If You Want To Get Out Alive... (Open)

[Queen Valecia Ivarest]

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[atrb=background,http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/8938/valecia2.png] Everything was falling apart...her home had been attacked...wolves had been killed under her care. Guards had been banished as a result of her rage regarding the situation... A sigh slipped from her lips as she strolled the hallways of the castle. Almost every window had been opened. A soft breeze pulled through her hair. The tile floor cold on her bare feet. Freezing for a second, she glanced around. A guard stood firm, watching over everything as she had instructed. His face held a certain coldness, matching the rest of the room. Blinking slowly, she pulled her eyes from him and walked away. She didn't like seeing people looking that way. Emotionless. But her guards...had to be that way. Nothing could break their concentration, or they'd have a repeat of the last time...And she'd have heads on chopping blocks if it happened again... She approached a set of french doors. Clear, textured glass panels allowed light to coat the room but hindered people from seeing clearly inside. Her blues eyes looking over the intricate designs the textures forced the light to make across the walls and floor. Seeing the blurry greenery through the glass made a small smile cross her lips. One delicate hand fell on each door handle as she pulled them open together, leaving the doors open as she walked out. The cool concrete felt good on her bare feet. Closing her eyes, she took in a deep breath. Leaves had started falling, but the plants in the courtyard hadn't died off yet for the year. Stepping down the stairs and starting down the path, she looked over everything as she always did. Inspecting every piece of her surroundings. Nothing seemed out of place. A few wolves were placed randomly. All adults, as the pups were kept under close watch now inside, unless accompanied to go outside. One wolf lay sleeping on the edge of the fountain...stretched out, breathing evenly, relaxed. It was nice to see them happy. Able to just lay around and not fear anything...even if everyday she feared something bad would come of her home, she couldn't let them feel that way, or see her feeling that way. She was their leader...and because of that, had to be strong for them.

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[Saya]

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A soft breeze stirred the courtyard, putting the first bite of winter into the air. Autumn leaves rustled slightly as the air passed through them; fine currents tousled the fur of the wolves scattered throughout the area. Barely visible, a wisp drifted in on the wind, looking like nothing so much as a thousand floating ice crystals. As the breeze died, the vague shape slowly assumed a form and then, quite abruptly, became a solid wolf. With the return to her physical shape, Saya immediately felt the impact of her efforts. Her head and tail drooped and she panted as if exhausted; her muscles ached from... well, from not being muscles, if that made any sense. Saya wasn't sure why she should feel the loss of energy as physical pain, but she did all the same. Not that Hana would ever find about that. A quiet whine escaped her as she stretched; first the forelegs, then each hind leg, as though she had just risen from a long nap. The cooler weather helped to ease the ache; that was something at least. Forcing herself to perk up her ears, Saya took in the courtyard in one long glance. For the most part, the other wolves in the vicinity seemed to be resting in one way or another. Sleeping, or socializing, or just enjoying the tranquil courtyard. It had been a long time since Saya had visited this place. She and Hana mostly kept to themselves, in their own home or in the city in general, except for training at the aptly-named training grounds. A few days ago, though, Saya had had a run-in with a Rogue. The forest was an off-limits destination, apparently, so she had chosen Castle Lykos this time around. Come to think of it, Saya wasn't even entirely sure that she was actually allowed in this particular courtyard. She didn't exactly live in the castle. Still, she was a wolf... surely wolves were welcome? Wasn't her kind the whole reason the Queen even had her throne? Oh, crap; the Queen! She was right there. Saya fixed her icy stare on the young woman, unable to look away. She really was young.... Younger than Hana, which surprised her. Okay, sure, Saya had seen the Queen recently enough that she probably should have known that, but in her defense, it had been from some distance. Never this close. Saya wasn't sure if she should say anything to her. Wolves usually didn't speak to humans, except their own humans, sure, but Saya was known to be a regular chatterbox. Still.... Oh, what the hell? If worst came to worst, Saya could just freaking literally vanish into thin air. What did she have to be worried about? "Yo." Saya's greeting of choice. Just brief enough that it could be mistaken for a bark, but still a proper, vocal greeting. For Hana. Or a civilian. It never really occurred to her that that might not be the best way to greet the Queen.... [atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,false][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,width:400px; background:#0a1017 url(http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/8342/oza.png) bottom center;,true][atrb=style, text-align:justify; font-family:'times new roman';font-size:12px; color:#05625f;vertical-align:text-top]

