Saria
Pup
Vilkas & Saria
Posts: 13
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Post by Saria on Jan 1, 2009 13:11:52 GMT -8
Saria traveled across the plains at a slow, easy lope, her tongue lolled out from between her sharp, white teeth as she panted in the midday heat. This moon marked a year since she had been driven from her pack with her sisters, and she found that the lifestyle of a lone wolf did not suit her. She wondered where her sisters were, if they had found packs, if they were even alive. She doubted that they thought of her, Saria had always been the pack oddity. The largest of the females in her pack, the darkest in color in a territory so dominated by snow and ice. Her striking black and white markings on her otherwise mainly pale grey coat stood out against the mainly white background of her home territory, and perhaps that was the reason her mother, the reigning alpha female had driven her away. With her size and speed, Saria would have been a definite challenge if there ever came a fight for dominance, and her coloring made it difficult for her to remain unseen on hunts.
But she did not miss her old pack, although she found that having lived without one for so long made her aware of how much she missed having fellows. While she enjoyed the freedom, it was lonely, and it was dangerous. Here on the plains, she was especially aware of the danger of being alone. There was little cover, no copses of trees under which she could seek shelter from the sun beating down on the thick fur covering her body. And no cover meant both no shade, and no defense from other animals that might mean her harm. Saria was used to difficult terrain with high ledges and caves, and thick forests of pine covered in snow. This plain was a veritable desert compared to her homeland, and she hoped that she would soon find a pack that would accept her, or perhaps a lone male, traveling like her, that she could accept and form her own pack with.
Following the same dry creek bed for the past few days, Saria's throat was dry and her body cried for water. She would need to eat soon too - it had been days since her last meal, and she felt the lack of a pack especially while hunting. Bringing down game large enough to sustain her for more than a short while was near impossible on her own, unless she had the good fortune to come across a deer that was near dying and weak. Even then she risked a hoof to the skull if she was not careful.
Saria's nose picked up the scent of water and trees, and she increased her pace, desperate for a place where she could get a drink and rest. She finally came upon an oasis, and she collapsed on her belly at the water's edge, leaning her head down to drink greedily, one large ear cocked to the side to alert her to the presence of anyone approaching from the rear. Her thirst quenched, she trotted to a large shrub and laid down in the shade, stretching her limbs out full length, rolling around a little bit on the grass with a wolf's grin, feeling great pleasure at the cool grass and the shade. Her body leapt to rapt attention when she heard the crunch of paws on the ground nearby, her ears tilted forward and the fur on the ruff of her neck raised just slightly in agitation and her pale blue eyes fixed on the nearby trail. There was nothing Saria hated more than being surprised. She sniffed, trying to catch the scent of wolf, or whatever else might be coming near, but the other creature was downwind of her, and they could smell her, but not she them.
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Post by S h a r d on Jan 2, 2009 4:00:39 GMT -8
&shard;;All the little pieces falling Shatter Shards of me Too sharp to put back togetherShard's body was on fire. At least, that was what it felt like, and the coolness of the sapphire gem in his forehead marking his alphaship did little to quell the flames. His tongue lolled from his slender muzzle, his fierce green eyes narrowing against the glare from the sun. The weather out here on the plains was vicious and lethal, but until he had found himself a decent number of wolves to form his pack, he would simply have to stick it out.
He was a handsome wolf, his majestic dark fur gleaming healthily in the sun, muscles evident beneath his skin. He was large and strong looking, with a definite handsome streak to his features. And now, having been made alpha by the goddess Ebona, he was able to run with his head and tail held high. Though, at the moment, he barely had the energy.
He knew where the oasis was- he'd been suffering in this wretched desert for a few days now, hoping apon hope that he would stumble across a wolf who could prove of some use to him and the Fragmented Pack. He frequently left the cool shade of the oasis trees, and the crystal clear, life-saving water that had gathered there in order to patrol a mile or two radius around it, forever searching. Only his natural determination and optimism kept him going. He didn't pity any lone wolves blundering around out there, either. If he couldn't offer them the stability and safety of a pack, he could at least lead them to a water source.
