Find Me...

[stadraor]

A lone femme, her coat shuddering as a cool, eerie breeze drifted down the sandy stretch, prowled towards the coast, unable to accept this new continent as her fate. Stadraor had always been in charge. How could this new land try to tell her that she had to stay? A dark stare shot across the sea as she searched far for any signs of land. There was none. An angry yowl escaped her maw, crying out for anyone to hear her, to take her in. She had never felt so alone, so isolated from the world. Why the hell am I here? she thought, a dulled yearning coarsing through her veins. Although what she had seen thusfar was beautiful, she craved her old life. None of the wolves here had given her the time of day. Even the first one she had run into was a terrifying impression of this place. The one brute she had bumped into was simply a jerk. A quiet, growling jerk.

So far she had a bad feeling about these lands. She could tell that the majority of it was claimed by wolves, which made wandering and familiarizing herself with the terra especially difficult. If these wolves were anything like the ones she had grown up around, she would be killed upon sight of entering a claimed territory, which wasn't exactly high on her to-do list. Simply finding a place where she belonged... Now that sounded like a plan. She would have to do something to make that happen, though, and that could possibly be altering what she had always believed to be the only way of life to fit in among the wolves here.

Stadraor dropped to her hindquarters, then to the ground, rolling in the sand to wipe as much of the dirt off her fur as possible. True, she was sandy as could be, but at least that terrible earth was off her. Rising once more, she shook heavily, flinging the small crystals into the sunlight as they glistened and shone. Licking each piece of fur back into place, she glanced over her shoulder, staring back at the grasslands that she'd returned from. The hunting on this continent sure was rich. Perhaps if I wander around, I can find something I like about this place, she thought doubtfully, her mind drifting off into an imaginary world of her previous home. Everything had seemed so perfect there. Everything had been in its place, she knew what and when to do what needed to be done, and most of all, she was on top of everything. No one dared to overstep their boundaries around her. But now... Now everything would be different. There was no more reputation, no reason for anyone here to treat her like anything different than themselves. It would take some adjusting to live here. If only she had a friend, perhaps it wouldn't seem like such a huge burden to bear...

But that was nothing Stadraor could expect soon. Her personality simply prevented making friends easily. There was nothing like a bold, take-no-crap femme to startle and scare off any other wolves. Who would ever want to associate with someone like her? Maybe this is my chance to change, to make a new me, she pondered, a glimmer of hope appearing. If that was possible, she would strive to the ends of these lands to accomplish it. Perhaps she was being pessimistic about this place, and the whole problem was her outlook here. After all, she could reinvent herself and become someone completely new. She could have a home, a family, maybe even someone who cared about her for her. There would be no need to hide herself from everyone like she had always tried so hard to do. Although everything had always been about power and strength, maybe there was something else to this life that she had been missing out on.

After all, wasn't there more to life than fighting and claiming land? "Hardly," she murmured quietly, realizing that the wolven life she had come from had been completely shaped around this. Though she felt the urge for change, to make a difference in herself, how could she possibly escape it? Maybe all the creatures here were the same. She had never met anyone else, so there was a good chance that that first brute she had met was like them all. Mean, angry, reclusive... And she had only been looking for someone to talk to, someone who could possibly show her where she was, what she was doing here, and what to do from now on.

[lan]

The feet of a whitened wolf immersed within the heated sands of Endyt beach. The wolf—formally known as Lan—hesitated and retracted his paw from the foreign, grainy substance. The male eyed it, as if in warning, although his interest in this faded rather quickly, and once again, he attempted to walk on the shifting surface. This time, two paws had managed contact. This eventually led to three, then the complete set of four. Lan decided it would be a wonderful idea to sniff this substance, and of course, the minuscule grains irritated his nose by sticking to its insides. This brought on snorting, sneezing and the like, however, whatever he attempted met no avail, and he eventually gave up, now knowing that he would hold a personal grudge against... whatever these grains were called. He continued onward.

The male’s white coat glistened vividly, appearing almost luminescent as it reflected the sun’s light. His feet descending into the sands as he moved, the tiny grains somehow managing to wedge themselves between his toes. Lan, being an Arctic wolf, found these conditions unearthly and hot. But something had caught his attention, and he couldn’t help but investigate, so as to quench his undying curiosity. What, you may ask, has captivated this Arctic wolf on a beach? It could be anything, couldn’t it? But nothing in his vicinity could compare to vast body of water before him.

How clear and blue it was. How huge and powerful it was. One could not help but bask in its glory. Ah, yes, the ocean. He had began taking a measured pace toward it, as if being drawn in by some invisible force. His eyes glistened in their earthen, cheerful way as he stepped toward it, forgetting all caution as he did so. He could smell the crisp sea air, causing a grin to cross his thin lips. Its scent was an awful lot like snow, but it lacked the numbing chill snow would have. Plus, there was something else... a salty smell? He didn’t know, and nor did he care. All he wanted was to satisfy his overwhelming curiosity. Granted, he has seen water many times before, but this was different. The ocean was immense and overpowering with strength—it simply couldn’t be matched to the petty rivers and lakes he had seen previously. His forepaw extended toward the liquid as it rolled into an angry wave, which may have been seen as foolish by any other wolf—of course, Lan wasn't your average wolf.

