Lost Lake take me home

♦♦♦♦♦

As she approached the edge of the lagoon, the young wolf sniffed suspiciously at the sandy bank. She had come upon the hidden pool so suddenly—and desired a drink so intensely-- that she was inclined to think it was just a mirage. When the sniff-test checked out, she didn't hesitate to lap up a few heavenly mouthfuls. If this lagoon was a mental construction, it was an incredibly convincing and refreshing one. When Naia had started her journey through the Great Pass several weeks ago, spring was barely a whisper in the blustery winter winds. Now though, the warm weather was setting in and making passage through the dry, dusty gorge almost unbearable. Not for the first time, the weary traveler thought about ending her journey here and making a home in this enchanting land.

Naia waded a few steps into the shallows, watching in fascination as a school of minnows approached to investigate the furry intruder. The young wolf lifted her paw off of the sandy bottom and the fish darted away, but in moments they were back and nibbling at her footpad in the spaces between her toes. They’re so brave when they’re small, she mused, lifting her gaze to look out over the lagoon. She thought she spotted a few larger fish a little farther out, mere shadows drifting lazily below the glassy surface. The fully-grown fish would be much too afraid to approach, she knew. Wolves are like that too, Naia thought, fearless when they’re pups, but when they grow up… Naia frowned, remembering a wolf she had met a few days ago in the burned-down woods. That poor female was so terrified of some unseen pursuer that she couldn't stop running long enough to realize that nothing was chasing her. Shaking her head sadly, Naia finished the thought, some wolves are defined by their fears...

♦♦♦♦♦

[So sorry, such a terrible person I am for not responding sooner </3]

Shade had hiked up the mountain, towards the highest peak, as if searching for answered in the riddled clouds that had always puzzled him, they had hung lower then the other clouds, it was those clouds that had hovered below the peaks instead of above them, except when he had gotten to where they were suppose to be, they disappeared and all was clear. Shade had his pups to think about, the ones that Rosealia and himself had brought into the world. It was them that was the basis of his life now. He had to protect them until they had their own families that they could efficiently protect. Little Karpos was a curious and adventurous one in the group, whereas Adsila seemed calmer. They even had cute little nicknames for each other. Karpos called Adsila under the name 'Adsi' instead of her full name. Karpos referred to himself as 'Karp' and it seemed to stick for Adsila. He cut the blather that had crossed through his mind and focused as there was a scent of another wolf. This was one that had the loner smell to her, one of no distinct pack was one that Shade could use if she allowed him. Although it depended on her respect, love for pups and want for a pack. She was by a lake, the lake just over the bend of his view as he walked. <b style="color:#8e989d">"Hi there! Mind if I get a drink too?" He asked, rhetorically as if he was asking if she minded his company. His fur was much lighter then it was in the forest, after all the forest had been dark and stingy which made his fur appear darker then its light browns that he normally wore.

table by bryony

♦♦♦♦♦

Naia waded a few more steps into the pooling dark waters of the lagoon, delighting as the icy water swirled around her sore, travel-beaten paws. What she would give to find someplace to settle down! She swayed ever so slightly, the afternoon heat lulling her into content, almost sleepy state of mind. In her mind the young female was starting to go over the pros and cons of stopping for a quick nap, and she didn’t notice right away when the stranger came up behind her on the beach. When he spoke, she reacted with a surprise, her muscles tensing as she turned quickly to face him. She relaxed almost immediately though as his friendly words registered, and she dipped her head in a respectful greeting. He was a lone wolf like herself as far as she could smell, but she was well aware that an older wolf still deserved a show of respect, if not deference exactly.

“Hello there, yourself!” she replied eagerly, “Aye, this pool is a sight for sore eyes, isn’t it?” She turned completely to face him, but did not yet move toward the stranger. Her last interaction with an older wolf such as this one had been enough to make her think twice before approaching, though to be honest her current companion already seemed much more easygoing and certainly more... mentally stable. Though the unmistakable scent of a lone wolf rolled off the older male’s pelt, Naia could also tell that he had inhabited this particular country much longer than she had. She hoped he might stay for a while and chat—perhaps he would know more about this strange and beautiful land that she was beginning to think of as home. “Naia Aegina,” she introduced herself, “and very happy to make your acquaintance.” She wagged her tail amicably, the movement creating ripples in the shallow water.

