Dream of an Oasis

[Reshara]

Mile upon mile of vast desert landscape stretched before Reshara’s eyes. The sun burned brightly in the cloudless sky, causing the hot air around her to shimmer. The area was nothing but a dry wasteland; not a blade of grass to be seen. The female wondered how on earth the massive herds of bison were able to survive in these conditions, unless of course there was a source of water nearby. That small hope gave her the strength to continue on, despite her thirst, hunger, and exhaustion.

There barely was anything for a wolf to eat out here. The buffalo were far too enormous for a lone fae to take on, and she was too weak to outrun a smaller animal. Reshara was used to traveling on an empty stomach, but she needed to leave this land soon and find a drink and a decent meal. When she was sure things couldn’t get worse, a series of shrill cries echoed down from the sky. Startled, she glanced up and gasped in horror as a flock of shadowed vultures circled above her. The thought of the foul birds preparing to feast on her corpse caused her to cry out in fear and stumble blindly forward until she finally collapsed in a panting heap. Struggling to get back on her feet, the female shook off her pelt and cleared her parched throat.

Reshara gradually continued forward, staggering with each heavy pawstep and keeping her head lowered. She jumped a bit when she felt something slither underneath her, and stepped back to watch a sandy-colored snake sliding between a pile of stones. Her hunting instincts flaring up, Reshara pounced and seized the serpent’s wiggling body in her maw, killing it quickly before it had a chance to rear back and sink its fangs into her muzzle. Tossing her prey to the ground, she tore into the scaly body and grimaced as soon as she tasted the bitter meat. It wasn’t a satisfying meal, but it would have to do. Now she just needed to come across some water and perhaps she would be able to survive a few more days.

What she wouldn’t give for a cool pond to drink and bathe from, a shaded place to rest and regain energy. If such a place existed in this hellish land, it must be well hidden, she thought sourly. It seemed as if the heat had grown even stronger, if that was possible, and Reshara had the slightest feeling she was traveling in the wrong direction. She had been making an attempt to follow in the direction of the sun, but at this point it was painful to simply turn her head up. After another hour of slow wandering, she knew she could no longer go on and felt her legs buckle beneath her. The fae fell to the ground with a dull sound as the dust clouded around her and the vultures began to swarm closer. Please, she thought miserably. Someone help me. I’m going to die out here.... Yet a part of her had a feeling she was the only wolf around for miles. Sighing softly, she closed her eyes and began to silently dream of her shady oasis.

[Saria]

Vilkas had nearly crossed the Plains to the Oasis that he knew was here somewhere, following a set of wolf prints from the edge of the Plains inwards. They were smaller than his, but then again, most other wolves had smaller paws than him to begin with. Even for his size he had big feet, that was just how it was. The sun was merciless out here, and he already missed his own territory. At least there he had plenty of water and cool stone caves to take shelter in. But out here... he glanced up at the position of the sun, estimating that it had reached midday and that it would if nothing else get no hotter - out here there was no shelter to be had, no water until the oasis, no cool stone to relieve a wolf from the searing heat. His heavy coat didn't help much either.

Vilkas held his head and his long, plumed tail with it's dark black tip aloft despite the heat. He was alpha now, and he was going to act as was his right. His paws beat up small clouds of dust in this barren land as he loped, tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth in a steady pant. He had set out from his newly established home not long ago, so he was still in good spirits, and he was hopeful about finding some wolves to join his fledgling pack.

As he paused to dislodge a small stone that had painfully managed to lodge itself between the pads on his toes, Vilkas heard a tiny rustle in the brush. He froze in place, sniffing the ground near his feet. He spotted a jackrabbit - the large sandy brown sort of creature that was all leg and very fast, but was quite a tasty small meal for the wolf that could catch one. He padded forward slowly, approaching as close as he could before leaping at the rabbit almost in the manner of a lion, chasing it for a few yards before cutting the rabbit off as it went to make a sharp turn, clamping his strong jaws around the rodent's body, shaking his head back and forth until the animal was dead.

Vilkas secured his treat between his white teeth, he planned to reach the oasis before he stopped to eat. A good drink of water would not go amiss, and he hoped to not be forced to eat in such a desolate open place as this. Rabbit in tow, Vilkas continued on his way, ears occasionally flicking in search of signs of life. He spotted a flock of birds circling a spot on the ground, which usually meant something dead or dying. He would have to investigate, perhaps there was a bison that was on it's last breath that he could have for his meal instead of the rabbit. Never turn down an opportunity, right?

