Hush Meadow Just like constellations

The rain, though light, had been never ending. His coat was drenched and matted down to his skin, making it seem almost black. The soft ground under him molded to his paws with every step. The pink light of the evening spread warmth through his body, but it soon would be gone. These were the times he preferred to travel. His coat blended well with darkness, giving him the advantage over meal prospects. This time it had been the promising aroma of prey pulling him forward. Aside from that, he was still a loner, without purpose in this world. Simply just there to fill up the space, traveling endlessly. He liked that life though. He chose it above all else, and didn't enjoy holding ties to any one place. Though these lands had proved themselves abundant in food, and with that came the ever present smell of wolves. Usually he strayed away from the scent, trying to keep to himself. That was likely the reason he hadn't met too many wolves in his time moving across the lore.

Asterion could hear movement ahead of him. He assumed it was prey, as his nose told him, but there was another scent in the meadow. His instincts told him to stick to the tree line, and so he did. His dark coat weaved through the trees, waiting to walk out in the open. There was a pack in the area and this was likely their hunting grounds. He would rather not run into a pack, only to be run off. He would scope out the area, and hopefully catch a glimpse of the wolf roaming out there. It was only when he caught sight of a red pelt that he stepped out. Instincts driving him toward the fox, too busy digging to notice him. She was a rather small vixen, likely digging out an old abandoned den. His blue eyes focused on her, while his muzzle crumpled into a snarl. With teeth barred at the fox, he flew in her direction. His paws turned up the ground, as his nose worked overtime. The femme had caught on to him, and ran opposite the tree line. The chase that ensued didn't last long. He was too close when she even realized he was there, and so he remained just a step behind her. Using the rest of his energy to pounce on top of her, his jaws clamped around her back. The pair toppled over, but he kept his hold. She let out an ear piercing scream, and with another snap toward her neck he felt the bones crunch under him. She was gone, and he had a meal.

Knowing that any wolves in the area could have heard that scream, he began working to pull the carcass into the treeline. The scent of blood was filling his nose and distracting him from any scents around him. He refused to lose this catch, so he picked up the light vixen and tried padding toward the trees as fast as possible while holding the little thing.

Light rain — Current Temperature: 37° F/3° C

Minka had been chasing foxes away from the pack borders for days, it seemed that they were everywhere which was strange, there had never been this many before. Some wolves chose to kill and eat them, but the fae found that they tasted far too canine for her liking and it made her feel like a cannibal, so she tried to avoid this at all costs. Her snout just a few inches from the ground she trotted forward, there was a scent of vixen, but also a strong scent of rogue. The she wolf paused, taking the scent again to be sure, yes, there is definitely a rogue in the area, I should make sure that whoever it is does not have any intention of harming the pups.

With Narime due in a few weeks everything and everyone revolved around the alpha being happy and healthy, so that the pups could be delivered safely and without any kind of complication. A rogue in the area could be quite stressful, so Minka planned on taking care of the matter herself so as to not add anymore stress upon her leader. The tawny wolf crept to the edge of the meadow, in the tree lines and from her advantage point could see a male snaking between the trees, obviously just moving through the meadow, he seemed to have no intention of trying to come in contact with the pack. Then his eyes locked on something, and Minka noticed the vixen as well, digging in the middle of the valley.

When the rogue leapt after the fox the fae stepped back a few paces so as to be further hidden by the tree cover, she was sure that he could smell her presence, but she would rather not be seen quite yet. Then the chase was over and the femme was dead, Minka stepped forward, her tail half raised, a neutral position. This was not part of pack grounds so he was as welcome to be there as she was, especially if he had no intentions of coming into contact with her pack. She stood observing the rogue for a few moments as he continued for the cover of the trees, but she kept silent waiting for him to notice her standing there, the next move was up to him.

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The small fox in his jaws hung limp, proving herself a dead weight. Asterion wasn't weak by any means, but with her in his mouth he wasn't as agile. Every bounce of his shoulders had the vixen jerking his head downward, and it was making for a slow retreat. Once he had reached the trees he set the body down. Her bright fur was in contrast with the muddy ground she laid upon. It was almost disheartening, staring down at the little creature. Her sacrifice would mean he could continue on for another day, but would there come a time when he would provide life for another? It was something he preferred not to think about. Pushing the ideas of life and death from his mind, he moved to more important matters.

