To The Sea [Open]

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Black dipped paws brought the female to the river, the gurgling waters rushing ever onwards down to the sea. Calandra loved the sea - so bright and vast, a home to untold numbers of creatures! Looking down the river, she wondered how long of a trek it was the mouth. Testing the air, dark muzzle scenting at the faint breeze. The salty waft of the see was distant, very distant. She had no orders that day, so it seemed that a little trip might be a nice venture. Glancing around she gave a little meek smile at Trout, who was melancholy at best. They'd grown rather distant in the recent days with the realization that he was no more than a figment of Calandra's imagination. It was worrisome to both parties - Calandra doubting her sanity, and Trout, if it was possible, doubting his existence and purpose.

A bit conflicted, and ultimately feeling rather alone, Calandra set off along the banks of the mighty river, Trout trailing along behind. The promise of the crystalline views of the ocean pushed her further, and she wondered what sorts of prey would be found at the delta. Likely there would be nesting birds, and eggs were always a treat - though she would likely have to climb cliffs to retrieve them, midst mobbing adults.

Stopping suddenly, her mind switching back to her loneliness. She was in a pack now: if she was lonely, all she need do is call! This was a luxury she had overlooked previously, but now she would use it. Tilting her head upwards she let her jaws part to release a long, low call - a sound designed to travel long across the sands. Mismatched eyes set in her russet face scanned the horizon, but saw no one in immediate sight.

Buying some time, Calandra moved to the waters edge to quench her thirst. Being thirsty was a constant in the desert, and it was refreshing to visit the river. Lapping roughly at the cool waters, Cal wondered if the delta would be calm enough for swimming - if the tide was out she could definitely go for a romp through the brackish waves. She wondered if any of her packmates would be up for a swim - surely it would be more fun with a friend!

Words: 382
Muse: So-so
Notes: This was sort of choppy, but you get the picture. I tagged people I thought might be interested in this thread. =)
Tags: @rasalas @kibeti

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In recent days the Alpha had been irritated at best; surely be was doing his best to disguise it though. Much of his free time had been spent stalking the territories for not only loners, but for the huntress Aowyn as well. There was something simply alluring about the femme that he simply could not shake, but now she had gone and disappeared. The night they had spent together seemed so distant; yet, so near all at the same time. Perhaps it was merely a moment of weakness on both of their parts, to her the situation could have meant nothing. His feelings were hurt at the thought, but Rasalas was not a fool. Aries had played him the exact same way only a few months ago; although, he had not been so close to that femme as he had with Aowyn. He dreaded the thought of her mating with him solely because he was the Alpha of Tassos. A few strands of fur lifted themselves to stand on end at the thought, 'they never cease to amaze me. So many similarities throughout all of these bitches.' His thoughts were rumbling with absolute anger; not only did he feel betrayed emotionally - but for the pack as well.

One of their hunters was gone, simply disappeared! No one seemed to have even the slightest clue where she had wandered off to either. It enraged the brute to no end, he felt like he was better than this. After all he had attempted to do for these wolves, once more he let his heart become crushed again. Within the back of his mind, the Alpha knew that this was an unfortunate cycle that he was trapped in. If Aowyn stayed gone, he would find a new crush in a few months. Then the red femme would sink into the darkest parts of his mind in order to let him cope with the situation. Rasalas did not live the healthiest lifestyle when it came to forming close relationships; truthfully the Alpha was nearing his breaking point. A fragile line inside of his mind was about to be crossed, even he knew not what would happen in the future.

Audits perked eagerly as he heard a call from someone quite familiar to him. 'Calandra,' a gentle smirk passed upon his features at the thoughts she evoked. He vividly remembered both Calandra and Anubis, they were some of the first members when it came to rebuilding Ryala. A part of him felt sad for talking the pack up in order to convince them to join, but their numbers had grown rapidly over the next several weeks. Perhaps the two hadn't noticed the dwindling numbers, the delicate family that he was so desperately trying to rebuild. Because of this fact, the red male would always have a soft spot inside of his heart for her. All memories of the femme were fond ones, especially before Pievunt-An erupted. They had stood near the lush vegetation and conversed, that was when she officially decided to join them.

The smile still remained upon his face, but the brute did change direction. He opted to go and pay the female a visit, after all she had called out for some company. Who could be a better companion than the Alpha? It was all Rasalas could do not to run off in search of the missing huntress, silently stroking his own ego held some remedial qualities. Last time he had disappeared for a few days, his return was greeted by an essentially disbanded pack. No one would ever know why Aries had disappeared; however, the red brute would always wonder about her. She would not be welcome within Tassos should she ever show up; his grudge against her went too deep inside of his veins. With a slight growl, he forced himself to listen to the quiet drumming of his own paws hitting the ground. It would take a few minutes before he could potentially pick out the female who longed for attention, enough time to vacate his mind of this hate - at least he hoped.

Sure enough, his gleaming golden orbs settled upon her lithe silhouette in the distance. His paws momentarily quickened their pace further, the brute eager to utilize her company as a distraction from his inner hatred. By now his russet pelt had settled back into place and no longer appeared ruffled and angry. Rasalas wanted to reach the femme as quickly as possible, it was likely she noticed the momentary burst of speed when he saw her. Then his paws began to slow themselves until his figure halted not far from her. A gentle smile still played upon his lips and his crania lowered in a slight bow. "Greetings, darling Calandra. I hope my presence is not plaguing your day." Rasalas hoped that she would be honest if she longed for another's company. His mind simply needed to detach from the anguish hovering in his gray matter. Dwelling upon Aowyn's disappearance would merely anger him and potentially put the lives of his family at risk. Nothing was worth that.

