Wolf RPG

Jace woke up with a sizable yawn as he stretched his midnight kissed hide and turned blue eyes towards the outside world. Now that he had gotten away from Ira finally, the annoying little upstart he wanted to do some hunting and exploring on his own. He did not wish to hear condescending words or sly remarks any longer today would be a day for him. If he were to meet another pack mate, he certainly hoped it was a much nicer wolf than the demon with pale fur called Ira.

He set out in a lanky loping gait sniffing at the borders reinforcing where he needed too, but mostly learning how far the territory stretched and the expanse of his new home land. He would hunt perhaps a little bit too, or perhaps even fish he could do that as well.

Bazi was returning from a short excursion to the the base of the mountains that bordered them to the west, where she had hoped to find caves - and within them, saltrocks ('halite' was not in her vocabulary). A few hours' searching had revealed nothing, and when an internal rumble announced that it was time for lunch, she cut the search short and obliged. It would be quicker to return home and fish than attempt to catch land-based prey by herself.

A dark, unknown shape was skulking along the borders. Bazi sighed, reluctant to get involved in a lengthy border brawl, but just as she was about to arrange herself into a display of Creek dominance, the stranger lifted his leg to pee. "Oh!" She said to herself, but with enough volume to attract his attention. Tail neutral and ears perked up, she cantered to a spot within 20 yards of Jace. "You're a Creek wolf?"

Blue eyes turned towards a white furred wolf and for a moment he frowned thinking it was Ira coming to bother him again, but he soon realized from teh shape and size that it was a female, definately not Ira. His countenance brightened considerably after that reveal.

He shifted his large body so that he was facing her more and his shadow kissed hide glistened as the sun shifted in the sky. "Hello Yes I am Jace, I am new. I apologize if I frightened you ma'm. He dipped his muzzle in silent greeting keeping his body a little lower than her's since obviously she would be of a higher rank than he.

They were both lower tier wolves and of similar age, but Bazi accepted his submission nonetheless - it was a comfortable way to interact in a loose-knit pack where most wolves were still strangers. The little Lambda approached her swarthy pack-mate, playing her part in the display by standing tall above his bowed head - an invitation to lick or nuzzle.

Ritual complete, she took a few steps back to study him. His midnight colouring reminded her of Haunter, but the similarities ended there - Jace was still in possession of two ears, for one, and his eyes were brighter cousins of her own. "That's alright - I'm Bazi," she responded, "How new are you? Have you met many others?" She thought of Ferdie, Bones, Fox - and Lecter. Had Jace had that strange experience yet?

Jace touched his nose to her chin and then shifted as she moved away. Pleasure to meet you Bazi. He listened to her questions, he had not met anyone really yet other than Ira and Tuwawai and Jinx.

He tilted his head and spoke quietly, "I have had the misfortune of meeting Ira first and foremost. I then met Jinx and also Tuwawi." those were the only ones he had met yet, he hoped to meet more than that. I hope there is more than just them among us. I know of the alpha Fox. Who are the others? he was curious as to the names of his pack mates.

"Ira?" Bazi had not yet had the pleasure - or the misfortune, if Jace was to be believed. "There's Njal - I think he must be Tuwawi's mate, we fished together near the plateau - and Bones, a Tortuga juvenile. Ferdie shares my den, and then.." she paused, searching for the right words. "Then there's Lecter, the medic. He's always covered in old, crusty blood. I don't really know what his deal is. I've caught the scent of a few more, but I haven't met them. Seems strange to me that we don't call a meeting when someone is brought into the pack." She trailed off, and turned to look down the line of their invisible borders. The distant sound of rushing creek water reminded her that she had returned home to eat; something her stomach confirmed with a loud, unladylike groan. Bazi made a face. "Maybe we should continue patrolling until we reach the creek - I've been scouting, and I'm famished. You can tell me about this Ira on the way - is he someone to watch out for?"

Jace frowned in disgust at the thought of a wolf covered in blood. Jace shrugged and spoke quietly "We did at my father's old pack, they would call a meeting often even when pups were born, the alphas Roheryn and Jazz." He missed how they ran his father's pack, though he had not had much interaction with them or the pack before he left he did know at least enough to realize what was good and what was not.

Jace tilted his head and motioned for her to lead the way. "I do not know if I would watch out for him. I just find him incredibly rude and unpleasant, you may very well get along with him, he and I just do not jive well. As a matter of fact Jace hated the pale one with an internal fire that burned so hot it hurt. There was no need for the rudeness he had met at the paws of this Ira.

