long time, no see [valkyrie]

[|-Sandralina-|]

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[atrb=background,http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb390/Bluewillowtree/Sandramid.jpg] At least it was summer, and the sun was providing some warmth for her darkened pelt. She was surprised that it was, to be honest, especially with how much farther north they were than the habitat they were all used to. She missed the Cadre's lands and she was half tempted to fly all the way back there to see if it was possible to inhabit it again, if the swells from the flood had lowered themselves at all. The sooner they could return to the canyon, the better in her opinion. She missed the place she called home, the place Rhiannon had taken her in to live. That was the place that made her happy, despite the things that she had so graciously managed to get through in her pathetic little life. At this point in time, she meant something to someone, meant something to her pack. She was a part of keeping it alive, something she was proud to do, but it honestly didn't help that the sudden appearance of her power kept her from doing the things that she really needed. Her delicate paws stepped lightly across the stones littering the beach of the lake that laid within the territory of the Enclave. Each of her elongated black talons clacked against the pebbles, sharpening them in a way that would make it easier to fish or to hunt something from the sky. They were rather glossy, considering that she hadn't been taking such great care of herself. It was noticeable mostly in her dull feathers and the few matted clumps in her normally beautiful fur. She did not want Rhiannon to be bothered, so she busied herself with playing with her pups often and hunting for her, but not for the Enclave. She had a duty of her own to the Cadre and she intended to keep it that way. She was not the Gamma for nothing. Of course, the rank mainly described that she was one in charge of fighting, as was Valkyrie, and not hunting, but there was really nothing more to do here other than to hunt and play with the pups. Sure, she could fly about for the day, but even that bored her after awhile. The only thing that entertained her while flying anymore was her Shadow ability, as she went from cloud to cloud upon the shadows. It was quite fun. Sandralina longed to patrol the borders, but these were not her pack lands, and she feared that she would violate any right she had to being here if she even tried to do so. She was respectful in that sense, but she didn't want to just sit here and be so useless. She felt her wings weakening each day without being stretched out like they should be properly. Her jaws gaped in a wide yawn. She had been getting so much sleep lately, making her even more tired than she usually was. Of course, such a thing made no sense at all to her. How could she be tired if she was getting too much sleep? She was over-exhausting her body by doing so, most likely. It bothered her. She did not want to be tired. She just wanted to be of use to her pack, or at least what was left of it, but not enough was happening to make it work. Sighing, she only sent a prayer to the Great Spirit that soon enough they would be able to return to their proper home. The Barn Swallow Myou approached the water with every sense of carelessness in the world, not really bothered with what might be in the water. She used it as a mirror, more or less, gazing into her own bright amber eyes, though she easily spotted the tiredness and boring look within them. She smiled somewhat. While she was glad to have made it out of that storm alive, there was no doubt that this was far from the climate that she was used to. It was certainly taking its toll on her body and her spirit, though she would never show that she was being dampened by anything at all. She was the bright, cheery, happy one, and she intended on staying that way. However, her appearance in itself did not seem that of a very happy wolf. She was disgruntled and rather disgusting, if she asked herself. Even her tail feathers, having taken the shape of her second soul, were filthy. Sandralina, without a slight moment of hesitation, plunged herself into the water with a powerful swoop of her wings, diving under and remaining there for a few moments. She pushed against the frigid liquid back towards the shore, standing to her full height in the water, so that it only reached close to her elbows. She shook her pelt out vigorously, freeing the droplets of water from her fur and wings. She looked half drowned, but she craned her neck back to pick out the clumps of disgusting fur that had matted together over the last months. When she finished with that, she picked at her wings, preening them and pulling out the old feathers while cleaning the ones that were still intact. Once finished, she trotted back up onto the shore, giving herself one more shake before flopping down onto her back. She stretched out her wings to their full length and curled her legs against her body. Closing her amber eyes, she allowed the sun to warm and dry her fur. She was displeased with how long it would take, due to the lack of warmth in the area, but she would treat herself that day and just rest on the soothing pebbles of the beach.

