The weeks had slowly begun to travel through their endless time constraints, never changing never ending. The world slowly turned on it's annual cycle, the sun beginning to warm the world once more as each revolution of the earth turned. On one particularly bright day, the snow still clinging to what little life still remained in the frozen Listern boundaries and birds softly beginning to tune themselves in preparation for spring, a black mass silently lay beside a half frozen creek. He had moved off in search of a light snack, his stomach still growling after the morsel 'o mouse he had gobbled down in little more then a second. Yet he remained laying down in the comfort of the frozen blanket of white, beneath an equally covered sycamore. The sound of the splashing current beneath the creek's frozen surface was melodic in the early morning silence.
Those gleaming emerald eyes, a gentle ivory coat. He couldn't distill that image! No matter how hard he tried to think of other things, of the pack, of food, of spring, even of the enemies List had procured, every tiny similarity brought the image of the sweet Stargazer back to him. It was almost maddening to have such an image of a beauty in his mind's eye and no knowing about her. Not her name, nor where she came from, only that she had seceded his mother in becoming the new Stargazer of List, something he himself had thought his sisters might have done or even himself. What was so special about this fae? He had seen many faes in his travels. Some beautiful, some not. Some plain some eccentric. Some down right crazy. And yet this one fae had captured his attention so thoroughly and so completely he couldn't believe nor understand it; and she hadn't even said anything to him!
His tail swayed back and forth, like a cat brooding over a new kill, his thoughts traveling as those molten pools stared determindly into the frozen stream. The robin's practicing and the sweet nothings of small rodents nearby fell on deaf ears. He was lost in his thoughts...
Snap!
A branch had snapped, and then another right after it. All at once, Orion was on his paws, his head held high and his tail arched in a gentle curl. His ears flicked forward, his mind still hoping if not silently that perhaps the sound had been made by his mind's latest curiosity. However, before a shape could be made out, a squirrel from above decided to be a devil in itself. The branch above Orion's head swayed and a large clump of white powdery snow fell directly upon his head, covering his nose and back in a blanket of white. As if he couldn't look dorky enough...
(BWAH HA HA HA HAH! XD Yay for Dorky-Ness! Woot!)
~+Forgotten Son to Bristol and Fiory+~+Nephew to the late Bila and Lyft+~+Brother to Denisha and Shatila+~+Returning to his Rightful Place in List+~
In the weeks following Fiory’s death Aiyu had once again isolated herself from the rest of her pack, retreating back to the farthest reaches of List to mourn the loss of her beloved mentor and contemplate her new place in life. Already winter had given way to spring, the growing warmth the season provided cutting away the chilling cold that still lingered upon the land. Snow still peppered the land in dappled patches of gleaming white, rapidly diminishing in the blinding light the sun provided and leaving behind nothing but puddles of water and damp earth. What little snow did fall came from the trees themselves, their branches quaking beneath the weight of the icy powder and squirrels moving throughout the trees until they let loose their shimmering burden onto the ground below in frozen clumps. Pelt the color of fresh snow and ivory Aiyu padded through the gauntlet of pine and sycamore that sprung up from the ground, enjoying the cool, crisp mountain air as it cut through her thick pelt and caressed her skin with all the tenderness of a lovers kiss.
Fiory’s last words still rung as clearly in the ivory fae’s mind as they had on the day her mentor had uttered them to her. Since then Aiyu had reflected long and hard on the events of that fateful day, replaying it in her mind over and over again. With Fiory’s death she had been appointed the new Stargazer of List, the Blazing Star as she had been called by her predecessor before her. A title and position Aiyu felt she hardly deserved. From the moment she had open her eyes her entire life had been about avoiding others and staying out of trouble, having neither the strength to be a warrior or the swiftness of a scout she had spent a great deal of time alone avoiding her more aggressive siblings who saw fit to prove their dominance over her at every given opportunity. However now it was expected of her to provide council to others and share what she had learn with the ignorant, yet how could she share her knowledge with others when she had nothing to offer?
