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 Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 8:20 pm
Today was one of the few days that Halcyon was away from the pack without Artemis in tow. He didn't mind, in fact he LOVED palling around with his sister, but lately it felt like if he could just get one or two runs in alone, life would be just perfect for the stocky teen.
There was no doubt about it; Halcyon was Hige's boy!
He grinned as he thought of his father, once towering over him as he was a pup, now whenever he saw his elder, they stood nearly eye to eye. Of course, Artemis was big like their daddy too, but she kept a more petite frame while being larger overall. Halcyon was big and bulky.
But that didn't mean the wolf lumbered along! He took off like a shot, finding a new energy reserve. He was farther away today from his pack than he had been in a while, but that didn't bother the boy at all. He could easily make it back home, and he trusted that his mother's new mate would take care of things if he weren't there for a few hours.
Ears back, tail flying like a banner, the wolf sprinted around trees and over rocks and fallen trees that lay in his path. It was early in the morning and he felt as though he were trying to outrun the sunrise now. A light fog clung to the cool morning air, catching the sunlight in all the right ways. This morning, Halcyon's entire world was gold. It was as if life itself knew the meaning of the wolf's name and decided to transform itself to personify everything the name meant.
He couldn't keep from letting it out, really, and as he flew his voice trailed behind~ "Hahaha-WoooOO~" he laughed and cheered, the cheer quickly turning into a loud, happy howl.
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Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 9:01 pm
Two ears pricked up from where she trotted. A howl, quite loud and quite nearby starteled Calixte who had, for the umpteenth time, wandered off of Pandemoniums lands. Thankfully though, where she had once been small and defenseless things had changed; from where a small, giggling pup had once romped, now stood a rather petite but healthy adolescent. She was sleek but ever so small and though she glowed with the robust health of a young adult she would never grow any larger. A funny sight to see, compared to others her age, but Calixte didn't often notice.... at least when she was away.
The young one held a warriors heart but none of the proper strength or ability. Though she had learned to defend herself, no matter how hard she wanted to join Dax's army of mercenaries and fighters, the golden girl would never be able. She was too frail, too physically weak to be tried and put in to the front lines. Though she hadn't liked coming to such a conclusion, the young wolfess had accepted her place with Juude, Antigone and the others. . . .
Despite the impossibility of her dream, Calixte never got down about it. She was a joyful, optimistic and cheerful spirit and had accepted her small size. There were great advantages to being so slight - she held speed and could wriggle in to the best hiding places! Just let Maim or even Dax himself try to pin her down! Though they had strength, to bowl her over meant they had to catch her first and with Calixte, such a thing wasn't an easy task.
Thankfully, when upon her own council, she didn't worry much about her size because there were none to compare her with save her shadow. Though she meant to keep to her own council, it was hard to ignore the howl - especially when it came so close! It wasn't any wolf she recognized, but could such joy really be so harmful?
Springing to her feet, the girl threw back her head and echoed the joy with a song of greeting and giddy delight. Before her song finished, she had begun to push her way through the under brush, ears tuned for a new response or the sound of foliage and foot steps. Perhaps the stranger would respond to her call, or better yet, she might stumbled across the source and make a new friend! Though there were killers out there - her own pack proved that - could one so happy truly be a threat to her health?
Ever the optimistic, she continued on her search for Halcyon, unafraid of what meeting the stranger might bring.
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Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 1:05 pm
Awoooo~
The boy heard the return howl and took off in its direction like a shot. He ran as though if he didn't catch the source soon his entire world would crumble at his very paws...
"You caught me off guard...
Now I'm running and screaming."
He sang as he went, throwing a howl in when he thought there might be a pause. Previous thoughts of spending the day alone sank deep down, as though they had been dashed upon the rocks of an angry coast and were sinking into the black sea.
Halcyon loved metaphors.
"I feel like a hero..."
He continued singing as he ran, until he saw her. Though she was nearly the hue of the world around him - as the rising sunlight still clung to the light mist hanging in the area - she stood out, a halo of different light seemed to surround the sparsely striped femme.
