Finding a Founder [Kelka]

[Bathsheba]

Sheba limped slightly as she made her way to the Trinket Lake. She had left Anthony at the den because he was tired. The winter sun was perched in the grayscale sky, shimmering a new tune upon the body of the Tundra. The lake itself glittered on the surface, but the thick ice gave the lake a frosted appearance. Bathsheba knew well of her new, thinner body and decided that now was a day to test herself as a beauty rather than a beast.

Bathsheba nestled on the edge of the ice-lake. She was thirsty, but first she jumped across the ice, finding herself miraculously not busting through. With joy, she slipped and slid across the surface, until a small crack revealed itself. The groaning of the ice made Sheba realize that even if she wasn’t as big as she used to be, she still wasn’t a skinny-minny either. Sheba scrambled as the ice opened like a gaping maw behind her, ice floated away, revealing an open scar and Sheba jumped to the shore as she watched the chasm open up.

Her rusty colored eyes saw it open and her mind didn’t connect to the horrible thing she did in the summer time—where she locked Kelka away. She didn’t even realize it when Sabire brought it up at the pack meeting. For now, Sheba quietly watched as the waters churned with each pop of breaking ice and the ice finally flowed freely over top of the lake.

“Guess I still have a ways to go…”

And Bathsheba poked her paw at her gut and raised her eyes when she heard what she thought was splashing. “I never knew we had big fish in the lake.” And Sheba tilted her head as she neared the edge of the lake, her reflection wobbling in the water which was only moving because she had broken the ice and caused quite a stir in the normally peaceful lake.

[kelka]

Below the ice, trapped forever in the dull greyness of the lake, Kelka waited. No, not for her freedom, she had given up on that long ago. After all, she was trapped, she was`t strong enough to push her way through the ice. And, why should she? She had food here, scrawny fish that she could manage to kill every once and a while, and she could breathe here perfectly fine. The only thing that really bothered her is that there was not a wolf to talk too, and that the ice blocked out almost every chance of seeing a ray of sunlight.

Above her something cracked. Kelka, drawn out of her thoughts, turned her head upward, seeing a chunk of ice moving. She shook her head and turned back to stare at the black depths of the lake. After all, the ice only melted in summer, and it wans`t summer. That single thread of that thought made her shoot her head up again. And stare. Above her, the ice was moving, shifting, than finally spreading out. Bars of cold winter light made their way toward her.

She swam toward the surface.

And took a breath of air.

She was free.

[Bathsheba]

Bathsheba stared with wide-eyed wonder as not a giant fish, but a fishy wolf emerged from the lake. Beautiful tail glittered in the sunlight as the wolf broke the surface. The splash of water was like a crystal shower before the Cael fell back into the waters. Bathsheba held her breath until she remembered that there was something odd about this event. She could vaguely remember that the reason that a Cael had been trapped under the ice was her own doing, but she couldn’t wholly remember why or how.

Sheba, while her outward appearance was improving, was mentally withering away. The Empress tilted her head and then ran to wade in the chilly waters. Her paws were hurting from how cold the waters were and she nodded her head whenever she took a step.

“Let me help you!”

The bright green furs looked opposite the dull colors Sheba used to wear. Her shortened hair gave a remarkable change to her appearance as did the fact she wasn’t obese, but merely overweight.

She bowed her head gently and then stepped out of the lake because it was much too cold for her. She didn’t realize that a Cael was like a fish—able to survive in colder waters than she was able.

“Where did you come from?” Sheba asked, seeing this mysterious Cael as a potential packmember rather than a prisoner that she herself had sentenced.

[kaimar]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true]

[atrb=background,http://i46.tinypic.com/2wfpy4y.png] Snow. Ice. Everywhere. It was cold around these parts, not that it effected the Cael brute. Spending a majority life in frigid oceanic waters had Kaimar used to colder whether. Hot whether was a different story. In his land form, Mars wobbled onto an icy lake. The ice was thick, most likely more solid than he could break through. 'Swimming sounds nice, though...' Kaimar said to himself, and slid onward. Every couple dozen steps, He'd lose his footing and slide helplessly. Growing frustrated, Kaimar began to growl. He hadn't noticed other beings on the ice yet, but as he slid onward they would become known. "Ice does NOT help the uncoordinated!~" Kaimar groaned loudly before flopping back down on the ice. Silver eyes glanced up, just to finally notice two characters near. There was a horned beast, and another sea wolf like himself. Wiggling his brows, Kaimar stood sloppily again, and strode to the small gathering with a silly grin.

[kelka]

Kelka narrowed her eyes as Bathsheba came toward her, saying something about helping her, than ending back on shore a few moments later and asking were she had come from. Did`t she know? Did`t she remember? After all she had been the one that had trapped her below the ice in the first place. But just as she was about to comment on Bathsheba's forgetfulness another wolf came into view, a male, one like her as well. He seemed friendly enough, walking toward them with a grin. Maybe he was Bathsheba's new flame or something of the sort, how would she know, after being trapped under the ice for half a year?

She gritted her teeth at the thought. Bathsheba had been living a full and happy life while Kelka had been trapped under the ice. Bathsheba had been eating full meals, and talking away, gathering up the remains of her life and trying to fix them. When she was tapped under ice, half starving, with no one to talk to, and hardly a live to live.

She turned her eyes back to Bathsheba and sneered, "Don`t you remember, oh great leader, you are after all, the one who trapped me here."

[Bathsheba]

Bathsheba tilted her head as she watched a male Cael slipping over the large sheets of ice that floated fluidly over the lake surface. Her face broke into a smile and she shook her head gently in a motherly tut-tuting fashion. And then, she acknowledged the newcomer male before she did to Kelka. It was as if the wolf she had forced into suffering for half a year was completely forgotten and taken as if she were a newcomer herself.

