Heartleaf Creek Bath time

It was a quiet afternoon along the Heartleaf Creek just on the outskirts of the great Cedarwood Forest. The summer sun still looming overhead in the vast blue sky with the occasional wisp of cloud floating by. It was something of a dream really yet the peace and tranquility did not last as a loud splash echoed through the woodlands either side of the creek. Weldering had been perched upon the edge of the rocky creek when finally the urge to soak himself down and cool off became too unbearable plunging into the cold fresh water. It was shallow just enough to stand at his full height within the center but also deep enough that the water now ran along his sides and even over his back when he crouched down. With the water moderately shallow the current was not very pressing either, using his large blunt clawed mitts to carry him forwards with only his head and the back of his neck above the surface. It was relaxing but also mildly entertaining as he was pleased with just about everything right now. The dried mud that coated his four perfectly marked black socks was now clean and he was already beginning to plan for the rest of the afternoon which included sunning himself dry over on the warm flat boulders just on the other side of the stream.

table by debain

<center><img src=http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z151/kittykarnage/fishmaster.png></center>

don't mind junai, she's crabby. ^^;;

http://a.imageshack.us/img717/5995/70049898.png);"> THERE'S A PLACE I KNOW IF YOU'RE LOOKIN' FOR A SHOW       What. The. Heck?! New smells had been invading her home as of late, lingering tightly to the leaves and branches and roots she knew so well. Such smells were unwelcome in her mind, a threat to her and her family's safety; she shunned the strange and welcomed the normal. It was sad, how she was almost more accepting of Torla—evil, manipulative Torla—than any moron that had invaded her—yes, her—wildwood. Just who did these people think they were?       It was while humming softly to herself, venturing through Cedarwood Forest most aimlessly, the sound of jubilant splashing had caught her ear and her direction changed rather abruptly. There were few possibilities of what could be making that noise: either her family, one of the new strangers, or some obnoxious predator (perhaps a bear?). The notion that she should be cautious and perhaps even afraid of what she found never occurred to Junai, headstrong and reckless since birth. She followed the creek with a suspicious glare, her tail tail raised so it was nearly parallel to the ground. While the creek was hardly Swift River lands, Junai easily felt as though the entirety of Relic Lore belonged to her and her family. Did this idiot, swimming most carelessly in what she regarded as her stream, know anything about this place? She drew closer, taking in the peculiarly-marked creature in carefully, pale eyes watched the bathing man (did that make her a peeping Tom?) carefully. <b style="color:#333E4B; font-family:georgia;">“Why are you here?” Junai inquired after a moment, stepping up on a boulder to stare most accusingly down at the stranger.

ooc: I don't mind at all <3

The fact that there was a pack that resided in these woodlands was still oblivious to the black and silver vagrant. But even if there was a newly reformed pack of wolves living fairly close to where he was currently bathing and enjoying the afternoon, he knew what scent markers were. Since being here mainly around the Cedarwood area he had not stumbled upon any claimed territories just yet otherwise he may have known about the Swift River pack. Little did he also know that a member of such a group was now homing in on his location. Carefree and jovial his paws planted firmly on the ground of the creek as he waded around in his crouched position, this way his shoulders and everything beyond was still nestled underwater. With his black coloured face and ears held high he could easily spot the unknown she-wolf climbing up onto the boulder just to the side of him on the bank of the small river. A thin smile crossing over his onyx stained lips setting his gaze firmly upon her and turning his hindquarters so that he now faced her. Though her words were perhaps asking him the question it only made him instantly think of several himself, was it not so obvious what he was doing? "Bathing." He replied though did not intentionally mean to come across so blunt. Quickly thinking of something else to say to break the ice of the conversation which by now was becoming more awkward. "I'm Weldering Darksidy, how about you miss?"

table by debain

<center><img src=http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z151/kittykarnage/fishmaster.png></center>

daww, weld's such a gentlemannn. <3 ~

http://a.imageshack.us/img717/5995/70049898.png);"> THERE'S A PLACE I KNOW IF YOU'RE LOOKIN' FOR A SHOW       Evidently, only morons existed outside Swift River, for the stranger completely failed to understand the meaning of her question. She had not asked what he was doing, for it seemed rather clear that he was washing himself from dirt and dust; she had, however, ask why he was at the creek, as opposed to some place else that was not her home. She was not familiar with stranger and they were hardly welcome within her mind; they could only be thieves or beggars, neither of which she approved of. Couldn't he go find some other waters to pollute with his filth?       If nothing else, he was polite, and Junai's parents had taught her to have at least some semblance of civility when speaking to others. Raising her chin just slightly, she replied, <b style="color:#333E4B; font-family:georgia;">“Junai Tainn of Swift River.” Her words were tight and formal, for she wished to give him no impression that she was merciful. While Junai could be quite nice sometimes (albeit sarcastic, demanding, and a little overbearing), she hardly wished for the stranger to know she had a good side. Perhaps if she scared this little mongrel off, Indru and the others would see how useful she was! ...Or maybe they'd simply be angry that she was so overwhelmingly rude; it was a bit of a toss-up, honestly. As it was, she corrected stiffly, <b style="color:#333E4B; font-family:georgia;">“No matter, it is quite obvious you are bathing; what I asked was why you are in Relic Lore. Not many come through here; it's been just the Tainn family for as long as I can remember.”

