Wolf RPG

@Pearl 

Osprey had found a big rock on the edge of the plateau - something that probably had been there for a while, might as well forever, but it seemed so out of place and lonely that for unknown reason she had begun to feel sorry for it. "Once you lived up in the mountains," she spoke to it and cast her glance at the mountain range that formed the western border of the plateau, "and now you are here. Who brought you?" She stood there with her head tilted to the side, waiting for an answer that never came.

After a moment she realized, how silly the situation was and she let out a sound that was something between a huff and a giggle. Laughter just as singing needs practice - especially, if you don't use it too often. And she hadn't felt the need to laugh for a long time, because nothing really had seemed very funny. This was the first. Then she jumped on it and looked down - "now you belong to me" - she thought and laughed again.

Pearl felt like going to the edge of the Plateau today to take up Casmir's suggestion. It was a cooler day, downcast, with a lonely feeling in the air. The gray clouds moved lazily across the sky, threatening a chance of rain. On a normal day, she would have gladly accepted rain, but to date the Plateau had received an insane amount. She was sick of rain. Trotting steadily along the edge, she heard a laugh. A laugh that sounded like it hadn't been used for a while, but would have been beautiful in the past. It made Pearl smile, and she headed towards the wolf who made it. She came upon a wolf that seemed ragged, and near the same coloring as Dante's. She gave a low chuff to alert the older wolf to her presence. "Hey, are you Osprey? I'm Pearl," she called out hopefully.

It was stupid - to be amused by a rock and Osprey probably had lost some screws from the mechanism that kept the wheels turning inside her mind along the way. Because the more she looked at the rock, the funnier it seemed. She stomped her feet on it few times and her merry laughter raised above the treetops and echoed in the forest.


"You silly, silly thing," she chanted, "you sil-" The moment Osprey's eyes locked on the stranger approaching her, the smile disappeared from her features and she became very serious. The wolf called out to her, but the elder one was in no rush to reply. She studied the person for a while, trying to see more than just the blurred outlines of a young wolf, and then - instead of returning the courtesy, she sat down and tilted her head to the side to show that she was waiting for the other to state it's reason for coming to her.

The older wolf seemed to be very amused by this rock, but hey, who was she to judge. She had the intention of having a light-hearted conversation with the wolf, who she still assumed was Osprey, and learning more about her. But as soon as she saw her - silence. This made Pearl kind of uncomfortable, as she didn't know how to respond to this. Osprey seemed to be staring her down, but then she sat. Pearl made a quick decision to go up to the base of the rock and sit as well. Better not jump up on the rock and risk intrusion. 

"Just wanted to meet the legendary Osprey, that's all," Pearl said with a grin. She had heard some a few things about her in the past and especially now that she was back. It just so happened that Pearl stumbled upon her, and finally saw the face behind the name.

Osprey was not able to see the other's facial expression, but from the brief uncomfortable silence that followed, she assumed that the newbie was taken aback a bit. However, she had enough courage not to be put off by the silent treatment and come as close as to sit next to the elder's stone throne. And when she explained that she had wanted to talk to the "legendary Osprey", it was the gray she-wolf's turn to be surprised. She did not think that she had made that much of an impression here to be put on the same shelf as Santa Claus and the Easter bunny. Apparently others had done good job of telling amazing tales about her. Odd...

"I am Osprey, though I am not sure, how legendary..." she introduced herself and mused loudly at the same time.

Pearl cheerfully gazed up at the gray and white legend musing to herself. "Oh, very legendary. No one gave up on the thought that you were alive, and here you are!" she said. Hopefully this would cheer up the older wolfess, that there was always hope for her from her friends. Pearl would be honored to have the same from hers. She wasn't sure of what else to say, so she sat and waited for a response.

"Geez..." Osprey said, when Pearl called her legendary again, and felt embarrassed. It was nice to be praised, but this was a bit too much. Or maybe the girl tended to exaggerate things and the truth was way more mellow. The hopeful tone in Pearl's voice, as well as the way she spoke about the elder, made it difficult to simply tell her to leave and have a conversation another day. Very well then... "What about you - what's your name?" she asked.

Pearl had felt the same - the description was a bit exaggerated for the sake of cheering up the elder. Nonetheless, the conversation was not turned down. That was a bonus. Pearl assumed by earlier that Osprey's hearing was fading, so she didn't wonder about having to repeat her name again. "Oh, me? I'm Pearl. Named for the fruit of the sea - very ironic for a plains wolf," she said with a smile. She had always thought it odd that her father had named her after something he found on his long journey to the coast before she was even thought of. Perhaps it was sweet, but she would have never seen the ocean if she hadn't left.

