Hush Meadow immigrant song

The moon hung gravely in the black sky and cast a pale, nearly spectral light upon the she-wolf as she moved through the spring-time mist into unknown territory. That night was cold, creating enough of a contrast between day temperature and night temperature to coat the land in a fog as the warmth of the day rapidly dropped. There was hardly a breeze to move the thickening blanket, which laid like a sheet of ice in front of Ava. Occasionally she was surprised to even walk through it, although that could be attributed less to the scene of the night and more to her lack of nourishment or sleep in recent times.

It was a fool's thing to do, to try and travel by oneself in the dead of winter. Ava was young, so she fancied herself okay to be thought of as a fool, and when the wanderlust set into her soul she took off with light feet. She began her journey as a strong, healthy pack wolf. The hunt was still easy, though of course she couldn't fall a deer on her own. Yet as the snow fell on and on, the hunt gradually became harder and she slowly grew weaker. Denial kept the thoughts that she needed help out of her mind for the majority of her travels. What was adventure if you backed out? If you just couldn't hack it? Tucked your tail in, turned on your heel, and headed back home to mama? Why it certainly wouldn't do, not for a wolf like Ava. So she trekked on, and on, and on, through the snow-covered forests, valleys and fields. The smell of wolf was always nearby, for there was truly no place that couldn't be touched by the freedom of their kind, but she refused to seek one out for an alliance of game and shelter. What good was she if she couldn't manage to survive on her own?

That sort of mentality wore down on the female, though, as the weeks dragged on into months. She had smelled this place for a week before she made it - the scent of wolf was thick in the air. A place like that meant game, fresh water, and shelter. Originally, she hadn't made plans to stay. But when crossing through the cold, foggy night Ava became very aware of her heavy, tired footsteps and the way her thinning fur allowed the air to give her chills. Her stomach felt hollow and her lips felt dry. It pained her to be surrounded by a plush, blooming meadow yet there was no water for her to drink and no critters scampering in the night-time for her to catch.

At last, Ava slunk to her gaunt haunches, heaving an drained breath as her movement finally came to a stop. The she-wolf in the grass looked so unlike herself: disheveled, thin, her sides rapidly expanding and contracting as she attempted to bring her body out of its exhaustion. Yet her eyes, at least, remained brilliant and clear, thanks more to their color than her concentration - though she was remaining wary of her surroundings as best as she could. She could deny her inexeperience no longer. With her last strength, Ava threw her head back and called out a howl of distress, doing all she could to keep the desperation out of her voice as she yelled for help.

When her song had finished, she dropped her head and contemplated the blow to her ego to ease her wait.

art - threads

<blockquote>Rhysis had been finding it hard to remain within the pack borders. He wasn’t a pack wolf, at least not anymore and solitude was hard to find when you were surrounded by strangers who all wanted to say hello. Often he found himself crossing the borders, ensuring no one saw just so that he might get a break away. Whilst he had begun to appreciate everything the humming forest had and the River wolves had been so far, quite amicable, he still desired time away to himself. And so, he had slipped out of the borders just before the sun slipped beneath the mountains and day turned to night. He had been travelling, aimlessly ever since his paws had stepped over the invisible line that marked his current home. He had no destination in mind and was simply content to lope at a steady pace, burning down some pent up energy which had been building whilst he had been nursing two injured limbs. They were feeling fit now, almost a full recovery and with the aid of the packs food supply he had time to rest, recover and finally started to put a bit of weight on. He was no where near the muscular mass he should be, he would always be tall and thin, but at least his bones weren’t quite so visible.

The sound of night birds, crickets and other wildlife had become white noise to the male as he moved swiftly across the terrain, not at a full run but a steady pace. With his long legs he consumed the terrain beneath him quickly and it wasn’t long before the scenery changed from the forest, to general woodland and finally to an open space of the hush meadow. The white noise was disturbed out of the blue, a wolf was calling, distressed, scared by the sounds of it. A naturally curious character, Rhysis obviously wanted to know who had been calling and followed the trail the sound head guided him upon. Before long the scent of a wolf tickled his nose. A single, female, marked with no pack scent confessed itself to him, but beneath the darkness and the pale moonlight his eerie grey eyes took a little longer then they would have in the day to spot the skinny black female within the grass.

