A few hours had passed since Elu's hunt - he had finally departed (only after becoming engulfed in a fit of rage) and set his sights on the lands of Kamari, hoping to join their pack. He had brought along a leg of deer, hoping to offer it as a gift to the alphess. In his year and three months of roaming, Elu had seen nearly all of the land, though admittedly he had completely avoided the deserts; although Elu had grown up in a fairly moderate-temperature area, he would never set foot in a hot land, no matter where it was. Just as he had seen the lands, Elu had seen the packs, and the one that appealed to him the most was the Haishin pack. The Arctic brute had seen the alphess once before, but he had never approached her. So, it was with an enlightened heart that he reached the border and sat down promptly, ears pricked in alertness, holding his body in a way that showed his pride. He would not show his dominance, however, as this was not his land, nor his pack. It wasn’t even his home yet.
As Elu sat, he opened his maw wide, letting his song fill the warm night air. He spoke of hunger, but it was a different kind of hunger; the hunger heard in his howl spoke of the hunger for a family, for company, friendship and, quite possibly, love. Elu had been alone almost half of his life: At a year and a half, he left his home and ended up in Anikira, and in three months he’d be three years old. It seemed like a long time for the brute, as he knew most brutes would start a family as soon as possible. But Elu? No…he was…different. As he often did, Elu’s gaze flickered upwards, resting on the night sky, the white stars, his mind focused on his father. Dear Ereindir…
A soft whine slipped from his muzzle as he thought of his father, and his deep howl ended. He had been around the age of five when his son had departed without a word. And now, he would be nearing six and a half years of age. It was necessarily that old for a wolf – he would still have his old strength and vigor, but to have his second litter of pups be just over a year old? That was the strange part. Ereindir and Laina had both fought their instincts to mate, wanting the best for their pups, and while their first mating had ended up in an out-of season pregnancy at three and a half years of age, the two wolves had done remarkably well. They had instilled their children with wisdom of the world, with a set of unique, but mature, morals. Elu himself knew that he would never mate unless he knew for certain that the female would be his for life.
He looked back down, still wondering about his parents, about Ereindir in particular. Would he have another litter? Would he ever see his sister again, or his younger siblings? Elu wasn’t so sure about the last two, but he was pretty certain that his mother and father would not bring forth any other pups. They were simply getting a little too old to properly care for new pups. Soon they would have trouble caring for themselves as well; once they hit seven and a half, or eight, their strength would start to decline. Elu hoped against hope that they had managed to join a pack, hopefully one to take care of them, or at least his younger siblings could care for them…
Elu sighed, his mood starting to drop. He didn’t always like thinking of his family, especially when he was alone. He always felt an emptiness well up inside him that made him so desperate for the company of another…
’Well,’ he thought to himself glumly, ’at least I’m looking to join this pack…’ Elu swallowed slightly, wondering. Did he have what it took to be a part of a pack? He was confident that he did; Elu had always been a leader, he always had confidence, his father had taught him many things, and while Ereindir had not been a pack wolf as an adult, when he was younger, he’d gotten a lot of experience.
Experience…’ Elu breathed silently, ’That is what a true wolf needs. Experience. Not age.’ Feeling a bit better, Elu sat up straighter, giving his pelt a shake, – so as to make himself presentable – and perked up his ears, ready to meet the alphess.
Words;; 771 Muse;; My best post with him~ Notes;; All of my posts have much better quality and length now ^^ Also, this thread is my liquid-time thread for Elu, and takes place after his hunt with Scout and Zodiac.
The peppered alphess was exhausted. She was in dire need of a good meal, some rest, and some calm for once. At this point, it seemed as if none of the above were on the schedule. The femme was constantly running around, taking care of business for the pack. She felt the edge in the air; Vorilye's threat still hung ominously above her pack, and she hated to be at the mercy of another wolf. Akihra prided herself on her independence, yet she was being swallowed with worry at the thought of the neighboring pack.
When a sweet song echoed across Kamari, Akihra found herself instinctively jogging toward it, her paws carrying her to the loner with a gentle pace. It had been a while since there had been any substantial activity in Kamari, and it was interesting to see that another wolf had found his way to the lands. While the territory was virtually unrecognizable as the decimated land it had once been, there were still occasional signs of the mistreatment of the region. Akihra often stumbled across the rubble of human contraptions, and she tried her hardest to avoid the ruins of the research facilities the lands had once housed. Those things were part of the deadly past of Anikira, and she was content to lay them to rest along with her father and grandfather.
