Post by Cyrus on Dec 30, 2008 17:29:13 GMT -5
Location: Open Countryside
Characters Involved:
Jette, Male Dog (Sienna Pack Leader)
Dahlia, Female Dog
Rafe, Male Dog
Scene:
He'd been searching for other places to move the pack and move it soon. With the distant scent of the cougars he traveled the countryside with little fear and was somewhat content with what he'd found. There was a Cherry Orchard not to to far though you could smell packlands on the winds even if they were a bit away. Though the countryside seemed decent enough, his only fear was lack of shelter. All these thoughts in his head the Sienna leader travels through the countryside, parallel to the farmstead, dark eyes flitting to the late afternoon sky. His tail sways side to side comfortable as the large dog sniffs the ground and wind curiously for all signs of anything that could be threatening to his pack and family.
Dahlia chases after a partridge which is desperately trying to keep ahead of the determined dog. The partridge flies ahead of her but at an unusually slow pace, as if it is too tired to fly. Dahlia digs her nails into the dirt as she picks up speed, sensing the partridge is tired and attempting to close the distance between them. She is so busy concentrating on her prey that she fails to take note of the scent of the other dog. She tenses her hind legs muscles as she nears the partridge, which is flying rather close to the ground. Her heaving sides indicate she has likely been chasing it for some time. When she feels the distance between them is close enough she pushes off against the ground with her hind legs and leaps into the air. She angles her paws towards the partridge and gravity soon takes hold. Her aim proves to be accurate and a moment later she has the prey pinned beneath her paws. The partridge gives a few frightened squawks before she closes her mouth around the neck and swiftly snaps it, delivering a quick death.
The sound of running paws and the sqwaking of the bird grab the leaders attention swiftly. Erect ears twitch towards the spotted female and her prey, his tail twitching side to side. He can't help but grin somewhat, that was a determind dog all right. The male stands where he is however not wishing to startle the other and simply offers a deep chuff across the winds in the dalmations direction. The Beauceron angles his figure better to face her, nostrils flaring as he takes a few cautious steps in her direction, features stoic for now. The comment Al' made about him bringing home strays, again, gets a faint smirk but then its gone.
Dahlia lets the neck of the bird go for a moment, standing over her prey and panting as she attempts to catch her breath. Her ears lifted slightly at the sound of the chuff, though she can't exactly perk them forward due to the fact they are of the floppy variety. Her dark brown gaze soon surveys the area around her and eventually come to rest upon the male. Her eyes widen in surprise, for it has been a long time since she has set her sight on another dog. Her tail wags in a friendly manner and she nods politely to him in greeting. She smiles at him in a friendly manner, "Hello there. I'm Dahlia." She introduces herself, giving the other dog a curious look. She then inclines her muzzle towards her prey, "You can have some if you're hungry." She offers, leaving her question unspoken for now.
At her friendly gesture the male finally approaches though keeps a comfortable distance, tail swaying side to side happily. "Afternoon Dahlia, my name is Jette," he rummbles, his voice deep and somewhat gravelly yet gentle and kind. At the offer of some of her kill Jette shakes his head gingerly, "Thankyou but I'll have to pass. I've eatin already and that is your hard earned kill m'dear," he chuckles. The dark pelted male lets his haunches fold beneith him and he tilts his head curiously, "Are you new to this area? I've not seen you here before or around here." he questions tentatively, an ear twitching. He'd only seen one dog with spots like a dalmations and that was the young Bailey in his pack, though she was more mutt then dallie.
Dahlia pauses in consideration before testing out his name, "A pleasure to meet you Jette." She replies politely. When he refuses her kill she gives him a grateful look. She would have given up her prey if he wanted it but she'd had to chase the patridge to exhaustion before killing it. It was hard earned prey as he said. At his question she nods her muzzle in agreement, "Yes, I'm not at all familiar with this area actually. I usually just wander from place to place in search of prey." She admits before suddenly looking alarmed, "Oh, I'm not intruding on a territory am I? I try to avoid that since it usually causes trouble." She informs him. The partridge remains between her front legs, though she's not acting very defensive of it. Instead she sits back on her haunches to show that she means no harm. She then takes a moment to look over the male before admitting, "You're the first dog I've seen in a very long time."
Jette grins broadly for a moment, "I get that a lot. And no no, your not intruding on any territory. My pack and I live over that way," he indicates with his nose, "Across the feilds on the human farmstead. I'm here searching for more land, there are eleven of us." He smiles softly and flicks an ear thoughtfully, about to be more once Alsoomse gives birth. His gaze shifts across the area before reverting back to Dahlia, "Where do you come from Dahlia?" he questions gently, head tilting to one side. ALl the different stories of his pack members were interesting, he could only wonder about others.
