Greatwater Lake let sleeping dogs fry

After his encounter with the cannibal wolf, Artax had run until he had reached a massive lake. Panting, he had lapped up the water, coughing and sputtering after it had gone down the wrong pipe. Artax sneezed, then licked his nose. He needed food. The creek still had a frozen layer over it, but he had not been able to find any fish. Even if he had, he wasn't sure his fishing skills were up to the task. The boy backed off of the lake, his feet wet from the shore.

Desperately, he began searching for any kind of scraps he could muster up. Even if it was weeks-old carrion, he would have eaten it with fervor. He ate snow often, though it did little to quell his hunger. Artax needed real food, and his body would be unable to sustain him for too much longer.

Osprey had felt the need to be on the move again - the pull was strong and this time with little resistance, she let it take her outside plateau's safe confines to face an adventure. Of course, an activity like this without a good reasoning would be irresponsible at her age, especially now, when the pack's needs and priorities with the arrival of children had changed. Therefore, while letting the path lead the way, she kept her nose to the ground, sniffing and seeking for prey both for her own meal and, if lucky, then something to bring back for Willow.

When your mind is busy, time and miles fly, hours later she had walked quite a distance, managed to catch a hare, eat most of it and bring it to the shores of a nearby lake. She was thirsty and eating snow didn't help much to satsify it. It was then that she noticed that she was not alone here. Had it been a fully grown up wolf, she wouldn't have taken notice. But this body belonged to an adolescent and Osprey, who viewed all half-yearlings as kids, felt a natural pull to find out, why was he or she alone and not with a pack, where it belonged. "Hey!" she called out to the young wolf, trying to draw it's attention to her.

"Hey!" a voice called out, and for a moment, Artax was certain that he had just been hunted down by the large bag of bones who had so clearly wanted to eat him. The boy winced visibly, the turned to face his attacker. However, when he craned his neck in the direction of the voice, he found that it was not the large, limber beast. It was distinctly female, and her appearance differed ever so slightly. Not only that, but she didn't have that hungry look in her eye, which was an immediate good sign.

Still, he was wary. Was this a test from either Atka or Sos? Surely it had been Sos that lived in the veins of the hungry one, so perhaps it was Atka's turn to appear in his life. They were yin and yang, constantly pulling him one way, then the other. Artax remained in the same spot he had been standing when the wolf had called out to him, and he took a ginger step forward. “Hello,” he spoke, his voice soft.

The juvenile had heard Osprey and the closer he came, the better look she could have at him. Whenever she met strangers, she sought familiar signs in their features unknowingly, and if they had at least one, then she was more at ease to talk with them. The coat color of the young wolf was the typical brownish-black - one she had seen among her relatives now and then, although pitch-black was a more common shade. His eyes had a nice golden hue and had a bit wild, feral expression about them at first glance.

"Hello," she returned his greeting, pausing a bit while looking for the right words to say to him. Patronizing wouldn't be a good start. "Are you here alone?" Osprey decided to go for a more neutral question. Maybe he had pack members nearby.

"Will you try and eat me if I am?" Artax asked. "Because last time I was alone and I ran into another wolf, he tried to eat me." At the very least, he had suggested it. And Artax wanted none of that. Perhaps it was a stupid idea to leave home as young as he had, before he could properly hunt, but it was a test from his gods, and he knew that he must obey them. They were life and death itself.

Artax remained eerily calm, knowing that the darkness and light would protect him, even if she did plan to eat him. Would all winter be like this? Evading capture and scavenging scraps until he was old and well enough to hunt on his own?

Out of possible versions Osprey would have expected, him asking her, if she was going to eat him, was the least likely of all. She was speechless for a minute or so, eying the young wolf a bit suspiciously and taking and involuntary step back, as if she felt endangered by him and not the other way around.

But since she had seen and done a lot of strange and crazy things in life, she didn't let this odd question put her off. "That must have been one very hungry wolf," Osprey concluded and smiled at the youth. "I assure you - I won't eat you." With this thing settled (or so she thought), she went to the next question. "Do you live nearby? Do you have a pack here?"

