Post by Therdde on May 18, 2008 10:03:08 GMT -5
Characters:
Jolon – Male Dog
Skelaghe – Female Wolf
Teketa – Male Wolf
Sketch – Female Juvenile Dog
- Sparse Copse -
Sigh. The copse is not the home it once was. The winter is nearing its end, and the proximity of spring makes the dog wonder if it's time to move on. A glance is given to Sketch as she sleeps close to an elm. It is early in the morning, and especially chilly. He hopes she is warm enough. Once he determines that she is not shivering, he walks closer to the centre of the copse, shaking out his stiff legs. Jolon scents the breeze half heartedly, not surprised when he doesn't pick up anything exciting.
Nothing exciting yet, perhaps, but Skelaghe, who is unfamiliar with the land north of the forest, has wandered into the area from the west, searching for the spring she knows is nearby. She can already smell the dogs not too far away, but she is not overly cautious, despite repeated warnings from wolves in the area that wolves and dogs just don't get along in these parts. Her pace is casual and her demeanor relaxed.
Teketa, perhaps, knows less about dogs than Skelaghe. Unlike the she-wolf, however, it causes him to use more caution when he stumbles across the scent of a canine in his travels. Teketa is coming from the north, his pace steady and even as he trots over the frozen ground with eyes bright and ears alert. It wasn't the scent that drew him this way, but rather his own desire to return to the southern part of the land. However, he's become sidetracked by this scent he's caught from nearby...
Ears flicking absently, Jolon surveys the silent copse. Everyone is asleep. It is almost peaceful, though the male snorts at the idea of describing the group of canines as 'peaceful'. After a moment of quiet contemplation, he hears a sound from the west. The elkhound's head snaps to the noise. It sounds too large to be worth dismissing. Eyes roaming over the dogs resting nearby, he deems there is no one missing. Something is approaching and it doesn't seem too troubled by the smell of a pack of dogs. This is not good. Growling quietly, he heads in toward the west, alert for any more clues about the intruder. He is so focused that he does not notice anything from the north. The canine has let his guard down; will it prove fatal?
Skelaghe may be relaxed and she may not think little about wandering into dog territory--something she would never do were the scent marks around here those of wolves--but the low growling she can hear in the distance is another story. It causes a pause in her step, and during this time she can tell the growling creature is heading in her direction. She can't be certain that the growling creature is growling /because/ of her, but whatever the reason, probably best not to do anything that could be considered antagonizing. As such, there are only a couple more steps before she stops moving forward, ears perked and eyes ahead of her.
A sound! Pawsteps? The owner of this... scent? The black wolf freezes at once, pondering what to do. Then, carefully he pads onwards, his paws quieter. His approach is nearly silent when he reaches the copse, his form only a shadow in the early light. The wolf stops again a good distance away from what looks like a rather large gathering of... are /those/ dogs? Sleeping. Well, all but one, it seems, and this one isn't so different from a wolf as Teketa expected. But enough of that. This creature he assumes to be a dog is not focused on him, but rather on something else that Teketa has not seen, scented or heard. In fact, whatever it is, the dog is /growling/ at it. Well. The best thing the black wolf can do is remain where he is and be absolutely still. He even goes so far as to lower down to his belly. He'd rather not be detected right now.
The only indication that another of the canines is awake is a slight twitch of one small ear. The form of Sketch continues the slow and easing breathing one would expect of a sleeping pup, however there is no mistaking yet another twitch of the same ear. And suddenly, there's no mistaking anything at all--the young German Shepherd is now obviously wide awake as she leaps to her paws, staring at the Elkhound. Jolon is /growling/? At... what? This is /not/ good. Sketch is about to call out to him when it dawns on her that it might not be the smartest move to give away her own location to whoever or whatever Jolon sees as a threat. She decides to slink toward cover in the meantime... like the sleeping form of Freyr. He's scary enough to keep anything far away from Sketch.
There! Jolon can see the stranger now. It's a wolf. Snarling fiercely, he fixes the she-wolf with a glare. It is doubtful that she is alone; those damn things tend to travel in packs-- especially if they hope to overwhelm an unsuspecting pack of dogs. "What is your business here?" he rumbles, voice rough with anger. The elkhound's senses are hyper alert in search of her comrades, and they catch the sound of someone stirring behind him. Sketch? Oh, he hopes not. The last thing he needs is to put her in danger with this intruder. Part of him doesn't want her to see him fight, either. He's trying to set a good example for her. Then again, when it comes down to protecting her he'll do what needs to be done, regardless of the image he is trying to maintain for her sake.
Not all wolves travel in packs, or even in pairs. Skelaghe is well and truly alone, as Jolon would seem to be, if not for the strong scent of other dogs. The shewolf remains standing precisely where she is. Her tail is parallel to the ground, and though she's alert, she scarcely seems prepared to defend against an attack, let alone initiate one. "I have no business /here/. I am simply passing through." Her voice is casual enough. No snarling in kind, nothing that might risk escalating this conflict, because she's really opposed to fighting. She has seldom ever done it, and never in defense of /herself/.
The black wolf's attention is firmly on the snarling dog, and would've stayed there except for one thing: movement. Yes, that's it. The pup might've been better off remaining still, for her movement capture the black wolf's attention better than anything else might've at the moment. He tracks the little one's movements with his eyes only at first, then very slowly turns his head, for fear of catching any unwanted attention. A child? Here? Imagine that. If she's a dog, too, then what kind that she should look so different from the other? But no matter. It sounds like it might be a good idea to skedaddle, and that's just what Teketa tells himself he should do... but for some reason his paws seem to remain rooted to the spot, and his eyes merely flicker back to the most likely threat.
She'll learn in time about movement and remaining still and plenty more on the finer aspects of hunting and stalking... provided she has a good mentor. Provided that she /lives/ long enough to learn such techniques. Sketch remains in her crouched--one might describe it as 'cowering'--position behind Freyr, hoping that not only does this threat that Jolon is dealing with stay far awake... but also that Freyr doesn't wake up. Not when she's this close to him. Her logic is that if he's immensely scary to /her/... imagine how scary he'll be to a stranger, and especially a stranger that Jolon is growling at!