Dahlia gives a sigh of relief before her eyes widen in surprise once more, "You have an entire pack?" She asks, her voice holding a note of shock to it. She seems even more surprised to learn of the number in his pack. She looks up in the direction that he points with his muzzle, seemingly rather interested. At his question she looks down sharply and harsh lines of tension become visible upon her visage. She seems hesitant to answer at first but eventually manages to find her voice, "I was raised as a hunting dog. My master would take down ducks and I would fetch them for him. One day we were on a hunting trip as usual. I went down the hill to retrieve a duck he had gotten. He got between a mother bear and her cub. By the time I had turned to go up the hill it was too late. The mother had charged him from behind and he didn't see her coming. I failed to save him and have been on my own ever since." She informs him in a tone filled with shame.
Jette nods his head, "Indeed," an entire pack. And he was the leader, should he mention that? Jette was still not used to this pack leader business, though it was coming more natural then it had at first. The male perks his ears as he listens and sympathy covers his features. The male's deep voice rummbles sternly as he notices her look of shame, "Your master loved and trusted you Dahlia. He made a mistake, that is not your fault. The moment you can forgive yourself for something you could have done nothing about is when you can start living a life he'd want for you outside of his care." Jette had his own demons, and it was a lesson he had to learn himself. "..We all have our stories.." he smiles tenderly before barking shortly, "Chin up, I don't know many who would chase that bird as far as you did and not give up." Grin.
Dahlia hardly hears his 'Indeed' response, so much has the memory overwhelmed her senses. It is only his deep rumble that causes her to look up at him and hear his words. Her ears twitch as she takes them in and attempts to make sense out of them. She then gives a long sigh, "I know he did and part of me knows I shouldn't blame myself. But if I'd been faster...if I hadn't gone ahead, maybe I could have done something. Perhaps someday I will be able to look back at it without feeling that way but it is good to hear that another thinks so. I can't promise that I won't continue to blame myself but I will try not to." She informs him, rather surprised by the sympathy. She gives him a wan but grateful smile and lifts her head a little bit, "Thank you. I think I needed to hear that. As for chasing birds...well it's just what I'm good at." She muses before giving him a curious look, "So how did this pack come together?" She asks, wanting to know more about it.
Jette smiles gently, "It heals with time.. trust me." That is all he says for now before her question about the pack gets a glint of amusement from him. "Oh the pack.. well it came together by chance," he chuckles. "I found a young female mutt out in the feilds during a snowstorm, we took shelter in a barn which was apparently occupied by another female who swears its hers.. still.." he laughs and shakes his head. "After that all sorts of canines began popping out of the forest and.. there was talk of possibly someone stepping forwards to start a pack and give these once strays a home. So I did." He chuckles warmly and shrugs, "Ferals, Collards, Purebreds, Mutts. The Sienna is a pack mixed of all types and personalitys. Never a dull moment," he drawls, head shaking amusedly back and forth.
Dahlia smiles back and nods slowly, "I suppose you're right. I have nothing but time really, unless I'm unable to hunt prey for some reason." She remarks before leaning forward and listening to him speak of the pack with a great deal of interest. When he is done there are several seconds of silence as she processes it all. She then looks to Jette with an expression of surprise before a smile returns once more, "Well that makes sense. Someone would have to step up and since you found the first one it was a practical choice." She remarks. A thoughtful look then crosses her visage, "Sounds like you have a good group. What does one have to do if they wish to join?" She questions further, still intent on learning more. While waiting for an answer she lowers her head and begins plucking some of the feather off the bird with her teeth. She then looks back up at him once the neck has been cleared, "How exactly does a pack work?" She inquires, not really all that familiar with working in a group.
He chuckles, if she only knew how hesitant he was and how he probably wouldn't have if Kole and Alsoomse hadn't encouraged him. The male tilts his head at her question in joining and mrrs, "They simply have to ask," he laughs lightly. "Well, and assist the pack an such." WHen she questions the working of a pack Jette begins to explain as simply as he can, "A pack is a lot like a family. It is very different from living on your own where you must look out for only you. In a pack you look out for yourself as well as your packmates, and they will look out for you. You hunt together, you provide for each other, and everyone works as a whole to keep each other safe. It isn't just about one individual body, but every canine together as a whole."
Dahlia tilts her head to the side and listens to his explanations. She finds them easy to understand and they actually sound rather appealing. She lifts her head and then attempts to meet his gaze, "For a long time now I have been on my own. I cannot even tell how long it has been. I can hunt birds and small prey to survive but it is a rough life. There have been times where I have been injured and wasn't able to care for myself and I only barely managed to survive. The pack which you speak of sounds like a perfect ideal. Much better than the life that I have lead. I don't know of how much use I could be but I know I could help provide food. So then, do you think I could join this pack of yours?" She inquires, looking at him with an expectant gaze. She then begins to tear into the flesh of the bird, staining the fur around her muzzle with blood. She tears off small pieces of flesh and gobbles them down, eating in order to hide her own nervousness.
