Ghastly Woods A Guardian of Sorts

<blockquote>She had to get back to her old den and collect what she had managed to pry from the grasp of winter. While her supplies were meagre she had invested a lot of energy into scrounging what she had and she was loathe to leave it to the forest.

Large tawny frame flitted through the trees, heading back to the hollow she had once called home, before her encounter with Triell in the Sacred Grove. She still smiled at the way he so resembled her brother and a small pang of longing to know the fate of her family radiated through her chest. But that was no longer her main priority, she had a new family now, and she needed her herbs in case her skills as a healer were needed. Not that she could offer much more than pain relief at the moment, but it was more than she had access to where she was now making her bed and she needed a break from digging her infirmary anyway.

Golden eyes darted from side to side, keeping an open eye out for those who may wish her harm, ears darting in all directions catching every little snap of branch or crackle of leaves. She froze as a familiar scent passed her nose. <i>Pack member... here?</i> She questioned as she cautiously moved forward. The River wolves seemed mostly content to let her be, and while the incessant pull was gone, the pangs of loneliness were yet to abate. The wind shifted and she knew the other wolf would have caught her scent and so she stopped, waiting to see if the stranger would investigate.</blockquote>

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the   ICE breaks. The business with Hartt had, quite understandably, annoyed Ice to no end. Exasperated, frustrated, he'd left the Grove in the capable paws of the rest of his pack. He didn't have to be there for every loner and intrusion, they could manage without him. Triell was nearly full-grown with a good head on his shoulders, and Corinna - well, she was Corinna. Indru was more then capable to deal with loners, too. And.. the rest of his pack, he didn't know that much about. The pups were nearly a year old now, perhaps lacking in judgment but not in spirit. Kaala seemed a bit shy, but not excessively so, and - well, he hadn't really had the chance to get to know the Seconds. Shrugging, Ice had turned north together with his black mood, and promptly set about to walking it off. He didn't need to be a brooding, snappy wolf without cause, but something about it left a bad taste in his mouth. Growling under his breath, he stalked out of the majestic grove, and into the more untamed forest to the north. If stupid loners were at the very least a quadrennial occurrence it wouldn't be so bad, but right now it seemed to be not even annual, but more of the weekly sort. Stupid, really. Really stupid. Scowl on his face, Ice wished stupid loners to the other end of the stupid earth. Perhaps, he thought grudgingly, one stupid could come every four years... And harass them with their stupidity. If it only was that way, he'd probably not live the next time a stupid loner came about to bother them. Wistfully, he sighed. Guiltily, he remembered that he still hadn't been able to find anything out about Triell's missing friends. His rather linear journey south had come up with nothing, and just straying into the bordering forest in the north likely wouldn't do him much good either. But, who cares? For once, the large wolf was deep in thoughts, mulling over stupid loners and numbers. For a brief, bleak moment, the once cheering thought of him not living to see the next loner brought a pang of panic and despair - as fleeting as that, it was gone again, leaving him to grind his teeth in frustration as the ground disappeared beneath his long, thick legs. Whatever, he told himself, stopping where he was. Being in such a dark mood didn't do anyone any good, least of all him. Likely as not, it'd land him with a headache of diabolic proportions, and that'd just make him even more of a nuisance to be around. Wounding to a halt in front of a large tree, Ice stood still, staring at it. With conscious effort he smoothed the semi-snarl off his pale features, some of the iron going out of his silver eyes. He ground his teeth once for good measure, then shook his head and shoulders, relaxing. Inspiration caught him, and before he'd even had the time to consider the impulse, he thudded down on his side amongst the juvenile undergrowth and scattered pine needles. Without any heed at all to who might be watching, Ice began to roll about in it like a pup. It felt good, the roots and old branches massaging and scrubbing at his body through the layers of thick fur. Giving a happy yip, Ice continued with his antics, unaware that Naira was in the vicinity. .ice aesir

/shifty eyes at Ice

let the stars above shine in your soul

<blockquote>Naira decided that she may as well continue on her way. A short detour to introduce herself to her pack mate may not go astray. By the time she stumbled across the wintery coloured fellow he was tousling about in the undergrowth like a pup. She openly giggled, the tinkling sound permeating the trees around them. He so reminded her of Kano with his blatant disregard for what should be expected of a wolf their ages.

