Post by tanniyn on Aug 1, 2007 1:49:11 GMT -5
Characters:
Haze - juvenile male wolf (Viridian)
Silvan - adult male wolf (Viridian alpha)
Cottonpaws - juvenile female wolf (Viridian)
Maulisho - adolescent female cougar
Larkspur - juvenile female wolf (Lazuli)
Pristine Lake
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The lake is dark and deep, and in the spring and summer bears lilypads adorned with brightly-colored flowers. Clusters of reeds stand tall in the marshy shallows, and in the thickets surrounding the lake, birds and other small creatures make their nests, creating a cacophony of various sounds. The lake is, most days, a negative of the sky, dark to its blue, save for when it's windy enough for the breeze to break through the trees that ring the water, and the sky grows grey and threatening. At the lake's northern end, a river cuts a course towards the mountain's edge, resulting in a waterfall, its thunderous sound easily heard from here.
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Ever since his great escape, parental security has been tightened - and even when Haze manages to slip out at night, like now, he never strays further than the lake just beyond his pack's valley. Despite all that's happened in the presence of water, the lake comforts him somehow, the brindle pup content to lay next to its rippling waters and gaze out over the edge of the mountains to the forest below. He knows it's hopeless, but lately his visits have been more than just idle observation - he's desperately seeking out any sign of Larkspur around the river that snakes along the edge of the woods.
Silvan makes his way out to the lake, heading to the border to start his patroll for tonight, he pauses when he sees Haze out by the lake, considering weather to leave him alone or not. after a moment he makes up his mind and pads over toward him, saying, "Hey... How are you doing tonight?"
Haze winces at the sudden voice of an adult - a One, no less - and turns around to face Silvan, tail tucked submissively. "Fine..." he trails off, a little unsure with his tone. He's a little surprised at not being immediately scolded for being out of the valley without supervision, but maybe mom's new mate isn't so bad after all.
Cottonpaws walks behind her father, slow steps, she doesn't want to see mom, probably she'll eat Cotton alive for running away, or exploring in her point of veiw. So far, it's good, dad's been calm about it, lots of talking and whatnot, but she doesn't push the subject. When Cotton sees her brother, she's not sure if she should run and be with him, she still remembers what he said before leaving. So, in silence, Cotton stands next to her father, looking at Haze.
Silvan nods to Haze, settling down to his haunches beside him before saying, "It looks like somthing's bothering you." before glancing back to Cotton for a moment, She probably will be in trouble when Silver finds out she wandered off on her own, but he told cotton he would let her tell her mother herself. after a moment he turns his attention back to Haze, expecting somthing sarcastic or insulting from him. It's always hurt him that Haze seems to have such animosity towards him, even though he's tried to raise him like his own.
Haze glances at his sister, looking at her with the same silent, tense gaze she offers towards him, before Silvan's words draw his attention back to the older male. "It's nothing," he mumbles in response, the ever-typical child's answer to such a question. To explain what's on his mind would be to self-incriminate, after all. Little does he know he's already been incriminated, at least to some degree.
Cottonpaws is not like her brother, she's nice, she cares... It's just that he's so arrogant and... Like all pups! Grr... But this time, she knows something's wrong, not only with her, but with her brother too. She wants to help dad and interrogate Haze, see what she can find out about the outside without being obvious. On the other paw, she doesn't want dad angry with anyone. Cotton stands and takes a few steps to her brother, hard to believe but she nuzzles him, if he lets her of course, "Don't run again... Please."
Silvan shrugs and looks over at the two pups, saying, "Well, I think you should come with me to the border, there was someone that was looking for you."
Haze is taken by surprise at his sister's display of affection, blinking as he's nuzzled against. "I...I won't," he answers. For now, at least. Haze knows all too well that one can't control the tides of fate. He's taken by surprise a second time at Silvan's reply, peering at him curiously. But he doesn't hesitate for too long, quickly falling into place behind the One and following his pawsteps.
Cottonpaws stands up slowly, looking at her father for a moment, then at her brother. She's glad to see Haze there, and not being his usual self for once. At least he said something that didn't hurt her. Walking on her father's side, she waits for directions.
