Whitebark Stream I See Fire

I realized the area I made this might have been a bit too far out. So I've moved it a little more south

The memories were still fresh in his mind. The blazing fire licking at the trees, expanding forever onward. Scorching the rock and the ground. The blazing heat all over his body. The sparks flying, seeking a place to set ablaze. The smell of burning wood, and burning flesh. 

The small black-grey wolf shook out the sight from his mind. He didn't want to go back to that day. The day he lost everyone he held dear. But since then, he had hoped for someone to be living. And that is why he had come to this place. The Teekon Wilds. Hoping to find another surviving member.

"Okay, Aduin. A new place. Just remain calm" he told himself. Out of himself and his siblings, he was the most shy. If he had met someone new, he would always feel nervous. And even when it was just a new place, it was all the same. More nervous thoughts entered his mind, and he tried his best to block them out. Tried being key. He headed to the nearby stream, and began lapping at the clear liquid with his tongue, re-hydrating himself.

Loooooooove this song ^_^

Harlyn had not intended to wander too far or be gone too long from home.  A couple of days at most, and then she would be back beneath the cozy canopy of the Hollow.  She had been growing a bit agitated lately, and she knew herself well enough to know that it was simply her desire to stretch her legs that caused it.  So, she had kissed her fellow alpha farewell and headed out into the wild blue yonder, happy and eager to experience whatever the gods held in store for her.

The druid had just finished a bit of hunting when she had turned her paws to follow the sound of moving water, only to discover the sound of a soft voice murmuring nearby.  She canted her head curiously, unable to determine what words had been said, but intrigued to find out who had said them.  She came upon him soon enough and chuffed softly to make her presence known before approaching with a nuetral posture and a gentle smile.  "Ahoy, fellow wanderer," she greeted with a wag of her tail.

Same. As well as 'Misty Mountains' 

Aduin had been driven to thirst after much travelling from the north. Every drop on his parched tongue satisfied the thirst inside. His tail swayed slowly as he drank. He had seen a few fish in the stream, and felt a quake towards his mid regions, but he would satisfy that hunger soon after. The life of a loner sure was tough. But then, company came his way.

The sudden sound made him seize up, and he started choking on the water. The wolf swayed back and forth, then turned towards the newcomer to spit all that was in his mouth. The mix of water and saliva landed short of the female wolf. A string of spit hanged down from his jaw, which remained there as he struggled for words.

"H-hi there. I am so s-sorry about th-that" he responded in a quivering voice, coughing after. That sudden surprise had really hurt his throat a bit.

 Sorry for the delay!  Work tried to eat me alive X___X

Her presence seemed to startle the male, despite her efforts not to do so.  She gave him an apologetic look, though she couldn't help but chuckle gently.  His string of drool did not go unnoticed, but Harlyn politely ignored it, and instead focused on his nervous words.

"You're fine, no need to be nervous," she replied, taking his stutter as anxiety though it could easily have meant nothing of the sort.  "What brings you all the way out here?"

It's okay. Work before roleplay

Aduin felt the string of drool at the last second, and gave his head a little shake. It splattered somewhere far off to his side. But he didn't care where. His eyes were fixed on the wolf before him. She seemed friendly enough. Famous last words for encounters he had seen from a distance. He took a wary step back, just in case. And ended up half slipping into the stream, which he quickly recovered from by stepping back forth.

"I'm l-looking for my f-family" he blurted out. Right after, he mentally kicked himself for it. He may have just put his family in danger for speaking those words. He kept his head low. If she was like anyone else he had met, she would feel pity. They always felt pity for someone they saw as a pathetic excuse for a wolf. Nervous at the quietest of sounds, the smallest of shakes in the ground.

Despite her best efforts, he seemed intent upon remaining nervous and wary of her presence.  There was little more Harlyn could do to make herself seem less threatening save for roll over onto her belly, which she would never do as an alpha.  Instead, she chose a more subtle route and dropped to her haunches, her ears slipping back as her smile remained fixed upon her face.  

His words caused her to pause, concern overwhelming her amusement for his anxious antics.  If there was one thing that moved her above all else, it was family, and his admittance that he was searching for his immediately tugged at her heartstrings.  "Your family?" she repeated, though rhetorically, "Did something happen?"  She knew innately that it was a stupid question.  Something had to have happened that he would be apart from a family that he sought.  But still, it was a question that would help her learn more about the predicament this wolf was in.  Which randomly reminded her...

"Excuse me, I should have introduced myself before so rudely prying into your life..." Harlyn said humbly, feeling suddenly embarassed of her actions thus far, "My name is Harlyn.  I'm the alpha of a pack about half a day's journey from here at a place called Lost Creek Hollow."  She didn't expect him to extend his own name to her - that was his to divulge if he so chose.  Her curiosity often got the best of her and made her forget her propriety.

Aduin was at most confused. She dropped to her haunches. Maybe she really did have good, friendly intentions. But in his case, one could never be too wary. He stayed standing, his head remaining low. But he lifted it a little so he could see her eyes. And the smile she had. It had been so long since he saw a smile. And to his surprise, he returned it with one of his own.

But that smile disappeared when she asked what happened. His ears dropped. The memories flushed back into his mind, bringing sadness with them. "I..I don't w-want to talk about it" he answered, turning his head a way a bit. A tear dripped down his cheek on the other side of his face.

As soon as he heard the word alpha, he bowed his head, his tail lowering to the ground. "I'm A-Aduin." He tried his best to avert his eyes, as a sign on respect. But mostly due to the fact that being in the presence of an alpha he did not know, and probably offended with the spit, scared him.

