Sacred Grove Etoh

She was staying within the general area of The Wildwood- why was there a need to be moving so fast? There wasn't. She awakes from beneath the oak tree, her eyes blinking slowly as she raises her head. Her left ear twitches as the call of a starling rings out through the cool air. Itai tucks her head back down and lets her tail flop over her nose. Get up, you lazy son of a- She whips her head up now, releasing a heavy breath of air. Ugh. Another day in this unknown land.

This was so troublesome. She had no idea where she was or where she was going. Searching for a new home was difficult. Glyph had come to its end; she had no choice but to go on her own. Now on her paws, Itai shakes her coat out and stretches before walking toward another tree. She peers up and stares at the starling before walking once more. Her stomach growls now, making her wince. Rabbit? Rabbit. She had decided what she was going to have for breakfast.

Itai lowers her nose to the earth now and takes in air through her dark nostrils. The scents here were overwhelming- though it was winter, it seemed to be so alive. Itai takes about ten minutes before she picks up a steady scent of rabbit. It was time to track.

How can I call myself 'King'

-- T a i n n --

if I can't hold my own castle?

Checking up on his mother's markers should have been on of the top priorities on his agenda today, but something else had Fenru Tainn distracted. He also should have been checking on his routinely patrols that Ice Aesir, Swift River's newly ascended Leader, had also made his rounds and marked the territory that was now rightly his. Instead, his mind went to Aiyana and immediately after getting up for the day he began to make his way around Sacred Grove, searching to and fro among several of her hiding places he knew about.

Little hollows in the sides of trees, nooks and crannies in-between the Grove's ancient oak roots, small depressions in the melting snow... all were empty. He pressed onward, hoping that the scent of foraging hares might have caught her attention. He allowed himself a smile, if she was nowhere in her usual hideouts then, perhaps, the little Darkling was finally practicing some much needed life skills. Spring was on the rise and, soon, her days as a yearling would be put to the test; Fenru would not let her fall idle as he had done when he was her age, wrought with worry and lost without even the inkling of what he ought to do for the pack.

Onward he went, scanning the growing foliage around him for even the slightest hint of dark fur. The sound of packed snow somewhere to his right caught his interest and his tail fell into a sort of anxious wag, twitchy at best but overal still grand in gesture. Fenru strode past a few trees, only to become disappointed as he realized that the perfume that curled in his nostrils did not belong to his youngest sister. He caught sight of the young woman as she set her nose to the ground, apparently eager to track something - or someone - down.

He took care in announcing his presence by clearing his throat, not wanting to startle her after assuming her senses were extremely alert for even the slightest sound of fleeing prey. At the back of his mind a mental map of all of Angier's old caches came up and, fleetingly, he hoped she would not discover any of them. Not that they were kept full these days, but he regularly visited them to deposit a morsel or two just in case he ever needed something to tide him over for the day. "Rabbit warren's that way," he disclosed, waiting to see if she would look at him before he gestured with his nose which direction he meant. "They don't usually come deep into the woods... no room underground with deep roots and such."

you cannot break me, i thrive regardless

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(This post was last modified: Mar 05, 2013, 12:12 AM by Fenru.)

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She took a few steps forward as her nose began to twitch. There was the sound of a clearing voice... then the voice itself. Muscles tense as she looks up; her eyes meet his. He did not seem to mean any harm, from what she could observe. She loosens her muscles now and turns toward him. Itai tilts her head before she speaks "I do suppose that makes sense." She offers a light nod of her head and a small smile before her nose detects other wolves. The wolf before her carried a thick scent of others. Was she in their territory?

Not jumping to conclusions, Itai decides to speak again. "I apologize if I am intruding your territory" her careful eyes watched him; she watches for every physical movement and listens to every word and tone of voice. Her ears appear to be lax now, but she is still carefully listening. She drops her gaze for a moment to look at the ground. Lots of roots, huh? If a rabbit could live here... it would undoubtedly be safe... Itai brings herself away from her thoughts and raises her head.

Well, if she was going to get chased off, the wolf would do it now. She had been chased off twice before, but those wolves never even spoke to her. It was an immediate chase. This was a lovely change of pace. What would he do?

(This post was last modified: Mar 04, 2013, 01:30 PM by Itai.)

How can I call myself 'King'

-- T a i n n --

if I can't hold my own castle?

“I do suppose that makes sense.” Oh, good… This lone lady was a civil one. The yearling nodded in return, watching as she relaxed. His own stance was defensive and beginning to border on a more intimidating position; the fur at his nape had bristled and his tail had absentmindedly curled in a proud arch behind him. She apologized and immediately he drew back. He lifted his skull and relaxed his tail; his once tense shoulders eased back to their normal positions. Even his ears eased up from being angled forward.