Vilkas trotted to the area where the birds were circling, but instead of a bison he spotted a wolf lying on the ground, it's coat dusty and it's body unmoving. He ran up to the wolf, dropping his rabbit near... her? Yes, it was a she-wolf, and howling as loud as he could muster to scatter the offending vultures. When one dared approach him, he lunged at them in a flash of fangs, snapping at it's feathers, making it take flight with the rest. Satisfied that he had gotten rid of the foul scavengers, Vilkas turned and looked down at the she-wolf at his feet. She was still alive, it seemed, and now looking at him. He lowered his head and his tail from their aggressive stance, wagging his tail slightly to show that he meant no harm.

He nudged one of her forefeet gently with his muzzle, his eyes, rougishly ringed with black, met her gaze. "Are you alright? I am Vilkas," he said, sitting on his haunches. "Are you hurt?"

[Reshara]

Reshara lay there in a half-slumber, only dimly aware of the world around her. She could still feel the searing heat on her body, but her mind was elsewhere. The scavenging birds landing around her all at once and their stench was enough to wake the female from her dream. With some effort, she lifted her head from the ground and let out a low rumble from within her throat. The growl must not have held much menace for the vultures only hopped closer to her, their small eyes gleaming with hunger. She knew they were waiting patiently for her to die; they would stand around her all day if that was what it took. Reshara wanted to get up and tear the heads off of each one, but with the state she was in now that wasn’t going to be possible. Instead, she laid her head back down and curled her body in a defensive ball. It was the only thing she had the strength left to do.

Her reverie of the oasis was broken once again, this time by a deafening howl and screeching of the vultures. The female’s eyes sprung open and she stared up at the wolf in front of her. Due to his size and the angle from which she laid, Reshara was unable to get a good look at him. From his scent he was male, but that was the only detail she could make out. She was almost afraid to get up and see what was going on; from the sounds of snapping jaws and rustling of feathers, the wolf was busy taking care of one of the remaining birds. Soon after, all was quiet save for the distant sound of fleeing scavengers.

When she felt something nudge her leg, Reshara hesitantly glanced up to find a pair of black-ringed eyes looking down at her curiously. The male spoke his name and sat in front of her, then kindly asked if she was injured. Swallowing the lump in her throat, the she-wolf shook her head and shakily sat up. Her heart rate was beginning to slow after the startling howl he had issued, but her head still felt a little fuzzy. Blinking slowly, she met Vilkas’ eyes and went rigid as she noticed the beautiful jewel on his forehead, the symbol of his status. Remembering that she was forgetting manners, Reshara bowed her head and lowered her ears submissively. The last thing she wanted to do was look like a fool in front of an Alpha.

“Hello, sir,” she said softly. Was that how one was supposed to greet a leader? It had been quite some time she had been in a pack and she was already forgetting the most basic of rules. “I’m Reshara. Thank you for helping me.” She looked up at him, but was afraid to look too much. It was unnerving to be in the presence of an Alpha. She noticed the rabbit laying at his feet and her mouth began to water…it looked incredibly appetizing compared to the snake she had eaten earlier. Resisting the urge to crawl over and snatch the prey in her jaws, she remembered how dirty her pelt must be and proceeded to groom out the bits of dust and soil on her underbelly. Perhaps if she looked decent Vilkas might consider offering her a place in his pack, even if it wasn’t high rank. Only one question remained on her mind: what was he doing so far away from his territory? At the moment, Reshara wasn’t ready to ask.

[Saria]

Vilkas wondered how long the female had been out here by herself to be in this shape. It was easy to get dehydrated and join the skeletons of creatures that he had seen half-buried in the hard, sandy soil. But how long she had been out here really didn't matter, it was how long she would be out here from this moment on. If she suited, he would accept her into his pack and she would have earned his protection and whatever assistance he could give her, but if not... Vilkas was not heartless enough to leave her to die, he would still help her to the oasis.

Vilkas looked at her curiously as she bowed her head and lowered her ears after apparently noticing the newly-placed jewel on his forehead. It had taken some getting used to, but he was embracing it. As she sat up, it didn't escape his notice that she was shaky. She would need to eat and drink, soon, or else the vultures would have a meal after all. And that would be a shame, no wolf should ever have their bodies consumed by scavengers so far from their pack.