He couldn’t help but emit a “Holy crap,” of surprise as his entire chest and forelegs became drenched in sea water. “Now that’s one way to cool off.” After getting out a few exhales of shock, Lan smirked to himself and gave hearty chuckle as he shook the majority of water from his body, sending droplets of liquid every which way. Then came another wave, although this one not nearly as big as the last and only advancing in a pathetic slosh to his paws. “Ah, come on. You can do better than that,” he mumbled, even though it couldn’t possibly hear him, let alone reply. He smirked once more and added, “Bring it, water.” Lan’s taunts only resulted in another pitiful wave. “Pfff, I’ve seen lakes with better waves than that.”

... And it pretty much continued on as such: Lan, taunting the ocean, while the ocean just did its thing—receding outwards then advancing inwards with an awe-inspiring wave, no matter how small Lan may think it is. And all the while, the whitened wolf was unaware of the possibility that a fellow wolf was near, and that they could probably hear his conversation of sorts with the ocean.

[stadraor]

The sound of a foreign wolf filled the marbled femme's auds as the silent squish of sand between paws reached her. Stadraor's head raised lightly, watching a distant arctic wolf as it paced towards the sea. How strange, she remarked silently, watching him curiously. It was as if he had never seen the ocean before, seeing how cautiously he approached the water. A quiet, muffled giggle escaped her maw, spying him recoil in surprise as a wave crashed against his coat. She padded closer, slowly closing the distance until she was close enough to hear his peculiar conversation.

“Pfff, I’ve seen lakes with better waves than that."

Stadraor giggled once more, this time louder. This brute was hilarious! "Have you never seen the sea before?" she asked quietly, approaching him from behind. It was likely to startle him, but she was curious. Never before had she spotted a wolf so apprehensive about the ocean. It had been a large part of her life since she had been a pup. Playing in the waves had always been a great joy in her life, and here was a wolf that had seemingly been away from it his entire life. The amusement in her purple and brown orbs was clearly evident; this was by far the most fun she had experienced since arriving here. Maybe he knows this land, she reasoned. After all, he didn't seem overly threatening to her. Perhaps this could be the answer to her cry, the wolf that could tell her about this place. Maybe she wouldn't feel like such an outsider if there was simply a bit of background on this place. Perhaps she could finally stand up here and take the place she rightfully deserved. Although she was middle pup in her family, she had always known that when the time came, either herself or Shyum would have taken their parents' place as alpha. But alas, that was somewhere completely different, and she did not know what this land had to offer.

Hopefully the jerks here aren't nearly as bad, Zei thought with a snort. Flashbacks rushed to fill her mind, consuming her...

Shyum bounced through the forest, his too-large-for-his-body paws flailing as he ran. Stadraor laughed, bouncing after her younger brother with a goofy grin plastered on her maw. "Shyum, slow down!" she whined, a prissy tone filling her voice. He shot her a strange look, turning back to stare at her as he ran. As he did so, he plowed straight into a tree. Stadraor collapsed with laughter, unable to hold herself up as she spied her brother wobbling to stand up. "Nice job!" she sneered playfully, prancing up to him with a smug look on her face. "Aw, be quiet, Zei," he grumbled, using their parents' "special name" for Stadraor. They rarely called her by her real name, as it was clumsy and awkward for anyone else in the pack to say. Instead, they called her Zei, after her mother. It was a name she proudly bore; her mother, the alphess of two different packs. She had heard the story of how herself and her siblings had been conceived, what had preceded. Shoving her brother to the earth once more, she bellowed, "Haha! Can't catch me!" And she darted off between the trees.

She snickered as she heard her brother clammering after her in a feeble attempt to catch up. The two had not realized where they had wandered; Detyn's lands. It wasn't long before she slowed to a walk, her brown and purple orbs searching longingly for something she recognized. Shyum finally caught up to her, and the two stared blankly into the trees.

The sound of approaching wolves was enough to calm Stadraor's nerves. Spying three wolves wandering towards them, Zei bolted over, eager to get them to take her home. After all, she was the daughter of an alpha. But the looks on their faces were not promising. The memory of those condescending, dark looks would stay in her mind forever...

Stadraor snapped back into reality, the white brute in front of her once more. To believe that all of that had happened in less than a year was devastating. But she was here now, and the past would stay the past. I can start over here, she reminded herself once more.

