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Post by Kota on Dec 30, 2007 23:17:29 GMT -5
Wary crystal blue optics trailed after the black wolf's tail, flickering back and forth in a hypnotic fashion. Her paws tread heavily through the forest, sturing even the slightest of dust and murk that lay hidden beneath mounds of foliage.
Exhaustion still tugged at the back of her mind, drowning her thoughts in a thick mist. She had travelled for many moons, and and for each second of each minute that had passed, she had claimed never again would she allow herself in the company of another. So what was she doing here...? A bellow of air was released through her leathery sout, maw lowering in confusion and disdain. Gradually, she came to a stop.
"Saidin.. I-"
As her maw lifted, she was slightly surprised that she had fallen behind, if not slightly. And yet, without the wolf's hind stuck within her face, she noted a small opening within the slope of a dirt mound. It wasn't far off into the distance, but neither was it close. In pure hoensty, it was chance her orbs had fallen upon the sight. Both sentence and Saidin forgotten, her skull tilted to the left, curiosity peeking.
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Post by Saidin on Dec 30, 2007 23:39:31 GMT -5
Concentrating on the array of smells his nose was picking out, Saidin didn't at first realize his companion had fallen behind. He was searching for both easy prey and fresh water– preferably something a little tastier than the lake they were circling. It took a few seconds for Kota's quiet voice to catch his attention, so when he did pause to look over his shoulder he wasn't too surprised to realize he was trotting on without her. Saidin's tail fell a few inches from its confident, upraised position– he'd been trying to set a slower pace without appearing to do so, not wanting to exhaust his new acquaintance now that she seemed to be regaining some strength. "What is it? Do you want to rest– or, I meant, just– lie down for a minute or two?" He was quick to amend what he had said, not wanting to offend Kota. She had displayed quite a show of pride earlier when they'd first met– that or stupidity, since she had clearly been starving, yet at first she had refused to accept his half-eaten, freshly-caught rabbit. Saidin rather doubted she was unintelligent.
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Post by Kota on Dec 31, 2007 0:00:18 GMT -5
Her maw shook though his question barely registered in her mind. Suddenly, she took a single bound forward before lasping into a paced trot. And it wasn't long before she reached the place in which her optics had never left. Jaws opened to ivory fangs, making quick work of the briars that surround the area.
Quickly- for soon understanding what her discovery was- she tilted her maw back to Saidin, eyes almost sparkling in her own excitment. "Look!" Her voice seemed stronger, if not louder than before. She made yet another single leap on the spot with a rushed yip of sorts before squatting her dainty figure and pushing herself through the small opening she had created.
And with her disappearance through the opening came a loud yip constructed of surprise, followed by a snarl and a snap of jaws.
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Post by Saidin on Dec 31, 2007 0:28:18 GMT -5
"Kota?!" Saidin yelped, running after the smaller wolf. He reached the den an instant after her disappearance inside, and he quickly followed her in, brushing past the remaining briars. Worried, he didn't give his eyes time to adjust to the darker light- it wouldn't take long, at any rate. "Kota?" He called softly, ears straining for any sounds. Body tense and prepared to dodge or fight back, he took another step forward. Nostrils flared as he inhaled deeply, trying to identify what else must be in here.
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Post by Kota on Dec 31, 2007 0:47:27 GMT -5
A muffled tone was all he would get in responce, a figure brushing up against him for the smallest of seconds. Within the light, he would've noticed a bundle within Kota's jaws. It was a rabbit, stunned and killed in her own surprise. The dead lump fell at Saidin's paws, pink tongue soon working at the blood which stained her cream maw.
"It's a den." She stated bluntly, a miraculous joy spreading over her. Now she could rest properly, rather than under a blinding sun which only increased in heat with each passing day.
"Like you wanted to find!" Her snout lowered to the dirt floor, eyes now adjusted to the dank light within the small den. She only had to turn once to find the hole in the ground. A hole only large enough for a rodent to squeeze through. A rodent, much like a rabbit.