[Valkyrie]

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[atrb=background,http://i.imgur.com/7URz0.jpg] Talk | Think | Walk The summer months were finally upon the taiga, bringing the hint of the warmth the canyon might have been under and also evoking a strong sense of what could be homesickness in the keiyou's heart. Although Ahote's was certainly a beautiful and most noble land, it wasn't the one Valkyrie had accepted as his own and he longed for the open sky above the gorge, the suicidal dips into its belly and the feeling of the cascading waterfall misting over his wings. Still, he had much to be thankful for, Rhiannon seemed to share a special bond with Ahote and her pups were doing well in the taiga. Valkyrie had mostly kept to his own, checking in on Rhiannon and bringing the growing pups morsels from his hunt, but otherwise he kept to the skies and the towering trees. It wasn't that he disliked any of the wolves, in fact he could never pass such a judgement without getting to know them first, however he was simply tranquil in his own company and felt not the urge to mingle. The only soul he missed seeing and would have searched the northern territory for was Sandralina, the barn swallow myou and also the female that had permanently captured his heart. His emotions, normally so very well kept at bay, were always exposed and raw in her presence, a sensation it had taken several seasons to accept and become accustomed to. Valkyrie came across as a cold individual, he was precise, calculated and terribly logical in his approaches and seldom let his heart mingle with his mind. But it did not mean he was apathetic, in fact more then anything he was reserved out of empathy, to protect the ones he considered important. Tired of hovering in the skies as a lone vigilante in a land that was still a stranger to him, the black keiyou elegantly launched him self from the top of the towering conifer and into the air, the wind catching at his unusually long wingspan. His long lion-like tail directed his movements as the wind tousled the wreath of titanium white around his neck. Valkyrie wanted to hear the female myou's voice, needed to ensure she was doing well and so he began his search in the skies. For awhile he saw various pack members, this was a busy land and a large pack, but his steely gray eyes did not perceive the familiar winged shape of his beloved. Frustrated and hot from the flight, Valkyrie stole over the lake, circling and debating plunging into the water. The dust from the wind and the pine needles and sap had stuck to his fur, and he didn't like anything being out of order on his person. Tucking his wings in, he dove towards the lake and then pulled them open again to gracefully skim the surface until finally, he let his body slide under the surface. Kicking with his paws and using the force of his dive, he turned back towards the surface and just as he broke into air opened his wings and gave them a mighty flap, exploding from the water and back into the sunlight. Finally he landed on the shore and gave his fur a tousle, following the same grooming process that Sandra had just undertaken, unbeknownst to him. Glancing up once his task completed, he blinked in the sunlight, startled to see the familiar shape of the one female he had been searching for. However soon enough a small but warm smile shaped his lips as he walked up to her, his tail flicking out behind him in anticipation. Valkyrie finally spoke, and affection siphoned through his ordinarily grave voice, "Sandralina, how...how have you been? He leaned his head forward in concern, sniffing at the air as though to make sure she was alright. "I've missed you," the male added quietly as he moved forward to nuzzle that spot under her ear with a tenderness not usually shown. V a l k y r i e 's . S o n g

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[|-Sandralina-|]

