Breathing was difficult for the arctic brute for more than one reason. He was fleeing a shadow, a monster of the night whose laughter seemed to echo throughout Amyntas’ mind like some kind of eerie song. While he was certain he’d put a fair distance between himself and the Descai alpha, he was also certain that brute could find him no matter where he decided to run. It was a haunting thought all on its own, enough to chill the brute straight to the bone. But he blamed that chill on the new environment he was in. Everything around him was cold, a land held in a mountain’s embrace. The climate was perfect for the arctic brute.
So why was it that he chose to venture into Descai territory? Was he a secret masochist, seeking the pain that he found there? He knew, upon entering those lands, that the alpha brute would find him one way or another. The Descai pack was well-known around the continent for being full of blood-thirsty monsters, led by the most blood-thirsty of them all. Amyn should have gone around. He never should have stepped foot in Acerbus. He would have never met Kallik, the femme who reminded him painfully of Naomi. He would have never watched her throw herself from the ledge, and watch as the life slowly seeped out of her. He would have never met the sadistic alpha who had left him with a nagging feeling he was going to be watched for the rest of his life.
He would have never had to flee for his life.
Amyntas probably could have put so much more distance between himself and the Descai pack, but he felt secure on the other side of the Tia’deli Mountains. While he was aware Descai territory now ranged to Kamari, Amyn felt if he stuck to the northern border of the northern lands, the Descai alpha wouldn’t be able to find him. It was a foolish thought, and he was aware of how foolish it was, but it gave him the drive to continue going. Perhaps, however, seeking refuge in this particular territory was a terrible idea. Everywhere around him were scent markers, indicating a pack dwelled there. Amyn ought to have known its name, given he’d been on the island for some time, yet it seemed to have evaded him. And seeking refuge with another pack was a dangerous game. He didn’t want to bring about their doom should the Descai alpha decide to seek him out.
But he needed to get to the northern border, though he felt as if he was experiencing déjà vu. When he first wandered into Acerbus, he had been wanting to reach the southern lands, the free lands. Now it was the same, only opposite. He was fleeing for his life, to the north. This time, however, he was certain that no pretty femme would walk across his path, play with him like a toy before convincing him to stay. No. He remained vigilant, eyes scanning the distance ahead like a frightened pup. His fur stood on end, his muscles poised to flee at the slightest sound. If the icy fear spreading through his veins didn’t kill him, he was fairly certain the alpha of this lands would kill him. Or worse...
Send him back to Descai...
words:: Five-Hundred and Sixty-Eight muse:: Great tags::Open ooc:: Took me long enough XD
Aludra was still recovering from her own panic, her own eerie sensation that death was oh so near. Her ventures across the mountains were never going to happen again while she was alone. The femme had heard rumors of the pack that dwelled over there - but now she had seen it. Certainly it was going to stalk her dreams for quite some time, assuming the Arctic female could even sleep. It seemed now that the dreamland was more distant than the hell she had wandered into. The thought of the forest itself still brought shivers to her spine. The Shaman was quite intelligent, but she was ill equipped to wander into another land. No longer would she feel safe leaving the lands of Shyia, especially if it meant she would cross through another pack's lands. The pretty femme tightly shut her eyes, pressing their lids tightly together to shove this idea far from her head. It seemed nearly impossible to do.
Now, she found it difficult to sit still. Constantly she wanted to wander, ever feeling the stare from the two canine's that had greeted her abrupt entrance. It had been naive of her to enter so swiftly, this was true - but the female had not encountered wolves like them in her life. Even before she was separated from her family, all that surrounded her were mostly good-hearted spirits. Sure, no one was perfect; however, none of them were so violent as those. A trickle of pain did stab through her heart at the thought of the silent femme. Aludra had potentially saved her life, she had offered the foreigner all extents of kindness; yet, she was chased from the other's lands - and with much cruelty. A glimmer of sorrow had touched Noella's orbs as she did it though, perhaps the other female had to? Aludra would never know. Under most circumstances she would be driven to find the answer, this time was different. She wanted the memories to fade away completely. The moment she entered that land it reminded her how much she loved Shyia and to the extent she needed Airila.
Though the shivers still danced along her spinal cord and the female nearly jumped with every tousle of her fur given by the wind, she had to pace along the borders. Her reason was a bit peculiar, she was ensuring Toiro's scent thickly marked the edges of the territory. 'Especially along the mountains,' the female would quickly alert the Alpha if the markers were fading. The last thing Airila needed was for Descai to come this way. Their numbers were growing, but the thought of war frightened her greatly. She loved having the capability to aid her pack mates, but did not want them near any sort of danger if it could be avoided. Her tail hung limp between her legs as she meandered along the border of the land she lived upon. Crania was hung low between her shoulder blades for no other reason than fear. It was almost embarrassing to the femme that she was so haunted by the interaction. 'I thought I was going to accidentally bring down my family,' her head shook slowly.
