Lurking Under The Sand;;[Open/Airila]

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His lungs burned, and it didn’t help that they were already damaged to begin with by a fire. Orfeo sneezed vigorously as he tried to rid of the water in his nose, stringy mucus coming out of his nostrils and into the sand. He wiped away the snot with his paws and shifted it through the sand underneath him. The raven furred wolf wheezed heavily while he coughed and spat out the saltiness from his body.

Everything in his body had hurt, but Orfeo’s face did not show any form of pain. He simply shook himself viciously, even as he continued to loudly wheeze, of the excess water and speckling the sand with wet dark spots. At least the sun was warm, evaporating the rest of the water from his body. It will take a while to become completely dry, but Orfeo was a patient wolf, and he had all the time to wait. It is not like he had anywhere to go right now. He sat down to evaluate everything, or maybe he’ll just take a nap.

His eyes drooped as he tried to collect his thoughts. So he was on another land. Or maybe this was the same land he had been before, just a different area. If he looked around he could see a single cave in the distance. Beckoning, it seemed, for the wolf to enter its mouth and domain. Perhaps he would walk through there when he was fully dried. His eyes drooped even more; the warm sun had a lethargic effect as it silently sang the dark wolf to slumber.

His stomach rumbled angrily; when was the last time he had eaten anything? He looked up into the sky and saw birds circling above him. Would he be able to catch them? Maybe they tasted like chicken… He licked his lips as he thought about eating a very large and plump chicken. His tongue was a bit dry, on which he blamed the salt water. It had a strange fuzzy feeling to it, and when he moved his tongue in his mouth it had felt scratchy. Where could he find some fresh water? His mouth had leaked some drool as he thought about some nice, cool water that was fresh from the tap.

Orfeo reminded himself that he was supposed to be in an African zoo right now, but it’s obvious that he wasn’t getting there soon. So what was he to do?

Orfeo found himself laying down now. Since when had he done that? Now the soft rumble of the waves from the ocean had mimicked the whirring motor of the car. Because of that, the sound of the waves had finally made Orfeo doze off. The brute snored lackadaisically as seabirds cawed above him. The warm sand radiated heat into his cold body, and Orfeo sighed as he dreamed of sleeping near a warm campfire in the night.

[Toiro]

The alpha of Airila had found himself wandering down towards the beach – it was a beautiful day today. He hadn’t planned to go right down to the sea (his phobia of deep water still had not gone away despite his attempts to fix it) but a strange scent caught his attention. As he emerged from the cover of the trees and onto the sandy shore, he spotted the wolf.

The creature appeared to be asleep, likely exhausted if he had been washed up by the sea – which Toiro was assuming judging by his damp coat. The large grey wolf approached cautiously, but the wolf did not stir. He came to a stop a short distance away – close enough that the wolf would be able to easily hear him, but out of range for an attack. Toiro himself didn’t want to be attacked, but he didn’t want this wolf to feel threatened, especially because he would be just waking up, and to find a strange wolf right in front of you was not a pleasant surprise.

Still Toiro hesitated, unwilling to wake someone who obviously needed sleep. The stranger wasn’t exactly a trespasser, as he probably hadn’t come here on purpose and his nose was probably too full of salt for him to smell the borders (Airila’s sea borders weren’t marked often anyway). But the fact remained that this wolf was in their territory, and when he did wake up he was going to need attention. Besides, he might be dehydrated if he’d only had salt water for however long it had taken him to be swept here, and that meant that he needed fresh water as soon as possible. Toiro rolled his eyes at his hesitation. Why should he care what this loner felt? He was the alpha, right? And this wolf was on his territory. He could do whatever he liked.

Very softly, so as not to startle him, the alpha coughed. “Hello?” The large grey was a kind-hearted soul, and didn’t want to put this creature through any more discomfort than what he was already going through.