Bazi nodded, recalling her own origins as the pair began to walk towards the sound of the creek. "We did everything as a close unit; you could call a meeting by clearing your throat. Things are more scattered here, but I'm getting used to it." She stopped, thrust her nose into the undergrowth, and breathed in. The scent was weak here, and the female motioned for Jace to deal with it whilst she looked into the distance.

"He sounds like a firecracker. Young, or just an ass?" That reminds me. "There's a guy called Haunter, too - I forgot. He's .. a bit out there. Stares a lot, one ear." Kind of cute, in an outsider sort of way. A few moments passed in silence whilst Bazi pondered what else she could share with the newcomer - Björn, or the Vale? Björn was a personal issue, but the Vale wasn't black and white either. Whatever she chose, she would have to weed the bias out of the delivery. "Have you met anyone from the Vale?" the youth asked finally. "There's been a bit of tension - between individuals," she was quick to point out, "About hunting on the plains on this side of the mountain. I don't think there's anything to get dramatic about, really, there'll be plenty of prey in spring and in the winter we can reassess, but I thought you should know. I wouldn't give them any attitude if they're just scouting or gathering supplies, but keep an eye out for organized hunts, large groups, or strange behaviour." Bazi punctuated with a nod; those were things to look out for even if tensions weren't already on the climb. As far as she knew, Jinx was the only wolf to have exchanged heated words with the Vale so far - Fox was just cautious. "And call for reinforcements straight away if you spot anything."

Jace nodded his head in agreement however, his former pack had not been that close knit but he and his family had been especially the youth and his battle scarred father. He lifted his leg to strengthen the borders while the other kept watch. "Our pack was not that close knit, though it was less scattered, most of them were weary and older. My family and I were very close almost like our own little pack.

Jace snorted and thought to himself more like hell fire, but his mother had always told him to never curse in front of a lady of any age. "A little bit of both, plus entitled, spoiled and coddled are a few others that come to mind. He seems to be the Beta jinx's little pet, he just about peed on himself to get her attention when she came to greet me as well. She was fair though. he supposed he justly deserved being forced to pair with the foolish Ira as he had almost picked a fight at the borders though in his defense Ira had pushed and antagonized. "I have met no one from the vale are they near us? The only wolf I have met from another pack was a female named Nuka from Horizon Ridge very nice, she reminded me of my mother. Jace nodded his head and spoke quietly "Okay i will keep an eye out though i am pretty certain you are right now that spring has arrived we shouldn't have much trouble. do you like it here Bazi? Jace was inherently curious if she liked it here, so far he did.

It was heartening to meet a wolf that rivaled her in the chattiness stakes, and Bazi listened with interest as he described Ira. It wasn't kind to judge, but it didn't surprise her that Ira was in league with Jinx - the fiery Beta made her feel uncomfortable. There was something about her - and Lecter, whose relationship to Jinx was not known to Bazi - that inspired unease.

"The Horizon Ridge wolf..." Jace strengthened the borders with his scent, and Bazi paused until he was ready to move on. "Was she.. religious? I met someone there that seemed very attached to his gods. Very attached," she emphasized, debating whether it would be appropriate bring up Björn's macabre child sacrifice. She didn't know Jace, and he might very well subscribe to similar beliefs.

Jace was neutral when it came to Jinx he felt that she was a bit odd and he did not like how she had showed favoritism to the upstart Ira when he was clearly not in the right, even if it had not been Jace. Jace was fairly certain that the young one was not a nice wolf at all in anyway. Jace was usually not this chatty, but the female made him think of his sister who he spent many hours with talking.

Jace frowned as he tried to remember, "she didn't seem to be. What do you mean attatched? I do not have a faith though they interest me there are many out there you know. He decided to show his denomination of not having one immediately so that she did not skirt around any topics she felt would upset his countenance. He was a neutral wolf by nature and did not believe wholeheartedly in one complete thing.

Bazi nodded, gazing ahead into the distance. They were close to the creek now - the point at which it intersected with the borders was too wide and too deep to make fishing easier, but it thinned towards the center of the pack lands.

"He murdered a babe for his 'gods' - a cougar's child, admittedly, but still a defenseless child," she told Jace, "I know it wouldn't have survived on its own, and it wouldn't be smart to raise a cat in a pack, I know... but the idea that someone would go so far as to sacrifice life, any life, for a figment of their imagination, it just fills me with.." Her voice grew angry, even fierce, and she had to take a moment to compose herself. Eventually, Bazi breathed a sigh, softening her face into an expression of worry. "Dread. Dread for what the might be capable of."

