Post by Cyrus on Nov 11, 2008 23:18:58 GMT -5
Location: Barnyard
Involved:
Jette, Male Dog
Goliath, Male Adol. Dog
Rouge, Female Adol. Dog
Skylar, N Dog
Toki, Male Dog
Alsoomse, Female Dog
Brief Poses from:
Conner, Male Gray Fox
Muddy, Female Juve. Cat
Blaze, Male Juve. Cat
It takes a little while, the earlier setting sun now hidden almost completely if not entirely by the surrounding landscape. His feet were burning from his constent movement all day and his mind was somewhat sluggish with need for sleep. He pushes it aside however as the barn come into sight. Periodically the male glances over his shoulder to the trailing st. bernard before his attention is stolen by the barn ahead completely. The two hares trailing from his mouth, and the two the younger male had offered to carry for him, were for his friends and a pain in the rear to get. He nears the barn with a faint huffing as he drops the hares and slides back onto his haunches wearily. Ugh z_z He nods his nose to the ground near the other, "You can just drop them there. Thankyou so much Goliath."
The large st. bernard would be trialing him with suprisingly little trouble. One would think such bulk would have trouble going long distances.. but under his fur he was actuly in pretty good shape use to wandering about everywhee usualy on unstable rocky surfaces walking such a long distance on solid eart was as easy as freshkill for him. He would then move over and drop the hares turning his head he smile shappily. "not a problem its the least i can do for such a nice soul as you."
Rouge seems to have perked up a little from the previous two days. She's out in the barnyard, trotting after a clod of snow, which breaks apart little by little as she tosses it with her nose. Oh! The mutt stops, her ears perk. "Jette!" And look, he brought food. And... some large, talking furry thing on legs. "Who's that?"
Jette smiles widely as Rouge calls his name and the dark dog sends her a deep chuff of greeting. "Rouge, this is Goliath, he's a friend. Goliath, this is one of my friends I mentioned, Rouge." He introduces both of them and wonders idly if Rouge has met Kole yet or if Al' had spoken to her. He glances back and smirks, "The female from the other night, Alsoomse, will be hanging around with us for a little while. As well as a new friend, an older male named Kole. Looks like we won't be alone for winter huh, he chuckles as he reaches down and grabs a hare to toss her way. "Dinner's served. Sorry it's rabbit again." Sheepish smile.
Goliath would blink down as he looked over the dog named rouge. A fellow young dog he would be by the fact she was throwing that snow clod around. "It is nice to meet you rouge" He would say in his deep yet gentle voice. He would then as a afterthought take a step away from the hares incase a strange dog would make any of the inhabitants weary. He was infact feeling nervious looking about. He was out of his elemnt completly out here in the open. He was use to not seeing anything out and about but here.. he could see everything around.. and it was to him. Quite unnerving.
An unfamiliar face has been sniffing about the area, having taken up somewhat of a wandering residence around the general area of the farm since the humans returned for their brief stay a few moons back, used to the scent of Man from when it was a pup and so finding their lingering smells soothing, even if they've returned to their own dens now. But lately, there's been a myriad of new smells around the area, smells similar to its own, and the Saluki has gotten curious enough to finally investigate what seems to be the source. Trotting gaily into the area, Skylar notices the ragtag gathering of other dogs, ears pricking up and tail wagging as it approaches, apparently unconcerned about any potential territoriality of this group. "Hello there!" it calls out rather cheerily, practically skipping through the snow towards the small pack of canines.
Alsoomse is around, she was checking out the areas around the barn incase the wolf felt the need to come back. The large dog pauses as she turns around the barn catching sight of the dogs. She blinks and tilts her head before smirking. "Geezs Jette.. you just going out and dragging home strays now?" This questioned with a snort from the large female. Her gaze drifts over Goliath while her tail lashes and she paces forward, another big dog? Well that's different, most are smaller then she around this place anymore. Her ears flick forward at yet another voice and she looks towards where it comes from. "Good grief, there comming outa the wood works now.."
Conner trots out of the barn in a carefree manner and freezes cold...
Conner eeps!
Conner scampers back in!
Toki sniffs the air timidly, tail wagging slowly as he approaches the other dogs. Time had taught him to be wary of packs of strange dogs, and he slowly makes his way to the others, smiling shyly and offering a quiet "Hullo." He jumps as the fox darts out and then back into the barn, temporarily distracted, then turns his attention back to the other dogs.
Without even thinking, Rouge bounds forward and snaps up the tossed hare before it can hit the ground. Tail-stub wagging, she holds it proudly in her jaws for a fleeting moment, before she has to spit it out and talk. "Kole?" Obviously she hasn't met him yet. Oh well, there's plenty of other dogs here to meet right now. "Hello, sir." She welcomes Goliath, dipping her head in a lady-like show of courtesy. And then she takes notice of the saluki, and her head tilts. That one smells odd, missing a certain scent. It's something she's encountered only a few times over her life. "Um, hi! Where did you come from?"
Indeed. Jette watches Goliath curiously before commenting, "If you'd like to return to where your more comfortable Goliath I wouldn't hold it against you," he chuckles, "I appreciate you helping me. And we're here if you need any assistance." His words are interupted slightly as the saluki comes into view as well as his calling out. Amber eyes blinkblink and he almost laughs tohimself. He'd been wishing the other day that he could meet more dogs. But geez. "Evening," he calls to the Saluki, nose dipping. He shifts his body to be closer to Rouge, almost protectively, as Al' shows her face. He chuckles at her comment only to shrug sheepishly. It doesn't take long before the now alert male notices the other male not too far away, another besides the Saluki. Cropped ears twitch fowards at his hello and Jette in turn dips his muzzle once more, "Evening to you as well." The hares are tugged closer and he tosses one in Al's direction next, "Dinner for the pretty female," he jests before he winks and stuffs the other two behind himself; one for him one for Kole.
