Kingsfall cat on my keys

@Karpos | Title inspired by the cat on my keyboard | Morning | Thundery outbreaks in nearby

The temperature was getting warm. Warm enough to heat the fur on his back but not hot enough to make him seek shade. In the mornings though the weather was just right. A light drizzle had started the day for the Lycus-Slayer. Clouds covering the sky left for a dull sunrise. It was useless to try and catch a glimpse of the sun through the sequoia trees. Instead his brown eyes would catch the falling raindrops. Some hitting his pelt and others falling onto the ground far away.

Shuffling around the forest the scent of fresh pack borders lingered somewhere to the south of him. Staying north of them might prove well for the moment. The copper toned boy couldn't decide if he wanted to settle down yet. It might do him some well to find out more about the history and wolves who ruled the lands before trying to search out his sister. Perhaps if he could get a mental image of the lands it would be easier to rule out where his sister would linger. Smiling softly his paws dragged him through the forest.

For a loner he seemed healthy, in his prime rather. Likely because he was still young and his stamina made travel easier. Yet the rain didn't make things exactly the easiest. His paws a bit thick with dirt and mud, the rain making the slightest bit of extra weight on his back. His usual copper coat seemed a bit darker due to the wetness too.

i can show you how many moves to check mate

The swashbuckling man made his rounds, marking the borders while keeping an attentive eye out for trouble. He had started to recover from his bout as he decided that he would search for his sister once the summer came in full swing. He had business to wrap up within the River and then he would seek out Maksim and Kisla, assuring that he would return within a year, with or without his sister in tow. He was torn about it all, but this was how it had to be. The chocolate brown man was worried about his family, which left him in a compromised state. Still, he needed to focus on his task at hand instead of being distracted as to where Adsila may or may not be.

He would find a young man of russet and tawny colors near his borders and his tail would raise slightly, yet not enough to make him seem aggressive. He remained impassive as he spoke up. “Hello there! What brings you near the borders of my home?” His words were calming to him as he examined the yearling. He appeared well built, with strangely familiar features about him. The guardian would not offer his own name, but he would cock his head to the side slightly in order to give a questioning gaze. This yearling posed little to no threat to him in his mind, as he had not yet acted aggressively. Karpos was ready for almost everything that could be thrown at him.

Still, who was this boy and why was he here?

(This post was last modified: Jun 22, 2015, 03:53 AM by Karpos.)

Shallow water has trapped several fish in a small pond. Hunt Opportunity

@Karpos

A smooth voice interrupted his thoughts. Copper ears flicked ahead and brown eyes shot up to look. The male was older, larger, and likely wiser than himself. Nodding his head respectfully a smile graced his ebony lined lips. "Hello to you too sir! I am Absyrtus Selk Lycus-Slayer. You may call me Abs or Absy for short though." Wagging his tail lowly his yearling face remained soft and friendly. "I have been lingering near here for a few days now. I was actually thinking about checking out your home if you did not mind. I need a place to call home. The life of a loner is certainly not for a social yearling like myself."

Looking at his new company Abs figured it wouldn't hurt to ask a question of himself. "Perhaps you would be willing to tell me of your home? I do like the location too..certainly a smart place to be." His eyes looked around to the tall trees. They were sturdy enough to house a family, protect them too. No wonder a pack would choose to make a home here. Certainly everything they needed was close by enough for them to make short trips.

Returning his eyes back to the chocolate colored male in front of him the Lycus-Slayer smiled. "I do hope I am not being of bother?" He had made sure to stick a respectable distance from the actual borders. No harm had been done so Abs was sure he wouldn't be in trouble. Better safe than sorry though; or so he liked to believe.

(This post was last modified: Jun 22, 2015, 04:09 AM by Absyrtus.)

i can show you how many moves to check mate

The yearling was cheeky as he offered a name, but the name he offered made Karpos freeze and visibly tense up. Slayer. Surely it could not be the same lineage. “I’m sorry… did you say Slayer?” He had to be sure that this was not some oddity in his hearing. The boy would ask for more information about Hearthwood River and Karpos was more than happy to oblige. “We are a very tight-knit family that values loyalty and honesty above all else.  Our leaders just had a litter of pups and we’ve just recently moved up here. We have allies not far from here as well.” This was the information he would give him for now. Part of him wondered about any possible relation. Perhaps this Absyrtus was a cousin or a second cousin, maybe a third cousin. He wasn’t sure how far his lineage had gone.

The chocolate man would keep his cool as the boy asked if he was being a bother. “No, not at all. My name is Karpos, Karpos Slayer. I’m not sure if there is a relation, but your last name threw me off a bit. My father was Shade Slayer, and my grandfather was Night Slayer.” He was hoping these names would ring a bell to the boy. The possibility of this yearling being some form of family made him extremely happy. He was determined to get answers, even if it was a simple ‘I don’t know’ or something similar. The scarred man would wait patiently for answers.

 

Hope I didn't jack this up @Karpos

“I’m sorry… did you say Slayer?"

"Yes, Lycus-Slayer."

