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 Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 4:21 pm
January 109
Calla strode with ease and confidence through the familiar fort. It shouldn’t have been so familiar, but she had been here to ‘visit’ Alister frequently. That was why she was here, after all. Briefly, instinctively, her hand flitted to her stomach before crossing her arms behind her head. Never once did the expression on her face chance from her usual warm, almost sarcastic smile as her thoughts chased about her mind.
She was pleased, grateful, overjoyed. Over all these years, man, Toys, games she had thought herself to be as barren, as useless as near any other woman in this world. But here she was, either a month and a half late or a month and a half pregnant. A month since their first meeting, two weeks to fill him in and get the transfer worked out.
On the flip she was slightly disappointed. Alister did not strike her as a father figure; she would have to whip him into shape first. The timing was horrible, it was close to summer and she would only be able to help on the frontlines for so long. She wouldn’t leave battle unless she absolutely had to, but she couldn’t aid the frontlines like she had always done. It would be a difficult change. And, most of all, the fort change. Ten years fighting, joking, cooperating with New Eve she would be sad to have to leave them. But she knew Alister would never transfer and she knew she couldn’t care for a child alone. Alister was the father so it was his responsibility to aid in caring for his child.
None of this mattered now! She had already made the transfer. She shook these thoughts from her head and set her eyes to the present, to the future as she drew close to the main office. Pausing at the door she adjusted her uniform, she still wore the red from new Eve, and smoothed out the wrinkles from the ride here as best she could. A deep breath later she knocked on the door as she opened it.
“Hello?” She asked, her tone cheerful as she peeked into the room.
To say WoodWhisp sat diligently by the wagon would be a rather large lie. In truth he was bored, the mild excitement from the move and at being able to spend his time with Twilight without having to sneak out and travel so far to see her was beginning to wear off. In fact he wasn’t even really paying attention to the wagon that held his Rider’s belongings or for that matter the rather shifty man driving the wagon that Calla didn’t trust. He was the reason Calla had asked him to stay and guard the wagon until she could get her uniform, barrack number, and key so she could unload her stuff and send the man on his way. WoodWhisp was rather sure he hadn’t been paying attention when she had asked him to do this, because he knew that he would never have agreed to such a boring job had he known what he was agreeing to.
With a sigh WoodWhisp flopped down in the grass on his back, staring up at the sky. His patient was quickly beginning to fade as he watched the clouds above him, hoping Calla would be back quickly so he could go about finding new hiding places.
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 7:13 pm
Riya scowled at the pile of papers on her desk, sitting rather stubbornly in her chair as she refused to touch the cursed paperwork. Despite being new to her commanding rank, she secretly wished that Karayan would retire already so she could steal his position and hand off all the internal affairs to Kael. Having been raised in a Fort, and by a Captain no less, Riya was used to the military operations that came with formulating strategies and tactics for battle. The superiority complex that had been pounded into her by Shizuka for the last decade but suppressed by her low rank the past few years wanted to lash out at the Privates in training. But that was Karayan's job... for now.
For now, she would simply have to deal with the downside of being a Lieutenant and hope to be promoted soon. Then again, the suspicion that tickled the back of her mind never left for Riya had the fear that young Kael may be the one to receive the rank of Captain when it came time for her promotion. Not that Riya had any doubts on her abilities because she had been trained by Shizuka, and even so, the Drill Sergeant had noted that she was a natural in military environments. However, that was nothing in face of the fact that Kael was a Seer, an ability that had proven to be an extremely beneficial asset to any pack whose leader was one.
With a annoyed sigh, Riya finally pulled the paper off from the top of the stack, staring curiously at the application. Transfers occured once in awhile, but not often. The knock at the door barely distracted her from skimming over the transfer application, managing a short "Come in." When the visitor called out, the Lieutenant raised her head, only to meet an unfamiliar face wearing the colors of New Eve. A raised eyebrow was all she offered the woman, assuming the Private was here to deliver a letter from Damien... Riya tapped the edge of her desk as she looked back to the paper in her other hand. "Put it here."
Stardust stalked through the fort, ignoring the wolves and running over a few people - well, they should've gotten out of her way. She had picked up the unfamiliar scent as soon as it had entered her territory, but she had been preoccupied in beating a disobedient Gamma into submission. Now that she was done with that, it was time to meet the visitor and determine why it was here. A common occurrence, sure, but she liked to know when and why wolves of the other pack were in her home.
