|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 3:14 pm
It was late in the morning when Ovian finished his small meal. He had had a late night and slept in a bit more than he usually did. When he cleaned his maw from any blood and licked it up from his paws, he noticed that Merrill was leaving. The dark wolf could definitely see she was suspicious of something and he was a little intrigued at her. The beta seemed to shy away from some of the wolves, the ones who didn't do anything that is, and for a beta she didn't talk much to him. He would need to prove himself to her as well wouldn't he? Ovian got up from his position on the grass patch and followed her quickly. When he sided up beside Merrill, he said, "Do you need some help? You seem like you're on something."
Hopefully she would say yes. If not, how could he feel more rejection like that? He needed to be accepted before Ovian could feel comfortable. The male needed to know that his life could be lived comfortably here with the YMCA Pack. Sure he was officially part of the pack but just because he was part of the pack didn't mean he was fully accepted. Some still looked at him as if he was a specimen. A specimen with no expressions.. and it was something he hated about himself. This day had to work out well. This day would help his life's path become more straight.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 7:09 pm
 It still niggled her at the back of her mind that there were bear tracks spotted near the boundaries. Had the others noticed them yet? If they had, Chivosi hadn't been raising any alarm and certainly (thankfully) the pups weren't aroused in curiosity over it either Merrill had accidentally stumbled upon them anyway, and by then the pawprints had been days old and nearly indecipherable. For all she knew, she could have imagined them! But could something imagined be so annoying to ignore? Dammit, she was becoming a worrywart over nothing . . .
While chastising herself, Merrill felt something brush against her fur and stiffened with some shock, though relaxed when she saw it was only the newest member of the pack. What was his name again? Spirits, she had the worst time remembering those sometimes . . . "Eh, I might be onto nothing too," she replied with a little shrug, continuing to move forward. "Who knows? You can come along anyway, though, if you've nothing more to do. Border patrols are better done in pairs."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 8:31 pm
He stiffened. So she was on to something. He followed after her, making sure not to over step his boundaries around the beta. He nodded his head and replied, "Yes, two eyes are better than one." Ovian wasn't sure how to respond to her at all. He wished that he knew her better. The dark male wanted to be her friend. Well actually he wanted other friends as well but one would have to be good for now. Perhaps he could make friends with the puppies some how. Ovian knew he had a slight friendship with Chivosi, though most of it was just polite chat.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 2:54 pm
"Four eyes are better than two," Merrill corrected him in a tone she might have used on the pups, though they weren't very much pups anymore; soon the alpha's litter would be teens, and that would require very different training. She led Ovian away from the central concentration of dens and towards the river, which ran alongside the pack's southwestern border. After a few minutes of merely walking and tilting the head about to keep watch, Merrill struck up conversation briskly, as of course was the only way she knew how to begin. "So, tell me about yourself. And mind you, don't give me looks if I don't get your name right the first few times; Si - well, Chivosi to you - might've failed to tell you this, but I'm notoriously terrible with remembering names," Merrill confessed with little shame. "So I either shorten them or grant nicknames."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 5:58 pm
In his mind, he winced at her correction but on the outside, not even a sliver of fur twitched. It was like his mind wasn't attached to his body. Or perhaps his heart and emotions not attached to his body. Either way, he was quite insufficient at expression.
"I see. Names are something I am not use to hearing so I learn well," he replied. He began to think of something he could tell her. A part of him that wouldn't reveal everything and make him open for any verbal attacks from others. Not that he thought Merrill would, but anyone listening could use his sorry past to terrorize him.
"Well I didn't have any siblings, strangely. I believe they were stillborns. I grew up in a fairly good sized pack, full of kind wolves. The Alpha was especially kind to me," Ovian said. So far, that was all he would share for now. It was good enough to him. Perhaps the purple beta would ask him questions, but he wouldn't answer them well. Maybe he would just shy away from the answers. Then again, what if Merrill thought of him as too secretive? She perhaps would not say more to him after this.
His heart heaved like a sigh at all these thoughts and worries.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 5:07 pm
From the description, she couldn't gather much, and Merrill pondered such a bland answer. Hiding something, poor memory, or simply a boring life? What it must've been like to be a single child! She had never known or dreamt the very idea, having been the younger sibling to two older twin brothers - and mind, three pups per litter was rare in her old pack. Three was already enough to bring up brows and question the femme's fertility; apparently it was far more common to have four, five, even six pups at a time, though Merrill also coudln't concieve that sort of labor pain either.
