Cedarwood Forest Moon River

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There was a distinct crunch under his feet as he trekked further within the unbeknownst territory. This particular forest he had spotted earlier. Instantly he had been drawn in by the memorizing aura, nostalgia overcoming the shadowy wolf. His old home had been much like this – tall trees surrounding a ground peppered with pine needles, rabbits darting out of sight whilst birds would chirp. His ears were alertly perked, nose loomed over the frosted terrain and mouth agape in silent awe. A blistery breeze kept the dark wolf company, bringing forth interesting news. A gathering of wolves was nearby.
His steps slowed to a halt, head rising moderately as he scanned the area with his amber eyes. No individual caught his eye; Theo mustn’t be on their heel yet then. But the scent was strong enough that he remained cautious, keen to keep from trampling on any toes already.
But there was instinctual longing to see another after being apart from a pack for so long. Ears flicked back, Theo stalked forward. He approached casually closer. If he did manage to bump into a member of the nearby pack, he would merely call it coincidence. Yep. It’d be a shame to be tied down after just arriving with so much undiscovered. Tongue hanging from his jaw, he gave a shake of his coat and decided then to stop underneath a tree. Fortunately it wasn’t marked. Plopping down for a short break, his gaze remained on the endless forest in the direction of group.

table by sam · stock from dawnthieves.de

<blockquote>Trisden was rarely very strict when it came to sticking to the border when patrolling. She hypothesised that only the most unsubtle of wolves would think to come so close to a healthy pack with ill intentions, and such a wolf would be easy to detect. She was more interested in those that prowled a bit further afield, the ghosts who drifted past her home, perhaps aware of Grizzly Hollow, perhaps not. She wasn't really sure why, though. If they were that far, then she had no right getting defensive around them. A part of her just wanted to know where they were going, and where they had come from, her heart sold to wanderlust just that bit less than it was dedicated to her forest. Pressing her nose into the tracks of others and enjoying the snippets of adventure that they carried with them was enough for her. She did not usually encounter any lone wolves face to face, which, in the end, was how she preferred it.

Such a system would not remain perfect forever, though. The snow made it difficult, it was true, but she persevered stubbornly, having to come to terms with the idea of being reunited with those scents when spring came again. The snow crunched softly underfoot as she stalked through the forest, roughly running parallel to her home's borders, alert for signs of trouble or prey but coming up empty.

That's when she smelt him, a slightly older male who had passed by only recently. It was faint, though, the cold air stifling her nose. Automatically she trotted after the trail as best she could, not expecting it to come to anything, but, lo and behold, there he sat beneath a tree, as if he was waiting for her.

She hesitated, unsure if her approach had been noisy enough for him to hear - she hadn't been <i>trying</i> to keep quiet - but the knowledge that this was her home gave her strength. Technically they were beyond the borders, but it was a marginal difference that didn't really matter. She was the one with allies just a call away. From what she could tell, he was alone, both right now and for a while. Despite out-sizing her considerably, she erred on the side of confidence - not a difficult thing for her, granted - and approached him slowly, tail twitching up to signal her position, but otherwise she kept neutral. There was no point in making hasty enemies. <b>"You're cutting it a bit close, buddy."</b></blockquote>

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It was difficult to conceal footfalls within the snow, even for creatures as graceful as the wolf. But Theo’s mind was steadily captured, fascinated with the distance lands of the forest ahead. His breathing – each exhale steaming in miniature puffs of visual moisture – was slowing back to a regular rate, enough that he was enabled to comfortably slide his jaws close. The small patch around the tree was untouched by the small dusting. Only the toes of his forelegs poked at the frost. His tail flopped at his side, and his ears swerving alert alike radars. His nose sniffed the crisp air, smelling the spice of cedar… and wolf. Ears turned, flicking towards the faint noise of approaching footfalls, his head turning only when they stopped.
It was a pale tawny woman with amber eyes alike himself – a member of the pack no doubt. He remained neutral, lowering his head slightly and inching his tail closer to his side whilst his ears flicked back to show her rightful respect. They were on neutral territory, but it was reasonably close to a pack… and when near a pack, pack wolves were the top dogs. He, however, welcomed her with a charming smile. His tail began to thump on the ground. “You’re cutting it a bit close, buddy.” Feminine tone enlightened his ears as he gave a slow nod of understanding. Nonetheless, the lone wolf was certain he wasn’t hovering over their ‘border’ and despite her defensive attitude – which was within her right – he was delighted to see another wolf.
“Sorry, miss.” His tone was sincere. “I don’t mean t’cause trouble. I can leave if ya’d like.”

table by sam · stock from dawnthieves.de

<blockquote>He smiled, and though that was probably a better reaction than being lunged at, Trisden didn't relax completely. Smooth words and dark intents... she had met a lot of types while she was away and on her own, and was not exactly quick to trust. Her residual issues from Kiche's preaching didn't help, either, though these days she tried to make judgements without relying on somebody else's invisible wisdom.

