His mother running, the ground passing beneath him at a blur, her breath tousling his fur and the steady footfall pounding in his ears. He did not know where they were going, or from whence they came. He knew not of being pursued, that the chorus of howls were not friendly. He was barely days old, after all.
He knew nothing of the world.
He remembered passing through the mountains – the teeth of the earth stretching up to the sky. By the time he was big enough to run at her side, they had reached a place that was dark but glowed at night. He was growing old enough now to ask questions.
His mother told him one night, that his father had been a very commanding Berserker, and had demanded she give him to his father who would not allow any male children to live for fear of them growing stronger than he was.
So she'd taken him, and she'd fled.
When he asked if he'd had siblings, she was silent and gave him no answer, bidding he sleep. That she would never let anything happen to him. They were going somewhere where he would always be safe. Somewhere... Magical.
Time passed, and as his mother raised him on the road and taught him how to hunt and how to defend himself, she told him stories of a magical place where wolves with Extraordinary gifts ruled and where everything was beautiful – instead of the death, rot and decay that surrounded them.
He and his mother reached the Redwood Forest, and one night while they hunted, he took off in pursuit of their quarry; and a shrill sound filled the night. His prey startled and took flight, and the pup just shy of six moons never saw his mother again.
Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2020 6:55 pm
He wandered deeper into the woods and weeks later a Family of Berserkers who had a trio of female pups close to his age came across him just outside of The Crystal Caves, he thin and gangly, drinking from a nearby water source, trying and failing to catch a fish; too tired and weak to hunt, but desperate to survive.
The mother, BloomingRose, called to him and he was wary and kept his distance.
He'd been moving almost non-stop since he'd lost his mother, but had finally found some place familiar to stop. He was still a stranger in a strange land and he didn't know who to trust. He was wild eyed and all teeth. The father, SettingSun bristled at his aggressive response, but sidled off at the n** he received from his mate.
It was when one of the three young females approached him, her head down, ears back, tail low and wagging in a show of friendliness, that his guard lowered. She was younger than him, almost by a full season, if he had to guess. He wasn't going to hurt a female, or a pup, for that matter, his mom had taught him better.
He calmed and he let her near. She sniffed him as he stood stiff legged, tail tucked against his stomach. She spoke quietly, timidly, but her voice was so sweet he could not help but let some of the edge ease out of his figure. She introduced herself as ShimmeringDew, and introduced her two sisters, BleedingThorn, and MourningDove.
As the pups surrounded him and beckoned him closer to their parents, he went cautiously.
Their mother licked his face and cleaned the dirt from around his eyes and ears, and their father sniffed his ears, his jaw, scruff, and circled him slowly. He kept his eyes averted and his head lowered, and the male nosed his neck and spoke quietly, the deep timbre of his voice little more than a growl as he beckoned the male pup to come with them.
They took him in and they raised him among their own. They were wilder and more savage than his mother had ever been. They were not unkind, but he soon learned there was a bitterness in the mother, and the world was a cold, brutal reality that was black and white in the eyes of SettingSun.
It took him time to adjust to their views of the world, but he learned over time it was because they'd lost one of their sons the summer prior during a hunt – he'd fallen prey to a Rogue Male who had wandered into the territory.
They doted on him and raised him as they would have their son, and when he reached his 12th moon, they bestowed upon him their surname, Twilight.
A year later, they told him that they planned to go to the circle where the Veil opened, and they would travel to the world beyond it; one of their daughters had dreamed they would find her Brother there. They intended, if refused, to enter by force; they were determined and would not be held back, and he knew it was true.
He had been raised through the last year of seasons to be calculating, ruthless and cold, because the world would allow for nothing else – but that was not what his mother wanted for him. He knew that, deep in his heart, and while he remembered the stories of a magical land his mother regaled him with – he did not believe that the magic could restore what he had lost, nor what his new family wanted for.
None-the-less, when the winter solstice of his third year drew nearer, they prepared for the journey and he prepared alongside them, training for whatever they might face.
They had heard a number of stories and rumors about the circle of Thorns where the great stones once stood. They gathered what stories they could and they pieced together what they thought must be the truths.
Dove and Thorn had taken to hunting with mother, and ShimmeringDew, she spent most of her time with PhoenixAsh. Ash enjoyed her presence, she was sweet, and her voice soothed him. She was different than her parents and her sisters. She still saw beauty in the world.
