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 Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 5:34 am
 Lightfoot had slowly been integrating into the pack, though she had utterly failed at finding someone to hep train her, that probably had less to do with her suitability as an apprentice and more to do with her total lack of social skills and unwillingness to actually go up to other dogs and ask them to teach her. But she had been getting alone relatively fine on her own, having learned the area close to the pack's home turf and was now teaching herself all the trails and pathways around the edges of the territory. She had even met a few other creatures and talked to them about their own homes, well... the harmless looking ones anyway, she had simply hidden from the few big cats that had happened to cross her path.
But with all her training and working, she hadn't really gotten to know very many of the pack still, something she knew was not a good thing but she was still desperately timid when it came to being in a large group of dogs and she often found herself hiding away while near the pack.
Sighing softly she stopped and gazed about, wondering which part of the land she had wandered onto. She had spent the morning out on the trails but had come back to feed and try and socialize, but once more she had ended up on the edge of the den area, standing in the shadow of an old baobao tree, watching a few other young dogs playing some distance away.
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Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 9:37 pm
 Frozenheart had come such a long way since he was a pup. He was much more open, and even more willing to do for those around him. In fact, he was even beginning to boast about how few tricksters he'd had come for his aid lately. Alright, so really nothing had changed, the poor guy was still breaking his back to make sure everyone around him had everything they could possibly need. Self sacrificing himself, to better suit them. Heck, he'd even passed on a meal a few times, passing it on to a group of pups or a down on his luck dog. But as time went on, he felt that his heart was now bigger, more open to things he at first made have been afraid of. His social life had taken somewhat of 180, he'd gone from being the awkward pup to everyone go-to guy. Though that wasn't exactly his ideal place, he felt that his connection the pack meant more than some silly nickname. Shrugging off the thoughts of his life, the tired dog drug his paws back toward home, his stomach gurgling the entire way to his destination. It had been a rough few nights for Frozenheart, what with so many dogs coming to him and begging him to help them feed their families? He couldn't just let those pups starve! Naturally he'd run himself ragged hunting down a meal for each and everyone, and now all he needed was a place to call home. Even for tiniest bit of a while. As he neared the den area, something familiar caught his nose, something he couldn't quite place. It gave him a very comforting feeling, and put his stiff muscles at ease. But what was it? Glancing around once more - he caught sight of her - she was a deep brown female, with gorgeous accents of color in all the right places. She was his hero as a child. The one who had disappeared soon after saving him the fateful night. Overcome with excitement, the dog rushed over to make her acquaintance once more. Not caring one bit how raggedy and worn he looked, and more just hoping that perhaps, if he was lucky - she might recognize him - now almost fully grown up.
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Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 7:36 am
She had been about to turn and slip away before anyone noticed her when a sudden sound behind made her startle and turn to look over her shoulder, ready to scramble out the way if it was one of the high ranking canines. Instead, a young male came loping up to her, his multi-toned coat dusty and mostly obscured. For a moment she froze in uncertainty. Surely he wasn't looking at her like that? So open and happy to see her that he couldn't help but pick up his pace, despite how tired he seemed... but a quick glance the other way proved there was no one else close enough that he could be looking at. So with wide eyes she looked back at him, surprise written across her delicate features. But then his scent reached her through the layer of sand and dirt and she froze in place at the familiar taste.
She knew him!
It was strange enough that she didn't bolt as she may have done, but let him run all the way up to her, head up and ears pricked as she struggled to place him.
"... F-frozenheart?" She asked shyly, nervous that she had gotten it wrong and that smile would vanish from his face to snarl and n** at her... but she couldn't help the hopeful look that filled her eyes. "Is that you?"
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Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 4:30 pm
The male let out a happy yip as he bounded over to her. His excitement quickly outweighing his common sense. She remembered him! He couldn't believe someone actually remembered him! Especially for something other than a favor. And at that, she had even recalled his name. The thought made his day more than he could think to describe and his heart happily thumped along with his tail as he got closer. "All grown up!" He barked as he skidded to a halt before her. Taking in her appearance, and noting that their time apart hadn't done much to altar her appearance. He wasn't sure whether that was a good or bad thing, but most females seemed to enjoy looking younger.
