Iridescent Lagoon Obscure Reflection

Even though Cessair was as of yet unsure of how she felt about this wolf, she was somewhat glad he said he might stick around this area. It almost made her feel more like she was making the right decision herself in staying because she wasn't the only one who felt like this was a good place to be. The desire to explore everything, however, was not present in Cessair as it was in the grey male. She felt like she had already seen enough and was ready to consider settling in with a pack. Being alone all the time was beginning to wear on the young female.

Absently watching the restless wolf pace around her, Cessair came to realize that she was growing hungry. A faint scent of rabbit graced her nose as she briefly closed her eyes to taste the air. When she resumed watching the young male, she noticed his eyes glint as an idea crossed his mind. The signal to dodge failed to reach Cessair's limbs before the trickster pounced toward her. Pain, sharp but mild, infected her tail. Several hairs on the tip were now missing. She turned to face her attacker, who had again moved to her other side.

<b>"I don't know why you felt like that was necessary, but I'd appreciate it if you refrained from doing any more of your little jokes."</b> Cessair had tried to look stern, but as soon as the words finished coming out, she couldn't help but giggle. The troublemaker gave her a smile as though trying to avoid reproach, but looked rather ridiculous with one gnarled fang sticking out. How could Cessair stay angry with such a spectacle before her?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/bluepups/RaisTable2.png); background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; padding-top: 100px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 20px; text-align:justify;">Rais rolled his eyes up to the sky when the she-wolf gave her reproach of his 'little joke'. He was never fond of the lectures that invariably accompanied his mischief. When she giggled though, he looked back towards her with a pleasantly surprised expression. Maybe she tried to look serious, but she had gotten some humor out of the prank. His tail wagged a happy rhythm and he spoke, "Things don't always need to be necessary, but seeing as Miss Sourpuss here doesn't like having fun, I'll refrain." He was joking and his voice was toned as such. She obviously wasn't a sourpuss, but he couldn't help but poke a little fun at her.

Rais had noticed how Cessair kept sniffing for something, and curious, he lifted his snout and took a whiff. He caught notes of lake water, mud, and the faintest smell of rabbit. "Rabbit? Oh, are you hungry?" He asked. It was a silly question, he knew. What loner wasn't hungry? Rais had the sudden whim to maybe do the girl a favor. "Well, I'll go get it!" He galloped in a circle, at first unsure which direction to go, then without waiting for further response from her he rushed off into the brush bordering the lake. She could accompany if she wished, but he was going to get that rabbit either way.

<i>Sourpuss.</i> That was a new one. Cessair wanted to say that just because her definition of fun didn't include causing other wolves to fall in a lake or lose various tufts of fur, it didn't mean that she was incapable of having fun. Seeing how this wolf apparently had no appreciation for second opinions, however, she did not. She did appreciate that he said he'd control his whims, though.

Not that this wolf's presence wasn't exciting (for the very reason that Cessair had little idea by what means he would victimize her next), she found herself devising excuses she could use to go catch that tantalizing rabbit while she still had its scent. Now, the peckish girl decided, would be a great time for her stomach to growl. For a moment or two, she awkwardly stood, making neither move nor sound, while attempting to get a better whiff of the rabbit in the hope that she may induce the normally involuntary noise.

Her hunger must have been obvious despite the silence, because the bright-eyed male suddenly read into her thoughts. Before Cessair fully realized what was going on, he sprinted off into the trees after the rabbit. Collecting her thoughts, Cessair stood for a heartbeat longer. That rabbit was going to be her meal. If the other wolf intended to share, though, it was all the better; she wasn't exactly what could be called a skilled huntress anyway. The next moment found her off in chase of the male -- and hopefully her next meal.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/bluepups/RaisTable2.png); background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; padding-top: 100px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 20px; text-align:justify;">With all the explosive enthusiasm he had leaped into the forest with, he had calmed down considerably once he had work in mind. The playful boy at the lake and the wolf on the hunt were like day and night. His eyes and ears were alert and focused, and each of his steps were light, springy and tiptoed. His wet leathery nose sniffed at the dirt and grass of the forest understory, seeking out a trail that would hopefully lead him to some prey. Quickly he found some fresh rabbit tracks and followed after it.

