Heartleaf Creek come find me

Typed this whole thing on my phone. It kept correcting Ruiko to Rhinos xP
<blockquote>As the sun set over Relic Lore, the dark yearling picked her way carefully through the forest, her nose leading her to what smelled to be the source of water. The Creek's gentle gurgle resonated from nearby. She could detect it faintly amidst the soft whisper of the wind in the leafy branches that surrounded her. Though hopeful, she wasn't sure that this was exactly the place to find the large, stoic male she'd encountered on her first day in Relic Lore; the woods looked very different now that summer had given them life, and with the brush around here being so thick, her visibility of what lay ahead was more limited this time around. Yet Volk knew of no better place to look for Ruiko. All she could hope for was that he found her here -- and if she turned up empty handed, she would have to try elsewhere.

With some luck, she reached the creek within a few moments. Crickets chimed in as the forest grew darker, and the female bent gracefully down for a short drink just as she had done months ago. This time, there was nobody around to give her permission. To herself, then aloud, she chuckled at the memory; how dumb and timid of her, asking a random stranger for a drink like that. She wondered if he would find her like this again. After a few moments of serene silence, Volk shrugged to herself, tail idly flicking her hind ankles. A slow look around failed to reveal him, so she took a few steps forward, stepping along the edge of the water. Her voice echoed in the night.

<b>"Ruiko...?"</b></blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Jul 19, 2011, 05:40 PM by Volkan.)

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Seems fitting. xD

Ruiko had spent the majority of his day by the creek; a common source of water for the fauna of Relic Lore, the tawny regal had remained in the shaded protection of the trees, watching as naïve creatures grazed by the place that concealed fierce jaws and a feral desire for the hunt. The tawny regal was content to leave them alone for now, his stomach was not rumbling with the notion of hunger, and as Kinis has become a yearling it was rare for the large male to return with a meal for his brother, who was accustom to hunting for himself now.

It had been a humid day in Relic Lore, and once the sun began to settle in the horizon, the rogue could already feel the drop in temperature. Lifting himself up, the male gave a gentle shake of his hefty figure as blades of grass floated away from his pelt. Only as Ruiko began to prowl forward did a dark flash of fur catch his gaze; a sight that instantly stirred painful memories of Ranger and how she had left them. But it was not her, and as his eyes narrowed upon the slender figure, he quickly recognized the she-wolf he had met weeks ago. He had assumed she had left, and while he was of no rush to greet her, the gentle call of his name from her feminine lips caused the tawny wolf to blink in surprise. Assuming she scented him, it was only as the large lone wolf prowled from the shadowed foliage did he realize that she had not seen him at first. Pausing mid-step, a sardonic snort escaped the male’s creamy jowls. “It’s not everyday I come to a lady’s beck and call,” he interrupted, his tail giving an idle flick.

(This post was last modified: Jul 25, 2011, 05:34 PM by Ruiko.)

<blockquote>In the thickening darkness and the muggy summer air that was just beginning to cool down, Volkan smelled the wolf she had come to find— or at least thought she did, but on second thought, realized it could have been in her head. Yeah, right, like he was gonna just waltz out of the shadows? Volkan wasn't <i>that</i> lucky—

—The soft rustle of grass piqued her attention, and her head snapped toward the sound. No, she was right, he was here. What were the chances of that? That he'd just be hanging out in the same place she'd met him the first time? Lucky though it was, Volkan wasn't surprised, and as he stepped into the moonlight, a wry grin crossed her face. She dipped her head in greeting slowly, pale eyes focusing on him as he gave her as much of a greeting as she expected.

His words made her echo his snort, the humor in what he said causing her to lift a brow. <i>Guess he hasn't changed much,</i> she mused, comfortable enough now in her surroundings and in her own skin not to have to feel timid around him. <b>"I found you,"</b> she remarked, regarding him from her short distance. Her posture fell to a more respectful one, feathery tail sweeping in a wide circle behind her slender frame, and she lowered her head and ears to make sure she didn't seem like a threat. After all, she'd come here to ask for his help, not just to annoy him.

<b>"Do you remember my name?"</b></blockquote>

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The girl seemed surprised that he had appeared, and upon her statement a wry grin twitched at the corner of the male’s lips. “So you did,” he mused in return with a flick of his tail, the tawny wolf’s large body slowing to a halt as his bright eyes scanned her over once more. It was uncanny how much she did resemble the she-wolf that had disappeared from his life after he had let her in. After he had let his guard down around her. “Question is, why were you looking for me?”

