Wild Cherry Orchard In the Company of Trees

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He gave another quiet nod, watching as she absorbed the news. However, his grin broadened and he couldn’t help but let out a hearty laugh as she questioned his affiliation with the wolves of the mountain. Not wanting to be rude, he stifled his chuckle and allowed her to continue. His smile curled up his muzzle again as she smiled, grinned even; he had hoped to get one out of her, there was really no reason to be fear the medium-sized wolf that was Borden unless he approached with bristled fur and a string of growls and snarls. As she shared her hardships, his face softened into a rather solemn one. The mountains were not at the top of his desired list place to call home, but to gain an alpha’s acceptance and safeguard was his top priority and it had been Alexander who had taken him in. He had no choice but to adapt… for now.

An Alpha… him? Nah. Maybe before when he had lived under his father, but surely not now. He shook his head, "Me? Oh, no, ha, I… I’m simply a Scout." His eyes tore away from her figure and back to the mountain, "Alexander is the alpha now." For a moment he wished he had more to say about the gray-and-white pelted wolf he had pledged his loyalty to, even vowed to protect, serve and honor. But, no words came and he returned his gaze to her.

Taking Corinna’s last question into account, he took a deep breath. "Well," he began. "It’s been as kind as it could be; snowstorms on the mountain side aren’t pleasant though, I’ll give ya that." He chortled a bit at his statement, "Prey on the mountain and everywhere else, I assume, have been somewhat abundant since the creeks and rivers have returned and iced over; even with rusty hunting skills the season’s proved to be generous and forgiving. I can’t go off exploring or patrolling without startling a variety of creatures." His eyes lifted to the bare branches of the orchard, his attention briefly snared by the twittering of bird flying through, "Overall, not bad I guess; I’ll agree that this winter has been a bit colder than usual and quite lonely though this time around."

(This post was last modified: Jan 09, 2011, 03:48 AM by Borden.)

Well, what do you want from me?

Gone Tomorrow

Gray ears immediately flattened against her skull, and if wolves were capable of blushing, Corinna was doing it now. She felt instantly ridiculous for proposing that Borden was an alpha. Not that she was entirely at fault - he had certainly made a show of marking the orchard trees. And breathing in his scent, there was the very strong smell of their current location, which was helping to hide the scents of the high mountain where he apparently resided. Though, her ears perked right back up again when he said the name of the alpha who had taken over in place of Honijo. Alexander. She knew that name. That was the name of the white male she had rescued from the beavers - that felt like such a long time ago. Grinning to herself, she made a promise that she would brave the mountain slopes to visit her old acquaintance. One never knew, maybe he would remember her.

She listened politely as he continued to speak, chuckling along with him as his comments about the snowstorms. The snow had fallen fairly abundantly this past winter, throughout the entire region, not just Relic Lore. Despite that though, there seemed to be a relatively large supply of prey available, if only the wolves were willing to set up a hunt. As if on cue, the poor female's stomach rumbled, and she looked questioningly at Borden to see if he noticed or not. That was the drawback to being a lone wolf - the choice of prey was significantly more limited, and when you were lickerish like Cori was, that became a problem. "So, you're a scout, right?" She asked, an idea popping up into her head. "Is there any chance you could tell me where you last came across a deer herd or something like that?" Maybe she could convince him to help her track down some food, and with any luck, there might be one sick and weak enough they could take it down on their own. "You see, it's just been a while since I've had anything more than a rabbit to eat."

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His eyes watched her, amused and charmed with her present companionship. He took in her smile and laughter and, even as he finished answering her questions, the muffled growl of her stomach. His smile simply remained and he didn’t react to the sound, not wanting her to be embarrassed or anything of the like. Truthfully, his own stomach felt empty even more so now than before; because of her appearance, the reminder of the small rodent he had earlier was merely a note in his imaginary agenda and he had nearly forgotten about the hollow feeling in his gut. Her body’s signal only emphasized that he was practically in the same boat.

