listening to the rain

Bastet wants to become official! Gosh I suck at ending my posts lol. I pp'ed Lachesis some, I hope it's okay. I also PP'ed her knowledge of @Maksim, although she would not recognize the male by sight, only by smell.

She was hungry. A full month had passed since her encounter with the angry badger, and weeks since her collapse from the injury that had occurred on the front of her left foreleg. Her body was fragile, and the weight she'd obtained over a month ago had disappeared from her body, leaving her so thin the woman looked to have converted from eating satisfying calorie filled meat to a die hard vegan. She had grown too weak to walk much further than the length of Cut Rock Creek, let alone attempt to hunt for herself so that she could gain her weight. In fact, she hadn't moved much since her saviors had dragged her to the safety of Lachesis's den, giving her the medicine she needed to recover and the warmth and space she needed to heal back the shape she'd been since returning to Relic Lore.

The morning she'd awaken from her dream, she sensed the difference in the weather from the week previous, of which snow seemed to be coming down relentlessly. In fact, the skies were clear this morning, besides being relatively cold outside, and she took this opportunity to try and stretch her legs from being cramped within Lachesis' den. The alabaster male was absent, probably off conducting business around the pack, or searching for more herbs that he could salvage from the snow, and Bastet took this time alone from the male to walk around Cut Rock. She hadn't yet met Maksim since the incident, being the alpha kept him busy, and she wondered if she would come across him on her walk, his scent still fresh in her nose--surely he would wish for her to leave them soon.

The musk of Cut Rock burned the hairs of her sensitive nose once she poked her head from the dark den, her mismatched eyes taking a moment to adjust to the bright sun that had peeped through the evenly dug out entrance. Her paws crunched lightly on the snow, reverberating against her eardrums as she walked the lands in silence, wondering who was walking these lands the same instance as her. She breathed deeply, feeling herself grow weak the longer she walked though the young woman pushed on, coming across a snow drenched tree who's branches leaned from its weight. Brushing herself against the tree, she recognized the musk of Lachesis and Maksim, who were obviously frequently marking their territory, before settling to her haunches for a comfortable sit. At this angle she could see everything, including the birds who traveled back and forth on branches in search of food.

Mimi Edit: You had a bit of a hiccup in your coding that was messin' with the board--went ahead and fixed it up really quick <3.

(This post was last modified: Jan 07, 2014, 03:50 PM by Bastet.)

Avatars by Becca! Thank you!

OOC|| I hope it's alright if I jump in here @Bastet-- we can trade a few lines while we wait for @Maksim or @Astra. ||

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As the newest member of Cut Rock River, Naia Aegina had a lot to prove. It had been clear from her meeting with Maksim that her new home would not be as relaxed as Pitch Pine Trail had been, but then Naia had never been a lazy wolf. She found purpose in the duties she performed for her pack, which included running a daily border patrol. When she was accepted as a member, she boldly claimed that she could run a patrol more quickly than any other subordinate—so now she had to prove it. Now that she had access to the pack’s caches, she was gaining her weight and strength back steadily, allowing her to keep a swift, steady pace along the Cut Rock River border. It was a delicate balance; she need to complete the border sweep quickly enough to detect a hostile trespasser before he could cause harm to the pack, but slowly enough to carefully study the various lingering smells. The last thing she wanted to do was miss something.

As she sifted through the wind with a deep inhale, Naia detected the scent of a stranger near the border. This was curious—it was typical for a hopeful loner to arrive at a pack border and howl for an audience with a leader, but this particular female approached silently. The situation was enough put her slightly on edge, and her hackles rose she approached the loner’s position. The form of the stranger seated silently by the border came into view ahead, and Naia was taken aback by her pathetic appearance. The winter had grown even harsher in the past few days—something Naia hadn’t quite believed was possible-- and lone wolves were clearly suffering or it. Surveying the shadowlike female wasted away before her, Naia wondered if perhaps she didn’t howl because she hadn’t the energy to howl. Naia moved closer to the stranger, clearing her throat to capture her attention. ”I’m sorry if you’re hungry, but the winter punishes us all. I have to warn you that if you cross into Cut Rock River to feed, there will be consequences.” Her dutiful warning delivered, the slight female’s honey eyes warmed as she sat down next to the stranger. ”But you are welcome to remain outside the border as long as you like. The occasional mountain goat has been known to pass through.” She turned to the newcomer with a friendly smile.

