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 Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 2:14 pm
 The journey to his territory wasn't far at all. Only about a 2 hour walk from where he'd met Ryla.......the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen.
Widower couldn't explain it but he had a wierd feelin in the pit of his stomach that kept him wanting to stay with her longer and longer. They didn't talk much on the way there jsut enjoyed eachother's company and the world aronud them, his territory was acutally more green than gray. He lived where the trees grew and held fruit at parts of the year.
Most hounds would think this place was horrid, but he loved it, the colors were always alive and growing aronud him, and he never felt so stuck out like he did against the gray mist tht covered most of the oblivion.
"Here we are" He said seeing his large den that he'd dug as a teen. Around it grew bright red, orange and yellow flowers. "Do you like it?"
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Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 3:07 pm
 The travel to Widower's territory hadn't taken so long, but with each step Ryla grew more and more curious about the feelings she seemed to have for this strange scarlet dog that she'd stumbled across in Oblivion. For some reason she felt like... Well, like she might be able to trust him with some of the secrets that had weighed her down for so long.
Her earring jingled against her horn as a constant reminder of her past. Every time she thought about it she shrunk into herself an inch further, which wasn't helping her to make conversation with Widower. He probably thought that she was a cold, cruel female hound that had no feelings whatsoever for him.
And that wasn't true... Not at all...
She didn't show any visible signs of surprise when they finally approached Widower's den, but then again, she rarely showed visible signs of anything. The truth was, she was a bit in shock to find herself in a place where there was actually vegetation! Most of Oblivion was made up of hard stone and at the very best, dirt. She'd had no idea that a place like this existed! An occasional wisp of fog floated over the landscape from time to time when blown in by the wind, but for the most part the air was clear! And Widower's den! It was surrounded by flowers that nearly matched the main colors of his fur! It was beautiful...
"It's... It's great," she found herself stammering a bit when Widower asked her opinion. Such a beautiful place... and he fit right in with all of the beautiful colors...
Suddenly Ryla felt very self-conscious of her silvery fur. Against the vivid hues of this place... she must stick out like a sore thumb...
"Ah... How long have you lived here?" she asked Widower, trying to shake off the feeling that she was out of place, "since you were a pup? or did you just find it recently? And... HOW did you find a place like this in Oblivion?"
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Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 5:43 pm
Widower chuckled, and walked over to his den laying down by the flowers and giving them a good wiff.
"Since i was a teen, i came here after my paretns told me to get out and leave them alone." He recalled his past and frowned for a moment before looking up at her again with a smile.
"And i didn't find it, i made it, Well kinda. This place, the whole oblivion used to be like this. And this part of it was almost dead like the rest is now, and when i came i nutured it back to health. Even though i'm sure it would have pulled through, i just gave the plants a reason to try harder" He said and laughed again at the memory of when he came here in tears because of his lost family.
"I told them i had no where to go and that i would never be happy again. And from that day they all started to grow more and more. And i became happier and happier"
As he spoke he motioned for her to join him in the flowers. All the colors shimmered off her white fur and made her look more beautiful than before.
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Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 7:28 pm
Ryla listened a bit dreamily as Widower spun the tale of how he'd found this section of Oblivion. It was an excellent story... although Ryla was a bit hesitent at believing the flowers had grown simply to make him happy. But then again... Looking at Widower laying there in the flowers... She suddenly felt that she could believe anything he said, even if it was totally ridiculous.
Then her mind latched onto that one line of what he'd said... 'after my parents told me to get out and leave them alone'... Did he also have a bad past? Although trouble with parents wasn't exactly the extent of Ryla's problematic history...
She trotted forward a bit and lay down next to him beside the flowers. All of a sudden, she dropped her head lazily and rested her muzzle in the brilliantly colored plants. She breathed in their scent happily, then lifted her head out of the flowers again with a sheepish smile.
The 'sheepish' smile turned into a mortified look when she realised that a few of the plants had tangled themselves in her earring. She must look horrible! What with the red and orange flowers hanging into her face, dangling from between her ear and her horn.
She hurriedly brushed them out with her paw embarresedly and tried to change the subject before Widower commented on the incident.
"So... You say all of the Oblivion was once like this?" she repeated primly, lowering her eyes to the ground, "what changed it to be dead like it is now, when this place is so vivid?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 5:02 pm
Widower looked fro mteh sky and back to her thinking about her question. True it had turned dark but that was for only one reason.
"It because this way because of all the hatred in the world, Oblivion is only like this because we made it so" He thought of all the hatered in his family and how he wasn't wanded because of his coloring, his mother was black with one red mark that appeared to be a tear drop under her right eyes. While his father was totally black and could easily blend with the shadows.
