Back Again (Calantha / Open)

[Hannibal]

"Come along, Graham. Look, the snow is melting here!" Hannibal coaxed his companion, walking backwards through the forest as he kept his dull yellow eyes upon the wild dog following him. Though the exploration of Airila's new lands had been a joy for the thick-coated burly male, his thin-furred companion had not so much enjoyed the freezing wind and snow, and he had spent much of his time trying to get Hanni to return to the Shyia. Now that they were home, however, he seemed just as unhappy, and the wolf was puzzled.

Graham barked loudly and turned a different direction, causing Hannibal to frown as the painted dog actually walked directly away from him, toward a quieter and less-traveled part of the forest. Curious, Hannibal changed direction and began padding forward, wondering what on earth was so interesting that the needy dog would willingly go out of range of Hanni's protection. For a good while the two walked silently through the trees, Graham leading the way with a purpose he had never seemed to have before.

It was a few minutes later when Hannibal's nose caught a familiar scent, and a wide smile crossed his face. The delicate scent could only belong to Calantha, the petite and wonderful coyote who had literally charmed the entirety of Airila with her confidence and beautiful soul. She was a precious and sweet creature, one of the first canines that Hannibal had interacted with in a long while, and he was excited to speak to her again. It had been a while--though he had seen her and Rikez in passing, the wolf had kept his distance during her pregnancy, and even after she had given birth. No sense in causing her more stress when she was already so busy.

But the smell he caught was the coyote alone, which meant that she had caught a rare moment without her family. Hanni would have loved to meet the pups--and indeed he intended to ask her--but for now he was simply happy to have happened upon her. Graham yipped happily and wagged his tail as they got closer to the patch of trees where she likely was, and Hanni followed suit with a soft bark as well in case her large ears somehow had not caught their sounds yet. "Calantha? Is that you?" he called loudly, though he knew it was her. It was the polite thing to do.

Words || 417
Tags || Calantha and anyone who wants to come on in!
Notes || < 3

[Calantha]

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[attr="class","pltxt"]It was a peaceful day, the forest within the Shyia alive with the promising sounds of life. Already the snow was beginning to melt, and soon spring would burst forth in a riotous explosion of vivid flowers and emerging wildlife. The breeze carried the distant sounds of chirping birds, there calls light and trilling, reaching Calantha where she rested in a clearing between the trees. She’d found a patch of earth where the snow had melted, and though it was still chilly beneath her, her tiny form had settled into a curled position, her muzzle resting upon her paws as vivid saffron eyes watching the workings of nature around her.

She had always adored observing the earth, learning what she could about the animals and plants. It was something that had made her a skilled healer, though that was certainly not the only reason that she studied her surroundings. The sunny coyote had found that she enjoyed the sound of leaves rustling, the smell of the crisp breeze, sometimes punctuated by the tang of flowers and sometimes by the promise of rain. She liked the feel of grass and dirt beneath her paws, the sun upon her back in the warm months, and the water upon her pelt when it became hot enough to wade into the lake, with the mud squelching between her toes. She was made happy by the simple things in live – though at the moment it felt a bit strange to be away from her newest source of happiness, her family. The pups had grown so swiftly, though, and no longer did they need her milk or for her to coddle them in the dens. Though they returned each night to sleep soundly with their parents, they were always off exploring the next day. How very fast they’d matured, she thought with a tiny sigh.

The sound of approaching footsteps had her head lifting, overly large ears perking atop her skull, narrow muzzle turning in the direction of the sound. A moment later a voice called forth, and immediately she relaxed at the sound of it: Hannibal. ”It’s me,” she called back eagerly, lifting herself into a sitting position, her bushy tail curling around her paws. The sight of her friend and his companion slipping through the trees brought a wide smile to her muzzle, her eyes shining with glee. It had been too long since she’d seen him – she’d been caught up in her pregnancy and then the raising of her young, but Hannibal was a dear friend to her, and her tail uncurled to wag happily behind her.

”It’s so very good to see you, Hannibal. And you, too, Graham.” She let her gaze roam over them, pleased to note that they both looked well. ”It feels like it’s been ages, though that’s certainly my fault. How have the both of you been since we last spoke?” Her voice was light and sweet, the joy she’d experienced at seeing them evident in her tone.


Words: 500
Tags: Hannibal + Harpy
Muse: Good
Notes: ahhhhh

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[Harpy]

The small black coy-wolf had been following her mother for a short while now, practising her sneaking skills. So far they proved to be good, which she mostly owed to her tiny stature rather than any natural grace. Her lithe body wove nimbly through the trees of Xayar Forest, dainty paws hardly making a sound against the soft earth below. The snow and the winter chill that accompanied it had begun to thaw, which meant that the growing pup could leave the dens without fear of freezing to death in the wilderness.

Although she was adventurous and independent, Harpy generally journeyed with at least one of her siblings. They were all close, and made for good company, but today she had ventured away from the comfort of the dens on her own, tracking her mother, Calantha, to spend time with her away from the cramped darkness of the dens. The notion that her mother had perhaps wandered off because she wanted some time alone didn’t even cross Harpy’s mind – in her pup-like innocence, she assumed her mother would be as happy to see her as she always was.

Her nose led her to a small, peaceful grove where the easily recognisable figure of her mother lay. Just as she was about to call out to her cheerfully, two more figures appeared and stole the words from her throat. Large black ears flattened against her skull and then bounced back up to catch their voices. The two seemed to be good friends judged by the pleasantries that passed between them, so Harpy didn’t wait another moment before bounding toward them both, all hope of stealth vanishing in her excitement.

The two strangers were an odd pair – one wolf and one…Well, she didn’t know what he was, but she assumed he was friendly. Having met some of the other members of Airila, she’d noticed that she, too, seemed out of place. Half wolf and half coyote, Harpy was probably as strange to some as this speckled dog was to her. “Hello,” she chirped, appearing at the dog’s side and peering up at him with fascination. “We’ve not met yet but I’m Harpy and I’m Calantha’s daughter and I’ve never seen your breed before! What are you?” she questioned, unaware that the dog could not speak in her tongue. Then her attention turned to the dog’s companion, craning her head to observe him thoroughly. “Hi!” she repeated, tilting her head to the side and trying not to stare at his interesting facial markings.

Finally, she turned to her mother, who had raised herself into a sitting position. Harpy beamed at her – bright and radiant and innocent – and then ambled toward her to nuzzle her in an affectionate greeting. Belatedly, she realised she had been impolite, and turned back to the pair of strangers with wide, apologetic amber eyes. “Oh!” she said. “I’m so sorry, I forgot to ask your names. I’m Har—oh! I said that already...” A short, nervous giggle bubbled from her throat and she glanced at her mother, ears flattening with embarrassment.

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Word count: 512
Notes: giddy pup! 
Tags: Hannibal Calantha