relax, just do it -- ! [OPEN]

[Deleted]

[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,false][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,500,true]

[atrb=background,http://imageshack.us/a/img231/6431/cherietablem.png] In the days that had followed joining the Airila pack, Cherie had taken it upon herself to do a good deal of exploring. She had met what she'd hoped was everyone currently in the pack. The alpha Toiro, Aludra the shaman, Huxleyi the beta, the ill warrior Castien whom she had started bringing small morsels of food. Airila was a small pack, but it seemed to be quite hardy. With all of the important ranks filled, there was no doubt they would make it through winter. Today, however, at least for now, was to be a day of rest. The young female had been hunting every day, usually toting back small game such as birds and hares. With the temperature dropping, prey was starting to get scarce. And, without much organized help she could not bring back large game. Sure she might get lucky and stumble across some hoven animal that was elderly, sickly, or dying. Getting such a creature back to the dens by herself was difficult though. And, while she knew her smaller catches wouldn't be enough for constantly full bellies, they made for a decent supper every night. Cherie just wished she could do more. 'Maybe I should speak with Toiro about calling a formal hunt?' she pondered, lazily laying next to the flowing underwater stream. Maybe it wasn't her place to make such a call seeing as she was only a hunter. There was no lead though, and if she could prove herself, the honor could end up her's? Now there was a tempting thought. Lead hunter of the Airila pack... Cherie had never held such an important position before. While she was more than capable skill wise, her old pack had believed her breathing issues would hold her back. As long as she didn't push herself too hard, however, there was no reason she couldn't be successful in such a position. Tilting her head back, the femme let out a short call. It wasn't so much a summoning howl as it was testing to see who might be around. The girl wouldn't mind a little company. Plus, it would be good to get to know her pack mates a little better. Maybe she would even be able to talk one or two of them into hunting with her. It had been so long since she'd hunted with others that she was starting to feel a bit rusty. Either way, she laid her head back on her paws, listening intently in hopes of hearing someone approach. It would be nice to have someone to talk to.

[atrb=background,http://imageshack.us/a/img231/6431/cherietablem.png] tagged: open | words: 427 notes: started out good, then got a bit rambly...

[Deleted]

The air felt crisp that morning when Huxleyi awoke, his muscles protesting to movement away from the warmth of sleep. Despite what his body wanted, he knew he couldn't remain lethargic and cozy all day, and he eventually arose after a very satisfying series of stretches. After trotting in a zig zag through the trees for a bit, Huxleyi tested the air - he could only smell the familiar, which was good - calming. Having arisen so early he had plenty of time to explore the forested areas of Shyia, discovering all manner of new sights and sounds. The flora and fauna were so different here, or maybe they weren't, he probably hadn't spent much time observing such things in his previous pack, or during his time alone.

He heaved a sigh, the sun rising higher now, though the heat it once provided had waned. He wondered then what his packmates were doing. Aludra could certainly tell him more about the plants and animals of the area. His stomach grumbled at him, reminding Huxleyi that he had not yet had a morning meal. He was certain he could catch something small on his own - Cherie. Her howl interrupted his thoughts of food with even grander ideas. She was the only true huntress of the pack, maybe she had made a nicer kill than he could on his own.

She wasn't far, down by the lovely river that cut through the caves of the Airila territory. Changing course, Huxleyi made his way through the lofty trees and towards the river at Lerelm. As he arrived at the mouth of the caves he gave a low chuff, baritone voice announcing his presence. He ambled his way into the cave, the rushing sound of the cool water pleasant as it wafted into his ears. Cherie wasn't too far back, laying on the ground, seemingly relaxed.

"Hello Cherie," Huxleyi greeted the dusky she-wolf with a neat dip of his snout, stopping a few paces from her reclined form. Side-stepping to the very edge of the stream he dropped his head to lap at the cool water, tongue sloshing the liquid back down his throat. Refreshing.

"How are you?" He asked, returning to sit in front of her, tail wagging gently at the comfort of company.

