Shallows Edge reclusive, unsocial types

OOC: for @Askan

a dream within a dream

Lae sat within the borders, grooming her shoulders with her long pink tongue. Her white fur was tainted grey in some areas from the dirt. In her youth she would have been infuriated, desperate to wash her entire body. Now, she groomed almost mindlessly, focused on one spot for far too long. It was more relaxing for her to do it this way. She was incredibly patient, even with herself. Consequently, she was quite dirty in patches all over her body, and completely clean in others. It looked ridiculous, but she was an old lady. What more could people expect? 


She spat out a little twig that had wedged itself between her teeth during her bath. Her fur was not very long, but wildlife could still weave its way in. She licked over the area to flatten down the fur and let out a little mrrrrpt of approval. That was all she wanted to do. Even though there was more cleaning left to do, she gave up happily. Slowly raising to her feet, she stretched out her body, letting out little pops and cracks of her brittle joints. It felt good. She stayed focused on her body rather than on Askan, concentrated on relieving any tension she held between muscles. “Today is a good day,” she stated coldly, wiggling her front paws. “Must be a full moon.”

She lifted her tail off the ground to give it a puppy-like wag and turned to face her alpha. “Thank you.” Then she turned her attention back on her joints, flexing the muscles in her legs. She wasn’t as strong as she remembered being. Oh. She was only momentarily surprised, her focus moving carelessly towards her surroundings. A breeze caught her attention, dragging the fallen leaves on the ground in-between her paws. She stomped on one, watched it dance beneath her toes, then released it. It swam back towards the sky, floating off into the distance.

(This post was last modified: Sep 28, 2018, 06:37 PM by Lae.)

Leader dem 1/3

I don't care if heaven won't take me back

All women were a little strange, but this one in particular baffled the Selwyn. He wouldn't call her quirky, let alone deranged but there was an oddness about her that he couldn't quite put his paw on. He hadn't tried particularly hard, but it frustrated him that it wasn't effortless, that he couldn't see through her like she was thin ice.

She spent an awful lot of time grooming, going over the same spot over and over like it was an itch she couldn't scratch. A dozen snarky comments rested on the tip of Askan's tongue but he kept them locked away behind his teeth and left her to her own devices, it was only when she spoke did he look up. It was questionable whether today was a good day, it felt like any other to him, but he supposed she had her reasons to be happy. As grumpy as he was Askan wasn't going to piss on her parade, not yet anyway.

"If you say so." Askan remained on his feet, though his posture wasn't quite as stiff as before. When he was home he didn't carry himself quite so rigid- as though he had a stick up his ass, as Reyes would put it. "For what? You're not getting a free ride here, it's a give and take."

He'd taken a chance with her, it was about time to see what she could offer the pack in return.

"So what is it that you do?" He then asked, his head tipping to the side just so.

(This post was last modified: Oct 08, 2018, 04:36 PM by Askan.)

a dream within a dream

“For the opportunity,” she interjected, keeping her voice soft. She felt pressured to balance him out, to quiet her voice when his became more harsh. It seemed like a safe system. She could feel his energy and attune herself to it. She wasn’t empathetic, but she was wise. She lifted her front paw to her mouth, licked it a few times, then rubbed it against her temple like a cat. She still hadn’t made much eye contact. She usually never liked to look directly at a person, it felt too abrupt. Instead, she watched the leaves on the forest floor dance around in circles. 


“I do many things,” she added. It was a loaded question, her mind focused on the details. She did a lot of sleeping. She ate occasionally, but never much. She liked to walk around, keep her legs active throughout the day. Now that she had the safety of a pack border, she doubted she would ever wander past it. “I have lived a long time.” She placed her foot back on the floor and shook her head, trying to dry off the spit on her forehead. It was cold against the air, but it felt good. She loved the fall, worshiped the winter. She thrived in the cold air.

“I catch my own food.” She suspected that would be of importance. Even with her blind eye, she was able bodied enough to feed herself. Maybe not the best, but certainly she wouldn’t starve without help. She didn’t ever need much food. She was a small girl, and with her old age she lost a lot of appetite. She knew it went without saying that her contributions to the pack caches would be minimal. “I know little about plants and healing,” (she had never been the medicinal type within the pack) “more about children and motherhood,” (she had raised many pups) “and combat.” She gave a small nostalgic grin. She had been a scrapper within her youth, but those days were gone. She wasn’t strong enough to defend this alpha’s borders. Her focus had clearly shifted on her facial expression, her eyes glossing over while she stood perfectly still. She had lost her train of thought. She seemed to snap out of it- slightly, and took a seat, but did not say much else. Instead, she sniffed at a pebble that was positioned to her left, knocking it over with her nose. What an interesting rock. It was a strange green colour, with small yellow dots speckled around it. The tip of her tongue peaked out and touched it gently, before retreating back into her mouth.

