Wolf RPG

Packs.
After his meeting with the white she-wolf, he had been thinking over them – wondering how many there were in these parks of the woods... how they dealt with each other. Which ones were friends? Which ones were enemies? Elijah wanted to know. His questions, however, went unanswered – a mystery for he was off on his own again. Since he was but a pup, he'd always been the time to explore... find out new locations and areas he's never been to before. Heading south of Duck Lake, Eli found himself in a meadow full of flowers.
Dark tipped ears were pointed forward, creamy jaws agape with a large grin and tail sent wagging back and forth as the oversized child bounded forward. Just as soon as he was running with the grace of an awkward moose, he flopped over, body rubbing on a particularly smelly patch of purple flowers. He squirmed – legs flailing as he wiggled like he had an overly itchy back.

It had been a few days since Tuwawi had returned from the North and already she was eager to head back. Her scouting had gone well and, except for the resident bobcat, the mountainside seemed like a perfect retreat for the Sveijarns. Upon her arrival back at Swiftcurrent's borders Bazi had called a meeting. It had gone... well... it had gone. The announcement had been made and now it was time for husband and wife to tie up loose ends at the creek. Somehow they would carry the children - one way or another. Times would be difficult for a while, but the auburn woman was given a breath of new hope upon meeting Sveinn. Everything would be okay.

But the wicked lynx was still on her mind. His presence deeply troubled the mother. The cat wasn't such a big threat for a big wolf like Njal, but a lone wolf... or her children could become easy pickings if one didn't keep a diligent eye. Frustrated, the ember mumbled to herself as she flirted along Swiftcurrent's borders, slowly making her way into the Southern meadow. Silver eyes became fixated on the ground in deep thought as she walked, until she noticed a wolf writhing in a flowerbed. Ruddy ears orbited forward as her stance became lofty. Even though Tuwawi was soon to depart this land the creek was, for now, her home... and it needed to be defended.

"Who's there?" she called as she trotted forward with the inention to intercept this outsider.

Rolling around hit the spot, his back hadn't been terribly itchy at all, but it felt good nonetheless to enjoy a good back-scratch. His jaws snapped closed as his forearms stretched skywards with a low groan of satisfaction.
He shifted, laying on his side – unaware of the approaching wolf only due to the overpowering scent of the flowers that surrounded him. So when he heard her sharp, feminine voice he jumped slightly – body trembling with a shot of abrupt adrenaline in a flight or fight sense. Blue eyes blinked, he rolled until he laid on his belly with chin tucking to rest on his legs. He stared up at her with a lazy smile and tail wagging behind him.
“Elijah!” He introduced. “Some call me Eli though.” She could call him that, too, if she preferred. Posture remained casual to make sure he didn't look like a threat, but he guarded his weak spots just in case the stranger would become aggressive.
“What's your name?”

She approached the stranger with confidence, but her posture slackened when she realized the wolf who laid among the petals was no threat. A strapping young man, strongly built and richly colored by golden hues, rolled jubilantly until her words reached his ears. The youth jumped with a start, but then rolled onto his stomach to better adress the pack wolf with a roguish grin. At first, Tuwawi's face was rigid and stern juxtaposed beside the yearling's more carefree and jubilant expression; but eventually she conceded, and observed his visage with a softer, more amiable, look.

Elijah! Some call me Eli though, he responded in a pleasant tune, What's your name? Gunmetal eyes scrutinized the new acquaintance, surprised by such a ray of sunshine in during Swiftcurrent's overtly dramatic time. She drew closer, as if to whiff at his scent... etiquette first, after all. "Tuwawi Sveijarn," she told him, voice trailing as she studied his scent. It was vaguely creek-like, however laced with unknown aromas... had Bazi recently accepted this one? "Gamma of Swiftcurrent Creek," she tacked on her title for good measure, "what brings you to this meadow?"

The large young-buck was tame enough and tolerated her inspection well, a lopsided smile signaling his ease of character and submission. Tuwawi was satisfied, and settled back into a comfortable sitting position to be tickled by the gently waving tall grass and wild flowers.

She found his light-heartedness refreshing, and offered a warm glance as Elijah struggled with her name. "Tuwawi," the ember repeated a bit slower, "it's Inuit for quick," she informed the brawny youth. "It wasn't my birth name though... it was given to me by, ah... my mentor." Mentor was an understatement. Tartok's leader, Siku, was a bear of a woman; the indomitable essence of everything wild, and powerful. She was a leader and a matriarch to those who found themselves within her care, and only surrounded herself with those of equal prowess. A true enigma. Compared to Tartok's alpha, the yearling before her was like a squishy grub... not that there was anything wrong with that. Tartok's laws were often grating, even for the unwavering few who had shared Arktayok Summit.

"They do smell nice, don't they?" Tuwawi agreed as she admired the colored blooms. Sometimes it was best to let go of darker memories and live in the present. It was certainty what this male was doing, even if it made him come off as a bit of a simpleton, though Tuwawi wished she could be just as carefree. "Just taking a walk... to be alone with my thoughts," she responded, "but it is nice to have company. Tell me, do you intend to make Swiftcurrent your home?" The youth had shown some recognition at the pack's name, but she was uncertain if he planed to stay.

