Sierra Hills a restless wanderer upon the earth

OOC: For @Sijinali (Sorry for the word vomit xD) – Backdated to 8/5/2015 - We're using the RE: "There is a shooting star tonight."

Weather:
70°F, 21°C
Clear
8:27 PM

Traveling in the transitional hours was far better than attempting to do so in the heat of day or the blackness of night. It had never been more true for him than it was now as his grey pads traipsed fluidly over the sand. No longer did the rich, red grains burn his feet as punishment for being disturbed. He could see that few others ever passed through this land, and he could also see why. The vagabond had chosen instead to sleep the day away in hopes of passing through this barren land before the night claimed his eyes. He'd actually gotten quite far in his pursuits. If anything the red desert was an interesting landmark; a biome yet to be encountered by the restless traveler. Naberius soaked up the view from each crusty hilltop; unwilling to let the beauty of the land and the adventure he was having go unnoticed and unappreciated. He crested another of these hills just in time to catch the emergence of the stars; each twinkling like pinpricks in the blue fabric of the sky. One even dared to tear through it; leaving a brilliant white streak behind. A faint grin slipped onto his face at the sight; how many shooting stars had he seen in his travels, and they still brought him pure amazement. A cool night breeze ruffled his fur and drew his eyes to the horizon; still glowing faintly with the day's light. The moon was but a sliver above, reminding the wandering man that tonight would be just as dark as the night before with such little moonlight to guide him. Under a full moon he could have walked all night, but there was no disrupting the cycle – Isde was not powerful enough to accomplish such a thing, even for a whole host of loyal subjects such as himself. Most intriguing however, was what his crystalline eyes picked out between the hills in the distance. A mountain range, and these were no small peaks either. Mountains of this scale were something the man had only heard of; never encountered. That sight alone was enough to make his feet itch against the rocks and sand. Isde, he prayed; eyes fixated on the distant shadows, protect my path until I can reach those mountains. I know I have not done enough for you as of late, but I assure you, the next wolf I meet will have the best of my kindness; my charity. Determination slowly hardened his expression as his pools slid closed. You will be proud of me. With that he descended the sandy incline, padding diagonally down through the soft, treacherous footing. How long had it been since he'd even seen a wolf anyway? Perhaps one, maybe two in the weeks since slipping away from that pack in the dead of night. He was sure none of them were grieving his loss; not like the one before, with that girl... It wasn't worth thinking about. He had to keep his mind trained to his movements. Navigating the rocky paths was hardly easy without absolute concentration. With focus, his paws fell in all the right places; dodging loose rocks and maintaining graceful balance with each downward slide. His muscles and brain were in perfect harmony. The drawback, of course, was that something could easily sneak up on a distracted wanderer. It was necessary to halt his progress and to check for threats relatively often. Thankfully there was little life in this place at all let alone threats to a wolf. He could afford to let his guard down for a bit, and with the image of those ghostly mountains lodged into his mind, Naberius wasn't about to slow any- The noise caught him off guard. His ears and head shot upward to attention, making off with all of their owner's skillful coordination. His paws moved without guidance; taking a step too far off course and bringing the agouti man crashing to his chest in a puff of sand. Like usual. Scrambling to his feet in the most awkward way possible, the older Zamora boy strained to determine its source. It was the clattering of a small stone, perhaps, but that meant something was out here with him. The scent of another wolf came in faintly on a shifting wind; and Naberius could have laughed and shivered at the same time. It seemed his opportunity to impress Isde had come after all, but only if this other wolf didn't want to shred him to pieces. If there was anything he'd learned, it was that it was impossible to tell without taking a chance. Steeling himself and still focused on listening further, the rogue scrambled up the nearest sandy incline; stumbling more than a few times in the soft grains. At last his body clumsily crested the dune; sand still billowing off with the night breeze. Quietly his eyes scanned the red hills. It had come from this direction, hadn't it? A gentle, inquisitive 'woof' parted his charcoal lips and tumbled off the surrounding landscape. He at least felt a little safer up here.

(This post was last modified: Aug 17, 2015, 05:49 PM by Naberius.)

Naberius is Religious! Learn about Isdan here.

