Sacred Grove Somewhere a clock is ticking

Before sunrise; Clear — Current Temperature: 45° F/7° C; SR borders.

<blockquote>Quietly the wolf patrolled, head low and a serious expression on his face. Every now and then he paused to sniff at something, or to lift his head and listen for a moment to a new sound, but for the most part, all was quiet. The water constantly flowed along in the background, the river parallel to his route, and the sound was as comforting as it was suffocating; everything it represented was <i>home</i>, and Kinis Tainn was in that curious period of desire and rebellion of that very concept. Now that change was coming, Kinis could not wait for it, but, unsurprisingly, some small part of him was afraid.

What if everything didn't go as well as they hoped? Here was safe, but smothering... but safe.

Such thoughts always made him angry. Wasn't this exactly what he wanted? In all ways, yes, and he was usually able to cast aside his doubts in favour of excitement. Who knew what the future could bring? Oh, there were stories to be told yet, he just knew it.

Growing tired of the endless patrol, especially considering that, soon, these wouldn't be his borders to maintain, Kinis turned towards the river. On the bank he sat, staring out at the world beyond Swift River, and dreamed.</blockquote>

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<i>at least... that's where I'm supposed to be...</i></center>

herp derp. i know you wanted me to throw Borlla in here, but I've been on such a roll with Aisling today, I figured I'd throw her in here instead, and for other reasons that will be spoken of. xD

Aisling's paws carried her towards Swift River, and there was an odd amount of haste in her pace. She'd found what she would consider a friend in the Swift River wolf, Ruiko, and was now doing her part to keep it alive. Or perhaps it was just the fact that she was completely unfamiliar with the pack that drove her here. A bit of both was likely, and she was building up her own store of courage. She'd get to know Swift River, even if it just meant meeting another one of their members, or hopefully an alpha, though she might not have stored enough up for that.

The sound of rushing water soon filled her ears, and she knew she was close, if the scent hadn't told her as well. She'd slowed down by this time, being very careful not to cross any borders, and eventually had the river in her sights. With a skip in her step she approached it, leaning over the edge to take a drink. It was so peaceful here. Canting her head back, she took a look at the dark sky. With heavy paws, she sat, licking at a sore pad. It would be light soon, and then hopefully she'd find a soul to speak to. Until then, she'd have some time to psych herself up a bit more. <b style="color:#388d10">"speech."

TELL ME ALL YOUR SECRETS >C

<blockquote>A small sound distracted from his reverie, an indication of nearby life. It took a moment for Kinis to remember that he was supposed to be on patrol, and then he slowly stood, attention flickering towards the sound. With a sigh, he turned about and began to follow the river, silent in his movement for he knew the river's banks so well, even in the dark.

It wasn't long that a ghostly white shape appeared in his vision, and for half a moment he wondered if it was Borlla - the only pale wolf he was at all familiar with - but in another instant he dismissed that idea. This wolf was older, maybe, and female - he caught a hint of her scent, and took note of the fact that she was a pack wolf. So why was she, presumably, so far from home?

<b>"I hope you're not planning to cross over,"</b> he called softly, after spending a few tranquil moments watching her drink. He stepped towards the river, coming into the dying moonlight more clearly, his expression and body language that of casual neutrality. He then offered a weak smile, and settled back to his haunches. <b>"I'm really not that good at being fierce."</b></blockquote>

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<i>at least... that's where I'm supposed to be...</i></center>

xD I just meant that Aisling didn't know anything about Swift River and Ruiko kind of inspired her to go. I also think it's really funny that everyone thinks Aisling is Borlla. Borlla has different colors on her too, guys! 8|

She was here, and she couldn't back down now. Besides, she was far too tired to really make the journey back yet. Even if she'd decided to change her mind, she'd still have to stick around the area until she'd picked up a bit more energy, and...Well, maybe when then sun came up a bit more. Aisling's head snapped around, and she blinked at the voice that fluttered into her ears. Well, she'd already been found. She wasn't sure if she was happy about this or not, but the finder seemed...Well, kind.

Her ears flicked back, and she rose to her paws, her tail waving back and forth in a calming fashion for her own sake. The pale girl shook her head, <b style="color:#388d10">"No, no! Of course, not! Not on purpose, anyway." As she spoke, she scented the air, noting the strong Swift River scent over the water. While he sat, she remained on her paws, though the river between them, she felt a bit safer, and eventually sat down. A faint smile trailed along her muzzle, <b style="color:#388d10">"Me neither, so I guess we're even. I'm Aisling." She said, raising her voice slightly for fear that he wouldn't be able to hear her over the water. <b style="color:#388d10">"speech."

