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 Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2006 12:35 pm
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Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2006 12:42 pm
Phib/Ryoku/Ran/Trumble/Ethni
That old man river...
As temperatures in Telk slowly began to rise, so did the water. Still was the earth swallowed by the winter months, but it was on its lonely way out. What snow remained left on the ground encompassed only a few inches, and already small brownish grey looking plants and reeds were slowly attempting to retake the earth they had been deprived of for these past four months of endless cold. But with the snow melting, the forest's waterways swelled with glacier water, creating new streams, and swollen river bellies.
The fast paced water rushing down south to empty out into the ocean was of some concern to the large black brute, who sat looking at the very least belligerent. Not that he had many other expressions, but in particular, he was disgruntled. After living in the north much of his life, he knew that spring water changing could be a very dangerous thing if not left unchecked, and having recently set up his own lands right off of the ocean and snake like river- he needed to be prepared for any sort of flooding that would arise from this change. Just a little north where this river stood, it appeared that it wouldn't be long before the shores began to widen to allow the winter water through. It didn't look bad per say. But Phib was a wolf who had the propensity for being angry at anything that did not fit in his own caliber of thought, so he left it to himself to stare at it in a most indignant fashion.
"I don't like it." He suddenly resolved above the sound of the rushing water. It might have first appeared what he stated this to no one, but from a patch of winter worn bushes, a small pale grey head appeared.
"Zus?" The silver said between clenched teeth. The pale creature carefully padded backwards and cleared the bush, although her left foot stumbled as her blind eyes searched in the darkness. "You're never of liking anything, I am thinking." She responded softly with a smile, and padded a bit east to smell at some of the newly springing grasses.
He simply responded to her with a "Hrmph," and the steady swish of his tail. His head lowered somewhat, so he could peer into the bubbling rapids.
Ryoku, turned, carefully glancing off into the direction she assumed Phib was in. It was perhaps a worthless gesture- but sometimes just mimicking the idea of sight let her remember things better. Had he changed any, since she last could see? She supposed she'd never know. But she did know he certainly hadn't changed in attitude- and this little stand in of his was probably going to last all evening.
With his back turned, it wasn't very hard for the small omega to skitter off. At first she hadn't meant to- but within moments she had set off down a slight slope, following the sound of some bird calling in the distance.
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Ran was sad. Or... angry. Both, maybe? No, she was fine. There was no problem. But she should be upset, though... Maybe? Ugh.
Two days ago she would've swore to anyone she knew enough to survive. Sure, she didn't have the best reasoning and she only knew the basics of life. Food, water, healing. Though, the last wasn't a basic for all wolves, but still.
Now, with only a few words from another wolf she was completely lost. Not just mentally, either. Where the hell was she? Ran will figure that out later, she decided, sighing heavily.
She might as well of been blind walking with her eyes downcast like that. It was really just sheer bad luck, though, she'd actually run into someone.
"Sorry," the shaman apologized, getting to all fours and shaking her fur off. Just once, she'd like to run into someone and not knock herself down! Blink. "Oh, Ryoku."
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Two cold, silver eyes were focused on the hazy gray sky, squinting up at the hint of sunlight that began to trickle forth. It had been growing warmer and warmer over the past days, and the sun opted to show its face more often than it had in his preferred months. No one quite knew why the mint colored wolf was so fond of the winter time. After all, food was scarce, living was hard, and it was cold. Perhaps only someone as cold and aloof as the harsh and unforgiving winter could truly come to respect and love it. Well, perhaps he wasn't that badly tempered- but he had been. At one time.
The creature lifted himself from his haunches, drawing in a deep breath and allowing his eyes now to wander over the sight of his new den. The pup he was caring for was safely tucked away within the warm depths of that very den, and so he decided now was a good time to stalk the lands before his beloved snow disapeared forever. He made his way calmly across the shallows of the water, using the large stones in this area as a sort of bride. Who knew how much longer he'd be able to do this, though, as the river was rising and the speed of its flow was picking up. He would have to keep a close eye on Eithni, he noted to himself, ears swivveling.
He padded along the thin layer of snow, weaving through the foliage, keeping close to the side of the river. Eventually he came to the point where the rivers connected and flowed out to the sea. He wandered here for a short while before his gaze fell upon the black male before him. He went still suddenly- had this become a territory? He could tell just by looking at the wolf that he was an alpha; that was something he was good at spotting. He didn't budge, though, he simply stared and waited to be noticed. He hoped he hadn't just walked into more trouble than even he could handle. He didn't need any more enemies.
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The bird screamed somewhat, and the quiet woods resounded with the motions of flapping wings. Ryoku rose her head somewhat, and somewhere in the darkness, she tried to picture a bird flying. She could see it- blurry, somewhat, but what kind of bird? A raven? It blended in with the darkness. A dove? She knew they flew south, but it made her happy to think of one. They didn't scream like that either, so for all she knew it was a hawk- but perhaps one of the only good things that had come out of being blind, Ryoku found, was that she could easily believe flowers in winter and doves flying in the darkness. Perhaps she was disillusioned- Phib would say that, anyways, although in her heart she knew better.
She was thinking of turning around- (which way did she come from again?), when suddenly, a soft object smacked into her midsection. She fumbled, and collapsed in a heap with a slight yelp of surprise, and spent a couple of moments floundering on the ground. Fear clenched at her heart for a moment- before the creature spoke, and she recognized the scent of the other creature.
"Ran!" Ryoku spoke happily, and pulled herself up. Some pieces of wet snow clung to her back, and she shook them off with delicate ease- peculiar for one such as her. Her face was pulled into a smile- but when the voice of her young friend sounded somewhat waned, she felt the corners of her mouth fall with concern. "Oh-" She spoke softly, tilting her head somewhat. "It's not being of any worry." She said, the end of her tail gently swaying. "I can be knocked around many times, all good." Her strange speech softly continued, flowing together as if it was natural for anyone to speak like she did.
She stretched her head forward, when it seemed that this response was not satisfactory. "Is Ran alright?" She spoke softly, wondering if perhaps she was a painful object to run into.
-------------------------------
Saying yes wouldn't be a complete lie. Physically, she was fine. How many wolves had she ran into? Or had run into her? Higher than she could count. "Ran is sorry for running into Ryoku," she echoed. Her friend was fine and the shaman new this. It took more than someone small like her running into them to hurt ANY wolf.
Admittedly, she found the word choice a bit strange. Many times? Had someone done that before? She shook her head and determined it none of her business. If it was something Ryoku wanted to tell her she would've. "Ran is not hurt," she finally answered. "Ran is... confused."
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"Hrm." The a low voice slipped from beneath the black wolf's broad muzzle. His snout crinkled somewhat, prickling the small pink scars across the bridge of his snout. Perhaps it was no matter- this river still had another three miles to go before it reached his land. But with not all the glacier ice melted, it was still impossible to determine how much flooding the local rivers would receive. Enough to move the den up to higher ground? Perhaps- he'd have to think on that.
"Ryoku-" He called suddenly, and turned his head. He was greeted with a tree. Vaguely, his eyes narrowed. "Ryoku?"
The tree didn't seem to care to respond.
He turned around and grumbled. Couldn't she stay put? It was like he was always dealing with some sort of dim witted child. And yet... well, he knew she probably just did it because it drove him crazy. Perhaps that was the thing other women had always lacked- the ability to drive him completely out of his mind. But ah well- he loved her.
Phib was just considering hobbling off to call her back, when from the corner of his eye, the shape of a moving creature flickered across the pale green orbs. He snorted, and turned his head, at once his ears curving forwards in an arch, and his eyes bearing sternly upon the other wolf- whom scent revealed was male. Always the vagabonds, although with some concern, he detracted his eye to look in the direction he assumed Ryoku left through. Hopefully there were not more...
"Hello there," The large brute spoke, his face still. He shifted his weight upon one shoulder and stood, his body a bit too long for the rock he was standing on. Strange creatures moving about...
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Ryoku frowned, and gently tilted her head. Ran was confused? That did not sound much like Ran- or at least, she had never quite sounded this confused.
She flattened her ears and sat, curving her head and glancing forward steadily with her deadened eyes. "I'm glad Ran isn't hurt-" She spoke, her voice noticeably changing for a moment, and for the first time outwardly it was questionable whether or not she spoke the way she did on intention. "What are you confused about, Ran?"
Had someone caused this change in her?
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Never sounded this confused, never looked this sad. A lot of new things were occuring in the youngest recorded shaman to walk the lands. Her ears lay flat against her skull, gaze lowered again. She didn't risk running into anything if she wasn't moving.
"Ran made another good friend like Ryoku." Actually, Kiba was nothing like Ryoku other than that. "Well, like Ryoku in that he is a very good friend to Ran," she corrected. Wait, no. This was confusing! "Well... Ran thought he was a friend like that..."
There was a short but awkward pause. "Ran was hurt very badly by a wolf who is very mad at Mama. Ran's friend and Mama both found Ran. Mama went away to find the one who had hurt Ran, and Ran's friend stayed with Ran. But then Ran told him not to have bad feelings for the wolf who had hurt Ran, and he told Ran he didn't. Ran doesn't think he would lie..."
Chances were two wolves were now confused. "Ran was happy at first, but then Ran was thinking." A rarity in itself. "Shouldn't Ran's friend have at least had some bad feelings toward the other because Ran was hurt so badly? Ran might be unimportant..." She winced at the last word. It was such an ugly one.
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The green male withdrew slightly as those eyes fell upon him, but his own then turned to meet the other's calmly. His tail began to sway behind him slightly, ears swivveling about. He drew in a deep breath, feeling the sharpness of the lingering cold fill his lungs. He recognised the worried look that seemed to lie just beneath the other's calm demeanor. He often got that way when his charge wandered off. Not that this wolf would ever admit to being worried about anyone, of course.
Even after being adressed he kept silent, and then spoke up in his naturally gruff voice, "Hello." He glanced about as if expecting something else to be nearby- his fellow male seemed to be seeking out something; or, by the sound of what he was calling for, someone. That had most definately been a name he heard only moments before. "Looking for something?" He questioned idly, his eyes straying away now but his body remaining turned towards the male of black fur.
"You seem distressed." And because of his odd, aloof nature, he suddenly switched subjects, as he had on many of the other wolves he had met in the past. "Who're you? I haven't seen you before." He'd been here many times during the winter- perhaps it was just coincidence their paths never crossed. Or perhaps it was because the mint colored male was usually cautious to avoid contact with other wolves.. Today he seemed much less on guard than he usually was- perhaps he was melting a bit with the snow.
Or perhaps that was just something one could only hope.
---------------------------------
If only Ryoku could see- she might have seen the very miserable state her young friend was in. Sound alone was enough to tell her she was forlorn- but oh, what sight would have done! Not to say however, that the pale grey female would have been any more affected by the matter sight or not- Ryoku had always been a highly feeling wolf. She cared deeply for everyone, and despite her many slaps to the face, she could never well hatred within her.
Ryoku nodded her head as Ran explained her friend. Although it might have been confusing, Ryoku listened quietly while the shaman explained her story, her own face soft and reflective. By the time the story had gotten to the part where Ran had been hurt- she slightly opened her mouth and uttered an "Oh!", but kept herself for the most part restrained from interrupting. The idea of Ran being hurt, hurt Ryoku's chest. Why must there always be such cruelty?
"Oh- Ran," The pale wolf spoke softly, her ears flattening against her head. "You are never unimportant." She shook her head as if in confirmation of this. "No one is ever unimportant-"
But how to address this, when she herself could feel anger towards the wolf who had hurt Ran, but not hatred? She could not tolerate she had been hurt, yes- but she also felt saddened for whatever pitiful beast it was. And yet, in the same breath, she understood what Ran meant. If it had been her who was hurt, no matter how much she would protest against it, she would still expect Phib to be angry. (Which would have been taking it lightly.) There was a difference between what one expects, and what one intends.
Softly, she swayed. "I am sure Ran's friend is not meaning you to be unimportant-" She furrowed her brow. "No- I do not think he does. Perhaps he wishes too muchly to follow Ran's request- sometimes, people carry what hurts them on the inside. Maybe he cannot show to you how mad he is? Or if he truly isn't mad- perhaps he does so only out of care for you? Even if he did not feel angry towards the creature at all, he would not mean Ran to be unimportant." She said softly.
"Its-" She thought for a moment. "Like Phib-" She concluded. "Phib sometimes is of telling me I am silly, or I do not listen, or I'm not smart- or, I care too much- But I know he only says those things because he worries, or because he cannot let himself say what he really means. Sometimes it's hard for others to really say what they mean. But Ran would never be unimportant."
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And speaking of the wolf who never says what he really means to say- Phib steadily glanced at this male, his brow somewhat furrowed and face considerably unchanged. For a moment however, he did seem most bitter at the idea of this other wolf knowing he was presently of lacking company. He did not like such things to go known- particularly when Ryoku was...well, herself. But the flattening of the other male's ears did calm him somewhat, although he kept his particularly cold green-eyed stare upon this other.
"What I seem to be, and what I am, are normally two different things." He spoke thickly, his voice rough in the depths of his chest. But most of his agitation arose from the matter that the She was wandering around aimlessly. He shook his head somewhat as if to loose some of the bias, and went back to his same uncompromising expression.
"But nevertheless- I am only agitated. Checking water levels." He dropped the matter, for he was not about to be revealing his invalid mate was wandering around and probably knocking her head into trees. "And I have not seen you before-" he corrected, his head shifting. "I am Phib. And yourself?"
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Ran for once had to disagree. No one was important? What about those wolves back at home. Well, at her first home. This was her home now. What about those wolves she watched Papa step on, kick around, and no one did anything about it. If no one was unimportant, why would there even be a word for it? To her it only seemed like a matter of just how unimportant you were.
