Secluded Spring Defiance

It was an extremely bad idea, Elyan knew he was going to get into trouble if his parents found it but he couldn't resist. He'd managed to find his way to the border, he knew it because he had been there before. This time he wanted to go in the other side and see what was there. He had ventured around the territory so much that he had grown bored of it. Now he wanted to see what he'd been missing. When he reached the place that smelled like all of his packmates he paused for just a moment looking back to make sure he wasn't being followed. He didn't want to get caught before he had even gotten started.

Satisfied that no one was behind him he took his first steps away from the notch and safety of the border. Then he ran as fast as he could just in case someone was doing a patrol. He didn't slow his pace until he'd disappeared behind some bushes. Then he set to exploring, he didn't know where he was going but it had to be somewhere good. It would be new and interesting with lots of new sights and smells.

(This post was last modified: Aug 18, 2017, 02:53 AM by Elyan.)

Deep within the fingers of these forsaken woods, Rayza craned his neck skyward, and squinted against the tiny shafts of light that tried to feel their way through the dense cover of forest that crawled above and all around. Was the sky even there? His eyes narrowed, and he swayed - and jerked with a yelp and a skittered dance when something long and moist caressed the side of his face. A frantic glance showed the thing as a creeper, but the feeling filled him with such a shudder he pawed at his face and hobbled sideways until he reached a less crowded pocket. But now his paws squelched and tangled in a mass of the same spindly stuff, and his lip curled. "Whoever thought this place was a good idea..." his words faded to a low grumble, and he flicked off his toes one at a time. This was supposed to be so easy. East. That was the direction dad had gone, and the route Rave had been trying to follow. East. "Well shoot," his bitter voice piped again, to no one but himself, "how am I supposed to know what way to walk if I can't even see the sun?"

With another tip of his head, and with half a mind to watch out for the creepers hanging around, he stared at where the sky should be. After a few turns of his head this way and that, and an ever sinking frown on his face, Rayza broke with a sharp lurch, and stopped, and lurched again, to hobble in something a zig-zag circuit while he tried to find some break in the canopy that would give him some glimpse of the sun, that would somehow show him which way to head, even though he had slept so long he still didn't know whether the sun was setting or rising. Crikey, this day was turning out just fantastic. All he knew was that the river gurgled somewhere over there, and that a pack scent lingered somewhere not here, and that something small and munching-sized barrelled about somewhere to his left. But right now, he couldn't have cared less about any of those things. He just wanted out.

Surely if he was caught sneaking out side if the border his mother would have his hide but Elyan was tired of being cooped up in that clearing. Staying near the den with nothing to do but chew on his stick. He was getting older now it was time to see what was out there because he knew it was. His parents couldn't keep him from exploring forever. As soon as he was out if sight if the border he slowed his pace so he could get a real good look at what he'd stumbled upon. The lands beyond his home seemed very big and he felt very small. For a moment his tummy started to twist as a bout of nervousness came over him. A few deep breaths later he was ready to continue, he needed to explore as much as possible before they noticed he was missing and came looking.

He did not know much about the passing of time but it seemed like a long time since he'd left the borders and he felt as though he'd ventured far. Elyan wasn't sure where he was but the sound of a voice that he did not know traveled on the air. His ear twitched as he became curious about it. He walked in the direction he thought it had come from sniffing the air. The scent of another wolf, he was sure of that appeared in the air so he followed it like his father had taught him. Peeking through a bush he saw another wolf, a stranger that had colors kind of like his mom. The wolf seemed to be having some trouble with some plants. Elyan watched from his hiding place to see what the wolf would do next before he finally jumped out, “Hello,” he nearly shouted as he came into view.

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Rayza continued in this hobbling pattern, with his head scouring up, and his paws flicking every now and then to free himself of the tangle below. The branches obscured his vision and the roots twisted his path, and soon he found his face turned from the sky to simply focus on not falling down. Yet when his gaze fell to the ground, his struggle stopped, and he stared, slack jawed. No wonder he couldn't move. Plants clambered everywhere, like some weird snare bent on trapping him, probably forever. The Delaney closed his mouth, and swayed his head from side to side. Well that wouldn't do. The East could wait, he'd worry about that outside of this forest. Rayza turned, until his gaze settled upon a somewhat clearer path - he said so to make himself feel better - and picked his way over with more careful steps. 