”Oh!” she exclaimed, suddenly noticing the confusing scents wafting from the shadowy female’s pelt. She smelled strongly of Cut Rock River wolves, though Maksim’s claiming scent was curiously missing from the mixture. She definitely didn’t belong to Cut Rock River, though the scents on her pelt suggested she had recently rubbed shoulders with packmembers. ”Are you looking for someone in particular? Someone I can call? Nineteen, perhaps?” Concern etched across her facial features as she finally recognized the healer’s scent. Happy as she was to learn the her friend Nineteen had made it safely to Cut Rock River (she had yet to come across him in person) she knew that if this lady had spent time in Nineteen’s company, she was probably seriously ailing. ”I’m Naia, by the way,” she added, drawing her shoulders up slightly. She was a pack wolf now, so she was certainly going to stand like one in the presence of a lone wolf.

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(This post was last modified: Jan 07, 2014, 10:45 PM by Naia.)

I'm too lazy to make it known in this post, but Bastet has a carribean accent. And again, thanks for joining!

The tree did little to camouflage her dark pelt, its branches covered in bright white snow were almost blinding against her blue black coat as the sun shine brightly above, despite its poor job of providing warmth. Shifting her weight on her haunches, she turned toward the horizon, gazing once toward the blazing rays of the sun before turning in the direction of the sound of cracking branches--to her surprise it was the very tree she was beneath creaking from the weight of the snow. Flicking an ear to dismiss the sound, she noticed the approach of another wolf in the distance, her agouti coat and smaller frame a distracting figure against the pristine snow though, Bastet lifted to her paws in preparation of the encounter.

The tone of Naia's voice was surprisingly sweet and friendly as she approached, and her words, though brutally honest, held a undeniable threat that made her blink with disbelief. She wasn't sure whether to feel excitement for Naia's presence or distaste for her seemingly sweet welcome. "I mean no harm," she spoke, wanting the woman to understand that if she went harm to Cut Rock River, she would do little considering how small, and fragile she had become. "I am grateful for your suggestions, and will keep them in mind as I live my days out on these lands," she started, deciding to choose her words wisely in case this woman decided to turn nasty. "I am in search of someone I have not met before but his smell I know quite well. He is a good friend of Lachesis, who too has my full respect and forever loyalty for saving my life." she had idea what this female knew but was sure that she would find out soon enough, "he smells of Cut Rock River, his musk is a dominant presence on these lands. I would not be surprised if he ruled these lands." she wasn't sure if her description of this male was making any sense or leading her closer to him. She only hoped that Naia could give her the answers she needed. "perhaps you can help?"

Avatars by Becca! Thank you!

OOC|| Caribbean hmm? That's fun. ||

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Though Naia had no way to know what the wraithlike stranger thought of her, it would not have surprised the Timber lady in the least that her greeting hit a strange note. Naia was an amicable, laid-back wolf by nature, and she felt more than a little awkward as she currently attempted to assume her ‘protective pack wolf’ role. The result was the careful warning Maksim would expect her to deliver spoken in her normal, friendly tone. Unaware that the bizarre combination had set the dark lady on edge, Naia wagged her tail as soon as the stranger insisted that she meant no harm. She trusted the gaunt woman’s word. Perhaps a little naïve, Naia understood the wolf to be an honest, straightforward creature; she had never met a wolf who lied or betrayed, so there was no reason to be suspicious of the female seated before her.

