The russet and cream-furred female slipped through the tall grass and wild flowers slowly, jade orbs ever-watchful, and ever-hungry. It had been a few days, maybe three since her last hunt, but it had been even longer since she herself had eaten; her last catch, a fallow doe, had gone straight to her pups. While they were learning how to hunt, her children were not exactly the best. Look at who they had for a teacher! Poor Kallik, hardly knowing how to hunt when she had her pups, she’d spent the last six months in a spiraling depression, trying her best to get herself and her children by. It was not easy, but over time, she’d learned to ignore her feelings, and focused solely on hunting for her pups.
As Kallik herself had grown – not physically, no, but mentally, emotionally. – she had, in a way, become more civilized. Not only was she able to hunt decently enough for herself, but she’d managed to pull through whenever the children were hungry. Not to mention, she’d kept them safe, and warm. One of her biggest achievements, she believed, was her growing ability to speak correctly. Sure, Kallik still has problems every once in a while, as she still doesn’t enjoy speaking much, but she’s getting better. All of this, she realized, happened because of Vorilye. She sighed, thinking of him, but it was true. All of it was. Her getting pregnant, giving birth to pups, fleeing into Kamari. And still, her abilities in speaking, hunting, and raising children. Even her depression. Even though she loved him, – or rather, she thought she did – he caused her pain. So much so, that every once in a while, the Mackenzie Valley female would think of suic –.
A rustle in the grass alerted her, broke her away from her blackening thoughts. Kallik exhaled deeply and braced herself, a steely glint coming into her eyes as she raised herself ever so slightly, gazing towards the source of the noise. It was an elk, a large, pregnant cow by the looks of it. Her jowls quivered as saliva started to form in her mouth, and for one, glorious second, she thought of sinking her teeth into the warm, living flesh of the animal. But at that moment, her growing motherly instincts jostled her into reality. This was not an old cow, nor a sick one. She was strong, large, and fast, easily able to fatally injure the wolf. But even more so, she was pregnant. There was something living and growing within the elks’ womb. Something beautiful, and so terribly defenseless. Kallik could never harm this cow, at least not while she herself had pups. If she weren’t a mother, it would have been another story.
Sighing, Kallik turned away, thinking that she should go home, back to Kamari. A slight smile as she realized, she was thinking of Kamari as her home. Kallik knew now, her home was where her family was. But maybe, just maybe… Kallik hardly dared to believe her own thoughts. ’What if my pups were with their father…? Then we could be…whole.’ She female grinned slightly to herself, nodding. Her stomach growled softly, and she decided to look for another elk instead of head home. Her pups would be safe while she was gone.
Kallik dropped down again and slunk past the pregnant cow, knowing that where there was one, there was another. It turned out that she was right; not twenty-five yards from the first cow, there was another. This one, however, was older, and without child. Kallik swallowed and crept closer, eyes sparkling with excitement…the poor old female hardly saw her coming. She leapt with a snarl and the cow let out a startled cry, racing away. The wolf spat in anger and darted after her, nipping at her ankles and nearly getting her head bashed in by one of the elks’ back hooves. It was then that she realized, she wouldn’t be able to take her down, at least not by herself. Kallik was hungry though, and kept pushing. She would not leave without a meal.
Words;; 687 Muse;; Great! Notes;; Wow, my longest post in awhile! EDIT - Oh, also, this is happening before the cougar attack, just to make things fall into line more easily.
The fire he had felt months ago had fallen through the cracks and now he was a smoldering pile of ash, left out to the element of Mother Nature and her furious rain. Weeks he had passed in his search for Meri, scouring over the Kamari terrain, turning over every rock only to come up empty. She was not there. She had already gone and went and Kodiak was two steps behind his wandering sister. His mercurial moods were getting the best of him and the onset of depression was costly.
