|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Thu May 26, 2011 12:15 pm
She felt at ease, home. Rage swayed her tail and head inland towards the lake. The salmon would be spawning soon, at least, she hoped if the weather stayed sunny and continued to stray away from the rainy mess it often changed to. Being near the sea had its perks, there were prey species of fish unlike those inland, but the sea sometimes baited terrible weather to come too close to shore.
Shifting her neck back and forth she wove through the treeline, away from the shore and felt the soft dirt beneath her paws cushion her weight. Soon she would call all to meet so that both new and old members could gather and meet one another properly, for the first time.
She would do as Phib did when she had come here, when she sat next to Malik, and when she felt safe in numbers, when she felt home so far away.
She had come here as a pup, so small, so afraid, and The Outriders accepted her as their own. The alphas became like father and mother when she had lost hers. Smiling, she thought to Amelie, looked to the underbrush and wondered where she was wondering today.
Catching an unfamiliar scent on the wind Rage quirked a brow and headed for the border.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu May 26, 2011 9:33 pm
 He had wandered far, that much Damask knew. But he felt no guilt about it, oh no sirree! The other pack had been boring to him, or otherwise full of already more interesting-looking wolves - and he couldn't have that! Daddy was never around, and neither was Mommy, and the aforementioned oddball wolves were so wrapped up in themselves or the alpha's kids that he imagined he wasn't missed. Heck, not even his siblings were around to join him!
It was like he was born with no expectations thrust upon him. No direction. Hence why he chose where to go. If no-one was going to show him the path, fine. He'd find it on his own.
Problem was, nobody told him how hard it was to strike out on one's own. Yes, there were new smells and new sights for someone who had been cooped up in one area for so long, but . . . Things went downhill after he grew hungry. Damask licked his lips and forced himself onward, unaware that he had crossed the border of a pack. All he wanted was a nice, warm meal . . .
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 1:04 pm
The smell of salt assault her sense as a gust blew against her face and she huffed and coughed. Sneezing she remembered the smell when she first came here. On her tongue and in her mouth. Like she swallowed dry dirt that wouldn't come out. The first time she tasted fish that came from the sea, she thought she was going to die. She was naive and young, but Phib and Amelie taught her well, just as the others did.
The foreign scent of another was closer but...small. As in, the scent was not potent enough to come from a dominating or intruding male or female, or coming of a friend marking their territory. A passerby? She tilted her head, flicked her ears, tried to listen.
She couldn't hear a thing.
A squirrel perhaps? Raven? Fawn?
They were stepping lightly, trying to sneak in?
Maybe it was her daughter playing a game. Rage smiled, regardless of the situation, crouched and slipped into the bushes towards the unfamiliar one, the could see bright violet and blue ahead of her -none she recalled held that color.
Interesting.
She stayed to the shadows, quiet, assessing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 3:59 pm
Rumble rumble rumble.
His stomach continued to insist him to sate its needs. You know, like it did every, what, ten minutes now it seemed? The pup's ears tilted back irritably as he scratched hopefully at a particularly colorful plant he had just found, wondering if . . . Hmm. He sniffed it and, upon finding nothing offending, began to nibble on its petals.
So bland! Damask scowled as he chewed and swallowed. But if it made the ache in his stomach stop . . .
He forced himself to engulf the plant and then move on to the next, though an uneasiness began to settle upon him. The puppy began darting glances about, much as a bird does while it is on the ground - vulnerable. That's what the feeling was, and . . . and the feeling of being watched. His heart began to pump a little faster in his anxiety.
How to address something he couldn't see? Swallowing another petal down, he began to softly whine.
Maybe if he looked pitiful enough, it'd leave him be.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 7:50 pm
Rage crept close and upon catching a full view of this intruder, she found herself having her ears fall back, her eyes grow wide in question, and sympathy. Was this a new pup of someone here? no, couldn't be. None had colors remotely close, although Senku- no, just couldn't happen.
A wander.
So young?
It made no sense. Was he abandoned, separated? Rage pushed herself to stand and stepped from the bushes, quietly, and slow. "Don't be afraid," she spoke softly. Eating flowers, plants? The sounds from what she assumed his belly seemed to command him in strange ways.
"What is your name?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 9:31 pm
Whatever she might have thought her appearance was, Damask clearly was frightened of her the moment he saw her dark form. The angry red markings on her pelt looked almost like clawmarks etched in blood, and with another (louder) whimper he stumbled backwards into the flowerbed, eyes bright with worry.
A monster, he thought. A monster come to eat him! His ploy hadn't worked at all, and in hindsight Damask realized making more sound probably just attracted the wolf to him. Stupid.
His lips parted but no words came. The pup's stomach, however, was quite vocal once more - its diet of flowers was clearly not enough.
Rumble rumble rumble.
Shhhh! What if that made this wolf's stomach hungry and make her eat him?! Maybe he should lie dead, or run away, or -
Well, his mind certainly wasn't working enough to think of a better plan than standing there, an his muscles seemed locked in place with the stranger's appearance. All Damask could do was lick his lips pitifully as he looked up at the larger female, trying to be as submissive as possible.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 28, 2011 9:24 pm
Rage tilted her head, cocked one ear forward, the other back and listened around her. None other lingered her. He was alone. Frightened of her, obviously. She lowered herself to the ground, stomach nearly touching the earth beneath her paws. "Do not be afraid little one," she spoke softly, curling her tail low. She need not support her alpha status with such a young one. What would he do? He was so small, so hungry, she noted.
"Your alone, that much I know. You've stumbled into my packlands little one, I am one of the alphas here, do you want me to take you to something to eat?" Perhaps if he had food, he would be more responsive to speak, tell her where he was from.
