Re: Giving Rise to the Winds

by **Annessa** January 4th 2013, 7:43 pm

"Hello there. I assume you're new around here?"

by **Kali** January 4th 2013, 7:56 pm

Kali had figured her plan out quite nicely; to walk around the canids and find a way to figure out where she was. Nodding to herself to further her plan in her mind, Kali had taken a step before a figure appeared. The smell alone had shocked her...why hadn't she noticed this before? Shaking her head slightly she looked over the canid who had approached her. Noticing her smile, she relaxed slightly but was still on edge as it spoke. The looks of this canid was strange, though she supposed she probably looked interesting in its' eyes.

"Hello" Kali replied, trying to hide any emotions in her voice. "I suppose I'm new, and I'm guessing this is some sort of territory? Sorry, I'm not exactly from around here". She flicked her tail out of impatience and for comfort, perking her round ears to face the canid.

by **Annessa** January 4th 2013, 8:11 pm

"You're correct, it's a territory. Don't apologize, though, we don't expect you to know everything about us as soon as you step inside our territory,"

"Would you like me to take you to the alpha..?"

by **Kali** January 4th 2013, 8:24 pm

Kali flicked her one ear at the sound of being in a territory. She guessed they weren't much different from her family pack, however these creatures were much larger and had thicker fur. Studying the female for a moment, she heard the term "Alpha". Kali turned her head slightly to look at the canid more clearly, as that term wasn't used often where she had come from. Would it be good for her to talk to the Alpha? Perhaps they could set her straight and she'd be on her way, after all if it was their territory surely they'd know it like the back of their paw. Well, at least she hoped so. Couldn't hurt to talk to someone who'd definitely know their way around this odd land.
"Sure" Kali replied after a moment of hesitation, "I'd like to see the Alpha if you don't mind".

by **Annessa** January 4th 2013, 8:35 pm

"Alright then. Follow me, please."

"Rune? Another stranger wandering around the territory. Wanted to see you."

by **Kali** January 4th 2013, 8:49 pm

Kali nodded slowly, trying to tell herself this was the best thing for her to do. Stepping lightly behind the canid, she kept her ears alert. She knew there would be more of these canids nearby, though she hoped one may even look like her. At least then she'd feel somewhat comfortable in their presence, though she figured she'd talk to the Alpha and leave soon enough. Her curiousity made her move a bit faster, as she wanted to see how their packs worked and if maybe, just maybe, there would be others of her kind.

Reaching the den after a short walk, she heard the canid call for the Alpha. Bracing herself for some snarling, angry canid to appear, Kali held her ground and perked her ears, moving them around slightly to take in the complete area. Her eyes moved from the den to the canid in front of her, then all around the area as she tried to find this Alpha. Seeing how nice the wolf was, she hoped this Alpha of theirs would be the same, however from her experience the Alphas were usually tempermental and quick to anger.

by **Dakota** January 4th 2013, 9:25 pm

Dakota

"I don't mean to interrupt, er, sorry. If I can have just a minute, I'm just going to give you some stuff to help with infections. Oh, and let me know if you have any problems with your shoulder when it heals, hopefully you didn't tear any muscles... But I'm just being silly and fretting now. And when you get the chance, eat these. You can chew them or just swallow them, they have a funny taste, like winter in your mouth."

Dakota was thoroughly relaxed when Silver approached. Her demeanor had drastically changed, most likely due to Rune's presence. Even so, Dakota would have been fine with Silver anyhow, even if Rune had not been around. The bronze-colored female generally enjoyed the adolescent's company. "It's fine, Silver," her words were soft, carrying their once natural tone, "Thank you." She felt light as she spoke, the words' kindness causing her to remember the times before. When she had first joined the group, when times had been so much simpler, when she had been the one with endless dreams and the attitude to take on the world. Before everything had happened. Yes, in some ways, Silver often reminded her of those times. Her optimism, one that Dakota discovered was Silver's defining trait and unique quality, was infectious. It would be a hard task to keep from feeling the energy that often radiated off of the young scholar. It made Dakota suddenly wish for the young wolf to stay right next to her.

"Rune? Another stranger wandering around the territory. Wanted to see you."