"Wait here." The alpha's last words echo in the cougaress' mind again and again, fighting against the impatience.. and uneasiness.. that keeps growing as the minutes slip past. Her original position of sitting relaxed by the lake's edge had long changed to a furious pacing back and forth. Wait here. For Haze, supposedly -- but why does she feel so uneasy about this? She grimaces. The fact that the wolf had adamantly denied her any contact with Haze and only changed his mind upon seeing Larkspur.. it seems a bit too.. convenient for her peace of mind. The cougaress stops her frantic pacing for a moment, considering. It must be because she's so worried for Lark's safety. If she were by herself, she surely wouldn't be so distressed like this. Amber eyes narrow as her lips compress into a thin line. Worst case scenario: what if the alpha is bringing back more wolves to attack? What could she do?
Pacing in the moonlight, Lark keeps glancing around every few seconds, nostrils flared for Haze's scent. She follows behind the cougar, tail flicking anxiously. How long can it take Haze's daddy to find him? He /must/ be on his way back by now. The thought of seeing the Viridian boy brings the flicker of a grin to her muzzle, one that quickly disappears as she realizes he's not here yet. Oof! The pup doesn't notice Maul's abrupt stop and walks right into her.
Silvan leads the way back to the border, climbing the ridge beside the waterfall and pausing at the top to have a look around, wondering if the cougar and pup waited or not.
Haze clambers up behind Silvan, glancing about similarly, and quickly sights his friend -- and the large feline thing behind her. "Lark!" he cries out, half in happily relieved surprise, half in worry that the monster will eat her and he'll fail once again in saving the girl. Teetering on the edge of the ridge, he seems unable to decide whether to hang back or dash ahead and risk being close to the monster.
She could always try to fend them off while Lark tried to swim for safety.. but then again, what if she simply carried her to safety--it would be difficult, true--up into a tree? Or what if--the abrupt bumping into her from behind causes her to blink in surprise. What? Oh. "Sorry, Larkspur.." Her ears flatten apologetically. "I didn't realize.. well.. I wasn't really paying attention." Sigh. "I'm.. just afraid, I guess. I know you know Silvan and all that, but.. I just can't seem to believe he's suddenly going to change his mind and let us speak with Haze. And if he tried hurting you.." Best to stop right there, as she doesn't want to upset the girl. And so instead, she gives Lark a comforting nuzzle. "I'm sorry; I know you're all excited about getting to see Haze again." And as if on cue, a boy's voice wrests her attention away from Lark, and the cougaress whirls around, claws instinctively extending. She won't let them... huh? It's the alpha.. and two young wolves with him. No other adult lupines looking as if they're about to rip her to pieces. So... she was wrong, and that's perfectly okay with her.
Silvan looks down to Haze for a moment before starting down toward the Cougar and Lark, saying, "She's not going to hurt you."
Larkspur is about to interupt Maul when she hears her name being called. "Haze!" she yelps with grateful surprise. Her tail lashes joyfully, quickly becoming a blur. She fights to get around the cougar, the girl's excitement making her paws shaky and unreliable. The Lazuli wolf falls several times in the dirt, scrambling back up every time to continue running towards Haze. The boy's name is shouted repeatedly, endlessly.
Haze takes Silvan's word for it, perfectly willing to risk a good mauling if it means he gets to see Larkspur again - it's certainly no worse than what she went through, after all. Sprinting down the ridge at break-neck speed, it's no surprise when he trips over a rock - just as clumsy as Lark, it seems, in his hurry - and goes tumbling down the mountain, bowling straight into Larkspur in a scene that isn't too unlike how they first met. Fortunately for her, the brindle pup hasn't yet been hit by the growth spurts of adolescence, and the two come out relatively unscathed.
Cottonpaws looks at her brother go away. Who is that? Lark? Cotton feels something in her chest, actually, she feels nothing, that emptyness in her chest. She should be happy about her brother finding new friends, but... There's something else that hurts her. Cotton says nothing about it, but her face changes, looking a bit sad as she turns around, nuzzling her father and whispering to him. Then she waits for him.
Where she would have normally cautioned Lark about running ahead like that, Maulisho catches herself and remains silent, remaining slightly wary as the two young wolves run furiously toward each other. What if.. /stop/. Good things can also happen in life. It's been a long, hard road for Larkspur.. the remnant claw marks down the girl's side bearing testimony to that -- Maulisho realizes with a sudden lump in her throat that maybe her own job here is finished. She's successfully delivered the girl back to safety, and surely this alpha, having been true to his word, would be more than willing to escort Larkspur back to her home territory.
Silvan looks down at Cotton when she whispers to him, nodding to her and motioning back the way they'd come, "You can go back if you want, but I need to stay here."
