Silverlight Terrace at war with oneself

@Wildfire

The sun was not quite at its highest, and the breeze was little more than a cool, soft breath passing across his fur. In the distance, he watched several small hawks circling, as far from each other as he was from them. Their presence was not hard to notice against the clear backdrop of the sky, but to most it would not be of significance. But for the foxwolf, it was a long line-up at a local restaurant, an indicator that there were good eats to be had here. This excited him, and with a bouncy gait he made his way toward the rolling hills.

His path took his past a fresh pile of deer scat. Not the pelletized sort, but a soft moist clump resulting from a meal on soft grasses and other forbs. His nose swept down toward it like a magnet, and within the next moment his shoulder had dropped and his body followed with it until he had rolled and smeared the substance into his plush fur. Just as suddenly, he was leaping to his feet. "UGh! Blah!!" He exclaimed, his face contorted into disgust. He shook himself and then tried to shy away from his own body, strafing sideways. "Why I do this thing!" He called out, and with a grimace proceeded to furiously lick the mess away.

She was almost ready to go on her first trip since relocating, especially now that she had pared down her trades. She would have to check with Floki to see if he was game too. In the meantime, Wildfire responded to the sudden itch in her paws by traipsing out onto the neighboring plain to the northwest of the mountain. She had spent a lot of her time hunting and tracking lately but she wasn't in the mood at the moment. She just wanted to walk around, enjoy the fresh, mild air and think of far horizons.

Of course, a nearby shout shot her focus completely. The young she-wolf paused, blinking at an orange and brown blur off in the distance. Her brow arched at the strange exclamation and, fighting a bemused smile, she spun and began trotting toward the figure. The fur color reminded Wildfire of her mother (and herself) and she briefly wondered if she was looking at a fox. But weren't foxes significantly smaller than wolves?

He was far too distracted to notice the approach of another. He was lost in a battle to rid himself of the stinky, brown and green blemish on his otherwise perfectly manicured coat. He would lick some off, and the noisily spit and splutter as he attempted to shed the foul substance from the surface of his tongue, going so far as to frantically and comically paw at his own face and lick at the dirt. When he lifted his head from one such effort, he gasped loudly and leaped backward. There before him was...

A foxwolf!

He stared wide-eyed, his lower jaw hanging open. She had to the coat, the size and sort of the face. Her ears could be squished into a bit more of a point but nonetheless, he was thrilled. If he was not looking at a foxwolf, he was certainly looking at a prime example of foxwolfish. "Ohhh!" he wriggled excitedly before running up to her, giving her a kind-of shy, dorky grin. "Pardon the me! I dids not know there were other foxwolfs here!"

The stranger eventually noticed her and surprised Wildfire by running up to her and spouting a string of enthused exclamations. Slightly taken aback, she blinked at the scat-slathered critter, an uncertain smile twitching one corner of her mouth. He said something about foxes and wolves. Assuming he didn't know her mother (despite the resemblance), she figured he was referring to the woodland creature he looked like—that they looked like, evidently...

"Foxwolf? Is that what happens when a fox and a wolf breed?" Wildfire wondered aloud, unaware of the impossibility. Her black tail twitched back and forth. It would explain his appearance. Not hers, though. "My parents are both wolves," she told him in a sort of apologetic tone, as she was clearly letting him down with this information, "although my mother's name is Fox..."

Just when he thought finding his ilk was not going to happen, one appears. He was beyond overjoyed by this, and it showed in how his body continued to tremble even after the initial wriggling. "Don't be the silly!" he chirped, also unaware of the laws of nature preventing a wolf and fox from breeding, but well aware of the lore surrounding their species. Or his species, for it sounded like she was not one of them after all. Or, she did not know she was. Yes, that had to be it, given her mother's name. Not all foxwolfs knew the old stories and knew what they were, he believed.

"Oh! I am very excitement to hear this. Foxwhat?" he asked. "Or is she a Somethingfox?" His tail twitched quickly and erratically as it wagged. "I am Roofox. But you cans be calling me Roo."

There was something decidedly strange about the way he spoke, though it was not difficult to understand him. It was actually sort of endearing. Between that and his clear excitement, Wildfire already found herself liking this odd stranger. Although his next question threw her off somewhat. As far as she knew, her mother was just Fox. Unless he was referring to a surname?

"Her full name is Fox Redhawk," Wildfire said. She didn't have the heart to remind him that her mother was a full-blooded wolf. He just seemed to excited about the foxwolf thing. "It's nice to meet you, Roo. I'm Wildfire," she introduced. Then a thought struck her and she added, "I actually take after a dhole myself, although I only look the part." She didn't actually share any relation with the exotic wild dog.