For weeks he had felt as if he did not exist; his mind in a fog of depression. He was mechanical, only eating when he happened upon a carcass or a morsel buried by a local fox. Luckily for him, the instinct to survive kept him near a source of water or else Kodiak would have wound up being another scavengers next meal. His dark periods only seemed to be progressively getting darker, and often he would find himself thinking morbid thoughts, images of himself dead and rotting away under the heat of the summer sun would flash across his mind.
He was oversized and thin from his past depressive state, but he was finally beginning to see the joy in life. The sun did not offend him today, and even though there were a few clouds scattered across the sky, it did not feel as if the world was going to wash away in an endless rain. Summer was ending, and you could feel it in the cooler nights, but he did not think about the barren land during the middle winter and the scarce food supply.
Reminded of fond memories of autumn’s past, and how he enjoyed the brisk morning air and the beautifully colored foliage, Kodiak sighed contentedly. Perched atop a small knoll in the relatively flat landscape of I’queyer, he overlooked the large herd of elk that had gathered on the plains to feast on the lush green grass. Young bulls were busily jousting with one another, priming themselves for the coming rutting season.
Trapped in reverie, the only thing that alerted him to the chase was the reaction of the herd. Those that were eating lifted their heads, large eyes and big brown eyes pointed in his direction. Kodiak overlooked the reaction of the herd for a second, his eyes lazily watching them, his ears hearing nothing at the moment. A clenching tightness in his gut brought his mind into focus and he became fully aware that there was something happening as first one elk, followed quickly by others began to bolt in the opposite direction.
It started out soft, but the thunder of hooves became louder until the noise almost seemed to fall on top of him. Jerking his head to the side, he saw an old cow barreling towards him and only a few meters away! His muscles froze, unsure of what he should do. She apparently was blind with fright and did not see him sitting there. He could not fathom why she was hunting him down but at the last second his muscles jolted, if not clumsily, to life.
His front paws searched for traction, trying to push him backwards out of her way, while his hind end remained planted, waiting to spring forward. The end result was Kodiak lifting his torso off the ground, pulling himself up and backwards, while his hind legs sprung up causing him to flip over backwards just as the cow raced on.
Stunned, he quickly got to his feet, prepared for her to charge after him again, but she kept sprinting forward and now that he was not face to face with the elk, he could see her reason for running. Following her flank was a lone wolf chasing her down. Like a dam giving way, something deep down within burst free and he lunged forward, following the chase. He was not sure was compelled him to move, maybe the possibility to taste fresh meat after several weeks living on a measly diet, or the simple instinct to chase.
Right now he did not want to try to figure out his motives. He wanted to catch up.
As Kallik dug her claws into the ground with her front paws, she propelled herself forward, having momentary bursts of speed and getting closer to the elk every second. With her back paws, the she-wolf pushed harder, using every bit of bulk and strength her body possessed to move herself further, faster, and closer to her quarry. As she moved, she found herself becoming more aware of her surroundings, more tuned to the movement of the cow. She soon discovered the signs that meant the animal was going to turn, or slow, or move even faster, and she was able to respond to each individual movement. To hunt was a fine thing, a natural action. It filled the young wolf with pride and energy. It made her feel alive.
When Kallik first saw the actual herd, she thought she would be able to handle it. But the truth was, she’d never hunted when there were groups of animals; she was used to picking off the strays, much like this cow had been. But she hadn’t expected it to head for the herd. Internally, Kallik berated herself. She should have scouted the area before she started the hunt, she knew this now. If she had, she would have gone at the elk from a different spot, quite possibly on the opposite side of where she’d initially attacked. However, the fact was that Kallik was inexperienced, and, while quite intelligent, there were some things a wolf just needed to know about hunting.
The two entered the herd, and to Kallik, it seemed as if all hell had broken loose. The bulls were bellowing, the cows crying out for their young, everything near the herd fleeing, alerted to Kalliks’ presence by the elks’ bellowing. Kallik was desperate as she tried to keep up with her prey; elk were jumping over and in front of her, all around her, and her target was becoming lost within a mass of furry hides. A furious snarl from the wolfs’ maw made the cow flinch, thinking its end was near, and Kallik launched at it. She bit viciously into the cow’s warm flank, and blood gushed into her mouth. It kicked out and caught her in the middle, but the blow was weak, and the wolf merely let go and continued on. It was at that moment that she noticed the other wolf.
