Wolf RPG

ooc: @Wildfire 

The first month at the new place had passed very quickly and Osprey was quite surprised to find out one day, how much she had got used to Donnelaith already. Now and then she would think about the plateau and all of the significant places that had a story made up for them, but she could agree with Dante now - leaving to begin something new had been the right decision. She felt happier here.

Of course, a lot of it had to do with the fact that she had a significant other and therefore a person to trust, to rely on and to care for. So far the things had gone smoothly and, even though the arrangement itself was based on rational and practical grounds rather than being madly in love and not being able to imagine one's life without the other... Osprey's affection for her mate grew every day. 

She was wandering on the outskirts of the territory that day, sniffing and listening for mice that were hiding under the snow, but occasionally stopping, to look in the distance and smile, thinking about the evening, when she would see Dante again and would tell him another story. The daydreaming, however, did not help much in a succesful hunt.

The fluffy snow and plunging temperatures perhaps should have deterred her from traveling, yet Wildfire delighted in trekking through the winter wonderland. A strange furrow through the white powder gave her an additional excuse; it looked as if a few deer had waded past. She tracked them northwest, across the terrace, following the trench until the snow became shallow and vanished entirely as the young hunter reached the fringes of a forest. Despite the naked branches, not much snow had managed to fall here, leaving only a thin rime of frost on the leaf-strewn forest floor.

Giving up on the tracking, she moseyed through the wood, eventually popping out on its far northern edge and blinking up at the plateau off to the left. A breeze blustered past her, carrying the briny smell of the ocean yonder. Much more prominently, she detected the scent markers of the nearby wolf pack. Wildfire pointed her muzzle in that direction, then slowly wandered forth toward the borders. Her heart beat a little faster as she wondered about the possibility of spontaneously meeting her aunt today.

When she drew close to the boundary line, Wildfire's black tail twitched. She prepared to throw her head back to howl when she caught sight of a gray wolf off in the distance. Assuming it was Dante, she watched the distant figure, waiting patiently for it to come closer.

During the time she had spent alone in the wilds, Osprey had developed an acute sense of knowing, when she was being watched. Out there in 9 cases out of 10 it meant that someone was preparing to hunt you down and eat you. And even now, when she was in a relative safety within the borders of a pack and calling distance to at least ten other living souls that would run for her rescue in case of any trouble, the feeling of uneasiness woke her from her daydreams and made her scan the area very carefully. 

Her searching gaze soon found a figure that definitely did not fit in the landscape and that certainly hadn't been there before. A smudge of red and orange - perhaps a fox or a wolf. Osprey tried to decide, what would be most correct action now - approaching the creature and warning to stay away - or give in to her own fears and disappear in the woods, where it was safer. Eventually the sense of duty won and she began walking towards the figure that was standing in the distance.

It only took a moment for Dante to notice her, then beginning making his way over to Wildfire. As he came nearer, she quickly realized it was not Dante at all. The cold air wafted a scent her way and it belonged to a she-wolf, for starters. As the stranger closed the gap, Wildfire could make out her light, graceful build and narrow facial features. Nothing about her was familiar.

Her father had spoken of his sister often but he had never described her physically, except when regaling his pups with talk of their aunt's fleet feet. Wildfire had always pictured her as a long-legged wolf with black fur to match Peregrine's. So it did not occur to her that she might be looking at her aunt. As far as she knew, this was just one of Dante's pack mates routinely patrolling the borders and addressing the stranger lurking near them.

"Hello," the young adult called once the other wolf was within several yards. She bowed her head and kept her black tail limp behind her. "I come in peace," Wildfire said. "My name's Wildfire and I'm from Moonspear back that way. I was exploring nearby and decided to stop by and see if Dante was around. I actually thought you were him," she admitted with a small, sheepish smile.

Once the stranger began to talk, Osprey stopped in her tracks, deciding that the hearing distance would work quite well for both of them. She didn't harbour any cordial feelings for the visitor - the name didn't ring a bell and she could not see the looks of the young wolf well-enough to trace any resemblence to either Peregrine or Fox. The mention of Moonspear, however, reminded her of Charon and the fact that someone from their ranks had wandered far enough gave her hope that one day she would meet her friend right here too. Besides the momentary glint of recognition in her eyes, her expression remained neutral. 

Until the moment, when the girl mentioned Dante's name, leaving Osprey feeling something between curiosity and vague dislike for the visitor. Sure - each of them had friends and acquaintances too, yet... "Are you his friend?" she finally asked.