At least, that'd been the plan.

"Ahha!" Rayza's voice cut just as loud as the sudden shout, and he recoiled from the furry blur in a hectic clamber of paws - and his brain calmly reassured him that all was well, that the little surprise was not a giant spider, or a forest monster manifest, but only a pup. But his thoughts didn't quite connect to the kick of heart fast enough, nor reach his legs to stop him from skittering backward - right into the path of knotted roots he'd sniffed a quiet mockery at moments before. And, in an elegant display, he felt his hindpaw stick and twist. Oh dear. His upper body seemed to lag, enough time for him to turn wide eyes on the pup. Then, with a lurch, Rayza crashed in a tangled heap of roots and crawlers and legs.

(This post was last modified: Aug 24, 2017, 11:17 PM by Rayza. Edit Reason: Fixing some formatting. )

He'd made a clean get away from the notch .and he was sure it would be some time before his parents found him. There would most certainly be a punishment involved but it would be worth it having had the chance to see this strange wolf fight with the plants. It was hard for the pup to keep from laughing at this adult having so much trouble. He didn't want to give himself away just yet as he was having too much fun watching until it was over and the wolf had gotten himself free. Elyan had never thought that he would have found something as amusing as this is first venture outside of the territory. Getting caught was definitely worth seeing this.

Elyan decided it was time to show himself to the man once he had finally gotten himself free. He hadn't meant to scare the man so badly that he got himself tangled up all over again. Again it was hard to keep from laughing when the scene that unfolded before his was so comical. When it was all over Elyan creeped carefully toward the man not wanting to get tangled himself. “You okay?” He asked, “Need help?” He went on to ask. After all it was his fault the man was tangled up all over again. It was only polite that he do what he could to help get the stranger out. Of all the things he had done that day helping this wolf out of his predicament was certainly not one of them. “I'm Elyan, who you?”

(This post was last modified: Aug 28, 2017, 12:39 AM by Elyan.)

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When something of normalcy returned to his vision, and he could decipher up from down, Rayza still didn't move for a good thirty seconds. Instead, he focused on regaining his breath. Deep breaths. Deep breaths, and he inhaled - held - and gave a final release. His heart found a slower rhythm, and gingerly, he eased out his legs in turn and shook the plant life off his paws. His hind leg he saved for last. The slightest stretch did nothing much, but a fiery pain, from his ankle up his calf, seared when he moved his paw. His throat caught on a sharp and shaken breath.

The boy's voice rose again, and Rayza flicked an ear to attention - his final position in falling had sprawled him with back turned to his leaping assailant. The question had him twisting to face behind. Despite the humiliation and the throbbing burn in his paw, Rave managed a grin, now featuring clenched teeth and the taint of a wince. "Brilliant." His voice pitched with a whistle of pain, and he cleared his throat. "I am - yes, I have truly never been better."

Having had the chance to size up the pup - he'd not paid attention to what he looked like beyond that - Rayza turned around to reach his neck and nip at a vine that had wrapped itself quite nicely around his thighs. His teeth sunk and grabbed purchase of the plant, but he fast found his mouth was near too big. He tried again, and said, through a delicate mouthful, "Elyan, eh?" His teeth slipped, and he hissed a curse, then swung his head to meet the pup again, grin replastered across his face. "Rayza Delaney. Pleasure's mine. Now, that help you offered - " there was something undignified about asking help from a child, but the other option was wiggle his own way out of this one, and that would take too much effort, too much time, and probably give him too much pain, " - think you've got teeth enough to untangle me from this creeper?" He shook his rear leg - the one that wasn't sprained - to show little Elyan the specific plant he meant.

(This post was last modified: Aug 25, 2017, 11:28 PM by Rayza.)

The agouti boy was unaware of the dangers this man could possibly but like with most things he remained cautious until he was sure it was safe. The plants the man had once again found himself tangled in were enough for the boy to want to stay a far enough distance he too couldn't become tangled in them. Questions went through his young mind, would he be able to untangle himself? If he couldn't would this man help him to get out? What if he became stuck would his mother and father come to help him? They didn't even know where he was but those thoughts and the worry of being caught we're pushed away by the suppressed laughter that bubbled under the surface.