Blue eyes scanned the meadow in which he had came from as an overwhelming sensation racked his body. His hackles raised, and he took an offensive stance. Asterion wasn't one to be taken by surprise, and if he were to be attacked, he wasn't going to take it laying down. It was at that point that he caught the scent of another wolf. It was the same he had smelled before his hunt. She was obviously female, and she wore the fragrance of the nearest pack. His senses told him that she was alone, and he immediately relaxed. The hair on his neck fell back into place, his tail dropped into a neutral position, and he lowered his head. The problem now was finding her.

He wasn't sure why he decided to seek out this female. Maybe it was because she could obviously see him, and he didn't feel comfortable being watched. Maybe there was another reason, but whatever his motivation, he was determined to find her. Once he began looking, it wasn't difficult to spot her. She had made no attempt to keep herself hidden, as she was in plain sight. He stepped toward her, taking care to keep a neutral posture. "Hello miss. I'm not encroaching on your hunting grounds am I?" He queried, keeping his tone light.

she doesn't care how she gets there, as long as she gets somewhere she knows... The fae stayed silent, a statue in the meadow her eyes watching curiously as the male seemed to struggle to pull his meal into the woods. Now that she had left her safety of the tree cover the light rain was meeting her fur, beginning to soak its way into the top layer of her coat. She knew that anyone could see her and she hoped that she had been correct in the fact that he was alone, she raised her muzzle slightly scenting the air again. Yes, he is alone, at least as far as I can tell, so what is he doing to close to pack lands if he doesn't mean to join? It was curious, but now he had made it into the trees and Minka was surprised when he did not continue into the cover, he merely stashed his meal there. Then his hackles rose, and the fae raised her own in response, sinking down slightly upon her front paws, ready to pounce in defense should the rogue charge and attack her. She had little fighting experience and would never be the one to initiate a fight, but she had plenty of hunting experience and she was sure she could manage to defend herself if she really needed to. The male seemed to relax, for what reason she did not know, and Minka took scent of the air again, it is just the two of us here, why did he suddenly relax? Does he plan on attacking, or was he only looking for a meal? But if it just the meal then why has he stayed? So many questions and the only person who could answer her would be this wolf, but she stayed silent watching, waiting for him to approach her. Then he did, and Minka lowered her tail into a nuetral position, but kept her head held up so that she could keep an eye on him in case he tried to take her off guard. "We do hunt here, but it is not part of our pack grounds and it in no way belongs to the pack, you have not encroached on our territory That should answer his question, but now it was time for one of her own, she looked him directly in the eye and asked," Yet I am curious, what are you doing this close to pack lands? If it is alright that I ask. The words polite and the question was genuine, she really was just curious and meant no harm to this rogue.

table by mimi

(This post was last modified: Apr 26, 2013, 02:15 PM by Minka.)

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The grey skies overhead were blocking the last remains of daylight. The Earth around them had fallen into darkness, and even the birds had ceased their chirping. The sun had taken the warmth with it, leaving only a wind chill that his damp fur couldn't keep away. His mass weighed against the soft ground, forcing his paws to disappear in the mud. Water was still beading off of his coat onto the ground, as he assumed it would do all night, and being this far away from his den would have him searching for a dry place to rest tonight. Though this was a big concern for him, it wasn't the first thing on his mind.

Asterion's ears flicked as he listened to the female's voice. There was no malice in her voice, but he could sense something. Was it dislike? Distrust? Whatever it was, he knew the girl had the right to feel whatever emotions she wanted. After all, he was rather close to her home, and with the passing of breeding season, it was likely there were going to be puppies to protect. She answered his question formally, and he was about to speak when she asked him a question of her own. It was understandable that the she wolf in front of him would have questions, but he wasn't sure if he could answer them. This girl could prove to be useful to him later on down the road.

