blood and rust

*Eos* · October 30, 2014, 03:44 PM

Borders for IC joining. @Aktaiê or @Caiaphas

The long-legged waif trailed along the vast expanse of land, her sea green gaze roaming the rises and falls that happened across the cliffs. It was impressive, though not the reason that Eos had been drawn to the area. There was something formidable in the great stretch of escarpment, still the scent that lingered in the air – just out of reach – was far more intriguing than anything nature could procure. There was an aroma that was not common for most packs. Eos lifted her muzzle upwards and – past the ever-present smell of sea salt and brine – there was an astonishing abundance of females. On any other day, the trim woman would have moved on, but this land was so very close to the sea. So close to home. Her breath caught in her chest and Eos blinked cautiously at the stretch of cliffs before her, looming like sentinels in the early morning light.
Trailing on lengthy limbs, the loner followed the stretch of rock until it seemed to taper away to a secluded opening. It was heavily marked, drowned in the scent of the sea wolves who called the other side their home. The naiad held her position at the mouth of their pack, her flyaway pelt rising and falling with the gusts that blew in towards the sea.
Karthas had been destroyed many months before. The storm had taken most of their land and several of their members to the water. Those who had been pulled from the island had not returned, and those who had survived did not remain for long in Karthas. Yet, Eos still longed for her home near the cove and the scent of sea salt and brine. The ocean had been her home since birth. She had been alone for long enough. Drawing her slender muzzle upwards, the female parted her lips to call to whoever would find her at their borders. On long legs she swayed against the harsh billowing wind as it rocked her frame from side to side.

Caiaphas · (This post was last modified: January 20, 2015, 02:45 PM by Caiaphas.)

Caiaphas' head lifted abruptly from the pinestraw floor as a howl, crisp and willowy as the thundering wind, drifted through the shuddering trees. Without ceremony the Warden disposed of the small cache she had accrued against a seqouia's rough trunk -- imparting several swift kicks after the mound, she left the informal cache and traveled towards where she imagined the sound had sprung.

When at length she discovered Eos, her posture shifted to one of confidence and there was no doubt in her bearing that she believed herself in command. She noted first and foremost the unruly mane that darted, smote by the wind -- a billowing and gallivant crown not unlike the razored edge of a hogback. She noted secondly, moreover, that any moment the waif-like thing seemed threateningly close to being carried off by the wind itself, which struck with such a forceful hand even Caiaphas was coerced into standing sideways against the gale.

Casting the drably cloaked female an indolent look, Caiaphas attempted to speak over the clawing wind. "Yes?

*Eos* · October 30, 2014, 08:03 PM

The wait was short. In the time that Eos stood on the edge of their terrain, she had found herself searching for signs of what could possibly have been found within. They had intelligently found themselves a secluded land to claim. The naiad was more impressed by their feat than she was turned away by it. Somehow, the scent of the ocean did more to provoke her spirit than she would have dared to admit. Eos was certain that there must have been other packs based on the borders of the sea, but it was in curiosity that she found herself on the edge of Ankyra. It was with impulse that she sought entrance to their ranks, but the naiad was no stranger to proper protocol from within a pack. She was positive that the goings on from within the seaside pack would be different than what she was used to.
Lifting her muzzle upwards, Eos caught sight of the darkly-cloaked female who approached the summons at the border. The creature was certainly a hybrid. More dramatically tapered and shaped than Eos had ever seen before. The naiad peered at her curiously, though careful to make sure that she did not hold herself too high before the supposed leader. Sharp yellow eyes seemed to greet her in return, crisp and mischievous in the early morning air. Eos drew her ears forward to catch the monosyllabic greeting that fell from the stranger’s narrow muzzle.
“Your home is beautiful,” the naiad remarked with a dipping of her skull towards the earth. Sea green eyes trailed upwards from the dark woman’s paws to the tip of her muzzle. She was a gaunt creature, but Eos found her pretty in a savage way. “Are you accepting new members into your ranks?”

Caiaphas · (This post was last modified: November 04, 2014, 10:20 PM by Caiaphas.)

Caiaphas had not been expecting a compliment, and when it outpoured from the sylph she shifted her weight and her eyes nearly narrowed in suspicion. Sensing no guile in the lithe creature's brilliant gaze, Caiaphas said nothing in return.

Eos' inquiry was met with a rugged roll of her shoulders and she stole a glance behind her, towards Ankyra's hearth where presumably the rest of the pack resided. "It depends." She said curtly, her tone somewhat clipped -- she wished for more recruits, but she did not want to welcome every wolf blindly into their ranks without some sort of assurance they were suitable comrades. "What can you offer us?"

*Eos* · November 09, 2014, 01:23 PM

There was a strange carelessness to the way that the dark-furred female held herself. The nonchalant roll of her jutting shoulders, sharp lemon-yellow eyes, and the curt tone with which she spoke to the naiad had piqued an interest from the outsider. Eos could not quite place it, but the pack wolf had a wicked air about her. For others, this would have been a daunting thing to greet them at the borders of a pack. For Eos, it was tantalizing.
Drawing her head upwards, the naiad peered curiously at the inky she-wolf. The question that had fallen from her tapered muzzle had been more than appropriate. She did not seem the sort to invite just anyone into the ranks of their pack. Eos flicked her salmon-colored tongue across her muzzle carefully and nodded her skull once or twice. “I do have skills to offer you. An extensive knowledge in healing. Time spent as a diplomat to my previous pack has trained me well as an ambassador, of sorts,” she answered. Of course, her violent temper and drastic personality changes would aid in the convincing of others, as well.
Eos blinked a few times against the breath of the wind. The naiad could taste the brine and salt that was swept up from the seaside. Flicking her tongue against her muzzle once more, the lithe wolf drew her gaze back to the shadow-faced pack wolf. “I have an uncompromising love for the sea, as well,” she added with a slow smile.

