Locked Away Where You Can't See It

@Naia:

Lunas trotted intently through the willows. His nose told him that he was still on the rabbit's trail. Several minutes ago, he had scented the prey while exploring more of the Willow Ridge territory. Although he wasn't a hunter, the scout doubted the pack would be disappointed with more food. Now that Elettra's pups were born, his mind was consumed with making sure the pups had everything they needed. Lunas had never had younger siblings, although his sister Fallax had been pregnant when he left. Turning around another willow tree, he spotted some rabbit dung. Good, he was closer to it now. The scout rolled in the dung before moving on. As gross as it was, he had learnt the trick from his father, whom had taught him to hunt when he was still with his family pack. It masked his scent a little, which slightly decreased his chances of being discovered by the oblivious prey. The scout continued on his hunt. With spring returning to the land, it was a beautiful day to be out and about. The sun was shining, the sky was clear, it was warm, and the sounds and smells of prey laid abundantly in the air. Lunas almost couldn't have been happier as he wound through the willows of his new home. He had noticed a craving for something recently, a something he didn't know the cause or identity of. All he knew was it grew slowly stronger, and caused him to need to explore and be on his feet more than usual, so for a wolf who was already on his feet and doing something as often as he could, that was an awful lot. Breathing in deeply, the scout caught sight of his prey for the first time. Unfortunately, the wind changed, sending his wolf scent toward the rabbit, and causing the frightened animal to dash away. Although Lunas was extremely fast, he was not quick enough to catch a running rabbit. He exclaimed loudly in frustration, then looked up and noticed that he was right at the edge of Drooping Willows. When had he gotten there? Scanning his surroundings, the scout noticed a peculiarly shaped shadow ahead of him.

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Naia was dying to see the new puppies. Kisla had yet to emerge from the whelping den, and so far Maksim alone had been allowed to meet Cut Rock River’s new generation. She understood; they were brand new parents and therefore were playing it safe. You couldn’t be too careful when it came to new pups—especially with such a small litter. Even so, Naia was far too anxious about it to sit still. She excused herself for a long walk, telling herself that perhaps she might find some dinner to bring back and share.

The seasoned scout trotted over Cut Rock River’s boundary without missing beat, directing her progress toward the outer edge of the cedar forest. With the marsh barely visible over her right shoulder, she walked until the cedar trees had diminished in favor of shorter, more melancholy looking willows. Naia halted her progress, taking in the scenery with curiosity. She had accidentally wandered into the willows once before, and her mistake led to an uncomfortable meeting with a Willow Ridge alpha. She wasn’t positive how far into the willows the Ridge wolves resided, but from her experience it was best to just keep to the cedars. Angier Lyall was not someone she was hoping to run into again.

A speeding figure burst from the underbrush before her, making an aggravated noise as it slowed to a halt. Out of the corner of her eye Naia saw the escaped rabbit dart away into the cedars behind her. She approached the strange wolf slowly, an empathetic smile on her face. ”I prefer squirrels,” she told him, her voice amicable. ”They’re slower, and you can always depend on them to run for the nearest tree.” She cocked her head at the stranger; a male but similar in stature to her, which was saying something. She rarely met anyone smaller than herself.

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Just as Lunas was exclaiming over the loss of his rabbit, a female walked out of the trees where he had seen the strange shadow. He couldn't keep his surprise hidden. Very few wolves in Relic Lore were close to or the same size as Lunas. The newcomer announced empathatically that she preferred squirrels. He nodded in agreement and replied with a friendly wag of his tail, "I like squirrels pretty well myself. I just couldn't resist following this rabbit. They're challenging to catch, that's for sure. But how else is one to get better than by practicing?". He observed her quickly, not wanting to seem as if he were staring. She was pretty, and her coat was unique. The female smelled as if she were Cut Rock River; Lunas was now able to distinguish some pack smells other than his own. This reminded him that he had not yet introduced himself. "Oh, I apologize. It appears that I haven't introduced myself yet. I am Lunas Axxya, the new scout of Willow Ridge." He put in quickly, using his favorite soft and musical tone. The man often forgot his introductions in such a manner as that, but he made up for it by being so polite. Looking around quickly, he noticed the rather distinct and therefore almost funny border between the willows and the cedar forest. It was like there was a fine wall separating the two forests. Taking a deep sniff, he thought he caught the scent of squirrel on the breeze. With willow branches trailing in the breeze behind him and the sun making his copper coat shine, he watched the lady to see if she caught the scent too.