Catching the scent of the hare, Toki's ears perk and his stomach growls. It had been two days since he'd last eaten, and though his mouth was watering now, he knew it'd be foolish to even try and obtain some sustenance. Instead, he sits, yawning to show his indifference, though his eyes continue to wander to the carcass as he gazes around at the other dogs.
Goliath would blink quite suprised by all of the dogs coming out of seemingly nowhere. "A..alright yeah i think i'll let you talk to your new guests and try not to overwhelm your pack with strangers hanging about. "He would bow his head respectfully to the other dogs. "Well you all have fun.. and jette i'll be over in the forest over there if you need anything" He would say before moving and turning around slwoly his massive paws would thump heavily as he slwoly starts to long trek back to the forest. Pretty unnerved not only by the suroundings but by all the dogs which had suddenly converged ont he area. Especialy with prey laying on the ground.. could be a big fight..and thats one thing he dosn't need to get involved with as he disapears into the night.
[ Goliath has left. ]
Skylar smiles at the red-and-white female as she greets him so warmly, instinctively turning towards her to fall into a play-bow to express its apparent interest in such pleasant behavior. "I came from Man!" the Saluki replies, its tone chipper - though perhaps not quite answering what the lady dog was asking. Having answered Rouge's question, the fawn-toned purebred then turns to the other canines and considers them each briefly in turn, as well as glancing back at the fluffy Samoyed-mix who trailed up from behind itself. "My name is Skylar...are you all Man's dogs, too?" It doesn't seem to realize that not everyone holds such a high opinion of the two-leggers as it does, as may be evident by the big grin stretched across its long muzzle.
Toki snorts at the mention of Man. "I've met very few good Men in my life. Most ran me off, threw stones, I've even had one fire a gun at me. A few Women have been nice.. they'd leave scraps of food outside their houses for me." He lowers his chest to the ground, lying down now with forearms stretched out straight in front of him.
Alsoomse mms faintly while tilting her head and looks over another new dog, good heavens.. Really all these dogs here now? A faint growl rests in her chest while her tail lashes. Her gaze turns back to Jette and she blinks at the hare which a large forepaw settles upon. "Uh.. Thanks Jette." She wasn't expecting him to actually get food for her, but she won't just leave it there. Her head lowers an she grabs hold of the rabbit and turns moving over to the barn entrance and settles down. A glance is offered towards Skylar at the talk of man. "Your kidding me.. right?" She questions with a thin tone. "Man is worthless and no good and any dog who is /thrilled/ by that isn't a real dog." Al hates humans, can you tell?
Rouge nods at Skylar's question. "I had many masters!" She chirps, chest puffing as if this was something to boast about. "They were all very kind, but one. He did feed me though." After answering this, her eyes wander over to Toki, and noting how he looks at the hare. Feeling particularly generous tonight, the young mutt scoops the dead lapine back up and pads toward him, tail wagging. "Would you like some?"
Jette watches the interactions around him and chuckles faintly, head shaking. "Everyone has their own opinions on humans.." His attention shifts back to Skylar and the male chuffs deeply, "Not all of us were or are man's dogs," he answers truthfully, a small smile folding over his maw. As Rouge offers the strange male some of her hare Jette tosses one of the two in his direction, "Here, we've got extras. Rouge keep yours," she's growing, she needs to eat. He didn't mind sharing anyway, he'd go get his own again later. "What do they call you?" he questions Toki curiously, head tilting. He'd gotten SKylar's name and was curious about the other. "My name is Jette," this statement is directed at both of the new dogs.
Skylar glances down at itself, lifting one forepaw to inspect it, then another, then glancing back over its shoulders to look at its wagging tail. "I'm a real dog, aren't I? I was pretty sure I was..." the Saluki trails off, its tone anything but sarcasm directed back at the other female; in fact, it seems genuinely confused, perhaps suffering yet another form of identity conflict as it ponders the possibility of not actually being a dog after these years of considering itself to be such. "If I'm not a dog, then what am I?" the purebred inquires towards Alsoomse, apparently quite serious in its bewilderment about what it truly is. In the Saluki's deep wonderings, Rouge's comment is unfortunately lost for the time being, though one might imagine the pair might end up being good friends if they've already got this much in common -- a fondness for Man, and an ever-chipper demeanor.
Toki winces at the growl, tail and ears lowering submissively. He rests his head on his paws, sighing heavily, debating on moving on past this barnyard and into the forest to forage. Maybe he'd get lucky, and find some other predator's half-gnawed frozen rabbit carcass buried in the snow... and then Rouge approaches, and his tail thumps against the ground gratefully. "I.. yes, please," he says, tongue flicking out to lick his lips involuntarily. Smiling up at the kind dog, he tilts his head ever so slightly. "I can't just take your food without even knowing.." He's cut off by Jette, and he looks over at the male with a tinge of fear in his eyes. "I'm Toki. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude..." Toki isn't sure what relationship there is between these two dogs, but he's fearful that whatever it is, he may have crossed a line somehow.
Alsoomse maw twitches as the other dogs ignore her it seems.. Well fine.. be that way.. She goes about ripping into the hare, fur getting pulled while she chomps down on bone and meat. A ear flicks towards Skylar and she eyes her a few moments, sniffing at the air. "No.. your not from what I can tell."
Rouge is about to drop the hare before Toki, when Jette's words intercept her. But then /he/ gives his meal over to Toki, and Rouge steps back. She had good intentions, though. Leaving Jette to interact with the samoyed-mix, the young mutt grabs her dinner and turns to the Skylar-Alsoomse confrontation, listen carefully to them before she would decide to inject her own commentary.