When it was time to depart, the girls were told they were to stay at home with BloomingRose, and that PhoenixAsh, SettingSun, and SettingSun's two brothers, RisingMoon and BreakingDawn were going to be going to retrieve the lost son; FallingLeaves. It was the first time Ash heard his name spoken.
The girls were outraged, more so Thorn than Dove or Dew. Dew believed steadfast in her vision, and she believed in her father, and in Ash. Thorn wanted to be there to fight, and Dove wanted to see the magic. BloomingRose however, took the news with grace and hushed her girls, promising them a hunt worthy of celebration; this at least, dissuaded them from being too angry.
Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2020 7:00 pm
So it was, the four males set out. They traveled through The Redwood, their home was at the base of a small cluster of mountains, where a river ran along the outskirts of the woods. They traveled through thick forest, between two small hillsides, and into sparser tree coverage.
The trip took a couple of days from their home den to reach the circle where the great stones once stood.
The Stonehenge circle had become overgrown with a wild thicket of brambles dappled with thorns and looked foreboding.
They stretched as far as his blue eyes could see and as he lowered his head to the ground to sniff at the damp earth, amidst the familiar petrichor, he smelled those who had passed in years gone by; the scents were old and faded, but among them, so faint he almost missed it, was a scent that struck a chord deep in his heart.
A long time ago, his mother had traveled this path.
A scent that struck the same chord but created some dissonance deep down caught his attention. It was fresher. It was newer. They were not alone here. It was two days until the solstice and they had arrived with time to rest and make changes to the plan if they needed to.
His party withdrew and he turned to SettingSun, “I'm going to inspect the perimeter and look for gaps in the defenses or a potential entry point.” The father's ears perked up and his tail wagged a few brief waves of approval. “That's my Boy.”
They nudged opposing shoulders in a show of camaraderie and they stepped away in opposite directions. Focusing on the scent once more – Ash let it guide him into the shadows.
The scent traveled for some time. It circled the ring of thorns and brambles and then eventually moved away. He followed the scent to a small coastline that hedged the continent. He saw the silhouette of a Berserker, sitting passively on the shore, gazing out over the water. Ash approached cautiously and the wind shifted, blowing against him.
A female.
Her ears flicked back and her head turned. Her eyes glowed a soft seafoam green in the moon light. “You've traveled far.” Her voice was quiet, but there was a sureness to it. He suspected she didn't mean his most recent trek.
“Who are you?” He asked, falling still where he stood. “I'm a part of you.” Her response was cryptic, but as she stood and moved towards him, he could see her better. Her pelt was not quite as dark as he'd thought – instead it was the color of the sky after sunset, between dusk and the fall of night. There were streaks in her fur that illuminated faintly in the pale light of the moon, giving her a pastel outline.
“Look, I don't know who you think I am, but you'd better start making sense or I'm going to stop asking questions and let my teeth do the talking for me.” He growled, hackles raising. They didn't need some stranger getting in the way. He still didn't believe they had a chance at succeeding, but the last thing they needed was an added complication.
“My name is Evereve. I am the daughter Embersbane and Willowspark.” She waited, her expression evidently expectant, but when he showed no signed of recognition and started to bristle with impatience, her gaze softened and understanding crossed her visage.
“I suppose, you never knew our mother by her name... and you never met our father... He was the reason mother fled, after all...” He scoffed, “What do you mean 'Our' Mother?” He was close to snapping but she remained impassively calm. She placed her paw in the sand, pressed her claws in deeper and dragged her paw up and away from the imprint she'd left, and he gazed at symbol; a paw print that appeared to be engulfed in billowing flames.
“That mark...” The hostility bled out of him; he knew it, though it had been many moons since last he'd seen it. “Yes. Our mother's war paint. On her shoulder, curving down her side li-” he finished the sentence, “Like wings... I remember, they were so faded the last time I laid eyes on them.”
Her head lowered, ears back. “I was there... when our father's hunters found her. He sent me with them, to see what happened to wolves who disobeyed him. I got in the way, and I was attacked. I got thrown, and I fell off of the rocky ledge. When I woke, one of the hunters was dead. The other was gone, though a trail of blood told me he did not leave unscathed... but our mother...”
He nodded. “I heard the attack... at the end. I was too late. I'd been hunting, and we'd gotten separated... I didn't make it back to save her.”