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Post by Saidin on Dec 31, 2007 0:58:55 GMT -5
Saidin jumped and shied away from the touch before realizing it was only Kota. Grinning sheepishly, he attempted to cover by leaning forward and sniffing her kill. "Better than I was thinking of. This den's got built-in food delivery. Too bad that probably won't last once they figure out what's going on," he sighed with only half-faked longing. Blinking, eyes finally capable of seeing in the dimmer light, Saidin looked around. The den was... snug; the two of them ought to fit inside quite comfortably. "This is more like it, and sheltered too." He returned to the entrance and peered outside, carefully grabbing one of the loose briar strands with his teeth. Experimentally pulling it half-over the den opening, he stepped back and wagged his tail in pleasure at the results. "How did you ever spot this? It's really well-hidden, especially if we cover it up with these thorns."
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Post by Kota on Dec 31, 2007 1:15:27 GMT -5
Her hind shuffled in deep content with Saidin's responce to her finding. She knew it was a complete accident- but it didn't mean she was about to admit to it being so. "Well.. the wind started to blow in our direction, and the smell seemed off to me. It smelt like rabbits, but something more." Her voice seemed quicker than before, losing herself in her own make-believe tale. Her lust for life was slowly- but surely- returning.
"So I stopped, and looked, but I saw nothing. Then I noticed there were tons of little brown things on the floor- like there is at the entrance to those long-ear's den. So I knew at once that there would be something good around here." Her tail swayed back and forth as she sat herself on her hind paws, stirring the dust.
"And then I noticed that there was something behind the tree. So I moved it, and came in." This part was truth- she had no idea what it was she had discovered at first. But yet she wasn't really regretting it. Not in the slightest. Lying was probably one of Kota's strongest, and yet most dangerous, skills she owned. Though despite this, she rarely used the tool, only claimming it to 'make like more exciting'; or so she used to say to her elders.
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Post by Saidin on Dec 31, 2007 1:33:47 GMT -5
"You must have quite a nose," Saidin told her, admiration in his voice, never doubting her tale. "We're lucky you're so observant, too. I'd bet no one else could– or will– find this den, if we're careful about it." Turning briefly back to the entrance, he returned as many of the thorny strands to their original concealing positions as he could without risking cutting his mouth. "Well, as long as there aren't any other dens hiding around here," he added as he thought of the possibility. "We can go check later, but for now... I wouldn't mind settling down for a little while. Can't imagine a better place to do it." Returning his attention to Kota, he asked politely, "Unless you'd rather go explore some more? I assumed you'd like to have that while it's hot– I love meat when it's fresh enough to steam in cold air." Tail flashing back and forth, a darker shadow in the cozily subdued light, Saidin circled expectantly past Kota to face the den entrance, the little rabbit hole would conveniently be right next to his muzzle when he lay down.
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Post by Kota on Dec 31, 2007 11:06:38 GMT -5
She was already laid down where she stood, pink tongue sliding from between her jaws, streching in a large yawn before slipping back.
"I think I need rest..." She moaned, the excitment of the den soon passing her as quickly as it arrived. She soon rolled onto her side, streching out her paws and feeling a brush of her fur as Saidin settled behind her.
"Do you really think there will be other dens...?" She mummbled, sleep tugging at her eyes. It felt wonderful for her to close them in the stale light of the den, wondering for a brief second if this was what it was like for long-ear's and their holes. Though she gave no voice to her curiosity.
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Post by Saidin on Dec 31, 2007 11:17:47 GMT -5
"I don't really know, but I can't quite imagine there'd be one den all by itself in the middle of nowhere. It would be excellent for us if that were true, though– a secret little hideaway if we ever needed one..." He paused as his ears picked up sounds within the rabbit hole, but whatever lucky prey stirred within didn't emerge, and it soon quieted. Saidin stretched and flopped down onto the cool earth, a stray leaf or two that had made it past the briar covering crackling under his weight. He wasn't really tired, even after a hopeful yawn, so Saidin simply settled down, placing his head on a paw at an angle to watch both the prey-hole and the entrance. He considered getting up and moving closer to the opening, he didn't want to wake Kota in a few minutes when he had to get up and do something.
Their combined body heat began to warm the air in the den, and Saidin could smell Kota's kill not too far away... very tempting, it was. Too bad he... wasn't that... sleepy.... Heaving a massive sigh, the black wolf's eyes slid closed and he started to doze– not yet asleep, but not entirely awake either.