[lan]

Lan couldn’t help but jerk his head upward and turn in a single, surprised motion as another’s voice entered his senses. To say the least, Lan was quite startled to see a fellow wolf stand opposite him. He had been so caught up in what he was doing, he hadn’t even noticed her approach. It was rather concerning he had become that unaware of his surroundings, though this female didn’t appear threatening, and thus neither Lan’s surprise or concern lasted more than a few moments. His expression softened almost simultaneously after meeting her gaze. Lan’s face even broke out into a grin. “Geez, you could give a guy a heart attack doin’ that,” he announced, letting out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

Now that the initial shock had faded, Lan had the faintest memory of her asking if he had seen the sea before. His smile grew and he could have laughed then, though he somehow managed to keep it to himself. Instead, Lan shook his head, so as to answer her inquiry. “Sea? Is that what it’s called?” His head shifted toward the body of water behind him, and just then, another angry wave rolled onto shore, crashing onto his rear as it did so. In his complete shock, Lan staggered forward, rushing to the female’s side. His breath came in harsh, erratic huffs while his expression presented his utter disbelief. Droplets dripped from his whitened, now soaked coat and stained the sands beneath him. “Damn,” he muttered, shaking his head as he did so. “Again with this.” He appeared genuinely irate for a moment or two, but this soon diminished and his face, once again, broke into a grin. Yeah, despite having his nearly his entire body drenched with sea water, Lan could still smile. It’s one of the few positive traits he has.

Still grinning, Lan’s gaze drifted toward the female beside him. “You have the strangest eyes,” he said abruptly, only just noticing. One was brown like his own, the other purple. How odd. Very rarely was there a wolf with dual-toned eyes, let alone purple ones. Personally, Lan had only seen that particular shade in a flower or two, or perhaps the morning sky on occasion. He quite liked it, frankly speaking. It set her apart from your everyday wolf. It was different, and Lan’s severely short attention span had grown rather fond of just about anything that was different.

And now, with his coat dripping wet, Lan could recall a time when he had met a similar wolf—although this wolf was a fellow male, not female, plus his eyes had been red and yellow instead of brown and purple. Despite this, though, they were similar. It wasn’t everyday you ran into someone with differently coloured eyes. It was a bit ironic, actually, considering how Lan had never learnt the male’s name throughout the entire time he had accompanied him. He also found it strange how the male had just disappeared afterwards...

Lan supposed it wasn’t something to concern himself with. It wasn’t as if Lan had actually created a bond with this nameless duel-toned male, and therefore it wasn’t a huge loss when Lan had glanced over his shoulder only to see an empty void behind him instead of the nameless male who had been trailing him.

But that was then, and this was now—it wasn’t as if every duel-toned wolf would be that way. One thing was for sure, though; Lan wouldn’t be making the same mistake he had with the mysteriously disappearing male. “What’s yer name, anyway?”

[stadraor]

A tinge of amusement crossed Stadraor's maw as Lan leapt up at the sound of her voice. "I'm used to being quiet," she offered to console his shock. In truth, it was the funniest thing she had seen in quite some time, especially considering that he seemed friendly enough not to bounce on her when startled by an unfamiliar voice. He's different, I can tell, she realized, simply by listening to the tone of his voice. Everyone Zei had ever known had been a coarse, rank-dictated wolf. They existed to serve the pack, and solely the pack. However, this one seemed to be doing whatever he pleased, and she liked that. The feeling of freedom had to be one that was great, even though, although she did not realize it at the moment, she, too, was free. "I didn't mean to frighten you," she cooed, a little more apologetically than her last words that had been more of a justification of her deeds rather than her repentance for having startled him. He seemed to have never seen the ocean before...

At his words, Zei nodded lightly. "The sea, the ocean. It is a body of water that seems to stretch forever. It touches the horizon where the Creators of this world mingle," she explained, revealing part of the world philosophy her parents had taught her as a pup. "There is other land out there, though." She felt obligated to tag that statement on. After all, she had originated in one of those places. Only because of this harmless, yet still frighteningly deadly, body of water was she here right now. She chuckled lightly as yet another wave crashed against his body, causing him to skitter away from the waves like a frightened pup. It was quite obvious that he had not been around many bodies of water such as this one.

"It happens," Stadraor remarked quietly as he cursed at the waves. "Countless times I have been drenched." A smile appeared on her blackened lips, loosening the tense atmosphere that had at first surrounded her. It was great to have a wolf to make conversation with. This brute seemed quite entertaining, which was something she really needed right now.

At his remark about her different colored orbs, she simply shrugged. "I got the brown from my father, the purple from my mother," she stated. "And I'm not sure whether to take that statement as a compliment or an insult," she giggled once more, uncertain of this brute a little, but still perfectly comfortable provoking conversation between them. It was this sort of companionship that Stadraor had sought for quite some time. She did not need an extremely close friend to satisfy her need to speak to others civilly. He had not yet spoken his name, which was a surprise to the femme when he asked for her's. Do they not introduce themselves first here? she pondered curiously. Even the customs of this land appeared differently. Simple things that other wolves would not normally notice stood out to Zei. "I'm Stadraor," she introduced herself first before tagging on, "but other wolves generally call me Zei." She was sure that the nickname would raise questions, as it had absolutely nothing to do with her actual name, but that did not bother her much. She smiled appreciatively at the brute. He likely did not know quite the affect he was having on her, as no wolf here, other than that rude brute, of course, had seen her true nature.