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[atrb=background,http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb390/Bluewillowtree/Sandramid.jpg] The sun, though a dangerous and massive ball of flames within the sky, was warm and comforting to the female. She was lonely often times, especially when on her own now that she was with a pack, and the sun was nice and warm. It was much like cuddling someone, being buried in the warmth of someone else's fur. That was something she had only come to learn through Valkyrie, considering her parents had both been furless Myou, unlike her brother and herself. Her brother had been a Tiger Myou, though she had no idea what had come to happen to him, and both of her parents had been some type of reptile. She didn't care to remember them. They had not been so kind to her and had tried to kill her because of her second soul. As she thought of him, Sandra realized how much she missed the Keiyou, her fellow Gamma. Rhiannon had appointed him such before they had left the canyon. Of course, that was before the canyon had flooded. She had appointed him as such possibly because Sandra and Valkyrie seemed to have something going on between them, but the Myou liked to believe it was because the male had finally earned the position and because the pack was failing as far as ranks and members in general went. She sighed, wondering where the male was within the strange territory now. Her heart ached for his company, wishing he would join her upon the beach now as she rolled over onto her back. Her wings soaked in the sunshine, each feather glimmering as it dried back to its normal coloration. Her ears twitched when she heard something decide to dive into the water and she flung her upper half back to the place it should be. Her front paws held her up as she gazed about with her amber eyes. Her wings were huffed out slightly, taking their defensive position as they normally did whenever she felt there was something wrong with the situation. Her fur was beginning to go on end when moments passed and nothing happened at all. For awhile, she believed something was really wrong, that something was stalking her, but when she smelled, saw, nor heard anything, she allowed herself to relax and lay back down on the ground. Her head whipped about again when the same noise happened, though it seemed to come out of the water, and she saw Valkyrie had emerged from the lake. Sandralina grinned widely as he paced over to her. His appearance alone was enough to lift her feelings above the clouds and was definitely enough to make her smile. "Ah, you startled me, Valkyrie. I thought something from within the lake was stalking me." She chirped cheerfully. She didn't move as he approached her, sniffing at her carefully after speaking to make sure she was all right. She was fine, just lonely and now officially clean, but she admitted that she missed the male's company more than anyone else's. While she adored Rhiannon and her pups, it wasn't quite the same to not have him around. Of course, there were feelings in her heart for the male, something else she had come to admit over time. She loved the male more than she had anyone else, at least on a level such as this. Simply enough, he had stolen her heart. The Barn Swallow Myou smiled at his movements, then pulled her head away as she moved to sit up, licking at his muzzle with a specific gentleness. "I am well, Valkyrie, though a tad lonely since we came here. I have nothing against Ahote, his pack, or his lands... He used to be Gamma alongside me, so I consider him a friend, but...it's not home. Spending a lot of time with Rhia's pups isn't quite the same either. They are energetic little things." She smiled at the thought. She loved Rhiannon's pups. They were beautiful creatures, such lovely Myou darlings, and they were growing so fast. They were...getting very big. It made her happy, sad, and proud. She loved watching them grow, though it saddened her to know that she was watching them grow up. She couldn't imagine how Rhiannon felt about it. She pulled her muzzle back slightly to gaze at him with her warm amber eyes, another smile gracing her features. Valkyrie was known to be a steel cold warrior, someone who cared not for emotions, but she appreciated the fact that he would show these emotions around her. It made her...very glad to know that he cared for her enough to show her the emotions that he bottled up inside so much. "Valkyrie...I have missed you, as well. I have longed for your company more than any other wolf. I am glad we have managed to run into one another on this day." That was all she could really say to the fact of such. It was true, at least, and she had seriously missed him. She stepped closer and buried her face into his neck, drinking in his lovely scent that she had come to yearn for so much. She smiled, happy.

[Valkyrie]

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[atrb=background,http://i.imgur.com/7URz0.jpg] Talk | Think | Walk Sandralina's warm tongue gently licking his chin brought a warmth through his limbs that certainly defied the strength of sun, though it was of a different nature. Placing a gentle caress of his own tongue along the ridge of her nose and a soft nuzzle to the downy fur under her ear, Valkyrie settled in beside the female myou, one wing stretched out beside him to dry off. The keiyou could have easily been mistaken for a myou were it not for his lion tail, typically his pelt color was that of a bald eagle, however his eyes were of an impossible hew for such a winged aviary creature and he lacked any other distinguishing traits. His wing span was unusually large, which certainly allowed him greater strength in the air, but apart from that he was ordinary keiyou. His beautiful Sandra on the other hand retained the striking color of her second soul, complete with the bird's unique tail and claws shaped more like a bird's talons. Valkyrie easily thought he was most attractive, though he wasn't always so sure how to voice this opinion... Giving the female a crooked grin, Valkyrie chuckled in his own fashion, an uncommon sound really, "I might have been stalking you madame, but surely I am no creature from the lake and I am most glad to have caught you." He raised a brow, a bit surprised that he had made some semblance of a joke, it was entirely uncharacteristic of him and he could not help but wonder if perhaps Sandra's influence had somehow gifted him with a new found sense of humor. The Gamma listened to his fellow Cadre comrade with concern, not being able to help his concern for the myou's well being. He didn't want to see her sad or lonely, it was in his male nature to want to solve any of her problems and keep her happy. For deep within his heart he knew that he had chosen her as his own to protect and cherish, a thought he would have scowled at bitterly if only a year ago. Valkyrie could not fix the pack lands, though he would be sure to make a voyage to check on the land's state as soon as possible, and the only thing he could offer at the moment was his attempt at empathy. "Ahote has been most gracious with his hospitality, but I too yearn for our lands and the hot sun that beats down upon the earth. Though it is good to see our Alphess and her young getting along in good health. I wish I could bring our home back, but perhaps it is but time that will solve this problem," the keiyou said thoughtfully, his white tipped tail flicking out occasionally behind him. The male had not seen much of his Alphess what with the way female and males were partially divided, but what glimpses he had caught seem to show the mother and her pups in a content enough state. Feeling dry and rested, Valkyrie got up and stretched with a yawn of a content nature, he felt a more at peace knowing Sandra was well. He returned the female's embrace with a nuzzle of his own into the soft fur on the nape of her neck, a couple licks of reassurance to her glossy head. Looking up to the sky he gave a rueful smile and proposed, "We might do well to enjoy the rest of the day, now that I have found you it would sit ill to leave your side without a flight with you, would you care for an afternoon walk in the sky my lady?" Valkyrie gave Sandra a little playful bow and a dip of his wing under his neck, a little grin upon his black face. V a l k y r i e 's . S o n g