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The stranger wagged his tail immediately, agreeing wholeheartedly with her comment. Naia’s face split into her trademark grin. It was refreshing to meet a wolf that didn’t immediately confront her with doubt and suspicion. ”You’re right,” she laughed, catching onto his infectious optimism. ”We wouldn’t want the rabbits to get complacent, I suppose.” He then apologized for not introducing himself, and Naia’s brow raised in surprise. Certainly the fault had been hers for neglecting to introduce herself in favor of chattering about squirrels. Lunas Axxya, she thought, memorizing the name. If he was Willow Ridge’s scout, she would definitely be seeing more of him.

”Naia Aegina, Scout and Second to Maksim Baranski of Cut Rock River. “ It was a long title to be sure, but she liked to introduce her leader along with herself. It was a constant reminder of her oath to the man, who she would serve with her life should she have to. His pups too, Naia reminded herself, heart fluttering at the thought of the roly-poly puppies that would soon emerge from the den. ”I must admit, I’m relieved Willow Ridge has a scout now. Dealing with Angier himself was.. intimidating, to say the least.” She watched her companion’s expression, wondering if he agreed with her about the leader. His nose was twitching, and with a short inhale Naia figured out why. A squirrel, speak of the devil! It smelled like it was in the willows, so Naia would leave it up to her new friend to invite her in, if he wanted to hunt with her.

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@Naia: In a previous thread, Lunas met a wolf who called herself Naia, accounting for his confusion here. The link to that thread is here if you'd like the context: http://relic-lore.net/showthread.php?tid=7073

Upon the lady announcing that her name was Naia, Lunas became confused. He had met a wolf called Naia before, hadn't he? Yes, he had met Naia in North Eden when he went to fetch goldenrod. Confusion radiated off of him. He slowly went over the details of that interaction in his head. That lady had given no pack or last name, and she had been a white color while this Naia was more of an almost peppery color. It was a long moment before everything clicked in his mind. The other she-wolf must have given a false identity! She had seemed rather aggressive and off-putting, not to mention vague... Oh well. "I apologize Naia Aegina, it is a pleasure to meet you. If you would like, I would certainly enjoy hunting that squirrel with you, but first I think I should tell you that a short while ago, I traveled to Northern Eden and met a she-wolf who used your name as a false identity. I am unsure who this fraud was, or if this will be of great importance to you, but it seemed important information for me to give to you." Lunas told Naia in an apologetic tone. He paused a moment to allow his words time to settle in. The scout always hated delivering bad news, but it was unfortunately in his job description. Thinking back to Naia's introduction, he remembered that she had said she was a scout. So that meant they would interact fairly often. Lunas already liked the friendly lady, and thought he wouldn't mind seeing her again. He had also liked how she introduced Maksim along with herself. It brought to light how grateful she was to her pack leader, and he thought he should integrate it into his introductions. Realizing he had not replied to her comment about Angier, he said, "About Angier, I agree he is intimidating. I haven't been with the pack for long, so hopefully I'll get to know him better in the future, but in the meantime, he's certainly a little tricky to hold a conversation with." Lunas wagged his tail again. The springtime happiness was infecting him.

