i'm gonna assume this is a day after the meeting
It was another winter morning, and again the clock had begun to race, what had at first felt like seconds turned quickly into minutes which later joined together to turn into hours. He had been laying in the cold floor of his den for at least two hours now, his legs twisted beneath his body as he stared ahead into the empty spaces over the rock walls of his home.
Finally, his heavy eyelids closed over his eyes as if whatever spectacle he had been watching had come to an end. He held his eyes closed for another second or two, inhaling the cold air that filled the den before finally raising himself to stand.
Then, with his feet dragging over the floor he slipped past the exit to his den and into the white powdered land outside. Galileo liked the way the snow seemed to clean the place out of the past conflict it had held. After his reunion with Scimitar, and the pack meeting it finally seemed things would head the right way. Perhaps Bazi's trip had been after all, rewarding.
It had certaintly served as a life lesson for the female, and had given Scimitar the opportunity to rise as the leader the Creek had so desperately longed for.
Maybe it would be good for him to have a voyage of his own.
He took off in a slow trot, hoping to run across another wolf before having reached the borders. He did not want to leave without telling anyone, even if his plan was to leave for two nights tops, he had learned from Bazi's experience that sometimes, plans meant nothing.
Since the fight with those two black curs and then the pack meeting, Kaskara had kept a vigilant patrol of the borders. Morning and night, she would take a wide sweep of the entire creek territory, marking the border fresh, watching for intruders, and generally making sure things were good on the home front.
Then, between her duties as beta of accepting wolves and intercepting loners and settling any disputes that might arise, as well as hunting for the cache (which was full again, thank the stars), she would check on the border nearest the Bypass. It became habit, really, and it was something that she hoped wouldn't become a permanent one.
It was during one of these sweeps of the borders that Kaskara happened upon Galileo. She knew him by sight and name, but she couldn't remember if they had ever met or talked about anything outside pack meetings. Deciding today was the day that was going to change, she sped up and called, "Hey, Galileo! You going somewhere?"
The peppered male kept his nose close to the ground as he continued to approach to the invisible line that separated the pack's territory for the rest of the Wilds. He had begun to loose the hope he would run into someone, and while his pace had slowed down he was beginning to formulate the explanation he would give his superiors when he returned. He could have turned around and seek out Scimitar or the newly appointed Beta himself, but honestly he could not stand a second more standing on this ground.
He had to give himself a break from the confinement of his den and most important of all, of his own mind.
Suddenly, he was intercepted by a voice that despite sounding familiar, didn't bring out a name in the male's mind. He turned around quickly, and as soon as he recognized the dark-haired woman he allowed his features to curve into a pleasant smile that despite being short-lived showed the female the real pleasure he felt of being able to meet her finally. "In fact I was, I'm planning to head over to the Flatlands for a bried expedition" he barked feeling the small snowflakes begin to fall again on top of his fur.
"If everything goes right I'll be back in two or three days," he barked with a gentle dip of his nose. He knew that after what had happened to Bazi and the current situation with the Bypass and Shadow's unborn children the disappereance of another member however brief would not be ideal -- but he could not help himself. He had to get out for the sake of his own mind -- he was less useful to the pack with his troubled thoughts anyways.
"I'm seeking to persue my Naturalist trade" he explained, in case the female would ask for the reason of his sudden trip plans.
"It's definitely an interesting area. Are you looking for anything specific?" Maybe if she knew what he was looking for, she'd know if Blue or Junior would be helpful. She would go with him if she could, but it didn't seem likely right now. "Ah, Naturalist. I'm more of a warden and warrior type. I wasn't ever very good with predicting the weather. The only thing I know how to predict is rain." She held up her forearm briefly, motioning toward the long-faded scar hidden by her fur there. "I nearly broke it on the cliffs when I was little. My mother bound it and forbade me from playing or wrestling for weeks. Since then, though, my leg always aches right before it rains."
Though the memories of what had been discussed during the past meeting were not as crystal clear as he would've liked them to be, the peppered man was more than certain that under Scimitar's competent command and his fellow packmates capable care, his presence would not be required during the birthing and protection of the children. Unlike everyone else in the Creek, Galileo had voiced his empathy towards the Bypass ruler so even if he were required to stay, chances were his presence would end up being more of a nuisance than a convenience.