That was when the scent caught her nostrils, it was a faint smell but distinguishable enough as the one from Descai. A whimper escaped her lips before she even realized it. These lands were hers though, well at least she belonged to the pack that lived here. 'If they want something with me for my ignorant actions then they can take me. As long as Airila and Toiro get left alone,' her thoughts were quite fond for the Alpha. Almost too fond. So much change had occurred that Aludra felt completely foreign in her own body. The mixture of chemicals in her brain were confusing to the poor Shaman. Most of her life had been spent alone; although she craved companionship, she was uncertain how to feel about it.
Her auds pulled back towards the female's head, and instantly she crouched down. It was already too late though, the brute was already clear in sight. Her emerald orbs had not focused enough on the details of her journey to notice him at first. She was nearly certain he had seen her delicate figure though. How could he not have? He was a stranger to this land, certainly his guard was up. Emerald orbs focused upon him as she cautiously rose from her crouched state. It wasn't like she would be able to put up a fight if he decided to pursue one, her fear would get the best of her. An inquiring glance was cast at the other snowy hued creature, 'So many ivory pelted wolves find refuge here,' for a second the Shaman was amused but it dissolved rapidly.
"Hello?" the greeting was sour in her mouth. Once more Aludra found herself stumped on what to say. She was not a harsh creature and did not intend to come off cruel to the other in any way. "Have you come for me?" the words slipped from her mouth faster than she realized, terror rising quickly in her chest. Her stance grew more submissive than it should have been towards a foreigner; yet, Aludra felt certain that her fate would be sealed here. Green orbs were nearly filling with tears, this would be the moment that she had to leave Airila. Descai was going to take her away. 'I'm sorry Toiro,' the thought of never seeing him again depressed her more than the neighboring pack scared her.
As Amyntas trudged along, his breathing slowly came back in order. It was a good thing too; he had been making quite the racket with his heavy breath. Now, so long as he watched his footing, he was certain he could pass through like a silent shadow, the only signs of his intrusion being his scent. He just hoped he was long gone before he ran into the alpha or any of the pack members. Not that he couldn’t weasel his way out if he had to. All he had to do was mention the name Descai, and most wolves would fall into a panic. What wolf would want him around if they knew the alpha of Descai was possibly after his life? They would likely give him safe harbor through their territory, but that would be it. And that was all he wanted.
The arctic brute’s pace reminded him, agonizingly so, of his first adventure into Acerbus. He’d been moving just as slowly, though now he was far more tense and alert. He would have the upper hand should another appear. And he would not play into the game Kallik had conned him into joining. He would remain strong, vigilant. What were the odds, anyway? Running into another Naomi look-alike? Amyn was fairly certain that he would never come across such a femme ever again. And if he did, he might just decide to kill her without hearing her name. She would likely die anyway, if he stuck around her.
Amyn shook his head with a low growl. Stop it, he thought, returning his focus to scanning the area. Keep thinking like that, and the only logical choice would be to return to Descai. The shudder that traveled down his spine had nothing to do with the frigid air. In fact, the temperature wasn’t even penetrating his thick coat. Finally an environment he actually belonged in. Acerbus wasn’t too warm, really, but it hadn’t exactly been the most comfortable. Then again, he had been born on the other side of the world. He had never found a place as cold as what he remembered Alaska to be. That had been so long ago...
Just as his mind began fading into the past, Amyn’s nostrils were filled with a new scent. He stiffened, coming to a halt, as his eyes scanned the area around him. It wasn’t the alpha, but it was definitely another wolf. And he wasn’t too sure how friendly this wolf would be. There. He spotted a smaller arctic femme on the fringes just as she darted out of view. He blinked a few times, puzzled. Had she been following him? If so, she was good at masking her scent, let alone walking as quietly as he. Amyn let out a deep sigh, his overall appearance turning calm. She was small in comparison to himself. He could handle this. “You may as well come out. I know you’re there.” It took no further prodding on his part. The femme rose once again, though she seemed to remain where she was.
The first thing Amyn noticed was the fear rolling off of her back. Was he really that intimidating? Perhaps his fur was still on end, or there was a panicked look in his eyes. The former he could adjust. The latter... The arctic brute let out another deep sigh, rolling his shoulders slightly. Whatever fur that was still erect gradually settled down. With a greeting dip of the head, Amyn wagged his tail gently, to show this femme he meant no harm. “Hello,” he murmured in response to her greeting. The words that followed had Amyntas completely stumped. Come for her? What in the name of Fenris did she mean by that? He tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowed in confusion. “I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I don’t understand. Were you expecting me?” For all he knew, this femme could have the gift of sight, and had seen his approach before he’d even departed from Acerbus. Amyn’s heart thudded in fear. Did that mean she knew he was on the run from the alpha? Would she report him to her alpha?