Yelp! Lark is pushed over easily, a puppy pile of furry limbs. After they come to a halt, she is on her paws, snuffling the boy. He seems unharmed, so she commences nuzzling and licking Haze, giggling loudly. Once again her tail is faster than the eye can see as she greets him. "I missed you!" she admits, nuzzling him enthusiastically and emitting yet another peal of laughter. A blush flashes across her muzzle but she shows no sign of stopping the torrent of affection. He's here! Finally! It seems like a lifetime since she's seen him last. The girl is so consumed by the joy of seeing the Viridian boy again that not a single glance is given to anyone else present. Unable to hide a wide toothy grin, she can't remember the last time she was so happy.
Were he anywhere else, Haze would be just as quick to respond in kind to the affections, but with his family watching nearby, he's a little self-conscious. "Hey...stop it," he murmurs bashfully, a quiet giggle showing he's not /too/ upset with her adorations. "I'm glad you're okay," he intones gravely, allowing himself to give her a lick on the nose. "I was really worried."
Cottonpaws perks her ears at his brother and the other girl talking, making her turn to see them. She envies the affection, Haze will never be like that with her, and she's his own sister. The pup looks back at her father, begging with her eyes, "I Don't want to go alone."
The cougaress feels a bit of sympathy for Lark.. apparently her reunion with Haze is a bit anticlimactic. Still.. at least she's back with friends. Giving a pleased and satisfied nod of respect to Silvan -- he did what he promised; her opinion of wolves /definitely/ took a turn for the better -- Maulisho turns and slinks into the tall reeds, a feline shadow that's disappeared. She'll almost certainly be keeping a occassional watch to make sure that Lark's able to make it back to her own lands safely, but it'll be at a distance. The wolf girl is back with her own kind now, and despite the gnawing ache in Maul's heart -- Lark had become the best friend she'd ever had, 'sides her younger sister -- she knows it's best this way.
Silvan shakes his head to Cotton, saying, "I cant go back with you." before looking over at the reunion. He envies Haze a bit himself, his own mate has never greeted him like that before either. when he notices the cougar starting to slink away he calls out to her, saying, "There's a group of cougars on the other side of our territory, they may let you stay with them."
'Hey...stop it,'? Lark stares. Her ears flatten for just a moment and her tail droops ever so slightly, wagging a little as he licks her nose. She knows that he missed her- he /said/ so, but she was /so/ excited to see him and now all he says is 'I was really worried'? A small, quiet whine slips from her. She wonders if she did something wrong. The Lazuli girl looks into Haze's eyes, her own swimming with pain. He's her /best friend/. The female glances behind her, looking for Maul's guidance. The cougar is gone. A couple tears leak from her eyes. This isn't how it's supposed to be! Haze was supposed to be just as ecstatic as she, Maul would come meet her parents...No! This isn't right! Timidly, she nuzzles her friend, unsure if she's even allowed to do that anymore.
The whine causes Haze's ears to prick forward alertly, hazel eyes immediately concerned. "Lark? What's wrong?" Then the tears come, and the poor pup is even more confused. "Lark...?" He returns the nuzzle, but he's obviously distracted, wondering what /he/ did wrong. But unfortunately, he is a male, and thus oblivious to the many complicated facets of the female emotional mindset.
Cottonpaws sighs, nodding slowly to her father and walking past him. But she stops just some feet away from him, turning her head to see where the cougar was. Wait, why is she leaving? Cotton has so many questions about those feline things, she is very curious, she wants to know more about them, sure dad won't let her, but that cougar seemed nice, maybe dad.... No, don't even bother thinking about that as a possibility. Cotton stays there, in silence, hoping dad will turn around and go home with her.
The alpha's words are noted; obviously he couldn't know that she's already quite familiar with the Amaranth... and now that the cougaress is alone again, she has a lot of thinking to do. It's a strange conflict of emotions, and one that's definitely foreign to Maulisho. She's overjoyed that Lark's back with her best friend, and that much closer to getting home.. but then she's also already missing the moments they've shared together, learning from each other, and becoming good friends. The look on Lark's face when she first heard that Maul knew where the valley wolves were. The joy in her voice when she caught the first traces of Haze's scent. The obvious enrapturement when she first saw the beautiful waterfall. The excitement of teaching her how to swim. All the long conversations during the journey. It's all... over. The cougaress can't help but smile sadly at the realization that she finally has memories now to look forward to in her dreams.
