Down by the River [Elijah/Open]

[Chaika]

The Eastern Timber male had been wandering the loner-land of Caurus for almost two days now, trying to search the entire area before he continued to move onward. The only thing on his mind as of now was his long lost mate and children, whom he hoped to find soon before anything tragic happened to him again. His experience with the pirate wolves was acutely traumatizing, but he refused to let the memories take over his body and thoughts. He only had one true purpose, and that was to keep his loved ones safe. So far, he had performed much less effectively in this sense than he should have. He hoped he would be able to turn all of it around when he found them again.

Right now, the canine was resting by the surging river that was found at the edge of the territory. The freezing waters rushed past, splashing against jagged rocks and sending tiny droplets onto his pelt. It wasn’t enough to get his fur soaked or even moistened, but the droplets tickled his nose and made him sneeze once or twice. The loud crashing of the river was oddly relaxing to him, and he watched from his spot beneath the coverage of some brush and saplings that made him feel less out in the open. He had been hunting for the entirety of the morning, but no luck had come his way, so he decided he could take the afternoon to rest his tired, achy body. He had eaten well in the past few days, so hunger wasn’t too much of a threat right now anyway.

He was fairly certain that the bank on the other side of the river was considered Airila territory. It was strange to think that one side of the river could be unclaimed and fair game for any type of travel, but directly on the other side was owned and watched by pack wolves. He considered crossing and asking if Annabelle resided within their territory, but he truly doubted that was the case. Plus, he didn’t feel like accidentally disrespecting any territorial Airila wolves right now. Instead, he relaxed his sore muscles and watched the water race by him.

"speech."
thoughts.

---

word count: 372
tags: Elijah
muse: iffy (sorry it's short, starting posts can be rough for me <3)
ooc notes: I left this open just in case anyone wanted to hop in, I hope that's okay!

[Elijah]

He had been around, wandering the Eden territories for days without any particular purpose in mind. His head was clouded with thoughts and questions, though he had not spent too much time bothering to find answers to any of them the past few weeks. It had not only been days since he had seen Than last, but it had been quite some time since he had seen any of the other pack members. He had seen Kenai sneaking out from time to time, but there were no particular pack restrictions on physically leaving and returning to the territory. He simply preferred to remain within their small home in order to avoid allowing his urges to overcome him and end with another wolf dead in his jaws. He knew there was not much hope for him, but at least he could think about a more promising future. Right now, though, he was simply wandering. Well, wandering and wondering.

His mind was always in one place or another, skipping back and forth between inquiries and thoughts, questioning everything around him and trying to at least somewhat understand how the world worked. But he knew there was no end to it. He would never truly and fully understand the world, nor did he expect to. But it never hurt to try, right? Soon his thoughts were interrupted, though, as he approached the river. It marked the border between Eden territory and the unclaimed Caurus, but he was unsure of how long the land would remain neutral. With Cryothia crashing into the northern tip of Anikira and the population of the small continent exploding with another birthing season, he doubted there would be enough room for everyone for much longer. But as his mind pictured the many pups running about all over the place, his green eyes were distracted by a form in the distance.

It was another wolf, safely tucked into the neutral territory of Caurus. Clever creature. At least they were smart enough to keep their paws off of claimed territory. Elijah was in the mood to devour something, but perhaps it would be best for him to avoid confrontation if possible. After all, if this wolf belonged to another pack, he did want to avoid making Eden a target of conquest or war. He never worried much about Airila, because they were peaceful and down to earth, but he never really knew much about Valyn or Kairos other than their potential deadliness when crossed. What Than's plans for alliances and the like were he did not know, but right now he did not see it as his place to worry about it. Eden was his home, yes, but it was Than's pack. So, instead of trying to start a war, he instead walked silently to the Eden edge of the river and lowered his head to drink.

Words: 476
Tags: Chaika
Muse: Low
Notes: Sorry, Eli isn't much of a talker :/

[Chaika]

Loneliness was a terrible sensation for the canine who would normally behave socially in any regular situation. His mood had been somewhat on the edge lately due to his lack of a social atmosphere. He wanted so badly to be part of a pack that he occasionally forgot completely about his loner status and still felt as if he was a member of Zakur. He longed to reunite with his family and friends, to feel that contentment and pure bliss again. As of now, life was a total blur since his recent escape. He could no longer remember how long ago he had broken free from his capturers nor when he first entered Caurus or even when he had his last meal.

