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 Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 1:17 pm
Zeke was not one to dig about in business that was not his own. He left Iosef's words alone despite the questions that burned in his mind. Zeke was curious but not tactless, and he did not want to drive away a new friend and packmate. The questions that begged to be asked were better left unsaid and so Zeke left it at that. Perhaps another time they could share life stories. Now wasn't the time.
Zeke was a little mesmerized at how fast Iosef decimated the anthill, effectively seeking out the queen and leaving her subjects wandering around in distress. Again, he did not press for more answers. Varia would be a Sister that he would avoid as best he could.
"Your mate?" Zeke could hear the hesitation in Iosef's voice as he spoke of his mate. He was glad that Iosef's mate was at least kind to him. "I cannot wait to meet her, Iosef." Zeke smiled kindly at Iosef. Zeke idly wondered if the males in the pack were supposed to find mates and provide the sisters with daughters, but it didn't seem a question that deserved asking.
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Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 1:25 pm
"Her name is Seraphin," he said, withdrawing from his now-flattened anthill, making a turn to head back around the pack. "Chimera's mother," he added, as though that needed some explanation. Ahh, Seraphin. She had done so much good in his life and he would never be able to love her the way she deserved.
"That," he said, nodding his head toward a den that was some distance from the others, "is where Achilles sleeps. He's the queen's consort. He's technically the leader of the slaves." He grinned, then, his tail giving a twitching wag. "But he has no interest in working, so he's graciously allowed me to retain the position."
He paused outside the den and sniffed, brow furrowing. The scent was cold, Achilles likely off on one of his adventures, or jobs, or whatever it was that sent him beyond pack borders. He wondered if he was looking for Tui, as he'd promised he would. "He is strong, for a male, and his allegiance is to the queen alone. He leaves a lot, doing something or another, and," he dropped his voice low, for fear of being overheard, "he's training his son and my son how to fight."
He looked clearly disgusted with the whole thought.
"But he's influential with the Queen, and keeps the best interests of the other males at heart. He's worth befriending, if you can stand him."
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Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 11:44 am
There was so much to remember, and Zeke's memory had never been a steel-trap. No, he was more prone to whimsical thoughts and mental ramblings, not memorizing names and duties. He was focusing hard, though. He did not want Iosef to feel as if he had not been paying attention. Each name that was spoken by Iosef was softly repeated by Zeke as if doing so would cement the names in his mind.
Zeke couldn't tell if Ioself really liked Achilles. He seemed to disapprove of the fact that he was teaching the youth in the pack to fight. It did seem kind of wasteful, really, as that was the main duty of the Sisters, but Zeke would have to see for himself what kind of wolf Achilles was.
"Do all of the Sisters have consorts?" Zeke had never been keen on spreading his seed hither and yon. As far as he knew he didn't have a son or a daughter that could call him father, and that sat just fine with Zeke. It wasn't something that crossed his mind or drove him to pursue females -- the need to procreate, that is. He wasn't the type of wolf to run about willy nilly. He never had been.
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Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 12:27 am
Iosef paused, smiling softly. He suspected he'd lost Zeke along the way, and little wonder! Enough teaching for the day. It was about time to meet up with Chimera, anyway, and with that in mind he made a curve to make his way back toward the main dens.
"Not really," he said, doing a quick mental tally. "I think, right now, only Seraphin and the Queen have taken males, permanently, as their own. Mostly they tend to choose males from outside the pack, or approach a slave for a single offer." He thought back to poor Casimir and his sons and something twitched, tightening the skin between his eye and maw. He flicked his ear. "Ah, there -- I think Chimera has beaten us here."
Ahead, paused in the shade beneath a tree, lingering near to the dens, was Chimera. There was a bit of blood on his maw and his paws, showing that he had clearly found some bit of vermin to dispose of. His purple eyes, the same shade as his father's, glinted from his patched face, and he looked somewhat less sullen than he had before -- his moodiness replaced with a sort of grim satisfaction. He slowly licked blood from his maw and watched the others approach. "Took you long enough," he said, and then grinned. "I've got a den ready for you, Zeke, if you want it. It's close to Father's. There was a badger living in it, but I killed him." He paused, then, and his grin broadened. "A badger."
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Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 10:45 am
Zeke chuckled softly as he followed Iosef, drawing closer to the younger male that stood under the shade provided by a looming tree. He dipped his head graciously but couldn't bite back the robust chuckle that rumbled up from his throat. The younger wolf seemed so proud of himself for dispatching that badger.
"A job well done, I'm sure, Chimera," he said with a smile before clearing his throat and turning a serious look to Iosef. "Badgers are known to be quite terrible and angry creatures." He nodded at that little tidbit of information before turning his eyes back to Chimera. "I faced off against a badger once, long ago. Unlike yourself, I had to admit defeat." He grinned sheepishly. "I'm not much of a fighter, myself. I thank you for readying my den for me."
Zeke smiled at Chimera before turning again to Iosef. "Where is your den? Just ah.. in case I have any questions that need answering, that is."
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Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 11:29 am
Chimera wagged his tail at this bit of praise. A badger! A vicious face-eating monster of a badger, and he'd taken him down all by himself. That was more than this white-furred newcomer could claim, see?
Puffed with pride, he grinned up at the adults. He'd have to tell Achilles about this later. Maybe he would be impressed, too.