Jette flicks an ear towards Skylar and Al's conversation and scoffs faintly, "He's a dog," just somethin a little funny about him 's all. Jette blinks and glances at Toki after, "Nice to meet you Toki." He can see a hint of fear and thus smiles reassuringly as he nods his head towards the hare. "Eat some dinner hm?" He noses Rouge as she passes before returning his gaze back to Toki and chuckles softly, "No intrusion, we're all just renegades from the winter here." Jette shifts his weight head craning towards Skylar and then Toki as he wonders just what to do now. "Where are you two headed? Or coming from?" he questions honestly, cropped ears twitching fowards.
That didn't quite answer the Saluki's question...just further confirm its not-dog status. Skylar continues to stare at Alsoomse, perhaps unnervingly, ears pricked forward as it waits for an answer. "So...what am I, then?" it prods further towards the large mixed-breed, obviously quite intent on figuring out where its proper place in the world is now. Being a trained hunting dog, Skye doesn't seem allured by the scent of fresh hare, perhaps having eaten earlier in the day, or perhaps just so focused on determining its new identity. When the Beauceron speaks and affirms its canine status, Skylar seems quite pleased to know he's still what it always imagined itself to be, tail wagging freely.
Two kitties had been curled up inside the barn for the whole morning. They slowly awaken to hear commotion outside of their resting place up in the loft of the old barn. Muddy, a little white and brown kitten, creeps through a hole in the roof up by one of the lofts and looks down, curious as to the nature of the noise. Wow, dogs! And so many of them! How curious. She sits down toward the edge of the roof and watches quietly.
Blaze would appear out of the hole his own pelt a blazing orange as he qquietly moved over and sat next to muddy staring out. "thats allot of dogs" he whispers then hushes to silently watch.
Slowly, hesitantly, eyes never leaving Jette's face, Toki takes the hare in his jaws. It's all he can do to keep from tearing into it ravenously, and he gnaws happily away at it, through the fur and skin and to the delicious, fresh, bloody meat inside. Bones splinter and crack between his teeth, and his tail wags happily. Swallowing a chunk of stringy meat, he licks his lips, peering back up at Jette. "Thank you so much. I'm a wanderer, a stray, I guess. I haven't had much luck finding food for the past few days, though." These dogs seem all right, though there's something off about the Saluki. Chewing enthusiastically on a leg bone, the mutt inquires of Jette, "So, is this your pack?"
Alsoomse chooses to ignore Skylar now, hier tail lashing a few times as she chews on the hare. Food will keep her quiet!
Rouge nods to Jette. "I will, I will." But first, she's interested in the saluki. She heads over until she's within a polite distance and then sits down, dropping the hare between her paws and looking up. "So, can you tell me about your Master? Did they hunt? My last one did! He hunted all the time, and I went with him!" And she really does sound enthusiastically interested in this topic.
Jette watches Skylar as the dog draws closer to Al' and he shakes his head rather vaugely. If the Saluki wanted to keep its face intact that would be a rather bad move. Jette grins a little as Rouge goes to be curious with the Saluki and seeing no harm for the young girl turns his attention back to Toki curiously. Blinkblink. Pack? Why does everyone assume he's gathering a pack.. Jette snickers faintly at the thought before blinking somewhat awkwardly, "Uhh.. well... we're not really a pack but yes, something like that." he chuckles. The mention of Toki being a wanderer and not being able to find food tugs at the Beauceron's heart strings and he nods his head slowly. "Well.. I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem if you hung around here for abit. We're all sort of seeking shelter until the winter passes. It'd be a lot easier to aquire food that way, and a little protection," Jette offers tentively to the other male. Seems he's been doing that a lot lately. Too nice. <3 Can't turn down a soul.
Skylar seems quite excited to have such a friendly face talking with itself, tail wagging even more when Rouge approaches, quickly forgetting about Alsoomse and focusing on a possible new friend. "Oh yes! I went hunting with my Master many times, too!" the Saluki answers with a big happy grin on its maw. "What's your name, by the way? I'm Skylar, but you can call me Skye, if you want."
"I promise you I'm not useless," Toki grins, lifting his bloodied muzzle from the bloody, ragged mess of cracked bone and bloodstained fur that once was the hare. It feels good to have a full stomach, and what good fortune to have encountered a pack, however loose-knit it may be. "I can hunt all right, but I'm not at all familiar with this territory. I don't know where the good hunting spots are-- yet." He licks his chops, rising to his feet. "Thank you again for the food. I don't forget favors." He smiles.
Rouge puts on a very dog-like grin. "Really? What sort of things did you hunt? Mine used to hunt deer. He did it all the time." As she talks, her stomach lets out a tiny, commanding snarl. The mutt abruptly slips to her belly, deciding to heed Jette's advice at last. She picks carefully at the pelt, making sure to clear it off before eating the flesh underneath. Fur is very unpleasant to eat. In between a nibble, the mutt looked up at Skylar. "That's a nice name. I'm Rouge." Because she's such a pretty shade of red!
Jette chuckles, "I never assumed you were, friend," he comments about Toki being useless. The dark male shifts his weight as he listens to the other, head dipping a few times in a nod. His ear twitches every once in awhile in Rouge and Skylar's direction before he regaurd Toki, a dogish smile on his face, "It's not a problem at all." Jette slides down upon his belly, head settling upon his paws and his other ears twitching in Alsoomse quiet direction. "If you need a place to rest your head for the night, I'm sure there is room in the barn. Of not, you know where to find us if you ever need any assistance or simply some company."
