Riddle Heights Little Circles, Big Steps

Another day of training. Chantille was pushing herself to grow stronger and more agile. Almost every day she would venture out on patrol, and practice her climbing whilst out and about. Within a week, there was improvement, but now, she had almost mastered the skill. Her paws seemed to barely touch the pale brown foothills as she raced along. Her head was raised high; proud and free. With her tail raised, she continued along, scenting the air as she did so. She loped toward the lower area of the heights, where pine trees began to claim the lands. With a naturally possessed grace, she dodged the trees, a smirk adorning her slender muzzle as she did so. As she began to grow tired, though, she seemed to lazily trot along. A small crack within a stone had escaped her sharp vision, and her right paw caught it, sending her forward. Brows furrowing and eyes narrowing, the wolf thought fast, bracing herself as she fell over the small foothill. All four paws came in contact successfully with the rock below- she did not fall. Laughing lightly to herself, she smiled, sighing in relief. Taking what could have been an embarrassing face-plant as a sign, Chantille decided to relax for a bit. Panting, the wolf selected a lush pine, circling a few times before laying down.

Sloane was a solitary wolf. Or he had been for half of his life. He had learned to survive on his own as a yearling and had grown used to the solitude. It was nice to see other faces once in a while and it had been a long time this time. He had entered a new region and was exploring, getting to know the lay of the land, so to speak. He was careful to avoid pack borders since he wanted no trouble from angry land owners and wasn't sure if he was ready to take the next step of becoming a pack member again. He had been traveling for so long now, it was like breathing. It was just what he did.

But... well, it could be boring too. After all, he was still young, not quite two yet. So his ever vigilant eyes scanned the terrain for anything interesting to do, preferably something of the chasing variety! Just then, he caught sight of a cream colored female in the distance, loping ever so gracefully. He admired her beauty, apparent even from a distance. She slowed to a trot and then suddenly lurched forward. Looking like she was sure to eat dirt, she somehow recovered and managed to get all of her feet beneath her. <i>Impressive!</i> He was unsure whether or not to say anything, especially since he was so far away. Distance could be erased though and he decided that he'd like to meet this small fae. Well, relatively speaking. She seemed to be mid-sized, but he dwarfed most wolves. Not all, but most. So, to him, she looked quite small and delicate.

As he neared her, his burnished coat admirably hid him from view. At least until he wished it otherwise. For the moment, the wind was in his favor and brought her scent to him. She smelled of wild earth and beauty and... she smelled of a pack. This put him slightly on alert. He was not crossing the pack borders, but he had no idea what type of reception that she might give him. The urge to say hello, was just too much and he opened his mouth to speak a greeting to her. Before he had a chance to say a word, the ever fickle wind shifted and carried his scent to her.

Knight of Honor

The cool soil enveloped Chantille as she lay comfortably beneath the pine. The small smile was still upon her face as she rested her head down upon her paws. Releasing a pleased sigh, she began to hum, as she always did when alone. Her tones were sweet; melodic notes like the ones her mother used to lull her to sleep with. Eyes closing, she began to think of her sweet mother, visualizing she and her on a hunt together. Her daydreaming was cut short, though, by the scent of a wolf. Chantille lifted her lids, blinking before turning her head. The thick needles adorning the pine's branches obscured her vision, rendering her incapable of spotting the multi-colored man. With a grunt, she rose to her white paws, slipping out from beneath the tree. As the wind blew against her, she shook out her pelt, needles flying out and landing on the ground below. She turned now, chocolate eyes peering out into the piney foothills. She breathed lightly, but she could still hear herself inhaling and exhaling. There you are. Her eyes finally locked on to a wolf, and she was surprised her eyes found him. He blended incredibly well with the surroundings. He appeared to be young, but he was large. Unsure if he was friendly, she took a confident step forth, parting her jaws to speak: "Hello, there." Her sweet voice rang out as she took her step. She watched carefully, ready to flash fangs if this wolf was aggressive.

(This post was last modified: May 23, 2012, 11:35 PM by Chantille.)

As the wind shifted her way it combed through his russet fur and he closed his mouth, waiting to see what her reaction to his presence would be. She came alert right away, looking in his direction rather quickly. It was soon apparent that she could not locate him with her eyes, but she trusted her other senses and soon picked him out of the trees. He smiled at her when she finally located him and said hello in a musical voice. His posture was also tall and proud, but not aggressive. He had no need to make waves or enemies, so he waved his thickly furred tail at her in greeting.

It was easy to see that she was trying to size him up and determine if he might be a threat. Since she decided to remain friendly and not get defensive with him, he was more than happy to return the favor. He wasn't used to talking to other wolves very much, so his voice cracked just a tiny bit at first as he answered her in kind. <b>"Hello, to you as well. Sloane Thorben at your service."</b> He tipped his head politely to her as he spoke, his bright amber eyes gazing into her soft brown ones. He watched her closely for her reaction. He was a bit rusty on socializing, but she seemed nice enough and he hoped that they might visit for a while.

Knight of Honor

The handsome young wolf revealed his name right away. Smiling politely, she dipped her head whilst introducing herself. "It's a pleasure, Sloane. I am Chantille Idasis" her name rolled off her tongue, and she watched his every move. He seemed relaxed; non-aggressive. Good. Feeling more comfortable, Chantille stepped to the right, walking towards the wolf. After about seven steps, she paused, tail wagging slightly. "Mind if I ask what you're doing all the way up here? Most wolves hate the travel." Chantille released a slight chuckle, her dark brown gaze aglow with joy. She was always happy; always optimistic. Turning away from Sloane, she brought her nose to the ground, picking up the scent of rabbit. Flicking her fluffed tail quickly, she sniffed in deeply, letting the scent remain in her nose. Perhaps she would follow it later. Her head slowly raised back up, and the creamy woman brought her body to face the man again. She seated herself gently, rump resting upon the earth. Tail tucked itself across her left haunch as Chant awaited to hear Sloane's response.

