Getting away from moon cliff

They were finally done walking. Vita's paw began to ache again, but he didn't say anything to Sephera about it. As they stepped onto the shore of the lake, Vita dropped onto his stomach, making a small thump. A brown hare took off running in the outer brush, but he didn't even acknowledge it. "Here's Rabbit Lake. To the North is the mountains. They make good hunting grounds. To the west, you'll find a densely wooded area with not too much special about it. To the East, is a field of tall, yellow grass. It's know as 'Sleeping Field,' because it's so quiet there." He turned and gazed at the bright, clear, refreshing water. He longed for a swim, but he decided that he would later. "The water here is the best you'll ever taste." He turned to Sephera, wondering if she liked it.

Sephera looked around as Vita flopped onto the ground. She acknowledged his words with a nod, but didn't really process them in her mind. Instead, she looked for herself. The water was amazingly clear and absolutely stunning. The mountains to the North were tall, steep, and magnificent. The woods to the West may have looked boring to others, but Sephera saw adventure in those trees. The darkness of it made it even better and a smile graced her face. The field to the East, Sleeping Field, looked peaceful and calm. She might go take a nap there later for rest. When Vita said that the water was the best to taste, her aching thirst returned. She trotted up to the water, the bright sun shining off of the marking on her shoulder. Normally, the sun would give her fur a bluish tint, but at its unhealthy state, it did not. But it would hopefully get better.

Sephera dipped her muzzle into the water, taking a sip. The water was pure, and had the taste of... nothing. But it still made her want to drink more. And she did so. She drank until she was no longer thirsty, then walked back over to Vita and laid beside him, her back pressed against his side.

"I just love this place so much." He sat and sniffed the air for a moment. The flowers were early in the blooming process, so their smell filled the air for miles, drowning out the smell of game. It wouldn't help much for hunting. "We're going to need dinner. I'll go catch a carp, then we will need a place to sleep tonight. I'll start a den. In the morning, we can catch breakfast and set up home base. Since you've never been here, you should explore, take in what this place has to offer. It's always a good idea to know your surroundings."

(I have to go, sorry)

Sephera nodded. "Alright," she whispered. She waked off in the direction of the forest, wandering in. The trees closed around her and the sunlight was blocked, causing darkness to prevail. Small animals and a few larger animals rustled about the brush, occasionally making Sephera jump.

She wandered the trees for a long while, then finally returned to the lake. She walked past Vita to the Sleeping Field, her body longing for some rest. She flopped down into the tall grass, rolling around for a moment, then relaxed and closed her eyes. Sleep took her over instantly.

Dirt piled behind Vita as he started a small hole, and he decided to just have a small room for sleeping. There were no large rocks, cliffs, caves or anything else natural that he could use for shelter in sight. He had thought about using a large tree, but there were no trees large enough to support two wolves for miles. After a short while, he had a couple wolves' length of tunnel leading to a chamber of decent size, considering what it was being used for. There were two separate bedding areas, basically small indents lined with grass. There was a storage area, maybe for herbs or anything they might be able to use later. In the corner of the room, he had found an underwater creek leading to Rabbit Lake. The water was naturally purified, and tasted just as fresh as the lake. He left it uncovered as an area to drink from when he would be too tired or lazy to leave the den. He didn't even think about putting food inside. It would rot, and make the den unbearably disgusting.

Vita emerged from the den. He was ready for a swim in the lake. The last time he had swam here was when he was a pup. The water felt the same to swim in as to drink. It was always the perfect temperature, and the massage from the perfect currents wolf leave a wolf's coat fluffy and soft for a moon. He looked up in the sky. "Quarter of a sun left. that's plenty of time to catch dinner." He lowered his view to the beautiful Sephera that just jogged past him like he wasn't there. He pulled himself out of the burrow and ran down to the shore. He quickly spotted a large catfish feeding on minnows near the surface. He dived in towards it, but as soon as he felt the water, his mind turned to the comfort of the water. He swam around and completely ignored the catfish.

