Redtail Rise Light Creates Shadows

Standing upon the highest point of the ridge she watched the sunset. It's strange how the sun chooses when to come and go. It was hard to tell but sometimes it would seem that the sun stays up longer and sometimes doesn't stay up long. She wondered what it would be like without the sun. She would become invisible but it would also be harder to see. The moon was bright enough for her to see others but striking precisely might be harder.

She turned her head to notice something she hasn't seen yet. One side of the ridge was completely dark while the other side shined brightly. She was siting in the middle of both light and dark. there wasn't much to think on but she did think about Arion maybe she could have more fun with him but first she needed to get along with all other members. She needed to get to know each one so she could use that to get close and then maybe she can get them to 'help' her get what she wanted.

Junior had spent the day exploring the territories surrounding Redtail Rise and returned now to scrounge up some supper and then get settled down for the night. As she climbed the ridge in search of a cache, she caught sight of a silhouette on the crest above her. She squinted, trying to identify the wolf. The sun reflected off a pair of bright orange eyes. I don't think I know you, the Zeta mused as she switched directions ever so slightly to climb toward the other wolf.

"Hey," a breathless Junior greeted when she scaled the rise and found herself standing in front of another spry black wolf. Except for their eyes, they could maybe pass for twins. Well, maybe not, Junior thought as her mismatched eyes traced over the other female's more alluring figure. She was curvier than the boxy, angular Junior.

Once she was able to regulate her breathing, Junior said, "I'm Jun—" Her voice cut off somewhat abruptly so it sounded like the word June. She really didn't feel like explaining her name right now. Glancing between the stranger and the sunset, she quipped, "I can't tell which is brighter: your eyes or the setting sun."

A wolf approached her without any hesitation. Lacinia quickly understood that she was a packmate. She watched her carefully but didn't move at all. During the time the female was catching her breath, she was trying to think of how to greed her. How would she treat someone that reminded her of one of her best friend. Was it possible that Nexi was reborn? But Lacinia never knew Nexi at her young age. She the one who trained Lacinia to be a true shadow. Moving swift but silently, She still had it in her. Climbing to the top of the ridge is a bit of an exercise even for those who know how to move lightly.

She answered calmly. "The sun, there are times where we can't look at the sun. While those who look into my eyes don't get blinded, or atleast I don't think they do." Lacinia never saw her own eyes, she wouldn't be able to compare it, so she used the reactions based on her experiences.

"So June was it? How fast can you run without making a sound?" She asked directly. Lacinia wanted to know what kind of abilities this female had. If they were similar to Nexi's then she knew should could easily trust this one. She might be the one she could share everything with and still be best friends. She was really wondering it that was possible. It would change alot of things if it was.

The other she-wolf answered sincerely, her voice calm and even. Junior looked at her speculatively, wondering if she was being facetious or if she had taken the question as seriously as it sounded. Before she could possibly ask, the stranger posed a strangely specific question. Although the yearling found it odd, she was more amused than anything. She considered the question as she folded her haunches and sat.

"I can be pretty swift and stealthy, I guess," Junior said after a moment, "though I've never really paid much attention. I'll definitely take notes next time I'm on a ninja run..." She smiled, then asked, "So, what's your name, bright eyes?"

"Call me Aklaq." She said replying to her question. So this June could have the talent of her best friend. But words weren't much to go on. Lacinia decided that she should show how quiet she could move. "So can you jump from here to..." As she was talking she jumped down a little bit more of a meter to a solid flat ledge on the ridge. What was special about her landing was that she minimised the force her weight created by acting like a spring. Meaning she touched the ground first with her legs but let her body continue to fall low. It was the opposite of slamming the ground. That landing was nearly without sound.

"..here without making a sound?" She said finishing her phrase. She then moved a bit to the side, wanting to know if June would try it. "It's not every day I meet a wolf who looks almost like me. Makes me wonder if you can do what I do." She said. Lacinia was interested in this young dark female. She would even teach her exactly what Nexi passed down to her and that sounded fun. Imagine having a twin like shadow once again, this would be reviving what Lacinia had lost, which was something dear to her.

The yearling tilted her head when Aklaq did a demonstration, then asked whether Junior could follow suit. Um... she thought to herself, finding the query a bit peculiar. She didn't make any indication of this out loud. Instead, she stood and repeated her pack mate's actions, making only a slight scuffling sound when she landed. It seemed she wasn't as capable as Aklaq. She wasn't worried about it, though she wondered what the other female would have to say.

"Guess I have some room for improvement," Junior quipped. Keeping her tone light, she wondered, "Why are you so interested in stealth? Are you training to be a ninja?"