[Deleted]

[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,false][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,500,true]

[atrb=background,http://imageshack.us/a/img231/6431/cherietablem.png] It wasn't all that long before her call was answered. Or maybe time was just flying. Cherie wasn't really a good one to judge when the position of the sun could not be seen. Not that time mattered, really. Sure her age changed with the passing of the moon cycles but, so long as she found time to sleep how fast or slow the rest of it passed did not really matter. Regardless, it wasn't long before the beta made his presence known and his form came into view. Pleased to have some company, her own tail wagged, thumping against the ground in an excited rhythm. Though she had not spent an exorbitant amount of time with the brute, Cherie had judged him to be sweet enough. He had been polite and kind when they'd met on the beach and that was enough to immediately endear her to him. The femme wasn't one to find fault with others, after all. Even in the bleakest of situations she would most likely find something to smile about. "Hello Huxi," she grinned, head dipping slightly to bring a hint of respect to her greeting. He had told them that he preferred informalities on nonformal occasions. Like it or not, for Cherie that meant she could butcher the male's name as she pleased. Huxleyi was a bit of a mouthful for her anyway, unlike most names she'd heard. Of course, her own name and those of her birth pack mates had been passed down in the old language. Stretching her neck, the apennine female gathered her forepaws beneath her to push up into a sitting position. Sure she would have preferred to remain laying down, but what she had been taught versus the social customs of her new pack had not really separated themselves out yet. As far as she believed, a lady was to always sit in the presence of a male, head lowered slightly and appearance kept dainty. Of course, her wagging tail always added a bit of whimsy to the posture but she did try to show some etiquette. "I'm curious," an odd choice of self-expression but the idea of a pack hunt was still weighing on her mind and she supposed asking the beta was just as good as asking the alpha. "How are you?"

[atrb=background,http://imageshack.us/a/img231/6431/cherietablem.png] tagged: huxi&open | words: 394 notes: sorry for the delay. flu sucks. x.x

[Deleted]

Huxi? That was a new one... He'd never had a pet name before. He was unsure how to feel about it, he was happy that Cherie was comfortable enough to bestow him with such a name, but also worried about this act going farther than what he was comfortable with. Huxleyi may have been jumping the gun, but his fear of attachment was ever present. He wouldn't let pain or misfortune fall on the wolves of his new home, and in his life he'd been a constant source of disaster to those who he loved. Maybe relationships like that weren't for him.

His brow furrowed a bit at Cheri's response to his question. Curious? That was indeed an odd reply to his question. Curious about what, he wondered. Huxleyi let his tongue poke out the front of his muzzle in a gentle pant as he relaxed. "I'm quite alright." He stated, nodding at her, noting the rather quaint way in which she held herself, head bowed neatly. She looked almost childlike in her subordinance. Huxleyi thought to mention it, but wouldn't want to embarrass her - perhaps this was just her custom and how she felt most comfortable.

Shifting his weight to the right, Huxleyi lifted his left hind leg to scratch his flank. Not an overly attractive action, but an itch had arisen. "What are you curious about?" He asked suddenly, mid scratch. He hoped it had something to do with food. He was indeed hungry, and it had been quite seem time since he'd been on a pack hunt, let alone one he enjoyed. His mind wandered then to the last pack hunt he had had, it was after his mother had died. Amos and he had been allowed to hunt together and it had felt so unreal, as if the torturous life in that pack had not been waiting for them. They were accompanied by their father and two others, and managed to bring down a doe. They ate heartily that night and had even had time to converse on their own in isolation for the vigilant guard of others. Was it then they had decided to run? Maybe it was, Huxleyi couldn't remember. The time after that was a blur of carnage and lost family members. It couldn't have been long after that when Amos had managed to run away.

A sudden twinge in his rear left paw brought him away from his memories. The absent toe often would hurt, the ghost pain a constant reminder of the night he'd lost everything. Or gained everything. He wasn't sure whether being dumped by the tyrannical pack had been positive. He was happy now, but he had lost so much, and left behind his sister. He hoped she was alright, likely better off without him causing havoc and rebellion. He hoped she didn't think he had abandoned her.

