Greater things have yet to come [open]

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The inky black she-wolf lay awake in the darkness, finding sleep difficult to come by. Tonight she rested curled up in the hollow of an old den long forgotten, likely dug by a lone mother wanting a place to birth her pups. It was warm and homey, but she still felt dissatisfied. Curling herself into a tighter ball, the Timber female tucked her nose against her stomach, shading it with her tail. A lonely sigh huffed from her lean body. Elasha was no stranger to looking after herself, she was quite capable of spending years on her own, but that didn't mean it was what she wanted. She'd been born in a pack, but was forced to roam alone in the world for most of her life. Now she was possibly interested in joining one of the packs that existed here, but her interaction with Amar had not been a good one. She hadn't even picked up the Alpha's name, and he'd questioned her with no warmth. Towards the end of the conversation, Elasha had decided she'd had enough, and she excused herself quietly to retreat back to I'queyer. Now she was back where she started and her confidence was shaken. Was everybody from Anikira like this?

Unfolding her limbs, Elasha crawled from the den, a warm wind ruffling her fur as she came out into the open. A heavy blanket of stars stretched out overhead, with the moon shining full and bright to complete the nighttime panorama. The thick grass rustled and swayed in the light breeze, and with the spectacular brightness of the moon above, Elasha could see for miles in either direction. Wintertime never really seemed to touch I'queyer, and the land was warm and vibrant even when the rest of the world was reeling from the cold. She lifted her nose to the sky and breathed deep, allowing the scents of the night to soothe her. A small ache in the area of her ribcage reminded her of the fall she experienced while navigating the Kinath mountains. She'd been exceedingly lucky to escape death or serious injury, and counted it as a blessing that all she received was a blow to the side. Still, it had taken her a little while to fully recover, and hunting had been an ordeal for the young wolf. Luckily, she was able to subsist on some small plants that she recognized, though her belly needed meat if she was going to continue living. After roughly a week, Elasha had found the carcass of an elk that some other wolf hunted, and she'd licked the bones clean of any flesh that had been left behind. After that, she began to hunt again. It wasn't the first time she'd gone hungry, and a lone wolf must always know how it is to starve. With no one but themselves to depend on, lone wolves experience hardships that pack-raised wolves can never truly understand. It was both a blessing and a curse.

The wind was strong tonight, and buried within the many sounds its existence stirred into life, Elasha was almost sure she could hear another wolf's howl. Perhaps there was no howl, and it was more the result of her overactive imagination, but she felt compelled to respond. Tilting her nose skyward, the young Timber wolf poured her loneliness into one eerie cry that the wind seemed to whip away as soon as she uttered it. If not for the emptiness of breath in her lungs, Elasha would not have believed she made a noise. The flatness of the Chamoru Plains meant that there were few natural landforms for sound to rebound against, and it reinforced Elasha's impression that she was truly alone in the world. Shivering despite the night's warmth, the she-wolf crouched in the grass a few paces from her den, honey-colored eyes fixed on the shining moon above.

