Antler Ring chaos within you

February 8th; Early afternoon; Mist; -12 ° F, -24 ° C

It had been a year now since he had left it all behind - his pack, his newfound home, prosperity, prospective students, fame... and Zenyatta felt no different than the very day he had descended from his place on the rocky heights that were Transcendence Tor. Once a guru, always a guru, he had decided; and, no one was ever going to take that away from him. For a year, he traveled. To the reaches to the east then back towards the west, and now he continued southbound onto the meads that were the Lowlands. With only a frozen river to keep him company, the journey had been peaceful until the sudden and startling discovery of a circular formation of... what was that?

With caution, the rogue approached the peculiar landmark. He stretched himself forward on his toe until he felt he might faceplant into the snow from trying to sniff the pointed tips of the deer antlers. "Hmm," he mused to himself. Strange.

His grey-crowned head lifted up beneath the open skies, what traces of the clouds he could see amidst the gray haze that surrounded him. It would seem that Spring would be delayed a while yet. He paused to take in the endless sea of mist, listening to the world before staring back at the antlers. It was too quiet here. The plains-bound birds were probably nestled down in their frost-bitten nests, field mice and other rodents were warm beneath the ground, and the deer were all tucked away in the trees. His eyes had closed as he thought of these things. The warmth, security, and familiarity of belonging and being safe... But this was not the reason why he wandered; Zenyatta longed to instill this sort of consciousness in others.

Thinking of others, though, he realized that instead of meandering any further, he had the unsheltered lands around him at his disposal. His brow quirked as he eyed the Antler Ring; whether it had been constructed by others or not, it seemed to have been appointed as some sort of sacred place. This had to be some sort of sign that others were close. Raising his nose to the hidden Northern Star, he sent a warbling song into the clouded wilderness, alerting anyone near the area that he had arrived and was in search of kinship.

Embrace tranquility.

-pounces-

If I ever leave I could learn to miss you

Kino had been just outside the borders, planning on going out once again to scout for some prey when the call rang into the air. He paused, auds swinging forward and brows rising. The call was clear, stating I am here, come meet me with a welcoming lilt. Well, that was certainly bold. Especially as he was sandwiched between many obvious packs, their borders mingling in the wind. He was as to who this brave individual was, so of course being the wolf he was he turned and started toward it. His pace picked up then lengthened out into a run, his massive stride eating away at the earth as he propelled himself forward like a silver comet toward the Antler Ring.

My, wasn’t this was place for interesting interactions.

As he approached he was met by the growing figure of a wolf. As he approached he took in the form, surprised to find a wolf of desaturated coloration like himself but darker, unlike his silver coloration. It wasn’t often that he met a wolf of such a pelt. Curiouser and curiouser. A chuff came from his jaws in greeting as he approached at a trot, posture relaxed yet alert. “Hello,” he said, slowing to a stop a safe distance away. He wasn’t about to come toe to toe with a stranger.

With sentimental boy as my nom de plume

With his head level once more, Zen waited. His ears swung to one side and then the other, like two triangular satellite dishes waiting for nearby signals. None came. It elicited another rather thoughtful "Hmm." from him. But, just as he had made up his mind to leave, the sounds of snow and dead grass crunching underfoot began to grow closer.

The grey stray's eyes went to the ground as if the approacher might somehow immediately spawn before him. Instead, a curious 'Hello' came forth and Zen's gaze came to take in the figure of a wolf. One who was just as colorless but much larger... younger... The footsteps might have stopped its lively trot, but the distance between them was comfortable for first contact.

"Greetings," he lent with a dip of his muzzle. "I am Zenyatta. How does the world find you today?" For most it was an odd question, but for one such as Zen, it was the very first question he asked each wolf he met. Most often than not, troubles were spewed out from their hearts, dripping from their tongues as they cried in agony for rest. Sometimes they kept a tight grasp on their solemn facades, only to allow the guru closer and closer to them until they finally broke. And, other times, they spoke of violence and of greed. They were challenges, all the same. What this youth would speak of would be the first impression the nomad would receive - a chance to evaluate whether or not his help was needed here.