As the male listens to her hesitant words the Sienna leader can only smile widely. Bringing home strays. The male nods his head slowly, ears relaxing posture as he lowers his head a little to peer at her as she eats, "Your more then welcome to call the Sienna home Dahlia." Jette's tail thumps the ground happily. "Though I must warn you, some of the pack members have different thoughts on humans, so try to be a little open minded.. not all of us can have good memories of the humans. Just keep in mind everyone has their reasons.." He smiles gently. "Also, I'll be relocating the pack soon. The farmstead is getting a little crowded," he chuckles, posture righting itself again.
Dahlia looks up from her kill once his decision has been made and wags her tail happily. She has to restrain herself from pouncing on him with playful enthusiasm like she used to do with her master. Her muzzle parts when she speaks again, "Thank you, it is much appreciated." She informs him in a grateful tone. Her enthusiasm lasts for only a few minutes before it is replaced by a forlorn expression, "I am well aware of humans. Some are good but there are others that do horrible things to our kind. I certainly do not expect all dogs to have a love for humans. I was just lucky to have a good master. It could have been much worse.." She remarks, shaking her head in refusal of letting the memory get her down again. She then nods her head slowly, "Well if it's getting crowded them moving isn't a bad idea. Do you have a place in mind yet?" She asks curiously.
Jette smiles brightly before nodding his head, "I'm glad you understand Dahlia, makes things a lot easier trust me." SHe'll probably have a heart attack when she meets Alsoomse. The Sienna Leader shifts his weight before turning his head more west, "West. There's a wolf pack in that direction but by the smells and lack of sound from their part of the lands I Think they've moved elsewhere. There's a cherry orchard and a willow feild there," he rummbles thoughtfully as he smiles and turns his attention back to her.
As if reading his mind or more likely having similar thoughts, Dahlia nods and then asks yet another question, "Why dont you tell me more about the other pack members?" She requests, wanting to know more about those she will be staying with from now on. She then gives a shiver at the mention of wolves, "I hoped Id never have to see one of those again. I had a run in with a rogue wolf once. It was note pleasant." She explains, not clarifying any further. She then nods her head slowly, "The land does sound beautiful though. It sounds like a nice place to live." She remarks and then continues to feed upon the dwindling corpse of the bird while waiting for his answer.
His head bobs as he agrees silently with her comment on both the wolves and the lands around them. When she asks about the rest of the pack he tilts his head thoughtfully, "The betas are Kole and Alsoomse, they were both from a pack previously, as was Allegro who is also a packmate. Kole is an older shepherd, kind soul. Alsoomse means well, but she's an ex pitt fighter, she's abit rough around the edges so be patient with her. Allegro is the pack jester, he's a riot, good dog. Surii is the mother figure in the pack, lab mix female. Rouge is like a daughter to me, she's the young mutt I found out in the snowstorm. Titan and Bailey are the youths of the pack, while there is also Skylar who is as kind as you can get, Toki who generally keeps to himself, and the newest member of the pack Rainier. I'm still getting a read on her," he chuckles gently.
Dahlia listens to his assessment of each and nods accordingly, "They sound like a good group. I hope that I'll be able to get along with them all. It's good that a fair number of them have pack experience. I...um don't really. I was never around other dogs all that much, even when I was with my master. So if I screw something up please let me know." She requests, her tone sounding slightly worried. She then wags her tail with some of her old enthusiasm, "I do look forward to meeting all of them. I can promise you I'll try my best to get along with the others." She assures him. The curious expression then returns to her face, "Do you have a read on me yet?" She asks, curious as to his opinion. She then looks upwards for a moment as if considering something, "Hmm, I wonder if I should nab some food for the others. I'd need to rest again first but there was a flock of ducks along a stream I crossed a while back." She remarks. She glances down to her kill but there's not enough left of it for anyone. So she simply chooses to finish off the rest of it, leaving nothing behind but a pile of feathers and a few sharp bones.
Jette tilts his head as he smiles and nods his head, "I'm sure you'll get along fine with the pack Dahlia." Jette stretches his front legs as he blinks curiously, "They're probably ok. Scouts go out regularly to bring back food, but thankyou thats a good start to pack life." The Sienna leader smiles widely, tail thumping the ground. As Dahlia questions his read on her the male can't help but chuckles, "You seem like a very sincere and genuinely nice female Dahlia." Jette nods his head matter of factly and smiles. "Rest a little while, I'll probably be heading back to the farmstead here soon. I don't like staying away for longer then necessary."
Dahlia smiles at his encouragement and nods, "I sure hope so." She replies in a sincere tone. At the comment about the scouts she sighs in relief, "That's certainly a good way to plan ahead." She remarks, seeming pleased by the idea. She sits back on her haunches and licks her muzzle clean of blood where she can reach. She then grins in reply to his reading of her, "Thank you." She replies simply before giving him a grateful look when he tells her to rest. She can feel the ache in the muscles of her legs from running so much for so long. She sinks down onto her belly and rests her head upon her front paws and feels the exhaustion overcoming her. Her eyes sink shut and within minutes she's asleep, obviously trusting the pack leader enough to sleep in his presence.
