Frozen Falls [Closed]

[Meds]

Tiel

Rayen;

The green wolf with rippling white stripes skipped over some of the snow-covered trees. She and her newest encounter had decided to go for a hunt. He didn't remember much, but she hoped that doing something as instinctual as hunting could bring some of what was lsot back to the surface.
Winter didn't provide the best hunting opportunities usually, but one didn't grow up a loner without learning where to look for food during the snowy months, and Rayen prided herself on being an adept huntress. The grazers often left by the bunches to go and find shallower snow, better to nose through to find the grass underneath—but smaller prey such as rabbits often stayed around.
Rayen had told Leo to meet her by the falls that day. Waterfalls rarely froze over completely, and the draw of an available water source often brought prey forward from their bunkers within the snow. She couldn't quite see the falls yet, she still had a ways to go before she was out of the surrounding forests, but she had no doubt the golden wolf with the bad memory would be along soon enough.

Rayen thought she heard a footfall or two, and stopped, smiling cleverly.
"Is that you?" She asked, turning once and ducking a low hanging, snow-laden branch. It was harder than that to sneak up on her—especially in the quiet that snow often brings.

[Tiel]

Leo peered at Rayen standing in the snow. Against the winter landscape, the green and black of her pelt seemed brighter than when they were in the autumnal forest. It was rather beautiful, the snowscape, and some what poetic. "You got me," the orange male said smiling and partially blushing. It was not long ago since he last spoke to Rayen but it felt like forever. Leo felt as though he was seeing an old friend from long ago. Of course, they had only had one conversation together in the ruins, but she and Sullivan were all Leo had. They were the only ones he remembered.

"I seem to recall you talking of a waterfall," Leo said playfully. He trotted over to Rayen and exaggeratedly peered behind her squinting his eyes as though he were searching for something. "I'm not seeing a waterfall." Leo knew (or thought he knew) the general area of the falls, but this seemed to be no where near them. Not that it mattered much. They would be able to hunt here as well. However, Leo was eager to see what a waterfall looked like in the winter. Perhaps he had seen one before, but could not remember now. He assumed it would be frozen solid and imagined it elegant and graceful, like long octopus tendrils curling down into a smooth shiny pool frozen as well. He knew it was unlikely, but he only hoped.

[Meds]

Rayen;

And there he was. All gold fur and shimmers in contrast with the grey-sivler snow, smiling happily. Rayen felt her tail wag behind her. There first meeting had been laced with mystery and unspoken questions, a feeling that the Ruins always left its visitors with-but this encounter promised an easier, more care free interaction. She had found the waterfalls once before, though never in the colder weather. It wasn't like they were hidden though—as soon as the pair found the grasslands at the end of the thinning forest it would be a short walk to the water.

Leo pretended looked around, and came up without a waterfall. Rayen rolled her eyes at him, scoffing and laughing and taking off into the misty snow. If he wanted to keep making fun, he would have to keep up with her. Rayen was fast, and well-suited to twisting through the trees.
The ground was more slippery today though since it had melted and refrozen the day before, and once or twice her back feet slipped out from under her. She yelped loudly each time, mostly in surprise, but also because she knew Leo was bound to be coming up fast from behind. She rushed out from the trees then and into the grassy planes covered in an unbroken blanket of snow. It was still slippery, but the waterfall was close at hand now.

[Tiel]

"W-wait up!" he called. Leo raced after his friend skipping over tree roots and boulders. It was mostly quiet, other than the rhythmic pattern of crunching pawsteps in the snow like a racing heartbeat, and the occasional yelp Rayen made when her paw slipped. The ground was rather slippery with all the ice, but that's what made it fun. Leo bounded after Rayen one paw in front of the other, but when the two came to a point where there were less trees and more open space, he leaped onto the edge of a small hill and slid all the way down on his stomach with his legs sprawled out. It was frigid and terribly uncomfortable, but it was fun enough to try again on the upcoming hill. It was also faster than running if he did it right, so by the fourth snowy hill, Leo was on Rayen's left side. He glanced over imagining the look on her face when she would see him sliding down the hill side, distracting him from the bottom of the slide, so he crashed face first in a pile of clean snow. Immediately, he stood up and shook the snow out of his fur, sneezing some off the tip of his nose, and began racing again.