Watching in silence from the flowing cool waters below he still had the same soft smile over his handsome muzzle, perhaps even more so when her head was tilting voicing her reply. It was always good when someone actually wanted to talk back rather then blanking you out completely and thus being a lone wolf he relished every single interaction he could with others. Maybe it was why he was often so open and pleasing to everyone all the time, he did not want to drive anyone off. It was an unusual mix to have such a social butterfly like Weldering live the rough life of a loner. As well as putting her name to memory he could not help but allow his ears to perk curiously as the name of a pack was added to her title. Swift River. To say he was interested in these lands was an understatement and so hearing that he had in fact come across a resident caused him to pull himself closer as his whole haughty silver body was no longer crouched down shedding water off his sides as it rose from the creek. Weldering waited for his opportunity to speak after hearing that these lands were more or less untouched by all but a single family, her pack. "I'm just a lone wolf myself miss Junai, but I'd love to hear about your pack. It must be good then having several new wolves around here then to repopulate these woods, fresh blood eh?" He added, for if it was only a single family the lines would only die out slowly if there was not this these fresh bloodlines that Weldering spoke of. Little did he know that is was these newcomers that Weldering had also noticed on his travels so far that were annoying Junai.

table by debain

<center><img src=http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z151/kittykarnage/fishmaster.png></center>

http://a.imageshack.us/img717/5995/70049898.png);"> THERE'S A PLACE I KNOW IF YOU'RE LOOKIN' FOR A SHOW       The stranger—or perhaps it would have been more polite to call him by his name, Weldering—rose his body from the creek, leaving water to fall from his monochromatic body in hearty rivulets and drops. She watched him carefully, seeming not to cherish the thought of him getting out of the water to greet her more properly. For one, he was wet and she was nice and dry—that always meant bad things for the dry one. Second, he was a stranger and she trusted him about as far as she could throw him. Maybe he was nice (far more so than any of her brothers), but she wasn't about to go around being his friend just because he could talk the talk. Cherishing the distance between them, Junai took a sliding step backwards, regarding him silently.       Being only a year old, Junai had little idea as to what the heck he was talking about upon mentioning "fresh blood." Well, she had some idea—making the pack bigger, blahblahblah. As far as Junai was concerned, however, strangers were icky and disgusting and boys were demanding and smelled funny. As for her older siblings, well... They didn't want to be mothers or fathers; they were too busy rebuilding the family they already had. Who would want to trade their real family for some fake one? The thought of her older siblings running off with some random strangers annoyed her; they were hers to cherish and adore, not hers to be stolen by desperate mongrels like this Weldering character. Internally, she wondered if he had met Niija or Ioni; externally, her nose wrinkling in a most childish display of disgust, she said, <b style="color:#333E4B; font-family:georgia;">“New wolves mean competition.” After a moment, she said more plaintively, <b style="color:#333E4B; font-family:georgia;">“Swift River was started by my older siblings. Before that, we lived in Hidden Tree and... And it burned. I didn't know anything could be so destructive...” The last portion was mumbled more to herself than anything and she looked to her paws, thinking of her mother and father and life prior to the fire... Life had been far easier, far quieter. Life seemed more feral now, as if something would come from the shadows to steal away all she held dear... No matter, she mustn't think about that! If she did, he'd think her weak, and that just wouldn't do for a member of Swift River! Raising her chin again, scowling at her own weakness, she asked, <b style="color:#333E4B; font-family:georgia;">“Why do you wanna know?”

The single step backwards that she took was enough of a message to show Weldering that she was not particularly comfortable with being to close. That was perfectly understandable considering he was a large adult male and also a complete stranger to the yearling girl that stood atop the boulder just a above where he was currently wading. It was actually one of the rocks that he had been eying up for a while as one of his potentially sunning and drying spots. Junai did not share the same enthusiasm as he did with the new wolves, including himself. It caused him to hum lightly yet his faint smile did not diminish. "It is a big forest for just one pack, plenty of room yes?" Somehow he had an inclining that she would not agree. "As long as the lone wolves don't encroach on your pack's territory I can't see there being any problems. Maybe you'll find some new members out of all of this. New friends?" The history of her family was a grave one, though one he could share with understanding. he knew what mother nature was capable of but maybe in a little more extreme way. Weldering had managed to leave his old home but now there was nothing left of it to return to as the island was burned to the ground by it's volcano. "I just wanted to know about your pack in case I decide to stay in these woods, make a home here. It's always nice to know your neighbors."

