Wild Cherry Orchard In the Company of Trees

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Snow. Suspicion. Stillness. All of Winter's generous offerings had Borden stricken with awe. Having been unsuccessful in finding the perfect spot for a den near the mountain, the Plateau wolf found himself amongst the bare trees that created the haven of Wild Cherry Orchard. His gold-green eyes observed the spindly branches and the cloudy gray sky above as if he were searching for something. He watched his breath rise from his open maw, the wisps of moisture simply twirled before getting lost in the space before him. His tail briefly wagged as he allowed a small smile to curl around his jowls; there was no doubt about winter being his favorite season of the year.

Elvira, Borden had discovered after a few meters, had been here once before. Every so often, he would faintly pick up a hint of her scent, and it only made sense that it had been quite a while - perhaps a time when the grove offered a generous amount of the small red fruits - since she had been exactly where he stood. He lowered his nose to the fresh snow, continuing to trudge forward in the thick blanket of frost. No other tracks were in sight and it brought him to think the area was free to explore. Had there been any other telltale signs of wayward visitors, Borden would have thought twice before even approaching the area.

Careful to keep a mindful eye on the Mountain of Dire and how far he had wandered from it, he strolled until he came upon yet another large, open space of undisturbed snow. Borden's stomach gave a weak growl. He had been so busy discovering what laid beyond and below the rocky slopes (which he had now memorized by heart) that he had forgotten to hunt down another small meal. The small mouse he had chased out of hiding earlier that morning should have held him over for a decent amount of time; yet, only an hour had passed and here he was. Hungry. Again. He sighed and circled around, crossing his tracks a number of times as he weaved around the trees, searching, seeking, hunting.

Reaching the trunk of a randomly-chosen tree, Borden rubbed a cheek, his temple, and eventually his neck and shoulder against the rough bark. He repeated his actions for his left side. If Alexander questioned where he had been, the sheer essence of the orchard would explain all... Once he was through, he inhaled sharply and swallowed almost nervously. If anything, he hoped he would be a mere guest, a ghost, something that had plainly passed through to investigate, yet leave a "note" to say that he was once there.

Etching his claws into the bark of another tree, he smirked. Well, if one was to pass through, might as well let everyone know - visually - and make certain of it. Returning all four limbs to the ground, he scanned his surroundings. His ears turned forward and his eyes darted from tree to tree. Being left alone for this amount of time had finally started to unnerve him.

Treading back slowly towards the mountain, Borden retraced his steps, losing himself in a train of thought...

Well, what do you want from me?

<b>OOC:</b> I Hope you don't mind. I thought this might be an interesting way to take this thread. =)

Gone Tomorrow

Corinna Donata had made her return to the forest of Relic Lore. A year ago, a fire had set a red glow above the trees as they were burned to the ground. Today, there was only the frozen tree limbs, bare of leaves and fruit. Either way, the place was a ghost land. And yet, it called to Corinna. This place had been her home for much of the past several months. It had been painful to turn tail and abandon it. Plus...she had grown lonely trekking about the northern parts of Canada by herself. She was wary of company, finding it a nostrum to her ailment, but, it was better than hopelessly wishing for someone to talk with.

In her time in Relic Lore, all of her friendly interactions with other wolves had taken place in the Wild Cherry Orchard, so that is where she returned to now. Frail limbs carried her through the abandoned trees, sage greens eyes looking out for any signs of the grove's namesake fruit. All she could see were the brown branches of the trees, completely barren. Except one tree in particular.

Pausing in her step, she left her path and made her way towards the tree in question, her curiosity presiding over her cautionary instinct. The bark had been scratched away. Breathing in, she let her nose do it's work. A male wolf had been here, and fairly recently too. Tilting her head to the side, she looked at the tree trunk, a look of mild confusion on her face. What had he been doing? Why was he marking this tree?

The answer hit her out of nowhere, and she immediately crouched down to the ground, tail partially tucked under her. Why do wolves mark anything? To claim it. Her interaction with Indru was still fresh in her mind, even after all these months, and she had no particular desire to repeat it. Back peddling, she moved as far away from the tree as she could while still keeping it in sight. Satisfied she was far enough away from the invisible border, she stopped. Lifting her head slightly, her lips parted, and she howled out a single note, alerting the alpha male that she was there. All she could do then was wait and see what happened.

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Claws deep within the trunk of another decent-sized tree, Borden froze as the voice of a young female echoed through the air. From the sound of it, he assumed that she was in the orchard. Nearby. Not even ten minutes away. The hunger that had brought him away from the heart of the grove where he had made his first marker was immediately replaced with curiosity - and shock. He had expected his little venture into this part of Relic Lore to be brief; he had expected no one to be around. After all, when there was nothing but bare trees and snow, what business could one possibly have in a grove when fruit wasn't available?

Utilizing his newly kindled excitement about the forest and the newcomer somewhere within it, he brushed up against the tree he had finished mauling and began walking towards the source of the howl. By the sound of it, the howl was wary and prudent; she merely wanted him to know that she was around. Had this stranger seen the tree he defaced? Had he caught someone's attention? Borden's head tilted inquisitively; if anything, one thing was for sure: she had definitely snagged his interests.

