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 Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2011 7:59 am
She is fine and she is crafty. A long and lean creature of the night, with muscles that could work for days...a wolf whose beauty reigns in all lights, but who scarcely presents herself in any; stalking the forests in secrecy.
A natural femme fatal if she had the desire to be such.
Yet, watching her move with an uncanny likeness to the felines that share the wood, her presence lets off much less pride than would be expected.
She pressed her paws daintily into the soft soil, using quick steps to avoid solid tracks while swiftly making her way across the marsh-like territory in search for food. Harlequin, or mother, circled the forest in all of the same fashions, keeping her body low while she flew across the cool undergrowth with impeccable speed. With her own beady gaze she scanned the horizon before her, keeping tabs on the bucks who rammed horns here, and the piglets who squealed relentlessly for their milk there...all of which were much too far for the young, ebon adult to see. But both of them knew that Jaci would get there, eventually, taking to the low roads that kept her down wind, having the patience to know that it would take some time to cross.
Especially since, as was said before, the female slinked onward while radiating something similar to self-pity. This had been the trend lately for Jaci, a feeling even Harlequin had picked up on and was sorely worked-up about. A pack that was said to be her forever home only months ago, had long since disbanded--the alphas and their followers parting ways much more quickly than they had come together. An adventure lost, a purpose of being vanishing with it...All of this raced through her head constantly, slowing her down like a weight kept on her alternating shoulders.
Survival was simply not enough for the females. Not when their breed of canine was so accustomed to duties that went beyond the simple lives of other wolves.
It was strange having no where to go, having nothing to do or to look forward to. Some nights Harlequin would train her daughter in the arts she knew best, but Jaci was growing tired of the same lessons. She required a challenge far greater than the trivial tasks her mother set out for her, as it was in both of their bloods to want this.
As she broke free of the thick foliage and entered an open pasture, Jaci paused for a moment. To her far left Harlequin's odor become much more distinguishable amongst the mix of plants and other...wolves? Wolves that were much closer to her than Harlequin was, traveling with a hint of masculinity, and perhaps no bigger than a pair?...The male's scent was foreign, but that of course was not surprising. Jaci was relatively new to this area, her mother finding it all the wiser to stick to the grounds of which their once-upon-a-time alpha had settled upon, thusly leaving the canine with very little knowledge of what boundaries were claimed, and what boundaries were free for roaming. As she took another step forward, compelled by what interesting smells were caught on a straight trail before her, the females hackles began to raise in both a mixture of uncertainty and excitement.
To investigate the whereabouts of these wolves would be quite the thrill, offering this young adult the challenge she sought after. Yet, to abandon her mother could prove to be an annoyance later, especially when Jaci reveals that she avoided the hunt to search for strangers. Harlequin would want to be a part of this just as much as her blue-tinged daughter...but the opportunity presented itself without the older wolf being present, and however agitated Harle would be later, Jaci was sure she could make it up in one way or another.
Suddenly a smile peeled the damp black skin of her jowls back, pinching the two yellow orbs that flicked open and tried to look beyond the shaded area's of forest before her. At almost the same instant that her mind had been made up, the girls limbs were outstretched and racing toward the source of this lingering scent, a fleeting image of her mother's disgruntled face causing her steps to falter only once...
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Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 3:06 pm
 It seemed Kami, having gone out a few times herself from the group, had found her prince. Not in the romantic sense - literally. One day, Chou noticed she was not there. The next, she was dragging a mostly blue male along, brimming with triumph. Mars, the drug-addled bum, did his slow nods, and his . . . "brother" (for Chou barely believed such a blood relation was true) carried the rest of the happiness for them both. As for the burly, bear-skinned female, well . . . who knew what she thought. Chou certainly did not always understand her.
But now a question rose to his mind with this celebration: What now? But he could not ask her yet, as she was still catching up with her missing prince. Soon, though . . . soon he would ask.
For now, Chou would put his training to use. Lately he had been aware that they were being followed. It had begun as a sensation of being watched, even if there was no actual creature nearby. Call him paranoid, but it was what had saved his skin before. Pulling away at the back of the group, the wolf would often find mud and roll about in it - not only to cool off, but to dull his vivid colors.
It was time to spy on the spier.
