Wild Rye Fields A not so warm welcome

For @Neko, backdated to a couple of days after her joining.

Askan was aware of the fact that the field had a new addition, but he hadn't yet had the pleasure of meeting them. He knew about @Rosalind  after all he had directed her towards Drestig but he knew next to nothing about this newcomer. Aside from the fact that @Reyes  had been the one to recruit them. He was proud, really. That a self proclaimed loner-at-heart managed to persuade a complete stranger to join their ranks. He'd asked about it, wanted to know how he'd gone about the task but of course in typical Gabriel fashion he merely shrugged and muttered something along the lines of we just talked'.

Good thing Askan found him charming, in his own way, otherwise he would have gotten a nip or two for his lame response.

The Selwyn was well aware that one shouldn't judge a stranger by their appearance, but that never stopped him from doing so anyway. It took him a while to find her, but by following the unfamiliar scent Askan came across the tiny, floppy-eared newbie.

Immediately he decided that she was too young for his liking. What were they,a nursery pack? They already had three hungry pups to feed, the last thing they needed were more runts with rumbling tummies to add to their problems. The taste of betrayal and abandonment was still bitter in his mouth, and he couldn't help but send her an icy glare as he stalked towards her, intent on giving her a piece or two of his mind.

If this one thought they were just a pit stop, an easy place to mooch from then she had another thing coming. She would learn that the Rye wolves were family.

"Oi you, what's your name?" He rumbled as he approached, interrupting whatever the hell she had been doing before he got there. 

Neko stood within sight of the main den on the opposite side of the creek and gazed across the pond and surveyed the field of rye. If there were one thing she least liked about the place, it had to be the fact that it was mostly grassland which reminded her of the fire in which she had lost her birth-pack. She felt more comfortable among the trees. She knew they wouldn’t offer any real protection in case of fire, but she felt more at home in the darker, more enclosed environment. Still, this field was a home, and she was grateful for it.


Neko pawed at the ground in a hillside a little ways above the bank of the creek near the treeline. To her, it seemed like a good spot for the infirmary. It was close enough to the main den for easy access but still somewhat distant in case a sick wolf had to be isolated from the rest of the pack. Of course, she wouldn’t start digging until she had first cleared it with Drestig and Jessie. More than anything, the insecure juvenile wanted the approval of her alphas.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the approach of another wolf. She lowered her head and tail in deference to the larger male and wagged her tail when he spoke to her. She was somewhat taken aback by the gruffness in his voice, but she didn’t let it show. Aside from his gruff voice, she remained oblivious to his mood as she greeted him. “Oh, hi,” she said cheerfully, her tail still wagging. “I’m Neko. Pleased to meet you.” She briefly looked back to the spot where she had pawed at the ground, then turned back to the male and continued to talking. “I was thinking this might be a good spot for a den to serve as an infirmary. What do you think? Do you think Drestig and Jessie will agree?” She wagged her tail and waited for a response, hoping for some affirmation.

Neko? What sort of name was that? And really, was she pleased to meet him or was it just a saying? An attempt at being friendly? Askan rolled his eyes and stalked closer, curious to see what she was doing.Was this really the best first impression she could make? Digging around in the dirt like some sort of...Sort of...Askan didn't know and it didn't matter.  It was a little weird, so what was she doing?

He would have asked, demanded to know but she went ahead and told him before he even had the chance to. An infirmary? Oh...Well that was good. Brilliant even. After Savion had wounded him it had become glaringly obvious how much they needed a medic. Lachesis was willing to help and for that Askan was grateful, but he was days away and in a true emergency they just wouldn't have that time. What if something happened to Reyes, or the pups or the Old Man? They needed to be ready for whenever, or if that time came. And as young as the newcomer seemed to be she was better than nothing.

Or at least that's what he told himself. Over and over as he tried to squash the worries bubbling inside of him.

Askan had never been the friendly sort, he was slow to trust and even slower to like, but Neko had caught him by surprise. Anyone who tried to please the Rye Monarchy got a lot of good points, in his eyes anyway.

"Oh...Yeah, it seems all right. Good spot." Her okay-ness had disarmed him really, and without his usual level of grumpiness he wasn't exactly sure what to do or say. It was a little odd."Jessie likes her space, if you tried setting it up right near her den you'd learn that the hard way. But yeah, good job, I guess."

Ah jeeze, that was awkward. Moving on...

"My name is Askan, Guardian and Second of the field. Ga- Reyes picked you up, right?" A close one. He'd promised not to tell a soul but it had almost slipped out. He had to be careful.

Shallow water has trapped several fish in a small pond. Hunt Opportunity

The next time the male spoke, his voice didn’t seem so gruff. Neko didn’t know if the difference was just in her head or if his mood had changed, but she found it pleasant. He offered her some affirmation which also made happy. When he said that Jessie likes her space, she made a mental note to look for some good spots a little further from the main den. That way she could give the alphas some options to choose from.


When Askan gave his name, she thought she had heard it before but wasn’t sure. Perhaps Reyes had mentioned him when he found her by the lake? (Reyes had spoken at length of his mate but had only once referred to him by name, and that detail escaped her.)

“Yeah,” she said, setting aside her task for the moment, “I met him at a big lake east of here. It started with me trying to catch a fish and ended with him convincing me join this pack. I’m kind of excited about being a healer for the pack, but I have to admit I’m pretty nervous too. It’s a big responsibility, but if I can handle it, I can finally make my Momma proud. I’m just afraid...” She suddenly realized she was rambling as she tends to do. “I just wouldn’t want to let you guys down.” After she finished her sentence, she fell silent.