She touched his cheek gently and his ears laid back, his form tensing at the unfamiliar touch but as he warmed to her presence slowly and he picked up the scent of pain in her, he gently returned the gesture. “You. You've been alone all this time since?” Ash asked his sister, and Eve nodded.
“I found my way back to The Crystal Caves. The rabbits that come to feed on the vegetation are plentiful, and I learned how to flush them into the caves and corner them.”
Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2020 7:03 pm
They spoke for some time still, and finally Ash asked Eve what she was doing here, of all places. The femme explained that once, when they were very little, their mother told them all of the place stones once stood, where the door to a magical place would be opened by the Moon on the night of the Winter Solstice.
“You were a season behind us, you see. So I was old enough to remember. I hoped we would cross paths here. That my questions would be answered. They were. You still live, and you're healthy and strong. That's all I ever cared about.”
Eve stood and stretched. “Now, I can go and see what the world holds for me without the unknown holding me back.”
“Beware the Guardians. They may look like Prey, but they are powerful, fearless and strong. Whatever that pack you're with is planning – it might not turn out the way they're hoping.” she paused, and as he turned to look at her, their eyes met.
“Remember, little brother. You're not alone in the world. We're out there. We love you. You're old enough to see the world through your own eyes, you don't need anyone's black and white mirrors, or blood red masks to find your way.”
Her words led him to believe that she'd been closer by in her travels than she might be telling, but he understood. He knew that trying to enter the veil by force was dangerous, and that even if they succeeded, they would not find what they were seeking.
He knew the dead could not be returned. They were at rest, and that is where they must remain.
He'd known this for some time, deep in his heart, but he knew how strongly Dew believed in her vision. Dream. Her Dream. She was a berserker. Berserkers weren't seers. He also knew how strong Sun's conviction was. Convincing him otherwise was going to be a battle, and he knew it was one he'd lose.
However – he'd soon come to find out it was a battle he wouldn't be fighting.
A howl tore through the night as he sat gazing out over the water; lost in contemplation over everything that had transpired. The howl was urgent and wounded and it drew him back with haste.
When he returned to his traveling group, he heard a commotion and raced to find out what was happening. It all transpired so quickly that he'd all but missed what had happened.
In his brief absence his traveling party had done a little scouting of their own, drawing in against the brambles, which, in the light of the risen moon, seemed almost to come to life. They resembled twisting, writhing snakes, all teeth exposed. There was a shimmer in the air that was like heat rising over sun baked sand.
The circle of thorns was only partially eclipsed by the moonlight, but it was evident that the veil was thinning as the Solstice drew nearer and the thorny vines were preparing to welcome travelers to the place where the worlds met.
The wolf who had taken him into his family lay prone on the ground, bleeding, his breathing labored; his brothers stood to either side of him, clearly on guard, ears pointed and swiveling, their hackles raised and teeth bared, claws digging into the earth beneath them, bodies half crouched and ready to attack.
He approached them, and he watched as a pair of Peryton stepped from the dark; one wounded and limping, and the other bearing his antlers and hooves tipped in blood. He lowered his head menacingly and stomped his foot, the other Peryton reared back, brandishing deadly hooves. They were speaking, but he was too far away to hear the words spoken.
He sprang into action, racing to intervene, but BreakingDawn snarled and leaped at the Peryton that was reared, attempting to get beneath the hooves to go for the stomach or throat.
“NO!” Ash cried out for them to stop, but he wouldn't reach them in time to save the elder guardian.
Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2020 7:04 pm
Just then, a flash of luminescent paint and seafoam eyes sprang from the umbra of shadows surrounding the mass of thorny vines and a heavy blue-black body collided with the red and orange berserker male and immediately the Peryton both darted, disappearing to safety as both BreakingDawn and RisingMoon attacked his sister.
Fear clutched his heart and his legs moved even faster. As he drew nearer he could hear snapping jaws, snarling, growling and he leaped into the fray fearlessly. He grabbed BreakingDawn by the back of the neck and he twisted him away when his mouth opened in an attempt to get a better grip on the female beneath him. The distraction gave her the opportunity she needed to throw RisingMoon off of her.
He scrambled for purchase on the ground, claws dragging through the dirt as he held on to BreakingDawn who lunged and twisted in a vain effort to throw him off. Ash wrapped his forelegs around the older male's shoulders and lurched backwards, pulling the male off his feet and disrupting his sense of balance and once he was disoriented and his legs had begun to flail, Ash released his shoulders and threw him aside.