Ooc: that was rambley... I apologize. u.u

[Deleted]

[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,false][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,500,true]

[atrb=background,http://imageshack.us/a/img231/6431/cherietablem.png] The beta took the bait. Almost immediately Cherie's head lifted. It was hard to hold to a posture of submission when what weighed on her mind was clearly not. A part of her was wanting to take charge, to do something more than sit in peace and do as told. As the only hunter it was difficult to know where she stood with the others. She knew her individual duty; that one was easy. As long as she provided food for the pack, she was doing her job. But what were her freedoms and restrictions with her pack mates? Did she have the power to call a formal hunt? And, even then, if she only made it an innocent request she would surely not be taken seriously if she allowed herself to appear weak and foolish. "I was wondering..." she paused, looking up at Huxleyi with pretty orange eyes. For the first time since joining the pack Cherie actually felt almost shy. Dominance had never been her strong point. Sure, she could lead a hunt and give commands in that sense. She wasn't used to being someone of rank though and wasn't even sure what exactly her rank included. Better yet, this was the beta she was talking to. Sure, Hux had said it was alright to be relatively informal in his presence. He still outranked by quite a bit though and the Apennine didn't want to come off as trying to be bossy. "Do you think it would be alright if I tried to gather a hunting party?" For a few moments she held the male's gaze, tail finally slowing to a halt. Okay, so the question was more of a request to make a request than anything else. It was okay to ask it like that though, right? The normally bright and vivacious femme dropped her head again, returning to the more submissive (but comfortingly familiar) pose. She fidgeted slightly, body as anxious for an answer as was her mind. What if Huxleyi said no? Or what if he tried to take charge because he outranked her? The latter wouldn't be too much of a blow to her ego. Cherie really didn't want to keep hunting on her own though. She knew the others were busy, all holding important ranks that required more work than her own really did. She was starting to feel lonely though, and her stomach was craving something more substantial than gulls and rabbits.

[atrb=background,http://imageshack.us/a/img231/6431/cherietablem.png] tagged: huxleyi&open | words: 417 notes: sorry for the wait. hopefully it's not all over the place. x.x

[Deleted]

Huxleyi's bushy tail wagged at the thought of a hunt, thumping against the ground quite noticeably. He was however, thinking seriously on the matter of her request. Could she call a pack hunt? She wasn't the lead huntress, and Hux wondered how Toiro would take it if she rallied a hunting party? Would he see it as her taking command where it was not afforded her? Huxleyi was under the impression that such a quality - taking up responsibility even when not asked to - would be a desirable one in a pack mate. At least it did in this world, where things made sense and a fairness existed. Back in the oppressive land where he'd left his siblings, such an outburst would have been punished. Perhaps that was the type of place Cherie had come from? She certainly held a submissive posture by default. This thought weighed heavily on him, and he grew slightly curious as to if it were true.

Finally after a moment of thought, Huxleyi gave a slow nod, "I'm sure Toiro wouldn't mind if you wanted to try and lead a hunt, but I would suggest consulting him about the matter first." With that answer he gave another quick nod, yes she should definitely speak with Toiro first. Cherie seemed like the type of wolfess that if she did do something wrong, she would take the punishment much to severely. Or perhaps punish herself even if Toiro were to be forgiving. He hoped this line of thinking was incorrect.

"Cherie?" He queried suddenly, "Where do you come from exactly? You seem all too comfortable in your crumpled posture, as if you are afraid I might snap at you." He studied the femme now, his eyes casting forwards to meet with hers, looking for honesty in her next reply.

