playing in the mists. [open]

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[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,false][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=background,http://i36.tinypic.com/aoxtll.jpg,true] It seemed like ages ago that the stocky young female had been nothing more than a little bundle of white fur. Now Meridian was nearly fully grown, her paws a little to large still with height now slowly creeping skyward. She was maturing mentally too. She was still young and impressionable, yes, her unmolded mind easily swayed. The female was becoming more cunning, however, a devious thought process fueled by a tainted subconscious. Just now she was walking through the Lleingas Woods, her form nearly indistinguishable from her mother's. If it wasn't for the fact that her eyes sparkled green and both ears stood tall, Meridian could have been a carbon copy of broken female that had birthed her. Instead she held her father's eyes, and as followed the lead of a dragonfly figment it was question as to which parent's brain she'd inherited. It was a pity that such a pretty girl could hold such a distorted perception of reality. Meridian stalked through the tall trees, form nearly hidden by the thick fog. Had the dragonfly been real she would not have been able to track it through the mists. The delusion, however, showed brightly against the milky white canvas as it lead her in the direction of a rather tantalizing scent. Lurking in the distance was an unsuspecting rabbit hole filled with creatures plump with winter fat. As she neared it, she could not help but lick her lips. Now that she was old enough to start hunting on her own she'd become rather fond of the "game" she played with the forest creatures. The pup was hungry and ready to make another kill, and once she finally found that hole then all she'd have to do was dig.

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The world was quite, or as quite as nature could be. It was all around him, his vivid green eyes taking in the surroundings. Mist covered most everything, but growing up in it gave him quite the advantage. Intruding wolves were bound to become confused by the mist, lose their bearings, and run into trouble. Not Róvanfaer, not the Alpha’s son! Smirking to himself, Róvanfaer dugs his claws into the soft dirt as his body sank slowly toward the ground in a crouch. The eight month old watched a rabbit chewing furiously on a patch of grass. The eyes of the wolf flickered catching the dim light that had filtered through the canopy. The rabbit’s ears perked up as it stood on its hind legs in alarm.

The brute’s breath was cut short as he attempted to make his presence unknown. He wasn’t necessarily the fastest of his litter. If he intended to take out his enemy, he would have to do so by first catching it by surprise. If the surprise failed, so would his attack. Grimacing, Rovan continued to hold his breath and keep his body still. His muscles went tight frozen in anticipation. All of the sudden, the white rabbit dashed away from the area in a burst of speed. In seconds, it disappeared down a dark tunnel that no doubt led to its den. Róvanfaer stood up sharply a snarl upon his lips. “Come back! I wasn’t even moving!” he yelled after his lost prey.

A thought then occurred to the beast causing him to shrink back down behind the bushes. His green eyes took on a slight fearful tinge as he realized that someone else may have scared away the rabbit. Father had always said that intruders wandered into the land often. What if this was one of them. Steeling himself and rubbing away all emotion, Róvanfaer took a deep breath and then stood up again looking around. “Who’s there!?” he called out in a high voice that was false bravado.

A flutter of wings nearby startled the young brute causing him to jump startled. The dirt kicked up beneath his paws as he braced himself for an attack looking around wildly. Cawed laughter met his alert ears next. Rovan frowned and looked up into the trees. His eyes soon found a branch with a black raven sitting there ever so innocently. The raven peered down at Rovan with eerie, intelligent eyes. “Did you scare away my rabbit?” Rovan asked with his unsure frown. Had the bird been in possession of lips, he would have smirked down at the brute.

“No, Littlest Prince, I did not. Perhaps you should ask your Princess.” Laughing, the bird cawed once then took flight. "Beware, Littlest Prince! Danger lurks upon the horizon!" His wings brought him close down near Meriden in an attempt to spook her. Cawing again, Rakt flew off happily. He would no doubt pester the little ones again.

Róvanfaer stood there with a deeper frown, “Just because I was born last doesn’t mean I’m the littlest,” he muttered hotly. What danger was he talking about? At that moment, his eyes came across a white blotch that didn’t quite match the surrounding mist. Any other fool would have missed it, but not Rovan. “Meriden!” He called out. “Bloody bird was right.” Shocked, Rovan bound over to his sister with a happy grin. Maybe they could hunt together?

