Shattered Lives [Kyra || Shattered Continued]

[taqqiq]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true]

[atrb=background,http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/530/taqmid.png] Taqqiq had managed to walk calmly, at least for a while. But after a few minutes, he had broken into a run, his long legs pulling his body harder, faster, as the scene behind him melted away with the setting of the sun. The moon rose slowly, and he watched it as he ran, using it to guide him in a way, though he didn’t know where he was going, or where he would end up. The thing about not being a proper member of Akihra’s pack was that he was basically in the same spot – he wasn’t necessarily granted the privileges of traveling through the land that harbored him and his family for so long. But, as his life was shattered, so too was everything around him. At the moment, there were no boundaries. He could go where he pleased; no one would stop him, not now, not tonight. Taqqiq slowed slightly as he left the prairie where his home was – no! Where his home used to be. He gasped a little as hot tears started to roll down his face. Why now? Why was he crying now, when he was alone? Why hadn’t he cried at the sight of his sisters dead bodies, broken, ripped apart? It seemed everything was fragile. Everything could break. And everything was shattered. Taqqiq came to a stop, holding his tears back. That word echoed through his mind, tormented him, holding the voices of his dead sisters. What did it truly mean? He answered himself, aloud. ”Shattered. To be broken beyond repair. To be smashed into pieces, violently. To destroy.” Yes, he thought bitterly, that is what had happened that afternoon. His sisters had been destroyed. His heart had been smashed violently, into itty bitty pieces. His family had been broken, wrecked beyond repair. But most of all was his mother. Kallik. Her life had been shattered, right before their eyes. Taqqiq sighed, starting to walk now, trudging along through the chilly night. When he looked at the moon again, he saw clouds obscuring it; moments later, rain drops pelted his eyes, stinging as it mingled with the saltiness of his tears. Taqqiq lowered his head, tail dragging behind as it had before. He felt hollow and empty on the inside, like his body as intact, but everything inside him had been ripped out, just like his sisters’ pelt had been. ”Stop it Taqqiq.” he snarled at himself firmly. ”Stop thinking about it.” He tried and he tried to stop, but the images kept floating into his minds’ eye, the screams echoing through his ears, causing a strange ringing sound. Shaking his head sadly, Taqqiq carried on, eventually coming upon a hot spring. The air was a bit chilly, and the rain was cold and soaking his coat, causing him to look slicked, oil-black. Even his gold on his ears and maw was muted, somehow looking rather brownish. Not wanting to stay cold and wet, but not seeing any sort of shelter, Taqqiq slipped slowly into the hot springs, shivering from the momentary flash of pleasure as his body was enveloped in warmth. It was not enough to dull the pain though. He stood there, keeping close to the edge as he couldn’t swim yet, feeling muted. He looked to the sky and let out a soft howl. Words;; 555 Muse;; Not very good, this is my fourth post today. x.x Mood;; Upset, angry. Notes;; The poor pups ;~;

[/color][/blockquote]
[/td][/tr][tr][td][/td][/tr][/table][/center][/blockquote]

[Deleted]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,text-align:justify,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=width,500,true]