Ending up only a few feet from where he had been when he heard the cautious note, he stopped walking. The last thing he wanted to do was instill fear into a possible acquaintance or surprise her; if the same had been done to him, he probably would have made it a point to never return here out of boredom or exploration purposes. Taking a deep breath and raising his head, his own call rang through the air, just loud enough to reach out to her. Hellooo there.

Well, what do you want from me?

Gone Tomorrow

Cori waited with baited breath, her green eyes darting back and forth in their sockets, waiting for the owner of the orchard to emerge. She didn't quite understand why anybody would take claim to the orchard, it really was useless in the dead of winter. In the summer and fall, when the fruit was at its ripest, then it would be an ideal territory, but until then...not so much. Oh well, she was not one to judge. She had been absent for long enough that whatever happenings that had occurred in Relic Lore were beyond her realm of knowledge. She knew only what her nose was able to tell her, and right now, her nose was telling her that she was not alone.

The scent hat her nose was picking up was backed up by the accompanying howl. A short one, a greeting. That alone gave Cori more confidence, and she lifted off the ground to a more neutral position. She was still looking though, this time taking the liberty to move her head as well as her eyes. But, all she could see were the snow covered trees. Certainly not a four legged wolf who most likely looked similar to herself. Taking a cautious step forward, she strained her senses, trying to pinpoint his location. Unable to do so, she began to feel nervous, and cast a glance behind her over her shoulder. Would he sneak up on her? Would that be her punishment for trespassing? "Hello there? My name is Corinna Donata," she called out, her voice betraying her nervous position, but also informing the stranger, where ever he was, that she was no threat to him, or whatever pack he had established here.

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Borden's eyes and ears instantly went toward the are where her voice came from. He blinked; she had given her name. Corrina Donata. It caught him off-guard; his father had always told him not to give out his identity unless the company in question was thought of to be trustworthy. His curiosity drew him closer (hopefully) in her direction. It was only a matter of minutes until he saw her, apparently anxious and expecting him.

Observant gold eyes drank in her figure against the spindly backdrop of trees. From what he could tell, she had spotted his work and had backed away from the sight; the tracks he had made roughly half an hour before still obvious near and around her. His posture had been bent with eagerness and determination; it probably looked like he was stalking her... Oops. Quickly, he took a couple of steps back and offered a genuine smile.

Why, hello there," he barked, attempting to make this greeting more kindly than the one he had howled. "Corrina, right? And, what brings you out here on this fine winter day?"

Well, what do you want from me?

Gone Tomorrow

Her curiosity had continued to grow, her mind racing far ahead. She wanted to know what sort of alpha would take control of the orchard, why he had decided to do it. How strong was the pack? When had they taken root here? She had been so absent minded as she walked, that she had failed to even consider she could be potentially trespassing. Truth be told, she had really no idea what all had transpired since she had left Relic Lore, so the formation of a new pack was not beyond possibility.

Cori's green eyes were straining now, just waiting to descry the male. Her hopes were building up, wishing that this meeting would turn out better than her previous one had. His movements caught her attention, and she immediately turned her head to look at him. He had a similar coloration to her, a mottled mixture of grays, cremes, and browns. Though, his was different in that there were hints of an almost russet color scattered throughout the gray that stood out and caught her attention. Where her eyes were vibrant in color, his were more subtle, though their yellow gaze gave away his own friendly nature, as did his greeting.

His posture though, that is what concerned her. He was leaning forward. While he was doing it out of excitement, she was reading it as a leader exerting his dominance. So immediately, she cast her gaze downward and flattened her ears against her skull. Behind her, fluffy tail curled up underneath her, just scraping up against her underbelly. She was in the process of lowering herself when he stepped backwards, as if he was crowding her. Confused, Cori stopped. "Yes...Corinna. I was just passing through, really. I've been out of Relic Lore for sometime, and the orchard was one of my favorite places from before, so I wanted to visit. Your markings got my attention."

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Amiable, affable, amicable: Borden shifted to make himself the gentleman he hoped others saw. He fully straightened his posture, attempting to come off as more of a curious pup rather than a determined hunter. The last thing he wanted to do was to make it seem like she wasn't welcome; the grove, as much as he knew, seemed to be open territory. He eyed her as she repeated her name, stating why she had returned to the grove in the first place, and that she had seen his 'work.' Her ears were lowered and her own stance made him wonder what exactly she was expecting. Her tucked tail made him quirk a brow.

With a slight wag of his tail he took a calm step forward and took a quick glance about their immediate surroundings, his warm smile continuing to linger about his features. "Ah," he began. "You've fine taste in locale. It is quite beautiful here, I'll admit; I haven't seen it in the spring or summer, but I bet it's a sight to behold." His eyes went from her figure to a couple of trees in the distance, "The mountainside views were getting tiresome so I came down to check things out, figured it'd be worthwhile to explore... maybe find a spot at the foot of the place to make a den... or... something." He cleared his throat quietly, thinking he had rambled a bit or at least failed miserably at small talk. He directed his gaze towards Corinna again, his head tilted just slightly to convey that he was rather amused and delighted with her company.

