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Post by Blackfeathr on Mar 11, 2008 23:24:29 GMT -5
"I'd say almost a good year. Give or take."
Armageddon smiled warmly.
He looked back for a split second, but did a double take.
An image flashed in his mind for the split second he turned around. He saw a black female with a thin face... eyes grey and cold... yet... he could see, just slightly, a hint of red. A powerful emotion choked his throat but then the mist cleared and in the black wolf's place was NightBlood. He found her to be much prettier, and the emotion grew within him until his entire body trembled.
He gasped, eyes wide as he realized he was probably looking quite silly about now. He turned around and to his dismay he saw the stag edging the meadow. He eased himself up slowly, looking back at NightBlood worriedly and creeping toward the herd. None seemed to notice, yet.
He kept near the edges of the meadow, hoping his black fur would be enough of a camouflage. He was about five yards away from the stag when it noticed that it was the target and started to run into the wood.
"No!" Armageddon almost snarled, but caught himself. Snarling would only startle the other deer into running.
Armageddon quickly caught up to the deer and herded it enough to turn around, biting at its flanks. The stag had only made it a few feet outside the borders, he hoped that it wasnt a foul.
The stag ran back into the meadow, circling around the inside, watching Armageddon fearfully and it seemed to be confused. Armageddon stared at it for a while, keeping the other deer in his peripherals. It was only the deer that could see him this up close, but for a brief moment, his eyes had flashed to a dark, eerie, cold grey as he bared his teeth at the stag.
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Post by nightblood on Mar 12, 2008 0:20:31 GMT -5
NightBlood returned the warm smile, almost forgetting about the herd. That's when she noticed the trembling in Armageddon's fur. Thinking that maybe the cold was getting to him, she edged toward him to share her warmth. He gasped and began to lift himself up slowly. Pulling her ears back in confusion, she looked back at the herd. A stag was wandering too close to the edge of the meadow to ignore any longer. The Sentry eased herself back into her previous position, not wanting to spoil his training, but kept her eyes on him. Why had he gasped? Had he just noticed the buck? Or was something wrong with her?
She watched his movements, attempting to remind herself that this wolf was under her observation for pack purposes. She blinked a few times, keeping herself from shaking the fur on her neck. Such movements would alert the deer. But she could'nt help but wonder why the black male was looking at her so worriedly. Did she scare him? Certainly not! He hadn't shown fear of her when they first met. Why should he now? Unless he just noticed the blindness in her left eye. Would that scare someone? Maybe a pup or an adolescent. Maybe someone who'd never seen a half-blind wolf. Especially a female. She knew how rare it was outside of Draviria.
Blood watched as Armageddon moved outside of the meadow and soon she had to used her sense of hearing to track him. He was snapping at the deer and turning it around. Well done, she thought as she saw him enter the meadow once again. She saw how the deer eyed him warily. She licked her lips, tasting it's fear-scent. But what came from the black wolf made her eyes widen. She could swear that she saw his eyes turn color when he growled.
The Sentry shook her head, horrified. Was he like Archer? Or Mortil? Or even herself? She too used to have another side to her which she feared. They melded together in their equal dislike of Archer. She could often feel the presence of her other side and still questioned if they could ever split again. She liked being whole. She didn't want that feeling of emptiness and heartlessness given off by the other half of her soul.
In her panicked thoughts, NightBlood began glancing around everywhere and panting heavily, as if expecting someone or something to jump out of nowhere at any moment. Attempting to calm herself, she took deeper breaths and layed her head in the snow, slowing her adrenaline. What was going on?
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Post by Blackfeathr on Mar 12, 2008 21:08:40 GMT -5
Just as strange, insane thoughts began to whisper in his ears, his eyes flashed back to the brilliant aquamarine his mother gave him.
He shook his head, unnerved. He'd hoped that NightBlood hadn't noticed the trance he fell into, but as he looked past the indignant bleating stag, he seen her expression and his heart sank. As a sentry of Arnlan, would she chase him off now? No, no, she couldn't possibly know about those haunted, soulless grey eyes... could she? He wanted nothing to do with them, anyway... he wanted nothing to do with that part of his life.
The small group of deer looked up at him, sensing his panic. He turned and looked at them, trying to calm his mind.
It wont happen again, it wont happen again...
He sat, stony faced and staring at the group. The stag soon joined them, now picking some berries from a nearby bush.
