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 Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 6:40 pm
 The sun shone brightly for the first time in weeks on the forests of Transylvania below, turning the dark, snow-covered trees into trails of bronze and silver. The frozen rivers glittered brightly under the rays, like jeweled stones, and what Lera had chosen to stay for the winter were already up and chirruping cheerfully as they flew or hopped from branch to branch. The snow-capped landscape seemed to come alive, as if all it needed were the sun to live.
But a Varg, curled under a bare, leafless tree, didn't seem to revel in the warmth of Fenris. Her eyes were closed in sleep, but instead of a calm, serene expression, her brows were furrowed, and a deep frown was set on her lips, as if she suffered from a nightmare, despised the sun, or perhaps both, or none at all. Regardless, she seemed displeased, and low growls rumbled from her throat, even as she rested.
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Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 6:24 am
There was something about the warming sunlight that made Holly stir early in the morning. Instead of going back to sleep until a later time in the day, she chose to leave her little den of dirt and dead leaves to lie out in the open. After so many days of dreariness, the sun seemed to warm the wolf right to her bones. She loosened the stiffness from lying motionless for hours with a satisfying stretch, allowing her deep amber eyes to look about. There were a few birds already chirping to one another in an evergreen, and the sound made Holly smile. It looked like she wasn't the only one enjoying the morning.
Once she was done basking, Holly returned to her paws and began to wander. There was something nice about being free from the ties of a pack. She didn't feel obligated to do anything, which suited her just fine. It gave her lots of time to think and watch the nature around her. As she padded through the snow, she thought about the upcoming spring. What would it be like this year?
A small noise distracted her from her daydream. At first she thought it was the wind, but then Holly realized that it had sounded almost like a growl. Curious, she followed the sound, until she reached a barren tree, with the dark shape of a fellow Varg curled underneath it. Quietly she observed her twitch in unrestful sleep. She couldn't just continue to watch the stranger suffer some kind of nightmare. Holly reached out and gently prodded Deirdre.
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Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 8:45 pm
Deirdre awoke with a start, her eyes bright and her ears flickering with alertness as she rose to her paws. (She seemed quick to awaken, despite the fact that she preferred to laze around for most of the day, and rarely moved around unless she had to.) She spotted the stranger almost immediately, and her eyes narrowed with wariness and anger when she realized it was the she-Varg who had woken her. But the female did not seem to harbor any malicious intent, so she wondered why the stranger had decided to bother her. Hopefully not to enjoy the day with her, she thought, noticing the warmth she felt on her pelt and the sounds of the forest.
“What do you want?” she demanded, laying down again. She knew this made it seem as if she were submissive, lowering herself to make the other seem taller, especially because she had to raise her head to look at the female, making the bright white patch of fur on her throat more visible, but she hadn’t been part of a pack for a long time, and status didn’t matter as much to her as laying down did.
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Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 12:44 pm
As soon as she awoke Deirdre seemed to be alert, with none of the grogginess and yawning Holly usually associated with those who just woke up. Perhaps it was an effect of the environment. She had just arrived in the vicinity, so she had yet to learn what was dangerous and what was not in this particular area. In her young life she had never met Man or Varg who had meant her harm, and she avoided the trouble areas of the land for the most part. Maybe Deirdre was on edge for a reason?
The dark kerl seemed to calm again, and lay back in her spot. Holly remained where she was, choosing to stand her ground but without a hint of challenge in her body language. Holly didn't want to have an unnecessary battle of dominance, but that didn't mean she wouldn't stand up for herself if the stranger had a change of heart.
"You were twitching in your sleep, like you were suffering," Holly said honestly, nodding a little. "I just wanted to break you out of it, that's all." Then she titled her head to one side. "Should I have let you be? I'm sorry."
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Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 5:45 pm
Deirdre watched the female as she spoke, although not directly (even if she cared little for rank, that didn’t mean she considered all of the Varg’s natural ways that way). Her response was not what she had expected, but it was the one she got, nevertheless. If she had dreamed, or had suffered from a nightmare as the female claimed, it had already faded away into the recesses of her mind, and she was left with was the sun glaring into her eyes from the reflections off of the thawing snow and the stranger standing before her.
“You should have,” she said, her voice harsh and raspy. “But it’s too late for that now.” She felt the smallest sensation of guilt, because now she knew that the female had woken her up only because she had tried to help. But the feeling didn’t last long. Actions made with good intentions never ensured everything would be okay.
She had fallen asleep early the day before after a good meal, and as a result, she felt none of the usual drowsiness she usually dealt with for most of the day. She frowned, knowing this meant that trying to fall asleep again would be a waste of time. She sighed and turned away from the stranger, pawing at the snow that had drifted onto her flank but had not fallen when she stood: a message that clearly stated she had lost interest in the female.
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Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2010 12:25 pm
"Too late, too late..." Holly echoed, shaking her head. She hated stepping on the toes of others, even if it was an accident. Sometimes she even worried about her traveling and running into wolves that had different customs than she was used to. The basic foundation of every Varg's behaviour was the same, but some had different beliefs, while others didn't like outsiders. It made her very sensitive around strangers.
