Northstar Vale Here comes the rain again

It took a while to get from Arrow Lake to the valley, and while on her journey, dark clouds were beginning to roll in, obscuring any light. As she entered Northstar Vale, fat drops of rain began to follow, and she quickened her pace, racing for cover under the coniferous trees that blanketed the edges of the valley.

Finally under some semblance of shelter, Qamar set her fish on the ground and began to eat it slowly, savoring the taste. This could be the last meal she would have in a while, and she didn't want to gulp it down without enjoyment. After she had eaten, she lay down and rested her head on her paws, watching the rain fall in sheets. A few drops reached her, sluicing through her thick silver fur, but she stayed otherwise dry in the deluge.

She thought about what Noctura had said earlier about Sirius, the Wolf Star. Could that bright orb have been what had led her to Ryujin? If so, it was a stunning twist of fate. Qamar wished the night skies would be clear enough to search for Sirius again, but with this sudden storm, it was impossible to do so this evening. A sharp crack of lightning disturbed her thoughts and made her fur bristle, and her green eyes stayed wide open, staring alertly at her surroundings.

This was not what she had had in mind when she thought of exploring, but the rain would have to do.

Since entering the Teekon Wilds they sky had been clear or mostly clear, so when the grey clouds started to cover the sky he stopped and directed his bright yellow eyes up to watch their slow progress. He never disliked the rain, even if it did dull his senses of smell and sight. The sound of the drops on rocks and how they slowly filled his fur was comforting, in some strange way. When the sky opened to shed its tears, his eyes closed as a smile crept to his face. A few of the drops found his nostrils as a landing, forcing him drop his head to stare at the ground.

He sat as he tried to let his mind go blank, but in the rain where others could use the loss of smell as an advantage, he wasn't allowed to let all thoughts go. His ears swivled, trying to find an out of place noise amongst the rain. However, as time went on, he had to leave his spot in search of what little shelter might be availible.

Movement outside the pine canopy caught her attention, and she lifted her head, staring into the dim light ahead. Something was out there, pacing in the rain. Qamar inhaled and found the scent of a wolf, unaffiliated with any pack, and relaxed.

She was unwilling to leave her forest shelter and venture out into the rain, so she stayed put, resting her head back down on her paws. She made no motion to call out to the wolf. If they passed on, they passed on. Her silvery fur provided poor camouflage in the wet darkness, so if they ventured into her shelter, they would find her. Let them come, thought Qamar drowsily, stifling a yawn.

Unaware of the stranger, or that she was taking shelter nearby, started making his way to the trees. He looked closely at places that looked like they would offer some shelter, only to find the interior too small for him to stay comfortable for long. After looking through two more such spaces, he spotted the occupied shelter, though without knowledge of the stranger. Once he was almost at the entrance, he noticed the silver female and took a step back. He tilted his head and sat, trying to figure out how large the space was.

She saw the dark form make its way through the trees and smiled. Here they come. The stranger revealed itself to be a black-furred male, short yet sturdy, with yellow eyes that cut through the murky light.

"Greetings," Qamar said casually, lifting her head to get a better look at the newcomer. "I've never seen your face before. Who might you be?"

There were many loners around these parts. Qamar anticipated one day she might know most of them, but for now, a great deal of introductions were being made.

He shook his head to clear some of his thoughts away. "I'm Hollow Riken, and you are..?" He didn't say anything about not being recognized, since he did just get there a few days ago. Looking up at the sky once more, he tried to figure out how long the rain would continue. Just as before, his head hung to the ground when a few of the drops hit his nose. The black male glanced at the silver form of the female, not wanting to seem rued by looking somewhere else for too long.

"I'm Qamar. Nice to meet you, Hollow."

She noticed his glance up to the sky, barely peeking through canopy of the tree tops above. "I don't think it's going away for a while."

Which she supposed was a good thing. A nice deluge would aid in getting the new generation of greenery up and blooming, replacing their older, locust-destroyed counterparts. And with new plants came new prey, then perhaps the herds would return. . .

She shook her head, clearing those idealistic thoughts. One day at a time. "What brings you to Teekon?" Qamar asked the black wolf, her voice intrigued.

The black male shrugged, there wasn't any one reason he decided to stay around this area. "Getting away from my grandfather's pack. My brother and I weren't exactlty treated like we should've been." He sighed and looked down. "It was a weird pack anyways." Looking back up at Qamar and smiled. "And it's nice to meet you." He layed down with a plop from the mix of soaked fur and mud.

"I see," said Qamar, taking in Hollow's words. He, like she, had abandoned his familial pack for a fresh start. She wondered whether he sought entry in another pack, and decided to ask.

"Do you come seeking solitude, or acceptance into a new pack?"

She watched the black wolf carefully, gauging his reaction. He looked strong enough, and if that strength corresponded to skills in hunting, he could be a welcome face in Ryūjin's ranks. However, if he wanted to stay alone, due to his past experiences, she would have to honor that.

