Turtleback Lake Reckless behaviour

@Craw, and all welcome after that. :)
Sunny
71° F, 22° C

( @Erebos )

This wasn’t funny anymore. Where had @Zane gone? Days!? It had never been out of sight for more than a few hours their entire life. It was completely out of character for her Badger to just disappear. No, there had to be something wrong. He was hurt somewhere, someone had taken him, he would never just leave her. He had spent his whole life fighting for her, providing for her, making sure she never wanted for anything. He had even put aside his own opinions when she insisted they go find @Erebos. Oh god.. this was her fault. If.. if something happened to him, it would be because she had dragged him here where the bad things could hurt him. Where he never wanted to be. Her heart ached for her brother, making her want to lie and whimper until he returned. Unfortunately, it hadn’t been very successful in bringing him back. It was time to take action.

She didn’t even have a fresh scent on him. She cursed herself for not looking for him the second she thought something was off. She would have had a chance, then. “No!”She suddenly chirped aloud, “Don’t say that,” Of course there was still a chance. They had travelled much further and on much less of a trail and they had found their father, hadn’t they? Their own mother, @Delia, had thereafter found THEM too from whence they left. There would always be hope! Though, despite her attempts at a positive inner dialogue, her tail and ears continued to droop more than usual. She did not like this.

She had decided to look north initially after being unable to find him locally. No one knew them yet, so this was making it a bit more difficult. Zane did not have his father’s infamous record preceding him. Her paws imprinted in both the sand and moist rocks surrounding the expansive lake. She had been edging it for quite some time.. this thing was humongous!.. and lively. The creatures surrounding the lake were plentiful, deer and elk frequenting its shores and the woodline around it. Her stomach was too twisted in knots to even consider a meal. Her beryl-lime eyes followed the rocks beneath her feet monotonously, thinking that the occasional clusters botryoidal. This wasn’t supposed to be how it was. They had only just gotten together, her parents, her brother, and @Maeve. Her sad, grey form was a stark contrast against the happy sunshine and colourful nature around her; an occurrence very unnatural to the normally optimistic, upbeat two year old. Though, her life felt anything but natural these days.

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(This post was last modified: Jun 02, 2016, 12:27 PM by Zeta. Edit Reason: Tags didn't work. )

It was just good to be free of the damn willow trees.

Though he spent most of his time within yelling distance of @Morganna, so that he could better attend to her many, many needs at this delicate time, he had left her in the more-than-capable care of @Wraith and @Greer, citing his need to stretch his legs a little. @Celandine and @Capable would not have been far away, though he had quickly learned that child rearing was firmly in neither woman's ideas of a desirable duty, and thus he made sure not to impose it upon them. The men seemed more than happy to take up the role, which left the non-lactating women free to hunt and scout out the area at their leisure.

To stretch his legs was a luxury which he could afford where his mate could not, but such was her lot for being born female and him not; all they could do was accept it. At least it was easy for him. With rumbling assurances that he would be back no later than the next day, he had set off east, where the plains stretched the longest. He was partly curious to see if there were plateaus like his anywhere else in the tundra, or whether they had come upon a truly unique oddity.

It was always better to know more about your surroundings, and with all six of them thrust into fresh territory far from what they knew, it was important to get as grounded and informed as quickly as possible. His morning's trek took Craw back into the edges of the coniferous forest and to the edge of a vast lake, from the surface of which rose a number of small, tree-bearing islands. For a moment he entertained the idea of what life would be like on one of those islands, but it was fanciful and impractical and he quickly abandoned it for more interesting observations.

The water's edge was rife with beasts, and from his particular spot he could see deer drinking at its edge and various waterbirds floating on its surface. The place was a feast in waiting. Debating the merits of catching something from it for Morganna, something that wasn't local to their monadnock, he spotted yet another interesting creature tracing along the pebbly shore of the lake, only a few dozen yards down the bank from where he stood and coming ever closer. Her grey pelt stood out amongst all the lively green, likely similar to his own, and though he did not call out or approach her, he did not move from his spot or take his eyes off her, for she would notice him before long. Whether hostile or indifferent or sociable, he would deal with her then.

