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 Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 11:34 pm
  Mama always lagged behind. You'd think something was WRONG with her or something! Sade trotted clumsily through the woods, tripping happily over any obstacle that happened to be in his path. It wasn't like anyone would be following them or anything. Psh. They were in their own packlands! They were safe here.
But still... if Mama was worried, then maybe he should be. After all, she -was- the one with blue fur. An' she was way older and smarter than he was! ... well, maybe not smarter. But still.
Sade could see his mother well enough - her bright coat almost seemed to glow out of the darker forest. Spring was just coming to the woods, but already the branches were frosted with early buds. Green was starting to filter in and take over the white and mud, filling the world with new life and hope. And, in the process, filling it with a mixture of green, brown and grey.
Sade was in his element.
"Mama, c'mon! They're up this way! I can smell them!"
Jori lifted her head and smiled up at her son. He missed her look however - he was already bounding off towards their meeting place. Jori followed at a slower pace, her thoughts distant. Her paws were coated in mud to the ankle, her coat dirty and wet from spring rains. It reminded her of another time, not all that long ago...
Memories returned to her the strength that seemed to have seeped out of her bones and into the land itself. Kiros was up ahead! It seemed forever since they'd had time together. And Pavati... Taking a deep breath, the small female broke into a weary trot. Shluckshluckshluck... she couldn't -wait- for the grass to fill in the mud again.
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Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 12:20 pm
  The air stirred lightly around the grey-red figure, teasing it with the scent of those he knew so well. The packlands weren't the safety he had thought they'd be. It seemed as though all of Kara's mates were rather hostile in nature, demanding to know where Kara had gone. Those that weren't, were simply hostile in nature, like Voodoo, or far too seductive for comfort, Aphrodite. The air of the world made him cling to the only people he knew, which happened to be Pavati at this very moment.
He couldn't say he'd done very well in being around for Sade. Then again, he couldn't have been the father figure he wanted to be, because the great toughness within him was far away. Xan was forever a part of the hills, the memories almost completely sucked into the dust.
However, on this day, memory seemed to do him justice, for he could clearly hear the voice of the other in his head. Kiros turned his head lightly to the left, spying that river bank he'd memorized and grown to know. Where it all had started, so long ago, yet it seemed so very close.
And Pavati, in front of him, one of two resultants of days to follow. Her once small figure had grown into the strength of beautiful youth. She walked proudly, yet not holding any position in the world. He wondered how one could stand so tall, and seem so little of a threat. She must have gotten her height from her mother, for Kiros was no huge wolf, not like Kara. Dangerous b***h.
"Pavati, relax," he mumbled, unable to contian excitement himself. The blue wolf looked back, a soft smile on her face and rolled her eyes gently at him.
"But Half of Me, if we dally, they'll think we've died," she scolded him lightly, her crystal eyes sparkling in the sunlight. Kiros noticed she blinked lightly from the brightness, and then her head was lowered once more.
It didn't take long for him to catch up to her, and even less time for his trained ears to pick up the sound he'd been wishing to hear for ages. Sade was liable to be large by now, perhaps bigger than his sister. Granted, it had only been a month since he had seen the mother and son, but it felt like so much longer. Distance made the heart grow stronger, he said to himself, picking up the pace once more.
"Jori?" he called when he could just spy the blue wolf in the distance. "Is that you?" But he already knew the answer was yes, and certainly Pavati didn't need any poking or prodding, she was already rushing into the thick of things.
"B.E!" she chided. "Father has been worried sick about you and mother. You should have heard him complain. Every night, before we went to bed. 'Do you think Jori is safe?' 'I hope she's teaching Sade to hunt well.' On and on it went. Sometimes, I thought he might be so worried, he'd dissapear." It was a completely serious statement.
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Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 1:40 pm
Sade wasn't just big - he was huge. Jori was faintly amazed everytime she saw him, and she couldn't help but wonder where his size came from. Certainly not her or Kiros. Pavati wasn't small either, although Sade could manage to tower over even her. She followed his tracks in the mud, and her own paws more than fit in his prints.
A grin broke across her muzzle. Sade was a good-natured boy, and she'd never seen his bad side (if he had one). But... she had a feeling she wouldn't want to get on it. She watched her son plow through the undergrowth, heedless of branches and bushes in his way. Her gaze moved forwards and landed on Kiros - she could just barely make out his blue patterns in the muddy background.
