Hush Meadow the duties of young lords

For @Titan ~

Rook Lyall July 10th?; Late afternoon; Partly Cloudy; 75° F/24° C It seemed that he was not welcome here. He had let them take the hare that he had caught, a parting gift or a token of gratitude for taking up the pack Leader's precious time. As the Lyall turned to check his surroundings, to start thinking about where to go on from where he presently stood, he was greeted by nothing but wilderness. His ears momentarily flattened; frankly, he had wholly expected to find his sister Bishop standing in front of him with her own hare in tow. She wasn't. His blue-and-gold-eyed gaze dropped to the ground, his brow furrowing as he considered what his next step would be. Regardless of what that step would or had to be, he had to make sure that he and his sibling could be together. He might have been selfish to think that he could endure this journey to Relic Lore and Grizzly Hollow alone; for his twin to have such a heart as to trail after him without even a second thought was a blessing and a gift (even if, as of late, he believed her presence to be quite the opposite). There was no doubt about the fact that he and Bishop could not be separated. If he could not get into a pack, this particular pack, this band of individuals who called themselves the wolves of Whisper Caverns, then he would not let Bishop waste her time and energy. He thought of the first thing he would say to her: "Keep the rabbit, we're moving on. There is no space for us here." His left forepaw scratched at the ground, rustling the short and torn up grass blades underfoot as he frowned at himself. He cast a gaze over his mottled shoulder to stare across the invisible fence onto pack territory when he heard it. The sounds of something or someone approaching was not unlike the time before when he, Namid and Bishop had spent some time within the Cedarwood, but this time... this time Rook's ears came up, and everything about his stance conveyed that he was ready to meet whoever was just lingering nearby. "I know you're there," he called, fighting the urge to scowl, "I'll be on my way, don't you worry about that. I'm just waiting for my sister. Once I meet her, we'll be leaving."

(This post was last modified: Jul 11, 2014, 04:13 PM by Rook.)

Chances are I have a BEN WHISHAW gif for that.

When the call to join had gone up from a youthful male voice like his own, Titan had tried to get there to see what would occur. Unfortunately he had been all the way at the opposite end of the territory when the call sounded lightly upon the wind. So when Titan did get to the border he found that his mother had already gone, but a stranger was still hanging around the well marked border. Titan sniffed the air trying to discern who this stranger was. He smelt hare, Nari, and the stranger as he hid in the long grasses of the meadow keeping to the shaded area's so as to blend in more. Titan could tell that it was a male around his age which somewhat confused the dark Thorben. Why would a wolf his age have no pack scent on them? How was this stranger already a loner?

Moving to get a better look, Titan stuck closely to the shadows while crossing the border and letting his nose guide him. Eventually the dark wolf found the other male who blended in with the grasses far better than he could ever try. Though as blue eyes adjusted to the shape of the wolf who didn't actually seem to be trying to hide, Titan spied the mid-sized body adorned in various shades of gray, black, russet, and cream colors. From this angle he could not see the males eyes, but as he began to move again to get a better look the stranger spoke up loudly startling Titan into flinching. Narrowing the blue eyes his mothers side of the family gave him, the young Thorben sighed then brought himself forward out of the shadows and into the sunlight. He raised his silver dusted black crown while strutting forward into the small cleared area of shorter grasses and flowers. Not being distracted by long grasses as they swiped by his face and nose, Titan ignored the scent of ergot that was growing on one of the tall grain clumps that made up the edge of the clearing. He wasn't here to collect stuff for Kassander.

"Are you really a loner?" Titan might have had his head in a proud position but he kept his tail lifted in a neutral position hanging it in the air just above a short clump of grasses.