[Meds]

Rayen;

Rayen barked in laughter as her pursuit caught up with her. Suddenly though, as she slipped down another hill and raced up the following, the sound of Leo's foot falls behind her changed. Instead of a thumpity thump, there was now a crunching whoosh. Rayen was so interested that she considered looking around to see what on earth he could be doing, when instead she saw that he was right beside her, sliding down the hard-packed snow on his stomach. What an interesting creature, Rayen thought with wonder. His idea didn't look half bad, actually.

Suddenly then, he smashed into a pile of clean snow at the bottom of the hill, and Rayen leaped over his fallen form easily and mockingly.
"Be careful! You don't have the best track record with smashing into things." Her eyes flashed as she smiled, obviously referring to the poor wolf's spotty memory.

Rayen's white stripes across her pine-coloured body mingled with the snow as she laboured up the next hill. The snow was deeper there, so by the time she finally got to the top she was puffing. Leo had longer legs than she did—something that would surely help him catch up.
Deciding to give Leo's idea a try, Rayen fell to her back and slid down, upside-down and head first, down the sloping banks. She watched the peak of the hill dwindle as she descended.
Then a rushing sound met her ears. She knew immedietly what it was, and suddenly her legs were waving as she tried to right herself. She did so in time, and managed to come to a stop before she slipped right off the bank and into the frozen pools leading away from the falls.

The ice closest to the ground was thinner and even broken in some places, getting thicker in the middle, then thin once more when it reached the foot of the falls. The falls were largely frozen, glinting blue and silver in the sunlight. The massive pillars of ice were magnificent to behold—but they weren't to be taken lightly. There was still flowing water within the pillars (that's what she had heard), and smaller streams trickled down the edges as well. She sat by the edge of the ice and huffed to herself, grinning. It was pretty close to perfect.

"What do you think?" Rayen called over her shoulder to Leo without turning around, her tail smoothing out the snow behind her. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

[Tiel]

"Be careful! You don't have the best track record with smashing into things." Leo stared at Rayen blankly for a few seconds, until it hit him that she was talking about his memory loss. He laughed at her joke, then realized it might have been too late. The time to laugh was already long gone. Leo's chuckle faded into an embarrassed smile. Thankfully, Rayen ended the conversation by continuing their race up another hill. Leo wagged his tail playfully when he saw Rayen trying out his sliding method, and in a new innovative way. Leo flipped onto his back as well and slid down after his friend. Going upside down was even more fun! "Woohooooooo!" he shouted as he slid down, but then realized that he could not see what was in front of him. Worried he would hit a large rock or something, Leo twisted his body frantically to stop himself. He placed his paws in front of him and skidded to a hault. Now he was wet on his stomach and his back. It was still worth it, though.

Rayen was up ahead staring at something and Leo had a feeling he knew what it was. Excitedly, he pranced over to her, eager to see the waterfall. Nope. It was definitely not what Leo expected, but it was magnificent. Rather than mystical swirly waves of sparkly ice tendrils like Leo had imagined, there were gigantic uneven stalactites hanging from a cliff, and gleaming with a soft reflection of sunlight. He noticed there was still water flowing down anyway. The falls were not entirely frozen.

Leo sat down beside Rayen and took in the overwhelming scenery. It was breathtaking, and left him utterly speechless. All he could say was "Wow." in that moment. His eyes were fixed on the falls for a long peaceful moment, until his focus shifted to Rayen. "Nature is pretty great, huh?"

