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The elves loved their beloved forest, but more than could be imaginable lied beyond it. Sundew knew better than to keep herself isolated in the Bleeding Earth or even within the pack borders, as cozy and easier as it would be. The more she knew about the surrounding areas, the easier she could understand the earth when it spoke to her, be it through visions, dreams, or her physical senses. Winter at the foot of the Bluestone Mountains, however, was not an easy thing to step into. She shivered as she began to trod out into the snow. The Sea of Sighing's soporific effects were most likely dampened during this time. She saw guards nod at her in the corner of her eye as she passed beyond the borders and into the unclaimed forest and knew that they would be more vigilant as a result; it wouldn't bode well to be out for too long. Tempting as that might be...Sundew loved her pack, but they were tiresome at times. The whispering, the rumors...It was a drain to be around. Once beyond the scents of elves, the Terran took a deep breath and sighed slowly, enjoying the peace away for a moment.
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The male trudged on, body inching forward with every step he took. His fur held small burs from his travels, though his coat was not as worn as one would expect. The bluish pelt still gleamed in the fading winter’s sunlight. He traveled down a path, lost in thought as his norm. Had he been here before? He hadn’t remembered. But did it matter? If he continued down a path not traveled, would he hit roadblocks along the way? Would it be free and clear of danger? The thought made the male smile. The question of uncertainty, and the risk he may have to take. By no means was Conundrum a thrill seeker, but he found thrill in the answers he had yet to explore. The base of the Bluestone Mountains would be today’s adventure. The male continued on, the scent of another entering nostrils. His eyebrow quirked, slowing his pace as his thoughts drifted to the scent. Friend, Foe? His head tilted as he pivoted in the scent’s direction, tail a wagging slightly. Whomever it was, Conundrum was ready to meet them.
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The only danger Sundew thankfully encountered was the temptation to transplant some of the flowers she saw as she walked back home with her. The lessons from her elders had emphasized the risks of bringing new flora into the fold, of invasive species taking over and a drying of the nutrients as roots fought for nourishment. Another danger, however, was how quickly thinking back on those teachings led her back down into her memories, her eyes glazed as she trod. Sundew, despite having powers mostly associated with the future, had an affiliation with the past that bordered on obsessive. What else could someone be called when they constantly reminisced, on good times and bad? She didn’t realize there was another wolf in the vicinity until he dotted her sight. The Terran froze self-consciously as if she was a deer watching for predators. Catching his slight tail wag, she took a breath and tried to relax. It was one thing to meet with strangers at a party in her home and something else entirely to meet with them beyond those borders. “You must have seen many things, traveller,” Sundew said, noting the state of his coat. “Are you weary?”
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The blue wolf’s stepped slowed upon spotting the bearer of the scent. A beautiful she-wolf, clad in bright green dye stood elegantly, before she had called out to him. Normally it would have been Conundrum’s taste to speak first, however the female had beat him to it. “Many things, many places. Many stars fade and yet, reappear the next day,” the wolf started. His paws were weary, but that was to come of the rogue wolf life. He lifted a paw to examine the calloused paws, noting the cracks that had split open many moons ago. “I am only weary from the work I have yet to do.” The male stated. His voice sounded tired, although he had not downright said it. “Tell me, I do not think I have stepped foot amongst this unknown lands. What is this place?” The unknown brought him joy.
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She smiled slightly. “The stories they must have told you.” Sundew always loved when the occasional traveler asked for shelter (and was actually allowed), for that meant the chance of hearing more about what laid beyond their borders. She could only imagine what this wolf had seen. “You near the forest of the Elves,” she told him. “My people are reclusive, but they are not so callous as to turn away someone in need of rest.” At least, Sundew wanted to believe in their better nature winning out in these matters. A history of isolation and a betrayal from strangers didn’t help one feel generous easily. “My name is Sundew Scion, Terran of the Murkwood Court. Please, allow me to escort you somewhere to rest your paws if nothing else.”
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“Many, upon many,” Conundrum agreed. He had stories he could tell for days on end, and he would be happy to convey the tales to anyone with a listening ear. “Elves?” His head tilted. Ah, a reclusive pack. That would explain a bit. Conundrum was relatively knowledgeable, but this particular pack seemed to not be present in his mind. No stories, nothing, could he draw from. He glanced back at Sundew, nodding his head. “Sundew Scion,” he let the name roll off his tongue. “I have riddled with my own name until it stuck.” The male’s born name was known to few, but he never would go by it. “A Conundrum is was, and a Conundrum it stood.” It was the blue wolf’s form on introduction. “Tell me the story of the Elves? All stories end one of three ways. Tragedy, Revenge, Forgiveness. What story does your pack entail to?”
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“Conundrum,” she repeated with a bow of her head. “Well met.” He didn’t seem so puzzling to her—curious, yes, and tired, but not a problem in an of himself. She wondered what a selected name like that said about him. His proposed options of story endings certainly did. Sundew cocked her head slightly, musing over them. “Never happiness?” she asked in return. “Never an outcome in which most things are better off than they were first found? Have you seen nothing but a cycle of action and reaction, justice or vengeance? What terribly sad stories you must know indeed, friend, especially if carried alone.”
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Conundrum’s shoulder rolled inwards in a shrug. “The creatures of this world seem very simple minded. Predictable.” He started before continuing. “Happiness is only in the eye of the beholder. Normally there is a more underlying reason to the end of the tale attributing to those three conclusions. But stories are everlasting, and maybe, just maybe, I haven’t found the right story that has garnered a true happy ending yet. The world is quite big after all, who knows what tales have yet to be unsaid.” Not all his tales were sadness. What he interpreted one way, others could and very well would see differently. The wolf couldn’t fault anyone for that. The male’s eyes watched with interest as they continued further into the Court territory. What sort of stories lies within these trees?
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"Is a river predictable, its course set and known to all?" she asked. "Are the trees, rooted to the spot, simple?" She couldn't tell if Conundrum spoke disdainfully or not and so kept her tone neutral, inquisitive. "Neither holds sway over the rain and wind that might change them unexpectedly. A swollen river that drowns the land. A storm-struck tree that sets the forest ablaze. And also: a river that becomes a new lake or pond, feeding its inhabitants. A tree in the fall radiant in its colors, decorating the world. "Even a simple thing can bring meaning and worth. Sometimes a story may also be that: a story that exists outside of tragedy, revenge, and forgiveness; a story that is still being written."
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Conundrum held a look of curiosity of his features as he contemplated Sundew’s words. Never, it appeared, had one questioned him like this before. The ideal was almost foreign to him, but it only served to distract him temporarily. A smile graced his feature, enjoying the change of speech at the moment. He found himself nodding. “You speak of words that most others on my travel don’t even fathom to voice. You must have traveled the lands to gain such knowledge?” Conundrum inquired, his bright eyes and smile never leaving the Terran’s gaze. It was then he noticed her violet orbs, the cogs in his mind turning once more. He knew that color, what gift the creatures with those eyes could hold. Perhaps this was the reason Sundew was unlike the others he had met.
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“Not so much as you, I would think,” Sundew said with a little smile of her own. “What I know, I was given by wolves wiser than I. I am their living memory in this world—a mere echo.”
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Conundrum nodded. He was about to speak that he would love to meet these other wolves, however her next statement caused his voice to falter. What they knew was now Sundew’s knowledge. He would have to inquire more from her. It would be something he’d save for another day. For now though, he would await to what lies ahead within this pack.