Wolf RPG

Diane had been relying mainly on cache supplements since her arrival on the Ridge. She hadn't had a single successful hunt, still adjusting to the contrasts of having been raised for two years on beach dunes to the mountain she lived on now. The culture shock alone was enough to throw her off her game, but the air pressure and the absence of the never-silent ocean, made things both muffled and too loud. Though mostly her problem lie in the fact that she was faster than she was used to being. Running through sand her entire life had over-prepared her for a life on solid land. She often overshot and overcompensated on her springs and as a result would stumble as her brain sought to catch up with the new speed she had.

Her pads were hurting less and less, as days went on, making her hunts closer to success each time, but she still ran out of breath too fast and now she had a recent injury, which further deterred her efforts. For the past week, she had been applying more and more pressure to her leg until her limp was barely noticeable at all. The toothmarks were still there, but weren't as angry or red as they had been in days past. Diane took the clearer, warmer morning weather and the absence of a shrill ache in her leg to try at her first hunt in a while.

Fortune followed her. A rabbit, taking advantage of the above freezing temperatures to forge, never knew his demise. All of Diane's pent up energy and pressure from past failures made her blinding arrow of fur and teeth. She snapped up the hare, savoring the slick taste of blood as her trophy quarry dangled limply from her jaws. Her first mountain-side catch!

With war not far behind them, Terich DeMonte had been more diligent about patrolling the lands. Often this meant crossing the paths they walked, securing the scent-markers there, and making sure there were indeed no trespassers in their lands. This morning, he was taking a brisk trot through the lower reaches of the ridge, enjoying the slightly warmer weather for once, to stretch his legs and enjoy the sunshine, when he saw a streak of cream and gold across the snowy landscape. Terich paused to watch the hunt and found the woman was successful. With a smile and a bark of greeting, he closed the gap between them with long strides, and reached her.

"That was quite a catch. Well done." He smiled softly, his blue eyes sparkling in the warm morning sunlight, before he dipped his head in greeting. "I'm Terich, the gamma." It wasn't quite as alluring as saying "the beta," but as he was no longer in such a position, he wasn't one to lie. And besides, he knew it wasn't the right fit for him. Farstep had the balls to start a fight with the neighboring pack and Terich wouldn't have ever been caught doing anything near that border. So, perhaps it was better Farstep was the man for the job.

Ears quivered tightly on top of her head, which was swiveling in the direction from which a greeting bark was emitted. It was one of the unfamiliar grey males from the congregation at the Thunder Dome, and while she was trying to guess in her head if this one had been Anwyl or not, this wolf had the kind foresight to introduce himself immediately. Terich. It wasn't a name she remembered, but his given rank meant something, and Diane dropped her kill, giving the Gamma some wolfish version of a curtsy.

She smiled broadly as she resumed a neutrally erect position, her otter-tail beating back and forth gaily. "You've actually just witnessed my first catch here on the Ridge," she announced proudly. Then became faintly self-conscious over this success that might seem menial to a wolf who had probably hunted on mountains all his life. His stone tinctured fur and narrow, robust build suggested it. Her expression turned shy, along with her excited stance which relaxed, and she looked away briefly—her mind's eye taking with her the striking blue light of his eyes. "I'm Diane," her introduction came quietly. "It.. It must seem silly to you... me, bragging over something I should've already accomplished, hm?" A nervous, self-depreciating laugh followed.

"Well, then extra congratulations are in order," he said with a smile, dipping his head in response to her curtsy. Terich's blue eyes flashed in the warm sunlight as he chuckled at her second observation, at which point he shook his head. "Oh no, not at all, Diane. We're all good - and bad - at certain things. Sometimes it takes us longer to find out what those things are, or to overcome something that we thought we'd do quickly." Perhaps he was talking more about himself than Diane here, but she didn't need to know that. His fear of heights was beginning to subside, but it wasn't altogether gone.

"You should be proud of yourself. Some wolves never learn how to catch a rabbit, even after years of practice." He stepped forward, not wanting to crowd her, but wanting to be closer so he didn't have to shout so much. She could keep her kill; he didn't even look in the direction of the dead hare at her feet. His tail swayed cordially behind narrow hips, again revealing his good nature. Terich liked the way she laughed, the way she ducked her head, and wondered at himself briefly. What would Capri think of this?

