Post by Ahiga on Jul 6, 2011 23:24:23 GMT -5
Characters:
Askuwheteau, male Ute wolf
Donoma, female wolf (NPC)
Setting:
Foggy Path - Ute Borderlands
Summer. It's warm and sunny, things looking lush due to a recent rain. But things in the wood feel oddly quiet. Few birds chirp. The rustling of small animals in the grasses is slight. Even the trees above seem stiller than usual, making the morning mist feel eerie instead o serene and beautiful. And it is through this fog that a wolf approaches, her movements slow and slinking, as if trying to blend her body within the low hanging cloud. And if she were gray, she might have found success, but her summer coat of brown, white, and gray do not mix well in the fog, and thus she uses extreme caution when she walks. Each step is slow, her unusually bright golden eyes slightly narrow, and she keeps her head low as she traverses closer to the scented border. The...scantily scented border. Strange, as it seems rather faded, another thing that has her wary.
Askuwheteau is bit by bit taking care of this very problem, as he patrols today he is renewing the pack's border markings, well as much as one wolf is able. At first he is unaware of the she-wolf, his attention focused on how quiet it is. It was strange for things to be so silent, and it set his teeth on edge. Her presence does not go unnoticed long what with Asku warily scanning the surroundings. Once his hazel haze finds her he begins to walk towards her, letting go a soft cough in an attempt to let her know he was there. Surprising a stranger could often turn a possible pleasant meeting into a less then pleasant altercation. "Hello?"
Her nostrils flare as she tests the air, constantly sniffing, constantly looking, and seeming as nervous as a wolf could possibly be. Her eyes lift up to the treetops above, watching as a single bird flits from tree to tree then sits still on its new perch, possibly as nervous as she is. She shakes her head, refocusing herself...and just in time! Another wolf is here, and she freezes in her tracks at the sound of his cough. Brilliant eyes flit to the young male, though instead of crouching lower, she raises herself to a normal level. Not a stance of dominance or anything near that, but moreso making a point to show herself, not wanting to seem as if she is skulking and up to no good. "Hello," she answers, voice gentle, soft. Kind. She appears to be a wolf in her prime of life, perhaps a year older than him. Body is lean and fur smooth, and her face appears almost regal and elegantly shaped. But her eyes appear cautious. Still nervous. "..Are you...a wolf of these lands? The Ute?"
Askuwheteau nods in reply, his eyes roaming over her body, her poise and her stance as well. "I am, My name is Askuwheteau, and my brother is the Alpha of this pack. Was there something you needed help with miss?" Asku steps closer to her as he offers her his services in case she sought the pack for assistance of some type, "We try to treat our guests properly while they are on our lands. No one will harm you so long as you come in peace."
The female's ears perk as she listens to him, and her expression changes. Where there was once caution, now there is hope. Brows raise, and anxiously she takes a few steps towards him, her tail slightly wagging low, brushing against the back of her ankles. "So..the pack...it is still together? It hasn't disbanded? Fallen apart?" She closes her eyes briefly and exhales a slow breath, whispering a few words to herself, though they're difficult to hear and seem to be in a different tongue. "Great Spirits, I thank you," she says aloud, eyes opening again. "I mean no harm, this I promise. And I am no guest, as I've no need to stay any longer than it takes for you to answer a single question I have, if you'd be so kind to. My name is Donoma, Sight of the Sun, and I am looking for...I was wondering if, perhaps, not long ago, a moon ago perchance, your pack came across a young male? A lone boy, a pup?"
Askuwheteau now tilts his head, it is his turn to elevate his eyebrows. A look of shocked surprise on his face, and he makes no attempt to hide it. His reply is a single word but undoubtedly this word would answer all the female's questions, "Ahiga?" Askuwheteaus stance changes and he steps a bit closer to the she-wolf his neck extended as he moves to sniff the new she-wolf. He is trying to catch her scent and see if she bears any similarity to the young male he had become so fond of, practically adopted as his own at this point.
