Lost Lake Asteroid B-612

Though still early in the spring, the green grasses were not bitten by frost but laced with droplets of morning dew as the sun began to rise. A mist had come in the night and had laid a silver sheen upon the ground, clinging to fresh new leaves and blades of grass, a mist that would thaw and burn off as the sun's warm morning rays spread over the land, bursting through a crimson dawn. The yellow trout lilies that had begun to bloom along the lake's shore opened their blossoms up to the warm light, dangling down the long red tendrils with hopes of attracting insects and curling its yellow petals back. Anders liked the look of them, bright and sunny in colour, with broad, dark green leaves at their base blotched with maroon splotches. They were one of the earlier flowers to bloom in springtime, and a good omen that a late spring snowstorm was not likely to come.

He was fortunate enough to come upon a rabbit's den during the night which had housed a mother rabbit and her kits whose eyes were not yet open. The strong, persistent wolf had dug into the ground, gritting his teeth as he clawed against ground which was still not quite thawed in its depths until he was able to reach them. While he enjoyed hunting larger animals, ones which required more skill and stealth to track down, he was not foolish to pass up an easy meal. He had killed them quickly and silently; the little ones had only vaguely sensed trouble when their mother's warmth was pulled away from them. Each was a mere mouthful and was devoured at once, whereas the female rabbit he carried with him to the lakeside where in the dewy grass he lay down and began to devour it too, bones, fur and all.

He found himself still hungry even after this little meal, and craving venison instead. Looking out over the lake with the sun at his back, Anders rested on the Northeast bank of the lake, knowing full well that to the South there was a pack. He intended to pay them a visit later on in the day, but felt it was wiser to stay in the area and allow them to scent him first, not long before introducing himself. He did not want to haunt the area, of course, lest they think he was a danger or a spy. He yawned and set his head upon his paws for a moment before he decided that resting out the sun- while he felt comfortable and warm- was not the best option, in case he dozed off. He retreated into the dappled shade of a few alders, sliding between them and curling himself up into the tall, dried grass from the seasons past so he could digest his meal in peace, peering out between the pale alder trunks and the slight cover of yellowed timothy toward the glimmering surface of the lake.

Namid knew that, in a week or two’s time, she’d no longer be able to be out and about. She’d be den-ridden, stricken to the birthing den that she’d yet to search for as she waiting for her children to be born. Already walking was a challenge, waddling being described as her movements more so than the graceful gate of most wolves. She wanted to do all she could until then for her pack, for she’d be relatively useless in that time. Her goings were slow and tiring and she’d periodically stopped to rest often. As she skirted her borders this was another time for those stops, her throat parched from the travels and efforts she was making. Not too far was the shore of the lake, just past the grove of trees that she was currently traveling in. True, half of their territory was bordered by the cove that the lake fed into, hence their name, but much of it was also covered in large pine trees.

Marking a final bush, she gave her silvery pelt a swift shake to rid it of the misty fog before moving her way past their borders and toward the lapping shore. She was surprisingly unaware of the male nestled in the roots of some bushes nearby, her focus on the liquid in front of her and her dry throat. Lowering herself at the edge her salmon tongue flickered out to cup the water and bring it back to her mouth to drink.

As Anders lay, partially concealed in the shade and cover of the alders he tuned into his landscape. From the sound of song sparrows warming up their voices on the morning air to the sound of dead leaves and grasses from seasons past that rustled together. Once or twice he thought he heard something more significant, but it would be some while yet before he heard the approach of the other wolf. In the meantime, he cast his unfocused gaze out over the lake, looking through the long grasses as they swayed gently before him, occasionally brushing his whiskers but eliciting no response. He was quiet, calm and composed; with a bit of a meal in his stomach, he was quite content to rest as he was until he made the decision to move on. He found it did his soul good to spend small amounts of time tuning into nature, allowing himself to slip into an almost zen-like state as he relaxed, senses sharp but soul at peace.

He caught the female's scent first, and recognized it immediately. Her scent was heavy around the borders of the pack which lay just to the South, which signified to Anders that this was quite possibly the alpha female who was approaching- and not surprisingly so. Had she scented him lingering along the borders, it was definitely within an alpha's interest to seek the newcomer out. And while he was not presently smack dab at the borders, he knew he was close enough that should she sense his presence and recognize his scent, she would know that he was likely hanging about in the area for a reason. He'd given them a decent distance, though, after having found the borders; he did not want them to think he was likely to intrude or cause trouble.

