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 Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 6:35 pm
As the days went by, Fauzi's courage slowly grew. He was inching farther and farther away from his pack's territory. Once in a while an unusual sight or sound caused his bravery to snap, and he'd bolt back to the comfort of his home in an instant. The young dog was determined not to let this happen again as he cautiously wandered the rogue lands.
He had met a few rogues and with which he shared surprisingly pleasant interactions with. He knew he was bound to meet the occasional aggressive stranger, and he was not at all prepared for that. Then again, he was never prepared for anything Life decided to throw his way. He always found a way to deal with it.
The blue dog's tail wagged furiously as he sniffed beneath a rock. This was a new scent Fauzi just had to investigate. A single blue paw batted at the rock, hoping to reveal the source of the mysterious smell. Nothing! For a moment, Fauzi let his guard down. There was nothing in the world but him and this new scent. It was like being a puppy all over again.
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Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 8:14 pm
But that was years ago. She was young, but not as naive as she had once been. Life wasn't a rose garden and as optimistic as she tried to be, when it came down to it, she was . . .well. . . a nobody. She had always wanted to be a fair lady, just as her mother had named her. But instead of kindness and gentle natures, she had been met with neglect and loneliness. While with her family, she had been over looked and had constantly had to fight for attention. And when she had struck out on her own, deciding to take the world on and make her own happiness, once again she was left with nothing.
The few friends she had made had long since parted an the orange coated female once again found herself alone. It just wasn't fair. She had always craved companionship and attention, but she had never been granted such a thing. So the esire in her grew and grew until it all but consumed her. She didn't want to be alone anymore. . . .
But the spirits continued to to deprive her.
Step by step, long since accepting her fate, the female hadn't expected the monotony of her life to be broken. Especially by what appeared to be a blue and white male not far off! It was another wild dog, but his coat was the strangest color! Splotched and vibrant . . .And hew as sniffing at something, bouncing around almost as if he were a pup! Was the rock he was investigating that fantastic?
Ears pricked forward, Ntombi was never one to push away a spot of company. And she certainly wasn't going to make a bad impression in front of a possible friend! And a male at that! Shaking any dust off her coat, she took a moment and hastily licked a few spots of disheveled fur, hoping to look presentable. There.
Head held high, and any reservation or insecurity pushed firmly to the background, Ntombi trotted curiously towards Fauzi and his rock. Her tail wagged a little and she eventually called out in a gentle voice, " . . . I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" She gave the air a little sniff, sorting out various scents. . . There were a few strange ones, but Ntombi wasn't interested in scents. She was interested in this other.
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Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 11:29 pm
The sun was hot and relentless today. But that was far from Fauzi's mind. He pressed his ear to the secret borrow beneath the rock. If a scent wouldn't reveal to him what was under there, maybe a sound would... Is that.. Plod plod plod... That sounds like paw-steps! Fauzi's tail wagged like a bright blue flag in the air as he listened to what he thought was a mysterious beast... when in reality he was hearing Ntombi's approach.
Fauzi was caught off-guard when the orange female appeared. His attention from the boulder was instantly shattered, and the blue dog whirled around to meet Ntombi's face.
"Oh! Hello." A flicker of recognition sparked in his red eyes, but it quickly died. Her pelt was familiar, but not her scent. She smelled like everything - and nothing, all at once. A rogue, no doubt. Fauzi glanced at the boulder that consumed his attention just seconds ago, and quickly shook his head at her inquisition.
"Oh no. I was just-..." Fauzi paused, reminding himself that strangers aren't likely to be as enthusiastic as he is about the mysterious creepy crawlies hidden underneath boulders. "... Waiting for some company to come along. And look!" Fauzi beamed and offered a playful chuckle. "My name is Fauzi, by the way. Did you travel far to get here? Are you looking for the Amani'kikundi?"
The blue dog slid to his haunches, ears pricked as he expressed intense interest in this new friend. Maybe she didn't consider him so, but Fauzi had his own method of friend-making. Trust first, ask questions later (or never, even). Sometimes it proved to be a silly, almost painful technique. But nothing is more painful than being friendless.
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Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2010 9:42 pm
Ntombi was surprised by the others behavior. He seemed friendly enough, a bit amicable, but he also seemed awfully excited. She glanced past him and gave the boulder he'd been so intently staring at a once over. Well. . . it was grey and looked like a rock. Nothing on it, nothing near it, just a rock. How . . .peculiar . . .but Ntombi wasn't about to offend this new acquaintance! Judging another was not very lady-like behavior, after all. Besides, there was no doubt he had his reasons.
