Soothing Waters :: [open, joining]

[amun]

The elder Maned wolf winced. His arthritis was kicking up again in the damp, cool air; he wondered if he remembered the land as well as he thought he did. As a roaming child, Amun Ra had passed through many lands. He had seen many things in his seven years- and he thought there were Healing Waters nearby.

Amun distinctly remembered his mother's words:
'Remember, my Ra, my sun. There are places in this world that heal you. Nature loves her children, and provides for them. The waters here, come when you are ill or an elder. Rest in their powerful depths. They ease your pain, they make you feel warm. But it is too hot to drink, remember that. Never drink from the pool directly. Always drink from a diluted source.' Her words echoed in his head, her accent from the North twisting the words a bit. A smile of friendship played on his black lips, and he continued walking.

Amun Ra cared very little for the rules the younger wolves imposed on his world. They were words, followed by weak actions. They did little in the scheme of things. Sure, bad manners were bad manners, but what could one do? If you had been raised on the lam, so to speak, you took what you got. You did not ask questions. Amun remembered fondly his younger siblings, Tania and Shay- so weak, but so warm and sweet... In his memories, they smelled like warm rain and honey...

Amun shook his head, shaking the thoughts loose- it would do little good to be caught in a daydream. If his mother hadn't taught him that boundaries of a pack were to be respected, he had learned after many scars they were. He picked up the pace as fast as he could, hoping to find the warm waters and rest, ease his aches and complaints before moving on. He was getting old, and as such it was good luck he still had weight on him... Of course, the vegetable diet helped- a mouse or the rare occasion of rabbit was a rare feast meat feast, often caught after hours of hunting. Seven may not seem old, but to a wolf, it's near death.

He slowed now, the water's were in sight. After a few moments, their warm shores lapped at his cracked pads, and then his ankles and legs. Amun was reminded of the many evenings he'd spent with his mate in her season, the warm waters they had lived by... His first litter splashing about, then not long after, the second... The sweet evenings and brisk mornings... All until those Arctics had stolen his life from him, his breath... Rose, his mate... gone... A lone tear traveled down his face, then dropped into the water.

Amun pushed off the shore in the more deep waters, his legs always brushing the bottom. He felt himself sinking into a leisurely comfort, and then the buoying effect of the water keeping him afloat as he paddled a bit around, stretching and easing his painful joints.

"That's far more like it..."

occ;; Sorry if the speech is a bit hard to see :P

[akihra]

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[atrb=background,http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/3046/kiratablemid.png][atrb=width,450,true] It was frustrating to the alphess for all these wolves to invade her territory. It was even more frustrating when she had to seek them out; hence, the femme was quite irate. The eastern timber wolf ambled along the growing brush; it was amazing what just the past few years of regrowth had done for the land. Kamari was thriving after its run in with the deadly forces of mankind, and Akihra thanked the gods every day for repairing the damage and giving her a home once more. Heading toward the hot springs, the alphess spotted a wolf that reminded her of Apollo. The mixed brute had disappeared quite some time ago. Some days, she wondered just what had become of her pack mates. However, Akihra was faced with the reality of this life. Those who did not maintain themselves did not survive, and those who wandered where they should not did not last long, either. It was part of the reason Akihra never bothered to search after Zethrox. Surely the brute had lost his life in a bout of stupidity, as he had nearly done all that time ago with the Zahir pack. What cold-coated wolf would be stupid enough to venture into the desert in the heat of the day, during the summer no less? This wolf, however, was not a part of her pack, and did not have permission to be soaking himself in her hot springs. The younger femme let out a frustrated sigh, approaching him with caution as she was not sure how he would react to her presence. "Brute, my name is Akihra," she called from a short distance. "I am the alphess of Haishin, the pack that dwells in these lands. I'm afraid you need to leave." She spoke kindly, but her posture reinforced her dominance in the territory. She was sick of these wolves who thought they had the right to come and go as they pleased, and she was going to do something about them. From this point on, those who trespassed would no longer be welcome in her terra. They would leave, and if they did not go willingly, she would make them. Her eyes narrowed slightly, awaiting the brute's response. ((OOC: Sorry, crummy post.))

