A Day Off (Eidus)

[Anima]

The white she wolf paced back and forth over and over again as she tried to think of something to do. It was the first day off she had been giving since becoming a pet and she had a lot of mixed feelings about it. On one hand, she hated the idea of suddenly being free again. She couldn’t help but wonder if it was something she did wrong that made him want to get rid of her or if he truly thought she had earned a break. Not to mention, she was so used to every part of her mind being controlled and only ever having to obey what was asked of her that suddenly being on her seemed like a totally strange idea and she kept waiting for someone to tell her to do something instead of having to come up with something on her own.

Once she grew tired of pacing, she lay down for a few minutes and then stood back up walking in a circle before lying back down and repeating the process all over again. To anyone watching, they would surely think she was insane, insanely bored, or suffering from some major form of ocd. When in all reality, she wanted nothing more than to think of something to do. She was afraid that if she traveled too far, she would get in trouble for leaving the area and if she ran into any wolves, he’d want to know why she smelt of strange loners. Either way, she was sure to get punished and she didn’t want that to happen.

Finally, with a bored sigh, she lay down and curled her tail around her like a comforting blanket. She rested her head on her paws and watched the woods around her, every hopeful that Zitao would show himself. She was sure that even if he was around, he would never make himself known and would instead watch his little bird from a distance, making sure she did as she was supposed to. But even knowing that she couldn’t help but softly call out, “Where are you master?”

[Eidus]

Eidus shifted slowly and silently through the woods. The mottled male taking his paces calmly and slowly through the foreign land. This place seemed so odd to him but yet at the same time he felt like it was like pieces of his past randomly pieced together in an odd puzzle. He let the thoughts fade as he walked on letting the rolling land pass beneath his feet. As he came through the woods he came on an odd sight. There amongst the trees was a female who seemed to be having issues figuring out what to do with herself.

The white furred female paced and shifted and rested erratically as Eidus pondered what he was seeing. She seemed almost lost. As if she was a puppy who had lost her sitter. As she finally flopped down and wrapped her tail about her she seemed to settle finally. Eidus watched her for a long moment and heard words escape quietly from her. He could not hear her clearly but it seemed a sad call out. His curiosity got the better of him and Eidus began to slowly wind his way closer.

He moved like the hunter he was. His shift colored fur allowing him a level of camouflage most wolves could not get without help. As he closed on the female he silently sat and pondered over her for a moment. She seemed like a healthy adult female if not a bit younger than he himself was. He wondered what could possibly be wrong to make her act so lost in such a beautiful world.

As he watched her he tilted his head unconsciously and watched her silently. He wondered if she had begun to realize he was there. He also began to wonder if she was waiting for someone. That could be bad if someone came upon them with him staring at her silently and her unknowing. Better to not cause misunderstandings. “So if I may be so bold, is there something the matter to cause such unease?”

His voice came out low and slightly rough. He was an older wolf and had seen his years well but he still sometimes found things that made him wonder. And she was one of them right now. He hoped her response would not be violent. He was not particularly fond of fighting more so with someone who seemed so utterly lost as it stood. None the less he was wary as he waited for her reply.
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[Anima]

Even though the white wolf wasn’t physically lost, mentally was a completely different story. Physically, she knew her way around the northern lands like the back of her paw. She traveled them frequently with her master, her pack, and more going back and forth between the two. She had learned many shortcuts and some nice long paths to take when she needed time to herself. She doubted she could ever really be lost while she was in the north. Mentally, however, she knew not one bit what she should and shouldn’t do. She wanted to run and taste the temporary freedom she was given. She wanted to find her master and tell him she was tired of her off day. She wanted to hunt and for once have a kill to herself. She wanted to hunt and bring the kill back to Zitao, eating only what was left over. She wanted to go have fun with other males, something she could never do while her master was around. She wanted to go back and please her master in every way possible. It seemed like everything she wanted to do with her freedom, she also wanted to do with her master and it confused her beyond belief.

On any average day, she would have been able to catch the scent of an approaching male over a mile way, especially during breeding season. However, because of how lost in her mind she was, she was completely oblivious that anyone, much less a male, was anywhere nearby. Her tail twitched in an annoyed fashion and her ears were slightly pinned. She chewed on her paw subconsciously and the more time she spent lost within the walls of her mind, the more annoyed and frustrated she seemed to become. She needed an escape she just wasn’t sure what or how to get it.

