seek and destroy

Against a canvas of white, a shape moved - its color was a a vague stain against the pure hue. Like a tendril of smoke it wove between the silent columns of trees, heavy stride leaving a trail of deep prints behind.

Cold numbed Deneb's paws, but hatred had kept him going for a very long time, and he was not about to stop. The off-white male knew the resolve born of the rage within him would not fail now, not when he was so close... even winter could not stop him. He would find Albireo, and get the answers he was owed. He had been seeking his quarry for weeks upon weeks - tracking him over rough terrain that would cause a less determined creature to turn back and give up. Perhaps Albireo had thought that the miles and the challenges would help him shake his pursuer, but he was truly foolish if he expected Deneb to turn back that easily. A bitter snort emanated from the beast. He would not turn back for anything, would not stop until he had reached his goal. Until he sunk his teeth into that worthless hide.... As seasons had changed, Deneb's anger had refused to give way. It had grown into an infection, an obsession. He had to find Albireo, to get answers, to get retribution. The look of cold rage had not left him since he had set out from his shattered realm.

Now, amid the ice and snow of winter, he felt instinctively that at long last he was drawing close. His traitorous kin could not elude him forever. Surely Albireo wouldn't continue to forge on in winter... Deneb had little but intuition to guide him at this point, but the lands that stretched out before him now seemed to hold the promise of closure. Somewhere, he assured himself, that cowardly fool was hunkered down for the winter, and Deneb planned to search him out.

Ready or not, dear brother, here I come.

As he forged onward, the sound of crashing waters broke through the silent forest, causing Deneb to smile faintly and alter his course in their direction. It seemed like as good a place to start as any.

(This post was last modified: Jan 14, 2014, 06:45 AM by Deneb.)

This came out longer then expected oh my...I feel so lacking compared to you though...!

Miro was out on his daily stretching, running vigorously towards the churning waters that marked the end of the vales. It was a particular nice day, the cold winds still pressing into his coat as he leaped and galloped through forest south of the falls, but now the sun was partly in view, the bright rays heating his tawny back. A grin was plastered on the youth's face as he slowed down into a trot, the blinding red and orange leaves being exchanged for the misty water cascading down. Though so far, his few first months in the new land was filled with relentless everyday procedures - including hunting, exercising his lanky legs (that always required a rigorous routine if he didn't want the worst aches the next day), scouting and so. Yet, having a set schedule would not be his only option for very much long, and whatever amount of passion he had put in for his everyday procedures was increased. This excluded exercising though, since he always put in 101% when it came to anything involving speed. As the water came more and more into view, naturally the young male started humming, his song proof of how much he enjoyed the (not at all) quiet, teeming life that was not absent in the presence of winter and the cool mist that clung to his coat. The corner of his mouth curled up as he heard a bird respond back (that's what he liked to think), and was about to begin bantering back in forth in song, when he saw a not-so usual sight. Days at the falls had been spent in solitude, and within the weeks he'd barely seen or even hear another soul. <b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:11px; color:#d3d4d2;"> "Oi." He called out, a smile being polished on his handsome, young features. Bowing his head to be polite, he turned towards the new stranger - who could in Miro's eyes be described as light. How the sun landed on the stranger, made the youth unable to pick out a specific color that could describe the coat adorned elegantly on his body. <b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:11px; color:#d3d4d2;"> "Good day isn't it, sir?" Motioning towards the trees, he lowered his tail in case that this was some pack wolf. <b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:11px; color:#d3d4d2;"> "They seem to agree with me!" And by "they", he was talking about the birds that sang in the trees, songs ringing clearly through the falls despite the noise. Despite his polite body language, he kept this distance in case that this male fit into the aggressive category. At least to the young male, he didn't look aggressive. But Miro knew that some looks could kill. Mother Nature had proved that countless times...

table by mimi

(This post was last modified: Jan 03, 2014, 04:03 AM by Miro.)

Ah thanks! I just like being overly wordy. It's all good c:
Sorry Deneb is a bit of an ass!