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Auric trotted along the edge of the tall grass and sand, his paws sinking into the grains. He'd only been on this strange island for a few days, but already he felt a longing for home. The heat was unusual to him at this time of year. The grains of sand stuck between his toes and made walking uncomfortable, and stepping into the sticky, salty water only made it worse. Disgruntled he headed away from the crashing of the waves, an obnoxious nagging at the base of his skull irritating him. Trotting comfortably away from the beach he threaded through the long grasses, keeping low and quiet, cautious of his surroundings. He heard quiet chirping, and the shushing of the grasses around him, but nothing conspicuous. Slowing his gait he raised his head to the cloud cover. This place is miserable. I'm sticky, and hot and the sky... oh the sky is so frustrating. Why won't it just rain! This place is miserable. I'm sticky, and hot and the sky... oh the sky is so frustrating. Why won't it just rain! As if on cue he felt a drop on his nose. Shaking his fur he resumed his quicker trot, searching for some sort of cover before being drenched entirely. By mid day Auric knew it was of no use. He was soaked, he was miserable, and, most of all, he was lonely.
For the rest of the day Auric padded steadily inland, hoping to find some form of life other than the birds and occasional snake that crossed his path. He needed game, some sustenance other than the grasses around him. Auric longed for the taste of meet and eagerly searched for a border of trees, where he knew large game would be plentiful. He was disappointed time and time again, when the horizon stayed flat and the only plants were grasses. Tired and thirsty, Auric sank to his haunches as the sky darkened. He longed to see the sky, the moon and the stars that sparkled there and reminded him of home, of his pack and of his parents. At two and half years, he was by no means a pup, but he was used to the pack mentality and thrived in social settings. Being out here alone was wreaking havoc on his mind. Lowering himself to the ground he rested his head on his crossed paws, ears perked and listening for the sound of hoof or paw or foot around him. In his despair, he let out a pained howl, desperately pleading for companionship. His voice was carried by the harsh wind out over the plains. Closing his eyes, Auric felt an odd pressure behind them and a choking in his throat. He'd been strong like his father would want him to be, but that could only last so long. Perhaps it was his mind playing nasty tricks on him, but his ears twitched as they picked up a familiar sound. A wolf! Please... please be real! Auric tore into the night, his legs moving as fast as he could manage towards where he had heard the other voice. As he ran the cloud cover broke, the moon shining through like a blessing. Auric took this as a good omen, and pushed himself to his limits, the grasses flying by. Though foolish, the last burst of energy towards this possibility of another being was all he had.

OOC; sorry if this is a little rusty, it's been a while

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Of course she had been imagining things. No one answered her. She felt foolish for howling. The shadowy wolf tried to pull herself together, wondering what it was that made her suddenly feel so alone. Hormones? It was breeding season after all, and estrus kept finding her at the worst of times. She had no intention of mating, but it didn't stop the seasonal changes from happening. Sweeping her yellow gaze from the moon above, she looked out over the sea of swirling grasses, attempting to console herself. Maybe you're always meant to be alone. It just seemed so cruel that after her long years of travel, after hearing about Anikira and following other animals' vague directions on how to get here, after all she'd been through on her own, she couldn't fit in with the other wolves. She'd wanted so much to join a pack and be useful, but her previous experience with Amar had shattered her. The Alpha hadn't been particularly mean, but he wasn't what she had been wanting, either. Surely there were other packs existing that would be willing to take her, but for now, she was too timid to try. She hadn't been a pack wolf since she was five months old. Who was she to think that things hadn't changed during her long years of wandering? Besides, she had been born in captivity. Her pack was cared for and run by humans. She'd had a mother and a father, and packmates, but there was no need to hunt, no need for a shaman or a warrior position to exist. What did she do with her time there? As a five month old pup, she'd found plenty of ways to stay entertained, but the adult members of her pack must have been extremely bored. Yet still they refused to follow her when she found the hole that had weakened their fence. In hindsight, Elasha realized that they were probably too scared to follow her into the unknown. She'd been young enough to be excited by the prospect of adventure, but they had lived their entire lives in a cage, and could not consider leaving their prison.

Sometimes she wondered what would have happened if she hadn't slipped from her home. If she'd stayed with her family and allowed the humans to discover and patch up the breach the next day. Certainly life would have been slower, and she would have had to continue to deal with the humans, but it probably wouldn't have been all bad. She would definitely not be starving. And she wouldn't have run into the angry human, who attacked her and forced her to defend herself. After the car accident that allowed her to escape, Elasha knew she had no hope of returning to her family. The humans were hunting her, and she desperately wanted to stay free. Stories of wild wolves had been passed down from her mother's family, and she was smart enough to realize that she had the chance to experience these myths and see if they were true. First, she had to survive. She didn't know how to hunt, and had no clue about the world outside the enclosure in which she'd been born. She was exceedingly lucky to scavenge from other animals' kills, and often had to eat tree bark to assuage the hunger pains in her stomach. Slowly though, she began to perfect her hunting technique, and after a few weeks of living on other animals' leftovers, she made her first kill. After this, she started to travel south, and ended up searching for a rumored place called Anikira, where the wild wolves lived in seclusion from the humans.