Another wolf's approach, bringing forth a second being with it, caused Dakota's attention to shift. Her eyes fell upon a multi-colored being, one whose pelt was unlike anything the Huntress had ever seen. Colors, seemingly stitched together like patchwork, littered her fur in a display that fascinated her. Large, saucer-shaped ears seemed to pan the air as they twitched, absorbing and analyzing all the sounds of the woods. It instantly sparked an interest within the female, something that Dakota could only satisfy by staring. She couldn't seem to swallow the sight completely, couldn't understand the foreign object that wished to speak with Rune. Was it even a wolf? Dakota doubted it. So alien it was, she could muster up no words for a greeting, out of fear that the animal might vanish as suddenly as it had appeared.

by **Gale** January 4th 2013, 10:28 pm

"Race you to the bush?"

A warm, excited energy built in Gale's chest at the prospect of a race. It was a challenge. Challenges were things that the Wanderer could never turn down. He could see from the corner of his green eyes that Blake was looking at him; he figured that she was sizing him up. Blake was far lighter and more compact than he was and therefore, it was possible that she could gain the upper hand. However, if Gale used his body to its fullest potential and stretched out his much longer legs to gain more ground, it was possible that he could succeed.

"I will decline but I will wait at the end, and see who wins, if that is what you wish to do. If not I know of a good place full of little rodents that could use a good cleaning out."

"Both ideas sound just divine." He replied to the two of them, that energy starting to burn its way through his body. It had been a while since he had been challenged for anything; that could explain the reason that he was so pumped up for this.

"I do hope that you two have something productive going on with this lollygagging,"

The energy that flowed so freely in Gale before sort of slowed down at Karma's appearance. She was grinning at them and he grinned back as the energy started again.

"Well, there's a race and then a clearing out of rodents; I'd say it's productive." He answered back, head butting Karma. "Care to race? Or are you going to join Derek at the bush over there?"

To be honest, he hoped that she would pick to race. That way, if he beat her, he would have something to taunt her about.

by **Silver** January 4th 2013, 10:37 pm

"You're sho welcome, Dacoatsa." Silver replied with a kind smile, through the herbs now in her mouth. She began to daintily put the herbs that were for her shoulder on top of the wound, gently putting the mixture onto it and then gently pressing it in a bit with her nose. The only drawback was the smell, but she wasn't worried about that at the moment. She then pressed a couple of the leaves over the sticky stuff to hold it in, at least long enough for the gash to be a bit cleaner. Then it could fall off and scab over and generally look disgusting. But now she felt it was allowed to look like Dakota was a wolf-bush. It was rather humorous to her, and as the thought game to mind she couldn't help but grin. "All good! Now you look like you're a mix of wolf and foliage."

Silver's attention was immediately brought up to strangers approaching, one pack mate she was quite unfamiliar with and absolutely the strangest canine she'd ever seen. Now, this wolfish beast looked as if she'd really embraced some fall evening, with her interesting array of mottled and earthly colors, the black, orange, brown, and white tones like some sort of patchwork about her pelt. "Nevermind she wins." She commented to Dakota quietly, back-pedaling on her wolf foliage comment. Silver was both absolutely, spectacularly confused and intrigued. Her head began to tilt to one side curiously, her yellow-green eyes sparking with interest. Though it was only moments before she looked away, not wanting this strange creature to find her confused staring to be threatening. She simply quit staring, and looked down to the wound, pretending she was still at work. "Welcome to the Banishing Winds, stranger." She quietly addressed the creature, her eyes averted but still oh-so-curious.

by **Rune** January 4th 2013, 11:14 pm

“Don’t they always?” Rune inquired as his ears swiveled at the sound of Dakota’s laughter. “I’d probably take that,” the leader continued his lips sealing together for a brief moment only to be parted by what might have been an imitation of Dakota’s grin. The grin slowly slipped away though just as a smaller female approached, and was apparently there to care for Dakota’s wounds. Originally, the young scholar Silver had stated that she did not mean to interrupt and that she was only there to claim a minute of Dakota’s time, but when it was all said and done Rune figured she made away with at least five or so minutes at the least. Though the particular act of time stealing in this case did not bother him, for it was obvious Silver was merely expressing her concern for the hunter’s well-being.

“I know it might be a lot to ask, but just don’t do anything crazy that’ll prevent you from coming back.” He added his gaze focusing on something else where as his words directly found their target, Dakota. After realizing however, that his words might have seemed awkward Rune was about to release a heart-felt chuckle to make it seem as if his previous words were nothing more than an attempt for a good laugh. His preparation for such things seemed to fail though because before he could do so, another voice filled the air around the small group.

The voice belonged to a wolf he was not all that familiar with, but knew was a member of his pack and that they had met at least once or so before. “A stranger indeed,” Rune announced as his eyes caught their first glimpse of the creature that stood beside Annessa.

