Hidden Tree under the sun

Mostly Cloudy — Current Temperature: 54° F/12° C. Sunset.

A sunset after a storm was always one of Indru's favourites, as he sat beside the quiet den that had once been his home, he couldn't help by admire the fiery skyline that was accented with the steel blue stormy clouds that have been common around Relic Lore of late. The river wolf leader always liked to patrol his borders at dusk, enjoying both the scenic view and the slow awakening of the night—most wolves felt more alive in the dark and he was definitely one of them.

The Tainn had not intended to linger but as the patrol of his pack's boundaries had bought him closer to the Wildwood and he had caught that scent of home (that he knew would never leave his nose) he couldn't resist a visit. It had been a long while since he had came past Hidden Tree, slowly it had become less of a unconscious habit, and he was pleased to see the regrowth and how that it covered up the damage, as much as part of him wanted a clear sign to everyone of the tragedy that had happened here he didn't enjoy to see his birth den destroyed either.

Enjoying the quiet Indru decided to do a deal with himself, as soon as the sun was entirely replaced by the subtle glow of the moon he'd head home, and the thought of his family, his pack, had him waiting for end of the sun's losing battle more eagerly.

Something didn’t smell right. Nope, not at all. The woodland around the dark male was made up of twists and turns; shadows beneath the sunset cast a variety of shapes, some scary and others harmless. A few times the large brute had jumped at the sight of a shadow that looked like it was going to eat him. His trek had increased its pace as he passed through the wood, especially now that it was getting darker and he still had to find somewhere to rest for the night. The storm which had lasted most of the day was cleared now, but tell tale signs still remained. Like the muddy floor that oozed between his black paws, or the droplets of water that dripped on his nose from time to time from the tall trees above.

There was a scent upon the floor. Fresh. One he certainly couldn’t work out for it was neither individual nor a group. Easily distracted, the male had given up his hunt for a den for the night and followed the smell, with his wet nose plastered to the ground and inhaling bits of this and that, not to mention a fair amount of mud which he then had to snort out. At times he felt a little dizzy, walking with his head down was a strange feeling as he usually had it raised, looking for trouble, but the scent was so inviting that he forgot his usual routine to follow it.

Bear should have been paying more attention however, but his one track mind could only focus on one thing at a time and due to this, he didn’t spot the lighter male sitting beneath a tree until it was far too late. Were he a smarter wolf, he would have known the scent meant he had found a pack wolf, it being so strong should have told him to stay away, but he didn't work like that. He followed instinct rather then thoughts and logic, he simply couldn't process like that and if was due to this that he often found himself in trouble.
It wasn’t like he could hide his giant form once it had slipped from the shadows. Frozen like a rabbit in headlights, he simply stood there and stared at the other male. Unsure of what to do next and almost wincing as he waited for the attack on him to begin. This wolf was male, he was pretty big too... that meant he’d try to fight him. Intimidation was a horrible thing and Bear had been on the receiving end of many attacks just for being what he was. At the thought, a small whine escaped his maw and he closed his eyes, bracing, wincing as he waited for the strike he knew was coming. There was no point trying to run; he was slow, too slow to outrun anything so it was easier to just stand there and take it

(This post was last modified: Apr 13, 2012, 11:36 PM by Bear.)

Awh! Bear is lovely! :-)

The unfamiliar wolf's scent reached him before anything else did, and instinctively Indru began to dissect it: an adult, male, similar age and of course, most glaringly, a lone wolf. Indru rarely felt threatened when he came to meet strangers first time, his friendly nature often meant that unneeded conflict was avoided and his size often discouraged anything else, and so he waited to see if the wolf would pass his way. He neither desired or resented company at the present time so Indru felt no need to move from his current position and, as it were, it didn't take long for the wolf to stumble into his view.

A quick assessment left Indru intrigued, it was not commonly he came across a wolf as large as he and his brothers, but this stranger made a good running for the title. However, the wolf looked surprised, perhaps even worried to suddenly come across him and then, as Indru continued to watch him with those fiery eyes of his, he heard a whine escape the male as he winced, seemingly shrinking from an expected blow. Hello there, the leader called out, his voice curious but quite clearly accented with a welcoming tone. My name's Indru, I lead a pack south of here, who are you? Indru had risen to his feet but no threat was held in his body as he watched, though he couldn't help his more dominant instinct taking over and slowly, just slightly, his tail rose a little in sight of the others almost submissive behaviour. It waved though, just briefly and softly, as he sent a encouraging nod in the younger male's direction.

(This post was last modified: Apr 13, 2012, 10:49 PM by Indru.)

