Of all the places he’d traversed as of recently, this forest was by far the most pleasant. It was filled with sights and scents, the abundance of which Jethro could not recall ever having been witness to before. Although the trees were nice to look at, more intriguing to him were the smaller plants that bore nice smelling fruits that were perhaps the size of small rocks, but a whole hell of a lot tastier, and presumably easier to eat than a rock would be, too. Not that he was stupid enough to try that, although the thought had been entertained before. A good way to crack a damn tooth, that would be.
Bonus points for the easy food he’d been able to attain in the form of prey animals that were attracted to the fruits, as well. If he were the only one of his kind in the world, he wouldn’t have minded spending some time here, but he wasn’t dumb enough to let that hope foster for one moment. Because, un-fucking-fortunately for him, these were the sort of environments that others would probably tend to enjoy, frequent, and congregate within as well. Which meant, if he wanted to find some quiet place where he could just be left the hell alone for the duration of the upcoming winter, he’d have to keep going.
A damned shame, that was. But there was nothing stopping him from coming back here of course, once the cold season had passed. Assuming he survived the winter, anyway, which was not a certainty, in and of itself. The last one had been a damned challenge, that’d pushed him to the very brink mentally and physically. This time around, however, he was a year older. A better hunter, bigger and stronger than he’d been, back then. Either way, he wasn’t going to roll over and quit.
That was what they would expect of him, and he wasn’t about to give them that satisfaction. If he didn't make it, it wouldn't be for lack of trying. Jethro didn’t dare to let himself feel any sort of optimism, for luck and fortune rarely seemed to work in his favor, but he was used to that. In fact, he preferred it. He didn’t want or need a damn thing from anyone. That way, if he failed, he hadn’t anyone but himself to blame.
@Evien
Bonus points for the easy food he’d been able to attain in the form of prey animals that were attracted to the fruits, as well. If he were the only one of his kind in the world, he wouldn’t have minded spending some time here, but he wasn’t dumb enough to let that hope foster for one moment. Because, un-fucking-fortunately for him, these were the sort of environments that others would probably tend to enjoy, frequent, and congregate within as well. Which meant, if he wanted to find some quiet place where he could just be left the hell alone for the duration of the upcoming winter, he’d have to keep going.
A damned shame, that was. But there was nothing stopping him from coming back here of course, once the cold season had passed. Assuming he survived the winter, anyway, which was not a certainty, in and of itself. The last one had been a damned challenge, that’d pushed him to the very brink mentally and physically. This time around, however, he was a year older. A better hunter, bigger and stronger than he’d been, back then. Either way, he wasn’t going to roll over and quit.
That was what they would expect of him, and he wasn’t about to give them that satisfaction. If he didn't make it, it wouldn't be for lack of trying. Jethro didn’t dare to let himself feel any sort of optimism, for luck and fortune rarely seemed to work in his favor, but he was used to that. In fact, he preferred it. He didn’t want or need a damn thing from anyone. That way, if he failed, he hadn’t anyone but himself to blame.
@Evien
October 19, 2020, 06:38 PM
thank you for getting this up <3
Evien would normally not head this far north, but he was here for a very specific reason. The maple sap in the trees. While not necessary at all for his stash of herbs, it would certainly help edible medications taste better for the children (and some of the fussier adults.) He'd taken an old bird's nest he found and dipped it in mud a few times to create a makeshift bowl so that he would be able to tote it easier - he didn't feel like washing maple sap out of his chest fur.
He was actually pretty proud of himself for the idea, actually. It was easy to carry around, and he wouldn't have a problem gathering some sap on the moss he'd brought along. Except for the fact that he was having a bit of a hard time reaching the sap that leaked from higher up.
What he wouldn't give to be the size of Skoll right now.
For example, about a foot and a half above his head lay a branch. Sap was dripping slowly from its base - it was fortunately not a freezing cold day, so it would be easier to gather up. Unfortunately, Evien was very short.
Fortunately, he was not alone in this forest.
Footsteps off to the right caught his attention, and his eyes locked onto the form of another wolf, skulking through the forest. Not the tallest he'd seen, but a helluva lot taller than Evien was. The silvery wolf did not look as though they wanted to be bothered, but Evien was not the type to care about that type of thing.
"Hey, big guy!" he called, angling his ears toward the man. "Mind giving me a hand here?"
