|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2005 7:47 pm
(( As of now, please don't post unless you are Dustfeather or Tamiko-chan. <3 ))
Upon reaching a river that she had managed to scent out in this jiggy jungle of a place, the tiger shark-patterned wolf glanced up and down it for any signs of life. Of course, there were the fish swimming innocently through the waters, things she always despised because they always tasted of water, nothing else. She preferred bigger game... deer and elk. Yet she hadn't seen any of those creatures around here. Maybe she would have to move on just to find better food.
Seeing and scenting no other dangerous predator in her particular area, she lowered her head slightly to take a refreshing drink from the cool waters. Yet right as she was about to lap up some liquid, something rustled the branches a tree about a few yards from where she was standing. Not expecting such a loud noise, as it sounded as if something large had fallen into the tree, Kal jumped and whirled around, her good eye flicking wildly back and forth.
Yet a couple of seconds later she saw that what had surprised her was merely a crow. Damn feather-brains. Growling, she narrowed her eyes at the light-boned critter. But then again, birds always served as good look-outs. If anything dangerous came by, it would most likely fly away or give some sort of cry to alert her. Hm, at least it was good in some way.
Grinning to herself, she then turned back around and lowered her head once more to take a drink.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2005 5:28 am
After Shilah left, she and Kaya more or less ignored each other, something that got on Istas' nerves after only an hour. Feigning indifference, she had loped off and wandered further across the rocky slope, until she found a small crevice to curl up in. She slept like a log until morning.
She woke up slightly cold to the sound of the birds in the hour just before dawn. Stretching stiff limbs, the dark wolf had slipped out to return to Kaya and Shilah, only to find the two gone. Annoyed, the female tracked their scents, only to lose them completely at a wide, gushing river. Although she scented up and down the bank, she found no trace of them, which could only mean one thing: they attempted to cross. Quite stupid of them, really...the river rushed too quickly to safely cross, especially not for Kaya. Chewing on her lip, Istas started following the river downstream.
She lost her way, however, when the jungle got too thick to follow the bank, and was pressed further and further inwards until she managed to lose track of the river altogether.
She moves resolutely through the trees, slightly hunched over in irritation. She just wasn't meant to be tramping through such thick undergrowth such as this. She was meant for the clean, open woodlands and short savannahs that made catching game a simple task. This closeness unnerves her...she can't see nor scent things well within more than a few yards. Even the light doesn't penetrate well down here.
So when she bursts from the jungle, quite suddenly, to look down a bank at another river, Istas looks considerably surprised. She tenses, stopping abruptly, brows furrowing. Her look only deepens as she spots someone else nearby: another wolf, a gray female with dark patches. Watching her warily, the dark tiger-striped female pads resolutely down to the bank, offering a very curt nod before dipping her head to drink deeply herself.
There's a vague scent of others about her - a male wolf in his prime, and an odd not-quite-wolf, not-quite-human scent.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2005 6:29 am
Not seeing the nod of the other and only feeling the presence of another standing nearby, watching her. This was not good. She couldn't just come into a new land and expect a bird to be her look-out! Sheesh, had she been stupid. Even more so because she wasn't even paying attention to the sounds and didn't hear the bird take off into flight from the tree. So now, being caught off guard, she was a little on the cranky side, having not liked the idea of someone sneaking up on her like that.
"Stupid forest and river.." Kal cursed. It was them that made her feel secure enough to lower her head and take a nice long drink. They had betrayed her in hiding another from her. The wretched things.
Lifting her head slowly from the river, as she didn't want to give away that she had been caught off-guard and so was on the defensive side, she got a good glimpse of the other. The black wolf on the other bank was a female, that much she could tell. But the water that was still clinging to the fur around her nose kept her from finding any scents that might've given her any information. So she knew not whether the other female had any companions or not.
Great. Come to a new land and you find males that ignore you half the time to talk to each other--though that part she didn't mind, having left her home because of two really annoying and bugging males. Wander a little into a jungle and come upon a river that puts you on the disadvantage side. Well, at least Istas was on the other side of the rushing betrayer.
