Out of Captivity [Raksha]

[Chaika]

The sun was already beginning its descent across the winter sky when Chaika had decided to spend the night in this small empty cavern. Here, he was safe from the ice cold, howling wind that had surrounded him while he was out in the open traveling through Caurus. A half-eaten deer carcass was sitting a few feet away from the canine, and blood from his still steaming hot meal stained the stone cavern floor. Now, the Eastern Timber wolf was faced with a problem: he had too much food. He had hunted this deer all afternoon, developing quite the appetite. The openness of Caurus had given him the familiar sense of freedom that he had been missing for almost two years now. However, after eating his fill of deer, Chaika still had enough meat left for another wolf of his size and no wolf to give it to.

Speaking of size, Chaika had slimmed down a fair amount since being captured and taken from his former pack, Zakur. His ribs poked out of his side without his usual layer of healthy fat to conceal them. When the pair of scoundrels had forced him to hunt for them, they only let him eat whatever they left over. That entire experience taught him to appreciate food a whole lot more than he already did. That's why he felt guilty while he stared at the pounds upon pounds of perfectly good meat that would probably rot in this cavern when he left in the morning. He just hoped that a hungry loner would stumble upon it before the meat turned rancid and inedible.

Of course, Chaika knew he could stay in the area for another day and simply return the the cavern tomorrow night to finish his meal. But truthfully, this was not a valid option in his mind. Having just escaped captivity a week or two ago, Chaika was on his journey to thr Oriens where hopefully the rest of his pack and family would still be residing. He missed his little furballs that were somehow his children - although he thought they were much too cute to be related to him. Thinking about it now, he figured that they probably didn't look like little furballs anymore. They were most likely full grown at this point - and boy, did Chaika wish he could see them right now and catch up on everything he's missed. Then, of course, there was Annabelle, his soul mate and love of his life. He missed her white coat and loving eyes more and more with each passing minute, so there was no way he was going to waste another day staying in Caurus just because of a deer carcass. He would find more food on the way, and even if he didn't, he'd rather starve trying to find his family than sitting here and wasting any more time than he had to.


"speech."
thoughts.

---

word count: 490
tags: Raksha
muse: not too bad, since I haven't played him in much over a year xD
ooc notes: no rush to reply to this, just wanted to get it up for when you're ready!

[Raksha]

In Valyn, Raksha had been a lot happier than previously. The events of her past would continue to haunt her but at least she was not alone; at least she could be tormented by her past in peace, in safety. But do I deserve peace and safety? I caused the deaths of my own pups! I'm a mother; I'm supposed to look after them! I failed! I'm a murderer! It was a terrible thing to carry upon one's shoulders, the death of a loved one. Even worse, the death of multiple loved ones. Even worse still, the responsibility of the death of everyone who one held dear. The guilt was eating away at her, making the Eastern Timber wolf's dark legs tremble as her entire body shook for a moment. After a few deep breaths, shaky pawsteps were taken, Raksha wandering aimlessly around. It seemed that everything pre-Valyn was weighing heavily on the Principality's conscience at that moment, stealing her ability to think straight. Kamari's territory markers were passed without notice.

Without Raksha's volition, it seemed that the she-wolf's legs had sped up, as if running from her guilt instead of facing it. Just moments ago, she seemed to have been fine... It was only when she felt a rough stone wall dig into her side that she snapped out of it, coming to her senses. Before her, there seemed to be some sort of cavern with the scent of deer and a male wolf coming from it. Immediately, Raksha jumped back. She knew better than to approach a male wolf. So far, it was only Ciar who had not hurt her. Sure, Aden and her father probably did not mean to die on her but... Well... Could they have let themselves die just to make Raksha feel hurt? Perhaps it was not her fault after all... But either way, they had to hate her. If it was her fault then they would hate her for killing them. If they had died with full intent to do as such then they would have to have hated her a lot in order to wish such pain upon her.

No. I can't think about that now. She ought to think about now, not years ago. Suspicious but having forgotten the route that she had taken, Raksha peered into the cave. Then she stepped into it. Still wary but realising the absence of immediate danger, the small fae proceeded to walk over to a multihued male next to a half-eaten deer carcass. She kept her distance but tried her best to not look afraid and lost; it was in weakness that males had harmed her before. If she could come across as strong then that would minimise the danger and perhaps could get the male to tell her where she was and where to find Kamari.

