Cold Water Creek Keep on rolling

OOC: For @Noble

8/21/2015
Weather:
55°F, 13°C
Light Rain
1:14 PM

He'd practically stumbled upon it. The man's keen nose was no use when it started to gently rain; the air was so thick with moisture that scenting the nearby creek from a distance was close to impossible. The quiet rain hampered his ability to hear the running water as well, but to a much lesser degree. It was certainly much cooler here than it had been in that desert he'd found. He was grateful for the chilled air and cool rain; it was far better than hot sand any day. Even greater, was that he could travel during the day when it rained like this. There was no danger of wearing himself out or overheating; and the rain offered him the same camouflage it did the creek. He'd scented a few other wolves around; many more than he had in the hills. It wasn't a place Naberius wanted to stay in for too long; some of the scents even seemed like loose borders. His slender form parted the strange red foliage and he neared the creek's rocky shore. The droplets bounced off of the water as it continued past him; and for a moment he was content to simply watch. The grey sky overhead bathed everything in diffused white light. With a short huff he turned back to the water, stepping near enough to grab a drink. Of all the places he'd stopped this creek offered the coolest and most refreshing water. It was surprisingly cold, especially for the summer months. Once his salmon tongue had stopped making ripples in the already disturbed surface, the agouti man padded slowly into its depths. The water wasn't terribly deep here, so a crossing would be easy. The cold liquid lapped at his legs as he moved, soothing what ever soreness or ache his muscles may have had. It was pleasant enough that for a few moments he stopped and stood there, looking up and down stream where the creek disappeared from sight. This has to come down from the mountain... he mused, reflecting on its temperature. For the sake of amusement and because he wasn't feeling particularly threatened, the Zamora male began taking a few slow strides upstream. The moving water felt so interesting against his feet that he hardly noticed the noise of another's approach before it happened again. His head popped up, clear eyes scanning the bank. Better get his words out now in case they thought he was trouble. “Hello?” He barked, drawing his legs up beneath him to stand taller.

so sorry for the wait....

It wasn't often that she had down-time. Noble reclined along the rocky shore while watching the play of rain on the creek's surface. A single fore paw extended just far enough to dip into the water. In all honesty, she wasn't sure what to do with herself. The yearling had scavenged a bear kill the day before -a rare find despite the amount of traveling she did. Her life so frequently revolved around finding food that having meat in her stomach and no pack borders to study was a novelty. She leaned forward to tap an ebony paw to the top of a ripple of water and watched as waves arced from around that gentle touch. It was a far cry from the last time she had played, though the last time she had thrown into a game with wild abandon she'd ended up getting herself lost from home. There was hardly anything left to lose, but the hesitance was ingrained. Bad things had happened last time.

She sighed and pulled her paw back, tucking it under the rest of her rain-dampened body. Weeks and months of constant searching and running had worn every trace of puppy-hood away. Her frame was athletic, if overly slender and thin. Every part of her body was long, from a tapered muzzle to wiry limbs. The leggy effect was further exaggerated by her present leanness. Dark, velvet ears turned at the sloshing of water. She drew to her feet and away, even as curiosity kept her ears trained on the creek. The other wolf searched for her and she neatly ducked. The reason she traveled through streams and small creeks was to escape danger and she wasn't keen on throwing herself into a similar situation. Naberius barked roughly and her ears pinned back, finally daring to shout out: "There someone chasin' you?"

(This post was last modified: Oct 19, 2015, 05:17 AM by Noble. Edit Reason: fixed table code )

OOC: This got put off for far too long - so sorry! I'm awful! :(

There was a moment when only rain fell; and the sound of water on water was the only thing in his strained ears. The man was frozen like a deer; eyes moving through the rocks and long grass on the banks, turning behind him and forward before his call was answered. Even when he'd registered the words and his tawny cranium had swung to face their source; he did not yet see her. Brows furrowing in confusion as his optics squinted fruitlessly, Naberius took a tentative step forward into the chilled water, if only to lean forward in hopes of seeing something with his less-than ideal vision. The dark patch of fur was even harder to find in the rain than it should have been. His mouth was hanging open with the idea of a reply already when his eyes seemed to settle on one particular spot… He hadn't expected his company to be reclining. Hastily the man's thoughts raced to catch up as the shape manifested into a recognizable image. Chasing him? Why had she asked that? “No,”he blurted out, bringing his head back above his chest. He'd have to stop moving and focus if he ever hoped to speak correctly to this girl. Her rough way of talking was not only that of a youngster; she seemed to be a less-than-cultured one at that; perhaps on her own for a while now. It reminded him to watch how his own tongue fell. Curiosity rode over the wolf's returning inquiry. “Is someone pursuing you?” If she was a fugitive he'd have no further business with her; and if not Naberius hardly needed the attention of any ruffians while he traveled so utterly alone. Already the Zamora man was relieved that the stranger was only a thin yearling. She could probably use his help by the shape of her hips and ribcage. The rain had begun getting under his outer coat now; flattening the man's fur and taking away from his own size. She would soon be able to size him up as well; for how travel worn his own body was under the fuzz and hair. He was no where near as bad as she, however, and still felt safe enough to remain this near while he waited on her response.

Naberius is Religious! Learn about Isdan here.

sorry! Noble's... a teenager with no parental figure...

Her ears flicked in acknowledgement of his reassurance, but Noble was still watching the male's feet. He had taken that single step towards her and, for someone so sensitized to being chased, she was instantly worried he was going to continue the advance. It didn't much matter that she hadn't stolen anything recently, it was simply the way things seemed to go for her.

Deep golden eyes flicked from his feet to his face, debating his intentions and far she trusted his word—which wasn't very far. He slowly straightened his frame, as if more interested in talking than pursuing. Noble stayed in her crouch, toenails deep in the earth in case a quick escape was needed. The length of her sodden tail lashed at the reversal of the initial question. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously and made a point to let the ivory of her teeth flash with the flippant reply, "Not right now." It was simultaneously the perfect truth and as much information as she cared to divulge. Her even stare continued for a beat, making sure that Naberius didn't plan on turning the statement into a lie.

She stretched to stare farther down the stream, wanting to be sure once more that it was just him. There was nothing but the drizzle of water. Everything was drenched and she paid no mind to the water that collected on the tips of her ears and soaked into the scruffy black of her pelt. The landscape was soaking wet and here this male was... traveling via stream. Her eyes narrowed; that was how she traveled when she was trying to avoid detection. It washed her scent away and left no tracks to follow. "How come y'in the water then?"