Thinking like that caused her to have a somewhat pestered look on her face, making it so that if the black one looked up at her, she would see a slightly mad gray wolf who could only see with one eye. Of course, that blind eye wasn't to be taken as a weakness...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2005 1:24 pm
Fantastic. I've lost Shilah and Kaya, and now I'm with a mad wolf who may or may not live here. And I'm going to ask her for directions.
She comes to this conclusion and surprises herself - she hadn't really intended to ask the loner anything, let alone stay here another instant. But the more she thinks about it, the more sour it make her, and the more she realizes that she really ought to ask. She may not get another chance...wolves have been few and far between here, and with a fox, you're liable to be sent in the other direction completely, just for a laugh.
"Hi," She calls out abruptly, trying to smooth out her expression, and only looking more ornry for her pains. She tries not to flinch at the sight of the odd eye. Creepy.
"I'm looking for two who might've passed this way - seen them? They're an odd pair...one's a big striped male that goes by the name of Shilah, the other a very tall female by the name of Kaya." She's suddenly amused at her own idea of speaking of Kaya as if she were merely another wolf. What irony. "Or a river? There was a river awhile back, I don't think this is the same one...does it break off somewhere, or something?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2005 9:10 pm
Kalia's first reaction was to narrow her eyes and scold at the other female. But that expression was only there for a split second before it disappeared just as quickly as it had come. And instead of sending out a rude remark, she thought better of it and so put on a better and a more friendly face. This was a new land and there was no reason for her to go snapping at every wolf that came across her path.
A white eye was turned towards Istas for a moment or two as the gray femme looked to her left. Really, she was looking to see if there was another wolf hiding in the bushes, perhaps one of the ones that this black wolf was talking about and looking for. Finding no one around her--to her relief, being snuck up on by one wolf was annoying enough--she looked back across the river.
"Hm... no, I haven't had the chance to come upon wolves that go by that name. I am fairly new to these lands and so I haven't met anyone, nor do I no anyone either." Surprisingly, she wasn't careful to guard this particular fact about herself. Normally she hid everything about her own life from strangers, but this time it seemed it didn't matter. Besides, Kal was a strong female and could easily win some fights, if not all. And she wasn't cocky about it, just confident because she had had much experience back home.
Looking around again, she thought about what would happen next. The other didn't seem too pleased coming upon her, and Kalia herself didn't appear to content with the fact that someone was actually able to sneak up on her like that. Of course, it was by a loud, smell-hiding river which gave her a sort of scapegoat.
"Uh.. if you want, I can help look.. don't know how much help I will be, though, since I don't know a thing about these lands. But that doesn't mean I'm vulnerable or anything." The latter was said with a sort of scolding look, as if warning the other not to try anything. And she felt she had to add some sort of 'mean-ness' to her sentence being as she was beginning to grow a little... nice... towards this wolf.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2005 12:29 pm
"You and me both," Istas mutters, more to herself than anything, since the voice doesn't carry over the river. For a moment, Istas misses the brief friends she had when she was a pup - but only for a moment. Her personality doesn't incline her to be overly-friendly towards her own species, in general.
Damn, this lady is tetchy and paranoid. Although Istas supposes she can't blame her...living out here isn't a piece of cake, if this is akin to any other land she's passed through.
"Alright," She says, trying to keep the scowl from her features and only half succeeding. It'd be smart to have someone else to search with, anyways. "I was going to maybe try to follow this river and see where it leads me...you know, since most water meets up somewhere." It's logical, anyway.
Without asking permission, she wades across the river and clambers up onto the bank, shaking off decisively before she looks to Kalia again. "I'm Istas," She says after a debatable pause. She only hopes this wolf isn't half as mad as she looked initially...but she seems pretty normal in her speech, if not her mannerisms. "Shilah and Kaya are my siblings."
She quietly debates on telling this new gray female about Kaya, but rejects the idea. Too complex, and she'd more than likely lose her helper. No. Best keep that to herself for now.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2005 3:13 pm
Istas' mouth moved to shape words, but no sound was carried across the rushing water that lay in between the two wolves. It seemed the other was contemplating whether or not it would be a good idea to let Kalia help her look for the ones by the names of Shilah and Kaya. And she didn't take it in an offensive way, either. She was new to these lands and knew that it would be just plain stupid to accept help from a stranger without even thinking it through.