He turned and looked back at NightBlood, pleading and apologetic mixed with sorrow. He really hoped today in Arnlan wasnt his last.
Then it seemed the stag had faked him out. A burst of clopping feet carried the stag far and fast away from the meadow. Armageddon jumped up to catch up to him, but that startled the group of deer into scattering slightly. He didnt want to risk the herd for just one deer. He decided to let the stag go. He focused instead on the remaining group of deer.
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Post by nightblood on Mar 12, 2008 22:03:01 GMT -5
If I scare you now, don't run from me.
NightBlood grew very interested in the snow at her paws all of the sudden. She didn't want to make eye contact with Armageddon. Not yet. She was still convinced that she had frightened him. She had frightened nearly every wolf she'd come across while she'd been a wanderer. At the time, she had been her more violent, rogue-ish self, but she would often feel so very lonely, wishing she had someone to talk to.
I've been hiding my pain, you see.
She knew it was because of her size. There were many her size, however, mostly male, but still she saw no reason that they would fear her. Then her thoughts traveled to Draviria again. They may have heard or her rumor. Why did most insist on gossiping? She sighed into the snow and she rested her head on her paws, her nose growing cold. She could see her reflection on an ice patch in front of her. Suddenly realization came to her. She was looking at a fierce warrior in her reflection. Her outlook had attitude, but not her appearance. She was not ugly, but was obviously bred to kill.
Well, You slowly recall all your mind.
NightBlood looked at Armageddon as he eyed the deer. And would have laughed when the stag tricked him into thinking he was going to stay in the meadow if she hadn't been so caught up in her thoughts. She raised herself up, trying to steady herself incase the black wolf was looking at her. A Sentry of Arnlan should never be fearful. Especially of a new member. How would her father react to seeing his daughter this way? Had he been alive, he would have killed anyone in the area for witnessing her fear, then given her a stern chastisement. Probably something about heirs never being weak scared.
Why, your soul's gone cold...
Blood began to growl softly in her chest. She did not fear Armageddon. It was he who had gasped at her. She fear his thoughts of her... Why? She had never cared about what anyone thought about her as long as they followed orders. They were pack mates to get along with, regardless of what anyone thought of each other. That was all. She was not going to make herself change to appease someone else. But why didn't she feel this way when she looked at Armageddon?
And all hope has run dry.
She suddenly knew the answer. She remembered this feeling. It was the same when she first met Archer, the assassin. Her growl turned into a silent snarl at the thought of his name. Now it was clear. She had that same feeling now toward Armageddon. Hadn't she learned anything by now? Love was not for her.
Dead inside...
Blood sat up and glared at Armageddon. Was he truly scared of her? Or was she just running to conclusions? Either way, she knew she had to eliminate the feeling she had toward him. She looked at him closely, trying to find fault with him. Something she could zero in on and hate about him until she could push any thought of him and herself out of her mind.
Never enough to forget that you're one of the lonely...
It was with regretful realization that she was about to do the same thing her pack had done to her. She lowered her head, ashamed. Now she really doubted he had the same feeling for her. How could anyone love such a heartless fighter? She looked up again at the black wolf as focused on the remaining deer. For some reason, her mind came across a recent memory as a familiar voice rang in her ear...
Slowly recall all your mind...
"You're still young and have at least a few more good years before you're in my place, why not make the most of it? Find yourself a nice boy, enjoy yourself...do something so you don't get to my age and say: 'What did I really do with my life?."
NightBlood let her tail wag a little. No use in worrying about something before it's happened. Armageddon may just feel the same way. Perhaps there was a way to tell...
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Post by Blackfeathr on Mar 12, 2008 23:35:36 GMT -5
Armageddon continued his watch over the deer, until a prickling feeling ran up his neck. He looked once again at NightBlood, seeing her expressions gradually change to a plethora of different emotions. Confusion overtook his features and drew his ears back.
She'd seen his Other side... he knew it. He'd thought he was far enough away from her.
He bared his teeth at the snow.
Damn it!
He stared at her, mouthing silently, uselessly. He stood up and began walking toward her, but stopped... the only way to prove himself to her was to complete this test...
He sat back down with a sigh, his face reflecting that of a frustrated puppy.