[atrb=background,http://tinyurl.com/brmaf2e] There was a moment where Kyra didn’t know what to do. Taqqiq had simply walked away after giving that brute—no, their father—a long gaze. The runt whimpered, looking between her mother and Tike, unsure of herself. After giving her father a similar stare Taqqiq just had, Kyra took off after her elder brother. Tike would be fine with Mother. But to leave Taq all alone... And after what just happened... She followed Taq as quickly as she could, but stumbled often over roots and rocks. Each time, her chest would tighten. Tibiki would always walk on my blind side, to make sure this didn’t happen... The runt would allow a moment’s pause for the shock to disperse before she began walking again. After the fifth time, she realized that Taq was nowhere in sight. Panic settled into her heart and she took off at a blind run, sending herself sprawling to the ground after only a few strides. Yelping in pain and fright, the runt sprang to her feet, searching around frantically for signs of her brother. He was just...gone. Kyra stuck her nose in the air, trying her hardest to pick up his scent. “There it is,” she muttered, trotting carefully after her brother. For the most part, Kyra’s gaze remained locked on the ground a few yards in front of her. Her head was turned slightly to the left, giving her a rather strange appearance. It was the only way she could see properly, even if she did look foolish. The setting sun cast a glowing light around the runt, making her feel oddly comfortable. She was in uncharted territory (by her standards, anyway). She ought to feel alert or defensive. Not comfortable. Before long, the sun descended beyond the horizon, allowing the moon to take center stage in the sky. Walking had been difficult enough with the sun to give her light. With only the moon, every shadow became a potential threat. Her travel speed was reduced greatly in order for her to tread carefully. “At this rate,” she growled to herself, stepping over a gnarled root, “Taq could be out of the territory.” Mother had always said they were safest within Haishin territory. But given that Father was in the border (and he was the biggest threat to them), did that mean the world was safe? For a blind runt like Kyra, definitely not. Darkness suddenly fell on the land, causing Kyra to look up. Clouds had rolled in, completely blocking what little light the moon gave off. With a sigh, the runt started forward. Her spirit was dampened further as cold drops of rain fell, dripping from the tips of her light fur. What if she never found Taq? What if he really did leave? She cast her gaze to the shrouded moon. Would she be able to go on, losing three siblings in such a short amount of time? A soft howl rang through the stillness around Kyra, ripping her from her dark thoughts. She perked up her ears. “Taq!” she barked, though she wasn’t quite close enough for him to hear her yet. She bounded forward, stumbling gracefully in the process, and after a few strides, had found her brother. He was standing in the water of a great pool, gaze locked on the darkened sky. Kyra let out a deep sigh, trudging forward. He was safe. And still inside Haishin territory. But...He definitely wasn’t okay. The initial shock of the attack had already begun to fade, reality sinking in for Kyra. But Taq...He seemed to be taking it much harder than the runt was. She was sad, true, but she felt more angered than sad at that moment. Hadn’t she always wished retribution on her siblings? She was the runt and blind. They weren’t. It simply wasn’t fair! Each night, she would pray that somehow, the playing field would be even. And now it was. All because she wished it so. With a low whine, Kyra stepped forward. “Taq?” she called tentatively. She stepped forward again, though she jumped back when the warm water licked her paws. Compared to the icy rain, the warm water was simply too hot. For now, she would remain on shore. “Taq...” What could she say? How could she comfort her brother when there was nobody to comfort her? words:: Seven-Hundred and Thirty-Six muse:: Fantabulous! tags:: Taqqiq mood:: Absolutely pitiful ooc:: I went a little overboard XD

[taqqiq]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true]