Before he could take off running, Amyn took a close look into her eyes. Was she...crying? The arctic brute was stumped further, frozen in place. Kallik had cried in front of him, though the display was more pathetic than anything. This was...fear? Was she frightened he was going to harm her in some way? Amyn let out a light chuckle, shaking his big head. How funny. They both stood before the other, frightened that harm would come to them. Despite every ounce of his being telling him to leave while he had the chance (a frightened wolf would definitely not chase him down), Amyntas stepped forward cautiously, tail wagging gently behind him. “Fear not, Miss. I’m not going to hurt you.” He still hadn’t the slightest idea why she would even think he would, but he couldn’t just leave knowing she as frightened of him. It would tarnish his caring nature.
words:: Eight-Hundred and Eighty-Six muse:: Excellent~ tags::Aludra, Open ooc:: So many words XD
Her spine felt as if it would snap from the trembling, 'how could this be happening?' Everything felt as if it was melting away, the ground seemed more distant from her feet. Emerald orbs darted across the terrain, begging for him to be the only creature that came to abduct her. The Shaman had not expected the scent of Descai to come swarming into Airila. Somehow the border marks had felt like they were walls of protection surrounding Shyia from invaders. Alas, the femme knew this was an ignorant thought brought about from fear. The feeling wouldn't leave though, somehow Aludra knew something was wrong. Or at least felt that it was. Perhaps she was feeling what Amyntas should have been; after all, she had merely been chased off for intruding. Her weak soul could not handle it though. A fright such as that would haunt her forever, waltz arrogantly through her dreams, casting darkness in every direction.
Auds pulled against her skull for a moment, his words surprised her slightly. They were not harsh as the others' had been, his speech was not spoken between harsh snarling. Green orbs studied the other Arctic creature for a moment, noting that he appeared to be calming down before her very view. 'Perhaps he is just as startled to come across me?' the femme attempted to convince herself to release the tension building up inside. There was no reason to worry now, his lips were down and teeth covered. She inhaled sharply, half-expecting that the brute would lunge at her with not an ounce of a warning. Thus far she was quite mistaken though. His words seemed calm and nearly comforting. 'He doesn't know that I trespassed?' the thought nearly brought a smile to the poor Shaman's features. If this brute was unaware of her deed then maybe she really was safe.
"I must have been mistaken then, my apologies," the femme lowered her crania, ashamed that she had permitted such a fright to swarm over her. The quavering did not diminish completely though and the moths still chewed on her stomach lining. It made no sense to her why someone who smelled of Descai would wander into another pack's territory. The brute did not appear to be stupid, he must have realized what he was doing. Gradually her breath was released from the lungs that had held onto it so tightly, begging that everything was going to go well. "The neighboring pack makes me a bit," the female paused slightly, attempting to find a suitable word to describe them, "jumpy." Jumpy. That did not even describe the terror that was shredding her insides; however, she did not want to show extensive fear anymore to the stranger. That would only give him reason to invade or attack her, right? Aludra was still not quite stellar at greeting foreigners, or really anyone at all.
A nervous glance was cast in the direction of Descai before the female allowed her ivory paws to carry her figure closer to Amyntas. 'He claims that he will not hurt me, why should I not believe him?' But the female knew she had absolutely no reason to trust the brute either, for now he had not been threatening though. That would be convincing enough for now. "What do you call yourself, sir?" her words were still shaky as they rang out through the frigid air surrounding them. A moment passed before the female added, "I am Aludra." The female was unsure if introducing herself was a proper idea; yet, she did not know what else to do.
A few times over the thought crossed her mind about inquiring why he was wandering through Shyia, but the female was nervous that her wording would be poor. The last thing that she wanted was to end up upsetting the brute who had just filled her with fright. 'Toiro would want me to inquire, right?' The Shaman was ill equipped to cope with this. There had not been a moment in her life with which she could relate such a situation. A nervous sway settled into her tail and she began shifting her weight from side to side slowly. Anxiety was crawling into her marrow, settling itself into her cells.
With each passing second, Amyntas was worried that the femme would suddenly take off running. He, of course, would not chase after her, but he hoped it wouldn’t come to that. He was trying his hardest not to intimidate her, though he knew his sheer size was frightening enough as it was. Which was why he kept his stance passive. While he wasn’t about to drop to his stomach and whimper like a pup, he made sure to keep his head low and his tail swaying gently behind him, to let her know he meant no harm.
It seemed to be working. The femme eventually found a bit of courage as her eyes bore into him. He looked away from her gaze, down at his paws, before glancing back up. If either of them was in the wrong, it was certainly him. He had trespassed, had he not? There was no reason for her to be so frightened, and he didn’t want to give her any reason to be so. The tension hovering between them eventually settled, whether through his passive stance or her own assumptions, Amyntas didn’t ask. The arctic brute let out a soft sigh, glad she hadn’t run off. If she was part of this pack, perhaps he could ask for clearance to the northern lands?
