. And perhaps his home was close by, whereas E was a nomad whose most recent place of residence was on the other side of the forest.

E exhaled, purposefully appearing frustrated at the weather rather than at the prospect of having to share a den with someone she barely new, but the latter was much more what evoked the sigh. However, truth be told, dying by freezing was terrifying, and the stranger who maybe possibly might attack her was an excellent distraction.

“Well,” said E. She began a lot of sentences this way. “Suppose it has become necessary that we find shelter, lest we freeze. You wouldn't happen to know a place nearby, would you?”

[tovaana]

ooc// hope it’s okay if he’s just been chilling on the other side of the tree in the snow? xD

Tuhota;

It was only a skip and jump from home, hardly a show of independence, but he was more interested in gaining experience and learning more than what his pack had to offer. It was all and well being the pup of some of the most feared wolves and part of a pack with prestige, but who was Tuhota but just a piece of the puzzle? Actually, he wanted to continue being part of the puzzle, just a larger piece. Much larger. And he wasn’t talking about his already large stature for a pup. Tuhota often got mistaken for an older pup or a small adult. Physical size was not a problem, it was the role he wanted to play in his pack.

The ambitious young pup took to his own adventure, hopping through the snow almost playfully, taking special note of his different surroundings, until he came to a clearing. He blinked at the blinding blanket of white before him. When his two toned gaze adjusted, he took special note of the beautiful twisted and marked tree that stood alone.

“Wow.” He muttered, glancing around and seeing no one. Shrugging, he continued forward and paused, hearing approaching crunching noises of a soft tread of wolves approaching. Tuhota paused, his curiosity torn between the tree and company. While Tuhota may have felt comfortable facing a lone wolf, he was not comfortable with more than one – not yet. And he especially didn’t want others to see his discomfort. He skirted to part of the tree where the snow and wind had created a bank of deeper snow. Dark raspberry tipped paws tried to dive into the snow, but it was more compact than he had anticipated. The sounds and smells were getting closer and his heart started to speed up. He was not /afraid/, but he did want to feel more prepared than he did in that moment.

As quick as he could (which was not very quick, as he was still young) he dug himself a little hole in the snow just large enough for him and curled up inside, the opening facing the tree, wrapping the whiter parts of him facing the world to better camouflage himself.

He held his breath in anticipation, listening as the wolves (thank the goddesses they had been on the other side of the tree) as they greeted. He then realized that as the female snapped at the male a little, and the male soothed her, that these wolves were definitely nothing to be scared about. They were just… wolves. Maybe with odd personalities and quite ignorant about magic, but nothing that Tuhota needed to be hiding from. He felt his muscles relax and he poked his head out of his sad little dent in the snow when they spoke of leaving. He didn’t want them to leave, not when he had just mustered the confidence to see what they looked like.

During the whole conversation, especially when he got bored, he tried to imagine what each looked like. He’d never met many outside of his own pack, and when they weren’t evil – they were slaves. Slaves were usually pretty boring, so he didn’t mess with them much.

Tuhota hurried and shook the snow from his pelt and dashed around the tree, skidding to a slippery halt in front of the two. Quite the entrance.

“Woah!” He said, eyes widening as he looked from male to female. “You guys are nothing like I imagined!” He paused, realizing that the comment could be taken in a bad way, “I mean, not in a bad way.” He huffed, puffing his large barrel chest out a little, smiling sheepishly. He took a few steps back and away from the pair, eying them warily. His wariness wore off quickly though, getting distracted by the excitement of getting to know wolves outside of his pack.

“Hey, you’re kinda pretty, and you…” He turned his gaze to the male with duller tones. Though mottled, it paled in comparison to the female’s vibrant colors. “You’re not really… but that’s not your fault. I’m sure you’ve got great personality. I mean- that’s what it sounded like anyways.” He did want to pick any fights unnecessarily (yet), but he was critical about almost everything. His siblings didn’t always appreciate his cynical attitude.

“Sorry, excuse my manners – I was definitely raised better than that. I’m Tuhota.” Now that he thought back, he couldn’t recall the two that introduced themselves with their own names, which was kind of odd. Well, he did have manners (at least, the barest of manners taught in Midnight Silence), but he also had the workings of something dark that couldn’t be anticipated at first glance. The pup beamed, a snowflake or two hitting his muzzle, but he shook them off like pesky flies.

[Emorli]

Baal;

Baal's dark blueish-green ears twitch at the sound of snow crunching from behind the tree, and his eyes move to look at the direction that the sound originated from, his head following soon after. His eyes squint slightly, and his head tilts to the side trying his best to get a view of around the tree without actually moving around it.

To his surprise, a pup, larger than most, suddenly pops out from behind the carved tree. His purple eyes looked between the foggy-pelted male and the female across from him and tried making a conversation, an awkward one at that. His thoughts seemed slightly jumbled, but that was only expected of a pup, and he continued correcting himself, though his words did nothing to offend the towering male.

“Sorry, excuse my manners – I was definitely raised better than that. I’m Tuhota.”

Baal shakes his head a small smile spreading across his maw with closed eyes, softening the look of his sharp, judging features.

"It's fine. My name is Baal." Baal speaks to Tuhota as he would any other wolf, a silvery, and easy to listen to voice while his whole personality gives off a friendliness that matches his smile, something that is very unlike his stature and the way he carries himself. Without putting on a friendly face, he is intimidating to most and gives a look of constant judgment, basically the opposite of his true self.