The night had always been Sijinali's favorite time to travel. Though visibility was less apparent, something about the sky being enveloped in darkness was fascinating to her. The sun had dipped below the horizon; its opposite soon to rise after. The more she thought about it, the more complex her ideals about the sky became. What was it exactly, though? She doubted that no wolf would ever be able to answer that question. As for the geography- well, her current location definitely wasn't her favorite. The mountains were unforgiving, probably standing vigilant for hundreds of years. Any traveler couldn't possibly come through without cursing at them. There may have been foliage dotting the red landscape here and there, but she didn't see any beauty in it. It was just a pain in the rear.

She scales yet another mountain, and then seats herself once she peaks. Her rump lands on the sand with a plop. Lids closing, Sijinali sighs, hoping her travel through these hell hills were almost over. With her eyes still closed, she raises her head. As soon as her lids open, she frowns. She had quite the distance to go. Figures Jin thinks, squinting in the navy shroud of the night. Her head jerks upwards almost violently as a stream of light catches her attention. It rips across the sky in a magnificent arc, leaving an opaque trail that vanishes shortly afterward. Teal eyes wide now, Jin realizes her jaw is wide open. She snaps her mouth shut, shaking her head and grinning at herself. Third time. This was the third time she had seen a shooting star in her life. It amazed her equally each time.

After gathering her bearings, the slender woman rises to her paws. With a flick of her fluffed tail, she begins her descent. Her paws grip at the sands as she plods downward. She wasn't exactly graceful, but then again, she grew up in marshlands. As she nears the bottom, a triumphant smirk adorns her creamy face. Jin paces forward slowly, her sleek frame striding along under the starlit sky. She was quite jaded from her long wanderings. Life as a lone wolf had its advantages, but its disadvantages, when they happen, seem worse. Sleep would happen when the sun decided to make its daily debut.

Her ears perked, and her body froze. A bark had sounded; where did it come from? It was somewhere above her- it was apparent she was at a disadvantage. Jin becomes hesitant as to whether she should move forward with an investigation or not. After moments of contemplation, she moves forward. Her head is angled upward now as she scans the peaks of each mountain, trying to find a figure. As she looks right, she sees a form. The woman leans forward, peering toward what she believes may be another wolf. Coming forward about twenty yards, Siji stops herself at what seems like a safe distance. She parts her jaws, releasing a loud bark.

     

Nothing happened for a tense moment. His eyes still fluttered from dark corner to dark corner; moving up and down the hills in search of the wolf he smelled and had surely heard. The silence following his bark was near deafening with tension. For a second he thought himself silly; having called out to someone who didn't want to answer, and perhaps thought him a fool. He was beginning to feel like one when a much louder call smacked into his ears. Now the lithe male's head snapped down; certain of the direction. The female's light coat was easy to pick out among the shadows; practically glowing in the starlight. Wouldn't be too long before she too disappeared with the coming darkness. A chill raised the hairs on Naberius' spine. Alright. So who are you? He wondered; cautiously moving his eyes over her form. Well it wouldn't hurt to ask. His stomach turned once with anxiety, but the other wolf wasn't making any aggressive moves. Perhaps she would hear him out. He opened his mouth to speak, but his voice was raspy and rough from neglect. “Gre-” He hastily cleared his throat. “Pardon me. Greetings.” Ah. Now it flowed fluently. “My name is Naberius. Might I ask yours?” the words were as well pronounced and delicate as ever. Good. His ears pricked forward and his head leaned down to scoop up any responding syllables. If she didn't feel like talking, he'd be out of there in no time. The agouti male placed a single ruddy paw out to steady himself against the sandy incline. If he leaned too far, he'd come sliding down most ungracefully. Dividing his attention, however, was near impossible, so the pose was less than regal as he stood there, awaiting her reply.

Naberius is Religious! Learn about Isdan here.

Sijinali grew amused as she watched the male. When he cleared his throat, she nearly released a chuckle. She wasn't sure why, but it was cute to her in a strange way. With her facial expression impassive, she looks up at him. "Well, hello" Her voice was smooth and unwavering even though she was a bit parched. As she speaks, a grin warms her features "I'm Sijinali." Her glance fell to the bottom of the small mountain as she dithered in a bit of anxiousness. She squints up at him, her warm grin turning to a smirk now.

"Naberius, would you mind coming down?" she cooed out to the male silhouetted by the stars. It was a bit annoying having to look upward at him, afterall. The smirk stayed in place as she neatly seated herself. Her tail wrapped around her right haunch as she tilted her head, waiting to see what the man would do. He seemed as if he was going to come down; his paws were planted downward in the sand. She certainly wouldn't want to be in his position. With her luck, she'd likely faceplant.

