[Reath]

Lost in his dreamscape the small dire pup went through many different seasons but he was always beside his parents. They were always happy and positive but the longer they traveled the darker their surroundings became. Bright gold and white scenery became duller and darker. Almost as if the colors were being sucked away bit by bit but after a few more flashes of scenery the landscape became cold and uninviting. Trees, once tall and lush with tops of gold and orange, were now dark and twisted shadows jutting out among the land. The golden grass that swayed gently in the calm breeze disappeared and in its stead the ground became cracked and jagged. No vegetation was visible and what could be called 'shrubs' were just small bundles of dead twigs tangled together with no leaves to act as cover. The bright blue sky was dark and no sun or moon dotted the sky; just endless darkness. Reath became scared and the gentle warmth that encompassed him previously was lost and a terrible cold clawed at the pups shivering form. Looking for shelter he turned to run towards his parents; only to find that they had vanished.

The sound of his heart pounding wildly filled his ears.

Where had they gone?! They had just been behind him just a second ago. The feeling of panic began to smother his senses and Reath began to cry out for his parents but was rewarded with nothing. He was truly alone in this scary place and he felt true despair as he stood frozen in place. His once safe place had now become a twisted nightmare and as if to rejoice this fact a blood curdling scream filled the air and brought tears to the pups wide blue eyes. Why was this happening? The thought was lost as soon as it came when the scream came once more but it was closer and followed with a loud crack of a withered branch braking. Whatever it was that was with Reath in this realm was on the move and gaining ground on him. Yet the pup was rendered immobile. He wanted to run and he knew that he needed to get away from the sounds coming toward him but his eyes watched horrified as a dark shadow figure barreled towards him. The closer it came the more details he could make out and the last thing he saw before he was jerked out of sleep was the blood red eyes that pierced his soul and would be forever burned into his memory.

Suddenly Reath jerked up from his lying position and looked around wildly but once he realized where he was he calmed down. He wondered how much time had passed since he had laid down but seeing as the adults were still dealing with the brown female he figured it hadn't been long. Still though he found himself much warmer than he had been before and realized that Mikerras dark fur covered his own silver coat. She had acted as his blanket as he was sleeping and the pup yawned once again and huddled into her side. Blue eyes once more closing and he rested his head on his paws but he couldn't find it in him to fall asleep again. He was too scared of what had happened before. So he just let his eyes remain closed and laid there soaking in the females warmth. He peeked once more at Sveyn who was staring back at him before closing them and resumed resting.

[Lyrium]

「M i k e r r a 」

I listened tentatively to what the brown she wolf had to say.  She was younger, you could tell.  She seemed so terrified of everything that had happened.  It was obvious of how awkward she felt right now trying to interact with them.  I had wondered if that was how I felt when I started socializing with other creatures; but this girl had it bad.  It seemed like she wanted to ask for our help all on her own, but lacked the voice to do so.  To an outsider, it was almost pathetic to watch; but I could almost relate to her.  When my mother had died I only had my siblings, my father, and my Auntie Scrawl who weaned and raised us.  Yet, now everyone had disappeared.  I have come to terms that I may never see them again.

I craned my head slightly as I turned to look at Reath.  The little grey dire pup was fast asleep, he seemed almost at peace.  Almost.  I turned my attention back towards the other she wolf.  She was still distressed about everything that was happening and she was indeed still injured from her fall.  I heaved a deep sigh as Sveyn mentioned to the young female about the possibility that something horrible might have befallen her brother.  Unfortunately I learned the hard way that reality was a bitch.  "He is either dead or stolen," I remarked, sharply staring at the female for a brief moment, but then I realized that was too rude.  She was just a child and barely knew the harsh realities of life.

My attention was jerked away from the brown dire wolf to Reath jerking from his slumber.  The way he reacted kind of reminded me..of..well me.  I remembered I used to jerk so violently awake at first when the nightmares came.  After awhile, it became a lot easier to wake up, but it still wore me down.  I think I was getting less and less sleep as the nights passed me by.  I tilted my head as I watched him huddle himself against my side.  If I was a mother I figured I would feel some kind of love and longing for this pup; but the only thing I felt was pity.  He was a lost little pup all by his lonesome in a world so cruel.  It could be terrifying and though they have yet to experience the true terrors that this world has to offer.