Shaking her head she pushed those thoughts aside, chiding herself for being negative and letting her mind wander to other things. She found her thoughts drifting towards the dark brute that had recently appeared in List, Orion he had called himself. It had been a little over a moon since the strange mann had shown up and been received into the fold by her parents, currently the dominant party in List, and yet somehow Aiyu still had yet to meet him. What little she knew of the onyx wanderer she had learned from her old mentor during their lessons together, from what she had heard of him it was a shame that he had arrived to late to see his mother alive one last time.
Eyes catching a sliver of darkness in her peripheral vision she turned her head to find herself staring at the very person she’d been thinking about resting beneath the shade of a sycamore tree. Branch snapping beneath her paws she jumped, wincing as the loud snap of another branch sounded beneath her paws. Ears dropping she cursed, emerald gaze falling back over to her newest packmate in time to see his black form be crowned beneath a blanket of white. Slight giggle escaping her lips she made her way towards the frosted figure. “Are you alright?”
Daughter of Gryffin and Sudak Descendent of Leohlic and Shatocwn Niece of Fiory and Bristol Sister of Sora and Arias
The frigid snow atop his pelt slowly began to melt with his own body heat and the warmth of the day, the chill of it running up and down the brute's spine. Giving a weak and mostly embarrassed grin he shook himself clean of the powdery annoyance, giving a final shake afterwards just to be sure that that chill wouldn't return again. How could he have looked in front of her? Probably like an idiot or possibly worse; a cub.
"I'm...I'm fine.." He replied gruffly, plodding a few steps towards the ivory fae Aiyu. A snickering in the trees could be heard from the chattering of that pesky squirrel above. A glare fell on Orion's face, his ears flat against his head as he glanced up at the annoyance above. Soon after, the shape of the little rodent had vanished up the tree and out of sight. A forceful sigh escaped the mann's muzzle, his breath still coming out in a nearly transparent huff of smoke.
"What brings you out here..Miss...?" His baritones were slightly nervous! He had never sounded nervous before, or awkward for that matter! Something about this ivory femme fatale gave his insides a buzz he couldn't describe further then that of restless honey bees. And yet upon asking what she was doing out here, he realized he had forgotten her name. How perfect! Frantic his brain buzzed like a wasps nest readying for an attack. Oh come on, think! It's ummm he pleaded with his memory before finally the shape of Ayame came into his mind's eye and one name escaped the memory's keen black lips 'Aiyu'.
"Miss Aiyu...right?" He dearly hoped, he begged with the gods inwardly that he had remember the correct name. How clumsy he would appear if he was to not know the correct name. So there he waited, like a large baffoon, hoping that he had remembered this fae's name correctly, yet a part of him wondered why it mattered so much. An inward tug of war to be as curt as possible to this she-wolf before him and to just walk away and ignore her began, and though walking away would give him more time to contemplate his mother's passing, the side that wished to know more about her became the victor. Planted to the spot he was, tail still behind him faintly moving with each passing playful breeze...
((Gosh that's awful...x.x'''' definitely can tell I'm a bit rusty..sorry it's so late...))
~+Forgotten Son to Bristol and Fiory+~+Nephew to the late Bila and Lyft+~+Brother to Denisha and Shatila+~+Returning to his Rightful Place in List+~
Eyes still locked on the humorous site before her she paused, giggling a moment longer before falling into an uneasy silence. Now that the moment had passed she found herself feeling very self-conscious as both varg fell into a state of mutual awkwardness. Giving him a moment to compose himself she watched as he ridded himself of the ivory powder that adhered itself to his lustrous pelt, smiling apologetically for the plight that she had inadvertently brought upon him.
“I’m glad.” she responded awkwardly, taking a cautionary step back as the ebon brute began his approach. Though he had never done anything to her to warrant such a reaction from her some habits died hard, just because she had caught him at a comical moment didn’t mean he wouldn’t take steps to ensure his dignity remained intact. She was grateful when the chattering of a squirrel in the trees distracted him, giving her a moment to compose herself and examine the onyx varg more carefully while he drove off the chuckling lera.
