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Post by Blood on Mar 24, 2020 10:12:33 GMT -5
ArgusPearl;The land was covered in a deep fresh layer of snow that the former blizzard had left in its wake. The sky wasn’t quite opened yet, the clouds unwilling to part and let the sun’s warmth and brightness touch the earth, but the late morning still offered a pale sky that was friendlier than the stormy clouds from the day before. Pearl was content to just be out in the fresh air and tramping around in the knee deep snow. It came in drifts since the heathlands were high slopes overlooking the rest of the snow covered valley. Pearl bounded along and hopped up onto a small bolder poking out of the snow. She gazed out at the world laying before her taking in the beauty and vastness of it. Where do you think the sun is hiding now?” She twisted her neck to look behind her were Arold was slowly trudging along. “It must be close, I can feel it!” She faced the wind again and closed her eyes to the freshness that hit her face, taking in a deep breath of the chilly air. The thrill of exploring was very alive in her after their cozy nap in the storm shelter that her and Arold had made to escape the storm. Her mind had been thoroughly refreshed and her body had a new energy ready to be unleashed. She was ready to set out on the most rewarding adventure of searching for the sun, and also Arold’s past. She would help him find whatever he was looking for. Even if it was a hare for their next meal, she would put all of her effort into it.
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Post by Argus on Mar 25, 2020 23:48:30 GMT -5
Arold walked alongside Pearl. She had been mostly quiet on the trip to wherever this was, but he could still sense the excitement vibrating around her. When they had woken from their nap in the hole they had dug, he snow had stopped falling. He had stood, planning to go and find somewhere a little warmer. Pearl had followed him, which was unexpected, but not unpleasant. Wherever they had ended up was certainly warmer, and offered quite a beautiful view. The whole of the valley, laid out before him. It made his little demon voice so pleased. He heard the whispers of how he could rule all of this land, if only he would stop being such a sissy. If only he would kill to inspire fear in all around him. He shook the voice out of his thoughts.
“The sun is hiding behind the clouds. Or maybe the clouds are holding the sun hostage. It’s clearly trying to escape them.” He grinned at the sight that Pearl made, up on her rock and looking for the sun. “And I do feel it, so it must be close. Or at least as close as the sun can be, with its jailers and the distance between it and the valley.” He had no idea how far the sun was from the valley, but he thought it was very far away. He glanced at Pearl again and found her facing the wind, looking quite content. He faced the same direction, and let the wind ruffle his fur. He didn’t get the same enjoyment out of it that Pearl did, but he still enjoys it. And that was all that mattered.
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Post by Blood on Mar 28, 2020 17:55:31 GMT -5
Pearl;
Something dark had been in his eyes for a moment as she looked back at him, but her voice had distracted him from whatever had been on his mind. His reply made Pearl's cheeks lift with the happiest smile. He was being goofy again, and the little pale furred wolf absolutely loved it.
Pearl giggled and leaped off the rock in pretend panic. "Oh No! We need to rescue the sun! If it can't shine then the whole valley will be lost in darkness!" She sprinted a circle around the large boulder and then pounced behind Arold, attacking his shadow that was lurking behind him. Her claws thrashed at the snow as she tossed chunks of ice towards the big black wolf beside her. "We must destroy all darkness to free the sun!" She tried to growl through her smile, but it sounded more like a laugh instead. Joy and laughter was the real way to fight against a sunless gray sky. Laughter was the medicine for sorrow, and joy was the color of life. The more she could spread, the more her purpose was fulfilled.
"Are you going to just stand there, or you going to help me like a true warrior?" She scooped another large chunk of snow and it landed perfectly in Arold's face. Pearl froze for a second, she had unintentionally launched that snowball at her friend, and now she wasn't sure what he would do.
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Post by Argus on Mar 29, 2020 2:01:29 GMT -5
He grinned as he watched Pearl go about her ridiculous antics. He didn’t mind though, it amused him when his thoughts turned to darker matters. “Yes, but how should we rescue it? We can’t climb to the prison in the sky, and we can’t just tell the clouds to let it go. They enjoy the darkness, and would love nothing more for the valley to be without the sun forever. Hmmm.” He jerked in surprise as Pearl started throwing chunks of snow and ice in his direction. “Destroying all darkness... no that would never work. The sun needs a vacation every now and again too. How about we drink all the water in the valley so the clouds never get another chance to reform?” He chuckled at the thought of trying to drink all the water. “Or do you think that task would be a bit much for two wolves to accomplish?”