The rough sound of another's desperate breathing distracted Elasha from her thoughts, and she settled into a defensive crouch, creeping closer towards her den. Sure she would welcome some company, but there were some literally insane wolves out there. Her dark coat helped her to blend more easily into her surroundings, and she was grateful for this now. She heard the thudding of paws next, and soon enough, a black-and-brown wolf came dashing into view, running hard. Elasha wondered at his behavior, curious to know if he was chased or doing the chasing. Then it occurred to her that he may be responding to her earlier howl, and was misjudging her location. A short bark left the Timber female as she attempted to get his attention. There was no way of knowing if he would attack her or not, but she would take her chances. Slowly she straightened from her crouch and kept her ears forward, trying to portray a friendly appearance to the other wolf. Maybe he also had been alone for too long, and was looking for another's company.

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Auric tore through the brush, his mind racing at the thought of his first meeting with another wolf on this island. As he ran he reiterated his father's teachings. Stand tall. Hold your head high. Listen without judgement. Hear before you see. Use your manners. And above all else, respect those around you. This became his inner mantra as he steadied his pace, it would not due to appear out of breath. His attitude had changed immensely from before. The prospect of this meeting instantly brightened Auric's spirits, jolting him out of his self pitying state of mind.
The idea of being with another lupine, someone who could understand him was slightly overwhelming. It had been two moons since he had been separated from his pack, and the wound was still fresh; It was still able to cripple him from time to time. Auric was determined to win this wolf over, at whatever cost. If it meant showing his physical prowess, fine. If it meant reciting ballads and sonnets, he was able to do that. If it meant listening to someone pour their heart out, that wasn't an issue. If he had to explain his whole life story...well... that could be an issue.

Shaking the ruff of fur around his neck as he trotted quickly, the dense grass scratched against his sides and the pads of his feet. He was a northern wolf, far more acclimated to the cold and thick forests than heat and long grasses. Whether this wolf chose to accompany him or not (and though it would pain him to leave his first acquaintance here when the loss of his pack was so fresh) he would travel north to where he was comfortable again.

As he continued to travel the smell of an unfamiliar wolf filled his nares and spurred him forward despite his draining energy. As the scent became stronger he began his sprint, eager to meet this unknown creature. The smell was slightly sweet, and he tagged it as a she-wolf, though in this strange place who could say. He opened his amber orbits wide, using as much light from the moon as his pupils would absorb. A sharp bark to his right caused him to come to a dead stop, and craning his head he spotted an ebony wolf with warm chestnut eyes. Her ears pointed forward, which Auric took as a sign that she was the wolf who sent the howl. His tail relaxed, swishing slightly from side to side as he let his tongue loll out of his mouth. As he caught his breath he took the she-wolf's appearance in.

Her fur was dark as coal, thick and appeared soft. It fell in a strange way on her sides, as though she had been scarred terribly. Not allowing his eyes to linger where she may feel self-conscious, he moved them to hers, allowing his expression to soften. She was slightly taller and longer than he was, she seemed lithe, while his stockier build seemed brutish. Cocking his head to the side, Auric relaxed onto his haunches. Good evening, Miss. Might I introduce myself? My name is Auric, I've just arrived on this island a few days ago. Pleased to make your acquaintance. Might I inquire as to your name m'lady? Auric resorted to his most formal of speech, unsure of the rank this female may hold and not wishing to offend the first creature he should meet. Especially one so stunning as her. In his pack, a solid colour was rare, especially one as dark and pure as this. Without even the slightest of doubts, he bet she could hide herself with ease, become invisible among the shadows. Interested in what she might have to say, Auric sat quietly, patiently waiting.

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The Apennine male responded quickly to her voice, coming to an immediate stop and turning to see who had barked at him. Elasha looked steadily back, offering him a slight wag of her tail to show that she wanted things to be friendly between them. She was relieved to see no madness glinting in his bright amber eyes, but that alone was no indicator of what kind of personality he had. It was very natural for her to want to believe the best of everyone, but she'd learned to be cautious when meeting strangers. Not everyone was immediately what they seemed, and Elasha was not fool enough to throw away the life that she'd worked so hard to sustain. Still, it was incredibly uplifting simply to see another wolf; she found her tail beginning to wag more than she'd originally intended, and it was an effort to halt the movement. When she met Kiddo, she'd been half-asleep and aching from her tumble down the mountain. And his attitude had certainly dampened her spirits all the more. But this wolf was a fresh slate. And Elasha was rested, her mind awake and eager for company. Twitching her dark nose, she took in his scent with curiosity, noting the metallic tang to it. Was he injured? She roved her eyes over his form, searching for a wound, but it was so hard to see, even under the light of the full moon. Quickly she averted her gaze, not wanting to appear as though she were inspecting him. She did not want to spoil this encounter with awkwardness.

