All That Glitters
02-01-2014, 09:04 PM
The midday sun was bright in the sky. Cheerful enough, but hardly interesting. She'd seen the sun enough times to know it rose faithfully everyday... but she was young enough to worry sometimes when it set whether it would really return to its post to warm and protect the earth. They were but the worries of a child - And I am not a child that should worry so childishly anymore. The young woman's gait was a brisk trot. The sunshine was enough to lighten her heart just a little; she'd felt grim these past few days. Her tongue was lolling freely from her jaws, its pink a bright contrast to the grey of her pelt. It disappeared when she noticed the grass underpaw changing.
Gwyndolyn's senses betrayed nothing unusual, but the landscape seemed different here somehow. Not just that it was a flat plateau. She thought it smelled just a little different, but she couldn't really pinpoint anything... Thus her steady trot slowed to a tentative walk, her head lowering to betray the form of a wolf who was alert and uncertain. When nothing happened immediately however, her head lifted again and her pace began to pick up. In this way she continued for some minutes until she caught a flicker of something in her peripheral. Her movement ceased as surely as if she had hit a wall, her entire body turning on a dime to point her in the direction of that glimmer. Gwyn almost dismissed it at first: she saw nothing. But when she began to turn away she saw the light again and froze, head whipping around... and there! Something was most definitely catching the sunlight. But it wasn't water... nor was it like those unusual polished rocks one might find in caves... it was something else.
Little enough could contain Gwyndolyn's need to investigate this oddity. Almost of their own accord her paws pressed her forward until she stood where the culprit could be found. It was a small shining object, perfectly round and colored not unlike her own steely pelt. When she lowered her head to smell it, it was sharp and acrid... like nothing she had ever smelled before. Unable to contain herself, she cautiously pressed a paw to the disc - it was warm from the sun... and dirty. Was this really her shining thing? Well, curious as it was, it didn't appear to be of any use to her. She gave it a quick, curious lick. Maybe it was edible? It was unlikely given its scent but why not try? No - it tasted awful. Gwyn cringed, her tongue flicking out several times before returning to its proper place. Useless. Shinier now, but useless. Giving it one disdainful push with her dark nose, Gwyndolyn moved away as quietly as ever, a little disappointed it hadn't been anything more... interesting. Or helpful.
Gwyndolyn's senses betrayed nothing unusual, but the landscape seemed different here somehow. Not just that it was a flat plateau. She thought it smelled just a little different, but she couldn't really pinpoint anything... Thus her steady trot slowed to a tentative walk, her head lowering to betray the form of a wolf who was alert and uncertain. When nothing happened immediately however, her head lifted again and her pace began to pick up. In this way she continued for some minutes until she caught a flicker of something in her peripheral. Her movement ceased as surely as if she had hit a wall, her entire body turning on a dime to point her in the direction of that glimmer. Gwyn almost dismissed it at first: she saw nothing. But when she began to turn away she saw the light again and froze, head whipping around... and there! Something was most definitely catching the sunlight. But it wasn't water... nor was it like those unusual polished rocks one might find in caves... it was something else.
Little enough could contain Gwyndolyn's need to investigate this oddity. Almost of their own accord her paws pressed her forward until she stood where the culprit could be found. It was a small shining object, perfectly round and colored not unlike her own steely pelt. When she lowered her head to smell it, it was sharp and acrid... like nothing she had ever smelled before. Unable to contain herself, she cautiously pressed a paw to the disc - it was warm from the sun... and dirty. Was this really her shining thing? Well, curious as it was, it didn't appear to be of any use to her. She gave it a quick, curious lick. Maybe it was edible? It was unlikely given its scent but why not try? No - it tasted awful. Gwyn cringed, her tongue flicking out several times before returning to its proper place. Useless. Shinier now, but useless. Giving it one disdainful push with her dark nose, Gwyndolyn moved away as quietly as ever, a little disappointed it hadn't been anything more... interesting. Or helpful.
02-01-2014, 09:58 PM
If there was to be any violence between them, Gwyn would not be the one to instigate it. Not intentionally. Her gentle gesture seemed to allay some of the other woman's worries, and the snarl that had been present moments earlier slipped away, leaving a curious expression. Gwyn mirrored her for a moment, however unintentionally. The other woman was brilliantly white, the glare of her coat in the sunlight quite difficult to miss. I mustn't allow myself to become so distracted while I'm on my own, marvelled Gwyn to herself. It could prove hazardous to her health if it happened again! How dare she be distracted by the oooooh shiny!
