Just Another Wandering Soul [Open]

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OH how fun this little adventure had been! Climbing mountains, braving flowing rivers, all of it had been exhilarating! The wind through his fur, the multitude of scents assaulting his nose like a ravaging lover. The young male gave a savagely carefree grin as he leaped up onto the slope of a rock jutting out from the gums of the earth like a ragged tooth. His gray gaze scanned the terrain greedily, hoping he could find another living soul. Of course, it was nothing but rolling blades of grass and an endless amount of trees.

BITING back his disappointment, his sides heaved a discontented sigh as he slunk off the rock and glumly trotted onward. It was times like these he wished he had listened to his sister and stayed with their little nomadic family. Their close knit unit had been full of stories, laughter, companionship - something he didn't have all the way out here. No, he scolded himself as he moved up a slight slope. Here I am free! he thought joyously, bringing back that silly grin to his face.

AS he weaved through a line of trees the cheerful singing of a few birds met his ears. Oh, yes, this was surely enough company! With his tongue lolling out of his mouth, he drew to a stop, glancing up at the fluttering wings. "Well, hello, little friends! Oh, no, please don't go! Come back!" he yipped, watching them fly away with the sense of terror only prey felt. His legs moved quickly, bringing him swiftly after them until his heart pounded in his rib cage.

AT last, his breath left him, and he slowed to a stop next to an unusual looking cave. It was filled with many scents, most of them stale. No one had been here in a while it seemed, and it was the perfect place to take a small rest. Thwamping down onto his haunches with a heavy huff, he looked back up at the birds that had resettled on the branches above his head. "Oh, I'm glad to see you've come back! See, I'm not so bad. I won't eat you!" His tongue lolled out of his jaws like a fish flopping out water. Maybe this journey wasn't so bad after all.



Notes; First post, open to anyone, wanted to test him out and test out the table :3

[Anima]

Being free for a day felt different and strange. Even though she had been Zitao's pet for a couple of months, it seemed like it had been a lot longer. The ways in which he had changed her made it feel like she had been his for years if not her entire life. So while she thoroughly enjoyed being on her own once more, she felt like a newborn pup being left to conquer the world on her own. She had no one to tell her what to do and no one to please. Not an alpha or an owner, for even on days when she snuck away to her pack,  she had to be wary and cautious of her owner finding her. But today, she had no worries. She had been given the day to herself and she was free.

She had been the walking through the caverns when her ears perked up. Coming from a little ways beside her was the sound of a young male wolf. She smiled and turned, heading to see if she could find him. Once she caught his scent it took no more than a minute or two to find him and when she did, a nostalgic feeling filled her heart. He was a brown wolf with mixtures of grey and white and had pretty brown eyes. He reminded the white wolf of her younger brother, Cadence. There coat colors were the same and they looked like they could be the same age. They also appeared to have the same kind of personality. Cadence had always been a rambunctious playful wolf, he loved making friends although he had his shy moments. Anima used to love when her mother Kiva would let her watch over him. Those were always fun days.

With a warm smile, she trotted up to the younger wolf. "They are pretty creatures aren't they? My mother used to say their songs were songs from the gods," She mused looking up at the birds in the tree. "I often wonder what exactly it is they're saying, if only I could learn to speak bird," she laughed lightly. She had always been curious about what they were saying but she couldn't imagine a wolf who could speak bird. "I'm Anima, by the way," she bowed her head respectfully and offered him a smile.

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HIS heart fluttered with joy as the birds hopped from branch to branch, their song only increasing in tempo the longer they sat in the protection of the canopy. It was so beautiful, and a part of him wished he could share this with his sister. She would have chatted endlessly about the beautiful striking colors of the birds' feathers and the way they sang so flawlessly that she would have wanted to howl with them. Alas, she was not here, and he was left sitting underneath the dappled shade of the trees alone. Until he caught a whiff of another creature, one of his own, and his ears hesitantly flicked back. It was female, and didn't seem to be aggressive in the slightest.