In truth he was the only one in his family who was wine colored with spider webs on his pelt. It was pure fluke that he was born liek this but he never cared, it was nice being different.
He chuckled at the flowers, and when she pulled them away. He picked three different colored flowers and placed them above her ear. "You should leave them, the like you. And you look beautiful, there is no need to be embaressed".
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Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 6:51 pm
Ryla grew quiet at his answer to her question... She could believe that hate in the world could cause Oblivion to go dark...
She remembered some of the hate that she'd had to endure in the past as her earring once again clinked against her horn...
"So... The Oblivion went dark because of hate... and this place is... the way it is... because of love?" she repeated slowly.
An embarressed smile came to her face as he replaced some flowers above her ear... He thought she was beautiful? Even with these horrible markings? And even when she looked so grey and drawn-out in the middle of all this color and beauty? ... It was hard to believe...
But Ryla did want to believe him.
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Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 5:35 pm
Widower chuckled and looked to the sky again then stood and walked over to one of the fruit trees and picked some of the different fruits. Holding them ever so gently in his mouth he laied down next o her again and set them for her to try.
Pushing the fruit forward to her he waited pacitenly looking at her glowing face. She was uncomftorable in this place, did she not realize how breath taking she was? He looked to the ground, "If i may be so bold as to saying, you look truely amazing in these flowers" He looked at the gronud again thinknig that be may have been too bold in his words.
"Yes" He said then looked at her with a slight smile on his face. "May i know your story?" He asked the english accent comming out in the last three words.
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Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 2:37 pm
Ryla looked curiously at the fruit that Widower set down before her. She'd never eaten fruit before... Meat, yes. Fish, yes, when she stumbled on to a stream running through Oblivion. She even occasionally chewed on a root that grew just under the surface of the ground in most places in Oblivion, if there was nothing else to eat, but she'd never eaten fruit...
There were three different kinds that she could see. There was one that was round and striped dark purple and turqoise, the different colors flowing into each other. Another kind had a more elongated shape, kind of an oval kind of fruit, that had a reddish, leathery-looking skin. The third kind of fruit was a very pale silver, with a smooth outside layer that reflected the light and made it gleam. It's shape was almost entirely round...
She put her jaws awkwardly around the silver fruit and munched down. Her mouth filled slowly with liquid that was thicker than water... It was a strange sensation, and ryla wasn't sure that she liked it at first... but then the flavor started to seep into her taste buds, and her eyes closed in pleasure. It tasted magnificent! Much better than the metallic taste of a fresh kill, or the crunch of cartilage in a fish...
She opened her eyes and grinned dazzlingly at Widower.
"It's amazing," she smiled.
She lowered her eyes shyly when he complimented her on the flowers. She looked... truly amazing? How could she when she was so plain next to these brilliant colors? Her only distinguishing markings were in a light grey, and the way she'd recieved those markings held bad memories for her...
"Thank you," she said politely, anyway. It was kind of him to tell her so, even if it wasn't his true opinion.
"My story..." she repeated, and looked at the ground. A wry smile laced with pain lit the edge of her mouth. She'd just met this hound... but if she told him nothing, she'd never be able to learn to trust him more... and she really wanted to trust him!
"Well, there's not much to tell," she said finally, deciding to tell him part of the truth, "I lived on the outer edges of oblivion, near a village... I watched the demons sometimes... observed them... tried to figure them out a bit. They're a lot different from hounds, you know. But then... I left, and came further in. Did a lot of wandering... and ended up around here..."
She gave a small smile in Widower's direction. Even if that wasn't entirely what had happened... It would do for now.
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Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 3:08 pm
Widower smiled brightly at her and watched her eat the fruit. It was almost as thogu she hadn't eaten in months. When she said it was amazing his smile grew even more.
"Thank you its poped up just last week" He told her and looked to sht sky aain as the clouds shifted moving slightly faster. He wanted to tell her to stay with him for the night but thought she would want to leave. She didn't seem all too comfroable here with him.
Hearing her story he looked back into her eyes, there was more to the story and he knew it. Ryla didn't trust him she didn't want to open up and confine in him. Looknig to the ground for a moment, he wanted her to feel safe with him.
"I understand, is that where you got the earring?" He asked looking at the sparkling piece of metal that hung from her ear.
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Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 4:04 pm
"Well, it's absolutely amazing," Ryla smiled again, licking her lips to get the very last of the fruit's juice into her mouth. It was very good. She spotted another of the silver fruits among the ones Widower had gotten for her, and she picked it up delicately and squeezed this one a bit more gently, savoring the taste.
She saw him look to the ground and immediately she knew that she had hurt him, to a small extent at least. He thought that she didn't trust him... Which she didn't... But she wanted to! Urgh. This was why Ryla usually kept her emotions locked up. It was too hard to express them! If she told him the rest of her story, he'd know she trusted him, but she didn't want to tell him her story because she didn't trust him completely yet! It was all so confusing!
