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Post by Reinhart on Jan 2, 2013 15:43:17 GMT -5
This was his forest in all of its winter glory…. Trees looking like skeletons with their empty branches. Evergreen trees proving the forest with some sign of life even with the green the peeked out from behind the white snow. Once an a while because of the cold, what sounded like loud bangs echoed through the forest…the sound of tree exploding from the cold temperature. The water with them expanding so much, creating a pressure that the trees could not handle…it was the only real sound in the forest at nighttime
During the day there were a few chirps from birds that didn’t fly else where for warmer weather. A handful of other creatures could be found roaming through the forest animals that were like buffalos, deers and mooses and a few smaller game animals than that. However they didn’t interest the wolf that stalked this forest for there was no need for him to eat, he didn’t have to that anymore…they were his to protect from being over hunted. To keep this forest in a peaceful balance was his job, to make sure that nothing brought harm to this place even though there were some beings less friendly than him but they all knew and understood each other.
Today was just another day for him...patrolling his forest, checking to make sure everything was at peace here...To make sure there were no complaints from anyone. Reinhart stop for a moment, looking down at his tracks in the snow before moving over to an evergreen tree in which he laid down under, picking this moment in time to take a break. Even though he was a wolf, he didn’t look much like one, his size nearly double that off an average wolf and then there was the green and tan hue of his coat along with the tribal markings in white.
However unless he wanted to be seen by the human’s eyes, it would appear that there were nothing under the tree and his tracks in the snow had long vanished. Reinhart was one the spirits of the forest and only showed himself to mankind if he felt like there was a need to or they sought him out. Even if they did come looking for him, it was a slim chance he would show. So far mankind had not proved themselves worthy of him…they had a long way to go and he doubted they would make the change in the right path.
He laid his head down on his large paws and closed his eyes even though he did not need to sleep; this was just relaxing for him. He long ago left behind all that made him a living breathing wolf…. Now he was just a protector, something that brought him greater pleasure than anything in his old life that did. This was peace for him...
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Post by Ruby on Jan 2, 2013 18:27:13 GMT -5
Ruby crouched down low, the bitter chill of the forest barely effecting her as she traced the tracks in the snow, sniffing the foreign scent delicately, it smelled strongly of a wolf but was somehow different. Tracking was a simple task for her, with heightened senses and a very powerful sense of smell there was little that could hide from her and yet she felt bizarre being out here.
Eventually, she herself would have stumbled upon this lost creature. It would have only been a matter of time and yet, despite that, she felt odd being out here by the command of someone else. She still had a good week before the next full moon and she normally wouldn't venture so far out in the forest until the days grew closer, but she had her end of a bargain to keep. She needed to find this creature for Mr. Gold, he had wanted her to find out information and while it was a fairly simple request something about this just felt wrong.
With a sigh she blew her runaway bangs from her eyes and rose back to her full height. She tugged the cloak a little tighter around her shoulders and trotted off into the woods following the bizarre scent. She was worried and a bit apprehensive now that she had identified that this creature possessed some semblance of a wolf. If it was like her, would they attack out of fear or see her as a messenger of peace? Or was this an entirely different race that see her as no more than a threat or a nuisance? She didn't have a great deal of experience fighting her own kind.
Emerald eyes glanced around the trees searching for this so called Guardian. Perhaps Gold already knew about this creature and wanted to know if she would actually follow through with her end of the bargain. Who knew? But at least this part of the deal wasn't killing her.
She paused as a flicker of fur caught her eyes and she starred in slight wonder at the creature before her, pale fingers frozen on the tree she was maneuvering around and jaw slightly slack. Never before had she seen a creature quite like this one. Beautiful was the first word to enter her dumbstruck mind. A wolf with luxurious fur, piercing eyes and bizarre marking lounged seemingly without care in the afternoon light. It took Red a moment to get over her initial shock as her muddled brain tried to come up with what to do, could this being talk?
"Hello... my name is Red." Her muddled mind managed to supply her with a sentence, there was only one way to find out if the beast could speak, if it couldn't well no one was around to make fun of her for trying. She stayed where she was, cautious and not wanting to scare away such a creature.
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Post by Reinhart on Jan 2, 2013 19:13:50 GMT -5
Life was so much different these days than what it used be… all those trivial things he had worried about when he was alive no longer meant anything to him. Most of his days were either spent roaming the forest or lazing about like this but mostly it was a mixture of the two. During the winter there was a lot more down time because a lot of the creatures took to sleeping the cold winter months away. And not many humans could stand these temperatures for a long period of time. It gave him plenty of time to gather his thoughts, to check in with every creature here and gather info that he didn’t have much time in the warmer months to do.
Like everything else, he had those creatures that were close to him, ones he relied on and were like his commanders. It wasn’t often that he left the forest so he relied on those creatures to let him know what was going on outside the forest. He knew something was strange was going on but he wasn’t sure what. The human population had increased and it had him more guarded about things. Luckily the winter was keeping them at bay.
