Post by maka on Oct 27, 2011 9:51:13 GMT -5
Characters:
Maka - Female Wolf, Cerulean Guest
Helaku - Male Wolf, Cerulean Guest
-----
Since accepting a place as a guest of Cerulean, Maka had slowly started to wander further and further into the pack's range, getting a feel for the area. She hadn't gone so far as doing any real hunting, at least not on her own just yet. She hadn't met most of the pack, so if they were to catch her, they might just think her a rogue poaching off the pack's territory.
Instead, she takes her time getting to know the sights and scents, sniffing at a nearby tree before moving onward. It's as she comes through towards the river again that she stumbles upon a kill. It must have been dragged in by someone or other. With no one else around, she takes the opportunity to scamper up and snatch a leg bone that has mostly been picked clean already. With her claimed prize in-maw, Maka makes her way towards the river, looking for a spot to settle down and enjoy some meaty boney goodness.
Helaku had gone on his way since delivering the deer to Tariror and Coinin. He didn't stay around after presenting it; they had his explanation and would have to live with it. He knew they, or at least Tariro, would ponder what he hoped to gain from delivering such a feast but Helaku's angle was entirely nothing. He didn't want anything in return for the deer, as he didn't need anything that could be asked for. If they wanted to offer him something, then they would speak on it. The wolf had been much in the way of solo, not one to readily socialize like a rainbow-obssessed hypersocial strumpet with no future. Deep inside, that was how he saw social affairs. Yes, let's talk about the weather--which serves no purpose but to state the obvious. Helaku sifted through the snow-covered plants and small trees not too far from Maka, looking broody as ever.
At first, Maka is oblivious to the fact that there is another wolf around. Perhaps the pack had gone elsewhere to hunt. It's none of her business where or when they went, just so long as she managed to pull her weight somehow. As she settles down, the wolf props her bone between her paws and begins to chomp down on it, chewing with a clanking of teeth and an occasional shifting to get a better angle.
That's when she started to hear something else. One dark ear twitches, and she pauses to lift her head, "Hello?" Her tail curls about her haunches. There is no fear in her voice, simply curiousity. She can't quite see Helaku from her position, but she does crane her head trying to get a look.
Was he that stealthy among these wolves? Did the packs of this region have this much unlearned-ness with stealth outside of hunting? Maka's 'hello' went unanswered in terms of voice matters. He came to a small clearing between trees and bushes and quietly turned his head in her direction. So, they met again. And she was occupied with a bone. Still, he said nothing and only gazed at her with his snowy eyes. Better to leave her in peace rather than risk an unsavory encounter. Maka was still a guest as was he. The wolf disappeared behind the brush and bark.
For a moment, Maka continues to look in the direction of the movement, her ears swiveling. She decides to discard the bone for the moment, and gets to her feet, shaking out her fur. Call it curiousity, or perhaps a natural wild inability to relax with someone else watching, but checking out the source of the sounds seems a good idea. She moves through the snow, her paws making only soft crunching sounds here and there as she heads towards the trees. "Hey, what're you hiding for?" She asks, nose twitching.
Helaku, hide? No, this was how he often behaved on a daily basis. When she ventured to the trees, he was still walking, albiet casually in the opposite direction, unphased by the crunch-crunch of snow behind him. "If I was truly hidden, you'd not see me," he answered, peering over his shoulder. Would she even recognize him since the other day or forget who he was? This would likely be an awkward conversation regardless.
Well, at the very least that seemed to get her some sort of response. Maka turns, catching sight of the wolf and cocking her head slightly to the side. "Even a shadow leaves a mark." She replies, perhaps somewhat cryptically, and then starts to follow along, seeming indifferent to the argument that they had had during their first encounter. "I remember, though. You had this way of moving without leaving a scent." She may not remember everything, but there are some things that stick in her mind.
As if getting an idea in her head, Maka tries to race out in front of him, turning to face him. "How abut we start over, okay?" No one can say she didn't at least /try/ to be reasonable about all this. "I'm Maka. I'm small, quick, and wiley. I came from beyond the mountains, and I want nothing to do with my sister, or with Ute." Which, she probably would have told him if he had bothered actually giving her the chance. "She took my future as much as yours... so why don't we try to start from that common ground."
He had expected her to be persistant no matter how he approached her.He stood there, inthe snow, watching her trying to prove something of herself for some unknown reason. Why was she trying this hard? Was she trying to make up for her sister? The look on his face and lack of movement on his muzzle accounted for the mysteries that inhabited his mind. So too did his still tail. What was he to say--what did she mean by that her sister took her future? "...Explain this future of yours?"
