skyward [hal/iiona]

[Ray]

WORDS: 369!!! look at me keeping below 400!!

TAGS: Heika

Halcyon looked up at the huge shape that rose up out of the earth, its majestic peak disappearing into misty clouds up above, seeming to almost touch the sky. Of course, it was not the biggest mountain he had ever seen by far, but there was something different about standing right at the foot of a huge rocky structure that seemed to rise straight out of the emerald-green jungle.

He had been on the Everbane before, back in his younger days, though never all the way to the top (because a lone wolf attempting to scale the Everbane was clearly a suicide mission). For the majority of his time in the North the Everbane had been but a looming silhouette on the distant horizon, watching his every move, a constant reminder that winter would always be there. Whether it was the tropical climate or not, Halcyon didn't know, but this mountain - what had Iiona called it? Lovers' Peak? - felt a thousand times more real, especially now that it was staring him right in the face.

Yet he did not really feel any fear or trepidation, contrary to how the Everbane tended to make one feel just by having it in one's peripheral vision. This landform felt calm and spiritual, perhaps not welcoming but it seemed to reside where it lay with a majestic air of neutral tranquility that inspired confidence in any journeys taken up its craggy pathways.

The silvery wolf glanced back towards the brush where he had emerged from the forest, flicking his ears in the same direction as he looked out for Iiona. They had not been able to climb Lovers' Peak the last time Iiona had led him past this area since it had been too hot so Halcyon had brought it up again a couple days after when the mornings had begun to dawn cooler than usual for a spell, since he could see that it was important to her and her pack's beliefs and history. Thankfully, he had remembered the general route through the tropical forest to the base of the mountain at the center of the island, and now he waited patiently for the alpha to join him so they could proceed.

NOTES ; YES SHORTER POSTS LET'S HOPE I CAN KEEP THIS UP also I just kind of handwaved whatever they did since the other thread (which was like over a year ago HAHA god) but feel free to make shit up too :') And then we can do the hunting thread after this I guess. and yes i did grab an entirely new table from adoxography because what's effort when you have two jobs LOL

＃ENY ADOXOGRAPHY

[Heika]

this is trash^TM but thats ok :')

403・ Ray

「

Iiona panted around the fish she clutched in her mouth. The creature had only just been plucked from its natural habitat moments prior. Still, water dripped off its scales as they glittered in the sunlight. Every now and then, it would spasm, mouth opening and closing helplessly as it gasped for breath; even as it was carried further and further away from safety, from salvation, it still clung to life with a stalwart grip. Though Iiona wished she could just put it out of its misery, she needed this to be a clean kill. Lupe deserved only the finest of gifts, the most honest respect, and Iiona couldn’t risk a misplaced bite to ruin this sacrifice for her. Especially not when she was short on time to begin with. Though it was difficult to tell time in the heart of the forest, her internal clock warned her that if she loitered any longer, she would be late, and that was no way for an alpha to be presenting herself. Picking up the pace, Iiona pressed through the foliage, using her long legs to her advantage, eating up the ground with every step with no regards to the gnarly roots that twisted every which way. Soon enough, she caught a familiar scent on the breeze and noticed Halcyon’s silvery pelt a heartbeat later.

Knocking aside a low-hanging branch, Iiona allowed the quiet rustling of leaves to signal her entrance. Padding up alongside Halcyon (and carefully placing herself to his right), she dropped the fish on the ground and pinned it under a steady paw. The creature had finally ceased its flopping about, but she wasn’t about to take any liberties with it.

“I’m sorry for being late,” she offered him an apologetic smile, glancing up at the jagged slope that stretched overhead. “I hope you haven’t be waiting long, though if you have had a chance to rest it will certainly prepare you for the climb ahead.” As she spoke, Iiona felt a pinch of tightness in her chest, one that she forced down as quickly as it had come. She had climbed this mountain only months prior, and for a much less enjoyable reason. Since then, she had done her best to avoid the trek, unwilling to relive those memories. But, she couldn’t ignore it forever, not if she hoped to be a proper leader. “If you’re ready, we can start heading up.”