A short, cynical laugh erupts from Jolon. "Sure. What about the rest of your pack, hm? When do they plan to attack my sleeping friends?" The male doesn't want to take any chances. His focus stays on the she-wolf. She may not appear threatening /yet/, but the most dangerous enemy is the underestimated one. "If you're as innocent as you /claim/-" it sounds like he highly doubts that,"- then by all means, carry on." The elkhound's jaws snap forward ever so slightly, almost a bite. Nothing to actually /hurt/ the intruder by any means, just a little reminder that she certainly is not welcome. The copse is silent behind him. He struggles to decide whether that is a good thing or a bad thing. The wind is against him; he can't smell anything. His ears strain for any hint of danger, but detect nothing. Perhaps the one who was stirring earlier simply went back to sleep.
Skelaghe manages, perhaps barely, not to shrink back when Jolon snaps forward. She may not intend to fight, either in defense or offense, but she is not /weak/, and those who portray themselves as week, even if only for a second, have to spend an eternity defending themselves. She remains where she is a moment longer before she takes a deliberate step forward, then another, then a third. Once she begins walking forward--she was invited to, after all, by him, as she really is that innocent--she says, with just the slightest hint of amusement in her voice, "You could wear yourself out looking for a pack travelling with me and find nothing. Certainly there are better things you could give your time." Her attitude will be the death of her one day, or she will realize that she has to actually change that attitude based on the very fact that she isn't with any pack.
The canid is speaking to someone -- and evidently is rather unhappy. Teketa's ears twitch. He /really/ should be going... and yet he stays. Why did his mind have to contradict his body? The black wolf is tense, debating what he should do. This is none of his business, anyway. At last he gathers his wits about him enough to make his own paws begin to move. In fact, they twitch and he's a moment away from turning and leaving when he finally registers that the creature the dog is challenging is actually another wolf. And not just any wolf. It's /her./ Skelaghe. In this knowledge, he might easily leave the she-wolf to her fate -- he did tell himself last they met that he didn't like her -- but again he is compelled to remain. In fact, he's edging closer... just on the off-chance that she gets herself into trouble. Whether he'd actually intervene if a fight broke out? Well, that remains to be seen...
The angry voices are making Sketch very uneasy. Finally summoning up enough courage, she stretches her head forward to peek over the still-sleeping (thankfully!) form of Freyr, and is shocked to see Jolon snap at... a wolf? Okay, now Sketch is /officially/ scared. Swallowing hard, she backs away, knowing that even Freyr might not be scary enough to stop a wolf. All those stories that her mother told her... But where can Sketch run or hide that the wolf won't find her? Should she remain here, and hope that the wolf won't be able to get by Jolon, or should she run, assuming that the wolf will eventually eat everyone who /does/ stay here?
The she-wolf's insolence shocks the elkhound, and he is about to reply when he notices something out of the corner of his eye-- movement! Another wolf! "Aha! You'll have to better than that!" Jolon's head turns to face the male. His lips peel back to reveal yellow fangs as he growls, "Stop right there, if you know what's good for you." His muscles tense, waiting for one them to make the first move. Two on one are not favourable odds....and yet, if he /can/ fend them off without help from the other dogs... As he glances between the wolves, he notices further movement. Sketch? The male's eyes widen in horror. The distraction only lasts a moment before he returns to the intruders, now even more determined to get rid of them. If those mangy animals hurt a hair on her head...
Skelaghe had no idea that Teketa was nearby, but Teketa's presence doesn't change anything. At least, it shouldn't. The male dog obviously believes differently, though. She /does/ stop walking, but she turns so that she is directly facing Jolon. The amusement is gone, but her tone is soft. "Listen... You obviously don't want me... Us... Here. Let us pass, with escort, if it would make you feel better, and we won't be here anymore." Were this wolf territory, she would have made her way around it, but she can't extend that to /every/ species, or she'd never get anywhere.
The black wolf slinks slowly forward, but stops when he glimpses the pup again. He pauses and furrows his brows in an almost worried expression as he watches the child, then ... a voice is directed at him. At once, his head whips around and he looks long and hard at the dog. Teketa freezes, of course. He's not anymore interested in getting in a fight than Skelaghe, though something tells him the dog isn't likely to believe that. Indeed, Teketa regrets more than ever that he didn't leave before things got to this level. Oddly enough though, he finds himself regretting it for one other reason: he did hear enough of Skelaghe and the dog's conversation to know that he's made Skelaghe sound like a liar. He feels guilt for it, too. Skelaghe is speaking to the dog then. Slowly, Teketa lifts his body away from the ground and realizes that he's suddenly been brought into the conversation -- no, /confrontation/ -- as well. He finds no words immediately, and instead glances at Skelaghe before looking at the dog and nodding his head once, firmly. Teketa remains neutral otherwise.
Jolon notices the black wolf watching Sketch and he doesn't like it one bit. As the other male slowly rises, the elkhound feels a growl growing in his throat. Tersely, he barks to the she-wolf, "I don't take kindly to /liars/. You and your packmate will get out. Now." His teeth click menacingly with the last word. After a heartbeat of pause, he snaps at the night coloured wolf, "You. Get away from her-" he indicates Sketch with a bob of his head,"- now. Make it quick before my hospitality runs out." The dog's fur bristles with anger. The pup isn't /terribly/ close to the intruder, but it still makes him uneasy. Damn untrustworthy wolves. How much longer until the rest of the pack attacks? Are these two just scouts? The canine doesn't care for this situation at all.
Unlike Teketa, Skelaghe hadn't even begun to think about how the male wolf's arrival may have made her appear to be a liar. Not until Jolon calls her such. While she does appear confused, it lasts for only a moment, as the assumption that this dog makes is clearly transparent. Skelaghe remains standing where she is a moment beyond when it's obvious she's no longer confused, though. This was not what she had anticipated, and she's not sure what, if anything, she could do to diffuse the situation. When she finally decides that she's not likely to find anything, in this moment, she gives a nod to this dog's commands. "That's fine. We'll leave." No, she doesn't have a problem with speaking for Teketa, regardless of the fact that they're not packmates. Were she viewing this situation from the outside, she might realize that confirms Jolon's suspicion, but she's not used to being received with such hostility.