Skylar gracefully slips down onto its belly, lounging comfortably across from Rouge as she begins to eat her hare dinner. "Smaller prey, like what you're eating now," it dips its slender head down towards the lapine carcass, "and sometimes foxes for their pelts." Being a Saluki, Skye is lean-built, bred for chasing down the faster types of game. "It's very nice to meet you, Rouge!" Despite being a little...odd, Skylar's at least got good manners going for itself.
Nodding, Toki looks around; it seemed safe here, and definitely more cozy than burrowing into the snow under fallen trees. "I'd like to stay with you all. I'm all for safety in numbers." The scent of wolves was very prominent in this area, and Toki was very grateful to find a group to stick with. He pads over to Rouge and Skylar, sniffing at Rouge, then at Skylar. The Saluki was a puzzling creature; Toki had never seen a dog built like that, and the lack of any sort of distinguishing musk was even more confusing. Brows furrowed, he takes a seat next to Rouge, listening to their conversation.
Alsoomse takes in a slight breath and soon looks back to Skylar eyeing the other dog a few moments. She's never see a dog like that around here, at least not for long. "I'm surprize you lasted the winter." Seems she's forgotten the talk about humans for the moment.
Toki yawns. His stomach is full for the first time in days, and for the first time in months, he feels almost safe. "I'm going to take you up on that offer," he murmers to Jette, tail wagging. "Thank you for everything." It's a sincere thanks, and he pads off into the barn, eyelids already heavy with sleep.
[ Toki has left. ]
Rouge looks a bit impressed. She doesn't quite mention that she'd only been on one /real/ deer hunt before she'd lost her master. She had failed rather terribly then, and it's not something she admits to easily. "Foxes? My master's friend hunted foxes. They're fur is so soft, I had a bed of one once." She glances at Toki as he comes over and then leaves, then back at the saluki. "You should stay, too! It's not like a human home much; there are no Men here. But it's better than the woods and the plains."
Jette dips his muzzle to Toki and smiles warmly, "No problem, get some rest." He cranes his head in Alsoomse direction as she speaks and grins frankly before looking back at Rouge and Skylar. As Rouge extends her offer to the Saluki Jette nods his head slowly, "If you'd like to Skylar we'd love to have you. I'm sure Rouge would love for you to stick around so you can both talk human," he chuckles softly. The dark male pushes himself up onto his haunches, stretches each leg as he does so, tail swaying across the ground from side to side happily.
Skylar glances back at Alsoomse as she addresses itself again. "Oh, when Man was here a few moons back, they left some of their things behind...I've been curling up at night underneath one of their tattered old tents a little ways south of here," the purebred indicates with a swing of its slim head towards the grazing grounds and the river beyond. It smells like Man, too, which is an added bonus to the warmth it provides. The hound nods back at Rouge, tail slowly swishing across the dirt ground. "It smells like Man, at least. I might stay, if that's all right," it murmurs, glancing back at the apparent 'alpha' and figuring it must be, if he hasn't turned away any of them yet. Skye can help hunt, at least! Then the Beauceron confirms its thoughts, and its tail wags even faster. "Thank you, Jette!"
Alsoomse glances towards Jette slightly and lifts a brow as another dog stays. Oh great.. Her barn is getting taken over. She glowers at him and huffs a bit while lifting a forepaw to scratch across her neck. "Oh sure.. All we need is to hear more talk about how /great/ and wondeful humans are during the rest of winter.." She's not thrilled with the idea it seems.
Rouge laughs at Jette's comment, then visibly beams when Skylar even accepts. Wow, what a night. How many dogs have showed up? Three? Who would have thought there'd be so many around. Her ear tilts toward Alsoomse, and her eyes head over in her direction as well. "You don't have to listen." Really, Rouge can't imagine why the other female has this attitude. Of course, there's still much the young mutt doesn't understand.
He listens to Rouge's comment to Al' and chuckles, "Maybe we can keep the human talk outside the barn, away from Alsmoose," he stands and wanders over to nudge at the older females shoulder faintly. A slight sign of affection? Maybe, maybe not. He slides to his haunches closer to the door of the barn, tail thumping the ground as he eyes the others. Hmm.. maybe.. they were a pack. He'd never had the thought of that happening but.. well.. he'd have to talk to Kole about it soon. The older male seemed to know a little more about these things then he did. Cropped ears wiggle faintly in thought as he lets a wide yawn escape his jaws.
Alsoomse snorts as she hears Rouge. "Do't get cheeky with me pup." She states and is about to say more before Jette is at her side. Al has her reasons thankyou! "Outside an away from me.. talk all you want.." One day she'll have to fill little Rouge in on just how mean humans can be.
Rouge resists the urge to say something more on the rude side. But, she contains it. Taking the poor abused lapine corpse by the ears, Rouge sets off toward the barn to eat in peace.
[ Rouge has left. ]
Jette lets his eyes follow Rouge as she heads towards the barn, he noses her shoulder gently as she passes before letting his gaze slide to the surrounding darkness. It'd grown quiet since earlier. Jette reflected on just how many new faces he'd seen in the past few days, ears flickering in thought. As the world grows quiet he slides to his belly protectively infront of the barn door, head settling upon his paws.
Skylar glances up and around as Rouge rises and leaves with her meal, pondering where it should go now. It doesn't quite feel comfortable staying here with all these other dogs just yet, and sort of wants one last night or two with its comfy tent. Pushing itself up onto all fours, the Saluki shakes the dust out of its coat before offering a courteous little bow to the pair of remaining canines. "I think I'll sleep elsewhere tonight, but I hope to see you all again soon...it was very pleasant meeting you all!" With that, the slender hound practically skips off towards the south, long-furred tail flagged high and waving back and forth in the cool air.
