Magnolia Glen i spend all my money

private for zia!

<b style="font-size:12px; font-family:georgia;">Since the pack had come to blossom and grow, the inky male had come to find pride within him again. This pack was his home and he would protect every single wolf within without even knowing them personally. They had come to Phineas and Borlla, trusted in them to lead them to safety and a prosperous future and thus Inkheart laid faith in them. They were now considered family; each and every one of them.

Phineas had even been kind enough to grant Inkheart the position right beneath him, the second Subordinate to Phineas and Borlla. He took that to heart and would not disappoint them, he was under their control now and for the first time in his life he did not wish to throw it away for power. Those days were long past because now all he wished was to exist here with a purpose. Even through the best of the days he had had here so far, he vaguely remembered at the first howl for the pack a woman. Name was unknown but her voice was unforgettable, beauty permanently engrained into his memory—a visage quite like this he had not seen since Amelie.

Since the packs creation he had told himself that he should find this woman, he needed to know her more. Inkheart wanted to know that what he felt physically for her could also be gained emotionally, wishing to know who she was before chasing. If his feelings were true after knowing her, he would make chase no matter what. He wouldn’t run away from his feelings again like he had with Amelie; this time, he would make sure that no other man stole something he wanted. However, he did realize that he couldn’t just make things his… it wouldn’t be fair to her.

So, mid-morning he ventured off to scout and ‘accidentally’ followed a trail of her that he had picked up and hoped that it was the correct accent. After all, Inkheart did not want to make any mistakes but he also was convinced that trying to achieve something wouldn’t hurt him. Some things ended well and some things ended horribly, but you had to start one to achieve either so it would be well-worth the risk in finding out.

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With Magnolia Glen firmly claimed, the wolves could settle in and go about the ritualistic ways of pack life. Some dedicated themselves to their personal tasks. Others, found time to get to know each individual face, one wolf at a time. Zia knew from experience, all too well, just how crucial it was to get along, to maintain that cohesive pack structure. She honestly didn't know what she was getting into, when she first teamed up with Phineas and the others. All she did was quickly judge his character, (which seemed reasonable) and hoped for the best. Now, fully immersed within the pack, she would wait and see what the future would hold. If the white male was anything at all like her last leader, Zia wouldn't hesitate to turn her back on him. She had enough turbulence and treason in her past already. No need to put up with any more. Unlike the mountain pack in which she once lived, her rank wasn't as high as she would've liked. But she wasn't one to complain. With some hard work, in time she would ascend a notch or two. As long as she felt valued and wanted, then the female would be content. Since the time of the official claiming of these fertile lands, Zia had been quite the busy girl. Only glimpses or a faint whiff of her fellow pack mates was caught every so often. It wasn't that she didn't want to socialize. It was that she was just too darn busy. Borlla was due to give birth any day now. And every wolf in the pack had to pitch in, at least some form or another, for the arrival the newborns. Be it anything from remarking the borders, making room in the den, and ridding it of any debris, to checking and filling the caches with food and essential herbs. Until each and every one of these chores were complete, day in and day out, Zia would not rest until her daily rounds were finished. The smoky gray and silver female had been up since dawn doing exactly that today, and it hadn't been until mid morning, that her chores were finished. Sure, she was a little tired, but the hard work was good exercise. It invigorated her. Unbeknownst of her follower, some ways off, Zia stepped carefully into the shallow waters of the creek. Her paws were aching. It had been some time since she had done work like this. The cool caress of the water would bring welcome relief to her sore paws, as well as to her dry throat.

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<b style="font-size:12px; font-family:georgia;">The one thing that he was desperately trying to tell himself was don’t be creepy. This was hard considering that he already felt like a creeper to her. She didn’t know his name and probably hadn’t even paid much attention to him at the meeting or role call either, so that literally left him as some weirdo stalker. Though, he was trying to talk him out of this hole he was putting himself in by keeping his spirits up. If he got rejected completely, he would simply have to take a deep breath and tell himself that there were other things he could focus on that weren’t her… even if she was really pretty.

Only when he continued to get closer and closer that he finally saw her, dipping her body into the shallow waters for a mid-morning bath. He was unsure of how to feel, a wash of confidence as well as fear rushing through his system. Ink had never been very good at talking to females, let alone talking at all to strangers he had never met nor trusted so this would be completely new to him. Inkheart had to trust in himself to speak appropriately, to not come across as strange or an outcast. So, he prepped himself by remembering that he was a protective and loyal individual that had a decent place within the pack currently and was determined to create a wonderful, well-deserved future within this pack.

Clearing his throat he picked up his head at a friendly height and strolled towards her, begging his legs not to fail him as he walked. <b style="font-size:12px; font-family:georgia;">“Good morning,” he called to her as he, too, slipped into the shallow waters with his front feet while his back end continued to stay clear of the water. Inkheart did not want to butt in where he might be instantly rejected so it was best not to go flying into the conversation and scare her off.