“Ahhh, but I m not a true warrior. I was taught to fight ruthlessly, and ensure I never lost. But for you, I’ll be a warrior.” He laughed through the snow covering his snout and inclined his head to get rid of it. He looked back at her and threw a piece of snow back at her. He couldn’t tell if it hit her or missed, as he was already leaping at her, knocking into her and sending them both tumbling down the gentle slope of snow. He laughed as he rolled, and tried to tell if Pearl was laughing too. He hoped he wasn’t being too rough with her, thinking that he had been careful so far not to crush her in their shared tumble.
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Post by Blood on Mar 29, 2020 21:48:35 GMT -5
Pearl;
The smile stayed on Arold's face throughout the whole scene, and Pearl was relieved that he didn't grow angry with her, or that she didn't hurt him in the eye or something. But he did show a spark of play in his eyes, and Pearl noticed it a tad bit too late as his huge black body came launching at her. Just a tap from his weight set her off balance in the deep snow and she went tumbling with him following right beside her.
"Ahhhahahah!" Pearl laughed and giggled the whole way with each somersault and roll. The snow cushioned the hits enough that no splintering pain shot through her body, but she was sure she'd feel it the next day. Their tumble ended with a grunt as the two of them hit a flat lip in the hill and the weight of their roll plopped them quite deep into a snow bank that had built up during the blizzard.
"Ruthless you are indeed!" Pearl squirmed to get her head above the snow and then a paw, maybe. She struggled against the snow and pushed against Arold who she had fallen partly on-top of. "I'm sorry!" She said in-between laughter, "I'm just a little stuck." She couldn't stop smiling or giggling, and her cheeks took on the slightest shade of pink as she kept trying but slipping and falling back on Arold's chest.
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Post by Argus on Mar 30, 2020 1:34:37 GMT -5
He heard her laughing just as they almost came to a stop, and it made him breath a sign of relief. The end of their roll came in the form of a deep snow bank. He glanced over at Pearl to make sure she wasn’t hurt or anything, and she had her neck and a single paw above the snow. His gaze zeroed in on her neck for a split second, his inner demon telling him to quickly snap it and be rid of the too cheerful menace. He quickly looked somewhere else, and quietly grunted as she pushed against him to try and stand and fell again. He didn’t mind, and laughed at her repeated attempts.
“Ruthless? Nonsense, I was a warrior. The strongest warrior in the land.” A deep thrum of amusement could be heard in his voice, and felt in the way his body shifted. “Mayhap even strong enough to break the sun free of it’s gilded cage.” Wishful thinking, that. He glanced up at the sky and found the clouds still obscuring their captive, although it did appear as though the clouds had become wispier. Maybe the sun really was fighting to break free.
“It does appear as though you are stuck. But what should I do about it? Be a warrior and push you under the snow? Or be chivalrous and help the pink lady up?” He pretended to debate about it for a second, but then laughed and shifted enough that he was able to stand, helping Pearl up at the same time. “Aren’t I your knight of shining armor?” There were edges of sarcasm in his voice, but his grinning eyes made it clear that he was joking.
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Post by Blood on Mar 30, 2020 10:25:08 GMT -5
Pearl;
Pearl smiled at Arold trying to be defensive about her comment. He obviously seemed to be enjoying her little attack of words though. "I believe you could." She encouraged him in his self praise. He was reminding her so much of her brother right now and she felt an ache of hurt deep within her. Maybe the generosity of fate was looking out for her and knew how much she missed her brother so Arold was put on her path to give her comfort. She accepted it with an open heart and would cherish every laugh that she would share with her new friend.
"It does appear as though you are stuck." Pearl gave a nervous laugh, "That would be correct." She looked at Arold with a sheepish grin before it turned into a little teasing glare when he debated to push her under or help her up. That was exactly what Gale would have done, except she was pretty sure Gale wouldn't have even given her a choice, he would have just planted her head back in the snow. To Pearl's great delight, Arold had chosen the more gentleman action and shifted to stand which helped her up out of the deep snowbank.
"Not as shiny as if the sun were free." Pearl took note of his joking tone and the goofy smile on his face as she stepped out onto solid snow, spreading her stance to support her weight evenly. "Thank you Arold." Pearl was genuinely offering her thanks as she looked up into his dark eyes. "Your chivalry is appreciated."
