A New Friend

(Afternoon, March 1st)

Kieth growled in frustration as his fur snagged onto yet another one of those darn branches. This is growing tiresome! he thought angrily as he pulled it out with his teeth. Shaking his head, he continued on his way, but was more careful of the wispy branches that sought to snag his fur. Pausing, he looked around him to check if there was anything behind him, but all he saw was that his paws were creating small dents in the soft soil behind him, making a trail that other wolves would be able to follow. He had noted before that the thick undergrowth hid all of the dips and lumps that wolves would fall susceptible to. Unconsciously, he rubbed his left back leg with his other one. A few hours before, he had tripped over a lump in the ground, landing on his side. Imagine if his family had seen that; they would all have laughed. Smiling to himself at the thought of his family, he turned to face the front and continued on his trek.

This place, the Ghastly Woods, gave him the chills. He had hoped to find a way around it, but that would mean he would have to backtrack over the mountain again. And that was hard enough doing it once, nevermind twice. So he made up his mind and decided to go through the Ghastly Woods, whether he liked it or not. The thick canopies shut out almost all of the light, making it even harder to see where he was going. No birds were singing, everything was silent except for a rustle every now and then. It seemed that even the birds got the creeps in this place. As the wind shifted, he caught a whif of a deer herd. Lifting his nose up into the air, he also caught scent of a wolf. He followed the direction of the scent, hoping to find thr wolf before night fell. If it was friendly enough, of course. It was bad enough walking through the Ghastly Woods alone during the day, but what about night? The more he thought about it, the less he liked the notion of being alone.

Suddenly, a bird squawked and Kieth flinched, almost tripping over another pothole. He looked around quickly, for any sign of danger that the bird might have seen, but only saw a blackbird rise up from a branch and fly away. Getting to his feet, he gave a quick glance in every direction before continuing. In doing so, his actions reminded him of Jade. The sweet, young wolf he had met in the Drooping Willows and again on the mountain. He missed her, and dearly hoped of meeting her once again. But she must be very close to Steel, so he would probably never see her again. Nevertheless, life goes on and you should never dwell on the past.

Trotting at a fast pace, he looked around and lifted his nose to the air. The scent was much closer now, and so was the deer herd. But it was still quite a distance away. He shifted into a slow lope, and gave a soft howl. Hopefully it was not too loud as to alert the whole of Ghastly Woods to his presence.

Kieth continued until he came upon a large tree. The scents were very close now, so he decided to wait for the wolf to show up, if it did at all. He had to be content with lying next to the root of the huge tree. Sitting in a sphinx-like position, he kept his eyes open and ears listening for any danger while he rested his tired body. But a ridge on the tree trunk's surface dug into his back, so he moved his position, accidently putting pressure on a stick and snapping it. A loud crack resonated throughout the woods. He heard the flapping of multiple wings, and looking around, he spotted the retreating backs of a flock of birds. Cursing silently, he scolded himself for being so careless. Usually he would have been more careful, but living alone had taken its toll on him. His thick coat and muscly body had grown thin, thin enough so that you just see the last point of his ribcage. At that point, a rustling sound coming from the brush. "Hello?" Kieth called out as he glanced in its direction, waiting to see what it would reveal.

(This post was last modified: Mar 02, 2013, 04:27 AM by Kieth.)

You can run, but you can't hide

The over-sized russet wolf traveled in silence, with a bittersweet taste in his mouth. Nina had finally come home, with Koda in tow no less and he was finally free to go to Narime'. He should have been over the moon and honestly, he was. But he would miss the Woodlands pack. He had grown to care for them deeply and though he loved his mate more than life itself he would always carry a piece of them in his heart. Their two packs would surely be allies as well, despite the distance between them. Secret Woodlands had allied itself with Willow Ridge and he and Nari would do the same with both packs. They would share deep friendships as well as relatives so it made sense to him to do so.

The scent of deer intruded on his serious thoughts and his belly growled loudly. He was a loner again and stood little chance of taking one down on his own unless one of them was half dead already despite his skill and size. He harbored no illusions about reality, but his belly made him follow the trail regardless of the unlikely outcome. Soon he found himself in the Ghastly Woods and he frowned. He really didn't like this region and had not planned on coming here, but the deer apparently had little regard for what he wanted! He was closing in on the deer, their trail getting fresher and his belly growing tight in what was likely false anticipation when a low howl split the air.

