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 Posted: Fri Oct 06, 2006 11:10 am
The pale wolf walked quietly through the autumn forest, watching as leaves flitted down in front of him. As usual he was wandering somewhat aimlessly, his mind in another place, imagining the sea. His wandering this time had taken him north, away from that great body of water but right now he was following close to another watery path : the river which flowed from the valley where they had set up home. He had not been able to directly follow the clear, bubbling spring as he had come to a cliff face where it fell down as a waterfall.
Tracing a route back and around, he had found the top of that cliff - a pretty area which had a stand of dark green pine just a little back from the river's edge.
A few miles upriver he came to a large pool. Strewn with fallen leaves, reflecting the late evening sky, it was a riot of every colour but blue. The stream appeared to stop at this juncture and Ouranos was at somewhat content. He stopped for a brief drink before heading back in the direction he had come, this time heading for the cover of the trees in the hope of spying some prey as he returned to the den.
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Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2006 1:58 pm
Quietly, Shambala nuzzled closer to her father. His black fur served to warm her as she whimpered quietly. She shook herself suddenly, the falling leaves shaking from her back. They'd been there for quite some time, curled tightly together as they realised the trap was impossible to escape from. She'd been so deep in her own thoughts, however that she hadn't noticed the body beside her had stopped it's rythmic beathing movement.
It was then that she noticed the other wolf, about the size of Daddy, move past them. She peered at the other wolf as it meandered along to the stream, and seemed to linger at the water's edge, before approaching again. She backed into her father's body, whimpering gently, and still not realising that he was already dead.
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Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 7:13 am
Ouranos' ears twitched as the whimper tickled the edge of his awareness. He stopped dead, trying to position where he had heard the noise coming from. A few steps this way and that before he thought he had found the direction. Instantly as his head turned that way, the wind blew an iron tinged scent to his nostrils. Blood and.. wolf? He padded forward warily, wondering if another had made a kill. He didn't want to disturb anyone but, as always, he was to curious for his own good.
He waggled his tail at the thought of meeting another, wondering if they might share their feast? As he came upon the furry black lump, however, his posture instantly changed. His tail instantly stopped waggling, his posture becoming slightly defensive. Dead wolf..
He hadn't noticed the pup - black against black and her fathers scent masking her small self. As he let out a soft whimper of his own he remembered what had drawn him here - the noise. His green eyes flicked over the body, trying not to look too hard at the mangled leg of the older wolf. There...
Ouranos spotted the movement of the small black female and, as was his way, instantly nuzzled her gently. "Little one... are you hurt?" he asked gently.
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Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 7:29 am
Shambala's first movement as the larger wolf spoke to her was to pull her tail tightly between her legs, and cower further down. She didn't know this wolf, and his scent was nothing like her father's. She hadn't been around many other wolves, and the new scent was so overbearing.
She tried to back up a little more as he nuzzled at her and spoke, but found she had nowhere to go.
"M...my daddy's hurt..." she whimpered quietly, still oblivious to the painful truth.
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Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 8:52 am
Ouranos' heart sank into his feet as the pup spoke. He wasn't really aware of himself as a large wolf and didn't think of himself as threatening, either so he didn't move back any from the little black ball of fur. She didn't look all that well fed and considering she was here alone with a male suggested the pair were living alone together. His eyes glanced back at the body of the dead male then to the pup again.
"Your daddy has left here... " he said softly, sadly, reiterating what he had been told when his great-father had passed on. He nuzzled the pup softly again, getting her scent. He could smell no others from her fur, suggesting again that the pair had been alone. He had to ask, though. "Have you a mother?" his tone was soft, almost breaking. He didn't like sad occassions such as this - it was a weakness which had gotten him picked on before.
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Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 11:14 am
"L..left...?" Her little heart sank as the larger wolf spoke. He ment like Mummy had left them. As the realisation dawned on her, she backed up suddenly, unconsciously seeking comfort in the other wolf. The thought that she'd been 'standing guard' of someone who wasn't there anymore scared her more than a little. A slight shudder went through her, but there was no more emotion for her loss. She would mourn later.
"Mummy left us a little while ago," she said solemnly. Deciding she could trust this soft spoken wolf, she tentatively nuzzled him back. His scent, while still unfamiliar to her, was becoming more reassuring, as she associated it with a protective figure.
"If Daddy's gone," she said quietly, not looking at the other wolf as she spoke, almost fearing the answer. "C..can I go with you...?"
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Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 11:39 am
The usually somewhat distracted wolf was focused on the little pup now, keenly feeling a pain by just considering her situation. As her little black body pressed against him he gave her a warm lick across her head. Her resolve at the moment surprised him and he wondered what the effects would be later on.
As she voiced her question there was no doubt in Ouranos' mind that he should look after her. He was fond of little ones and had already been responsible for bringing two other pups into the pack. His mind didn't go so far as to think that Zag, Calli or the others would mind him bringing back another mouth to feed: he couldn't conceive, truly, of anyone turning away an orphaned pup.
He nodded instantly as she spoke. "What's your name, pup?" he asked, slowly guiding her, with his nose, away from the dead body. He spared a glance back to the prone form of the poor dead male, remembering the spot. He wanted out of this area soon before the creatures who laid such traps came to claim their prize.
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Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 11:55 am
Shambala tilted her head upwards as the larger wolf licked her. The ction flooded her with warmth, as she realised that she'd been waiting for that kind of reassurance. A comforted whine accompanied her sudden pleasure and she instantly regretted it, feeling a sort of guilt as she glanced back at her father's body. What would he think of her going with a stranger? He wouldnt be angry she didn't think. He'd told her to survive, and she supposed this was the best way of doing that. Perhaps he would even... approve? She certainly hoped so.
It then dawned on her that she'd also been yearning for something, company she guessed. Her family had started out a few members larger, but her father couldn't feed them all. Not and keep them out of trouble.
"Shambala," she said, her gaze still turned away from the larger wolf. "My name's Shambala..." Her gaze then turned upwards as she posed a question herself. "What's your name...?"
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Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 12:14 pm
"Oura" he replied as the moved forward. He looked at her small form with concern. "I'll look after you, Shambala" the name was different in sound to any he'd heard before. It was as if all the wolves around here had names made of water which trickled over your tongue and tries to escape! He wanted to reassure her that she was not alone, too. He had always had others around and imagined it a very lonely existance not to be able to have the company of others when you wished.
He continued to try comforting her as they moved on, a lick or a nuzzle to encourage her small form onward. The walk was quite long for a pup but she looked hardy. Perhaps he could carry her as they got closer. "Are you hungry, Shambala?" he asked.
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Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 12:28 pm
The walk for Shambala became more of a plod. She was trying hard to keep a decent pace, but she was tired, the tremors of fear still scoring through her like a pain. Then, as Oura asked her whether she was hungry, her stomach rumbled obnoxiously, she bowed her head, a little embarrassed. "A little bit," she admitted quietly. Then, she lifted her head, her matted fur making her look more than a little bedraggled. "Where're we going...?" she asked the other, hoping there might be others her age to interact with.
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Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 12:37 pm
"We'll get you some food soon, Shambala. And we're going to the place where the pack I belong to stay. It's a small group but friendly. There are some other young wolves there, a little older than yourself." he paused, then added, softly, "they lost their mother and father too, little one."
Seeing the little one was beginning to tired he leant down and lifted her up by the loose skin on the back of her neck. He picked up his pace, making good time over the rugged land. It wouldn't be long until the pair were back at the den.
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