Disappointing Obstacles {OPEN}

[Alina]

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[attr="class","pltxt"]The longer Alina was forced to linger here in the desert the more upset she became at her situation. She felt the fool for following Thor down here to this southern bowl of heat. He had left her here to wait for him claiming that he had to help with a thing called the Agoge, the training of his packs youths. She had been mostly understanding when he had left, but the days had turned sour waiting for him to return to her. This desert was lonely and very frightening considering that she had not even a friend to keep her company. The whole reason she had joined a pack was so that she could have a family an feel safe, provided for. She had left her home in the north to follow Thor to end up alone in the desert. Luckily for her there weren't many large predators here with the lack of prey the desert provided. There were some smaller mammals here that were just enough to sustain Alina for the time being, but winter was drawing near and that meant what little prey remained would be scarce. She was no expert hunter so she knew she would not last down here for much longer. Thor hade mentioned that she would need to swim to an island called Ina'mos before she could be initiate into his pack. Alina was tempted to make the swim, but unfortunately she didn't have any idea where this island was. She also doubted that she would be able to make the swim on her own. The waters surrounding this continent were treacherous and Alina was very small with very little knowledge about swimming.

The majority of her winter coat had come in making her warm and plush as the desert became cold. She was no winter dwelling breed that had the ability to withstand such frigid conditions. The warmth of Thor's plush coat was something that she missed most of all these days. His smell, the deep timbre of his laugh, even his teasing smile that made her feel so alive. She was so naiive about the world and what was real to them, but she knew that Thor would always be there to take care of her when she needed him. His pack had been the priority these past few weeks, but she knew that she had surprised him by showing up here. He had no idea that she was making the journey, but her impatience was paying her back now. He had promised to come back for her, but she hadn't been willing to wait for him to return to her. Alina took a few steps in the sand trying to decide whether to stay put and wait for Thor like she was supposed to or go in search of him. This desert didn't belong to any pack so at least she was safe from trespassing here, she didn't quite trust her senses enough to determine when she was trespassing. She wished that she had at least a friend that she could play with at least to keep her mind and her heart from lingering on her male. There hadn't been that many loners that had crossed her path here and she wondered if that was a good thing. Perhaps she would have run away if she had come across a stranger. Her instincts never really kept her on the cautious side. Excitement always won out when a potential friend or playmate came to town. It was tricky for her to track in the sand but she wondered if it was worth it to try anyways. She didn't think that she would survive another day of solitude. Lowering her muzzle to the sand she tried to discern if anyone had been through this area in the last few months. Much to her disappointment there was nothing fresh enough that she could easily detect. "Stupid desert!" In reality she was more upset with herself than her surroundings considering she was in this situation because of the choices that she made.  

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[Castalia]

Castalia was not a pup anymore. That was evident in where she was standing—the dark towering mountain, Pievunt-An, at her back and hardened lava frozen beneath the pads of her paws. Sometimes, her home just became too crowded for Casi's liking. Although weary about breaking her father's rules and wandering too far, Casi was an adult wolf now. Her first birthday had come and gone, and mating season was upon them. Femmes were expected to give themselves willingly to the males of the pack, males old enough to spawn a new generation of giants. And so she had left Kairos pack territory to explore. The explosion from the volcano had happened only a few short weeks ago, but already the ground was solid, as if it had never been a river of molten death. The sky was still grey and ashy, but all was still and quiet. Nothing yet lived in this desolate waste of nature, and the hardened lava seemed to stretch endlessly to the west, covering more ground than what originally existed.

Her rust and cream colored fur danced in a gentle breeze. Although winter had made the northern portions of her home cold, here was exceptionally so, and as she padded on, the wind whipped at her pelt, cutting through and sending a chill through her bones. Hard rock and lava turned to a powdered sand as she skirted the base of Pievunt-An. It pushed up between her toes and clung to her fur as her paws churned it upwards. Unaccustomed to the landscape, Casi found herself blinking the grit from her eyes as it blew upwards. The tan dunes seemed to stretch out in front of her like a never-ending sea. She had reached the desert.

What am I doing here? she pondered, her feet coming to a halt as she lifted her nose to the sky. There is nothing here. Nothing at all.

But she was wrong, of course. A voice carried over the sands then, just a short outburst of a frustrated femme. It wasn't aimed towards Castalia at all, but still, the young wolf froze and turned in place until she spotted the one who had spoken aloud. It was a petite wolf, her pelt streaked with browns, tans, and greys. Although she looked as if she was alone, Casi proceeded with caution, trying to keep a boldness in her heart as she approached the stranger.

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Count | 410
Tagged | Alina
Muse | Meh
Notes | Here you go!

