Eyes of a Wanderer

Hawkeye sat on her ledge, tail swaying as she held her eyes closed in the sunlight. Her black fur warmed in the chilly winter air. She opened her eyes and was partially blinded by the thin white blanket that had recently covered the lands below -- except the hot springs. Those were never bothered by any element.

She looked over to her altar; the jagged stump and colorful rocks that decorated the area around it. She had retrieved the skull and bones from the small cache in the den, but improvised what to do with them.

Do what your heart tells you to... whispered Sos into her ear. A shiver went down her spine and a smile appeared on her face. She shifted from her haunches and went to lay like the sphinx in front of the shrine, bowing her head and mumbling things she thought would please her dark bear god.

Rob traveled slowly around the bends of the river, twisting his head curiously as he reach the plateau. There was only a slight dusting of white covering things, and the canopy of trees on the plateau seemed to protect the place from any of the repulsive stuff; Rob hated the cold, and hated the snow even more. He climbed the crag even more slowly than he had walked, making what he did into a crawl.

He searched the forest for any signs, nothing. But the scent of a female prevailed over the cold that touched his nose. She had marked everywhere, and was obviously very territorial. He wondered if she had a mate.

The honey brown wolf walked through the trees, weaving back and forth, stopping to sniff the air and change directions as needed. He figured he would find this she-wolf soon, for the scent grew stronger as he walked on. The sky peeked through the trees as he stared forward, and he made himself chuckle wondering if the female had launched herself from the cliff. He was pleased, though, as he walked on a saw a large wolf with black fur. She seemed to have no clue he existed, for she murmured in front of a stump with ugly rocks.

She chanted to her animal guide, the owl, asking for more guidance in her dreams. The black wolf told Sos about how lucky she was, and secretly, hidden in her mind, she fancied Him. He was like a drug to her.

As she continued on, Sos interrupted her. A wolf stands to your right and watches you. Hawkeye, without knowing it herself, had sensed the male, but in her mind, Sos was the one to tell her what's going on.

Without turning she spoke with a low voice. "What are you doing on my lands, wolf?"

Rob watched the female and at first shock, then a smile formed on his face when she spoke without looking to him. "So, you are not too busy for me then." He quipped, the smile showing in his voice. "And I am honored to be in your presence, Alpha. I am Robur Aqua, but I prefer to be called Rob. I entered your lands because I despise the snow, and it seems that this plateau mostly lacks the disgusting stuff." Sarcasm touched his voice once more in the first sentence, but he dropped it, not wanting to tick the strange she-wolf off.

Hawkeye slowly rotated her head towards the male who spoke. He had eyes that were silvery yet golden in color, and deep honey brown fur with a dusting of freckles on his nose. His humor amused but peeved her in the same degree, the slight raising and lowering of her hackles showing the latter.

She kept a calm, almost bored look on her face, considering what she should say next. "I suppose that is reason enough for yourself, but not for me." The swarthy female lifted herself to her full height, stretching lazily on the way up. "If you do not have any business here, I suggest you leave, Robur Aqua." After a moment of eye contact, she broke it to walk past the male that stood at the same height as she.

Rob blinked for a short time, almost not believing what had just happened. Was this female serious?

He turned to run and catch up to the raven she-wolf. "Wait! You're pretty bitter, aren't you? What's your name, green eyes?" The shaggy wolf stayed at the right flank of the Alpha, thinking to himself that her speaking his full name gave him a feeling of slight satisfaction.

The large female stopped in her tracks and sighed in frustration. "You will not give up, will you, Robur?" Her brow furrowed and then went smooth again as she turned to face the male. "My name is Hawkeye. Is there something you need? If not, I have no problem escorting you to the borders of my lands."

He was lucky that she had so much patience at the moment. Her calm was mostly due to praying at the shrine all day, but he was truly testing her self-control.

Hawkeye, huh? He thought, wondering if she had a hawk's eyes. He truly didn't need anything, but he took his time looking at the surrounding land and then nodded, as if agreeing with himself.

"Do you mind if I take residence here during the winter season, Hawkeye? I am an efficient hunter, and an excellent fighter as well. I'm not a bad mate, either." He winked with the last sentence, and took a seat, eyes wandering around and then resting on Hawkeye's face.

Her brow narrowed once more. "You are testing your bounds, Rob." She moreso spat his name than said it. "I will allow you into my pack, but you better learn some respect. I am giving you one chance to prove yourself worthy of being called a Blacktail Deer Plateau wolf." The sternness in her voice stayed in her voice the entire time, a tranquil demeanor showing in her body.

He kept his mouth shut from any other saucy comments, and lowered his head in a gentleman-like way. "I will do my best to please you, my lady. I will not let you down." A smile formed on his face, and he wondered what his new packmates thought of the dark female.

A slight nod came from Hawkeye. "Good. I will be leaving tomorrow to visit a friend from an allied pack. Her name is Pied, and the pack is Horizon Ridge. I am hoping to meet her newly-found mate, which she left the pack for." She broke eye contact, feeling a slight lump in her throat.

"She was my Delta, but I told her to leave in order to pursue the wolf she fell in love with." Not knowing why she shared this information with Robur, she turned to leave, deciding to return to the ledge.

He silently wondered why the large she-wolf shared this information with him, but shrugged it off as her unable to contain her sentimental feelings. Women.

When she parted ways, he followed behind her once more. "May I accompany you on your journey? I would like to meet this friend of yours and maybe strengthen pack relations among other members as well." He stopped, waiting for his new Alpha's reply.

Hawkeye sighed and then nodded, never turning around to address him. "Yes, that would be fine. Meet me here in the morning, Robur Aqua. I will leave without you if you do not show yourself."

She began moving again, weaving gently through the trees that popped up here and there. When she reached the altar, she sat before it, but turned her attention to the lands below. Letting out another sigh, she wondered if she had made the right decision letting such an arrogant wolf into her pack.