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 Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 10:57 pm
 Lungaia thought it was best not to let the pup have too much time to think and dwell on what had happened. Puppies were durable little things, but an ordeal was still an ordeal -- however old the wolf in question was. Lungaia knew all too well how childhood trauma could tear at your heart and turn you into something...else.
She glanced over her shoulder, making sure that the pup was keeping pace with her. She should take her to the nanny, she thought. Perhaps she would. But her inclination was to keep the pup to herself for a moment. Show her to Tui, maybe. But nothing more. Not right away.
It's not that Lungaia didn't trust the sisters...it was simply that she trusted no one. And she knew that the pup who followed her was...not a usual pup. Not one with any inclination to frolic and play, at any rate.
For that matter, who would she play with? Orithia's brood, perhaps...but maybe they were too old. Ah, she couldn't keep track of all this mess.
Crossing the threshold of the pack border, Lungaia paused near the river and allowed the pup to catch up with her. "Drink," she said. "We enter my pack's territory, now, and there's no telling who we might run into. It's best you recover your strength before I bring you home."
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Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2012 11:28 pm
 Exhaustion wasn't her biggest problem. The large wolf had been thoughtful, allowing her moments to rest, to ease the ache of her sore paws. Exhaustion was there, yes, but it was something that could be dealt with later. Neither hunger nor thirst were really troubling her. All physical pain seemed... distant, oddly tangible, as if discomfort was something she could- young as she was- pick up and set aside.
No. What troubled her, kept her on edge and plodding with steady deliberation a few feet behind the dark wolf with the violet markings was the fact that she had no words. The wolf had spoken to her, had made comments, indicating with eyes, ears, nose what those words meant. It wasn't that they were puzzling or out of her grasp. The pup could puzzle out what everything meant, and by the wolf's spotty commentary, had been able to put names to a number of things.
And yet... She couldn't bring herself to open her mouth. Couldn't fathom using those words herself, even to declare a need for a pause, or a sense of pain gnawing in her belly. When the pause finally came after a lengthy walk, she folded her ears back, almost insulted that it was said she needed "regain" her strength. Since when had she lost it?
The sparkle of light on water and the fresh scent was lure enough, however, and she walked forward with great deliberation before lowering her muzzle to lap at the water. Nothing was foggy in her mind. She remembered everything. As she drank, rationing herself carefully to a few laps before lifting her head to look around, to sniff the air before dropping her head for more water, the pup watched the larger wolf. What she couldn't bring herself to speak, she asked with eyes, ears, tail.
Who exactly might they meet? And just where were they going?
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Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2012 1:37 pm
Lungaia understood the pup's gaze well enough. There was something hauntingly familiar in those eyes, like looking into her own reflection. "I live in a pack here. I don't know if you ever lived in a pack before, but it's a group of wolves. In my case, it's a group of wolves that are primarily female, and generally hostile. They should like you well enough, though, given that you're female as well."
Lungaia had never really stopped to consider the odd sexism inherent in this new pack of hers. Oh, it was strange, undoubtedly. But she had seen stranger things. And, besides, they had accepted her without asking any awkward questions.
"Do you have a name? They'll ask me what your name is, and I'll have to give you one if you don't already."
She also saw no real purpose in names, but such formal niceties must be preserved if one wished to survive in a pack.
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 12:40 pm
Name...? Ah, yes. Things had to have names. It wasn't something she understood- she'd given no names to the one who had whelped her, nor those who had trudged along on the march that had ended in death- but something she noted was obviously a necessity.
Did she have a name? The pup's brow furrowed as she considered for a long moment. Words were still something she was uncomfortable with, unfamiliar with, despite understanding what the large wolf said. There was honestly nothing she could say, at this point, and as she considered the idea of living with creatures like the one looking at her now, the pup shook her head.
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 3:44 pm
"Well, no matter." Great, so now she had the task of naming the silent whelp as well. She began to wonder why this had seemed to be a good idea. Still, the thought of leaving her again was impossible. Lungaia had an unfortunate aptitude for rescuing wayward creatures, and her ferocious loyalty to them kept her from abandoning them even after they had lost their charm.
"I'll make Tui name you. He'll call you something nice, I'm sure."
She shrugged and pulled away from the stream, deciding the pup had likely had her share of rest for the moment. Besides, she could rest well enough once they had settled in. Lungaia wondered what sort of tests or rituals or other tomfoolery she'd be subjected to. Some sort of rite of adoption, most likely. Maybe they could sacrifice something in her name. That wouldn't be so bad...
Smirking at the thought, the dark wolf picked her way again through the forest, hoping she would be fortunate enough to make her way home without being accosted.
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