"Will you be my... heroine?"
He finished the thought, and what he knew of the song, as he approached slowly, not wanting to scare her away. It was, in his mind, as if she were a figment of his imagination, a trick from heaven or a painting in the mist.
"Morning, M'Lady." he spoke before he knew he had opened his mouth, and bowed his head gracefully, hoping hard that he wasn't speaking to an illusion.
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Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 1:41 pm
Picking her way through the underbrush, her black tipped ears heard the source of the howl before she saw him. Not only could she hear the tear of paws in to the earth, and a weight dodging through the surrounding foliage with reckless abandon, but she heard a voice. . . singing~! Her tail wagged quickly as she caught the words, eyes lighting in delight as she remembered meeting Bindi in a similar fashion; the wolfess had been singing and Calixte had mimicked it as best she could! That had been the first time the little pup had sang. . . .and oh, how she had loved it. She lived in a world of music when alone, and though her voice wasn't perhaps the most beautiful, she cared not - music was music no matter what!
Slowing her run to a trot, the wolfess waited eagerly for Halcyon's approach, curious about who it was she had greeted so early this morning. Tail wagging lazily behind her, eyes glowing bright with delight, the young female wasn't soon disappointed. Sure enough, out stepped a wolf that at first glance was huge! For a brief moment he reminded her of Dax and some of the larger wolves within the heart of Pandemonium, but this male was not at all related. She'd never seen him before in her life, with his lovely varied brown patterned coat, and what looked to be a sort of collar of black fur around his neck.
Would she be his heroine. . .?
Only if he meant it.
Before she had a chance to respond, the male greeted her affably, ducking his head in a bow. Her tail wagged faster, and she couldn't help but dance from paw to paw in amusement, giggling softly in response. "Good morning to you too, stranger," she spoke, dipping her own head in a similar pose. "I hope I didn't interrupt your singing. . . " For a moment, Calixte worried that she had. He had been howling his joy, and she had rather rudely called her greeting and might have interrupted his song. What if his joyousness had been meant to cry for another wolf. . . ? What if he'd been waiting for his beloved, searching for her and she had suddenly drawn him over and away from where she hid? What if, what if, what if. . .? Absurdities began to wrap around Calixte's thoughts, but her smile and delight not once wavered.
The stranger was here now, wasn't he? It was too late to take back her cry, and no matter what, Calixte wasn't a wolf that lived with regret.
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Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 2:28 pm
He smiled, genuinely delighted in her good morning wish. "Oh, no, you didn't interrupt anything at all." he assured her, chestnut-colored eyes sparkling as his glee clearly danced on them.
The female seemed small to him at first, but he didn't think much about it. He was used to being bigger than other wolves, but his mother was tiny, and then there was little Oak who in the long time she'd been with them now still hadn't grown even a smidge...
At that thought, he worried briefly for the little mossy wolf, hoping sincerely that it wasn't a sickness that kept her small. Maybe the worry showed on his face, his brows furrowing every so slightly as the thought crossed his mind, but the look was soon gone and the playful smile and peaceful expression soon returned. He could speak with Ket later on the issue. The spotted male WAS a healer after all.
But back to the present! "I'm sorry if I scared you, rushing up like I did." he suddenly realized that he had sort of barreled through the forest as if he were giving chase to his prey. But honestly, he didn't think that he had scared the female - truthfully, he didn't feel that she would be easily frightened.
He thought briefly also about apologizing for his singing, or the forwardness of it all, but decided to let it slip until or unless she mentioned it.
Oh! Silly... "I am Halcyon, of South Seaside." he introduced himself finally, feeling a bit daft for not thinking to sooner.
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Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 3:25 pm
Calixte chuckled lightly, giving a shake of her head to assure the wolf that he hadn't startled her. She had never been much of a jumpy wolf, aside from dealing with thunderstorms, and probably would never be one. She was confident, not the least bit shy, and was more curious about the world than afraid of it - young, a bit naive and occasionally hyperactive Calixte couldn't have grown in to a more delightful young lady. As it was, she missed the momentary furrow of brows as Halcyon quickly smiled playfully upon her.