When the wolf appeared to be awake, he spoke again. “I am Toiro, alpha of the Airila pack. We control the lands of Shyia... You appear to have washed up on our border.” He hoped that wasn’t too much information for the wolf to take in, as he might still be a little groggy from his voyage.




((OOC: I'm sorry about the quality of my post x.x Also, I’m assuming that he wakes up, but if you did want to keep him unconscious I could change it))

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The dark furred brute took his time waking up, at first thinking that the soft words were coming from the birds that still circled high in the sky. First one amber eye appeared, just to take a glance at what was waking him up from his nap. Once he saw the other wolf his ears perked in light surprise, for he had not seen another wolf since he was a puppy with his family. Seeing this wolf washed Orfeo with deep nostalgia, and he had to rack his brain to remember a thing or two from those fleeting days.

The words that the other wolf had spoken seemed so familiar, yet so strange to Orfeo’s ears. The last time he spoke with another wolf was probably with his brother. Orfeo did talk with some dogs, although they had a strange accent when they spoke. Nothing like wolf-speak to wake up to in the morning. But it wasn’t morning, as Orfeo observed as he looked up into the sky to see that the sun has barely moved. His fur was still damp as well, so he has not been asleep for very long.

He studied the other wolf with lazy eyes, his lids drooping a bit as he noticed this uncertainty in the other wolf. The wolf was also rather far away from him. Was this wolf scared of Orfeo? Orfeo tilted his head in thought, for there was really nothing to be afraid of. See, now is Orfeo scared of the other being in front of him? Not at all.

Orfeo recalled what the wolf, Toiro, had said and thought about it for a bit. Apparently, Orfeo was in some “territory”. Perhaps it was another state? Country? Orfeo never understood why humans named their territories. Land was land, and they should be glad they are able to tread upon it. And this “alpha”… Orfeo recalled something about that word, but it came and fled like a slippery fish that fled in his grasp. Orfeo considered the importance of what the other wolf had said, but he was not troubled about it. Maybe there would be some humans on this land and he’ll live off of them, just like he had done for the past four years of his life.

Orfeo, finally, rose to his feet to respond to Toiro. His voice was laced with a strange accent that was rough to listen to, but not unpleasant, “And ciao to you. I am Orfeo, a wandering soul.” His intonations mimicked the human language that is named “Italian”, and his tendency to dip and raise his voice was very evident throughout his speech.

There was really nothing else to say. Orfeo did not understand the wolf needs of a territory; he simply wanted to take a nap. His stomach grumbled impatiently a bit, reminding him that he had to find food as well. Perhaps he would look after he took his nap, but he did not mind the companionship of Toiro. Rather, he welcomed it, for talking with Toiro was something to do, and the beach was getting a bit boring without company.

[Toiro]

The stranger began to stir slowly, and even when he noticed that there was a wolf in his presence he took a while to visibly respond. The traveler looked as if he was awake though and Toiro hadn’t spoken quietly, so he was surprised at the lack of reaction to his revelation that he was the alpha of the territory. The male became neither submissive nor aggressive. In fact, there seemed to be no change in his posture at all, which was odd to say the least. It was as if this wolf was treating him as an equal, a feeling that Toiro hadn’t experienced in a very very long time. Most alphas would be absolutely furious at this wolf’s behaviour, but the large grey found that he didn’t mind much. He liked respect, of course, but he really couldn’t see any malicious intent in those eyes and would not jump to the conclusion that this wolf was simply being insolent.

He was just beginning to wonder if this wolf was deaf - or hadn’t heard him for some reason - when the dark-furred loner moved again. Toiro watched carefully as the other rose, but he seemed to be relatively stable on his paws and it didn’t look as though he would require immediate medical attention. Then he introduced himself as Orfeo, a wandering soul, which Toiro took to mean that he was a loner. But that wasn’t what caught his attention.