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[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,false][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=background,http://i36.tinypic.com/aoxtll.jpg,true] Just a little further and... Her paw snapped a twig and seconds later a rabbit darted across her path. Following it with her eyes, a cheshire grin lit up her face. There! Her little dragonfly friend had been right again. Glancing quickly at her surroundings to make sure it had indeed been herself that had scared the little creature and not some larger threat, Meridian began to trot after it. She'd just reached its hole and was about to start digging when an unwanted surprise interrupted her. A sharp caw and fluttering wings caused the young female to yelp. Her dragonfly sat, watching bemusedly as she snapped at the raven, missing tail feathers by mere inches as the blasted thing flew off. A pouty growl rolled from her mouth as she glared after it, heart racing from the fright. Stupid bird had just ruined her glee. It was lucky she'd planned on digging out the rabbits, 'cause if it had cost her a meal there was no doubt her delusion would be telling her exactly how to seek revenge. Only the sound of her name was enough to draw her attention away. The dragonfly vanished completely as her younger brother came into view. One of the joys of being so young was how quickly and easily her moods were able to change. Green eyes sparkling, she barked out a happy, "Rovan!" as she went barreling towards him. With one swift leap she had managed to tackled her half-sibling, snuggling against him while her tail wagged happily. She plopped herself down, sitting on him like he was a chair as once again she pouted. "Rovan! Dis big mean birdy tried to attack me!"

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[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=background,http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/2179/kbtbd.png,true] Amber eyes were narrowed on the handsome young face of the Salen heir. Dark chocolate ear lobes were laced back against his skull. Shoulder blades rotated smoothly under his dark pelt as he slowly stalked through the heavy fog cover. Bushy tail was stiff, hanging low between his ankles. Kodiak would pace forward a few cautious steps, and then halt; his intense stare watching his prey interact with one another. Only when their attention was focused elsewhere would he continue to creep forward. A hunter’s blood ran through his veins. He was no longer as clumsy as he used to be. He was by far the best stalker of either of his siblings, though his fault was actually killing his prey when he caught it. For that he still depended on his pack mates in order to keep his belly fed. Kodiak had been busy training with his Papa while Rovanfáer and Meridian were allowed to go gallivanting out in the forest. After so long, Kodiak became bored with what Exodus was trying to teach him in, so he allowed his eldest son to run off and find his brother and sister. Lying low to the ground, a dozen or so yards from his siblings, his ears pricked forward at the sound of their voices. His gaze followed the raven as its wings lifted him higher, through the mist and into the sunshine of the beautiful winter afternoon. Snickering quietly to himself, Kodiak had an epiphany. “Meri… Rovan…” he called from his concealed position. He had drawn out both their names and lowered his voice a few octaves. The pups had been told ghost stories of the wolves that used to thrive in the lush green forest of Lleingas, before the fire; and how those wolves that were unable to escape, had passed away a most horrid death by consumption of the flames. It was said that their spirits still lingered within these woods and would speak to wolves that travelled alone. “I’ve come to take away your souls… Ooo…” He repeated the same tactic as before, drawing out each syllable and making his voice sound a little shaky. He waited impatiently for the reaction of his brother and sister as his cheeks inflated with premature laughter he was trying to contain. ***** words: 382. muse level: average. notes: This is by far, the fastest post I have ever written up. Total time from pen to paper to 'post reply', under an hour! Boo Yah!

