Cedarwood Forest Taking Chances

Falcon
the ghosts of cedarwood forest know my name

@Titan or @Narimé Hehe...can't decide, so up to you! <3 Hope this is okay!

Falcon chuffed along a well worn dirt path in the forest in the early hours of morn. She'd left her brother sleeping in a grove they'd settled in for the night; he'd tired himself from bellyaching at her antics the whole day before. The tawny female thought to make up for it by hunting down a fat rabbit for him, but so far, had no luck.

The morning carried with it a dense humidity that promised a hot day to come and Falcon found herself thankful to be up and active now while it was still relatively cool. Towering trees offered plentiful shade above as well which the female still found odd if she thought too hard on it. Her own home had been an open valley with sparse trees. To not look up and see the sky whenever it suited her was definitely something for her to get used to.

Birds sang cheerily as she trotted onwards, nose still stuffed towards the ground. When she came across a stale deer trail, Falcon finally lifted her head to look around. Trees surrounded her on all sides and each looked as similar as the next.

Oh, dear. Jackdaw would be cross with her if she got herself lost.

Falcon wasn't too worried yet, though. She still had time before full daybreak and could trust her nose to retrace her steps. For now, the tawny she-wolf continued onward. Her brother would be less cross if she brought food back with her.

Her ears swiveled, catching the soft sounds of little feet in the leaves. Falcon let her mouth fall open in a grin before giving chase. The rabbit was fast, but Falcon was faster. She struck the prey from above with a pounce in a likeness to her namesake. A snap and vicious shake made quick work of the rabbit's spine. Though the excitement of the hunt was still upon her, her nose twitched with the scent of a stranger and her hackles raised in response simply for being caught off guard.

Falcon lifted her eyes to see a wolf watching her. As if by habit, she averted her eyes and hunkered close to the ground. She tucked a leg beneath her as if preparing to roll already before nudging the rabbit towards the stranger. "You can have it if you want," Falcon offered, her tail swishing across the ground behind her. She could always catch Jackdaw another one. Not that this one hadn't taken a while to find...but she'd make do!

It was one of those days where the dark wolf couldn't stand being inside the borders. With his long yearling legs thrumming with energy, Titan had decided to see cedarwood forest again. Though he wasn't going to run right up to Maksim's doorstep because there was no real reason to. The dark Thorben thought that there might be a chance of him running into one of the Cut Rock River wolves who had taken him in a long time ago when he was a lost pup out here.

Stepping leisurely over a well worn dusty game trail through the forest, the young male was still alert for danger or the scent of prey. He also kept note of each plant he traveled by trying to see if he could spot any herbs growing out here that Titan could remember. So far only clumps of goldenrod dispersed in the sunlit areas of the forest had caught his attention.

It wasn't until he was near the edge of a thicket when he spotted something new that the dark wolf hadn't seen growing wild yet. After a double take Titan strolled up to the thorny tree scenting the leaves and flowers. His blue eyes sparkled in satisfaction as he recalled the tree this was. Black Hawthorn.. He grinned glad to have found a less common herb. Good for blood flow and chest pains. When I come back this way to go home maybe I'll take some of that with me. He nodded to himself then stepped away from the tree.

He continued forward padding along the trail until he was deeper in the forest. The humidity rose but the shade under the trees canopy was cool in the summer heat. Large tree trunks swept by the silvered black wolf as Titan glanced around looking at his surroundings. A flash of red in his vision brought him to a stop as his dark blue eyes narrowed on the red mushrooms packed in a depression in the ground with four large trees shading and cooling them. From far away he was able to tell that the mushrooms were the red spotted Amanita Muscaria fungus. Letting a shiver flow over his form Titan noted where they were growing then began to step forward. However the fresh scent of rabbit and wolf flashed across his nose. Titan tensed as he looked around for the stranger and prepped himself for what could be a dangerous meeting.

Not a second later and a fat rabbit followed closely behind by a lithe she wolf crashed through the undergrowth right in front of him. Titan watched, his head and tail up in surprise, as the she wolf killed her prey right there not a few feet away. As he watched, still stunned by her speed and swiftness of the kill, the she wolf finally noticed him then quickly reduced herself into a submissive posture. Titan was stunned into silence once more by her act, but as she began to roll the rabbit his way he backed up two steps. Relaxing his own body Titan let his tail fall comfortably to his hocks and flattened his bristling fur. Shaking his ruff once the young male tried to look as noble as he could be in this situation.