As she asked about his being a scout and about deer and prey, Borden tilted his head inquisitively until she shared that the last thing she had caught was one of those annoying, long-earred things he could never seem to catch. "Yeah, a scout," he confirmed, showing neither pride nor contempt. "Haven’t wandered very far from the mountain though, not yet anyway." He was just about to ask why when she mentioned deer. His thoughts shifted and immediately he began to scour his mind, looking off into the distance. Deer. Bucks. Does. That glade, southern Wildwood, November. The falls, headed west due to lack of drinkable water – the ice was too thick. He mentally scrambled to remember where he had last hunted, not counting his meager meal from this morning. January. Ah, yes. South of the orchard, headed southwest, following the icy river.

Returning his gaze to her he gave a nod. "Somewhere south of here," he mused thoughtfully. "Probably about… I don’t know… a few days ago. I haven’t seen them around since, though. A herd of deer." He tacked on his last statement just in case he had lost her in conversation; he didn’t want her to think he was crazy or aloof. "I wouldn’t depend on finding them though," he said after a while. "They weren’t grazing about; it seemed as though they were just passing through."

Ears and eyes turning to the tall trees around them, he wondered for a moment if the grove was an ideal hunting ground. No fruit, no interest. No interest, no means to seek out any morsels of food in the orchard. When he had strolled through a good length of the area, he had picked up nothing more than faded scents of wolves who had visited weeks and months before him and a recollection of sweet and tart scents that painted in his memory a picture of luscious, small, red fruit.

Well, what do you want from me?

Gone Tomorrow

Either he didn't notice, or he was polite enough not to say anything about her rumbling stomach. Which she appreciated. Right now, she felt like she was demonstrating the ultimate in the lone wolf life style. Here she was, randomly roaming about an abandoned orchard grove, asking a stranger if he knew where the latest in food sources could be found. It was almost comical, except that it was not a staged performance. It served as a reminder to her though - she could not live this type of life forever. The pure fact that she was enjoying Borden's company so much went to show just how much she really was a social creature at heart. While she could handle being on her own, it was not where she was meant to stay.

Sage green eyes turned away from Borden's face as he revealed what information he knew about the deer herd. If it was only just passing through, like he suspected, then there was no real point trying to chase one down. Her chances were slim to none in catching one anyways, especially if she was on her own. Even if she persuaded Borden to help her, she was putting both of them at risk. Which was the last thing she wanted to do. She genuinely felt like she and Borden were getting off on a good foot.

Calling forth the energy in her legs, she hoisted herself up. Leaning forward, the she-wolf pushed her hind legs backward, stretching them out. Satisfied, she straightened up, flashing a smile at Borden. "Well, dear Borden, any chance I could persuade you to take a walk with me through the orchard? I'd love to know about some of the happenings going on in Relic Lore. You're a scout, you should know these types of things, right?" She asked, titling her head to the side and peering at him, a goofy grin on her face.

<b>Finished!</b>

(This post was last modified: Jan 14, 2011, 04:21 PM by Corinna.)

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Taking her standing as a cue to get up, he heaved himself onto his stocky limbs. His tail gave a slight wag. He had expected her to say that she ought to be on her way. Elsewhere. Exploring. Hunting... But instead, she smiled and offered him an invitation to accompany her as she continued on her way.

Inclined to accept her proposal, he took care as to survey the immediate area around them before taking a small step forward. Truthfully, how could he possibly resist? Company, thus far, has been hard to come by, despite his practically endless duty of holding vigils around the mountain. "Of course," he replied. "Whatever questions you have, whatever you'd like to hear about, I'll do my best to answer and share what I know." His heart fluttered in his chest. He wasn't nervous or angered as much as he knew, and it wasn't like he was in danger or trapped in some undesirable situation. In fact, it was the opposite. Two wolves, together, meant two alert sets of eyes and ears, doubling the odds of each other's safety; and, it only made sense - as far as canine nature goes - that both he and Corinna, after periods of wandering Relic Lore, presented one another with the suggestion of friendship. After all, if Borden had been greeted kindly and listened to with patience and understanding, he didn't even bother thinking twice when it came to forwarding the gesture to another (as long as they held no hosility towards him).

