|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 9:33 pm
Kailani sat at the water's edge, staring intently down at the waters at his paws; his reflection stared back at him, a muted shade of his own vibrant blue. His reflection's expression was thoughtful and a little troubled.
Thoughts were rolling through Kai's mind which made him extremely uncomfortable. Two days ago -- even two hours ago -- he had been so certain of his choice; he had felt no remorse about leaving his pack, and certainly no grief for walking away from tradition.
But now...well, the nagging voices of his newest acquaintances were rolling about his thoughts, and a pang of guilt swept through his chest.
Sighing, Kai folded his ears to his skull and forced himself to focus on the water, staring past the surface and into the depths of the swift-moving river, scanning for fish. He may not have been a particularly adept hunter -- he had never been allowed outside of his pack's sheltered cove, and meaningful game was hardly plentiful -- but he was an expert fisherman. Or, at least, he was consistently adept, and that would be enough to keep him fed until he learned a proper set of skills in this new and alien world.
Quickly, moving with the liquid grace of one for whom an action is second nature, Kai plunged his forepaw into the chilly water, hooking it around the fish; he withdrew his paw quickly, swiping it upward, and lunged forward simultaneously to catch the fish as it broke the line of water. The fish wriggled in his jaws and he clamped down, hard enough for his teeth to dig into the scales, and the fish grew skill after a moment of desperate gasping.
Satisfied for now with his catch, the blue wolf withdrew from the bank and lay in the shade of a nearby tree, fish grasped between his paws, and began eating. He ate with an odd combination of royalty's refined grace and the insistent gulping of a starving man, and quickly the fish was reduced to little more than a head and bones between his forepaws. His eyes closed in satisfaction, the ravening hunger in his gut slowly being quieted, and for a moment he was completely oblivious to all the world around him.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 9:34 am
"My, my, my, some fancy anglin' y'got there."
Verdauga's bright eyes drifted over the blue creature, admiring his interesting hues and orange markings. Much like himself, this other was rather brightly colored. That was what caught his interest at the river's edge.
Otherwise he might have continued on his way.
Still, it was worth a moment's pause, right? He wanted to connect with others. He wanted others to follow his vision. One day, there would be an uprising. One day he would make a mark on the world in his own way, that he was certain.
But until then, he had to try to keep himself healthy, well fed, and together. So far, this wasn't much of a problem. He, though still young, was on the cusp of adulthood and his frame was filling out nicely. Tall, well built, and (in his own opinion, for he could be quite vain at times) quite dashing. He was the spitting image of his long since deceased father.
"Quite better'n what I cou'd do in the water, for sure. More 'o a land 'unter, m'self."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 4:32 pm
"Well then, between the two of us, we'd be sure never to go hungry," Kai replied, almost to himself -- and then, it occurred to him that he was being spoken to, directly and amiably, and the wolf turned to look at the newcomer with interest. He smiled, an easy-going smile that lit up his eyes, and nodded a greeting to the teen. "Wasn't expecting any company out here, truthfully," he said, pushing the skeleton from his paws. He paused a moment and then, because it seemed like the thing to do, asked, "Would you like me to get you one?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 5:30 pm
He was, in fact, a wee bit peckish. Fish, though it had once been a main part of his diet several months back, was a bit harder to come by nowadays. He didn't mind the water and he didn't mind swimming, but he just couldn't seem to grasp the ability to swipe the scaly little beasts out of the water.
How could he possibly pass up the offer of fish without all the hassle of making a fool out of himself?
"Mighty kind offer y'make, my friend, an' I feel 'bliged to take ya up on et. Thank'ye kindly, for sure."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 5:41 pm
"Pleasure's mine," Kai said, and meant it. He couldn't explain why, exactly, but he liked this stranger; there was something comfortable about him, something that put Kai at ease. "My name is Kailani," he said, "but I'd much prefer if you called me Kai."
He returned his attention to the water, skimming its surface for fish; after a moment, he caught sight of a promising school and plunged a paw in the water again. This time the technique was not quite as perfect, and the fish thrashed at the surface, but he managed to flick it -- still flopping -- in the purple male's direction, where it lay struggling at the adolescent's paws.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 6:06 pm
"Kai, Kai, Kai, s'a lovely name." He grinned as he watched the technique the other used. He grinned broadly, not that he was one to criticize anyone else's techniques, but he couldn't help it. The poor, flopping fish was quite the spectacle, but he did not let it suffer long. Swiftly, he lurched forward and snapped his heavy jaws around the fish's neck and gills, and dispatched it of it's life with a firm crunch.
Mmm, delicious.
"Kai, s'a good catch! You c'n call me Verdauga, as that's m'name. Iffin we get 'ter knowin' each other well, you c'n call me Ver."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 6:29 pm
"A pleasure," he said, rolling back to his haunches, scratching at an ear contemplatively. "Are you from these parts, Verdauga?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 9:31 am
Verdauga gnawed on the fish, enjoying the flavoring that he hadn't tasted in some time. It was quite delicious and, for a moment, he missed his home along the water. It had been quite lovely...