Fenru sniffed, remembering that he had made note some time ago that he had left his family’s territory only a handful of minutes ago. “You’re not,” he retorted. “Er, I mean...” Oh, boy… Here we go. C’mon, Fen, don’t make it awkward… One side of his muzzle wrinkled up in disgust of the terrible correction he had tried to make. “I-I mean, I know you're sorry. I... I meant to say you’re not… you’re not intruding,” he sputtered. Phew! A deep breath was enough to clear his head and he focused back on her, his face and posture recomposed, neutral and unimposing despite his substantial size.

“You are very close though,” he added. “And my family does not take kindly to strangers these days.” His ivory chest puffed out with a sense of pride, his orange irises fully trained on her every movement now. "You haven't seen a dark-furred girl about have you?" A flicker of hope seemed to soften the expression on his face, and any implication that had hardened his eyes seemed to have gone completely. It really wasn't the best tangent to start a conversation with, but he only hoped he hadn't intimidated her further.

you cannot break me, i thrive regardless

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Itai leans back as she takes in Fenru's stance. His fur was bristled; he looked intimidating. This was something she certainly did not want. She holds her breath. After her apology, the wolf seemed to calm. Itai leans back forward now, balancing herself out. Her fear held her for a moment's notice, but she decides that she is safe. "I see..." she says, her voice trailing off. Family doesn't take kindly to strangers, huh? I wonder what has happened... If she could lift a brow, she most certainly would have. Curiosity begins to weave itself through her mind.

Breaking away from her thoughts, she shrugs lightly. "Can't say I have, unfortunately." The curiosity weaves itself deeper into her mind. He has asked her a question- now it was her turn. She kneads the earth with her paws in an uncomfortable manner before she looks at Fenru. It is not a deep stare, but a shallow one. She looks past him, hoping to give off the submissive attitude. There was absolutely no need for tension. "Excuse my sudden asking.... but are there many packs around here?"

Hopefully the wolf would be willing to answer. He had asked her something rather random, anyways. It was her turn. As a light breeze blows, Itai shivers slightly. The wind carries the scent of game; Itai closes her eyes. She would not be rude and slip off to search for food. Besides, this wolf could call his packmates and tear her pelt right off.

(This post was last modified: Mar 05, 2013, 06:14 PM by Itai.)

How can I call myself 'King'

-- T a i n n --

if I can't hold my own castle?

"Can't say I have, unfortunately," she revealed. The yearling stood still, blinking only once before nodding his head. Well, at least he had the favor of meeting this woman instead of Aiyana... The girl had probably taken off to more practical sanctuaries, well away from the borders where she might risk having family members encroach on her seemingly constant need for solitude. Given her age Fenru could only be grateful that she was old enough to fend for herself during the hours when he could not check up on her.

The rogue's question brought him back to the present and it only took seconds for him to compile a list to validate that there were a number of families and bands around the Grove. He slightly frowned, suddenly becoming unsure of his answer; having not heard from his Uncle Ruiko in months put a damper on his once sanguine response. "Not around here," he declared, insinuating that his pack was the only one around in this part of Relic Lore. Without even hesitating, he continued, excluding Poison Path's existence somewhere on the eastern mountainside, "If you head West, I know there are two who make their homes within the woodlands there. In light of current matters though - the knowledge of sickness and violent wolves moving through here westbound - I'm unable to tell you if they still stand."

Observant eyes caught her shiver and he had to remind himself that he had delayed the beginnings of her hunting excursion. Even from roughly a mile away the traces of prey reached his own nostrils as the cool Spring breeze wafted past them. A part of him felt guilty, the usual squirrel he tried to offer to his sisters was absent from his jowls; today, he had considered bringing them something he had cached away instead to save energy. Though, as generous as he wanted to be, he would not feed a lone wolf from his family's stores - Swift River was still a large, rebuilding pack and whatever resources they had was absolutely needed in the months ahead. Needless to say, after what happened between him and Angier he would not stand to see any wolf apart from his family take or receive anything that rightfully belonged to his pack.

"Would you like me to show you where the rabbit burrows are?" His tone might have been a bit on the unfeeling side still, but just underneath the surface with the aid of a wagging tail, Fenru made an attempt to prove that the concept of chivalry still truly lived and breathed within him.

you cannot break me, i thrive regardless

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She stands and listens intently to the wolf's every single word. She rarely misses any word he speaks. Well, that wasn't a precise response, but it's something. It seemed she would have to do a bit more traveling to find a wolf who knows. Then, the wolf asked a question. Rabbit burrows? Her tail wagged a bit, though it remained lowered. A spark of energy began to rev her up. With a soft grin, she responds "That would be lovely" She dips her head in thanks.