"It has been a long time Lightfoot!!" HAH! He still remembered her name! Excitement rushed through him as he hoped she would be just as excited as he was. "And you still look as striking as ever!" His smile broadened more and his cheeks burned slightly. He'd seen females around the pack, but none that had ever truly caught his eye and matched up with the picture of perfection that had been stuck in his head since puphood. She was his puphood hero, and he'd never forgotten her.
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Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 3:59 am
His vibrant exclamation made her jump simply from his enthusiasm, but she managed to catch her fluttering heart and overcame her natural shyness to beam at him. "It really is you!" Giggling as his excitement was apparently catching, she looked him over, her moon-like eyes appreciative. he had certainly grown into a fine looking male under all that dust. She knew that she herself hadn't changed much at all, still long-legged and a little skinny, she looked as if she had only just reached adulthood herself, though she was in her first season as a full fledged adult.
Giggling again she nodded. "It has been." Her smile softened slightly though she was unaware. Someone in the pack knew her, had remembered her, even though she hadn't seen him since that night... A new, soft feeling filled her chest, something she had never felt before. But before she could start to worry about the strange sensation, his compliment made her blink wide-eyed at him, before she suddenly blushed, feeling the heat through her fur and hoping he couldn't see it.
"You have become more so." She replied, having no idea what to say to such nice words she instead returned them, especially as she thought them true, for he had been a cute pup, but now he had become a stunning adult. If... she peered a little closer.. apparently an underfed one.
Her instincts kicked in and she moved alongside him, tail held low shyly but her eyes full of hope. "You look hungry... I know of a small waterhole we could catch a meal..." Gazing up at him, for he had grown taller than she as well as much handsomer, she hoped he would agree. It had been so long since they had first met and now that he had suddenly appeared, she didn't want this meeting to end so quickly. He may not recognize her the next time they stumbled across each other and the thought sparked a sadness within her.
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Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2012 3:33 pm
Frozenheart stood tall, beaming with pride at her kind words. Though, a little deeper down he was beaming more from the thought of being remembered, than the thought of being a nice young male. As he tried to remain calm and still, his puppylike personality continued to shine through, forcing his rump to shake back and forth in sheer excitement. It had been ages since he'd met a wild dog that wanted to just get to know him, and even longer since he'd last seen her. Though she did like to appear in his puphood memories quite often.
As he watched the female, and took in her stature he noticed her more timid approach to their meeting and immediately felt rather awkward about his own excitement. Maybe she wasn't all that happy to meet him afterall? Just because she'd remembered his name didn't mean she actually cared about him. Slowly his rumps quivering slowed, and eventually came to a slow swish.
As he listened though, a new wave of hope washed over him and again he began to quiver in excitement, hoping beyond hope that this wasn't her way of trying to get him to do her a favor. "Oh, a meal?" He muddled it over a moment, wondering why a meal was he preferred request, but one look at himself in the water would give him that answer. "I'd love to, I guess it looks like I could probably use one right?" He smiled, his goofy smile and looked back at her once again. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go catch that meal!"
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Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 5:16 am
The constant movement of his rear made her want to smile, for though he may have been bigger than her, he still had so much energy and enthusiasm, he reminded her of the pup she had first met. A fond memory and one of the very few she had from her past that held any warmth.
His surprise at her suggestion had her chuckling with a shy blush and she nodded at his reply. "Well... yes..." Giggling softly again, rather enjoying this new emotion that filled her, a kind of nervous warmth that soothed away her usual flight-instinct, though she was still worried about upsetting him or something, she wasn't so fearful around him as she usually was around the pack. The relief was tremendous.
Smiling, a full, beautiful smile for the first time, she nodded and stepped up beside him. The tension seemed to melt from her body as she relaxed, even leaning over to bump his shoulder with her own. "Come on then... follow me, if you can!" She grinned, moon-like eyes alight with happiness before she shot forwards, flowing smoothly into an effortless run. There was one reason, and one reason only that she had been called lightfoot.. and that was her amazing turn of speed.
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Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2012 6:17 pm
With a small glimpse of her bright smile, Frozenheart was immediately brought back to that night. He remembered her so vividly that her smile took him back a bit. He remembered her smiling on that night, but now her smile seemed brighter, more comfortable. The grin made the male immediately avert his eyes to the ground, his entire body growing warmer by the second. If he wasn't so brown, he imagined he'd be bright red. So entirely embarrassed that he couldn't handle it. It took him a while, of digging his paws into the dirt, before he could finally look her in the eye again. But she didn't seem too bothered by his tiny upset at all, a fountain of relief washed over him as she stepped beside him.
