Whisper Marsh home is where the heart is

The humidity was enough to suck the air from his lungs, but Ruiko cared little. Ranger’s disappearance had made the rogue search harder for a place to claim as his own, and after his discussion with Kinis, the male had scourged the lands of Relic Lore, looking for the one place he wanted to call his. He wasn’t sure what he desired in a pack land, but Ruiko was a wolf that would know the minute he found it.

The tawny wolf’s large paws strode through the Marsh, his stoical features drinking in the land before him. The creamy fur of his limbs remained slick with the wet and mud, while the consistent buzz of grasshopper’s stirred his annoyance. The land was far too open for his liking – he wanted to settle the pack in a place where there was plenty of shelter for their safety, and so far the Thicket stood out in his mind. Ranger had loved it there, and just for spite, Ruiko was tempted to just plant one big ol’ pack there.. and when she came crawling back, he would send her right back out on her ass.

With the sun beating down upon his golden fur, the male felt summer was just around the corner. He was finally ready to settle down, and he intended to do it before the next full moon.

Apparently, she was a glutton for punishment. The white female sighed as she moved carefully into the marshes to the south of Grizzly Hollow. The last time she had come into these wetlands, her life had shortened considerably. At least now she had somewhere dry to curl up and sleep, having been allowed back into the pack lands of Grizzly Hollow. While she had been granted access - she still didn't consider herself a part of the pack - after all, aside from sparse meetings with the other wolves, Vlarindara had done her best to avoid them to try and keep their lands safe. But, that didn't answer why she had come back to the marshes.

Lowering her nose, she inspected the footing in front of her intently before even stepping out onto it, not wishing to have another mishap into the flash sand.. No thank you. The white female trotted a ways into the marsh, intent on exploring it further to have SOMETHING of note to report to the alphas - that was.. until the moving shape of another wolf brought her to a halt. His pelt seemed.. familiar to a degree, but if it was that strange male from before - she hadn't had a good run in with him the first time they'd met. Her plumed tail shifted slightly around her heels, amber eyes focused on the male as she stopped, lowering her head to show she meant him no threat...Perhaps he wouldn't notice her and continue on his way?

His eyes were intent upon the ground now, scanning the wetter patches of grass and sad with minor interest. It seemed strange to him that this place would hold plenty prey, and yet he could see fresh hoof tracks that argued pointedly against his theory. Feeling a light pang within his stomach at the thought of a meal, the large beast was about to follow the prints to see if the creature would lead him to anywhere of interest when a flash of white caught his peripheral vision.

Guarded, the hefty male swung his muzzle to the side, his bright eyes catching upon the somewhat familiar figure of an ivory she-wolf. His pelt bristled lightly at the intrusion, and by instinct his figure shifted to reveal his dominance, despite the neutrality of the land they stood upon. It took a moment to place her, yet his features remained perfectly guarded as recognition settled upon him. She was one of the two wolves that had stumbled across him in the Springs not very long ago. “You’re protector seems to be missing,” he spoke dryly, his muzzle canting slightly.

<b>"Oh...I.. He's not my protector.. I just ran into him that day...I haven't spoken with him since."</b> Vlarindara's posture made it obvious that she was incredebly nervous around this other wolf..crouching and tucking her tail tightly between her legs as her ears laced back against her neck. <b>"I'm sorry that we bothered you that day..I hadn't intended to intrude on your rest or your meal."</b> The white female watched him inquisitively, her eyes widened as she seemed to be waiting for a blow of some kind to fall and hit her smack on the head.

She was submissive to him; a posture that he had not seen in what appeared to be time enough since his reign at Swift River had ended. A rumbling growl of pleasure escaped his muzzle as his eyes blatantly raked her slender ivory figure, not realizing how much he had missed the position of dominance until now. Ruiko, scenting her fear and stirred by it hungrily, prowled forward, his golden limbs moving with fitting stealth for his size and strength. He moved to her side then, his figure only a hair’s length from her pretty form as he intimately curled his side close to hers – not quite touching, but his breath flickering the hair along her nape. “How did you entice a male to be so protective over you on a first meeting, temptress?” His question was spoken dryly, though bemusement briefly flickered in his eyes. He ignored her apology – their interruption to his meal had barely ruffled his feathers.. mostly, Ruiko had been more interested in testing the other male’s challenge then anything else. Now, he had the pleasure of toying with the she-wolf the male had been so adamant about protecting earlier.

(This post was last modified: Jul 10, 2011, 02:31 PM by Ruiko.)