Rafe has arrived.
Each step was uncomfortable through the grasses. The retreiver moves towards the sound of voices. As the voices come into view he's glad it is of his kind rather than anything else. Rafe stops holding up his right paw to let it rest a moment. Catching the scent of the area one is vaguely familiar to him but it's muttled with so many other things. "hope I am not interrupting." he says in a raspy voice towards the two strangers even as one settles down for sleep.
Jette smiles as Dahlia settles down and will wake him whenever he thinks she's rested enough to follow him back to the farmstead. As she settles down another's pressence catches his attention and Jette's head swings in the direction of the other male. His figure tenses a little since he hadn't caught the others arrival until the golden spoke, berating his carelessness the Sienna Leader smiles friendly to the other, "Not at all stranger." Jette smelled of the pack and everyone in it, though a few were more prominant then others. "Who might you be?"
It's not like he did a lot to make himself known. He wasn't in the best of conditions by sight anyway. Mud is dried upon him in different areas and his form is thin. "Rafe." the retreiver answers finally setlting down to his haunches to give himself a rest. "Don't run across my kind that often. Last one I did was a young pup named Titan." he tells perhaps to see if the name straikes any bells to the unknown male.
The Sienna leaders eyes take in the other males appearance, the tender foot and the thinness. Titan's name gets a perk of his ears and Jette nods his head, "Ah I know the pup, recent addition to my pack," he rummbles. "Jette is my name. I'm the leader of the Sienna dog pack living not far that way," he indicates in the direction of the farmstead. Concern etches his brow as he regaurds the other male, "You look like you've traveled quite a ways Rafe."
Rafe nods his head to this, "A dog pack? Trying to make believe you are wolves?" He needed to poke a little fun but he was burning to ask about someone else. Looking over himself a moment, "Would never know I was once a professionaly trained dog. Is what the human that owned me said at least." he shrugs his shoulders, "I've gladly left that past behind me."
The dark male laughs lightly at the retrievers jest and smirks, "Easier to stay alive, we could learn some valuable lessons from them." While he wasn't a fan of the wolves, he had to respect them. If you only feared something because you didn't understand it then it was a lost and hallow fear. But to fear because you respect them, that was something different. As the male continues to speak, the term professionaly trained dog seems to click in his brain however he can't seem to place it. "We've all got our pasts, most involving humans," he chuckles.
"Learn from them?" he frowns his gaze hardening. Rafe looks away towards the mountains, "You can't learn from savages!" he growls lightly not really towards Jette but at the thought. Snorting he looks back to the other male, "Is there a female named Surii among your pack?" he again takes in the scents a moment.
Jette takes the others slight aggression with a tense figure and a calm smile, "I said there were some lessons we could learn. Their behavior isn't exactly.. decent most of the time. But the way they stick together to protect their pack, their family, is a lot better then fending for yourself against odds that usual aren't in your favor." Jette grins before the golden's sudden question gets a rapid blink from him. Surii? The lab mix he'd grown somewhat fond of? "Why yes, actually there is. Black lab mix, nice female very polite." he rummbles.
Rafe looks towards the other male as he speaks about the female. Only one that was fond would be speaking in such a way. "She is very much like her mother." he looks away again over the grasses. At least now he knows that his daughter is safe, "Make me a promise? Keep her safe for me."
Jette blinks finally, something clicking in his mind. "Your her father aren't you.." he rummbles softly. His eyes look pained for a second as his brows furrow and the Sienna leader nods his head, "But of course Rafe. I made her the promise that she would be.." he rummbles. "You have my word." The dark male turns his attention in the direction of the farmstead, his features thoughtful.
Rafe nods his head, "I am indeed her father." The thought that she was so close was rather both painful and a comfort. Looking back towards the mountains he knew it was a long journey backwards. "I am happy that she has found a place to belong. She has always been full of spirit but rather overly the submissive one until she gets comfortable around others. At least her mother lives on through her. That is the best thing a father could want."
Jette nods his head, "She's a good dog.." he rummbles. Surii's over submissive nature always got a faint smile from him. He was glad to see she'd gotten a little more confident in her time with the pack. Jette glances up to the sky and back to the sleeping Dahlia as he looks back to Rafe soon after. "Are you not staying around this area long? I'm sure she'd love to see you.." he rummbles softly.
Rafe looks to his paws, "I sent her away for her safety. She wanted me to travel with her but I didn't want to be a burden." Getting up he limps forwards a little, "See.. I injured my paw when a wolf attacked my mate. She died and I live.. With this injury." he frowns, "I wouldn't be much help to my daughter."
So that was why Surii was so nervous of the meeting with the wolf. Jette nods his head empathetically as he sighs, "I'm sure your daughter would still like to see you Rafe.. to know your alive.." He smiles tenderly before nodding in 'homes' direction. "Dahlia and I will be traveling back to the farmstead in a few hours. Your more then welcome to join us if you'd like.."
