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 Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 2:27 pm
The pale crescent of a moon was high in the sky by this hour. Stars were glistening like dew drops on the blanket of night. Few crickets chirped while the wind whistled in the trees. And one very small, young wolf was wandering through the forest. The small, scruffy pup was very content this evening for he had just caught a big, juicy muskrat on the riverside and was deciding what to do next.
Alexander paced back and forth, back and forth, carrying the dead animal ever so gently in his mouth. The blue pup’s ears swiveled in every direction, fearful of hearing something coming for his meal. Truthfully, this particular wolf was much more comfortable at night. The colors on his pelt camouflaged nicely with the darkness. Alexander’s chest heaved as he took a deep breath, drawing in the scents around him. Unfortunately, he also got a nice whiff of his future meal, making the youngster’s mouth water even more. This reminded him to walk extra lightly on the soil – after all, others could smell the muskrat as well.
Giving a short snort, Alexander decided this was not the best time to enjoy a muskrat meal. His eyes darted to and fro quickly, searching for a place to stash his treasure. The base of an old tree looked promising. Alexander walked as quietly as he could to the spot, and started pawing a hole in the ground, trying not to kick the dirt too much. When he was satisfied with the depth, the pup placed his meal in its spot, and used his nose to bury it – hopefully keeping it safe.
The wolf pup looked around quickly to make sure no one witnessed his burial, but saw nothing suspicious. He then trotted off to the stream again to get a quick drink and survey the area.
--- 
Between his age and the fact he had known of his seer abilities since only weeks after he opened his eyes for the first time, one would think Kaho had better control over his 'freaky powers', as his packmate Audi put it. Not to say he wasn't talented, but there were just some areas that he couldn't seem to completely grasp.
The main one being the thoughts of others invading him in his sleep. And the wolves around here so often had troubled pasts that he'd end up with nightmare after nightmare. It was bad enough he had to sleep away from his own pack.
Tonight, he didn't think there would be any sleeping. An attack of insomnia had... Well, attacked him, so to speak.
His mother had told him once water and counting bunny rabbits in your head would help. The later had done nothing so far, except make him a bit disgusted. He ate rabbits so much he never wanted to see another one again. So, water it was.
He was hurriedly gulping down his sixth mouth full when the pup arrived. It wasn't that uncommon of a sight, so the three-legged male shrugged his shoulders and carelessly said, "Hey there, puppy. You shouldn't be out here alone."--- Alexander started at hearing the other’s voice and his hackles immediately rose. The young pup cursed himself at not noticing the larger wolf sooner. Scanning the other, he noticed the absence of a hind leg. This realization caused the pup’s hair to smooth slightly as he calmed himself. Maybe this wolf would not turn out to be a threat.
The blue pup padded calmly to the water and took many laps at the serene surface before turning his attention to the one who had given him such a scare. “I have nowhere else to go.” Alexander admitted honestly. His circumstances had caused the puppy to mature early in his life, when the need to care for himself had arisen.
--- "I know," Kaho responded, yawning. It didn't take a mind-reader to figure that one out. There were so many homeless or parentless or abandoned puppies out here he was convinced they should start some sort of social group of lone pups. Then they wouldn't be lone pups anymore. Problem solved.
"Alexander, right? I'm Kaho, three-legged seer of the almighty forest of woes and terrors. You really should find yourself a pack, though, or at least some older wolf to follow around." Or stalk, if need be. He'd seen it done. "There's a lot of big bads out here recently." Cannibals, assassins, thieves, you name it. ---
The pup stopped drinking mid-lap. His eyes were fixed open, and his head slowly moved to stare into the eyes of the older wolf. Alexander cocked his head to the side, wondering what made Kaho act so calm in neutral territory. Unless... Oh, no, he hadn't stumbled into someone else's territory by accident, hade he?
Alexander lowered his haunches into a sit, and as an image of his muskrat dinner flashed through his mind's eyes. He couldn't help it, he was still hungry. The pup had been trying to keep the animal out of his mind so as not to let the seer know. He took a breath and thought about how to respond.
There was silence for a while, but for some reason, he felt he could trust this wolf. "I don't even know where to start looking for a pack." He said, looking down. "I can't go back to my old one," the pup added as an afterthought.--- "Calm down, you're on neutral grounds," Kaho stated cooly. It was in question if he was reading minds or reading body language at that point. Besides, not many packs he knew of, even around here, would slaughter a puppy for stumbling into their land. Recruit, enslave maybe, but kill? Nah.
"You're singing the song of many birds," the seer said, gazing around. "By birds, I mean wolves. Pups, adults. You'll find your situation is extremely common around here. Backstabbers, those who are banished, they all seem to stumble here." There was a long pause, during which time he mused over some things.
"There's a lot of packs, they're just surprisingly hard to find. There's this one guy, Phib. He'll take anybody." Almost anybody, at the very least. Nice fellow in Kaho's opinion, but it was a right shame he was hogging that pretty little Amelie all to himself.
