(( Yeah I did really well on all of them, thankfully!
And that's so cool that you bought gifts for everyone! I think that's so sweet!! <3 lol If we did know each other irl, I bet it'd be a lot of fun to exchange Christmas gifts! 🙃 ))
Hawthorne
Hawthorne lay on the bed unmoving, staring up at the hospital room's white ceiling. His usually vibrant green eyes held a deep sorrow in them as his thoughts wandered to his sister and Arion. Fragments of foggy memories surfaced in his shattered mind; that stupid smirk Arion always had whenever he was posing for a picture. How he'd always clap the captain on the back after they'd survived a battle. The cute little habit Basil had of crinkling up her nose when she laughed. The way she used to hide behind his legs when she was younger, tugging on his scarlet colored cape. Hawthorne would never forget how tiny and skittish Basil had been when she was a child. All his life, Hawthorne had done everything he could to make her feel safe and protected. Despite everything that had happened, he still loved her more than anything in the world and wanted to keep her safe, but the captain hadn't realized that she no longer needed protection from him. Basil had grown from a child frightened of her own shadow to a young woman who would fearlessly destroy any obstacle in her way to protect the people she loved. Back in the forest, Hawthorne had seen the way his little sister had so fiercely protected Arion from being injured by Reed's dagger. Basil had caught the steel blade in mid-air, crushing it as if had been nothing more than tissue paper. And Hawthorne had also seen how she had obliterated those human's machines- in a matter of seconds she had twisted the horrifying machines into a hauntingly beautiful metal sculpture.
Hawthorne had never known that his little sister was capable of such things like that before, as such precise control over metal was a very rare talent among Quell with earth magic. Earth Quell lucky enough to have control over magic often trained for decades to successfully master their talent, yet Basil had been able to stop a dagger hurling through the air in the blink of an eye.
In all honesty, Hawthorne was quite flabbergasted that his sister had even been able to do something like that with her earth magic. He had always believed that she had been one of the unfortunate Quell who had weak magic. Even after years of tutoring, Basil had always struggled with her nature magic- even as a young adult, she could barely summon a harmless daisy on command.
Hawthorne had foolishly believed that his sister was next to powerless and would always need his brotherly protection, but he realized now that Basil didn't need someone to protect her. Perhaps she couldn't summon a few flowers, but she could easily rip apart a building by it's metal infrastructure if she wanted to or render nearly all metal weapons useless. Hawthorne felt as if a hole had been kicked into his chest as he realized that Basil certainly didn't need her big brother around to protect her anymore. She wasn't that frightened little girl who hid in the folds of his cloak anymore. Basil deserved to be treated like the independent young woman she had grown into- yet, Hawthorne had realized this far too late.
The captain swallowed hard, fighting back a strangled sob as he screwed his eyes shut in mental agony. He had been a fool to drive away both his best friend and his only family in one day. Hawthorne desperately wanted to find Basil and Arion so he could apologize for how he had inadvertently hurt them both. All he could do was beg their forgiveness and hope that they'd forgive him with time. Hawthorne had to get to them before it was too late, yet... he couldn't even manage to sit up on his own at the moment. How was he supposed to go and find the couple like this? They could have been anywhere in Solodin by now.
The captain's eyes fluttered open slowly and he squinted up at the far too bright hospital lights. He swore he could hear the faint sound of his sister's voice, though he dismissed it as just one of the fuzzy phantasms running through his brain. As someone walked into the room, Hawthorne's gaze snapped to the newcomer, hoping for a moment that it might be his sister, but the turned out to be a nurse he vaguely recognized. Any other day, he might have been able to recall Kyran's name, but Hawthorne was so disoriented from the painkillers surging through his veins that he was lucky to be able to recall even his own name.
" H-hi..." The captain wheezed breathlessly in greeting. He attempted to shift a bit so he could see Kyran better, but quickly gave up as a sharp stab of pain made stars appear before his eyes. Once the pain had subsided, Hawthorne looked over at Kyran and was pleasantly surprised as the nurse sat down beside his bedside. It lifted his spirits slightly to know that the young nurse cared enough to keep him company. A tiny smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he looked over to Kyran, " Tea?" The captain murmured hoarsely, cracking a dry smile." Whisky would be better" He murmured with a faint amusement in his eyes " But I'll take earl grey if you have it." Hawthorne wanted to push himself up a bit, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to regain control of his limbs. They seemed to weigh more than steel bars as he lay helplessly on the bed.