Rafe settles back down all the way to his stomach. "Maybe.." he sighs. "Ask me again before you go."
Characters Involved:
Jette, Male Dog (Sienna Pack Leader)
Dahlia, Female Dog
Rafe, Male Dog
Scene:
He'd been searching for other places to move the pack and move it soon. With the distant scent of the cougars he traveled the countryside with little fear and was somewhat content with what he'd found. There was a Cherry Orchard not to to far though you could smell packlands on the winds even if they were a bit away. Though the countryside seemed decent enough, his only fear was lack of shelter. All these thoughts in his head the Sienna leader travels through the countryside, parallel to the farmstead, dark eyes flitting to the late afternoon sky. His tail sways side to side comfortable as the large dog sniffs the ground and wind curiously for all signs of anything that could be threatening to his pack and family.
Dahlia chases after a partridge which is desperately trying to keep ahead of the determined dog. The partridge flies ahead of her but at an unusually slow pace, as if it is too tired to fly. Dahlia digs her nails into the dirt as she picks up speed, sensing the partridge is tired and attempting to close the distance between them. She is so busy concentrating on her prey that she fails to take note of the scent of the other dog. She tenses her hind legs muscles as she nears the partridge, which is flying rather close to the ground. Her heaving sides indicate she has likely been chasing it for some time. When she feels the distance between them is close enough she pushes off against the ground with her hind legs and leaps into the air. She angles her paws towards the partridge and gravity soon takes hold. Her aim proves to be accurate and a moment later she has the prey pinned beneath her paws. The partridge gives a few frightened squawks before she closes her mouth around the neck and swiftly snaps it, delivering a quick death.
The sound of running paws and the sqwaking of the bird grab the leaders attention swiftly. Erect ears twitch towards the spotted female and her prey, his tail twitching side to side. He can't help but grin somewhat, that was a determind dog all right. The male stands where he is however not wishing to startle the other and simply offers a deep chuff across the winds in the dalmations direction. The Beauceron angles his figure better to face her, nostrils flaring as he takes a few cautious steps in her direction, features stoic for now. The comment Al' made about him bringing home strays, again, gets a faint smirk but then its gone.
Dahlia lets the neck of the bird go for a moment, standing over her prey and panting as she attempts to catch her breath. Her ears lifted slightly at the sound of the chuff, though she can't exactly perk them forward due to the fact they are of the floppy variety. Her dark brown gaze soon surveys the area around her and eventually come to rest upon the male. Her eyes widen in surprise, for it has been a long time since she has set her sight on another dog. Her tail wags in a friendly manner and she nods politely to him in greeting. She smiles at him in a friendly manner, "Hello there. I'm Dahlia." She introduces herself, giving the other dog a curious look. She then inclines her muzzle towards her prey, "You can have some if you're hungry." She offers, leaving her question unspoken for now.
At her friendly gesture the male finally approaches though keeps a comfortable distance, tail swaying side to side happily. "Afternoon Dahlia, my name is Jette," he rummbles, his voice deep and somewhat gravelly yet gentle and kind. At the offer of some of her kill Jette shakes his head gingerly, "Thankyou but I'll have to pass. I've eatin already and that is your hard earned kill m'dear," he chuckles. The dark pelted male lets his haunches fold beneith him and he tilts his head curiously, "Are you new to this area? I've not seen you here before or around here." he questions tentatively, an ear twitching. He'd only seen one dog with spots like a dalmations and that was the young Bailey in his pack, though she was more mutt then dallie.
Dahlia pauses in consideration before testing out his name, "A pleasure to meet you Jette." She replies politely. When he refuses her kill she gives him a grateful look. She would have given up her prey if he wanted it but she'd had to chase the patridge to exhaustion before killing it. It was hard earned prey as he said. At his question she nods her muzzle in agreement, "Yes, I'm not at all familiar with this area actually. I usually just wander from place to place in search of prey." She admits before suddenly looking alarmed, "Oh, I'm not intruding on a territory am I? I try to avoid that since it usually causes trouble." She informs him. The partridge remains between her front legs, though she's not acting very defensive of it. Instead she sits back on her haunches to show that she means no harm. She then takes a moment to look over the male before admitting, "You're the first dog I've seen in a very long time."
Jette grins broadly for a moment, "I get that a lot. And no no, your not intruding on any territory. My pack and I live over that way," he indicates with his nose, "Across the feilds on the human farmstead. I'm here searching for more land, there are eleven of us." He smiles softly and flicks an ear thoughtfully, about to be more once Alsoomse gives birth. His gaze shifts across the area before reverting back to Dahlia, "Where do you come from Dahlia?" he questions gently, head tilting to one side. ALl the different stories of his pack members were interesting, he could only wonder about others.