I turned my attention a little between Sveyn and Ivaylo as they introduced themselves.  I did not bother throwing in my name as well as I had no plans of sticking around much longer.  I figured there was little chance I would see the other she wolf again; but there was an off chance that I might.  When it came down to a name having to be addressed, then I will give my name; but not before.  I suppose that was kind of rude on not introducing myself, but I did not allow it to bother me.  I turned fiery eyes back towards Reath and I nuzzled the back of his neck, "You all right?" I asked him, curious what troubles race through his tiny little mind.  The brown dire wolf was broken and Sveyn can make the decision if he wants to repair her.

ooc: There's an update on the name change thread that I made.  Hope it clears things up.

[rukhsana]

"These forests are uncaring, Ivaylo... I'm hoping that your brother did not fall victim to the trials that these woods bring, but it would be wise to prepare yourself for that possibility."

As she listened to Sveyn's explanation, Ivaylo closed her eyes and grimaced for just a moment before nodding her head. It's what she needed to hear. She knew it. She just didn't want to admit it to herself yet. But she had to now. Her best friend, her brother, was surely gone. After such a long time after his disappearance, there was no way she could track him down now. He's gone. Dead, alive, didn't matter. Maybe she would never know for sure.

"He is either dead or stolen."

She turned her head to look at the strange one. Stolen... By whom? She wondered what type of being would steal her brother from her. Or... from her mother's body. Thinking to herself, she considered that to be a possibility. But if that were so, wouldn't he have been hurt by whoever took him? Surely there would have been a trail of blood or destruction from his struggle. She wasn't smart enough to figure that out anyhow. Seva would have been. She furrowed her brow, chuckling to herself. If only you were here to find yourself, brother. I can't do it without you. She gathered her strength, the ugly emotional kind, and lifted her chin. She nodded towards her as well, this time with a little more confidence. If anything, she appreciated these strangers being so honest with her. She would've been more angry if they had treated her like a child. Although, she was kind of acting like one. No more. If she is truly going to be alone without Seva, she is going to survive. She stood up, puffing out her chest and putting weight on all feet, wounded one included. She still felt pain, both in her heart and in her body, but she would fake her strength until it was for real.

"You're not wrong. Thank you. F-for... being straight-forward. I'm feeling a little more sane now."

She noticed Sveyn attempting to draw closer to her, and she took a step back, almost without thinking. "Do you need to rest? Your paw may be injured from the tumble you took."

     Ivaylo hesitated. "O-oh... Sorry," she lifted her paw to peer at her paw pad. It was torn up, for sure. A small twig was buried deep in it still. No wonder it was stinging. Glancing back and forth between her paw and Sveyn, she shook her head and gripped the stem between her teeth. She plucked it, felt a sharp pain, and spat it out. She licked it for a second, then looked back at Sveyn, licking more blood from her lips. "Nope... I'm all good, hahah. I'll survive." She stared at him, then tried to smile. But it quickly disappeared as soon as she heard whimpering and rustling coming from the gray pup. 

He seemed to have been just waking up from a nightmare. A look of concern and sympathy fell over her. The poor thing... She felt bad for dropping in, uninvited, to disturb all of them. She obviously wasn't the one who had it as bad as he did. She assumed since all of them looked so different that none of them were related. Did we all just meet? Just now? Even them?  She could tell now that the little one was alone, just as she was. What would happen to him? He was so much younger than her... At least she could somewhat look out for herself. Well, she had to work on not tripping over shit and hurting herself, but that would come with time. She would learn. She had to.

