Drowning

Dated January 6th, 2014 ;; 1 day before joining thread;; Far from MG borders;; AW

Everything that drowns me makes me feel alive

The broad and masculine brute narrowed his eyes at something strange. Creatures of the mist seemed to lurk beyond the fog that he was fighting to get through. The snow crunched lightly at his feet as he continued to push forward in the dark and creepy forest. He was almost out of it, almost out. He would soon travel to some place he could see without being terrified for what laid ahead. A small smile crept onto his muzzle as the recruit for hire finally made his way out of the forest with a sigh of relief. The bitter cold breached his pelt and a shiver coursed through him. He needed to find a place to warm up, but in the dead of winter he saw little possibility for that.

While the need for a pack crossed his mind, he did not want to go up and grovel his way into a pack full of strangers. This made no sense as he would be pledging his allegiance blindly to a bunch of strangers who could very well be dangerous and out to get him. No, he would remain a loner until he met someone who could very well prove to him that their pack was one worth being in, even if they realized they were doing it or not. He looked up at the clouds, overcast was upon him and the rest of the expansive forest. There was space in between the trees so he could see the dreary sky. A small sigh was omitted when he saw the mountains off in the distance. He wished to stay away from mountains.

He ventured the other way, away from the site of the snow covered peaks of the dangerous and eerie mountains. After all he was terrified of them for a reason no one, not even himself, knew about. Halgen just wanted to find a warm place to rest. The tawny man reluctantly pushed further and he searched for a cave or perhaps a gap under a tree that he could sleep in for night was fast approaching. He was weary of his surroundings. He was easily manipulated for he could not tell truth from live even when it showed itself to him. This made his cautious of all wolves he did not know at first. This was the way he was. Halgen wanted nothing more to find a loyal pack that he knew about; a pack he could please and he could trust. However, there was an issue, he was fast to give out trust and slow to take it away. He was manipulated easily.

This was his will and his nature. It could not change.

One with the blank, vague whiteness of mist and snow, a form moved. Deneb's pace was careful and measured - behind him he left a line of prints that stretched through the snow. They did not meander aimlessly, but drew out a direct route, only veering to navigate obstacles and terrain. The beast had a purpose. Occasionally he would pause, testing the snow and air for scents, before setting off purposefully again. The whitish male had an air about him that spoke of a hunter, seeking quarry - there was no urgency in his steps, though. Patience, they said, was a virtue. His eyes scanned the canvas of snow as he loped ahead, reading the white book. Here, the miniscule trail of a mouse's passage, there, the feather of a gray jay in the snow. Despite first appearances, this foreboding forest of mist was not, in fact, lifeless. Another trail appeared in the snow, crossing Deneb's path at an angle away from the looming mountains. This set of prints were far more interesting than those of a rodent - very fresh, and unmistakably belonging to a large canine. Deneb was not surprised when the scent was unfamiliar to him - there were only one or two wolves in this land that the lone beast might recognize, and undoubtedly countless more that he would not. A bark of greeting rang from him, echoing strangely through the silent boreal forest.

Everything that drowns me makes me feel alive

Halgen had been minding his own business, or he tried to at the very least. He had not been very focused or cautious when he trudged through the snow... until he heard a bark of greeting. Halgen tried to ignore it and keep pushing forward, but curiosity drove him to turn and offer a bark back in greeting. He froze when he saw a champagne colored man who was barking to him. Hal did not recognize him from the past; this was a good thing and a bad thing. He gave a simple hope that the man did not try anything stupid with the man. He was calm and weary. Not like it would do much good though, Hal was always easily manipulated; this was his major weakness.

Hal's eyes remained calm and steady as they narrowed at the man. "Who might you be?" The question was posed in a simple and cold voice. The baritone voice stretched across the distance with accuracy and poise. He was trying to appear tough, harsh; whether this worked or not he had no idea. A small frown was glued onto his muzzle. The tawny man's fur bellowed in the wind but he remained as hard and stiff in his place, much like a rock. Calm yourself boy, calm yourself. He told himself with a slight encouragement. He took a deep breathe as he let his tail even out with his back. His head was tilted slightly to the side.

Halgen thought back to everything that had become of him. The hunger dug deep into his stomach as it rumbled once more. What does it take to find some food around here? If every winter here is this harsh.... He told himself in a rather scold. What have you gotten yourself into Hal?

Look Out!