After not considering what her laughter may provoke, it would seem she was in a somewhat pupish mood today, and little thought would be given before any of her actions. She threw herself down by his side, her browner tones blending perfectly with the leaf litter revealed under her wriggling form. She paused momentarily to glance at her companion and introduce herself. <b>"I'm Naira."</b> she said with an impish grin before continuing to wriggle about herself. It was an amazing feeling and seemed to reach all the places she struggled to reach herself. Finally satisfied she stood to shake the leaves out of her long fur, appearing comical as patches stood on end. She could groom all she liked. Her fur would never remain as immaculate as some.</blockquote>

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the   ICE breaks. It wasn't until someone nearby giggled that Ice's motions slowed, though just a fraction as he propped his head up. A large, tawny female that matched the build of most Swift River wolves, Tainn or not, was looking at him. For a moment, Ice was about to cock his head and stare rudely at her and berate her for staring, but the moment was lost as soon as it had come, for she thudded down beside him. Her cream belly showed itself to the sky and, smirking, Ice resumed his own rolling. Tufts of fur were scattered here and there - the time to shed had begun, although this was nothing to what it'd be later... Even so, spots of cold might come for months still, and he was no hurry to get rid of it all. Most of his motion had ceased when she paused, though he was lying on his side, thick legs sprawled and slowly grinding his right shoulder blade against a particularly good root. Naira, huh? She smelled of Swift River so all was good, though he was on the verge of teasing her about rolling with strangers, but, to say such a thing would be to cant because what hadn't he been doing, if not the same thing? Only, he'd been alone when he begun, though it hardly mattered - he'd kept going even after Naira had joined in. "Ice," he said to the she-wolf that had begun to roll again. Being done with his bout of silliness for now, the large male was content to lay on his side, head up, and watch her. She seemed very content, and it pleased him. As she rose up again, shaking debris out of her fur, he remained where he was, though not as any form of submission, but rather because he was too lazy to get up right now. Yawning politely, the thick male rolled nearly onto his back and stretched in a cat-like fashion, fuzzy pale belly long and inviting to tousle as his large paws reached as far away as he could. Then, with a snort he collected himself again and sat up, tilting his head. "Nice to meet you," he continued to say, as if they hadn't spent some minutes rolling since introducing one another. With a smile that showed only a hint of teeth he heaved himself up on all four, shaking like a wet dog. Well, this forest floor was good for scrubbing. He'd have to return here a couple of times during spring when the shedding started for real. Tail wagging slowly and a thoughtful look upon his face, Ice padded closer to Naira, bumping his muzzle against her cheek in greeting before continuing off a couple of paces. Wolf fur blew around his paws as a slight breeze shifted through the winds, and he paused again, looking across his shoulder. "So, what brings a lady out here?" .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

<blockquote><i>Ice...</i> it suited him. She couldn't help but smile as he continued to roll about in the undergrowth. At his mention of a lady she playfully looked over her shoulder in question. <b>"Where? Oh you mean me..."</b> she couldn't keep the twinkle from her eye. <b>"I was actually hoping to collect some herbs and stuff that I managed to scrounge up, you know, in case anyone needs healing... I left them at my old den, I'm just hoping nobody has taken them. It's difficult to find anything in the snows. I know spring will be here soon but what if something happens in between?"</b>

She had gone for months without supplies until she had come across the female Nina. She had been inspired to collect all she could. Admittedly it wasn't much at all, but she had felt better knowing it was on hand. <b>"And what brings you out here good sir?"</b> she asked with a hint of teasing in her voice. It was nice to find a laid back fellow was now a part of her family, Her impression so far had been one of serious wolves, very driven, much like her birth pack, and so she had slipped back into her old routine as if she had never left it. But it didn't allow much time for fun. She could see herself getting on very well with this wolf if things continued as smoothly as they had so far.</blockquote>