For a surprising amount of time, all had been relatively quiet. He’d been able to travel unbothered for the last several days in fact, another rare blessing. One that of course would have to come to an end.
Hey, big guy!
Ah, and there it was. A typical stranger, showing up to bother Jethro when all he wanted was to be left alone. This one, as an added bonus, was also going the extra mile by asking for help. That sounded about right. In fairness to the individual, though, there really wasn’t ever a time that Jet desired the company of anyone else, and to his credit, this guy seemed to have some semblance of manners.
Coming to a halt in his slow pace, Jethro turned his head toward the other, fixing him with a disinterested stare.
The guy was hella small, too. Definitely in running for the puniest male wolf Jet had ever rested eyes on, that wasn’t a mere adolescent. As much as he wanted to respond with a comment pertaining to that very subject, Jet refrained. There it was, that stupid, annoying bit of his conscience that remained, urging him to reconsider. The little guy had probably already had to deal with enough torment from others throughout his life because of his size, Jet reasoned. He didn’t feel the need to go adding to that.
He knew how it felt to be disadvantaged. But, that didn’t mean he was going to go out of his way to help anyone else overcome their inabilities, either.
He shrugged indifferently in initial response to the question. “Why the hell would I wanna do that? Ain’t nothin’ in it for me.” The comment, though dismissive, did contain a note of genuine curiosity. Waste of his damn time, it would be, probably. But if little guy could give him a solid reason, perhaps he could find the time to spare a few moments.
Jethro also took note of the odd object the other guy had in his possession, that seemed to be made mostly out of dried mud, whatever the fuck that was for.
Hey, big guy!
Ah, and there it was. A typical stranger, showing up to bother Jethro when all he wanted was to be left alone. This one, as an added bonus, was also going the extra mile by asking for help. That sounded about right. In fairness to the individual, though, there really wasn’t ever a time that Jet desired the company of anyone else, and to his credit, this guy seemed to have some semblance of manners.
Coming to a halt in his slow pace, Jethro turned his head toward the other, fixing him with a disinterested stare.
The guy was hella small, too. Definitely in running for the puniest male wolf Jet had ever rested eyes on, that wasn’t a mere adolescent. As much as he wanted to respond with a comment pertaining to that very subject, Jet refrained. There it was, that stupid, annoying bit of his conscience that remained, urging him to reconsider. The little guy had probably already had to deal with enough torment from others throughout his life because of his size, Jet reasoned. He didn’t feel the need to go adding to that.
He knew how it felt to be disadvantaged. But, that didn’t mean he was going to go out of his way to help anyone else overcome their inabilities, either.
He shrugged indifferently in initial response to the question. “Why the hell would I wanna do that? Ain’t nothin’ in it for me.” The comment, though dismissive, did contain a note of genuine curiosity. Waste of his damn time, it would be, probably. But if little guy could give him a solid reason, perhaps he could find the time to spare a few moments.
Jethro also took note of the odd object the other guy had in his possession, that seemed to be made mostly out of dried mud, whatever the fuck that was for.
Yes! Thank you for volunteering to be a part of Jet's first thread c:
October 19, 2020, 11:20 PM
Ah, so this was one of those wolves. A what's in it for me? type. Honestly, that was pretty common around here - in the Saints was where Evien had seen it most, but even some Ursus wolves were fairly self-focused. Not that it was a bad thing - it was actually a pretty good survival tactic - but it did get annoying when all Evien wanted was for this guy to break a branch off of a tree for him.
"There's plenty in it for you. Like the knowledge that you did a good thing today for someone who needed help." Obviously, that tactic wasn't going to work. Evien's sarcasm bled through his words every step of the way.
But really, there wouldn't be a lot in this, really, aside from the goodness of this stranger's heart. Which Evien wasn't sure existed, just yet. Of course, there had to be some - if there wasn't, he probably would've just eaten the medic instead of responding.
He took a deep breath and shrugged his shoulders. "I'll be honest with you. The best I can offer is treatment for injuries, if you've got any, or maybe a share of the maple sap." But why would he want that? He paused, thinking for a moment. "Or, if you're hungry, I can try to catch you a fish." He'd prefer not to, really, because that would involve getting into the water which would be unpleasant right now.