The she-wolf did not react to Wildfire's admission in any particular way, other than to ask whether she was friends with Dante. Nodding lightly, she replied, "Yes. Well, I guess I'm actually his niece now. He recently became mates with my Aunt Osprey, who lives here too." The expression in her warm amber eyes silently asked, Do you know them? She assumed incorrectly that Dante was the Alpha here, so it was possibly a foregone conclusion, but the woman before her could set the record straight one way or another and, Wildfire hoped, offer her name in the process.

Her aunt Osprey?  She took an involuntary step backwards and furrowed her brow, looking at the girl with a quizzical expression. Given the vast numbers of her relatives this girl - Wildfire - could be a kid of any of her brothers and sisters. Peregrine was the more likely candidate, but who truly knew. The question here wasn't, who the girl's parents were, but whether Osprey wanted to reveal the fact that she indeed was the mysterious aunt. Looking back all her relationships with the new generations had failed one way or another and though she had promised to be a better aunt each time, it had not happened. Eventually, what did these ties really mean in a bigger picture? No, she was tired of failing - it was a lot better not to promise anything. 

She sighed and then cleared her throat: "That's nice - Dante is a great fellow and he deserves good friends." She really meant that too - in many ways he was the better person. One she had never been. "Moonspear is quite a long way away. Why are you far from your pack?"

The she-wolf reacted to the name rather strangely, though before Wildfire could decide what to make of it, the older woman began singing Dante's praises. Wildfire inwardly agreed, though she was suddenly wondering if she was looking at Osprey herself. She hadn't given a name, nor said a word in regards to Osprey, and the way she had reacted was pretty telling. Wildfire wondered at her reticence but she wasn't the type to push too hard, especially not given the way her parents' reputation tended to precede her. Nonetheless, her curiosity burned brightly and her brow furrowed a bit.

At the question, she smiled and replied, "I'm an Outrider by trade. Explorer is my middle name," Wildfire quipped, eyes glimmering speculatively as she added, "Actually, my middle name is Attica, after an uncle of mine." She paused, then continued, "But, yeah, I'm a scout by trade. A hunter too, like my dad." Ah, so many hints...

Osprey was not very good at concealing the truth, but she was even worse at lying, so the first option was better. She reasoned her choice with the fact that she did not owe the girl anything. She was a distant relative - one of the many - that was all. So rather than coming up with a more believable tale, she played along, pretended to be interested in Wildfire's brief life history, but was perfect at keeping a politely interested expression that did not give away anything (at least she hoped so). For a moment she did feel like a traitor and knew that Dante would probably be more disappointed in her than Peregrine would be. IF he ever thought about her to begin with.

"Outrider, explorer, scout and a hunter - you have a lot of talents," Osprey said and sat down. She was a more old fashioned wolf, the "universal" type and she still did not understand the trend nowadays to focus on one or few trades only. "Have you ever been beyond the Teekon wilds?"

If this was Osprey, she didn't seem keen on picking up what Wildfire was lying down. Although the young adult didn't want to be rude or pushy, she wished she would introduce herself. If she gave a fake name, Wildfire wouldn't really know it. It just felt strange, not having her introduction in any way reciprocated.

But she wouldn't dwell on it. "Well, the first three are sort of the same thing," she pointed out with a friendly wave of her silken black tail. "I was a crap warrior," she quipped modestly. She shook her head lightly. "I haven't. I've been more or less content to explore the surrounding wilderness. One day, maybe... but I'm not really built for a permanently nomadic existence." Hell, Wildfire hadn't gone more than a day on her own after being evicted from the caldera.

"How about you? Are you an explorer too?" It sounded like it, possibly. "Oh," she added lightly, unable to resist in the end, "and I don't think I caught your name." She smiled politely, mimicking the other she-wolf by taking a seat.

Something in the manner Wildfire spoke, reminded Osprey of someone - it might as well be "someones", because it seemed that, while she took after her mother in looks, the character was all from the father's side of the family. The wanderlust and keen interest in exploring the surrounding lands and territories was prevalent in most of her siblings - the only difference was that some of them had more of it and some less. 

It was then that her resolution of not revealing her identity began to waver, because there might be a promise for a new friend and potential companion. On the other hand... she thought about Saena and how badly their relationship had developed - she did not want that at all. She was tired of feeling guilty for disappointing those around her. Telling that they were related would mean a forced friendship.... or - for her - wish that she could do and give more than she could. 

"Didn't you?" Osprey raised her eyebrows in a pretend surprise - as if she had mentioned her name at some point during the brief conversation and the girl simply had not caught it. "I run by different names - depends on, who meets me. And name itself should define, who you are... so... you might as well call me a Hag, a Witch, a Sorceress..."