"This place seems endless" She calls out, hoping that conversation would make the wolf feel more at ease. She didn't want to come off as too commanding, having asked him down from his perch. As she awaits his move, the woman scents the air. She couldn't pick up anything. Her cream-brown tail swishes out to the side now, swiping just barely over the sands. If she had to get up quickly, she'd be able to. Through a first encounter, it's always wise to expect anything to happen.

(This post was last modified: Aug 17, 2015, 09:04 PM by Sijinali.)

     

The sand was being uncooperative as he tried to make out her face in the fading light. Was she irritated, smiling? He slid forward a bit but managed to teeter backwards enough to maintain his position while her smooth voice flowed against the sand. Sinijali. Well, that was a good sign. Naberius could hear the amiable tone she'd taken on, but her smile was lost to the fuzziness of his less-than-perfect eyes. People called them beautiful, but they were the one thing he couldn't train to be better, and that drove him crazy. Silence fell again, and he chose to address his poor footing. He was gazing down at his wayward feet when her voice filled the night again. The rogue looked up, legs still splayed this way and that. He couldn't keep going back and forth like this. Suddenly aware that he'd not really responded to her after her introduction, he tried speaking again. “Oh, yes.” The man's eyes flicked downward again. “Just a moment,” he added, feeling the grains slipping away yet again. He turned, trying to angle himself sideways on the pile of minuscule rock pieces. Now, at least, he could begin to focus. He didn't want to look poor in front of this pleasant stranger. Deciding to slide down on the side in stead of straight at her, he stalked over a few paces. The world began to drown itself out as he positioned himself; carefully putting all the weight he could toward his back legs in a reclining position. Already Naberius was slipping, but this time it was planned. The Zamora male leaned forward ever so slightly; just enough that he could get started. From there it was a fight to keep his front paws from digging too deeply into the sand. Luckily, it went much smoother this time. Every couple of feet he pulled them back, shuffling backwards as his body glided down. Her last words were completely lost on him, as so often happened when he was concentrating. Once near the bottom he leaned back, springing off of the dune with the power in his curled back legs and landing squarely on all four feet with a little slide. The agouti male stopped to shake out the sand in his pelt before searching for Sinijali. Had she seen it? He was so ready to hear any sort of compliment after so long that an excited grin adorned his once expressionless face when he found her. His tail floated into the air in a friendly wag; exuding the kind of proud aura the man usually had. “Sorry about that miss,” he commented, now feeling much more confident in himself.

(This post was last modified: Aug 17, 2015, 10:05 PM by Naberius.)

Naberius is Religious! Learn about Isdan here.

Siji watched and listened as the male agreed to descend the slope. The smile was still on her face. This wolf seemed to be so polite. Generally, Sijinali liked to believe most wolves have good intent. She appreciated his words; he wasn't snappy nor cold. Not at the moment, anyway. From what she observed so far, it seemed as if she was in for a pleasant interaction. As Naberius reaches the bottom, she rises to her paws. Her gaze follows his actions as he lifts from the angle of the slope and lands on all fours. The sand below his paws slides and he comes to a halt.

Audibly releasing a titter, Sijinali wags her tail. Amusement lights up her face as she dips her head to the wolf before her. "Quite impressive" She gives a curt nod, having been a bit jealous of his last moment fluidity. She herself wouldn't have been able to pull that off. The sand, especially at an incline, frustrated her more than anything. There was no secure grip; you are constantly sliding. Bringing her head upward, she speaks again "I'm not used to this terrain. I come from wetlands." She didn't exactly know how to start the conversation. Using the terrain around her as an icebreaker seemed to be a viable option at the moment.

She observes him now that he's closer. He seemed to be just as worn from his travels as she did. At least she knew that if a fight were to break out, they'd be on equal level. She heavily doubted that would even happen. Her eyes briefly peer upward to the night sky as she listens for the male's response, transitioning her gaze to him when he does so.

(This post was last modified: Aug 18, 2015, 07:07 AM by Sijinali.)

