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 Posted: Wed Jul 07, 2010 2:53 pm
It had been a while since the sky was so nice! Zeke sat in a field with trees nearby, simply sitting. His eyes were open, but he wasn't using them, and the dark coloring of his saddle marking was heating him up considerably in the sun. He wished... He wished that he knew which way it was to Ohu. He had heard some about it when he was a pup. Imagine, a pack full of warriors who were capable of defending themselves, and were excellent fighters, in a land established for, and protected by the righteous. It really did sound like a paradise.
He would be able to sharpen his skills there, he had a feeling. So when he had first heard of it, he was determined to find it! Problem was... He had only heard of it, not its location. He sat with that thought in mind- how does one get to a place that they don't know where it is?
Most wander, and that was what he had taken to doing.
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Posted: Sat Jul 10, 2010 10:31 am
An unusually large Chihuahua crashed through the brush nearby, finally falling into a clearing. Facefirst. "Owww...." Ukuzi shook her head. Rolling down hills is fun. Until you hit the bottom, she thought sourly. "Oh! Who are you?" she asked, brightening, suddenly noticing the handsome Shepherd.
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Posted: Sat Jul 10, 2010 7:17 pm
Well, all of that wandering has gotten me absolutely nowhere, in the most literal way, the shepherd mused to himself. In fact, he was pretty certain he had managed to find the precise middle of nowhere. Though, it did seem nice here, too. For the time being, anyway, but he longed for something a little more than what he had found here.
He was snapped out of his reverie at the sudden sound of rustling grass. He had simply swiveled his ear towards it, thinking it was just grass until he had heard a little crashing sound. At that, he started to turn his head, and at the sound of a voice, his attention was completely on whatever was nearby.
A little thing. Little dogs could still pack a bit of a punch, but he had a tendency to underestimate them nonetheless. "I think I could ask the same thing," he said as the smaller dog regained balance and the like. Manners, though, those darned things. "But I'm Zeke." For being so curious, his short-name would have to do. If the female seemed trustworthy he would give her his full name later. He became perfectly aware of the location of his stick, just for good measure, before he continued. After all, he'd be ticked if anything happened to his current stick.
"Just what were you doing?" he asked simply. He could see no good reason one would come crashing around like that unless they had just been thrown in a fight. Yet he didn't sense anyone else here, so he awaited a response.
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Posted: Sat Jul 10, 2010 9:17 pm
"I'm sorry, I'm just so clumsy sometimes," she replied good-naturedly, smiling, shaking the dirt off. "I'm Ukuzi. I was just checking out the view from the top of the hill there, but I slipped." Her voice was clean and clear, like a spring breeze, without being screechy. She sat and enjoyed a good ear-scratch with a back foot. "You don't look like you're from around here. another of those travelers looking for Ohu?"
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Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2010 5:14 am
"Oh, are you alright?" he asked. It seemed this dog was kind. He would be a bit more approachable, but wouldn't let his guard down. It was just second nature- especially for a stray- to stay on your guard. But at any rate, it seemed Ukuzi hadn't gone rolling down the hill on purpose. That was fine for a pup, but this was an adult, despite her smaller stature.
He took a short moment to ensure that he had the name tied to the face- he found if he did that, he would learn who people were much more quickly. A little trick he had picked up by a passing rogue.
He listened to what she had to say, and had a literal jaw drop. "How did you ever know?" He asked, wide eyed. "Am I nearby, is it over there?" he asked, turning his head towards a mountain range where he had been headed.
Was there any chance at all that he had... That he'd stumbled on it by himself? Or maybe he was way off, maybe a lot of travelers came through here on accident. Though, for her to assume such a thing, he must be pretty close. His spirits rose immediately, and he turned to Ukuzi again. "Do you know the way to get there? Which direction is it?" He asked, tail wagging. It became apparent that, though he may look mostly like it, Zeke was not yet anywhere near fully mature.
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Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 9:19 pm
"Oh, a lot of dogs come through here looking for it," Ukuzi explained. "Yeah, keep heading toward the mountains. You see that place where it kinda dents in? That's Futago Pass. Head toward that, and you'll be there in no time." She grinned brightly. She liked helping. "It's no place for me, but I'm sure a big, strong dog like you will be very happy there."
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Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 10:30 pm
That was really something- what were the odds of him running across someone that was so knowledgable about Ohu? He supposed pretty high, considering how close he apparently was to it, but it really seemed like luck, especially since Ukuzi had pretty much fallen out of the sky, as far as he was concerned.
