[Tagged] Heading Home: Grief

[Karmatose]

Marsh could barely believe his senses. How long had it been? Three years? Four? He was home. Home! He hasn't even thought that word in ages. He knew it the moment he stumbled upon the Hunting Plains; the very place where his life had begun to go wrong. Suddenly, words and images flashed through his head unbidden, and his excitement faded as quickly as it had come. He still had to be careful. He didn't know how much had changed since he was gone, and he was a stranger here now. It was dangerous. Like slipping on a second skin, his guard raised once more as he trotted quickly through the plains and crossing the river where it was narrow, relying on hazy memories to help him find his way back home to the Hidden Glade.

He'd traveled several days through the plains and into the woods, moving at a steady but cautious pace and stopping to rest only a few hours every night. He knew he was wearing his body out, but he couldn't help it — he wanted to see his pack again. Even if it had been years; even if everything was different. He wanted — no, needed — to see them. Even still, his hackles rose at the mere thought of approaching a pack willingly — everything that had been ingrained in him these past few years was being challenged now. He knew he must look different than he had when he'd left; he was thinner, his fur was dry and brittle and he carries himself differently. He's more cautious than he was before. He's more afraid.

There's more to be afraid of.

He glances at the sun slowly dipping under the horizon, his paws aching and sore from so long spent traveling, and decides it best to find a spot to rest. If he remembers correctly, he's pretty close to the Abetyu Ruins. In his youth, he didn't travel far outside his territory until his disappearance, with the exception of the ruins. He'd often sneak out with his friends — the word felt foreign in his mind — and play in the ruins until nightfall, before heading back before anyone could miss them. Now, as the ruins came into sight, he wasn't sure if the way his breath was drawn from his throat was because his memories of the place had failed to recall their beauty, or if it simply looked different as the sun set behind the foreign stonework, the taller of the strange rocks leaving long shadows in their wake. In his awe, it took him longer than usual to smell the other wolf — he wheeled around to his right, hackles raised, teeth bared dangerously as he realized the she-wolf must have snuck into his blind spot. Whether intentionally or not, he wasn't sure, but it took all his strength of will to not attack her where she stood. In any other place, he wouldn't have hesitated, because hesitation could have gotten him killed. Here, though, he knows the rules are different. Yet, instinct is a hard thing to fight and he isn't really sure he wants to.

He tries to hide the abject terror he feels as he realizes that he could die here, right now, just when he had finally found his home again. He growls louder, if only to mask the fear in his eyes. He looks her over, turning his head slightly so she is centered in the gaze of his left eye. She's more colorful than any wolf he's seen in many years — further proof that he is where he thinks he is. She's black, a darker shade than himself, with pink markings and spots everywhere. Her eyes are two different colors, and he feels strange seeing a wolf other than himself with such bright coloration. He knows he must look starved to her — he hasn't eaten well in months. Prey is hard to find in winter, especially for a lone wolf, and even more so for a lone wolf who has lived outside White Wolf Mountain for so long. The Hunt makes sure of that. Blood flashes across his memories and he feels himself near a breaking point — he's only been aware of the presence of this she-wolf for a few seconds, but it feels like it's been hours. He doesn't speak, doesn't move. He simply stares, ever watchful. He decides then that if she moves a single inch out of line — he'll attack. His old mentality is beginning to take control, and he can't afford to lose this fight. Because that's what it is now — a fight. He no longer can see it becoming anything else.

He's so close.

So close to home.

@teegan

[Deleted]

Allura had been moping around White Wolf Mountain for some time. She's found a few spots within the land she loved to be in and enjoyed spending days on end at. She'd been hanging around the ruins for about a day and a half. She was making her way through the beautiful space when she spotted the skinny brute. Her two toned eyes drank in his features, He was a gray color with teal here and there. He wasn't nearly as colorful as she was. But his scent was different, like he wasn't from here. It didn't hold any recognition to her or the land at all. She flattened her ears against her skull as he growled. She bared her fangs back tensing her body for an attack as she glared at him. "Who are you? Why are you here Foreigner?!" She tilted her head as she growled out those words. She was prepared to defend herself if he attempted anything. He looked weak enough that she could handle him if he did try to attack her. She stood her ground refusing to show any fear before the stranger. She normally wouldn't have reacted this way but since he'd shown hostility first she was going to give it back. She wasn't the one to roll over and back off a challenge. She dug her nails into the ground as she waited anxiously.