With a deep breath in, Akihra braced herself to face yet another wolf. Lately, the role of alpha had been more of a nuisance than an enjoyment to her. While she understood that it was a lot of work, it was becoming painfully obvious that the pack had thrived better under Zethrox's leadership than her own. That, alone, was a fact that she found difficult to face. The relationship with her grandfather had been reasonably good, but she had usurped his pack upon finding him unfit for the position. Perhaps she was a bit of an unfit leader herself. She obviously could not make wise decisions to keep Haishin safe, and members of her pack always seemed to turn up missing.
Upon approaching the newcomer, Akihra found herself face with a large, white wolf. The brute seemed amicable enough, and so she approached, her tail held high and back straight as she slightly dipped her head to him in greeting.
"Welcome to Kamari. I am Akihra, the alphess of Haishin. You are looking to join my pack?" she inquired, straight to the point. She was done beating around the bush and giving individuals free passes to her territory. Those loners were going to join or leave from now on. There was no room in Haishin for foolish accommodation.
Hearing a slight rustle of grass, Elu’s thick, fluffy ears turned to the side, and his muzzle followed quickly. ’This is it,’ he breathed to himself, feeling his heart start to race in his chest. ’It’s the Alphess!’ A surge of hope filled the young brutes’ heart, and his tail twitched slightly – he’d had to force himself to sit still and not wag his tail. A gentle tingling was causing the Arctic males’ skin to crawl, and he shook out his pelt again, trying to hide how he truly felt. What would she think, Elu wondered, if some loner was practically beside himself with joy upon seeing an Alpha? No, he told himself, that would not do. What had his father always told him, about meeting new wolves?
”Elu, when you meet a strange wolf, you must always be on your guard. You will never know how they will react to you unless they are in your immediate company. We are suspicious creatures, we do not trust strangers. So when the time comes, you must always be…”
[/i] Yes, those were his fathers’ exact words, deeply ingrained into the males’ memory. But they continued, and Elu, taking a deep breath and bracing himself, muttered, ”Calm, courteous, and polite…”
As the female approached him, Elu cleared his throat, and, after she had spoken to him, laid down the meat in front of her, bowing his head low in return, ears folding back ever so slightly. ”Lady Akihra, Alphess of Haishin,” he rumbled softly, stepping backwards and sitting once again; He wanted her to feel comfortable, and have all of the space she wanted. But mostly, Elu wanted to make sure that she saw him as a gentle soul, not a threat. A small smile turned his black lips as he continued, still in the same, deep, quiet tone of his, ”It is a great pleasure to finally meet you. And yes, my Lady, I have searched you out in order to join your pack. I have come, as you see, with a gift. I caught the stag it was torn from, in the lands of I'queyer. Sadly, it is not as fresh as I would have hoped…” he murmured, trailing off with a small sigh. He didn’t really want to tell Akihra why it had taken him so long to travel here after his hunt; she most likely didn’t care to know, and besides, what were the chances he would be accepted if she found out that he had an anger issue? If he hadn’t become angry, Elu would have been here in an instant. But the fact was, his anger had caused him to seethe and boil with rage for two hours, and the next hour he spent cooling off while he traveled.
Still, the meat was nowhere near inedible. Like all wolves, he and Akihra had scavenged meat during hard times. Then again, he would have rather offered her fresh meat. ’Knock it off, you’re just beating yourself up for no reason.’ A small voice told him sternly. Elu blinked. The voice sounded like his father…but it couldn’t be, could it? It was only his conscience trying to stop him from feeling upset with himself. Grunting softly at the voice in his head, Elu turned his full attentions back towards Akihra. He said nothing, merely waiting for her to respond, holding himself in a way that was calm, courteous, and polite.
