The Wildwood What is there for me?

He descended from the mountains and traveled through the Ghastly Woods. Along the way, he met a male named Ash, and his crazy woman Treena. Rolling that experience off his shoulders, he continued onward to see what else was hidden within the Lore. He would not wander far from his beloved mountain where his den resided, but he wished to get a grasp upon these lands.

It was quiet. The charred trees hung sullenly, their branches scorched and sad. Some appeared chalky; their bark was crumbling. He blinked in wonder, continuing forth, paws avoiding new saplings that poked from the earth's soils. With death comes life. He observed the regeneration, smiling softly to himself. Long after he had passed, this forest would be lush once more. He continued along, but suddenly halted, old leaves spraying upward at his sudden stopping. Raising his head, his dark eyes fell on a massive tree, appearing almost a ghostly white from being burned. It was knotted like mad, a large hole adorning the center of it. Tlarx pawed around the side of it, observing strange claw marks along the side of it. Bear marks? No, they were too small.

Curiosity pinched at him, and he stood on his hind legs, putting his large front paws upon the thick trunk of the tree. Jaws parted, and he released an airy woof towards the hole in the tree. His rounded ears flattened against his head as he gazed at the dark hole, awaiting something- what? Sighing aloud, he was about to lower himself when large yellow eyes peered from the hole. An owl. It gazed at him, as if to say What the hell do you want? Tlarx gazed in awe at the feathered creature, but felt the stare pierce into his eyes. The silvery wolf lowered himself from the tree, taking several steps back to observe the owl in the strange tree.

Koda was now wandering aimlessly, following his encounter with the Copper Creek clan and then shy Sibyl. This time, when he entered the Wildwood the burnt trees did not send him into a panic as they had before. Maybe his short time by the water with gentle Sibyl had calmed his nerves enough for him to overcome the horrible memories, at least for the time being. He now traveled at a leisurely pace, almost making himself take in the destruction. This time he was able to see young saplings growing strong and true between the large charred trees. The circle of life. The fire had made it possible for the young trees to sprout and flourish. In time, they would dominate the area themselves. The thought lightened his heart. A new start for the grand forest. He was on the precipice of a new start following the fire that had changed the course of his own life a year ago. He felt the stirrings of the desire to set down his own roots once more. He hadn't found the right place yet, but he sensed that it would be soon.

Lost in his thoughts, he nearly stumbled upon another wolf. A low 'woof' caught his intention before he got himself into trouble. Still far enough away to be hidden from the strangely distracted male wolf that appeared to be a bit younger than himself. The pale silver and white wolf seemed fascinated by a tree. An odd tree to say the least, greatly gnarled and ghostly looking. He was curious to see what had caught the others' attention so completely. Deciding that he had little to lose, he stepped forward a step or two and introduced himself after clearing his throat to get the male's attention. <b>"Hello, there. I'm Koda Reinier. May I ask what is so very fascinating about this odd tree?"</b> His curiosity was definitely peaked. From his vantage point, he couldn't see what the younger wolf did.

Arla and Emma are the ish and made my pretties!
Koda will most likely always be accompanied by Chiron unless otherwise stated, or requested.

There was absolutely no denying that the Mackenzie female was a creature of habit. She loved her structure and had no patience for <i>wanderlust</i>; such an affliction had never struck her. As such it was no surprised that Remy, bored senseless, would choose to wander back to a place she already knew rather than explore the intricate and exciting Relic Lore. The southern end of the Wildwood was rather ugly, in comparison to the living half of it. As she roamed, pawsteps taken as delicately as the Alaskan giant could, her eyes roved over the ghastly skeletons of trees that reached silently into the sky. The smell of ash was prominent and already dirtying her white legs as she traveled across the dead-leaf ground. Remy tried to pick up the stale scents of herself and Sibyl, to find the hidden patch of greenery the burnt wood held secret. But instead of finding herself, she discovered the fresh scent of some male. For a moment she gazed in the direction the smell lead, heaving a sigh. One could not say the Geddes woman was <i>friendly</i>, necessarily, although she was very occasionally curious. Almost begrudgingly she snorted, shook her head, and turned to follow it. <i>Why not.</i>