Several layers of mud now upon him, Chou had taken a round about path far behind the main group, bright blue eyes narrowed in concentration as he waited in the brush. Perhaps it was nothing, but until he was sure . . .
There! Movement!
It was a living blot, marred only by scant bits of blue, with eyes at ends with her black fur. She seemed intent on something in the ground- tracks.
If possible, Chou's eyes narrowed further. She was moving with confidence and a smile - neither of which he could put in good light.
The she-wolf moved quickly, and it was then that Chou peeled himself away from the brush and gave a predatory chase from behind.
Every once in a while, sound was made - to alert the stranger that she was no longer the only one tracking.
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Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 4:28 pm
Jaci purposely left room for suspicion as she came across the band of wolves, finding that the same amount of patience a true hunt required was not nearly what this particular situation called for; she was not out for blood, after all.
In fact, Jaci found her error-riddled antics to be even more daring than merely settling several yards away to overhear conversations. Her dark paws moved the leaves beneath them from time to time, quick bounds across twigs and over roots giving the impression that a lone deer, or hot-footed hare only just caught wind of the traveling trio...But, what the young adult did not expect, and what turned the pleasant females grin upside down, was that she now ran a muck in the awkward position of the pursued--no longer the one with the upper-hand.
It was in these rare occasions that a wolf had to know what cards to play.
She assumed the noises he made were intentional, and while shifting her weight in a wide U-turn, the black wolf also swiveled her head over her shoulder. He, as she deduced, had been following her for quite some time...it was sort of an embarrassing truth, one that she was not likely to repeat to Harle or anyone, for that matter...
"Trust that I mean you no harm." Her throat stung from underuse but did not lack in smoothness, hanging in the air as her paws took her into a slow, circling trot. Settling then in between trees and large boulders, the female licked at her lips and tested the air for a second time...he was close.
Jaci's eyes swept the forest at the height she could manage, standing tall while waiting ever so patiently for the male to reveal himself. "Truly, please. Come forward?"
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Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2011 5:42 pm
Game was up. Short game. Not so exhilarating as he recalled. But then, he was stalking a wolf in a part of Telk he had never been to before, and a dark-colored one at that. If anything, this chase should have been inverted - the shadow chasing the butterfly.
Languidly Chou stepped forth from the bushes, mud still dripping from his tail and underbelly. His long ears were set back slightly - wary, but not yet aggressive. He surveyed the female for a moment before speaking. "How long have you been tracking us, dark one? Who sent you?"
For of course there could be no other reason. The prince is found, and suddenly he finds someone tailing them? Chou smelled something foul.
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Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2011 10:35 pm
It was only natural, Jaci supposed, that the male would suspect nothing less from her. These were strange circumstances for both it would seem, as each party had their own views on the game in which they found themselves playing...
While her mind raced to keep track of all that was to be said, she found herself pressing back onto her haunches with a c**k to her head; mildly put to ease as he appeared no more violent than she. He was filthy of course, a tactic she only heard stories of never needing it herself, and while the darker markings lacing his pelt only just made it a challenge to decipher an expression--Jaci was practiced in such things, and fed off of his uncertainty just as she had his neutral approach. Narrowing her gaze while parting her lips for speech, the female replied reassuringly and soon after the male had finished.
"None." Tail flaring out as it rose some, Jaci took a firm hold of the ground beneath her paws and leaned forward ever so slightly for a long sniff.
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Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2011 5:09 pm
If indeed she was good at reading subtle expressions, then it would be clear that Chou was neither impressed nor convinced by her monosyllabic retort. He would have almost said "prove it", but what else was there to go by other than her word? Nostrils flaring, he detected that at the least the female was alone and had been for some time now . . . Well at least there was no anticipated ambush thus far.
"Then why do you follow?" he prompted. "Find your own meals if that is all you care for." Between the six of them, very little would be left for any scavengers.
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Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 7:27 am
"Calm yourself..." Jaci soothed, her body hunkering down in preparation for anything. She had agility on her side, and certainly her lean frame would allow for plenty of flexibility on any terrain it raced through; however, the female was not looking for a fight. She was also not looking for his food, and this she would clarify on. "I am not after anything you possess...well, not a free meal in any case..."
"And..."
"Follow, you say?" She paused, turning her muzzle up and to the side in thought. "I wouldn't call it following." Watching, was more like it. Indulging in their lives from a place of hiding. Sure, their usual hunting grounds saved both Harlequin as well as Jaci the time in finding suitable prey, but other than that she needed nothing from the group she observed.
