Post by Therdde on Nov 12, 2008 21:26:11 GMT -5
Characters:
Jage - Female Dog
Skelaghe - Female Wolf
- Harvest Fields -
Winter is taking its toll on Jage, it seems, for the first noticeable time in seasons. The elkhound is looking thin, very thin, as if she isn't eating right - a surprising turn for this hunter who revels in the cold weather. She is barely aware of her deterioration. Her condition, however, isn't stopping her from patrolling her fields. Well, sort of. She is only patrolling the southern side, slowly waking her way through the snow, pausing frequently to squint south. Her face is creased with a worried expression that is quite probably permanent by now. When she was with her pack, with her master, she didn't have to worry so. He would take care of everything. But now...Jage heaves a heavy sigh. During the brief time she believed Jolon and Sketch dead, she felt...comfortable. The uncertainty of the unknown has since rushed back, and now it is worse than ever.
What Skelaghe has to tell Jage won't be pleasant news, but hopefully the gift she has brought will lessen the blow slightly. That wasn't what was on her mind when she went hunting for Jage though. Rather, she viewed the offering as an apology for the necessary trespassing, after Jage warned her away from the territory, and the young boar was a lucky catch. The limp implies that it wasn't caught without a fight, though. It's a small limp, but there, as she carries the body with her, cautiously watching for any other dogs in the area.
As alert as she is, Jage can hardly miss the wolf that has just come into view, prey dangling from its mouth. For a long moment she stands stock-still, practically vibrating with intensity as she squints at the moving figure. Then, all at once, the shape resolves itself as Skelaghe, and the elkhound breaks her stance. The eagerness with which she goes to greet the wolf could be misconstrued, and to tell the truth any other time she would have some choice sentiments about trespassing and what she thinks is a boar caught in her domain, but what with Sketch's continued absence, she welcomes Skelaghe's presence.
Skelaghe spots Jage moments after she is spotted, and when Jage begins in her direction, the shewolf stops walking, drops the boar, and sits. Normally, she would remain standing until after greetings were exchanged, but she is eager for the chance to rest her injured hindleg. Once Jage is close enough, though, Skelaghe greets her by saying, "Good day, Jage." Her tone is subdued, but not unpleasant.
Jage slows as she nears. She was too far to notice the limp properly when she spotted Skelaghe, and when the wolf sits she finds it unusual but not entirely noteworthy. After all, the wolf may have come far. "Perhaps," the elkhound replies, her eagerness clear in her impatience for pleasantries. She cuts right to the chase, completely overlooking the boar as she has overlooked so many meals recently for the sake of news and companionship. "What news of Sketch, Skelaghe? Have you found her? Is she alright?"
Skelaghe nods at both questions, and answers verbally soon after. "She is fine. She sends her regards." That's not /entirely/ true, but she's sure it would be true, had Sketch been awake when Skelaghe left to hunt. Skelaghe gestures to the boar with a nod of her head, and says, simply, "For you."
The relief Jage feels at the news is obvious for a moment, and her mouth even twitches into a small smile. "Thank you, Skelaghe," she breathes, shaking her head. "I have been...so worried." She casts an eye over the boar and looks at the wolf piercingly before nodding in mute acceptance. It would be rude for her to refuse, and it does look very good. Delicious even. Well-built for the season, young and tender, and it smells fresh...Jage quickly tears her gaze from it. Focus, Jage, focus. Food later. She pauses a moment to think of what Skelaghe said, then frowns. "I am presuming, then, as she is not with you...that she has decided to stay away from here for a while longer." The idea that she would never come back does not cross the elkhound's mind.
Skelaghe knows how delicate this subject is, and her tone is appropriate for that when she answers. "She has, and probably for a while. She has asked to stay with me indefinitely, and I won't refuse her." Sketch /is/ an adult, capable of making her own decisions, and Skelaghe will defend her right to make those decisions... Especially if doing otherwise would mean sending her back to a dog who would rather defend a human who took that right away from Sketch. That conversation, more than any conversation she has had with Jage, has made up Skelaghe's mind for her. What would Jage do to Sketch if the older dog found out that Sketch killed the human who had trapped her?