[ Skylar has left. ]
Involved:
Jette, Male Dog
Goliath, Male Adol. Dog
Rouge, Female Adol. Dog
Skylar, N Dog
Toki, Male Dog
Alsoomse, Female Dog
Brief Poses from:
Conner, Male Gray Fox
Muddy, Female Juve. Cat
Blaze, Male Juve. Cat
It takes a little while, the earlier setting sun now hidden almost completely if not entirely by the surrounding landscape. His feet were burning from his constent movement all day and his mind was somewhat sluggish with need for sleep. He pushes it aside however as the barn come into sight. Periodically the male glances over his shoulder to the trailing st. bernard before his attention is stolen by the barn ahead completely. The two hares trailing from his mouth, and the two the younger male had offered to carry for him, were for his friends and a pain in the rear to get. He nears the barn with a faint huffing as he drops the hares and slides back onto his haunches wearily. Ugh z_z He nods his nose to the ground near the other, "You can just drop them there. Thankyou so much Goliath."
The large st. bernard would be trialing him with suprisingly little trouble. One would think such bulk would have trouble going long distances.. but under his fur he was actuly in pretty good shape use to wandering about everywhee usualy on unstable rocky surfaces walking such a long distance on solid eart was as easy as freshkill for him. He would then move over and drop the hares turning his head he smile shappily. "not a problem its the least i can do for such a nice soul as you."
Rouge seems to have perked up a little from the previous two days. She's out in the barnyard, trotting after a clod of snow, which breaks apart little by little as she tosses it with her nose. Oh! The mutt stops, her ears perk. "Jette!" And look, he brought food. And... some large, talking furry thing on legs. "Who's that?"
Jette smiles widely as Rouge calls his name and the dark dog sends her a deep chuff of greeting. "Rouge, this is Goliath, he's a friend. Goliath, this is one of my friends I mentioned, Rouge." He introduces both of them and wonders idly if Rouge has met Kole yet or if Al' had spoken to her. He glances back and smirks, "The female from the other night, Alsoomse, will be hanging around with us for a little while. As well as a new friend, an older male named Kole. Looks like we won't be alone for winter huh, he chuckles as he reaches down and grabs a hare to toss her way. "Dinner's served. Sorry it's rabbit again." Sheepish smile.
Goliath would blink down as he looked over the dog named rouge. A fellow young dog he would be by the fact she was throwing that snow clod around. "It is nice to meet you rouge" He would say in his deep yet gentle voice. He would then as a afterthought take a step away from the hares incase a strange dog would make any of the inhabitants weary. He was infact feeling nervious looking about. He was out of his elemnt completly out here in the open. He was use to not seeing anything out and about but here.. he could see everything around.. and it was to him. Quite unnerving.
An unfamiliar face has been sniffing about the area, having taken up somewhat of a wandering residence around the general area of the farm since the humans returned for their brief stay a few moons back, used to the scent of Man from when it was a pup and so finding their lingering smells soothing, even if they've returned to their own dens now. But lately, there's been a myriad of new smells around the area, smells similar to its own, and the Saluki has gotten curious enough to finally investigate what seems to be the source. Trotting gaily into the area, Skylar notices the ragtag gathering of other dogs, ears pricking up and tail wagging as it approaches, apparently unconcerned about any potential territoriality of this group. "Hello there!" it calls out rather cheerily, practically skipping through the snow towards the small pack of canines.
Alsoomse is around, she was checking out the areas around the barn incase the wolf felt the need to come back. The large dog pauses as she turns around the barn catching sight of the dogs. She blinks and tilts her head before smirking. "Geezs Jette.. you just going out and dragging home strays now?" This questioned with a snort from the large female. Her gaze drifts over Goliath while her tail lashes and she paces forward, another big dog? Well that's different, most are smaller then she around this place anymore. Her ears flick forward at yet another voice and she looks towards where it comes from. "Good grief, there comming outa the wood works now.."
Conner trots out of the barn in a carefree manner and freezes cold...
Conner eeps!
Conner scampers back in!
Toki sniffs the air timidly, tail wagging slowly as he approaches the other dogs. Time had taught him to be wary of packs of strange dogs, and he slowly makes his way to the others, smiling shyly and offering a quiet "Hullo." He jumps as the fox darts out and then back into the barn, temporarily distracted, then turns his attention back to the other dogs.
Without even thinking, Rouge bounds forward and snaps up the tossed hare before it can hit the ground. Tail-stub wagging, she holds it proudly in her jaws for a fleeting moment, before she has to spit it out and talk. "Kole?" Obviously she hasn't met him yet. Oh well, there's plenty of other dogs here to meet right now. "Hello, sir." She welcomes Goliath, dipping her head in a lady-like show of courtesy. And then she takes notice of the saluki, and her head tilts. That one smells odd, missing a certain scent. It's something she's encountered only a few times over her life. "Um, hi! Where did you come from?"
Indeed. Jette watches Goliath curiously before commenting, "If you'd like to return to where your more comfortable Goliath I wouldn't hold it against you," he chuckles, "I appreciate you helping me. And we're here if you need any assistance." His words are interupted slightly as the saluki comes into view as well as his calling out. Amber eyes blinkblink and he almost laughs tohimself. He'd been wishing the other day that he could meet more dogs. But geez. "Evening," he calls to the Saluki, nose dipping. He shifts his body to be closer to Rouge, almost protectively, as Al' shows her face. He chuckles at her comment only to shrug sheepishly. It doesn't take long before the now alert male notices the other male not too far away, another besides the Saluki. Cropped ears twitch fowards at his hello and Jette in turn dips his muzzle once more, "Evening to you as well." The hares are tugged closer and he tosses one in Al's direction next, "Dinner for the pretty female," he jests before he winks and stuffs the other two behind himself; one for him one for Kole.