[Alina]

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[attr="class","pltxt"]Right as Alina was about to find a place to sleep for the day she smelt a familiar scent tickling at her nose. Just as she was about to rush to wherever this smell originated from she realized it was not Thor. It was the pack smell that she had learned to identify as Kairos, but it was not anyone that she new. Alina took a deep breath just to be sure that she had it right. It wouldn't be the first time that she had made a mistake in identifying a scent, this could land her in a world of hurt if she didn't get this scent right. With a little twinge of fear Alina wondered if this was the mighty ruler of Kairos come to banish her from here. Thor had promised that he would present her to his alpha when the time was right, but the idea of meeting him alone terrified her. Whipping around she yelped in surprise when she saw a rust and white wolf approaching her. It had been a long time since she had met anyone new, so a part of her was immediately happy it wasn't a giant that came to greet her. While Castalia was still larger than Alina, mostly in mass not so much height, Alina didn't feel very afraid of her now that she got a good look at her. Wagging her tail she trotted over to the female a goofy grin on her face. "Hello! I am so glad I finally found someone out here. It is a very lonely place." Alina began to whine a little in her excitement, her whole body shaking from excitement. As innocent as she was there was no trace of wariness now that he initial surprise had worn off. She didn't have it in her to suspect anyone of anything sinister. "My name is Alina. What is yours? You are very pretty." Alina didn't think that she had ever seen a wolf with her particular markings before and it made her curious. "Where do you come from?"



Alina herself had come from up north so she wondered if this femme was new to Kairos. She did look young enough to have been born in Kairos, and that made her wonder what that was like. She also wondered if she could ask this femme about what Kairos was like. Thor had given her a warriors perspective of it, but Alina wanted to know what it was like for females. She didn't possess much skills and she was worries that she wouldn't be admitted into the pack because she didn't have much to contribute. She also knew that she could be very overwhelming sometimes in her excitement, so she wanted to be sure that she didn't scare this newcomer off.

Castalia

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[Castalia]

A wolf sat in the sand only yards away. Slimmer than Castalia in stature, the femme had a distinct scent that spoke of no pack she could identify. A loner, perhaps? She seemed harmless enough, even from a distance. She had streaks of color in her that resembled the sands around them, but was also blended with darker browns and greys. Her pelt almost resembled Casi's own. Maybe that's why she found it so easy to approach the stranger. Before she could even reach her, however, the femme stood and trotted up to Castalia without fear, tongue lolling from her mouth, body relaxed. Casi found herself startled as she spoke, offering up her name and chattering away about the desert. She had not expected the femme to talk so much. At home, she was always surrounded by serious brutes, training, talk of fighting and proving oneself. Once your time as a pup is over, there is no time for idle chatter. And, of course, Casi was not one for chatter.

She let the friendly femme—Alina she had said—finish, and tried to fight the small lump forming in her throat. Her voice, meek and fearful, never matched her appearance. Although she was friendly looking enough, she was the daughter of a giant, an emperor, and others were always surprised on how little she had to say. There were things expected of her, of course. But Casi had never liked to waste words. As the wolf in front of her stopped speaking, Casi realized she had to speak up now, for fear of Alina thinking she were rude.

"Hello," she said, light eyes darting briefly to the ground between them before going on. "My name is Castalia, and I am of the pack Kairos." At least when she spoke of her pack, her voice was able to strengthen. This greeting was familiar, easy even. It was surprising how easily they rolled off her tongue. You are very pretty, the femme had said to her. Perhaps she should thank her for her kindness?

"Thank you," she muttered, voice failing her. It had been so long since she had met a stranger. Cursing inwardly, Casi hoped this wolf would understand that words never came easy to her. "Are you from a nearby pack?" she offered next. "I don't think this desert is claimed."

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Count | 394
Tagged | Alina
Muse | Decent
Notes | Beep boop

[Alina]