"Oh, and fucking riveting conversation, if you're into that shit." Sarcasm dripped from his words - Evien was hardly the easiest guy to talk to, and small talk wasn't really his thing, but if this guy wanted to shoot the breeze, he wouldn't turn him away.
But there it was. All the cards laid out on the table. Take it or leave it.
"There's plenty in it for you. Like the knowledge that you did a good thing today for someone who needed help." Obviously, that tactic wasn't going to work. Evien's sarcasm bled through his words every step of the way.
But really, there wouldn't be a lot in this, really, aside from the goodness of this stranger's heart. Which Evien wasn't sure existed, just yet. Of course, there had to be some - if there wasn't, he probably would've just eaten the medic instead of responding.
He took a deep breath and shrugged his shoulders. "I'll be honest with you. The best I can offer is treatment for injuries, if you've got any, or maybe a share of the maple sap." But why would he want that? He paused, thinking for a moment. "Or, if you're hungry, I can try to catch you a fish." He'd prefer not to, really, because that would involve getting into the water which would be unpleasant right now.
"Oh, and fucking riveting conversation, if you're into that shit." Sarcasm dripped from his words - Evien was hardly the easiest guy to talk to, and small talk wasn't really his thing, but if this guy wanted to shoot the breeze, he wouldn't turn him away.
But there it was. All the cards laid out on the table. Take it or leave it.
Not a problem at all! I love your writing.
For a few moments, the little guy looked like he’d been caught off guard, but that didn’t last long. Mere moments later, he came right back with a lively response, absolutely drenched in sarcasm for good measure. Damn attitude didn’t match the wolf, but it did prompt Jet to raise a brow, somewhat impressed by that fact. He cracked a wry smile. It wasn’t the response he’d been expecting, but it was substantive. Perhaps there was some fun to be had, here. ”I can’t even begin to express how pleasant that would make me feel,” he started, matching the initial sarcasm while twisting his body so that he could take a couple of steps closer to the other.
In a turn of events, however, little guy decided to come clean with honesty. There wasn’t much he could offer, he claimed, except for treatment for injuries. Or the maple sap, which he was apparently after. Or, perhaps a fish, tacked on as an afterthought.
This guy one was one of those herbalist types, then. Which meant Jethro might actually be able to gain some useful knowledge by helping him out. Jet didn’t have any injuries now, but he wasn’t so damn foolish as to believe he'd be fortunate enough to skirt conflict forever. Learning about healing things could prove useful to him, when that time came. His brow furrowed in thought.
And a sharp snort of laughter promptly escaped him as the sarcasm returned in full force.
”Can’t say I give a shit about the riveting conversation. Or the fish. Could see you tryin'a poison it to spite me.” He flashed a toothy grin at that, thoroughly enjoying the bit of banter that’d been offered so far. ”Don't think I'd trust you to touch me if I was injured, either. What you can do, is tell me exactly what the hell I’m doin’, and why. What use is the maple sap?”
A selfish bastard, Jethro most certainly was. But this seemed to be a rare instance in which he had something to gain by helping another. For all of his talk, he valued knowledge far more than any physical possession that could be given in a moment. The more he learned, the better equipped he’d be to take care of himself. And for all of his attitude, a part of him suspected little guy operated in a similar manner. Notably, he seemed to carry with him the scents of others, which meant he was out here for more than just himself. Jethro felt.. marginally better about trusting information he'd receive from a pack wolf, as opposed to another loner.
In a turn of events, however, little guy decided to come clean with honesty. There wasn’t much he could offer, he claimed, except for treatment for injuries. Or the maple sap, which he was apparently after. Or, perhaps a fish, tacked on as an afterthought.
This guy one was one of those herbalist types, then. Which meant Jethro might actually be able to gain some useful knowledge by helping him out. Jet didn’t have any injuries now, but he wasn’t so damn foolish as to believe he'd be fortunate enough to skirt conflict forever. Learning about healing things could prove useful to him, when that time came. His brow furrowed in thought.
And a sharp snort of laughter promptly escaped him as the sarcasm returned in full force.
”Can’t say I give a shit about the riveting conversation. Or the fish. Could see you tryin'a poison it to spite me.” He flashed a toothy grin at that, thoroughly enjoying the bit of banter that’d been offered so far. ”Don't think I'd trust you to touch me if I was injured, either. What you can do, is tell me exactly what the hell I’m doin’, and why. What use is the maple sap?”
