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The lazy morning breeze felt refreshing on his exposed skin, helping to wick away the sweat from his early morning exertion. The path into the foothills was little more than a game trail, climbing steeply and winding through the underbrush and young trees at the edge of the forest. He paused for a moment as the path leveled out to wipe the sweat from his brow, savoring the opportunity to catch his breath. He leant down to survey the ground. Fresh hoof prints dug into the soft ground, and drops of blood were increasingly frequent. His quarry was near, and its strength was quickly wavering. The grade of the path was difficult, and the wound the deer had suffered was surely grievous, it would not be long now.
He came upon the creature not a few hundred paces into the wood, laying off the beaten path and panting heavily, his arrow still piercing its chest. He slowly approached the deer, trying not to startle it, but the beast had no fight left in it, it did not attempt to flee. He crouched low beside it, placing a hand on its neck, petting it gently to help calm and soothe it in its final moments. The creature’s eyes were narrowed and its breathing shallow and labored. With his unseen hand, he drew his dagger from his belt as he continued to comfort the deer. There was a single ragged exhale and then the animal went limp an instant latter, its breathing ceased. He left his hand on the now still creature as he wiped his dagger on his waist cloth. He plucked the arrow and cleaned that off as well before stowing it in his quiver. He adjusted the bow on his back before slinging the young buck over his shoulders, grunting with the effort.
The sun was just beginning to near its peak by the time Ivarr could see the village beyond the rolling hills. Noon had not yet come, but it had already been a long day. His bad knee ached from the burden across his shoulders, he was not as young of a man as he had been when he sailed across the sea years ago. He made it back to the village by the time the sun was directly overhead, beating down on the thatched roofs of the various buildings. The first homes were made of sun bleached wood, taken from the longship that had brought his small clan to these shores. The journey had been long and arduous, and their numbers were fewer than when they had set sail, returning home was not an option. He smiled as he surveyed his quaint little town and the few young ones running and laughing through the streets. The valley had provided for them and kept them safe, this was their home now.
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Painted strokes of red and gold filled the sky as Ivarr watched the sun begin to descend behind the mountains to the west. The village had grown quiet for the evening. The deer had been skinned and butchered, the firewood split and stacked, the forges grown cold, and the children called back inside. He stood and stretched, his joints having gone slightly stiff from sitting for as long as he had. He took a generous cut of venison that had yet to be salted and packed away and divided it up into five equal strips. He wrapped the meat in cloth and tucked it into his satchel, heading out the front door into the crisp evening air.
The last vestige of daylight was fading from the sky as he arrived back in the foothills just beyond the village. The howl of a wolf echoed through the night, its song beautiful and tragic. He grunted slightly with effort as he settled into a crouch, rubbing his bad knee as it threatened to buckle. He saw the eyes before anything else, pale yellow dots reflected in the moonlight peering out through the edge of the tall grass, watching him. He withdrew the wrapped package from his pack and unfolded the cloth, carefully placing it before him, the smell of unsalted meat hitting his nostrils. Not a minute later the first pup appeared a few dozen meters away from him, its head cocked upward and its nostrils flaring as it sniffed the air. He slowly rose, causing the pup to drop to a low crouch, wary from the movement, but it did not flee. He took a few small steps backwards, creating a bit of distance between him and the scraps of meat. He lowered back into a squat a few meters away. The curious wolf pup lowered its head and took a few careful steps towards the enticing offering. The rest of the liter soon followed, four more pups encouraged by their more bold sibling, peering over the top of the hill, one set of eyes after another. Before long their trepidation had left them, replaced with excitement for the treats before them, bounding happily over and snatching the morsels, some snapping and yipping at their brothers and sisters in protest as their preferred piece was taken.
Ivarr smiled to himself as he watched the pups play, rolling around in mock combat with one another. He lifted his head to see those eyes still watching him from the grass, along with a second set belonging to a fully grown wolf. The parents hadn’t let their pups anywhere near Ivarr at first, but they had grown accustomed to him over the passing months. They remained wary and he always felt their eyes on him, never approaching themselves. He knew that Orlendr, Finnr’s young boy, would sometimes sneak out to play with the wolf pups, wrestling with them as though he was their kin, he had saw the boy one night he came to bring the pups scraps. He had told Finnr but if the man had scolded the boy for it, Orlendr showed no indication because he was soon at it again. He could hardly blame Finnr for being soft on the boy, it was no simple task raising a precocious child by yourself in a new world. Ivarr was nearly certain the boy was touched with Insight even though his father swore he was not. He prayed for the boy’s sake his father was right.
He kept his gaze fixed on the tall grass, scanning until he saw it, a third pair of eyes watching, blue rather than yellow, separate from the others. He knew she would come, she always came. She had never approached, but he could sense something, a curiosity that surpassed even the pups that was matched by the wariness that only comes with age. He had seen her in the fading sunlight before, a curious creature similar in stature to the adult wolves but adorned with feathers and fur that almost seemed to glimmer in the moonlight. He did not believe her to be their kin, but she was a part of their pack, keeping a watchful eye on the pups as though they were her own. He smiled at the pups, a tear welling in his eye. Five young ones, one for each of the souls he had lost traveling to the new world. He had taken to calling the curious guardian Fiadh, the wilderness given shape. He believed that she kept a watchful eye over the little ones, as she did over all the creatures in her care. He had no reason to believe this to be true, yet he believed it to be true all the same. Fiadh, the spirit of the forest, its loyal protector.
Original Submission
Artist:
Teal_Avokado
Character:
Fiadh
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Category Artwork (Traditional) / Fantasy
Species Canine (Other)
Gender Female
Size 1382 x 997px
Listed in Folders
AYO! THATS MY FRIEND FIADH!!!
For real tho, this art is stunning, just fantastic~
For real tho, this art is stunning, just fantastic~
OMG a pretty Fia!
I looooooooooooove the atmosphere and background SO much
I looooooooooooove the atmosphere and background SO much
Oh my goooosh that is so fucking pretty what the helllllllll!!!!!!!!!
Really, truly, unbelievably gorgeous. Those colors in particular are just absolutely otherworldly... 💜💜💜
And another artist added to my watchlist, lol. Your comms just keep introducing me to so many fantastic people!
And another artist added to my watchlist, lol. Your comms just keep introducing me to so many fantastic people!
Oh my gosh, i love it so so much ! This is amazing and magical !!
Both the art and story, congrats to both the artist and you !! <3
Both the art and story, congrats to both the artist and you !! <3
Oh sweet lord, those colours and the divine details of the fur, feathers, and trees! Beautiful, epicsome and breathtaking piece from Teal Sensei again! 😊❤️✨ The way you wrote the story as well made me dream for a good moment to be there with Ivarr and the plauful pups, my biggest thanks and compliments to both you and Teal~🤗👏
They indeed have a watercolor technique capable to steal for a little time breath and words, it is a real incredible and unique style i gotta agree. Well yes, i always like reading the cool stories from you, more or less relevant to the picture I think you wonderfully catch the deep meaning that was illustrated 😊👍
The misty breath is such a nice detail that really helps you *feel* the scene.
The story was a nice read too.
The story was a nice read too.
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