“Oh, so you come for what reason, wolf?” Sheba could not yet determine species. She always mixed up the Cael and Lupus when they were on land and it only muddled her if she defined a wolf as an incorrect species. “If you are uncoordinated, why be on ice at all? Unless… it is fun for you to slide around.” She gave a snide smile but it quickly became a friendly one.

The monster from the lake. It looked nothing like the Cael that Sheba remembered trapping. Her mind was slowly warping the water-wolf. The creature was become more fish than wolf in Sheba’s eyes until Kelka was an odd cat-fish headed wolf, complete with thick whiskers. Sheba gave a confused and slightly disgusted face as she listened to Kelka’s sneering words.

“I did put a wolf under the ice. If I remember right, she dishonored the rank I gave her with refusal. I say, if you look like that, you do deserve a better rank than Entertainment. Why not be the Ringleader, Kelka? I’m sure the rag-tags will follow your example quite readily. For, you sing quite lovely.”

The Empress didn’t allow eye contact with either wolves and she seemed to look past the both of them. She seemed distracted and completely a bit different. It was more than her looks. Her sanity was falling apart. Her bright fur and her bright eyes. They told lies.

And the newcomer? What to do with him? Sheba still had to see why he had come into the lands. Perhaps he was a prospective member, but perhaps he was a saboteur. Only time could tell.

[kaimar]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true]

[atrb=background,http://i46.tinypic.com/2wfpy4y.png] Kaimar slid to a halt to the two beings, plopping on his rump to avoid slipping again. The horned female questioned the brute, he smiled. "Just... Saying hello." Kaimar spoke, almost child-like. He rose a brow at the female in the water, a rather intriguing Cael she was. Silver eyes darted back at Bathsheba, he licked his lips and shrugged. "Ice, grass, sand. Any terrain I'm rather clumsy. Ice just... Uhm... Is slippery." Chuckling, though his tail showed no expression. Mars peered off the lake, measuring its size and length, depth. Swimming sounded nice, he wondered if the other Cael would swim with him. Though the two females were chatting and such, Kaimar wasn't really eavesdropping. It wasn't his business, he hummed a tune until they finished, tapping his claws on the ice. Catching small tidbits of the convo, Kaimar butted in. "This is a pack land? Who is the leader? You?" Mars suggested towards Bathsheba, his eyes wide. Wow, how rude of him. Trespassing on a land with the alpha right in front of him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude unannounced... Miss." Kaimar bowed, with an apologetic smile.

[revvy]

Kelka had been paying more attention to the newcomer, and her thoughts than Bathsheba. So when the Alpha addressed the newcomer first, it came to no surprise. But, what came after her words made her stop for a moment. She, Ringleader? After she had refused to be Entertainment? Kelka pondered on this for a moment, maybe, just maybe, if she accepted to be Ringleader along the line she could get bumped back to be Huntress? But... Ringleader and Huntress were so far apart. But still, there was a chance, if she were to accept it.

She looked at Bathsheba, than at the newcomer. Her decision already decided. She would become Ringleader, not just to be possibly bumped back to Huntress, but to be free of this lake. And hopefully never set eyes on it again.

[Bathsheba]

A beast was dwelling in the back of Sheba’s mind. It was no Harbinger, but something much, much worse. It was herself, constantly chewing at her thoughts until she had none to herself. And in that gentle heresy of thought, she felt a rumble of regret take hold. In her mind, it was raining. Sheba tilted up her head and felt the raindrops hitting her nose. Her great muzzle let a smile come forth upon it. But such an endeavor truly was all in her head. For in reality, she stared emptily at both wolves. Despite the fact that she was prettied up in metaphorical ribbons and bows, she was still the same Sheba inside. That is, nothingness. For now, she was an empty bottle full of hot air. Nothing but steam, heated up and without a top on. Where had all her life-water gone?

Sheba didn’t know how to react to the newcomer. Instead she turned around like a demon and her eyes flashed an angry expression. But then, it lit up. Her lantern eyes shut and her mouth came out in a rip of a grin. It looked suspicious, but then again, she was acting terribly odd today.

“You didn’t mean to intrude? So… I suppose you mean to join the pack? Please do.” But by her face, there was a brief expression to be alarmed by. You could see, for the smallest split second that what she truly meant was join my pack or else.

There was such a scornful expression! But it was set up by such a playful façade!

And she turned wild to Kelka. “You see, new wolf! Kelka accepts her rank readily because this pack. Loyalty is rewarded.” And she poked her nose in Kelka’s side, as if to push her to the pack dens in the Snowhills.

“Come now, all must follow.” And she stayed to let them pass her. “Kelka knows the way if you want to know.” And her eyes held a note of lost.

[kaimar]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true]

[atrb=background,http://i46.tinypic.com/2wfpy4y.png] Kaimar's brows knit together. Sure, he wanted to join a pack in the future, but he wanted to explore more as well. The alphess seemed to rush things, and Kaimar didn't enjoy that. Briefly, the brute sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry miss, I'm going to need convincing. What makes your pack different from others around here?" Kaimar's voice was partially nervous, the Yagi breed was intimidating in his silver eyes. With all the spikes and horns, he was worried his pretty face might get mauled. Hesitating, Kaimar spoke once more. "Mostly concerned, for my breed. You see, I am full-blooded Cael. If this lake is frozen throughout the seasons, I'm not sure if this is the home for me." Mars then waited for an answer, but then clicked as he forgot an introduction. "Oh, how rude of me. My name is Kaimar. But Mars is just fine." He chirped up happily with a silly grin. "May I inquire your name? Alpha Yagi." Kaimar then followed, almost willingly with the group.