She padded through the trees, her paws making soft crunches on the snow with each step. Her ears were parked up and would swivel every few minutes. Her nose twitched ever so slightly as she took in all the scents around her. She didn't want to accidentally pad right into the pack's territory.
She knew what to do once she got to do a territory line. Most packs were the same. She would get to the line and howl. And hope for the best. Sometimes no one answered her call and other times it wasn't the best answer. But mostly she met some very friendly wolves.
She licked her jaws, licking off whatever was left of her dinner. She had caught a rabbit earlier and she was still a little hungry but she was fine for the most part. She would have enough energy to fight if she had to.
Of course she would be careful. Even the nicest looking wolves could turn on you. She had learned that at a very young age.
She pushed away the thought of that encounter to the back of her mind and focused on the task at hand.
She looked behind her briefly and smiled a little seeing her pawprints. She loved making pawprints in the snow. Though she sometimes wished there were two sets instead of just one.
She smiled more as thoughts of her lover came to mind. He would always be with her spiritually. They had both decided that she would move on to another mate but they would be together whenever she moved on from this life.
Her nose then caught the scent of a wolf's strong scent. She stopped when it was at its strongest. Her tan and black speckled fur stood out from the white snow, making her easy to spot, both a good and bad thing depending on the wolf that would greet her.
She sat down and lifted her jaws to the sky. She parted them and let out a strong greeting howl, the howl going into the air and could be seen since her breath was warm and contrasted with the cold night air.
As her howl echoed through the trees she let the howl decrescendo to nothing and lowered her muzzle down to its regular level. Her ears were alert as she listened for pawsteps, since it would be easier to hear with the snow that covered the ground.
Word Count: 410 words Muse: Pretty good Notes: none
Last Edit: Jan 23, 2013 21:55:06 GMT -5 by Deleted
Her morning had been fruitful, successfully she had managed to gather some more herbs from the territory. Now they were all sorted into their proper place and a satisfactory grin had settled upon her features. The Arctic loved her position, being a shaman was perfect for a canine such as her. Goodness overwhelmed her heart and she could never pass up an opportunity to aid others. It also taught her more about the world, kept her sharp within her mind. For truly that was what mattered to the lithe canine, her brain was stronger than anything else about her. Aludra's figurine was delicate, nearly musical in the way she spoke and moved. Secretly she despised it, the calculated steps of her dance through life hardly seemed fitting. After all, life was a struggle and full of hardships - why did she feel so out of place at times. 'I simply do not have a warriors build,' her innermost insecurities would stay just that. The femme had no desire to completely spill those to another, they were her feeble burdens.
Body jumped slightly, an unfamiliar sound caught ivory audits. They eagerly perked themselves, eager to listen to another's song. This one came from an unfamiliar femme, that much the shaman noted, and most likely one that wished to join their humble home. Raising her body to a standing poise, the female set off. A pleased grin still remained upon her features as her body trotted happily towards the newcomer. As always, the medic knew that a certain nervousness would settle into her bones when she drew near the stranger. It always did, there had been a few close calls within her life in Shyia. Ones that would be perpetually haunting her mind. Those had stolen some of the naivety that Aludra still had, they made her wise to the truth about canines. Many were not so sweet, especially not as the ones within Airila. Her beloved Toiro and dearest friend Cherie had shown her exactly how generous wolves could be. Most others paled in comparison to them.
The bitter air struggled to nip through her thickened Arctic pelt; yet, it failed miserably. Her body was well prepared for the winter months, and with much thanks to the hunters, she had put on a slight bit of weight. No longer was she quite as delicate and fragile as before, there was a bit move life to her slender frame. Tail swiftly swung behind her and her ears still remained aware. The shaman was not going to be caught off guard, not this time. However, the closer the femme came to the newcomer the more unsettled she became. There was nothing wrong with the newcomer's call, Aludra was merely shy and still unsettled by recent events. 'Everything will be okay, worry not,' her thoughts attempted to straighten out the path of her brain.