Harlyn felt guilty at his words, and she dropped her muzzle a couple of centimeters apologetically.  His drop to submissive stature simply made her feel worse, and she hopped to her feet and strode forward almost immediately upon spotting it.  She came within a foot or so of him and reached with her muzzle to nose at one of his ears before stepping back and giving him space, replacing her sympathetic frown with a bright smile instead.

"Well then, Aduin," she said with a wag of her tail, determined to push past their awkward start, "I happened to wander past a rabbit warren not five minutes from here.  Do you have any interest in chasing them with me?"  If all went well, it would mean a meal for them.  If all went slightly less well, it would still be an enjoyable enough activity.  If he didn't want to dwell on his misfortune, then Harlyn certainly didn't wish to force him to.  She was happy enough to opt for the distraction, if he too was willing.

Aduin was surprised by the gesture. It made him feel welcomed, to say the least. More open. He stood tall, or he thought he did. His back was still a little hunched, and his tail lowered a little. But his face showed all of his feelings. His face lightened up, his eyes brightening and his ears raising. 

And with the suggestion after, he felt like he was dreaming.His tail went wild. Never had he met someone so nice. And if every wolf was like this in these wilds, then this would certainly be home. A haven of kindness. But his nervousness stuck with him, as well as wariness. "S-sure. You lead."

Her gesture seemed to do the trick, for he stood a bit taller and lighter.  He gave her a more relaxed look, and Harlyn awarded it with an even broader grin.  Aduin took to her suggestion with more enthusiasm than she had expected from him, even though it was still tempered by his seemingly more composed nature.

"Gladly," Harlyn replied with another nudge to his muzzle before she turned and set her pace to a canter.  It took about as much time as she'd suggested to get there, and as soon as they came within a few feet, she slowed and slid down into a crouch.  She crept quietly forward until they were upon the crest of the hill the lied just a few yards from where the rabbits were hopping innocently about, nibbling on grass, and otherwise enjoying the bright day.  Harlyn felt ready to ruin that day, and she set a glance over to her side to see if her new companion was as well.

Aduin followed closely behind, keeping at a very slow pace. Just in case. Like before, he was still wary. He had met some as kind as her, only to have them try to kill him. Although, they were cannibals. The very thought gave him chills. How could one eat their own kind?

Ahead, he saw what she saw. A whole group of fluffy bunnies, hopping around, eating grass. Doing what they do in their day-to-day lives. But this day was not going to be one of those normal days. Unless they get chased around by wolves on a daily basis. He crouched down, and returned Harlyn's glance with a nod, signalling he was ready. And he certainly was. Having not had food like he used to, he was starved. Just looking at them made him drool a bit.

Dice roll?

 Sure thing!  I'll do 1/10, if it comes up 5 or more, she nabs one.  You can do however you want to :) 

1

LOL I failed 

Aduin gave her a nod and Harlyn's lips peeled back in a mischievous grin.  She turned back to their quarry to watch them, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce.  It came when a younger rabbit hopped a few feet towards them unwittingly to nose at a patch of clover.  With a twitch of her tail, Harlyn burst forward from her crouched position to race towards it, her muzzle lowered to snatch it from its place.

Choosing a young creature was likely her downfall, for it took only a split second for the hare to dart away towards the rest of the warren, safely avoiding her snapping jaws.  Harlyn slowed for only a moment before choosing another and racing after it as it attempted to scurry away to safety.

I'll use the same, using a virtual dice.

And...10. wow

Aduin's hunger is what drove him. But using his smarts, he waited for the wolfess to strike first. She went for one the young ones, which he knew would not go well. And in doing so, she aided the nervous yet smart wolf. He couldn't help but smirk, knowing she wouldn't see. To the right, he saw his target. An older one, that hobbled along. With it being bigger, it would provide more meat. It looked as though one of it's rear legs weren't working properly. In a split second, he bounded to it from his position. He anticipated it trying to get away, and pounced in front, turning his body to face it before snapping his jaw on the hares head. It was all over for the hare in that last second.

Harlyn had always found her skills elsewhere from hunting since birth. She wasn't terrible - after all, she'd managed to survive as a lone wolf a time or two and hadn't starved to death. Her instincts were not as sharp when it came to hunting though as they were for healing or for caring for others. She was born to protect the earth and its creatures, not so much for hunting them.

Fortunately, her companion turned out to be far better suited for their pastime. The alpha slowed after her quarry had all disappeared beneath the earth into their warren and she was pleased to see he had been much more successful than she. "Nicely done," Harlyn commented with a breathless grin, "You know, if you're looking for a pack you should head South. There's one I know of personally that could use good hunters like you." She gave another grin, wondering if he'd catch her meaning - that the pack was hers that she spoke of, and that she would have been happy to add him to their ranks.

Aduin couldn't help but let off a sheepish grin. It wasn't too common a compliment was thrown his way. And a nice one at that, followed by such an offer. He'd be stupid to deny. If he weren't always so afraid of his own shadow. And with his memories of his pack, he couldn't have that happen again. It would be too much. Besides, he felt that he was needed elsewhere. A...connection of sorts with something in these wilds. What it was, he didn't know. But it was enough for him to deny the offer. 

"I-I'm sorry. But...being in a pack again. It seems a b-bit too much." He looked down at the rabbit, and reached his muzzle down to one of the legs before pulling, holding it down with a paw. The limb came clean out of the socket, and he placed it down to give a few last words.


"If you want it, you are welcome to it" he offered, before turning away and going from a slow trot into a full run, as if he was running. Like he had been for his life. 

Thanks for the thread. I really enjoyed it. I'll archive