The stranger spoke again, and it seemed to Naia that she was overly careful with the words she chose. This disappointed Naia... there was no reason to be so formal, she wasn’t a dominant or aggressive wolf by any stretch of the imagination. Had she somehow managed to frighten the poor woman? Naia thought she would enjoy the respect she received from loners as a pack wolf, but if that respect came at the expense of an honest conversation she wasn’t so sure. There was a lot that she had yet to understand about pack life, she was coming to realize.

Naia listened carefully as the strange female explained her quest, her ears flicking in regonition as she mentioned the name “Lachesis.” She heard that name everywhere—it was spoken so often that Naia felt a little frustrated she hadn’t yet met the man whose name was so often spoken. What she didn’t know was that she actually had met Lachesis, and ironically considered him a good friend, but she only knew him by his alter alias “Nineteen”. Her friend had never bothered to correct her-- to inform her that just about everyone else called him Lachesis—and therefore she cocked her head in confusion at the mention of the name. However, Naia felt herself nodding as the stranger described the scent that dominated her homeland. This was something she could help with. ”I think you’re looking for our leader, Maksim Baranski. As his follower I carry his scent on my pelt—do you recognize it?” She let the question hang in the air for a beat before continuing. ”I could call him here if you like. Even if he is not the one you are looking for, no doubt he will know better than I where to find the man.” She was eager to offer whatever help she could to the pitiful-looking loner. It was obvious that what she really needed was food, but since Naia had none to offer her, this would have to serve as second best.

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(This post was last modified: Jan 08, 2014, 02:54 AM by Naia.)

Since school started my writing has went down the toilet. School is such a muse sucker lol, hopefully you arent too mad at me for taking long in responding!

In the midst of conversing, her stomach rumbled loudly, causing her ears to fall back to her head with embarrassment as she searched Naia's face for a response. She hadn't eaten much since her incident, the herbs prescribed by Lachesis for her leg had a nasty side effect of diminished appetite but on occasion the woman would feel her body scream for nourishment but her loner status left her too afraid to hunt on claimed land. Although Cut Rock was friendly enough to allow her to remain on their lands until she healed, she had no intention on finding out if they were kind enough to let her scavenge from their storage banks as well. Ignoring the rumble, her attention came back to the tawny female before her as Naia explained the name of the wolf she'd described and his status--it sounded correct, though his actual appearance was still a mystery to her. When the woman mentioned that she carried his scent along her pelt she let her head cock to the side in confusion, she hadn't noticed it in the wind before, perhaps she wasn't sniffing hard enough. Leaning toward Naia, she cautiously inhaled her pelt to identify the faint smell of Maksim, it hit her like a brick in the wind as a smile spread along her lips in disbelief. "Yes, I smell it. That must be him!" she grew excited, her rump wagged quickly with anticipation of finally meeting her other savior. "He must not be too far away then, I hope he isn't busy." she spoke quickly, giving Naia a glance that both pleaded for her to call him, and hoped that he would come without haste. She had plans on joining Cut Rock, not only for plans of gaining some nourishment, but also with hopes of giving them her loyalty in return for saving her life. During the winter, more numbers in a pack meant more intimidation for neighboring packs but also more mouths to feed during such a lack of food in the area. She only hoped Maksim would allow her the opportunity to prove to him that she would pay him back for his excellent deed.

OOC|| It's your join thread Hero, feel free to take it at your own pace. Don't worry about me, I have plenty of threads to keep me busy.