She couldn’t help but smile as she watched him struggle to remember her name, feeling oddly flattered by his nervous demeanor and the knowledge that she had made enough of an impression on the stuttering brute for him to remember her. In it‘s own little way, it was rather cute. Soprano notes singing softly she bowed her head shyly, ears falling closer to her scalp. “Aiyu is correct, though I fear we have not been properly introduced.”
Daughter of Gryffin and Sudak Descendent of Leohlic and Shatocwn Niece of Fiory and Bristol Sister of Sora and Arias
Ebony ears flicked forward, intent on hearing every word the fae happened to speak. The voice of a lovely songbird in spring! Perhaps even an angel's lyrics came from that lovely maw! He was nearly entranced, and in doing so, nearly forgot himself. Blinking a couple times, he gave a quiet smile, slightly embarressed at his lack of manners.
"Oh do excuse me...I am Orion, Dragga born of the late Bristol and the-" he paused a moment when his thoughts came to his mother. How should he address that? Would it be respectful of the dead to pronounce her? Or would it be best to not mention it at all? "And the..now Late Stargazer Fiory of List..." His mind had decided for him, or perhaps maybe his heart had. Before when he had wished to join the Balkarian ranks, he did not mention his mother or his father, for fear of Ziev's rath. He knew all too well that his mother had rubbed the Balkar the wrong way, and esspecially that of Ziev. He had feared that if Ziev had known his bloodline, he would have been killed rather then accepted into a better start of life. It was only after a few short weeks that Orion had realized that the Balkar would not make him stronger like he had wished, and so he left the land as a kerl to make it for himself. In his travels he had met many a varg and lera, several females as well, but none came to mind now that Aiyu stood before him. Sure, he had been and still was technically a bachelor, and he could have had any femme he wanted out in the badlands, and some were quite tempting, however Orion was not a kerl out of wishing to extend his genes across the land, but to make himself the strongest he could, to make his mother proud of him...
A songbird above flew from tree to tree, singing spring's welcome in shrill tones, breaking the silence between the two vargs in question down below. It was the interuption of the songbird that sparked a curiousity in Orion's mind. Aiyu had stepped further back, he could tell by the slight indication in the melting snow and soft terra beneath their feet. Slowly, he allowed his guard to come down a bit more, his hind legs bending slowly until his rump planted itself firmly upon the ground. Perhaps she was fearful of him, he was a large sized brute after all, though unbenounced to her, he was actually quite gentle.
"I hope I do not frighten you My Lady, I promise I wouldn't dare dream of harming a lovely flower such as yourself..." Was..that a compliment!? Now he had really gone crazy. Orion rarely gave compliments, esspecially to females he hardly knew. And where had 'My Lady' come from? It had popped out as if helped by some unseen ghost. Inwardly, he blamed his dam for her curt teachings, to always call young femmes 'ladies' and young manns 'sirs'. 'It's just a polite way to speak to someone...and it may come in handy some day my dear son' she had said, a glimmer in her golden hues and a chuckle on her lips. Blinking softly, his molten pools of gold gave off that familiar gleam that his mother had always had. A soft and caressing sparkle that mimicked the stars that waited in the heaven's for night's elustrious arrival. It was the first time that his eyes had motioned at all toward his mother's side of the family. Since his departure as a cub, his hues had been dull, nearly lifeless and lackluster at best, and now all of a sudden, a shine had returned to them. Perhaps it was the company he was with, or perhaps it was his coming to terms with his mother's peaceful passing that had done it; either way, it was something Fiory would have been proud to have seen...
((Blargh...I hope that's alright. Sorry for lateness ))
~+Forgotten Son to Bristol and Fiory+~+Nephew to the late Bila and Lyft+~+Brother to Denisha and Shatila+~+Returning to his Rightful Place in List+~
Ivory auds standing erect upon her winter crown like twin peaks as she awaited the ebon mann‘s introduction. An awkward silence seemed to fall over the pair as mention of his lineage was brought up, neither varg speaking out of respect for the recently departed Drappa and her mate who had gone before her. Though it had been moons since Fiory‘s passing sometimes it was still hard to believe that she was gone. Her passing had been particular painful, but as painful as Fiory’s death had been for her she couldn’t even begin to imagine how Orion must have felt.
