some secret

There was a certain stillness and a quiet in this place of rushing water that had the boy holding his breath without even realizing it as he trod softly over freshly fallen leaves. He had reached the muddy barrier of the riverbank, and he stood close enough to the falls that he could feel the mist on his face when he finally came to rest on his haunches with a sigh that clouded and quickly dissipated in the cool air. Here in this forest glade, with the thrum of cascading water pounding harshly onto the rocks below, the sun shining brightly onto his pelt and warming him, Judas was overcome with the awareness that his long journey had finally come to an end— at least for now. While he had pridefully indebted himself to the mysterious woman who had stumbled across him out in the fields of Edinburgh, it seemed that he might have earned himself an apprenticeship of sorts in the process, and if it all went smoothly he could foresee himself settling in Rionnach for a time. He could stay at least long enough for him to become bigger, stronger, and learn a new skill or two. Yes, under Iola's guidance, he might be able to truly gain some self-reliance. The escape from his village had only earned him his physical freedom. A very precious thing, indeed, but other than this he had nothing, no one, and nowhere to go. He knew he needed more to survive, and he also knew that he didn’t want to just survive. Surely, there had to be more to this life than survival.

After his run-in with Iola he had insisted that he explore the Lowlands a bit on his own, but he had ultimately skirted most of the vast and populous meadow to avoid the locals there. Truthfully, he had just wanted to be alone for a while. So quickly the urge had struck him that he had found it odd, considering that it followed the first real encounter he had had with another wolf after so long. It wasn’t as if he wasn’t lonely, but somewhere deep down the boy sensed that this loneliness was a deep loneliness— one that might persist even if he allowed himself to be surrounded by others. He wondered how could he possibly hope to connect or relate to anyone after all that had happened, or find any sort of normalcy. He knew it would be hard enough simply not knowing anything about the culture of the people here. Telling anyone where he had come from...well, he wouldn’t even know where to begin. In spite of the heat of the sun in its cloudless sky, Judas shivered. He leaned down to peer over the bank and found that he was able to catch brief glimpses of a distorted reflection within the current of the river. He hadn’t seen a mirror since he had left home and now he could see how dirty he had become, his cream-colored fur thoroughly soiled and smudged with dirt. Between the grime and what time had passed since he last saw his own face, he almost didn’t recognize himself. Dipping his paws into the river for a moment, he let it wash them clean before flicking the water off of them and sitting back to begin the painstaking process of grooming himself at once, taking care to unravel his tangled fur that was within reach and occasionally bending down to drink from the river and wash grit from his tongue.

@Colburn

template by bean

Colburn

Autumn's arrival was a welcome respite from the searing heat. With a pelt of pure black the little thief soaked up the sun's rays like a sponge and the brighter days blinded his sensitive eyes. Summer nights were almost as cruel as summer days and almost as bright. As a creature that shunned the light he was left with a few hours of darkness to roam before he was forced to retreat underground. He was wiggling out of a freshly dug den like a sleepy mole when he heard the one sound that could make the fearless changeling cringe. The splash of water. Unease buzzed through his muddy fur, prickling at his skin and making it stand on end like bristling cats. Who dared to splash within the great cu-sith's presence? He scrambled out of his den and crouched in the undergrowth to spy on the water fiend. An off-white wolf bathed in the streams like some fair maiden and Colburn felt as a niggling concern that he shouldn't be watching. It was quickly dismissed and he shuffled closer, trying his best to step lightly on the forest litter that had blown underfoot.

He was unable to suppress the gasp of horror that followed as his dark eyes witnessed the unforgivable crime of dirt being washed away. Effort had obviously been made in collecting it so he couldn't understand why the wolf wanted to be rid of it. Was he another clean freak like Snowy? She always insisted he washed his paws before he touched her books and it was only because it was her that he obliged. Nothing else would make him touch anything that would strip away the dirt from his fur. He was so mystified by the act of bathing that, even though he trembled with anxiety as he watched, he was unable to look away.

code & art by claerie