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Post by Kota on Dec 31, 2007 11:34:32 GMT -5
Her head nodded with his words, optics closed with exhaustion. She had no idea how far she had pushed herself until this very moment. Or how hard it was to survive without a pack. Her thoughts drifted into meaningless notions; what she would do once she woke, whether she'd stay with Saidin.
And yet, throughout the meaningless waffle of thoughts, one thing remained clear on her mind- as soon as she had rested, she'd have to move on. Her past had taught her one lesson and one lesson alone; to survive, you must be alone. No wolf could be trusted, no matter how dear or close they may be. Her own parents had shown that.
Her weight shuffled across the dirt floor, paws streching out once more. Her thoughts strayed further, constantly being dragged under the influence of sleep; would she miss Saidin..? A paw twitched, a quiet whine that could be mistaken as a dream mummering from her throat.
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Post by Saidin on Dec 31, 2007 14:28:06 GMT -5
One eye cracked open as Kota shifted from one position to another, the large wolf unused to having company in the months of his travel. He had encountered few packs, and none were willing to do more than allow him to stay for a few days before asking him to move along, please. Eventually Saidin had pieced together that they viewed him as a threat: young and strong, and he supposed he was attractive enough, although he couldn't imagine himself settling down with a mate– or anyone, really.
Huffing, Saidin rolled over onto his side and stared out at the bright world beyond the thorny den wall, trying NOT to think. If his thoughts became too agitated then he would become restless as well, and for once he rather liked the idea of staying here– for a little while. Long enough to let Kota rest, then... well, probably a little more looking around before dealing with any other wolves that had stumbled onto this haven in the mountains. That resolved, Saidin managed to relax, his breathing slowing as he drifted off to sleep.
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Post by Kota on Dec 31, 2007 14:35:23 GMT -5
====================== Time Lapse ====================== |
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Post by Kota on Dec 31, 2007 20:54:36 GMT -5
Optics flicked under brown hue lids, slowly opening as the femme stirred. She had slept for a good long while, the sun already beginning to fade through the briars covering the entrance to the small den. Paws streched out from her sleep, jaws heaving open as a yawn broke the dismal silence. Still laden with sleep, her skull lifted, eyes blinking several times before adverting her gaze to Saidin. She had no idea whether or not he was awake, but it was time. Carefully so as not to disturb Saidin's sleep, she rose to her paws. That was... If he was sleeping. Her eyes had yet to adjust to the gloom, and she wasn't going to stay around long enough to find out.
Crouching down, chest touching the ground, she crept to the entrance. Just as carefully, she moved the briars the same way she'd seen Saidin move them. Then, quietly squeezing through the narrow gap, she felt a light breeze wash over her figure. It felt strange after remaining in the den for such a long period.
Taking a leap, she relished her newly found energy. The meal Saidin had provided her with, and the sleep in the den had worked wonders on her body, feeling an- almost- instant effect. Indeed she still felt tired, but it was nothing compared to how she'd felt the past few moons. Nipping the briars with her jaws once more, she pushed them back into place with a small rustle. She winced as a thorn pierced the top of her jaw, but- somehow- managed to hold back a yelp of surprise.
It wasn't soon after that she set off, bounding across the fields, taking a sharp turn from the path Saidin was eventually leading them down; this time, southwards.
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Post by bruno on Jan 1, 2008 12:09:31 GMT -5
In the bleak distance Bruno's ears perked forward. He could sense the definitive smell of a taken vixen roaming nearby. He wasn't sure if the wolf was out to get him, or if he could finally befriend someone since his exile. His head held low as he sat on his haunches, he bellowed out the softest and smoothest tone of a howl to examine his future situation. Bruno believed that disturbing someone that he isn't sure about is the wrong thing to do;, but maybe she needed help... He replied to himself that it was not the case; that is how he was exiled from his former pack. His curiosity flared at the thought of a new pack on the territory he had wondered into. With high hopes, he sat quietly.... waiting.
He listened intently for an answer or something to merge out of the shadows; he was hoping with his life that it wasn't a threat, but he lie softly in the terrain to create nothing but the sound of shifting dirt. Was someone there or is it a figment of his imagination?
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