Before he could even open his mouth, the femme spoke. Her apology puzzled him. Was she expecting someone else? Did that mean then, that she did not possess powers of sight? Amyntas chuckled lightly, shaking his head. Of course not. The ability to see into the future was nothing more than a myth, a bedtime story told to rowdy pups. The femme let out a long breath, as if she had been holding it in. Amyntas smiled at the thought, though it didn’t last long. She spoke of Descai, and how it made her nervous. He glanced away. “Yes...” he murmured, barely above a whisper. “I know what you mean.”
She knew of Descai. This could turn out very poorly for Amyntas if he didn’t think of a plan. Did she know he was part of that awful pack? If she did, how could he explain why he was there now? Would she think he was acting as a spy? The Descai alpha didn’t seem above such tactics. His eyes snapped back to the femme as she stepped forward, though she still kept a fair distance between them. He smiled slightly at her, tail swaying gently. This was better than being frightened of one another, despite the fact that he was certain she didn’t trust him. But he didn’t blame her. He was an intruder in her home. He didn’t deserve her trust.
Her next question caused Amyntas to freeze. His eyes went wide, his tail stopped moving, and his muscles locked painfully beneath his pelt. His...name? He didn’t want to give that to her. If the alpha knew he was here... Had his muscles not been locked, Amyn would have shuddered violently. The femme went on to introduce herself as Aludra. Well now he had to give his name, didn’t he? It was only polite. But he didn’t want to give his name. His mind searched frantically for a reasonable alternative. “I am called Zephyr,” he said fluidly, as if he said it all the time. He flinched, however, his body telling a different story from his words. Why did he have to choose that name? “It is nice to meet you, Miss Aludra,” he greeted, dipping his head.
Well now what? Aludra seemed to want to say something, but she never came around to it. Or perhaps Amyntas was merely waiting for her to say something, to break the tension he was feeling. And there was one more question she could ask to further his suffering: Where have you come from? He supposed it would be better to say it himself, without having need her ask. But his tongue simply wouldn’t allow it. He could lie easily, say he was from the southern lands and had traveled through Acerbus to reach the mountains (that would explain his scent), but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Instead, he cleared his throat, smiling through his inner turmoil. “Are you, by chance, acquainted with the alpha of these lands? I was hoping to ask a favor of the pack that resides here.” That was a safe question. He knew she was part of the pack, or at least had lived here for some time. He knew what her response to the question would be, and he could easily avert her attention from asking that dreadful question.
words:: Seven-Hundred and Ninety-Two muse:: Good tags::Aludra, Open ooc:: My poor baby </3
Last Edit: Dec 11, 2012 10:46:30 GMT -5 by Deleted
The brute before her seemed respectful enough. Slowly but surely her emotions were settling, the edge was taken away from her figure. The fear drained from the emerald orbs in her skull. The shaman was easy to startle, especially without being a great fighter or possessing any exceptional social skills. In tough situations it seemed that more times than not she would be screwed. What saving grace did the female have? How had she survived this long? Aludra was almost uncertain herself on how she had managed to thrive alone before arriving upon Anikira. Even then, despite the odds, the female had continued to expand her knowledge and to learn the terrain. Magically she had gained acceptance into Airila not long after that. The thoughts still impressed her slightly, the work of deities was easily visible within her life; there was no other reason why she had been able to continue living.
Faintly she heard his words about Descai, the thought of the pack still casting tremors down her skeleton. 'He seems to understand,' the femme nodded her head cautiously in agreement to his words. Some paranoia was still etching away within her mind, she could not completely lose the feeling that something potentially would go very wrong. Aludra tucked this tightly away, hoping that she was remaining a bit stronger in appearance before this brute. Paws carried her into a hesitant side step, emerald orbs sweeping the terrain surrounding them. There really was no reason for her to be so worried, she was within her pack lands; yet, there was still an eerie sensation lingering in the air. Perhaps Descai itself could cast such a foreign feeling to other creatures; it was true that they could inflict such fear. Especially to a female like herself.
Her crania lowered itself into a more formal greeting, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Zephyr," a slight smile peeked at the corners of her mouth. It was hesitant but proved to be more positive emotion than she was experiencing before. Aludra hoped that she was not making this brute more nervous than he potentially already was. She was not exactly the most cheery and social of the wolves here, that would definitely be Cherie. 'This would have been a much happier meeting for him if Cherie had popped up,' the female nearly emitted a laugh at the fond thoughts of her dear friend. They were quite opposite, but where the one lacked it seemed the other succeeded. The two complimented each other nicely.
"I am acquainted with the Alpha, I am the Shaman of Airila What is your favor - Do you wish to join?" The words slipped eagerly from Aludra's mouth. Her tone was a combination of nervousness and excitement. She had yet to be able to formally accept someone, and the thought still sent waves of butterflies along her stomach lining. A gentle pace set place within her tail, the gentle brush of her own tail was comforting to the Arctic female. It was a sign that she was comfortable, happy. At least the prior fear and tension had dripped away, for the most part. Some did still remain, but it was rapidly decreasing. The shaman thought that perhaps the pack life was working well on benefiting her conversational skills; certainly she did not hold the confidence to ask any others about this though. As her mind looped itself back around to the present situation a question did arise.