Suddenly, she snapped out of her thoughts but tried to act like nothing had changed. It wasn’t until the male sat right beyond her did she realize he was there and her whole form tensed. She wasn’t sure if it was her master or another male but she figured only her master would have the twisted way of greeting her by watching her like a stalker. She was his little bird after all and he had every right to stalk her rather she liked it or not. She tried not to get excited or freaked out as she quietly asked, “Master?”

When the male behind her spoke, it was clear that he was not Zitao and she immediately spun around to face him. She relaxed slightly when she saw he was an older male and one who didn’t seem like too much of a threat, granted first impressions weren’t always right. She contemplated just how much she should tell him about why she was in the state she was in, if she should tell him everything, or make up a total lie, or only tell him some of the truth. “I’m rather unsure of what to do, so many things to pick from on a day like today that it’s hard to pick just one.” She told him the truth but left out the part about having a master. That wasn’t something she wanted to tell a new wolf, or really any wolf at all. She offered him a friendly smile and waited to see what he would say.

[Eidus]

Eidus thought he heard the female say something a moment before he spoke but he did not catch it. Instead as he spoke and watched her swing around to look at him with wariness. As he watched the emotions subtly shift in her he stood patiently. He was not about to alienate someone he did not know so quickly. As she began to open her mouth to speak Eidus brought his senses to bare on the female tracking her as if she was his prey. Internally he almost laughed though, after all he knew who his true prey was.

“I’m rather unsure of what to do, so many things to pick from on a day like today that it’s hard to pick just one.” She spoke as if the sentence was unfinished but he could not detect a lie from her. Deciding there was no point to force himself on someone who was already on her guard Eidus tilted his head letting a gentle easy smile slide onto his face. “That sounds like less of a problem and more of a boon.” He slowly stood letting his motions stay smooth and slow and he came closer. The motion was meant to keep him from appearing aggressive.

As he came a reasonable speaking distant away he stopped looking out through the trees. The breeze was gentle and refreshing. This whole alien world for him made him want to run and wander exploring every little piece of the land till he knew it all. “With no responsibilities, it's a good time to do what you can to take care of your own happiness. Whether that's lazing on a beach and enjoying the sun or wandering through the eternal twilight of a forest. I would say your best bet is to find the one thing thats makes you happier or more excited than the others and do that thing first.”

He turned back to her and grinned a bit more roguishly as he tilted his head to the side “My name is Eidus by the way. I am sorry I interrupted your thoughts with my bantering. May I know your name?” He kept his voice pitched low but loud enough to be heard. He had a natural roughness to his voice that made it usually pitch lower regardless of what he did. On top of that his recent adventure in the ocean had left his voice even rougher. He just hoped that his voice and his sudden appearance did not startle or bother the stranger.

After all he had been through here he had only really had the chance to meet one stranger here. Between this females apparent confusion and his natural urge to help out Eidus felt like this may be the perfect way to get himself internally balanced again. After all that had happened to him in the last year he could use a chance to feel useful again to someone other than his savior on the beach. Eidus brought his thoughts back to bare on the situation in front of him. Particularly the white female who was very much in front of him.

[Anima]

Never before in her entire life had Anima been so thankful for something than she was for the fact this new male didn’t hear her comment about a master. Very few wolves were used to having a master instead of something like an alpha and she didn’t need this wolf thinking she was weird or turning his nose and walking off. In fact, that was the very last thing she wanted from this male. She noticed the patience in which he stood and that lone calmed her nerves. Patience wasn’t something she got from her master and to see another wolf practicing it with her greatly calmed her anxiety down.

She told him that she wasn’t sure what she should do because there were so many possibilities and while that was true, she knew she left out a good chunk of the truth too and she couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. The fact that he didn’t ask any questions or try to make her talk more eased her mind even more. That was the second time this wolf proved to be different from her master and she could easily see herself warming up to and opening up to him about what was really going on. She watched and listened to him as he smiled and responded with his opinions. “It is more like a mixture of the two really,” she said softly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with what he had said. As he moved closer, her ears pinned ever so slightly yet she remained calm, unlike she would have done had it been Zitao moving closer to her.