Emerald optics at last spotted the opposing female's silhouette and they focused upon it as it grew larger. Paws began to slow their rhythmic beating against the ground, louder crunching against the snow evident within her audits. With a slight sigh, the female halted her movement. An awkward shift was made of the Arctic's shoulders, a sideways stretch of the back. Certainly she knew abrupt movement was a poor decision, it was better to not just jolt off at a run; yet, she had disobeyed her better judgment. That tended to happen on occasion when Aludra felt there was an important event occurring.
An introverted smile caressed her lips for a moment, before musical words escaped her chest, "Salutations, stranger." It always concerned the shaman that she was not adequate at greeting newcomers. She never knew if there was some sort of formula to success that should be followed. Forever would her mind calculate things in the most logical mannerism possible. "My name is Aludra, what brings you to Shyia?" Her introduction was brief, she never mentioned that she was a shaman. Well, not initially anyway. If a canine inquired of her rank then she would happily speak of it. The Arctic knew the conversation issues were merely her mind freaking out, social encounters could always go a million different ways. Often it was difficult to gauge what a canine would do, as they tended to be rather unpredictable.
For a moment the thought of the mute female she rescued passed through her brain. 'Descai ruined her or she was not what she appeared,' a bit of pain still prickled at her soul whenever this particular creature raced through it. More than anything, Aludra had tried to save the canine. It merely did not work and the medic struggled to deal with that. Success stories were the absolute best, knowing she had been of use to another kept her going. For she could simply not provide for a canine in any other way, merely companionship and in medical situations. Attention shifted back to the newcomer, eagerly awaiting her response.
Her ears perked as pawsteps reached her sensitive ears. It was sometimes a curse to have sensitive ears but other time they were quite useful. Her ears were tan with black tips. They twitched as a slight breeze came through and tickled the fur that lined her ears.
She smiled. She liked meeting new wolves. It was fun and the personalities always pointed her in the right direction of how to act around them. She sometimes could come on a bit strongly but she learned to adapt. Not many really knew what was going on inside her head. Except Raven. He was probably the closest one to ever get to her besides her mother.
Her eyes slightly teared at the edges as she thought of her mother. She and her mother had been very close before her and the rest of her pack were killed. She had been able to get away but her life had been rough after that since she had been forced to leave her pack territory at such a young age.
She shook her head and blinked a few times to get rid of the tears. No, she wouldn't cry. She had become too strong for that. She always kept her emotions down and bottled up inside her.
Her ears pointed forward as an ivory wolf approached her. She was quite delicate looking but graceful in her walk. She smiled at the approaching wolf, hiding her current sadness behind light blue, friendly eyes.
As the wolf approached, her tail thumped the ground rhythmically. She liked how the femme walked. It reminded her of her old friend. She had been a little shy, but the two of them had been inseparable.
" Hello. My name's Tala. she smiled.
" I would like to join your pack. " she explained as she dipped her head respectfully.
Word Count: 311 words Muse: A bit tired but pretty good Notes: none
Last Edit: Jan 23, 2013 23:04:05 GMT -5 by Deleted
A soft smile appeared upon the ivory female's muzzle. Tail wagging was a good indication that this canine was friendly, even so she had to be somewhat cautious. The mute canine had been forced to attack her, or just merely been a bit wrong upstairs - Aludra would never know the truth behind it. She had no desire to wander back into Acerbus, those lands could stay the home to Descai. The medic wished not to venture there, but if a canine truly needed medicine from those lands she would have no choice but to go. Her own life meant less compared to those around her, not because she had low self esteem. It was merely who this Arctic female was, her heart outreached towards all. Especially puppies, that was how dearest baby Averice had joined them. She would risk it all in order to save another.
Emerald eyes glistened as they briefly scanned this other female, by her demeanor a fight most likely wouldn't break out. Regardless, Aludra stood a few feet away - close enough to converse but it would hopefully give her enough space to make up for her body's delayed reaction time. There she was again, once more trying to be prepared. Sometimes it made her laugh, she could be ever so logical and calculating. That was simply who the female was, nowhere within her was she a fighter. Brain power was the only thing she had, but it was all the Arctic needed. Her knowledge made her happy, she enjoyed the planet more and more every day. The sky would always guide her, the stars could direct her where to go. She could tell the future through them. Yes, the medic was thoroughly happy with who she was. Even if on occasion she felt bad for being a lame hunter.
