Not a hunter...(open)

[megs]

'Feeling more then a little ridiculous, the hunter crouches low to the ground, silently stalking his completely oblivious prey. He is one with the shadows, invisible and...and all that crap.' Salem sighed heavily, long white ears flattening against his skull in dejection. 'What the hell am I thinking? That’s not right at all.'

Perhaps he’d been too long by himself. The slightly patronizing reply had sounded suspiciously like his brother.

'Focus! Or I’ll never get any dinner....'

Really, the time for ‘dinner’ had come and gone hours ago. He’d wandered far in search of something simple that even he with his rudimentary skills might be able to catch. So far, he’d managed to alert half the lake-side to his presence.

Well, he was just a puppy. He was still learning.

He hadn’t had to worry about it...before. He was now discovering that coping on his own was both tedious and exceedingly difficult. If he hadn’t stumbled upon the occasional abandoned carcass on his journeys, he would have starved long ago. A few months previously the idea of scavenging for his food would have made him cringe. His parents had been more then competent hunters and he and his siblings had never gone hungry.

That was a different time.

'This is stupid. ' He thought grumpily to himself. 'Can’t be thinking about it now.'

The pup fixed his oddly coloured eyes back on the large hare he had been...’stalking’ for the past half hour. It was still sitting in the same spot; its rough, brown nose twitching as it alternately ate its own dinner and kept a wary eye out for predators. Salem was down-wind (so at least he had taken something away from his father’s lessons) and given that he hadn’t moved an inch in quite a while, he hadn’t made any incriminating sounds that might alert his meal to the imminent danger it was in. Yet.

The last thousand times or so that he had tried this had always ended in disaster. Maybe he was setting his sights to high.

The hare, if one included ear length, was easily taller then Salem and very likely heavier as well. Instinct told him he was setting himself up for another fantastic failure.

And a kick to the face.

His grumbling tummy had made up his mind for him, however. There was always a chance he’d get it right this time.

Getting to all fours as silently as he was capable, the little wolf began to creep forward, ears held forwards in anticipation.

'Close!' He thought, grinning to himself. His prey had yet to give any indication that it was aware of what was about to happen. 'But not yet...just a...little....'

The piercing crack of the branch beneath his right front paw was almost inevitable. He hadn’t been careful to watch his surroundings, having eyes solely for the animal he had been hunting. Of course—hadn’t that always been his father’s first and most important rule?

The hare froze instantly, ears erected stiffly towards the sky and nose twitching even more violently then before. It gathered itself in on its haunches, powerful leg muscles rippling as it prepared to leap away to safety.

'No!'

Desperate, Salem launched himself at the animal in an attempt to catch it round the neck with his tiny jaws before it had the chance to escape. Ill timed, he realized belatedly, as he felt one of those mighty hind legs glance off of his right shoulder.

The pup fell back with a pained yelp, rolling head over paws once before sprawling ungracefully in the muck of the lake’s edge.

'Ew!! Not cool....'

Raising his head mournfully, Salem watched his dinner bound across the ground at speeds that he could never hope to reach and disappear into the long grass that bordered Mizu Lake.

'Maybe I should just stay right here until I waste away?' He sighed heavily and glanced down at the mud seeping in around his body, clinging to his once beautiful coat. 'I’m gonna starve anyway. Might as well be in the mud.'

He felt like crying. He was hungry, lonely, and missing home more then ever. What would his proud father have said to him if he could see him now?

Salem snorted.

He would probably have been disowned. A wolf of his good breeding should never just lie back and wait for death, that’s what the old man would have told him. And he certainly shouldn’t do so in a puddle of mud.

'Whatever. He’s not here. I’ll get up but....' He was exhausted.

Curling into a muddy, wet, miserable little ball where he lay, the pup tucked his nose under his tail and closed heavy eye-lids for a few moments of rest before his next attempt at catching something worth eating.

His stomach growled loudly.

[Anila]

Gabe grinned as he stepped down in the rabbit, quickly biting into it's neck for a fresh kill. That pup had led this right to him, though he was full and had no intention of eating it. He had been walking around for a while with Avi by his side, she had disappeared a few moments ago, but that happened often and he didn't worry. He came across the young pup as he tried to stalk the prey, though the small wolf seemed to know something about hunting, but not good enough to catch his prey. He smiled to himself, thinking about when he was learning how to hunt, he wasn't so successful either, back then he had the biggest ears and the longest legs, thankfully he finally filled out! He stood 4'0" tall, even thought his maned wolf breed make him have similar markings to a fox, you could clearly see he was not one.

