my old aches

Set December 22, 2103. Ravensblood.
I am kind of assuming Sequoia Coast is in the west, and Horizon Ridge is north of Ravensblood Forest, but if I'm wrong I apologize!

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The howling of wolves had dissipated on the wayward coastal wind, and before she could be sought by the dominant male of the pack, Jinx had diverted her course away from the sea. There would be time for the pleasantries of meeting her master and her pack later, when Jinx had composed herself more; now, she had work to do. The Omen was faded from her conscious memory, but the image of Sos' snout filled with blood was branded into her mind, although shock and confusion had robbed her of context. It would be forgotten and never spoken again.

Given that her religious items had been left in Blackfoot Forest, there was nothing for Jinx to do but begin recollecting fresh ones, beginning with the simplest items: bark of white oak, to exacerbate wounds in wolves she seeks to do harm to, and bark of rowan, for protection and the reflection of another's magicks. These items would suffice for now for Jinx's purposes in warding off potential harmful wolves: white oak chewed finely and held in the mouth, but never swallowed, could affect a wolf's bite as potently as if they possessed snake venom. The wound's internal rotting would be a scathing warning and reminder to any wolf fool enough to cross their perimeter.

For this task, she departed the coast on skittish, quickly moving paws, every so often casting glance over shoulder in fear the dominant male would be bearing down on her. She escaped the shore unnoticed and slipped silently in amongst trees, and from here struck east and south through the nameless rainforest, mindful of the enormous sequoias that stuck out from the other trees like pillars into the heavens. It wasn't until she had gone quite far south that cedars and redwoods gave way to more familiar species: oak and the occasional hemlock, nestled amongst more common rowan and hawthorn trees. She set to work stripping bark off the nearest white oak, though eyes darted about alertly as she busied herself.

ooc: I hope it's okay I post here

Kisu dragged himself through the sky-scraping forest; he was in awe of the great sight of the never-ending sequoias that brushed what seemed to be space itself. He continued walking until the trees downsized and switched species, but his eyes still scanned his surroundings intently. Lush greenery absorbed an assortment of browns that were only visible if you looked up.

His head whipped 'round as he heard scraping nearby. When he located the source, he noticed a dingy-looking white wolf, around thirty pounds lesser than he. She worked, the only sounds being those of her prying bark from the tree. He cocked his head. "White female, what are you doing?" It dawned on him that this could be the she-wolf he had heard call out earlier, after the new leader and before him. "Were you the one who returned the howl?" He had quickly followed his prior words.

Perfectly fine! Was hoping to bait you actually. :D
Don't mind Jinx, I'm using her to practice my wolf body language skills so I decided she's not going to talk very much anymore, but anything in colour italics would be wolf body language that Kisu would be able to understand like speech!

A near-audible hiss slid by her teeth when a voice directly behind her rattled her heart in its cage of bones. Her fur shifted through a spectrum of states — raised in a prickled ridge of hackles, flattening as she calmed, and lifting into half-raised caution and concern — as she turned to face him head-on, with no shame in locking her eyes with is. He was unknown to her, as nameless as the forest she had ascended into, but his question placed him within a handful of acquaintances, despite them having never met.

The bark she had splintered from the tree lay in the scarce, muddied snow at her feet, momentarily forgotten as she weighed his question mentally. She could speak, answer him outright, but part of Jinx, the part that had been shaken by what she'd witnessed to the point where her sanity had fragmented and rationality had become misplaced, rebelled against it. Part of her did not want to give the satisfaction of words when not necessary; words were for her god and her religion, not wolves who could speak the ancient language of posturing.

And so instead of responding verbally, Jinx performed the first of countless body language interactions she would employ for the remainder of her life: the flagging of her tail, the stiffening of ears and the straightening of spine as she stretched her neck skyward, challenging him with a full-on stare to the face. Perhaps this would answer his question: respect, her posture demanded, for I am the one you speak of.

There was always the possibility that he was chummy with the unknown wolf she had responded to, and that he was in fact more highly ranked than her, but Jinx didn't know that. It was through action a wolf established its rank, and having met none of the pack's denizens, it was now up to them to establish their respective places here and now.