[Meds]

Rayen;

Leo came to sit by Rayen as they considered the falls. Perhaps it was just a placebo effect becasue of his warm-coloured fur, but Rayen could have almost sworn she felt warmer when he sat next to her. In reality, her darker fur should have sponged up the heat better than his golden coat, but she couldn't deny what she felt. It was interesting, and only slightly distracting.
He had been embarressed earlier when Rayen had made a joke about his memory. He had laughed it off awkwardly, missing the beat. Well, Rayen was no stranger to being awkward. Growing up largely alone hadn't socialized her as well as many other wolves—but she did her best with what she had.

"Nature is pretty great, huh?"
Rayen turned to him, huffing out a misting breath that she had been holding in without realizing it.
"Oh, Leo, I wish you could remember yourself," She said, changing the subject but relating back to the joke they had discussed moments before. She leaned her head against his shoulder, again demonstrating that social cues didn't always present themselves in her mind. The way she saw it, Leo was kind and they were friendly with each other. In that respect, why shouldn't it feel natural to rest her chin against him? It wasn't meant to be done in a sensual or seductive way, it was truly just that she felt comfortable around him. Her eyes scanned the expanse of frozen water, and the light reflecting off the waterfall danced in her eyes. "I have so many memories of the lands beyond the valley. Of the wolves I've met and the things I've done. I can't imagine what it must feel like not to have that."
She wasn't pitying him, nor demeaning him—simply trying to understand. It was a sad situation, to be sure, and the worst part was that she didn't know if she could help.

[Tiel]

"Oh, Leo, I wish you could remember yourself," Leo sighed, remembering the empty void inside of him. He knew he had friends, and he knew he had family. He just could not remember them. He looked to Rayen as she leaned against him, and smiled again. Somehow, she was filling that void. She spoke of all the memories she had, and how she could not imagine losing them. "I don't know," he said not realizing the irony of the comment. "I suppose I can make new memories, now." Leo was beginning to accept that he may never remember himself, but that did not mean he would never have a fulfilling life. He would start one here, in the valley.

Leo leaned into Rayen. The moment was almost perfect. "With you," he added. He hoped he was not being too pushy. The beautiful (almost romantic) scenery combined with the two leaning into each other just made it seem like the right thing to say.

[Meds]

Rayen;

She braced herself as he leaned into her, not wanting to slip down the icy slope with the added weight. The sun was reflecting off of his golden fur, and in the corner of her eyes his coat played with the light. She inhaled, then heaved an easy sigh, letting her eyes close. She was comfortable—happy.

"With you."
Rayen's eyes blinked open. Of course he meant that they were friends, and that's how they could make memories together. But then, why did she detect a hint of something else in his deep voice? She had heard that underlying hint in many males' voices before, but surely this wasn't one of those cases. She was probably reading into it; however, if she wasn't, she didn't really know how to react. She smiled, and straightened, up away from him.
The movement wasn't done in a protecive or uncomfortable way, certainly not. But if the hint she thought she detected had been there, then she wanted to keep things straight. While she wasn't opposed to such an idea, they had only just met. In reality, she didn't even know him; in fact, he didn't even know himself.

That's why she was sure she had been imagining things. He couldn't have been thinking along lines like that. He surely meant that she could help him develop his memory once again, as a friend.

"Come on, cheeseball," She grinned in a friendly, good natured joke. She then leapt up and scampered away down the shoreline. "Shhh," She added over her shoulder, hunkering down and beginning to crawl. She tucked her tail down to the ground so it didn't rise above the dead reeds in the frozen water. If they could round the bend in a reasonably quiet fashion, the prey they were searching for may present itself.

[Tiel]

Leo cringed when Rayen pulled away from him. Stupid! he scolded himself. The moment had just seemed so perfect. He had not meant to seem pushy, or to rush into things. He might have scared her off. Just act natural. Pretend it never happened. Leo straightened himself out as well, and gave her a goofy smile. One that a friend would give to another friend.