As no verbal response seemed incoming, Gwyndolyn took the liberty of breaking the silence, "Hullo." She canted her head the other way. Well, that was a wonderful way to begin, now wasn't it? All she got was one measly word in and that was it. She was at a complete loss. When was the last time she'd had a conversation? She supposed she should say more, now the other woman seemed as curious as Gwyn was. "Who are you?" Her tact was clearly astonishing. Astonishingly blunt. She supposed she'd never really been much good a introducing herself to anyone... "I'm Gwyndolyn." If she was going to be blunt and ask questions, she should probably give her own name first. Oh what is the matter with me!? Get a hold of yourself, Gwyn! Lowering her head slightly, she took a few steps forward, eye gauging the stranger for any hostile response.
Stock courtesy of Dawnthieves.
02-03-2014, 12:55 PM
OOC| Here's a new proper table with pictures and everything! lol
Even the quiet Gwyn was usually less socially awkward than she was being at the present moment. She was all too aware of it; in a corner of her mind her pride whispered mean things to her about how she could do so much better. It sounded oddly like her mother's voice, actually.
A smile painted the other woman's maw, an action once more mirror unconsciously on Gwyndolyn's own face. It wasn't to be a fight then, and that was good. The name offered didn't quite match Gwyn's expectations. "Twig"? What kind of name was that supposed to be? Perhaps a nickname, or pet name? An alias? Or perhaps none of these things... and someone was really strange enough to name their unfortunate pup "Twig." Still, before Gwyn could make any such comments that might be rather rude, the cross-marked one continued, offering more information. Gwyn's ears perked curiously as she was presented with the very unique marking on the other girl's shoulder. Gwyn's head tilted.
Had she noticed the marking sooner she might've said something then. As it was, she hadn't been able to see it quite properly 'til now. Even in the bright sunlight she could make out the lines of darker fur running down the other woman's left forelimb, creating a marking that was hard to miss. Alas, she could not disown her clan even if she wanted to... but she snapped herself from her own musings when Twig presented Gwyndolyn's own question back to her. The question was simple, but begged for more than just a name. Gwyn's smile remained, but within she felt that defiant wall that refused to allow her to share more than was needed. So she offered a truth - or at least a half of it - she knew might suffice:
"I'm a traveller. I'm going north, just... north," she lifted her shoulders in the wolf equivalent of a shrug. Her answer was half-hearted. Was there not more to it than that? ...wasn't there always? A polite smile remained on Gwyn's dark lips as she kept going, the subject changing as smoothly as she dared make it, "I made it to this place," - she gestured with a whip of her tail to the grassy plateau around them both - "and well... would you happen to know anything about this place, Twig? I find it rather strange..." Her green eyes strayed from the other wolf to the round metal that had first caught her attention a few minutes before then flicked back up to Twig.
Even the quiet Gwyn was usually less socially awkward than she was being at the present moment. She was all too aware of it; in a corner of her mind her pride whispered mean things to her about how she could do so much better. It sounded oddly like her mother's voice, actually.
A smile painted the other woman's maw, an action once more mirror unconsciously on Gwyndolyn's own face. It wasn't to be a fight then, and that was good. The name offered didn't quite match Gwyn's expectations. "Twig"? What kind of name was that supposed to be? Perhaps a nickname, or pet name? An alias? Or perhaps none of these things... and someone was really strange enough to name their unfortunate pup "Twig." Still, before Gwyn could make any such comments that might be rather rude, the cross-marked one continued, offering more information. Gwyn's ears perked curiously as she was presented with the very unique marking on the other girl's shoulder. Gwyn's head tilted.
Had she noticed the marking sooner she might've said something then. As it was, she hadn't been able to see it quite properly 'til now. Even in the bright sunlight she could make out the lines of darker fur running down the other woman's left forelimb, creating a marking that was hard to miss. Alas, she could not disown her clan even if she wanted to... but she snapped herself from her own musings when Twig presented Gwyndolyn's own question back to her. The question was simple, but begged for more than just a name. Gwyn's smile remained, but within she felt that defiant wall that refused to allow her to share more than was needed. So she offered a truth - or at least a half of it - she knew might suffice:
"I'm a traveller. I'm going north, just... north," she lifted her shoulders in the wolf equivalent of a shrug. Her answer was half-hearted. Was there not more to it than that? ...wasn't there always? A polite smile remained on Gwyn's dark lips as she kept going, the subject changing as smoothly as she dared make it, "I made it to this place," - she gestured with a whip of her tail to the grassy plateau around them both - "and well... would you happen to know anything about this place, Twig? I find it rather strange..." Her green eyes strayed from the other wolf to the round metal that had first caught her attention a few minutes before then flicked back up to Twig.
Stock courtesy of Dawnthieves.
02-04-2014, 01:50 PM
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02-04-2014, 02:30 PM
The answer Gwyn received only begged more questions. Human? Rampage? Suddenly she felt so very sheltered. She'd been on her own a while now and thought she was getting on well enough... but every now and then someone - something - would remind her of how much she didn't know yet. Her ears pricked, the only indication of her piqued interest for a moment. She remembered vaguely the word being mentioned. But she had no stories, no point of reference as to what "human" was. Calling the shining thing "filth" seemed a little harsh. Gwyn thought it was kind of pretty, even if it was useless... and thus Twig's words caused a twinge of shame in her breast and Gwyn disliked it. This of course, she kept to herself.