Juniper
Juniper saw how Celeste's expression changed, knowing she was blaming herself for what had happened. It pained him to see how shaken she was from by being away from her injured brother. He desperately wished there was some way to bring them together, but Celeste still seemed too ill to be moved just yet. Juniper very gently rubbed Celeste's back, pressing a gentle kiss to her cheek. "Darling, I'm sure you'll be well enough to see him soon" He said gently, trying his best to reassure her. Juniper hated feeling so powerless to help Celeste. Desperately, he wished he could just do or say
something that might help cheer her up.
A faint, but hopeful sparkle returned to the young Howlers eyes as Celeste laughed a bit. " Of course!" He said optimistically, giving a warm chuckle " I know everyday with you will be a marvelous adventure, Bunny. Together, we'll explore everywhere and read every single book in the Solodin library and cook both Howler and Quell dishes until we're both wrinkly and old!" Juniper beamed crookedly at Celeste, his bright purple eyes holding a familiar mischevious sparkle. " It'll be a lot of fun to do it all together, don't you think?"
It warmed Juniper's heart to see how Celeste seemed to relax from his gentle touch and soothing words. Nothing made him happier than seeing his beloved Celeste looking happy- the joyous sparkle in her gorgeous blue eyes never failed to make him feel lighter than hair. Juniper smiled at Celeste, feeling as if his heart would burst from pure joy. " Really? A scruffy Howler like me, brighter than an educated Quell? Impossible!" He chuckled warmly, beaming at her with a crooked smile. Something about his cheeky grin showed that he knew he wasn't just a "stupid" Howler. Juniper had always read every single book he could get his hands on and he loved learning new information. He knew that he had at least some intelligence, even if he had very little formal education. Though, obviously Juniper wasn't conceited about having a bright mind, he was simply grateful that he had someone as intelligent as Celeste to learn from. He had never met anyone quite like Celeste before. It was wonderful to meet someone who loved to learn new things just as much as, or perhaps even more than, he did. From their first meeting, Juniper had been awestruck by how clever Celeste was and how well she could hold a conversation. Juniper had always been told that Quell were little more than dull, mindless killing machines, but Celeste had shown him that Quell were so much more than that. Perhaps they had very different cultures and looked a little different, the two races were essentially the same in the way they needed the same basic things like love and affection.
Though he didn't quite understand the significance of Celeste's Quell blessing, Juniper rather liked her affectionate little kisses. A faint blush crossed Juniper's cheeks as he smiled over at her. Very gently, he leaned a little closer to her and pressed a gentle kiss to her soft, pink lips. He had kissed Celeste before, but Juniper knew that he'd never tire of the way it made his heart race and his cheeks grow warm.
His tail wagging happily at Celeste's laughter, the little pup gave a joyous little 'yip!' and nuzzled closer to her. He was very mindful of her wounds as he snuggled into her cozy embrace, careful not to accidently hurt her. A pleased rumbling sound escaped the pup's tiny body, melting from Celeste's affectionate head rubs and the comforting warmth of her chest. After the hectic past few days, it felt heavenly just to relax for a while like this. For several moments, Juniper felt quite content to stay in Celeste's warm hug, happy that she was able to relax for a moment.
The little pup nearly let out a surprised squeak as Celeste suddenly tensed and squeezed his furry body painfully tight to her chest. Juniper felt shattered to his core as he heard her miserable sob. Giving a tiny whimper, he wiggled a bit closer to Celeste and gave her cheek a slobbery lick. With a little huff, the pup nipped Celeste's sleeve - careful not to bite her accidentally- and gave her sleeve at light tug to get her attention. Moving so he wasn't on top of her, Juniper shifted into his human form before wrapping his strong, lean arms around Celeste in a comforting embrace. " Bunny, it'll be alright." He murmured gently, kissing her forehead, " Just let it all out, okay? I'm here for you, darling." Juniper hugged her to his chest and stroked her beautiful pastel-colored hair gently.