Teketa's ears flicker as he glances briefly at the pup, then as quickly as he dares he moves back and puts some distance between himself and the child. He'd never /dream/ of hurting a pup! He feels some amount of indignation and his glare hardens on Jolon. "She is no liar, you!" he counters with a low voice. Not wise. Not smart. He /shouldn't/ be saying /anything/! Not in this place. But he does nonetheless. He even keeps going. "We are neither friends nor packmates -- /this/ is merely an example of /poor timing/ on /my/ part," he explains almost in one breath, for fear the dog with strike out before the black wolf can finish. That said, Teketa makes ready to leave -- in a hurry if he must -- but remains to see what will become of the she-wolf, first.
The male wolf hadn't even been noticed by the girlpup until Jolon's turning to speak harshly to him. /Whoa/. Sketch is, of course, quite frightened by the seemingly sudden appearance of a second wolf. Now Jolon is well and truly outnumbered, and Sketch is feeling the situation turn from bad to much worse. The option of fleeing suddenly becomes /quite/ a bit more viable of a possibility. It's only the fact that the male wolf starts backing away from her that keeps Sketch from leaving the area as fast as her young paws can carry her. Even still, she's most definitely and obviously on a hair-trigger, now crouched anxiously as low to the ground as she can manage, eyes wide and ears straining to catch any of the words shot back and forth between the hostile adults.
Ah, finally. The female seems to be able to take a hint-- the male not so much. "Poor timing indeed," he rumbles in reply, though he wants to breathe a sigh of relief as the wolf moves from Sketch. The poor girl seems terrified, and he longs to comfort her. Such weakness is not acceptable just now, and though it breaks his heart, she'll have to wait. He allows himself a glance at her, trying to catch her eye to convey that everything will be ok. It's only a second, before he returns his attention to the intruders. "Your relationship with the female is of /no/ importance to me," Jolon snaps. "I don't care if you're mates or bitter enemies, but conduct your business outside our borders." His tone clearly indicates that this is their /last/ warning, before he resorts to more....persuasive methods of convincing them to leave.
Skelaghe frowns at Teketa's response. No, it wasn't smart, especially if Skelaghe hopes to smooth this over in the future. Skelaghe is looking at Teketa as he speaks, though, and she can tell the male wolf intends to leave. That's likely the best resolution they can hope for, in this moment. She doesn't bother speaking further. It hasn't gone well for her to this point, after all. Rather, she turns, slightly, to leave herself, venturing no closer to Jolon or any of the other dogs, especially that young one. Even as casual as she is in almost any situation, she does not wholly turn her back to the male dog nearby. In a rather deliberate move, her path also brings her no closer to Teketa, as she doesn't wish to further Jolon's conviction that the two wolves are packmates.
The black wolf forces himself not to say more, and is actually rather amazed that he didn't find himself in deeper trouble for his words. But he'll do nothing more to provoke the dog's wrath. Or rather, to provoke /action./ He eyes turn to Skelaghe as she moves to leave. He'd apologize, but... not here or now. Not in the presence of this ... this /dog./ He'll do well to avoid their kind in the future. Without another word, Teketa takes his leave swiftly. He's headed north once again. An ear remains tilted back for a good while as he makes his leave. He won't trust the dog not to strike while Teketa's back is turned.
Relief. In fact, /immense/ relief. One of the wolves--specifically the one closest to her--is apparently leaving for good. Sketch allows herself the luxury of a relieved sigh, and even to stand up to a more relaxed position. She's fairly confident that if Jolon could scare one of the two wolves away, he should have no trouble with the other. She's almost tempted to rush forward to lend Jolon her own intimidating support, but the foolishness of such an idea is immediately apparent. She'll let Jolon do what he does best: be scary. She'll just wait until the other wolf is gone before meeting up with the Elkhound.
Jolon watches as the wolves flee. He makes no move to follow them, content to watch as they quickly disappear. If Sketch had not been here, he might have easily attacked them sooner, or chased them down to teach them a lesson. They both had far too much of an attitude. However, the girl /is/ here, and the elkhound is trying to be a role model for her. A strong, but not necessarily violent role model. After the intruders have gone an acceptable distance, he looks at the shepherd girl. "You ok?" he asks, voice a little hoarse from trying to be as intimidating as possible. The male tries to look relaxed, but his ears are constantly searching for any sign of lingering danger.
- Field of Flowers -
Stupid dog! The thought runs through his mind over and over again as Teketa moves ever-northwards at a brisk pace. The morning has moved forward as well, though the air is still crisp with a wintery chill. He feels awful. Not for himself, no, but for Skelaghe... though, he tells himself he shouldn't feel so bad at all. Maybe he should take a rest? But so close to those ... those disgraceful canids? No. He's still too close. So the black wolf keeps moving, his head down and tail trailing behind uselessly. Maybe he should find Skelaghe? That would put his mind at ease. Just to say the slightest word of apology. Teketa pauses momentarily before altering his course. He'll see if he can find the she-wolf without running into more dog-territory...
Skelaghe didn't spend half so long before deciding to search out the male wolf. Of her choices, the ways she could have spent the remainder of her day, that was the best option. After all, if she fails to find Teketa, she can always just find the spring here, further north. She won't have to settle for that, though. She has already caught traces of his scent, and she can't be too far away from him, but given that her pace is much more relaxed than his, it may be a while, yet, before she finds him. Of course, she has no idea that he is also searching for her.