The smile that graces Donoma's face is one of relief, and she nods in confirmation. "Yes, my boy. He is fine then? He arrived here, safely? Ah, I knew he would listen," said with a sigh and a smile that now seems almost sad. "I knew he would follow my direction. He is such a good boy." She does not seem to mind the sniffing and keeps still for it. Her scent, like all wolves, is distinct to her. An earthy aroma of grass and flowers in distant lands. And yes, this same sort of smell is present in Ahiga's own scent. "I'm sorry, I should not have come, but I've heard whisper of disturbing things happening in these lands and beyond. Frightful things...and I became fearful for my son."
Askuwheteau steps away and he nods after sampling her scent, "He is a fine pup, you have every right to be proud. And yes, there has been some misfortune in our pack of late, but Ahiga is safe and protected and growing fatter. We keep him and the other pups well fed. He has made friends with my little brother and sister, and he is a joy to be around. I confess I have grown quite attached to the little fellow myself. Would you like to come see him? I think he is napping at the moment but he has missed you terribly. We have been out searching for you, some of us including myself feared you were dead. If I might ask you a personal question Donoma?"
"I heard that the Ute pack was a noble group, kind to visitors and helpful. I had prayed to the Spirits that it was true, and if you're an example of the rest of your pack, wolf Askuwheteau, then I know he is in the best of care." Donoma dips her head to him, apparently in thanks, and allows herself a moment to smile genuinely as she imagines the new life that her pup has found with the Ute. Friends. Food. Those who care for him. Protection. But there's a flash of alarm in her eyes at the request for her to see him, and she gives her head a quick shake. "I mustn't," she says, diverting her eyes, shamed by her own words. "I cannot see him, and you must not tell him that I've been here. Please, I beg this of you." Golden eyes slowly shift back to him as he speaks of having a question, and she nods in answer.
Askuwheteau blinks in surprise at the she-wolf's reaction to his suggestion that she see her son, but as she nods at his statement of having a question he looks down at her, "What kept you away? And why are you so fearful that he may find out you are still alive?" The male stepped closer to her and he frowned, "You are asking me to lie to the pup, and i have to know why."
Again, Donoma's eyes turn, unable to meet the male's in fear of what he will see there. Slowly do her ears fall back, and as his question sets in, she settles onto her haunches, body slouching a little as her head lowers. "How would you feel to know that your mother could not keep you with her? If she was alive and well, yet abandoned you? I am shamed to say it, but it is truth. I have abandoned my son." She pauses there, brows furrowing as a frown deepens on her face, yet after a breath she presses on. "I instructed him to come this way if I did not return to him in three days, knowing that I would not return to him at all. I knew, or at least hoped, that the Ute would keep him and raise him as I cannot. It was....difficult raising a pup alone. Moreso than I imagined. I had to return to my pack, but I could not return with him."
Askuwheteau finds himself trying very hard not to become angry at this mother who would abandon her own flesh and blood, but he keeps it guarded closely, not letting her see the accusation in his eyes, "And why is that? If it is the idea of raising a pup alone the Ute would help you...I would help you. But it breaks my heart to see Ahiga missing you so. Except for myself and my best friend Wachiwa he is alone, she and I do what we can for him and while Wachiwa is as sweet and kind a she-wolf as you could hope to meet she is not you. And no she-wolf no matter how sweet and kind can ever replace a pups mother. I should know, I just recently lost my own, and she will never come back. I am having a great deal of difficulty with this request. If your current pack is against you having a pup then join us. Join the Ute and I will do all i can to help you, I'll be the male role model in Ahiga's life if need be. Wachiwa will help also.
She loves Ahiga as if he were her own and together the three of us could raise him and the other pups. My little brother and sister have been orphaned by our mother's death. Do not make Ahiga an orphan as well Donoma. Come back with me."
