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Post by reeddragon on Nov 22, 2011 19:26:50 GMT -8
So they had made it through the winter.
Kaine wasn't sure how, but the mismatched ensemble of loners and outcasts had managed to stay alive and fairly healthy throughout the winter, and remained as...well...she supposed one might be able to call it a pack. Perhaps "gang" would be more appropriate, considering the alphess and most of the members...perhaps including herself. She would be the first to admit that she was no sweet, peaceful rose.
If she had been, she would have mated with her betrothed and become alpha of her birth pack. That was what he had wanted, after all. A poor, helpless creature he could dote on and protect...
The she-wolf shook her head and focused on her flight, as well as the canyon below. It wasn't the greenest patch of land she had ever seen, but it had its own unique beauty, especially from this height. Some day, she would have to try to convince Moonrunner to claim this land, before the pack became too large for their current territory. It would be the easier territory to claim, especially since the southern wolves had been attempting a claim on the waterfall all winter.
Granted, that fact might make Moonrunner intent on grabbing up the falls for herself...
Kaine's shoulders began to ache, and she searched the ground below for a good place to land. Spotting a patch of mostly clear dirt along the top of the canyon, she circled overhead, landing gracefully atop one of the sparse patches of grass. She then padded to the edge and lay down, staring down at the water that ran along the bottom of the canyon. Not the best view, but not a bad one, and she enjoyed how different it was from the territory where she grew up.
They don't matter, anymore, she reminded herself. Only here matters, for as long as they'll have me. She had a new pack now, even if it could only loosely be called that. A group - even one like Moonrunner's - was better than being a loner all her life, and if she had to perform a few ruthless acts in the name of survival, then so be it.
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Post by iscourge on Nov 22, 2011 23:14:40 GMT -8
E L L I S
The basic fact that they had all survived did not stun the male one bit- in fact, he almost appreciated the harshness of the winter- it drew each and every one of the wolves closer together in their own strange ways. He closer to Moonrunner, along with Cougar. Now that the snow had almost completely melted, he found himself over-run with curiosity, and the need to explore and adventure out into the bright sunlight.
He had come to the harsh reality that he now resembled his father, and his father's father, and his great-great grandfather's sire rather loosely, and it was this fact that made him hang his head. Be it a black wolf, white wolf, yellow wolf with white polka spots, they were all alphas at one point or another, and each one of them had the same navy swirls that now decorated his body.
Had he let his family down? Was he the next destined to take over the pack far, far south of here, his home pack somewhere by the rushing river, three mountain peaks away?
No. No, he had a new job here. The pack was still small- not large enough to have a beta yet, but just large enough for him to make a difference. It was this thought that pulled him back into the dark reality- unless the pack started comming up with substantial numbers, they would quickly die out without ever leaving a trace upon the wind- just a pawprint remaining in melting snow.
"No."
The sound of his own voice startled him slightly- he hadn't realized he'd spoke aloud, and it was only now that prickly feeling returned in his paws. This was a wolf he wasn't too familiar with, but knew as an aqquaintance- one of his quiet pack mates.
Carefully, carefully, he stepped forward, not wanting to disturb the fae. "Oh!" It surprised him to see the navy wolf lying upon the edge of a precariously deep canyon. "Hello, Kaine." he said smoothly, trotting to her side, plopping down easily beside her. "I ain't seen you all winter. How you been?" he questioned, turning his muzzle to face her happily, a goofy grin upon his lips.
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Post by reeddragon on Nov 23, 2011 16:59:51 GMT -8
The she-wolf's ears twitched as they detected footsteps behind her, and the accompanying smell told her it was a wolf: a familiar one, at that. She turned her head to look, sighing to herself when she noticed just who it was.
Gaellis.
There was a reason he hadn't seen her all winter. She had been avoiding the young male. It wasn't anything personal with him, really. He was an all-right wolf to be around, even with his quirks. He just reminded her a bit too much of her would-be mate. He and Tristan had the same gentle, protective spirit and overall kind nature. It was almost painful to even see him.
But still...he was her pack mate, and he was here. She couldn't avoid him forever, she supposed. She'd just have to learn to deal with the pain, just like every other pain in life.
Gaellis approached her with a greeting, and she pushed herself to her paws to face him properly, shaking her long mane away from her face as he spoke. "Nothing to complain about." She stared at him. He was grinning oddly...but she was thankful that he at least didn't have the same facial expressions as Tristan. That would have been too much for her current heightened emotional state.
"What about you?" she asked. May as well be nice. He hadn't done anything to deserve the nastier side of her personality...yet.
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Post by iscourge on Nov 23, 2011 17:07:26 GMT -8
E L L I S "Nothin, just thinkin like you." he said with ease, noticing her slight apprehension at his approach. A slight twinge of guilt hit his stomach. "I didn' intterupt nothin, right?" he added, frown meeting his lips. "'Cuz I can... I can go if ya want me too..."
Way to make things awkward... He wasn't much for comfort, always a good shoulder to cry on, but never the best at giving his honest advice, especially if it was an issue from the heart. He'd nver had a mate, never had anyone to swoon over or coddle, (besides Cougar, but that was from a big brother, little sister standpoint.)
"You need to talk about somethin'? I won't tell no one, I promise." Sometimes, it just felt nice to let everything out.
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Post by reeddragon on Nov 23, 2011 17:30:36 GMT -8
And he certainly didn't talk like Tristan. Another plus.
He seemed to have sensed her unease, because he offered to leave. She could accept...but, no. That wasn't what she needed right now. She supposed she needed the company, though she was reluctant to admit that to herself. This might even be good for her.