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Post by Argus on Mar 30, 2020 15:26:11 GMT -5
Arold wondered about the glimps3s of sadness he saw in Pearl’s gaze, and it suddenly dawned on him what might be happening. “Are you missing someone?” He thought her brother the most likely one she would miss, but she had said that she’d had friends, and maybe they were on her mind right now. She laughed and he relaxed a little. Before the sadness had been glimpse din her eyes, she had been trying to encourage him. He grinned a little at that, needing no encouragement. “Oh stop it. You’ll give me a big head, and then I’ll really be insufferable.” He imagined himself with a head ten feet thick, and had to chuckle at that. Oh stop this nonsense. Show the pink wisp of nothing how strong you are. And prove yourself worthy of your lineage by finding a way to block the sun from this valley forever. He flicked a n ear in annoyance at the voice, and stuck his head in the snow to clear it. He came up after a second, once again shaking snow from his snout.
He studiously avoided saying anything about why he stuck his head in the snow, and talked about another subject to hopefully distract Pearl from his odd behavior. “Ah, but I’m not silver. So I don’t need shine, I just need gloss.” He pranced around in a circle around her. “All hail Knight D... Uh Knight Arold! The greatest, strongest, bravest hero in the valley.” He didn’t want to think about how he had almost said his birth name in that little joking scene. No one would know of him here, but he didn’t want Pearl to know about Delano, because he wasn’t Delano anymore.
He came to a stop in front of Pearl again and flashed her a quick grin. Then he bent his head to her in a gesture of respect he thought knights would use. “Happy to help, Lady Pearl.”
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Post by Blood on Apr 5, 2020 19:10:30 GMT -5
Pearl quickly perked up when Arold had noticed her down cast expression. “Only my brother.” She gave him a reassuring smile, she didn’t want her worry to be a bother to him. Was it that obvious? Was it noticeable whenever she tried to bring back her brother or friends through memory? She usually was pretty bold with her emotions, but she would try not to let it bring worry upon Arold.
She giggled at how goofy he was being, she was grateful for the joy in his smile. It was definitely refreshing, and quite enjoyable to see his character grow since the first time she met him. He definitely didn’t show any signs of being such a funny wolf and it was beginning to be an adventure uncovering so much of his personality. He suddenly stuck his head right into the snow, and Pearl couldn’t hold back the little confused laugh. She stepped back as he flung snow everywhere while shaking his head clean. “Refreshing?” She asked with a smile still displayed on her face. However, he avoided her comment and returned to the subject of the sun and his knightliness. He circled around her like a proud horse and she laughed at his rant, not sure what to think of his little correction. Maybe he was going to say another brave name that would fit his character. He stopped before her and bowed in respect and called her lady. She was flattered, and was content playing along as she dipped her head and bent her right paw under in the manner of a curtsy. “Why thank you my brave Knight Arold.” She came up with a twinkle in her eye, “I believe your heroic acts will spread throughout the land and many will praise you for your services of humility.”
Pearl tilted her head up towards the sky and gasped, the sun had poked through the clouds and was extending several beautiful rays of light that touched down on the valley below. In awe she whispered, “Arold, we found the sun!”
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Post by Argus on Apr 8, 2020 20:47:49 GMT -5
He offered a comforting smile when she revealed that she had been thinking of her brother. He didn’t understand the feeling of missing family, but he could offer his sympathy anyway. He was glad to see her smile and laugh at his little antics. She did question his sudden dive into the snow, but didn’t mention his slip up with the name, a fact which he was immensely grateful for. “No thanks necessary m’lady.” The dark voice in his mind mentioned that his name would soon be known, but for his cruelty rather than his honor. He chose to ignore it and made no comment on her remark.
When she exclaimed about finding the sun he glanced up and smiled. So they had. Or more accurately, the sun had escaped and found them. “There’s that beautiful yellow ball of fire. I’ve missed you Sun! Where’ve you been?” He rolled over on his back to let the sun’s warmth deep into his dark fur. He had missed the sun so much in the past days of darkness, he really did wonder where the sun had gone. But it wasn’t for him to question the sun’s motives.
He tilted his head to look at Pearl. “I’m overjoyed at finally finding it, but why do you suppose it decided to show up?” He had a theory that winter was finally ending, and that spring would soon be upon the valley. He couldn’t wait to see the blooming flowers and renewed life. But he also knew that spring was a dangerous t8me, due to all the snow melting and creating excess water.
“Did I ever mention that I’m in a pack? Once winter is over, I suppose I’ll have to return. I’ve been allowed so much freedom as it is because I haven’t been assigned a role in the pack, but I imagine that’ll change with spring.”
