Going North

for @Reaper!

I wanna dance the tango with chance

Lily Aquila

I wanna ride on the wire

She knew her home, the Fen, lay in the other direction, but she had never been on this side of the mountain before and it was so much more open than her home. North she had wandered, parallel to the serpent that had once separated her side of the mountain from theirs. From the Rise she had traveled through the willows, past the falls. She had no idea what it was that drew her all this way. Through the dense woods that reminded her of Umbra Copse, the familiar earthy smell of rotting wood fading away with the fresh tang of mountain fed water. Her eyes widened in wonder as she took in the red colored rocks that lined the base of the creek, the water so clear you could see right to the bottom. There was something in the air that caused her hackles to tingle but not quite climb - a presence perhaps. Ghosts?

A gust of wind blew whipped at her snowy cloak as she allowed her imagination to run rampant, a pack of spectral beings charged past her, water splashing in their wake as they charged by on the tail of imaginary prey.

A smile tugged at her lips as she lowered her head to drink, her eyes glinting merrily in the filtered sun. On the wind she could scent boar, and bear, deer and fox but it was none of these that held her attention. Swimming through the crystalline waters was the tell-tale shadow of salmon, working their way upstream so they could spawn, their pink sides betraying them as older fish, but stomach filling none the less. She waded into the creek until the water was lapping at her chest and she waited, poised. Biding her time until the perfect moment came to strike.

☽ ✦ ☾

template made by GINNYSAURUS. of RPG-D.

(This post was last modified: Jun 06, 2013, 07:46 AM by Lily.)

He had made a habit of wandering around the most northern part of this land they called Relic, though he had started in the vale. Today he lounged behind a large boulder, the colour of rust reflecting slightly upon his icy coat, the bones of a fish lay a few feet before his paws. His large head rested upon his paws, his eyelids drooping free of care as he slipped in and out of consciousness, his afternoon having been spent grooming himself in the creek and gorging himself with salmon. The wind was blocked by the rock, but it still carried whispers to his ears of nearby prey though he couldn't be bothered to hunt anymore. His eyes sprung open suddenly revealing the bloodied orange colour of his orbs, the wind now told him secrets of prey, but of a different kind. Silently he stood blocked from view his muzzle in the air as he inhaled the sweet scent of a female, one who carried no kind of pack scent. A slow smirk spread across his face, the easiest to recruit were lone females, they found the promise of a strong pack reassuring and often were jumping to join even before he explained the organization to him. Lazily he stretched out his muscles, and shook his fur back into its place, his jaws stretched wide in a yawn. Reaper plastered on his most charming smile and went in search of what was sure to be his latest recruit. The sight of a beautiful yearling reached him, though she was chest deep in the creek it was easy to see that she was a pure one. The smile he wore was genuine now as he proceeded forward, his tail wagging in anticipation and his blood boiled just looking upon her. He stopped a few lengths up the shoreline from her and cleared his throat casually, as if finding a beautiful girl in a creek was something that happened to him every day. He looked upon her poised over the fish and looked up stream to a small damn of sorts, <b style="color:#FF2501;">"They're easier to catch up there, trying to jump over the uneven ground tires them out." Reaper cocked his head as he studied her, awaiting her answer to his advice, after all, first impressions were everything.

TeenageDerp! I hope he is a patient man...

Cos nothing gets done with dust in your gun

Lily Aquila

And nobody respects a liar

The water was deep and fast, but she wanted a challenge. The fat fish struggled further and further upstream as the white wolf waited for the perfect moment to strike. A sort of stillness hung in the air as she waited, and for a time, it could almost be thought that she had completely forgotten her purpose in standing chest deep in the creek, her eyes half lidded to cut the glare from the mottled sun.

The voice seemed to come out of nowhere and the young wolf, though she did not flinch, spun her head in the direction from which the sudden noise came. She knew the effect her eyes had on strangers and so she did not hesitate to boldly stare the stranger full in the face for a moment, gold and marbled blue-gold eye meeting squarely with blooded orange before allowing her eyes to slip off down his flank to take in the rest of him. She had let go of her hold on his eye quickly enough to make it clear that she was not looking for confrontation, but the way she had met his stare boldly made it clear she would not easily back down either.

His coat was long and white, his size more telling than his coat, for although he was on the larger side, he was not as large as some Mackenzie's she had encountered over the years. She could only assume that he too was an arctic, although his motivation in approaching her was yet to be determined. He could very well just be a well meaning passer by, but it had been so long since she had encountered another that she couldn’t quite be sure. She allowed her eyes to rove down the creek to where he had indicated, appearing to consider what he had said. She could quite easily plunge her head below the surface right now and emerge with a fish in her jaws to prove to him that she was capable of picking her own spot to fish, but then she would run the risk of needing to defend her catch from the stranger. She would rather save her energy.

Moving from the creek, her eyes betrayed just how cautious she truly felt. He could easily overpower her if he so wished but if that was what he intended then why would he speak to her first? Once she was clear of the water she shook, sending droplets flying in all directions, no doubt splattering her observer in the process. She had made up her mind. She would give the stranger the benefit of the doubt. Momentarily her tongue lolled from her mouth in a comical fashion. She lowered her rear to scratch at her ear, attempting to dislodge an errant drop that had somehow worked its way in there. “Thanks but I think I’ve changed my mind.” She said, her childish tone laced with a giggle. Bringing her rear back off the ground, her white coat now marred by dirt that clung to her damp fur, her tail waved high over her back like a banner. It was a foolish move on her part she was well aware, but what better way to determine someone’s motives than by pushing all the wrong buttons?