“I’m told that you wished to see me, so do tell…how can I be of service to you?”

by **Kali** January 4th 2013, 11:29 pm

Kali felt a few eyes already on her as she looked around a bit, careful to not look anyone in the eyes. She knew from experience that it could be taken as a challenge, and she'd rather not have anyone down her neck already. Noticing a few stares here and there, she shook her pelt as if she could stop them from looking. It's not like they didn't look strange to her...all their pelts weren't too colourful, and their ears were quite small. Hearing a voice welcome her, she turned to see where it had come from. Seeing a female she flicked her tail anxiously, nodding once in a quick fashion.

One canid seemed to stand out above the rest, a rather interesting looking male. Kali scanned him with her eyes, looking over everything she noticed about him. Hearing his words, she thought carefully of what she was doing there. "Hello" she replied, flicking her tail once more, "I'm curious to know more about this place...I'm not quite from around here, so any information will do". She looked up at him, careful to avoid his eyes of course, but studied his expression in case her best bet was to flee.

by **Rune** January 4th 2013, 11:59 pm

Such a statement couldn’t be argued with, as it was distinctly clear that she was not from around these parts. “Well,” Rune began but paused soon after he finished his first word. What exactly was he to say about the place? It was the Banishing Winds territory and that was it, nothing more and nothing less. “Well, you are currently amongst the Banishing Winds pack and the ground you are standing upon belongs to us. And by us, I mean the wolves or beings that you see before you now. And of course all of this resides in a part of a place called Yellowstone or something along those lines.” He continued, giving out the most basic information on the group that he could think of at the moment.

“Does that by chance help you any? If not I’m afraid that is all the information I know to give, but I can tell you that you are certainly the first of your kind, that I’ve know of, to ever be seen around these parts.” Rune finished, his words fading into the air as each one left his mouth.

by **Kali** January 5th 2013, 12:16 am

Kali listened intently, keeping her eyes upon this male. He seemed rather at ease about the whole thing, so she decided she could relax...at least a little bit. She glanced at her paws quickly to see the ground she was walking upon, seeing as it was owned by him and his pack. Looking up once more, she tilted her head seeing that he had called himself a "wolf". She was shocked to know that these were wolves, of which she was part of. Her plans had changed now that she knew this vital information, but it was a constant battle in her mind. Should she continue here and perhaps stay if this male allowed her to? Or would she be better off travelling farther into the unknown.

Hearing his last comment about her, she sighed gently and flicked her one ear. "Yes, that helps, thank you" she responded, trying to remember all that was said. "How exactly does one go about joining one of these...packs?" she asked, trying to sound as if she weren't too interested in case they wouldn't take her, "Since I wasn't sure if hybrids would be allowed to join packs, really. I suppose it's better to ask after all". Kali flicked her tail a few times, a little anxious now that she had asked her questions.

by **Rune** January 5th 2013, 12:56 am

“Glad to hear that it was useful.” Rune replied, while trying to withhold a grin of satisfactory. “I’d say that it probably varies for each pack, because each one has different customs that end up setting them apart from every other pack within this vicinity.” The leader went on, his tone slow and clear so that the female was sure to hear each word. Though he guessed with such larger ears, she would have no trouble hearing what he had to say. “As for hybrids, some sadly never allow them to join because they are not ‘pure’ wolf. I myself have never understood exactly why that is, and so we do not incorporate such beliefs here in the Banishing Winds.”

“In fact, although the title may seem a bit unwelcoming we accept almost anyone.” Rune added, as his eyes became fixated upon the patchy creature’s expression. “All you must do is simply show interest.”

by Guest January 5th 2013, 2:07 am

As Gale responded with his own smile, retort about productivity, and a headbutt, Karma let out a rare laugh. Then, the dark male offered a race, and the dark female was all ears. Looking over her shoulder, she wondered if Haytham was anywhere around.

Looking back at Gale, Karma grinned. "A race, you say?" she responded, eager for the opportunity to push herself. "Where to?"

by **Bear** January 5th 2013, 3:05 am

[H A Y T H A M]

Haytham smiled as Karma spoke. She had been speaking much more nice to him in the past few weeks than she had when he first met the dark coloured she wolf. Perhaps he was growing on her. He was happy with the fact that she, perhaps even liked him. and not just tolerated him. She explained that a wolf by the name of Dakota who had been recently accepted had gotten into a fight. He gave a dissatisfied huff, 'when will they learn' he rolled his eyes to himself.