Take it away, Mimi! You two can skip Naia's turn as Maksim and Bastet talk. I'll probably just throw in a reaction every now and then. Otherwise Naia will just sit by quietly. ||

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The ebony lady moved forward to sniff her coat, and Naia got her own whiff of the stranger as she closed the distance between the two. Her breath smelled strongly of herbs—the kind used in healing medications usually prescribed by a trained medicine wolf. Way to go, Nineteen.. Naia thought, proud of the young man for keeping this sickly wolf on her feet. However, the smell also worried Naia. From her small amount of experience with medicines, she knew the herbs did not sit well on an otherwise empty stomach. No doubt the newcomer was experiencing some painful cramps without any meat in her belly to ease the digestion of the plant material. As if to confirm her suspicions, Naia thought she heard an irritated growl sound from within her companion’s belly.

”Certainly,” Naia reassured the loner with a small smile. She settled back onto her haunches and howled for her leader, indicating within the musical tones that there was an acquaintance of his asking for an audience at the border. She did not yet know the reason behind the request, but Naia had a hunch that the dark lady would ask for a spot within Cut Rock River’s ranks. She wasn’t going to make it much farther without a cache to nourish her and a family to protect her. She took a breath and howled again, adding on a suggestion to @Maksim to bring a small meal for the woman—whatever their cache could afford. From her story it sounded as if the two had met before, so even though she was not yet a pack member perhaps he wouldn’t mind offering her a spare rib bone. If she was accepted into their ranks, she might not have the energy to make it to the den site without something to put in her belly.

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It wasn't long before Naia belted out a howl to Maksim, she only hoped the male wasn't too busy to see to her request for joining Cut Rock River. She had been living on the pack land since the first of the month, and had diminished since living on the pack land, despite her efforts of scavenging for food which were few and far between, she had lost some weight and looked in need of a loving home. She didn't want sympathy from Maksim, instead she only wanted a warm home to live out the rest of winter and the chance to prove to him that her debt to them would not go unpaid. There was not much she could do now, being as fragile and thin as she was, but she sure that with time she could take up a duty to help prove herself to the pack--in fact, traveling long miles was always her strongest suit. Perhaps the pack could use a scout, that is if they didn't already have one.

Moments lapsed on but she remained patient, feeling her heart pound quick in her chest. The longer the wait, the more nervous she became and before long she lowered onto her haunches to quiet the thoughts that came to her, it had all become too much to bear. She had never been apart of a pack, except her birth pack, but her quarreling beliefs caused her to leave them just after her first birthday. She couldn't agree with choosing her brother as a mate, and was sure that no other wolf should have to do the same; but what if Maksim had the same ideals? She pushed this thought from her mind, not willing to accept that such beliefs would follow her back to Relic Lore, the wolves this way seemed much more different then those in the eastern region back home. The idea of inbreeding wouldn't follow her this far out, right? Maksim please be different... she thought, finally closing her mind to such ridiculous facts, this moment was for joining the River wolves, not for remembering her past.

(This post was last modified: Jan 17, 2014, 03:13 PM by Bastet.)

Avatars by Becca! Thank you!

Maksim's ears twitched as Naia called out to him, his vibrant eyes opening sleepily as he raised his head; someone was requesting his audience—an “acquaintance”. The River leader had only just managed to find the time to slip a nap into his daily routine! But now his presence was needed and he was far too dutiful to ignore it. With a grunt, the massive beast rose from his resting place nestled within the gnarled roots of a sprawling oak and stretched. Another howl came from the Timber woman again and the Baranski's head tilted slightly as he processed the request. Bring meat? Tipping his muzzle skyward, the River wolf let out a howl of his own: he was on his way but no food could be spared—at least, not until he saw who this acquaintance was. With a quick shake of his pelt to dislodge any snow (and to wake himself up), the agouti brute was off.