But his tail was beating the ground softly, and he inclined his head in response to her comment. Perhaps he wasn't going to be trouble. It was a curious place to rest for a while, though, for she could smell Grizzly Hollow even from here. She had never been able to relax knowing that she was so close to an unknown pack's territory.

When he spoke, his words were as smooth and nonthreatening as the rest of him, and she eyed him with growing curiosity. Her usual intrigues cautiously came back... where had he been, where was he going, who had he met? It was his offer of departure which helped to seal her gut instinct that he was not an immediate threat. Feeling emboldened, she stepped forward once, ears rising as she peered at him with open interest.

<b>"Strange place for a nap, don't you think? You just passing by?"</b></blockquote>

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He remained seated, evidently showing his desire to stay where he was, but to also show the young lass respect. The last thing he wished to do was make a suspicious move under the eyes of the wary, especially with a whole pack only a call away. It, however, appeared that she was slowly relaxing – swapping caution with curiosity. Her eyes openly interested and he allowed her step closer, tail wagging in response with a persistent friendly smile. It was then that the inquiries commenced. She asked him two simple questions, easy enough for Theo to ask without serious thinking. Nonetheless, he treaded lightly, wishing not to speak the incorrect words. He did not know, after all, if she were the type to easily anger.
“Strange place for a nap, don’t you think?” Glancing downward at the area around his paws, he nodded his head in agreement. “Sure is.” – Smile widened – “You just passing by?” “Sure am.” His eyes closed briefly in a slow blink, further showing that he was no threat. “I arrived yesterday in this here place. Pretty nice,” he paused and glanced over his shoulder, eying the direction in which he’d come. “I been a Loner for too long ‘n’ wanted to find a place to settle for the winter.” He explained. Though in all honesty, he hadn’t actually expected to run into a pack member, especially out this far. But it worked in his favor. It felt as if someone was trying to tell him something. His eyes returned to the woman, careful to focus away from her own and instead, he stared at her paws.
“Name’s Theodor Brown. Might I know you’ name, miss?”

table by sam · stock from dawnthieves.de

<blockquote>He was very chummy, this loner. Such friendliness almost made her more uneasy than if he had been hostile, because at least the latter made more sense. They were all rivals until some of them banded together or gave birth and then they were allies, just like that. Until they abandoned everyone else, at least. His compliment to the area came easily, and she nodded once in wary agreement, because she did love this forest herself, very much. He arrived only yesterday? Where would he be tomorrow, then? Maybe somewhere she knew.

Perhaps that was more true than she expected, as he laid clear his intentions. Was the thing to do to call for her mother and father, then? She could assess him and give them her judgement, but ultimately it wasn't her choice to accept him or turn him away, especially when he was so amiable. If he behaved like this around her mother, Trisden very much doubted that he would be facing a lonely winter any more.

Of course, that's when it all changed. She had been mulling the situation over when he opened his mouth again, and the first sounds of introduction came out, and, at first, she paid them as much attention as was polite.

<i>... my name's Theodor Brown.</i>

A weight fell on her heart.

Immediately she took a step back, eyes narrowing. She oh so wanted to look up, to glare at the sky, where <i>He</i> was somewhere - or so she had believed once, or so she did still believe, oh did it matter? - and to curse them for this cruelty. The memory of a dark face, of feeling in danger in her own home... then another day, running, running with her brother, and the hiss of the snake -

<b>"That's not funny,"</b> she growled, her reaction to something as simple a name too profound for common sense to yet pierce her bubble of troubling memory, the memory which had dictated so much of her life ever since and haunted her to this day.</blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Nov 21, 2012, 09:21 PM by Trisden.)

