Raven's Watch crooked crows

Crooked crows. They were wicked little creatures. And smart too. Here at Raven's Watch Dragonfly enjoyed a day off. Instead of taking in the scenery, he was living up to the name of these grounds and watch those crooked crows like it was his only little private Sims sandbox. Caw, caw. The biggest one, a male presumably, was eying a feathery lady. She was slim and probably good-looking in the bird world.

But she had more suitors. There was also this large, lanky dude who had one feather sticking out. This was about to get interesting because mr. Lanky dude also raised his voice -- caw caw -- in the hope to get attention. The lady bird looked at his direction. The biggest one didn't like that. It was at that point, at the cliffhanger, that out of nowhere a sound of thunder formed above his head. Grey clouds of doom formed above his head and a flash of lightning hit the earth.

D'ow. Time to find shelter.

This was the furthest she had gone.

No sign of Kigipigak.

No fur, no tracks, not even blood smattered into stone. Although she worried that with these summer storms perhaps it had all been washed away already. If anything had even been left in his wake.

The sky felt the need to strike that thought right to her core. A rumble of thunder followed by a smack of lightning somewhere in the distance. The birds scattered for the trees with their own harrowing calls. She was ready to turn back herself. The plateau needed her.

Although there was a pale figure on the watch. She might have placed them for her missing friend had they not been smaller, lankier than Kigipigak.

Instinct told her to leave him behind, she did not know him. Yet her heart had blossomed with such generosity lately as the plateau bloomed with life. There was some hesitancy in her voice, but she called out to him nonetheless.

Are you okay?!

Strained to be heard over the thunder and bird calls.

There was something very raw and violent, the way lightning struck the earth from a distance. Hellish, loud rumbles came from the maddening sky and not long thereafter droplets of rain began to fall. It was as if the sky was ripped through shreds while it cried and roared at the same time. It was deafening. Oh and the birds? They spread their wings and flew into safety. The lucky bastards, Dragonfly thought as his heart pounded deeply in his chest, shots of adrenaline pushed through his body.

But maybe, just for once, he was more lucky than those birds. The wind brought him a faint voice, words that carried over but their meaning were lost due to the distance. Before he could contemplate his options as to where find shelter in these unknown lands, someone or something was reaching out. Squinting his eyes, he could see the contours of a wolf in the distance. Deciding waiting wasn't an option, Dragonfly cleared his throat once and then called out a second later. "I am, I am. But can you show me where to..."

The sound of rumbling thunder interrupted his voice. Another flash of lightning followed, this time a little closer. "SHELTER!?!"

Not willingly to wait until his luck ran out, Dragonfly quickly paced into her direction.

She realized now, faced with him and his question, that she could not bring just anyone back to the plateau.

Her mother was there. Her siblings were there — children!

Perhaps she could lead him near. Down to the river or back near a ledge or cave. Close enough to be safe from this storm and the harshness of summer, without being in the heart of her family home.

This way! She called out to him as the rain started to fall in the distance. She could see the layers and waves of it. Soon it would be upon them.

I think there was an overhang somewhere we can hide out under!

There was a surge of panic in his gait, with every step his speed increased until the faint speckle of a wolf turned into a real imagine. Due to the hellish clouds lurking above, the entire world was wrapped around in a dark shadow thus he orange-like coat turned into a darkish red hue from his perspective. Her color was quite special but it was her kindness that was truly extraordinary.There weren't many out there, ready to help a stranger in need in the face of danger that could also threaten her well-being.

"Okie-dokie." Dragonfly said -- his voice extra loud so that it wouldn't disappear like a sigh into the darkness as soon as thunder rumbled or lightning would strike. "Lead the way, fox." He said gently as her appearance reminded him of that of a clever fox. There was a gentle smile upon his facade but it lasted only fleetingly as he realized that every second would count.

"I'll follow you to this hang-out thing-a-ma-bobs." Because, at this moment, that appeared to be like the best idea. A life saver.

He was. . . odd.