A selfish bastard, Jethro most certainly was. But this seemed to be a rare instance in which he had something to gain by helping another. For all of his talk, he valued knowledge far more than any physical possession that could be given in a moment. The more he learned, the better equipped he’d be to take care of himself. And for all of his attitude, a part of him suspected little guy operated in a similar manner. Notably, he seemed to carry with him the scents of others, which meant he was out here for more than just himself. Jethro felt.. marginally better about trusting information he'd receive from a pack wolf, as opposed to another loner.
October 20, 2020, 08:32 PM
So he had a sense of humor to match. Evien always liked when his sarcasm was met with more sarcasm - it was always better than when they got offended. A soft snort of laughter escaped him and he shook his head. At least the guy didn't have a stick up his ass.
A grin spread over his maw when he got a laugh from the guy.
"First of all, you're missing out on the conversation. Seriously. I'm a fucking delight," he began, then cleared his throat. "Secondly, I left all of my evil poisons back home, so you're safe this time." Not that Evien would poison anyone, anyway. He technically had poisons that he could use - any herb could be poisonous if enough of it was ingested. But he had never intended to truly poison another wolf.
And as for the last thing... "What you'd be doing is using that height of yours to grab that branch up there and break it off for me. Maple sap doesn't really do anything in terms of healing, but I like to have some to mix with the herbs I use so they don't taste like shit." He paused for a moment, thinking things through, before he continued. "You can probably tell I'm part of a pack. I've got a lot of wolves to care for back home, and, being the generous medic that I am, I decided to come all of this way so I can make their medicine taste better."
It was honestly quite selfless, if he did say so himself.
Evien cleared his throat and tipped his head to the side. "Is that good enough of an answer for you?" the medic questioned, arching a brow. "Or is there something else I can offer you?" Really, he could probably find some sap that was lower to the ground, but... this was kind of fun.
A grin spread over his maw when he got a laugh from the guy.
"First of all, you're missing out on the conversation. Seriously. I'm a fucking delight," he began, then cleared his throat. "Secondly, I left all of my evil poisons back home, so you're safe this time." Not that Evien would poison anyone, anyway. He technically had poisons that he could use - any herb could be poisonous if enough of it was ingested. But he had never intended to truly poison another wolf.
And as for the last thing... "What you'd be doing is using that height of yours to grab that branch up there and break it off for me. Maple sap doesn't really do anything in terms of healing, but I like to have some to mix with the herbs I use so they don't taste like shit." He paused for a moment, thinking things through, before he continued. "You can probably tell I'm part of a pack. I've got a lot of wolves to care for back home, and, being the generous medic that I am, I decided to come all of this way so I can make their medicine taste better."
It was honestly quite selfless, if he did say so himself.
Evien cleared his throat and tipped his head to the side. "Is that good enough of an answer for you?" the medic questioned, arching a brow. "Or is there something else I can offer you?" Really, he could probably find some sap that was lower to the ground, but... this was kind of fun.
Jethro’s response elicited a grin from the other, which was not something he was treated to very often. It was rare enough that he found someone tolerable for a time, let alone finding himself enjoying their company but to earn a smile after all of it? That shit was almost unheard of. Surprisingly, so far, little guy seemed alright.
Or, as he termed it, a fucking delight. ”Perhaps you are, buddy, but I sure as hell ain’t. If you wanna talk, though, be my guest. I’m a good listener.” And he was, too - when he wanted to be. Who knew what sort of interesting gossip or tidbits of interesting information the other might have. Additionally, little guy informed that he had neglected to bring any evil poisons along with him this time, so for the moment, Jethro was safe. He feigned a mock sigh of relief at that. ”How fortunate for me. First time for everything.”
There was another momentary grin at that one. Even if he hadn’t actually been so lucky, surely poisoning couldn’t be the worst way to go. Painful, perhaps, but presumably quick. That was how Jet would prefer it.
Getting down to business, however, little guy informed him of the task at hand, which was to obtain a maple branch that was up higher than he could reach. Shifting his gaze to the offending tree limb, Jethro sauntered closer to the other guy, an attentive ear turned toward him while he contemplated the task at hand. Seemed like it’d be simple enough to accomplish, he thought. Unfortunately, the maple sap didn’t have any medical use, according to the guy - he only wanted it to make the less tasty, but more useful shit not taste like… well, shit, apparently.