[atrb=background,http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/530/taqmid.png] Taqqiq stood there glumly, chilly wind stirring the steamy water, causing small waves and ripples to brush past the brutes’ fur, feeling a smothered sort of pleasure roll up his spine as they did so. It was as if every good feeling in Taqqiq’s body was somehow greyed out, muted and just…dead. The stifling heat from the springs made him think of his siblings. Normally, he would have felt pleased, although perhaps a bit homesick. But now? Taqqiq felt as if the water were taunting him, whispering sick words into his gold-tipped ears, about how he would never feel the pleasure of his sisters’ warm fur again, never smell their scent again. Another whimper slipped through the young males’ muzzle as tears, hot as the water around him, began to prick the corners of his deep, jade eyes. He couldn’t help himself! Taqqiq felt so hopeless, unable to get a grip over his emotions, lost on how to block his ever-growing pain. He was a brute for Fenris’ sake! And brutes were strong, they were not supposed to cry. A grimace tugged at the young wolfs’ muzzle – he could see a shape, and it was one he knew well. His sister, Kyra, the blind runt, coming to find him. He plunged his head under the water, erasing the tear streaks that appeared midnight black against his almost-full black pelt. When he emerged, the only visible signs of his weakness were his eyes; they sparkled unnaturally, seeming too large, too bright. It seemed, as she approached, that Kyra had noticed, for the only thing that came from her golden muzzle was a soft whine of his name. ”Taq?” she had whined, inching towards him. The Mackenzie brute sighed deeply, not meeting her gaze; instead, he turned his head away from her, keeping his eyes lowered. He heard the sound of small, loose pebbles, shivering as they were disturbed, and then saw them as they slipped into the hot pool. He kept still and silent, body tense as he waited. She didn’t seem to want to get in. The next moment, Taq heard his name again, but this time it sounded…different. As if she wanted to comfort him, but couldn’t. Taqqiq bit back a growl, wanting to snap at her that he didn’t want her comfort, her pity. If only he knew just how much like Vorilye he really was. Instead, he inhaled shakily, raising his gaze to meet hers. He swallowed roughly, feeling as if there was a rock caught in his throat. It had been easier by himself. He’d felt…safer, emotionally that is. Being alone, he had allowed his emotions to take control, he hadn’t felt so ashamed. But looking into his sisters’ gold eyes, Taqqiq felt so humiliated. He knew that Kyra shouldn’t have seen him like this. It weakened him, mentally and physically, and he wouldn’t allow that. He was supposed to take care of her! It wasn’t going to be the other way around. Taqqiq wondered if he should attempt to smile at her – was it the right time? He didn’t think so, and he also knew it would look horribly strange if he tried. Instead, he just kept his face passive, without emotion. ”Kyra.” he responded finally, his voice so quiet it was hardly audible. ”Why did you follow me?” Taqqiq probed gently, tilting his head to the side ever-so slightly. ”You must have worried mother and…and father.” he continued quietly, not looking directly at her, but instead looking slightly to the left of her. Taqqiq wasn’t sure how to act. He felt so…alien. It was if his words were spoken by another wolf, or that his words were coming from a stranger’s maw. Taqqiq moved slowly out of the hot water, still not looking directly into her eyes. He feared what he might see there. Would it be pity? Worry? Fear? Was she looking to comfort him? Why had she followed him? Shaking these questions from his head, the warm water from his pelt soon followed. He moved towards his sister, licking in between her ears. Perhaps they both needed comfort. Glancing down into her eyes for the first time, Taqqiq murmured, ”Sister, aren’t you cold? It’s too chilly…” He moved away, only to place his warm, damp body against her side, tail stroking the back of her legs. It was at that moment that he vowed to himself he would always take care of her. Words;; 741 Muse;; Not sure, at least the post is good! Mood;; Feeling empty, concerned. Notes;; I'm sad D:

[/color][/blockquote]
[/td][/tr][tr][td][/td][/tr][/table][/center][/blockquote]

[Deleted]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,text-align:justify,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=width,500,true]