The grey-backed female loped casually, though she strayed from the exact trail quite a bit. Remy didn't want to seem like she was at his damn heels or something - that'd be weird, and she hated weird wolves. For a moment she lost the scent, distracted by some strange tree that stuck out vibrantly amongst the blackened forest. It was really ugly, but also really pale, with a giant hole in the middle of it. Sometimes ashes clung to bark and made them grey, but here was a white tree. Still some odd few yards away she stopped and positioned herself behind a previously-roasted trunk, eyeballing it warily. Remy didn't like weird wolves, and the same notion could be extended toward weird trees. Furrowing her brow she took a tentative step closer, when all of a sudden some wolf popped up and barked at it. Her hackles raised immediately, spooked by his antic. Luckily no attention could be drawn to her as, very shortly after the male's curious call into the hole, another one stepped from the shroud of the burnt Wildwood, introducing himself and asking questions.

A red ear twitched, remaining silent in her position among the burnt trunks. Who birthed all these friendly loners, going around spouting off their names and homelands and future goals like everyone cared? Remy should've spun on her heel and taken to herself again - she couldn't stand very many. But as it was she had taken an interest to the weird pale tree, and the weird pale male, so she remained just to observe. If he was also one of those friendly loners she would certainly not stick around... but if he wasn't, perhaps there was entertainment to be sought.

Tlarx's deep eyes watched the owl's eerie yellow ones. They were large and round, perfect in shape. With a flick of his tail, he turned as a voice entered his ears. Hackles rising in a startled manner, the large male choked back a snarl as the wolf suddenly introduced himself. Odd. He never threw out his name like that. Whatever. He seemed nice enough- for now. With an almost devilish grin, Tlarx raised his head upward "Hello there. This odd tree....well, look. Gaze at those yellow eyes in that hole, and tell me, do they not tell of a story?" There was old Thorn-Tongue coming out. He had his way with words when he wished, but normally the arctic wolf would speak normally as other would.

Dark eyes scanned the area as a scent tickled his nose. It reached beyond Koda's scent; it lingered within the ghostly trees. Someone else was here. He released a loud grunt in slight annoyance- he absolutely despised those who would sneak around. Turning his attention back toward Koda, the massive silvery male stood, awaiting what this creature would say next. Gaze would wander back to the hole of the tree here and there, where the owl continued to peer out at the wolves down below. He wondered why it continued to stare, what it was thinking. How long had it housed itself in this strange tree for? For one thing, it was a smart owl- no creature would want to make its home in such a creepy part of the forest. It must have lived a life of peace and quiet....that is until these damn wolves came along.

Koda noted the other wolf's quick defensive posture. The large wolf let it go quickly and he was relieved. He would not want a fight at this time. As a loner on free land, he saw little use for them being at each others' throats. The time would come all to soon for that kind of mindless behavior. No one was defending pack or food, so civility reigned. Koda dipped his head in respect to the younger wolf. He did not consider himself lower than the other, merely friendly. Even more curious now, the large cream and silver wolf padded over to where the other wolf was standing, minding to leave plenty of space between them.

As he turned to face the tree, he caught the faint scent of another nearby and made a note to stay on alert in case they decided not to be so cordial. Then he turned his dark golden eyes towards the tree to see a pair of large yellow eyes staring out, unblinking. They did seem to tell a story, but he couldn't quite grasp the meaning of it. <i>Perhaps it was an ever-changing one...</i> The eyes of the owl were fearless as they bore into the pair of wolves disturbing it's rest, almost accusing. Interesting that and animal so much smaller could be so steadfast with them so close to it's home. He supposed if one or both of them rushed it, the large bird would react, but what would be the purpose in that? Still, it was intriguing, this being the first time Koda had encountered such a creature so close. Not a feather ruffled as it almost dared them to approach it's home in the almost spooky tree, with is ghostly pale bark.