There is a deer that was killed by a lynx nearby. +7 Health

Deneb's gaze swept over the over the other wolf the moment he caught sight of him, taking shape out of the miasmic fog. He halted a good distance from the other male - close enough to speak without shouting, far enough away that neither could strike at the other without fair warning. It was part of an attempt to put the tawny male at ease, for there was a guarded coolness in his stance and words as he spoke. Deneb took in a breath, filling his nose and then exhaling in a warm puff of air. The other wolf seemed to be younger than himself, and smelled like a fellow loner. Deneb let half a smirk show on his muzzle, answering in a slow drawl. "I am Deneb Cygni," he stated with lazy pride, fixing the other wolf with a sharp gaze. He meant no harm, for the moment - information was what he sought. Getting such things was usually monumentally easier with sweet words and calm demeanors, rather than outright hostility. "I'm a newcomer to these lands - a traveler, seeking information. Perhaps you might stop a moment, and trade words with me?" It was a simple enough request, and the cream beast let his tail sway calmly, the picture of amicability. Despite his apparent calm, his eyes with an implacable fire. Stepping forward, he extended his muzzle and whuffed again, breathing in the tawny brute's scent. He caught a hint of something else as well - the smell of a lynx made him instinctively want to raise his hackles and snarl, but it was old and faint. Even fainter, but more tantalizing, was the smell of... a kill? Deneb eyed the other wolf, wondering if he had noticed this new note in the air. If the man were guarding the carcass for himself, it was unlikely he'd want to chat with strangers. On the other hand, perhaps he was less than perceptive....

Everything that drowns me makes me feel alive

Hal observed the man from a fair distance; however the man started to close that gap and it set him on edge. He introduced himself as Deneb and he stood far enough away to make Hal calm down ever so slightly. A newcomer to the lands he was, he asked for advice. Hal gave a chuckle and he answered this Deneb wolf. "I'm afraid you will not find much information with me. I am new to these lands as well." He informed the male slightly before catching the strong scent of lynx. A grin on his muzzle as he turned towards the scent and followed it. The lynx scent was older and there was the scent of deer underneath it. Most importantly, it was food for him to eat.

Hal would not be rude, he found the deer and he dragged it back to the spot where they were. His paws crunched loudly in the snow. "I can't be rude; wanna eat?" He asked the man; he would not be a reason for a man to die. He started to tear into the deer and he ripped a rib off of the dead deer. He started to gnaw on the meat down to the bone. He waited for the other loner to accept his offer; it would be a great offense towards Hal if he did decline. Hal knew it was very unlikely that the man would decline for they were both lone wolves and it was the middle of winter.

Hal's eyes held hesitance as he stole another rib. There would be enough meat left for this Deneb to get food in his system. Hal's benevolent nature was getting the best of him and it would probably lead to his downfall. "So, what are you looking for Deneb? Would it not be wise to get into a pack soon? I know that is what I look for in these harsh winter months. Though I would refuse to go as low as begging strangers for a home." Hal stated as he started to warm up to having the man present.

For a moment he contemplated chasing the other wolf away from the lynx kill - idly he toyed with the thought. It was enough to feed him for a few days, but Deneb had no plans to remain in this area for that long. Instead he watched with an amused smirk as the other male retrieved the carcass, digging in hungrily. There was no reason to risk a fight when the other was willing to share. Besides, diplomacy was generally a more profitable venture than violence anyway. Despite the fact that the male was admittedly new to these lands, Deneb would try to learn what he could. Sometimes, others didn't realize how valuable the information they carried might be to another. Stepping near the deer, he tore into it's flank, sharp white canines hungrily rending meat from bone. Moments passed in relative silence as the two lone wolves worried at the kill, leaving behind little for the lynx that had rightfully taken the deer. Deneb had no qualms about this - wolves were opportunistic creatures, scavenging as often as they hunted. As for himself, he was possibly even more opportunistic than most of his wolven cousins. If the lynx came back, he'd happily eat it, too. Soon bellies were comfortably filled, and the other wolf raised his head from the kill, uttering a question. Deneb smiled to himself in thoughtful amusement before answering. "How else do you plan to find a pack?" He posed the question bluntly. "I've been told that the packs around here are wary of strangers, and there are only two of them on this side of the mountain," he added matter-of-factly. He wasn't sure how true the statement was, and so appended it with 'I've been told' rather than passing it off as verified truth. Deneb had no reason to mislead the male. "I'm searching for one of my kin," he added in a flat tone. "Another Cygni, called... what did you say your name was again?" Of course, he was perfectly aware that the other had never offered his name. Deneb asked in an offhand manner, both to allow the other wolf to save face if he wished, and because it was a good way to avoid talking to much about his brother.

Everything that drowns me makes me feel alive

Hal had finished filling his stomach and so he just sat there and watched as the other man ate his fill. He posed a blunt question and this set Hal a bit on edge. He was weary of men who posted questions about his reasoning and if it was effective or not. "I've found that if you meet a pack wolf before joining the pack then it is easier to get into said pack." He said simply and he gave a small smirk. "My intent is to meet one of these pack wolves and make a good impression so if I join they might help me at the borders to get in." His strategy was planned out and precisely calculated. He held a small glint in his eyes, caution perhaps or maybe dread.

