phoenix from flame
The moon was full, and lit the path for her long legged form to pass over. She followed the water, having never been this direction from Abaven. The trees changed a bit, and she avoided the mountains. This place seemed rather deserted. Only a few old stale scents lingered, but she felt rather safe here.
She wanted a place outside of Abaven to talk, she knew that Noir wouldn’t be allowed on his own and as long as she wasn’t in Abaven there was no chance of running into him. She sighed softly to herself as she came to a halt nea a few of the large boulders and looked out over the ocean for a long moment. Eventually coming to look back to Edgar to let him know she was going to take a seat so he could position himself on the ground. Poem curled her haunches beneath her and her ivory tail curled around her paws. Edgar peered up at her as she watched the clouds roll by, illuminated brightly by the moon’s light.
He wobbled past the borders, his paws still too big for his small body with his head raised purposefully although he had no destination in mind. He wanted stability in his life but it seemed he wouldn’t find it as long as he was with his father.
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The raven gained height, quite surprised with how well he could see. And see he did, down below a pup about Poem’s age. It was the boy Tornadic. The raven returned to Poem’s position to tell her what he’d seen. ”Poem, that boy, Tonadic. He’s across the field.” Edgar hadn't been affected the way his mistress had. He was far away from the flame when she had been pushed, otherwise he would have pecked Noir’s eyes out.
The gil sighed softly, blue and lavender gaze falling to her paws. ”I don’t know if I want company right now, Edgar.” She told him honestly, not feeling as brave as she had before the fire. Her brush with death, and the fact that it was done by her own brother. Her whole world had been rocked. The raven cocked his head sympathetically, she wasn’t the pup he had bonded with, and the bird wondered what he could do to return her.
He was excited to see a familiar face, but more than that he was excited to speak to someone who would understand what he was going through. As he approached her however he found himself slowing slightly, his head lowering as he took in her sulking appearance. The smell of smoke and ash still clung to her fur and became more apparent as he drew closer to her.
“Poem?” He called gently. |
The Destuction girl offered him a smile, but even she felt like it was forced. This wasn’t how they were supposed to meet again, they were supposed to be alphas. Getting together to speak of political things, and pack alliance, not… Poem shook herself internally.
”Hello, Torn.” She replied, hoping the slightly shortened nickname would make up for her pitiful smile. He had just lost his home. Her mother tried to keep her updated on the packs, much like she would need to do one day on her own. Erovare was gone, and now Winterfell had risen. Poem didn’t know where Tornadic fit, however. She knew Acere, and she knew Torn, but she didn’t realize the connection. ”Couldn’t sleep either?” She asked quietly as the clouds continued to roll by beneath the moonlight above them.
“Something like that.” He muttered then stepped closer to her with as much grace as his oversized paws allowed him. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, gaping like a fish as he struggled for purchase on words. He decided to sit, still a good distance from her and whined softly. “Why are you so far from Abaven?” He asked finally, his heart breaking just to see her so forlorn. Did she know why he was so far from Erovrare? He wondered.
He looked at the equally abandoned looking raven and understood to some degree that something had happened to her, although what he couldn’t say.
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”I needed to get away for awhile,” she offered him. It was partial truth at least. ”My mom told me about Erovare. I’m sorry.” Poem gave her condolences as she allowed herself to look him over again. She felt like she was processing a lot, she couldn’t imagine completely losing Abaven. She suffered from open mouth syndrome as well, she wasn’t sure if it would be polite to go on and tell him about Abaven’s fire. Or what she had endured. Even thinking about Eulogy’s limp form on the shore wanted to send her to tears.
“I’m the howling wind.” He said, eyes closing as he made his proclamation. “I’ll tear down mountains and I’ll break the seas. Nothing will stop me.” He said, puffing his chest out with each word and growing prouder by the second.
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She turned her features back towards him, sue that the moisture in her eyes was invisible under the moonlight. ”All of Boreas and Auster will know your name, and fear crossing the pack you raise.” She knew he couldn’t be completely okay with losing Erovare, and wanted mostly to encourage him with her support. With effort she gave him a smile, but wasn’t sure if she had any more pep talk in her for the night. Her heart hurt.
The pain in her chest spread through her arms and stomach, every time she tried to think about the fire or Noir. Poem returned her gaze to her icy paws and she sighed softly. Edgar hopped onto her shoulders, offering another loving touch before turning his piercing eyes to Tornadic. Poem wasn't herself, and the raven was sure the boy wasn’t helping her any.
Tornadic’s features fell at her sullen response. He couldn’t see the tears but could smell them welling in her eyes and the despair as she spoke. Silently he shifted closer to her and turned himself in a brief circle before settling down beside her, his heart pounding with concern. For a moment his childlike brain wondered if she was crying for him before he decided that was stupid. They didn’t know each other very well. “I’m sorry.” He said, not quite sure why he was apologizing or what for but instinctively feeling like it was something she needed to hear. He looked at his paws as he laid beside her unsure if being any closer or attempting to touch her would be welcome or not. Instead he held an awkward silence, his stomach twisting nervously into knots.
Speech |
”Thanks, it’s not your fault.” She told him while trying to lift her lips into a smile. ”There was a fire in the thicket.” Keeping her eyes from him as she explained she wasn’t sure if she wanted to mention Noir’s actions. Poem left it at that as her blue and lavender gaze returned to Tornadic’s features. She would answer any question he asked, but she debated internally about speaking of the incident.
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She shifted her gaze back to her paws as she spoke quietly. As Poem continued her voice was barely a whisper. ”I.. I almost died.” She mentioned, knowing it didn’t look like she had sustained any injuries. Her fur was still singed in a few places however, and she hadn’t gotten the smell of smoke from her nose until she settled here in this field.
The name Storm glanced off him although he filed the information away for later in case he would ever need to use it. He was far more interested in her own brush with death and he felt the blood drain from his face and limbs as she spoke them.
“What happened?”
He would have hated for her to die, just the thought of never seeing her again after they had just started becoming friends made his stomach twist horrendously. He could feel the tension between them rise as he asked his question, his heart thrumming nervously against his chest like the wings of a trapped bird.
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Tears welled up in her eyes, she felt ashamed that her brother had committed such an act against her. Poem shouldn't have wanted to protect him, she knew it would make her feel better if she told her friend. Someone who wasn’t family as was seeing everything from outside. ”My brother, I still don’t want to believe he meant to do it.” She whispered softly as her gaze lingered on Tornadic’s paws. Poem couldn’t quite meet his eyes.
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”He’s being punished already. Mom said you can’t punish violence with more violence. Two wrongs don’t make a right.” She clung to those words. Shaye taught her to always do what was right, and revenge wasn’t right. She got to her paws and her raven companion took his place on her shoulder, feeling more strongly aligned with the boy than the girl’s mother. Edgar peered at Tornadic, but he was much more curious this time.