Words;; 571 Muse;; Fine. Notes;; It's not as long as I'd hoped, but it's long enough. [/color][/blockquote][/td][/tr][tr][td][/td][/tr][/table][/center]
The brute greeted the alphess quite kindly, yet he still failed to introduce himself. Akihra smiled softly at the stranger, intrigued that he had brought a gift for her pack in the interim of joining Haishin. It was interesting, indeed to see a wolf that had actual manners. She was starting to believe that they were a non-existent breed. She eyeballed him with interest, still slightly curious of his intentions. While the kill did not smell incredibly fresh, it was enough to cause salivation from the alpha femme. It had been so long since she had indulged herself in a filling meal, and now one laid right in front of her, brought by the paws of this stranger.
"I appreciate your kindness, brute. Your gift to the pack is most greatly appreciated," she started with a slight smile, "but may I ask your name before I grant you a place in my pack?" She chuckled softly, amused by the oversight. It may seem like a minor thing, but Akihra wanted to be able to address the brute properly if he were to join her pack. He was by far the most polite and thorough wolf she had encountered in some time. There was a nagging bit in the back of her mind that stated that this wolf was simply too good to be true, but she forced herself to ignore that. Not every wolf had ulterior motives or a hidden agenda with her pack. Not everyone could be working for their neighboring pack, and she was certain that, with seeking her out immediately with the intent to join, he was a much less suspicious wolf than the majority of the wolves she had come across these last few weeks.
The femme sighed quietly to herself. She was growing tired of these meetings and the worry she felt every time a new wolf showed up in her territory. When would this feeling ever stop? I've got to do this, for Zethrox, she thought absently. It had been her family who had done damage to this land, first her father's evil deeds, and then her grandfather who had tried to repair the damage his son had done. She was doing her best to help it along, but how much could she really do? She was just one wolf, and a young one at that. Being a single alpha was difficult, particularly as a female. She was much higher risk for attack than the larger brutes of neighboring packs. She could easily be taken over by another pack, and there would not be much she could do to stop it.
Maybe she worried to much, but maybe she was right. Perhaps this life was not actually suited for her...
As Elu sat there, awaiting Akihra’s answer, he caught the soft smile that flickered at him, and he couldn’t help but smile back in return, his thick tail quivering slightly at the tip, showing his happy nervousness. He cleared his throat and chuckled a little, hoping she hadn’t noticed his tail. ’Well, so much for being professional, Elu.’ he muttered silently to himself, rolling the eyes in his mind. Once Akihra looked him over, Elu took a calming breath. Sure, this was his first meeting with his potential Alpha, but he’d been taught by the best about how to act, what to expect, and he was ready for it. He didn’t speak when she watched him, but as her attention turned to the leg of deer, Elu smiled to himself.
’Good so far…’ he thought, feeling confident. Maybe he knew how to do this naturally. Did he really need to follow his fathers’ advice, word for word? The Arctic wolf wasn’t sure – his father was his guardian, the one wolf he needed to trust the most. And he did trust him! But something was nagging Elu… Sure, he could follow Ereindir’s advice, but didn’t he also tell his son to be himself? He nodded to himself, unaware that he’d actually done it for real, instead of mentally.
Feeling himself zone out, Elu blinked once, and just in time it seemed, for Akihra had smiled once more and started to speak. At her request of a name, Elu nearly blanched. How could he have forgotten to give her his own name? He laughed, a little nervously, and muttered, ”I seemed to have forgotten to introduce myself, forgive me, I’ve been…on my own for a while.” Elu shook his head, feeling foolish. He felt like he messed up. What wolf forgot to give his name to the Alphess of a pack? Licking his lips, he bowed his head to Akihra and spoke once more. ”My name is Elu Elenessë, and it will be an honor to join your pack, Lady Akihra.” Elu told her, smiling as he raised his head.
He felt slightly embarrassed for the oversight over his name, but Elu didn’t think it was too big of a problem. At least he still remembered it. He knew about some wolves, specifically those who had been removed from the public too long, or those that simply didn’t like company, who ended up forgetting their name, or not remembering how to socialize right. It was a terrible thing, and he felt lucky to have kept his mind and tongue.
And now, his part was done, at least for now. His future resting on the paws of the femme in front of him, Elu fell respectfully silent, giving her time to think over whatever it was she was thinking, hoping that she would allow him to join her pack. ’If she doesn’t? a voice asked. Somehow, Elu always felt like he had to plan for the worst. ’If she doesn’t…then I will have to find another pack.’ he answered stiffly, feeling as if his chances of joining were fairly good. After all, hadn’t he made a good impression? Bringing the meat was not only a sign of respect, it was a sign of friendliness, and a show of compassion. But what was more? It was not required for one to bring a gift. A small smile planted itself on Elu’s maw, as the brute sat in wait.