In any other circumstance, Kallik would have turned cold, and closed herself up. But at this moment? No, she was simply having too much fun. She grinned at him and flicked her tail, letting him know that he was just fine to chase with her. He was falling behind as Kallik issued another blow, this time catching the leg of the animal, causing it to stumble. She let go quickly, fearing a blow to the head, but she’d gotten done what she’d meant to do; the cow’s left hind-leg was mangled, and she could hardly put her weight on it.
Kallik slowed, merely playing with her prey now, as she could easily keep up the pace, having stamina while the elk had speed. But why waste her energy? The cow was injured and slower with the bite, and now the wolf behind them would be able to catch up. For a moment, Kallik considered stopping, wanting to speak with the brute, but she knew that the buildup of stress and adrenaline in the elk’s body would cause her meat to become tougher, and unappetizing. So, she merely allowed the male to catch up before launching into the attack again. She bit at the side of the animal, causing it to swerve to the right. At that moment, the other wolf would have full access to the throat of the elk.
Words;; 626 Muse;; Great! Notes;; I always have better entrance posts for some reason.
For a moment he was reminded of what it felt like to stretch his legs, and feel the earth gripped tightly beneath his paws. For a moment he enjoyed the warm summer afternoon air blowing through his mane. For a moment he felt invigorated and alive, adrenaline pulsing through his veins; the carnal feeling of a predator chasing after his prey.
But a moment was all Kodiak had before he was slapped in the face with reality and the repercussions of his depression. Living off of scraps was no life for a wolf of his pedigree; his large body needed sustenance, protein, the kind you got from fresh meat. His muscles were beginning to strain under the pressure of trying to keep up with the old cow and her canine pursuer.
Furrowing his brow in concentration as his breathing became heavier he tried to focus on all of his hunting skill taught to him by Exodus and his father. If was rare for him to be in a hunt of this magnitude, with large game animals surrounding him on every side.
Salmon-hued tongue rolled out of the side of his mouth as a young cow ran up along side Kodiak. Quickly he looked to her, partially frightened that she might try to run him over too. But when she stopped moving closer to him and the pair continued to run parallel with one another, Kodiak would glance forward, and then stare back at the young elk running alongside him.
It was in these few precious seconds, when Kodiak could feel himself falling behind the other wolf, watching hopelessly as she would lunge and their target and then be kicked away, that he saw something in the young elk next to him that he had not seen in a long time. Fear. She was afraid of Kodiak. He could see it in her watchful stare, her big brown eye was opened wide, creases in her skin exuding anxiety.
It was as if she was waiting for Kodiak to change his mind, to make a move towards her. Why not? She was so close after all. He could now see that she was uncomfortable to be within his proximity, but she was boxed in by a wall of elk on her other side, and the chance that if she were to slow down, even a fraction, that Kodiak would notice and he would have prime access to her fragile neck at that point.
A father’s blood did run through his veins, and he could not deny that deep down he enjoyed being feared by others. This realization was enough to give him a spurt of energy; he sneered at the young elk, and snapped his jaws at her legs making her jump in the air and on top of the elk that was next to her. He chuckled darkly and with that he pushed himself forward. Instead of running, he was leaping over the ground, trying to conserve as much energy and stamina he could muster.
Within no time he was neck and neck with the female, hang out on the opposite side of the old cow. He caught the wolf’s gaze briefly, her dark emerald eyes capturing his attention for a second. And then she smiled. The most beautiful, and care-free smile he had ever saw. This was life, in the raw. No pain, no misery, or depression. No manic episodes. No schizo mother, murderous father, crazy siblings… No… This was normal wolf life.