The oasis was near, Shard realised with a sudden thrill of relief and elation. He could smell the sweet water, the fresh green leaves, the air breezing softly against his face felt a fraction cooler than the scorching wind billowing from elsewhere. Shard inhaled deeply, eyes half-closing in pleasure ... and then snapped open. He came to a stop, loose dust swirling around his ankles as his long, black claws unsettled it. He didn't only smell water. He could smell wolf, too. He breathed in again, focusing on it this time, automatically drawing out ever last scrap of information his sense of smell could offer.
Which, as it turned out, was not much. The muffling humidity and heat of the area had long since stifled his senses. Never mind- Shard picked up his head and tail and trotted forward at a slower pace, his exhaustion slipping momentarily from his mind. He didn't want to intimidate the wolf, but nor did he wish to lead her to believe that he was open for challenge.
As he drew closer, he realised that it was a she-wolf he had happened across. He noticed her looking alert and on edge, having apparently heard his or some other creature's approach. In case she had not sensed his presence yet, he cleared his throat with a low growl, coming close enough to be able to feel the slightly cooler air washing upwards from the oasis water. It was all he could do not to throw himself in and start splashing around in it like a pup. For Shard was nothing but an oversized wolf pup on the inside.
His ears flicked a little, and he offered her a flash of his lopsided grin. He had often been told how adorable he looked doing that, and knew how to use it to his advantage. It seemed to have a calming affect on most nervous wolves, particularly females.
"Hello, miss," he said in low, casual tones. His throat ached at him, and he felt a fog begin to creep towards the back of his eyes. Shooting her a polite flick of the ears, he growled in mock exasperation, "I hope you're holding out in this damn place better than me." He lowered his head just long enough to dip his muzzle into the water and lap up slowly what he could, resisting the urge to guzzle it greedily for fear of unsettling his stomach. It took moments for him to refresh himself long enough to discover the she-wolf's business on the plains.
He lifted his head again, droplets of water clinging to the whiskers around his muzzle. His gemstone glinted in the sun, seeming to feed him strength enough to bear the awful heat long enough to imprint a respectable impression of himself on this female. He looked her over carefully for a long moment before twitching his tail.
"How rude of me," he said with another crooked smile. "My name is Shard, alpha of the Fragmented Pack." He tilted his head a little at her, his green eyes with that unusual ring of amber peering at her with youthful curiosity. "And who may you be, pretty young miss?"
Too small to matter But big enough To cut me into so many little pieces [/size][/color]
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Saria
Pup
Vilkas & Saria
Posts: 13
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Post by Saria on Jan 2, 2009 8:44:23 GMT -8
Saria kept her ears high on her head, flicking them slightly in search of the strange creature that was approaching her. A few moments later, a large black wolf entered her vision, and Saria curled her legs under her, both in preparation to spring into flight if this male proved a threat, and to hide her size. Most found her abnormally large for a female, but if there was to be a fight, she would like to maintain the element of surprise for as long as she could.
She gave the male an appraising look, sizing him up against her own physique - he was larger than she, with healthy dark fur, and strong looking limbs. And his eyes were unique - she had never yet seen a wolf with green eyes. She herself had a less normal eye color, pale blue, but she had come across a few other blue-eyed wolves before, so she knew that they existed. Her gaze lingered on the jagged white line along his face, and wondered if he had been born with the strange marking, or if perhaps the hair had grown back in white after a scar had healed.
She herself had unusual markings, with black and white almost forming stripes like a tiger's coat on her head and neck. And in looking at the male's face, she noticed the gem on his forehead. So this was an alpha as well. Perhaps she ought to show a little respect, although he didn't seem to be in an aggressive frame of mind. Saria got to her feet, her tail held low to signal that she knew who was dominant here, and her ears lowered from their formerly alert position. It was very odd how he grinned at her, but the gesture did put her slightly more at ease. After all, a year of being alone hadn't completely destroyed her ability to be amused or find attractiveness in other wolves. And this male obviously knew that he was attractive, confidence practically oozed from him. She approved of that.