"What about you? Do brutes here have names?" Zei teased lightly, a playful glimmer slipping into her odd eyes as she smirked slightly at the brute. She did not wish to make too much conversation with a wolf whose name she was not aware of, which was simple etiquette in her eyes. It made her feel more at ease chatting with a named wolf rather than a nameless face with four paws and a tail behind it.

[lan]

Lan couldn’t help but raise a brow at the female’s odd consolation efforts. He didn’t see how her saying “I’m used to being quiet,” would help him at all, first off. Secondly, Lan just couldn’t imagine this female as a quiet wolf. He didn’t know why and he had only just laid eyes on her a few seconds ago, but it just didn’t seem to fit. Although her “I didn’t mean to frighten you,” appeared to do the trick in comforting his shock, and Lan nodded, presenting his forgiveness while abandoning his previous confusion.

When she spoke next, Lan remained surprisingly quiet as he listened, hanging on her every word. Like she was assuming, Lan hadn’t experienced seeing something as large as the ocean before, so it was only a given that he knew nothing about it. The ‘other lands’ bit seemed to especially intrigue him and his gaze glistened with curiosity and amazement. “Other land?” he repeated, his tone reflecting the expression in his eyes. He was acting as if he were a pup and she was his mentor—and in a way, she was, considering how Lan never had that luxury growing up. This knowledge was all new to him and he found it quite intriguing. So intriguing, in fact, he didn’t even have time to dodge the wave that had managed to land on his backside, even though he was looking right at it.

Now dripping wet and utterly shocked, Lan stood at the female’s side (out of the line of fire), giving her a side glance as she said, “Countless times I have been drenched.” The male nodded once more, showing he understood what she was saying. “Well, I’ve only been drenched twice—I’m keeping count now—and already I can't stand it,” he complained, huffing as he took a seat on the shore. This wasn’t such a brilliant idea, however, considering how the sand immediately clung to his soaked fur—like flies to honey. “But it is a good way to cool off,” he continued, another grin enveloping his features. Lan had to give the ocean that much—it could cool you down real quick, and Lan, being an Arctic wolf, was accustomed to snow and flurries, not this boiling sun. Plus—

"And I'm not sure whether to take that statement as a compliment or an insult." Lan’s thoughts were interrupted by her voice and his eyes immediately returned to her gaze. For a moment or two, he thought she was actually took him seriously and was about to comment on it, but instead of appearing irritated or annoyed, she giggled. This brought the smile back to Lan’s face as he offered the slight shake of his head. “Nah, personally I’d take it as a compliment,” he declared, nodding now. “They make my eyes look plain and ordinary,” Lan continued, thinking of how his boring old brown gaze must look to her. He wasn’t overly fond of it, but he didn’t concern himself with pointless things he couldn’t change. So he only shrugged, the grin still plastered on his face.

Though the smile faltered ever so slightly as she introduced herself, and the smirk was replaced by a raised brow. He didn’t understand what Stadraor and Zei had in common, and the concept confused him. Lan has always been known as, well, Lan. He wasn’t given any odd nicknames—he was always referred to as Lan, plain and simple. It perked his interest, though. Again, like with the strange eye colour, it was something different. He smiled once more. “Why would they call you Zei when yer name is Stadraor?" he asked, genuinely curious. As if he didn’t already appear childish enough, Lan cocked his head to the side like he sometimes did when confused or legitimately interested, and although unintentional, it granted him the look of an innocent pup.

Straightening the angel of his head, Lan smirked once more as she asked him of his name. He would have completely forgotten had she not asked—Lan was a bit absent-minded that way. “Of course! I’m Lan,” he said with much enthusiasm, and if he were human, he would have offered his hand then. But of course, he wasn’t, so he settled with one of his grins.

[stadraor]

Upon the brute's amazement, Stadraor chuckled lightly, her own orbs twinkling in excitement at the chance to teach someone something. It had always been a talent of hers, teaching others who did not know. "This continent or island, whichever it is, is not the only place creatures live here. You see, we are only a speck on this planet," she explained, delving into a somewhat lengthy explanation. "Other wolves, and the strange creatures that seem to rule this world, live on land just like this somewhere across the water. I came from one of those places. You see, when the world was created, the Creators believed that not all could live in harmony." She paused for a second, her lids drooping over her mismatched orbs momentarily in nostalgia. "They divided the lands by water, creating a barrier to protect them from themselves and each other." The femme was quite knowledgable in this area. She was supposedly the Sage of her last pack, the Sight-seer that would bring peace to her lands. But without contact with those wolves, she could do her best to spread knowledge to these wolves. "But times changed. Creatures evolved, discovering ways to cross the Great Waters to other territories. They invaded many places, and this is possibly one of the few that is untouched or barely touched by their tyranny."