Jet nodded. “Smart. Cool of you to do that, for them.” He’d have to remember that. Perhaps someday, it’d prove a useful tidbit of knowledge. The little guy asked if the answer was good enough. Jethro shrugged. ”Was hopin’ the sap was something more important. Suppose you point out to me one or two actually useful herbs, after this, and tell me what they do? Think we’d be even, then.”
Fixing his gaze on the other, Jethro noted something he hadn’t seen before. Not only was this one disadvantaged in size, but one of his eyes looked like it was fucked up, as well. Jethro’s attention lingered on it momentarily while he contemplated asking about it but ultimately opted not to. Shit like that had a tendency to be personal. If he’d noticed the look, the other could explain if he wanted to, or not. Jet would leave that up to him.
Or, as he termed it, a fucking delight. ”Perhaps you are, buddy, but I sure as hell ain’t. If you wanna talk, though, be my guest. I’m a good listener.” And he was, too - when he wanted to be. Who knew what sort of interesting gossip or tidbits of interesting information the other might have. Additionally, little guy informed that he had neglected to bring any evil poisons along with him this time, so for the moment, Jethro was safe. He feigned a mock sigh of relief at that. ”How fortunate for me. First time for everything.”
There was another momentary grin at that one. Even if he hadn’t actually been so lucky, surely poisoning couldn’t be the worst way to go. Painful, perhaps, but presumably quick. That was how Jet would prefer it.
Getting down to business, however, little guy informed him of the task at hand, which was to obtain a maple branch that was up higher than he could reach. Shifting his gaze to the offending tree limb, Jethro sauntered closer to the other guy, an attentive ear turned toward him while he contemplated the task at hand. Seemed like it’d be simple enough to accomplish, he thought. Unfortunately, the maple sap didn’t have any medical use, according to the guy - he only wanted it to make the less tasty, but more useful shit not taste like… well, shit, apparently.
Jet nodded. “Smart. Cool of you to do that, for them.” He’d have to remember that. Perhaps someday, it’d prove a useful tidbit of knowledge. The little guy asked if the answer was good enough. Jethro shrugged. ”Was hopin’ the sap was something more important. Suppose you point out to me one or two actually useful herbs, after this, and tell me what they do? Think we’d be even, then.”
Fixing his gaze on the other, Jethro noted something he hadn’t seen before. Not only was this one disadvantaged in size, but one of his eyes looked like it was fucked up, as well. Jethro’s attention lingered on it momentarily while he contemplated asking about it but ultimately opted not to. Shit like that had a tendency to be personal. If he’d noticed the look, the other could explain if he wanted to, or not. Jet would leave that up to him.
October 21, 2020, 07:53 PM
"You seem about as delightful as I am. Don't sell yourself short," he told him, tail swishing back and forth. A good listener, hm? "That's good. I don't like repeating myself." Truly, he was enjoying this conversation. At least the guy wasn't irritating the fuck out of him yet. Sure, he could do without the weaseling information out of him, but he kind of liked the mind games. Plus the guy wasn't bad to look at either, so that was helping his case just a smidge.
How fortunate indeed. Little did this man know, but Evien had quite a bit of firsthand experience with poisons. And it did suck, immensely, to be poisoned - even slowly and deliberately, as Evien had.
The medic nodded his head and let out an overexaggerated, longsuffering sigh. "Yes, I'm such a saint. Underappreciated, really." Which, honestly, he doubted. Ursus wolves certainly seemed to appreciate him, as much as they threw themselves into fights with reckless abandon. Though Evien wasn't much better now, himself.
The next bit the silvered wolf asked for was information about herbs, which Evien was more than willing to give. "Sure. I'm a medic - we're supposed to help when needed. Even if that means just giving you the information you need to take care of yourself." He leaned to the side, offering the man a small smirk. "Now are you gonna make me beg, or are you going to get me that branch?" he prompted, looking from the branch to the wolf.
How fortunate indeed. Little did this man know, but Evien had quite a bit of firsthand experience with poisons. And it did suck, immensely, to be poisoned - even slowly and deliberately, as Evien had.
