` ` clock is ticking while i'm stealing time

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[atrb=background,http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae183/sigathkerr/Tables/solacetablemid.png] The lithe, lightly coloured wolf positioned her body close to the ground, her ears perked up and alert atop her skull. She knew very well that she was about to trespass on pack lands, but she knew no other way to find the Alpha of this particular pack, because she had no voice. She could not call him out of hiding, there would be no possible way, aside from letting her scent wash through his lands, and maybe making an appearance. For the moment, Solace remained crouched close to the ground, attempting to camouflage her light body in with the snowy ground. Her muscles were tense and bunched up, coiled, ready to spring at any alarming sound. Truth was, she was completely on edge, she was terrified. She'd never done such a stunt before, but she'd heard rumours about this particular pack, Nyack, and the land which it called home. She was intrigued, obviously, but she was also scared now that she had started her quest. Solace was a tiny wolf, nothing but skin and bone, literally. There was not one ounce of fat on these bones, she was skinny and underweight, although the bushiness of her full winter coat hid that nicely, giving her the illusion of an average weight. She was scared because, well, quite frankly, she wouldn't be a hard wolf to take down, and she wouldn't be surprised if the Alpha of this pack resorted to that, she was trespassing after all, and most packs didn't take kindly to that. She squinted her bi-coloured eyes for a moment, trying to see further out into the distance. She was safe for the time being, she hadn't ventured any further than what she thought was the pack lands borders, but this was the place she should have howled, where any reasonable wolf would have howled out to the Alpha, if they were seeking any assistance. Solace would have howled then, maybe, were she able to; but as it where, she couldn't. She had no voice, and that was frustrating. Her tail twitched anxiously against the snow behind her, fur quivering in the wind as she debating when to make her move. She was scared silly, and this was completely foolish of her, but she felt obligated to meet this alpha wolf, for whatever reason, she didn't know. She wanted to feel secure, protected, to become a valued member of a pack once again, without being ridiculed. She hoped this wolf would not judge her for her inability to speak. It would just be another terrible blow to her already diminished self-esteem. She cringed internally, rethinking her plans. Maybe she shouldn't go through with this, maybe this was a huge mistake. She shook her head, digging her claws into the ground. No. She was going to do this, she had to do this, she didn't want to be alone anymore. She sighed lightly, frustrated with herself and her fragility, both physically and mentally. She was weak, she had been worn down, in every way possible, she at least had to keep some of her will power. Body stiffened, nose twitched furiously at the tip of her muzzle as she searched for the scents of any foreign wolves. She had picked up on nothing, and that settled her nerves a fraction. Gaze swept over the scene before her, and she saw no unsettling movements. It was now or never. She sighed again, eyes wide and anxious as she braced herself to move, to reveal herself from her lamely camouflaged hiding spot against the snow. She pushed herself from the ground, eyes wildly darting around the area. Still nothing, that was good. My god, she was so damn skittish, everything was making her want to flee. She braced herself, gaze dropping to the snow beneath her paws as she steadied herself before she moved on. Inhaling deeply, Solace rose her gaze, and started moving deeper into the pack lands. Her pace was breezy, not quick, but not slow. She flitted around anxiously, every fur on her body seeming to stand on end. What would the alpha of these lands think of such a sight? She had no idea, but she really hoped he was not too quick to judge. A little ways in the distance, Solace spotted a lake, she decided this would be the most promising place to explore. It was open enough, and hopefully she would be able to find the alpha there. Without giving herself time to rethink her decision, Solace increased her pace, racing across the terrain like a scared kitten. She was in now, she had crossed the borders and was truly trespassing. She forced a hard lump down her throat, praying that she would not be hurt for this. Surely the alpha would understand why she had done this when he figured out her voice problem; if he gave her the time to figure out her problem. She winced again, gaze still darting every which way around her. She was closing in on the lake rapidly, she was surprised at how fast she could move when frightened. She wasn't even running from anyone or anything yet, she wondered just how fast she could move if the alpha decided to chase her out. As she neared the lake, she let her speed decrease, although her entire body was still screaming with tension and anxiety. She was panicked, there was no doubt about that. She moved toward the water's edge, lowering her nose to the ground, trying to pick up any scent of wolf. There was something, but it was very faint, days old, probably. Even this scent was enough to send Solace's heart into a frenzy, her mind wheeling as she thought of danger. She jerked her head up, bi-coloured eyes wide and alarmed. There was still nothing, and she took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. Why the hell could she not calm down. She sighed again, frustrated with herself and her feeble nature. She hadn't been this exposed in a long time, hadn't been this close to a pack in a long time, it was sending her nerves out of whack. Her heart was still racing, but she managed to get her breathing under control. Should she just wait here for the alpha? Surely he would find her soon enough. Or should she venture further? She cringed at the thought, she had hardly made it here without jumping out of her fur, how could she venture into the pack lands any further without having a hernia? No, she would sit and wait it out, that was all she could do. She lowered her muzzle to the water, gazing at her reflection which was staring anxiously back at her. How pathetic she looked! She should have been disgusted with herself, but she couldn't even focus on the emotion with so much fear running through her veins. Her white and silvery grey fur was disheveled, sticking up wildly in all the wrong places, giving her the appearance of a scared puppy. Her eyes did not help this look, either, they were wide and in a terrified frenzy, her pupils had grown rather large, making the vivid blue and the emerald green iris of each opposite eye shrink remarkably. She flattened her ears against her skull, determined to block out every sound in an attempt to calm herself. Every minim sound sending her muscles jolting, ready to spring away. Forepaw scuffed at the snow lightly, in a nervous habit. She needed to get herself under control, no alpha would find any use for a scared, skittish little wolf. notes; I don't know how this is gonna go, I just decided to have Solace go check out the area to be nosey, and run into Rostyn to see if she likes him any. haha

