Herbalists' Cache To build an empire

All welcome, but aiming for lone wolves! :)

Zaavier was tired, but at least he didn't have to travel across Silver Moraine. His tail swayed as he walked -- like always -- and his handsome face was bright and alert despite his aching shoulder. He glanced around at the dead pine trees that made up the new forest he'd just entered minutes before. 

It was odd seeing the giant trees without their needles. Their branches, naked and brittle reached out from their trunks, twisting and curling in all sorts of manners. They were like menacing fingers summoning the innocent wolf. The trunks with their peeling bark looked eery and sad as well as they stretched for the sky, growing thinner and thinner as they went up. 

His ears twitched, but he heard no sound. There were no sounds to hear despite the brown male's ragged breath and his footsteps. There were no birds to sing their songs, and no squirrels to shake the branches as they scampered along them. But as Zaavier looked around, he could see shoots of grass and buds of new needles upon the trees. That was a sure sign that the birds and squirrels would return, and better yet, the herds.

With a content smile, Zaavier paused and raised his head, letting out a bark for those close enough to hear, summoning them to him. It was time to build himself and empire.

Silver water dripped from the russet wolf's chin as she lifted her head suddenly, azure eyes glistening as she recognize the call as a beckoning one coming from a male who sounded as though he was in a good mood. Her cheeks immediately flushed with warmth, and she sat down for a moment by the stream's side, where she'd been drinking, to cast a glance at her reflection and begin grooming her coat hastily, straightening the fur about her ruff and shoulders and plucking a few stray twigs from her pelt. She stood up once she figured she was prim and proper enough, once again studying her reflection in the rippling waters, before she gave her muzzle one more rub against an outstretched foreleg, donned the prettiest smile she could, she set off at a bouncy trot. 

She was careful to avoid branches that might claw at her pelt and get more debris stuck in it, and carried forward on her petite, off-white paws skimming and skirting along any amount of mud or dirt that might discolour them. She wanted to look her best, and was quite adept at succeeding in this area, though it was the hopes of attracting others more than vanity and pride that made her so particular about her appearance. She wanted desperately to be liked, , though perhaps Alkive might have been better off had she taken the time, while growing up, to realize that the approval of others did not need to come before her approval of herself. 

When she caught sight of him she stopped, ears perked atop her fine head, and one paw dangling elegantly in mid air, as though she'd been taken by surprise. He was almost coyote-like in appearance, with a keen, clever look to his features and a narrow but not unpleasant leanness to his build. Such long legs might have made some wolves look awkward or gangly, but he, instead, simply looked tall and muscular. The reddish male had certainly caught Alkiva's eye- though such a task was not terribly difficult to do. 

She gave him a fey smile and modestly turned her ears back and dipped her head in a greeting to him, waving her tail gently behind her. "Good day," She chimed in a singsong voice, her speech pleasant but perhaps a tad on the dramatic side.

Good day.

He hadn't even scented her arival! She was sneaky. His large, handsome head turned around to meet her briliant gaze. She was a mexican wolf of similar color to Zaavier himself. She had an assortment of grays, browns and reds in her coat and her eyes were a piercing icy blue. They stood out against her pelt like jewels. She was much shorter than him, with a streamlined body, but she seemed agile and swift. 

His normal smirk formed upon his lips as he gazed down at her. "Good day," He repeated back, giving her a lengthy bow. "My name is Zaavier." He assumed that she would tell him his name afterwards, but after trying this with Kinvara, he had no idea what to expect. He might as well get it over with now. "What is is your name?"

His long tail gave a couple wags as he settled himself upon his haunches. His torn shoulder screamed in pain and he winced slightly, but nothing else could be seen as evidence to his pain. His fight with Gluskap had done enough, but his run-in with Thuringwethil had left him even more battered than before. The bitch of an alpha had taken the chance to tear his healing wound once again, and as a result, Zaavier's fur was still soaked in his own blood.

The look of surprise on his handsome features was enough to let Alkiva know that he hadn't seen her approaching. She regretted this slightly, as she'd used her daintiest trot to approach, and had even posed slightly when she'd come to a halt. Nevertheless, he did seem pleased enough to see her, and that would do. Her cheeks grew warm as he turned his gaze to her, and she tilted her head slightly, allowing the sun to catch her eyes though she had to fight to keep herself from squinting. Just let them sparkle, she told herself, finally allowing herself to blink away the dryness when he greeted her and bowed. Needless to say, Alkiva was heavily flattered by the gesture, and found a giddy grin creeping onto her face- but she smoothed it quickly into a slightly sheepish, flattered and bashful smile, turning her muzzle away slightly in a modest gesture. 

