Something inside her chest eased as Enya spoke. Their past was behind them and in many ways it was for the best. Ixora didn't want to linger in the pain and judgment of the shadowed memories that had once held her hostage. Those days where long gone and though red wolfess wouldn't have held it against her sister if she had held onto her own anger Ixora was glad that she hadn't. That they could move forward and rebind the bond that had broken between them.
“Your too stubborn for a lot of things.” Ixora huffed with amusement but she went on to grin as she continued to speak. “But I think that is a trait that we both share.” After all they wouldn't have had such a long bout of separation if they had been willing to sit down and talk things through without pride getting in the way. Or at least it had been pride for Ixora.
She watched carefully as Enya sat, the motions pained and red ears flicked back in concern, flashing pale white spots. Carefully she stepped forward to help brace Enya with her shoulder, long tail curling around her. The blood soaking into her fur a reminder of the wounds that they both shared but Ixora was loathe to stop the conversation.
“Immortal and children with Caedwyn?” Ixora asked a bit surprised. She couldn't remember the last time that she had seen the dark wolf. It felt like her history with him was almost as complicated as her relationship with Enya. Not to mention the little tidbit about being immortal. That was something that she struggled to wrap her mind around. “Sounds like you have given rewards equal to your struggles.”
Ixora's smile faded a little. “I fear she isn't done with me yet sister.” She responded with a sigh as she briefly looked to the horizon before turning to Enya again. “I saw visions of you but I also saw more images of myself in places I have already visited.” Being chased by a bear in one, staring down the dark wolf that had almost sworn himself to her in another, and dozens more that showed the same result. Being in places that were far from here and away from her sister again. “They are far from here and if I can I will return but I don't know for sure when that would happen.”
Eon quickly dug himself out of the snowbank and shook the snow from his fur. Unfortunately, it didn’t help much, as another flurry swept by and covered him in snow once more. A familiar voice caught his attention, and he opened his eyes to see Enya approaching.
“I was just—um,” he paused, trying to come up with an explanation for his clumsiness and a reason for being here in the first place. He didn’t want to lie; that wouldn't end well. Enya could read minds, anyway, so lying would be pointless, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know what the consequences for lying to a Monarch would be.
“I’ve been cooped up in the den for a while and felt the need to stretch my wings,” he finally admitted. “Though part of me wishes I hadn’t; it’s so cold! Winter is really not my season. My wings and paws are numb.” He stretched out his wingspan, checking to see if he could still move them. Luckily, they fluttered up and down without any trouble. Perhaps he was making a bigger deal out of the weather than necessary.
“But since I’m out here, did you need help with anything?” he asked. He felt increasingly guilty for neglecting his duties as the weather grew colder, and he wanted to prove that he was still worthy of his noble title.
Once Loch spotted Delta close behind, he raced in the direction of the river. With his large fins, he was naturally fast, but it seemed the smaller feline had no issue keeping pace. Eventually, Loch hauled himself out of the water and saw the feline doing the same beside him. He shook his fur, sending droplets of salty water flying everywhere, only to look back and find Delta struggling with the transition, coughing up water as he adjusted to breathing air.
"You alright there?" Loch asked, giving the feline a nervous look. "You said you’ve been on land before, right?” He found himself questioning Delta, anxious that maybe the feline had fibbed and wasn't really adapted for life beyond the sea.
Sure enough, the coughing fit passed, and Loch felt himself relax a bit. "Which direction?" he heard Delta ask. Streams of fresh water wound around them, creating a large muddy area where they now stood. The streams led upward, disappearing beyond a line of thick trees just ahead. Loch pointed his snout toward them. “That way,” he said, taking a few steps forward. Mud clung to his ankles, and he felt it building with each step. Even though he had just started the trek back, he was already daydreaming about reaching the lake, where he could clean himself off and rest. There was still a long way to go, however.
As he walked, Loch stepped on something hard in the sand. “Huh,” he muttered, beginning to dig a bit and uncovering a shell buried just beneath the surface. He picked it up to examine it. It was small and cracked—not good for his hoard of treasures. Still, he figured there might be some valuables around that would be worth keeping.