He returned the wolf’s smile with a sympathetic one of his own. He could smell the blood coming from the cow’s torn hide, and a new voice gave him strength. Hunger. How long had it been since his last decent meal? He shook his head, not wanting to even try to remember when. He instead focused all of his energy on the here and now. Periodically her would slow and fall back behind the female, only to reemerge on her opposite side. But this was to ward off intruding elk and trying to separate the elderly cow from the herd.
He was coming back around to the right side of the cow when the female launched her final attack. She lunged at the elk’s shoulder which caused the cow to swerve towards Kodiak without realizing that he was there. He responded in the most appropriate manor. Teeth sank into her warm tender flesh half way up her neck. He missed the jugular, but he achieved what he wanted too. Surprised, the cow lost her balance and tumbled to the ground, rolling over Kodiak in the process.
The event caused him to rip a chunk of flesh out of her neck as the two separated, but he quickly stammered to his feet and grabbed the cow around her neck, underneath her jaw line. Within seconds she will have suffocated and the feast could begin.
Every few moments or so, Kallik would look back at the male, make sure he was keeping up, and slow down if he was not. As the female elks’ hind leg continued to bleed, with every movement ripping the wound open even more, and whenever Kallik slowed, the elk would slow as well. She seemed to think that the wolf was giving up the chase, or rather hoping it was, because she would nearly stop, then, seeing Kallik and Kodiak trailing behind, she would give a startled cry and start running again. It was clear that she was becoming tired, however, and the chances of tripping were rising. Kallik, however, did not want the chase to end this way, oh no. She wanted it to be brought crashing to the ground, whether by her, or her companion, she didn’t care.
She looked back, and a smile lit her face; the wolf was gaining on them. She would not feel sorry for him, being underfed and obviously a little weak, because she knew what that was like; she was exactly the same. She also did not want to upset the brute, for fear that he would desert her. Kallik yearned for the company of another, no matter who it was. For these past months, it had been Kallik, alone, or Kallik with Taqqiq, but for the most part, it was Kallik and her pups. She sighed as she thought of them – her five puppies were growing up, and soon they would be on their way. She felt as if she’d missed out on most of their lives, when in fact, she had. Her depression had eaten at her, caused her to have no interest in their lives. She really didn’t care for much anymore. But now? She vowed to herself that it was going to be different.
Kallik’s thoughts snapped back to the elk at her side, and as she watched it struggling to run, sides heaving as it fought for breath, its dark eyes wide, but blank from fear, she knew it was over. She watched as the male struck the elk once, and it was if she were in a trance as she slowed, coming to a stop, turning as the co started to struggle and get back up… And then it was broken.
The russet female curled her lips back, half-lunging towards the elk’s face, causing it to cringe in fear and fall back to the earth. It looked like a deer in headlights, its face blank from pure terror. As the wound on the cows’ neck bled freely, Kallik felt the bloodlust enter her. She nearly tore at its stomach right then and there, but no, now was not the time. Had it been just herself, or if it were her pups there and not a stranger, she would have done it. Instead, Kallik shook herself and stood over it, making sure it wouldn’t get up, but there was almost no need, for the other wolf had struck again, this time, the hit would kill almost instantly.
Panting heavily, Kallik watched as the life seeped out of their quarry, the light from its eyes faded, the struggling stopped, and its head sank, pitifully, onto the warm, lush earth. She looked back up at the wolf, whose maw was still clamped firmly upon the throat of their fallen meal, and nodded slowly. It was over. Kallik pulled away slightly so that she was no longer standing over the elk, moving instead to crouch by its side. Emerald orbs locked onto the eyes of the stranger as Kallik grinned again, opening her maw to speak. ”Great catch.” she chuckled, her voice soft and low, not as husky as it once was, but still retaining the odd beauty that came from the huskiness.
Without another word, she shifted her gaze to the still-warm flesh, gazing at it for a moment before she ripped a chunk of meat from the elks’ side; there would be time for conversation after their meal, and besides, the tangy, metallic sweetness of the bloods’ scent was sure to attract other predators soon enough.
