Heartleaf Creek give up the ghost

Volkan Aquila was one year old. She had dark fur, bright eyes, and no idea where she was going.

The sun overhead would have fooled even the smartest of wolves into thinking the day would eventually turn warm. Morning had just crept through the trees, though it was a quiet awakening; despite the sweet, wet smell of spring that lingered in these foreign woods, there were no insects or birds to which Volkan could listen as she entered Relic Lore for the first time. In fact, her pawfalls in the thin snow were the only sounds to break the silence as she picked her way carefully but lightly over fallen branches and between barren tree trunks.

She hadn't really considered the fact that setting off alone was practically a death wish. Yeah, she could "fend for herself" the way that any yearling might have thought she could - yeah, she could catch a rabbit or two here and there. But it had been <i>so</i> many days and nights since she'd tasted caribou, or any sort of meat that she'd hunted with someone else to catch.

As she ducked under a particularly low-hanging tree branch and stepped as quietly as she could into a small clearing surrounding a creek, Volkan had a stark realization.

<b>"I'm gonna have to <i>talk to</i> someone, aren't I,"</b> she muttered to herself, pale blue eyes slowly tracing the line on the snowy ground where the bank met the creek. Then, without hesitation, she bounded forward, stopping short before the ice. No drinking water <i>here</i> - she'd have to move onward... sooner or later, she would have to meet someone. And everything would begin again.

But for now, taking a brief moment to look around, she... liked this place. This spot, right here, something about it was different. It was peaceful. So, for the first time since she'd left her home, Volkan stopped running. And for the first time, she didn't feel the urge to look over her shoulder.

(This post was last modified: Mar 09, 2011, 06:06 PM by Volkan.)

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Ruiko hadn’t trailed far from the thicket and Ranger, but it was far enough that worry was a companion on his shoulder during this small trip. It was the thick of breeding season, and his ebony companions scent was slowly wearing down his resolve to be responsible and wait for them to claim a land and settle before impregnating her, and so the regal wolf had decided to take a walk and clear this irresponsible thought from his mind. Before the sun had even kissed the horizon with morning light, Ruiko had traced his muzzle along the top of Ranger’s head in a farewell kiss, murmuring a promise of his quick return. With that, the Tainn male stalked off in the direction of the Creek, for it was an area he had always enjoyed.

As daylight began to flood Relic Lore with the promise of a beautiful day, Ruiko was reminded that winter still had a harsh grasp on the land before them as a chilled gust of wind blew past, ruffling the golden brown of his pelt. Trailing the course of the creek, the rogue cast a glance down to the frozen waters every so often, anxious for the season that would thaw the land and bring back the leaves on the trees and more importantly, the abundance of prey.

With the wind sweeping past every so often, Ruiko became aware of another’s scent nearby. It was decidedly a wolf, and a female. Not hesitating in his steps to switch directions, as he normally would have just to avoid having to deal with a stranger, the male continued on his way. Within moments, the dark figure of the stranger came to view, and while Ruiko made no effort to call out to the she-wolf, he did stop for a moment, his muzzle bending down to lap gently at a small break on the surface of the ice to quench his thirst.

The way the soft wind eased through the empty branches surrounding her cleared Volkan's mind. The breeze was bitingly cool, yet just gentle enough to awaken her senses. So when another wolf entered the scene nearby, the young female wasn't startled. Instead, she simply turned to look at him, the ice in her eyes glinting as she slowly turned her head. Her thick tail gave a light swish as she gave herself a moment to inhale his scent; he had a certain impressive quality about him, and Volkan felt a nagging sense of inferiority as she observed him from her short distance.

Yet within a few brief seconds the excitement of discovering a new wolf hit her - and keeping her recent realization in mind, she toyed with the idea of saying hello. Her heart began racing as she fought to look back at the ice at her paws. But this failed, and she succeeded only in glancing back and forth between her paws and the stranger fervently.

Abandoning their unspoken vow of silence, Volk rode the wave of her nerves and allowed her paws to carry herself in his direction swiftly, all while a voice inside her head chastised her. <i>You don't know him, he probably doesn't even want to talk to you, look, he's not even smiling-- shit, what if he's an Alpha--</i>

<b>"...Hi,"</b> she offered at last, stopping a few wolf-lengths away from him, wearing a polite yet somewhat forced smile. <b>"Um. I'm--"</b> What. A stranger? A wanderer? In exile? Some dumb kid? Being so close to him, she could take in his height for the first time, how tall he stood compared to her. And he was older than she was. Instantly she felt small, but she held her ground, tail brushing her heels quickly. <b>"Sorry to bother you. I was just wondering what this place was called, is all. I mean, if you <i>know</i>."</b>

Aaaand, off to a great start already.