Embrace tranquility.

If I ever leave I could learn to miss you

The first thing that immediately threw him off was the way that the man spoke. How was the…what with the what? His brows rose in question and his head tilted to the side in question. Kino’s inner explorer was doing happy flips at finding such an interesting man, but another part of his was seriously weirded out already. “Ah, I’m Alastor. It...finds me well, I suppose? Can’t really complain. Is it treating you okay?” he got out awkwardly, certainly not as smooth with his words as the darker hued Zenyatta. And, what even was that name anyways?

His gaze traveled to the antler ring, trying to see anything to make conversation. “This place seems to be a pretty popular spot. I’ve already met another wolf here before. What brings you out here?” With enough courage to announce your presence to the entire lowlands, even he thought, gaze traveling back to the man in question. His meeting with Castel had gone really well, ignoring the drama that ensued afterwards. He could only hope that the same could be said for this one. Maybe he could even wrangle him into going to the Monadnock with him, or even joining them when they created the pack?

 

With sentimental boy as my nom de plume

"Ah, I’m Alastor," the boy stated. Zen offered a small smile and a small wag of his tail, most especially after Alastor mentioned that he was well enough to not have any complaints. "Is it treating you okay?” The nomad could sense the awkwardness but was not affected by it in the least. If anything, to ask the same thing in different words was still polite, considerate even.

"Conditions have been ideal," he admitted, his voice continuing in a level, nearly monotone manner. "Though, one only has enough patience in anticipation for Spring."

"This place seems to be a pretty popular spot," Alastor then said, "I’ve already met another wolf here before. What brings you out here?

Zen tilted his own head in thought, but only for a few mere seconds. There were many things he sought since leaving his pack lands. He took a moment to consider the order of importance of each one, to list them all in his head before he revealed to the yearling what it was that had brought him out this far south and well away from the place he had once called home. "I seek adversity - strife that is, perhaps, not my own. I hail from the north in search of enlightenment. Is there anything I may assist you - your mate, your pack, you family - with?"

(This post was last modified: Feb 11, 2017, 08:41 AM by Zen.)

Embrace tranquility.

If I ever leave I could learn to miss you

So far he was getting a friendly vibe from the male and he allowed himself to relax a bit more. The man went to speak again and his words were even more strangely phrased this time around. It was like he was stuck in another time period or something. But, he was still able to get the gist of what he was saying and that was all he really needed. A bob of his head showed his agreement, “Yeah, me too. Out here there’s nothing to block the wind so you just kinda get pummeled by it, which makes it feel so much colder. Hopefully spring’ll be better,” he replied. And, hopefully by spring they would be making their way out of this territory to move into their own.

In response to his questioning about his presence here, the moon-child had not expected the man to go into a strong and almost heartfelt monologue. He gathered that he was seeking wolves with conflicts of some sort to try and help them and the boy almost chuckled. Oh, if he was looking for conflict the desaturated yearling was chocked full of it. But, would he allow himself to confide in the man? Typically Kino found it hard to confide in others if he didn’t trust them, but at the same time this man had no affiliation with anyone around here as far as he could tell. His pelt was void of belonging. So, with a sigh he allowed himself to sit down. “I’m not much one for confiding in wolves I don’t know.” he said bluntly, but his topaz gaze was open. “If I do talk to you, you won’t tell anyone else. Right?” he inquired. That was the deal and he would have to depend on his word. The word of a man he didn’t know.

With sentimental boy as my nom de plume

(This post was last modified: Feb 10, 2017, 03:28 PM by Kino.)

When the youth told him straightforwardly that he would rather not confide in those he did not know, Zen's smile grew. For one, it was only fair, but the nomad had been here before. When he had dealt with the Leaders and meek subordinates who sought his counsel in secret, he gained their trust through time. Those who still thought of him as suspicious simply cast him out, and off he went with nothing more than a simple blessing. As for Kino, his simple request was met with another nod, one that was more than just a quick downward dip of his muzzle.