"Oh no - I wasn't frightened, promise!" Calixte's eyes danced in good humor as she studied the wolf before her. . . Halcyon. She repeated the name, commiting it to memory and a hope that like Rend and Maim, perhaps this wolf would become more than just a casual stranger. Perhaps it wasn't normal, but the young wolfess wanted no more than to be friends with the world. . . . regardless. It wasn't necessarily a smart goal to hope to achieve, especially with many dangers lurking within the shadows, but Calixte wasn't afraid of anyone or anything.
And why should she? She had her pack to protect her, and a loving family and friends. Life would always turn out right, or so she firmly believed. Giggling again, Calixte pawed at the ground and added, "Well it's very nice to meet you, Halcyon." South Seasides. . . . Why did the pack name sound so familiar? Perhaps she merely imagined hearing the name before within her travels. . . . and yet. . . . No matter! She was probably imagining its familiarity anyway. "I'm Calixte, of Pandemonium," she mimicked his greeting, proud to be a member of the large haven of wolves. She had been Calixte the Forgotten before meeting Bindi, but ever she was lucky to have had her life transformed.
Smiling wide, she tossed the brown wolf a wink. "Tell me, do you sing only when alone or by request? It's not often I meet fellow singers in the woods, you know; we're a rarity!"
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Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 4:22 pm
"Good. I would have hated to have frightened anyone." he yipped happily. His butt hit the ground hard as he sat, suddenly feeling that he needed to rest a bit after his long run, and then that sudden burst of energy to find Calixte. He had worn himself out, in short, and now panted softly, letting his tongue loll from his mouth slightly.
"Pleasure to meet you, Calixte of Pandemonium." he spoke finally, saying everything out loud to make sure he would remember them well. He had never heard of her pack, and wondered if it lay very far away from his own.
"What has you out and about so early in the morning?" He spoke, letting his curiosity out of the cage. He figured it shouldn't really be a private matter, and was equally ready to give an answer if the question had been turned back on him.
Singers? Oh! "I usually only sing alone... but only because no one else I know does it." he admitted a bit bashfully. He hadn't meant for her to hear him really, but his heart had taken over and there was nothing the mind or mouth could have done to quite themselves after that fact. We? We... "You sing too?" he questioned excitedly, his tail swishing back and forth over the ground, rustling through the leaves and twigs that lay around.
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Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2008 1:48 pm
The little wolf couldn't have been more pleased by this new, singing discovery. The large male seemed about just as optimistic and chattery as she, which was something the young pup approved of whole heartedly! There were some who liked to be quiet, or who couldn't stand to play or joke around; worse, there were some wolves out there whom didn't like Calixte in the least and found her presence and company quite tedious. Thankfully, this day, her new friend Halcyon was not one of those wolves and he didn't appear to be faking any of his optimistic pleasure!
Taking a seat herself, mimicking the actions of the larger male, the young adolescent curled her tail tight around her paws. The morning was looking to be a glorious day, with sunlight already beginning to burn away the mist. A few birds sang and chattered, delighting in the fact that spring was just around the corner. The world seemed alive today, and Calixte was all the happier for it. "No reason, really," she explained lightly with a shrug, eyes bright in good humor. "It just seemed like a good day to escape, to be wild and free without worrying about borders or orders." There weren't any real orders to be given, aside from keeping an eye on Bindi's litter; but there was Juude for that, and Reno and Jaylin and Antigone and all sorts of others. . . young yet, they didn't often give her much to do. "What of you?"
Pawing at the ground, the young girl gave another gentle giggle, her own tail wagging in excitement. "I love to sing!" She blurted, feeling all the better for such an admittance. Though Bindi sang, it was infrequent and Calixte hadn't caught any of the others doing such a thing. Though it might make her different, the young spotted girl was relieved that she had met another, non-related to Pandemonium, that did the same. "But I've never found any outside of my pack that does the same! From what little I heard, you have a lovely voice." And she wasn't just saying that - so far the only singers (outside of chorus howling) she'd hear was herself and Bindi. So to hear Halcyon sing was something beautiful to the girl.