Rook Lyall "Are you really a loner?" a question ensnared his ears, the tone of its voice seemingly belonging to someone young enough to be an age mate. The Lyall whirled around on dirtied paws, catching the gaze of another wolf for the briefest of moments. He kept his mismatched eyes away from the other's face, half-pretending that he was keeping an eye out for his twin should she return sooner than expected, half-knowing that he definitely did not want to cause any trouble via miscommunication. A part of him had felt like it had been shocked by lightning. If he hadn't been properly looking, he might have mistaken the boy for his sister, Aiyana, if it weren't for his pair of bright blue irises. Rook pressed the tip of his tongue to the roof of his mouth. As much as he wanted to lie, he couldn't without giving away the fact that it was obvious he wasn't telling the truth. Was he a loner? His head tilted to one side in thought. Not particularly since he had come from a pack who still considered him as apart of theirs, but he didn't belong to anyone in the area either. "Yes, I guess?" he answered, his nose wrinkled at such a complicated response. "Yes and no. I'm here on behalf of my family and pack, but none of them are with me... except for my sister." His tail stiffly came up as though to wag, but he kept it still at his back. The brute was large for a yearling, it partially intimidated Rook. "Why?" he retorted, mere curiosity shaping his own voice. "If I had said that I was affiliated with a neighboring pack, would it have meant something else to you?"

Chances are I have a BEN WHISHAW gif for that.

Titan's question was answered with something that sounded like a question. This made his right brow raise in question until Rook continued his answer. So he is here from a different pack... Titan wondered where this other pack was and why the other male had left it. Obviously by his scent the stranger had been gone from his pack long enough for the smell to disappear. ...and he has a sister here with him? the dark wolf nodded in understanding. Though when the Lyall questioned why he was asking Titan had to cock his head, his own eyes matching the curiosity in Rook two colored pair.

"I was just curious. I've never seen a loner as young as you before. I didn't know that someone my age could leave their pack and set out on their own." Titan offered the honest comment while letting his curious look pass onto an intrigued one. "If you said you were from a nearby pack my curiosity would still be the same. I like traveling and seeing new places. So seeing someone my age free and able to travel catches my interest. " Titan shifted to the left angling his body sideways to the stranger in a less dangerous manner and more friendly manner. Then he sat down and glanced over the wolf again. A quick look to catch things he hadn't noticed before. Like those eyes; one blue and one gold looking around and at him every few seconds. Titan had not met a wolf with eyes like those before. Quickly his gaze went back to the grasses surrounding them. The dark wolf spied goldenrod at the edge of his vision and admired it's yellow color for a moment.

"My name is Titan Thorben. Prince to this pack who seems to have made a mistake in refusing you. I don't know why mom didn't like you. She usually fawns over young wolves whether they are non-related or her own." Titan shrugged kinda wishing he had an age mate guy to talk to. His brother wasn't the talking type and had been acting strange as of late anyway. Kassander didn't exactly know how to talk yet, though he was getting better. Titan couldn't talk to the older healer about things. As for Ash, Titan would rather talk to a skunk than speak with the cold alpha male. "Did you tell her what you're good at? Maybe about what you want to do in the future? " Titan tried to reason why this wolf hadn't been accepted. Perhaps Nari thought that there were too many wolves in the pack now? Or maybe she thought that there were too many yearlings to teach in the pack? He wasn't sure.

Rook Lyall "I was just curious," the Thorben replied. Rook's defensive mannerisms fell away; his plume-like tail finally wagged. Pride might have been something commonly attributed to the young Lyall, but for mere curiosity, the boy didn't seem like he meant to offend. He had noted that Rook was young and that he didn't realize that wolves as young as they were could make the decision to leave their homeland. Only then did Rook fully look at the pack wolf, his dual-colored eyes taking in every bit of him. He seemed handsome - a prince and future monarch in every way, once he had introduced himself. In the brief pause between them, he, too, offered his name, "I'm Rook Lyall... from Renegades Reach or--" he figured now was a good time as ever to recite his proper name and title, "As my parents often reminded me to say: Rook Lyall, Lord and Heir of Renegades Reach." He briefly dipped his muzzle in greeting. "I'm not there though and I call myself as I please. It is quite a pleasure to meet you though." "I don't know why mom didn't like you," he continued. "She usually fawns over young wolves whether they are non-related or her own." Rook should have found this odd, but after learning that his mother had become the adoptive parent of Arlette and Theodore, it really wasn't strange at all to think that someone other than his mother would fawn over him. He took a moment to think over what he had said, "I intend to come back sometime later. I was a little nervous and that might've been enough to displease her." Memories of lessons that had been taught by his Aunt Aniu flashed before his eyes, "I also might have been too forward. She might not have liked that either. My mother used to reprimand me for being too enthusiastic." "Did you tell her what you're good at?" Titan inquired. "Maybe about what you want to do in the future?" The masked boy nodded. "Yes," he began, walking a bit closer towards his companion so he wouldn't have to continually bark at him. "I did. I told her that I was willing to work for my keep... Shelter and food in exchange for my services - hunting, scavenging, scouting, cub-sitting..." His tail swayed slightly behind him, "Perhaps I hit a sore note? I'm terribly sorry if I did. Are things well... with your pack and family? That is, if you don't mind my asking."

