Turtleback Lake Shadows of a doubt

Just north of the largest island on the northeastern corner of the lake. Anyone's welcome

The weather was warming up as the small wolf trekked down through the dense trees. Light filtered through the thin canopy and stray beams managed to find their way all the way through as the day grew warmer and brighter as the sun rose higher and higher into the air. Soft brown eyes darted around as the everpresent scent of the coyotes lingered, permeating the air like a heavy fog.

Aeliana licked her licks as she sniffed the air, hoping to catch the scent of some nearby prey. She was left disappointed, however, a soft sigh escaping as she felt the familiar pangs of hunger twisting inside of her stomach. The familiar, gurgling rumble emitted and she muttered softly to herself.

Continuing on her way, she eventually came to the edge of the trees, she sucked in a breath when she saw the calm scene of the lake before her. The sight left her breathless, a massive island stretched out in the water before her. Reminded of her thirst, Aeliana made her way down the uneven shore. The moment her pads pressed into the soft, damp and cool silt, she groaned softly. The sensation was far more comfortable than the rough rocks she had been crossing on her way to get here. Besides, water was far safer than the forest, she could see anyone coming instead of fearfully and constantly jumping at any noise. The thought that water might also attract others hadn’t crossed the yearling’s mind as she dipped her muzzle into the warmed water and gulped some down.

Judas ARCHER

by the light of the moon, we run

For a number of hours now, as the sun had begun to rise in the sky, Judas had found himself settling amongst the bush and reeds near the lake, away from the heat of the sun as she tucked himself up and away into the shadows to keep himself cool. Usually he was content to sleep within the cavern den if his pack but this time he had settled down elsewhere for a change granted his exploring around this northern reach the night prior.

He was only disturbed when the sound of lapping water caught his attention. Devilishly pointed black ears perked, twitching on his crown to listen to the noise far before the dark grey eyes opened to see another yearling wolf before him, out by the water's edge. His nose went to work then, sniffing out the woman as his head slowly rose. He had never seen her before but if she smelt anything like a Surge wolf he would be content to take her down. Fortunately for her, she did not smell like one of them.

"Who're you? He decided on questioning then as he lifted up onto long legs and out from his placement to which then lazily made way into her direction.

☾

(This post was last modified: Jul 29, 2018, 06:40 PM by Judas.)

The young female’s peaceful drink had been interrupted, a chill ran down her spine as she slowly looked up from the water’s edge. Her brown eyes widened in fear as the large wraith started toward her. Quickly She looked around, almost frantic already as she sought a nearby escape route. Unable to find any suitable trails, Aeliana looked back, turning so that her back was toward the water.

“Who’re you?” he had asked.

Her first thought was to lie, lie through her teeth and hope for the best, but Aeliana was terrible at lying, she stuttered and squeaked if she tried to. Of course, the stranger wouldn’t have known that, but she was too paranoid to think about that fact. Suddenly, her mouth felt dry again, as if she had been licking piles of salt. Running her tongue over her rubbery lips, she tried to still her frantically beating heart, her lips shaking slightly as she chose her course.

“I’m Aela.” She said quietly, unable to trust herself to give her full name without her voice breaking, instead she settled for the shortened version she had been calling herself ever since she had set off on her own. Looking toward the water, she shuffled to the side, assuming that the large man would want to drink. He was close to her own age she realized, but how she wondered. Keeping her head down, she risked a brief glance. He was so massive compared to her small frame. “I don’t want any trouble, if you’re thirsty, feel free to.”

(This post was last modified: Jul 30, 2018, 04:47 AM by Aeliana.)

Judas ARCHER

by the light of the moon, we run

Her display towards him, as he had lift himself from the brush he had been settled under in order to greet the stranger, was annoying to say the least. She quivered and her eyes darted about an though to look for a means of the quickest exit. She was gauging the situation of she needed to leave in a hurry which Judas should have assumed was a smart move for any stranger, but he didn't. He was unbending when it came to his dislike for flighty, fragile and fickle creatures, including his own kind. The way she acted reminded him of the coyote they had been hunting down like the vermin they were, no wolf.

He snorted as though to show his disinterest, be it in her submissive display or to show he had equally no interest in making an attack. At least right now. It was disappointing seeing females like these, where predominantly in his life he had been around strong, smart and independent women. Like his mothers, like @Neha, his two aunts he had met and of course, @Nineva.

She gave her name then and after side stepping said he could have a drink if that's what he wanted and she explained how she wanted to trouble. His nose gave a wrinkle. "Calm down. I ain't gonna hurt ya." He then suddenly say is though to confirm it. As he looked over her petite form, he began to let his mind then over why she was so afraid - a loner out on her own, very small, probably in a new land, coyote everywhere... He was over half her size in weight, tall as can be. It was no wonder, sure, but he would have still thought she'd have some dignity about her. "Ya just woke me up, is all."

