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 Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2020 3:38 pm
 The sand had begun to cool under his paws, shifting from the soft sifting texture of the desert to the more compact dirt found at the outskirts of the Run. The sky was slowly darkening the further they traveled. His destination wasn't too much further, ears picking up the sound of running water. Good. His stamina was starting to ween. But he had made it back to the 'mainland', as he was beginning to refer to it. From the sea of sand he returned, determined to conduct his business and return to his crew with something worth their while. As to what that might be, the alpha was still trying to figure it out.
"Still alive back there?" He panted, having grown so accustomed to the weight on his back that he hardly noticed it. But his raccoon brother would not have been able to make their trip on his own paws!
Soul Thief stirred a little, sprawled out on his stomach. He considered the question carefully. "I may have grown a few shades more crispy, but alas! You are not rid of me yet, brother." He chuckled.
Night Fell snorted. "I should hope not! Be embarrassin' if m'brother couldn't handle the heat." The wolf teased, angling his distance eating lope towards the water source that was oh so close.
"'m thinkin'... we're gonna enjoy the evenin' by the water, Thief. Conduct our business in the mornin'. Maybe yer lil raccoon paws can snatch us a fish or three." Night Fell mused, slowing ever so slightly as the entered new terrain. He had traveled this path several times, but one could never be too cautious. The alpha was fairly certain there were no packs forming around this territory. Perhaps across the water where the trees were thicker and the wildlife more abundant. But for a relaxing evening, the river's edge should do. Especially for just two weary travelers.
"Do you think Ma is around here anywhere?" Thief wondered. They hadn't seen the band of raccoons for a while. But that was no surprise. Whispers of Night moved her crew around frequently.
Coming to a stop at last and inhaling the cooler air, Night Fell gave himself a shake, snickering as the raccoon went tumbling head over paws. "Y'know, that's a good question. We might be able t'spar a look around for her. Fer now... let's relax. Fish. An figure out tomorrow." The black and white marbled wolf stretched his weary legs before moving to take a good long drink from the water.
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Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2020 3:39 pm
 This land was new and exciting to the wolf-dog, his excitement evident with every step he took. The wolf-dog practically bounced as he walked, stopping to sniff things here and there. Only to trip, stumble, and try not to fall... but nine out of ten times, he crashed to the ground. Which was his current predicament. Except he'd then proceeded to slip straight in to the running water he'd been following. With a SPLASH, Darius yelped.
"Cold! Holy s**t, this is cold!" He scrambled to get a hold on the bank, using teeth and claws.
With a tremendous amount of effort (more than he was used to applying anyways), the wolf-dog managed to get his now soaking wet self back up on solid ground. But on the other side of the river.
"Well... now what?" His tail drooped with his ears. "I'm cold! And hungry. I could really use a snack..."
But he was unfamiliar with this area. Had no friends. No family. And no food, oh why did fate hate him so much?! All he really wanted was a place to curl up with friends and be warm, fat and happy.
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Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2020 3:39 pm
While Night Fell's original intentions had been to find a nice place to curl up for the evening, do some fishing with Thief, and then get an early start on the following day... that all sort of exploded when they realized they weren't alone. The pair had quenched their thirst, a small water war beginning and a mild attempt made to catch a fish, when there was a loud SPLASH.
"What the hell?!" Thief scrambled to his brother's back, standing on his hind paws to get a better view. Night Fell stood still, ears alert and scanning the water's surface. "There!" The raccoon directed his muzzle towards a wolf in the water.
"Don't think he planned that one." The alpha mused, watching the other wolf's struggles with more amusement then was warented. "Should we... try an' help 'em?"
Soul Thief just blinked owlishly. Then started to laugh. "And miss the free show?!"
It took him a few minutes and many attempts, but the stranger managed to catch a hold of a root and pull himself back up out of the water. Right about where they had been watching the shenanigans. Thief was still laughing. He'd managed to clamber down off Fell's back at some point. The alpha himself gave the wolf an intriguing look. There was something... strange about him. Though he was wet, Night Fell was pretty damn sure this wolf looked nothing like the wolves he'd dealt with.
"Y'all right, there, friend?" Night Fell called out.
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Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2020 7:02 pm
The sound of another's voice was the last thing Darius was expecting. His whole body froze, eyes widening as he slowly turned to locate the source of the voice. He was even more surprised to find a slightly bigger wolf... and a raccoon?! What? Had he hit his head a little harder than he'd thought?
"How long you been there?!" Darius gasped, suddenly realizing that this wolf may have witnessed... everything.
"Oh crap! You... saw everything, didn't you?!" The wolf-dog flopped to the ground, frowning and attempting to hide his face with a paw. This stranger had watched him get stuck in the water! And now he got to see him all wet and cold and hungry... really hungry.
"I want foooood." Darius whined, still not looking at the pair who was oddly quiet. Okay, he had to peek and see if they were still there.... yep.
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Posted: Sun Feb 09, 2020 12:46 pm
"'fraid we saw it all." The alpha agreed.