She almost wished he'd have kept up with his song.
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Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2008 1:40 pm
The speed at which his tail brushed against the ground only increased as the female sat down in front of him. It pleased him when other wolves felt comfortable enough to sit or lay in his presence. He realized he was big, and could be intimidating, so this was a special joy for him. He grinned his appreciation.
His ears twitched slightly with birdsong, picking up new notes and patterns that maybe he could put his own words to later. It was his number one hobby now, besides rolling in the sand at the beach - but that was less dignified, and he would save that admission for another time.
He nodded at her answer. It was very nearly his own reason for being out, though it was more of him forcing himself out, forcing himself to believe that Ket would take care of things the way that Dad did. "The same, nearly." he spoke honestly. "My father left the pack not long ago, and I felt it necessary to keep his place, to keep Mother safe, and my other siblings and packmates." he smiled at the thought that his mother had finally found true love, again. "But Mother re-found love... not so many are lucky to have it twice, I think." For some reason, the admission of that made his eyes mist up, and there was a tickle in his snout.
"But with Ketei - that's his name" he clarified " - I think that the pack will flourish again. Not that Mother couldn't do it alone, but she's... " he switched gears in the midst of his sentance "I fear for her safety, sometimes." he finished, with a ghostly smile.
All at once, the young male felt he had been speaking way too much, though he would gage his company's expressions before apologizing. He really did need to get that off his chest, and Calixte was the first wolf he had met outside his own pack. Ever. Sure there were new members of the pack - Oak had come with Ket, and Schatze had been carried home by his beloved sister Hannah and her mate Johnny.
He would have to bring the pair of pups out on a walk someday. Everyone else seemed so busy now, but they would surely trust Halcyon to accompany the pups on their first real journeys outside the packlands!
But his attention was taken off all he had been thinking by Calixte's admission of singing as well. "It's great, isn't it? It makes everything I'm doing seem much more amazing if I'm singing. And... if I have a job to do, singing makes it seem to go by faster." he spouted. "No one in my pack sings either, but I'm hoping the new pups... " he grinned. "When I have to pup-sit... I sing to them. I hope I'm teaching them something." he admitted and ducked his head, hoping not to be taken for a cheeseball.
He would be blushing by now if he could, though he did feel his cheeks burn hot. "Thank you. No one's ever really commented." he answered honestly.
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Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2008 9:28 pm
Calixte listened to her new friend happily, though knowing none in his pack the names did little. Still, the spotted adolescent had an imagination and she could at least try to guess what wolf went with the name. Loki, his mother, must have been a brown wolf. Perhaps with black around her neck and chestnut eyes. And his father was, alos, likely brown; perhaps the paler colour that stained his chest? Or maybe even a mix of black and brown? Ketei. . . . . Ketei - that definitely had to be a black wolf with a name like that! Strong enough to be a leader, but dark. . . . A strong and dark mysterious alpha whom had taken on her new friends mother as a mate!
Wow.
It was almost like some story out of a fairytale!
Still, her heart did go out to the stranger. The fact that the father left. . . she instantly wanted to know why! Why should the former alpha leave? If Loki and the mysterious disappearing former alpha had loved so much, why had he left? Did he not still love her? Was his pack and children not important? But it wasn't her place to ask, and she wasn't going to question. "Not so many are lucky to find it period," she answered, her voice a bit softer.
What was it like to have a mother and brother and sisters that looked familiar? Though Bindi shared a similar coat colour, and treated her just like a daughter, the young Calixte knew they weren't really related. She had no mother, no father, no siblings that she could recollect. It was just . . . . she. Pandemonium was her pack and surrogate family, but they weren't blood related. And deep down, that was something Calixte envied greatly. Even Bindi had Oren and Orin, brothers, and Dax had cousins like Juude and the goofy talking wolf had Aeryn...