Nearing the horse-drawn cart, the scent of a slightly familiar human reached her nostrils, one that Stardust associated with Twilight's human. The wolf that now lay on the grass was vaguely familiar too, but she never bothered to remember the name of wolves from New Eve. As she approached the male, her posture stiffened as she raised her ears and tail, a deep not yet threatening rumble emitting softly from her throat to announce her arrival to the visit.
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SilverStarrSapphire Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 7:54 pm
Calla entered the room and shut the door behind her.
“Lieutenant Riya.” She said by way of greeting, saluting the woman before assuming her more casual posture. It was obvious the woman was busy. Calla groaned inwardly, her timing was impeccable as always. And it was because of this that she didn’t really seem insulted that Riya didn’t recognize her, assuming her to be a messenger of some other sort, “Forgive me but, put what there?” Calla questioned, her overall tone appeared innocent and curious, but beneath that was the ever constant layer of subtle sarcasm that seemed to be ever present in the Private’s voice. The playful sparkle in her eyes didn’t help much either as she removed her hands from her pockets and revealed them to be empty. Ah well, if she was going to earn this woman’s irritation by interrupting her she might as well get some fun out of it.
“Whatever it is you are expecting, ma’am, I do not have it.” Again, polite, conversational, laced with subtle sarcasm, “I was simply here to pick up my barrack assignment and uniform.” She explained, brushing her short cut hair out of her face with a smile. “But whatever it is you’re expecting I’m sure I could probably get my hands on it if it’s that important.” She seemed to be genuinely helpful, but really she just knew she would need to do just about anything possible to get this woman on her side considering this seemed to be a bad way to start off with her new Superior.
WoodWhisp didn’t hear the wolf’s approach, busy entertaining himself in the clouds. But as Stardust mad noise he was immediately on his feet, a goofy smile on his face. His orange eyes analyzed the scene before him, the blue and white wolf was obviously a higher rank than he was. Realizing Calla would kill him if he made someone angry already he lowered his posture slightly.
“Greetings…” He trailed off slightly, trying to place a name with the wolf in front of him. He was sure he should recognize her, either from the information Calla had supplied him with or from his on excursions to White Shadow…
Higher ranking officers were….Karayan rider of SnowSky and Riya rider of….
“STARDUST!” He said, his tone really failing to hide the hint of relief that he had remembered her name, it would make conversing with her so much easier now.
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 9:30 pm
As Riya skimmed through the transfer application, she faintly registered what the visitor was saying but pretty much ignored the woman as she carried on with her work. But then she realized that the Private was still here, so the Lieutenant looked up and replayed what had been said in her mind. Frowning, she also realized that the other woman had nothing in her hands, which meant she clearly was not here to deliver a letter. However, her irritation only spiked at the woman's first comment, before settling into confusion at the explanation of why she was here.
Glancing down at the transfer application, Riya realized she probably should have looked through the pile sooner and she wouldn't be so confused at this moment. "Calla Bianchi," she stated more to herself as she read the name of the paper in her hand, before glancing up at the new transfer. That made slightly more sense - actually, Calla came with some pretty high regards from Damien. Not that Riya cared because she hardly ever listened to Damien, but still, her Captain seemed to have taken the review seriously since Karayan had scribbled 'Potential Sergeant' on her application.
"Take a seat," Riya gestured to one of the chairs in front of her desk, placing the paper down as she took the time to look over the older woman. Clearly Calla had a problem with formalities, but that shouldn't be a problem unless she crossed Shizuka's path - something the woman would learn in time. But Riya wasn't into stiff formalities most of the time, unless the occassion called for it. So the Lieutenant offered a friendly smile, genuinely relieved to have an excuse not to wade through all the paperwork piled to the side of her desk. "I have to admit, Calla, I haven't had a chance to look through your transfer application. So why don't you tell me a little about yourself?"
Stardust stiffened even more when the visiting male did nothing more than lower his posture. For a wolf from New Eve, she would've thought they were far more submissive to Alphas given Feral and Nightmare's far more harsh with their pack. A threateningly growl escaped her throat as she flashed her fangs at him, ignoring his greeting. Stardust stalked up to him and half-circled his front, eyes glaring into his as she waited impatiently. Her muscles tensed as she prepared to pounce on him - he was fortunate that she was not Feral or he'd be eating dirt already. But she was forgiving this time because he was not from her pack and because she was just that nice.
