Oak Tree Bend absolution calling

whoop whoop lame post for @Darrah ! sorry xD;

Annelise felt an immense sense of pride and duty at once more becoming a pack wolf. While her heart would always drive her to wander from the pack's limited territory, she felt security and purpose in again having a place to call home. With her previous failures, she was more than determined to give Oak Tree Bend and its denizens her all. She took on more than what had been asked of her, ever waking moment spent in tireless servitude to the pack. And that was exactly how she liked to spend her time. The woman was a workaholic, only happy when her mind was solving and her paws were working.

Today, she chose to stay home and work on securing the borders. Anneliese set about the long, winding trail of their threshold under the golden light of the sun's first few rays. The routine task gave her several opportunities and as she walked, she was sure to be open to them all. She took the chance to familiarize herself further with the new land, to catalog any intruding scents, to freshen the territorial markings, and to keep on the lookout for fellow packmates. Still the only one she had really interacted with was the alpha Spieden, and it bugged her. This was her family now, and she wished to become well acquainted, if not friends with, each and every one of them. She had yet to even catch wind of @Drestig , the man who's familiar scent had drawn her to the pack in the first place.

PLOT WITH ME!

Mine's lamer ;)

It was driven by mere devotion that the Prince decided to stay in pack territory for the day. Having become so accustom to staying away from home was beginning to leave a sour taste in the Tainn's throat. 'I'm allowed to be here, I live here too.' He knew things would eventually worsen for him if he continued to leave every morning at the crack of dawn. Wolves might even begin to question if he was still a pack member. 'Son of the great Triell, yet I do nothing to benefit Oak Tree Bend.' Darrah was a joke. The concept of him one day becoming leader would be most out of the question if he kept up his daily routine.  'It won't kill me to stay home every now and then.' rolling his eyes, the male paced around for something to do.

With a sigh, Darrah realized there really wasn't much here to pass the time. Who knew where Zera was, and he was pretty sure Drestig had gone out on his mission to find Nayeli's kidnappers. If it hadn't been for the nearby scent of a not-so-familiar wolf, he might of left the territory anyway. "I'm really resorting to making friends with newcomers. That's really what's happening right now." the prince grunted. There was a time in his life where he loved meeting new wolves, but ever since Oliver left him without even the slightest notice, he'd grown to not be so keen to it. 'It will help you. Making acquaintances will be your first step to becoming alpha.' he took a deep breath before trotting forward with a fake smile.

It was a female wolf, cream in color. She was definitely older, but even still she was with out a doubt very appealing. He approached slowly, hoping not to startle the girl. "H-hello! I don't think we've met. M'names Darrah! I'm Triell's son."

(This post was last modified: May 08, 2015, 01:03 AM by Darrah.)

At some point,

I started looking at the ground more than the sky

It’s hard even to breathe.

Anneliese's keen senses honed in on the sounds of someone approaching. She stiffened, ears and eyes both pivoting in the direction of the subtle noises. Her muscles tensed in preparation of who it might be, for the possibility of foe was particularly strong given what she knew of the packs current situation regarding wolves from the Sierra Hills. However the wind shifted, bringing to her a scent that was thickly laced with Triell's and the natural earthy tones that sourced from their haven within the murky forest.

A smile came to her face then as her posture loosened into something much more relaxed and friendly. Her tail picked up momentum, swaying into a slow wag. When finally the other came into view, her excited emerald eyes swiftly appraised him. Immediately she assumed he was the king's son, clues given by his scent and looks. Which made him a prince, and Anneliese naturally fell into far more respectful posture than the casual stance she had been holding when he sit the scene.

He greeted her in an unconfident but friendly manner, both immediately thrilling her and confirming her assumptions. She briefly dipped her head and fore-end in something of a bow, a custom she still held on to from her home land.

"Hello my prince," she responded, her soft yellow dial adorned with a smile that radiated her happiness, "Indeed we haven't. My name is Anneliese, you could call me Anna if you'd like. How is your day faring?"

PLOT WITH ME!

Sorry, I feel like I rushed this one a little too much! X^X

The respect Darrah felt through his pack mate's voice truly pleased him. Never had a wolf actually treated him like royalty before. She definitely brought a smile to the young lad's face. "Anna." he bowed back. "What a beautiful name." He wondered for how long she'd been apart of his home, hopefully not long. How embarrassing it would be to just now of met if she'd lived with him for months. Admittedly the prince's attention toward his surroundings hadn't been at it's best as of late.

