Riddle Heights No Time For Spreadin' Roots

@Gilligan

I was mid-morning when the young woman began to stir from her sleep. Her travels had been long and tireless as of late. The red mountains she had encountered a few days back had consumed her. She had been sore, but no longer. Sleep seemed to be a good remedy. Her eyes flutter before they fully open. Widening her jaws, Sijinali yawns and stretches out. She had slept under a large, rickety pine that resided toward the larger slopes. A bit groggy, she shakes her coat of the needles that nestled into it when she laid to sleep. With droopy lids, she looks out at the heights, preparing for yet another travel. Jin was a bit hungry, but she knew that her appetite was mostl likely not going to be satiated in an area like this. If anything, she'd have to look out for other predators. Keeping this in the back of her head, she begins her travelling once more.

The pads of her paws had definitely been calloused over the past few days. Some terrain she had never really been exposed to much in her life. She had lived as a wolf of the marshlands; her paws knew moist ground for the most part. Her diet had mainly consisted of rabbits and various rodents there, with the occasional deer. Time in the marsh had made her a talented fisherman, but she didn't see any sign of water here so far. Jin rests about every half hour, allowing her body to keep from exhaustion. She enjoyed traveling where she pleased, yet little to no socialization had definitely started to irk her. Having limited socialization when she was young, Jin desires to break away from that. She only wants to look forward to what her life entails now.

Siji paces along leisurely. At the start of her travels, she had been anxious to explore new land. Now she just wanted to try and enjoy it, even if it became a real pain to travel through. She had undoubtedly missed a lot during her first few weeks on her own. Perhaps that was why a few encounters with others just miles from home occurred. Too much rushing. It was time to slow down. There hadn't been many trees now to lay under for shade. It seemed like a luxury now compared to an hour ago. A few rocks provided a small amount of shade. The woman sits and lays against it, allowing the rocks to cradle her.

(This post was last modified: Sep 14, 2015, 01:29 AM by Datura.)

   

Being in a pack was weird.  And not a good weird, either.  Gilligan was having a difficult time adjusting to the stability of life among other wolves, much less the lack of ability to move as soon as something bothered him.  It was no longer just him and @Datura against the world – it almost seemed as if the group had consumed all of the golden titan’s attention, leaving the yearling to his own devices.  Oh, yes, he’d benefited from the work physically – his coat was rejuvenating, the coppery luster slowly returning to its former glory.  He’d put on at least ten pounds, fed by the caches when his own attempts couldn’t harvest a squirrel.
 
But socially?  Emotionally?
 
Gil felt devoid of contact, his attempts at interactions falling short.  It led to the young wolf isolating himself, in a sour mood from perceived abandonment and his inability to befriend anyone immediately among the group.  Never did it occur to him they might be as wary as he, and instead the Aquila heir thought himself outcast from the group.  He’d been a part of the pack for weeks, and felt no more like a Silent Moon wolf than he did when he and his father had first been accepted by the pack’s lord.
 
With the heavy sigh he began to trek around the pack’s borders, wandering the heights outside the official landmarks.  Gil knew better than to stray far, but the lad craved adventure, and only prayed to find some so close to his new home.  It seemed someone in the beyond was listening, for it didn’t take long for him to come across a stranger – a loner – a female!  Eyes widening, he honed on the wolf quickly, ears forward and tail wagging as he circled the dozing creature.  “Hey!  You’re near pack grounds, yo!  You supposed to be here?”

#R28-9

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

Sijinali was still slightly groggy from awakening. She sits, gathering her thoughts as she prepares for yet another day. Another day of lonely travel. The land was fascinating, but lacking socialisation began to seriously irk her. Just as she readies herself to rise, there's a voice. Taken by slight surprise, Siji's body jerks.

Jin rocks forward, now standing on all fours. Her ears hone in on the voice's direction and she turns accordingly. Her teal gaze falls upon a young male. He begins to circle her, and Sijinali feels herself growing uncomfortable. With a welcoming look on her face, she attempts to keep cool.

Near pack borders. Was she really that close? Her lips pull down in a slight frown as she tilts her head. "I'm not too close, am I?" Her face wrinkles momentarily. She was a bit disappointed in herself that she hadn't detected an odor of any other wolves. Her eyes briefly fall to the interesting bulk around his neck. A small, circular light was glowing on it. Not wanting to bother him, she keeps conversation on track.