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[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=background,http://i54.tinypic.com/mt1o92.png,true] Smiling, Rovan waited for Meridian to approach him. However, the closer she came, the more worried Rovan’s expression turned. Within moments of spotting him, the white wolf was barreling into her younger sibling taking Rovan to the ground with a heavy, “Oof.” The grey and white wolf grunted as he took a moment to catch his escaped breath. Meridian plunged into a tale of how some mean bird had attacked her. Rovan struggled to his paws and half grinned. “I saw it earlier, too. He was a bit of a nasty bird wasn’t he?” the young brute asked rhetorically. Shaking out his coat the brute sighed and smiled. “What are you doing out here, silly?” Out of nowhere, a mysterious sounding voice echoed in the area. Rovan’s ears perked forward as his green orbs scanned the area in worry. “Wh-who’s there?!” he called out with a panicked voice. Out of instinct, the wolf stepped closer to his sister. Whether he was protecting her or cowering with her was unclear. It was too early in his life to tell that side of his personality. Instead, Rovan’s fur brushed up against Meridian’s as he continued to swivel his head this way and that trying to found the source of the voice. Again, the voice came. It was just as mysterious and foreboding as before. The words, however, straight up scared the shit out of Rovan. “But I haven’t done anything!” he cried out nearing hysterics. The stories. All of them whirled in his mind. Ghosts who wandered through the words killed by a wicked fire started by human hands. They were vengeful, bitter about their untimely deaths. Shaking now, Róvanfaer whined, “Please, we didn’t mean any harm. We can leave if you want! Just don’t take our souls! I like spirits, really, I do! You guys are all cool and… spirity.” Rovan was stretching for anything now.

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Nodding her head in agreement, the young female turned her head towards the sky to glare at it. She had no idea where that icky bird had gotten to, and the harder she searched for it the more glad she was that it was gone. Of course, out of sight out of mind couldn't have been truer. Turning her attention back to her half-brother, all thoughts of the bird were pushed to the back of her mind. A grin crossed her muzzle as she was about to proudly talk about her little hunting excursion. The words never came, however, a different voice cutting through the silence. Meridian turned at the sound of her name, confusion and curiosity etching its way onto her features. It was a rather spooky voice, and as her Róvanfaer brushed along side her a chill ran down her spine. It wasn't a bad sort of chill though. Her eyes fixed upon her dragonfly friend which had reappeared, watching it flutter about in what she presumed to the same area the ghost was in. While Rovan tried to dissuade it, her curiosity got the better of her as she let her voice join in. "If you wanna steal my soul, you gotta catch me firsed!" To add to her show of bravery, she stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry. There was no way some stupid old ghost was going to get the best of her! Sure, she'd heard the same stories her siblings had; they never really scared her though. If anything, she was actually excited to meet one of these strange creatures from beyond. Her dragonfly delusion would tell her when she was in any real danger, and since she'd decided it was hovering closer to the ghost than was probably safe, she'd also decided that she was in no real danger. Not that basing her safety on a delusion was the smartest choice in the world... It was just the one she stuck by. Hopefully her brother wouldn't mind too much.

[banks]

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[atrb=background,http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/5494/bankstablbg.png][atrb=width,450,true] Banks’ brain was on fire. She was terrified. After crossing through a scentless territory, she had just crossed the border into a forest which carried the smell of a male she presumed to be the alpha. It was risky business to be passing though unannounced, but the female hadn’t known what to say. “Hey there, alpha dog, I’m in your territory now. I might want to join your pack, but I haven’t met you yet, so I don’t really know.” That'd be freaking adorable. Damn indecisiveness and nervousness to address anyone had kept her walking slowly onward, head and tail down. The anxiety-ridden female had barely even noticed her scene change. The ground was covered in a dense fog, and the forest was all but alive. The trees were dying, the plants were dying, and it seemed like there was no life anywhere. No birds sang through the mist, and no wind broke the stale air. Had she been paying more attention, Banks might have turned around, but the young femme was more concerned about the ramifications of her actions than about her environment. “Shit, shit, shit…” she cursed under her breath, her voice shaking and her steps feeling physically painful. She was dead. She knew it. The grey female stopped and shook her coat free of invisible debris and looked about her for a moment before walking forward again, this time at a brisk, nervous trot. She could run, maybe. If she ran backwards as fast as she could, she’d make it out of the territory without a trace. She hadn’t scent marked anywhere, so it wasn’t like the alphas would care all that much. Right? No, she rationalized, they would care. They’d kill her. Oh my god. I’m dead. I’m already dead. What she saw next stopped her dead in her tracks. Straight ahead of her were two lanky wolves, probably pups. They were older, probably only a year younger than she was, actually. They weren’t filled out, and in her frozen state, she heard that the white female had a speech impediment. But there they were, playing about in the fog of the forest, gallivanting around with few responsibilities. Growing up as an heiress herself, Banks knew what this meant. These were the alphas’ pups. Just in case she hadn’t put herself into enough trouble. She could tell by the way they carried themselves that they weren’t average youth. They were cherished young, she knew that. And the male pup reminded Banks of herself. The female felt a pang in her heart and wished for home, doubting her own decision to leave when she was barely two. She knew she had a mind beyond the years of her body, but looking at these siblings made her long for companionship again. That’s why you’re here though, isn’t it? her inner voice whispered to her. She wanted so badly to join in their play, her youthful bits still pressing forward. Unfortunately, she knew how risky it was; and considering that she was now not only trespassing but also a potential threat to the pups, she knew it was time to grow some kahunas and call for the alpha. Her howl was a beautiful one, soft in tone but not volume. “My name is Banks. I am in your forest near your young, but I won’t hurt them, they’re not much younger than I am.” She paused and held back the urge to swear again. “I’d… love to meet you.” The howl finished off with a sheepish note. The female let her bottom fall on the ground with a thud. “Shit.”