Silvan shrugs a bit to the cougar before lookinh back to Cotton, moving back to sit beside her, giving Haze and Lark a bit of privacy, but still keeping an eye on them.
Sniffling, Lark's tears come to an end. "I-I just was so happy to see you and then said 'stop it' and so then I thought maybe you decided that while I was gone that you don't like me anymore." All of this is uttered almost hysterically and very fast, most of the words slurring together. Her ears are lowered, tail resting mournfully in the dirt. There is a defeated slope to her shoulders, as if she's just /waiting/ for Haze to confirm her proclamation.
Haze is baffled. "What? No!" He quickly offers another lick to her nose as a sort of apology, lifting a paw to hold her in a sort of hugging embrace. "It's just, well...my family's watching, ya know..." he admits, realizing how stupid it was to be so worried about what his father-figure and sister might think of him when he should have just let himself show Larkspur exactly how much he was worried sick over her. "I'm sorry," he murmurs in her ear, nuzzling at her cheek, the rest of his words lost to the others as he crowds even closer to the Lazuli pup. Thank the spirits above Lark's daddy isn't here to see this.
Cottonpaws nuzzles her father once Silvan sits next to her, looking past her brother and company to the trees, "What about her?" She asks, curious about the cougar, "She didn't ... Well, she was nice. And she looked sad." The pup faces her father again, tilting her head to a side and adding, "You should at least thank her or something. I don't think you're bad, but she might have." She furrows her brows, playfully pawing her father's chest as she gets on two, "You meany, you growled at her." She wants to see the cougar one last time, ask questions, she'll do everything to find that cougar again, get closer than last time. She really tries to ignore her brother, it hurts when she pays attention to them.
Silvan looks down to Cotton and nuzzles her softly, "If she want's to leave then I'm not going to stop her, she might decide to stay with the other cougars nearby." he looks down at Lark and Haze for a moment before saying, "I suppose I'll have to take her back to her family after she's rested a bit."
A crimsom blush rests on Lark's face. She realizes her own stupidity- of course Haze was super worried, of course he missed her! Tail thumping the ground happily, she is quick to return the licks and nuzzles with a few of her own. "'S'alright," she mumbles with a grin, planting a lick on his muzzle. His paw around her is comforting. The warmth of his body so close to hers is soothing. "/I'm/ sorry." The pup's voice is barely above a whisper. It doesn't need to be any louder, with the boy so near.
Haze practically beams - this is much better! - and sits proud, puffing out his chest to make himself appear even more manly next to his damsel in distress. "When do you gotta go home? I don't want your parents getting too upset..." Especially if they find out the circumstances that caused Larkspur to get lost in the first place.
Cottonpaws nods slowly to her father, looking back at her brother and company again. The pup tilts her head to a side, since they are away (and her player is lazy to whisper), she mutters to her father's ears only, "It makes me sad. He has US, his family... And look at him. Ok, he looks happy, but... It hurts."
Silvan nods to Cotton, nuzzling her softly before saying, "It's hard not to be jealous sometimes, but you should always try to avoid it, it just causes trouble."
Hmmm. Now /there's/ a question. Lark hesitates. She knows that she should be home as soon as possible, buuutttt then she can't hang out with Haze. The girl realizes her parents are (hopefully) worried about her well-being, but she /just/ got to see her friend. Surely a day or two couldn't hurt? "Uhmmm, in a couple days, I think," she replies, trying to sound like this is a definite answer, and not mainly what she wants. "Is it ok if I stay with you for a bit?"
Haze glances up at Silvan as though relaying the question back to him, awaiting his response in regards to when Larkspur will be escorted home.
Cottonpaws boils inside. Now she's staying? First she steals her brother and the affection he's never shown to his own sister, and now she wants to stay? For a moment, Cotton now has the feeling of running away, probably in search for the cougar, she has questions, and answers will clear her mind from all the troubles she has. She looks at her father though, waiting to hear that sweet voice of Silvan saying yes. She knows her father won't just leave the pup there.
Silvan nods down to Haze, glancing over to Cotton, then back before saying, "Just untill you've rested a bit, your parents will be worried sick about you."
Larkspur nods, planning to stretch out her recovery for as long as possible. Yeesh. Haze's sister doesn't seem too pleased with this. After a moment, she pulls herself away from the Viridian male and lopes to Silvan, ready to curl up for a nap with her best friend.