Dahlia gives a sigh of relief before her eyes widen in surprise once more, "You have an entire pack?" She asks, her voice holding a note of shock to it. She seems even more surprised to learn of the number in his pack. She looks up in the direction that he points with his muzzle, seemingly rather interested. At his question she looks down sharply and harsh lines of tension become visible upon her visage. She seems hesitant to answer at first but eventually manages to find her voice, "I was raised as a hunting dog. My master would take down ducks and I would fetch them for him. One day we were on a hunting trip as usual. I went down the hill to retrieve a duck he had gotten. He got between a mother bear and her cub. By the time I had turned to go up the hill it was too late. The mother had charged him from behind and he didn't see her coming. I failed to save him and have been on my own ever since." She informs him in a tone filled with shame.
Jette nods his head, "Indeed," an entire pack. And he was the leader, should he mention that? Jette was still not used to this pack leader business, though it was coming more natural then it had at first. The male perks his ears as he listens and sympathy covers his features. The male's deep voice rummbles sternly as he notices her look of shame, "Your master loved and trusted you Dahlia. He made a mistake, that is not your fault. The moment you can forgive yourself for something you could have done nothing about is when you can start living a life he'd want for you outside of his care." Jette had his own demons, and it was a lesson he had to learn himself. "..We all have our stories.." he smiles tenderly before barking shortly, "Chin up, I don't know many who would chase that bird as far as you did and not give up." Grin.
Dahlia hardly hears his 'Indeed' response, so much has the memory overwhelmed her senses. It is only his deep rumble that causes her to look up at him and hear his words. Her ears twitch as she takes them in and attempts to make sense out of them. She then gives a long sigh, "I know he did and part of me knows I shouldn't blame myself. But if I'd been faster...if I hadn't gone ahead, maybe I could have done something. Perhaps someday I will be able to look back at it without feeling that way but it is good to hear that another thinks so. I can't promise that I won't continue to blame myself but I will try not to." She informs him, rather surprised by the sympathy. She gives him a wan but grateful smile and lifts her head a little bit, "Thank you. I think I needed to hear that. As for chasing birds...well it's just what I'm good at." She muses before giving him a curious look, "So how did this pack come together?" She asks, wanting to know more about it.
Jette smiles gently, "It heals with time.. trust me." That is all he says for now before her question about the pack gets a glint of amusement from him. "Oh the pack.. well it came together by chance," he chuckles. "I found a young female mutt out in the feilds during a snowstorm, we took shelter in a barn which was apparently occupied by another female who swears its hers.. still.." he laughs and shakes his head. "After that all sorts of canines began popping out of the forest and.. there was talk of possibly someone stepping forwards to start a pack and give these once strays a home. So I did." He chuckles warmly and shrugs, "Ferals, Collards, Purebreds, Mutts. The Sienna is a pack mixed of all types and personalitys. Never a dull moment," he drawls, head shaking amusedly back and forth.
Dahlia smiles back and nods slowly, "I suppose you're right. I have nothing but time really, unless I'm unable to hunt prey for some reason." She remarks before leaning forward and listening to him speak of the pack with a great deal of interest. When he is done there are several seconds of silence as she processes it all. She then looks to Jette with an expression of surprise before a smile returns once more, "Well that makes sense. Someone would have to step up and since you found the first one it was a practical choice." She remarks. A thoughtful look then crosses her visage, "Sounds like you have a good group. What does one have to do if they wish to join?" She questions further, still intent on learning more. While waiting for an answer she lowers her head and begins plucking some of the feather off the bird with her teeth. She then looks back up at him once the neck has been cleared, "How exactly does a pack work?" She inquires, not really all that familiar with working in a group.
He chuckles, if she only knew how hesitant he was and how he probably wouldn't have if Kole and Alsoomse hadn't encouraged him. The male tilts his head at her question in joining and mrrs, "They simply have to ask," he laughs lightly. "Well, and assist the pack an such." WHen she questions the working of a pack Jette begins to explain as simply as he can, "A pack is a lot like a family. It is very different from living on your own where you must look out for only you. In a pack you look out for yourself as well as your packmates, and they will look out for you. You hunt together, you provide for each other, and everyone works as a whole to keep each other safe. It isn't just about one individual body, but every canine together as a whole."
Dahlia tilts her head to the side and listens to his explanations. She finds them easy to understand and they actually sound rather appealing. She lifts her head and then attempts to meet his gaze, "For a long time now I have been on my own. I cannot even tell how long it has been. I can hunt birds and small prey to survive but it is a rough life. There have been times where I have been injured and wasn't able to care for myself and I only barely managed to survive. The pack which you speak of sounds like a perfect ideal. Much better than the life that I have lead. I don't know of how much use I could be but I know I could help provide food. So then, do you think I could join this pack of yours?" She inquires, looking at him with an expectant gaze. She then begins to tear into the flesh of the bird, staining the fur around her muzzle with blood. She tears off small pieces of flesh and gobbles them down, eating in order to hide her own nervousness.
