don't think twice

For GHers to meet Crux. All welcome. :]
<blockquote>The day was absolutely dreary; though the large, light-colored male found the temperature pleasant as he arrived at Grizzly Hollow with a hare in his jaws, he had been hoping for a little sunlight today. Yet he supposed the clouds provided a decent break from the heat. Perhaps today would be the day he would meet some of his new packmates, wherever they might be. He did find it a little strange that so far, Jaysyek was the only wolf he had met who called this place home. And yet, he had little room to criticize, for he knew that the pack required his allegiance no matter how small, and he wasn't about to break his pledge to the beautiful white female with mismatched eyes. As long as there was a pack here to serve, Crux would serve it.

The rabbit in his jaws enticed him; its blood stained his normally pristine face as he carried it beneath twisted branches, a fact he forced himself not to think about. As soon as he dropped it, he would lick his chops clean, standing and simply taking in the scenery with a self-confident <span class='word'>panache</span>. He wasn't going to howl again; he hoped dearly that someone else would be in the area, and if that wolf happened to by Jaysyek, then he would certainly feel like an imbecile for howling twice in the same manner as before. No, he would let them come to him. In the meantime, he abandoned the rabbit briefly to trot around the place, acquainting himself better with the immediate area.</blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Sep 13, 2011, 06:22 PM by Crux.)

<blockquote>She probably wasn't supposed to be here right now. Her siblings were all off being watched by someone or the other, she couldn't remember and nor did she care. All she knew was that, when they had been summoned, she had wanted to sleep more. Perhaps her spontaneous decision the other day, to follow her mother, was affecting her; when she thought that their mentor was least observant, the small Lyall had snuck back to the den for a sleep. Ah, rebellion never felt so relaxing.

When the smell of food swam through her dreams, Trisden - now hungry - had been coaxed back into the world of the waking. Automatically assuming that it was either her mother, Elettra or Raigo come with a meal, she snapped to attention, marching from the empty den with purpose. It had been kinda weird sleeping in there without her family, anyway. This was better.

To her surprise, she saw nobody around - but there the rabbit was, clear as anything, delicious and <i>right there</i>. She peeked about, left and right, and thought nothing of the strange smell in the air. Her stomach was in control now. Shrugging, she hopped over to the small corpse, figuring that it was a Grizzly Hollow meal, and she was a Grizzly Hollow wolf, so it made mathematical sense, right? Mmm, it was a fresh one too.</blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Sep 14, 2011, 08:47 PM by Trisden.)

<blockquote>After a moment, Crux heard what he could swear was the faint sound of someone moving nearby. Unfazed, as he knew what was likely to happen after leaving a fresh kill out in the open unattended, the newest addition to Grizzly Hollow lowered his head to peer through the leaves of a low-hanging branch. What he saw drew half of his maw into a smile; a puppy, a little girl, had pranced over to the hare. Inwardly the male kicked himself for not having realized that pups would be nearby; Jaysyek had mentioned that he'd better like kids, and where else would they be, if not in the Grizzly Hollow denning ground? While he watched her with a bemused smile, he felt his nerves tingle at the imminent consequence of his being in the presence of this puppy alone. Most pack wolves, if not mothers themselves, probably wouldn't be thrilled at the idea of a pup being alone with a newcomer to the pack. Yet Crux stepped through the trees slowly, not wanting to startle her, with his head and tail low to the ground in an attempt to signal that he wasn't a threat.

<b>"Hello,"</b> he said softly, though not as gently as he'd have liked— he hadn't dealt with pups practically ever, having only encountered them in passing, and realized that he had no idea how to handle a situation like this. <b>"That's a nice hare, isn't it? I just brought it here minutes ago, but I'm not hungry, so feel free to have it to yourself."</b> His words were friendly, but it was clear that Crux would have talked to her the same as he would have comforted a newborn; he had no idea of the mental capacity or possible lackthereof that this female would possess, and so, felt utterly stupid as he gestured toward the kill in hopes of reassuring her that it was free for her to eat.

He wasn't sure how she would react, and the uncertainty of the situation was beginning to wear ever so slightly on his nerves. Somewhat anxiously, his emerald gaze was cast around the scene, scanning the trees or and the den entrance for any sign of a charging, angry guardian to this little female. If the wrong wolf came along, he might be in for a fight for simply having been at the wrong place at the wrong time. But he <i>did</i> have the pack scent, so even though he was a stranger, he hoped any passersby wouldn't accuse him unnecessarily of endangering the kid. Awkwardly, he stood there, alternating between watching her and glancing around the area. Hopefully things wouldn't persist in this way— he'd hoped to run into another pack wolf, but not quite like this.</blockquote>

<blockquote>Her jaws had been open, salivation having long kicked in, but she was to be denied the bite. Instead came a surprise; because there were so few staple wolves in Trisden's life, she knew the sound of their voices as well as she knew her own, and this voice was not one of them. Dread momentarily pulsing through her, she took a protective step over the dead rabbit even as she turned to face the stranger as he emerged from the nearby woodland. Who was this, and why was he so close to their den? And -

She listened with blatant confusion as he spoke, subconsciously wondering why he sounded faintly special. He brought it here? But, she was welcome to have it? Trisden frowned, but then a thought occurred to her, and she took a step towards him, nose in the air.

