set in motion

For the first time in months, Zia strayed from the familiarity of Magnolia Glen. In fact, she couldn't remember a time when she had last ventured outside of the territory. She had just been so busy with her daily routine of patrolling the territory, stocking the caches and looking out for the pups, that she didn't have the time to roam. Today was different. Even a busy, hard working female like her needed a break every now and then. With the taste of adventure calling, she left the pack behind, fully aware that they could get by without her for a full day. Always responsible, she had made a quick sweep of the glade to ensure nothing was out of place. Zia would never fully shirk the duties that weighed on her shoulders as a pack member. Even if she could contribute in some small way, she'd be satisfied. For her, there really wasn't anything such as a day off. Not really caring about where her worn paws took her, she walked with a sense of calm in her stride, as if relieved to be free for just a little while. The hours of the mid summer day dragged by, and it was by mid afternoon that she had put some distance between herself and the Glen. Muted surprise and a glint of recognition filled her eyes when she finally noticed where she had wound up. Distinct hues of orange and red swam before her, the leaves creating the illusion of a forest permanently caught in the autumn season. She had been here before, if only briefly. Back when she had teamed up with Phineas's band, they had bedded down in this forest. The memory was faded, it had been long ago. She only needed the essentials then, and had moved on. Now that she was back, a closer investigatory look seemed worth it. Slipping forth into the shady grasp of the dense undergrowth, Zia weaved through the sea of orange silently. Several mice and a lone rabbit scattered for cover as she approached, but she paid them no mind. Her brilliant coat of silver and charcoal stood out, even with the minimal light that the overcast sky provided. Hunting wasn't on her agenda today. Unless she spotted something substantial, like a lone fawn to feed the pack. Why waste her energy in this heat? Ducking under a low hanging branch, she peered through the thick cover surrounding her. A glimpse of white a few yards away caught her eye. Growing curious, she pushed her way forwards, ears pricked attentively. Her reward was a bleached, bone dry deer skull, nestled neatly among some fronds. Suspecting it was the remains of a recent kill, or perhaps a victim of illness or starvation, the Glen wolf scanned for remains. Finding none, she lowered her head for a curious little sniff.

Table by Pann, Image by Jolee

<b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:12px; color:#FA2F00;"> A quick wind had awakened him that morning realizing that he had been so tired that he hadn’t even made it to the den to sleep. How amusing, he thought amicably to himself as he barely even remembered making it to this little pile of dirt. All he remembered was returning from his long trip with Phineas and finding himself absolutely exhausted but informed, he felt better. With this notion he set off to hopefully finish a morning walk along the perimeter but as one might expect, he was cut short by the everlasting scent of Zia. A woman that he continually felt the desire to see at least every other day (if he got every day, then he considered himself a lucky man) had been by here not too long ago and had likely already finished a perimeter check. Smiling cheekily to himself he simply marked the borders once with his scent before beginning a slow trot in the blue-eyed woman’s direction. He hoped that she might not be too far ahead of him but he wished to see her, as it had been a good few days since he had been there to see her. Surely she must have missed his company as he had hers? The journey there was somewhat slow as the destination was the only thing set in his mind as extraordinary though when he traversed through the southern reach of the land he could note the beauty in it but his eyes were looking for something a little more permanent. Once he finally came into visual sight of her he smiled, glad that his nose had not fooled him and that her feet had not fled from his follow. Curiously he watched her as she examined a skull of what likely had been a deer and made a somewhat dramatic entrance with a half-smirk upon his face. <b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:12px; color:#FA2F00;">“Maybe if you put the deer skull on your face you can blend in with the herds and win us a free meal,” he joked of course but it would be an amusing and endearing sight to see.

