Thicket of Secrets `jekyll and hyde.

<blockquote><span style='font-family:Times New Roman'><i>One. Two Three. Four.</i>

The thicket had begun to surround her as she prodded onward, the trees towering above her thin, lanky frame. <i>Five. Six. Seven. Eight.</i> Her mind remained busy with mundane tasks while her feet were granted the task of logic, being responsible for ensuring that she could safely navigate through the myriad of trees. Every step took her deeper within the thicket; it became a maze. Her awkward toes were forced to dance among the foliage, side-stepping and winding and begging for more logistic guidance from the mind as it stumbled into the occasional tree or bush. But she paid no attention; her mind was fixed on imperative nothingness and only contained thoughts of worry and rituals. <i>Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen. Fourteen. Fifteen.</i> Her heart quickened as she brushed against another tree, though she had no thought of taking a second to pull away from her counting to steer her in the right direction.

As it would be, she found herself face to face with a thick birch tree. She gasped as the two made contact and snorted, closing her eyes for the brief moment of pain.

The physical pain was secondary to larger turmoil, however; her mind became frenzied and raged and her heart beat quickened, and panic began to diffuse into the core of her bones. She had lost count. Her steps were forgotten before she had managed to reach twenty-four, and Llyra was not sure how to handle such a situation. Her nervous eyes darted; she shifted from heel to heel; her tail was tucked between the two back legs as her mind continued to rage. It was common for her to experience such a high level of anxiety when a calming ritual such as counting could not be completed, but mixed in with a thick unknown grove in an unknown place where the unknown was unknown, and she was beside herself.

She didn’t know what else to do but turn her attention to the object of this sudden bout of anxiety. <span style='color:#4A6995'>“Damn you, tree!”</span> she scolded, growling and barking at the large inanimate object. Her rib bones ascended in perfect visible patterns up either side of her body as she tensed and harassed the tree, a sign all too-telling that she was too feeble and starved to afford a terrible incident like this one.

It was at this moment her mind decided to absolutely loathe trees.</blockquote></span>

(This post was last modified: May 06, 2012, 06:46 PM by Llyra.)

The sun was warm, dappling throughout the thicket. The canopy of mangled branches overhead tried to hide the thicket floor from any light, but there was always spots that beamed through, caring not what the mangled and tangled growth thought of it. Pakuna crept along, her earthy peltage blending her into the undergrowth with almost complete perfection. This was her favorite place to be as she ventured around the boarders of the Copper Rock Creek lands.

Pale green eyes scanned around as words suddenly entered her rounded ears. "Damn you, tree!" It seemed to echo through the thick plants, bouncing off of the foliage. Tilting her head, she now raised her head curiously and took in a whiff of the cool air. Another wolf. She bounded forth with grace, briskly and nimbly avoiding the branches that attempted to get in her way. Within moments, her eyes fell upon a lanky wolf who stood infront of a birch tree. Was she really talking to it? Confusion and concern soon scripting itself across her face, the gruff female came forward, emerging from the bracken.

"Ye ok?" She questioned quickly, simply. She observed the underfed wolf carefully, and felt a pang of sadness shoot through her. That poor dear...she needed food.

<blockquote><span style='font-family:Times New Roman'><i>How do I make up for this?</i> she thought, unsure of how to recover from missing her twenty-four step requirement. Llyra decided on circling a few times as her chosen method of calming compensation, though as she began to twist her body, the sound of another dashed through her ears.

How did she not scent the wolf before? How could she be so careless? For all she knew, it could have been a bear or predator hoping for a quick, easy snack (which indeed she was given her physical state). Nervousness shook her bones at this revelation, her heart beat beginning to quicken again at what <i>could</i> have taken place in this situation. <i>Could have been a bear, Llyra, a big hungry bear. And he would have crunched you like the bag of bones you are. Gotta be more careful, Llyra. You just gotta. This is what happens when you don’t take those twenty-four steps, Llyra. And this is what happens when trees are around. God I hate trees…</i>

She was blank for a few seconds, staring at the wolf as her head raced with the random trail of thoughts and future recommendations. To some she may have appeared dumb, lost in a blank stare when another lass had clearly made conversation. Her mind really was just too muddled for her own good; too many experiences and memories to permit normal canine function.