The four year old grey had never heard the word ‘ciao’ before, so he just had to assume that it was a greeting, and not some kind of insult. The wolf’s voice also held a strong foreign accent; perhaps he had grown up in a different culture? That might explain his attitude too, if he’d never heard the word ‘alpha’ before he wouldn’t know what it meant. That language barrier might be a problem, as Toiro didn’t know how much Orfeo could comprehend.

“…Is there anything I can do for you?” The alpha really was unsure about how to handle this situation. Usually wolves entered the territory with a clear purpose and Toiro did his best to grant their request – whether it be to join or to simply pass through. But if this wolf had only just washed up, would he have a plan in mind so soon?

Well, whatever Orfeo wanted, it was probably best to offer him a drink first. He didn’t look dehydrated, but some wolves were too clever at hiding weakness for their own good. “Would you like some fresh water? There’s a stream not far from here that I could take you to if you would like that.”

Toiro still remembered his own encounter with the sea; not pleasant at all, and it had taken ages to get rid of the salt from his thick fur. A small shiver passed up his spine at the memory. He would never go swimming again if he could help it, especially not in the deep ocean.



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Orfeo was not paying as much attention to the alpha as much as he should had, glancing at the sky and looking pathetically at the white birds that flew freely above the beach. The throbbing in his head did not help with his focus either, but he was in no rush to cure himself of this headache. He simply twitched his ears to indicate that he still realized that Toiro was still there.

The raven furred wolf, after what seemed like a long while, turned his head back towards the alpha to register his words. Do anything? Well yes, the alpha could do anything for Orfeo. He could talk to him, attack him, play with him, take a nap with him, etcetera. Still, Orfeo still responded with a plain, “Si,” then he rethought his words and added in, “you could be my company while I try to help myself get… eh.” Orfeo dragged his “eh”s like one would say “um”. While he was responding to the alpha, he had lost the word he was looking for. What was that word again? It meant something like good, but…

“Ah yes, well again,” he caught himself before the alpha could assist him. It would hurt Orfeo's pride if he could not even talk on his own, “I do not think I will last if I do not drink or eat anything.” His voice was a bit dragged out, as if he did not even care about his critical health. As if to prove that point, Orfeo gave a very lengthy yawn after he spoke, the sun warming his tongue in a pleasant way.

When Toiro offered to bring Orfeo to some fresh water, he still took his time to think. Thinking was a luxury that Orfeo refused to take for granted, and so he thought. Fresh water would be nice, and it would move Orfeo forward. So far he has only stayed in one place. He was accustomed to constantly shifting his position, being a wolf of a circus that traveled every single day.

“Si, I would like to have a drink, eh…” What was that word? The one where you give gratitude to someone? He could only remember the human word of it, so he replied, “Grazie, Toiro.” The addition of the alpha’s name after his thanks was Orfeo’s own way of telling the wolf that his presence was enjoyed. Then again, it was not like Orfeo ever disliked any company.

Orfeo padded closer to Toiro to follow him toward where the fresh water was. He wondered if this fresh water was from a tap from the sink or a water fountain, even though either source would be fine. Which reminded Orfeo: where were the humans?

“Eh, do you have humans around here?” he had asked. If Toiro said yes, then Orfeo simply had to find those humans and maybe stick around them for food and water. Ah, and of course he would not forget about the nap he would have right next to the heater if he should find a human caretaker…

[Toiro]

After a long pause, during which the other grey appeared to be observing the seagulls up overhead, Orfeo finally seemed to notice the alpha’s words. He replied to Toiro’s question, but paused near the end of his sentence, as if he was struggling to find the right word. The larger wolf watched, wondering whether it would be rude if he tried to help out. But before he could speak, the foreigner found the word he’d been looking for.
So it appeared that he wanted Toiro’s company while he got well again? And just how long would that take? Hours? Days? Weeks? The alpha didn’t think anyone had ever asked him to just keep them company before, so he wasn’t even sure what that involved. Making conversation? Or just staying with the stranger?