"Soon it won't matter what I want. This winter is harsh and I can't survive without a pack. Soon I'll need to grovel my way into a pack if they take me. I'd be surprised in the packs weren't weary of loners. There is no food." He said almost bitterly. This prey they found was luck; pure luck had blessed the two loners that day when they got to survive with food in their stomachs. Hal was grateful that it would be a while more before he next had to worry about food. An idea approached him; however he was more curious about the man than the idea. "So what was this siblings name?" He asked before he realized he had never given a name to the man.

"My apology. It slipped my mind. I'm Halgen. You can call me Hal though. Hal Dominique." He told the other male with a small smile. Hopefully they could get along. Who knew, maybe they could even be friends. This loner wasn't all that bad. Deneb was his name and it seemed that he was calm and down to earth. Hal was just lucky that the loner didn't get to the hunger point where he would attack to get the kill. Hal had been that bad last winter for a time and it hadn't been pretty most of the time. Hal's tawny coat had snowflakes sticking to it and his paws settled on a patch of compressed snow. His head was tilted to the side in curiosity and his ears were perked up. He awaited an answer.

There was that smirk again - Deneb listened as the other loner outlined his plan, which sounded to him very much like grovelling his way in to a group of relative strangers, in as many words. To Deneb, it took him a long time to stop considering wolves as strangers, outsiders - when your own blood could turn on you, who could you trust? Perhaps only yourself. However, that didn't mean he was above doing the same thing - he had already formed a similar plan in his mind. He just wasn't sure what order things would fall into place in - should he join a pack and then devote his scheming to seeking out his brother? Or would he find his brother before that other plan had time to come to fruition? Or perhaps the trail would lead on, to somewhere more desirable than this place... so far, it seemed like Albireo was trying to loose him by wandering straight into hell in the hopes he would not follow. The beast was confident he would survive, however bad things got - but a pack would make the waiting more comfortable, and help assure that when he found his brother, he was fit to face him. They were the likely place to start, anyway - perhaps his brother was even among their ranks already. This was why he sought out information - he did not even know the names or locations of the packs, just that they lie somewhere in the shadow of forest and mountains this region held. He had yet to encounter a pack wolf or even the scent of a border - just fellow loners. A dry chuckle emanated from Deneb as the tawny male -who then went on to introduce himself as Halgen - mentioned there being no food. "There is simply very little food," Deneb corrected him rather than first answering his more recent questions, licking the visceral evidence of that statement from his jaws. There was always something, for those willing to travel or think creatively. And of course, luck helped. Here in front of them was a stroke of luck - a meal that would draw other scavengers when the wolves had gone. Ravens and magpies cleaned up after larger predators, but they themselves were quite edible, and not impossible to kill especially with bait like this. A lynx could even be caught and killed, if it did not escape into the trees - although they were perhaps more trouble than they were worth. Gazing at the man who called himself Hal, Deneb contemplated how much he should divulge about his brother. "His given name is Albireo," he stated, looking away to hide his gaze. "Truthfully, I don't think he wants to see me... but he is my family, and it has been so long...." there was a wistful note in Deneb's voice.

Everything that drowns me makes me feel alive

Hal looked at the man as he was told that there was little food. Hal tried to give a small chuckle as he agreed. "My bad." He apologized to the other loner and listened further with a profound interest in the subject. When the man mentioned his brother wouldn't want to see him a frown started to appear on his muzzle. The poor soul! He must have been shunned by his brother or something and this made Hal sad. "Well I'll make sure if I see him to find you and let you know!!" He told the man with a small smile on his snout. Hal forced himself to be Comport and not ask the man further of his brother. Hal felt the day draw by and he knew soon he must be departing.

The tawny man stood up and gave a small wag of his tail. "Good sir, it a mighty fine time to meet you. If you don't need me further I must depart and continue my journey on my own." He told him with a small dip of his head in goodbye. The brown patched man started off towards the east; his travels leading him away from the mountains. He hated mountains and so him leaving in the opposite direction seemed like a good plan. His mind was wrapping around the encounter as he reflected on what had happened. The man had been respectful to him and so that was a good opinion. Overall Hal determined he was a good wolf, but he wouldn't put his trust in him. After all he did just meet him.

Hal thought about he himself had acted. Was his behavior acceptable to the man? He did hope so. He had tried to keep responsible and respectful. His eyes were narrowed as he walked against the harsh winter winds. His paws crunched in the snow. He had to find a pack. He couldn't go on trying to pry some food from someone or scavenge his ways. He wasn't sure if packs were better than lone wolves with the lack of food. No, they had to be because they had many wolves to find food.

-Exit-