Stone Circle Ground had arose and passed its knees
116 Posts
Ooc — Jess
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#1
All Welcome 
The birds had begun their evensong by the time Oryx returned to the packlands after a quick trip beyond the borders to hunt. She preferred the shade and cover of forests and thickets for hunting smaller animals, such as the hare that she carried with her. With her coat, she knew she would have a more difficult time hunting prey in an open valley during the day, and would be left to the mercy of the wind which seemed to change allegiances on a whim when not curbed by the branches of trees. She thought she might take the rabbit to Siarut, as an offering for his mate who would be feeding their new children. She had sworn to prove herself useful, after all, and felt that this would be a kind gesture. 

She stopped and dropped the hare, though, when she saw a mass in the distance, above the tall yellow grasses. It moved, and as she squinted, she realized that this wasn't simply one creature, but rather a herd of them. She'd smelled them before, but hadn't crossed paths with the pack's resident herd of bison yet. They were massive, and deserving of distance, though Oryx knew that at some point, she would likely be called upon to aid in a hunt...It would take a large group of them to take down a bison, she thought, as she watched them. They looked so formidable and sturdy...And with all that extra fur and muscle about their shoulders, she thought it near impossible to inflict any sort of real damage. She watched them, having dropped her hare to the ground, from a respectful distance; a small wisp of a wolf like her, and at such a distance, hadn't even warranted the flick of an ear.
12 Posts
Ooc — Talamasca
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#2
The forest was like home. The trees were thinner here though, growing in scattered groups where they rivaled the stone pillars due east of where they'd rooted. After acquainting himself with the basic topography of the claim Oiseaux moved in to the woods, fascinated by the shapes of the branches, the bouquets of pine needles or birch leaves, the slanting fade of dusk faintly glowing around the white spires of the trees. It was all so familiar—to the point that, Oiseaux had himself partially convinced his mother might step out from the shadows and welcome him to an embrace.

Affection like that had no space in her world, though. Oiseaux knew he was being silly, playing a little game in his head to pass the time, and that he was truly alone in this new place. That was alright. Being alone was not so bad—not when the stars were there to watch him. They would come out soon and if the sky remained clear, he would finally be able to study them from the comfort and safety of the woods.

With this in mind, he trailed along through the forest with his head raised. There wasn't an ounce of confidence within him regardless, and every shift of the wind through the boughs, or soft and distant call of birdsong fading in the air, made his ears fidget and eyes dart about. What came as the biggest surprise was the tendril of scent drifting between the trees; it wasn't the smell of woodchips or the soft loam beneath his paws, but sharper and—of all things—enticing.

Oiseaux followed the scent with some trepidation, emerging from the trees and pausing to look around. He thought he heard a faint thump, and turned in time to see a silhouette prowling away from him. He was nervous but equally curious, so Oiseaux slunk along after that shape—noticing the faint silver of the stranger's nape as it stood out against their deep, dark coat.
116 Posts
Ooc — Jess
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#3
I've wanted to say- Le Petit Prince is one of my most cherished novels. I keep a copy with me wherever I go...And often give it as a gift because there is SO MUCH to be learned from it; I was very chuffed to see you use it as a thread title :)

A faint smile humoured her lips as she watched the beasts move in the distance, unable to see their stocky legs due to the tall grass, but still she could recognize easily the slope of their back, the ragged cape of wooly fur about their shoulders and their blocky heads framed by short, slightly curved horns. She wondered what technique might be used to bring one down; could a wolf even get a proper hold behind the beast's jawline, through that thick beard they wore? And with a head as heavy as that, she assumed they could lift, throw and likely impale a wolf with their horns. They stayed relatively close together too, and simply grazed as a herd...Few stragglers, and few willing to venture very far. As far as she could tell, the relaxed, slow-moving beasts were in their element, and unafraid of being watched. 

She turned an ear back as she heard the faint slither of grass moving, and knew that she was being approached as there wasn't enough of a breeze to make the grasses hiss like that. She turned her head to see a male, highlighted with shades of silver, approaching her with a bright, blue gaze. She nodded her head and allowed the tip of her tail to wave gently, welcoming his approach. Secretively, she turned toward him, glancing over her shoulder as though to make sure that the bison weren't in on the conversation which she began in a hushed voice. Quiet, giddy excitement showed in her eyes, though she felt very tentative about introducing herself in such a way. Still...She was feeling good. It had been a good day so far; why not ride that feeling a bit further?

"I have an important question for you," She said, in a hushed but urgent voice. She glanced over her shoulder again- but the herd remained impassive. She was brimming with quiet but dynamic excitement. "What...did the buffalo say to his son when he left the herd?"
12 Posts
Ooc — Talamasca
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#4
Aww! It is a very good book. I am sorry this took me forever, writing is a struggle sometimes.


The boy was good at being quiet. He was well versed in being "seen but not heard," and even beyond that, he had adapted to being well hidden from the attention of others while he grew up. He kept to the background whenever possible, never voiced his opinions, never offered himself for jobs—but all of that would change here, hopefully. Valette had been welcoming and lovely, full of empathy for his weakness and hopefully the rest of Easthollow was similar.

No matter how skilled he was at the careful, cat-like placement of his steps, he was not invisible. The stranger turned their attention towards him almost immediately, and as she turned to look at him, Oiseaux felt the soft kiss of the wind against his cheek. Of course, he thought—she smelled him coming. He was still so new here that his scent most likely painted a bullseye upon him.

He ducked his head when he caught her eye. Averted his gaze slightly. Tilted his ears back to their natural position against his head. The stranger nodded her head and he saw the motion as a blurry shifting, and before he could do much else, she was prancing over to him. The energy rising off of her in waves was like a gleeful aura and the closer she got, the more transfixed Oiseaux was with her.

Her voice sounded urgent and so he listened, one ear lifting slightly (and giving him a disheveled, childish expression) while he felt his brow crease slightly. Oiseaux tensed along his top line, his anxiety straining his shoulders. Her question was met with concern, and he responded timidly, w..what did... he..?
116 Posts
Ooc — Jess
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#5
Your writing is worth the wait <3

"Bi-son," 

She enunciated the word just enough so that she thought he might catch the pun. Her gaze drifted toward the herd of bison in the distance, as though to accentuate her point, before she turned her shimmering gaze back to him. His eyes seemed to mirror the trepidation with which she typically viewed the world; and oddly enough, it put her at peace to know that she wasn't the odd one out. Neither of them were, not when they weren't in the company of a wolf who might've been more assured or confident. As it was, she sensed that he might be somewhat shy, like her, which gave her a bit of reassurance. She felt she didn't necessarily fit in with the others- those who considered each other family...She still felt like a guest in their midst. 

A faint smile pulled at her lips as she waited, with baited breath, for him to catch on to her joke. She was aware that it wasn't terribly funny- and that it was more of a Dad-joke than anything, but that was about as funny as Oryx would ever get. Her mild persona kept her humour level more fit for children than adults.