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[atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true][bg=212e45] With the loss of all of his pack members – who knew where they had gotten to – Rostyn had taken to patrolling the borders on his own daily. It gave him a change to both hunt and exercise, as well as check for signs of trespassers and renew border markers when needed. He also used it as a method to meet loners at the border. Or, he would have if loners had continued to follow the old custom of howling at the border. Few seemed to do that anymore. Whatever the excuse, Rostyn did not like it. Borders were there for a reason. They were meant to keep loners safe as much as to keep unwanted visitors out. Should a loner simply wander onto a packs territory, they could be attacked and wounded – or even killed. Rostyn wouldn’t do that, but who was to say that his pack members would not? If he were on the other side of the territory when his members found a trespasser, they could do any number of things before he arrived. Of course, they would be punished if they didn’t follow his orders then they would be punished later, but that didn’t save the trespasser from his or her injuries. That was what he thought of as he loped along at a steady, easy pace. His white fur blended in so well with the snow that, if he had not been moving, only his nose would have shown in the blanket of white. It was a blessing at times, as well as a curse. Lighter colored fur made it harder to stay warm during the winter, even if it were not impossible. His powerful paws kicked up snow as he ran, leaving deep footprints in the white powder. He made no effort to hide – why should he hide in his own territory? He was ruler here, and so he would show himself where he pleased. Of course, Rostyn wasn’t particularly interested in displays of dominance or power. He didn’t hold his head and tail high and he didn’t have the air of dominance that most alphas liked to carry. He didn’t see the point in all of that, though he could certainly become all regal and dominant when he wanted to – if it were necessary. And it wasn’t at the moment, so he carried himself as any wolf would. For all anyone could tell, he was just another average pack wolf or a loner even, loping through the snow on some mission or another. It was near St. Mary’s Lake he caught the scent of a stranger. It stopped him dead in his tracks. Within an instead his ears were pricked forward and listening for signs of the stranger, but he caught no sound at all. Sound seemed to leave the land during winter, with only the occasional disturbance. However, the scent of the stranger was strong at the border, as if she had lingered there for a while before moving on. He could tell it was a female. There was enough of a scent there to give him at least that amount of information, though the snow made it difficult for him to follow scents sometimes. Rostyn was able to follow this one, though. It simply took a little bit of searching to find the direction that she had traveled in after she had lingered at the border. Once he found it he followed it, heading towards St. Mary’s Lake where the trail led. He moved slowly, judging the strength of the scent as he followed it. He wanted to be unseen and unheard when he approached the female. First it would be best to gauge he behavior and her build to see if she was any kind of threat. Females could be just as much of a threat as any male, as he had learned in his earlier days as an alpha. As he approached the lake he slowed even more, for the scent was growing stronger. The wind did not blow towards him, but it did not blow towards her either. It blew sideways, sending both of their scents in another direction entirely. With luck, the wind would not change and he would be able to keep himself hidden that much longer. He pushed his way through some sparse foliage towards the lake shore. The female had to be here somewhere, he knew. The problem with the lake was that, near the shore, the vegetation was sparse and there were fewer places to hide. Still, he managed to blend in where he could not simply stay out of site – the snow helped with that. This was how he found the place along the shore where the female had chose to stop her venture into his territory. Like him, she was white, though with patches on her coat in comparison to his almost entirely white one. She was also shorter and more petite than he was, though she looked to be of average size for a female of her height. Still, she did not look as if she would be much of a match for him in a fight. That made him less wary of her. Females who could fight were creatures that he liked to avoid after some of his more annoying experiences. He took only a few moments to look her over, since he couldn’t really see her face from there. Gingerly, he moved away from his hiding spot and to another one, so as to get that look at her face and finish his examination. The first thing he noticed were her eyes – one green and one blue – but they weren’t much of a surprise. Yes, they were unusual, but he hardly cared. Little surprised him these days. Realizing that she had trespassed – he had nearly forgotten as he had studied her – he felt a sense of irritation begin to itch in his mind. Quickly, he shoved more strength into the barriers that he used to block out the minds of the dead. Little did he know that those barriers would block out more than just the voices of those dead that haunted him so. He did not like his power, as the voices often tried to tempt him to do things that were far from his nature to do. That was why he kept the barriers up and why he had to keep his emotions constantly in check. If he did not control his emotions then it was likely that they would cause his barriers to collapse and the voices to come flooding in. And that was just not acceptable. So, with his barriers up to block him from the world of telepathy and voices, Rostyn opened his jaws to speak from within his hiding place. “When I was younger, loners remained at the border and did not so rudely wander into another’s territory. What do you want here, trespasser?” word count;; 1151 starring;; rostyn for;; solace muse;; all right

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[atrb=background,http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae183/sigathkerr/Tables/solacetablemid.png] Her heart and the blood pumping through her veins were pounding in her ears, the were the only noise she could concentrate on, it felt like there was a great pressure pushing at the sides of her head, and she just couldn't get away. My god, Solace, get yourself together... She hissed at herself, frustrated with her skittish and terrified nature. She didn't detect the other's sudden presence at all, she was too focused on trying to calm herself down enough to even think coherently. How could she possibly think with her heart racing this much, her adrenaline through the roof and her spooked nature making her ready to flee at any second. How could she be so foolish? Why did she trespass? All the worse scenarios of her actions were playing through her head now, and she couldn't block them out. She should have just waited at the border, surely the alpha would have wandered there sooner or later and found her, even without a howl? She shuddered, angrily scolding herself for her rash behaviour that was so unlike her. Oh well, too late now. What was done was done, and even if she did manage to flee the pack land before the alpha noticed her inside, he would have still found her scent sooner or later, and begrudged her for trespassing. There was no escaping it now either way. She sighed, frustrated with herself. She held her breath in her throat, attempting to regulate her heart rate by force, rather than waiting for it to calm on it's own. Her nerves were shot, she was completely on edge, it would be eons before her heart calmed on it's own. She inhaled once, somewhat shakily, her ears twitching in different directions feverishly. She still hadn't heard the male move from his hiding spot, she was too busy staring at the water by her paws, her entire body still tense and so obviously frightened. Her tail was lowered, cowering between her legs already, and she hadn't even seen another wolf yet. She was about calm enough now to move out of her stiff position, but then every ounce of energy she had spent on collecting herself was shattered. The alpha's voice rang out loud and clear behind her, his tone clearly agitated. Solace nearly jumped out of her fur, every fur on her tiny frame rose in fright, muscles bunching together and she braced herself from jolting head first into the water. Her muzzle parted in surprise, and were she capable of it, a loud yelp would have sounded from her, but as it were, no sound came out. She braced herself, bi-coloured eyes wide and terrified. Slowly, she managed to turn herself around, the expression on her features one of pup-like horror. Her gaze rose to the male before him, and she was wildly surprised. He was completely white, much cleaner and neater looking than herself, he was also much larger, which didn't surprise her all too much, most wolves were. Plus, he was an alpha, size always helped when maintaining such a demanding position. Her body was still crouched close to the ground, she just couldn't seem to find the courage to move any further. The male had caught her completely off guard, and she was still getting over the initial shock. She let his words register slowly, and her face fell, a meek expression looking back at him. Of course he was annoyed, she was trespassing, but at least his words weren't as harsh as the could have been. Her ears flicked quickly, trying to pick up on any other sounds which might register to her as a threat, but everything came back okay, and she seemed to calm somewhat. Trespasser? Was that the name she had earned herself? She sighed disapprovingly at herself, finally managing to straighten her posture up slightly. She focused her full attention on the ivory male in front of her, bi-coloured eyes hesitating on his face uncertainly. What was she supposed to do from here? She didn't know, she sure as hell couldn't speak to him. A low whine escaped her muzzle, although it sounded more like a pathetic, wheezy gust of air. This alpha was definitely going to think she was a pathetic, waste of a dog. She felt her hopes instantly diminish. What was she doing here? Why did she even think she could go through with this in the first place? Fool's hope, that's why. She lowered her head slightly, dipping it toward the male as a sign of regret, and she hoped he would pick up on it's meaning. She was sorry she hadn't waited at his border. She hadn't know what else she should do, and she had no idea what she should do from here, either. This was the one time when she should have really mustered up the courage to speak with the male telepathically, but she couldn't. Why was she so hopeless? Why couldn't she just find that much courage? Enough to say something? She inhaled deeply, holding the breath in her chest, trying to smooth herself out. She needed to do this, this is why she had come here, after all. She exhaled, closing her eyes for a quick second, trying to collect herself enough to send a single word out to him. Hi... Sorry... She scolded herself at her lame attempt at communicating, but it had been so long since she'd even tried to talk to somebody. She was rusty, and she was terrified. This male would think she was absolutely nuts! She was happy that she had found enough strength to even muster up those two lame, hesitant words, but she knew the alpha would look at her like a child, and she very much felt like one at that moment. She sighed again, clearly frustrated with herself. At least she had calmed down enough now to think rationally, she didn't look like a completely terrified pup any more. notes; yuck, sorry, crap.

