Sacred Grove Sweet Escape

@Laurel: For when we finish our other thread. :)


He waited. Something about this grove had made him stop. It seemed to hold a sort of power, one which radiated from the clearing in all directions. There seemed a kind of danger to the place, and even standing at the clearing's center made the beige boy feel as if suddenly a wizard would walk out of the trees and curse him to stay there forever.

A beautiful red bird flew into the clearing and landed gracefully on the grass nearby. His mother had taught him many things about wildlife, so Kato knew that this stunning red avian was a cardinal. The cardinal is a very proud bird, Kato remembered his mother telling him and his siblings, But he is not always smart. Never forget cardinals and the lesson they have to teach you. A little bit of pride is acceptable, but too much will make you forget the simplest facts. The memory wasn't a bad one, but it wasn't one he would fondly recall over and over.

His fawn figure slowly sank into a lying down position. Placing his head gently on the grass, he watched the cardinal as it hopped around the grass, apparently looking for worms as Kato watched it fly off with one a few minutes later. Sighing, he stood and stretched luxuriously, hearing several of his bones crack. At first cracking his bones had scared the tawny boy. But he had been younger then, and now he knew it was of no danger and felt very good. It had taken him a long time to determine it must be his bones cracking. The sun suddenly appeared through the hole in the foliage above his head. Kato tipped his head back to bask in its warmth. With the rays of sun streaming in all around him, he was sure he looked like some kind of vision.

Finally, Laurel directed her thoughts towards Kato as she skidded to a stop. There you are! She nearly missed him, racing towards the den they found near Bramble Falls. Mischievously, she considered pouncing playfully upon her companion, his back towards her, but something made Laurel stop. The air? No, wait- the trees. She leaned forward to sniff one carefully, but it didn't do anything un-treelike. It was a perfectly normal tree. Didn't look different, didn't sound different, didn't smell different- and she most definitely would not try and see if it tasted any different- she might incur the wrath of ants.

Still, Laurel moved towards Kato with caution, wary not to anger whatever serene power resided there. As she got closer, she notice his figure, bathed in the golden rays of a midday sun. If her elder sisters were here, undoubtedly they would giggle and mention how handsome he looked. Well, the dark female admitted to herself, the sunlight does make the silver in his fur shine. She shivered- even the sunlight here was different. Different in a way she just couldn't put sink her teeth into- it wasn't particularly bad, just different. With a shrug, she abandoned the thought of surprising Kato with a flying tackle, and simply slunk up to his side.

"Hello," She smiled, tail wagging. She kept her voice low however, wishing not to disturb the atmosphere. "You seem to be enjoying that sunlight. I've taken the liberty to scout out the area around the falls, and it's almost smack dab in the middle of a ton of prey areas. There's rabbit warrens, and groundhogs, and deer in the forests north of here. There's also fish downstream from the falls, and-" Laurel shivered. "beavers. Overall, it's a really nice spot to set up a home. I managed to cache a few rabbits for later before coming over here."

(This post was last modified: Aug 10, 2014, 01:48 AM by Laurel.)

At the approach of his dark hued friend, Kato smiled. She told him a report on the nearby hunting grounds. A rush of excitement filled his veins at the mention of such incredible hunting. This place enchanted him even more every day. Laurel proceeded to mention fishing opportunities and beavers. "Beavers, eh? I doubt they'll pose much of a threat, but it would be wise to keep an eye on them." Now the tawny and silver turned toward his friend. A gentle smile graced his features, lighting up his face. He didn't think the beavers would be an issue. If he was lucky enough to have pups of his own come spring, it would be vital to keep them far away from the lumbering brown creatures. "Do you know how to fish, Laurel?" The tawny youth inquired, gazing in the direction of the falls and stream. "If we are to make our home at the falls, then it would be very helpful to be able to use the extra food source to our advantage," Returning his gaze to her, he breathed a sigh of happiness. Equanimity had become abundant in his life ever since he arrived here in Relic Lore. It had been abundant in his first home too, but something made it sweeter this time. Perhaps it was the feeling of being on Cloud 9 that accompanied having such amazing friends and a wonderful new home. His next thought made him beam more than anything else. If his parents were here, he knew they would be very, very proud of their eldest son. "Speech"

PirateLotus-Stock @DA, Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

~~> If you wanna power play a little bit and have Kato follow her to the stream that is fine with me.