[atrb=background,http://tinyurl.com/brmaf2e] Taq was acting....strangely. First he had dunked himself under water, just before Kyra had spoken his name. Why would he have done such a thing? At first the runt had believed he was going to drown himself—sheer terror made her nearly rush into the warm water—but he resurfaced mere seconds later. Kyra scolded herself mentally. Even after what had just happened...she just couldn’t see Taq being the kind of wolf who would just kill himself. And how could he? They had just lost their two sisters. To make Tike and herself lose their brother... Not to mention Tike’s twin... No. Taq wouldn’t do that, she reasoned with herself. He was so much stronger than that. Kyra had long since placed her siblings on pedestals. Being the youngest and the runt, she saw each of them as being so much better than she was. They were bigger, they were faster, they were smarter, they were stronger. Something like the death of their sisters would strike a chord with them—and if it didn’t, Kyra would be suspicious—but they would get over it and become so much stronger. But Kyra...she wasn’t sure how this would affect her. Would she be able to pull through this as she had with her blindness? She had lost her best friend today, the only one of her siblings that she ever truly favored. Now all that was left were her big brothers. It took some time for Taq to respond to her calls. He kept his gaze down, as if he was afraid to meet her eyes. This confused Kyra. Why would he be afraid to meet her eyes? He wasn’t afraid of anything! When their gazes finally locked, Kyra took a small step back. Not only was there pain in his eyes, but also a bit of annoyance, possibly outright anger. Should she not have come? Should she have remained at Mother’s side? No. That scene was far too grizzly for her to stay near. Mother and Father would have a talk—about what, the runt didn’t know—and Tike... He could fend for himself. She had made the right decision, following after her brother. She may not be able to comfort him, but she would do whatever she had to in order for him to stay by her side. If he left... No. She didn’t want to think about it. Her name from his lips caused Kyra to jump, biting back a yelp. His voice was quiet, but there was a certain coldness to it that was bone chilling. He questioned her, asking why she followed, and insisting she worried their parents. Despite the slight fear in her body, the runt let out a little scoff. “So what if they’re worried? It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve run off...” Though this was the first time she’d ever chased after her sibling, and not the other way around. “And why should Father care? We shouldn’t even call him that. He certainly doesn’t have any interest in us as his children.” This was, of course, a simple belief of hers. It was easier for her to pin the entire attack on the brute. It was his fault Tibiki and Karima had died, not the fault of the cougar. If he hadn’t shown up, they would have been just fine. Like always. Kyra purposely didn’t answer Taq’s question as to why she followed. She didn’t even know the answer. Purely because she felt she needed to? Because she couldn’t stay with Mother? There were plenty of answers she could have given him, all of which were plausible. But none of them were the right answer. She had followed because she did. He wouldn’t buy that. She watched warily as her brother slowly approached her. Her body tensed as he stood before her, ready to react accordingly should he decide to punish her for intruding. Instead, he licked between her ears affectionately. All tension flooded from her body, replaced with relief, and she sagged ever so slightly. He wasn’t angry with her, or not anymore at least. She leaned into his affection, wagging her tail a little bit. It wasn’t until he mentioned it that Kyra realized she really was cold. A shudder wracked her body and she looked pathetically into her brother’s emerald eyes. She whimpered at the loss of his warmth as he moved away, but when he pressed up against her side, she sighed at the heat he offered, leaning into him. She nuzzled his shoulder, muttering, “Thank you, Taq.” words:: Seven-Hundred and Eighty-Six muse:: Bad... tags:: Taqqiq mood:: Frightened and cold ooc:: Yay for crappy posts x.x Sorry it took so damn long. No muse plus being sick makes for a lousy Gem...

[taqqiq]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true]

