Willow Ridge the scars of your love

He had been relieved upon his acceptance to the pack; a place to stay for the upcoming winter months. Phineas had dug himself a small enclosure close to the main den area, not wishing to seem too anti-social and yet not wishing to crowd them out so soon with his presence. After all, he was new to their home.

With a few days tucked away and sleeping, at long last the ivory wolf rose. Elettra’s pack did not strike him as the kind to lay around for days, and while his heart ached for the cubs he had left behind and the warmth of his ex-mate, the reminder of what she had done to him would push aside any miss or regret, and his anger would fuel within his chest once more.

Needing to do something to prove his worth to the pack and to keep his mind from wandering, the Argyris male prowled out in to the autumn sunlight, noting it was early afternoon. His fiery eyes shifted around the area, knowing he would soon have to familiarize himself with his new home. First, however, he was eager to hunt.

With no one in sight yet for assistance, the pale wolf moved across the grass and fallen leaves, inhaling the very specific scent of the fall. Nothing was on the wind yet, but Phineas was a patient wolf, and having not eaten in two days, he was determined to fill his stomach and stock the pack cache’s.

<blockquote> The golden male prowled, the gentle shuffle of his feet amongst the fallen foliage the loudest noise to be heard, but there was very little reason to tread carefully when the whole point of your exercise was to ensure all others <i>knew</i> this place was thoroughly protected. So he loped on, pausing on occasion to reinforce the pack scent and checking closely to make sure none had breached the invisible line that marked their home off from the rest of the land.

Occasionally, he would head back towards the den, nose to the ground to see who had passed recently and if he was yet to make their acquaintance. Sometimes, especially if the borders were clear, he would choose to seek them out. He liked to know exactly who it was he was laying his life on the line for, should the need ever arise... Today, he stumbled across a very unfamiliar scent. Someone even newer than him...

Well that was refreshing.

Altering his path to intersect the new arrival took a few attempts on his part before the pale silhouette finally came into sight. A small warning bark left his mouth before he made his way forward so as not to startle the man. His appearance would be shock enough - the tattered ears and missing lip, the scar over his eye and the thick line that ran down his leg, the same leg that would give him problems if he pushed himself too far past the point of exhaustion, not to mention the other smaller scars that littered his hide.

He didn’t want the poor man screaming ‘Zombie’ and running for the hills before he’d had a chance to introduce himself.</blockquote>

The quiet bark caused the alabaster wolf’s muzzle to swing in the direction of his oncoming companion. Phineas’ fiery eyes swept over the male before him, instantly noting the missing flesh from the stranger’s lip and the large scar that marred his eye. Initially stunned, the ivory male cleared his throat, his gaze swiftly adjusting to just look past the male rather than at him, not wanting to stare. He had never seen a wolf alive with such injuries and there was an awkward pause that hung in the air.

“Afternoon,” he offered finally, his tail giving an idle flick. Seemingly at the bottom of the hierarchy, the Argyris male held his posture neutrally, unchallenging to the broken creature before him. It did not settle well with him – as a regal male who had led a pack of his own, and Phineas already felt the desire to challenge his way closer to the top. But he would not start here. Not now.

“Care for a hunt?” The male’s presence could be beneficial to the hunger that roiled Phin’s stomach.. and a hunt would keep the so called elephant in the room at bay regarding his disfiguration. For now.

(This post was last modified: Oct 17, 2012, 12:13 PM by Phineas.)

<blockquote> An amused grunt passed under his breath as the pale man looked passed him. He nodded in response to the greeting and offered his own introductions with what was supposed to pass as a smile. <b>“Kanosak.”</b> His own posture was held neutral, at least this one didn’t seem to be wallowing in self pity like the last. He didn’t seem to be a threat, nor did he seem intent on politics for now. A mild relief.

Thankfully, his time among the pack had allowed him some time to heal. His leg no longer pained him as it once had and he was regaining some of his stamina. A hunt would be the perfect way to test how far he had progressed. For although hunting was not his strong suit, he was still insistent that he earn his keep, and filling the packs caches could never be done too often with winter fast approaching. Once he would have struck up a conversation with the stranger, but now he had been handed a task and he grabbed hold of it with the desperation of a drowning man thrown a buoy.

The smile lit his eyes more than it crossed his face. It had been too long since he had reveled in the simple joy that was a shared hunt. <b>“These days I’m better for wearing them out than brining them down. I’m sure we’ll figure something out between the two of us though.”</b> He angled the torn side of his face away to make it more apparent that he was in fact, trying to grin. <b>“Care to lead the way...?”</b> He was yet to figure out by which name this male went, so he left his question hanging.</blockquote>

The ivory wolf’s gaze would flicker to the tawny male’s eyes – recognizing the hint of what he assumed was amusement or a smile before his eyes fell upon the male’s shoulder – a safe place to look without challenging or blatantly staring at his disfiguration. His tail swayed behind him in a content manner, a nod given to his newfound companion before he turned his large figure, beginning to weave a path as his muzzle bent lower to the ground, hoping to catch scent of prey.

Kanosak’s words did not surprise him.. the amount of injuries the male had seemingly sustained was far worse than Phineas had ever seen on a live creature, and he briefly swallowed the urge to question the wolf and what the hell had possibly happened. It had clearly been a fight, yet the Argyris wondered if the other wolf had been foolish enough to take on a larger creature such as a bear.

He moved in silence for a few minutes. Many found the quiet musings of conversation a soothing notion, yet the ivory wolf had always found such a thing to be a nuisance when seeking a hunt – after all, the small party did not wish to notify their possible meal of their presence. The minutes ticked on, and the time continued to drift, offering Phineas nothing but stale scents as he maneuvered through the territory that was called Willow Ridge.