The next part of Karma's words however mildly surprised Haytham. She wanted him to go scouting with her? He wasn't about to miss this opportunity. He grinned and flicked his tail "You Flatten me Karma. I would love to come Scouting with you." he responded in his british accent, but a soft soothing voice.

He followed her through the territory. Looking up as they approached two wolves. Derek and Gale. Haytham tilted his head mildly wondering what the wolves were doing. He stood aside Karma as she spoke to them. He just kept quite and watched them.

Wolves Addressed | Karma (Directly), Gale and Derek (Indirectly)
Wolves Mentioned | Dakota
Sidenotes | None!

by **Gale** January 5th 2013, 3:12 am

"A race, you say? Where to?"

"To that bush over there." Gale replied, pointing to the far away plant with his muzzle. A newer member called Haytham stood beside Karma. For some reason, the dark male found himself wanting to chase the other guardian away. However, he quelled that strange desire and instead smiled back at the scout. "If I win, you have to dote upon me for a year."

Why not add stakes? It certainly didn't hurt anything. Besides, it wouldn't be too bad to have something spice up the competition. The Wanderer looked towards Blake, then Derek, before his green eyes came back to Karma. She also could have an advantage due to her smaller size. Again, if he kept his steps light and stretched out, there was a possibility that he could over take her.

"Do you have a stake for me?" He inquired, shuffling his paws as the energy burned even brighter inside of him. It took everything that the warrior had to keep his feet upon the ground.

by Guest January 5th 2013, 4:10 am

Gale indicated their finish line, and Karma nodded that it was a good place to go to. Haytham had arrived, but in her eagerness to race, the dark female had paid him no mind.

It was then that Gale set a stake for losing. She had to admit, the pack might be a little more than baffled in the case that Karma lost - seeing as out of nowhere, she would have to pretend to swoon and fawn over the dark male. That was not to say that he was not attractive, because he definitely was, but Karma did not know him well enough quite yet to know whether or not he was her "type". Frankly, Karma didn't know if she really had a type, but that was beside the point.

Oh, what should I set the stake to? she wondered, gaze momentarily trapped in the green one that was Gale's. "Let's make it even, I win, you dote upon me for a year," she answered with a sly grin. Of course, she doubted that it would really last all year, but setting stakes was fun, and she was long passed due to have a good time like this.

by **Cenzie** January 5th 2013, 10:12 am

Cenzie sat under her tree, and shrugged and felt in a good mood today. She wandered over to a wolf and an AWD. (Rune & Kali) She plopped down next to Rune, and mumbled. "So, where am I?"

by **Kali** January 5th 2013, 12:16 pm

Kali looked over the male's face carefully, studying his features as he spoke. No sign of aggression so far, so she presumed he wasn't as bad as she once thought. Tilting her head slightly, she listened to his words eagerly. Hearing the first part of how most packs don't welcome her kind, she cringed a bit, thinking perhaps this was all a mistake. A canid like herself living here...? Soon enough, she understood that this pack the "Banishing Winds" did accept hybrids. Flicking her one ear she thought about her choices. The pack didn't seem too bad, maybe she'd like it...but at the same time she could try and return home, to what was left of it. Hearing all she had to do was merely show interest, Kali stood a bit taller as she felt his gaze resting on her.

"Well" she replied turning her head, "I suppose you could say I'm interested. That is, if you'd accept me". Kali soon watched a new canid walk over towards the male, though she was more interested in what the male had to say regarding her joining.

by **Blake** January 5th 2013, 12:39 pm

Blake was still gazing at the Wanderer, "Ready to be beaten in a race?" The vixen smirked at him and then then turned her head towards the bush and crouched slightly. "Ready, Set, Go!" And she was off, running with long strides and nimble feet. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so.... Free.

by **Soran** January 6th 2013, 3:27 am

Soran watched the territory unfold as if the wolves had been waiting for permission to emerge. The appearance of so many loners was enough to bring the small pack out of its long stupor. Aside from the loner that had challenged a bronze Dakota, another stood out. A wolf unlike any the male had ever seen, though perhaps she was not a wolf at all. Her coat resembled the bright dappled pattern of leaves, in shades Soran had rarely seen on anything else; in contrast to the others around her, the hunter felt dull in his light brown pelt. Across from her sat his brother with his usual air of modesty, and beside him, a creamy female he had never seen before.