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[attr="class","pltxt"]  Castalia's silence went unnoticed by Alina as she continued to yammer on. The tiny female talked enough for the both of them so Alina felt no need to stop talking to her. She had been so lonely these last few days and now the chance to pour her heart out was here. Alina hoped that this female would want to be her friend because she was in desperate need of friends. She had thought being brave and following Thor out here was the best decision that she had ever made, but now that she was here loneliness was giving her doubts. He had left her here alone and despite the fact that she knew he had duties to do it still hurt being so alone. From the moment she had arrived on this island she had sought out the company of others, she had no room for being on her own. She craved the comfort and stability that came from friends. "I know someone form Kairos!" Her excitement bubbled out as thoughts of Thor shifted to a happier place. "He is a great warrior. I came from my old pack to be with him." Airila was no longer her pack, not from the time that she had left them to follow Thor. Now she had the possibility to make a new friend in a pack that she was supposed to join and that was a thrilling undertaking. "I am supposed to wait here for Thor to come and get me. He said that he would take me to meet your alpha. Is he scary?" Alina had heard so many tales of the giants that roamed on Ina'mos, and even though she knew that Thor would never let anyone hurt her she still felt some fear. She had never seen a giant other than Toiro and he had been a benevolent leader, even taking the time to play a game with her when she had first met him. Alina wondered if their alpha was the same kind of leader. Castalia seemed to be suffering from a case of nerves, or perhaps she was just quiet by nature. The silence didn't bother Alina but she preferred to fill it rather than let it fall. "I guess this means we will be pack mates soon. We could even be friends if you like. I don't have any family and no friends here in this desert." Alina wondered if Castalia would even want to be her friend, but then again everyone could use a friend. Even if the friendship only lasted a moment. When Castalia spoke it was like she couldn't find the right words to speak or even that she didn't know what to say. "I promise I don't bite Castalia.  Feel free to talk or not." She giggled thinking about her nibbling on Castalia trying to get her to talk more.  

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[Castalia]

Alina sure was chatty. The femme was yammering on at an alarming speed, her exclamations and excitement only exaggerated by the way her body seemed to move with her words. Usually, so much talking made Castalia nervous, but she liked this wolf. Not only that, but she knew someone from Kairos! That was interesting. Although Casi had never met someone named Thor in her pack before, she was sure this femme was telling the truth. There were many great warriors of Kairos, and Casi told Alina as such. "I have never met a wolf named Thor, but an ally of my pack is a friend of mine." She gave her a smile to seal her words, the corners of her maw turning up shyly.

Then, the femme asked her about her alpha. Her father.

"Goliath was leader of Kairos for a long time," Casi said with a nod of her head. Then, she paused, unsure of how to continue. "He no longer rules over us. That duty has been left for my half-brother to live up to. His name is Typhon." Casi tilted her head as she shared this information with her new acquaintance. And what new information it was... Goliath had left Kairos recently, just before she had left to explore on her own.

Casi let her mind wander for a moment. The way this she-wolf's eyes sparkled when she spoke of waiting here for Thor to come for her... She cares for him a great deal. Maybe...

"You know, Alina, I wouldn't mind being friends. Maybe I need more of those." It wasn’t much of a stretch. Usually, chatty wolves made Casi timid, but she rather liked the way Alina spoke, as if everything was worthy of excitement. Casi didn’t feel pressured to contribute a whole lot, almost as if Alina were conversing enough for both of them. Under her chipper attitude however, Casi could sense that something was off. Loneliness was wafting from this femme in waves. Her sadness was evident, even though she seemed happy to be in Casi’s company.

"I am leaving for home soon. If you want, you could travel with me. To your Thor." Casi wasn’t sure whether Alina would take her offer, but it seemed the least she could do. Any period of time spent alone in this desert was unforgiving. The nights were cold and the unchanging landscape was enough to drive any wolf mad.

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Count | 448
Tagged | Alina
Muse | Meh
Notes | Beep boop

[Alina]

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[attr="class","pltxt"]  As soon as her new friend made the offer to take her to Ina'mos Alina could practically feel her body humming with excitement. The idea of surprising Thor on the island made Alina whine a little in anticipation. She didn't know when he would make the journey back himself, but she assumed it would be sooner rather than later. He had told her to wait for him so that he could present her to Goliath as his mate, but now that Typhon was the alpha than perhaps there was no need for that. They had both exchanged words of love, but they hadn't officially become mates she supposed so she was free to become a member of Kairos on her own merit. Besides it would give her a change to get all settled in her new pack and be able to make some friends before her returned. More than anything she wanted to prove him wrong that she could survive in Kairos. He had always warned her that it was a harsh place that was not suitable for her, but Castalia seemed nice enough and she had been born in Kairos. "Really? You will take me with you?" Alina practically beamed as she moved forward to nudge her new friend. Alina loved to touch other wolves, the contact with them was almost soothing to her. It also made her feel secure and a little less defenseless than she actually was. "Do you think they will let me into Kairos? I know that I don't have that many skills but I will try my best to help the pack." That was the same promise she had made Toiro when he had allowed her to join Airila, but now here she was making it again. Am I betraying them by being here? Would Toiro understand?" He had been so nice to her the first time she had met him, but it had been months since they had last talked. Now she was on the verge of becoming a Kairos wolf, starting a new life. Castalia had never met Thor, but that suited her well because a little trickle of jealousy made it's way into her mind when she thought of all the female friends he had left on Ina'mos. As sweet as she was she didn't want to think about having to share Thor with anyone.



"If you are happy there then I will be too! I have been so scared to leave here alone, but you are my friend now and I trust you."  

Castalia

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