Post by Curiosity on Jan 31, 2010 16:42:44 GMT -5
Characters Involved:
Haze, male wolf, alpha
Motega, male adol. wolf
=== Storyteller's Butte ===
Several days have passed since the Lazuli alpha first approached the Viridian with his proposal of unification, and in those days the valley-born wolf has done much thinking on the subject. Even now, he sits a fair distance from the strange rock formation that protrudes out of the otherwise flat terrain, amber eyes following the strange patterns that are etched all along its sides, his mind lost in thought. He doesn't yet know where the new, combined pack will end up calling home, and while Haze has lived in several places so far in his lifetime -- the mountain valley, the forest, and now the prairie -- he still wants a good memory of the lands where he became the alpha of his mate's pack. And this unique, mysterious landmark is something in particular he'd like to remember well, should he end up relocating elsewhere in the near future.
It's hard to say exactly why Motega is here. Throughout his entire, short lifespan, the adolescent has kept close to the pack's lands and stayed out of trouble. The young wolf has always been silent, and this doesn't change as he comes across the odd landmark for the first time. The male's eyes examine the strange stone, that appears to be too steep for him to climb, even though he has no real wish to. After only half-heartedly examining the red .. whatever it was, Motega's whitened paws carry him further in pursuit of nothing in particular. As he continues on however, he sees the wolf that is in charge of his own birth pack, and stops in his tracks. Blinking, the young canine lowers his head a bit, though he remains relaxed. "Hello.." He says a bit shyly, not real sure of what to say to the alpha.
Drawn out of his reverie by the quiet greeting of one of Lazuli's youngest members, Haze calmly swivels his head towards the source of the voice, looking back over his shoulder at the other male with a faint smile. "Hello, Motega. How are you doing?" He'd ask about the boy's family, but he's not even sure himself on whether or not they ever heard again from Cyrus after he went off on his hunting trip...just one of several faults as alpha that he hopes to amend for by stepping down during the unification of the two packs of which he's been a part.
There would've been no answer about his family had Haze even bothered to mention either his mother, father, or sibling. Truth be told, he hadn't seen much of them since his puphood that had long since passed. It wasn't that he'd been abandoned.. maybe more just like 'forgotten,' or something of the sort. Either way, Motega had turned out just fine. This was evident in the way he carried himself and in the way that he looked; at least he was healthy. "Good, and yourself?" He asks, his voice picking up a bit, as if getting over his slight shyness in a hurry. 'What are you doing out here?' What's what he wants to know, but he won't ask. Not yet, anyway. A bit too bold for a young thing such as him to question the alphas motives.
In some ways, Motega reminded Haze much of himself when he was younger, and still living in the valley of Viridian, and even though the boy was not of his own blood, the alpha often thought of him as one of his own...perhaps especially due to the fact that Haze's own offspring had since passed, even before they had reached the age that Motega now was. "I'm all right, I suppose. Rather thoughtful lately." Glancing back up at the erect butte for a brief passing moment before returning his gaze to the younger male, Haze shifts slightly so that he's in a better position for speaking with the betas' son. "I have some news for the pack, Motega. I've only told my mate so far, and she, as always, supports my decision. I would have told your parents as well, but..." he trails off, his brush-like tail flicking across the sands briefly. "Regardless. It is news that affects all of us, but perhaps you in particular. Tell me, have you been told that I am not a wolf born of Lazuli?" His outsider status is generally known among the pack, but perhaps not to the newest members.
Paying close attention to the alpha's body language and his words, Motega feels it appropriate to sit down after the older male responds to his question. He does so with a polite nod of his head and a slight grin forming. "Good, glad to hear it." The younger wolf wags his tail behind him in an idle fashion for a moment, showing his content in the situation. However, his ears do perk when he mentions the news, only to lower again a bit in thought about his parents. It's not often that he feels sad for their absense, but when it is noted by others.. it's almost like he's ashamed of the subject for some reason. Glancing down to the dirt, he hears the question raised by the alpha, and shakes his head subtly. "I haven't heard that, no." He said, and tilted his head, a bit confused as to why he would bring that up.