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[Queen Valecia Ivarest]

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[atrb=background,http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/8938/valecia2.png] You never know what you have until it is gone. The sense of safety had long become foreign to her. She kept up a front to her people, even at such a young age. Some thought her incapable of running all of this, But with the loss of her mother at the age of three, a kingdom being passed down to her and legacy to uphold, she was forced to grow up almost the moment she was born. Others seemed to respect her and what she had accomplished in her small time actually commanding the kingdom. Valecia's eyes crossed over the courtyard again. One young wolf laying on his back caught her attention. He was not old enough to have been around for the attack. He hadn't even reached adulthood yet. Sprawled out at the edge of the fountain, eyes closed with the look of bliss painted out across his face. A smile crossed her lips. And then it fell into a frown. He was so innocent. He still had that look of childhood wonder across his muzzle. He had never seen war. Never seen hurt. Protected by her kingdom's walls. A sigh fell from her lips as she turned her eyes away from him. Just to catch sight of something floating in. Materializing and looking around as if confused for a moment. She did not remember this wolf. Wolves wandered the town with their humans after they were handed over as pups. Which meant that sometimes, wolves grew up and Valecia no longer recognized them. A stern look crossed her face. What if this wolf did not belong in here? Dark in color as most Nightfall wolves were. She watched the canine carefully. Studying her before deciding that her nonchalant movements were not a threat. Turning her attention to a few wolves walking alongside their humans. A guard standing at the edge of the courtyard. It was sad to see these creatures under lockdown like this. But they seemed content with all of it. Judging by the male still on his back, now dragging his tail back and forth along the concrete he laid on happily as another wolf walked up and nudged him. 'Yo.' A confused look crossed Valecia's face as she rose a brow. Just a bark? Turning her head to look for the source of the noise. Searching, her eyes landed on the female that had come out of thin air. Blinking a couple times, she spoke ina questioning tone. "Hello?" Words: 450 Tags: Saya

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[Saya]

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The Queen mostly looked confused, as far as Saya could tell, and it began to dawn on her that maybe even wolves ought be a little less familiar with royalty. Well, it wasn't like she could un-say it. Might as well roll with it. At least the Queen seemed to know that she was the one who had spoken. Or was that a bad thing? Saya had half a mind to point her nose at some other wolf and shout "He did it!" and just disappear, but that would have been... dishonorable? Uncouth? Saya wasn't sure exactly, but she knew it would be something bad. Either way, she didn't have much choice at this point anyhow. Saya's tail waved slowly behind her, level with her hindquarters. Relaxed, but alert. She stretched, trying to work some of the ache out of her muscles. "Hiya," she replied nonchalantly, shaking her fur out as if to dry it. Only long practice allowed her to hide the sharp pain it caused, but she had learned from experience; the more she worked sore muscles, the sooner the pain would fade. She let her mouth fall open in a wolfish grin. "Lovely day, isn't it? Just starting to get chilly out." Frost had begun to replace dew in the early mornings, and the sunlight was becoming subtly weaker every day. Hana wasn't a big fan of winter... Saya couldn't help it. There was something about a winter landscape that she found breathtakingly beautiful; before that, autumn's bright colors breathed more life into the landscape than spring ever could. At least, in Saya's mind. But then, she was still sort of a giant puppy, and what was more appealing to a pup than bright colors and romping through a wonderland of cold, wet, fluffy stuff? Saya's ears perked up cheerfully at the thought. Of course, autumn reminded her of other things as well. Distant, painful memories. He had died not long into autumn, all those years ago. Saya pushed the memory away; she never wanted to remember that. Memories, however, have a way of bobbing to the surface unbidden, often when you least expect them. She had Hana. That was what mattered. [atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,false][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,width:400px; background:#0a1017 url(http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/8342/oza.png) bottom center;,true][atrb=style, text-align:justify; font-family:'times new roman';font-size:12px; color:#05625f;vertical-align:text-top]

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[sigmus]

Sigmus

'I don't ever want to let you down, I don't ever want to leave this town.'