Jage's ears droop, her neatly curled tail sinking down low. This is all her fault. She knows it, it must be, after all Sketch decided this after Jage talked with her, didn't she? If she hadn't interfered, if Jolon hadn't...no, she can't secondguess herself, not without knowing all the information. Collecting herself again, Jage looks up at Skelaghe. She is unable to shake off her saddened expression. "I see." At least she is staying with the wolf, who seems like a balanced sort, rather than that...alsatian. "Did she...did she say why, Skelaghe?" She needs to know. If it was her fault, or Vincent's, or Jolon's...
How much should Skelaghe say? She doesn't want to make this any more difficult for Jage than it already is. Slowly, Skelaghe just shakes her head, and answers, "That remains between you and her. If you want to visit her, you will be welcome to do so, so long as you respect her right to do as she pleases." Skelaghe has to look out for those who have thrown in their lot with her, even if it means destroying what little chance might have remained that she will keep a good relationship with Jage.
Jage frowns. That isn't the answer she wanted, and it is abundantly clear to the elkhound's mind that Skelaghe knows why Sketch has decided to choose a wolf for companionship rather than her fellow dogs. Her verbal tiptoeing is a sure sign of it. "Very well, Skelaghe," she says, a little stiffly. "Perhaps it is best I hear it directly from her." She has no idea if she will be able to make good on that promise, though. Could she bear to leave this place for an extended time? Perhaps if Jolon goes with her. But then, her other charges would be alone. It is yet another weight on the poor elkhound's mind, a weight she doesn't need and yet must shoulder.
Skelaghe never said that she didn't know, but she also told Sketch that she would do no more than tell Jage, and Jolon, if he was around, that Sketch was well. Anything else /has/ to be between them... Especially since Skelaghe suspects that, when this conversation is related to the male elkhound, he will be unwilling to trust anything that came from her. Standing slowly, now that she has done what she came here to do, she says, "I do hope the rest of the winter treats you more kindly, Jage."
Jage heaves a forlorn sigh. She keeps her eyes firmly on Skelaghe, trying not to let herself get distracted by the boar offering. She wonders now, as the wolf stands to leave, if she should just come out and ask. Perhaps Skelaghe knows, perhaps she doesn't, but the elkhound knows she will kick herself later if she passes up this opportunity to find out all she can. "Skelaghe," Jage says suddenly as she decides, "I must ask one question." She doesn't know if Skelaghe will answer, or if she will lie, or if she even knows, but Jage has to try. "Is Sketch pregnant?" The phrasing may be blunt, but a look at Jage's face is all that's needed to see how truly concerned she is.
Would it be such a bad thing if she were? Sketch is an adult. If she were pregnant, the pups would not be born until spring, when prey is more plentiful. Maybe she does not love Vincent as much as one should love a mate, but for a long time, now, Skelaghe has missed having pups around. Skelaghe keeps these opinions to herself, though, knowing that they're skewed by her own emotions and that they wouldn't be appreciated. Instead, she answers with, "As far as I can tell, no. She isn't." Does that make whatever may have been said between them any better?
The relief the elkhound feels is obvious, a slight smile even appearing on her face. So, at least that is averted. The reaction she got from Sketch when she spoke of the possibility of pregnancy was all the elkhound needed to know that the young dog was not ready for such responsibility. Jage knows in the back of her mind that the wolf could still be lying, but for now, she needs all the peace of mind she can cling to. "Thank you, Skelaghe." She doesn't expand any more on the question. Though she respects Skelaghe and appreciates her company, the details of this little fiasco are more than she wishes to share with her.