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His rambling mess seemed to be taken moderately well. She didn’t speak at all, but nodded in agreement to his wondering compliment of the terrain surrounding them. Theo couldn’t call her the quiet-type just yet. So far he decided that he hadn’t piped up the correct subject to get her talking. And so he would continue to throw randomly flowing words until she turned with sudden interest. He hoped to hear her voice bubbling with excitement. Yet as he introduced himself – or perhaps unknowingly before – the situation changed.
The air became tense… Theodor wasn’t certain what he said wrong, but it was obvious he had done what he tried desperately to keep from. Theodor ‘stepped’ on her toes. She stepped back, followed by growled words. His ears flicked back, lying against his skull in submission as his head crept closer to the ground in a silent apology – showing her once more that he was no threat and he hadn’t meant to offend her. He only hoped she was the type to explain what he’d done, to keep from doing it again in the future.
“Miss…?” His low voice was barely a murmur.

table by sam · stock from dawnthieves.de

<blockquote>Even as her emotions flared, guilt and anger boiling as one, the wolf before her shrank. Her eyes told her that he was confused even as her heart screamed at her to stop the hurt, her rational and irrational halves warring with each other. <i>He's innocent,</i> she whispered to herself, but what if it was a trick? She was trying to cast Him away and so he sends a sign to remind her of his presence, his power over her, her failings? Was he cruel or just? He had let Theo die, a young child full of potential and love, and now He was never going to let her forget that it was her fault, too.

<i>He's innocent.</i>

She blinked. Suddenly she saw this loner again as if for the first time, saw his submission, saw his open concern. <i>It's a coincidence.</i> But wasn't everything supposed to happen for a reason?! Maybe she was reading into signs which weren't there, and... was that the whole point? He was never going to reveal himself decisively, so she had nothing but faith to ride on, and why should she be expected to love a being which did not love her in return? Nothing He did was ever in her favour. She had trusted Him, and look at her now, snarling at coincidences.

She blinked again, and the hostility fell away, replaced by a weariness. Trisden could not afford to look weak in front of a perfect stranger, but she always felt so exhausted - her personal traumas took it all out of her, every time. They were so hard to let go of, and so she carried them everywhere, trying and failing to sort through them. But he was innocent, this... this Theodor. It was just a name. It was just a name, right?

<b>"I'm..."</b> she began, but <i>sorry</i> stuck in her throat. Her ears dropped down, as did her voice, a great sadness there that was too strong to hide. <b>"That was my brother's name."</b></blockquote>

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Gradually, the hostility began to melt into sadness. His amber eyes stared at the young woman with concern. Theo was, of course, bewildered by her behavior, but he was certain she had a good reason for it. Perhaps he had said something that brought a raw subject – something that had harmed her in the past somehow – and that was why Theodor was sorry, even if he did it unknowingly. The black male found this decision better than attacking her throat in return. He was a wolf – dominant and submissive when needed. This situation called for submission.
“I’m…” She began, rustling a curious itch in the back of Theo’s mind. ‘You’re…?’ He thought. Tongue tempted to spill words of question, but he kept quiet despite the inner struggle to keep his mouth under control. He had years of experience under his belt with dealing with various individuals, all having different personalities in spite of having similar ticks and tricks. She hadn’t completed her sentence, however, and started another. “That was my brother’s name.”
“Oh…” He murmured lightly, relaxing his previously tensed muscles but keeping his submissive pose until she displayed evident signs that it was alright to move into neutral posture. “Oh.” He spoke aloud again. Mind raced with various thoughts, overthinking the word ‘was’. She had a brother named Theodor – or Theodore – and… he was no longer around for one reason or another. His head nodded in understand, lip curling in a small smile whilst he gave her apologetic amber eyes.
“Ya might… could call me Ted, then, if ya’d like.” He couldn’t apologize, for ‘Theodor’ was his name that was blessed upon him by his parents. He wouldn’t throw it away for anyone.

table by sam · stock from dawnthieves.de

<blockquote><i>He's innocent.</i> Understanding of her words - of her particular phrasing - seeped into him, and she watched him, unsure whether she wanted him to react with kindness or hostility. If he was some awful trick, then she wanted to draw him out, make him show himself, but... but that was stupid, and the longer she stayed quiet, the more resolutely he remained innocent. She had decided to turn away from those superstitions, she reminded herself. That's all they were. Coincidences happened. Theo was... it was just a name.

To his credit, though, the Theodor before her chose to offer her an olive branch even regarding his very name. <b>"Ted?"</b> she repeated without thinking, surprised that he would care enough to make the suggestion. They weren't friends, why would he be worried about stirring up bad memories that were nothing to do with him? His easy kindness - small a gesture as it was, really - almost made her feel guilty for reacting so badly in the first place. It was... it was just a name. Theo was dead, it was in the past, and if she was going to pitch a fit every time something reminded her of him, then she might as well stop functioning right now.

<b>"Um. Okay."</b> It had been much simpler just to be angry, though. She wasn't sure how to be nice. At least she understood conversation etiquette, which gave her something easy to say: <b>"I'm Trisden."</b></blockquote>