A Million Roses

@Miskwaa Here is our thread reply whenever you want ^-^

[----]

It was pale moonlight that shone cold white light on the flowerbeds of Fireweed Rise. Unlike the sun who had brightened the place up to a warm welcoming place, the moon made this home of flowers a garden of mysteries. The petals almost glowing under the light of silver and it was all the same, a sight to behold. And like a ghost Phin walked around the flowers, the moon lightening him like a white spotlight in the dark. If he was hunting he would have crawled closer to the ground, but after he had met his first fellow wolf in this place he decided to save hunting for another time. Besides, it would be a true pity to hunt in the flowers and ruin many blossoms in the process.

Alphinaud walked slowly through the garden of flowers. A sudden sting ringing his brain for attention as he could feel it in his paw. Curiously he lifted his paw, a rose was underneath it. The petals shattered and dirty, the green thorns warning any animal to get near it's beauty. 'Cause sting it would. He remembered the day of roses. It had been he and his sister Alfina who had been younger and more impulsive. Uncaring for the dangers that came from animal and plants. Roses were painful but with their beauty it was hard to dislike the flower. And when the younger Alphinaud had bled his maw as he tried to ''catch'' this rose as a gift to mother, he knew no all plants were nice like grass. The wounds of his scratches, made by the thorns, had been bugging him for weeks and the scoldings of his mother to not roll all over the ground to try and lessen the itch was even worse. But never would he forget how that one rose had reflected in his mother's golden eyes as they squinted in affection for him and Alfina.
The Artic wolf bowed down to sniff the rose, caught a faint last smell of it's fragrance when he caught movement in the corner of his eye. He looked up in wonder but perhaps it was a lost rabbit.

yeeesss! :D she'll be a bit grumpy at first, but she'll warm up to him once she decides he's not a threat or that he's useful haha

The darkness was becoming of her.

She ghosted through the pale moonlight, bountiful with full moon, slipping between the rocks to the east. She was silent in her movements, careful and methodical with each step. In the back of her mind, there lingered the memory — and with it, the dull pain — of her recent encounter with a porcupine; her wounds were healing, left ear and muzzle slightly scabbed. This was progress, but a reminder that she should not exercise such reckless haste. There was no need, she reminded herself, attempting to quiet the worry that bubbled in the pit of her stomach. Summer was young yet and there was plenty of time to learn more about this new land: to explore its far reaches, to unravel its mysteries, and to learn more about its inhabitants. Miskwaa's travels that evening had brought her to the great mountains in the east, which deterred her from making further progress. It seemed silly to her to cross the crags unless completely necessary, and so she had turned tail and made the arduous journey back to the field of flowers she now called home.

It was a foreign word to Miskwaa, but with each use it was growing on her.

With such attachment came the need to protect and guard that which she considered hers, a feeling that she had not felt so strongly for years. It was this precise drive that fueled her advance at the sight of a white specter amid the flora, her careful pace increasing to a steady trot right in the anomaly's direction. Natural instinct told her to think the worst: this stranger (a man, she recognized as she approached) was a threat. There was someone here she must protect and she was unwilling to drop her guard for anyone, no matter how pretty a face they may have had. Anyone and everyone had the potential to be dangerous, she knew, and so it was that she spared a quick glance towards the horizon for her uncle. He was nowhere to be found (probably out making his own rounds, she told herself), and so Miskwaa called out stiffly to the stranger once she was near enough, “Hello.” She stood several feet from him, bright golden eyes scrutinizing him evenly. He was slightly shorter than herself, but appeared bulkier... Miskwaa exhaled slowly, her posture tense with shoulders squared and tail lifted slightly — not quite parallel to the ground, but twitching as if it might at any moment. “If you are looking for a meal, you won't find it here — there's only the flowers.”

The wind sighed into the soft night, and so did Phin. Like every new land it brought him excitement equal to a cub seeing the world outside the natal den for the first time. But this excitement always brought a certain amount of tiredness with it. If he had been a bit more sharp he may or may not have spotted the other wolf in the neighbourhood. Alphinaud looked at the starry sky, counting every star like a dream that had yet to come true. It always seemed absurd for others that he was dreamy yet a realist at times.

The voice out of the dark, he had not expected it. Muscles tensed, his heartbeat dropped a beat and his head turned. But all just after a high pitched yelp that startled the nearby sleeping birds from their sleep. Flying away with a loud complaint. Bright eyes of gold, reminding him of the rare golden moon hanging in the sky, a stunning sight as they seemed to glow even brighter in the pale moonlight. Shocked, stunned, embarrassed, a spur of emotions he was not used to. His own amber eyes looking to the eyes that lured him in, but found the will to look away every few seconds to let the embarrassment go into the bushes. His head felt warm like stones bathing in the sun. 'Ah, uhm. Hi.'

