make me forget

The openness of these fields was a welcome change, after the weeks he’d spent traversing through mostly forested terrain. Only the faintest of wispy clouds tarnished the otherwise brilliantly blue sky, allowing the former hunter to soak in the sun’s warm rays as he lazily traversed the area. These fields, he had discovered, were replete with a type of fruit he recognized from home.

A sweet treat to be had, amidst his wandering. Something he paused to enjoy, gently picking and consuming the fruits from a large bush, one at a time. It was a small reminder of the land he’d once lived in, the life he’d once had, and those he’d - in all likelihood, never see again. A part of him wished he could forget, and move on, for it hadn’t stopped hurting. He tried not to dwell on the subject, for it would do him no good, but that was easier on some days and more difficult on others.

There were more immediate concerns, though. Things he’d have to face in the coming months, with the colder weather. Alone, he wasn’t sure how he’d do, and that was a scary thought. But, he had his health, his abilities, and a field full of sweet berries. And for now, that was enough.  

Hope you don't mind me nabbing this!

You better lose yourself in the music, the moment You own it, you better never let it go

Seri had started to fill out. He had grown rapidly over the past few months, and with it came plenty of mental development as well. He was a quiet child, only speaking when spoken to not because of how he was raised, but simply because that was who he was. He preferred to look and think before opening his maw. However, now that he was bigger, his curiosity had grown, and with that came a short venture to the south west, away from the only home he had known in an effort to see the fields that he had always known were there but had never really seen.

He was careful where he placed his paws, the sweet breeze running through his fur as he looked around, spotting the bushes with strange berries on them. He didn’t eat anything he couldn’t name but they did look good. He licked at his maw as his mouth watered for a second. It was so tempting… At first, he was not aware of the fact that there was another wolf nearby, but the scent of the other wolf washed over his nose and his eyes instantly widened, not saying anything as he simply stared, decidedly surprised by the sudden appearance.

Alarick supposed, too, that he had been fortunate when it came to hunting. These berries would also likely draw in other creatures, so he doubted it would be terribly difficult to track down a more substantive meal. The first creature he was to spot amidst the fields though, was not any kind of prey animal. Instead, as he turned to continue onward, the former hunter found the youthful face of a young man staring back at him.

A look of mild surprise danced across his features, for he hadn’t heard a sound or detected a scent before now. How long had the other been watching? The lad’s silence and expression seemed to indicate surprise as well, or perhaps intrigue. A plethora of questions and concerns raced to mind, at that, though the hunter pushed them aside, allowing a kindly smile to cross his features.

”Good afternoon, I didn’t even see you there. Were you after some of these berries, too?” He hadn’t had much experience interacting with youth that weren't at least yearlings. What was it he’d heard back home - that unless you were a parent or guardian, it was best to treat youth like equals? He was pretty sure that was it. That was the approach Alarick decided he’d take, here.

--not at all! thank you for responding :)

You better lose yourself in the music, the moment You own it, you better never let it go

The silence still lingered over him, his head tilting to the side as he listened to the man’s tone. His tone didn’t seem unfriendly like that of the badger he’d had the unfortunate experience of overhearing. He had kept his distance after a warning from his mother that they could be dangerous. They had sounded so angry. The man was not like that. The mention of berries caused his ears to perk up with visible interest, his nose wrinkling slightly in response as he thought carefully and formulated his words.

He didn’t see any harm in continuing a conversation with the man. He knew strangers could be dangerous, but he was still easily in a position where he could run if he thought the man would pose him a genuine threat. “Maybe.” He answered with a soft frown. “What are they? Are they safe to eat?” He genuinely didn’t know. “Name?” He asked, keeping to as few words as possible because that was simply the way he operated. The only one whose ear he could or would talk off was his mother’s. Everyone else was simply… a stranger, and a stranger didn’t deserve many of his words until they proved themselves.

The youth didn’t seem all that intimidated by him, which the former hunter counted as a good thing. Alarick didn’t think he could appear threatening even if he were to try, and he hadn’t the desire to attempt that. At the mentioning of the berries, though, the lad’s expression shifted to display interest.

And then he spoke, his words sounding uncertain. Maybe, he said first, before following that with two immediate inquiries pertaining to the berries. A third was put forth after a pause, shifting the subject to names.

”I’m Alarick,” the former hunter spoke, maintaining his smile and offering a small nod, as he would to anyone else. ”These are called blackberries, and they are safe to eat.” To illustrate his point, Alarick turned then, plucking another berry from the closest branch just then, affording himself a moment to savor its sweet taste, before returning his gaze to the lad. ”If you do want some, try to avoid any red ones you see, and go for the black ones. The red will not taste very good.” Another bit of advice worth giving, he thought.