」

[Ray]

WORDS: 433 oops

TAGS: Heika

Halcyon's sharp sense of hearing soon picked up the unmistakable sound of another creature approaching, the soft noises of shifting vegetation indicating that it was another animal similarly sized as his. Iiona emerged from the shadowy undergrowth shortly after bearing a fish grasped gently in her jaws - a strange and unexpected sight this far inland, especially when Halcyon looked a little closer and realised the fish was still alive.

He eyed the fish with the tiniest hint of suspicion as Iiona dropped it to the ground, its silvery side glinting in the sun as it weakly rose and fell. But his suspicion melted away like snow in spring at her smile as she apologised for being late, replaced instead by a gruff appreciation of how considerate she always seemed to be. "It's not a problem," Halcyon replied, returning her smile with a polite lowering of his head and a twitch of his own lips. Iiona's candor was still a pleasant surprise to him, not because he happened to be particularly dishonest but it was refreshing to be treated like an individual despite the fact that he was an outsider. "Perhaps a short while. But if the climb is anything like you say, I'm glad to have waited."

The fish remained on the ground, gently squirming under Iiona's paw, and against his determination not to stare at it like a disrespectful pup Halcyon found himself looking at it yet again. He didn't want to pry, but he was definitely curious about the need for such a thing on the mountain. It would be a long trek up from what Iiona had said, and the gentle way she had been carrying it in her jaws (its shiny, delicate scales had all remained intact) indicated that it was important the fish stayed whole and unmarred. But to what end? Was it a delivery or perhaps a sacrifice? With every thought his curiosity continued to grow until he could take it no more.

"I am ready." His gaze lingered on the fish for a few indulgent seconds more before, to his own surprise, Halcyon opened his mouth to ask. "If you do not mind, what is the fish for?" Shutting his mouth abruptly with a click of his teeth, as if he hadn't meant to ask (because truthfully he didn't think he would have), Halcyon tore his gaze away from the creature at long last. A look of contrition darted across his face, a little disappointed with himself for asking, but at the same time strangely proud of how much conversation he was managing to make.

NOTES ; Hal is perplexed by a fish, apparently

＃ENY ADOXOGRAPHY

[Heika]

super sorry this is so long;;;;

726 ・ Ray  

「

It felt strange to see a wolf older than her bow his head in her presence. Iiona had grown up on this island, and the wolves of her pack had known her since she was but a rowdy pup. They had wrenched their tails out of her mouth as she teethed, had dove in to rescue her from the overpowering waves before they swept her out to sea. They had been there when she caught her first fish – a pathetic, tiny thing – and had laughed when she was startled back into the den by the raucous cries of a bird of paradise. For many of these wolves, Iiona was still the same wide-eyed youngster they had helped babysit whenever her father was busy. It was difficult for them to remember that she was now their alpha and to treat her accordingly, and she understood that respect was something earned, not given. As such, Halcyon’s freely-given respect was off-putting, and it took some effort to maintain a straight face as her ears burned with embarrassment and, if she dared to admit it, just the slightest bit of pleasure.

“It’s from one of the freshwater rivers that cut through the island,” Iiona explained, noting how Halcyon’s face twisted in a grimace but choosing not to mention it. “Though we aren’t necessarily forbidden from climbing Lovers’ Peak, it is a little rude to do so without a sacrifice, and Lupe will only accept a clean kill. Let’s start heading up. The path is easier to follow during the day.” Though sunset was still a long way off, time had a habit of slipping away; if they dallied, the sky would be dark before they knew it.

Leaning over and grasping the fish in her jaws as gently as a mother carried her young, Iiona turned to lead the way. Though it took a moment to locate the trail, she soon fell into a comfortable gait along a beaten dirt path that twisted through the forest like a giant snake. Though the ground was flat and smooth, she imagined that she could feel shapes just beneath the surface. With every step she took, she found herself slotting her paws into phantom paw prints, both bigger and smaller than her own, left there by the generations of wolves that had come before her, and, most notably, by the one she had said her goodbyes to only a few months ago.