Shaking out his fur to free it of leaves and nettles, the male rose from where he sat in the shade of a lone aspen tree and crossed the scarce area until he was beneath the shade of the evergreen trees once more. Following the small, tightly wound path, the hunter set off towards the place he knew most, The Hunting Grounds. The elk herd, with its soft footfalls, called him there. It would be a trip of solitude, though he hoped a meal to offer the pack would make his trip worthwhile.

by **Zenith** January 6th 2013, 8:35 am

Zenith looked at the unknown pack, carefully observing the hierarchy in place. It was a long time since she had left her home pack, but surprisingly she had survived. Unsure of whether to cross their path, she found some comfort in their welcoming of a rather unusual looking outsider. Perhaps there is something to be gained from approaching them, she thought. She continued to look on from a point she knew would be of no interest to the pack, as a large, predominantly brown wolf set off alone in the distance.

by **Gale** January 7th 2013, 12:02 am

"Let's make it even, I win, you dote upon me for a year,"

"Well, I do believe I can live with that." Gale replied, nudging the dark coloured female.

It would certainly be an interesting thing to see: The giant, cold guardian fawning over the scout. Briefly, the Wanderer wondered what the others in the pack would think. Certainly, they would believe that Karma held the secret to taming him. A small laugh came from his jaws.

"Ready to be beaten in a race? Ready, Set, Go!"

Before he knew it, Blake had started the race. The white female ran towards the bush with amazing speed. His green-eyed gaze met Karma's and with a wink, the warrior took off. His paws seemed to just barely kiss the ground as he headed towards the goal point. If he could at least beat Karma, then he would succeed.

Of course, he slowed himself down. He was a male, she a female; wouldn't it be much kinder to let the female win? The male rolled his eyes and slowed down even more. It was more than easy enough for him to feign being exhausted. Therefore, his steady breathing turned light and fast. Karma would win.

This time.

by **Luxa** January 7th 2013, 12:05 am

Luxa trotted across the barren terrain, carefully avoiding gnarled tree roots and sharp heads of stones that jutted out from the ground. Her paws skimmed effortlessly over the leveled sweep of golden earth as she scanned the vast spread of land that rolled on endlessly into the horizon, its perfection blemished only by the scattered distribution of low shrubs and the occasional lone tree. Raising her snout into the air, Luxa drew in a deep breath of the crisp, frigid zephyr that combed through her raven-colored coat, seeming to rejuvenate her aching limbs, as her pace quickened slightly.
Although she had been traveling for several days straight, Luxa had encountered neither wolf nor any other predator that would have proven to be an adversary; even so, she was constantly on edge for fear of ambush. Her ears swiveled back and forth toward every slight sound as she listened intently for any indication of danger, though, since the only noises were that of the grinding wind and the soft droning of insects, the sudden screech of a falcon above her head startled the she-wolf into a rigid standstill and her abrupt halt sent a plume of sand swirling into the air. Breathing hard, Luxa’s grey-hued eyes widened in alarm, and she had to fight to maintain her composure as adrenaline poured into her veins.

A crimson-colored liquid splattered everywhere, bathing her in the blood of the alpha--or former alpha, to be more accurate, as his form was sprawled, broken, before her, his eyes overflowing with agony and utter hatred. Rain pattered against the layer of debris coating the forest floor. “You spawn of the fiend,” he spat, as his glare smothered against the young wolf’s impassive demeanor. Blood and spit foamed from the corners of his muzzle, dripping slowly down his shredded throat onto the muddy ground. He raised his head with the last ounce of his strength to stare into the cold gaze of the adolescent she-wolf, though his body trembled with the effort. “You will die by the claws of those you trust most, and you shall--,” he was interrupted by another bout of violent coughing, and the black-furred adolescent was drenched by another rain of dark crimson fluid. The alpha’s head thudded against the ground, eyes rolling to the back of his head, lips peeled back in a permanent snarl; he said no more. The blood-soaked female looked down at the lifeless body, expression devoid of any emotion, then turned away without another glance. She disappeared into the darkness of the night, molding into the shadows as if she had never existed; the only thing that remained were dark red pawsteps being slowly washed away by the drizzling rain.

Luxa shook her head violently and squeezed her eyes tightly shut in attempt to erase the images from her mind. The past is irreversible; I can only move on. Breathing deeply to calm her racing heartbeat, Luxa raised her head to study her surroundings. A slight flicker of movement caught her attention, and the she-wolf whipped her head in the direction of the disturbance to see a small gathering of wolves only several hundred feet away. She instinctively lowered her body, pressing her belly against the low shrubs, though it was evident that they had not seen her. She contemplated heading in their direction, and although her nature urged her to leave at once, her curiosity, and perhaps the need for contact with others of her kind, won out and she started out hesitantly in their direction.

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