Submission (#774) Approved

(Again, Hope I got this right!)

1316 Words

Default Rewards
4 Shards
2 Aetherial Shards

Additional Rewards
1300 Words = 13 Shards
Small Companion = 1 Shards

18 Shards total

Wynter’s Chill, Part 2, A Trail Gone Cold

Answering the summons to the palace had taken a great toll on Carbery. It had been some time since he had been around so many others of his kind and the booming voice of Queen Wynter rang fresh in his ears. He mulled over the situation as he trudged through snow layered thick upon the forest floor in great ripples.

As he raised his head towards the barren boughs of the forest and ran his open palm through the chilly morning air, Carbery began to see the truth in what the queen had said. It had been a long winter. Breathing deep he mused; While his forest had been bountiful, his isolation had left him blinkered and inattentive, but this new knowledge breathed fresh air on the embers of his thoughts and it became clear that the Eitravens had been scarce indeed.

The sounds of birds singing had grown quieter as he travelled and the rich game of the woods seemed to be avoiding the area’s essence as if nature itself felt tremors in the fabric of the world.

The fact that he was chosen by the queens only fed into his determination. While others had also been granted the honour, Carbery wished to make something of himself and his eyes narrowed and focused on the trail ahead.

One of his clawed hands reached into his pouch and his pawpads brushed against his shifter stone, a gift from his sister he had received on his way to the palace. Having little time to train with it led the stone to pulse with a wild energy and he quickly recoiled. “Need to work on that thing” pondered Carbery.

The trail to the mountains of Lornesse lasted some days as Carbery pressed on. His faithful Kiritsune Luca followed close behind, still a pup and full of energy. His Auburn nose ploughed many a trail through the snow behind his master’s ardent hoofsteps.

Together they would hunt and forage, the young pup with his keen nose expertly sniffing out the best berries while Carbery was an excellent fire and shelter maker. What a team they made!

Occasionally his gaze would raise from the snowclad bed of the forest and follow Carbery’s watchful eyes towards the vale and mountains ahead. Luca could smell his master’s anxiety and his brow furrowed as he tottered together with the wool towards their destination deep in the wintry mountains.

Together they noticed picked up the trail of feathers the queens had so clearly described. Deep indentations could be seen in the otherwise undisturbed blankets of white which grew in frequency as the pair approached the ruins while infrequent feathers of the missing Eitravents floated aimlessly in the breeze

Close to the approach to the ruins, Carbery had an idea as he gasped in a moment of clarity. Luka’s head snapped around as the wool bounded suddenly towards a copse of trees at the trailside and took hold of a bundle of Eitraven feathers which had fallen haphazardly from a nearby tree.

The curious Kiritsune jumped with a start and hastily made his way towards a crouching Carbery, holding out the bundle of feathers in his claws and looking expectantly towards Luca.

“Good boy, get the scent Luca, help a cat out, willya?” Carbery spoke hurriedly as Luca’s twitching nose sniffed and huffed to grasp what he could from the fronds of the feathers before his head twitched towards the ruins once more and he let out a bark. His tail writhed and wagged excitedly as his enthusiasm turned into a run towards the ruins.

“Luca, Boy! You got something?” Carbery cried as he heaved himself up and tried to keep up futilely with his friend and companion. Try as he might he could not match Luca’s speed or ability to weave through the low branches as the ruins grew closer and closer. The sound of Luca’s barks grew more distant as Carbery’s breaths grew heavy.

The poor Wool was out of shape and he stopped at the towering stones at the entrance, pressing pawpads against his thighs and heaving in exhaustion. His satchel at his side seemed warm as between breaths he turned to regard the pouch which rested against his leg. It was as if the stone was calling to him to use it, to grow stronger, like it could offer him the strength he needed if he would but give it a chance.

As tempted as it was, business for the queens did not seem the time to unleash his untrained shifter form upon the world. He knew not how it would affect his mind and he tore his thoughts back to the situation at hand as the wind slowly found it’s way back into his system.

The stones of the ruins rose high all around him with barren branches twisting betwixt them. Carbery’s whimsical nature drew him to dream about how it might look in the summer, but his distractions drew him away from what he was trying to accomplish here.

The sound of Luca’s barks snapped him out of his daydream and he hurried towards the echoes which drifted between the stones. The snow seemed to slow as he caught up with the frivolous fox staring at a particular stone which was steeped in more of the described liquid than before as feathers drifted loosely around the standing stone.

The whole area seemed steeped with a sensation of solitude, as though no living being should be there as Luca’s steps peddled back towards Carbery with a whimper. “This ain’t right. This ain't right at all. This is bigger than me and the queens gotta know.” Carbery uttered with a sense of trepidation.

As Carbery stared at the monolith his paw pads turned once more over his shifter stone. Strength and confidence could be his, he thought. His eye twitched as his shifter stone seemed to be a source of promised power. It called to him as he toyed with the thought that that strength might allow him to face whatever was clearly crawling in the shadows before him.

It was Luca who’s whining whimpers whispered to the wool that temptation however was a cruel mistress and reason returned him to rationality. The kiritsune sensed once more Carbery’s angst. He saw with worry the change in expression in Carbery's eyes and pawed furiously at his leg as Carbery pulled once more away from the thrumming stone.

Carbery shook his head and clapped his paws against his cheeks to bring his mind back to the situation. He took deep breaths of cold air as his eyes returned to their usual lustre.

“Thanks Boy, I needed that!” Carbery Smiled as he lowered himself to pet the frolicking fox who’s dark eyes stared with relief at Carbery’s return to his senses. The side of him that lurked within the shifter stone would have to wait it's turn, dormant until it could be safely unleashed. That would come with training. A mentor, perhaps?

With newfound resolve Carbery told himself he going to seek help from the queens, from the other wool and be smart about this and not simply unleash his wilder side unabated upon adversaries unknown. His sister would not forgive him if he got himself into trouble, least of all with the stone she had given him and he turned on his hooves to return to the palace.

As he put distance between himself and the ruins, the air seemed to grow lighter and he could swear he heard the birds begin to sing more, the sensation of greenery growing beneath the snowfall against his leg grew more visceral and he felt altogether more composed.

Something was lurking in those ruins and Carbery knew he was going to do what he could to resolve it, but for now, It was time to report what he new.