He pondered for a while before answering her question. He couldn't exactly tell her he'd spent all day trying to find something to do, then just so happened to settle for talking to her. As a Prince, that simply wouldn't be allowed of him. "Ah, It's been well. I've just been enjoying the weather a bit. I love that it's getting warmer, I just wasn't made for all that cold stuff!" he made a shivering motion for dramatic effect. Truth be told, changes in the weather didn't effect the Tainn much. He loved warm weather, but winter was far too beautiful to dislike.

Being so preoccupied with his own thoughts, it almost completely slipped the prince's mind to ask Anna how her day was going. "Oh, uhm.." glancing around nervously, it might of been easy to tell he wasn't used to everyday conversation. "And you, How are you on this fine spring afternoon?" this already wasn't going as well as he needed it to. 'Don't make a fool of yourself, Prince.'

(This post was last modified: May 08, 2015, 10:39 PM by Darrah.)

At some point,

I started looking at the ground more than the sky

It’s hard even to breathe.

The woman smiled broadly as he complimented her, pleased with their conversation thus far. He was far more amiable to her than Spieden (his mother? couldn't be) had been, and it gave her a sense of relief that she would at least have one person in the pack to have a nice conversation with. Even if he was a pup. But then, that wasn't quite fair. It was easy to tell by his lanky form that he was coming up on the start of his second year swiftly. No, he wasn't a pup; he would very soon be a young man.

His charade of reacting to the frozen weather of winter made her giggle, a soft and bubbling sound. Yes, he was charming, though he didn't seem to know it. There was a clear hesitancy in his voice, a mindfulness that went beyond careful manners into something self-conscious. Something had him nervous, about a simple run-of-the-mill talk. It intrigued her, and she wished to know what was going on in the boy's mind. Any pack mate with such peculiar behavior would strike her so, but it was especially concerning given that he was royalty. It was her job as a subordinate, after all, to ensure the health and safety of her monarch and his family.

Yet she wouldn't poke her nose where it didn't belong, either. Simply befriending the boy would do for now.

"I'm doing wonderful, thank you, sir. I was just familiarizing myself with the borders. Care to join me? I don't have too much farther to go, and you could fill me in on what's fun to do around here."

ooc: feel free to pp her walking with him, and also take advantage of the hunt opportunity if you'd like c:

(This post was last modified: May 11, 2015, 09:35 AM by Anneliese.)

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

Every last word to leave his pack-mate's muzzle was laced with such kindness, Darrah was almost beginning to feel bad for his previous thoughts on her. It seemed she'd like to be accompanied by the slender young Tainn, and he'd just so happened to have nothing but spare time. "I would love to join you, Anna." Smiling, he was beginning to feel a little giddy over the thought of someone actually taking an interest in him. Though he wasn't quite sure he'd be of much help showing her anything fun to do, there wasn't much.

The near by scent of rabbit did not go unnoticed with the young Prince, and he questioned if it'd be a good bonding experience to hunt with his new friend. "I'd like to think you're new here, have you been filling the caches at all?" He couldn't be one to judge whether or not her answer was negative or positive, it had been months since he'd done anything helpful for the pack. "My father would be pleased with both of us, if we went after those rabbits." Though it wasn't the easiest hunt, more trivial than anything, it was still a good idea.

Letting out a grin, he nodded toward the female. "It won't take long, I promise. After, I promise to show you around." It felt so unbelievably nice to actually be out doing something useful with his time. 'Today marks the day I turn my life around.' the Tainn glanced once more at Anna, unsure of if she'd even liked hunting. "My apologies, I never asked what you wanted to do about the rabbits." his tail swayed gently side to side. "If you're not into hunting, I completely understand. You could always stay behind, I promise to come back when I've finished.." Taking in the scent once more of his prey, he made a couple swift steps forward. "But if you're interested, then follow me." He'd hoped she would.

(This post was last modified: May 20, 2015, 08:48 PM by Darrah.)

At some point,

I started looking at the ground more than the sky

It’s hard even to breathe.

He seemed to be relaxing, and this helped to make Anna feel even more at ease within this new place. The more their interaction progressed, the more she felt at home, a feeling she hadn't truly experienced since leaving her birth pack. She wanted dearly to fall in love with her pack, to never lose an ounce of the determined dedication she'd sworn. As they walked, her eyes wandered away from her company, tending to the sun-dappled surroundings.