His ears twitched, why wasn't the small wolf getting up? He wasn't dead, was he? Gabe's heart dropped to his paws as he gently and quietly set down the rabbit. He could clearly see the small wolf, but he was hidden behind a large bush. Gabe sat down, a smile creeping on his face as he thought of the irony, out there was a small wolf, lying down, completely open to danger, and here he was hiding from him! But, Gabe was only hiding because he didn't want to frighten the wolf. He sighed quietly, something nudged his side, he didn't even have to look up to see what it was. Avi floated in front of him, the bright blue orb pressed itself lightly against Gabe's nose. The coolness of the orb flowed through him, he closed his eyes and the sounds of waves filled his ears, that was extremely calming. He could probably of fallen asleep then and be happy, truly happy, not sad as he was now. Gah! Why did I have to think of that? He begged himself as his head hung and his ears flattened. A tight knot of pain and sadness formed in his heart. His past was one he wished to forget, yet he couldn't. It haunted him like a hungry wolf on a rabbit. He smiled at his own joke. Even though he was one of the Shinkou pack, Akera was closely linked to them. He simply wanted to travel a bit. Shinkou lands, even though it was wide with a lot of space, Gabe felt trapped and claustrophobic there. He clenched his teeth, was he really just trying to find his home? Someone to love him? Or someone to take care of? He shook his head, he already had Avi and BOY was that enough! He clenched his teeth to keep from yelping out in pain, Avi had crashed herself into his side.

"You little...!" Gabe whispered angrily at Avi. She twirled in joy and laughter at the side of his pain. His eyes narrowed and he showed his teeth in a snarl, yet Avi was not threatened by this, she new that Gabe could not hurt her, and he had no intention to, Gabe loved Avi as much as Avi loved him. Avi was a small orb that looked like water, small drops of water fell to the ground, but instantly dried up. She floated around, possibly one more hit could get Gabe to chase her, that would be fun! But of course, Gabe did not see her intention's, he was focused on that small wolf. It annoyed Avi because he did not investigate, he just sat and pondered. She started to boil, she slammed into Gabe and watched as Gabe's mouth dropped open in pain. She twirled around and watched him snarl at her quietly once more. This wasn't going anywhere. Annoyed, she floated off, her water boiling leaving a short steam trail behind her.

Gabe sighed, gingerly licking his side, he picked up the rabbit and carefully trotted of his hiding place. He made as much noise as possible for the young wolf so that he would not startle him. He stopped a few paces away, gently setting the rabbit down. "Hello," He said, then did what he always did, forcing on a large goofy smile that totally threw off his dangerous look, he even sat down, tilting his head slightly to give more the the effect, he had practiced this before and it had become an art to him, no one could tell his smiles were fake, only those who were close to him. He waited for the answer from the young wolf.

((OOC:Hello! x3 This is Gabriyel, an old character of mine, but I haven't played him in a while, so here he is :) I hope I didn't mistake anything! ^^ Link to Gabe and Link to Avi ))[/size]

[megs]

Salem's ears pricked sharply as he heard the first stirrings from the long grass. As tired and depressed as he was at that moment, he was not interested in being caught up in trouble completely unawares. He gamely lifted his head, focusing narrowed, dual coloured eyes on the bushes from whence the sound was coming.

Holy!!

The wolf was massive--easily at least three feet taller then Salem himself. His long, luxurious looking coat was a colour the young one had never seen before in his short life. Each paw must have been the size of Salem's whole head.

He's--he's like a giant!!

Ears flattened in alarm, the pup managed to get his own paws beneath him as he studied the male before him with suspicion.

At least, that was before he noticed the hare (the same hare he'd been so desperate to catch only a moment or so earlier) dangling from the older wolf's powerful jaws.

In a completely undignified manner, Salem's stomach chose that moment to remind him of just how empty it currently was. His mouth went utterly dry when the stranger casually dropped the carcass on the ground in front of him and then lay down across from him, head tilted charmingly to the side.

The spoken greeting disarmed him a little. The big wolf seemed friendly--his broad grin certainly said so. But if there were three things Salem had learned since leaving home, it was that nothing was free, the world wasn't particularly kind, and everyone wanted something in return.

Can't imagine what he thinks I can give him. he thought moodily to himself, still eyeing the other warily. He could...I dunno, eat me or something right here and I'd never be able to stop him!

Salem's nose twitched as he caught the scent of the hares still warm blood and his stomach growled even louder then before.

"Who're you?" He blurted out grouchily to try and cover his embarassment. The guy must have seen his mistake, and the pup hated anyone knowing just how vulnerable he was.

He stared pointedly at the carcass before him, then back up into the chocolate brown irises of the stranger.

"Did you come to gloat or something? You can catch the damn thing but I can't 'cause I'm just some puny little puppy--is that what you wanna say?"