Finally she gave her head a quick bob. <span style='color:#4A6995'>“Yes,”</span> Llyra answered quickly, her eyes quickly studying the wolf to evaluate if she was an immediate threat. Her initial demeanor, the tone of her voice (though quite strange), the scent… nothing seemed to be of concern. <i>Continue.</i> <span style='color:#4A6995'>“I just hate trees.”</span> The answer was like stone; very matter-of-fact and riddled with contempt, although deficient of aggression. <span style='color:#4A6995'>“I fucking <i>hate</i> trees.”</span></blockquote></span>

(This post was last modified: May 06, 2012, 08:14 PM by Llyra.)

"Aye ma'am, I see." Interesting. The wolf stood there before she spoke, her blank stoic and blank. Her tail was raised a bit, her ears intent as she stepped forward. "I don' mean to be a rude beast, miss, but I be seein' ye need some food." The sight of the woman's ribs made Pakuna want to catch all of the game in the area she could to feed her. Paws kneading the earth, she spoke again "Would be ok if ye want me to catch ye a wee rabbit er' somethin'." She shrugged her shoulderblades now, the thick muscles rolling up and down in one smooth, liquid gesture.

Allowing her nostrils to widen, she took in the female's scent, registering her odor within her mind. Tucking that away in the back of her noggin, she patiently waited for the female's reply. Pakuna could feel her muscles tensing, for she could not tell if this wolf was friendly or not- by the way she had spoken about trees, she obviously seemed quite upset. Flocculent tail flicked as she turned her body slightly, gaze scanning around the thick undergrowth. She was a master of the thicket, knowing when to duck, crouch, or leap throughout the maze of foliage.

<blockquote><span style='font-family:Times New Roman'><i>A rabbit? For Llyra?</i>

Her void belly roared in acceptance of the strange wolf’s proposal. But Llyra stood still for another few moments, letting her disarrayed mind contemplate on a level other than instinct. <i>Hm… is there a catch? Why would she waste energy and resources on a lone, strange wolf? Be wary, Llyra… besides. She doesn’t know how to properly kill it. And what if she catches the wrong one? Does she expect you to eat it?</i>

She blinked her auburn eyes as she considered the offer. Normally she would have been skeptical and questioning, but Llyra could no longer ignore the pestering from her gut. Oh, what the hell. She let instinct win this time. Besides… the chance of Llyra having a successful hunt in a thicket such as this was slim to none. And the trees; ugh, the damn trees everywhere. Surely they would have hindered her own advances. Her head bobbed twice, her eyes lighting up with gratitude. Indeed she was thankful for the wolf’s offer, and although there was heavy suspicion harbored in the back of her mind, she was thankful nonetheless. Her subconscious pleaded that Llyra investigate further onto the hidden desires of this strange wolf, to prod and discover what she expected from her if the hunt was complete. Yet she decided on a different, more important question. <span style='color:#4A6995'>“Can the rabbit be gray?”</span>

It seemed to be a rather silly question; the innocent and anticipating tone of her voice contributed to its folly. But it was certainly important to Llyra. If she had to appease anything, it would be her neuroticism. </blockquote></span>

Hehe, I love Ly :P

Pakuna blinked in almost disbelief at the female's specific request. A gray one? Err...whatever. With a nod, Pakuna turned away, vanishing into the thicket. The undergrowth took her in, swallowing her whole and out of sight of the woman who waited for the rabbit. The sun beat down heavily upon the thicket, but failed to heat up the tawny woman's pelt as she traveled throughout the bracken. Her eyes were narrowed as she moved along silently, her motions ghost like. Paws seemed as if they barely touched the forest floor as she crept about, eyes and ears alert for any sign of a rabbit.

Her first rabbit was of tawny shades such as herself. Frowning, the female grunted to herself, flicking her tail in slight irritation. This rabbit was quite a fat son of a bitch. It was a damn shame she wanted one that was of paler peltage. With a toss of her head, the lady slunk past the animal, looking to see if it had any friends about. Aha!

Almost forty minutes had passed when Pakuna finally reappeared. Her pale eyes caught the glimmers of light from above the tangled mess of branches, shining emerald sparkles into her irises. The large gray rabbit hung limp from her jaws, body swaying as she elegantly leapt over a small fallen tree. She had pounced from the side, able to snap the neck with as little injury to the rest of the body as possible. Stepping forth to the woman before her, she jerked her head, letting the gray blob plop infront of Llyra. "Pakuna." She stated her name, blood coated fangs flashing briefly as she spoke.

ooc; Well thanks! lol Its my first time RPing her, so she isn't completely developed yet, but I’m definitely liking Pakuna and Ly together!