Part of learning about this territory would involve discussions with the locals, but he could not yet tell whether she lived here or not, the woman far too distant for that. Lowering his head to the water, he lapped quietly at it, body language calm and neutral, yellow eyes meticulously following her movement.

Still easing into this girl, thank you for your patience with my crappy posts. xD

Another dark form came into view further down the never-ending lake; though it was clear it was not a creature of prey this time. The wind did nothing to send his scent to her, but it lingered lightly enough in the air for her to discern that it was at least wolf. A flicker of life came back to her drooping tail as it lifted in a wag. A potential lead – maybe! Who knew how long this wolf had been around these parts; but, if he had, maybe he had caught wind of her brother! She imagined if her brother were going somewhere on his own terms, maybe it was towards their old home. She did not like to think about the other options; lost, taken, hurt.. killed. It had taken a lot of decision-making to decide if she should stay put for her brother to find her, or to go find him. It was her endless worry that he would never leave her for so long without telling her that had set her own feet to find him. Something she was not terribly good at.. in fact, she had always leaned on @Zane to lead the way in those types of decisions. She was the heart, he was the brains. And now, she had to be both. Well, she would have to start somewhere!

She popped her eyes up from their glazed wondering thoughts back to the now-closer wolf. The dark figure was still in the same spot, just larger as she trotted slowly towards him. He wasn’t moving, just sittin’ there.. drinking water.. staring at her. She looked away for a moment, unnerved slightly. When she looked back, he still had his eyes on her. Why was he staring? He did not seem to have an air of warning, but there was still something that made her slow and stop a decent distance from him. “Hi there,” she called out to him, trying not to let the nervousness in her heart play out in her voice. “I uh.. I’m looking for someone. Maybe you can help me?” She asked, offering him a smile for an attempt at friendliness (and to lighten the mood, yeesh). He was probably just as nervous about her and she was about him! She wagged her tail to give the impression that she meant no harm at all.

the rabbit

Adopt my twin!

I firmly believe that your writing is the best.

At some point the oncoming wolf noticed him, and yet since she continued on, his gaze held even. She looked distracted, her attention flitting about aimlessly, and when she finally glanced at him again, actually seemed a little alarmed to find that he was still staring. Unperturbed, Craw continued to lap at the water a few more times, manner entirely calm, an ear flicking in the stranger's direction as she finally halted and broke the silence with a chirpy (and ever so slightly hesitant?) greeting.

Slowly, he lifted his head, yellow eyes never leaving her vibrant green, licking at the moisture around his lips. Having expected something mundane, and as yet undecided how much patience he had for it, when she instead asked for information on something he almost laughed.

He should open an agency. Lost someone? Just ask Craw, Private Investigator! Did he really look that approachable, did he have that fuzzy, public-servant aura about him? That flicker of amusement bought the woman a little of his time, not that he really expected to have anything for her. His head turned to the side, the other ear coming forward as well, a subtle gesture which indicated that she had his attention. For now.

It wasn’t exactly clear what the darker male’s thoughts were, but it at least seemed like something positive had happened? Though he didn’t say anything and just continued to look at her weirdly, he didn’t ask her to go away or leave himself either, so that was good, right? His subtle zoogenic cues gave her enough confidence that he might want to help her afterall. Great! “I uh.. I’m looking for my brother, Zane? Argyris? He kinda looks like me, but instead of being grey, he’s dark with white markings on his face like mine. And, he has orange eyes. He’s pretty quiet..” She stopped herself mid-sentence, mouth ajar slightly as she thought better than adding ‘like you’ to the end of that sentence, and instead swallowed nervously, continuing to yammer on. This was the first wolf who had unwillingly tolerated her offered to hear her out, and she had a lot to unload.