A once over told Rhysis not much more then his nose, she was thin, almost to the point of starvation perhaps and he too could have looked like that were it not for the secret of the beavers which Triell had told him, without those creatures he’d not have lasted the winter but now he was within the grasp of a pack, things were looking up.
He didn’t hurry over. Ideally he didn’t want to startle the stranger and so he slowed his pace to a mere walk. He let a low bark escape from his lips, letting her know of his presence before he sauntered closer. <b>”Can I help?”</b> he asked with his southern drawl. Of course, he didn’t really care if she wanted help or not, as a loner it was every wolf for themselves but a nagging voice in the tones of Naira was in his brain- she would offer help to the female so maybe he should at least extend the same offer. Damn female, she was gonna be the death of the bad boy in him. Still he supposed he only had to listen and point her in the direction of help... it wasn’t like he was going to feed her like a baby... or carry her to a pack... or do anything other then chat. Still, he thought it was a good start on the road to not being such an ass.
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The silence following her call was unnerving Ava, and that fact in itself unnerved her more. She couldn't stop the tip of her tail from quivering with uncertainty, nor could she stop the rapid motion of her amber eyes as she searched for a response to her call which grew more and more embarrasing she longer she sat in silence. She was lucky not to be an arrogant wolf, but she had certainly been raised with pride and often attempted to deny the wolf's natural dependency on one another. And though she would near the end quickly if she refused help any longer, Ava still couldn't settle the nagging voice in her brain that told her she lost. Very quietly she growled to herself, hoping perhaps one day wisdom would quiet the idiot in her. Yet wisdom didn't need to, for her inner voice was silenced when the faint scent of wolf hit her nose. The smell was closer to her than any of the others were, although without the wind to carry it farther its strength denied the proximity to which the stranger actually was to her. His short bark alerted her and she swung her head, her wide gaze discovering the grey-eyed male.

Even from their distance Ava could tell he was a huge wolf, far larger than she. Whatever he lacked in bulk didn't register to the female, for she still saw long legs and large paws and knew regardless of his girth she would be a short match for him. A mix of excitement and fear was stirring in the female's gut. It had been long since she was in such close proximity with fellow wolf, although the last time she had been in what one could consider to be far better shape than she was in now. At his question, her mind sprung alive. <i>Yes!</i> Ava wanted to scream. <i>Food, water, shelter, anything!</i> She wanted to, but she didn't. The words were at the tip of her dry tongue and she even parted her slim jaws, but quickly snapped them back shut.

Here returned her pride. Ava straightened her spine and turned her head slightly away from the male, though she kept her eyes on him. She hoped her stance would show enough submission as to not provoke him, yet still convince him she wouldn't submit to death. His scent was a combination of territory and other wolves, which she could only assume was his pack. As a wolf with no alliances versing a wolf with many, she needn't take unneccesary risks. Yet she needn't waste time either, so finally she rose her head a little and spoke. "<b>Yes, actually, if you would so want to,</b>" Ava began, a polite smile cracking at the edges of her dark lips. Her voice was quiet, and raspier than its usual buttery-smooth tones after its disuse. "<b>And I'm sure you can tell from my sorry state that I need it. But if it isn't a burden to you, could you tell me where exactly am I?</b>" She blinked, and tacked on as an after-thought, "<b>And where's the nearest stream of water, might be helpful too.</b>" Her smile grew a little more humorous. She knew to be courteous and on guard with wolves she didn't know, which was both instinct and teaching from her old pack. But Ava couldn't help herself much for she was a sociable wolf - which she had forgotten on her travels - and liked to talk. She only hoped she could contain herself long enough to get what she needed, before she pissed the male wolf off and he up and left her with nothing.