It’s so nice to play someone who isn’t hated. I must admit I’m already getting quite a soft spot for him. <3

Nothing had happened yet, and daring to open one eye he noted that the other male had risen to his paws, but hadn’t yet struck him. Slowly, surely, he released the breath he had been holding and opened both eyes. The other spoke, his tones reaching the smooth ears of the darker male and he listened intently to every word, as if it were the very air he was breathing. There was no threat in the words, or in the others posture. It was as if he simply wanted to say hello... and that made him even more nervous. Was this a devious plan to throw him off guard? Most likely. Everyone had treated him badly, whether it was to run or attack. His size was simply unnatural and he seemed to carry a threat with him no matter where he went, what he did or said. So when someone, like this chap here, decided to speak rather then strike, he felt more nervous then usual.

"Oh I er... Geez I didn’t mean to disturb you. I’m really sorry. I can go if you want?” He replied, ensuring he didn’t stammer with his words. He didn’t want to appear to be a scardy cat... though he didn’t think that he’d already given off that impression by cowering and whining. This other fellow was a leader, an important role and he had every right to chase Bear away; he should probably be on his best, least ridiculous behaviour. Whilst he might be a little dim, he had good manners and a fair upbringing, so he lowered his ears and head slightly out of respect for the more dominant wolf. He didn’t want to encourage a beating if one wasn’t on the table right now. He had to appear normal... ha, as if he knew what normal was anymore. He’d been travelling alone for so long now, for all he knew wolf life had changed completely. He had a feeling he was doing this all wrong, like something was missing.

"My name? Oh. Right, yeah. I’m Bear.” he added with a nervous laugh and then he waited for the mocking to start. Who called a wolf, Bear? Of course, his mother had her reasons he was sure, but he had always resented the name a little; it often related in teasing. It was pretty stupid, even he realised that.

No, I don't mind. Besides, though Indru held a personal attachment to the den that was hidden beneath the large tree he had no actual claim—his borders were marked elsewhere. Never the less, the wolf's signal of respect by the lowering of his posture did not go unnoticed and the leader warmed towards him. I'm not doing anything of importance anyway, just thinking, a quick smile flashed on his muzzle as he tried to reassure the other who was clearly still wary of him and slowly, so not to startle him, he closed the gap to make it a more friendly one than one that more suited a stand of.

He noted the male's name with another smile, for though he was far from bear-sized Indru understood the metaphor that those who had named him must have seen. Have you been here long? Quickly Indru scented the other's fur again, drawing it in more deeply now that the unfamiliarity of it had passed, You smell new, not much of Relic Lore has been on your fur. Are you lost? The question was meant good naturedly and Indru's head titled slightly to the side as he expressed his curiosity, a lone wolf had never appealed to him—he enjoyed the bonds of family to much to live alone, and besides, who would turn down hearty pack-hunted meals for the small offerings you could manage to catch alone?

It was a bad habit, but he couldn’t help but be nervous about the entire situation. It wasn’t normal for him, but he would try as he always did to make an effort here. After all, this is what he had wanted wasn’t it? Someone to talk to, to ease the pangs of solitude within him, if only for a while. As the other stepped closer, he kept his ground but his figure tensed, ready for an attack. When nothing came, he didn’t quite drop his guard, but he felt a little less threatened then he had when he had first stumbled upon the other male. He wasn’t displeased at his intrusion, and that had just been dumb really. How could he not have known the scent would lead to a wolf? It was a sad truth, but he knew and accepted he wasn’t really the sharpest tool in the shed, he could only put it down to his own stupidity.

"Nah. Not really. I only got here a few days ago.” he said, his tones surprisingly calm for how he was feeling inside. His voice was deep, masculine which suited his frame well. He wasn’t too keen on his voice, it was too low for his liking but there was little he could do to change that unless he was willing to put on a silly tone for the rest of his life; of course, he had tried that in the past but it got tiring pretty quickly. "I’m not lost... I don’t really have somewhere to be heading to. So I don’t think you can be lost if you’re not looking for something?” he said, asking the question to himself more then to Indru, wondering if his words made more sense to the other then they did to him. He was easy to confuse.

"Are you lost?” He then asked with his own head tilted to the side, combained with a lash of his tail. He had come to the conclusion that the leader wasn’t where he belonged; perhaps he had lost his way instead? It was unusual for him to spot a leader outside of their pack lands, his own family had never really left their little territory and of all of the wolves he had encountered since he ventured into the big wide world alone, he never really got the chance to find out much about them, other then how sharp their teeth were.

Sorry, a bit of a short post, sleepy. x]

Indur was unsurprised at Bear's answer but he nodded as he spoke, contemplative. He had often wondered what bought lone wolves this way, even more so what they didn't find when they passed through Relic Lore and left. Indru had only really known pack life and his short experience of it otherwise had done little to entice him into being a lone wolf. I don't think you're lost, then, just wandering, he replied to answer the other males question, finding it curious as to why he had asked, almost as if he wanted reassurance. At the male's next question Indru laughed quickly, shaking his head, but he smiled before he answered. No, I'm not lost, I know exactly where I want to be. His reply couldn't be more truthful, but at the moment he seemed to have trouble staying.

