Welcome to Gaia! ::

The forest was peaceful, the sun was pleasantly warm, and Senka was feeling quite pleased with herself. Not only had she managed to gather many a delicious story in that strange pack, but she had also gotten plenty of rest and relaxation. Of a certainty, she was ready for the next pack. This Antianeira that she had heard so much about. Already, she was planning the best ways to extract information from what she anticipated to be reluctant subjects.

The males were likely to be particularly difficult. Of course, she had the messages from Balios to help vouch for her, but who knew how far that would actually get her. Then again, that silly little male, the sweet, flirtatious one. He might be willing to speak to her. Romir, was it? Hmm...

The females, on the other paw, she suspected might be a little wary of sharing their culture with a stranger. However, her own gender and background should play to her advantage there. Though she rarely acted like it, the fact remained that Senka was a warrior...and not a half bad one, at that. If all else failed, surely she could earn their respect and so access their stories.

Ah, how she looked forward to the challenges to come.

Some little instinct interrupted her musings, informing her that she was not alone in these woods. Surely she had not reached Antianeiran territory already? No. It must be someone else. Some other wanderer of the world. The wind was all wrong, however, so she could not be certain. Still, she was alert, ears searching for something out of place, eyes searching for movement. Who was there?

There! A flash of something brighter than would normally be found in the forest. Brilliant blue. The stranger she sought.

Senka moved toward the other wolf, paws silent even on the dead leaves and brittle twigs, until she was close enough to get a better look. Was that...? Yes. Yes it was. The stranger wore the bones of another wolf over her body. How odd. A war prize, perhaps? Or something else entirely. Whatever the case, this was sure to be an interesting encounter.

"Greetings," she said, hoping that the stranger would be amenable to a nice conversation. She was so not in the mood for a fight.

Well, she was certainly less than helpful. Not that Senka had any problems with providing her own conversation. However, it was clear that the other female had other things on her mind, the way she was eying Senka. Perhaps against a common sense of self-preservation, this little detail did not particularly bother her. This was not the first time she had come across wolves that most would deem insane, homicidal, and dangerous. Doubtless, it would not be the last. After all, she had survived this long. Why would her luck abandon her now?

Now, where best to begin...

She had to admit a certain amount of curiosity about that skeleton. Was that too obvious a question? Too rude? Then again, when had she ever worried about being straightforward? It was better than the usual questions, at any rate.

"If I may ask," she began, her body subconsciously ready for an attack if it came -- she was a warrior, after all. "Whose skeleton is it that you wear?"

"Whispers and rumors," she dismissed. "There are always dangerous wolves about, some of whom I have met. What would be the point in life you lived it ever in fear?"

Senka maintained her safe distance, but also settled back on her haunches.

"However, if you prefer pleasantries before we proceed, I can oblige." She flicked her tail, curling it around her paws like a cat.

"Greetings, lady," she repeated, sounding every bit the polite sophisticate. "I am Senka, a traveling storyteller. Might I have the pleasure of making your acquaintance?"

"It is unfortunate, but in between places of interest, there often lie such dull patches of woods." A sly little smile crossed her maw. "But do not think poorly of them. Unlikely though it may sound, one often stumbles upon the most interesting things in such places."

Yes. She teasing the stranger. Kaeerah. Prodding the proverbial bear, as it were. However, Senka could not help herself. It was fun, and who was she to deny herself such a pleasure.

"For instance, a female who carries a skeleton on her back. Surely there must be an interesting story there, do you not agree?"

Ah, so this was one of those wolves. One who did not believe that anything was free. Well, she could work with that.

"I had to try, you see," she said and shrugged dismissively. Then, she considered the other female. What would she want in return?

"A tale for a tale is a fair trade," she said. "I know of other wolves like yourself whom you might be interested in." She paused and tilted her head, ruby eyes considering.

"But perhaps that is not what you seek. If infamy is what you desire, I could work on your behalf, spread your tale. Your name would be known throughout Telk. Though, I can certainly keep a secret, if you prefer to remain one of the anonymous shadows."

"It would cause me no trouble to spread the tale of a coward. I could it as a bedtime story for small pups and they could laugh and laugh and go to sleep with a smile," she said with a grin, though she knew it was a dangerous thing, to chance provoking this female so.

"But I do not believe you to be a coward, Kaeerah of the Glimmering Bones. Call it a storyteller's instinct, if you will. I know you are a dangerous wolf and would likely be just as happy to kill me as not."

Was she insane? Not particularly. Foolish? Perhaps. However, Senka preferred to look at it this way: she had more luck than most packs combined, and a way with words that could get her out of most situations with minimal fuss. Perhaps this had given her a false sense of security, however, she had survived this long with little incident. Faced many a situation that would have killed another wolf and lived to tell the tale. Literally.

The shadowy femme saw little reason to fear what could be. Instead, she preferred to take full advantage of the present, and perhaps form a plan or two for what was likely to happen. For the most part, though, she would deal with the worst case scenario if it came to pass. So, she was often accused of being far too conceited for her own good. Perhaps it was true, or perhaps she simply did not care enough to worry. Whatever the case, it hardly mattered. She was who she was and was unlikely to change. Her life was far too fun for that.

"Do I not?" she mused.

This observation did not offend her. After all, she probably came off that way, especially when she was having a little fun. However, if there was one thing in this world that Senka respected, it was the art of storytelling. Although it was rare for her to find anything that she deemed worth of honoring, she still possessed the trait.

Honor. She had honor for her art, and for the one who taught it to her. She had honor for her duties, and those included speaking true when reciting her tales. Nobility, on the other paw, was hardly a concern of hers. Kaeerah was correct in that much, at least. She was not without her morals, and that was enough for her. Who needed to be noble?

Senka considered the other wolf once more.

"I doubt there is little I can say to convince you of the fact, but the truth remains: I have the greatest respect for my art. I would not do it the dishonor of spinning lies when I know the truth." She paused, cocking her head.

"In fact, I very rarely speak untruths. Lies are for those who need them. I do not. Besides," she grinned mischievously. "The truth is so much more interesting."