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The cold water instantly soothed her weary paws, washing away the dull throbbing between her pads. Taking her time, Zia drank, satisfying her thirst. It may have been the middle of May, with temperatures reaching into the upper 50's, but for a wolf, that is considered mild weather. In no rush to emerge from the slowly flowing creek anytime soon, the female cautiously stepped further into the crystal clear water. One deliberate step at a time, she moved, her tail held parallel with her body, head angled downwards. She didn't want to get soaked...instead, calculating as ever, those sapphire blue eyes were peering down deep into the watery depths in search of prey. In an area such as this, the ColdWater Creek was likely to support an abundance of catfish. It were these fish, that Zia was currently engrossed in searching for. She never had much practice in the tricky art of fishing, but she was adaptable, and could certainly learn. A lone shadow flickered past her paws. Too quick. Perhaps this was not the best spot to be searching for potential prey. If they were in fact here, she would need to try her luck further downstream. All the while, the platinum coated wolf had let her guard down, and was completely oblivious to the fact that she had been followed, and was now being watched. That all changed once she diverted her attention away from the task at hand, catching the scent of another close by. The sound of his footfalls announced his approach, along with a clearing of the throat. Turning around so she could see who it was, she was immediately recognized the black male with those burnt orange eyes from the claiming ceremony earlier. But she never did catch his name. With pricked ears and curious look flashing across her face, Zia didn't hesitate to meet his eyes. Not as a challenge, but of self confidence and friendliness. "Good morning." Her voice was light and casual. She took several steps closer, giving him a good once over. "What brings you up and about today? I was just cooling off after finishing my rounds." A small smile edged at her lips, while her tail tentatively eased into the beginnings of a slow wag.

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<b style="font-size:12px; font-family:georgia;">Perhaps he would need to work on his socialization skills more often. It seemed that he had no clue how to interact with this woman, given that he had only ever been infatuated by one other in his lifetime and he had no clue where she was now. Ink knew that his first love had had a mate and been pregnant with his puppies at the time, but it seemed she no longer resided here. No matter, it would seem that it was not meant to be and he would have to accept that fact and move on just as she had. Though, as the years progressed he realized that he was aging and might not be in the appropriate age range that most women preferred. He was no longer young and spry really, but he was strong and built to protect. So, a family seemed at the top of his list—first priority.

The sleek beauty before him waded in just an inch or two more, staring into the abyss of water delicately before attempting to catch what he assumed was fish. It didn’t seem like she was having too much luck here but he wouldn’t classify her as a fail fisherman just yet. It took her just a few moments for eye contact to meet and his heart jumped for a moment then relaxed, finding just enough self-control to not show signs. <b style="font-size:12px; font-family:georgia;">“Was on my way to mark the borders a bit, thought I would stop here for a drink but it seems you beat me to it,” though he was beginning to feel guilty about following her quite some ways he had let a good spot of distance come between them after she had left the den. Following her had not been his first choice but if he didn’t, he wouldn’t be here talking to her now which was nice for him. It was a solid change.

<b style="font-size:12px; font-family:georgia;">“I’m Inkheart, by the way. Or Ink, if short names are preferable.” By stating his name he hoped that she would trust in him to share her own. Seeing that they were in the same pack, he would come to know it either way which was entirely fine by him. Inkheart was a determined character, not one to give up solely because he isn’t given a chance… only until he feels absolute hope is not within reach would he ever give up something he deeply desired.

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The task of finding some fish was temporarily forgotten, now that she had company. No matter, she could always focus on that another time. As she stood there, ankle deep in the water, she wondered how long this male would stick around. Was he just dropping by to say hello, or was he interested in a genuine conversation? Zia barely knew anything about the wolves in the pack, and she had been looking to establish some sort of friendship with them. Just living with a group of her own kind without any bond, was not something the silver female was looking for. To her, a pack should be more than just a handful of individuals labeled as strangers. It should be a cohesive unit, with firm bonds woven between each member. This sort of atmosphere had been lacking in her previous home, and she was looking to avoid it here. She nodded softly, now satisfied that the male had provided an explanation to her inquiry. "I actually just got done patrolling a good chunk of the territory myself. I enjoy keeping busy." She was in no way trying to dissuade him from marking the borders himself, as he wanted to do. Zia simply stated the facts, which would perhaps steer him in a brand new direction. Slowly, she made her way to the bank, within close proximity of the larger male. Paying him no mind, her large paws reached the grass in a small hop. Newly refreshed, she turned to face him. "I was checking out the stream for any signs of fish, but it seems this area is lacking." Finally, he introduced himself, and now she had a name to match a face. "A pleasure, Inkheart. I'm Zia." She left out her last name, for really, what was the importance of it? Her brothers were left wandering who knows where, and her family was without her. Chances of encountering any of her relatives again was slim. But that didn't stop the silver girl from longing for a familial atmosphere. At last, here with Inkheart, she had the chance to forge a new friendship. All of the bitterness pent up inside would dissipate, should things go well. If not, then those negative emotions would remain, until Zia could find some form of release. Residing in the mountains, with a group of wolves who she found less than admirable, had taken a toll on her. Unaware of his true thoughts of her thus far, she remained calm and laid back. Turning on her heel, she sent him an inviting glance so he may walk by her side as she followed the path of the creek. "I hope I'm not stopping you from getting to your responsibilities. But if you'd like, I am willing to go another round." Although satisfied with her patrol for the day, Zia had energy to spare. She never did get bored of exploring her new home, nor of constantly being on the move. However, more relaxing moments such as the one enjoyed by the creek would never be turned down either. She wasn't all work and no play. With the ball in his court, Inkheart was left to take the initiative.