Why was he doing this for her? Would a pack get angry for helping a loner obtain food? Itai shakes her head, freeing her from her deep thoughts. The grin she sported moments ago was gone now, and she almost frowned. She gazes at the wolf in front of her. She waits for him to begin walking, but she cannot help but ask what is on her mind. "I'm sorry...but... why would you want to help a loner get food?" At this point, Soul shies up. She shrinks away from the wolf, almost embarrassed to have asked- but she was curious. She wanted to know.

How can I call myself 'King'

-- T a i n n --

if I can't hold my own castle?

He returned her nod with a broad smile, the smile touching his eyes even as she shied away. Walking past her while wagging his tail he gave a soft chuckle. "Well," he started, his voice becoming more amiable and personable. "Honestly... it wouldn't really hurt if I also intended to bring something back for my sisters." He started to lead her through the dense, lifeless grass and towering trees, using his nose to navigate along an invisible trail he had traveled only a handful of times before. "Besides, it'll be easier to hunt with two heads instead of just one."

His stride lengthened as he strode along with renewed purpose, his gait an easy lope that welcomed further conversation as they traveled. For some time he kept quiet until they were halfway along his usual route towards the hunting grounds and clear of any nearby cache he didn't want her nosing through. "You're not from around this part of the Lore... are you?" he questioned curiously, suddenly remembering the foreign-speaking wolf he had met just yesterday and just how shut in he had been for the past few months.

He looked back at her, the mask on his face still accompanied by a boyish, but equally winsome, smile. "I was born here, haven't every really left since." Fenru wasn't at all sure what the girl would do with this bit of personal information, but he hoped it would coax her into at least giving him something about how she had come to his small corner of the world.

you cannot break me, i thrive regardless

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A soft breeze blows as Fenru passes the female, his tail wagging. With the smile toying at the corners of her lips, she follows behind him. She has a few moments of trouble when they're walking; it's hard to hear the wolf as he walks away from her. She pads a bit quicker, getting more in earshot. She nods her head to his next sentences "That is true" she says softly about his hunting comment.

Her tail sways as she paces behind him. Her head shakes lightly "I'm not.... honestly, I have no idea where I'm going." The reality slaps her in the face, yet she keeps walking along. She had realized that forever ago, but every time she re-realizes it, it's just as surprising as it was the first time. Her head tilts at his words, and her ears twitch before she speaks once more.

"Have you wanted to leave?" It was an innocent question, left up to be answered however Fenru would like. "Like... just to explore if you wanted to?" She feels like she added too much, and she grows silent and awaits.

(This post was last modified: Mar 11, 2013, 07:15 PM by Itai.)

How can I call myself 'King'

-- T a i n n --

if I can't hold my own castle?

Her question nipped at him and he briefly stopped to look at her with the most puzzled of expressions. "I have," he admitted, the awareness seemingly visibly washing over him. "But... I can't leave. I am the last remaining male of my generation. My mother's only son." He took a step forward, his tail lifting in a gentle wag. "My family needs me."

Fenru cracked a toothy grin, "I already come and go as I please." The pompousness of the statement might not have been very becoming of him as his chest swelled again from the accuracy of the fact, but the bits of devotion that had shone through in the sentences before seemed to narrowly redeem him. He scoffed softly to himself; he reminded himself of Rihael in all his vain and overbearing ways. Swallowing as he continued along his path, he tested the air with an upward tilt of his head then reconsidered his path. Heading around along to where he considered the back of the series of rabbit tunnels seemed like the best way to go. Usually, he caught one of the male hares resting at the front and would, without a doubt, catch sight and smell of them before either could open their jowls.

"Here," he whispered, his movements slowing as he rounded about a thick-trunked beech tree. His head and tail lowered, his barrel-like chest sinking downward as he crept along edges of a vast clearing. Vivid and calculating amber eyes scanned the various holes in the ground. "That tunnel there," he pointed to the nearest tunnel with his nose, "belongs to one of the many does. If I start digging at one end, she and sometimes other youngsters with her come out on the other end there... at two possible exits." He turned his head slightly to point out two other holes on the immediate opposite of the first entrance he pointed out. "And, if they realize there's danger on that other end, they'll come running back and choose the other exit." He tried another smile, "Sound like a plan?" He hoped it would work, he had only done this strategy once before.

you cannot break me, i thrive regardless

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