A light smile crossed Zei's maw as Lan commented on the ocean once again. "It takes some getting used to," she agreed, the ease in speaking with this brute amazing her. She was never comfortable around other wolves; why then could she speak so freely now. "Your eyes aren't plain," she protested. Secretly, she thought they were beautiful, a much more wonderful brown than her left eye. They were quite amazing, the more she thought about them...

And... The question of her name arose. Stadraor smiled knowingly, realizing that the strange nickname was likely to confuse him as it had other wolves in the past. "My mother's name was Aryzei. When I was a pup, the rest of the pack thought my name was a mouthful, so they simply called me by the end of my mother's name. It stuck," she explained, the reasoning simple in her mind, yet it might seem confusing to anyone who had not known her family. As Lan finally introduced herself, Zei thought, Well, at least he's polite enough about it. A little unconventional compared to my home, but at least I know that the inhabitants here are civilized. She hadn't gotten killed yet, so at least that was an upside.

The femme had so many questions to ask about this place, but she did not wish to overload the brute with all her inquiries. So she would start with a couple simple ones. "So, I'm sort of new here," she admitted slowly, then added, "I don't suppose you could answer a few questions about this place for me?" Hopefully he'd agree, and she would be able to ask about the oddities here, as well as a few need-to-know things. Were there packs here? If so, would she fit in with any of them? What about pups in the lands, of maybe just other wolves her age? A multitude of questions rushed through her mind, but she quickly regained her composure, realizing that a dazed, disconnected expression had crossed her face. She didn't want Lan to think that she was simply ignoring him, as that was not the case. She was just so curious, yearning to figure out what exactly was going on here...

[lan]

Lan was surprisingly content listening to Stadraor’s explanation, even if it was rather long. You see, Lan enjoyed learning new things, but he rarely gave the effort to do so. It was just much, much easier when they simply gave him the knowledge he needed—like this female was. So yes, he was content. He even nodded occasionally, so as to show he understood. I mean, what she was saying was all news to him, but at least he tried to follow the information she was giving. He was most confused when she spoke of them being only ‘specks’ on this planet. It was difficult for Lan to comprehend, since it went against all he had previously believed. But still, he nodded, continuing to listen intently to the knowledge she was sharing with him.

Despite the attention he had given her, however, Lan only became increasingly confused as she continued. Strange creatures that rule the world? Creators? These concepts didn’t seem to click with Lan. He had always lived freely and didn’t bother to consider that there could be other life forms other than him. And more importantly, other life forms that could easily kill him and everything he knows. The thought bothered him. So much so, it even began to show on his expression as he frowned deeply and furrowed his brows. Eventually, though, he only shook his head, settling that it didn’t matter to him. These Creators and whatnot—they haven’t been a part of his life, and he didn’t see why they should be now. Therefore, he only gave the trademark Lan smile, saying as he did so, “You know a lot, don’t you?” Granted, Lan had already realized that she did, but he found the need to reply to that bout of information, and that had been what he could conjure up without having to pause to think.

To her protests, Lan seemed a bit surprised. He had always thought of his eyes as nothing special, and always suspected that everyone felt the same. Apparently Stadraor did not, however, and it had caught him a bit off guard. He was a bit perplexed why he felt that way, but it was most likely because she herself had intricate iris colouring, while Lan had a particularly common colour. A grin soon replaced his surprise though, as he replied with, “I s’pose plain eyes would be a bit strange, wouldn’t they? I mean... if you wanted to get technical, plain would be like... completely white.” Of course, Lan was taking a completely different spin on things. It was just the way his mind worked at times. He could become very nit-picky if he wanted, stressing over the littlest things, as he is now. “So I guess you’re right. My eyes aren’t plain.” He smiled proudly at that. Sometimes it was just a relief to know that your eyes were indeed not plain.

Lan fell silent once more, once again listening to another of her lengthy explanations—although this one neither confused nor concerned him. He couldn’t say he was particularly intrigued by how she received the unusual nickname, though it did interest him. The reasons behind the name Zei actually did make sense now that she had explained it to him. To present his understanding to Stadraor, Lan gave her a nod of acknowledgement. Though there was one thing that he still couldn’t figure out... “So what do I call you? Zei or Stadraor?” Lan was confused as to whether he should decide what to refer to her as (in which case, Lan would be in trouble, since he has absolutely no idea what name he should choose), or if she had her own preference (which would make it much easier on Lan), and asking seemed to be the only legitimate way to find out—which he did.

