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 Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:39 pm
Daiyu smiled, a soft, gentle curve of her lips, as she waited patiently for her apprentice to appear outside the barracks. She was nervous, but she tried her best to hide her anxiousness under a smile. The small, slim woman was unsure if she was really fit to be a Patron, but Zephyr had talked her in to it. Breathing in deeply, she rolled her shoulders to release the tension.
You will be fine. Anyone would be pleased to take orders under you, my rider, said a soft voice inside the girl's mind. She glanced over, looking adoringly at the lean, blue hued wolf at her side. He leaned closer to give her a reassuring lick to her cheek, washing her orange star tattoo with his tongue. The black haired girl giggle softly, rubbing away the wetness. "Zephyr, you are so silly. Do you not know you are not a puppy anymore?"
Must I be a puppy to adore my rider? the wolf responded, nuzzling into her side carefully, as to not tip her. His broach, a gift from her when he was indeed a puppy, tickled her leg. Grinning a wolf-grin, he looked over at her with his bright blue eyes, a twinkle of happiness in them.
"No, I suppose not, Dear One, but too much affection to a human would have you on the outs with your pack, is that not so? Not many wolves enjoy their time with their riders as you do."
Hmf. I hope this new young one sees the good side of humans, Zephyr said, a slight pout about him. He tossed his head back and snorted. "Humans have as many uses as us Wolves."
Tickling under his muzzle, Daiyu said nothing, but her smile widened ever so slightly. She wondered...would her apprentice view her wolf the same way Daiyu viewed hers? Would the new wolf care for his rider as Daiyu knew Zephyr cared for her? She would just have to wait to find out.
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Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2009 11:33 pm
Shaiya stood nervously in front of the mirror, fidgeting with the shoulder pads on her red uniform and brushing off invisible dirt from her black riding pants. She looked at the left side of her shirt, currently empty but she knew there would be a knot there one day to signify her promotion to full Private. But that day was still months away.
A reassuring whine came from the small pup that sat beside her, gazing fondly up at her with his bright red eyes. Shaiya smiled as she kneeled down to scratch her wolf's head. That sounded so odd, to say that this beautiful creature was hers - and she was his. Sunchaser nudged his head into her chest and she giggled softly. Shaiya already knew what he was trying to express even if he could not express coherent thoughts yet, because she could feel his love touching her very being. "I love you too."
Standing up, she brushed off her uniform one last time before stepping towards her door. Taking a deep breath, Shaiya pulled the door open and walked outside, Sunchaser following beside her. Their eyes settled on an unfamiliar pair, a kind looking woman and her majestic blue wolf. Shaiya quickly remembered her manners, taking a quick look at the name tag as she saluted - this woman was actually about the same height as herself.
"Apprentice Shaiya Terrwen, ma'am!" came her soft voice, unwavering but touched with a hint of uncertainty. Shaiya had been told she would meet her Patron this morning, but had no idea who had been assigned to her.
Sunchaser stood by his bonded for a moment, before trotting slowly up to Zephyr. He whimpered, head lowering as his tail wagged happily behind him. The pup had met other wolves yesterday, but most of them did not want to play. Sunchaser approached the older male with bridled excitement, reaching up to nuzzle Zephyr's mouth as he would've done with his parents.
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SilverStarrSapphire Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 12:01 am
Daiyu was astonished. What a beautiful wolf! She had never seen such wonderful colors! Daiyu held her breath, her coal eyes on the wolf at the girl's side, as the girl saluted. Finally taking in some air, Daiyu snapped back to her role as Patron. "Good morning, Miss Terrwen. I am Daiyu Li," she murmured, bowing from her waist. She rose and gave the girl a smile, the ribbons from her hair moving slowly in the breeze. "It seems you and I will be working together for a while. Please, allow me to introduce Zephyr to you." With a nod at her slim wolf, she continued, "I very much hope you can be at ease around us."
Zephyr was ready. He had already been nuzzled by pups before, and had actually come to expect it. Although he never remembered doing the same when he was young, he accepted the nuzzle as normal. The blue hued wolf lowered his head so the smaller wolf could reach. "I am Zephyr," he said, licking the pup's ear. "You will be under my care. I will make sure you are well protected."