With his amber eyes staring blankly ahead, the Counselor listened to Kaskara's brief mention of her own past. It was always interesting to learn about his packmates. "I've heard there are thermal pools near the Plateu" he commented, wondering if she would know anything about that given she claimed to have lived in the area.
He listened quietly to her whimsical anecdote, only taking a moment after she had finished to chuckle under his breath. Though he did not consider that being a Naturalist implied making weather forcasts. He had always been more interested in the patterns of the stars and the luminous being.
"To be honest, I didn't get around much when I lived there," she confessed, looking sheepishly into Galileo's eyes before turning to look around them again. They were loping toward the borders at a leisurely pace, but it wouldn't be long before they would have to part for their separate duties. "But if you wanted to know about it, you could ask Blue Willow. She's the beta at the Plateau pack, at least she was the last time I visited." Kas wondered how they were doing and decided to visit as soon as she could. "At the very least, she would be able to point you in the right direction."
The hard angles in which the peppered male's features laid had nothing to do with the female, yet unwittingly it had sent the wrong message to her. Though this was the very first time he exchanged more than a 'hello' with the female, he had already known she was going to be a good Beta. Maybe he could not predict the weather with his leg, but he could identify a good wolf when he saw one.
"If it was I'd be in trouble -- Better leave that part to you while I focus on the stars" he replied, his voice subtly lighter than before. His amber eyes briefly met hers, never to show unsubordination but to let her know that despite his silence and lack of emotion, she had his outright support.
Thankfully, the conversation switched course once more. Though she was not able to give him exact directions or a basic outline of where they might be located, she did give him a contact he could recur to given he lost his way along the way. "Blue Willow," he barked, tasting her name in his mouth before giving Kaskara a soft nod, "I'll keep it in mind" he barked finally, though he figured that if he needed help it would be Dante the first he turned to.
"Please tell Scimitar of my departure, I'd do it myself but I plan to get there as soon as possible" he barked, seeking approval in her eyes before giving a light shake to his snow coated shoulders.
"I hope your travels are safe and swift, and that you returned with knowledge to help you become the naturalist." Kaskara hadn't spoken much to him before, and this was getting a bit weird on her end. She could be so awkward sometimes. "When you return, come find me. I'd like to hear about your adventure." She smiled, hoping that he would indeed find her after his trek, and they could get to know one another. She didn't know his story at all, and she wanted to know each packmate as well as she could.
Would you mind closing in your next post?<3
The shackles that kept him tied to the Creek were strong, but even now they had been outweighed by the heavy sense of discomfort and confusion clouding his thoughts. Even if he did not wish to leave the Creek for more than a few days, he also knew that he would not be able to stand a second longer within the confinement of the Creek's territory.
Despite the fact the mans was surrounded by the many faces of his pack mates , old and new, he was utterly alone.
No one knew the pain that his beneath his eyes and in his opinion no one but himself would be able to understand it.
Like an addict having a relapse, Galileo was collapsing onto himself, losing his peace of mind bit by bit. The sleepless nights and days with no appetite were taking a toll on him, a toll that at his age he could not afford.
He needed to get sober again, and for that he needed to leave the intoxication atmosphere he had created for himself at the realms of the Creek.
"Thank you" he barked, his tone evidently relieved by her answer and good wishes. He too hoped to be home soon, but most of all he hoped that he would be able to want to return soon. Not because he was thinking of leaving the Creek -- thing he most certainly wasn't-- but because he didn't want to return only to see that his travels had been in vain.
The man he was as he walked from the borders right then and there was not a man he wished to see return.
"Goodbye now Kaskara" he breathed at last whilst dedicating the Beta a smile and a cordial dip of his muzzle as goodbye.
He could not assure there would be 'adventures' to tell when he came back, but he certainly did hope he could come back.
Kaskara wasn't sure what was wrong with Galileo, but she hoped that he would be alright. He had been a member as long as she had, if not longer, and she didn't want him to leave for any preventable reason. If there was anything she could do to make his life easier, she would. She respected him not only as a member of the creek but also because he was her elder by two years and had seen more of the world than she could have ever dreamed.
She nodded with a smile. "Have a safe trip, Galileo. I'll see you when you get back." Kaskara paused at the border and watched him continue on. She stood there for a long time until he was no longer visible and finally turned around to find Scimitar, to tell him of their member's intentions. Though she didn't know him well, he would make a good counselor, and she wished Scimitar would utilize his skills more.