Tail held in its dominant position, the Baranski spied two figures on the border. One was Naia and the other? Well, his curiosity about this apparent acquaintance was immediately quelled as he arrived on the scene. Before him stood the ebony stranger that he and Lachesis had saved from a possibly grizzly fate. Slowing to a halt, though he did not drop his display of power. “It's good to see you moving around, miss. You were in quite the state when Lachesis and I found you. He has certainly tended to your injury well.” Frankly, the dark furred woman was lucky Maksim had been there when she had collapsed and that the spindly legged yearling was in his ranks. She could have died, out in the cold, and been buried beneath the falling snow. That, or snapped up by some scavenger. Though, in this kind of weather, every predator became a scavenger. Anything that was edible became a meal for the lucky bastard that found it. “Maksim Baranski, leader of Cut Rock River—though I'm sure Naia has told you this already. However, this does lead me to a question that has caught my curiosity for some time.” Truthfully, it had it since they found her on the borders. “What is your name?”

we are shining in the rising sun, as we are floating in the blue

Thank you for responding Mimi!

As Naia's howl in the wind began to die, Maksim's masculine reply resounded through the heavens to assure the women in wait that he was on his way--though he would not bring food along. She understood his reason, food was much too scarce to share with strangers, though she would have relished the ability to chomp on something during their meeting, she supposed she could scavenge for something after the meetings end. Waiting in silence at the River woman's side, her eyes glanced toward the horizon to search for Maksim in the distance, her heart pounded soft in her chest until finally she caught sight his agouti coat in the wind. She inhaled deeply, feeling her chest tighten and heart beat grow louder as the large male closed the distance between them, his dominant posture her cue to lower her stance to show him respect.

Her tail curled beneath her belly, shoulders sinking low as the male took this moment to speak to Bastet, his greeting made her heart lurch within her chest but she dared not show her nervousness as she took the opportunity to answer him. "You and Lachesis are my life saviors. I owe everything that I can give to both of you." she mentioned, never meeting his gaze. "I have been searching for you Mr. Maksim, and I appreciate you for taking the time to meet with me," she inhaled, feeling her nervousness grow, but she reeled it back in quickly, "Please, call me Ubasti." she voiced with her head and shoulders still low, tail tucked, and muscles twitching. She could only guess how vulnerable she appeared to the agouti male, but felt herself grow hot when he asked for her name. Had he really been that curious in knowing who she was?"I hope that I have not overstayed my welcome in Cut Rock River, I can leave if you wish..." she hoped that he declined her request. The odds of her surviving during this winter were stacked high against her.

i'm just gonna go ahead and write a fade to this one--i've kept it waiting long enough :x

Maksim didn't need to wait long for the ebony female to answer his question, one that he had patiently waited for an answer to as she spent days under Lachesis' care. Ubasti. The name was exotic, though it suited her quite well, and the agouti River leader couldn't help but try it with his own tongue. “Ubasti,” he repeated, nodding as he stored it to his memory. She was nervous, that much was obvious, though she really had no reason to be. If they had wanted to turf her out then they would have by now—if they wanted her gone, they would not have taken her in at all. Regardless, the agouti Mackenzie wouldn't have been able to forgive himself if he just let her die out there.

He chuckled, low and rough, as she questioned whether or not she had over stayed her welcome. “Nonsense,” he began, stepping forward, “though you can now walk, it would be heartless to demand you leave now that you are no longer in a critical state. You are still weak, though, and I mean that as no insult you.” He continued forward and came to a halt right before the dark coated wolf. “Stay as long as you need. And once you are back to your former strength?” The agouti wolf brushed his shoulder up against hers, transferring the scent of the pack. “Know that you are welcome to stay even longer.”

Repositioning himself in front of both Ubasti and Naia, Maksim cast his gaze over the dark woman. It would have been quite the steely sight if it weren't for the River brute's ink-tipped tail wagging behind him. “You are part of the pack now—part of our family. We can offer you companionship and warmth in return for loyalty.” Turning his attention to the loyal Timber, the leader lifted his chin slightly. “Naia, I ask that you lead Ubasti to the nearest pack cache—allow her to get something in her stomach.” Reptilian eyes flicked back to their newest addition before the Baranski turned away, ready to once more settle into the awry roots of the crooked oak.

we are shining in the rising sun, as we are floating in the blue