Soul Searching -Hermes-

[Keinvarii]

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[atrb=background,http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd415/Somatra1/kback-1.jpg] [scrolly:h(200),w(405),sy] In and out of the sea of plants a pale green and silver grey wolf weaves, silently streaking through the grass where she had trod many times before. Since taking up control of the pack she'd had little time to patrol and virtually no time alone. To be out moving felt amazing, and her hardened muscles propelled her along. She was not a particularly fast wolf, her muscles were slightly too bulky for that and her slightly misshapen front paw pained her after too much exercise, but all the same she pushed on. The sky was a pale grey, and the clouds blanketed over in puffs of silver as it transformed the land into a dull canvas. The wind rippled briskly across the ocean of grass, transforming the plains into a sea. All but Keinvarii's brilliant blue eyes remained vivacious in the cool day. She stopped to glance at the horizon, observing the birds take flight, black dots rising fluidly into the air. How great it must feel to fly without burden, to feel gravity become fiction and to soar with the wind she thought. The plain was barren of other wolves from what she could see, and not but the ruffling of the wind and the calls of the crickets could be heard. Breathing in the scents of summer Keinvarii used her energy to make the ground rise under her feat, pushing her above the vegetation until she could glance from one end on the plain to the other. It was a magnificent if not simplistic vision and she sat proudly, watching her pack land contentedly.[/scrolly]

[Hermes]

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[atrb=background,http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z341/awaywithmysanity/HERMESTABLE2.png] Hermes wandered with in no particular direction, a sable splotch in the monochrome landscape, grumbling. "Talk to all the packs, she says!" he muttered, flicking his tattered right ear in annoyance, "See how interested they are in an Alliance with the Empire, she says! Isn't my time at all important to her? Not to mention that she never remembers that I'm a sennyo-lyxxus, not just some half bred mutt!" he shook his head and spat out the word "mutt," clearly disliking the term, "I am the very epitome of grace and godliness, the beautiful and enchanting Hermes, Messanger of the Empire!" He sighed and hung his head, green eyes closed, "Ah, it sounded nice in the title, but... the work is rather bothersome..." He smiled a small smile to himself and raised his head. As he did so, he caught the scent of another wolf. He matched the scent to that of the wolf pack he was sent to talk to, and instantly looked around, sighting her at last on a little mound. The dusty yellow-and-black butterfly wings on his heels fluttered into action, and he sprinted off, his wings giving him extra speed. "Hello!!!" he called out, "Hello there! Messenger of the Balkamir Yikaxy Empire here! A message from the leader! We wish do discuss an alli-whoops!!!" He was so intent on reaching the wolf that he didn't see the rock as it loomed up by his paws. Catching it on his lame right leg, there was very little he could do to keep from tumbling face first into the undergrowth. Hermes picked himself up as quickly as possible, shaking himself quickly and checking to make sure his little slip-up hadn't been seen. It was impossible to tell. Up close, Hermes finally caught up with the fact his nose had already discovered. Ah.. he thought with a sly smile, A lady, then? This will be the easiest pack-alliance ever forged! "Ah, hello there, lovely lady," he said, tilting his head ever so slightly to the left and treating her to a smile, "Might I introduce myself a little less hurriedly?" he placed a paw to his chest, eyes lowered in traditional Hermes manner, "I am Hermes Ashwood, the Messenger for the Balkamir Yikaxy Empire. My leader has sent me to discuss an alliance with you, if you'd be at all interested." He widened his grin. It is a common knowledge to all of those who know or have even briefly met Hermes that he is a narcissist of the very worst kind. He not only loves himself more than any other (save for one wolf from a distant past, perhaps the reason for his loving relationship with himself), but also believes that everybody should love him too. It comes as a great shock to him when wolves don't throw themselves at his paws with confessions of love, and he often takes offense when people point out his flaws, or call him a narcissist. However, he had yet to be insulted by a lady, which only served to boost his complete and utter certainty that he could have this whole deal over with before things got too tiresome. Today must be my lucky day, he thought, silently appraising the female with dark, curious eyes. ((OOC: Don't worry, he'll get over himself reeeeally fast X3))

[Keinvarii]