"No no you keep it... You look to need it more than I do. Besides it was your magnificent catch." Titan tried to compliment the woman still inexperienced at doing such things. He hadn't met very many she wolves worthy of praise and even rarely had he spoke up to offer them compliments when the time arouse. The yearling was still learning when those times were, and when to keep his mouth shut.

He looked over her form and realized by her scent that she was definitely older than he was. That fact plus her submissive posture had surprised Titan the most. He was getting used to anyone older than him trying to dominate him and keep him lowered to the ground. It was a serious change of pace for the black wolf.

"What's your name?" He asked trying to loosen her tense body and show that he really didn't mean any harm.

Falcon
the ghosts of cedarwood forest know my name

OOC here!

Falcon had been prepared for a warning growl and a quick steal of her catch before being left alone. She certainly hadn't expected a polite compliment. Her tail swished faster and she smiled at the dark stranger, though still didn't meet his eyes just yet. It was a bit disarming to have a wolf not try to assert its dominance over her first. She explained it away in her mind as his youth and stood slowly to her paws.

The male looked quite similar to her brother, though Jackdaw couldn't be polite if his life depended on it. He relied on Falcon for that, as well as chasing down the faster prey.

For the briefest of moments, she let her amber eyes catch on his and was immediately astounded by the beautiful color. Like the sky, she marveled, reminded of the open plains of her previous home. The tawny female had been so caught in admiring his eyes that she stumbled over herself to reply.

"Oh, oh, I'm sorry! My name is Falcon." As was her habit whenever she felt a bit anxious, the female rambled a bit longer than necessary and always gave away more information than she should; much to her brother's dismay and endless frustration. "I was hunting for my brother. His name is Jackdaw." Falcon glanced up before remembering the trees blocked the majority of the sky. But if she had to hazard a guess, it wasn't quite daybreak yet. Soon, though.

"He's probably still sleeping. He's not really an early bird.

"What's your name?" Falcon asked, her tail wagging low while her head remained lower than the male's. "Do you live around here?" she asked, her ears standing more upright with excitement at the idea of more wolves being nearby.

Unlike her grouchy brother, Falcon loved to be around others. As the male was still young...maybe she could entice him into playing a game! The very thought had Falcon starting to bow a little in preparation.

(This post was last modified: Jun 22, 2014, 09:14 PM by Falcon.)

"It's nice to meet you Falcon." Was all Titan was able to interject into the conversation before the she wolf spoke about her hunting for her brother. He nodded in understanding now absolutely sure that he wanted her to have the rabbit. Especially since she would be feeding herself and her brother. He grinned at her comment that her brother wasn't an early bird then wagged his tail when she asked for his name.

"My name is Titan Thorben, first born prince of Whisper Caverns pack." He raised his head a bit showing off his proud figure while also casting off a warm smile. At her next question he strode confidently around the she wolf till he was two feet away on her left then pointed with his nose gesturing in a southerly direction towards his home. All the while his tail continued to wag in a friendly way.

"My pack has their territory in the wide open meadows just south of here. If you go past the marsh that borders the southern end of this place you will see the Hush Meadow on the other side, and probably run into our borders." He added the last bit more so that she would be careful if deciding to travel in that direction. He didn't want his mother or some other wolf to chase Falcon and her brother off if they accidentally happened upon the packs borders.

Titan padded away from her unsure if he had made the woman nervous by his closeness. Then he sat down to watch her reaction or answer any other questions that might flow from her muzzle. The way she spoke was a lot like what Chantille had described his own mother as being when she was young. Mom used to run her mouth a lot too with tons of questions... The thought brought a wider smile to his face as he imagined Falcon as a younger version of his mother.

(This post was last modified: Jun 23, 2014, 02:13 AM by Titan.)

Falcon
the ghosts of cedarwood forest know my name

OOC here!

Oh, he was very polite! Not at all like Jackdaw, just as she'd thought. His wagging tail had the tawny she-wolf standing a bit taller, though she still kept her head lower. Her ears flagged out to the side in a goofy expression when he introduced himself. "I've never met a prince before!" she said with a sweet smile. Royalty! That would explain his good upbringing, then.