Great first impression, Lothaire. A smooth gentleman, he should have stumbled more after Jackal in his baby years. Regrets. It was not too late, he could fix this. Just, fix everything. Alphinaud straightened his back a bit after the shock it had become a bit hunched, and lowered his tail too a more relaxed manner. Good, now he didn't look like a rabbit running to his hole. Pathetic, he should work on this. Rather self-concious with the unstopping glare of the gold moon eyes he scraped his throat, daring to look back into her eyes. 'Ah, sorry Miss, I did not expect..company. I do not seek for a hunting place though, but I appreciate the information.' At least he still had his communication skills, it was something. 'Please, do not fear me,' he said after he had found himself looking further than the females eyes. 'I am just a traveller, I do not wish to do unnecessary harm to anyone. I hope we are both on the same ground, in this case.'

:D

A yelp, following by the rustling of feathers as a flock of birds left the hillock in favor of somewhere quieter. And then not a moment later: "Ah, uhm. Hi." How... articulate. The nature of his speech caught her off guard and the surprise was clear on her face for a moment, brows knitting together and head tilting to the left. The stranger seemed disoriented, perhaps... Head in the clouds? The cinnamon wolf's chin tilted upwards for a short moment to assess the star-speckled sky that he had seemed so entranced by. It told her nothing and offered no great feelings of solace or tranquility, and so she quickly decided to resume her interrogation with sights set squarely upon him.

He stared back, eyes darker than hers — rather similar to her uncle's, if she were being generous. As he faced her he straightened rather handsomely, cloaked as he was in pristine white... An odd color from her experience, which was perhaps why she found its novelty so alluring — or perhaps the mystery of it all made her uncomfortable and uncertain, it was rather hard to say. As he cleared his throat and added further words to his repertoire, Miskwaa decided that perhaps he was as innocent as the unblemished nature of his coat might suggest... But she was unwilling to take gambles on the unfamiliar, and so remained formal and restrained, keeping a wide distance between them; her tail, however, fell limp in apparent neutrality.

She meant him no harm — for now.

Content with the situation and her control over it for the time being, Miskwaa took a small step towards the stranger, chin raised slightly. Was this further appraisal or her own haughtiness? It was hard to say sometimes. “You're welcome. I'd also have you be aware that there are a number of creatures that live in the neighboring parts, so you're bound to run into someone.” 'And not all of them are as friendly as I am' — which, indeed, would have been saying something about the strangers in the surrounding forests. The manner in which Miskwaa spoke implied that the stranger should be grateful for the words of caution, though the tawny wolf's expression seemed rather indifferent. “Do you have a name, traveller?”

The embarrassment and shock slowly settled within the Artic wolf. His heartbeat stopped drumming in his chest like some crazy woodpecker, just like it should be. Now that he was over the initial shock and actually comprehending the situation, not stuck on those golden eyes anymore, Alphinaud let his eyes roam over the females body.  It was not the first time he had seen a female besides his mother and sister, but he always found himself looking at other girls with his sister in mind. In this case she was quite different from his sister. Where Alfina had been slender, graceful white fae, she had a normal build. Not really specialized as her fur did not bulk under big muscles. There was no pristine white fur like snow. It was the color of earth, rust and more earthy colors that decorated this wolf. Even the air she gave of was different. He could feel that was not some insecure young thing, as stepped slightly forward with her chin raised in the air, it spoke strength but also confidence. He could not help it but slightly smile as he listened to her words. He did not mock her but the haughtiness in the girls posture mixed with the burning gold was new sight for the Artic male. Refreshing and quite interesting if he was allowed to call it that.

‘I figured these ways are well travelled. Every place seemed to have some faint smell of wolf or alike.’ He answered smoothly, ignoring the tone in which she had spoken. She had enough confidence, one may call it arrogance, without him groveling at her paws. Her scent smelled slightly new though she obviously had been longer in this land than he. ‘Certainly I do, would you offer your name Miss, in return of my own?’ Phin tilted his head to the left as mischievous twinkled in in his amber eyes.

:D

Miskwaa nodded stiffly at his first statement, but kept silent, unwilling to offer him further information. It was perhaps selfish, but she owed the ghostly stranger nothing. Besides, there remained the possibility that he knew more about these lands than she did... Her nose twitched at the thought, the cogs and gears of her mind moving slowly at first, clicking into place. He could be of some use to her if he was the slightest bit more knowledgeable than herself.

And yet, it seemed like a long shot.

If first impressions told her anything, it was that the pale beast before her was docile, capable, and perhaps easily dazzled. His manner said as much, when paired with the fact that he was alone and seemed rather healthy (he better be, as bulky as he was!). To be acquaintances, Miskwaa supposed, would not be terrible. Indeed, there lay possible benefits in conversing with the stranger, as wistful as he may have first seemed. Everyone was worth speaking to, she had to remind herself, particularly when it came to accomplishing her goal of keeping her uncle safe and happy. 'I must leave no stone unturned.'

“Very well. My name is Miskwaa.” Tight, controlled, and precise: her tone left no room for nicknames or questions about her heritage. It was a question answered, as simple as that, and it seemed clear that she would answer no further until he held up his end of the bargain. Keeping her eyes on his with ears pulled forward attentively, the darker and smaller wolf pressed, “Your turn.”