Long before he had been found, he knew someone was looking for him…the fact that they were tracking him proved that they were not human. He was connected with everything in this forest. It was all living and part of him…this was his forest. But he didn’t even bothering moving at all, he was content here and had no urge to move quite yet, let the one searching for him gain some satisfaction from finding him. Most humans would have had no idea that he was here or believed the stories about him. Only those closely connected to some element of nature believed the stories about him and very few of those could see him unless he was hiding.
One of his favorite past times was following the humans around with them clueless to the fact that he was there. He liked to study their behaviors and what they were up to. It broke from the daily duties. Even though his eyes were closed, he could see her aura in his mind, knew every move she was making as soon as she got close to the area where he was laying…
He laid there waiting to see what she was up to, what she was going to do. Her aura gave him a better idea of what she was…She was a child of the moon…a werewolf. Then she spoke; he stood up slowly and glanced over at her with those intense blue eyes of his. ”I am called Reinhart and this is my forest. What brings you here? Know this though, you come seeking to harm this place or if you come for my powers you best turn away now.” He was being blunt and straight to the point. The only reason he was tolerating her was the fact she wasn’t truly human…that she was part wolf.
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Post by Ruby on Jan 2, 2013 19:33:15 GMT -5
Red blinked, mildly shock as the creature rose and spoke. Regardless of what Gold thought, or knew was out here, surely it could not be such an intriguing beast. A talking wolf? How bizarre. Not that she was one to talk, she was a shape shifter herself. Granted she couldn't speak when she became the wolf, but she imagined this beast would still be able to understand her, even in her other form.
She was curious about him suddenly, had he always hidden himself among these trees? She knew the forests of these lands better than she knew any village. The beast within her was one with the land, an entity of freedom and power, humming with a thirst for the unknown, it journeys had mapped these forests out in her brain and if he had been here seemingly forever... why had she never encountered him before today? Perhaps he used magic? If he could talk who knew the limits to his powers?
"Forgive me, I did not realize this forest belonged to anyone. I have charged through here more times than I can count during a full moon. I have never meant to invade your land nor have I any intention of bringing it harm nor stealing your power." Red spoke truth, power had never been a desire she had fought with, she was a curious creature no doubt, but never would she harm something intentionally, at least not without justifiable reason. All thoughts of Mr. Gold fled her mind as her own imagination soared with impossibilities. She stepped around the tree, coming fully into his view and curtseyed before him. "It is a pleasure to meet you Reinhart."
"I have never smelled anything like you before, you smell like a wolf and yet you do not, I'm afraid my curiosity got the better of me and I could not resist following your trail." Genuine curiosity glittered in her emerald gaze as she watched the wolf and she sunk to her knees in the snow, resting back on her calves. She kept her hands in open view and away from her daggers and arrows, she was true in her intent to bring them no harm. It mattered little what creature lay before her, human, dragon, fairy or any number of beings, Ruby treated them all with the same respect.
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Post by Reinhart on Jan 2, 2013 20:27:42 GMT -5
There were plenty of beings beyond human knowledge, some older than him and much more powerful. The forest was filled with all kinds of beings that mankind has never seen before and only heard about. The gnomes were his favorite, they were so small and one with nature. The took care of all the creatures of the forest and sometimes he would allow them to ride upon his back when they had to go long distances.
This language was not the only one he spoke, he had the ability to understand and speak what was spoken to him. And he had the ability to hide himself when ever he wanted to, to hide his scent and tracks as if he was never there. He was spirit of the forest; this was his place to protect. Whatever he passed within the forest, he could see in his mind. If there was any trouble, he had the ability to make himself appear within that area. Most of the time in the winter, he laid around like this and when he sensed her, he didn’t bother hiding any trace of him.
As he listen to her, he relaxed slightly and knew her words were the truth. Her aura was a honest and good, it shown with such an intensity. Once she finished talking, he tilted his head slightly and glanced up at her. ”The forest belong to all the creatures that call it home… I am their protector. As a daughter of Luna, this is your home to. I have seen you run free here many of times. As long as you remain true to yourself and bring no harm here, you shall always become welcome within here.” His voice had the sound of wisdom, loyalty and strength all rolled together.
There was one power that he rarely used nor had the desire to use a lot, he could transform himself into a angel if he needed to have more ability than his wolf frame would allow. If he wanted to, he could appear before in the shape of a human with wings but this was the form he chose…the one that had always been his form. Though in his past life the green coloring of his fur was gray, tan and white. But as spirit of the forest, his fur took on the colors of the forest. His head tilted again as she finally stepped out from behind the tree, finally getting a better view of her. There was a nod of his head when she spoke about it being a pleasure to meet him. ”The same goes for you, Child of Luna.”