“It is an honor to finally meet you Orion, your mother always spoke very highly of you.” she responded, ducking her head shyly at his compliment. A lovely flower? Her? How was she supposed to respond to that? She was unused to being talked to in such a polite and…flattering way. Certainly not from such a charming dragga. “There’s no reason to apologize, there are worse ways to be received.” In the few times that Fiory had told ivory fae about her son her mentor had never mentioned Orion of being the kind of varg to flirt. From what she’d heard of the ebon warrior he had been dead set on joining the ranks of the Balkar alongside her brother, Arias, and grandfather, the late Leohlic. Oh knowing her mentor she knew that Fiory would have taught her son the same manners and proper etiquette she had instilled upon Aiyu during their time together, however the ivory fae had always assumed that Orion would have mirrored her sister Sora’s callous behavior and violent temperament. The varg in front of her now was a far cry from the violent brute Aiyu had always envisioned in her mind.
Her experience with the opposite sex only carrying over to her brother and the few other males that resided within the pack Aiyu found herself unsure how to proceed. She was used to being either ignored at best or attacked at worse, the only other varg she had ever remotely befriended was Drathlic. Reclining to her haunches she joined Orion on the snow laden terra, relaxing her posture and allowing herself to get more comfortable. “I apologize if I disturbed you, I was unaware I was intruding.” she hesitated, adding a moment later. “I’m sorry about your mother, she was a very dear friend to me. I will miss her.”
((it's cool, I'll try to be quicker with my reply next time))
Daughter of Gryffin and Sudak Descendent of Leohlic and Shatocwn Niece of Fiory and Bristol Sister of Sora and Arias
It was like a knife had sliced right through his heart on the wings of angel song. A soft wince in his face was the only reaction to her small statement about his mother. His ears slowly dipped a bit, giving him the look of a sorrowful black dog, his golden hues gazing away towards a nearby bush that really had no interest to him, except to avert his gaze from her shining emerald orbs. His mother, she had hardly known him, now didn't she? Barely there, and when she was there, just full of advice, but no pride...
"Was she now...a friend of yours?" His words were slightly colder then he had intentioned, unable to melt the ice in his tone, they continued quietly further. "I'm sure you will miss her..."
He thought for a moment, his tail blowing back and forth slightly, before his eyes began to gleam again, and he gave a small uneasy wag. He obviously at this point had realized perhaps how cold he had been towards the lovely fae. He had complimented her before, couldn't he do it again? Or was he out of kind words to say? Impossible! There had to be more...somewhere...After all, he was his father's son, the varg who had wooed the lovely Fiory back in the day...
"So...Mother made you a Stargazer then?" It was his valiant attempt at changing the subject slightly, with much failure because it still stemmed back to his mother. And it showed with his next statement. " Must be quite an honor, being appointed a Stargazer by my mother, the last of her kind...It was supposed to go to my sisters and I..." At that he halted, looking away for a brief moment, before returning his gaze back towards Aiyu. Although true, the Stargazer lineage was traditionally reserved for blood relatives only, and passed on through generations from elder to pup, Fiory had taken a radical turn, since Orion had left and his sisters were gone from this world as far as their mother knew. She had taken an apprentice in Aiyu, and taught her everything that she would have taught Orion himself had he stayed like his mother wished he would. Giving a weak smile and a sad attempt at a tail wag, Orion continued.
"She must have seen something in you that my sister's couldn't produce, cause that's a special gift that...My Mother's most precious gift." Inwardly, Orion was jealous, but he wouldn't show it on his face. He would be proud of Aiyu, like his mother would have wanted him to be. Lying dong quietly, his left paw flopping over his right, he grinned up at the ivory fae before him.