"Greetings, I am called Aludra," she permitted a slight bow of the head towards Tala. Such formalities did not need to be given to a loner, but the shaman could not help herself. It seemed as if she was always extending out respect towards others, even if they technically did not deserve such. "I am pleased that you have chosen Airila, but I must inquire - what can you offer to us?" No matter how many times the Arctic asked such a question, it always made her uncomfortable. All canines had worth within her eyes, but she understood that there needed to be a certain level of dedication to learn a skill or already have one. Otherwise her dearest family would simply be working harder to be taken advantage of. That would not be happening on her watch. Aludra also feared that someone would join Airila simply to be a spy, to plot their downfall. With that she could a least attempt to blame it on being paranoid.
The winter months were in full bloom now, food was becoming increasingly scarce. The shaman had even begun trying to hunt whilst gathering in order to supply even small portions of meat to the others. Poor Cherie, her dearest friend, had been working like a slave to provide for them. The Arctic was impressed by her friend's skills; yet, that tired look she had last seen upon the other's face broke her heart. 'It would be nice to have a few more hunters to help her out.' Aludra had a bit of hope, but she needed to get to know this new creature a bit. Her mind was struggling to trust newcomers immediately. A few weeks ago it would have been a different story, her healing wounds were still tender. 'At least others can not see them anymore,' painfully she forced the memory away. It would do nothing more than bring about a panic attack.
Attention settled back upon Tala, eagerly awaiting this new female's response. Airila was rapidly growing now, which brought endless happiness to the shaman. It felt right to be within Shyia and among the ranks of Airila. This was the place she was meant to be, despite some of the more unfortunate events - Aludra was still overjoyed. Butterflies thumped around inside her stomach, bouncing off the lining happily. 'Maybe I can see Toiro tonight, oh stop! Think about what you are doing!' A blush was quickly rising in her cheeks, which made her quite thankful for her fur. The newcomer wouldn't be able to tell, it could be her own little secret.
Last Edit: Jan 26, 2013 11:10:24 GMT -5 by Deleted
" It's nice to meet you, Aludra. I've been traveling for a while so it's nice to meet a new wolf. " she said, smiling. It was her favorite thing to do besides helping out with pups. She didn't have much experience caring for them since she only spent a day or two within a pack before leaving to continue her journey.
This pack would be different though. She wanted to settle down finally and become apart of a pack. And she would do whatever she could for it too like she did when she had been with her old pack. She would catch small prey, in hopes to help her pack survive.
With each encounter with packs she always hunted for them and hunted as much game as she could for them so that she wouldn't leave them with empty paws. She never took anything from them except for knowledge. One day she hoped to go back and visit but she planned on doing that when she was older. She had had so much experience already, it was time to stay in one place for more than a few days.
She focused her attention back to the female, recollecting her thoughts and putting them in their rightful place until she could go through them when she had some time to herself. For now she would focus on speaking to her potential pack mate.
" Well I am an excellant hunter. I've had a lot of practice through my travels." she smiled. Hunting was her best quality. Besides of course being able to climb trees. But she would tell about that skill later if someone asked what else she could.
She had quite a few skills that could come in handy. Most of them, she had learned from the packs she had stayed with. While others she had learned herself or from her lover, Raven.
Her light blue eyes sparkled in the light as she thought of him. He was always with her, one way or another. He always found his way to her no matter where she was.
Word Count: 356 words Muse: Pretty good Tags: Aludra Notes: none
Aludra was instantly intrigued when the newcomer mentioned that she had traveled. Something about hearing another's stories of the world was absolutely interesting to the medic. It brought about a new, fresh opinion to the way she viewed the world around her. Even if Aludra disagreed with the other's opinion, she could still respect it. Sometimes the Arctic female would wonder how far she traveled, it seemed that her original home lands were light years away. In truth, the canine had little idea how long she had been within the ocean. Her consciousness was persistently fading in and out, it seemed that her life before Anikira had been within the water. 'Thank the heavens that my paws are safely secured upon the ground now,' the thought of swirling within the salty waters sounded more like hell than anything else. The trip to Anikira had certainly almost killed her.