(This post was last modified: Sep 28, 2018, 07:41 PM by Lae.)

leader dem 2/3

I don't care if heaven won't take me back

Askan supposed she had a point. Another alpha might have gone off on their way, might have brushed her aside for being too old, too much of a burden.  But he hadn't. Maybe he was getting soft- or desperate- but here they were. What a weird day it had been, though knowing his luck it would only go downhill. Ah well.

As he had anticipated she wasn't a dead woman walking. There was more to her than what met the eye and Askan felt as though the wolves of Shallows Edge could easily put her experience to use. A large portion of his subordinates were young, inexperienced, maybe it was a good thing that he'd mixed things up a little. She could teach them what she knew and in exchange the pack would ensure she'd have a full belly for the months to come. It seemed like a more than fair deal, almost too good to be true.

"Good," he said, with a satisfied nod. Her gaze wandered, she seemed distracted but the Edge Lord continued nonetheless- sharp side eye aside -as though he hadn't noticed. "You can teach the other's then, we have a few youngsters. They've all got the drive to learn but need..." Askan pursed his lips in thought, what was the word he was looking for? "Direction."

He rolled his shoulders, then with a dip of his head motioned for her to follow in his footsteps.

"Come. I'll show you around."

(This post was last modified: Oct 08, 2018, 04:37 PM by Askan.)

a dream within a dream

The white wolf nodded her head in agreement. She was confident in her ability to teach. If that is what this large man wanted from her, she’d eagerly offer her ability to educate his younger pack members. She hadn’t talked to children in an eternity, it would almost be refreshing. She wondered how many kids were about, and how old they were. Anyone under the age of two was a baby to the ancient woman. She felt a warmth spread throughout her body, a sense of belonging mixed with happiness. It made her toes tingle. She was right where she belonged.

She trotted after the large brown wolf with her blind eye closed. She sniffed the air often, acknowledging the pack scent markers. Soon, her fur would begin to smell like the others. She tried to distinguish the different wolves in the area, searching for more information. Were they all as large and dark as this male? Were they his offspring? She took another sniff. She was not so desperate for information that she asked, she knew it was only a matter of time before she bumped into them. She was curious, but not nosey. This place was her home now. She’d learn everything about it in due time. She gave a gentle, longing sigh, trotting behind her new leader.

leader dem 3/3

I don't care if heaven won't take me back

They travelled in silence, which suited the Edge Lord just fine. He pointed out the caches as they passed, but other than that they stayed on the move, heading deeper and deeper into his territory. Every now and then, Askan peered over his shoulder to make sure she was following close behind, she seemed rather distracted by the scenery, taking it all in with her senses that remained. Good, as Askan had little interest in holding her paw and pointing out each and every detail.

Soon enough, the duo emerged from the forest and stood before the Shallows, in it's quiet grandeur. Pulling in a lungful of air, Askan's tail idly swished a little behind him. He was content and why wouldn't he be? He adored it here, and loved everything it stood for.

"The Shallows." Askan pointed with his snout. "It's a lot deeper than it looks, unless you're a strong swimmer avoid taking a dip." He smirked a little at that. Askan had learnt that lesson the hard way. "The main den is beyond that ridge there, above the water level so there's no risk of flooding."

With that he was on the move again, circling the Shallows to show her the direct route to the communal den. She needed to know, after all that's where she would be sleeping. Whilst he was in no rush, he didn't amble along as though he too was an old bastard. She seemed to have no trouble keeping pace and they didn't have much further left to go, she'd be fine. Probably.

"What brought you to Relic Lore anyway?" He found himself asking, just because he was a nosy git.

