Larkcall Lowlands Tickle Me Elmo

Quote:OOC: For the lovely @Raela

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Confident steps were lacking, head was stretched out so neck balanced straight as the wolf lumbered heavily further North. The temperature seemed to be dropping before his very eyes, but that could not be the truth. It was an illusion, he was confident, and there was no need for him to feel morbid about the cold. Revitalizing,was that not supposed to be the term? It was enough to make the wolf pause in his steps, straining to try and rotate his face. Perhaps it waster appropriate that he try and look presentable — especially if something happened!

The thought was almost startling, it was enough to have him attempting to focus his thoughts. Urien was not one to be particularly disorganized, but after having a run in with Kjors there had been things to talk about. Such was a reality that could not be denied, as much as he would have rather otherwise. The stress was pushing on him, though, and his mouth twisted with the realization that there was always reasons to be alert. Chances were, he was going to run into another wolf, and that was just an inevitable end.

It was why he had to mask himself, the hint of a smile - the dashing round, slightly wide eyes that allowed him to appear a bit more a youth and less a conniving adult in the making. His ears swung on his head, and the stab of jealous sucked him inwards. There was a reason why he was out and about, but it was important that he seek out choices of plentiful calls; it was why he made no move to look like he was creeping around. Just a lost soul, someone wandering with a fair bit of hopelessness.

The pull of reassurance entered his mind, something no shorter than you can fool the wisest if you stop looking like a fool, but it was hard to say. The stiffness in his shoulder reminded him of a clumsier moment, the pressure on the backs of his heels reminding him that he needed to continue forward. Another benefit for the youngster, he supposed, bouncing back if he made a mistake was not going to be the end of the world.

Snap.

Ears went swinging backwards, the silent curse on his lips as he realized the large stick had met its match. Snapping it was undoubtedly the wrong thing to do - especially with the obnoxious echo. Lovely! Just what he wanted to do. Let the entire world know his exact whereabouts! Not like in the lowlands was there terribly a good amount of hiding spots!

(This post was last modified: Jun 21, 2015, 01:19 PM by Urien.)

OOC: Sorry about the wait! -dumps in a depressed Raela- 

It had been quite some time since the woman had visited the lowlands. The great expanse of grassy tundra was still a few hours trek from the den, so it wasn't a trip the lithe little female took often. Today though, the idea of basking in the peace and quiet of the wide open fields; with its waving grass and refreshing breezes was something she desperately wanted. In the wake of her defeat at the hands of that intruder scum, Raela had hardly been herself. Her own mind constantly berated itself; screamed at her for how useless she'd been when the pack that had saved her life had truly needed her. If that wolf had had more malicious intentions, who knows what could have happened. She could have been murdered. And the pups! Though her pack mates had tried to comfort the girl, there was little they could do to quiet her treacherous thoughts. What good was she? What good was she to any of them? Not once had she ever bested a wolf in a fight; her whole life was a string of pathetic defeats.  The agouti girl lumbered wearily onto the plains, her head low and posture unassuming. This place held many fewer scents; many fewer traces of others than in the lands to the south and east. She'd hoped to find peace and quiet here, and at first, there was. Her weary body trekked out past the tree line; seeing fit to flop over unceremoniously in the long grass. A soft grunt escaped the woman's mouth as she landed. Her back was still grumbling about its injuries. The now scabbed-over and healing lacerations just in front of her hips had taken some care to truly fix, but they would be small scars. Small scars just like all the multitudes of others that covered her slender frame; hidden well by fur. Her ear had healed much quicker, but it would never be the same. An angular section of flesh was missing; torn away by the horrid woman's angry teeth. Where for most it would be a badge of honor; a battle scar, for Raela it was a mark of failure. Weakness. Her family was right. She was weak.  The Crest wolf simply laid there, basking in the sun and enjoying the relative seclusion of the tall blades of grass. At least nothing would see her until she stood up. As for smelling her, well, she just hoped she'd be hard to find. Some time passed in her tormented sanctuary – the sun moved along as usual in the blue skies above. At least it was kind enough to warm her fur. The silence was broken eventually though, by the distant snap of a misplaced paw. Her head rose immediately; suddenly nervous that a threat could be approaching. It didn't sound particularly terrifying, and when her eyes found its source among the waving fields, she was somewhat glad to discover that it was a lone wolf and not a bear or something of the like. Still, she was vulnerable on her own. The woman's body might have been recovering well, but she still couldn't take on another wolf by herself. The last one had taught her that. Fear kept the woman from calling out to it across the fields. For a time she simply stared, unwilling to stand and give herself away.  The more she looked on, the more the woman's sunshine eyes could take in. The male appeared much like herself. His highly contrasting agouti markings and smaller stature almost made the woman wonder if she could have been looking at a relative. That would be unfortunate indeed. Still, the man hardly seemed to pose a threat, and she supposed she could always outrun him if need be. Finally mustering the confidence to greet the stranger, Raela rose from the grass to recline on her haunches. A soft 'woof' parted her lips in his direction. It was a simple greeting that would hopefully tell her if this was a friend or a foe. The subordinate's posture illustrated her curiosity and apprehension as she looked on; her orange ears vertical with attention.   Image © Chris Smith Photography Manipulation © Jenandra