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[atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true][bg=212e45] Rostyn looked like an alpha in all but posture. He did not carry himself like an alpha if he could help it, and when the smaller female heard him and turned to look at him he quickly relaxed as much as was possible. She did not look to be a threat and he didn’t feel the need to look so regal with one who had close to the same fur color as himself. In fact, he actually liked white wolves better than other colored wolves, even if it was an unconscious bias. He also tended to like females more than males, though it would be nice if females didn’t feel the need to occasionally chase after him. He wasn’t one for being chased, and he didn’t like some of the females that joined anyways. Not for mates, at least. As friends they were fine. He was well aware of the fact that he had startled her some and that she was scared. His response to that was a simple one. Rather than try to comfort her or scare her more, he became perhaps one of the most easy going wolves the world had ever seen, which was his typical personality. He smiled at her, his eyes sparkling. His posture relaxed and he even sat down. He didn’t want her to be scared. That would be silly. She might want to join or something, after all. It often had the effect of making his size seem insignificant. In fact, he was really just a big, goofy fluff ball sometimes, even if he had his alpha-like moments. Rostyn was the laid-back sort of alpha. The first thing he noted after her fear and her coat color was her eyes. One blue and one green, and both rather vivid. They didn’t entrance him, but they certainly caught his attention for a few short moments. He might have commented on them if he weren’t distracted by other things. Such as her mood. He both wanted and didn’t want her to be afraid. He wanted her to be more wary when crossing borders – she didn’t look like the fighting sort, which wouldn’t bee good in an attack – but he didn’t want her to be afraid of him. So he tried as hard as possible to allay any fears that might be directed towards him. Rostyn had never been the kind of wolf – or alpha – to notice every little detail when he was preoccupied. He had noticed her whine, but he thought little of it, except thinking that it was a part of her fear of him or something of the like. He barely noticed the head dip, and even if he had really noticed it he probably wouldn’t have had any idea why she was doing it. Perhaps it was a sign of respect? But he wouldn’t have known. None of that bothered him though. He kept the same smile that he had adopted a few moments before, as if he could radiate his easy-going attitude towards her and make her feel better that way. He didn’t think there was anything wrong with her. Perhaps she was a bit shy or nervous or afraid. He wanted that to change, and he wanted her to feel safer than she clearly did right now. Since she had yet to say anything, he began to speak once more, if only to fill the silence and make her see that he wasn’t about to kill her. “It’s not like I care, really,” he said, continuing on his little speech about loners staying at the border. “But some alphas and pack members do, and they don’t care why you crossed the border. They attack first, ask questions later.” Now that he had started babbling, he probably wasn’t going to stop just yet. “And after that things are messy and I don’t like that. Loners should never be hurt when they cross borders unless they have bad intentions and cause trouble. And I don’t think you do, do you? You seem like a nice sort to me.” He gave her another smile, as innocent and laid-back as could be. “Anyways, why are you here? You seem to know that there’s a pack here, since you stayed at the border for a while. I followed your scent. And do you have a name? If you don’t, i might have to call you something like Scrap or Fluff or something else creative. And now I feel silly because I’m rambling.” He fell silent to prepare for her to answer when he felt a light tickle in his mind, as if something were fluttering at his barriers and asking for entrance into his mind. He cocked his head for a moment and look at her carefully, staring at her thoughtfully. “Did you just tickle me?” word count;; 801 starring;; rostyn for;; solace muse;; all right comments; rostyn felt like rambling today