"Alkiva," She said, bending one dainty foreleg and returning the bow by leaning her shoulder toward the ground, turning her face sideways slightly so she could still see him. "Alkiva Songbreeze." She said as an afternote. She straightened and padded forward, hesitating when he sat when her eyes were drawn to his still bloody shoulder. Her ears turned back in genuine concern. "You're hurt," She cooed, the blue in her eyes swirling with concern. "Let me help you, please?" She said, slightly excitement rising in her throat as she sensed the possibility of winning him over with a nurturing touch.

She was pretty, that was for sure, and there was nothing to stop Zaavier from tagging her as a welcome distraction whenever he needed it. He smiled and his tail lashed as his eyes scanned her body. 

Snapping out of it, he focused on her words as she spoke. Alkiva Songbreeze. What a wonderful name. He grunted as he shifted his weight, his shoulder firing up again. She returned the bow, and Zaavier admired her respectfulness. He already had a fine and respectful woman on his side, but it would definitely help to have more. The more followers he had, the more potential for a strong pack. He dipped his head once more in return before replying. "You have a very beautiful name Alkiva." He told her with soft brown eyes. He was about to launch into his speech about his forming pack when she stepped forward with a very worried expression, evaluating his wound. He'd named that one his "Thuringwethil Wound". Soon, it'd turn into his "Thuringwethil Scar", but he guessed he didn't mind. He could use one or two new scars.

Being a healer, Zaavier had been very careful to wash his wound as soon as he found a worthy water source, but he hadn't been able to find any cobweb. He glanced at her skeptically, but allowed her to come closer and check it out. "I've cleaned it," he told her, "but it keeps bleeding. I haven't been able to find any cobweb, and I need to find some Burdock Root, but I can't find any so far." He said, wondering if he was confusing her or if she was an expirienced healer. "Are you a healer?" he finally questioned.

In offering her full name, Alkiva had indeed been fishing for a compliment- and she was quite pleased when one was received. Though she loved praise, she was not one to shy away from complimenting others, and so, after she'd blushed slightly and had laughed in a bashful way, she replied. "Thank you. You are very kind," She said, gazing at him for a moment, allowing her heart to throb a bit. A die-hard romantic, Alkiva never gave up on the opportunity to charm someone- believing that it would lead her to her soul-mate...Unfortunately, Alkiva was the kind of wolf who could see a soul-mate for herself in just about any wolf, through interactions she would fabricate in her own mind. Already she'd heard tones in his voice he hadn't actually used, saw a tenderness in his gaze that she would remember after their meeting- a tenderness which was also grown from her own imagination. 

She drew closer, slicking her ears back on her head humbly, as one might do when approaching an alpha, to take a closer look at the wound, and could tell then that it was from another wolf. Jealousy and spite riled in her chest, but at the tone of his voice those demons shied away. He spoke of cobweb, and Alkiva was able to expertly mask the disgust she felt at the mention of it. He wanted to use cobwebs in his wound? Nasty spiderwebs? Or was a cobweb actually a type of plant? He mentioned burdock root, and yet again, she had to hide her distaste. She knew what burdocks were, for sure- she hated when they got stuck in her pelt. 

And now came the question, and Alkiva replied without blinking. "I know burdock," She said, not directly answering his question- for in truth, Alkiva knew very little about plants and didn't care to know much about them. But for him, of course, she wanted to be able to know more. In her mind, she began to imagine herself as the type of wolf who could identify plants by their leaves, know where they would grow habitually, and their uses...But the actual facts and information were nowhere to be found in her memory. "I can help you find some," She said, looking up at him with crystal clear eyes. "I can at least help you look," She said, and, voice growing soft, she turned her gaze away. "I'm on my own...And I would love to have the company," She admitted.

She thanked him and gave him a smile, but he had trouble paying any mind because he was too focused on his wound. His ears flicked back in pain as he stood up. She seemed confused when be mentioned cobweb and burdock, but he couldn't be sure for she hid her emotions well. To his own confusion, she told him she was a healer despite her inexperienced actions. He shrugged it off as she offered to help find some herbs. 