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SilverStarrSapphire Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 6:04 pm
Calla nodded affirmation and took a seat the lieutenant told her to, stretching over the back of the chair to pop her back before returning her attention properly to her new superior. She understood how Riya probably wouldn’t have had time to look over the transfer information. A simple glance at the young woman’s desk could have told her that. Calla shuddered at the idea of having a desk job. There was simply no way she would be able to keep focused on a simple piece of paper like that. There were always so many important things to be done around a fort, to be stuck behind a desk would simply be so dull. Calla was slightly tempted to vocalize her pity for the woman, but quickly decided against it, she had already pushed her limits as far as she dared right now.
But then again, whatever job one is assigned is the job one must complete. Calla supposed if she were told to do paperwork she would probably get it done. But there would be plenty of procrastination and distraction beforehand. Calla was a mover, a worker, it was what she knew, it was what she did. Calla blinked a few times, her eyes focusing back on Riya before her as her mind registered the question.
“Tell you…About me?” Calla asked, but didn’t wait for an answer. The woman was most likely asking about her military activity. “Well, I bonded to WoodWhisp at nineteen. A few days after that I was sent to New Eve where I’ve spent the last ten years. Generally working patrols, carrying messages, working on the Front Lines in battle.” Calla explained, listing off various duties she had taken upon herself in the time she had spent at New Eve, “Primarily if I notice anything needs done I immediately hop to the task.” Calla finished off with a small nod. Her brown eyes flicking briefly around the office before settling on the Lieutenant in front of her, the need for formality was beginning to get to her. Calla was always more for a comradery, yes this was her superior, but there was no reason they couldn’t be friends as well. But Calla knew she was already on thin ground, considering the reason behind her transfer and having already tested her limits for now.
WoodWhisp sat in mild confusion. This was Stardust right? And Stardust was ridden by Lieutenant Riya, so didn’t that mean Stardust was a Beta? But that’s not what his eyes were telling him. Was it possibly Riya was the next Captain of the fort? Yes that had to have been it. WoodWhisp quickly remedied his posture, crouching lower and looking up at Stardust with more respect than he had previously.
“My apologies, Alpha.” He said, hoping Stardust would forgive him. Otherwise Calla would not like the outcome of this whole affair. Even he knew she was slightly nervous about submerging herself in the new environment. In all actuality he was too, the only one he really knew around White Shadow was Twilight, she was the only reason he had ever come down here.
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Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 6:37 pm
Riya watched with a silent smile as Calla stretched herself out on the chair - the Lieutenant already knew that this new transfer was either going to be entertaining or a complete annoyance. It would probably depend on the day and her mood, Riya decided. A casual encounter would probably prove that Calla was fun and not as stiff as some of the wolfriders she'd meet at New Eve, which was always a welcome change from the normal military operations. But something also told her that Calla would be walking on thin ice often, especially in instances that involved the former Captain.
"Sounds busy," Riya commented on the woman's summary of her general life as a wolfrider, though she did so with a slightly teasing smile. She didn't want Calla to be nervous, especially since she wanted to get to know the transfer on a slightly more personal level. Not that she wanted to hear all the intimate details of the woman's personal affairs, but it was easier to see into a person's nature outside of a stiff setting. Which gave Riya a thought as she noticed Calla look around the room. "How about we talk outside and I'll show you to your barracks? Kind of stuff in here, don't you think?"
Skimming through the paper quickly, Riya found the barrack assignment and rummaged through a drawer. Pulling out a key, she smiled at Calla and stood up, waiting for the other to follow suit. "Shall we?"
Stardust examined the new wolf with a scrutinous thought, noting the confusion in the male's eyes before he seemed to come to a realization. The Alpha felt tempted to roll her eyes as she had seen Riya do many times, but decided that such a human action was beneath her. But she stared WoodWhisp down a little longer just to get her point across - the gamma should've known she was an Alpha anyways. Silly wolves and how easily they lost their instincts when they interacted too much with their humans.