For the first time, she allowed some of her attention to leave the white woman before her, in favor of looking back at the very thing she had come back to investigate in the first place. "It doesn't really do anything, does it?" she asked rhetorically, glancing at Twig briefly for a response as she padded over to the silver thing. "It is a little pretty though - it has weird markings on it," - a momentary lowering of her head to nose the thing again, then back up - "But I suppose... why do you call it filth?" Curiosity got the better of Gwyn again, and she regarded the other wolf as she waited for an answer.
Stock courtesy of Dawnthieves.
02-04-2014, 08:43 PM
Twig's expression had changed; this talk of humans was affecting her negatively. It was apparent enough.
"It is useless, and it's unnatural," explained Twig to the listening Gwyn. Her initial thoughts affirmed, she forced her attention back to her acquaintance a little more fully, her chin tilting up a little more as she allowed the other woman to continue. Its uselessness to her or to any wolf was apparent. "I only wonder that anyone who could create something would make something with no purpose other than to catch the sun," she said simply after a moment. A paw moved, kicking the medal away in one clean motion so she could at last forget about it. Twig spoke of scars, of damage, of rampaging. But these things were empty to Gwyn, who had never seen nor experienced these things.
"We had no stories of humans. It is only a name to me." It wasn't that she didn't care, mind you. Indeed, she was interested in knowing about a species that could impact anything so much. She supposed wolves could do the same if they chose to. But wolves were usually only interested in the matters of their own species and maybe some of their cousins, like coyotes or foxes. At least... in Silverna they were. All this time, a small smile never quite left Gwyndolyn's face, and now she made a light sound - almost a laugh. "But if there are no more of them, then I need not be concerned."
Stock courtesy of Dawnthieves.
02-06-2014, 12:25 PM
Gwyn was certainly an attentive girl when she wanted to be, the she wolf's attention was quite focused on Twig's words of humans. Her short speech would finish as her companion took a moment to reply, "I only wonder that anyone who could create something would make something with no purpose other than to catch the sun," Twig didn't know that answer, but would watch as Gwyndolyn kicked the useless piece of reflective material away. "We had no stories of humans. It is only a name to me." Twig didn't know where she'd come from but it mustn't have been anything like Alacritia or the previous home she held. It seemed her deeper knowledge of humans would not seep as thoroughly as she had intended but the girl was right when she said, "But if there are no more of them, then I need not be concerned."
She would shake herself mentally and physically, releasing the tensions she held when her thoughts turned to humans. She would let the smile return and do her best to continue the conversation, even though she realized she still had work to do. "I should probably keep going. I'm actually searching for more of my cross marked family." She was still quite wary about letting too much information leave her lips. She would not get too much more after those words however.
02-06-2014, 01:41 PM
The other woman shook herself, adding: "I should probably keep going. I'm actually searching for more of my cross marked family."
Gwyn canted her head to one side, suddenly struck by the irony of it. While this brilliantly-contrasted white woman sought her family, the grey, non-descript wanted nothing more than to escape everything she had ever known. A half-choked laugh escaped Gwyn at the thought, and she could only hope the sound wasn't as bitter to the other girl's ears as it was hollow in Gwyn's.
"Then I wish you the best of luck finding them, Twig. I haven't been in this land very long but... it is big," she bowed her head slightly. Gwyndolyn knew it couldn't be an easy search. She could have left it at that and let the other woman go... indeed, Gwyndolyn needn't do anything more for the other, a perfect stranger. But she found herself growing suddenly serious, and her next words were meant in a kindly way: "If ever I should find another wolf marked like you, I shall let them know one of their kin is seeking them." Gwyn wasn't sure why she offered to do that. It wasn't any of her business what became of Twig or her family. She could have left well enough alone. She shifted her weight a little uncomfortably. Maybe, just maybe, it was because Gwyn could understand seeking something dear... just as she was. It may not have been family, but its meaning to her would be great when she found it.
Stock courtesy of Dawnthieves.
02-10-2014, 01:14 PM
And just as suddenly as they'd met, they parted again. Gwyndolyn watched the other woman go, pondering in silence for several seconds before she turned her face northwards again. She had chosen her direction rather more arbitrarily than some might have. She had her purpose, her mission. But it gave her no real direction to go in. She hadn't really thought about whether or not she would like or need company on her journey... it was a topic she didn't ponder much longer. The white, marked wolf was gone and now it was Gwyn's time to move on as well. Physically shaking herself, the young woman set off at a trot, her mind on her future and on the gentle words she had spoken to Twig.
[Exit Gwyndolyn]
Stock courtesy of Dawnthieves.