Artax licked his lips. The silence that hung between them caused his stomach to turn, but he did his best not to show his unease. Silently, he asked the gods to protect him. The wolf before him finally answered. She said she would not eat him, and Artax could do little but believe her. He was wearing thin, and he knew that he needed a base sooner rather than later. Perhaps Atka and Sos had guided him here to spread their word. Or maybe they had greater plans for him.

"No," Artax replied. "My name is Artax Eyjolfur. I left home... a while ago." He did not know exactly how long it had been. Something had pulled him here, and Artax was determined to figure out what that "something" was. "Do you live nearby?"

"Oh..." was the only thing Osprey said, when Atrax retold the short version of his life story. Wandering adolescents weren't something you met every day and she wasn't too sure, what to do about the situation now. If he had no parents in the vicinity - was there anything she could do? Should she?

There was silence between them again - she felt confused about the situation and shifted from one foot to the other, trying to find a suitable answer. "I live in a pack, it's not far from here. So... what are you going to do now... you are on your own. How can you survive?" she asked him the very obvious questions that came to her mind first.

"I can't. Not forever," Artax replied bluntly. He considered himself an intelligent creature, at least to an extent, although he had not exactly thought it through. "Can you take me to your pack?" he asked. Perhaps he could live there. Perhaps this silvery wolf had been sent by Atka to guide him to his new home. Yes, that must be it. The cannibalistic wolf had been a sign from Sos that he would end up like that if he did not find a home soon. And this wolf was sent by Atka to show him the way to safety. They protected him, and he would follow their wisdom. The great bears had yet to fail him.

Osprey was surprised by Artax's realistic approach to his prospects of staying alive, if he continued to wander on his own. Not all young wolves thought that far in the future, yet this maybe had more experience in his short life. Or someone had told him. Or he possessed this rare gift of common sense combined with instinct.

His next question, however, left her in an uncomfortable position. She was a good and kind soul, she had soft spot for all puppies and adolescents that were in trouble, yet she knew that no matter, her good intentions, she would not be the one to decide, whether someone was going to be accepted in the pack or not.

So... how could she promise him anything only to let him down later? "Ummm... I can't promise, but I can help. Only - tell about yourself more. And be honest with me, I will know, if you are lying," she warned him. Maybe, if she knew more about him, she could convince the rest of the pack of him being useful to them.

She wanted to know more. When she said she would know if he was lying, he wondered why she would suspect lies in the first place. Artax had never lied. He had no reason to. His life was simple, and he explained it in slightly more detail. "I am the son of Jorma and Kaskae Eyjolfur. I worship the Great Bears. They guided me away from my home; they sent me here." To you. At the very least, it was a starting point, and Artax awaited more questions which would surely stem from his reply.

As he waited, Artax wondered in what way she planned to help him. Would she really lead him back to her pack? Was that where Atka and Sos were sending him? Perhaps her pack was in need of guidance, and he had been sent as their beacon to tell them of his devotions. Were they meant to worship the Great Bears, too? He knew that all would be revealed in time, but he was anxious for answers.

I worship the Great Bears. Osprey furrowed her brow - where had she heard about this before? Not here, definitely, but the memory told her that this term wasn't entirely new to her. Hadn't Falcons been distant neighbours to a pack with creepy wolves and traditions? All was foggy, it was not easy to delve so far back in the past to look for tiny details, that had never been significant up until now.

On the other hand - Artax was probably fourth person in a course of a year that claimed to believe in something that couldn't be proven to be true. She was not going to debate it much, for the kid could worship, whatever he wished. Even if it was his own tail or left ear. "Tell me more about The Great Bears. How did they guide you here?" Osprey continued her inquiries.

Did she already know of Atka and Sos? Maybe this was Atka disguised in another form, putting his knowledge to the test. Taking a deep breath, the boy answered at length. “Atka is the white bear of light. She is the mother. She brings life. She protects and defends those who follow Her. She is all things good in the world.” But she was only half of the whole. “Sos is the black bear of darkness. He is the father. He kills. He is death, pain, and destruction. He is the terrible things in the world. Those who do not follow Him feel His wrath.” Artax paused, wishing he knew if he was describing the teachings as accurately as his own mother had.