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Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 5:05 pm
Shaiya tried to stand as still as possible as the older woman examined her wolf - she would've liked to look over the blue one more but was too afraid to take her attention of the higher ranking officer. When Daiyu finally introduced herself and bowed, Shaiya had absolutely no idea what to do. The girl had never had someone bow to her nor had they learned anything other than military courtesy at the academy.
For an uncertain moment as Daiyu continued speaking, Shaiya wasn't sure if she could drop her hand or not. But she finally did when the woman made her last comment. "Oh, it's a pleasure to meet both of you!" she responded with a shy smile, hands hanging awkwardly at her sides. "Um, you can just call me Shaiya, if you want...ma'am," she continued softly, voice trailing off near the end. She hoped Daiyu didn't think she was being rude by correcting the older woman.
When Zephyr dipped his head down, Sunchaser immediately sniffed the larger wolf eagerly, tail wagging vigorously as he memorized Zephyr's scent. He barked excitedly at Zephyr's introduction and licked the older's wolf mouth. Sunchaser conveyed his Happiness to Zephyr, still trying to pick up on the human language.
Then he turned to look at Daiyu, tail still wagging as he approached her with a careful sniff. Sunchaser barked at Shaiya.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" Shaiya blushed, having forgotten to introduce her wolf. This was getting some used to... "This is Sunchaser."
Sunchaser barked again, but this time at Daiyu.
Shaiya giggled. "He says hi."
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SilverStarrSapphire Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 5:40 pm
"Shaiya, then," Daiyu agreed, warmth in her black eyes, "It is a pleasure to meet you as well. If you would be more comfortable, you may also use my given name." She had noticed the confusion the younger girl showed - it was the same look most people gave her when she bowed. Attempting to explain, she said, "Please forgive my actions. I was taught by my grandmother of traditional Chinese greetings, in which one bows to another as a sign of respect. I still forget myself and use the greeting around the fort, although not many understand what it means." The young woman let out a soft laugh. "It would save much confusion if I stopped the practice!"
Zephyr sniffed the brightly colored wolf, catching the young scent of the male in his nose. He nuzzled into his neck, before turning and speaking to Daiyu. He seems quite the happy one, he said, tag wagging to and fro calmly. Zephyr watched with interest as the other wolf trotted towards his rider. There was no hostility in this little wolf, he was sure.
"Sunchaser. Such a beautiful name for a beautiful wolf," Daiyu said earnestly, reaching her hand out for the pup to smell. She moved her head to glance at Shaiya when the girl giggled. With a twinkle in her eyes, she leaned down and spoke to the wolf. "Hello, Sunchaser. I am certain you will grow up to be a wonderful addition to our fort, as well as your rider here."
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Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 11:26 pm
Sunchaser barked happily at Daiyu's words, which he could not really understand but she sounded kind and honest. And he felt the relief that his rider had felt when Daiyu spoke, so she must be good! Sunchaser sniffed the offered hand delicately, memorizing her scent and memorizing it with Zephyr's. From Shaiya's thoughts, it seemed the four of them would be together a lot in the future.
Shaiya blushed even more at Daiyu's compliments, not sure if the older woman was being truthful or just polite. Daiyu seemed to be honest enough, and kind as well, but appeared to only be a few years older than herself. But what really caught her interest was that Daiyu had mentioned she was of Chinese ancestry. Shaiya had always been captivated by cultural history, but they didn't learn much of that in the Academy.
"Oh wow, you're Chinese? I learned a little bit about them when I took cultural history classes back in the City, and I've always wanted to learn more about all the different cultures, especially Chinese. I'm very interested in the different colors that symbolize different things for the Chinese, it's so different from what we use now. Like how yellow symbolizes royalty and..." Shaiya stopped talking abruptly when she realized that she had been rambling, and rather rudely. Covering her mouth with a hand, she blushed deeply and started apologizing profusely. "I am so sorry! That was so rude of me!"