"Well, I would love to, but I honestly don't have time," he told her with a sad gaze. But he brightened up again when she mentioned being alone and wanting the company. Perfect. "But why don't come come along with me? I am starting a pack and I would love to have you within the ranks." It was true, she had an able body and seemed to have the right potential for what he believed would make a strong pack. With a flock of his tail and a smile, he waited for her response.

Sadness was surprisingly not the first emotion to hit Alkiva when Zaavier declined her offer. Instead, she began to feel anxious and somewhat frantic- she had to find some way to keep him from simply leaving her, perhaps through seduction, or a feigned injury, or something of the sort. She was disappointed in herself for not being able to win over his company, and simply because he didn't have time. He wasn't telling the truth- she was sure of it. He didn't like her, he found her weak, he caught onto the fact that she wasn't a medic, he didn't find her attractive-

But then, in an instant, all of those doubts and insecurities went flying out the window and Alkiva nearly fainted on the spot. 

He. Was. Starting. A. Pack.

And come hell or high water, Alkiva was going to make sure she was the lady at his side. Not necessarily at first, or course, as he definitely had other followers and a pecking order would be established, but she would try her darndest to make sure she pleased him and rose through the ranks as swiftly as she could, eventually winning over his heart and making herself into the alpha female she had always needed to be. They could have puppies together- oodles of puppies, little ones that had his fur, her eyes....Or ones that had her fur and his eyes...Alkiva was quick to obsess over such things and, as she always did, she presumed far too much. After all, she'd only just barely met Zaavier and there she was, envisioning their pups...Their grandpups, even. 

Fortunately, Zaavier couldn't read her mind, and bail before he stepped into her trap. 

Some wolves might have played hard to get, or might have expressed some hesitation so as to not seem too needy, but Alkiva saw no sense in holding back. She was all in. "Of course!" She said, lifting her head to nudge his chin gratefully, as one might greet a favoured leader. "Of course," She repeated, still beaming. "I'll be perfect for you, for the pack," She said, tail waving. "I promise!"

omg she's making me laugh so hard

No, Zaavier couldn't read her mind, nor could he tell what he was getting himself into. She seemed so excited to join him, and her smile was absolutely contagious. His own grin spread across his face and he wagged his tail. "Thats great!" He exclaimed, his face lighting up.

She promised to be perfect for the pack. For him. Zaav loved that she was so enthusiastic and determined to prove to him she'd be a worthy member. He got to his paws, wincing from the pain. All too often did his wound remind him that he needed to find herbs and cobwebs. However, he pushed that aside once again, telling himself that he would do that later. His hazelnut eyes searched her face for a short moment before he glanced towards the coast. "Come with me. We need to head out to the coast to meet Kinvara. She is my other follower. She will be waiting for us there so we can start our journey." He told her, angling his broad shoulders towards the ocean so they could start moving.

They began to walk, and soon they made it out of the Herbalists' Cache. His injury slowed them down, but Zaavier relentlessly moved forward, determined to find Kin and start moving. Maybe they'd even find another follower or two along the way.

XD Feel free to tag me in any future threads Zaavier will have, 'cause Alkiva will be following him like a shadow hehe

And there it was- confirmation. Alkiva needed reassurance almost every time she put herself out on a limb, otherwise she would sink into a terrible, self-loathing sadness and become a much uglier being. Fortunately, this was not the case and Zaavier indulged her, giving her a happy, warm feeling inside. He's falling for me already! Said the little voice in her head, latching onto the smile he'd given her and assigning much more to it. Already he'd begun to feed her fantasies, making Alkiva an unrealistically happy wolf. 

She moved to his side, ready to follow him basically off the edge of a volcano or into the tidal waves of the ocean if it came to that, though she was struck dumb for a moment by the mention of another wolf. Another female. She did her best not to lose her cool, and instead smiled slightly. "I look forward to meeting her," She said, though such was far from the truth. He already knew another female that would join him. He'd known this Kinvara one for longer than he'd known her. Did they have a relationship? How far along was their friendship? 

Still staying remarkably calm and positive on the outside, Alkiva engaged in pleasant and amicable conversation with Zaavier as they headed toward the coast, though on the inside she was dreading the moment she'd meet this Kinvara.