Kisu cocked his head and his tail swayed. Not much for talking, I suppose. He ignored her demands, deciding to play dumb. "Well, I am the other male who howled to the new Alpha. Kisu is my name. It's a bit hard to learn about a new packmate if she doesn't talk." He grinned at her. "Do you need any help with... eating bark? Or.. peeling it off of trees?" He tried to read her body language as he spoke -- he'd have to learn to get used to no talking from the white one sooner or later. She seemed... feral in some odd way. Like she wasn't all the way there. He shrugged at sat, his tail flicking.

Aww was totally hoping he'd like try to steal her rank so she could be all awkward about it

Even as Jinx pressed the challenge, curious whether he would cede rank to her or demand it for himself, Kisu audibly spoke, taking a different route entirely. Jinx's primal self, the one recently awakened when her rational self had been left behind, felt irritation at the male's choice to ignore the ancient ritual of establishing hierarchy, but it was not irritation for long. Soon, the wolf sat himself, and believing he would not engage her in the ritual of rank, Jinx assumed his forfeit, and kept her tail aloft to dictate rank over him, though she waved it amiably and her posture visibly relaxed from an agitated dominant wolf to one better suiting an at-ease wolf.

He introduced himself as "the other male", which was enough to place him within her mental category of "ally". His personality seemed laid-back, like he enjoyed a good chat about the sunshine rather than the rawer activities of wolves like Jinx's family, who had all enjoyed sparring, tearing things apart, and lording over others. She could agree it was difficult to learn about wolves that didn't talk, but then again, she figured all he needed to know was in her scent, and everything else... Well, it was history, veiled behind tightly pressed lips.

It was his offer to help that eventually loosened her reluctant tongue; she could forgive his ignorance of her craft, since she was the only one who properly practised it here. (The thought brought a painful memory of Bon Dye, the pack she had hoped to lead until the day she died, that was quickly replaced by betrayal when she remembered how the scents of the wolves had faded from the forest; she forced the feeling away, forced herself to focus on Kisu.)

White oak, she said firmly, as it was impossible to explain this particular job of hers without using words, though had she attempted to do so, it would have been a heroic effort. Her stern glare found his as if she dared him to question her intent when she added, makes wounds fester.

Kisu didn't care for the rank display; their hierarchy would be chosen by their Alpha. In the past he may have been bothered, but not right now. The grey male had had enough fighting for a lifetime, his scars showing some of that. He only desired for company and a place to belong, so he let her have her moment.

The wind was nearly knocked from the grey wolf when she spoke. Her voice was youthful and womanly, but had a certain scratchiness to it -- as if she hadn't spoken in a while, which seemed to be true from her lack of desire to speak.

He nodded at her as if he understood, though they both knew he didn't. The male stepped up to the tree and knocked his paw on a piece that chipped away. He then looked at the female once more. "You are strange, White One, but I like you." He smiled and then scraped at the bark once more with his claws, deciding that using his mouth would prove far much easier.

She caught his hidden uncertainty, as he knew she would, but thought it might be insulting to clarify much more about the oak itself. Instead, she let her lip lift into a silent, mocking snarl, aimed at the tree that Kisu had moved up to pull at with her, that clearly conveyed, no wolf will step on our land and get away with it. No, certainly not... Though white oak would not cause a wolf to die of their wounds, the recovery would be painful and made difficult by it. Killing other wolves was criminal activity, and to be saved for sacrifice, and then it must be willingly done.

Her glance turned sidelong to him when he spoke next, and a lopsided smile pulled at her lips to more-or-less return the sentiment. Kisu may have been more normal by most wolves' definitions than she, which certainly made her strange, but having grown up amongst no-nonsense religious zealots, it was difficult for Jinx to believe herself strange. She often thought those ignorant of Sos and Atka to be strange... But she was reminded abruptly that there was only one god now, and the name given him did not fully encompass him any longer.

