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[fancypost= bgcolor= opacity: 0.5; borderwidth=0px; width: 450px;][font=tahoma][align=justify]"Will you please hurry, Waverly?"
Her tone was filled with a softness that Waverly was somewhat unaccustomed to; as her small head lifted, a red poppy within her jaws, the pup noted there was a newfound emotion upon her mother's features — a swift pang of sadness that was quickly mirrored upon her daughter's face. She bowed her head into her chest at such emotion — being an empath, she experienced the same thing — but allowed a small, yet confused, smile to grace her lips. Wriggling out from the small hole she'd dug within the flower field, the wolfdog pup then trotted up to Kos and dropped the flower at her paws. "A flower?" she seemed confused at the sudden gesture, to which Waverly gave a nod. "Yeah! He used to give them to you all of the time, right?" At this, her mother stiffened and Waverly's own pride diminished, but after a moment of silence, Kos wavered and licked her daughter's nose, before taking the poppy and walking off. The pup detected a newfound sense of happiness, and grinned, tail wagging happily behind her as she followed Kos. "I knew you loved poppies!"
The following days of traversing the terrain proved difficult, and often, Waverly fell behind Kos, little legs unable to support her, and eagerly waited for her mother to grab her and continue on. Sometimes her mother would do so, other times, so weak that she couldn't take both of their weights, Waverly was forced to keep going on gradually hard pads, little stones getting caught in her paws. She never cried out, but she remained quiet, focusing on the heavy breathing of her mother and her delicate footfalls to lead her. Eventually, wide open fields revealed themselves to be an enchanted forest, and the pup found herself sticking close to her mother for protection. Where were they going? The words almost roll off her tongue, but one glance told her that Kos needed the silence, and a throbbing pain started in her chest, a strange new feeling, given that it was from her mother. It was then that she realized that their journey was over.
At the beginning of the steps, Waverly's own curiosity bubbled over and she began to spew questions. "Are we finally here? Who are we waiting for? Is there food? Where are we, mother?" Silence filled the small clearing yet again, as her mother's yellow optics focused on the floating islands above, and then Waverly, thin brows forming a tight line. Heaving a shaky sigh, one that rattled her bones and made Waverly cringe, Kos then spoke at last, firmness within her tone, "Do you know who you are?" Her question made the pup tilt her head, recognizing something odd from the exchange. What was this ... ? "Mother ..."
"Answer me."
She relented, eyes casting onto the earth beneath her. "Waverly Yon-Dale." The list of titles and heritage to follow thereafter seemed almost futile to ask, and thankfully, Kos didn't ask for them, instead appearing satisfied. The lupine straightened as her sickly body would allow it, and sans her malnourishment and thinness, she briefly returned to her stance as the regal wolf she once was. Now she was unrecognizable, a husk of her former self, one that Waverly would never know, but perhaps would grow into. The wolfdog then stuck out her tongue playfully, which was returned with a familiar lick on the cheek, before her mother backed off, brown and white fur beginning to fade into the flora surrounding them. Floppy ears then swiveled, and Waverly shot up to follow her, but with a firm nod from her dam, she plopped back down. Had she been older, Waverly would've known what Kos was doing: going off to die in the Yon-Dale territory in the near west. But being only a pup who wasn't raised in the customs, Waverly assumed something else. Again a familiar pang of sadness came — mutually — and when she blinked, the face was gone, and her scent was no longer lingering. Chocolate oculars widened and the pup stood, ears folded against her cranium. She was here, in unfamiliar territory belonging to Blizzardclan, and she had no further guidance.
"Mom?"