Why hadn't she any family, that question had often haunted the young lady. Though she never voiced it, it sat there like a void and she couldn't help but question it. "It must be nice to have such a family. I've never had any brothers or sisters. . . I am sorry that your father left though," she added hesitantly, unsure whether or not he would be offended at her sentiments. He seemed healthy about the break up. At least on the outside. "But I know what it's like - all of mine left too."
It wasn't a painful subject for her, not really, but she didn't want him to think she was pawing for sympathy. Not at all - only to show him that they had similarities with family life, or that she could at least understand what itw as like to lose relatives. Sort of. She didn't remember hers to begin with, for better or worse; at least this way Halcyon had memories.
Moving on from the subject, the girl gave another gentle giggle, eyes relighting with intrigue. "It does make life amazing, doesn't it? Oh, and I'm sure the new puppies will have the greatest voices of them all! If none in your pack sing, than someone has to teach them, else they might miss out on such a fascinating lesson of life!" It made her happy to know that a future generation might appreciate song. . . .
The world needed more singers, or so Calixte believed.
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Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 12:35 pm
The brown wolf wondered briefly about the other's family, but figured he would leave it up to her if she would speak of it or not. Some wolves never knew the love of their birth families - Schatze and Oak were a testament to that, and even Ket...
But that sadness was for another time. It didn't have a place here, with Halcyon and Calixte. He nodded at her correction. "It's true, sadly." And he knew it was. He had known quite a few wolves to wander through live alone, never knowing the love of another. It was disheartening, the fear that maybe that might happen to him, but he brushed it off as best he could for now.
His brows furrowed at her admission. No brothers or sister? "That's really sad, I'm sorry!" he truly meant it. "Siblings can be great if you all get along, but sometimes... you just can't." he said, thinking first about the strong relationship he and his sister had, and then about the horrible relationship between his sister Hannah and their other sister, Nitika. The family hadn't seen her in forever, but Hannah had reported that the lost sister was still alive.
But that had been last summer, at best. His face was contemplative for a moment. He and Artemis had been ordered not to seek Nitika out, but... And there was that shadow across his features once more, sitting a moment before moving on, leaving a smiling maw again.
"It's alright... we don't know why father left, he just.. up and disappeared one day, but we knew he didn't want to be found. It's just, the way it all happened, his intention was clear, you know? I'm sure he still loves all of us, but it's like he just couldn't stay." he explained, hoping that the feelings he had about the situation would convey properly and not make it seem like he was in denial about the whole deal. Which he wasn't! There was no reason to be, really. He could understand, though he couldn't see himself ever doing that to his family.
He let out a slow whine as she told him her family left her. He couldn't imagine life without his loving family, even devoid of Father now. He moved closer and nuzzled her cheek, his huge tail hitting the ground slowely with a hollow 'whumph' sound.
As she giggled, he moved back again, but not as far back as he had been when they first sat. At the mention of singing again, his eyes also lit up. "I know my pups will be singers, for sure. I couldn't live without it, and hopefully they'll feel the same. As for the current pups in the pack, they're learning, and they really like it I think." His crooked smile conveyed his satisfaction at passing on the gift of singing to a new generation.
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Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 2:54 pm
It pleased Calixte to know that the loss of the father wasn't through tragedy or heartache. Though she couldn't understand why someone might leave their family, she also understood that she was young and couldn't judge. She had no family until Bindi and the wolves within Pandemonium; sometimes she wondered where her mother or family might have gone, what might have happened to them and if she had any siblings but there was no bitterness, no pain with such thoughts.
Calixte's smile brightened at the gentle touch from the brown furred male before her. How lucky was she to have met such a new friend in her life!