While Titan paraded his figure on approach, Falcon wagged her tail in clear amusement. He was sweet; already she liked him. Though Jackdaw would be sure to give her an earful about her liking every stranger that happened to walk by and she hadn't a lick of sense and so on. How well she knew him to be able to hear his words already in her head.

Titan needn't have worried about her being anxious. While Falcon was submissive, it wasn't fear-based in the least. She wasn't the kind to want to raise a fuss about dominance and chose to leave it to others. Falcon would rather use her energy on running and playing!

The female followed the direction of his muzzle and mentally cataloged the information away to tell Jackdaw later. No doubt, her brother would want to avoid the place, she thought sadly. He wasn't one for socializing. "I'll be sure not to cross them without invitation," Falcon assured him, grateful to have what she assumed to be his trust.

Falcon mirrored Titan's move, sitting beneath the trees though she ached to be moving. When it came to new wolves, she knew it was best to appear not a threat in any way. The dark male seemed quite relaxed, however, and the tawny female would hazard that he wasn't at all worried. Good! It meant less time between now and play.

She needed a distraction. As she already felt deprived, discussion of packs seemed only natural. "What's your pack like?" she asked, already recalling her own. They hadn't been very kind, but she missed them nonetheless. "Are they big, small? Friendly? Do you like them?" The questions poured from her muzzle, and Falcon didn't even consider how they could come across as digging for information or weakness. She just so earnestly wanted to know anything about them that even the tiniest bit of sharing was welcome.

There is a rabbit's nest nearby. +1 Health

Her excitement and happiness must of been infective because Titan was relaxing so much in her presence that he was able to let out a laugh when she asked more questions about his pack. He shrugged his massive silver flecked shoulders then cocked his head in a puppy-like way.

"I would think they are like any other pack. Some family drama sometimes but we all love each other in the end." He answered curbing the truth. His uncle had been booted from the pack and was now called a traitor. So yeah there was still drama going on there, but then again Titan never really liked the old man enough to call him family.

"We are not small but we are not a large pack either. Half of us are yearlings who have joined from other places outside the pack. Not including my brother and I. " He grinned from ear tip to ear tip. Titan hadn't realized how many youngsters were in the pack now. I really should be getting to know them... He thought quietly.

"There is one pup from a female who joined earlier this spring. Mom didn't seem to want to make me an older brother this year. So it's just the one pup." He remembered passing by the area where the female had her den away from the rest of the pack. However he never drew close enough to see anything. All he could tell was by the familiar scent of milk that there was a pup around. Ash's presence was mostly what kept Titan's curiosity at bay.

"Then there are a few adults, Mom, Ash, Dziban, Athena, and Kassander. We are all pretty nice to meet as long as you don't cross the border." He answered sheepishly. Though the young male couldn't reiterate enough the fact that you shouldn't cross the border. He wasn't really doing that on purpose.

"I like them as far as pack mates go. I trust them enough not to attack me in my sleep and to do their jobs. I love my mother and my brother and would do anything for them. As much as both can annoy me sometimes." He flashed a grin at the last comment. Family could be annoying and hard to deal with, but he loved them anyway. He was sure Falcon felt the same for her brother.

"If you ever need a pack to join I can put in a good word for you if you try joining my pack. You're definitely a skilled hunter and momma always needs those." He let the offer flow from his lips clearly trusting the woman now to the same extent that he would his pack mates. She wouldn't attack him and with that kind of loyalty to her brother she would do well in a pack. However that was not what Titan was thinking. I'de love for someone to talk with who doesn't annoy me half the time to be around...But she's probably headed elsewhere. He tried not to let that thought bring him down. It was great to meet a wolf who was this nice, and that rarely happened to him.

Standing up and stretching Titan cast a mischievous glance towards Falcon. He wondered if she would trust him enough to have a play fight. It would be the first time he asked this of someone who was practically a stranger, but what the heck. He was double her size anyway and was quite confident he would win. Still watching her still as a rock as he stood, Titan suddenly bounced forward ending up right in front of the woman in a play bow. His head cocked to the side while his tongue lolled out of his mouth as he waited for her reply.

Falcon
the ghosts of cedarwood forest know my name

OOC here!

Sitting beneath the shade of tall trees, Falcon listened with rapt attention to every detail Titan had to offer about his pack. She couldn't help but smile at the fond way he spoke of them; it was clear he loved them. And he had a brother, too! So he would understand then. Falcon supposed brothers were brothers no matter what.