The wind is not with Teketa as he travels, so he cannot know for certain that the direction he has chosen is the right one. He has only his memory of her movements away from the dog... and now that Teketa himself has moved off, he can only guess at her direction. But then, he had no idea how quickly she'd be travelling. He could be moving too fast a miss her... or too slowly. But even if he were moving slower, he'd be able to find her scent eventually. But Teketa needs not worry about it much longer, for as he comes across a field -- barren in this winter weather -- he glimpses the very she-wolf he is seeking. He pauses momentarily, his head lifting as he makes absolutely certain she's the one he's looking for. Once he's ascertained that, yes, it /is/ Skelaghe, he trots with a little more purpose in his stride towards the female. She doesn't appear to have seen him just yet, so he lifts his maw and emits a quick bark.
Skelaghe turns her head in Teketa's direction at the bark. At this distance, it isn't hard to tell that he is the dark-furred wolf she has been seeking. After all, she does not know a great many dark-furred wolves in these parts, and none of them would be this far north and walking towards her with such purpose. Shortly after spotting him, she smiles, and she turns just slightly so that she is headed more directly towards Teketa. Her pace stays the same, though. She does not have to speed up, as they will be within comfortable speaking distance within moments anyway, as it is.
A smile? Even at a distance, he's sure that's what he can see on her maw. A /smile./ Well, that's not too bad, considering... or maybe it's just him. Maybe he just feels bad for something not even worth /mentioning./ His pace remains steady until his a few paces away from the she-wolf. There, he stops and looks quietly at the she-wolf, his head lifting a little above shoulder-height. "M-my lady, Skelaghe," he greets her softly, if not a bit gruffly. Teketa's facade is entirely serious, his brows low and brooding. He wants to apologize, but all that comes out is, "Are you well?" ...and that makes him sound like a fool. He /did/ just see her a little while ago. Stupid dog. Causing trouble for no reason, Teketa thinks!
Skelaghe doesn't particularly believe in bad timing. Even if such a thing exists, though, Skelaghe would never consider it something for which any animal should have to apologize. Her smile remains at the greeting, and she comes to a stop soon after he does. After he gets his question out, she nods and responds, "I am. And are you well?" He certainly seemed more affected by the encounter with those dogs when they both left.
She's /still/ smiling. And he's not. Definitely not. What's there to smile about? Yet he forces out the barest crack of a smile that quickly disappears. "Good. I had to find you again," he says, his eyes flicking away from the she-wolf. "I did not intend to make you look like a liar, my lady." Teketa's voice is soft, though not for fear of hurting his pride or any other reason, but only because it is what he knows to do when offering an apology of any sort. "I was ... a fool to move into the open like that." He leaves out the fact that he had been there a good while before he was even spotted by Jolon. She might figure it out, anyway, though. He also neglects to mention "how" he's doing.
Skelaghe's smile does fade slightly as Teketa speaks, though it doesn't go away entirely. Teketa says, himself, the only thing that Skelaghe could have said if she had known he might be concerned over how she views the encounter with that dog. He did not /intend/ to make her look like a liar. So what that it happened? "I am certain you had your reasons for doing so, and I doubt they were foolish reasons. I am sorry, though, that you had to face the consequences of me underestimating how strong the rift between dogs and wolves is." Teketa had no reason to avoid the dogs. He had no idea what they were, much less that the dogs around here do not appreciate the presence of wolves. She did, though, and she willingly disregarded that knowledge, and for that, Teketa was drawn into a conflict he could have just as easily avoided. For that, she apologizes now.
Teketa struggles to look Skelaghe squarely in the face. Her words do little to ease his guilt, for they make it seem as if there were some /real/ reason there. Well... he'd thought there might be at the time. But now? He's not quite certain there was ever any reason at all! But he remains silent on that subject for fear of compounding the guilt he feels already. "You?" He responds to her apology in turn. "No, no. Do not apologize, my lady," he replies his expression softening somewhat. She really /does/ remind him of someone. When he first met her he'd seen that spark of life he'd not seen in a long time. He hates it. So giving himself a little shake, he tries to smile once more. "We both no better than to go looking for dogs, now. Perhaps we will be better for it."
There are no hard feelings on either part, then. Well, sure, that dog does not view them positively, but she can do nothing to fix that, right this moment. Skelaghe grins at his final statement. "Yes, perhaps we will." No, she won't tell him that she fully intends to try to patch relations between herself and the group of dogs south of here. No need to drag him any further into this.
The black wolf can't help but chuckle. Something tells him that she'll go getting herself into trouble again if she's as much like the wolf she reminds him of. He quickly wipes the thought away, however, and shakes his head a little. "I-I suppose," he begins a little awkwardly, "that is why I wanted to speak to you again." He's a wolf of few words. Usually. It was probably a good thing she handled that dog so calmly, or things may have turned out much differently. "It may be time we say farewell, then," he suggests, though he does not make to leave immediately.
Skelaghe couldn't care less what, exactly, caused the male wolf to chuckle. He did, and so she can consider that this day was not a total loss. The world, after all, would be a better place if everyone laughed more... Starting with those dogs. With a bow of her head, she says, "Very well, Teketa. Until we meet again." Because she has no doubt they /will/ meet again, and she certainly doesn't mind the prospect, whether this wolf is occasionally snarly or not. After speaking, she raises her head, but she does not beat a hasty retreat, rather giving him time to say a formal farewell, if he so desires.
Given time, Teketa can be a good guy. If not for those occasional mood-swings. That's just the way he is. Why? Well... that might go a bit deeper. But no matter. Right now, the black wolf feels a bit better, but at the same time... he feels the smallest traces of guilt for other reasons. Her farewell, brings a serious expression back to his face. She really /is/ all together too bright and cheerful for him, still. Although... maybe she isn't. "Thank you, my lady. Until," his words /almost/ catch, as he doubts what he's saying and can't quite believe he's saying it, "we meet again, Skelaghe." He regards her a moment more, then turns away to return the way he had come once more. To the north... yes, that's where he'll go for now...
Skelaghe remains standing where she is for just a moment, watching as he heads northwards. After that moment, she turns to continue her journey towards the east that was interrupted earlier this morning. Though it is diminished, she is still smiling, even with no one to see it. She may well be too bright and cheerful for a great many animals, but she would have it no other way.