Caiaphas · November 11, 2014, 03:00 PM

It was not until Eos professed her love for the sea did Caiaphas' coldness dissolve -- and even then, it only wilted momentarily. She cast her gaze towards the surf and considered Eos anew; Eos' statement meant she had some familiarity with the waters, which meant she could be an asset to the Nereides. There were all manner of wolves in their clan but few professed any knowledge of the brine, and if Eos could offer her own experience perhaps in this regard she would be a most treasured recruit. To Caiaphas, Eos' potential interest and knowledge in the ocean was more valuable than her knowledge as a healer.

"Have you knowledge of the Mother Sea, then?" She did not necessarily wait for a long winded reply -- a simple yes or no would have satiated her interest. "We will place you as an acolyte then. A recruit. Until you prove your worth to the Mother Sea and Mother Moon that is the title you will uphold to your Sisters. Come with me. We will issue you duties immediately." She turned and struck towards where the forest spread out to sea, all the while a sharp ear turned back to observe Eos' actions. "A first matter of importance, to harvest several types of seaweed for our ritual this coming moon. You can start with strap kelp, red ribbon and witches' hair." She turned then, a sly look on her face. "Be careful with the last one, and do not eat it."

*Eos* · November 17, 2014, 03:55 AM

The naiad knew the rise and fall of the tides better than most. If she did not know, she was quick to learn and to adapt to changes. When the dark-furred female mentioned the Mother Sea, however, Eos frowned in response and cast her gaze towards the earth. “No, but I will learn,” she cast in response, flicking her sea-colored optics back to the wiry wolf’s nose. It did not seem as though her answer was met with much concern, however. Almost before she could finish her sentence, the yellow-eyed waif beckoned Eos into the pack land with a task set in mind. Without so much as another word on the subject of the Mother Sea, the naiad trailed after the figure of the inky and ash-colored wolf. Her ears were drawn forward so that she could catch the instructions that fell from the gaunt creature’s dark lips. They did not seem to waste much time when taking in fresh blood. This was something that Eos could admire in their culture.
A list of aquatic plants was issued to the long-legged female. Eos was familiar with only two of the types of seaweed that had been listed. She was quite fond of strap kelp for only one reason; that particular brand of plant life could be found – more commonly – attached to the jutting rocks where waves crashed most frequently. Eos was certain that her task would not be so easily completed on her own, but she was confident in her knowledge and her abilities, so she did not speak up to object. “I will begin right away,” she remarked with a slow dipping of her skull and accompanied by the length of her ears flattening to her cranium. “I am familiar with both strap kelp and witches’ hair, though I know almost nothing of red ribbon or where I could search for it,” she added after a moment of silence.

Caiaphas · November 17, 2014, 08:16 PM

Brusquely the two of them marched in tandem, Caiaphas' snout low to the ground as she scented everything in their passing. Eos' admittance was met only with a faint flicker of exasperation -- though it was not her fault she did not know of it. Truth be told, Caiaphas was surprised (and fairly pleased, though she concealed it well) that the female knew of seaweed at all.

"Red ribbon is a type of kale." She explained as they walked, striking a direct course to the swash-line where the eddying tide swirled on the dark sand. "Named for its' color, naturally. It is smooth with the translucence of Sea Lettuce -- and grows in small, irregular clumps with different sized branches." She would have left it at that, but being a skeptic she sought to show the female before leaving.

It would be somewhat irresponsible of her to reel in a new recruit and leave it without supervision -- so with that, Caiaphas would spend the rest of the evening alongside Eos, overturning rocks to expose various types of sea-fauna and explaining, best to her abilities, the various seaweeds that grew on their coast.

*Eos* · November 18, 2014, 10:48 PM

The dusty-furred female drew her ears forward, against the wind, listening to the woman speak of the one seaweed that Eos had no knowledge of. Drawing her sea-water eyes towards the tide with a small smile, the naiad almost lost herself in the vision that was presented before her. Their pack lands were beautiful. The foreigner was not at all surprised that even the natural, jutting cliffs had wanted to conceal the land that existed beyond them.
Flicking her tail nervously behind her, the willowy woman continued following after Caiaphas, until she had been led to the edge of the waters. Once there, Eos listened to the woman explain the different uses for the plant life that grew near the edge of the ocean. They turned over rocks (omg i almost typed cocks) with the intent of gathering as much of the seaweed as was possible. The constant scent of salt and brine that drifted through the air was enough to put Eos at ease in their pack, immediately finding comfort in their ways.
Flicking her eyes upwards, locking on the shoulder blades of the darker female, Eos huffed quietly. “What are you called?” she inquired carefully, realizing that they had not yet shared names with each other.

Caiaphas · (This post was last modified: December 07, 2014, 09:15 PM by Caiaphas.)

leave it to me to not even notice names were exchanged.. LMAO

They combed the beach in tandem, a pause here -- a riffle there -- and from a distance one would have been surprised to witness them work in strange unison, an odd pair of dusty tawny and muted grey.

Caiaphas had not even thought to ask of a name -- admittedly, she was quite a novice when it came to assimilating wolves into the pack. Her eyes flickered for a moment but she answered without pause: "Caiaphas. You?" While she often thought names bore little importance, they conveyed a sense of camaraderie the world would be without -- and weighed with significance a creature's lives and origin.

The two conversed a little further for a short while before bending to their task -- and before the day was over they had collected a small sum of important seaweeds for their evergrowing cache.