Jinx loped at ease through the creek's inner woodland, keeping to the shadows she so favoured. The day was cool and the sun overhead was weak and milky, but it was warm enough for a wolf. She had considered seeking out Lethe to warn her of the insane wolves of Blacktail Deer Plateau, but changed her mind. Left without a purpose for the time being, the pale female wandered.
Clamped in her mouth was a small, pitiful squirrel. As winter drew nearer to spring, the animals that often hid away from the cold were emerging. This one had been unlucky. She thought it hadn't stored enough for the winter, and was too weak to struggle with any great strength. There was no remorse for having killed it, though. She was a wolf, and wolves had to eat just as well as squirrel's did.
She chose a fallen log in the forest, which she ascended to with dainty, cautious steps. It held her weight, so Jinx lay herself down, sphinx-like, though she shifted her weight once or twice in a vain attempt to find comfort. When she found a suitable position, she took to the squirrel clutched now between her forepaws, and tore at it with all the messy savagery of her species.
The lulling sound of rushing water was no competition for the chatty birds overhead. Hecarim groaned in annoyance, twisting and turning in the comfort of his freshly made den. He should have been up ages ago, but his midnight romp in the forest kept him up until 4am. He liked the darkness. If nothing else his fur would attest to it, it was where he felt whole. One - paw over his eyes and the other over his ears, Hecarim could feel the temptation to shout right back at the birds which would not let him sleep.
Alright, alright,
Hecarim protested as he ripped himself up from the ground and crawled lazily out of his den. The dark one winced as he met the light, then pulled himself into a sit. It was at this instant that his eyes met the ying to his yang, a white pelt of pure snow in the distance. Still half asleep, the broad shouldered male trudged towards the vision. His appearance, which was usually neat and tidy was disheveled- his fur was shaggy and unkempt. It was quite obvious he had just rolled out of bed.
Clear blue eyes now found themselves upon a female whose scent was much like his own. She was willowy and leggy with a beautiful lush coat. To him she looked like fresh, fallen snow. Given the fact that he had not seen anyone since his last meeting with Clarise and Fox, he appreciated a new face, especially this one. Hi,
he greeted simply. Suddenly, Hec remembered his fur- he gave it a shake, causing all his stray fur to set neatly and allowing him to regain his usual polished and refined appearance. Yeah, I tried my paw at a bird the other day. Real bony. Don't know what I was thinking.
He smirked a little as his eyes momentarily surveyed the territory.
She expected some sort of introduction or else a question. A myriad normal conversation starters flit through her mind, each one taken into consideration in that brief pause where the wolf corrected his near-ebon flyaway fur. Her eyes roved his body, appraising his bulky stature and his well-kempt posture. His coat bore unmistakeable signs that it was in need of grooming. Had Jinx been a more social wolf, she might have moved forth to oblige him in this manner, as one wolf to another. Alas, she remained where she was.
She was about to ask him what he needed when he blurted out something about a bird. Her dead-pan expression was enough to suggest she was unamused by this outburst, but there glimmered in her eyes a light of confusion as well. "The hell are you talking about?" she grit out between clenched teeth, uncertain whether she wanted to be in the presence of someone who said such nonsensical things, even if it made perfect sense to Hecarim. Where had birds even come from, she wondered?
Shame on him for expecting a hello, or anything at all for that matter. She did not seem happy he had approached her, which he understood, and furthermore, seemed confused by his comment. Her rough words met his ears and he frowned slightly,I caught a bird, its wing was broken, and-hm, just never mind.
He could already tell she wasn't the type to give a shit really.Sorry for being an asshole and interrupting your meal. Not used to having strangers as pack mates yet. I'm Hecarim.
He supposed having grown up around the same pack of wolves his entire life was clouding his judgement on proper stranger etiquette. He was just used to bounding up to anyone and it being acceptable.
New to the Creek, and I've only met a couple of you,
Hecarim confessed, his blue eyes pressed forward on the distant woods. His body fell into his typical regal, statue-like position as he surveyed, already planning on where he'd go when she told him to fuck off. For starters, finding his own lunch sounded appealing.
"I don't really care about that, and there are a lot of new wolves here. Happens when the pack is also new," she huffed, referring at first to the black wolf's apology. It occurred to her that he was the only dark-furred wolf in all of Swiftcurrent Creek, but it wasn't as anomalous in the wild as it seemed to her. Black wolves were relatively rare, but she wouldn't have believed it, having come from a pack heavy with dark wolves. "I'm wondering why you would approach a complete strange, who has nothing at all to do with birds, and start prattling nonsense about birds as if they should understand you."
With that, she abandoned her mostly eaten squirrel and padded down from her perch, looking Hecarim dead in the eye. "Do you know who you're prattling nonsense to?" she wondered, flipping back her ears as if daring him to assume she was a lesser being to humour his strange talk.
Hecarim quickly realized just how unapproachable she was. Not only did she coldly ask him why he'd approached her, she made sure to throw him a 'do you know who I am'. Instantly, the mild excitement he'd been feeling to finally meet another pack mate vanished. Was just trying to get to know a fellow pack mate. My old pack was like family. I see things are different here and I crossed the line. Again, I apologize."
Hecarim grew serious as her appeal to him faded. He no longer wished to be in her presence. Despite this, he remained respectful. No ma'am, but that is why I approached you... because I wanted to meet you. The birds-just small talk.
Hec felt uncomfortable, uneasy, and could not wait to end this unforgettable meeting. Was this how his leaders treated others? Silently, he hoped that the rest of the pack was not as rude and unwelcoming as this snow queen. If they were, he would most definitely move on and find a more suitable pack.
"I am a fully fledged mambo," she revealed, fully expecting him to know what that meant and why it should concern him. "I could ask spirits to come to you in the night and whisper horrendous images into your dreams, or ask Sos to steal your soul while you sleep." It wasn't Crow Moon, and Sos wasn't due to come stealing souls for quite a while, but she liked the hefty threat of being a high priestess somewhat more than she should have.
"Next time you try small talk," she suggested, not at all apologetic for her crude behaviour, "best make sure it isn't gibberish. Most of us comment on the weather or ask how we're doing." As it was, she deemed Hecarim certifiably insane. His intent may have been to meet a pack mate, but his execution had irreversibly tainted her opinion of him, so his success in his endeavour was questionable. She didn't say anything else, expecting him to realize the error of his ways and say something less random the next time they ever crossed paths. He couldn't redeem himself now, but perhaps Jinx would be in a better mood if they met again and he greeted her with something less erratic. With that said, the pale mambo turned from him and left, diffusing in her wake a stark irritation warning him against following.