Lemons [open]

[Lynker]

“This is my pool, dammit! Mine!” Lynker snarled viciously at his reflection. The scents of strange wolves swarmed the area around his home; he could not make the distinction between friend and foe and it was driving him crazy. Back in the old days, it had just been him and Curse, and any wolf that entered his territory was immediately treated as an enemy. But now, now that he was supposedly part of the Amar pack, things were different. He could not simply attack every wolf who trespassed, as that was unacceptable according to their standards and he would be thrown out. So he had to sit back and watch, with a forced smile, as wolves he didn’t even know the names of trampled through his beautiful home.

“Why did this have to happen to me?” He whimpered in frustration, the beginnings of tears prickling at the corner of his eyes. Amar paid no attention to him; he was helpless to stop them. The black runt was an outsider, cast aside by his wolven kin; it seemed that he would never be like any of them, despite how hard he tried to learn their ways. None but Hadrian had ever showed genuine interest for him, and even he hadn’t been around lately, likely too busy with the more important affairs of the rest of the pack.

“Fear not, little one...” A clear voice purred through the air, distinctly that of the leopard he had semi-befriended. He turned, startled to be caught in such a weak state, but there was nobody in sight; the shore was bare. Hazel eyes carefully searched the shadows of the trees beyond, and yet he could not spot her anywhere. “Your destiny entwines with the wolves of the Oriens…” she continued. “This is but a trial sent by the gods to prove your strength.”

“What strength? I’m not strong at all,” the warrior grumbed irritably. “I gave in like a coward when Kiddo challenged me for the pool, and he only had one wolf as backup – a shaman at that! Why? Why did I give it up? I should have fought while I still had the chance! I would have ripped them to pieces!” The angry male raked his long sharp claws through the sand in front of him, wishing violently that it was the throat of the alpha. He had been tricked, used to defeat the bears, and then discarded, his purpose to the pack fulfilled and with nothing but a meaningless rank to show for his troubles. He truly had no control over the others; they could piss all over him and he wouldn’t know how to do anything about it.

The leopard’s voice came again, calm and gentle like the breeze. “You are not alone, little one. Your friends will stand by whatever decisions you make... They will fight to the death for you. But, master, your reasoning is flawed in this case. If you had defended the land you may have kept it, certainly, but what would have happened if the pack had then grown to the size it is now? You would be exiled, perhaps killed for being a threat to the alpha’s authority. It is better this way.”

Lynker snarled at the shadows she disguised herself with, hating that he had no control over the situation he had got himself stuck in. “So what? At least I would have gone down with pride! Who are you to tell me what to do, leopard?”

Infuriatingly, she didn’t hesitate with her answer, the words flowing easily from her mouth. “Why, I am Ria Asariel Azuri… I am the guardian of Nyspoli’s Pool, and have been for many years. I have seen the rise and fall of Aldgar, the pack that once resided here. I was here as the land was left abandoned by all but a few loners, was here as you and Curse moved in and made this your home. I have stayed hidden all that time; nothing more than a shadow flickering at the edge of a wolf’s vision, or a strange scent drifting on the breeze. Ria Asariel Azuri, the one chosen by the gods to protect these lands... You intrigue me, bear-born wolf, and I owe you for what you have done for me; I wish to guide you... However, the your future is hazy, and even I am not shown the path you will take. Those events are in your control, master.”

Lynker stared down at his paws, not knowing what to think. The creature was delirious for sure, but he couldn’t deny that some of her words held a touch of wisdom. A long and complete silence passed between them then, as the black wolf contemplated; he was only finally jolted out of his thoughts by the eerie feeling of being watched. “Ria?” he asked hesitantly, but even as he spoke her name he knew that it wasn’t her.

He scanned the edge of the shore again, and his gaze landed upon a thin russet-coloured fox hovering at the treeline. “My apologies, sir, for disturbing you.” The fox dipped his head, then took a few quick steps forward onto the wide sandy shore before he halted again, hesitant and unsure of himself. “…Yes?” The black wolf asked encouragingly.

After a moment the nervous quavery voice spoke up again. “Begging your pardon, sir, but may I perhaps take a drink from this lake here? I am new to the area and haven’t found a source of water in quite some time, though of course if you wish to direct me to some other area, that too would be marvellously appreciated… Oh! I almost forgot. Please wait a moment.” The small russet creature scurried back into the forest, and when he returned he appeared to be carrying something in his mouth.

The fox approached and set the rat down cautiously at Lynker’s paws, then took a few steps back, keeping his head lowered politely. “A gift for you, sir.”
The black wolf was thoroughly confused; nobody had ever been this respectful to him before. Was it some kind of joke? But looking into the smaller canine’s soft brown eyes, he could see that the offer had been extended with sincerity. “…Thank you,” Lynker replied hesitantly. “Of course you can have a drink. But… Nyspoli’s Pool belongs to the Amar pack, not me.”

