[ P ] All My Life

He watched her fall from that cliff and he could do nothing about it. Every day since he continued his quest to find her he ran what happened on that sheer drop through his mind a thousand, thousand times. There was nothing there. She fought the air, the sounds of her snarls enough to raise the hair on his haunches. ”But nothing was there…” Isen told himself once more as his weary legs carried him far from the place he finally found her, to a new land. His jaws had missed her by inches and because of that he had lost his Empress yet again to this wide, wide world. Failure stung, but it was a mere backdrop to the questions he had. Nothing in this world would ever make him think less of Aleera, but something had changed in her. Something so deep that it haunted her to the point she would fight some shade and throw herself off a cliff in order to chase it down. Having no regard for her own life when it meant fulfilling her role as the Dragon Sigil was not unusual but what he saw that night was not the actions of a Justicar. Not one that he knew, anyway.

It was surely autumn in this place as the colorful leaves didn’t escape Isen’s notice, nor the way the dead ones crunched beneath his footfalls. The chill that accompanied such a change in weather was not, however, the reason he felt a chill slip in beneath his thick coat to brush across his skin. No, it was the thought of the fall. She may have been fighting nothing but he was fighting to save her life when he jumped in after her. The water only served to separate them more quickly. The last he saw of her ebony hide was the moment she was swallowed up by the violent waves. It had taken all of his strength to make it back ashore where he collapsed upon the sand for a time, his shaking legs unable to stand in order to go back in and find her. For a while he cursed himself because he allowed himself to believe that the sea was enough to drown her. Eventually, he corrected himself for thinking something so foolish. If the coup and the fire were not enough to end Aleera, then she would conquer the sea as well! Even if deep down…he knew the truth was much more simple than blind belief.

When the white male was able to recover some of his strength, he followed the shore line for a long while - but he found no trace of her. Eventually, his wandering brought him to landscapes not so easily traversed which routed the old Knight. Sadly, Isen found himself forced inland, but he did not stop moving - following the direction of the current as best he could. Admittedly, this tried his navigation skills which ultimately landed him in this new region. He figured as much by the strong scent borders he crossed some time ago while following a river downstream. Azure eyes turned skyward with the craning of his skull as a deep breath passed over his tongue and through his nose. The sea must still be close. It was very faint, but his nose never led him from the scent of saltwater. There on the embankment his alabaster frame paused to speak a hushed prayer. ”Where are you?”

table by hybrid

(This post was last modified: 09-26-2024, 05:07 AM by Isen.)

Emotions were never my strong suit. I never could understand them enough to actually navigate them, so I usually shut them out. Usually killed them the moment they attempted to rise. Even if I couldn’t name each of the emotions, I felt them in odd ways. So when she disappeared without a word, I wasn’t able to process it. It felt like a mixture of pain, anger, sadness - basic emotions. But instead of letting them embed themselves into my skin with ugly hooks, I rip their throats out and carry on. As was my way, and it worked for me thus far.

Dove - my white dove - twittered in my ear as he perched upon my shoulder. I sat before the ocean, listening to the waves lull the shore. Listening to the gulls call to my companion. Watching as the ocean pulled and pushed, in and out. Everything gave way to the water. I supposed I was just like the ocean. Salty. Dark. Simple. Unyielding.

Absentmindedly I hushed at Dove. He cooed back at me, knowing my emotions were a little uneven. It set him on guard, although I wasn’t sure why. His little head jerked to the side, catching sight of someone else. Slowly, minty eyes shifted to follow Dove’s line of sight. Another wolf approached, though I wasn’t sure he knew I was present. He was my opposite, white but much taller than myself. Dove raised his wings but scuttled on my shoulder a little. I hissed another hush at him but he wouldn’t listen. Now the small bird walked toward the white wolf, offering his little tweets and rolling coos in correspondence with his species. I clicked my tongue and rolled my eyes. He needn’t guard me. With a bearish body full of scars and built like a tank, I held very little fear. I’ve taken on bears head first, I can fell a white tail buck by myself. The dove needn’t protect me.
"Dove,"
A drone-like voice called, but the little bird kept marching forward. It forced me to get up and move following my small companion.
"Dove-"
I called again, but in his little spout of rebellion, he flapped his wings and hopped even closer to the large white wolf. Pesky birds.

code & art by claerie

He was an excellent scout. An accomplished hunter. Master tracker. Rarely did he allow his guard to be lowered and not remain acutely aware of his surroundings. It was the training drilled into him. It was the many long years of hard living and the foul touch of tragedy that kept him aware and collected. Danger could come at any time, in any place, and wielded by anyone - a fact he would not soon forget. Still, there were times…perhaps more often than not these days where his mind was pulled from the present into itself. Asking questions and wondering about things he may never get an answer to. He had not been at her side very long but he knew…he could feel it in his bones. Something in her was broken. Far, far deeper within herself than the scars that littered her body. He was aware of the concept of madness…but Isen was hesitant to place such a stigma upon his Empress. Not without more evidence. Thoughts of her clouded his mind and he seemed only physically aware of the smell of the sea to guide him. Walking primarily on autopilot as his mind remained distracted.