Smart, quick, maybe a little snappish when around others. She reminds me of myself, the gray one thought to herself. As Istas toyed with the idea of whether or not to let the other join her in the search, Kal looked her over. After a while, she came to the conclusion that they might be equally dangerous in a battle. Of course, she didn't know how much the other had experience-wise, so she couldn't be quite sure.
Finally, when the darker femme agreed to let her help in the search for the male wolf and human girl, there was suddenly another moodswing that changed the face of Kalia. Instead of having calm features and a sort of passive expression, there was a bit of a scowl, if not a fiery look in her eyes. She didn't have anything planned, it was just that now she was going to be easily set off.
"Kal," was all she said in response to the other's giving of her name. She didin't want to be rude and lose any source of information about this land that she had, so she decided that she wouldn't make some smart remark about how her name didn't matter at the moment. But she still was a little cautious and so only gave her nickname. Then, "Siblings, eh?" Hmph. The gray wolf had some siblings, true... a brother. Boy, did they love to play together and cause trouble among the older, less agile wolves. They loved challenges, though, and so sometimes played tricks on the stronger ones. But come mating season when her brother was old enough, he left to start his own pack.
There was a smile on her maw for a brief second as she remembered the good times. But it disappeared a split second later as she looked over Istas once more. "So, have any particular place you think we should start?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2005 5:53 am
It's perhaps fortunate that Istas looks and acts intimidating, for she's never had much experience with the infighting that occurs naturally in a pack setting. Simply put, she's been a loner for too long - her quick spats with her brother only occur when Kaya's not around, for Kaya has already proven, despite being furless and dull-nosed, to have a ferocity and intelligence that the wolf just can't match.
But the appearance of strength is all she needs, at this point, to be going on. And this gray wolf doesn't seem like a particuarly bad sort, which molifies Istas somewhat. She doesn't wonder what the other is doing on her own - there's enough fellow-feeling Istas has towards the other that she can, on some level at least, understand her.
"Mm," She merely says in response to the name. That'll be easy to remember...but it's a short name, and Istas finds herself wondering if it's a nickname for something longer, or the other doesn't want to give out her real name. Curiousity, a rare thing in Istas, drives her to slight distraction. So it's a few seconds after Kalia's question that Istas comes back to it. She rolls her shoulders back into a shrug. "Yeah...both younger." One the apple of her parents' eyes, being an only son out of a dozen daughters, the other...not worth thinking about at this point.
She doesn't miss the smile, however. "You got - oh. Er, not really. Just follow the river...I think it was north of here, but I took so many damned turns in that jungle that it could be south, for all I know." She scowls. "But I think it was north somewhere."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2005 11:01 am
Hm, so this female didn't know where to start looking, eh? Well, Kalia didn't exactly blame her. This jungle was way too thick than what she was used to and it seemed easy to get lost in the jumble of trees and bushes. Following the river, though, seemed like their best bet, just as Istas suggested.
"I think you're right. This jungle is too thick for even the best navigators to go into and try to find someone, so we should follow the river." Pausing for a moment, she contemplated. There were other scents around here besides her own and the black wolf's. Perhaps they were of those she was trying to find? But one of the scents was a little more human than wolf. Was Istas looking for a human and a wolf, but just failed to mention that to Kal? Fuming at the thought, she turned away momentarily, counted to three, then turned back.
"Or we could attempt to follow the scents that linger on the ground. They smell a little like you, maybe they are the ones you seek?" At that moment, the gray wolf also failed to mention that one was a human. But there was a glint in her good eye that purposely gave away that she knew the secret. "Whichever you choose, they are your siblings."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2005 6:03 pm
It'd be nice to be a bird, really - to be able to just bypass the trees entirely. But whoever bestowed wolves with everything else forgot to add wings.
Perhaps Istas is avoiding the issue, or perhaps she didn't spot the warning glimmer in the gray female's eye, for she says neutrally: "I'm not sure they came this way at all. They were swept away by the river, I think, and I couldn't follow the bank far enough - there was too much tangled brush." If she were a puppy, she might've been able to squeeze through the narrow spaces, but she's quite a bit too big for that.