If Phin had known the woman a bit better he might have chuckled on her flow of thoughts. He found it always fascinating to know how other wolves thought, about him but also just how they thought in general. There was something intriguing how someone would see the world from their perspective. While he always tried to look objective with a bit of his own opinions to make it more personal, other wolves always had a different manner, air around them that made him observe them like a new animal. Miskwaa was a bit uptight compared to previous companions he had met, but he supposed not everyone would open the doors to their soul with just one greeting. She seemed to be a smart lady though, she was not just high and mighty air. It made him wonder what the girl was actually capable of. If she would ever give him the chance to see that, he would be honored. Though she seemed a harder nut to crack than Ziigwan. Maybe it was because she was from the opposite gender, Alfina always said he never understood his mother like she did.

‘It is Alphinaud, Lady Miskwaa.’ He smiled and looked expectant at the rusty girl. Now they had exchanged greetings and names he was actually curious what she would come up with. Apparently this was not the type of conversation where he took the lead of the topics and initiative. Maybe it was because the night slipped him in a more teasing mood but he felt like waiting. Wonder what she would expect from him in this situation. He did have to hold his tongue a bit though, Phin was a natural talker to keep conversations going and make his conversational partner more at ease by revealing more of himself than exactly necessary. But it wouldn’t hurt to be laid back for once in a while.

:D

Alphinaud. The name was familiar in the offhand sort of way that names could be and Miskwaa regarded him carefully, spending another couple moments connecting the puzzle pieces before realization dawned on her. Male, loner, white coat: the one her uncle had met just the other night. Ziigwan had told her that the stranger was friendly and good-natured, potentially an ally in their travels. Her uncle had seemed to find the man pleasant, though Miskwaa was not entirely convinced... But, for her uncle's sake, she would be polite.

Dipping her muzzle in a respectful nod, Miskwaa responded, “So you're the one my uncle met. My apologies.” The formality remained, though she stepped closer now. The distance between them — a few feet, perhaps — seemed somewhat politer in her mind, no longer that of a danger and a threat. Though Alphinaud would not have known, it was saying quite a bit about her faith in her uncle to have trusted to ivory stranger to be so near. Was there anyone she trusted quite so much as her uncle? Neche, at one point — but no longer. Now her life lay in her uncle's paws and his in hers: their fates were entwined. How Miskwaa felt about this simple fact was hard to say, but it was as unavoidable as the changing of seasons. She would make the most of it.

Miskwaa was quiet for a moment, wondering what use the stranger could be to them and how much she could push him before he left her company. He seemed rather easygoing and Ziigwan's mentioning of him only helped her opinion of him... But questions lingered in her mind, the anxiety and distrust ever present. For example, didn't he, a loner like herself, have anything better to do with his time? There was always something to do, something to find — to sniff the flowers and gaze at the stars seemed quite the waste of time. Blunt and serious, Miskwaa inquired, “You said you weren't looking for food... So why are you here? The only wolves I've seen in my time here are Ziigwan and myself.”  

There is a moose carcass that has been scavenged by coyotes nearby. +15 Health

The white tail of his swooshed relaxed gracing the flowers that were still standing tall and proud in the field. Nothing could have warned him about the revelation that Miskwaa made. Because if someone had told him the girl in front of him was the niece of the grey friend he had met less than a full day. He would not have believed that wolf, Miskwaa was so different. It was not only the looks, rusty darks colorful and varied instead of the grey and white Ziigwan possessed. Besides the air around both of them was almost the opposite. Although Ziigwan had been pretty defensive in the beginning, he had eased up to him quite fast after the possibility of him being a thread vanished. These two were related? Now he could actually see the two together, it was not a bad team. Ziigwan hadn’t really seemed like the most dominant guy in the pack and with the air Miskwaa carried around her Phin could see the younger girl take the lead in this team. Not a bad thing but certainly a surprise.

Nonetheless Alphinaud shook his head as he took the apology. ‘There is no need for any apologies. I would rather have you feign ignorance of this fact if it feels you obligated to change your attitude towards me.’ In different circumstances he would have embraced the advantages he would get from networking. That was one of the reasons why he always tried to have a neutral or good impression on other wolves. He did have some enemies and wolves who simple clashed with his personality but I he could avoid another relationship like that, he would. This time, however, he would find it rather a shame if Miskwaa would feel the need to become more friendly just because he had a good conversation with her uncle. Although he still tried to fit his personality with this flaming golden girl he found it quite amusing to be around her, so far. Phin didn’t know he wouldn’t have to worry about such things as Miskwaa didn’t let her guard fall like leaves in fall.

And as the girl stepped forward, with still quite a gap in between, he lowered his tail slightly to underline the fact he was not planning to jump her in anyway. ‘Food is something I will have to look into tomorrow or the day after. Right now I did not feel like hunting on the grounds where you and Ziigwan seem to live. No matter how temporary it will be, I did not think it would be fitting to hunt here. Therefor I’m travelling past this place to find either a temporary spot myself or maybe join a pack. Depending on the other wolves that claimed the other parts of this land. If I find nothing worth settling for, I will travel past this land.’ The white shoulders moved in a light shrug. He had so many options open for him. There was no reason to rule anything out, just yet.