Holly might have left Deirdre alone if she wasn't suddenly determined to make up for waking her. Though the kerl seemed to have lost interest in her completely, Holly continued to stand there, watching her with polite interest. She noticed how the snow fell on Deirdre's flank. Why was she lying out in the open when better shelter likely could be found? She looked up at the bare tree.
"Don't you have a den somewhere? This place won't do much to keep you warm," Holly said, smiling to show that it wasn't meant as an insult to the other Varg's choice of sleeping space. "Someone else could find you too. Someone not as harmless as me."
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Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2010 10:50 pm
Deirdre noticed with mild irritation that the female hadn’t left yet. Apparently, her words had failed to convince the other to leave her be. If anything, they only seemed to make the stranger more determined to stay with her, if the female’s inquiries were anything to tell by.
By the time she had ridded herself of most of the snow, she had come to the conclusion that perhaps staying with the female for a short while wouldn’t hurt. She knew hunting would be futile, as it was rare to catch anything worthwhile when snow was about, and she was full, anyway. Sleep had already been proved unattainable at the moment, and her usual raven companion had gone off – probably to shelter itself from the cold. In short, it was either a day of absolute boredom or a day with a complete stranger.
She chose the lesser of two evils and with a flick of her tail to let the other know she was listening, she turned back to her, ears cocked. “Most dens already have inhabitants, many of which are loathe to share, and my pelt is good enough, as far as I’m concerned,” she said, bristling her fur for a moment to emphasize its thickness. Even with her dark pelt, the nights could still get cold, but she usually built a small den for herself: nothing more than a hollow under the snow, but it kept her warm and cozy, which was good enough for her. She had failed to do so the night before, however, for she was content and weary with the meal she had caught, and thought the night had been warm enough.
“That holds true, no matter what the location,” she said, giving a small shrug of her shoulders. “Although I do admit some locations are more inclined to lure these not-as-harmless-as-you Varg than others,” she acknowledged, her voice almost amused as she, too, glanced at the bare tree behind her.
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Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 6:33 am
At first Holly wasn't certain if Deirdre had heard her, or if she had, would answer her at all. She didn't seem like the most social of Varg. Then again, for all she knew she might be sticking her nose in where it didn't belong. But Deirdre was listening, and it was evident by the acknowledging way she flicked her tail, and the movement of her dark ears.
"True, there are only so many dens out there," Holly nodded, sitting down into the snow. She barely felt the chill of the ground through her own pelt, and there was little wind to disturb it and steal her warm body heat. Then she grinned at Deirdre, thinking she had heard a touch of amusement in her voice. This seemed to reassure Holly a bit. "Dangerous or not out here, I suppose there is safety in numbers. The best dens undoubtedly belong to the packs."
Speaking of packs... Holly wondered if there were any nearby. She hadn't scented any pack borders yet, though that could just mean she hadn't wandered in the right place. Deirdre was also a kerl like her, there was no doubt in her mind about that. She tilted her head to one side in curiosity, her eyes showing a touch of worry. "Are there dangerous Varg here? A dangerous pack?"
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Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 10:55 am
Deirdre nodded in agreement, although the movement was slow, as if she were distracted with a sudden thought. A thought that was as strange as it was disturbing: packs had been dwindling lately, and for no apparent reason save for the fact that Man seemed to have taken a certain liking for their pelts. Nonetheless, she was listening to the other, and gave a nonchalant grunt in return. “About as many as there are elsewhere,” she said, which basically meant they had no need to worry.
Lately, however, she heard some packs were returning. Although not as adaptable to Man as others creatures were, Varg weren’t stupid, and she was glad to hear that they were slowly returning to the way things were, albeit more cautious than before. Why, there were even rumors of a Varg attempting to start the Balkar again! It brought fixed feelings to many, for although they had been great and revered once, they had corrupted into law-breakers and pup-killers soon after the Morgra, the first female to join the Balkar, became its leader.
But today was not the day for such thoughts, for they were cold and cruel, and not fit for the signs of spring approaching. “I go by Deirdre,” she said suddenly, “And you?”
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Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 9:55 am
Deirdre's answer seemed to satisfy Holly for the moment. No more than usual... Well that was okay, it was impossible to find an area that didn't have it's occasional problem. She had to admit to herself that she worried too much about dangers that weren't actually there. Sometimes being cautious saved her from trouble, but other times it just made her a little bit paranoid.
She looked at Deirdre, who seemed to be distracted and in deep thought. What was she thinking about? Holly hoped she wasn't trying to hide something from her. Perhaps that was just her worry making her think of things that weren't true. The stranger didn't seem like someone who would try to deceive her, but a stranger was a stranger.
Suddenly she introduced herself and Holly realized that she hadn't done so either. "Holly," she said quickly, nodding and smiling again. "Nice you meet you, Deirdre." Then she added, "You seem like one who knows a lot of things." It was an attempt to see if she would share her thoughts.