He stayed where he was though he listened to her approach, her pace not slowing as she approached the lake. He was able to pick her out easily once she came into sight, her pale complexion marking her out against the tawny and green backdrop. His eyes fell across her figure to sides which announced her pregnancy- how far along she was he couldn't tell, as such things were far from being in his area of expertise. He felt slightly disappointed, seeing that she was pregnant- for she was a very attractive woman, petite in figure and with a striking gaze of two opposing but complimentary shades of colour. She was taken- and not surprisingly so, but he told himself not to be too disappointed. Though her pregnancy meant that she was in a relationship, he could not know how happy a relationship it was; perhaps this alpha female could still be won over, even though such a conquest was far from being his aim. He took this sign of a pregnant female and deduced that this must indeed be the alpha female, for the borders to smell so strongly of her, as well as a male, and for her to be pregnant. The clues all seemed to align.

The one thing he could not place was the error she made in approaching the lake in front of him, leaving her rear end exposed. This, to Anders, meant that he'd gone undetected, but when he tested the wind, he could tell that it was in his favour, drawing her scent to him, but revealing no trace of his. Had she been prey and had he been in the mood for another hunt, he would have found it quite easy to stage an ambush, but as it was, he had absolutely no interest in surprising or hurting the alpha female. He sat up slowly, and uttered a soft chuff, sort of an apologetic sound. His ears remained turned back and he did not lift his head the entire way, so as to show respect. He hoped she was not alarmed to find someone rising from the grass so near to her, having gone undetected for several moments prior. Averting his gaze, he spoke in a quiet but amiable tone. "Good morning, my lady," He rumbled, giving her a gentle nod of his head, still hoping calmly that she did not take offense to his presence.

(This post was last modified: Apr 29, 2015, 11:21 PM by Anders.)

A young deer has been separated from the rest of its herd. Hunt Opportunity

Namid took one more lap at the cool surface of the water before raising her head, running a salmon hued tongue over the length of her muzzle to catch the stray droplets that clung to her whiskers. Her mismatched gaze trailed across the vastness of the lake, seeking the barely visible tips of trees off in the far distance. She had yet to be able to discover exactly how long it took to get around the entirety of the lake, or how big it was exactly. However, looking at it from her perspective then it looked as if it could be a sea. The rippling tides stretched for miles, sending puffs of freshwater scents flurrying into the air and permeating the area around it in its perfume.

The pale queen took in a breath, inhaling this scent before her auds swiveled around to catch the sound of pawsteps that were a bit too close to comfort and coming at her from behind. Flying around her ears pressed against her skull, taking a step in the direction of her borders in preparation to flee if needed. She couldn’t afford a fight, not in her state with the precious beings she was carrying proudly in her belly. One look at her stalker told her that he meant no harm despite his massive size. He was quite possibly the largest wolf she’d ever seen, standing an easy foot over her own frame. She considered there must be something in the water in these lands, as almost ever wolf she’d ever encountered, especially on the male side of the spectrum, had been rather giant in stature.

His posture showed nothing but respectful submission, of which she appreciated greatly in the situation. Already she could see that he wasn’t stupid, having given at least a small chuff as soon as she’d turned around and giving into automatic lowering of posture. If he had remained at a normal stance, she most likely would have taken him as a threat and called upon her packmates or fled all together. “Good morning, my lady,” he said gently and her head tilted at an angle in curiosity. Her own posture slackened, but there still remained an air of natural dominance in it with the slight height in her tail and lift of her regal chin. A nod was given in return to his, her eyes calculating but all together friendly. “Hello. You seemed to have given me quite a fright,” She chuckled gently, swishing her tail behind her bloated frame.

Naturally defensive and protective of the life blossoming inside of her, the female turned suddenly, with a swiftness that her body had learned long before she'd become pregnant and had still clung to, even when a swollen stomach might have compromised her balance. Still, she was nimble on her feet, ad he was thankful to see that she didn't stumble or fall as she wheeled around to face him. Fortunately, she seemed to relax once she'd seen him, which meant to Anders that she was good at reading other wolves, even if it meant she put her trust in the guises of others. He hoped this wasn't the case, and that she'd simply read his sincere humility accurately and had felt no threat from him. She seemed to recover quite quickly, and her response suggested a kind nature and a good sense of humour.