<b>"They are rather mysterious looking in his ancient tree. They seem to almost look right through you... I don't think that he is particularly fond of having his rest disturbed. If I am not mistaken, owls are hunters of the night."</b> He wanted to look away, but continued to study the nocturnal bird despite himself. He tried to keep his eyes open to catch the bird in a blink, but failed as his eyes began to burn and he blinked instinctively to sooth them. <i>Score one for the owl!</i> he laughed to himself.

Arla and Emma are the ish and made my pretties!
Koda will most likely always be accompanied by Chiron unless otherwise stated, or requested.

The male's annoyed grunt fell upon her deafened ears, less that she didn't quite put together it was meant for her than it was that she didn't give a whiff about his opinion - although both were just oh so true. <i>Yellow eyes in that hole...</i> Remy nearly scoffed aloud, her mossy eyes narrowing. She'd be sorely disappointed if the one she had thought to be smart was just another git seeing some eyes where they didn't exist. Of course, the other one - what had his name been? She hadn't bothered to catch it - jumped right in and agreed that they were looking right through him. What had she stumbled upon, some wolves possessed under the influence of witchcraft by some demon tree? Thankfully, the over-friendly one saved their reputations from being completely tarnished within Remy's mind - an <i>owl</i>. They were completely enamored by an owl. For a quiet moment she wondered what her life would've been like if she had half the mind to appreciate the little things, like an owl's sun-colored stare, but the idea was quickly shut down. It was hard to try and care if you just didn't, wouldn't everyone agree?

But Remy still remained motionless, a half-amused smile ghosting its way on to her dark lips. How long could they possibly talk about an owl, she wondered. Gingerly she leaned forward and tested the air - neither one of them had any pack allegience tucked into their fur and she wasn't close enough to tell where they'd been so far... nor was she really qualified for such a judgement, being that Remy hadn't really wandered <i>far and wide</i> herself. She flipped an ear on them again to continue listening to their conversation. Say what you will about eavesdropping - an invasion of privacy? Not at all. Just simple entertainment. With any luck the two males would just part ways and she could go sniff around the weird tree on her own without having to pretend to be polite and friendly - but until then, their owl stories awaited her.

Tlarx nodded his head towards Koda. "Best he gets his rest now." With a final look at the feathered creature, Tlarx padded around the side of the tree where the strange claw marks are "These marks...I have no idea what the hell they're from. Rather interesting." He shook his large gray-white head at his own words. The scrapes were odd, and he could not put together the pieces as to what it may have been from. The wind blew softly, howling through the large hole of the eerie pale tree. The odor of the hiding female seemed to permeate the air, and he rolled his eyes. Whatever. Why the hell were some wolves so damn strange around here? It seemed as if it were a hit or miss with their personalities.

Looking back to Koda now, Tlarx pointed to the scratches in the trunk with his muzzle. Nostrils widened as he attempted to scent out the tree, but there was no odor to be registered. He blinked in a rather confused manner, bringing his head back upwards. "Ah well" the man said simply, shrugging his shoulders before turning away from the tree. He did not even know what kind of tree this was- or once was. Its bark had been scorched from the trunk, giving it a strange white appearance. There were lines throughout it, showing where insects had once been.

Flicking his flocculent tail, the massive man looked toward where the woman was hiding. His eyes were steel; a stoic face pointing towards the hidden female. Tlarx was not to amuse her; he would not call her out. With a small smirk, he looked back towards the older man.

As the younger wolf moved away and said something about strange marks, Koda broke his failed attempt at a staring contest with the silent owl. He moved over to the other male, who's name was still a mystery. It wasn't important, it was just nice to know whom one was talking to. Ah well, he's share if he felt like it. He looked up at the deep gashes in the pale tree. The scent of their maker was long gone, likely was even before the fire that had tried to claim the lifeblood of this region. They were entirely too large to belong to a wolf, yet too small to come from a creature that he knew had the habit of marking trees in such a manner, a bear. His thoughts whirled for a moment in curiosity, before landing on the likely creator- a large cat.