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Post by Blood on Apr 10, 2020 0:19:17 GMT -5
Pearl’s ears perked at Arold’s comment about the sun, and she looked back at him just as he dropped his large body to the ground and spread out his black furry mass. What a wonderful idea! Pearl hopped up onto a sizable flat boulder exposed to the sun and stretched out her thin frame to loosen her much traveled muscles. A deep release of breath puffed out of her open mouth as she rolled over onto her side and lifted her right paw into the air. With her stomach vulnerable to the warmth of the sun, she played with the air as she pet the sky with her outstretched paw.
Pearl didn’t turn when Arold asked his question, for she was too relaxed with her eyes closed and body resting, but that didn’t stop her from smiling. “It was rescued by the sound of our laughter. Joy breaks any bondage.” A soft purr escaped the she-wolf’s chest. She was content in many ways, and the moment could definitely have lasted much, much longer and she would have been accepting of it, but Arold’s next words definitely threw her of guard.
“You’re in a pack?” Pearl’s eyes shot open and her brow furrowed for a moment before she flipped back up on her elbows and looked down at her friend with concern on her face. “Why hadn’t you mentioned that sooner? What pack are you named with?” Pearl didn’t want this sudden spark of fear to grow any larger than it was, but she had heard of a dark and evil pack that had a home in the valley of White Wolf Mountain. She despised the hatred and infliction of fear this pack spread throughout the land, and if she had been associating herself with one of its members, she would be sorry for her actions. Arold didn’t seem like the presence of evil was upon him, but she needed to know the name of his pack. They weren’t near a territory or boarder, so she was safe from trespassing, but this would definitely upset any further travel for the two of them.
Pearl hadn’t thought much about packs since she left Caesar. They had been planning to start a pack together, but fate decided differently and she obeyed. Packs only made her remember what she almost had, but never could hold on to. They reminded her of Caesar and what he meant to her. And now Arold. This was a much different situation, and it definitely made her rethink about packs and if she fit in such a lifestyle. It was foreign, and it had a strange taste to it. Pearl’s silver eyes watched Arold with anxious anticipation.
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Post by Argus on Apr 15, 2020 16:38:54 GMT -5
Arold didn’t really believe how optimistic Pearl was. He found it amusing, in a way, and wished that she would never ever change. He was shocked at the sudden change from content she-wolf to alarmed that she made at his mention of a pack. He didn’t know that it would create such a reaction in her, and he wished that he had kept quiet for a little longer. “I don’t think it was all that important, really. I haven’t been named as anything significant in the pack, so I had freedom to roam. I helped found the pack I’m in, the Ethereal Dawn pack. It’s run by the Alpha Baal, and it was meant to be a safe spot for wolves of all backgrounds. A new start regardless of past. It’s fairly small and recently founded, so it’s understandable if you haven’t heard of it.”
Arold wasn’t sure what had provoked alarm in her, but he wanted to alleviate it. “It’s a good pack, if a bit lonely at times. I haven’t seen any of my pack mates since the territory was claimed. That’s why I was wandering the valley.” He looked at her and seeing the glint of worry in her eyes, coked his head. “What’s wrong? Did I do something wrong by mentioning my pack? I’m sorry if so, but I am eventually going to have to go back. If for no other reason than to inform Baal that I’m leaving, if that is what I decide to do.”
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Post by Blood on Apr 15, 2020 22:15:32 GMT -5
Pearl saw Arold’s concern for her worry, and she immediately felt bad for posing such a reaction. He seemed embarrassed for having mentioned it and tryed to brush it aside as if it didn’t mean much. He spoke of his pack called the Ethereal Dawn and about his leader as if they weren’t important in his life. Like they were just a side hobby that he had maybe showed interest in earlier, but maybe lost the excitement along the way. Pearl’s expression dropped and her ears pressed back before tilting forward again and gazing at her friend with a softer more relaxed face. She trusted his words and what he was saying about his pack, and that they were a small good-hearted tribe. That was her main concern, that they would be a vicious wolf killing pack, that, she couldn’t stand to be involved with.
Arold explained further, telling her about the members that he barely knew or made contact with. This also grieved Pearl in a deep way, and she tried so hard not to show it in her expression. Arold already seemed concerned from her reaction and she didn’t want to worry him any further. However, he still noticed and he tried to cover for his words, apologizing if he had done something wrong, apologizing for having to stay committed to his pack. No. Pearl couldn’t take it.