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[atrb=background,http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae183/sigathkerr/Tables/solacetablemid.png] Her bright, frightened eyes stayed trained on his features, analyzing every little flick of emotion which ran across it, although it seemed to more difficult with him than most other wolves. Perhaps it was the mere fact that he was an alpha. They had to be able to contain their emotions well, or else they would not be level-headed enough to run and maintain a pack. This thought settled into her head, and she emitted a soft, almost reluctant sigh. She squared her shoulders, relaxing her posture somewhat as she watched the male's body language. He didn't seem to be trying to be a threat toward her, he had a small, but friendly smile planted across his muzzle, and his body was relaxed, definitely not somebody who was about to lunge. She was curious, really, confused by his motives. Hadn't he just been scolding her about so recklessly entering his borders? And now he was trying to calm her. The thought had a small, somewhat uncertain smile to form at her maw, bi-coloured eyes searching the male's flawlessly white face gently. She watched as he took a seat across from her, and she couldn't help but let her body relax even further. Now that he was sitting, she was absolutely positive that he had no intentions of hurting her. She took this as a queue to sit down herself, and she lowered her haunches onto the snow covered ground slowly, never taking her gaze away from the male. He seemed kind, looking out for her, but not trying to scold her. Solace was honestly bewildered, confused, anxious. There were so many emotions racing through her head. It had been so long since she'd been placed in a situation like this, one which required words and social skills. Both of which Solace did not possess. A shy, almost childish smile crept across her dainty little features, her beige tinged tail curling neatly around her paws. She was surprised at how quickly her terrified edge had disappeared, she felt calm now, almost at ease in his presence, although still somewhat nervous and uncertain, more with herself than the male. Her ears perked toward him again as he continued on with his lecture, not quite seeming to catch her slight display of apology. She shifted her gaze to the ground after a few moments, slightly annoyed by the almost childish tone of the lecture. It wasn't like she wasn't aware of such things, she just had no other way of going about finding him. Not that she could tell him that, she simply sat there, watching him with a somewhat bewildered expression, nodding her head politely at his words. She was aware that she could have been attacked at any second by another pack member, and she probably would not have put up a fight, she would have deserved it, as far as she was concerned, but she had lingered at the border, calculating by all her senses when it would be safe to flee. And, it seemed she had done a good job of that. She snorted softly, roused from her thoughts as the ivory alpha went on to talk about her now. Well, of course she didn't seem like much of a threat, she couldn't even speak! God, she must look like such a scared little pup to this male. She offered the male a weak, uncertain smile as he commented on her seeming like a 'nice sort', but still offered him no reply. She was glad to see that he had offered her his own smile, it seemed to calm her nerves a little further, but she didn't know how much of the alpha's kindness was an act. She didn't know anything about socializing with wolves anymore. She was completely out of her element here. Her anxiety spiked as he started directing questions toward her. Why was she here, and what was her name? A new wave of anxiety fell across her face, her eyes growing wide and panicked again. How could she answer him? Oh god, this was foolish. He would definitely think she was strange now, ignorant, maybe even rude, if he didn't already. This was where she was supposed to speak, it was her turn now, he'd filled his position. A hard lump formed in her throat, and she swallowed it down with some difficulty, ears flickering atop her skull. She opened her mouth a fraction, making it seem as though she were going to answer his question, when he spoke up again. Her ears fell back against her skull, a completely confused expression laying itself out across her features. Tickle him? She cocked an eyebrow. Was he completely insane? She hadn't moved? How would she have tickled him? Without thinking, pure curiosity getting the better of her, Solace leaned forward a fraction, as if trying to inspect the male closer. Tickle you? I haven't moved? The words left her mind before she had time to even realize what she was doing. As soon as the telepathic message was sent, Solace felt her entire body stiffen up again, and she instantly regretted it. Had it been so long since she'd attempted to talk to somebody through telepathy that she could no longer do it? She felt her heart rate speed up significantly at this thought. This white male hadn't seemed to notice her previous message, did that mean she could no longer speak at all? Her eyes widened, her heart falling. It almost felt like it was being pulled right down through the ground. She was a fool. She couldn't even speak to this brute anymore! She had wasted such a good talent. Another soft, pathetic whimper fell past her muzzle, her bi-coloured eyes seeming to dampen with sadness. She had lost everything, she was truly mute now. This knowledge had her ready to turn around, flee from the male as his lands. She shouldn't have come here in the first place. She should have known nothing good would have come from it. But, something kept her rooted to the spot, left her unable to move. Maybe she was just overreacting, maybe he had heard her, but he simply thought he was crazy, so he assumed he was just making up voices in his head. Her anxiety quickly turned into puzzled expression, her eyes seeming to search his face wildly. She decided to press her luck, see if her voice still did actually work. She dove into her memories, dragging out the words he'd spoke a few seconds before. She picked out what he said about the names, and could feel herself instantly flinch. Scrap or Fluff? She would hate those pet names. She smiled at the male again tentatively, shaking her head lightly. No, thank you. She spoke out toward him, following the words with a small, hesitant giggle. I'd rather you call me Solace. Her smile widened a fraction uncertainly, eyes still searching his face expectantly. Could he hear her? She hoped he could, it was taking a lot of energy out of her to utter these few, simple words. She was so confused. The male probably thought she was a complete nut job, having mood swings every other second. But, then again, he'd been the one who thought she'd tickled him. She snorted again softly, an amused sort of sound. Then it hit her, and a wave of clarity seemed to dawn on her ivory features. Had she tickled his mind. Was that what he meant? An eager sort of look fell over her, the tip of her tail twitching anxiously. That meant she still had a voice! This was a bizarre encounter to say the least, but what else could you really expect when you threw Solace in the mix? notes; hahah poor solace is so confused, but i think she's going to loosen up a lot more after this. x]

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[atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true][bg=212e45] Rostyn tilted his head and eyed her with a curious look on his face. Despite the fact that he had rambled on and on for what had seemed like several long minutes, she hadn’t said a word. Why? His stare became more intense; interested, but not angry or mean. Was it possible that she lacked the ability to speak, then? He had never met such a wolf, but he knew it to be possible. So, how, then, did she intend to communicate with him? By scratching lines in the dirt? He wouldn’t be able to understand that. Wolves had no writing system. Surely there must be a way in which she could communicate, or she would not be here with him now. Rostyn, while not a stupid wolf, was not always quick at putting such things together. But who would realize that a tickle in his mind was a voice and not just some odd feeling or something else? And how was he supposed to realize that her voice was not one that belonged to the dead that haunted him so often? So, in reality, it wasn’t that he was dense or stupid, but simply ignorant out of his own lack of education on the issue at hand. And surely that was not his fault. There it was again. It was a tickling feeling against the wall in his mind. This time, rather than ignore it, he examined the wall that he had built, searching for the source of the tickle. While he could not see that source, he was able to let the wall down just slightly, until the tickle was gone. Instead of the strange ticking sensation, Rostyn heard a voice. If there had been more than one voice then Rostyn would have put his wall back up immediately. But, rather unusually, Rostyn heard just the one voice, and it was clearly female. He couldn’t tell if it was the voice of a ghost or not by just listening to it, but the content of the message helped quite a bit. Who else besides the female across from him be answering one of his questions? So, it must be her. Then he would need to modify his walls from now on, so as to let other living wolf voices in as well. Magic had a tendency to make things complicated. This was just more proof of that. With the new knowledge that it was the female’s mind-voice that had tickled him, Rostyn smiled softly at her. “So you can speak,” he said, in a way to let her know that he had heard her. “But with your mind rather than your mouth. How interesting. You cannot speak out loud, then?” He was making an assumption, but some of her whining and her lack of words as well as the mind-voice were enough give him the impression that she had no physical voice to speak of. Taking things in stride, he continued to smile at her. It did not matter that she could not speak out loud. It would only cause problems with wolves such as him, who had erected a wall around the mind to keep something or other out. Already he was listening intently for the first quiet mumblings of the dead, so that he would know if he needed to modify his wall. But today they were silent, as if they were giving him his own space in his head, today. If they did return, however, he had no intention of being kind to them. Their pain and sorrow was too catching for his liking. “You’ll have to forgive me for missing your first message,” he offered lightly, with a sympathetic smile. “I was not aware that the protections around my mind would make it difficult to hear from my fellow wolves as well.” His ears flicked as he received her next messages, as if he were actually hearing something. It had been a very long time since he had allowed a voice to speak in his mind. In some ways, it was still a new experience for him, even though he had dealt with the voices in the past. “So you prefer the name Solace? I see no problem with that.” This time his smile was bigger, but still soft. He liked the little female, though he would not admit it openly after just meeting. Why he liked her, he could not say. She was sweet, in a way, and quiet (and that wasn’t referring to her lack of a voice). Some of the rather rude and headstrong wolves he had met in the past were fine, and he even preferred some of them. But they grew tiresome, always challenging him and making things more complicated than they needed to be. He liked the occasional wolf like Solace here, even if she was a bit shy, or so it seemed. “Well then, Solace, what can I do for you? You obviously planned your cross over the border, so there must be something that you want.” word count;; 836 starring;; rostyn for;; solace muse;; not dead, at least comments; eventually his voices of the dead will return. they're just not used to the walls being down so willingly, so they are quiet right now.

