Verdant Mosses Summer Nights

@Orynthia This will be exciting :D

- Early Evening, Partly Cloudy — 61° F/16° C

The ebony man had been wandering since early morning, moving south, intend on exploring the more open forest. He was scouting, after all, was that not what scout should do, and also hoping to come across the trail of something edible; It would be nice to bring some food home for @Nayeli and the little ones... He was still amazed at how one look upon the pups was able to completely turn around his mind - he had gone from disgruntled rival to adoring supporter in the time span of one glance - but he didn't doubt his newfound resolve; he would protect the new heirs of Oak Tree Bend with his whole strength and he would adore and teach them as much as he could! Instinct was a strange thing. For the whole of spring it had told the capable male to procreate, pumped his body full of testosterone, almost pitting him against the leading man who he respected and considered a friend; but as soon as that chance had passed, it had changed course completely, now urging him to protect the children of others, help keep the pack strong. Unlike the prior though, the dark wolf had no quarrels with following these last impulses. Already he worshipped @Zera and @Darrah and he was looking forwards to seeing them grow up, help them grow strong. In his thoughts of the toddlers, a warm smile had taken over Drestig's face, and he had slowed almost to a hold. Pushing aside his ponderings, focusing now on his surroundings, he noticed that he had come far from The Bend. Around him, the trees stood much further apart than in his home, their trunks overgrown with patches of yellow-green. Everything around him in fact, was covered in moss, limerick, pistachio and olive, all shaded orange-brown by the rays of the setting sun; Damn, it's already late! Flame-colored eyes searched the mosses for any sign of nearby prey, hoping that the same luck that seemed to have smiled upon Oak Tree Bend throughout the harsh winter would gift him again. But there was nothing to be seen; Too bad. He sighed; I have to head home... Word count: 370 My mind is my own ”I'll say whatever I want to!”

Weariness ripples through Ina's muscles and she let out an exhausted sigh, yet the Barnabas continued her steady walking pace, lightly and silently paddling across the rough ground. If her tired body hadn’t already started to annoy her, then this place that slowly swallowed her defiantly was. Copper eyes that could flinch at a seconds now gazed lazily over lush mosses that seemed to be growing from the most unusual areas and possessed a sickeningly wet squishiness. Insects whizzed past her ears constantly and those which could not fly seemed to be crawling closer to her. The entire concept of these small inhabitants was making Ina’s stomach lurch. Her pupils adjusted quickly to the increasing darkness, but her mind could not sustain this forest. She needed to get out of here, fast. Not simply because the creatures were making every inch of her legs tighten as she put another paw forward, but because her loss of knowledge of this area would not play to her benefits.

For the past two years Ina had barely spoken to a single soul, but contrary to her feelings of loss, her joy grew from the thought that she was miles or even farther away from her home and nobody would come and look for her here. Besides, as much as she longed for company, the company of nobody was more attractive than a deadly creature’s, yet as she pondered over different scenarios, the female realized how very bored she was. One of the reasons she had left was for a new adventure, a new sense of thrill, and not dodgy old wrinkled pieces of wood. This thought nudged her forward.

Hopping off a wide, dead tree her insides growled softly. Orynthia panicked, dropping low to the ground, listening. Anyone with sharp ears could have gotten a slight hint of her hunger, and hunger, she knew well, was a sign of weakness. Though she was rather weak her appearance did not advertise it. Her coat remained agreeably polished with a couple specks of mud speckling her russet toes, but nothing more. She lifted her lengthy tail high in the air more out of habit now than actual confidence; she was determined not to appear average, even to nothingness. Swiftly, she straightened out and paused. Every sound was multiplied as she stopped breathing and she squinted, starring off into the distance. A shadowy figure passed slowly, occasionally slipping behind trees and going out of sight. She was transfixed, her heart beating loudly. It was clearly a wolf, but their scent was barely identifiable without wind and the strong smell of rot. She braced herself onto of another fallen log, simply eyeing the wolf from a distance.

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W O R D S . 450
T A G G E D . drestig
N O T E S . thank you for posting. i hope my post is not too bad.