Regardless, Ovian's answer left her with very little material to work on. The beta paused in speech as they walked onward, her nose to the ground during the silence. No bear here . . . she angled them a bit more to the right, following the river's flow.
"You've been true to your word so far," Merrill picked up again at length. "The workload has been kept up on your end. Happily, the rat also seems to have left, so your nostrils will be thankful for clean air in time for spring. May I ask about your old packlife and what your job was in it?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2010 10:47 pm
The stink? Oh! It must have been Edgar perhaps. He hadn't seen the straggly male in awhile so he was wondering where he had went. Perhaps he was just gone. But from what Ovian could tell, Merrill seemed to be talking about the wolf she so despised. The dark wolf was glad that she appreciated his hard work. His training when he was young had served him well. Perhaps his past would help him, but he certainly wasn't proud of the past. Would he say that about now? So far he wasn't doing too bad and Ovian felt a little more accomplished because he had joined the YMCA Pack. The thing was was that now she had cornered him. To the thing he had hoped to stay hidden. What would he say? Ovian's breathing cheated on him and his nervousness and the male wolf replied, "I'm glad you see that I have kept up on my side of work. It's because.." he paused, "..because I was trained for a high position in my pack. My parents were favorites of the alpha and he found favor in me. His wife was barren and bore him no sons or daughters and thus I was trained by him."
He didn't says to become the alpha. Ovian hoped she would understand. Merrill had to. The wolf didn't dare say it aloud. It just called for more flashbacks and the such. This conversation finally became a little more, intense. A little more, serious. Ovian wasn't sure if he could last the whole patrol if she asked so many deep questions. Well it was out now, the secret he so desired to stay inside. Now he just had to keep it to themselves for now. He did not want Chivosi or Menelaus to know. What if they found him a threat? Ovian dared not try to overthrow the Alphas. He was just trained to be one and that was that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 1:55 pm
Ovian viewed the conversation as something to be taken quite seriously, but Merrill saw it as a simple interview done while on the job - two birds with one stone, ever efficient. She made no comment as the male told his tale, nor did her expression change drastically as he spoke, though of course his past was interesting; not many wolves were chosen to succeed an alpha so easily. So even the leader found him dependable? Hmm . . . She could get a sense of that, yes. And if Ovian was telling the truth earlier, the pack had been structured enough, probably not as shady as others she could name - though then again the male also seemed to have issues with showing emotion, so who knew?
Either way, he seemed a bit nervous after giving that answer, which Merrill could not see why this was. Maybe he wasn't used to being interrogated? Well, what else could he expect after joining a pack? Chivosi might not be nosy, but thta just meant that her beta had to be twice as vigilant. "That's some training under your belt then," Merrill replied with a nod to him, for a moment pausing in her tracking. "Not many can find such favor. But now I must ask why is it that, knowing your alpha depended on you, you decided to leave and travel on your own, only then to come to this humble pack instead." This, she knew, could only bespeak of some sort of trouble.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 2:37 pm
"I.." he stopped, his eyes wandering away from her direction. "I...fled. My training only did me good when I wasn't so," he paused trying to think of a suitable word, "absorbed into the whole experience." He thought of the buck. The buck who had easily tossed him off by kicking him. Ovian remembered the Alpha's quizzical brow as to why Ovian had went for the strong buck and not the frail. He remembered how he had shrunk into a small feeble pup he was before fleeing from his embarrassment. Those memories made him uncomfortable and for a moment his eyes showed some sorrow. They drooped a bit and every part of him showed a loss of his pride as a young wolf. Now, older and more mature, the dark wolf had tried to cover it. Of course Ovian had just opened everything to Merrill because she was beta. If he didn't share, she would find him suspicious and once again Ovian would have to find a new pack. Now what would she think of him? A traitor? A weakling? A prideful wolf? Stupid? He just hoped for none of the above.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 3:55 pm
These were such succinct answers, their credibility might be coming into question soon . . . Ovian had simply fled? That was all? "I can't imagine that sat well with your alpha," Merrill commented, quite suspicious that even when giving responses about his past he was still holding back. Was it merely out of guilt or to cover up for some other, darker explaination? Of course it had to be questions only spawning more questions.
