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Lightbringer
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Hymir, Kodak, and Commodus kept on their patrol, Kodak's pace becoming faster and faster, but his pace was still slow to that of his friends. With the exercise, in a few days at least, Kodak should be able to gain enough of his muscle back to be able to run effectively. Right now his pave was slow, and his bones hurt and creaked Whenever he did so. A small twig cracked to their left, in Grey Hill Territory. Hymir gave a low growl, but soon they saw the small squirrel scampering towards a tree, curshing leaves and twigs along the way. Hymir gave an annoyed huff, and turned towards them. "I feel like someone is watching us, but I can't prove it." Kodak looked towards Grey Hill territory, and felt a pang of sadness and hurt. "I don't know Hymir. Are you sure it's not just a coincidence Hymir?" Commodus said, the look on his face showing his thoughts. "I mean both times it was animals. You can't prove anything. We would have seen them if they were making that much noise. And you know you have been tense since the last Grey Hill raid. It's probably just nothing." Hymir's ears pinned back for a moment. But soon perked back up, Hymir had lost a pup on the last raid, one of Hymir's daughters, and he had never looked at Grey Hill the same again. At first he had had sympathy, but after the taking of his daughter, not knowing if she was even still alive or dead, was killing him. The next raid they hadn't seen her, but the young warrior had still held hope. Kodak looked to Hymir, "maybe we can head back a ways, see if anything is there, and then head back to camp." He quickly added after for Commodus, "It wouldn't hurt to check would it?" Commodus rolled his eyes but agreed, Hymir seemed pleased, and the group turned back towards the direction they had come. And that's when things started ti get weird. After a few minutes of backtracking, Kodak picked up a scent, one that neither Hymir nor Commodus had picked up, not yet at least. Rain. Flowers. It always reminded him of spring. He knew that scent, it held notnonly good but bad memories, and something leaped and fell at the same time within him. He lifted his head just a slight, drawing I'm the scent. It was her. He knew it. And as they rounded the next tree, Kodak stopped dead in his tracks. He could feel Hymir and Commodus beside him, but didn't hear what they were saying, if they were saying anything at all. His sole attention was on the Wolf not to far away from him. His ears pinned back, not in anger, but sadness, regret, and a madness directed not at her, never her, but himself. In front of him was the Wolf he had loved the most in his whole life. In front of him, was Lidiya. |
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Neutral
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What Lidiya hadn't expected was them to walk backwards. She'd been focussed enough on simply following them... she'd completely missed it. Crap. It wasn't just that they'd found her, either. It was - it was - Kodak was standing right there. In one piece. Alive, or... mostly. Lidiya didn't know what exactly to think, or do. Kodak standing in front of her, looking suprized to see her. The fact that she'd been caught tracking them. Or the two wolves beside Kodak that didn't look at her like he did. Her desire to talk to Kodak - that could wait. Right now, she was confronted with two wolves that she didn't know, that looked hostile, and would probably kill her on the spot. This was a stupid idea. Barely a moment had passed with her frozen before she completely booked it. Not caring what any of them might have thought, she ran - through the undergrowth, heading back to the pack that had treated her like an invalid. Her mortification - her disgust, how could she have been that stupid? Over Kodak, no less - threatened to explode out of her as she kept running, not caring she'd probably leave a trail that they could follow if they wanted. Closure. Her mind still a mess, she could only process the most basic facts. She'd pursued Kodak in the hopes of somehow gaining closure. But then - they'd turned around, and she'd been seen by not just Kodak but those unknown wolves with him - she'd fled. Because, really, what else was she meant to do? Each pound of her paws against the undergrowth felt like a shard driving ino her heart. Even if there was a remote possibility she could get it, she shouldn't have taken it. The risk - as she had blindly taken it earlier - wasn't worth it. Gosh, what had she been thinking? A momentary lapse in judgement, she told herself. It wouldn't happen again. The risks were simply too high. She came to a small clearing, and sat down, head bowed. It didn't matter how much she wanted closure from Kodak. It didn't matter how Alpha had fed he entire pack lies and they'd all sucked it up like it was the truth. Anything else - it was impossible. And she'd been a fool to even hope that she could even talk to Kodak. As had just been demonstrated, there was simply no way she could get to him without someone else noticing. Maybe Kodak didn't want to talk to her. Alpha Cooper's words pressed into her now. Maybe Kodak really didn't regret killing her mother. Maybe Kodak didn't - maybe he only thought of the recent events as... pure manipulation to get out of his death row. Maybe he didn't... Lidiya kept her head bowed, silently sitting in the clearing. Maybe it was impossible. Maybe they were right when they said she should give up. She'd been so sure of herself... but maybe she was wrong. And they were right. She'd been caught so off guard by Kodak's appearance - with two unknown members of his pack, no less - she... simply didn't know what to think. |