He walked a few steps closer to her before stopping and looking out into the distant with a thoughtful emotion glazed over his face. His fur swayed gently in the breeze and for a second, Anima almost wished he would ask more questions so she would have no choice but to tell him about Zitao. It seemed that every time she had the chance to tell someone about him, she chickened out of doing so. She didn’t know why that was, if it was to protect him, if it was because she was worried about getting punished, if she was afraid someone wouldn’t believe her, or something entirely different. However, she could tell this wolf would be different. She had to get the nerves to speak up before he left her as with the air he gave off, she could tell he would step up to the plate and help her. “But what if I’m torn between what would make me most happy? What if I’m at a fork in the forest and every path looks beautiful and appeasing but all for different reasons? How do you decide which to take, especially with time not on your side?” she hesitated after realizing she had spoken aloud that last part. Time was most certainly not on her side as she was only given one day off but he was bound to be curious about what exactly she meant and she didn’t know if she could handle telling him.

It wasn’t until he turned back to her with a boyish grin that her ears perked again. “It is a pleasure to meet you Eidus, and believe me; you didn’t interrupt anything at all. In fact, your company is very much welcomed,” she nodded honestly, “my name is Anima but you may call me as you wish.” She wondered at the roughness in his voice, curious as to if it was natural or if he was in the process of losing his voice. It seemed everything about this wolf was different, unlike any of the wolves she had encountered before. He intrigued her and once more her thoughts returned to telling him about her master but like before, she swallowed the idea with a shake of her head.

[Eidus]

Eidus watched the female as her ears pinned back at his approach. As he spoke though he felt her loosen up. She still seemed to hold back though. She was hiding something and he could feel it in her actions and speech. “But what if I’m torn between what would make me most happy? What if I’m at a fork in the forest and every path looks beautiful and appeasing but all for different reasons? How do you decide which to take, especially with time not on your side?” The question intrigued him. More of the half said thoughts of her. As he introduced himself he let his mind ponder on the question.

“It is a pleasure to meet you Eidus, and believe me; you didn’t interrupt anything at all. In fact, your company is very much welcomed,” As she responded to his greeting he watched her nod and wondered if she saw him as a threat or just overly nosy. “my name is Anima but you may call me as you wish.” He smiled at her return of her name to his. However the way she said made his mind wander back to the earlier questions she had asked. There was much here not being said or looked directly at. Much like running in the evening as the shadows lengthened and you could catch blinks of shadow wolves running beside you.

This all fed into his curiosity about what would plague her so much. He could rule many things out but it wold take more information to finalize his thoughts. “Well met Anima. About your earlier questions though I think I have an answer of sorts.” Eidus continued to rest at ease letting the soft occasional breeze play across his fur as he looked up to the shadows playing from the trees. He considered his own words as he spoke “We come to many paths in our lives which eventually split with a decision to make. Sometimes both paths seems to ones of peace and enjoyment. Even if the paths differ in aspects we look at them with equal peace knowing they both may be enjoyable for passage.”

As he paused for a moment he canted his head back down and directed his look back to Anima. His amber eyes reflecting the shifting of the light as he continued “The question is not which is enjoyable at the moment, but which will continue to be. One must not blind themselves to where paths lead. As one walks the paths time moves on and causes changes. What once was a calm flat peaceful path mays suddenly bring storms and wash away the fine dirt to show rocks. While the other path gets its rain and opens the flowers of the field to give a show one may never see again. One must never try to predict the future, however one must take into account what one knows of the path they have walked before.”