He licked his chops and glanced up at the slightly older wolf, then cracked an easy grin.
"Nope, not me. I come from far from these parts. Further south, near th' water. Travelin' north fer now, seein' where the wind takes me. There a pack 'round these parts?"
That would be important to know, after all. Good idea to take stock of all competition, figure out the best places to move. Find a meeting point. There was so much to do!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 11:38 pm
"The sea..." Kai said, and smiled a little bittersweet smile. He could no longer smell the brine of the ocean on the air, which meant -- by his pack's traditions, at least -- that the Ocean Goddess could no longer bless or protect him. Odd, really, how even though Kai didn't really believe in the old religion, the dogmas still clung to him like a cloak. "I come from the seaside, also, so you are in good company my friend."
Kai ceased the scratching if his ear and gave a hearty yawn, glancing skyward and noticing that the sun was indeed dipping low to the horizon and that his wandering would be drawing to a close for the evening, unless the urge to travel under cover of darkness overtook him. "So I'm not really familiar with the territories here. I did run into an odd group earlier..." he trailed off, brow furrowed, uncertain how to describe the trio he had run into. He shrugged. "But as I say, I'm unfamiliar with these parts...perhaps I am unduly judgmental."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2010 9:32 am
"Oi! A righ' ol' waterdog! Knew there was a reason I liked ya, my friend." He grinned broadly, his toothy smile the epitome of cheerful sincerity. This fellow seemed like one he could get along with quite well... And quite suddenly an idea seemed to spark in his mind. Perhaps this one would come with him or be useful to him. They were both of the sea, after all.
Do what you want, 'cos a pirate is free, after all. Perhaps this guy would be interested~
"Per'aps... I'm thinkin' might be good if'n we stuck t'gether, you an' I." He finished the fish that had been caught for him and his tail thumped his grateful pleasure at the delicacy.
"An' odd, 'ow so?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2010 11:00 am
"Just....odd," he said, brow furrowed, not responding to the other's request just yet. "One was the queen of some pack comprised of females that believed all males should be forced into slavery." His nose wrinkled. "And the other was a princess, I suppose, with a cowering male servant of her own....both were a bit dotty," he concluded, with a nod. He smiled then, at Verdauga, letting on that he had heard the request, and said by way of response, "Now, myself -- I believe in the equality of all wolves. That's why I walked away from my pack....I could have been king, the god-blessed Alpha ruling my inferiors with kindness of cruelty....but it's not for me. I'd much rather have a brother than a servant."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 9:43 am
"Odd, deff'nitly." He nodded his shaggy head after the blue wolf's description of the strangers he had met not too terribly long ago. A queen? Servants? Slaves, most likely. An old anger boiled beneath his brightly hued pelt, but his outward expression remained fairly content.
"Ah, I get ya, my frien.' Ain't gonna be no such thing in my pack. I can promise ya that. Ain't no servants, just a family. Brothers an' sisters what 'ave similar r'sponsibilities.
He licked his chops and stood from his place, the fish gone completely now, and stretched out luxuriously, though his pale eyes watched the other for any signs of interest or displeasure.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 5:51 pm
He smiled. "Sounds refreshing, to me," he said, and his brow furrowed, troubled as to what he could feel comfortable disclosing. In truth, he rather liked the younger would and would have said anything to him -- but at the same time, Kai was beginning to realize that honesty generally caused more problems than it solved. "I left the pack life, after getting tired of the politics...the bowing and scraping...the powerful pushing their authority onto the weak...it just didn't sit well with me. But truth be told -- " were he capable of blushing, he now would be blushing furiously " -- I'm not particularly good at this loner business."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Apr 11, 2010 1:22 am
"As much as I'd like ter beg t' differ, neither am I." He nodded his broad, shaggy head as he agreed with the stranger with whom he felt some kinship with. Perhaps it was a mistake to place trust in one so soon, but he felt this male would be a worthy ally in the future. While he was young, so far his judgements had been fairly reliable, so why doubt them now?
He felt little reason to keep his true purpose from the other... Or at least most of his purpose. He was a little wary of blurting out his final goal, a vagabond pack of thieving rogues didn't sound appealing as he felt it would be when being put so bluntly.
"Many died in m'ol' pack due t' the leader bein' thicker in th' 'ead than an owl what thinks 'e knows everythin' if'n you get my drift. Thinkin' hisself all 'igh and mighty. Damned politics 'n playin' favorites. Ain't gonna 'appen wi' me. Any what thinks hisself more important than the pack'll find hisself packless, that's for sure."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Apr 11, 2010 7:45 am
"Hear, hear," Kai said, nodding in agreement. "My pack, which I was destined to inherit...they were so afraid of the outside world that no one was allowed to leave the territory. Only way we could get new blood in the families was to send a raiding party out to kidnap females and pups once a year. You can't live like that." He sighed, shaking his head; he had never intended on sharing that particularly unpleasant fact of his heritage, but he was feeling more and more open as the evening wore on. There was something on the air, something magical, electric...something that made him feel as though change was imminent.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
