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 Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 3:42 pm
 Skald wasn't the most intelligent wolf, nor was he the most handsome, nor was he the most outgoing. No, the one thing that Skald had going for him was the ability to sense weakness in others. There was no magic and mysticism involved in this. Skald had just been preying on the weak and stupid for so long that it had become second nature for him to find them and use them, usually for his own entertainment. He was a formidable liar -- the lies came easily to his tongue and he spoke the language of lies quite fluently. Oftentimes when the wolf was bored, he came up with wondrous stories of his past, none of which were true but all of which came in handy when he came across those weaker than he. Skald kept these stories stockpiled in his mind. That's what he found himself doing today, lounging near a small snow-fed stream. One paw dangled idly in the cheerfully babbling water, the other supported his chin. Eyes closed, at first glance the wolf would appear to be utterly relaxed.
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 3:58 pm
 If, hypothetically, you could ask Nimbus what he thought about habitual liars, he would tell you, very earnestly, that the scrupulously honest were immune to their lies. Being young, he was much enamored with truth, all the more so because he had so little experience with it, had not learned the fundamental difference between what is real and what is resonant, what is beautiful and what is likely. Really, he was on the wrong track entirely.
And in more than one way, too - the bright little wolf, snub-nosed and small for his age, was snaking his way through the outskirts of his pack's territory, wandering as he often did but with an entirely new preoccupation on his mind. All of his worries had been eclipsed by a star, several days ago, and he had since acquired a hangdog, disheveled look from the circular motion of reliving and analyzing and second-guessing. The process made him anxious, and so he had been legging his way all through the forest...falling, slowly, right into the lone wolf's lap.
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 4:10 pm
Skald was not a wolf of many scruples. The hair along his scruff rose just the slightest as he caught wind of a stranger. He knew he was likely dancing along territorial lines so he was not surprised when his idle resting was interrupted by the footfalls of someone drawing closer. He was annoyed more than anything, really, as his daydreams had coalesced into something almost awe-inspiring. it was frustrating when such whimsical and magical stories were interrupted.
With a huff of annoyance that rasped through his nose, Skald opened up dark eyes, eyes that looked hallow thanks to the markings around them. He caught sight of the youth ambling about, though he made no move towards the other wolf. He'd take a moment, here on his rock, to watch the wolf and make every attempt at trying to discern the type of wolf the stranger was.
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Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 6:12 pm
And just what sort of wolf was Nimbus, anyway? Young, first of all. Younger in looks than he was in age, and in his thinking, too, in some ways. And fretful, certainly, particularly when he had no one around him to disrupt his worrying, as with today. He had been arguing, for days, about something over which he had no control, though he had hardly begun to acknowledge that important little fact. What had that visitation been? Why hadn't Aislin seen it, and what did omens mean when they were more terrifying than fantastic? Should he want to see the star again, or should he not?
The stranger's smell rose ever so slowly to his attention, gently tugging at his attention for twenty paces before he realized what he was noticing. His head jerked up, and in a matter of moments he had located Skald on his perch; the sight of the ghostly wolf made his hackles rise, unbidden. He could see the lone's red eyes from here, watching him, and knew that it was he on the spot and not this stranger. He would have to speak first. "You're trespassing," he called fretfully, his brow furrowed, lips pursed. "These are the lands of a very large pack."
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Posted: Wed May 25, 2011 9:31 am
Skald lifted his head slowly when the other spoke to him. He was quiet for a long, long moment -- red eyes unblinking, ears at full attention -- almost exuding a calmness that belied the thrilling rush that pooled in his chest. His trespassing seemed to offend the other wolf, and while that pleased Skald to no end, he didn't want to automatically assume that the younger wolf was looking for trouble. Skald did not immediately go on the defensive. Instead, he schooled his expression into one of contrite innocence.
"I apologize," he lied smoothly, finally rising to a seated position as he eyed Nimbus. "I will tell you my name as a show of good will," the wolf continued, dipping his head slightly, "I am Skald." Hopefully that would lead the younger wolf into more conversation, and Skald would be able to see if this male would be a fun plaything or not.