But she was a forgiving wolf, especially when it came to newcomers. Stardust finally relaxed her stance, though she approached WoodWhisp with her ears alert and tail lifted slightly. Leaning forward, she delicately sniffed the top of his muzzle, familiarizing herself with his scent. What brings you to my fort today, nameless? Stardust emphasized the last word, an unspoken command for him to give her his name - but his scent was somewhat familiar and she decided that he must be a frequent visitor here. Strange how this was the first time she'd actually confronted him.
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SilverStarrSapphire Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 7:26 pm
Calla relaxed almost visible at the teasing tone from her lieutenant. “I do what I can. Not the kind of person to sit still.” Calla said with a grin. That was true, Calla needed to keep herself busy. Partly because otherwise she would just sit there and twitch and be easily distracted in general, and partly because busyness kept her from dwelling. Dwelling on a past she didn’t have, decisions she could have made. None of that really mattered once it was all said and done, only the choices you made now mattered, only your future mattered. Past was set in stone, past couldn’t chance. Future was flexible, water flowing through a stream, ever changing. That and she had had little to do with her spare time lately, she hadn’t had a chance to go The City with her most recent paycheck and blow every dime on enough books to get her through the Summer. She knew once Summer rolled around she wouldn’t be able to go browse the bookstores and shops of The City. Granted with the way her Winter had gone she hadn’t had much time to do either, what with her regular duties and Alister of late.
Riya’s suggestion shattered through Calla’s thoughts like a sledgehammer shatters through glass.
“Ah, that would be nice. The weather seems nicer today than it has been.” Calla said with a smile, quickly removing herself from the chair. Yes, outside where there was air and sun and movement. That sounded like a very fine idea indeed. In seconds Calla was by the door, holding it open politely for her superior, the look on her face much more cheerful and relaxed now.
WoodWhisp relaxed, but only slightly, as Stardust registered his scent. He pulled himself up just enough to be comfortable, but hopefully not enough the that Alpha would be offended by his rise. He simply found the crouched position to be so terribly uncomfortable.
“WoodWhisp, Alpha.” WoodWhisp answered the unspoken question with a gesture akin to a bow, “Transferring here as of today. Pleased to meet you.” He added politely, with any hope this information would encourage the light blue Alpha to lighten up just a little bit. Hrrg, maybe some of Calla’s mannerisms had indeed rubbed off on him, but spending ten years of your life with the same person and you were bound to pick up some things. Unfortunately for him Calla had never picked up his sense of laziness and relaxation. Constantly keeping him on the run with patrols and hunts and drills, when all he really wanted was a nice nap to while away the winter. But now, she always had to find something for him to do. Like now, guarding the cart. THE CART! WoodWhisp’s orange eye’s quickly darted over, examining the cart. It didn’t seem like anything had moved, not even the shady man driving it, so he returned his gaze back to Stardust.
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Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 7:42 pm
Stardust flickered her ear at WoodWhisp's response, shoving the name into Riya's mind for safekeeping. But the name was familiar, and did he say transfer? Now this was interesting - transfers have happened before, but they were rare and usually not without good reason. Glancing towards the cart as well, the Alpha had completely missed the load of personal belongings that had been there the entire time - whatever, minor details.
Then something clicked in her head and Stardust glanced back at WoodWhisp. Twilight's mate, she noted as she recalled the two new pups that had recently come in. But for the pair to transfer must mean that their humans must be involved as well. Speaking of which, she glanced towards the office as the door opened.
Riya hid the smile as Calla moved towards the door to open it. The Lieutenant hadn't really expected the woman to do that, though she had been wondering if Calla would or not. Good to know the transfer had extremely good manners despite what her casual mannerisms implied. "Thank you," Riya responded softly as she walked past Calla with a polite dip of the head.
"WoodWhisp, right?" Riya nodded to the new wolf, having registered the name and image her wolf had thrown her way earlier. Looking towards the cart, she eyed the driver briefly before glancing at Calla from over her shoulder. "Let's go," she said before striding forward slowly, allowing Calla time to instruct the driver to follow.
Stardust stood as well and fell into step with her human - she wanted to familiarize herself with her newest pack member.
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SilverStarrSapphire Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 4:10 pm
Calla nodded acknowledgment at her superior's thanks before striding after her, letting the doors swing shut behind her. Closing her eyes she reveled in being outside, out of the formal, claustrophobic office and into her natural element. Calla had always hated her classroom days in the academy, being trapped behind the desk staring at paper after paper of tedious, boring work when what she really needed was to be out doing something useful. Glancing towards the cart she realized Riya was waiting for her to signal it over.