(This post was last modified: Mar 10, 2011, 01:04 AM by Volkan.)

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Ruiko was generally an untrusting fellow, and so when the dark stranger took notice of his presence, the large male felt his hackles bristle in response, though he still paid her little heed. She was a rogue much like himself, and while he would eventually establish a pack in the lands of Relic Lore, he felt no need to begin to find himself potential members just yet.

The water was excessively cold on his tongue, and the regal male paused a moment in his ministrations, allowing his jaws to become accustom to the sensory shock. Despite such, his drink was refreshing, and seemed to push the Tainn from his drowsy sleepiness to a more wakeful state.

Pulling back, small droplets of water pooled upon Ruiko's cream chin before his tongue smoothed over his lips. From his peripheral vision, the regal lone wolf caught sight of the stranger approaching, and with a brazen glance, the male allowed his bright amber eyes to gleam over her smaller figure. He was surprised at how closely she seemed to Ranger's appearance, though he kept silent for now. Her paused greeting stirred a blank blink from the male -- his feature a stony mask, but in turn, Ruiko inclined his muzzle lightly. "Hi," he mirrored with a drawl, his shoulders relaxing as the she-wolf proved she wanted no conflict. Her question was random, but strangely Ruiko welcomed it more than the overrated 'how are you today' statements. "Heartleaf Creek," he responded.

Realizing that her question might have seemed rude, Volkan stared at him as she waited for a response. Luckily, she got a <i>"Hi."</i> which neither confirmed nor denied that the guy was happy to see her. Yet his posture seemed neutral enough, and while it wasn't friendly, the female felt a little less threatened. She smiled somewhat weakly at him, not sure what else to say as he answered her question. Heartleaf Creek, eh? The yearling craned her neck to look around her momentarily, as if doing so would reveal the reasoning behind the name.

<b>"...Thanks,"</b> she said tentatively, after a short pause. <b>"Heartleaf Creek. Cool. That means nothing to me..."</b> The last phrase was spoken under her breath. She'd secretly hoped that when he revealed the area's name, he'd trigger some sort of recognition in her mind - but the name was lost on her, of course, and she realized for the first time that she was rather far from home.

And that was a good thing, right? Slowly she stepped back from the male. Unsure of what to do or say next, she made herself face the creek, remembering that he'd just taken a drink from it. Glad he'd found a break in the ice, she gestured toward it with her muzzle and looked back at him for approval. <b>"Do you... mind if I have a drink? Thought this thing was all ice. But... it's not... but you know that already..."</b> she trailed off, shrugging more to herself than to him.

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A rather meek smile was cast his way, though the agouti male did not return the emotion. As he offered her the name of the territory, the youthful she-wolf cast a quick glance about her, as if studying her current whereabouts. It was clear she had not been in Relic Lore long, and Ruiko vaguely mused how long she would stay in the lands. Relic Lore was his home, it was all he knew.. but what was the appeal from the perspective of a traveling wolf?

She muttered a few words lowly, but the small distance between them kept the regal lone wolf from hearing exactly what she spoke, though a light frown threatened to pull upon his stoical features. Half tempted to ask her to repeat what she had just said, the dark female instead asked his permission for a drink. Barely able to hide his amusement at this question, Ruiko gave a light incline of his muzzle in the false imitation of a gentleman (which he was far from) and lightly gave a small side step from the creek.

Giving her the room she had wanted, the hefty beast continued to regard her with mild curiosity, allowing her to quench her thirst. "I assume you haven't been in Relic Lore for very long," he mused in assumption, despising small conversations such as this.

When the male stepped aside and gestured that it was alright for her to drink, the young female moved to where he'd been standing and found the break in the ice with the tip of her nose. Instantly she was drinking: first slowly, then lapping it up as though it were her lifeblood. Traveling, it was hard to find water like this; there were small creeks here and there to the south, but this tasted so clean and pure...

The cold water was a wake-up call for her, and she straightened up after a few moments, turning her attention immediately to the male so he'd know she hadn't missed his question. <b>"Nope,"</b> she replied matter-of-factly, no sooner than she had swallowed her last gulp of water. Relic Lore. Heartleaf Creek. This sure was a whimsical sounding place, huh? It seemed... fitting. The way the barren treetops filtered the sunlight and cast shadows on the white ground. This silent creek. This big, unsmiling dude. It wasn't home, but it was the next best thing.

