summertime

Overcast — Current Temperature: 57° F/14° C (early afternoon)

The man had held out for as long as he could stand. The thought that she might one day return home was always in his head, keeping him at home, although he knew that her ray of light would never shine in this darkness again. It made his heart heavy, but he could only say goodbye to his home, to his family and finally set off, after too many months, to find Naira. They would live on without him, but Chulyin found himself constantly worried over his sibling's well being, even in the dark of night it plagued his dreams. Even from a distance, he could not escape her, though that only made the dark knight chuckle. The time that had passed since her departure had been long, and so there was no path for him to follow now.

Chulyin was blind on the paths, only hoping that every step he took was one in the right direction. If he met another loner upon the roads, he would ask them of her. Usually, he came up empty, though it only made him more determined. He would find her in time, and that was something the hardy male had plenty of. After many weeks of travel, he crossed the path of a dusty looking man, elderly, partially crippled. There was still a flicker of hope in his eyes, and Chulyin could only ask him of Naira, describing her from the images in his mind. Though the ragged man could offer him no help, he could point the guardian towards a massive land, that he claimed was chock full of wolves.

Thanking the man, Chulyin continued on his way, a direction to follow, a goal in his mind. A land teeming with wolves and packs was all he could ask for. Someone within would know of her, they had to. For many more nights, he followed the instructions the elder wolf had given him, his paws growing ever weary. He walked through many nights, finding sleep impossible, fearing that he may wake up, forgetting all direction. It would be many more days before he found himself beside a body of water, clear as he'd ever seen. He lapped eagerly at the cool liquid and it soothed his burning, parched throat. He must've drained the lake by half, for the light seemed to be brighter by the time he'd quenched his thirst. His thinning body settled beside the water, muscles fatigued and complaining. He'd been walking for ages, and though mentally he enjoyed the respite, his muscles moaned, displeased with the sudden lack of movement. The old man had mentioned no landmarks, only pointed him in the right direction. This interesting lake peaked his curiosity, however, and Chulyin could only wonder if he'd found the land of Relic Lore.. <b style="color:#a51919">

(This post was last modified: Jul 10, 2013, 02:17 AM by Chulyin.)

Lurking until the end of July - Please PM/tag me to get my attention

Finally. It was the only word that was circling through her head at that moment. She was running past the borders of Whisper Caverns and into sweet, sweet freedom.

The past 2 weeks or so had been a bit hectic, to say the least. Running after Nari's little rascals, trying to keep them out of trouble, making sure the pack cache was full, keeping the borders smelling strong, spending time with Minka and some other pack mates. It was just nice to finally have a little bit of time to relax. And she did not think of spending it inside her territory.

She knew before she joined Whisper Caverns, or any other pack, that she would have many responsibilities, and she had dutifully accepted that. She enjoyed doing all those duties, she really did. Just, sometimes, she needed some time to herself. Like right now.

She had been running since mid-morning, and she knew exactly where she wanted to go to spend her time relaxing. It was where she had meant Sveinx some time ago, a wolf that she considered a good friend.

As her paws touched the familiar ground of Iridescent Lagoon, the petite woman sighed in pleasure. The first thing she wanted to do was have a good drink, and then maybe a good swim after that. But first she had to put down this rabbit that she had hunted on the way. She had planned to eat it as a small snack.

Hiding it in between a small cluster of bushes, her eyes ran over the area. She didn't want to be caught by surprise again, like when she had with Sveinx. Her blue gaze landed on a male wolf, meters away from her. It seemed like he had the same idea as her. R&R, rest and relaxation.

She had to be careful though. These days you could never go by looks alone. Looks could fool you.

Inali flicked her tail, and cautiously walked over to the wolf. Once she was in clear hearing distance, the young woman spoke. "I don't know if it's a curse or a blessing. Your the second wolf I've met in these parts of Relic." A small, warm smile tentatively appeared on her face, as she waited for the male to respond.

He rested for a time, golden eyes occasionally searching for someone coming for a drink. For such a large body of water, it was awfully quiet and unattended. Chulyin felt like a tired, old boniface, keeping watch over his hold, yet hoping for any sort of company to come along and take up all the space that he owned. Certainly he'd never own this lake, of course; he had little interest in it. It was good to know of its location, on the off chance water was scarce in this place, but he would not go out of his way to defend his place beside it. Rising out of his laying position, Chulyin settled back upon his haunches, letting his thick black tail curl about a hind thigh. The pointed tip of it rested upon his foot, occasionally finding the energy to twitch in an absent manner.