Catching the scent of the hare, Toki's ears perk and his stomach growls. It had been two days since he'd last eaten, and though his mouth was watering now, he knew it'd be foolish to even try and obtain some sustenance. Instead, he sits, yawning to show his indifference, though his eyes continue to wander to the carcass as he gazes around at the other dogs.
Goliath would blink quite suprised by all of the dogs coming out of seemingly nowhere. "A..alright yeah i think i'll let you talk to your new guests and try not to overwhelm your pack with strangers hanging about. "He would bow his head respectfully to the other dogs. "Well you all have fun.. and jette i'll be over in the forest over there if you need anything" He would say before moving and turning around slwoly his massive paws would thump heavily as he slwoly starts to long trek back to the forest. Pretty unnerved not only by the suroundings but by all the dogs which had suddenly converged ont he area. Especialy with prey laying on the ground.. could be a big fight..and thats one thing he dosn't need to get involved with as he disapears into the night.
[ Goliath has left. ]
Skylar smiles at the red-and-white female as she greets him so warmly, instinctively turning towards her to fall into a play-bow to express its apparent interest in such pleasant behavior. "I came from Man!" the Saluki replies, its tone chipper - though perhaps not quite answering what the lady dog was asking. Having answered Rouge's question, the fawn-toned purebred then turns to the other canines and considers them each briefly in turn, as well as glancing back at the fluffy Samoyed-mix who trailed up from behind itself. "My name is Skylar...are you all Man's dogs, too?" It doesn't seem to realize that not everyone holds such a high opinion of the two-leggers as it does, as may be evident by the big grin stretched across its long muzzle.
Toki snorts at the mention of Man. "I've met very few good Men in my life. Most ran me off, threw stones, I've even had one fire a gun at me. A few Women have been nice.. they'd leave scraps of food outside their houses for me." He lowers his chest to the ground, lying down now with forearms stretched out straight in front of him.
Alsoomse mms faintly while tilting her head and looks over another new dog, good heavens.. Really all these dogs here now? A faint growl rests in her chest while her tail lashes. Her gaze turns back to Jette and she blinks at the hare which a large forepaw settles upon. "Uh.. Thanks Jette." She wasn't expecting him to actually get food for her, but she won't just leave it there. Her head lowers an she grabs hold of the rabbit and turns moving over to the barn entrance and settles down. A glance is offered towards Skylar at the talk of man. "Your kidding me.. right?" She questions with a thin tone. "Man is worthless and no good and any dog who is /thrilled/ by that isn't a real dog." Al hates humans, can you tell?
Rouge nods at Skylar's question. "I had many masters!" She chirps, chest puffing as if this was something to boast about. "They were all very kind, but one. He did feed me though." After answering this, her eyes wander over to Toki, and noting how he looks at the hare. Feeling particularly generous tonight, the young mutt scoops the dead lapine back up and pads toward him, tail wagging. "Would you like some?"
Jette watches the interactions around him and chuckles faintly, head shaking. "Everyone has their own opinions on humans.." His attention shifts back to Skylar and the male chuffs deeply, "Not all of us were or are man's dogs," he answers truthfully, a small smile folding over his maw. As Rouge offers the strange male some of her hare Jette tosses one of the two in his direction, "Here, we've got extras. Rouge keep yours," she's growing, she needs to eat. He didn't mind sharing anyway, he'd go get his own again later. "What do they call you?" he questions Toki curiously, head tilting. He'd gotten SKylar's name and was curious about the other. "My name is Jette," this statement is directed at both of the new dogs.
Skylar glances down at itself, lifting one forepaw to inspect it, then another, then glancing back over its shoulders to look at its wagging tail. "I'm a real dog, aren't I? I was pretty sure I was..." the Saluki trails off, its tone anything but sarcasm directed back at the other female; in fact, it seems genuinely confused, perhaps suffering yet another form of identity conflict as it ponders the possibility of not actually being a dog after these years of considering itself to be such. "If I'm not a dog, then what am I?" the purebred inquires towards Alsoomse, apparently quite serious in its bewilderment about what it truly is. In the Saluki's deep wonderings, Rouge's comment is unfortunately lost for the time being, though one might imagine the pair might end up being good friends if they've already got this much in common -- a fondness for Man, and an ever-chipper demeanor.
Toki winces at the growl, tail and ears lowering submissively. He rests his head on his paws, sighing heavily, debating on moving on past this barnyard and into the forest to forage. Maybe he'd get lucky, and find some other predator's half-gnawed frozen rabbit carcass buried in the snow... and then Rouge approaches, and his tail thumps against the ground gratefully. "I.. yes, please," he says, tongue flicking out to lick his lips involuntarily. Smiling up at the kind dog, he tilts his head ever so slightly. "I can't just take your food without even knowing.." He's cut off by Jette, and he looks over at the male with a tinge of fear in his eyes. "I'm Toki. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude..." Toki isn't sure what relationship there is between these two dogs, but he's fearful that whatever it is, he may have crossed a line somehow.
Alsoomse maw twitches as the other dogs ignore her it seems.. Well fine.. be that way.. She goes about ripping into the hare, fur getting pulled while she chomps down on bone and meat. A ear flicks towards Skylar and she eyes her a few moments, sniffing at the air. "No.. your not from what I can tell."
Rouge is about to drop the hare before Toki, when Jette's words intercept her. But then /he/ gives his meal over to Toki, and Rouge steps back. She had good intentions, though. Leaving Jette to interact with the samoyed-mix, the young mutt grabs her dinner and turns to the Skylar-Alsoomse confrontation, listen carefully to them before she would decide to inject her own commentary.