Easing up even further, Borden's ears relaxed and after pacing a few feet to the right towards a tree trunk, sat down and propped his lower back against it. He hoped he had made it apparent he wasn't going anywhere just yet, at least, as long as she was around. "I'm... Borden, by the way," he then offered, not knowing what else to say and hoping he didn't make her any more uncomfortable than she already was.

(This post was last modified: Jan 07, 2011, 12:07 AM by Borden.)

Well, what do you want from me?

Gone Tomorrow

Meeting new wolves was always awkward, because unless they met over a peculiar circumstance, there really wasn't much to talk about beyond the typical meet and greets. Which, when you had gone without company for as long as Corinna had, was quite alright. Still, there was the whole matter of not knowing who this guy was, or the circumstance of which he was here. Was he an alpha of a newly established pack? Watching him closely, Cori began to doubt her initial guess - he was hardly looming over her in the dominant stance that all alphas carried when meeting lone wolves at their borders. So, either he was not an alpha...or he was not a very good one.

Either way, the young female felt herself begin to relax, and she too took on a more comfortable position. Lifting her head up to its normal position, her ears lifted up. Reclining back down on her haunches, her tail came out from underneath her and lay at peace behind her body. Looking up, she brought her own gaze level with his; her gaze mutual and friendly. That way, if she had made a mistake, he would at the very least see she was not an angry lone wolf.

But as he began to talk, even what some would considered "ramble", she began to feel more and more at ease. He was tired of the mountain land scape? That meant he would be part of Midnight Plateau, right? She wasn't even sure if that pack still existed. She hated the mountains, and therefore had never traveled up the slopes of Mount Dire to investigate the wolves who called the Plateau their home. She had met a couple of wolves, way back when summer was ending, who had decided they wanted to live on the slopes, but that just wasn't for her. "So...you're apart of the Midnight Plateau pack, Borden? Under Honijo?" she asked him, her voice indicating her curiosity. "I myself am a lone wolf, so I tend to come and go as the urge suits me, which is why I decided to come to the Orchard." She added. If she wanted information from him, she would have to offer information herself.

(This post was last modified: Jan 06, 2011, 02:44 PM by Corinna.)

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A look of surprise flashed across Borden's face; the possibility and idea of her knowing of Mightnight Plateau had never even crossed his mind. However, the name of Honijo was new... and with linking two and two together - the encounter with Ruiko a few weeks ago along with the mention of the name - he quirked a brow. Perhaps this wolf had been the alpha's uncle. He wondered if Corinna had met him, being a little more than just an acquaintance, if she knew what became of him. The Swift River wolf had told him that he went away to travel. By this time, after watching how she carefully eyed him, he registered that she had noted he wasn't much to be afraid of. Good. The last thing he needed was to chase off a potential acquaintance.

Coming back to his senses, he nodded in response to her, "As a matter of fact, yes, although this... 'Honijo' isn't in charge anymore." Truthfully, it felt rather nice to state that - the first fact, not the latter - and an inkling of pride caused his chest to slightly puff up. He curved his body to the left, allowing his hind paw to reach a spot behind his dark-rimmed ear. An eye closed as he relieved himself of the obnoxious itch. "Has the season been treating you well?" he then casually asked when he was through digging his claws into his thick mottled coat. If she had been away from Relic Lore for quite a while like she mentioned, then she had probably missed or escaped the drought.

Ears and eyes drawn back to her, he sat properly again and offered yet another benevolent smile as he added, "It's a pleasure to have your company, by the way. I haven't met many wolves since I've arrived here."

Well, what do you want from me?

Gone Tomorrow

Her eyes widened in surprise as Borden spoke, revealing that the oldest wolf in all of Relic Lore had finally departed. When she first arrived, back in the spring, and had followed the Swift River pack through their transformation via the fire, the one constant presence had been Honijo. He was the last remaining links to the dead alphas. It had surprised everybody that he had finally left and headed up into the mountains, breaking off with his family. The news that he was gone was even more shocking. "Honijo is gone? Really?" She mused, her voice quiet, as if she was speaking to herself. "So," she started after a moment, looking up to meet his gaze. "Who is the alpha of Midnight Plateau now? You?" Maybe part of her initial guess had been right - this wolf was an alpha, just not necessarily of the Orchard.

Cori grinned, dipping her head in thanks. "Aww, well thank you. It's nice to have some company around too. The life of a loner...it is far from glamorous," she responded. "The season has been cold, and it's been lonely. I left Relic Lore last fall when the water dried up - I hadn't found either of the two packs to my liking, and my chances of survival on my own were better if I could get water, sooo, yeah..." Cori explained her decision to leave Relic Lore, smiling at him. She wondered vaguely if he knew what it was like to be a lone wolf - though she imagined he must have, for at least a short time. But, he did not show the tell tale signs of living on less than was needed, like she did. Her heavy winter coat helped shield it, but underneath, her skin was beginning to cling to her ribs as she burned what little body she had. The winter season had not been kind to her, and her inability to find a pack who she meshed well with was going to be the death of her, sooner or later. "What about you? Has winter been kind to you?" She asked, shaking her mind off her reverie.