As the male listens to her hesitant words the Sienna leader can only smile widely. Bringing home strays. The male nods his head slowly, ears relaxing posture as he lowers his head a little to peer at her as she eats, "Your more then welcome to call the Sienna home Dahlia." Jette's tail thumps the ground happily. "Though I must warn you, some of the pack members have different thoughts on humans, so try to be a little open minded.. not all of us can have good memories of the humans. Just keep in mind everyone has their reasons.." He smiles gently. "Also, I'll be relocating the pack soon. The farmstead is getting a little crowded," he chuckles, posture righting itself again.
Dahlia looks up from her kill once his decision has been made and wags her tail happily. She has to restrain herself from pouncing on him with playful enthusiasm like she used to do with her master. Her muzzle parts when she speaks again, "Thank you, it is much appreciated." She informs him in a grateful tone. Her enthusiasm lasts for only a few minutes before it is replaced by a forlorn expression, "I am well aware of humans. Some are good but there are others that do horrible things to our kind. I certainly do not expect all dogs to have a love for humans. I was just lucky to have a good master. It could have been much worse.." She remarks, shaking her head in refusal of letting the memory get her down again. She then nods her head slowly, "Well if it's getting crowded them moving isn't a bad idea. Do you have a place in mind yet?" She asks curiously.
Jette smiles brightly before nodding his head, "I'm glad you understand Dahlia, makes things a lot easier trust me." SHe'll probably have a heart attack when she meets Alsoomse. The Sienna Leader shifts his weight before turning his head more west, "West. There's a wolf pack in that direction but by the smells and lack of sound from their part of the lands I Think they've moved elsewhere. There's a cherry orchard and a willow feild there," he rummbles thoughtfully as he smiles and turns his attention back to her.
As if reading his mind or more likely having similar thoughts, Dahlia nods and then asks yet another question, "Why dont you tell me more about the other pack members?" She requests, wanting to know more about those she will be staying with from now on. She then gives a shiver at the mention of wolves, "I hoped Id never have to see one of those again. I had a run in with a rogue wolf once. It was note pleasant." She explains, not clarifying any further. She then nods her head slowly, "The land does sound beautiful though. It sounds like a nice place to live." She remarks and then continues to feed upon the dwindling corpse of the bird while waiting for his answer.
His head bobs as he agrees silently with her comment on both the wolves and the lands around them. When she asks about the rest of the pack he tilts his head thoughtfully, "The betas are Kole and Alsoomse, they were both from a pack previously, as was Allegro who is also a packmate. Kole is an older shepherd, kind soul. Alsoomse means well, but she's an ex pitt fighter, she's abit rough around the edges so be patient with her. Allegro is the pack jester, he's a riot, good dog. Surii is the mother figure in the pack, lab mix female. Rouge is like a daughter to me, she's the young mutt I found out in the snowstorm. Titan and Bailey are the youths of the pack, while there is also Skylar who is as kind as you can get, Toki who generally keeps to himself, and the newest member of the pack Rainier. I'm still getting a read on her," he chuckles gently.
Dahlia listens to his assessment of each and nods accordingly, "They sound like a good group. I hope that I'll be able to get along with them all. It's good that a fair number of them have pack experience. I...um don't really. I was never around other dogs all that much, even when I was with my master. So if I screw something up please let me know." She requests, her tone sounding slightly worried. She then wags her tail with some of her old enthusiasm, "I do look forward to meeting all of them. I can promise you I'll try my best to get along with the others." She assures him. The curious expression then returns to her face, "Do you have a read on me yet?" She asks, curious as to his opinion. She then looks upwards for a moment as if considering something, "Hmm, I wonder if I should nab some food for the others. I'd need to rest again first but there was a flock of ducks along a stream I crossed a while back." She remarks. She glances down to her kill but there's not enough left of it for anyone. So she simply chooses to finish off the rest of it, leaving nothing behind but a pile of feathers and a few sharp bones.
Jette tilts his head as he smiles and nods his head, "I'm sure you'll get along fine with the pack Dahlia." Jette stretches his front legs as he blinks curiously, "They're probably ok. Scouts go out regularly to bring back food, but thankyou thats a good start to pack life." The Sienna leader smiles widely, tail thumping the ground. As Dahlia questions his read on her the male can't help but chuckles, "You seem like a very sincere and genuinely nice female Dahlia." Jette nods his head matter of factly and smiles. "Rest a little while, I'll probably be heading back to the farmstead here soon. I don't like staying away for longer then necessary."
Dahlia smiles at his encouragement and nods, "I sure hope so." She replies in a sincere tone. At the comment about the scouts she sighs in relief, "That's certainly a good way to plan ahead." She remarks, seeming pleased by the idea. She sits back on her haunches and licks her muzzle clean of blood where she can reach. She then grins in reply to his reading of her, "Thank you." She replies simply before giving him a grateful look when he tells her to rest. She can feel the ache in the muscles of her legs from running so much for so long. She sinks down onto her belly and rests her head upon her front paws and feels the exhaustion overcoming her. Her eyes sink shut and within minutes she's asleep, obviously trusting the pack leader enough to sleep in his presence.
Rafe has arrived.
