A Dip In The Moonlight
Aspen Wreckage
The sun had finally settled over the east, allowing Aspen to emerge from her hiding spot in the dense forest shade. She loved that summer was here; that the world was vibrant and green, healthy, and prey was bountiful. But goodness did she detest the heat. Raven coat clung to her frame, baking her in the sunlight until she simply could not bear it any longer and took cover under the trees. It was a cruel punishment. Sure, the weather was stunning and traveling was at it's peak, but what dark-pelted wolf would dare risk the chance of heat stroke? Nevertheless, the sun had set in it's amazing arrange of colors as was usual, setting the stage for the glorious moon to guard the earth. The air around her had finally settled, cooling down to a much more natural temperature, and the clear sky gave the moonlight a chance to dance across the world in a mystical and ancient dance.
Aspen had taken coverage form the sun near a body of water in case she suffered heat stroke and needed to cool herself. But now that the sun was gone and taken her threat with her, something else pulled the young traveler towards the water. The farther upstream she traveled, the louder the water seemed to become, which told Aspen there would be a waterfall soon enough. But what she saw, was not at all what she had expected. Moonlight glowed across a vast arrangement of falls and pools, seeming to make the water shimmer a silver hue that lured the woman closer to the edge. The hum of the water, the serenity of the scene before her, and the desperate desire to wade herself in moon water finally pushed Aspen into the bottom pool. It was shallow, but her average frame allowed her to sink just deep enough to have the water caress her shoulders. She let out a deep sigh. It was the blessed relief she had been waiting for... and boy was it more spectacular than she could have hoped for.
"Speech"
The beauty of the evening was not at all lost to the young Jarvela. He was generally the sort to notice beauty where others might not, even in the most desolate terrains, or in scenarios that were too treacherous to focus on anything but surviving. Each place had its own charm, and each living thing breathed its own life into the universe. The life of every leaf, or every flower, was just as purposeful as his own.. and though he occasionally lost sight of that, it was easy to remember on such a splendid night. Though the world was relatively dark, the moon shone brightly overhead, the stars twinkling in a majestic dance in the sky above. The soft, delicate rays of light cast a strange array of shadows down on the earth. It left the world basked in a serene glow, calming rather than eerie, at least as far as he was concerned. It was truly quite the spectacle the way the moonlight splayed down on the falls. The water, which always glimmered as it crashed over the falls, appeared even more mystical tonight. As he approached, he could've sworn his word had been flipped upside down and he was staring straight into the starry sky instead of a body of water. Grinning at the sight, his pace slowed until he was at the edge of the falls. Once he arrived there, he reclined to his haunches and let out a contented sigh. It took far too long for him to realize that he wasn't as alone as he thought, as he suddenly caught sight of a ripple in the water, which most definitely had not been caused by the stars above. Tilting his head, Kai was quiet for a long while, squinting as he struggled to make out the silhouette of whoever was wading in the water before him. An amused smile tugged at his lips, though he was too curious to linger long without announcing his presence. Kai cleared his throat before speaking up, that playful expression brightening. "How's the water tonight?" |
Aspen Wreckage
She was so captivated by the falls; the roar of the water hitting the pools below, the moonlight reflecting off the ripples in the water, the cool sensation that washed over her form that relaxed muscles she didn't even know were tense. Aspen was in a whole different world, so perhaps that was why she didn't notice the stranger's approach. It wasn't until his throat was cleared did the young girl turn to see a deep silver figure sitting on the bank. His expression reminded her much of a fox; playful and charming but a vixen all the same. His question drifted across the water to her perked ears, just loud enough to be heard over the hum of the falls. Aspen allowed herself to smile softly, thinking how truly wonderful it was to wade in the waters after summer's burning day. "Too spectacular to say, really."
She supposed he was of no immediate threat, though her older brother always cautioned her to avoid strangers, especially males, Aspen felt it was safe enough to venture closer to shore. She crossed the distance slowly, enjoying the feeling of moonlight across her damp raven fur. Finally she settled a few feet down the bank, laying on her stomach against the shoreline as she turned to look back out over the falls. "Almost feels as if the moon has kissed the waterfall, doesn't it?" Perhaps this male did not care for such comments, but to Aspen, the views experienced in life are what made life matter. From the driest sands to the lushest forests, to the simmering heat of the south to the snowy north, and everything held in between. There was always something new to see. She chuckled softly to herself, shaking her head as another thought crossed her mind. "And to think the rest of the world is sleeping, never to realize the beauty that passes them by."
