Welcome to Gaia! ::

(( *snugs Jes* So glad you joined this! >3

Oh! Are Akamu and Lavena going to be entering the breeding raffle again? They sure would have some hot babies! XD *loves all over Akamu's pretty coat* ))

Nessa was paused in a clearing for a moment, scenting the winds by habit. The chill that swept in burned her nostrils, and the young gamma shook herself. These late winter spells! Warm one day and cold as ever the next. She marvelled to herself, how would those new buds all around her, just breaching out from the young sapplings survive?

The mixed array of scents were dulled, hardened by the cold temperature, but there was an unmistakable aroma of wolf, as well as strong scent of fox, a smell Nessa had encountered before, but always fainter than now. Curious, she perked her cobalt pitched ears up and began a slow amble towards the scents.

Nessa had met many wolves in her life, growing up along the banks of a river that cut through both free land and her family's, and not one had ever spurned her with ill intent. There was always an air of caution about the female when meeting new wolves, but never quite fear, or even worry. She was simply not accustomed to such encounters.

As she paced, ahead of her she caught sight of two figures, moving beside eachother on this winter morning. One was clearly a wolf, but the other... a fox! A pulse of interest coursed through the navy she's body. She'd heard tales of wolves dealing with foxes, but had never encountered such herself.

Noting the slightly reserved motion of the wolf's pace, Nessa canted her muzzle and called from a good ten yards away. "Hello, there!" She greeted in an amiable tone, slowing her pace slightly.

(( They were in the last raffle, right? I think in her announcement Jade said as long as they have some for of relationship likely to develop it was okay. I know Tahja was wondering if you guys would enter. X3

A couple couples who are entering wouldn't even be around for a few months after the breeding took place.

But either way! Akamu is one pretty boy! =O *adores natural colored wolves* ))

Nessa trotted the distance between the pair until she was only about five paces from the couple before her. Her thickly feathered tail danced out behind her in a high, pleased wag, proud, but not imperial in any way. She cast her vision over the brown-pelted wolf, and olive hued eyes lit up at the voice coming from the fox. She didn't bother to hide her excitement at an interspecial encounter and subconsciously, part of her mind hoped the fox wouldn't be offended by her curiosity.

She listened attentively to Duhkha, her eyes meeting his for a moment as he spoke. "I was just out on a morning walk." She said brightly, voice directed at both, her pink tongue lolling gently from the cage of her ivory teeth. "My mate and I have had a lot to think about these past few days."

Nessa was pleased at the seemingly genial air of the encounter, and at the lack of the formality her father thrived on, which she personally found a little suffocating at times. "My name's Nessa," She introduced before she forgot, leaning forward slightly on her pitchy colored paws with a smile. "What are you two up to? Are you traveling together?" Her last question was a bit of a slip, for indeed it was quite obvious they were.

(( And no you don't! Your posts are dandy! XD ))

(( WHOOO! Super congrats on your puppies, Jes! ^O^ They're all so sweet! ))

Noting the seemingly uncomfortable effect of locking his gaze with hers, Nessa quickly made a not to avoid doing it again in the future. She pursed her lips slightly. She certainly still had a lot to learn about others, especially if she was to be of any use on that inevitable battle field.

Shifting her weight slightly, she cast a soft smile on the two before her. It was clear they'd been traveling for a while, for each seemed to anticipate the actions of the other so they appeared to function almost as a single unit.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Duhkha and Lancaster."

She flicked an ear curiously at the fox's guarded response, then tilted her muzzle towards Duhkha's question. "Oh..." She began, secretly glad to give the story to another. The more she seemed to say it, the realer it became in her mind. "Kouji's father has turned tyrant on his old pack, he won't let anyone leave. His mother and sister barely got out alive." She sighed. "We're going back to do battle on Kouji's behalf. We're hoping to liberate the pack--" Suddenly the shewolf chuckled nervously, and it was clear from her slight change in posture that she was worried at the moment. "It all sounds so grand when I say it aloud, but really I'm scared."

(( Oh hey, totally random curiosity, but it's been bugging me forever! XD

I vaguely remember you co-winning the shaman contest a while ago. Did you, by any chance, get Duhkha in that event? =O ))

(( Oh man, that's too cool! *twirls* ^O^ Now you've got me all curious! XD Does that mean Duhkha will be a shaman one day? :O ))

"Yes." She said softly in reply to the rusty hued fox. "I suppose it is a war." Her ears had pricked up now, alertly, her form taking on a stronger, more rigid look as if in defense from the word. War. What we she doing at the head of a war?

"We have only a few on our side so far. There are members of the pack who would surely try to join in the fight, but there are also loyalists to Chen who may stop them from helping. And Chen has allies..." Her tone had changed from the friendly voice she'd used before, had shifted into a more calculated sound. Pictures played behind those olive green eyes as scraps of strategies bubbled up. Nessa stored them away for later. "Many allies. All in all we'd be up against twenty or so wolves." She said, expression grim.

"I know we don't stand a chance alone, but we've got to try. We can't just... sit idly by..." In that instant, Nessa's character was completely clear. A hoper. A dreamer. An optimist. An idealist. But that wasn't enough to win a battle such as this.

"We're gathering as many as we can." Was all she could follow with, stumbling slightly over her own words, her tail curling behind her form.

"Oh--" Nessa said softly, her spring-green eyes widening slightly as they focused on Duhkha's face, then quickly danced away as she remembered his uneasiness. Her ears flicked forward in alert and she smiled. "We'd love to have your help!" Her voice pitched slightly in excitement and a happy, slightly abashed grin took charge of her face.

She swept over both the wolf and the fox with her gaze. "I didn't mean to rush either of you into this, of course you can have time to think about it if you'd like." But secretly, her heart thrilled, pumping with joy. This was what Nessa loved most about the woods she'd grown up in; crossing paths with others such as this who would offer their help to you the same way you might try to for them. To be sure, there were many different personalities in Shaoilin Woods, but it was uncanny how many wolves you could rely on in a pinch, even seemingly strangers.

"We'd planned to set out sometime this week." She said, rotating her body slightly as the sun behind the two rendered her vision useless at her current angle.

"And it's not just fighters we need if either of you would prefer other odd jobs. Scouting, spying, strategizing..." She shivered slightly but tried not to let it show. Battle. She was going into battle. The one thought that kept fear from taking too great of a hold on her heart was the fact that she would not be alone.