OOC|| Ah, yes.. wily little Quick.. ||

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There was a somewhat awkward pause in their conversation after she introduced herself, and Naia shifted uncomfortably. Had she said something wrong? Perhaps Lunas had history with Cut Rock River? Or maybe Angier had said something to him about her? Her imagination raced, and finally he spoke again to invite her to catch the squirrel with him. With a small smile she nodded in assent, still wondering what had caused the male so much confusion. She didn’t have to wonder long however; soon he offered that information as well.

”Oh,” she said simply, her honey eyes blinking rapidly in shock. She was quite taken aback. She had introduced herself to a great many wolves, but never had she thought they might use that information to their own gains. ”That’s odd,” she finally said, ”Did you catch her doing something.. unsavory? Or suspicious? I’m not sure why someone would impersonate me, but it is a little troubling.” The wolves of Hollowheart Keep resided in the northern eden, and they were the first suspects to jump to Naia’s mind. The enemy pack of Cut Rock River might have reason to cover up their activities, especially if they were skulking around close to the River border. There was at least one Keep wolf who knew her name. Quicksilver. ”White as a ghost, with eyes like yours?” Naia asked, her heart sinking slightly. She considered the snowy woman a friend, and she had even helped her out at the border recently. Last time Naia had seen her, she was less than coherent.. perhaps Quick was simply confused when Lunas met her.

He turned the subject back to the Willow Ridge leader, and Naia wagged her tail as well. She was eager to move from away from the troubling subject. There was nothing she could do now, aside from reporting it to Maksim. Even if her impersonator committed a crime in her name, she was highly trusted in Cut Rock River. Maksim would certainly give her the benefit of the doubt. ”Aye,” she agreed, letting his happiness wash over her and chase away her worries. Her nose began twitching, scenting for the squirrel she had been invited to catch. ”It’s not far,” she said, taking a step in the direction of the willows. She looked at her host expectantly, waiting for him to lead the way.

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Lunas nodded both times when Naia asked questions about the she-wolf from North Eden. She seemed to know something more about the situation, but this didn't bother him. He explained when she was finished that the only suspicious action was that she had stolen his hellebore, and therefore perhaps one of her pack mates was sick or injured.

Turning and leading the way into Drooping Willows at a trot, he probed the air for more information about the squirrel. At the moment, it was elusive, and he didn't fully understand his location, but soon thereafter his well-honed hunting and scouting senses kicked in. After a couple minutes, he asked quietly, "Why don't we split up? We should be able to find it faster,". He turned a little way into the willows, going deeper into his home territory. The copper male hoped Naia had gotten his undertone that she should stay near the border. He didn't suspect any trouble would arise, but regardless... Lunas made a soft clucking type of sound he had learned from his father. He was told it was an ancient hunting signal.

The squirrel was nearby. Lunas slowed to a walk. Rounding an extra large willow trunk, he spotted the squirrel and Naia at the same time. He waited instead of stalking forward. The man couldn't tell if Naia was already stalking the grey prey or not, but just in case she was, he remained nearby should he need to turn an elusive squirrel back toward her.

OOC|| I made you a profile image and topic image for Lunas (or what I think Lunas might look like). I'm not much of an artist, but you're welcome to use them until you find something better. :) They're already sized.

Profile image: http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e84/RunningOnFaith/My%20Characters%202/0f4f9cc5-2f00-4dd2-a6e7-ce2fa28962cc_zps0bc28338.jpg?t=1401294798

Topic Image: http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e84/RunningOnFaith/My%20Characters%202/031a61a0-e48b-47b8-a9b5-ee6fb108b211_zps720dd46a.jpg?t=1401294808

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Naia blinked in surprise as Lunas simply glazed over the fact that another wolf had stolen from him. Him—a pack wolf! Naia would have been outraged. There were some things that were meant to be treated with respect, and the scent of a pack wolf was certainly one of them. No wonder Quick had given a false name. Had it been Naia she had stolen from, she would have reported the thief immediately. She would have considered it an affront on Cut Rock River –her pack scent being blatantly ignored-- and surely her superiors would have agreed. Protection from situations like that is one of the perks of being part of a pack; you always have someone to back you up. The fact that Lunas seemed to think nothing of the incident told Naia a lot about her new acquaintance, who seemed to be more passive than even she herself.