His nose palpated the air, searching for any kind of outstanding scent. For the most part, he took in the scent of wet and grass. There was a faint scent brought to him on a passing breeze, though he had no name for it, and then the dull and long old scents of wolves that had come by this area. His brows lifted, carrying his head around a bit. Now that he was sitting up, it was a little easier to look around. There was still nothing to see, although his ears swiveled about at the sound of paws. His head snapped in that direction almost instantly, and his lips rose slightly. How had he not smelled this woman coming? She seemed cautious, but friendly enough, as was Chulyin. Extending his neck a bit, he took in her scent. Another strong smell lingered upon her, nameless to him, but perhaps she would divulge it in time. Unknowingly, however, she did give him the information he'd been hoping for. So he had made it to Relic Lore. His tail gave a single thump upon the earth, not coming back to curl around his leg again.

<b style="color:#a51919">"I could not say whether or not I am a blessing or a curse." He answered, unsure of who else she'd encountered here. If she'd met her one true love here, then of course, he'd probably be something of a curse, if she came here to find her mate. On the other hand, if she had found teeth at her throat last time, then he would certainly be a blessing. Chulyin was sworn to protect those he was sworn to, however, that did not mean he would attack all else. It simply meant that his protection was only based on when he felt the need to protect. If some devilish fiend came rushing from the rushes, he would be more likely to make an attempt at conversation, then immediately jump to the woman's aid. Only if some sudden threat was made upon her life, would Chulyin find himself in the middle of a fight. Perhaps it was a bit cruel, but Chulyin was not some masked vigilante. <b style="color:#a51919">

Lurking until the end of July - Please PM/tag me to get my attention

"I could not say whether or not I am a blessing or a curse."

The petite woman smiled slightly at the man's unsure answer. She responded back, "Well, were just going to have to wait and see. Won't we?" Friendly warmth showed in her icy blue eyes, but her guard was still up. The man seemed friendly enough, but slightly cautious towards her also. Inali could respect that. He didn't know who she was, or where she had come from. He didn't know if she was on the verge of insanity, or if she was completely normal. Her eyes raked over the man's current physique, not caring if she looked a little bit crazy while doing so. The man looked like he hadn't eaten right in weeks. The clear thinning of his body confirmed her thoughts.

Inali thought of the rabbit she had hidden amongst the bushes not too far away. The man needed it much more than she did. She was fit enough, and healthy enough to hunt another one. She always had a food source, either by hunting, or the pack cache. This man clearly had neither of the things she had listed. He didn't smell of any pack, his current state of physical appearance was ragged, at best, and he definitely did not look healthy enough right now to hunt something larger than some meager, unsatisfying meal.

The young Scout set off without another word. She quickly jogged over to the small cluster of bushes she had hid the rabbit that was supposed to be her meal. After a couple minutes of rustling through leaves, her head popped out of the bushes, a limp rabbit clamped between her jaws. The rabbit was large, and plump. It usually would be enough to satisfy her hunger, but would it be enough to satisfy his?

Heading back towards the loner, she dropped the rabbit on the ground. "You look ravenous. This was going to be my meal, but you need it much more than I do. I'm not hungry anyways. Nudging the dead rabbit towards the lone male with her muzzle, the young woman sat back onto her haunches. Her groomed tail curling around her, Inali awaited his reaction.

The woman seemed very kind and he made a note of that as she gave her playful response. No smile played upon his own face, though his eyes seemed a bit friendlier. This place certainly had wolves, for he had not been in this place for very long and already was having a conversation, or...something of a conversation. However, any warmth that had glowed was stomped out as he watched her blue eyes dance over his large physique. Was she attempting to size him up and perhaps give some trigger word for an ambush? Being a stranger to this place, Chulyin could only begin to wonder what land he'd wandered into. He was not the paranoid sort, but for all he knew, the old man had been some sort of slaver and found an opportunity to send a strong new man to a life of servitude. He let the thoughts tumble off. The woman seemed kind, no signs of ill will in her posture or expression.

