the world would change once more in a matter of weeks.
apollyon planned to be here for such extraordinary shifts.
it was a day of cold sun when he began his travels. the tuktu had provided good hunting and much seclusion, but wild oats did not sow themselves.
from time to time, apollyon paused to scent the air. he knew it was too early for female wolves to be seeking their mates, but it was the perfect time for him to transform into a specimen worthy of their attentions.
apollyon jogged across the bog, humming gently to himself.
The more Njord explored the Hinterlands, the more he appreciated the region’s diverse biomes. Mountains to the East, sweeping forests to the south, and pockets of lowlands filled with water – rivers, lakes, and ponds. The adjacent bogs and marshlands were excellent for hunting small game and frequently attracted larger animals like moose.
It was sunny and cold. The redtail circled back towards home after a trip to Golden Glade. Only when he began to cross the wetlands did Njord spy a stranger.
His ears cupped forward. It was a man, but not much more could be gleaned from this distance. Njord barked a greeting and trotted toward the vagrant, the promise of a new pack member in the back of his mind.
yay a lieu!
apollyon paused in the cold muck, one paw raised. poised.
a man.
a man who had the scent of a woman on him, evidenced by the fragrances which shifted as the space between the two males decreased.
apollyon was frank in his appraisal; he had the advantage of youth, but this man was hale, scarred, surely experienced. he waved his tail once to stave off any suspicion and cleared his throat. "how's it going?"
the black eyes were cautious.
The stranger was courteous but not exactly welcoming. And why should be? The wilds were full of dangers – and maybe Njord should have been equally cautious. After all, Meerkat and Ajei had been confronted by a loner just like this one.
Njord shook his furs to show he did not want any conflict, though his head sat squarely on his shoulders; confident and proud.
“Verrae well,” he supplied. Njord inched nearer and took the scent of the wind. “Ah dinnae often see travelers in the hinterlands. Are you passing through?” he asked, genuinely curious.
apollyon hadn't expected to be interrogated. of course the other man was nothing less than kind, but his curiosity impeded the plans that the younger man was making for himself.
"i am." the black eyes blinked as the rogue considered just how bold he could be. "it's going to be the season soon. that's what i'm waiting for." apollyon wore then an arrogant grin.
Apollyon didn’t need to say much to make his motives clear. He was a braw young man looking for a woman – or many women! A coltish wolf, though a bit on the lanky side, with a drive to secure his future.
“Ah see,” Njord replied with a knowing chuckle. A fish-hooked curl pinched one corner of his mouth. The elder man remembered the ego of his youth! Knowing nothing, but thinking you knew everything.
Njord was entertained, but he felt this one could not be tied down to the Copse.
“Out tae charm tha lassies, hmm?” Njord mused. “Ah have a cache of meat nearby we could share, if ye indulge me with some conversation,” he proposed.
the young man's smile was quick and wary. he wanted to decline, but the promise of food reminded apollyon of the pinch in his stomach.
assured that he could take the older wolf if the scarred male turned out to be leading him into a trap, the black eyes blinked and apollyon fell into step beside the accented creature.
"you live out here then?" he asked, trying not to be obvious in his investigation of the stranger's scent.
The other man, lured by the promise of food, obliged Njord. He turned west towards the forest, where the Falls of the Hinterlands lay just beyond. “Ah’ve got a haunch of deer stored by a conifer on the treeline,” he said as they walked together.
“The name’s Njord, by the way,” he added just before the other wolf spoke.
“Aye, Ah live just North,” he swung his head, “in an area called Sun Mote Copse. My wife an’ Ah have been in tha Hinterlands since tha Fall, but we’ve found not many wolves travel this way.”
When they reached the tree Njord began to dig. “Recently, we recruited another, an’ are plannin’ for children in the spring. Our village grows.” With a grunt, he unearthed the frozen meat and threw it towards the vagrant. “What about you? You said you’re waiting for tha season. Looking tae claim an area of your own?” Njord asked.
njord. "apollyon," the younger wolf answered, perturbed and intrigued by the older one's generosity.
a wife. well. njord wouldn't care for him lurking then.
the demon scarfed the meat, then flashed a grin. "no claiming. i'm not a pack type. just here for fun with as many ladies as see fit to enjoy me for that."
honest. he grinned and licked the ground, pleased.
“Ah see,” Njord hummed, amused by Apollyon’s bulletproof confidence. The young, virile buck was simply hunting for a pretty tail. No strings attached.
“You may want tae visit a pack up the coast, named Sapphique. Plenty of seafaring women there,” he mused, veiling the scorn he felt. Apollyon would just be their type, he thought bitterly.
“Or, if ye dinnae prefer tha sea, Ah hear tha land for Akashingo has pleasure caves,” he added.
sapphique. he swung his ears forward and nodded, his first clear sign of interested gratitude.
and pleasure caves?
"you certainly know a lot for a married man, njord," the demon remarked dryly, a slow curled grin spreading across his muzzle. "how far am i from the coast?"
I hope you don’t mind if I fade and wrap this here! I'm aggressively reducing my threadlog.
“One learns a thing or two when you get tae be my age,” Njord jeered.
Stories of the sea women appeared to catch Apollyon’s attention.
“Nae far,” he said. Njord would go on to explain the path to the coast and the familiar landmarks along it: The bay, the river’s inlet, the bluffs, and Akyra Sound.
Some small talk later, the two would go their separate ways and Njord would return to the Copse and refresh his marks upon it.