The stockier wolf sat down and settled himself comfortably, seemingly content with keeping his distance. His greeting was formal, though not lacking in warmth. Elasha's ears pricked up immediately when he told her that he'd only just arrived here - so had she! So Auric was not an Anikira native either? Was he like her, trying to find a path forward in this new world? He seemed quite friendly, and she felt safe enough to relax her guard. She chanced a few steps closer to Auric, keeping an eye on him to make sure he was okay with that. Some wolves liked their personal space, and though there was a little more than a few yards between them, a few wolves had larger bubbles than others. The Timber female also sat down on her haunches, mirroring Auric's stance. "It's good to meet you, Auric. My name is Elasha," she told him. "I'm also a bit new around here - less than a month, I think it's been. I haven't really spoken to anyone, but I know that there's a fair number of our kind on this island. Where did you come from?" Unaware that her question could cause potential unease on Auric's part, she watched him curiously, eager to hear his response. The wind picked up once more, blowing his scent towards her, and she again felt sure that she could smell blood. But she held back her questions, not wanting to offend the two-toned wolf in front of her. It felt personal, inquiring after his health when she didn't even know him. If she saw his wound, she would ask, but she would not jump to conclusions based simply on the smell of blood. Maybe he'd just eaten and hadn't had the chance to clean his paws yet. That was a perfectly viable answer.

Had he also encountered humans during his lifetime? She was curious to know. Her opinion of the two-legged creatures wasn't a terribly bad one, but she was suspicious enough to try and avoid them at all costs. And there seemed to be no end to their dominion of the world. Anikira was supposed to be a human-free environment, but she still wondered; after all, what she knew of Anikira had been mostly rumors from other creatures. She wasn't exactly sure of where she was when she'd somehow been swept away by the current that brought her to this land, but she must have traveled far in the water, if this place was free of human influence.

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As the ebony female moved toward him, Auric tensed slightly. Unaware of the other wolf's intentions, he was wary of strangers. He did not believe her to be bad, as he was taught when he was younger that every wolf is innately good, they merely needed the chance to prove it. The female stopped a few paces away, obviously conscious of personal space, for which Auric was grateful.Though he was happy to have company after so long alone, he was not yet ready for the physical contact that was so common in his former pack. Hearing her speak, he pondered. Elasha, that's a pretty name... It was soft, gentle on the tongue, but at the same time had a strength about it. Oftentimes the name fit the wolf better than most would know, he wondered if this would play out for the female. Ah, so she is fairly new as well. Perhaps we can explore together. Wondering how far this wolf had traveled in the short time she had been here Auric responded to her question "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Elasha. I've been here slight more than a fortnight. I was separated from my pack a few moons ago, captured by humans as it were. They were taking me somewhere in one of their giant whirring birds, but something went wrong and we alighted in the ocean. I swam here, no small feat with a wounded paw. How far have you traveled?" Auric gestured to his left hind leg, a clotted wound just above his paw.

He had seen the other wolf survey him, and knew that she smelled the tang of blood in the air. No use in hiding it. Perhaps this wolf might be of assistance. "How did you arrive here, Elasha? Was this some product of the two leggeds' as well?" Auric was loathe to encroach on another's privacy, but since she had asked first he felt it was only fair. Her mention of other wolves brought him back to the present, the possibility of an ambush was all too real. If this was anything like where he came from the area would be divided by packs, and he knew from experience that many were much too territorial. "You mentioned other wolves, are there packs and packlands?" He continued to wait patiently, as this wolf may have a story harder to tell than his own.