Jolon – Male Dog
Skelaghe – Female Wolf
Teketa – Male Wolf
Sketch – Female Juvenile Dog
- Sparse Copse -
Sigh. The copse is not the home it once was. The winter is nearing its end, and the proximity of spring makes the dog wonder if it's time to move on. A glance is given to Sketch as she sleeps close to an elm. It is early in the morning, and especially chilly. He hopes she is warm enough. Once he determines that she is not shivering, he walks closer to the centre of the copse, shaking out his stiff legs. Jolon scents the breeze half heartedly, not surprised when he doesn't pick up anything exciting.
Nothing exciting yet, perhaps, but Skelaghe, who is unfamiliar with the land north of the forest, has wandered into the area from the west, searching for the spring she knows is nearby. She can already smell the dogs not too far away, but she is not overly cautious, despite repeated warnings from wolves in the area that wolves and dogs just don't get along in these parts. Her pace is casual and her demeanor relaxed.
Teketa, perhaps, knows less about dogs than Skelaghe. Unlike the she-wolf, however, it causes him to use more caution when he stumbles across the scent of a canine in his travels. Teketa is coming from the north, his pace steady and even as he trots over the frozen ground with eyes bright and ears alert. It wasn't the scent that drew him this way, but rather his own desire to return to the southern part of the land. However, he's become sidetracked by this scent he's caught from nearby...
Ears flicking absently, Jolon surveys the silent copse. Everyone is asleep. It is almost peaceful, though the male snorts at the idea of describing the group of canines as 'peaceful'. After a moment of quiet contemplation, he hears a sound from the west. The elkhound's head snaps to the noise. It sounds too large to be worth dismissing. Eyes roaming over the dogs resting nearby, he deems there is no one missing. Something is approaching and it doesn't seem too troubled by the smell of a pack of dogs. This is not good. Growling quietly, he heads in toward the west, alert for any more clues about the intruder. He is so focused that he does not notice anything from the north. The canine has let his guard down; will it prove fatal?
Skelaghe may be relaxed and she may not think little about wandering into dog territory--something she would never do were the scent marks around here those of wolves--but the low growling she can hear in the distance is another story. It causes a pause in her step, and during this time she can tell the growling creature is heading in her direction. She can't be certain that the growling creature is growling /because/ of her, but whatever the reason, probably best not to do anything that could be considered antagonizing. As such, there are only a couple more steps before she stops moving forward, ears perked and eyes ahead of her.
A sound! Pawsteps? The owner of this... scent? The black wolf freezes at once, pondering what to do. Then, carefully he pads onwards, his paws quieter. His approach is nearly silent when he reaches the copse, his form only a shadow in the early light. The wolf stops again a good distance away from what looks like a rather large gathering of... are /those/ dogs? Sleeping. Well, all but one, it seems, and this one isn't so different from a wolf as Teketa expected. But enough of that. This creature he assumes to be a dog is not focused on him, but rather on something else that Teketa has not seen, scented or heard. In fact, whatever it is, the dog is /growling/ at it. Well. The best thing the black wolf can do is remain where he is and be absolutely still. He even goes so far as to lower down to his belly. He'd rather not be detected right now.
The only indication that another of the canines is awake is a slight twitch of one small ear. The form of Sketch continues the slow and easing breathing one would expect of a sleeping pup, however there is no mistaking yet another twitch of the same ear. And suddenly, there's no mistaking anything at all--the young German Shepherd is now obviously wide awake as she leaps to her paws, staring at the Elkhound. Jolon is /growling/? At... what? This is /not/ good. Sketch is about to call out to him when it dawns on her that it might not be the smartest move to give away her own location to whoever or whatever Jolon sees as a threat. She decides to slink toward cover in the meantime... like the sleeping form of Freyr. He's scary enough to keep anything far away from Sketch.
There! Jolon can see the stranger now. It's a wolf. Snarling fiercely, he fixes the she-wolf with a glare. It is doubtful that she is alone; those damn things tend to travel in packs-- especially if they hope to overwhelm an unsuspecting pack of dogs. "What is your business here?" he rumbles, voice rough with anger. The elkhound's senses are hyper alert in search of her comrades, and they catch the sound of someone stirring behind him. Sketch? Oh, he hopes not. The last thing he needs is to put her in danger with this intruder. Part of him doesn't want her to see him fight, either. He's trying to set a good example for her. Then again, when it comes down to protecting her he'll do what needs to be done, regardless of the image he is trying to maintain for her sake.
Not all wolves travel in packs, or even in pairs. Skelaghe is well and truly alone, as Jolon would seem to be, if not for the strong scent of other dogs. The shewolf remains standing precisely where she is. Her tail is parallel to the ground, and though she's alert, she scarcely seems prepared to defend against an attack, let alone initiate one. "I have no business /here/. I am simply passing through." Her voice is casual enough. No snarling in kind, nothing that might risk escalating this conflict, because she's really opposed to fighting. She has seldom ever done it, and never in defense of /herself/.
The black wolf's attention is firmly on the snarling dog, and would've stayed there except for one thing: movement. Yes, that's it. The pup might've been better off remaining still, for her movement capture the black wolf's attention better than anything else might've at the moment. He tracks the little one's movements with his eyes only at first, then very slowly turns his head, for fear of catching any unwanted attention. A child? Here? Imagine that. If she's a dog, too, then what kind that she should look so different from the other? But no matter. It sounds like it might be a good idea to skedaddle, and that's just what Teketa tells himself he should do... but for some reason his paws seem to remain rooted to the spot, and his eyes merely flicker back to the most likely threat.
She'll learn in time about movement and remaining still and plenty more on the finer aspects of hunting and stalking... provided she has a good mentor. Provided that she /lives/ long enough to learn such techniques. Sketch remains in her crouched--one might describe it as 'cowering'--position behind Freyr, hoping that not only does this threat that Jolon is dealing with stay far awake... but also that Freyr doesn't wake up. Not when she's this close to him. Her logic is that if he's immensely scary to /her/... imagine how scary he'll be to a stranger, and especially a stranger that Jolon is growling at!