Her whirling thoughts came to a stop when Widower began to speak again.
"I understand," he said, and Ryla wondered if he meant that he understood more than just her story... "Is that where you got the earring?"
She sighed. Well, it wouldn't hurt to tell him one more thing.
"Yes... That's where I got the earring," she nodded, lowering her eyes.
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Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 4:42 pm
"I see" He said and looked back up at her. The sky was becomming more and more gray. "t's going to rain" He said as a single drop hit his nose. He smiled again and looked to teh sky as teh rain started to fall.
He stood up and grabbed the rest of the fruits rolling them up in a large leafe that was bright green. "Come on, we an stay dry in my den, its large enough for both of us" He told her and stuffed teh fruits into teh den and waiting for her to go in first.
She might have been a little wary of going into the den with him, but he didn't want her getting wet, she could catch a cold. And its not like he was going to do anything to her.
The wind picked up and it got very cold, some of the flowers retreated within themselves to keep safe as he stood there getting drench.
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Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 6:39 pm
Ryla blinked and lifted her eyes as the first droplets of rain began to fall. It rained in this beautiful place? It seemed like the sun should be shining all the time here...
She smiled wryly as Widower wrapped up the fruits in a leaf and waited for her to enter the den first. The rain was already starting to come down faster... He'd be soaked in a matter of seconds.
With a small laugh, she hurried into the den. An insistant voice in the back of her mind nagged at her that she barely knew this hound. she didn't know what he might do... of course he seemed nice enough, but those demons' appearence had been... well, not harmless, but not dangerous enough to cause an immediate threat.
And how well had that turned out for her?
Ryla shrugged the thoughts off and glanced back at the cave opening, waiting for Widower to follow her in. Then she took a good look at her surroundings.
The den was a nice little place dug out of a hill so that it was partially underground. The ground was relatively flat so that it would be comfortable to sleep in, and Widower had apparently at one point dragged in some tall grass to make the ground even more comfortable. As he had said, there was room for two in the cave. She turned back to look at the cave entrance once more and noted one thing that worried her... The entrance had a small downhill incline into the den. If the rain was particularly nasty...
"Do you ever get floods down here?" she asked slowly, peering out at the clouds dropping their cargo onto the small Oasis in Oblivion.
A thought suddenly came to her. If she hadn't stumbled onto Widower - or had he stumbled on to her? Funny, she couldn't even remember. It seemed like it had been years ago - she would've been wandering around Oblivion when the rain struck. She'd been rained on in Oblivion before, and it was no fun. Here, it might even be cozy to just hang out in the den while they waited for the rain to stop...
If the den didn't flood.
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Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 6:59 pm
Widower followed her in and laied down shaknig off some of the water that clung to his fur like cling wrap. He unwrapped the foor showing more sliver fruits to her.
"No it doesn't. The entrance may be on a incline but teh hill on the other side is going the opposite way. All the rain falls down the hill" He told her and smiled picknig up one of teh red and violet fruits and biting into it.
"I hope you don't mind me eating, i'm very hungry" He said knowing it was bad maynner to eat infront of a lady who already has.
He looked at her soaked coat teh sighed turning aronud for a moment and pullnig out a pelt of fox fur that had been swen together from two diferent animals. "Here take this, you will catch a cold" He said draping it over her back. "if your gonig to ask where i got it, it was form some demons who were messing around in their camp site, they didn't notice when i stole it to stay out of sight from my family"
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Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 7:20 pm
"Oh, I don't mind," Ryla smiled at him warmly, for once expressing how she really felt. With a grin, she picked up a silver fruit in her mouth and started to eat it, carefully making sure that the juice wouldn't drip from her mouth. "I'm still a bit hungry myself."
Her smile grew softer - more 'touched' than 'playful' - as Widower whipped out a fox pelt and draped it over her back. She gracefully lowered herself to the ground and wriggled farther back into the fur. It added to the warmth of her natural fur, so that she barely even noticed the wetness of her own coat.
So, she hadn't been the only one who'd had run-ins with demons.
"So... why did you need to stay out of sight of your family?" Ryla asked, letting concern visibly come over her face.
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Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 5:33 pm
Widower smiled and nodded, He watched her as she snuggled into the fur and smiled at him for probablly the first time.
"Eat all you want theres plenty more where this came from" He told her amd bit into his fruit again as he started to let his mind wander. Only brought back by the sound of her voice hitting her ears.
"Because they wanted to kill me so my colors couldn't be passed to their grandchildren. They were all about looking good to their pack, image was everything. They couldn't have me running around"
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