She longed to inquire what had happened within Descai for this brute. He seemed to fear the neighboring pack more than she did. Her head tilted to one side, casting a lengthy inquiring glance towards Zephyr. Gears were cranking in her skull, 'is now the appropriate time to ask such a question?' Aludra was genuinely unsure. For the most part she was a fairly private creature unless one really wanted to know something about her. As far as she could recall, there was not a single wolf upon Anikira who knew really anything of her past. For the most part the shaman was thankful for this, being abandoned was being told that you were not worth looking for. 'After all they had never attempted to find me, I waited.' Ice settled upon her veins, freezing her within her past.
How young she had been, how incapable of survival. The weight seemed to simply drip from her ribs, the cold seemed much more fierce than it ever had before. Paws trembled with every hesitant step they made to pull the dying corpse along with them. Yet, somehow Aludra had not lost faith. The stars had certainly guided her to safety, to a new home. Shyia had brought about a new beginning within her story, perhaps Zephyr would receive the same treatment. The thought of the other Arctic creature reminded her to pay attention, he was right in front of her after all. No more words spilled from her, the shaman held her tongue. Who was she to inquire if he was going to receive the same new beginning that she had been granted?
With each passing second, the air around the small clearing was growing more and more normal (or close to what it had felt like upon trespassing, anyway). The femme Aludra seemed to be more comfortable around Amyntas, though obviously not enough to trust him just yet. And could he blame her? He was a stranger who smelled strongly of the most terrifying pack on all of Anikira. If he were in her pawprints, he would likely feel the same uneasiness around himself. Even if he hadn’t had Descai’s scent pouring off of his pelt, he was likely to strike fear in heart’s due to his sheer size. Not that he was a particularly large brute. The black and gold alpha had height and length on Amyn, making him feel like a tiny existence in the larger brute’s presence. But the dominating air that surrounded the alpha also had something to do with that.
The arctic brute let out an involuntary shiver as the alpha brute’s words floated back into his mind. “Descai will haunt your very existence until the day that you die.” The pack itself would not haunt his days; it was the brute in question that instilled fear upon Amyn’s soul. He knew, however, that if the alpha wanted Amyn dead, the wolves under his command would stop at nothing to please their leader. The alpha’s son and beta in particular... Both seemed eager to keep in the good graces of their alpha.
Why? Why had he made the mistake of going into Descai? How could he have been so stupid? It had been a whim, a chance, one that ended terribly. Was he making the same mistake again? His golden gaze fell upon Aludra before him. She was obviously of a kind heart, as she had yet to call for aid or downright chase him off. Kallik had been the same, in a way. She had been far from kind, but she hadn’t once called out for the alpha brute, nor did she make a move to attack him. She’d gotten in his way, yes, and played him like a toy. But what could he have expected from a member of the Descai pack?
Amyn shook his big head. No, no. Now wasn’t the time to dwell upon the past. He had other things to deal with at present. When that name fell from Aludra’s lips, Amyn froze. His mind immediately summoned the fierce glare Zephyr had given him the day the pups were killed. Amyn started trembling slightly, his mind locked momentarily in the past. He’s dead, he coaxed himself. Zeph died long ago. You are only using his name to survive. He. Is. Dead. As if he had been emerged from a length of time underwater, Amyn began to breathe heavily, his muscles slowly relaxing. He should have chosen a different name. Any name was better than that one. But it was too late now. The femme Aludra believed him to be Zephyr.
So Zephyr he would be.
The words from the smaller femme brought Amyn closer to reality. His breathing was still labored, but he managed to get a hold of himself. He rose back to a proper position, casting the femme a friendly smile. “Shaman? That is a pretty impressive feat, I must say.” He himself knew very little about plants and things. He was just as likely to eat something toxic as he was to find something that was actually helpful, if not more so to ingest the toxic plant. A Shaman would have come in handy when he’d fallen ill with that cough a few months back. Her inquiry caused Amyn to freeze once more. “Join?” Yes, that seemed the most plausible explanation as to his intrusion. But joining was generally done at the border, not smack in the middle of the territory. Not to mention Amyn didn’t really wish to join another pack. Not with the Descai alpha’s words looming over his head.
But he was no longer Amyntas, the arctic murderer of Descai. He was now Zephyr, the trespassing brute that happened to emit the scent of Descai. Could he truly be safe within the mountains cradle? What would become of this pack should the black and gold brute decide to put a bounty on his head? Could he protect them? Surely the brute wouldn’t wage war so soon after his departure. And he had made it clear that so long as Amyntas kept away from the pack, he was in no imminent danger. Not unless the brute decided otherwise. And who knew what the great brute was thinking. A heavy sigh slipped from Amyn’s maw. For now, it was the only solution, wasn’t it? “I suppose I do wish to join,” he murmured softly, eyes locked on his paws. While he didn’t want to endanger the lives of who-knows-how-many wolves that lived in this territory, he was genuinely frightened to be alone. So, for the time being, he would seek refuge within the pack. And if that meant he had to pull his own weight and become a proper member, so be it. Amyntas, no. Zephyr was ready to do whatever was necessary to be useful.
words:: Eight-Hundred and Ninety muse:: Tied to a tree and never allowed to run away again tags::Aludra ooc:: He's actually kind of looking forward to being part of a normal pack... I'm mildly surprised by him o.o
OoC| I apologize in advance for this being terrible, I had a bit of a bad surprise this evening.