(This post was last modified: Oct 08, 2018, 04:37 PM by Askan.)

a dream within a dream

Lae had not been expecting his territory to be as beautiful as it was. Particularly in the fall, when the forest ground and sky were covered in a thin layer of coloured leaves. She breathed it all in, memorizing each step she took. He had picked a great piece of forest to create his home. It was only when the shallows emerged that she stopped walking, looking it over with her good eye. She took a sharp intake of air, admiring the water. She would never dare swim in it. The warning was appreciated, but the elder knew her limitations. She avoided swimming, especially with such active water. She was not a good swimmer, not in her old age.

When he pointed out the den, she made her way over with him. She kept her pace matched with his, glancing around over her shoulder. She couldn’t believe the healthiness of his home. Everything vibrated with life, even during autumn. “Fires,” she replied dryly. “To the east, far passed the mountains.” She continued to match his steps, gesturing with her tail. “It has destroyed everything.”

She didn’t like to talk about it, but it wasn’t a painful subject. She spoke without much emotion. She was stating facts, keeping her tone as neutral as possible. She was reporting on it in the way she suspected he would appreciate: knowledge-based. Surely he’d want to know if his home was in danger? She dropped her tail a little bit, then opened her blind eye and blinked. “It shouldn’t reach here,” she added. 


(This post was last modified: Sep 28, 2018, 11:59 PM by Lae.)

note to self: this is before the OTB fire

I don't care if heaven won't take me back

Askan's ears perked. That wasn't a word he heard often, if at all. He knew what a fire was, in theory, but he'd never seen one with his own eyes. And frankly, he was fine with that. He was aware of the fact that it was a force of destruction, that it could kill any and all who were unfortunate to be in it's path, but aside from that, well, he'd be lucky if he never learned more than that. It was such a shame he wasn't a terribly lucky soul...

"I see..." Was all he said in response to her troubling words.

He followed her line of sight, to the east where in distance the terrain transitioned from green to orange. It was strange really, that he'd found her in the Red Fern Forest, surrounded by death and loss when that's exactly what she'd been fleeing from. Fate always seemed to do that, shove whatever you were fleeing from right in your face, just because it could. Hopefully, as she said, the fire wouldn't reach these parts. Askan had no idea what they'd do if it did...

Askan drew to a stop. Before them laid the communal den. It didn't seem like much, just a crack the rock, worn and corroded till it formed an entry way large enough to cater to the comes and goings of a very busy pack. Appearances were deceiving, the inside of the den was wide and spacious, a mini cavern with it's floor coated with furs and moss. Homely as a den could be.

"So this is the main den, everyone usually sleeps here. If you want to dig out a den yourself feel free, you don't have to sleep here. I don't always. " He shrugged, after all he did enjoy sleeping in his own private den with his mate. Though with winter drawing ever closer he knew he'd sleep in the main den more often than not, just to keep warm.

"Any questions so far?" He turned to her with an arched brow. It wasn't complicated or even that much to take in, but he supposed he wanted them both to be on the same page.

OOC: Lae's exit unless Askan stops her

a dream within a dream

Everything was straightforward. The old lady had a bad memory, but she couldn’t forget the location of the main den. It was all she needed. She knew she wouldn’t stray far from it, or from the falls. It was her home now, and most likely where she’d die. When the large man took her around, she made sure to remember each step- especially the main den. She would not bother to make her own den, especially with the winter approaching. She would faithfully sleep there every night, right at dusk.




She had no concerns, no questions. Everything she wanted to learn she would in time. When he spoke up again, she simply shook her head no. There was no point in wasting his time asking useless things. She would learn by observing if there was another alpha, how many members in the pack they had, what was expected of her. It would all come naturally. She would much rather learn that way than by asking. Her lips were sealed, and her attention was waning. It was apparent she was tired, physically and mentally exerted. She glimpsed at the main den from the corner of her eye, itching to go in and nap.




She thanked her leader by waving her tail in appreciation and reaching out to place her cold wet nose against his scruff in submission. Then, she began to walk away.

I don't care if heaven won't take me back

It seemed as though they were about done here. Askan had no intention or desire to drag this out and honestly, Lae looked as though she needed a moment or two to rest up. The Edge Lord would not deny her that, he could put her to work tomorrow or the day after that. Either way she would settle in at the Shallows, hopefully within a day or two. He knew his fellow packmates weren't always super social but as long as they got along well enough he was content to leave them be. With a flick of his tail he waved himself off.

"Later." He rumbled, knowing full well that he'd find her again sometime soon. For now he had other duties to attend to, least of all to inform Reyes of their new recruit.

Fade