“Hey, catfish!” While Loch knew the feline’s name, he still found himself resorting to the nickname he had come up with. “If you find any nice shells, hand them over this way, okay? I’ll take them as payment for the fish I caught you earlier.” He continued forward, keeping his pace slow and eyeing the ground for anything else of interest. Might as well find them now, since there would be less chance of discovering such shells once they got further up the river.
Delta rolled the dice.Character Diceroll 1: Success Diceroll must be above 500 to be successful.
0 was added for Charisma.
525 was added for Level 3.
0 was added for A. No Enchantment.
8 was deducted for C. Vagrant Penalty.
Delta hadn't expected so many of the rivers and streams to freeze, ice floes had been a rare, distant sight out in the open ocean in only the most frigid of seasons. Inland though, nearly all of the smaller streams autumn rain had fed had since starved and shrunk to nothing, replaced instead with packed snow and dried branches which drastically shrunk his range. It had been frightening sure, the few times he'd slunk across land to reach other bodies of water now inaccessible by swimming, but he'd managed well enough at first. He'd even found himself enjoying how the snow felt against his pelt, batting at the banks and rolling about in the strange almost-water when he wasn't busy with hunting.
Now however, even the larger rivers were freezing. Delta had feared they'd dry up completely like the streams had, but instead the ice created a thick, strong layer above the currents to block the water in. He'd desperately clawed and scrabbled at his new ceiling out of the initial fear of being trapped, but it hadn't taken long for the little cat to grow accustomed to it. In fact, he almost found himself preferring it. The water was colder now, sure, but it was dark and quiet. Fish were sluggish and easy to snap up, and he didn't have to worry any land predators would try to catch him now that he was protected beneath the ice.
So, Delta's winter had been rather peaceful. Boring, but peaceful. He patrolled the water and nested in deep cracks along the riverbeds, only swimming up to the ice to press his face against and make out the hazy outlines of sky and trees above. Where the ice was thinner, sometimes he caught sight of animals moving across the banks.
Sometimes they stepped on the ice, and that seemed to be the most likely explanation as to why a section had broken off along the river's edge here. Delta spent a good long while regarding the break with a mixture of apprehension and curiosity, but it seemed that whatever creature had initially broken it had long since left the area. Eventually he gathered the courage to take a look, pushing off the riverbed to rise up and poke his eyes above the water's surface. It had been quite a while since he'd been exposed to the air, and a gurgling hiss escaped him as he squinted against the sharp winter sunlight. As his eyes slowly adjusted, he peered up and down the territory and blinked with awe at the realization at just how colorful the air was here.
Delta had never seen such a place before, and he was so distracted by the sight that the ordinary clump of cattails sprouting from the soil close by fell out of his attention. He was debating on the idea of stepping from the water to get a closer look at the strange almost-fog when suddenly, there was a wolf. They had made no sound heralding an arrival, no scent or sight. It was as if they just appeared from the plants, close enough to touch, and Delta shrieked.
DICE ROLL: Charisma, Banshee
Success: Delta's scream evokes a sudden sense of terror, instinctually trying to scare off a perceived predator.
Failure: Delta screams in surprise, but there's no supernatural effect. It probably sounds kind of funny cause his mouth is still halfway in the water.
"Hmm, if we're counting after, then I think... seven? Eight? Time kinda gets weird when you're moving between worlds." Still a relatively short lifespan to experience as much as she had. When the other confirmed that they, too, had faced death, Enya smirked at her. She wasn't surprised at the brute of a wolf had succeeded in Tsillah's trial. Ida inquired about Tsillah and she quickly fell into eager storytelling. Tsillah was her favorite thing to talk about - besides herself of course. "Tsillah is the Goddess of Death. She is the One who decides if our Wills are strong enough to be reborn. If we succeed, you get another chance at life, though it may not always be in the way you would expect. If your Will is weak" Enya spat the word when she said it, "then it is devoured."
She paused for a moment to let that point sink in. "There is also a false God that some believe in. Ohr is what they call him, the God of Life. Their followers, Verdantis, they promote his beliefs because he says that all Wills are deserving." It was clear the distaste she felt both towards Verdantis and their God they chose to worship. "I've never heard of fiery pits as an ending, but I'd rather believe that Tsillah will consume my Will should I ever grow weak than to believe I could go on living my life without ever knowing what I was able to achieve with Her motivation driving me."