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[atrb=background,http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae183/sigathkerr/Tables/solacetablemid.png] Her expression was still clearly eager and anxious as she started back at the ivory male expectantly, as if waiting for an answer to her mind-words. She was almost certain of herself now. She had tickled his mind, what a funny way to put it. Solace found her smile widening a fraction, and a small, soundless giggle fell past her jaws. That was another downside of having no voice box, she couldn't even really laugh, it was just a silent gasp followed by the light vibration of her body as the sound should have been emitted. She didn't mind though, the male could probably hear her light display of laughter through her mind, although it would probably be unimportant to him, seeing as she was only laughing at herself. Solace was surprised at how much she'd loosened up while encountering the ivory Alpha, but she guessed that Alpha's had to have a somewhat welcoming aura, how else would they encourage people to join their packs? Her bi-coloured eyes never left his face, and she caught his long, analytical gaze, he seemed to be trying to pry into her, figure out some answer he couldn't quite grasp. Solace had a funny feeling it was about her lack of voice. Within moments, this was answered for her. She saw the flickering of emotions across his face as he fought with the mental walls he'd put up, and she saw how his face lit up when he finally grasped what was going on. This made her smile widen more, a toothy grin spread across her muzzle. Her ears perked toward him as he spoke up, and she could feel the tip of her tail waving more eagerly now. She did have a voice! The male's words confirmed it. She could have yipped out in happiness at that knowledge, but she kept herself in check, her sides quivering slightly as she fought to control herself. She straightened her facial features out as the male spoke up again, and she set her full attention on the alpha respectfully, holding to her seat on the ground. She nodded at him solemnly in confirmation to answer his question, deciding that her mind-voice wasn't really necessary to answer that one. She could never speak out loud, not ever in her life, it seemed to strange to her. He thought it was interesting that she couldn't speak out loud? She cocked an eyebrow questioningly, a small smile playing at her muzzle. That was something she wasn't used too. Others thought it wasn't right, or weird, or just plain stupid. No one ever found it interesting. Interesting seemed like too nice of a word to what she was used too. Her gaze settled on his easy-going smile, at she felt like she could actually be comfortable around this male. He didn't seem like the mean type. A puzzled look crossed her face at his next words, the protections around his mind? His fellow wolves? Did that mean there were other wolves, different kinds of wolves? Or were there other wolves like her? Solace's brow cocked again questioningly, not quite understanding the alpha's words. There are other wolves? Who speak like me? Her question was sent to him quietly, still somewhat shy, but becoming bolder because she was actually mustering up the guts to speak on her own, without coaxing. She watched the way his ears flicked as he seemed to register her words, and she let out another noiseless giggle, an amused expression falling across her dainty features. He didn't need his ears to hear her mind-voice. She smoothed out her smile, letting it turn into a friendly grin as she waited for his reply to her title. She was happy that he so easily accepted her name. She like Solace much better than Scrap or Fluff. God, those names would be horrendous after a while. Her smile grew in unison with the male's, and she could still feel the tip of her tail twitching mindlessly beside her paws. She decided that it was time for her to pip up again, seeing as the alpha failed to address himself. Do you have a name? Or should I just call you Majesty? She cracked an timid, yet friendly smile, taken aback by herself. Was she trying to joke? The word seemed almost foreign to her. She didn't even talk to other wolves, let alone try to joke with them. Was that even a joke? She wasn't sure, she didn't know how it was supposed to be done. So instead, she stared at him with a dopey, almost childish expression, clearly stating that she had no idea what she was doing. I'm sorry, it's been a while... She trailed off, suddenly wary with the amount she was talking. Was she talking too much? Or not enough? Solace was confused, she wasn't used to these sorts of situations. Relief washed over her as the male spoke up again, the spotlight was off her now. Her smile turned tentative again, and she seemed to take on a slightly anxious edge again. He wanted to know why she was here. Well, she wasn't even entirely sure of that herself. She had wanted to meet him, she supposed, it was as simple as that. And here she was, talking with him, and he seemed nice enough. She released a soft sigh, bi-coloured eyes roaming his features. I wanted to meet you, I guess. She started, hesitating again as she recollected herself and the direction she was going in. Yes, she did indeed want to become part of a pack, but she was still too uncertain of herself. Was this the right place for her? The alpha seemed kind enough, and from the small distance she'd travelled into it, it seemed pretty. But, there she was, always doubting herself. Could she adapt to a pack life? That meant being social. What if the others didn't accept her? She sighed again, dropping her gaze to the ground to collect herself. I've heard nice things about Nyack and it's lands. I guess I was intruiged.

[/color] She lifted her gaze back to his face, another friendly smile planted there. She was proud of herself, she was taking a step in the right direction. She could hardly believe that she'd done it, she'd spoke! Her gaze remained fixed on the male expectantly, wondering what exactly his thoughts on her might be now.

notes; not exactly the best, but I'm proud of Solace for speaking up x]

