Wolf RPG

All of Steady's steadiness and sense appeared to have fled Mason's head. With the thought of moving their pack across the mountain to please both the new and the old alpha, Mason's eyes flashed with hurt. Alphas. Pah! So much for bringing Mason up to follow in his footsteps. Not knowing how unconventional a choice it would be, Mason had always assumed (yes, assumed, not hoped) he would run the pack alongside his Dad as Alpha. What was wrong? Had he not done enough?
 
Yet another stab to the heart.
 
The young near-teen blinked his tears aside angrily. He was sick of crying over the decisions made by his Dad which had thrown all of his world into chaos. He had descended the mountain and taken an unusual trip across the scent boundaries towards the hot springs. He had never ever met a wolf who wasn't part of their pack before but he didn't feel too nervous - although he was grateful it was a bright sunny autumn morning because he wasn't feeling too thrilled about being alone after the incident with Shardul.
 
Mason shook out his fur under the full gaze of the sun and looked about him. He felt warm for the first time in a long time, as the mist given off by the springs lingered around him like a smelly cloak. He didn't relish the smell, and immediately discounted the idea of founding his new pack here. Wolves wouldn't join. That didn't mean he couldn't have a look around though.
 
Mason walked over to a large pool and looked down at the water, like an extension of the glass cave. He pressed his paw onto the surface and found his three-toned fur sank deep into a blissful warmth. "Ahhh" he breathed questioningly, automatically looking around to ask his Dad what it was that made the water so warm. His ears quivered as he realised his mistake, and he sullenly looked back down at the pool. Mason was sure that the sulphur smell must be stinging his eyes into crying again, because there could be no other reason big fat drops were dribbling to meld with the water below and cast ripples across his wavering reflection.

It’d been over a week since the female had left the springs for the forest, having acquired another mouth to feed. She didn’t mind the boy’s presence at all—in fact, she actually enjoyed him being there with her. Leo was still only a hatchling, and yet he’d experienced more than any child should ever have to go through. For that, she’d decided to look after him and keep him safe, as well as because she liked the company. They’d only been together for a short time before her brother had appeared, a familial presence that she was thankful for. Again, that meant a whole other mouth to feed, thought when it came to her brother, she knew she didn’t really need to coddle him. Despite knowing that, Asterr had set out that day to track a meal for the three of them. She moved with a purpose in mind, and yet her body seemed to possess a different idea. Before long, the obsidian yearling found herself within the vicinity of the same warm pools she’d left some time ago with the sand-coloured kid in tow.
 
Asterr entered the area, knowing not why her paws had led her there of all places, but not bothering to question it, either. Each place she visited was for a reason, after all. The sulfuric scent that coated the air didn’t bother her as she progressed deeper into the territory, just as it hadn’t during her previous visit. She did not know what she was looking for, in truth, but as the outline of a form came into view, she suspected that to be the cause. Slowly, the Draconid approached, steps light and carefully placed so as not to frighten the creature away. Once the distance had been shortened between them, she realized it was a wolf—not just any wolf, either, but another child. This one did not appear to be injured, but the gentle plink that sounded as a tear hit the water beneath him had her concerned nonetheless. “Are you alright?” the girl asked, voice soft. Her movements ceased a little ways off, not wanting to crowd or frighten him.

She approached quietly, but sweetly, with no malice to be found in her bones. Mason turned to look at her only when she spoke to him. She was close by now and he noticed that her fur was as black as a night without stars. Behind her lingered a pale boy, such a light colour that he was near-indistinguishable from the mist around them.

Mason sniffed and tried to blink back his tears.a He said in an attempt to be curt, but his tone of sadness was evident even to him. He turned from the pool of water to look at her more closely, his posture neutral but not cowering. “Just lookin’ around to see where would be a good place for a new pack.” Perhaps it was because she had a youth with her which put him so much at ease. His Dad had explained some strangers could be bad, but he just didn’t have it in him right now to be wary. He felt so alone.

The sound that touched her ears had the girl’s body freezing in place, her heartstrings immediately being tugged at and pulled in every which way. Sorrow laced his voice, revealing to her that something wasn’t quite right with him. Every bone in her body urged her to draw a bit closer, but kept herself back just enough so as not to enter his personal space. There was something about him that forced her to speak softly, just as she’d done upon meeting Leo for the first time. Without warning, her thoughts trailed back to the child, wondering if he was doing alright in the space she’d left him in. It had been decent enough, sheltered away from the harshness of Mother Nature and any immediate predators, but alas, she could not keep herself from worrying slightly. Knowing well that the time for worrying was not upon her, she forced the thoughts away, locking them up in the far recesses of her mind. Her focus was to remain on the pale child in front of her, now, that way she could help him if he requested her assistance.

The reasoning behind his presence in the springs had Asterr curious, wondering what had happened to drive a wolf so young to go scouting for tribe-worthy locations. “A new pack?” the Draconid repeated, making sure she’d understood correctly. “What happened to your previous home to make you wish to leave?” Ever so slightly, her head tilted, further showing her interest in the matter. To leave home in order to form a tribe—or pack, as it was often called in the new lands—was a huge decision to make. Usually, it was driven by positive emotions, but sometimes it was a negative experience that drove someone out of what was once their home. She could not decipher which was the case for the boy, but hoped, for his sake, it was due to the prior reason.