Wildfire gave the she-wolf an inscrutable look, which softened into a smile. She shook her head slowly, though she didn't answer. Anyway, the older wolf wasn't done speaking. She mentioned that she went by several different names, then offered a few titles, as if it was up to Wildfire to choose. Her smile grew in accordance with her amusement at the situation. What an enigma. I'm onto you, her amber eyes seemed to say, albeit in a very good-natured way.

"Hag and Witch both have sort of negative connotations, so I think I'll call you Sorceress. Sounds like I'm not the only one with many talents. So you're magical?" Wildfire queried conversationally.

"About hag - I beg to differ," Osprey said with a good-natured smile. "Hag o' the hills and the one from the forest ain't so bad. One of them actually is very good-looking." In some cultures no one even believed or trusted you as a village hag, if you didn't have torn ears, scary looks, warts on your nose and what-not. Since no one ever expected a hag to be something she was not (aside from the trade-mark looks), Osprey preferred this name. Sorceresses in her eyes had always seemed less trustworthy and more tended to doing either vile or extra-noble deeds, taking up initiative and responsibility. And those last two things the elder had always tried to avoid. 

"But since it is your choice - so be it. I will be a Sorceress to you," she wondered, if she should tell the girl about the nicknames she and Charon had given each other, but decided against it. The matter was a bit too private to be discussed at the first meeting and... if the story was retold later, she would figure Osprey out in no time. "In fact I am - I may jinx you just as well as do a favor. That depends, of course, who is asking."

The she-wolf who might be Osprey begged to differ on the subject of hags and witches, though her good-natured expression and tone put Wildfire at ease. In addition to being magical, it sounded like she was a bit of a storyteller too. Of course, that jived with what Wildfire knew of her aunt, à la Peregrine. She was now quite convinced this was Osprey and would think of her that way until and unless properly corrected, even if she outwardly referred to her only as Sorceress.

She mentioned jinxing Wildfire and the young adult quirked a brow, then grinned. Despite her reticence—or perhaps, strangely, because of it—she found herself growing more and more endeared to the silvered woman. "Whether you blessed or cursed me, I think I'd be equally impressed, to be honest. Never seen magic in action," she said. Of course, she didn't believe in it, strictly speaking, but Wildfire kept an open mind. "So have at it, one way or another," she added, drawing herself up and making a show of bracing herself—face turned, eyes squinted, muscles braced—to be struck with one sort of spell or another.

Wildfire was drawn into the whole magic business imediately and it was a nice change, because Osprey was fond of children and adults, who liked stories and had a tad bit of imagination and childish playfullness left. At this point it did not really matter to her, if she had given away her identity or not, it seemed that she had met a soul that could possibly become her friend. 

"Oh, you think it is that easy?" she asked, shook her head slowly and sighed. "You can't just ask a witch to do something. It's their own choice, whether they want to or not. Or you have to impress or - even worse - piss them off first. And even then they might choose to disappoint you."

After a bit of thoughful silence, she went on: "I would not advise on playing tricks though. It ended badly for the one, who tried the last time. Can you imagine, what happened?"

But the witchy woman would not cast a spell so easily, it turned out. Wildfire slowly opened her eyes and relaxed, her body language betraying her amusement. Evidently she had neither impressed nor pissed off the woman enough to deserve a magic show. She snorted quietly, wondering whether she should feel relieved or disappointed by that.

After a beat of silence, Sorceress prompted her. "Ummm," she thought aloud, shifting her weight, a contemplative smile flickering across her narrow face, "you jinxed him and he grew a second head?" She wasn't the most creative wolf in the world, though the mental image was rather interesting.

"Exactly," Osprey nodded so eagerly as if it had been the correct answer all along. However in this imagination game any suggestion Wildfire would have offered would have been the 100% right one. "It took the poor fellow a long time before he learned, how to silence the other head, who had mind of it's own. It even included learning to walk properly again. And the constant quarreling... good gracious..." The rest was left for the girl to figure out. The two-headed wolf might be running around somewhere in the forests still.

"I don't know about you, but I am starving - let's go eat!" this excuse was better than telling the truth - her butt was beginning to freeze. "Food's on me - if you are brave enough to eat it," she grinned mischievously.

Osprey Sorceress ran with it, painting a vivid picture of some poor wolf with two heads, the spare not only talkative but quarrelsome. Wildfire chuckled at the tall tale. Although she wasn't a particularly imaginative sort, she could picture it all too easily. In fact, the originally featureless wolf suddenly turned into Floki and Tevinter. Unaware of the actual fight that would force a wedge between the twin brothers, the mental picture only amused her, twisting her lips into an entertained grin.