"Come on, cheeseball," Rayen said clearly as a friendly joke. Maybe she had not detected his romantic undertone. Leo laughed awkwardly at her joke, and padded up behind her. He scanned the snow covered area around him for a sign of prey. When Rayen lowered her body to hide in the dead plants, so did Leo. He followed behind her, stepping in each paw print she made in the snow to reduce the soft crunching sound. Slowly, they stalked around the shoreline until a rustling sound was heard in the reeds. "Over there," Leo whispered as softly as possible. He pointed his nose in the direction of a small rabbit, chewing on some of the dead twigs.

[Meds]

Rayen;

Rayen had sensed him cringe as she pulled away. Inwardly, she cringed as well. She didn't want him to think that she was aloof and unavailable, rather... she just needed to get to know him better. Perhaps if she was friendly with him, he would understand.

She was very aware of his presence behind her, though. It was as if heat simply poured off of him, and even while he was behind her, she could feel it. Maybe the reason she had been so closed to his flirtacious undertones was because she couldn't quite place her own feelings, either. But the feeling of actual heat, pouring off of him, in the middle of winter, was a wonder.
Why did he affect her, so? Surely others noticed it, too? And yet, on the only other occasion the two had had to meet, she hadn't noticed it.

She shook her head to clear it and felt her heart rate slow down. There were other matteres at hand. She saw a rabbit, and mere seconds after Leo whispered to her that he saw it, as well. They both seemed to be able hunters—or at least, observant. Who had he been, before? How could she help him remember?
Suddenly, the rabbit perked up and Rayen froze. How embarressing would it be, to lose the only prey within the area? Especially in front of Leo, who for some reason, Rayen found herself not wanting to let down. She could see the rabbits muscles preparing to spring, but she beat it to it.
All at once, Rayen exploded out of the underbrush. Her claws found traction and she was after the rabbit in a flash. It made the mistake of running onto the frozen lake and lost its footing. Rayen leaped off the bank after it, judging that the ice looked reasonably thick enough to support her weight. Before the rabbit regained itself, Rayen swiped at it and caught it's soft fur with her claws. She brought her paw up and behind her, literally throwing the flailing rabbit towards Leo. She turned, still on the frozen water, and grinned at him.

[Tiel]

Leo had not expected to have a rabbit thrown at him, and hit him in the face. With an awkward yip, he fell backward landing in the snow. It took him a few seconds to recover before he realized it was probably scampering away. Immediately, Leo stood up again frantically swishing his head side to side until he spotted the prey. It had not run off as far as he expected. It appeared injured now, limping off with one leg dragging behind it, the poor thing desperately trying to get away from the two hungry wolves. Leo pounced at the rabbit, managing to hold it down with both front paws. He gave it a nip around its neck, then lifted the dead prey with his mouth.

Leo swiveled around to show Rayen the rabbit. He smiled through clenched teeth and trotted over to her. He marched onto the ice, assuming it would be strong enough to hold him up since Rayen was already walking across it. Playfully, he pushed with his hind legs off of the shore and slid over to his friend. He skidded to a stop next to her with a laugh muffled by the furry creature in his mouth.

Suddenly, there was a cracking sound. Leo froze, looking down at a clean crack through the ice beneath him. Then another crack. Then another. Leo looked up at Rayen. "Uh oh." he said holding the rabbit in his mouth.

[Meds]

Rayen;

Rayen barked in laughter as Leo fell backwards. Well, they were one step clsoer to discovering who he was. He was not a wolf with a quick reaction time.
"I'm sorry!" She shouted, padding on the ice and laughing as he chased it down. The two of them were quite a comedic site, him chasing after a limping rabbit, both slipping in the snow. Rayen sat down and smiled, her dark eyes trained on her golden friend. Eventually he got the poor thing and put it out of his misery. He turned to show her, like a proud pup. She couldn't escape how silly he looked, but how endearing she found it.
Next thing she knew, however, he was sliding towards her across the ice, well balanced, and coming to stop with the furry creature hanging from his jaws. He was a lot taller than her, and broader, and when Rayen looked up at him from her seated position, she felt small, but not all together out of place. What was that feeling? Safety?