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[atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true][bg=212e45] Hearing laughter – even laughter as light as hers was – was also a new experience for him. While he could hear emotions and tones in min-voices, he had never heard laughter before. Those voices of the dead that he heard did not no such a thing as laughter such as hers. They sometimes made a cruel noise, or mournful noises, or they growled, but they never laughed as she did. Rostyn could only classify it as interesting, just as he classified her inability to speak. In his mind, it was interesting. It caught his attention and gave him something to think about. Controlling one’s emotions continuously made diversions important, but Rostyn naturally found things he had not encountered before as interesting. Now, there were things that did bother him. Visible differences in appearance bothered him – mutations, strange colors, and the like. Occasionally he had come across mutations, but he found few of them interesting. Rather, they were disgusting. She was the same, she just couldn’t speak. Even her eyes were not so unusual, though he found them beautiful. He could see her mood change when she realized that he could hear her. For a moment he felt bad that he’d been unable to hear her at first, even though it hadn’t been entirely his fault. It had upset her some, he could see that. He hadn’t meant to upset her. And then her nod also confirmed that she did not have a voice. With that confirmation he was that much more intrigued by her condition. Not as if she were something to study, like an experiment. He simply found it interesting. She must have lived a very different life from his own. Surely the lack of a voice would change the course of one’s life. He refrained from asking her, recognizing it as rude and not wishing to upset her again. Sometimes, however, he did have trouble reigning in his curiosities and questions and he would speak without really censoring himself. He had also been known to randomly walk onto another alpha’s lands, but that was a different story altogether. He could tell that she had not understood, though he thought he had been fairly clear. Considering for a moment how to answer, his eyes narrowed slightly in a thoughtful expression, Rostyn planned his response this time. “It’s magic,” he said finally, in a matter-of-fact way. “There must be others like you, or at least with your ability, if not your lack of voice.” It didn’t occur to them that she may not know what magic was, or even realize that she had magic. He, on the other hand, knew better, especially because of his own magic. “If the dead can speak via the mind, then I assume that the living can as well.” And again he treated everything as though it were common knowledge, though he was well aware of the fact that his magic was rare and difficult to live with. It was not at all a pleasant magic at times, though it could be powerful, and it could easily drive the user to his or her death. There were very good reasons why he had that wall there in the first place. He was surprised that she had not inquired about that yet. Few even knew that he had such a wall to speak of. Rostyn caught on to her joke quickly, and grinned. “Majesty might be fitting for some, but I am hardly a majesty, don’t you think?” he asked her, also in a joking manner. “My name is Rostyn, and you can call me that if you wish. However, I really have no preferences. I’ve been called fluffball before and hardly cared.” His tail patted the ground a few times in a friendly wag, to show that he did not mind her joke at all. It was just another part of his more easy-going and carefree nature. “Sorry? Why are you sorry? You haven’t done anything wrong.” He frowned with his words, disliking that she was apologizing, and wondering for what. She had acted just as any stranger might have in her situation. She really was timid, and perhaps not used to socialization. With that in mind, he made it his goal to try and ease her mind more if he could, though at the moment he waited for her to answer his question. Rostyn smiled again, already planning his response in his head as she finished speaking. “Meet me? Now why would you want to do a thing like that? I’m nothing special. Just a boring, rather odd alpha on some relatively empty lands.” His eyes danced playfully, and his grin showed a few of his white teeth. His tail wagged as it had before. “And I don’t know what you could have heard about Nyack. It has yet to make a name for itself. Though, I am quite proud of the beauty of the land.” He offered her a smile, his voice growing more serious as he finished his tiny speech. word count;; 836 starring;; rostyn for;; solace muse;; good, apparently comments; wow. two posts in one day. and both posts have the same word count!

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[atrb=background,http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae183/sigathkerr/Tables/solacetablemid.png] Her respectful attention never left the white alpha before her, she was intrigued by him, quite honestly, and she had to admit that she was enjoying watching the tiny flickers of emotion which ran across his face quite briefly. They were hard to read, he kept his emotions and expressions quite in check, but, as the old cliche saying went, the eyes were the windows to your soul, and they never stopped speaking. Solace could see thoughts dancing through them, but they were gone far too quickly for her to register what exactly they might have been. She kept a small, friendly smile painted across her muzzle as she observed the male absorbing her mental laughter. Another emotion ran across his eyes, and Solace tried to catch onto what it might have been, but, like all the others, it was gone in an instant, and she really couldn't say. Maybe surprise, maybe not. Maybe he just thought it was interesting, like her lack of voice. She didn't know, and she decided it was probably better for her that way. Her bi-coloured eyes continued to roam his face as he thought about her question, she could tell he was thinking up the right response to it so she remained quite, wondering what the outcome might be. Solace was quite aware of magic, although she hadn't really called it anything. She knew she was different, and she knew her mind-voice wasn't common, and she wasn't even sure if any other wolves were capable of it. The thought had her intrigued. Surely this alpha would be able to tell her more about it, he must have came in contact with far more wolves than she, and maybe they had special abilities too. An eyebrow cocked the faintest bit at that thought, and her gaze quickly turned questioning toward him again. He had built up barriers against his mind, protecting it from her voice. That must mean he had magic too! Solace wasn't always quick to piece such information together, but at least she had finally done it. She wondered what magic he might have. Obviously something mental, or he wouldn't have bothered with the barriers. Her ears perked back up as she heard the male's calm voice call out, finally picking the right words to answer her question. He called it magic, as she guessed that was as good a name as any for what it was. Solace nodded her head slowly as he finished every sentence, completely understanding what he meant. That was, until he spoke the last words. The dead speaking via the mind? Solace felt a sudden chill run down her spine, her bi-coloured eyes widening in surprise. The... dead? She piped up, her mind-voice quiet and wary. They speak to you? That's why you have the barriers? That must be awful...

[/color] These last words were sent to him in a hurried jumble, her mind racing with the abrupt knowledge that he seemed so at peace with. She was quickly piecing parts together, finding it easier to keep up with what was going on now that she had grown more comfortable around the male. Solace could feel another soft, sympathetic whine brewing up in her throat for the male, she felt bad that he had to deal with such burdens. Speaking with the dead! How scary that must be. She shuddered again, shaking her head to clear the images which were conjuring there.

A funny kind of relief filled the little white wolf as she saw the male grin, obviously catching onto her lame attempt of a joke. She had done it right, then! She felt her own muzzle contort into a small grin, happy that she had not made a fool out of herself. The tip of her tail continued to twitch beside her forepaws, bi-coloured eyes loosing the surprised look they had held when he'd mention the talking dead. She was smiling at him completely sincerely now for the first time since they'd met, and it made her feel good. She was quite happy with herself for staying here and actually taking a stab at a civil conversation. She sent another round of light mind-laughter toward the male at his words, simply smiling goofily at him as he mentioned not being much of a Majesty. Solace would have said he'd make a fine Majesty, if he'd held himself with the normal regal posture of an alpha. His purely flawless white fur made him look quite majestic, not to mention his size. He could have easily been called Majesty standing there in the pretty fallen snow. Not that she would have ever said such a thing. Oh god, no! She would be humiliated.

So instead, she simply nodded, holding her smile in place. Rostyn it is, then. That's a nice name, I haven't heard it before.[/color] She was surprising herself by the amount she was talking now, it seemed to be coming to her almost naturally now. She let her gaze fall from the male for a second, letting it run across the snowy terrain around them before she brought it back up to his face. She didn't want to be staring too much, maybe he would think she was weird. She was still out of her element here, even if she was mostly comfortable around him now. She was caught off guard again when he frowned at her apology, and all she could do was stare back at him somewhat sheepishly, rolling her shoulder blades the slightest bit. She didn't know why she was apologizing, it had just seemed like the right thing to do at the time. She could have said she thought she was being an idiot, but she bit her tongue (figuratively speaking, of course). Talk like that might make the conversation slide downhill, and Solace didn't want that. Nobody liked a self-conscious little wolf.