The question for you, then, is what are you wandering for? What is it that you're seeking? To join a pack? To start your own? Indru's ears twitched as he waited for the others answer, suprised to find himself quite eager to know, the male intrigued him to say the least.

"Oh. Well that’s good then. I’m glad you’re not lost.” he said with a half smile, relieved that this male was happy where he was and that he didn’t need any help. Bear would have given it of course, but he felt as if he’d be more of a hindrance instead to the pack leader.

Bear pondered the answer for a moment. He supposed he was wandering. He didn’t really have many goals in his life, to he happy, to find a new home he suppose might be up there but for now he was content just exploring everything the world had to offer. Maybe it would have been nicer with some company, but he had accepted a long time ago that he would probably always be alone."I don’t really know. I don’t really think very far ahead.” he admitted with a light sigh. Feeling a little more relaxed, he lowered his mass to sit upon the terrain, allowing the damp earth to soak into his fur.

"I’m not too bright. Mum said there isn't much room in my big body for a big brain too.” he then said, not finding the comment odd in his own mind. He’d been told it since he was young. His mother had often reminded him that he wasn’t too smart. Not in a mean way, he was very much loved by her, but she had often felt it was nessicary for her to point it out so he didn’t get himself too deep in trouble. "I just take one day at a time really.” He rolled his shoulders in a shrug.

(This post was last modified: Apr 14, 2012, 10:42 AM by Bear.)

While feeling rather guilty about it, Indru couldn't help but begin to think that this 'Bear' was a little on the slow side and perhaps not the most intelligent wolf in the Forest, but he had a certain charm and demeanour about him that Indru enjoyed. Okay, he answered, not really sure what else to say when he expressed not really knowing what to do or not having any plans about his future here in Relic Lore. Without meaning to be rude, however, the leader did wonder if perhaps quite needed a pack. It can't be much fun being a lone wolf, he prodded gently, ears twitching a moment to see if the other said anything before continuing, being alone all the time, not eating much food, not having the safety a pack provides... Are you not tempted by one? Relic Lore holds a few now. A few, Indru decided was most definitely 3, he was not counting the traitorous pack up in the mountains as a true pack of Relic Lore yet, nor would he direct Bear there.

I lead one, of course, it's the longest established one here. It's just south east of here, located along a swift flowing river, he was fairly certain that at least two of the three packs he was thinking (including his own) wouldn't shun Bear from their ranks, as even though he may be slow he seemed harmless and loyal enough. Besides, no one would turn down a big wolf, they could be a large help in bringing down prey as much as defending the pack—and lucky for Indru his ranks were comprised of some fairly large wolves with the Tainn gene's. There's another to the west, in a forest of Cedar, they use an old bear den as their main densite. Then, north of here is my brother's located along a creek—it seems we both like water. Indru smiled lightly at the end, watching Bear with curiosity and hoping that he'd at elast consider a pack in the future. Any of those he had mentioned seemed suitable, but Indru really hoped he didn't stumble across the wolves in the mountain.

Bear hadn’t sensed the awkwardness he had brought from the other. He spoke the truth and whilst he wasn’t too bright, he was good hearted and loyal; that was all that mattered in his book. Sure, he might not be good with maths, found it hard to understand logic but he always tried to do the right thing.
As the lighter male spoke of loneliness, he felt his ears lowering. He knew a lot about loneliness. If he was honest with himself, the idea of a pack sounded like a real dream come true, but he wasn’t sure he’d ever be accepted. If strangers ran him off, what chance did he have at finding acceptance within a pack? None. He was certain of it.

”Well yeah. I’d love to have a pack, a place to call home. All I want from life is friendship...to not wake up alone and face another day by myself.” he said with a roll of his shoulder into a shrug. His tone wasn’t exactly saddened, it was a fact he had accepted long ago. He wasn’t going to deny the truth, above all else he just wanted to fit in, laugh and enjoy life; but he was doubtful he’d ever find a place who would accept him. Even now, he was speaking to a pack leader who was directing him towards other packs across the land. He could take a hint. He wanted him to look else where and of course, never one to really argue, he would move on, roaming once more on his endless journey to find a place to call home.

”Oh right. Yeah. I’ll erm... yeah. I’ll check them out I guess. Maybe they would take me in.” he added with a glance away, the hurt suddenly obvious on his face. He was pretty sure he’d never get used to the feeling of rejection, no matter how many times he had and would experience it. Little did he know that Indru hadn’t actually turned him away, but unless it was obviously stated- he only saw the worst.

(This post was last modified: Apr 19, 2012, 08:25 PM by Bear.)