Chances are I have a BEN WHISHAW gif for that.

Titan observed the wagging of the Lyall's tail and copied the relaxed stance. His black banner lowering to a more comfortable position as it wagged slowly back and forth between his hind legs. The respectful manner to which Rook gave his title and greeted him brought a small dimpled smile to his jet black maw. This wolf he could get along with. Rook Lyall seems far more respectable than any of the royal Archer siblings. Titan let his ears sit to the comfy sides of his dark head as he bowed back to the equally royal heir of Renegades Reach.

"The pleasure is all mine. It's rare to find a male age mate who doesn't think too highly of himself. There are royals who exude arrogance as if it were their second tongue living in nearby packs. All trying to flaunt their power in front of other wolves. Though I'm not sure if you would mark me as the same kind of wolf. I try not to peacock too much." Titan interjected this bit trying to make a good impression on the wolf before him. Though as the words left his mouth he realized that he might be trying to hard to be friendly. Plus belittling other wolves who were in their own right heirs to their pack might make him look bad.

Cursing himself in his head silently Titan looked away towards the treeline and took a deep breath. His tail paused for a moment as he settled onto his haunches and listened to the good male. He furrowed his brows as he listened to what Rook had told his mother. There isn't anything there that she should have been angry at him for. So why did she reject him? Titan thought quietly upon the matter then nodded to the young lord briskly. "The only thing I can think of that might have had her annoyed was the pup-sitting comment." He answered looking back towards Rook with a considerate look over his face. "My father Sloane Thorben disappeared early winter. Mom went crazy looking for him. I think she still thinks he's alive, and maybe that's why she didn't bear any pups this year. Even though we had a new alpha male." He shrugged feeling bad for Rook that he might have hit a bad topic simply by mentioning pup-sitting.

"Sorry about that...Maybe...I don't know. Maybe she regrets not having pups this year? I know she's been hovering over me and my brother Yuka. So much so that it gets extremely annoying. I wonder if she would have left us a lone if she had pups of her own to look after." Titan had mixed feelings about his mother having other pups. Pups that would be half siblings. However the hell pups were made anyway. On one end Titan would have liked to be an older brother, but on the other he did once in a great while seek his mothers company. To have her attention directed solely on new pups...would that make me jealous? He wondered quietly while allowing his tail to wag a bit more. The topic of pups made other thoughts scramble about in his brain. Neither Ash nor Nari had given Yuka or him "the talk" yet. So of course curiosity over that made his imagination go wild.

(This post was last modified: Jul 16, 2014, 04:09 AM by Titan.)

Learn from these streets, it can be bleak,
Accept no defeat, surrender retreat...

Rook Lyall So he and Titan were on the same page. That was a relief. "I try not to either," he replied. "My sister is usually quick to catch me though, I admit." The Thorben continued to let his companion know that he had indeed struck a chord, head on too... Oops. Rook opened his mouth to apologize again, but he remembered where he was, who he was, and who it was he was currently speaking to. By all means, he didn't want to look pathetic, desperate or, goodness forbid, weak. Besides, he had already offered his condolences. Titan explained why his words had had enough weight as to become a heavy blow to the Lady Narimé and all that she was as the pack's matriarch. Rook merely nodded. As the swarthy boy apologized for such a thing, Rook then shook his head. "No, it's all right; and, I get what you mean." His thoughts went back to his home in the north east and the memories of his mother and father (and even his older siblings) when they were raising him and his sister. They were never allowed after sun set, never allowed too close to the stream except to quench their thirst. Their boundaries were almost always patrolled on an hourly basis and, more often than not, Aniu was the ones to call them out on their little adventure and bring them back to the den whenever they - mostly he - wandered a little too far. "I'm the youngest in my family," he lent. "It was a surprise my mother let me leave home at all, but I told her it was for a good cause, a good reason..." His bear-like ears came down by several degrees and he momentarily winced, "Would you happen to know of anything that would help someone with their mind or to think? Like... plants or herbs, perhaps?"