A short, cynical laugh erupts from Jolon. "Sure. What about the rest of your pack, hm? When do they plan to attack my sleeping friends?" The male doesn't want to take any chances. His focus stays on the she-wolf. She may not appear threatening /yet/, but the most dangerous enemy is the underestimated one. "If you're as innocent as you /claim/-" it sounds like he highly doubts that,"- then by all means, carry on." The elkhound's jaws snap forward ever so slightly, almost a bite. Nothing to actually /hurt/ the intruder by any means, just a little reminder that she certainly is not welcome. The copse is silent behind him. He struggles to decide whether that is a good thing or a bad thing. The wind is against him; he can't smell anything. His ears strain for any hint of danger, but detect nothing. Perhaps the one who was stirring earlier simply went back to sleep.
Skelaghe manages, perhaps barely, not to shrink back when Jolon snaps forward. She may not intend to fight, either in defense or offense, but she is not /weak/, and those who portray themselves as week, even if only for a second, have to spend an eternity defending themselves. She remains where she is a moment longer before she takes a deliberate step forward, then another, then a third. Once she begins walking forward--she was invited to, after all, by him, as she really is that innocent--she says, with just the slightest hint of amusement in her voice, "You could wear yourself out looking for a pack travelling with me and find nothing. Certainly there are better things you could give your time." Her attitude will be the death of her one day, or she will realize that she has to actually change that attitude based on the very fact that she isn't with any pack.
The canid is speaking to someone -- and evidently is rather unhappy. Teketa's ears twitch. He /really/ should be going... and yet he stays. Why did his mind have to contradict his body? The black wolf is tense, debating what he should do. This is none of his business, anyway. At last he gathers his wits about him enough to make his own paws begin to move. In fact, they twitch and he's a moment away from turning and leaving when he finally registers that the creature the dog is challenging is actually another wolf. And not just any wolf. It's /her./ Skelaghe. In this knowledge, he might easily leave the she-wolf to her fate -- he did tell himself last they met that he didn't like her -- but again he is compelled to remain. In fact, he's edging closer... just on the off-chance that she gets herself into trouble. Whether he'd actually intervene if a fight broke out? Well, that remains to be seen...
The angry voices are making Sketch very uneasy. Finally summoning up enough courage, she stretches her head forward to peek over the still-sleeping (thankfully!) form of Freyr, and is shocked to see Jolon snap at... a wolf? Okay, now Sketch is /officially/ scared. Swallowing hard, she backs away, knowing that even Freyr might not be scary enough to stop a wolf. All those stories that her mother told her... But where can Sketch run or hide that the wolf won't find her? Should she remain here, and hope that the wolf won't be able to get by Jolon, or should she run, assuming that the wolf will eventually eat everyone who /does/ stay here?
The she-wolf's insolence shocks the elkhound, and he is about to reply when he notices something out of the corner of his eye-- movement! Another wolf! "Aha! You'll have to better than that!" Jolon's head turns to face the male. His lips peel back to reveal yellow fangs as he growls, "Stop right there, if you know what's good for you." His muscles tense, waiting for one them to make the first move. Two on one are not favourable odds....and yet, if he /can/ fend them off without help from the other dogs... As he glances between the wolves, he notices further movement. Sketch? The male's eyes widen in horror. The distraction only lasts a moment before he returns to the intruders, now even more determined to get rid of them. If those mangy animals hurt a hair on her head...
Skelaghe had no idea that Teketa was nearby, but Teketa's presence doesn't change anything. At least, it shouldn't. The male dog obviously believes differently, though. She /does/ stop walking, but she turns so that she is directly facing Jolon. The amusement is gone, but her tone is soft. "Listen... You obviously don't want me... Us... Here. Let us pass, with escort, if it would make you feel better, and we won't be here anymore." Were this wolf territory, she would have made her way around it, but she can't extend that to /every/ species, or she'd never get anywhere.
The black wolf slinks slowly forward, but stops when he glimpses the pup again. He pauses and furrows his brows in an almost worried expression as he watches the child, then ... a voice is directed at him. At once, his head whips around and he looks long and hard at the dog. Teketa freezes, of course. He's not anymore interested in getting in a fight than Skelaghe, though something tells him the dog isn't likely to believe that. Indeed, Teketa regrets more than ever that he didn't leave before things got to this level. Oddly enough though, he finds himself regretting it for one other reason: he did hear enough of Skelaghe and the dog's conversation to know that he's made Skelaghe sound like a liar. He feels guilt for it, too. Skelaghe is speaking to the dog then. Slowly, Teketa lifts his body away from the ground and realizes that he's suddenly been brought into the conversation -- no, /confrontation/ -- as well. He finds no words immediately, and instead glances at Skelaghe before looking at the dog and nodding his head once, firmly. Teketa remains neutral otherwise.
Jolon notices the black wolf watching Sketch and he doesn't like it one bit. As the other male slowly rises, the elkhound feels a growl growing in his throat. Tersely, he barks to the she-wolf, "I don't take kindly to /liars/. You and your packmate will get out. Now." His teeth click menacingly with the last word. After a heartbeat of pause, he snaps at the night coloured wolf, "You. Get away from her-" he indicates Sketch with a bob of his head,"- now. Make it quick before my hospitality runs out." The dog's fur bristles with anger. The pup isn't /terribly/ close to the intruder, but it still makes him uneasy. Damn untrustworthy wolves. How much longer until the rest of the pack attacks? Are these two just scouts? The canine doesn't care for this situation at all.
Unlike Teketa, Skelaghe hadn't even begun to think about how the male wolf's arrival may have made her appear to be a liar. Not until Jolon calls her such. While she does appear confused, it lasts for only a moment, as the assumption that this dog makes is clearly transparent. Skelaghe remains standing where she is a moment beyond when it's obvious she's no longer confused, though. This was not what she had anticipated, and she's not sure what, if anything, she could do to diffuse the situation. When she finally decides that she's not likely to find anything, in this moment, she gives a nod to this dog's commands. "That's fine. We'll leave." No, she doesn't have a problem with speaking for Teketa, regardless of the fact that they're not packmates. Were she viewing this situation from the outside, she might realize that confirms Jolon's suspicion, but she's not used to being received with such hostility.