"Oh..." What else could she say? Sometimes it was hard talking to someone so much wiser than you. Ryoku should've been the shaman out of us, Ran mused to herself. She'd have done a better job than Ran does.
"Ran has made another friend recently who seems very unimportant. He's very dark, too dark to see at night. He told Ran about another wolf that looks like she's burning and said she was unimportant." Well, he hadn't said that exactly, but... "So, what makes them not unimportant?"
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Ryoku found it hard to keep her typical method of speech up when she was at the same time, expressing one of her few moments of wisdom. There was a brain in there- and it hid itself well, although for what reason perhaps she wasn't even sure of. "Because everyone who is unimportant is only made to be unimportant by those who feel they are important." She shook her head slowly. "There is nothing which separates us from one another except a matter of opinion. Everyone is important in life to make it function of correctness- If everyone were kings, then no one would comply. But just because someone is not strong, or has no willpower, does not make them unimportant. Somewhere in them is a child that got lost," She said sadly, and flattened her ears. "And whether or not they know it, they are important. They're important to me- and they're important to those who love them, even if they don't know who they are."
"But, that isn't of meaning that they are not responsible for themselves. If people who believe they are unimportant do bad things to believe they are important- then they are lost."
If anything, Ryoku believe truly that people were important. That was what made evil bad, and good just- if creatures were simply to be tossed aside, what good would either justice or evil be? Everything would be a nothingness, and it hurt her chest.
This wasnt to say, however, that she particularly viewed herself as important. Perhaps it was her one hypocratic statement. Perhaps she was physically unimportant...but she had to be important on some level. To Phib? To people like Ran? Perhaps, but she did not value herself quite on the level she valued others. She was a bit of a novelty.
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The pup gave a shiver, eyes slowly opening as the cold urged her awake. She gave a tiny whine upon finding why she was cold... Trumble had left.
Eithni yawned, moving to her paws. Waking up alone was not something she liked... Every time she woke up and the older wasn't there she feared that maybe it had happened again.
What to do? Go find him.
With her nose dragging in the dirt she toddled out of their den, following the scent up to the edge of the river. Her ears went erect as she peered into the rushing water "wow!" she exclaimed to no one in paticular, leaning closer. I've never seen it so fast...
And.. that was it. Next thing she knew she was falling into the icey water, rushin downstream. Grabbing gasps of air whenever the water tumbled her the right direction. Emmitting yelps and whimpers wherever she could.
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The male unconsciously bristled as the other grew irritable, automatically swinging into the offensive. He had to be on his toes- he was a lone wolf, after all, and many said that lone wolves never made it very long. But he'd survive. He'd show them... The words he had heard in his childhood burned into his mind, and his eyes were darting away again as the other settled, "Ah, yes.. You have to be careful about that, now that the current is picking up and the water is rising. It could turn out dangerous."
He shifted his weight slightly, his own placid gaze seeking for a place to settle. "Name's Trumble." He grunted out, ears flickering slightly.. And then his eyes found their resting point, and what they landed on made his stomach flop only moments later. He had innocently chosen to stare at the rushing waters of the river, and then whilst he was lowering his head to lap at the mostly-sealed wounds the trap had left on his leg awhile back, he caught sight of something.
Something red. He audibly gasped, and then as he caught the sound of yipping his muscles tensed and his eyes widened... And then he just suddenly sprung up with surprising speed, rushing to the riverside, "Eithni!" He called out, heckles raised from the sudden adrenaline rush.
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Ah, the bristling. Phib snorted without much concern towards it, for he had little care to domineer over vagabonds- and really, he supposed he gave the other the benefit of the doubt simply because he himself was irritable. Not that he didn't have a particular a reason to be, or at least in his manner of thinking.
The old king nodded his head, reflecting somewhat upon the name of the other creature. He was a very political wolf- and even among vagabonds he took it to remember names and faces. In any case, he would give it some memory. It was a strange name to his ears, not that most names in these woods were not.
What happened next, went about in a sort of blur. All at once, the other male grew ridgid, and Phib found himself turning in half surprise. At first he had thought the wolf might have been foolishly making some move against him- when his eye caught the shape of a little red creature bobbing downstream. A beat passed, and Phib remained static, watching almost in a dream like state as the little pup drifted downstream into the gurgling and hungry rapids. It was not that he was of a particularly cruel nature- perhaps these things were slowly becoming desensitized to him. In the same second, he couldn't help but remember the other wolf- suicidal and staring into the ocean's black waters, and in the same breath he considered going in after him. Perhaps this was the full circle effect of his own karma- but before he knew it he put one and two together, and was on his feet.
Unlike Trumble, Phib did not move to the riverside. He bounded across the rocks, and instead, kept himself parallel. The water moved fast, and the cut across the river kept moments away from speeding up. He kept at a slight pace with the movements of the pup- but to bound in there would still be the loss of time. He knew that in another then feet the waterway would bridge- it would go left, and it would go right. But which direction was the pup going to float?
"Go left- the other side!" The black creature called with a sharp grumble, although he didn't know what side of the river Trumble had gone to. Even as he said this, Phib moved right- and it looked like the water slowly was curving LEFT...
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The pup managed to get her head above the water, frantically paddling. "Trubl-!!" she didn't manage to get the word out before she was under again. The fact she'd smack into a few rocks here and there was slowing her down some.
Through flashes of fater, sky, and trees she managed to gcatch the sigh of something else black moving.
But.. Trumble was there. Or "truble" to her. It eased the initial fear of the whole situation.
He hadn't left her... And now. He'd save her. And all would be just fine.
Ofcourse, she wasn't aware of the impending drop off.
-----------------------
After his dramatic lurch towards the water, another emotion swept over the now-panicking wolf. He calmed almost instantly upon remembering the presence of the other- he didn't like the idea of allowing another wolf (and a stranger, nonetheless) see him in such a state. He'd have to keep calm; as well as get his charge out of the water. His head whipped around as he spotted motion, a blur of black. He drew in a quick breath and took off once more, ignoring the sudden pain from his leg at all of this fast movement. He'd been caught in a trap perhaps only days before, and the wound had yet to heal completely. He'd been favoring it for the most part, but there was no time for that now. Something sharpened in the usual distant gleam his eyes normally held, and every muscle was tensed and springing with each of his large strides.
His ears turned at the other's voice, and he nodded and responded with a gruff, "Right." He loped forward now, bounding his way to the left side of the river, his injured leg almost crumpling beneath him once or twice. He quickly spotted where the river broke into two, and he drew in a deep breath. He had to get her.
It had been a long time since Trumble had felt any sort of need to protect another creature, and he was somewhat surprised he felt this way, but then again he had always been a bit protective of this pup. He had faced the humans to get her back before, and he'd face the waters this time. He now quickly took in a few key factors in this rescue mission of theirs- the current, the position of himself, the position of the other male, and the position of the little pup...
And then the drop. He cringed and picked up speed, breathing ragged. He had to get there.. He lurched forward suddenly, jaws seeking out the pup as she suddenly came tumbling from the water as a result to the drop.. He managed to set his teeth into her scruff, and as he did so his leg finally gave out. He nearly tumbled forward, but managed to hang on, Eithni dangling from his jaws out above the water. He then slowly began edging back, cautiously..
And he was laying safely on his belly, back on dry land. He released the pup from his muzzle, closing his eyes and sighing.
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The wind rushed against the old king as he moved, hopping over a black stone, and catching what traction he could against the snow. Very peculiar- the black wolf thought as he was bounding along the opposite side of the river. He had been right, it seemed, in telling the other wolf to go left. This pleased him somewhat over a minor, albeit somewhat vexing manner that for whatever reason he had gone the wrong direction. But water had never been his thing, in any case.
He reached the end of the line on the other side of the water a few seconds before Trumble thanks to his parallel path- which didn't matter, since he was on the wrong side of the water. He flinched as the pup flashed by, wading out a few feet into the wild water before Trumble had burst onto the scene and caught the pup from his side. He slipped somewhat, causing another flinch in the black wolf, before finally, the other male collapsed.
Now that the pounding in his own ears was finished, Phib couldn't help but curl his muzzle in slight discontempt. He snorted bitterly against the cold water and quickly waded out, the movement of the river strong upon his chest, but there were still quite a few rocks from his portion of the river which allowed him to cross- mostly drenched, without subsequently being swept over the edge.
Phib reached the opposite side and shook off his coat, glancing for a moment at the collapsed pair. He could not help but be, of all things, agitated. Who the ******** left a pup alone to randomly fall into swollen river water? Well- everyone it seemed nowadays.
He snorted cloud of cool mist, and trotted a dull circle around the pair. But still, he was glad the child was safe. Would it be sick now? He thought somewhat, his ear shifting.
"You'd better get her warm." Phib snapped somewhat, and shook off the rest of his coat. He was still dripping, He was a wolf who had an interesting mannerism in showing concern- although truly, he did not mean much harm.
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Eithni continued to whine until they hit shore, giving one last noise as she hit the ground. Miraciliously she hadn't drowned herself. She shifted a bit, giving a few coughs. A shiver, then a nudge to the older male. "I don't think i will ever drink again." she muttered.
She gave a hard shake of her head, attempting to dry of fsomewhat without having to stand all the way. Her eyes slowly made their way to the other male, ears giving a flick of uncertianty. Should they be up or down?
She, nor her body, had any clue. So they stayed up, staring curiously at the male. A childlike innocent look, the previous incident momentarily gone from her young mind. After a moment of silence, her tail gave a few wags "Hi!"
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Trumble was completely still for a few moments, the only thing moving being his eyes as they trailed docilely after the black male that was now circling them. That is, when he came into range of sight. Trumble could most certainly not watch him when the other stood behind him. He then took time to watch Eithni get right back on her feet (metaphorically speaking,) as she always did... This pup never seemed affected by anything. His eyes narrowed a bit as the other snapped at him, but luckily for them both he didn't seem to agitated by it. Any irritation stirred by the other's tone was lost after a matter of moments. "Yeah." He responded calmly, taking a moment to lick his wounds before slowly standing. He favored his wounded leg for now, and shook off as well.
"She's a tough kid." He turned his gaze now to Eithni, regarding her thoughtfully. "Stand up and shake yourself off or you'll catch cold sitting in the snow, sopping wet." Sure, he was sort of a parental figure for the little creature, but he sure was the opposite of paternal. Being all warm, fuzzy, and caring had yet to be taught to him. He wasn't sure if that's how pups were to be treated.
His ears lowered as he glanced back towards Phib, "Thank you." Sure, he could be cold and sometimes even mean, but manners were always important. To some measure, anyways. "I appreciate your assistance." He couldn't imagine losing Eithni now, even though he'd been without her before. She was the only one who could get him to really open up.
"It was good you told me to go left." He shook off once more before sinking back onto his haunches.
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Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 9:46 pm
RP: Phib/Kaiyle
More wandering, n' such.
It was like any other particular evening, nothing quite amiss...
But he still felt uneasy.
He couldn't shake the feeling, his half-hearted attempts at meeting other wolves was downright pathetic. Kaiyle just couldn't get himself too interested in much of anything...
Which probably explained the mild ache in his belly.
But even with the apparent lack of interest, he felt abnormally ill at ease.
Perhaps a change in the norm of his every day schedule of listless roaming?
Kaiyle snorted at that particular thought, returning to his mild inspection of scents on yeat another tree stump.
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The evening was cool against the dark shadow's long and sloping back. The cool air was a welcomed change from the cold, as the earth still continued its residual process of resurrecting itself once more into spring. Although it was hard to believe that the smell of old plant matter crushed beneath the melting snow would soon give way to the light scent of flowers...
Dusk was hardly a time that usually brought fatigue in the old male, but for whatever reason, the brute felt a bit strained. Perhaps for normal people, this would have been a normal reaction- what crazy things had he done this week? Helped save drowning pups, confronted a suicidal male, repositioned his lands, argued with Ryoku- Alright, so it had been an usually busy week for the male, but it wasn't like he was unused to all the constant excitement. In fact, he found he rather thrived on it. But it didn't do much to calm the slight throbbing between his shoulder blades.
As the brute trotted, he became vaguely aware of another scent sliding across the bridge of his brunt snout. Phib paused for a moment and shifted his tail, considering vaguely what creatures lay hidden in the dark- and curved his stroll to be more on line with whatever beast made amiss on his night.
A few feet away, after clearing a small snow broken brush, his pale green eyes fell sternly upon the form of another black creature sniffing about a tree stump. At once he furrowed his brow, his typical serious expression uncompromising on his face, and steadily he slipped from the bushes.
"Hello there." He spoke thickly against the silent night, not particularly sure if the other wolf, so keen on scenting, had noticed his arrival.
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Oh dear...
There was someone behind him, should he turn around to see who it was? Couldn't he just run instead-?
No no, that wouldn't do, it was rude and he'd be caught; and then he'd be defenseless because Khalln wasn't here to protect him. Hadn't been for awhile.
He couldn't stop his head from ducking slightly, and his wretched tail from twitching in such a way that gave a clear sign to any that he was moments away from literally, tucking tail and heading for the hills.
Well he couldn't help liking his tail... it was a nice one.
Elder brother had told him so before.
But what was he to do?
Maybe if he looked really busy he'd be ignored and left alone. Unfortunately the voice and the heavy presance a scant few feet behind him gave the impression of quite the opossite.
So... he did what all, polite little wolfies do in creepy situations.
They peak over there shoulders and mumble.
"Hi..."
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Phib flicked his ears, which was the only way to really hear what the other wolf had lightly said- even with the silence. The long wolf took another step forward, shifting his weight upon his right paw and letting the rest of his side go somewhat lax, his tail winter plumed and thick not doing much besides leveling with his body. He wasn't particularly in the mood to domineer.