"I'm not supposed to be here, but I did need a rest."She curiously awaits his reply. Letting her tail slowly sway, Siji kept her guard up as she tried to appear open and not as a threat. Wanting to look again at the mysterious thing on his neck, she keeps her focus on his face. She may have not caught the scent of the borders, but now the winds had changed. The enticing odor of a kill hovered past her nostrils. Siji's first reaction would be to automatically head toward it, but she wanted to remain polite.

(This post was last modified: Sep 14, 2015, 01:29 AM by Datura.)

     

   Was she too close?  The question caused Gilligan pause, brows furrowing as he tipped his head to one side.  Despite having been born into a pack, he hadn’t remained with the White Goat wolves long enough to have been taught proper etiquette.  @Datura had tried to develop a number of skills in his son, but the majority of those abilities had been necessary for his survival.  Manners would could in time, though they hadn’t been among the Plateau pack long enough for the redhead to pick up on all the intricacies of life among a group he wasn’t related to.  Truth be told, Gil was struggling to form bonds with anyone outside his father, much less understand how much space Phineas required around his borders. 

Eventually the yearling settled on a one-shouldered shrug, giving his head a small shake.   “Guess not,” he admitted – what did he care if one single loner scuttled around the hillside.   “As long as you don’t cross the borders, yo, I guess it’s not that much a problem.  I’m just supposed to keep a look out.” 

Even that wasn’t entirely true, but the Aquila heir had been a bit busy trying to improve his station, leaving his progeny to figure out exactly where he fit into Silent Moon Plateau on his own.  A little bit of independence wasn’t bad for the lad, though any grown wolf among the pack would be able to pick up on the uncertainty in his step.  As it were, he chose to continue engaging the female with a wary smile and a small wag of his tail.   “You goin’ somewhere, then?  Anything interestin’ around here?”

#R28-9

Sijinali was slightly confused by a word he seemed to like using- "Yo". Just what in the hell did that even mean? She tilts her head physically as the male before her begins his chatter. Perhaps it was just a word for when he didn't know what to say... like the word um. Shaking her thoughts from her mind, she nods at @Gilligan . "I've been traveling for quite awhile. I've seen a lot." With a shrug of her shoulders, she continues "Haven't been near mountains for some time. They weren't really prevalent where I come from. Sorry to have come close to your borders." A coy grin spreads across her muzzle "You may have saved my pelt." Her teal eyes sparkle, catching the sun's rays as she turns her head.

"I smell a carcass, it smells like a deer or something similar." Widening her nostrils, she takes in the odor again. It seemed a few days old, but hey, food was food. Her tail sways to and fro as the grin remains on her face. "Wanna go check it out? Her head tilts again, but this time in questioning his next move. She was hungry, but he seemed like a bit of an interesting character. Sijinali wanted to know exactly what was around his neck. Temptation pulled at her; she wanted to bite it. That damn glowing red dot was so captivating. Now wasn't the time to ask. If he decided to join her, though, she would.

Her stance is wide, almost like she was to assume a play bow. The odor of a carcass had her a bit riled up inside, mainly due to not having a nice meal in a few days. She found a few carcasses along the way, but they were mostly scavenged. This one smelled like it still had quite the amount of meat left on its bones. She couldn't pass up the opportunity.

(This post was last modified: Oct 07, 2015, 12:28 AM by Sijinali.)

     

   

“S’okay,” Gilligan replied easily, shrugging one shoulder.  He’d only just starting picking up the chores, and patrolling the territory lines wasn’t required so much as it was suggested as something he learned.  Any pack wolf was expected to add his scent to strengthen the borders, but much beyond that was uncharted waters for the youth.  Life before was on his own with his father, and the only rules that applied were Datura’s.  That was easy enough to remember, and they got on well enough – surrounded by a multitude of others, he was beginning to find himself a bit lost in the crowd.

But all the same, he wouldn’t have attacked the loner – likely he wouldn’t have even told anyone, unless she deliberately ignored his warnings and marched towards Silent Moon Plateau’s heartland.

“There are some grumpy wolves around Silent Moon, though, so be careful,” he felt obligated to add, mind wandering to the alabaster alpha and his brother.  After a moment, he bobbed his head, his grin growing as he bobbed his head.  Being in a pack meant there was always something to eat, but the youth still found himself filling in his ribs after many hard months as a loner.  “Sounds good.  Lead the way,” he encouraged, wanting to see the woman’s tracking technique.  There were so many things he didn’t know, and it had only recently become obvious to him that the ability to scent on his own was one, though this was not a fact he would willingly divulgate.  “I’m Gil, by the way.  Who’re you?”