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Completely caught up in the moment, Zia enjoyed herself by investigating the scents on and around the deer skull. Why on earth would a wolf like her be interested in such a boring object as this? There was no value to it, and it certainly was not edible in this condition. And she wasn't about to drag it back to the den. She didn't think the pups would appreciate seeing a spooky, bone white skull staring at them with it's empty sockets in the confined space. But for a wolf, any object such as this could be of interest. It held on it many smells for them to sniff and investigate, as a wolf was guided by their nose when it came to information gathering. This animal could've been taken down by a pack, or it could've succumbed to disease. Maybe it died of natural causes. Moving in a slow, deliberate circle around it, Zia poked her nose into every little accessible crevice, analyzing the variety of odors that flooded into her nasal cavity. When she was finished, with a flick of her paw, she rolled the skull upside down, so she could get a better look at it from a new angle. She noted the row of smooth, ivory teeth lining the upper jaw, so unlike the rough, jagged ones within her own mouth. After a few more moments of examination, her interest waned, and she turned around to slink back into the depths of the forest, perhaps to seek out something more entertaining. However, the arrival of another stopped her short, and she glanced over her shoulder to see who it was. The distinct, musky scent gave them away as Inkheart, who she hadn't seen in a while. His voice was kind but jesting, lifting her spirits. "Oh, I'm not so sure about that." She teased, a grin starting to form on her maw. "If I were to go hunting wearing something like that, I think I'd spook just every animal in the area." Laughing lightly, she stepped up, her tail going a mile a minute. Once she stood in front of him, she dropped down suddenly, into the pose of a playbow. Springing back up energetically, Zia circled him once, stiff legged. She didn't know if Ink was one for play, but it never hurt to test him. Rarely in her life before, did she engage in the activity, except for when she was a youngster. She had always been too busy taking care of business, or the wolves around her had been too uptight. Taking him up on his little joke, she pranced around to her find, and ducked behind the skull, so her head was just out of view. Only her ears remained visible, poking up comically over the item. Nudging it along the ground, closer towards him, she tried for the illusion that deceased animal was possessed, and now stalking the wolf, rather than vice versa.

Table by Pann, Image by Jolee

<b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:12px; color:#FA2F00;"> When Inkheart had been just at the age of two, first coming into Relic Lore, Inkheart had wanted nothing less than a pack of his own. He never wanted to be under someone else’s command, being told what to do and who he could talk to. Every pack he had ever known always had enemies and while he always thought that enemies were a thing of nature, he made him wonder why they were enemies. Most of the time when he heard their stories it was because of stupid reasons—he did that and she said this, it was repetitive. However in his first stop here he had not stopped at any place, never slept in the same location but that had never helped him find what he was searching for. Inkheart had wanted very little, almost to the point that he would take everything that other people wanted just to feel some sort of drive. Being a loner for such a long period of time had driven him crazy, poor social skills that led to him wanting meaningless things. Perhaps if he had met Zia prior to Magnolia Glen, he would have simply tried to woo or even seduce her if it was possible just to feel something. Amelie, when meeting her, had changed a fraction of his heart and from there it had grown until he had left, feeling as if it was the wrong thing. Then coming back she was taken by another man and had been given his children. From that moment on Inkheart knew that he would always prefer death over feeling like he wasn’t good enough for the one woman he had loved. Looking at Zia now feeling all that he felt, he could barely tell if it was real. It alarmed him that he was feeling something for another woman again but he wouldn’t run, he needed to find out if she was it. If she could be something—he knew she was something special but proof would be required. <b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:12px; color:#FA2F00;">“Maybe one of the animals would keel over and die? Piece of cake, easy meal.” Of course he doubted that could happen but it sure would have been adorable to see her put on that skull and parade around like a doe. It might even have him salivating. It was then that the silver-hued woman came in front of him and landed upon her two forelegs, dangling her hind in the air in play. At first he was curious and felt the pull to do the same but she instantly got back up and circled around him then darted for the skull again. She lowered herself to the ground once more but this time she put on a little show with a prop. Grinning, he lowered his head and growled at the ‘doe’ playfully. <b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:12px; color:#FA2F00;">“I’mma eat you for dinner!” he shouted, feeling an inkling of his prior puppyhood dangling within his grasp.

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