[atrb=background,http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/530/taqmid.png] When his little sister scoffed at his words, a deep frown tugged at Taqqiq’s muzzle. He sighed, looking down into her eyes, a slightly reproachful look within the emeralds of his gaze. ”Kyra,” he protested, shaking his head at her, ”Mother has had so much happen to her during her life. Do you really think she deserves this? First her pups die, and then we run off.” he told her, feeling anger bubble up again. Trying to dispel it, Taqqiq continued, ”She won’t worry about me, but you’re her only daughter now. Don’t you realize how she must be feeling?” He heaved a deep sigh, feeling is if his whole psyche were about to crack open. This was too much to handle for the poor brute. He was too young to deal with these sorts of stresses. Taqqiq moved his shoulders forward, trying to stretch them out. He literally felt as if the world was resting on his shoulders, and it was crushing him. He wasn’t strong enough to hold the weight. Shaking himself out again, Taqqiq spoke again. ”Father cares. Did you see the look in his eyes when –“ He broke off, feeling as if something were lodging within his throat, cutting off his speech. He coughed and tried again, this time deciding against talking about when his sisters had died. ”I saw his face. It ripped him apart. I know we don’t know the whole story between father and mother, but…something happened, and now this…I think he feels different.” the black brute told his sister firmly. Taqqiq felt certain that his father cared for them, felt that, because of him, at least the rest of them were alive. ”Kyra, he saved our lives. We would be dead if he hadn’t come.” He finished, something in his tone warning her to not push the conversation. Part of Taqqiq noticed that Kyra had skimmed over his first question, but he decided not to push it. Did it really matter that she had followed him? Sure, he didn’t exactly want the company right now, but at least she would be safe with him. As he moved closer to lick her between the ears, he couldn’t help but notice the way Kyra’s eyes looked, or how she’d tensed up. Was she afraid of him? He didn’t stop moving, he just licked her head, and when her body seemed to loosen and sag slightly, his lips twitched in a smile. No, she wasn’t afraid of him. She was unsure, just like Taq was. He chuckled, seeing her tail wag, and his wagged too. It stopped quickly though, for Kyra had shuttered, and the look in her eyes… Taqqiq whined as well, nuzzling her cheek rather forcefully. Was she all he had left? Taqqiq couldn’t go back to his parents, and he didn’t feel up to searching Tike out, not just yet… he sighed, unsure of what to do now. As he lay by his sister, Taqqiq asked, ”Kyra…what happens now?” In truth, Taqqiq was scared. He was still a pup, he still had a lot to learn, and right now, the poor brute was lost. He didn’t know if he wanted Kyra to answer. Instead of waiting, he spoke suddenly. ”We should leave Kamari. We need to do something. We need to get out of here, and forget what happened. Come on Kyra, let’s leave. Just you and me.” Taqqiq’s judgment was faulty, his brain numbed from shock, but just then, he felt like it was the right thing to do. ”What do you say?” he pushed, a slight impatience entering his tone. Why was she taking so long to answer? It was a great idea! They could explore the land and find out what they wanted to do. It would be great! Words;; 631 Muse;; Not very good. Mood;; Scared, lost, struggling. Notes;; My post is just as bad - I was sick last night. D:

[/color][/blockquote]
[/td][/tr][tr][td][/td][/tr][/table][/center][/blockquote]

[Deleted]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,text-align:justify,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=width,500,true]

[atrb=background,http://tinyurl.com/brmaf2e] One gold and one pale eye rolled in sync. Words of truth and wisdom poured from her older brother’s maw, but the runt didn’t particularly care. It wasn’t as if it was her fault Mother’s life had been difficult up until now. It wasn’t her fault her sisters were now dead. And it certainly wasn’t her fault they had run off. Well...that she had run off was her fault, but it was Taq’s fault for making her. Or so she would claim should Taq try to push the blame on her. But when he decided that Mother wouldn’t worry about him, only her, Kyra growled at her older brother. “What, so I get even more pity now?” She stepped away from Taq’s warmth, ignoring the shivers that tormented her body. “I don’t know how Mother feels right at this moment, but I don’t need her worrying over me. I’m old enough to take care of myself!” She turned back to Taq, narrowing her eyes, as if to dare him to challenge her. Another growl ripped through Kyra’s throat as Taq went on, this time about their father. “It’s a little too late for him to make amends, don’t you think?” She snorted in derision, shaking her head as she recalled what her mother had said to the brute just before Kyra had taken off. Tike and Kyra need a home. A place where they can be safe. Was she supposed to go back to whatever land it was that their father owned? Then what, join his pack of savages? Kyra snorted again, eyes fixing on the fog lifting from the hot spring before her. “No. I don’t care if he feels different or if he saved our lives. Neither makes up for his absence all these years...” Kyra wondered if their lives would have been different if their father had actually been around. Of course it would have, she thought glumly. Mother wouldn’t have been so depressed to the point of nearly starving. They wouldn’t have been holed up in that cramped den all the time. Instead, they would have had a whole territory to roam. They would have been heirs and heiresses to an actual pack, though they probably would have fought over the actual claim when the time came. A grim smile appeared on the runt’s maw. Bet I wouldn’t have gotten in that accident. She walked closer to the water’s edge, hoping to see her reflection. The rain caused ripples to break the smooth surface, giving her nothing to look at. She sighed deeply. Taq’s voice drew Kyra’s attention back to her older brother. His question made her give him a look of confusion. It was a good question: What did happen now? If she defied Mother’s wish to join her father, she would have no place to call home. The alphess of Kamari would have no reason to keep her around, and she doubted Mother would allow her to travel Anikira with her. She was the runt of the litter, her only daughter. And she was blind. A mere hindrance. A soft growl slipped between Kyra’s gritted teeth. No. She wouldn’t go with Father, nor would she travel with Mother. She’d find her own way. But then Taq blurted out that they should leave. Together. It was similar to Kyra’s own train of thought (though she was thinking of venturing on her own), but she wasn’t about to make her decision at this very moment! Her jaw fell slack as she watched Taq’s excitement grow. He was serious about this? He really wanted to leave? Kyra shook her head, taking a few steps back. “W-We can’t just leave, Taq! Think about Mother! And...And Tike!” How could he even think about leaving his twin behind? They had been together since they were born! They ought to do everything together! “We should go back. Get Tike. And then we can go. As a...family.” The word felt painful on her tongue, like that time she naively bit a porcupine. But after everything that had happened, she couldn’t just leave behind her other brother. words:: Seven-Hundred and Twenty muse:: Meh tags:: Taqqiq mood:: Annoyed. Panicking a little at the thought of just leaving. ooc:: She puts on a brave face, but she's still just a pup -.- Let me know if the blue is brain-searing.