Looking back towards the other, her silver eyes lightened and she too sat quietly before him. She allowed the tip of her tail to wag, but generally made sure to hide her own excitement at crossing another wild dog out here on the savanna. It had been a long time since she'd met kin and she didn't want to drive him off by poor behavior. "I suppose it would get a little boring waiting for company, hopefully I'll be more interesting than the rock!" She added with a smile, doing her best to sit tall and keep her posture composed.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Fauzi. You may call me Ntombi." And it was a pleasure! . . . sort of. He was handsome, albeit a very odd coat colour. She'd never met someone who was covered in blue and white like him. . . but then, most of her siblings were warmer oranges and golds, just like she. It was different. Pleasant, of course, but different. Her ears pricked when Fauzi continued to chatter on, mentioning the Amani'kikundi. "Amani-what?" Realizing her bad manners, she shook her head and quickly added, "I mean no offense, my good sir, but I've not heard of such a place before. I've been traveling all my life, so I can't properly respond to how long it took me to get here. I suppose, in a sense, its taken me all my life." And that was the truth. Despite her formal words, her smile never wavered. Old habits were hard to give up, and Ntombi had worked all her life on becoming a princess.
It never worked, but she had tried hard and a small part of her had never given up her fairy-tale ideals.
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Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 10:40 pm
Fauzi couldn't hide his smirk as Ntombi gave the boulder a curious gaze. Not even thirty seconds into the meeting and the stranger already thought he was bizarre. Ah well, he couldn't hide it even if he tried.
"No doubt, you will! This thing hasn't said a word to me all day." He gave the boulder a playful swipe of his paw, as if punishing it for its' silence. His words were exuding with sarcasm. Fauzi hadn't even been there all day, and he could only hope the stranger would further catch on to his humor. Otherwise... He had a feeling he wouldn't be seeing his new friend any time soon. "That's... probably a healthy thing, though." He added quietly after a brief pause that could have been labeled awkward.
"It's a pleasure meeting you as well, Ntombi. Amani'kikundi is the pack I originate from. Sometimes I encounter rogues who are interested in joining." Fauzi briefly explained, letting his tail sway as he tilted his head to absorb the orange stranger's short back story. The amiable smile faded just slightly, and he was much too transfixed on her tale to notice. "I see..." His voice gained a much more serious note, not purposefully, or out of any concern, it seemed. He was lost in his thoughts.
"All your life, then?" Fauzi let one of his blue ears droop as he again tilted his head - to the opposite side this time. "Do you prefer it that way?" This young dog just loved hearing the stories of the rogues he encountered. They were all so unique - some seemed far fetched at times, but it was all for the entertainment. Hearing the stories from the mouth of the traveler was much more fun than living them through his own dreams.
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Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 6:21 pm
The male before her truly was different! His attitude seemed very pleasant, but also kind of . . .laid back? Or was it silly? Some of his antics and expressions reminded her of her youth, of simpler and easier times. Well, maybe not easier, considering she'd been competing with ten other siblings for attention!
Unfortunately, her competition never worked. It was why she had left as an adolescent, had moved away from her family so she might experience the world. It hadn't been an easy adjustment, but Ntombi had appreciated the quiet for a time. Now, years later, she found herself a bit . . .well. . . lonely. It wasn't often she was graced with the company of another, much less a wild dog!
"Well perhaps you should let it be then, and converse with someone who is open to the idea of communication. Like me." She added with a wink, her tail wagging a bit faster. While being a prim and proper lady was all fine and dandy, she did know how to have good humor. It just took a little bit for her to warm up to the idea.
The silver eyed female had never heard of the Amani'kikundi. In fact, she hadn't crossed many wild dog packs in her travels. She had heard of some, certainly, but she hadn't ever had the pleasure of getting active or involved in one. Her family had been rogues, and likely that was the way she too would live. . . unless, of course, her prince charming (wherever he might be) decided to whisk her away. "You say you originated from this Amani'kikundi . . .does that mean you're not a member now? If I may be so bold, what was it like?" She hated to poke and pry but even she was a curious being. . . .
"As for my rogue ways, I . . .I suppose I prefer it that way." She laughed lightly and gave a small shrug. "It's the only life I've known, and it's treated me well enough. I've never actually met a pack before, though I have heard rumors and stories of others. While living this lifestyle can be a bit lonely, it gives me freedom. And I've had no reason or excuse to stop my roaming." Secretly though, she hoped to find a reason for that, someday. She knew she couldn't live the rogue lifestyle on her own forever. Furthermore, she naturally was a pack animal, and while she was glad to not have to compete with her sometimes obnoxious siblings. . . . sometimes their company was greatly missed.
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