“You are the one to be thanked, sir. I am truly grateful for your generosity. And you are of the Amar pack, are you not? From what I have heard of wolves, each member of the pack owns the territory they live on, so this area does belong to you, along with the pool within it. Please correct me if I am wrong, but that was my impression, sir.” The fox turned then to lap at the cool blue water, leaving the dark furred wolf to ponder. It was strange to think of it that way, to think that he owned the whole of the Oriens and Tiayr. “I suppose you’re right...” he finally admitted. “And you don’t have to call me ‘sir’. My name’s Lynker.”

The red-furred canine slowly raised his head, a smile crossing his face. “Rustle, sir. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”



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[atrb=background,http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t26/corpes3/nashiramid.png] It was a relief to Nashira when she had broken the strange spell that had overcast her. Vacating the presence of the other subordinate was doing her quite a bit of good. Even though several days had passed, Chaika still haunted her slightly. The extreme happiness he expressed was slightly disturbing to the Mexican female; after all, she had given him no reason to believe that she was a friend. Regardless of that brute's intentions, she was satisfied to be alone once more. This time she could utilize to attempt the digestion of the other's actions. None had acted quite so jovial around her before, not in her old life nor this new one within Amar. Her father had not been that cheery when he gained knowledge of having a child; yet, that brute had acted as it they were the closest of friends. It was a struggle for the Mexican femme to not believe him a fool; after all, she had given him no reason to extend her such an offer of food and friendship. Her body trembled with the cold even thinking about the entire situation. Surely that was not the company she had expected. Grumbling to herself, she set off on another partially mindless walk. Days had passed since encountering Chaika and the femme still could not shake the warning lights flashing inside of her mind. 'Stop thinking about it and go make yourself useful,' once more she had taken to reprimanding herself, it would keep her in line. It appeared that the other wolves were caught up in their own affairs around here, something had to be done in order to keep the female from leaving. Deep inside she knew that wandering from Amar was likely to be the last thing she would do. Then Hadrian would fade into a distant memory once more. A low sigh escaped her muzzle, Nashira was in no state to surrender her solitary family member for nothing; in silence, she craved interactions from others. Muddy eyes adventured upwards while the body around them paused, permitting for a few fragile seconds that Nashira gaze hatefully at the sky above. For a moment it looked as if more snow was going to be falling, but so far none had. Her coat was not thoroughly adapted to this weather, leaving the femme with a bad case of the chills during this time of the year. Not a word of complaint had slipped from her, if her father was capable of surviving in this weather - then she could do the damn same! Nothing was going to be stopping her or holding her back from thriving in the frigid weather. Well, maybe not thriving but the female was certain she could scrape by. Paws swiftly began to carry her silhouette forward, optics diverting themselves back towards ground level. She would entertain herself with wandering for now, the past few days she had hunted and genuinely grown a bit bored holding her own company again. Surrounding herself with the pack instantly made her long to have a friend, but how was she supposed to know who to trust? Most had more official tasks to tend to anyhow, like her father. Nashira was not holding it against Hadrian that he had been so excessively busy; was she expected to believe anything less would happen, after all, even in their old life his free time was scarce. So the femme had opted to leave him alone, there were numerous responsibilities that he held, surely when he had time he would locate her. At least the thought brought some comfort to the femme. With no guidance and none seeming to crave her presence, Nashira would content herself with being alone. Certainly company was welcome, but by no means did she need it. Prior to Amar she had been alone anyway, her life could proceed forward in the exact same way now. Deeply consumed in her thoughts, the female hardly acknowledged that the terrain surrounding her was one of familiarity. On several occasions she had brought herself close to the pool, viewing it's cool waters as soothing. A pang of anger passed through her body, dissipating almost the moment it started. Here she had met another wolf, the one that had brought her annoyance to no end. Had the huntress femme not arrived, Nashira would have soon after found an alternative method to shutting him up. She did not take well to disrespect, especially not from some ignorant canine. At least if he had held some sort of strength or power then he could have backed up such sarcastic language. Crania swung itself slowly, 'maybe I am better off alone.' The slight rustle of sound nearly brought the female to stop her forward motion, but with audits erect she opted to proceed with caution. Deep hued eyes scanned the foliage before her, curious to see what she was going to find on the other side. Breathing seemed to even shallow itself, attempting to silence as much noise possible. In her several trips to the pool, she had never stumbled across another while arriving. Most often it seemed that the rest of the canines found her once she planted herself in a stationary location. A spike of intrigue caressed her soul, a particular longing to peer at what may lay beyond a few more trees. Audits swiveled a few times, not quite detecting what words were being spoken only bits and fragments. One sound here and another there, but her nostrils were failing the worst. The bitter cold and particular angle of the wind made it impossible in totality for the Mexican canine to detect a scent. She was waltzing blindly into what could certainly be the death if her; however, if this was her pack's territory then by right she could walk wherever. She shifted her frame lightly, moving herself around the last few low branches; this brought the others into clear vision and offered herself the same vacancy. Instantly her eyes raped over the others, startled a bit to be within the presence of the ebony brute. Perhaps he had stumbled across her upon his venturing, but she had only seen him twice in the last few months. It was unfortunate in Nashira's opinion, mostly because she was feeling quite nosy about why he was such a recluse. There was no room for her to talk on the matter, as she likely held less of a personal life than he did. For a moment she stood, optics holding steady upon Lynker - hardly acknowledging the poor fox near him. In a weird way she was in awe by him; he was the first creature with such darkness in his fur. The others she had lived with before we're mostly desert breeds, even within her travels none held such a hue to their pelt. In an instant she felt almost shy, but refrained from expressing such a thought. Perhaps it appeared as if her orbs were narrowing upon the brute, but their focus lacked cruel intentions. Breaking away from her stupor, the Mexican canine brought herself a few feet closer to the other. A silent way of expressing that she was not trying to hide from him. "Greetings, I hope I have not disturbed," eyes danced downwards in gaze slightly, landing upon the fox she had barely notice before, "either of you." Guilt almost consumed her, but Nashira managed to push it away. She had done nothing wrong, simply meandered and accidentally stumbled across another, 'hopefully he views it the same way.' Nashira was hoping that another argument was not going to proceed meeting another, if he was angered she would much rather them fight it out. Silently, she waited - inwardly nervous about what this Lynker character was going to do. Count | One thousand three hundred and eighteen Muse | Pretty good Tags | Lynker Notes | Randomly woke up and couldn't get back to sleep

