Sacred Grove so flows the current

May 5 – Late afternoon, light rain, 57F.

There was a slight tickle in his throat that had just been bugging him all day. The misty drops of rain that floated down from the heavens coated everything in a slick sheen, but licking the drops from the tips of leaves and moss, and sipping at the forming puddles couldn’t sate the wanderer’s thirst. His mottled grey coat was clumped and damp by the precipitation, and he damned the rain for being plentiful enough to make his fur soggy but not provide ample liquid for drinking. He lifted his black-tipped snout to scent the air, catching notes of both wet, fresh algae but also scent markers from various wolves. He was willing to bet the algae was indication of a nearby body of water, the water source being able to provide ample moisture for algae to take up residence within. He couldn’t tell from here whether it might be a lake or stream or fetid puddle, but it was worth checking. He just really wanted a drink. But, the scent of wolves was also a warning. If there <i>were</i> any water this way, he would surely be trespassing if he wandered past the odiferous barrier to look for a river.

He kept walking, moment by moment coming closer to the edge of the territorial markers. He stopped for a moment, tiny flame colored eyes slyly scanning one way then the next. He was alone, as far as he could tell. As he strained his ears he couldn’t hear anything out of the ordinary, just the drips of the rain and… Was that the distant rushing of a river? If we went any farther he would be in the territory of an unknown pack, but when had that ever stopped the boy before? Snorting a laugh, he continued into the territory, an intruder. Now to find that river.

(This post was last modified: Jun 05, 2012, 11:54 PM by Rais.)

Cali was resting on a large flat boulder that was lodged into the banks of the river. The shade from a nearby tree brushed over the area gently, giving her white coat the appearance of dappling and helping her blend into the pale boulder. It was not her intention to hide for as an arctic wolf, the only true camouflage was the freezing snows of deep winter. Spring was well underway and the greens and rainbow colors of wildflowers did little to conceal her own stark brightness. However, the pale boulder that she lounged upon, paired up with the smattering of shad, did an admirable job of making her fade into the scenery somewhat.

Thus she watched the stranger approach the borders from the far side of the river. He was not yet on their territory and it seemed that all he wanted was a drink. Although still in repose, Cali's body tensed as he neared the border. With the new pups here, everyone was on high alert and ready to defend the lifeblood of the pack with their own lives if need be. She prayed that he would be on his way soon, but she felt the need to encourage this action well up in her.

She silently stood to her feet, head lowered and hackles slightly raised. He emerald eyes flared and she called out to the small yearling, <b>"You are awfully close to Swift River pack borders, stranger. I would not recommend dallying!"</b> She backed up her words with a low growl. She would not deny him a drink, but she would not tolerate more than a few minutes of his presence. If he was smart, he would soon be on his way. In the mean time, her eyes were locked fiercely on the stranger, warning him to behave and then be gone.

Never Underestimate a Heart of Fire...

Rais was treading closer and the susurrus of a river grew louder in his ears, with the scent of fresh water serenading his nose. A smirk graced his face, single snaggle-fang protruding, as it seemed his predictions of water this way had proven correct. His bold border crossing had paid off and he would be rewarded with some fresh, clean water. The river was a shimmering silver ribbon that reflected distorted visions of grey sky and rain. He made his approach on the river but stopped in his tracks when a commanding voice called out from the riverbank. He whipped his head to the side, little eyes flicking to the source of the sound. It was a white wolf perched upon a great pale grey boulder, menacing and growling in his direction. Ah, here was the pack. Well, one of them holding guard, at least. Beady orange eyes danced between the river and the wolf. She didn’t recommend dallying, but Rais, always to find a loophole, noticed she didn’t forbid it. So, he would dally.

He didn’t want to be kicked out before he could get a drink, though. He put on his best manners, a pleasant smile fixed upon his face, and he ducked his head low to the woman, an impression of a bow. <b>“Oh, hello miss! I didn’t see you up there; your lovely white pelt hid you so well. So this beautiful place must belong to your pack? Why, you must be blessed.”</b> He took a testing step closer to the water. He felt her eyes locked on him, watching his every movement. He wondered how long her tolerance for his presence would last. He moved to the riverbank and drank his fill of water, taking slow and deliberate laps of the water as if testing the woman’s patience. The boy would toe the line wherever he could, just to see what he could get away with.

Cali continued to watch him as he approached the river with very polite and respectful words. Perhaps the youngster would not cause any trouble. She stopped her warning growl and softened the look on her face. She still watched his every move. Something about his super sweet tone made her relax and yet stay on edge at the same time. <i>How very strange...</i> No matter, if he didn't move on soon she would take care of it. This little male would not trouble her pack, especially with new pups to look after.