Even if he wasn't truly impressed by her menial achievement, Terich had the heart and forethought to appear engrossed in her success. Diane inexplicably felt more embarrassed by this than she would've been if he had scoffed at her—particularly since she had expected the latter—and though there was no founding reason behind it, she felt incredibly shy in the presence of the stormborn wolf (moreso than she usually was). Internally, she fought the desire to make a swift, ducking exit. And it wasn't that the Gamma intimidated her, for he was no more impressive than the mountainous Novak or Taggarik himself, but she didn't trust the first impression she was making upon him; much like with the Ridge's Beta pair. How could Terich honestly be anything but disappointed in a wolf who had only just made her first kill in their ranks—two weeks in?

Diane swallowed, his praise easing her outward emotions but the inner turmoil was continuous. A sudden transition into a new lifestyle would make anyone self-conscious; but she was upset to be affected so deeply by the harmful thoughts of herself that had manifested deep into her psyche. The problem was exacerbated too, by the abrupt changes in her personality—things she didn't understand, and couldn't hope to control. "You're very kind, Terich," she said after a contemplative moment that had seemed like an eternity, but in reality had only been several seconds. And then she smiled, auric eyes taking on a blithe glint. "Where did your talent for cheering up others come from?"

If he could hear her thoughts, Terich would've said she was being silly. Of course he was proud of her, and he wasn't saying that just to be nice. Terich honestly felt little need in lying to others, though sometimes it was necessary, especially if it boiled down to survival. This wasn't one of those times, however. Thank you. He grinned again, dipping his head in acknowledgement. My grandmother, I think. She taught me all I know about kindness and etiquette. His father, on the other hand, hadn't been the kindest fellow. He wasn't cruel or abusive, but sometimes coldness could damage a child as much as hatred. Do you want to enjoy your meal in private? I know a beautiful place down a little further in the hollows, by a willow tree. It was actually his favorite place when he wasn't with Capri, and sharing it with a packmate seemed the right thing to do.

She wondered why he'd said Grandmother. What about his Mother? Had she not been around to teach him the things that his grandparent had to? Maybe his mother wasn't polite, so he had to learn from another family member— yes, that was it. It was easier for Diane to think this instead of imagining that he'd never known his mother, or that she had died while he was young. The emotional wolf could be easily overwhelmed in circumstances where her empathy became tried. She felt too much of others' pain to even begin trying to imagine what life would've been like without her own mother.  

"Private?" she repeated, suddenly, coming back to the present with Terich. She shook her head slightly. The idea of being alone didn't sit well in her thoughts, and if she was being honest, she felt better with the Gamma there. "Would you share my catch with me?" she asked quietly. "I.. I want to see the place— your willow tree— but, I don't want to be alone," she admitted, her voice small and unsure.

Terich had been raised by his parents, with his grandmother's help, in Argent Creek after the plague left Mount Noshaq barren and uninhabitable. He loved his grandmother more than he could say, and had listened to her advice much more than his own father's. Shiloh hadn't exactly been the nicest or kindest wolf, but from where Terich now stood, he could understand his father's desire for safety and control. Tirich, Shiloh's father and Terich's grandfather, had died right in front of him, and Shiloh hadn't been able to forget.

But Terich couldn't read Diane's thoughts, so he didn't have a chance to explain himself. Perhaps if she asked, he could indulge her, but for now he simply smiled at her words and nodded. I'd love to show you the willow and share a meal together. His heart fluttered at the thought. Here was his first chance at being truly alone with Diane, and he wondered if Capri would be jealous. After all, Diane was a strong and beautiful woman, and Terich was only a man. Follow me. His voice was as soft as the smile he gave her before he moved past her and headed down into the hollows toward the willow tree.

Diane felt a light trill of excitement as she followed closely at the male's hip, before becoming brave enough to pace neatly at his shoulder. She had seen much of the Ridge, but logically not all of it, and certainly not from the eyes of a packmate. It was easy for an empathetic wolf like her to see from another's perspective— and she could have raced past this very area numerous of times and never noticed it like she did at Terich's side now. She could feel herself in an out-of-body experience, seeing things instead in the way she thought Terich may see it, and the world was exploding with a new beauty, different from what she usually only noticed alone. To connect with him like this was beyond humbling, and Diane hoped to never be without his support.

She wished to speak but knew her voice wouldn't carry over the rabbit, so she clutched it tighter and brushed her companion's side gently with her shoulder, sighing contentedly through her nostrils.

His paws carried him toward the willow in the hollow, where its branches played against the stream beneath it and stirred as the wind ran through the ridge. This was his safe haven. The place he'd go when all else seemed lost, especially when his fear of heights became too much. She didn't need to know that, so he simply showed her the place he loved most. Here we are, he said with a grin, looking toward her. He motioned her beneath the branches. It's nice in here, especially on warm days. I bet it'll be nice and cool when summer strikes. Terich flopped down onto the cool soil and grinned. This was heaven.