He didn’t seem to be in an awful hurry to find any food though, and in fact seemed rather relaxed about the whole business. However, Orfeo did confirm that he would like some water, and that was something Toiro could help him with. “Alright, then, follow me.” The large grey did like to please others (he would have probably been in a subordinate position had Keyara not made him alpha when she claimed the territory), so he found himself a little more comfortable with this interaction. He turned, expecting the other to follow, and began padding across the beach towards the direction of the stream. They travelled at a relaxed pace; there wasn’t really any rush. The sand was soft underneath his paws and the sun warmed his thick coat – it was indeed a fine day today and they would not need to worry about Orfeo freezing to death.

The rough accented voice spoke up again, asking a question, and the larger grey turned his head to Orfeo as he walked, confusion again clear in his steel grey eyes. “Humans? I’m sorry, what are they?” He’d spent his whole life in the wild, so had never heard of them before. Were humans some kind of prey or something? Toiro was well and truly puzzled by this wolf. The number of foreign words Orfeo was using was almost doing his head in as he tried to figure out what they all meant. Ciao, si, grazie, and now humans? He didn’t want to keep asking for explanations, but he simply didn’t understand this wolf’s language or culture.

He tried not to worry about it though, and fortunately it wasn’t very long before they came across the stream – a small channel of water slowly winding its way through the sand as it made its way down to the sea. It was fairly fresh, its source up high in the cold snowy peaks of the Tia’deli mountain range, and it was still cold as it had passed only through the shaded forest on its way here. “Here we are.” Toiro smiled, glad that he could be of service. He was a bit thirsty himself actually, so he lowered his head and flicked out his tongue to lap up the cool water, making sure to keep one eye on Orfeo despite it being highly unlikely that the loner would attack the alpha on his home territory where he could easily call for back up.



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Amber eyes perked up surprise when Toiro did not understand what a human was. Orfeo’s pace did not waver; rather, it went even faster so Orfeo could catch up to be shoulder to shoulder with Toiro in order to hear him better. His paws pressed evenly into the sand as he followed Toiro with a light trot. Did the raven furred wolf hear the alpha right? Humans, to Orfeo’s knowledge, were everywhere. Perhaps they were called something else around here?

“Eh, humans are those things that… walk on two legs. Like, eh… birds, but instead of wings they have hands. They make a lot of things like houses and tents and cars and other things as well,” Orfeo explained slowly. He still did not question if humans were really on the island or not. Not until he saw the stream.

A stream was a more natural choice to get water, flowing from a source of water somewhere else. Orfeo did not mind drinking water from the stream, but did not expect having to drink from it, being used to humans serving him water. Then again, humans could probably make a stream for themselves as well. This did not mean that humans did not exist here. He did not need a faucet or fountain to get water, anyway. He can get water anywhere else, for water is water.

So his pride swelled as his stomach did when he lapped up the cool water. Orfeo did not want to admit it, but this water was a lot better than the tap water he would usually drink back where he came from. He just kept drinking and drinking the fresh water, the dizziness fading away from his mind. The salty taste had also left, leaving his mouth feeling less dry and fuzzy and more slick and moist like it should be.

He finished by licking his chops and sighing contentedly. Ah, now would be a good time to take a nap-

His stomach cut off his line of thought by grumbling harshly and noisily. Orfeo may be patient, but his stomach wasn’t. The hunger pangs were getting worse and worse, where the pangs have gone and it was merely constant hunger that gnawed on his insides. The water must have sharpened his hunger. He sat down and scratched his ear anyway, ignoring his stomach. His ear needed scratching anyway.

When the itch was gone, the brute looked up at the alpha. Thick silence had filled the air, and it felt a bit awkward to simply say nothing. Orfeo did not mind, but he would enjoy speaking with the other wolf some more. He looked around the area, the rays of the sun warming his nose and making him sneeze. The beach looked like what the humans would call: a vacationing spot.

