The Wanderer (open)

[lunas]

The sun was high and hot, the air unusually dry and still, barely a breath of wind stirring the tall grasses. Lunas moved like a ghost, slipping through the stalks with a steady gate. The ache in her paws had become such a constant that she now barely paid it any mind, but the weakness of hunger was a thing that she could never grow accustomed to. It was skill, mixed with a healthy dose of luck that had gotten her this far; prey had been hard to come by until she’d reached the edges of this strange land. Only now that she was surrounded by food, she found herself too weary to hunt. Irony was a cruel mistress.

With a sigh, she paused to turn and chew at an itch on her left haunch. Her winter coat was still shedding, falling out in clumps. She hadn’t had time to groom properly in weeks. To sit and give herself a thorough cleaning would leave her open to attack, and she wouldn’t risk making herself a target. As she had made her way down the steep valley wall, into the sloping meadow she’d caught a familiar scent: dragon. It was faint, and old, but it had put an extra touch of urgency into her descent.

Itch cured, she cast about for a place to rest. It was growing altogether too warm out for her liking, and she was tired and thirsty. A stunted, wind twisted tree jutted out of the ground a few hundred feet away, and she made a beeline for it and whatever shade it might offer. Grateful for the respite, she stretched out on her belly, front legs extended forward, and rear legs splayed behind. The grass beneath her smelled sweet, so she nibbled at the stalks, taking in what moisture she could from the plants.

Thirst slaked as much as was possible, she rested her head on her right leg, gazing out over the field. This land was an oddity to her. She had never met such strange wolves before. There were wolves here with scales, and wings, and horns, and fins; back in her homeland, such creatures were the stuff of legends, and stories told in the den. There were only lupuses. It was my decision to leave, she thought, licking a spot of dirt from her paw, and this isn’t my land. I have to do what I must to survive here.

Finally succumbing to exhaustion, she laid her head between her paws, blue tinted coat ruffling as the wind picked up. Her eyelids fluttered shut, and she began to doze in the shade, ears cocked to listen for approaching danger.

[Reynard]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][tr][tr][atrb=background,http://i453.photobucket.com/albums/qq254/Eldarwen5/Wonder%20Why/Gifts/ReynardSoarTableMid.png] It was abnormally warm and dry for the serene meadow. A tall, lanky keiyou moved slowly across the green grasses. His great black wings were open slightly to add some sort of breeze to alleviate the warmth, though the glossy feathers just seemed to absorb the sun. His reddish body was scruffy, his black accents in his face peppered with grey. In his dark jaws he carried a sad little winged fish. Last year he had dominated the skies to hunt these aerial fish, this year he had happened upon on of the migrants that had fallen from the sky due to the exhaustion of his journey. Across his wizened face was a great clawed scar that raked through his right eye, clouding it with blindness. The old keiyou was no longer able to fly easily, if at all depending on the day. His duties to patrol the pack land were needed, so he had no choice but to walk the borders at least once a week. He wondered if he should start sending his sons on patrol....sure they didn't have a guardian rank, but they were next in line to lead. The old male let his thoughts wander, letting his paws carry him across his well forged path. He opted for a shortcut across the meadow today to give him less time in the sun. It wasn't long before he came upon an unfamiliar scent. He was surprised how strong the scent was, his blue eyes searched the area and fell upon a clump of fur. He raised a brow and stepped closer to it, getting a good inhale. A trespasser on his lands, and deep within them. A growl rumbled through the fish in his jaws. Where the hell were his guardians? He was an old man out here all the time, yet his young guardians seemed never to show their faces at the borders. It was easy enough to pick up the scent, so his followed it toward a ragged looking tree. He paused a few paces away, his head turning so he could see better, luckily he was searching for a white wolf. He moved closer to the tree, using caution as he went. Despite being the High Chief of the pack, he was not strong so fighting was never something he wanted to do. He was a fragile keiyou, he may be tall but his weight gave him a grave disadvantage against the larger wolf species of the area. When he was close enough, he was able to identify the lone lupus sprawled beneath the tree. As his eyes fell on her, he felt a little silly for being so cautious. She was bedraggled looking, borderline exhausted or famished. He adjusted his fish in his jaws before coming to a conversational different. He flapped his wings lightly to make some noise so she would not be too surprised when he spoke. Setting the fish by his paws in the soft grass, he cleared his throat and allowed his oily voice to break the silence, "Excuse me. You happen to be sleeping in my territory..." His lion-like tail twitched, the white flag of a tassel raising up above his back to indicate his rank.