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[atrb=background,http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd415/Somatra1/kback-3.jpg] Keinvarii looked upon the unusual fellow that had burst through her lands with curiosity. The wings on his paws were quite remarkable as was his green eyes.She was certain she had met this wolf before...Ah yes, he had been conversing with Kasmira from the Children, seemed a rather sad bloke, though he appeared to be in better spirits on this occasion. To say the least she was just glad that he came in peace, and with a rather interesting proposition. Smiling softly she replied, "My name is Keinvarii and I serve as the female Guide for the Philia Alliance. I do remember you Hermes, though I was not aware you were part of the Balkamir Empire. Now why would the Philia Alliance have an interest in forging an alliance with your pack?" She had been considering creating alliances, though she had yet to find the time to put into effect such plans. However, this wolf would have to provide some sensible reasoning for the Guide before she would consider placing the pack as allies with the Empire. Not to mention it was truly the pack's decision in the end. Instead of removing herself from her advantageous height she simply lowered the Earth upon which she was sitting until she fell at eye level with the dark pelted male. She wanted to be sure that Hermes was indeed telling the truth, and for that she needed eye contact. Keinvarii sniffed lightly at the air, confirming that the many scents on the male certainly correlated with his story. She did not know a great deal about the Empire, but true to that she had not heard any negative stories either. She did know they resided in the cold lands of the Tundra, which meant this male had indeed traveled quite a great distance. She peered into his rather handsome face and said, "You travel a great distance Messenger, surely you must grow weary from being away from our pack for such a length of time? Unless you enjoy gaining enriching experiences within other pack lands." Her voice was solid but along the edge a soft teasing tone traced its way through her words.

[Hermes]

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[atrb=background,http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z341/awaywithmysanity/HERMESTABLE2.png] Hermes blinked as he looked at Keinvarii, waiting for the memory to come, sorting through the long list of girls he'd spoken to recently. "Ah!" he said at last, tail a-wag, "Yes! I remember! You referred to yourself as 'Stone' then, I believe? Or was that the other one..?" he pondered for a moment, then shook his head, "No matter! Yes, it's good to see you again! And to answer you're question about why you should forge an alliance with us..." he coughed, organizing his thoughts, "Well, the Balkimir Yikaxy Empire is a rather strong force. Having us on your side in any battle would be-" here he stopped, shook his head, and sighed, "Ah... I can't continue on with this speech. Truthfully, I only asked because the terrifyingly beautiful Cypress asked be to while threatening me with her horns." He threw a paw over his eyes, "Ah! What a cruel world! Being forced to perform tasks I didn't ask for!!!" He lowered his head for a moment, then perked back up. "Ah! And as far as traveling away from my pack goes..." he twitched his ears back, "Well, I actually joined them on the words of an old man. I find that my speed means that I am well suited to the duties of a Messenger, but... well... the Empire is a bit too... rugged for my tastes..." He sighed heavily, then shrugged. "Ah, well. Better than being a loner, I suppose..." he said, "Anyways, Lady Keinvarii, I suppose that I haven't really got anything to say about the Empire. You could always simply reject the offer of an alliance and I could go on my way, never to bother you again, or..." here he lowered his eyes yet again, "You could always accept. It would be a terrible thing to return to the Empire unsuccessful, so if I could make just one little alliance..." he took a small step forward, turning on every charm he had. Perhaps this won't be as easy as I originally planned... Hermes thought, keeping a grimace off of his face. ((OOC: Sorry for the crappy post, I dunno where my muse went O.e))

[Keinvarii]

