Barren

[Packgoater]

"I need to know about the wolves. Or the bears. Whichever you might have an idea about," he said, holding his head high. His sharp antlers seemed to be glittering with the icicles that remained on the trees, but they seemed to glitter menacingly, as if daring the she-wolf to make a move against him. He swished his short tail and his blue eyes closed in on her face. His ears tilted slightly backwards, their slightly white insides being tickled by the slight hint of warmth on the breeze. This meant the caribou would be moving soon, as would the wolves and bears in turn. They would move to stay where the breezes promised cold weather and cool climates, where there was always snow lightly dusting the forest floor. Where icicles hung majestically on thin branches, bare of leaves. Where the moon and snow was radiant and strong, where the sun hid for long periods of time. Where Kaskea rules his herd, his band, to success. To the downfall of others. To the downfall of predators.

[SkySong278]

"Hm well I'm sorry that I can't help you because I don't have information on either the wolves nor the bears," Des said in reply as she sat down in front of him. "See I live on my own and away from the pack of wolves so I don't know what their plans are and I haven't been around any bears lately to know what their plans might be. I'm sorry that I couldn't be of any help to you." She looked around their surroundings for a minute before turning her attention back to him and saying, "If that's all I would like to get back to hunting." She was really hungry now and felt like she was going to collapse any minute if she didn't eat something soon.

[Packgoater]

Kaskea grunted, his pale blue eyes still unsure. Not even Kaskea could tell if this wolf was lying or not. He decided to give the she-wolf the benefit of the doubt. He flared his nostrils, remembering the place he buried the fox-like creature this morning. The poor starving creature had been hungry enough to try to go after something as big as Kaskea. He shoved his antlers in the ground, prying up the body still kept fresh by the cold.

 

"What's a wolf like you doing all alone, anyway. Last I heard wolves were pack animals, just like caribou are herd animals. Take the fox if you're hungry. Keep an old herd animal like me company," he muttered, his voice quiet yet easily heard. He wasn't old, yet his voice sounded as wise and bold as if he was.

[SkySong278]

"Well my biological parents and my twin brother were killed by an eagle when I was a pup and then my adoptive parents died a year ago from some unknown disease," Des said in reply to his first statement after he got a fox-like creature out of the ground that it was buried under. She nodded her head in thanks to him for giving it to her before she started to eat it. She was thankful for the act that he performed even though he was a prey animal that she should go after. She didn't care, though. She wasn't around other wolves for them to start rumors about her so she didn't really care and it didn't really matter either.

[Packgoater]

Kaskea sighed. It was such a shame, such a horrible way to have a family ruined. A bunch of feathered rats.

 

"I-I'm sorry. My mother died when I was young, at the fault of a bear. You probably know. What most people don't know is that my father raised me until I was about 1 and then abandoned me because I befriended a wolf. I hunted with it. I thought I was a wolf for awhile," he said, waiting for her reaction.

[SkySong278]

"Actually I didn't know that about your mother," Des said in reply to his assumption about her knowing about his mother's death. What he said about befriending a wolf was surprising and she let that show on her face. She really was surprised to hear that. "Wow," she said as she blinked her eyes. "I bet that was a different experience for you then. Is that wolf still alive?" She asked the last part of her statement with curiosity since she wanted to meet it and find out if it lived on its own like she did.

[Packgoater]

"Oh, yes. I go and visit him sometimes, when the others don't know I'm gone. The wolf I know, Twitch, he tends to get himself into trouble. Rather reckless, you know? He's a good guy," he replied, his pale eyes slightly misty. "He lives over than hill, just a few miles out. Should be a fair run. Lives by himself. Like you. Kind of always puzzled me as to why." He shook the snow that still clung to his head off. Not that you could tell, really. His fur was as white as the snow, no more, no less. He turned his head to the tree next to him and started to gnaw off the bark. "I really don't like doing this, but in the cold seasons there's hardly anything to eat."

[Packgoater]

((Bump))

[SkySong278]

((sorry was waiting for Ds to post again before i did))

 

"Alright I'll go visit him sometime," Des replied with a smile to the majority of what he said before he started to gnaw off the bark of the nearest tree. "Yeah I can vouch for that," she said in reply to his last statement. "Nowadays I'm finding it a bit hard to hunt a rabbit or deer so I have to eat other things that I normally don't eat." She thought about the mice and rats that she would sometimes catch in her cave but it was hardly enough for her since there was very little meat on those critters. She looked around after awhile and wondered what she should do now.