She shrugged. "Stay if you wish. I wasn't doing anything to interrupt." Except giving attention to self-destructive thoughts. Sheesh...she never used to be like this. Even her personality. There was a time when she was a playful snark at her worst and quiet but kind at her best. Now, it seemed her worst had become her best. It had become necessary for survival, but it didn't make her happy.
Then again, what would make her happy?
She shook her head when he spoke again. "Nothing can be done about the past." She looked at him. "What about you?"
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Post by iscourge on Nov 23, 2011 17:41:16 GMT -8
E L L I S "Nah, I don' need to be unloadin' my problems on you. 'Sides, they're not that bad." At least, not bad enough to make him completely silent. He thought back to what always took his mind off of things. "I saw a heard o' deer. Guess they're commin' back for spring. There was a pretty weak one, if ya were hungry."
Food always made him feel better, and he found after a decent meal when your belly distended, it was difficult to complain about anything wrong happening in your current surroundings. Besides- she looked a little thin, and he held a slight concern- which showed through in his blue gaze.
"Or if ya don' feel like huntin', I hid some stuff away during winter that needs ta be eaten." The entire idea of using the very Earth as a refridgerator stunned him to no end- you couldn't bury something in the Georgia swamps and expect to ever find it again.
Just one of the many tricks Moonrunner had taught the young male.
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Post by reeddragon on Nov 24, 2011 21:21:20 GMT -8
She blinked at him when he declined to talk about his own problems, but let it go. If he was willing to hear hers, she'd think he'd be open to talking about his, but it was just as well. She wasn't the type to give advice, anyway, especially since her own decisions in life turned out to be...well...less than stellar.
He then went on, saying he spotted a herd of deer with an ideal target, and then mentioning food he had hidden during winter in case she didn't feel like hunting. She thought for a moment, at first considering the meat that had already been killed, as it would be shameful to let that go to waste. She would highly prefer something...fresher, however, and perhaps a hunt was just what she needed. Surely she'd feel better after singing her fangs and claws into something living.
"All right." She folded her wings tightly against her back, ignoring the aches the motion caused. She was going to be so sore in the morning... "Show me this weak deer of yours." She took a step forward and then waited for him to lead her.
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Post by iscourge on Nov 28, 2011 18:11:10 GMT -8
E L L I S He gave her a playful smile, paws carrying him before her. "M glad the herds are comin' back." he said, in a futile attempt to make small talk. "I thought I was gonna die if I had to eat one more mouse."
He made a face at the thought of the stringy rodent meat. "I don' think I've ever had to live a full winter on a rodent before. Guess things are different here. Well.. Then again, where I come from, there ain't much snow either. Maybe one or two falls, but not full blizzards like you got here."
His voice dipped down quietly, and his pale eyes flashed ahead, ears pricked forward. The deer were close- their scent clogged his senses. They had to have been here mere moments before.
Carefully, he nudged Kaine's shoulder, and very carefully walked to a crack in the clearing ahead, peeking his muzzle inside. There, the herd stood, unaware, chomping on the buds of grass just peeking through the soil. |
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Post by reeddragon on Dec 15, 2011 2:14:40 GMT -8
((Sorry about the lateness. I'm usually better than this...))
She nodded when he said he was glad the herds were coming back. "Mice are for cats. Wolves need real food." She was grateful for any small scrap of food she could find in winter, but spring was here, and that meant proper prey wouldn't be far behind.
She turned to him when he stated he didn't have to live on rodent for a winter before. "Where did you live before?" Winter had always been the harshest month for her. Once the snow fell it was harder to find prey and fight off illness. The pack had always been grateful for the arrival of spring.
Her friends would have had pups by now.
She shook that thought from her head before it changed her gradually improving mood. It was then that she noticed that Gaellis had fallen silent. A moment later she could scent the reason why.
He nudged her, and she nodded, following him toward the herd.
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Post by iscourge on Dec 15, 2011 6:13:01 GMT -8
E L L I S
He knew she would understand the sudden quiet, and without a further word, began an internal debate- the young, wobbly one, or the older, sickly looking one? He hated to risk being sick, so his sights were set on that younger calf... Besides- it was closer, and he felt it would be easier on them both to go after the youngling.
He cocked his head to the right, and nudged his muzzle forward, insisting he would take the right, while she took the left. He was rusty- his paws felt it as they quietly fell into the grass- though not quietly enough he was sure.
Sheer miracle kept him from detection, and once he was a mere twenty feet from the ungulates, he narrowed his eyes, lifted his tail, and charged, hoping Kaine was nearby to catch the fleeing creature.
(It's okay Ree.  ! I've been excited for this post!)
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Post by reeddragon on Dec 25, 2011 10:34:08 GMT -8
While he took the right, she took the left, going as silently as her paws could manage with her wings tucked tight against her body. As she walked, she kept an eye on the herd, wanting to make sure she would have the time to hide herself should one make any sudden movements.
She searched the herd while she waited, making note of the weak and strong members. Gaellis already picked his target, if their earlier dialog was anything to go by, but it wouldn't hurt to have a target for a future hunt. Perhaps then they'd have the proper amount of wolves. Two was one fewer than the ideal.
The herd began to move, and she braced herself as she spotted the young creature heading right for her. She crouched down and then jumped as the creature approached, intending to land on its back and dig her claws into its flank before dragging it down.
(Used to be the holidays didn't slow me down in posts. x.x In this house I have a large part of the cooking and cleaning and other prep work. XD)
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! I've been excited for this post!)