"Let's go this way, though - I'll howl every now and again, to try to get their attention, if they're within hearing distance," She suggests, padding along the bank northwards.
And then, almost casually: "There doesn't happen to be a pack around here somewhere, does there? It'd be nice to know if they've seen anything strange in their territory." If she's going to be jumped from behind, she'd like to know what's she's up against: and if she can pry some information out of 'Kal,' so much the better. She casts a sidelongs look at the other that's just short of being sly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2005 6:48 am
"They were swept away by the river, I think.."
Hmph, if they were that.. careless--she used a nicer term for the reason that she didn't know these two siblings yet and so couldn't go judging them so strongly--as to get swept away in such a river as this, then why was she trying to look for them? Perhaps it was the fact that Kalia didn't like being alone in strange lands, especially ones as thickly wooded as this. Perhaps it was the fact that she had probably figured something out about one of the 'siblings', though now that the other female voiced that she didn't think they came by here, perhaps she had been wrong.
All of this thinking happened in the time that Istas finished all of her speaking and asking questions and the like and even started walking north. Fortunately for herself, the gray wolf had caught every word and had idly followed behind the other, sniffing for a few seconds then looking to her so she could answer.
"Your plan sounds good." Better than what she came up with, which angered her a little yet she let it slide. Then she remembered that Istas had asked if there were any packs in the area. Psh, how was she to know? Didn't she already say she was new to these lands? Perhaps not, and she was just thinking that she did. That, she blamed on getting older. "Well, if your siblings are anywhere nearby and are still in one piece and not getting threatened, then I'd guess there aren't any packs around here.."
Just to make sure, she sniffed the wind that managed to break through the thick vegetation. "But I don't think any pack in their right mind would settle here." Casual, just as Istas was. There was even a hint at a smile on Kal's face.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2005 4:55 pm
It's perhaps unfortunate that Kalia doesn't speak her mind, for privately, Istas agrees with her - although in a fight, she'd inevitably side with her siblings.
Slightly disappointed that the question hadn't caught the gray wolf offguard - had she been lying - the darker female nods vaguely. "Mmm. Pity. Oh, well - that's probably just as well. For all our luck, they'd not take kindly to strangers wandering around on their territory." Most of the packs she's met, if not openly hostile, urged their visitors to either join, or leave as quickly as was possible. Neither prospect appealed to her, in this case.
"You'd be surprised," The darker wolf says dryly in return to 'Kal's' comment. "Depends on how much territory is around here for how many wolves...I've seen a wolf pack that lived in a bloody swamp. Rough, run-down bunch. They had to keep sneaking onto their neighbor's territories in order to hunt and survive, because the little dry land they had wasn't much good. Excellent swimmers, though," she says on due consideration. Weird wolves. She'd never much cared for pack wolves, but she had to admit, that pack had made a living where she probably would have starved. She can admit as much privately, although she would never do so out loud.
((You want to do a time skip where they catch up with one or the other of them, or...? ^__^))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2005 8:00 pm
(( Mm, time skip sounds good right now. I don't know how good Kalia would be at searching for two 'wolves' that she didn't know the scent of or anything. ^^; I'll post having Istas and Kal on the search for quite some time then you can bring in Shilah or Kaya or both in your next post. :3 ))
Yes, it really was good that Kalia didn't have the abillity to read other's minds. If she did have that particular power, she might have had many a-more battle scars on her pelt. She knew when someone didn't like her, and could tell when someone was holding a rude remark or retort back, yet she chose to overlook them and like someone for their better qualities. Of course, if the worse qualities stood out more, she would hate them for that. A bit complicated, but her mind was a complicated place.
As they went along and she listened to the other's words, she began to think again, though made sure not to go too deep into her thoughts lest she lose track of where she was and run into something. Why had this female let her come along in search of her 'siblings'? If it were Kal looking for her siblings, she wouldn't have let some stranger along, even if it was some extra help in a thick wood such as this.
Finally, when Istas was done, she looked only a little surprised. "Well, wolves certainly aren't stupid. They can adjust and even steal if need be... though I think that's just downright low. Yet if that's what it takes for one to survive, then so be it." In reality, she would never steal, even if it was to get someone back that she really hated. The gray femme was a proud creature and wouldn't go so low as to steal another's kill. Oh well, no need to admit everything.