As Kallik ate, the taste of the sweet, tender flesh filled her with a sort of euphoria beyond anything she’d ever experienced. Or perhaps it was the company of the male beside her? Maybe it was the fact that she could be normal for once, or that she wasn’t being judged, or sneered at. A smile crept up into the fae’s face, and she closed her soft green eyes in pleasure. Whatever the reasoning, at that moment, Kallik felt great.
Words;; 768 Muse;; Spectacular! Notes;; Wow, I think this is my longest post I have ever made. I think it's very safe to say that you bring out the best of my muse, too. <3
Within minutes, the elderly elk had succumbed to the constant and merciful pressure to her larynx and jugular. Her final escaping breath, gargled over the blood that was spilling from her open mouth was a delightful sound to a killer’s ears. It was a sound Kodiak had unconsciously been craving to hear. It had a strange effect on the mutt of a wolf, his eyes rolled back in his head and the sound resonated down, down, heating his groin. He could not fathom why a kill made him feel this way, but right now, with warm blood flowing into his mouth, layering his tongue and spilling over the sides staining his chin, he did not care to for reason.
Slowly he started to gnaw at her throat, more so to pump out her blood than to severe flesh from bone. The rest of the world was momentarily closed out; his only focus was the taste of the elk’s life line as it washed over his mouth and down his throat, warming his belly. He refused to think of the last time he had tasted anything this sweet, afraid that the thought might spiral into something he could not climb out of. His body could not afford for him to slip into another depression. He did not want to think of his Father and why killing excited him in places, that for most wolves, it did not…
“Great catch.”
Her voice had caught him off guard, and suddenly he felt very self-conscious, fully aware of what she had probably just witnessed. It seemed like such a private act, and he felt as if he had just been caught doing something inappropriate. Dull golden eyes opened and looked to the female standing off to his side, near the belly of the beast. Blinking rapidly, he withdrew his hold on the dead animal and pulled his head back until it was directly over his shoulders. “Uh- Thanks…” he managed to stammer out before the wolf dived into the abdomen of their successful hunt.
Kodiak was grateful that she seemed not to have noticed his odd behavior; rather she was too excited to get at the precious meat under the hide to care. Once pulled out of his reverie, he felt a nagging urge to survey their surroundings, worried that something or someone was lurking just beyond his field of view and was waiting to take advantage of Kodiak’s straying attention. His paranoia was just that, beyond the grasses of the plains were hills and the Kinath mountain range far off in the distance. To the south, about two hundred yards away were the elk harems, moving on with their lives as usual.
Satisfied that they were not going to be under attack, he shifted his legs under him, testing their ability to hold his weight. Now that the adrenaline had worn off and he did not have a back up reserve of energy, his legs felt weak and uncertain, much like the rest of Kodiak. He nestled back into the soft grass beginning to pant as the warm days sun beat down on the pair. The sound of his unknown female counterpart ripping and consuming the flesh of the elk; it was almost comforting.
After several minutes, when he was content and more relaxed, he inched his way closer to the elk’s chest. He varied tact between biting and licking away the fur and skin, he reached the muscles in her chest and began to gorge himself. Errant thought flitted through his mind, but none were invasive enough to make him second guess his choice. Who was this female? Where did she belong? Was she a loner? Why couldn’t two wolves work together in simple harmony like they just had? Why was there always a battle for superiority?...
When he was sated he reclined onto his haunches, strength regained. Now was the time to ask all of those questions he had been thinking of while he ate. But first things first, “The name’s Kodiak Black. And my wonderful teammate is… his words were soft and gently, his voice full of heart. His golden eyes, which had regained some of their shimmer, looked to the female expectantly.