"I need to get back, now." Skelaghe's tone remains pleasant, and she gives a slight bow of her head to Jage. She enjoys the pleasantries, but she never says them idly, so instead of saying that she'll look forward to meeting Jage again, as she normally would, she says, "Farewell." She will worry about how Jage and Jolon may receive her in he future, should they come to talk to Sketch. That worry might not leave her for a long time. For as long as possible, though, she wil keep her usual friendly demeanor around Jage and the as of yet unseen male elkhound who was very unpleasant the last time they met. No, Skelaghe is /not/ looking forward to what might come next.
Returning the nod, Jage doesn't dwell on the short farewell. After all, there are plenty who do not take such polite exchanges as literally as Jage does. Unlike Skelaghe, though, the elkhound doesn't want to rule out visits. "Take care of her, Skelaghe," she says softly. "Perhaps in better times, I shall come and visit, with your permission." And maybe Jolon too, if he can behave himself. If he can bring himself to see Sketch calmly. "And take care of yourself, too. Thank you for everything." Though she doesn't mean it to, the statement sounds oddly final.
Skelaghe has already stated her minimal terms for when Jage will have her full permission, and even welcome, to visit, so she doesn't bother with them again. Instead, she says only, "You're welcome," then turns to head away from the fields. Sitting caused her injured leg to stiffen up, and it takes several steps before she can set any sort of reasonable pace. What she /will/ look forward to is getting back home and resting.
The elkhound resolves to wait until Skelaghe is out of sight before turning her attention on the gift she was brought. At last, however, Skelaghe's injury is revealed to Jage and she takes a step or two forward, intent on asking after the wolf's own health. "Are you alright...?" But the wolf has already moved away from her, and Jage doesn't know if she has been heard or not. She hopes she is - old wound or new, traveling all the way out to Jage can't have been a walk in the park with it. At least the injury does not seem too serious, though any kind of wound in winter is hardly a blessing.
If Skelaghe heard Jage, she certainly gives no indication that she did. She doesn't need Jage worrying about her ability to care for herself and the still-young adult who has decided to stay with her, and she doesn't need that concern passed on to Jolon, who has become more unpleasant in memory than he ever was in reality. Instead of answering, she focuses on walking as normally as possible, even if it causes her some pain to do so, until she is well out of sight.
Jage - Female Dog
Skelaghe - Female Wolf
- Harvest Fields -
Winter is taking its toll on Jage, it seems, for the first noticeable time in seasons. The elkhound is looking thin, very thin, as if she isn't eating right - a surprising turn for this hunter who revels in the cold weather. She is barely aware of her deterioration. Her condition, however, isn't stopping her from patrolling her fields. Well, sort of. She is only patrolling the southern side, slowly waking her way through the snow, pausing frequently to squint south. Her face is creased with a worried expression that is quite probably permanent by now. When she was with her pack, with her master, she didn't have to worry so. He would take care of everything. But now...Jage heaves a heavy sigh. During the brief time she believed Jolon and Sketch dead, she felt...comfortable. The uncertainty of the unknown has since rushed back, and now it is worse than ever.
What Skelaghe has to tell Jage won't be pleasant news, but hopefully the gift she has brought will lessen the blow slightly. That wasn't what was on her mind when she went hunting for Jage though. Rather, she viewed the offering as an apology for the necessary trespassing, after Jage warned her away from the territory, and the young boar was a lucky catch. The limp implies that it wasn't caught without a fight, though. It's a small limp, but there, as she carries the body with her, cautiously watching for any other dogs in the area.
As alert as she is, Jage can hardly miss the wolf that has just come into view, prey dangling from its mouth. For a long moment she stands stock-still, practically vibrating with intensity as she squints at the moving figure. Then, all at once, the shape resolves itself as Skelaghe, and the elkhound breaks her stance. The eagerness with which she goes to greet the wolf could be misconstrued, and to tell the truth any other time she would have some choice sentiments about trespassing and what she thinks is a boar caught in her domain, but what with Sketch's continued absence, she welcomes Skelaghe's presence.
Skelaghe spots Jage moments after she is spotted, and when Jage begins in her direction, the shewolf stops walking, drops the boar, and sits. Normally, she would remain standing until after greetings were exchanged, but she is eager for the chance to rest her injured hindleg. Once Jage is close enough, though, Skelaghe greets her by saying, "Good day, Jage." Her tone is subdued, but not unpleasant.