[Packgoater]

"Why don't you go visit twitch? He knows a good few other wolves like himself. Loners, you know. Most live down there, in a camp of sorts. But they're loners. Don't share their prey, don't offer help. Don't get me wrong. Some of 'em are friendly. He's also a mighty hunter, wouldn't mind to give you a few meals. There are a few others I know. Chase, Delilah, Rex, Sasha," he said, turning around to plod along the other way. He hoped she would visit. She looked run-down and lonely, like Twitch when Kaskea first found him. Maybe that was why he was helping her. Because she looked just seemed to be the same.

[SkySong278]

"Alright I'll go visit him," Des said in reply as she ran off in the direction that he had showed her earlier. She came across the hill that he had spoken of, went over it, and then went a few miles out from it. She saw what looked to be camp and slowed to a walk as she looked around. She kept her distance a little bit, not knowing what the wolves in the camp would do upon seeing her. She wasn't sure if they would attack her if they thought that she was stealing their food or invading so she didn't get too close.

[SkySong278]

((bump ))

[Packgoater]

((Thanks... I forgot if it was you or I that had posted last, so I didn't post...))

 

Twitch cocked his head as he sensed a she-wolf approaching. He stretched his long legs and slowly stood up, taking care to brush off his side on a nearby tree. He was starting to ache in his joints now and already had a mate, but he still found her attractive. Twitch ran up to her and woofed a welcome, his mate trotting up to his side.

 

"Hello. And you're...?" he asked, his graying muzzle letting out his wheezy bark. Several other wolves gathered around, curious of who was here.

 

Tandr glared at the newcomer. (( He looks like this: http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT...ziVuot-C38HfSvb )) He was five and walked with his chin slightly tilted upward, over-confident and cocky. His lips pulled back into a half-snarl, showing thin, pearl-like teeth.

 

"Who're you? I don't think you're from around here. What d'you want with us anyway? If you're looking for a pack, this is the wrong place, mutt," he said, his voice crisp like rushing water or crackling fire. He walked froward on stilt-like legs, pushing through other wolves to get a better look at the she-wolf. His eyes held the same look of the cunning fox, yet also held a look that told one you could trust him with your life once he accepted you. He was the hardest one to get that acceptance from and very few would ever receive it.

[SkySong278]

((np and it's fine ; maybe we should make an ooc thread for the topic))

 

"I'm Destiny but I like to be called Des," Des said in reply to Twitch's question. "Kaskea told me that I should come visit you." After she said this last statement she looked over at the fox-like wolf and glared at him right back saying in reply, "Like I just told your leader my name's Destiny. No I'm not from around here and I was told to visit your leader from a friend of his. No I'm not looking to join since I'm fine on my own."

[Packgoater]

((Yeah. Where do we post threads again?))

 

"He's not my leader, he's my father. And what I meant was that we're not a pack. So you know about us?" he said dryly, surprised that she knew a friend of his father's. "My dad barely has any friends. Of which would you happen to know?" he barked, interested now. Tandr cocked his head, fiery tail slightly wagging. He thought this 'Des' was interesting. Tandr turned and glared at his tail as if he thought it was his tail's fault for wagging. He looked back up, slightly embarrassed and started to put on his 'tough guy' facade again.

Edited June 14, 2011 by Packgoater

[SkySong278]

"Oh sorry," Des said in reply to the first part of his statement just as dryly as he did. "Yes I do. Is that a problem?" She noticed that his tail was wagging slightly and tried not to let her grin show when she watched him glare at his tail as she said in reply to his other question, "His name is Kaskea a caribou. He, uh, ran into me a few hours ago shortly after I woke up to hunt something and we got to talking. He mentioned your father and that he used to spend time with him and he still comes here to visit when the other caribou don't know that he's gone."

 

((the unapproved section))

Edited June 14, 2011 by Dragonpelt

[Packgoater]

Tandr glanced at his father. His father nodded and Tandr turned to Des once more. His amber eyes sized up Des and he sighed. He supposed his father's request wasn't unreasonable.