“They are only strong together. Without one another, They are nothing. But together, They are everything. They both pulled me here. It is a feeling I cannot describe unless you have felt it. Do you know what it feels like, the pull?” It was a sensation so strong to Artax it had taken him far, far away from his home in Seahawk Valley. He knew, though, that this was his place. He knew not to disobey the Great Bears. To do so was blasphemy. And if he had not heeded Their guidance, They would have tossed him aside. “They sent the other wolf to eat me. It was a test.” Artax said this as if it were an absolute truth. As if he had just said that the sky was blue.

Oh, Osprey knew, what a pull meant. The wanderlust gene that had lied dormant for so many years had got stronger over the past year. Not only was it a pull, sometimes it was a sudden gust of wind out of nowhere, bringing foreign and exotic smells, beckoning her to give in and follow, find out, what it was, for herself. More than once had she found herself meandering around pack borders, feeling the urge to go now, leave everything behind, to be on the road, to have adventures. An Osprey two years ago wouldn't recognize the woman she was now.

"It is good that you view things that way," she shrugged. Had anyone tried to eat Osprey, she would have a long lasting trauma from the experience for weeks and months to go in the worst case. Artax seemed to brush it off lightly and explain it as the doing of his gods. "What are you good at? Besides surviving?" she asked the next important question. If she was to bring him to the plateau, then she had to present him well to Dante.

Artax dipped his head in agreement. When asked what he was good at, the juvenile gave pause. "I have not yet seen all four seasons," he admitted, "So I do not think I am good at anything in particular." The Eyjolfur was still young and inexperienced, and yet he had the ability to see that this was so. Still, he did not think this would be a satisfactory answer. "My parents taught me the basics of hunting, and I have some skill in friendly sparring. As you may have guessed, I am a young wolf with room to grow and learn."

As he awaited her response, Artax knew that the gods would do what was best for him. They would guide him, even if he was not meant to follow this lady to her home.

Osprey listened to Artax and was surprised how he - despite his age - sounded so mature and rational. She was not sure, whether a hunter, who knew the basics and could probably provide for himself only, was a useful asset to the pack though, but - as the boy pointed out - there was a room to grow and he was willing to learn, which was an good trait.

"Let's go then," she decided that bringing him to Dante would be a better option than having him here being interrogated without any promise to, whether he would or not be accepted in the ranks. The only thing that came to her mind was - they were quite many at the moment, would there be room and resources for him? She cast a glance at him, thought for a bit and then resolved to be honest with him. This would spare him some disappointment later, if things were to turn for the worse.

"I can't promise you that we will be able to take you in though - I am a subordinate and I don't make decisions," she explained. "If the leader declines, you will still could have a few days rest and a meal under my wing," Osprey finished, offering him an encouraging smile.

I think your last sentence is supposed to read, "If the leader declines, you could still have a few days rest and a meal under my wing." Yay for second languages! I think this will be my last post, but we can have another where they arrive at the plateau for sure.

Artax bobbed his head. Even if he had been sent here just for a meal, he knew the gods would figure things out for him. One way or another, They would lead him to his destiny. He did not know what that would be, but he did know that they would do it well. Dark ears pressed forward as he began to follow Osprey back to the plateau.

He padded along in silence, not asking further questions, but answering those that were asked of him. Artax wondered if her home would become his own, and whether or not Atka and Sos would pull him somewhere else sooner rather than later. Only time would tell.

ooc: my English teacher would be disappointed in me. Forgot the rule of "never use "will" after "when" and "if" - and just look, how it changed the whole meaning! :D Corrected!

Artax followed her and Osprey led the way. Unlike him she felt conflicted about the situation. She was a person, who didn't like to disappoint others. Even now - when she had told him that she promissed nothing, she would still feel bad, if he was denied joining the ranks. Hoping for the best in this situation was probably the right thing. And still... sometimes it would be a lot easier, if she didn't sympathize with all kids and adolescents that had got in trouble or - like Artax - were alone in the wilds.

She said nothing until they reached the plateau's grounds.