The Wildwood a caucus race

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She pressed on, momentarily free of any sense of obligation to stick to any one place.  Mojave felt it pertinent to continue her exploration of the forest beyond the mountain, though she also found she did not stray too far from her one becaon marker along the horizon.  Though in the dense wood, it was impossible to really tell where it was she had come from.  She wasn't hopelessly lost by any means, but her visual cues had left her skirting from beneath overgrown boughs in a haphazard sort of way.  There were many things of interest here that intrigued her, that called to her.  She found that she quite liked the security that the woods provided, the warmth that etched its way out across the cold.

But there was also a chilling sense to that very wood, though it was far from foreboding.  With the branches nearly interlocking as they weaved patterns between her and the sky, the shadows crept up and lurked in some places.  Daylight was waning, slipping away smoothly into evening as she pressed forward.  Mojave was certain the way she was going was back east, towards the mountain, but had become impossible to tell.  Well, maybe not impossible, but it was improbable that in her youth she had a complete sense of north and south, east and west.  She didn't know the old tricks or adages to quell her uncertainty.  With that uncertainty came the slowing of her pace; her awareness piqued and her gold eyes discerned and tore through the shadowy bends in the muddied and varied path before her.

She had the overwhelming sense that she was not alone, but could not tell what it was that left her feeling that way.

(This post was last modified: Mar 12, 2015, 12:08 AM by Mojave. Edit Reason: html failure, again )

The wind softly grazed Esper's face as she looked up into the trees. A sigh escaped through her, it wasn't a sad sigh, or an upset sigh, simply just a sigh to let her feel her own presence. The fae enjoyed being alone more than anything. One might think of it as sad, but she definitely didn't see it that way. And she never cared for others opinions anyway. The only sounds around her were the pine bristles stroking the branches and a distant owl awakening and getting ready to go on the hunt. The night was closing in, but Esper wasn't tired. She didn't have the best eye sight, so she always had to make sure she was being intuitive when she wished to stay awake. The woods while friendly in the day, could be a dangerous place in the night. She knew that first hand.

She stopped, scanning her surroundings the best she could as the night quickly swept over the woods. Her large ears twitched back and forth, waiting for the sound of any movement--besides her own breathing. After a few minutes of silence, she began to meander her way through the maze of trees. The winter was finally ceasing, her breath was no longer hanging onto her muzzle for any warmth it could find. Esper didn't mind the winter, her cream colored coat just allowed her to be more hidden, and that was exactly what she wanted. Her fur was losing it's thickness, especially around her paws. She stopped and plumped down, gnawing at the wet snow between her toes. Although she didn't mind winter, she most definitely hated being unkempt. It wasn't to "show-off" her stunning looks, or even to be better than those around, it was simply because she liked it. Esper was one who cared only for her own thoughts, and again...that's just the way she liked it.

And then she heard it. A contented sigh. But the encroachment of the woodland surrounding her did not immediately reveal where it was. That in itself required more travel before Mojave gathered and inkling of who or what she was about to stumble across. Even in the damp air of the late winter, it was significantly quiet. The snow provided a damper on the usual din and chorus of the night and the cold air left her able to suss out what she was working towards. What the various musks of the area told her was that it was well traveled by other wolves and namely, one not so long ago.

Now her cream-coated companion had the advantage in the dark wood, blending in. But her actions instead of stock stillness gave her up as Mojave noisily crashed through the underbrush. Her sounding arrival had no doubt tipped her off, but the Ostrega had no intentions of coming up silently. She wanted to be seen and heard, especially on unfamiliar ground that she assumed was friendly. Maybe not instantly safe with feline predators lingering around, but safe enough for canine to canine.

The actions that she stumbled upon from the older wolf caught her off guard and instantly piqued her interest. She drew in closer to her, yet far enough off to stay out of that proverbial personal bubble. "Something caught in your feet?" she queried, glancing away as though she could find some assailant bramble.

Before Esper could even begin enjoy her quick cleanse a wolf of not even two years came bounding in, without warning.. And asking questions. Two things that Esper most definitely did not care for. She was feeling slightly overwhelmed, but the pup could do no harm to her so the surprise just turned into annoyance. She snorted, crossing her paws in front of her she lifted her head as her chest puffed out. She looked the pup up and down, she was a scruffy little thing. And her surprise visit proved even more how young and unexperienced she was. Good thing Esper wasn't one for fights.

Her lips curled back to bare her pearly whites, not as a threat.. But a warning. Her tail flicked in vexation and she went back to gnawing in between her toes. Her ears still erect to where the wolf stood, she let out a cackle and kept her eyes on her paws.

Didn't your mother ever teach you not to talk to strangers?

Esper's disposition would hopefully let the pup know that she was in no interest in answering her questions. But she wasn't in a negligent mood...so maybe she could have a little fun with her.

(This post was last modified: Mar 16, 2015, 03:43 PM by Esper.)