His gaze shifted back to her features, though not before noting the subtle shift of submissiveness she revealed to him. In turn, the male’s own dominant posture relaxed lightly, though he was careful to continue to hold himself regally; it was, after all, his birth right. Rihael had showed him that this was what he was to do. This was what he was here for. “I don’t,” he admitted with a shrug, his muzzle canting slightly as he waited for her to refresh his poor memory.

<blockquote>As her posture became more submissive, she watched, unerring, as Ruiko seemed to soften somewhat. Inwardly she thanked her strict upbringing for educating her on how to show submission; though they were technically equals as lone wolves, there was a possibility that that would change before too long. Or, at least she hoped.

<i>"I don't,"</i> he replied, and Volkan's wry smile didn't falter. If they'd met multiple times before, Volkan might have found herself offended, but the fact that he didn't recall her name didn't come to her as much of a surprise— in fact, she'd been expecting it. <b>"Volkan Aquila,"</b> she replied confidently, still aware that her surname's significance in Relic Lore was zero to none. Yet she'd become somewhat accustomed to introducing herself with her full name, and there wasn't any harm in it, she supposed. Her icy eyes began to scan the dark trees behind him as she went on; Heartleaf Creek looked very different during the summer, and she found herself genuinely fascinated with the large leaves that were the area's namesake.

<b>"You were the first wolf I met here in Relic Lore a while ago,"</b> she told him, unsure how much of their meeting he remembered. <b>"You told me about others, that you were traveling with some other wolves, and that if I was interested in... traveling with you, then I should come find you again."</b> She threw him a shrug, finally meeting his gaze once again with a serene smile. <b>"So. Hi."</b></blockquote>

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Their meeting had barely become a blip on his radar until the girl mentioned her name; her tone exuded confidence, and perhaps the inability to see the effect her last name stirred in the male’s bright eyes as they snapped sharply down to her once more. Aquila. Suddenly the coincidence that the girl looked like Ranger become far too obvious, and the tawny male’s lips curled up in distaste despite himself. “I don’t ever recall you stating that last name,” he shot back, attempting to remain aloof despite his failing mask of no emotions.

He allowed her to continue, though her words were now umimpressing to the imposing male; this story now sounded far too familiar. He wasn’t so hard headed to realize that Ranger’s disappearance had only affected him so bitterly because he had loved her, and Ruiko had no intention of letting another female in to his life so intimately. Yet if he offered a place in his pack to this girl, with food, shelter, and a family.. to say he would be angered by another abandonment was a far cry from the real emotion it would be. “That offer might still stand,” he began slowly, his tail giving an idle flick as he cast her a calculating glance. “But I have it on good authority that Aquila women don’t tend to stick to their word. Wanderlust gets the better of them.”

<blockquote>No sooner than her words hit the air had Ruiko's expression shifted; Volkan's pale eyes widened and then narrowed on him, refocusing on him in an attempt to maintain a connection with what was going on. Had she... offended him in some way? She was young, but she wasn't stupid, or at least she didn't think so— it was obvious that something she had said had stirred something inside him, and she left his gaze momentarily, unsure of what was going on.

As he spoke, it became clear to her that what had put him off was her last name. But— that didn't make sense. Instinctively she cocked her head, a brow lifting slowly as she uncomfortably, yet steadfastly, felt him stare her down. She caught the quick motion of his tail; hers had stopped wagging and now lay motionless as she stood like a statue before him. How could he know who she was— she was far from the Aquila clan, wasn't she? Was he... joking with her, or trying to pull one over on her? In a fleeting moment, she found the uncertainty, the apparent manipulation, irritating. Momentarily her mouth hung open as she searched for words.

<b>"<i>Excuse</i> me,"</b> she retorted after a second, her offense clear in the sharpness of her voice, though her riled-up spirit gave her youthful face an astonished smirk. "<b>You're mistaken. Unless you're... joking for some reason, but— there aren't any other 'Aquila women,"</b> she tried to explain, baffled, yet becoming increasingly more distraught as she spoke. Her words were disjointed as she struggled to piece her thoughts together; <i>what</i> was he even talking about? <b>"My old pack's really far from here... I'm sorry, but I'm sure you must be mistaken..."</b> </blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Aug 29, 2011, 06:47 PM by Volkan.)

