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 Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 6:30 am
After a rather bitter spat with a young female named Cassidy from a southern pack, the Harlequin was feeling most pleased with herself. It was not so much that she enjoyed bickering over things- but she did like when she could so actively manipulate others. Never could it be said of Harle that she was cruel or evil- but she did like to trick, and she could not help herself when such an occasion rose. She was even pleased enough to be lightly humming as she ambled gracefully over a small outcropping of rocks.
It had been in her mindset to start returning home now. She had not found any sign of Nessa or Kouji... perhaps Yero had found more. Or maybe he was still too angry to look. But Harle had found herself worrying about her young friend. A whole winter had passed! Nessa was sure to be all grown up now...
But before leaving, the Harlequin decided upon herself that she would need to see her parents off before she left. It had been a year since they'd seen her, and she was sure her absence had not been taken too pleasantly by them. But then again- no one ever saw her sister. In fact, she was rarely spoken of... But the puppies! She'd have to see them again at least. What they must think of her- the vagrant Harlequin!
It was the sound of faint voices which detracted her attention. She might have kept going if one of them had not sounded somewhat familiar. Cautiously she turned, her tail quirking in thought as she rounded her position, and trotted down a slight incline to find her brother's child Sorano sitting in the company of a strange, foreign looking female.
"Well- hello there." Harle spoke, her voice light and unreserved as she spoke, her dark gold eyes fluttering towards this strange vagabond.
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Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 5:37 pm
[ Message temporarily off-line ]
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Posted: Sat Mar 25, 2006 9:49 am
(( Sorry you guys couldn't get on during the week, and then I had to get Jade to admit me into the guild because gaia was being a butt, but at least I am responding now. ))
Kara had focused all of her attention on the small pup, and needless to say had heard nothing of Harlequin's approach. This was extremely unusual for Kara, for years of a loner had enhanced her instincts, she relyed on herself to stay alive. Perhaps it had been the influence of this pup, though small, it had confused her mind, and so she had focused all of her attention on it and nothing of its surroundings. In fact she didn't hear the female wolf until she was nearly on top of her, but she heard her indeed and her fur bristled and she darted to her feet, turning to face this intruder.
Her tail was very low, hackles raised, attempting to warn, but yet remain submissive all at the same time. Unlike the Sorano this wolf was a muscled adult, apparently doing fairly well for herself in the world. Kara let out a soft barely hearable growl, her eyes narrowed and her body arched, ready to attack or flee whatever the situation called for. She instinctively stood in front of Sorano, her normal actions would have been to avoid this wolf, but not with Sorano, she had to protect the pup no matter the cost. It had wandered into her territory and it was her responsibility to safely return it to her pack, regardless of what other wolves may think to do with it.
"I don't know who it is," Kara spoke softly, her voice nearly being carried away with the gentle breeze of the harsh air. "No, its a wolf, stay behind me, until I can be sure its safe." Sorano's whimpering distracted Kara, it was hard to think when constant worry for another kept racking at your mind. She backed up slowly, trying to put more distance between her and the female wolf, and to get closer to Sorano and perhaps offer some comfort.
The intruding wolf had a nice ring to her voice, almost welcoming, but Kara was not to be fooled by anything, her instincts told her to be wary of everything, and so she spoke little to everyone. "What do you want?" she said harshly, her eyes flickering over the other female wolf reading for typical wolf pack signs that would rely her information about the other wolf's attitude.
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Posted: Sat Mar 25, 2006 10:09 am
"What do I want?" Harlequin spoke with a slide, her face falling only to a smile despite the other female's raised hackles and low growl. "What do you want?" She hopped down the small outcropping she stood upon, and was now in clearer view of both Kara and Sorano. "All that badgering and growling- come off with it, I haven't done anything to you, silly vagabond." The Harlequin grinned, and she sat down in a rather dramatic fashion, her ears flanking upwards and brightly colored tail flashing against the green landscape.