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<b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:12px; color:#FA2F00;"> It had always been a strange feeling to Inkheart when he felt drawn to certain wolves, especially when he had never heard them speak before or didn’t know them in the least. Upon meeting Phineas he had certainly been drawn to him, desiring to follow him even when he told himself that he wanted to keep his options open. After meeting with the present Alpha, every other built pack seemed inadequate and not for him. It seemed that Inkheart’s judgment was correct, seeing as he was Phineas’ second and apparently laid a lot of trust in him—which was good, considering Inkheart would never purposefully ruin the strength that Phineas saw in him. Perhaps it was as the swarthy male had thought upon building this pack alongside Phineas; that he would start a life here. The life that he had always wanted for himself but had always seemed to allude himself because he was foolish enough to walk away. This life was different, because he had changed—forcefully allowing himself to stay here, to be happy and to grow as an individual as he had been taught. Although he was quite disappointed that his company mentioned having already taken a walk around the borders, he did his best not to show her. It was respectful of her to have already done her duties and he would not force her to go with him to wherever he wanted to go. They were strangers, for now, and he had to respect a woman’s individuality. With a caring gaze he looked upon the blue-eyed subordinate, watching her as she moved closer to him and grassy shore. Did this female have a bad side? Quickly shaking off the inquisitive urge to simply gaze at her for countless minutes he nodded, figuring that this land here probably wasn’t as great for fishing as one might think. <b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:12px; color:#FA2F00;">“Zia… very pretty,” he genuinely complimented her with boyish charm, <b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:12px; color:#FA2F00;">“if you’re looking for a decent fishing area I can show you? There is one upstream that might provide you more luck.” He had fished just once in it, having had other things to do besides gather for hours but she would certainly find more fish in it than down here where the river was just a little too shallow and was yet another branch of the Creek that fish didn’t come down very often. It was exciting that she was taking so well to his company, something he probably should have expected but otherwise didn’t have as much confidence in him as others might argue. Zia was courteous, however. She was mindful that his idea of the next hour was going to mark borders but she herself had steered him of his course for good reason so he didn’t mind cutting that off for a couple hours. <b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:12px; color:#FA2F00;">“I can mark the borders later,” he added with a smile as he followed at her side with ease, <b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:12px; color:#FA2F00;">“we can catch some fish—I would rather do that with you then go do something by myself anyways.” He wouldn’t want to look like a codger who never had any fun and was all business.

(This post was last modified: Jun 10, 2013, 07:47 PM by Inkheart.)

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Hopefully, here in Magnolia Glen, her fortune would change for the better. She had not been well off in her former pack, and the lifestyle of a loner just didn't suit her. Perhaps here, Phineas and the other wolves of the Glen would forge strong bonds of friendship with her. See her for who she truly was and appreciate all she could offer them. Not be viewed as just some random she wolf in a crowd. She was sick of being unappreciated, isolated. Zia had left the mountains which she had called home for a reason. Put simply, she wanted a new beginning. Everyone good of heart deserved second chances, didn't they? So busy she had been as of late, that there was little extra time for her to roam around the territory, making new friends. The platinum coated girl had been too distracted in trying to adjust to her new home, while at the same time, keeping up with her daily schedule. Today was proving to be different. With spare time on her hands, she could afford to relax and mingle. And Inkheart's timing couldn't have been better. She made a mental note to loosen up her routine some, taking time out of her day purely for social affairs. For now, the ebony male by her side was the center of her attention. Little by little, time and again after their paths crossed, he would see more into her true nature. The corners of her dark lips curled into a light grin when he complimented her name. "Why thank you..." Her voice was softer than usual, hinting at some shyness. She tried to forget about it, walking side by side with the second in command. Sapphire eyes remained glued to his larger body, her brows rising with slight surprise. "Yes, please. I never really got much practice in when it came to fishing, so I could use some luck." She replied with lighthearted laugh. There was no shame accompanying her lack of fishing prowess, but Zia certainly did like to be versatile. Fishing was just an activity she hadn't actively pursued in her youth, and with the colder climate of her mountainous home, it was out of the question. Keeping alert, she listened for the sounds of swifter flowing water, the trickles of which resonated in her ears constantly, like a soothing hum. She wasn't the expert here, however. So she was more than happy to let Inkheart take the lead. "Sounds like a fine plan to me. With being so busy earlier, I have worked up an appetite." Her tail swayed to a silent rhythm while she walked parallel along the bank. Clearing her throat gently, she raised a question, out of curiosity. "So tell me, is keeping watch over the territory a favorite...activity of yours?" If his answer was yes, all the better. Not only was Zia good at such a task, but she enjoyed it as well. Should he ever need any extra help, she would be more than happy to tag team with him next time.