RISING to his paws, he turned in time to see the striking white she-wolf approach him. She spoke to him, her voice and smile warm, something he was eternally grateful for. There had been plenty of times he had accidentally wandered into a pack's territory and been mercilessly bullied until he was chased off. This charming female, however, didn't seem to have any interest in that. Coughing slightly, he straightened and offered a goofy lopsided grin. "O-Oh, yes, they are indeed wonderful!" he stammered. The words blundered from his lips in a flood of hope - hope that perhaps this she-wolf wouldn't just leave him in the dirt.

HIS brother always did tell him he was a jabber jaw and that he should really learn to control his mouth. It wasn't exactly something he could control. The words would simply start spilling and once they got going even he didn't know when they would stop. Perhaps this conversation would go a bit better than the last one he had. Refocusing on her as she mentioned her name, he twitched the tip of his tail and inclined his head in respect. "I like the way that sounds. I will have to tell that to my sister, she would be delighted," he paused, rolling her name over in his mind, memorizing it, placing it to her face. "Pleasure to meet you, Anima. You have a beautiful name. I am Dante."

AH, always getting ahead of himself. Not to mention always making quite the fool of himself, tripping over his words and trying to be smooth, when in reality he was as graceful as a dying deer. Breathing a quiet sigh at his inner battle, he fixed her with another slight smile. "So what brings you out here? I don't suppose you know of a good spot to grab a bite to eat?" His stomach growled at the thought, reminding him that they hadn't had a decent meal in a few weeks.

[Anima]

Birds were something that the white she wolf and all twelve of her siblings had a common interest in. They loved to watch them and make up conversations that they thought they were having. It made for a fun game and a good way to pass the time. They enjoyed making note of all the different colors they saw from red, white, green, yellow, blue, brown, and many more. They loved seeing all the different sizes as well from the smallest of humming birds to the largest of cranes. The flying creatures had always been fascinating and she couldn’t help but get a sting of nostalgia every time she found one. She would never find someone like her siblings that shared as much interest in them as she did or so she thought.

The former beta watched as the younger wolf straightened his posture and offered her a warm and friendly lopsided grin in return. There was so much about this stranger that reminded her of her younger brother Cadence and secretly, she hoped they would become friends and that this would not be just a chance encounter. She laughed quietly and light heartedly as his words mixed together in excitement. Without a doubt, she was growing fond of the young male and found herself nodding in agreement to his statement.

As he seemingly slipped into an innocent daydream, she moved closer and sat next to him, watching the singing birds while also keeping an eye on him. It was in that moment when a small frowned crossed her muzzle as a thought came to her; “I’m Watching You Little Bird,” her master’s voice crept into her mind, reminding her that even in her day off, and even as a subordinate in Airila, she was still owned by Zitao and was still very much under his thumb. It was in that moment that she understood why he referred to her as his little bird. She was happy and playful like the birds in front of her, was the same shade as a snowy white dove, and made high pitched and sweet sounding whimpers as he punished her much like the songs they sang. The name fit her well and she respected her master even more for being so clever. But, as the male spoke again, she shook her head to clear her thoughts and smiled at his words. As he mentioned his sister, she couldn’t help but be curious as to where she was but knowing her own past; she decided not to risk asking. She knew how much it would hurt to have someone ask her about her siblings and she didn’t want to chance putting him through that. “Why thank you, I like Dante as well, it is a very strong name and fits you well,” She nodded a definite nod before speaking again, “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

It was his next and last question that made her ears perk as an idea suddenly dawned on her. He was a young wolf and was on his own even if he mentioned a sister. Anima didn’t want to see them part ways and there was one definite way to fix every problem at hand. “Why don’t I take you to the alpha of my pack? He is very friendly and our pack is more of a family than a hierarchy. Our lands are plentiful and every willing wolf can find his home within them. Our members vary in age size and breed and all are treated as equals despite the title of one’s rank. I believe you would like it very much,” she smiled the reassuring smile her uncle taught her to use when trying to recruit a new pack member. If he joined Airila, Anima could take him under her wing as a younger brother and both he and his sister, if she was indeed still around, could join. He would never go hungry again and she was sure Toiro would appreciate her recruiting members. His answer would either work out in everyone’s favor or confirm that this was a chance encounter and she was very nervous to see which way he went.