Askan wasn't exactly interested in her backstory, but the fact that she wanted to make her family-specifically her Mother- proud hit a cord with the Selwyn. The fear of disappointment loomed over any child who longed to please their loved ones seemed to be a universal thing, even when they were dead and gone, or far away and out of sight. Aside from making their elders proud Askan doubted they had much else in common. If she was, or at least aspired to be a healer then she was nurturing, with a gentle touch. Right? The Guardian was anything but. He'd sooner cause injuries than tend to them.

But even so, despite the fact he didn't know her well, it was clear that she had a place in this pack. For better or worse, he supposed.

"Long as you play it smart you should be fine. We're not unreasonable. If you screw up, just get to your feet and sort it out.If you have a problem, let us know. We'll help if we can."It was all rather vague but his words were true nonetheless. Rye wolves stuck together through thick and thin.

Rolling his shoulders, Askan bowed down into a stretch. Neko was okay, so he figured it would be all right to loosen up a little. To not hold himself bow-string tight. Even if-in the incredibly unlikely-event that she tried something funny, he knew he'd be fine. He figured he'd be able to blow her over with a gust of breath, if he tried hard enough. Kids these age were anything but tough and being so small Askan knew that was doubly the case.

"Why are you here then, if you want to make your Mother proud, and all that?" He was prying now, yes, but he figured it was his right to try and sate his curiosity. If she didn't want to talk, then he'd let it go. For now at least.

Neko had not been paying attention to what she was saying and suddenly realized she had mentioned her mother when Askan asked why she was there if she wanted to make her mother proud. There would be no easy way to explain it. She frowned as she looked to the ground at her feet and tried to answer his question.

“Well, Momma was a healer, the best healer there ever was.” She was biased, but that was beside the point. “I wanted her to see me become a healer like her, but she passed away last winter. I actually lost my whole pack. Momma, Daddy, my brother, my best friend. I’ve survived on my own for the past few months, but it’s not enough. I want to continue Momma’s legacy. I want to honor her memory.” Besides wanting to honor her family, she also had the heart of a healer. Life was precious to her, and she wanted to do what she could to preserve it. Even killing her prey often made her sad.

“I guess maybe it’s just by the gods that I ended up here. After I lost my pack, I just ran until I ended up at the lake where Reyes found me.” Actually, those few months had been eventful, but she had talked enough, and some of the memories made her sad. She was hoping that better times would lie ahead.

(This post was last modified: Jul 30, 2017, 01:02 AM by Neko.)

There were too many damn orphans in the world.

It was probably wrong to consider himself as one, after all he was a grown man, but even so he still felt as though he was. Like the death of his family had somehow reverted him back into a little pup, one who just wanted his family back. He could miss them till his heart ceased to pump in his chest, but it wouldn't do a damn thing. They were dead and gone and it was all his uncles fault.

Knowing that didn't make it any easier to swallow, but Neko seemed to have the right idea. The only way forward was to try and move on, to do them proud. To make sense of their deaths and use it as a means of becoming stronger. It was a whole lot easier said then done, some days were a real struggle for Askan but...One foot after the other, that's what his parents would have wanted for him.

"That sucks." Was all Askan could say. He doubted it was any consolation but he'd tried, and it was the thought that counted, right? Ahh probably not. He no doubt sounded like an arse, as always.

"But uh...Yeah, it's good you're here. Better than being dead too, I mean."

Sometimes Askan wondered why he even tried. This was one of those times.

"Anyway, you know your way around the field yet? Last thing we need is for you to get lost."

Although Askan didn’t sound very sympathetic when Neko talked about having lost her family, it didn’t really bother her. She’d had enough sympathy recently anyway. She had to agree that being here at the Field was certainly better than being dead. It was just that she still missed her family and sometimes brought up the subject without even realizing it. She forced a smile and said, “Yeah, it’s definitely better here than being dead.”


Askan’s comment about getting lost stirred another memory. Having grown up a traveler, she learned early on how to find her way around, but there was one time she did get lost. Although she had found a friend in that deep, dark forest, she also remembered the feeling of being lost and alone. It was an experience that she did not wish to repeat. Still, she wasn’t really worried about getting lost. She knew where the creek was, where the pond was, and where the main den was, and she would know if she crossed the borders. “I don’t really know my way around the field yet,” she admitted. “I know the borders, the creek, the pond, and the den. I haven’t really explored the rest yet. I like to explore, but I thought I should try to get started on my job first. If someone gets sick or hurt, I want to be ready.”

Fade with your response?

There was something wrong with her smile. It didn't meet her eyes, not like before, but Askan wasn't going to mention it. Not after he'd done such a terrible job at giving her the proverbial pat on the back. How did people do it, offer sympathy? And why did they even bother? It probably didn't matter in the end. No one took words seriously or at face value, especially the words of someone you didn't know. It was true they were pack mates, but at this point they were still, more or less, strangers.

Maybe in time it'd change, but for now it was what it was.

As it turned out, she knew most of the part of the field but not all. Well, he'd have to do something about that. If she planned on living here then she needed to know the place like the back of her paw. Lucky for her, she had an expert at hand to offer her some help. Not to toot his own horn or nothing, but Askan had more or less been here from the start. No one knew the valley quite like him and it was about time he started to share his wisdom with the newcomers.

"No problem. Come with me, I'll show you about. Wasn't busy anyway."

He paused, having realised just how demanding he sounded. Sure, he was second of the pack but did that mean he wanted to throw his weight around? Not really. That wasn't the sort of guy he wanted to be, he'd realised that after a long time of deliberation. Not to mention he'd gotten his arse kicked, that was a sure way of getting someone to climb down off their high horse.

"If you feel like it, that is. If you're not busy." He shrugged.