"Speech"
The stranger hadn't heard her approach - though he would've been more surprised if she had, given the gentle roaring of the falls, which basically drowned out all outside noise. His playful expression only brightened when she turned to face him more properly, though it was hard to completely make out her features in the faint moonlight. She was female, and her voice only confirmed that, and likely close to his age, though he couldn't deduce much more than that quite yet. She agreed with his sentiments, and he chuckled softly in response. "I figured as much," Kai replied easily. It'd been a sweltering summer day, and he had no doubt the cool water was a welcome relief. Considering wading in himself, he hesitated, watching as she paddled to the shore and eventually laid down on the edge of the falls. Curious, he took a few steps closer, eventually reclining to his stomach as well - though maintaining a fair distance. "She's quite a beauty, isn't she?" His silver gaze was cast to the moon then, quietly thanking the goddess Mano for bringing such a beautiful display to them tonight. He truly wondered how anyone could be anything but grateful for a night as splendid as this, and it seemed this stranger shared similar sentiments. "Sleep is overrated," Kai chuckled at the thought, truly wishing he never had to sleep. There was far too much to see and to experience to spend too much time asleep, and the night provided as much beauty as the day. To say his sleep schedule was irregular.. well, that would be an understatement. "They might, but we're not, and that's what matters." He flashed her a charming smile, though the serenity of the night seemed to entrance him, and he calmed quite quickly. "My name's Kai, by the way." |
Aspen Wreckage
The strange man seemed to agree with Aspen, which she found a relief. Finding like-minded wolves was always something to be thankful for, because the alternative sounded more of a headache than anything else. Blue orbs watched as his silver gaze drifted up over the falls and towards the brightly lit moon. "She sure is..." For a moment, Aspen allowed herself to wonder what it would be like to touch it, even if just for a moment. Would the moon be as warm as the light it gave off or as cool as the night air? Of course such questions would never be answered, but her imagination was wild with possibilities and for just a moment, got herself distracted. It wasn't until the male chuckled softly, that her gaze would be pulled back down to this earth and thrown towards his form laying casually across from her. A light grin would cross her lips, allowing her own laughter pass through as she shook her head softly. "Ain't that the truth."
Sleep had not been one of her better subjects, and Aspen often would it difficult to see other wolves sleep away their days as if they didn't have a life to live. Why sleep? Why waste away doing the one thing you're destine to do for eternity after you die? There was so much more to be seen, to be done, in this life that sleep seemed like a minor necessity. They might, but we're not, and that's what matters. One eyebrow quirked up at this, partly because it was true and she was surprised, but it also begged the question. Why was he up? "Once again, you speak the truth young-old-wise man. But what urge brought you here?" It wasn't something she needed to know, and in truth, some wolves would find her question a bit too nosy for their liking. But so far, this gentleman seemed to share her opinions and point of view, so she figured he would be fine with it. Kai. A warm smile washed over her features as she let the name sit in the front of her mind as she stared at him for a moment, letting the name and the image stick to her memory. "Pleasure to meet you, Kai. I'm Aspen."
"Speech"
For a brief, fleeting moment, Kai wondered if he ought to even remain in Boreas after all. What was his family like, back in the tribe his father had been brought up in? Occasionally, in moments like this, he found himself longing for like-minded wolves, ones who believed in the gods and goddesses that his father had taught him of, that believed in the circle of life and death and believed that each and every strand of grass had as much life as any wolf ever could. But.. the thought was a transient one, and his slightly wilted expression brightened almost immediately as she agreed with him. Perhaps he would never find completely similar wolves, but he supposed the differences were just as interesting - and briefly his mind wandered to Asgeira and Jouko, wondering if he'd ever have the pleasure of running in those two again. He supposed the hope for true kinship was something that often kept him going, even when he was dreadfully bored and when he found loneliness trying to rear its ugly head. Thankfully, those moments were far and few between. His attention snapped back to the present, focusing on the beauty lying at the edge of the falls. In a weird way, her coat reminded him of nighttime in itself, black and painted with just enough color to catch the eye. A hint of amusement seemed to touch her features, and he mirrored it, drawing a bit closer to her with a few lazy steps. "I suppose I've been called worse things," Kai commented, unsure if he agreed with that particular description of himself. But her question gave him pause, and he found his head tilting slightly, dwelling on it for a moment before daring to speak. "Why, I had a feeling a woman as pretty as you might be waiting for me, Aspen!" Kai teased, repeating her name so he might have half a chance of remembering it. Deciding that she seemed was far too keen to buy in to his flattery, Kai decided he might as well give her a proper answer. Or at least a semblance of one. "Truthfully, I was feeling a bit.. uneasy tonight, I guess? Reflecting on the beauty of the world always seems to help me find peace." Kai shrugged, not one who was used to sharing such thoughts with the world - not because he was afraid to, or didn't want to, but most simply didn't seem to think about things quite how he did. He wondered if Aspen could relate. |
Aspen Wreckage
There was a charmer within this male, that much was blatantly obvious. Although she wasn't one to buy into such flattery with ease, Aspen couldn't help the urge to smile at his comment. "You could charm a snake, couldn't you?" She shook her crown however, knowing good and well his flattery was only meant to amuse her, that way he could avoid the more honest answer. So she sat and waited for it, and thankfully it didn't take him very long to figure it out. What Kai spoke of however, made her head turn slightly in his direction, searching his face for something that resembled humor or playful banter, but found nothing of the like. That left Aspen stumped a little, because the words he spoke... they hit a cord within the raven woman she had not yet admit to anyone.
