madness keeping us afloat

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Naia awoke from her midmorning nap feeling as if she was boiling alive. The clouds leftover from last week’s rain had finally parted, allowing the sun come streaming through to the earth below and interrupt her circadian cycle. The young wolf blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to the glare, and she spotted a copse of trees to the south of the sunny field she had been lying in. Naia stood and stretched for a moment, then shook herself to expel the last remaining bits of sleepiness. The direct sunlight was making her feel groggy, but now that she was standing up her thoughts had somewhat cleared. The small female stepped out of her grassy nest and set off for the edge of the woods at a lazy trot, imagining she might find a shady spot among the roots with some cool dirt to lie in.

As she trotted, Naia took a deep breath and exhaled with a sigh of content. She had spent the last several weeks exploring the many diverse territories surrounding her mountain cave and meeting the wolves that called this pace home. Honestly, each wolf she met was crazier than the last, and Naia had to wonder if there was something about this enchanted land that drove wolves off the deep end. Or perhaps this place just attracted mentally unstable wolves like a bee to a blossom, and this naïve wolf was completely unaware of her own lunacy. How would she even recognize madness within her own mind? This silly, circular train of thought occupied Naia until she reached the shaded treeline. She began sniffing around for a nice spot to lie in, but the effort was halfhearted. Feeling alert after her walk across the field, she wasn’t sure she particularly wanted to sleep anymore. She was starting to get that familiar itch in her paws—the one that told her rest time was over, and adventure time was now.

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(This post was last modified: Jun 01, 2013, 01:32 PM by Naia.)

Gruahir's biological schedule was utterly turned on its tail; he hadn't slept well or at the right times for a long stretch - and it was making him mildly grumpy. Not that it was affecting anyone as he had yet to approach any of the others of his kind he had seen since his passage into this new and strange place. Glancing up at the high, clear sky, the male wolf shifted on his paws, shaking one a little. His pads felt sticky; it was warmer in this region than he was used to at this time of year, though bearable. He was grateful to still be under the shaded line of the trees, but the air was thick and still, not crisp and cool as was that of his home.

A lazy, petulant puff of air blew past his snout and his ears perked, amber eyes shooting off to the left. Another wolf was here. Sniffing cautiously, Gruahir traveled in the direction of the scent, moving from cover to cover quickly, unsure if he wanted to meet this wolf or continue on. At the edge of the timberline his eyes caught sight of what he at first assumed was a coyote due to the size - but the coloring wasn't quite right, nor was the physique. Settling down on his haunches a little, he realized it was just a very tiny, delicate wolf. Aware that he could win in a fight against a wolf of this size, Gruahir approached slowly and let out a sort of grunt to indicate his presence, and that he wasn't a weakling. However, his noise wasn't enough to give the impression of aggressive intent. Feeling a tingle in his paws from the anticipation of meeting a new wolf, Gruahir waited.

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As she sniffed around the perimeter of the thicket, the tawny female caught the vague scent of a nearby wolf. In the thick, stagnant air it was difficult to tell his exact location, but it seemed to Naia that he was moving toward her anyway. Still a little groggy after her recent nap, she was content to simply stand where she was and wait for the stranger to show himself. Normally an unfamiliar male advancing would have put her on edge, but the day’s lazy ambience relaxed her despite this primary instinct. Naia’s ears flicked to attention when she heard the stranger’s quiet, guttural notification. She turned toward the source of the noise, waving her tail with a sort of nonchalant contentment.

A lanky, ruddy red-colored wolf had appeared from within the copse of trees. Naia cocked her head and took a curious step toward the male. Now that he had emerged from the treecover, she could smell that he was a stranger to these lands just as much as he was a stranger to her. Despite possessing the gangly legs of a yearling, there was something about his alert stance and intent, amber gaze that told her he was a well-seasoned traveler. As she appraised the new wolf she stood a little taller, knowing that he was no doubt looking her over as well.

A moment went by where she stood simply watching him, but soon her curiosity overpowered her sense of caution. She took another few steps toward the loner, approaching slowly to communicate her nonaggressive intent. Stopping a few wolfslengths away from the male, she sat back on her haunches and wagged her tail amicably. “Hello there, stranger. Were you looking for me?” He was the one who had approached her, after all. She grinned amicably at the joke—it was a joke of course—a wolf she had never met certainly wouldn’t be searching her out. Her honey eyes sparkled with humor as she anticipated his response. For some unknown reason she liked the russet-colored male immediately, though he had yet to say a word to her.

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Gruahir was intrigued with this female's attitude: she seemed almost bored, or perhaps just unfazed by his appearance. That did not bother him if so; he meant no harm and would rather an unimpressed wolf than a suspicious, flighty one. He inspected her more and was mildly surprised to see that she was very tiny - though, he noted with a bit of an internal smile, she stood taller when realizing he was looking her over. Cute, he thought.

