[ P ] Believe And You Will Find Your Way

C

ian expressed his gratitude and Clover gave him a few eager nods. "Yer welcome! I gotta take care of ma best friend after all!" She piped up before she started to clamber ahead of him on the trail. The girl would hop this way and that, pausing every once in a while to make sure he was still behind her and then trotting back over to him to touch her nose to his in her own fun little game of tag before she'd take the lead again. Eventually she would slow down and keep pace with the larger boy as he began to make conversation.

"Nope! I've never set foot this far North at all, actually! I've only heard the fairy tales and stories." Clover did not seem to be bothered by this in the slightest. She peered over the winding pathway to see how high they'd already hiked and she stared in awe at the difference in elevation already. "Oh my! i bet it will just be perfectly splendid from the top!" She peered back over at Cian and took to the pathway again, watching him curiously as he spoke of the Mainlands. "Say, what've ya been up to lately in those Mainlands? If ya don't got mountains ta climb and ne'er a forest to explore, what do ya even do there?"

@Cian

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

S

eeing Clover inch closer still to the edge of the precipice caused the boy’s heart to leap again – but in the less fun way he had been experiencing. More of the genuine terror of possibly seeing your best – nay, your only friend – vanish into the abyss. Cian did not realize he was clenching his teeth and wincing, even as she moved to a safer spot on the elevated trail. "Oh my! I bet it will just be perfectly splendid from the top!" The only sound that escaped was something between a hiss and a groan, but his paws kept moving as the question of the Mainlands hung in the air like a dense fog. It was the first time he would have to answer for his alleged misdeeds.

”Well… He began \with uncertainty. ”I stayed – I stayed as long as I could, you see. And I-I liked the bits about helping civilians. But with the drought lingering on and on… An unconscious sigh escaped as he paused for just a second, seeming to find more strength and more certainty as he continued: ”I knew that – I knew the king could never fix something like this. What wolf can dictate the weather? He may be powerful, but not… Not enough. And I realized, you know, I didn’t really – it was not the life I had chosen for me, and it would never be quite right…” Now, he found himself peering into the face of the girl, who had been little more than a stranger, but somehow, some way, that felt different today. ”If that makes any sense?”

After a momentary pause, he added, in a quieter voice, ”I knew I would never be good at being a warrior. No matter what I had been taught.” His facade was stoic -- an important lesson learned in younger years -- until his final statement. He did not mention his family, for he was fairly certain his companion did not have one to speak of, either. Maybe that was just growing up.



@Clover

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

A

s she listened to Cian speak on his days in the Mainlands, she kept herself busy wandering here and there, pausing to take in her surroundings with all of her senses. Her sparkling eyes would seek him out often, regarding him curiously before going back to her venturing. Clover pressed her paws up against a fallen log, testing it's give before she jumped up onto it and pranced along the length of it, a chorus of cheerful mhm's as she absorbed what he was telling her.

She leapt off the end of the tree trunk, landing with grace and turning back towards Cian with a proud lift of her chin. "It does make sense! Thas like my mama and papa wishing I would stay home...but, I feel like my spirit needs to fly! And...I can't really do that if I'm settin' still, can I?"

She approached him and nodded with understanding in her gentle smile, her brows furrowing together slightly as she searched his face from mere inches away. Clover silently peered into the depths of the crimson hues of his eyes, trying to understand further the way he felt, especially when he seemed to become...detached when he talked of whatever expectations had been laid upon his shoulders in his early childhood days.

"You can be...whatever et is that ya want ta be." Her voice came softly, almost a whisper as she looked between his eyes, trying to pass along the feeling of hope she felt in her heart for him. "And no matter what, I'll always be proud ta be yer best friend, m'kay? You have so much ta give to the world, Cian! I can feel it! Yer definitely special, alright. Even the will-o'-the-wisps knew it!"



@Cian

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

H

e had fallen silent, ears pricking forward as Clover spoke of her own parents, who were certainly alive, though likely far away. There had to be a reason why Cian’s sire had been so adamant that his offspring avoid the Highlands – despite, or perhaps because of, their mother hailing from the mountainous region. It was not the place of deprivation and ugliness his father had described, that his mother could only speak of her native lands in hushed tones when her mate was not present. What had the old tyrant been hiding?

Perhaps it was the fact that this place was proving to be the opposite of the picture painted. As the young pair continued their journey up the mountain, the view became more and more breathtaking – to the east, where the sun was beginning to dip, the distant ocean sparkled like magic. As far as the eye could see, the sea was endless. It occurred to Cian then, the truth: Father had maligned this place because he never wanted them to go to it, to discover something more beautiful and tantalizing than the boring old Mainlands. Father had not wanted that for his offspring; he had demanded only blind allegiance and obedience. The farther Cian walked, the most distant his old life seemed.

For a lingering minute, Cian was silently introspective, the simple but undeniably wise words of Clover repeating within his mind: "You can be...whatever et is that ya want ta be." This, naturally, set off a fireworks of thoughts in his mind. No one had ever said anything like it before. He was quiet again as he walked. ”All I really want…” His eyes explored the eastern horizon where the sun would soon set. ”Is this. Just like this. Seeing new places, and – and being your best friend.” A smile had crossed his muzzle, though he was not fully aware – and it felt nice to let his guard down for once.



@Clover

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

P

ink hues glanced at the scenery where he looked outward, but ultimately landed on Cian as he smiled. It was infectious and had her grinning with a nod as she nudged his hip gently with hers. "Now that's the spirit!" When she turned back to spectacular view of the distant lands and ocean afar, she gasped in awe.