Still a little dazed by the realization, she trailed after Lunas, trying her best not to make a judgements about him, Quicksilver, or their packs. The affairs between Willow Ridge and Hollowheart Keep were hardly her business, and if Quick had stolen from someone.. well, surely she must have had a good reason? Like Lunas said, perhaps someone from the Keep was injured. Naia would rather believe that that face the reality that perhaps there was just a lot that she didn’t know about the wolf she considered her friend.

Her partner suggested they split, and Naia took that to mean that he wanted her to stick to the outskirts of the willows. She dropped to a crouch and moved silently around the perimeter of the forest, honing in on the squirrel’s scent. When she spotted the critter, she noticed that Lunas was also approaching from behind the tree that was nearest to the squirrel. A grin forming across her maw, the Timber woman burst from the underbrush, barking and charging her poor stunned prey. She didn’t intend on catching it; her plan was to chase it toward Lunas’s hidden position. Eyes wide with a very primal fear, the squirrel began dashing wildly for the tree—the very tree Lunas was hidden behind.

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(This post was last modified: May 28, 2014, 04:41 PM by Naia.)

Lunas had almost missed his chance to catch the squirrel when he realized Naia's plan. He had been just wondering about her strange hunting tactic...

Almost a little late, he sprang from behind his tree, waiting in front of the trunk. By his calculations, the squirrel could neither jump him nor dodge him at this speed, meaning it would literally run right into his waiting jaws. As bushy fur tickled his tongue and the roof of his mouth, he slammed his jaws shut, instantly breaking the critter's neck. Remembering his father's lessons in hunting, he bowed his head and muttered a quiet thanks to the squirrel.

"Thank you for giving your life to sustain ours." He said quietly to the limp grey body. He turned to Naia a moment later and said to her, "Ladies first," with a smile. The man stepped back, giving her room to eat without him being unnervingly close.

It wasn't the biggest squirrel he had ever caught, but that was alright, because it wasn't the smallest either. As he waited for Naia to eat, he observed his surroundings. Taking a deep sniff, he realized it was the same place he'd met Sköll a few weeks ago. With a happy, puppyish grin, he recalled again all that had happened since he met that mysterious, dark Archer child on the borders of the pack he now belonged to. Remembering Naia's introduction, he reminded himself of the debt he owed to Angier and Elettra. They had taken in a strange loner, and made him a part of their growing family. He thought perhaps after this he should hunt a little more for his superiors...

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Naia gave a little yelp of happiness as her hunting partner’s jaws closed around the squirrel’s small body. Success! She closed the distance to Lunas in several ecstatic bounds. ”See! Straight for the nearest tree.” The other wolf didn’t acknowledge her right away, and Naia cocked her head in confusion. He was muttering something over the body of the squirrel.. how odd. Different packs had different practices though, and if Lunas was not from around here then that explained his odd behavior. Others were occasionally confused when she spoke to crows, she had to remind herself. In her birthpack, crows were thought to carry the spirits of the dead to the afterlife. She occasionally held a conversation with one of these birds, just in case her former alpha Shade was along for the ride.

He insisted that she eat first, and she nearly burst out giggling at his chivalry. It was a squirrel for goodness sake; it was a small snack at best for one of them. If she ate, there was no way there would be anything left for the other hunter. Instead of laughing though, she smiled at his kindness. ”No Lunas,” she began, shaking her head, ”Take it to Angier, for his mate and cubs. While you’re at it, please tell him that Maksim Baranski of Cut Rock River looks forward to meeting with him, and he will be along shortly.” She gave him a crooked grin, knowing herself the fire that would light inside him once he had a message to deliver. Carrying messages for the leader was a scout’s greatest duty, and the task always filled Naia with pride and a sense of worth.

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