"So, what was your favorite story that she told you? Certainly she told you many...she used to tell stories to my sister and I all the time when we were pups." Orion's eyes glowed gently, reminiscing with himself on the dozens of stories his mother had told him, hoping perhaps to share one with Aiyu, if she didn't already know it. It would be a good way to subdue the awkward moment from before, when his pain had showed just a bit too much...
~+Forgotten Son to Bristol and Fiory+~+Nephew to the late Bila and Lyft+~+Brother to Denisha and Shatila+~+Returning to his Rightful Place in List+~
The response she received was a great deal colder than she had expected, hardened tones causing her to wince in the face of the ebon mann. Too late she realized her mistake in mentioning the departed drappa when the pain of her loss was still fresh in the heart of her son. Ears falling limp against her skull in a manner of true submission brought herself closer to the ground, emerald gaze falling to the cool forest floor and away from the sulking brute before her.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have spoken.” She spoke softly, voice no louder than the coo of a dove in an attempt to placate his present mood. “I do, I knew Fiory for most of my life. She was more than just my mentor, she was also my aunt and my friend, as well as the only varg that ever truly believed in me. She never treated me unkindly or made me feel like I was a disappointment. Everything that I’ve learned, that I’ve become, I owe to her. I will miss her greatly.”
“That she did though why she chose me will forever be beyond me, I hardly feel worthy of such an honor.” No matter how much they tried it seemed as though everything they discussed seemed to eventually come back to the former Stargazer in one form or another. Though she did her best to conceal her feelings from him Aiyu felt every bit as lost and regretful as Orion with each passion mention of her former mentor. She had not lied when she had told Orion that she did not feel worthy of her title, Fiory had educated her well in the traditions of her clan. By all rights Orion should have been the one to carry the mantle as Stargazer of List, it was his birthright as Fiory’s son and the only remaining heir to her bloodline. And yet somehow Aiyu had come to be in a position of power she had never imagined she herself would be in.
Ducking her head she felt herself grow flush, ears turning pink with embarrassment at the ebon varg’s soft smile. “I could teach you, if you’d like.” Her voice shook, unsure of herself or her proposition. She could teach Orion what he had neglected to learn during his years of sojourn, the lessons she’d learned where still fresh in her mind from hours of practice throughout the course of weeks with Fiory. Surely her mentor would have wanted her to pass on everything she’d been taught down on to her son, the way it always should have been. But the question was would Orion be willing to let her?
Her favorite story? Now there was something she really had to think about. Fiory had always been quick with a tale even before she had become Aiyu’s mentor, indeed much of the ivory fae’s youth had been spent seated around Fiory listening to the former alpha retell stories of epic heroism and hope. During her tenure as the ebon drappa’s apprentice stories had become an intricate part of her training to become the next Stargazer of List, she had been told so many stories that picking one out would be a task in itself. It took her a moment but with a little effort she was able to think of one that she felt she identified with best. “Yes she used to do the same for my siblings and I when we were younger, even before she stepped down as drappa. I remember how much I loved listening to her speak to us about List and stories of varg long past, there were so many that it’s difficult to remember them all. My favorite though was always the legend of the Larka and the Sight. What of you Orion, what tale did you most enjoy?”
The brute gave a quiet chuckle. Oh his mother had picked who she had, if it had been truly meant for him, it would be, enough said. The flush upon her ears caused his laugh to slowly eminate a bit louder. How cute she looked ever more when she was embarressed! His tail gave a gentle wag behind him as he listened to her words in silence, eyes of gold peircing the emerald she held as her own gemstones.
"I in no way wished to make you feel inadequate in your abilities Aiyu...If mother picked you, it was because you were the best applicant for the position. " Slowly, he stretched out, his claws raking the earth roughly, his tail curling behind him to imitate that of a human's husky for only a moment before it flopped back down in silence. He gave a gentle shake of his thick head, his ears forward still listening to Aiyu's quiet melodic voice.
"I don't believe there is anything you could teach me, that would be something I was supposed to know already Aiyu. " He said, before realizing it may have come across as he was a know it all. Quickly, he sat up on his paws, blushing profusely at his own careless rude statement. "Well, what I mean is....Mother taught me a little, just enough to get by...I know she taught you everything she could, so it was just your destiny to know it all and not mine is all. " His eyes closed for a moment, his ears falling for but a moment in thought, recalling a tennant his mother had said several years earlier when he had been just a cub.