Haze - juvenile male wolf (Viridian)
Silvan - adult male wolf (Viridian alpha)
Cottonpaws - juvenile female wolf (Viridian)
Maulisho - adolescent female cougar
Larkspur - juvenile female wolf (Lazuli)
Pristine Lake
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The lake is dark and deep, and in the spring and summer bears lilypads adorned with brightly-colored flowers. Clusters of reeds stand tall in the marshy shallows, and in the thickets surrounding the lake, birds and other small creatures make their nests, creating a cacophony of various sounds. The lake is, most days, a negative of the sky, dark to its blue, save for when it's windy enough for the breeze to break through the trees that ring the water, and the sky grows grey and threatening. At the lake's northern end, a river cuts a course towards the mountain's edge, resulting in a waterfall, its thunderous sound easily heard from here.
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Ever since his great escape, parental security has been tightened - and even when Haze manages to slip out at night, like now, he never strays further than the lake just beyond his pack's valley. Despite all that's happened in the presence of water, the lake comforts him somehow, the brindle pup content to lay next to its rippling waters and gaze out over the edge of the mountains to the forest below. He knows it's hopeless, but lately his visits have been more than just idle observation - he's desperately seeking out any sign of Larkspur around the river that snakes along the edge of the woods.
Silvan makes his way out to the lake, heading to the border to start his patroll for tonight, he pauses when he sees Haze out by the lake, considering weather to leave him alone or not. after a moment he makes up his mind and pads over toward him, saying, "Hey... How are you doing tonight?"
Haze winces at the sudden voice of an adult - a One, no less - and turns around to face Silvan, tail tucked submissively. "Fine..." he trails off, a little unsure with his tone. He's a little surprised at not being immediately scolded for being out of the valley without supervision, but maybe mom's new mate isn't so bad after all.
Cottonpaws walks behind her father, slow steps, she doesn't want to see mom, probably she'll eat Cotton alive for running away, or exploring in her point of veiw. So far, it's good, dad's been calm about it, lots of talking and whatnot, but she doesn't push the subject. When Cotton sees her brother, she's not sure if she should run and be with him, she still remembers what he said before leaving. So, in silence, Cotton stands next to her father, looking at Haze.
Silvan nods to Haze, settling down to his haunches beside him before saying, "It looks like somthing's bothering you." before glancing back to Cotton for a moment, She probably will be in trouble when Silver finds out she wandered off on her own, but he told cotton he would let her tell her mother herself. after a moment he turns his attention back to Haze, expecting somthing sarcastic or insulting from him. It's always hurt him that Haze seems to have such animosity towards him, even though he's tried to raise him like his own.
Haze glances at his sister, looking at her with the same silent, tense gaze she offers towards him, before Silvan's words draw his attention back to the older male. "It's nothing," he mumbles in response, the ever-typical child's answer to such a question. To explain what's on his mind would be to self-incriminate, after all. Little does he know he's already been incriminated, at least to some degree.
Cottonpaws is not like her brother, she's nice, she cares... It's just that he's so arrogant and... Like all pups! Grr... But this time, she knows something's wrong, not only with her, but with her brother too. She wants to help dad and interrogate Haze, see what she can find out about the outside without being obvious. On the other paw, she doesn't want dad angry with anyone. Cotton stands and takes a few steps to her brother, hard to believe but she nuzzles him, if he lets her of course, "Don't run again... Please."
Silvan shrugs and looks over at the two pups, saying, "Well, I think you should come with me to the border, there was someone that was looking for you."
Haze is taken by surprise at his sister's display of affection, blinking as he's nuzzled against. "I...I won't," he answers. For now, at least. Haze knows all too well that one can't control the tides of fate. He's taken by surprise a second time at Silvan's reply, peering at him curiously. But he doesn't hesitate for too long, quickly falling into place behind the One and following his pawsteps.
Cottonpaws stands up slowly, looking at her father for a moment, then at her brother. She's glad to see Haze there, and not being his usual self for once. At least he said something that didn't hurt her. Walking on her father's side, she waits for directions.