You better lose yourself in the music, the moment You own it, you better never let it go

Alarick. He saved the name to his memory and noted the kind nature of the man, offering him that which he valued most: knowledge. He liked to learn things, and he found that he often thrived on it. Blackberries. Safe to eat. More knowledge saved into his memory as he tilted his head to the side, looking at the bush once more. Red. Safe to eat. Tastes yucky. He saved that information as well. “Seri.” He stated back, offering his name in turn because he deemed the man worthy of it. He had offered him knowledge and very much answered a question that he’d had internally.

He moved forward, plucking a blackberry off of the bush before he started to chew on it, jumping a little as the juice hit his tongue. It was like blood… but it didn’t taste like blood like rabbit blood did… He couldn’t help but let a grin call on his features. “S’good.” He admitted with a wide grin, giving more into his carefree pup-like nature at the delight of the discovery. Of course, the man had told him as much, but now that he had discovered it for himself, he wasn’t afraid to repeat the information.

The young lad’s lack of familiarity with the berries was.. slightly concerning to the hunter, as was the fact that he didn’t seem to carry the scent of a pack. Was he out here alone? How far was he from home? He must’ve had one, as he did appear to be fed. These concerns would not be spoken of, at least not now - if ever. But it didn’t stop them from lingering in mind.

Seri was the young man’s name, spoken after another short pause. ”Pleased to meet you, Seri,” Alarick spoke back, smile broadening. Seri moved towards a bush after that, to sample a berry for himself. A delighted grin manifested upon the countenance of the young wolf after that, as he proclaimed the tastiness of the treats. In the grand scheme of things, this was but a small moment in each of their lives, but Al was glad he could be here to witness and experience it.

”They certainly are, but, they have another use. Prey animals, like rabbits, or maybe some birds, eat berries too. Which means places like this would be good for hunting.” Alarick offered in addition. The former hunter had no way of knowing how much Seri had been taught, but he didn’t want to pass on a possible opportunity to offer something else that might be useful, either.

I am SOOOO sorry for the delay

You better lose yourself in the music, the moment You own it, you better never let it go

Seri did manage to offer a small but curt smile back to the man at the pleasantries. It was night to have an adult talking to him normal. Not to say that his mother didn’t… but it seemed like any stranger he met talked down to him because of his age and it just didn’t seem all that fair. He was capable of handling himself to some extent, and he knew the boundaries of what he could and could not do quite well.

The delightful grin came from tasting the berries, sweet with just a slight hint of tart to push him over, wrinkling his nose lightly before he turned back to the man, listening as he explained the further advantages of these bushes. Ample hunting! Seri was still working to develop his hunting skills, but he had hope that one day soon he would be able to take down rabbits and birds of the like and feast on those as well. “That’s a very interesting point.” It was perhaps the most the boy had managed to say in one go during their entire conversation. “What is the best way to catch a bird?” He asked, his curiosity growing to get the best of him and make him more prone to conversation. He had learned about hunting rabbits, but birds not so much.

(This post was last modified: Nov 15, 2021, 03:14 PM by Seri.)

For someone so young, Seri possessed and carried himself with a surprising amount of confidence. Was that normal for those of his age? Alarick couldn’t be completely sure. He tried to recall if he had been as brave during his youth, but even that was tough to answer. His parents or the pack had always been there, creating a sort of safety net he hadn’t been able to depart from until he was older. If he had to guess, though, the answer probably would’ve been no. So maybe Seri was special.

He seemed eager to take the information too, before posing another question. ”Like other prey, use stealth and then speed. Get as close as you can without startling your prey, and then commit to your action when you believe the opportunity to strike arises.” That was what Alarick believed when it came to the actual hunting, anyway.

”But, it starts with observing. Being in the right spot, at the right time. Some birds may nest in areas close to the ground, during certain times of the year. So observing, to learn where those areas might be, will give a greater chance for success.” Areas like this place, potentially. Those were the best things he could offer, anyway. Birds weren’t something Alarick usually sought after, even back home. Unless it was the larger species, like geese or something though.. that could be a bit of a different topic.

”If you have time, we could try now, if you wanted,” he spoke after the pause, deciding it couldn’t hurt to extend the offer. Alarick hadn’t anything better to do, anyway.

And so I tell myself that I'll be strong

Seri Donata

and dreaming when they're gone

Seri had always had to carry himself with confidence. From a young age he had learned the risks of being out by himself, and a confident pup was more likely to survive than a shy pup, at least in his experience. He’d matured young because of the situation he had been born into. It was just him and his mom. The other man started to explain and he soaked the information in. Surely it couldn’t be that simply, could it? Just get as close as possible and then strike. “How do you get close without startling the prey?” He asked curiously again, hoping for more information to help him in his endeavors.

Watching, waiting. He was good at both of those. His tail wagged because he knew he could do it, a confident and perhaps sly grin as a confident and devious look hit his eyes and spread across his body. “They really won’t notice?” He asked because it seemed like birds should be more observative. He offered to help try, and Seri saw it as an opportunity to learn. “I have time!” He answered quickly. Imagine how proud his momma would be of him if he brought home a whole bird that he had caught by himself. He wanted that pride.