Only Time Will Tell {Kade/Veles}

[Avariella]

The early morning sun had just started to peek over the horizon. The sweet songs of the birds awaking from their slumber filled the air. The sky was clear today, something that the loner wolf greatly appreciated. It was far easy to travel without her entire pelt getting drenched. Wet fur added quite a bit of weight onto the body, and she found that she got exhausted quicker when her pelt was wet. She had been living alone for some time, but just a few weeks prior, she met a lone male. He seemed to want to help her, and slowly... Very slowly, she let him in. They traveled together now, heading out of the land of the Ocassus since they had heard the howling of a claim on the territory. For Ava, this was fine. She didn't mind leaving. She had nothing of value in these lands, so leaving would not bother her one bit. She just didn't know where they would go. And she wasn't really sure how Kade felt about leaving, either. She hadn't asked, really. She was still trying to get used to being around him. She had gotten to the point where she could at least sleep in the same den as him, but she still found herself wandering off almost every morning to just be alone for a while. She needed the time to relax and think. She was finding that she didn't mind his company, though, and so far, he had kept his promise of not hurting her.

They had found a den of sorts near the river, though it was really just a pile of large rocks. There was a small opening and a decent amount of space inside. Had the lands not had a claim laid on them, she might have stayed for a while longer. Now, though, she rested on a large flat rock that sat beside the river. Her head rested on top of her paws as she looked down at the river, catching sight of a couple fish as they swam by. She wasn't too hungry at the moment... She had caught a large rabbit for herself and Kade the previous night, and she would probably be able to go without another meal for the whole day. Her stomach had gotten used to not eating very often which was a good thing since she had become so thin and weak that she couldn't hunt very well right now. She had been getting more, though. With Kade, she found herself more motivated to hunt. She had someone relying on her for food, and so she hunted longer and found that she was trying harder. If prey evaded her once, she would try again and again, not wanting to have Kade go hungry. There seemed to be so many good things that came with keeping him around, but Ava just couldn't completely let go of her past and the fear of trusting that she had. The young female sighed as she looked down at the water, waiting for Kade to wake up so that they could perhaps continue on their journey to... Wherever it was that they were going.

Kade Veles

[Veles]

Veles had always had a love-hate relationship with water. On the one hand, it was necessary to survival, especially as a pup abandoned in the desert and learning to survive on his own. Finding sources of water had been important and difficult for the youngster, with the exception of the Aughgar River. It had not taken him long to find it, and it allowed for mobility throughout most of the Occasus, as it was long and wide and cut through the territory. It had been a life-saver for the pup.

But for all its necessity and life-giving, water also had unappealing and equally as dangerous as helpful qualities. A tumble into the fast river as a pup had almost cost Veles his life, and it was then he had decided he did not like water. That combined with rare, but heavy, rains had made his life difficult. Everything grew so cold, and not even his own pelt offered him any comfort or warmth once it was soaked. He always approached the river cautiously, aware of the dangers not only of the water, but also within the water.

As he stopped for a drink, Veles picked up a scent coming from upstream a short ways. The sand-colored wolf, while not particularly worried for his well-being, having an over-inflated sense of confidence, was aware that hostile wolves now resided in this land. This scent, however, was not one of a pack, or even a group of wolves. It smelled oddly like a loner, and Veles was well aware of that scent, having been one himself for most of his life and spent a lot of it roaming Anikira. He prided himself on how well he knew of everything on Anikira, including being able to place scents.

With a charming smile, he slunk up the river, wondering what kind of wolf he would run into, what they would be like, and what opportunities for mischief this interaction might provide him. It had been too long since he had been able to get away with a fun prank. He had been forced to play the responsible roll for far too long now.

Coming upon a fairly attractive she-wolf standing near the mouth of a small, makeshift den, Veles greeted her, “Why, hello there. What is a loner such as yourself doing in these parts?” He was certain she must know the lands had been claimed by now.

