The runt of Descai travelled sullenly along the base of the Kinath mountains. No longer did the pup care that she was walking along through enemy territory. She was daughter to the Descai alpha, the most feared creature on all of Anikira. It wasn't like she was assuming that either; Vorilye had frightened her off as well, hadn't he? It had been her fault, but what did she care? He was the one who grew angry with her. His loss.
The yearling pup was still as disheveled as she had been when talking with Hadrian. While she was sure a bath would clean up most of the grime, Kyra didn't want to go near water again just yet. Her last aquatic endeavor had left her a little wary of the substance. She wasn't sure how else she was going to become clean again, other than a good grooming session from her mother, but seeing as she didn't have one of those anymore...
Kyra came to a halt with a deep sigh. Her paws hurt, her lungs hurt, her body hurt, her heart hurt... Was there any part of her that didn't hurt? No. Not this time. She was nothing more than a shell, an empty vessel housing a damaged soul. Mere months ago, she had been standing before her father, acting a little haughty. What had happened to that Kyra?
With another deep sigh, the runt pressed on, ignoring the awful pain each step gave her. When she reached the beach, she stopped again, staring into the clear expanse of ocean. Her decision was simple: left or right. Pack territory or loner's land. Of course, there was always the option of following in her mother's footsteps... Go straight into the ocean and never look back.
But Kyra wasn't that brave. Or perhaps the correct word would be cowardly. She wasn't entirely sure. Those sort of things grew hazy in her mind easily these days. The runt closed her eyes, listening to the waves, praying they would give her the answer she so needed. She then spun in a half-circle, eyes still shut before she started moving once again. It wasn't until she smacked her nose on a tree that her eyes fluttered open once more. She had crossed into Amar territory.
Fear spiked through the runt. Was this really the answer? Was this really a good idea? She stood stock still for a few more moments before pressing on. Her feet had led her here. There was no turning back. Still... The runt knew, from what little experience she had, that the proper thing to do upon entering a pack's lands was to call for its alpha. Yet when Kyra lifted her crown to call, the outcome was a pathetically quiet howl. The trees and mountains helped to amplify it somewhat, but certainly not enough for the alpha to hear. She tried again and again, but each result was the same. Her voice was strained enough as it was; talking to Hadrian was proof enough.
She only hoped the alpha was merciful to her. She was, after all, only a puppy.
words:: Five-Hundred and Thirty-Four muse:: Surprisingly good tags::Open ooc:: She needs to be in Amar already X3 oh, and if there are any typos, it's cuz I typed the whole thing on my iPod XD
Kiddo had just gotten back from the expeditions in Tiayr last night and he was exhausted. He had slept like a rock..well as close to as a rock that an alpha can sleep. He was always alert, even when sleeping. The slightest noise usually woke him up. He would have hated to have someone attack his pack while they were all asleep.
His exhaustion also didn't help that he had woken up somewhat early that morning to make sure everything was as it was supposed to be in their "base" territory. He was heading to the Kinath to check Tiayr one more time but probably not the whole thing again. That took days..maybe even a week. He would only check the boarders to make sure no new loners were getting in and he would deal with the ones already existing another day.
As Kiddo was approaching the large mountain, he heard a very pathetic howl type noise. Kiddo determined after listening to it for a second or so that it was either an adult wolf who was about to die or a very young wolf inexperienced with howling or, it could be a very young wolf about to die. Either way, he was going to have to go see whoever this wolf was and to see what they wanted. He sighed slightly and went to the sound of the howler.
When he had arrived, he saw a young female. She looked to be about a year old which was a little young to be on her own so his first thought was where her parents were. Were they close by? Who were they? This was a very odd situation he had just been put in. Kiddo was slightly paranoid about odd situations like this. Perhaps her parents were hiding somewhere and waiting to ambush him and take over his pack. He was old enough and experienced enough though to not jump to conclusions. He would simply talk to the young female and see if any red flags come up.
" Greetings young wolf, I am the alpha of Amar. What brings you to my home?" He asked her, treating her like any other loner that came to his lands. She looked skinny and in need of a bath but he thought it would be better to not comment on that at this time. Her skinniness and lack of proper hi-gene made the cream colored alpha think that her parents were either dead, abandoned her, or were just horrible parents that didn't care for their child.