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Post by nightblood on Mar 13, 2008 5:56:57 GMT -5
NightBlood tilted her head to the side, not really trying to makes sense of what he was mouthing. She couldn't exactly read lips. She was surprised to see he sit back down when he began to approach her. His face reminded her of her own training sessions when she thought she wasn't doing such a good job. Smiling to herself, obviously attempting to remain chipper, she stood up and shook her her free of the snow. In order not to frighten the herd, she moved slowly, but loosely, showing that she wasn't hunting.
"When I was a pup, I thought this was the most annoying training session my dad had ever come up with," she said, sitting down beside the black wolf.
The Sentry kept her eyes on the herd, studying their actions and behavior. Most of them seemed to be at ease with the two wolves being there so long as they weren't hunted. A few, mainly the fawns, were a bit skittish, but kept with the herd. Normal behavior. Whatever happened with Armageddon's gray eyes had not affected the rest of them. When a Dravirian lost control to the other half of their soul, usually every creature in the immediate vicinity was either dead or scared. Even thought she wasn't sure what ailed him, at least she knew he had some kind of control over it.
"How about we end this session for today? I'll come up with a better one next time."
With that, she stood up and bid him to follow with a flick of her tail. She wasn't done with this one just yet, no. He would find that Night had gotten a bit more tolerant about everything since she'd joined Arnlan and a bit more now that she didn't have an extra voice in her head. She was calmer and friendlier. Good thing for him. Had she been her old self, she probably would have either chastised him for getting frustrated or thrown him out by now. An adult shouldn't be so easy to loose hope... This coming from one who nearly just had a breakdown.
"The Alphas like to make sure that everyone is helping out in some way," she told him, once they were far enough away from the deer.
She stopped and finally made eye contact, failing to keep from staring at his aquamarine eyes. How marvelous they were. After a moment, she managed to try looking at another one of his features. His angular muzzle was handsome, even with the crookedness of it. If anything, it made gave him a more distinguished look. She focused in on his eyes again as she spoke.
"Would you like to join me on my Sentry duties? It'd be nice to have someone to talk to."
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Post by Blackfeathr on Mar 13, 2008 14:26:30 GMT -5
Clouds enveloped the sky above them, but Armageddon could tell it was darkening, and nearing twilight. Seeing the deer from this point would be slightly more difficult.
Even in the growing darkness, Armageddon spotted NightBlood approaching him from the side. He turned toward her, eyes wide in curiousity. Had she seen the expression on his face? Was she angry with him?
But she suprised him, sitting beside him.
"When I was a pup, I thought this was the most annoying training session my dad had ever come up with," she said.
Armageddon laughed.
What a strange feeling.
The feeling of laughter. To him it seemed, almost... unnatural.
Freedom can be frightening if you've never felt it
Silence followed them, as the night birds started to wake and call out in the trees above them.
He studied his paws in silence. Big. Bony. Angular. Lurid.
Part of me won’t go away
Everyday reminded how much I hate it...
He forced himself to look back up toward the deer and the trees surrounding them, seeming to turn darker than black.
"How about we end this session for today? I'll come up with a better one next time." NightBlood said, breaking the silence and his irritating thoughts.
"Sounds like a plan. I had fun." Armageddon said in a low voice, but sincerely all the same, standing up and following NightBlood out of the clearing.
"The Alphas like to make sure that everyone is helping out in some way,"
"Understandable," Armageddon said, nodding his head, "Its better to have help than be carrying dead weight."
She stopped then, and stared into his eyes.
Once it’s been dealt with you feel like
you’ve been touched by something angelic
His expression, seeming to always be frozen in a protuberant, almost scared manner, melted. A small smile crept up his crooked nose, which she was now studying.
He studied her features as well. He noticed just now that one of her eyes was scarred, from the looks of it, she was blind in one eye. But to him, its the imperfections that make a wolf... beautiful...
Beneath this hard facade she put up was a beautiful wolf, and he could see it.
"I..." he stuttered silently, looking down at his paws and looking pleadingly back at her, but then thinned his lips, chastising himself for being so bold. The feeling was soaring within him, wanting, needing to be set free.
She looked back into his eyes again.
And then melted down into a pool of peace
"Would you like to join me on my Sentry duties? It'd be nice to have someone to talk to."
His features brightened into a silent laugh. "Of course!" He said, perhaps too excitedly. But a part of him wanted to be a part of the pack and help out, and a bigger part of him wanted to be with NightBlood.
Cease to be the animal you used to be.
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