Horizon Ridge The Eyes of Another

ooc: I will have Rob post after Pied does, Kat :)

When Hawkeye strolled up to the spot that she told the new member of her pack, he was already there, cocky eyes smiling at her. She wondered again if letting him into her pack was a mistake, but only briefly. She swung her head, telling him to follow her.

They descended the ledge together, and followed the river to Ravensblood Forest. The two large wolves walked through the rainforest-like greenery, and ventured past the sky-scraping sequoias. Robur amused Hawkeye with his bored looks and sudden quiet nature. She somewhat missed his sarcastic quips, but not enough to say anything; his silence was something she could grow used to.

As they reached Horizon Ridge, she let out a howl telling anyone who could hear of her and Robur Aqua's presence, and that she wished to see Pied. They walked on toward the beach, where Rob's mood seemed to pick up, and his eyes shone with something that she couldn't quite place.

Pied lucked across a gull's nest hidden in a crook along one of the many towpaths scaling the face of the ridge and barely polished off the last egg before a howl rose up into the bracing air, requesting her by name. With bits of yolk still clinging to her chops in yellowish gobs, Pied raced across the breadth of the territory, located the path that descended toward the borders, and galloped down it. She knew that voice and could hardly wait to see her sister.

The mottled Omicron slowed but did not stop when she saw that Hawkeye had not come alone. "Have you been lucky in love, sis?" Pied quipped offhandedly as she approached, smiling curiously at the stranger but directing much of her beaming at the large, dark she-wolf. Without awaiting an answer, she embraced her former Alpha, her neck arcing against Hawkeye's in a loose, wolfish hug.

A grin encased Rob's face. "Woah, there, ladies -- can I join? Looks like fun." He took a step back, though, and rested on his haunches to watch the greeting between the two females that were so vastly different in appearance.

"Is this the friend you spoke of, Hawkeye? She's cute. Maybe I can convince her to have a litter or two with me." He raised himself, feeling restless, and moved forward a few feet, his silvery goldenrod eyes meeting the curious, mismatched eyes of the spotted female before him. "I am Robur Aqua, but you can call me Rob." He spoke to Pied as if she were the only wolf present, and as if she were the only one allowed to call him his nickname. "You have interesting eyes and coloring. I hope our pups take after you." His voice was smooth, and the womanizing male winked in humor at the small female before him.

Skipping Hawkeye with permission. :)

Hawkeye's companion's voice made Pied's ears flick and she withdrew from the embrace, a quizzical expression forming on her face, which soon after developed into a thoughtful frown. She exchanged a glance with her sister, though before Hawkeye could get a word in edgewise, the male yammered on with an introduction and a whole spiel of unprecedented objectification that left Pied's hackles prickling.

"Who is this guy? Why did you bring him here?" she said, ignoring Rob and looking at Hawkeye, her eyes and voice both confused and slightly accusatory.

Hawkeye's ears flattened in embarrassment and she glared at Robur. I told you to learn some respect, the look said.

"I am sorry, Pied. This... male is a new member of the pack. He was--" she looked at him for a moment, face unamused "-- quiet on the way here, but it seems like he is back to his old self. He means no harm; it seems he tries to produce a litter with every female he runs into. I find it amusing and annoying all at once. I am sorry if he has offended you." She frowned slightly, wondering again if she had made the wrong choice letting him into her pack. His humor only bothered her slightly though, and she pondered if that meant there was something wrong with her.

Rob's ears flattened in the same way his Alpha's did, but in shame. He lowered himself in submission and stepped back from Pied.

"I am sorry, my lady, I was only trying to be humorous." A small smile appeared on his face, seeming to be an apologetic one, but inside he knew he would get away with what he just did. "I know you are betrothed to another, and I would never tarnish that." He knew he would have if he had the chance to. The women around here seemed immune to his charms, and he wondered if they were all inbreds of the land.

Hawkeye quickly shot Rob a glare of disapproval and he just as rapidly backed down, submitted and apologized for his crass behavior. Although she still felt the fur along her spine lifting and bristling ever so slightly, Pied relaxed slightly. Still, when she regarded Rob, her expression was rather cold.

"If you knew that, why would you talk to me like that?" she questioned, her voice thick with disapproval. "My mate would tear out your throat if he heard you speaking to me that way." She chuffed, nostrils flaring agitatedly.