The wound was not fresh, and she had made her peace with it. But that did not stop the sharp sting that stabbed at her heart at the memory.

Realizing she had fallen silent, Iiona paused for a moment at the base of a large boulder that laid directly in their way. The rock was tall enough that she could not reach the top, even when balancing on her hind legs. On either side, there was plenty of room to simply squeeze around it, and, had she been with any other wolf, she would have done so without a word. But, as she turned to glance at Halcyon, she found herself struck by a moment of childish excitement. Halcyon was not a member of her pack. He was not someone she constantly felt like she had to impress. Out here, where there were no prying eyes or snarky comments or council peering over her shoulder, Iiona found herself lowering her guard. Even as a quiet voice inside hissed at her for trusting an outsider so easily, she could not bring herself to care. There was something about Halcyon that left her at ease, and, for once, she wanted to be able to indulge in it.

Experience had taught her that the top of the boulder was rugged with many footholds to step in, and the back sloped down gently to the ground. In one fluid motion, Iiona rocked her weight back on her haunches and leapt onto the rock. Disguising exactly how much effort it took – she had only just barely been able to dig her feet into the stone and haul herself up – she grinned at Halcyon and spoke around the fish, “Before we go any further, I feel like we should test your mountain climbing skills. The higher we get, the more difficult it is going to be. Why don’t you join me up here first, and then we’ll keep moving.”

」

[Ray]

WORDS: 517

TAGS: Heika

As always, Halcyon appreciated the time that the Alpha took to explain things to him. The ways of the island were definitely different to him, both nature and nurture alike - the flora and fauna still had not ceased to amaze, and Halcyon found it quite interesting that the island pack had such deep-rooted beliefs and traditions. Although it did make sense for an isolated group of wolves to have differing cultures and lore, he was still nevertheless fascinated by how naturally they seemed to put their faith in their history. Sure, he had only spent time with one island wolf so far, but it was already enough to learn even just a little about her pack's way of life.

Nodding solemnly as he stored away the information she had kindly offered him, Halcyon fell into step behind Iiona as she began to lead the way slowly up the mountain. A well-worn path began to show itself through the foliage and he followed along behind her with ears and eyes (haha nope just one eye) open, comfortably silent yet alert as he regarded the scenery they passed by. The mountain did not smell of many others - there was a faint scent of wolves in general but though the path was clearly shaped by the footfalls of many a wolf, none had passed through for a long time.

Presently they came to the foot of a very large rock, much higher than the top of both of their heads. Halcyon craned his neck a little to look at the entirety of it as Iiona turned back to him and he raised an eyebrow in lieu of a question, a rare quirk of his features disrupting his usual stern expression. Before he could follow up with saying anything, though, Iiona had already bounded almost vertically up the side of the large boulder, fish and all. His other eyebrow furrowed and Halcyon gazed up at her from down on the ground with a look of bemused surprise, even as she bestowed upon him a mischievous grin.

"I don't think this was in the expedition brief," Halcyon remarked drily, but there was no displeasure in his tone. How could he, when the Alpha looked so happy to have ascended so far so fast? (And for some reason his insides felt jitteringly warm at seeing her so pleased and otherwise carefree.) He then regarded the boulder for a long moment with a stare of calculative concentration, looking from point to point before deciding on a (hopefully) viable way up the rock face. Gathering his limbs underneath him Halcyon managed to jump onto one of the small ledges momentarily before springing up to the top of the huge stone, though his paws did slip a little on the unfamiliar surface. Small pebbles clattered down the side of the boulder and he may have come just shy of bumping into Iiona but Halcyon managed to regain his balance quickly, peering down over the edge of the rock. He said nothing about his relative success, but his skin warmed with pride all the same.

NOTES ; Help he's getting gross now

＃ENY ADOXOGRAPHY

[Heika]

[googlefont="Lato:400;Raleway:400;"]

do i dare,
disturb the universe?