Perhaps he had no home. Perhaps he needed a home. He could stay, it had been a long while since pups roamed the Outriders shores.
"What do you think?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 11:38 am
Food! Food, he could respond to. Food, he would happily follow a complete stranger for. And it showed: his eyes lit up at the very word, and for the moment seemed less likely to scamper off into the unknown. Food . . . Food! Damask licked his lips and nodded once.
What did he have to do to get some? Did he have to copy her? The puppy followed her posture and lowered himself completely to the ground, tail curled. "Alpha" didn't mean much to him, but it probably meant something important. Best not to do anything to ruin his chances.
And didn't they say imitation was the highest form of flattery?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 7:58 pm
How young was he?
He copied her, as her children did as pups so long ago. However, good behavior good be mimicked just as bad. Rage remembered how many times she had to discipline, especially her eldest daughter, when it came to teething. She smiled, figuring it best to keep things simple, perhaps not even mention her name yet, in case he knew what the word -rage- meant. She did not want him to fear her. Not at all.
She stood, smiled and took a few steps, waited and made a motion with her head.
"Follow me, I will take you," she had a food cash near here, as well as other places just in case of scarcity. This was a good reason to use one of them. She started walking slowly, knowing that on the way to the spot there were a few small obstacles- stones, branches, underbrush, that she would have no problem with. But this little boy, he might have trouble.
"What is your name?" she asked again, soothingly. "I promise I am bringing you to food."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 9:31 pm
Food . . . .Food for a name. Yes, he could make such a simple trade. It wasn't as if wolves could do harm with that, right?
He had issue finding his voice for a moment, but eventually squeezed out something of a murmur as they walked. The second try was easier to hear: "Damask."
Really it was the only thing that was memorable of his family. Sure, his mom was a shaman, but it clearly wasn't manifesting anything in him. Mist was still mist. Like he wanted anything else on his plate anyway.
Well, besides food.
The puppy's nostrils began to flare as they walked, trying to scent something that would make his mouth water. Thus far Damask managed to navigate around obstacles to keep up, minus a few trippings. He was clearly focused on the one thing, and for now had to trust the adult that she would deliver.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 8:28 pm
"Damask, a strong name, cunning too, hmm?" she asked while watching him follow her. She held in her giggles as he tried to not trip. She could have taken the longer route following a deer path from the migratory herds that would be easier to follow, but the sound of his stomach, and his size, made her worry.
"Not too much longer, I promise."
Where was his family?
Soon enough they came to a small opening in the trees and underbrush. Rage started digging. A few inches of dirt down she came to the birch bark she had laid upon the deer meet she had stored, grabbed it with her jaws and lurched it from the earth. She held it up and then settled it down for him.
It would be more than enough. Just some leftovers from a hind leg. They lasted longer when stored. Besides, the stomach had the nutrients which you wanted to eat first.
She wondered how much Damask knew, how much he learned.
He didn't speak much.
Rage sat and licked her lips, paw paws and nudged his side, "Eat, and tell me, if you can, where you are from, do you know, or remember?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2011 9:59 pm
A name could be cunning? He wasn't sure: for all he knew, "Damask" could mean "fool", or "nothing", or "dried tree rotting in the forest". The pup only knew its meaning as what he was called by, and nothing more.
Names didn't feed a hungry stomach and thus didn't feel particularly useful.
He was practically drooling (in fact, visibly was) by the time the alpha dug up the piece of meat. Damask didn't know specifically what it was, and didn't need to. Once she had stepped back and given the signal, he tore off a chunk of the meat, chewing and swallowing as quickly as his jaws could allow.
Stars, but he had never tasted anything so sweet as this meat; or maybe hunger colored his perception. The pup didn't blink at the taste of blood, unaware that his over-eagerness had caused him to cut his tongue as he chewed with uncanny ferocity.
Eventually Damask was satisfied, licking his lips of extraneous juices as he looked to the provider of his little feast. Questions? He would be happy to answer them in order:
"Near pack. Don't remember name. Far away."
Although "far away" was relative. He was maybe . . . several days' journey in so far? Or maybe more . . . or maybe less . . . He was suddenly lacking that memory.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2011 10:44 am
Rage smiled, sat back and watched Damask fill his belly. He seemed so eager, so hungry. He had to have traveled far on his little paws to be that hungry. What had he survived on for the past few days, bark and berries? Perhaps, it was a choice if he came from the east. The raspberries from that area weren't ripe just yet but they would have been something.
He was too far away from home, and he needed a home.
It was settled in Rage's eyes.
If he wanted, of course.
"Would you like to stay here, Damask, in this-my pack, become part of this family?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2011 7:15 pm
She probably could have asked him if he wanted to drown a bird as a snack and he would have said yes. It had about as much significance to him as did joining.
Well no . . . that was a lie, and inappropriately compared. Damask didn't understand how serious it was to join a pack, or what true commitment was. Maybe it was inheritable from his lackadaisical dad, who had switched "mates" as easily as a tree loses leaves. Maybe it was because he had grown up rather detached from his so-called "family" and "pack". Maybe it was both.
Either way, the pup only knew that agreeing with this female meant more food. And that, he could certainly work with.
So Damask bobbed his head in reply after these considerations, though he appeared more sleepy than hungry at this point. "Big?" he asked, meaning to ask of her family.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2011 7:47 pm
Rage smiled at his enthusiasm, but she also knew he was very small. He had a lot to learn and knew that perhaps one day, he might venture. However, for now, she would help raise him into a fine and strong wolf where he could make those choices one day, and do them on his own accord.
She lay beside him, nudging him to her side to that he could lay and get a little rest. She nodded and nodded his side gently. "My own family, a little, the pack, a bit bigger, but don't worry, we're your family now Damask."
She wouldn't let anything happen to him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