OOC; sorry this sucks, concussions make concentration hard ;_;

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Elasha felt quite glad that she'd moved forwards carefully; she was aware of Auric's tension, but did not feel like he would attack her. She respected his personal space and halted a few yards away from him, giving them both plenty of breathing room. It was only that she felt silly being as far away from him as she'd been before, and she didn't want to shout her replies back at him. Also, by moving closer to him, she was making it less likely that he would stumble across her den. Even though another wolf had dug it, and she would probably move on again in the morning, she felt protective of it. It was hers, and she did not want anybody else to find it, not unless she invited them. And she was not inclined to offer Auric a place in her den, not at the moment. There was a wariness about him that suggested he would decline anyway. So Elasha sat, and responded to his earlier questions, feeling enthusiastic and relieved that she was not the only newcomer on this strange island of wolves. Her meeting with Kiddo had derailed a lot of her confidence, making her feel insignificant, and she was glad to know that this Apennine male didn't have the same sort of domineering ego about him. In her head, she'd wondered if everybody on Anikira was as cold and straightforward as Kiddo had been, only wanting to know what you can offer them. But she'd been impressed by Auric's manners, and he seemed to genuinely enjoy being in another's company. She wished she possessed something of his silver tongue, but she knew that her manners definitely left something to be desired. Even now, she was chastising herself for asking him where he'd come from, not realizing at the time that she'd asked him quite a personal question. Elasha herself didn't have a past that bothered her too much, but it didn't mean that others were the same way. Histories were often dark, painful affairs that most wolves wanted to bury and forget. Elasha was embarrassed that she'd asked Auric such a question, and was in fact about to apologize and ask him to forget she'd said anything, but he replied before she could get the words out and his response wasn't a bad one.

Feeling relieved that Auric had not taken her question personally, Elasha almost missed his last set of words, spoken almost as an afterthought. Her triangular ears, which had flicked this way and that throughout the conversation as she monitored her surroundings, focused entirely on him again. How strange was it that the moment she began thinking about the humans again, Auric should mention that he too had his life blighted by them? Her honey-colored eyes were soft with sympathy as she listened to his story, which in her mind was exponentially worse than her own. At least she'd had the luxury of being able to take off in the wilderness after the crash that freed her; Auric had been thrown in the ocean! He was lucky to be alive! And as Auric indicated the wound in the general area of his paw, Elasha felt concern for him, both sad and relieved that her sense of smell had been proven to be right. She had little experience with healing - there had been no need for that in the wildlife park she grew up in, with veterinarians just a phone call away. And even though her time on the road had its fair share of bruises and scrapes, she got by on pure luck, for none of her wounds became infected. However, she did suspect that the salt water did good things for Auric's injury. At the same time, he was truly lucky that the blood in the water hadn't attracted sharks. Elasha couldn't smell any pus, the wound seemed clean enough, and she was fairly sure that time was the only thing Auric's injury needed in order to heal. Time and rest, perhaps. It wouldn't heal very quickly with Auric running around on it. But that was his decision to make, not hers.

She inclined her head in acknowledgment of Auric's inquiry of her arrival. "Yes, in an indirect way," she admitted. Hesitation made it hard for her to decide what to say next; she was slightly ashamed of the fact that she'd been born in captivity. After a moment or two, she decided to simply tell Auric. She didn't really think he would disdain her for it, and he had told her his story honestly enough. "I didn't survive a harrowing ocean escapade, not like you. I was born among the humans, and managed to escape them after one of their ... " she paused as she tried to come up with words of what happened next. What did you call one of those growling machines that they put her in? ... after one of their inventions malfunctioned. I don't know what it was or how fast we were going, but we'd been traveling at a tremendous speed, and it seemed that the silly thing ran itself off the road." A canine shrug of her shoulders punctuated this. "Either way, it helped grant me my freedom. I've been on the run ever since. I think it was two years ago that this happened, I was just a young pup. And about a month ago, I was feeling very hot and decided to take a swim in the ocean, when a current swept me out to sea. I'd heard of Anikira before - some animals knew of an island far away - but I didn't imagine I would ever get there like this." Aware that she'd been speaking quite a lot, Elasha allowed a short silence to fall between them, as she tried to remember what else Auric had wanted to know. Indicating towards his paw, she spoke again. "I'm no shaman, Auric, and I don't have any knowledge of what can heal or alleviate pain. But I imagine that the salt water from the ocean might have put you on the right track to recovery. I do hope it feels better soon though." Quickly, before she could change her mind, Elasha made an offer. "If it troubles you while you hunt, I'd be happy to get us both something next time I'm out. It's not like I'm going anywhere else at the moment." She didn't feel ready to look around for another pack to join. Eventually, she would like to be part of a group once more, but she was too timid to go searching for the time being.