Ray
347 words
annnddd now I'm back to short trash posts :')

[attr="class","didtext"]
For a second, Iiona was worried that Halcyon would refuse her challenge. Perhaps it had been a little too forward of her to attempt and engage him in her childish interests. After all, just because they had shared a few jokes in the past, it didn’t mean that he was required to entertain her selfish interests. She had a job to do, and it wasn’t fair of her to try and derail the tour just because she wanted to.

Ears drooping slightly in resignation, Iiona crept forward, about to tell Halcyon not to worry about it, that she was merely joking, when the other wolf scaled the boulder with surprising speed and dexterity. Jerking back, she just barely managed to avoid knocking into him as he regained his footing, glancing back to observe the distance he had just covered. Though he was silent, the fact that he had followed her up brought the smile back to her face.

“Well, I must say that I’m glad we’re not off to a rocky start,” she said, eyes gleaming with playfulness. “Don’t worry, there are only a few more obstacles like that to look out for. Otherwise, it’s mostly smooth sailing. It’s just a tiring climb, though we’ll be free to take short breaks if needed.”

Hopping down the other side of the boulder, Iiona made room for Halcyon to join her on the ground before walking onwards again, calling over her shoulder, “Don’t hesitate to let me know if you’re tired. I understand your leg is mostly healed, but, even for healthy wolves, this climb can prove to be a challenge.” Even she had found herself winded the last time she had climbed it, though she chose not to mention that detail. For, if she had, there was a possibility Halcyon would inquire as to the details of the journey, and Iiona was not ready to disclose them yet, not when they were much safer hidden away in the depths of her heart, where she would never forget them and no one could twist them in their best interest.

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[Ray]

WORDS: 348

TAGS: Heika

The swell of warmth within him bloomed a little more at the delighted smile that spread across Iiona's face, and the side of his mouth creased upward just a little in return - it was painlessly easy to be carried along in her happiness, and for a little while Halcyon was content to let himself enjoy it. He had leapt almost straight up a rock face after all. Perhaps other island wolves could all carry out that feat as effortlessly as Iiona had, but hadn't he just managed the same himself? Wasn't the point to prove to Iiona he could fit in? After all, though his days on the island so far had been unexpectedly pleasant, he did know his place and purpose - though Iiona was gracious and treated him like an equal, an individual, he could sense that she was going beyond the usual courtesies of an alpha to help him acclimatise to the island. And though he was grateful, a nervous undercurrent did run through his veins.

Iiona's words brought his attention away from his meandering thoughts and back to her once again, and he closed his eye in mock fatigue at her mischeivous stab at wordplay, though the tiny smile remained on his face as he feigned a spell of dizziness after making the little jump down from the boulder. "Ah, I'm weak now, I can't go on," Halcyon deadpanned, though he regained his footing even as he spoke, and stood on all four legs with his ears cocked rakishly at Iiona to (hopefully) convey he was just messing around. Was that even funny? It was, of course, too late to wonder if he had made the joke in bad taste, but the deed was done. "It was a joke. I am well able to proceed for now," he explained apologetically. Making puns was one thing, but pranks and jokes were clearly several steps higher on the scale. Perhaps trying to be funny was better left to wolves who were familiar with the nuances of humour - at least, more familiar than he was.

NOTES ; oh that's fine :^) i'm sorry this is short too because... i'm sleepy.. i think i meant to go in a different direction with this but then here we are instead SORRY i hope the post wasn't too ooc for hal lmao smiling and making jokes?? who is he???

＃ENY ADOXOGRAPHY

[Heika]

[googlefont="Lato:400;Raleway:400;"]

do i dare,
disturb the universe?

Ray
454
and they keep climbing :u

[attr="class","didtext"]
How strange, Iiona thought as Halycon’s meager attempt at a joke only served to widen her grin and cause her tail to flick back and forth in a barely noticeable wag. She had never thought she would find awkwardness endearing, but, for some reason, she could not think poorly of Halcyon despite his unimpressive display. There was something about it – something about him – that made it entirely too difficult for her to simply dismiss him. Though she attempted to rationalize that it was the fact he had put in the effort to humor her, to play along with her antics, Iiona instinctively knew that it was not that simple. Something more than a friendly fondness pulled her to Halcyon; it wasn’t just his easy-going acceptance that had her trying her hardest to accommodate his interests. She had no obligation for taking him around the island, for introducing him to their beliefs and teaching him about their ways. Instead of her attempting to sell the concept of pack life to him, it should have been the other way around. She had the power, and he was meant to earn her admiration. But, his trial period was nearly halfway over. In a few weeks, they would have to make a choice: if she would welcome him into the pack, and if he would want to stay.