The forest around him seemed to come alive as he drew nearer to the thundering falls. Birdcalls rang from tree to tree, and as Deneb neared the echoes and mist, he even spotted another wolf. A smile spread across the male's jaws - his features were largely personable, but there was a certain flicker as his eyes caught the light that was reminiscent of a viper, coiled patiently. He halted in the snow and raised his head, his tail hanging low and unimposing by his ankles.

"'Oi' indeed," he mused. There was a fair amount of distance between the wolves still, and the other male's posture read as polite but defensive. Deneb turned and padded toward the frozen bank, leaving the other boy enough room to feel at ease and turning his attention to the mostly-frozen waters. It was a sight to see, only the sheer force of the waters keeping them from being locked entirely in ice, when other rivers and streams across the lands were motionless and dead. That was true power, he thought to himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he studied the other male.

The silvery lad appeared to be young - Deneb's golden gaze flickered back to the falls as he spoke again. "Is it? Hm... Perhaps it is, perhaps... are you from these lands?" He seemed almost distracted until the last question, which was suddenly rather conversational in tone. It was possible this youth was a part of a pack, or had some other useful tidbits of gossip. And it was true enough that he had nothing to fear from Deneb, at least not for the time being....

(This post was last modified: Jan 12, 2014, 08:06 PM by Deneb.)

Hehe, I'll just set this before Miro decided to join OTB. I just leave my computer on this tab all day, trying to come up with a reply. Sigh...Its sometimes hard. Sorry about thiss...meh. :c

Miro closed his eyes, and stayed where he was, only opening them when he heard a response. He stayed planted to where he was, as if his legs were rooted into ground. It was not out of fear, not at all, but something about the stranger made the young male keep his ground. Despite his worries, the friendly smile stayed plastered onto his face, those his jaw was set. The young male had met others who seemed close to the nature of the stranger - so quick to ask about others before even so revealing their own name (which was common courtesy). His mother always told his to be wary of those who seemed like so, and Miro was, but he kept his friendly demeanor. Miro has been always been observant and he had a delitescent talent in so. But with strangers you could never be so sure. His smile faded for only a moment as he processed his thoughts, but it immediately returned once the stranger's voice called him back. The stranger seemed lost in his thoughts, he could tell by his tone. Miro was the same way when it came so days. <b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:11px; color:#d3d4d2;"> "Aye, I'd like to think that is a mighty fine day." That was nothing short of true. The sun was up, though partly covered by clouds, and after days of snowfall, the sun was a comforting presence in the sky. It warmed his back as he talked, and it felt incredibly comforting. Are you from the lands? Technically he was, but he had no pack as of yet. He would soon, hopefully. <b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:11px; color:#d3d4d2;"> "I've been around since the end of fall, so a couple months, but I have no pack to call my own yet." The youth answered simply, his smile growing thinking of a future pack to call his.

table by mimi

(This post was last modified: Jan 04, 2014, 12:47 AM by Miro.)

No worries!

The lad's response was swift and good-natured, causing Deneb to give a small smile of his own. Such amicable wolves were usually the best for transmitting rumors and tidbits of information. It was a pity the young male wasn't in a pack, but loners sometimes knew more than some pack wolves about who passed through the lands, so to Deneb he was still potentially useful. If the boy was lucky, he wouldn't starve this winter.

"I am Deneb Cygni," he stated dryly. "I'm in search of another wolf who bears the name, who calls himself Albireo - Albireo Cygni. He is one of my kin. Is the name familiar to you?" Deneb kept his tones conversational and light, but within himself he yearned for the other wolf to say yes. He had been searching for his brother for so long, and he was certain that with winter upon them, Albireo would not travel on past these lands. Even his brother was not stupid enough to let himself starve instead of finding a pack or something of the sort. Deneb did not particularly care if this wolf ended up tipping off Albireo that Deneb was looking for him. It was a common enough thing for a lone wolf to search for missing family, none but Albireo might guess the nature of Deneb's hunt. If Albireo found out, let him sweat it out or run - Deneb had been searching for a long time, he could keep at it a bit longer. The whole scenario had a certain inevitability to it. Deneb would not stop until he found Albireo, or died trying.

