Swift River aqua-cola

@Pharika

She had warned him about the rivers, and @Morganna had not lied. Her directions had been true so far, for he had long passed the falls, and the grove had lay beyond that first river. He had stood and considered it for a short time, respecting the power of water though he did not fear it; deep water had saved his life, after all. Still, matters were made a little more complex with the fact that he was carrying a dead bird with him, its long brown neck gripped in his teeth. Patience and careful planning had let him overcome the river's trial, with goose intact. She had told him of another river after the first, but he had no reason to believe that he would be unable to tackle it as easily.

Still, it was a decent opportunity to pause, and so once he came across that second river as he was continuing southward, Craw placed the slowly stiffening body on the ground and sat beside the river's bank, keeping his prize in sight. He did not want to risk losing his gift when he had already brought it so far. Lowering his head to the water, he sated his thirst, eyes watching the light dance off the fluid surface. It was newly midday, the sun as high and bright as it would ever be, and the air was still and quiet. It was entirely peaceful and lonely. He hoped that the willows of Morganna's home would prove more engaging.

Much of his mind, of late, had been occupied by her situation, though he knew that he did not have enough information to formulate any plans. His only goal was to reach the territory as fast as possible, now. It felt good to have ambition that moved beyond surviving until the next day. It felt like progress.

Her patrol today had been rather uneventful. She traversed the mountain and its seemingly endless ridges and outcrops. She hadn't spotted any sort of prey thus far. After her rambling descent from the mountains, a small amount of relief washes over her. The pads of her feet cherished the moisture and pliability of the soil rather than the cold hard surface of stone. Coming to a slow, she pauses momentarily to take in a deep breath. Even with autumn making its arrival, the forestry around her seemed bursting with life.

Heavy mosses claimed most trunks of trees, their green glow from the dappled canopy capturing the attention of the dark woman. The songs of birds echoed through the area, almost as if completing the entirety that was the Sacred Grove. Pacing along steadily, Pharika's head sways back and forth slowly as she observes the area. Thick scents of prey hung in the air on and the foliage. It was difficult to extricate between old and new scents. Face twitching slightly, she continues forward.

Her walk through this unknown area was a pleasant break from the mountains. She did enjoy the mountains, though, for being able to look over the land was something that piqued her fascination. Rika's head tilts as the sound of flowing water comes into hearing range. Her tail wags slightly before her pace increases and she heads toward the source.

Rather parched, she's anxious to get to the water's edge. When she takes a step out of the thicker part of the Grove, she's caught off guard by the presence of another wolf. He sits before the riverbed, gray coat apparent in the rays of midday. Pharika hesitates due to surprise, her right paw lifting as she teeters forward. "Errr-" Was what slipped from her muzzle. Perhaps he'd be as surprised as she had been.

There is a family of deer nearby. Hunt Opportunity

It was a risky business, particularly for a lone wolf, to be carting around easy meat. Craw didn't much like being responsible for it all the time, didn't like how he had already been forced to dissuade a pair of curious coyotes from stealing his goose as well as a young black bear. It was tiresome. Often he considered just eating the thing and using that as fuel for the rest of the journey, but it was such a tempting thing to gift. If the trip took much longer, though, he would have to consume it himself or risk it going to waste entirely. He knew, though, that he would likely not have the opportunity to present a small kill such as it, for his hunting skills did not usually relate to small things.

Morganna had said the pack lacked guardians, though, not hunters. Perhaps he would be able to offer a very different kind of gift.

As he sat there, occasionally dipping his head to drink and considering how best to present himself to this pack in the willows, the distinct sound of an approaching body caught his attention - and his head snapped around about the same time that the monochrome female appeared, large of build but uncertain of manner. His eyes narrowed as she expressed surprise to see him there, as though it had interrupted her train of thought. While he did not move to obviously claim the goose by his side, his ownership should have been clear, and a hint of defensive hostility reached his body language.

Had this been his previous life, he would have reacted far more strongly, but this was a different world. He never knew when opportunities would arise, and he had not achieved all he had by making hasty assumptions. He would wait and see how the woman behaved before judging how best to act himself.

Pharika remains still as the male's head turns sharply at her appearance. His facial markings were unique- dark around his eyes. Sucking in a breath, she comes forward, her body now fully out of the woods behind her. An odor passes by her nose as she takes in her breath. This one was fresh, and of her favorite food. Deer. Not really being all too hungry, she keeps stepping forward, stopping at about thirty yards from the large male. He too was a wolf of large stature, but more so than herself.

Her gaze falls upon the carcass beside the man. It was brown and feathery, but she couldn't tell what species of avian it was. Snorting lightly, she peers at the wolf with her chestnut eyes. "I've no interest in your food, I've only come for a drink." Her voice was smooth and feminine, but not overbearingly so. She retains a neutral posture as she nears the edge of the water. Keeping her distance between herself and the wolf, Pharika lowers her head to the glittering waters. Lapping greedily, she satiates her thirst. The fur on her chin drips water when her head lifts back upward.

Her nose cannot detect the scents of other wolves on him, but she wasn't close enough. Her expression remains neutral as she speaks "Pharika." She offers her name up, not caring whether or not the wolf would share his. She wasn't one to just give out her last name, though. After her drink, Pharika seats herself, giving her paws the much needed rest they required.