“We’re from Broken Timber Pines, but he disappeared and nobody knows where and my dad thinks he’ll just come back but I know there's got to be something wrong, and Maeve won't help and my mom is all worried – well, I mean, we’re all worried of course, but,” she shrugged her shoulders sadly, running out of breath for words and realizing her eyes had drifted away from his hesitantly and she was now looking intently at the sand to her right. Her eyes jolted back to his, a hopeful sadness tingling behind them. She fought to stay composed and took a deep breath to pull her confidence back. “So, I was just wondering if you’d maybe seen him come this way,” she said, convincing even herself that her soft voice had sounded stronger then. Come on, kind stranger. Please say you can help me! She thought. This venture had to start somewhere, please let it be today. Hopefully desperation had not been too strong of an undertone in her spiel.

the rabbit

Adopt my twin!

Something about his manner must have been off-putting - fancy that - but the woman powered on regardless, her need for information stronger than her hesitation. Wondering how long he would listen to her before putting an end to this nonsense, Craw's dismissive attitude was dropped almost immediately.

Argyris. If he'd been amused earlier, then surely now the joke was rising to another level. Instantly his mind flashed to @Celandine, and he regarded this stranger's grey coat and green eyes in a new light. Celandine had said that @Maeve was a yearling, though, and had never specified her actual surname, although it would make sense for them to be related, would it not? The description was otherwise perfect. Zane was not a name he recognised, but that didn't rule anything out. Surely this couldn't be a coincidence.

Craw was immensely grateful to himself of a few moments ago for not dismissing this grey woman out of hand. She offered information so fast and free, Broken Timber Pines being a name which would no doubt be relevant. She babbled on about her missing brother, and then dropped it - Maeve. So she wasn't Maeve herself, but knew the girl, and though a smile began to snake its way onto his scarred face, he otherwise kept his reaction to her rambling fairly neutral. If she hadn't been so forthcoming, he would have been inclined to share that he recognised her family name, and use it to press her for more - but, with things as they were, he doubted it would be necessary.

Instead, all he would need to be was friendly and understanding. This woman was not shy, and had already given him so much with so little prompting. "I'm sorry," he wheezed, inclining his head a fraction, an apologetic gesture, and let a little warmth seep into his manner. "I've not seen anyone like that. Though, I am new to the area myself - perhaps I will come across him, in time, if he does not return to you first. If he has travelled to the tundra, then certainly we will cross paths eventually. How can I find you again, if I learn anything? I fear I am not familiar with Broken Timber Pines."

(This post was last modified: May 26, 2016, 12:04 PM by Craw.)

Sorry for the wait, my love; I just bought my first house! 8D

 
It wouldn’t dawn on her that she might be giving out the wrong amount of information; Zane had always been the one to reel her in in those situations. She had a brother to find, why hold back information if strangers could help out even in the slightest? The mix of determination, worry, and nervousness had caused her verbal diarrhea to fall out as quickly as it did. His unnerving smile did not help, but perhaps it was just his face, right? It was rude to judge a book by its cover, and so she continued to babble on.
 
When the male finally spoke, his voice matched his demeanor – strangely creepy. No, Zeta! Stop judging him; he’s only trying to help you! You have to find Zane! Though, there was nothing in his speech that made her feel altogether hopeful. Her ears drooped when he confirmed that he hadn’t seen Zane. But the kind wolf proved that she should trust him when he offered to find her if he later did see him. See, Zeta? That’s why you don’t discount people by their covers! Her spirits lifted slightly, she wanted to make sure that the dark wolf would be able to find her if he could help her.
 