"Who else would it be, man?" Jori broke into a lope and ran forward to meet Kiros. When they were apart it never seemed so bad... she missed him, but he wasn't there. And that was that. When she saw him for the first time though... she whined and nuzzled him, her tail whipping back and fourth. "I've missed you..."
Sade skidded to a stop in front of his sister. Wow, she'd gotten BIG! But he was still bigger, which was how it should be. How could he protect her if he was smaller? That would just be silly, right? Now he could be a great protector of his family!
"'Vati, he wouldn't disappear from being worried! You don't just vanish, silly." Sade argued back good naturedly, his tail swinging side to side. "An' of course Mama taught me how to hunt! Look, we're fine!" Stepping close, he nuzzled her.
"Papa teaching you well too?"
... he wondered if it was strange having a family that lived half-and-half.
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Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 1:51 pm
Kiros managed a chuckle and greeted Jori with a light lick and a distinctly wagging tail. It was definately good to see her again. For a second he thought, 'That crazy b***h of an alpha of yours,' but he didn't say it, because he knew that Jori would not approve. She was dead, they all knew that. "No need to dwell on missing, we're all hear now. Sade is so very large, and still young. In a short while, he'll be the pack alpha!" he joked, as Pavati flicked her gaze back at him.
It wasn't a very nice one, the statement obviously disturbed her some, though Kiros could not place why. Her moods, they shifted so quickly, but never had he seen her commit any sort of violence. It was as if it was always lurking under her skin, but a great innocence kept her from committing it.
That, and she was quiet, around everyone but family. And those names, how she never went of their real ones? Even that disturbed him. "I don't think I did such a good job with Pavati," he whispered to Jori, giving several wary glances towards the blue.
Pavati, meanwhile, had opened her mouth in a retort, and promptly closed it again. She couldn't think of much to say to that. "What if a giant hole swallows you up!?" she tried, a grin streaking across her face. She thought it was the most brilliant answer in the world.
"Half of Me is very strange," she told Sade with a glance back at her father. "He mutters things in his sleep. Pavati can't make any sense of it. I suppose, well, I don't know. Rechelle is said a lot." She giggled. "Do you think father had a wild affair with a wolf named Rechelle?" Wouldn't that be a wonderous thing?
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Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 11:05 am
Jori's grin faded for a moment. No need to dwell on the missing? There was only one other he could be refering to. Why did he have to bring her up? She was dead and gone - they should leave her in the past. Jori's gaze flitted unconsciously to the river and the back to Kiros. At the mention of Sade the grin returned in full force.
"Yes! He's gotten so big. To be honest, I don't know where he got it from." She beamed at the two pups and wagged her tail. "I don't know if he'll be alpha though, Kiros. He's not very... ambitious. Not that I mind, of course."
She cocked her head at his comment - she'd missed Pavati's dark glance at her mate. Pavati was fine, she was sure. "You can't say that! She's getting older is all." Jori nuzzled him. It was strange, though - how she could never remember a time when 'Vati had used their real names. Jori would have thought the girl would have outgrown nicknames by now.
Maybe these things took time...
Sade grinned amiably. "Naw, sis. Holes don't just APPEAR! Something has to put them there." He paused, considering. "So I suppose if someone dug a hole Papa could fall into it and dissapear. But you could still find him!"
The grey-green male leaned forwards, his own gaze flitting towards his parents. He raised his shoulders in a wolfish shrug, not really minding one way or the other. They were blood, and he loved them. THAT was what mattered. Right? "I have dreams about you, and I probably say your name too. That doesn't mean I had a wild affair with you." He grinned and wagged his tail. "So maybe it's his sister too? I dunno."
Sade licked her lightly on the cheek. "You worry too much, 'Vati."
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Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 7:04 pm
Kiros was just as perplexed as Jori as to the nature of their height. "Perhaps a relative of yours?" All his had been small, too small to care about in the way that he had. Their hearts were big, though.
"Perhaps it is better that he is not. Ambition can lead to trouble, and death." He didn't like to speak in such eerie tones, but it was true, and father and mother had always taught him never to speak a lie, not even a half truth if he could get away with it. Concealing information was for the long dead Xan.
"Yes, you're right, of course," Kiros said, but it wwas clear he was still unsure on the matter. Pavati was a strange egg, perhaps she'd change again upon adulthood. Maybe.
Pavati had her ears forward as she listened to Sade talk. It gave her an idea. Some day she would make one such hole and trap Sade in it, just for the fun of it. The hole would have to be very carefully constructed, and she'd have to cover it well. She liked this idea, and it was apparent in her smile.