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Posted: Sun Apr 11, 2010 8:25 pm
Deirdre tilted her muzzle slightly to show she heard Holly’s name, but didn’t return the greeting. The meeting was anything but nice, in her opinion. But better than terrible, she supposed.
“I… guess I could,” she replied, albeit hesitantly. It was true she knew many things – how to walk and chew, for example – but they were things everyone knew. If the female meant knowledge that made one more… well, knowledgeable than most others, then she wouldn’t know. She rarely compared her intellect to another’s, unless trying to see how long it would take for her to chase off an intruder without having to get up counted.
“What makes you think so?” she asked, eyes narrowing. She had received insults often enough for her to consider the possibility that the female was demeaning her, or something of the sort.
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Posted: Sat May 08, 2010 8:04 pm
Holly chuckled a little; it wasn't an insult at all, yet Dierdre seemed suspicious now. She guessed the dark female might have been a bit... modest? It was hard for Holly to tell.
"Well, for one thing you've been able to answer all of my questions, more or less," Holly pointed out, scraping at the snow with her paw. "Plus you strike me as a very deep-thinking Varg, whether you believe me or not. And lastly... You seem quite comfortable sitting out here in the open, while I seem to be on edge. Which tells me you are familiar with this area?" She laughed a little again. "Just my observations." Holly gave Dierdre a playfully smug look.
Then Holly paused, ceasing any further speech. Something felt... off. She couldn't pinpoint it, until she listened hard. It was quiet. Normally that wouldn't bother her, but hadn't she woken up to birdsong and the stirrings of small creatures? Now she couldn't hear even the quietest of sounds. She looked back at Dierdre, her playful expression gone. "I think... it might be best to move on from here," she said in a hushed tone, as if she were afraid to disturb the sudden silence.
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Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 8:20 pm
Deirdre snorted in reply, but did nothing more. She might have chosen to say something after a while, had she none noticed the sudden silence. Just mere seconds before, the birds were still announcing their joy towards the elusive sun, but it all died down, and quickly, too, which stirred a small worry in her.
Holly seemed to feel the same, but Deirdre was still reluctant. Would it be safer to stay low and quiet, without moving on, and hope whatever it was lurking in the forest passed on without noticing them at all? Or to leave before it could come close enough to notice them in the first place? Of course, her naturally lazy nature and slight possessiveness over the tree she had slept by for nearly the whole winter made her want the former, but the latter seemed more reasonable. And if she died, her nature and the tree would matter little.
“I suppose,” she huffed, her voice louder than a whisper as if to express that she was still against the idea. She stood and stretched, looking around before padding off towards a random direction without looking back to see if Holly was following.
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Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 4:33 pm
The gray and dusty red female frowned, catching Deirdre's reluctance. "It's your hide on the line if you stay here, not mine," she said, more harshly than she would have under normal circumstances. Stress and fear often had that effect on Holly. "Now I am going to find someplace to hide. You are welcome to follow. Or not, your choice." She rolled her shoulders in a shrug and bounded away, tossing snow behind her. It wasn't the most subtle way to travel, but it got her to where she was going; a small patch of thick brush, big enough for a wolf or two to huddle behind.
Satisfied with her chosen hiding place, Holly ducked behind the dry, leafless bush and stay still. Then, with horror, she realized that she had hidden on the wrong side. Mere feet from her plodded a great brute of a bear. His black fur was covered in scars, and white around his muzzle told her that he was a bear of great age. Suddenly his scent struck her with a gust of wind. She had been upwind of him, and hadn't noticed it before.
"Deirdre..." She whispered to the air, too terrified to take her eyes away from the creature. Holly hadn't a clue if the dark wolf had followed her. Warning her was the least Holly could do, if she had.
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Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 7:40 pm
Deirdre gave another huff in response to Holly's warning. It wasn't intended as the defiant huff a pup might have given to try and show bravery in the face of potential danger, but was merely meant to be a simple acknowledgment. However, she didn't even attempt to try and dissuade any assumptions her action would surely have caused.
She could hear the strain in the female's voice and she frowned, irritated. The lack of sound was obviously a sign of danger and fear was a normal response to it. It wasn't that which annoyed her -- fear was a factor that kept them alive, after all -- but that was different when the fear's response was directed at her. As a result, she chose to decline Holly's offer and, after kicking snow over the dry land she had slept on, she left in the opposite direction. It didn't matter where they went, after all, as long as it was away from the bear.
Her leisurely trot quickened after a while as she inspected other potential sleeping places (which were less inhabited than her last, she hoped). She thought she had seen something promising in the distance and she raised her muzzle to see if anything smelled off about that area, when suddenly, the musky smell of bear reached her nose. Immediately she was alert, but not because of the bear. No, she could tell by the direction of the wind that he was heading away from her. What had caught her attention was the smell that had come with it: Holly's scent.
She gritted her teeth, ears flat in annoyance. Contrary to popular belief, she did have a conscience, and, despite her better judgment, she ran towards the bear.
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