As he stooped to take a drink from the oasis as she had done only a few moments prior, Saria took the time to look him over some more. Any alpha that came here had to be in search of packmates, so she wanted to make sure that she wanted to even be a part of his pack before she allowed herself to be claimed or shepherded away without her agreement. He had a pleasant tone of voice, much deeper than her own surprisingly smooth one. Although she held little respect for weak alphas, it was perfectly alright for one to admit that the heat was wearing on them - especially when there was no way possible that it was not.
So his name was Shard? That was a good name. Saria walked over slowly to lower her head and sniff lightly, her posture signalling respect, but not fear. She flicked her blue eyes up at him when he called her pretty, unsure if he was simply trying to be charming to win her over, or if he meant the compliment. She was no disgusting beast, for sure, but neither was she a beautiful, dainty she-wolf. "My name is Saria," she said in a low tone, her voice no longer scratchy and dry from miles spent in the plains. "I have been traveling for a year now, from the mountains in the far north."
Saria could not explain it, but she was slightly emboldened by Shard's casual air, and shot him the ghost of a mischievous grin. "If you an alpha, which I see from your stone, where is your pack, Shard?" she questioned in a lightly teasing tone. She would see if perhaps he was only just starting a pack, which would be ideal.
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Post by S h a r d on Jan 3, 2009 1:40:59 GMT -8
&shard;;All the little pieces falling Shatter Shards of me Too sharp to put back togetherShard listened to her with rapt attention, his smile growing brighter as she showed him the correct level of submission, though very obviously did not fear him. He respected that fearlessness, and glanced her over in a new light. He noticed her physique, how well-built she was for a female. That was a little unusual, but was explained as she mentioned the length of her travels.
Shard's ears came forward a little in surprise. "A year?" he repeated in wonder. That was a long to wander. It was no wonder that she had ended up quite so far from her birthplace. Questions sprang to life in Shard's head, hundreds of them, but he choked them down with a tightening of the jaw. He wasn't going to interrogate Saria here. If she wanted him to know more about her, then she would tell him in her own time.
Saria seemed to relax more, and Shard's tail gave a pleased little wag as she grinned at him so playfully. He hated it when wolves were cautious around him, it always put him on edge. He tended to make a considerable effort to show that he was harmless, and it always satisfied him when it worked.
"I have no pack, Saria," he replied with a warm smile. "At least, not yet. That's my business here, in fact, looking for the right wolves to begin my numbers." He paused and tilted his head at her, his eyes sparkling. "And what of you?" he asked softly. "Will you continue your travels, or are you here for a similar reason to myself?"
He wasn't sure he could bear the difficulty and loneliness of travelling alone for longer than a year. His own travels had been relatively short-lived, spanning for mere months as he cast around for unclaimed land. Though his journey wasn't over, especially now that he had such responsibility on his shoulders, he was infinitely glad that his days of being alone were drawing to a close. In his mind, Saria must surely have been searching for a pack to join. He had to remind himself that not every wolf craved company as strongly as he. He'd met many who were perfectly happy being alone, though he'd never fully understood them.
He turned his eyes back to her body, doing a general sweep of her and mentally clocking her strengths and guessing at possible weaknesses, of which he could think of few. She seemed strong, she had the right frame of mind and he was sure that she was both mentally and physically capable of handling herself in most situations. More importantly, or so was the case for Shard, he liked her. He couldn't abide having the perfect pack member if he didn't get on with them, no matter how much they could offer a pack.
Yes, he silently hoped that Saria had tired of the loner's life and was looking to settle down. Or, more specifically, he dearly hoped that he was succeeding in impressing her somehow, in encouraging her to give the Fragmented Pack a thought, if nothing else.
Or perhaps he'd blown it. He was an alpha now, perhaps he shouldn't be trying to befriend her. Was he supposed to be more forceful? Surely he couldn't try and make her do anything she didn't want to? Shard's eyes narrowed a little as he argued with himself, wondering how spectacularly he was screwing this up. Time would tell, he supposed.
Too small to matter But big enough To cut me into so many little pieces [/size][/color]
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