"Oh dear!" Pavati exclaimed, alarm crossing her face. "I don't think it would be very good at all if you had a wild affair with me!" It seemed like such a strange thing to say, but it made his point come across loud and clear. It would have been interesting for father to have a crazy lover other than mother, but their lives just weren't that exciting.
"I don't worry!" she retorted, but it was very true, she did. Every second of he day she was scampering about. What if the river Kara does not approve?
"I've had many adventures," she told Sade at random. "There are so many very strange wolves out there, and none of them are terribly unkind." Then there was that one, the blue one. Red Eyes, who still made her head spin. He was a slimy little fellow.
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Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 11:25 am
"... yes, maybe." Jori didn't elaborate. She didn't know too much about his relatives, other than what he had told her of his sister that one afternoon... But it didn't matter, because Sade was fine - not agressive, not tormented by inner demons, not cruel and unkind. For all of that, Jori was thankful. At Kiros' comment on ambition, the small blue female nodded. Her eyes unconsciously flitted to Pavati.
"As long as they are happy and safe..." She let the sentence fall off, unwilling to finish it. Even if they were unhappy, unkind, cruel... she would love them. And for that, she felt a surge of fear. Small green and blue ears swivled and she pushed away such dark thoughts.
"Sade! Come say hello to your father!"
The young male flicked an ear towards his mother, but didn't move at first. "No, no wild affairs between us, sister." A crooked grin flashed into place. "Adventures? Tell me soon! Mama and I haven't done too much, but we met a few others."
Sade whapped his tail against his sister's side and then trotted over to Kiros. He wasn't sure what to make of the grey-blue male. After all, they hadn't seen each other since he was little. For a moment he stood in silence, a faded grin still plastered on his face. Was meeting family normally this akward? But... oh, what the hell!
"'Vati says you took her on adventures!" The teen blurted, ears perking and tail thumping wildly. "I wanna go on adventures with you too!" He risked a glance at Mama, but she didn't seem hurt so he continued. "'Mama and I missed you, didn't we?"
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Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2007 8:34 am
Kiros, on the other hand, was not as positive as Sade. He did not think he could love them with all his heart if they turned out to be like Xan. Sure, he'd put out his heart to them, but there wouldn't be the fullness that he had now. Not that it mattered, for he didn't have to worry about such things with either one of his kids.
Pavati nodded, showing a broad smile as Sade moved towards father. She, too, followed, and came up behind mother, shoving her muzzle into Jori's neck and thrumming her throat lightly.
Kiros gave nothing but a hint of joy as Sade came closer. This was the son that was most like him, and watching his large figure made him proud. This was a boy of pure innocence, yet love for his family. He looked as though he could actually do something, unlike Kiros himself. Perhaps that was what the pack needed afterall?
Kiros chuckled at the boy's youthful exuberance. "I think," he said after a slight pause, "That it can be arranged." He gave Jori a wink. "If your mother doesn't mind taking Pavati, you and I can go somewhere." He wondered if it was bad that he took Pavati so many places, instead of keeping her here, where it was safe.
"After that, though, I think its time we settle like a real family." He missed seeing Jori, dreadfully so. Even if it was only a month or two apart at a time, the days in between were not nearly long enough. And though Pavati may wish to stay in the pack lands her whole life, Sade may not. Time - Kiros thought with a heavy heart - was running out.
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Posted: Sun May 20, 2007 6:48 pm
Jori jumped as Pavati's cold nose touched her skin, and happiness rippled through her. She'd been so sure... so afraid that 'Vati hated her for what had happened when they were young. Her ears flattened and she nuzzled her daughter back, tail thumping hard against the ground.
Her dark green eyes flitted to her son and Kiros and she smiled wryly. "It's fine with me, as long as 'Vati here doesn't mind." Jori cast a warm glance at her daughter and laughted. "We probably won't have too many adventures, but I think we could manage to find something fun to do. Sound good to you, Sadey-boy?"
The teen's eyes lit up and he wagged his tail faster. Unable to contain his happiness at the suggestion, Sade lept forwards and nipped playfully at his father. "Yesyesyes! Please take me!"
Even if he didn't know Papa very well, it would be so cool to go traveling around with him! Fighting and hunting and doing... guy things! Not that Mama was boring or anything, she just stuck around home so much. That was so boooring!
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Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 6:57 pm
Pavati pinned her ears. Why would she mind, and why was mother asking her opinion. Mother's weren't supposed to ask questions like that! They were supposed to have all the answers and so forth - at least, that's what she believed.