"Is it?" Osprey asked not seeing the irony in the choice of the name. She was technically a plains wolf herself, but the ocean had not been far from her birth place. Besides - parents were sometimes notorious for choosing odd names for their children. Say her mentor - Three Legged Pete - it had not been a nickname acquaired during lifetime. An actual name. And most of the Redleaf-DiSarinno family - birds names for wolves. come on... "I think it is a nice name," she told the girl and shrugged. "So - how did you find this place?"

Pearl shrugged. Maybe there wasn't too much irony in it. But Osprey liked it, nonetheless. "Thank you," she said somewhat bashfully for no apparent reason. How she found the Plateau; where to begin? Pearl decided to go with the summarized version. "I really don't know how exactly I found the Plateau, but I stumbled upon it after a few months traveling alone from my home. Dante greeted me, and I found it really nice, so I stayed." she said, looking around and smiling.

So much youthful enthusiasm about finding a new place to live. Osprey had been the same, but now the enthusiasm for traveling and seeing the world had died down. Staying put at one place seemed like the best option possible. She was - in fact - looking forward to a boring, mundane life filled with tons of little routine tasks. 
"That's nice to hear," Osprey said for the lack of having anything better to add. Had she not been so tired, she would take a more active role in the conversation. While things were as they were, she was struggling. "What trades are you after?" she asked eventually, because all young people seemed to be very eager to learn trades. She had been too lazy to accomplish at least one, but then again - she was the universal warrior. Good a little at everything.

Pearl thought it good to end the conversation sometime soon, for she noticed Osprey was tired. She would answer this question, but she didn't know how to leave the conversation without being awkward. Enter Pearl's social awkwardness. "I think I'm more suited to go for a counselor or caretaker trade. What do you have?" she said, assuming the elder had one. This was a conversation of little words.

"Not one in a convential way," Osprey replied to Pearl's question. She had always been fine with being good at a bit of everything and thought that specializing in just one trade only was a little silly. Then again - story-telling was her passion and something she thoroughly enjoyed. "I am a lorekeeper and story-weaver," she explained. "It's a jealous and demanding trade, yet it gives so much in return..." she elaborated on the subject in a philosophical manner and then - realizing that the young girl might find this sentence boring, quickly added a question. "Do you like stories?"

Pearl listened, intrigued by the elder's words. She nodded vigorously, then quickly realized she would need to give a verbal answer. "Oh yes, I love stories!" she said excitedly. Growing up in a plains pack with many great storytellers and shamans had come to make her appreciate good stories and the wisdom that was masterfully woven into the words to teach the younger wolves. They taught her much about the world, and she eagerly awaited what wisdom Osprey would weave into her tale. If she told one, that is.

The knowledge that the other person appreciated stories and story-telling always warmed Osprey's heart and unbeknownst to Pearl she had easily got in the elder's good books. "Then we should have a session one day," she said not feeling that well enough to do it at this very moment. Her imagination and capability to tell stories was bound to how tired she was. And the more of the latter, the less inclined she was to tell anything. "And do you tell stories?" she asked, thinking that asking " do you know any stories" would seem a bit obnoxious.

Pearl's tail waved in excitement, and her eyes brightened. "That would be great!" she said, not letting the slightest bit of disappointment she felt into her voice. Although she became considerably less excited when her own abilities were questioned. "Well, I wasn't really blessed with that gift that much, but I can manage enough to entertain pups," she said, remembering her younger brother and their friends all trying to replicate the traveling storytellers after they came. She had not been the best, but it could capture their attention. It would be a trait useful to a caretaker trade.

"Well, I am sure you will be able to entertain me too. I am always on the lookout for new stories to add to my collection," Osprey said and genuinely meant it. Then she yawned once and then another time. Though their conversation had not been long, she felt tired again and did not think that she would be able to carry on for much longer. "Alright kid," she jumped off her rock and stretched thoroughly, "I would love to go on with the conversation we are having, but I hope you will excuse the old soul, which is going to take a nap." The way she had worded it out probably sounded overly and unneccerarily complicated, but it had worked well in conveying the message - "I am taking a rest, so, please, get lost".

Pearl smiled and watched Osprey yawn, wondering if she should end off the conversation soon, but the elder took care of that. She smiled again at the long explanation, suppressing laughter as she had called her a kid. Pearl didn't mind the 'complicated' sentence, and was grateful that she hadn't had to end the conversation on her end. It would have come to an awkward close. "Alright, see you around!" she said, nodding and starting off back to the forest.