The Gamma was patient with him, seemingly more relaxed now that she knew he was no longer a threat... going so far as to take a seat nearby. It was like she had complimented Eli. She could have left him once she realized he wasn't going to harm her pack – but she decided to have a conversation with him instead! Oh how he missed these. His paws kneaded in excitement underneath him, his shoulders and hindquarters shifting briefly as if to expel the energy and abrupt urge to leap up happily. Elijah had to take things slow, he knew that not every wolf liked it when you jumped into their face with kisses and tail wags.
“Tuwawi.” She said, pronouncing each syllable slower for him. Ears perked, lips moving agape before he gave her an appreciative grin. He didn't know what Inuit was, but it sounded cool for her name to mean “quick”.
“Tu... Tuwawi,” he tried again – head tilting towards the russet beauty for guidance, hoping that he hadn't slaughtered her name. “Tuwawi. Tuwawiiii!” Chanting her name out then, he wiggled excitedly – broad, toothy grin wide on his lips all the while.
“I like it. I think your mentor picked a nice name. I don't know what Elijah means... but my Ma picked it so I think it's a good name too!” Ma said she named him after an old friend of hers, said she didn't much like the fellow now but she'd always liked his name and the way it rolled off the tongue. Eli, thus, always wore it proudly like a badge of honor. He was quite curious to what it meant now though...
“They do smell nice don't they?”
His head bobbed up and down, nodding as if his life depended on it for a few seconds – glad that he wasn't the only one that thought the flowers smelt nice. Maybe he'd collect some and put 'em in his den whenever he made or found one... Or he could give them out as gifts! Granted the ones that he crushed couldn't really make for good gifts anymore.
Tuwawi explained that she had adventured here to walk alone with her thoughts. Eyebrows furrowed, a look of concern crossing his face. She was a nice lady... Was someone bothering her?
“Yeah! I think so. If everyone is nice like you are, I think it'd make for a good home!” He exclaimed, pulling his chin towards his chest and snuggling his shoulders forward – feeling all warm and fuzzy about having a possible place to belong again. The agouti male dropped this stance a moment later, picking up a worried look again instead. “Is something or someone bothering you though, Miss?”

It was easy to perceptive that Elijah could scarcely contain his joy, suppressing wiggles in the tuft of multicolored wildflowers. Truly he was a greenhorn through and through, but Tuwawi did not mind. Too often the recent days had been soured by tense words between comrades, and this yearling's fresh sentiments were as enjoyable as the meadow around them.

Yet, just because her companion was young didn't mean he was daft, and Elijah easily picked up on the ember's worries. His observations were astute, putting two and two together to glean the essence of Tuwawi's troubles. There were many things on her mind... moving from Swiftcurrent, the lynx that had attacked her, summer's end and winter's beginning, how her relationship with Bazi would fare... but, for Elijah's sake, she kept things brief. The teenager didn't need to know or understand the complex tribulations about his soon-to-be pack or its members. Swiftcurrent acted like the creek for which it was named. The water always flowed, and new currents from the North constantly replenished more tarnished shores. He was sure to learn in time.

"Mm... the other day, I was scouting the North when a lynx attacked me," she told Elijah, appreciative of his concern. "Thankfully, another wolf was nearby and chased him off. It's unusual behavior... usually the small cats just keep to themselves," Tuwawi mulled, thinking about how the quiet bobcat was usually dwarfed by its more aggressive cousin, the cougar. Perhaps the attack meant than there were many felines roaming the mountains... or mothers with kits nearby. The natural rivalry between wolf and cat would eventually come to a head, but the Sveijarn mother did not want fangs to fall upon her family.

Her scared and slender face turned in the direction of the distant mountains, its peaks hidden from their position in the valley's cradle. An idea ruminated in her mind, and after a few moments did she dare propose it. "Tell me, Elijah... do you know how to use those fangs of yours?" she asked, unsure if the youth had any mind about him when it came to battle. "I want to go back there and scout the cats' trails... but going alone would be a bit risky," there was no telling if another stranger could, or would, come to the rescue again. "I don't intend to hunt them... just survey their position and numbers. I don't need another mark on my hide," she stated with a wry grin, the raw skin on her muzzle tightening. Her intentions were clear, and the offer was made. Perhaps she could teach him a thing or two about scouting and forge an unbiased friendship over their travels. Killing two birds with one stone was always preferred.

Tuwawi watched the boy for his reaction with a careful eye, but for such an untested youth... such an adventure might prove to be too harrowing. Her fiery shoulders rolled as the mother reflected on this, weighing the pros and cons. Perhaps it woud be wiser to take a more seasoned warrior. Yet, Tuwawi wasn't interested in stepping on Swiftcurrent's toes. Bazi might not - probably wouldn't - appreciate a higher ranking wolf being used for Tuwawi's mountain scouting mission. It was a catch 22.

"Think about it, and if you're interested... you can find me on Swiftcurrent's border patrol," she told Elijah. She then turned and wove back through the wildflowers towards Swiftcurrent.