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It would seem the tawny wolf had awoken the spitfire within the girl. At first, her reaction appeared more stunned to what his words meant, as her tail’s casual swing soon settled to a statue still. Her voice rose through the air, and Ruiko blinked at the direction of the peppered wolf who’s tone had taken a notch closer to annoyance. It surprised him that she did not know what he was talking about; Ranger had been older than this girl, but not by much.. Certainly no more than he was older than Kinis. Still, it seemed his previous paramour was not directly related to the girl before him, else Volkan would have likely known what he was talking about. A distant cousin, perhaps?

“I’m sure she walked here on her legs, just as you did,” he snorted in return, mildly amused at the notion that the young she-wolf before him believed herself the only one of her family with the ability to walk a longer distance. “Funny, though. She looked almost identical to you.. She was larger than you, with amber eyes. Sojouran Ranger Aquila.” There was a small pause as Ruiko gave an idle flick of his tail. “You’ve never heard of her, then?”

<blockquote>The young female's frown persisted as the large male spoke. Of <i>course</i> "she," whoever that was, had walked here— <b>"That's not what I mean,"</b> she protested under her breath, more as a reassurance to herself than anything. Begrudgingly she listened to the description of this other wolf, blinking as she tried to picture a larger, amber-eyed version of herself. It didn't ring a bell; her father had amber eyes, but so did a lot of other wolves. And besides, Volk didn't remember growing up with any siblings at all besides Rhysis, and he was certainly not female— and then it hit her.

<b>"—Oh."</b>

Volkan felt as though her breath had abandoned her; bewildered, she fell to a seat, spindly legs splayed out before her as the fog in her mind clouded her gaze. After a moment, she struggled to look at Ruiko again, studying him with a unique pain, the weight on her heart clear. <b>"I..."</b> she began, though unsure where to start, and closed her mouth as she formulated her words.

So Rhysis had been right. He... was right all along, and his words had been more than just an empty threat; they were <i>true</i>. For the liar he had always been, and after what he had done to her, Volkan had dismissed what he told her. But if what Ruiko was saying was true, and at this point, she wasn't sure why he'd just make something like this up, then...

<b>"...I guess I do know who that is,"</b> she said slowly at length, attention dropping to her paws as she straightened her posture, suddenly feeling small and wishing to shrink out of his sight. How could Rhysis be right? And did that mean— <b>"My... my brother said that... one of our father's daughters had traveled this way... he wanted to—"</b> <i>find her,</i> Volkan finished inwardly, aware now that revealing all of this to Ruiko could be dangerous. What if Ruiko had met Rhysis, then? What if the dark male was lurking nearby in the shadows, what if—

<b>"It doesn't matter,"</b> Volk concluded, quickly getting to her feet, pale gaze flickering between the male before her and the darkening space behind him. <b>"I'm sorry that she didn't 'stick to her word,' but I don't know her. And... <i>I will</i>. I can guarantee you that."</b> Now the urgency was clear in her voice, though she knew Ruiko wouldn't, couldn't understand that she needed to go with him. That was, if Rhysis was right, if this was actually the place where their half sister had come, then she was going to need protection, and she wasn't sure where else to go.</blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Sep 06, 2011, 09:51 PM by Volkan.)

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The girl before him did not get as riled up as he had expected from his sardonic words; if anything, it intrigued the male, for he was testing her just as much as she was testing him. Yet that one syllable that slipped past her youthful lips and the way her body lowered to a heavy sit to the ground, the tawny wolf blinked in surprise, not realizing his words would draw such a reaction. What was the past with this girl and Ranger for his ex-paramour’s name to bring this young she-wolf almost to her knees in bewilderment?

Once more, Volkan went to speak, and only a single syllable was uttered. Clearing his throat, Ruiko lifted his muzzle a notch now, his eyes grazing over her expectantly as he impatiently awaited some form of an answer. If she was as disloyal as the older Aquila had been, Ruiko wanted nothing from her. Finally, the peppered she-wolf admitted she recognized the name, and the Tainn male only hardened his gaze upon her, his golden tail giving an idle flick now. My, he had certainly startled her thoughts, hadn’t he?

Finally, Volkan offered a bit of insight to the thoughts that were churning in her head, and while suspicion bubbled lightly to the surface of Ruiko’s conscience (Her brother had wanted to what? Was he the reason Ranger had disappeared without a glance back?) and yet he disregarded this almost as quickly. Ranger had left him, and her concerns and worries were no longer his. If anything, he hoped she got what she deserved.

“My only other companion now is my younger brother, Kinis. You are welcome to come with us.” His tone softened somewhat, and while he did not necessarily trust the girl just yet, he did know her history with her family was far from simple.