It seemed that her noisy entrance had not tipped off the other because as she moved and Mojave brought her gaze back to her, she found she was offered a flash of teeth as a warning rather than a hello. Not exactly one to go all collywobbles on others, Mojave merely kept her distance until the icy words came etching out. If the flash of teeth hadn't been enough to deter her from striking up a conversation, those words definitely told her that this particular wolf wanted no part of her company. But it was a double-sided barb all the same, as Mojave could not help but have a flash of memory associated with her mother.

For a moment, she almost considered answering with a sassy no, she didn't. But she withheld if only for the fact that instinct prompted her to. She knew nothing about this female disperser. No idea where she came from, no idea what her ability was. She could have torn Mojave apart as easily as a bear could have them both. Flattening her ears back against her skull, the tawny Ostrega moved to head off in another direction. "Sorry," she offered, before heading to disappear back into the depths of the dark wood.

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

Watching the young one squirm with uneasiness allowed a small half smile to curl on her lips. Without moving she spoke glassy tone, not as threatening as her first words

It was simply a question.

She inspected her paws, and with one last lick between her toes she was satisfied. Esper really was a magnificent looking wolf, her legs were thin and her feet small, but she had that little something that was extremely enticing. The gold in her eyes was bewitching, and in the night it looked as if fireflies were caught in her very pupils as the fiery color danced while she looked back at the sulking pup. Clearly the pup should not be alone, especially at this age. Although Esper hated to admit it, she felt a tiny twinge of guilt for her...as she saw nearly herself in that same predicament not too long ago...

It was a crisp night, and Esper was too young to grow into a full winter coat. The icy wind sent chills up the spine of her back as she dug her face into her paws and let out a whimper. She didn't even remember what it felt like to be warm. The next day would be even worse, winter was coming and she could feel the storm creeping over the mountains. No time to cry, Esp. Don't be stupid. And with that she got to her feet, although still shaking from the cold, she held her head high as she disappeared up the mountain.

Esper's eyes shut tight at the memory, and she cringed. Well, if I could learn to be on my own at that age..surely this one could too, right? The answer was clear. It had taken a great amount out of Esper to learn how to be capable of taking care of herself..and she wasn't like most wolves. The pup clearly had some learning to do. Well, she could stick around until dawn if she chose to. For the woods were a treacherous place in the night.

Before she could fully exit the picture, she heard the voice of the female once more call after her. Not catching all of it, Mojave couldn't help but turn an ear back towards her. "What?" she said, though from the moment those words left her mouth she thought she understood what she had heard. Simply a question. Her ears turned back once more to rest along her head and this time, she kept her distance better. Safer that way, she decided.

"Well, you kind of sounded like you didn't want company," she decided to point out, as though the glassy tone really implied now that she still wanted company. "I was just making sure you were all right. I can go though, it's not a big deal," unless of course, she didn't add, you want some company. Perhaps this would change things around, perhaps it wouldn't. Somehow, Mojave had the inkling of a notion that it wouldn't change things.

Goodness, this pup just loved to babble. Esper noticed that the pup maintained her distance, and she snickered. Out of most everything in the woods she was definitely not the thing to be afraid of. Of course she wasn't quite what you call friendly..but she wasn't dangerous unless you forced her to be. Obviously this pup had only encountered the sweetest of animals, lucky her.
The girl's last comment actually made Esper laugh. Clearly the pup wanted company, "just making sure you were all right.." As if any stranger would just care to see the well being of another stranger.. yeah, okay. She spoke again, the resonance of her voice filling the woods around them. She didn't necessarily have a deep voice, but it was rich.

The fact is I don't particularly like company, but it seems you're a little lost. Stick around at least for the night.

Before you get yourself killed.. She thought to herself. She let herself hold gaze with the pup, without blinking. The smart move would be to not trust anyone and leave. But Esper wasn't going to harm the girl, so if she wasn't as smart..which is what Esper believed her to be..she would stick around and at least have some protection for the night, which wouldn't be dumb.

(This post was last modified: Mar 18, 2015, 01:39 AM by Esper.)

For all her beamish ways, Mojave did not know what to make of the company she was finding herself in. In fact, she found herself a little put off by being labeled as lost; she didn't consider herself lost. Off the beaten path a bit, sure, but lost? Her mind wriggling at the sensation of it. Yet she didn't contest that, as though it were somehow youthful pride that wanted to rebel; truth be told, she had been wandering around for the better part of a week still trying to get a feel for the place she found herself in.

And this was by far one of the most awkward encounters she had in it.

Her deliberation came quickly. "I'll stick around for a bit, but I wanna head back to the mountain soon." Never mind that her counterpart hadn't wanted company anyway, she was beginning to think maybe that wasn't true. Maybe she was like her uncle and just stubborn enough to say one thing when they meant another... or something. She paced in a few steps closer, letting herself sink towards the earth in stretching bow. "What's your name? I'm Mojave," became her next offering as her focus shifted to sussing out something of a conversation.