Chances are I have a BEN WHISHAW gif for that.

As Rook's words passed through the young gray wolf's maw Titan listened intently. He nodded showing that he was actively listening though his smile turned to a tiny frown. A frown the dark wolf immediately tried to hide. Rook had mentioned how his sister kept him from being to cocky and arrogant. That thought made the dark Thorben's heart ache as he thought of his own sister Malia. She too had an attitude and mouth that could bring a cocky wolf down a notch or two. Titan had frequently been on the lashing end of her tongue and learned to #1) be patient with her and #2) Not to act so know it all and cocky in the first place so that Malia had no reason to go after him. Though how she had been attracted to Asriel in the first place with how arrogant that male had been Titan had no idea.

He missed her deeply. Even now, after only being reminded of her in Bishop's comments of his own sister. Titan sighed while trying to keep the calm relaxed composure he had had before. He should have no reason to look so down as the other male spoke of his sibling to Titan. He gave a fake smile as Rook then commented on how his parents had also been overprotective. ...being the youngest in the family I can see why he would have that problem... Titan thought as Rook spoke and then winced in front of the dark wolf.

Titan tilted his head to the side observing the Lyall's tiny pained movement. Then let a grin widen his muzzle once more. Finally! Someone I can help with the stuff I've learned! His thoughts bubbled up allowing Titan to forget about the sad blue thoughts of his departed sister.

"I don't know every herb, but I do know a few that might help. Ergot will help for a headache, though I'm not sure how much should be eaten for the herb to work. Then there's lavender hyssop which could help sooth you. Though I don't know where that one grows. " Titan sat up and stretched onto all four legs. Then scoured through the grasses around them searching for the bit of fungus he had scented at the beginning of their meeting. After a minute of searching he located some stalks of some kind of barley that had the fungus growing on both the grains and stems of the plant. He nipped off the pieces putting a small pile of stems and grains on the ground beside him. Once enough of a pile was there Titan started separating the grains from the stems that had bits of ergot growing on them. He didn't want any chance of harming Rook by the ingestion of the grains. Instead he piled up a second little bunch of stems that had bits of the ergot growing on them. The grains he swept away with his left front paw before gesturing for Rook to come close with his tail.

"Eat all of these stems here. The stuff growing on them is called ergot,and it should help with the headache if I have enough there. Though like I said,I'm not sure if this is even enough to treat your headache." Titan sat just a tail length away from the little pile and his acquaintance-friend while watching quietly with a tad bit of worry on his face. The young wolf did not want to accidentally screw this up. "Oh and if you at all feel tingly please tell me." So I can go get real help from Kassander for you... Titan didn't say the last bit trying not to worry the Lyall.

Rook Lyall Titan's grin, though recovered, was a Godsend. It wordlessly told Rook that he had finally found something, a sliver of hope. The dark-furred prince mentioned that he didn't know every herb, but as far as Rook was concerned, any bit of information was better than none. He listed them for the Lyall to make note of: - Ergot - for headache relief. (No, it wasn't that sort of pain or malady.) - Lavender Hyssop - for soothing the nerves. (No, it wasn't nerves, either...) He had expected a third one and immediately as Titan persevered Rook had wished he hadn't hoped for such a thing. The lad set to work, picking and sorting and inspecting each grain as he picked them apart with a skill obviously only learned through patient repetition and practice. Rook's pained expression worsened as he watched his age mate compile a small cluster of fungus-infested stems. "I--" he had started to say, but the boy continued. "Eat all of these stems here," he seemed genuinely worried, which unsettled Rook further. "The stuff growing on them is called ergot,and it should help with the headache if I have enough there." "Thank you, Titan," he eventually stated, his ears remaining downward, "I appreciate all of this. I do, but..." He steeled himself against whatever reaction the Thorben might have towards the word that preceded his next statement. "But, it isn't for me." Rook tried to give him a small smile, ultimately failing at it though despite his tail wagging gently behind him. "It's for someone very, very dear to me. I've come to Relic Lore for their sake."

Chances are I have a BEN WHISHAW gif for that.

There is a family of deer nearby. Hunt Opportunity