All it took was one quick inhale to conclude that he smelt of the pack - smelt of her mother - and Trisden relaxed, though it was only a partial answer. <b>"Who are you?"</b> she asked, quite matter-of-factly, her trepidation evaporating. Remembering her original intent, she turned her side to him, licking the fur of the limb corpse so as to rekindle her hunger. It didn't take long. <b>"Do you live here now? You smell like my mother."</b> She at least had the courtesy to finish her questions before placing her paw on its leg and biting into its belly.</blockquote>

<blockquote>As Crux watched her for her reaction, she did the worst thing he could have imagined that she would do; he watched, almost in slow motion, as she moved to guard the kill like it was her own. Cute. Dangerous. He expected her to howl and yelp in fear of being faced with such a large stranger, expected the troops to come charging in to save her— but she just seemed to pause for a moment, figuring out that he was part of the pack after all, and as she relaxed, he did as well.

At her question he couldn't help but grin; she had returned her attention to the kill, and the Subordinate silently thanked her for keeping her cool. As she began to eat, he stepped closer, in a small way fascinated by the way a puppy went about eating. For him, the rabbit would be gone in a few snaps of less than satisfactory meat, but for her, it was probably a nice treat; he hadn't realized how interesting young wolves were, as much as he had wanted to spend more time with them in his recent adult years.

<b>"Well, my name is Crux,"</b> he responded gently, <b>"And yes, I do live here now. Your mother found me not too far from here and was gracious enough to give me a home in this pack."</b> That was, assuming her mother was Jaysyek. The leader would be the only female in the pack to have pups, right? He studied her closely for a moment; he thought he could see a resemblance between the girl and the pale-furred wolf with mismatched eyes. Tilting his head, his smile faded, a hint of that bad feeling he had moments before creeping into his mind again— what if someone still came along and didn't believe that he wasn't doing any harm? He stared, watching her eat, glad at least that he had given her meat. <b>"What's your name, kid?"</b></blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Sep 15, 2011, 09:18 PM by Crux.)

<blockquote>Attention now largely devoted to the rabbit, Trisden was robbed of the chance to observe this large stranger's expressions. As she ripped into it with her slender jaws, not being too precious about the matter at all, she kept one ear turned towards the wolf at all times. One, two mouthfuls, and her head came back up so she could chew and work the stringy flesh with her tongue as she watched him. Just because mother let him stay didn't make him any less of a stranger, but Trisden trusted her mother implicitly. She wouldn't let a bad wolf harm them - no indeed, and Trisden was proudly reminded of the excursion with her mother to scent the borders. They kept all trouble creatures out, yes.

She listened politely, with rabbit blood clinging to her fur, digesting his words. She was pleased by his offer of a name, but then instantly bristled. <b>"Don't call me kid!"</b> she snapped, lifting her head high as if it made a difference; it was unlikely she even came to his chest. She snarled at him for a moment, completely unimpressed with the massive size difference, her teeth little more than needles. <b>"My mum's leader, and one day I'll be leader, and then I'll call <i>you</i> kid."</b> The outburst was short-lived, and she quickly calmed, though the lofty, childish arrogance remained in her eyes. Another bite of meat was required; he could wait a few more seconds, she could <i>make</i> him wait. She might have been a child, but she was Jaysyek's child, and in her eyes that was as good as royalty.

<b>"My name is Trisden Lyall,"</b> she replied after swallowing, her nose in the air again. <b>"And you's better remember it."</b></blockquote>

<blockquote>The white pup bounced along, quite happy. She had a full tummy, and was actually feeling a little groggy because of it. So she had told her guardian she was headed back to the den ready to nap.

Skipping through the tall brush, she hummed a happy melody, but soon stopped dead in her tracks. She could see that near the den was a stranger. Her blood almost seemed to freeze in her little body, she couldn't move because she thought to turn around, go back for help. Suddenly she heard the voice of her sister, and Lettie quietly as she could sneeked closer.

Her bright colored eyes saw that not only was Trisden laying down eating a hare unafraid, but her ears could hear her speaking to him in a tone she'd never heard out of her. Was she insane? She was going to get eaten or something. Wide ears flatten back, and large paw takes a step. What would mother do? Where was mother? Tilting her head back she let out a howl, which honestly sounded more a rabbit being skinned alive. That would get Mom, Elettra, and Raigo here wouldn't it?

