Shelter from a Storm [open]

[Antiope]

Though she had spent many months wandering this new and unfamiliar land, she had long since realized that it would be still much longer before she even had hope of familiarizing herself with the island in its entirety. And, given the somewhat alarming frequency with which she ran into the scent markings that denoted pack territories, chances were that she would never explore every nook and cranny. Thus far, she had managed to avoid trouble with most other wolves – pack and otherwise – but while she knew intellectually that the lack of interaction with others increased her chances of survival by that much, she found herself growing restless and more than a little frustrated with the lack of social activity. Never had she been so alone or felt so insignificant than she had in recent times. No one cared about the life of a loner, which meant that no one cared about her. And that sent ice down her spine.

Her travels currently found her toward the northern end of the island, where the climate, though still warmed by lingering traces of the summer, was a little too cool for her liking. She would, Antiope had decided some days earlier, have to leave before winter set in, preferably sooner rather than later. The more southern locations promised warmer climates that were better suited to a slender wolf who lacked the thick coats of her cousins. But the mountains that pierced the horizon had set her paws in motion from her warmer haunts, and curiosity had driven her beyond them, into the rolling hills dotted by caverns. Initially, she had been driven to explore them by the prospect of meeting another wolf – if only to have the company of something other than her thoughts – but the caves seemed mostly devoid of canine life. So she had continued on, but the promise of bad weather soon saw her return.

Rumbling darkly, storm clouds rolled overhead while the young female scaled the hill nearest to her. Every instinct told her that she did not want to be exposed to the elements when the threatening storm finally began. The temperature had dropped significantly, and she shivered as the wind picked up around her. Steady paws carried her up the rocky slope and into the gaping mouth of the closest cavern just as the sky opened up above her. Turning, she cast a yellow-eyed gaze out over the land before her, watching as the heavy rain drenched the ground as it had been threatening to do for part of the afternoon. A foreign scent caught her attention now, but it faded, presumably washed away before she could identify the source. Still, the fur along her spine prickling, she scanned the cave for any sign of life. Seeing none, the loner turned back to face the mouth of the cave, haunches lowering to the ground as she settled herself down. All she could do was wait.

489 | -- | yay first post~

[Arete]

There was a storm coming, that much was painfully obvious to anyone that cared enough to pay attention. Arete, a lone female since she had been born and her parents had gone missing and been killed, had gotten used to watching for the signs of oncoming weather. But, unlike an older and more intelligent lone wolf, the young female had separated herself from her brothers for the time being and was wandering out in the open north of the island instead of seeking shelter from the oncoming disaster she knew was coming. Braver than she perhaps should have been, she sighed heavily and trotted forward towards a large hill that she was confident held enough shelter for her in case she needed to run for cover. But, of course, she waited much longer than she should have to actually find a suitable spot. Instead, she sat down atop the hill, looking up at the sky and closing her eyes as the clouds finally opened up and poured rain down upon her face.

It felt cold, somewhat refreshing, but at the same time chilling. Thanks to her parents, the young female had a thick enough coat for the cold not to really bother her, but as the rain poured down and lightning began to flash across the sky, she knew she needed to take a more safe position within the caverns below. With yet another sigh, the female stretched her legs slowly, taking her sweet time in getting to her feet before yawning full into the rain and swallowing the liquid that dripped onto her tongue. Then, with more grace than she preferred to have, the female moved down the small slope and towards the open caves. She truly was a sight, and although the fur began to flatten under the moisture that poured down onto her, the tomboyish female moved with a femininity that she would never have appreciated around her brothers.

Then again, the young female, nearly full grown now, had never really encountered an unrelated male. At least not alone. She had been traveling with her brothers since the death of their father, and though she adored them both, she could not see herself spending the rest of her life at their sides. Because of her lack of socialization, she truly had no idea how beautiful she really was, or how unique and interesting. Her brothers had grown up with her, and though she assumed they loved her, it was not that sort of love she would be looking for as an adult female. She would always cherish them, but she needed more than just her brothers. The thought of joining a pack had crossed over her mind from time to time, but because she was still young, she wanted to spend her life free as a lone wolf for a time before settling down for good with a group.