Jace titled his ears as he heard the rushing of the creek he guessed they were coming near it. He had to smile ,looking forward to perhaps some fishing. "Are we going to fish for your lunch? He loved to fish it was something he and his mother both enjoyed.

Jace let a small snarl slip, murder, sacrifice those were words that did not fit well with the males vocabulary or persona. "I understand what you mean. Whose to say he would not do the same to actual pups. What or I guess I should say who are his gods? I know a bit about religions. He tilted his head as she poke listening to her words. The thought of another wolf killing another animal just because he wanted a sacrifice made the young males stomach turn over.

Bazi stopped and turned to look him straight in the eye. "Exactly. Exactly that. I didn't think it was that bad when I first met him - he took me to the coast, offered me fish.. he was as civilised as you like, but someone that believes in fantasies like that.." She nodded to confirm his question, but added, "And yours, too."

She was starting to sound like a little like her mother. It was nigh impossible to live in a pack that had come about solely as a reaction against fanaticism and not be affected, however young. Her skepticism was deep-rooted, born of fear and hardened by constant reinforcement. The more she saw of believers, regardless of faction, the more convinced she was that they were lunatics.

The creek was close now. She hadn't asked Jace if he was any good at fishing, but there was always land-based game to find. "He said he was a Viking wolf, from the north, and something about 'Odinn', and 'Valhalla'. Apparently that's where the cougar child would go - after he crushed its tiny neck, of course, because that makes total sense," Sarcasm wasn't normally Bazi's game, but every word was thick with it now. "Sound familiar?"

Though Jace did not fully believe in religions he did not think that all believers were lunatics. It was all in the way you were raised he supposed. Granted there were some very serious crazies out there, that were crazy in the name of their god or gods, but there were also some completely sane wolves who had a religion that they practiced.

Jace shifted his weight he knew how to fish very well. It was a past time he enjoyed emensely. "I do not know much about them, but I know that there are gods under this odinn and Valhalla is where the fallen go. Those who fought in battle and die they go there to feast with the gods forever after. Other than that I do not know much more. That is very sad for the poor thing. He felt bad for the little cougar, granted it would have died anyway if the mother was gone, but still to just kill it callously and coldly that was a bit cruel, though some could argue that it was practical so it did not grow into a predator and prey on them later, but he would not give that argument.

Like Jace, Bazi was still young, her own code far from fully formed - but certain trends were already starting to make themselves apparent in the way she thought and behaved. She did not share Jace's open-mindedness on the subject of religion. Her growing intolerance floated like a solid mass in a pool of ever-changing opinions. She played with Bones, believed Haunter and Yerpso when they told her tall tales, and struggled to cope with the nuances of Fox's commands - young things, innocent things. But mention of Odinn and Valhalla filled her with fear, and fear that has nowhere to go turns into hate. "He should have killed it without defiling it like that," she snapped at thin air, and said no more on the matter.

They walked a moment longer, and Bazi grew softer with each steps. When it finally occurred to her that she had not asked Jace about his lunch preferences, she was hugely apologetic. "Oh! I didn't ask! Do you even like fish? We can hunt something else - if you'd rather. I'm best at fish, though." Better than Njal, once, but the Creek Gamma had been both distracted and injured that day.

Jace was very open minded about many things. Jace nodded in agreement, Yes he should have definitely just killed it rather than defile it. Did he offer you any idea that he was going to do that before he did? he could very well imagine why the female was scarred if the older male had just done it without warning her first, though it would have been scarring even if he had told her he was going too though perhaps not as badly.

Jace chuckled at her and gave her a small ornery grin. "I love to fish actually. I am also very good at it. My mother taught me. So fish is fine with me, if you like though we can perhaps grab some land game for the caches later after we eat. He smiled at her again his blue eyes flashing with mirth.

Bazi's face fell for an instant. She didn't quite understand the question. Did he tell me what he was going to do? Had that been the case, she would have had to add shame and disappointment in herself to the list of feelings that circled within her - for not intervening. Should it have made a difference? "Why do you ask?" she asked, weaving the tail end of that conversation into the new one about fish to keep things light. "My father taught me; maybe we can have a little lunch-time competition? First to three." She was famished, and three fat fish might just about touch the sides.