That 'Redhawk' was a surname did not occur to him. The foxwolf did not have surnames; the prefixes and suffixes of their first names was what united them as a family and bonded them as a species. So, he heard Foxredhawk, and though it was different than the names he was familiar with, he accepted it without question. He also accepted her own name without question. It was common practice among Foxwolves to simply go by the unique portion of their name and omit the 'fox' part altogether. Thus, in his mind, she was Wildfirefox.

"I am being told I take after the first foxwolf!" he beamed proudly, puffing out his narrow chest and lifting his head for a moment. It was first this reason that his father was so adamant he disperse in search of others. "Excepting my eyes," he said. "Blue is not normal. But blue is okay to most." He nodded.

"So friend Wildfire," he said, shifting the subject before allowing her much room to comment. "Woulds you like to make more foxwolfs with the me?" He looked hopeful, expectant, and his innocence was authentic. He was completely unaware of what exactly he had just asked her.

Several more excitable declarations followed. Wildfire's ears wilted a bit in response to the volume, not that she minded his enthusiasm otherwise. She found this whole foxwolf concept quite interesting, actually. It sounded like it wasn't just a mere resemblance; his remark about blue eyes indicated there was much more to being a so-called foxwolf. Considering his mention of the first, it sounded like some sort of lineage.

He said her name, referring to her as a friend, and she smiled. But then he posed a rather unexpected question. Her smile froze, her amber eyes widening ever so slightly before they began to glitter with amusement. Had this feces-covered, self-proclaimed foxwolf just propositioned her? If he hadn't asked so baldly and with such innocent charm, Wildfire might have found the entire scenario more disturbing. But she couldn't help but begin to laugh.

"Ummm," she said, looking as sincerely thoughtful as she could manage before politely letting him down again with a smiling, "no thank you."

His father had told him to go make more foxwolves, but he had never told how to do so exactly, and nor had he been present for such creation. He was oblivious. She turned him down, and there was a moment of disappointment as let his ears fall. "Oh," he said. "Is it too hard? I doos not know."

The breeze swept past them both, and quickly reminded him of the mess he was in. "Oh! Is it because I am smelling? Because I am not to be smelling all the time," he bobbed his head, renewed hope returning to his bright face accompanied by another grin. "Sometimes, when I am sniffing things, I rolls in it. I doos not know why. I hates it! But I can'ts help it. I just has to do this thing." He paused, and his brows pinched as he tilted his head curiously. "Doos this happen to you?"

Before she could answer his question about the difficulty of making more foxwolves, Roo guessed that his smell was the cause for her rejection. He yammered on about an inability to control his urges; when he smelled something funky, he had to roll in it. Wildfire managed to stifle her laughter, though she couldn't bite back the smile. He was so cute, in a puppy-like sort of way.

"Ummm," she said again, "sometimes." It was sort of a fib. Wildfire had never been one for rolling in dung, though she had witnessed several of her family members do it. "But that's not the reason," she continued. "Typically you only have puppies when you're old enough—which I'm not—and part of a mated pair." She paused. She wasn't officially involved with Floki, however... "I'm kind of with someone already," she let him know with an apologetic grimace, nose crinkling.

She started to talk about puppies and mates, and he blinked at her for a moment or two before he broke out laughing. "Oh no no," he giggled, his shoulders quivering with mirth. "We are having miscommunication. You are pretty, friend Wildfire, but I am not wanting puppies and mates! Hehe!" How he managed to separate the making of foxwolves from the making of puppies would later be a wonder to him, but for now, he remained blissfully naive on the subject. His parents had kept him rather sheltered, and there was much for the young foxwolf to learn now that he had dispersed.

At his next exclamation, Wildfire felt heat creeping along her neck. Had she entirely misunderstood him? She felt foolish and presumptuous. But then her brow furrowed as she thought back on what he'd asked her. What had he really meant then? In any case, Roo didn't seem perturbed by her error. He seemed more amused than anything and his delightful laughter was contagious, prompting her lips to curve back into a bemused smile.

"Well, thank-you for the compliment. And sorry for the misunderstanding," she said genuinely."How are foxwolves made then...?" Wildfire wondered in the next breath. Perhaps she could help him, if it didn't require such intimate endeavors. Her reddish head canted, her warm amber gaze resting on Roo's vividly aquamarine eyes.

Roo knew two things: that some who looked the part were trained to become foxwolves in much the same way the first foxwolf came to be, and that others already were foxwolves, like him. He was missing a few things. Okay, a lot of things. Alright, he was missing basically everything and in such a capacity it was a wonder he got by.

"Not to worries! I am being told to find other foxwolves," he explained. "And then it happens. I doos not know how, or when, or why, they not be telling me this." In time, those same instincts that caused him to roll in crap would surface and show him; and it was these instincts that were the key to his survival despite the unique wiring of his brain. He smiled, his eyes upon her face as looked for understanding.

