Gasping For Breath. [Open]

[dapple]

Dapple~

Dapple hauled herself ashore, trembling from the long and tiring swim from the land she had just left. She managed to scramble up out of the waters way before completely collapsing to the ground. Dapple’s gray-brown fur was sopping wet and it felt like she was carrying the entire ocean on her back. A couple of small rivulets appeared, the salt water seeping out of her long fur. Majorly, her concerns right now were few: Food, water, shelter and sleep. She could only fill one of those needs right now, as it was sunset, or maybe the sun had already set… It’s too hard to stay awake long enough to see the sun, thought Dapple. Maybe I should just sleep… She though one last thing before she fell completely under sleep’s magic:

What will I do tomorrow?

And then Dapple’s eyes closed finally, and a deep slumber overtook her and made her mind cloudy. If a wolf or another animal came by, they might either try to wake her or take her as a dead wash-up. So Dapple slept on, dreaming of nothing but her parents. Her mother mainly. Even at two years old, Dapple still couldn’t resist not thinking of her brown and gray mother, from whom she had inherited her coat, her eyes (which were a brown)… mainly everything. Dapple was almost a complete copy of her mother, except her mother was smaller than Dapple and had smaller ears. Dapple had grown tall, like her father and had medium ears, not small or long and floppy.

Dapple continued to sleep, very tired from her run the previous day – and night – and the fact that she had swam across a longer stretch of water then she was used to, let alone the fact the whole time Dapple was afraid she kept seeing huge dark shapes in the water. Maybe Dapple was lucky she’d made it across the water. Maybe she wasn’t. But right now, it didn’t matter as long as she got some sleep, food and water in the morning and a den for a while.

[kadhi]

[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,false][atrb=border,1,true][atrb=width,475,true][atrb=background,http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee114/MorningFever/Anikira/KadhiTable.png,true] Night seemed to stretch endlessly over land, covering it in a dark blanket. But it did not last forever. The sun slowly crept over the horizon, bathing the beach with a warm winter's glow. It was still quite early now, but that didn't keep many of Anikira's creatures from stirring. In fact, a rather unusual beast was currently prowling the beach. Giving his body a good stretch, Kadhi trotted down the sands in search of a light meal. If he was lucky maybe he could catch a seagull or something. Well, he'd catch a seagull provided the bird didn't terrify him on site... Okay, so bird hunting was completely out of the question. Maybe he could catch himself a fish instead. It was a big ocean, surely it would hold a meal. Of course, he could always head back to the Oriens to get a meal. It was a bit unusual for the Arabian to be out wandering in the free lands. Aldgar's lead warrior (a title he still wasn't comfortable with) rarely left the territory now that he'd been reinstated in his pack. But it was winter and being of a desert breed he had always hated the cold. With the amount of snow currently piling itself on the mountains, however, he'd needed a break from it all. Thus he'd slipped and slid his way down the Kinath and into warmer lands. He'd go home later in the afternoon when the sun was high enough to make the travel somewhat bearable. For now he continued to trot along the beach, amber eyes probing his surroundings for anything that looked interesting. When he caught sight of a dark lump lying in the distance, his head tilted to one side curiously. Then Kadhi's famous smirk plastered itself across his maw. His nose told him that the figure was another wolf. Padding over to the female's sleeping form, he boldly poked her with a paw. Time to have a little fun.

[dapple]

Dapple~

Dapple, still sleeping soundly as the male appeared and walked down the beach. She had been understandably exhausted, and then he poked her on her back. Dapple felt it through the dream, a rude prod and it annoyed her greatly. She woke up, her eyes flying open. She’d grown accustomed to jumping to her feet when she woke, so incase of danger she could flee. When Kadhi touched Dapple and awoke her, this morning was no exception. Dapple’s eyes snapped open and she heaved herself up and onto her paws in one fluid movement. A flash of time and she was prepared to fight or to flee.

It took her a second to process she was staring at a male wolf, sandy colored and definitely not an Eastern Timber. His coat was too thin; he was… built differently then Dapple. But even though he was a wolf didn’t matter. A low warning growl still threatened him. Dapple, having relied so much on her instincts she would attack on-sight was not letting him go easy. Not going to let him walk all over her and wake her up.

Dapple instead growled at him, front paws spread wide apart, tail sticking straight out, ears back and teeth showing. Dapple didn’t recognize him as lead fighter; she just saw a desert male sandy colored wolf with an attitude enough to wake her up. Her eyes blazed with fury, and she continued growling softly. Her stance might’ve been playful if she didn’t glare at him or growl. Or have her hackles raised in defiance. Boldly she snapped at him:

“What was that for?! I was sleeping! Do I wake you up when you’re sleeping?!” Dapple’s voice was high-pitched in outrage and annoyance… even a little exhaustion and anxiety mixed in. The fear that had forced her to wake up at first had evaporated like dew and now she waited for his answer to her question.

