Posts by WILDYONDER ?!

Wildyonder remained silent as her words struck him, restraining the urge to flinch as if she had attacked physically rather than verbally. Still, he said nothing, and his almost-everlasting smile had faded. He could hear the pain in her voice, smell the slight tinge of alcohol on her breath. "Tell me what you need or get out." He did neither, only quietly stepping closer until he stopped in front of her, so close yet just out of reach. "Are you okay?" he murmured, expression plagued with worry.

This was his... his friend. He felt his chest constrict as she accused him of abandoning her, and he opened his mouth to defend himself, but no words came out. He fell back onto his haunches, taking a seat and curling his tail neatly around his front paws. Seconds ticked by, and finally he spoke, his voice kind and quiet. "I'm not like you, Asterin. Strong, brave..." he trailed off, a tiny smile quirking at the corners of his maw. "I can't even move in an emergency. Forget fight or flight--I freeze," he continued, his words chased by a humorless laugh.

He tilted his head back, exhaling softly. "I was really scared, Asterin--really, really scared." he confessed, and he felt panic rush through him as he noticed the prickling of tears in the corners of his clouded eyes. "I can't... I can't even express how sorry I am for everything I didn't do, but... even if you hate me now," he managed, voice straining, "...I'm just really happy you're alive." He was crying now, tears streaking the silver and white fur beneath his eyes.

"Please, please stay that way."

Wildyonder had taken a great liking to this particular meadow, as he'd had many fruitful conversations within it. So when he detected a familiar clanmate's presence in the center of it, he seized the opportunity. In places like this, anything could happen.

But what he did not expect to happen was slamming himself face-first into a hard surface upon approaching Imperia. The paladin fell backwards onto his rump, drawing a sharp, pained breath inwards. He definitely didn't remember there being a wall there. Had someone constructed a building here since he'd last visited? It seemed unlikely, but what else could he have slammed into? "The heck...?" he finally managed, tenderly bringing a paw up to his throbbing nose.

Wildyonder smelled the fire before he heard the screams, but the two combined sent him into high alert. The silver feline jolted awake, scrambling to his paws and pricking his ears, concern etched into his features. He was outside of his den and halfway across the camp in a flash, stopping as the voices and scents grew closer and lingering just outside the fight's radius. The smell of smoke still choked out most of the other smells, but Wildyonder quickly put the pieces together--it must have been Jacob shrieking. The sound of thudding hooves was unmistakable--Harrison--and judging by Ska'arq's snarling, Pad was involved in the fight. And... was that Jerseyboy trying to stop the fight? Interesting. That one surprised him.

Wildyonder let out a low whistle, wisely deciding to not get involved. Pad was obviously in the wrong here, but there was no way Wildyonder was going to take anyone's side. Anyone here, save maybe Jacob, could kick his butt, and Wildyonder really didn't want to end up on the receiving end of anyone's claws... or hooves. So he remained silent, merely standing by and listening for the moment, drinking in the scene as his mind reeled to try and figure out something he could do. In the end, though, he was really more of the "spectating" type.

Asterin was fire and ice all at once, burning passion and anger in a cold, cold shell, and Wildyonder was nothing. He hovered, a ghost, next to Asterin, wanting to reach out but finding his paws unresponsive. "There was nothing to be done, Asterin," he gently reasoned. "It wasn't your fault, it was theirs." His final word was released with a burst of verbal venom--something quite unusual for the soft-spoken tom. An aching moment in which no words were spoken passed by. "They won't get away with it." His voice carried an unsettling sort of finality.

Without clarifying, he let out a breath, clearly done talking about Asterin's attackers. Scum like them didn't deserve even the breaths he had wasted speaking of them mere seconds before. He heard her advancing pawsteps, and he quickly rose to his paws, silently turning to face her. All he could do was offer her a smile, shaky as it was. He was still scared. However much she healed, the smell of pain still faintly cleaved to the she-wolf's pelt. He felt his chest ache at the thought, recalling all-too-vividly the suffocating scent of her blood as he had arrived next to her body, barely in time to ensure she wasn't a corpse. And as she choked out her words, insisting he didn't understand, he felt his fear grow. Not fear of her, but for her. What had she done? What had she done?

Still, he felt his breath hitch as she swore to him she'd be okay, and relief overwrote the concern on his face. "You promise..." he trailed off, taking a moment to process her vow to him. Something was wrong, very wrong, but Asterin was right. Surely, Asterin was the only thing "right" in this whole mess anymore. His features softened. "I trust you, Asterin."