It's Time We Saw a Miracle

@Caniri

The sun was out, peaking through numerous holes in the clouds, illuminating the snow covered ground. Not that it mattered much... Flaming eyes watched the pale disc as it sent out its cold light, offering no help in the fight against winter, raging below. The black wolf sighed deeply and returned his gaze to the frozen stream stretching before him. He had left right before dawn, too restless to stick within The Bend's borders any longer. He fully planned to return, maybe within the day, but surely tomorrow; right now he just needed some change. So he had set out, following the creek through what his pack-mates called "Spectral Woods", and out unto more open land. A part of him hoped, desperately, to find food here, a small herd that had somehow managed to survive the freeze, but his more rational side knew that the chances of that were practically none existent. Still, he kept his eyes wide and ears alert as he continued along the frozen waterway, body protesting lowly when he speed into a trot, in effort to keep himself warm despite the chill. Trees still dominated the landscape, though the visibility had increased since he left the denser woods. Keeping to the creek bank though, it was possible to travel in a relatively straight line, not having to wear out to wiggle between the trunks. The ebony man's steps were heavy, his breathing clear, but quick - he was tired, so tired! The winter had weakened him, eating relentlessly at his precious muscles. His stomach felt hollow. It wasn't growling, it hadn't been for a while, but just remained as a dull ache, it's emptiness omnipresent, whatever he did. His nose, constantly searching for the vaguest scent of prey, picked up another smell - one that made his hackles tingle and his lips pull back from his teeth; WOLVES! It was still a faint scent, blown towards him by the cold winds, but it was clear that it wasn't simply made by a loner, traveling through the land; this was the scent of pack ! Drestig Avalon snarled lowly and stopped up, ears flicking in agitation. He knew that another group of wolves had their home somewhere further up the creek, but he was not happy to smell that he had reached them already. The dark hunter had no intention of confronting the strangers, rather he preferred to keep his distance... Glancing pack over his shoulder, he considered turning back, returning to his new home and it's quiet. A grumble left his chest, he wasn't ready to turn home, he felt restless. Looking back in direction of the strange pack he sighed again, he wanted to experience something, but getting himself killed by a foreign pack wasn't exactly what he was thinking about. After a few more moments of standing still, as the cold started to seep through his paws, he set in motion again, continuing ahead, further away from his home, but soon crossing the frozen water and turning more west-wards, towards the mountains, in order to circumvent the territory of a the strange pack; One wolf or two I could handle meeting, NOT a whole pack! Word count: 530 My mind is my own ”I'll say whatever I want to!”

Caniri found himself wandering father from the center of the Glen's territory and towards the outskirts. The pack needed food and he was desperate in his search. They hadn't had anything substantial in a very long time. They had been feeding off of rabbits and scavenged food. There wasn't much to be had, and right now, he would take whatever he could get. Caniri's own stomach continued to ache but he fought to ignore the hunger. He only ate when he needed to, just enough to keep him going. The need drove him to the edges of the territory and then beyond that. He followed the creek south, hoping he would run into some parched animal as it tried to break through the ice, but hadn't had any luck so far. The sun had risen above the frozen landscape but seemed to forget the fact that it was supposed to bring warmth. It was almost as cold his surroundings and made very little change to the temperature whatsoever.

It wasn't until he had travelled a ways beyond the borders that Caniri scented the wolf. It was actually a combination of scents, but one dominated over the rest. So it was a pack wolf then, but the scent was foreign to him, meaning that the wolf came from another pack. The stranger was well within his rights, and hadn't broken any rules because he had not crossed the border, but Caniri was curious as to what his intentions were. He followed the direction of the scent and found that the wolf seemed to be steering clear of the Glen's territory. Smart. It probably wouldn't go over well if a stranger just walked right in.

Caniri tracked the scent until he could spot a dark figure coming toward him though the snow. He was travelling but didn't seem to be moving with any particular purpose. Caniri stepped clear of the trees near him and eyed the stranger warily, but with curiosity. Caniri had come to the conclusion that this wolf must belong to the other pack in the region. While the two packs were separate, they knew each other and there were a few familial ties between the two. "What brings you to these parts, neighbor?"