As he finished his words the roughness in his throat ached uncomfortably. Would the wounds and salt ever quite wear off, or was he to be cursed the entire time he walked these lands with a throat that felt like the grit of a rocky beach. As he watched Anima he kept track of her reactions to his words. Would she understand the gist of his words and maybe open up the other half of her weighted speech. He knew little of these lands and those who inhabited them. However seeing as he had met mostly young wolves he knew at least what life was in many sense. Though a year of his existence was stolen from him, the experience hardened his in some senses but in the place and this time he could relax, he felt.
Words: 632

[Anima]

Anima listened with interest as he answered her newest question. His words both made sense and confused her even more and she couldn't help but grow a little frustrated, not at the male wolf but simply in general. It was clear by listening to his words that the path she should take was that which led to her pack but it simply was not that easy, no matter how much she wished it was. As he spoke of flowers versus rocks, it was again clear to see which path was what. Her life as a pet was full of ups and downs and she often stumbled over rocks, receiving punishment after punishment. However, her life in the pack offered a lovely rose with Jadir, and many chances to make friends as the rose grew and blossomed.

As he finished speaking, a depressed sigh was her first, though not willing, response. "Your words make perfect sense, and I know which path is which after listening to you but still I remain in a predicament, for even if I choose to see the flowers, I only have so much time before I must return to the rocks. You see, it's outside my control. I have until the sun sets to do as I wish before I must return home to the  sharp and colorless stone masses. So I must know, is it worth it choosing the flowers when I know I can't stay or should I simply return to the rocks,?" She knew she was still hiding a lot but she hoped wording her question this way would give him enough knowledge to at least give her an answer that she could actually follow. As much as she hated the idea and feared being looked down upon, she wandered how much longer she could keep her master a secret. He would be the first, and hopefully only one, to know if she told him but still she wanted to save that for a last resort measure or if he specifically asked which she doubted he would.

[Eidus]

Eidus watched the female known as Anima as he spoke his words. She has piqued with interest as he spoke but he could see a subtle play of emotions below her outward expression. He was no mind reader but he could see the frustration as it played out behind her eyes. What could be causing her this much of an issue that simple words of picking ones path would cause so much ache. He had put together bits and pieces of what she may be hiding in her words as they traded cryptic lines with each other. However he was still missing the larger pieces that would have given him a better understanding of where she was at in her own world.

As he finished he watched a large sigh come from Anima. She seemed depressed at his words and that concerned him. Before he could begin to formulate an apology for what he has said she began speaking, “Your words make perfect sense, and I know which path is which after listening to you but still I remain in a predicament, for even if I choose to see the flowers, I only have so much time before I must return to the rocks. You see, it's outside my control. I have until the sun sets to do as I wish before I must return home to the  sharp and colorless stone masses. So I must know, is it worth it choosing the flowers when I know I can't stay or should I simply return to the rocks,?”

That was indeed an issue. If one found two paths before them one leading to a hard trail of rocks and sand, and another that lead through a field of soft grass and flowers; yet the flowers inevitably lead right back to the rocks was it worth the effort to even give one the aspect of hope for the comfort. It was indeed a problem that could send one into a vexing mental state. As he thought over it he remembered his time with Lalani, their experience together has been much the same. Two paths with the same end but one with a harsher reality laid over it compared to the others. However it was not where the path ended up the path one chose to walk that mattered in the end.

Eidus watched Anima carefully as she finished speaking. He allowed the silence to stretch for a few moments as he thought. Carefully he began to speak, “There is a fundamental flaw in your argument though it may be my own fault due to what I used to compare the paths we walk in our lives. You see there are always more than two paths. And while these paths may lead to one place no matter the path you still have a choice.” Eidus let his gaze wander back to the sky as he watched gentle clouds move past.

“You see we are unique because while we are driven by instinct and a nature we were all born into, every one of us carries with us a more powerful force. Choice.” He let the word out a bit sharper than the rest of his speech. He let silence stretch again after he spoke the word and then brought his eyes back down to Anima. “You are a creature with free will and a choice. If there are two paths that lead to the same end, and the end is something you do not wish. Then leave the path. Chose not to travel the path. You have an endless selection of paths that do no lead to the same end. Ultimately it is up to you to make the choice of where you want to go.”

As she spoke the words his gaze sharpened as he slid other pieces together in his mind. “Where you wish to go or who you wish to return too.” The words were softer but none the less they were a soft accusation of the truth of what Anima kept speaking of in half truths. Maybe this would be too far and drive the gentle female away. However Eidus had to take a chance if he was ever going to help her. He could almost see it in her calling out for someone to help her from her current world. He was the one here now. It was on him to help, in whatever way he could.

Words: 741
Tags: Anima