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the   ICE breaks. Ice did as he was wont to do; he gave a short bark of a laugh at her words, shaking his head in a mildly amused manner. He was hardly talking to himself, and unless he was hallucinating, there was only her around. Thankfully, he was in a good-and-awake enough mood to be alert, otherwise he likely wouldn't have caught on her teasing. However as she continued to talk he cocked his head, intrigued. Herbs and healing? He knew little of such things, but when the whim took him, he enjoyed learning things - even if not the exact theory behind it or the practical art, he liked to learn about things. "Ooh, you're a healer?" he said in an intrigued voice, watching her from where he stood a couple of paces away. Hurra for stating the obvious, but he was oblivious to it, and instead ran his eyes over her buff body. Well, looks are deceiving, aren't that what they say? He flashed her a grin and drifted sideways, off the beaten path to the roll-glade, but paused at her question. A polite but somewhat indignant expression settled on his face and he spoke in a voice that mocked the aristocracy of his old world. "Me? A good sir? Hardly, m'lady! I'm the Rascal of the Bush." He puffed out his chest, as if proud with this title, but as he let out the pent-up air he grimaced. Truth to be told, he was more of a good sir than a rascal. "No, actually, I was fed up with ignorant loners at the borders and had to take a walk to blow off some steam - oh, that and looking for a certain someone. You've not run into or heard of a wolf called Volkan by any chance? Or of a newly formed pack, led by Ruiko Tainn?" Where one was, so was the other, and unless Triell had made any progress himself, Ice would be glad to break any news of their whereabouts to him. The black male held a special place in Ice's life, though why he couldn't quite figure out - not that he spent much time thinking about it anyway, it just was. From the way Triell had spoken Volkan's name, he'd understood that the wolf meant quite a lot to him, and so he'd made up his mind to try and find her, for him. Yet again, he didn't know the why; he only knew that it felt important, to them both. Trying to not get his hopes up, he expectantly watched Naira's face, wishing she'd have something of importance to tell him, to help him along in his self-proclaimed quest. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

<blockquote><i>Rascal of the bush indeed...</i> She grinned like a pup as he puffed out his chest and she choked back a giggle. Why this was turning out to be a whole lot of fun...

She nodded her head in agreement at his comment about ignorant loners. Her birth pack had had more than their fair share of them and it was something she hadn't missed while not being in a pack. The constant patrols, the fighters, the criers, the 'i-didn't-knowers'... It was part of the reason she had waited so far from the borders in the hopes of joining the pack, and part of the reason why she had been so respectful when she had. She didn't want to have to go through that more than once.

His next question about a newly formed pack piqued her interest. <b>"Copper Rock Creek perhaps? My brother is apparently the second there but I am yet to catch sight of him. His scent was all over the place, perhaps that is the pack you seek? I heard it was fairly newly formed and they have more than adequate numbers. Perhaps there is a Volkan amongst their ranks but she is not a wolf I have yet encountered, nor a Ruiko..."</b> she admitted honestly. </blockquote>

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the   ICE breaks. It seemed that his question hadn't been too far-fetched then, for she actually gave him something substantial to chew on. Copper Rock Creek? Had Triell mentioned such a name? Even if he had, Ice wasn't certain he'd remember it, so he didn't even bother to conjure the memory from the murky depths of his brain. He wasn't certain he could remember it with clarity anyway, and that meant that, possibly, he'd just attribute the name to the memory and believe it had been said. He tilted his head ever so slightly. Naira had a brother, in that pack? Well, perhaps it was good they weren't both in the same, though the Swift River was largely Tainn-oriented... So why not a.. uh, whatever their family name was. Perhaps they'd just rip each other up, though. Sibling love was as deep and unshakeable as it was volatile and explosive. "Perhaps," he said slowly, lost in thought. She had connections there then, but knew of no Volkan, nor a Ruiko. Blasted, what had Triell said about it? He'd mentioned a third wolf, a littermate, who obviously wasn't the leader because Triell wasn't old enough to lead anything. As far as Ice knew, bitches didn't birth across the span of half a month, so that the Kin-what's-his-name wasn't an option. "Ruiko ought to be the lead," he said after a moment, more to himself than to her. .. if he actually thought back on it, Triell had told him as much. D'oh. So much for detective skills. Giving his head an amused shake, he peered at the lady. "So can the lady stand yet another question inquiring about the whereabouts of others? If so, can she enlighten this most rascally rascal of where this Copper Rock Creek might flow?" He added a dramatic shudder; creeks. Well, they were better than rivers, but still... He preferred to cross the "rivers" of their pack's home alone, so none witnessed his not-so-manly flailing. But even so, if Naira could give him a fair clue where the pack was, he could lope back, pounce on Triell, lick his adorable face and tell him where to go find his Volkan - except, he might already knew. That notion dulled his rising spirits, and he gave his head yet another small shake. Pointless. Well, he'd let Naira answer, and then.. then he had to do something else. Take his mind off whatever thing he'd got himself tangled up in. Perhaps his self-proclaimed quest would reap nothing but woe for the knight who rode across the country to find the fair lady, while flowers would bloom at the paws of those he aided? Foolish, foolish, foolish; thrice be damned his head and its fancies! After a moment of silence, or many moments - he wasn't quite certain - when Naira had hopefully responded, he sighed, and looked away, between the thick trees. "Alas, fair lady of the wood, my gut is beginning to grow empty," he said with mock sincerity, tongue dripping silver just as icicles dripped cold, refreshing water that glinted in sunlight. "Would thee fancy a hunt, to pass the time and to sate this wildfire that might otherwise consume me from withing?" .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