Lacinia watched, it's clear that the female had to practice before she could be silent as a shadow. She likely didn't know a thing about acupuncture but for that she needed to have talent in precision or it just wouldn't be possible. "Not bad, Try to spread your weight evenly to all your legs. I'm sure if you practice enough you could sneak up on anything if you are fast enough." 

Then she was asked why she was interested in stealth. Quite simple, so she wouldn't get unwanted attention plus it made hunting much easier. "No nothing like that. I just find it easier to get around when you don't make a sound. It makes hunting a bit easier and it keeps you from getting unwanted attention. You could even try scaring your packmates during the darkest night. What about you? What do you do to make yourself more effective?"

She wanted to know what June could do or planned to learn later. In lacinia's mind making use of all skills that can be gain was important. Improving is necessary to survive, Those struggles were difficult but now Lacinia wasn't as weak as she looked. She found her talent but what about June?

Aklaq came back with a surprisingly reasonable explanation, to which Junior nodded sagely. She froze, once again trying not to chuckle, at the female's next line of questioning. She understood the gist of it (or she thought she did), though the phrasing tickled her funny bone. Aklaq was sort of peculiar, though in a way that Junior found harmless and almost endearing.

"Well, I'm a Warrior and Outrider. I guess you could say I'm actually really good at being loud, though stealth has its merits in the fields as well." But, naturally, Warriors fought and Outriders traveled and spread messages, so taciturnity wasn't exactly paramount. "I can hunt but I've never really been interested in becoming a Gamekeeper officially," she added. It had never been her calling, though she would never consider it for another reason: it was her father's trade of choice.

"A warrior and an outrider.. Put those together and you get assassin I believe." She said, thinking out loud. Then she looked at June with interest. "What kind of target do you like?" Lacinia actually thought June was an assassin. Not stealthy but going into battle to leave a message sounded fun. Having someone who could do that in the pack sure would make the pack safer from enemies.

Lacinia was a true assassin, trained for it but never did assassinate anyone willingly. It was either them or her. The found getting close to the target fun sometimes. She wondered if she will ever have to kills someone again. If the pack was worth it she would kill again but this time willingly. Still she did have her other skills which could be helpful from time to time. She wondered what she could give in return to this pack once she finds them to her liking.

The other wolf's next question made Junior think, Well, that escalated quickly. She was not an assassin. Aklaq's question about targets made her ears pull backward slightly. Junior was many things, though a murderer wasn't one of them. Although it might be cool to wear a title like assassin, Junior wanted to clear the air.

"I'm not an assassin. I've never killed anyone and I never plan to," she said, keeping her tone light. "I mean, I'd do what it took to defend this pack if necessary. But I don't kill by profession or anything like that."

So Aklaq liked to spook her pack mates and it was clear there was a bloodthirsty side to her. Maybe her weirdness wasn't as harmless as Junior previously thought. The yearling pondered this. She didn't feel like she was in any kind of danger. Maybe a creepy wolf would be an asset to Saena's pack. In any case, they were on the same team, so even if Aklaq turned out to be some sort of serial killer or something, Junior needn't fear her, right?

"But enough about me," the Zeta said in the next moment. "What's your story, Aklaq? What brought you to Redtail Rise, for starters?"

It was a bit surprising to hear that someone didn't kill anyone before. The wolves Lacinia were with were quite war like. She was forced to join them and then taking lives just didn't seem like a big deal. Still she held on her life more than others. It was really the case were it was either her or them. What world was she in now?

The tables were turn and now it was Lacinia's turn to tell a bit of herself. Fair enough she could say a few things. "Well ever since I was freed at the cost of my memories I've been searching for what made me happy. Don't worry I recovered my memories but I've been stuck on my own for a long while. The wolves I encountered seem to always run away. Then I met Saena, She gave me hope that I might find what makes me happy here. To be honest fitting in seems difficult for me, I'm not sure why." 

Lacinia's been called crazy by almost every wolf she meant and she didn't like that. What made her so different? Were all wolves almost the same? Being on her own questions the way she used to be to what she needed to be. How could she win the favor of other wolves? It's likely that everyone she meets thinks that she's strange or crazy. Deep inside she really wanted a friend to share things with and being alone for a time allowed her to notice that need. Therefore she tries to make friends, even with males but that was going to be nearly impossible.

Junior didn't know what to say in response to any of that. For a moment, she contemplated Aklaq's words in silence. She did seem a bit peculiar and perhaps more straightforward than most wolves. Perhaps others didn't like that about her. Then there was the casual way she talked about killing. Of course, all carnivores killed for food. Yet there was something a bit more sinister about Aklaq's interest. It wasn't enough to alarm Junior, though if she tried to look at it objectively, she could understand why some might run away from her.