No, it wouldn't be hard to expect that Maka would be a bit persistant, although, in truth, she isn't trying to prove herself. She's managed to survive on her own for years as a lone wolf, that's enough proof of her steel as anything else. "You mentioned your brother. The one who was meant to take on the mantle of Ute. The one who carried Helaku's blood in his veins." Her amber eyes look towards him, verifying these words as she settles her rump into the snow, as if she were blocking his path. "I l.." She seems to struggle with the words, and then sighs to herself, "I loved him. He and I were supposed to be mates when the season changed. The next alphas."
@emit Taking a breath, the wolf seems serious now, ears folded back slightly, "I don't know what she told Skelaghe. I don't know how my sister convinced her to take that away from her own son, but she took that future from me, too. So I was left to wander while she was left to rule."
Right then, Helaku had the same look his father would have had--the exact same, minus the red eyes whenever he analyzed someone speaking to him. Not that Maka would know. He wasn't even sure if she ever met Alpha Helaku. He hardly knew Maka, vaguely remembered her as his mind had been on mostly Wyanet. Also, Crescendo and Ixkin, Bodhi. Niyt was someone he was to look after, but after hearing this, Maka might be one of those as well. "What happened to Abel?" was his only question at this moment.
Throughout her story, Maka had stood there, her eyes on Helaku. No, she hadn't any clue that this was what the once alpha male had looked like so long ago. She only knew the wolf in front of her. The question about Abel, though, has her eyes looking away. "I don't know." Her voice softens, and a small breath of air lingers out of her muzzle, puffing in the air as she shakes her head. "I left after I found out. I needed to get my head on straight, and I was stupid." She mutters, tail thumping once behind her. "An avalanche closed the pass thorugh the mountains. I tried to find a long way around, but it took me too long. By the time I made it back this way, he was nowhere to be found. I haven't seen him since."
Nobody knew what happened to Abel. And nobody would likely ever find out. Had he known all of this before, he wouldn't have been aggressive as he had been with Maka. "It is doubtful anyone will ever find Abel," said Helaku. "Rather, I doubt he still lives. I didn't see Ciqala, Rowtag or any of the others when I was among the Ute. Quidel's gone, Crescendo too. It is very likely that of all those present during Skelaghe's time, you and I are the only ones who remain living."
"I know." Her voice is softer now, tinged with a sigh of regret. "It was a long time ago. I thought I'd moved on from all of that, but it still hurts sometimes." She pushes to her feet again, unblocking his path as she moves to stand near a tree, stroking her side along the bark, perhaps as some gesture of comfort to herself. "I'm not her, and I don't ever want to be. All I'm trying to do here is figure out if there is any place in this world I do belong. Maybe try to find some new future to replace the one I lost." Her ears slick back aagin, muzzle framed white against the snow, "Maybe you can, too. If we can bury the past and let it rest, dead and cold, maybe we can find that future here. Start something new."
No matter how Helaku watched someone, there was always this predatory nature in his face. It wasn't only because he was a predator, as wolves were, but because of how he was raised to always present himself as something to deal with in every way possible. He slowly stepped in the snow up to her side, the fierce thing he often was not being so...fierce. "The circumstances dictate that because you were meant to be the successor of Alpha Skelaghe, mated to my brother, that you are part of my responsibility now," he said. "The one called Niyt is also a responsibility. Where she lives, I live, though it is uncertain if I am to be offered a place in the Cerulean. If am approached with this, then I will say the offer includes you if you wish it."
This. Well, this is a strange sort of turn of events. The look on Maka's face is somewhat quizzical, and a wry smirk spreads on her muzzle. "I appreciate the offer, Helaku. I do. But I'd rather you try to find a way to be my friend rather than a guardian." She settles herself, leaning over to scratch at her neck in an easy-going fashion. The fierce way he holds himself is nothing compared to what she's experienced in recent years, and thus she pays it little mind. "I want to forget about the past. I want to just be Maka, not whomever Maka was supposed to be back then." Her ears lift slightly, "So can we start from there?"
She wants to forget. This wasn't too surprising, at all. "If that is what you wish, Just Maka," he said, peering down at her. It was in his own mind on how he saw her. Abel and himself didn't associate much, but it still counted that she would have been the Ute Alpha. His father would have still treated her as a ranked individual. "But don't forget your history entirely. You'll repeat it if doing so." He took several paw steps forward, beyond her. "...it is nice to have a familiar..." And then he kept walking the trail on...wherever it was in the territory he planned to go. He wouldn't admit to it--it was a patrol he carried out by himself.
