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 Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2005 8:19 am
(( Hope you don't mind me setting this in the southlands? At Dawn? ))
As the morning twilight arrived and began to light up the southlands with it's warming glow, a strange sniffing and scratching sound could be heard. Out of the ground poked a nose, sniffing cautiously. Then emerged a head and then an animal not seen very often on these plains, a little wild dog.
Haiji shook herself and cleared her fur of most of the clumps of dirt. She'd spent the night in an old abandoned burrow as her mother had always taught her to do, but it still needed a bit of enlarging if she planned to stay here a couple of days. Yes, she would spend today digging it open a little wider - just enough to be comfortable for her but still too small for any larger predators. However first thing she needed was a drink, and so she began to wander towards the small river she had passed the other day.
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Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2005 11:40 am
((tis fine with me ^_^))
The wild dog who had been wandering had rested by the water for the night, it was open and in the clear air but he was too tired and weak right now to dig a hole. He hadn't eaten in a while and was living off water alone. He was miles away from the home he had always known and this was somewhat strange for him but he had to do this, had to find his cousins, if he had any but his aunt, she still had lived, his father was certain about it.
He woke sleeply and ducked his head in the water before looking around. He was cautious of lions after hearing all the stories his father had said about his pack, his rightful pack. He would recreate them one day but for now he had a family to search for, well, he did when he was more awake.
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Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2005 8:12 am
A little way down stream, Haiji came upon the river. Her ears had picked up it's gentle sound of flowing water and it really hadn't been too hard to find. That was something she must have gotten from her ancestors, she figured. A good sense of direction and a memory for landmarks and different areas. Of course she hadn't traveled too far just yet but she might have to, if she was to find out more on this legendary pack.
Drinking her fill, she kept her ears swivelling and her senses alert the whole time. And it was then that she caught the faint scent that was wafting on the air currents that shifted with the water. Not lion.... not any grasseater... no no, it was most certainly a wild dog! She snapped her head up in surprise. Could it be one? She'd not seen another since her mother died. Her thirst and hungry completely forgotten, she began to trot quietly up along the bank towards the source of the scent.
(( On the other side of the river to him. wink ))
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Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2005 10:15 am
He was thirsty, he had no fear of any lions being around at the moment so with a swift look around he lapped up some of the water. He looked into the river carefully before stepping into it, the river wasn't wide and very shallow so once sure there was no danger he jumped in to have a wash. He climbed out and shok his fur, refreshed and clean, he was definatly happy now, that was for sure!
Suddenly something caught his attention as he turned around to see another wild dog. He tilted his head slightly and wandered to the bank of the river looking over at her. He just watched her for a while, she could say something, he wasn't in the mood.
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Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2005 10:23 am
The sound of a loud splash lead her directly to the animal who had made the noise and it was indeed a wild dog. She stayed on her side of the river, walkng up slowly and staring as he shook himself off. Once she was closer though, he noticed her but said nothing. It made Haiji's ear flick backwards uncertainly for a second. But she wasn't going to be afraid! He didn't look that much bigger than her for a start, not to mention he was a dog like her! She'd found another one at last! Haiji was torn between a desire to run across the river to greet him, as wild dog usually did with their fellow pack members, and staying cautious like she would with any predator.
At last she raised her head up higher, her tail giving a couple of slow waves back and forth. "Hello there...." She started and then paused. "You are real aren't you? I was begining to think I was the only one."
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Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2005 10:32 am
As she spoke he relaxed a little and let out a small chuckle. "So did I when I got here! It was kind of dissapoionting especially as I am looking for some old friends and relatives of my father!" He chuckled and checked the water again before slowly entering the water and swimming over.
He reached the bank safely though now even more cautious, why hadn't there been anything int he water? He shook his head of the confusion and turned back to the female. "I am Dhati! May I ask your name?" HE smiled, his tail behind wagging happily.
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Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2005 10:48 am
His comment, now that he chose to speak, made her grin a little to herself. "Disappointing is the right word." She agreed, as he swam over to her side. She watched carefully, but there were no sign or scent of crocs or hippos anywhere nearby. "Old friends? And relatives? That would an interesting thing to look for. I'm looking for someone too... well, a few someones. But I don't think they are relatives or friends. At least not yet."
As he pulled himself out of the water and turned to her, she wandered closer. Nose sniffing keenly and her ears pricked forward, she was beginning to feel her spirit lifted by finally meeting another of her own kind. "Hey Dhati. I'm Haiji. So, have you had any luck with your search?"
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Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2005 10:53 am
He sniffed at her as she came close and smile just crossed his face. "Luck? Unfortuantly not. I am looking for my faters sister, Chezaji though no one seems to have heard of her, or the pack. I seem to have inherited alot of the original colourings, not sure how through all the different generations, but I definatly look more like a maned wolf then a normal wild dog!" He laughed a little bit. He didn't expect her to know of anything that he spoke of, how could she? No one seemed to know anything an it was really annoying.
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Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2005 11:25 pm
Haiji sniffed back, even going so far as to touch noses with the new-comer. Maybe.... they could look together? At least then she'd have some company? And with another there'd be help in hunting as well as extra protection from any rogue lions.
However as he spoke of what he was searching for her ears went back with surprise and disbelief. She backed up a step and then wandered around, staring at him all over. What.... Chezaji? Her mother? He was looking for her.... looking for a pack that had a manned wolf in it's ancestry... Well now she looked at him, he did have quite a few similarities in his marking to the couple of manned wolves she'd spotted. Could he... know? Could he even be one of the Hamaji?!