It seemed the the young male was taking his sweet time sating himself on the waters that bordered their territory. Her eyes darkened a bit with displeasure. It appeared that he was taking advantage of her good nature. She might be wrong, so she would give him the benefit of the doubt and another warning before acting. This scamp did not know how lucky he was that it was she rather than Marsh that he had come upon. The silent male would not have given him the chance for a drink, he would have been quick to <span class='word'>larrup</span> the small wolf.

They happened to be at one of the more narrow stretches of the river and there were a couple more boulders such as the one that she was standing on scattered in the flowing waters. It would only take two flicks of a tail to cross the river and be on the same side of the banks with little silver tongue. She was a little surprised at the way her mind was starting to think. Before she would have been at a loss and now she was planning ahead in case things went south. Marsh was definitely rubbing off on her! Refocusing her attention on the interloper, she said, <b>"Yes, I am blessed to be a part of the Swift River pack. Thank you. You've had your drink, so perhaps it is time that you be on your way."</b> Her voice was as sweet as his had been polite, but it didn't quite carry over into her eyes.

Never Underestimate a Heart of Fire...

<span style='font-size:7pt;line-height:100%'>OOC: Sorry its a little short but I didn't wanna keep you waiting!</span>

Finishing up his final sips of water, he turned towards the lady on the rock. The obnoxious tickle in his throat was thankfully gone. But this lovely sentry had presented herself, and he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to gain some information on this new place. Any little scrap of information could always come in handy. He seated himself on the riverbank as if he had all the time in the world and gave the lady his most courteous smile. She seemed a little annoyed, and perhaps she wouldn’t say it but the way she was looking down at him said she wanted no trouble. But trouble might as well have been Rais’ middle name. She mentioned that he should get going, but where was the fun in that? He couldn’t get chased off just yet though, he had some things to find out first.

<b>“Oh, how rude of me! Drinking up your river without introducing myself first,”</b> There was a glint of humor to his eyes, <b>“I’m Rais Rose, I suppose you could say I’m a wanderer. And what may I call you?”</b> He absent-mindedly rocked on his front-paws as he sat, looking a little distracted. He was really watching every move of the white-wolf, observant of any physical cues that might give him any insight to what the woman was thinking. He hoped introducing himself first might make her less wary of him, after all he was right at the edge of her pack’s border. But Rais lived on the edge.

If the white fae was a bit perplexed at the male's continued presence, she didn't show a whit of it. Her steady gaze simply never left him. Then he offered an introduction, <i>“I’m Rais Rose...And what may I call you?”</i> Simple enough. There was no harm in a name, so she shared hers with the young man. <b>"Hello, Rais. I am Cali Swiftpaw."</b> Her own introduction was short and to the point, inviting no more questions. However, she did relax ever so slightly.

Cali still kept her guard up. The naive fae that had left her family a year ago was gone and she would not be caught up in the <span class='word'>ravelment</span> of polite words that seemed to have an ulterior motive. Again, she could be mistaken, yet she wondered at his persistence. What was his reasoning in staying? Was he angling to join the pack or was he merely testing her limits of patience. She honestly couldn't tell, but under the firm teachings of her mentor her limits were greatly reduced when it came to trespassers, especially with pups to protect. Although they were not her blood, she would protect them as if they came from her very own womb.

She said nothing more, just gave him a pointed stare with her emerald green eyes. For some reason, the small scar on her left shoulder began to itch. It was well healed and so baffled her, but it did bring it's creator to mind and with him, his teachings and caution. A well received reminder to be always on guard.

Never Underestimate a Heart of Fire...

Rais' small talk seemed to have only gleaned a brusque reply from the woman. She seemed to be taking the bare-minimum route as far as conversion went, but he <i>had</i> received an answer. She hadn't even chased him off yet, so the boy took the reply as a good sign. She looked ever-so-slightly more at ease, but she was still watching Rais like a hawk and didn't look like the type to play around. He was sure the wrong move, or wrong word, would send the lady off her perch and after Rais.

Rais nonchalantly gazed around and shifted as he sat. His eyes traveled over to the woods on the other side of the river, before quickly flitting back to the sentinel on the rock. He did wonder what was over the other side of the river, whether it was really as important to keep him out of or not. He wanted to know what it was she was protecting. It would be best not to ask that, though, as that sort of inquiry would break any sort of ephemeral thread of trust he had with the Swift River wolf. He was curious about this new land he had ended up in, nonetheless.

<b>“Ah, Cali, as you can see, I’m a little unfamiliar with these parts,”</b> he smirked and pointed his snout above and past Cali, towards the gentle swell of the land where the forest started to climb up into the mountains. There was a clear line of sight from the wolves to the base of the mountain, due to the river that snaked its way down the side. It would have been picture perfect, mountains framed by trees, river, and sky, except the peaks were obscured by the rain clouds. Rais had been eyeing those mountains since he entered Relic Lore. An itch for adventure beckoned him up there, just to see if he could do it. The view from up there must be beautiful. <b>“Do you know anything about that mountain range? Anything interesting up there? I was thinking about climbing up to the top.”</b> He inquired, then redirected his gaze to the white wolf.