Maka - Female Wolf, Cerulean Guest
Helaku - Male Wolf, Cerulean Guest
-----
Since accepting a place as a guest of Cerulean, Maka had slowly started to wander further and further into the pack's range, getting a feel for the area. She hadn't gone so far as doing any real hunting, at least not on her own just yet. She hadn't met most of the pack, so if they were to catch her, they might just think her a rogue poaching off the pack's territory.
Instead, she takes her time getting to know the sights and scents, sniffing at a nearby tree before moving onward. It's as she comes through towards the river again that she stumbles upon a kill. It must have been dragged in by someone or other. With no one else around, she takes the opportunity to scamper up and snatch a leg bone that has mostly been picked clean already. With her claimed prize in-maw, Maka makes her way towards the river, looking for a spot to settle down and enjoy some meaty boney goodness.
Helaku had gone on his way since delivering the deer to Tariror and Coinin. He didn't stay around after presenting it; they had his explanation and would have to live with it. He knew they, or at least Tariro, would ponder what he hoped to gain from delivering such a feast but Helaku's angle was entirely nothing. He didn't want anything in return for the deer, as he didn't need anything that could be asked for. If they wanted to offer him something, then they would speak on it. The wolf had been much in the way of solo, not one to readily socialize like a rainbow-obssessed hypersocial strumpet with no future. Deep inside, that was how he saw social affairs. Yes, let's talk about the weather--which serves no purpose but to state the obvious. Helaku sifted through the snow-covered plants and small trees not too far from Maka, looking broody as ever.
At first, Maka is oblivious to the fact that there is another wolf around. Perhaps the pack had gone elsewhere to hunt. It's none of her business where or when they went, just so long as she managed to pull her weight somehow. As she settles down, the wolf props her bone between her paws and begins to chomp down on it, chewing with a clanking of teeth and an occasional shifting to get a better angle.
That's when she started to hear something else. One dark ear twitches, and she pauses to lift her head, "Hello?" Her tail curls about her haunches. There is no fear in her voice, simply curiousity. She can't quite see Helaku from her position, but she does crane her head trying to get a look.
Was he that stealthy among these wolves? Did the packs of this region have this much unlearned-ness with stealth outside of hunting? Maka's 'hello' went unanswered in terms of voice matters. He came to a small clearing between trees and bushes and quietly turned his head in her direction. So, they met again. And she was occupied with a bone. Still, he said nothing and only gazed at her with his snowy eyes. Better to leave her in peace rather than risk an unsavory encounter. Maka was still a guest as was he. The wolf disappeared behind the brush and bark.
For a moment, Maka continues to look in the direction of the movement, her ears swiveling. She decides to discard the bone for the moment, and gets to her feet, shaking out her fur. Call it curiousity, or perhaps a natural wild inability to relax with someone else watching, but checking out the source of the sounds seems a good idea. She moves through the snow, her paws making only soft crunching sounds here and there as she heads towards the trees. "Hey, what're you hiding for?" She asks, nose twitching.
Helaku, hide? No, this was how he often behaved on a daily basis. When she ventured to the trees, he was still walking, albiet casually in the opposite direction, unphased by the crunch-crunch of snow behind him. "If I was truly hidden, you'd not see me," he answered, peering over his shoulder. Would she even recognize him since the other day or forget who he was? This would likely be an awkward conversation regardless.
Well, at the very least that seemed to get her some sort of response. Maka turns, catching sight of the wolf and cocking her head slightly to the side. "Even a shadow leaves a mark." She replies, perhaps somewhat cryptically, and then starts to follow along, seeming indifferent to the argument that they had had during their first encounter. "I remember, though. You had this way of moving without leaving a scent." She may not remember everything, but there are some things that stick in her mind.
As if getting an idea in her head, Maka tries to race out in front of him, turning to face him. "How abut we start over, okay?" No one can say she didn't at least /try/ to be reasonable about all this. "I'm Maka. I'm small, quick, and wiley. I came from beyond the mountains, and I want nothing to do with my sister, or with Ute." Which, she probably would have told him if he had bothered actually giving her the chance. "She took my future as much as yours... so why don't we try to start from that common ground."
He had expected her to be persistant no matter how he approached her.He stood there, inthe snow, watching her trying to prove something of herself for some unknown reason. Why was she trying this hard? Was she trying to make up for her sister? The look on his face and lack of movement on his muzzle accounted for the mysteries that inhabited his mind. So too did his still tail. What was he to say--what did she mean by that her sister took her future? "...Explain this future of yours?"