[taqqiq]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true]

[atrb=background,http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/530/taqmid.png] Taqqiq sighed as his sister rolled her eyes. His insides froze, closing up as jagged ice filled his veins. His mouth seemed to glue shut as he listened to his little sister start to rant at him. ’Pity.’ his thoughts sneered. He had never truly pitied Kyra – he knew of her strength, her power. After all, they had the genes of two truly great wolves. Taqqiq’s thoughts turned to his parents, as they often would in the future. Yes, he truly believed that his parents were great. Vorilye was strong, cunning, and knew how to get things done. And Kallik – she had a certain aura surrounding her that gave off resilience, and willpower. Despite whatever had happened in their lives, Taqqiq truly thought that his parents were great. The brute looked away when Kyra narrowed her eyes, and he took in a calming breath. He didn’t feel like talking anymore, but it seemed as if he had pricked a sensitive area. Emerald eyes blinked as Taqqiq continued to half-listen to his sister. His pelt was itching in discomfort, he needed to get away, he needed space, time, needed to think. After a few minutes, Taqqiq noticed that his sister had fallen silent. He glanced at her, uncertainty lining his face. His thoughts were filling his head with an incessant buzzing sound, and he shook it, trying to dispel the annoyance. He wasn’t sure whether to stay or to leave now. At the mention of Tike, Taqqiq snapped. He stood up quickly, towering over the runt. ”I can do whatever I want.” he growled angrily, not noting his decision to leave at the moment. ”And as for Tike…he doesn’t even care about us. He stayed with them.” Taqqiq continued hotly. In his heart, the young male missed his twin. He missed the comfort the other brute gave him, missed their silly antics. But he realized that things could never be the same, not after what had happened earlier in the afternoon. Breathing heavily, Taqqiq started to pace, his large paws making impressions in the now-muddy ground. ”Kyra,” he growled quietly, throwing a gleaming glance back at the half-blind femme, ”Our family was destroyed tonight. Maybe it was fate – mother always said that wolves died for a reason. Remember that story she told us about her first brother? He was sick, and he died. Remember she said that he’d done something bad? The gods had to kill him.” Poor Taqqiq was talking quickly, hardly drawing breath as anxiety washed, wave after wave, over the brute. He was starting to stumble over his words, trying to make sense of everything. ”Maybe they just…maybe they weren’t meant to walk with us.” he mumbled, confusion clouding his orbs. ”I have to leave.” Taqqiq blurted out suddenly. Walking stiffly, the ebony male growled, ”I-I’ll meet up with you again, in a few days. I need some time to think.” And with that, he turned his back on his little sister, his paws taking him instinctively to the prairie. Words;; 502 Muse;; Bad, for him at least. Mood;; Mute. Notes;; Bleh, sorry it's so short and that he left so soon. But now he gets his cougar! Also, the blue is fine ^^