"Sorano, I doubt your mother would be pleased to find you with strange company. But I do not think strange company would remain strange if they would introduce themselves." She spoke directly to Kara, her tail shifting. "But perhaps you wait for me, and if that's the case, I am Harlequin." She spoke, a grin slipped across her face. She was every bit as clownish and sly as her name implied- although her motives were not entirely clear on most occasions.
Despite her rather flamboyant use of speech, Harle herself was not particularly threatening. She was a small, thin wolf with rather well kept fur and sharp gold eyes. She had the looks of someone who was fast- but not particularly much of a fighter. But she had found the better manner to detract fights was to simply ignore them, as she did so now.
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Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 2:40 pm
[ Message temporarily off-line ]
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Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 3:21 pm
Kara's ears were forwards, but she still maintained a moderately protective stance. This wolf didn't seem to wish to fight, but the way she said it it sounded like a threat. What do I want, she wondered to herself. Nothing really at all, but then Harle set Kara off again, just as she was beginning to relax. Now Kara had no reason not to deem herself lowly, being the filth that she was, but she hated having others rub it in her face. "On the contrary," she snapped. "You barged right into my territory and decided it was okay to set up camp. Badgering and growling? Hardly, at least I have the sense to protect another that is not my own." The thickness of this ones skull was bemusing. Kara could deal with smart calculating quiet wolves, or even sickly nice wolves, but thick skulled idiots, never. Now, this isn't to say that Harle was an idiot, but based on the so by heard words she wasn't passing as being very bright, especially if she wished to evade fighting, if it had truly been a hostile wolf standing there, Kara would have lunged for Harlequins throat, but she didn't.
Kara's head flicked back towards the pup, this other wolf knew her? Kara was about to open her mouth to shout a retort, but Harlquin quickly answered her question. Kara stopped baring her teeth, but still took a defensive stance, calmed only a little. She was taught to be wary, living alone, and that is how she would permanently stay. "Kara," she stated blatently, her harsh blue eyes staring directly at Harlequin.
It didn't make Kara feel any less uneasy that this wolf was much smaller than her. In fact it almost made her more so, she wasn't accustomed to seeing wolves of any kind and small wolves could often maneuver more quickly, besides Harle seemed to be in much better health. Auntie? at this Kara turned, backing up so that Sorano was completely exposed to Harlequin. So not only did these two wolves know each other, but they were indeed related. Kara could see it upon examination of both wolves coats, they did bear distinctive patterns, though their coats were fare different patterns. She gave Harle one last wary look before stepping behind Sorano and giving her a nudge forward. She refused to say anything else, not until Harlequin explained herself.
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Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 5:12 pm
Not very bright? This was a thought that did not once cross the Harlequin's mind, who perhaps despite the others thoughts, fancied herself most intelligent. In fact- it was the only thing that kept her where she was, she was no fighter. This was a wolf that planned, she thought, and she had a habit of dazzling with her showman like speech. She liked to poke, and prod, and trick- but she did not necessarily have such intentions. In fact, although she might have been playing, she really did not mean any offense to Kara- if anything, she was feeling her out.
Perhaps she had been too harsh. Harle subsided somewhat, and grinned. "Now now, such offense. I barge into your territory, but you seem to have abducted my niece. I think I am in the right, to see on her wellbeing? If I know anything about my parents- and, I do, they don't care much for strangers. So you see, it makes sense for me to be curious." She half sung, her voice light and airy as she relayed her issuances.
But her real intentions were Sorano, and her eyes returned to the small female. "No worries, love- you can walk as far as you want to walk, I'd just hate to see you walk into trouble. Is this your friend, Sorano? You can tell me if she's not." Harle remarked rather seriously- although really now, she was more protecting Sorano's interests then heckling Kara.
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Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 11:08 pm
[ Message temporarily off-line ]
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Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2006 12:50 pm
Kara began to relax some more, understanding where the other wolf was comming from. She listened intently realizing that Harle may have actually been truly worried about Sorano, even if she didn't portray the signs of a normal aunt. "Then it is understandable to you, that not originally knowing your relations with this pup, that I guard her for that is who I am?" She expected the wolf to realize that she was in no way going to hurt this pup, or anyone else, and that she was very unconfrontational unless matters asked for it.
