Welcome to Gaia! ::

Violet had fallen still beneath the shadow of a giant tree, eyes following that of a yellow male just a short distance ahead. He, Violet, rather small, still covered in the dried remains of his latest kill, dirt mingled and alone would be no match in strength should the situation call for it... No matter how well-fed he felt... In fact, he was heavier because of it... Running would be simple, but escape the greater challenge... So much of the wood here was sparse in comparison to those denser portions to the East... What if... thoughts... they spiraled nearly out of control and beneath the layers, anxiety begged the question; would a full stomach be your downfall?

But the air around him would soon swell with the scent of water, pulling him from one train of thought onto another. He lifted his snout reactively, a spike of adrenaline sucking the breath from his lungs. His legs twitched as if ready to dart, but a force he could not place kept him planted; like that of the forest itself. And as quickly as the moisture had found him the first time, a second and stronger gust blew past. A blessing of some sort, it carried with it the scent of the other wolf, reassuring him. Down wind… I’m down wind. Good.

His outward tension laxed as breath filled his chest, and the mind was soon to follow. Divine synchronicity he thought, and a chuckle took the form of a sharp exhalation.

For a short while longer Violet remained the watcher as the stranger rubbed (strangely) against a tree and muttered to himself, stalling the inevitable for as long as he could manage. The wind would begin to shift impatiently, the canopy rustling loudly, and something would give chase through dried leaves some ways behind him before he'd surrender to the call.

Times up. Trust.

He checked over his shoulder, finding the vastness of evergreen and beyond that, a glimpse of his mountain peaks, before calling out.

“Hello… I just wish to pass.”

It took a beat, but the many signs of neutrality shown encouraged Violet's posture to soften. A wide mouthed yawn of lingering discomfort provoked a violent shake of his heavy coat, and out of that he took an almost involuntary step forward.

But once stabilized Violet pressed his toes deep into the earth, lengthening through chest and neck in his own visual display of confidence; erring on the side of dominance... because one of them had to... All the while keeping his eyes trained on the figure before him. He listened, panted, fell silent and allowed the silence to sit before finally piping up.

"I hope you can appreciate my... hesitation with that remark." He paused, clearing his throat.

"You are no pup, and even then those can often be far too mischievous for my tastes."

His trust was generally in the process of all things, but with a mind both spiritual and pragmatic, he was often left subject to doubt. His nose tilted to the sky, searching for the company of others. Hoping to be both correct in his assumption, and incorrect all the same... and when he received no sign of immediate danger a smidgen of guilt befell him. Instinct immediately gave way to civility and he resumed conversation.

"We've been gifted with senses to help drive us." His reply was vague yet pointed, and following along with the strangers own broad assumptions.

"And beyond that, there are forces at work... keeping things going as they should be. Many paths worth taking, all available all at once. In that way, you've been driven here." As he said this, beyond the other male his eyes wandered and a cacophony of caws resounded. The south. The Run. His thirst. The flock had moved and they were calling him forward.

"Some say having no goals at all makes anything possible." Violet shook his fur out again, releasing whatever tension still remained back to the soil. A long sigh escaped him, the physical manifestation of his spiritual fatigue, and the slow wave of his tail to and fro was geared to show his ease of the moment. "For now, I am merely driven to drink. No more, no less."

"But, should your gut say 'follow', then I would listen to it and moreover, welcome the company. Destiny wears many masks, it comes in many colors, and you'd do well to hear it out."

And with that Violet moved in the strangers direction.

"I see." The stranger's final remark gave Violet mental pause. Yes... of course... How could he forget that signs may come in all types of shapes and sizes... including his own. That all things had their purpose. That timing was everything.

The crows gave out another call, disrupting his thought... effectively cutting through to his rippling ego as well... only they were further away than before. Timing... Urgency roiled once more, caught like a dry spell at the back of his throat. Thirst.

His stride both hastened and widened around the other male, leaving a respectable amount of space between them. In passing he spoke firmly,

"Fate offers the sign and that leaves us to take action. So come... let us properly introduce ourselves along the way, then."

And as his footfalls brought him deeper into the forest, closer to his salvation, Violet gave in to pleasantries like one who had not fed in months.

"My name is Violet Stag, and I come from the North. Those mountains that guard this forest... yes... they are my home. Within them dwells the very spirit of this realm, our 'mother beneath the mountains', and she watched... watches... over us all. I have been connected with those peaks all my life so you would think that no matter the distance, the bond would never strain and yet... being so far from them, I feel at a lost.

Have you ever been to the peaks? They are beautiful and unforgiving... as most perfect things are... Where do you come from?"