“No, not at all. You did nothing wrong.” She slowly got up from her rocky perch and stood facing Arold with a forced smile to hide the sadness. “I am glad Ethereal Dawn is your pack, and I am glad Baal is your alpha. I...” Pearl didn’t know how to continue. She let down her rump and folded her tail around her paws to give her mind a chance to process. “I am glad you are apart of a pack, and please, never be ashamed to be.” Her eyes lifted to meet Arold’s sable black gaze, a deep passion in her silver flecked eyes. “Your pack is apart of you, and you are apart of the pack. They are your family, and I’m sad you’re so distant from them. Nothing you’ve said was wrong, I’m just...” Pearl looked down at her paws, trying to not sound like such a pity party. “Your pack needs you, and you’ve already made the commitment to be apart of that family. Family need each other more than you know, even if you don’t see it. You should return to them. I’m just... very blessed to have met you. And I...”
Pearl closed her eyes for a second and then looked up. She was going to try and make that ending seem intentional but not. She couldn’t say anymore, so she let herself down from the rock and walked over to Arold, her smile had returned and there was a slight hop in her step again. ”You can show me where your territory is, I would love to see what you helped claim. If it’s not trespassing for me.” She added shyly. Her tail slowly wagged back and forth and excitement was in her eyes. She would deal with the rest of her feelings later. The ones she didn’t want to share with him earlier. The feelings that made her think of Caesar and what they had almost started together. More than half of her heart wanted to follow Arold further than just to his pack’s territory, she wanted to follow him to his pack, to his wolf family. She wanted to be apart of it with him, to be apart of a family again, to have brothers and sister by her side that she could depend on and trust, but a small hole in her heart said no. It said stay back, it’ll only end in more heartbreak, in fate deciding to change direction again, in more dreams being crushed. She wouldn’t share that... at least not yet.
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Post by Argus on Apr 19, 2020 20:43:15 GMT -5
He nuzzled her shoulder when she sat, grinning at her. “Don’t feel so bad, I’m not ashamed. It just isn’t what I thought it would be. I through that we’d be a close knit family. But it didn’t turn out like that, and I was thinking about leaving before I met you.” He flicked his ear in surprise at the thought of being needed. “If I can be honest, the pack only needed me so that the territory could be claimed. Baal knew beforehand I may not stay after that.” And he cocked his head in shock when she mentioned being glad to meet him. He had just assumed she’d come with him. The fact that she didn’t just invite herself along as she had before worried him, and he wondered if she didn’t want to come with him to his pack.
He let out a relieved sigh when she suggested going with him. So that wasn’t the case after all. “In all honesty Pearl, I never intended to leave you here. I always assumed you would come with me. And I don’t know if it would be trespassing, but I have a hard time believing that Baal would mind. Even so, you can come with and I can ask him as you wait outside the territory. Then if he says it isn’t alright for you to come to the border we can leave right after. After all, I have no assigned role in the pack.” He grinned as he saw the mounting excitement in her body language and eyes and started to wag his tail too. “When do you want to go?
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Post by Blood on Apr 20, 2020 17:16:02 GMT -5
Pearl felt oddly comforted by his touch, and almost wanted to lean into his embrace, but she didn't, instead she intently listened to what Arold had to say about his opinion of what it was like being in a pack. Pearl's ears were open and forward, she wanted to hear everything Arold had to say. Was it really worth wanting to be apart of a pack, or did she just have an unrealistic dreamscape in her mind that wasn't at all like the reality of pack-life. She didn't quite yet want to let go of the glimmer she had in her heart of being apart of a family pack though.
Arold tilted his head at her comment about meeting him and becoming his friend, and he seemed relieved when she asked to come with him. "In all honesty Pearl, I never intended to leave you here..." Pearl's heart leaped with joy when she heard those words. Even just the way he said her name made her feel so cherished. She usually stuck close to her friends because she held friendship close to her heart, but when someone actually voiced their appreciation of her and her presence it made her get all warm and cozy inside. She could hardly contain the amount of joy swelling from her heart as Arold continued to talk and brainstorm a potential course of action.
"I will do whatever is permitted of me." She sat up straight as if she was obediently standing at attention. Her excitment continuing to rise as she saw Arold's own excitement grow. "I can hardly wait any longer to see your territory and meet your pack, so I'd say right now, but are you feeling up for more travel?" She tilted her head as she stood, stepping back to give him some space to stand up. "I mean, would you want to hunt something really quick while we're here. This place seems popular with the field mice and grouse. Only if you're hungry." Pearl held the circle of life with a gentleness and sacredness. She never killed for pleasure, and she never waisted what another life had given to her.
((They could hunt something here, or "on the way" In the next thread. Up to you.))
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