He looked at the other male and said, <b>"I can't be positive, but I believe these might have been made by a cougar. A bit on the big side for a linx or bobcat. They were quite serious about marking their territory. These are deep!"</b> He noticed the others' attention had been drawn to were the other wolf was silently observing them. He wondered what she had to gain by slinking in the shadows. He lowered his voice to a pitch that would not carry to the voyeur. <b>"How long do you think that she plans to sit there and just watch?"</b> His golden eyes glanced in her general direction. She was well hidden from eyesight, but it was near impossible to hide from the keen nose of a wolf. Her scent wafted all around them now that she had been there a while.

Arla and Emma are the ish and made my pretties!
Koda will most likely always be accompanied by Chiron unless otherwise stated, or requested.

Athena climbed down the mountains and towards the familiar lands of the Wildwood. Today, she felt like being among the charred trees and the new life sprouting desperately from the earth. A place of tragic endings, but also a place for wonderful beginnings. Walking through the familiar lands brought ease to her heart, but it also worried her that she was close to Swift River. She had traveled down Riddle Heights and purposely avoided getting close to the Swift River borders. She had no trouble with the overly-brawny pack, so she was in good spirits.

As she got further into the depths of the broken trees, Tlarx's scent continuously got stronger along with a few others. Most scent trails she came across were stale and old, but these ones were obviously fresh. There were no Swift River scents mingling with the others, so she continued to proceed with caution. Tlarx's deep voice rang out across the littered land along with another's. Finally she came upon the handsome white man that she met in the mountains and the other pale silver male that she had never met before. The scent of the third was in the air, but she did not see her. Never being a fan of hiders, she didn't feel the need to stray behind a bush and eavesdrop. Stepping from behind the pale tree that the two men were staring at, she walked closer to Tlarx offering him a sweet smile.

"Long time, no see." She teased and nudged his cheek softly before sitting down besides him. She the looked to the other man that was standing closer to the tree. Her stature was neutral, tail level and although her head was held up proudly. She was not a cocky wolf, but she showed pride for herself and her pack. Not being one for much small talk, she waited to see if any conversation arose or if the wolf in the shadows decided to show herself.

|| Ash is welcome to make an appearance in any thread. ||

What a shame that her own stories failed to come to light - she was very much looking forward to some folklore. As stupid as she found the subject it was still good to know. Instead they began to speak of some strange marks on the pale tree. Remy was beginning to grow restless, for she did want to see the oddities for herself, but neither male appeared to have something better to do with their time... and to be quite honest, neither did she. She was only half-engaged in their interactions as they roved over the curious find, but suddenly the original wolf - the one that had barked at the owl - swing his head and fix a cold stare her way.

Among the skeletal trees she had vaguely seen when one or the other looked out for her - her scent was unhidden and she was not trying to, by any means, be a secret. Now it seemed his patience had worn thin by the way he faced off the dead forest. For a split second she even imagined she'd held eye contact with the paler one as he stared at her place among the trees, but Remy doubted he could spot her for that to be true. That was when the darker one spoke. He'd lowered his voice so the words were lost to her, but she knew that he was speaking anyway and it would only make sense that it was about her. Making them play hide and seek would be entirely anticlimatic so finally she addressed, "<b>Do speak up, won't you?</b>"

Her limbs awoke and drew her from the ashen trees, though she was still not close to the males. Lazy steps brought her a yard or two nearer, her head lifted high. She regarded both of them with her cool green stare. Remy awaited one or the other to berate her for eavesdropping before she would actually approach them - wolves always had their piece to say about 'sneaking about' as though they weren't <i>wolves</i> in the first place. Wasn't it damn fact that you were to be mindful of strangers? And that included watching them closely, and being careful about approaches and words. Somehow those of Relic Lore really didn't grasp the fact - why would these two be any different? A red ear flipped forward, prepared for the harangue.