***** words: seven o three muse level: great. notes: ---
Green eyes seemed to sparkle as Kallik let out a chuckle, watching the brute from the corner of her eye; she could see –and feel- the relish in him as the hot, sickly sweet blood flowed into his maw. She felt a slight pang of resentment now, mostly from letting him do the actual killing, but also because he would be getting the freshest, hottest, and most oxygenated blood, as it flowed from the still-beating heart and up the major arteries that led straight into the throat. For a moment, the female almost sulked, but after another moment realized that, had it not been for this strange male, she wouldn’t have a meal at all. Sighing inwardly, she went back to her meal peacefully, if you could call a ravenous wolf that was tearing skin and jerking backwards in order to rip the flesh peaceful. Even so, as he thanked her, she nodded slightly to him, murmuring, ”It is you who deserves the thanking; I could not catch this alone.”
To Kallik, her own voice sounded the same; low, quiet and husky, but with a touch of anger or some sort of dominance within. The thing was, she didn’t take into account the way she spoke. However, to an outsider who knew her (which honestly, not many did), she sounded a bit more civilized. Kallik no longer spoke roughly, or with jagged, incomplete sentences. Her speak wasn’t exactly perfect, but it was a vast improvement from when she first met Vorilye. Back then, she had been alone, friendless, and without a name. She was a creature to be pitied, terribly thin as she could not hunt, and a mute, basically. Now it was a little different; she could hunt decently, she was no longer alone, and she spoke quite a bit better. She was still friendless, as she didn’t really think that her own pups qualified as friends, and she had a name to her. Kallik froze then, stopping mid-chew, her eyes taking on a slightly surprised look. Her name. She didn’t often think about it, because, what wolf really did? The world seemed to spin, turn into a whirlpool of color, and a roaring noise that might have been wind filled the wolfs’ ears. In her mind, Kallik was zooming backwards through time, to a scene that seemed like it had happened years ago…
Vorilye was standing over her, glaring at her as she polished off the rabbit she had clumsily caught, not saying a word. She had laughed at him, a keen glint in her eyes, as she told him that her catch had been a good one. He’d become angry with her, told her that this land was his, and that Kallik had no right to hunt within it. But Kallik had told him, catching one or two measly rabbits was hardly hunting… and then he had asked for her name. Kallik went on about how long she had been alone, how she had no home, no place to stay, and that her mother had never once called her anything that could be called a name. Sure, her mother had called her many things, but none of it had been any good. On the conversation went, and eventually, Vorilye had called her “Kallik.” And Kallik had been granted his name…was she the only one who knew his name? At that moment, she neither knew nor did she care. The world came back to focus and she stood up abruptly, swallowing her piece of kill and swiping her lips with her pink tongue.
As Kallik stood, she saw the other wolf sit, and she sat immediately, a harassed look upon her face. She was deeply troubled, unnerved, recalling that it was Vorilye who had named her. In a way, she was indebted to him – not only did he give her a name, he gave her a home, even if it was rather inhospitable. She shook out her pelt, feeling a light breeze tickle her back, and shivered. Nearly lost in her thoughts again, the sound of her companion’s voice startled her, literally bringing her jumping from her reverie. Having had the breath startled from her, Kallik blushed and sat down once more, feeling twitchy. His words calmed her however, for some strange and unknown reason.
“The name’s Kodiak Black. And my wonderful teammate is…”
[/i]
A name…his name. Kodiak Black. She forced a small smile, hoping he wouldn’t fully notice her unsettledness. She pondered his name, thinking it handsome and unique, and shied away from telling him her own name. After all, Vorilye was sure to have the word out on her, and she wasn’t sure who would challenge his word. Did this wolf, this Kodiak Black, did he believe the likes of Vorilye? Part of her doubted it, as he seemed generally kind, but she wasn’t ready to take any chances. Kallik sighed, lowering her gaze, and as her full emotions and confusion bubbled to the surface, fully visible, her shoulders visually sagged. What was she going to tell him?
Kallik swallowed, her gaze flickering from his brown one, to the bloodied grass, and back again. ”I…I don’t…” she started to stammer, feeling her body trembling. A whimper slipped from her unwilling maw, and as she struggled to fight back tears as hot as the flesh of her meal had been, Kallik turned around; she would not allow Kodiak to see her in such distress.