"Hello." He responded again, his voice sharp with an accent, and perhaps some disdain- but he was the kind of man who was always bitter, even when he wasn't. The black creature glanced to the side, perhaps to detract his pale eyes from the other wolf and lighten the situation. A vagabond- probably? Shy creature, and Phib felt somewhat bad about slithering up in the manner he did, even if he did not show it.
He snorted somewhat, a pale plume of mist rising from his nostrils. Vaguely, he resolved himself to sitting and leaning somewhat against his left hip, returning his gaze to the other male who peered at him only through the corner of his shoulder.
"It's too quiet for the night to swallow your voice like that." He spoke, shifting his ear. "You have a name?" The male spoke bluntly, although there did not seem to be much harm upon his face.
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Well, he didn't seem to... threatening.
Kaiyle had the distinct feeling that was poor word choice, but for the life of him he couldn't think of the word that would fit the other in the present situation. Since the older wolf didn't look as if he were going to go anywhere anytime soon- he decided it best to turn around.
With a much clearer view of the other, Kaiyle took better note of both the size and stature of the stranger. Large with a dark pelt did nothing to hide the seasoned male, and with old eyes. Maybe he'd seen too many things he should not have, or would have been better off without having seen?
It was hard to tell, he wasn't very good at reading other wolves.
"I'm Kaiyle," he answered softly- not quite muttering, but nothing near bold; he simply wasn't made of that kind of stuff; "What's yours...?" he asked in return.
A little curious, a little afraid.
---------------------
Haphazardly, the old king yawned, stretching his tongue against the roof of his mouth. For a moment the sight of pale tooth jaws and pink flesh seemed to shine bright against the darkness before it was swallowed back up into the darkness of the black brute's form. He didn't make many more movements other then this to seem particularly friendly, although there were no implications that he was being unfriendly either.
"I am Phib." He spoke steadily, his voice rumbled and rushed up from some deep portion of his chest. His eyes turned upon Kaiyle with some interest. He had seen much, this was true- but overall he had the look of a rough creature rather then one who fit uncomprehendingly into the life he led. Perhaps he asked for it more then it actually went looking for him, for Phib was a very politically natured wolf- in short, he had to know and do everything.
The black wolf motioned towards the stump with the end of his snout. "Following something?" He asked haphazardly.
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Well, he could see how much of a threat Phib thought he was. Or wasn't.
He felt real small then.
Yellow eyes glanced at the stump he'd been sniffing at a few moments prior.
Kaiyle got that small feeling again.
"Not really... just," couldn't very well say bored, could he?
"just something to do, really." he answered, voice polite and unobtrusive.
A wolf with scars like that, you don't want to immediately offend. Of course this Phib wolf appeared more bored than anything.
It was then his head titled a bit, an ear perking out of habit as he asked a question in return, "What are you doing around here?"
He really did wonder, it was cold out and their was not much of anything around.
-----------------------------
Phib chuckled somewhat, and despite continual look of an unchanging expression upon his face, he was genuinely amused. His tail swayed and he shook his head with a snort, arching his ears forward. "Just on a stroll." He remarked, which was partially true. The other half was that he was always on the move around his packlands, both on and off. He had a hard time settling, even in the middle of the night when he should have been denned away somewhere with his mate.
His shoulder still bothered him, which caused him to flick his tail irritably. "And yourself, wolf?" He questioned, head slightly shifting. "Not that I'll claim to know everyone- but you are one I have not seen before."
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Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 10:00 pm
[ Message temporarily off-line ]
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Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 10:05 pm
RP: ???(Prissy)/Phib/Buddy
Phib has many mistresses
A wolf she might be in appearance, she certainly was not in instinct. The young femme had been born and raised in the company of mankind...and not just any men either. These were the killers that had invaded the forests of Telk and sought out the rich pelts of her brethren...she had been a blind pup when her parents were taken by such men and she was taken roughly from a warm wolf nest into the den of two-legs. Fortunately for her, she had thrived well under their care during the journey back to their strange lands and had lived in the relative lap of luxury; the two-leg that owned her was named Governor...at least, that's what all other's called him. She could not understand the implications of such a name and went through life as any pampered canine might and thus became as tame as one. At home, she was alpha of the pack...it wasn't hard, being a full-blood wolf in comparison with the soft halfbreeds that also existed in her home. She didn't need to speak harshly to any of them; her mere presense was enough to quell argument.
However, this forest was something different. Deep inside, it stirred something within. This was her birthland, yet she didn't know it. She should have been able to run the land and fear little of becoming lost or falling prey to anything, but these instincts had long run dry under the careful hand of her two-leg owner. Now she was lost and had no idea on how to return to her men. The rough scent of pine clogged a nose accustomed to lilac and lavender and the cold snow beneath her feet made her frown absently. She certainly was not used to such things.
"Alas..." she said with a sigh as the clearing she was tromping through produced another line of trees before her. This forest never seemed to end!
-------------------------
He was doing something most wolves would consider taboo. But it wasn't the first time, and consequently, it would not be the last time either. Very few wolves ever willingly walked the path towards men, although every wolf knew each step towards it by some nature of instinct. It was a thrumming, somewhere in the head. Perhaps it was the remnants of the beast that had resisted men thousands of years ago, when they had first come to lure their weak away from the packs by small pieces of meat. Or maybe wolves were truly what men did fear- the creature set on earth to mirror them. No other animal had settled through it's own doing quite like the wolf, for men were not the only beasts of the earth who traveled round and round.
But still- it was rare wolves ever went looking for the strange creatures. With their presence growing by the day, wolves found themselves dispersing farther and farther into ancient lands. So therefore, it was a bit ironic that the large black brute found himself trotting with ease towards the direction his mind thrummed him not to tread.
Phib had not yet reached the man's land, when he found himself crossing a narrow set of trees. The scar on his chest was already paining him somewhat, as if it remembered man through some unnatural bodily order. But he, himself, had not much concern. He held no bitterness nor care to man. They were a sort of interest to him, and god forbid his mate ever found out about it.
But with a steady gait and an overall placated expression- the black wolf found himself upon a most peculiar sight. As soon as he rounded a pair of snow worn trees, he caught the faint smell of a female. It was an alluring smell, and even taken, he couldn't resist detracting his steps to see where it led. It did in fact lead to a female- but as to being wolf well...this was not so sure of.
She was bobbling about, her eyes wide and taking a peculiar interest in walking around in a confused manner. Bobbles of some sort were attached to all portions of her head as if she had been attacked by some sort of jewel- and, the collar. He knew that sign well.
Vaguely, the black wolf snorted, a thick plume of mist rising from his snout as he peered over towards the female. "Well there." Phib drawled, lifting his head in a peculiar manner. "Hello."
--------------------------------------------
Clouds... a bird... more clouds. A heavy sigh escaped him as he watched the sky, the chill in the air and the scent on the rise predicting snow. And soon. Khaliki rolled onto his back, not sure what to make of these lands, nor if he belonged in them. He thought about his pack, his brother. How he missed them all.
He snorted, standing up and shaking himself off, almost as if trying to rid himself of the memories. "Just forget them... You cannot go back." He said softly to himself, and then followed up with an assured nod.
Trotting towards a small grove of trees, Khal paused as a scent drifted to his nose on the wind. Another wolf. Two, actully. Male and female. He stopped abruptly, knowing that if they were mates he would not be welcome. That wolf had told him that these were free lands, but perhaps these wolves thought differently.
He approached with caution, trying to stay downwind of the two, as he watched them from behind a large tree. His coat blended well with the bark, one would only see him if they were to look directly at him.
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The female sighed and licked her nose sullenly, jeweled ear twitching about for sounds of her master's hooved beast that she had been accompanying before she decided to walk off...the creature was so loud at times that she was certain that anyone with ears could hear their approach. She heard nothing of it now, however, and even the air had a crisp cleanliness to it that didn't bear a distinct scent of man, fire, or of their domesticated beasts.
She fluffed her well-groomed coat with a forced shrug, deciding to not worry too much yet. Certainly she'd find her way in the end; she was a wolf afterall!...a small, very lithe wolf, but a wolf none-the-less.
But then she heard a voice nearby, one that was rough at the edges and distinctly male, and her nonchalant air flittered away with the wisps of breath she exhaled sharply. Her ears pulled forward and her lightly-built form tensed with a shot of nerves that she hadn't been expecting. Was this a native?
"Greetings," she managed to roll from her stiff tongue, eyes peering incredulously at the dark male wolf not too far off. He looked positively grizzled and beaten with all those scars...she wondered idly if he'd been beaten for disobeying his master. And where was his collar?
She shook herself a bit, fluffing herself again, and settled the sleek fur back down against her neck, back and hind, trying to appear at ease with her current situtation, giving the male a genial smile and wagged her tail lazily, yet tension continued to show in her shoulders. "I apologize if I'm intruding." She wanted to say something profound, but instead found herself more or less at a loss of what to say at that moment. It would be so much easier if her master was here. Sigh
-----------------------------
The black brute chuckled, the sound thrumming somewhere in the depths of his bowed chest. The female reeked of man- so he did not intrude closer upon her quite yet. He had heard stories of men tying their bitches up in the woods to see if any males would come to mate with them- either to catch said males, or father more pure blood offspring. But then again, he had never actually seen such a scenario before.
She was a beautiful creature- that much was sure. He didn't particularly care for all the strange leech like attachments that clung to her skull, but he had not seen a female so well groomed before. Perhaps this was due to her strange scent? It was hard to say. Ryoku would have found her interesting, in any case- and he was glad she was not around. That was one wolf he'd much rather never have an encounter with man.
He nodded his head politely, flicking his ears forwards in a steady remark. "Good afternoon, my dear." Phib was about to continue, when another faint smell tickled his nose- another male. Again a faint chuckle fleeted across him. So he wasn't the only old fool lured out by a pretty lady. It would be good to note however, that most of Phib's idle wanderings were nothing more then greetings. Despite his reputation- he was quite devote to his silly omega mate.
"Intruding?" He remarked, titling his head to the side. "Not at all. Are you lost, little She?" He spoke lowly, perhaps a bit amused with the idea that this wolf truly was of man.
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Khal watched closely from his seemingly safe spot. The female was more interesting to him than the male. Not only because she was, well, female, but also because of her well groomed coat, and an odd scent about her that Khal had never experienced before.
He brought his eyes off the lovely femme, with difficulty, to examine the big brute before her. He was obviously a tough one, his scars proved it. He carried the essence of a leader about him as well. Khal was not sure why this male was there, nor did he know why he cared.
Shaking the thoughts off, he thought it best to make himself known. He walked from behind his tree and over towards them, though he stopped a good four feet away. "Greetings. I don't mean to intrude on you, I just wanted to say hello." He said, his lie obvious to anyone with sense. He really wanted to see who these two were.
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"No, I'm not lost," she said so quickly that it was surely a lie and she snorted lightly as though dismissing the very thought of being directionally impaired. She gave the end of her tail a little flick, her eyes betraying her uncertainty by how they darted about the surrounding forest, then landed on the male before again dancing away to some unknown focus. Her voice was twittery and light, either because she was naturally spoken as such or because she was nervous. "I...ah...I wanted to see what was around here. They said there were wolves out here and...um...I simply had to see."
The way she said it was as though she found wolves like Phib to be sort of landmark one might visit whilst sightseeing. Nevermind she was a wolf herself...she had a distinct seperation of 'her' kind verses this strange male and his kind.
The appearance of another male made her work her lip in uncertainty. My...these wolves certainly grew large out here. She'd never seen any of this size. Alive, that is.
-----------------------
Phib turned his head somewhat to watch the approaching male- and surprisingly, he found this creature to be considerably older then himself. That was not something a wolf such as he saw every day, and perhaps in a surprising act of politeness on his part, he moved over a bit so the other male could pass and get a bit closer to the female whom he was presently conversing with. "Hello there," His thick voice rumbled against his chest, resounding towards the other male.
"Wolves, eh?" The black wolf quirked. Was she a dog? He had always been rather good with identifying them by their different manner of dialogue- but...no, there was no slur in her voice. She did seem nervous, but her tongue was fine and her build was of a wolf. Maybe small, but no smaller then his mate- and certainly she was Wolf. An interesting quandary, this was. "Well my dear," he said again in a rolling, showman voice, "You seem to have found some- do you like what you see?" He remarked, not shying of his own slightly beligerent mannerisms.
He dropped his amiable face for a moment, replacing it with the well known stony stare. "And so then- what wolfless land do you hail from to need to seek others out?"
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Khal looked over at the wolf beside him, his politeness making Khals expression go from one of caution, to one of surprise. He had never before been treated with anything but rudeness from his pack. His siblings bullied him all the time, he would have never expected such a wolf as Phib to show any kind of respect, or kindness.
Khal shook the thoughts off as the male spoke, and his eyes drifted to the female. He, too, noticed she was not a normal wolf. He eyed the odd bawbles on her pelt, wondering why they were there. He had never seen such attire before.
"Yes," He spoke in a soft tone, as if talking to a frightened pup, "Where are you from?" He repeated Phibs question, sitting down before the two, though still keeping his distance.
---------------------------------
The female gained a nervous countenance then with the abrupt change to the stranger's manner, yet she tried to shove it away by arching her tail proudly and lifting her muzzle to stare back at him, though it was meeker than his. Again her eyes conflicted with her actions. Oh gods above, she was going to die out here at the maws of these brutes. She wanted her usual treat of smoked venison right then...anything for comfort....
"Yes...it..it seems I have found some," she repeated, shifting her weight nervously from forepaw to forepaw, licking her lips quickly in the pause that followed. "And I daresay you aren't any different from what I've been told. Disappointing, I should say, but to be expected."
