Sacred Grove and the courage that i showed

<blockquote>There was desperation, a feeling of drowning, even when all around the water was as dry as the bones on a long dead deer. It's sun-bleached carcass was picked over and hardly resembled the skeleton it had once been. Coyotes and scavengers had peeled away all of its flesh, had taken whole limbs and ribs away until only a smattering of random bones and a cracked skull remained. The deer had probably been dead as long as Quest had been in Relic Lore, but when he came up to it, he felt his heart sink into his stomach. His slender muzzle pushed at a shoulder blade, turning the bone over in the dirt before he walked straight through the remains and continued on.

It felt to him as though food was already shrinking and disappearing in the wake of the water, as the good-humored Damascus had surmised. Chances of survival for the Aquila male shrank, and he saw his own destiny in the bones he'd left behind him. The decision to move on or stay was drawing closer every day, and with his thoughts came a reminder of that tawny and cream wolf he'd met so early on in his time here. Ruiko had not objected to meeting him again, and although it would have been unfair to say that the attractive Swift River leader was thought of often by Quest, he certainly had crossed his mind a few times. Remembering well the identity of the other man's pack, Quest traveled to the Sacred grove, keeping a good distance from the borderline.

He didn't know why exactly he had chosen now to come. He did not want to force his own life decisions onto Ruiko, and even though the other wolf had been receptive to lending him advice before, he did not want to expect it from him again. Still, here he was. He had met few wolves here, and one of them had been the last wolf on earth he had wanted to meet, so perhaps, at the end of the day, the perpetual wanderer was merely lonely. Whatever the cause, he howled short and sweet into the cool morning air. He was not quite at the borders, but he figured that Ruiko, or his brother, would come to answer it as Ruiko had said they would.</blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Nov 12, 2010, 03:16 AM by Quest.)

Life had not been great since the disappearance of the water, but it had at least been tolerable for some time. The sudden shift in seasons had taken a drastic effect on the land; drops of dew that had collected upon the blades of grass and leaves had sustained very little, but it was far superior than the cloak of frost that greeted Relic Lore in the mornings now. The quench of thirst was far less effective with the frozen substance, and just like any morning, Ruiko was greeted with the glimmering sheen of winter. In his opinion, the snow could not come soon enough. Survival was becoming exceptionally difficult, and the lack of water had stirred a consistent headache and fatigue. He worried little for himself, but his fear for Kinis’ well-being grew steadily. He would need to take action soon.

Ruiko had given up his search for a water source. His energy was best spent elsewhere, and the day found the tawny beast trailing the grove in track of prey. The herds of deer that had once sustained the pack in the summer had seemed to move on, no doubt to find water, and Ruiko was only thankful that he had no more than three wolves to feed in the pack for now.

Giving up on the fades scent, the regal wolf now moved in the direction of home when a somewhat familiar scent crept upon the autumn breeze. He could not recall the face of the wolf, which left the regal wolf quickening his pace in the direction they had traveled.. which was closer to the borders of his home. Moments passed and a soft howl echoed across the sky – requesting company at the borders. Truly attentive now, the golden male prowled forward with intent, his stance lifting in dominance as he came to the borders where a dark wolf stood. At first glance, Ruiko was uncertain of who the rogue was, but closer inspection lead to the male’s memory of a day a bit back, where the River wolf had met the lone wolf. “Quest?” The name rolled from his tongue uncertainly, for he wasn’t sure if that was the male’s name.

<blockquote>Quest stood with one front foot bent at the ankle, his weight on the other there paws, staring off through the grove of trees toward what was certainly Swift River's packlands. The scent of other wolves was strong, although there weren't all that many scents for him to pick apart and distinguish. He waited with patience and stillness in the thick trees, not willing to remove himself from the place where he had called out. He had all the time in the world. Water wasn't going to find him any sooner, and with no one to depend upon or depend on him, he had a casual air about him when Ruiko finally arrived to greet him.