art - threads

<blockquote>Rhysis wasn’t worried about pride, and was relieved to know she wasn’t either. In life, you had to admit defeat if it meant you lived another day. Rhysis made have been a proud fellow, but he knew when to run from a fight, when to give in... if he didn’t he wouldn’t have joined the River wolves. He was a loner by nature, preferred his company to others and hated authority with a passion, but he was no fool, and when he needed it he went to a pack, he showed his belly like a good little submissive wolf and in return he found his strength improving alongside his overall health and fitness. Pride should never get in the way of survival. A logical wolf, Rhysis was pleased to know that she wasn’t going to grovel for help, but she would ask for the basics. He was pretty sure he would have done the same had he ever gotten himself into this condition... but then again he wouldn’t have allowed himself to become such a shadow of a wolf- he’d have joined a pack much sooner. Perhaps she was new to the area, or just unwanted goods. Either way he didn’t really care.

<b>”You’re in the Relic Lore, more specifically in the Hush Meadow which is situated between two packs that reside here.”</b> He was always to the point, never one for small talk or beating around the bush, it was a tedious waste of time and he hated to waste time. He glanced behind him, noting the position of the Riddle Heights was behind him and then gestured with a nod behind the female. <b>”If you travel that way, you will find the lagoon. It’s a bit of a trek but it’s all flat land. There may be a few streams running from it but I’m not certain.”</b> Naira would indeed be proud of the progress he was making, being helpful and getting nothing in return... well, nothing just yet.

<b>”However I think you need more then just a drink.”</b> he said with a quirked brow, wondering if she had noticed how starved she looked. Obviously thirst was important but he wasn’t sure she’d have the energy to actually eat anything on the quest for water. Gah, what would Naira do? Find her food? That seemed like a lot of work for a stranger... <b>”You’re almost as thin as one of my legs... and they’re pretty lanky.”</b> he said, trying to be a little humorous. Kanosak had laughed at his jokes once, before he realised he could ever be funny but it seemed to improve the mood between them, maybe it would help in this situation too. Being nice, not just fake nice like he normally was, but genuinely trying to be polite and helpful, was a very complex process. <b>”When did you last eat?”</b> He then realised what he said might have implied he’d help her eat- bugger.

<i>Be nice. Be nice. Be nice.</i> he repeated the positive mantra in his mind, over and over again. It felt so unnatural to him. He was normally only helpful if it meant he’d get something in return, with nothing she could offer him at this moment in time, he felt like he was getting a rubbish deal out of this. Where most wolves would be pleased to help another, he simply found it tedious. If you couldn’t look after yourself then that was your problem, not someone else’s, however instead of saying it aloud, he simply added an awkward smile... like Naira would.
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Ava was delighted with how helpful he decided to be. Though she had been hoping it, she knew better than to expect much out of another wolf who didn't give a rat about her. The female didn't let her excitement get to her, and listened intently, as he certainly wouldn't have the patience to repeat himself if she wasn't going to listen and then she would die in this meadow a very young, tragically stupid death. She followed his grey gaze with her own, trying to note the directions as well as she could. She knew of no landmarks, no shortcuts nor tricks, so it was all she could do to be sure she would find the resources he was pointing out for her. Ava twitched an ear slightly as he began, feeling about as foolish as she truly was. Of course she would wander right up the middle of two packs. Goodness knows if she strayed into their boundaries what they might do to her. She needed to be more careful, and truly she thought she had been careful enough. Perhaps her senses were more harmed by her poor condition than she had anticipated. She was probably too far away to smell the water that she had come so close to, but the fact still took another hefty blow to her self-esteem. Unwilling to show she was in anything but good spirits, though, she murmured, "<b>I'm sure I've got another trek left in me.</b>"

A curious look appeared on her face at his statement about her overrall health and appearance, and she raised her head slightly as if she just didn't understand at all why he would make such a claim. His attempt to be humorous, however, had worked wonderfully on Ava. The she-wolf couldn't help but let a short laugh and shake her head. "<b>Now I am offended,</b>" she stated bluntly. "<b>I think I have a far more flattering figure than your leg, disregarding your aesthetic preferences.</b>" Of course she meant no offense if he fancied his legs quite handsome. She was always happy to pair a joke with another. Good humor was helpful and she felt as though her strength was returning. If she had attempted to get up from her sit and run around, she would've found it was clearly not true, but then at least it helped her strength of mind. If he was displeased with the situation, and the lack of help in return her was getting, Ava couldn't tell at all. In fact, she was completely oblivious to whatever his true nature might be. She considered herself lucky and thankful to find a kind stranger, and didn't have the heart to judge him as having an ulterior motive or struggling to be kind.