Several failed attempts later, he had dug his teeth into a large, brown Walleye. He dropped it and thought that he had lost it, but it floated back up to the surface. He grabbed it and dragged it onto the shore. He pulled it down into the den, thinking that Sephera would be waiting for him. She wasn't. He popped out of the den to search for her. He had known her scent already, when he slept next to her at the beach, he had sniffed her to check that she had enough energy to at least produce the correct odor. He stuck his nose high into the air and took in a long sniff. East. She must have gone to the field to nap. Surely enough, she did. He found her curled up in a ball by a tree that must have been shady, but he couldn't tell because it was dark now. Her crescent marking was facing upwards, so he took a few moments to study it. He still didn't understand. "Hey, Sephera, wake up. I finished the den and caught dinner."

Sephera was dreaming, not the first time. She only wished it could have been a good dream. But alas, it had to be a nightmare. Cause this was her life, right?

*DREAM*
She sprinted through the forest, panting for breath as her legs burned with exhaustion. It felt as though she had been running and running for endless days that all ran into one, long torture. She heard the clambering of what seemed like a herd of elk or some large animal chasing after her. She had to escape, had to get away. The trees blurred before her as sweat ran into her eyes. She tried to blink her eyes clear, to no avail. In, out. In, out. In, in. Wait, out? Her breathing pattern halted and she tried to figure it out again. She couldn't stand to lose all her breath now. She could practically feel their breath on her heels!

Two unfamiliar wolves appeared a few yards in front of her and her eyes widened. "Daughter! This way!" they called to her. She smiled widely. It was her parents! They were here to save her! Finally, she would get the moment she'd been waiting for. They came back. For her! She had never been so excited before, it was a magnificent feeling. If only it could last forever.

Running full speed, she charged toward them. She got the tiniest bit farther in front of the deer. 6 more feet until her parents, 5 more feet, 4 more feet, 3, 2, 1, yes!

If only her excitement would last. She crashed THROUGH the wolves acting as her parents. Ground gave out beneath her and she dropped. She looked up to see a cliff-face far above her, the herd watching as she plummeted down. She howled for help, but knew that no one could help her now. She was too far down and falling to fast. She dared look down, watching the ground rush up to meet her. Tears fell from her eyes, whipping up into the air blowing past her. Finally, she accepted her fate and shut her eyes. But she had one last thing to say.

"I love you Vita," she whispered.

*END DREAM*

Sephera bolted up, startled when Vita himself awoke her from her terror. She panted for breath, her flank coated with sweat. Her body shook as the adrenaline wore off, slow as a snail. She matched her gaze to Vita's, her eyes full of fear. But not of him, of the nightmare she just had. She had a feeling it would haunt her for a long while.

Sephera awoke with frightening intensity. Vita thought she was attacking him for a moment. She bolted into the air and practically hit him. He was scared, himself, and jumped and landed on his side, getting his white coat muddy. He stood up and saw fear all over her. Her pupils were dramatically enlarged, her leg was rapidly twitching, and she was glancing in every direction, as if something was attacking her. He stood where he was, staring her in the eyes, speechless. He couldn't think of anything at all to say, and even if he did, it would come out a gibberish mess. He let his actions speak, and tried to calm her by stumbling over and laying down next to her. He could feel her shaking, heart racing, and unsure about what was going on.

(Wow, I typed in "Lieing" and auto-correct thought that I meant "Pieing..." Do you have any idea what that means?)

Sephera tried desperately to snap back into the real world and get it into her head that she was not falling off a cliff. But the images danced across her vision, confusing her perspective of fantasy and reality. When fur brushed against her side, she yelped put and started to shy away. Then she recognized the fur as the softness of Vita's. She focused her gaze on the best she could and saw him looking at her with intense worry. She flopped down, her gut twisting at the feeling of dropping those few feet to the ground. She took deep, shuddering breaths to try and calm herself. As she did so, she leaned into Vita's side, shutting her eyes and breathing in his scent. She matched her breathing to his carefully, and slowly her heartbeat fell in sync with his.


(Hmmm... throwing a pie in someone's face? Like, you're pieing them?)

(Oh yeah, btw, if my RP'ing sucks right now, it's because I'm like 80 percent asleep... and I looked up pieing, it means... exactly, throwing a pie at someone, but to show protest... wow)

Sephera bolted away when Vita tried to calm her, startling him again. She was extremely jumpy, even to a close friend. She returned and plopped down beside him. They sat still for a few moments, and she began to calm. Worriedly, he layed his head on her shoulder, usually an act of affection, but this time also to help calm her down. "Are... Are you okay?" he whimpered out to her, afraid that she might have a panic attack. He turned and peered deep into her eyes.