Jette flicks an ear towards Skylar and Al's conversation and scoffs faintly, "He's a dog," just somethin a little funny about him 's all. Jette blinks and glances at Toki after, "Nice to meet you Toki." He can see a hint of fear and thus smiles reassuringly as he nods his head towards the hare. "Eat some dinner hm?" He noses Rouge as she passes before returning his gaze back to Toki and chuckles softly, "No intrusion, we're all just renegades from the winter here." Jette shifts his weight head craning towards Skylar and then Toki as he wonders just what to do now. "Where are you two headed? Or coming from?" he questions honestly, cropped ears twitching fowards.
That didn't quite answer the Saluki's question...just further confirm its not-dog status. Skylar continues to stare at Alsoomse, perhaps unnervingly, ears pricked forward as it waits for an answer. "So...what am I, then?" it prods further towards the large mixed-breed, obviously quite intent on figuring out where its proper place in the world is now. Being a trained hunting dog, Skye doesn't seem allured by the scent of fresh hare, perhaps having eaten earlier in the day, or perhaps just so focused on determining its new identity. When the Beauceron speaks and affirms its canine status, Skylar seems quite pleased to know he's still what it always imagined itself to be, tail wagging freely.
Two kitties had been curled up inside the barn for the whole morning. They slowly awaken to hear commotion outside of their resting place up in the loft of the old barn. Muddy, a little white and brown kitten, creeps through a hole in the roof up by one of the lofts and looks down, curious as to the nature of the noise. Wow, dogs! And so many of them! How curious. She sits down toward the edge of the roof and watches quietly.
Blaze would appear out of the hole his own pelt a blazing orange as he qquietly moved over and sat next to muddy staring out. "thats allot of dogs" he whispers then hushes to silently watch.
Slowly, hesitantly, eyes never leaving Jette's face, Toki takes the hare in his jaws. It's all he can do to keep from tearing into it ravenously, and he gnaws happily away at it, through the fur and skin and to the delicious, fresh, bloody meat inside. Bones splinter and crack between his teeth, and his tail wags happily. Swallowing a chunk of stringy meat, he licks his lips, peering back up at Jette. "Thank you so much. I'm a wanderer, a stray, I guess. I haven't had much luck finding food for the past few days, though." These dogs seem all right, though there's something off about the Saluki. Chewing enthusiastically on a leg bone, the mutt inquires of Jette, "So, is this your pack?"
Alsoomse chooses to ignore Skylar now, hier tail lashing a few times as she chews on the hare. Food will keep her quiet!
Rouge nods to Jette. "I will, I will." But first, she's interested in the saluki. She heads over until she's within a polite distance and then sits down, dropping the hare between her paws and looking up. "So, can you tell me about your Master? Did they hunt? My last one did! He hunted all the time, and I went with him!" And she really does sound enthusiastically interested in this topic.
Jette watches Skylar as the dog draws closer to Al' and he shakes his head rather vaugely. If the Saluki wanted to keep its face intact that would be a rather bad move. Jette grins a little as Rouge goes to be curious with the Saluki and seeing no harm for the young girl turns his attention back to Toki curiously. Blinkblink. Pack? Why does everyone assume he's gathering a pack.. Jette snickers faintly at the thought before blinking somewhat awkwardly, "Uhh.. well... we're not really a pack but yes, something like that." he chuckles. The mention of Toki being a wanderer and not being able to find food tugs at the Beauceron's heart strings and he nods his head slowly. "Well.. I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem if you hung around here for abit. We're all sort of seeking shelter until the winter passes. It'd be a lot easier to aquire food that way, and a little protection," Jette offers tentively to the other male. Seems he's been doing that a lot lately. Too nice. <3 Can't turn down a soul.
Skylar seems quite excited to have such a friendly face talking with itself, tail wagging even more when Rouge approaches, quickly forgetting about Alsoomse and focusing on a possible new friend. "Oh yes! I went hunting with my Master many times, too!" the Saluki answers with a big happy grin on its maw. "What's your name, by the way? I'm Skylar, but you can call me Skye, if you want."
"I promise you I'm not useless," Toki grins, lifting his bloodied muzzle from the bloody, ragged mess of cracked bone and bloodstained fur that once was the hare. It feels good to have a full stomach, and what good fortune to have encountered a pack, however loose-knit it may be. "I can hunt all right, but I'm not at all familiar with this territory. I don't know where the good hunting spots are-- yet." He licks his chops, rising to his feet. "Thank you again for the food. I don't forget favors." He smiles.
Rouge puts on a very dog-like grin. "Really? What sort of things did you hunt? Mine used to hunt deer. He did it all the time." As she talks, her stomach lets out a tiny, commanding snarl. The mutt abruptly slips to her belly, deciding to heed Jette's advice at last. She picks carefully at the pelt, making sure to clear it off before eating the flesh underneath. Fur is very unpleasant to eat. In between a nibble, the mutt looked up at Skylar. "That's a nice name. I'm Rouge." Because she's such a pretty shade of red!
Jette chuckles, "I never assumed you were, friend," he comments about Toki being useless. The dark male shifts his weight as he listens to the other, head dipping a few times in a nod. His ear twitches every once in awhile in Rouge and Skylar's direction before he regaurd Toki, a dogish smile on his face, "It's not a problem at all." Jette slides down upon his belly, head settling upon his paws and his other ears twitching in Alsoomse quiet direction. "If you need a place to rest your head for the night, I'm sure there is room in the barn. Of not, you know where to find us if you ever need any assistance or simply some company."