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Lightbringer
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Kodak was caught off guard. What was she doing here? Was it to see him? Or was it to talk to him? He didn't know. But his muscles tightened and seemed to turn to stone, and he couldn't move. Hymir looked to Commodus over his shoulder, but as soon as Hymir did so, Lidiya turned and bolted back towards her territory. His eyes locked on her moving figure, until it wasn't seen anymore. His mind churning, emotions swirling through his head, he didn't know what to think. Why had she come back? Was it not over? Did she forgive him? Or come to rebuke him further? Thousands of questions ran through his mind, but all had the same answer. He had to talk with her. And with the look he saw Hymir give Commodus, he knew this might be his last chance. He took a deep breath, and out one tentative paw forward, Commodus matched his mark. "Sorry buddy, I can't let you go." Kodak stopped before briefly meeting Commodus's eyes. "But I have too." He turned to Hymir, "Don't follow me, I'll come back, I promise." Hymir seemed to digest this, before taking a step back. "Then you'd better hurry." Commodus gave a look of awe at his older brother. But Hymir gave him a look, one Kodak couldn't decipher, but Commodus seemed to know the meaning, and he too took a step back. Kodak looked in the direction the Lidiya had gone in, and with one final sigh, one that somehow gave him a glimpse of hope, he took off in her direction, and his friends, true to their word, stayed back, their eyes on his fastly disappearing body charging through the forest. He easily followed her scent, one that he had memorized, one he wouldn't forget, Whenever he smelled it another hint of joy and hope surged through him, his creaking limbs giving him no bother. He just had to find her. He had to get to her. He knew this would be his last chance. And as he came up to a clearing, he slowed to a trot, before finally coming to a stop. He knew he was loud enough for her to know he was here, but he was also smart enough to let her say something first, see if she would say anything, see if she still cared. And as he stood there, his diminished figure enlightened through the sun that appeared to the right of him, all he could tell himself that she was the most beautiful thing thar he had ever seen, the best thing that had ever happened to him. If only he could get her back. |
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Neutral
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The scent of pine. Kodak's scent. Lidiya could have sworn she was imagining things as she stayed hunched in the clearing, warring with her mind and her feelings. She didn't know what to think or feel anymore. She just didn't know. Soft footsteps sounded from her right. Lidiya instinctively tensed slightly, even as her ears pricked up. Kodak's scent - she thought she'd been imagining it - was definitely not her imagination. She slowly turned to the left, and... there he was. Kodak. He'd followed her. Without his packmates, from what it looked like. And he was now here with her. Alone. Like she'd wished a couple of minutes ago. "... Kodak?" Her brain was in such a muddle that that was all she could say, simply staring at him. He'd followed - - he must care, right? Even to herself she could barely understand what had been going through her head, and the war over Kodak. She didn't rise from her sitting position, instead choosing to simply look at him, inwardly relishing the sight of him somehow even as she made no move towards him. "You... you followed me." A statement, and a question rolled into one. She hadn't expected that - her mind was simply so full of self-doubt when he'd turned back with his fellow packmates, she just couldn't - gosh, she simply couldn't get her thoughts in an orderly line. The mess that Alpha Cooper had made in the pack with the lies - the thoughts of Kodak that had never left her - the fact that according to popular belief he was her mother's killer - the doubt whether or not he truly meant it, what they'd done and said - and... gosh, even the final point she didn't want to admit - She simply didn't know what to make of it. She simply didn't. |
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Lightbringer
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Kodak could only just stand there as she sat looking onward. He knew she sensed his presence, he had intended to do just that. But she hadn't looked over yet. He knew he was partially blocked by the shade casted but the trees, but Kodak knew, he just knew that she knew it was him. Then why hadn't she turned to face him? Did she still hate him for what he did? Was she to scared to be around him? Did she see him as a threat? Or a disgusting low life that had murdered her beloved mother? He didn't know, but he could only hope that she wanted to see him, at least give him a chance. And then she did it. She turned towards him, but he couldn't read her eyes. She said his name, barely above a whisper, and he too, gave a slow nod, probably barely visible to her. He wanted to say he was sorry, explain what had happened, try to save their relationship, bit he couldn't move, nor speak. Her eyes ran over him, but he couldn't move, do anything. He wanted to run to her side, console her, because he could see how hard she had had it in the last few weeks. The pain, the longing, the hopelessness. At her question, or maybe a statement, he found the strength to take a step forward, throwing his body into the full sunlight, but still 3 or 4 paces away. He stopped once closer, and gave a small nod. And barely he could get these words out, his voice barely above a whisper, hoping against hope that she could forgive him, Gove him another chance. "Lidiya... I'm sorry." |