(It's alright, me too. And yes! I win!)

Sephera nodded in response to Vita's question as the images finally locked into the back of her mind and left her alone. She felt pressure on her shoulder and glanced back to see his face right there. She froze, caught it his eyes. The warmth from his body caused Sephera to feel like she was on fire, but she didn't mind. It was a pleasant fire. She ducked her head, pressing her forehead against his while still looking into his eyes.

(Also, if you haven't noticed, I use italics a lot, it adds emphasis to certain words or phrases)

Sephera's soft fur met Vita's. He was actually surprised, he wasn't even looking for a response, he was just trying to calm her. But his motivation changed. He wanted the affection. He had never felt any actual affection, even from his pack, even from his parents. He felt her shaking slow until it was gone, and her heartbeat calmed. He could feel that she wanted the affection too, maybe she had never felt it, maybe she was abandoned by her family too. Here he was before, trying to not be too affectionate before, but this changed now. He sat, perfectly still, not wanting the warmness inside to go away.

(Yeah, my computer has issues with doing those things -_-)

Sephera stayed there for a while, until the sun was starting to set. Slowly, she took her forehead from his and stood up, careful not to jar Vita since his head was on her shoulder. Once she stood, she looked back at him, swishing her tail. "Shall we go to the den?" she asked, surprising even herself by asking a full question.

(issues? what happens when you type this?:)

Code:

[i]example[/i]

His head almost dropped when Sephera stood, but they had been sitting there for a while. He watched her stand and take a few steps forward. She brushed the fur on her tail along his nose, forcing him to hold in a sneeze. Then, she very openly asked him if he wanted to return to the den. He hadn't yet heard her speak like this since they left the ocean meet. He climbed onto his feet, a little wobbly because of a paw that feel asleep. "Yeah, okay." He said without thinking, and in hindsight would have said it far differently. He walked over beside her, 'accidentally' brushing alongside her. The thought of the walleye didn't seem as good as it did before, his thoughts has left his stomach.

Sephera flicked her tail across his nose oh so innocently smiled softly when he stumbled, most likely from a paw falling asleep. His response to her question was simple, but she didn't mind. She followed him back to the lake and to the den. Carefully, she climbed in. She looked around, amazed at how he had done this. Even water was in the den. She padded over, taking a drink to clear her parched throat.

(See what I mean?)

(I went in to edit and fixed it for you :D But yeah, what I use is called editor mode, it's right under justified text, it's the last button. If I toggle it a couple of times, it usually fixes that. And, it also shows your writing in bold or italic instead of the code for it... Ehh just try it, that's the best I can explain)

Once they entered the den, Sephera scanned Vita's work. He walked by her and looked back. Her expression was enough for him to know that she would enjoy it. He watched her take a drink from the lake's source of water. "The water was an underground creek. I couldn't find a way to get around it, so I just kept it here. I'm sure it will prove useful. Oh, and by the way, are you hungry?" He darted out of the den and the back in, but with the walleye he had caught earlier. It was worth about three wolves' meal. He set it on the ground, and turned to her with his ears perked.

(btw, I may have to go soon because it's 2:30 AM where I live and I'm pretty tired.)

Sephera nodded at his question, lightly trotting over to the walleye and digging in. She ate a fair share to fulfill her stomach's needs, then sat back. Her ears perked as she looked over to Vita. She licked some of the blood of her muzzle and shot him a small smile. She as a,ready getting better at socializing with him, but she didn't think she could with anyone else. And she didn't plan on testing that theory any time soon. She walked over to one of the sleeping areas and laid down. But she found herself once again afraid to close her eyes in fear of the nightmares that haunted her sleep.


(Alright, i think i'm going to bed as well)

(okay, bye then)

Vita didn't move at all while she ate, but when she sat and smiled at him, then cleaned her muzzle, he tilted his head slightly, with his ears still perked. She went and lay down on the makeshift bed, then Vita decided that, even though he didn't feel hungry, he needed to eat something. After he did so, he dragged the Walleye out into the forest and buried it.