He was aware of Cessair's presence behind him and was happy that she had decided to come with, but all his focus was given towards the task at hand. Ears pricked forward and nose brushing the earth he scouted through the brambles and bush of the forest surrounding the lake. The scent of rabbit became stronger, and his orange eyes flicked across the vegetation, looking for any camouflaged prey. Rais slowed his pace, then stopped, holding his body completely motionless, a surprising feat for the fidgety boy. A rustle sounded from an overgrown patch of grass to his right, and he flicked his right ear towards it. Slowly, he turned his head to face the patch with his beady eyes wide. Suddenly, a brown shape darted out from the grass, and without any deliberation Rais took off after it.

It was almost as though Cessair was following after a completely different wolf. What was mischievousness in the grey male quickly melted into driven purpose. Cessair took his determination to catch his prey as a learning opportunity. If she was going to sustain herself as a loner for very long in this forest, she knew she would need to stop relying on what she could scavenge. Judging just by the way he carried himself as he hunted, Cessair's acquaintance seemed to be better trained in the valuable skill.

As the scent of rabbit grew stronger, Cessair focused on the young male's every move, doing her best to copy exactly what he did. Thus, when he stopped, so did she, even though she hadn't spotted the rabbit yet. Maybe he hadn't either. She stilled herself as well as she could when Rais froze, but she had a difficult time restraining her movements. Worry infected her thoughts. If she made any noise, however slight, the rabbit might flee and be lost. Would the other wolf be angry? Probably -- at least, Cessair would be.

When she heard the rabbit disturb some undergrowth, Cessair's head snapped in that direction. Thankfully, there was no twig under her paw to break when her weight shifted accordingly. Without any warning, Rais was off. Cessair was too focused on not moving that she didn't see the rabbit emerge. Her legs began to move almost a half-second after the prey and wolf took off, leaving Cessair a good distance behind. Exhilaration from the chase flooded over Cessair, and she sprinted yet faster, determined not to lose sight of the grey blur, and almost as determined to spot her soon-to-be dinner.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/bluepups/RaisTable2.png); background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; padding-top: 100px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 20px; text-align:justify;">Silence abandoned, Rais ran after the rabbit at full tilt. He heard Cessair running along behind him just a moment after he took off, but he didn't wait for her to catch up. Rais himself was built similarly to his quarry, small, springy, and very quick. Lean grey limbs coiled and stretched, swiftly carrying him over or under the obstacles of the forest floor. The rabbit was fast, but Rais was able to keep up only a few feet behind it.

The rabbit's irresistible scent filled his nostrils and made his mouth water. The rabbit was locked in his vision, and Rais was sure there was no escape for it. Putting on a final burst of speed the little wolf caught up with the prey. He lunged towards it, and having wrapped his teeth around its neck he bit hard and shook his head, snapping its spine. In a moment, the chase was over and the two creatures were still, hunter and hunted.

Rais turned around, eyes searching for Cessair. He dropped the catch unceremoniously to the ground, and while there was the instinctual urge to tear into the food, he stopped himself. It was a gift. As much as Rais shunned self control, he did have it. Instead, he ignored the warm meal at his feet and waited for the girl to catch up. He was panting and a little tired, but he looked quite pleased with himself.

(This post was last modified: Jul 03, 2012, 04:32 AM by Rais.)

While still attempting to close the distance between herself and Rais, Cessair watched the speedy wolf catch up to and pounce on the rabbit, capturing his prey. The chase now over, she allowed herself to slow into a steady trot for the last few paces to avoid colliding with him. Scenting the enticing aroma of freshly-killed prey caused Cessair to feel the full force of her hunger. Her impatient stomach let out a low growl as she arrived at the site of the kill, so she wagged her tail a few beats to make clear that the noise did not come from her throat.

<b>"Great catch!"</b> While it was just a rabbit that he caught, Cessair was still impressed with the grey male's hunting. She would remember his actions next time she hunted alone, because almost any hunting technique but hers would surely give her a better rate of success. As for catching up to the rabbit -- that needs speed, which would be a bit harder to practice. Rais seemed to have it down well enough, anyway.