His ears flickered backwards, was that movement in the distance; Or am I hearing things? He was prone to believe the thought, with the ire silence laying over the land, it seemed far from unlikely that his mind would start making up noises to fill it - much more probable than something actually moving about in this freezing cold anyway; Unless... Just as the thought formed, a voice rang through the quiet and a figure emerged from the trees.

The wolf was big, muscles bulking under a heavy, columbine coat, though he was also marked by the starvation of winter. His eyes were subdued, their golden brown deep and dark against the pristine fur; and he reeked of pack. It seemed he had found himself one of these others that he had tried to avoid; At least he looks to be alone... And though his home lay nearby, he was outside of the marked territory, and so they stood on even ground.

Smiling faintly, the black lad cocked a brow, meeting the opposer's mahogany gaze with lazy interest in his own, fiery orbs. The boy was young, not yet 2 years, and he was watching Drestig closely with cautions interest. The older wolf's smile grew, teeth flashing white against his dark fur, and he casually planted his butt in the snow, answering the boy with a merry drawl; "I could ask you the same thing, neighbor... " Tilting his head slightly, he lifted his eyes to the trees behind the stranger, the direction of his pack-lands, and then slowly shifted his gaze downwards to trail the frozen water beside them. Not bothering to look back at the boy, but with his ears sharply strained on the other, he then mused: "But I would assume we have the same reasons." His voice was still chipper, but his gaze was solemn when he returned it to the ivory lad; "Eat' much lately?"

Word Count: 320

Dawnthieves.de & Burtn @ DA

It took a second for the male to react. Even as Caniri had approached, it seemed as if the dark figure was ignoring the noises his steps made. It was rather strange to do so unless you expected them. It made Caniri wonder if the man often had an internal sciamachy with himself that cause him to have to ignore the things he heard. Maybe he was deaf? It seemed unlikely. Caniri studied the stranger in front of him. He was a rather large wolf, though lean and was cloaked in an ebony coat. His bright eyes seemed to burn as they met Caniri's warm honey one. He wasn't exactly sure what he was doing. The wolf hadn't done anything wrong, so Caniri had no cause for intercepting him. He was just curious. He hadn't met any of the members of the nearby pack, or many from his own for that matter.

It seemed Caniri had been right when he had guessed that the wolf hadn't had any particular purpose. At least, he didn't seem to be in much a of a hurry now. A small small spread across the dark male's face as he lifted an eyebrow and sent a questioning look back in Caniri's direction. He seemed at ease when he flashed a bright smile and planted his butt in the snow. Caniri wasn't sure what to make of this man. He had an attitude about him, though the ivory boy hadn't quite figured out whether he liked it or not. He had a high tolerance when it came to attitudes. He had been raised with his sister after all. "I could ask you the same neighbor..." While Caniri had said it in a friendly manner, there was an emphasis on it as it came from the stranger's maw. "But I would assume we have the same reasons." This was true. There weren't many reasons why they would be out, and considering the need for food, it was most likely. "Eat much lately?" The man's voice was chipper as he asked the question. Caniri decided that he could match whatever his counterpart wanted to give out. "Oh? So you came to borrow a cup of sugar too?" A grin had speard across his face. "Wouldn't you like to know."

The boy seemed confused for a second, but then he responded in kind to Drestig's playful mannerisms, giving a grin of his own. The black lad chuckled lightly at the strangers little joke, nodding his head in appreciation; That's the great thing about youngsters, always up for a bit of fun! With his tragic history, the Avalon hadn't spend much time with actual pups, but young boys had been aplenty in the band of loners where he had spend his own teenage years, and though they were a rough bunch, they had been quite merry as well. After joining Oak Tree Bend, he had hoped to enjoy some time with the two yearlings there, but after Corinna's death, neither Sceral nor Serach had been in the mood for playing; Understandably.