            

Heart pounding in his chest, the wolf was nothing short of a coward as the rational thought went through his mind that he could have been determined as a monster. It was a notion that was not about to be erased, and thus there was nothing that could erase the treacherous notions from his head that were filling him up and making him a motion. It was why there was no question, and he knew that he had done something horrid. This was why wolves died - this was why the world could swing on him and the end could come so swiftly that there would not be a chance in hell that he would benefit from nightmares.

Eyes swung, ears pulling back against his head as he eased himself forward. Every moment was not about to be erased, and his tail swished from one side to the other, and there was a question that was not about to erase the pull on his lips. It was why he ushered himself forward, and his paws were not about to stop the full steps in the right direction. It was a question that was not, who but more of a notion on what. Tail tucked, he pranced a few steps away from the offending stick, cursing under his breath as he went.

But then the energy seemed to blow him up, and he found himself swinging with the chuff that rung on the air, and the pleasure decorated his features in a way that could not be described as perfected. It was why claws raked the dirt, and the keen observation skills that the male could offer fell a bit lackluster. When he found his gaze upon a female, of all things, he found himself frozen with momentary humiliation. Aw, man! He had managed to rile up the attentions of a woman - but not in the way he would have managed to speak up about the notions that were on his mind. This could be a blessing, or it could be a damnation.

The half whine escaped the male as he turned to her, greeting generously with a swift tail wag as his ears pulled forward to match hers. Why, she was a beautiful little one! Look at that rump being caressed by the grass - why, he would happily - shaking himself as he moved for, the thoughts were set aside for now. It was better that way. There was such a distance between the two, at a moment's notice there could be a bolting between either of them and that would be that. But Urien approached, chuffing back at her in greeting as his eyes twinkled, mirth filling him.

And then he called out, huskily, Beauty drug across the coals of an aftermath; you look like the fires have singed your coat... yet still... radiance becomes you. His poetic words were delighted, his arrogance filling him with confidence. Besides, she appeared to be as wary as he; the coward had nothing to fear, until she found her confidence as well.

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

Her call carried across the field, catching the loner quite by surprise. His stunned expression was only barely distinguishable from the distance, but she could make out that he was indeed startled. Still she refused to move. For a moment the two only sized each other up. Actively her mind sought to determine what the other wolf was thinking, all while monitoring his body for any hint of aggression. She might still have to run. His sudden responding wag and pricked ears spoke of an amiable nature, or at least a good mood. A smile pulled reflexively across her maw while his whine flickered into her own ears. He approached then, an action which put her instincts on edge. At least she could remain here. To quiet the nagging nervousness of her wary mind, the agouti girl rose to her paws as the male drew nearer. Now she could defend herself, just in case.  In reality, Raela saw little to be fearful of just yet. Her greeting was returned in full. The subordinate's shining eyes studied the stranger; finding that he was relatively well fed an healthy looking for a wanderer. He certainly looked better than she had as a loner. Her inquisitive thoughts were put to rest at the rattling of his voice. At first it was merely confusion and focus that affected her expression, but it was swiftly followed by a grin. Her ears folded backward in sheepish acceptance of the flattery oozing from his mouth. Well well, this one could certainly talk. Her own pleasant tones graced the air next. “Well thank you,” she replied, her voice light with surprise. Only Aeus had spoken to her in such a way before. Come to think of it, he probably wouldn't have been so happy with the male's advances, but for now he seemed perfectly benign to her.  The mention of her pelt had Raela regarding his own, paler shades. “You seem to have some of that same 'singeing' yourself, but without the *tears.” A glance cast its way back toward her hip; drawing attention to the scabbed and healing wounds. To lack fur in these spots made the injuries all the more noticeable when the blood had been cleaned away. Normally it was bad practice to let a stranger know you were injured, but these were becoming old wounds. They no longer hindered her movement much, only her looks.  Image © Chris Smith Photography Manipulation © Jenandra

OOC: *Just to clear possible confusion, tears here means "rips" or "cuts" - not tears as in crying. 