[Deleted]

[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,false][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,500,true]

[atrb=background,http://imageshack.us/a/img231/6431/cherietablem.png] Ask Toiro first. Right. Cherie dipped her head as she gave a curt nod. "Alright, thank you. If... if you see him before I do, could you let him know I'd like to speak to him? Please." Toiro was a very busy wolf these days. She was no stranger to the many howls that went up in the woods. The young huntress didn't have time to bother with the loners who wished to join though. For one, it wasn't her place. For two, if they did join then it was her job to see to it that they had a nice meal upon arriving. More potential pack members meant more mouths to feed. All the more reason to call a real hunt. The little prey she was catching would not be enough to keep feeding everyone and they needed something filling before the large game became scarce. As for the request she'd just made of Huxleyi, it had felt weird as each word fell from her mouth. He was the beta, and a male. He was above her in every way imaginable. Sure he had requested to be treated like an equal, but a wolf couldn't just go around demanding the beta make the alpha talk to her. It was out of line. Her tail wagged slightly, hoping to show it was just a request and not some sort of order. As beta, Hux was more likely to see the alpha than she was. They had to talk about pack problems and stuff, didn't they? She, on the other hand, was lucky if she saw any of her pack mates on any given day. The hunter's life was quiet and, at the moment, rather solitary. She caught food, brought it back to the dens, and went out again if no one showed up during her short breaks. If it wasn't for the constant productivity, by now she would be feeling extremely lonely. Huxleyi's question caught her off guard, bringing her thoughts away from trying to figure out how exactly she was supposed to ask Toiro about calling a hunt. She wasn't alone right now. She had company, actual company as opposed to the imagined conversations she conjured up sometimes to pass the time. Shrugging her shoulders, she peeked up at the beta male with orange eyes, not quite meeting his gaze but it was better than when she'd been looking at the floor. They'd never really gotten to finish their conversation from the beach. She just wished he hadn't pointed out how cowardly she could appear. "There used to be a pack just north of here. In Caurus. It was... nothing like this one. And when Alpha died everyone split up, so I came here. It had always sounded nice here, maybe even better than home. I've never left the north before." Her life had been so secluded in the northern most territory that she did not know how to properly act.

[atrb=background,http://imageshack.us/a/img231/6431/cherietablem.png] tagged: huxleyi | words: 506 notes: soooooo sorry for the long wait >.<

[Deleted]

Huxleyi nodded to her request, not thinking it odd to ask this favor of him. After all, they were friends weren't they? The thought made him rather happy, in spite of his aversion to attachment outside of pack-life, but maybe real friendship WAS part of being in a pack. He was starting to think so, as his old dwelling was anything but a model system. "Of course Cherie, I'll let him know." His tail swayed gently as he spoke, smiling at her, though his features seemed to droop as she spoke.

Had he said something wrong? Huxleyi surely hoped he hadn't insulted Cherie in any way, it had not been his intention. He listened as she gave him a small abridged version of where she had come from, though it offered little explanation for why she seemed so meek. He would not press, however, as Huxleyi too wasn't entirely comfortable sharing his secrets. "Only the packlands are familiar to me," He began slowly, trying to choose his words carefully so as not to prod her again with questions she might not want to answer, "I have yet to explore anywhere else other than here."

Another pause, this time he let his eyes drop to the ground, examining his forepaws before more speech made its way out of his maw. "Maybe we could explore sometime together? As a beta I should know what the surrounding lands are like. Surely there are some areas yet unclaimed?" He wasn't sure if he was rambling or not now, but suddenly he couldn't stop yammering, and Huxleyi continued on with talking, this time about himself.

"My old pack was nothing like this one either. Their is such kindness here, and people who I can easily respect, and want to call my friends. It's been a long time since I've had real friends." He mentally kicked himself for his sincerity - he must have sounded so ridiculous, not having any friends! How pathetic! "But that's the past I guess, and we're here now, and it's lovely." He inhaled as he finished speaking, his lungs empty from such exhaustive talking. His ears went back and he gave a short little laugh at himself, a bit sheepish at his ranting. He gave an apologetic smile, but said nothing more. Usually Huxleyi was all business, but he felt calm now and at ease. He could relax here, and maybe discover a bit more of his old self, the happy Hux that had ocne had a family to call home.