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The gurgling of the river brought a tranquil feeling to the air, washing away the harsh notes of the desert. The gushing waters were relaxing, soothing the burn of the sands and the stale air. Looking downstream, Calandra's mismatched eyes searched for the ocean - it was not yet in sight. Peering over to Trout: he looked so melancholy, and it pained Calandra to think that her only real friend was a figment of her own imagination. Loneliness began to creep in again, and the maned femme felt suddenly isolated. Even though there were many around her, calandra couldn't shake the feeling that she was painfully alone. Anubis had his family, and his jackal friend, Amun - The long for such companionship was undeniable. Calandra suddenly sank into the sand, her rump twinning as she reclined.

What would her life had been like if her family hadn't perished? What if her little tribe had remained? Would Trout even exist? Her brow furrowed harshly, and she frowned at the sands beneath her blackened paws. She really had very few friends other than Anubis - there was the huntress Aowyn who had saved her after the eruption, truly Calandra owed her a debt. There was also Rasalas, but the alpha was friends with everyone, right? That didn't make Calandra special. She heaved a rough sigh and clenched her eyes shut trying to rid herself of this negativity. She was suddenly roused from focus as Trout gave an alerting chuff.

Eyelids leaping open, Calanadra rose and swung around to see Rasalas bounding towards her. The russet female couldn't help but give a little smile as the alpha arrived. It was relieving to know that her call would not go unanswered. He greeted her affectionately and heat rose into Calandra's face - she wasn't used to pet names. She shook this off and gave a quick dip of her mug, broad ears swiveling to the sides respectfully. She was quite certain she didn't need to grovel, so her posture remained mostly neutral. "Hello Rasalas. Your company is most welcome!" She chimed, tail wagging gently, the raggedy tip looking even more frazzled with the movement. She looked down river again, motioning in that same direction, "I was going to go down to the ocean to watch the birds, and maybe swim. Would you like to join me?"[/b] Calandra returned her bicolored eyes back to Rasalas, hoping that he would say yes. Calandra hoped that having a companion on her little venture would make her feel better, to distract her from the realization of Trout's existence. Maybe she could confide in Rasalas about this? Would he think she was crazy? She worried that he would - and subsequently drive her from the territory. She didn't think it was a chance worth taking.

Re-engaging in the present she let a smile brighten her features, tail swaying again as she made a motion to travel onwards down the river.

Words: 490
Muse: Better
Tags: @rasalas

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The Alpha was pleased to see that Calandra was satisfied with his company, and she appeared quite genuine. He permitted a few slow waggles of his tail, 'company will surely distract me.' Inside the russet male was positively enraged with himself and the female that had disappeared. A part of him felt royally betrayed, was he so cruel that he deserved this? All he had wanted was to make everyone happy, especially the huntress Aowyn. His heart sank at the thought, perhaps he was never meant to find love. Maybe his life was supposed to play the role of an unloved supporter. It made him feel ill to dwell upon; yet, the brute could no refrain from doing so. It seemed that the odds were against him once more! The world would not win though, he could be strong and powerful. There were not any obstacles that could hold him down, within his feigned optimism lay rage and agony. Rasalas did not want to admit his feelings for the missing femme, if anything he wanted to wish them away forever.

She was not there to soothe his rage and he had not been able to find her when he searched. It seemed likely that she had disappeared just as Aries. Some of his confidence ebbed away, 'maybe I am some awful sort of monster that I am oblivious to seeing.' His amber optics distanced themselves longingly across the horizon line for a moment. There was always an opportunity to worry, but he needed to make the best of Calandra's company. After all, she seems quite eager to spend time with him. "I am glad, the feeling is quite mutual. Have you been doing well since the eruption?" He cocked his head to the side, encouraging the femme to tell him the truth. The Alpha did not want any of his pack mates to fear him, rather he preferred quite the opposite. It was his dream for them to become a close knit unit; hopefully they were. He noticed several wolves held scent trails near each other, that implied they were friends right?

Maybe one day things would settle down inside of his mind and he could become close with someone other than Scout - even if they were just a friend. Rasalas found that recently he was unsure who actually enjoyed his presence and who was indifferent to it. Shifting his weight slightly, he watched Calandra's eyes flash down towards the river. "It would be my pleasure, the weather is absolutely lovely for a swim today." His tail began moving faster behind him, the thought of swimming was enjoyable. He was never the best swimmer; however, he enjoyed splashing around and the company he now held would likely cheer him up. Participating in something different from the normal activities in his life could make a huge difference. Was it possible to forget about the underlying agony? Rasalas knew it was, but it would result in being quite a challenge. One that he would swiftly overcome.

With a soft smile the brute took a few steps closer to the femme, stopping only to nod his crania in encouragement. He would follow this femme to whatever spot near the ocean that she would like. There was a good chance he would spend the day with her, if she wished to do nothing else. More than anything the Alpha craved companionship, especially now when his heart and soul were aching the most. Things would straighten out soon. Scout had just been promoted to the rank of Beta and now he needed to meet with Maitryi and Vixen to establish their promotions as well. That reminded him, Calandra was still a subordinate. "I had a question for you, darling. Was there any rank you aspired to be?" If anyone deserved the next promotion it would be her, she had joined just when the pack needed members the most and had remained faithful the entire time. Today he would shower her with all of the positive energy left inside of him.

OOC| Sorry it's kind of short and feel free to power play him following her down the river if you'd like.