"My apologies," he said earnestly, dipping his head once more, and despite the formality, a soft smile showed in the warmth of his eyes. "I hope the little ones aren't too dizzy," He said, a slight gesture of his muzzle indicating the pups she was carrying. His tone was warm and soothing, suggestive of a paternal instinct, though truth be told Anders had not had much exposure to pups. All he knew was how to be soft when it was necessary that he be soft, and at this moment, in the presence of a beautiful alpha female who was carrying pups, it was definitely required of him.

"My name is Anders LeStat; I found your pack's borders yesterday; I thought it wise to give you a bit of distance until we'd been introduced. I assume you are the alpha female?" He asked, curling his tail about his paws as he sat facing her. One ear flicked back as he heard the sounds of another creature in the vicinity, and his nostrils told him that it was a deer, which reminded him of his earlier craving for deer meat. Subconsciously, he licked his lips without realizing he was doing so, and though the deer was out of sight, it was still on his mind, though his concentration at the present was focused on the lovely female in front of him, and the prospect of joining a pack should he feel that it was a sound decision to make.

While she may have been acting friendly, she was still guarded. A few words left nothing to the imagination of the woman, and for all she knew he could be playing a ruse, though she truly doubted it.  She was still vulnerable, annoyingly so, which left her mind racing faster than usual to come up with quick escape and defense plans on top of watching him with a calm, friendly look on her face. The man apologized for startling her, even going as far as to make a small joke. The mood lightened around them slightly and she couldn’t help but crack a smile, her paw going up as it to affectionately stroke her belly like a fond mother would if she were human.

The giant introduced himself as Anders LeStat, an intriguing name which left her natural curiosity grasping for more. From what her profiling could tell, he seemed to be a gentle soul with no ill intention toward her or her family. He expressed that he’d found their borders previously, but had thought it best to stay back until given the chance to meet. This had been the best decision he could have made, for if any of their members or, god forbid, Vespertio had found him wandering too close his pelt could very well be lining the birthing den she’d soon go to search out. His traits were added onto her list; strong, resourceful and smart, charming and not overbearing. He was making out to be quite good company, and a perfect potential pack member. However, she needed to know more about him before she possibly scared him off with jumping right in to asking him to join her pack.

The pale queen dipped her head in response to his introduction, “It is a pleasure to meet you, Anders. My name is Namid Macieo,” She replied with her own. In response to the second she gave a nod of approval at his choices, “That was perhaps the best thing to do, you are a smart man. Though I hope you have not had any problems with other packs to teach you to have to be so careful, I myself have been in that situation. It is not a fun time,” She chuckled, remembering not so fondly of the times she strayed perhaps too close to the border of another or stopped to help those two poor lost pups only to be born down upon by their raging mothers. She wondered if she would be like that with her own children, though she supposed that she probably would be. There would be no helping it for her, as already her motherly instincts were kicking in from time to time, not that she hadn’t have a healthy portion of that already within her before her impregnation. “Indeed I am the alpha female here, but do not worry. I do not bite… usually. We are called Fallen Tree Cove,”

There was something motherly about the female's voice, whether she was aware of it or not. From what Anders could gauge, she looked to be about the same age as him, give or take a year, and he felt himself suspecting that this might be her first litter- but still there was a gentleness about her tone that he liked, especially given that she would be a mother soon. It was a tone of voice that Anders recognized, as he'd caught a glimpse of this sort of nature once or twice in his mother- when they were alone together and when she forgot about the fact that she'd chosen to save him over his siblings. It felt somewhat odd, but remembering this usually made Anders feel more stony- but now it made him feel more drawn toward the female, something he'd never really experienced while running over that particular memory. It was odd, but he supposed it made sense. He wanted nothing more than to save another wolf from having to choose which infant to save.