She turned her attention back to Sveyn. "I'm sorry, again. I didn't mean to bother you all. I suppose I'll just have to make it on my own. I've done it this long." She looked briefly at her rabbit, which she had completely forgotten about, and back at the small boy. She then quickly went to pick it up, and dropped it a small length away from Sveyn. "Here... I wasn't hungry. Just angry, eheh. I know he probably isn't hungry either, but... He'll probably need it for when he is," she said quietly, motioning to the pup. She then backed away a bit, suddenly feeling uncomfortable with how close she had gotten to Sveyn. She felt awkward, but she was pushing herself to try and be friendly. Even if it felt weird. But now that she kept staring at Sveyn and the bizarre female, she forgot that he had said something before... Something that confused her but sparked her curiosity.

"Ah, before I go... You mentioned something before. When you said your name, Sveyn. Of... Bacchus?" She wasn't sure if she was pronouncing it correctly. Ivaylo tilted her head. "What is Bacchus? Is that your family?" Then she turned to the dark female. "And I, uh... never caught your name. Or the boy's. Are you all... together?"

[Sveyn]

Silently watching as the girl removed the thorn, Sveyn noted her independence. The way she stepped away from him, handled her injury unaided. He wondered exactly how long she'd been on her own, she voiced her uncertainty when he'd asked how long it'd been since she'd last seen her brother. He imagined it was probably longer than she guessed. Then, she apologized for intruding. Dropped her kill before him, offered it to the pup. Sveyn pawed at the rabbit, placing it beneath him for the time being.

While he appreciated her sudden spark of interest at his mention of Bacchus, it made him more self-aware that he should be on his way.  "Yes, Bacchus is where I hail from. I met Mikerra, here, and Reath on my journey. I am on an assignment. I will return home... soon," He explained before turning towards Reath, nudging him out of Mikerra's bundle with a gentle touch before looking over his shoulder at the lost yearling. "But, I must go now if I want to be back before the arrival of spring. I encourage you to seek out Bacchus, Ivaylo." He offered before shifting his stance to face her again, "Or, if you wish... you can follow me on my journey. Perhaps you'll find your brother, maybe you'll find your place elsewhere. You could even follow me back to Bacchus. Think about it, I will leave a trail for you if you decide to travel with me." Swiftly he turned again, and when he had the attention of the boy, he spoke sternly.

"Come now, boy. Follow closely." His gaze met Mikerra's, nodding briskly. "And good luck to you, Mikerra."

With that, Sveyn made his departure.

▌note: feel free to PM me if you decide to have Ivaylo travel with Sveyn! He is going to a couple of the other packs to advertise the bounty program that Bacchus offers, you are welcome to post in the thread I make there! :)

[Reath]

The conversation droned on as Sveyn still spoke to the brown female and Reath let out another yawn as his body worked to rouse the boy into alertness but failing. The silver pup hudled closer to Mikerras soft warm fur. She was so comfy to lay with and she seemed gentle in her way of handling him. Unlike Sveyn who seemed a bit aloof when it came to tending to Reath...emotionally at least. The dark female seemed to have a bit more capability in that department than the large male did.

"You all right?"

" M'okay," he mumbled tiredly, " just a bad dream." Her voice sounded gentle and comforting. The pup felt a warm sensation at the feeling of someone caring about him. The few instances where he was shown such kidness was few and far between but he was secretly hoping that they would all stay and live in the forest together. Maybe they could be his new family? In the meantime the dire pup dug his head beneath Mikerras tail and snuggled into her side as the talk with the brown female was winding down. Suddenly he heard Sveyn say that he was leaving soon and Reaths head jerked out of Mikerras tail after he heard the news. Everything seemed to become still as his frazzled brain worked to process the information. His dream of them living together was quickly being ripped apart. Were they all going to leave him alone? His heart clogged his throat and he tried to keep himself from getting worked up. He knew better than to believe that they would stay and raise him but the idea of being alone just frightened Reath. Where would he stay? How would he find food? How could he fight off threats? He couldn't even hunt or stay warm. He childlishly wanted them stay but he just couldn't get the words out and before he could Sveyn pushed the pup out of Mikerras warmth. Reath ended up falling over as Sveyn nudged him once more. On the verge of having an emotional breakdown Sveyn looked back towards the brown female.

"But, I must go now if I want to be back before the arrival of spring. I encourage you to seek out Bacchus, Ivaylo. Or, if you wish... you can follow me on my journey. Perhaps you'll find your brother, maybe you'll find your place elsewhere. You could even follow me back to Bacchus. Think about it, I will leave a trail for you if you decide to travel with me."

The pup shivered when Sveyn turned his serious gaze onto his own confused gaze. What about him, Reath thought, didn't he get to go with him? Were they really going to leave him behind? The silver pup tucked his tail underneath his legs until the large male spoke in a more stern tone.

"Come now, boy. Follow closely and good luck to you, Mikerra."

For the first time in forever both happiness and fear came over Reath. Blue eyes went over to Mikerra. She wasn't coming? But wait she had come with Sveyn right? They were part of the same pack weren't they? As the white male walked Reath obediently followed after but he would look back at the dark female  and wondered if he would see her again. Would she be lonely like he was or would she continue on as she had been. Part of Reath thought that he could come back again, when he was older, and visit Mikerra. Assuming that she would still be in this same spot after however much time had passed. Reath looked back once more toward the nice lady who had given him warmth and comfort before he bolted over to her. He rubbed his face against hers ," Thank you for keeping me warm Mikerra," he chirped, " I'll really, really miss you," he finished before he darted back over to Sveyn who was still walking, "I'll come visit you someday okay?" The silver pup wagged his tail at the thought of the future. He had no idea where he was going or who he would meet but it would be better than starving and freezing out here alone right?

[Lyrium]

「M i k e r r a 」

The world, as I learned the hard way, was a cruel place.  Life had its moments, its ups and downs, its good and bad.  It was like a balance that was sometimes toppled over to one side and before it realized that it was tipped over too far, the damage had already been done.  Parents, siblings, loved ones, all dragged into the devastation, never to be the same again.  Maybe I was thinking too heavily on my own experience.  I am sure there are the lucky ones who never had to experience the harsh realities of life.  Those were the ones that I envied the most.  My first experience was when I never got to meet my mother as she had given up her life so that we could have one.

My second was when everyone around me started to disappear.  I did not know whether they were still alive or dead.  My third was when I lost my entire village to an onslaught.  I think my fourth experience was the worse kind...the darkness that I could never understand.  I knew deep down I probably had a general idea, but the knowledge of it was still locked down pretty tight.  Nightmares were the worse experience one could have.  They were deprived of a rest that replenished the energy that courses through our veins.  It was never real but it sure felt so real.  There were times when I thought I may never wake up again.  That was my biggest fear.

At the time I did not care because I had no one to wake up to; but now..I am not even sure...I turned my head slightly to Reath as he advised me that he was okay, stating it was just a dream.  I knew all too well of the effects that a dream could have on you.  I pitied the poor pup, but that was quickly squashed down.  He did not need my pity, he needed strength; but I could not give that to him..at least not right now.  I slowly turned my attention back to the one who called herself Ivaylo.  She was changing in front of our eyes as she tried to appear less childish.  I mused to myself, giving her credit where credit was due.  Sometimes we needed that extra push to be our own stepping tool.

"Sometimes honesty is better than false hope," I pinned my ears slightly as I spoke, then I shook off unnecessary feelings.  I watched as she tore a splinter from her paw, amused by her actions.  The brown she wolf was capable of taking care of herself, but she still felt like a lost little pup.  I kept those thoughts to myself as she went babbling on.  I shoved my ears forward as she mentioned Bacchus, curious one she was, before asking for my name.  I was going to remark on the fact that I never gave her my name before Sveyn piped up.  I narrowed my gaze at him before heaving a sigh.  Wait..he was leaving again.  The burly male really did take his job seriously.