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all these roads still be wrong

INKHEART

but i still drive them all night long

Very similar to Zia, he left home for a reason he thought would be beneficial. Unfortunately, he had not realized how selfish his decision had been back then. Not until his own sister had shown up to tell him just how much of an ass he had been. Leaving her behind had not been a smart decision but he had thought she would follow if she wanted. That or she might have enjoyed it there. He simply was selfish when he was younger and hadn’t thought about taking her with him.

There was always time for everything in Inkheart’s life. He simply saw every opportunity and seized it when he had the chance. It was great for him sometimes, though he did tend to unintentionally avoid being social. It had always been a great trait—avoidance. “You’ve already got some luck since you found me; I’ve been told I can be quite lucky.” He was no rabbit’s foot, but he did have the knowledge and the power to find food when it was most needed. A laugh escaped her, which meant that he was at least making a decent impression to let her feel comfortable enough to laugh and smile in his presence.

As they moved closer and closer to his lucky end of the Creek, he wondered just what would be in store for their stomachs. Her question was very welcome to him, considering that she was putting forth the effort to get to know him which meant that there was a friendship brewing. “You could say that. I’m also quite the explorer outside of the Glen too,” and if his scouting capabilities of the all the lands that surrounded the Glen weren’t proof enough then he might have to show her, “what do you like to do?”

by Sarah

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With Inkheart leading the way, Zia maintained a casual stroll by his side. Her attention had shifted from finding the prime fishing spot, towards the male and the words that spilled from his mouth. Another short laugh slipped past her lips, her bushy, silver tinted tail flicking merrily. "Well, I suppose I do. We'll see just how lucky you really are when we reach that spot in the creek." She was referring to how they fared in catching some fish of course. Sunlight poured down upon their backs, adding a pleasant feeling of warmth. Summer was almost here and Zia wasn't sure if she could stand the heat that came with the warmer months. Luckily, they were situated in a northern region, where the climate was cooler than those down south. Hopefully she'd see more of the faces of her packmates more often as the weather turned. An empty feeling in her stomach urged her on, and the idea of snacking on a few fish was sounding more tempting by the minute. She wouldn't be greedy and snatch away everything she caught for herself. Surely the caches could use some extra supplying, so there would be no shortage of food for any hungry mouths. Her expression remained pleasant but thoughtful once Inkheart spoke again. Her charcoal tipped ears perked ever so slightly, pleased to discover that he shared her love of patrolling. It may seem like a tedious task, but at least there was someone else other than herself that enjoyed it. She gazed at their reflections, made slightly distorted by the water. "Well...I love to keep busy. Mainly by keeping active and in shape." She nodded once, and then continued. "I enjoy making new friends...meeting new people. I haven't had time to go exploring yet, but it's something I hope to get around to soon." She wetted her lips with her tongue. "I also enjoy helping others out, in any way I can. Especially when it comes to pack life." If he needed her to elaborate any further, such as listing her favorite pastimes, she would oblige. She went to glance at him, but a flash of silver in the water stopped her from doing so. Peering through the clear depths closely, as if to confirm what she saw, Zia waited until she found what she had been looking for. There, in the water, were fish. Not a whole lot, but enough so they wouldn't be overlooked by the average eye. Large and dull gray to silver in color, she could not identify their species. They were by no means DILLY...she was sure they were a common sight throughout all the land. Did the fishing spot he know of provide a more ample supply of fish than this? She would find out once they got there. "I think we must be getting close. Back at the other end of the creek, I didn't see any fish like this." This little stroll was proving to be more helpful than she first realized. By following the turns of the creek, she could get an idea of just how much fish it provided the Glen wolves. They'd come in handy as a good backup supply, should prey in the area ever grow scarce. Meeting his fiery orange eyes again, she tried to resume the conversation. "I don't know you all that well...but if I may ask, where did you live before you came to Relic Lore?"

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