The delicate fae came closer and he admired her confidence, glad that she wasn't intimidated by his size. Although he had kept his distance from most wolves this past year, he easily remembered the reactions of wolves unfamiliar with his clan when they first met a Thorben, especially a male. Of course, he was in no way being aggressive and she seemed slightly older than him, perhaps lending to her own confidence. Had he been a normal pack wolf his age, he would have less of a presence himself. However, since he had supported himself for nearly a year already and managed to thrive, his self-esteem was closer to that of her own age.

His eyes lit up at her comment, just a bit. <b>"I am not afraid of travel. I have done little else for a year now, traveling hundreds of miles. I find new areas... exhilarating!"</b> He had seen her attentions shift ever so slightly before she gracefully seated herself. She had scented the rabbit too, but chose to stay and converse with a stranger. He was flattered and pleased himself. Although their conversation had barely begun, he was enjoying himself. It was also gratifying that his voice now rolled off of his tongue in smooth deep tones, rather than the odd one that had first come out. He had felt warmth creep up his neck at the crackling, but pushed it aside and now he sounded normal. He gave her a bigger smile and wagged his tail, before taking a seat before the lovely cream colored fae. He breathed in her scent again and definitely detected the blending of scents that marked a pack wolf. <b>"I hope that I have not strayed too close to your pack borders. I wouldn't want to offend."</b>

(This post was last modified: May 24, 2012, 04:03 AM by Sloane.)

Knight of Honor

Chantille shook her head "Oh, no, no. You are far from the borders, Sloane. I just tend to come out here to improve my skill navigating these darn mountains!" Her face lit up at her own words. Chantille was proud of herself for focusing on improving her physical skills. All it took was pushing one's self, and anything seemed possible. At least to the creamy woman it seemed that way. She felt her tail impulsively wag; she was enjoying this young man's company. Looking to the sky, Chant watched as a wispy white cloud drifted slowly by in the blue sky. "There's a place here called Fireweed Rise. Have you been there?" At her own words, her tail continued to sway, but at a slower rate now. "It's beautiful. Flowers in the brightest red shades your eyes would ever see." As she spoke, Chant could feel herself walking through the rise. It was an open area, adorned with hundreds of thousands of those blood red flowers. Chantille had a keen eye for nature and all things beautiful...it was what helped in part of her remaining so positive. Eyes falling from the sky back to Sloane, she was curious if he had been to the rise. Him being a man, it was likely a no... Well, he probably would not appreciate the flowers as much as she did.

He watched the pale she wolf carefully, but she was quick to put his concerns to rest. He wasn't near any pack borders. He hadn't detected any scent of one, but you couldn't be too careful. She spoke of coming here to practice and improve herself. He smiled at this, completely understanding and appreciating the idea. He had noticed that if one wasn't careful, these mountains could indeed be treacherous. Perhaps it was the last vestiges of youth in him, but he found the thrill of it vastly appealing.

She spoke of another area in the region by the name of Fireweed Rise, splendid with the flame of brilliant red flowers. <b>"No, I don't believe that I have had the pleasure as of yet. I'm sure I would remember such a wondrous sight!"</b> Had it been pink and white pansies, not so likely. However a field blanketed in vibrant crimson he might actually enjoy. <b>"Of course, I've not been in this region over long, so I may yet see them. Is this another place that you go to 'better' yourself?"</b> His voice was lightly teasing, for he certainly didn't want her to feel as if he was mocking her. <b>"Perhaps one day you can show it to me."</b> He had no schedule, no place to be, but she did. If she strayed to far for too long from her pack she could get into trouble.

Knight of Honor

Chantille shrugged her shoulders lightly before rising back to her feet. She placed her front paws forward, and bowed, jaws widening in a yawn. After her stretch, she shook out her coat. The remaining pine needles fled from her creamy fur. "I haven't been lingering far from here" she admitted. Perhaps she should go out and venture a bit; it seemed Poison Path was alright with wandering away for a bit. Looking back to the mountains behind her, she sighed before bringing her chocolate gaze back to Sloane. "I'm not sure why, but I prefer open spaces....fields and such." She hoped that she wasn't boring Sloane. The mottled male seemed to be warming up to conversation, though, and that pleased her. She always enjoyed a good talk, even if it was with a loner. Besides, other members of her pack always seemed to be returning from places even farther away, with mysterious scents of other wolves upon their coats. She stepped forward to Sloane now, testing to see how comfortable he was within her presence. Perhaps he could be a new friend- she'd love that. Chantille was always one for making new companions.

She didn't appear too concerned with rushing back to her pack and seemed to be at ease with him. He couldn't say why, but this fact pleased him greatly. She spoke of loving open spaces and he could certainly agree with her there. He loved a good run, but as large as he was, even lacking great speed trees and bushes were a bother when he wanted to let loose a bit. <b>"I agree. I like open spaces myself. For obvious reasons!"</b> he laughed and looked down at his huge frame by way of explanation. <b>"It is also why the mountains don't deter me. They are a bit rougher, but more open and... <i>wild?"</i></b> he searched for the correct word.

Then she surprised him by coming closer. He had no problem with it, as a matter of fact, he found that he liked it quite well. As she sidled closer he breathed in her scent and could almost imagine it mixed the fragrance of thousands of wildflowers. Yes, that would suit her. He wagged his tail to let her know that he was fine with the new proximity. He wasn't quite sure what to say about it, if anything. He was not well versed in the art of conversation, especially with a pretty lady and didn't want to stick his paw in his mouth.

Knight of Honor