He wondered why the chocolate male was so curious to know. I mean it was just a name. Perhaps a name like Slayer wasn't commonly heard. Granted it might have sounded silly it certainly was a strong prideful name to take in. Listening to his company speak all about the pack made the copper yearling forget about the strange question altogether. Smiling wide with a toothy grin Absy spoke soft. "You're home, it sounds wonderful. I hate to sound like a beggar, but think you have room for one more male? I can pull my weight for sure!" Absyrtus was ready to work if it meant having social interactions with wolves again. Especially ones that seemed as friendly as this dark male.

"Karpos Slayer..? Night Slayer? Shade Slayer too?" His eyes widened a little. "I believe Night was my grandfather's brother...and your dad Shade was my second cousin? Which I think makes you my cousin too! Third cousin actually, but who cares what number?" Did that make this Karpos male family now? Had by some god-found luck Absyrtus run into family in these sequoia tree woods? Tail wagging fast behind him Absy got rather excited. "Family! You must be family to me, Karpos!" Whining with excitement the Lycus-Slayer was eager. This means he had to stay here. A beautiful haven with ties already to a wolf here was what he needed. Everything was going so much better than planned so far.

His brown eyes looked over Karpos with such a grace it was known that Absyrtus meant no harm at all. "That means there are more of us around than I thought.."

i can show you how many moves to check mate

Absyrtus would exclaim about his last name, how he loved the idea of Hearthwood River, and how they were related. He recognized the names Shade and Night, making the man slightly sad. Still, he had to remain positive as he answered.  “It isn’t up to me! That would be for my leaders, Maksim and Kisla, to decide though if you can hold your own, I see no reason for them to not accept you.” He grinned, thinking of adding another family member, a REAL family member to the pack. The idea made his heart lift just a little higher. He would keep his cool as he looked towards the boy. Perhaps everything would be alright after all, and this was some kind of sign. The chocolate man’s tail swayed softly from side to side, a wide grin on his muzzle.

 “Have you met my grandfather, Night?” Then it got him thinking, a small glimmer of hope filled his heart as he asked one question that could save him a journey later in the year.  “Have you met a woman my age out there named Adsila? She’s my sister and she went missing a few months ago, I’ve been worried sick about her.” Perhaps if he could say yes, she was just fine, and then he wouldn’t have to go out looking. He just feared that Elettra had taken her as well, or that some trouble had befallen his sister. He examined the boy, and those chocolate brown eyes simply must be a family trait. He held darker colors to his fur, though not as dark as Karpos himself. Depending on the wide-scale game of what mates look like, they could very well be related.

 

Nodding his head at the chocolate boy's words, Absy understood them clearly. "Yes, I understand well enough." He chuckled softly. Silly him. The Lycus-Slayer should have known better than to go begging to someone who wasn't an alpha. Of course the copper boy really had no idea that this Karpos wasn't alpha until know.

"I have met Night. He's a man of good company from what I remember." Letting his words hang in the air for a moment he rumbled softly. "I was younger than I am now when we met." His brain fought a bit hard with memories but Night's figure was faded lightly into his imagery. The man was certainly a strong one; then again most Slayer's seemed to be. Smiling at the thought of his grandfather's brother Absy tried to retain focus on the Slayer before him.

Another name was thrown his way. This time a very unfamiliar one. "I'm sorry I haven't seen her in any of my recent travels, Karpos..I'd be willing to help look for her though if ya want? Family has to stand together. Distant family or not." His teeth were exposed in a friendly manner to the forest wolf. It was something Absyrtus had learned young. Family, whether you liked 'em or not, had to stay together. In fact he even knew that wolves in general had to fight tooth and claw for each other. It was a tough world and without a friend or two anyone was bound to be eaten alive.

i can show you how many moves to check mate

A sort of envy filled the young man as his cousin spoke of meeting his grandfather. His father had never told him that he (Shade) believed that Night had died so Karpos had no reason to believe that it had been so. The chocolate youth’s tail wagged as he looked towards the boy who had appeared to him by fate. “I’ve got family here, though they don’t carry the Slayer name. My uncle Lachesis practically raised me, along with my mother, Anastasia, even though she did not birth me. My mother abandoned my sister and I right after we were born and Ana stepped up as our surrogate. My aunt Naia resides here as well, even though they are not technically blood relatives, they are the closest thing I have to family. My best friend is named Jynx, and she is also in this pack. I’ve got an aunt who runs a pack down south of here, but she’s an enemy of our pack so I haven’t been able to see her.” He tried to fill this man in on his life here though he was not doing as good a job as he could have.

He had to be careful and place certain barriers to not give away information about his pack that would hurt him. He couldn’t imagine betraying Kisla, Maksim, or any member of Hearthwood River. He wanted to suggest to his cousin to stick around and call for Maksim but he just met the boy so he felt it would be safer not to bring it up and let the youth make the call on his own time. He felt like telling his whole history to this third cousin of his, but still, that took time and he could not linger for long. “I would appreciate it if you could keep an eye out for her. She’s been gone but as a guardian, I can’t leave to look for her. I’ve been considering a leave of absence for a while but it’s not the right time.” He hoped that this would be understood on more of a depth as he looked towards the young boy. “What made you leave home?” Karpos had left his home by force… was this relative the same?