Donoma winces beneath the male's words, and when her golden gaze finally does turn to him again, they're eerily brighter than ever due to the well of tears that remain unfallen. "Honest wolf, do you think I know this? That he wishes for me as much as I wish for him? I feel the guilt of it every day and I may never forgive myself for bringing him into this world at all. You do not understand. I cannot stay here, though I have thought of it often. To stay with your pack and with my son in these peaceful lands is dream that will never be mine to live. My pack is a vengeful pack, and the alpha female a tyrant. They will search for me, as abandoning the pack is against our law. Our tradition and laws are upheld and have been for generations, and for generations they have not changed. I would be searched for and killed, and if they find Ahiga, he would be tormented and killed. The only mated pair in our pack are our Alphas, and the only pups born are those to the Alphas. I am not an Alpha, and his birth was a sacred tradition broken by me. I cannot have him punished for my own transgression." She pauses, exhaling a breath as her tears finally fall. "And so I must leave him here, with you kind wolf and your friends, and I must return to my pack. If I do not, it will promise doom for us both and I do not wish to bring any of that here."
Askuwheteau closes his eyes after the she-wolf has said her peace, he can see how much it hurts her to have to do what she is doing. After thinking about it for a moment Askuwheteau leans down and gently licks the she-wolf across the mussle, then licks away her tears before placing another kiss on her muzzle and he sighs, "I promice I will personally see to it that Ahiga grows up to be a fine wolf, a wolf you can be proud of. Maybe in the future if the leadership of your pack changes, or if they through some circumstance believe you dead then you may join us and see him again. I will not tell him you are dead. I will tell him only that I do not know what has happened to you. Which will be the truth of a sort. That way his hope will not be completely crushed, and he will not be so shocked if someday in the far future you return to him. I will treat him as if he were my own son, and I will ask my friend Wachiwa to help me take care of him. Set your mind at ease Donoma. Your son will be safe and cared for as well as any other pup in the pack." He gently nuzzled the she-wolf and brought one paw up to slide around her shoulder's in a gentle hug.
The male's comfort is welcomed, as Donoma's finding it increasingly difficult to keep it together. She wasn't supposed to come back and check on Ahiga. She was nearly home! But how could she ignore the rumor of attacks and deaths and sickness in the same area in which she left her only surviving pup? But in the end...she's glad she did. Askuwheteau has consoled her fears, and now she personally knows that her son is in good paws with him and the other pack wolves of the Ute lands. She leans into him, eyes closing as she presses the side of her face against his fur, inhaling deeply his musky scent. "I will never forget you, wolf Askuwheteau. You are blessed with a kind heart, and it will take you far, I'm sure. Maybe... one day things will change," she says, tough there is a twinge of doubt in her voice, "and I can have my son. Under your guidance, I know he will be a strong and good male, like his father, and like you." Opening her eyes now, she tips her head up to touch her nose to his muzzle before standing. "I cannot thank you enough."
Askuwheteau does not move away from the she-wolf as she inhales his scent, when she presses her nose to his muzzle he licks her once more. "You don't need to thank me, I wish I could do more for you. If things were ideal you and your son both would become a part of our pack, but I understand and respect your sacrifice. I truly hope someday you and he will be reunited. If things change I will be happy to petition my brother to give you a place among us. I will remember your scent." He rumbles deep in his chest as he returns the nuzzle, snuffling into her fur in order to ensure he did not forget it.
The female gently shakes her head. "You have done more than I could have wished for, gentle wolf. Never wonder if you could have done more. I've asked much from you, and am indebted to you." After he has taken her scent, she stands and moves back, her movement quick, as if afraid she might change her mind and linger here after all despite the dire consequences. "Perhaps we'll see each other again. Do not allow Ahiga to believe that his mother does not love him. I needn't tell you this as you know, but I will always love him. He is a good boy, but...keep an eye on him," she says as she backs away, beginning to depart from the borderland, "he has an Alpha's blood in him, and thus he may be a bit headstrong." It's a good-natured warning and a quiet admission to her blasphemous deed. Saying nothing further, she offers a small smile before she turns and begins to slink off into the fog.
Askuwheteau nods as he listens, and as the female turns to leave again he wuffs into the fog as it closes behind her, "Good fortune to you, and never worry about Ahiga. He will have the best I can give him, even if that means I must play the role of father and give him discipline. He will grow up to be a wolf you can be proud of." Yes Asku had promised this before, but he wanted to be sure the she-wolf knew she only had to look after her own skin. If things with her current pack were this bad he wanted to remove as much worry from her as he could. He then turned and began heading back to the den, a drawn and somewhat haggard expression on his face.