☽ ✦ ☾

template made by GINNYSAURUS. of RPG-D.

She was still like a stone formation, unyielding to the current of the water though it came so high upon her chest, to him the sight was beautiful. It showed a young pure one who had patience, drive, and ability, it showed a yearling who already had the raw traits that it would take to take the organization to the next step. Yes he had Anastasia and she showed promise, but he was open to other options, a smart man always kept his mind open. His senses locked on her, his eyes burning, ears cocked forward, his nose filled with her sweet young scent, there was no mistaking her beauty. When she looked at him it was obviously meant to intimidate him, so he took a step forward, intrigued by her silent boldness, unafraid or shocked in anyway by her molted eyes. Reaper felt her gaze flicker over him and he felt no shame in admiring her own frame, though thin from being a loner, and slightly lanky as all yearlings seem to be, she held the curves of a woman all the same. As she retreated from the creek the male could see how suspicious she was, good instincts on this one, misplaced yes, but a good head on her shoulders all the same. The assessment came easily, he assessed everyone that he met, silently deciding whether or not he had time to bother himself with them, whether they had a spot within his precious organization. This yearling had passed her first tests, simply by existing, and he nodded to her respectfully as she observed him, moving to give her enough space to make herself comfortable. The splatter reached his fur, but did not faze him, his coat thick like all of his ancestors so the droplets did not reach his skin. She seemed odd, but Reaper remembered his original observations, yearlings far from their parents are easily shaped, they are easily taught, and she showed so much promise already. The pros outweighed the cons this time around and so he looked away from her tongue lolling like a child, shrugging his shoulders at her comment, <b style="color:#FF2501;">"Suit yourself, I had a couple earlier, they're definitely best in the spring." As he spoke he gestured with his tail towards the bones of his earlier meal. The tail was a problem, hers flew like a flag and he closed his eyes momentarily, fighting all of his instincts. Instincts that screamed for him to tackle her, forcing her to the ground and teaching her a lesson of respect, had he still been in Alaska that was exactly what he would have done. You do not know if her parents are near, though you don't smell them doesn't mean anything. The last thing you need is to make enemies with a couple of pure ones because their child has no manners. The thoughts were enough to calm him, and he sat his rump upon the ground as well, though no mud stuck to the pelt as it was dry.

So goodbye for a while I'm off to explore

Lily Aquila

Every boundary and every door. Yeah I’m going north.

He didn’t seem interested in her games so slowly her tail lowered until it sat just below level with her spine, still waving about recklessly, a clear sign of her naive nature and easiness with the stranger before her. Although she had been raised to be more than cautious of strangers, she was all grown up now (or so she told herself), and besides, surely a loner didn’t have to worry about strange loners as much as a pack wolf would? Otherwise she’d never find friends and maybe one day start a pack of her own.

She looked over to where he had gestured, boredom returning to her face. Fish had never been her favorite food anyway, she had always preferred moose, as difficult as they were to catch with fewer than four wolves, and deer, and rabbits. She was a wolf, not an otter or a beaver. Fish were only a sometimes food, and in a few more days, they would wash up on the bank dead and begin to rot, and then she wouldn’t have to get wet to eat her fill at all.

Finally deciding it was rude to hang about without at least offering an introduction, she took in a breath and her name left her mouth in a drawl. “I’m Lily. I’m not from around here...” Vague would do for now. The dragonfly fen on the other side of the mountain was calling to her, but there was still so much to see and do before she made the journey back to the place where she was born. Or at least, the place she had been led to believe was where she was born.

☽ ✦ ☾

template made by GINNYSAURUS. of RPG-D.

sorry this is the worst post ever!<b style="color:#FF2501;">Speech The girl was obviously young, it was obvious by the way she recklessly flailed her tail about and by the boredom on her face after a mere moment without entertainment. Though most men would see this and walk away disinterested in the girl, Reaper saw the opposite, the young are easily molded, she could become the perfect woman, with a little bit of help. She seemed to be considering something and so the Arctic man kept silent, he would let her think through her thoughts before putting thoughts into her head for her. It seemed she decided that he was an acceptable companion for the time being and she introduced herself in a SPRECHGESANG tone causing him to smile. Her youthful energy was refreshing as he responded, <b style="color:#FF2501;">"My name is Reaper, and I'm not from around here either." Thoughts filled him now of his birthplace, where ice stretched for miles at a time in the winter, but how the summer brought a completely new place. It was on this track of mind when he turned to her, his expression wistful as the memories of Alaska continued, <b style="color:#FF2501;">"I'm from Alaska, birthplace of the Arctic wolf, have you ever been there?" He was proud of his heritage and this was clear from his posture, he stood with his chest puffed slightly out and his head held up proudly. There was no one in the world who could tell him that other breeds were superior, because it was just not true. It was their birthright to lead, and lead again he would someday, he would not return to his birthplace in failure.