"Look, Cian! The sea! Ohhh, it's so grand! I'd love ta go see it up close! How big do ya think et is?" Clover marveled at the shimmering surface of the water from their elevated perch. The world beyond was so vast, it was incredible to think of how small they might be on the mountainside. She sighed dreamily thinking of all the places she might visit someday and as she let her imagination roam, she leaned her head against Cian's shoulder.

@Cian

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

F

lame-colored eyes attempted to take in the sight before them. "I think... that it is so huge, it never ends." The vastness of it all – it was hard to fully comprehend just how large their world truly was. And all this time, Cian’s curiosity had been discouraged. How much had he missed out on already? Seeing the valleys and plains far below, and the glitter of the ocean, it occurred to Cian just how strange the situation was – that he had left the army when he had. That he had come to this place, of all places. That he had encountered Clover, of all wolves. It almost made his head spin… or perhaps that was the perilous edge of the cliff. ”Yeah. Let’s go to the sea next,” he said quietly. Life was a strange thing.

It was then that he realized that Clover’s head was resting against his shoulder, and another wave of fever seemed to course through him. He cleared his throat, made some stuttering noises that could hardly be considered words. After a few seconds, he managed to stammer ”I – uh – the path –” He forced his attention back to the task at hand. How long had they been walking, anyway? ”It looks like we are getting closer to the end, doesn’t it? A-and it is good timing.” The sun was quickly falling toward the west, and traversing this trail in the dark seemed ill-advised. The horizon was beginning to show its most beautiful colors of dusk.



@Clover

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

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er tail began to wag wildly behind her, tapping against Cian as it swished from side to side. "You'd really come with me?" She asked, still staring across the open waters of the endless ocean and sky. As she leaned against him, she felt him shift and he started sputtering some words. Clover leaned back slightly to peer up at him. "The path?" She asked with an amused giggle, tilting her head as she tried to understand what he was saying.

"Oh! It ends here, does it?" She turned around and moved away from the warmth of Cian's flame-touched fur, trotting back over to the trail and looking back and forth along it. "Wow, yer right. The sun's setting awfully fast...ya think we can make it out before night time?" Clover looked back over her shoulder at him curiously, her paws shuffling back and forth with excited energy coursing through her limbs at the idea of racing the sun and moon.

@Cian

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

”A

nd after the sea…” Bright eyes scanned the darkening horizon, painted in hues of gold and scarlet and indigo, before settling on a towering summit in the near distance, his voice with the dream-like quality of a poet. ”That tall mountain, in the east, you see? It must be the biggest one of the bunch,” he mused aloud. ”What do you say? I wonder what it is called…” His voice tapered off into silence like a gentle breeze. The youth was not conscious of the fact that his nervous stutter had all faded away as he stood on the path, still taking in all the wonders of a world once unattainable to him. These places, these views had been merely stories, and now, Cian got to see it for himself. This was much better, he knew.

Clover’s attention had turned toward their more imminent descent from the present mountain, wondering if they would make it down before dark. It seemed unlikely… especially on a trail he had, a short time ago, been afraid to walk on let alone run… But his friend seemed so self-assured, and they had made it this far with no problems. His tail lashed behind him wildly as he lowered himself closer to the ground, preparing to spring forward – though he would not go until Clover had a fair head-start, given that she was considerably smaller than the male.




@Clover

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

T

he gain in confidence that now consumed Cian's aura lifted Clover's spirits. She felt as though she were above the clouds now, which how elevated she normally was. "The highest point, of the tallest mountain...that'll be an epic tale to tell once we've conquered it! And if it doesn't have a name then we'll name it ourselves!"

She gasped with delight as her mind began to burst with ideas of travel destinations. "And then, we could see that forest that never turns green! Or, or...the rivers that weave into a braid! All of the places in all of the stories Mama and Papa told me!"

Her good mood could not be tarnished and only fueled her need to dash down the mountain side. When she looked over at Cian, he was already lowered to the ground as though he might take off first. A show of teeth in a devilish grin appeared on Clover's face as she too moved into a crouch, her eyes locked on his in a challenge. "It's a race then?" She asked, though she already knew the answer and she nodded, her heart hammering in her chest as she fidgeted in place.

"Alright then. On your mark...get set...GO!" From there she kicked off the ground, making leaps and bounds across the rough terrain, kicking off of boulders, trees, and their roots while she was airborne. The air filled with her laughter as she worked her hardest to keep herself ahead, tongue lolling out of her mouth as she sped down the route they'd come.

@Cian

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

T

he highest point, the tallest mountain… The youth’s smile was spread wide across his pale muzzle as Clover enthused about the soon-to-be adventures they would share. He nodded eagerly along with each suggestion. ”It will be…” His voice, still in a dreamy state, trailed off for a second before his unconscious mind filled in the rest: ”Perfect.” Who could ask for anything more than a seasoned and exciting travel companion – his newly designated best friend?

The race began on Clover’s word, with the girl’s vivacity to enliven and encourage the wolf who wore colors of ember, like his Highlander ancestors. Cian was running now, just a few paces behind Clover (for the sake of fairness, again), and he felt as wild as a careless child. All around, darkness consumed the landscape, but the path remained before him as clear as daylight.

He was running, until… he was not. Oversized paws got the better of the boy, and the scenery around him was soon tumbling, as Cian rolled head-over-heels – impressively, though not ideally, even more quickly than he had been running. He collapsed into a heap in the middle of the trail, covered in dust and bits of leaves, head spinning and confused from his unexpected trip.




@Clover

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck