Post by Cardan on Mar 18, 2020 21:09:18 GMT -6
[attr="class","base"]
[attr="class","post"]The hours bled into days, the days into weeks, and before Cardan could blink it was spring. Not that he was complaining, perhaps for the very first time in his life. He dreaded the frigid bite of winter, and the way that his favored foliage withered and died, leaving him in a barren wasteland that frankly bored him to tears. Spring…well, if he had a favorite season, he supposed it would be second only to autumn. The temperature was tolerable enough, with a cool breeze that ran windswept gusts through his fur, and everything was in bloom again – no more desperately seeking warmer climates to indulge in his favored catnip.
But catnip was not what had brought him to Vesyth today. No, rather it was a sense of restlessness, the very same that seemed to plague Cardan’s days and nights as of late. There had been some days where he’d been able to occupy his time with pestering wolves, such as Cirdan of Mythos, and others where he’d been able to stave off some of his pent up frustrations – with Tupoc, whom he certainly had not minded spending time with in the least – but since then, Cardan had been alone. As usual.
And so it was that his footsteps lead him deeper into Vesyth, the very air around him changing the further that he traveled. The breeze carried to him a soft, sweet scent, fresh and floral and more than a bit tantalizing. It was a smell that promised blooming life, and the closer that Cardan grew to it, the more promising the scent became. Curiously he found that the climate surrounding him began to grow slightly warmer as well, spring’s faint chill bleeding away, surrendering to a heat that was subtle but comforting. Closer and closer he drew to the source of this change, until at last the ebony brute found himself wandering into what he could only describe as paradise.
Cascading boughs of gentle lilac flowers tumbled towards the earth, bowing silently over pools of hot springs that bubbled softly, the sound scarcely discernible beneath the rustling of the leaves. Petals of pale pink swirled around his large frame, catching in his fur for precious moments before somersaulting away, coming to rest silently upon the downy earth beneath his paws. All around him were blossoms, so numerous in their number that it was dizzying, and the tiny green buds that dotted the branches promised many more to come. It was…
Well. It was exquisite, and Cardan found himself happily splaying upon the ground, content to breathe in the fresh smell of earth and flowers that surrounded him. Here…yes, here was where he would find himself slumbering throughout the season, for though the springs were not a viable option for drinking, he had crossed a babbling brook on his way through Vesyth. It was lovely, and though he could not have began to explain why, he found himself drawn to this place, comforted by it.
Which was why his irritation spiked so very high when something suddenly made a terrible racket in the branches of the nearest tree.
His eyes, which had flitted closed without his realizing, snapped open. They narrowed almost instantly as he gazed towards the offending foliage, wondering who had come to disturb his peace now. With a heavy sigh that he did not bother to keep quiet, Cardan pushed himself to a seated position, ears splaying back against his skull as his eyes traced the wild shaking of the branches. Whatever perched there seemed to be distressed, or perhaps dying, if he were lucky. Then he would be left with peace again, and perhaps he might even be able to nap before the growling of his stomach roused him.
Briefly the rustling quieted, and Cardan was almost content to resume his lazing – until quite suddenly there was a flutter of wings, and something dark swung downwards from the innards of the tree, dangling precariously from the bough. Squinting, Cardan slowly rose to his feet, languidly strolling forward as if he weren't completely baffled until he came to stand almost underneath the thing, head tilting back as he gazed up at it. It was…strange, and difficult for him to decipher what he was gazing at. Fur here, slick wings there, tucked close to conceal most of the weird little body. Perhaps this was one of the demons that his mother had always accused Cardan of being? Or perhaps some deformed creature, abandoned by its dam and left to fend for itself?
He was amid his musing when a damp little nose emerged from the cocoon of wings quite suddenly, followed by a fur-clad muzzle and huge, limpid black eyes. The two of them blinked almost simultaneously, but before Cardan could utter a word, the creature shifted its body and suddenly tumbled from the low-hanging branch, colliding with the petal-clad earth between Cardan’s paws. It shuffled into a half-upright position as he stared down at it, one of its wings held oddly against its body, screaming of an injury – and indeed, he could see some sort of cut that marred the leathery membrane there, half-healed but red and apparently painful.
”Well,” Cardan drawled quietly as the strange beast blinked up at him. He had never seen anything like it, and frankly, he was a bit disturbed by how very wolfish the facial features of it seemed to be. Not the same, to be sure, but…similar. His paw lifted, edging forward in preparation of putting the poor thing out of its misery, and earning his peace back. He did not particularly like to kill things, not at all, but nor did he wish to listen to it in the final throes of its life if it could not care for itself properly. ”You’re an odd one, aren’t you? Perhaps you’ll understand the sentiment when I say that this is for your own good – “
And all hell broke loose.
There came a great screech of indignation from the creature that had Cardan swiftly snatching his paw back, his bottom tumbling back and colliding with the earth as his eyes widened. Still the creature continued to keen, rearing back and flapping its good wing furiously, the chattering noises emitted from its open maw making Cardan’s ears twitch.
”Shut up,” Cardan demanded instinctively, his voice dipping into a low growl – but it tapered off a moment later when he realized, joltingly, that if he listened closely…he could understand what the creature was screaming about.
”…the nerve of you! Don’t even bother trying to help, do ya? Nope, you’d rather snap my neck and be done with it! Well I won’t have it, not today. I’ve lost enough and I don’t need some…some…” Her screeches – for the voice was clearly feminine – were dying down now, and those eyes had grown wider, and – shit. Was she going to start crying? Cardan found himself at a loss, and it was staggering; he simply stared down at the animal as she tucked herself close, her body trembling as she glared half-heartedly up at him.
”I…” He what? Cardan hadn’t the slightest clue what to do. He hadn’t expected this, had never spoken to a creature who was not a wolf before, and he certainly did not know how to handle femmes on the verge of tears, no matter the species. And so he blurted the only thing that came to mind: ”What’s your name?”
Her sniffles quieted, and her glare softened a fraction, suspicion shining in those big, dark eyes. ”My name? It’s…it’s Nicasia.” Not a demon after all, then; or at least, he didn’t think. He’d never heard of demons to sniffle and sob, at least not in the gruesome tales that his mother had told him to frighten Cardan into submission. Strange – everything about this day was strange. Before he could begin to wonder what else he was supposed to ask, however, Nicasia readily supplied the information herself. ”There was a terrible storm, and I got separated from my colony. The wind blew me into the trees, and I hurt my wing. I…I’ve never been alone before. I don’t know what to do.”
In that moment, visions of Myrcella flashed before his eyes – and then so quickly that he almost missed it, memories of himself as a pup, afraid and alone, cast out of the dens as thunder raged above and lightning split the skies. Cold, wet, alone. Afraid, confused, hurt. The feelings swirled through Cardan, overwhelmed him, until he gasped and reeled back from them. Nicasia was still gazing up at him from beneath her wing, and in that moment he knew that he would not be able to snuff her out as he’d originally intended.
”Perhaps I can help you,” he said, so softly that he was not sure she heard, until he saw her ears twitch. And then, in usual Cardan fashion he added, ”As long as you promise to never shriek as you did before. You have the power to make ears bleed across the continent, and I quite like my own in healthy condition, you strange little beast.”
”Bat,” she informed him, attempting to sound indignant but failing as a smile spread across her muzzle. ”I am a bat.”
”Then hello, Nicasia the Bat,” Cardan said, so formally that it was immediately silly. ”My name is Cardan the Wolf.”
Words: 1,562
Tags: open!
Muse: Excellent
Notes: just Cardan finding his companion. If anyone wants to hop in, they can!
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But catnip was not what had brought him to Vesyth today. No, rather it was a sense of restlessness, the very same that seemed to plague Cardan’s days and nights as of late. There had been some days where he’d been able to occupy his time with pestering wolves, such as Cirdan of Mythos, and others where he’d been able to stave off some of his pent up frustrations – with Tupoc, whom he certainly had not minded spending time with in the least – but since then, Cardan had been alone. As usual.
And so it was that his footsteps lead him deeper into Vesyth, the very air around him changing the further that he traveled. The breeze carried to him a soft, sweet scent, fresh and floral and more than a bit tantalizing. It was a smell that promised blooming life, and the closer that Cardan grew to it, the more promising the scent became. Curiously he found that the climate surrounding him began to grow slightly warmer as well, spring’s faint chill bleeding away, surrendering to a heat that was subtle but comforting. Closer and closer he drew to the source of this change, until at last the ebony brute found himself wandering into what he could only describe as paradise.
Cascading boughs of gentle lilac flowers tumbled towards the earth, bowing silently over pools of hot springs that bubbled softly, the sound scarcely discernible beneath the rustling of the leaves. Petals of pale pink swirled around his large frame, catching in his fur for precious moments before somersaulting away, coming to rest silently upon the downy earth beneath his paws. All around him were blossoms, so numerous in their number that it was dizzying, and the tiny green buds that dotted the branches promised many more to come. It was…
Well. It was exquisite, and Cardan found himself happily splaying upon the ground, content to breathe in the fresh smell of earth and flowers that surrounded him. Here…yes, here was where he would find himself slumbering throughout the season, for though the springs were not a viable option for drinking, he had crossed a babbling brook on his way through Vesyth. It was lovely, and though he could not have began to explain why, he found himself drawn to this place, comforted by it.
Which was why his irritation spiked so very high when something suddenly made a terrible racket in the branches of the nearest tree.
His eyes, which had flitted closed without his realizing, snapped open. They narrowed almost instantly as he gazed towards the offending foliage, wondering who had come to disturb his peace now. With a heavy sigh that he did not bother to keep quiet, Cardan pushed himself to a seated position, ears splaying back against his skull as his eyes traced the wild shaking of the branches. Whatever perched there seemed to be distressed, or perhaps dying, if he were lucky. Then he would be left with peace again, and perhaps he might even be able to nap before the growling of his stomach roused him.
Briefly the rustling quieted, and Cardan was almost content to resume his lazing – until quite suddenly there was a flutter of wings, and something dark swung downwards from the innards of the tree, dangling precariously from the bough. Squinting, Cardan slowly rose to his feet, languidly strolling forward as if he weren't completely baffled until he came to stand almost underneath the thing, head tilting back as he gazed up at it. It was…strange, and difficult for him to decipher what he was gazing at. Fur here, slick wings there, tucked close to conceal most of the weird little body. Perhaps this was one of the demons that his mother had always accused Cardan of being? Or perhaps some deformed creature, abandoned by its dam and left to fend for itself?
He was amid his musing when a damp little nose emerged from the cocoon of wings quite suddenly, followed by a fur-clad muzzle and huge, limpid black eyes. The two of them blinked almost simultaneously, but before Cardan could utter a word, the creature shifted its body and suddenly tumbled from the low-hanging branch, colliding with the petal-clad earth between Cardan’s paws. It shuffled into a half-upright position as he stared down at it, one of its wings held oddly against its body, screaming of an injury – and indeed, he could see some sort of cut that marred the leathery membrane there, half-healed but red and apparently painful.
”Well,” Cardan drawled quietly as the strange beast blinked up at him. He had never seen anything like it, and frankly, he was a bit disturbed by how very wolfish the facial features of it seemed to be. Not the same, to be sure, but…similar. His paw lifted, edging forward in preparation of putting the poor thing out of its misery, and earning his peace back. He did not particularly like to kill things, not at all, but nor did he wish to listen to it in the final throes of its life if it could not care for itself properly. ”You’re an odd one, aren’t you? Perhaps you’ll understand the sentiment when I say that this is for your own good – “
And all hell broke loose.
There came a great screech of indignation from the creature that had Cardan swiftly snatching his paw back, his bottom tumbling back and colliding with the earth as his eyes widened. Still the creature continued to keen, rearing back and flapping its good wing furiously, the chattering noises emitted from its open maw making Cardan’s ears twitch.
”Shut up,” Cardan demanded instinctively, his voice dipping into a low growl – but it tapered off a moment later when he realized, joltingly, that if he listened closely…he could understand what the creature was screaming about.
”…the nerve of you! Don’t even bother trying to help, do ya? Nope, you’d rather snap my neck and be done with it! Well I won’t have it, not today. I’ve lost enough and I don’t need some…some…” Her screeches – for the voice was clearly feminine – were dying down now, and those eyes had grown wider, and – shit. Was she going to start crying? Cardan found himself at a loss, and it was staggering; he simply stared down at the animal as she tucked herself close, her body trembling as she glared half-heartedly up at him.
”I…” He what? Cardan hadn’t the slightest clue what to do. He hadn’t expected this, had never spoken to a creature who was not a wolf before, and he certainly did not know how to handle femmes on the verge of tears, no matter the species. And so he blurted the only thing that came to mind: ”What’s your name?”
Her sniffles quieted, and her glare softened a fraction, suspicion shining in those big, dark eyes. ”My name? It’s…it’s Nicasia.” Not a demon after all, then; or at least, he didn’t think. He’d never heard of demons to sniffle and sob, at least not in the gruesome tales that his mother had told him to frighten Cardan into submission. Strange – everything about this day was strange. Before he could begin to wonder what else he was supposed to ask, however, Nicasia readily supplied the information herself. ”There was a terrible storm, and I got separated from my colony. The wind blew me into the trees, and I hurt my wing. I…I’ve never been alone before. I don’t know what to do.”
In that moment, visions of Myrcella flashed before his eyes – and then so quickly that he almost missed it, memories of himself as a pup, afraid and alone, cast out of the dens as thunder raged above and lightning split the skies. Cold, wet, alone. Afraid, confused, hurt. The feelings swirled through Cardan, overwhelmed him, until he gasped and reeled back from them. Nicasia was still gazing up at him from beneath her wing, and in that moment he knew that he would not be able to snuff her out as he’d originally intended.
”Perhaps I can help you,” he said, so softly that he was not sure she heard, until he saw her ears twitch. And then, in usual Cardan fashion he added, ”As long as you promise to never shriek as you did before. You have the power to make ears bleed across the continent, and I quite like my own in healthy condition, you strange little beast.”
”Bat,” she informed him, attempting to sound indignant but failing as a smile spread across her muzzle. ”I am a bat.”
”Then hello, Nicasia the Bat,” Cardan said, so formally that it was immediately silly. ”My name is Cardan the Wolf.”
Words: 1,562
Tags: open!
Muse: Excellent
Notes: just Cardan finding his companion. If anyone wants to hop in, they can!
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Valkyrie 
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