.: OOC :.

Words: 504
Tags: Chaika
Notes: So, so sorry for the wait! <3
Muse: Okay

[Chaika]

The male Timber wolf's nostrils were still overwhelmed with the saltiness of his prey's blood that had been smeared onto his muzzle and nose during the action of eating. Thus, when another wolf entered the cabin, the only thing that alerted Chaika of her arrival was the subtle clicking of hardened claws on the stone ground. He swiveled around slowly to face the source of the noise, in the most non-threatening way possible. Chaika's nature was usually friendly, so immediate aggression or defensiveness were not things he liked to show. 

His chocolate-brown eyes finally rested upon a non-aggressive looking female Timber with a primarily black coat and unique white markings on her face. The brute could tell this canine was not too frightened or nervous but also not exactly comfortable with her situation either. Chaika was fairly skilled in reading others based on their body language and posture. This stranger seemed to be trying her best not to look scared, which made him feel like he needed to make her truly not afraid of him. He really wasn't a scary wolf at all. He smiled his warm, lopsided smile and sat back on his haunches before clearing his throat quietly. 

"Hello, miss," he cooed softly in a somewhat hoarse voice, not wanting to frighten the stranger or cause her to become alarmed. He had learned as his time as a loner that lone wolves were much more on-edge than those with the security of a pack. Not knowing where this wolf came from or her current state of mind, Chaika decided to start slowly just to be safe. "Why, I hope you have a warm place to sleep in tonight. You're more than welcome to rest here of course, I won't bite." He smiled again, a gleam of lighthearted humor in his aging eyes. His voice was clearer now that he had warmed it up (his normally chatty self didn't seem to have too many conversations lately), and his volume was a bit higher now as well.

His tail happily swished back and forth across the cavern floor. Loner life was not good to the canine - he needed social interaction to thrive. That's why he hoped to return to his family and the rest of Zakur soon. He missed them all dearly, but that didn't mean he couldn't branch out and possibly meet some new companions along the way. "My name is Chaika - may I ask what you'd like me to call you, love?" His head was cocked slightly, his hears forward awaiting the female's response. Although the brute enjoyed his fair share of talking, he also loved to listen.

"speech."
thoughts.

---

word count: 456
tags: Raksha
muse: okay
ooc notes: 

[Raksha]

When the stranger noticed Raksha, he flashed a smile and greeted the Valyn femme kindly. Was he trying to trick the female? Her trust was not given away blindly, not even to family—that lesson had been learnt months ago when her pups had been poisoned by her own brother, by her own kin. She knew to be more careful now, to not fall for feigned kindness. But... His gentle nature, it did remind the widow of Aden, of how comforting he had been after the death of the newly orphaned female.

He then introduced himself as Chaika and asked for Raksha's own name. It could not hurt to give it, right? Why not?

"M-my name is Raksha," the Eastern Timber wolfess replied, cursing herself for stammering. So much for appearing unafraid.

What if she never got back? If she was lost forever? Well... Chaika had not been hostile so far, had he? And asking for directions could not make things worse, surely? That was, unless if it triggered the male into attacking but that was unlikely.

"Um... Chaika, do you know where I might find Kamari, perchance?" the lost fae tried. She felt rather awkward talking to the male simply to ask where she was, and admitting that she was lost made her seem more vulnerable, but there was something about her new acquaintance that made her comfortable and relaxed. Perhaps it was his amiable nature, unlike the darker nature of Mukesh or that Kairos brute.

Maybe she would stay even after she found out whereabouts she was. She could do with some company and Valeria would not mind, surely? The Seraphim was a benevolent leader and would not restrain Raksha to Kamari as long as she did not betray the pack, right?

.: OOC :.