Ida's surprise at her shocking revelation of who she was pleased Enya thoroughly. She grinned and joined Ida in another round of laughter. Enya's invitation to join Duskorna hadn't immediately been rejected, either. Perhaps she'd be able to share several more laughs with Ida, back at home. Even better, Ida was eager to join her on a hunt, stretching in anticipation. She liked her attitude, she decided.
It was even more interesting to hear about geysers and the shapeshifer she'd found up there. "I haven't been to the geysers yet, no." She made a mental note to go and visit it sometime. "I've not encountered a shapeshifter, either. What was that like?" She looked Ida over from her angle, not bothering to hide it. She looked for fresh scars. "And what happened to the whelp you mentioned? I'd be worried to leave a child on its own this far north with winter coming." Enya stretched and turned to start moving on, pausing to linger and let the conversation between her and Ida continue. She intended to walk and talk as she looked for signs of the beast she'd heard was rumored to be in the area, a cliff stalker.
OoC: Note for me so I don't forget:
Cliff Stalkers
Appearance: Large, feline-like creatures with long, sinewy bodies, tufted ears, and eyes that glow faintly in the dark. Their fur is a blend of browns and grays, allowing them to blend seamlessly into the rocky environment.
Abilities: These predators are masters of stealth, able to blend into shadows and climb vertical rock faces with ease. They can camouflage to cloak their selves and create illusions to increase their odds of hunting. They often hunt in pairs or trios.
The reminder of the river soothed his worries somewhat. Once he'd walked to the border, he could simply swim his way back from there. Or even continue upstream; although Delta envied the beauty of Loch's flowing fins, he could only imagine how strange it would feel to have them pulled and battered by an opposing current. If the river ever grew too strong, it was easy for the little cat to simply flatten himself to the ground and allow the water to rush above him instead. He gave a small nod to the wolf's explanation, and a small part of him preened at the idea of being an adventurer."Yes. Alright," he meowed, watching as Loch gracefully shot upwards through the water. He hesitated for a short moment before taking another breath and following, flapping his flat fins against the water as it grew warmer and lighter with the rays of sunset. Anxiety churned at his belly the higher he swam; without the seafloor against his belly, open water surrounded him from every side and offered countless new opportunities for predators to attack. he kept his whiskers splayed and dark eyes roving, making sure for perhaps the dozenth time that nothing was coming for him before he too poked his head above the water.
It was bright. Delta swallowed a hiss and squinted against the reddish light, blinking rapidly until the membrane covering his eyes receded and his pupils adjusted to the sky. And pretty, he thought with mild surprise, watching purple clouds overhead slink across the vibrant sky where speckles of starlight began to shine through. He opened his mouth and let out a gurgling compliment to the scenery, but with his lungs still full of water, it was unintelligible above the surface. He nearly missed Loch beginning to paddle away, jolting from his awed stupor and nodding vigorously at his call as he tore his gaze away from the clouds above.
Swimming on the surface felt different. If he kept himself buoyed, Delta felt the uncomfortable warm prickle of the fur along his spine and fin-tops drying. He settled for an awkward half-above half-below approach, swimming after Loch with only his eyes and ears above the water like a particularly nervous looking caiman. He gritted his teeth as the ocean floor sloped upwards to meet his paws, his sensation of weightlessness beginning to fade as he slunk clumsily from the water and felt the full weight of his fins and tail press down against his stumpy legs. He made a strange noise, half hiss and half gurgle, before water streamed and sputtered from his nostrils and gills. Unless he wanted to suffocate, it was necessary to force all the water from his lungs before a breath of air was taken.
He coughed and sputtered wetly, though the fit certainly looked much worse than it felt. The first breath he took was sharp and short, punctuated by another bout of wheezing and hacking until his body remembered how to process the strange, dry air.
"Sorry," he grunted, slinking further onto the sand and not bothering to shake the wetness from his pelt. He focused on breathing in and out, slowly remembering the rhythm and feeling his body adjust as his heart slowed again. "It's, ah--I have to remember how," he gave a few more focused breaths before clearing his throat, sagging in relief as he felt his lungs take control of themselves again. He looked towards Loch again, slowly stretching out his legs and feeling the strange sensation of having to push upwards against gravity. "Which direction?"