[Deleted]

[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,false][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,500,true]

[atrb=background,http://imageshack.us/a/img231/6431/cherietablem.png] "Thank you, sir!" The words left her lips without much thought and when she realized how she sounded, she blushed. She had been overeager and overly formal all in the same sentence. Hopefully Huxleyi wouldn't fault her for it. Thus far he had proved himself to be a good, kind hearted brute. He was large and strong and powerful much like the males of her former pack. He (and Toiro) was sweet and proud and understanding. He wouldn't hurt her, not like the others used to. As the conversation shifted to the lands around them, however, she was able to relax a little more. Vaguely she remembered that both the beta and Aludra had come from the sea. For a brief moment her mind wandered, wondering what lay beyond the borders of Anikira. She had seen the sea plenty of times; Caurus bordered the ocean. But, never before had she crossed it and never had seen been someplace where she could see land out past the horizon. There was so much more than her secluded little homeland of Anikira. Huxleyi's questions snapped her out of her musings and she lifted her gaze to meet his face. Leave the territory? Explore the surrounding free lands? Until her birth pack disbanded she had never been allowed outside the borders of Caurus. Now she lived in Shyia and the rest of Anikira was at her paws? "You mean it? We're allowed to leave the territory? Oh can we, can we, can we?" The submission she'd been showing previously melted off her in waves, childish excitement overcoming her body. Her tail wavered at the prospect, orange eyes lighting up her whole face. Never before had she been offered such freedom. Even the beta's accidental confession could not sway her sudden good mood. If anything, it made her more willing to press herself forward and press her face against his shoulder, nuzzling the beta. "I'll be your friend, Huxi." Her tail continued to sway in happiness, the warmth of her pack mate warming her heart. This was what a family was supposed to be like. This was how a pack worked. At least until Cherie realized she was cuddling up to the beta. Blushing again she stepped back and ducked her gaze, blush lighting up the skin beneath her fur. "Sorry, sir."

[atrb=background,http://imageshack.us/a/img231/6431/cherietablem.png] tagged: huxleyi | words: 394 notes: i'm really sorry for the delay >.<

[Deleted]

Her sudden outburst of excitement took Huxleyi by surprise: he hadn't thought that exploring was that big of a deal, but clearly Cherie was ecstatic. He had thought that his old pack had been unique in its strictness about where and when wolves could wander in and around the pack territory, but it seemed that this restrictive lifestyle was once shared by Cherie. It saddened him to think that this she-wolf had been treated ill in the past, but he knew now that they both could taste freedom, and they could do it together.

Was this friendship? It had been so long since Huxleyi had felt true kinship that he wasn't sure anymore, but the feelings of ease, happiness and excitement that he felt seemed to hold distant familiarity to him. Perhaps this is how he had felt towards his siblings before they had been conscripted.

Suddenly pulled from his thoughts he found Cherie snuggled into his shoulder, offering to be his friend. Instinctually he let his muzzle rest on the top of her head, but once it registered what he was doing his ears pinned and his entire body went rigid. He was supposed to be a Beta! Shouldn't he be acting more formal? Was this okay? Was he allowed to be this friendly with packmates? Internally his mind was at war over what was the correct way to act, and whether his feelings for Cherie were acceptable or appropriate or not. As she pulled away, so did he, his own yellow eyes peering down at the ground out of embarrassment. Had they just hugged? Is that what that was? Did friends do that?

Cherie apologized quickly, and was as submissive as ever. Huxleyi sighed and shook his head, relaxing his body as best he could. "No. Don't, it's alright." His speech was slightly fragmented, and he gave a little whine at how crestfallen and embarrassed she looked. Swallowing down any fear he had for what his actions might harbor he stepped forwards and nuzzled her briefly in the cheek. "Hey," his voice was soft, reassuring, "I'd love for you to be my friend. We can go exploring as soon as we talk to Toiro about your hunt, okay?" He hoped this would make her feel better, and perhaps restore the excitement and happiness that had been present in such abundance only a moment before.

Words: 411
Muse: Good!
Notes: <3