Then the little grey wonder was stirring from the male's touch.  The look on his face, though, crushed me as he realized I was not following.  I did not have the heart to tell him I was not coming, but I did not have too.  I watched him bolt after Sveyn before he rushed back.  We briefly touched, I took the moment to memorize him, nuzzling into his touch before he pulled from my grasp.  "Don't worry, Reathe, we'll meet again very soon, I promise," I smiled briefly before pushing myself up to all fours.  "Hey Sveyn!"  I yelled after him, "I'll see you soon!"  A grin slid across my muzzle as I turned to Ivaylo, "I guess I'll be seeing you around."  I tilted my head towards the trail, "Better hurry, you still got time," I turned to leave towards a different path.  I still had things to do before I made my final journey.

ooc: Don't worry ^.^ Reath (and Ivaylo if she chooses to follow) will see Mikerra (Lyrium) again.  Hehe.  Everyone OOCly knows where she went but not ICly, it's a secret shhhh so many confused wolfies

[Reath]

Is Ivaylo going to post or should we call this rp finished?

[rukhsana]

(I'm gonna post in a bit! Sorry, had a busy day today.)

[rukhsana]

Ivaylo listened carefully to Sveyn, somewhat confused, but tried to make sense of what he just explained to her. She didn't know what he meant by assignment. His family gives him a job to do? It sounded so strange. But that must mean that they held him to some great importance. It sounded kind of nerve-wracking, but... nice. She always wanted to make her mother proud and help her with everything she needed. She always competed with her brother to do anything to the best of her ability and be as useful as she could. They both did the same amount of work, and sometimes had little spats of who was doing better. Though, she assumed in his case this was very different. She wondered what exactly they were having him do. He must come from some place very far if he had to be on his way so soon. Ivaylo was surprised to hear his offer of joining him. Would the journey be worth it? She looked off to the distance, pondering her decision. She couldn't give him a real answer yet. She felt that she had much to think about before making a huge choice like that. She knew that there was a chance that Seva was gone, or dead, and it was still hard for her to think about. If she left immediately, she might regret it and want to turn back. She didn't even know where exactly this Bacchus was, or who would be there, what kind of wolves she would encounter, or if they would even accept her. She frowned, trying to control her shaking again. This was a little too much right now.

"Think about it, I will leave a trail for you if you decide to travel with me."

She looked back at him, still frowning. She had to stay, at least for now. Maybe she would go on a journey of her own. Maybe she would stay in this desolate forest, full of nothing but memories and dangers. She didn't know yet. She always had a talent for over analyzing everything. She wished she didn't, but she had to indulge in this habit in order to feel safe. For now, she just nodded towards him again, and watched as he nudged the young one up and began to take his leave.

She felt happy for the little boy, who followed Sveyn, but ran back once more to say his goodbye to Mikerra. She couldn't help but smile a little. At least he was with good company and he would be safe now. She wished she knew Seva was in a good place like Reath. Reath. What a nice name. And Mikerra. She was curious about her still. But she was too anxious to say anything more. She reminded herself that these were still strangers, and she still had things to do as well. She would need to find some place warm tonight to sleep, and to think about her next move. If Seva was truly gone, then she really did need to move on to a better place. There was no reason to stay if he is not here.

She looked up as Mikerra turned to her and bid her farewell, and started to leave as well. "Y-yes! I'll... Maybe I'll see you, too!" she called after her. She looked back towards the path that Sveyn and Reath had taken, seeing that they were almost disappearing into the foliage beyond. "Goodbye! And... good luck!" she yelled after them.

She was alone now. She sat for a minute, taking in everything that just happened. After weeks of being alone and not knowing what to do, she had finally come across life in this forest. They had been as kind as they could have been, giving her the reality of her situation. That's what she needed now. To come back to reality. She grunted, shook her head, and stood up again. Her chest puffed out, and she took a deep breath. With her paw still throbbing with pain, she took her first giant step with confidence. Her first step towards her new beginning. And with that, she, too, was gone.

(ooc: i think this is pretty much done! this was great guys!! Ivaylo will wander about everywhere and she may end up close to Bacchus but we shall see!)

[Razi]

((ooc: *chants* One of us, one of us! lol))

[Reath]

Yep i believe this rp is done X3 *Yey my first rp and it was fun*