            

The male was not about to stall his motions, he was bee lined for the female with her velvet pelt and knew that he was going to play his cards as exactly they were required. Fearful, but not about to be driven away, and his tempered position was not about to soften. Such as it was, he was awarded; she allowed him in her space, and his wolfish grin appeared. Ah! It was a nice day when he did not meet a female who was as snot nosed as a bear in a cold season... such was the cruel ways.

The joker, the coward, he could not to anymore than tilt his head. When she threw back his words, he looked at himself for a moment with a wry amusement. Alas, these colors paint a lady like a sunset meant to be looked upon at the end of the world... but cause a man to look like he slid through some moose droppings. Cheeky, he offered her a wink as he laid his head down toward the ground, pulling his head back as he dropped into a stretch-bow before her, rolling out his muscles and trying to make him look honorable. She had berated herself about being torn up, after all; that would not do!

A sweet taste of warriorhood, my peach, is not something to be crestfallen about. Scars heal, but a battle wound promises the triumphs and the struggles - such is the way we wolves live. His solemn rust eyes looked at her, wishing he could give some tale of his own. Some delicate and well matched song that would have lit her hormones afire and made her wiggle with the friction that would not be satisfied alone. A coward was a coward for a reason, and Olwen had taken most of the battles out of his paws.

So what did he offer; I am Urien; loner, lonesome fool; stalking about charming damsels who look like they could use a tender smile or two. The chirp to his voice was accompanied with himself raising, skimming his eyes over her rough coat again. She was lovely, she was likely charming - but could she use a smile? He'd be happy to take a more adult approach, if she rathered...

A laugh parted her jaws both out of surprise and courtesy. His joke was funny, but she made a conscious effort to show her enjoyment, as all polite strangers would. She kept smiling as he winked, though inwardly she was beginning to wonder about his intentions. The Crest girl hoped the man wasn't speaking with her only because he wanted a mate. His charm was practically oozing, and she was taken; or at least, seeing someone. While her thoughts mulled over the puzzling male, he offered reassurance; still speaking in a practiced, calculated way. The speech felt even more artfully crafted than what her dark chocolate beau could manage. Impressive. His words however, stirred up thoughts of her disgraceful loss. Her usually bright eyes dropped to the ground as the memories fell all about, again shaming the woman for her failure.  Before she thought to reveal her mental torment, he had revealed himself to be “Urien.” Well, he was a loner after all. Without really thinking, a sad smile pulled at her lips out of pure amusement. Why would a loner want anything to do with cheering her up? She had a faint idea, but would much rather have clung to the hope that he was simply a good, cheerful wolf, like Lugh perhaps. With a quiet half-laugh, she spoke. “Well Urien, my injuries are hardly worth celebrating. It was a fight I lost.” deciding to leave it at that, the agouti girl looked for his eyes again. He certainly seemed interested in her. What a joy it was for her heat to be long gone. “I'm a bit short on smiles right now,” her pleasant voice grew airy with a sigh; sunshine eyes roaming the fields idly. “My name's Raela.” They locked indicatively onto her small mountain home; the one she'd pathetically failed. “My pack lives up there, on the big hill.” A connection seemed to grasp her attention; livening her speech if only slightly. “I was a loner too for a long time before that, though.” Yellow eyes found her new companion over another melancholy smile. “I wasn't as good at it as you seem to be though. How long have you been out here?” Image © Chris Smith Photography Manipulation © Jenandra

            

Ears pulled back against his head as he realized that there was never a safe sense in speaking about the plights of those who were otherwise engaged with their own thoughts. The notion was a touch, but he could hardly make sense of things as his body shifted from one side to the other, and he offered the tenderest of smiles to the female who was humoring. It was a risk that could not be denied, but it was why there was a billowing piece of excitement that stole the features of the other.