Sorry I presumed Leo was with her from how I read the previous post!

Mason nodded assertion at her question. She was close to him now, and her presence didn’t worry him. She seemed gentle and kind, and although Dad had always told him not to go only by first appearances, it was not easy to think of this lady as dangerous. 

“Dad doesn’t want me there no more.” He answered simply. Definitely negative emotions. Clearly he was too young to do such a thing yet, but at the moment all that kept playing through his mind was Zaria stood with FitzDutiful. It made it hard to breathe so he banished the thought. He couldn’t imagine not wanting to leave the pack when he was a year or so.

“Do you have a pack?” Her scent was remarkably singular. He knew sometimes wolves were banished and must roam lone until they found a new family to join. After all, Silvertip Mountain was an ever-flowing shift of wolves.

The girl frowned, though confusion lingered in her eyes. Children did things sometimes that upset their parents, she’d witnessed it time and time again, but never did they wish for their child to leave. She couldn’t believe that a parent would think such a thing, and suspected that the boy might have misinterpreted whatever he was told—if he was told anything at all. “Are you sure?” She couldn’t help but ask, wanting to get to the bottom of things. The boy wasn’t in bad shape, he seemed healthy and well-cared for, so she found it unlikely his father would want him gone. “Perhaps that isn’t the case,” she started. “It does not make sense that he would want you to leave. You’re his son, his heir, I’m certain he cares about you more than you may think.” No matter what transpires between them, for a father to dislike his son was unimaginable.

A question was directed her way, then, to which she responded by shaking her head. “Currently, no. I left my tribe in order to explore,” Asterr explained, a small smile creeping onto her face as she spoke. She did not regret her decision to leave, as it provided her with more opportunities to grow, as well as to help others. She saw it as a good thing for herself, but not for the boy—which, possibly, made her a hypocrite. The reasoning behind her thought process was, to her, justified, considering she was older than Mason and able to look after herself. “I may settle down somewhere someday, but for the time being, I am only in the company of a friend during my travels.” Well, not travels, really. Leo couldn’t yet partake in wandering over great distances, but since the plan was not to remain within the forest they’d taken up residence in, she didn’t feel incorrect in her wording. Besides, if the hatchling was from a pack within the area, she didn’t want to hint that she might be staying nearby indefinitely. “Is your home near here?” If he lived close by, she hoped he wouldn’t keep that key piece of information from her.

Sage and kind, she questioned whether Mason was really sure about what his Dad wanted. Mason wanted to nod vigorously, but instead he hummed softly and shifted his paws in an antsy manner. He didn’t really want to lie. After all, it wasn’t really like his Dad Knew. He ended up shrugging, and gazing at her with wide-eyed confusion. He didn’t know much anymore. Her words made sense – he was the only son his Dad had, so maybe he needed to just come clean and see what happened.

The dark angel admitted that she was also one to explore, although he didn’t doubt that she had more experience than he did. Stranger danger evaporated completely by now due to the soft sheen of her sweet voice. Mason allowed a tentative smile, a bit shaky on his muzzle. “That’s nice, friends are good. I live on the mountain.” The mountain being Silvertip Mountain – because to Mason that was the only one that mattered. To help her see what he meant, Mason turned and pointed his nose at the direction of Silvertip and its tall scaling heights. 

“Isn’t it hard on your own or with a friend? How do you hunt?”

Met with fretful movements and a soft hum, she needn’t any other visual aids to piece his response together. There were times when thoughts became exaggerated and the truth distorted, permitting unnecessary anxieties to slip in between the cracks left behind. It led to the mind being giving ample fictions that were then able to provoke an overreacted riposte—which was what she believed must have happened. It was not because he was a child that she’d come to such a conclusion, but because he could not present a straightforward answer. His gaze was even smothered in confusion, thereby strengthening her hypothesis tenfold. Nevertheless, she did not verbally chastise him for thinking so little of his father’s feelings, or say anything at all for that matter. She responded with a small smile as a tranquil expression took over her features, almost as if to tacitly say ‘I understand’. That was then the end of the topic, for she did not continue to pursue it or hassle him with anymore interrogations.

Relief slowly trickled throughout her system as a smile appeared on the younger’s face. Though seemingly hesitant, she’d accept it with open arms, hoping that perhaps it meant his spirits were rising. Her head dipped and then rose again slowly as she nodded, agreeing with his statement right away. It was a wonder to have friends around, especially when it came to traveling. The farther one went from one, the less they’d see any familiar faces—unless, of course, they had a companion trekking along with them. Though Leo had not come from her homeland, she still recognized him as being a wolf of familiarity, and wouldn’t trade his presence for the world. She wondered then if, by chance, the hatchling before her now had someone like that within his home. A face that, no matter the circumstances, could brighten his mood and give him a reason to always return. The thought ran its course within her mind as her head turned, eyes gazing off in the direction that had been pointed out to her. She noticed right away that it was the same mountain that she was currently staying near to, but did not share such information with the pale boy. “It looks like a wonderful place to live,” she said instead, turning her gaze back to him. It was not a lie, she truly believed it looked beautiful, but it was not a place she could see herself at.