The silver she-wolf took Wildfire by surprise by inviting her to eat. Although hesitant—the young diplomat didn't want to trespass, nor take away pack resources—she was so pleased by the invitation that she couldn't help but say, "I'll take my chances. A snack sounds good." She would only eat a little bit of what was offered, leaving the rest to the starving Sorceress.

Wildfire accepted Osprey's offer for a "lunch-date" readily and after a bit of decision-making time, the elder began leading the way to a spot a little outside the borderline, where - if her memory was accurate - she had hidden some remnants of a hare. The possibility of them being long since gone was bigger than the chance of finding them just as they had been. But Osprey did not worry about it too much, because anything could happen along the way. 

"This might not be the case, but you should be more careful, when a stranger offers you free food. Especially if you have a suspicion that this stranger is a witch," she said, turning her head to the side to look at Wildfire. "That's an easy way to pass on various curses. There was once a daemon, which cursed a whole pack this way. "

When Sorceress led her away from the borders, Wildfire felt quite a lot of relief. She knew she shouldn't mind being offered passage or food from a pack wolf, yet it had been so deeply ingrained in her by her parents not to share turf or meat that she really couldn't help it. She jogged in the other she-wolf's wake, wondering what sort of repast was in store, her ears bending forward when addressed.

Her lips twitched. "I don't know why," she admitted, "but I trust you."

"You put trust in people too easily," Osprey murmured to herself, but loud enough for Wildfire to hear. Not that she was planning to lead the girl to a desolate corner and eat her, yet trust meant a certain burden - a responsibility. It was not something the elder desired. She wanted to keep the girl at paw's distance and, as she led the way towards the spot, where the food was hidden, she tried to find a way of how not to let her niece get inside her heart. It was already happening, because she liked the young wolf's spirit and had she been anyone else, she would have wanted her to become a friend too. 

"Anyway - here it is," she stopped in her tracks and beckoned towards a clearing that was covered with a thick layer of fresh snow. No landmarks, no signs of digging and hiding. "We might have a little problem though - I don't remember, where exactly I hid our lunch."

Wildfire made no reply, although she thought, Perhaps. Unlike many wolves around these parts, she didn't have a past full of drama and trauma. She was also friendly and trusting by nature. She certainly gave most folks the benefit of the doubt. She would extend Sorceress the same favor, unless given a distinct reason not to trust her. Innocent until proven guilty, she supposed.

The older she-wolf stopped at a snow-dusted clearing. Wildfire took that moment to peer into her face a moment and she realized with sudden and absolutely clarity that this was Osprey. No doubt about it. Those were practically Peregrine's eyes looking back at her. She dropped her gaze nearly immediately—she didn't want to disrespect Sorceress's authority here—as a smile stretched her lips.

"Well, good thing I'm becoming something of an expert tracker then!" she quipped, dropping her nose to begin sniffing around the immediate area.

Osprey was so lost in her own thoughts that she was unaware of Wildfire's discovery. Though anyone, who had shared a close relationship with Peregrine, would have recognized the likeness between the two wolves immediately. 

"It's my lucky day then," she returned, when Wildfire told that she was good at tracking. It would be interesting to find out just how well she had hidden the scraps. And a friendly competition too - whose nose would be better - the elder's or the youth's. 

"I will go this way and you check there," she pointed the general direction the girl should follow, while she went to search in the opposite. 

ooc: maybe we can wrap this up in the next posts? And these two can run into each other again soon. :)

She was rapidly becoming a formidable small game hunter, yet this light, powdery snow proved to be a particular challenge. The instant she pressed her nose to its dusty surface and drew air in through her nose, a thousand tiny, cold crystals stung the sensitive olfactory flesh. She sniffed and snorted, drawing up slightly and shooting Sorceress a bemused glance across the clearing.

"Think I just snorted some fairy dust," she murmured to herself, then continued skimming, keeping her nose far enough away from the snow to avoid any other frosty inhalations. Unfortunately, this also prevented her from really effectively tracking with her nose and when she decided to keep her eyes peeled instead, she saw nothing but endless drifts of perfectly pristine powder.

"It isn't all sweets and rainbows, is it?" Osprey joked and sneezed afterwards, because the "fairy dust" had tickled her nostrils too. She plowed through the soft snow for a while, until her nose hit something hard and a little bit of digging revealed a very lean and frozen deer's leg. 

"Eureka!" she let out a happy call, thus inviting Wildfire to the promised lunch. It was nothing too big, hardly enough to fill growling stomachs of two hungry wolves, but there was plenty to chew on. Which also meant that they could be in each other's company a while longer too.