The Wildwood Good Intentions

(between the time Eva arrives in Relic Lore and meets Cali. Sorry this is so late D:)

The small girl was wandering aimlessly, though still with caution. She made an attempt to remain in the shadows of the trees and to stay alert. Anyone could see her here and attack her, though she hadn't met any wolves so far. The journey from the mountain left her paws sore, and her belly was rumbling with hunger. There were two things she wanted: food and sleep. Deciding to focus on the first (followed by the second) she attempted to hone her senses and listen to the environment around herself. The yearling could hear the songs of birds but little else. Sitting down in the grass her eyes passed over the area looking for any shiver of a leaf that would signify the presence of some other critter. Pushing all other worries from her mind seemed like the best idea, and she was happy to forget about her troubles at least for now.

Crouching down low and following the advice her mother had taught her at a very young age, she heard the movement of a bush nearby. Moving her multi-colored gaze and resting it upon the plant there, she creeped steadily towards it. With a sudden burst of adrenaline and energy she leaped towards the bush and chased after the squirrel that suddenly ran from cover. It was fast, much faster than her on her tired paws. Tripping over a root connecting to a tree, Eva fell forward face first into the dirt. Stunned, she laid there a couple second before looking up to see the long tail of the rodent disappear into the branches of a nearby tree. Feeling defeated, the Hervok rested her head against the grass and closed her eyes, deciding that perhaps her second need would be the best to fulfill first.

(This post was last modified: Mar 14, 2013, 07:07 PM by Eva.)

He paced – his paws would lead him closer to Willow Ridge and then he found he would skirt back in the direction of North, unwilling to meet the cold eyes of his pack mates the moment they realized of his betrayal to them. Of course, his worries delved far deeper than that, and his thoughts would constantly drift back to the pale tawny she-wolf he had laid with – life of their cubs potentially stirring within her womb. He needed to look after her. To look after them.

The time was drifting past far too quickly, and the ivory Argyris needed to fulfill the plan that now set out before him. To do this though, he knew they would need to find a territory to settle in, and members to swell their ranks. For raising a litter of cubs would be extremely trialing with just the two of them, and he would not see Borlla suffer.

The thud of paw prints caught his attention just then, as he paced the quiet woods. He paused, his muzzle lifting to the air as he took in the scent about him, unable to fully decipher the story behind it. It was another wolf, of that much he knew, but he could only consider them a stranger. His pink tongue sliding over his lips, the ivory beast prowled forward, breaking through the foliage that separated the two souls.

His bright eyes fell upon a slender girl of a youthful age, her dark cinnamon figure sprawled upon the still dead grass of the forest floor. Blinking, he ushered a low bark of greeting, waiting to see if his presence was at all welcome, and what information he could divulge from the female.

A sigh emerged from her jaws as she attempted to fall asleep. There was too much to think about- and worry about- right now, though, and her brain wouldn't let her rest. Her future was uncertain, this place was alien to her, and she had no where to go. The girl's mind tried to convince her that her quest was impossible- but her heart was telling her that it was her responsibility, and that she had to find her siblings no matter what. Even if her mom disliked her and only wanted her gone and out of the way, the kindness she had been shown through her childhood was enough to complete this task. It was the only thing her mother had ever asked of her.

The sound of pawsteps crunching on grass almost stirred her enough to look up. Lost in her troubles she thought nothing of it- at least, until a voice spoke to her. It didn't say much, it was just a greeting. Suddenly alarmed the yearling's head shot upward, her eyes wide with alarm and blood suddenly pumping quickly to her heart. It was a wolf, the first wolf she had seen since her arrival in Relic Lore. Her sprawled legs pushed her backwards a few inches in a half-hearted attempt to escape.

The wolf before her was large, she could see as much with her one good eye. He had white fur and orange eyes that had a kind look to them. Eva didn't believe this wolf would hurt her, but she couldn't think of anything to say to this stranger. The words escaped her. Her surprise was still painted on her face with a look of pure shock, like a deer caught in headlights before contact. Ears were laid slightly back as she peered up at the male that had suddenly disturbed the quiet of the forest around her. The need to sleep escaped her in all the adrenaline, but her hunger came back with full force. A loud growl came from somewhere, but it most certainly wasn't her jaws! The girl looked away in embarrassment, wondering what the male would think of her now.

(This post was last modified: Mar 20, 2013, 11:23 PM by Eva.)

His presence had caused alarm from the girl – while the ivory beast could no more read another’s mind than any other, the sudden jerk of her head as it moved upwards was cause enough for the male to take a pace back and offer the girl more room, his muzzle lowering slightly to indicate he meant no harm to her. She back peddled herself, her bright eyes looking at him with emotions he did not know, but the bright blue opposite the gleaming green was a surprise to him. He had never seen a wolf with two different colored eyes, and upon first glance Phineas did not catch the clouded vision of the left eye.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” he rumbled, his tail giving an idle flick as the male took another step back. She was youthful, and as such, he was pleased to see how cautious she was. The dangers of the world were many, and for a lithe creature such as herself, the life of a lone wolf could only be more harsh.

