Stone Circle I want to break it into pieces small enough to understand
patron saint
are we all lost like you?
253 Posts
Ooc — Jaclyn
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#1
All Welcome 
Merrit followed a new curiosity today: a track line scuffed into the earth, long and winding on a horizontal path that cut straight through the rendezvous. After inspecting the track from every angle, he concluded he had never seen anything quite like this before. Further still, the scent he picked up when he sniffed at the earth was discreet and unfamiliar beyond the overwhelming ones of his kin, and Merrit wondered if this had been a part of a game his siblings had played while he was off inspecting or exploring.

But what had they done to make these patterns? Merrit turned his head, thoughtful, before lowering his rump and scooting forward to drag his tail through the ground. Yet when he turned to survey his work, he found himself unsatisfied, so he padded back and tried again with his paw. But this, too, didn't work. He frowned, and trotted off to return with a stick too big for him. Keeping the stick steady ached a burn along his shoulders, but he had to, and slowly he eased the shaky tip to the ground. When he had scored a winding line, he stepped away to find all three of his attempts crude compared to the original, and he fixed his brow, considering.

If these weren't made by his siblings - then what? The path cascaded from forest to forest, and Merrit, not knowing which way the tracks would lead, simply turned one direction and followed, with his neck sloped and eyes fixed on the ground, unaware of how the sun passed overhead, or how the trees began to thin around him.
"The mountains do not break to the wind nor does the sky change for a single individual."
508 Posts
Ooc — Wilthking
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#2
Greyback was on his way through the forest when he stopped at the tiniest sound of paw-steps. Twitching his ear, he turned his head towards it and slowly made his way over, his large body parting vegetation. It was there that he saw Merrit observing something in the dirt. He watched quietly, wondering what the youngster did, curiosity getting the best of him.

It was when the blue pup trotted off and returned with a stick too large for his body that the man's brows furrowed in worry and his mouth became a firm line. He had to admit it was quite humorous, but the pup could hurt himself if he wasn't careful. "Young Merrit," He called, his voice friendly. "What are you doing, dear?"

Greyback stepped the rest of the way out of the shrub and walked over slowly, his head dipping in attempt to nose at the boys side in greeting. He then turned to what was in the dirt and observed the handiwork, unable to tell what was going on.


patron saint
are we all lost like you?
253 Posts
Ooc — Jaclyn
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#3
He only made it a few steps beyond the perimeter of the rendezvous when a voice made him pause and recalculate his path with a turn of his head. Merrit met the elder Greyback with a blink of his wide and searching eyes. Surely it was clear what he was doing. That much was obvious just by looking. But as Greyback surveyed the etchings in the ground, Merrit studied his face and sensed a genuine confusion, so he tipped his muzzle to point at the curving line he followed, the one he hadn't drawn with his rump or with the stick.

"Trackin'," he said, innocent and simple as he surveyed the line with a thoughtful tip of his head before he turned back to Greyback with a calm lift of his voice. "I dunno what made them, so I'm going t'find out."
"The mountains do not break to the wind nor does the sky change for a single individual."
508 Posts
Ooc — Wilthking
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#4
Greyback studied the ground as Merrit looked at him. He sniffed lightly at it, trying to pick up any other scent than the pup. A few remained, but it was clear they were long gone. Greyback himself, was a little curious as to what made the original tracks but chuckled at the Merrit's attempts to recreate it. 

"Trackin', I dunno what made them, so I'm going t'find out."

"Hmm," Greyback hummed, looking around. He looked off to where the tracks led, but couldn't see any end of it. He gave a nod, "I think that's a wonderful idea, " he encouraged, looking down at the pup with a smile. It would be a good learning experience for Merrit.


patron saint
are we all lost like you?
253 Posts
Ooc — Jaclyn
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#5
Of course his idea was a good one. He didn't follow the ones that didn't make sense to him. Merrit tried to reflect the warm smile Greyback offered, but the child's grin etched his face like a feeble skeleton of something that should have been grand - genuine in his attempt, but awkward and strained upon the young boy's face. Yet in his mind, his contentment was well enough communicated, and he let his smile fall as he set off into the bushes with the quickest beckon - "c'mon," - his only invitation for Greyback to follow.

With his eyes and nose to the ground, he wove slow and concentrated steps along every inch of the winding trail, tongue stuck out, head tipped, and brow furrowed as he wondered at the tracks, while he wondered aloud, "why d'you talk funny?" Blunt, and out of the blue - like Greyback would know what that meant. But Merrit had been thinking about it ever since he'd first heard the man talk to his family with names that weren't their names - like miss, and lady, and the fact that only Merrit was privy to this context went straight over his head. Since Greyback was the one in question, he just assumed the man would understand.
"The mountains do not break to the wind nor does the sky change for a single individual."
508 Posts
Ooc — Wilthking
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#6
Greyback watched as the boy attempted to smile up at him, the expression stretching across the young child's face nearly making the man chuckle. Merrit was an unusual kid, he came off as curious and well calculated beyond his age. Greyback wondered if it was the child all on his own, or if someone was influencing him. He seemed different from his siblings-not that it was bad. He would go far in the world.

"c'mon,"

Greyback looked up from where he was staring to notice the boy was walking away. "Right away," He replied as he followed the tiny voice and blue fur. He walked behind him at a slow pace; his strides more than twice the child's. Taking his attention off the boy once more to look around, eyeing the forest around them. It seemed calm this morning, nothing of danger in sight. For now.

"why d'you talk funny?"

Tipping his head, Greyback snapped his gaze back to boy who was still focused on the trail. To a child he supposed so, especially since Merrit was young and did not know much of anyone outside Easthollow.

Giving a chuckle this time, he shook his head. "I come from a place far away," He stated, wondering if the child needed more of an explanation. "In tradition, higher ranks were to speak in sophisticated manner," Sophisticated didn't mean anything to the man anymore. He knew there was nothing wrong with how anyone spoke, especially among the wolves of this land. Greyback had learned to accept that long ago.