Jace shrugged his shoulders and said quietly "I was merely curious I guess i was hoping to just see the good in others regardless. If he warned you at least that meant he had a little bit of morals however if he did not, makes him even worse than I thought.

Jace chuckled at the mention he and his sister had often had small competitions like that. "Gladly let's do it. He bounded with a laugh towards the water's edge jumping into the bubbling rushing water. He smiled as it hit his paws and then he looked down to see the fish. He had stirred the water up a bit in his enthusiasm, but he soon stood motionless and waited for it to clear and to see the fish.

Bazi didn't mention that she had watched Björn perform his ritual from a hiding place in the forest, but didn't think that information was relevant, either. Being pre-warned would not have changed her opinion. Jace's tolreance was beginning to sour her mood, and she decided not to comment further. They had arrived at the creek and followed it away from the border, and now it was shallow enough to allow them to fish.

Jace ran straight into the current, batting excitedly at the water. Bazi followed, splashing through the water until she reached the opposite bank, not wanting to affect either of their efforts with proximity. Just like last time, the competition was kicked off with "Go!"

First to three was likely to take less time than most-in-20-minutes. Bazi swiped and grabbed at the sleek, silvery bodies as they passed, squinting to distinguish fish from reflection. After ten minutes, she looked up to see how Jace was doing in comparison.

Dice number: 2

Dice Number: 6

sorry it took so long it took me a few minutes to figure out how to do the dice roll lol, but i got it i like how it randomize's that's nice.

Jace did not mean to upset the girl that he was hoping to make into a friend. He just refused to condemn another for their religious practice and or beliefs. He may not have them, but it did not mean that he could not respect those that did. Though even he found sacrifice a distasteful act.

At the called word go, he dipped his head and watched the shadows in the water. Dipping his head he looked for the shadows ahead of the fish and with a low growl he pawed at the water flipping fish onto the bank, not counting just getting lose in the groove of things. He enjoyed fishing so very much. It always made him feel close rto his mother when she could not be near him.

Bazi glanced up to see how Jace was doing, only to find that he had already won - several fat fish lay on the ground next to him, but the darker youth was so engrossed in his activity that the victory hadn't registered. "Hey - Jace! You've already won," she barked at him from across the water, pushing her own catch back into the water. Creek watered plastered her normally voluminous fur to her legs and belly, giving her the look of a peculiarly groomed domestic dog.

"You've caught enough for two," Bazi told him, splashing through the shallows with high steps and leaping onto the bank with a yip. Without bothering to shake or groom, she snatched one of the slippery bodies by the tail, and settled into the grass to eat. She turned a wide, slightly bloody smile in the direction of the sun and uttered a hugely satisfied "Mmmmm!"

Jace lifted his head muzzle dripping water, blue eyes flashing as the sun reflected on the water and then into them. His black fur had gotten a black glassy sheen, making him look shiny from the water. He shook his head and stepped onto the bank water pooling at the bottom of his large feet. "Sorry i kind of got lost in the groove.

Jace shook and grabbed a fish settling down on his belly holding it with his paws to eat. He chuckled at her loud Mmmm and spoke quietly "I am glad your belly is satisfied now Bazi. How long have you been here? He took another bite, but lifted blue eyes to look at her and wait for her answer.

"Vewy," she pronounced through a large mouthful of flesh. Table manners were inversely proportional to hunger, and the day's activities had left Bazi ravenous. She polished off the first fish, crunching its bones, and brought her paw down on a second without shame.

"I don't really know - not long, but long enough to have built a den and met pretty much everyone. Do you know anything about Jinx, by the way?" A whole fish head disappeared into her mouth with a crunch. Big, blue eyes regarded Jace expectantly.

He chuckled at her lack of table manners. She must have been very hungry, or maybe she just didn't have manners he did not know. That was one thing his mother had drilled into him politeness, manners, and etiquette. It was strange sometimes when he thought about it, he was very much the gentleman.

He shook his head, "i have not been able to build a den yet, I should probably get on that. My father built our den, he even put grooves in the wall for my mother to keep her collections of feathers and other such things and any herbs she might like they both dabbled in herbs slightly. He listened to her next question and frowned, He did not know very much about Jinx other than she was a bit rude and antagonistic. "I do not know her very well no. She seems very obtrusive and a bit rude and antagonistic at least to newcomers and she definatily favors Ira over others. However, I have a healthy respect for her, it cannot be easy to be in a leadership position and every is different when in that position.