Don't swallow, she advised when he joined her in using her teeth to strip it, knowing high quantities of the acid in the bark could poison a wolf if ingested. A gesture back over her shoulder was enough to indicate her plan to him, she hoped: once we have enough, we will wash our mouths in the sea. Not exactly the most glorious of prospects, for the sea truly tasted terrible even to wolves, but effective nonetheless.

Kisu found slight humor in the way that the White One only used gestures; it was so foreign to him and he was not used to it. When he placed his mouth upon the white bark, she warned him about swallowing. What was this stuff? Would it really be that effective if he held it in his mouth while biting another?

When she gestured over her shoulder he looked in the direction she had. There was nothing there, so he shrugged and looked back. "To the shore, now, White One?" He was having a tough time, not much used to talking to other wolves anyway. One might call him a bit awkward in company now, and being social was not his strength. He wondered if eventually he would become like an interpreter. "Maybe we should go see our Alpha..." He muttered under his breath.

Heheh sorry Jinx is being so awkward. >_> I thought it'd be fun to play a wolf that doesn't talk a lot, but it's harder than I thought!

In short order, the pair of Horizon Ridge subordinates had collected a fair little pile of bark, in all sizes imaginable, from narrowly splintered chips to dinner plate sized swathes. Kisu was the first to identify that the amount was sufficient, and stepping back to observe it, Jinx had to agree. These would be stored publicly, for all wolves of the pack to use if they wished, though they would be heavily marked with her scent — and Kisu's, if he chose to make certain no pack member poisoned themselves with the bark, though it certainly wasn't required of him, as he had assisted her already — as a warning that she should be consulted first.

She would not be responsible for the death of a pack mate if she could help it.

As she bent her head to pick up as much of the bark as she could carry, she cast Kisu a familiar glance that said, thank you kindly. More than that, however, for while Jinx's mind had been thrown into chaotic disorder, there was still a part of her that sought kindred wolves, and she had decided he was one of them. Having fit as much as she could in her mouth, with her tongue carefully lowered to prevent her swallowing, she bumped him amiably as she passed, as if to say, excellent work, partner. We will do as you say now.

Despite the initial impression of Kisu as a less-than-ideal pack wolf who wouldn't engage in simple ritual, Jinx took a shine to him. There was much she could teach these coastal residents, and perhaps he would be willing to learn. Not of Sos, maybe — her days of sharing his attention were behind her — but of other things: the way to sicken an enemy's blood, or to hide one's scent and identity, or to lace meat with poison to bait and harm a lurking cougar.

When their paws met sand at last, Jinx dropped her bundle of bark upon the strand and made for the ocean, waving her tail in friendly invitation for Kisu to join her. Ordinarily, she would not approach the ocean, but she knew the importance of clearing the tannic acid from her tongue before eating or swallowing, and had no qualms. Perhaps he would join her for a friendly romp in the salt waters before they went to visit with their Alpha, as Kisu had suggested.

When Jinx had bumped him, he felt himself blush; he was not used to contact with other wolves in the physical way. He carried the bark in his mouth the same way she did, wondering what sea-water tasted like; he had lived by Terrapie lake and its vastness, but never the sea.

As they reached the sand, Kisu dropped the pieces of tree to the floor and bumped Jinx playfully, as to say race you there! He took off, knowing that agility was a strength of his. The grey wolf noted the sand falling away from his feet, and that it made it harder for him to run. The male then dove into the white and blue cushion, yelping at the cold, unexpected rush of water. He gagged on the salty sea as he cleaned his mouth, making a perplexed and disgusted face at Jinx.

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She felt his body jostle against her own, and the unspoken invitation sparked a competitive grin. You got it, her body exclaimed as she picked up speed, using her experience on sand to her advantage, but surprisingly, Kisu still beat her to the water. It had been too long since she had lived on the coast, she realized with a sinking feeling of regret, which she shook off just as quickly.

When her legs met the chill water, a shock of fear swept through her, but Jinx quickly reined it in. She was no longer a little girl with only Kerberos for company on the shore; she was an adult, her totem the porpoise, who had found purpose in the sea. She could no longer flee from the foam at its edge in terror that it would drag her under and drown her. She could no longer hear Kaskae's taunts that the dark ocean creatures would come up to eat her.

So, having collected her composure, the wolf surged toward her new pack mate, intent on bowling him over into the water in a good old-fashioned wrestling match, when she caught his disgruntled expression. Rumbling chuckles tumbled from her lips as she screwed her own face up, as if to say, tastes like ass, which truly she thought it did. The smell of the ocean and the taste of the ocean were nearly indistinguishable, yet Jinx loved the smell, and hated the taste almost as much as Kisu must. As she resumed her slow-motion charge through the shallows, she shot him an apologetic grin as though she were saying, it's the best way to clean out your mouth.

He noticed the White One's slight hesitation while entering the water, but didn't say anything. The small female obviously got over it quickly enough, so he did as well. He jumped onto the waves, biting them playfully while washing his mouth out.

Best way to wash his mouth, eh? Kisu narrowed his brow and sucked water into his mouth, spurting it at the White One, tripping and being pulled under the water as he tried to run from her. His thick fur protected him from elements that came from the sky, but the sea was freezing. Kisu walked up to the mostly dry female and licked her face; he then climbed onto her back, trying to force her into the water. He laughed heartily as they play fought in the chilly, foamy water.

She was too late to prevent the stream of water from the male; it splashed into her face and eyes, temporarily blinding her as she charged forward through the shallow water. The impact was affected by this, and unconsciously she slowed a little when her eyes closed, though she felt the connection and let loose a satisfied bark and waved her tail triumphantly.

It was only a brief triumph, however, as Kisu quickly retaliated. He was surprisingly quick even in the water, for one second he was passing his tongue over her face in an amiable greeting (or feigned truce?), and the next he had sprung his legs upon her back in an attempt to unbalance her. Despite her best efforts to square herself in the water, the silt underfoot was not enough to support her, and she went down with a playful growl, sending water surging around her.

She struggled to regain her feet — thankfully, the water wasn't deep enough to drown either of them if one became careless in their play — by lifting a forepaw to press against his chest. Her hope was that she could trick him into backing off slightly so she could right herself and launch a renewed ocean assault. Her plan was betrayed by a mischievous twinkle in her eye, but she believed her poker face was flawless, and so did nothing to hide it.

Kisu laughed as Jinx fell into the water, failing at keeping her footing. A wave pulled over her and then backed away, pulling another fit of laughter from the male.

As she placed a paw on his chest, Kisu panted with a smile. "Don't you try anything now, White One. I am watching you..." The soaked wolf slowly backed up. He took a wide stance and shook himself free of the water that covered him head to tail, successfully making himself look poofy.

OOC: Thought I'd start winding this down! :D

IC: Panting heavily, the she-wolf finally was given the room to lift herself to her feet. She did so slowly, allowing the chill ocean water to trickle down her legs and drip off her belly, but there was a sly look in her eyes. Kisu was watching her, so he would certainly be able to counter any action she took... But what would he do if her action was seemingly innocent?

Jinx felt a shiver working its way down her spine, and when it reached that special spot along the column right at the base of her tail that trigged all canine's instinct, she shook her fur out violently, sending a look Kisu's way that said, aha! Got you now! She bet he hadn't been expecting her to suddenly shower him with the water her fur had collected from being forced down into the waves!

With a gleeful wolfish grin that had her tongue sitting slackly cradled by her lower teeth, Jinx began to make her way back to the shoreline. They had nothing to fear from the oak's acid any longer, and merely transporting the bark by mouth to a suitable cache site wouldn't do the wolves any harm. Her ears swivelled backward, though, as though to remain alert should Kisu try to pull a fast one on her...

"Okay, no more! I promise!" Kisu shouted to Jinx as she walked warily in front of him. She had just sprayed him with her shaken off water, and Kisu was beginning to freeze. The sea was very cold due to the chilly weather, and he couldn't wait until it warmed again. He was sure that he smelled of ocean now.

He watched her grab the bark and before doing the same, he spoke. "Why don't we put these somewhere safe and then go find Ahklut?" Kisu figured she would agree, since they had already decided on that before -- he just felt strange always having silence between them without at least a small break every now and then for words.