Basil
With her pulse racing in her chest, Basil shyly met his breathtaking golden-eyed gaze for a moment before shyly looking away from his face and to their intertwined hands. Her cheeks flushed bright pink as she watched Arion laced his long, lithe fingers through her much smaller ones. Basil absolutely loved his shapely hands and thought they were quite attractive despite being bruised and lined with scars. She adored the way her delicate hand fit so wonderfully in his and the gentle way he always held her hand, as if it were made of porcelain. To her, Arion's hands were perfect in everyway, just like the rest of him. A little bashful smile tugged at the corners of Basil's plump lips as she delicately ran her thumb across the back of Arion's hand.
As the doctor spoke, Basil tore her gaze away from Arion and looked over to the doctor." His
mother?" Basil repeated, her emerald eyes shimmering with faint amusement. Her plump lips twitched a bit as she tried not to chuckle at the Doctor's apparent mistake. " No, I'm most certainly
not Arion's mother. I'm his girlfriend" She said without any hesitance, looking to the doctor with a small, but friendly smile. " I don't believe we've meet before, doctor. My name is Basil Maonaigh. It's a pleasure to meet you, sir" She introduced herself politely before looking back to Arion, smiling at him with that same amused sparkle in her eyes as before. Basil was still quite painfully shy when it came to talking to anyone but Arion and a few close friends, but she seemed to be quite relaxed being around the doctor, simply because she was completely focused on worrying about Arion at the moment. Nothing else seemed to matter whenever she was around him. Happily, Basil would have spent hours just chatting with Arion and letting herself get lost in those breath taking eyes of his.
O-oh my goodness, how is he so handsome? It's almost not fair!, she wondered, blushing like mad at her silly thought. Basil felt much like a school-girl who was holding hands with her crush for the very first time. She was quite convinced that she'd never get used to Arion's gentle affections and the way he treated her like a Queen. Blushing madly, she couldn't help but smile down at Arion as he rested his cheek in her petite hand, " Of course I'm okay, darling." She said gently, tracing her fingers lightly through his hair to soothe him. As Arion pulled away from her and tried to sit up in panic, a slight nervous squeak escaped Basil's lips. " Arion! Please!" She said worriedly, putting her hand on his shoulder to keep him from trying to sit up, " You need to rest a bit longer, darling. " Basil looked to Arion with a frown, her bright eyes clearly giving away her concern. She was worried about him and terrified that he was going to injure himself beyond repair. Giving a slight huff, Basil looked to Arion and crossed her arms over her chest. " So help me, Arion, I will tie you to this bed by your ankles if you so much as move a single muscle to get up." She meant every word, determined to make sure Arion got enough rest so he could heal. Basil's expression softened a bit more as she leaned closer to Arion and pressed a kiss to his cheek. " I'll go check on Celeste if you like?" She offered, knowing how much Arion wanted to check up on his sister.
Lyra
Lyra allowed herself a small breath of relief as she finished her small speech, her expression never wavering for a moment, even as the villagers erupted into cheers and shouts. Seemingly unfazed, her gaze wandered across the crowd in hopes of spotting Endymion somewhere amongst their familiar packmates. Something in her gut screamed that something was wrong as if there was something she had failed to calculate in her plan for the Howler tribe. Had she made a mistake by appointing Endymion as male alpha? Worries plagued her mind, though the only hint of her self-doubt was in the way her hands shook ever so slightly. All of the rowdiness amongst the crowd seemed to be taking a toll on the usually imperturbable alpha.
As Endymion silently walked up onto the platform, Lyra looked to him and her worries seemed to fade away for a brief moment. His unspoken steadfastness was something she found herself depending on, especially with all of the chaos and excited shouting in the village. With the slightest of smiles and a grateful look in her tired eyes, the blonde she-Howler took Endymion's hands in her own. Her lightly tanned hands were undeniably strong from years of hard work, yet they weren't rough in any way as she liked to use lovely scented oils to moisturize with. Her fingers were very lean and long, with perfectly tapered, almond-shaped nails that were quite akin to her dangerously sharp wolf claws. With one flick of her wrist, she could easily cause a nasty scrape with her fingernails that deep enough to make someone bleed, yet not fatal like her claws were. Though obviously, Lyra would never dream of hurting Endymion and she certainly wasn't foolish enough to accidentally nick him with her fingernails as they were hand-in-hand.