Truth be told, he wasn't entirely sure what he was expecting as she drew closer, but he really wasn't expecting her to dart away so ... QUICKLY. Being left in the dust left him far more than a bit confused. She had been there, and then just like that she was gone!
Blinking a bit and squinting his eyes, he could just make out the female as she dashed out of sight. "Cheater! You could have given me a head start!" He laughed, kicking up his own fair share of dust as he darted after her.
One thing was for certain, he was never going to win any marathons. But he could definitely use the exercise.
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Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2012 8:34 am
Her full, warm laugh rang free and clear for the first time in many seasons as she she cast her eyes back over her shoulder at his cry. Quite possibly he was right but she had never felt this much joy and energy bubble to life within her before. It was as if she had been living in some kind of shadow world and now, all of a sudden, he had come bursting into her darkness and spread his shimmering light throughout her soul.
Slowing her pace, her body flowing effortlessly over the hard-packed ground, she let him catch up a little, enough that she could answer him in return and not have her words lost to the wind created by their speed. "Maybe next time!" She laughed again, the sound pure and sweet and only for his ears only.
In no time at all they were approaching a little-used watering hole, but it was big enough to support a small herd of medium-sized grazers, possibly gazelle of some kind if a dog was liable to label the beasts by any kind of title. But to Lightfoot they were food and she was determined to catch them both a meal that they could share. She was not great hunter, that was for sure. But between them, she was fairly confident that they could at least bring down a youngster that would be enough to feed them both.
Slowing before they reached the pool's edge, she slunk behind a thick prickly bush and waited for him to catch up.
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Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2012 9:46 am
He heard her words as he skidded to a halt in front of her. Panting heavily and unable to catch his breath. OK, so he wasn't just a little out of shape. He was in horrible shape. But that run, it had been quite exhilarating! His body slumped under the weight of his exhaustion as he tried to slow his breathing enough to catch up with the rest of his body. "I'll.... remember ... that ... next time!" He heaved, allowing a small giggle to escape his labored breathing.
As his breath slowly caught up, he placed his rear solidly on the ground and took a look around him. It didn't look very familiar to him, but the smell of food sure smelled familiar. The familiar smell, forced a rumble from his stomach and he blushed slightly under his dusty coat. But as he looked up to explain himself to his company, he noticed he didn't see her. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen her since he'd caught up!
But his sense of smell was strong, and he knew she couldn't have gone far.
"Aww running away from me already? And here I didn't think I was all that bad." He smiled teasingly, allowing his head to dart around the poor for a quick glance of her flashy fur.
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Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2012 10:03 am
Her giggle, as light hearted as any she had ever let free, indicated where she was hiding just before she peeked her head out round the side of the scrub to look up at him with a charming smile. "Of course not, well..." She added then paused a playful warmth filling her expression. "No more than I did a moment ago... " Waving him towards her she vanished back behind the bush again.
From where she crouched, she could see several of the prey beasts drinking along the water's edge. Several of the sandy, long-legged creatures had young at their sides who seemed more interested in playing than drinking. Feeling Frozenheart come up along side her she shifted back, letting her side brush against his so she knew exactly where he was without looking, not wanting to take her eyes off their prey.
"That one.." She lifted her nose towards where an older youngster stood off to one side, an early calf which would provide a good meal yet was not too big for them to tackle.
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Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 2:53 pm
She had him right where she wanted him and Frozenheart couldn't even see it. He was too blinded by his absolute interest in her; the female who had swamped his thoughts since he was but a pup. He had been given a second chance to get to know her, and he wasn't about to let it slip through his paws. He smiled, and a strange heat began to fill his body as she moved closer to him, her words as teasing as they were true. He enjoyed having her near, it made him feel more secure and actually wanted. But she quickly left his side and disappeared back beneath the bushes, he caught on pretty quickly and silently slipped himself in next to her.
Crouching beside her, he felt oddly close to her. So close to another being, truthfully it felt a bit awkward but right at the same time. He felt her brush up against her, but he didn't look. He was as focused as she was upon the beasts in front of them. Hearing her words, he simply nodded, bending himself into a more prepared stance. He would be prepared as soon as she was, to go in for the kill. And though the meal wasn't a large one, it wouldn't be the size of the meal that mattered. But the time he got to spend with her.
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