Wapun Meadow testing the compass

Open to anyone.

Chai was restless. And she was still, very much unfamiliar with this new wilderness in which she found herself. It was lovely, sure. Full of all the potential resources a wolf would need to survive. But she struggled to get her bearings. She didn't know the territories. Which sectors of land were claimed by packs and which were not. Unaware of how truly deep she was into the heart of the Teekon Wilds, but convinced she wouldn't be finding her way out anytime soon, she decided to do something about her situation.

If she were to stay for the foreseeable future, then she had best get to know the area. Feeling less tired than before, but still with an occasionally gurgling tummy, she had set off in a westerly direction. Before long she found herself in a wide open space; a great meadow lined with trees to the south. Her pale eyes fell on the creek that cut through it's heart, but with little interest. Blanketed in snow, it was hard for her to imagine what beauty this place would hold in the spring and summer months. 

With slow, measured paces, she followed the creek. Russet head down, but eyes and ears up, she sniffed tentatively along the snow. Waiting to see what she may find, be it the scent of another wolf or the faint hint of a snack lurking inches beneath the snow. It might have been a boring start to her little search, but it was a start nonetheless.

The swarthy paragon had found a fondness in the lush woodland where he'd met the feeble woman and on a whim, decided to rest there for a day to regain the strength he'd spent on his travels. At daybreak he rose and wandered southbound, the wind and his nose weaving him on a path that led him past lakes and rivers, eventually dumping him smack in the middle of an open field where the winter breeze revealed a colorful array of new scents. 

Among them was the honeyed trail of a young dame and Sanguinus, curious to know who lied at the end of the sugarcoated path, took to following it. It was not hard to miss the earthly temptress when she came into view, for the chestnut of her coat was lit ablaze in the midwinter daylight and stood out like wildflowers against a pastel background. After a moment of admiration he lifted his chin skyward and let out a sharp call for her attention, pearlescent gaze watchful for what would unfold. 

Despite the lush, thick winter coat tinted with earthen, honeyed and fiery strokes, a shiver still crawled it's way up the young females spine. Her eyes fluttered shut softly at this, accompanied by the wish for warmth. For her own cozy little den, tucked away from the chill of winter. Or maybe even better, one with bodies to whom she could huddle up to on the most bitter of nights. Wishful thinking.

Breaking the silence and her daydreaming was a sharp voice. Calling to her. Thrust back into reality rather abruptly, she snapped her head up, perched high atop her delicate shoulders. Icy eyes wide open yet soft and ears erect, she stood stiffly, on high alert. It was if she were posing just for him, the way she stood with one delicate foreleg raised up off the ground, shoulders back and spine sloped. It was a lucky accident of course that Chai's body had slipped into such a posture in that moment, unaware that it was she who was being admired moments prior from afar.

The wolf...a male by the looks of his stature, was very easy to spot. His dark coat mixed with the deepest of mahogany was like a stain against the stark backdrop of snow. Whatever happened here today, by looks alone, she would not forget this individual. Still separated by some distance...more than just a few body lengths away, she offered a single, sharp swish of her tail. And returned his call, tipping her head to release a short but naturally sweet pitched note. She was no threat...and happy to have found some form of company out in this otherwise empty field.

He found the sight of her impressive, for she held an aura about her that was regal and defined - capable of making a man such as himself bow without any reason other than the feeling that he should. And that's exactly what he did, head dipping low as his gaze remained glued to her willowy features, a puff of smoky vapor clouding his sight as he rose from his curtsy. 

With slow, calculated steps he began to close the distance between them, tail swishing to and fro behind him in a rhythmic beat as the winter breeze sent a fluster of flurries among them. And when finally he reached but a tail's distance from her a raw, hoarse whine peeled its way from his lips as his ears fluttered atop his ashen crown. If allowed he'd aim to nose his way along the length of her neck, with hopes of inspecting and gathering information of where she'd been and discovering just who exactly this earthly siren was. 