At the question of where she came from, she regained a bit of confidence and gave her head a bit of a haughty toss. "From the land across the sea, of course." She spoke as though they ought to know what she spoke of and didn't bother explaining. "This place is simply barbaric in comparison to home...and where is your master?"
-----------------------
Although Phib's ego was quick to want to repair itself, he could not help but sputter at the last words out o the female's mouth. "Master?" He chuckled, his voice hot in his throat. It was hard to tell if he was laughing at the idea of having a master, or her. It was not so terrible a laugh as to be awkward, but it certainly carried a kind of chiding nature to it.
"There is no master but I." he spoke, with a certain sway of his tail. "I am king of myself and group." But he composed himself somewhat after his surprise had worn off. Did she truly think that they were owned by man? "But ah- I suppose that's not right either." He remarked with a swing of his ear. "Master, no. Mistress- ah; many mistresses." He let the comment fall in a 'take it as you will' manner. "But the greatest being earth and she likes to play rough."
Phib glanced once more towards the older wolf, and nodded his head complacently. He was not particularly a rude wolf when it came in terms of divvying out respect. And there was always a certain amount of respect to the old- and with him entering his elder years, he supposed he was depositing it all into a karma bank.
"And you, my dear? A master for you then? Where is your master now?" He drawled, although the final portion did concern him. Just where was her master now?
------------------------------------
Khal watched as she spoke, and his head tilted to the side when she spoke of a 'master'. Did she mean another wolf? He was very confused. And Phibs reaction confused him more. He reacted as though the thought was absurd. Khal said nothing, just watched Phib as he spoke.
Khal smiled a little at Phibs comments. He liked this wolf already. He nodded in agreement at the female. His tail flicked behind him slightly, he had no idea of what the two spoke of, but obviously to Phib it was something he did not like; or at least, found below him.
"Why do you have a master?" Khal asked outright, the question burning on his tongue. He had no idea what a master was, and hoped he would trick one of them into describing it, without outright asking and looking a fool.
--------------------------
The female bristled with indignation. She did not appreciate being laughed at and it showed by the way her sharp incisors peeked through parted lips when she inhaled slowly to keep her temper in check. She might be small, but she could hold her own in a fight...at least with soft halfbreeds.
"Hmph, I forget that your type live uncivilized out here in this...place," she retorted and turned her shoulder so she wasn't looking squarely at the black male. Rather, she gazed around him at the scenery and wrinkled her muzzle. "Left to your own devices and whatnot. I suppose not all can be lucky like myself." She ignored his question of the Governor's whereabouts for now.
She gave the tan and black wolf a kinder look, cocking her head slightly to the side as though regarding him with an amused, yet tolerant look. "He is my alpha...he provides for me and I protect him and his pack of two-leg brethren. It is not that unusual...I don't see why the black one seems so revolted. It is natural." The black one, obviously, was Phib.
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"Natural, perhaps in instinct." Phib picked up almost as soon as he let the female finish. It was a bit apparent that he had been willing to speak much sooner, but he did allow her her words. "Natural perhaps to dogs." He continued. "But I cannot say it's all that natural in nature for Wolf, my dear. You might serve your Master- but he is no alpha."
A series of images flashed through his mind. It had been so long since he had been young, and before he had ever been a leader. He'd spent most of his adolescent age recovering from his wound to his chest, and the rest of it spying on man. He had no affection for them- but he did not have fear either. He supposed he could understand that this female would believe that Man to be her alpha- but never had he seen a man worthy of taming him. Therefore, they might be masters, but they were no kings.
But, perhaps it was cruel of him to openly abash himself at her nature. So he restated himself. "But there is nothing unnatural in caring for those who protect you."
'Whether or not they're Man, I suppose.' He thought, rather bitterly in his mind. But enough of this. He had not missed however her lack of answering him on the location of this Man. Was he then, somewhere hidden and down wind? Or was she afraid that they would do harm to her? He certainly had no impression of harming her, so he took it on the safe side and did not continue it. But he did not forget either.
"But perhaps I am being rude and uncivilized." He slided, being always a manner of an easy speaker. "I am Phib." He motioned to the other two, perhaps implicating a desire to put names to them.
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Two legged? What on earth is that? Khal thought as the female spoke, though he gave her a nod as if understanding. He understood Phibs point on the matter; but he spoke not on it.
"If you are alright with where you are, and who you're with, then it is natural." He spoke after Phib, trying not to contradict the other male, but also trying to comfort the femme.
As Phib gave his name, Khaliki tensed a little. "I am called Buddy." He said simply, still not trusting enough of anyone to reveal his true name. He knew that word of the cub-killer would have already reached this area, and the wolves who inhabited it.
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The female turned, her gaze growing a touch icy as it fell on the large black male. His words rubbed her wrongly as it was and only gave more basis to the stereotypical nonsense she had heard from others about the uncivilized wolves in this forest...but again she figured she shouldn't be surprised. The eldest of her pack knew best about wolves of this sort, having been a packmember of one for most of her life and spoke of their ways freely. Phib's attempt to appear more complacent with her line of thinking did little to change the little female's opinion of him.
"Perhaps you ought not speak on behalf of others, Phib, as though you feel what they feel and think how they think," she remarked tartly, her muzzle lifted proudly to the air. "We do things differently where I hail...no doubt you can respect that." Her tone of voice had adopted a coolness to it that matched the tilt of her eyes, obscured slightly by her narrowed brow.
She did not offer her name. Not yet anyway. It was best not to get too cozy with either of them; she knew her Master's reasons for coming to these lands just as well as any of the other canines at the camp.
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Harsh- Phib thought his ears pivoting somewhat as the female turned her cold gaze upon him. He probably deserved that. But he was a sucker for women, and at once he felt a bit unfortunate for his inability to keep his mouth shut. But he wasn't about to slack off on his comments either- but he was, in some part, remorseful for causing spite in the little She.
"My dear, I don't pretend to understand nor care what others do, and think. But I know lupine nature- and I know pack order. But you may take that as you will, my dear, but it is not much concern to I what you crawl back to in Man's world." He held his tongue at the more final part- for perhaps he understood subconsciously the reason man was here. There was no room in Man's world for Wolf. And that went for little pretty dog-wolves as well.
"But yes, perhaps you do do things differently in your lands. But really, it's all the same. Law and order." He shook his head. "Man and wolf- it never changes, in the end. But unlike our world, you will never be leader. There will never be room for leaders with Men."
To Buddy, however, he dipped his head in response. Was that his real name? He didn't imagine why the other wolf would lie, but it did strike him as unusual. Perhaps he would come upon this wolf in another time to see what the cause of it was, but for now, he did not show much more then respect towards it.
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Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2006 8:30 pm
RP: Phib/Damu
He ain't no hero, but he got some scars...
Snow.
The world around him seemed like a setting from a story-tellers old tale, a frozen land that was desolate with no life whatsoever. Black ears flickered while he padded casually through the strange woods. He was lost and why he had come to these woods was still a mystery. With a coat that was jagged, thick and bristled, one could only suspect that he was a foriegner to these lands and, in truth, that what he was. A wanderer, a lone wolf who was cursed for his past as his black markings upon his hide were proof for the sins he had comitted.
His white tail swayed behind him as he intook a small whiff of the lingering scents. Such familiarity, such memories, and he was one step closer to finding truth. It was faint but its presence was distinguished just enough to follow.
"He can't be too far off," he muttered as he glanced around. Damu was usure of what to expect from his surroundings or any creature he might encounter. These lands were vastly different than those of the mountains he had come to know so well but there was no sense in ever returning as, sadly, that was only a faint memory now.
Meandering in a somewhat meaningless manner, the young adult walked deeper into the woods as cold, emerald eyes kept a settle gaze low towards the ground.
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After walking for a while along the shores of his lands, the great black wolf found himself once more leaving his familiar home and out into the depths of the deep wood. There was a slight breeze upon the air, and it unsettled the gaping depths of snow which clung to the earth after the previous night's snow. Spring was coming, but winter had yet to finish with the earth; it was going for the long ride this year.
But it wasn't just winter that was steadily building. He felt something good around the corner, and being a profound realist, he found himself surprised at such a thought in his head. Perhaps the winter months had left him more thoughtful then he had imagined. The arrival of Cassidy had brought a lot back to him and for the first time a long year Phib felt himself reconnected back with who he had been. And this was a good feeling for the old king.
Yet, all of this reconnection did not make for a particularly welcoming Phib either. He kept himself well to not let on he was bordering on pleasantry- and so, once more he settled himself back into the nomad's land to see what strange vagabonds roamed about. He prided himself on knowing much, and truthfully, despite his belligerence he was a sociable creature. Whether or not it was in self glory, however, was up to debate.
A light wind fluttered itself across the bridge of his large snout, and at once, the black wolf rose his head. He stood out like a beacon in the snow, even with the small of his back covered with tiny flakes. His pale eye focused forwards with a squint- and catching precariously, the shape of moving black stripes upon the winter earth.
The black wolf swayed, and carefully shifted his winter plumed tail. An interesting matter of events- but where would this occasion lead? He didn't wait to find out.
"Hello there." His low voice rumbled, watching from about ten feet as the jagged white wolf passed.
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His mind broke forth from the seclusion of thoughts as a voice sounded from the silence. Damu slowly yeilded in his steps, shadow-black ears swiveling in a perked attention as he looked back. Emerald orbs drew towards a black wolf, riddled in scars as it seemed he too had seen his days of trouble and brawls. Somehow he felt that he could, perhaps, relate to him or at least this individual could understand him and what he had been through. But he'd leave his past out of a conversation unless he felt that he could find trust in such a strange wolf.
Padding several steps towards the pitch-black male, a minute smile drew across the white and black swirled wolf's maw. "Hello," he replied as he shook his coat free from collected flakes of snow. As his jagged, back fur swept within the light breeze, Damu drew closer as he kept a steady distance from himself an the male.
He wasn't sure what to expect. There was no evidence of a yearning for a brawl or heated tensions but, still, Damu didn't have the need for a battle but, if provoked, he wouldn't shrink from such a challenge. He was a lone wolf from the Shadowsong pack and he wouldn't dare run away least the haunting memories of his father would unceasingly taunt him.
"I don't suppose you've encountered a tawny, carrot colored male by chance?" He commented, still uncertain of what his current encounter would unleash. "He shouldn't have passed by too long ago." His voice was a bit gruff, but not in hostility. Since anyone could remember, Damu was known to be a little rough around the edges, a rebel and traitor, but in no means did he mean for his actions to be hostile towards the unfamiliar wolf.
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"Tawny wolf?" Phib remarked the slide of his voice. It was a bit rough as well, although it was smoothed out through years of conversation. "Well, my friend." He drawled, and shifted his tail. "I've met myself many wolves, but I cannot say whether or not I know such a wolf." Perhaps he was less keen on ambiguous answers then the asker was, for he shook his head and seemed intent on correcting himself.
"Or rather, I have not seen such a wolf unless it is a wolf that doesn't strike my memory. What is your tawny wolf's name?" He uttered, craning his neck forward. It was possible he did know names- for he was a creature that kept himself intent on any information that might be interesting or vital to the old king.
He settled himself, seating down against the snow, mostly because his shoulders were still bothering him. He was not, then looking for any sort of brawl, although the arrogance in his nature and posture showed that he was not adverse to such an occasion either. For that was the kind of strange fellow he was.
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He tilted his head slightly to the side as his black ears fell towards his head in a saddended expression of dissapointment. Perhaps his brother had passed through before the black wolf could have seen him? Yes, perhaps that was it or simply Damu was reliving that horrible night where he was marked with his sin. It was strange to think that he had not seen the likes of his brother for close to a year and, still, he looked to keep his promise to his fathe. He had to find him.
Settling himself down to sit upon the snow lathered ground, Damu flicked his black ringed tail back and forth as he let his stiff posture retract from his appearance as he slipped into a more casual mood.
"His name is Jaxom; optimistic, thrill seeker and a dreamer." As the words rolled off his tongue, it still felt strange as for so long he had never uttered his name but with the flicker of hope that had presented itself there was a chance that, at last, they could be reunited. "He's my brother."
For too long he had scowered the woods in search of him, bearing the burdensome truth about his pack, Akumi and Zahima. It wasn't by choice that Damu had been sentenced to be the one to have witnessed the demise of their pack as, some say, it was by fate. The white and black swirled wolf was repaying for his transgression against his family and slowly realizing the beauty of the world that for too long he had shrouded from his vision.
Looking into the eyes of the black wolf, Damu's gaze softened from its cold spell. "Forgive me for my manners, my name is Damu. I hail from the mountains of Seer's Cliffside just north of these woods."
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A faint breeze pressed against the long wolf again, and he rose his neck to meet it in a steady gesture. Jaxom? No, he'd never met such a wolf before... but then why was the name familiar to him? It only just faintly tickled his mental beings, and the alpha shifted somewhat in concern. He did not like to not remember things.
"The name is familiar, although I don't know from where." He shook his sloped snout, and snorted slightly. "Many wolves in these woods- locating others can be of some predicament. Although I'd not wander elsewhere, for it does not seem like few ever pass by and keep going."
Phib nodded his head, his mind carefully working against the background. "I am Phib." He spoke, somewhat lighter. "I have heard of the place you speak of," He remarked somewhat, although from what he had heard, nothing good had come from it in recent years. He'd been a bit of a wanderer himself, ever since extricating himself from the far north east, and finally fixing himself upon the lands just south.
-------------
Though a small sigh escaped from his maw, Damu was finding that there still was hope. Phib spoke true; the woods were vast and sooner or later, in Damu's reasoning, their paths would cross. It would only take time and unceasing effort.
He pondered the name- Phib? A strong name, he reasoned silently as he looked upon the wolf. "It's good to see that there's at least life in these woods," he mused as his ears flickered.