Each step was uncomfortable through the grasses. The retreiver moves towards the sound of voices. As the voices come into view he's glad it is of his kind rather than anything else. Rafe stops holding up his right paw to let it rest a moment. Catching the scent of the area one is vaguely familiar to him but it's muttled with so many other things. "hope I am not interrupting." he says in a raspy voice towards the two strangers even as one settles down for sleep.
Jette smiles as Dahlia settles down and will wake him whenever he thinks she's rested enough to follow him back to the farmstead. As she settles down another's pressence catches his attention and Jette's head swings in the direction of the other male. His figure tenses a little since he hadn't caught the others arrival until the golden spoke, berating his carelessness the Sienna Leader smiles friendly to the other, "Not at all stranger." Jette smelled of the pack and everyone in it, though a few were more prominant then others. "Who might you be?"
It's not like he did a lot to make himself known. He wasn't in the best of conditions by sight anyway. Mud is dried upon him in different areas and his form is thin. "Rafe." the retreiver answers finally setlting down to his haunches to give himself a rest. "Don't run across my kind that often. Last one I did was a young pup named Titan." he tells perhaps to see if the name straikes any bells to the unknown male.
The Sienna leaders eyes take in the other males appearance, the tender foot and the thinness. Titan's name gets a perk of his ears and Jette nods his head, "Ah I know the pup, recent addition to my pack," he rummbles. "Jette is my name. I'm the leader of the Sienna dog pack living not far that way," he indicates in the direction of the farmstead. Concern etches his brow as he regaurds the other male, "You look like you've traveled quite a ways Rafe."
Rafe nods his head to this, "A dog pack? Trying to make believe you are wolves?" He needed to poke a little fun but he was burning to ask about someone else. Looking over himself a moment, "Would never know I was once a professionaly trained dog. Is what the human that owned me said at least." he shrugs his shoulders, "I've gladly left that past behind me."
The dark male laughs lightly at the retrievers jest and smirks, "Easier to stay alive, we could learn some valuable lessons from them." While he wasn't a fan of the wolves, he had to respect them. If you only feared something because you didn't understand it then it was a lost and hallow fear. But to fear because you respect them, that was something different. As the male continues to speak, the term professionaly trained dog seems to click in his brain however he can't seem to place it. "We've all got our pasts, most involving humans," he chuckles.
"Learn from them?" he frowns his gaze hardening. Rafe looks away towards the mountains, "You can't learn from savages!" he growls lightly not really towards Jette but at the thought. Snorting he looks back to the other male, "Is there a female named Surii among your pack?" he again takes in the scents a moment.
Jette takes the others slight aggression with a tense figure and a calm smile, "I said there were some lessons we could learn. Their behavior isn't exactly.. decent most of the time. But the way they stick together to protect their pack, their family, is a lot better then fending for yourself against odds that usual aren't in your favor." Jette grins before the golden's sudden question gets a rapid blink from him. Surii? The lab mix he'd grown somewhat fond of? "Why yes, actually there is. Black lab mix, nice female very polite." he rummbles.
Rafe looks towards the other male as he speaks about the female. Only one that was fond would be speaking in such a way. "She is very much like her mother." he looks away again over the grasses. At least now he knows that his daughter is safe, "Make me a promise? Keep her safe for me."
Jette blinks finally, something clicking in his mind. "Your her father aren't you.." he rummbles softly. His eyes look pained for a second as his brows furrow and the Sienna leader nods his head, "But of course Rafe. I made her the promise that she would be.." he rummbles. "You have my word." The dark male turns his attention in the direction of the farmstead, his features thoughtful.
Rafe nods his head, "I am indeed her father." The thought that she was so close was rather both painful and a comfort. Looking back towards the mountains he knew it was a long journey backwards. "I am happy that she has found a place to belong. She has always been full of spirit but rather overly the submissive one until she gets comfortable around others. At least her mother lives on through her. That is the best thing a father could want."
Jette nods his head, "She's a good dog.." he rummbles. Surii's over submissive nature always got a faint smile from him. He was glad to see she'd gotten a little more confident in her time with the pack. Jette glances up to the sky and back to the sleeping Dahlia as he looks back to Rafe soon after. "Are you not staying around this area long? I'm sure she'd love to see you.." he rummbles softly.
Rafe looks to his paws, "I sent her away for her safety. She wanted me to travel with her but I didn't want to be a burden." Getting up he limps forwards a little, "See.. I injured my paw when a wolf attacked my mate. She died and I live.. With this injury." he frowns, "I wouldn't be much help to my daughter."
So that was why Surii was so nervous of the meeting with the wolf. Jette nods his head empathetically as he sighs, "I'm sure your daughter would still like to see you Rafe.. to know your alive.." He smiles tenderly before nodding in 'homes' direction. "Dahlia and I will be traveling back to the farmstead in a few hours. Your more then welcome to join us if you'd like.."
Rafe settles back down all the way to his stomach. "Maybe.." he sighs. "Ask me again before you go."