[center]The trees were just endless streams of brown stripes against his eyes as he moved. A brisk trot had his legs swinging like alternating pendulums. Moss moved through the forest effortlessly and carried with him the rhythm of this place: A tap-tap of hooves and heart. That tapping turned into a low rumble in his ears, mingling with the noise of the blood rushing through them as trees rushed past. The stag hardly paid mind to the world around him as he exercised still-waking muscles in the morning air. The cool air enrobed him, even daring to weave through unkempt fur and kiss his bi-colored skin. The branches of saplings flicked white tines, creating more noises to add to the symphony of things going on in his world.

So many things, so many noises, yet all of them ground quickly to a halt. Two taps was all it took. Two taps that sounded like hoof on wood. Two taps that echoed through the forest and caught Moss's large ears. It seemed as if the whole world took a break. Everything paused.

Tap, tap. The stag's eyes scanned for the sound. He looked left and right, spinning in an almost complete circle. His ears rotated like satellites on steroids. A grunt, and the stag again heard the tap-tapping.

[This is private RP between Ireth's Nathaniel and my Sonne. Feel free to track or reach but please do not reply without permission first ^^ Thank you!~]



Thud, thud, thud, scraaaape.

A small hoof broke the ground, scattering pebbles and leafy debris. Just a small, insignificant groove in the hard soil, but lifting a slender banded leg, the doe thrust the nail forward again, digging in and dragging it across the rough, solid surface. A slightly deeper furrow emerged. The rhythm continued, back and forth, back and forth, a pile of unsettled earth accumulating as she dug. Shadows drifted across her path, drawing her head closer, tangled brown locks slipping across her neck and messily framing her masked face. Her tired eyes strained to focus on her work.

It was a dark day. Storm clouds drifted overhead, blocking out the sunlight - not that there was much sunlight to be had in the little shaded alcove deep in the forest. Not a single drop had fallen though...no moisture to soften the soil and lessen the strain of her task. No matter. She wouldn't wait. Flattening her ears in determination, she shifted to her other leg, resting the one that ached to continue the task without rest.

Just kind of a mini explanation as to why Alabaster is acting how he is. Could it be better? Oh yes. This is unedited. I do like the ending though. I'll keep that, maybe edit the rest. If you come across him in forest, feel free to sit with him. He's sad, lonely, (probably sick by this point. He's been in the rain all day) and bitter towards everything. He probably won't have the energy to interact, but he will accept you sitting with him. Just a thought if you see his picto.



The rain poured down in sheets, soaking the young stag’s pelt. He stood in the midst of it, no longer caring just how wet he got. What did it matter anymore anyway? It wasn’t like his life was getting any better. Nothing was happening how it should.
The rain brought bitter memories, more so from the chilling, deathly cold it brought with it. He had almost died because his mother had a change of heart to leave him. What was worse was that she had been there. He knew she had been there. He had felt her warmth, her fur next to his. She was his universe, his world.
And then she was gone.
Simply gone.
How could she do that to her helpless newborn? How could she just leave him to die? The question had wandered through his mind for as long as he could remember. It was a constant question, like the ache in his heart or the pelt of ice he was wearing now. Not even his herd wanted him around.
The stag let out a ragged, pained breath. Auni hated him, or feared him, he wasn’t sure which. Jester was just…weird. Terrifying was a better way to put it, though her –was it a her?-interest was on Phoenix, so Alabaster had little time to speak with either of them. Then there was Alarica, the friend of Kerwin. The doe who was all right toward him until he started to grow in his antlers. The young hart took a few shaky steps, his joints stiff from standing. It’s not like it matters anyway, he thought bitterly. Only Kerwin and Zash seemed to care what he was doing, or where he was going.

4
Nothing is Impossible
The sanctuary disappeared into thin air as Lady passed through barrier. It had been a few months since Lady began her training. It seemed tha very little had changed. Once again she spotted Herla and Gehirn curled up together inside the giant oak. Lady knew she shouldn’t eavesdrop, but she couldn’t help being within listening distance.
“Isn’t it wonderful? One more month and we will become parents.” She nuzzled the giant buck’s face. It was strange not to see the lively vivacious doe dancing around her mate, but if she was that far into her pregnancy she had to be careful.
“I can’t wait,” replied Gehirn as he nuzzled Herla’s face, “The twins will be beautiful.”
Twins? Lady thought, How wonderful! two new fawns in the forest! She chanted a blessing for the mother-to-be from behind an old snag. The spell would ensure the health of the mother and her children when the moment came, protecting them from the all-too-real dangers of childbirth. Neither Herla or Gehirn noticed the floating golden orb as it silently merged with Herla’s pictogram.
Now to restore the ruins. The visions from her dream and the spring showed her every detail of how the old temple looked, inside and out. It was no easy task reshaping the broken stones, cleaning the headstones, making sure the other deer stayed out of the area for their own safety, etc.
She sent out orbs of light to search the surrounding area for a suitable quarrying place. There was none in the forest, so she sent the orbs beyond the edge of the forest. Before long the orbs were cutting thick chunks of stone from a mountainside miles away, and carrying them effortlessly the entire way back. When the orbs returned, lady examined the stones for the best way to cut them into bricks that were the right shape and size. Lady let her intuition guide her magic, and cut perfectly shaped bricks with ease from the enormous chunks of granite.