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Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 2:36 pm
Alexander breathed as he took in the information coming from the older wolf. Good, so he was still on neutral grounds. The pup had been born into a very tight, very old fashioned pack with little mercy. Also, he had been born to a gamma female, which simply wasn't allowed. His previous alphas were the only ones allowed to mate in the pack. Therefore, his mother had to escape if she wanted to save her pups. The rest was history.
There were many other lone wolves around here, were there? Alexander silently hoped he didn't run into the wrong kind. The pup stood, and took another short drink from the available water. He allowed himself to wonder what it would be like growing up in a pack, and almost envied the wolves that got the privilege. His puppy tongue passed over his mouth collecting the last water droplets before Alexander turned his attention back to the older male.
He paused a moment before asking the question, but then decided to just go ahead with it. “Are you part of a pack?” He asked with genuine interest. Maybe this wolf could be his key? Kaho seemed like a nice guy.
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Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 2:56 pm
Kaho watched the pup with what would appear like minor interest. It wasn't that he didn't feel concern for a lone puppy when he came across one (no matter how many times it happened), his attention was, unfortunately in his opinion, constantly divided.
It was part of being a seer. ...Maybe not. It was part of being a seer like him. With dangers hitting an all time high recently, he had been sure to keep each and every mental 'link' with his packmates, friends and even some of his enemies open at all times.
It meant many voices in his head at once, and quite a headache at least every other hour. Luckily, he could filter them to an extent, making it so he was still able to converse with one he was actually in the presence of.
"Yes," he answered. "Quite a nicely-sized one, actually. Lots of puppies about your age." He frowned suddenly. "Eight until recently."
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Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 4:43 pm
The blue pup's ears popped right up in response and his tail soon followed. Blue eyes sparked with interest. "You have a pack?" Alexander piped up before thinking. His paws shuffled in an uncharacteristic excited dance, tail beginning to wag ever so slightly. Kaho was getting a quick look into what this pup would be like if he had been raised in the right environment.
It was just at that time the young male felt his stomach rumble in a demand for food. He was so tired of being hungry. This event brought his excited puppy mind back to reality. Unfortunately, it was a reality in which he had aged much too fast. Slowly, Alexander’s posture returned to the familiar cautious, but confident, state. He opened his mouth wide for a yawn that ended with a soft whine of sorrow. Sometimes the pup couldn’t hide how he felt about wandering the dark forest alone.
Alexander sighed as best as a wolf can sigh. “Sorry,” he began. The young male hadn’t completely decided which words would follow the sorry, yet.
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Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2007 8:10 am
"Don't worry about it," Kaho insisted. 'These things happen', is what he wanted to say. But did they really? Or was it just something that plauged 'normal' wolves? Then again...who was 'normal' around here? It seemed against some sort of unwritten code in these laws.
"It's what happens to puppies who wander around alone," he advised calmly. He wasn't trying to scare the little thing or anything, but he wasn't one to sugar-coat things, either. "Why don't you come back with me and see if you like it? At least we can get you some food."
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Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2007 2:12 pm
The blue pup could almost feel a wave of relief wash over his small body. The young male was unusually scruffy, with longer fur around his feet, and it hid how skinny he'd been getting on his own. Alexander was thankful for that. Not many fear a pup, but none fear a malnourished pup. He felt that he should have at least a fraction of intimidation in case he was ever in danger.
Alexander gave a half-hearted shake of his fur. This was one of his habits. The pup always gave a little shake before setting off to a new location. He felt it kept him more comfortable in case he was to be traveling a long distance.
He dipped his nose down slightly in a wolfish nod before saying, “That would be great…” However, his nose returned to its normal position before long. Another habit Alexander had was to move with confidence. He kept his tail up somewhere in between the position of beta and alpha, and he always walked tall. It wasn’t a sign of disrespect to anyone, it was just the posture he felt most comfortable it… and most ready to stand up for himself.
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Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 9:30 am
The pup could walk however he wanted. Such things didn't matter in a pack where the alpha had long ago been blinded. If Raja would care if she could see, Kaho wasn't sure. "Good choice," he praised. It was nice to see someone so young smarter than the average, 'No way! I can take care of myself!' puppy. "Follow me."
The seers steps were shaky and slightly slow, his front paw hitting the ground, then back one, then other front. "Okay, let's see. The alpha comes off a bit harsh, but she's got a loyal heart. Just don't squeal or screech. Her hearing is sensitive."
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Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 11:13 am
The blue pup’s heart leapt at the chance of being in the company of other wolves. Growing up as a lone, he always wondered what it was like to be part of a pack. Alexander let his mind wander into a dreamlike state. He imagined romping around with other puppies, sleeping curled up next to a warm, furry body, and even getting scolded by a caring adult. It didn’t even cross the young male’s mind once that his social personality could be his downfall.
Alexander broke into an excited trot, speeding ahead of his three-legged elder. After a few moments, the pup slowed his trot down into the more comfortable gait of pace, which was a closer match to Kaho’s strides. He listened to the seer’s half-warning, and dipped his nose slightly in a nod.