[kadhi]

[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,false][atrb=border,1,true][atrb=width,475,true][atrb=background,http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee114/MorningFever/Anikira/KadhiTable.png,true] The Arabian chuckled as the female jolted awake. She was a good six inches taller than him and snarling like he was some sort of threat. He found her defensive nature comical, especially when his own tail was kept down to show he wasn't looking for a fight. Kadhi kept his head held high though, a smug look of superiority plastered all over his face. Here she was freaking out about him when she could have been in a much worse situation. "Relax bitch," he barked out, staring up at her with a raised brow. "I was doin' ya a favor. Yer the idiot sleepin' right in the middle of the beach. Ain't exactly a smart idea." He had one of those 'I'm right and you're wrong so what are you going to do about it?' tones. Not that he didn't have a valid point. The little male knew more about what could get a loner killed on Anikira than most. During his little quest to "find himself" he'd nearly encountered death a number of times. Sleeping out in the open had been no exception. Dropping his gaze from her, Kadhi let himself scan the beach around them for a moment. Clearly her agitation hadn't phased him. He couldn't bother to be intimidated and didn't really care if she ended up picking a fight. He was a lead warrior now. If anything, getting his ass kicked would maybe convince Siscarm to swap his rank with the pup's. If not, well, who knows? Maybe little miss cranky pants would follow him all the way back to Aldgar.

[dapple]

Dapple stopped, rolling her eyes.

"'Bitch'? Really? Did you really need to add that?" Dapple growled. Her tail relaxed, flicking. Dapple's body was no longer tense. This male, whoever he was, was not her favorite. He, the desert he was, had those annoying 'I'm right, your wrong and your gonna admit it' tones going on. So she did what she always did in these situations.

"By the way," she said, not allowing him to answer. "You are right. I shouldn't have been sleeping on the edge of your territory. And I'm sorry that I didn’t know.” Dapple’s tone was sincere. Infact, she did sound sort of sorry. Her ears flicked, and she shook out her dampened coat. The sun was just coming up, and Dapple was slowly waking up. Her snappish behavior disappeared with her sudden sorry. There was a small pause, the water lapped at the back of Dapple’s hind paws, and she was immersed back her memory of swimming across the oceanic tide. Struggling to stay afloat as her fur dragged her down like it was dead weight. A shiver, unnoticeable, ran up and down her spine. A bird call resonated from the far-off forest. Dapple began to get a tad impatient; the male was obviously taking his time to answer her oral response to his comment.

Of course, that was understandable, it was probably six or seven in the morning, and even Dapple was tired. Still tired from the journey. And the attack from that human and its wolves or smaller wolves. Smaller than even the desert male in front of her. About as big as Dapple’s knees and all baying. Dumb things made no sense, or next to it. And the human had come fumbling down the hill after her, shouting something, aiming something at her… which sent a much more noticeable shiver through Dapple’s body. As if the male wouldn’t notice that. At all.

[rhyanne]

The mixed femme sauntered along the beach, her ears perk and alert to the argument not too far off. She had been watching quietly thusfar, but she felt no need to sit quietly anymore. No obnoxious, miniature excuse for a wolf would boss this femme around on her watch. She rose slowly and strode toward the pair. He had no right, and she would be sure to put him in his place.

"If you got the knot out of your haunches, maybe your voice wouldn't be so squeaky and obnoxious, brute," Rhyanne snorted with a snide smirk. "These lands are free for all of us to wander, my dear." These words she spoke to the femme, a softer expression settling in her eyes. "I am Rhyanne, and I am a gypsy in these lands. I wander where I wish and answer to no one. Who, pray, are you?" She shot a dirty look at the brute. She knew well enough that this was a pack wolf, and she had no patience for the arrogant types. Rhy noticed the femme was tense, and she would try her best to put her at ease. After all, she had a comforting aura about her; she had perfected that in her years as a gypsy.

Rhyanne's gaze settled on the arabian brute once more. "It would do you best to leave her be," her voice now sung with the sweetness it typically carried. She was a master manipulator, but her heart was in the right place this time. "She does not need such treatment. Perhaps an apology is in order?" The steel returned to her now cold eyes. She was displeased, and Rhyanne was not a wolf to toussle with in hard times. She aimed to win at whatever she attempted, just like her father. She snorted. My father, a fool. A master trickster, and somewhat of a shame to claim, she thought darkly.