Shaking away the thoughts of near death, Aludra inquired lightly, "Where all have you traveled to?" It was a question spoken with genuine interest, the shaman simply could not resist. There would never be a time that she would pass up such a glorious opportunity. Collecting bits of knowledge was the female's daily quest and she hoped more would be gained today. Her tail picked up a slow wag behind her slender frame, the newcomer did not seem to be a real threat. That did not mean that the shaman was going to let her guard down, but more outward signs of her becoming comfortable were visible.
Her emerald eyes glanced upwards towards her beautiful sky, 'more snow?' Being an Arctic canine the frozen precipitation did little to bother her. The female had a thick undercoat that had developed, which meant even within the heaviest of snowfalls - she was comfortable. Shyia proved to be perfect for breeds similar to hers, they could enjoy the frosty weather and would not be at risk to become ill. Cherie had been upon the shaman's mind a lot recently; her dearest friend was ill equipped for this type of weather. The Apennine female had been doing quite well for herself, but that did not prevent the Arctic from keeping a supply of herbs to use in the event that anyone was taken by the cold. 'I would rather be prepared, anything can happen,' her mind played about with her protective thoughts over her pack mates. There was nothing wrong with the behavior at all, without it there were several lives that may not have been saved.
A sense of happiness settled inside the medic, Castien was the first wolf that she had aided upon acceptance within Airila. There had been many more sense then, some of which were not even her pack mates. "Hunting is a very useful skill," Aludra nodded her head in reassurance to her words, "Winters in Shyia can be very harsh. All of the food moves elsewhere. Hunting becomes a full time job, are you prepared for that?" Aludra did not know what type of pack experience Tala was used to, or if she even had any. If this new female did not want to put in a lot of work for hunting, then Airila was the wrong pack for her. With the decreasing amount of available food, everyone was doing their part to help out - the shaman included. Despite her poor hunting skills, Aludra had even been attempting to kill a hare or two while gathering herbs. None of them had been anything near impressive, but they kept her ravenous belly satisfied.
Her gaze fell upon Tala's and it did not take a fool to notice the glimmer within the other's orbs. 'She must be thinking of someone fondly,' Aludra had her own special brute. Toiro, the Alpha had etched his way into her heart. It had only been recently that the two of them had confessed such a thing to each other, but it had been hanging within the air for quite some time. The ivory female did not care if she needed to hide her feelings for the brute, if he wanted their love to be a secret then it would be. All that mattered to her was that it existed and was genuine.
Interest continued to spark in her eyes as she observed Aludra. She seemed a little timid but maybe she was just shy to strangers. Tala thought in her head.
Her ears perked at the question of where she had traveled. It was quite a long distance she thought remarked sarcastically in her head. She forced herself not to say it because she didn't really know if this would be offensive or taken as rude.
"Almost all over the world." she smiled. Her travels were her favorite part of her life so far. She had learned quite a lot from them.
Like how to hunt, climb trees, get out of danger quickly, and the likes of that. She only knew a few things in the herb area, but she's managed to get by with few difficulties.
As Aludra explained about how the harsh winters brought little prey and suggested that it would be a little challenging, her tail wagged in excitement, barely skimming over the snow. She loved a good challenge. And hunting in winter was quite the challenge. But it was a good thing that she knew how to find prey.
"I am up for the job. I will do anything to help the pack." she said loyally, sitting tall. She may be sarcastic but she was a loyal wolf. She would never betray a pack member or a friend.
She had been raised to be loyal. Loyalty was a quality that had been taught to every pup and wolf since the beginning in Rain Pack. Loyalty and sticking together were what kept the pack together.
It was never every wolf for his or herself. It was fight for with or for your pack mates and never back down. Tala would follow and carry on her pack's lessons to the day she died.