Already, Iiona knew what her answer was, not that she would ever breath word of it until it was time. She just had a fear – a completely, unfounded, incomprehensible fear – that Halcyon would not want the same.

“How brave,” she responded teasingly, flicking her tail so that it just barely brushed his shoulder. “Let’s see if that stamina can get us to the peak.” Squinting against the harsh sunlight, Iiona traced the winding path with a critical gaze. “I’d say we have a little more than two-thirds of the way left, but there’s something I want to show you along the way, so we should pick up the pace. Come on!”

Tilting her head back and utilizing gravity to help her readjust her grip on the fish, she trotted along, taking care not to kick up too much dust as she went. The higher they climbed, the patchier the dirt became as the vegetation thinned out, leaving the ground at nature’s mercy. The soil was dry and powdery; there had been little rainfall as of late, and already Iiona’s throat felt dry and scratchy. No doubt, Halcyon (who she doubted was entirely acclimated to the weather here yet) was experiencing the same effects. Luckily, the surprise she had planned would take care of that, and it would provide a nice place to rest their paws, if even for a moment.

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[Ray]

WORDS: 439

TAGS: Heika

It was nothing short of a miracle, Halcyon thought to himself, that Iiona had not only not rebuked him for his joke but even gone ahead and played along. The sincerity of her smile made him feel a little bolder, his own crooked smile mirroring hers a little more, even as his heart swelled with both acceptance and pride - two feelings that, though unfamiliar to him, were definitely not unappreciated.

He wondered, briefly, if it would be as easy to trust the rest of her pack as it had been to trust Iiona. But deep inside, he knew that it was not the same. Iiona had proven herself to be consistently welcoming and accomodating of Halcyon's presence, but the pack had absolutely no obligation to do that - and what's more, it was likely they would not be taking kindly to the fact that their alpha was spending a significant amount of time away from them in order to give a newbie the island tour. It was a likely point of contention that was beginning to niggle at his enjoyment, but he didn't want to bring it up with Iiona.. yet. Their trip would be soured, and they had not even made it halfway up the mountain yet. But he filed the thought away to address with her at a more apprioriate time. For now, they had the rest of the day ahead of them, and he was still keen to learn as much as he could about whatever she was willing to teach him.

Allowing some semblance of an easy smile to remain on his scarred face in response to her words (which wasn't difficult, with how the early stages of camaraderie between them had been developing) Halcyon fell into step after her again as they left the first obstacle in their path behind them, content to maintain the silence that fell as they trekked onward for a period of time. The air began to change from the muggy, humid air of a tropical forest to something drier and harsher, reminiscent of what could be found around the Everbane, though nowhere near as cold - the midsummer sunlight made sure of that. His muscles began to feel the welcome strain of a long journey, and though he had been a loner for so long as to be relatively familiar with traveling, the constant upward climb did add an extra level of difficulty to their excursion. There was no need yet to stop for a rest for a while, but he did wonder what the something she had mentioned could be, and whether they were coming close to it yet.

NOTES ; rambling dog returns :') sorry for late reply!! <3

＃ENY ADOXOGRAPHY

[Heika]

[googlefont="Lato:400;Raleway:400;"]

do i dare,
disturb the universe?

Ray
595 words
spoopy spoopy pupper ghosts

[attr="class","didtext"]
A comfortable silence befell them as they walked, Iiona in the lead and Halcyon trailing close behind. Every now and then, she would stop to paw a particularly sharp rock out of their path, making sure that neither of them or any future climbers would step on it, before continuing forward. The journey was pleasant. Iiona had never felt the need to speak simply to hear her own voice, and she had a feeling that Halcyon did not require such arrangements either. Instead of filling the air with unnecessary small talk, she listened to the natural sounds of the island, picking up on the vast variety of noises native to the land. Picking up on a distinct twitter from overhead, she glanced up and immediately recognized the telltale plumage.