Words: 316
Tags: Chaika
Notes: She won't dash off when Chaika replies, don't worry ^.^ And round of applause for shortest post in the world
Muse: A lost cause

[Chaika]

At first, Chaika observed with his warm muddy eyes that the female before him was still a bit nervous. He knew this by the way she stuttered just a touch while introducing herself, but Chaika didn’t flinch one bit. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Raksha,” he answered respectfully and flicked his ears in a friendly way towards his company. He wondered why the female was out here all alone, but he couldn’t exactly say anything about it as he too was on his own right now. In the Timber brute’s mind, wolves were all social creatures by nature and belonged in some sort of family group or pack. Of course, he wasn’t one to judge others’ choices and understood that all canines could choose to live however they pleased.

Raksha then inquired the male about the direction in which to find Kamari. He knew the lands quite well, having lived on Anikira for his entire life. “You’ll want to head just South of here, and you’ll wind up in Kamari pretty quickly,” he replied as he was reminded of something. “As far as I can remember, Kamari is claimed by Descai. Is that still the case? Is that where you’re from?” he asked only out of curiosity. For all he knew, Descai could be long dead and gone by now. But, before his time as a prisoner and being stuck in a closed off world of his own, Descai had been a flourishing pack that resided just outside of his own. He doubted they could be completely killed off in a matter of less than two years, but Chaika was used to surprises at this point.

This also reminded him of how close in relative terms he was to The Oriens where he would hopefully find his long lost mate and children. He figured he may as well ask the nice femme if Zakur was still around. It wouldn’t change his mind of whether or not he would search the area, but asking for information regarding what he may find there would certainly be helpful. “Actually, a long time ago I was a member of the pack known as Zakur, which held its claim in the Oriens. Are you aware of that pack still living there? I’m on my way there now to hopefully reunite with my family..” he trailed off slightly, noticing his excited rambling. As happy as he was to talk about his own kin that he loved ever so dearly, he didn’t want to be rude or scare the poor Timber wolfess off. He was happy to just be with this nice female and maybe they could even form a friendship from this completely random encounter.

"speech."
thoughts.

---

word count: 466
tags: Raksha
muse: decent
ooc notes: I thought I would get right to him realizing how much things have changed since what he once knew c:

[Raksha]

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Chaika," Raksha replied, warming up a little to the male. Surely not all males were bad—Aden had been proof of that... Perhaps she had found a friendly male, one who meant no ill against the Valyn she-wolf. And besides, there was something rather nice about meeting a fellow Eastern Timber wolf.

"Thank you for the directions. And no, I'm not of Descai, although you are correct in thinking that they did once reside there. Have you not heard the news yet? It happened about a month ago. Kal'dyne, previously claimed by Valyn, was invaded by Kairos. Kairos won so Valyn had to relocate. Do you know of Valeria? Ex-Descai member. She left to found Valyn. Kairos is... It's a terrible place, full of brutality and evil. I'm sorry, you probably know most of this. Back to the point, Valeria, who leads Valyn, has a lot of relatives in Descai so the two packs merged. Obviously, Acerbus is no longer Descai's due to Kairos—" The pack's name was spat furiously from the rape victim's maw, anger bubbling inside of Raksha at what Kairos had done to both her and the pack that had so kindly taken her in. "—taking over that as well. So that would mean that Descai and Valyn became one pack residing in Acerbus, although they call themselves Valyn. Sorry if I'm repeating what you already know."

Zakur. The pack that had disbanded for an unknown reason so long ago. How out of the loop was this Chaika? Where had he been for the past year or so? Raksha did not judge him for it, but it was curious that this loner did not know of so much that had happened. "Zakur? Zakur disbanded quite some time ago—over a year, in fact. I don't know why it disbanded since I was in a pack with no ties to Zakur at the time, but word spread of it quite quickly over Anikira. I know that Othala lives in the Oriens right now. Maybe they would know something since they live where Zakur did," Raksha suggested, wanting to help this male find his family. She knew what it was like to lose family and did not want this wolf to suffer that.

"May I ask, if you don't mind talking about it, where were you for the past year? These events are rather well-known across the continent. It's nothing against you, just curious." The cream-marked female did not wish to be probing at all so she tried to suggest with her voice and face that Chaika did not have to talk about it if he did not want to. After all, Raksha did not want to talk about her rape so if something equally or more traumatic had happened to Chaika, she would give the same respect to him as she wanted to be given to herself.

.: OOC :.