Word Count: 312 words Muse: Muse here Notes: Notes here
Last Edit: Feb 13, 2013 16:20:49 GMT -5 by Deleted
The ivory female was still weary of the femme before her; yet, her comfort was beginning to grow. Showing such a feat would be more difficult than merely containing it. Thus, the shaman's optics simply glittered joyously at the other creature. If Aludra had the ability to act bolder than she might have yipped happily or spun in an enthusiastic circle. The only excitement and activity within Aludra lay inside of those pretty, green eyes. The wind whispered throughout her silky pelt, creating cascading waves of white around her lithe silhouette. For a moment the shaman tilted her crania to the side, vibrance gleaming from her features to absorb her surroundings. Many things were upon the medic's mind; yet, she was still maintaining awareness of her surroundings. Tala seemed to remain still before her gaze, eagerly waiting for the opportunity to find a home. 'She could help us,' the thoughts pecked at her gray matter. Not everyone was cruel, that was quite apparent and there was a likelihood that this canine would cause her no harm.
Audits wiggled happily, Aludra loved worldly knowledge. She craved to learn all that was possible about the planet, at one point she had desired to travel in order to see as much of the world as possible. Now, the thought of leaving Anikira was the farthest concept from her mind. Toiro and the rest of her family lived here, they loved and needed her. In the same way, the shaman needed them even more. Her heart swelled with adoration for the members of Airila, they were the center of her small world. Even with such love for her family, the warm spirit of the Arctic female could carry love for more as well. She believed that this could extend out to Tala, the newcomer, as well. "Would you mind telling me of your travels sometime? I am quite interested in the knowledge you may possess," her words were melodically quiet, almost like the female was embarrassed to inquire such a thing from a loner.
Tala verbalized her commitment and that was all she could for now. The next step would have to be shown through actual acceptance. There was no other way around that. Aludra would need to look past the paranoia etched into her brain. None would intentionally sabotage her pack, right? With a loud thump, her heart agreed with her mind - everything would be okay. "I believe Airila has room for another," with a small pause the ivory canine sent a gentle smile towards Tala. It was taking all of her strength to remain from shaking. "Welcome to the family, Tala," there was more that she craved to say, but believed it best to wait. Upon seeing the new pack member's reaction would she then inquire further.
Toiro was the thought she chose to focus her mind upon. The mere concept of him drowned some of her insecurities. He was the one who had granted her access into such a heavenly place. Butterflies began beating their delicate wings inside of her stomach and a grin was sure to make an appearance very soon. There was little that could upset her when the brute was her focal point. Everything about him made her feel giddy and young; however, her devotion to the Alpha and his pack would always run deep within her circulatory system. Now, Tala was part of the family - she too would be cared for and protected in every way that Aludra knew. Knowing that the family was growing instilled a slight sense of security inside as well, perhaps those demons would not wander over here.
Last Edit: Feb 12, 2013 14:45:57 GMT -5 by Deleted
Her heart fluttered at the thought of sharing her travels. She loved sharing what she knew with other wolves. She liked to learn things to so she always liked to share her knowledge with others too. It provided good to everyone. Well sometimes. Some wolves could use some information for wrong ways.
She waited as Aludra thought. She could almost see the gears turning in her head as she thought.
What if she doesn't accept me? What if I came all this way for nothing. she thought to herself. Doubt always hung in her mind when someone held such a big decision in their paws. She could almost never keep down her jitters. She hated rejection. It was her biggest fear.
When she finally said that she was in, she couldn't help her excitement. She suddenly jumped up and started wagging her tail a mile a minute almost. She jumped around a little bit as she couldn't hold in her excitement.
She had been accepted. After so long of being alone mostly, she was finally going to be with a pack. She would build new relationships and finally not be alone for the second time of her life. She had had quite the rough journey to come to a place where she could finally settle down and stay for the rest of her life.
"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you! she said as she bounced over and licked the she-wolfs cheek. Her light blue eyes were bright with excitement. Her whole body could definitely show her excitement as her whole rear was shaking while her tail wagged vigoriously.
She backed away, blushing a bit but thankful that it didn't show through her fur. Her paws kept lifting up and then setting back down. She couldn't calm her excitement. She was eager to start in the pack and fulfill her duties to help in any way she could.