“A ribbon-tailed astrapia,” she said, stopping to watch it flutter about, long, white tail feathers dancing like moths in the moonlight. “It’s not very filling and difficult to catch. But, like all other birds of paradise, its feathers are important to the pack.” On a whim, she responded with a call of her own, an imitation of the bird’s own sounds. However, her voice came out a little too guttural, too unnatural, to fool the bird, and she only succeeded in rushing it on its way. Iiona couldn’t help but smile sheepishly at her failure. “Sorry, I was trying to lure it closer so you could get a better look, but recreating birdsongs has never been my specialty. I’m much better with bigger animals, lemurs and the like.”

Now that her focus was no longer on the sky, she began moving again, placing one paw in front of the other in an easy rhythm until there was a sense of monotony to her steps. Though she remained ready to answer any questions Halcyon might have had, she showed no sign of pausing again. Though it hadn’t been long, they moved at a decent pace and was close to reaching the halfway point, as well as the surprise she had in mind. Keeping an eye out for the destination, she grinned as she spotted it: a crevice in the rockface.

“Surprise.” The entrance was wide enough that a broader wolf could slip in, but even Iiona had to duck slightly as she eased her way into the fissure. Once inside, however, the fracture opened up into a larger tunnel, one that continued to expand as it led into the heart of the mountain, where it was swallowed by darkness. Making room so Halcyon could join her, she waited until he was standing next to her before explaining the history of the cave. “This is the entrance to Leif’s Cavern. When it storms, we seek shelter here until everything blows over and we can return to our dens. It is named after Leif, the first wolf to explore it all and argue for its usage as a refuge. During the dry season, we only come every now and then for routine maintenance and to ensure that no predator decides to make the caves into its den.”

Taking a break to scent the air, Iiona was satisfied to note that it was stale and bore no evidence of any foreign animals having entered the area recently. “Also, the apprentices like to spread the tale that Leif’s ghost still wanders in these tunnels, spurning his place in the stars and choosing to stick close to his legacy instead.” Glancing sidelong at Halcyon’s expression for any signs of discomfort, Iiona added, “It is a true story. I have encountered him before.”

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[Ray]

WORDS: 707

TAGS: Heika

Halcyon noticed as they continued to trek up the mountain that Iiona took great care to keep the path neat and well-maintained, ensuring it was clear of rocks that would hurt future climbers. Her mindfulness of the landscape instilled in him a great respect for the location as well as for her - he had not known many mainland wolves to be so conscious of caring for their territories. They mostly left the land to its own devices, treating it as nothing more than a place which they were passing through or residing in at the moment, the in-between plane to which they paid little mind. It was refreshing, even, to see someone so aware of their surroundings, and if he thought hard enough about it Halcyon would even say that the land was starting to feel more alive. Like the mountain was but slumbering, like the forest was watching, like the sea was breathing.

The silvery wolf was shaken from his silent musing by Iiona's voice, blinking to refocus his attention as she looked up into the foliage above. A small but nimble bird darted about overhead, its feathers a striking iridescent blue-green contrasted with shiny black, as well as two additional long tail feathers that bobbed along with it like moonlight on the surface of the sea. Its very appearance was almost startling - birds on the mainland tended to be rather unimpressive in their plumage, though occasionally red-breasted robins would twitter mockingly at him from high up in the trees. He watched in wonder as Iiona described the bird and pointed out its feathers specifically, filing away that information methodically in his mind.

Then Iiona made a sound, and Halcyon nearly forgot what she had just told him, because she had made the sound of that very bird. Granted, it had not been an exact rendition of the bird's chirp, but she had made it! The male turned to her with a gaze of complete surprise as she continued to speak - she could imitate lemurs, too? His brow furrowed in disbelief, and unable to control himself he remarked, "But that is incredible. I did not know wolves could even do that." The closest he had ever heard a wolf come to making sounds like that was the high-pitched chirrup of a wolf cub, and they quickly grew out of making such sounds. As Iiona and him both turned to continue on, though, Halcyon could not help but make a few attempts of his own under his breath - unsurprisingly, none of them came even close, and his growling coughs sounded like he had swallowed a frog that was trying its valiant best to return to the living world.