Words: 410
Muse: it’s back!
Tags: Kade, Avariella
Notes: So sorry this took so long! life’s a bitch sometimes. :3

[Avariella]

As Ava stared down at the water, she wondered where she and Kade might head to. She knew that they had decided to head north, but where exactly they would go, she didn't know. They hadn't talked about what the plan was... Just that they would go north. Ava wasn't even sure that they would stick together. For all she knew, Kade might get tired of her nervous, scared demeanor and leave her. She didn't pin him as that type, but she also didn't know him all that well. They had, in fact, just met not too long ago. They were still learning each other. Though she did wish that they had met during a different season. The poor male was having the most difficult time keeping himself off of Ava and be respectful. Ava was trying her best, too, to make it as easy for him as possible, but she wasn't sure how much longer he could take being around her. Truthfully, it might be the heat scent that was the end of them and not the fact that Kade would get frustrated with him not trusting him. She hated that she was causing so much torture for him, but it wasn't like she could just stop the scent from coming. She wished she could... It would stop the suffering for both of them, but it was just physically impossible unless she was bred to. Part of her wanted to just let Kade claim her, but she knew that he didn't truly want her. And if any pups came out of it, she would hate herself forever. She would never bring pups into a world where it was almost impossible for her to feed herself and Kade... There would be no way for her to feed more little mouths. She would never do that to the pups or to Kade. He didn't want to be that stuck with her, she knew that for certain.

Just as the female was starting to relax, she caught the sound of an approaching being. Jumping up, the female immediately turned to face the other creature, slipping on the slick rock and almost falling into the water as she did so. Once she regained her footing, she realized that the approaching creature was actually an approaching wolf, and he was speaking to her. Tucking her tail tight between her legs, Ava shook slightly, terrified of this male hurting her. In her terror, she forgot all about Kade and his relationship with her. Instead, she focused on this male, knowing that she was pretty much trapped, as she couldn't run from him now. She would never get away. "I w-was on my way out... Trying t-to get across the river... Going n-north." She stammered out, hoping that this wasn't one of the wolves that had just recently claimed this territory. They didn't sound like the nicest bunch, and she wasn't wanting to get caught for trespassing. She was truly just trying to get out of the territory, and she had been as soon as she had learned that it had been claimed. "P-please don't hurt m-me..." She mumbled, cowering back against the rocks behind her, whimpering softly and visibly shaking. She hated being so terrified, but she wasn't sure that she would ever be comfortable around strangers. Not after her pack betraying her.

[Veles]

While normally Veles would have been proud, even impressed, that he had managed to sneak up on a wolf — a confirmation that he was indeed as sneaky as he liked to think he was — there was something about the way she responded so frightened that was more uncomfortable than he would have wished. It was not like he intended any harm. And for a fleeting moment, he wondered what might have happened to her that her reaction to everything would be such utter terror. But he stopped that train of thought as fast as it started and flashed her a charming smile.

“No need to fear. Though I will admit I am happy that my presence was as unexpected as it was. It means I’ve still got stealth.”

I w-was on my way out... Trying t-to get across the river... Going n-north.

Seeing an opportunity to scare her even further, his eyes flashed with mischief, not stopping to take into account that this might not be the best idea. “Yes, on your way out. That is probably for the best. I hear there are dangerous wolves lurking about here.” He almost whispered, glancing both ways out of the corner of his eyes, as if the threat was imminent. He laughed to himself internally wondering how the scared little fae would react to that.

“I’m not sure I would cross the river, however, if I were you. Water is a nasty business.” Though he meant what he said, his tone of voice gave no indication that he felt any kind of apprehension toward water. It only sounded mocking, perhaps. “I would be careful not to put my paws where I can’t see them, if I were you.”