Karmatose

[Karmatose]

Marsh tensed as the she-wolf bared her fangs at him, preparing to attack before she got the chance to. He knew that waiting for her to make the first move was a bad idea. However, hearing her words he suddenly blinked, seeming confused for a moment before he shook his head, trying to clear it — although of what, he couldn't be sure. Something didn't add up, though. No one ever asked questions before they attacked, not since...

With a start, Marsh came back to reality. For a moment, he'd forgotten where he was, having returned to the world outside of White Wolf Mountain. He tried to remember the best way to diffuse a disagreement back in a time when disagreements could actually be diffused by anything except death to your enemies. Then, cautiously, he lowered his head in submission, although his gaze never left her paws. The moment her paws moved, he would be on guard once again.

He paused, trying to recall how one spoke to another without threats or insults underlying their tone. He opened his jaws once to speak, before reconsidering for a moment. After a few seconds, he began to speak, his words coming out stiff and overly formal. "I did not mean to offend, stranger. I am simply unused to the..." He searched for the proper word, "...customs of this land. It has been a long time since I've been here. My name is Marsh, I'm searching for my former pack. They used to live in the Hidden Glade before I left some years ago." He paused, as if unsure he wanted to test her generosity. After all, to him, the mere fact that she hasn't attacked him yet was considered generosity. "It has been a long journey, I'm afraid. I am weary from my travels, and you startled me. I'd prefer not to fight if it can be avoided."

@teegan

[Deleted]

Allura stared hard, drinking in the shake of his head, his stance. She held firm refusing to move even an inch, because she needed to be ready for anything he threw at her. Startled by his head bow she relaxed more but was still guarded. She stepped out of her attack stance and sat down, long tail curling over her paws. He was a curious one. No one she'd ever met bowed their head to a foe. Especially back home, where you never knew if you were running into an evil orientated stranger who's have leaped at you in that split second of weakness. He was lucky she had more morals than that.

Allura cringed as he spoke, it was almost as if he hadn't spoken to someone in years. but she pushed through it to listen to his speech. She made sure to remember his name and face, in case she ever saw him again after this run in. She was never sure who she'd see again. And for her that was okay. "Former pack in the Hidden Glade. Hmmm, Just how long has it been since you've been here? There hasn't been a pack there in two years." She shrugged. He must have been gone for a very long time to not know that. She'd only been told vague stories of the pack, but she'd never met anyone from that pack nor did she really know what had happened to them. Just that one day they were thriving strong and then the next gone. She never thought to question it, because she never thought shed run into someone who'd known the pack let alone was a former member. She wondered how that felt. She wished someone would tell her that her old pack had been ripped apart. So she wasn't sure how others took such news.


Karmatose

[Karmatose]

Marsh tensed as she moved to sit down, clearly on edge at the movement, but relaxed slightly when he realized she was merely sitting. He breathed out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding in, the tension in the air diminished some with that simple movement. It felt foreign, being so close to another wolf without that looming sense of kill-or-be-killed.

Hearing her words, though, his blood ran cold.

"Two years....two years...?" He muttered to himself, already nearing hysterics. He'd traveled this far, for what?! To find out they were gone? Surely — No, of course fate would have it this way. It seemed fate always had it out for him, ever since that day four and a half years ago.

He nearly forgot her presence for a moment, something he didn't make a habit of doing, before he shook his head hard and turned towards her, desperation lining his tone, "Tell me, do you know what happened to them? Are any of the former members still alive? Where are they? Do you..." His voice trailed off as if he realized what he was doing, and he hung his head. "...I...Nevermind. I'm sorry to trouble you. I...I should go, now." His voice broke painfully in several places, and he turned away, and he didn't even bother to keep her in his sights anymore. In his mind, it didn't matter if she attacked him — he didn't have much to live for now, anyway.

[Deleted]

She watched his face and her heart felt bad. apparently not everyone wanted bad things to happen to their former homes. "It's been two years. I don't know exactly what happened to them. No one where i come from talks about it." She blamed her up bringing for her next action. Because she stood up and began following him. Things had changed, and he clearly was going to wind up getting himself hurt if she left him on his own. Not to mention he'd just learned his family was gone. He must have loved them. She followed by him closely, debating what to do. He was a stranger, and she still hadn't told him her name. So she was even more of a stranger to him A stranger who just told him his family was gone.

She quickened her step and feel into step with him, she moved so his pelt brushed against her and she used her tail to brush his hind leg. "Hey, Marsh. Slow down. things are different here. you're charging head first into an unknown land. Stop. okay?" she snapped out still keeping pace with him. She would feel bad if he got hurt because of her. She leaned over and licked his shoulder trying to get him to stop. to at least let her guide him where he wanted to go so he'd be safe till he could learn the way of things here.