Haze takes a breath before providing the younger male with a brief version of his life history from birth up to the time he became alpha. "I was born on the mountain, to the alpha of the Viridian pack. One day, when my sisters and I were exploring outside the pack's valley, we were surprised by a bear, and I ended up running frantically away down the mountainside...and ended up running, quite literally, into Larkspur, who is now my mate." His amber eyes shift back towards the tall rock formation, a bit wistful as he recalls the times of his youth. "As she was of a different pack than myself, we weren't able to see each other often, and so I made a promise to myself that one day, I'd leave my home and come join her for good. And I did...and as fate would have it, it resulted in the pair of us being named the new alphas of Lazuli after her mother, and your grandmother, Storm, stepped down." After his monologue is finished, he looks to Motega once again before connecting the seemingly-random tangent to the original mention of news. "But, with how things have been going recently, I have been moved to consider uniting the two halves of my split family, and merging Lazuli with Viridian into a single pack." He pauses here, waiting to see how the younger wolf responds to this idea.
Paying attention throughout the entire length of Haze's story, Motega watches with various twitches of expression. First he is calm and patient, and then his brows lift at the mention of a bear. His lips curl into a grin at the mention of Larkspur, of whom he only knows the name, and then grows into a full on smile at the forming of the Lazuli bit. Nodding his head afterward, the younger canid's tail wags idly, parting the grass behind him. So, the Lazuli and the Viridian were to merge, then? It's all news to Motega, and with little to no knowdge of the formalities of the pack life, he is left dumbfounded by the news, quite literally. In fact, he doesn't know what to say. So, the first thing that comes to mind just pops out, in a sense. "That's.. great?" he says, a bit of a nervous chuckle afterward, not knowing how to react. Was it good? He mentioned 'how things were'.. were things bad for the entire pack? Aside from his parents being missing in action, Motega had no idea. Then again, he tended to keep to himself, so of course he didn't know.
Not necessarily bad, just...lackluster. And to the inexperienced alpha - despite having the blood of a leader running through his veins - even the smallest disappointment is a large failure and let-down to the pack he's been chosen to lead. The brindle-furred wolf echoes Motega's chuckle at the boy's unsure reply, shifting his forepaws closer together before he continues. "Well, the reason I am telling you all of this is because, while I don't yet know exactly how the new ranks will be set-up, I'd like for there to be at least one delegate from each of the former packs...particularly one of the original alphas' blood. The role would normally go to one of my own children, but...they are no longer with us." Either dead, or lost, not a single one of Haze's pups have remained. His expression is downcast, but somewhat numbed to deeper emotion; his briefly lowered eyes soon lift again to meet the other male's gaze. "As such, I would like to ask that you, Motega, represent the Lazuli as a beta in the new pack."
For the first time, Motega regrets not having a substantial role in the pack life. Not that he's had that long of a life to begin with, but he still feels a bit of maybe misplaced remorse for the alpha, misplaced because he didn't know quite /why/ he felt sorry for him. Motega hadn't a clue that the pack had been lackluster. Still, he was empathetic. Lowering his ears a bit at the mention of Haze's dead or lost pups, he lets out a light sigh, and focuses his eyes on the ground. Still, he was Haze's nephew, wasn't he? The alpha had said himself that Storm, a previous alpha, was his grandmother. Though the knowledge of his lineage was fuzzy at best, he at least knew that. Honored at such a request, Motega fell silent again, staring up at Haze with another silly look of his. "Me? Beta?" He asked, a short pause between each word. A soft whine is given, but it is in excitement. "I .. I could do that!" He says, and stands up, wagging his tail further. "Yeah, I could do it!"
Haze can't help but smile at the younger wolf's exuberance over the idea, particularly since he was expecting a more hesitant, perhaps even reluctant, acceptance of the proffered responsibilities. But, excitement is a welcome change. "It's good to hear you're eager about the prospect of following in your family's footsteps. Being a beta isn't quite so difficult as being an alpha, so I'm sure you'll be able to handle it well." Perhaps even better than Haze did as a leader...and if so, he certainly won't hold it against the boy. "I'll be returning to the river to speak with Viridian again with the next dark moon. You're welcome to accompany me, if you'd like." It'd probably be good for the future leaders of the new pack to meet each other, after all.
