Wandering Luck

[enimin]

Zanny was always happy, even when events did not appear to be in her favor. When it rained, she was happy for the plants, When it was hot, she loved to watch all the animals sun bathe and hunt for food, and when she was lost she took that time to find out more about where she was staying. It was a funny way to look at life, she knew, But it made everything so much easier. Right now, she was lost, and had been lost for the past few hours, surrounded by nothing but sand. It was warm and sunny, and she hadn’t had anything to drink for a while, so it didn’t surprise her when a swallow lead to her mouth being as dry as the ground she walked on.

There wasn’t much out here, and being alone was the last thing she wanted, so finding some others was the first thing on her list. Zanny started to run, pushing herself to move faster against the warm air. She hadn’t gotten very far, or at least that’s what it looked like, when she stopped suddenly after smelling something different from the suppose usual. It was familiar, and sent a vibe of happiness down her spine. Wolves. It was a sent mark, so that means there must be a pack near by, and this is their land.

Zanny had luckily stopped a few feet away, so she didn’t seem to be trespassing, just observing. She hadn’t spoken to any others in a while, and often felt lonely, so the thought of having a decent conversation, and maybe even some new friends drove her crazy, crazy with joy that is. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth, and her tail moved steadily and silently back and forth as she called out, in hopes of being heard.

“ Mighty Alpha of this land, please allow me to ask you for a home, and in exchange, I will give you my full loyalty. My name is Zanny, and I have nowhere to turn to, and if you wish to meet me, I am placed at the edge of the sands of Rodorr.” Zanny felt a tinge of unhappiness at the slight depression of her howl, and she wished she could fix it, but settled for sitting patiently, and waiting. She was full of patience, and would wait for however long it took.

[Deleted]

[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,472,true][atrb=background,http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/3765/audtbbg.png,true] It was a relatively quiet day in Zahir. Matter of fact, since the war ended, everyday was quiet. A new member here and there, some would leave and others would stay. Mostly, the whole pack had slipped into a state of dormancy, only living through instinctual routines; to which the largest change came when the weather did. Now instead of hunting during the night to avoid the sweltering heat and skin damaging sun rays, they stayed in and slept during the cooler nights. This particular morning Auden awoke before the others, and wanting some time to himself, he snuck out of the den and into the pogonip clinging to the valley. He continued to rummage through the thoughts that had stirred him, recalling that according to Kaoru, Zahir’s past had been rocky since its beginning. The news kept everyone waiting for the next plague that would threaten to destroy the pack. Sure, everyone wanted to lift the weight off their chest, and live this period of peace to its fullest, but no one was ready to relinquish their guard. Interrupting his thoughts, a howl sounded through the crisp fog. The call came from a foreign wolf who was requesting the presence of the Alpha of Zahir, his father. Believing that it was rude to both leave the wolf waiting and irresponsible of him to leave the wolf at the border, he began to head in the direction of the call. Auden picked up his pace to a comfortable jog, realizing he was still nearer to Pievunt-An than to where the foreigner had referenced her location. As soon as he was clear of the icy fog, he paused and shook the ice particles that threatened to turn him into a statue from his coat. The Tundra in his blood, although possibly not enough to give him a full winter coat like the wolves to the East, made it easier for him than most of the other’s in his pack to sustain the freezing temperatures of the winter nights. He continued his previous pace and before much longer the scent of the wolf was becoming stronger. As soon as his hazel eyes spotted the figure, he barked softly, not wanting to startle her with his presence. As he casually strode closer he spoke, “Um… Good morning ma’am.” There had been a lot on his mind during his trek, and what rolled out of his mouth, partially on accident, confirmed his own thoughts. “My name is Auden, Alpha of Zahir.” ***** words: 417 muse: above average notes: yes, this is Auden unofficially contesting the Alpha position. -eep-

[enimin]

Zanny took the time she had to herself to focus on her surroundings. There wasn’t really much to notice, nothing here but sand and maybe a rock or two every few feet. The sun shined down on her back, warming her fur and calming her down. She felt a little nervous, she had thought of joining a pack before, and had instantly fallen in love with the idea. Having others that would be close to her and being able to care for others without being labeled as weird ( which had been multiple times, yet it never bothered her) had sounded like the perfect life, perfect for her, but now that she was doing it, thoughts that she wished she didn’t have began to flow thru her head freely.