table by debain

<center><img src=http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z151/kittykarnage/fishmaster.png></center>

http://a.imageshack.us/img717/5995/70049898.png);"> THERE'S A PLACE I KNOW IF YOU'RE LOOKIN' FOR A SHOW       Plenty of room? He spoke as if this forest was a lot, a place to be auctioned off to different buyers; it was far more than that to Junai, who had known the entirety of the forest to be her home since childhood. Perhaps Swift River had only claimed the Sacred Grove and, prior to that, Hidden Tree had only claimed The Wildwood... But the Relic-Lore had been her playground and she knew it just as well as she knew the back of her paw; it was only natural for her to be not only possessive the the wildwood, but protective of it. After all, she didn't want his paws and the paws of others like him tainting its mystery. Nosy and imperious, they would find out her secret niches and ruin her favorite haunts... It was nothing personal, really, though it may have seemed that way by the malicious snort and threatening scowl she gave in response to his question.       <b style="color:#333E4B; font-family:georgia;">“I don't need friends.” That was all she would say on the matter, because she didn't wish to explain further on the matter of neighbors—it would be a waste of her time, because it was unlikely he would understand anyway. After all, he was just a rogue; he probably couldn't remember what having a home was like. Did he even have a family, a family like hers? No, he wouldn't be able to grasp the concept of "home," of "safety;" she pitied him for that. In fact, if he weren't an ignorant intruder, barging into her home like this, then maybe she'd like him an eensy-weensy bit... As it was, she kind of wanted to push him into the water and leave him to freeze. <b style="color:#333E4B; font-family:georgia;">“...Whatever. You never really answered my question, you know.” She deliberated. <b style="color:#333E4B; font-family:georgia;">“Why don't you have a home? Where's your family?” Her tone was lighter, more polite; an underlying edge remained but it seemed that, for the moment, she would be a cordial young lady.

Whether she liked to think of it as a lot for rent that was how Weldering saw it. Junai would soon have little say in the matter if these lands were as unblemished as she had convinced him they were mixed with the fact that this was the only pack he;d heard of so far. These woods were now recovering from the fire and the flourishing summer months were bringing in many new faces, wolves that would soon start to stake their claims in territories they wanted to be called their home. The fresh water of the creek continued to brush against his side, though Welde took little notice of his predicament within the water and was still focused on the she-wolf yearling. He made no more efforts to move closer, or to move at all for that matter. "Come now, everyone needs friends even if they are the members of your family. Even us lone wolves seek out friendship. We are not so different you and I." If she was trying to fool him for one minute that she was some kind of hermit then it was not working so far. "If you did not enjoy my company maybe you would have left by now.. hmm?" He grinned, tilting his muzzle slightly off to one side at an angle. Though there was one question that caused him to bite delicately into his lip, if that had been the query all along that she wanted to know then maybe he had subconsciously not answered, he hated dragging up his past. "They.. they all burned too." He stammered, now hanging his head.

table by debain

<center><img src=http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z151/kittykarnage/fishmaster.png></center>

drat! you're beating meee D:

http://a.imageshack.us/img717/5995/70049898.png);"> THERE'S A PLACE I KNOW IF YOU'RE LOOKIN' FOR A SHOW       Friends? Well, yes, she had friends within her family, but outside? Nah, those were unnecessary. They might have been nice, but it was just another popularity contest with Torla; she'd lose, just like she was (probably) losing within the pack. <b style="color:#333E4B; font-family:georgia;">“Fine, correction: my family are the only friends I need. When I've got Ind and Rui and Nii, who else do I need?” And, as if to insult him, she rose a mocking brow in his direction, as if to say, "You think I need you? Ha!" More seriously, however, she added, <b style="color:#333E4B; font-family:georgia;">“We're not so similar, either.” What puzzled her was why he was looking for similarities between the two of them, point to relate to... Most others didn't care that much; they either walked away from her bad attitude or made her shut up. Did this guy have something wrong with his brain? As for his teasing, she responded quite seriously, <b style="color:#333E4B; font-family:georgia;">“I'm a sucker for a good debate, don't get a big ego, Weldering Darksidy.”       She would have been content to continue such thoughtless, snide banter if not for his next words, words that replaced her condescending expression with something of dumbfounded shock. Burned—they had all burned. Silence hung over the two, Junai staring with wide eyes at the stranger, unable to help but feel pity for this stranger... Not only that, but she could relate. Had he experienced the heat at his tail, ready to cremate him alive? Had he heard the screams of his family above the roar of the flames? Had he returned to find bodies, covered in ash and soot that did not respond to his inquiries? She looked away, ears pulling back as she responded, <b style="color:#333E4B; font-family:georgia;">“I'm... sorry.” A pause. <b style="color:#333E4B; font-family:georgia;">“All of them? Even your brothers and sisters?” She looked to him then, sighing before adding silently, <b style="color:#333E4B; font-family:georgia;">“I'm a big baby. I still have Indru and Ruiko and Niija and Ioni and some of the others. But...” She searched for words to describe her feelings and found none; discouraged, she fell silent, staring silently—both sadness and curiosity in her eyes—at him.