About to introduce himself, the sudden grumble of the female’s protest caused his ears to flicker forward. Yet it had not come from the girl’s muzzle, and his fiery eyes drifted to the belly of the she-wolf. Holding back a smile of amusement, Phineas allowed his muzzle to dip again, his head canting slightly. “Do you travel alone..?” Of course, his intention was to alleviate his and Borlla’s current situation, and yet as the words slipped out, only then did the older wolf realize how absolutely creepy his question sounded. Blinking, the male cleared his throat with a light cough, looking to salvage the sentence in to something that didn’t sound like an old man attempting to lure a little girl to his van with candy. “I just mean that I could help you hunt, if you’d like.. My companion could use a meal as well.” Good job, Phin.

Though the male was of large stature, he did not appear to mean her any harm. The wolf seemed as startled as she was and moved backwards a little. He made no more advances towards her and stayed where he was standing, giving her some space while sparing a kind apology. Eva looked at him with her one good eye. "It's okay..." she said shyly with a small smile, though she still felt horribly embarrassed by the conversation her stomach seemed to be having with this new acquaintance. Her body, however, did relax slightly and her ears moved forwards in order to catch any words he sent her way. If he meant her harm, he would have done it by now, right?

His next sentence caused her to become slightly nervous, though they seemed to have a kind of innocence and also mean no kind of mental distress for the girl. The question seemed simple enough, and so she decided that it was a simple mistake of communication and nothing more. This wolf was the first she had met in Relic Lore, though, and thus she was still a little on edge. Her plans of keeping to the shadows seemed to have failed her already, and stranger wolves in an even stranger land was enough to keep her on her guard. "...Companion?" Eva asked, looking around the area. She had not seen another wolf and didn't want to be caught by surprise once more. Was he really offering to hunt for her? It was an extremely kind gesture, as she was quite weak from her travels. The Hervok didn't want to sound greedy or needy, and therefore did not respond completely to his statements.

(This post was last modified: Apr 06, 2013, 02:44 AM by Eva.)

The girl seemed shy and hesitant by his presence. Who could truly blame her? Her question arose as she stole a glance around, and the Argyris male allowed his own fiery eyes to sweep the area with her, only just realizing she was searching for the other wolf he had mentioned. A small chuckle escaped his muzzle as he gave his head a shake. “Borlla. She is resting now.. she is pregnant with our cubs,” he explained softly, wondering if she would question why he had described her as his companion rather than his mate – the truth was, he wasn’t entirely sure what she was to him, spare that he only hoped she would allow their relationship to unfold further than co-leader. However, such a change in relationship would hopefully come in time as the two grew to knew each other – Phineas fully intended to court her properly, once their travels had come to a close and they claimed land.

He allowed the silence to stretch between them momentarily, his figure shifting as his shoulders rolled back in an idle stretch. She had not given agreement to his request, and he would not pressure her – he would need to hunt whether or not she joined him, but with two wolves rather than one, they had better chance of catching larger game.. something that could feed all of them, if they were so lucky. Even as he waited, the silence between them only spanning a few moments, yet feeling longer, Phineas lifted his muzzle, his nostrils flaring as he inhaled sharply. He did not scent anything nearby, and know it would take a longer time for them to find something. It was then, as the breeze drifted past and the scent of water came to him that an idea formed. "Do you know how to fish?"

Eva looked at the white wolf in surprise as he mentioned that his "companion" had cubs. This did not seem like any kind of pack territory and the girl hoped she was not encroaching upon their land. If this male was the leader of said pack, he did not seem very alarmed about her presence, and so Eva allowed herself to relax. Despite the white wolf's large size, he seemed to be quite kind. Her heart rate dropped as she became more comfortable in the situation. Nothing was said, and then Phineas asked her a question that surprised her. Fish? Her mother had taught her how to hunt, sure, but never how to catch a fish while it was still in the water. Of course she knew what one of those scaly creatures were, but Eva had never tasted one before.

Shaking her head at the male to indicate a negative, she then replied, "I've never had fish before..." The Hervok was not sure if the male was offering to fish for her, or teach her how, and so the girl remained silent, hoping that she had answered in the 'right' way. Her stomach rumbled again at the thought of getting something, anything, to eat. Eva did not know if fishing required one to have two good eyes in order to be able to do it right, but the girl decided it was worth a shot.

(This post was last modified: May 18, 2013, 01:03 PM by Eva.)