"An engagement failed is not an engagement to regret, but a fabled experience in which to talk." The male was not one to speak about things which he did not feel, but it was a truth that was not about to be denied. All he ever did was ramble on about the things that he had failed - not out of a learning experience, and there was not a moment that could be denied. The ravishing way the female looked though when she was sad... why, she should be more sad more often!

It was why he stepped closer, and offered somewhat of an apologetic smile. The notion was brought about in a grin, the readiness to engage was not about to be washed away from him without the notions. It was why his excitement was not about to be doused, he found himself unable to stop the motions that were going through his head. A home away from the treacherous cold lonely nights? Does a riddle make a cringe? Do they call themselves a name worth braving the world for? Stumbling over his words, he found himself clearing his throat, looking flabbergasted for a moment.

Apologies, a moment takes a man on a wistful note - well over a year now it's burned my chest without a single head to lay against. The apathetic male was a good actor when required, bowing his head shamefully over the matter. Woe was the wolf without a home! Woe was him indeed!

His words were ever so puzzling. Talk? What was she to speak of? The essence of his statement was at least a comforting one; but the woman found herself staring off into the distance once he'd finished. A reply was beyond her at the moment. Urien seemed unsatisfied with her distance; choosing to move ever closer and still with that empathetic air to him. What a peculiar breed she'd stumbled upon. As the ruddy male continued, his poetic way of speaking did not let up in the slightest. Where could he possibly have been from? No one Raela had ever met spoke in such a way. Was it perhaps, by choice? Dulled yellow eyes turned back, scanning her new companion as his lips wove more complex sentences. Formulating a response felt a bit like unraveling a mystery; his speech a set of clues. Before her mouth could put forth much of anything, the rearrangement of Urien's facial features gave the subordinate pause. It was a touchy subject to be sure, but the woman had no intention of pressing him for it. She wouldn't want her past dragged out by a nosy stranger either. Thankfully, the man seemed fine with relaying what information he could. Still it brought some remorse to her face. A year? He IS doing well. Now that silence had found him, Raela felt the instinct to help again grow more powerful than anything else. It was just like her.  “Are you looking for a home?” Her voice was now drenched with concern. Come to think of it, he appeared young enough to be a dispersal; to be searching for a mate. Perhaps this was his quest. Perhaps that was why he was so overwhelmingly charming toward her. “If you are, Round Stone Crest might take you in. They were generous enough to save me from starving last winter.” She'd answered his earlier question, still hoping to return some of his comforting gestures.  Image © Chris Smith Photography Manipulation © Jenandra

            

Swallowing, the male found himself stuck with a bit of problem. While it had been his intent not to get involved with insanity, it was why he could feel the anticipation as it boiled up in him. This female was such a nice one, she was such a pretty woman; she was sweet spoken and she was absolutely innocent. That was what struck him most, that pure and inevitable innocence seemed to be pulsating out of him piece by piece.

The sadness seemed to take him, and he found himself unable to stop shaking his head with the notion. Who would sing a song of patience for a male such as I; a home cries in my ears, but it's forever out of reach. The honesty slipped out of his lips, and he pulled back an inch or so with a frown. As he drew himself into a seated position beside her, he hung his head as emotions bubbled up into him. It was almost a horrible little notion that was singing in his ears, but there was no solution on his tongue. I am a mockery of the boastful and the strong, a petrous burden on the chests of those foreign to my weakness.

As he found himself himself unable to stop his head from being tipped lightly to the side, Saving graces... The male murmured with a thoughtfulness on the tongue that had been given out. Such was a dangerous thing that had not been able to be accepted, but his nose flared and he found his gaze turning. Never a choice, a loss; I pray for acceptance, little rose, but the day never blossoms in the favor of Urien. Bitterness was always on his tongue, but he knew no solution.

Leaving that there, he was readiness could not be denied. It was a notion that could not be denied for a few moments, and there was a pull that was decorating his features for a few long moments. Waiting for her to bite, imagining the glory that would come upon him if he managed to wiggle his way in somewhere safe. An allegiance dual; it was a dangerous game, one he was ready to play if things seemed appropriate.

(This post was last modified: Jul 19, 2015, 08:06 PM by Urien.)