She couldn't hide now, and knew she needed to stand by her sister. Two was better than one right? She scurries from the brush to the more open area of the pack den. Brows are folded against her eyes, scrutinizing the stranger with green-yellow eyes. She did not know him, and she really did need to...but wait, she could smell mom on him? What did that mean? Without taking her eyes off him she scrambled over to her sister. <b><i>"'ot aw ou doin'?"</b></i> she whispers, her tone indicating she thought she was nuts.</blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Oct 08, 2011, 04:50 AM by Arlette.)

"Trisdan- watch it." The words were a sharp snap, a tone of dominance and correction as she spoke them, as though offering a motherly paw of rights over the child. Yet there was nothing of a motherly lady in Elettra. She had done much of her part caring for the children, though had much rather done this keeping her distance. Whilst Raigo would take the role of playing with the kids and talking to them as a woman might, Elettra took just the opposite, feeding Jays when the children were too young to leave their den and still nursing, as well as guarding the den whilst then children rest and her leadess needed a moment alone. Still with her time devoted to the upbringing of the new pack generation, Elettra even in her age of three had yet to feel the need for children of her own; to break away and found a pack just for the reasons to stay a family. In fact, she had yet to even find a man of interest, much less one interested to her. "Yes, what are you doing?" She would repeat as she questioned Trisdan in the same fashion her sister had, easing her way towards the still growing pair, though nearly at six months and ready to start hunting for themselves anytime soon. If they were to survive the winter, they would be grown before they knew it. Still, their future was uncertain, for princesses they may be, leadership was hard to nearly impossible for a lone leadess without a figurehead to lean upon. Trisdan's disillusion for leadership was questionable to El, granted if anyone would be heir to the throne, it would be Hocus but without his father, who knew what may become on that. Of course, none of this went spoken to the children, who needed not worry of political affairs, nor did she speak it to the new wolf (who she only looked to now) whilst he was still but a stranger to her.

(This post was last modified: Oct 01, 2011, 08:28 PM by Elettra.)

<blockquote>Oof. He should've known the kid wouldn't like being called a kid; pups her age were always so big-headed, or at least that's how the large male had always imagined them to be. Her indignant reaction caused his brows to lift, his expression betraying his bewilderment. The reasoning of children was completely foreign to him. Yet she had revealed that she was indeed the offspring of Jaysyek. At least he had been right about that part. He watched her take another bite, shifting his weight slightly, awkwardly, before she finally introduced herself. <b>"Trisden,"</b> he repeated, holding back a chuckle, indicating that he would indeed remember it. Her attitude was adorable, disarmingly so— but he knew it wouldn't be so cute after five more minutes of her acting bossy like this.

Before he could contemplate it further, another pup's cry sounded from nearby, and she revealed herself moments later, rushing over to Trisden and whispering something incomprehensible. Clearly, she was apprehensive. Crux supposed he didn't blame her, and that the first puppy's bravery was simply a unique quality among wolves their age. Lifting a paw, the white Subordinate tried to appear jovial, hoping to assure them that he meant no harm, but the newcomer's aversion to him was tickling at his nerves, and he felt a flash of anxiety before an adult finally appeared.

It was a female, and at seeing her, he relaxed slightly; she wasn't Jaysyek. She was quite different from Jaysyek actually: dark-colored fur, pale eyes. Clearly a guardian of the pups, but not an offended or dangerous-looking one. Finally, someone he could explain himself to without having to wonder how a pup would interpret his words. Lowering his posture respectfully, the large male bent his head down in a dip of greeting to the female. <b>"Afternoon,"</b> he drawled, a somewhat crooked smile crossing his face. <b>"I'm Crux. I'm glad you've come; I was hoping to be introduced to you before too much time passed. Although it seems I've already met the friendliest member of Grizzly Hollow,"</b> he remarked at last, unsure whether or not Trisden would notice the small yet good-natured joke being made at her expense. From the dark female's actions, it seemed she was already aware of the pup's strong little personality.</blockquote>

<blockquote>Aw, but she totally had it all under control. He had just acknowledged her name when a familiar soft howl rang out nearby, and Trisden's heart sank when she realised what was about to happen. Her face was already scrunching into a sulk as Arlette darted forwards, questioning her judgement. Indignant and totally in the belief that she was doing nothing wrong, Trisden opened her mouth to reply, but then a rather more authoritative figure appeared.

Her jaw closed with an audible snap. She wasn't about to speak back to Elettra. Somehow, the exact same question her sister had posed was a lot more menacing coming from her mother's second. Trisden lowered her head, mumbling something about looking out for the pack, when Crux spoke up. His calm friendliness was, Trisden thought, exactly the right thing in this situation, and she looked up at him with new respect - particularly when she caught the mention of herself. Caught unaware, she innocently beamed at the compliment, ignorant of the joke behind it. No matter his intention, it gave the girl confidence to speak up after him.

<b>"I was making sure he knewed where he stood,"</b> she said firmly, lifting her chin up a fraction even as she smiled faintly - almost shyly - at Crux. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all. <b>"Being new and all. I knew what I was doin'."</b></blockquote>