Vilkas was unused to having others address him as sir (this was, after all, the first time it had happened), and his forehead wrinkled slightly in a frown of confusion briefly before he managed to smooth his features. He looked her over now that he could see more of her and had no vultures to chase off, the foul birds sufficiently startled by the irritated wolf to have fled, and he noted first the marking on her face. He found the irony that she had a black face where he had a white one. But there were small white markings on her muzzle, and Vilkas thought that they were unique and oddly attractive.

At least she was unharmed, save for obvious thirst and the need for a shady place to rest out of the heat. Those few things he could actually help with. “Reshara…” he repeated after her, testing the word out for himself. It was a very nice name, in his opinion. “You’re welcome. I hate scavengers,” he growled over his shoulder where he could see the black silhouettes of the birds flying away. Vilkas caught Reshara’s gaze on the rabbit he had caught earlier, and then tilted his head slightly to the side when she began to groom the fur on her belly. What was she doing? Was she trying to look nice for him? He remembered her glance at the rabbit, and picked up the small carcass between his jaws, placing it just in front of her mouth. “Eat. You need this more than I,” he stated matter-of-factly. “Try to eat quickly, if you can. We should find shelter if not the oasis as soon as possible. You’re already in need of water,” he observed. Vilkas couldn’t help it. It was in his nature to protect.

He waited until she seemed to be about to eat the small offering so that he was satisfied that she would accept his gift. “Have you no pack waiting for you? It seems strange that you would not, yet…” he gave her wolf version of a shrug, his head shaking lightly. “But then again, neither do I. I have neither mate nor a pack, although I had hoped to find others at the oasis that might join me. Perhaps you?” he offered as he lay on his belly on the hard ground so as not to rush her meal, one foreleg curled underneath of him.

[Reshara]

Still keeping her head lowered, Reshara paused in her grooming to look up and study Vilkas’ appearance, being careful not to directly meet his eyes. His white mask contrasted with her own black face, a fact she found interesting, and he definitely had the posture and confident air of an Alpha. He was someone she could grow to respect. The female watched as he lifted the rabbit in his jaws and was surprised when he held it out for her to take. She had been certain that he intended to keep it for himself; after all, food was scarce out here. Smiling gratefully, she accepted the offer and placed the carcass under her paws before tearing out a large portion of its hide, savoring the sweet taste she had missed for so long. If she wasn’t sitting before such an important wolf, she would have devoured the meal in seconds.

Reshara nodded when he suggested that she eat quickly. She began to chew a little faster and nearly choked when he mentioned an oasis. Were her dreams coming true? She swallowed what was in her mouth and tilted her head inquiringly. “An oasis, did you say? I’ve been traveling in this land for over a week and have yet to find such a place.” But she had a feeling Vilkas was better acquainted with the area than her and decided to trust him. Finishing her meal, Reshara licked her chops and ran her tongue along the bloodied fangs. She was about to thank him again when he questioned why she was without a pack. Glancing thoughtfully to the side, she shrugged faintly. “I had a pack at one time. I left for personal reasons.” She brought her muzzle to what remained of the rabbit and began to slowly lick the bits of meat that still clung to the bones, hoping he would get the hint that her old pack wasn’t something she wanted to discuss right now.

When the skeleton was licked dry and white, she lay down across from him and folded one paw over the other. “You’re alone too?” she asked with astonishment. She had thought it odd that an Alpha would be out wandering this part of the plains, but it was still a surprise to hear. When he asked her about joining him, she smiled brightly. “If it means never having to wander in this awful place again, I would love to be a part of your pack, Vilkas.” Traveling to the oasis was an offer she couldn’t pass up. Not only would she get a chance to drink and rest, but it would be a good opportunity to meet some others of her own kind. “Truthfully,” she added, “I’ve been rather lonely. The only others I’ve had for company are those vultures that’ve been trailing behind me.” She pushed the bones of her meal to the side, indicating that she was ready to leave.

[Saria]

Reshara was correct, food was indeed scarce on the plains, but he was an Alpha – naturally he was stronger than most wolves and he was certain that he could do without what small bit of nourishment the rabbit could have offered him. Besides, he would give the food to those most in need, and that had been her, not himself. “Mm an oasis,” he affirmed. “It shouldn’t be far, I’ve been following tracks for several days and they seem fresher. Plus there was a dry creek that seems less barren the more I travel. Water isn’t far.” Vilkas didn’t feel the need to add that the goddess Ebona had also told him that the oasis existed. It was still up to him to find it, wasn’t it?