Words: 533
Tags: Chaika
Notes: A month ago would be assuming that this convo happens at the time the thread starts ^^
Muse: Good

[Chaika]

Listening to Raksha list off the pack affairs and shifts that had occurred during the last few months caused the muscles in the canine's throat to tighten and threaten to close in on him completely. Before now, he had never really considered that so much could change within such a seemingly short time. Thinking about it now, how could he have been so naive to believe that everything would be just as they were before he was captured? Life had moved on without the Timber wolf, and facing this fact terrified him more than anything.

The anger in the femme's voice as she spoke of this pack known as Kairos stirred up anger in Chaika's own abdomen. He felt whatever rash irateness that Raksha was feeling towards the pack even though he had absolutely no recollection of their existence and no ties to either Valyn nor Descai who seemed to be the most affected by this group. He felt whatever pain she was feeling but didn't dare ask where these clearly personal emotions were coming from. He didn't want to push her any further than she wanted to go.

The brute listened, still, as the other wolf broke the news of Zakur's disbandment. His heart fell, crashing into the pit of his stomach. Everything he had thought to still be true was no longer. He reflected on the prior disbandment of Amar and how the feeling of lost hope had nearly killed him before Zakur was finally created as a type of reconstruction. The transition had been beyond difficult, but the end product was like a true miracle in motion.

Now, the vicious cycle had repeated itself over except this time, a brand new pack apparently called Othala was living in his former home. "Wow, I guess things have changed more than I had thought. Othala... Do you know if they are good? I guess what I mean is, are they respectable wolves? Would my family be safe there?" he asked out of pure desperation. He knew the practical stranger had no way of knowing if his family was safe, but hopefully she could share some insight about what this newer pack was like. And even if she couldn't, Chaika was very grateful she was able to share with him the information she did know because it was helping to prepare himself for life ahead.

At this point, the brute was basically expecting the female's next question. It was evident that his embarrassingly uninformed self had attracted some well-deserved suspicion and curiosity from the Valyn wolfess. He hesitated, but then sighed lightly and his usually permanent smile faded away. "Two summers ago, I think - I can't remember exactly when it happened - a pair of cruel, savage loners kidnapped me from my own territory. They called themselves pirates, and they forced me to hunt and perform other tasks for them as they traveled around the continent. I-I would've fought back, but they kept me so underfed and beat me if I tried to run. Finally, I got away.. And here I am, I suppose, trying to figure out where to head next." His voice was sad, but not as sad as one would expect. He felt safe opening up to this female, but then again he tended to trust very easily. The previous and tragic events in his life were deafeningly horrible to the brute, but he knew that he couldn't dwell on it or feel bad for himself now. He didn't have the time to waste on such nonsense.

This evening had proven to be much more eventful than he had originally expected. "Please forgive me, sweet Raksha, for unloading all of my troubles onto you. I am only beginning to return to the regular routines of life without evil kidnappers leading me everywhere." A small bit of humor flashed in his eyes as he looked hopefully towards the Timber female. She was so kind to deal with his utter stupidity regarding simple news around the continent; he truly appreciated everything she was doing.

"speech."
thoughts.

---

word count: 688
tags: Raksha
muse: amazing o.o
ooc notes: this is way longer than I thought it would be omfg. sorry if there are any spelling mistakes I was multitasking!

[Raksha]

Chaika spoke of things changing, but changing since when? Why was he not in the know? It was not like Raksha to be prying but there was the incessant natural curiosity, one that affected every wolf, old and young, sane and insane, large and small. However, she did not bug the male, allowing him to answer in his own time. Instead, the yellow-orbed female answered Chaika's own question.

"Yes, they seem to be a peaceful pack from what I have heard. They are religious and led by two wolves, one male and one female, named Eidus and Kiva respectively. I don't know much more apart from that, I'm afraid, but I think that your family would be fine there," the dark-furred wolfess assured, speaking the truth. After all, she would not want other wolves to lie to her just to make her feel better, so the words of comfort were spoken with as much truth as she could give in the matter.

When Chaika spoke of the pirates, Rak remained silent, allowing him to speak. It sounded terrible, and although the cream-marked she-wolf was reluctant to say that they rivalled the horror of her own past troubles, she could happily say that they had both been through a lot, and something about that made her feel slightly closer to this wolf that she had just met.

