The Wildwood teeth in the grass

Woo! Set after this thread. Up to you whether this takes place before or after your Kinis thread! :]
<blockquote>Beneath the clear, cobalt sky, the chill of late autumn had descended upon Relic Lore. It would be soon, Volkan speculated as she picked her way carefully through the Wildwood, that these ruined woods would be covered in snow— and the small hare dangling from her jaws only exacerbated that feeling, for she knew that soon food would be scarce. When she first arrived here, the day she met Ruiko for the first time, snow lay like crushed diamonds, covering everything. She remembered that peace, the serenity she had felt that day. Life here was no longer so quiet, and she couldn't decide whether or not that was a good thing.

The static-colored wolf, long-legged and messy-furred, picked her way carefully across a thinner part of Heartleaf Creek, having decided to explore the northern part of the Wildwood on a whim. Careful to keep her kill out of the water, she stepped lightly. Soon, she was well aware, there wouldn't be much time for idle wandering, especially of the solo variety; Ruiko and Kinis would be taking off from Swift River any day now, and Volkan had resolved herself to biding her time comfortably. After they split from the pack, they'd be tasked with the struggle of winter survival. The young female was already dreading the snow and the relentless cold, but with such small numbers, bringing down prey was going to be difficult. Recruitment played on her mind ever since her encounter with Triell, but she knew it was a touchy subject around the River wolves...

She sighed, having finally wound her way into the thick forest. Despite the cold, the woods still flourished, and the leafy golden canopies above blocked out the clear sunlight from overhead. After she was good and lost, and presumably alone, she dropped her kill to her paws, blinking at it as she pondered. There was so much to do: recruit, hunt, prepare for the winter... and yet, all she honestly wanted to do was go find Triell and forget about all of this excitement for a while...</blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Nov 28, 2011, 04:36 AM by Volkan.)

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Ranger had no idea how to even begin to describe the feeling of loss and anguish she felt whenever her mind wandered toward thoughts of Ruiko. He was handsome, stoic, stalwart, and strong; everything she had ever dreamed of, when her heart had been allowed to flutter and her mind to finally dream. However, from the facts she had gathered from her encounter with Kinis, Ruiko would not easily be swayed.

In the very few days she had been back, this was the first time she had dared wander close to Ruiko's current home. They had often wandered these parts during their time as lone wolves, together with Kinis, their constant shadow. But the boy had grown up and now had a strength in him that mimicked Ruiko's own, something that Ranger had always hoped for. But unfortunately she had not been there to see it and share in the joys and sorrows of the boy's life, nor bear children for Ruiko and the pack of which they had been dreaming.

Across the Heartleaf, Ranger saw a shadowy figure hunkered over a hare settled between her feet. Ranger had not eaten in days and had not cared for herself in many more, but now was the time to begin. However, she was not going to steal this woman's hare. Rather, she would try her paw at fishing, something she had once been decent at doing. Only practice would tell if she still had any skill.

<b>"Hello,"</b> she called softly, treading the water carefully as she waded her way across the shallowest part, so that the cool water only ran over her paws and ankles. <b>"I don't mean to disturb you, but would it be any trouble for me to fish along this creek?"</b>

sorry for the wait! <3
<blockquote>The kill lay still at Volkan's feet, blood gently trickling from its otherwise stiff neck. It had been an easy catch for the otherwise average hunter; her experience was more in facing off against enemies of the canine variety, after all. She supposed it was a good thing that her time in Swift River had not required her to draw upon that skill, but with the new pack, the female was sure things wouldn't come easily at first, not until they were established. Lone wolves would try to join, challenge up in the ranks, perhaps even take over. Volkan was ready for that; in fact, imagining a real fight made a dry smirk curl across her face. So far, Relic Lore wolves weren't as ready to jump into battle as she had imagined, but nonetheless, she was becoming more and more excited by the day to begin defending the new pack—

The sound of soft padfalls broke her train of thought. Volkan's head snapped over her shoulder, pale eyes bringing a large, dark figure into focus as she quickly got to her feet. Before she realized that the shape was female, her heart threatened to pound out of her chest; but she wouldn't be so foolish as last time, when she had mistaken an innocent albeit annoying stranger for Rhysis. Instead, she held her ground as the stranger drew nearer, head lowering in silent greeting. Volkan could see that she was older, and beautiful, with a sort of strange, almost familiar elegance. At her words, an ear cocked, and a brow lifted with it. Trouble? The onyx female stared for a moment, finding the female's face a little uncanny to look at for some reason, and rolled one shoulder in a shrug. Still she was careful to maintain her footing, standing over her kill protectively, out of instinct more than distrust.

