Post by Kikerz on Nov 6, 2009 21:34:12 GMT -8
The snow that fell from leaden clouds held a certain quality to them, a serenity that was far too difficult to find in this world any more. Whirling individualities had not so much as reached the ground before they faded, reaching singularity in the blanket that covered the dying earth. White below and grey above, color was nowhere to be found, belonging to another eternity entirely. Everywhere that optics searched, nothing was to be found; landscapes were flattened by rain frozen in animation, mountains made equal with valleys. The cold bit into the fur of anyone who held stupidity, or enough desperation, to remain outside, with teeth sharpened by infuriating helplessness. Barely able to see five feet in front of her, the only beacon guiding her through the harsh winterland was a rust-colored tail, fur limp and matted with age. Both wolves' heads were bent against the wind, trying in vain to provide some shield for their bodies. Making their way out of the forest, it was sheer luck that guided them around imposing trees, masquerading as harmless nothings. Snow wasn't howling down around them anymore, merely fading, paying homage to the pair's march as they met the former lake's edge. Time grew akin to snowflakes, both melting into the ground until it meant nothing, and was impossible to distinguish.
They had been continuing on for hours, perhaps, the only sound keeping the wolves in a steady beat, metal clinking against metal from a wolf's bracelet, lasting through time and death the same. Toboe stopped suddenly, hindquarters dropping to signal a rest. The follower was even smaller than the elderly wolf, her figure slender with exertion. Her stomach stuck out compared to the rest of her body, with the weight of many pups slowing her down as the journey wore on. Creeping up beside her older friend, the femme lowered herself to the ground, careful to keep her burden away from the cold. No tongues were out, lolling and panting, just hollow breaths searching for air to calm their hearts. Kiki's voice stirred, words dancing at the end of her tongue. "Do you think... we could rest here a while?" Nearly lost in the wind, the faint words were greeted by a nod on the other end, before the old man lay down beside her. Fear clawed at the mahogany-furred body, demanding acknowledgement, demanding that the fact be appreciated, the fact that they were lost. The pair was slower in movement, pups and age reducing their speed, and had agreed to stick together, should the scenario arise. Millions of snowflakes added to the blanket beneath, and on top of the wolves, before Kiki rose to her paws. Lifting her head, a beautiful howl released the burden of stress from her body, calling her pack to find the pair.
The notes clung to life as long as they could, breaking off for a reprise halfway through, the howl communicating the situation. Right now, all that Kiki wanted more than anything were the bodies of her friends around her, the bond that held them together persevering through the snow, across the distance. Resting a slender head on crossed forelegs, Kiki's yellow eyes narrowed to half-moons, staying alert for the expected paw steps. Half moons faded to new moons, pulling Kiki into a land where Paradise had been found, and dreams followed their every step. Unaware that she had even reached sleep, a nose nudged the slumbering body awake, agitation in his eyes. "Can you hear that?" Still groggy from the rest, a sound broke through, impossible not to hear, a deep rumbling of foreign make. Looking to Toboe, he was already off, following the sound, leaving Kiki to follow again. Curiosity pricked their veins with energy, enabling speed to outrun worry. Coming to a stop beside one of her best friends, heads twitched in every which way, the sounds they were hearing not making sense to any wolf.
This was likely due to the fact that it was a constant combination of sounds, not a single source. Small-scale military trucks rumbled, their engines rare furnaces in the cold winter wasteland, radiated heat that kept fingers of frost from creeping across the windshields. The crunching of snow and cracking of ice added to the cacophony along with the metallic racket of treads encircling the tires, leaving crenellated trails soon to be lost in a haze of blinding powder. Even over this had been heard a howl, which now drew the mechanical caravan like a beacon. The biting air could only flow around the steel and glass shells, saving those inside from its sting. A dark blot on the blank canvas landscape directed the course, then, as the trucks broke their single-file formation to fan out. It was as if a maw was opening to swallow the pair of small wolves, as the noisy vehicles moved to secure a wide perimeter.
They had been continuing on for hours, perhaps, the only sound keeping the wolves in a steady beat, metal clinking against metal from a wolf's bracelet, lasting through time and death the same. Toboe stopped suddenly, hindquarters dropping to signal a rest. The follower was even smaller than the elderly wolf, her figure slender with exertion. Her stomach stuck out compared to the rest of her body, with the weight of many pups slowing her down as the journey wore on. Creeping up beside her older friend, the femme lowered herself to the ground, careful to keep her burden away from the cold. No tongues were out, lolling and panting, just hollow breaths searching for air to calm their hearts. Kiki's voice stirred, words dancing at the end of her tongue. "Do you think... we could rest here a while?" Nearly lost in the wind, the faint words were greeted by a nod on the other end, before the old man lay down beside her. Fear clawed at the mahogany-furred body, demanding acknowledgement, demanding that the fact be appreciated, the fact that they were lost. The pair was slower in movement, pups and age reducing their speed, and had agreed to stick together, should the scenario arise. Millions of snowflakes added to the blanket beneath, and on top of the wolves, before Kiki rose to her paws. Lifting her head, a beautiful howl released the burden of stress from her body, calling her pack to find the pair.
The notes clung to life as long as they could, breaking off for a reprise halfway through, the howl communicating the situation. Right now, all that Kiki wanted more than anything were the bodies of her friends around her, the bond that held them together persevering through the snow, across the distance. Resting a slender head on crossed forelegs, Kiki's yellow eyes narrowed to half-moons, staying alert for the expected paw steps. Half moons faded to new moons, pulling Kiki into a land where Paradise had been found, and dreams followed their every step. Unaware that she had even reached sleep, a nose nudged the slumbering body awake, agitation in his eyes. "Can you hear that?" Still groggy from the rest, a sound broke through, impossible not to hear, a deep rumbling of foreign make. Looking to Toboe, he was already off, following the sound, leaving Kiki to follow again. Curiosity pricked their veins with energy, enabling speed to outrun worry. Coming to a stop beside one of her best friends, heads twitched in every which way, the sounds they were hearing not making sense to any wolf.
This was likely due to the fact that it was a constant combination of sounds, not a single source. Small-scale military trucks rumbled, their engines rare furnaces in the cold winter wasteland, radiated heat that kept fingers of frost from creeping across the windshields. The crunching of snow and cracking of ice added to the cacophony along with the metallic racket of treads encircling the tires, leaving crenellated trails soon to be lost in a haze of blinding powder. Even over this had been heard a howl, which now drew the mechanical caravan like a beacon. The biting air could only flow around the steel and glass shells, saving those inside from its sting. A dark blot on the blank canvas landscape directed the course, then, as the trucks broke their single-file formation to fan out. It was as if a maw was opening to swallow the pair of small wolves, as the noisy vehicles moved to secure a wide perimeter.