Reinhart moved to sit down as she spoke again, listening as she told him had she never smelled anything like him before and how the curiosity got the better of her. He sighed softly as he looked around the forest. ”I knew you were looking for me and I know what you come seeking. I chose not to hide myself from you. I used to be a wolf a fellow child of Luna. But now I am a guardian spirit of the forest. What mankind calls a magical being.” Reinhart looked back at her wondering if he should go ahead and tell her what she sought or wait for her to ask it. He knew it would be better if he went ahead and addressed what she was looking for.
”Yes there is away for you to better control the wolf within you. Much like the creatures and beings of this forest are one with nature, you must learn to be one with the wolf. You need to forget everything that was told to you about the wolf, it has all been misguided. If you wish to seek the truth about the wolf, you must clear your mind and focus on the wolf. Go within yourself and have a talk with the wolf, it is only her that can guide you, give you what you seek.” Reinhart paused and dug a hole into the snow, his white markings gained a reddish orange glow them and the light expanded around his paw. After a moment the light faded and necklace of a long piece of crystal with two smaller round pieces on either side of it laid in the snow. He picked the necklace up with his mouth and walked over to her and waited for her to take it.
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Post by Ruby on Jan 2, 2013 21:32:02 GMT -5
Ruby's eyes glittered with excitement at his kind words, despite the fact that a great many times before she had had little to no control over the beast that lay within her as it plowed through this forest, she was pleased to hear she had not upset the Guardian. And she was pleased to know she had not upset him in her younger days. She got the distinct feeling that this being knew a great deal more than he let on and Ruby grew very attentive, perhaps he knew more about her curse than she? If he could see so easily that she was a Child of the Moon, perhaps his knowledge even extended to the curses origins. She was fairly certain not even the oldest of witches knew who created the curse.
"Truly? I swear to help you keep this forest untouched with all of the power within me. If you ever have need of me... I am sure you can find me." She was not sure of his power, but she was fairly certain it far surpassed her own. She had no problems pledging her loyalties to the Guardian. The beast inside of her was soothed by his presence and calmed by his aura. She recognized the other part of his scent now... It was the forest itself. He had bonded with the trees and the earth in a way that she had never seen and she wanted to keep that bond protected and safe. A light blush dusted her cheeks at the title he presented to her and she waved it away in embarrassment." Please call me Ruby or Red, no titles are necessary, I would much rather have friends than those bound by rules and proper etiquette..."The words were not directed at him, they were her view in general, the only time she allowed titles was when Snow invited her to sit on a large decision that the kingdom as a whole needed to make and only then because it was demanded. This forest is beautiful, it's always been one of my favorites. It helped Snow and I out of more than one sticky situation... did you have any hand in that?" Eagerness and great curiosity painted itself upon her face.
Shock took the place of curiosity as he told her of how he once was a Child of Luna. She was like him, another werewolf! Or at least... in a sense. Incredible! How could he hold his form even when the moon was not hanging in the skies! Perhaps she would not have to sell her soul to the devil if he would teach her. She drew forward, opening her mouth to ask, when he answered her question before she had a chance to speak.
Tears came unbidden to her eyes as he gave her a way to solve her problems, to end her suffering and to achieve an ultimate goal. Overwhelmed with relief she trembled shaking as he presented her with a necklace. With shaking fingers she took the piece from him with nimble grace, holding it like the precious gem it was.
"Well this allow me to speak with her?" Ruby trembled, overcome with such relief and such an extremely high level of gratitude for the Guardian, she knew not how to accurately express herself. "I cannot begin to thank you for such a precious gift, I am forever in your debt Reinhart, if you ever have need of me, you need only ask."
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Post by Reinhart on Jan 2, 2013 23:23:41 GMT -5
If there was one thing Reinhart could not hold against another was their past if they had shown they had changed. His own past was not something he was proud of but he learned to become different and being here now was his reward. One day he would have to pass on his knowledge and find another guardian for this forest but for now, this was his calling. He had come to replace the forest spirit that was here before him but that was almost sixty years ago.
When it came down to it, at times he could have a short temper but that was usually when another kept pushing the right buttons. Overall, it normally took a lot to piss him off. Over the years of watching over this forest, he had come to know how young were-creatures were. The were-wolves were always the worst out of the group but they gained wisdom fast but like everything else in life there was always the groups that were on the dark side of life…they were always the hardest to deal with.
Reinhart was glad she was attentive; it showed him that she wanted to learn that she was open and ready to be guided. He had not seen a were-creature in the last few years, not since that purple cloud covered the earth… and with the return of it to these lands…the lands of Aldeon he had a feeling their return was coming back. ”Yes… this land is as much mine as it is yours. Keep it safe and protect it, it soon will show you more than you ever seen before. You’ll start to see and become aware of things you were not before.” It surprised him that one as young as her was willing to help him, that she was already down this path and willing to help him. It usually took were-creatures twice as long to come around to where she was.