His large head lifted and his ears swiveled to pinpoint the origin of the lonely sounding howl. He decided that the deer could wait, as they were likely a waste of his time anyways and he altered his course slightly to follow the song to it's source, backtracking just a bit in the process. The howl had long died away and Sloane wasn't sure anymore if he was on the right track. The thought crossed his mind to forget about it and get back to his fruitless tracking of the deer. Whoever it was hadn't sounded distressed or in pain, merely lonely perhaps?

Just then a loud snap sounded, echoing through the silent forest and his attention was drawn to a spot not too far from where he was. Cautiously he moved forward once more until a wary voice called out "Hello?". Zeroing in on the voice, Sloane started walking again and soon came upon a male coated in dark shades of greys, browns and black with pale grey eyes, perhaps a couple of years older than himself laying at the base of a large dreary looking tree.

He carried himself with confidence, but waved his tail amicably. With a smile, he introduced himself to the unknown male. "Hello, there! I'm Sloane Thorben. I heard your call and wanted to be sure that you were all right."

Knight of Honor

It was a few moments before a large russet coloured wolf came out of the bushes. The male wolf had piercing amber eyes and looked much larger than himself. He saw that the male carried himself with confidence but also smiled, and when he introduced himself as Sloane, Kieth relaxed his tensed shoulders. He looked at Sloane before replying. "Hello Sloane, I'm Kieth Tatum." As he introduced himself, he noted that the male looked younger than him, but only by a few years. He stood up, and looked closely Sloane. He was by far much larger than him and he could see muscles under his coat. Giving a few shakes of his brush, he smiled. "There's nothing to worry about, I just scented you in the distance and decided to investigate." And then he remembered that he also scented a deer herd. "But I hope I didn't interfere with your hunting." He added sheepishly.

He looked around at the trees; they were much different from the ones in the Drooping Willows. These were tall and had wispy branches and thick canopies that almost completely covered the sky. While in the Drooping Willows the long branches dipped into the lakes and the land was smooth, unlike in the Ghastly Woods. He turned back to Sloane. This wolf didn't seem like a loner, but it would be better to ask. "If I may ask, are you a loner or do you belong in a pack?" Kieth swiveled his ears toward Sloane, waiting for his reply.

As he waited for Sloane to speak, he felt his belly rumble. The dark grey wolf hadn't eaten since the morning before, and he needed quite a bit of sustenance to keep going. The scent of deer in the distance was almost overpowering in his sensitive nose, and being hungry didn't help either. Well, I guess I'm just going to have to wait. He thought to himself.

(This post was last modified: Mar 01, 2013, 08:19 AM by Kieth.)

You can run, but you can't hide

Sloane looked the darker male over while he himself was seemingly evaluated. This was the way of the wild, seeing strengths and weaknesses of unknown wolves and making snap decisions on whether of not to trust one another. The older male seemed friendly enough and curiosity couldn't be faulted. He appeared healthy enough, if a bit thin, but given that winter was nearly over and the life of a loner was not an easy one it was expected. When he gave his name in response to Sloane's introduction, he nodded his head politely and gave him a friendly smile.

Keith expressed a concern that he might have interrupted Sloane's hunt and with that he gave a small chuckle. "No, you didn't interrupt anything that might have ended successfully on my own. Merely my stomach leading my paws!" He had known that a half dead deer would have to have been among the herd for a single wolf, even one of his size and abilities to get a meal. Eventually, he would sate his hunger with something more manageable so he wasn't too concerned. The other wolf spoke again and hispolite words, "If I may ask, are you a loner or do you belong in a pack?" brought a thoughtful look to his face for a moment.

He had just left Nina and Koda's pack behind, so technically he was a loner once more. However, he traveled south to claim Narime' and found a pack of his own so it was to be a fleeting status. With a shrug of a russet shoulder he answered, "Well, the answer to that is both. I have just left my friend's pack to the west of here and I'm headed south to collect my queen and found our own pack. Do you have a home that you are headed to?" A part of him was hoping that he did not. He and Nari would need more good members to build a strong pack. Perhaps Keith could be one such member if the fancy struck him. He seemed polite and healthy which was always a good start. Loyalty and trust would come.

(This post was last modified: Mar 01, 2013, 09:55 PM by Sloane.)

