Post by Aiyu on Nov 18, 2006 22:47:56 GMT -5
The light of Fenris lay obscured behind a curtain of gray as high amidst the heavens the mighty sun god had become shrouded within a sea of gray. Down below in the snow-capped mountains of the Carpathian expanse monstrous pines towered above the land like silent sentinels, their thick trunks jutting out from beneath the frost bitten earth as though to greet the coming of winter. Beneath the verdant canopy of pine needles and pinecones the forest floor lay obscure beneath a thick layer of frost and snow, the once scattered collection of shrubs and bushes had littered the undergrowth of the mountainside having been wiped out in the first frost leaving behind nothing but the scorched, skeletal remains. Elsewhere squirrels lay nestled snuggly within the confines of their nest as they fell into their yearly hibernation, confident that their food stores would hold out and provide for them until next spring. Hares traded in their summer pelts for more functional attire, periodically emerging from their warrens to graze on what little vegetation remained and occasionally become prey. Even to those with the keenest sense of hearing there was an unearthly silence which seemed to precede the coming storm.
In the fading light of the evening the sky glittered with snow as the heavens unleashed their heavy burden in the form of a light storm, sending the tiny flakes drifting gently down to earth in a flurry of white crystals. The climate was chilly but not altogether uncomfortable, the mountain having yet to feel the full force of the season. Her emerald gaze looking down upon the world below from the plateau where her apprenticeship had begun Aiyu lay seated amidst the snow, her features fixed in a look of concentration as she allowed herself a chance to reflect on the recent events that had transpired upon her return. Fiory’s time had passed with the role of leadership returning once again to founding bloodline and falling squarely upon her parents shoulders, the heirs of dreaded Leohlic and Shatocwn. The passage of leadership would no doubt herald a new age in the history of List that would rekindle their ties to the dreaded Balkar and ensure a long withstanding alliance with the Night Hunters.
But at what price?
A direct descendent of the legendary First Leohlic the blood of the of the Balkar coursed through her veins, as part of his legacy Aiyu knew that great things were expected of her. It was common knowledge that both her uncles Fernlick and Balefur had left List to follow in their father’s footsteps and both Sora and Arias had shown the desire to join in the ranks of the Night Hunters as well, but while Arias would no doubt be able to follow the path of his forebears as a female Sora would face the same prejudice that Aiyu would be shown if she were ever attempt to join. Shatocwn had been the only exception. Yet for all of her ties to them Aiyu’s outlook on the Balkar was still uncertain, since the day her ears had opened her mother had told her of the many exploits of both her grandsires and the Night Hunters. Aiyu had grown learning to fear and respect the power of the Balkar, yet she doubted that she would ever learn to revere the fearsome pack of dragga’s.
At six moons of age the pup had grown in the time following her departure, having nearly doubled in size since her apprenticeship under Fiory had begun. Despite her increase in growth she was still small for her age, standing nearly a head shorter then her elder sister. Tinged pelt had blossomed in the frigid air of the mountain, guard hairs darkening into a stunning auburn along her side and back while beneath thick fur sprung out throughout the length of her body in a dense, downy undercoat. Her body had stretched as puppy fat had long ago been shed leaving behind an elegant streamline figure in its stead, legs, oversized and clumsy, had lengthened and developed into lithe but sturdy pillars of wiry muscles. Time had sharpened her features and the once downy fur that had covered lithe figure had grown thick and sleek, puppy teeth had long gone, replaced by sharp fangs and powerful carnassials. Presently she was merely a shadow of what she would grow to be once her frame fully filled out, Aiyu was in no hurry, her new body more then met up with the demands of her training.
Her mind mulling over Fiory’s decision Aiyu found herself thinking about her parents. Recalling how ashamed she had felt to learn how disappointed Gryffin was of her and how poignantly it had stung her as well as how terrified she had become of her own father. With Fiory resigning as drappa it would be up to Gryffin and Sudak to take up the mantle of leadership and lead List through the harsh winter ahead as the new alpha pair, despite whatever changes they had undergone Aiyu would have to honor their wishes if she were to remain in List. They were her parents and she still loved them, regardless of how ever she might feel about them at the moment.
The Trailing Star would have to wait and see what the future held in store for her and the rest of List, but in the mean time she was content to memorize what she had learned on journey and make Fiory proud.
In the fading light of the evening the sky glittered with snow as the heavens unleashed their heavy burden in the form of a light storm, sending the tiny flakes drifting gently down to earth in a flurry of white crystals. The climate was chilly but not altogether uncomfortable, the mountain having yet to feel the full force of the season. Her emerald gaze looking down upon the world below from the plateau where her apprenticeship had begun Aiyu lay seated amidst the snow, her features fixed in a look of concentration as she allowed herself a chance to reflect on the recent events that had transpired upon her return. Fiory’s time had passed with the role of leadership returning once again to founding bloodline and falling squarely upon her parents shoulders, the heirs of dreaded Leohlic and Shatocwn. The passage of leadership would no doubt herald a new age in the history of List that would rekindle their ties to the dreaded Balkar and ensure a long withstanding alliance with the Night Hunters.
But at what price?
A direct descendent of the legendary First Leohlic the blood of the of the Balkar coursed through her veins, as part of his legacy Aiyu knew that great things were expected of her. It was common knowledge that both her uncles Fernlick and Balefur had left List to follow in their father’s footsteps and both Sora and Arias had shown the desire to join in the ranks of the Night Hunters as well, but while Arias would no doubt be able to follow the path of his forebears as a female Sora would face the same prejudice that Aiyu would be shown if she were ever attempt to join. Shatocwn had been the only exception. Yet for all of her ties to them Aiyu’s outlook on the Balkar was still uncertain, since the day her ears had opened her mother had told her of the many exploits of both her grandsires and the Night Hunters. Aiyu had grown learning to fear and respect the power of the Balkar, yet she doubted that she would ever learn to revere the fearsome pack of dragga’s.
At six moons of age the pup had grown in the time following her departure, having nearly doubled in size since her apprenticeship under Fiory had begun. Despite her increase in growth she was still small for her age, standing nearly a head shorter then her elder sister. Tinged pelt had blossomed in the frigid air of the mountain, guard hairs darkening into a stunning auburn along her side and back while beneath thick fur sprung out throughout the length of her body in a dense, downy undercoat. Her body had stretched as puppy fat had long ago been shed leaving behind an elegant streamline figure in its stead, legs, oversized and clumsy, had lengthened and developed into lithe but sturdy pillars of wiry muscles. Time had sharpened her features and the once downy fur that had covered lithe figure had grown thick and sleek, puppy teeth had long gone, replaced by sharp fangs and powerful carnassials. Presently she was merely a shadow of what she would grow to be once her frame fully filled out, Aiyu was in no hurry, her new body more then met up with the demands of her training.
Her mind mulling over Fiory’s decision Aiyu found herself thinking about her parents. Recalling how ashamed she had felt to learn how disappointed Gryffin was of her and how poignantly it had stung her as well as how terrified she had become of her own father. With Fiory resigning as drappa it would be up to Gryffin and Sudak to take up the mantle of leadership and lead List through the harsh winter ahead as the new alpha pair, despite whatever changes they had undergone Aiyu would have to honor their wishes if she were to remain in List. They were her parents and she still loved them, regardless of how ever she might feel about them at the moment.
The Trailing Star would have to wait and see what the future held in store for her and the rest of List, but in the mean time she was content to memorize what she had learned on journey and make Fiory proud.