(ooc: Damn--I just had a whole thing here and it got erased 'cause I wasn't paying attention...grr. lol. Anyway, I'm not sure if Gabe is the one you're intending to be Salem's partner in the future or not, but that would be cool. After all, Salem is a Sho-un too, but because he's just a puppy and has only recently arrived in Shinkou, he has absolutely no idea that he has any abilities. He's gonna need someone to take him under their wing so to speak. And I apologize if he comes across as rather offensive...'cause, well, he really is. At first, anyway. lol. He is a puny little puppy, but he wants to act tough and usually fails. He also has major trust issues due to what happened with his family, but he'll come around eventually. He could really use someone on his side for once. lol

[Anila]

He perked his ears, no matter how friendly Gabe tried to look, his size always betrayed him. He shifted his weight, clearly hearing the growl in the younger wolf's stomach. He glanced down at the small rabbit, then at the wolf. There was absolutely no question that the younger wolf was hungry. He sniffed the air on habit, for Avi, or any other approaching wolves. Though, as usual, Avi wasn't there, and Gabe couldn't sense any wolfs. If Gabe wanted to, he probably could use his bonding with Avi to find her, but a small part of him feared magic, though he still used it. The younger wolf broke the silence with his outburst. Gabe felt suddenly aware of the younger wolf's eyes on him. Gabe tilted his head the other direction, keeping his wide grin on his face. The was so natural for him, conceal his feelings with a smile. He couldn't even remember when he didn't do this.

Sadness was like a sharp knife through his heart, memories, he hated them. Why must they linger in my head? Why can't they just leave me alone! He pleaded to himself. He felt a cooling sensation wash over him, it was his Spirit, Avi, reminding him that she was there for him. Even though she was a pain in the neck most of the time, she did have her moments. Avi, it would be best if you didn't come out now, I wouldn't want to scare him. He expected no answer, and got none.

Avi floated through the woods, her water finally just normal water. She dropped to the ground and started rolling, she was bored. Even though she rolled and rolled in the dirt, she never got dirty. Same with the water that dropped from her, where she rolled on the ground, a small puddle of water formed around her, but once she lifted herself to the air, it disappeared. She did this many times till she got bored. The water orb-like Spirit let gravity take it's way on her, she started rolling, and rolling, but slowly. This was boring. She jumped to the air, then fell, bouncing against the ground and through the worlds. The world looked like it was lifting, then falling, then lifting again. For fun, she dropped her form into a puddle as if she splattered on the ground, though, no one was around to see, maybe she could use this to trick Gabe later...

Before Gabe could answer the young wolf's first question, he was pushed into another. Bewildered, his eyes widened. 'Did you come to gloat or something? You can catch the damn thing but I can't 'cause I'm just some puny little puppy--is that what you wanna say?' His eyebrows came together in confusion and shook his head. "I do not gloat," He smiled gently at the wolf. "I am Gabriyel, you can, and please do, call me Gabe." Even though Gabe's full name is Gabriyel, too many people say 'Gabriyella', and certainly, Gabe was not a female. It was also easier to say 'Gabe', it rolled off the tongue better than 'Gabriyel'. Sometimes he hated his name, other times he loved it. He hated it because people had trouble saying it, and it reminded him of his past. He nudged the rabbit towards the pup, the stood slightly, backing up so that the small wolf would feel more comfortable. He laid back down, placing his head neatly on his large paws as he looked over the small wolf. His tail swept back and forth. "You can have it, I am full.

[/b]" Then he thought for a moment, this wolf could be prideful. "You lead it towards me," He explained with a goofy smile. "So we kind of both caught it.[/b]" He nodded to himself like he was agreeing with another wolf who said that.

"Who are you?" He tilted his head, his dark chocolate eyes searching for answers and clues. Why would a pup be alone? Was he chased out? Was he a member of a pack? If not, was he traveling? If so, then to where? He easily chased away the curiosity, and waited for an answer.[/color][/center]

((OOC: I think they might be a little apart in age, but I think it would be a fun idea for Gabe to take him under his wing. And no worries, I think its funny XD My favorite part was

'Holy!!

The wolf was massive--easily at least three feet taller then Salem himself. His long, luxurious looking coat was a colour the young one had never seen before in his short life. Each paw must have been the size of Salem's whole head.

He's--he's like a giant!!'

I literally laughed my butt off when I saw that x3, If you want them to be the ones, then sure x3 But, I was going to make a new character that I will introduce once Gabe and Salem get to know each other more :D))[/size]

[megs]

Strange, odd coloured eyes blinked in surprise at the calm, almost friendly response. Ususually when he back-talked someone, they gave him a swat for it.

"Wha...?"

What did he do now?

"You know--you're supposed to get mad or something right now. Gabe." He eyed him warily for another moment before turning his attention back to the carcass.

I'm soooo hungry....Man, if I can at least get a mean outta this, maybe it'll be worth it.

"Fine. Whatever. I'm Salem--you sure I can have it? Like, the whole thing?"