Teketa's ears flicker as he glances briefly at the pup, then as quickly as he dares he moves back and puts some distance between himself and the child. He'd never /dream/ of hurting a pup! He feels some amount of indignation and his glare hardens on Jolon. "She is no liar, you!" he counters with a low voice. Not wise. Not smart. He /shouldn't/ be saying /anything/! Not in this place. But he does nonetheless. He even keeps going. "We are neither friends nor packmates -- /this/ is merely an example of /poor timing/ on /my/ part," he explains almost in one breath, for fear the dog with strike out before the black wolf can finish. That said, Teketa makes ready to leave -- in a hurry if he must -- but remains to see what will become of the she-wolf, first.
The male wolf hadn't even been noticed by the girlpup until Jolon's turning to speak harshly to him. /Whoa/. Sketch is, of course, quite frightened by the seemingly sudden appearance of a second wolf. Now Jolon is well and truly outnumbered, and Sketch is feeling the situation turn from bad to much worse. The option of fleeing suddenly becomes /quite/ a bit more viable of a possibility. It's only the fact that the male wolf starts backing away from her that keeps Sketch from leaving the area as fast as her young paws can carry her. Even still, she's most definitely and obviously on a hair-trigger, now crouched anxiously as low to the ground as she can manage, eyes wide and ears straining to catch any of the words shot back and forth between the hostile adults.
Ah, finally. The female seems to be able to take a hint-- the male not so much. "Poor timing indeed," he rumbles in reply, though he wants to breathe a sigh of relief as the wolf moves from Sketch. The poor girl seems terrified, and he longs to comfort her. Such weakness is not acceptable just now, and though it breaks his heart, she'll have to wait. He allows himself a glance at her, trying to catch her eye to convey that everything will be ok. It's only a second, before he returns his attention to the intruders. "Your relationship with the female is of /no/ importance to me," Jolon snaps. "I don't care if you're mates or bitter enemies, but conduct your business outside our borders." His tone clearly indicates that this is their /last/ warning, before he resorts to more....persuasive methods of convincing them to leave.
Skelaghe frowns at Teketa's response. No, it wasn't smart, especially if Skelaghe hopes to smooth this over in the future. Skelaghe is looking at Teketa as he speaks, though, and she can tell the male wolf intends to leave. That's likely the best resolution they can hope for, in this moment. She doesn't bother speaking further. It hasn't gone well for her to this point, after all. Rather, she turns, slightly, to leave herself, venturing no closer to Jolon or any of the other dogs, especially that young one. Even as casual as she is in almost any situation, she does not wholly turn her back to the male dog nearby. In a rather deliberate move, her path also brings her no closer to Teketa, as she doesn't wish to further Jolon's conviction that the two wolves are packmates.
The black wolf forces himself not to say more, and is actually rather amazed that he didn't find himself in deeper trouble for his words. But he'll do nothing more to provoke the dog's wrath. Or rather, to provoke /action./ He eyes turn to Skelaghe as she moves to leave. He'd apologize, but... not here or now. Not in the presence of this ... this /dog./ He'll do well to avoid their kind in the future. Without another word, Teketa takes his leave swiftly. He's headed north once again. An ear remains tilted back for a good while as he makes his leave. He won't trust the dog not to strike while Teketa's back is turned.
Relief. In fact, /immense/ relief. One of the wolves--specifically the one closest to her--is apparently leaving for good. Sketch allows herself the luxury of a relieved sigh, and even to stand up to a more relaxed position. She's fairly confident that if Jolon could scare one of the two wolves away, he should have no trouble with the other. She's almost tempted to rush forward to lend Jolon her own intimidating support, but the foolishness of such an idea is immediately apparent. She'll let Jolon do what he does best: be scary. She'll just wait until the other wolf is gone before meeting up with the Elkhound.
Jolon watches as the wolves flee. He makes no move to follow them, content to watch as they quickly disappear. If Sketch had not been here, he might have easily attacked them sooner, or chased them down to teach them a lesson. They both had far too much of an attitude. However, the girl /is/ here, and the elkhound is trying to be a role model for her. A strong, but not necessarily violent role model. After the intruders have gone an acceptable distance, he looks at the shepherd girl. "You ok?" he asks, voice a little hoarse from trying to be as intimidating as possible. The male tries to look relaxed, but his ears are constantly searching for any sign of lingering danger.
- Field of Flowers -
Stupid dog! The thought runs through his mind over and over again as Teketa moves ever-northwards at a brisk pace. The morning has moved forward as well, though the air is still crisp with a wintery chill. He feels awful. Not for himself, no, but for Skelaghe... though, he tells himself he shouldn't feel so bad at all. Maybe he should take a rest? But so close to those ... those disgraceful canids? No. He's still too close. So the black wolf keeps moving, his head down and tail trailing behind uselessly. Maybe he should find Skelaghe? That would put his mind at ease. Just to say the slightest word of apology. Teketa pauses momentarily before altering his course. He'll see if he can find the she-wolf without running into more dog-territory...
Skelaghe didn't spend half so long before deciding to search out the male wolf. Of her choices, the ways she could have spent the remainder of her day, that was the best option. After all, if she fails to find Teketa, she can always just find the spring here, further north. She won't have to settle for that, though. She has already caught traces of his scent, and she can't be too far away from him, but given that her pace is much more relaxed than his, it may be a while, yet, before she finds him. Of course, she has no idea that he is also searching for her.
