Artemis trotted through the quiet lands which she had grown used to calling home. A wolfish grin graced her maw as she paused, looking around. She still couldn’t believe that she’d really made it, that she had others in her life to call a family. That was what she was hoping for, anyway. The femme was trying to decide where to go next. Upon waking that morning she’d decided that she needed to greet the others in her pack, to become better acquainted with them. Fairly unsure how to go about it but determined nevertheless, Artemis chose to meet up with Hadrian. The slightly older Mexican wolf was a healer if she wasn’t mistaken, and this intrigued her greatly. She figured that he must love helping others as much as she did. If this was the case, then they’d get along splendidly.
Artemis had joined Amar at a perfect time. The trees were completely bare of their leaves and the Mackenzie Valley Wolf could see for quite the distance, even through the seemingly endless expanse of forest. This helped to make her navigation around their pack lands significantly easier, and for this she was thankful. The ground beneath her paws was blanketed in a thin layer of powdery snow that probably wouldn’t stick once the sun came up a bit more. This, unlike the bare trees, didn’t make Artemis quite so happy. It was getting colder every day, and with each degree dropped, the young wolf’s chronic cough threatened to return. The thought made her miserable. Shaking it off she directed her course toward a small lake where she’d quenched her thirst several times already. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but she’d never tasted better water. A refreshing drink would start her day out right. And perhaps Hadrian, or one of the other wolves in her pack would be there. It was worth checking.
Dipping her head to the cool, clear water at the edge of the pool, Artemis indulged herself in a long, freezing drink. The combination of cold air and water froze up her lungs and diaphragm and caused the she-wolf to have a body-racking coughing fit. Once recovered, Artemis groaned. First fit of the season and it’s already getting old… Panting a bit, Artemis lifted her maw to the air, breathing in the scents around her. She still hadn’t memorized everyone’s unique scent, but someone familiar was nearby, or at least had been recently. She howled a short and friendly greeting, her hot breath weaving through the air. Hopefully whomever was there would feel like talking.
Count | 430 words. Muse | excellent muse. Tags | Hadrian. Notes | kinda short. but it's a start!
The aging mexican male wove his way through the woods, spirits surprisingly high. Amar was growing by leaps and bounds, taking in its fair share of capable hunters and warriors. What had once been a pack of dominant, alpha type males working together for a common goal had seemed to flip. Suddenly the brutes found themselves surrounded by femmes, something, he thought, that could have quite a number of consequences with the approaching mating season.
Though Kiddo was still a spry, young alpha, he now had quite a number of options for producing an heir. Hadrian was no mind reader. He had once had a position of power though, one of glory, and was no stranger to the need to produce offspring. He'd simply lost everything before he'd gotten the chance to look at mating in such a way. Not that it mattered now... He did have an heir, a daughter. Nashira had come into his life like a tornado and he was not want to let her go. Long ago he had accepted that it would be unlikely for him to ever take a mate. His beloved was deceased before he'd ever gotten to tell her how he felt, though she had blessed him with a daughter he'd never known. And then he'd been a wandering soul, not stopping long enough to pick any sort of permanent companionship until he'd reached the borders of Amar. Now pack Shaman, unless he wanted the permission of a younger male to mate (quite an awkward request that would be) there really was no point. And yet that longing for intimate companionship, someone to share all secrets with, still lingered.
Hadrian shoved the thoughts out of his mind. Now was not the time to be thinking like that. He had an alpha and a pack to tend to; this was his family now. And if Kiddo really was planning to breed this winter, he would have to make sure his supply of herbs was in tip top shape. Pups could be quite the handful to care for and he would not let one fall sickly and die on his watch. It was his duty as a healer and as a repentant soldier. No longer did the male wish to let others fall at his paws, especially a mere child.