Orfeo understood that humans enjoyed taking vacations where they don’t work and simply do nothing but relax. He squinted his eyes as the sun glared into them. He would enjoy a vacation. A nice nap here and…

His stomach made another pitiable noise. Orfeo, still, ignored it to speak to Toiro and lessen the awkwardness, “What do you do here anyway? Grumble…” The grumble was not Orfeo, but his stomach, and Orfeo added in, “Do you know of a place where I can, eh… eat?” He did not lose to his stomach. He simply decided that he wanted to eat right then and there. Hopefully some steak would be waiting for him. Or pork legs. Or chicken. Some French fries wouldn’t be bad either, even though he had just gotten rid of the saltiness in his mouth.

[Toiro]

Orfeo’s description of humans only made Toiro’s confusion worse. It sounded as though humans were a kind of bird, but they apparent had hands (whatever those were) instead of wings. And they made things? What was that supposed to mean, and why did it matter? Perhaps those were names for its offspring, but the alpha didn’t know why he would bother with such a small detail. He decided to just leave it – unless he saw these peculiar creatures for himself he wouldn’t know what Orfeo was talking about.

Back to the present. Toiro finished up his drink and lifted his head. The other wolf took a little longer to finish – gulping up the water as if he could drink dry the entire stream. The large grey waited patiently, unsure about what else he could say, so instead let silence fill the air between them. He’d always been a less social kind of wolf, not one to constantly chatter about minor things with no meaning. He’d given the stranger water, and it didn’t look like the shaman would be required here, so he couldn’t see what else there was for him to do. So he watched the other wolf awkwardly, waiting for him to make another move towards conversation.

When he eventually spoke, Toiro was surprised at Orfeo’s first question, and might have thought about it more had the smaller grey not asked another directly after. This question was serious, and more of a concern to the alpha – not made easier by the slightly odd wording – and it was a while before Toiro could reply.

In summer he would normally be fine with sharing prey with a loner, but now that it was winter prey was scarce and he needed to put his pack above strangers. If this wolf wasn’t interested in joining Airila then it was probably best to send him on his way and hope that he had enough skills to survive on this new island. Toiro didn’t much like the idea, as it seemed a bit too close to abandonment, but there really wasn’t much else he could think of.

“I’m sorry, Orfeo, but what little prey there is in Shyia – this territory – is the property of my pack. There is a neighbouring territory however, called Tiayr, which is free to all lone wolves. The herds seem to like the warmer climate there.” Toiro himself loved the winter, though he supposed the food the deer fed on didn’t grow so well in colder temperatures. “If you want to try hunting there I can show you to the border, but my duty is to my family, so I won’t be able to travel with you.” He figured he ought to explain that now rather than later if this wolf really was unfamilliar with typical wolf customs.



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Orfeo tilted his head. Not enough food? There was always an abundance of food wherever Orfeo had gone. Restaurants were conveniently everywhere one looked. Not only that, but there were many choices of food to dine on. How in the world could there be not enough food? This puzzled the black wolf greatly, and he had to sit and think about his situation.

He has appeared in the middle of nowhere on this beach. There are no humans in sight and it seems as though they may not be nearby at all. Some clues were that Toiro seemed to have no clue on what a human is. The wolves had to drink from a stream that seemed all too natural to be from human hands. The water seemed to glisten in agreement. There was a limited amount of food called prey, which meant that it had to be caught. Conclusion: the nap may have to be postponed a bit.

Well, there was also the suggestion that Orfeo may never see another human for a while. It is also possible that Orfeo could be unable to survive alone and without assistance. He has never hunted in his life, he has never been in the wilderness alone, and he has never fought for anything. This may lead to him starving, getting lost, getting killed by other wolfs or animals, and possibly more mishaps.

Even after all of these problems, Orfeo had a gleam in his eye. If he did not know how to survive right now, he would definitely learn eventually. His pride would not settle for less of a challenge. A true challenge, Orfeo acknowledged, was to face death itself. A dark tail wagged in the sand, pleased to finally think of a plan. Well, it was a rough sketch of a plan, but a plan nonetheless.