He turned his head with a start as the ground crunched beneath the tawny male's paws, and when Quest caught sight of him his own body shrank down in respectful submission to the dominant display which came so naturally to the Swift River native. His name was said tentatively, questioningly, and he nodded his head slowly to confirm that Ruiko remembered him correctly. He felt a bit sore that the recognition was not automatic, but he wasn't sure why this mattered. <b>"Good to see you again, Ruiko,"</b> he replied, keeping his body turned slightly sideways so that they did not meet each other nose-to-nose. <b>"How have you been faring?"</b></blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Nov 12, 2010, 03:16 AM by Quest.)

The male turned swiftly at the sound of Ruiko’s paw nestling against the fallen leaves with a sharpness that impressed Ruiko, though he would not say so out loud to a wolf he barely knew. The dark peppered wolf lowered himself in respect to the regal male’s lands and rank, and while his stance remained, he gave a nod to show the male he appreciated such an act. The River wolf’s inquiring tone was responded to with a nod, and just as the agouti male was about to re-introduce himself in case the rogue did not recall, Quest spoke a warm welcome.. followed with his name. In turn to this, the Tainn wolf offered a small smile, his figure brushing forward to close some of the distance between them. It was curious to see that the wolf still remained in Relic Lore.

“As well as one can be in such a time,” he offered slowly, his tail sweeping against the cool air. He spared the details of his family’s abandonment, for he doubted the wolf had come to hear his woes. Instead, he gave a slight nod to his companion. “Yourself? It’s curious to see you in Relic Lore still after the water has completely vanished.” Last he had seen Quest, there had still been a miniscule amount of the liquid.

<blockquote>That Ruiko was still here, in his pack lands and living on, said at least something about how he was doing. Obviously he had been getting on well enough, even without the water, to justify continued residence in Relic Lore. Perhaps he was merely among those die-hard wolves who would be chained to this place until death whether it came swiftly or slowly, but Quest liked to think others were as rational as himself, and that if things truly were dire, Ruiko would abandon the place along with the rest of the animals that had once called these lands home.

His reply was neither cheerful nor too downhearted, and Quest nodded soberly. Even if Ruiko was doing well enough, that didn't mean that anyone could say they were living bountifully these days. <b>"I'm a little bit surprised to still be here myself,"</b> he said, one side of his mouth turning upward in a dry smile. <b>"I've been a wanderer for so long, I guess I've gotten used to going a while without a lot to eat or drink,"</b> he commented, fishing in his own mind for an explanation of why he'd managed to last so long. <b>"Not sure how long I can keep the lifestyle up though. I've had... a rough time."</b> But that rough time was due mostly to running into his sister, not the disappearing water. Still, he was an unfailingly honest wolf. </blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Nov 12, 2010, 05:04 AM by Quest.)

It would seem as his role of pack leader and the recent events regarding the water had made the tawny wolf more welcome to the idea of conversing with wolves outside his pack; of course, perhaps by nature this was simply because his pack only consisted of three other wolves. Stoical, fierce, dominant, and holding little patience, Ruiko lacked the debonair charm that Indru had. Hidden Tree had been a pack of glory, while Swift River had the ability to be powerful as well.. Now, they were nothing more than the image of abandonment. As much as he missed his sibling’s, especially Indru, the regal male had other more important matters to focus on for now.. including the well-being of his pack.

At Quest’s comment, the large River wolf shifted his figure lightly, both brown tipped ears preening forward as his gleaming eyes swept over the peppered wolf in mild curiosity. Any indication to what the lone wolf’s complications had been were lost upon the Tainn, and he simply nodded in agreement and empathy. “We’re some of the last wolves in Relic Lore, I’d say,” he mused in turn, his gaze studying the feature’s of the male to see what his reaction would be to this thought.

<blockquote> Quest had long mused what it would be like if the wolves started draining out of Relic Lore. A quiet, desolate place. Beautiful in its abandonment, haunting in the quiet chance of death it held. Because he was unaffiliated with anyone here (other than Sojourn, who he sought vehemently to ignore), he hadn't had a good gauge to measure how the population had shifted since the late summer's drought had begun. Ruiko's admission that they were certainly among the last remaining numbers lifted Quest's head in interest, and he found the ability to make a decision about his own future came much easier than he had expected.