[amun]

Amun Ra's body was in a earth-bound heaven. The warmth massaged his body until he felt loose and free, like a child again. His breathing eased from a wheezing breath to a more comfortable, gentle sound. His fur was sodden, and he would be cold when he left, but he could stick around and dry off, couldn't he? Maybe a little bit more of a use of this pack's lands wouldn't hurt? He was, after all, an elder... Certainly nobody would throw an elder out, if that one was wise? He pondered these things for a moment, and then, quite out of nowhere, the sound of paws on stone. Amun lazily opened his eyes into slits.

There, some space away, was another wolf. His heart nearly stopped as he took in her form, her structure and dimensions... And then his gasp was stifled, because it was not her. His mate, returned from her presumed grave. Amun's slit eyes closed again, and he pointedly turned away, assuming her to be another loner or rogue.

His ears flicked slightly as she spoke. Akihra, was it? Interesting name, but it did not interest him much. Her talk cluttered up the beauty of nature, of the birdsong and bug-noise. Amun raised his tail slightly, as it had been trailing on the top of the water, and slapped it down slightly, as if to acknowledge her statement. He did not speak for a time, and several minutes later turned and approached the female. He had no desire to interact with her, though his eyes repeatedly deceived him into thinking this Akihra was his Rose. He floated in the water a few feet from her, enough so that if she tried to attack, she'd have to start moving.

"..." He was silent again for a moment, and then he spoke. Amun's deep voice was but a whisper as the words came, "Miss... Akihra, is that your name? Alphess, are you..." He was saying his words slowly, pausing for a breath. Amun's slow way of talking annoyed some, but if one listened for long enough, they might get their answers. "Well, Miss Akihra... I have no intention of leaving,"

The words lay bare for a moment, and Amun let them remain, not adding or retracting anything. His tired way of speech hinted that it was the most he would say at this point in time, unless she prompted him further.

[akihra]

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[atrb=background,http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/3046/kiratablemid.png][atrb=width,450,true] This was one stubborn son of a bitch. Akihra growled lowly at the rogue brute's words, irritated mostly by his sheer lack of tact and respect for her boundaries and status as an alpha. While she may not be the strongest wolf around, she certainly had the brains and the means to run a successful pack, as she had managed to do quite well up to this point. If he was not planning on leaving, though, what exactly was he planning? "I don't believe you are exactly in the position to be making decisions of that nature, sir," Akihra bit out with an almost unnoticeable amount of sarcasm behind her words. She was quite talented at keeping her cool in irritating circumstances. After all, years of dealing with Tehrin had taught her that sometimes the best way to handle an argument was by stifling the argument before it was given the chance to escalate. If there was one good thing that had come from that self-centered, egotistical femme, that was it. "I don't believe you introduced yourself." If she was going to have to drag the brute from her territory, then she at least wanted to know who she was confronting. Her posture remained just as rigid and dominant as before, though she could tell from the brute's behavior that he was not on the verge of violence. This, alone, brought some comfort to her. She would hate to have to drag the others into this scuffle, if that was how it ended. "So, if you don't plan on leaving, what exactly do you intend to do?" she inquired bitterly, still seething about the sheer nerve of the brute. The cool, calm demeanor with which he addressed her was frustrating as hell, and the femme's coat bristled. She needed to stop over thinking this, or she would end up inadvertently starting trouble with him. It was highly likely that this brute knew nothing of the situation she and Kallik had gotten Haishin into. It was also equally likely that he did not understand exactly how unnerved the femme felt by him being on her territory, not bothering to seek her out to at the very least gain permission, and refusing her orders when she gave them. The brute could very well be with Vorilye's pack, and she could be confronting yet another dangerous situation. That was the problem; she could not figure out who to trust and who to fear. The possibilities were so endless that her mind was caught up in the discomfort of her poor decisions. ((OOC: Sorry, my muse just really isn't with her today.))

[amun]

Amun's calm, cool, unflustered demeanor was actually a useful tool. Had he turned on the female and said those exact words, his fur bristling and his mouth spitting them out, she would have reacted aggressively. Oppositely, had he turned to the female and started sobbing his 'relief' at seeing another, she would have probably been creeped out or called for backup. Instead, the world-weary tone and body language, Amun had long since learned, prevent conflict as much as possible, until someone threw a claw-extended paw at you. This Akihra was getting short-tempered, he could tell, and he would have to rely on his social acumen to prevent a fight... One he probably wouldn't win.