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[atrb=background,http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd415/Somatra1/kback-3.jpg] Keinvarii's eyes softened for a moment upon hearing Hermes' words; to be force to accomplish an undesired task was a low form of leadership in her opinion. Of course, coming from within a pack built on equality she supposed she could not help but be biased on the matter. She had been struggling to ensure this creed was indeed followed to the strictest of the sense and she hoped what with the formation of new ranks that it would remain true. Keinvarii knew the pack was still young and she had hoped that by enlisting the more experienced members she could help to create more organization and reinforce the bonds that were holding the members together. The messenger's quick change of temperament brought a wry smile to her face and his strange way of talking bespoke a rather poetic flow, a rare commodity indeed. She herself was more of a down to Earth sort of individual, but a more fanciful approach always proved interesting to the stone lupuse. Not to mention the uniqueness of the male was certainly charming, she could see why he had been chosen to be a messenger. Her blue eyes twinkled in amusement as she spoke in her calm voice, "Well it is rather hard to decline such an offer." The hint of a teasing grin tugged at her maw, "And you have yet to ask what the Alliance would have to offer dear sir. But fear not, I believe I shall add my morsel of information regardless. We are a pack built solely on equality; no wolf is superior or more worthy than the other. Ranks among us only indicate a higher level of responsibility and not a higher level of importance. We are young yet, but we are growing as our numbers rise and our bonds strengthen. Our members are dedicated and their word is valued as much as mine, if not more to me." She paused to allow her words to sink in before continuing on. "That being said we rely on trust and organization to perform and survive and as allies we offer as much support as would be expected. We don't demand that other packs share this views, but we also will not form an alliance with one that will reject it either. Will the Empire accept such a creed and pack as an ally?" She gazed solemnly at her new acquaintance, gaging his reaction. After such a serious speech Keinvarii felt like clearing the air, and so she said, "Of course, if this does not work out you are more then welcome to join us, I am sure something can be arranged. After all, what type of pack would it be that should restrain it's members from freedom of choice? I know we would enjoy having such a dedicated wolf in our midst, not to mention such a charmer would be rather popular with the ladies." A single white fang peeked through her smile as she quickly trotted around the male, running a brief and subtle whisk of her tail along his shoulder.

[Hermes]

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[atrb=background,http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z341/awaywithmysanity/HERMESTABLE2.png] Hermes listened to the description of the pack. It sounded like a place he'd enjoy, although he doubted Cypress would be pleased if he suddenly switched packs. "Well, our pack was founded on the acceptance of all wolves, so I assume that there would be no issue in forging an alliance with your pack..." Hermes began, then stopped. The words "A dedicated member" had flattered him, but the phrase which followed, "popular with the ladies," made his fear of Cypress all but disappear. A pack where he was fawned over, just for being him, a pack where everybody was equal, even better, a pack without Cypress, was a pretty good deal... He felt the tickle of Keinvarii's tail on his shoulder as she trotted around him. He gave a curl of a smile. It seemed that his personality had gotten through to the she-wolf, if only a little. "You offer a tempting idea, Lady Keinvarii," he said, "I came here to forge an alliance, but I'm so taken with the thought of this pack, I think I would much rather join you here than return to my own frigid abode..." he lowered his head, ears flattened in a look of remorse, "Ah, but I don't know what would happen to me if I were to suddenly disappear... I suppose they would replace me and move on..." ((OOC: Failing at ending posts.... failing failing failing....))

[Keinvarii]

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[atrb=background,http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd415/Somatra1/kback-3.jpg] [scrolly:h(350),w(320),sy] ooc: Apologies for the lack of muse as it has been killing my response rather efficiently. Keinvarii nodded, well pleased with the turn of events. It did not speak well of a pack that would not miss the presence of a pack member, nor did it speak well of an alphess that instilled fear into its members. But that was neither here nor there and the lupus dismissed the the useless banter with herself. She stopped her circling, deducing that the male was certainly in fine shape, though she greatly preferred the contrast of the dark pelt against his green eyes. Standing tall she directed her gem blue gaze into the male's, prepared to make an offer to the rather unfortunate Empire member. "A pack that would not miss you seems like a rather sad place to live Hermes. My offer stands in all its sincerity; should you choose to join the alliance you can be assured our smaller numbers offer a greater sense of companionship. Not to mention you may find a female of interest here that will not think less of you due to rank or status." Keinvarii could not be sure what was pushing her to offer acceptance into the pack for this stranger, it was out of the ordinary for the female. Perhaps it was the male's friendly disposition and gallant manners that caused this reaction, or the urge to offer a place of solace where he might feel wanted...Either way what was done was done. "I can only speak for myself of course, but I would certainly welcome a rather well spoken fellow such as yourself in our midsts. You won't lack for nothing here, the lands offer shelter, food, water and plenty of open space to roam in. Not to mention no one is forced to take any roles or accomplish tasks to which they have no desire to do.The choice is yours my friendly messenger." Keinvarii took a deep breath and concluded by saying, "And you may call me Stone if you'd like."[/scrolly]