[Anila]

Gabe's expression some-what sobered as he looked into the wolf's eyes. He had not let himself notice them before, he could finally take in what the whole pup looked like. He was young, and small, oh so very small, maybe the runt of the litter? He was all white except for a small patch of dusty gray on his shoulder and on the tip of his tail. Gabe gave a curt nod, with a small smile, his real feelings completely hidden underneath. 'Wha....?' He could tell the small pup was confused. His smile widened, then it dropped quickly. 'You know--you're supposed to get mad or something right now. Gabe.' The way his name rolled off of his sharp tongue made Gabe's fur want to rise, but Gabe fought against it.

Gabe waved his tail playfully. "Mad? Why would I be mad, I mean your circumstances are comple-" He couldn't finished his sentence before he was cut off. 'Fine. Whatever. I'm Salem-- you sure I can have it? Like, the whole thing.' Gabe raised an eyebrow. "I told you before you could, I am full." He smiled, laying his head on his paws. His ears perked, and he shot up, sniffing the air. Oh great! He thought sarcastically to himself. Here comes Avi! He rolled his eyes inwardly to himself as he saw the bright blue water orb bounce her way towards him.

She stopped in front of him, pressing herself against his side. Then she floated above him and her form started changing as she began to look more human like. She dropped onto his back, riding him like a human would a horse. "Avi?" Gabe turned his head back to her. She smacked his nose with her 'arm', he sneezed. "Avi!" He shook his head to get rid of the small tickling pain it his nose. "What now?" He asked, this time not turning to her, then his eyes landed on the wolf, and his ear flicked. "Uh, oh, this is the Spirit Avi, we are bonded." Avi nodded her head. He retained his smile, dropping back down into a laying position.

[/color][/center][/size]

[megs]

If Salem had been surprised by Gabe's initial appearance, he had absolutely no idea what to make of...Avi.

That's what he called...her? It? But what the hell is--this is goin' no where....

Ears flattening against his head in alarm, eyeing the both of them with renewed suspicioun.

Dammit! Just let me eat my freaking dinner in peace! It's only lucky I get any at all!!

"What the hell is that!?" He demanded, his hackles raising as he tried to make himself appear more intimidating. "A spirit? What does that even mean?"

In all his short life, Salem had never even heard of spirit--didn't in fact even understand what that meant. He just knew it couldn't possible be real. A ball of water didn't just...float around in mid air!

And it certainly couldn't change its shape at will. Not that a ball of water could think for itself anyway.

(ooc: lol! I'm glad you liked that part. I was trying to imagine what someone Salem's age would think when they saw someone as big as Gabe...and it just came to my mind. Sorry, I didn't see your ooc msg at first--I had to take a close look at it. I think it would be a good idea to have Gabe as a mentor, rather then his partner. Seeing as how he doesn't have any parents and no real training, it would be excellent if someone were to take him under his wing. ^.^

[Anila]

Gabe was utterly speachless, he has never known a wolf that didn't know what a spirit was. All of his life he was always surrounded by spirits, he would play with them, they would protect him, and only one stuck with him, Avi, and they bonded. His eyes were wide and he was unable to say anything. He looked over the pup, he is very small, you don't think he could be...? No! A pup? Really? All on his own. Though, some part of him could believe it.

"Are you a member of a pack?

[/b]" He sniffed, Akeru? Maybe, but I am not sure... He shook his head. Where is his family? Why is he on his own? "Has anyone ever taught you anything?[/b]" It might explain his hunting abilities.... He shook his head. I need to calm down... His bewilderment passed and he sighed.

"Do you truly not know what a spirit is?[/b]" Gabe asked, looking at the wolf. He decided to explain. "I have always been surrounded by them, so it is a little hard for me to explain... hmm....[/b]" He thought for a moment. "Ah! Do you know what magic is? The ability to create fire, or shift shape, or control water,[/b]" He smiled at Avi. He closed his eyes, focusing on water, a small ball of water came from the muddy ground, it froze over and lightly dropped in front of Salem. "I can do that because I am bonded with Avi.[/b]" Avi nodded, then slid to the ground and started dancing around.

"Spirits have all types of personalities, sometimes it depends on what element they control, some believe that magic comes from spirits, though spirits are rare, they hold a lot of power in them. The only way they can unleash that power is to bond, or combine with another being.[/b]" Gabe looked over at Salem to see is the small wolf was taking in any of this. "I have never heard of more than two spirits bonding, or combining, with a wolf. I have also never heard of how spirits are made, or where they come from.[/b]" He smiled at Salem. "Do you have anyone to teach you this?[/b]" He tilted his head.[/color][/size][/center]

((OOC: Tee hee x3 *claps* I am really happy because Gabe was one of my favorite characters and I was unable to play him that much. ^^ I am not really good at explaining things, I hope I did alright x3))