<b>"Isn't my creek,"</b> she responded through a grin, a forepaw kicking at the kill between her legs absently, feathery tail giving an idle flick. It appeared that this wolf hadn't eaten recently. And though the stranger's manners were polite, careful not to infringe, she didn't seem to possess the nervous trepidation— or alternatively, the bold ignorance— of most Relic Lore newcomers. Perhaps she'd been here before? Silently, Volk bent down to tear into her own kill, though not without a curious eye fixed upon the stranger. Something about her was... different.</blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Nov 29, 2011, 06:17 PM by Volkan.)

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Although the girl was right that this creek wasn't hers, Ranger still uttered a soft, <b>"Thank you,"</b> before wading to the middle of the gently flowing water, eyes trained across the creek's width. She settled into the silence, fearing the cold that crept up her legs, but ignoring it for now. If she fished successfully, she could remove herself from the crisp and freezing water quickly, and then there would be no worry of hypothermia. In her state, however, she wasn't sure if even that would be enough to keep her healthy.

After her presence was deemed insignificant by the fish, due to her stillness and silence, Ranger caught sight of a big fat one not too far from her. It was swimming by itself, though there were a few other fish around. Deciding to try something less vigorous than the big one, she settled on a smaller, slower fish, and took a jab at it. While she touched its scaly body, her paw came up empty. Sighing softly, she settled herself again and waited for the fish to forget her presence. That happened quickly, and after a few more failed attempts, Ranger finally came back with the fat fish she had spotted earlier. Tossing it onto the bank opposite the other wolf, she settled down and began to tear into the flesh, eating scales and only pausing to stop eating when a bone got in her way. She had seen wolves die from swallowing fish bones and she did not want to follow them.

About halfway through the fish, her stomach became too full for any more food. She would take it with her, pack it in a cool, dry place, and eat it later. She needed all the nourishment she could get at this point. Her yellow eyes peered back up at the wolf across the creek; she smiled softly as she licked her lips, quenched her thirst from the water between them, and settled herself down comfortably. She would need to rest after all that exertion. <b>"I appreciate you letting me fish here,"</b> she repeated, eyes wandering the other wolf's coat and body. She looked well fed and smelled of Swift River. <b>"I have only just returned from a rather stupid journey and need to hunt more often than usual."</b> The chuckle that followed was slightly more usual for Ranger, though she was still not as outgoing as some. <b>"I take it you are from Swift River?"</b>

<blockquote>Volkan tipped her head quickly in recognition of the other wolf's apology, keeping her pale eyes fixed on the stranger as she turned away. Briefly she watched the other in silence, bending down to her own kill, yet only nosing it as she studied her movements from across the scene. When she actually began to fish, the younger female began gently tearing into her rabbit, easily stripping the flesh, using a forepaw to anchor it to the ground. As its blood spilled into a puddle around it on the chilled ground, she savored the metallic taste of its meat, only glancing toward the other wolf after the first few bites had satisfied her initial hunger.

The stranger seemed to have caught a fish. Volkan continued eating, keeping her thoughts to herself, her mind lingering briefly on the question of whether or not she should save some of this kill for the cache, or alternatively, for herself. The weather was becoming colder every day as the winter approached, and she was well aware that any extra bulk would be put to good use once the new pack was out on its own, struggling to survive. With this thought in mind, she ripped off a few more hunks of meat, consuming them lazily before raising her head to check on the female on the river's other side.

She decided to follow the other's suit in taking a drink, and abandoned her meal, now a half-eaten bloody mess on the ground. Crossing to the river, her dull gaze found the other female, a small smile crossing her peppered features as she peered up at her, bending to the water slowly. This being done, she brought her head up slowly, nodding when the female finally spoke. A stupid journey, huh? She did look like she needed more food than a wolf who hadn't been traveling, Volkan noted, but still found herself amused by the other's need to thank her. Though, she did remember asking Ruiko for a drink from the creek the first time they met, so she supposed manners weren't all that unnatural for a wandering wolf. And they definitely helped at least a little; Volkan, if nothing else, appreciated the woman for her apparent friendliness, and her feathered tail swept a wide half-circle at her ankles at her question. Hm, so she knew of Swift River, huh?