While many would say otherwise, Chai truly didn't think that she was anything special, looks wise. Perhaps it was due to her upbringing...of the expectations set for her. As he...bowed with a low dip of his head, she, surprised, took a single step back. Was she really so deserving of such a gesture? 

Intently, she watched as he closed the space between them. Every muscle in her feminine body was tense, but without an ounce of hostility. Her usually outgoing demeanor was replaced with one of uncharacteristic timidness, only in thanks to her circumstances. Once she adapted...settled in, she'd bounce back. As he drew closer, more and more fine details met her eye. His blackish coat, tinted with the darkest of rusts...almost blood like, was riddled with scars. The one across his equally striking periwinkle eye stood out the most, and as he neared, she drew in a single breath. Perhaps out of admiration...or maybe nervousness. Yet his whine soothed any raw nerves enough for her to allow him that sniff he wanted. Turning so they half circled on another, the flame kissed Chai inched her nose close to graze along the fur of his shoulder, should he let her.

His approach was not protested against or turned away and a sudden wave of restfulness enveloped him in a comforting veil as he gently preened through the thickness of her winter coat. And in a similar fashion as she had done with him, Sanguinus openly invited her to inspect him all while his tail began to sway at hocks in a steady, rhythmic beat with ears swiveling atop his crown as he satisfied his curiosity.

"You are not from around here" he announced in raspy breath as he withdrew a step backwards, eyes intently locked on the delicate features of her face while he studied the air about her. For a fleeting moment from the caged depths of his chest, the wayward guardian's heart fluttered in faultless admiration - for up close she was even more breathtaking and he felt incomparable in her presence. 

Thump...thump...thump. Went her heart, fluttering rapidly. Why, she hadn't the slightest idea. But she wasn't afraid. Wasn't nervous. She sought not to flee. If anything, the soothing aura emanating from the mahogany, scarred stranger made her want to stay. There was just something about this man, whom she knew nothing of, that lured her in. Tugged at her curiosity, deepening her urge to learn more.

Beneath her plush winter coat, her skin quivered ticklishly from his gentle ruffaging. She didn't mind; it had been so long since she had felt the soothing touch of anyone. Glacial eyes caught the sweeping motion of her tail, not realizing that her own was stirring to life at her heels. The silence was broken at last, by a voice that made her chest tighten. Wide eyed but unafraid, she stared back at him. Then she shook her head softly, ears flicking back. "No...no I am not. I've travelled a long way, that I do know." Her muzzle tipped down, so she may stare into his eyes, transfixed. "Who...who are you?"

She confirmed his suspicions and the champion couldn't help but wonder from what corner of the earth did such a woman as she hail from. Was it the ice tundras of the north or perhaps the rolling plains of the south? Yet she was not like an individual he'd met before and he thought perhaps she was heaven sent instead, for he believed in such angelic fables despite their unrealistic and childish properties.  

"Sanguinus" he introduced with a formal dip of his maw, gaze never fleeing from the feminine features of her face. And it was then he supposed if he wished to know more of her, which he certainly did, he'd need to ask. "And you are?" he questioned with a slight tilt of his ashen head, brow raising as his heart drummed in anticipation of her name. 

Here she was, so far from home, yet facing the most captivating of strangers. She too, wondered where a man such as he hailed from. Someplace rugged, perhaps, like himself? How fitting it was that the warrior and angel be brought together.

Sanguinus. That was his name. For the lapse of just a few seconds, her eyes fluttered shut as she committed it to memory. She inhaled his scent again, deeper this time so she'd remember it, long after they parted ways. When she pried her eyes open again to meet his at the press for her own name, she swallowed thickly. "Just...Chai." She managed, still unable to contain the slight waver in her voice. "You...surely must know this wilderness better than I, do you not?"

The two of them could have danced to the beat of his heart had it pounded any louder in his chest. Truth be told he feared she might hear the very drum that seemed to thump away in his ears - bum bum BUM BUM - until suddenly the rhythmic flutter stopped at the sound of her name. 

