Vium grinned lightly as Iopah warned the dark man of the dangers of moose. Oh, like I didn't know that. With a half-hearted sigh, the man turned as a voice sounded. Fur stood on end for a brief moment as he prepared for the creature to appear. Another woman; she was darker in fur color. Oh, joy. Narrowing his eyes, his ears flattened as he spoke. "Vium." He almost hissed his name, but remained cool as he allowed his ears to rise back up into their normal perked position.
The man took a step back now, able to see both Iopah and Shadowstorm within his field of vision. He didn't trust them, though Iopah seemed fine... Vium had trust issues. Whenever he had made 'friends', it seemed they always betrayed him in one way or another. What was the point of having any anymore? Pale brown eyes peering back at Shadowstorm, he spoke again.
"I was tracking prey.... you would not see a wolf like me just laying in a field of flowers..." His lip raised, baring a pointed tooth before he tossed his head casually.
The male abruptly took a step back and regarded the two females. Iopah glanced at him. 'Was he suspicious?' Vium had just admitted to hunting a moose on his own. As dangerous a proposition as that was he decided to be cautious of her? Iopah snorted and pointedly turned her back on him. She addressed the new woman directly. <b>"Are there not many wolves in this land?"</b> Iopah secretly hoped there were not. Many wolves would mean packs. There would be vast tracts of land she would not be able to pass through. She again found herself looking north, Iopah unconsciously took a step. Her feet itched to continue moving.
"It's a pleasure to meet you both. Vium, that's a nice name." She said, keeping her cool. She then remembered back to her fight with Athena. The crazy hadn't even given her a warning before she attacked over a rabbit caught off their territory. The pack leader let her emotions fly high. The rabbit was eaten on the territory Shadowstorm didn't know existed until Athena showed up. But Shadowstorm knew it was caught off territory. It had been a bloodbath. Shadowstorm injured her leg father where it later snapped when she was on the Copper Rock Creek border line. Shadowstorm was sure she’d hurt Athena badly too. But all the same. Shadowstorm had been fortunate not to be dead already. Nina healed her up and she was to prove her worth to Copper Rock Creek and possibly join it. Everything was just peachy with her. She’d even met her missing brother. He was alive and a loyal member of Willow Ridge.
Vium could detect the restlessness that tugged at Iopah's muscles. With shifty eyes, he turned away, lowering his nose to the ground. Vium, that's a nice name. The dark man felt his left eye twitch as he huffed in the faint scent of moose. A nice name? Err... ok. Probably just a bullshit compliment. With a flick of his tail, his mind became stuffy as the overpowering odor of the crimson and orange flowers filled his nostrils. Holding back a sneeze, he lifted his head upward, a disgruntled look upon his face.
"There's... packs.... many, I assume..." He answered Iopah's question, turning his head to look at her. Instead of making eye contact, he looked at the sky above her. "I met a wolf... she was in the mountains.... I'm guessing there are many around us..." He bit his tongue now, eyes flowing to the ground. A grasshopper rested peacefully upon a blade of grass; it seemed to be the forth member of their party.
Eyes now peering at Shadowstorm, he wondered silently if she had run into any pack members herself.
-----
The black female had ignored her question. Iopah looked suspiciously at Shadowstorm. There could only be on one reason why the wolf would avoid such a direct question. <b>"You are a pack wolf?"</b> It wasn't so much a question as a statement. Iopah held her gaze for a moment, before shifting her golden eyes away. She shrugged. <b>"It's your business, I didn't mean to pry."</b>
From behind her came Vium's voice. <i>Many packs.</i> The opposite of what she wanted to hear. Iopah turned her head to acknowledge him. The dark man was focused on a point several feet above her. She looked up reflexively, then over at him questioninly.
<b>"Is there something in my fur?</b> She asked deliberately. He was strange, one minute staring at her so intensely it seemed to burn a hole through her side and the next unable to even meet her gaze. In the silence after her question there was a distant snapping of branches in the woods beyond them. A tawny and gray ear swiveled to it. She looked at Vium, knowing he would be eager to continue tracking his moose.
Shadowstorm saw Vium peer at her with a sort of questioning look. as if questioning her ability to answer. Iopah asked her some questions. "You are a pack wolf?" She asked. Shadowstorm stung. She didn’t know her status. She was staying with Copper Rock Creek, but she was not a member. She responded calmly. "Yes and no. I am staying with a pack, you see, I had a broken leg, so they’re healer took me in and healed me. But I am not officially a pack member." It was the completely honest truth. She was not a pack member, just staying with a pack for a bit of time. Yet she was a pack member because she was staying with them? She didn’t know anymore.
It reminded her that Nina knew her history. "Since you're my healer, and the one who I've done wrong. Maybe you'll understand the crazy words I said by learning of my past. I was born to a destinct pair of Lone Wolves that to be honest. Hated other wolves. My brother Shade and I started training to survive in a place far from Relic Lore called Death Pine Forest. The first lesson my father taught us, even though I now, after seeing the strength of packs, was Packs are weak, bottomfeeding losers that couldn't take care of themselves, so they hung together and shared food. He specifically told us never to join a pack, or we would taint our blood line. MY brother tried to object as he was the more reasonable one, my father beat him. I tried to get him to stop, he beat me. My father was a cruel, mean steel wall. Whenever I did something wrong, he beat me as a punishment. My mother eventually stepped in, conquering her fear of my father. She was too beaten. It got worse. During my final 'test' , a hunting assignment before I was to go off an live my life. My mother and fahter were attacked by a group of two or three lone wolves. Out of fright, I ran for his life. I thought all my family to be dead. My grandparents gone. My father was an only child, same as my mum as far as I know, I thought my brother Shade was in dead. But truth is I cannot really confirm that theory. He wasn't there when the lone wolves were. I never saw his dead body. But it would be crazy to think I'd find him."
"I really must be going now. Maybe it would be best for you guys to find a pack, this land is filled with many dangerous things. Not all of them are wolves." She said, leaving the wolves.
*SHADOWSTORM EXITS*