He stood there with his head held high and proud and with his half-tail raised to show his status here in the pack as he waited for her answer.
While she knew she ought to keep to one place, Kyra found herself wandering about. Standing still in an unknown place was scary, especially when she was unsure of who might be lurking in the shadows. Her head hung low, her tail tightly curled beneath her, as her eyes darted all over the place. She tried to keep her left side blocked by trees or the mountains, but found it difficult to keep that up. After a little while, she came to a stop, sitting on her haunches as she hunched her shoulders. Someone would find her. Sooner or later, someone would notice her presence.
Kyra waited. And waited and waited and waited. She wasn’t even sure how much time passed as she sat there in silence. The land was peaceful, and the runt found her eyelids drooping slightly. A few times, she caught herself dozing off, and would shake her head rigorously, in attempts to wake herself up. It worked at first, but before too long, the runt was on the ground, snoring lightly. Her dreams were unpleasant, as they had been whenever she closed her eyes, but her body was just so tired. Even as her ear twitched at the sound of the rustling leaves, Kyra did not rouse.
The proud voice over her head was enough to yank her from her slumber, however.
Groggy, Kyra opened her eyes, blinking a few times at the wolf standing before her. He stood proud, strong, portraying his status in the pack. It took a few moments too long for Kyra’s mind to register the situation she was suddenly in. Her eyes widened in a flash, and she scrambled to her feet, yelping at the pain that shot up her legs. She had thought she would be found sooner or later, but it hardly occurred to her that the alpha himself would seek her out. Oh she wasn’t ready for this! Kyra dipped her head in a late greeting, her eyes remaining fixed upon the alpha brute’s. “M-My name is Kyra...” she murmured out, her voice hoarse. “I...I need a new home...”
While she knew she would have to answer should he ask, Kyra hoped, prayed he didn’t ask about why she was on her own in the first place. Hadrian had asked, and she had barely been able to answer him. In fact, she’d avoided a clear answer altogether. But Hadrian wasn’t this brute. This brute was the alpha. The one who decided whether she was good enough for his pack or not. Kyra studied the male briefly, eyes darting away whenever he caught her looking. Was she good enough for his pack? A half-blind, half-dead, Descai cast away runt with no mother... It was pathetic no matter how you looked at it. And from the looks of him, he didn’t seem the type to allow any sort of imperfection to his pack. Kyra trembled in fear, waiting the alpha brute’s judgment.
words:: Five-Hundred and Five muse:: Meh... tags::Kiddo ooc:: This post could have been better x.x
The young wolf who called herself "Kyra" awoke from her slumber with a jolt. She seemed utterly exhausted and if she was faking this, she was an excellent actress because Kiddo believed her. This in no way meant that he was going to believe everything that she fed to him. Kiddo knew not to trust any wolf upon first meeting them.
Kyra dipped her head in greeting, a sign that this wolf must have had some kind of manners taught to her unlike the last few wolves he had to deal with recently. That alone gave the young female a point or two in Kiddo's book. But, she would need more than a point or two to get anywhere with this alpha.
The young pup's voice was hoarse, like she hadn't had any water in a long time or that she had been crying. She said that she needed a new home and Kiddo believed her. She looked to be in no condition that a pack wolf or a wolf regularly taken care of would be in. He thought for a moment. This young wolf was what he needed. He had been wanting a young wolf, someone impressionable, someone that he could bring up inside of the pack, someone he knew would be loyal to them without a doubt. The female looked small for a Mackenzie valley wolf, which is what Kiddo suspected her to be, and one of her eyes looked cloudy. Perhaps she was kicked out of a pack for being runty and maybe blind? There wasn't any smell of pack on her so if that did happen, it must have been at least a month or so ago.
"Tell me Kyra, how well can you see?" That was much more important to the alpha than where her parents were at this point. The alpha was sure that with the state she's in and the age she's at, they didn't care for her anyway so it didn't matter. Maybe that was the reason why she was so pathetic looking? Maybe she couldn't see well enough to feed or bathe herself? If that was the case, Kiddo may have to turn her away. He couldn't have a yearling that wasn't even his kin be freeloading off of the rest of them. Everyone needed to pull their own weight no matter the size or physical disabilities.