“What if nobody likes me? What will I do then? Will I have joined for nothing?” Zanny’s eyes lowered to the ground and her tail slowed its wagging before slumping onto the sand. She had been so busy thinking that she hadn’t noticed someone walking towards her until she heard them speak. He had introduced himself as Auden, the alpha of Zahir, and he had a thoughtful look in his eye.

Her head snapped up and her eyes were wide before she smiled, all her previous thoughts forgotten as she slipped back into her happy go lucky self. “Good morning Auden, I’m Zanny, thou you probably know that already” Tilting her head in a friendly manner, she smiled and took a few seconds to study the wolf in front of her befor averting her gaze. He was white, and she was slightly taller then him. Within a few seconds, she could tell that he was of the tundra breed, and was made to live out here. With that, she stared up, into the sky, and in an attempt to end the awkward silence, she asked, “Is it always warm here?”

[Deleted]

[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,472,true][atrb=background,http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/3765/audtbbg.png,true] What have I done? What was I thinking? As the still rather young Ethiopian cross closed the distance between him and the female standing on the territory border line, a look of shock flashed across Auden’s face, as his choice of words began to shake him. Over the past year, Auden had been perfecting his poker face, feeling it was imperative that he protect his thoughts from the prying eyes of his deranged family. No one needed to be concerned with the turmoil that was erasing his optimism. Before he moved any closer to the grey wolf, he composed himself, whilst his mind was more reluctant to follow suit in the suppression. His hazel eyes fell on the female who called herself Zanny, although his gaze seemed to look past her, through her, as if the pair was a million miles apart. He continued to ask himself a hundred different questions without any definitive answer. Am I ready to take over as Alpha? Is Dad ready to give up a throne that was never meant for him to begin with? He had heard from Alya that she had promoted, in the loosest sense of the word, his mother to Alpha, and because Vee became her mate, that automatically made him Alpha as well. When his mother was murdered, the sole responsibility fell upon his father. The questions and the idea that if this female made it back to the pack with him, he would have to challenge his father or suffer the consequences of having lied to Zanny about his rank within Zahir. I could always take it back. Tell her the truth… But on the other side of his predicament, he discovered a confidence he never knew he had. As the female spoke he found himself standing straighter, his tail rising above the parallel of his spine. Auden’s eyes focused on the female for the first time since he stole the title his father currently held. Even standing on his toes, Zanny was still taller that the small male. Matter of fact, she was larger than him in every aspect. Minutes ago, their size difference would have affected him, but now as he posed as the Alpha of Zahir, a rank that belonged to him, he did not bother with thinking about his size. Auden reclined into a sitting position, feeling as ease with the situation. The silence that started to build a wall, almost physically separating the two, did not bother Auden. His mind was still full, asking questions and playing out different scenarios before he could realize that he hadn’t responded to her initial statement. Zanny broke down before Auden ever would have, asking a question concerning the weather. He did not bother being polite, he loudly scoffed before briefly adverting his gaze down to a small lizard that was scurrying towards cover under a spiny bush a few yards away. “You come here asking for a home, but are worried about the weather in the cooler months?” he asked, a bit sarcastically. His ears perked forward, awaiting her response, when an idea occurred to him, although it was low, especially for Auden. I could turn her away, then I would have to worry about her finding out that I’m not the Alpha. ***** words: 546. muse: above average. notes: none.

[enimin]

Zanny hadn’t really been bothered by the weather, and had merely been trying to lighten the silence, and apparently, he didn’t take to that so kindly. As Auden scoffed at Zanny’s attempt in conversation, though it had hurt her somewhat, she didn’t let it show, and made an effort to get in good graces with the male before her, not for her own gain, and not because he was the alpha, but because that was just the kind of girl she was. She hated it when people were anything but happy, or at least contempt, and if she was the one causing the foul mood, she would gladly change her ways. Letting out a small laugh, She put on a small smile and let her head tilt to the side in embarrassment.

“Yea, I know, stupid right, sorry, I guess its still a little new to me, but its actually pretty nice out here, I like it.” Tilting her head back in place, she noticed that he was no longer looking at her, and took this as the time to study him further.

