@Pump | Whitefish River on the Flatland side
It must have been sizable to have her limp like this. Skewering right through the callus pad to embed itself in the soft tissue. One of many consequences to walk the earth without purpose... without aim towards a destination; it always seemed that the nuisances however small would appear. In this instance a thorn, and though she could not see it, she knew it was there.
Travelling across the flatlands for game, she had been careless in her pursuit, not minding the change in terrain even in snow. The white could easily trick one's eye to believe that there was nothing beneath itself surface, and what would have been there was long since withered and dead. But even in death, nature sought to be remembered even if it was in the cruelest manner imaginable.
For the countless time the female stopped her weary march to take pause by the shallows of a river to inspect her paw. Pulling the bothering thing upward and inward she pressed her nose against the rough surface to catch a hint of infection of blood. There was a split just in the middle, but it had long since healed as it was received during the initial days of her travel, but no other wound marred it. No bead of blood would surface to hint where the thorn hid. Irritable fangs nipped sharply at the pad once again, the vain effort to force the wound to appear now a routine each time she paused. However, all it did accomplish was raising a scar and threatening to open what had already healed.
Or perhaps it had never healed, and she had imagined since then that all had been well... |
It all had started quite innocently - she had caught a scent of a nice kill in a form of a weak and old doe. After weeks of eating rotten and frozen meat, she yearned for something nice and fresh. But the creature had been more clever than her and disappeared eventually, leaving Pump in the middle of a place she did not recognize and with no idea of how to return home.
Heading to the nearby river to have a drink, seemed the right idea to her and that was, when she noticed that she wasn't the only lonely soul in these lands. There was a creature that appeared like a wolf with an odd colored pelt. And it seemed that she had her own problems, therefore a little burden from the wolf-dog wouldn't do any harm.
"Oy!" Pump called out to the she-wolf in the distance and began trotting towards her.
The contemplation of the wound only lasted a short while, as a thankful distraction made itself present. The tell-tale chords of a wolf graced her ears, but as bi-colored eyes turned to address the called, they were surprised by the kind of bodice they beheld.
A wolf with bent ears? She had never seen that likeness, and immediately she concluded that this wolf suffered from a defect of some kind. Even the muzzle itself was more stout than lean. The width inching by fractions but to a noticeable degree. It was interesting how vast the appearance of their kind tended to be...
Carefully she lowered her paw as the other walked closer, being mindful of her wound even though she could not see it. Though social graces tended to be lacking, she pardoned herself from her usual distance and offered a subtle dip of her head in greeting. |
It was clear that this tall wolf was not very different from others, Pump swallowed a low growl, that had been building up in her chest, and with her head held high she accepted the greeting and wagged her tail. It did not seem that the she-wolf would let her for a closer examination, therefore she stopped few feet away. "Do you have any idea of where Horizon ridge is?" she asked, leaving out the common courtesies - greetings and small talks.
Forgoing the pleasantries and idle conversation, the newcomer approached with an immediate request for information. Only a moment passed between them as the wanderer sat in her silence as gaze roamed over the female, noting still the difference in her appearance to others. It was captivating, really, and deserved a memorable record of it however long it required her gaze.
Her ears perked to the question, but still she took a careful moment to answer. "I dont," she answered just as succinctly, quite glad the female was keenly to the point of her approach. Too few of their kind retained this desired trait. "Nor was I aware that lands kept names." Her brows peaked slightly in interest. |
"So - you are not from around here, are you?" she asked, hoping that this wolf would be of use in another way.
She couldn't understand the reason why one would give a bit of land a name, unless it contained a shape that held some significance. Though for all she knew, this Horizon place could have been like this. Though she imagined that all stretches of land had a horizon of sorts to observe. Sighing softly, she rounded her shoulder letting the thought roll away as she came to a conclusion; she truly did not care for the reason.