Bic|
The shaman was madly in love with her new life, fascinated by the hope and potential that lay so within her grasp. Never before had any of her dreams appeared to be within reach - yet now they all lay before her. They simply waited for her to put one foot forward and and leap. The ivory female was intrigued by the changes that had developed within herself, for one she was much more social now. Prior to Airila the femme had remained nearly silent, but now her inward excitement would spill (sometimes too quickly) from her maw. It seemed that she was more than willing to show the flickers of emotions that had seemed to be so distant when upon the continent. Was that old life really hers? Somehow the Aludra that had lived then must have died and been replaced by her current soul. 'It must have happened when I was swept across the ocean.'
For a moment the female felt the icy water clinging to her pelt once more. The turmoil consumed more than just her stomach as the ocean waves tossed her about as if she was nothing more than a rag doll. For an eternity it seemed as if the female was going to die, slowly her lungs were filling with water. The sensation of bursting filled her chest, and then all went dark. It had taken some time before the female established about how long she had been unconscious, but even so she could never exactly tell. All the female knew when she awoke was the excruciating pain that was flaring throughout her body. For the next several days she had been violently ill, and nothing seemed to rid her body of the excessive salt water it had ingested. However, the female had magically survived all of that agony and proceeded to further her search for knowledge. She had grown so much stronger now, on occasion the female felt that perhaps she could hunt if she put her mind too it. The back of her mind begged to differ though, it spoke of her poor coordination when it came to some activities.
Emerald gaze observed Amyntas once again, he was of the same breed as herself - only quite a bit larger. Aludra had always been a bit on the small side, which may have been the reason that she had preferred educating herself rather than fighting. She never would be able to hold her own against some of the larger canines that were around when she was a whelp. This brute could have quite the potential, he could be an asset to Airila. 'Maybe he can protect us from Descai?' the thought brought about an almost pleading glance towards the brute. She wanted Airila to be safe from harm, to have a permanent wall deflecting harm. If only heaven could take Shyia away from the evil that lay right outside their borders, but perhaps that was part of sin. It was part of what the stars foretold. Softly, the female sighed finally averting her gaze above the mountains and the trees. Only could they protect them, even if it meant that their physical bodies would die.
"Thank you," the female proceeded to avoid acknowledgment of the world around her, she did muster a small bow in appreciation towards his remark. It was the utmost flattery to the female to have one compliment her rank, it was her pride and joy. "I would be honored to teach you anything you would like to know," a soft smile actually slunk over the female's maw. Aludra hardly noticed it, her mind was pulsating rabidly with thoughts of the future. 'I will wait until night time, then I will know.' Only then could the stars make themselves visible to her.
"Really?" the edge of excitement sliced through her tranquility, the female nearly jumped at Zephyr's words. Instantly, her tail picked up speed in delight at the brute's interest in Airila. Hopefully if he opted to stay Toiro would be pleased with him, it would look good for both of them. "Do you have any specific skills or anything?" the female's interest was easily apparent in her tone.
A strange feeling came over Amyntas as Aludra’s eyes brushed over him. Her eyes were almost the same color as Kallik’s, and the realization made him shudder. Here he was, so close to another female, yet instead of feeling remorse and a sense of needing to protect this femme, Amyn felt terrified. She wasn’t nearly as close to him as Kallik or Naomi had been, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t be. If he let another female get close to him. No; scratch that. If he let any other get close to him as Kallik and Naomi had been, it would likely be the end of their life. How could he protect them from the inevitable? It was impossible.
So as Aludra spoke, flattered by his praise, Amyn took a few steps away from her. His expression grew guarded very quickly, and when she offered to teach him, he spoke a little too sharply. “I have no interest in plants and such.” Amyn winced, catching the bite to his own tone. In a much softer voice, he said, “Trying to teach me would only lead to headaches, I’m afraid. I’m quite dense.” He broke into a soft smile, hoping to lighten the mood once again. The last thing he wanted was for her to grow suspicious. Or worse: for her to fear him.
Amyn laughed curtly, humorlessly, at the femme’s excitement over his potential joining. She didn’t know the truth. If she did, she would never be that excited. In fact, Amyn was fairly certain she wouldn’t even be speaking with him. No doubt the pack would tear the flesh from his bones if they knew of the true horror sitting on his shoulder. Other than his guarded expression, however, Amyn didn’t let on the turmoil lurking in his mind. On the outside, he was Zephyr, a hopeful new pack member for this pack. Aludra’s question caught him a little off-guard. Did he have any spectacular skills? The Descai alpha hadn’t asked him such a thing, just allowed him to join right then and there. So Amyn never really thought about what he could offer a pack.