Pretty - it was the first word that popped into his brain when she introduced herself and he found himself wondering if it was meant to describe her name or her as a whole.

"I've only recently discovered this stretch of the world" he answered with a calm swish of his tail, thankfully not giving away the nervous butterflies that seemed to have taken up residence in his stomach. "It's beautiful don't you think?" he asked, mainly to just ask something - after all the last thing he needed right now was awkward silence that left him alone to deal with the thoughts in his head. 

Had she been human, Chai's skin would have been tinted with a heated blush, tiny beads of sweat lining her forehead. Thank goodness for her thick layer of warm fur that hid the slightest hint of her true emotions. She remained innocent of his...of the matching, erratic beat of his heart. But even if she wasn't...would that be such a bad thing? Subconsciously, she already knew she must meet with him again.

"It's new...but breathtaking, yes." Her neck craned to guide her head to the right, where she admired the snowy landscape, complete with the tree line in the distance. She wondered what lay beyond it. She couldn't wait to find out, as nervous as she was. "I'm tempted to stay...but it'll take some getting used to." She took one step ahead, then another...inviting him to walk with her. "What was it like...where you are from?"

Breathtaking indeed. These wilds were in a way, calmer, more aesthetic than that of his homeland. The fauna here were more diverse as was the weather and the plant life. All together they made up for a more interesting and enchanting scenery. A shame the days seemed twice as short and the nights twice as a long though. 

"Cold, snowy, wet" he started, his pace naturally falling into beat with her own. "There wasn't much to it" and with that he spoke the truth. Everything was white, even the wildlife for that matter - save of course for his bloodline which stood out among their colorless world. "At night it was a different story though. Colors would dance across midnight the sky while all the stars you could ever imagine shone in the background."

In her minds eye, she pictured what he described. A cold, white landscape. It sounded...dull. Until night. Turning her head his way as he spoke of colors dancing upon the sky, with thousands of stars twinkling. "Wow...that...must make up for it." She moved her eyes away and up towards that same sky above them. Only here, tonight, the stars were faint. She frowned softly. "There's always been something about looking up...at the heavens that's made me feel at peace..."

Her glacial eyes slid shut in a lapse of contentment. Of memory. When she reopened them, she resumed walking. The sound of two sets of paws  crunching against the snow broke the silence that stretched in between their exchange of words. Without realizing she was inching closer to his mahogany side, she asked. "Do you miss it? What...made you leave?"

Sanguinus was never truly one with nature, for it simply wasn't him. He respected the power of earth in all its complexity and admired the beauty around him, but he only ever sought the artistry of nature when he wanted to escape his troubles, not out of love and dedication like some others. Still, he shook his head in agreement at her words, as peace had always come easiest to him when he surrounded himself in mother nature's creations.

"I find myself longing for the familiarity of my homeland rather than my home itself" he revealed, hoping it somewhat made sense. He craved for the comfort of winter, not the north or those within it. "As for why I left, well" he paused, unsure how to word his answer. "I was selected to go out and find a master to serve for the rest of my life, a master I am still searching for to this day."

Chai wasn't a wolf who was exactly in tune with nature either. Sure, she respected it and admired the beauty it had to offer, but that was all. She didn't...connect with it like some deeper wolves might. Her brows pinched together softly, while she considered his statement. Then with a click, she understood. "I think I know what you mean." She looked down. "I can relate..." She uttered quietly.

In the next instant, his words lifted her gaze back up towards his eyes again. Confusion wrote itself over her delicate, soft face in contrast to his handsome, scarred one. She tipped her head quizzically to the side, trying to wrap her mind around the concept. "A...master?" She shook her head, trying to understand. "Is that what you want...to put someone else's needs before your own?" That way of lifestyle was foreign to her. She gave of herself to those whom she was closest to by caring, being there as a friend. Doing good deeds and contributing. Perhaps she was mistaken...this almost sounded like sacrificing your freedom.