Her attention was brought back to the male as he spoke up again, and she could feel an unwelcome lurch of hope and excitement flare up in her veins with his words. Relatively empty lands, he had said? Solace could feel her smile widening a fraction without her permission. That meant she wouldn't have to worry about facing many other wolves in a social situation. She swallowed hard, as if biting back the abrupt waves of emotion which had crept up on her. She allowed another light bit of mind-laughter escape her, bi-coloured eyes locked on his. Well, why had she wanted to meet him? She wasn't sure, it was just sort of a gut feeling that she'd had. I'm not sure, to be honest. It was just a feeling I had.[/color] Her mind-voice was still quiet and somewhat sheepish, but she was still happy that she was managing words at all. But, I'm glad I did come here to meet you, you're very nice. I wasn't expecting that.[/color] Her smile was meek here, almost fragile, but sincere all the way through. Solace honestly hadn't expected such friendliness from the alpha, she was expecting to be laughed at and pushed away, as all the other wolves had done in the past. She nodded at him as he went on about the lands and let her gaze trail away from him again and over the earth around them. This lake is quite beautiful, even covered in snow, although I wouldn't know about the rest.[/color] Her smile had returned to normal now, her face seeming to hold itself with more confidence now. She was surprised at how quickly she had loosened up around this wolf.


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[atrb=background,http://i56.tinypic.com/25zkpwm.png] words • "talking" • thinking Some wolves would have found the encounter with Solace frightening or intrusive. Rostyn, however, was not like other wolves. Things that others may find disturbing piqued his interest instead, much as this wolf had. It ws a new experience for him to hear the mind of a living wolf rather than the voices of the dead. And, though he could feel them pressing at his weakened barriers, but he held firm. Later on he would find a way to fix the barriers so that they might work against the dead but not against the living, yet still maintain their strength. In the meantime, he made sure that he took note of the way her mind felt when she spoke to him. If he remembered that then he could recognize her and open up to her the next time she chose to speak to him. Mind-speaking was a delicate business for him, when he could so easily be driven mad by the voices in his head. Rostyn listened as the female’s voice once again sounded in his mind. It took him a moment to make sense of the words in her message, as they were sent to him quickly and were jumbled together, almost as if she had been trying to speak too fast. It was as if she were really speaking to him, though he could see that her mouth was not moving. ”It is not so bad if you know how to keep the voices out,” he answered calmly, his eyes betraying just a slight hint of his fear of the voices as he did so. True, it wasn’t so bad if he could keep his barriers up at all times. But that was easier said than done. The barriers were easily broken if he let his emotions run away from him. That was why he always seemed so calm and indifferent. He had strict control over his emotions. ”It is a magic that I have been cursed with. I don’t know the extent of the power. I only know that it allows me to commune with the voices of those that have passed on, if I so choose. If I could rid myself of this power, then I would.” The smile on her face was rewarding. It was genuine and he was glad that she was more comfortable with the conversation than she had been before. He knew he had been a bit harsh at first, but he had done what he could to make her more comfortable with him. It wasn’t his goal to scare anyone away unless they deserved it, and this sweet little female did not deserve that for any reason. He let a smile grace the features of his face and allowed a little emotion shine in his eyes. That emotion included a liking for the female that he had tried so hard to make comfortable during their conversation, as well as a care for what may or may not happen to her once this conversation was over. Protectiveness, one might call it. And he would have gladly asked her to stay in the pack with him right then and there, if he felt that it would not scare her away. However, he wasn’t sure that she would be comfortable if he took the chance to offer her a place to stay. Perhaps in a little while he would make such an offer, but only after he knew more about her intentions. ”Of course you haven’t heard it before!” he exclaimed proudly in response. ”It’s one of a kind after all. And, of course, no one knows of the silly alpha of Nyack, except that he is strange and eccentric. Besides, I don’t give my name out to just any random wolf that wanders onto my territory!” He wasn’t sure if she would catch the joke in his words. Or, jokes, as he had attempted to make two but had not done a very good job of articulating them. He ignored her response to his question of her apology. Best to let it go, he figured, if she didn’t want to talk about it. But, really, there had been no reason for her to apologize. He hoped that she would not do it again, because he didn’t want to make her feel as though she had to apologize. That might make him think that he was the one doing something wrong, not her. After all, he was trying his best to make her feel comfortable around him. She was a sweet little thing in his eyes, and there was no reason to be mean to her or make her feel uncomfortable. And he genuinely liked her. Rostyn watched the change in her smile after he had spoken, but he wasn’t sure what had caused it. He didn’t understand that the lack of wolves in his territory might be a good thing for a shy female. Despite that, he liked the smile and was glad that something had given her reason to be happier. Instead of trying to guess what she was feeling and why, he waited for her to speak again, almost hoping that there would be an explanation in her words. Alas, there was not, but he was another smile to go with the words, one that was smaller than the other, but still just as real. He smiled in return, and it touched his eyes as any true smile would. He was flattered by her words, really. To be called nice when he had been trying so hard to be nice just for her sake was all the reward that he needed, along with the smile on her face. ”Well, I’ve been nice on purpose, dear,” he answered softly, using a name he often used for those he had taken a liking to. ”What were you expecting, though? I find it hard to believe that you would have come here if you thought I might bite your head off at any moment.” He was brining up her shyness, or what came across to him as shyness. It was an honest question, one that he would like an answer to. At her mention of the lake he moved his gaze towards it. It was quite lovely in the snow, he knew. He had seen it many times. But he preferred to look at the glassy water during the summer, when everything was full of color. The snow was beautiful in its own way, but it turned everything the same color. He preferred more variety. Eventually he returned his gaze to Solace, where he looked at her bi-colored eyes. ”The rest of my territory is beautiful, but I fear that it is not so beautiful in winter. There are no flowers in bloom and you can barely see the beautiful waters of the lakes. With no flowers, this place is lifeless to me. If it were spring or summer then I would offer to show you the territory, but there is little to see right now, I am afraid.” There was a longing in his voice, as if he had lost a loved one and wanted nothing more than to find him or her. It was really that he hated the winter and his mood was significantly dampened during the season. His entire being was looking forward to the spring, when the snow would melt and the flowers would bloom once again. word count;; 1238 starring;; rostyn for;; solace muse;; a little forced comments; sorry. it's my first post since the beginning of school and i'm getting used to rping again