Life seemed to be moving in slow motion at this very moment, the river continuously rushing right by his nose without any sign of cease or hesitation. It was almost as if he was watching his whole life go by him, much too quickly for him to keep up. Chaika was in fact an aging wolf, and he had no real idea when his time would be up. He felt healthy enough considering his previous situation, but old age could come on so suddenly he couldn't be sure what the future would be like.

Lying in this slight trance for some time, he soon noticed the large white brute approaching the river from across the way. This sight caused him to perk his ears and lift his resting head, squinting a bit to see the creature more clearly through the mist that seemed to pour out of the river constantly. He saw the ivory colored wolf with scars across the top of hid muzzle acknowledge Chaika's presence slightly before lowering his neck to drink from the cold waters.

With his mood instantly lifted by the mere sight of another canine, the Timber male wondered if this stranger was a pack wolf. As he had believed beforehand, he was pretty sure the other side of the river was claimed - possibly by Airila or someone else. However, his sense of direction lately had been somewhat fuzzy and he didn't know a bulk of the newer formed packs residing on the continent. His absence from society for such a long period of time had definitely damaged his familiarity with the current affairs of Anikira, but it certainly did not kill his positive attitude in the least.

Straightening his stiff limbs and muscles, the brown hued male lifted his lead, slightly underfed body from his comfortable position and walked closer to the edge of the river. He sat back on his rear end and calmly looked towards the other wolf positioned on the other side of the raging waters. "Hello, sir," he said, needing to speak at a rather high volume in order to be heard over the sound of the river, "My name's Chaika, and may I ask what yours may be?" His words were clear and polite, not wanting to pry the brute who was peacefully remaining in what must be his own territory. "Am I wrong to assume that you are an Airila wolf? I apologize if I am; it seems I am unaware of some of the newer packs and their territories." A friendly smile was directed towards the stranger, awaiting a response patiently.

"speech."
thoughts.

---

word count: 560
tags: Elijah
muse: decent
ooc notes:

[Elijah]

He had been doing better around other creatures. These days, the only things he killed were prey that were meant to be devoured for nourishment. In fact, he had not tasted the blood of another wolf since the day that Naira had almost fallen off the cliffs. He had saved her life, yes, but he was not at all interested in pursuing the situation further. He had saved a pack member, and that was it. This wolf, however, was not a part of Eden. They did not appear to be a member of any pack, actually. The male lifted his scarred muzzle slowly as he finished drinking and the stranger opened his mouth to scream ridiculously across the river. "Hello, Sir, My name's Chaika, and may I ask what yours may be?" His head tilted slightly, green eyes blinking at the other wolf for a brief moment as he sought interaction. Do I have to? He asked Elohim, as if begging Him to rescue him from the torture of having to speak with the other wolf.

"Am I wrong to assume that you are an Airila wolf? I apologize if I am; it seems I am unaware of some of the newer packs and their territories." His prayers would not be answered today, but he supposed he should actually start to make an effort to speak to other wolves in a proper manner. He had no right to brush off any attempt at interaction, and this wolf had done nothing but introduce himself and ask a couple simple questions. But speaking across this river in shouting tones simply would not do. He sighed heavily, pushing himself up to his full height and looking down the river slightly. There were some large stones upstream, and perhaps they were close enough together for him to leap across them. He was a decent sized wolf, strong enough to carry his bulky weight across the raging waters of the river that bordered Eden territory. It took him only a few moments to reach the edge of the river by the rocks, his back legs bunching together before launching him up and onto the first perch. Then the second, then the last, and then onto the other side of the river.

He then turned towards the stranger, Chaika, and trotted forward until he was a few yards away. It was much easier to study his scent here, for it was much stronger without the spray of the river mingling with it on his nose. "Greetings, Chaika. I am Elijah, Ahiga of Eden." He said, answering both questions in a single sentence. At least the other wolf seemed friendly, but it was clear that he had next to no idea where he was. "What brings you to the borders of Eden?" He asked, tilting his head curiously and lowering his rear end onto the ground. His thick tail curled around his paws as he watched the red hued wolf in front of him, easily spotting the age that crawled through his fur and likely through his joints and muscles as well. What would it feel like to grow old? Would he even notice before it was too late? He had never felt anything but youth and strength, but what would happen when he grew older like the male in front of him? Would he still be strong? Would Elohim allow him peace and comfort? Did he deserve it?

Words: 576
Tags: Chaika
Muse: Low
Notes: n/a

[Chaika]

His usual friendly smile remained, as he awaited a response from the silent white creature from across the river. At first he wondered if the other brute had been able to hear his words over the noise of the crashing waters that separated, but he couldn't imagine that this could be possible with the level of shouting he had just done. He was patient, though, and he had nowhere else to be as of right now.