She turned her body to face the direction of Broken Timber Pines, and began, “Ugh, thank you! Thank you so much! Okay, well! Broken Timber Pines is south from here, maybe two days if you’re slow. It’s at the bottom of that giant mountain there. I don’t think you could miss us, everybody smells like cedar and earthy. Also, there’s lots of salmonberry around, so that’s how you’ll know if you’re getting close,” she paused, letting her rising breath rate and excitement return to normal. She turned back to him, realizing her ranting again. “Uh, anyway. Iopah and Eirian are super nice, and if you ask anyone they should be able to point you in my direction, or just give a howl, or whatever.” Whatever it took. She would not be left alone - not right after they had just gotten their family back together. Her somber expression returned again, washing out her rising hope. “I just really want to find my brother. He doesn’t just leave me, he would never, you know? So, if you find out anything please find me as soon as you can.” 

the rabbit

Adopt my twin!

A young deer has been separated from the rest of its herd. Hunt Opportunity

omg exciting! That's great news! Did everything go smoothly? :D

There were hints in her demeanor to suggest that she felt ill-at-ease with him, which, really, weren't all that unexpected, but fortunately the grey woman was that kind of wolf. The kind which had few inhibitions and acted on impulse over cautiousness. He'd exploited such natures in the past, and while he was technically exploiting hers now, it was to no end which would cause her harm.

His response were enough to prompt her to spiral on, though disappointed by his lack of knowledge she was nevertheless encouraged by his sympathetic words. Craw listened with keener interest than she could know, and was amused by her peppiness and overwhelming enthusiasm. If she didn't find her brother soon, half the world would hear about it, no doubt. As she described how to find her pack, Craw paid close attention, taking note also of the direction she indicated when speaking of it. It would be trivial to find his way back to this point, and with the grey woman acting as a compass, he now knew where to head from here. He also had new names to use, Eirian and Iopah. This poor creature was incredibly useful. She had been so useful, he might even seek her out to tell her if he ever did actually find this Zane Argyris. Maybe her loose tongue would prove beneficial to him sometime in the future.

"Of course," he wheezed, his gratitude for her unwitting help affecting his posture, which had become almost friendly. "I know what it's like to be apart from loved family. If I find him, you will be the first to know." He hesitated, and then decided fuck it, and went all in. It was time to start spreading the word a little, and who better to do so than a blabbermouth? If they had neighbours amongst the salmonberries, they needed to start becoming aware of each other. His head rose a little as though something had suddenly occurred to him, and the spider smiled. "My name is Craw, by the way. What can I call you, if I need to find you again?"

About as smoothly as you can ask those things to go, I suppose. :P
Feel free to fade on your last post, unless he has more questions for her. <3

The grey-scaled female felt her spirits lifted after her encounter with the dark male. Though the incessant worry that her brother was missing still remained, she at least now had another two eyes looking out for him. He had not been the most approachable, but man, was she glad that she had done so anyway! Maybe it had been something about his posture, or few verbal actions. Or that his dark-rimmed eyes seemed much more menacing than her light-coloured ones. But now, she felt better. She was going to do this! She was going to find her brother; more encounters like this and everything would be golden! He assured her again that he would come find her, and she was oblivious to any intent that may have been hinted on his tone that there was anything other than genuine helpfulness in his words. 

Her tail wagged happily as he introduced himself, and she was happy to oblige her new acquaintance. "I'm Zeta," she said, a peppiness returning to her tone and stature. "Argyris, of course," she laughed and rolled her eyes, of course he already knew that. "And it is fantastic to meet you, Craw." She turned her body so as to move forward with her search past him and further north. "So, remember? Orange eyes, black with grey around his eyes. He might even say his name is Badger, who knows," she said, this time the rolling of her eyes because her brother had always been so distrusting of some people, using his alias in place of his name. They had nothing to hide from people, so why harbour secrets? She didn't know. She took another step around him, looking over her shoulder now. "And Broken Timber Pines, okay? Cedar, salmonberries, south," she reminded him one last time, feeling productive. She had this search thing in the bag.

the rabbit

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