As his mind strayed, he began to wonder when his drenched coat would begin drying out and when it wouldn’t be constantly clinging to his skin. He became rather itchy from time to time and couldn’t help the occasional scratch here and there—that had been just fine with him, but now he was beginning to scratch so often that it was beginning to ‘push his buttons’, if you will. It was rare for any wolf to witness Lan irritated, since he seemed devoid of any angered feelings of any kind—although now was a different story. His tolerance for this ‘itching’ stuff was growing thin, which would explain why he felt relieved when Stadraor spoke once again. It provided him with something to distract his mind from the scratching.

“Of course!” he replied with much (maybe too much) charisma. Lan was never given an award for the assistance he gives, but he tries whenever he can, so answering whatever questions she may have was the perfect chance for him to show how helpful he really can be. Granted, it was just luck that he had visited each land at least once (except for the desert one—that sort of place wasn’t his cup of tea) and had met each alpha, no matter how short that meeting may have been (again, the sands’ alpha was an exception). “As long as it’s not a hard one,” he added after a moment or two, knowing full and well that he hadn’t stayed in any of those lands quite long enough to retain any actual useful information. But he would try his best—it all depended on what questions she had to ask. So he waited, the anticipation glinting in his eyes.

[stadraor]

Stadraor smiled a friendly, almost flirty, smile as the brute commented on her knowledge. "I may be young, but I have experienced much," she commented, laughing lightly at the brute's amazement from her stories. It was such common knowledge, what she had just spoken, in her homeland. Perhaps these wolves did not know much of their history, of the creation, or the worlds and creatures that existed beyond this place. There was so much to be taught, yet so much for Zei to learn now. The void of absolute knowledge was something that the femme feared. She had always been the wise one, a step ahead of the ones around her.

The arctic brute made yet another witty comment, and Zei could not help but giggle once again. This wolf was a strange one indeed, but... she liked it. He was different, a good kind of different. "Plain eyes... That would be a sight to see!" She smiled happily, the tension that she had once felt disappearing completely as she conversed with the brute.

Now, the preference question. It had never really dawned on Stadraor which name she preferred to go by. She had always been proud of her heritage and her mother, but biologically Zei was not her name, as much as she wished it was. The mouthful she had been given would be difficult to say for most, though... "I usually go by Zei," she confirmed, making the decision finally. It had always been a mixture of the two used by the wolves around her, never one or the other. She could settle with one name here, though. Perhaps she would just introduce herself as Zei from now on and avoid the explanation of her true name. That way it would be their little secret. No other wolves on this slice of earth would know her true identity except Lan.

The brute's enthusiastic reaction to her question almost startled Zei. She smiled again, unsure of whether she would ever be able to rid her maw of the foolish grin she bore around Lan. "I really don't know much of anything about this place," she admitted slowly. She would start off by asking her a few questions about the land here, and perhaps packs and alphas. "Do you know if any of the lands here are claimed by packs?" She paused for a moment, phrasing her next question. She did not wish to overwhelm the blatantly ADD, or at least very absent-minded, brute. "If so, what are the alphas like? And now many packs are there?" There was nothing Stadraor wanted more than some place that she could call a home. If it came down to it, she could always travel with Lan if he would agree to that. Any company at all bolstered the femme's morale and confidence. Never before had she been such a free soul, such an open speaker. It had always been her brother and her parents that she had spoken with, and outsiders were not worthy of her attention. Boy, had she been wrong!

So she would continue to ask question of the brute, either until he grew tired of her games or when she ran out of questions. She was not sure which would come first, as there was a strong possibility of both occurring. More likely he would grow tired of her endless stream of questions. There was nothing she knew about the inland of this place. Sure, she could explore, and likely she would later. But that would be a stupid idea if the lands were claimed. She could scent a claim, but there was always the off-chance she would run into a not-so-friendly wolf, whether a loner like herself or a scout from one of the packs. Either way, she felt safer in the company of another.

[lan]

Lan gave a slight nod to her statement. That was true, what she had said—you could still be young and have experienced much. Lan may not be able to say the same himself, since right now he was seeming fairly naive with her sharing all this (probably common) knowledge that Lan hadn’t even heard of. However, he supposed this female had said it with some truth behind it—she probably had experienced much, despite her youth.

Easing as she snickered in response to his (slightly) offhand comment, Lan couldn’t help but smile as well. He was relieved that she didn’t mind his remarks, and as a plus, found them funny. Not that he cared if she didn’t enjoy his comments, but it just saved him from the slight awkwardness. Besides, things just seemed to go much smoother when wolves were actually fond of his presence instead of simply abhorring it. “Wouldn’t it, though?” he agreed, a pathetic attempt at trying to uphold the conversation. Lan didn’t like the silence much, so he always did his best to continue discussions, and this occasion was no different.

The male shifted absently as he awaited her answer to his question: what was he supposed to call her? Stadraor or Zei?