(This post was last modified: Oct 03, 2015, 09:22 PM by Pharika.)

As it turned out, any stronger hostility would have been wasted on the woman. Watching her intently, he waited for any sign of deception or aggression but she gave away none. She moved fully out of the trees, her manner calming, her words smooth and cool. Though he made no immediate response, not even when she approached the river to drink or offered her name, not once did he take his gaze off her. His tongue flashed out to lick at the corners of his mouth, his own body language more neutral now, to suitably match her own. It was a totally casual standoff, neither wanting to appear bothered by the other.

The idea amused him. Wheezing a low laugh, the rattle in his throat temporarily amplified, Craw gestured at the river and back at @Pharika, an ear twisting about to focus upon the black and white woman. "By all means," he said simply, for it was not his river to withhold. He considered the value in asking of her knowledge of the land, of whether or not he was on the right track to his destination, but felt it premature yet. He did not usually make a habit of asking favours of just anyone. He was far more interested in seeing what worth she would reveal to him first; if she simply wanted to drink and move on, then it was not his business.

That said, strangers so often enjoyed sharing their business.

Pharika's ears pick up on the raspy rattling of the male's voice. She almost tilts her head, but instead she closes her eyes to allow a moment of relaxation. Her mind grows still as her thoughts briefly cease. Lids lifting, her red-brown eyes turn back to the ghostly man. "These lands are quite interesting." She pauses now, standing back on her feet. Turning her head, her muzzle points toward the mountains. "My current residence. Not bad seeing everything from above." She huffs in mild beguilement. Pacing back to the edge of the water, she kneads the soft and wet soil between her toes. It felt wonderful.

Looking back to the yellow-eyed beast, she smirks before speaking "So, what's the deal with the bird?" She'd figured it was a meal for later, but why would he be dragging it about? It seemed a few hours old, but she could be wrong. "Got a lady 'er somethin'?" Pharika had been quite busy with her patrols as of late, especially after the lynx that had crossed her pack's borders. She had been on high alert as of a few days ago. Time for chatter had been limited; she grew bored with her own thoughts. Depression and anger seemed to have a stronghold on her when she was alone with only herself to talk to.

Every time she seemed on her breaking point of insanity, she ran into another wolf. After chatting with another someone, her hasty thoughts diminished for some time 'till she was alone again.

And there it was. By some happy coincidence, the subject of her opening chatter was the very thing Craw was most interested in, though she let that conversation dangle, teasing Craw to press on it. The ice had been broken, now, and that odd kind of friendliness between strangers established. She lived on the mountain, and he wondered just what she meant by seeing everything.

Watching here back to the water, kneading her feet into the mud, he considered her words even as she continued. Her assessment of the situation made a toothy grin curl his lips. "You could say that," he admitted, for while it was not for @Morganna it was for her cause. Craw, however, was not in the slightest bit interested in talking about himself, and shifted his weight so that he was sitting facing @Pharika a little more, to better convey that he was keenly listening to her. "What's it like, where you live? I thought mountain-living was always more trouble than it was worth." Rich, coming from a man whose family had chosen to live a little further in the freezing north than most wolves. He decided to make an assumption, for she was too far to properly smell. "Your pack, it thrives there?"

The unnamed man seemed to grow interested in where she lived. "I see." She says simply in response to her inquiry about the bird. Casually tossing her head, she looks to the mountains. She shifts her body, paws no longer kneading the moist soil. The muck lay between her toes, cooling and soothing her paw pads. She did enjoy it there, in the mountains. It was different from where she grew up, but she was definitely used to the colder climate up there. With a nod of her head, she replies "Indeed it does." She hadn't been in her pack for long, but she was already loyal to her new family. She wouldn't give too much information out about them, though.

Her mind stirs thought before she speaks again "It's different, but it's nice. Large wolves like us aren't the most graceful of beasts up there at first. With time, though, you get used to it." Flashing a wry grin, she continues talking "There's a large lake up there. Pines here and there. Not all just one big rock."

She was tired of speaking for herself. Raising a brow, she turns her body to face him. He was already positioned facing her. "What about you? Where are you headed?"

(This post was last modified: Oct 07, 2015, 03:30 PM by Pharika.)

While geographical knowledge had its own value, Craw had been hoping for something more substantial. Either @Pharika had picked up on his interest, and was wary of it, or was just being difficult. Either notion was displeasing; an ear flicking back in consternation, he considered what little she had shared, and tried to decide if it was worth pressing her for more. She was presenting herself as no threat, at least, so he let himself feel a little easier in her company, wanting his own casual manner to rub off on the large woman.

But then the woman chose to take hold of the steering wheel, turning a question back on Craw, and while he was not inclined to discuss himself and his plans it was an adequate sacrifice if it meant lowering her inhibitions any. At this stage, he had very little to hide, and certainly nothing he expected some wolf who lived on the mountain to be familiar with. But, then again, maybe she would know something - and asking a question relevant only to himself wasn't likely to raise any barriers. If he loosened his tongue, perhaps she would loosen hers, but first he had to find out if she had anything worth divulging. "I heard of an established pack to the south, in the willows," he said, tone light. "I was hoping to find somewhere to stay for the winter, and longer. I fear I know very little of the group or their land, though. Are you familiar with them?"