The impulse to run, to flee as undoubtedly others had, was not in him. He assumed that Ruiko must have lost pack mates on top of noticing a general dwindling of wolves around the territories, but he did not ask. He did not see a need to know specifics at this point. All he knew was that Ruiko had helped him get a lay of the land when he'd arrived, and it was on his advice that he'd managed to get enough water to stay alive since then. It was this alone that prompted him to say, <b>"I suppose it would be in our best interest to stick together then, wouldn't you say?"</b> Wolves were social animals. They thrived in the throng of a pack, and at last Quest realized that water or no, his best chance of survival was to stay here in Relic Lore -- with Ruiko, if he'd have him. </blockquote>

His expressed indifference that the wolves were slowly leaving Relic Lore held a note of worry in it, though only a wolf who knew the stoical Tainn well would have caught this. Indru would have been the first. The reality of the situation before him however was that his brother and family were gone, spare for Kinis, and to re-build a pack from the ground up with no source of water seemed not only impossible, but pointless. Ruiko Tainn, however, had always been more persistent and stubborn than his siblings, and while he would look to Kinis’ well-being first, the male would resist moving unless it got truly bad enough to do so.

Quest’s words stirred Ruiko’s muzzle to lift slightly as his eyes glanced over the peppered dark male before him. The stranger was amicable enough, and had been respectable enough that Ruiko had not minded his company. There was only a small pause before the male gave a blink. “If you wish to join Swift River, then I would say you’ve already proven to me you are a member worth having, Quest,” he replied, his eyes studying the other for his reaction. After all, four wolves to a pack was better than three during times like these, and if Ruiko was going to allow any to admit themselves to his pack, it would only be those he believed he could trust.

<blockquote>It felt strange to commit to something. The only pack he'd ever known had done him a grievous wrong, and it was probably his lack of trust more than anything else that had kept him away from other wolves for so long. He did not know, yet, if he could put his faith in Ruiko - but the tawny male had been there to give him advice when no other was, and he had kept his chiseled features clear in his mind since their first meeting. He had a good feeling about the other male, but certainly he had worries too. If he and the other Swift River wolves were to find out about his secrets, would they too chase and harass him from his new home? He could not bare the repeat of shame and devastation, and he hesitated in supplying an answer when Ruiko spoke up again.

But he could not deny that he felt warmed by Ruiko's display of trust in <i>him</i>, and it felt good to see that the golden-eyed leader already had feelings of assurance toward him rather than what he was so used to. He did not hear the hate and repulsion he had been brought up under. He felt acceptance and warmth, and his weary heart was thankful for it. <b>"That is my wish,"</b> he confirmed at last, although he had said as much already through his posture and earlier sentiments. <b>"I have much to learn from you about this place Ruiko, and I will be of service in any way I can. It has been a long while since I have been in a pack, and longer still since I have had a real role within one. But I relish the opportunity,"</b> he said thankfully.</blockquote>

There was a small pause of silence as the peppered male seemed to mull over the tawny beast’s words. Ruiko was took the moment to study the male, believing Quest seemed to be the sensible and reliable type, which was exactly what the pack needed right now.. for there was a small mouth to feed during dire and hard times. The prey was lacking in abundance – a direct result, Ruiko assumed, of the lack of water found in the lands. Three wolves could hunt more efficiently than two, and the regal wolf was almost relieved that another would be joining their ranks.

Quest agreed, and upon the other male’s words, Ruiko gave a slight tilt of his cream-tipped muzzle. He was unsure of how much he could teach this wolf.. but he was certain that in time, Quest might find Relic Lore home, just as Ruiko did. “We’re grateful to have you,” he returned with a small smile. “Three able-bodied adults to hunt for a pup is much better than two.. And Kinis is at an age where we should all be teaching him everything he will need to know for when he enters the adult ranks.” There was a small pause, and the golden wolf gave a nod in the direction of the river. “Shall I show you your new home?”