When spoken to again she let her eyes rest on the muzzle of the female being mindful not to touch the others eyes. Last she needed was to cause some disrespect and endure another fruitless encounter. "I am not," she answered briskly as her nose turned with an inquisitive twitch. "Am I to assume the same of you?" |
"So I am officially lost and, if I am lucky enough, I won't die here. What are your odds?" she asked, since for some reason she thought that it wouldn't be right to break off the conversation just now. From the few words they had exchanged she felt that she could even like this wolf.
As the female volunteered more of her situation, the wanderer pondered if this exchange was a part of a proper conversation. A light back and forth without too dry or short of a reply for either's taste. A calm setting that did not call for the air of superiority, or the eerie composure that came with eloquent tongue. It was almost...enjoyable.
"They are not well," she confessed, though on her worn muzzle was a smile. The bitter truth no longer burdened her mind. However resilient her conviction, the truth was inescapable.
"Each day without food is another towards death... and every day the air is colder, stealing life from what prey would remain." The female's lips turned, daring to let her smile broaden slightly. "You have picked a terrible time to wander off. Perhaps you would like help finding your way home...?" |
"Terrible, indeed..." Pump agreed. "Help? But, how can you - if you don't know the lands or the direction I need to go?" she wasn't telling the other wolf of. She simply stated the facts, which were true. "Are you lost too?" this information did not help her at all, but she felt curious.
It was true; she did not know which path to take or any real direction that would have aided the onyx female. However, like all of their kind, she had a keen sense of instinct to follow, regardless of how useless it seemed on occasion.
"The place you seek is called the Horizon, yes?" Stifling the groan of exertion she pushed herself to stand, favoring her 'wounded' paw by bearing down on its lightly. "I assumed it was named with significance... Perhaps it bears the face of a horizon like no other, worth the calling that all might find it." She shook her head slightly to fan out on her matted mane. "Even those that became lost from its graces." She smiled.
"Life tends to thrive closer to water. Perhaps following the river will give us a proper direction to go by... then it will become a matter of trusting what you 'feel' is the right path." |
... and then she recalled. The air smelled different there. Salty. A tinge of fish, maybe. And rotten grass. And then there was this big lake, where those big creatures called sea-lions lived. "You don't happen to know, where there are very, very big lakes around here, do you?" she finall spoke.
Her words appeared to have an effect on the female, a positive one that in truth left her in awe... but glad. As the darker female's expression changed and paused to think, the wanderer took a moment to herself to check her wounded paw. Oddly enough the wound she had sustained did not feel as bothersome as it had before. There was a tingle, yes, just a the tip of the width of her pad but no more than that. Still she did not spy the sliver in her paw but could at least apply a little more pressure in preparing for travel if need be.
Big lakes.
Both auds snapped forward to attention as coarse brows knitted into a thoughtful knot. "I know of two," she replied, turning her muzzle from the girl momentarily to look toward the distant mountain ridge. "There is a large lake that is froze that lies to the south of us. And another that spans so great that the cold can not still its body, only its shores. The elders would call such bodies a 'sea'. It lies to the far, far north of us." |
"Ok. Ah... I will take the bigger one," Pump told her after a little consideration on the matter. "I am pretty sure that it is the biggest lake I have ever seen, no matter, what people calls it. And the water there - it tastes awful!" she had tried and ended up thirstier than before.
"So... where is it exactly?" she asked, looking around, as if her companion had hid it somewhere near.
Mention of the 'awful' taste gave the larger female a reason to smile however odd it may have seemed. Boldly, she placed all paws firmly on the ground ensuring all paws could support her wait, even the wounded one, and found that there was no pain to burden her. Not even a hint of it. Had the pain been imagined, she wondered, but did not ponder too deeply on it.
"The larger on it is, " her voice was light as she looked toward the female then turned with her tail low sweeping in beckon. "I will guide you as far as the wooded boundary at the base of the mountains. From there, you should be able to find you horizon." Trusting the female to follow, she began the forward journey but kept her pace to a trot to enable the female to follow with ease.
|
"I did not introduce myself, by the way," she said casually. "Name's Pump. What is yours?"