”No name.” Her last words, which had been some of her first that she’d exchanged with the live demon of her not-so-distant past, were said exactly as they had been nearly a year ago; Harsh, angered and deeply saddened at the same time, and just as broken. The emotions welling up inside her (as well as in the grass below her) were causing her speech to revert back to a previous time. However, Kallik shook part of it from her, casting a pained gaze over her shoulder to Kodiak, determined to have him understand her. A sigh came and went, and Kallik muttered, ”I am...sorry.” A twisted smile barely grazed her lips as she recalled that same time with Vorilye, as he struggled to explain sadness to the female.
”I fear to tell my name.” Kallik turned back to him, trying to keep her tear-stained face open, pleading and honest, as she struggled to decide what was right.
Words;; 1065 Muse;; Terrific! Notes;; Uh, I think I beat my record...however, I fear that with this length, my post quality has been diminished. ;~; [/color][/blockquote] [/td][/tr][tr][td][/td][/tr][/table][/center]
There was a pregnant pause between the two, his words hanging in the air like a sickness; a contagious disease that if by avoiding his indirect question, refusing to respond, she would spare her health. Kodiak could not wrap his mind around why she was holding her tongue. Maybe she’s just shy? he thought sympathetically. But as he watched her begin to unravel he was starting to get the idea that maybe, just maybe, this was more than her being shy. He hoped he was wrong. Kodiak was not sure of dealing with another wolf that had…issues.
She let her shoulder fall as she almost seemed to collapse in on herself… Kodiak could not help but feel the pull on his heart strings, his expression immediately changing from expectant to empathetic. She was purposefully avoiding his gaze and in an attempt to make her more comfortable he lowered his head and cocked his head slightly to one side. One of the most beautiful shy smiles lingered on his lips momentarily.
The yet-to-be-named female uttered something under her breath and then quickly turned away from Kodiak. I..Idone?... Is that her name? Idonte maybe… Was she simply just embarrassed of her name? Kodiak had to admit he had felt the same way a time or two, but gradually he just got over minor dilemma. It was what it was. He felt the urge to say something, to break the relative silence between the two when she spoke again, this time more clear, but her tone was affected harshly.
Oh… So that was her problem, she did not have a name to give him…? It seemed odd enough, but he could understand her affected state. The question that did come to mind was, why had she just not given herself a name? How liberating it would be for any wolf to choose their own calling. When she looked back at him over her shoulder his expression was lacking, he had never come across a situation such as this in all of his travels; not that while accompanying his father they bothered to speak to many wolves, therefore Kodiak was not really sure how many went around without a name to be called.
Before long she softly apologized to Kodi though he was not sure what for, she had done nothing to offend him. Turning back to him she educated Kodiak on why she felt she could not tell him her name. It was a supposedly a valid excuse but it stunned Kodi. If anyone at that moment should have been fearful of telling the other their name if should have been him. He was the Prince of the Great Pack of Salen, ruled under the mighty Exodus. He was the first son to the Alpha, and the first son to a murderer. He was sure that the family’s misfortune had spread like wildfire after Exodus had banished them all from Acerbus.
Unsure of what to say to the female, and reflecting back on the irony of the situation, he started to laugh. At first it was softly, but then he could not stop himself, mostly because he had not laughed in such a long time that the feeling was overwhelmingly contagious. Fit after fit he continued, often between ragged breaths apologizing to the female for his rude behavior. She must have thought him a Grade A jerk by now.
Slowly he regained his composure and suppressing more laughter he managed to say, “I’m so sorry ma’am…It’s just that it’s been…so long since I’ve laughed… I’m sorry if I’ve offended you, but believe me when I tell you. If any one here has a right to be ashamed of their name it is me…” Near the end he had more or less full control over his laughter, but at the very end he lost it slightly, chuckling softly recalling what started his laughing fit to begin with. “So please… A lovely creature such as you must have a lovely name.” He smiled a boyish grin, yellow eyes shining with deep sincerity.
