Wild Cherry Orchard Showing the Hours

Valtyr had come across this place quite by accident, but also out of necessity. For months, he had been without the companionship and love of his family, his tiny pack he had formed not far from his birthplace in the south. For months, he had wandered the lands as he had in his youth. But this time, it was different. As a yearling, he'd been expected to travel alone, seeking his own lands, his own mate. At the age of four, most would consider him too old to be traveling. But it hadn't exactly been of his own choosing.

The open paths with barren trees seemed to welcome and invite the ebony beast into this strange land. It was nothing like the thicket he had spotted earlier, a foreboding place that eagerly awaited to <span class='word'>truss</span> him in a never-ending maze of trees. Sampling the wind, he could tell that for many miles around, this was a densely populated area. This particular sect of what appeared to be fruit trees was fairly quiet, but Valtyr held hope that the further he explored, the higher chance he would have of finding a new pack.

For now, his weariness kept him in this open area. He had been alone for so long; a little more time would not kill him. He strode tiredly amongst the trees, seeking an old den in the hope that he would not have to exert more energy digging a new one. Whether by fate, luck, or chance, it did not take him long to find what he sought. It had long been empty. The autumn leaves had gathered within it. Valtyr set to clearing it out, thankful for this welcome find.

Time to hunt, Thicket provided ehr food, but she didn't want to eat it empty during the winter. Blackberry Field had seemed empty, but now she was at Wildcherry Orchard, trying to find food from here. Something small enough she could take with her back home. Her stomach was full for now, she ahd enough energy to hunt and drag the prey back to her den.

<i><b>"Done a lot of things I am not so proud of, took a lot of turns,
That turned out wrong,
That's a worn out song"</b></i> she sang her song quietly. She sang it a lot these days, maybe because she spent most of her time alone. Thicket wasn't the place many wolves decided to explore, specially during the winter, and that gave her the opportunity to find more food when no one else was hunting there, but also she had to be alone most of the time. She was fine with it, for now.

Sniffing the ground, trying to find the trails of prey animals, she instead caught the scent of a unknown brute. There seemed to be a lot of wolves moving in these days. Starting to follow the trail, eager to discover who was here this time.

<i><b>"Day by day, moment by moment,
Taking my chances,
Trusting my heart,
It wasn't too smart"</b></i> Rebecca continued when she saw an old den, now a new wolf in it. Halting some feet away, waiting for him to come out, whoever he was.

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So busy had the coal-black male been with clearing out his new home that he hadn't even heard the strange song that was carried on the wind. He flung old, dead leaves with his paws, as well as all sizes of rocks that had somehow managed to settle in with the foliage. The last wolf to live here had been smaller than he was, and so Valtyr began to trek out of the den to start enlarging it, starting with the entrance.

No sooner had he poked his head from the den, a strange scent caught in his nose. His golden eyes confirmed what his nose told him -- a female, just as dark as he, stood feet away from the den. She appeared to have been watching for his exit. Leaving the den fully, he continued to study the female, letting his tail hang loose and low in a gesture of goodwill.

<b>"This isn't your old den, is it?"</b> he asked. He knew sometimes females liked to visit old dens where they had given birth, and though he could not smell much of anything about the past occupant of this den, he still very much hoped that was not the case with this femme. She appeared to be younger than he, though, perhaps only now the age for raising pups. Even if it had belonged to her, it was long since abandoned and rightfully his to claim, even if temporarily.

Rebecca kept her body language friendly as she eyes the brute. Black, like she was. Yellow eyes. Yes. <b>"No, I've never seen it"</b> she answered smiling. Tail wagged slowly, eyes asking for his frindlyness. Cleaning operation going, at least it seemed to be that. Reba had never cleaned an old den of someone, due she never had had that kind of den. Neither she had made den to herself. Her first den was an accident, lucky accident.

Sitting down carefully, not wanting to be too trustful, what if this brute would turn ugly? She didn't want to fight, specially when she had nothingg else than herself to protect. Better to flee in that kind of situation. Friendly eyes pointed to his yellow, nose sniffing to get his scent, ears friendly forward.<b> "Hi"</b>

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Valtyr's tail wagged softly at her answer, feeling more relief than he chose to show on the outside. He did not want to have to fight anybody for a den, especially after just arriving and having trekked countless miles. The ebony female seemed nice enough, anyway, but he did not allow his guard to be let down completely. His body language, however, still remained friendly.

<b>"Good,"</b> was his reply.

He watched as she sat. She seemed a little nervous. Then again, Valtyr was somewhat used to that. His large size had often come across as intimidating to others. It wasn't exactly something he could help, though it had come in handy every now and again. He picked up her greeting, and his tail wagged again for just a moment.