He had almost taken her cue, but seemed intent on staying further. Was he truly the friendly and inquiring fellow that he appeared to be? His youth said yes, but something still bothered her about the lad. She was fast learning to trust her newfound instincts and kept on high alert. Even devout tricksters and silver tongues had to start sometime. Her thoughts went back to the large white wolf that Marsh had helped her to see off of Swift River lands. He had tried to talk her in circles and use words to trip her up. It hadn't really worked, but it had taught her a lesson in nuances. He had meant nothing but trouble then and this one might be on the same track now. Or he could be an innocent yearling looking for adventure.

When he spoke of exploring the mountains, the enthusiasm in his voice rang truer than any of his words yet. Honestly, she'd never had any desire to explore the mountains, preferring her lowland river and forest home. She gave a small negative shake of her white head and said, <b>"Sorry, I've never been. I hope that you have grand adventures on your journey, Rais."</b> Her voice held sincerity here, for she'd been young once and she had looked forward to the many mysteries that life had to offer.

She looked steadily into the young man's eyes as she spoke. She wished him well and unless he mentioned a strong desire to join the River wolves in the immediate future, she wished him away. This limbo was starting to make her edgy and she had a fleeting thought, wondering if this was how Marsh felt all the time. On edge. She didn't like it, but she was more than capable of dealing with it!

Never Underestimate a Heart of Fire...

Rais suddenly stood, a fire kindled in his ochre eyes. His dappled grey tail flung side to side and his tongue lolled out in a happy pant. <b>“Well, that’s what I’ll do then! Thanks for the water, Cali!”</b> With a friendly bark he bounded off back from whence he came, pale paws splashing through mud puddles. As his little form made its retreat, a distant <b>“Goodbye!”</b> was called out.

Yeah right! Like he was going to just go away, without finding out what was on the other side. Rais snickered as he trotted away from the river through the forest undergrowth. Sure, for all intents and purposes it looked like he was leaving. The boy had a trick up his sleeve, though. Once he was sure he had gone far enough, where he could no longer see, smell, or sense the lady wolf, he turned west and looped back towards the river, downstream from Cali. While his exit had been loud and boisterous, his re-approach was much quieter. He tiptoed back towards the river and looked around. He was far enough downstream that he could no longer see the arctic wolf or her boulder. He chose a spot of the river that was a little wider, and thus shallower, and waded across. Once he reached the other side he instinctively wanted to shake the water from his fur, but he refrained from doing so, not wanting any sound of his infiltration to carry.

Having made it to the other side of the river, he grinned like a cat that got the cream. Quietly, the trespasser snuck his way further into what was apparently Swift River territory. Borders really meant nothing to him. He just wanted to have a look around first, see what was over here. Then when he was done he could sneak his way back out and check out that mountain.

(This post was last modified: Jun 16, 2012, 07:33 AM by Rais.)

Cali smiled at his enthusiasm and watched with a smile on her face as he trotted happily away. The young man's excitement and zest for life was nice to see. He was not jaded by life it seemed, at least not yet. She lay back down on her rock and after a while the sounds of the flowing river and gentle birdsong lulled her into a light doze. She smiled to herself at her success in keeping the border clear of trespassers, even if it was just an overly friendly yearling.

Just when sleep was about to claim her on the peaceful sun-kissed boulder a thought crept into her mind. Rais' departure had been just a bit to sudden and enthusiastic. The more she thought about it, the more sure she was that something had been 'off' about his leave taking. The sudden urge to get on with her duties and do a more active patrol took over and she jumped gracefully down from her stoney perch. An unknown instinct took her west. Although, she didn't think that she would run into any problems, she would feel better taking a quick look around. Her keen senses reached out, scanning the area ahead. They came back with nothing, but her feeling of doubt would not leave her, so she continued on.

Her persistence paid off when she caught a fleeting glimpse of a form slinking about the woods ahead of her. The familiar form of a devious young man she had just met. So, that was his game. Lull her into a false sense of security and sneak onto Swift River land. For what purpose, she couldn't fathom, but the reason mattered little. He was here, uninvited, under false pretenses. All of her patience and understanding went out the door.

Her hackles raised with her lips, exposing long sharp fangs and green fire shot from her eyes and she charged at the little interloper. She was not playing games with newborn pups nearby. His smooth talking had earned him a lashing from her and she was about to give him his just desserts. When she was only a few feet away a vicious snarl erupted from her and her jaws were wide, aiming for his haunches. She had all intentions of claiming some of his hide for her own if he didn't hightail it back over the border with some blazing speed. right now.

Never Underestimate a Heart of Fire...