Image by Soar

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[lunas]

Unwittingly, Lunas had fallen into deeper a sleep than she had meant to. The day was just too warm, and her mind and body just too weary, and she couldn't fight it off any longer. Though she knew not how long she slept, she knew she dreamed. She dreamed of home, of her pack; the one she had lost, and the one she had left behind. All of them, she missed sorely, and her guilt burdened her every day.

Though she slept deeply, a part of her mind was at least slightly alert; the sound of feathers rustling reached her somnolent mind. At the sound of spoken words, however, she was awake in an instant leaping to her feet and whirling about, expression bewildered and groggy.

For a moment she was speechless, taking in the one who stood before her. Hues of red and black, taller than she, but thinner of frame, and sporting a set of large, black wings. She had seen the winged wolves before, flying overhead, but she had always taken cover where she could not be seen, fearful of being discovered. Careless, she thought, ears laying back flat against her head, and tail lowered so that she looked appropriately conciliatory. Once his words sank in, and she had a moment to process them, she cleared her throat and spoke softly, "I...My apologies. I was...I was just passing through..."

She trailed off, unsure of herself. If this scarred wolf was an alpha, as his stance suggested, then he had every right to chase her off, or even kill her. Why hadn't she paid more attention to where she was going? A pack always clearly marked its borders, as she well knew. She swallowed around a worried lump in her throat; this alpha seemed older, and moved as if he'd been recently wounded, as bespoken by the scars on his face, and ruined eye. If necessary, she thought she could outrun him, unless he took flight.

Opening her mouth to beg his forgiveness once more, she noticed the fish laying at the male's feet. Involuntarily, her mouth began to water, and she had to swallow again, and forcefully drag her eyes away from the sight, though the scent remained lodged firmly in her nose. "I'll leave if you wish. I meant no harm."

[Reynard]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][tr][tr][atrb=background,http://i453.photobucket.com/albums/qq254/Eldarwen5/Wonder%20Why/Gifts/ReynardSoarTableMid.png] The male raised a bemused brow as she scrabbled to her paws. Sure he wasn't the strongest, but he did enjoy seeing others panic at the sight of him now and then. Then again, he did sneak up on her. He was certain a jackalope would have pulled the same response given her state. He stood, watching her making no move to attack. He could see how out of it she was, he took some pity. His ears twitched at her blurted apologies. Numbers of wolves passed through his land, few apologized, many stayed, He rolled his narrow shoulders back, as well as the shoulders of his wings as he bent his head to the ground and gently picked up the fish. He tossed it to her in a gesture of kindness. "Here. You need it more than I do." Considering that he was almost always in a state of dishevelment, a slight smirk crossed his dark maw. "And really, there is no need to apologize, you don't seem to be at your most observant as it is." He set his slight hips to the ground and settled in to allow her to eat. "I won't make you go, especially in such a fashion. You need to eat and rest. If it helps you to stay among my pack, as long as you do not make trouble, you are welcome to." He did not want to force her to do anything, he needed more wolves in his ranks as it were. A small shadow circled the ground, he peered up to see a hawk floating lazily in the vastness of the sky. A slight frown creased his aging face. Being grounded for the rest of his life still stung, even though he had come to terms with it since his last litter was born. He had plenty of children to keep the pack strong and the skies full of young keiyou, just because he would no longer soar to those heights, did not mean he had to be discouraged about other things. The thought of his family brought him back to the lupus before him, realizing he had not offered a name to her, "I'm Reynard, High Chief of the Children of Hvítur Ári." He gave a half bow of his head, not wishing to be overly formal.