"You can confide in me," he answered, his stance seeming more grounded than before as he stood tall before the yearling. "I've not made connections here yet; but, what worries you have, Alastor, I will help you seek freedom and relief from them." One of his ivory paws, muddied from his journeys, lifted from the ground before coming back down in the snow. His weight shifted and his black-tipped tail fell now to a more relaxed position behind him. "I have helped many - Leaders, royalty, the cubs of Leaders, the rebels who seek to tear down the Leaders, the grieving and the sick, the bands of free spirits, other wanderers, and lost ones - and some have sought the healing of my pack, but I believe there is work to be done well-beyond the northern reaches."

Altruism and Zenyatta really could have been synonyms at this point but, what all that the rogue had said, he said with utmost assurance. "It is my calling, to help others understand the world as I have seen it and, if it is my confidence you need, then you shall have it."

Embrace tranquility.

If I ever leave I could learn to miss you

The boy watched him carefully as he spoke, taking in and processing his words. He might have been young, but he was no fool. Trusting someone instantly was a fool’s move and even now he was hesitant to tell the man anything that might hold some weight on him someday. But, he conviction with which he spoke and the way he held himself told of his confidence in himself and the truth of his words. He paused, allowing silence to stretch between them as he debated before allowing a firm nod. “Alright.”

He allowed himself to sit down though he was still alert in posture. There would be no funny business here. “I aim to create a pack with the help of a few others. But I worry that my past will affect my ability to lead effectively. I stood at the corpse of my mother at 3 months old, listened to the wailing of the mourning and was thrown to the ground for losing my own temper about the situation. I look back on it and do realize my own faults...but I see the faults of others so much clearer. They called me a monster, a shame to my name, anything and because of this I find it...difficult to trust others or show any strong emotion. It hurts the wolves I care about most, I can see that so very clearly but the fire I feel inside of me, the hatred I have toward those individuals who did that to me is so strong I worry that it will consume me if i’m provoked. I don’t know how to fix it, and if I don’t fix it I might lose everything. Again,” he said, his gaze intense with memory and the earnest want to change himself for the betterment of his future. For Hal.

With sentimental boy as my nom de plume

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

"Alright," the yearling stated. Zen's ears drew forward, his interest fully piqued as Alastor sat down. The nomad mirrored him; no longer did his eyes roam to the strangeness that was the perfect circular formation the shed antlers made. Instead, his eyes rested on Alastor's face, his focus solely on his mouth as each word was shared. The boy had one clear intention - to create a pack but his worries already had firm hold of him.

Alastor had lost his mother at a young age (too young, Zen believed), and his grief had been poorly received by the rest of his pack. The admittance that he could see his own faults had Zen proffer a nod and a smile; that he could also see the faults of others, though, had the rogue tilt his head in thought. What was more distressing was how Alastor told him that his own emotions were the culprit, how it hurt others and how it had caused him to feel as though he couldn't trust them. The youth didn't know how to fix it, his fear becoming much clearer upon Zen's realization that he was at risk of losing everything, not for the first time, but again.

Zen offered another kind, close-lipped smile. His tail was set again in a gentle wag on the ground; it parted the snow where it was able across the grass-covered ground. It couldn't have been a better start to his adventures within Relic Lore... This was what he lived for.

"Ah, but Alastor," he started, his tone warming on the subtlest of notes. "You have taken to trusting me. You haven't known me for more than afternoon and yet you opened yourself up." His right forepaw lifted from the ground, tucking to his chest for a moment while he paused to collect a few more thoughts. "I believe I have quite a few things I can lend you, but I must trust that you will take them to heart." His paw went back into the snow.

"If you intend to form a pack," he began again. "I will gladly be at your disposal for however long you need me. Should I find one day that you no longer have no use for me, I will take my leave. From now until that day, I am here for you. You have my trust." His smile grew a little wider, "Let me tell you something my master once told me when I was as young and troubled as you are now: When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be."

Embrace tranquility.