P-please don't hurt m-me…

His face took on a mock compassionate expression and a smooth voice said, “Oh, my dear, I never claimed that I was one of the dangerous wolves for which you had better watch.” He chuckled a little, having his fun with her fear. It was irrational and incomprehensible. Hopefully she would get over it soon and realize he was just teasing.

Words: 372
Muse: quite good
Tags: Kade , Avariella
Notes: If you wanted Kade to respond next, I would be more than willing to edit this reply to allow for a smoother transition. Just let me know!

[Mara]

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Patience had never been a virtue in the young, pale female. The sun was beating down on her like some sort of flame sent specifically to torture her. She would get used to the desert heat eventually, but that did not mean she had to enjoy it. She growled softly under her breath as she moved away from the caverns and towards the river, hoping that some water would cool her off, even slightly. She had spent the previous night with Raum, an encounter that she would never regret. In fact, she would be careful today to avoid washing his scent off of herself in the waters. Then again, if she could free herself of his scent, perhaps that would give him an excuse to cover her with it once more. She smirked at the thought, the first sign of an improvement in her mood all day. But it was soured quickly when the scent of strangers, unwelcome strangers, filled her nose.

She probably should have stopped and gone to find Raum or Levi, but she could not bother to waste the time. In fact, she pushed forward instead, heading right in the direction that the scent trail was heading. It was towards the river, thankfully, so she could at least attack someone and then get a drink. Or vice versa, whichever worked out better for her. With a heavy sigh, she trotted forward, heading right towards the water and completely ignoring the pair of strangers that sat flirting on the rocks. It was obvious that they knew the territory was claimed, that the pack here had no intention of letting strangers hang around, but she was thirsty. The fact that they were wasting space within Tenebris territory could wait a moment. She angled herself carefully, ensuring that neither wolf could sneak up on her, though she made no effort to keep her tail down or her ears flat. This was her territory, and neither of these wolves deserved to be here.

She lapped at the water, enjoying the taste and the coolness for a few moments before lifting her head and licking her chops. Then, after taking her sweet time and ignoring both wolves completely, she turned to look over at them. Then, with a sweet smile and a small wag of her tail, she tilted her head and took a step towards them. "Hello there." She said, blinking her pale blue eyes slowly and taking a few more steps towards them. "It seems like you have a den here. This territory is claimed by Tenebris, though I'm sure you're both aware. I apologize for interrupting your flirtation. I was simply so parched from the desert, I thought I would dry up and die." She said, irritating herself with the feminine voice and movements. But, it almost felt natural, swaying her hips slightly and tilting her head childishly like she was actually interested in the wolves in front of her.

Finally she let herself move even closer, leaping up the rocks and stopping about a foot away from the female. "Oh dear, there's no reason to be so frightened. I'm sure this handsome male here only meant to be nice. I mean, look at him, he couldn't possibly hurt a fly." She said, turning her head to look over at the male wolf with a sweet smile. "You wouldn't hurt this beautiful flower, would you?" She asked, lowering her hips so that she was sitting down and tilting her head while her tail wagged lightly back and forth. For now she would play the sweet and innocent female, but she knew there was no way they would mistake the scent of Raum and Tenebris on her fur. Then again, the pack was so new, perhaps they would not know what the scent was yet.

Avariella, Veles, Raum

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[Avariella]

Ava didn't realize how much she had come to rely on Kade. She had found herself trusting him more and more, and she wanted to know that he would protect her from all kinds of evil. He had done well so far, but this encounter might truly be the test of truth. She was terrified, like always, of this stranger. What were his intentions? Did he mean no harm? Or was he planning on killing her? His words didn't settle her at all. No need to fear him? She doubted that. Why wouldn't she fear him? Though, he didn't really look like he was looking to hurt her. That said, she did know that looks could be deceiving. She whimpered softly as he spoke of the dangerous wolves that wandered these lands. She wasn't sure if they were dangerous or not, but she was sure that a pack had laid claim to these lands, and Ava and Kade would be leaving as soon as they possibly could. In fact, they were going to be traveling further today, trying to get out of the lands... Perhaps they would succeed in making it out of the lands. This wolf, however, seemed to think that crossing the river would be a bad idea. Ava didn't know any other way to get out of these lands other than to cross the river... Or perhaps go up on the ridge, the way she had come, but she thought that crossing the river might be faster. She didn't know what to say back to him as he kept discouraging her trip across the river. And so, she just begged him not to hurt her. That seemed to be her go-to, anyway.

