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 Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 5:28 pm
The temperature was dropping significantly as the last of the light faded behind thick clouds. It had been cold and wet all afternoon, the drizzle and rain having poured nonstop since its early morning beginning. The woods were dark and damp, saturated with mud and puddles and long shadows. Night was fast approaching, and the temperature was only going to continue to drop.
Ravii didn't mind. Much.
She'd certainly lived through worse. What was a mud-stained coat to a wolf? Her thick coat kept out most of the cold and water, and though her fur was a mess, it felt good to travel through a newly-cleansed earth. Many scents and trails had been washed away thanks to the blessing of water. The entire world felt as if it began anew, and Ravii was pleased to be part of its reconstruction.
It wouldn't take long for new scents to be discovered, trails recreated, and the typical tracks of the forest to resume. Making her way through the woods, the she-wolf paused in her journey.
There was one!
Giving a small, mock-growl, the female pounced, sending a splattering of mud and water in all directions. And her prey? A puddle. It was a fairly large puddle, resting innocently at the base of a small hill. The wolf mimicked the ations of a pup, romping happily within the water and looking quite the sight.
It was all right - Ravii was an expert when it came to games. A short time as the omega in a few packs had quickly taught the wolf how to divert and distract through the art of play.
Even now, by herself, she found herself enticed to games. Besides - it surely broke up the monotony known as her life.
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Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 5:49 pm
 A tall pine tree that was well-endowed with greenery stood tall against the showers. Needles shimmered with drops of moisture, but all in all it served as a nice umbrella. Alexander’s dark coat became more and more masked as the sunlight began to fade. However, the pup was unaware of this at the time. He preferred to sleep through the daylight hours and roam the world at night.
One small, yet very wet, drop of water came crashing down onto his puppy nose and he awoke with a start. Ears pricked up and crystal blue eyes opened wide. Alexander had been sleeping curled tightly at the base of the large pine tree. He avoided dens whenever possible due to childhood experiences, but sleeping under trees left him a bit damper than he’d have liked.
The blue male stood, stretched, and shook out the water that had accumulated during his slumber. Now, time for food…
Splash!
Alexander tensed, tail rising to the air. Something was being quite loud, quite near to him, and he wasn’t entirely sure if he wanted to know what it was.
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Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 6:07 pm
The female continued her romping, pausing now and then for a drink, before continuing. A hop here, a roll there. Yes, she was getting thoroughly drenched in the water, but again, her thick fur stopped any bite of cold. Ravii was one who adored water on all levels be it a puddle, a rain storm, or a river.
Another mock growl, teeth bared at some invisible foe. Another pounce and splash of water, followed by some thrashing about. Suddenly, she jumped to her feet and wildly chased her tail. Around and around, and around until she darted forward, stumbling stupidly through the puddle and on to nearby land.
Ravii laughed, a contagious laughter that broke through the quiet of the night. How long had it been since she broke loose and just . . . played? Quite a while, really, quite some time. Oh, sure, sometimes she'd toss some leftovers of a kill around and shake them vigerously in her jaws. Other times she'd play raven tag with the birds - and sometimes come out with a snack at the end of the day. But to just go pup-crazy?
It surely had been some time. Oblivious to her close proximity to Alexander, the female gave her fur a good shake to rid it of mud and cold water.
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Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 6:15 pm
Alexander waited, twitching his ears in all directions, hoping to catch whatever it was that was prancing about so carelessly at this hour. The first thought that ran through the pup’s head was that it must be something big and powerful to not care who heard. Then, his mind drifted and figured it could just be a silly air headed puppy. Either way, it was probably best to find out the truth.
Before long, he nose and ears caught the creature making the ruckus. Alexander watched as a light-colored wolf stained with purple bounded through puddle after puddle. He crouched, trying to blend in with the scenery, hoping this crazy canine wasn’t interested in having him for a meal. But then, Alexander wondered if anything acting like this could really be dangerous.
Finally, he decided to let out a semi-loud, puppy bark, to let the other know he was there. The blue’s ears listened to his own voice in the rainy woods and waited for a response.
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Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 6:30 pm
Ravii's ears instantly pricked forward as the bark resounded through the woods. Her entire body stilled, and the air of relaxed playfulness turned in to a much more alert female.