Not that she could cast stones in that way. Wasn't she a bit odd? All dried blood and smoke for fur, runty and lean. She loathed to think about it for too long.

Regardless, as promise, there would be an overhang from a ledge. Big enough for them to seek shelter together for a moment. Even if her mind toyed the idea of leaving him here. She could head over the wall and back down to the plateau. Tempting.

What were you doing out there?

Her voice would break the silence as they settled in, unsure what to make of him (or do with him) just yet.

Yes, he had silly quirks that made him slightly weird. Everybody was a little weird. But truthfully he was slightly nervous; here he was in lost lands with a danger looming over his head and a stranger offering him the kindness of shelter. He appreciated the effort and the help he received, after all, she could have just walked away to the safety of her own lands and not care for a stranger in need. Truthfully too, he didn't know what was the right way to react.

"I'm new around these parts and I was exploring the area. Then I decided to pause, take in the atmosphere and observe some silly bird antics when thunder and lightning rolled around." His honey-brown eyes gazed to the outskirts and for a moment he wondered where the birds would find shelter. "I'm Dragonfly." Turning his eyes back to her, 'Fly bobbed his head in a way of offering an introduction. "Thank-you for the help." It was all he wanted and it was all he could ask for. "What can you tell me about the area?" He curiously inquired.

After that last question, the rain started to fall with more violence from the torn-open sky.

It was a simple, carefree answer.

It was the kind of answer she wished she could have given if asked.

Lucky for her that they moved on to introductions. Something easier. At his name and thanks, she bowed her head briefly. Sakhmet. She returned softly. Eyes trained on the way the rain started to fall heavy. She could only hope with the violence it fell, that the clouds would have nothing left soon.

Well, I haven't been to this side before. I live over the wall on the plateau. . . Trailed off. Information and perhaps warning, should he find himself surprised to be greeted by a protective family there. The flatlands are bountiful. Better than the mountains, I think. Her lip curled slightly in a shy smile.

Sakhmet, sakhmet, sakhmet. Her exotic-sounding name rolled from one corner of the mind to the other as he wondered what it meant. His name, Dragonfly, had been more than obvious. Named after a dragonfly (fly) or mythical creatures dragons who flew. He wasn't sure which one and truthfully was never told. "What a beautiful name." It sounded foreign and had a mysterious resonance. "Does your name mean anything special?"

When she gave him information and a warning at the same time, he nodded respectfully. "Don't worry." He reassured; not only was he warned but he was a respectful wanderer who would take a note of invisible boundaries of pee with a scent of YOU SHALL NOT PASS (kind of like the Grey Wizard sending a signal at the Balrog in Lord of the RINGS).

"Oh yes, I agree -- I'm not much a fan of mountains either. Sure, the view is great and all but I just can't imagine myself ever living with a mountain pack." Curiously he glimpsed over to the wall and the plateau before his gaze returned back to Sakhmet."What is the name of your pack?"

The compliment made her skin crawl some. It struck her odd after her encounter with Santiago, how he had seemed bad with that glint in his eyes, no matter the words he spoke.

She tried to hold her breath, convince herself this wasn't the same as that. Either way she was stuck here with him for the time being. Until the storm lightened, at least.

Oh, I don't know actually. . . She trailed off idly. Unsure if there was any meaning to her name. If there was, she was sure she had outgrown it by now. How much her life had changed from birth to now.

It's not. . .well, it's more like a close group than a pack or anything. I call the place Blacktail though. It was much easier to talk about the plateau, about her future there.

There was a simple smile when she faded out about the meaning of her name. It didn't matter much. Like with his, he simply didn't know and that was okay too. And names could be changed when among strangers -- if he would introduce himself as Mister Fluffy next time, that is what they would remember him by. Luckily the name Dragonfly had grown on him.

She had spoken of a pack and a close group. To him the definition was the same; maybe pack had more formalities to it but in essence most packs were family-orientated and close-knit, sometimes spreading across multiple generations. "What can you tell me about Blacktail?" Dragonfly curiously, yet cautiously asked; he wasn't sure if she wanted to tell about her pack and he didn't want to come across as merely prying. "What's your role and speciality in the close-knit group?"