Motega's ears perk up at how pleased Haze seems to be, and it's very clear that he is happy as well. Who would've thought? The practically abandoned son of the missing Beta pair, to inherit the Beta position under a new pack hierarchy? The young male is /very/ excited, but he also knows how much he will have to learn. Even with the leader's reassurance that it won't be quite so hard as the Alpha position, he wants to be able to be a good leader, to help his uncle with a successful pack. Nodding his head fervently, the ecstatic young male shows his youth as he looks as if he's about to trot around triumphantly, but keeps his demeanor in the presence of Haze. "I would love to go with you! Y'know, to meet everyone else. That's what Betas do, right? Help out and whatnot?" Reality sets in that he has no clue what to do. Haze would be a grand teacher, though. Finally, his youth /does/ kick in, and he prances around in a little circle around the Alpha. "Hey.. we're family, right?"
Haze's muzzle widens in a smile at the younger male's reply, nodding in response to his own wonderings. "Indeed. They help enforce the alpha's word, and keep the pack working together." As if to answer Motega's unspoken question, the Viridian-born alpha then adds: "And, of course, you can always come talk to me if you have any questions." He has little desire to remain in a leadership position with the birth of the new pack, but that doesn't mean he can't be a source of knowledge for the inexperienced adolescent. His smile spreads even wider at Motega's last inquiry, and he nods solemnly. "Of course we are, Motega. We're all family, as long as we stick together." His golden gaze flickers towards the south, licking his maw before his eyes return to the other wolf. "This heat's left me parched. Care to accompany me to the oasis for a drink?" The brindled male rises to all fours for the first time in over an hour, stretching out his limbs for a moment in preparation for the short stroll.
Well, that's certainly good news. He was right in his guess of what the Beta did, more or less. Sounded simple enough so far, he thought. Just agree with what the Alpha says. With his pearly smile still plastered along his maw, the boy's tongue falls out of his mouth as the heat gets to him, too. Happy is one way to describe him, ecstatic, another.. as is influenced by the way that he carries himself at the moment. Ears forward, eyes wide, tail wagging, all that good stuff. "Thank you very much, uncle!" He says, and feels the childish urge to playfully tackle the adult.. but he knows better. He restrains his youthful energy, and instead, clears his throat and sits back down on his haunches, calming himself in an almost comedic quickness. "I will go with you, the heat is getting to me too." Standing up once more, Motega waits for Haze to lead the way to the oasis. At his side, the adolescent's gaze is on the sky. "It's good to have a family again."
Haze, male wolf, alpha
Motega, male adol. wolf
=== Storyteller's Butte ===
Several days have passed since the Lazuli alpha first approached the Viridian with his proposal of unification, and in those days the valley-born wolf has done much thinking on the subject. Even now, he sits a fair distance from the strange rock formation that protrudes out of the otherwise flat terrain, amber eyes following the strange patterns that are etched all along its sides, his mind lost in thought. He doesn't yet know where the new, combined pack will end up calling home, and while Haze has lived in several places so far in his lifetime -- the mountain valley, the forest, and now the prairie -- he still wants a good memory of the lands where he became the alpha of his mate's pack. And this unique, mysterious landmark is something in particular he'd like to remember well, should he end up relocating elsewhere in the near future.
It's hard to say exactly why Motega is here. Throughout his entire, short lifespan, the adolescent has kept close to the pack's lands and stayed out of trouble. The young wolf has always been silent, and this doesn't change as he comes across the odd landmark for the first time. The male's eyes examine the strange stone, that appears to be too steep for him to climb, even though he has no real wish to. After only half-heartedly examining the red .. whatever it was, Motega's whitened paws carry him further in pursuit of nothing in particular. As he continues on however, he sees the wolf that is in charge of his own birth pack, and stops in his tracks. Blinking, the young canine lowers his head a bit, though he remains relaxed. "Hello.." He says a bit shyly, not real sure of what to say to the alpha.
Drawn out of his reverie by the quiet greeting of one of Lazuli's youngest members, Haze calmly swivels his head towards the source of the voice, looking back over his shoulder at the other male with a faint smile. "Hello, Motega. How are you doing?" He'd ask about the boy's family, but he's not even sure himself on whether or not they ever heard again from Cyrus after he went off on his hunting trip...just one of several faults as alpha that he hopes to amend for by stepping down during the unification of the two packs of which he's been a part.