His maw twisted with slight thought."If fate allows it, then one day we will meet." A sincere tone rang through his voice as he shifted his paws through the snow. "But, then again, who would want to reunite with a traitor?"
A traitor, a blackheated fiend; in his eyes, that was what he had become. Why would a pure hearted wolf want to lay eyes upon the sole reason of the Shadowsong packs demise? Why should he find him? Damu's very soul was riddled with hatred, pains and sufferings. He had always been cold to those he had associated with but, if he was to repent for what he had done, Damu had to change. Such a challenge itself wasn't easy and would require small steps of progression.
His attention was caught as Phib mentioned he was familiar with his once deemed homeland. He never thought that anyone would know the whereabouts of Seer's Cliffside but Damu couldn't help but be curious of what the black wolf knew...perhaps he knew of his past and what he was. Still, he couldn't help seeking to learn of what he knew of.
"I'm curious as to learn of what you know of Seer's Cliffside. If you don't mind, can you tell me of what you have heard or of the rumors that have spread amongst these lands?"
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A low rumble flicked across Phib's throat. "No, there is no lacking of wolves in these woods." His tail swayed somewhat, as he continued to listen to this creature. It was rare that the black wolf allowed himself to be the listened in conversations- mostly, he dominated them when he wished to drive information out into the open. This creature was a bit more open then most- perhaps sprung by his urge to find his brother, and perhaps in respect to that, Phib did not drive needlessly.
"Ah-" Phib spoke, his ears swinging forward. "It's my knowledge that a traitor is only a differing of opinion." This wolf was some traitor? He did not particularly care for that word. It was used too often to express the natural course of things. One could say he was a traitor to his brother Kajh when he had chased him out of office. "Sometimes we betray an idea, but it is rather hard to cross your own blood, even with resentment."
This being said, Phib himself was no creature of pure heart. In fact, he believed such a thing was impossible- save perhaps for his mate, and it left her strange and almost unnatural. There were times when she was less Wolf then she was a flower. But he did not know the exact situation of this wolf's apparent treason, and he kept himself to that.
The black wolf slowly shook his head. "There is nothing to be learned in rumors." He spoke, knowing well as he shared quite a few of his own. God knows, what people thought of him. He'd heard all sorts of stories- that he was bewitched, that he was a coward, that he was dead- "I care not much for them. What I know is stories- if you know truth, then don't burden yourself with hearing stories." It was not in his right to go telling such a wolf what vague inklings he had heard before entering these lands. Something of fire, and death.
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Whether it was the anguish and pains that swept through his memories or feeling as if he sought to seek some wisdom from the older wolf, Damu questioned further.
"No-no...I crossed against my own blood with death. I shouldn't be allowed life as I ruthlessly took the life away from my pack because of my actions, because of my resentment and hatred. Why should a wolf such as myself be granted life?" As he spoke, his voice grew rough as he took account for what he had done. Why he suddenly unleashed his hidden truth was unknown to him but there was something...or perhaps the first steps in seeking to change himself.
The white and black swirled wolf closed his eyes, shaking his head as he himself had only realized why he had unveiled his unforgivable past to a stranger. It was remorse that was slowly begining to clear his outlook.
He too had been deemed as a vile, strange creature who roamed lone within the wakes of the world. He was a demon, a death bringer and a ruthless killer. Though he was familiar with the truth, as he held first hand accounts, Damu huffed as his tail arched up slightly. It took him several moments to let the wise reasons seep within his mind, slowly bringing him to a more relaxed state- a mood that almost seemed foreign.
Though he had somewhat told of his story, Damu was curious? What about Phib? Every wolf had a story to tell and the young male was curious. Certainly a wolf of Phibs stature had to be a warrior and a soldier, crusading and brawling for his own beliefs.
"Tell me, Phib, how did you come to be covered in scars if you don't mind me asking?"
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The wolf shook his head, his face stern and steady against the black of his fur. "And yet you live- that should tell you enough that even if we do not deserve life, we get it anyways." There was a certain matter to this wolf which made Phib question the exact level of his villainy. Perhaps he was misguided? Or was he more accepting then he thought? "Because of your actions? Actions and actual doings are often two different things." He kept his tongue from questioning if it was his actions which lead to the demise of his pack, or his own fangs which had. It was hard to tell.
The conversation shifted upon himself- a topic which he both adored, yet dodged away from. A low chuckle rose in his throat. "My scars? Three from women, one from an arrow, and many more unseen. But how I got my scars?" He remarked. "Life gave me scars. Separate instances, nothing of real importance." The old king spoke, leaving out the part that he had been, in his younger days, something of a war king. But he did not hold the romance towards it that most young creatures did. He fought only when he needed to, and when he felt the urge to. He was a strong, powerful wolf yes- but he was a great deal more clever then he was strong. His best powers were in being political. He was sharp, and generally well spoken. He'd won a great many more fights with his tongue then his fangs.
"They sting, now and then." He reflected on them. "But mostly, they trouble me not. Scars are just what remains from bad occasions, but they are not always of great deeds."
---------------
He knitted his brows in thought. Why was he given life? No one knows but perhaps it was the unraveling of fate that had made him survive the tragedy and live to seek for forgiveness. It wsn't by his fangs that had led to the slaughtering of his pack but by the cruelty of mankind, their yearning for greed and dire hatred against the wolf.
"Mankind is ruthless; their bloodthirst and vile. It was by their hands and the wild fires consumption that brought upon my packs demise. I lost everything and everyone," he muttered as he snorted a short breath, a misty vapor erupting from his nostirls.
With Phib seeming to like the sudden shift in topic, Damu peered upwards to the black male as he couldn't help but find himself intriuged in what the black wolfs story was. There was something about the markings and scars that one beheld to be something of a mystifying appearance or one that displayed bravery and a heroic nature. To Damu, war was something where he could let loose his emotions and fight for his beliefs and the beliefs of others. Unlike some, he didn't hold a clever nature but one who was strong and reasoned with his claws rather than the liking of his tongue. It was the rage that he beheld that often took charge of his emotions and, ultimately, his every action.
A small smile crept upon his maw as his ears perked up. "But scars show that you are not afraid to face your fears. Somehow I've come to reason that our marking and scars show who we are and what we have become. They show our trials and our challenges but, perhaps, it is never so glorious." Looking up towards the black wolf, Damu glance back towars his own fur. "Some are left as a reminder of what we have done and what we are to seek for."
"I've heard of your scars but what of your past, Phib? Are you native to this forest?" Still curious of where to go and how exactly to navigate these lands, Damu needed to learn his way around by any means necessary.
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Slowly, Phib shook his head. "Man is nothing more then what it is. It is not good, and it is not evil. We are quick to turn our eyes from our own slaughtering- we wipe one another out just as often that Man does; not that they are not vile and cruel. But their actions can hardly be one in of your own."
Somewhere in his youth he remembered the days he had spent wandering around Man's land, trying to learn what few wolves took the time to try to figure out- who ruled earth? Wolf or man? He knew the answer, perhaps, but it was long within him to never truly say. He viewed men as a kind of Wolf, and like other such kinds, he cared not for them unless they so caused him harm. But he knew of the cruelty they were capable of.
But then again, he knew what Wolf was capable of as well.
Phib took a moment to ponder the subject of scars once more, and found he could not see in them the youthful romance to them. He found himself to be no hero. He was strong and clever, yes, and he celebrated himself for it. But he made no illusionment to himself that he was some kind of hero. Maybe some would say that was a lie.
"Ah-" Phib said, somewhat amused. There was a time in his own land, and perhaps even still now, when he would never have to make such formal introductions. He was always some sort of myth- the conjuncture of his great father whom no one could really decide was mortal or not. Sometimes even he himself felt lost in the mythology of his once great family, but he knew that above all, they were all brutally mortal. Perhaps more so then most.
"I am six years old- a long time for one such as I. I have done many things, on many occasions. In the north, I am Hrothmund's son and bit of a warlord and tyrant." He shifted his ear. "Here- I am alpha of the Outriders." For as much as was often construed as arrogant, he was not so boastful as it might seem. But so much had happened in his life- and he was not perhaps so open as the other. He was willing to allow himself to be questioned, but he did not loose face that it was usually he who did the questioning.
"But no, I do not hail from these woods- although presently I do live on the coast."
---------------
He wrinkled his muzzle in deep thought, pondering as he was begining to understand what Phib was expressing. "So, in a sense, wolf and man are brothers all the same?" Mankind was a foriegn beast; treacherous and estranged within the world. Yet he had heard stories of wolves whom had willingly bonded to mankind, living within their world and serving as not only a companion but as a valuble hunting asset. Such a thought seemed strange but perhaps to others it was a newfound lifestyle that was worth living.
Shaking himself off as a fine collection of snowflakes had gathered upon his back, the white and black swirled male swiveled his black ears in attention as Phib began to unveil his story.
"Hrothmund-", somehow there was a faint familiarity within such a name. There was a sheer sensation that send a spine tingling rush through his body as he mentioned 'warlord' and 'tyrant'. Unlike many younger males who only dreamed of becoming a fearless warrior, Damu had other dreams. He wanted to break away from the ties of his pack, from those who only despised him and roam free! He wanted to become a vagabond, for once he wanted to explore and let his wild nature become unleashed, wild without boundaries. Since the tragedy, the young male had only tasted of hatred, unforgiveness and suffering.
"An Alpah? I figured much," he replied with a smile. Though he didn't want to blatantly question the black wolf, it had quickly come apparant to the young adult that the wolf he had encountered was a designated leader. There were wolves who earned such a ranking within a pack and there were some, like Phib, who seemed born for such a high honor.
"The coast?" He raised a brow, slightly confused.
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"We need not be brothers to be of the same nature. But there will never be brotherly love between Man or Wolf." He shook his head somewhat. "There's no room in Man's world for Wolf- and where there is, Wolf becomes dog." He too had heard of wolves that joined up with men- but not only had he heard it, but he had of recent been of company towards one. When he was younger, too, he had known a young female used to lure male wolves from the wild into her encampment- but she had been perhaps more savage then most wild wolves. It was a hard world to draw stereotypical boundaries upon.
Damu repeated his father's name with a tone which almost made him shiver as well. It was not fear... but there was an intensity in his father that remained in him now. He, supposedly his father's doppelganger- he had been made to die for him, but instead had followed on past his death. He remembered his father's death well, although they had never been close. Phib had never fully decided if what is father had done for his people was of beneficial nature, or what had brought them down years later.
Phib swayed his tail with some contentment. Yes, he was alpha- but oddly this did not envoke the kind of pride it might have in other creatures. He had been born trained to be leader, and he had taken it when he was old enough to. It had been all he'd known until the one year of exodus and wandering. He was a bit of a political machine at times- and he was never really sure if the part of him that was leader was really so much of his being as it was that had been implanted into him.
"Yes, there are miles of coast just a bit south." Phib spoke, rather pleased. He did not like the water, but ironically, he enjoyed the sea. It made Ryoku happy...and that made him happy. "There is another pack on the coast as well-" And from what he'd heard, it was ruled by a great giant of a wolf. "But I am on the west. But I don't concern myself much with pack borders- my clan roams. I find information, and I share it with my allies." He was, in some instances- a leader of spies.
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Even to Damu, brotherly love between wolf and mankind seemed physically impossible. Bloodshed and destruction would always devastate the world but for one to achieve unity and peace was beyond any fathomable measure. Perhaps, one day there would be a time where wolves would find themselves above mankind yet, sadly, it was only a twisted fantasy Damu could only imagine.
The white and black swirled male tried to imagine what the coast was like. For as long as the Shadowsong pack had laid claim to Seer's Cliffside, Damu had been sentenced to living within the mountainous region as it was a forbidden to ever set foot upon the outside realm of Shaoilin woods and the freelands. Yet the stories of vast waters, scorching sands that would almost feel to envelope ones legs and a hidden paradise seemed appealing.
"What is it like to rule as Alpha? To have no boundaries and roam free?" His black ears perked up, yearning to know what one would feel, how it felt to be the overseer of a pack and venture wherever ones feet would take them.
Damu wanted to redeem himself; to revive his image and repent of the transgressions which he had sentenced agaisnt his pack. In his logic, if he was to become a leader, or to find someone who would not cower in his presence- a mate or friend, he would be a step closer of truly finding himself.
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Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2006 8:36 pm
RP: Ryoku/Rio
A stranger from the South...
It seemed like it had been months since he'd been seperated from his pack, from the first she-wolf he'd ever loved, and from his best friend. The familiar lands burned fresh in his mind as image after image faded across his mental-vision. So much had transpired that the young adult was almost overwhelmed by it all.
Lengthy legs carried the Mexican wolf into Shaoilin woods. He'd opted to follow the river, but the river only fed so far before turning into the lake, and Rio was able to scent humans in the vicinity. Though he remained south-bound, it wasn't near the water-source. He thought it best not to chance crossing two leggers that he did not know. He wasn't ready to die yet, not when he apparently had so much yet to learn.
After a while Rio's legs were beginning to grow weary. He'd fancy a rest soon.
~Not very likely to find a free den at this time of year. Not by the smell of all the wolves in this area. Aaaah!~
Whining, the male slowed to a hault and flopped impromptly down on the ground in a pile of snow, completely uncaring of the billow of white or the physical shiver it caused.
---------
It had snowed the night before, and still the winter months were having a hard time relinquishing themselves back into the light. Even with all the hardships the cold had brought, it seemed to be passing well- or at least, she thought it was. But she was a creature who always attempted to see the good in things, even if they were as harsh as the winter cold. Even without her eyes she longed for spring- after all this walking she ached for some time of rest. Sure, there would be more things to run into in spring, but unlike the winter months, she could rest after her stumbling.
He was off again wandering, and Ryoku once again found herself walking in a direction she knew was not the way home. But she had good faith in Phib's abilities to find her. She relied on it, in any case.