Word Count: 328 words Muse: Pretty good. Notes: None
Last Edit: Feb 12, 2013 23:02:20 GMT -5 by Deleted
The shaman was eager to see the happiness that the new subordinate was displaying. It was a struggle to resist thumping her own tail with joy. There were few occasions that could be as rewarding as this one. She had just offered this canine a chance for an amazing new life, hopefully the creature would welcome it. Family pride consumed the medic's life, even so Toiro always stuck out the most in her mind. He was their leader and protector; secretly, he carried her heart. None of the others seemed to know about the company they shared, but it meant the world to the ivory creature either way. The mere shadow from his muscular structure could bring a joyous smile to peck upon her muzzle. Emerald eyes darted from the new member to her own paws. 'What to do now?'
The thought expressed the shaman's utmost confusion as to where the interaction went. Tala had been accepted, so what proceeded? The subordinate had avoided her questions about sharing stories, Aludra was rather disappointed. She knew well enough not to pry into the female's life, but still found it rude to be so blatantly ignored. Before she arrived upon Anikira, the Arctic canine had not been of any importance to her original pack. The female had been taunted by the other puppies for her lack of coordination. None within Airila had given her such cruelties thus far, for that she was thankful. A sting of hurt passed across her chest, crania shifted itself away from Tala. She would have preferred the other to simply decline her interest, but nothing could be done about it now. The Arctic canine pushed the weight from her shoulders and opted to ignore the slight annoyance beneath her skin.
Offering a gentle tail wag as her own display of happiness, Aludra began to prepare her mind for the rest of the day. Certainly she would not simply abandon Tala, but she expected that the new female would want some time to herself. It was an assumption upon Aludra's part, but she knew not what to expect from the other canine now. Shoulders rolled lightly as her lithe silhouette took a few slow steps to the side. A searching stare pierced the surroundings, it seemed that the two of them were alone. Despite being certain that the pack was safe, she would have to believe that nothing bad could happen to her or her family. Front paws began shifting in the snow, satisfied to glide atop the icy terrain.
"It is not a problem Tala, we are happy to have you. Would you like me to show you around Shyia? Or are you capable of exploring?" a warm, inviting tone settled around her. None of the other members knew Tala yet, that could find up causing quite the issue. Extending her front paws, the ivory canine pushed get weight back towards her rump. Back had been going stiff; however, it did loosen up for a moment. Green eyes rose to caress the sky and keep such a massive creation safe. The glowing fixtures from above often guided her life, for that they received much respect. A gentle sigh slipped from between her lips, but it was not a desolate sound. It was merely one of patience and waiting to hear Tala's answer.
As she started to calm down, she realized she hadn't answered the she-wolf's question. She mentally smacked herself for being ignorant. She had been thinking about it but had never gotten around to verbally telling her she could. She forgot that only Raven could really read her mind and not anyone else.
"Oh my gosh. I am so sorry! I didn't answer your question. I got caught up in thinking about my answer and not actually saying it. I would love to share with you about my travels." she blushed in embarrassment.
Oh she must think I was being mean to seemingly ignore her. she thought to herself as she bowed her head to the she-wolf in apology.
She wasn't always this ill-focused. But the excitement of being let into a pack had thrown her off course of her usual mind-set. She was usually quite mentally organized with herself. But something of this big of proportion was the biggest thing that's happened to her in her entire life, it was a given to throw her mind off it's course.
"I would love a tour of Shiya. I mean I'm assuming your the only one that knows of my presence. I wouldn't want to run into someone and get into a fight. I think you understand that." she said as she chuckled a little.
She had had experience of this before. She had been exploring on her own in a pack's territory when only two or three wolves knew she was there and she had been given permission to explore when one of the pack's fighters had attacked her. It had not been pretty.
She was submissive but the wolf hadn't understood why she was in it's territory until the Alpha had come running to her aid, having followed her pained yelps. The wolf had been punished for his slight confusion but he was also not supposed to attack first then ask questions.
She never wanted this to happen again. It had left quite the scar on her stomach, that was still visible if she rolled on her back or someone was wrestling with her.
"I've had an experience before that hadn't been pretty from exploring on my own." she said as she shivered at the thought.
Word Count: 402 words Muse: Quite good Notes: None