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Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 6:46 pm
Cue looked uncomfortable in that pungent way that only adolescents can really muster, as if a conversation with this stranger might really be so unfamiliar and awkward as to kill him. His ears twisted, and he glowered at the ground in place of Skald. Was saying your name really a show of goodwill...? And in that case, shouldn't he withhold his? He gulped and forced his eyes upwards again. "Are you a wanderer?"
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Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2011 4:10 pm
Ahh, to be so young and silly again. Skald remembered those days long past. He'd done many terrible things as a young wolf, things that brought him delight to think about now that he was older and mature.
"A wanderer? Well.. I suppose so. I have no home to call my own. I... I spend my days looking for those who might need help." Oh, such a lie. "I am a spiritual wolf, a follower of the shamanistic ways though I am of no such rank myself." That was a whopper, Skald could only hope that he was convincing enough. "Tell me, youngster, do you have anything that troubles you? I am a willing ear, after all." Said ear twitched idly and a humble expression set upon Skald's face.
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Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2011 6:11 pm
Cue's head tilted curiously, despite himself, his yellow eyes watching Skald with a wary sort of hope. "You've met shamans?" Oh, that was what he needed! He'd never met a single shaman or seer, but the things he had heard about those daunting wolves...well, it offered a lot more promise than the thought of seeking guidance from the elders in his pack. His mouth twitched, an anxious little tic. "I'm Cumulonimbus, by the way." His eye contact faltered as he belatedly introduced himself. "I don't know any shamans."
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Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2011 8:13 am
"My brother is a shaman," Skald fibbed smoothly, his gaze never wavering from the younger wolf. Skald wasn't even sure where his brother was, not to mention that his brother was as young and foolish-sounding as this pup before him. "I learned much from him -- the meanings of dreams, visions, foretelling of the future." Skald wasn't even sure if shamans did that sort of thing, but it sounded right enough.
"Your name is a mouthful," Skald continued, looking trite. "Do you have a nickname, something shorter, that I might call you?"
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Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2011 6:39 pm
Cue found himself sufficiently starstruck as to not feel petulant at being called a mouthful. "People call me Nimbus. Or Cue, sometimes. Is he your littermate? What's his domain?" The adolescent's bright ears quivered with earnest yearning.
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 2:26 pm
Skald's brows rose as his ear twitched. "His name is Frygg." That much was true. Frygg was a real wolf though he was no shaman. Or perhaps he was, and could be considered the shaman of stupidity if there was such a domain.
"Yes, we are of the same litter," he continued, yawning hugely as if the topic utterly bored him. "He is the youngest. His domain is..." How would he answer that? Skald waved a paw in a circular motion in order to buy himself some time.
"Complicated." Yeah, complicated.
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 6:55 pm
Nimbus looked concerned (though it was rare that he didn't). He had been fairly sure that domains were not especially complicated, at the very least not in name. But what did he know? This Skald had grown up with a shaman, so who was he to argue? "You must have seen some incredible things," he said quietly, a dark look passing over him. "Is it true that they can manipulate their element? I know a wolf who says a darkness-shaman can make the shadows eat the light right out of the sky."
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 9:49 am
Skald fought the urge to roll his eyes. This kid had some kind of .. of thing for shamans from the sound of it. Quite honestly Skald was bored of talking about shamans. Skald sighed softly. "I saw him do many things with my own two eyes." A nice vague answer. This was boring.
Time for fun.
"You have the look of my brother Frygg about you, Nimbus. The look of a shaman."
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Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2011 9:12 pm
This wolf was not being very forthcoming with his information - and Cue couldn't imagine why. Faced with such vagueness, he found himself missing Aislin as a comforting device; the little female was always confident and friendly, and people treated her better than they did him.
He had gone a little distracted, but Skald caught his attention well enough. His mouth pulled down in a look of grave bewilderment. "Is there a look?"
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