This is largely what in part made him miss entirely the fact that he was coming upon someone. He should have noticed her scent far sooner than he did as he walked. Even the initial calls of a bird did nothing to draw the alabaster male from his reverie. Lightly burned paws marching ever onward. No, it was not until the female voice - somewhat deadpan spoke out. Azure eyes blinked for a moment before finally his thoughts released the hold on his mind and he realized he almost walked straight into someone. Only a few steps away from him a little bird was tweeting at him aggressively while the smaller dark female seemed to be half heartedly trying to calm it. She called it as it was, a Dove. Despite the emotionless sound to her voice, even as it were, Isen couldn’t help but feel she spoke to this bird as if it was her own. Some time ago he may have thought this strange, but not so anymore. A short time before reuniting with Aleera he had come across a pack who lived with crows as if they were equals. Using the birds to announce when dangers were approaching so that the pack was never caught off guard. In exchange, the birds fed from the pack’s hunts. Maybe this strange occurrence was something like that.

Choosing to remain in a neutral position he still couldn’t help but feel a small grin pull at his lips. It was amusing to see the audacity of such a small, frail creature on behalf of another. He could snap the bird down in two bites and it’d barely be a snack for him - but it seemed determined to defend the ebony female. ”The heart of a lion, this one.” He couldn’t help but make a light hearted comment with a light gesture of his paw towards the bird. Azure eyes lifted from the creature on the ground to look instead upon the woman he could more easily converse with. ”Is he yours?”

table by hybrid

Dove made it a point to stop the stranger in his tracks, though I was uncertain how it would go. I half expected the male to attack, half expected him to eat the bird. Strangers these days haven’t been so kind. The cooing continued until the larger male spoke. The dove jumped up, flapping his pristine wings and flinging sand about. I gave a hiss of a sound to my little companion, reaching down with my snout to push the little thing back some.
"Silly bird. Yes, mine."
I nodded, then rose my head to observe the alabaster male in full.

He was strong. He looked like he knew what he was doing, where he was going. He seemed determined. It made me give him respect although I was still unsure he deserved any. Still, I was never one to attack or be rude without provocation.
"Sorry. Not sure what’s gotten into him."
Monotone voice gave a short explanation but one full of truth. Dove flapped his wings to hover in the air just to come and land on my shoulder. I gave him a look and he nuzzled his beak into my snout. I heaved a small sigh before regarding the stranger again.
"Black."
The occupied shoulder of the starkly white bird jerked up, he fumbled a bit but readjusted.
"Dove."
Why was I pining for company? Was this what sadness felt like? Loneliness? Weird feelings. I didn’t like them.

code & art by claerie

She was smaller than he, with black fur the likes of which still haunted his dreams. Set in a more svelte skull than his own were emerald jewels that seemed…somewhat distant. It was a look he had seen a thousand times before and Gods willing, he would see it again. Though, hopefully, that look would be reflected in something more akin to fire. Isen watched as the girl came closer, pulling back her little bird with her snout. She offered it a discouraging hiss before calling it silly and answering his question quite plainly. The bird was in fact hers. If there was any doubt left in the alabaster male it would be gone by the time the bird climbed aboard her shoulders and back with a familiarity. As if it’d nested there near all its life.

A moment more and the dark lady before him offered a simple apology on behalf of her pet. He could not know if it was sincere or not, but it hardly mattered. ”I can not think of a need more great in this world, than the protection of a loyal friend.” His answer may seem a bit odd in opposition to her apology, but it came with a smile. ”No harm, no foul.” This further quote came with a small chuckle, some small amusement to be found in his play on words. The girl, then in a quite frank way, spoke the words Black and Dove. These words caught Isen off guard for a moment, prompting his corpulent skull to lift upward and to the side with an accompanied look of confusion. It lasted but a moment before his blue eyes lit up with understanding.

”Ah!” He remarked, voice echoing a bit with his revelation. These were their nomenclatures? Quite, on the nose - but he supposed wolves in many regions had their naming themes. The Justicar had a tradition to name their pups after things in nature, such as gems, trees, sea, sky, and other such assortments. The only exception was for the crown heir. They were given a name of deeper meaning until they became the ruling monarch. At that time, they would accept a new name along with all their responsibilities. In his own pack? They tended to be named after beloved family members and most often of decorated war heros. He himself was named for Isen, The Mountain. A wolf of such scale and power, he was said to have rivaled even the Justicar in size. He was also said to have become the very first Vanguard. ”It is good to meet you, Lady Black.” Isen offered this greeting with a humble bow of his head, a show of respect worthy of a knight. Chivalry was a virtue, after all. ”My name is Isen.”

Once the white wolf had righted himself he could not help but take note of her scent. The slight smell of sea salt that touched her fur. It could be that she lived around here, or at another shore? ”It is good to come across those of even temperament from time to time.” The remark may seem strange, but he had grown tired of having to fight over what were often minor disagreements. So far, this one didn’t seem at all eager to bare fangs. ”Mayhap, you would be willing to entertain a question for me, Lady Black?”

table by hybrid