Askuwheteau, male Ute wolf
Donoma, female wolf (NPC)
Setting:
Foggy Path - Ute Borderlands
Summer. It's warm and sunny, things looking lush due to a recent rain. But things in the wood feel oddly quiet. Few birds chirp. The rustling of small animals in the grasses is slight. Even the trees above seem stiller than usual, making the morning mist feel eerie instead o serene and beautiful. And it is through this fog that a wolf approaches, her movements slow and slinking, as if trying to blend her body within the low hanging cloud. And if she were gray, she might have found success, but her summer coat of brown, white, and gray do not mix well in the fog, and thus she uses extreme caution when she walks. Each step is slow, her unusually bright golden eyes slightly narrow, and she keeps her head low as she traverses closer to the scented border. The...scantily scented border. Strange, as it seems rather faded, another thing that has her wary.
Askuwheteau is bit by bit taking care of this very problem, as he patrols today he is renewing the pack's border markings, well as much as one wolf is able. At first he is unaware of the she-wolf, his attention focused on how quiet it is. It was strange for things to be so silent, and it set his teeth on edge. Her presence does not go unnoticed long what with Asku warily scanning the surroundings. Once his hazel haze finds her he begins to walk towards her, letting go a soft cough in an attempt to let her know he was there. Surprising a stranger could often turn a possible pleasant meeting into a less then pleasant altercation. "Hello?"
Her nostrils flare as she tests the air, constantly sniffing, constantly looking, and seeming as nervous as a wolf could possibly be. Her eyes lift up to the treetops above, watching as a single bird flits from tree to tree then sits still on its new perch, possibly as nervous as she is. She shakes her head, refocusing herself...and just in time! Another wolf is here, and she freezes in her tracks at the sound of his cough. Brilliant eyes flit to the young male, though instead of crouching lower, she raises herself to a normal level. Not a stance of dominance or anything near that, but moreso making a point to show herself, not wanting to seem as if she is skulking and up to no good. "Hello," she answers, voice gentle, soft. Kind. She appears to be a wolf in her prime of life, perhaps a year older than him. Body is lean and fur smooth, and her face appears almost regal and elegantly shaped. But her eyes appear cautious. Still nervous. "..Are you...a wolf of these lands? The Ute?"
Askuwheteau nods in reply, his eyes roaming over her body, her poise and her stance as well. "I am, My name is Askuwheteau, and my brother is the Alpha of this pack. Was there something you needed help with miss?" Asku steps closer to her as he offers her his services in case she sought the pack for assistance of some type, "We try to treat our guests properly while they are on our lands. No one will harm you so long as you come in peace."
The female's ears perk as she listens to him, and her expression changes. Where there was once caution, now there is hope. Brows raise, and anxiously she takes a few steps towards him, her tail slightly wagging low, brushing against the back of her ankles. "So..the pack...it is still together? It hasn't disbanded? Fallen apart?" She closes her eyes briefly and exhales a slow breath, whispering a few words to herself, though they're difficult to hear and seem to be in a different tongue. "Great Spirits, I thank you," she says aloud, eyes opening again. "I mean no harm, this I promise. And I am no guest, as I've no need to stay any longer than it takes for you to answer a single question I have, if you'd be so kind to. My name is Donoma, Sight of the Sun, and I am looking for...I was wondering if, perhaps, not long ago, a moon ago perchance, your pack came across a young male? A lone boy, a pup?"
Askuwheteau now tilts his head, it is his turn to elevate his eyebrows. A look of shocked surprise on his face, and he makes no attempt to hide it. His reply is a single word but undoubtedly this word would answer all the female's questions, "Ahiga?" Askuwheteaus stance changes and he steps a bit closer to the she-wolf his neck extended as he moves to sniff the new she-wolf. He is trying to catch her scent and see if she bears any similarity to the young male he had become so fond of, practically adopted as his own at this point.
