Wolf RPG

he was in need of a task that would serve the plateau; he mulled this over as he absently tracked a mule deer from her lodgings in the woodlands out into the more open areas, where she would fill her belly with the last of the dormant spring grasses, to bulk her body for the coming winter. he was not in a killing mood, however, and veered off the trail in favor of the crystalline lake.

in time its edges would froth with ice, but for now, taltos stepped down to its bank for a draught of the cold liquid, peering pensively into the shallows at his reflection as water dripped from his chin.

he scented the creek before he saw the woman; the fragrance immediately caused resentment to boil within him, for that had been what fox wore prior to her elevation in blacktail deer plateau. fighting down the instinctive bristle of guard hairs, however, taltos turned to regard a lovely wolf, meeting keen eyes that glowed with a knowing light. he was reminded of antha, and the memory caused relaxation to flood his muscles.

"hello," the epsilon said softly, though he made no move to approach her, not yet. while he felt amiable enough, lasher would not overtly invite company — as of late he had felt quite antisocial and reserved.

she was a lovely dazzle of a creature, and he watched her graceful movements as she turned to face him. but his heart was still heavy after his departure from peregrine and the caldera — while lasher appreciated the woman's beauty, it was not the worshipful affection he had bore siku and tonravik. and so he did not speak himself, muzzle turning slowly to appraise himself once more in the water.

he berated himself for his lack of conversation, but taltos had no words within himself to offer her beauteous visage, so distracted he was contemplating the failures of his own.

"i am taltos, also called lasher." he responded to her as a dull, empty roar flooded his ears — he proffered a gentle smile. likewise, he felt also that his lack of want to interact would cause the conversation to sputter and die as so much water upon banked coals. "what is yours?"

it occurred to him to point out that the scent she wore was of the Creek, but that place had spat out a wolf who had caused him much sorrow, and he did not feel it was worth a mention. and so they sat in silence until she presumably answered, though lasher was polite enough to tear himself from the waters and place his attention upon the woman.

"falwasi," he repeated, as she had done his own title. "that is exotic." he was normally a verbose beast; she had captured him in a vulnerable moment, but they seemed well-matched enough. an amiable thump of his tail against the bank matched her own.

now he brought to mind her scent; keeping his expression companionable, taltos murmured, "you smell of the creek." a harmless enough comment, if she took it as such. and if she did not, the earthen servant had a charming tongue; he simply did not see its use as presently fitting.

"i am its delta," he said softly, though his voice held no desire to flaunt his rank, and even if he had wished such a thing, it was preposterous. their packs held no sway in this otherland near the water, and taltos had never been a creature to brag upon what he had achieved. "exploring?" he posed in an inquiring voice, wondering if she also pursued the outrider trade that junior had procured.

he chided himself for thinking such; why hold a wolf of another pack to a trade that was perhaps only observed by the blacktail wolves? and so he awaited her answer, relaxing himself more openly; she had not threatened him, and he wanted no quarrel.

unlike his succinct companion, lasher had no head for leading. why trade the warm comforts of a loving body for the cold pedestal of a tyrant? he was a companion by choice, perhaps amusingly by career — the ending to his relationship with peregrine had scarred him deeply, however. it was unlikely he would take another to his bosom again for some time, if ever.

"have you found anything of interest?" taltos purled, murkwater eyes watching the woman as she found a seat nearby. moreso than the waters was falwasi interesting, a welcome distraction from the dark thoughts he had been experiencing before her arrival.

her good humour rallied his own; he wondered who she spoke of, though he in recent memory had not meant any wolves fitting the description. to her revelation that they had chased ghosts, his interest became tangible. "and did you find any spirits?" he asked, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

her inquiry elicited a nod. "i do. but lately i have not been fond of leaving the plateau." tail thumped briefly upon the ground. "does the creek recognize outrider as a trade?" he inquired.

"i have my own thoughts on spirits," lasher intoned, though jocularity shone in the reaches of his voice. oh! the tales he wielded were awesome and terrifying, through basic dint of their existence, but he was not a storyteller. "i was intending to seek the role of gamekeeper, which i believe is also a widely recognized trade, but now i do not think i am suited for it."

it was peregrine who had wanted lasher to fit the rank, but now they were no more and the darkpelted man did not believe it was a role he truly desired. he was content with where dante and blue willow placed him among the wolves of blacktail deer plateau — taltos was not a competitive sort, or even ambitious, when it came to such things.

"ah," lasher lilted, reminded of his two meetings with the girl named bazi. "those are darker visions." yet his eyes danced as he spoke these words, and without hesitation he tucked into the deeper meat of his tale. "they are all about us; they roam the day as well as the night. i myself was believed to be spirit," taltos explained, shamelessly meeting falwasi's pointed gaze. "you see now that i am tangible, flesh and blood, but once, i am told, i was not. i was not always this man, but a wielder of storms and rain, to lash the backs and bodies of those who sought to hurt the witches i loved."

"it was from suzanne, my first witch, that i received the name. she brought me into being, and if it was from the tempest that i was born, or if she birthed me into the world and suckled me as any other mother might suckle her infant, i do not know." his eyelids had fallen to half-mast as he spoke; falwasi continued to exist, but it was upon the fringes of his consciousness, and taltos spoke as if to himself.

"i do recall the squalls, the trees broken by the wind's force. it seems my earliest memory was one of storm, and rain, and violence wrought by nature's hand. if i am a spirit, then i have been made corporeal for a reason — and if i never was, i hold a spirit's memory, surely."

he nodded. "yes." they had summoned him; only julien had been able to quell his wrath at being brought forth time and time again. "i assure you, witches are quite existent, and they reside in all places." he tilted his head for a moment, then resumed how he had been. "dear falwasi, you mustn't be taken by the sound of the word 'witch.' they are not as the ignorant assume; witches are just as gentle and kind as any other creature."

lasher had never liked the stigma associated with those he loved; it had resulted in increased violence against them, and he had killed many for laying hands upon his witches. they had been a powerful lot, but only mary beth had been of a cruel sort.

"perhaps you are, and do not know it," lasher suggested with a sudden flash of bright interest in the creek wolfess.

it seemed mere talk of witches caused deep apprehension in those who did not understand, and lasher gave a slow nod, deciding not to speak of it again. rising from his perch along the bank, a low grunt unfurled from his throat as he stretched muscles cramped by cold and lack of movement. "from where did you receive your name? what does it mean?"

he meant not to be pointed, but to draw falwasi's attention from his earlier statement, which may have been unnerving for her. quietly he waited, head tilted in curiosity as he awaited her answer.

lasher smiled with interest. " a fallow deer," he repeated; she certainly moved with the grace of the sure-footed creatures. he wondered in what tongue the name found its origin, but thought better of asking. "i do not, no," the man answered — none that he could recall. suzanne was not a mother to many, if memory served.

peregrine's face swam unbidden into his mind; taltos clenched his jaw and glanced away for a moment. "does bazi lead you?" he asked on a whim, recalling his last meeting with the pale, flighty girl.