Once he arrived back at the den, the first thing he noticed was that Sephera was laying in the bed with her eyes open. He immediately knew that it was because of what had happened in the field. He sighed, and walked over to her and rubbed his head on her shoulder. "Don't worry. It won't last forever." He wanted her to sleep, over exhaustion can do a lot to a wolf, and he didn't want that to happen to his friend that he liked more than she knew. He began to make his way over to the other bed, but stopped mid-way. After a second of thought, he continued.

Vita didn't really understand what he was feeling, it was- a happiness. When he was around Sephera it was strong; when they sat next to each other, heads touching, it was the strongest. He didn't know what it was called, but the word that came to mind was a word that some wolves used when a male and female wolf have a very close relationship. It was 'love.' Vita didn't know what it was, and quite honestly, he didn't want to know, he just didn't want it to end, he couldn't live without it.

Sephera sighed, nodding and nuzzling him back softly. She knew she wouldn't get any sleep. She was scared enough to blink, let alone sleep. That nightmare just continued to flash across her mind. She knew if she fell asleep she would have the exact dream once again. She noticed Vita pause halfway to the other bed, and wished he would come back. But sadly, he continued on to the other bed. He was such a big part of her life now, he was her one and only friend, her best friend, and someone who caused feelings in her that she didn't even understand.

She watched as Vita curled up in the bed and fell asleep, hoping he would have better luck at sleep then she. "Sweet dreams," she whispered. She stood up and walked over to get one last sip of water. It felt good on her throat. Then she gave one fleeting glance at Vita before crawling out of the den. Her paws hit the grass once again and she pulled herself out into the moonlight. Her fur gleamed with a blue tint and the moon shined off the strange marking on her shoulder. Her green eyes were a soft, evergreen at that moment.

Sephera walked to the lake's edge, then sat down. She tilted her head back, staring at the moon. It was so bright, so vivid, so beautiful. It warmed her spirit, like she imagined a parent would. The moon, believe it or not, was probably the closest thing she had to a real parent, other than those mutts who adopted her. Slowly, she let out a quiet melody of a howl, closing her eyes.

Vita fell asleep as soon as he landed on the bed. He didn't notice Sephera leave, and even if he did, he was to drowsy to even do anything.

Dream:
Vita awoke to the sound of birds chirping. He slowly raised his head, squinting from the light entering from the mouth of the cave. "Sephera? Are you awake?" He heard no response. He walked outside to look for her. He sniffed the air, and smelled her to the East. He trotted over towards the field, and found soft fluff ball where she was last time. "Sephera? Why are you sleeping out here?" She didn't respond, she didn't even stir. He walked towards her. He took his paw and rolled her over. There was a monstrous claw mark through her throat. From the moment Vita saw it, he knew she was dead.

Vita fell backwards and landed on his side. She was dead. The one he had this feeling referred to as love for was gone. He slowly stood up and walked towards his closest friend's carcass. He felt so lonely, and lay his head on hers. After about half the night of grieving, he slowly stood up and walked towards the lake. He dove in, swam under the water and stayed there.
End of dream

Vita awoke with a loud inhale. He looked around for Sephera. She wasn't there. No. Please, no. He darted out the den, and heard a song that calmed him instantly- Sephera's song. He calmed instantly. He watched her howl for a moment, tail slowly twitching, a sign of comfort. He slowly tilted his head to sing.

Sephera sang for quite awhile, peaceful in the night's atmosphere. Another song startled her and she looked over her shoulder to see Vita at the entrance to the den, howling his own song. She smiled, tilting her head back to sing again. Her marking literally glowed the same color as the moon while they sang together, though Sephera didn't notice since her eyes were shut softly as she harmonized to the moon.

Her shoulder burned suddenly and she yelped, shying off the the right, away from her shoulder. When she stopped howling, breaking the song, her shoulder didn't burn anymore. She looked down at the marking, seeing no difference. But then why did her shoulder burn. She glanced at Vita, gave him a reassuring smile so he didn't worry as much. She decided that was enough howling for a night and walked to Vita. She nuzzled his shoulder as she walked by and rubbed her fur against his. He was warm and she sighed in content as she walked into the den once again.