The way with which the Amar alpha looked at Kyra was calculating, if not purely judgmental. It wasn't cold, per se, but its intensity sent a shiver down the runt's spine. The brute frightened her, in a way that her father never could. Was this what it was to respect another? She knew this brute about as well as her father, and she knew she would never respect her father as an elder. Not unless he admitted that what he'd done was a little uncalled for.
Perhaps that was asking a bit much. Kyra knew, from stories out of Kallik's mouth, that the Descai alpha was a prideful wolf. Even if it was his flesh and blood asking for it, would the brute actually apologize? Did he have a guilty bone in his body? Kyra doubted as such. If he did, wouldn't he have sought her out? To set things right between them? Wasn't that what a parent was supposed to do? Kyra nearly snorted at the thought, and would have, in different company. Neither of her parents had really done anything they were supposed to do. She and her siblings had been born and raised under the most abnormal of circumstances. It was likely the reason that she and Tike were the only surviving pups from that litter.
Kyra hardly realized that her mind had been wandering off to her father and brother. It was the brute's dominating tone that brought her back to reality. The runt was quite surprised to hear him ask not about her family or her current condition, but about her sight. Not that asking such a thing was truly better. Just...surprising. Regardless, Kyra's eyes fell to the ground at the brute's feet. "I can see nothing from my left eye, Sir," she muttered honestly, tears threatening to fall. She could almost guess what he would say next.
But Kyra didn't want to hear him reject her. She was desperate. Her yes snapped up to meet the alpha's, full of that desperation, and just a hint of youthful boldness. "B-but I promise that I'm not useless! I...I don't have much potential for hunting or fighting, but..." The runt swallowed hard. Those two tasks were possibly the most important to a pack, but Kyra knew how much of a liability putting her in those positions would be. Her size and blindness would be her downfall. "B-but I can learn. Whatever you want me to do, I'll do it." The desire to prove herself, to please this brute, nearly knocked Kyra over. Only moments ago, she'd been contemplating suicide. However briefly. This drive was familiar, something the old Kyra had always had. Something very precious to the runt. But if the brute turned her down... Kyra was afraid, at this point, she may lose all hope if she simply wasn't good enough.
words:: Four-Hundred and Ninety-Five muse:: Pretty good tags::Kiddo ooc:: Another iPod post X3
The cream alpha's intent wasn't necessarily to to scare the young wolf to death. It helped in some respects but he was more interested in finding out more about her than to scare her. If he didn't want her here, he would tell her to be on her way. She was hardly threatening enough to chase or to treat her in an aggressive way. She was too interesting to just turn away. She was a year old, on her own and she looked to be at least partially blind.
Perhaps he did things a little differently than other alphas but it worked for him. He wasn't going to turn away a wolf solely on appearances. He knew that he had some wolves that were questionable in terms of sanity, at least in Kiddo's mind, he also had an older wolf, a wolf that acted more like a bear than a wolf, a wolf that was so happy that sometimes it made him want to throw up, and then there was Zena whom he hadn't seen since that day at the pool. Where does she keep going? She couldn't be looking for her brother again. She was too smart to try to find him again after determining that he was no where. She was such a peculiar wolf that he knew that he shouldn't trust as much as he did. She trusted him enough to change her name from whatever it was before to Zena though which was probably why he trusted her so much. Or perhaps it was her paralyzing beauty. Or maybe it was her tough exterior and her softer inner core. Whatever it was, even in her absence, she had him wrapped around her pinky claw.
As Kyra answered his question, her eyes fell to the ground and muttered her response. Perhaps she was embarrassed of her condition? Maybe something had poked her in the eye like a stick or something and made her go blind? No. That would have just pulled it out of it's socket. He wanted to ask her more about it but he had gotten the information that he needed in order to asses her ability to live within Amar. From what he could tell, she seemed to be bashful and maybe a little shy. That could have just been because she was young and not used to talking to wolves of real authority.