Kara's eyes flicked warily from Harlequin to Sorano, glad that the pup could confirm that this was her aunt, because she wouldn't have allowed any conversation if Sorano had not recognized the other wolf. Kara would have scoffed at Harlequin for being so brutal towards her, but she remained silent with little emotion, except for a slight bit of worry for the pup.
Surprise lifted to her ears when Sorano spoke in Kara's defense, and there was even more shock when her title changed to Kara-friend. For some reason it filled her with a sense of pride, perhaps pack life wasn't awful, but again, she preferred to stay alone, mostly to remove herself from ecounters with angry parents. A soft puppy grin noted at the edges of Kara's mouth, but she made it remain subtle because most wolves expressed themselves violently through the display of their teeth. She continued to keep her head and tail low, being submissive towards the pack member.
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Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2006 1:50 pm
It did not occur to Harle that she was being brutal, or in risk of instigating a fight. She had a quick and flippant manner about her, but never did she think herself as particularly intimidating. The concern on their part was amusing enough to continue the light and pleasant smile upon her lips- which she supposed with the wrong idea could have been taken maniacal. "Fight? My love, I don't fight. What sort of bother would that be?" She said with a slide, the end of her tail quirking. Truthfully- she had been able to dodge every fight that had ever come up to her, save one she instigated with the brute Kirra. But- that had been youthful adolescence talking. "If Kara-Stranger is nice, then I don't see anything to be riled up about." She spoke, her voice somewhat trailing.
"And, as a reply to myself, I am interested as you are quick to take offense by the arrival of another- particularly one such as me. Hostility breeds hostility, and I am curious- but perhaps I have been out of the vagabond company for too long." She seemed to wave it off with a slide of her muzzle, and a leaning of her lean body. "But, regardless, it is no concern to me. I am Harlequin- although I have introduced myself before, perhaps I'll do it again if it is in more friendlier company I find myself." She smiled, a bit more genuinely then she had previously masked herself.
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Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2006 3:35 pm
[ Message temporarily off-line ]
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Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2006 9:30 am
Kara's last forms of hostility faded from her essence, and instead simply became the quiet and calculating creature that she was. She stood up tall now, her tail still low, but her head raised high, showing just how tall she really was. Kara met Harle's smile by broadening her own grin, a bit taken aback that a pack wolf had the same strange habit of 'smiling' as she did. Well just as well they didn't fight, she preferred to avoid it at all costs, her stomach panged with hunger, but she ignored it, her deep blue eyes focused intently upon Harlequin. Kara cocked her head, the pack member actually approved of Kara, in a sense.
Kara's ears snapped back, a bit of hostility shown in her eyes. "Quick defense," she corrected. There was no way to know what Harlequin was like, surely the pack member saw that? Any wolf could breed hostility, strike when she wasn't looking, or some worse things. Her first instinct was, and always would be to defend herself at such an incident, for wolves could be evil and daring and some could be soft an innnocent which is why she never struck first. Kara scoffed to herself, she sure went through a lot of trouble to not have it be a concern to me.
Kara remained completely confused at the actions of this wolf, they were a bit strange in their own aspects and she kept wondering how on earth this wolf managed a pack with all her strange habits. She held her tongue, knowing it not wise in the least bit to be asking questions of a wolf she hardly knew. Her face softened when Sorano spoke announcing her name. "And a good name it is too, Sorano." Kara decided not to repeat her name unless asked, she figured it was easy enough with Sorano calling her Kara-friend. A question poked at the base of Kara's mind, what was Harlequin doing here so far away from the pack anyway?
"May I inquire as to the reason you have ventured here?" It was spoken very softly, with deep interest swimming about the syllables as she spoke. Kara flicked an eye down at Sorano who appeared to be choking on her words, unable to say something before it seemed to give up and rest from the weariness of talking on the snow. Kara didn't feel quite confident enough for such just yet, but her interest in this wolf was growing from fear to curiousity.
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