For a moment, the Valyn fae was unsure of how to respond, remaining in silence until quiet words of comfort escaped her lips. They were soft and gentle, as if she was comforting a distressed pup, even though this wolf was likely older than her. "Chaika, don't apologise. It is terrible, what you have been through, but I have hopes that your family will be waiting for you in the Oriens or close to it. I won't lie and say that I am certain that you will find them, but I will truthfully say that I see it as probable. We can stay here for the night if you like or, if you feel ready after the atrocities that you have been through recently, you can leave in search of your family right now. I don't want to hinder you."

Although Raksha's plans were originally to find out where Kamari was and to return to Valyn as soon as possible, she did not mind keeping this male company for the night. Perhaps, if he chose to stay, she could tell him some stories of her own misfortunes in an attempt to make his life seem less bad. To know that one was not alone in their path of tragedy was a comforting thing indeed. Meeting Ciar reminded the troubled femme that others suffered terrible things too, that she was not the only one who had to see the deceased bodies of her beloved. After the death of the mother's first litter, she had felt so alone, so hopeless, almost as if she was drowning in something that she could not see, drowning physically and emotionally and psychologically. She did not wish that condescending feeling of suffocation and isolation upon anyone, especially not this innocent, kind loner who seemed to have gone through enough already. To make him feel less alone in the world would be enough for the female to feel not like a failure, perhaps just for the day, but it was something. She would have helped to improve another's life, perhaps only a little, but that was still good enough for her.

.: OOC :.

Words: 605
Tags: Chaika
Notes: I feel like all of my posts are total shit right now ;-;
Muse: Decent

[Chaika]

The brute's spirits were slightly lifted when he heard Raksha speak about Othala. It sounded like a decent place, unlike the so-called Kairos that he had learned about earlier. He tried to imagine his family there, but the images were foggy. It was hard to picture his mate and children and remember what their voices sounded like exactly, but the thing he knew best was their scents. That, and Belle's gorgeous emerald colored eyes. Nostalgia returned to the canine when he thought of these things, but he was still stuck in reality. With no true certainty as to where his family resides, there was nothing he could do but search and hope. And while his hope was endless and forever strong, the brute's strength could only get him so far. At some point, he would need to settle down somewhere or he would perish trying to find the ones he loved. Now, which option was less painful - he had not a clue.

The Timber female was a marvelous and respectful listener. When Chaika finished his speech, she tried to reassure him which he appreciated. His somber face warmed up a bit when she spoke her kind words, but he couldn't quite get back his smile right then. He hated to have to bring down the entire mood of their interaction, but having all of his emotions bottled up inside of him was killing him. The male needed someone to talk to, and he was glad he chose Raksha. She wasn't judgmental or condescending towards him or his past at all.

When the sweet wolf offered to stay with him in the cave, he felt his eyes swell with moisture. He blinked it away, but the feeling of true appreciation remained. "Thank you, miss Raksha, for everything you have said to me tonight. I do think I will be staying the night to rest up for my upcoming journey. Whether you would like to stay, is up to you." He smiled kindly and looked towards the cavern opening, noticing the transcending darkness. He continued in a genuine, slightly more serious tone, "If you do wish to return home tonight, though, I insist that I accompany to your pack's borders. I know you could handle yourself perfectly well out in the dark; it would be more for the benefit of my own sanity." He honestly couldn't even imagine himself falling asleep that night if he allowed this beautiful soul to venture through Caurus alone at night. She very well could manage the journey, but the thought of the dangers he had encountered on the continent being transferred onto this poor she wolf would make him sick.

Remembering the half-eaten prey that was lying untouched by the wall of the cavern, the brute had an idea. It wasn't going to be consumed by him anytime soon, and meat was always more satisfying while fresh. Nodding towards the carcass, he addressed its presence, "Dear, whether you decide to stay or go tonight, you are welcome to fill your stomach. The rest of that deer will serve no purpose to me, and sleeping on an empty stomach is never pleasant."


"speech."
thoughts.

---

word count: 535
tags: Raksha
muse: terrible
ooc notes: sorry for the wait <3