Finally she spotted a suitable hole in the hill, a small cavern that would be cozy and warm for the duration of the storm. However, as she neared the cavern, she stopped and tilted her head curiously. There was a figure, faded and shadowed by the darkness of the cave, but it was clearly there blocking her path. It looked somewhat canine, slightly smaller than herself, but not overly aggressive. At least she did not hear any warnings or snarls. Then again, she knew enough to be cautious. "Hello, may I join you out of the rain?" She asked, tilting her head in the opposite direction like she had as a pup, showing off her immaturity and puppy-like personality to the stranger in front of her. Clearly she had a lot to learn, but at least she had stopped and not barged right in like a imbecile, right?

Words: 630
Tags: Antiope
Muse: medium
Notes: hope you don't mind me throwing Arete in here!

[Antiope]

There was something soothing about the sound of the rain, a constant white noise that was broken only by the occasional rumble of thunder. Another shiver, brought on by the chill that had settled in the air, traveled down her spine, and she found herself very grateful that the clouds had waited until she had found shelter before bursting open and unleashing the storm. It would have taken her considerably longer to warm up, and she neither wanted nor needed a wet pelt clinging to her slender frame for the rest of the day, thank you very much. Looking out over the landscape, the young female noted that the other wildlife seemed to be of the same mindset as her; birds huddled in a bush not far from the entrance of the den, and she had seen a rabbit scamper down its hole while she was approaching the cave. The empty hills appeared almost lifeless.

A movement on the slope beside the cave caught her attention, and yellow eyes narrowed slightly even as a jolt of surprise pierced her. Moments later, instinct had her on her paws and ready to defend herself if need be as she confirmed that it was, in fact, another wolf – drenched by the storm – making its way toward her shelter. It had been quite a while since she had seen another of her kind, and though a significant part of her was thrilled at the prospect of company after so many months of solitude, she knew only too well that one poor judgment or mistimed decision to let her guard down could change her life completely. Or make her lose it. Her brother had paid the ultimate price for her youthful mistake before, and she had taken the lesson to heart. But time had not scabbed over the wound, and those thoughts were still too raw to consider now. She buried them back in the dark recesses of her mind, places that she avoided at all costs.

She imagined that the she-wolf’s white fur – wonderfully thick white fur that probably kept her pleasantly warm during the colder months – was thoroughly soaked by the time she drew close enough to the cave for Antiope to get a good look at her. Like most other wolves, the female was slightly larger than herself, and had her pale fur not been matted down by the rain, the size difference between them would probably have been more noticeable. Standing with her head high, the loner could see the moment when the other wolf noticed that the cave was not as empty as she had apparently thought. Halting her strides, the stranger peered up at the cavern, hazel seeming to meet yellow, and tilted her head as a curious pup might. And then she spoke, requesting permission to share the cave.

Her words had Antiope hesitating as well, tail swishing slowly behind her. The she-wolf seemed harmless enough, and the yellow-eyed female heard no malice lurking beneath the words. But still she hesitated. Gaze flicking over the she-wolf, assessing her this time for potential fighting advantages, she decided that, despite the size difference, she would probably stand a decent chance against the she-wolf should their encounter end in claws flying. Perhaps it was simply the impression that accompanied the head tilt, but the other wolf seemed younger – and presumably less experienced – than Antiope. In spite of the months of solitude, she was still confident in her ability to defend herself; besides, the stranger seemed to be about the same size as her brother, and she had beaten him numerous times before.

Realizing now that it was probably rather rude of her to keep the other wolf standing out in the rain while her mind raced, Antiope hastened to step back out of the way. ”Ah – yes, of course, you may.” While she may have decided to share the space with a stranger, she was not about to lower her guard completely, so wary yellow eyes stayed locked on the newcomer. Was it overkill that she treat a seemingly harmless wolf with such distrust? Perhaps, but appearances could never be trusted and one could never be too careful.

697 | Arete | -