His nose was catching so many unfamiliar scents that it was almost too much. The wolf wished he could simply return home and settle into the little alcove he'd found in that tree one autumn and sleep; sleep and wake up and realize he'd just been having a bad dream and everything was the way it should be. But he knew that was a foolish wish. The male was here now, wherever this strange place was with its oddly weighted air and its funny scents and the feeling that he had stepped out of his old reality and into a new and somewhat off kilter one.

This female closed the distance between them some and Gruahir watched as she sat and wagged her tail. Well, at least she seems friendly. Snorting quietly in amusement when a voice that decently matched her tiny frame asked him if he'd been looking for her. So she had a sense of humor behind those bright, alert honey-colored eyes. He felt put at ease with this female - not his typical sensation around the opposite gender - and sat on his haunches as well.

"I have been searching for a friendly face, yes," he replied quietly, his somewhat deeper voice cementing the fact that he was indeed a mature male and not an adolescent. "My name is Gruahir - what's yours?" he asked kindly, curiously.

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Something akin to amusement gleamed behind the strange male’s amber eyes as she spoke, and Naia cocked her head curiously, wondering if he was humored by her joke or if there was some other, private joke that caused the reaction. The stranger’s facial features were darker in coloration compared to the rest of his russet-red pelt, making it difficult for Naia to read on his emotions in the same effortless way she might for a different wolf. No matter, I like a challenge, Naia thought to herself. Her ears jumped to attention as he spoke for the first time and his deep, quiet intonation indicated his maturity where his physique had failed.

”If you are searching for a friend, look no further Gruahir,” the slight female replied, his name feeling slightly foreign on her tongue. Perhaps her reply seemed a little forward, but she had been immediately drawn to the paradox that this wolf presented: youthful in body, but sagacious in spirit. It also hadn’t escaped her that he was the first seemingly normal wolf she had come across in her travels, though they had only just met of course. There was time yet for him to reveal his hidden psychosis.

”Naia Aegina” she continued, ”a loner in these parts.. Until now.” She grinned at him again, feeling quite witty after delivering this second joke. You’ve still got it, Naia, she congratulated herself. After weeks traveling alone, she was surprised she even remembered how to interact with another wolf. ”Where do you come from, Gruahir?” she asked, inhaling deeply in an effort to answer her own question. His scent was crisp and unfamiliar, and all that Naia was able to discern was that he had only very recently arrived to these lands.

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She paid more attention when he spoke, the wolf noted. Most did when he opened his muzzle; his voice was almost out of place on a frame like his. Though he had only indicated he was searching for someone who wasn't looking for a fight, this tiny little female immediately offered friendship. An ear flattened to the side as he thought on that. Was it a trap? A trick? He knew of packs that would invite another canine to follow, a lone dog or wolf, and then descend upon the unsuspecting victim like savage beasts. However, moments later she indicated her name and that she was a loner. Or well - not now, that she had met him.

"You, a loner?" he asked with some incredulity. She was so tiny. How had she survived by herself? Both ears went sideways some as Gruahir was irked at this thought. Such a slight little female, all alone, with no one to protect or take care of her. That was not right. Obviously since she was here, she could take care of herself, but that didn't mean he couldn't look out for her. "In any case, it is a pleasure to meet you, Naia," he murmured, his head cocked slightly to the side as he studied her more.

Did she travel alone by choice, or had she been forced from a pack, as he had? Was she content with being a loner? Gruahir didn't mind being alone, but he was very aware of the advantages of at least being accepted as part of a pack. That was his priority here: befriend a few wolves and negate his threatening, lone male status. After all, he knew he was no alpha. He had no desire to take a mate and start his own pack somewhere.

Well...he would like a mate, of course. But to rule a pack didn't appeal to him. Shifting on his front paws when Naia asked where he hailed from, the wolf glanced back in the direction of home with a heavy exhale. "In a land south of here. I lived near the border of the two lands, in the north of my home - though I had no idea this place existed until now," Gruahir admitted. "Where did you come from? And what is this place?"

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Gruahir’s incredulous tone behind, ”You, a loner?" did not escape Naia, and she raised an eyebrow, amused by his reaction. A different wolf might have taken offense at this open show of astonishment, but she was fairly easygoing compared to most others. The reaction was understandable after all-- wolves were social creatures by nature, simply not built for easy survival outside a pack. This wolf with pine-tree legs probably thought that such a delicate female was easy pickings all alone out in the wild. To be honest, Naia had not been completely aware of the danger she faced when she left home, but her route to Relic through the inhospitable Pass had ensured her relative isolation as she traveled. Feeding herself had been her biggest issue by far-- though rabbits and squirrels seemed to have almost a magnetic attraction to Naia, the desolate canyon had few of these creatures to offer. However, that may have been a blessing in disguise. If she hadn't been forced to leave the Pass to hunt, she might not have discovered the these enchanting lands that she now called home.