“Oi!” Calla called out, gesturing for the rider to follow before catching up to Riya, not really bothering to see if he was following. “Yes, WoodWhisp. The most recent apprentices are his pups.” Calla said, a hint of pride wiggled its way into her voice as she spoke. It was then she felt WoodWhisp’s head bump against her head, and ran her fingers across his head as she walked. Wondering just how close or far from Alister her barrack would be, as that would decide just how often she would be able to bother him. Revenge for the situation he had put her in.
“Yes.” WoodWhisp confirmed, realizing he was released as Stardust moved away. He followed after her as the man lashed out at the horses to get them moving. Quickly he caught up to Calla, it was obvious to him that his rider was slightly nervous. Nudging her comfortingly he walked on her far side, as far away from Stardust as possible. In all honesty he found the Alpha female to be slightly scary in her own way. Granted back at White Shadow he had done as much of avoiding Feral and Nightmare as he possibly could, other than the times Calla had managed to get him demoted for acting above her rank he had never really made any contact with the Alpha’s other than the bare necessities.
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Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 6:56 pm
Riya glanced briefly at Calla as the older woman followed after her and the Lieutenant picked up her pace so that they were walking at a more natural stride. "Adorable pups," she commented honestly, but only because she had a soft spot for the young wolves. The apprentices, on the other hand, usually annoyed her to no end so she never bothered to interact with them in anyway. Riya left the little kids to their patrons, and she never really understood the appeal of chasing apprentices at New Eve; it seemed like such a chore.
"So why did you decide to transfer?" she asked curiously. Most transfers out of New Eve were young and unequipped to handle the stress of the two formidable Alphas there, though they quickly found that White Shadow wasn't any easier, especially with a overprotective queenbee known as Shizuka hovering over everybody's shoulder. But Calla had been there for ten long years and Riya was certain that the woman was more than capable of holding her own, as she did not seem like the type to surrender to overly vicious characters. So why the sudden change of heart?
"Fell in love?" Riya teased, throwing a small smile at Calla before looking forward again. The Lieutenant had heard rumors of the wolves' riders being involved and had a quick conversation with Alister about that. But she hadn't realized that there was anything more than a casual relationship there - then again, she wasn't exactly well-versed in love or romance. At the moment, she was quite content to do without a man hanging off of her.
So you say now, the Alpha commented quietly to her rider, though the mental scoff was ignored. Stardust glanced back at WoodWhisp, pleased to see him keeping a distance - seems like they do teach some good behavior in New Eve. But really, he was acting like she was going to lunge out at him. She wasn't mean if the wolf didn't do anything that deserved to be lashed out at, and even when she did, Stardust was sure she was certainly not as bad as Feral.
WoodWhisp, why are you all the way over there? she called to him, tail flicking invitingly as she glanced at him to see if he would walk by her shoulder. Stardust growled softly in his direction, lips curling into a slight wolfish grin. I don't bite.
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SilverStarrSapphire Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 4:54 pm
Calla stretched her hands out behind her as she walked, popping her shoulder blades with a loud crack, “This one thinks the same.” Calla said in a mildly mocking tone, gesturing to WoodWhisp. Continually she threw brief glances as Riya. She was picking up something off of the Lieutenant but hadn’t quite yet decided what. Whatever it was it had relaxed when she had left the office, but it was still present. Calla’s first thought had been to attribute it to her being in a position of power, but she had never picked this up from Damien or Annabel, this was something different. Something she didn’t quite have a name for, though it almost felt like a form of sarcasm in a completely different sort of way.
And then the question came. Calla had been expecting it, considering Riya hadn’t had a chance to read through her transfer form, but still it managed to throw Calla off her stride, but only momentarily. Calla hesitated, and it seemed Riya had picked up on it, Love? Alister? Calla could see where that assumption would come from, but she just couldn’t see it. Had she not seen the firefights? The damage sustained by the tree and wall at the back of the fort? Though at the same time Calla was tempted to doubt her own words. She felt, something, for Alister. She cared, if that was the same, that was part of the reason she had come. But Calla wouldn’t really call it love, not that she herself had much experience in the love area, simply entertainment.