"Why did you bring him here?" she asked again, turning back to Hawkeye.

Hawkeye nudged Pied. She felt as if she were taking things too far. The male was harmless, and if he stepped out of line again, she would make sure he knew his place. She watched him shrug at the response of Pied and sighed.

"Robur Aqua, why don't you leave us for now and return later on?" The male shrugged again and then headed back the direction they had come from. She followed him with her eyes until he was almost gone and then laughed/sighed, giving Pied a look as if to say "he's a handful."

"I know he can be a little offensive and... tough to like, but he is truly harmless. I find him interesting and entertaining. Once he knows that you are not interested, he is actually enjoyable to be around. It's just the rough beginning you need to get by first." A weak smile showed on Hawkeye's face, and she wasn't sure if she was trying to convince Pied or herself of the words she spoke.

"Anyway," she continued, "I brought him to meet you. I wanted to keep an eye on him since he just joined yesterday. He can be quite charming, you know." Changing the subject, she moved onto Pied's mate. "And Kisu! I have come to meet the wolf who stole my Delta away." She winked at Pied and raised her eyebrows a few times, a large smile coming from her face.

Hawkeye asked Rob to leave them alone and he complied without another word. Pied watched him retreat, her eyes narrowed slightly as they followed him until he disappeared. They remained tight when they returned to Hawkeye's face, especially when the Alpha downplayed his feminizing behavior and, even worse, defended it.

"To be honest, I found him neither interesting nor entertaining," Pied said coolly, feeling a little hurt. "I'd be happy if I never saw him again. Please don't tell me you have any romantic interest in him," she pleaded quite sincerely, suddenly suspicious that this might be the case. Why else would Hawkeye bring him with her? The Alpha hadn't explained that to her satisfaction.

Trying to coax the stiffness out of her voice and body, Pied offered, "I can call him here if you like," in reference to her mate. "We're waiting on Akhlut to hold a ritual to formalize our mate-ship, though we made it official between the two of us," she announced with a small smile.

Hawkeye parted her mouth part, and felt like she was put on the spot; she became defensive at this and voiced it. "No, I do not, but even if I did, what would it matter? He is part of my pack now. If he causes any trouble, that is on him and him alone." Anger and hurt filled her, and she wondered why she was so protective of the male that her friend found repulsive.

She relaxed, though, when Pied brought up her mate. "You two made it official on your own? How... secretive." She almost giggled at the thought of an elopement. "No, don't call him here just yet. Maybe we can go to him in a bit... I want to discuss female things first. Have you... you know." Hawkeye raised her eyebrows, figuring Pied knew what she was hinting at. She herself had never done anything, well, sexual before and was curious what it was like.

Pied didn't know how to respond to Hawkeye's continued defensiveness. She still felt hurt, yet remained guarded. She sensed that this male meant something to her, which dismayed Pied, yet she wouldn't risk butting heads with the wolf she considered her sister over it.

Besides, she was happy to change the subject. "We weren't secretive about it, per se. I considered Kisu my mate before I even moved and thought it would become formal the moment I joined his pack. But Akhlut asked us to wait for the ritual. I'm not really sure when that's going to happen or what it even entails, to be honest." She shrugged a splotched shoulder. "We didn't seal the deal to dishonor Akhlut. We actually look forward to his ritual."

Hawkeye asked her not to call Kisu just yet and instead began to press her for dirty details. Pied found herself chuckling. Laughing slightly, she answered, "Yes, we consummated it. Why do you ask?" Not that it bothered her. Her expression and demeanor betrayed the fact that she didn't mind discussing this with Hawkeye. She wouldn't tell anyone else about it but this was her big sister.

Hawkeye looked down, partially in shame and partially in embarrassment. She didn't want to say what was on her mind, but knew she would anyway. Pied was like family, and the only wolf who accepted her for who she was.

"I have never... you know. Done that before. It's just never happened. No male has ever been interested in me, and I feel like it's my size; I am larger than most wolves, you know. I know he's harmless, I just know, but Robur Aqua has been the only male to show any kind of, well, anything towards me. No wolf wants to mate with a crazy and large female." She became quieter near the end and sort of trailed off. Looking nervously into Pied's different colored eyes, she shifted nervously.