Zei was her answer, and Lan gave a nod of approval. Short, easy to remember—just how he liked it. Now that he considered it, it was much like his own name--Lan. “I’ll ‘member that,” he assured her, offering a burly grin. He was satisfied with that. Having a name to a face had always consoled him, and in Lan’s mind, she was no longer a stranger. In fact, now that she had given her title, Lan may go as far as to say this Zei was a friend of his. I mean, she seemed friendly, and that was good enough for Lan.

The male had waited as patiently as he could manage in the few seconds it took for Zei to conjure up an inquiry for him, but nearly exploded with unexplained energy when she spoke. He could only wait for so long, after all. “Of course some lands are claimed,” he answered, almost immediately after she had asked.This process had basically been reiterated after Zei asked her second question. “What are the packs like?” he repeated, considering it. He hadn’t seen either of the packs in action—only two of the alphas... or perhaps three, if Koli had gone along with his claim of Kamari, and Lan could only assume he had. The male’s brow furrowed as he thought. “Weeell...” he began eventually, “if the packs are anythin’ like the alphas, then...” Lan paused, thinking once more. He hadn’t thought this much for one period of time in awhile, and it was beginning to 'cramp his style'. “Then Sir Exodus must have a... shoot, what’s the word I’m looking for...? A pack full of hard-asses... yes, that’s it.” He nodded in approval. Lan did think Exodus, the alpha of Salen, needed to lighten up a tad. Of course, Lan wasn’t there long enough to figure much else out, so he continued to the next pack: Aldgar. “And Xin-whoyammacallits... well, he just scared me, so I dunno what his pack would be like. Plus, he ranted a lot too...” Granted, Xinelil's lecture had stood out in Lan's mind. It may not have been as long as he imagined--he was known for exaggerating--but he never was too fond of ramblings on subjects he could care less about, as were most people/

And there was one other one he was missing... “OH, and that Koli... I s’pose he woulda claimed Kamari by now...” Lan grinned, chuckling to himself. “Don’t think he liked me too much, though.” Lan could remember Koli’s words, clear as day, though he shook the brute’s voice from his mind. The last thing Lan wanted to dwell on was past events. “And I dunno... I heard there was a sand pack, but there was a howl awhile ago... sayin’ it was dead? That’s if I ‘member correctly... Probably wouldn’t be best to go there.” He concluded, stating the obvious.

A triumphant grin marked his face once he finished. Finally he had answered her question, and even though he didn’t know what Zei thought, Lan himself felt that he had answered it fairly well. It may have been a lengthy, vague explanation that hadn’t really answered her question, but still, Lan was fully satisfied with himself. There was no doubt in his mind that Zei wouldn’t feel the same way, and thus, the male smiled proudly at a job well done.

(Sorry that took soooooooooooooo long to post.. <-<)

[stadraor]

Zei listened with an obvious interest as Lan explained each of the packs. So, the choices were between an overly strict pack, a pack of who know's what, and a newly formed pack. The femme was quite unsure of what option to take. Lan seemed to know an awful lot of this place, and he was definitely a useful friend to keep around. "Alright, so the alphas are Xinelil, Exodus, and Koli?" she clarified, repeating the brute's words in her mind. They were all interesting names, each like her own. How could it be that there were so many wolves in this land to have three packs, yet Lan was only the second one she had come across?

"So which one do you think I should check out?" Stadraor inquired with a bit of a chuckle. Lan was an amusing wolf, and he was making this a lot less difficult than she had first believed it would be. The femme pawed at the sand lightly, building the moist granules into a small pile that she nonchalantly smacked over repeatedly. It was one of the lowest forms of amusement, playing in the sand, but it was enough to keep her focused on her conversation as her mind threatened to wander back to her past once more. The less she dwelled on it, the better off she would be. Perhaps getting a new start will be best for me, she decided with a bit of zeal. So far, she had managed to alter her behavior in a more favorable outlook. No more was the rude femme that defied everyone and pranced around like a spoiled princess. She did not have that option anymore; the wolves that had held her captive did not have the option to kill her, as she was the best ransom they could possibly have come across. Instead, she was pampered and made as comfortable as could be, but she was not going to take the captivity lightly.

A sigh of consolement slipped from her maw, pushing the thoughts out of her mind and back to the past. She would get over it all eventually. Right now, she was struggling to keep her attention on the conversation between herself and Lan, as she tended to allow her mind to wander as she spoke.

When Lan had said the sand pack was dead, what had he meant by that? The questions were written all over her muzzle, just itching to be asked as she had difficulty forming the words she needed to ask. "So what exactly happened to this sand pack? Do you know?" The two short, to the point questions were all she could come up with for the brute. She gazed across the ocean, watching the blue waves ripple and the sea foam collect near her paws as she awaited the brute's response. It really was a lovely day, especially for mid-winter. True, it was not overly warm out, but the sun was shining and the wind was not brutal or nipping. To the contrary, it was a delightful breeze, spreading the wonderful scent of the ocean inland as she basked there, soaking up the rays and the smells of the beach. The fish that had watched up and were flopping about on the shore, the moist, tan sand beneath her that squished between the pads of her paws... Everything was so appealing to her.