The Timber male quickly caught on when he saw the large white male begin leaping between river rocks and making his way across to his bank. His tail swayed happily and he stood up into a more straightened posture as he waited for the stranger to finish his approach. Meeting new wolves was one thing that would never grow boring to the old soul, for each creature brought something new and utterly unique to the table. Whether the acquaintance might be old or young, large or small, shy or outgoing - Chaika was always interested in a conversation.

As the brute grew nearer, Chaika's brown eyes noticed the scars running across his muzzle laterally. He was sure there was an interesting backstory to the plethora of scarred tissue, but he knew not to inquire the stranger about his healed wounds. He himself had various smaller scars which he obtained from the more treacherous parts of his life - first with the fire and then with his kidnapping. From his own experiences, he knew that other topics were generally easier to touch upon than ones own marks of struggles of their past.

At the sound of the snow colored male's introduction, he was once again reminded of his apparent outdated knowledge of Anikira's packs and their territories. Not wanting to pay it anymore mind, he nodded happily and replied with a swish of his muddy tail, "It's nice to meet you, sir Elijah." Physically he may have been growing old, but his constant smile and energy begged to argue otherwise. Chaika still felt as wonderful as he did at his peak, minus his steadily improving malnourishment and occasional aches and pains. None of this could kill his positive attitude, though, and he was still determined to finish his journey and reunite with his family. Lowering his head respectfully, the male continued, "I had no intentions of disrupting you or your pack - Eden did you say it was? I was merely resting after a long, rather disappointing hunt." 

Chaika hoped that this canine was aware that he held no ill intentions in his close proximity to Eden territory. He simply enjoyed the sound and spray of the river. It relaxed him, and relaxation was one thing that he needed if he wanted to survive his own anxious worries. He peered at the water's constantly changing surface and was instantly soothed by the sight. This pack wolf did not seem to be threatening towards him, so maybe Eden was a friendly group. This sparked something in his mind, and he was quick to ask, "Do you happen to know anyone by the name of Annabelle in your pack? She was my mate, but I haven't seen her for a long time. Two years actually. Does the name sound familiar to you?" He hadn't wished to sound so forward, but the possibility that this wolf knew the whereabouts of Belle was too pressing not to ask. At this point, anything was worth trying, and he needed to find her before it was too late.

"speech."
thoughts.

---

word count: 592
tags: Elijah
muse: rusty
ooc notes: sorry for the wait!

[Elijah]

It did not take long for him to note the other male's excitement at his approach, but he did not mirror the feeling, nor the greeting. Instead he listened silently to the other wolf's words, nodding lighting as he spoke about not being at threat to Eden. "You are not on Eden soil, therefore there is no reason to find you a threat. The unclaimed territories are open to pack wolves and lone wolves alike." He said, though he doubted that this male was unaware of that information. "Do you happen to know anyone by the name of Annabelle in your pack? She was my mate, but I haven't seen her for a long time. Two years actually. Does the name sound familiar to you?" As the male spoke again, Elijah could not help but take a slow, deep breath. Elohim help me. He said silently to the sky, praying for strength and patience, two things that he rarely found himself holding in great amounts.

"I have not come across a wolf with that name, I apologize. I can, however, escort you into Eden territory in order to search for her, if you would like. Though I do not believe that she stands within our ranks." He said, looking back over the river at his home and then to the male wolf once more. He doubted that the wolf in front of him would ever find what he was looking for, but he silently wished him luck in his quest. He knew that he himself would never find love or a family, for the idea was foreign to him, but that would not stop him from wishing it on others. There was no point in hoping for it for himself, therefore there was no point in wasting time wishing for it. He silently sat, wrapping his tail over his paws neatly as he studied the wolf in front of him. It was clear that Chaika was older, likely years older than him, no doubt he had many experiences and wisdom to share.

But he seemed much more concerned in the female he was searching for. "Pardon my curiosity, but have you ever been part of a pack on Anikira?" He asked, frowning slightly at himself at the awkwardness of the question. Surely you could have at least worded it better. He constantly chastised himself mentally, but it never quite made much of a difference. But he could not help but be mildly curious, for it was simply part of his twisted mental nature. He knew there were several packs throughout the small continent, but he had not yet spoken to a wolf in each of them. He had only been a part of his messed up family and Eden, but he knew bits and pieces of information from a few of the other packs. Perhaps this wolf knew about more of them? Then again, he did not seem to even know Eden existed before their conversation, so he held little hope of many answers today.

Words: 509
Tags: Chaika
Muse: Low
Notes: n/a