He thought the answer was simple. Black and white. Of course nothing in life was ever black and white. There would always be various shades in between. Was there a reason outside of food? He wasn't sure, but he had to answer her. "Where there are packs, there is prey." He gave her a friendly smile. There was no sense in being rude to one you had just met.

she doesn't care how she gets there, as long as she gets somewhere she knows... The wind sent ripples through the females fur, letting rain sneak through into the under coat, causing a shiver to run down her spine. The chill could be deadly to a wolf without a shelter, the temperature causing wet fur to freeze, and the ground to harden into ice. Minka had nothing to worry about, the pack could huddle to share body heat, though this rogue should start searching for shelter soon, if he planned on sleeping tonight. Of course she herself had like to travel for most of the night when she was a rogue, liked to put in as many miles as possible before resting. The male seemed to be trying to read her emotions, and she knew that her face could be an open book, but she did not know what it portrayed now as she was not sure herself how she felt about the rogue being near. There was no point in lying to herself, this male was extremely attractive and seemed polite enough, not a brute like many of the rogue males that she had met. Still, her alliance was to her pack and as second her role was to make the pregnancy of her alpha as smooth as possible and taking care of this rogue was part of that. Flicking her tail she decided, either this male would aid their pack and join them or he must finish his meal and move on, this was no time to have a loose cannon around. Though there was no need to be rude, and she wanted to be sure that he did indeed leave when he was done, really I should stick around, at least until he is done, just so I can escort him to a place that is more appropriate for him to be. Maybe she was blinded by how handsome he was, or maybe it was the need to take care of everyone she meets, either way she wasn't leaving, not yet anyways. His response was true, though the reasoning was slightly flawed from her point of view, "True enough, though a pack nearby also means competition for the food that you came here seeking." There was no threat to her statement, merely just a statement. Most rogues tried to avoid the packs for that exact reason, no rogue could stand against an entire pack. If the pack saw a rogue as a threat the attention would be turned from the prey, onto the rogue until the rogue is nowhere in the vicinities.

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Asterion's damp coat clung tightly to his body, making him appear smaller than he really was. In any case, it didn't matter how small the matted fur made him look, he still towered over the wolf in front of him. Her form seemed to teeter the line between small and medium, though he wasn't sure what he considered her. Blue eyes kept their focus on the little female. It wasn't that he felt any threat from this girl. He simply didn't trust her. Not a thing she had said or done gave him any reason to place his confidence in her, and he wouldn't until she proved herself.

The question was flying through his head. It followed him everywhere he went, regardless of who he met. What did this girl have to offer him? He was always looking for ways others could benefit him. If you weren't worth his time, then you were in his way. It was one of the main reasons he hadn't found himself in a pack. Well that and he didn't fancy being below others. He had experienced living with a superior who didn't like him, and wasn't about to try it again. Either way, he didn't think he could hold any merit within a pack. His whole life and mentality were all about him. Unless, of course, he were returning a favor. He wasn't sure if he could be an efficient pack member.

The female's voice hit his ears again, pulling him out of his mind. Lately he had been spending more and more time in there. Her sentence was light and without threat, which surprised him. His answer came quite matter-of-factly, "Very true, though usually I try my best to stay away until the packs are done hunting and out of the area.". He wasn't going to lie, as there was no reason. He preferred to hunt alone, when the packs were in their dens sleeping.

His eyes grazed over the female again, finally taking notice of her features. First he noticed her scars, meaning she had a past, and had survived. He noted a bright russet stripe heading from her head to the tip of her tail. His attention was draw to her eyes last, though that they should have been the first. They were a bright gold color, with grey flecks mainly around her pupils. Everything about her contrasted himself. On completely opposite sides of the spectrum physically, and he had no doubt that personality would be the same.