~~~~~
Some time later, after the two females had been walking for what seemed like half the day, she scented some strange 'wolves', ones she hadn't met before. Perhaps it was her mind or this strange land that was making her dream things up. But she could have sworn that someone else was nearby, and that they weren't the only ones in the woods anymore.
Stopping suddenly, she glanced first to Istas then to her surroundings, trying to see everything that she could with her one good eye. "Do you smell that?" she asked, tail flicking to the side a little.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2005 4:00 pm
((Sounds good. biggrin ))
Oddly enough, if 'Kal' had been in Istas's place, and attempted to enlist the darker wolf's help, she probably would have refused. Some of the life's lessons she learned from her other siblings - eleven other sisters - still cling to her. She will not hesitate to use another if needed. But if she and Kalia get into any sticky situations, it's highly doubtful that she'll stick around to help out the lighter gray female. It's not any particularly streak of meanness or spite...she simply cannot fathom why she should bother to risk her tail for someone else. She tends to look out for herself. Why she's still around with Shilah and Kaya is anybody's guess - especially as her brother tended to bear the brunt of her anger back home. Sibling rivalry ran rampant in her family.
So the other female thinks stealing is a poor way to make a living? Istas refrains from sneering. In her experience, nobody she's met has been particularly 'noble,' even those who pretend to be. Need all gets them in the end, one way or another, and they'll be forced to do something and throw their so-called 'good' values out the cave entrance. But she surpresses the feeling...she's smart enough to realize that arguing will lose her a search partner. Instead, she lapses into silence, and walks on, searching for clues.
----
Several hours later, Istas started to get annoyed. They could be walking in the opposite direction, for all she knows. It's just on the tip of her tongue that she suggest they go another way, when suddenly Kalia halts. Surprised, the darker striped female almost trips over her own footpaw as she herself stops. She almost snaps at the other female in irritability, but stops herself, swinging her head around back in front of her.
"Huh?" She questions, and scents the air. Yes, that's wolf-smell...well, not exactly wolf-smell. She immediately identifies it as Kaya...a wet Kaya. Humans smell quite a bit when they're wet. She wrinkles her nose. Well, at least she's definately alive...she'd smell a lot worse if she were rotting.
"Mmm, that'd be Kaya," She says smoothly, and there's faint amusement in her voice. She really cannot wait to see 'Kal's' expression when she spots Istas's 'sibling,' unless she's already begun to figure it out already...but Kaya's scent is odd, even to Istas.
The dark-striped female slinks forwards, out onto a very small, sandy beach, where a wet Kaya is drying herself in front of a fire. She glances up as they approach. A mixture of expressions cross her features as she spots Istas, sparing a brief, curious glance for Kalia. Her expression melts slowly into embarassment, however, and a bit of hostility, for Istas's muzzle is upturned into a scornful smile of sorts.
"Took you long enough to find me," She growls to her 'sister.' "What'd you do, take the morning off to snooze?"
She speaks quite perfect Wolf.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2005 6:32 pm
Nw this was unexpected... not so much the Kaya being a human part as the Kaya being able to speak the tongue of the wolves fluently and without any trouble. Odd.. the gray female thought to herself. Well, at least there wouldn't be any miscommunications between the two species. And so, much to Istas' disappiontment most likely, she only grinned slyly.
"Human, just as I had thought." That was mostly to herself, but was also loud enough so that the other female wolf could hear. She had nothing against humans as of now, for they hadn't done anything to ruin her life, so she only sat and watched the girl curiously since she had never before seen a human so up close. Interesting was the word that stuck the most, but sharp and intelligent also stuck. Normally two-legs were dull creatures who couldn't hold their own when by themselves even if the world depended on it. But this Kaya creature seemed like she might even be better than some wolves. That thought led Kal to sharpen her senses and not let her guard down.
"Kaya, is it?" she mused aloud, toying with the name. It wasn't strange, yet it wasn't completely common either. Saving her name for herself and only if the human really wished to know it, for this one seemed like she wasn't too interested in making formal greetings right now, she just glanced over to Istas then back to the girl.
"Your brother a human too?" The question was partly making fun and partly real curiousity.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