No, that couldn't be it. Rayen was the only true wolf that could make herself feel safe! She had learned not to rely on anyone for anything, even if they were friendly and more than willing to offer it most times. In that list was included a feeling of safety. Growing up on the outside, she wouldn't have lasted long if she had cowered and fled everytime she found herself alone.
But all the same, the quickening beat of her heart couldn't be ignored.

Rayen grinned up at him, her eyes twinkling. She opened her mouth to say something—something soft, vulnerable, and unplanned, when a deep crack sounded from below her and stole the words from her mouth. Just like that, all feelings of warmth and safety vanished. It was like being dunked in cold water—which indeed was about to happen. There were no undertows, since the body of water was calm even when thawed and it was fed only by the falls—so there was no danger of being sucked under the ice; however, a cool bath wasn't what she had planned on that day.

"Go, go!" She said, yelping in play (and perhaps a bit of fear), and jumping up. The ice rocked below her with even that small movement. She was farther from the bank than she had anticipated. Could they make it? She took a few hurried steps towards the grass, but just then a splinter formed in front of her and she froze. She looked to Leo, a silent smile of both fear and excitement etched on her face.

[Tiel]

Rayen seemed to be having more fun than Leo was. The two of them surely would never make it to shore without getting wet. At least not the both of them. "Go, go!" Rayen's optimistic cheer echoed. Leo felt cold water beneath his paws as the small island he stood on began to sink. He watched as Rayen bounded forward, and at that moment, Leo thought she might actually have a chance of making it to the shore, but alas, a sharp spike of ice formed in front of her, blocking her path. However, Leo noticed there was still another chance for her. As a ramp formed on her other side, far too steep for any wolf to climb up without slipping, all she needed was a good push. Leo dashed forward in the direction of Rayen's side. "I'm sorry about this," he said with the knowledge that this might hurt some. It was still better than being dipped in freezing water in Leo's opinion. He rammed into her side pushing her up and over the ice ramp. As the ramp grew steeper and steeper, Leo slided backward behind Rayen and fell straight into the icy pool. There was a quick moment as he lingered underwater in the frigid bath. Leo popped his head upward, in suspense of whether or not Rayen made it. The ramp was still there blocking his vision, so he called to her, "Did ya make it?"

[Meds]

Rayen;

Suddenly, Leo smashed into her side. Rayen hadn't seen that one coming. Her ribs shuddered unpleasently, but nothing broke nor bruised. Well, perhaps bruised. It was nothing she couldn't handle, though. She had had worse in her time.
Her new friend Leo was quite tall, and his height gave the illusion that he wasn't the most hefty of wolves—at least not with a whole lot of weight behid him. When she had seen him coming at her she hadn't exactly braced to be broad-sided by a strong, solid wolf. Contrary to that belief, however, Rayen went sliding away across the ice all the same. Up the ramp she went, eyes wild in fun and surprise. As she went up and over the edge, she dug her claws into the frozen water and turned herself around. She was just in time to see Leo plumet off the ice and into the fridgid water.

Somehow, Rayen landed on (or at least near) the bank. She scrambled up, muddying her claws.
"Leo!" She called, real concern lacing her voice for a moment as he didn't surface instantly. She knew nothing could actually happen to him in the calm waters, but for some reason not seeing him had her a little bit panicked. He did come up again though, eventually, and the relief Rayen felt course through her confused her a little bit. She grinned. "Yes, yes of course I made it!" She laughed, dropping to her stomach and stretching her paws out. She scrabbled around the pieces of ice until she had a cleared a path to him. Her claws raked against his chest as she tried to bring him closer.
"You're really strong..." She said, slightly breathless, glancing at the side he had hit. It wasn't every wolf that could hit from a perpendicular angle and send the target in the desired direction. She cleared her throat, blushing slightly. "I mean—you know. Obviously you know. But. Thank you!"
There was that awkwardness that was never far off with her.