But something was tickling at her interest, even in the darkness. She wasn't quite sure what it was, but it kept her walking softly upon the earth, her wide blue eyes gazing blankly at it- seeing nothing, but reflecting everything.
A wind was blowing, and it pulled at her silver coat in a haphazard fashion. Although she could not see it, currently she found herself walking in a small grotto of trees. They were for the most part leafless, but on a few of the vacant branches, small slivers of green were beginning to poke out amongst the darkness. There were also red berries in bloom to her left, and against the white surroundings they bled out like beacons.
A sound suddenly caught her ear, and at once her ears swung forward. "Oh?" She spoke to herself softly, her voice trailing off as if in conversation. The sound did not repeat itself, but she did hear a sort of snort and claw noises.
Carefully, the small female skittered across the snow, rising up over a strange root, and turning her head for a better angle in which to hear what was around her. The smell of wolf was upon her now- and the smell of something foreign. It was a warm smell, and she swayed her tail in interest.
"Hello, yes?" She said softly, her voice still soft against the silent forest.
-----------
Rio paused, not that he was actively doing much besides breathing and staring at the moment. Lifting his head he had to rely on his own body's inborn skill to detect his visitor. He wasn't quite in tune enough yet that he could speak with stilled waters such as snow and ice, so they could tell him nothing of the approaching she-wolf, except that she was indeed approaching by the sound of her paws on the white powder. His voice carried back over to hers with a soft accent that gave it a warm and sociable ring.
"Hola? Seniora?"
He rose to his paws again, weariness completely forgotten, and began to step forward, carrying himself closer to Ryoku. When he spotted her he gave his own smile, tail flagging up from behind him to fan at the air a little, despite the wind. Said wind was playing with his sash, which was tied about his head above his chocolate eyes. He could see her well enough, but realized instantly in that glance that she could not see him. The scars across her eyes and the vacant stare that looked back at him, without pupils, yes, she had been blinded, purposely so. The thought made him angry even though he didn't know so much as this she-wolf's name. He didn't let it seep out for interpretation though. Anger was rather pointless in this situation, so it was kept in the back of his mind.
-------------
The waif like creature smiled gently against the moving winds, as if she could see the other wolf approaching upon her. She did not know what a senora was, but she did gather it was aimed at her. And although may might not consider her a clever wolf- there was something deep at work in her mind which quickly discarded the possibility of it being a mistake in names. Her smile continued, and gently, she swayed her tail. "Hi-" Her voice fluttered.
It was a male, this she knew by scent. Foreign, but only by assumption for she could not smell the trees of this wood so thickly upon him. She liked his tone of voice, it seemed... well, she wasn't sure what it really seemed like, but it intrigued her. "Sorry if I am of bothering you." Her light voice continued. "I heard you over from there-" she remarked.
------------
Rio quickly noticed the quirk of the way that this one spoke, and truth be told, many would immediately deem her as odd, or daft, but Rio found it to be an endearing compliment to the gentle air she gave off. It made her unique, and unique was beatiful in his eyes.
Perhaps a little boldly he stepped forward and gave her a polite but curious wiff up close, staying away from any areas that might be considered intimate or personal. He then circled away and turned to face her again, this time speaking in words that would be understood clearly.
"Not at all, mi seniora! I'm pretty hard to bother. I'm guessing and hoping that I'm not bothering you either. I'm not from around this area."
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Ryoku swayed her tail politely as the other sniffed cautiously over her. She did flatten her ears, although it was more as an expression of her submission then an uneasiness. She was always cautious, but never was she unloving of even the most complete stranger.
"That is good-" The silver creature smiled, her face sliding into a genuinely pleased expression. Her head gently shook. "No, you are not of bothering me." She chuckled in a soft manner. No certainly not- she never minded others.
"Not being from here? I am not either, although I am living here now. Where do you come from?" She questioned, her head tilting in the movement. "Although if it is not my place to question, it is being no mind to me."
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"I came from the South East, from the other side of the mountains."
Rio made sure that Ryoku had a comfortable amount of space, but kept fairly close for a stranger. Giving another lopsided smile and a similar tilt of his head, Rio spoke up again.
"Name's Rio, I have to admit, it's nice to see another friendly face round here. I haven't spoken to anyone since I ran into the other guy. Where are you from, what are you called?"
-----------
"South?" Ryoku said with a small rise in voice. She had never met anyone from the South before. Or- well, okay, she had, but most of them had only implied it so she had never been able to actually bring it up into conversation. She did not like to presume anything until a creature gave her leave to do so. "I am from the north." She spoke, gently nodding her head.
"We walked much of a while to here. But now, we live a little South as well, by the water." She smiled. "and, my name is Ryoku. It is good to be meeting you, Rio." She liked shortness of the name. It was a good name, without being overly long or complex.
"I am not of knowing much about another guy, but there are friendly faces here."
-----------
She reacted positively to the direction of his birth, this brought more mirth to Rio's eyes though it was a pity she could not see such. South, by the water? Hmmm...
"Likewise, seniora, likewise. If you don't mind my asking, you said 'We'?"
He supposed he'd assumed she was with another, both by the scent and the fact that it was highly unlikely that such a sweet natured wolf with such a rare disposition on life would be without some form of company. He surely would've tagged along at her side upon meeting her, but, from the scent of things she already had a guardian. He wouldn't likely take kindly to Rio hanging around this female. He let mention of others drop for the moment.
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The little She smiled, and found herself sitting down. It was not too much for her to be standing really, but when one lives in darkness, there were times when she could feel herself growing unstable unless some sort of grounding occurred. Her voice thrummed somewhat in her throat as she responded, "No minding." She smiled. "I was of traveling with my mate, Phib- but now, we are living with a few others. Phib, he cannot help himself sometimes, hard to not be king anymore." She shook her head. "But that doesn't matter much to me. It's never mattered much to me." She was a rather open person, as far as her personal life went. Or perhaps it was simply because she never thought badly enough of people to care to fear.
-----------
So then, he'd been correct in assuming that the male escort was close to her. Rio's curiosity was peaked moments before when Ryoku mentioned that they stayed near "the water". Rio wasn't really looking for a pack... but perhaps.... there was much yet of this land that he wanted to explore, he wanted to see what more traveling would do to hone his skill, it also made sense to him that he would be most comfortable someplace with a large body of water as that was apparently his natural calling.
"How do you like it here? Pretty good?"
The smile was still audible in his tone. It had been too long since he'd been able to hold lighthearted conversation with another wolf. He tried keeping those thoughts faint. He was never alone anymore since discovering his nature-given gift, and he didn't want his newfound friend to feel otherwise.
-----------
The pale creature's tail gently wagged. "Oh, yes! I am of liking it. It's warm here, not like in the north. I can even be out in winter-" She lightly nudged the earth. "It used to be that I would be sickly in winter time. But not so much here, no, although it's cold muchly sometimes."
Her head tilted to the side, exposing her white throat. "And there is the sea- Phib has seen it before, he says, but I have never been seeing it until now. It's thick with stinging, but I like it. It goes on forever and ever- although-" She meekly smiled. "I suppose I can't be saying that for sure, as I can't be seeing it myself, yes? It is what I am told. I am sleeping on the beach sometimes, although Phib says it makes for sickly."
-----------
Sol-un told Rio once that once his skills were honed enough, he'd even be able to heal others. He wondered if he would ever be able to do that for Ryoku, even just partially... everyone should be able to witness natures wonders with their eyes...
"I'm curious to see it too," He grinned, warm as before. He didn't seem at all bothered by the snow, though his body did quiver again as he also situated himself to sit in the chilly, fluffy water. His bandage wrapped leg also ached horribly from the stiff bite settling into the bone there. "I've only ever seen the lake and river where my pack lived, and it sounds like your mate does take your well being seriously."
He didn't need to add "Be happy" or "Don't take that for granted". He didn't want to either. Something in his tone hinted at a bit of sorrow, but he did rather well at disguising it.
-----------
Ryoku's expression calmed. It was still pleased, but perhaps she had picked up some thread of sadness in the air. It was hard for a creature such as her to keep herself in tune with a world so dominated by sight- so she had to learn other ways of picking up information. Still her smile remained however, although it was much gentler. "He does, in his own way." She knew he took care of her, and that she could not much survive without him. He'd given up a lot for her, and that had not once left her mind.
"But-" She spoke, noticing somewhat that the talk of water seemed to make him more pleased. "The sea is nice. I like it a lot. Sometimes, there are being strange animals that crawl ashore and are barking like." She shook her head. "It is different. I am never being lost- I can find my way on the sea- it only goes one way."
A faint coppering smell reached her nose as the other wolf moved his leg. Her ears swayed forward. "Are you hurt?" She questioned- and for a moment, her voice was clear of the strange tone it took, giving some rise to the question as to whether or not she obscured her speech intentionally.
-----------
Rio's ears swiveled atop of his head, facing out to each side and going a bit flat as his smile softened. It hurt to think of the mate he'd left behind, but he had faith that she would be in capable hands. It was for the better if they moved on without him, though it pained him to think of the hurt they would go through with his false death.
He shut his eyes and tried to get a good mental visual of such a thing. A lake that expanded on forever, strange animals that obviously inhabited this "Sea", and the very same body of aqua fencing off the land. It sounded like something he truely had to see with his own eyes, and he found himself eager to. He was just about to say so when Ryoku's sudden question shook him out of his train of thought.
Eyes popped open and his ears rocked back to attention.
"Eh? No no! I'm fine!" What made her think--? Oh! His leg, he'd forgotten about it. He didn't intend to allow the village shaman to heal that injury, it was something he wanted to hold onto for a bit yet, a reminder of how precious and fragile relationships and friendships could be if one wasn't careful with trust and consideration. Instinctively he shifted to slightly aleviate weight from the offended paw, as if suddenly noticing the discomfort there. "This is old, I've had it for a few weeks. It's already healing all on it's own, but there are these things on it that hold the smell still."
-----------
Ryoku steadied herself while the other wolf dreamed carefully to herself. She smiled and flattened her ear- for the silence did not bring awkwardness to her features. She let the wolf his brief time of silence to ponder what it was that he did- was it good? She wondered. Or did he ponder bad things? She thought affectionately. She did not like the bitter way life could sometimes turn.
"Oh- your foot-" She spoke, catching somewhat his motions towards the offending appendage. She did not know what strange thing wrapped around them, but she did smell it. "It must make for hard walking, yes." She spoke softly, her ears flattening in a concerned manner. "Is it of hurting much?" She questioned, almost disregarding the fact that he had said it was fine.
"The salt in the water- it is of burning, but they say it's good for sores." She said softly.
-----------
It would probably do good to clean it, and he would imagine that must be what they meant by the water's benificial effect. He pondered for a moment, then flattened his ears again and responded just a bit hesitant and quiet. "I guess it couldn't hurt to try it. Walking isn't bad but when it gets cold like this it does ache." He finally admitted, not finding it in him to lie to the female, even to spare her concern. "Might be easier to find my way there if I had the right guide and company?"
He sounded hopeful, and the sheepish expression could be heard in Rio's voice. He was touched by Ryoku's genuine concern for someone she'd just met, and even though he held the same compassion for others he was not unaware that there were many that were far less caring. It helped to really appreciate those that did when he came by them, like this wonderful woman.
-----------
Ryoku nodded her head, her face concerned, but also suddenly flooded with amusement. "Oh-" She said with a slight chuckle. "I can be of good company, sometimes, but I am afraid I am no guide. Perhaps we follow backwards the way I come from, and from there follow the salt smell. It's very hard not to be smelling it once one is a mile from it, yes, or if we get close one of the other wolves shall find us." Anya could be a wanderer, but Cassidy should be still home nursing her poor wounded heart.
But before deciding whether or not to go, she leaned her small face downwards, and began to faintly smell at the paw. She was a tiny thing really- it was hard to think she was any heavier then fifty pounds. It did smell much more angrier then being 'fine' but she would take Rio's word on it that it was alright to be traveling on it.
"The winter, it used to make me sick." She continued, sympathetically. "Sometimes my bones would hurt. But I am thinking the salt can be good- it must be good for something, if you cannot be drinking it, yes?"
Daintily, she turned, but settled herself beside Rio for she could not walk with another person without being in tow- else she fall behind or smack into awkward objects. "How were you of coming with such a wound?" She did not ask so much in a way that she wondered about the story- but she was curious as to whether or not it could be infected. If it was a bite, it could be hurt. She worried about such things.
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 6:43 pm
RP: Phib/Damu
He ain't free niether....
It was hard to call his coast a paradise- but it was a place he enjoyed. It was not like his old land, which had been frigid and cold. One of the most pressuring duties at any given time was bartering with other packs over food rights- and in these woods, it seemed there was so much food to go around that very few packs did not get along. Perhaps there was no need for a wolf such as he- but he knew better then to ever fall into complacency.
The large wolf shook his head, slightly snorting. It caused a soft rise of white smoke, and his pale eyes rolled up once to watch it dissipate into nothing. "Being alpha is hardly being free. I roam where I wish because no one can tell me where to go, but I always have to be thinking. There is always work to be done, and there is always some sort of problem to address. Right now, the winter snow is melting and it's causing some minor flooding. I have to think about that, and I have to think about building correspondents in other packs. Being alpha is less free then being a member." He snorted somewhat. "Always work, always something." But- it was the life he knew. He liked the control he had. He liked being in charge, even if it kept him awake at night worrying about things that didn't make sense, or kept him constantly on the move to keep his ear open to all events.
To be king, you had to be willing to sacrifice a bulk of your life to serving those who work under you. A guard might only need to guard, but it was an alpha's job to both guard, scout, hunt, spy- he had to be able to give council, and receive council. He had to be diplomatic enough to deal with other kings. He had to be considerate enough to make just decisions during fights, and through it all, keep himself healthy enough to be always able to defend his position from usurpers.