♦♦♦♦♦

Shade smiled at the girl, she obviously was a bit hesitant with the encounter, though the source of such hesitance was unknown. He just simply walked down to the shore and took a few steps in, getting a drink to quench the thirst he had been feeling of late. <b style="color:#8e989d">"My name is Shade Slayer, and indeed it is a sight ain't it? Very happy to meet your acquaintance as well." He said respectfully, with a small dip of his head. This real and Topos reason for being here was because he was recruiting, but that was of another matter, he had just met the girl before him and knew nothing other then her name. Shade gazed up at they sky briefly, the time of day was hard to ignore as the sun started to show over the peaks of the mountains. The sunrise was upon them all, and he always loved the sunrises. The man thought about much, often he let his entire self slip into his thoughts, and he would zone out, but today was not a day he could do that. The man was avid in many things, hunting, fighting. It was the experience behind everything that led him to being such ways. It was from the peaks of the heavens to the depths of hell that made up the man, his betrayal, his pride, his family. His sister was gone, but he had a mate and children to care for now. He examined the female, perhaps she was looking for a good home with a few kind wolves?

table by bryony

♦♦♦♦♦

The slight female relaxed noticeably as the stranger met her greeting with a friendly introduction of his own. Shade Slayer, she echoed mentally, quite a strong name. It was a name suggesting darkness, aggression... qualities completely opposite of those possessed by the wolf standing before her, as far as she could see. He certainly seemed gentle enough now, staring up at the sky with a faraway expression. Perhaps in the past though, he had been formidable enough to match his namesake? Naia unconsciously stood a little taller as the stranger examined her, though she had no idea she was being appraised for pack membership. Shade didn’t smell like a pack wolf, and that gave Naia no reason to suspect that he was out recruiting. So she simply carried on their casual conversation, relaxing enough to move a few steps toward the stranger on the beach.

”Have you been in this country long, Shade? The territories bordering the Pass are enchanting, and I’ve considered settling down.” Though she could easily smell that he had indeed been here awhile, she asked the question anyway, hoping to find out more about the surrounding lands. They already felt like home, and yet the young wolf did not even know the name of this place. She was well aware that the obvious next step was to join one of the existing families from these parts, but for some reason every pack border she smelled just seemed wrong to her. The wolves smelled too secretive, or too ambitious, or too aggressive for a pacifistic wolf like Naia. Her paws were beginning to sting in the icy water, and the female moved a few more steps to join her companion on the bank.

♦♦♦♦♦

Shade gave a nod, a tip of the hat almost. "Yes Ma’am, I’ve been here for almost 4 seasons now. I’m attempting to settle down with my family just east of here, trying to start a pack." He stated, glad to hear that she was going to try and settle down. After all, once or twice did he run into lone wolves looking for homes, and now they were following Rosealia and himself. That was all he would ask of them, is to help for the better of the pups and the pack. Stand straight, tall, stay proud, strong and believe you can convince anyone to join your cause. His mind seemed to be in order… for the moment at least. It was kind of funny on how his mind worked.

One moment he was completely organized on one goal, and the next, this entire mind was a complete mess, a buzz and completely fuzzy. Now was one of those times. His mind drifting off into the depths of itself, like inception taken to a new level, a thought inside a thought inside a thought. This first thought was about his family, inside of that, Karpos, inside of that, his knack for adventure. Sure they were all related, but oh well. "What kind of place to settle down are you looking for? To live on your own, a pack or a small little group to call family? I might be able to help with that depending on what family you are looking for."

♦♦♦♦♦

Naia nodded knowingly as the older wolf spoke of his family. Now that she was standing next to him, she could detect the scent of his mate drifting from his pelt as well as the sweet, unmistakable smell of newborn puppies. She wagged her tail as she recognized the smell, and it triggered happy memories from the days she spent with her birthpack, watching over the puppies while their parents were away and training them to hunt small game as they grew older. Naia had been proud of the position she filled in her old pack—several of the pack’s elders had told her that the pack had never been so well fed before Naia and her band of pint-sized hunters. If only she could have lived on this way, ignorant of the stigma that the “pupsitter” position held, she might have lived out her days happily in the pack she was born into.

The female’s honey-golden eyes were still sparkling distantly as Shade finished speaking, but Naia snapped back to attention when he finished with ”…trying to start a pack.” This pleasant, unassuming wolf was a recruiting alpha? Her ears flicked to attention and she started to stiffen to a more formal stance, but then abandoned her efforts to impress the male before she even really got started. She k new that she had already made her first impression—good or bad she wasn’t sure—but at this point she might as well just relax and answer his question honestly.