If anything, maybe she saw him as a threat? They were both strangers, and she was likely weaker than he, although after his travels, he would be unable to hold his ground for very long, even against a smaller female. Regardless, he could be a vicious opponent. But the woman had given him no reason to be violent, and he let himself relax, his earlier displeasure at being looked over now tumbling off his shoulders like a light rain. Silence consumed them both as Chulyin had little to offer the woman. And then she was off. His brows came together and he wondered if his thought of ambush was about to come true. But why would she so obviously depart to get reinforcements. But it all became very clear, very quickly. She did not leave his sights and he watched her fetch something from the brush.

She returned with a rabbit, and his ears twisted back as she dropped it on the ground and nudged it towards him. His hunger was true and ravenous. The water that filled his belly only worked to infuriate the empty organ and he felt a dull ache within. His pride would not prevent him from taking her meal, but honor would get in the way. <b style="color:#a51919">"Miss, I have done nothing to deserve this offering." His words were even and he watched her straight on, not glancing at the rabbit again. <b style="color:#a51919">

Lurking until the end of July - Please PM/tag me to get my attention

Sorry I didn't post for a while Bry, my muse died and went to heaven. Don't worry, I managed to resurrect it:P

Her head cocked curiously at the wolf. She knew he was hungry, so why wasn't he taking the rabbit? She had never come across a wolf that would surpass a chance at a meal, especially a lone one. Aligning her head back with her spine, she awaited his response.

"Miss, I have done nothing to deserve this offering."

Inali nodded, so that was it. He didn't think he deserved it. She'd prove him wrong yet. Lowering her head to clamp her jaws around the limp animal, she dropped it at her side. "Well, mister," she began. Glancing up at his face, she continued. "By the end of this little chat, you'll be leaving with a meal in between your jaws. I'll make sure of it." Her eyes were bright with determination.

It wasn't that she pitied the man. Far from it. No one deserved to starve. A wolf was fully capable of finding food for themselves, even if they were loners. She just wanted to make the job easier, that's just how she was.

The young woman smiled warmly at the man. "I don't know about you, but I think we've gone long enough without knowing each other's names." Mirth twinkled in her blue orbs. A new friend to tease. Perfect, she thought.

Though, come to think of it, not once had she seen this man smile. He had a stoic air about him. All the more reason to carve a smile on that face of stone, she thought playfully. But it was enough time of keeping silent, she still needed to say her name.

Her tail thumped once in playful abandon and she finally spoke. "My name is Inali, from Whisper Caverns. What's your's Mr. I-Don't-Seem-To-Find-The-Time-To-Crack-A-Smile?" A soft chuckle escaped her maws, and the woman waited for the man's response.

He did not watch the animal as she brought it back to her side. Instead, he kept his eyes trained upon the woman who had tried to show him a kindness. Chulyin knew of her attempt at friendliness, but he simply could not accept it without a guilty conscience. It was not his meal to take from her, regardless of what she thought. Her words, spoken now, were kind, determined, and his ears flipped back. Chulyin wasn't certain how a few exchanges of speech could land him with an easy meal. However, he supposed that she would make him find out. Her bubbly nature was enough to make Chulyin want to smile. Perhaps if the circumstances had been different and he'd been in the company of his sister, he would have had a good-natured laugh, and smiled, if only for the sake of the women.

But Naira was not here, and Chulyin was firm in his actions. It was unconscious for the most part. He wasn't "grumpy" to make others angry or frustrate them. He was simply how he was because that was how he'd come to be. He was a knight, true and strong, and there was no time for laughter and smiles. Her teasing tone caused Chulyin's ears to lift. It was true, he didn't know her name and she didn't know his. It seemed an important enough thing to correct, though he did not view it as a fun little game. Merely a courtesy.

<b style="color:#a51919">"I am Chulyin, of the north." He bowed his head a bit in respect to the lady. <b style="color:#a51919">"It is a pleasure, miss Inali." The name of her home rang no bells in his mind, so a curious inquiry ushered forth. <b style="color:#a51919">"Is your home far from here, Inali? I am new to these lands." Perhaps it was less for his own benefit and more for hers. He certainly would have nothing to do with the lapid if she had a long trek ahead of her. <b style="color:#a51919">

Lurking until the end of July - Please PM/tag me to get my attention