Her smile waned slightly at his last question. She considered the fact for a moment. "<b>This morning, of course,</b>" she responded quickly in order to maintain her increasingly good mood. It wasn't a lie, because this morning she had gnawed on grass and wildberries in a vain attempt at any strength. Yet she had a hard time remembering when was the last time she had caught anything but the occasional dim-witted and off-guard squirrel. She hadn't even had the strength to chase down a hare, though she knew she had the speed to. Ava sighed and furrowed her brow, considering still. "<b>I suppose I caught something earlier in the week. Never you mind, though. I can still catch something more. I hunt well.</b>" Ava, of course, hand't somehow read that he wasn't interested in catching her food. She was simply maintaining the image that she was a self-sufficient wolf. If it was believable or not based on her present skeletal status, she paid no mind.

art - threads

<blockquote>The black wolf might know how to dish out humour... but he didn’t actually understand it himself and her little joke was met without a laugh but a tilt of the head. He wasn’t sure if she was being serious or not, for he did have thin legs, legs that he wasn’t too keen on as they made him so tall and lean. He couldn’t help but glance down to his limb, just to make sure it looked how it should do before he glanced back to her. <b>”Well my leg doesn’t have bones poking out here and there.”</b> he stated the obvious fact, though was a little confused with the topic. He didn’t respond well to humour but wasn’t going to hold that against her. A lot of wolves liked to laugh and jest, just because he didn’t understand it himself didn’t mean there was anything wrong with her. Though he doubted in his mind that another trek would do her any good, the lagoon was still a good distance away, even he wouldn’t travel so far and be back in his pack lands before sunrise and anyone noticed his leaving.

There was another option of course, but it meant venturing closer to his packlands. Before the grove there was a woodland, littered here and there with not only fresh water but ample food. With spring creeping upon them, the animals had been waking up, one by one which would make it easier for her to find something to eat. The lagoon might offer water, maybe a few fish but there wasn’t much room to catch something to eat. He debated what advice Naira would give, she was so good at these situations and fell into them so naturally. He had decided not to ask himself why he cared about the way he acted, he didn’t want to know the answer and was just going with the flow of things to keep himself sane. Every time of thought of the silver female his body waged war with itself, his heart and mind fighting for different sides and usually resulted in him getting a headache or being thrown into the waves of rage. Neither was an option so, he had done the male thing and locked it away, ignoring the problem.

<b>”Right well... option B would be to travel this way.”</b> he gestured to the north where in the distance a dense line of trees huddled at the meadows edge. <b>”It’s closer to my own pack, but it offers more prey and water... which you don’t get much of at the lagoon... Prey that is, not water. Obviously you get lots of water.”</b> he sounded like a bumbling fool, not the logical, quick minded, intelligent evil genius he had always thought himself to be. The bloody female was wrecking havoc on him inside and out. <b>”I suppose I can show you the way if you prefer that route. I need to get back to my <i>pack</i> soon anyway.”</b> he said, trying to mask the sarcasm in the word. In truth he didn’t really feel part of the pack; he kept to himself and hoped in time the other members would do well to leave him to his own devises. He would pull his weight when called, but other than that he was just counting down the days until he could complete one of two goals that his short life cried out for, one, to kill his sister and two, to begin a pack of his own. Time moved so slowly though and he supposed he should be grateful that he was still here... and in much better condition than this skinny female. Pack life wasn’t all bad, if only he could just eat their food and leave them to it, now that would be just pefect.
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(This post was last modified: Mar 23, 2012, 06:10 PM by Rhysis.)