<b>"Yeah,"</b> she responded after some thought, head at an angle. <i>For now.</i> Wondering briefly if she should disclose the nature of her membership to the pack, Volk shrugged lightly, holding in a breath as she picked her words. <b>"I do represent Swift River at the moment,"</b> she stated, though her voice carried a slight hint of musing, as though she was telling herself this as well. It was a complicated topic, so she flashed a jovial grin at the wolf across the water. <b>"How d'you know the River wolves?"</b> Who was this wolf, and what was her connection to Swift River? </blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Dec 21, 2011, 01:14 AM by Volkan.)

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It was clear by her tone that the other wolf was not content with Swift River. Perhaps Ruiko would be leaving again. After picking up the pieces twice so far after his brother's disappearing acts, he was sure to be annoyed and rather upset about the fact of being relegated to the bottom again. Kinis had told her of these changes and she could only imagine how he felt, how fed up he was becoming. She could imagine the look on his face, the words that he would utter about his brother's sorry ass; but then again, Ruiko was surely saying the same things about her at this moment. She had left him not once, but twice. Both times had been because of an illness, but the first was more excusable than the second. The scar on her neck was no longer <span class='word'>calvous</span>; a thin layer of fur had grown over the old wound, which would soon be covered completely.

It was when the other wolf asked how she knew of the Swift River clan when Ranger regretted bringing it up. It was not easy to confront her past issues, especially considering she had hurt Ruiko more than once, which was unforgivable in his eyes. But she could not very well ignore the woman and simply brush it off. That would seem too obvious. So instead, she answered honestly, <b>"I used to be part of that pack, many moons ago. I lived there with Ruiko and Kinis, and then afterward with them when we split from Indru. I fear I may have caused them great pain in my leaving."</b>

<blockquote><b>"Yeah, the pack doesn't take the whole 'being abandoned' thing too lightly,"</b> she agreed, well aware of this fact herself, though slightly regretful, in hindsight, that she'd chosen the word 'abandoned,' which had probably seemed insensitive of her. Oh well. Anyway, the thing that previously bothered her about the River wolves, though— their obsession with loyalty— had recently floated to the back of her mind in light of the new pack forming. Speaking about it with Triell had calmed her nerves somewhat about the matter, but still, she could identify. <b>"Which I hope isn't a huge deal, 'cause Ruiko's starting his own—"</b>

The onyx wolf stopped mid-sentence, mouth hanging open momentarily before her teeth clicked together hesitantly. <i>Ruiko.</i> Something that had somehow been at the back of her mind, and not the forefront, had just, in that instant, become glaringly clear.

The name, she couldn't quite remember— but its mysterious, forgotten syllables rang in her mind in Ruiko's jaded drawl as momentarily, his disappointment, his mistrust at the mention of the <i>Aquila</i> name, flashed in her mind's eye. The description: "larger than you," or something like that, "with amber eyes." That was the part she remembered. That was the part that, now, her own icy gaze lingered upon, matching the face across the water with the face of her father. Somehow, the name came to her then.

<b>"...You're Ranger."</b> It spilled out of her mouth without her permission, and Volkan was left staring, at a total loss.</blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Dec 27, 2011, 08:45 PM by Volkan.)

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Ranger had not expected this complete stranger to know who she was. Blinking, she turned toward the female and studied her for a moment in silence, before replying, <b>"Yes I am."</b> There was no point in denying it. Kinis already knew she was back and she hoped that she would run into Ruiko soon, though she did not relish the idea of that reunion. But the fact that this female knew her name meant that she knew Kinis or Ruiko, or both. <b>"What is your name?"</b>

Nobody from her past knew that name. She had always gone by Sojourn Aquila, which was why she had abandoned the name when she started her new life. Not that this life was going as well as she had planned. So it was unlikely, at least in Ranger's mind, that this female was at all connected to the Aquila Clan or her past. She simply expected her to be friends with Kinis (who would have used her name a bit more freely than Ruiko), and that's how she knew her name. Other than that, Ranger had no idea how this girl knew her.