Enya rolled the dice.Character Diceroll 1: Fail Diceroll must be above 500 to be successful.
0 was added for Perception.
493 was added for Level 3.
0 was added for A. No Enchantment.
0 was added for A. No Buff / Penalty.
Her tranquility was disrupted as her Kingdom's name was suddenly called out to her by a known voice. Her eyes snapped open in response, an ear rotating back to listen for the sound of quick-approaching steps, the sign that she was under a sudden attack. Her turn towards Urna was deliberate as she faced the hyena. She saw how she looked at her, with her lips pulled back. Enya grinned at Urna in return.
She held her position in the shallows of the river, though she lifted her head and tail higher at the approach of the other. "Not really" she replied casually. "Not as far as you are." What was she doing all the way this far north? She studied the hyena for a moment, thinking about how she wanted to handle the situation. Urna had been eager to fight before and had been the one to suggest taking her as a captive. There was little doubt in Enya's mind that Urna might try her again. She was alone, after all. She couldn't say the same for Urna. No, she had to remain nearby the river. It was her best chance at surviving if Urna had company. "I figured your kind would freeze solid in the cold." Her tongue worked the air, trying to sniff for others as it flicked from between her jaws. "What brings you so far north?" If it had anything to do with her, she figured mind as well get it out and onto the table now.
Perception: sniff snoff for other verdantis
Success: Oop she's alone
Failure: enya you might be in big trouble
Normally, winter brought peace along with it for the Viper. Snow had long settled across the northern expanse of their territory, the mountains thick with layers left behind by storms. Even the southern most regions had been coated, the large lake in the kingdom frozen over. Despite the season shifting to her favorite, she found it hard to find awe in the landscape and see joy in it. Her responsibilities weighed heavy on her and worry kept her awake at night. When around others, she did her best to hide her exhaustion, instead replacing it by forcing energy into each step and action. When she was alone, each step was slow and deliberate.
The threat from Verdantis still lingered in the back of her mind, especially now more than ever with the thing roaming the lands, wherever it may be. She felt like she'd hit a dead end and frustration swelled inside her for it. Each day that passed by, each day that Her followers showed up empty pawed, it made her feel like a failure. She wondered about Verdantis day and night, fretting over whether or not they were closer to the creature than her. Hell, it was possible that Ohr already had it and the mission had already failed.
"No" she muttered to herself through gritted teeth as she worked her jaw on a large root at the base of a tall oak tree. The root held firm in its spot, despite Enya tugging and yanking, her paws splayed and dug down into the mucky soil. "I. Refuse. To Believe it." Each part of the sentence broken up by another tug. "Fucking root" she cursed as she let go of it and glared at the growth. All she wanted to do was something nice. She knew Caedwyn was absolutely miserable in the cold so she wanted to surprise him with a den in the southern region of their kingdom. It was still cold down here, but it was considerably warmer than their home near the base of the mountains. "I wish I could just burn you". Behind and around the root was the beginning of a den's entrance. The angle of the entrance was perfect. It had a nice view of the clearing which ended with the lake. Forests lined the clearing. Unfortunately for her, the root went right across the middle of the entrance."I just might freeze you instead" she threatened before turning away with a huff. She'd worked up a thirst and wanted to get the taste of wood out of her mouth.
She worked her way down the clearing and to the edge, picking her steps carefully as she traversed the snow and ice. She had planned to work a hole into the ice to drink from, but her plan changed when movement caught her eye. Enya looked up to see Eon sliding across the ice before slipping and falling onto his face. Enya watched and winced, but remained still, not yet revealing herself to her Noble, curious what he was doing out there. She heard laughter coming from him and felt a smile come to her. He got back to his paws after some effort and once more took to sliding across the ice, only to crash into the bank of snow.
As he recovered from his tumble, Enya approached with a casual walk, a swaying tail, and a smile on her face. "Hey Eon" she called out, trying to add energy and a pep to each action to hide her own worry and fatigue. "Whatchya doin on the ice?"