Her sarcastic words fell on deaf ears- Amun Ra could not have cared if you spoke to him demeaningly, it was below his nature and stature to care much. Amun remained in the water, looking on. Instead of snarling or spitting out a retort of harsh nature, Amun replied, "You are quite right in that respect, very little decision-making power in your lands... If I had any self-respect or manners," He silently added, Some of which you seem to lack...

A smile graced his black lips as she suggested he speak of his name and place... Oh, some things never changed, did they? He nodded, then chuckled as he answered, "I don't enjoy the use of my name being thrown around... call me brute, if you wish to call me anything." His eyes narrowed a little, he knew his words were dancing on the line of starting a fight, but Amun told himself this female was asking for it.

"..." He paused again, letting a small silence interrupt their conversation, and then spoke. "My intention, madam, would be to ease my aching elderly body. I know you probably dislike it when someone wanders in..." Another pause, this time charged as he deliberated... Would he do it? Would he tie himself down to yet another pack? This time with a Timber Wolf female for a leader...

A sudden thought struck him, and Amun realized- It's what Rose Areta would have wanted... She provided this opportunity for me... I do believe I should take it.

"...but perhaps not so much if that person wishes to join...?"

[akihra]

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[atrb=background,http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/3046/kiratablemid.png][atrb=width,450,true] The alpha femme felt herself growing angrier with the brute's words, but to an extent she managed to keep face. While it was obvious that she was very irritated with the brute and could not wait to get this resolved, she also relaxed her aggressiveness to a much more conversational, yet still dominant, position. After all, this brute probably could not best her. Though maned wolves were all legs, that was pretty much all they were. She could easily best him, particularly taking into account age and mobility. Absently, the femme wondered if the brute would not leave her hot springs because he physically could not. From that point on, Akihra lightened up. She nearly chuckled at what could potentially be the brute's misfortune. As he refused to introduce himself, she merely shrugged off his rudeness and smiled ever so slightly. If he wanted to put on a show, she could do the same. He admitted to using her hot springs to ease his pain, and the immediate thought that came to mind was HA! I was right. Finally, once the brute disclosed what his intentions were, Akihra could feel the tension re-entering her body. Can these wolves not just wait at the bloody border? she thought, distraught and irked. There had been far too many loners wandering Kamari as of late, and it was really starting to grate on her last nerve. This one did not even bother to look for her and decided to take a bath in her hot springs until she stumbled upon him. She wondered if those were even truly his intentions. But at the same time, so few wolves had expressed interest in the pack lately that she was on the fence about what to do. On one hand, he had not operated properly and likely would have gotten himself killed had he pulled the same stunt in another wolf's, particularly Vorilye's, territory. On the other hand, she was hurting for pack members. She hated when it seemed as if karma was dumping on her. With a sigh, she nodded to the brute. "If that is your desire, then I will not turn you away. Do you wish to join the Haishin Pack?" ((OOC: Really sorry, my muse for her went down the toilet as soon as I started this post.))

[Deleted]

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[atrb=background,http://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z444/spottystar/sariyabg2.jpg] Sariya felt worry itching at her paws and mind, so much was going on in Haishin Pack, she wished she had been around to keep up with it all. She felt another wave of guilt for adding to her stress when she was running a whole pack all by herself. She thought about Scout, she spotted him in the prairie, but hadn't seen him since, maybe he had found his way back to the dens, she was sure she would see him when she got back. Hopefully with her mother with her. The young wolf followed her mother's scent to the springs in Kamari, her mother seemed so stressed out and on edge in the prairie that she wanted to see if there was anything she could do to take any pressure off her shoulders, it was the least she could do for disappearing. But, when she spotted the grey alphess by the waters, she wasn't alone. A maned wolf accompanied her, one that did not spark any familiarity in her mind. She did not know him, and by Akhira's body language, she didn't either. The white fae trotted quickly to her side, hoping to catch the bulk of the conversation, but not interrupting with words. On her way over she caught her mother's last sentence and guessed she had missed most of the action, as her mother just offered the stranger a place in Haishin Pack. The brute seemed elderly and of no use to them and she wondered why her mother was even considering such a burden. What with all the younger, much more efficient wolves they had met in the prairie and she had spoken not of the pack's emptiness then. Sariya furrowed her brow in confusion and glanced over at her mother for some sort of answer. Count --> 300 w. Muse --> Mehhh. Tags --> Akhira && Amun