☾

The onyx colored giant hadn’t wanted to harm her at all. Or so he said, the thought did bring a little bit of comfort to the small girl as she nodded her head slightly at the news. Unaware of his scrutinizing, she managed to build up the courage to raise her head and get a good look at him. Beyond the obvious statement of his size, she realized that he had to be a pack wolf. Where she was thin and scrawny, he was the opposite. He was large, filled out and seemed to be fairly well off. Looking at his face for the first time, she paused. His eyes were a solid grey, very little variation from the dark color of his coat.

He was handsome and mysterious. Aela blinked after a moment, unsure where the thought had even come from. Trying to hide her confusion, she wrote it off as being with his calm demeanor, far different than what she had expected or dealt with so far. “Thanks.” She said quietly before turning her head and taking another quick drink, trying to get rid of the new nervous dryness in her throat. Once she was finished, she turned back around. She was still a bit tense, but that was from the fact that the coyotes were around, and even they were bigger then she was once in a while. Settling down onto her haunches, she looked off toward the right, the jagged scar that rested on her left cheek visible for a moment “Sorry I woke you…..” she let it trail off, realizing that he hadn’t given his own name.

Judas ARCHER

by the light of the moon, we run

The small female before him would nod ever delicately to his words about having no intention of doing her harm and for the first time in these moments of their encounter she lifted her head and looked him over. He didn't say anything, simply looking at her back with those dark grey eyes. Again, her much smaller size compared to his own, perhaps the smallest wolf he'd seen other then a pup. Scrawny and a bit unkempt from her life as a rogue. Judas remembered those days with his brother well. Back then it was winter which made things harder and yet bow with the coyotes it was just worse.

Aela, as she said her name was, gave her thanks and allowed herself to turn enough to finish off the drink she had been doing before Judas interrupted her. She was still tense, weary, this which he could understand but the shaky mess he had seen in those first few moments left. She sat and turned to look around, to what he was not sure. For more pack wolves? For the coyotes? He noticed the large scar across her cheek, a clear sign she had not an entirely friendly life thus far.

"Nah it's okay. My fault for being too lazy to go back to the den when the sun got high anyhow." He huffed to himself, a sheepish smirk pressing over his features. His large paws shifted over the sandy lake shore but he didn't move any closer. "Name's Judas, by the way."

☾

She may have been the smallest wolf he had seen, but @Judas was definitely the largest Aeliana had ever laid eyes on. He seemed to tower over everything around them, much like the mountains in the far distance. She tilted her head slightly when he admitted some of the faults as having been his own. He mentioned a den, that had to be nice she thought to herself. A nice warm and snug place to curl up. Suddenly, she had the mental picture of the behemoth trying to squirm into a hole half his size. Lips quivering, Aela tried not to smile in turn. The goofy image had come out of nowhere, but it had brightened her mood a bit.

“Judas...It’s nice to meet you.” She said, and for once, she had meant it. Used to the wolves almost twice her size being nothing but aggressive, it was a nice turn of pace to bump into a kinder soul. Watching him step closer to the water, Aela gestured toward the spot next to her where it may be a bit more comfortable. “There’s plenty of room and the ground’s soft.” She said, while it was true, she had an ulterior motive as well. Judas was at least twice her size, sitting next to him might give her some more security if coyotes showed up. She wouldn’t admit it, even to herself, but the company would be nice as well.

A warren of rabbits is hidden under a nearby tree. +3 Health

Judas ARCHER

by the light of the moon, we run

Judas Archer was certainly a large wolf, as many of his Archer bloodline. He was not far from his own father's size, though even as she would have thought him so grand, his siblings were actually larger then he. There wasn't any wolves in his family he had seen that were small before. Average, perhaps, but not small. He would get placed a half cocked grin over his features of he had known how large she thought he was and yet, still smaller then men like @Elias and @Aytigin, a few members of his pack.

When she said it was nice to meet him he could only assume she was just being polite and then she offered for him to come closer. He didn't feel a need to and yet he was curious of how far this could go. Maybe she could be of use to him. Maybe in the long run she could be of use to the pack. After all, Bellatrix had brought some flea bitten boy to their borders and the female before him looked a hell of alot better then that.

"Well alright..." He mused as he lifted up again onto all four paws and lazily moved into the females direction along the vast lake. "So where ya headed anyhow?" He spoke, referencing to her obviously being a wondering rogue and from the looks of it, out on her own. When he got close enough to her, taking in her scent and further details to her features, his black leathery nose twitched, head lifting high. "Hey, you smell that? There was food nearby.

☾

Aeliana smiled softly as he agreed and moved closer, there was some security in the action that she hadn’t felt in quite a long time and she wanted to enjoy it as much as she could. She tilted her slender head at his question, thinking it over for a moment. She didn’t have an answer though. So far life had just been winging it after she escaped the mountain.

“Well...I don’t know.” she finally admitted, glancing toward the water’s edge while she thought about what else to say. “Just been running…” she started, but paused when he asked her another question. In response, she sniffed the air, but her stomach answered for her with a gurgling rumble. “It’s rabbit…” she said, licking her lips. Think we could catch one?"