As it turned out, even Roo didn't know the specifics. Wildfire blinked, hard, wondering what to make of this entire encounter. He looked older than her, yet he behaved almost like Elwood Jr, with a charming air of innocence and, well, naiveté. It almost sounded as if he believed in magic versus reality, if he thought these foxwolves just transpired out of thin air.

Rather than point out that they had let Roo go with some massive and glaring holes in his knowledge, Wildfire simply said, "Oh, I see. Well, I'm not sure either. But..." She glanced around as if searching for something to say. "Hey, I could help you find someplace to wash off if you like. I'm pretty good at the explorer thing." A change of subject seemed the best route and Roo really did need a bath.

haha poor Wifi, having to deal with this ridiculousness! We can fade here or we can continue, whichever you prefer! :)

She did not know either how foxwolves were made. That was okay. Roo would was sure he would find out sometime. For now, he was riding the high that was discovering there were other foxwolves here. That was the first step, and he had accomplished that much. Perhaps there even more than just her, and the very idea made him quiver with eagerness.

"Oh! That woulds be great," he said, beaming at her. He was on his paws and waiting for her to lead him to some water. He did not care for it either, but it was the lesser of two evils in this case. The water could clean off the crap, and his tongue could take care of the water. It was far more palatable than what was smeared on his shoulder now.

I vote continue!

"There's got to be a stream or something around here," she said, glancing at their surroundings, then back to Roo. "C'mon," she said in a cheery voice, motioning for him to follow. While they searched for somewhere for him to bathe, she could get to know him a bit better. They had dove right into the subject of foxwolves but surely there must be much more to Roo's story.

"So," she asked as they traipsed across the open terrace, "where did you come from, Roo? And where are you headed?" He seemed to have a mission—creating more foxwolves, somehow—but did he have a destination in mind as well?

<3!

He followed willingly, but his feelings were divided between wanting to find water to get himself clean (his immaculate coat was no accident) and hoping there wouldn't be any around so he could avoid getting wet. Lesser of two evils it may have been, but still not a thing he cared for except to drink.

"I am from the north and the east of here," he answered, any more details not being shared because Kris had not figured them out. He was probably from a place called Foxwood or something but we'll get to that later. "I am only to be heading away from there. I have no special spot. Find more foxwolves they told me! I am listening." He grinned, his toothy expression perhaps implying that he was mighty pleased he had succeeded, in his own mind.

"Where doos you live?" His head cocked to the side as he turned to look at her. "Is you looking for something too?"

He came from somewhere in the vague northeast, with no other mission in mind beyond the foxwolves. Wildfire stifled a chuckle at this even as the pair of them stumbled upon a small, crooked creek cutting across the far side of the open field. She paused, then motioned for him to go ahead and jump in while she reposed nearby, prepared to carry on their conversation as he gave himself a thorough wash.

"I live at Moonspear," she replied when Roo asked, lifting a paw to point at the nearby mount. Wildfire shook her head lightly. "No, I wouldn't say I'm looking for anything in particular, other than a happy life. I've found that, more or less." Her lips twitched into a smile as she realized it was the truth. The move had been hard, very hard, but everything had worked out in the end. "Although I guess you could say I'm always looking for the next adventure. I'm an Outrider, an explorer," she told him, "sort of like you. Only I stick pretty close to my home base."

HEY KAT. Let's play a game... I was writing this when a certain someone sent me a message on my phone. I was still writing as I glanced at the phone. Can you spot where this happened, guess who messaged me, and figure out what word should have been there instead? TEEHEE

The pair travelled along, and Roo took the opportunity to glance around and admire the pristine surroundings. The foxwolf was the sort that could find beautiy in a turd so perhaps that was not saying much. Nonetheless, his blue eyes were wide with wonder and inexplicable glee, until there it was. The water, in the form of a winding little creek. At least it was not a raging chelsie. He pinched his mouth as he peered down at it. His hesitance was not subtle.

He turned to face Wildfire as she answered his question, happy to delay the inevitable for even a moment more. His slim snout bobbed along. "It is so nice to hear that you are happy!" He grinned, his white-tipped tail dancing behind him. "Explorering is very much excitement. Maybe I will live heres somewheres and outride too." Besides looking for foxwolves, he really hadn't considered what else he might do.  

It was bath time. Oh so carefully he dipped his little toes into the cold water, his lips pulling down comically. He knew there was only one way for him to do this. So most suddenly, he threw himself into the water in a great, flailing, splashing display, making all manner of strange eees! and oooos! as he thrashed about. Thoroughly soaked and scrubbed he sprang back to the shoreline to lick his coat clean of any remaining scat and every last drop of water.