Ooc: Another round? :3
Truth be told, the female wasn't too keen on favoring luck, however she could not ignore that some fortuitous force was at work for the dark female. Whatever if might have been, the wanderer was oddly glad for it. If there was indeed a force in this world that sought to aid another, then perhaps in time it would turn it's favor toward her and grant her perhaps a small request when in dire need.
Foolish as it may have seemd, she kept to the thought none the less as they walked. Timed seemed to drift quicker when the mind was occupied. Or in this instance, when conversation was shared.
"Xi'nuata, " she replied lightly while glancing over her shoulder. "Nuata, if you'd like." Her ears fanned back slightly. It had been a while since she shared her own name, and always did it sound strange to her ears... |
She imagined there would be a great deal to travel, though the wanderer looked to have little bother for this possibility. Before this, she hadn’t had a traveling companion, only the silence of the road and the burden of fate’s will upon her shoulders. Though she could not confess aloud, having one to walk with provided a strange kind of pleasure. One that birthed the tiniest smile upon her muzzle, catching the warm light of the peeking sun through its clouded veil each time she glanced back to look at Pump.
“Second name?” Perhaps she meant a family name? A banner that was long ago forfeit by her sire’s trade of her to another pack. “I would assume most would adopt the name of their pack. Though I suppose come cling to their family names as if it holds significance away from their community.” She never understood why less established wolves cared so deeply about their family names. Unless they maintained the honor of having it, they were doing little more that exhibiting their family’s fall from higher graces.
“Pump of the Horizon Ridge,” the title flowed with ease. “No other name would you need, lest you aspire to take the right hand, or the place of lead to your pack.” The woman glanced back just in time to catch the warm light reflect the deep hue of her companion’s onyx brow. “Do you intend to, one day?” |
Anyway, when asked about her future aspirations, she did not have to look far for an answer. "No, it's easier to follow someone else than take the responsibility to lead others. It is too much of a hard work." Truth to be told she didn't think much either of the future or past, she was a creature, who lived in the present and did not care much about anything else.
"Just pump then," the pie-bald nomad chuckled lightly as she gave yet another glance to the female then returned her gaze ahead. Though her eyes remained forward, her ears were kept on a swivel in all directions, occasionally leaning back when her companion spoke then flipping forward again to monitor their path ahead.
"Then you will do well than most," she offered in compliment. "I have seen too many aspire to take a throne they are not ready for. Or stand as leaders not in value but name only. Those that wish for recognition and power without understanding themselves to know if they are capable, let alone worthy to receive it." Her shoulders rounded forward as she picked up her pace, suddenly driven by the inertia inspired by her own tongue. "That you understand the challenges and understand yourself," she breathed, evening her intake of air to match her loping pace. "...is commendable. More than what I have see from most leaders in my short time... Truly, I am glad to witness this." |
But such thoughts were not very fruitful, if you were lost and far away from home. Therefore she whisked them away with a light shake of her head. "So you have seen quite a lot, haven't you?" Pump tossed back a question to Nuata. She sounded like a very smart creature and from her experience, this kind was not that common.
Her time in the wilds afforded her more of an opportunity to survey the land, even if it was by a glance or sniff of the ground. True she had seen quite a bit of the land, though there was always more to see. Always more land to explore.
"I have," she replied swiftly. "But there are still lands left to see. Perhaps your Horizon will be another that I remember." Gradually, the female picked up her pace as they came to the base of a heavy snow bank. "Come," she woofed softly and lept onto the bank with ease. "We still have a ways to go."
She glanced behind her to the dark hued female with a light smile, then darted ahead to cover more ground.
[Exit] |
Pump nodded and didn't say anything. A polite person would have told Nuata that she would be welcome to visit the pack anytime she wanted, but then again - that was Pump's home and within it's borders she was neither nice, nor friendly to strangers or acquaintances. There she had resources and packmates to protect. Plus, the wolf-dog didn't know her that well at all.
"Lead the way!" she said and followed Xi'nuata's lead, leaping swiftly behind.