"What luck!" he said, staring off to where she was talking about. He'd heard of Futago pass, just as he had of Ohu, but like it, he also hadn't heard of where precisely it was either. He engraved its image into his mind, should he ever need it again. He was certain he would. He let his muzzle show a grin- albeit toothy- of pleasure.
He wondered if he would be accepted, he was pretty young. But like before, he'd heard some great things about Ohu. "Oh, thank you! But I'm not so sure about that," he said to Ukuzi's compliments with a sheepish grin. He wasn't complimented much. "I haven't really done anything big yet in my life, so I hope I can fit in," he said. He did have a hint of concern about whether he would stick out. He always imagined the warriors from Ohu as very accomplished and capable dogs, he wasn't so certain of his abilities. Sure, he felt he could hold his own, but they were exceptional, to his mind.
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Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 12:54 pm
"Oh, don't worry. You'll learn. If you're strong in the heart, you should be fine. Being tall doesn't hurt, either," she said somewhat wistfully. "They used to have a test to be one of the Soldiers, but I don't know if they do it any more. In any case, they allow anyone to live there... I'm just a little too small to be of any use, and my hunting ability is basically nil with so small a mouth, so I left to live with a human and come out here as a way-guide sometimes." Her tail switched with pleasure. "This is the job I'm made for, I think."
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Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 1:22 pm
"Huh, you don't say..." He said thoughtfully, listening to her every word. He never knew how to console those born into a body that was the wrong size for them, honestly. He typically just skimmed over that part, and he'd do the same again now. "I hope you're right. I'm very grateful that you're doing this job, though!" He said happily. "I was gonna go that way a little more, but not up to those mountains, so without your help I would have missed it," he said honestly. "So thank you very much!"
He had warmed up to the smaller dog quite a bit, and for good reason. She was nice, but she also knew her stuff. He truly lucked out.
"Have you ever been there?" He asked, curious to see if what he had heard about the place was true- if Gajou was as big and full of tunnels as he had heard, if the lands were really so nice in the spring and summer...
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Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 4:11 pm
Ukuzi nodded, the memory still bright in her mind. "I have. I try to pay a visit every spring." She stretched blissfully, remembering the warm sun on her back and how everything had seemed so alive. "I'm not sure what the other seasons are like, but spring is awesome. If a little damp," she added wryly, remembering the squish-squish of the clean mud in places that liked to make her paws disappear. "I was first there in early fall. Gorgeous then. Gorgeous. Wish I could have stayed."
((OOC: Sorry for the slow reply. Lately I've had to really force myself to do....much of anything.))
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Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2010 8:08 am
((It's fine- I've been gone on vacations and entertaining family anyway. XD))
His eyes seemed to grow wider the more she spoke- it became clear then that he wasn't a full grown adult. There was still some pup in him, able to be excited at a simple story. "Wow!" he said, eyes bright. "I'd heard it was nice, but never that it was that pleasant," he said, the urge to get there growing even stronger. He wondered if the dampness was just that particular season, or if it was like that every spring.
He supposed it didn't matter- he would enjoy it there regardless of the weather. "You're sure you don't want to stay there?" he said, feeling somewhat guilty. He felt like he was excluding Ukuzi from some elite group, even if he himself wasn't a member yet.
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Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 1:21 pm
"It's okay. Things are pretty cushy, as they stand," replied the Chihuahua good-naturedly. "Little dogs like me get the star treatment in homes. And I like being able to help out like this." She glanced at the sky, judging the sun's angle. "You might want to get going, if you want to get there before dark."
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Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2010 10:18 am
"Well, that's good. I've never been in a house, but I'm sure it's gotta be nice!" he said. A lot of dogs lived beside humans, so it had to be good, right? Otherwise, they wouldn't do it. That thought was a comfort to him...
He looked to the sun when she mentioned it. "I suppose you're right, I should hit the road." He turned his gaze onto the chihuahua again. "Thanks a ton for your help. If you ever need anything, just seek me out, you'll know where to find me," he said with a wink. "I owe you one, after all," he said, rising to his paws. He grabbed his stick, "I'll catch you around, Ukuzi!"
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Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2010 6:16 pm
"Thanks, I'll remember that," she said, feeling somewhat sad that her new friend had to go but still very happy for him. That one, she thought, should be able to fit right in. "Bye, Zeke! Take care!" She watched until he was out of sight, then found a nice warm spot to relax until either the next traveler or the sunset came along, whichever happened first. She yawned. Today had certainly been worth getting up for.
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