Neverwinter Forest who sits at the curb

It became more and more apparent as she continuously walked through the Forest that she couldn't keep the thoughts of the dark stranger out of her mind. Not because of his unique eyes nor that he was handsome (which she would never admit) but because the prospect of a pack was on the horizon. Kat had introduced the idea to him and he had not completed rejected the suggestion that he create his own pack but he hadn't truthfully said much about it either. There was a small (hopeful) part of her that believed he would think about it and come to the conclusion that that would be the best thing for him. However, there were always complications and she knew that he was still pretty young and that some wolves might not wish to follow under a young leader. There was always room for improvement in any category and it didn't mean he would automatically fail either, just meant there was room to grow. With that being thrown into her mind she was quick to venture around her stake-out zone, Neverwinter Forest. She liked it here as it was a reminder of home but also because it was absolutely gorgeous here. Something about it was alluring her further and further in, allowing her just enough silence to toss her ideas around and to think about what the boy would do in regards to her suggestion. It also led her to believe that if that didn't happen, then she would need to find a back-up plan. She needed to find a place to live that wasn't on her own as she would likely end up starved and cold if she didn't. But where was she to start with that and when?

It seemed that Leader attracted followers, much like a naked light bulb attracts flickering, fluttering moths. The arrival of several newcomers recently had made Toothless feel disconcerted, jealous, sullen and curious in turn. Having long lived in solitude, it nonetheless instinctually craved company, especially since its memories of its mother's family were by now largely suppressed. It still did not trust easily, however, so while it occasionally immersed itself in the collective, it typically kept to itself, lurking on the outside of things and observing from afar.

Toothless found that, aside from Leader herself, some of the wolves kept a daytime schedule. This made it easier to avoid them. However, even as Toothless unwittingly inserted itself into life as a pack wolf, it also began to make occasional cameos during daylight hours. It didn't even realize this consciously most of the time. As if bolstered by its new leader and her company, Toothless simply began to change and adapt, all without really noticing much.

Today, it woke well before evening, though twilight bloomed in the park. Licking its dry lips, Toothless rose and clambered down the mountainside, searching for water. It somehow managed to miss the various streams that crawled down the slopes and eventually found itself at the edge of a forest. It stood there, blinking stupidly for a moment, its forelegs bowed indecisively. It then darted beneath the shadowy trees, now smacking its lips together, its dry tongue sticking to the roof of its mouth.

Instead of water, it found another wolf. Two separate but distinct feelings passed through Toothless. Firstly, fear tightened its chest and it turned, preparing to flee. Secondly, it felt an almost overwhelming sense of protectiveness come over it, which really took the edge off the fear. Slowly turning back around, its lips began to skin back from its teeth. The mountain—Leader's mountain—rose up behind it as it dug its tiny black paws into the earth and grimaced at the stranger. As its territorial notion built, its black ears pinned backward and nearly disappeared against its small, shapely skull.

With her on again, off again ‘friend’ being out somewhere else likely avoiding her every step she knew she would need to find some substantial cache spots along the territory. Kat would have to lay out the law and protect what might be hers soon otherwise their pack wouldn’t really come to exist. The two ‘mutual co-pals’ would have to work together, much to their chagrin, if this were to succeed. They were going to need to howl to claim their position, mark their territory perimeter and allow for other lone wolves to gather up her location.

It was a few seconds of making a turn that she saw eyes staring at her from across the way. Normally she would have opened up to the idea of speaking with a stranger but seeing as how its eyes were focused on her (not through her) and its ears were pressed back as if he didn’t have any at all she felt the same sensation gnaw at her. Ever since she had mentioned the idea to Styx she had begun to work on her own strength and confidence, building an immunity to the shy nature that wished to strangle her and keep her tucked away within a confine space.

This, however, caused her to lower her head to protect her neck, ears pinned to her to the backside of her head and for her lips to be raised into a snarl. This was her territory and whether or not it was claimed soon was an unknown but she wasn’t going to let some stranger look at her as if to challenge.

NEVERWINTER

TEMPLATE © NDA OF RCR & RPG-D

When the stranger reacted in kind—slicking back her own ears and snarling at Toothless—a bolt of utmost fear passed through the tiny wolf. Yet that same feeling of protectiveness still dominated. It would not stand for anybody, anybody, threatening what it perceived to be Leader's territory. Deep down, Toothless knew it might be in danger, yet it also knew something else: that it had survived on its own in a dog-eat-dog world this long and that, small as it it was, it was not weak. And though Leader could fend for herself, she was not here, and so Toothless must do its best to stand up for what was hers.

Hissing like a pissed-off cat, Toothless began to slither closer to the other wolf, hoping to scare her away but prepared in the event that she continued to stand her ground. Its tail twitched furiously back and forth, like a rattlesnake's, a silent warning telling the stranger to retreat. In the back of its mind, Toothless hoped and wished that Leader would suddenly appear to back it up. Then this wolf would be toast.