I wasn't gonna add the comparison, but after Ruiko did, I couldn't resist 8D *squishes Borlla*

<blockquote>After the recent trouble with a wolf trespassing - though Kinis had only seen the aftermath - he was half afraid that it was going to become a trend. Fortunately, the girl on the other bank appeared to have no such intentions, and when she looked up and spoke, Kinis smiled a little more easily, his tail wagging once in easy friendliness. It was a relief that he wouldn't have to try and scare anyone away, he really wasn't up to that.

<b>"Kinis,"</b> he laughed in return, amused by her reply, keeping his voice raised enough to pass over the gap between them. <b>"What are you doing out here?"</b></blockquote>

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<i>at least... that's where I'm supposed to be...</i></center>

The trend of kindness continued, though Aisling was sure that it was assisted by the presence of the river, at least for Aisling. Would she act so kind and willing to speak if not for the body of water? Perhaps if the Swift River border wasn't right there, she might have gone across to see...Then she wondered if it was possible to convince the Swift River wolf to come over to her. But she doubted that she'd have the courage to ask, so they were stuck on either side.

<b style="color:#388d10">"Good to meet you, Kinis." Aisling dipped her head, and looked down at the water for a moment. She wished almost that it wasn't acting as a border or she might have taken a swim. <b style="color:#388d10">"I don't know much of Swift River, so I was hoping to meet someone from the pack. And it looks like I have. I met another the other day, Ruiko. You know him, right?" Her ears pressed forward, and she hoped that his answer would be yes. <b style="color:#388d10">"speech."

<blockquote>The last thing he had expected was to come out here and find amicable conversation, but find it he had. His smile grew even further. <b>"And you, Aisling,"</b> he said, charmed by how out of the blue this all seemed. His ears pricked as she began to explain, and it sounded as though she was very well informed. Whilst Kinis had recognised her pack's scent from his travels in the woods, he didn't know a thing more about them, and felt rather guilty for that.

Then she said Ruiko's name, and his curiosity peaked. <b>"Yeah!"</b> he said, nearly grinning now. A friend of Ruiko's was a friend of his, right? <b>"He's my brother. My family live here, have done for ages."</b> Would it be premature to invite her in? Probably; her meeting Ruiko didn't mean all that much... though she seemed nice enough. <b>"Hey, um, would you mind if I crossed over?"</b></blockquote>

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<i>at least... that's where I'm supposed to be...</i></center>

Saying Ruiko's name seemed to make the boy quite happy, and well...That was because they knew each other. Perhaps it was silly of her to even ask. They were in the same pack. But Aisling was further surprised to hear that Ruiko and this wolf, Kinis, were brothers. Her tail wagged against the dark earth, and she grinned back. It felt odd to be so happy, but perhaps she was loosening up a little. Not everyone was out to get her like Pangur had told her and made her think. In fact, she hadn't yet met one wolf who had wanted to hurt her.

She gasped slightly, eyes widened, <b style="color:#388d10">"That's incredible!" The mere idea that had pack had lived here for...So long! Well, it was extraordinary. The moment passed, and Kinis put forth a question. <b style="color:#388d10">"Oh! Um...Go ahead." It was as if he'd read her mind, but she merely nodded, glad that they wouldn't have to speak over the river anymore. <b style="color:#388d10">"speech."

<blockquote>Happy at her consent - not that it was her river, but it had been polite to ask - Kinis edged along the bank a little before plunging in and through, making short work of the swim. It was no surprise, since he had crossed over the river so many times by now it was second nature. Dripping wet, he emerged on the other side a short distance from Aisling, keeping his distance for now just in case he had jumped the gun somewhat. Shaking his heavy pelt, he inadvertently sent a small amount of the spray Aisling's way, but didn't notice, and turned to look at her, tail wagging limply by his hocks.

<b>"I swear it gets colder every day,"</b> he said, smiling a little self-consciously. It would be easier to talk now, but he hoped that this hadn't been a bad idea - would it get awkward? He wasn't any good at talking to strangers at all, not really, though perhaps it was time to learn how. He'd have to learn how to live alongside them when they joined Ruiko's pack, after all.</blockquote>

<center>
<i>at least... that's where I'm supposed to be...</i></center>

She watched intently as he swam across, and though her smile faltered just a bit, she was glad, in the end, that they were on the same side. When he shook off, she recoiled slightly, her neck curving to the side, her nose almost pressed into her chest. She couldn't help but laugh slightly, however, and rolled her shoulders and shook her head to dry herself off a bit before she got too cold.

Uncurling, she looked towards him as he spoke, and nodded, <b style="color:#388d10">"I'm sure you're freezing now." She frowned, hoping that he wasn't too cold after his little swim. <b style="color:#388d10">"Your brother told me about the pack he was forming. It certainly sounds exciting." Her frown twisted up slightly, into a smile, and she wondered if he knew about it. <b style="color:#388d10">"speech."