(This post was last modified: Oct 11, 2015, 07:30 PM by Gilligan. Edit Reason: Random tag? )

#R28-9

Sijinali tilts her head as the wolf speaks of the pack's name.
"Are there many packs in these lands?" she asks, curiosity stirring up within her. She
wasn't one to ask too many questions, but she did want to know. It was a bit of a necessity when
it came to her options of choosing a new home. Turning on heel, she nods at his agreement of
finding to source of the odor. Tail wagging, the cream-gray woman scents the air, a general direction
now apparent in her head. Her slender frame moves quickly as she works the scent, her pattern of
walking zig-zagging as she sniffs about. Her stomach grips and knots; she was quite hungry now.
An opportunity like this wouldn't come very often, and she sure wasn't going to let it pass up.

"Sorry" she says, a bit distracted by tracking. She listened to the male as he stated his name,
but she hadn't immediately replied. Pausing briefly, she looks to him, a polite grin lighting up
her features. "I'm Sijinali." Looking forward once more, her tail wags a bit quicker as she
nears her target. "There. Twenty wolf lengths North." Glancing to Gil, she jerks her head
as to say 'C'mon, let's go.'

Within minutes she's as the hooves of the moose. "Oh, wow. A moose. Never had one of these before."

Teal eyes peer over to Gil as she begins to feel her mouth fill with saliva. Not hesitating, she
lowers her head, pearly fangs tearing into the flesh of the creature. She rips at the haunch of
moose, chewing on a thick portion of muscle. The flavor was quite different from deer; she was immediately
hooked.

(This post was last modified: Nov 19, 2015, 12:24 AM by Sijinali.)

     

   

“Yeah,” Gil replied easily, rolling the thought around in his mind.  They’d run into plenty of scents as they moved through the forest of Relic Lore, and he and his father hadn’t even explored the most of it before settling down on the mountain.  “There’s one real close, on the lake.  My dad didn’t like them much, either,” he noted, not sure if this was any use to the young woman.  It certainly wasn’t a secret though, and the yearling saw no reason not to share.

Following after the woman, he occasionally put his nose to work – she was clearly a better tracker than he was, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t watch and learn.  Applying the particular smell to their chase was only an added bonus, and he hummed softly as she offered her name.  “Nice to meetcha,” he hummed, and fell silent again, only murmuring in awe when she pinned the exact distance to their meal.

A few minutes later, they were upon a moose.  His tail wagged behind him furiously as he grinned from ear to ear.  “That was awesome, yo,” he praised her, allowing her to take the first few bites before helping himself.  Life as a pack wolf kept him better fed that he used to be, but the carcass was still enjoyable.  For several minutes, the air was only filled by the sounds of two wolves eating, and when Gil eventually surfaced to air, he was still smiling.

“Awesome,” he restated.  “Probably ought to go back soon, though.  Not supposed to be out for long periods of time.”

Exit this round and close the thread?  :)

(This post was last modified: Nov 13, 2015, 02:04 AM by Gilligan.)

#R28-9

ooc; Sounds good!

The woman eats her fill, savoring the flavor as much as she could.
After her stomach had told her enough was enough, she lifts her head from the carcass. Coral toned
tongue slips from between her jaws, licking her lips and some off the blood off her face. Her teal eyes
look to Gil after he had complimented her tracking skills. A polite smile makes its way across her face,
and her gaze lights up in joy. "Thank you" she says simply with a flick of her bushy tail. Her ears
flicker at his words of getting back soon. Ah, yeah. A pack wolf. A dropping feeling occurs in her stomach
as a wave of sullenness suddenly overtakes her. Her gaze falls to her paws for a moment, and she forces
the smile to remain on her face. "Oh, alright" Is all she can muster up to say.

She was enjoying company, but she'd honestly prefer a lone wolf's at this moment. Interactions with a pack
wolf would be brief, that's all there was to it. Curiously, she steps nearer to the male, her head tilting as she
speaks. "Before you go..." she starts, her eyes now locked onto his, "Could you tell me... erm.."
She didn't want to come off as rude, but she figured other wolves had asked him the same question multiple
times. Who had even seen such a thing before, anyway? She had no idea as to what to even call what was
around his neck.

She sucks in a breath, gathering her nerves before she finishes, "Could you tell me what's around your
neck? I'm just curious as to what it's called. You don't have to go into it, if you'd rather not." She
quiets herself now, her front paws kneading the soil below as she anxiously awaits his reaction.