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SilverStarrSapphire Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 10:27 pm
Daiyu absentmindedly patted Sunchaser's head as she listened with amusement to Shaiya's excited chatter. It seemed she had discovered an interest of the girl! Giggling behind her free hand, Daiyu winked at the other rider and said, "There was no rudeness that I detected, only a fascination, which I find refreshing. Most only think of our future, which is, of course, very important, but our past may be of use to us, as well. It was my grandmother who told me of my heritage. She hoped I would use it to find a way to better my future." Holding out her hand, palm down, Daiyu showed the girl her ring. "Jade was incredibly important to the Chinese people. It symbolized a good many different things, and is said to having certain healing powers on the kidneys and stomach. My name means 'Black Jade', and Grandmother gave me this ring to watch over me." She gave a soft chuckle. "They thought jade helped keep away demons."
While his rider talked, Zephyr strolled over to the younger wolf, and nuzzled into his side. He pointed with his nose to Shaiya. Rider. Friend. He repeated the words, trying his best to portray the meaning to the pup.
(I hope I got the jade meanings right. X.x; )
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Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 12:32 am
[OoC: *shrug* Daiyu sounds like 'Carry Jade' to me. But I don't know anything about Chinese culture, so you're asking the wrong person, lol. XD;]
Shaiya was incredibly relieved when Daiyu was not offended, and she was even more relieved when the woman seemed to be intrigued by her interest. Most were annoyed by her curious nature, so she always tried hard to keep quiet. But this time she did so willingly, listening intently to Daiyu's little history lesson with vivid fascination. She loved hearing stories from people whose families still practiced their ancient cultures.
"Oh wow, that's such a beautiful ring," she commented, leaning forward to examine the black jade. Shaiya had heard of jade before, but like most stones, they were rare and extremely expensive if you could find one for sale. "Your grandmother must love you a lot," she responded with a wistful smile. Shaiya's right hand pulled the sleeve of her left sleeve up slightly to reveal a simple charm bracelet, which she gazed at sadly. "This was a gift from my parents, but it's nothing special. It's just sterling, not silver or gold, and certainly not black jade."
Sunchaser knew that Shaiya was his rider, but tried to hold onto a deeper meaning of the word friend. His search through Shaiya's mind had not revealed much since she seemed to lack this thing called 'friends,' so he had a hard time understanding what it mean. Somebody who you cared about, perhaps?
But Sunchaser was young and didn't really care about learning words right now. He wanted to play! The pup barked at Zephyr before crouching in front of the older wolf, butt up in the air as an invitation to play.
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SilverStarrSapphire Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 6:45 pm
Daiyu glanced down at her hand, twisting the ring with her fingers. "It was passed down from her mother, and her mother before her. Since my grandmother only had a male child, my father, she waited until a female was born to him before she gifted it. I was not supposed to receive it until I was 18, but she was very proud of me when I became a recruit, so she gave it to me then."
Moving slightly closer to the girl, Daiyu smiled. She said in earnest, "It is very pretty. A beautiful token of love. I believe that any gift is precious, no matter the coin cost, for it is the thought of the gift that deems the real price."
Letting out huffing sounds, almost like a laugh, Zephyr glanced up at Daiyu. His blue eyes seemed to twinkle with amusement. This one wants to play. Perhaps you should show the girl around while I appease his energy.
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Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 5:09 pm
Shaiya blushed at her Patron's comments, nodding in agreement as she silently agreed that her bracelet probably held as much sentimental value as the older woman's ring. There were only three charms on it right now, each to represent an importance in her life - one for her mother, one for her father, and the most recent one for Sunchaser.
"So... what are we doing today?" she asked shyly, losing her nerve to ask her Patron to show her around the Fort after the first word had left her mouth. Shaiya wasn't sure if it was appropriate for an Apprentice to ask a wolfrider to do something as trivial as take her on a tour of the Fort. But she hadn't had time, or the courage, to walk around yesterday because she didn't want to get lost and accidentally get herself in trouble.
Sunchaser, not realizing that Zephyr was communicating with his rider, barked again and started hopping around the older wolf. Then he settled himself back in front of Zephyr, rump high in the air again as his tail wagged in vicious excitement, releasing a playful growl. Play, play, play!
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SilverStarrSapphire Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 11:27 pm
Hearing her wolf's voice echo through her thoughts, Daiyu froze, listening to her wolf for a moment. She turned and faced him, nodding in agreement. The black haired woman then twisted back towards her apprentice. "Zephyr would like to play with your wolf, if you would allow it. He will take care of Sunchaser while I perhaps show you the fort's features. Does that sound satisfactory?" She pushed a strand of hair straying from her bangs away from her black eyes. "Or, if you prefer, we could do something else," she added.