Eagerly stretching his limbs and shaking out his thick winter coat, he finally steadied himself and looked to Corinna. "Ladies first," he grinned. The idea of being allowed more time with her not only meant for a successful hunt (if they did manage to come across something easily caught), but for more words of enlightenment, more smiles and tail-wagging, maybe even laughter. Having been unable to indulge himself with even a bit of frivolity or words of the land beyond the territories he knew, there was no doubt he was going to pass this opportunity.

Well, what do you want from me?

Gone Tomorrow

A walk with anyone was concupiscible, because it meant that she did not have to carry on by her lonesome. And while she was more than capable of handling her business on her own - she was the typical canine, and company was usually welcome. She had not isolated herself because she had just felt like it, but rather because that is what had happened. Had she predicted that her future would have played out the way it had up to this point, she might have stayed in the protection of her birth pack, but, some things were just not meant to be.

Grinning as he accepted her invitation and indicated that she move first, Cori began heading north. Keeping an easy pace, she paused only long enough for him to join her - the path they were currently on, marked only by the growth of the cherry trees was wide enough that the two of them could walk abreast with no real trouble. Choosing to remain quiet for a moment, she contemplated what all she could ask him. She wasn't really sure when he had arrived in Relic Lore, so she couldn't assume that he would have the answers to the questions she really wanted to know, like what had happened to the Swift River wolves. She had caught traces of scents, but the cold deadened everything. "So how long have you been in Relic Lore, Borden? I lived here for a short time during the summer, and I don't remember seeing you around anywhere," she began, giving him an easy smile. So far he had satisfied her innumerable questions, and his willingness to go on a walk with her indicated that he was likely to keep going with his generosity.

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Donning a practically constant smile was making the sides of his mouth hurt, but he loved it. In fact, he couldn’t remember the last time he smiled, not just an “I-swear-I’m-a-nice-guy” smile but one that actually matched the happiness he felt. When she strode forward, he followed after her, matching her pace almost exactly so he wouldn’t be too far behind her or move ahead of her. For him to be graced by her company, was probably exactly what he needed right now. His superior needed him, of course, but not like this… Corinna had somehow made him feel concupiscible. Wanted.

On an afternoon such as the one currently being enjoyed, Borden could not even think about the days before. They had all been filled with wandering, both purposeful and aimless. But after a moment of silence washed over them, she reopened their conversation. His mind spun for a bit, how long has it been? November, December, one, January, two. Two months? “Hmm…” he mused, as he also noted that she had been around since the summer.

Verifying his timeline a few more times in his mind, he finally replied, “Roughly two months. Last summer I was running around somewhere trying to keep my skin. I was at the base of a few mountains teaching myself to avoid caves and snares.” He scoffed at his statement, remembering how reckless he had been then. “It’s a wonder how I even got here alive, but I am glad Relic Lore is the place I call home, a safe haven.”

Everywhere, there’s always something out to get you,” he added, somewhat rambling. “Not like here. Here, its other wolves and large prey who dare to fight, and nature’s quirks, like the flood and the snowstorms. Out there, it’s poachers or researchers who want to follow you around.” He glanced to her, his smile still apparent, “So… you said you only stayed for a while and then left. May I ask what made you decide to return here?” His tone was simply curious; why anyone would return after last autumn’s nearly-devastating drought was perplexing. In all honesty, he doubted he would make it through the season, even with a pack to take care of and help out. He even wondered for a while if others viewed the realm as a death trap for any who dared to remain; it seemed no one knew for sure if the water would certainly return.

Well, what do you want from me?

Gone Tomorrow

His companionship was making her happy; his simply being there was enough to make her feel light-hearted and look at at her situation and not want to give up. She had been by herself for such a long time...and the few interactions that she had had not typically turned out well for her. It was ironic, actually, the one good interaction she could remember had taken place with Borden's alpha - Alexander. Maybe there was something to living in the mountains, those wolves certainly seemed nicer. Indru had been less than kind, and while she understood his reasons behind his actions, she still felt that he had taken the situation to an extreme. But, that was in the past.