”I would like some sort of family, living on my own has been a valuable experience, but the lifestyle doesn’t suit me well.” Any wolf with eyes could tell that a slight wolf like Naia was hardly capable of defending herself out on her own, and it was also evident from her frame that the rabbits and squirrels she was able to catch for herself would not be enough to sustain her long term. ”Peaceful living, within the pack and also with outsiders, is what I desire most in a pack,” Naia confided, ”as well as the ability to make a respectable contribution.” She didn’t need a fancy title or powerful position—as long as her work was valued as an equal contribution comparable to those made by the rest of the pack. ”Do you know of any pack like this, Shade Slayer?” she asked, daring to hope that perhaps this alpha shared her vision.

♦♦♦♦♦

Shade listened, that was always something that he was good at, and he always seemed to give decent advice. He felt like she was hinting that she might be interested in nesting with the larger family, or at least a family that grew larger every day. After all, they had grown from Rosealia, Shade, Ace and Capella to adding on Anastasia and Lachesis, and then no one could forget about Karpos and Adsila. "I know many packs of the sort; I also hold the hope that the pack I am raising will grow to be just like the ones I know." He stated almost diplomatically, unsure at what she was asking from the inside. Was she asking if his pack would be like that when it was created or was it just what it was, asking if he knew a pack as such.

His tailed was wagging softly, not because he was excited, but because it was instinct when he was in this situation, there was a huge smile on his face as always. He knew that she would be a very useful member in the pack, or at least she would work very hard at whatever task she was given just based on his interactions with her at the time, but he was always looking for that kind of talent. "If you’re interested, I could offer you a place amoungst my family, we’re claiming very soon in a fen south of here. It’ll be quite nice, named Pitch Pine Trail. If you decide not to, then change your mind by a chance, we’ll be there."

♦♦♦♦♦

Naia relaxed noticeably as the recruiting alpha listened patiently to her desires. Even though she barely knew her companion, she already felt that he was different from the other pack wolves she had met in this place. Despite his fierce namesake, the young female could not imagine that this calm, kind Shade Slayer was prone to violence or wickedness. This is a wolf I would follow, Naia thought, surprising herself slightly by how quickly she had taken to this strange wolf with the gentle eyes and listening ear. She cocked her head curiously as he replied her question. He gave an oddly noncommittal answer, but then again she had asked a rather vague and probing question to begin with. She started thinking of some way to rephrase, but after a moment Shade continued with his offer.

Naia’s brow raised in surprise when he offered her a place in his pack right on the spot. He must have been getting a good feeling about her similar to the impression she had made of him. Her face broke into a grin to match her companion’s.”No need to wait Shade, I will happily join you. You are refreshingly different from the other pack wolves I have met, and I believe your family is exactly what I have been searching out.” From the moment she entered these lands Naia had been holding out—not just any pack would do for her, it had to be the right one. She would rather live as a lone wolf than tied up in the wrong family again. She had a strong feeling about Shade Slayer though; one that filled her with excitement and anticipation for the days ahead. The slight female thought she might bust she was full of so many questions. ”How large is our family at the moment, Shade? And what sort of role might I hope to fill? I have a passion for looking after pups and especially teaching them to hunt.”

♦♦♦♦♦

(This post was last modified: Jul 13, 2013, 06:46 PM by Naia.)

[Alright, lets wrap up this thread, any way we could date this way ahead of its original date to be 6-23-2013 so it would be just before they moved to the Fen? Also since this thread is older and the pack is claimed perhaps this could be her joining thread and Shade had her out on an errand? Or maybe they could have gotten separated?]

Shade’s eyes lit up as she said she would help. "No need to wait Shade, I will happily join you. You are refreshingly different from the other pack wolves I have met, and I believe your family is exactly what I have been searching out. How large is our family at the moment, Shade? And what sort of role might I hope to fill? I have a passion for looking after pups and especially teaching them to hunt." The news of a teacher for Karpos and Adsila was an offer that he could not, would not refuse, especially with them growing up so fast like they did. "We would love to have you teach Karpos and Adsila, they are a bit hyper for pups though." He said in response to her offer.

His tail had a slight wag to him. "There are quite a few members to my family, including my two children Karpos and Adsila, they are quite the adventurers. Rosealia is caring for them and there is Capella and Ace, two good friends of mine who agreed to be founding members. Rosealia disappeared and two wolves found us. Anastasia who agreed to help and feed the pups and her traveling companion Lachesis who is a young and intriguing wolf. That is all there is to us I believe." He stated off all the information he knew for the likes of the family. Though he had to admit she would be an excellent wolf for the group. "Come, let us go and you can meet the rest of the group." He stated as he started to walk back the way he had come.

{Exit}

(This post was last modified: Jul 17, 2013, 10:31 PM by Shade.)