The dark male nodded, but didn't give any other signs of interest. "I am, and I've already talked to another female who said we'll make our way there in the next few days, maybe weeks. I lost track." It was easy for him to lose track, as he tended to zone out every once in awhile. He also didn't know the female he was speaking to was part of a pack, and of course he was open to joining any pack he came across, as long as they were welcoming he didn't care. He gave his head a quick shake to get the water out of his eyes.

He had already made arrangements to go elsewhere. Qamar felt a pang of disappointment--the dark wolf would have made a fine addition to her tribe--but was careful not to let it show on her face, continuing to smile warmly at Hollow Riken. "Glad to hear you've already made a few acquaintances here in Teekon," she said. "If you change your mind, or if those plans fall through, I invite you to find me again. I will bring you to our tribe's borders, introduce you to our chieftess."

Her voice was smooth, almost coquettish, as she gave Hollow the invitation to give Ryujin a try, if he so desired. Her mother had taught her that trick. Men can be wooed into following you anywhere, she had told her only daughter. It was said that Malka, one of the most beautiful creatures in the northern wilds, could ensnare any wolf to do her bidding with merely a smile. If Qamar had inherited one-tenth of that talent, she would find herself in an incredibly fortunate position.

She did have one further question for the black loner. "Why do you wish to stay here in Teekon? There's scarce prey to be found. What has convinced you to remain here?" There were no ulterior motives behind this query; Qamar was honestly curious.

He tilted his head, the words 'tribe' and 'chieftess' sounding foreign to him. "What is a tribe and chieftess, exactly? I've never heard of those before." Hearing her talk about the plans not working out, he faintly remembered the female from before had said something about deciding not to go back. However, Hollow wasn't going to say anything about it unless he knew what he would be getting into. Sticking around here wouldn't be bad, then again, he didn't know what the packs in the area were like.

"And I stay here because I'm tired of traveling every day, it's about time to settle down in one place. Prey may be scarce now, but give it time and it'll come back." He looked around, blinking water from his eyes. It was the truth, though he was also willing to travel as far as he needed to find a pack, or in this case a tribe, that would be willing to take him in.

She smiled as he asked her about the pair of words she had used to describe Ryujin and her leader, respectively. They had sounded just as foreign to her when she had arrived here. "My leader, Asterr, comes from a culture where packs are known as 'tribes' and their leaders called 'chiefs' or 'chieftesses,'" Qamar explained.

As for his explanation on why he had decided to stay, Qamar nodded in agreement. "Yes, the big game will return. How long we'll have to wait for that to happen. . .I don't know. But I think you've chosen well to stay here and settle."

short post, bleghh

Hollow nodded, the cheifs and cheiftesses sounded like the alphas. "Easiy enough, I guess. They're still strange terms." He sighed before putting his head down in the mud. The rain had made his fur heavy and the added weight to his head, though slight, made it heavier then he liked. "It's always uncertain, but inevitable. And I'm happy with my choice, I've been walking for the past few months almost none stop." Smiling, he pushed himself up and tried shaking the water from his fur, only for most of it to be replaced seconds later.

"I'm interested in seeing if this tribe functions different from a pack." He once again sat, tilting his head as he did. He was going to settle somewhere eventually, so why not see what other group structures?

Qamar noticed the black wolf's thick pelt held the water like a sponge; he kept shaking himself, droplets flying every which way, but to no avail--he remained wet. She was a bit soaked, herself, but paid it no mind, continuing to nod along as Hollow spoke.

"I used to be part of a pack, and my tribe operates very similarly," she explained. "I don't know if there's any major differences, beside the names."

Her ears pricked as Hollow mentioned interest. With a smile, she said, "I can take you to meet my chieftess, if you'd like. If you find her a worthy leader, perhaps you and she can talk further about your options."

"So, there shouldn't be much of a difference?" He tilted his head slightly, then grinned at the thought of seeing for himself. Joining the tribe was becoming more of an option to him, and with the different terms seemed more interesting. "I'd like to meet her, this tribe sounds like a good place to start." He couldn't recall if she'd mentioned the cheftess' name or not, but given enough time it might come back.

"We're just like any other pack. We value loyalty, consistency, and, of course, meaningful contributions to the group."

With a shake of her wet pelt, she looked to the southeast, where her pack resided. The day had grown into night during their conversation, the soggy deluge carrying on for hours. She looked back at Hollow, her eyes bright in the darkness.

"Follow me," she said determinedly, getting up and beginning to pad towards home. "I will take you to Asterr."

 

Last from me

Hollow didn't notice the sky had darkened behind the clouds and wouldn't have cared if he did. Casting one more look at the sky, he followed. "Thank you." He'd had no idea she was looking towrds the pack until they were on their way. He was hoping the tribe would take him.