Aranya had never seen trees quite so tall as these towering behemoths. She was awestruck and her neck ached fiercely from looking up for quite so long. As it was she had lost track of the time she had spent wandering among their trunks. the sun had painted them in golden relief that morning, and now shimmered somewhere above her head, lost in their spires. Bird song surrounded her, too far up for her to catch sight of the singers, but there were a few calls she recognized. Robins, Jays, Warblers. Spring was near at hand, perhaps the birds could see it from so far above. What Aranya wouldn't give to fly high, high into the air and see all the horizon that she could. She envied the trees and the birds for being so high in the air. "It's just not fair," she murmured. Sitting down, she rolled her neck, allowing her muscles to relax and her eyes to lull nearly shut. For winter, it was a warm day. The trees broke any wind, and she found she had sat down in a rare ray of sunlight. Her tail thumped, once, twice, in a wordless display of her contentment. This day is full of promises, she thought with a smile. I can smell them in the air, even if I don't know what they might be. She stood against a tall tree, the nearest to her, and propped her paws up as far as they would reach. Stretching her back, digging her claws into the sweet, soft wood, leaving her mark. Perhaps one day she would venture back to this place and see them, and remember her good thoughts. And if not, she would remember them just the same. Speech,Thoughts,

insanity is my vice and it's made life quite nice
The sentries stood defiant against the ever-brutal winter. Their eyes were on constant alert. They were the guardians of time. The holders of infinite knowledge and they stood as tall as god above the ground below. She knew nothing of what once had been or what could have been. Only that reigns had come and gone and wolves had fallen and lost their crowns. She studied the barks of the red trees. The fait aroma of wolves that had once been crossed her nose as she closed her eyes and tried to imagine who had lived here. She had no knowledge of Newt and her previous pack or Medusas ambitions or Canttina reign. All the former rulers were unknown to her but she was curious about the heritage of her new home.

It appeared she wasn?t the only one curious about the vigilant trees. Her emerald eyes focused on the ivory female. She was larger then her by a few inches. Syren was still growing into her full figure. She was still a young youth and her body was slightly awkward at the moment. Her paws were far too large for her body, her ears too full, and her legs were bony looking. She was slightly thin due to her constant running but she was content with her skills thus far. Her tail curled around her heels as she heard the woman whine of how unfair it was that the trees were so tall and the birds could take flight. She didn?t envy the world. She was content in her own domain and in her own skin. She felt confident and regal and it showed by the way she carried herself.

?Indeed the days always hold such promise.? She said softly. Her voice was gentle and nonthreatening and yet something in her body promised violence if needed. Her toes curled into the earth beneath her and her body was perfectly balanced. All I?m preparation for what could become a horrid situation or a simple encounter. She wasn?t irrational like her sister Vyv. She didn?t view every wolf as a threat. They weren?t worth being concerned over unless they provided hard evidence that they were indeed a true threat. ?What brings you to the forest of sentries?? she inquired a hint of command was laced in her curious tones. It was difficult for her to mask her feelings of superiority. She simply felt she was above everyone other than her father. Even her siblings were beneath her and the sooner the world recognized her for who she was the better everyone would fair for it.

code by sam & image by lu

A voice broke Aranya away from her thoughts, and with a small jolt she turned. She had not expected anyone else to be here, of course. It seemed a foolish thought in retrospect. How could such a majestic place be so abandoned? Facing Aranya was a young fae, practically a pup, but her frame betrayed a certain strength she would certainly grow into in time. Her coat was a mottled palette of earthy tones, similar to the redwoods that surrounded them. Aranya smiled, her tail wagging a bit. "Hello there," she said, her voice chipper. In answering the young fae's question she said, "I'm just passing through. What about you, is your pack nearby?" The thought was oddly appealing, meeting a large number of other wolves. It had been a while since Aranya had any proper interaction. Of course, that was only allowing that they would be kind to a rogue. Aranya turned back to examine the trees, silent judges of their meeting. How many such moments had these behemoths witnessed? A dozen, a hundred, thousands? She sighed happily, and murmured, "The stories these trees could tell, hmm? What I wouldn't give for a day and night spent talking to them." She could only imagine the lore, the stories, the disasters and miracles they had stood silent witness to. They must know everything from here to the horizon, she thought with a lazy smile. If I were so tall, I suppose I would as well. Their power was the silent type. Their strength could not be questioned, but they had no means nor need to boast. Aranya admired them, paying no mind to the fact that she was envying a tree in the presence of another. Speech,Thoughts,