The brute huffed once to himself as Aviv slid off of his back. The pair had been training for about two hours, and the girl was tired, he could tell. She's made him practice taking on other wolf's forms, so he was just as exhausted. Sigmus would never turn down a training opportunity with Aviv, but even he knows that living things have limits. The female guard didn't seem to recognize that. His gaze shifted back to her as she turned to him, fussing with the feathers behind his ear. He nudged her in response, glancing to the castle. Aviv rolled her eyes and led the way inside.

His steps were heavy yet quiet as he followed the girl down the elegant hallways. She was going to see her father, who was also a guard here. Sig's nose twitched as they passed a few other wolves. Once reaching a doorway, Aviv turned and ran her finger down the bridge of his muzzle before disappearing. The male stayed until she was no longer in his sight before drifting off toward the courtyard. He was not on duty and had no business actually being in the castle besides roaming around. Sigmus always felt in the way when he took pointless strolls, but fortunately, the courtyard was built for them.

The shadows of the guards on duty and their partnered wolves cast upon him as he quickly padded down the tiled hallway. His pace slowed upon catching sight of the outdoors. Before even rounding the corner to enter the yard, he could tell there was a good mix of humans and wolves. Quiet chatter reached his ears as well as the occasional splashes of water. Sigmus stepped into the sunlight cautiously, raising his head. Yep, there were a few wolves dozing by the statue. His maroon gaze flicked over it. The large thing had always managed to catch his attention.

"Lovely day, isn't it? Just starting to get chilly out."

Turning his head, he spotted a darker wolf he had definitely seen before but knew nothing about. It seemed she was conversing with the Queen, as well. Sig cocked his head. Usually wolves weren't so... casual with her. He mentally shrugged and plopped down on the concrete with a sigh. His hip had always given him trouble after that battle, and it only seems to get worse. Sigmus rested his head on his paws, attempting to take a small nap before Aviv came back. But his eyes kept flicking back to the dark female and the Queen.

[Queen Valecia Ivarest]

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[atrb=background,http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/8938/valecia2.png] 'Hiya.' She had been correct. It had been the newcomer who had informally spoke to her. The wolf seemed as though she had decided to go ahead and talk to her. A smile crossing Valecia's lips. Sweet and innocent. Although anyone who knew her, knew that behind those eyes, were something that people twice her age had never seen, would never understand. 'Lovely day, isn't it? Just starting to get chilly out.' She nodded cutely in return to the wolf's words. Her blue eyes staring up at the wolf. "Indeed." It was nice that they felt comfortable approaching her. She needed to be approachable. Even at such a young age, she knew that if her followers couldn't come to her, then they wouldn't tell her their problems. And if they didn't being her their problems, things couldn't be fixed. Nothing could be changed, adjusted, bettered. Her eyes traced over some of the courtyard. Beasts of lore scattered the area. Massive monsters that anyone who hadn't grown up around them would be terrified of. Nothing could pull the smile from her face when she looked at them and saw their happiness. From an even earlier age, she had been taught that she needed to be alert, that there were people in the shadows who sought to destroy what she had. And one wolf exitting her castle caught her attention. Sitting himself on the concrete. He seemed as though waiting on something. Someone maybe. His eyes catching them. Valecia's attention turned back to the newcomer, a hand reaching up to the wolf's face. Her slender fingers scratching behind her ear. Even with her adult position she had to take, her eyes still always held that child like wonder for these creatures. Their size. Their colors. Their abilities. They were nothing short of amazing. Pulling her hand away, her eyes fell on the wolf off to himself again. She wondered for a moment where Othello could be. Probably lounging somewhere within the castle walls. Word Count: 400 Tags: Saya, Sigmus

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