"Wait here." The alpha's last words echo in the cougaress' mind again and again, fighting against the impatience.. and uneasiness.. that keeps growing as the minutes slip past. Her original position of sitting relaxed by the lake's edge had long changed to a furious pacing back and forth. Wait here. For Haze, supposedly -- but why does she feel so uneasy about this? She grimaces. The fact that the wolf had adamantly denied her any contact with Haze and only changed his mind upon seeing Larkspur.. it seems a bit too.. convenient for her peace of mind. The cougaress stops her frantic pacing for a moment, considering. It must be because she's so worried for Lark's safety. If she were by herself, she surely wouldn't be so distressed like this. Amber eyes narrow as her lips compress into a thin line. Worst case scenario: what if the alpha is bringing back more wolves to attack? What could she do?
Pacing in the moonlight, Lark keeps glancing around every few seconds, nostrils flared for Haze's scent. She follows behind the cougar, tail flicking anxiously. How long can it take Haze's daddy to find him? He /must/ be on his way back by now. The thought of seeing the Viridian boy brings the flicker of a grin to her muzzle, one that quickly disappears as she realizes he's not here yet. Oof! The pup doesn't notice Maul's abrupt stop and walks right into her.
Silvan leads the way back to the border, climbing the ridge beside the waterfall and pausing at the top to have a look around, wondering if the cougar and pup waited or not.
Haze clambers up behind Silvan, glancing about similarly, and quickly sights his friend -- and the large feline thing behind her. "Lark!" he cries out, half in happily relieved surprise, half in worry that the monster will eat her and he'll fail once again in saving the girl. Teetering on the edge of the ridge, he seems unable to decide whether to hang back or dash ahead and risk being close to the monster.
She could always try to fend them off while Lark tried to swim for safety.. but then again, what if she simply carried her to safety--it would be difficult, true--up into a tree? Or what if--the abrupt bumping into her from behind causes her to blink in surprise. What? Oh. "Sorry, Larkspur.." Her ears flatten apologetically. "I didn't realize.. well.. I wasn't really paying attention." Sigh. "I'm.. just afraid, I guess. I know you know Silvan and all that, but.. I just can't seem to believe he's suddenly going to change his mind and let us speak with Haze. And if he tried hurting you.." Best to stop right there, as she doesn't want to upset the girl. And so instead, she gives Lark a comforting nuzzle. "I'm sorry; I know you're all excited about getting to see Haze again." And as if on cue, a boy's voice wrests her attention away from Lark, and the cougaress whirls around, claws instinctively extending. She won't let them... huh? It's the alpha.. and two young wolves with him. No other adult lupines looking as if they're about to rip her to pieces. So... she was wrong, and that's perfectly okay with her.
Silvan looks down to Haze for a moment before starting down toward the Cougar and Lark, saying, "She's not going to hurt you."
Larkspur is about to interupt Maul when she hears her name being called. "Haze!" she yelps with grateful surprise. Her tail lashes joyfully, quickly becoming a blur. She fights to get around the cougar, the girl's excitement making her paws shaky and unreliable. The Lazuli wolf falls several times in the dirt, scrambling back up every time to continue running towards Haze. The boy's name is shouted repeatedly, endlessly.
Haze takes Silvan's word for it, perfectly willing to risk a good mauling if it means he gets to see Larkspur again - it's certainly no worse than what she went through, after all. Sprinting down the ridge at break-neck speed, it's no surprise when he trips over a rock - just as clumsy as Lark, it seems, in his hurry - and goes tumbling down the mountain, bowling straight into Larkspur in a scene that isn't too unlike how they first met. Fortunately for her, the brindle pup hasn't yet been hit by the growth spurts of adolescence, and the two come out relatively unscathed.
Cottonpaws looks at her brother go away. Who is that? Lark? Cotton feels something in her chest, actually, she feels nothing, that emptyness in her chest. She should be happy about her brother finding new friends, but... There's something else that hurts her. Cotton says nothing about it, but her face changes, looking a bit sad as she turns around, nuzzling her father and whispering to him. Then she waits for him.
Where she would have normally cautioned Lark about running ahead like that, Maulisho catches herself and remains silent, remaining slightly wary as the two young wolves run furiously toward each other. What if.. /stop/. Good things can also happen in life. It's been a long, hard road for Larkspur.. the remnant claw marks down the girl's side bearing testimony to that -- Maulisho realizes with a sudden lump in her throat that maybe her own job here is finished. She's successfully delivered the girl back to safety, and surely this alpha, having been true to his word, would be more than willing to escort Larkspur back to her home territory.
Silvan looks down at Cotton when she whispers to him, nodding to her and motioning back the way they'd come, "You can go back if you want, but I need to stay here."
Yelp! Lark is pushed over easily, a puppy pile of furry limbs. After they come to a halt, she is on her paws, snuffling the boy. He seems unharmed, so she commences nuzzling and licking Haze, giggling loudly. Once again her tail is faster than the eye can see as she greets him. "I missed you!" she admits, nuzzling him enthusiastically and emitting yet another peal of laughter. A blush flashes across her muzzle but she shows no sign of stopping the torrent of affection. He's here! Finally! It seems like a lifetime since she's seen him last. The girl is so consumed by the joy of seeing the Viridian boy again that not a single glance is given to anyone else present. Unable to hide a wide toothy grin, she can't remember the last time she was so happy.
Were he anywhere else, Haze would be just as quick to respond in kind to the affections, but with his family watching nearby, he's a little self-conscious. "Hey...stop it," he murmurs bashfully, a quiet giggle showing he's not /too/ upset with her adorations. "I'm glad you're okay," he intones gravely, allowing himself to give her a lick on the nose. "I was really worried."
Cottonpaws perks her ears at his brother and the other girl talking, making her turn to see them. She envies the affection, Haze will never be like that with her, and she's his own sister. The pup looks back at her father, begging with her eyes, "I Don't want to go alone."
The cougaress feels a bit of sympathy for Lark.. apparently her reunion with Haze is a bit anticlimactic. Still.. at least she's back with friends. Giving a pleased and satisfied nod of respect to Silvan -- he did what he promised; her opinion of wolves /definitely/ took a turn for the better -- Maulisho turns and slinks into the tall reeds, a feline shadow that's disappeared. She'll almost certainly be keeping a occassional watch to make sure that Lark's able to make it back to her own lands safely, but it'll be at a distance. The wolf girl is back with her own kind now, and despite the gnawing ache in Maul's heart -- Lark had become the best friend she'd ever had, 'sides her younger sister -- she knows it's best this way.
Silvan shakes his head to Cotton, saying, "I cant go back with you." before looking over at the reunion. He envies Haze a bit himself, his own mate has never greeted him like that before either. when he notices the cougar starting to slink away he calls out to her, saying, "There's a group of cougars on the other side of our territory, they may let you stay with them."
'Hey...stop it,'? Lark stares. Her ears flatten for just a moment and her tail droops ever so slightly, wagging a little as he licks her nose. She knows that he missed her- he /said/ so, but she was /so/ excited to see him and now all he says is 'I was really worried'? A small, quiet whine slips from her. She wonders if she did something wrong. The Lazuli girl looks into Haze's eyes, her own swimming with pain. He's her /best friend/. The female glances behind her, looking for Maul's guidance. The cougar is gone. A couple tears leak from her eyes. This isn't how it's supposed to be! Haze was supposed to be just as ecstatic as she, Maul would come meet her parents...No! This isn't right! Timidly, she nuzzles her friend, unsure if she's even allowed to do that anymore.
The whine causes Haze's ears to prick forward alertly, hazel eyes immediately concerned. "Lark? What's wrong?" Then the tears come, and the poor pup is even more confused. "Lark...?" He returns the nuzzle, but he's obviously distracted, wondering what /he/ did wrong. But unfortunately, he is a male, and thus oblivious to the many complicated facets of the female emotional mindset.
Cottonpaws sighs, nodding slowly to her father and walking past him. But she stops just some feet away from him, turning her head to see where the cougar was. Wait, why is she leaving? Cotton has so many questions about those feline things, she is very curious, she wants to know more about them, sure dad won't let her, but that cougar seemed nice, maybe dad.... No, don't even bother thinking about that as a possibility. Cotton stays there, in silence, hoping dad will turn around and go home with her.
The alpha's words are noted; obviously he couldn't know that she's already quite familiar with the Amaranth... and now that the cougaress is alone again, she has a lot of thinking to do. It's a strange conflict of emotions, and one that's definitely foreign to Maulisho. She's overjoyed that Lark's back with her best friend, and that much closer to getting home.. but then she's also already missing the moments they've shared together, learning from each other, and becoming good friends. The look on Lark's face when she first heard that Maul knew where the valley wolves were. The joy in her voice when she caught the first traces of Haze's scent. The obvious enrapturement when she first saw the beautiful waterfall. The excitement of teaching her how to swim. All the long conversations during the journey. It's all... over. The cougaress can't help but smile sadly at the realization that she finally has memories now to look forward to in her dreams.