And then there was Lan. She was not completely sure what to make of the brute yet other than the fact that he was a kind, friendly, and fun loving wolf. She yearned to learn more about him, to get some insight into how he thought; after all, that's how the young Seer functioned. She thrived on seeking knowledge and interpretting the actions of others. She could see good where others could not, and vice versa, spy the darkness in even the greatest of wolves. Every day brought new learning, differenet experiences, and a bright new beginning. Stadraor could not believe that this was just the beginning to a whole new life.

[lan]

Once Zei clarified the alpha’s names, Lan offered a hasty nod in agreement, but after hearing her second question, he was forced to pause. ‘Which one should I check out?’ Lan had to contemplate this question. To be frank, he had no idea. Perhaps that’s what held Lan back from joining a pack—the lack of a good one. Then again, it was more likely his need for freedom. Packs, he supposed, had their pros and cons. For one, he’d always have company, but that benefit came along with having to have a superior order him to do whatever tasks he or she pleased. This was the one flaw packs had for Lan. He didn’t want to be bound by rules and consequences. They held him back. Oh sure, he could handle it for awhile, but it wouldn’t be long before he’d bite off more than he could chew, and even Lan knew not to take that unnecessary risk... Then again, Lan knew nothing about avoiding risk.

He could only stand his own thoughts for so long, though, so he supposed joining a pack would be inevitable.

With all that incorporated in Lan’s mind, he took the question into consideration. And he was fairly serious about it, mind you, regarding it as though it actually was his own decision. With Lan’s personality taken into account, his behaviour right now would be a rare sight. Lan actually taking the time to think, to make a decision? It was simply baffling! He was, though, and even more surprising was the fact that he didn’t even complain about it. Lan only sat there quietly as he motioned through all of his possible options. Well, Xinelil just scared him and that automatically crossed him out. Koli already didn’t seem to be overly fond of Lan and he was crossed out as well. So that only left... “The Exodus one,” he concluded, pleased with himself for finally making a decision.

Okay... So Exodus probably wasn’t the best choice for Lan—what, with his dark demeanour and tremendously large bulk (which meant the alpha could easily put Lan in his place)—but Lan figured it’d be amusing to wreck havoc on that dreary little pack. Besides, at the moment, Exodus seemed to be the best of three evils. At least, that’s what Lan assumed.

It was only then that Lan noticed Zei’s constant pawing at the sands. He tilted his head at the action before mimicking it himself, seeing as Zei had fallen silent for the time being, causing Lan’s boredom. The male also pawed at the sand, pushing it into small piles aimlessly. In the monotony, Lan created a little competition with himself, which was to see how large his sand pile could actually become. As the minutes passed, Lan packed down more and more sand to his mound, impressed as the fact that it continued to grow. In short, he would be occupied for awhile now. He didn’t even look up from the ground, not even when his newly found companion asked him another question: "So what exactly happened to this sand pack? Do you know?" Lan remained silent for half a second or two before shaking his head. “Nope, no idea,” he answered, probably being of no assistance to her. He had actually planned on making a trip over there to figure that out himself earlier that day, but instead got sidetracked here, at the beach. Lan didn’t mind, though. His morning plans were already long forgotten.

Soon enough, Lan became bored of the small sand mountain he was creating and it only took a single swipe of his paw to demolish it. He turned his attention to Zei, figuring she must be bored as well and in an attempt to initiate conversation, he stated plainly, “So you're not from here, huh?” Of course. Always count on Lan to state the obvious.

[stadraor]

The pack that Exodus runs, huh? It was a curious name for a wolf, but Stadraor couldn't exactly say strange, because her name was peculiar as well. She had zoned out for quite some time, and it took her a minute to snap back into reality. The only thing she could remember Lan saying was, "So, you're not from here, huh?" She smiled knowingly and shook her head. He had no idea.

"I almost wish I was." She glanced around wistfully, her orbs catching the beautiful sights and basking in the freedom. It was a strange feeling to be so free, and it was almost unnerving. She really needed a little bit to be alone, and right now wasn't exactly a good time to have her past probed. "Hey, thank you for all your help," she almost mumbled with a smile. She looked back to Lan once more before announcing with a bit of a hasty tone, "I should probably be on my way. I'd like to get away and check out some of the continent before I make any decisions." She didn't want Lan to think she was ditching him, but she would need a little while to gather her wits and settle into the territory she had been dumped in before she was comfortable with it.

"It was good getting to know you... If you ever need me, just call!

[/b]" This time, she genuinely smiled, then turned away slowly, trotting off along the beach away from Lan, almost upset with her decision to leave...

((OOC: Sorry for the crappy post and how long it took me to make it. >.< I won't delete your accounts on the activity check because part of it was my fault. O.o))[/size][/blockquote]