The smoky white wolf turned his gaze back to the falls as he awaited the silvery lad's answer, feeling no particular need to go any closer. He did not wish to alarm the youngster, nor did he feel any particular inclination to socialize they way so many wolves did. To Deneb, it was all just a means to an end. "I've just entered this region. In fact, you are the first wolf I have encountered in weeks, lad. I beg that you excuse me if I am unduly aloof." He certainly was aloof, but there was nothing in his tone or posture that spoke of begging. Instead he almost seemed to be feigning a casual sense of boredom as he waited for the answer. How deliciously convenient would it be for this lad to have encountered his brother? It was unlikely, but too enticing a prospect not to hope for.

Miro visibly relaxed when the other male made no attempt to close the distance between the two of them, so instead he awkwardly side-stepped towards the water - which was much too close to resist. Gingerly he dabbed a paw while both of them talked, testing the water which was almost calling him and mentally driving him crazy with temptation. No sane wolf would dare take a step in the freezing water for they would get sick, but no one ever said the young one was sane. Maybe he would go for some splashing after the older male left - it didn't seem like he's be there for long - so he just stuck with having half of his body in the misty falls. A somewhat child-like innocent look adorned his face as he looked up to meet his eyes with the older male, his amber eyes glittering with happiness. The tension had practically melted off his shoulders when he had stepped into the water. Oddly, he had always been attracted to the water - that applied to anything that included speed as well. After a few moment of subconsciously splashing of his feet, Miro had realized he hadn't answered the stranger's question. He mentally scolded himself for being so rude and so caught up with his dumb little games so he offered an apologetic bow of his head. How rude, how rude, how rude. He hated it. His face was blank as he shook his head. <b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:11px; color:#d3d4d2;"> "Albireo?" He had barely met any new faces, less then ten in his mere two months or so and none he knew went by the name of Albireo. <b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:11px; color:#d3d4d2;"> "Sorry, sir. I've haven't come across by someone with the name of Albireo. But the mountain is currently impassable, I believe. So might I add, that limits you to this side of the land. There are two packs that I know of on this side, not quite far at all." As if to compensate for being lost in his thoughts he ran his mouth providing (what he would think) useful information. That's what he hoped. <b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:11px; color:#d3d4d2;"> "My name be Miro Trevelyan, sir."

table by mimi

(This post was last modified: Jan 05, 2014, 10:22 PM by Miro.)

Out of the corner of his eye, Deneb watched the silvery lad tempting his fate, trailing one of his front legs in the icy waters. He seemed unphased and oblivious to the threat posed by the thundering falls, the relentless current that would take any chance it could get to pull a creature under the frozen surface. Perhaps the youth was still innocent to the dangers of the natural world, the cruel winter. He was older that Deneb's pups would have been now, if they still lived - the white male estimated the other to be roughly two years old. On the edge of adulthood, this would not be the boy's first winter. Perhaps life had been kind to him until now... how long would it be before such openness and curiosity had consequences, Deneb wondered idly. The comparison to his own deceased progeny brought no sadness or sympathy to the surface - only the same simmering anger that was always present, boiling away in his belly. "Yes, I thought it unlikely that you had," he commented, turning his skull until the lad called Miro was fixed in his gaze once more. "If you happen to run into him, don't tell him I'm searching for him... I want our reunion to be a surprise." His air was still casual and conversational, but the beast's golden gaze flickered steadily like a hungry flame. "I could make it worth your trouble if you came to me with information about where he might be, though. It would mean quite a lot to me, you see," Deneb wondered whether or not his brother had made it over the mountain before they'd become innavigable. That was certainly a useful piece of information to have. If Albireo had escaped over the spine of the world, Deneb would have no choice to wait until spring. If not, it was possible he had found a place in one of these packs. Either way, they were a logical first place to start. "And what might you tell a simple traveler about these packs? Have you had many dealings with them yourself?" All cool and calm, the very tip of his tail was the only readable part of the deposed lord. It flicked continuously, never restful.

(This post was last modified: Jan 07, 2014, 06:33 AM by Deneb.)

omg Your table is so pretty! Ugh, trying to decide what comics to buy is like torture.

Miro made no endeavor to step out of the water, even though the cold stung into his leg, sending bitter shocks through his body. He had played with winter's current many times in the course of his two years and he felt no worry - the feeling got better with time. Though each and every time, he could hear him mum nagging him to death in his head, You get out of there now, my love.-this and You could get a cold!-that. Of course, they were all voices just conjured up in the lad's mind to make him feel like someone still cared, still fretted. It made him feel better, yes, but somehow still managed to annoy the hell out of him. Figures. Before he even had a chance to get lost in his thoughts once more - he enjoyed conversing and hearing others stories (even those told with a few words) - the male smiled sweetly to assure the one named Deneb. For the first time in the conversation, Miro actually pondered his motives for finding his lost brother. Yes, it was definitely not odd for lone wolves to have been searching for family, especially when they had been torn apart cruelly from each other for whatever circumstances. If the young lad's fate had been different, he could've been one of those very souls searching. Maybe Deneb truly missed his brother, but something about the stranger made Miro think that there was something else and something more. <b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:11px; color:#d3d4d2;"> "Aye, sir Deneb. I will not speak a word of your arrival to your brother, if I do happen to come across him." This was family business, and he had no right to intervene in their reunion or go around spilling secrets. He'd ask the same if he was in the older man's position. Something about the man's second offer (or what at least sounded like one) made the younger one hesitant. Came to him with information? Miro was not all comfortable with being some sort of spy. Definitely not comfortable. He was never one to deny things easily though, so without a change in emotion in his voice, he agreed.<b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:11px; color:#d3d4d2;"> "I think I could come back when I do hear word about your brother. And about the packs...Well, I can't say I've interacted with them. They're quite wary of strangers. I try to keep away." He made no mention of his plans to join the nearby pack, though. He still wasn't so sure of the brother issue.

table by mimi

Thanks! c: & I don't read many comics, but I know that feeling of trying to decide which game to buy... and then I end up playing the same ones 99% of the time anyway.
Edit: oh hey a moose! it seemed like things were winding down (Deneb is weird for meet and greet threads) but if you want to find it we can keep going for a bit, lol.

The younger male agreed to give Deneb word of his brother if he met him, although the whitish beast thought he sensed some trepidation there. No matter, he thought. What the boy chose to do in the end was his own business. As long as he did not interfere with Deneb's plans, he was of little importance. And if he did... well, so help him. Although Deneb was playing the docile, harmless traveller role now, in truth he could be a wrathful spirit. At least for the moment, though, he remained friendly toward the silver wolf and world in general. It was a shame that this Miro knew nothing of the packs in the lands - it would have been nice to have names and locations, but Deneb could sniff out these things for himself. It seemed that their conversation was drawing to end - at least, Deneb was losing interest. He had never been the type of wolf who enjoyed sitting around and chatting unless there was some purpose - usually flattery or information-gathering - behind it. Wasting breath for it's own sake was something he had never longed for the way others seemed to, not even with those he cared for - and there weren't very any of those left in this world, now. Lost in these thoughts for a moment, Deneb contemplated his next step. Wary of strangers or not, these packs sounded like they were worth investigating. Tipping his gaze toward Miro, he dipped his head in a neighborly salute. "That sounds very reasonable, but don't let yourself go hungry, hm? There are always those who are happy to reward useful information," Shaking the cold and snow from his pelt, Deneb stamped his paws to warm them up a bit. "I haven't much time for chatting today, though," he continued, giving a quick wink with a molten gold eye. "No rest for the wicked, as they say," he chuckled quietly at his own little joke, waiting to see if Miro would say anything to dissuade him from leaving the other male to his own devices. "Speech,"

(This post was last modified: Jan 11, 2014, 04:44 AM by Deneb.)

Look Out!

There is a moose carcass that has been scavenged by coyotes nearby. +15 Health