Words;; 574 Muse;; Okay. Notes;; Hmm, not as long as my others, due to stress x.x
If there was one thing that was painfully obvious about this brute, it was that he was nervous. The nervous vibes rolling from the brute's body were nearly crippling to Akihra, and it made her all sorts of uncomfortable. She hated negative energy, and it was all around her right now. She tried her hardest not to let it affect her, but his half-hearted chuckle was enough to make her wince, albeit slightly.
The brute introduced himself as Elu, and she nodded her head in response. "Well, Elu, I think we definitely have a place for you here," she responded with a slight edge to her voice, though not really noticeable to anyone other than herself. She did not want to make it seem as if she had an aversion to his presence, merely that the vibes she got from him made her edgy. He seemed polite enough and well-thinking, and Akihra was sure that he would make a decent addition to her quickly failing pack. Something would need to be done for Akihra to keep Haishin together; she just did not know what.
Finally, the smell of Elu's kill was too much for the femme. With a ravaged hunger, she tore at the slightly warm flesh. Although it was not the hot, dripping blood she normally preferred, it satiated her hunger and curbed the stomach pains that had been distracting her focus. The meat was plentiful compared to the rabbits and squirrels the femme had been hunting to get by. Without any designated hunters for the pack, they were normally scrounging to dig up enough food to take care of them all.
Perhaps, if he was able to take down a kill like this, maybe he can be what the pack needs to bring in more food. Akihra looked the brute up and down, appraising what may be the newest hunter for her pack. "Elu, did you have any assistance taking this down?" she asked curiously, intrigued as to whether he had the expertise to direct others in the hunt as well. If so, perhaps he was just the blessing the alphess had been searching for all this time.
Upon hearing the Alphess’ words, Elu’s tail began to beat the ground a little faster, the words of acceptance melting away his sudden nerves. ”As I said before, Lady Akihra, I would be so honored to be a part of your pack.” he repeated softly, his amber orbs shining brightly as joy flooded the usually calm demeanor of the Arctic brutes’ face. ”If only you knew, my Lady, how often I watched your lands from beyond the border, waiting.” Elu murmured softly, letting his eyes wander past Akihra, taking in what was most likely his new home. A soft sigh resonated from his maw and he continued gently, ”But you see, I felt as if…I had growing to do. It seemed absurd, in my mind at least, to present you with an unfinished brute – I was simply not ready, not matured enough. I have only ever wanted to show others the best of me.” Elu finished, his voice deep and strong as he turned his gaze back to Akihra, bowing his head in respect.
The brute was not expecting a response, so therefore it didn’t bother him when Akihra turned her attention to the leg of deer he’d brought. In fact, it filled him with a strange sort of pride, to have the Alphess accept his gift. Elu averted his gaze politely as Akihra ate, not wanting to make her feel rushed at all. Besides, the way she was eating made Elu feel as if it were her first meal in a while. A few minutes later, the white male saw Akihra look him over; he turned to face her again, a kind smile plastered onto his maw; it didn’t seem to leave his face.
At his alphess’ words, Elu shook his head. ”No my Lady – I caught the stag, along with a few does, for two brutes by the names of Scout and Zodiac.” he told her, hoping he didn’t sound boastful. After all, most wolves didn’t hunt multiple animals at a time – not only was it skill that had got the job done, but his fiery anger at the talentless Zodiac had fueled him to get it done faster. ”You see Lady Akihra, Scout seemed to be in need of a feast, the poor brute was skin and bones, but his friend Zodiac…he – he, er, didn’t know how to hunt.” he explained, clearing his throat as he mentioned Zodiacs’ mediocre skills. ”I attempted to ah…direct him and give him tips. I left shortly thereafter.”
Elu finished, shifting slightly. He still felt a little guilty about the way he’d blown up at the poor brute, and Scout…how was he doing? He shook himself mentally – now was not the time to be thinking of either of them. His future was in the paws of the femme in front of him.