At the mention of a pup, her bushy tail swished along the ground quickly. Falcon had a fondness for pups. Their innocence was infectious and endearing. For them, she feared nothing. Not even angry grizzlies could scare her away from a den that housed pups, regardless of whether or not they were her packmates or not. Falcon was of a mind that the young should be protected no matter what. Those who thought it good practice to kill the pups of competing packs were scum in her eyes and not worthy of any loyalty at all!

When Titan complimented her, Falcon wiggled with pleasure. The she-wolf wasn't at all simple-minded, but she was easy to please. Kindness went a long way for her, though she did give the benefit of the doubt to those who didn't exactly deserve it. This, however, was definitely not one of those cases. It was an invitation if ever she heard one!

"Oh, I would love that!" she told him with a broad smile. "I'd have to talk to my brother first though." It was clear she felt hesitant about that. Falcon very well knew her brother wasn't at all social and had the tendency to let his mouth run away with him. It certainly didn't make a good impression on an interested pack. But he was strong and a good brawler. Maybe it would be enough to give them a fighting chance.

Falcon caught the barest flicker of mischief in the male's eyes and hers brightened in response, though she made no clear indication that she'd noticed. When he stood stiffly, she feigned innocence and looked on with mild curiosity. As soon as Titan dipped into a play bow, Falcon pounced! The she-wolf leapt up much as she'd done with the rabbit she'd caught that still lay a few feet away, forgotten. She landed just shy to his right and quickly nipped at his ear before darting a few feet away with her belly brushing the ground while her tail waved happily behind her.

"Come on then!" she laughed.

Yeah she was definitely fast.

As the she wolf quickly accepted his invitation to play, Titan snapped at the air both intimidatingly but also still with a playful wag of his tail. In a quick movement Falcon nipped at his black ear then landed to his right with a wide grin. Luckily for Titan he was just moving his ears back to rest against his head protected when she nipped near there. He still felt the kiss of the wind as her jaws snapped on the air near his head.

Making a scrunched up expression like a "silly face" Titan egged her on trying to get the girl closer to him. He was pretty sure he would never get a hold on her unless she herself got closer because of her light body. Falcon would likely squirm right out of his grasp if he went after her himself.

His legs and body tensed ready to move at a moments notice while his ears were now fully pinned to his skull. The yearling kept her in his sights and made sure to keep his body pointed directly at her for the best chance of counterattack. If she did decide to come close he planned on raising up on two legs and trying to bring his front legs and chest down on her shoulders or back. Though Titan was ready with his jaws to lightly grip her nape if he got the chance to.

Never would he be too rough while playing. Not since he had been very little playing with Malia and very rarely with Yuka. Titan had made himself play very gently whenever Yuka did decide to join them in their games. Mostly because Titan wanted to play with Yuka more and didn't want to hurt him and end the game."Speech here."

Falcon
the ghosts of cedarwood forest know my name

Omg, I'm sorry. I hope this post was okay. Wasn't sure if you wanted me to carry on as if he had done those things he was planning or not, so I kinda just avoided it altogether. But in the future, if I do have her do as he is thinking, would you like me to continue as if he had done those things?

Yes, yes, yes! She loved to play and Falcon couldn't recall the last time she'd even been able to do so. Jackdaw wasn't overly playful, but even if he had been, her brother had been far too anxious about potential dangers to even think of having fun.

As the male made a goofy face, she yipped in frustration. She wanted him to come closer! Rather than falling so easily for such a trick, Falcon twirled around in a circle to try and get him to come after her. When that did nothing for her, she gave a gruff, short bark. The tawny female lifted a paw to jab at the air, her head tilting to the side before she abandoned that tactic as well.

She'd have to pull out all the stops for this one! Falcon turned tail and ran through the forest, though she kept her pace even and slow enough for him to easily catch up to. Her goal wasn't to run from him, but to eventually be caught! It was always her favorite part. The she-wolf never understood why Jackdaw hated when she caught him in games like chase, but she gathered it had a lot to do with his pride.

Falcon turned to see how close he was followed and slowed almost to a stop. Where'd he go? The female stood erect, ears swiveling in search for him. Her paws scuffled in fallen leaves, obscuring any sneaking around he may or may not have been doing. Did he get lost? Worried, Falcon gave a soft bark, hoping to call the male back to her.