Wild Cherry Orchard I think it was your passion snapping

@Iopah

Veronika couldn't remember the last time she had eaten anything aside from berries. They didn't require hunting, nor did they really require any physical acts. She could limp from one patch of fallen cherries to the next, and eat her fill. Of course she never really felt full when eating these things, there were never enough. Oh how she missed the human camps that she frequented. Originally when she stumbled upon these lands she was looking for the strange colorful creatures. Often times the small ones would throw her food, or they would leave them in cans for her enjoyment. When they chased her off though, she knew it was time to leave, and so she would move on. Always searching for the next meal, but here they held no scent. There probably weren't humans for miles upon miles. Would she die out here? It was a possibility, and she wasn't sure it was even a bad one. Everyone had to pass on at some point, of course she didn't plan on going out without a fight.

As the fruit was the only nourishment she'd had in days, the effects were beginning to ware on her body as well as her mind. Sides that were once firm and strong had now sunk in to themselves; Bones were jutting out in every which direction, and she hadn't groomed her fur in weeks. To say the least, she looked as raggedy as she felt. Even her eyes seemed to be duller, holding little shine to them. The large female was slowly wasting away, her strength was ceasing every day. Soon she knew that she would no longer be able to move. What would happen then? Would she become a part of the Earth, completing the cycle, and providing nourishment for the very creatures she once preyed upon?

Veronika slipped another red berry in between her lips, tilting her head to let it slide down. The cherry itself was cold against her throat, and the taste wasn't all that great but it would do. She had to regain her strength. If only she hadn't been injured, then she wouldn't have come to this point. New found determination settled into her stomach and she peered at her leg. It was useless, but maybe.. One hurt limb made it's way to the ground, touching the orchard soil. She allowed a bit of pressure to rest on it, but it immediately shot back into the air. Pain still racked the muscles and bones, as she thought it always would. A sigh escaped her lips as she gave up and hopped on three legs to the next pile of cherries, where she chose instead to let herself rest. All the excitement had tired out her weary body.

(This post was last modified: Jun 29, 2013, 08:55 PM by Veronika.)

Iopah had spent the past 48 hours doing little of anything, her body digesting the deer meat from her recent kill with Hollow. Aside from her patrol, the pale second had motivation to do little else. So, like a fat man after a Thanksgiving feast, Iopah slept. Less than a year ago her life had been quite different. Despite everything, she had found an unexpected home and a worthwhile goal.

It was the call of a forest jay, screaming indignation, that woke her. The domestic quarrel continued and Iopah lifted her head to watch. A sudden shifting of musculature, the birds gaped down at the wolf now standing among them, surprised into silence. Iopah yawned, baring her teeth to the world and the birds scattered. Several feathers floated down and she idly sniffed them. Already hunger was starting to creep up on her. Though the cache still held what remained of the deer, Iopah set out for the borders. It was her job to stock the cache, not take from it.

Besides, anything alive was much more palatable than stale meat. She briefly thought of asking Hollow to come. After his recent start, she reasoned, it would be good for him. But, from the angle of the sun he would be starting his evening patrol. Alone she slipped past the borders, content to search in the evening hours for any opportunity, no matter how small. She meandered though the brambles, surprising several young rabbits. Wanting something more substantial she disentangled herself from the brambles. With the pups growing rapidly every meal she could find counted. Feeding herself on-the-go meant the cache could be saved for others.

Iopah stopped, planting all fours in the knee-high grass. An unfamiliar scent. Fruit? She twisted her frame to look. The red berries glinted faintly on the distant trees. Iopah lowered her head sheepishly, not realizing cherries grew so close to home. It had been early winter when she first crossed the meadow to reach the thickets. She had assumed the fruit trees were common crab-apples, not that cherries were much more palatable. But, perhaps the hunting would be better over there? With an easy grace she trotted over, ears pricked in attentiveness.

To her disappointment the cherry orchard appeared to be as fruitless as the blackberry brambles. She sniffed a berry, allowing a derisive snort to echo through the trees. They smelt sweet and too tart for consideration. Within a month the whole meadow would smell like fermenting cherries. Her lips wrinkled in disgust and she continued in her search.

Amongst her rest the scent of an approaching wolf startled her into awareness. Wide dusty eyes searched the orchard, looking for any signs of movement. She made to stand up, allowing her bad leg to hover just above the grass. Instinct told her not to show any weakness, and so long as the wolf headed her way thought she was strong and healthy, they might be less likely to attack. Fortunately though, she was not afraid. Her mind had already accepted the fact that her chances of survival were growing slimmer each day. Every day that she chose to eat berries instead of hunt for her own food, every time she opted to drink from a stagnant pool rather than find a source of clean drinking water. Veronika knew that she was doing this to herself, but when you had lost all faith, what else was there to do?