Cessair's hungry eyes fell on the untouched rabbit. It took her a moment to realize that the wolf, who was playing jokes on her just a few minutes ago, was waiting for her. A rabbit was maybe just enough food for one wolf to dine on, so Cessair figured only one of them would get to eat this one. The grey wolf had done all of the work in capturing it, so why didn't he eat it? Did he mean to give it to her? As Cessair looked from wolf to rabbit, she became aware that he may be intending to play yet another joke on her.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/bluepups/RaisTable2.png); background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; padding-top: 100px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 20px; text-align:justify;">Watching Cessair's approach, Rais took a couple steps back from the kill. While she seemed hungry, with her stomach growling, she looked unsure about taking the food. Rais wasn't sure if she knew he had intended it for her. He wondered if maybe she didn't like rabbit? She then glanced between him and the rabbit, and Rais realized he was probably the issue. With his tendency to play tricks, she might have thought this was also a trick. For reasons he didn't entirely understand himself, he wanted her to have it.

Rais nosed the rabbit forward, then moved a couple steps back from it. "It's for you," he looked up to her with an honest smile, his tail wagging to back it up. "No tricks." Often Rais would feign an expression to convince others that he didn't have anything up his sleeve, while he was actually plotting something. This time, however, he meant the smile and the offer of food. He hoped Cessair would see that and trust him, but if she didn't, at least he would get a meal out of it.

A loner who liked to play tricks willfully giving a stranger food as a gift? The thought didn't seem very realistic, but Cessair failed to hold her whims in check and decided to trust this wolf by his word. It was with mild concern that she realized she felt inclined to trust every wolf she met so far. After all, the last stranger she had encountered before coming to this forest had killed her mother. However, by choosing to trust the wolves she met here, who so far seemed friendly enough anyway, Cessair knew that they would be guilty if they chose to take advantage of her trust, and she would not hold blame for refusing to trust them if they really were friendly.

That issue now settled in her mind, Cessair turned to the next; how could she show her appreciation for the gift presented to her? Hunting was out of the question, and as a loner with practically no connections, she had nothing to offer. There was only one thing she could do -- meager as it was. Cessair looked into the grey male's bright orange eyes and gave him a friendly smile. <b>"Thank you."</b>

With that, she sunk her teeth into the deliciously warm flesh of the rabbit and began to eat. She felt a little guilty, but more and more grateful as her body revived a little by consuming the much-needed nourishment. It was wonderful to have made a new friend, or at least a friendly acquaintance, and Cessair decided she wouldn't mind a traveling companion. Of course, she wasn't traveling anywhere specific, and this wolf had said earlier that he liked to explore. He would probably like to do his exploring in solitude, and Cessair could respect that. She settled instead on the hope that maybe they would run into each other again sometime.

(This post was last modified: Jul 07, 2012, 11:20 PM by Cessair.)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/bluepups/RaisTable2.png); background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; padding-top: 100px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 20px; text-align:justify;">The thanks hadn't been expected, but it was well appreciated. Seldom did he do favors for others and he was glad that the little gift hadn't been for waste. Rais returned the smile, and watched as she dug into the food. His mouth watered and for a moment the fleeting idea crossed his mind to snatch the rabbit back and carry it off to eat it himself. He couldn't, though. It wasn't that he didn't want to be rude. Any other wolf he would probably snatch their dinner right out from under their nose, whether he had caught it for them or not. Something about Cessair though made him think twice about doing such a thing. He stared at the top of her ashen brown head as he pondered. She didn't remind him of anyone, so he wasn't sure what had afforded her any special treatment.

Rais huffed. He wasn't sure this was a puzzle he would be able to figure out. Not any time soon at least. There was nothing he hated more than an unsolvable puzzle, and it was even more frustrating when said puzzle was his own mind. He realized he had been staring at Cessair for so long and looked away into the forest as she finished eating, fidgeting distractedly. His toes itched with the need to keep walking, and maybe if he kept moving it would clear his mind and allow him to focus on something else. Then perhaps the problem of his mind would unravel itself and reveal the answer.

As he returned his gaze to her, he saw she had finished eating. "I think I should get going," he said. "It's getting late, and, I've got things to do, or something." He looked a little confused and disoriented as he said it, the words sort of tumbling over themselves ahead of his mind in an unsure excuse to take his leave. He was confused at himself, as well. Normally he spoke with a certain control over his words, but there everything had sort of fallen apart. He took a breath, and with a little more surety said "I hope I do run into you again, though." His tail wagged and the trickster had the honest, innocent look of a pup.

(Ooc: lol puppy luv. You wanna wrap this up in the next post or two?)