The young gypsy was actually away from her post at the moment. Dreidoj would be displeased if he found out, but hopefully, he would never know. Rhyanne just needed a little bit of time away from Acarapi and the others. She was not exactly high in the ranks, so she was one of the grunt wolves. When she was sent out on a task, delaying was not an option. She would soon need to find the others and attend to their whims. What a wonderful lifestyle, mine. Maybe I can get away from this when all is said and done, she longed inside. There would be a brighter tomorrow. But for now, she had to handle the situation here. Foolish pack wolves thinking they even rule the free lands. He needs to learn that this is our home, not his.

[dapple]

Dapple~

Dapple’s head snapped around as the female walked closer, clearly annoyed with the male who’d called her a bitch. The female was flipping through emotions rapidly, it appeared, and it slightly stressed Dapple out. The fact one wolf had woke her up was enough to set her slightly uncomfortable, but two wolves? Two? This is a new height, even for wolves. Loners remain loners, don’t they? Remain away from others, don’t talk much. Don’t fall in love, mate, have pups… Anything a pack wolf would do. Dapple thought, but nothing changed on her face, which was a mask of blankness. No emotion.

“Rhyanne, is it? I’m Dapple, and I’m a loner for now.” Dapple added the ‘for now’ to hint she might consider joining someone’s pack… but being a Gypsy sounded good… No oppressor. But something like that, complete freedom was nothing but a fantasy, no? A completely wonderful fantasy, like being able to fly… To find the perfect paradise and live there. But this female, the dark coat, the bluish eyes… Not Eastern either. Not desert, but definitely not Eastern. Making her taller than the male, no? Well, you can’t just barge in and ask the two to stand next to one another and see who’s taller. Dapple snapped at herself silently. They’d think you’re some kook who has no mind and is insane. However, Dapple’s internal fight was silent and nothing clouded her face except some slight contempt for the male.

Ha, he just got grilled. Big time. Dapple’s internal voice continued, laughing, and trying not to sneer even though it was just dying to plaster itself on her silvery face. Maybe he can’t find a comeback good enough! Ahaaahahaa… The voice in everyone’s mind was just cracking jokes, even though Dapple’s sense of humor had long since died ever since she’d left her corrupt pack and became a loner. It had been meant to be, but even so, something’s were biased, like Dapple’s bias against packs and Alphas.

[kadhi]

ooc: forgive the liberal use of the word bitch. it's kadhi's preferred term for a female and he doesn't actually mean it as an insult. ^^;;

[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,false][atrb=border,1,true][atrb=width,475,true][atrb=background,http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee114/MorningFever/Anikira/KadhiTable.png,true] Kadhi blinked. What was it with bitches freaking out every time he called them bitch? Sure the Timber Wolf apologized for her stupid actions, but he'd ended up too distracted to really pay much attention to it. Out of nowhere had come another black female much worse than the first. He'd just been trying to do the tall grey a favor, so why was the black spitfire jumping down his throat for no reason at all? "Eh bitch, the hell crawled up yer scrawny ass?" And what was all this talk about him owning the beach? The male wasn't even fit to own his own pack, even if he had matured a great deal in the past few months. Last winter had been the worst of his life, but he'd grown a great deal from that experience. Unfortunately, the only thing that hadn't really gotten cleaned up was his language. That was something he'd learned from his father and probably would never drop. Backing up a few steps, Kadhi let his eyes jump between the two females. Both were shooting him dirty looks, which was an action he found to be rather ludicrous. It wasn't like he was one of those loner rapist bastards that still prowled the land. Sure the knaves had been disbanded, but that didn't mean a few of them weren't still around. He was damn near sure that bitch that had killed Xinelil was still slinking about someplace; she'd just better hope she never ran into him. Now there was a bitch that really was a bitch, and one he had a score to settle with. "And what the hell's the big deal? I don't see no problem. Never said I owned the place. And she's the one sleepin' in the middle of the beach like a sittin' duck. Didn't know it was such a crime to keep someone from becomin' a corpse." The sneer on his face was cold as the icy land he dared to call home, brow furrowed into a glare as he challenged the black one with his words. He saw no reason to apologize to either of them; they were the ones ganging up on him. Glancing back at the grey scaled female, his little rant continued. "I don't get your problem either. You're a bitch, she's a bitch, hell, my own mother's a bitch. Even the beta of the pack I'm in is a bitch. Not my fault that's your gender. Blame your parents, bitch." Okay, so maybe that very last bitch was meant more as an insult, but the term was pretty accurate for the pair. Maybe from now he shouldn't try and help others. Clearly all it did was get him into even more trouble.