"Paisley, I'm going for a drink. If you find anything useful, come find me by the lake." The request was spoken to a young raccoon whom had been moseying along at his side. It was quite the symbiotic relationship the pair had developed. Paisley's thumbs paid off greatly when it came to gathering herbs and, in turn, Hadrian had offered her the protection of the pack. She was a quiet little thing, rarely speaking but quite sweet. And, with a nod of her head she left the wolf to his own devices. Once again Hadrian's thoughts turned towards the future of his pack.
Speaking of which, a howl went out as he pushed his way through trees and underbrush, one not too far away. Tilting his head back, Hadrian let out his own short call, letting the femme know that he was coming. Minutes later he had neared the clearing of the lake and one of the females he'd hunted with came into view. "Ah, miss Artemis, if I remember correctly? It is a pleasure to see you here." His head dipped respectfully enough to her in greeting before he continued the rest of the way to the lake. Then, lowering it further he lapped at the waters, taking that much needed drink he wanted. Once he'd had his fill he turned back to the female who looked to be about his own age, curious as to what brought her here.
Artemis’ ears perked up as she took in the sweet sound of a response from somewhere through the trees. The femme’s tail wagged gently as she focused her attention in the direction from which the sound had come. She was even surer of herself now, believing that she had in fact stumbled across Hadrian’s location. What luck. And sure enough, Hadrian broke through the cover of the trees mere moments later. Artemis remained politely quiet as he drank from the cool water, her eyes traveling across the pool as she watched the ripples caused by the male’s lapping tongue dance across the surface.
When Hadrian turned back to her after finishing his drink, Artemis dipped her head in a respectful greeting. “Hello Hadrian, it is a pleasure to see you here as well. I was looking for you, actually.” Artemis grinned and approached him, sitting upon her haunches when she’d reached a reasonably respectful distance. “How are you today? It’s good to finally see you face to face…. Well, one on one, I mean. I must admit I haven’t done the best job of getting to know my fellow pack members.”
Artemis could feel the skin beneath her fur reddening. She hoped that wasn’t visible to the Mexican wolf from where he stood. The femme was having difficulty adjusting to pack life, and any attempts to be properly social somewhat confounded her. Her hope was that starting small with someone who (hopefully) related well to her would help her meld better into the pack dynamic. Artemis didn’t think she could handle being an outsider within the pack. She’d already come too far for that. Relax, Artemis… Nothing is going to go wrong. Don’t make the mistake of trying too hard. Just be yourself, like daddy always said. The Mackenzie femme took a deep breath, calming herself. She patiently awaited Hadrian’s response.
Count | 311 words. Muse | crappy muse. Tags | no tags. Notes | sorry it’s a little short.
She was looking for him? This news intrigued Hadrian greatly and his head tilted slightly to one side. Out of habit he flicked his left ear, trying to clean it of a permanent clog. The old injury was a constant reminder of what he had lost. It was a handicap and an annoyance. This femme had something he needed to hear and if he wasn't careful, he'd miss it. That was the last thing he needed, to be accused of not listening to his pack mates when they were in need of his services. It wasn't like he chose to lose all hearing on his left side. It was an injury he was not proud of and one he did not wish his pack mates, especially his alpha, to know about.
"I'm well enough, thank you. Afraid I'm not quite as well adjusted to the cold as I should be, but I'm making do. Is there something I can assist you with?" By now he'd finished with his drinks and his stance was not much different from her's. Paws were kept squarely beneath him, haunches reclined, tail wrapped around his legs lest it end up accidentally stepped on. The brute was comfortable in his surroundings and confident in his home. Beyond that, from what he'd seen of Artemis she seemed to be a fairly gentle soul. She was his pack mate, family, and that was enough to show no outward signs of worry.
Hadrian was already pondering over what it is she could need him for. Brown eyes observed her body from a distance though there was nothing lewd or pervers about his gaze. He was simply looking for some sort of injury, any physical hint as to what her ailment may be. After all, he was the pack shaman. It was only natural his first thoughts turn to a more medical train of reasoning.
ooc: sorry this is so small/lame, but I'm running low on muse x.x
Last Edit: Jan 13, 2013 15:05:57 GMT -5 by Deleted