Ooc: Your post was lovely Elsie :3

He began moving slowly homewards, his course veering, to take him on a different route than the one he had come; there was still a chance of finding prey, however slim. His eyes sill scanned the moss though, not intent on giving up easily, and his ears rotated slowly, listening for any sign of movement. And he found it, the sounds of steps in the underbrush masked by the dense moss, but still audible in the distance. A satisfied smirk slid onto the dark man's face, his body turning to follow the sound. In the moist forest, without the smallest breeze to carry a scent, it was impossible to smell what this other entity might be, but that didn't discourage the boy; If it's at all eatable, Oak Tree Bend will need it! After a few steps, he heard a small bump, freezing him momentarily, ears twitching in direction of the sound. As he stood there, he heard a low rumble, like a far away thunder; A hungry stomach..? He kept still, listening intently, but heard only silence. When the ebony wolf started walking again, it was at a quick pace, ears pointing forwards, tail raised high behind him. His face was twisted into a disgruntled grimace, previous hopes extinguished; whatever this creature might be, hunger, in this surroundings, meant a predator. Still he moved towards the latest noise though, curious enough t investigate, and, should it prove to be a rival like a bobcat or coyote, intent on chasing it out of The Lore; even this far from The Bend, the Avalon would take no chances, a hungry beast could be, not only a competition for prey, but a danger to the pups. To say that the dark scout was overprotective would not be a stretch. He saw her even before her scent reached him through The Mosses, it's shape surprising him enough to pause his steps for a second; WOLF?! In his eagerness to support his pack, the soot-pelted lad hadn't even considered the possibility; ...A wanderer? Slowing to a walk as he continued forwards, bright orange eyes studied the woman brazenly, noting her skinniness under the rufous mottled fur; A loner... He emerged from the trees, tail still swaying high behind him, stopping a ways before the trunk upon which the dame had made her throne, looking up at her with a crooked smile; "I hoped you were a deer!" He called honestly, eyes still assessing her openly; "But at least you aren't a coyote..." He spat out the last word in disgust, but grinned at the lady, eyes twinkling mischievously. It had been a long time since his last encounter with a stranger, and while he'd have preferred a fat rabbit to bring home, he wasn't entirely displeased with the turn of events. Word count: 467 My mind is my own ”I'll say whatever I want to!”

(This post was last modified: Jun 15, 2014, 08:39 PM by Drestig.)

Her focus never wavered from the mysterious shadow that slowly took its form as a wolf more clearly. His coat was dark, a deep black and his eyes shined brightly like hers, but with a fiery tone. She didn’t miss to see the apparent lushness of his coat, his strong muscles that were beginning to make her worry the closer he came. There was no way she could fight him off if necessary. He wasn’t scrawny like her; he wasn’t hungry and tired like her. He was full and ready for anything. Pack wolf, Ryn thought slowly. Of course, it made since. The legendary packs that she was never a part of lived here as well. How wonderful, she grimaced to herself, though she couldn’t entirely decide if that was such a horrible thing. Pack wolfs, unless defending weren’t generally hostile, or maybe this particular male was. Never the less she did not lower her confident aura even as he approached her with his tail higher than hers, to stand below her fallen tree.

“I hoped you were a deer!” Her eyes opened wider, surprised at his statement. She expected something informal or warning, not the start of an almost friendly conversation, though she struggled with her all-cold-and-strong expression, letting her lips curl slight upward trying to meet his grin. His searching eyes upon her made the female feel uneasy though she would never let it show. Ryn breathes slowly, remembering his scent and calming herself down slightly. She had no right to jump on him, just play along … nicely, she thought. “But at least you aren’t a coyote …” Her brows twitched for a second, surprised again, but slowly she let a sweet smile to spread across her lips. “Pleasure to meet you too, Shadow,” The female said airily, using the suitable nickname. “You seem to know your way around quite well,” she paused, thinking, “wouldn’t you help out a poor girl and point her to safety?” Her tone was naturally innocent, she was asking honestly after all, but she had a feeling that a protective pack wolf would not take her lightly.

Her head tilted to the right and she pulled on her trademark half-smile, looking down at the dark male before her. She hoped to get more out of him, but with only a few words not much could be done. Ryn remained as calm as she could be, standing there, higher than him. Shadow appeared unpredictable, Ryn did not like unpredictable, she liked being in control, but it has been ages since she had a real conversation with a living wolf. Who knew how she would do.

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W O R D S . 442
T A G G E D . drestig
N O T E S . so sorry for taking so long, i am moving in real life and stuff are just really hectic. i'll reply fast next time.

(This post was last modified: Jun 20, 2014, 08:32 AM by Orynthia.)