Listening to Halcyon, she wagged her tail some as he admitted to his joy for a future family of singers. How wonderful would that be? She could see it now - the little family raising their voices in song, echoed perhaps by others in the pack! The cream girl shimmied slightly in her seat, laughter once again escaping her voice as she looked upon her friend. "Well I shall be certain to keep my ears open for future singers of the woods. " Tail wagging lightly behind her, she tilted her head in curiosity at the brown wolf. "So is your pack very large? And - and are you very close-knit?" She didn't mean to poke and pry but it intrigued her. She hadn't meant very many pack wolves in her life, at least those that weren't within Pandemonium.
She couldn't help herself - she just wanted to know more about this brown furred - and rather handsome - stranger.
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Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 3:44 pm
Halcyon stretched out, fur fluffing up in the action, and sat down again, giving Calixte his full attention once more. "There are a good number of us... and yes," he smiled, pausing, "we are very close-knit. Most of the bulk of the pack is my blood family, and the spaces are filled in by very good friends. The few who aren't so close are still friendly, and I think the only reason they're not as close is that they spend more time off the territory dealing with other matters." he admitted. There were the few that he had never even met, but he knew they were still a part of the pack.
"What about your pack?" he turned the question back on the female. He liked hearing her talk, and wished momentarily that he could shut himself up so she could talk more, with that pretty voice rivaled only by the rest of her.
Time to blush again!
Though he stayed seated, his forepaws pranced with happiness and anticipation of her answer. He made a mental note to take her to the nearby clearing if she wanted to go with him. He was getting hungry, and there were plenty of fish to be caught for their breakfast!
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Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 9:32 pm
The young adolescent listened as Halcyon spoke of his pack, her golden eyes bright with delight. So he had a large family, and a large pack! Calixte could understand the large pack part, but though she considered them all a part of her family, they were not of her blood. No one was of her blood and though such a small detail could almost have gone unnoticed, Calixte was older now. . . .
She saw Bindi and Dax's family - how Juude and Aeryn held the swirls of their cousin. How the pups, though they didn't look quite like the pair, were so well related. Orin and Oren and Layla and Laila - it was hard not to see the resemblance! Even Rend and Maim, though she loved them both, were brothers tall and true. It wasn't a big deal, it wasn't . . . it didn't mean she was less loved or unwanted, but family was something the young girl had never had. Not until she was taken in by Bindi as her own. . . .
Was she occasionally jealous of the pups?
It would be a lie of she denied it. Sometimes she wondered how the other pups could look so UNLIKE Dax and Bindi and yet be of their blood. Why was she the only one like herself? Why hadn't she been born in such a similar way? Ah, but now was not the time to think and wonder.
Snapping back to give Halcyon her complete attention, the female chuckled softly and pawed at the ground. "It sounds quite wonderful, and similar to my own! Pandemonium is huge - and just seems to keep on growing! A lot of the wolves are blood related to one another which keeps everyone close-knit, but there are those whom are orphan's like me. The thing about Pandemonium though, is half of the wolves are warriors and fighters, while the other half is more gentle and laid back." Giggling softly, the petite femme tossed a wink at the brown wolf before her, "I suppose that's what keeps it so interesting!"
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Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2008 3:32 pm
He noticed the faraway look in Calixte's eyes and wondered what she was musing over, and if he had caused it. If that was the case, he hoped it wasn't anything negative.
Pandemonium. He himself set to musing over it momentarily, mulling over the meaning of the word and unclear as to what sort of pack this gentle female came from. She caught his attention again, however, when she spoke of the pack being in halves. "That's interesting." he stated, "South Seaside has both, of course, but there's no definite line like that. Some are both, and some are one or the other." He smiled.
It wasn't a bad idea, and he was very interested in this sort of thing. At one point his mother had been considering heirs, and he and his sister Artemis were up to become possible alphas, as well as his older sister Hannah and her mate Johnny, but mother had found a mate and decided she would be bored sitting back with no responsibility. He figured she would be alpha until she died, but that was just his mother - seeing things through to the very end, no matter what life threw at her.
Though he wouldn't admit it, he had been scared of the prospect of becoming alpha of his great pack. He was so very young, yet, and had many winters ahead of him if he were to ever become the sort of wolf he would trust with heading over an entire pack.
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