"Pavati is tired of adventures," she said matter-of-factly. They took a long time, involved too much walking, and never gave her anytime to practice the shaman qualities she possessed, which seemed to dissapear when Beere-Augen wasn't around.
Kiros chuckled, "Alright son, let's go. Jori, as soon as we get back in a few months you and I will have to find some alone time together." He gave her a wink and a deep growl rumbled from the back of his throat.
Pavati wiggled. "Gross!"
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Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 7:06 am
Sade's whole body exploded into motion at the declaration. He couldn't help it! He darted over to 'Vati and Mama and nuzzled both with a quick motion.
"Bye Mama! Bye 'Vati!" He turned to join his father, but as he passed his sister he whispered once in her ear. "Take care of Mama, right? I know you can!"
All grins, the male galloped to Kiros' side and stood with his tongue lolling and his tail a blur of grey behind him. "Let'sgolet'sgo!" He crowed. Finally, going to see the world! And what a great one it must be!
Jori nuzzled her son back and laughed at his excitement. She was looking forward to spending time with her only daughter - they hadn't seen much of each other since Pavati was a tiny pup.
"Time alone? Yes, that would be... wonderful." Jori laughed and returned the wink, her muzzle stretched in a grin. It would be nice to be with Kiros again, once he returned - she missed him so much! "Just you wait, 'Vati! Someday you'll be in love too, kiddo."
Secretly, the thought frightened her, but her smile remained bright. She would worry about THAT when it happened.
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Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 12:56 pm
Pavati looked to Jori and back to Sade, her mouth slightly agape. "Uh. . . yes." It wasn't exactly a convincing argument, but Sade had thrown the question at a rather random time, and then answered it for her!
Kiros chuckled at Sade's enthusiasm. "Alright, alright little blike, contain yourself!" He growled lightly and nipped at his son's ear. Yes, it would be good to have a nice mellow male about compared to Pavati's constant wailing and declarations. She was so sigh worthy.
Pavati was busy holding true to Kiros' impression of her. She'd wrinkled her nose at her mother, and pinned her ears, though not in an angry way. "Blue Wolf found someone, but he doesn't like her!" In fact, he probably didn't even know she existed! There was that other female, whatever her name was.
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Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 1:06 pm
Sade beamed at his sister and mother. They were so perfect! So lovely and blue. He felt a quick pang of jealousy and suppressed it. Grey and green were good shades to be. He could defend his family, hidden in the bushes.
Like a dirty assassin. The male wrinkled his nose.
"Papa, where're we gonna go?" In all honesty, the teen had little to no knowledge about the lands outside his own pack's. After all, what reason had he had before to wander off? Now he could finally explore!
Jori blinked. Blue wolf? Was that Pavati's name for herself? No matter. "Oh, and who is that?" She inquired, tail wagging. "Do you like him?" She grinned, though an echo of fear rippled through her.
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Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2007 8:58 am
Kiros pondered it for a moment. His ears flicked to his skull, and his face had great concentration. Truthfully, he didn't know where to go, but he knew it should be somewhere special. They had plenty of places to go, but which ones to do first.
Should he save the best for last, or just take Sade places and wing it. They'd have to hunt together. Pavati was easy to take care of, they basically lived off the kindness of others, since Pavati couldn't hunt - unless she followed her crazy ideals, which Kiros had no intention of doing.
"How about we go to a high peak, take a look, and you can tell me where to go from there?" he finally decided upon, looking to his son to see if this was a suitable answer.
Pavati frowned. She didn't know his real name. In any case, he was a jerk anyway, completely ignoring him like he did. "Nah, he just saved my life, but he's got somebody." There, that was a suitable answer. Who wanted an ugly little wolf for companionship, anyway. She had family.
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Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2007 9:57 am
"Really? You'd let me choose?!" Sade wiggled and wagged his tail until it became a reddish-grey blur.
He'd never climed up on a mountain before! The view must be awesome! He could probably see the whole world from there! He grinned, picturing it with wide eyes and a niave imagination. Danger took little place in his dreams, and when it did -
-- well, he and Papa always would come out on top!
Jori pinned her ears back for a moment, and her smile faltered. Saved her life? she cast a worried glance towards he son and mate, but forced herself to stay where she was.
Sometimes you had to let go.
"Well... we should go, 'Vati." With a last glance towards Kiros and Sade she turned and plodded back through the early spring mud. The earth seemed to tug at her, begging her to stay. Slowing her progress away from her mate...
Stupid. Jori flicked her ears in annoyance and put such superstitions aside.
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