The smile that graces Donoma's face is one of relief, and she nods in confirmation. "Yes, my boy. He is fine then? He arrived here, safely? Ah, I knew he would listen," said with a sigh and a smile that now seems almost sad. "I knew he would follow my direction. He is such a good boy." She does not seem to mind the sniffing and keeps still for it. Her scent, like all wolves, is distinct to her. An earthy aroma of grass and flowers in distant lands. And yes, this same sort of smell is present in Ahiga's own scent. "I'm sorry, I should not have come, but I've heard whisper of disturbing things happening in these lands and beyond. Frightful things...and I became fearful for my son."
Askuwheteau steps away and he nods after sampling her scent, "He is a fine pup, you have every right to be proud. And yes, there has been some misfortune in our pack of late, but Ahiga is safe and protected and growing fatter. We keep him and the other pups well fed. He has made friends with my little brother and sister, and he is a joy to be around. I confess I have grown quite attached to the little fellow myself. Would you like to come see him? I think he is napping at the moment but he has missed you terribly. We have been out searching for you, some of us including myself feared you were dead. If I might ask you a personal question Donoma?"
"I heard that the Ute pack was a noble group, kind to visitors and helpful. I had prayed to the Spirits that it was true, and if you're an example of the rest of your pack, wolf Askuwheteau, then I know he is in the best of care." Donoma dips her head to him, apparently in thanks, and allows herself a moment to smile genuinely as she imagines the new life that her pup has found with the Ute. Friends. Food. Those who care for him. Protection. But there's a flash of alarm in her eyes at the request for her to see him, and she gives her head a quick shake. "I mustn't," she says, diverting her eyes, shamed by her own words. "I cannot see him, and you must not tell him that I've been here. Please, I beg this of you." Golden eyes slowly shift back to him as he speaks of having a question, and she nods in answer.
Askuwheteau blinks in surprise at the she-wolf's reaction to his suggestion that she see her son, but as she nods at his statement of having a question he looks down at her, "What kept you away? And why are you so fearful that he may find out you are still alive?" The male stepped closer to her and he frowned, "You are asking me to lie to the pup, and i have to know why."
Again, Donoma's eyes turn, unable to meet the male's in fear of what he will see there. Slowly do her ears fall back, and as his question sets in, she settles onto her haunches, body slouching a little as her head lowers. "How would you feel to know that your mother could not keep you with her? If she was alive and well, yet abandoned you? I am shamed to say it, but it is truth. I have abandoned my son." She pauses there, brows furrowing as a frown deepens on her face, yet after a breath she presses on. "I instructed him to come this way if I did not return to him in three days, knowing that I would not return to him at all. I knew, or at least hoped, that the Ute would keep him and raise him as I cannot. It was....difficult raising a pup alone. Moreso than I imagined. I had to return to my pack, but I could not return with him."
Askuwheteau finds himself trying very hard not to become angry at this mother who would abandon her own flesh and blood, but he keeps it guarded closely, not letting her see the accusation in his eyes, "And why is that? If it is the idea of raising a pup alone the Ute would help you...I would help you. But it breaks my heart to see Ahiga missing you so. Except for myself and my best friend Wachiwa he is alone, she and I do what we can for him and while Wachiwa is as sweet and kind a she-wolf as you could hope to meet she is not you. And no she-wolf no matter how sweet and kind can ever replace a pups mother. I should know, I just recently lost my own, and she will never come back. I am having a great deal of difficulty with this request. If your current pack is against you having a pup then join us. Join the Ute and I will do all i can to help you, I'll be the male role model in Ahiga's life if need be. Wachiwa will help also.
She loves Ahiga as if he were her own and together the three of us could raise him and the other pups. My little brother and sister have been orphaned by our mother's death. Do not make Ahiga an orphan as well Donoma. Come back with me."