The tawny female held herself perfectly still, not wanting to make a single noise. If it were possible to avoid confrontation then she would prefer it that way, but unfortunately that wasn't a likely situation. With a sigh, she decided she would rather not have another sneak up on her. Preferring to know where the 'intruder' was coming from, she called out to it. "Hello?" Her ears orbited around her head, waiting for an answer so she could pin point the location. Her heart rate increased, as did her breathing. It wasn't like the dark female to feel fear, and so she didn't. It was more anxiety than anything. What would come of this meeting? Would she see her way out alive, and if things escalated would she be able to escape with her life? Basic survival instincts had gotten her this far, and she planned on seeing how much further it could take her.

The silent orchard stretched open and Iopah pressed further into it. The quiet was broken only by the soft rustling of her paws against the unruly grasses. The crisp, waxy green leaves and vibrant red fruit of the cherry trees seemed to be mocking the bland, drab-coated female among them. Only her eyes, sharp gold, belied the intelligence, the spirit of a hunter within. She would pause here and there to scent the air or listen in the distance. It was mere seconds after she scented the other wolf than a voice called out.

Hello?

Iopah's hackles rose, bristling with surprise. The voice was unfamiliar and she spun a tight circle in search of its source. She was not sure what sort of answer was expected in return, so she said nothing, simply huffing loudly in response. Her path changed as she sought out the fellow wolf-scent.

If the thicket was not so close Iopah would have slipped out of the orchard without bothering. This land bordered her home and she would not shy away here. Secretive as they may be, thicket wolf were proud. She continued till the soft breath of another made an ear flick forward. Ahead a tawny and brown form stood. Slowly now, Iopah continued, stopping several wolf-lengths away. Head raised confidently and tail relaxed, she appraised Veronika. The wolf before her was scruffy and young, and terribly skinny (curious for the summer months). Interlaced with the female's scent was a faint trace of metal and leather. Humans. The smell made her snort and step back as if rebuffed. Her gold eyes traveled the wolf again, sure that the same was being done to her.

She wanted to chase this wolf from the orchard, far into and over the mountains. Humans brought nothing but destruction and Iopah wanted this wolf gone. But Veronika's expression was determined, holding none of the pure terror that Anne's had, and Iopah found herself canting her head at the younger girl. "Where are you from?" There was nothing else that intrigued her enough to ask about. They were not to the point of names, and it was clear that she was a loner.

The strange wolf who came into her line of sight was not at all the monstrous being that she originally expected. Veronika had a tendency to think the worst in every situation, and this was one she was glad had proved to be false. The new wolf was not nearly as large as she was herself, but did seem to be in good physical condition, which could mean bad news for the injured female. A slew of scents surrounded the smaller wolf including the perfume of many others. So she was a pack member then. This realization caused another bout of worry to spread through the darker female's body. The pack boarders weren't too far from here, and she could have been seen as a threat. A fight between herself and only one wolf would be difficult enough to maneuver, but if more were to join in the party there would be no hope.

Resisting the urge to take a step back and letting her weakness shine though the crack, she stood her ground but allowed her posture to resemble submission. Her head fell lower to protect her neck, and her tail fell limply behind her. Even her ears hung lower on her head than usual. Then the stranger's voice found her ears, questioning her. Veronika felt that she didn't mean it to be friendly or conversational, but rather to find out why the loner was so close to her boarders. The scent of humans seemed to be burned on her own skin, but she had held it so long that she didn't even notice it anymore, and so she thought nothing of it. "I hail from Russia. I'm not exactly sure how I came to these lands, or where I am, but I would like to get back." She was very formal in her delivery, hoping the pack wolf would find her answer accommodating, and understand that she had no intentions of sticking around here.

Iopah's eyes glittered expectantly. This encounter could go one of two ways, and while she did not want a confrontation, Iopah had no hesitation in asserting herself. She had more than done her time as a lone wolf and now she would fight to the bone to defend her new life. Veronika shifted subtly and Iopah's left ear swept back in response. She was pleased. It was not that she cared if she was dominant; it didn't mattered on unclaimed land. The submission was a silent understanding between them. It was Veronika expressing her unwillingness to cause trouble. Iopah's left ear came forward once more as Veronika spoke. Her head canted in mild surprise, many wolves did not know what they wanted.

Russia. It rang no bells and more importantly her accent was unfamiliar. In her travels Iopah had rarely known the name of the places, but accents... those were remembered. "I come from very far south, but I've never heard of Russia." Mentioning the Black Hills of her birth place was unnecessary. Iopah was sure it would be just as unfamiliar to Veronika as Russia was to her. "This is as far north as I've come." Idly she gazed into the orchard behind Veronika, her thoughts on the hunt she had yet to actually start. A breeze brought her attention roughly back to the strange wolf. "Why do you smell of humans? They are not welcome near these parts." Her lips rose briefly as if to elaborate on the "not welcome" phrase.

(This post was last modified: Jul 22, 2013, 04:23 AM by Iopah.)