Ever since her brother left there was a sense of unease creeping within her, as if something was amiss and it caused her to be more fleeting than usual. Thus her never ending adventures; constantly moving from place to place, hoping, praying, one day she might find a spot that settled her permanently. But such a place continued to avoid her, but at times like this one, she believed she was close. Her eyes turned away once more to cast their gaze upon the moonlight falls, her thoughts nearly as loud as the waterfall, yet her voice quieter than the night sky. There was so much she wished to say, but she held it in, and thought over what few words she truly wanted to speak instead. "Is there something troubling you, perhaps? The moon is a great listener and if it is a secret, I'm sure the falls will keep it for you." She was such a hypocrite, but that wasn't something he needed to know.
"Speech"
'You could charm a snake, couldn't you?' Aspen asked, earning a playful smirk. "Perhaps, though I would only be tempted to if she was half as pretty as you." Kai had inherited his father's easy-going charm, and despite his slightly chaotic tendencies he wasn't inclined to treat most strangers badly. No, he found he usually got the best results from being friendly and carefree, which honestly wasn't too far off from his normal state to begin with. Occasionally he had the urge to incite some chaos, but usually he was content to simply enjoy himself, everything else be damned. Tonight he was in no mood to really get on anyone's bad side - he was content to wade in the cool water, a refreshing change from the warm summer day, and talking to a lovely lady while he was at it only added to his good mood. He hadn't expected his words to strike a chord with her, and had almost anticipated her shrugging off his more-serious-than-usual comment with a dismissive comment, but instead her expression faltered slightly. She spun around and away from her, turning to gaze at the falls again. "It's no secret, and honestly it's probably nothing at all," he admitted after dwelling on it for a moment longer. He wasn't used to overthinking things like most wolves seemed to, so being morose about anything at all was highly unusual for him. "I suppose I've been wondering if I've made the wrong choice. Staying in these lands, instead of returning to my family's homelands with my father." The tales his father had told him of properly following the reindeer herd in the winter were stories he thought of fondly, though he knew he'd never truly life that sort of life if he remained here - and it was hard to not wonder sometimes if he'd made the wrong choice. |
She sighed, more for her own mind weighing down on her than anything, but she still managed to hold a soft smile to her lips. "I wondered the same thing the first couple months after I left my clan. But I had to keep reminding myself that there was a reason why I had left." Sure, her biggest reason for leaving was to find Branch, but that hadn't been the only reason for her leaving. No there was a call deep within her, something that told her there was a whole world outside of the clan and she needed to see it all with her own two eyes, and not just through the stories of the elders and other family members. Aspen had a need to travel, to see any and all things the world had to offer her, and experience everything the world had to throw her way. She couldn't have achieved that goal by staying with her family, no matter how much she missed them. She tilted her crown once more to the male, "So handsome, what was your reason?"
His flirtatiousness was as much instinctual as it was a careful choice in how he wanted to present himself to the world. He had a joyful, chaotic spirit and wanted to enjoy life in as many ways as he could... and being friendly and suggestive often helped him in those endeavors. And, honestly, it was hard to not appreciate beauty when it sprung up all around you, especially in the form of a pretty young woman. Kai was a sucker for physical beauty, and found no reason to deny his nature when indulging in it was far more enjoyable. The more flirtatious atmosphere seemed to trickle away, slowly, as the calm of the evening settled over them both. Kai appreciated the scenery, content to wade in the peaceful falls for now. He veered off toward the shallower end of the pools, letting his hind legs touch the earth below as he glanced over at her. "I didn't leave, persay. I've never been there, but my father's told me all about it." He was grateful to have found someone who could apparently relate to his concerns about leaving family and forging his own path, though Kai's situation was slightly different. "My family clan is a spiritual group. They worship reindeer, generally surviving and thriving off following and tending to their herd. That's the sort of life my father was taught, though he eventually struck out on his own.. though I think he's since returned." Kai shrugged. Truthfully there was no way to know if he'd like that sort of life better, but he couldn't help but wonder sometimes if he ought to give his family's way of life a better chance. "It's not that I'm unfulfilled here, sometimes I just find myself wondering. No big deal, really, just restless thoughts," Kai added with an honest smile. He wasn't one known to dwell on much, and even now he wasn't feeling terribly dejected over his thoughts. "What about you? Do you ever wonder if you might be better off back with your family?" He was merely curious, gazing at her warmly over the moonlit falls. |