(This post was last modified: Aug 10, 2014, 11:50 PM by Kato.)

She cocked her head at him. "Have you ever tried to hunt a beaver?" While the meat of beavers was delicious, the struggle to get it was not pleasant. The last time Laurel had tried to corner a beaver, she ended up with a drenched coat, wounded pride, and a stinging scratch. Beavers would, and always would be- to Laurel at least- a last resort for food. There was no way she wanted to go through that sort of hunting trauma again. Let a bigger wolf try his luck, but anything a fierce as a beaver, she was staying far away from.

Reigning in her mind from beavers and their horrors, Laurel let a smile run over her face again. "Yes, I do. In fact, I was the best at fishing, out of all my age mates. Snapdragon came close, but he was too big to catch all the tricky ones." Her grin grew wider at the memory. "It would be good to practice... would you want to try now? There's a stream not to far from here." A stream that probably feels just as weird as every other thing in this part of the forest, but if it doesn't mind giving us fish, then I have no problem. She rose, ready to go, and enjoyed the feeling of dirt squishing under her toes- the paste from the white fir hadn't come off for a while after it dried. She nearly felt like a deer.

Is that what it means to be a lone wolf? To think of food all the time? I'm not even hungry...

(That is a really nice table!)

(This post was last modified: Aug 11, 2014, 01:55 AM by Laurel.)

"Have you ever tried to hunt a beaver?" The dark hued she-wolf queried. "Hunt beavers? I didn't realize they were prey. And I can't imagine its easy," Kato was surprised that Laurel had thought to hunt them. Personally, the tawny boy had only looked at beavers from a safe distance. He'd never even considered that they were prey. If she seemed so shocked that he'd never tried, then perhaps their meat was quite good. "Yes, I do. In fact, I was the best at fishing, out of all my age mates. Snapdragon came close, but he was to big to catch all the good ones. It would be good to practice... Would you want to try now? There's a stream not far from here," A grin as wide as the one on Laurel's face appeared on his. "Let's go then! But I must tell you, I don't really know how to fish. Would you mind teaching me?" If he wanted to be a leader, Kato knew it would be important to learn fishing. Not knowing how seemed a slight burden. The waterfall was such a wonderful home, he knew it would be embarrassing to lack proficient fishing skills. And who better to teach him than Laurel? Although, it wasn't as if he didn't entirely lack the knowledge. His mother had taught him the basics, but he had been to young and restless then to sit still, be patient, and listen to what his mother was telling him. "Fishing is a useful skill, Kato. You'll have to learn someday!" And now, his mother was being proven right. "Speech"

PirateLotus-Stock @DA, Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

Thanks! PuppyThief made it!

"Let's go then! But I must tell you, I don't really know how to fish. Would you mind teaching me?"

" Of course not! I would love to." She turned her head towards him with a cheerful expression. "The fish won't know what hit them!" Laurel began to lead the way towards the stream north of their position in the Sacred Grove. If they were found a pack at the falls, she reasoned with herself, they would certainly have to make sure not to anger the entity that lived within the Grove- to have a supernatural enemy so close to home would be disastrous. Perhaps, she thought,I should explore the area, and ask wolves what they know about this power. After all, such a strong feeling flowing through her carefully treading paws couldn't be a figment of the imagination- and those who lived here had to have answers.

"Where did you live before, if you've never hunted beavers?" Laurel asked toward her light-furred friend, ducking underneath a low-hanging branch. "They were usually a treat back at home-" She dodged an entrance to a burrow, " Especially if our parents wanted to teach the value in teamwork." Laurel wished she'd had someone to back her up whenever she wanted to hunt. Pats and cuddles came to mind, but she couldn't remember but a few instances that one of her pack mates would join her for some one-on-one hunting trips. Hmm. I'll change that when we've started the pack- any yearling who wants my attention will get it. I'll make sure I'm not too busy!