Crazy? Nah. She was perfectly sound of mind. And how quickly she recomposed herself made that much obvious. The bark wasn't far, and came from the shadowy underbrush not far from the puddles. Ears pricked forward, she strained to find the source of the bark. It hadn't sounded like anything threatening, and she'd be surprised if the voice wasn't wolf. Sniffing the air, she attempted to pick up a scent. It took her but a moment to trot forward, body ready to spring away in case she'd made some err.
"Who's there?" Ravii asked, trying to locate the source of the bark. It was quite difficult to see the dark furred pup against the underbrush of the forest - especially since Ravii didn't know exactly what she was looking for.
Stopping a few feet away, the female kept her guard. And here was the very reason she didn't often play so carelessly. The moment she let her guard down, what happened? She was disovered.
And though she didn't fear the bark as threatening, Ravii couldn't guarentee that next time she'd be so lucky.
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Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 1:38 pm
Alexander could almost taste Ravii’s anxiety in the air. He had surprised her. The blue pup gave a wolfish grin. He decided there was no need to be afraid of this one. He didn’t see any signs of aggression on the loner, which was comforting. Alexander knew his own hackles would have risen immediately had he been in the other wolf’s situation.
The young blue male stepped out from beneath the shadow of the tree and into Ravii’s line of vision. He was still nervous about what might happen, but he decided to take some chances this time around. Without taking chances, he would get nowhere. However, his tail was kept high over his back and his ears pricked up in case the scenario turned sour.
Alexander padded closer to the light wolf and gave a simple, “Hello,” in greeting.
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Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 2:11 pm
Ah-ha! There he was! A shadow (that hadn't been a shadow at all) moved and out came a dark furred pup. Ravii's eyes focused on the little one, though any anxiety she'd felt earlier was quick to relax. Pups, no matter what their size, were all but harmless. She had nothing to fear . . . unless, of course, his family was lurking around.
Ravii would keep an ear open, just in case, though her realxed composure not once changed. Ears still perked forward, and tail raised easily, the cream female gave a wolfish grin. "Why hello there," she greeted aimiably, stretching out her neck to pick up any scents she could off the male. It was a bit difficult thanks to the rain, but he smelt of earth, and pine, and various other woodland scents. He seemed healthy, and with the way he walked with his tail held high in the air, he seemed quite confident of himself.
Not a bad quality in a pup, or any wolf for that matter. So long as the confidence didn't give way to arrogance and conceit.
"I'm Ravii," she greeted plainly, tail tip wagging in good nature.
The female took a moment to admire the young ones coat. It was dark, and her eyes couldn't pick out much detail within the shadowed twilight of the forest. Still, he sunk in to the shadows, unlike Ravii with her cream and violet. No wonder she hadn't seen him before . . . a disconcerting though, and a reminder that she was becoming careless.
Just because she'd survived alone this long didn't mean her life and luck was guarenteed.
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Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 3:27 pm
“Alexander.”
This was the name the shadowed pup offered in reply to Ravii’s own introduction. Alexander also replied to her body language by dipping his muzzle in greeting and giving a few short shakes of his tail. She appeared to really be alone. He mirrored her moved by once again raising his nose and sniffing at the air around her. He couldn’t smell much but mud and rain on her. Satisfied, the pup took a few steps closer.
“Are you alone?” He asked, half out of curiosity and half out of caution. Alexander kept his right ear focused on Ravii, but allowed his left to roll in other directions, listening for anything worth listening to.
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Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 7:59 pm
Ravii studied Alexander with as much curiousity as he offered her. It had been somet time since she'd been around small ones, and part of the female was delighted. For as many wolves didn't like pups, there were just as many whom did. Ravii was one of them. Perhaps it was because she hadn't the oppurtunity to be around many when she was young, so now, as an adult, she cherished the company of the innocent.
Well. . . . mostly innocent.
Personal experience reminded her that not all of the young were naive, nor were they necessarily sweet.
A shame, really, but such was the way life rolled.
"Are you alone?"
Ravii couldn't help but chuckel softly at the question. When had the last time been since she'd been with any wolves for an extended period of time? "I am indeed very much so alone. In fact, I've been a lone wolf my entire life, ever since I was your age. And that," she grinned, "was a very, very long time ago."
She wasn't old. But Ravii was comfortable in her skin, and knew the way her body worked and maneuvered. She was comfortable fending for herself, and understood all of her strengths and weaknesses. She'd met older wolves, such as Mingan, but part of the female couldn't help but envy the youth and young ones of the woods.
Alexander had it lucky. His entire life was set out before him, and she could only hope he had no regrets. Too many wolves carried such heavy burdens upon their shoulders far too early on in life.
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Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 4:33 pm
Alexander’s ears twitched, taking in the information the female offered. At the same time, his body felt at ease knowing she didn’t have a pack hidden and ready to ambush him. The pup let his features droop slightly, but still kept a tangible air of dominance. Well, not so much dominance as confidence – though in wolf hierarchy, the two often went hand-in-hand.
Nodding slightly, Alexander then cocked his head to the side. “I’m alone too,” he admitted, feeling safe sharing details with Ravii. She seemed nice and caring on the surface anyway. After all, Alexander didn’t have a lot to worry about hiding anyway.
“I don’t want to stay alone,” he continued, admitting what most wolves thought. Alexander was a prime example of a social wolf. He was comfortable and confident around others, even adults, as his posture exemplified.
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Posted: Sun Feb 18, 2007 2:24 pm
It was clear to tell what Alexander's personality was: confident. His body language and posture continued to radiate that boldness that some pups exhibited. A quality that would serve him well with time, and perhaps be the difference between survival and death. The female licked her nose before lowering her haunches and taking a seat. There was no use standing about so formally, as if she were about to bolt at any given second.
"I don't think many enjoy the sole company of their shadow," Ravii agreed, "But, I do think you may be in luck. I know there are many wolves out there searching for others, and many pups your age too. I don't see, with you confidence, why you couldn't find others."
Ravii wasn't speaking such words out of generosity or kindness - she truly meant them! She'd met Nen not long ago, and though the little teal and white female had been a bit on the skittish side, Ravii remembered that Nen had mentioned a group of others. Besides which, there were many lone wolves out and about, as well as packs. There was no reason Alexander couldn't find himself a spot in a pack - some wolves were quite fond of adopting.
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Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2007 1:13 pm
Alexander followed the lead of his companion. With a quick twitch of his gray-tipped tail, Alexander lowered his own haunches into a relaxed sit. He gave one more sniff of the air before being content to switch out of lookout mode and into comfort mode. The pup curled his little tail at his side. Though he was sitting, Alexander did not slouch and kept his left ear constantly twitching, searching for any signs of disturbance. His other ear, the right, was focused on Ravii, listening to her words.
Blue eyes met blue eyes and Alexander offered a wolfish nod. Yes, he had met many lone wolves in his short time traveling the land. A majority of them had even been pups. Alexander had unfortunately left all those behind now, but maybe he would meet them again. All of them except Deimos that is. The red male was what he considered to be his best friend. They were a team.
After giving a wide yawn, Alexander proceeded to reply to the older female. “I know. I’ve met a lot.” He paused to think for a second, deciding if he should continue or not. Not seeing any harm in it, Alexander decided to share. “I want to have my own pack some day.”
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Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 10:02 pm
((Sorry for the delay, Tomoyo. And sorry for the choppiness. . . roomie kept harassing me and then the phone and . . ugh. Sorry.))
Ravii studied the pup with a curious air. The navy blue young one was self-assured, and quite mature. He didn't seem to have that giggling, giddy spunk that some young ones did. Yes, Alexander seemed to be quite the mature little man for being all alone.
But Ravii understood. Surviving by oneself took a sense of self-preservation and common sense. One didn't stay foolish and innocent long while alone, even at such an innocent age.
The cream and violet female tilted her head as the boy calmly shared his desire. It was the same sort of desire that seemed to linger near the hearts of many wolves. Some actively pursued the hope of leading a pack, while others were more laid back and mellow. Ravii had never had a huge pull towards leading, though she surely had the confidence and level-headedness to be put in such a position.
Alexander seemed to be one of those pups who wouldn't settle for anything less. "Do you now?" She asked curiously through the evenings drizzle. "Would you be willing to start one on your own, or would you prefer to join a pre-existing family and work your way up?"
The latter road, though it offered protection, was a rough way. Some packs sifted through alpha pairs like water through a sieve, while others had set positions and little room to maneuver. Violence and mobbings were frequent, and ousting such positions (though common) could be violent and deadly.
But.
If he were to join as such a young one, as he grew, he could just as easily find his way closer to the top, or bond with the adult pair. Allegiances and allies within a pack were just as good to have as brute strength and a domineering personality.
A little grin, and the female gave a playful wag of her tail. "But tell me, Alexander, a good leader has to have confidence to lead but also a good sense of humor. You're not this serious all the time, are you?" She asked, wanting very much to start some sort of rain game to lighten his serious nature.
Where were all the young, playful, and gloriously stupid puppies? Where were the ones that had nothing better to do than play, wrestle, swat at insects and otherwise cause mischief and trouble? Was the innocence of the forest that twisted and convoluted that no such young blood was around? Well, maybe she thought, it was around but found only in the security of the packlands. Those pups who weren't forced to grow up so soon or so quickly as those left to fend for themselves.
That was the boat the navy one was in, and it was very hard to find time for games when starvation and death lurked within every shadow and waking moment. She understood that Alexandar was roughing it alone and by himself - its why many a lone wolf turned hard and cold and sometimes cruel.
Regardless of his situation, the blue pup had the stereotypical leader personality, but without a good sense of humor, there was a good chance other members may grow anxious or nervous. There were a lot of alphas and pack leaders in the world, but only a very few good ones. Some alpha's were evil, cruel, hateful - others were control freaks and in need of anger management. Others still were nervous and unsure, which made the rest of the pack unsure. To find one the proper balance of work and play, to find the most ideal personality was a rare gem to stumble across.
Alexander had the guts to be agressive and flashy with his position, sure, but would he be able to relax during the quiet moments, did he know how to play?
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Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2007 10:16 am
Alexander shuffled his muddy puppy paws and shook out a rain-soaked coat. He wasn’t sure yet how he felt about the rain. When he was smaller and his mother was still around, it was great fun to go romping with Kael through the drizzle and the puddles. But that was when he always had a warm, fur-lined den to return to after the games took their toll on him. Now that he was… well, now that he was older and tried his best to avoid dens the rain had lost most of its allure. It was also annoying to hunt in the rain because the prey seemed to hide away from him.
The dark colored pup turned his attention back to Ravii. Would he join an existing pack? No. Alexander had already been through that. He didn’t want to follow someone else’s rules – he wanted to make his own! The pup reached a hind leg up to absently scratch his ear before responding. “I’d rather start my own if I can find other wolves to come with me.”
But wait, Ravii had continued on with more words. Play? Of course he could play! Alexander gave a couple wags of his tail before standing. He stood straight, tall, and motionless, staring Ravii in the eyes. At the last moment, Alexander lunged, mouth open, at her neck. However, the pup closed his teeth before contacting her and ended up just nudging the female with the tip of his nose before bounding a few paces away. Alexander looked over his shoulder to see what she would do.
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Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2007 1:40 pm
Ravii figured that the little one would prefer to have his own pack. Not many enjoyed being under the rule of others, and joining a pre-existing pack wasn't necessarily easy. The life was a rough one, and some members didn't take fondly to strangers joining. To start from the bottom made it difficult to rise to the top, and jealousy of current members could be deadly.
Alexander had the right idea, to crave to start his own and make his own rules. All he needed were a few friends and aquaintences, and there was no reason why he couldn't begin. Even at such a young age~!
Blue eyes watched as the pup stood and stared at her. The female stayed still, ears pricked forward as she waited to see what the blue one would do. His tail flicked back and forth a few times before Alexander lunged forward. In a flash, Ravii found her neck pushed upon by a cold black nose and a rain-covered puppy!
Laughing, it took Ravii but a moment to reach her paws forward, sliding in to a formal play-bow. Her soaked tail flicked back and forth in delight, like a violet, cream and mud covered flag waving in the rain. With a mischievious gleam in her eyes, she wasted no time bounding after the young one.
"I'm gonna get you!" She laughed. If he wasn't fast enough, she'd tackle the little one and force him in to a game of wrestling. Sure, she wouldn't hurt the pup, but her size could easily pin him down or roll him over.
Puppies were resilient critters, when all was said and done.
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