Jage slows as she nears. She was too far to notice the limp properly when she spotted Skelaghe, and when the wolf sits she finds it unusual but not entirely noteworthy. After all, the wolf may have come far. "Perhaps," the elkhound replies, her eagerness clear in her impatience for pleasantries. She cuts right to the chase, completely overlooking the boar as she has overlooked so many meals recently for the sake of news and companionship. "What news of Sketch, Skelaghe? Have you found her? Is she alright?"
Skelaghe nods at both questions, and answers verbally soon after. "She is fine. She sends her regards." That's not /entirely/ true, but she's sure it would be true, had Sketch been awake when Skelaghe left to hunt. Skelaghe gestures to the boar with a nod of her head, and says, simply, "For you."
The relief Jage feels at the news is obvious for a moment, and her mouth even twitches into a small smile. "Thank you, Skelaghe," she breathes, shaking her head. "I have been...so worried." She casts an eye over the boar and looks at the wolf piercingly before nodding in mute acceptance. It would be rude for her to refuse, and it does look very good. Delicious even. Well-built for the season, young and tender, and it smells fresh...Jage quickly tears her gaze from it. Focus, Jage, focus. Food later. She pauses a moment to think of what Skelaghe said, then frowns. "I am presuming, then, as she is not with you...that she has decided to stay away from here for a while longer." The idea that she would never come back does not cross the elkhound's mind.
Skelaghe knows how delicate this subject is, and her tone is appropriate for that when she answers. "She has, and probably for a while. She has asked to stay with me indefinitely, and I won't refuse her." Sketch /is/ an adult, capable of making her own decisions, and Skelaghe will defend her right to make those decisions... Especially if doing otherwise would mean sending her back to a dog who would rather defend a human who took that right away from Sketch. That conversation, more than any conversation she has had with Jage, has made up Skelaghe's mind for her. What would Jage do to Sketch if the older dog found out that Sketch killed the human who had trapped her?
Jage's ears droop, her neatly curled tail sinking down low. This is all her fault. She knows it, it must be, after all Sketch decided this after Jage talked with her, didn't she? If she hadn't interfered, if Jolon hadn't...no, she can't secondguess herself, not without knowing all the information. Collecting herself again, Jage looks up at Skelaghe. She is unable to shake off her saddened expression. "I see." At least she is staying with the wolf, who seems like a balanced sort, rather than that...alsatian. "Did she...did she say why, Skelaghe?" She needs to know. If it was her fault, or Vincent's, or Jolon's...
How much should Skelaghe say? She doesn't want to make this any more difficult for Jage than it already is. Slowly, Skelaghe just shakes her head, and answers, "That remains between you and her. If you want to visit her, you will be welcome to do so, so long as you respect her right to do as she pleases." Skelaghe has to look out for those who have thrown in their lot with her, even if it means destroying what little chance might have remained that she will keep a good relationship with Jage.
Jage frowns. That isn't the answer she wanted, and it is abundantly clear to the elkhound's mind that Skelaghe knows why Sketch has decided to choose a wolf for companionship rather than her fellow dogs. Her verbal tiptoeing is a sure sign of it. "Very well, Skelaghe," she says, a little stiffly. "Perhaps it is best I hear it directly from her." She has no idea if she will be able to make good on that promise, though. Could she bear to leave this place for an extended time? Perhaps if Jolon goes with her. But then, her other charges would be alone. It is yet another weight on the poor elkhound's mind, a weight she doesn't need and yet must shoulder.
Skelaghe never said that she didn't know, but she also told Sketch that she would do no more than tell Jage, and Jolon, if he was around, that Sketch was well. Anything else /has/ to be between them... Especially since Skelaghe suspects that, when this conversation is related to the male elkhound, he will be unwilling to trust anything that came from her. Standing slowly, now that she has done what she came here to do, she says, "I do hope the rest of the winter treats you more kindly, Jage."