Zephyr decided to surprise the younger wolf. He was faced towards his rider, his tail moving slowly, when, in one huge movement, he flung himself around and nipped mischievously at the brightly furred wolf's left ear. Releasing a playful bark from his throat, Zephyr waited for Sunchaser's reaction.
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Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 10:09 pm
Shaiya waited patiently for her patron's answer, the woman seemed to be conversing with the blue wolf. Taking the opportunity, she allowed her admiring gaze to settle on the stunning brooch that matched the wolf's striking blue fur. When Daiyu finally spoke up, Shaiya turned her attention back to the older woman with a slight blush as she nodded.
"Oh yes, I know Sunchaser's been wanting to play with all the wolves since we arrived," she responded with a grin at her young wolf, before turning to look at Zephyr with an appreciate smile, wanting to show her gratitude to the wolf for being so kind as to put up with the rambunctious pup. "Thank you for taking care of him."
Glancing around briefly, Shaiya answered, "I would love for you to show me the fort. I actually got a little lost yesterday," she admitted softly with an embarrased smile. Turning briefly to Sunchaser, she said in a soft voice, "Behave for Zephyr," before looking back to Daiyu for direction.
Sunchaser looked up at Shaiya with his wide innocent puppy eyes, as if telling her that he would obviously be good for an elder wolf. A n** on his ears had the young pup pulling back in surprise, causing himself to stumble over his own feet and tumbling head over heels. Sprawled on the ground, he looked at Zephyr with a slightly disoriented glance before jumping up and shaking himself off.
Barking playfully, Sunchaser rolled out his tongue in a wolfish grin as he once again lay his upper body against the ground and allowed his rump to stick up in the air. His tail wagged above him, and he released a playful growl before rushing towards to attack the blue wolf's forelegs.
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SilverStarrSapphire Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu May 07, 2009 8:34 pm
Daiyu chuckled lightly, watching Zephyr and his mischievous attack. She smiled at the slightly younger girl. "Zephyr was the opposite. He wanted to examine the other humans, not the wolves. Such a silly puppy he was," said the girl, rolling her eyes teasingly. She glanced at the wolves again. "Well, then, shall we get started?" she questioned, turning her body, "It seems they are already at play." With firm footing, she began to move away from the playing wolves. She hoped she could give Shaiya a good tour while Zephyr kept the younger one busy. First, she would show her the barracks, since she would be spending much time there. She had probably already seen them, but another quick going-over wouldn't hurt.
Easily side-stepping the adolescence's charge, Zephyr turned tail and galloped a few yards away. He mentally said his goodbye to Daiyu while he teased the younger wolf. The blue hued animal flipped his head around and barked loudly, encouraging the youngster to follow. With his tail swishing back and forth, he voiced to the other canine. Chase!
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Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 10:29 am
"Oh, Sunchaser was very interested in the humans when he first came out of the cave," she responded with a slight chuckle, remembering that as soon as he had bonded to her, he began going around and sniffing all the other people around. He had told her that he'd never seen humans before, except that of his parents' bondmates but at that time he hadn't soon what they were. Shaiya remembered in the two days he'd been in the Academy, he'd gotten his fill of all the recruits. "But then I think he got a little too much attention from the other recruits in the Academy, so he was more than ready to meet the wolves of his new pack."
With a hesitant look at the puppy, who was already preoccupied with playing with the older wolf, Shaiya smiled and turned to nod at her patron. She followed Daiyu obediently, walking to the side and a little behind since she had no idea where they were going. But she was excited to see what was in the Fort, since she had only seen her barracks so far. "This place is so big..." Shaiya commented with an admiring sigh, already looking around her so that she could memorize their path and all the structures. Hopefully she wouldn't get lost again.
Zephyr had dodged his weak attack, and Sunchaser tried to stop himself but ended up tumbling over his head again. He lay sprawled on the ground, looking up at the older wolf with something akin to admiration, thinking that the blue wolf was so fast and strong. Standing up, he gave a playful acquiescent bark and chased after his elder, trying to snap at the tip of the blue wolf's tail.
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SilverStarrSapphire Vice Captain
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