There would've been no answer about his family had Haze even bothered to mention either his mother, father, or sibling. Truth be told, he hadn't seen much of them since his puphood that had long since passed. It wasn't that he'd been abandoned.. maybe more just like 'forgotten,' or something of the sort. Either way, Motega had turned out just fine. This was evident in the way he carried himself and in the way that he looked; at least he was healthy. "Good, and yourself?" He asks, his voice picking up a bit, as if getting over his slight shyness in a hurry. 'What are you doing out here?' What's what he wants to know, but he won't ask. Not yet, anyway. A bit too bold for a young thing such as him to question the alphas motives.
In some ways, Motega reminded Haze much of himself when he was younger, and still living in the valley of Viridian, and even though the boy was not of his own blood, the alpha often thought of him as one of his own...perhaps especially due to the fact that Haze's own offspring had since passed, even before they had reached the age that Motega now was. "I'm all right, I suppose. Rather thoughtful lately." Glancing back up at the erect butte for a brief passing moment before returning his gaze to the younger male, Haze shifts slightly so that he's in a better position for speaking with the betas' son. "I have some news for the pack, Motega. I've only told my mate so far, and she, as always, supports my decision. I would have told your parents as well, but..." he trails off, his brush-like tail flicking across the sands briefly. "Regardless. It is news that affects all of us, but perhaps you in particular. Tell me, have you been told that I am not a wolf born of Lazuli?" His outsider status is generally known among the pack, but perhaps not to the newest members.
Paying close attention to the alpha's body language and his words, Motega feels it appropriate to sit down after the older male responds to his question. He does so with a polite nod of his head and a slight grin forming. "Good, glad to hear it." The younger wolf wags his tail behind him in an idle fashion for a moment, showing his content in the situation. However, his ears do perk when he mentions the news, only to lower again a bit in thought about his parents. It's not often that he feels sad for their absense, but when it is noted by others.. it's almost like he's ashamed of the subject for some reason. Glancing down to the dirt, he hears the question raised by the alpha, and shakes his head subtly. "I haven't heard that, no." He said, and tilted his head, a bit confused as to why he would bring that up.
Haze takes a breath before providing the younger male with a brief version of his life history from birth up to the time he became alpha. "I was born on the mountain, to the alpha of the Viridian pack. One day, when my sisters and I were exploring outside the pack's valley, we were surprised by a bear, and I ended up running frantically away down the mountainside...and ended up running, quite literally, into Larkspur, who is now my mate." His amber eyes shift back towards the tall rock formation, a bit wistful as he recalls the times of his youth. "As she was of a different pack than myself, we weren't able to see each other often, and so I made a promise to myself that one day, I'd leave my home and come join her for good. And I did...and as fate would have it, it resulted in the pair of us being named the new alphas of Lazuli after her mother, and your grandmother, Storm, stepped down." After his monologue is finished, he looks to Motega once again before connecting the seemingly-random tangent to the original mention of news. "But, with how things have been going recently, I have been moved to consider uniting the two halves of my split family, and merging Lazuli with Viridian into a single pack." He pauses here, waiting to see how the younger wolf responds to this idea.
Paying attention throughout the entire length of Haze's story, Motega watches with various twitches of expression. First he is calm and patient, and then his brows lift at the mention of a bear. His lips curl into a grin at the mention of Larkspur, of whom he only knows the name, and then grows into a full on smile at the forming of the Lazuli bit. Nodding his head afterward, the younger canid's tail wags idly, parting the grass behind him. So, the Lazuli and the Viridian were to merge, then? It's all news to Motega, and with little to no knowdge of the formalities of the pack life, he is left dumbfounded by the news, quite literally. In fact, he doesn't know what to say. So, the first thing that comes to mind just pops out, in a sense. "That's.. great?" he says, a bit of a nervous chuckle afterward, not knowing how to react. Was it good? He mentioned 'how things were'.. were things bad for the entire pack? Aside from his parents being missing in action, Motega had no idea. Then again, he tended to keep to himself, so of course he didn't know.
Not necessarily bad, just...lackluster. And to the inexperienced alpha - despite having the blood of a leader running through his veins - even the smallest disappointment is a large failure and let-down to the pack he's been chosen to lead. The brindle-furred wolf echoes Motega's chuckle at the boy's unsure reply, shifting his forepaws closer together before he continues. "Well, the reason I am telling you all of this is because, while I don't yet know exactly how the new ranks will be set-up, I'd like for there to be at least one delegate from each of the former packs...particularly one of the original alphas' blood. The role would normally go to one of my own children, but...they are no longer with us." Either dead, or lost, not a single one of Haze's pups have remained. His expression is downcast, but somewhat numbed to deeper emotion; his briefly lowered eyes soon lift again to meet the other male's gaze. "As such, I would like to ask that you, Motega, represent the Lazuli as a beta in the new pack."