So meeting with this young fellah was very welcome to the black man, a spurt of joy very welcome after the gloom of The Bend. When the blonde boy added his second comment, Drestig tilted his head, letting his smile fade into a thoughtful expression. He looked to meet the other's golden-brown eyes, speaking evenly; "I would actually..." He wagged his tail and shrugged his shoulders, continuing in a tone somewhere between sincerity and banter; "If it turns out your pack has more... sugar than mine I might want to change sides." He smiled again. He wasn't being serious, though it was true that The Bend was a bit dull, Drestig had grown quite attached to the small pack, loyal to Triell, who he saw as a kindred spirit. As long as he could continue as he lived now, taking long patrols out across the land - and even cross the mountain for a while when spring cleared the passes - he would remain a proud member of Oak Tree Bend. It seemed his days as a true wayfarer were over.

After a small pause, where he managed to keep a straight face, the lad chuckled and said: "I'm Drestig Avalon, of Oak Tree Bend." It seemed a proper introduction, and he left the sentence open, waiting for the ivory boy to answer; and hopefully offer his own title.

Word Count: 359

Dawnthieves.de & Burtn @ DA

(Sorry it's so short. I'm lame.)

The dark male seemed to be enjoying the light banter between them, almost as if he hadn't had anything of the sort in awhile. Understandable. This winter hadn't left much room for cheerfulness. The lack of food had left everyone weak and hungry, the whether forced all but the crazy to keep close to the territories, and everyone seemed to be in a sour or morose mood these days. Tragedy seemed to be striking everywhere and there was no escaping the harshness of the winter. Caniri tried to stay as cheerful as possible but it was hard. The stranger chuckled at Caniri's smart remark, nodding along.

His mood changed quickly though with Caniri's next emission. He grew more serious and almost thoughtful. What he said didn't surprise Caniri one bit. It seemed that nothing could buy the loyalty of wolves more than food. And when it came to males, the thought of getting some tail was pretty high up there too. Caniri hid his disappointment. A wolf should be loyal to the pack he was in, otherwise he didn't belong there. He chuckled as the stranger finished speaking. "Well, whether we have any sugar or not, we sure wouldn't be sharin' any. We do like our sweets." He says with a playful wink. He managed to keep it vague enough, without actually giving away how much food they actually had. "It's nice to meet you Drestig. The name's Caniri, I'm from Magnolia Glen." He sat, curling his tail around his paws and grinned at his dark companion.

Well wasn't this nice and cozy, two strangers exchanging witty banter over frozen water. Drestig was thoroughly enjoying himself, it had been long since he had had the chance to play these games of words; and while he was more a sport for physical competitions, any kind of spar served to lift his spirits in this horrendous winter. Keeping his eyes on the crème pelted boy, the black lad stretched out his forelegs, clawing lightly at the snow before returning to his relaxed seat. The white wolf continued to play along, softly brushing Drestig off with a, similarly convoluted, chuckling response; to which The Bend wolf shrugged his shoulders in assumed faint regret - as if he was discontent, yet accepting of the denial.

The other then revealed his name, along with that of his pack, and Drestig smiled once more, happy to now have a title to put with the scent, still filling his nostrils; Magnolia Glen. As far as he knew, the two packs were in good standings, though not exactly friends; What wolf packs ARE?! Though, hunger could tear even the strongest bonds. Never the less, the dark Avalon was enjoying himself, and as long as Caniri took the situation similarly lightly, he was in no hurry to leave. Bowing his head as an answer to the other's presentation, the black man continued to smile as he dismissed the subject with a final: "Yes, we all do, don't we?" It was obvious that, as friendly as their conversation might be, the Magnolia Glen male was intent on not giving away any details of his pack; As you wish... Drestig was not out to spy on the neighbors. Sure, he wouldn't have minded learning some more about the pack residing near Coldwater Creek, but it wasn't his mission.

What was his mission then? Simple, to entertain himself, something this winter had done way to little to help him with. So he looked to meet Caniri's caramel eyes and said: "You seem like quite a high-spirited young man." And then added, as an afterthought; "Do they appreciate that in your Magnolia Glen?" While it might have sounded like Drestig was trying to steal away the young wolf, and enlist him in Oak Tree Bend, that wasn't his intention; rather, the question was completely honest, as he thought about how little of his own, mischievous nature he had gotten to show his own, new pack mates so far.

Word Count: 408

Dawnthieves.de & Burtn @ DA