Jage heaves a forlorn sigh. She keeps her eyes firmly on Skelaghe, trying not to let herself get distracted by the boar offering. She wonders now, as the wolf stands to leave, if she should just come out and ask. Perhaps Skelaghe knows, perhaps she doesn't, but the elkhound knows she will kick herself later if she passes up this opportunity to find out all she can. "Skelaghe," Jage says suddenly as she decides, "I must ask one question." She doesn't know if Skelaghe will answer, or if she will lie, or if she even knows, but Jage has to try. "Is Sketch pregnant?" The phrasing may be blunt, but a look at Jage's face is all that's needed to see how truly concerned she is.
Would it be such a bad thing if she were? Sketch is an adult. If she were pregnant, the pups would not be born until spring, when prey is more plentiful. Maybe she does not love Vincent as much as one should love a mate, but for a long time, now, Skelaghe has missed having pups around. Skelaghe keeps these opinions to herself, though, knowing that they're skewed by her own emotions and that they wouldn't be appreciated. Instead, she answers with, "As far as I can tell, no. She isn't." Does that make whatever may have been said between them any better?
The relief the elkhound feels is obvious, a slight smile even appearing on her face. So, at least that is averted. The reaction she got from Sketch when she spoke of the possibility of pregnancy was all the elkhound needed to know that the young dog was not ready for such responsibility. Jage knows in the back of her mind that the wolf could still be lying, but for now, she needs all the peace of mind she can cling to. "Thank you, Skelaghe." She doesn't expand any more on the question. Though she respects Skelaghe and appreciates her company, the details of this little fiasco are more than she wishes to share with her.
"I need to get back, now." Skelaghe's tone remains pleasant, and she gives a slight bow of her head to Jage. She enjoys the pleasantries, but she never says them idly, so instead of saying that she'll look forward to meeting Jage again, as she normally would, she says, "Farewell." She will worry about how Jage and Jolon may receive her in he future, should they come to talk to Sketch. That worry might not leave her for a long time. For as long as possible, though, she wil keep her usual friendly demeanor around Jage and the as of yet unseen male elkhound who was very unpleasant the last time they met. No, Skelaghe is /not/ looking forward to what might come next.
Returning the nod, Jage doesn't dwell on the short farewell. After all, there are plenty who do not take such polite exchanges as literally as Jage does. Unlike Skelaghe, though, the elkhound doesn't want to rule out visits. "Take care of her, Skelaghe," she says softly. "Perhaps in better times, I shall come and visit, with your permission." And maybe Jolon too, if he can behave himself. If he can bring himself to see Sketch calmly. "And take care of yourself, too. Thank you for everything." Though she doesn't mean it to, the statement sounds oddly final.
Skelaghe has already stated her minimal terms for when Jage will have her full permission, and even welcome, to visit, so she doesn't bother with them again. Instead, she says only, "You're welcome," then turns to head away from the fields. Sitting caused her injured leg to stiffen up, and it takes several steps before she can set any sort of reasonable pace. What she /will/ look forward to is getting back home and resting.
The elkhound resolves to wait until Skelaghe is out of sight before turning her attention on the gift she was brought. At last, however, Skelaghe's injury is revealed to Jage and she takes a step or two forward, intent on asking after the wolf's own health. "Are you alright...?" But the wolf has already moved away from her, and Jage doesn't know if she has been heard or not. She hopes she is - old wound or new, traveling all the way out to Jage can't have been a walk in the park with it. At least the injury does not seem too serious, though any kind of wound in winter is hardly a blessing.
If Skelaghe heard Jage, she certainly gives no indication that she did. She doesn't need Jage worrying about her ability to care for herself and the still-young adult who has decided to stay with her, and she doesn't need that concern passed on to Jolon, who has become more unpleasant in memory than he ever was in reality. Instead of answering, she focuses on walking as normally as possible, even if it causes her some pain to do so, until she is well out of sight.