Image by Soar

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[lunas]

[atrb=cellpadding,2,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true] [scrolly:h(200),w(376),sy,c(06425e)] Admittedly, she felt a little foolish for her panicked reaction as the winged wolf tossed the flying fish toward her, his expression almost amused. Her stomach twisted painfully at the sight of the offered food lying right at her feet, but she managed to maintain some sense of decorum, and resisted attacking it like a starved beast. Which is what I am, she thought wryly. Her sense of foolishness increased as he explained that there was no need for apologies. She was a bit out of her head at the moment, and not thinking rationally after all. Still, a crueler wolf might have punished her for her indiscretion. “Thank you, good stranger,” she replied, feeling relieved that she wasn’t going to be attacked, or chased out of the territory. If she was being completely honest with herself, she didn’t think she possessed the energy for a fight, or a flight. His next words brought surprise and more relief still. She would be allowed to stay, and recover her strength? Not in her wildest dreams had she hoped it would be so easy to find a place to stay in this strange land. She could have wept at the chance for respite. “I-I thank you,” she managed to stammer out in her surprise, hoping the winged wolf wouldn’t catch how her tone had thickened. The male took a moment to gaze up at the sky, and she seized the opportunity to partake of the gifted fish. The taste of it was almost too much for her to handle, and she had to again resist the urge to gobble it all down. Eating too fast when she was so near to starving would only make her ill. For the past week she’d somehow managed to subsist on plant roots and a few small rodents she’d been able to catch, and she considered that good hunting compared to how little she’d eaten the week before. When he spoke again, she returned her attention to him, only slightly surprised to learn that he was the alpha of these lands. His entire bearing and his invitation to her had been evidential enough that she knew he must have some high rank. Bowing her head respectfully in return, she gave him her own name, “I am Lunas, from the east. Thank you again for allowing me to stay. And for the fish.” She gave him a grin, and an amiable wave of her tail. Finally, she thought, I can be at rest. [/scrolly]

[BLAISEN EVRAIN !]

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[atrb=background,http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/h448/soarly/Wonderwhy/Tables/BlaisenEvraintable2.png] Blaisen had found himself once more in the meadow, the tall grasses beautiful in the summer. They bent with the wind, and though Blaisen did not always go into the sky, the wind ruffled his feathers and made him feel at home. The heat bounced off his dark fur, but Blaisen enjoyed it. The winter brought the cold, and he much preferred the heat. He soon enough picked up his father's scent though, and a bit curious, began following it. Blue eyes led his way as he finally saw the distant shape of his father and alpha. Blaisen smiled, about to bounce over when he saw another figure. She was so white she appeared blue... or maybe so blue she appeared white, but Blaisen wasn't entirely sure. He found himself crouching in the grasses, hoping they covered his entire being. He disliked strangers, and though he knew his father was entirely capable of caring for himself, he couldn't help but feel protective of him, now that he was injured so. He couldn't hear their words, and dismayed by the vantage point he had, Blaisen began towards his father at a run, his wings shooting at about fifty metres before him, soaring up into the air and then hovering above the ground with swift beats of his wings. He ascended higher until he could see the two just as tiny speckles on the ground, before turning his body and diving towards them. A show? Perhaps, but he was acting impulsively and wasn't really sure what he was attempting to do. His body was moving fast through the air, wings tucked at his sides. An absolutely stupid thing for him to do, since he was not as practiced in the air as his siblings. He found himself getting closer to the ground and struggled to get wings back out, coming increasingly closer to the ground. Panic struck the young male, but finally his wings shot out, stopping his dive, but wrenching his shoulder almost out of its socket. He cursed loudly, finally coming down to the ground between the two, stumbling awkwardly before falling into a giant mess of legs and wings before his father. Definitely the mature, intimidating entrance he had gone for... Blaisen stared up at Reynard with wide, panicked blue eyes, before clearing his throat, and shoving himself back up. He limped lightly on his right shoulder, the muscles sprained from his stupidity, wings tucked close to his sides. "Hello," he said meekly, saying nothing more to the stranger but turning to his father."A bird... got in the way... I was trying to patrol." he said, twitching a little bit, and then turning back towards the female. He stared at her with his blue eyes, looking over her. She didn't seem to mean any harm, and now Blaisen felt nothing more than idiotic.