Truthfully, she wasn't sure what there was to tell him.

She couldn't share news of pups with a still-stranger. How her heart had grown four times (one for each cub!) with the addition of them. His questions made it easier though.

Well, I guess I'm a. . . leader. I found the place first and have invited any others in. Which was leader like, right? I don't know about a specialty though.

Ears rotated on top of his head as he wondered for a second why she was doubtful to share that she was a leader. "Ooohh." Dragonfly replied as she explained that she was a leader. "You're a leader and a founding father. Err, well I mean founding mother. Founding wolf." What was the right word, again? "You founded the place and that's specialty enough." He concluded and otherwise: leaders were busy enough with all sorts of leadery things.

"What made you so drawn to the plateau that that was the place to start your tight-knit group?" It was one last question, Dragonfly figured, before it was time to go. During their conversation time passed and luckily so did the storm. He appreciated being helped in a time of need and he was thankful to learn more about Sakhmet and Blacktail.

She didn't know what to do with the praise.

Let alone why it made her stomach twist when anyone (non-familial) praised her. Something to ponder on when she was not so. . . vulnerable.

It has everything one could need or want. Shelter, food, water. I saw no reason not to settle down there. A slight shrug of her shoulders. Uncertain what else made one decide to settle somewhere. Connections, perhaps. Yet she had had none when she had discovered the plateau.

If you ever find yourself there, call for me.

So that her siblings could stay safely tucked with Maegi and Mou.

The more he tried to open up, the more closed she became. The more compliments he would give her, the more uncomfortable it felt to her. And you know what? That was perfectly fine; it appeared as though she had found her own paradise on earth and was fierce to protect it from the outside world, including him. 

Dragonfly harbored a great respect and understanding for those key values, for her tight-knit community was the true meaning of family.

"Do you want strangers -- like me -- at your borders?" Dragonfly honestly inquired, then added his own two pennies before she could answer. "Because it sounds like your tight-knit group is perfect the way it is, without wayward wanderers, with your own territory and your own paradise." But maybe she surprised him: packs tended to decrease in size every now and then and sometimes fresh blood was more than welcome.

The question jarred her mind some. If only because he had a point. Did she want strangers like him at her borders? It wasn't like he had been malicious or as off putting as the male from the woods had been.

We won't shun visitors. Especially if they're respectful. Her voice careful and hushed, as if she had finally been stumped in the conversation.

Perhaps she was not as good at stranger interactions as she thought she might be.

To his surprise, she wasn't entirely against the idea of having strangers -- like him -- close to the borders of her beloved pack. He would have expected that they weren't welcome because it appeared her close-knit pack was secluded, shunned away from the rest of the world."Thank-you, I'll keep that in mind." He said with a friendly undertone, grateful for her answer but leaving in the middle if he would ever visit. He wasn't quite sure and maybe it was too soon to see how she felt once her pack had established.

Time had passed so much during their time spend in the hide-away that the storm had wavered over them and now haunted other lands and territories. From a distance, better clouds were ahead."I think it's time to go, the weather is looking better. It was nice to meet you and I appreciate your kindness in helping me out." With that, and a gentle dip of his head -- he realized it was time to go. But not before adding one last thing; "If there is every something I can do in return, let me know."

Maybe there wasn't anything that came to mind now but nobody could foresee the future and it's strange twist of (un)fortunate events.

closing it out here! thank you for the thread! <3

Thank you, Dragonfly. She murmured softly to his offer.

There would be some relief in being alone again. Only for the sensation to be short lived. She needed to return the plateau, she needed to find Kigipigak, she needed. . . a lot.

Regardless they would part ways and she would later think of him fondly for the kindness he had shown. Aware in the hours later that if he had meant harm, surely he would have struck her down then.

Perhaps not everyone in the world was evil.