Skylar gracefully slips down onto its belly, lounging comfortably across from Rouge as she begins to eat her hare dinner. "Smaller prey, like what you're eating now," it dips its slender head down towards the lapine carcass, "and sometimes foxes for their pelts." Being a Saluki, Skye is lean-built, bred for chasing down the faster types of game. "It's very nice to meet you, Rouge!" Despite being a little...odd, Skylar's at least got good manners going for itself.
Nodding, Toki looks around; it seemed safe here, and definitely more cozy than burrowing into the snow under fallen trees. "I'd like to stay with you all. I'm all for safety in numbers." The scent of wolves was very prominent in this area, and Toki was very grateful to find a group to stick with. He pads over to Rouge and Skylar, sniffing at Rouge, then at Skylar. The Saluki was a puzzling creature; Toki had never seen a dog built like that, and the lack of any sort of distinguishing musk was even more confusing. Brows furrowed, he takes a seat next to Rouge, listening to their conversation.
Alsoomse takes in a slight breath and soon looks back to Skylar eyeing the other dog a few moments. She's never see a dog like that around here, at least not for long. "I'm surprize you lasted the winter." Seems she's forgotten the talk about humans for the moment.
Toki yawns. His stomach is full for the first time in days, and for the first time in months, he feels almost safe. "I'm going to take you up on that offer," he murmers to Jette, tail wagging. "Thank you for everything." It's a sincere thanks, and he pads off into the barn, eyelids already heavy with sleep.
[ Toki has left. ]
Rouge looks a bit impressed. She doesn't quite mention that she'd only been on one /real/ deer hunt before she'd lost her master. She had failed rather terribly then, and it's not something she admits to easily. "Foxes? My master's friend hunted foxes. They're fur is so soft, I had a bed of one once." She glances at Toki as he comes over and then leaves, then back at the saluki. "You should stay, too! It's not like a human home much; there are no Men here. But it's better than the woods and the plains."
Jette dips his muzzle to Toki and smiles warmly, "No problem, get some rest." He cranes his head in Alsoomse direction as she speaks and grins frankly before looking back at Rouge and Skylar. As Rouge extends her offer to the Saluki Jette nods his head slowly, "If you'd like to Skylar we'd love to have you. I'm sure Rouge would love for you to stick around so you can both talk human," he chuckles softly. The dark male pushes himself up onto his haunches, stretches each leg as he does so, tail swaying across the ground from side to side happily.
Skylar glances back at Alsoomse as she addresses itself again. "Oh, when Man was here a few moons back, they left some of their things behind...I've been curling up at night underneath one of their tattered old tents a little ways south of here," the purebred indicates with a swing of its slim head towards the grazing grounds and the river beyond. It smells like Man, too, which is an added bonus to the warmth it provides. The hound nods back at Rouge, tail slowly swishing across the dirt ground. "It smells like Man, at least. I might stay, if that's all right," it murmurs, glancing back at the apparent 'alpha' and figuring it must be, if he hasn't turned away any of them yet. Skye can help hunt, at least! Then the Beauceron confirms its thoughts, and its tail wags even faster. "Thank you, Jette!"
Alsoomse glances towards Jette slightly and lifts a brow as another dog stays. Oh great.. Her barn is getting taken over. She glowers at him and huffs a bit while lifting a forepaw to scratch across her neck. "Oh sure.. All we need is to hear more talk about how /great/ and wondeful humans are during the rest of winter.." She's not thrilled with the idea it seems.
Rouge laughs at Jette's comment, then visibly beams when Skylar even accepts. Wow, what a night. How many dogs have showed up? Three? Who would have thought there'd be so many around. Her ear tilts toward Alsoomse, and her eyes head over in her direction as well. "You don't have to listen." Really, Rouge can't imagine why the other female has this attitude. Of course, there's still much the young mutt doesn't understand.
He listens to Rouge's comment to Al' and chuckles, "Maybe we can keep the human talk outside the barn, away from Alsmoose," he stands and wanders over to nudge at the older females shoulder faintly. A slight sign of affection? Maybe, maybe not. He slides to his haunches closer to the door of the barn, tail thumping the ground as he eyes the others. Hmm.. maybe.. they were a pack. He'd never had the thought of that happening but.. well.. he'd have to talk to Kole about it soon. The older male seemed to know a little more about these things then he did. Cropped ears wiggle faintly in thought as he lets a wide yawn escape his jaws.
Alsoomse snorts as she hears Rouge. "Do't get cheeky with me pup." She states and is about to say more before Jette is at her side. Al has her reasons thankyou! "Outside an away from me.. talk all you want.." One day she'll have to fill little Rouge in on just how mean humans can be.
Rouge resists the urge to say something more on the rude side. But, she contains it. Taking the poor abused lapine corpse by the ears, Rouge sets off toward the barn to eat in peace.
[ Rouge has left. ]
Jette lets his eyes follow Rouge as she heads towards the barn, he noses her shoulder gently as she passes before letting his gaze slide to the surrounding darkness. It'd grown quiet since earlier. Jette reflected on just how many new faces he'd seen in the past few days, ears flickering in thought. As the world grows quiet he slides to his belly protectively infront of the barn door, head settling upon his paws.
Skylar glances up and around as Rouge rises and leaves with her meal, pondering where it should go now. It doesn't quite feel comfortable staying here with all these other dogs just yet, and sort of wants one last night or two with its comfy tent. Pushing itself up onto all fours, the Saluki shakes the dust out of its coat before offering a courteous little bow to the pair of remaining canines. "I think I'll sleep elsewhere tonight, but I hope to see you all again soon...it was very pleasant meeting you all!" With that, the slender hound practically skips off towards the south, long-furred tail flagged high and waving back and forth in the cool air.
[ Skylar has left. ]