(Sorry it's a little short, i have to go to school -_-)

(okay. I'm on spring break :D also, sorry about saying 'calmed him instantly' twice in a row)

Vita sang softly to the sky, and in the far, far, lands, he could hear his old pack howling. Traitors. During the melody, he heard a yelp and the other side of the song, the one not coming from him, had stopped. He quieted and watched Sephera inspect her shoulder. He knew it was the strange marking. Just then had he noticed that her fur was less withered than when he had found her. It was beginning to become more colorful, too. She turned around and walked towards him. He was worried that she was still in pain, but she seemed fine. He followed her into the den, and remembered the dreams. Not his, but theirs. He followed close beside her, and after she lay down in her bed, he curled up next to her, hoping it would help ward off both of their nightmares.

(Lucky!!! And don't worry, I didn't really notice :P)

Sephera watched Vita as he walked over to where she was laying. She wasn't sure what he was up to, so she kept the slightest bit cautious. Of course, she trusted Vita. But they barely knew each other and even the closest of friends could do the most [i]unpredictable[/i] things. Shuddering with the memory, she studied him as he lay beside her. She almost sighed in relief, criticizing herself for thinking anything wrong of Vita. She nuzzled his shoulder lovingly and curled closer to him. After she rested her head on his shoulder, she asked him a soft question. "What was your life like Vita?" she whispered the question, his name rolling off her tongue with a strangely beautiful accent. He didn't have to answer if he didn't want to, she was simply curious.

(Yes I know I am a lucky wolf right now)

Vita could sense her nervousness when he lay down beside her, but she relaxed and lay her head on him. She asked him a question he wasn't really sure he wanted to answer, but he did anyways. "Well... I grew up in a pack that lives not far from here. My childhood was pretty normal, growing up quickly, learning from mistakes. I thought my pack loved me, but turns out I was wrong." He shifted his position in uncomfort.

"One day, my father attacked me for a reason I don't really understand. He was an old dog, and quite honestly, he wouldn't be strong enough to be a challenge. I didn't want to hurt him, so I didn't fight back, and he chased me off of the territory. I had nowhere to go. I came here, claimed Rabbit Lake as my own, and then ran off a group of wolves that couldn't mean any good. I warned them to stay out of here, then left. On my way back, I came across an ocean and decided to get something to fill my stomach, and nearby I met this beautiful wolf named Sephera." He stopped, wondering if his short story had put her to sleep, and then sniffed the air quietly taking in the smell of blooming flowers and wolf.

Sephera shut her eyes during his story, but no in relaxation. In pain, for him. She knew what it was like to have bad parents, though she never was chased off by them. She almost shuddered just at the thought of it. When he was done with his story, a warmth came over her face at his last sentence. He believed her to be beautiful? She had never been called beautiful before, to everyone she was the mute loner to put it lightly. She took a deep breath, deciding that she would talk. And talk she would.

"I don't know who my parents are," she whispered, shutting her eyes in sadness. "When I was born, I lived in a loving family with a younger sister and an older brother. I was the alpha's daughter, ya know? I was living the life everyone wanted. I had food at my paws whenever I wanted it, I got to play all day, and I couldn't be happier. Then, some time ago, my parents told me that I was adopted. My parents had left right after birthing me, leaving me in the pack's responsibility. I was lucky they didn't kill me off right then. My 'father' saw the marking on my shoulder and decided I was worth keeping. But once they told me this, I ran off. I've been running ever since."

Vita listened closely to Sephera's story, taking in every pitch change and small sound to understand exactly how she felt. The very first sentence made him feel bad. He had actually met his parents; she only had foster parents. He listened again. She mentioned that her life was perfect before, his was nothing near it. Then she mentioned the moon. Not the sky's moon, but her moon. The one on her shoulder. He wanted to say something about it, to ask if there was any significance; but he kept quiet. After she had finished, he processed it in his mind. He felt sympathy for her. If his parents just one day said, 'Vita you're adopted...' He realized that her actual parents were worse than his, what kind of wolf just leaves their pup to another pack, especially one like this? "Wow, that must be tough." It was all he could really think of to say, but then suddenly the feeling rushed over him. The feeling of happiness; the warmth. He snuggled in closer to her, let out a big puppy yawn, and closed his eyes.

Then he remembered the terror. The nightmares. Not just his. He could deal with it, he was taught to deal with it when he was a pup- even pain this strong. He didn't think Sephera could handle the pain. He didn't want her to experience the feeling of death, even in a dream. He decided to stay awake but with his eyes closed, if he felt her heart begin to race he would be able to turn and wake her.