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[atrb=background,http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae183/sigathkerr/Tables/solacetablemid.png] The tiny she-wolf readjusted her position on the ground, forepaws shuffling through the powdery white snow which blended in with her pelt so well. It was hard to admit, even just to herself, but she was excited, and happy. She was happy. She was actually having a conversation with somebody who wasn't trying to humiliate her or drive her away. She was being friendly with someone else! This was a rare occurrence for Solace, probably the only time such a thing had ever occurred for the little dame. She was elated. Why had it been so hard for her to speak before? It didn't seem like it was such a hard task now, it seemed to come almost easily to her now, sitting here talking with this wolf named Rostyn. She shook her head slightly to herself, amused with the way that he life had played out. The only time she had ever really tried to talk with another was when she had been very young, a mere pup, and everyone knew that pup's were harsh when something or someone was different. It was just the way things went. Solace should have realized that the more grown up people were, the more accepting they became, the more they understood. But she had never been able to grasp that bit of knowledge before, the pup's from her younger years had obviously scared her far too deeply. They had plummeted her self-esteem right through the ground. Made her to feel like a freak, an abnormality. Her ears flicked forward once again as Rostyn's voice met them. And she nodded slightly, her speckled bi-coloured eyes still holding a bit of the wary expression in them as he spoke of the dead-voices in his head. She didn't know how he could deal with such a thing and be so calm about it. Solace was sure she would rather have no voice then be able to hear and see the dead. She nodded again in whole hearted agreement with the Alpha as he spoke of giving up the magic if he could. I would want to die if I heard voices of the dead, I would be one hundred times more scared than I am now. Another wave of mind-laughter rolled from her, finding it amusing how she had been so scared to meet this kind white Alpha. Sure, Solace was still very young, and naive, apparently, but she knew as well as anyone else did, that you never learned until you tried, and that was what she had done today upon approaching this wolf's pack lands. She had tried to find somebody, tried to speak, and look where it had gotten her. She was glad to see the content expression upon the male's face, it meant that she was doing a good job, she was progressing positively. She was proud with herself, and she had a feeling that Rostyn felt the same way. It had taken a lot of effort for her to reach this point, and she was happy that she had done it. His next set of words were full of emotion, happy and excited, which sort of threw the female for a loop, but she was happy to hear it. It was odd for her to hear real emotions, emotions other than disgust or disappointment. It made her smile widen further, her bi-coloured eyes clearly showing her pleasure. I am glad that you are strange and eccentric, Rostyn, maybe if you weren't you would find me too strange. Her voice was still small, but it was clearly happy, and it was laced with amusement at the end, trying to offer another small joke. She had taken a liking to this male very quickly, which she found surprising, but at the same time didn't seem too odd, considering she had no other friends or acquaintances. It didn't seem odd that she would take a quick liking to someone that treated her kindly. She rose from her seat in the snow slowly, shaking her lithe frame gently, letting the crisp flakes of snow which clung there fall freely to the ground beneath her. Her paws were damp, saturated with the melting snow, but they were not chilled. She turned her gaze back on the alpha as he spoke again, letting another sheepish grin grace her features. She rolled her shoulder blades lightly, offering the male a lame response. I figured that I needed to try, it's hard living by yourself when you're a wolf as little and thin as me, who has no voice to protect herself. I could be easily done for. Another small shiver ran the course of her spine, causing the fur at her sides to twitch spastically for a few seconds. The thought was disturbing to hear finally spoken, but it was merely the truth. Imagine if a wild bear or cougar had invaded her path? She shook her head, erasing the visual. Solace took a few steps forward, bringing herself closer to Rostyn and the lake which was surrounded by the shining ivory snow. She was slightly surprised to hear the longing tone in his voice as he spoke of his lands, and she wondered why it was there, but she didn't figure it polite to ask. Instead, she simply listened to his words, turning her soft gaze back on him as he finished. I am sure your territory is still beautiful, and I am sure that with the flowers and sun it is breath-taking. You sound like you take much pride in your home. Her smile turned completely genuine again, happy that she found another wolf who appreciated such small things. One that didn't seem to take simply beauty for granted. Solace often admired nature's simple beauty and found it to be the most precious. ooc; eeeee, i havent roleplayed solace in so loooong, sorry if this post sucks or is completely out of character. haha

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[atrb=background,http://i56.tinypic.com/25zkpwm.png] words • "talking" • thinking Rostyn shrugged at her when she said that she would rather die than hear the voices that he had to deal with. He had never felt so drastically about the power, since he had been born with it. He could not even remember the time when he had first begun to hear the voices in his head. ”I have heard that great power comes with my magic,” he said to her. ”I have even heard that I could have the power to raise the dead, if I embraced my magic.” His voice was flat, as if he were not interested in what he was speaking about. Rostyn had no desire to learn how to raise the dead. The dead should stay dead, in his opinion. They were dead for a reason. Because of his power, Rostyn tended to have a bleak outlook on death. It was clear that there was some kind of afterlife for wolves, as he was able to commune with those who were gone, but he wasn’t sure that he liked the sound of it. While many showed respect for the dead, he did not, though he did them no disrespect either. In truth, he feared death because of his power. He cocked his head at her when she spoke again, understanding what she meant but not understanding how anyone could find this wolf strange. Perhaps he was so used to oddities himself that nothing was really strange to him anymore. Perhaps it was that way for many of the wolves in Everfrost. Most were much more accepting here than those in other lands, where magic, if it existed at all, was rare and made others seem crazy. ”I think you might find that most here will not find you so strange,” he said, voicing his thoughts. "There are many wolves here with powers such as yours and mine. It is difficult to find something truly strange here.” His expression remained friendly. He liked the silent female. She could have easily fit in with the rest of his pack, and he hoped that she might choose to stay here with him when they were finished conversing. He needed more company, and she was excellent for talking to. And, unlike with many that came here, she was more mature and would not need him to take care of her so much. At least not in the way that some of the others had needed caring for. Rostyn did not stand as she did, though he watched her. His watch was not a wary one, but a curious one. He found her interesting. She was new, and he liked her, and he wanted to know more of her. He wanted her to stay here with him and keep him company. ”But you do have a voice,” he answered strongly in response to her. ”Maybe it isn’t a spoken voice, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have one. You just have to learn to use it to your advantage.” He smiled at her kindly. ”Have some confidence in yourself. I can see that there is strength in you, even if you might be a little afraid.” Rostyn smiled at her again, hearing what she spoke to him through her mind. ”Beautiful, yes. And very white, and cold and wet.”] He stood up at last, shaking some of the snow from his white fur. If there was any left clinging to him, he couldn’t see it. The snow blended too well with his white fur. ”I am very proud of my home. I have lived here a long time, and I still think that it is very beautiful.” In his mind he pictured the flowers that would begin to bloom in the spring and the beauty of the valleys when they were filled with color, instead of plain white snow. ”Perhaps if you see some of the territory, you might like to stay here,” he suggested to her calmly. ”I would like it very much if you stayed.” It was an invitation of sorts, though he was a bit afraid to ask. He worried that she did not like him enough to stay here, and he did not want her to leave just yet. He needed the company. word count;; 704 starring;; rostyn for;; solace muse;; meh comments; sorry. i'm trying to get all my replies done and i'm getting tired. i'll try to get a better one out next time.