<b>"Hello. What is your name?"</b>

Tired as he was, Valtyr welcomed the break in his den renovation and the chance to converse with another wolf -- an event that had not occurred for many months.

(This post was last modified: Jan 02, 2012, 07:53 PM by Valtyr.)

Smiling friendly but with slight hesitation, Rebecca wagged her tail little faster and licked her snout. The brute seemed friendly, good, good! <b>"Rebecca Wheatear. Yours?"</b> she said slightly slowing down on her last name. She still wasn't used to use it. And with strangers, it was always little risky. What if they knew it? But she needed to get over her fears, and it was unlikely many wolves would've traveled here from Alaska.

Bird sang somewhere in a tree and Reba's ear turned to listen it, but her eyes stayed on the brute. Soon she would probably also know his name. Exciting! Winter was lonely time, it was nice to meet someone new.

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As the young female introduced herself, Valtyr also sat on the ground. It was more out of politeness than actually being weary, but the more he sank into the earth, the more he realized what a toll the autumn and winter traveling had taken on him. He was a yearling no more. Certainly he was no elder, but it would not do to keep living the life of a vagabond for much longer than necessary, either.

The onyx beast listened carefully to her name. <i>Rebecca.</i> It sounded strange to him. He was used to the harsh-sounding names of his family -- Jorundur, Filippa, Iolani. "Rebecca" was a wholly different name to him. It was smooth, innocent. It suited her. A small smile played at the corner of his lips.

<b>"I am Valtyr Hanar Melian. But you may simply call me Valtyr."</b>

One ear swiveled atop his head to tune into the chirp of the bird. Odd -- in his experience, most birds did not stay this far north in the winter. Perhaps it was as lost as he was.

Rebecca's smile widened, friendly look in her eyes deepened and tail wagged with full speed. He was friendly, but little weak looking. Poor guy. Valtyr was older than her, but still she thought that in fight, she could ahve chances to win. Not that she was about to put up a fight, that would e useless and definitely not wise. <b>"And you can just call me Reba, if Rebecca is too long"</b> she said smiling to him.

Head tilting, how was that brute going to survive through the winter? He looked thin, badly thin now you payed attention. Poor guy, seriously. And this was his den, Reba supposed. At least he had one, and it was comfy as far as she could see.<b> "Are you allright? Not sick or injured or anything?"</b>

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Valtyr nodded at her as she explained a potential nickname. He decided against it. Two extra syllables was worth the unique name that definitely seemed befitting of the female before him. "Reba" seemed far too...he couldn't quite put his paw on it. It was too crude, too rough for her disposition. Granted, this Rebecca was still a stranger to him, and he knew at any time, even the wolf that seemed charming and sweet could turn out to be a monster.

Her concern for his well-being was touching. He knew he looked less than healthy at the present. Nothing like his glory days when he was alpha, leader, father. That was when his ebony pelt glimmered, sometimes shining blue under the moonlight. He could run long distances without tiring, and with their combined strength, he and Iolani could fell a sick caribou or elk. But alone...alone, he was ragged, worn down, lucky to catch a swift hare or stumble across an old bear's kill. Being a middle-aged wolf and being alone was a bad combination. It was especially bad during the winter.

<b>"No, I've just been traveling for a long time by myself. I just need to rest for a few days and catch a hare or two, and I'll be good as new."</b>

It was only a slight lie. Valtyr knew he needed the strength and security of a pack to return to his full strength once again. He needed not only the food that only a strong pack can acquire, but he also needed to feel...well, like he was needed. It didn't matter to him if he was never an alpha again, or if he never found another mate or sired another pup. He just needed a place in a hierarchy and a job to do.

OOC: It is not quite sure that Reba can actually join in the pack Ruiko is going to form, but I'm just assuming that now :)

Rebecca tilted her head little furhter and slightly narrowed her eyes, not looking thrething but just that Valtyr would understand she didn't quite believe him. It was winter, food was hard to get and he looked so thin that few rabbits wouldn't do much... No, he needed company to help hm, if possible a pack. Rebecca had a pack to join in, when Ruiko would form it, but for now she needed to survive on her own. It wasn't big deal to her, healthy and well-fed already, maybe she forgot the bulging up for winter, but if she only found food often enough... No problem.

Valkyr on the other hand had more experience, due he was older, but if he hadn't spent a lot of time alone, he may not know how to cope without pack. So he should go and join in one of the two packs in Relic Lore, Reba supposed.

<b>"If you say so. But I could catch you something to eat"</b> Rebecca said and asked wagging her tail.

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