" A Stargazer may only teach their lessons to one other, and one other alone. More often, it is passed on from Parent to Child, but only one other may be taught..It is tradition." A chuckle escaped his muzzle as his eyes opened again to look her way. "If that's the case, then I wouldn't waste your one student on me." It had been meant as a joke really, and his tail wagging across the ground hopefully showed it.
For a while, he thought as she asked about his favorite story. His mother had told many, it was hard to choose. His brain whirred and the wheels began to turn, thinking back to the stories he had loved to hear as a child. Finally, one came to mind and his grin seemed to brighten.
"Well, my favorite story must be the tale of Luna and her brothers Solar and Twilight. The story of how Luna loved Tor so much that she ran clear up a mountain and jumped into the stars to be with Tor for always." He gave a quiet nod. It had been a while since he had heard that story, many seasons had passed. He remembered the way the snow was melting, much like today, and how crisp the air had been. He remembered how his sisters were busy playing with themselves when he stayed behind to listen to his mother's tale. He remembered how she smelled...but only just.
"Well...I think we've rested enough beside this lazy tree" Orion commented, mostly just to cease the silence that had passed between them. "I'd like to get to know you better, if that's alright..." His words were nervous, giddy and anxious; His heart was racing as if he had just run clear around the whole of the carpathien mountains. "Would...would you care to take a walk with me?"
(Blarg...X.X''' So bad...I wanted to get something up at least...I feel bad for making you wait so long for that garbage though...x.x'''' I'll try to get a better post up next...)
~+Forgotten Son to Bristol and Fiory+~+Nephew to the late Bila and Lyft+~+Brother to Denisha and Shatila+~+Returning to his Rightful Place in List+~
Giggling at the brute’s mistake the white vixen regarded sputtering mann once again, emerald optics sparkling with amusement as he tried his best to correct himself before she could formulate an opinion about him. Unfortunately for him it too late, she had already made up her mind about the dashing varg and his tongue-tied behavior. She found it all quite cute.
“If anything I doubt that I was ever worthy of Fiory’s attention, even less of the honor of holding such an important title.” she admitted, voicing her own doubts to the fumbling brute. “Think nothing of your words. I know you didn’t mean them.” Tail curling behind her in a soft wag she flashed him a coy smile, turning so that she was sitting with her back to him.
“But suppose I wish to teach you anyway? Would you still consider such lessons to be a ‘waste’ or would you be quick to find the ways of your mother all the more appealing?” she teased, glancing at Orion over her shoulder, lifting her brow mischievously. “Fiory taught me just how important it is to follow tradition but I’m sure she wouldn’t object to her only son following in her footsteps alongside her former apprentice.” Aiyu suddenly felt very self-conscious about her appearance, lifting a delicate paw and licking it nervously, pink tongue sliding along the thick black pad before running it carefully along the silky white fur covering her face.
She waited patiently for the black mann to come up with an answer, apparently suffering from the same dilemma she had when posed with the same question only moments before. No doubt Fiory had told him a great many tales growing up, naturally it must have been difficult to single out a particular one to hold above all the rest. It must have taken longer than either he or Aiyu thought though for when the black mann finally spoke Aiyu practically leapt out of her skin. Resisting the urge show her embarrassment she kept her ears up and forward, smiling slightly as he gave her his answer.
“I would like that very much.” Aiyu replied, head lowering bashfully. “It would be an honor to get know a varg so well traveled as yourself, especially the son Fiory spoke so highly of.” Her heart was racing and she felt short of breath, spreading a giddy warmth throughout her. She did her best to mask her feelings from the brute beside her but it felt as though a legion of butterflies had made their home in her stomach. “Uh, shall we go?”
Daughter of Gryffin and Sudak Descendent of Leohlic and Shatocwn Niece of Fiory and Bristol Sister of Sora and Arias
))