Donoma winces beneath the male's words, and when her golden gaze finally does turn to him again, they're eerily brighter than ever due to the well of tears that remain unfallen. "Honest wolf, do you think I know this? That he wishes for me as much as I wish for him? I feel the guilt of it every day and I may never forgive myself for bringing him into this world at all. You do not understand. I cannot stay here, though I have thought of it often. To stay with your pack and with my son in these peaceful lands is dream that will never be mine to live. My pack is a vengeful pack, and the alpha female a tyrant. They will search for me, as abandoning the pack is against our law. Our tradition and laws are upheld and have been for generations, and for generations they have not changed. I would be searched for and killed, and if they find Ahiga, he would be tormented and killed. The only mated pair in our pack are our Alphas, and the only pups born are those to the Alphas. I am not an Alpha, and his birth was a sacred tradition broken by me. I cannot have him punished for my own transgression." She pauses, exhaling a breath as her tears finally fall. "And so I must leave him here, with you kind wolf and your friends, and I must return to my pack. If I do not, it will promise doom for us both and I do not wish to bring any of that here."
Askuwheteau closes his eyes after the she-wolf has said her peace, he can see how much it hurts her to have to do what she is doing. After thinking about it for a moment Askuwheteau leans down and gently licks the she-wolf across the mussle, then licks away her tears before placing another kiss on her muzzle and he sighs, "I promice I will personally see to it that Ahiga grows up to be a fine wolf, a wolf you can be proud of. Maybe in the future if the leadership of your pack changes, or if they through some circumstance believe you dead then you may join us and see him again. I will not tell him you are dead. I will tell him only that I do not know what has happened to you. Which will be the truth of a sort. That way his hope will not be completely crushed, and he will not be so shocked if someday in the far future you return to him. I will treat him as if he were my own son, and I will ask my friend Wachiwa to help me take care of him. Set your mind at ease Donoma. Your son will be safe and cared for as well as any other pup in the pack." He gently nuzzled the she-wolf and brought one paw up to slide around her shoulder's in a gentle hug.
The male's comfort is welcomed, as Donoma's finding it increasingly difficult to keep it together. She wasn't supposed to come back and check on Ahiga. She was nearly home! But how could she ignore the rumor of attacks and deaths and sickness in the same area in which she left her only surviving pup? But in the end...she's glad she did. Askuwheteau has consoled her fears, and now she personally knows that her son is in good paws with him and the other pack wolves of the Ute lands. She leans into him, eyes closing as she presses the side of her face against his fur, inhaling deeply his musky scent. "I will never forget you, wolf Askuwheteau. You are blessed with a kind heart, and it will take you far, I'm sure. Maybe... one day things will change," she says, tough there is a twinge of doubt in her voice, "and I can have my son. Under your guidance, I know he will be a strong and good male, like his father, and like you." Opening her eyes now, she tips her head up to touch her nose to his muzzle before standing. "I cannot thank you enough."
Askuwheteau does not move away from the she-wolf as she inhales his scent, when she presses her nose to his muzzle he licks her once more. "You don't need to thank me, I wish I could do more for you. If things were ideal you and your son both would become a part of our pack, but I understand and respect your sacrifice. I truly hope someday you and he will be reunited. If things change I will be happy to petition my brother to give you a place among us. I will remember your scent." He rumbles deep in his chest as he returns the nuzzle, snuffling into her fur in order to ensure he did not forget it.
The female gently shakes her head. "You have done more than I could have wished for, gentle wolf. Never wonder if you could have done more. I've asked much from you, and am indebted to you." After he has taken her scent, she stands and moves back, her movement quick, as if afraid she might change her mind and linger here after all despite the dire consequences. "Perhaps we'll see each other again. Do not allow Ahiga to believe that his mother does not love him. I needn't tell you this as you know, but I will always love him. He is a good boy, but...keep an eye on him," she says as she backs away, beginning to depart from the borderland, "he has an Alpha's blood in him, and thus he may be a bit headstrong." It's a good-natured warning and a quiet admission to her blasphemous deed. Saying nothing further, she offers a small smile before she turns and begins to slink off into the fog.
Askuwheteau nods as he listens, and as the female turns to leave again he wuffs into the fog as it closes behind her, "Good fortune to you, and never worry about Ahiga. He will have the best I can give him, even if that means I must play the role of father and give him discipline. He will grow up to be a wolf you can be proud of." Yes Asku had promised this before, but he wanted to be sure the she-wolf knew she only had to look after her own skin. If things with her current pack were this bad he wanted to remove as much worry from her as he could. He then turned and began heading back to the den, a drawn and somewhat haggard expression on his face.