[dapple]

Dapple~

Dapple immediately realized the male wasn't using bitch as an insult. Only that last one was. She stepped forward, more to the left, forward left. Her tail was buffeted by the wind, and she waited until it died down to speak.

"Fine, listen. Maybe I'm being a bit too dumb, but if you can't tell I've never been here before. And must you call me 'bitch'? Why not 'femme' or 'female' or my own freaking name?" Dapple's voice was calm and patient. Dapple's brown eyes suddenly flicked over to the black female. There was something menacing about her, something that even though she hide, Dapple didn't like. Suddenly, she saw the male as a way to a den, food and water for a bit, but she couldn’t blatantly say, ‘Sir, I need to live with your pack for a while if you let me.’ Because she wasn’t always as dumb as exhaustion had made her.

“What if I asked you, sir, what your name was?” Dapple asked, trying to avoid a conflict should the black female, Rhyanne, take the sandy’s male’s comments the wrong way. Even so, even being called ‘bitch’ as an insult, Dapple tried to be completely regular, not take it personally. Thus Dapple’s tail lay down, and she wasn’t trying to be sarcastic as she might’ve. The sea crashed behind the three of them, in their triangular grouping. It was creepy, infact, that she’d met two wolves in one morning… And they made an outline for this land, what it was like. And she wasn’t getting a good vibe from them. Maybe these ‘Gypsies’ were not on good terms with the males pack… Maybe the two just didn’t like each other…

I guess we’ll find out soon enough…If I even make it through today, Dapple thought. It’s like… the two have no restrictions on language… or terms… or anything…

[rhyanne]

((OOC: Dapple, please bold your speech IC, thanks!!))

Rhyanne snorted. This little wolf was just asking for an ass whooping. She was well aware of her gender, and she did not need him to attempt to clarify for her. But the connotation of his words did not come across in the terms he was trying to use. Little runt needs to learn to keep his tongue in his mouth. Hell, I've done it for years. Why is it so difficult for everyone else? She resisted the urge to laugh in his face. It was different for a little breed like an arabian to be faced with two larger wolves. She knew well enough that she was intimidated by one larger wolf, let alone two. And Dapple had been perfectly safe on the beach; there were no fresh scents other than theirs for miles. What was this wolf so worried about.

"Brute, you probably do not have near as much to worry about as you believe," she soothed him with her voice. She had the tendency to revert to her pleasant demeanor when not faced with a potential threat. "And I do apologize for my behavior. I just did not want you giving Dapple here a hard time, and from a distance, that is what it appeared to be."

The femme was possibly more insulted than she would let on, but that was because she was one of the females that would prefer to be on her own. She was slighly jealous of Dapple, and she would be the last one to admit it. If she had a way to get away from Dreidoj, Acarapi, Mother Yana... She sighed. Life would be so much easier. But maybe I should try to get on good terms with this brute. It may come in handy in the future... She smiled softly at the male. "It was not my place. I do apologize for my intrusion. Should I be going?" she asked innocently, her body language mimicking her sweet tone. She had mastered these arts; the art of deception ran through her blood. It would be so much easier for her if everything was as it seemed, but in Rhyanne's word, that was something to be hoped for and not seen.

Eyeing Dapple, she was almost tempted to ask the femme to return with her. It would be nice to have some company, but it would be foolish to drag another wolf into their band. She wanted out bad, but not enough to replace herself with another unsuspecting fool. Other wolves may be toys, but those toys might break easier than me, she realized. She had a strong soul, and that was the only thing that kept her sane. The gentle rush of the ocean behind her? The femme hardly noticed such pleasant things anymore. Everything about her existance was trained, and she would play her part in the game once more. It was just the way the world worked.

[dapple]

((Sorry, I keep forgetting. Forgive me. >.<))

Dapple~

Dapple was quiet, not wanting to be on the bad side of either wolf. Of course, this was just behind her masked face. In reality, her brownish-gray face was silent and stone cold. A severe expression; just pure silence. But under, behind that fake mask, her mind was raging. Annoyance, sadness and loneliness fought each other. But of course, Dapple didn’t let it show. Her soul… mind… personality… all cold. Ever since she could remember, after she’d left her pack, she was like this. No emotions. Nothing to let the enemy see any emotion. Be it fear, sadness, anger… Nothing to hint her next move.

