Swiftcurrent Creek earth kills

recycling a year old post that never got replies for trade purposes!

the afternoon is overcast, casting the day in a dull, drab grey. bellatrix uses the coming rain to her advantage, catching two fish — after failing spectacularly a few times; as to which her damp fur is a testament — that she gobbles down, keeping in forefront of her mind advise she had gotten a while ago to keep her strength up.

with her late breakfast taken care of, she buries the bones in the ground, softening with the warming of the sun and coming spring and makes her way to the borders, figuring running a patrol — or as much of one as she can run without over exerting herself — was a good place to start.

especially since she'd overslept.

Arric was always up at the crack of dawn and a wraith upon the borders. Today was no different. Sometimes he met Moss on them, sometimes Akavir, or Lestan. But today color him surprised when it was Bellatrix he came across. She had seemed a little buttoned up when he had first met her. 

Which there was nothing wrong with that, but Arric was a wolf that liked to know others, even if he didn't share much of his own shit. He was a private wolf by nature, which was sort of hypocritical he supposed in a way.

He lifted a leg to mark the border. Once he was done he let out a low chuff. Body already relaxed and limber, easy to move, because he had already done some patrols.

it does not surprise the commander to find arric upon the borders; as a leader she expected to find one or both of them during her patrols.

though she is perfectly content not crossing paths with any of the creek's other sentries. border patrols are her time to reflect.

or, sometimes, to shut off thoughts and let instinct and routine be her guide.

arric's chuff draws a flick of her ears; dull gold gaze finding him with a respectful dip of her head.

Bellatrix is not a talkative wolf, at least it didn't seem that way. So Arric looked around and dipped his head in return. He briefly wondered if he should offer to help or go his own way, because he knew sometimes he liked to be alone in the mornings.

Would you like company? Or would you rather I went a separate way?

There not rude, just the right amount of questioning. He had already been out and about today. He was on his last leg of a patrol.

arric offers her a choice.

accept his company or he would patrol a different way.

dull golden gaze studies him for a second; blasely.

i do not mind company. she speaks eventually, watching him. if he chose to join her or ended up going his own way was up to him.

she bows her head to sniff at the borders, finding this section acceptably marked.

She studies him, though frankly he's pretty sure she's not seeing nothing. Cause she is as uninterested in him for even a conversation it seems. Who are these people that they keep bringing to the creek. He's starting to get a little antsy. Is he the only talker among all of them.

He nods and steps into paw step with her, moving body gracefully to mark the spots, lift a leg on bushes, trees. Paws tearing at the ground. 

SHe could control the narrative or they'd just mark silent.

he moves with a grace that does not befit his size.

as big as he is, she thinks he should lumber.

it draws her dull golden gaze harder while he is focused on marking. she veers a little bit ahead, twisting her body 'round a tree, the rough bark tugging loose hairs free.

she doesn't lift her leg to urine mark, as in her time with sangeda such action would've been met with reprimanding teeth.

who taught you to move so gracefully for one of your size? the commander inquires in an idle nature to let arric know she wasn't pressing and he didn't have to answer.

Arric would have kept his leg down, if he had known it could cause offense. But he didn't and she didn't say so he kept doing as he was doing.

He chuckled. I taught myself. I do a lot of meditations. Which focus on my breathing, and my balance and it's move into my daily movement. I know it seems like I shouldn't be as big as I am.

He smiled then and shifted. Did you travel from far away?

he speaks of meditation. a concept that bellatrix is not very familiar with, though he is kind enough to offer an explanation.

apparently, breathing and practicing balance was how he taught himself to move with the grace that he does.

bellatrix is astounded.

indeed it does not. she murmurs in agreement, dull golden gaze scouring the no-man's land betwixt swiftcurrent creek's claim and the neutral territory.

not so far this time, she speaks. this time, i came from my place among the wolves of sangeda, a small pause is given to let a prickly bramble take a small tuft of fur. i was born in these wilds. i suppose that it what keeps drawing me back.

He shifted. It's hard to explain. Some day I'll have to show you, but I get up before the sun rises to do it. So.

What he  meant was if you don't like getting up that early you won't like to learn, but he wasn't an absolute arse to say that. Exactly, just partially.

he chuckled. It wasn't often that many could assume he was what he was. They thought big gigantic lug. They didn't realize big gigantic softy zen man. 

Sangeda? he did not know this foreign name. He shifted to rub against a tree, actually pressing a little long than necessary as his fur had begun to fall from him as the season began to change.

Where were you born? My dad lived here for a time. Had he stayed I'd have been born here.

so.

for some reason, that abrupt ending that lingers in the air between them does not settle well with bellatrix.

which is a seedling of a problem, she knows.

it is unlikely the beta meant it as the commander chose to take it so, it's not meant for everyone as if she was not capable of waking up early.

quickly, she latches onto the diversion. it means sand nation. she supplies though he hadn't asked.

the next question is one that bellatrix would rather not answer. daughter of the saints' general ... was a reputation she was trying to bury. their reputation had been infamous before she'd left. she cannot imagine it faired any better now.

i was born in the strath, in the south of the wilds.

Arric didn't mean anything by his words. He was simply stating that it wasn't for everyone and it wasn't. 

The invitation is open should you like to take me up on it. He said with a kind smile, and then continued to mark the territory borders.

He frowned in thought. I don't know that area. I don't even believe my father talked about it. But he stayed mostly this way. Swiftcurrent, moonspear and um something else, but I can't rightly remember. I was born in a forest far from here.

His tail weaved as he chatted blue eyes lifting to her and then back down to what he was doing.

a flick of her ear is given to the invitation; considering but no real answer.

if memory serves it was not very populated. a good thing in some ways but the seclusion from high traffic regions might've been the saints' dying flame if they hadn't relocated to the canyon.

we did not stay there for long.

The black beast nodded his head. That happens sometimes. That is how dad ended up in Moonspear. The creek or the other place he was had not enough numbers. So he left with his friend Ame.


He didn't know the wolf's real name, just that his father always called her Ame. He missed him fiercely for a moment and he had to stop and think about it. Remembering the contours of his father's scarred visage.

He cleared his throat and continued on. Are you settling in well enough?

relocating is ... hard on the pack, but sometimes necessary for it's survival. the seasons changed territories and some packs roved 'round in a certain area.

sangeda had been stationary, like the saints; led by their aging monarch gyda. the elderly valkyrie.

she focuses upon the borders for a moment, content to listen to arric speak. ... which she found that he did a good bit of.

well enough, yes. she offers simply.

He nodded his head. He hadn't even been in a pack, but he had relocated enough to know. It was rough. It was sometimes necessary, but it was never fun. Sometimes even irritating.

I'm glad to hear it. In response to her words. Then he would work in swift silence to do as he said he would. No longer bothering her with words. It was clear she wasn't a talker, and he didn't wish to cause her to dislike him for talking too much.

He scratched at the borders, rubbed fur upon the trees.

bellatrix remembers her siblings unhappiness with the relocation, but that she, young and naive, saw it as an adventure.

now, new places and new packs left her feeling unfamiliar. adrift.

she fit no where, except in sangeda.

but she'd left.

they continued the patrol in silence, as to which bellatrix made no attempts to break. this was more comfortable for her, and when it came time to part, she offers a dip of her head before venturing her own way ... towards the heart of the creek's claim.