He was smaller then her, and his fur did appear to be white, but when she looked at it from a better angle, or just closer, you could see strong hints of brown. His eyes were hazel, and looked as if they weren’t even there, like they were looking somewhere far away. The way he stood was with much confidence and made her want to look away. Zanny felt her tail start wagging once again, for she was never sad for long. “I’m going to give this my best shot!” . “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you Auden, I’m happy that I could make your acquaintance!”

[Deleted]

[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,472,true][atrb=background,http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/3765/audtbbg.png,true] Hazel eyes were dead as they looked upon the larger female standing before him, still set on joining a pack that was his, and yet, still far from within his grasp. Auden’s mind was being pulled into several directions; his self-proclaimed title had yet to actually be earned, but he was confident himself that he was not going to let this position go without a fight. He thought about if he should accept Zanny into Zahir. That pack could use a breath of life into their dole-drum society that had gone to the liking of Alya, part of the living dead. But here this female was complaining, or even simply making a comment about the warm weather in the rainy season, did she really belong here? Zahir was already a band of misfits; did he want to be responsible for another one? Also, Auden could not live with himself is Zanny died due to heat stroke or dehydration because of poor judgment on his behalf. Sure, his father made it through the day to day, and had done so for the past few years, but it was not without difficulties. If she did join, would she even want to stay after she found out he had lied to her about being Alpha? Maybe he could tuck her away in a place along the Aughgar River until after the battle over leadership had been won. What if I don’t win? For the first time since meeting Zanny, the thought occurred to him that his father may not roll over and willingly give in to the challenge. What would happen if I lose? Will he ban me from The Occasus? What would I tell Zanny then? Auden mentally sighed at the new direction his thoughts were straying. The silence between the two wolves dragged on like the years seemed too. “Well missy… You seem real great…” Maybe it’ll just be better if I turn her away. She could find a home with a true leader. He shied away from her gaze briefly, disheartened in himself. What a great Alpha I would make… I can’t even bring myself to face her to tell her to leave… “But I don’t think you- I mean, Zahir would be the right fit for you.” He had turned back to Zanny as he corrected himself. Auden was a good guy down to the core; he always had a hard time being mean or rude to someone. He was waiting for a look of anguish from his rejection to cross the female’s face, but he cringed slightly before her happy-go-lucky demeanor changed. "You should try our neighbors to the north!” he exclaimed. Now he was just trying to make up for his let down. Were Alpha’s supposed to do this? Go out of their way to help a wolf not belonging to their pack? “The territory of Shyia; I’ve noticed new territory markers around the mountain region. Since they’re fresh, I’m sure whoever claimed that area would be more welcoming,” Than I am… “I could escort you to their territory line if you would like…?” ***** words: five hundred seventeen muse: average notes:

[enimin]

Zanny couldn’t help but feel like her little comment about the humidity had lowered her chances of being accepted, and though she was quick to note that she hadn’t really complained but asked a simple question (For all he knew, she loved the heat), it was a rather strange thing to say. “That’s what I get for getting off track I guess…”
“Well missy… You seem real great…”
She would have beamed as his compliment if she hadn’t caught the undertones of sadness behind them. Her ears dropped in fear of what was to come next, and almost simultaneously, her tail curled as exactly what she was dreading happened.
“But I don’t think you- I mean, Zahir would be the right fit for you.”
She had been turned away, rejected, and at this rate, she would never find a family that needed her. For a brief second she was heart broken with a sad expression on her muzzle, but once again, she found herself smiling.
Smiling at the fact that even if she was going to be alone, she would have the world to roam, and its beauty would always be at her side.
“Aw, well, that’s ok, whatever you think is best. Thanks for the thought though!”
She stood, shaking the sand off of her hindquarters before turning around, getting ready to launch herself to somewhere new, when Auden’s voice rang out.
"You should try our neighbors to the north!”
This made her freeze. Was he trying to help, or just soften the blow? She turned her head to look at him again with a look of surprise that quickly changed into a look of joy. The only problem, she had no idea where that would be, and asking would probably make her seem stupid, so she was ready to turn and walk until she made if, but his next outburst made her sigh in relief.
“The territory of Shyia; I’ve noticed new territory markers around the mountain region. Since they’re fresh, I’m sure whoever claimed that area would be more welcoming, I could escort you to their territory line if you would like.”
He was trying to be nice! The realization struck her hard, and turning fully back to him, she smiled.
“Thanks! I kind of don’t know where to go, and if you could help me, that would be super!”
Maybe something good could come out of this.