[/color][/blockquote]
[/td][/tr][tr][td][/td][/tr][/table][/center][/blockquote]

[Deleted]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,text-align:justify,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=width,500,true]

[atrb=background,http://tinyurl.com/brmaf2e] For the duration of Kyra’s rant, Taq was completely silent. Were her words boring him? She never bothered keeping her bitter feelings hidden, especially about their father and the pity she felt she received. No doubt he had heard it all enough at this point. But letting it all out always made her feel better in the long run. His silence, however, started to eat away at her. Why wasn’t he responding? The other siblings always had two cents to add to her opinions, whether they were to argue or agree with her. And Taq... He never used to let her get away with saying anything ill about Mother, even if it was simply saying she didn’t care how Mother felt. He would always scold her and tell her to stop being such a pup (in which she countered that he was only a few minutes older than she was, so he ought to act more like a pup. It never got them anywhere). After a moment though, or perhaps something she said, Taq was suddenly towering over her, an air of pure anger radiating from him. The runt let out an instinctive growl, crouching into submission. He could easily harm her with just a swipe of his paw and she didn’t want to drive him to that. His words about his twin angered Kyra, but she kept that to herself. Her brother was clearly not thinking things through in that moment. He never would have said that Tike didn’t care about them if he was. Tike loved them both, and even though she hated to admit it, they both loved him as well. He was probably just dealing with the death of their sisters a little more harshly than they were. Possibly even more maturely than they were. The large brute eventually stepped away, pacing around. To keep herself from giving him a piece of her mind—there was plenty she could say to him in that moment—Kyra decided to watch the footprints Taq left behind in the mud. She placed her own paw beside one, growling at how much larger his were than hers. She’d never grow to be as large as he. Her name from his maw caused her to look up. Taq’s gaze locked onto hers for a moment as he spoke of death and their now-shattered family. She snorted lightly as he brought up their deceased uncle. No, she didn’t remember that story. Karima always spoke of it though, the likelihood of death giving the older femme nightmares. Kyra had always believed that fear of death was just a weakness. And having drawn the short end of the stick from the moment of conception, Kyra felt as if death was nothing more than just another challenge she’d have to overcome. Before Kyra could even react, Taq decided it was time for him to leave and that he would see her in a few days. And then he was simply...gone. With a growl, she lunged after her brother, but she lost her balance and fell into the mud. “Taq!” she barked angrily after him, trying to get him to at least turn back. “Taq, don’t be such a stupid-head!” She definitely could have come up with a better insult. Maybe if she had said something along the lines of him acting like their father—which she had no idea if it was true or not—he may have stopped and given her his attention. But in a flash, he was swallowed by the dark forest and the rain. The runt lay in the mud for some time, watching the spot where he’d disappeared. She was helpless, all on her own. Would he simply walk away from her when, for the longest time, he and the others had always rushed to her side when she was like this? The answer: yes. Yes he would. With a deep sigh, Kyra lifted her gaze to the sky. The moon was still obscured by the dark clouds, and the rain hadn’t let up in the least. If anything, it became a little harder. But she didn’t care. In that moment, all that mattered was that she was alone, without a family. Alone. Tilting her head back as far as it would go, Kyra let out a long, mournful howl. She called for her sisters that would no longer call back. She called for Taq to return to her side and never leave again. She called for Tike to appear and save her. She called for her mother and father to make amends so that, even damaged and shattered, they could be a real family. And she called for herself. Because she knew that the others couldn’t hear her, or that they wouldn’t respond. The only one there was, in fact, herself. words:: Eight-Hundred and Twenty muse:: It came out of nowhere! Like Superman or something o.o tags:: Taqqiq mood:: Completely and utterly helpless... ooc:: She makes me so sad sometimes </3