[Reynard]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][tr][tr][atrb=background,http://i453.photobucket.com/albums/qq254/Eldarwen5/Wonder%20Why/Gifts/ReynardSoarTableMid.png] He watched her eat the fish, considering her state he was surprised how much restraint she had. He had to admire her will-power that was for certain. He gave a gentle, fatherly smile that creased through his black, grey-peppered maw. The catch in her voice did not go unnoticed, he felt a moment of pity for her as well. What had she been through that she was in such a state? For a moment, she reminded him of his daughters, all of them at once. It was no wonder he had a soft spot for young females. "Lunas? That's a fine name. I'm glad I can help you. I'm sure my pack will be kind to you while you are here.'' His own tail twitched lightly in answer to hers, it was nice to not be so on edge around a stranger. He seemed too cautious these days what with the birth of his new daughters as well as the years recent events. His curiosity was piqued though, so he carefully spoke once more, "If you don't mind my asking...what happened to you?" He always wanted to learn about how individuals came to his pack. His gaze shifted again to the small shadow that had been circling them moments before. However his question was forgotten when he realized there was a second shadow, one that was getting larger. His ears primed and his noise pointed up to the bright sky to see the potential oncoming threat. His first fear was a dragon attack, usually they left his home alone, but one could never be too careful. The next fear, an intruder. He squinted his good eye to attempt to see. Too small to be a dragon....so it was another keiyou. His eyes widened a little with recognition...Blaisen? His son was plummeting toward the ground, was he going to attack Lunas? "Head's up." He muttered while keeping his eyes trained on his son. What was he doing? He was coming on too fast. A new type of fear racked through the old wolf. He was about to watch his youngest son shatter against the earth! He stood quickly, stepping back and opening his wings as if he were going to leap into the air to attempt to catch the missile. He himself could only really glide, but parental instincts were overriding his handicap. Just as he was about to jump he heard the tell tale CRACK of wings opening. He noticeable cringed at the sound, knowing that it must not feel good. His heart was racing, but he watched all the same. Blaise touched down, roughly at best. Reynard blinked, realizing now what Satinka must have felt every time Reynard had tried some stupid stunt like that. His heart went out to his mate, before coming back to his son. He watched his son tumble to the ground in one of the least graceful landings he had ever seen. Which was saying a lot considering his second in command was a completely blind flyer. His mouth was slightly agape as Blaisen gathered himself awkwardly. He blinked out of his daze as his voice reached his ears. He shook his head and narrowed his eyes slightly as his 'stern daddy' voice came out "You better thank the Great Spirit that your mother did not see what you just did." Though his face looked stern, he was not accustomed to keeping it that way. It soon melted into a knowing smirk as he raised a brow in question, "Patrolling huh? It's about time you put your wings to good use. Bet you chased that bird clear on to the swamp." It was clearly a good-hearted tease, he did not want to shame his son in front of a young lady. He looked over the young male's back and wings to the lupus, "I'm sorry if he startled you Lunas, I'm sure my son was just trying to prove his mettle." He gave her a light wink, to help ease any tension this ordeal may have caused.

Image by Soar

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[lunas]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true] A gentle, welcoming smile graced the older wolf’s face—Lunas made a mental note to ask what the winged wolves called themselves. There would be so many new things for her to learn now that she was so far from home, but at least she felt safe and welcome. Her own grin softened into an easy smile when he complimented her name, but before she could respond he asked a question she’d been dreading. What happened to me? The thought echoed for a moment in her mind, and she laid her ears back in distress. I’ll have to answer it sooner or later, she thought, but as she opened her mouth to respond she noticed that Reynard was no longer paying attention to her. His eyes had turned skyward once again, but this time his expression was one of alertness. Worry made her heart leap as a shadow fell across her eyes, and she threw her own head back, cringing slightly toward the ground as her tail drooped. There was something hurtling downward toward where they stood, and for a moment she almost couldn’t breathe as the image of bloodied bodies flashed through her mind. Then the chief spoke again, his tone warning but not overly fearful, and she realized that the shape was far too small to be that of a dragon. Ah, it’s another flying wolf, she realized as the shape took on some definition, coming closer so she no longer had to squint. Then she felt an entirely new sort of anxiety, as she realized he wasn’t slowing down. He’s going to crash right into the ground!, she thought wildly. Thankfully, at the last moment his plummet came to an end, wings opening with a loud snap as they caught the wind. Still, the poor fellow came to a rather spectacular stop, tumbling into his landing, black wings askew. If she hadn’t been so startled she might have laughed at the sight, but she was glad she didn’t. She had a bad habit of laughing when it wasn’t entirely appropriate. “Don’t worry about me. Are you okay?” she blurted, only slightly reassured by the chief’s teasing tone. She was none too surprised to learn that the two were related—the young male who’d literally just crash-landed at her feet a near spitting image of his father. Watching him favor his right leg, she couldn’t help but feel slightly guilty. If she hadn’t been so taken aback, she could have summoned a little air to cushion his landing. If I can be so easily cowed by a shadow, then what sort of lupus am I?, she self-berated, her newfound good mood quite suddenly dampened.