she doesn't care how she gets there, as long as she gets somewhere she knows... The blue eyes seemed trained to her, unwavering and watchful and the she wolf began to shift slightly uncomfortably. He seemed to be searching for something from her and she did not know what it was, or even if it was something that she could possibly offer to him. She met his gaze though, not willing to back down from whatever kind of dominance he might be trying to get her to submit to, her spine remained straight and her tail raised slightly. He might not yet have crossed on to pack territory but she knew she was close enough that her pack would hear if she called for assistance and were sure to come running to her aid. Minka took a step forward, hopefully causing the male to step backwards farther into the tree line, she wanted it to be clear she meant no nonsense if this rogue had any intentions of harming her or her family she wouldn't go down without a fight. At his explanation to his hunting preferences a snort slipped from the female, "Only inexperience alphas would allow every pack member to sleep all at once, they almost always have a guardian or scout assigned to keep watch while the rest slumber." Her tail flicked again, she was usually extremely patient but something about this male's incessant searching gaze set her on edge, she just wanted to know what he was searching for in her. Another step forward was placed, the fae was now almost completely under the cover of the nearest willow tree, escaping from the rain but not the harsh wind. She dipped her muzzle, gesturing towards the diseased vixen between them, "you have your meal and yet you still do not go, are you searching for something else perhaps?" The voice that escaped her lips surprised even her, it was smooth as honey, a seductive whisper, but the actions that followed were even more surprising. The fae stepped over the carcass in front of her, and trailed her nose down the male's muzzle, brushing her side against his lightly as she circled him.

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Blue eyes met gold and it was a challenge, yet somehow different. He didn't feel as though he needed to retaliate but he surely wasn't backing down. His gaze never wavered, but he could feel the shift in the atmosphere. He could see her tail raising slightly, telling him she felt uncomfortable in the situation. His posture remained neutral, though he felt in control. Asterion wouldn't challenge her anymore than he already was with his eyes, remembering her pack mates were just a call away.

The female's tone came almost condescending as she spoke. Annoyance could probably be read clear as day on his face. He felt as though she was insinuation he was unintelligent in the ways of pack life. "Of course they can't be everywhere all at once. Usually I grab and go before I am noticed. He was suprised at how easily that could have been read as a threat. Usually he was much more passive than that. "and I wouldn't dream of passing onto pack lands." He added quickly, hopefully assuring her he wasn't planning on harming anyone, or stealing prey from the pack.

The second step toward him that she took had him wavering. Her posture and advances screamed that he was being challenged. Every instinct told him to submit, and back away, but he stayed. Was he going insane? He sure thought he might be. Then her voice hit him like a rock wall. Something had definitely changed. Her tone was soft, smooth. His ears flicked, wondering if he heard it right. Then she touched him and he froze. His body went numb for a moment, the only feeling coming from the fae's muzzle on his, and then her side against his. Instincts were crying out, begging for him to leave, still he ignored them.

she doesn't care how she gets there, as long as she gets somewhere she knows... He did not challenge her directly, and yet his gaze did not break and the atmosphere between them seemed to crackle, though with what kind of tension Minka did not know. His words seem to offer a threat to them and the fae's eyes narrowed, and yet he backpedalled, assuring her that he had not meant them in the context. He was unreadable, other than the annoyance on his face, and the tawny wolf was beginning to become frustrated, if anyone should be annoyed it is me, not him, he is the intruder, I am the one who belongs here. The thoughts flashed through her mind, yet she seemed unable to voice them, her vocal chords hung mute. Yet even after all of the charged tension Minka had stepped forward, a clear attempt at seducing the male. He however remained stiff, something that was not unnoticed by the fae and embarrassment and shame washed over her, stupid girl, of course he won't give in to you, look at him, and then look at you, you're average, nobody would even consider becoming your mate, even out of pity. The thoughts were hot and harsh, though they were common in her mind, she had constantly been coming last place in her birth pack, why should it be different now? Minka scampered backwards several lengths, her head hung low and he tail between her legs, a clear look of shame upon her muzzle. The she wolf stumbled over a fallen log and almost fell, she quickly picked herself back up, hot tears beginning to spill down her snout. A rush of mumblings escaped her, "I'm so sorry, I don't know....I mean I've never.....I just....I'm sorry," the words ran and blended together, one sentence not finishing before the next began. Then she turned and bolted, back to her territory, back to her pack, back to where she would not have to see this rogue's face anymore.

table by mimi

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