No, it wouldn't be hard to expect that Maka would be a bit persistant, although, in truth, she isn't trying to prove herself. She's managed to survive on her own for years as a lone wolf, that's enough proof of her steel as anything else. "You mentioned your brother. The one who was meant to take on the mantle of Ute. The one who carried Helaku's blood in his veins." Her amber eyes look towards him, verifying these words as she settles her rump into the snow, as if she were blocking his path. "I l.." She seems to struggle with the words, and then sighs to herself, "I loved him. He and I were supposed to be mates when the season changed. The next alphas."
@emit Taking a breath, the wolf seems serious now, ears folded back slightly, "I don't know what she told Skelaghe. I don't know how my sister convinced her to take that away from her own son, but she took that future from me, too. So I was left to wander while she was left to rule."
Right then, Helaku had the same look his father would have had--the exact same, minus the red eyes whenever he analyzed someone speaking to him. Not that Maka would know. He wasn't even sure if she ever met Alpha Helaku. He hardly knew Maka, vaguely remembered her as his mind had been on mostly Wyanet. Also, Crescendo and Ixkin, Bodhi. Niyt was someone he was to look after, but after hearing this, Maka might be one of those as well. "What happened to Abel?" was his only question at this moment.
Throughout her story, Maka had stood there, her eyes on Helaku. No, she hadn't any clue that this was what the once alpha male had looked like so long ago. She only knew the wolf in front of her. The question about Abel, though, has her eyes looking away. "I don't know." Her voice softens, and a small breath of air lingers out of her muzzle, puffing in the air as she shakes her head. "I left after I found out. I needed to get my head on straight, and I was stupid." She mutters, tail thumping once behind her. "An avalanche closed the pass thorugh the mountains. I tried to find a long way around, but it took me too long. By the time I made it back this way, he was nowhere to be found. I haven't seen him since."
Nobody knew what happened to Abel. And nobody would likely ever find out. Had he known all of this before, he wouldn't have been aggressive as he had been with Maka. "It is doubtful anyone will ever find Abel," said Helaku. "Rather, I doubt he still lives. I didn't see Ciqala, Rowtag or any of the others when I was among the Ute. Quidel's gone, Crescendo too. It is very likely that of all those present during Skelaghe's time, you and I are the only ones who remain living."
"I know." Her voice is softer now, tinged with a sigh of regret. "It was a long time ago. I thought I'd moved on from all of that, but it still hurts sometimes." She pushes to her feet again, unblocking his path as she moves to stand near a tree, stroking her side along the bark, perhaps as some gesture of comfort to herself. "I'm not her, and I don't ever want to be. All I'm trying to do here is figure out if there is any place in this world I do belong. Maybe try to find some new future to replace the one I lost." Her ears slick back aagin, muzzle framed white against the snow, "Maybe you can, too. If we can bury the past and let it rest, dead and cold, maybe we can find that future here. Start something new."
No matter how Helaku watched someone, there was always this predatory nature in his face. It wasn't only because he was a predator, as wolves were, but because of how he was raised to always present himself as something to deal with in every way possible. He slowly stepped in the snow up to her side, the fierce thing he often was not being so...fierce. "The circumstances dictate that because you were meant to be the successor of Alpha Skelaghe, mated to my brother, that you are part of my responsibility now," he said. "The one called Niyt is also a responsibility. Where she lives, I live, though it is uncertain if I am to be offered a place in the Cerulean. If am approached with this, then I will say the offer includes you if you wish it."
This. Well, this is a strange sort of turn of events. The look on Maka's face is somewhat quizzical, and a wry smirk spreads on her muzzle. "I appreciate the offer, Helaku. I do. But I'd rather you try to find a way to be my friend rather than a guardian." She settles herself, leaning over to scratch at her neck in an easy-going fashion. The fierce way he holds himself is nothing compared to what she's experienced in recent years, and thus she pays it little mind. "I want to forget about the past. I want to just be Maka, not whomever Maka was supposed to be back then." Her ears lift slightly, "So can we start from there?"
She wants to forget. This wasn't too surprising, at all. "If that is what you wish, Just Maka," he said, peering down at her. It was in his own mind on how he saw her. Abel and himself didn't associate much, but it still counted that she would have been the Ute Alpha. His father would have still treated her as a ranked individual. "But don't forget your history entirely. You'll repeat it if doing so." He took several paw steps forward, beyond her. "...it is nice to have a familiar..." And then he kept walking the trail on...wherever it was in the territory he planned to go. He wouldn't admit to it--it was a patrol he carried out by himself.