<blockquote><span style='font-family:Times New Roman'> Incredulity blanketed her face. Her eyes watched the female turn and dash into the distance; no words, no questions, nothing. She blinked a few times, shifting her weight paw to paw, wondering if perhaps the lady was playing a trick. Perhaps this was some kind of twisted prank; fuck around with the pathetic, skinny female and watch how sad she becomes after waiting hours with no meal.

She wonders briefly if this is the Demon. Coldness passes over her. An entity had been following her since birth, and every now and again strange things would happen to Llyra that she could not remember or explain. Friends would leave her; the pack which she called her family banished her in contempt for the ‘Demon’ she harbored. They swore it was her who caused chaos; she believed them most of the time. But nothing could confirm those thoughts. It may just as well been another wolf the entire time. What if this was the Demon, playing another trick?

A lump formed in her throat. She swallowed the fear, her eyes still trained in the direction where the girl had vanished. <i>She’s been gone awhile now, Llyra… perhaps she isn’t coming back.</i> Her ears fell back slightly, considering this prospect, and her nervousness began to rise as a result. Again, Llyra’s heart began to quicken, her senses on edge as she shifted her weight more quickly paw to paw. She decided to circle; the fluidity and continuity of circling was just so mesmerizing. So Llyra began to turn. Her requirement was nine complete circles. <i>One… two… three…</i> Immediately the calm overcame the wolf. Her mind began to settle and the nerves were beginning to show satisfaction for the ritual. <i>Six… seven… eight…</i>

And finally, there was Pakuna. She wasn’t alone, either; she brought a rabbit. A <i>gray</i> rabbit! Llyra couldn’t help but wag her tail in excitement, although she made a point to continue her last circle instead of daring to stop at number eight. <i>And… nine.</i> Her fangs latched onto the rabbit… <i>my God was it good.</i> She discarded all attempts of eating with dignity and grace and instead enjoyed the meal like a savage; her fur became lightly stained in the blood, her mouth working riotously over the body of the animal. And then, her name. <i>Pakuna.</i> She was so enveloped in her work that Llyra almost didn’t hear her. Out of sheer respect, Llyra assumed it was only right to provide her name as well, although it pained her to take even one second away from her meal. Her muzzle lifted momentarily from the gift which Pakuna had bequeathed, and Llyra locked her excited auburn eyes to the pupils of this generous female. <span style='color:#4A6995'>“Llyra,”</span> she stated rather blandly, awkwardly continuing to stare at the female wolf for a few seconds before deciding to give her head a light bow.

Formalities were not her forte, nor was common sense. She cleared her throat and went back to her meal, savoring the last few bites before exhaling a sigh. <span style='color:#4A6995'>“I sincerely appreciate your gift,”</span> the female offered, her words laced in absolute bliss. For the first time in a long while, she finally had a meal, and the feeling of a belly that was even slightly content was overwhelming. <span style='color:#4A6995'>“Killed right on the neck, too. The only way I’ll eat them.”</span> She looked up at the female and stretched out on her two fore-legs, knowing full-well that her words probably sounded odd. First, a request for a gray rabbit… and now a statement indicating a preferred method of death. But ah well. This female couldn’t have been a stranger to oddities, for the tone of her voice was odd in itself. Llyra smiled lightly before appeasing her raging thoughts; they had continued their relentlessness to ask this ‘Pakuna’ their most burning question. Her head ached from the tenacity of her conscious. <span style='color:#4A6995'>“So what’s the catch? What do I owe you now?”</span>
</blockquote></span>

(This post was last modified: May 07, 2012, 01:26 AM by Llyra.)

Me too :D

Pakuna smiled politely to the wolf before her, inky lips rising to flash a small toothy grin. Nodding her head, she spoke, "Kill 'em on the neck n' they be tastin' best that way" She agreed with the loner, her tail flicking before she looked around the thicket. The songs of the birds whirred through the trees, coming from multiple directions. The soft moss that crept up the trunks of the deciduous trees gave off a potent odor, but one that was quite pleasing. Pale emerald eyes looking back to Llyra, she almost chuckled at her question.