She didn't really know what to do.. as he approached her, she seemed to cringe further back into herself, a soft whine escaping her closed lips when the ruffling touch of his breath on her neck sifted through the fine, white hairs. Vlarindara froze, knowing that as he was just as large as her - if not more so.. she would surely lose should it come to a bout.. And he was far too close to her neck for comfort.. She was confused at his questioning, how she could be called Temptress - that confused her the most. When it was obvious he wished her to answer, Vlarindara swallowed past her fear and stepped backwards and away from him..

Perhaps it was instinct..perhaps it was simply that she didn't trust him that close to her.. but she put two steps distance between them, turning to face the male quietly. Her posture was still submissive, but not as terrified as it had been previously - her tail still tucked between her legs..ears still folded back against her neck, but her head was higher, held level with her shoulders instead of lowered. "I wouldn't know... I'm not a male." Vlarindara wasn't sure of why the males tended to try and protect her - Borden... Angier.. Daedelus.. What was it? She simply didn't understand - though the only wolves she'd come close to reciprocating with had been Borden and Angier.. neither of which were available to her now - though stars help her.. she was praying for one of the two at this moment...So very far out of her comfort zone.

It had been awhile since the tawny regal had felt this liberated – Ranger had stolen a part of him that had subdued his usual nature, and while Ruko had always remained his dark and rugged self, without her by his side, he no longer felt the need to hold himself back towards others. In this very moment, the shying form of the delicate ivory she-wolf before him only stirred his desire to prove that he was the wolf in charge.

But she was not so submissive as to maintain his almost touch, and as the girl shifted backwards with obvious defiance to his presence, Ruiko could barely contain the grin that threatened to pass across his inked lips. Her steps were like a skylark -- a graceful dance of frolic. She intrigued him. Her words only stole a sardonic snort from his flaring nostrils, and the tawny male gave a casual shrug of his shoulders, not attempting to close the distance between them again. “I have yet to fully understand the female mind,” he decided aloud, his tail giving an idle flick as Ranger once more stole in to his thoughts. No, he would never understand why she had played him so, only to leave once more. “But I suppose that’s because we were never meant to.”

What was his angle!? Vlarindara frowned, unsure of herself and wanting to return to Grizzly Hollow where she was relatively safe from males who wanted to encroach in her personal space. Though, it was obvious to the white female that this wolf held himself with a power and poise she'd only seen in alpha wolves leading packs. She had to wonder what pack he led.. and where it was.. and why he was trying to bother her.

The wolf shifted nervously, but was slowly finding her backbone - while they weren't in Grizzly Hollow Territory, that didn't mean she couldn't at least show some spirit.. He would NOT intimidate her now. Sure.. he was as large as she was.. but that didn't mean she didn't have an edge should he decide to attack her. At least, now that she'd put some distance between them. Vlarindara shifted her ears forwards, the pointed tips rotating towards Ruiko - her tail uncurling from between her legs and shifting to rest between her heels. No.. she would not simply allow him to bully her. It wouldn't be done. "And we were never meant to understand the male psyche. If it makes you feel any better."

With each passing moment the girl seemed to become more and more assertive; her fear slowly shriveled to nothing as her tail unfurled from beneath her legs, fanning out behind her like a proud banner. Ruiko’s hackles bristled to her motions, but he was also pleased; it seemed she was far less the pushover that he had initially envisioned. “No, it doesn’t,” he bluntly responded, his muzzle canting slightly at her words. “Why should it?”

His initial thoughts of intimidating the girl who’s protector was missing vanished as he became far more interested in studying her. A scar ran angrily down her muzzle, and the male’s gaze became fixated upon this blemish for a second too long to be considered polite. Glancing back to her eyes, Ruiko straightened himself. “You smell of cedars. Are you from Borden’s pack?”

The slight bristling of his hackles was met by the bristling of her own, her head lowering just a smidge - plumed tail shifting slightly, the 'feathers' getting rustled by the gentle wind. "Yes. I was the Second of Grizzly Hollow." Amber eyes focused on Ruiko's, a tiny warning growl trickling between her lips at his scrutiny of her scar. "If you are a friend of Bordens, then allow me to escort you to the pack borders and I will call him.. so that you may speak with him." She didn't know about this wolf, nor did she trust him - but by god, Vlarindara intended to keep the wolf FIRMLY where she could see him now that he had mentioned her pack...Having lost her place as Second had not been enough to diminish her protective streak over those she had sworn to do so over.