“I…wouldn’t call it that.” Calla admitted, her tone hesitant at first and then picking up strength, it was now or never after all, “I just don’t think I could raise a child alone. That and New Eve isn’t exactly child friendly.” Calla picked up speed towards the end, hoping her words had blurred together enough to obscure their true meaning while at the same time were enough that Riya would accept them.
“Well mostly instinct I suppose. Most of the Alpha’s I’ve known DO bite.” WoodWhisp said jokingly, relaxing as the Alpha gestured him over. He kept speed with her, a goofy grin still on his face, “Rather hard I might add.” He said, his stride turning into that of an over dramatic limp. WoodWhisp had indeed felt the wrath of their teeth, it wasn’t his fault that he just happened to sleeping on the job, was it? Okay, so maybe it was but still, they could have found a better way to wake him up. In fact one of his legs had a small scar left by wolf teeth, but other than that WoodWhisp thought he did a pretty good job at avoiding scars and the like. Granted it helped that Calla had done, and still did, a large amount of medical studying in her spare time in the Academy. She was almost always equipped to handle injuries of either species. Though WoodWhisp was glad his rider’s sympathy didn’t extend to the Centipedes, she had that much logic about her fortunately.
“Anyway Stardust, if I may?, Don’t mind me. I’m just not used to being here WITH Calla. At the same time, sure, but never with.” WoodWhisp explained, it was certainly odd being here with Calla, considering the two had always generally avoided each other when they were both here. Entertaining the notion that the other didn’t know they where there at all, it simply made things flow much smoother for both of their goals.
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Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 10:54 am
"A child?" she voiced with unmasked surprised, glancing over at Calla before allowing her eyes to trail down to the woman's stomach. Riya couldn't see any physical changes but decided the woman knew her own body well enough. Most people would consider Calla fortunate to get pregnant so quickly when others have tried for years to no avail. But Riya felt sorry for the woman as childbearing and childbirth seemed like the worst tortue any person could go through, and it was not something that she would ever want to suffer. Though if she could, she'd curse it on Damien for the rest of the man's life.
"Feral eats babies," Riya stated rather matter-of-factly, though she had no idea whether or not it was true. But if the crazy wolf could eat Shizuka's creations, then anything was game to him. Then again, how was White Shadow any better to raise a child? As far as she knew, it only sucked to live in New Eve if you were part of the military, and civilians were treated about the same at either fort. However, she thought it was fair to warn Calla now. "I hate babies," the Lieutenant stated blandly.
They continued along the perimeter of the training field, and Riya glanced towards the surprising number of riders that were actually practicing or running courses, seeing that there were more on the field today than before. Seems like Karayan had finally ordered the riders to fall into drills, but speaking of the Captain, she had no idea where he was. Riya had looked for him in his office earlier to find it empty, and Stardust was reluctant to speak to the still brooding Alpha male. But she predicted that he was probably in the lounges flirting shamelessly with some poor girl. Oh well, Calla could meet the man later - he wasn't that important anyways.
Stardust seemed to consider the male's comments as they kept a slow pace with the humans. No, you are correct in your assumption. All Alphas bite if we are driven to that point, she stated, throwing a quick warning look at WoodWhisp that clearly said if he ever crossed her, she would show as little mercy to him as Feral and Nightmare had back in New Eve. True, she wasn't as cruel as the infamous Alpha pair under normal circumstances, but when crossed, she had just as nasty a bite. But don't worry, I am usually quite pleasant, she assured the male with a playful growl, flicking her tail at him.
How should being here with your human be different than being anywhere else with her? she responded, only a small trace of confusion in her voice. Stardust had no idea what he meant nor did she really care to understand, since the majority of the wolves' dependency on their humans confused her already. As far as Stardust was concerned, Riya was simply another one of her pack members that simply ranked on the same level as an Alpha and was often used for her own book-keeping needs.
Pushing the thoughts to the back of her mind, Stardust glanced around and saw several wolves out in the training field with their riders. Maybe soon would be a good time to pull the pack into a training run and officially introduce WoodWhisp to the pack. Have you met any wolves besides Twilight?