     

The happy little noise she made told him ahead of time that he might just get what he was after. As he stood there her head lowered toward the earth most gracefully in respect and admiration... for him. Ah it was impressive wasn't it? His mind cackled and his grin widened. The familiar rush of approval lit up dusty old paths in his brain. How he'd missed the company, the praise of others. Another swift wag sent his tail to fluttering as he looked upon her face. “Thank you,” he said, his tone coming off as most sincere. Naberius would have to do something more for her; he needed more of this old neglected feeling in his bones. Again her smooth voice sounded, and his tail ceased its movement. Ugh. Wetlands, he mused. The next words were all to easy to pull from his brain. “I've crossed quite a few wetlands in my travel. I can't say they're my favorite place to be but this desert isn't much better.” The man's sly smirk was still clinging to his lips. How disgusting the mud and insects could be in a wetlands. The mention of the landscape drew his eyes to the horizon quite predictably. The distant mountain range was still visible in places and it begged to be acknowledged. But first... “The nearest wetlands would be quite a distance from here,” he began, now focused on the pale woman. “Am I to assume you too are a traveler?” Did she share the same burning need for adventure and new experiences as he? Why, that would be a fine coincidence. Perhaps they could carry on together! On the other hand there was also the possibility that she had come upon hard times; either through something beyond Isde's control or simply because she did not believe. He'd been so enraptured by the mere presence of company that he hadn't considered the possibility of having met a non-believer. The notion churned in his head now. He would have to do his best to enlighten her if it was true. At least she didn't seem to be in too bad a shape. Perhaps she had knowledge of this land to share with him; of packs he could shelter in or enemies to steer clear of. How helpful these fellow wanderers could be. His thinly-painted eyes scanned her face patiently, accented by his ever present, gentle smile.

Naberius is Religious! Learn about Isdan here.

This encounter was certainly going well. She listens to the man, her gaze held upon him as she does so. Deep teal eyes observe his smirk; he seemed to appreciate her praise. With a short wag of her tail, she dips her head and replies "I am indeed a traveler." Her head lifts as a thoughtful gleam shines in her eyes. "I think I will be for quite awhile. I'm unsure of pack life at the moment." The smile that was on her face disappears as her expression returns to a neutral one. A bit of concern began to eat away at the back of her mind. Would she able to be a lone wolf forever? There were certainly its positives and negatives, but she just couldn't choose. It seemed only time would be able to determine her fate.

She puts her weight on her right side, then her left, teetering softly on the red sands. The air was dry and brutal; her lungs didn't appreciate the harshness of it. The wind blows, stirring up a small storm of sand. Siji squints, releasing a small grunt of annoyance at the sand. "My pack was certainly not the best. It didn't even have a name." A look of disgust passes before she shrugs her shoulders in uncertainty. "What about you, Naberius?" Sijinali didn't want to come off as self-centered. She would talk about herself, yes, but she grew tired of conjuring conversation. She'd await what he would have to say in reply.

As she stands, her mind begins to delve back into the past. She could see herself playing with her brothers and sister- her only form of socialization. Siji knew that not every pack was like this- there was something better out there. She had to get over her uncertainty.

     

There is a rabbit\'s nest nearby. +1 Health

Her soft voice confirmed his suspicions. A spark of joy lit in his chest at the realization. It seemed she was having issues with pack life as much as he usually did; though for him it was more a problem of boredom, and he couldn't be sure it was the same for her. It didn't seem like pure wanderlust had taken this soul; she seemed immediately troubled by her admission. She gave off the air of a wolf in need of a home more than one who openly rejected it for the sake of adventure. Before he could study her further a gust of cool night wind kicked up some of the red sands; forcing them both to narrow their eyes against it. One of his ears cupped forward as she grumbled about her pack, followed by the other. All of a sudden she brushed off her discomfort in favor of questioning him instead. Well, what of him? The man removed his eyes from the scene, looking off to the impressive mountain again. How much was he prepared to tell her anyway? “My pack is a long distance from here as well,” he added after a moment, still intent on maintaining proper grammar and pronunciation. “I don't enjoy staying in one place for too long. There is just too much to see.” His eyes never moved from the mountain, and he sort of hoped the woman would look too. It was magnificent. His thoughts wandered away with it as he stood there staring, and more words slipped from his dark lips. “I want to know what it's like up there,” he continued, less stringent about his speech as the sight captivated him. A notion slipped into his brain at that moment, causing the man to break from his concentration and return his focus to this Sinijali woman. “Where are you headed miss?” The question came forward with unbridled curiosity. Perhaps she would come with him. Perhaps he could retain the company of others for a bit longer; though he was starting to think there was something about this woman in particular that made him want to at least try. He'd encountered it before, and he'd left it in the dust before. Only time would tell if it was more than just his lonely mind looking for another high.

(This post was last modified: Aug 25, 2015, 01:47 AM by Naberius.)

Naberius is Religious! Learn about Isdan here.