" Endymion, " Lyra murmured, just so he could hear, " Thank you...". She smiled up at him for a moment before her expression returned to it's usual slightly stoical look. She couldn't risk letting her emotions get out of hand once again, not here in front of the entire village. " Would you help me to stand?" Lyra asked quietly, though confident in her abilities " I can walk if you let me lean on you." Using Endymion for support, the blonde she-Howler stood, placing her full weight on her good leg. Pain shot up her injured let as she shifted ever so slightly, a white-hot pain running from her ankle to her hip. Dark spots danced in her vision, but she was fully determined that she would walk the few steps across the platform. Pure stubbornness and determination kept her from passing out on top of Endymion.
Gilly
" Well, I'm sorry! I didn't know you wanted to come with me" Gilly gave a warm laugh at Miri's feigned anger, his bright hazel eyes sparkling with merriment. " In all fairness, I did come by your hut earlier to check, but I guess you were busy or somethin' and didn't hear my shout. Ah well, I guess there's always tomorrow!" He chirped sunnily. With a warm chuckle, the gangly teen leaned back on the sawn-off tree stump he was using for a chair, stretching out before putting his hands behind his head. " I'd love for ya to come with me to find that tree! It'll be a lot of fun and together we'll get twice as much honey" He remarked in his usual sunny manner. Ever the optimist, Gilly was sure they'd enjoy spending the afternoon in pursuit of delicious honey. He always loved hanging out with Miri and pretty much anyone who could stand his constant chatter and occasionally annoying over-friendliness.
As Miri waved her cookie in the air and giggled at his attempts at cooking baking, Gilly couldn't help but laugh along with her. Falling into a fit of warm, rumbling laughter, the young deer Howler nodded in agreement at her comparison, " Maybe they do look a little bit like dirt clods, but at least they don't taste like it!" He protested good naturedly, his eyes twinkling madly. " Remember my first batch of brownies? I'm fairly certain those
did have potting soil in them!" Letting Miri shove him back, the young Howler gave a bubbly laugh and happily dug into another one of the honey-almond cookies.
Gilly's cheerful expression turned to a slightly melancholy as Miri mentioned Juniper. The two of them had been as close as brothers for a long time and it was apparent that Gilly missed his best friend, yet he was still happy for Juniper in a strange sort of way. " Yeah, I'm gonna miss him too. He was a good guy, ya know?" He said quietly, giving a soft sigh " I hope he's happier where he's at now." Gilly looked to Miri hesitantly, lowing his voice a bit more, " You don't think he's really
dead, do you? I mean.... I can't help but wonder...." The dark-haired Howler shook his head in disbelief. Gilly was quite shocked as Lyra announced that she was appointing Endymion as their second leader, but her next piece of news quickly made him forget all about his slight mistrust of Endymion.
Gilly tensed as Lyra mentioned the human threat, his gaze flickering with both fear and anger. As a healer's apprentice, he had seen first-hand what the human's noxious chemicals could do. They were slow, but sure killers. The disgusting chemicals poisoned Howlers, leaving them agonizing pain for days before their bodies simply gave out. The most frightening part was that the Howlers had no cure for the poison and could only ease the pain as Howlers lay on their death bed. Only Quell healing magic could seem to combat the human's poison and even then, it took a great deal of magic to heal someone affected by the poison. Gilly scowled angrily, not paying attention to Lyra's speech anymore. " Filthy humans, those
beasts are killing themselves along with every living thing here on earth!" He spat angrily, jumping to his feet as well. " I say we drive them away from our forest and back into those disgusting cities of filth they live in! Let them poison themselves until there's not a one left" Gilly was normally a very peaceful young Howler, but he knew what monsters humans could be. He was certainly going to join the fight to stop the humans from invading their forest.
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