He could tell that he had touched her with calling her what she was, wondering if anyone had truly sat down and talked with her like this. Helped her to become more than what she was. Gave her some positive reinforcement, to have belief in here. He shook this thoughts away even though it was his spot to guide to guide her, to put her on the right path he could not be thinking about that right now, this was about getting her the info she wanted. ”Both suit you well, young one. I shall call you Ruby for now but never forget that you are a daughter of the moon. I am bound by no rules.” Sure he had rules that he enforced in the force but it was to keep the balance there. To make sure everything was following smoothly without that there would be no true balance within the world and it would lead to unsettling things.
Reinhart tilted his head to each side as he thought about what she asked of him then came a slight shrug of his shoulders, the best he could do in this form. ”I am not the only one here that has magical powers. You will come to learn that. I may have helped you out sometime in the past but there might have been another or more on your side during those times.” When it came down to it, Reinhart was the most powerful being in the forest. He was the judge and juries here, always having the final say in the matter.
He loved seeing curiosity in others, it shows that they were willing to learn that they wanted to expand their world. It made it easier to talk to her, to tell her what she needed to know. And teaching her how to control apart of her that he assume she seen as a best would be walk through a park. His head tilted again when he seen the tears, wondering what brought them on then it came to him that she must have been trapped, afraid of what she was… Reinhart felt good that he was able to bring a bit of relief to someone. When she took the necklace from him, he stepped back a few steps and watched her for a moment.
A nod of his head was given to her words. ”Yes, it will and it will help the flow of your energy better…making the changes easier on both of you. It will center your energy, allow you to focus better. It’s made from your aura, no one can ever use that against you. No need to thank me for what I have done or be in my debt. You have more than earned this, I can see that.” Reinhart never felt right having someone owe him something, he wanted them to come to him on their own free will. To offer help on their own not because they were in debt.
He turned away from her, glancing over his shoulder. "Come with me. We shall take the first step."
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Post by Ruby on Jan 3, 2013 19:01:45 GMT -5
Ruby had not had the most ideal childhood, she grew up as an orphan, left behind by her true parents and raised by the woman she affectionately still refers to as "Granny." While her childhood, for what it was, was far from bad, Ruby had always missed that family element, that love that only a true parent could offer, and it was that bitterness that had fed her wolf such violence. She knew enough of her curse to know that the beast feeds from the darkest reaches of one's soul, playing on their greatest insecurities and fears and manifesting them into a physical form, gaining control and running rampant. It was this anger, this bitterness, that had ended the life of her beloved Peter... but that was far from here, a valley, a place Ruby would never return go given the choice, but Reinhart did not need to hear of such things, he didn't need to know her sins, only her determination to never harm an innocent ever again.
"I prefer not to think of the lands as belonging to anyone. When I see these lands, untamed and wild with life and all of its wonders, all I can think of is freedom, and how amazing it feels to be released from the shackles of humanity... if only for a little while. I do not wish to own the forest, my Guardian, I wish for it to own me." He may not have been seeking a prolific answer from her, but Red had a feeling he would rather hear her heart than her wit or her sarcasm... so she let her heart speak her thoughts instead of her mind.
She smiled at his reassurance that she would forever be a child of the moon, this of course was a fact she knew all too well, when she had first learned of the curse, she had tried a thousand ways to be rid of it, she researched and hammered in the knowledge of spoken tongue and written word, but it no text could her curse be broken. With her mother she had learned to control the beast, but even still it wasn't wise for her to be left unattended. It was still a powerful and formidable warrior and could kill even the bravest of men.
"Thank you... I just don't wish for you to think I require something as silly as a title. I would much rather be a friend than a servant or a superior." Red murmured quietly. She rose to her feet, mimicking him as she clutched the necklace tightly, delicately placing the precious piece around her neck. Once there it didn't feel as heavy as she thought it would, in fact she barely noticed it, like it had already become a part of her... and suddenly a terrible thought crossed her mind as she thought of her deal with Gold. What if this was Gold's solution? What if he knew of this Guardian and his powers and had sent her here on purpose, if he had... she owed him and she felt the blood in her veins turn to ice and she swallowed hard. No Ruby... this was why you came to him in the first place, as long as it doesn't impact Snow the price you pay is fair. She shook the thoughts from her head. Now was neither the time nor the place to think of such things.
"Thank you, so very very much Reinhart, you will never know what you have done for me, this is truly a gift beyond my thanks. You and your forest have my utmost gratitude." She responded with as much politeness as she could muster. He did not leave her waiting long as he beckoned her to follow. Without a word, Ruby rose to her feet and trotted along after him. Not the smallest hint of hesitation in her eyes.
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