Yet . . . Surprisingly, the first signs of emotion flashed through the wolf's eyes. Yes, a wolf could easily fake that, yet it didn't strike her that this male would. Certainly not if he was smart. Continue pressing for more information or let it be? Hmm . . . Ovian was starting to grow uncomfortable talking about it, and she did have some sort of idea of who he was now. "Alright then. I ask because I need to assess your role in this pack, for we are more than merely gammas and betas. Of course your past experiences as the alpha's would-be successor will not aid you here, but if you are interested in a different role, I'll hear your suggestions."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 4:32 pm
"I'll never know," he said. His face became that serious face the pack knew. That bit of emotion was swallowed down, stuffed into his heart which wanted to burst of emotional food. It had been eating all his emotions up so that Ovian wouldn't have to express them but well, his heart was getting bloated.
"No, I am content where I am. I have no intent on becoming alpha, even with my training," he replied. Though he was intent on becoming friends with Merrill. And to do that, he would have to know a bit about her.
"What about you? How did you get to this pack?" he asked. This boundary patrol was more of a long stroll around. Ovian's ears nor nose picked up any scent of anything unusual like bears or other wolves invading their territory.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 6:20 pm
Ah, and there the mask has been placed on once more. Merrill wondered what went on in that head of his, honestly, to have to always keep a restraint on his emotions. And of course, continuing with the chain of answers that answered the bare minimum and nothing more, it appeared that it would be up to her to decide his place in the pack. So she gave this some thought, listening to his question as they returned to walking once more. Her eyes remained trained to the ground for tracks as Ovian kept his ears alert. "I ran across Si one day while asking for directions," she replied truthfully, remembering also having run into a youth with the strangest and longest name she could imagine.
"She and I decided to walk together to find a pack, and from then on I have followed her. Menelaus, her puppy-like mate, came several days into our travels and put it into her head that they were alpha material. Since then, I've been at their heels, making sure things went smoothly. Although Mene-Pup hasn't been around much lately at all, and neither have two of the children . . . But such is life."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2010 9:19 pm
His brow frowned just slightly and he cursed himself. Ovian was losing himself and showing and telling everything to the beta. What was he doing? He didn't want the others to know! It was so shameful....and yet, she didn't seem grossed by his stupidness. That was unexpected to him.
"Yes..I have not seen Mene in a couple moons. Where perhaps do you think he goes? And the pups?" he replied. Ovian was not super fond of pups but he did worry about them. Afterall, they were a pack. Like a team, they had to support and care for each other. Like a family. Except Ovian didn't know much about family. He had run away at such a young age, barely an adolescent so he had missed out on much of the bonding with his mother's stories, the knowledge sharing with his father, and he never had the chance of knowing what it was like to be carefree and know that others would take care of him. Ovian never really knew how to play and frolic around with the other pups. He had been busy with the Alpha and hardly played with the rest. Thinking of this it made him think of his life as a mess. A big fat mess.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 2:49 pm
"Where does Mene-Pup go at all? The river, the lakes, the ponds," Merrill replied with another shrug, "any body of water is his resting place. Why he disappeared is unknown, and it is only on faith that I believe the pups are with him and not in another creature's jaws. As a beta, I cannot keep an eye on everyone, nor should I make judgements on those who visit here, not even one of its alphas. This pack is not binding to those who stray into our territory." Funny how it was easy to state but harder to adhere to. It was probably her more innate maternal instincts manifesting themselves, as truly Merrill did feel somewhat responsible for Menelaus' and the pups' disappearance. The only reason she did not bring it up was not to upset Chivosi. Love was a strange, intangible emotion the beta did not want to entangle with for her alpha's sake.
"Enough of that, though." She took on a more brisk tone. "You did not fully answer my previous question, Ovian. I asked what position you would like to take, assuming you have thoughts on staying here as more than a guest."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 7:58 pm
"What choice do I have?" he replied, "I believe I'm suitable for a gamma. Just a regular in the pack. I do not plan to overturn Chivosi and Menelaus. Ever. Chivosi has been too kind."
It was true. He had never had such ease with a wolf besides her in awhile. Ovian was surprised she simply didn't mind if he didn't answer her questions. She was Alpha after all. She had rights to know and she didn't use them. Chivosi didn't use her authority for everything, only what was needed and deemed right. That's what he liked about her. It reminded him of his old pack. The dark male truly liked this pack. He hoped to stay here for eternity. Though his body could not stay, his soul would always belong to this pack. Ovian would always belong to this pack no matter what happened to him, or the rest. It was a safe haven, a place where he felt needed and fairly liked. So far at least. Now he just wasn't sure if Merrill would like him. He found her wise and a little stern. Merrill was like a book of answers to him. But also a book of questions where she would pick some out and shove them in other's faces, forcing them to answer. She had this way of making Ovian answer at least. A way of making him talk about his past, something he had hoped not to do.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