It had been some time since he was actually part of a pack. He didn’t count his days in Descai, or when he was with Zephyr and Naomi. The only time he was truly part of a pack, truly useful as a wolf, was when he was back home in Alaska. And back then, he’d only been a pup, with no real skills to offer up. But now he was going on his sixth year. And there was one main skill he had, one that haunted him constantly. After a long silence, Amyn finally spoke up. “It isn’t really a skill to be proud of,” he began, voice hardly above a whisper, “but I am good at fighting.” Unlike when Aludra spoke of her own rank, Amyn’s voice was void of any positive emotion as he spoke of his ‘skill’. Most acquired their skills through some kind of ambition or natural talent. Amyn’s capabilities were forced upon him, and were nothing he was proud of.
words:: Five-Hundred and Forty-One muse:: Okay tags::Aludra, Open ooc:: This post could have been better...
Once more she was off in her own happy place, her mind. Realizing how beautiful the present had turned out to be always would brighten the ivory creature's day. The sky had guided her in the right direction, she had followed the truth that the stars had laid before her. After all of the nights being alone, crying out in depression, she now held a home. There were others around her that needed her and valued her. Nothing had prepared Aludra for the happiness that would gnaw away at the darkest corners of her soul, assuming there was any darkness at all about this creature. For a moment, the shaman was hardly even standing before the brute. She was running across the clouds, rejoicing in everything; yet, there still was something that needed to be figured out. It was the one thing that the femme did not know how to cope with, the only thing that had ever etched away and caused her such a mind throb.
Toiro? The large grey brute was easily cast in a ray of light in her mind. There was nothing that made her smile more than the thought of his company. There would always be those silly memories of the way they lightly brushed against each other. Butterflies beat their wings against her stomach lining, causing her to feel nearly nauseous with excitement. The feeling of such joy still felt strange; yet, it was becoming a bit more acceptable to the shaman. That did not mean that she knew how to cope with it any better. Rather, the longer that it went on the less she believed she knew what to do. Certainly Toiro would express his own interest? Right? Aludra was lost, there was little that she knew about love. Never before had the femme seen a true pair that had given their all to be together. She believed that somewhere it could exist, even if others struggled with it.
The brute's words brought her back to attention sharply, she should not have allowed herself to drift off. Either way, at least a part of her brain had remained alert to his words. Emerald gaze settled upon the other ivory creature and nearly instantly she detected his slightly unsettled aura. Her features furrowed for a moment, attempting to detect what could be making him uncomfortable. 'Am I upsetting?' Aludra disguised her whimper as a quick answer to the brute's response, "It is not for everyone." Her head bobbed up and down a few times as if reinforcing her words to be true. "I - " the femme cut herself short, perhaps expressing her own poor fighting skills would not be the best of ideas. It could simply antagonize this brute to attack her, he did seem significantly more relaxed now though. Aludra was not going to risk it right now, unless the brute took the time to inquire.
As if right on queue he spoke of his own skill - fighting. 'Of course,' the female averted her gaze nervously. It would seem that she had quite the habit to bringing herself towards canine's that held coordination far better than her own. Maybe it was a gift and a curse all within one. Either way, that meant Zephyr would most likely be very useful to Airila. 'Chances are he can hunt at least decently as well, and Toiro and Hux always need additional help with border patrol,' thoughts ran laps through her tired brain. Once more it seemed that Aludra had worked herself up for nothing. Funny how that always happened, she believed that the day she did not become paranoid would be the day that something bad actually happened,
"I believe you would be quite beneficial to Airila and we would love to welcome you into our family," the Arctic femme nodded her head happily towards the brute. "Would you like me to show you around? I can lead you to the dens, maybe we will run into some of the others?" Her speech began to nervously waver away at the end, her courage vanishing. There was only so long that she could speak before her brain became nervous and shut down. Then words seemed to fail her.
As Amyntas watched Aludra react to his harsh words, he felt a sting in his heart. He was not a mean character; it pained him to cause harm to others, whether physical or verbal. But he knew he had to keep this femme at paw’s length. If she got too close to him, he would accidentally cause her harm. He would not be able to handle more blood on his paws. Aludra seemed nice enough. And skilled. Amyn himself had never met a decent Shaman before. Many that claimed to be Shamans, but none that were actually skilled at being so. Though he hadn’t seen her abilities in action, Amyn had little doubt that Aludra was meant to be Shaman.
The instant he mentioned being a skilled fighter, Amyn noticed Aludra’s gaze drop away. Hm? He gave a puzzled tilt of his head. Was it bad to be a fighter? Well, if she knew just how far his skills went, she would definitely think so. But this reaction... It made Amyn want to protect her, to throw his firm decision aside and let her get close to him. The arctic brute even took a step forward, eyes full of concern. But he caught himself. You can’t, he scolded, dropping his own gaze. If he began to frighten her, he would leave, whether it was from the territory all together or just the vicinity. Having her be frightened of him would make his joining the pack pointless.