Knight of Honor

Kieth flicked his fluffy brown ears in Sloane's direction with concern on his face. He hoped that he hadn't interfered with the male's hunting as he knew how hard it was to catch anything in winter.When the large russet wolf told him that he hadn't, a surge of relief shot throughout Kieth. Atleast now he knew that he hadn't bothered the other male. The dark grey male wagged his tail and smiled. Sloane was a friendly and polite wolf, which said a lot to him. Seeing as he never had patience for deceptive wolves, and never would. Maybe they could become friends when they parted ways. Even though It was just a thought, Kieth held onto it. For he hadn't made any friends except for Jade.

The dark grey wolf saw a thoughtful look cross Sloane's face briefly at his question before answering. Kieth gave an acknowledging nod at the russet wolf's words. But one part made him think intently. "Do you have a home that you are headed to?" A brief look of thoughtfulness crossed his face as he took in Sloane's words. In his head, he gave the short answer; no. But Kieth gave a small shake of his head. He wouldn't give a yes or no answer to Sloane. Looking at the russet wolf, he gave a shrug before answering. "Not yet. But I am hoping to find one soon."

Maybe, just maybe, Sloane would think of adding the dark grey male to the pack he was creating. He had been wandering Relic Lore for far too long, and wished to have a place to call home. With that thought in his mind, he opened his mouth to speak. "If you are willing to let me, I would gladly join your pack." Kieth sincerely hoped that Sloane would say yes. "Being a lone wolf isn't as much fun as I thought it would be." He admitted.

(This post was last modified: Mar 02, 2013, 01:31 AM by Kieth.)

You can run, but you can't hide

(Trying to stay vague on some details since this thread is now placed after the Pack-Wide Meeting!)

Sloane was curious and hopeful at the same time as he waited to see what Keith would say and he wasn't disappointed. The other man was looking to join a pack and even offered up the possibility of joining Sloane and Narime's soon-to-be pack. His new-found confidence in his leadership abilities flared up and he stood even prouder at the offer. Although he had been groomed to be a leader from birth, his sire had been murdered when he was barely a yearling. He had been a loner for nearly a year and then a subordinate for many months. His short time leading by Nina's side had reassured him that he was more than capable of taking on the responsibility of leadership.

He agreed with Keith's assessment of life as a loner as well... it was no fun at all. Especially for a gregarious wolf like him. He like to be around others, plain and simple. His time as a loner, especially one filled with hate and dreams of revenge, were most certainly not the highlights of his life. "No the life of a loner is far from fun or glamorous, especially in the cold season. Thankfully, we've made it through that!' He thought on Keith's offer for a moment then gave the smaller man a heartfelt smile. "I rather like the idea of you joining our family Keith Tatum."

The over-sized russet wolf thought on all that he'd just learned at the meeting and knew that he had an even bigger reason to get to Narime' as soon as possible. Her pack members had been there, but with all that had come to light, his protective instinct was gnawing at him to get to her side as soon as possible. His bright amber gaze met Keith's silvery one. "I have just learned of a danger in the land and need to get to the Willows quickly. If you care to, you may accompany me but the journey will be fast and long." He was not built for speed, but his need to see his mate would drive his large mass forward as nothing else could.

Knight of Honor

(So sorry that it's so short and choppy, I have a major cold right now. But I really wanted to get it up for you!)

When the large russet wolf agreed to his statement about being a lone wolf, he gave a smile. It seemed that both of them had a quite a few things in common. Although his words also brang back memories of the harsh winter. He hated having to huddle up next to large tree roots or in thickets and starving every other day. Those were definitely not happy times for him. When the memories faded, he flicked his ears in Sloane's drection to catch the rest of his words. When Sloane agreed to allow him to join their pack, he gave a wide smile and multiple shakes of his thick brush. Now he wouldn't have to worry about where he was going to sleep next, or whether he was going to starve or not. Hopefully the new memories he was going to have will be much better than his ones now during his stay in Relic Lore.

The dark grey wolf was about to open his mouth and say his thanks but Sloane had already started speaking. A danger? Where? He thought. But when Sloane finished speaking, Kieth nodded. "I will accompany you on your journey to the Willows. And don't worry, I'll keep up." He gave a small chuckle at his own words. He wasn't that old. The dark grey wolf could run fast if he chose to, and this was one of those cases. "But if I may, what is the danger you speak of?" He added. The dark grey wolf wasn't in touch with many wolves, and hadn't seen any danger. But it was best to know, so there was a chance of avoiding it.

You can run, but you can't hide

The older male seemed quite fine with the plan, promising not to slow him down. Sloane almost laughed at the comment, given that older or not, Keith was a much speedier wolf than himself. When he went on and inquired about the danger, a part of Sloane wanted to put it off in his hurry to head south, but Keith deserved to know as much as any wolf. That had been the reason of the regional meeting. To share information and to alert everyone of the danger.