 

"Alright, my father wants me to show you around. Any friend of his is a friend of ours. Or really theirs. I don't usually like the friends of Kaskea," he said, tilting his chin to give him a very arrogant look, not exactly the look he was aiming for. He started walking, not bothering to look back to see if she followed. She might have to jog to catch up with him, as his long legs gave him an easier stride and he was both the tallest and fastest wolf in the loners' camp. He stopped nearby a small den. "This one's for pups, that's why its in the middle of the camp. To your left is the big den underneath the rock? That's my father and his mate's den. And no, my father's mate is not the same as my mother. But anyway, to your right is where most people build their dens and straight ahead is the hunting area. Most wolves leave adventually, so even if I do find someone to trust, they just go with the wind," he sighed, his eyes transfixed on the worn trail leading away from camp. "Someday I might be going with them."

[SkySong278]

Des nodded and then went after him when he started to give her a tour of the place. She did have to jog a little bit to catch up with him but she didn't mind. As he told her what each place in the camp was and who slept there, she nodded and looked at the places of interest. When she heard what he said last about joining the wolves that left eventually along with the ones that he might trust going with the wind she asked in reply, "Why is that if you don't mind me asking?" She might have been prying right then but it was too late to fix that mistake now and she would just have to hope that he didn't mind her asking what she did.

[Packgoater]

"Because I don't like my father's mate. Because I want a pack. I want someone I can trust that won't end up leaving for the winter. Because I don't like the wolf I'm betrothed to," he said simply, turning his head away from her, his ears flat against his head. Why did his father have to ruin his life with some stupid female. She was pretty enough, but had an awful personality. He hung his head, ashamed that he was confessing all this to some stranger. What would his father say if he heard?

[Darkshadow]

"You're probably a faster flyer than myself. I don't have much muscle on me. I'm good at diving. I'm fast THAT way. So, tell me about yourself," she said, turning her head so that her left, black, pebble-like eye looked at him. Fury shrugged his giant, golden wings and met the falcon's gaze. "What to say about myself? I was born in an area north of this place, and raised to hate the wolves and the bears, because they stole our prey so that we all had to group together to survive. I guess that's where I got the idea that the birds should all band together and give the wolves and bears a taste of their own medicine. And since I'm a golden eagle, I am able to lift up a small bear, which means I can carry away their young." Fury stated calmly. He bent down and ripped off another piece of the dead wolf, swallowing it whole.

[SkySong278]

Des was quiet for a few minutes as she heard all that he said and then thought about what she could say in reply to it all. "If you're interested you could share my cave with me," she suggested. "I just live by myself and it's a big cave so you don't have to be anywhere near me." She shrugged and just looked around the area. She knew that he probably wouldn't like that idea but she was just offering in case he liked it or wanted to do it or both.

[Packgoater]

TANDR:

Tandr cocked his head and stared at her. Someone actually didn't find him irritating? Someone actually didn't hate him that much? His eyes slightly lost their hard edge. "I'd be forced into complete exile. My father would never speak to me again. I don't know if I can do that. And the nearby pack would continue to be at war with our pack. I don't want to be at fault of that," he said, his eyes once more having a hard edge to them.

 

LENKA:

Lenka focused in on some wolves that appeared to be nearing them. They were far below and probably couldn't see the two birds, but Lenka was still on edge. One seemed to have a fiery red coat and the other was hard to see. It looked like it might be a tawny brown, but was hard to make out with the tan grass stalks. Lenka cocked her head as she noticed other wolves in a camp of sorts.

 

"Well, it appears I've found a wolf camp."

[SkySong278]

"I understand," Des said in reply to all that he said before thinking of something else to add. "If you ever just want to get away for a few days you're welcome to come by my cave and just hang out if you want to," she said with a smile as she made another offer before looking up at the sky. "I need to get back but it was nice meeting you and your group," she said as she started to head back in the direction that they had come from. She hoped that he would follow up with the second suggestion but he didn't have to. She just offered him a place to stay if he needed it.

[Packgoater]

"Hey! Um, Des! What if you stayed here for a little while?" he said, trotting back over to her. He shook off some dust on his fur as he took long strides over to her. His body froze as he saw a familiar white wolf approaching. "Des, we should go." he yelped, a little bit too late as she walked over. She was absolutely beautiful, with pale blue eyes and soft fur.

 

"Are you having an affair?"

Edited June 16, 2011 by Packgoater

[SkySong278]

"I guess I could stay for a few days," Des said in reply slowly as she thought it over. She then heard his yelp after she saw a beautiful white wolf with pale blue eyes approach them. She heard what she said before saying in reply with a small snort although she figured that it was directed at Tandr instead of her, "No. I barely even know him. We were just talking as he was showing me around the place."