This strange wolf was certainly... interesting. Night Fell observed his response with amusement, giving himself a small shake to quiet Thief. The raccoon, of course, merely hopped down to keep on snickering where he wasn't in the immediate line of fire. After another minute of observation, the alpha deemed this stranger not to be a threat and sat down on his haunches, waiting for the wolf to stop whining.
"Well, we ain't got food at the moment... but there be fish in th'water. Help us fish an' we'll split the catch." He glanced at Thief, who was the pro fisher. "Agreed?" Night Fell asked his brother.
The raccoon wiped fake tears from his eyes, sighing as if the world was always against them. He eyed the strange wolf and then glanced up at his wold brother. "Fiiiiine. Fish for three." With that, Thief scrambled down to the waters edge and began hunting down some fish.
"Wha's yer name, friend?" The alpha inquired. "Can't say I've seen any like you 'round here before."
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Posted: Sun Feb 09, 2020 12:54 pm
What a way to make an impression on someone he just met. Darius just moped in his wet fluff pile, watching the other wolf and... what was that?! He had never seen a raccoon before. Heard of them, but never seen one. Okay, to be fair, he hadn't seen a lot of things. Which was why he'd decided to go on his adventure, seeking friends and... well, he wasn't sure what else he was seeking.
All of which he wound up babbling at the mere question of his name.
"I'm Darius! I'm so hungry. I feel like I haven't eaten for days. I am not very good at hunting. Well, I know how to hunt. But there is so much to see that I get distracted! I probably should have thought this journey through better. But I was just so tired of doing nothing with my life!" The wolfdog took a breath. "Anyways, what is that thing you were talking with? Is it a... a raccoon? I've never met one. Really only seen those birds flying high in the sky. And this strange bird that was almost as big as me."
Darius managed to sit up, shaking his coat out and trying to rid his body of as much water as possible.
"Fish? I've never fished. This one time I did try, but I caught a floating branch instead."
He went quiet for a few minutes, his mind replaying that attempt to capture food by himself. Like that time he managed to bring down a deer all alone. He'd been so proud and had so much food... oh heavens, he was so hungry!
"Do you know where I am right now?" He asked, looking fairly miserable.
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Posted: Sun Feb 09, 2020 1:02 pm
Sweet blazing sun! Talk about hitting the sweet spot for juicy information. Except... Night Fell couldn't gain anything from this info. The black and white marbled wolf just sighed, glancing around, checking that Thief hadn't drowned, looking back at this... Darius. Hmm. He didn't seem to know where he was going.
He also didn't seem to be the brightest wolf around. Which, could be useful. A daft wolf was easier to convince to carry out orders... or use as a scapegoat if they got caught red pawed.
There was also the fact he seemed to be on the smaller side. Smaller wolves were good at sneaking in to smaller spaces...
Of course, there was also the amusement factor. They could always use a desert clown among their ranks.
"Sooo... what yer tellin' me is, ya left on some adventure without plannin' it out? Jus' where, exactly, ya tryin' to go?" He asked curiously.
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Posted: Sun Feb 09, 2020 1:07 pm
The wolfdog just blinked at the other wolf, head tilted a little in thought. "Yeah, pretty much. I just sort of... left one day and never looked back." Darius agreed.
But where was he going?
That was a great question!
"Well.... I was, um, just sort of... traveling to the... west?" He'd totally been heading that way. Totally. Right?
He shifted a little, tail drooping. Then his ears sort of drooped. Annnd...
"Okay, I have no idea where I'm going! I just started walking in a direction and didn't really bother to consider where that path would take me. And then I fell in that river and have decided that I have no idea where I am at and I should probably figure that out so I can determine where I am going...."
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Posted: Sun Feb 09, 2020 1:17 pm
Interesting. From the way Darius spoke, it sounded like he had no family or pack. Which would explain why he just left wherever he'd come from. Unless he'd been in a pack that he didn't like, which could cause some complications if they were vindictive. Or that this Darius had done something... which Night Fell had a hard time believing.
He was like a bumbling idiot. With no sense of direction.
Perfect for the Sand Raiders!
Thief had snuck back up, dragging three fish with him. He gave the wolfdog a wide-eyed stare at the sudden babble. Night Fell just chuckled, snatching a fish from his brother and flipping it over to Darius.
"Sounds like yer in need of a place t'call home?" He said casually. "And, if yer not in any hurry... or afraid to scavenge a wee bit... I might have jus' the place fer ya!"
"You're kiddin', right?" Thief whispered, smacking his face when he saw the grin Night Fell directed him. Didn't they have enough idiots between the two of them?
"Eat up, Darius! Thief an' I will tell ya about our little oasis. See how it sound t'ya." He waited until the other started in on his fish. "Now, we ain't got the most luxurious of homes... an' there's a lot of sand. But, we got wolves that'll have yer back. Food is... a bit scarce, but we raid what we need. S'long as ya got no qualms against raidin' fer what the pack needs, we'd be willin' ta give you a home."
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Posted: Sun Feb 09, 2020 1:30 pm
The loud growl from his stomach was enough indicator of how pleased he was to see the fish tossed at him. The raccoon even laughed! Maybe he had made some new friends? That would be really nice...