Dapple remained quiet, passive, awaiting the male’s reaction to the — Rhyanne’s comment. When she couldn’t control her want to speak, she trained her eyes on a point faraway, just over Rhyanne’s head. Then Dapple bit back her comment, or tried to, and managed out a low noise:
“Hhhmurm…” And immediately clamped her mouth shut.

Shut up, you idiot! You sound stupid enough, no need to make yourself weirder! Dapple then dropped her head, staring at her paws. Her fur felt hot, but nothing visible would show she was breaking the mask. The thoughts of joining the Gypsy’s came back. Slowly, for some reason, she tried to persuade herself joining the Gypsy’s would be useful. Dapple knew she was just trying to get herself to justify finding a place to eat and sleep for a night, then move on without a second glance.

The Gypsies won’t mind! Just stay with them and then leave. But Dapple knew the Gypsies would. If they even let her join them for a while, they wouldn’t let her leave. They would probably hunt her down and kill her. Or just kill her without even trying to let her speak or join. The waves continued to crash down, but Dapple was honed in on her thoughts, so unless there was a major earthquake, she wasn’t hearing anything.

**Staff Note**
It is considered bad role playing ettiquette to reply to every post in a thread. If you were uncertain of the posting order, don't be afraid to speak up. Also, please be sure to double check your grammer in every post.

[kadhi]

[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,false][atrb=border,1,true][atrb=width,475,true][atrb=background,http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee114/MorningFever/Anikira/KadhiTable.png,true] What was up with these females? Boy did they ever mood swing. First they were both right pissed at him and now each was sweet as could be. Lifting a hind paw, he scratched absentmindedly at an itch on his side as he stared them both down in bewilderment. The fairer sex was most definitely strange. He doubted he would ever understand them. At Dapple's first question he gave a light shrug. "Didn't know yer name till now an' it's what Pop always said." And then he turned his attention to Rhyanne, a soft snort flaring his nares. For one, he gave everyone a hard time (not that either of these females knew that). For two, he was pretty sure she was a stranger in these lands and thus had no idea what sort of dangers lurked around here. Not all of the Knaves were dead and some supposedly had offspring. "An' we'll see if yer still singin' that tune when ya end up with yer head chewed offa yer body. Bastards 'round here don't know the difference between free lands an' pack territory. "I'm Kadhi, Aldgar's greatest hun..." He had to catch himself, remembering that the rank he used to hold so much pride in was no longer his. Deflating a bit, his puffed out chest returned to normal as his posture became less dominant. Though he was now more able to talk about the death of Xinelil, even if it was through rather cryptic means, he had still not gained a comfort level with his new rank. "Warrior," he corrected with a slight sigh. Honestly, what had Siscarm been thinking? His rank had been changed purely because he'd survived one giant suicide attempt. He wasn't exactly built for fighting wolves not of his breed. Even though neither female intimidated him at all -- for neither was as fearsome as that bitch, Wrath -- together they probably could have taken him out easily. He was irrational and impulsive and more bark than bite. Had he remained a loner, he probably would have been long dead by now. It was pack life that kept him truly alive.

[rhyanne]

((OOC: Blargh, I'm dumb. Please forgive my forgetfulness...)

Rhyanne watched Dapple with an amused expression. The femme was not quick to speak, as Rhy had been for most of her life. She could not for the life of her figure out why, though. Shy, perhaps? she wondered, then turned her attention back to the little arabian wolf. He had made it his mission to be the center of attention, now hadn't he? She was not exactly amused, but she fixed her face for it. It was nothing new to her; she had seen just about every facet of every personality available at one time or another in her ventures. The question was, how to deal with this little wolf?

Part of her wanted to just waltz off. This brute did not hold her interest. She had much more exciting things to be doing with her time than chatting with a random pack wolf in the loner's lands. In fact, she was so far south that she was surprised none of the other gypsies had come searching for her. After all, she was one of their greatest assets. It would not do the band well to lose their temptress.

However, Rhyanne tuned back into the current conversation. The brute introduced himself as Kadhi. It was a different name, not one that she had heard before. Aldgar dweller, huh? I suppose he could be of some use, she thought absently, but her heart was not really into it right now. All she wanted was to enjoy her free time before getting battered around like a ragdoll once more. "These parts cannot be more dangerous than what I have seen in my lifetime," she purred, her voice oozing with sincerity and innocence. She was a great actress, and she had a way of coming across with a high level of naivity.

Whether or not the brute would believe her, that was Kadhi's decision. Rhyanne would just bide her time until something better came along. In fact, she was running the options right now. Why stick around in a dead conversation much longer than she had to? She would wait to see if this brute had any information that would be of use to her, and then she would tail it out of here.