"They never tolds me if I am to be staying here after finding and making the foxwolves. They never tolds me to come home either." He hummed.

I also try to avoid raging chelsies. ;)

She noticed his hesitation, though she chalked it up to nothing more than a natural aversion to cold water. Eventually, Roo dove in and began scrubbing his pelt clean, complete with a cacophony of strange noises that set Wildfire to snorting and giggling. He really reminded her of a young puppy: so lighthearted, innocent and more than a little bit silly.

When he finished and grew still, musing aloud, Wildfire's expression shifted into a thoughtful one. "Well, foxwolves aside... what do you want to to do? Where do you want to go?" She had a feeling Roo hadn't really contemplated any of this before, that he might not even be able to come up with any answers. She looked at him speculatively, wondering again who had sent him and why they hadn't better equipped him beforehand.

That is probably wise! lol

He was a free spirit. He had not thought much on what he wanted to do. Before being sent on this most important of missions, he had been content to frolic around his natal woodland. "I doos not know!" he said as he hummed some more in thought. He had seen other foxwolves leave when the homeland, and they did not return. Perhaps that was what he was to do. Find a new place to live, and in this place, make more foxwolves. It had not been spoken outright to him, but the more he thought on it, the more he thought yes, that was what had been intended for him.

"I thinks!" He said, his brows knotting as he makes one more final check with himself. "I thinks I am to be staying here. Well, not here," he explained, patting a paw on the specific spot on the ground on which he was standing. "But... here," he sweeps his muzzle around. "Somewheres. I doos not know wheres yet. But I thinks I would like this." He nods affirmatively, his mind now convinced. "How dids you pick your place?"

As she had suspected, Roo didn't know where he was headed, nor did he seem particularly concerned. Although she enjoyed his carefree spirit, Wildfire's lips pursed. They were on the cusp of winter and a lone wolf—particularly one of his nature—wouldn't last long. Perhaps she should try convincing him to accompany her back to Moonspear. She wasn't at all sure what Charon and Ame would make of him but she was sure that Roo could prove useful in some way or another.

"I picked Moonspear because I had friends there," she answered his question. "Now you have one there too." She gestured at herself with one flaming red paw. "You should come back with me, Roo. Winter's no time to be wandering alone. When it gets warmer again, I can help you look for those foxwolves," Wildfire offered. "What do you think?"

I see I have been switching tenses in Roo's last post too. Bah. Sorry! After doing the present tense challenge my brain is muddled haha. I didn't even realize I had been swapping my tenses until last night.

Most everyone was a friend to Roo, who could form a bond with a frog. But not everyone agreed, so when Wildfirefox referred to herself as his friend, he chittered and wriggled with delight, his face making all manner of indescribably happy scrunches and smiles. "Oh!" He giggled. "I woulds like that!" He practically danced on his toes, his tail whipping around at what would be a dangerous speed, painful for any who might be whacked by it, were it not so fluffy (Kris wishes her dog had some blow-cushioning fluff on his tail).

He frolicked to her side, lining up shoulder to shoulder. "Okay, let us to go!" He grinned. A new friend! A new home! Foxwolf searching in the future! What more could Roo ask for?

Doesn't bother me. :)

Should we summon @Charon or @Amekaze...?

Roo didn't need any convincing. He seemed incredibly delighted at the prospect and clearly ready to be led home at the snap of Wildfire's fingers (figuratively speaking). A bubble of laughter popped off her lips at his extreme enthusiasm. He was probably the happiest critter she had ever met.

"All right, it's this way," she said in a cheerful voice, bumping her shoulder lightly against his and then trotting in the direction of Moonspear. "You'll like it there. But we'll have to speak to my leaders first. They'll want to know about your skills and stuff," Wildfire told him, subtly trying to get Roo to think ahead while keeping her tone light.

Roo is adorable. I imagine all his speech as said by a good friend of mine who I LARP and DnD with, he is great at those kind of funny ways of speaking.

Charon was out patrolling along tge northern frays of the pack borders, making sure no one was trespassing from any direction. Just as he intended to turn back deeper into Moonspear territory he picked up Dhole's scent. He figured he'd catch up with his friend, so started making his way over to where she was at. Eventually Charon found Dhole, and he looked at her and the stranger she was with as he approaches neutrally; the stranger seemed harmless, after all.

Unaware that he was going to be summoned at all, Charon bumped his nose against Dhole's cheek in greeting, then nodded at the other red dude. "Hi Dhole, this a friend of yours? I'm Charon, nice to meet you, dude." Maybe Charon would have been a little less casual had he known the guy wanted to join, but as things were he had no clue.