He was of course concerned for the man for he didn't like to see others in trouble. His father had taught him that. He was reminded of when Hawthorne had gotten hurt and how he hadn't liked seeing her so upset and in pain. So he inquired to the man's well being and asked if he needed help. As the man answered the first question Elyan’s head canted to the side as he wasn't sure he could believe the man was actually okay. Being just a boy he knew better than to question an adult, “Good, plant look like they have good hold.” As he spoke it was clear he was still learning how to put the words together. The child shook his head because it didn't sound right to him.

The man's back had been to him but Elyan’d had the chance to see what the man looked like and as he moved to start nipping at the vines. The child got a better look at the stranger. “Yes,” he affirmed wagging his short tail behind him as the man said his name. “Nice to meet, sir,” he said happily when the man told his name. The agouti boy took a step forward as the help he'd offered was mentioned. “I don't know,” and he didn't but he would give it a try if it got the man free. His mismatched gaze went to the specific vine he was to help with. Elyan carefully took the few steps needed to close the distance and placed his small jaws around the vine before biting down. There wasn't an immediate release of the man's leg so Elyan tried again and still no release. Finally he gave up and did what he was sure would work. He chewed the vine.

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

"Yeah, real good," he murmured, but his mind ran elsewhere. Namely, what he'd overlooked by the pup's broken sentence, and, for the first time, he realized enlisting Elyan might pose more of a danger than a help to him. Surely no parent would let a child this young wander around on his own. Not even the gypsies, and they'd made a life of wandering laissez-faire. Did Elyan belong to that pack he'd skirted a good while back? Rayza's gaze flicked to the shadows. Were his parents around now?

His spine crawled. He would just have to take the risk. Though Elyan looked and sounded uncertain, Rayza admired the kid's willingness to try, and he passed him an encouraging smile. "I'm sure you've got this." And his quiet smile held, even after failing twice. Okay. By then Rayza figured he could find a quicker way to loose himself, and if Elyan's parents were anywhere near the vicinity, Rayza wanted up and out as quick as he could get. But the child moved with a steady drive, and something in the boy - maybe the common eyes, or that he ran young and impressionable, and giving up on him now might set him on a course like his own - kept Rayza quiet, willing to give a third chance though his antsiness grew by the second.

Of course he chose a slower course, but the boy gnawed, and little by little, the snare loosened. A wide grin filled the Delaney's face, and he pushed his forepaws against the ground to incline his head closer to where Elyan worked away. "Yeah, that's it." He kept his voice more hushed than usual, and stole another glance into the surrounding forest before returning his mismatched eyes to Elyan. "You're doing great, kid. Just a little more and I think I'll be free." He shifted his leg, and the vine began to give.

(This post was last modified: Sep 02, 2017, 01:17 AM by Rayza.)

The mismatched gaze of the agouti boy ran over the plants that had a hold of the strange man. He wondered how he was going to untangle himself from the situation that he was in. Elyan wasn't sure what he could do to help but it had been offered all the same. That was what his father had taught him, to help where he could and he would try. That was of course if the man wanted his help. Which it seemed that he did because he soon gave the notch pup instructions on what to do to help.

Biting through the vines with his puppy teeth were something that Elyan wasn't sure he could do. The man gave him encouragement as he tried biting down twice with nothing happening beside a small crunching sound and the stems flattening in his mouth. He huffed in frustration before he continued with a new tactic. Chewing through like he chewed on his stick. Surely that would do something. Even though it would take longer Elyan was determined to get the man free.He wanted to help like his dad did only he couldn't because he didn't know all the things like his father. This he could do and he would do as he set his mind to succeeding in helping get the man get free.

He would have made a face if his mouth hadn't been full of the vines as he chewed through them. They did not taste very good and he wanted it to be done quickly. It was however not a quick thing to chew through them. More encouragement came from the man and all Elyan could do was way his tail in response to the man's words. He could feel the stems becoming thinner as he chewed until finally it snapped apart. “I did it,” he exclaimed as he licked his lips clean, “You free,” he said his mismatched gaze going to the man.

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