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SilverStarrSapphire Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 2:54 pm
Abigail shot at a target somewhere across the training field, practicing her aim with minimal success. It wasn't that she was bad with a gun. On the contrary, her aim was top notch, along with all of the other Privates in the Fort. It was required that they learn how to handle a rifle in the Academy. More practice came with being an Apprentice. Minimal success meant that, being that there wasn't much room for improvement, little improvement was happening.
HailWing had refused to participate in the training with the pretense that she found the idea ridiculous and had no useful purpose. To Abigail's knowledge, was lying in the snow somewhere watching and laughing. Maybe not so much the laughing, as HailWing wasn't the type with any discernable sense of humor, but wondering ruefully how she got stuck with such an unappealing rider.
Having given up on the task, Abigail treaded the snow-covered ground to HailWing's location. "Well, Hail, guess you were raight. That was about as useful as a one-legged man in a butt kickin' contest." She smiled good-naturedly toward HailWing and motioned for the wolf to get up. She was ready to go back to the barracks and endure some of that wonderful 'I told you so' ranting. "Bet ya had some fun watchin' me make a fool o' mahself."
HailWing looked up toward Abbey with an annoyed expression and then nudged her head in the direction of a New Eve Private and Gamma pair with Riya and Stardust. 'No. Watching you is never fun and is often accompanied with thoughts of how you're robbing some poor village of its idiot,' the wolf said matter-of-factly. 'There's a new pair here, not one of the Apprentices. From what I understand, the Gamma over there is actually the father of the wolves that just bonded. It's a transfer.'
Hail had assumed it was just so that the parents could be together. On top of helping morale for the two, it would also certainly make them more motivated during battle. Those assumptions were crushed, however, when her eavesdropping revealed that the rider was with child and was transferring here to be with her mate. Still, HailWing got up and stepped apathetically in the direction of the barracks. The wolf tried to gain new information wherever she could. Transfers, personal information that was really none of her business. Who knows? Someday, it might come in handy.
Thankfully for her eavesdropping needs, the barracks were in the direction of said group of humans and wolves. While passing by, she was careful to lower her posture enough to show respect and also be able to walk comfortably. Being relatively small for an adult wolf was helpful in that respect.
"Afternoon, Lieutenant Riya. Stardust." Abigail saluted her superior as she walked by, walking in a slightly awkward march. HailWing had so helpfully informed her of that as she walked to keep up the formalities. Her eyes lingered a bit longer than they should have, looking inquisitively toward the unfamiliar pair. As if to quell any suspicious thoughts, she added quickly, "Afternoon..." The pause was short. HailWing had used it to inform Abigail of their names. "Calla and WoodWhisp."
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Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 12:54 pm
Calla could feel she had struck a sore spot the minute the words left her mouth, and Riya’s statement promptly confirmed that. Good Job Calla, you have barely been here five minutes and you’ve already disappointed your superiors, I think that’s a new record for you. Calla snorted quietly to herself as she scolded herself mentally, only to earn a mental snicker from WoodWhisp. Actually it took a bit of self-restraint not to sigh her relief when she felt someone else approaching, a friendly and sarcastic sort of calm. Calla smiled as the unfamiliar girl greeted and ran through the list WoodWhisp has shared with her. Twilight had apparently given him a list of some of the more commonly seen members of the White Shadow pack and their riders, and he had in turn shared them with her. A glance at the wolf properly informed Calla of who she was speaking with.
“Ah, greetings Abigail, Hailwing.” She said with a smile, nodding to each of them in turn. Of course following Riya would draw some attention, considering Riya was lieutenant and Calla was new, that was like a double people magnet right there. There was always an underlying current of curiosity in people’s emotions, after all. And with any luck this girl would help her unload, she would never be able to ask Riya for the help after swallowing her own foot like that. Yeah, she could probably have asked Alister but the thought didn’t appeal to her, and this was a chance to get to know others of the Pack that she was now a part of.
And then the thought of Feral eating babies actual sunk into the back of her mind. A laugh threatened to escape her as the mental image of Feral munching on babies ran across her mind. Somehow she could actually see that happening, the Alpha’s and their riders had actual been part of the reason that she had transferred. That and she didn’t trust Rayan around children, or for that matter almost half the riders of New Eve. At least here she had Alister to help her, not that he would actual be much help, either way he was better than nothing.