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[|-Sandralina-|]

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[atrb=background,http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb390/Bluewillowtree/Sandramid.jpg] Sandralina turned her head slightly to lick at the ruffled fur of her chest, bright orange in coloration. She was a vibrant wolf, but that had to do with her second soul, and it often was seen as a disadvantage to some. She found bright colors attracted enemies, but it could also scare them away as well. While they were a beacon, they were a warning. A warning that she was as dangerous as anyone else to come across her. Now, it would be difficult to stay in this pack and fulfill those sorts of things, fighting and hunting. She was female and females of the pack had to sit by and do nothing. They were allowed to hunt small game, but no big game and they certainly weren't allowed to fight. It was the latter that bothered her most. She didn't sport her vibrant pelt proudly just to be gawked at by males. She didn't do it for that reason at all, and often times she wished she had Valkyrie's pelt instead. She found it beautiful. The barn swallow Myou grinned brightly at him, squinting her eyes shut as she did so, something she often seemed to do. Happily, she nuzzled his shoulder and pressed into his side with her own. While the sun was warm, she enjoyed his warmth far more. "And I would prefer you, good sir, over any hideous creature of the lake." That would make for a good story for pups. Tales of lake creatures from the abyss of the thing that provided them the most water, but she wouldn't be so cruel. For now, she was content in sitting on its shore beside the male she adored, enjoying his company and warming after her own bath. "I certainly enjoy your company far more than that of a deformed fish." Her joke at the moment was not really one to laugh at, but it was a true statement. Sandralina frowned. She did enjoy being here and she was glad Ahote was hospitable to them. She really did appreciate it, deeper than anyone would know. They were strangers, though allies through the pack, and he allowed them to wander freely about his lands until they could regain their own. "Yes, but it has been months. I would think our lands are dry at this point. Winter is almost upon us and I certainly don't look forward to sleeping in the snow...it's quite cold. I long to return to the heat." She sighed. "I have concerns, though... What if we do not return to our lands and Rhiannon decides to keep us here? If that is the case, then I will be leaving. I cannot live in place that would restrict me so much. I would miss the hunting and the fighting. Though, I pray this will not be the case." She feared it could be, but she wasn't so sure. It made her heart ache terribly to think that it would. She loved Rhiannon and the pack she had been accepted into. She wasn't ready to give that up yet, but there were so few of them around anymore. Only four from what she could remember, not including the pups. She watched him stand and stretch. She did the same, extending her wings out to their full length and casting their oddly-cut shadow upon the ground. Glancing to him, there was suddenly a playful glint in her eye, accepting the offer as a challenge. Pacing away a few mere steps, she grinned brightly at him, flashing her pearly whites, "Now, now, Valkyrie... Can you catch me? I do blend with the shadows in the clouds now." And she could, it was her power after all. Transferring between the shadows in the clouds had been a hobby since she had discovered the ability, and it was most fun. She lifted her wings and with a powerful stroke, she leapt from the ground. She pushed herself into the air, thrusting her wings over and over to reach the clouds quickly. They were low today, and that made it easier to breathe, but also called for storms later. "Let's go, then, slow poke!" She taunted from above, already feeling her body melt into the shadows.