<b>"From the South, where it's definitely not as cold,"</b> she continued. Pssh, of course this guy wouldn't think it was cold out. He was basically thick fur and muscle. He looked like he could stand in a blizzard for hours unflinching -- Volk lifted her brows at him idly and a little awkwardly, letting out a small sigh. <b>"I'm assuming you <i>have</i>. Lemme guess, are you the Alpha here or something?"</b>

Having been born to an Alpha pair, Volkan was somewhat of a stranger to the respect normally paid to dominant-seeming wolves in foreign territories.

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The male’s eyes followed the she-wolf’s lithe form, wondering what she would have said if he had simply said ‘no’ to her request for a drink. As a newcomer to the land of Relic Lore, she likely wouldn’t have been able to dispute if he told her these lands were his; spare that his scent was not thick enough upon the air. Ruiko, as much as he enjoyed stirring trouble and irking others, remained silent as she she-wolf drank, instead taking the friendly route as it just seemed easier to deal with. His patience only stretched so far, especially on quiet days such as these.

The stranger offered where she was from, causing a low sardonic snort to escape the male’s nostrils. She found it cold? “You’re going to have a hard time when we’re in the heart of winter then,” he mused with a flick of his tail, wondering why anyone would stray so far from their birth home if they disliked the conditions they were wandering to. “I have,” he agreed shortly, though not offering any more information on the topic. Had he wore his emotions on his sleeve, so to speak, the regal Tainn could have weaved the tale of his birth pack at Hidden Tree, and the horrors he and his family faced as they were divided when their home burnt to the ground. But he didn’t, and as stoical as Ruiko was, he was also protective of himself. It was none of her business, to put it simply. Her next question caused the hefty male’s shoulders to shrug, choosing to not be stung by her words as his recent title strip from Swift River was still very much on his mind. “Not anymore,” he replied with dark amusement, his muzzle canting slightly.

<blockquote>She studied him as he responded, and while she couldn't quite place it, something in his face seemed to soften. Oh wait – that was just what she was hoping would happen. On a second glance up at his stoic visage, Volkan resolved that this wolf was simply speaking to her and nothing more. The yearling supposed it was appropriate, given that they'd just met and were basically complete strangers. For now, he was being as polite as she could have asked him to be, and that was all. She'd have to take what she could get.

<i>"Not anymore,"</i> the male said, and Volkan met his amused expression with one of slight confusion. <b>"Uh – sorry to hear that,"</b> she responded, a little taken aback; she hadn't exactly been expecting that one. So that meant she was cool here, right? Was this guy no longer part of a pack, then? Or just... not the alpha anymore? Whatever the case, he didn't seem to mind Volkan being here, and as long as she wasn't trespassing, she didn't have any reason for concern.

She thought about pushing the conversation further and asking what had happened to make this guy fall out of rank, but thought better at the last moment. Instead, her mouth, hanging open in silence, clicked shut with a loss for words before she spoke again. Time to change the topic, she supposed. <b>"...I'm a rogue, too,"</b> she added at length, as if it would be any consolation – if he even needed one. Like he would, from some little brat of a stranger. <b>"I mean... I guess it's not that bad. Just gets lonely sometimes, don't you think?"</b> By now she had come to feel a little awkward just standing before him, and was aimlessly nosing around the ground to her left.</blockquote>

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His words seemed to throw her off slightly – a reaction he enjoyed, if only to keep the usual monotonous meet and greet discussions at bay. Her apology only stirred a light shrug of the large male’s shoulders, though he found himself pleasantly surprised that she did not question what happened – for that would have been what many wolves who liked to dig their nose in to others business would have done.

The direction of conversation changed slightly, and at the girl’s declaration the male gave a light snort. He had gathered she was a lone wolf – there were only three small packs in Relic Lore, and she seemed very unfamiliar with the lands. Her query was not something he had truly expected, and in turn, the tawny wolf reclined to his haunches – revealing he was in no rush to end their meeting. “No,” he responded gruffly, his eyes grazing over the girl who absently reminded him of Ranger. “But I travel with two others.” Ranger was a constant companion at his side, and when the time was right, he would take her as his own. She was a regal she-wolf, one who would easily hold her place at his side as a leader. Kinis however, came and went as he pleased – which both pleased and worried the rogue. It was good that his youthful brother was discovering the lands and those within it, but Ruiko, if he could ever feel a paternal bond to another, felt it with the young Tainn, and was only comforted fully when Kinis was with them. “Why don’t you settle somewhere?” It seemed strange to him that the girl had yet to seek acceptance in a pack if she was lonely – it was the natural way of the wolf.