"Chezaji.... I-I know her. But how do you know her? She's your father's sister? She never told me about having a brother..." She spoke softly as she continued to wander around him, looking at him all the while. It was a strange mix of suspicion but also amazement and growing excitement that filled her body language. "And what pack? She used to be in a pack... but not when I was with her. Just us two. Who is this pack?" She had to see if he knew anything about the Hamaji!
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Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2005 2:40 am
He looked at her quite confused with the way she was speaking. "Father told us the stories of the Hamaji, they got broken up by lions. He escaped and was sure that his sister had, they use to be very close or something. He made it his mission to find her and them together would recreate the pack and search for any other lost members. Father found a amte, my mother, they searched for years till they had us then searching had to stop. Father died and I went off leaving my family to see if I can find my aunt." He paused for a breath getting a little tired now.
He looked back to the water, all this remembering and speaking was making him thirsty though he stayed where he was, turning back to her he looked a little more serious, "Where is she?" He wanted to talk to his Aunt, take her back to his family, they could recreate the pack and then everything could be how it was in the stories.
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Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2005 9:45 am
She paused to listen to his answer, thinking over his explaination carefully. Her mother had had a brother? And this was his son? But then some other things he said she didn't know about.
"Yes, the Hamaji! I know about them. Mother was a pack member too. She told me so. But... but she never said anything about lions. They broke up the pack? When? No, I don't believe it. They wouldn't get... they were a strong pack! They were renown for it!" She shook her head. She didn't want to believe that this pack her mother had been telling her about were gone now. Dispersed and broken. The pack she had been searching for all these days and nights were gone and she had been wasting her time.
She drooped her tail, the news of the pack's disbanding hit her and she didn't think just yet that they could rebuild it. It was still a shock. "Chezaji... you won't find her. My mother was killed at the beginning of the season. A hunting accident. Only I'm left."
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Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2005 9:58 am
He looked at her, his cousin. "I am sorry." He lowered his head. He had found his fathers sisters daughter. She was obviously not told alot about the pack they both belonged to and were obviously both searching for.
"Yes the pack was attacked by a pride of lions. Most died a few escaped, my father and your mother for example. Father says more excaped he saw some adults run off thuogh he said they would have probably died childless and he was going to find out if any of them had children. He was going to rebuild the pack, he would have been the alpha along with mother, my family would be the start of rebuilding it. He knew not if your mother was alive, he had the maned wolf clearly in his pelt and those markings have been passed down to me." He paused a little just to make sure that what he said made sense and it wouldn't confuse her. "Your mother was a little older then father though, but not by much. They were not the eldest in the litter and father feared that there are more relatives of his near by. He didn't know but sent me out, my obvious markings from the stories would have shown who I was and he said I would be able to bring the pack back together. Unfortunatly, you are the only one I have found, and, you are missing the knowledge of the packs history." He sighed and turned to the water, he really needed a drink now.
He lapped up the cool water and laid by the waters edge for a while. He laid his head on his paws, the thoughts of his father hurt. He wished his father was here to see his niece and the pack rebuilt, if only that could actually happen.
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Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2005 10:26 am
She listened to him silently, her mind spinning with different thoughts. The grief for her lost mother came back, sadden by not being told this. Told that the pack was gone... told that she had had a brother, meaning that Haiji now had a cousin. She could have been looking for him all this time, instead of a non-existant pack.
"So... it's just us? Children born from those that escaped?" It annoyed her a bit with his comment that she was missing knowledge of some of the pack's history. "I do know the history!" She replied with a little bit of snap to her voice. "Mother told me often enough. I know of the pack's ways... I know the tale with the manned wolf and I can see you bear those marking well enough too." She calmed a little and dropped her ears back with a sigh. "But that would be why no one else knows... I have asked around. Cheetahs, grasseaters, they all know nothing about the Hamaji. Because.. because they were wiped out...." She still didn't want to believe it and she squeezed her eyes shut in dispair.
They quickly shot open though when something he had said made a spark in her mind. "Wait! You said... you said you were going to rebuild the pack? Well, your father was and now you are continuing that task? Do you think yo- WE can do it? I am a desendant too after all."
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Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2005 12:45 pm
Dhati listened to her snap at him, he should be more careful in the ways he spoke. He meant she didn't know all the history, had gaps in the knowledge about what happened at the end, oh well didn't matter too much. He listened to her a little more and nodded about how they were the only ones left. He had siblings but he probably wouldn't go back for them, not yet anyway.
Then she mentioned the rebuilding of the pack. "I think we would work well bringing the pack back to life. There must be others around here somewhere. Dogs of different colours, even if they aren't related to the pack directly, maybe in time after we have mates, maybe, then the pack will be back to how it was with the blood of the alphas and the ways. It would be lovely if that was true and possible." He smiled, his tail wagging a little more as he turned around in circles playfully before pouncing her.
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Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2005 3:26 am
"I dunno.... there must be others... but not many. I haven't seen any other wild dogs around. We could... look for them together?" Even though she didn't like the terrible news he just told her, he would be company and he WAS her cousin after all. So he would know about the old pack too? He could help her, them, rebuild just as it used to be.
"Can't let the pack disappear. They were legends!" She stated firmly. "Yeah... see if we could find others, doesn't matter what bloodline or if they knew the Hamaji or not. We could teach them. Tell them how it was." She was getting excited again and stood up, her tail making quickening waves behind her.
She looked at him, his playful body language making her more optimistic now. She bounded around him, trotting a little in the shallows of the river to cool her paws and then lowering her head for another couple of licks of refreshing water. "I think we can do it." She replied when she had finished and lifted her head again. "I've been looking for the pack to join, but now we can look for others to join us!"
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