Feeling a bit playful suddenly, as the male was quite obviously not having her short and sweet facade, the dark female settled further onto her haunches and swung her tail left and right slowly.
"And if I can remember correctly, wasn't it you tailing me just now?" Not a grin nor brow lift tweaked the still expression Jaci wore, but the sway of her tail quickened then...
"If anyone was following anyone, I'd say it was you chasing me!"
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Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 4:08 pm
Chou was not one to joke around with, and most certainly not when it was a stranger. As far as he was concerned, she was teasing him - and to him, that meant she thought herself with the upper paw. Was there something else going on? Or was he jut being paranoid again, making a mountain out of a molehill?
Either way, the sight of her wagging tail made his hackles stiffen a little.
"I only followed because I believed you to be an intruder," he explained, and then went right back to the main topic at hand. "If you are not here for what we have, then why? Are you only curious? Unless you can add to our group's skills, I must ask you to leave."
Chou didn't know if any of the others would have turned away the female as quickly - but they weren't quite as on-alert as he was. He felt responsible for knowing everything in their surroundings and all that came in their general vicinity.
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Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 6:50 pm
"Skills?" Jaci repeated as a question, straightening up with a tilt to her head. Narrowed eyes still fed off of the males reaction, finding his demands to be extremely degrading and quite distasteful--considering she knew these lands belonged to no wolf, and that they were nothing more than strangers to one another.
But his remark was suggestive and made Jaci falter for but a moment. She wondered what reasoning he had for making such a statement. This was not how the conversation had started; he, this strange male, seemed bound and determined to rid himself of her company...but 'adding' to their group, laying out an invitation as was the only way to describe his words...things were starting to look a little sketchy.
It was in both of their natures to question almost everything, so it seemed, and that was exactly what the female planned to do.
Jaci's head shook slowly in response, one deep blue brow raising as the question still hung in the air. She was beginning to feel anxious now, licking the front end of her muzzle before panting softly...his final words were looking much more appealing the longer she sat in the open; leaving this area, and more importantly his sights, a great way for the girl to find safety in the shadows once more.
And, once there she could indulge in her growing curiosity for this male and his 'pack' of wolves...that is, if he did not fill her in before she disappeared.
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Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 7:20 pm
Chou found himself in a delicate situation, or what he thought was one. How much information could he divulge? How much would he risk that the wolf would not simply run off with it, alerting true trackers to the prince's position?
Although . . . what was the harm? Even if she could alert someone else, there were five wolves (four of which he knew for sure were fighting-capable) that could surround Kailani and make sure nothing happened to him. Chou of course was assuming that they had as much loyalty to his preservation as Kamiya did.
On the other paw, making the group any larger would attract attention for sure.
His brow creased in thought. Perhaps he was going about this all wrong . . . But how to fix it?
Well, maybe he could start by being straightforward. As usual.
His hackles relaxed as did mot of his posture, and he bowed his head slightly. "Gomen nasai," he apologized as he straightened his head. "I was raised to be suspicious of outsiders. Allow me to start over. I am Chou, and I travel with this group in hopes of returning an important wolf to his homeland. This has caused me to become more wary of those who follow after us, even if they are harmless."
He nodded in the direction of the group still some distance away. "This important wolf was a flight risk before. A wolf who can move swiftly and silently would be beneficial, as I cannot be as stealthy as I would like." Hence his muddied coat. "I cannot speak on behalf of the group, but I believe that any wolf who wishes to have a purpose can join. Certainly several of us have goals that need help to be attained."
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Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2011 8:00 pm
And just as Jaci had positioned her footing for an easy retreat, the atmosphere changed once again.
Her eyes stared deep within this 'Chou' as he made peace with the situation. It was such an odd and sudden act of kindness, the sort this ebony wolf was not expecting...The kind of gesture that raised an alarm within her head...
Stories told that the eyes of any creature, no matter how trained, usually told what truths he tried to deny. There was also the soft lulling of her mothers voice telling tales of past ventures, sharing with her infant daughter the wisdom she had grown up on...To share her name with no one, to share her life with no one, to trust...literally...no one. All of this in mind, Jaci searched the blues that were on her heavily, creating a second wave of tension that felt all too necessary.