Certainly Ava flicked an ear when he didn't laugh at her joke. She thought herself to be quite the funny female at times, but she didn't get offended. Perhaps she was coming on too strong with her youthful personality. While she liked to think of it as a breath of fresh air from the typical anti-social, wary, quiet loner, in truth she had figured out she probably came off as annoying or stupid sometimes. While Ava's self-esteem didn't rest in the slightest on the grounds of what someone else thought of her, she felt somewhat bad for making the situation awkward for the male. Therefore instead of continuing the banter, she only smiled at his rebuttal - ignoring the nagging thought now that she had become a bony wolf - and allowed him to return the subject to the regular conversation, for which she was immensely grateful. Now she turned her attention to option B, swinging her head toward the north. Her chest pained her for a moment, for all she had known for months was traveling north. To continue that way felt almost as if she were continuing the life she had left. Ava knew she was only being ignorant, though, and there was literally nothing wrong with going north. She shut her eyes tightly for no more than a second to reprimand herself for caring about a direction, then opened them and looked back to the stranger.

She supressed her giggle into a very tiny smile as he tripped over his own words. She was not making fun of him, by any means, but she felt laughing out loud would give off the impression of doing so and thus she bit her tongue. Ava could not supress the slight wag of her tail that began at what he was proposing. Nearby food and water that wasn't as much of a trek, now, sounded quite heavenly to the thinning female. The urge to get off her bones and begin toward it was nearly overpowering, but the last thing she wanted to do was spring up and perhaps get her throat slashed by a startled wolf. Her urge to get going was slightly simmered down by his tone of voice about his pack. She tilted her head to the side and studied the male curiously. Had she any basis for that pack scent of his, she would've been able to tell if he was a new ranking member or if he had been there for a while, but she didn't and instead was left to wonder for what reason did he say it like that.

"<b>Only if it isn't a problem,</b>" she said hastily. "<b>I would prefer to starve out here than be killed somewhere I am unwelcome.</b>" Whoops. That came out sounding much darker than Ava had intended, but she didn't make the effort to correct herself. Instead, to amend her particularly grave tone she added softly, "<b>But I would be eternally grateful to you if it was in your patience to show me the way.</b>" She lowered her eyes to the grass beneath their paws in an effort to conceal the plea in her expression. She wasn't about to roll belly-up to him just yet, though she felt as though she really ought to for all the help he had given her so far. Instead, Ava swallowed her fears and reassumed a brave face, turning her gaze back on the male to see if he would allow her to burden him still.

art - threads

<blockquote>As she laughed he felt a little embarrassed. Embarrassed?! Since when did he know what being embarrassed felt like? Honestly, next time he saw Naira he was going to rip her head off and feed it to some beavers. He couldn’t understand why he was trying to change his ways, they had worked for him so far, but the very thought of her knowing the truth about him, her turning away never to look at him again, made him feel a little empty.
Of course, she wasn’t aware how hard he was trying to change his behaviour. He might have been grumpy towards her most of the time but he had never been rude or nasty, not aloud anyway. She probably wouldn’t even notice how hard he was trying to be a better wolf, which made him ponder on numerous times if it was even worth the effort if the one wolf he was doing this for would never know? Of course, the obvious answer to that was that then she would never have to see his ugly side. He was a master at hiding himself, but quite inexperienced at being himself... but better.

He followed her gaze back to the woodlands. Even from this distance he could feel the pulsing of the grove beneath his paws, calling to him to return. He had to be back before sunrise and the daily activities started. He decided not to dwell on the missing humour but the task at hand. He would escort her, he didn’t have to do anything other then walk home so it wasn’t like he was going out of his way here yet he still came off the good guy. A win win situation. So, he nodded.
<b>”It’s fine.”</b> he said simply before he turned in the direction they were to head. <b>”Few rules.”</b> he then said as he began to set off, keeping the pace slow as he wasn’t too sure how much stamina she had left. <b>”Number one; No touching me. Number two. Unless you want to join the pack, keep back from the borders as they are heavily patrolled, especially as its breeding season. Number three. No touching.”</b> he said, trying to think up anything else which might cause complications further down the line. Feeling confident that was all he needed to say he then glanced behind to ensure she was following. <b>”I’m Rhysis by the way.”</b>
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Ava was oblivious to any way in which she made the male feel uncomfortable, which was probably best for the both of them because if she knew she would censor her actions and end up making the whole thing just an awkward mess. As he confirmed that he would aide her and turn around, Ava rose off her seat and padded forward for a few off-beat steps. Her legs were grateful for the rest they'd gotten, and although she could still feel the tiredness in her bones, she figured the walk would be a good stretch and soon she would feel better. Ava made sure to hang back far enough, since she hated being crowded and she assumed nobody particularly liked it, so it was a good idea to execute. Besides, she had nothing but respect for the wolf, so it would be given.