WoodWhisp smiled and flicked back at the Alpha, “As I can tell. Much less avoidable.” He nodded returning to his regular pace as he did so. Oh he knew not to get on the Alpha’s bad side, he had spent enough days as Omega to have that lesson ingrained deeply into his psyche. Calla, unfortunately, failed to acknowledge that fact and had a bad habit of getting the two of them in trouble almost as much as she did them any good.
“Oh, it’s just that when here we’re generally making a point of avoiding each other. It’s really more of an association with the place than with Calla. It’ll just take some getting used to.” WoodWhisp explained, he and Calla and generally ignored each other’s exploits when visiting White Shadow, though in retrospect if they had come together it would actually have saved a lot more time. But it had simply been easier to pretend the other didn’t exist than to try and explain themselves to the other. Emotions were generally harder to discuss between the two than facts and observations
“Actually I haven’t had a chance to meet anyone else in the Pack, other than my Pups. Before the transfer I never really bothered.” WoodWhisp nodded, and just as he had finished this he heard HailWing and Abigail’s approach before he actually turned his head towards the two, nodding his greeting to HailWing, matching the wolf’s appearance with the images Twilight had given him.
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SilverStarrSapphire Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 5:47 pm
[OoC: Riya is still Lieutenant in this roleplay. ^^]
Stardust didn't really understand what WoodWhisp was going on about - she never had trouble accustoming herself to New Eve whenever Shizuka sent the pair on some pointless errand or another. But she enjoyed Feral and Nightmare's company, realizing vaguely that their habits might have been rubbing off on her. Not so much a problem for her as it was for the pack, still, she harbored more control than her elders when it came to punishing the wolves. Her behavior (or lack thereof) towards humans, on the other hand, was far colder than that observed in New Eve. But it wasn't her fault the humans weren't smart enough to move out of the way when an Alpha walked through - her wolves always did.
The Alpha flicked her ears back at HailWing's approach but thought nothing of it until the Gamma approached. Stardust spared the other a brief glance, noting the submissive posture with a lazy eye, before returning her attention back to WoodWhisp for a moment. Here's one for you to meet, she responded though she didn't care to introduce them - that was a human thing to do. Wolves sniffed butts and trampled each other in shows of dominance (sort of), as strange as it seemed to humans. But Stardust also found the shaking of hands ordeal to be rather odd... she glanced down at her paw.
Riya turned her head a small fraction in their new companion's direction, dull eyes masking the slightest hint of annoyance that had crossed her mind when the woman spoke up. But she nodded in acknowledgement, noting with some amusement Abigail's attempt at strict formalities in her presence. Honestly, she could care less if the Privates ran around the Fort naked so long as they kept to proper military manners during official drills and battles. The thought was slightly hypocritical, however, since Riya often found herself mentally frowning when an officer failed to salute her properly - but she attributed this minor flaw in her behavior as a result of all the training imprinted into her mind since a young age by Shizuka.
At first consideration, the Lieutenant wondered if any introductions were necessary. But before a decision was made, the two greeted each other though with a sense of unfamiliarity, and Riya could only assume they had met before. Then again, she figured Calla should probably go around and make her own acquaintances as that was always a good way to integrate yourself into a Patrol - that's what Apprentices were expected to do, anyways. Glancing at Abigail, the younger woman recalled seeing the Private training in the near vicinity just minutes before. "Practicing your aim on lifeless targets in the training field won't do anything for someone of your caliber. Try shooting live prey out in the valley - I've found rabbits are the best targets as they're quick, agile, and quite unpredictable."
And small, Stardust commented aloud for the other two wolves to hear. The Alpha always chased after the rabbits more for sport than actual need to hunt for food, but they were still entertaining even after all this time. Large creatures such as themselves were not built to chase after such small prey that could so easily slip out from under their paws. But the games proved to be somewhat useful in practicing aim and precision. Never tried hunting rats though.
Riya thought that hunting rats might be a good idea given the heavy infestation of the pesky rodents in the Fort, which wouldn't be a problem if the wolves didn't try to eat every cat in sight. Actually, now that she thought about it, maybe she should implement a training competition to see who could capture and kill the most rats - such a game would require intelligence and/or physical prowess. "Shooting rats would be an even better challenge," Riya commented thoughtfully as she looked at a chewed-up hole in the side of a building. Yes, the more she thought about it, the better an idea it seemed.
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