Silvan shrugs a bit to the cougar before lookinh back to Cotton, moving back to sit beside her, giving Haze and Lark a bit of privacy, but still keeping an eye on them.
Sniffling, Lark's tears come to an end. "I-I just was so happy to see you and then said 'stop it' and so then I thought maybe you decided that while I was gone that you don't like me anymore." All of this is uttered almost hysterically and very fast, most of the words slurring together. Her ears are lowered, tail resting mournfully in the dirt. There is a defeated slope to her shoulders, as if she's just /waiting/ for Haze to confirm her proclamation.
Haze is baffled. "What? No!" He quickly offers another lick to her nose as a sort of apology, lifting a paw to hold her in a sort of hugging embrace. "It's just, well...my family's watching, ya know..." he admits, realizing how stupid it was to be so worried about what his father-figure and sister might think of him when he should have just let himself show Larkspur exactly how much he was worried sick over her. "I'm sorry," he murmurs in her ear, nuzzling at her cheek, the rest of his words lost to the others as he crowds even closer to the Lazuli pup. Thank the spirits above Lark's daddy isn't here to see this.
Cottonpaws nuzzles her father once Silvan sits next to her, looking past her brother and company to the trees, "What about her?" She asks, curious about the cougar, "She didn't ... Well, she was nice. And she looked sad." The pup faces her father again, tilting her head to a side and adding, "You should at least thank her or something. I don't think you're bad, but she might have." She furrows her brows, playfully pawing her father's chest as she gets on two, "You meany, you growled at her." She wants to see the cougar one last time, ask questions, she'll do everything to find that cougar again, get closer than last time. She really tries to ignore her brother, it hurts when she pays attention to them.
Silvan looks down to Cotton and nuzzles her softly, "If she want's to leave then I'm not going to stop her, she might decide to stay with the other cougars nearby." he looks down at Lark and Haze for a moment before saying, "I suppose I'll have to take her back to her family after she's rested a bit."
A crimsom blush rests on Lark's face. She realizes her own stupidity- of course Haze was super worried, of course he missed her! Tail thumping the ground happily, she is quick to return the licks and nuzzles with a few of her own. "'S'alright," she mumbles with a grin, planting a lick on his muzzle. His paw around her is comforting. The warmth of his body so close to hers is soothing. "/I'm/ sorry." The pup's voice is barely above a whisper. It doesn't need to be any louder, with the boy so near.
Haze practically beams - this is much better! - and sits proud, puffing out his chest to make himself appear even more manly next to his damsel in distress. "When do you gotta go home? I don't want your parents getting too upset..." Especially if they find out the circumstances that caused Larkspur to get lost in the first place.
Cottonpaws nods slowly to her father, looking back at her brother and company again. The pup tilts her head to a side, since they are away (and her player is lazy to whisper), she mutters to her father's ears only, "It makes me sad. He has US, his family... And look at him. Ok, he looks happy, but... It hurts."
Silvan nods to Cotton, nuzzling her softly before saying, "It's hard not to be jealous sometimes, but you should always try to avoid it, it just causes trouble."
Hmmm. Now /there's/ a question. Lark hesitates. She knows that she should be home as soon as possible, buuutttt then she can't hang out with Haze. The girl realizes her parents are (hopefully) worried about her well-being, but she /just/ got to see her friend. Surely a day or two couldn't hurt? "Uhmmm, in a couple days, I think," she replies, trying to sound like this is a definite answer, and not mainly what she wants. "Is it ok if I stay with you for a bit?"
Haze glances up at Silvan as though relaying the question back to him, awaiting his response in regards to when Larkspur will be escorted home.
Cottonpaws boils inside. Now she's staying? First she steals her brother and the affection he's never shown to his own sister, and now she wants to stay? For a moment, Cotton now has the feeling of running away, probably in search for the cougar, she has questions, and answers will clear her mind from all the troubles she has. She looks at her father though, waiting to hear that sweet voice of Silvan saying yes. She knows her father won't just leave the pup there.
Silvan nods down to Haze, glancing over to Cotton, then back before saying, "Just untill you've rested a bit, your parents will be worried sick about you."
Larkspur nods, planning to stretch out her recovery for as long as possible. Yeesh. Haze's sister doesn't seem too pleased with this. After a moment, she pulls herself away from the Viridian male and lopes to Silvan, ready to curl up for a nap with her best friend.