***** words: six seventy-seven. muse level: fair. notes:
Kallik looked from his face, which had turned into an expression that resembled something like sympathy, then to her paws. She was ashamed of herself, but she didn’t want his sympathy. Deep down, her old self was rearing its’ ugly head, and it snarled in anger at the sympathy upon his handsome face. Staring at it intently for a moment, she was startled to notice that they shared similar colors and markings. The anger in her died down before it even appeared upon her face. And then he smiled. Kallik’s mouth fell open slightly, and her eyes widened. She blinked, quickly closing her mouth, and shook her head as if to dispel some of her surprise.
Why would it surprise her, a cute, shy smile such as Kodiak’s? Perhaps she had never seen a smile quite like his. Perhaps she just wasn’t used to wolves smiling at her. She felt something stir in her gut, and she shifted from paw to paw, as though she were nervous. This was the first wolf to smile genuinely at her; Vorilye’s had not been true smiles, she knew this now. Her pups didn’t count, either, as they always seemed to be happy and smiling. But to see this brute…Kodiak, she told herself…standing in front of her, offering such a shy smile… It melted her heart for a second. She was going to respond, but she found her tongue to be rather dry.
And then he started to laugh; now it was her turn to be stunned into silence. Why on earth was he laughing? After a few moments, he seemed to gain some semblance of control over his laughter. She smiled nervously as he spoke, but she shook her head, as if to say “Don’t worry about it.” Letting loose a gentle chuckle of her own, she murmured, ”No, Kodiak Black, you have not offended me. But as for being ashamed?” Kallik let out a full-throated laugh now, feeling the strangeness of it as it rasped from her throat.
”I do not know of you, you have nothing to fear of me knowing your name.” she told him gently, once her laughter had subsided. Taking on a more serious tone, her face setting to match her words, she added, ”But…as for my name, dear Kodiak…I fear that every wolf of this land knows my name. I heard it, shouted from his maw, that day I was banished.” Kallik sighed, lowering her ears and head, her tail following suit. ”You will not know his name. I am the sole wolf who knows it. But he knows mine – he named me… - and now everyone else does, too. If only you knew how I lived, in fear, for he resides next to me…and my children… his children. He wants them dead. I have withdrawn myself from society – was I ever even a part of it? – and now I live with my children.” She broke off rather suddenly, for she realized that she was rambling.
Kallik clenched her jaw for a moment, before she stood tall and proud. Her muzzle rose into the air, and her tail followed. For the first time in almost a year, she was proud of herself, her entire body showed it. She would show no fear, never again, not of Vorilye. Staring straight into his eyes, Kallik stated, ”My name is Kallik, and I struck the Descai Alpha, the father of my pups, and then I fled. He wants to kill me, Kodiak Black, and his children, for he calls them bastards.”
Narrowing her jade green eyes, Kallik took a step forward, lips curling back over her teeth. ”What do you think of me now, Kodiak Black?” Kallik had no intentions of intimidating him, but should he somehow be on Vorilye’s side, she had to make sure that he took her seriously. She would not be hurt again, not by anyone.
Despite her putting on a proud, tough front, deep down the young femme was afraid. She had told this stranger about herself and about Vorilye - what if he was in league with the alpha? Kallik contained her fear though, and instead decided that she would leave - leave before anything bad happened! She took a deep breath, growling to Kodiak, "Forget this meeting, and forget me. I am no one to you, Kodiak Black. Leave this place and mention me to nobody." A grimace upon her maw, Kallik turned and fled, back to Kamari, back to her children, back to her home.
Words;; 755 Muse;; Fine! Notes;; Shorted than my last, but surprisingly good even though I'm so burnt out right now!
EDIT - Oh, also, this is happening before the cougar attack, just to make things fall into line more easily.
[/td][/tr][/table][/center]