It was not uncommon for others to be puzzled or curious on his controversial way of life, so the questions that followed were not surprising in the slightest. However the way she phrased her inquiry made him think twice about his answer or, more specifically, if this life is truly what he wanted for himself. "I've known nothing different" came his initial response that was quickly followed with "and can think of nothing more honorable than serving another with my life."

He could not miss or crave what he'd never had, which truthfully made his life all the simpler when it came to sticking to his beliefs. But this journey, this freedom he was experiencing now made him long for easier times. He was not a man to abandon his way at the first sight of failure or hardship or liberty but, that did not mean he didn't long for the independence so many others took for granted.

Were it possible, her features smoothed over more in understanding. Chai didn't necessarily agree in binding oneself completely to a sole individual for the sake of serving their every whim. But if this lifestyle was all the rugged mahogany male ever knew, she couldn't blame him. It was his life...his choice to make. She respected that. 

"Then...if that is what makes you happiest, more power to you." Serving a purpose you enjoyed was better than chasing after one you never even had. Like herself. She had never even been given such a chance. Not even in childhood. It was here in the Teekon that she hoped to change that. Be it in weeks or months from now, or even years. "It's very selfless of you." She cast him a side glance with one of her soft smiles. Her eyes were on the distant tree line. There she would find shelter...a place to hunker down for the coming night.

Happy. It was a word he could never quite wrap his head around. Did being happy meant he was untroubled or did it simply mean the troubles he had were overcast by a pleasurable experience he felt in the moment? He supposed it didn't matter either way, so long as what he did with his time here made him satisfied when he looked back on his life. "I've found that selflessness is far more rewarding than selfishness" he let out, head turning to catch the painted wispy smile over her graceful features. 

He could not remember a time when his priority had been himself. It was always another and then another after them, a never ending cycle of faces and personalities he'd had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know. Would he give all that up just to please himself? Hell no. What a lonely life that'd be. 

Chai often questioned if she really knew what true happiness was. Did she feel content? Satisfied? Of course. But never anything more. She knew something was lacking and always would be until she unlocked the potential hidden deep inside herself. Until then she was adrift, searching. Hoping. 

"I would rather give, then take. It's just not like me to be greedy." The tree line loomed closer and they were a few short strides away from the thick, protective cover now. "You are rewarded in so many ways." But she wasn't. Her own family never acknowledged her. Praised her in spite of her best efforts. They merely shrugged her off dismissively. Her caramel and cream toned form slipped between the first of many tall trees ahead of them. "I think I will be staying here a while. I miss my family but not nearly enough to go back." Why should she? The Teekons were full of possibilities. Plus, she knew he was here too. A friend to visit with.

Sighing, she came to a stop and looked around, observing the area. Nothing but spindly trees, still yet to sprout fresh new leaves. A snow covered floor, strewn with leaf litter and several modestly sized rocks. If the wind picked up, the area wouldn't be very protected. "I'll have to make due with this for the evening. My legs are aching...I don't want to wear myself down."

He hadn't noticed them nearing the woodlands for he was far to engrossed in their conversation to pay attention to much else. In fact it wasn't until she brought up that she'd be staying among the timbers that Sangunius finally took notice to where they stood. He could have swore they had been on the opposite side of the field just a moment ago. Crazy how time flies.

"There is an abandoned fox den not far from here" he revealed, muzzle motioning in the direction of the burrow he had discovered the night before. "I stayed there during the night and know it offers much better protection from the elements than out in the open like this." He was confident she could make it through the evening without any real concern, but the idea of her having to face the harsh winter alone without any shelter unsettled him.

"Keep going forward until you reach a stream, there next to a boulder is where the hideout lies" and with that he assumed his time with her had come to an end. She needed to rest her aches and he needed to continue his search, a farewell that would leave him longing for the day when he could see her again. "I hope to see again Chai, your company has been most enjoyable." No further words slipped from his mouth as he lowered his crown once more, body slipping away in the next moment as his form faded in the distance. Until next time..