Pied held back a groan when Hawkeye revealed her feelings toward Rob. "Hawkeye," she rebuked gently, "you deserve so much more than a womanizing jerk. Because I don't care what you say to defend him—that's exactly what he is." She paused, her lips pursed, and then continued. "Don't settle. Don't go for him just because he's the first to show interest. I know I sort of did that but Kisu is sweet, respectful and honorable, unlike Rob..."

When Hawkeye held her gaze, Pied sighed, seeing her sister's anguish. "You really deserve so much better than him. If you can't help yourself, at least whip him into proper shape before you do anything else, okay? He shouldn't speak to anyone the way he spoke to me, especially if the two of you get involved..."

She didn't like it, one bit, yet Pied felt that offering this advice was a compromise and she had a feeling if she simply badmouthed Rob, Hawkeye wouldn't listen. She clearly thought quite a lot of him, as her behavior indicated, so Pied knew she had to treat the subject delicately or risk upsetting or alienating her friend.

Her mouth formed into an "o" shape as Pied spoke to her. "I wouldn't have -- I mean, ugh. There would not be any relationship between us. It's just nice to think about being desired by another wolf." She frowned, knowing that it was a bad idea to be invested in the lowest ranking member of her pack anyway.

"You got what every female wolf desires -- a male seeking you, who wants you and only you. He, from what you tell me, is charming, kind, and loving. Where am I going to find that, Pied?" She frowned once more. "Akhlut barely tolerates me, and I feel like it is only so there is no hostility between packs. Plus, I follow Sos. Not only does Akhlut seem to somehow know, who would follow a wolf that dabbles in the dark ways? I mean, Pied, I hear Sos' voice." She sighed and plopped onto the ground (feeling sorry for herself), a thump sounding from her drop.

Pied meant to say, I understand, yet before she could say a single word, Hawkeye launched into a speech. She felt sorry for herself, yet Pied did not think ill of her for it. She understood her friend's frustration and sympathized. When the Alpha flopped onto her hindquarters, the mottled yearling slowly moved to her side and sat next to her, gently nudging Hawkeye's dark shoulder with her nose.

"You will find it. You just have to make sure you don't settle for the wrong wolf, else you'll miss out on the right one," she cautioned quietly. "What about Oracle?" she wondered. She wasn't sure what to say about Akhlut, as she'd thought Hawkeye had crossed him off the list of prospects long ago.

The news about Sos took her by surprise; she hadn't really given much thought to whether Hawkeye upheld her religious beliefs after Bon Dye's failure. Although surprised and slightly skeptical, Pied was the last wolf on earth to doubt such things immediately.

"Is that the voice you've heard all along...?" she couldn't help but wonder.

Hawkeye mentally smacked herself. She had never told Pied about Jinx. "Well, you see... I went to see Jinx because he told me to. He told me to find her and learn ways to please him. It's not like I wanted to -- but I needed to. I hope that makes sense. We barely deal with each other, though; it is a very tense relationship. I think she envies me, and when I brought up Lecter, she became protective. I found out it was Sos who gave me my eyesight. It makes sense now as to why I could see so well after going mostly deaf."

The black female switched subjects quickly after a brief pause, before Pied could even talk. She wasn't done just yet. "As for Oracle, I barely see him. He seems to have disappeared somewhere, but there is also a new, strange male named Ariston. I believe he was part of Dragonwatchers, but I have not asked him about that yet. He is quite friendly, but I don't know if I want an overly friendly mate." A smile appeared on her face due to her pickiness. Ariston was nice, maybe she should give him a chance. "We'll see."

The news about Jinx made Pied stiffen, though she relaxed quickly. By the sound of it, the two had struck a sort of civil acquaintanceship, which was not unlike the indifferent truce she herself shared with Jinx. She wondered how Hawkeye could speak to Jinx, much less learn things from her, without wanting to box her about the ears. Pied decided not to ask.

"Dragonwatchers..." Pied murmured. She hadn't thought of her cousins' former pack much, or her cousins themselves, for that matter. "I wonder if he knows whatever happened to them," the splotched yearling mused, "not that I'm overly concerned about it." All the same, Pied found her animosity toward Koontz and Ray had faded with time and she hoped they hadn't experienced any terrible misfortune.