<blockquote> His shudder bought a small smile to her face. It would seem her companion had a mild case of hydrophobia, a fact she would need to keep in mind, especially given the proximity of their home to the river. <b>"North, at the base of the mountain... Once you get past the spring you can't miss their scent, its everywhere..."</b> she commented casually, remembering the density of the criss-crossed tracks of the Creek wolves. Her thoughts wandered fondly to her brother. She hoped he would forgive her for not showing herself to him when she had been so close...

His flowery phrases had her in a fit of giggles by the time he was finished. <b>”Yes a hunt would be pleasant fine sir.”</b> she said, struggling to keep the glimmer of joy from her eyes. She turned her nose to the wind, picking up on many numerous scents on the wind. The caribou were returning to the area, there was also a hint of moose and hog. Deer... but she was sick of deer. <b>”So what is on the menu my dear?”</b> she questioned teasingly as her tail wagged playfully behind her. It may well be the silly season, but she was happy for a break from the monotonous seriousness of her week so far.
</blockquote>

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the   ICE breaks. Oh, blessed stars, she knew where the Copper Rock Creek pack was! He could've bounced up to her and licked her face all over until she drowned, but refrained from it. Instead, he gave her a happy grin as his tail wagged. Now he had something concrete to tell Triell! But, to abandon this most generous lady now would be despicable, and taint his honor as a gentleman. He forced his knowledge of the new pack and the northward journey it'd require aside, and instead ducked his head with a shy grin at her response to his eloquent speech. He was glad someone appreciated his flair for strange phrasing, surely something that was courtesy of his upbringing in that remote place. Next time someone called him "mate", he'd give them a bloody kiss to prove it! .. which might, of course, be an entirely biased decision, simply because Triell was prone to calling him that. He could've cursed under his breath, but instead shoved it aside, shallow mirth glittering in his pale eyes. Pleasant? Well, indeed, it could be - or, it could be bloody and painful. It depended on what they went for, really. He'd stay away from moose, they were too large and powerful to risk taking on with only himself and the lady. They probably could do it, but it was risky, and he was lazy. Deer was so mainstream to hunt, and he wasn't certain he could take on a hog. Hogs were scary. But reindeer, mmh.. Perhaps they could find one. "I was thinking perhaps a bit of rainy deer?" he said in a somewhat distracted voice, nose quivering. To sort through scents didn't take conscious effort, it was something that he simply knew, and only because he was a wolf. With a quick smile sent her way, he began to trot deeper into the forest, straying a bit further north still, sides heaving as his lungs worked to provide him with enough air to sample. Hopefully, a small band of them would be not too far away, within range for them right now. With spring coming, they might be drawn further up the foothills, looking for new grounds where they could graze and grow fat. Concentration settled across Ice like a warm blanket, and he navigated the forest with ease, forgetting visual input as only the scents mattered. Knowing what he looked for, he dropped and forgot those that didn't matter. The further they went, though, the stronger the occasional waft of reindeer. It seemed that they were in luck today. He looked for Naira, giving her a brief reassuring smile, and then he plunged on, skirting creeks or leaping across them. Hopefully the reindeer they'd find weren't the walk-into-a-river sort, because those were so darned frustrating. Excitement began to bubble inside of him... .ice aesir

( I haven't roleplayed a hunt in ages, so. xP If you feel more comfortable with it then I do, perhaps Naira could sorta "take the lead"? )

let the stars above shine in your soul