Snapping out of her reverie, Corinna physically shook her head to clear her mind from her thoughts so she could focus on what Borden was saying to her. Tuning in as he mentioned poachers, she stopped mid-step and looked at him curiously. "Poachers?" Her head tilted to the side in a quizzical manner, matching her voice inflection. The word was foreign to her, and the concept of being hunted down for her pelt was even more so. She could understand the rest of what he said - Indru certainly met the description of some bossy wolf who liked to attack others.

"Of course you can," she responded. She was fain to respond. It was only fair, right? Collecting her thoughts, she began her story. "Well...I came across Relic Lore on accident, in the early days of summer. I followed the Hidden Tree pack for a while, scoping them out. But then a fire broke out in their territory and the two alphas died. So I followed their children's pack, Swift River. Unfortunately, the alpha there, Indru, didn't take a liking to me...and the only other pack in the area was Midnight Plateau, and I'm afraid of the mountains." Pausing in her narrative, she took an exaggerated breath, chuckling as she did so, hoping to inspire some humor with Borden. "And then the drought happened, so I thought it would be better to leave. After wandering about for the past couple of months, I decided to try again. There's just something about this place, ya know?"

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Ceasing his pace as he brushed past her by two steps, he backed up. He bit his lip as he looked at her, his own head tilting in response. Relic Lore was every bit of sanctuary he hoped for. Why the mention of the word brought her to a halt, shouldn't have been a surprise, yet, there they were. "Erm," he began, his ears folding at a loss for words. "People. Terrible ones."

Opting to not go into any more detail, he listened to her answer his question, telling of how she trailed through Relic Lore. The Hidden Tree pack, which suffered at the hands of the wildfire, and the siblings that reforged their family into a new pack - Swift River. It all made sense now, why a leader had come to the base of the mountain to request aid and forge a temporary alliance, why the water had almost dried up... Everything clicked. He gave a nod, and as she stated being scared of mountains, he laughed along. It was cute, really.

Indru, Borden noted, was a name that he carefully tucked away before he could forget it. Was he the leader he met a few months ago? Though the question popped up as soon as it was filed away for future reference, it was instantly brushed away as she told him that the drought brought her away. He was secretly glad she returned; if she hadn't, today might have been just another day; and, by now, instead of strolling along, he would have been trying to find his way back to the mountain. Back to security and the cold, wind-lashed ledges, not living life and experiencing its spontaneity.

Never tearing his focus away from her again, he acknowledged her spirit. She had decided to try again. It reminded him of how he chose that same path so long ago. He would be a better man, be able trust in others, listen more closely... allow some room for hope and leave little to doubt; he would try again to be someone honorable and self-less. To be the wolf he meant to be. "Yeah," he replied, looking around and at the open path before them. "Definitely something."

Well, what do you want from me?

<b>OOC:</b> Epic fail of a post. I sincerely apologize. :(

Gone Tomorrow

He didn't elaborate on what poachers were. Or, if he did...she didn't understand him. She felt foolish. People? What was that? A sickness or something? Maybe a type of weather condition that she had never encountered before. Or something else along those lines. She had never come into contact with humans, and therefore had no clue about the species that had done so much destruction to wolves like herself. Cori was torn; should she ask Borden for more information about these "people" or should she let it go? She was not a fan of looking foolish. But, at the same time, she liked to learn new things. And how could she explain what a poacher was if she didn't know what a "people" was. "I'm sorry, Borden, but..." she hesitated, and came to a stop, turning her head to look at him. "What's a "people"?" Immediately she felt her lack of knowledge rush of her, and had she not enjoyed Borden's company so much, she would have turned tail and fled to hide her embarrassment. While she was rapidly approaching her third birthday, there was still so much that she had yet to learn. "I'm sorry, I just don't understand." She added, giving him a weak smile. He seemed nice, and while she was nervous and embarrassed, there was a part of her that knew Borden would do his best to answer her question.