Hawkeye huffed at the mention of what happened to the pack that once claimed her land. "Well, I hope that a dragon came and gobbled them up. If they ever return, they will regret. Though," she added, "I suppose it does not matter if the silver male was a part of the horrid pack. He is mine now, and loyal to me." Her eyes went wide. "Not that I mean he's mine mine, I just --" sigh "-- nevermind. You get it."

Was her focus too much on gaining a mate, and not enough on herself? She still had a pack to worry about and Sos as well. She was forever grateful to the bear god, and wondered if her focus shifting would anger Him.

"I do," Pied agreed, laughing slightly. "I guess that must be satisfying then? You should tell me more about him," the dappled she-wolf encouraged, hoping that this Arison would be a more eligible candidate than Rob, especially if Oracle was out of the picture. Although she'd only met him for less than five minutes, Pied very much wanted to steer Hawkeye away from him if she could. First impressions were important, after all, and hers was that this Rob Aqua guy was bad news.

"Well," she started, "come to think of it.. we are.. I mean, I don't want to assume things, but it's sort of a courtship? We are getting to know each other, I mean. I kind of pushed it to the back of my mind since Robur Aqua came and distracted me... What do you think, Pied?" She felt her face warm at remembering back on the awkward day; not being used to any type of interaction besides friendship caused her to suddenly feel shy.

"He grew up with only sisters, and I figure that is why he is so sweet. Maybe we can have litters at the same time!" She suddenly exclaimed, hopping with excitement. Since when had she turned so boy-crazy?

Although it would make her happy in a moment, this news threw Pied for a loop. "Wait, you're courting this Ariston guy?" she repeated, the effect on her brain not unlike whiplash. "Why didn't you say so...?" In fact, Hawkeye had barely mentioned him, as if he was nothing but an unfamiliar new recruit. "I mean, I'm happy for you, I think?" she said, trying to wrap her head around it and her companion's abrupt change in attitude about the whole matter.

Deciding not to worry about it, she bobbed her head at the mention of simultaneous litters. "That would be great. I wish we got to choose the timing of that ourselves. But what about this guy? You really didn't mention much about him. Besides being overly bubbly, what's he like?" she pressed, as of yet unaware that she'd actually met this Ariston, alias: Sandy.

ooc: dammit, the timeline screwed me up. oh well, I am going with it now

She sighed. "I apologize. I sort of pushed him to the back of my mind with Robur joining yesterday and coming to see you and Kisu today. I mean, I think we are courting. He said he would like to get to know me better after I, uh, made a comment about him being Mr. Hawkeye." During her little monologue, Hawkeye stared at the ground, but now connected eyes with Pied.

"Ariston has this boyish charm to him. He seems pretty innocent, but he is honest, almost to a fault. He's a sandy but silver color, and his eyes hold a certain softness combined with mischief. He -- he said I was beautiful and charitable, words I have never hear before, Pied."

I find it funny. It's cool. xD

"You do strike me as being the one to wear the pants in a relationship. Maybe he's a good fit, considering," Pied mused in rejoinder to Hawkeye's remark. She lapsed into silence as her sister described the male in question, her lips quirking upward at the corners. Her friend had seemed miserable moments ago, yet now she was hopeful. Pied enjoyed the change.

"Have—" she began to ask, when something struck her as familiar. "Wait, he's sandy? And kind of goofy?" she guessed speculatively. With a snort, Pied said, "I think I've actually met him."

Hawkeye felt a twinge of only what she could place as jealousy. Pied had met him before she had? She knew it was silly, her having a mate and all, but she wanted Ariston to be her own special guy to talk about. She hadn't even met Kisu yet and he and Pied had become official mates.

The black female felt left out and left behind. Her Delta, she wanted her back. Wishing Kisu had never come for her was flooding her mind now. "Yea, that's him." She said almost glumly. "Well, what do you think of him, then?" She forced her voice to pick up, but she felt impatient and irritated.

Another abrupt change occurred and Hawkeye seemed glum again. This time, Pied couldn't simply let it go. "What's up with the mood swings, sis?" she questioned lightly, hoping to avoid angering the larger she-wolf. Yet she couldn't resist asking. It had happened several times now and she simply couldn't keep up with the rapid changes in her companion's mood. In fact, she fell silent and waited for some sort of explanation before answering Hawkeye's question.