[Lynker]

When the fox had taken his fill, he took a few steps away from the pool. “Thank you, Lynker” he dipped his head to the male. “That was very refreshing, perhaps the freshest water I’ve ever tasted. Hmm… I must say, you do have a remarkable place here. How I wish I could be so fortunate…” Rustle gazed around wistfully at the cerulean lake and up at the snow-capped peaks far beyond the pines. “This truly is like paradise on earth; I am blessed to even behold such beauty. But alas, I must move on, such is the fate of lone creatures in pack-claimed lands.”

The dark warrior felt a twinge of sympathy for the gentle rust-coloured fox, and couldn’t help the next words from leaving his maw. “If you would like to stay, you are welcome to. I am… known for keeping friends of a different species… I’m sure the others won’t object to your presence if you can keep yourself fed.” Lynker offered a hesitant smile. He didn’t know why, but he liked Rustle and his strangely polite mannerisms, and he really was grateful for the rat – a drink of water didn’t seem like enough to give in return. Besides, Amar had recently expanded to Tiayr; there was plenty of spare prey between the two territories.

In any case, the other canine’s reaction was priceless. “Oh! Seriously? Thank you, good sir. I promise that you will not regret it.” Brown eyes sparkled with undisguised delight, and Lynker felt a swell of warmth in his heart that he hadn’t felt in a long time, not since he joined Amar. How was it that he could trust this strange fox so easily, and yet not a member of his own pack? He wasn’t this close to any of his packmates, and most had been living in the land longer than Rustle. Perhaps the stories he’d grown up with had affected his judgement; wolves were portrayed by bears as harsh, conniving, troublesome creatures who could never be trusted. Nobody had managed to prove that wrong so far, and so it seemed unlikely that he would ever let his guard down.

“Sir,” Rustle suddenly squeaked, staring at something over Lynker’s shoulder. The black runt spun around, eyes landing upon a she wolf standing quietly near the edge of the trees. Speak of the devil. It was Hadrian’s daughter; he hadn’t seen in her ages, and that had been only during the pack meetings. He hadn’t spoken two words to her – did she even know what his voice sounded like?

They watched each other for a while, then she approached, greeting him with smooth words and inquiring as to whether she had disturbed them. Mere formalities, he was sure. “No… nothing very important.” The arctic replied as he watched her warily, prepared for some sudden attack. She had crept up on them so quietly; if it hadn’t been for Rustle’s presence he might never have known she was there. She could have watched him for as long as she liked, and he would have been oblivious. A shiver passed down his spine at that thought. He was the silent observer, not anyone else.

“…Nashira, is it?” Lynker asked, trying to think back to the pack meeting. He would prefer silence, or to be left alone altogether, but some civility couldn’t go amiss, and he knew he should at least make an attempt to get along with the wolves of Amar, even if it never got past a polite conversation. Still, that didn’t mean he had to like her being here. Despite his companion’s reassuring words, he was still protective over Nyspoli’s Pool, and hated that wolves seemed to take it for granted. Did any of them even know that Amar had had a giant hole in the middle of its territory for a long time because a scrawny runt had beaten its alpha in battle? By this point, even the fox had noticed the slight tension in the air, and after dipping his head to the large female had backed away a few paces. Lynker sighed.

“So… you’ve come for your training, have you?” It was more likely that she was just meaning to enjoy a nice quiet stroll along the shores of his pool, but that wasn’t going to happen now. She was stuck with him being here, as he wasn’t moving an inch to make way for whatever she wanted to do. And if Nashira was just here to cause trouble she could piss off and get her wolf-stench out of his home. Lynker realised that the fur at the back of his neck was beginning to bristle, and he hastily tried to calm down. It’s her territory too, he reminded himself. She has the right to be here, whether you like it or not. Hopefully her company won’t turn out to be quite so bad.


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