RisingMoon was getting ready to attack Eve again, and as he launched, Ash leaped, hitting him from the side with crushing force. He could hear ribs break as his shoulder collided with the male's side, and watched as his body slammed into the wall of thorns, stuck for a few moments before sliding down, and collapsing when his paws touched the ground. There were thin red furrows in his grey-blue pelt that were slowly growing darker as blood rose to the surface of his thick skin.
Ash stepped backwards, coming into contact with SettingSun who was struggling to stand. “What have you done?” His voice rumbled with pain, but was heavy with emotion as he dragged himself to his brother. “My little brother,”
RisingMoon's breaths came in wheezing gasps, he pulled his legs under him but could not rise. BreakingDawn had regained his senses, having taken a blow to the head when he was thrown. He raced to his brothers and Ash turned to look at Eve who was slowly approaching him.
There was a limp to her step, her ears laid flat against her skull.
“Ash,” she whispered.
“You have to go, Eve. You need to get out of here. Before they kill you. They will never forget this, they will never forgive.” He nosed her gently. “Go. Please.”
Eve looked at him through pained eyes, regret making her heart heavy. “I'm sorry.” She whispered, turning to race into the sparse line of trees, gradually passing further from sight.
When he turned back to the three males, SettingSun was licking RisingMoon's wounds and BreakingDawn was sitting with his head bowed. Ash approached slowly, greeted by teeth and snarling.
He lowered himself to his stomach and crawled closer, his ears pinned back, “We need to leave, before the guardians come back.” He said softly, knowing that they were in no condition for another confrontation.
SettingSun rose and he turned on Ash, moving faster than the younger anticipated possible in his condition. The young male was pinned, teeth at the back of his neck where his skull connected. The snarl of the male told him he would kill him without a second thought if he tried to fight.
Ash remained tense and unmoving as BreakingDawn nosed and lifted RisingMoon's form onto Ash's back and when he was safely gathered, SettingSun released him. “You will carry him, and if he dies before we return home to a healer, you will bear the weight of his death for the rest of your life.”
BreakingDawn helped SettingSun stand, and supported him in the slow trek back, while Ash carried RisingMoon's heavy form, listening as his breathing grew gradually weaker and weaker until late that night, it all together ceased. The weight of his body and the cold chill of death settled over him like a blanket heavier than his guilt, and left a sickness in his heart and chains on his soul.
Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2020 7:06 pm
When they returned home to the den, SettingSun rested amongst his mate and daughters, and under the watchful eyes of BreakingDawn, PheonixAsh worked tirelessly to dig a proper burial place for RisingMoon. He was silent, uncomplaining, and that night, as they pushed the dirt over RisingMoon's form and bid the ancients take him into their fold, they turned on PheonixAsh.
They stripped him of the name they had bestowed upon him, and disavowed him from their family completely. He looked pleadingly at the faces against him, but not even ShimmeringDew would meet his eyes, instead closing hers tight and screaming at him to leave her family alone, and that he would never be one of them. BleedingThorn lunged at him, as did BreakingDawn, eager to chase him out of the territory.
A snarl erupted from the one who had been silent through it all; stilling their attack and his retreat. He turned his blue eyes to the matriarch of the small family group and BloomingRose stood stiff legged, tail raised, hackles standing, ears forward, teeth bared and lips furled; “Let him Run. Let him Live. With the weight of RisingMoon's death and the knowledge that we will never forgive his betrayal.”
He ran until he was exhausted, then continued on until his paws bled. He ran until he stumbled every few steps and finally, inevitably, collapsed. He didn't know what length of time had passed, but he knew finally, the pain in his feet and his legs, and his shoulders and back, for the moment, outweighed the pain in his heart.
Exhaustion was so all-consuming that he didn't feel his form being lifted from the hard earth and carried. When he woke, he was in a familiar place but he was alone. The scent of his sister lingered still, but he knew she was gone. A poultice was on his paw pads and within reach was a small shallow pool of water.
The cave around him glowed faintly and he felt comforted.
It soothed the ache in his heart and lulled him back into a welcome sleep, embraced by warmth and familiarity and love.
My mind's a haze With all this pain And I can't change a thing
I'm down on my knees I need some relief Some quiet and peace