Asterr had not been expecting him to question her current way of living, but she could certainly understand why he might be curious. It was difficult for a pack wolf to catch a decent meal in the months of winter, and even more difficult for those alone or with only one other to assist. “At times, it is,” she admitted, not seeing any reason to sugarcoat the harsh reality that was life. “It can be difficult, especially when the cold starts to set in across the land. Time between meals increases and available shelters decrease greatly.” It was her first winter without her tribe, but from the tales she’d been told, she knew what to expect. “As of late, I have been alone in hunting, for my companion is injured. It is difficult and sometimes does not present enough of food, but that is the case even within a tribe.” There were failures in hunting as well as successes—it didn’t matter how many were there to assist, sometimes missing out on a meal was an inevitable event. “However, it is not all bad. To be on your own can give you a wonderful perspective on life itself, which can then be used to better yourself as an individual.”

To tell her tale was an easy thing, for she'd lived such short a life there was hardly anything to say. Her journey to Teekon had been, by far, the most productive thing she'd done—aside from learning to contain the dragon within her conscious, of course. Despite how little she had to say concerning her way of life, the boy still appeared interested in listening in. Having caught sight of his ears cupping forward caused the corners of her mouth to twitch slightly, but she kept herself focused on the words she was speaking.

Upon the completion of her explanation came the voice of the child, his sentence bringing a small smile to her face. "That sounds like a wonderful idea," the yearling commented, her tone encouraging. "Be sure to take a friend along with you. Traveling by oneself can grow rather lonely, after all." She spoke from experience, of course. The beginning of her journey had been taken with a companion in tow, a friend from the tribe she'd been born into. Eventually, though, they'd split up on account of different levels of stamina, but with the promise of meeting up soon after. Asterr's friend had never arrived, however, which had then left her to wander on her own before coming across Leo. He'd been a blessing, really, and she did not mind looking after him while he healed. With that being so, she gave a gentle shake of her head when the hatchling offered his assistance. "I do appreciate your offer, however I will have to decline," she voiced, her tone as polite as ever. "I do not wish for you to fall into trouble with your family for assisting in the treatment of an outsider. I know some do not take well to being associated with anyone outside of their claim." Ever her family's tribe, however welcoming it'd been, was not keen on the idea of helping heal a wounded stranger. If they held a desire to join the tribe, different measures were taken, but if not they were often ignored and sent off on their way.

Hmm take a friend, now that was a REALLY good idea. Maybe June, but would she be able to hack it? He wouldn’t like to leave her alone for very long, but he wasn’t sure she could manage exploring. He would have to make sure he was proficient at hunting before he packaged her up in cotton wool and bundled her off on an adventure with him.

 

 

Asterr graciously declined his offer of help. Mason wasn’t sure what help he could be, but he did know her reasoning why she wold not accept was factually incorrect.

“Well… I think Dad’d be ok if I helped your friend… but mebbe I should get some more practicin’ done first.” No one would want a miniature, inexperienced surgeon operating them after all.

 

Mason glanced up at the sky, and then back towards his home. The sun had passed its zenith now. He felt much more cheerful than he had done; Asterr had taken his mind off his heady predicament. “Thank you for all the talking. I better be goin’ now. I wanna be home before dark.” Mason inclined his head towards her,  waiting to hear her goodbyes before he headed off. He was sure she needed to get back to her poorly friend, after all. Hopefully they would meet again.

To hear that the boy's father might not mind assistance being given was unexpected, as well as curious. She wondered exactly what type of group the child was apart of, for never had she'd encountered someone whose homeland was in the business of offering help to those outside their ranks. Despite that, she still could not accept his help, for his age was sure to mean a lack of experience. He confirmed such thoughts, too, at the mention of practicing more. "Practicing beforehand would be an excellent thing to do," the yearling noted, well aware of the dangers that came with being treated by those who were inexperienced. When she'd been younger, it had been easy for her to find willing patients to treat, but that was only due to the gift she'd been born with. For others, however, she'd witnessed great struggles befall them. "When you are older and have acquired more skills, perhaps we could arrange to meet once more and share techniques with one another." She had an aptitude for treating those ill and injured, and was pleased each and every time she'd met with someone who shared that interest.

Having been engulfed by the conversation with the hatchling, she'd remained oblivious to the darkening of the sky above. It was only when it'd been pointed out to her that her mind was dragged back to the present, and she was struck with a sudden need to return to her temporary point of settlement. "I wish you safe travels," she voiced, smiling after the younger wolf as he took his leave. She could tell he was in a much better mood, and was happy to have been able to assist in the brightening of his day. Once his form had put a decent bit of distance between them, Asterr set off towards the woods with Leo as her sole destination.