Her eyes snapped up however and looked him in the eyes. A very bold move indeed but somehow, Kiddo liked it. Not in a sexual way but in a "your different and bolder than I thought you were" kind of way. It wasn't a challenging look but it was more of a look of desperation. Like this pack was her last stop. He wondered what this pup had been through to get to this point but inside of Kiddo's heart, he knew that he needed to help her. He wasn't always the nicest guy but he had a feeling if he turned her away that she may not live through the next month. This would not be a pity acceptance. No, if he was doing that then he needed to find Edrianna and accept her and there was a snowball's chance in hell that, that was going to happen.
She told him with confidence that she could, and would, learn anything he wanted her to. That was the attitude he needed around here. The brute broke eye contact with the young female for a second or two while he thought. He looked at the mountain behind the young female. Hadrian was getting older and Kiddo imagined that he would be needing some help sooner or later with moving around. Also, should he ever need to retire, the pack would need a new shaman. The alpha brute looked back at Kyra.
" I'm sure my shaman would appreciate some help. I'll speak with him and see if he would like an apprentice. In the mean time, you will remain a subordinate. Welcome to Amar. Most of the pack stays here in the Oriens but our boarders extend through Tiayr as well." He told her before continuing. " I would suggest taking a bath. We have a pool with clean water in the middle of the forest behind me." He told her because honestly she looked atrocious and she didn't smell the greatest either. A week or two with normal meals and bathing should fix her scrawniness unless she had worms or something.
Kiddo gave a slight nod before passing the female to climb the mountain to go up to the dens. Perhaps she would follow him and introduce herself to the other members or maybe she would explore a little. He held little doubt that she would leave the territory any time soon. She would have to climb the mountains again which would take at least a day and then travel through Tiayr. So, he let her be on her own. He wasn't her "daddy" and therefore was not going to babysit her. She was a year old and old enough to know what was safe and what wasn't.
It was only after she had lifted her eyes to meet the alpha brute’s that Kyra realized how foolish she had been. It was pretty much an insult to look directly into the eyes of another of higher rank. But... She had to get her point across. Given her state, and the way with which she’d arrived, she could hardly think she was able to convince him with just her body language. As much as she hated her eyes, she knew how to use them. Her gaze was pleading, not challenging. She only wanted him to understand her, not to stand against him.
So when he looked away from her, Kyra gave a start. That was...peculiar. Her eyes immediately darted down, expecting the brute to walk right past her in rejection. Tears stung at the back of her eyes once more, and she stifled a painful sob. She deserved his rejection, didn’t she? She was just a pup, a half-blind pup at that. A weakness. Her own father had cast her aside. Why would this brute be any different? Maybe she should have just gone into the ocean. Would death have been less painful than this? Than being rejected again? Kyra wasn’t sure. But anything had to be better than this waiting.
The brute spoke up again, bringing Kyra’s startled gaze back up to meet his own. He... He was okay with her? Her happiness showed as her tail began waving furiously behind her, as if she was meeting an old friend. She nearly yipped in pleasure, but didn’t want to interrupt the alpha. Her alpha. Apprentice to a shaman... It didn’t sound like an easy task, but it sounded far better for her than hunting or fighting. At his welcome, Kyra yipped, dipping her head gently. She never thought she’d hear those words.
The alpha then continued on, suggesting she bathe herself. Kyra glanced down at her paws, suddenly very aware at how filthy she really was. Embarrassed, she lowered her head, heat rising beneath her pelt. “Y-Yes sir...” She peeked around him, sniffing the air. Sure enough, the scent of clean water wasn’t too far off. Kyra gave a small nod, expecting him to lead the way for her. But instead, the brute gave his own nod, walking right past her. Startled, Kyra spun to face him, gawking as he continued on. “S-Sir?” So he wasn’t going to take her to the pool? Kyra looked between the direction of the pool to where the alpha was disappearing to. With a deep sigh, she decided to bound after him. While she didn’t know where he was off to, it was certainly better than being on her own. She opened her mouth to speak to him, but got a sense that he wasn’t really up for more conversation. With that thought, Kyra snapped her mouth shut once again, glancing at him as she trudged along beside him.
words:: Five-Hundred and Three muse:: Eh.. tags::Kiddo ooc:: This post seems so much shorter than it is...