There are several fresh rabbit tracks in the mud. Hunt Opportunity

"Of course not! I'd love to! The fish won't know what hit them!" Smiling, the boy began to follow the dark furred girl. He was still amazed that he had happened upon her. It was scary to think about how dreadfully wrong things might've gone between them. Or even if Kato had met a less friendly soul... "Where did you live before if you never hunted beavers?" A sigh fluttered from his maw. Too bad she'd asked, for his tale was a long one. "It's kind of a long story, but I'll at least tell you the basics. I grew up in a land called Whirres Aetomis. Well, at least, that's what us locals called it. My family had a long tradition on the island; four centuries, in fact. Whirra and Aeto, my earliest known ancestors, watched our island form. Naming the island after themselves, they claimed it for their pack and my family begun. As time passed, the island and population grew. Other packs tried to take over our island, but my pack always had a strong military force, and no pack ever beat them. My younger brother, Daote, joined the force right before I left. Of course, my parents eventually came to rule. The island was strong, large, and full of prey last I saw it." Kato grinned and watched his paws as he spoke, following Laurel's shadow as a guide. The history of his family didn't seem extraordinary to him, but he knew it sounded fantastical to some. "Our island was in the ocean. It wasn't far from the shore, and there was a seasonal land bridge, but we had no beavers. I never encountered one until I was alone on the mainland, and by then there was no one to tell me if it was safe to eat," His tone was nonchalant, but inside Kato was a little bitter about being left to fend for himself at just barely one year of age. "Speech"

PirateLotus-Stock @DA, Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

"Four centuries..." Laurel whuffed in awe, as they neared the stream she spoke of. It was a pretty little stream, with a grassy bank coming down from the tree line. A few large rocks were placed here and there within the stream's path, but that didn't stop the water from flowing freely, babbling a song that was sweet to the ear. "That's amazing."

She didn't want it to, but Laurel's mind immediately countered- My family's hold didn't last that long. She felt almost angry with herself for thinking that way- most family packs don't last in once place as long. That's what made Kato's family so amazing.

"Are you planning to have us put roots down and stay that long?" She pondered the possibility that far in the future, someone might have been influenced by her decisions now- the thought made a laugh bubble up in the throat. An intense desire to leap and splash in their destination arose with it, but Laurel firmly held it down. To splash around would scare the fish.

Careful about her movements, the dark she-wolf stepped lightly down the bank, noticing some rabbit tracks running across a particularly muddy section. She took note of their direction and continued to pad down to towards the stream. Peering downwards, Laurel could see fish swimming about in the clear water. Aha! she thought with a mischievous smile. If only you'd look up, you would see your doom! Prepare yourselves, for this shall be a battle you and your kin shall not soon forget!

The sound of flowing water and the tones of Laurel's voice danced upon his ears. A smile dawned upon his features, one warm and bright like a sunrise. Four centuries was impressive enough, he supposed. It wasn't incredible to him, for he had grown up calmly accepting that fact and thinking it nothing extraordinary, but indeed never had the boy caught word of another pack settling down for so long. A question of if he planned to stay four centuries like his ancestors had done reached his mind. He'd been wondering if she would ask that, and the answer was not one smoothly said. "I don't know. I'm not sure if my parents intended me to do that, but I'm happy to try," Brown and green eyes darted to just beneath the water's surface, where silver fish floated as if the currant meant nothing. Sitting down quite neatly, the tawny and silver hued youth tucked in his tail and prepared to learn fishing. "So... How do we do this fishing thing?" As his gaze remained steady on the water's glittering surface, Kato noted that now would be an ideal time to discuss the pack with Laurel. There were so many things he'd been planning and thinking about, and then there was the question. But the idea of telling her his most recent theory was considerably more terrifying. A shiver passed down his spine. It would all come out okay. Laurel would understand. Maybe she'd come with him even. Kato breathed a sigh and offered her a warm grin. "Speech"

PirateLotus-Stock @DA, Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief