the maiden fair

The Maiden woke with a gasp; high and panicked as her head reared from the ground. Teodora's ghostly gaze darted from side to side as she gasped for air, forepaws out before her and clinging to the forest floor. Her vision swam as she gulped, her chest heaving and body quivering as shock coursed through her veins and clung to her like ice. From the details she could make out, she didn't know where she was. Her mind was a haze, like a mist had settled and she was walking through it directionless. Unaware. A forest, that's all she knew. It had to be a forest, looking at the blurry blobs as her vision swam, her gasps thudding in her own ears as she willed herself to calm down. The Lady didn't even know why she was so panicked but she was, something so unbecoming -- though she could only make out fragments of a voice telling her a lady did not panic!

Teodora dropped her head to the ground, her chin chipping against the floor making Dora wince as she floundered. She whimpered lowly in the back of her throat as she forced herself to focus on her breathing. She pointed out each tree, each bush and repeated. In time, her breathing began to slow and her head slowly stopped swimming and became less dizzy with each passing moments. When her breathing was shallow and slower, she lifted her head from the ground and did what always tended to calm her more; groom herself. Her tongue dipped from her mouth and swept over her legs, her paws, her ears cupping forward as she willed herself not to cry.

Her mind was messy and still, felt as if she was trapped in a haze.

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It was no longer unusual for strangers to awake within the forest. Célnes felt like the High Elk himself was leading to her so, through the birches and maples, the redwoods and oaks, and the pines that stood tall between all. Sunlight shining gently through, a leading path throughout the quiet forest, an occasional deer moving about, and path she avoided.

"Are you a lost soul as well?" Through the shadows of the tall trees did the Queen roam through, a pleasant smile upon her face and looking to the holy pelted wolf before her so. Warmth shined through, a more leniency given to the factor she was a welcomed color to this forest.

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It was easy to get lost in her comfort coping mechanism. Nearly robotically she licked, smoothening down the fur that had been ruffled by... whatever had happened, the dark fur tucking neatly against Teodora's tongue. She didn't know she had the habit until she did it, the feeling of calmness settling over her shoulders as she continued. A voice, soft yet entrancing met her ears and Teodora paused, her tongue slipping back behind her teeth as she lifted her ghostly gaze with caution. A woman of similar brown bled through the trees, asking her if she were a lost soul and Teodora's lashes fluttered as she came to the realisation that she was.

She was a lost soul with nowhere to go and no recollection of how she had gotten there.

"I..." the Maiden trailed off softly, her ears splaying against her head as she cast her gaze to the earth before lifting them back to the elegant woman of the trees. "I believe so, ma'am. I am... I am not too sure where I am or how I happened to be here." It felt silly, saying such tripe. However, it was the truth and she could only hope the other woman would not condemn her for it.

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She would think the other is a child with her meekness, but an adult stood before her. She blended in nicely with the forest, her fur a beautiful brown that the High Elk would enjoy, and similarly to the herd that roams in these forests. Eyes temporary glanced around to see if perhaps they were peeking from the distance, trying to peer through the trees. Yet only the sound of the birds cawing, and the occasional rustle of the bushes were heard. Was the High Elk not pleased by so?

Célnes would tactfully ignore the thought.

She faced forward to the other, "You are in Elkshire lands, my deer, I am Célnes Déorwine, the Queen of these woods."

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Despite it all, Teodora couldn't help but think something was missing as she lay there, before the Queen of the Forest. Someone, she thought perhaps, instead of something. Teodora slowly lifted herself from her laying position, dipping low at the elbow in greeting as the woman spoke of her title. "Your Highness," the etiquette was instilled in her and came easily, though she blinked at how she had known to do it -- yet it felt normal. "I am Teodora," her ghostly gaze looked around briefly, as she now had a name to the lands she found herself in. A part of her wanted to say her last name was Agosti yet... she couldn't quite fatham why, as the name Oteri stirred in her brain at the same time.

Despite now being dry, her body still felt heavily as if water was logging her down. She shifted, a paw coming to scuff at the Earth beneath her -- a nervous habit she had picked up long ago and had not grown out of. "Forgive me, your Highness. I just -- I feel... I feel incomplete," Teodora revealed quietly, shifting on her slender legs as she cast her gave back to Célnes. "I imagine I must seem strange to you," because really, how often could it happen? A woman waking, unable to remember where she was, how she got there and much of a time before?

Teodora swallowed the urge to run, panicked. Instead she stood there, delicate features cast in a shadow of confusion and uncertainty.

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"It's quite alright. Many awake lost, and confused within this forest - you are not alone." Any other normal time would she think the other was pulling a trick, but, she was not the first, "almost like they walk the astral plans, and end up lost to these lands." She didn't know in particular was caused these, some came perfectly in-tact, but some did not remember.. Some came alone despite vividly remembering the end, her heart clutched thinking about her brother, who did not follow to this land.

"You may call me Célnes." An easeful smile, as she reassured the other on to not worry. While not mentioning so, as Teodra was blessed head to toe, the Queen had no worries she would be alright. Her awakening within this forest was thought to be but destiny, weaved by the High Elk himself, for his loved for the colors that represent himself.

"You are welcome to stay in this land, either as an Elkshire wolf, or a guest of a few days."

Pledge loyalty, or move out in a span of a few days. She gave the choice.

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Teodora thought it odd, the Queens words yet she found comfort in them. She was uncertain how so many wolves could be in the same situation as her but Dora wouldn't question it; not whilst she had comfort in the Queens words. "Lost," she murmured, "how strange that is," was there even a logical answer for it? Perhaps not and honestly, Teodora didn't care. Her head was often in the clouds and it didn't make her that curious, what did make her curious was the way her heart felt empty.

She smiled warmly at the Queen, her allowance of Teo to call her by her name had her tail thumping behind her. "As you wish," she mused, cocking her head to the side as she observed the Queen and her Forest. Her ears swirved forward at her words and her ghostly gaze stilled upon the visage of the Queen, her belly stirring with unease. She... she wasn't sure, it was -- it felt right to stay but it also felt empty. Teo swallowed thickly, she wasn't sure she wanted to go searching for the thing to complete her -- she didn't even know what it was but also... the world was wide and she had somehow ended up here with no recollection. It was a silly thought, to go off into the unknown.

Perhaps what she would need would find her here instead. "If you will allow it, I would like to be an Elkshire Wolf," the words felt oddly foreign, like she was betraying another, another group of wolves who had her heart constricting painfully -- but she could not think of why, so she dipped her head and fell into a silence. Her skin did not feel like her own and Teo... Teo was longing for home. Whatever that was.

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"Welcome to the Elk's Crown."

As so, the Queen accepted her whole heartedly. Slowly would the forest grow larger and larger, and while the Elk were the prime natives within the woods, soon they would gain roommates. The forest was ever so beautiful, and blended it to the wolves who shared the holy color of brown, so close to the ungulates, that the High Elk would love them so. She was pleased for someone truly of similar colors to stay within, a blessing to say, as at current times Célnes had to expect lesser so.

"We have a few rules, but the most important - we do not allow the antlered elk to be hunted."

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