Life was hardly free- not that it was not appealing. He was rather amused by the young ambition in it, and it made him wonder if he had ever been disillusioned with what it meant to take over.
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Perhaps it was a change to actually speak to another wolf or that he wasn't understanding why one whom ranked over his followers wasn't free? To some it would seem to be a simple concept with responsiblity but, in Damu's case, he couldn't quite completely fathome why such a leader wouldn't live wild, unruly and unstobbable. Truthfully, he was still young with his blood still thriving with rebellion and a need to find himself within the world.
"But-but you are an Alpha! You are an overseer of an entire pack! Don't you have more entitlement?" His brows knitted in utter confusion. He wanted power or, in other words, he wanted to show those who had once scorned at his name and very presence that he was much more than a fiend. There had to be some way that he could redeem himself but, thus far, perhaps finding a way to become a Alpha or leader wasn't the right move to make.
The position of Alpah was about strategic thinking and decision making. Already, Damu seemed not the candidate as he would think with his fangs rather than the logic of his head. There had to be something else he could do...right?
Becoming slightly flustered as he was slowly realizing that the ambitions he had so dearly held to were slowly collapsing, Damu sighed softly as his black ears fell towards his head.
"Can I ask for some advice, Phib? You seem to be one of the only wolves I can relate to." His emerald orbs cold gaze slowly dissapated as a minute softened appearance casted over them. Though he still sought to continue on his journey, Damu needed to understand one thing and, in his logic, the Alpha seemed to know best.
"How can I redeem myself for what I've done? I mean- how can I prove myself? From your stories you've been through alot and I'm sure you have a bit more insight than I do."
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Phib shifted his ear. It was true, he did not have much freedom. There was always something to be done, even though he was free to go about doing it in the matter that he pleased. "I could, I suppose. But that's a dream world." He chuckled. "Packs that are wild and free will eventually fall under themselves. They cannot keep strength for long, because they burn like fire- but once the object they burn under is gone, they crumble. An alpha cannot do whatever he wants, or he looses his pack. Or if he does not loose his pack, he will have it taken from him if he shows that there is a weakness in him. People may hate politics, but life can't function without it."
He was in ever sense, a political machine, and this he knew. He knew how to speak to other people and to say as many things he wished about himself without ever truly telling others who he was. He liked that. He liked politics; he liked the little head games. But then again, he hadn't known much but it.
But he did feel a bit disheartened as Damu sunk down somewhat, perhaps depressed with the idea that an alpha would have to do more work then run around like a hell beast. "My father- he did what he wished, and he ruled much. But in the end, even he had to fall to politics. Conquering only lasts for so long, and then you grow old."
Redemption? Boy was he talking to the wrong wolf! Ryoku was the good one, not him. What would she say in a situation like this? "Redemption...is a matter of opinion. Forgive yourself, and you are redeemed. You can't accomplish anything if you can't forgive yourself for misgivings. Then- just live. There is no feat that can ever make you great. You just rise up to meet them when they come by." And from Phib's area of knowledge- they came a lot, and normally, they smacked you up a bit before you even realized it.
------
The white and black swirled wolf contemplated what Phib had spoken. Just like a fire, eventually even the strongest would succumb to weakness and eventually lose their foundation of an unruly nature and self government. Everything fell under dominance and the basic structures of unity and laws.
In the eyes of other, Damu was rebellious. He was one who would never properly find himself asserted within the dominance of his pack whether it was by his ideal logic or the markings that the fires so long ago had branded into his fur. Once as white as fresh fallen snow, the young adult now found himself as black as the night itself; a bearer of sin. He was left to repent and find his place within a constantly changing world.
His ears perked up as Phib spoke of his father. "Even the greatest of warlords succumb to the laws," he remarked with a slight frown drawn upon his maw. "There's no escaping politics."
Damus black ringed tail swept behind him, occasionally breaching upwards in thought as he listened to the words of the Alpha. Forgiveness? The word itself sounded foreign, such a concept that he had never been shown nor used towards another of his kind. He was to forgive himself? But what about those he had transgressed against? Was that to be whisped away with the past itself? No, he couldn't. He wouldn't forgive himself. He had unleashed demise upon the Shadowsong pack and had only sacrificed his future.
Each word was reviewed silently, his brows raising and knitting as countless thoughts swarmed within his mind. "Just...live?" To live; Yes, Damu had forgotten to live as the weight of burdens and grief had left him staggering with each step he took. He had forgotten much but, slowly, he was reviving himself into a new life.
"Just live." He softly repeated as he found a new concept within these simple words. Slowly rising to all fours, the young adult looked back towards the black Alpha with a small smile across his maw. "Thanks, Phib."
------
Being thanked was awkward upon the black creature's ears, but he did take it with a nod. He was becoming dangerously close to being considered good or wise- both things perhaps he truly was, in some way. But he let such an idea fall, for he was of the nature to always keep up a constant sort of opinion of himself, whether or not it was particularly accurate.
"Sometimes all you can do is live." Phib remarked, his pale eyes sliding across the snow covered earth and falling back to Damu. Life in itself could be quite a feat. Sometimes that was all one needed in order to be great.
He craned his neck, and allowed his ears to swing forward in sharp points. "You seek your brother. Do you expect to be willingly accepted?" He questioned, a slide of interest crossing himself.
-------
"And that's what I've been missing," he replied as a light breeze ruffled his jagged back fur, whisping them upwards in a thorny mess. "I've been missing life."
Just as he retracted his gaze and took several steps, the words of the Phib trailed towards him. Damu halted in his step, looking back towards the Alpha was an slightly puzzled expression. His maw gaped open slightly as he had not fully contemplated of what could arise from such an encounter. Whether the encounter of brother and brother would be today or never until several weeks, Damu knew of what he set out to do.
"I don't expect to be accepted. I made a promise to my father at his deathbed that I would find him and confess what I had done and of the demise of our pack. He remains unaware of what happened when mankind stormed through our packlands and he deserves to know the truth." His voice was low but he was positive in what he sought out to accomplish.
Whether or not he would be welcomed and embraced, he cared not. For who could love a wolf whose fate had marked him with sin? Damu was a wanderer who searched for his place within the world and sought to live. Whatever life dealt him, he would fight back and this was only one of the trials he had yet to overcome.
Nodding his head, the white and black swirled wolf drew his vision in front of him and slowly padded on his way with the scent of a forgotten sibling as his guide.
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Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 9:00 am
RP: Ryoku/Rio/Phib
It's all revelent
(( Reserved for Ryoku/Rio RP which for some reason I didnt save. XDDD ))
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Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 9:02 am
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Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 9:03 am
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Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 8:34 pm
RP: Phib/Kiah
Past Lives
A lone wolf sat atop a bluff in the snow. Her bright pink fur stood out against everything else around her, yet she didn't care one bit. Never did she bother to hide herself from view nor keep downwind. When some creature skittered across her path randomly she still continued to sit, her cold eyes the only things following its retreating movement.
There was snow all along her bright fur, causing it to look like it had random white dots here and there. Yet she didn't bother to shake the snowflakes off.
A slow sigh escaped Kiah's lips, forming a rather large cloud in the air that rose up and soon disappeared. Her stance was no longer proud, though her dark eyes still held that same inner fire that refused to burn out.
She was a social creature, one that depended upon a pack. But being alone for so long without so much as a bird to talk to left her down and almost crushed.
This female was changed... for the most part.
Another sigh.
What was she to do with her life? No one would accept a bitchy thing like her. Not even the most tolerant of wolves, she thought. Was she doomed to live the rest of her hideous life in solitude?
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The wind which was once so lax upon the earth, was softly blowing when the large black shadow slowly found himself ambling past his lands, and towards places unknown. He, like the rest of his group, found little need in keeping oneself grounded, and so forth. But such was he always in a way that the old king found himself constantly intrigued by other people's business. In fact- it was his business to figure out the business of others, for he was, before all things, a highly political creature.
Phib found himself strolling along the edges of a narrow deer slump. He had a habit of following them, even if he had no care to hunt presently. Food had been more then prevalent in the south. But there was a certain duty in following the tracks of deer, even if he did it without his stomach in mind. To his left, the long black could scent a packlands more north of here, where the ground started to increase in incline. It was an interesting sort, but he was not particularly interested meeting anyone. Against the snow, he too stood out, but it was a haphazard shape- he was as black as a shadow, and from some angles, he looked more flat then he did solid.
Blearily the wolf's pale green eyes lifted up. A scent had crossed his broad snout. Female- which was really the only thing anyone ever had to tell him to intrigue him enough to pay a visit. He did so without scandalous intentions- although he certainly did not mind the curiosity. It was an oddly familiar smell, which truthfully, was perhaps the truer reason he diverted his path and slowly trudged through the snow.
To the far right, he caught sight of the female, sitting on a bluff. At once his ears swung up, and a name bubbled somewhere in his mind, although he had to grasp at it a few times in order to remember. (Hopefully, not a side effect of aging.) A low rumble echoed in his throat and he trotted up, the end of his tail arching, but swaying politely. "Ah, I remember you." He spoke, noting her ridged position and rather solemn look. But, he kept himself in ignorance of it- as if that was a better tactic then acknowledging it. Maybe it was.
------------------------------
The silence had become her friend, one that barely left her. It seemed to be more loyal and faithful than her shadow, which disappeared during the darker hours and didn't reappear until late in the day, and only when the sun was bright enough.
Pink paws flexed slightly in the freezing substance below her as her body tensed. Something had broken the silence, her bond with the one thing that ever really seemed to be true. Or rather, someone broke it.
Using only her eyes, the she-wolf glanced slowly in the direction of the other. Immediately their first encounter flashed back through her mind and her fur bristled warningly. She might not have been her same old self, really, but there was pain in memories, pain that she'd rather not feel at this moment in time. Sure, the memory of when they met before wasn't a painful one, but it opened up her sore mind to more distant times...
"And I remember you," she replied through gritted teeth, Kiah's attempt to keep her cool seemed to be failing horribly. Company was no longer welcomed in her presence. She wanted nothing more to do with others.
"What do you want?"
--------------------------------
Her voice was harsh upon his ears, but he kept up his manner of ignoring it. He could be as rough as he wanted to, but it hardly seemed necessary. Phib found himself remembering her better the closer he strode. There was Man, yes- and that silly Flit. And she- he remembered her, being bitter. Well, nothing seemed to have changed with her outwardly, only the last time, he had seen her moving about. In this instance she didn't even seem to turn to look at him, but rather, trained her eyes skillfully upon him. A peculiar fate, this She.
"It's good to be remembered then." He drawled, and cleared the space between them, his large paws picking up small clefts of snow between his toes. He sat himself down about five feet away, face towards the slump and Kiah's back- although he could tell she was still watching him. Such harshness in a woman!
"Nothing in particular, I roam here and there. Should I want something from you?" He quirked with a slight grin, his brow furrowing in mock-contemplation.
--------------------------------
"Is it?" she asked, loosening up a bit. Was it really all that great to be remembered? What if you were some murderer, and someone from your old pack remembered you and brought all kinds of trouble down upon you? Then would it be good to be remembered? This hadn't happened personally to Kiah, but her mind thought it up nonetheless and created an even more not-so-good feeling within her.
Finally her harsh gaze left him, returing back to its original focus: the white fluff that most called snow. Light ears drooped even more than they already were... she wondered if her family remembered her.
"I have nothing to give," she stated simply, still not moving. "Even if I did, I'd doubt you'd want it from such a b***h like me." The last was said harshly, yet it wasn't directed towards him.
She was mad at herself, to put it simply. Mad that the young wolfess had been too proud to accept any help, to realize that she just might need others to survive. Now it was all coming back to slap her in the face.
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Being remembered was something of importance to Phib, even if it did not go so far as to mean he wished himself remembered. But he remembered his father- and towards the end of his life all he had wanted to be was to not loose hold of his immortal image of the great war king wolf Hrothmund- and he never had, at least to those who never saw him towards his final days. There was immortality in being remembered, even if Hrothmund had thought that he could cheat death with it.
The last remark from Kiah troubled him somewhat. It was not in his opinion of her to be self loathing, although certainly, he was connecting the dots now. She was proud, he could tell this- and seemed to be in a sort of exodus herself. Well, he knew that feeling as well, although he had never lost himself in his wanderings. It concerned him that there were so many wounded souls in these woods.
"You'd be surprised." He said with a slight rumble, his voice, for a moment almost affectionate. Such harsh words and tone directed to herself! "I know many bitches. Most of them, related or consorts." He chuckled somewhat, the corner of his tail slowly swaying.
"Such a harsh tone." He spoke aloud his thoughts. "Who told you such a thing about yourself?"
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Kiah's cold gaze wandered back towards the form of the male wolf, though this time it had softened slightly, and this time her head had followed. Why was he being so nice to her? Couldn't he see that she was cranky and didn't enjoy company very much anymore?
A sly grin crossed her face as he mentioned knowing multiple bitches. Ah! But were any such as she? "You may know a lot, but I am neither related nor a consort. I could be different from all of the rest; you can never tell." Shaking her head, she looked back towards the snow, her ears perking slightly as her mood lightened. Perhaps she had missed having a chance to talk to another of her kind more than she had first led herself to believe.
But she was forced to bring her head back around when he mentioned her harsh tone. The broken she shook her great head once more.
"I need no telling of these things. They are plain as day."