For the first time, Motega regrets not having a substantial role in the pack life. Not that he's had that long of a life to begin with, but he still feels a bit of maybe misplaced remorse for the alpha, misplaced because he didn't know quite /why/ he felt sorry for him. Motega hadn't a clue that the pack had been lackluster. Still, he was empathetic. Lowering his ears a bit at the mention of Haze's dead or lost pups, he lets out a light sigh, and focuses his eyes on the ground. Still, he was Haze's nephew, wasn't he? The alpha had said himself that Storm, a previous alpha, was his grandmother. Though the knowledge of his lineage was fuzzy at best, he at least knew that. Honored at such a request, Motega fell silent again, staring up at Haze with another silly look of his. "Me? Beta?" He asked, a short pause between each word. A soft whine is given, but it is in excitement. "I .. I could do that!" He says, and stands up, wagging his tail further. "Yeah, I could do it!"
Haze can't help but smile at the younger wolf's exuberance over the idea, particularly since he was expecting a more hesitant, perhaps even reluctant, acceptance of the proffered responsibilities. But, excitement is a welcome change. "It's good to hear you're eager about the prospect of following in your family's footsteps. Being a beta isn't quite so difficult as being an alpha, so I'm sure you'll be able to handle it well." Perhaps even better than Haze did as a leader...and if so, he certainly won't hold it against the boy. "I'll be returning to the river to speak with Viridian again with the next dark moon. You're welcome to accompany me, if you'd like." It'd probably be good for the future leaders of the new pack to meet each other, after all.
Motega's ears perk up at how pleased Haze seems to be, and it's very clear that he is happy as well. Who would've thought? The practically abandoned son of the missing Beta pair, to inherit the Beta position under a new pack hierarchy? The young male is /very/ excited, but he also knows how much he will have to learn. Even with the leader's reassurance that it won't be quite so hard as the Alpha position, he wants to be able to be a good leader, to help his uncle with a successful pack. Nodding his head fervently, the ecstatic young male shows his youth as he looks as if he's about to trot around triumphantly, but keeps his demeanor in the presence of Haze. "I would love to go with you! Y'know, to meet everyone else. That's what Betas do, right? Help out and whatnot?" Reality sets in that he has no clue what to do. Haze would be a grand teacher, though. Finally, his youth /does/ kick in, and he prances around in a little circle around the Alpha. "Hey.. we're family, right?"
Haze's muzzle widens in a smile at the younger male's reply, nodding in response to his own wonderings. "Indeed. They help enforce the alpha's word, and keep the pack working together." As if to answer Motega's unspoken question, the Viridian-born alpha then adds: "And, of course, you can always come talk to me if you have any questions." He has little desire to remain in a leadership position with the birth of the new pack, but that doesn't mean he can't be a source of knowledge for the inexperienced adolescent. His smile spreads even wider at Motega's last inquiry, and he nods solemnly. "Of course we are, Motega. We're all family, as long as we stick together." His golden gaze flickers towards the south, licking his maw before his eyes return to the other wolf. "This heat's left me parched. Care to accompany me to the oasis for a drink?" The brindled male rises to all fours for the first time in over an hour, stretching out his limbs for a moment in preparation for the short stroll.
Well, that's certainly good news. He was right in his guess of what the Beta did, more or less. Sounded simple enough so far, he thought. Just agree with what the Alpha says. With his pearly smile still plastered along his maw, the boy's tongue falls out of his mouth as the heat gets to him, too. Happy is one way to describe him, ecstatic, another.. as is influenced by the way that he carries himself at the moment. Ears forward, eyes wide, tail wagging, all that good stuff. "Thank you very much, uncle!" He says, and feels the childish urge to playfully tackle the adult.. but he knows better. He restrains his youthful energy, and instead, clears his throat and sits back down on his haunches, calming himself in an almost comedic quickness. "I will go with you, the heat is getting to me too." Standing up once more, Motega waits for Haze to lead the way to the oasis. At his side, the adolescent's gaze is on the sky. "It's good to have a family again."