Darius wasted no time and laid in to the fish, nibbling with surprising delicacy while he savored the taste. His golden eyes looked back over at... gosh, he hadn't even asked what his name was, yet! But this fellow seemed to be understanding his predicament. And possibly had a solution?
Vigorously nodding to hear more, he gobbled up all his fish and then sat quietly, processing all the information that he'd just been given. A place he could call home? With sand? And not a lot of food? Oh, that last bit was a little concerning... but this wolf didn't seem to be skin and bones. And he'd said a pack! Which meant more friends.
Darius couldn't help the small snort that escaped. "I've dabbled in raiding myself... I'm not the best at it, but maybe with practice?! I'd be willing to learn!"
"Why is there so much sand at this place of yours? It's not the beach, is it?" He shook his head. "Oh I hope it's not the beach..."
The wolfdog paused. "Who are you, anyways?"
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Posted: Sun Feb 09, 2020 1:41 pm
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Thief muttered, eying the fluffball they were going to recruit. He really didn't strike the raccoon as a good raider... but then again, maybe they could mold him in to something useful?
His brother seemed to think there was potential for the idiot fluff.
Night Fell gave a nod of approval to the fact Darius was not a stranger to raiding. Good! They had some groundwork to start with. And, if all else failed, he could just make this wolf an assistant to Blood Falcon. His desert mother would probably enjoy the challenge.
The alpha couldn't help laughing. The beach?! Oh that was a fair guess! For someone that wasn't so familiar with the world out there. "Not quite, mate. You don't gotta worry about any beach." He assured him.
"Nope. You just gotta worry about the scorching sands of the desert instead~!" Thief replied melodramatically. "And the sun always beating down on you. Sand squishing between your toes. In your ears. Nose. Everything."
There was a strange sound that emitted from the raccoon as Night Fell flopped down and trapped Thief beneath him, effectively shutting him up.
"Ignore m'brother. He's salty cause we've been travelin' for several days." He watched Darius' reactions to what Thief had said. "Tis, true, though. We call the desert land our home. It's a rough terrain... but s'not all bad." Tail thumping a little in good humor, Night Fell grinned suddenly. "Tell ya what, friend. If ya travel with us and come see what the desert is like.. I'll let ya make yer decision then. Either you like our lil' paradise. Or ya trek back through the sand ta this here place. Start at zero again. What do'ya say?"
Oh, hadn't he told him his name? Night Fell gave the other a cheesy, tongue out grin. "Me? I'm Night Fell. Alpha of them crazy sand dwellers."
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Posted: Sun Feb 09, 2020 1:51 pm
Darius gulped a little, staring with huge eyes at what the raccoon was saying. Maybe all raccoons had prickly personalities like this one? Or they all liked to scare others? He was definitely having sudden second thoughts about his excitement in finding a place to actually travel to. But all that sand... and the heat... and and, lack of food....
"Your brother?!" He looked between the wolf and raccoon, trying to work out how it would even be possible they were brothers.
"Wait, so you really do live in the desert? Woooow...." He hadn't been to the desert yet. But rumor had it the place was akin to a wasteland. That you could burn to death at. Yet these two looked just fine. But could he handle the heat? And all that sand?!
"You'd... take me with you? Even if this desert place isn't right for me?" It sort of sounded like a trap. But, he knew this place now. And if they brought him back here...? Of course they could always leave him in the desert to burn to a crisp and pick at his charred remains.... ho boy, he was the who?!
Darius sputtered a little. "You're the alpha?!" For some reason... this made him feel better. If this wolf was the one in charge of these crazy desert dwellers... maybe it wasn't so bad as his mind was making it seem?
"If... if I go with you... you'll bring me back here if I don't like it, right?" Taking in a deep breath, Darius stood up, tail wagging furiously. "I want to go with you!" It wasn't like he had anywhere else to go....
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Posted: Sun Feb 09, 2020 2:02 pm
After some wiggling, nipping, and pinching, Thief managed to get free from under his brother. He just shook his head, still not convinced about this idiot fluff.
But... it was their job to accept all that wanted to join their ranks. And protect them.
Siiiiigh.
"Course we'd take ya with us! A few days travel'n through the desert will be enough t'convince ya one way or the other. S'not as bad as everyone makes it sound. Otherwise, we'd not stick around as we do." Night Fell just grinned and wagged his tail. Yep. He was the alpha. Some days he felt like he wasn't the best one. But others... he enjoyed his life.
Giving the wolfdog a serious look, he nodded his head, getting slowly to his paws and giving Darius a bow. "I swear on my life, we shall bring y'back if the desert doesn't suit you."
A feeling of relief and a bit of joy flowed through Night Fell's veins hearing Darius want to come with them. It meant more than anyone ever knew to hear someone be willing to come check out the desert. Night Fell knew it wasn't the most lavish of places. There were plenty of packs in the forests and the mountains. But the raider's enjoyed their desert oasis. And being able to share that with others? That was where his true happiness as an alpha came from.
"Good choice, mate! We're happy ta have ya with us. Fer now, get some sleep, Darius. We've got an... errand t'run first. Then we head out ta the desert once more." And his pack would be one wolf bigger. This was turning out to be a most successful trip to the mainland, as he referred to it.
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