She nodded as the russet-colored male described his homelands. Sensing a change of mood as he spoke of home, her expression turned to one of curiosity and concern. Unlike Naia, who had left her pack of her own accord, Gruahir appeared to be traveling with quite a heavy heart. Her change of expression was the only indication she gave that she had sensed his burden, for now at least. Perhaps if they became more acquainted she would ask about his past, but for now she would leave such a sensitive subject alone.

“Just the opposite-- my homeland lies at the norther border of these territories. I left when the snows started melting several weeks ago” Her reply would answer some of the questions he no doubt had about her ability to survive on her own, since it indicated she had been traveling by herself for less than a month. “My family spoke of these lands as belonging to a mighty pack, the Wolves of the Hidden Tree, but I have yet to find a wolf that hails from such a pack.” There were many packs in these parts to be sure, but none that seemed to fit the description of the Hidden Tree Pack from the legends Naia was told as a pup. She was seeking a pack that was large, peaceful, and prosperous, but the pack wolves here smelled all wrong-- they smelled of fear, suspicion, and ambition, and Naia would almost rather face the world alone than live like that again. “There are quite a few other packs here to choose from though, if that is what you want.” There was just a hint of defeat in the slight female's tone, as she knew that she herself would have to settle for one of these pack eventually.

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(This post was last modified: Jun 05, 2013, 03:40 PM by Naia.)

Gruahir did indeed think Naia to be easy pickings - but not for him. The young male would never harm a female unless he absolutely had to, let alone a female so much smaller than he. Though the she-wolf had been blessed with the discovery of this land, Gruahir felt he was trapped here, forced to stay despite wishing to return home. He noted the female wolf's shift in expression when he answered her inquiry about his home and was grateful she chose to focus on concern rather than curiosity, leaving the subject unexplored.

"You have traveled far, then," he commented, his tone a respectful nod to her obvious resourcefulness. When Naia explained the situation with the packs in this place, he discerned a sense of disappointment in her words. Why would she sound disappointed about such variety of choice? Was she sad that the pack of legend she had been told of was not here? Were they not what she had expected? The male wolf had mostly avoided others since he arrived here and knew nothing of the packs around him, or their members. Her disappointment gave him a sense of foreboding. Would it be difficult to eke out a living here? Gruahir just wanted a place to settle down, be happy and have a family one day. He didn't want much more than that. He had no great ambitions to rule or be a feared or renowned wolf throughout the land; if no one but the ones he loved knew his name, he could die a happy wolf.

"You don't sound pleased at all about the pack situation," Gruahir said, sitting on his rump. "I can't say I want to join a pack if this is how they make another outsider like myself feel.". He was kind at heart, and wanted to make her feel less alone. "I think...I will simply appreciate my new friend, and let the future come as it may," he finished, offering what he hoped was a reassuring smile to Naia. He wouldn't let her wander alone anymore; the larger wolf felt responsible to protect her if he could, and that meant traveling with her. Gruahir would do so unless she was opposed.


(OOC: So sorry for the absence. It's been a rough couple of weeks.)

OOC|| No worries, I am having a really hard time getting to a computer myself this summer. I live/work in a place that has no internet, so I'm only able to post like.. twice a week max, anywhere on the site. I'm hoping it will be better once August rolls around though. ||

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The young wolf nodded thoughtfully as Gruahir commented on the distance she had journeyed since leaving her birthpack. It was easy for her to forget just how far she really had come when she considered the last moon, simply because the last several weeks of her life she had spent nearly stationary, wandering aimlessly throughout these lands she had discovered. Those two weeks she spent on the road felt like they were years ago, or perhaps part of some really boring, monotonous dream. The scenery in the dry, dusty Pass had never changed, giving Naia the impression that she had traveled for one really long day instead of half a moon. Although he had frightened her, Naia was grateful for the grumpy old packwolf that had chased her out of the Pass-- if he hadn't, she might have never set foot on any of these enchanting territories. She also might have never met Gruahir.

Naia shook her head at her new friend's comment. “No Gruahir, the pack borders just smell wrong to me. Like fear or suspicion, or perhaps like powerlust.. I can't put my paw on it exactly, but they're not the wolves I'm seeking out.” The female searched her russet companion gaze for a reaction. She had no idea what Gruahir was searching for in this place, or what sort of family he came from or might like to join. For all she knew, power and influence was exactly what he wanted. As she looked into his bright amber eyes though, they seemed to express warmth and concern. The male spoke again, confirming with words the attitude that Naia had intuitively perceived. "I think...I will simply appreciate my new friend, and let the future come as it may," he told her. The tawny female cocked her head to the side curiously, a grin slowly spreading across her face as she realized what her companion was telling her. ”Does that mean... you're coming with me?” she asked him hopefully, her tail switching back and forth in anticipation.

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(This post was last modified: Jul 22, 2013, 01:55 AM by Naia.)