There were times where it felt like Vilkas was the only wolf that had been chased out of his pack with snapping jaws. He had come across several other wolves before becoming an alpha, and all of them claimed to have left on their own. If he had been given a choice, Vilkas would have eventually wanted to become alpha of his birth pack, but that had been made impossible. But he was pleased with this territory of his own, and found that he missed the mountains much less now. This terrain was much easier to navigate, he doubted that the winters would be as harsh, and there was plenty of food and water (after all, a lake was a very large supply of fresh water, and would not dry up like a stream).

He nodded slowly when Reshara seemed shocked that he was alone. He was a four year old male who was obviously not beta material, if only judged by his build. He was too large and strong to simply sit back and accept another wolf’s dominance. But to be an alpha, one had to find others to join you, and that had to start with one single other. “I am. I find that the solitary life is not in my nature,” Vilkas said with the ghost of a crooked grin. “Welcome to the Crescent Lake pack, Reshara.” And he meant it. “Such as it is,” he admitted. “You are the first.”

Vilkas got to his feet, shaking the dust from his coat and scratching at his ear with a front paw to dislodge some small piece of debris that was itching. Satisfied, Vilkas stood back up to his full height and reacquainted himself with his surroundings so he would remember which direction to run to reach the oasis. He looked back at Reshara with a small tail wag, indicating that she should follow him. “It’s this way. We should stay there long enough for you to rest and for me to search for others, but if we cannot find any, we should go home. I feel uneasy about leaving my territory unguarded for long.” He sniffed once more, trying to detect water anywhere nearby, but there was nothing yet. He started at a slow, easy to maintain pace in the direction of the eventual sunset, one ear flicked in Reshara’s direction to indicate that he was paying attention to her. “So… tell me something about you. I should like to know what kind of female is going to be sharing my territory. And if you have questions for me, you may ask all you wish.”

[Reshara]

Reshara panted at the mention of water. She hoped Vilkas understood just how dehydrated she really was and would lead her to the creek as soon as possible. As he mentioned no longer wanting to live as a loner, she immediately understood how he felt. For her, a pack was more than just a group of strong wolves to protect you, it was also a family. She was sure that starting a new life with Vilkas and the others they eventually found would be enough fill the emptiness that had formed after she had left her former pack.

“That sounds like a lovely place,” she said when he had mentioned the name of his territory. Crescent Lake. It sounded even better than an oasis. She stood up after him and stepped back as he shook of his fur, thinking to herself how easy it was to become a dirty mess out here. Hopefully that would enable him to forgive her for looking the way she was. When they reached the nearest source of water, she would be sure to give herself a quick bath; she was rather picky about her appearance, and it never hurt to look good for a male. She was also curious if being the first member of the new pack would guarantee her a high rank or not.

Standing at his full height, Reshara was able to appreciate just how powerful Vilkas’ body was. He wasn’t overly muscular to the point of being bulky, but he was certainly larger than most males she had known. She was somewhat intimidated, even if he kept his posture at a friendly level rather than trying to appear dominant. He flicked his tail in a signal to follow and she did, glad that he was starting out at an easy pace as her legs were still a bit unsteady. “How many others do you suppose we’ll find?” she asked, tilting her head up to look at him. Just how large this oasis was, she wasn’t sure.

Reshara took a brief moment to think of an answer to his question. She didn’t want to give too much of herself away quite yet, but it might be a good idea to inform her new alpha of the skills she possessed. “I can hunt well,” she told him confidently. It was something she had been good at ever since she was young. “And I can usually find prey easily. I’ve come up with a few hunting techniques I could show you.” She hoped he wouldn’t entrust her with the simple job of guarding the den site or babysitting pups. She liked to stay in shape by chasing prey and exploring new lands, and wouldn’t be satisfied with anything else.

[Saria]

Vilkas breathed in the dry air of the Plains, relishing the thought of water almost as much as he would welcome a decent meal. Maybe there would be prey at the oasis. At least another rabbit that he could turn into his lunch, even though he doubted he’d find anything decently sized. A bison would have tasted amazing, but even he couldn’t hope to bring one down alone, and Reshara was too weak at the moment to be of much help in taking down such large prey. Even with two wolves it would have been close to impossible.