Iosef raised a brow at his son's showing of pride -- it seemed a bit over-the-top, but who was he to judge -- and then redirected his attentions to Zeke. "Come, I'll show you," he said, making his way past the dens. Chimera fell into place beside him. They passed a den with a wide space behind it, where a small assembly of various-aged pups were lazing around in the shade. "That's Seraphin's den," he pointed out. "If I'm not at my own, I'll be here."
He lingered there just a moment, considering popping in to say hello, but decided against it and made his way back to the slave area. There'd be time to stop in later.
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Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 1:35 pm
Zeke offered Chimera a friendly smile before turning his attention back to Iosef. Had he said too much, given too much praise? Far as Zeke was concerned, killing a badger was something to be proud of.
Zeke's gaze lingered at Seraphin's den, his eyes trying to peer past the pups that milled about outside. When he didn't catch a glimpse of Iosef's mate, he hurried to catch up to the other wolf. Zeke couldn't say why he felt such an interest in meeting the female that had claimed Iosef. Perhaps it was because Iosef had been so nice and patient with him today. Perhaps it was because, though Iosef seemed very comfortable in his position within the pack, there was some sort of sadness that lingered whenever the wolf spoke of certain things.
Zeke shook his head, clearing the thoughts from his mind. He had to focus on what Iosef was telling him or else he would surely forget.
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Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 2:30 pm
"I got rid of the badger," Chimera said, in the tone of one who was clearly angling for another compliment. "So you wouldn't have to. And there isn't very much blood in your den at all." His tail gave another hopeful wag and he bounded up alongside Zeke, perhaps sensing a softness in him -- a hopeful desire to get some attention from the white wolf. "You look like Sister Taiyou," he said, then, a little boldly. "Are you related?"
That same thought had crossed Iosef's mind, but he'd thought it best not to bring it up. From his admittedly brief dealings with Taiyou -- the needy female made him extremely uncomfortable and for a whole myriad of reasons -- he was of the understanding that males in Taiyou's old pack had been stupid, brutish beasts.
Still, having nothing to say at the moment, he silently led the way. Let Chimera make friends, he thought, if he could. The pup tended not to get along well with most others.
After awhile of walking, he paused. "And this is my den," he said, gesturing to a small, rocky hole in the ground, substantially smaller than the dens they had seen on the way here.
"And this is yours!" Chimera added, bounding forward with pride to point out another nearby den. It was much closer than the one Tui had stayed in, nearer to Casimir's old den, and near enough to Iosef's that a wolf could bark from the mouth of one to the other and be heard. "I think it's a little bigger."
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Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 4:58 pm
"Thank you, Chimera. I doubt I would have tackled the task with as much ease as you have," Zeke chuckled at Chimera, enjoying the boundless energy the male seemed to have. There was something about him that cried out for attention, recognition, but Zeke was torn between Iosef's approval and appeasing Chimera's need for approval. "Sister Taiyou?" His brow wrinkled as he said the words. "No, I don't... I don't think so. My father told me that my mother and sisters were lost in a snowstorm, but that was long, long ago." He grinned at Chimera before turning his attention back to the den that Iosef stood before.
It was ...small.
Raising a brow, Zeke looked at Iosef for a long moment before Chimera bounded towards a nearby den. He wanted to ask Iosef why his den seemed so small in comparison to the other dens. Chimera even said that his own den was larger.
"I can hardly take the larger den, Iosef," Zeke said softly, "You deserve it more than I. If you like, we can switch them? I'm sure this... hole... will suit me fine."
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Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2011 10:22 pm
Chimera beamed, puffing out his chest and wagging his tail enthusiastically. He shot a sidelong glance to Iosef, but the calico male didn't meet his son's eyes. Chimera snorted and looked back to Zeke. "Oh. She's from up north, too. You never know, right?"
Iosef laughed a little uncomfortably. "Oh, no no. I have no need of a large den. I'm quite comfortable where I am, and besides, I can spend time with Seraphin whenever I like." Was there something slightly strained in the way he said that? Perhaps. Still, he looked thoroughly amused at Zeke's noble offer. "It's quite kind of you to offer, however. You have a slave's heart, Zeke." And he meant that as a high compliment.
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Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2011 10:53 am
Zeke dipped his head in humble gratitude before raising his eyes towards the direction that Chimera had taken off in. He'd heard the slightest tinge of something in the other wolf's voice, but ... no, he was probably imagining things. Zeke didn't want to push the issue. He was the low man on the totem pole as it was, and Zeke didn't want to undo any friendship he'd managed to create with Iosef.
"I appreciate everything you both have done for me," Zeke said softly, taking hesitant steps into his den. He could hardly expect them to hang around all day. Besides, Zeke was sure there was work to be done.
"Do we have duties to attend to now?"
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Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2011 11:15 am
Iosef nodded, an inward, searching look upon his features as though perhaps he was ticking items off of a mental checklist. "Yes," he said, dropping his eyes back to Zeke. It seemed a blessing, in some ways, to have a wolf such as this simply arrive in his life. Such wolves did not exist in great numbers in this world -- wolves with a servant's heart, and without the underpinnings of pain to hold it up.
Well, so far as Iosef had seen. Most wolves, in his estimation, had pain in their hearts. Some just more than others.
"If you're ready, here, we'll go attend to our morning duties, then pause for a bit of lunch and see what else may be required for us. Perhaps if we're lucky we can get an afternoon off." He grinned. This life, it wasn't for everyone. But he loved it, and he truly hoped Zeke would be the same.
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