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Another careful smirk flitted across his face. "I'd hope so-" He remarked. "I've known some pretty deplorable ones. If you imply you could be worse- I doubt it. I can as much from here that it bothers you to think that it is what has become of yourself, and that alone is different then some. And I tolerate them just fine." The corner of his winter plumed tail swayed again, although this time it did so out of view from behind his back. It was truthful however- women had probably caused him most, if not all, of his life's mini-tragedies. Rose, dear god! No, she was hardly Rose. It would be amusing to note however, Rose's innate nature had never stopped him from chasing after her in his earlier days.
"Oh, I think sometimes we see things in ourselves that aren't really there. Or, worse, we put them there just because we think they're there." Perhaps that was a hypocritical statement, but it was different for him. Or at least, maybe he told himself it was different for him, but that got confusing so it was best to leave it be. Ryoku knew better, anyways, but that was what she did best.
"In any case." He spoke slowly, glancing slowly from side to side. "I don't see anyone here telling you so." In fact, he didn't smell anyone upon her. "You can't really be a horrid b***h without someone to b***h at."
The black wolf chuckled lowly. "And really, it doesnt particularly matter."
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"I can't say that I'm worse if I have no knowledge of the other bitches you speak of, now can I?" the she said smartly, turning her gaze once more so that it rested on the things in front of her instead of Phib. He really reminded her of that one that used to chase after her when she was and adolescent... what was his name... ah, yes, Nlear. He had had dark fur as well, though not as many impressive scars to go along with it. Though, Nlear was much different from this male; he had been more intent on making puppies than talking.
"I know this is there, believe me. It was there when I was with my parents, and it's still there now. I haven't changed one bit." The last was said in a somewhat depressed tone. She really was bummed that she hadn't changed for the better. It really was sad. Not one thing had changed about her!! Perhaps that was why those rats had rebelled against her....
Kiah's ears flicked in the other's direction to listen to him. She was tired of looking between him and the white-washed landscape, so she had resorted to only moving her light, pointed ears. And they immediately went down aggressively when he explained to her that she couldn't be a b***h unless there was someone around to b***h to. So untrue! Besides...
"You are here, aren't you? Plus, who says that I'm not always around someone else? I could just be off on my own today. And just because there are no scents on me doesn't mean that I'm a complete loner; I could have bathed recently."
Another sly grin crossed her pink muzzle. Yet it seemed kind of weird, her grinning when she wasn't even looking at him or anyone in particular.
---------------------------------
"Parents can be a hard thing to overcome." Phib said thoughtfully, his voice slightly rough, but only in the manner in which it usually was. "But just because you are one way with your parents, doesn't necessarily mean that's who you are. Maybe you haven't grown up yet." He mused. "But either way, it's hard not to change. You'd be surprised what some time does."
She did not face him any longer, instead flashing her angry pinkish stripes towards him, and only directing attention by the swiveling of her ears. "I am here." He smirked, although he supposed it didn't matter since she didn't see it. "But, I don't find you much of a b***h. Proud maybe, and perhaps a bit too inward, but no, not really a b***h in the cruel manner of it." He still didn't see much harm in being a character. He couldn't stand bland people. "What does it matter, really? I'm an a**, but no one seems to care. Or if they do, to hell with them."
The black creature couldn't help but chuckle at her sudden revulsion over his idea that she was alone. "Perhaps I am mistaken then." He rumbled, although he was not so sure he believed it.
-----------------------------------
"It wasn't my parents, you leave them out of this," she growled, turning her head to look him sternly in the eye once more. Even though she knew that her parents had been the whole reason she had become what she was, Kiah had always been taught to protect them and their title. And she only grew more irritated when he suggested that perhaps she wasn't grown up. Hmph, grown up! What exactly did he mean by it?
"I'm just as grown up as any other adult out there," she grumbled, settling back down and looking away again. "And time is no friend of mine. You could even say it's my enemy." True, she absolutely hated time and its long expand of nothingness. It had always seemed to bring her face-to-face with bad luck, troubles, and pain.
Then she bristled even more when he spoke out again. His voice was really starting to grow into an annoyance.
"I know where you are," she grumbled again through gritted teeth. But she couldn't help but listen to the way that he described her. He had said exactly what she thought of herself. All of those things weren't something she believe desirable by any wolf's standards. She was an outcast, a loner of sorts, one who would never seem to belong.
Large ears pressed back against her pink fur as the she-wolf lowered her head and whined softly to herself. Why was she so different and outcasted? What had she done to deserve this?
Moving to her paws finally, the female blinked slowly in Phib's direction. There was sorrow in her eyes, one that portrayed a mysterious past and thoughts, ones that would probably never leave the safety of her mind... or the danger of it.
"What do you care anyway?" she asked softly, so softly that she feared the other might not hear her words.
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The black wolf frowned, and swiveled his ears forward at an arch. Such sadness! It struck him somewhat, and he softened his gaze. He was indeed every bit of an a** and a scoundrel- he was a proclaimed politician, after all, but that could only hide the fact that he was inheritably good from strangers.
"You can be grown up without ever having grown up at all." He remarked. "It took me three years to grow up, even if all the while I was so sure I was the person I should be." Not much had changed, outwardly from those days. But after he saw Hrothmund mortal- things fell into place. He was not just a doppelganger.
He frowned again, even though it brought about amusement in him. He knew however the words were bitter enough for her to actually believe it, and it dissuaded him from allowing a chuckle to pass his throat. "Time is an enemy of everyone, my dear. But you can't beat it, so there's no reason in wasting your life trying."
Phib pulled his head back, as she suddenly turned and looked at him. She did indeed look miserable and bitter, and her voice was so quiet that he almost needed to strain himself to hear what she had said. "Care?" He spoke. "There isn't any reason not to care."
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Kiah titled her head slightly at the other. He just wasn't making sense. You couldn't be grown up without actually growing up! It was just impossible; there were too many things a pup could possibly be unknown to, so how could his words make sense? Phib obviously wasn't think straight.
Shaking her great head, she just chose to ignore that particular statement of his. "Well, I'm different from you. Believe me, I've tried to change. But it's quite hard to venture away from things that have been drilled into your head since you were even able to hear the words of others. You can't ignore the calling if it's been whispering your name since birth."
Then she growled. This guy really didn't get it, did he?
"I don't try to beat it, I try to rival it," she grumbled, settling back down on her haunches again though this time she actually made it so she could look at him without turning her head. What she meant by the statement, though, even Kiah didn't know.
"There isn't any reason to care either," she murmured, looking away and down at her pink paws. The broken she shook her head and lowered her ears again.
"You don't even know me."
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"Then, why ignore it?" He questioned, his brow furrowing. "If you truly are so destined and set to be the person you are- then I suppose there's no real reason in not embracing it? But I doubt so much you will forever keep that opinion. You don't have to be me- life will do it all the same." He remarked, the corner of his tail gently flicking. Ah- like he had ever been able to escape the person he was supposed to become. But he worked with it well, and he was well situated in what he was.
"If something is causing you disgust, you have all the power to change it. But if you can't-" He quirked. "Then you are not quite grown yet. But that really isn't the point. People give you directions in life, you get drilled, you study, you learn, you grow- but things never follow a set path like that. Just because you're on a little low, doesn't mean much."
The old king shook his head, his shoulders suddenly feeling a slight knot between them. "I don't need to know you." He spoke. "But there's no reason not to, and no reason not to care. And I make a habit of caring about as little as possible, so that's saying enough."
How came she to be alone, he wondered? It did not seem a wolf as proud as she was would go too long without others. Perhaps the loneliness was the cause of all the distress. Well, rather, he had already figured that, but it was more then he had originally thought.
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Kiah growled a little louder this time. "I don't want to embrace it because I don't like who my parents have set me up to become. That elder had warned them not to push me too hard, but they never listened. I was their only offspring and they were determined to shape me into their idea of a perfect child." She paused for a moment to scoff and shake her head angrily. "They were fools. I need to change or I will forever be reminded of their incompetence."
Pink fur bristled warningly as she glared at the ground. She had managed to change herself enough so that she didn't take her anger out so much on innocent creatures. Instead, she had turned that fury onto herself... which probably wasn't the best solution but one she had resorted to nonethless.
"Well then, perhaps I am not what you call grown up," she hissed, looking back up at him sternly once more.
"Yes, well, I don't know where you hail from, but back in my home if you ever strayed from the path that your parents had set down for you, there were severe consquences. I've witnessed them and my mind doesn't change itself so quickly to forget them and allow myself to change the way my parents have shaped me."
The young female shook her head once more, just not getting the logic of this stranger. He didn't even know her yet he seemed to understand and care so much about her problems. Back home that would have been considered highly unnatural and would have gotten one kicked out in an instant; there was no room for softies.
"You are a strange one," she commented randomly.
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"Parents?" Phib found himself saying with a somewhat worn laugh. "My father, [being Hrothmund, of whatever consequence that might be to you], had me schooled to be his replacement since before I even knew what schooling was. He was obsessed with living forever- so he believed that he could create someone to die for him. Not in the literal sense of course, but metaphorically, it is very possible. Consequently, I am he." He spoke haphazardly, without much remorse. "I did not have much of a childhood myself, and I have long known that to be a leader you must keep yourself at a distance." It was very Machiavellian, but Phib of course, didn't know that.
"Parents can strive to make the perfect child to correct imperfections in themselves, be it mortality or not, but it isn't necessarily who you are either. Being angry at them does not solve who you are either. You just have to change what you believe you are programmed to do." He found himself amusing. "The ending of the story? My father died, as all things do."
"Strange? Not particularly." He yawned. "I am what I am, illogical or not. The old king in his old ways." He might have found it ironic she found him a softy. There were more then a few who thought him cruel.
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"Your father sounds like he was foolish. Or wise. Whichever way you choose to look at it. Sounded like in the end he eventually lost out to time as it caught up." The young female sighed, shaking her head again but this time in sorrow.
Eventually she got over her momentary sorrow and was able to move on. She looked back up at Phib as he spoke, ears alert to his words. He sounded very wise in the way that he spoke. He seemed to know everything yet he didn't try and flash it off in everyone's face. Or, at least, he didn't seem to be bragging to her. Perhaps it was just because she was in distress or whatever. Some males seemed to enjoy being the 'hero' to a damsel.
"Mm, yes, yes. Indeed. The older generations strive to better our living, yet they don't understand that we must make our own mistakes and better our own lives." And suddenly Kiah's eyes were opened up to the truth. Before she had just believed that the parents only thought of making their families better and stronger, but now she realized that the current generation was the only one able to fix its problems.
"I see now..." she murmured, searching his eyes though it seemed like she was looking at something beyond them.
"Hm, well, you are strange by my standards, at least. You are simply different from those that I am used to."
Again she looked at him, tilting her head slightly in confusion. "I still don't get why you bothered talking to me, though. I wouldn't think I'd come off as interesting nor the one to be able to hold a great conversation with. Strange indeed," the pink wolf smirked, looking away from him and up at the clouding sky.
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"He might have failed in death, but he accomplished many things." He spoke, thinking to himself. "I do not know if he was foolish or wise. He was effective in any case. He got things done that others didn't think would be possible- but more often he did them out of greed then intellect. But when I was young he was already old, I never saw him in his younger days. " He did have thirty-two siblings, if that showed anything of the long and generally seedy life of the great Hrothmund.
The black creature chuckled, the sound refraining against his broad chest and funneling across his shoulders. "Interesting conversation is generally over-rated." He remarked simply, his typically cold and stern expression remarkably amiable. "No time for it, in any case. Always the politics..." he groaned, although it was more then apparent he lived for politics.
Phib vaguely heard her utterance that she finally saw. Had he made a point? Unlike Ryoku, who typically knew when she had said something redeemable as wise, Phib's brain automatically shut off as to whatever good things he might have done or said. He remembered what he said, and he knew what he meant- but nothing meant to him as much as it did the moment he said it, and let it fall. He was spontaneous in that manner.
"So my dear," He spoke in his rough but articulate manner. "Where do you go now from here?" He asked, as if it was possible to answer such a question. Moreso, he was interested in hearing how she responded then the actual response.
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Kiah nodded, listening--for once actually listening--to what he was saying, ears perked forward in attention. It wasn't every day she met a being so strange and interesting as this one.
"Hm, well, at least he was effective, no? I see no reason questioning something if it was for the greater good of the pack or for an individual. I'm guessing he was a great leader, though greedy at times?" Hm, understandable. Power often made one mad and not all right in the head. It had happened so often in her pack that she was just used to it by now and was able to simply shrug it off mentally.
"No time?" the pink she-wolf echoed, tilting her head a bit more now. "Oh, posh, politics. They rule our lives yet we don't know it. Or at least most don't. Quite weird actually..." Her voice trailed off then, her mind beginning to grow lost in all of the many thoughts that rushed through.
But she instantly came out of her thoughts when he spoke out again. Kiah normally wasn't one to allow her thoughts to completely engulf her. Looking back at Phib, she merely shrugged her shoulders. Or, well, she shrugged them as best as a wolf could.
"Not quite sure, to tell you the truth." It was amazing she didn't snap at him for being nosey... it must have been because the black male was able to break her barrier and loosen her up a bit. Yes, that had to be it. "I'll probably hunt something to fill my stomach then go where ever I feel I should."
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"He was great, as a tyrant. But sometimes society needs tyrants to organize and then reorganize. He was not always good, but he did benefit anyone under him." And to this, he must say was true. Even if under his own reign there would be fractions and splits, under Hrothmund, none of the enormous pack dare strayed. But on the opposite side- so much had been lost as well. But such it was with most great entities.
A haphazard grin crossed Phib's face. "Ah, politics. Much like time, except a certain few claim to be experts on it." He remarked, alluding of course, to politicians- himself included.
"Sometimes, it isn't good to know where you're headed." Heaven knows what he would have done differently. He glanced at the snow, and shook his head. "Much food to the south, if you feel that is where you shall follow."
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Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2006 4:32 am
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Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2006 11:44 pm
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Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2006 12:29 pm
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