Table by Eldarwen • Image

[BLAISEN EVRAIN !]

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[atrb=background,http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/h448/soarly/Wonderwhy/Tables/BlaisenEvraintable2.png] Of course Blaisen hadn't thought far enough ahead to think that such an approach would also startle his aging father. But such things were thought of in hind sight, and of course, hind sight was 20/20. So Blaisen stood awkwardly on the ground, staring at his father who appeared just as stunned as he was. He couldn't help but notice Reynard had his wings opened, as if he was going to take off into the air. Suddenly Blaisen realised that his father had thought he was in trouble, and was going to come to his rescue... looking at his father's frailty, and knowing that he could have seriously injured them both with his stupidity made the colour rise to his cheeks. Suddenly that stunt wasn't worth it, and the young male wanted to run away and hide in a dark, deep hole and never come out. But of course there would be none of that, not now that there was another new member involved who had just addressed him. He nodded for a moment, almost too stunned to speak again, but dreading the words that Reynard would speak. He knew with the expression his father had he was in for a scolding, even if they were in the presence of someone new. His ears pulled back and his body instantly went into a state of submission, pulling the long tufted tail between his legs [but only a little, he couldn't embarrass himself] and crouching down towards the ground. He said nothing, just nodded solemnly. He wouldn't do something like that again, ever. Or... at least not in the eyesight of either parent. He was worried that his father was going to stay angry, but soon he back to his old, teasing self. The atmosphere, which for Blaisen had seemed to freeze, lifted suddenly and he found a small smile across his face. "I wanted to help out. I'm glad that's okay. And I don't think that bird will come here anytime soon..." he felt a little reassured by the conversation but said nothing, backing out from between the two, hobbling a bit. His father spoke to the lupus - it was obvious by her colouring and lack of fancy additions - and Blaisen quickly learned her name, and couldn't help but blush again as he spoke. "I apologise Lunas, I was... well, yes. My name is Blaisen, and I promise I won't make it a habit of crashing at your feet." His words brought a bit of a brighter smile now, trying to be as charming as he could. Even though he didn't know her she seemed fairly harmless.

[Reynard]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][tr][tr][atrb=background,http://i453.photobucket.com/albums/qq254/Eldarwen5/Wonder%20Why/Gifts/ReynardSoarTableMid.png] The male was glad for his son's safety. It was nice to see that he at least was able bodied enough not to get himself killed while flying. He remained quiet while the two got acquainted. Perhaps if she could make a friend, she would stay in his pack as another member. The old male needed a strong pack, he cleared his throat, "Since you are here, Blaise, perhaps you can help your father out. " His eye twinkled slightly as he looked over at Lunas, "She will be staying with us for a while, perhaps you can take her around the pack lands and get her settled in. Maybe catch her something a little more fresh than a half shriveled fish. " He stood with some effort, his joints creaking slightly, "Now if you will excuse me, I need to finish the patrol." He did not really wait for an answer, he had given the female permission to stay in the pack. He took a few steps before turning back and giving them a slight smirk, "Perhaps you can convince her to stay a little more permanently, we could always use able bodies." His son needed to get used to accepting wolves, what better time to start than now? Also, perhaps keeping him occupied would keep him off that shoulder. He did not want to point it out, he was a wolf grown now and didn't need his father doting on each little bruise. He gave one last bow to the lupus female, "It was good to meet you, Lunas, make yourself at home. And if he gives you any trouble you come find me. " He gave her a playful wink before turning around and continuing on his way. The lanky male was happy to let his son take some responsibility. Perhpas he would need to start taking Halcyon and Blaisen out on patrols with him, to get them comfortable with the tasks. Yueh and Reynard were old now and the burdens of controlling a pack this size were more evident each day. Damned if he was going to let his pack go leaderless like Draugur did. The thought of Draugur made the Chief's spirits drop slightly, one more thing to worry about he knew.

Image by Soar

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