Karmatose

[Karmatose]

Marsh didn't realize the other was following him until her pelt brushed against his, and he let out a half-hearted growl. It was instinct, more than anything, but somehow he knew she meant no harm. The wolves he remembered from his homeland were like that — occasionally he'd hear tales as a pup of evil wolves who would sooner gouge out your eye than share their food, but they always seemed so far away in the warmth and comfort of his own den. Now, he realized, that outside of White Wolf Mountain, every wolf was evil. There was no such thing as goodness outside this mountain...It was all savagery. Kill or be killed.

Hearing her words, he stopped and turned on her, snapping angrily, "Have you ever been outside this mountain?!" He didn't wait for an answer, because he already knew it, "Then you have no right to lecture me about the dangers of unknown lands!" He seemed ready to say more, but suddenly the energy drained out of him, and he sunk to his paws, lying down with his head on his paws. "...Besides, what's the point?" He didn't elaborate, seeming dejected by every meaning of the word. He felt memories flicker through his head, but this time they felt more distant than they usually did, and he was able to safely ignore them.

As if it couldn't have found a better timing, his stomach rumbled loudly, but he merely shifted his head to look away from her in response. He hadn't had a decent meal in who knew how long, and his stomach hated him all the more for it.

[Deleted]

She ignored his growl. if he had meant her harm he would have tried already. so now his growls and angry eyes were ignored with an eye roll. She refused to acknowledge his temper tantrum. "no, but things change! the place you remember is not the same! just like you returned changed!" she snapped back. She wasn't about to take his verbal abuse because she wanted to make sure he was okay. "Youre right, ive never left this land, but i did leave HOME. i did leave and never look back and travel to parts of this land id never been! so when i tell you its different it is. SO don't you dare yell at me cranky ass!" She snapped back and huffed in annoyance. As he sank to the ground she circled him. "the point? the point is, i was raised good, even if im not. And its against my morals tro leave your ungrateful cranky ass here to die. thanks." She huffed out.

She plopped down next to him. "plus you smell like a foreigner and you look weak. that's begging for trouble." She pressed into him and laid her head on him. "get used to me cranky. Because youre stuck with me till i know youre safe t be on your own. SO the sooner you grow a pair and let me help you, the sooner you can be without my gorgeous face grumpy"

Karmatose

[Karmatose]

Marsh blinked, a bit stunned. Who the hell was this chick? Not only did she not attack him on sight, but she followed him when he was prepared to leave just to...just to what? Cheer him up? What the hell? Did wolves like that still exist?

When she plopped down next to him, he scooted a few inches away, but it wasn't far enough to stop her from pressing into him and laying her head on his shoulder. It felt...nice? He wasn't sure how to describe it, but he hadn't been touched in a kind way in so long that he felt strangely starved for it. He couldn't stop himself from leaning in slightly to her touch, his exhaustion from his travels suddenly weighing in on him. He closed his eyes, but he refused to let himself sleep just yet. Even if he hated to admit it, something about her presence gave him a new hope...a hope that he could have better days. And that hope refused to let him sleep in the middle of the forest with a total stranger without proper shelter.

Slowly, he spoke again, trying to hide the crack in his voice. "F-fine. If only to get rid of your crazy ass."

[Deleted]

She giggled "I knew you'd see it my way" She wagged her tail a bit "i think we need to start by feeding your boney ass, cranky. and then get you smelling like a native again. i can help with that second one easily" She purred out the last bit suggestively before running her tongue against his ear. She looked around "its getting pretty late, lets go find a nice place to camp for the night. and maybe get you smelling like home again hm? and then tomorrow we can start feeding you and getting you reacquainted with this land." She stood up and shook off her pelt before looking back at marsh. "come one before we loose the last of the sunlight!" She looked up at the sky

Karmatose

[Karmatose]

Marsh flinched as the she-wolf beside him licked his ear, a shiver running up his spine. He suddenly felt like he'd gotten in way over his head, but he ignored the feeling in favor of getting up to follow her, feeling dread creep into the back of his mind. He knew by now that there was no getting rid of her, but he couldn't help but regret that now. As if he'd had a choice. Even so, he was terrified that he'd have another nightmare — who was he kidding? He had nightmares every night, why would they stop now? — and she would take advantage of his momentary weakness to...to what? Kill him? If she'd wanted to do that, she already had plenty of chances. Then...to hurt him emotionally?

That would only work if he let himself get close to her. So, he resolved, he wouldn't let that happen. This was a business relationship, as much as she may disagree — he got food and protection, and she got to go to sleep with a 'good conscience'... Whatever that means.

@teegan