Sequoia Coast Off the beaten path

Set just north of Stavanger Bay; he hasn't gone too far up the coast! All welcome.

Charon had been missing for weeks now, and although Thistle Cloud and Atreyu had both looked for him, neither wolf had been successful in bringing him back. Floki was frustrated; would his family continue to splinter around him until there were no pieces left? The pack had grown so small that the five-month-old had very much taken his life into his own paws. There was no one to stop him from striking out on his own, so that was what he did.

From the beach beneath the Bay's cliffs, he moved slowly north. Eventually, the faint traces of Charon's and Thistle Cloud's scent markers faded away and was replaced by the smell of sea spray. His paws pressed into the sand and his bright eyes roved the landscape, taking in his surroundings as he -- for the first time -- left his home behind. A seagull circled overhead, as though keeping an eye on him, and he felt comforted by its presence as he ventured into a land that was simultaneously familiar and foreign.

Hiraku struggled to keep his eyes open as he walked on the beach. The nightmares and night terrors was starting to affect his psyche, and he didn't know how long he would be able to remain his more-docile self. But, he was glad to have discovered the beach, as it helped him to calm his nerves. He glanced towards the sea, the waves rolling over his paws. He wondered what was that creature that was chasing him, but didn't give it much thought.

His attention eventually came to a lone figure on the beach. He could see that it was some kind of wolf pup and noted the chance that his parents could be around. He didn't think too fondly of making enemies in this place, and while it would be inevitable, he didn't want to gain a few through a disagreement. He would just walk past and not bat an eye, and hopefully he'll get away unnoticed. Still, he was a bit curious of why such a pup appeared alone. He pushed aside those thoughts and tried to just continue on silently.

Eventually, Floki was lulled into something of a stupor by the sound of the ocean. He hardly noticed where he was wandering, and had he turned to look over his shoulder, he would have been shocked at how far he had traveled. The beach stretched onward and away from Stavanger Bay, one seemingly endless strip that he could follow forever without really giving it any thought.

He was only drawn out of his reverie by a flash of red in his peripheral vision. The lanky pup stopped suddenly, his hackles bristling as he turned his head to fully observe the fox. He hadn't met a vulpine in person but recognized one simply by its appearance; the short stature, the red fur, and the bottlebrush tail were a dead giveaway. The animal didn't pay him much mind, so Floki wasn't sure how to react; he remained frozen for the time being, the ocean lapping gently at his paws.

The fox continued to walk past before noticing that the pup had stopped in his tracks and was staring at him. He instinctively slowed to a stop and stared back at the wolf. His own curiosity betrayed him and he smiled. "Hi," he greeted, "why are you out here?" He might as well get a clearer picture on his situation. With a glance around, he reasoned he could sprint away if the wolf's pack came in. With his escape plan in mind, he felt much safer and sleep started to tug at him once again, though he wouldn't allow himself to crash in the presense of the wolf.

The wolf pup's ears pressed forward as the fox spoke. He hadn't expected it to say anything to him, and had actually assumed that it spoke a different language. Thistle Cloud and Charon had never mentioned communication with foxes; simply that they sometimes scavenged the food that wolves left behind. But its words hung in the air, clear as day, a question awaiting an answer.

"I'm looking for someone," Floki responded, his tail giving a small wave. The fox seemed friendly enough, so he wanted to show that his intentions were good, as well. "My brother, he's missing. He's bigger than me, and white, with freckles on his nose," he added, blue eyes gaining a hopeful shimmer. "Have you seen him?"

Hiraku felt a stab of pain at the mention of the pup's brother. That was the exact thing he was going to do here, though his search ended already. He bit his lip at the thought then returned to the pup's question. "Sorry, I haven't seen such a wolf. I'll keep my eyes open for anyone who looks like that." He glanced around before adding, "What's his name? And what's yours?" He found an odd soft spot for the wolf, as he has been through similar. He also had a bit of hope for this guy's family, as they were wolves and not the "vermin" he was considered.

The fox hadn't seen Charon, but promised to watch out for him nonetheless. "Thanks," Floki said, though he couldn't help but feel disappointed. Although neither Thistle Cloud nor Atreyu had been able to find their Beta, he had anticipated that he would be successful -- but he was already disheartened by the search.

"I'm Floki," he then replied. "And my brother is Charon. What's your name?" He was still surprised to be having a conversation with a fox, but he had to admit that the red-furred vulpine was one of the more pleasant fauna he had met. Olly the otter had been flighty and a little weird, and the bear -- well, let's just say that Floki had a healthy fear of the larger creatures spawned from a single interaction.

"Hiraku." He started to open his mouth to ask another question, but quickly shut it. Even though this guy was all alone, the fox doubted that he knew anything about what the entire pack hunted. There was no way that someone as small as he was would be able to tear apart flesh so easily. He thought of another quick question. "So, how have you been?"

Despite all he had been through, he enjoyed talking to the pup. It felt a bit...normal. Back at his hometown, the locals were always nice to him (other than a certain cat he would rather not speak of), so it was nice to be able to talk with another species without fear of being torn apart.

The fox introduced himself then asked after Floki's well-being. That was something of a loaded question; the short answer would be, "fine, just fine," but the long response involved quite a bit of tragedy. Floki's father was dead; his mother was withdrawn and often absent, both physically and mentally; his twin brother had been swept out to sea; his pack was dwindling in numbers; and now he couldn't find Charon.

These thoughts swirled in the pup's mind, but he quickly pushed them away. This was a skill that he was perfecting: hiding his feelings and pretending that everything was hunky dory. "I've been good," he answered after a hesitation, looking down and drawing his forepaw through the sand. When he glanced up again, he had another query for Hiraku. "What are you doing on the beach? I didn't know foxes liked the sand."

I think this is going to be the last post for me. Thanks for the thread!

Hiraku noted the pup made a hesitation, but wrote this off merely as collecting his thoughts. For the question, he made a weak laugh. "I haven't really seen a real beach, but I always saw pictures of them. Anyways, I was born and raised by a river town, so walking on the riverbank helped calm my nerves. I've been through a lot ever since home was washed away. I'd rather not talk about that though..." he trailed off, biting his lip. It was an odd thing doing that, as only his brother did it.

He decided he kept the cub long enough from his search."I guess I'll be going now. I don't want to keep you from finding your brother." With that, he continued to walk before turning back for a second. "Good luck." He definitely hoped that the wolf found his brother, and hoped he wouldn't find him the way he found his. He still enjoyed their conversation, and hoped for the best. Coming out there wasn't too bad of an idea after all.

Okay! Thanks to you, too! :)

Floki's ears pressed forward as Hiraku provided him with a more lengthy explanation than he had expected. A few questions jumped to the forefront of his mind -- Where had he seen pictures of the beach? How far away was the river town? How had his home been washed away? -- but he swallowed them when Hiraku said he preferred not to dwell on the subject. Floki could understand that, so he didn't push for answers.

He was surprised, however, when the fox excused himself in the next breath. Hiraku turned to leave, pausing only to offer good luck to Floki before padding away. Floki blinked, watching as Hiraku's paws left small indentations in his wake, then called out after him, "Good luck to you, too!"

He waited until Hiraku's reddish figure had disappeared, then resumed his fruitless search with his nose to the sand.