The wind is not with Teketa as he travels, so he cannot know for certain that the direction he has chosen is the right one. He has only his memory of her movements away from the dog... and now that Teketa himself has moved off, he can only guess at her direction. But then, he had no idea how quickly she'd be travelling. He could be moving too fast a miss her... or too slowly. But even if he were moving slower, he'd be able to find her scent eventually. But Teketa needs not worry about it much longer, for as he comes across a field -- barren in this winter weather -- he glimpses the very she-wolf he is seeking. He pauses momentarily, his head lifting as he makes absolutely certain she's the one he's looking for. Once he's ascertained that, yes, it /is/ Skelaghe, he trots with a little more purpose in his stride towards the female. She doesn't appear to have seen him just yet, so he lifts his maw and emits a quick bark.
Skelaghe turns her head in Teketa's direction at the bark. At this distance, it isn't hard to tell that he is the dark-furred wolf she has been seeking. After all, she does not know a great many dark-furred wolves in these parts, and none of them would be this far north and walking towards her with such purpose. Shortly after spotting him, she smiles, and she turns just slightly so that she is headed more directly towards Teketa. Her pace stays the same, though. She does not have to speed up, as they will be within comfortable speaking distance within moments anyway, as it is.
A smile? Even at a distance, he's sure that's what he can see on her maw. A /smile./ Well, that's not too bad, considering... or maybe it's just him. Maybe he just feels bad for something not even worth /mentioning./ His pace remains steady until his a few paces away from the she-wolf. There, he stops and looks quietly at the she-wolf, his head lifting a little above shoulder-height. "M-my lady, Skelaghe," he greets her softly, if not a bit gruffly. Teketa's facade is entirely serious, his brows low and brooding. He wants to apologize, but all that comes out is, "Are you well?" ...and that makes him sound like a fool. He /did/ just see her a little while ago. Stupid dog. Causing trouble for no reason, Teketa thinks!
Skelaghe doesn't particularly believe in bad timing. Even if such a thing exists, though, Skelaghe would never consider it something for which any animal should have to apologize. Her smile remains at the greeting, and she comes to a stop soon after he does. After he gets his question out, she nods and responds, "I am. And are you well?" He certainly seemed more affected by the encounter with those dogs when they both left.
She's /still/ smiling. And he's not. Definitely not. What's there to smile about? Yet he forces out the barest crack of a smile that quickly disappears. "Good. I had to find you again," he says, his eyes flicking away from the she-wolf. "I did not intend to make you look like a liar, my lady." Teketa's voice is soft, though not for fear of hurting his pride or any other reason, but only because it is what he knows to do when offering an apology of any sort. "I was ... a fool to move into the open like that." He leaves out the fact that he had been there a good while before he was even spotted by Jolon. She might figure it out, anyway, though. He also neglects to mention "how" he's doing.
Skelaghe's smile does fade slightly as Teketa speaks, though it doesn't go away entirely. Teketa says, himself, the only thing that Skelaghe could have said if she had known he might be concerned over how she views the encounter with that dog. He did not /intend/ to make her look like a liar. So what that it happened? "I am certain you had your reasons for doing so, and I doubt they were foolish reasons. I am sorry, though, that you had to face the consequences of me underestimating how strong the rift between dogs and wolves is." Teketa had no reason to avoid the dogs. He had no idea what they were, much less that the dogs around here do not appreciate the presence of wolves. She did, though, and she willingly disregarded that knowledge, and for that, Teketa was drawn into a conflict he could have just as easily avoided. For that, she apologizes now.
Teketa struggles to look Skelaghe squarely in the face. Her words do little to ease his guilt, for they make it seem as if there were some /real/ reason there. Well... he'd thought there might be at the time. But now? He's not quite certain there was ever any reason at all! But he remains silent on that subject for fear of compounding the guilt he feels already. "You?" He responds to her apology in turn. "No, no. Do not apologize, my lady," he replies his expression softening somewhat. She really /does/ remind him of someone. When he first met her he'd seen that spark of life he'd not seen in a long time. He hates it. So giving himself a little shake, he tries to smile once more. "We both no better than to go looking for dogs, now. Perhaps we will be better for it."
There are no hard feelings on either part, then. Well, sure, that dog does not view them positively, but she can do nothing to fix that, right this moment. Skelaghe grins at his final statement. "Yes, perhaps we will." No, she won't tell him that she fully intends to try to patch relations between herself and the group of dogs south of here. No need to drag him any further into this.
The black wolf can't help but chuckle. Something tells him that she'll go getting herself into trouble again if she's as much like the wolf she reminds him of. He quickly wipes the thought away, however, and shakes his head a little. "I-I suppose," he begins a little awkwardly, "that is why I wanted to speak to you again." He's a wolf of few words. Usually. It was probably a good thing she handled that dog so calmly, or things may have turned out much differently. "It may be time we say farewell, then," he suggests, though he does not make to leave immediately.
Skelaghe couldn't care less what, exactly, caused the male wolf to chuckle. He did, and so she can consider that this day was not a total loss. The world, after all, would be a better place if everyone laughed more... Starting with those dogs. With a bow of her head, she says, "Very well, Teketa. Until we meet again." Because she has no doubt they /will/ meet again, and she certainly doesn't mind the prospect, whether this wolf is occasionally snarly or not. After speaking, she raises her head, but she does not beat a hasty retreat, rather giving him time to say a formal farewell, if he so desires.
Given time, Teketa can be a good guy. If not for those occasional mood-swings. That's just the way he is. Why? Well... that might go a bit deeper. But no matter. Right now, the black wolf feels a bit better, but at the same time... he feels the smallest traces of guilt for other reasons. Her farewell, brings a serious expression back to his face. She really /is/ all together too bright and cheerful for him, still. Although... maybe she isn't. "Thank you, my lady. Until," his words /almost/ catch, as he doubts what he's saying and can't quite believe he's saying it, "we meet again, Skelaghe." He regards her a moment more, then turns away to return the way he had come once more. To the north... yes, that's where he'll go for now...
Skelaghe remains standing where she is for just a moment, watching as he heads northwards. After that moment, she turns to continue her journey towards the east that was interrupted earlier this morning. Though it is diminished, she is still smiling, even with no one to see it. She may well be too bright and cheerful for a great many animals, but she would have it no other way.