“I’m not usually the squeaky type,” Alexander stated with a wolfish grin. No, he had been forced to mature too fast to develop puppy characteristics like that.
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Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 11:29 am
"I know," Kaho laughed. "I just feel obligated to tell you anyway. Other than that, you should be fine. Some of the wolves might seem mean or creepy, but they're generally well-meaning." He stressed the word 'generally'. It was a good pack, one of the best he'd joined (and he'd joined many), but it was not bult completely of sunshine and flowers and laughs. He'd yet to find any that way. "Also, I hope you aren't afraid of the dark..."
And soon enough, Alexander would see why that would be an issue. It was called the 'Black Forest' for a reason. As they neared the entrance, a small puppy bolted out and dashed around her fathers three legs. "DADDY! DADDY!" Farfalla squawked. "Where did you go?"
Her eyes spotted another puppy, and she asked flatly, "Who's this? Not another one of Daddy's kids, I hope. Mommy said you're a bad non-loyal cheater."
"We're not related, Farfalla," Kaho said, hushing her. At least, he hoped not. Wouldn't surprise him any. "His name is Alexander. He'll be staying with us."
"Oh... Well, I'm Farfalla."( Farfalla)
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Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 12:04 pm
Score again for Alexander. Generally well-meaning was a good thing. Alexander considered himself to be generally well-meaning. Maybe he would fit in? He wondered if it would have strict ranking, like he was told his mother's pack did. He couldn't help but put a little puppy bounce in his step, and let his tongue roll out in contentment.
“I like the dark,” the pup said simply. It was true that he felt more comfortable in the dark. A lot of his early life had been spent traveling in the dark to avoid being prosecuted by his former pack.
Surprisingly, out of nowhere, a pup started dashing towards them. Alexander stopped instantly in his tracks and stood wide, to hold his ground. When the other pup got close enough for him to get a good look, he noticed coat pattern similarities between the new one and Kaho. And the fact that she (he assumed it was a she from the markings), was yelling daddy also calmed his nerves.
Alexander promptly lowered himself onto his haunches and cocked a head at Farfalla. His tongue was out again, making him look a little silly.
“Hi,” he greeted, not knowing what to do.
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Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 5:51 pm
"You're weird," Farfalla told him bluntly. What kind of lame greeting was that? How dull! "I like your name. Alexaaander. It's a long name like mine. Most of the wolves around here have short names. Are you staying here?"
"I'm going to go speak with the alpha," Kaho interupted. "You two stay here and talk some and I'll be back shortly."
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Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:42 pm
Alexander’s eyes followed Kaho slowly, watching the older male go. He was now in another pack’s territory, and his ‘mentor’ was gone. Alexander began to feel a little nervous. However, Kaho HAD told him there wasn’t really anything to worry about, so he calmed his nerves by fixing his attention on Farfalla.
“I am?” He asked, tongue now closed securely behind his lips once more. “I don’t know if I’m staying. Your, um, dad said something about food.” Alexander admitted, just remembering the fact. He thought back to the muskrat buried by the river and his stomach grumbled.
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Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 7:03 pm
"You should," Farfalla insisted, her voice laced with pride. It was true, she was proud of her pack. Of her mother and her father and her aunt, who she never passed up an opportunity to brag about. "My aunt Raja is the alpha here. The best ever." Her ears twitched and she tilted her head.
Food? What a silly reason to come all the way here! Farfalla was a pack-born puppy, and had the naive aura around her most young ones did. She had never had to go hungry, and thus, she could not fathom the thought that other puppies did. "If that's all, just wait here."
Just as her father, she scurried off. She returned quickly, though, dragging the small corpse of what was once a rabbit behind her by the foot. She flung it infront of Alexander. "Here!"
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Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 7:13 pm
Alexander noticed Farfalla seemed much more self-confident than he did, even if he did try to act like an alpha pup. Maybe it wasn’t confidence, but something similar Alexander was unfamiliar with. The word Alexander was searching for was security. Farfalla was much safer and secure than he’d ever been. Being raised by a lone wolf and then turning into a lone pup had definitely dampened his safety.
The male perked right up at the mention of food. He watched the young female disappear, and then waited a moment or two. His waiting was well-rewarded because she was returning with a delicious meal. Alexander’s mouth watered.
When it was plopped in front of him, that was too much. He didn’t even hesitate digging right in. First? The stomach. He always liked the mixture of different foods his herbivorous victims had in their stomachs. It made him feel energized. Alexander quickly looked up to Farfalla to say a silent thank you.
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Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 7:19 pm
Farfalla was a puppy well adapted to communicating solely through expressions. Both her mother and her only sibling rarely had anything to say to her, though they would give her a dissaproving look, a concerned glance, a smile. She could read faces well.
"Yeah, yeah, don't mention it." Her tail wagged despite her annoyed-sounding voice, the eye-marking on it almost hyponotic going back and forth. "Where's your pack? They should be feeding you. Your alpha must not be as good as our alpha." Who was the best alpha ever, mind you.
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