“Grazie for your, eh… kindness,” Orfeo replied a little too slowly. His whole body language indicated a laid back disposition. His hunger did not help with his movements either, the muscles refusing to move too quickly as to conserve energy. “I would not like to bother you or your, eh… pack, though. I suppose I shall go to this other, eh… territory.” He stood up to indicate that he was ready to follow the alpha to the borders that he had mentioned about. Orfeo almost did not want to leave Toiro, having felt the alpha’s kindness that had washed Orfeo with a pleasant, nostalgic feeling.

“By the way, grazie for giving me company. I do not know what I would do if I had not met you,” the black wolf expressed sincerely. He wondered if he were to see Toiro again after they had split their ways. That would be a pleasant reunion, he thought distantly.

[Toiro]

The thought didn’t even cross his mind that Orfeo might not be able to hunt – every wolf had to have at least basic hunting knowledge, even if that wasn’t their strong point. So when Orfeo told him that he would go to the neighbouring territory, the alpha nodded, turning to lead the way to the border that Shyia shared with Tiayr. The other thanked him for his company, or at least, Toiro guessed that grazie meant thanks. “It’s been a pleasure to meet you too, Orfeo,” he said with a small smile. It had been an interesting conversation at the very least, even though it hadn't resulted in a new member in his pack.

Now where was that trail that would lead them out of the territory? Ah yes, there it was. The two wolves entered the shady forest, following a narrow deer trail through the trees. Deer were useful creatures, as they provided both food for the pack and trails that made travelling quite a bit easier. This meant that they could travel at a steady pace instead of having to backtrack every time they ran into a patch of thick undergrowth, and even though Orfeo didn’t seem to be in much of a rush, Toiro was aware that the time was getting on and he still had borders to mark.

Eventually they came to the edge of the forest – where the trees turned to grassland – and Toiro gazed off at the rolling hills in the distance, before turning back to his companion.
“There you go. I hope your travels go well.” He dipped his head slightly. “If ever you want to find me, I’ll be here in Shyia.”

He hoped that they would meet again in the future, however briefly. Even though Toiro found him to be a little too laid back for his liking and didn’t understand a lot of what the foreigner said or did, he found that Orfeo’s company hadn’t been altogether bad and he certainly hadn’t sensed any ill intent, which was the main thing. And besides, if he left the stranger to roam the continent some more, Orfeo might learn more about the ways of the wolves here on Anikira and then if they met again his words might make more sense to the Airila alpha.


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[Deleted]

[[This is gonna be short…]]


From the sandy beach to the earthy forest, Orfeo did not speak to the alpha any longer. It was not that he did not like talking to Toiro, but rather it was the silence that pleased the black wolf. He enjoyed listening to the rustle of wildlife here and there, which reminded him of when he had camped out with the circus group a few times.

The brute’s eyes wavered as he remembered the warm campfire, the laughter of the group, his own caretaker roughly petting him the way he liked it. Deep inside, Orfeo knew that he may never have those experiences again. This made his trot a bit slower, but when he noticed the alpha getting farther in front of him he sped up his pace once again.

Orfeo’s stomach rumbled a bit more peacefully, as if it had momentarily went to sleep. He thought about hunting, and how it was such a strange idea to him. People never hunted for food, they simply got it and ate it. So how would one kill something? Would he have to catch it only, or did he have to do more to get a meal?

At last they had reached the border where the grass seemed to endlessly flow from the wind’s breath. It was a magnificent sight to Orfeo, who has not seen this much tall grass before. Orfeo nodded his gratitude and farewell, “Grazie, and ciao. May we meet again someday.” His eyes only pointed forward into the distance, where he may finally take his long awaited nap-

His stomach gave a slight gurgled snore, reminding him what comes before his nap. Without looking back Orfeo obliged and set his course to wherever the hunt was, going down into the grassland and away from Shyia, his gateway to the world of Anikira.

Exeunt