The medic nodded his head and let out an overexaggerated, longsuffering sigh. "Yes, I'm such a saint. Underappreciated, really." Which, honestly, he doubted. Ursus wolves certainly seemed to appreciate him, as much as they threw themselves into fights with reckless abandon. Though Evien wasn't much better now, himself.
The next bit the silvered wolf asked for was information about herbs, which Evien was more than willing to give. "Sure. I'm a medic - we're supposed to help when needed. Even if that means just giving you the information you need to take care of yourself." He leaned to the side, offering the man a small smirk. "Now are you gonna make me beg, or are you going to get me that branch?" he prompted, looking from the branch to the wolf.
October 22, 2020, 04:23 AM
Little guy told him not to sell himself short, that he believed Jethro was actually about as delightful as he was. A statement that seemed like a sort of backhanded compliment, but if so, it was not untrue. That one earned a soft chuckle. ”I’d say I was flattered... but, you got me beat, bud. Any day.” At least he had a pack that presumably valued him, for the knowledge and skills of an herbalist was something even Jethro’s former shitty family had held in high esteem.
So, Jethro very much doubted the claim that was made a moment later, but if what he’d seen so far was any indication, so did the other guy. Rather than speak to that, however, he shook his head in faux empathy. ”That’s too bad. Think you’d be the last guy I’d wanna piss off.” At least, that would’ve been true, were he a part of any pack. A crafty herbalist, that had the potential to do who knew what to you? No fucking thanks.
Kindly enough, though, little guy seemed more than eager to share a bit of information, which would be exactly the sort of trade Jet was looking for. Of course, however, the other couldn’t just let it be at that. As tempting as it was to find out what the begging bit might have entailed, what he’d said mere moments before still rang true. And Jethro was nothing if not a man of utmost integrity. When he wanted to be, of course.
Exhaling softly, Jethro turned his attention towards the tree, stepping forth until he was just beside the trunk. ”One branch, comin’ up..” he muttered. Rocking back momentarily, Jet turned his gaze upward and made as if he were going to jump, but rather than landing with all four limbs on solid ground, he rested his front paws against the tree trunk, twisting his head so that he could sink his molars firmly into the surprisingly soft and malleable maple branch. Tasting a damned tree was definitely not something he’d thought he would be doing today, but the hell with it. Actually, it wasn’t all that bad.
It took only a few moments of twisting and tugging to dislodge the tree limb from its place of growth, the far end of it falling to the ground. Jethro pushed himself off the tree as it fell, his front paws landing upon the ground with a soft thud, still holding one end of the limb in his grasp, so that little guy could presumably collect his sap from where the branch had been broken off. Little as he knew about these things, it seemed wiser than just dropping the thing in the dirt.
So, Jethro very much doubted the claim that was made a moment later, but if what he’d seen so far was any indication, so did the other guy. Rather than speak to that, however, he shook his head in faux empathy. ”That’s too bad. Think you’d be the last guy I’d wanna piss off.” At least, that would’ve been true, were he a part of any pack. A crafty herbalist, that had the potential to do who knew what to you? No fucking thanks.
Kindly enough, though, little guy seemed more than eager to share a bit of information, which would be exactly the sort of trade Jet was looking for. Of course, however, the other couldn’t just let it be at that. As tempting as it was to find out what the begging bit might have entailed, what he’d said mere moments before still rang true. And Jethro was nothing if not a man of utmost integrity. When he wanted to be, of course.
Exhaling softly, Jethro turned his attention towards the tree, stepping forth until he was just beside the trunk. ”One branch, comin’ up..” he muttered. Rocking back momentarily, Jet turned his gaze upward and made as if he were going to jump, but rather than landing with all four limbs on solid ground, he rested his front paws against the tree trunk, twisting his head so that he could sink his molars firmly into the surprisingly soft and malleable maple branch. Tasting a damned tree was definitely not something he’d thought he would be doing today, but the hell with it. Actually, it wasn’t all that bad.
It took only a few moments of twisting and tugging to dislodge the tree limb from its place of growth, the far end of it falling to the ground. Jethro pushed himself off the tree as it fell, his front paws landing upon the ground with a soft thud, still holding one end of the limb in his grasp, so that little guy could presumably collect his sap from where the branch had been broken off. Little as he knew about these things, it seemed wiser than just dropping the thing in the dirt.
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