Ooc: 700 words-I have lots of muse for them. I figured since you already said he can join Airila, we can each post one more time, him agreeing and her telling him to follow, and then we can make a joining thread for her to introduce him to Toiro. Let me know if that works or if you’d rather us go about it a different way.@dante

[Deleted]

THE silence that drifted between them was certainly comfortable, and as they sat there immersed in the songs of the glittering array of birds, he couldn't help but feel happy. While he and his sister had not been serious bird watchers, he felt as if he were back home with her in their puphood. Their parents had loved them, doted on them, but they certainly gave them free reign to go where they pleased. The grand adventures they had had! It danced across his mind's eye, teasing him with what he yearned for the most. Oh, he was more than happy to be here with Anima, no doubt. It was just... home. He needed to find a new place to call home, and then perhaps he would forget the tightening in his chest.

GLANCING back at Anima, he heard the same sweet tone his sister had, making his heart flutter. He nodded his head slightly in thanks of her returned praise for his name. He hadn't been expecting it, but it pleased him that she liked some aspect of him. Perhaps there would be a relationship between the two of them, a friendly and happy relationship that he had lacked over the time since he had left his family. Just the thought made the tip of his tail twitch.

THE mention of a pack made his ears immediately perk up. It wasn't exactly what he had expected as an answer to his request for hunting grounds. In fact, this was an even better suggestion than simply eating and running. Perhaps this was it - a place he could finally call home; a place he could bed down warm and full at night knowing he had somewhere he belonged. If Anima would stay there it would be a done deal. He licked the tip of his nose almost uncertainly, but there was glee mixed in there. "Oh, I would love to come with you to your pack!" he said enthusiastically, forgetting what little self control he had.

HE bounced up to his feet, shaking happily as that ridiculously floppy tongue lolled out the side of his jaws. His paws moved, stomping the ground like a rabbit on speed. "Please, tell me a little bit about where you're from. Is it green? Is the sky just as blue as it is here?" The questions spilled out uncontrollably, gradually becoming garbled the longer the list went on. Easy tiger, easy he reminded himself, forcing his muscles taut to remain still. This brought a sheepish grin to his face as he ducked his head apologetically. "Sorry, um, ahem, lead the way."

[Anima]

As the wolves sat in a gentle and easy silence, the white wolf’s mind wandered to how all the possible outcomes of her question could play out. She knew that Dante would have one of two answers, yes or no. But, she also knew that just because there were only two possible answers, that didn’t mean there was only two possible outcomes. If he said no, they would either part ways and simply make this encounter a onetime thing or would remain friends but would only see each other on occasion. If he said yes, she would take him to her alpha where he would either become part of the pack or, though she doubted it would be happen, be rejected and sent on his way. She knew that with how laid back Airila was that she had little to nothing to worry about but she simply couldn’t help it.

Despite her attempts to remain calm, her form tensed up when she saw him about to respond to her offer. However, to her relief, he said yes. She tried not to act too excited but she couldn’t help but smile widely and wag her tail excitedly. She laughed light heartedly at his own excitement, her heart both elated to have someone so close to her own brother and hurting because of how much he did remind her of her brother. She was thankful for his next set of questions so she could distract herself from her bipolar emotions. “Oh Airila is gorgeous. It has all different kinds of land formations too. First you have the underground tunnels that are always fun to explore, then you have the mountains where you can see for miles and miles once you reach the very top. Then you have the forest which I must say would be a good spot to play hide and go seek and lastly you have the beach which is always calming and relaxing,” She listed each of Airila’s various lands and made a description for each.

After she was done explaining, she was more than eager to get going. The sun had already started setting and she judged they would make it back around the middle of the night. She contemplated spending the night away from the pack so she didn’t risk the chance of waking her alpha up but she didn’t want to chance the possibility of her master finding her not only with a strange male but also finding out about her pack. That thought was more than enough to get her moving. Her pace was fast and determined and yet slow enough so that the other wolf could easily keep up. The entire time, her tail wagged and she could never stop smiling. She was truly looking forward to all the things that were sure to come.