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[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=background,http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/2179/kbtbd.png,true] Burying his face into the ground in between his paws, Kodiak could not help but chuckle at his siblings’ reactions to his joke. Rovan, the baby of the triplets, was scared out of his wits! Kodi thought Rovan might accidentally pee on their sister he was so scared. Growing up, the young heir learned to expect anything from his sister, so her reaction, while entertaining, was within par for Mari’s personality. Unburying his head for a brief minute, he managed to slip out more cooing noises before nestling his head back down to muffle the sound of his growing laughter. Repositioning his body into a crouch, Kodiak spoke in the same eerie, distant tone of voice, “Well then…” He paused momentarily, ears pricking forward, swiveling atop his skull listening to the world around him. He thought he had heard something, or someone, not far away; a voice perhaps. But the sound was short lived and Kodiak was far to entertained with teasing his brother and sister that he didn’t pay the noise much attention. Lurching forward through the fog, without any further hesitation, he continued, “You better start running!” His focus on maintaining the ghostly persona was quickly lost, and his voice had returned to normal before his siblings had even seen him. Stopping short of both siblings, amber eyes watched them intently for a moment before he broke out into uncontrollable laughter. Doubling over his body shook with each new hearty laugh. Sporadically, he would regain an ounce of control and look up at Rovan and Mari, at how different their reactions were to both the “spirit” and the realization that it was him the whole time. Rovan was more than relieved and Mari almost seemed disappointed. His fore limbs were shaking, barely able to keep the young pup off the ground; all of his energy was being expended through his laughter. It was only a matter of time before Kodiak fell over onto the sodden terrain, rolling onto his back, still laughing hysterically. Gasping for breath, Kodiak sought relief in the howl of a stranger; such an interruption looked as if it was the only thing that would cease his laughter. Rolling onto his stomach, wild amber eyes searched the dense fog, finding the source of the howl to be a female wolf, sitting down not far away. Blackened tail thumped eagerly on the ground. Kodiak chuckled softly as he looked to Meridian and Rovan, trying to judge their reaction to the stranger. Climbing to his feet, a wide grin plastered on his mug he waltzed towards the new comer without a care in the world. He paused half way between where he was and where the stranger was sitting to shake the debris from his mottled black-brown coat. Glancing over his shoulder at his sibling, he continued on his way. Before he came to a stop he greeted the grey female, “Ello there! My name’s Kodiak Black, but you can call me Kodiak, or Kodi for short.” The youngster was full of confidence, and maybe it was just the way the female was carrying herself, or naivety, but Kodi felt he did not have to worry for his, or his siblings’ safety. He stopped not but a yard away from the female, tail wagging furiously behind him. “This is my sister Meridian, and that’s Rovanfáer.” He released another chuckle, a picture of Rovan hiding behind Mari a few moments ago flashed through his mind. Luckily for his company, he was able to contain his laughter, for the time being. ***** words: five hundred ninty-two muse level: above average notes:

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