Before the female could even think of anything to say to the male, another wolf joined them. She half hoped that it would be Kade to save her from the strange male... Instead, it was the exact opposite. A white female. She was missing a tail, and Ava wondered if she had been born with that deformity. Ava just watched her as she went over and lapped up some water. She spoke, and Ava gave a small nod. “W-we s-stopped for the n-night... L-leaving again t-today...” She replied softly. It was then that the female moved to sit far to close to Avariella. Instantly, the female moved away from the newcomer, tucking her tail and lowering her ears fearfully. Her words drifted into the earthly toned female's ears, and she glanced at the male. Perhaps he didn't mean any harm, but that didn't mean that she wasn't still afraid of him. She didn't like being outnumbered, and she wondered if both of these wolves were from the new pack that had just claimed the lands. If that was the case, they were coming to run her and Kade out of the lands as fast as they could. Whining a little louder now, Ava glanced toward the den. “K-K-Kade...” She whimpered out, wondering if he would even hear her.

[Kade]

Kade had woken up alone as he did on many occasions recently. For a wolf who was terrified of stranger Avariella had a pesky habit of going off on her own. While Kade had promised to protect her he knew it was futile if she was constantly gone when he awoke. The two of them had just begun to settle in to travelling together so he understood the frightened femmes need for some time independent of him. He only wished that she would have told him that she was leaving, that way he would have some clue as to where to look for her. This land had been claimed by a pack, Kade had heard the howls and begun to smell the grouped scent that always came with it. That meant that the two of them were trespassers and that they could be prosecuted for such a crime. Hoping to leave early this morning he had been a little aggravated to be delayed. The last thing they could afford was to be found by a pack wolf. Lifting his nose to the air he tried to find some trace of her smell before taking off in the direction of the river. He was shit at tracking considering his life at a zoo never required he do anything but be a savage. Kade could only hope that she was dallying by the water instead of getting himself into any real kind of trouble. While he would protect her with his life he rather hoped they would both make it out of these lands unscathed. He did have future plans for her after all and he wouldn't lose this one like he had River.



The sounds of water gushing drew his attention and he turned to the only abundant source of it in this desert. He had found he rather enjoyed the heat and the sands, but it was not meant to be. They were travelling north, mostly to escape the lack of unclaimed territory left in the southern half of the continent. Kade had never been further north then they were now so he could only presume he would like it. He heard voices, two of them at least conversing near the riverbed. He drew closer until he could make out three shapes, two he did not recognize and a third he would never mistake. It was Avariella obviously terrified of the fact that not only one, but two strangers moving in on her. They were too close for even him to be comfortable. Whatever sweet words they might be telling her, the name of the game was to terrify her. He had no idea if these wolves were other loners or pack wolves, but either way he did not like that there were two of them. He kept his pace slow and controlled as he made his way over to Avariella. The fact that she had called out to him simply broke his heart. He should have been here to keep her safe. He didn't spare the others a glance as he leaned down to nudge Ava. Seeing her like this made him so sick, she could barely leave his side without being terrified. All he wanted to do was help her. "It is alright Ava. I promised I would keep you safe."



His gaze finally turned to the other two wolves trying to gauge what they wanted. "I am sorry for any trouble our presence has caused. We are only looking for a way out of this place." He offered no excuse for the fact that they were still in another packs territory. Most packs didn't care for loners on a good day and they were infringing on territory.

Avariella Veles