But, common decency denied her complete silence, and with some hesitation the wolfess finally spoke up.
"I understand your worry. I have an unending amount of it myself actually. Born to doubt your surroundings, to trust no one under any circumstance is a life not meant for all." She paused for a moment, breath quickening as she circulated through possible responses. There was this relentless amount of energy surging through the female as she shifted her weight to one side. It showed only in the twitches of her ears and paws, finding a comfortable position nearly impossible...
This...this was interesting. Just as interesting as it was worrisome.
She had to know more about this male and his mission. Particularly if she were to consider abandoning her mother. It would not be an attractive idea without some grand reasoning’s.
"If only to ensure that I have this correct; you are protecting something, and you have subtly invited me to partake in the babysitting, yes?"
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Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2011 9:39 pm
"If you prefer to think of it as such," Chou answered smoothly. He himself had no set opinion of Kailani, other than the knowledge of his position and the stakes of returning him home. Who knew what a prince could amount to in the paws of the wrong wolf?
"Considering our numbers, we may as well be a small pack, only far more flexible as far as our individual members go. There is no obligation to stay if something more preferable comes your way; some days I do not see several of them, for instance. For all intents and purposes, this is a solid rock to come back to should you feel like doing so," the wolf explained, realizing that he seemed to think more beyond that even: for this was the first time he had so much as gone beyond the fringe of the company. Kamiya could attest to his usual presence towards the back: not always speaking, but always there.
"There is always something to search for, something to do. Should you need something attained, the group would most likely aid in it. There are no forced interrogations about one's past," - or there shouldn't be, he thought - "unless one feels like sharing. We move under the radar thus far - but with numbers like this, something will eventually happen. After our transport, we will most likely return to floating between the unclaimed lands and see where Fate takes us."
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Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 11:37 am
Chou emanated a sense of devotion as he spoke, a trait Jaci could appreciate wholly. This prized wolf was an asset he did not plan losing, and in this she saw a little of herself--following after them, protecting and stalking the night with eyes always trained to her surroundings. Blindly the wolf watched Chou in her thoughtful state, relaying to him that everything said interested her greatly.
"I see..." Lips parting at last to breath her opinion, Jaci let her easing tension sway the ebon tail at her end. Freedom...she thought idly, rolling the words off her tongue without saying a word. It was nice, in theory, to have as much as she did. To roam the world without binds to anything, able to go and come as she pleased and be a part of nothing and everything all at once. She had to admit that on some nights, her freedom reigned supreme over the thoughts of following orders and living a pack life...
But Jaci would always awaken empty inside, the new dawn of every day passing not enough to rid her passions. That desire to belong somewhere, the need to be of some help to a greater good--golden eyes flicked back to Chou suddenly, ears snapping back as she rose to her full height and shook out. "I have been a lone wolf for a long time. Your offer is promising in more ways than one, but I have responsibilities here--in the free lands."
She paused, tail falling limp behind her. Chou obviously saw potential in her; why else would he put something so important out there?...but Harlequin was her mother, and Harlequin had as much of a say over the matter as she did. It burnt a hole in her to say, but there were no other options. Furrowing her brows, not entirely sure if the male would go for what she was about to purpose, Jaci continued.
"I need to discuss this with my better half. I...have a lot in which I owe them. If I am given best wishes, I will follow you to whatever end your journey comes to."
"She will not ask to join, she will only speak her mind and then move on, with me or without. I am desperate for an escape, Chou, believe me. I intend on doing more for your ‘pack’ than I have ever been able to do for anyone before…All I ask of you is to meet me here tomorrow morning? I will have the verdict by then..."
It was strangely honest of her to say, no underlining insinuations audible.
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Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2011 8:12 pm
It wasn't unusual to have to seek permission, not to Chou; clearing channels was essential in his old pack, as one miscommunication could set something off. Even though clearly she was an adult, she was not far into the stage - and even fi she had not been, Chou was not one to judge where one chose to stay, with their mothers or not. Not all wolves were lucky to find groups or packs to join upon leaving their families.
So, simply, he nodded. "Tomorrow then. With the rising of the sun."
He would return to Kamiya and warn her of this meeting - if this ended up being a double-cross for some reason, then at least it would not be forewarned.
With that, Chou nodded, and turned to return back to his group with a report in tow.
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