Words;; 470 Muse;; Terrible. Notes;; Very short, haven't posted him in a while.
This brute intrigued Akihra. There was so much about him that interested the femme, and he was growing more and more important to her pack by the minute. Elu had provided her nourishment, which she so gravely needed with all of the drama that had plagued her mind, and he also was proving that he could work as a member of a team. At the mention of Scout's name, the femme started, a small smile curving across her lips at the mention of his daughter's friend.
"There didn't happen to be a young white femme with Scout, did there?" she asked with sudden interest, curious to know if Sariya was still running with Scout or if the brute had taken off on his own once more. At one point, she had imagined that Scout was going to stay in Haishin with them, but apparently that was not so. And it seems that Zodiac had left the terra as well. As much as she did not want strange wolves wandering about her territory, she had been anxious to see if they planned to join her pack, but apparently not. The news that they were no longer around was a bit bitter sweet, as she did not want a bunch of loners wandering about, but they could have doubled the size of her pack.
"My daughter has been running around with him as of late," she explained offhandedly, wanting to clarify about her previous comment. She stared down at the leg that she had munched upon happily before realizing that it was not good to have a sitting meal out in the open. She needed to take this back to the dens and then meet up with the brute elsewhere. "Elu, if you don't mind doing some patrols of the area, I want to run this back to the dens for safe keeping. Hopefully Sariya will turn up soon and I can introduce the two of you," she offered to the brute.
"The borders have been someone laxly monitored as of late. Loners have been running rampant throughout Kamari and I really want it to stop. It isn't save to have so many unbonded wolves throughout my territory, particularly as a female alpha," she admitted to the brute. She felt comfortable trusting him with that certain bit of information; if his behavior thus far was any indication of how he would be as a pack member, he could be well trusted and seemed quite loyal to the pack. After all, he admitted to keeping an eye on Haishin for some time now, waiting for the opportunity to approach and seek entry. If this was true, then he was even less of a threat to her power, as he could have had several chances to attack the pack and chose not to do so.
Staring back at the brute once more, she gathered up the meat in her jowls, glancing up at him once more with her mismatched eyes. A slight smile graced the femme's face as she trotted off toward the dens, eager to get the meat stashed away and meet up with the brute once more. Perhaps together they could take back Kamari and make the Haishin Pack great once more. All she needed was the moral support and the drive to keep going.
As Elu awaited the Alphess’ next words, he caught upon her maw a small smile, and he smiled curiously in return. At the mention of a white femme, the brute shook his head gently. A young white femme? No…Elu hadn’t seen a wolf with that description. He exhaled deeply, before he responded. ”No, my Lady. It was just myself, Scout, and the brute Zodiac – although, he did have a rather amusing weasel with him.” Elu told her, chuckling a little bit. That weasel had a temper for such a small thing, but he figured it was only trying to balance out Zodiac’s personality. Elu was curious about this white femme now, and it seemed that Akihra was willing to explain, for a moment later, she spoke.
The Arctic brute nodded at her words, deciding that he could keep an eye out for Akihra’s daughter. After all, an heiress was just as important as the Alphess. He felt important when Akihra asked him to patrol, and he nodded immediately. ”But of course, my Lady.” he told her with his quiet, respectful tone. Elu stood, bowing deeply to his Alphess as he started to back away. A smile was wide across his maw as he growled, ”I would be more than happy to meet the Lady Sariya. If I come across her, I will let her know that you have been looking for her.”
But as Elu turned slightly to start patrolling, Akihra’s voice rang out again, and she sounded as if she were somewhat ashamed. He nodded his head, his smile softening. ”My lady, I will not move from the borders if that is your wish. And do not worry – I vow to protect you with my life. I have the greatest respect for Alphas, particularly females.” he told Akihra genuinely, a twinkling of amusement in his golden orbs. ”A female at the position of power far outstrips a male in my opinion – most males can be an Alpha…but it takes a truly strong female to rise to the challenge.” Elu added, his tone more serious. A last smile and bow of the head before he whisked away, following the border diligently. Elu already respected his Alphess, and even more so that she had shared that last bit of information with him. It made him all the more loyal to his new pack.
Words;; 392 Muse;; Good. Mood;; Happy, amused, loyal. Notes;; <3 I love Elu and Kira.