Quite presently, the two of them approached what seemed to be a relatively wolf-sized opening in the rock beside them. Iiona entered without hesitation so he ducked his head easily and slipped in after her, engulfed by the darkness. What little light let in by the opening quickly faded as they made their way down the winding cavern, but the lack of visibility hardly bothered him - having lived for so long with one eye anyway, his senses of hearing and smell were both heightened, and his innate ability to sense the stillness of the air helped him to navigate along behind her without trouble.

Listening to Iiona tell him the history of the little cave in the darkness, it was easy for Halcyon to imagine Leif's first foray into the tunnels on a rainy, windy night. And when she mentioned his ghost, Halcyon's ears jumped to attention, perking up and swiveling back and forth as if doing that would pick up the ghostly presence of any unearthly being. He harbored no fear of ghosts - having lived alone for so long, sometimes it had felt as if he was almost a ghost himself. But he had not encountered a true ghost before, and if they did truly exist, Halcyon was definitely interested in meeting one. "Perhaps I will meet him one day then," Halcyon said almost confidently, peering around in the darkness. He doubted Leif would show up just to say hi to a stranger infringing on sacred pack grounds, but he would keep an eye out for him anyway.

NOTES ; it's been so long i'm so sorry omg :(

＃ENY ADOXOGRAPHY

[Heika]

[googlefont="Lato:400;Raleway:400;"]

do i dare,
disturb the universe?

Ray
500 words
ack sorry this is so short!

[attr="class","didtext"]
Perhaps I will meet him one day then.

Halcyon’s easy acceptance of her declaration brought a fond grin to her lips, and she glanced off into the darkness, tracing over the jagged walls and stalactites as her eyes adjusted to the muted, fuzzy darkness. “The apprentices like to think of him as some ghoul. Sometimes, they claim that, if he found you, he would keep your soul trapped in these caverns with him for eternity. My experience with him was the exact opposite. I had gotten lost in here as a young pup, and, just when I was about to give up hope, Leif guided me to the exit. Back then, I hadn’t even noticed that he was a ghost, not until no one believed me when I said that someone had helped me out of the tunnels. All the adults claimed that the tunnels were empty, but the apprentices were quick to tell me their stories and help me put two and two together. Ever since, I like to visit and just talk to him. It must get lonely here, by himself. He hasn’t attempted to chase me away yet, so I figure he enjoys the company.”

For a moment, Iiona contemplated leading Halcyon through the tunnels into the main cavern, but decided against doing so. They had come out here to climb Lovers’ Peak, and if they kept getting sidetracked they would never make it to the top. Picking up the fish from the ground, she suggested, “Let’s continue on our climb. While it is dark in here, the sun waits for no one." Due to the narrow width of the tunnel, Iiona was forced to squeeze by Halcyon as she attempted to pass him to take the lead again. Though neither of them were particularly stocky wolves, there was still very little room to navigate in. As she stepped past him, she felt her pelt drag against his, traced the bone of his shoulder and flank, and shared a brief spark of warmth that was so sudden, so unexpected, her heart skipped a beat. Then, she had moved past him and the moment was lost. She was relieved. The sensation was so foreign yet so undeniably intense. She feared that, had that feeling lingered, it would have grown, evolved, until it would control her and not the other way around.

She was the pack’s alpha. She had no time to be fooling around with something – somebody – like this. Iiona was bound by her responsibilities to her pack and lineage; with a legacy to protect, there were greater causes to worry about. Her life, her wants, meant nothing at all, and that was the harsh truth. This… Whatever this was meant nothing, and she had to keep it that way.

Mood soured, she allowed her expression to sober up, slipping back on the alpha mask she hadn’t even realized she had shed. She would make no more attempts at speaking, at least not until they reached the peak.

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