"There is a pack towards the east - " she indicated with her head, " - just over those mountains. I met with their leader, but decided to return here. I'm sure there are others around, but I don't know exactly where. This territory seems free of scent marks though, so I assume it's unoccupied." There also didn't seem to be many wolves around in general, but Elasha thought it had more to do with the fact that there were more pack wolves than loners on this island. She was skittish about encroaching on pack territory, wondering if Kiddo was simply being kind to her in comparison to the aggression some other alphas could show. She felt a bit useless as an information guide for Auric, but she couldn't do anything about what she didn't know.

ooc: No worries Aie! I'm sorry about your concussion, take all the time you need. This isn't a thread I'm in any hurry to rush.

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Cocking his head to the side, Auric studied Elasha. She was lithe, she seemed confident, and she gave off the distinct impression that she knew more than you thought she did. Despite this enigma of a wolf, he was glad for her company. Though in fact he had been away from his pack for only a few moons, it felt like an eternity; the humans made for lousy company. He felt a pang in his chest every time he thought of his father- so regal and confident in himself and his pack- and his mother- so kind and loving, gentle and warm. This wolf before him reminded him of both of them; she was both guarded and understanding. A nagging in his head urged him to probe her for her story, any tidbit of her past. Mentally giving himself a shake he listened patiently to her story.
Growing up with humans? Odd, I wonder what they are truly like. Regarding her kindly and continuing to focus his attention solely on her, he felt a stab of sympathy run through him. He could hardly bare to be on his own for a few moons, how on earth had this wolf managed years alone? Auric was certain that it would have driven him to insanity. "You're most brave, Elasha. I very much doubt I'd have the strength to be alone for such a time..." He trailed off, trying to imagine the depth of loneliness she had experienced. His previous assumptions about her proved true: she effortlessly picked up on his worry that his wound would become infected. "I agree, the salt stung like nothing else, but I'm sure it's helped. Though your offer is quite generous, I'd feel ashamed to ask you to hunt for me, when lone wolves, such as us, so seldom find a good meal. I can run, as I'm sure you've noticed, and I'd rather not allow it to fall into disuse. I wouldn't mind an ounce of teamwork, perhaps we can find something larger than a snake." His last meal had consisted of a rather bony milksnake, and had merely blunted his pangs of hunger. He had hoped to find a rodent's den or some such area, but had had no luck.
Talk of packs dampened Auric's mood. Of course this wolf, so unique in colour- probably sought out to mate by numerous wolves for it thought Auric, with a hint of bitterness in his tone- would be looking for a pack. Come tomorrow or the day after he was certain she would move on. Backing up so that he was sitting as tall as he could, Auric reminded himself to keep his composure. This fae had done nothing to him but be kind and offer conversation. Who was he to turn his nose up just because he felt slighted by some imaginary male? Subtly sniffing the air he realized that she was right. There were no scent marks that seemed recent, other than her own. And she certainly did not smell as if she had been around a male recently. Auric repeated his father's teachings in his head Stand tall. Hold your head high. Listen without judgment. Hear before you see. Use your manners. And above all else, respect those around you. Meeting this wolf had thrown his world upside down, and he needed to get it back in order. Being bold, Auric let a question fly from his muzzle. "Are you very interested in joining a pack then, Elasha?" He hoped this was innocent enough, and wouldn't upset the other wolf. Auric wasn't quite ready to throw his allegiance to another pack, his ties to his family were still to fresh. Perhaps, if Elasha and he were likeminded, and they got along well enough, they would be able to find a pack together. He hoped this plan would work. He was none too keen to find a hostile pack on his own. "Thank you for your information, Elasha, you've been very kind and I am much obliged." Dipping his head to her, he relaxed his body, allowing the tension to flow away from him. Being in someone's company again was nice.