Within no time at all, a new scent appeared on the breeze, wafting lazily between the trees and bring to the wolves the scent of prey. A rabbit warren had formed somewhere among the tree roots, and as it was spring time, there would be plenty of little morsels to snap up. Instinctively, she melted into a stance far more predatory, ears forward and body slunk low. Her tail waved lazily behind her as she cautiously took each step. Her new friend's voice met the air once more, and her audits respectful flicked to the left to capture each word while beryl eyes continued to scan ahead.

A smile once more graced her lips as with each finished sentence, he launched into another as though constantly chasing after thoughts. He was being, in a sense, overly polite and considerate, which she didn't mind a bit. While she had yet to run into someone with anything similar of her choice in wording nor etiquette, it was refreshing to run into someone so mindful, despite the underlying uncertainty she had sensed just moments ago.

"I am, and regretfully no, I've been more dedicated to guardianship and scouting rather than hunting," she answered him, before giving him a playful nudge with her shoulder against his. "Of course I'm interested. In fact... I bet I can catch more than you!"

And with that, she was off, low to the ground with hurried, silent steps like a lioness on the prowl. A single glance back was given to ensure that Darrah was up for the little game, before she launched completely into hunting mode.

(This post was last modified: May 20, 2015, 04:09 AM by Anneliese.)

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Darrah was gathering up little tidbit's on this wolf in a rather timely manner. He now knew she was a little older than he, presumably new to the pack, presumably rather polite, and perhaps a future scout to Oak Tree Bend. 'This is the type of wolf I want around when it's my turn to rule. With any luck on my behalf, she'll still be here when that day comes.' It was almost too good to be true. He had only recently met Beren, a wonderful friend indeed, and now Anna? Things were beginning to look up for him. 'In due time, I'm sure I'll be able to call her my friend too..' a warm smile lit up the prince's face.

It quickly grew obvious to the Tainn that the she-wolf was definitely interested in snatching up those rabbits, and the game she spoke of actually sounded like a lot of fun! He was about to accept Anna's challenge, but before he could muster up his next sentence, she had already taken off. 'So that's how she wants to play, huh?' Chasing after the stark female, Darrah let his nose take over the hunt. If he could just sniff out the prey before she could, he'd have a real chance! The boy was rusty, he'd be the first to admit. Speed was truly the only thing he had going for him.

"Make sure you're going easy on me Anna!" smiling, he lunged forward. "I'm not even a year old yet! So inexperienced!" His tone was heavily laced in sarcasm. He didn't really want the female to let him win, though it was quite fun to tease her. 'Wait, I think I'm getting close...'

At some point,

I started looking at the ground more than the sky

It’s hard even to breathe.

OOC: if this isn't factually accurate thennn whatever xD;

Her steps became more and more cautious as her senses told her that she was drawing closer and closer to the heart of the warren, lungs in overdrive to take in and analyze every single scent. Darrah was neck and neck with her, and thus she did not feel the need to wait at something of a starting line before diving into the fun part of the hunt. His words drifted through the trees to meet her ears, and a smirk played across her maw as she quipped back, "One learns more from failure than from success."

 Once the rabbits were within sight, she could see that something about the two predators’ approach had set them on edge. While a few remained grazing, several were standing on their hindquarters, bug eyes searching the shadows of the trees while their nose wriggled endlessly in an attempt to sniff out what they thought might be lurking nearby. Anna found neither amusement nor sorrow in this, prey was prey, death was death. A quick couple of notes were made of each varmint’s location and the obvious mounding of dirt here and there, a sketchy plan of attack formulating in her mind as she stayed true to the challenge she had delivered and aimed to snatch up the most rabbits.

Decisively, Anna suddenly broke cover, crashing into the small grassy expanse. She did not overthink the situation, instead merely acting with instinct and impulse, responding instantly each time a terrified hare bounded too closely to her searching jaws. She closed the windpipes of three of them, before find that those who remained alive, not yet slain by herself or Darrah, had taken cover in their burrows. Promptly, the woman leapt to the nearest one, beginning to pull up large waves of dirt in attempt to dig her way to them.

(This post was last modified: May 28, 2015, 06:57 PM by Anneliese.)

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