"What do you mean when you say 'freed at the cost of your memories'? You say you've regained them but what happened to make you lose them in the first place?" the yearling asked curiously. "You seem to be fitting in with me just fine," she also pointed out.

Thinking about her past was a dark subject, it wasn't something she wanted to talk about at all. A new begining shouldn't mean recalling the past. "Let's just say bad things happend to the point I lost everything the moment I tried to break free from those who tried to control me." And she ended it there. Her memory lost was caused by her brother but if that didn't happend she would still be Lacinia and would have never called herself Aklaq. Still he was a traitor, That's all he was.

"Anyway I haven't quite fitted in yet. I think the problem comes from not knowing this world. It's much different compared to the life I once had." She said firmly. It really was different, what made her struggles difficult was that she had no control or power over others. What did she need to do to get that here. The only way she figured that could work was to have other wolves assist her. Attempting made her realise that even trying to make new friends was no easy task. Lacinia thought for a moment. What would June be to her?

Aklaq's answer was so ambiguous, it presented more questions than it did answers. Junior decided not to pursue it further, though. This situation was already enigmatic enough, she didn't need to make it downright confusing. Besides, it sounded like Aklaq had escaped a shitty situation. Who liked to be reminded of their dark and dreary pasts?

"Sounds like it," Junior agreed, "but the great thing about Redtail Rise in particular is it's new to all of us. We can make of it what we will, you know? I think you'll do just fine here," she added with a smile and shrug. "But if there's anything I can do to help, let me know. I've never been a teacher but I could show you the ropes. I was born and raised here, after all."

"Alright." She nodded "Maybe I can ask you a small question then. What makes you happy here?" She asked. Lacinia had always wondered what made other wolves happy here. Before it was always fighting sneaking and gaining power but what were the things that made wolves happy here? was it the same?

The wolves here all seem too friendly. Like there was really nothing to worry about. Don't they know the world is much darker than that? Everything could go dark anytime. It was always best to be cautious with everyone you meet just to ensure things will stay alright. Although she was a prisoner of a pack that pack had quite alot of power over others. It's that power Lacinia wanted to recreate for herself. With that she could really do anything she wanted.

"Of course," Junior replied, then bent an ear to Aklaq's query. "Um, well, I haven't been here long enough to figure out what I love about Redtail Rise, except for my sister, of course. But I guess that would be my answer about the Teekon Wilds in general: family and friends. I have two sisters and a brother and they're my only real family left. But there's a handful of wolves around here that I love and respect besides them. I guess they keep me coming back.

And that's the great thing about this place," Junior continued after a pause to ponder. "You get to choose your family here. It's not about blood, it's about bonds. This pack is still really new but even just one month from now, we'll all be so much closer as we get to know one another and start to really work together as one unit. We'll be as close as blood brothers and sisters—or thick as thieves, if you prefer that cliche," she finished with a smile and click of her tongue.

 It's too bad Junior is gone. I hope you had fun with her. I think her death will have an effect on Lacinia after this thread. If she ever hears about it. She might end up doing something very dangerous :P

"I agree. Creating strong bonds between each other is the way to become a strong force. I seen it myself and wish to remake that same force. A powerful pack can do almost anything right?" In fact Lacinia may be bit power hungry. This was exactly what she wanted. But the bonds she thought of were not made from love and care but also by fear and pride. Anything that made a wolf the most useful to her was what she wanted.

She looked at June with friendly eyes. "Seems that we can easily be friends. That will surely make the pack stronger. I made not know the differences between worlds but if you need help I won't hesitate to come help you. We are almost alike, I wouldn't want to lose someone like that." But it was mainly because June reminded her of her best friend. If there was a way to bring that happiness back there was no way she would let that chance slip. June did show promise in that which made it easy for Lacinia to want to be friends.

Junior and I had a good year. *pats her*

Thank you for the thread. Junior's gone but I hope we can thread again sometime with another character. :)

"I don't know about that," Junior answered honestly, once more inferring a sinister side to her companion, "but a powerful pack never has to worry about anything. There's nothing that can threaten it." She fully believed they could achieve such status under Saena's leadership.

"We're already friends," she added, waving her tail at Aklaq. "I'm sure our bond will grow in time, as we get to know each other better. Right now, though, I'm gonna go find my sister and catch some Zs. I'll see you around sometime, Aklaq. Maybe we can go ninjaing together or something."

After offering the intrepid black she-wolf a final smile, Junior began to pick her way through the gathering darkness, seeking the birch where she and Saena had been sleeping. She yawned as she walked, tail twitching as she reflected on her conversation with Aklaq.