"Nay, there be no catch, Llyra." Pakuna said, tail flicking again, this time in amusement. Eyeing her warily, she decided to ask a question of her own. "Where ye from anyway? Never seen ye around before." Hopefully the wolf would answer her question in a friendly manner. Pakuna looked at the bones of the rabbit before the woman's feet and blinked. Damn, she had eaten that fast. The tawny woman contemplated now if Llyra would be able to hunt for her own meal on a more satisfied stomach.

With one swift action, she seated herself, tail wrapping around her right haunch. Catching the rabbit was no big deal to her. It would seem it would be a sudorific activity, but to Pakuna, it was as easy as falling asleep at night. Gray rabbit. Gray? Why the hell did this suddenly come into her head? Head reeling back slowly, the lady began to wonder why the wolf really wanted a gray rabbit. What would she have done if she returned with a brown one? Eh, whatever...why did it matter?

<blockquote><span style='font-family:Times New Roman'>
She blinked a few times, excitement rising in her blood. Could <i>this</i> wolf also only stand prey that was killed by the neck? And she did return with a gray rabbit; could it have been a result of Llyra’s request or was she also partial to color? Did she embrace Llyra’s condition, one that others deemed as so strange? Perhaps this was the reason behind her accent; perhaps her eccentricity was set at a more advanced stage, which in turn had some special effect on the her voice. For a second Llyra pondered this, her tail swaying lightly behind her, some hope lifting her soul that this girl was strange as she was. But the joyous hope was short-lived and replaced by pity. If her ‘strange-Llyra-condition’ had been the culprit for the oddity of her voice, she felt sorry for Pakuna. How awful to have others baffle at the very <i>sound</i> of your voice. For Llyra, they might have marveled at the content of her words, but to be slandered for the pitch alone saddened the she-wolf. Even without the confirmation of these thoughts, she immediately saw friendship in this girl. Her eyes full of wonder and pity, she responded to her acknowledgement that she, too, preferred death to the neck. <span style='color:#4A6995'>“Do you circle, too?”</span> she asked quietly, her tone reflecting that of a concerned psychiatrist. For one with Llyra’s condition, the question wouldn’t seem so out of place; but she was convinced enough that this girl harbored her disease that she never stopped to question if the words were arbitrary. Her naivety may have appeared precious, but it was indeed quite sad… a grown adult wolf harboring antics and a personality that most others abandon by the age of one, and not encompassing any ability to change it.

She blinked a few times more… <i>‘were ye from anyway?’</i> The question was always a strange one for Llyra; she really didn’t consider herself from <i>anywhere</i>. She may have been born in the Stetson Hills terrain, many miles away, but that was all it was to her, a place of her birth. The wolves who resided in this pack did not contribute to who she was today, and she did not consider Stetson Hills her home because of it. Solitary wandering helped develop her more, and she was able to eat pretty silver rabbits and circle as much as she wanted without their input. But such an explanation was quite unnecessary, and Pakuna wouldn’t give a rat’s ass. So she relented and gave the more simple answer, <span style='color:#4A6995'>“Stetson Hills.”</span> Llyra paused for a second to watch if her facial expression had changed to indicate familiarity. <span style='color:#4A6995'>“Do you know of it?”</span>
</blockquote></span>

Pakuna listened, fascinated by the first question that the strange woman asked her. She shook her head sadly, pale eyes seeming to shrug. "I be sorry, I don' circle. Ye mean jus' walkin' in circles, eh?" She was looking at her in an almost obtest manner now. The way Pakuna asked, though, was not in a rude manner- just a curious one. Perhaps there was more to this wolf than she could see already. With the lady's next question came another shake of Pakuna's head. "Ne'er heard of it, Llyra. I be from the Southeast. Me old pack was called GhostTree. Broke up for no reason, it did."

She told this to many a wolf now, and each time she had, Pakuna could not help but to wonder what really did happen to all of those wolves she knew...especially her mother. Iyana Atea. She had not taken her father's last name...wait, who was her father? Hell, she couldn't even remember that. How sad. Why hadn't their father joined she and her mother when the pack disbanded? Almost releasing a growl, Pakuna snapped back to reality, realising her ears were flattened against her head in anger.

She looked up towards Llyra, face softening. "Sorry." the gruff voice said in almost a whisper. The scent of the rabbit's blood flowed into her nostrils and caused her stomach to rumble angrily. She would have to eat as well, soon enough. Deciding to change the subject, Pakuna looked back to where she had emerged with the gray rabbit in her jaws. "Ye like to hunt?"