Whatever her thoughts had been, Aludra hadn’t taken off yet. She remained with him, and even praised him a little. Beneficial? Welcome? The words brought heat to the surface of the brute’s skin. That was just her opinion of the matter, wasn’t it? How could someone like him be beneficial? He was a broken down mess. Oh, but that’s right. She wasn’t looking at Amyntas, the murderer runaway. She was looking at Zephyr, the sensitive fighter determined to join a pack and be beneficial. The thought alone made Amyn shudder, the heat from her words vanishing as quickly as it had risen.
Aludra then offered to show him around, to take him to the dens. Amyn froze. Was that such a good idea? He had yet to meet the alpha, and the last time he’d gone to the dens, the beta showed up and verbally abused the femme he was with. “I would love a tour, Miss Aludra. But perhaps we should steer clear of the dens.” For a moment, he felt he ought to leave it at that. His discomfort was showing in his words and body language. But what would Zephyr, the pack hopeful, be frightened of a den for? “It’s just... I’m not part of the pack. A loner that close to the dens will cause problems, won’t it?” There. That sounded reasonable. Smart, even. Crisis averted.
words:: Four-Hundred and Eighty-Nine muse:: Awful... tags::Aludra, Open ooc:: My muse for him is dying ;-;
Despite being a shaman, Aludra had been granted a high power from her Alpha. He had deemed her worthy of accepting members into the beloved Airila. Butterflies still quivered their lithe wings within her stomach at the mere thought. The moment those words had parted from the brute's lips Aludra actually felt that their connection was mutual for a moment. Rapidly she had attempted to pretend that it was not so, he must be interested in someone else. Either way, the talent was now within her paws - she only had to use it. The femme had never asked what had possessed Lord Toiro to do such a thing; yet, she wished not to. An explanation was not necessary in order for Aludra to feel meaningful to him and blessed by the skies above. Her life proceeded within it perfection, there was little else that the femme needed.
A smile began to lightly dance over her features, peaking itself out slightly; however, not fully exposing itself. "I have been granted privileges by the Alpha to accept worthy loners into Airila. Welcome to the family," her words were graceful, musical as they escaped from her ivory muzzle. It had taken the femme a moment to realize that typically a shaman did not have the power to accept wolves into a pack. His confusion was easily clear within her own mind as well, she had not indulged into him the authority she apparently held. It was comforting to the Arctic female to have another canine among their ranks, especially after the unfortunate run in with Descai. 'We need all the warriors and protectors possible,' her body shivered slightly at the thought. For a moment her emerald eyes distanced themselves from Shyia and stared off into the direction of Acerbus. Worry flooded her veins, that she felt certain was evident within her facial features. Hopefully they would stay on their side of the mountains and Airila was safe over here. A whine tempted itself to peek from her muzzle.
Her head nodded in response to Zephyr's first statement, "If you are not used to living with others you are more than welcome to sleep essentially wherever." A cheery, but awkward, giggle escaped from the shaman's lips. Conversation was beginning to become more difficult to her. It seemed that there was only so much that she could say before her nerves began to get the best of her. Descai had startled her something quite awful, even the thought of it was terrifying. Now the femme new to be more weary of meandering into other territories when she gathered; yet, the fear had become something stronger underneath her skin. Aludra had never encountered something quite like them before in her life, the terror still rang powerful within her bloodstream. 'Eventually this will fade away, we are safe.' Her mind coaxed her body to calm down, release the built up nerves so apparent.
Just then the femme heard a calling in the distance, her head lifted itself as far as possible from her petite shoulders. Audits erected as if the femme was attempting to perch herself as high towards the sky as she could. She was of no impressive size and even in such a poise did not look intimidating in the slightest. "Come Zephyr!" The eager tone in her words could not be masked even if the Arctic female had tried. Instantly her tail had began swiftly swinging itself. 'Toiro called for the pack, we must go quickly,' her mind was right. Despite being a shaman, she felt as if it was her duty to come at the Alpha's calling as soon as possible. "You can meet some of the others," her tone had settled itself slightly, she had drawn back into being shy and quiet. Happiness was still apparent; yet, it was not gushing from her pores. On occasion the female would erupt with emotion and passion for something, but soon after she became slightly reclusive once more.
The femme turned her frame to face the direction from which Toiro's call had came from. She cast the other brute a welcoming glance, emerald orbs gleaming. With a slight nod of her head, the femme had settled off at a light trot expecting that the white brute would be falling shortly behind her. Her pace was not the fastest; yet, she was trying to arrive with haste to the Alpha's summoning. Snow whispered around the canines within the lands of Shyia, there was something comforting about it to Aludra. It certainly did bring her more camouflage to the land, as if she really needed it.
OoC| Bad post is bad, I'm gonna post in the hunt thread and assume that Amyntas followed her lol.