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Neutral
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Sorry. "... Sorry for what, Kodak?" Her voice was barely a whisper, mind and heart too twisted for her to even understand what she was feeling. Kodak's scent, closer now, twined around her with even greater intensity. Closer than he'd been since the past few weeks. Lidiya's heart gave a slightly traitorous thump. "What are you apologizing for?" She just... she just couldn't. Her words were delivered quietly, without taking her eyes off of Kodak. He'd... apologized. But what was he apologizing for? For what he'd done in the past? For not coming clean, for not telling her and having to find out from Alpha Cooper (who was somehow her father now, but still the same)? Or was he apologizing for loving her? That he truly regretted it? Lidiya only looked at Kodak, and despite her inner turmoil, didn't break her stare. |
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Lightbringer
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Kodak wanted to break away from her stare, but his eyes were locked on hers, somehow knowing if he broke eye contact with her, he would never gain it again. His ears slowly pinned back, memories flashing through his head. Her mother pinning Hoku, Kodak launching, not to kill, just to buy Hoku time, Cooper smashing into him, LA ding on her wrong. It truly was an accident, but what good would that be if Lidiya didn't believe him? His eyes not, never, leaving hers, he responded, trying to keep his voice steady. "I'm sorry for what happened... for what I did to your mother." He closed his eyes for a brief second, before opening them, and continuing to stare. "It was truly an accident I swear, but I understand why you wouldn't want to see me again. But I couldn't let you go without you knowing. I won't place blame on anyone else, as when it comes down to it it was truly me. But I swear to you it was an accident." He paused a moment more, finally breaking eye contact, hoping against hope he would one day see her again. "I just wanted to let you know that. I never stopped loving you, and I know I never will, but I can never make it up to you what I have done to you, for all these years. And don't worry, I will make sure that this is the last you will ever see of me, because I can't stand to ruin your life further. All of this is my fault, and I hope one day, you can truly forgive me." And with that, he turned around slowly and left, without looking back. Knowing that if he did, he might never leave her side again. But he was done ruining her life. He had ruined it since she could remember. He took her mother, and therefore he wluld.never forgive himself, and quite frankly, knew she would.never truly forgive him either. And with a pep in his step, he increased to a trot, hoping to put distance before he made another mistake, or if another Grey Hill wolf were looming nearby. But he knew that if she followed him, then that was all the sign of forgiveness he would ever need. |
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Neutral
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"Kodak!" Lidiya looked at Kodak's disappearing form for a moment before uncurling herself and padding after him. She hadn't finished. She hadn't asked it- "Wait... Kodak." She felt - she felt completely gutted by what he'd said. She didn't know what to respond with, how to respond, and then he'd started walking away. Halting a few feet away from Kodak, Lidiya looked down at the fallen leaves, dusted with ice. She... she had to ask the question now - Even so, she hesitated a second before saying it. Almost as if she couldn't fully believe she was asking this. If you'd asked her earlier, she'd have no problem answering the question herself. But then at this point - everyone conflicting each other in their words - she had no idea who to trust anymore. "Was it... what we had together, and did... do you regret any of it?" She just had to know this one last question. One final question before she could let Kodak go, if that was what he wanted. "Did you truly mean everything you once told me? And... and..." Lidiya's voice faltered as she struggled to say it. "... is there anything else you haven't told me?" Are we done? |
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Lightbringer
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Kodak stopped, was it over? Had she come back for him? But as he turned he couldnt read her eyes. Confused he stood silently as he listened to her question. What kind of question was that? Did he regret it? Had she not been listening to what he had been saying. Kodak had never stopped loving Lidiya, even in their time apart, and that was what had hurt him worst of all. He stared at the ground for a moment before meeting Lidiya's eyes. And he responded by asking her a question. "How could I ever regret loving someone like you?" He paused, letting it sink in. "Lidiya if I would have known that was your mother, I would have told you so, before any of this could have happened. I would have rather it come from me than that.." He growled, not wanting to speak Cooper's, her father's, name. He took a deep breath. "If I could take it back I would, but I wouldn't trade this, you, our time together, for anything. If I had to go through all this again I would, because what we had was special." And I don't want that to end. He didn't want to pressure her, if she didn't feel the same way anymore, he wasn't going to make her feel like she had to. It was her choice. She knew how he felt, but in the end it was her choice. It always had been. "I have never lied to you before Lidiya, and I can tell you I never would or will." |
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Summer Month: 1 
Night 
Clear Moon: 
