Code © Skelle/Witchdogtor DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

Atreyu walked with a confidence that could only come from being royalty, her paws making short work of the distance between her and the mysterious glow in this white wood forest. It wasn't long before the massive woman reached her destination, and her holographic eyes widened with shock at the sight that greeted them. It seemed as though the pool called to her, and she was drawn to the water's edge to watch the fish swirl up the glowing waters. Atreyu let herself scan the area around her, looking for any sign of life she could find. So far, the search for her other siblings had turned up empty.

The spotted dire woman noted that she was alone, then with a wide grin, she sank her forelimbs into the pond of water. The waters were cool and relaxing against her skin and she decided to sink deeper into the pool. Closing those holographic silver-to-lavender eyes, Atreyu decided to meditate in the water. She focused on her breathing and began to chant silently to herself and sank in to her bottom jaw. She kept alert enough to tell if someone approached, but to anyone looking in on her it would appear as if she simply relaxed in the pool. If truth be told, her chanting was more like prayers, asking the spirits to send her siblings to her. "If they're out there, please send them home."

"Speech!"

Tired paws carried the brown spotted wolf around the pristine lands, where white barked trees were the main residents of this very unknown land. One that just like the others she had visited this far lacked the familiarity she needed in order to know its dangers and how to move on it without walking straight up to the wrong area. Yet there wasn't much of an option, if she wanted to eat and find a soft place to lay her head she needed to do the effort to at least explore and see what she was able to find. With only one functioning eye she had a hard time orientating without having to tilt her face every second in order to be able to see the whole place and better. Sighing she sat down by the shore of a lake or what seemed to be as she knelt to drink some water. At least she had her other senses to navigate though she missed the wolf on the water. SPEECH

Code © Skelle/Witchdogtor DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

Paws approached, though Atreyu didn't fully open her eyes to see who was approaching. She was trying to meditate, but then the sound of lapping water reached her ears. This pool had to be sacred somehow, Atreyu felt as though she was already feeling better in the water. Opening her holographic eyes, Atreyu was shocked by the sight before her. She could recognize the brown and tan spots of her own sister well enough, but the scars upon her body spoke of horrible things. It would seem not everyone made it out unscathed as she had hoped. Her voice caught in her throat for a moment, and she could only gape a bit. She pulled herself together, however, pulling her maw shut and her gaze going soft and tender.

"Petra?" She asked gently, her voice warm and hopeful. She knew it was her sister, but her eyes hardly wanted to believe the sight before them. It was heartbreaking to know what caused the scars, "You're alive!" She got out of the pool and made her way over to her smaller sister, sitting down on her haunches and opening her forelimbs for a hug despite being soaking wet. It had been almost a year that Atreyu had been searching for her siblings, and Atreyu was overjoyed to see her sister after so long.

"Speech!"

She kept sasiating her very urgent thirts, without leaving herself out of awareness of her surroundings. Ears switching like antennae ready for anything that could represent a threat to her well-being. Her single eye working extra to detect any movement, ready to make her fight if it was necessary. Yet for the first moments, all she was hearing was quietness and the sound of crickets. It was way too tranquil for her comfort. But then breaking through the silence, a voice followed by her name caught her out off guard. Eyes narrowed as her lips or what was left of it pulled up showing her fangs, snarling. "Who is it?!" She asked in a hostile manner to the air as she was yet to see who the stranger was. Yet her stance softened upon smelling the familiarity in their scent, and scent that had the word home imprinted on it. "Atreyu.." She whispered as she moved none when her sister approached her. Shyly she allowed the larger wolf to embrace her, feeling a so missed sense of care and warmth. She closed her single eye. "I am.." 'Barely' She thought to herself as she said nothing else.  "Speech."

art by Shazaki

Atreyu could hardly believe her eyes when they crossed over the smaller form of Petra for the first time in what felt like ages. Heartbreak and grief stole her breath away as she saw the scars her sister bore, the hell she must have endured at the claws of those demons to get scars like those totally excused the way Petra greeted her. Atreyu could understand the reaction, and Atreyu simply shushed her sister gently, "It's me, Petra, I'm here now..." While thankful Petra didn't shy away from her embrace, Atreyu couldn't help the tears that built in her eyes. She held the smaller wolf to her chest and said a small thank you to the ancestors and deities. "I'm here and nothing will ever hurt us again, I promise!"

Her voice was thick with relieved tears, though her heartbreak shone through as well. So much had been stolen from them, so much was lost that they couldn't get back. Petra's current state was shocking, to say the least, but Atreyu would not treat her any differently. Embracing the smaller form of her sister, Atreyu allowed herself to cry silently, her chest heaving every so often the only giveaway that she was emotional. Careful to avoid the scars, Atreyu laid a soft kiss to her sister's forehead, pulling back just enough to look her in the eye. With a deep, settling breath, Atreyu gave a reassuring smile. "We can make a camp here, the others should be along soon." Luckily for them both this was the place she had told Oath and Az to meet her at with the others they found. Hopefully, it wouldn't take them long to get here.

"Talk." || Think || 'Hear.'

code by bird, art by alo

Ears pinned against her skull as she allowed herself to be given the affection she had long ago missed, one that under the cruelty she had suffered became a distant memory, a sensation she never knew would be hers again. Yet today life proved to be an asshole, a cruel reminder that just as pain and suffering were so real, so was hope and the love one could only get from blood and blood alone. Pulling away she looked up to her giantess of sister, checking on her. She much in contrast to her was in one piece, and prettier than ever. But she held no jealousy apart from her sister having two eyes and a perfect smile. One she was ripped off. She reaches with a paw and softly cleans her sister's tears. Her one closed again wanting to not let this moment end, a moment she felt safe, loved. "I will be okay...what matters is you..and the rest..." 'I am but a worthless wolf compared to you all,' She thought to herself as she looked away. Others? "Did you found the rest?.." Those would be good news. Very good ones. "Speech."

art by Shazaki

Atreyu closed her eyes as Petra wiped away her tears, trying to stop the flood before grief took too good of a hold. With a smile, Atreyu nodded at her sister's question. "I have found Oath, he says he travels with Azriel. They are looking for survivors just as I am, then we are to meet here." There was a bit of worry for the pair she had sent searching, but there was no other choice. They had to split up to get the most out of their search, they could end up missing someone if they stayed together.

"Are you hungry?" Atreyu asked, there were fish in the pool, and the river nearby. Suddenly, Atreyu was all motion, gently pulling away from Petra to go find firewood and a flat stone for cooking on. Once she had enough to make a decent fire, the spotted dire woman pulled out a couple of flint stones from her satchel and lit a fire within a ring of white stones. "Wanna go fishing with me?" It would be the perfect way to reconnect after everything that happened to them.

OOC: Sorry it's so short, and sorry for the wait!
"Talk." || Think || 'Hear.'

code by bird, art by alo