“It is a lovely place. The lake is exactly how it sounds, the shape of the thin-moon, with lots of fish. Most of the land is rolling hills and boulders forming small dens. But food is plenty and I have found a good den-site.” Vilkas was extremely proud of his new home, and couldn’t wait to show it off to the female. He was sure that she would enjoy life there. Normally Vilkas was much less aware of other wolves’ perceptions of him, but for some reason he wanted to impress the new female. He assumed it was because he was an alpha. He could tell that Reshara’s eyes were on him, and he carried himself a little taller, a little prouder when he felt her gaze. His tail lifted slightly into a graceful fan and his ears pricked forwards.

He was beginning to see an increase in the number of tracks on the ground and he sniffed the air hopefully. Yes, now he could smell water and wolf. They were very close. “The oasis isn’t far, I can smell it,” he pointed out, pointing ahead with his nose, indicating the horizon. “I can’t say. Probably a good amount, to my knowledge this is where wolves without packs usually come to find an alpha, so I’m hoping to find many.” He tilted his head to look down at Reshara as they jogged across the dusty ground, Vilkas’ large paws creating clouds of dust with each impact. He was pleased that she answered his question with confidence, he didn’t care much for timid wolves. “I would like that. When we get back to the lake, perhaps you would explore the rest of the territory with me, even I have yet to see it’s entirety.”

“Then I have no doubts that you would hate being relegated to staying at our den,” he chuckled. “I have yet to meet a decent hunter that wanted to sit home while the pack hunted. Not that there is much at the den to guard, or pups that need watching.” Vilkas trotted easily in silence until they reached the mercifully green oasis. “I knew it wasn’t far.” He walked to the stream for a drink, knowing that Reshara would be right on his heels, since she needed the water badly. After drinking enough to sustain him and sooth his dry mouth, Vilkas returned to standing. “Stay here and rest, I’m going to see what food I can find.” He turned with a flick of his tail, padding softly through the green vegetation, looking and listening for whatever animals were unfortunate enough to cross his path.

[Reshara]

Reshara smiled a bit at Vilkas’ description of his territory. Something they had lacked at her old homeland was a stable source of water that wouldn’t go dry during the summer. And the fact that there was a healthy supply of fish meant that, even if their small pack couldn’t take down any large animals yet, they still wouldn’t have to worry about going hungry. She trailed close behind her alpha and watched curiously as he lifted his muzzle to sniff at the air, then she decided to do the same. The smell of bison was so thick that it overlaid much of what they were searching for, but the faint scent of fresh water mingling with many different wolves was enough to raise her spirits. She hoped Vilkas would be able to convince a few others to come with them. It would be a bit of a shame if he had to journey all this way through the scorching plains just to take back one female.

She decided to ask a particular question that had been lingering in her mind for awhile. “Vilkas, once we have more pack-members how will you determine ranks among us? Surely you won’t have us fight one another….” Reshara didn’t like the idea of being in a pack that required its subordinates to prove their worth through battle. She respected an alpha that was able to see a wolf’s value by judging them based on character and other abilities. She believed she would receive a higher position if that was the case. Her worries were forgotten when she felt the dirt beneath her paws turn to soft grass. Sighing in relief, the female followed Vilkas over to the small stream and waited politely while he had his drink, then began to lap at the surface when he had finished. She crouched by the brook for several minutes and quickly drank her fill of the sweet tasting water, then brought her paw in to splash some of it on her face. Feeling content she padded over to a shaded area and stretched her aching muscles while glancing around at the other wolves. Vilkas was right, they all appeared to be waited for something or someone, a few talking in groups, others resting alone like her. They all looked hot and worn out, and it didn’t seem like it would take much for them to trust the first alpha they saw.

A slight rustling from within one of the scrub bushes lead Reshara over to the source of the noise. She wished to catch something for her leader as a thank-you gift for the rabbit, and though her body still wasn’t in the best shape as of yet, the oasis was having a rejuvenating effect on her. Lowering herself and nosing through the scrub, she pulled back and pounced on whatever was hiding in amongst the leaves. She yelped a bit and jumped away when she saw the scorpion between her paws and narrowly avoided having the stinger pierce her leg. Instantly she decided to leave the creature to itself and leapt out of the bush as quickly as she could. Reshara hoped none of the others had seen her mistake and, feeling thoroughly stupid, she decided to seek a more reclusive area to lie down. Cocking an ear, she looked over and saw Vilkas talking to some other wolves and attempted to listen in on their conversation, but found it impossible do to the chatter of everyone else around her.