He gave a brief not and merely summarized. "There is an illness in the land. It is fatal and highly contagious through a bite. The infected do not seem to know reality in the end which makes them even more dangerous as they don't know what they are doing and will attack randomly. The sickness was brought here by strangers over the mountains and worse yet, these strangers are taking the young for some unknown reason. Some have already died." His voice died away, but his sense of urgency had returned with the telling.

"It's time to go now." He turned and set off at a fairly brisk lope, knowing that he would not be able to maintain it for long but needing to hurry right now. He knew that Keith would be with him. If his initial instincts about the older male were correct, he had committed to stay with Sloane and Narime' when they reached her and he wouldn't go back on his word. At least for the first leg, they traveled in relative silence, saving breath for exertion and giving each time with his own thoughts.

Knight of Honor

Just PPing Sloane a tiny bit. Tell me if you want it changed.

Kieth listened attentatively at Sloane's speech about the danger in Relic Lore, for it could mean a difference of life or death. He nodded when the large russet finished speaking. "I will be careful to watch out for them," He spoke in his deep, velvety voice. The danger that Sloane just told him about was very useful information. These wolves that came over the mountain, they must be looking for something. But what?

With these thougths rambling along in his head, he almost missed Sloane's next words. "It's time to go now." He watched as Sloane turned and set off at a lope. The dark grey male followed suite and soon, they were side by side. Sloane set a fairly brisk pace that Kieth knew they wouldn't be able to hold up for long. But it seemed that he was urgent to get to the Willows. But that wasn't the dark grey male's business to interfere with, unless he asked. "If I may, why is it that you are so urgent to get to the Willows?" He let the words hang there, letting the large russet wolf take his time to answer.

He looked around at the scenery rushing by. It hadn't changed much, but there was an improvement. The trees weren't so large and the branches were now higher up on their trunks. After a few moments, he looked at Sloane briefly before turning to the front. The large grey male could hear the beat of their paws hitting the ground. His own foot falls were more frequent as he used his speed to boost him forward. But Sloane used his own strength to push off from the ground.

Kieth started to puff after a while, he wasn't used to running so far and fast. He looked at Sloane and saw that the large russet wolf was acting similarly. They had already made up much ground in the first leg or so, but Kieth could hold up for longer. But maybe they should take it easy for a bit, and then resume their brisk pace. "Maybe we should take it easy for a while, and then resume our pace again?" He said, panting slightly. It would do them good to rest for a bit, or atleast trot if Sloane didn't want to stay still while they rested.

You can run, but you can't hide

They kept the brisk pace that he set up for a good while, but he could feel his lungs and muscles beginning to burn. Sheer willpower kept him going. Keith had asked him why he was in such a hurry and he gave him an almost breathless smile before he answered. "Narime', my mate, waits for me and given this extreme threat I feel as if I need to be with her as soon as possible." After catching his breath from the exertion of the quick pace and speaking at the same time, he laughed and said "I can rest later!" He had no illusions that he would be quite sore from his current actions, but he felt the trade off would be worth it in the end.

After a while, he could hear little else but his own harsh breathing and he almost did a double take when Keith suggested a break. He was loath to stop completely just yet, but he gave a nod of his large head and eased their pace down to an energetic walk for a few minutes and then down to a normal walk, giving their muscles time to cool down naturally. They would walk for a while and then rest. They repeated the whole process four or five times with a stop for the night to break it all up. It was thus that they arrived at the edges of the willows the next day, both tired and travel weary.

He didn't know about Keith, but his fatigue meant little in the face of soon claiming Narime' for his own. He had to admit respect for the older wolf that had kept up with his hard pace without complaint. He knew that both of them would be feeling the effects for a couple of days, but it wasn't anything they couldn't handle, he was sure. Coming to a stop at the edge of the trees he turned to the dark male and gave him an appraising look. He had proven that he had grit and Sloane instinctively liked him. He was glad that he had run into him before he headed south since he felt that he would make an excellent addition to his and Narime's pack.

"I'm going to go deeper in the Willows from here to Narime's pack borders. Why don't you take a look around the lagoon to the southwest of here? It is beautiful there and we can meet up soon. Now, I need to go and collect my Lady!" He waited for a moment and then turned southward to call for his silver lady.

Knight of Honor