She gave him a weird look at his list of rules. Uuuh... "<b>I wasn't planning on it,</b>" she said curiously. "<b>Believe me, I am extremely grateful for your help. I really am. But I'm not the type to kiss strangers - I have dignity, usually.</b>" She smiled to herself, as she had spoken in good nature and her tone reflected that. Ava was capable of switching between her colloquial and polite voice without caring too much what the impression of that was going to look like. She knew how to conduct herself with poise, but she also knew how to act comfortably. Hopefully he wouldn't think that was weird, otherwise he might decide to make a quick u-turn and take her to, oh, a random nearby desert perhaps.

But her thoughts didn't run wild for long. She met his gaze for a brief second at his introduction and nodded. "<b>I'm Ava. You can keep that name in mind if you're ever stick-skinny and lost.</b>" Although she highly doubted he would ever be in such a situation. Still, she extended the idea that she could pull him a favor too, if at any point he was ever as desperate as she was. It was the polite thing to do, anyhow, and he likely wouldn't pick up on it anyway. Her mind had been on other things, besides the no-touchie rule and her unpaid debt. She was more thinking of where they were headed - actually, where he was headed. "<b>Is yours a good pack?</b>" She asked suddenly, then backed up. "<b>Not what I meant. Clearly it's not a bad pack. I don't know what I'm asking, really. Stable? Well-established? Long-standing?</b>" Ugh, now it was her turn to sound like a bumbling idiot. She looked down in embarrassment. "<b>Ignore me.</b>"

art - threads

<blockquote>Rhysis’ lips tugged into a smirk as she mentioned kissing strangers. He hadn’t even let that thought cross his mind, but he didn’t need to be kissed by a stranger in order to need to pull them limb from limb. The male hated physical contact. Whilst he may be a keen fighter and had his fair share of scraps and scuffles, that was different. That was when instinct took over, but when it was a casual meeting, simple and easy, the idea of touching another made his skin shudder. It was strange how such an intelligent could have such a silly fault. He tried not to dwell on it. Whilst he was aware it could be a weakness, it was one he didn’t focus on nor try to fix. If he ignored it, it would go away. Right?

<b>”Well one can’t be too careful. It is breeding season after all and you females are pretty crazy without the seasonal complications.”</b> he said in jest with a quick glance behind him to show her the smirk. She wasn’t too far behind but she didn’t look much better on the move. He had a feeling that Naira wouldn’t be too happy if the one wolf he tried to help dropped dead in his care, so he slowed his pace to allow her to keep up.

Her question was a good one and he wasn’t going to ignore it, despite her asking. In truth he hadn’t mingled enough for much of an opinion. He knew only two wolves there, one quite well but the other only for a brief while and that had been sometime ago. He had a neutral opinion on the place, it was neither amazing of shoddy. It worked. <b>”Well... it works. Life is easier with them. I had been a loner for the last year, including winter. I had to join a pack due to a few injuries making life difficult.”</b> he said, talking whilst glancing back every so often as he took them closer and closer towards the woodland. <b>”The lead female is alright, quite formal, regal. She runs a tight ship but if you pull your weight, get stuck in when needed then things are alright I guess.”</b> In comparison to his homelands, the pack where he was born, live with the River wolves should have been like heaven... the only thing that ruined it for him was that his rules weren’t in place... and he was one of the lowest ranks there too which he felt was far beneath him.

<b>”Mine will be better.”</b> he said, mostly to himself but he supposed there was no harm in dropping the hint. Maybe in return for his help on this day she could consider to one day join his own pack that had long been in the works of development.
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