Her name was Namid, and he felt himself surprised; he'd thought she might have a longer name, for some reason, something with three or four syllables. He wondered what her name meant, or where it had come from, and with a tinge of jealousy, felt himself wondering if she shared her surname with anyone else, though that much was fairly obvious. He nodded his head and spoke the customary return of "The pleasure is mine," though with such earnesty that he felt he could've otherwise been the first to say those words and mean them. His features brightened a touch when she mentioned having blundering too near a pack's territory and he uttered a soft rumble, his version of a chuckle. He tipped his head to the side. "We've all been young once," he said, though he couldn't quite admit that he'd played that particular mishap. He'd been raised to know better than to get too close to a pack's borders and find himself in a bad situation.

She revealed that his suspicions had been true, and that her pack's name was Fallen Tree Cove. He wondered if there was actually a tree, or if it was a symbol- perhaps there had once been an alpha as stubborn and rigid as an old tree who'd been ousted, prompting the pack to change its name to something that captured their freedom. He liked that idea, though he suspected that he'd find a large, fallen tree somewhere in the packlands should he be admitted into the pack. It was much more likely. "I'd say the same for myself, more often than not. But I am a guardian and hunter, and there are times which call for me to use my teeth." He admitted. "Though never against an ally." He added, so as to soften the edge of being one who either fought off other wolves or killed prey all the time, just in case her stomach was easily upset in her condition.

Anders listened intently as she spoke, a genuine interest in his gaze that mimicked her own which she appreciated. She was beginning to like this man more and more, and when she mentioned her young he seemed to get even brighter. If he did join their ranks she could see him as a valuable pup sitter, though she would have to get to know him far better first before she would let him anywhere near her young. A faint look of surprise crossed his features when she mentioned his name and she wondered why, but brushed it off. Her name, much like her eyes, was unique in its own way and others sometimes commented on the strangeness of it.

She nodded in agreement when he mentioned that they had all been young once. It was true, they had all been foolish at one point, unknowing of the world and how it worked. He commented on her joking comment of not usually biting, expressing that he was much the same unless forced to for prey or protection. The mention of him being a guardian and hunter interested her, for they were few and far between in these lands. They lacked either of the ranks in her pack, something which she hoped to change. Perhaps that could start with Anders should he wish to join them. “Sometimes you must use a bit of force to protect the ones you must, the ones you love and have sworn to protect. Nothing comes from nothing, everything has got a small price.”

"Truer words were never spoken," Anders replied with a dip of his muzzle. He'd been fortunate thus far in life, that he hadn't had to engage in a battle that left him with noticeable scars or lifelong injuries, nor had he engaged in a battle in which proving dominance did not serve to be enough. He had not encountered wolves who would not back down even when shoved to the ground, nor had he met those who sought out others simply to torture them for their own enjoyment. Such wolves, he believed, would be the only kind of wolf he would dispatch even if they did beg for mercy, though he knew even then he would not have the spirit for it. Such wolves were incorrigible, he believed, the stuff that heroes were meant to kill in legends and stories. And though Anders had fended a few wolves away from the borders of his former pack, wolves who picked a fight because they were rude or didn't like being turned away, he had never had to kill another wolf. Even the thought of doing so made him feel ill; though he did not know it, Anders was not in a state which rendered him capable of murdering another wolf.



"I feel like we see eye to eye on pack matters," Anders said, drawing the topic back to her pack. "I don't suppose you'd mind telling be a bit about Fallen Tree Cove?" He asked, leaning back onto his hind feet a bit more to make himself more comfortable- after all, sitting with one's head lowered and shoulders hunched was not terribly comfortable. He hoped she might mention the amount of wolves in her pack, the ranks and roles they held, so that he might see where he'd fit in, and learn about the amount of wolves he would be living with and competing with as far as rank was concerned. This was something which was important to Anders, who had been taught to find his place within the pack even if it meant challenging for a higher rank. The wolves in the higher ranks were meant to be stronger, fitter and prone to making sound decisions; if there was a wolf in the high ranks who did not have these qualities, they did not belong where they were. Ascending the ranks merely because of birthright was not, in Anders' opinion, a sound way to found the hierarchy of a pack. Though he had been the son of the alphas, once he'd been a year old, he'd had to shoulder his way into the rank system until the young brute had found himself a place where he'd belonged, below wolves who were stronger and above wolves who were weaker, not simply in physical strength.