Things to Ponder

[Relairah]

It had been some time now since the first days here in the Voyani pack. He still thought of then every so often... it had been fun that first pack meeting, taking the first step in opening up once again. Since then, he had made significant progress, or at least he felt so. He still had much to work on, and still struggled at times, especially meeting someone new. It certainly was hard to break an old habit. Sometimes his first instinct was to clam up... but then he would remember himself.

Akuma sat on the edge of the creek, the evergreen tree-line behind him. He was staring across the flowing water into the opposing trees, though his eyes were clearly in thought. He thought of how he had often spent time alone while in Shinkou, though there he had done so on purpose, seeking to be alone and avoiding company. Now it was merely because there was no one with him. He wondered if anyone would come. He hoped so.

The thought somewhat surprised him, and he couldn't help the smile that graced his lips. That was certainly something he wouldn't have thought in the recent past. He thought of all his fellow packmates, and who it might most likely be. Or perhaps it might even be a passerby... perhaps even someone who would be a new member. How excited Serra Ea would be.

He shook his head and dipped it, lapping at the water. Despite the current season, it was cold, for things usually were in these lands. He felt as a breeze ruffled through his thick, purple-blue coat, though he paid it little mind. Who knew what would happen from here..

[Moon_Song]

The run had been long, but she loved it. The feeling of movement, of muscle under skin and fur. She pushed herself to go faster to the point where she felt her legs would give out underneath her. When at last she felt she could take no more, she slowed herself down and eventually came to a complete stop.

Her pendant glimmered in the sunlight as it swayed a bit from the left over momentum. Ea stood still, panting hard. Today's run had been a good one. She could feel the soreness already creeping into her flesh. With her natural healing, it would not be long before it was gone, but it was good to feel it nonetheless. She felt it was a sign that she was becoming stronger.

She stood there for long time, continuously regulating her breathing. Nearby a flowing river could be heard, and the feeling of cotton in her mouth reminded her of just how thirsty she was. With one last deep breath she lifted her head in the direction of the flowing water.

She suddenly noticed she was not alone. Akuma stood by the water, taking a drink. She had not smelled him because there was very little wind, and what little there was blue away from her. SHe almost hoped he didn't notice she was there, as she was wobbly from her run and not to mention out of breath. She didn't want to look weak in front of her pack mates. She, of all of them, needed to be the strong one. Perhaps she was putting too much onto this.

She lifted her head and forced her to walk over to the stream. "Good day, Akuma" She said as she drew closer. When she reached the waters edge, she dipped her head and took careful laps of the water, reliving her parched throat.

[Relairah]

As he drank, he had an odd feeling of someone watching him. But he ignored it. So, perhaps someone was there. He couldn't help his curiosity and eagerness. He had guessed right. But rather than look around, he continued to drink. Though the breeze had passed him by earlier, he hadn't really paid any attention to the scent on it. Fluffy ears perked at the sound of Ea's voice, and he was almost surprised. Well, perhaps he hadn't expected she would be the one to encounter him. Still, he couldn't help but think it was a pleasure, and he was excited. Now that he thought of it, had he paid attention he would have noticed her scent. Silly him.

He gave her no indication he had noticed her presence any sooner, or at least tried not to. Instead he looked up, somewhat too suddenly. "Oh! Serra Ea." He dipped his head in respect to her. "This is a surprise." He tried not to simply watch while she drank, not wanting her to feel awkward. "I'm glad you were coming by," he stated, before a grin widened his lips. "It's funny, I was guessing I might encounter someone today. Though, I suppose I didn't think it would be you, not at first anyway. A long time ago, such thoughts would not have entered my mind.. at least in a happy welcoming way."

He paused. "How are you, Serra?"

[Moon_Song]

Ea smiled as she lapped up the water. He sounded almost flustered. It was amusing to hear him go on about how much of a "surprise" it was that she was here. When she finally lifted her head from the stream he asked her how she was. She smiled warmly and answered "I am ding well, and yourself?" Simple, yes, but she wasn't sure much else need be said.

She looked up at the large male before her as he answered. His size still amazed her at times. She was not too small in the way of normal wolves, but she was certainly smaller than him. He did not scare her, however. He seemed more...the gentle giant type.

((OoC: Sorry, short post is short :sweatdrop: ))

[Relairah]

OoC: That's ok lol I'm not one who expects posts either way on length lol

iC:



He smiled at her response. "I am well also." He was silent for a moment, content to be so, unless she said anything. He was thinking of how easily he told her his thoughts. Was it just her? Or was it because of his change over time by coming here? He knew part of him was still shy, still scared of getting too attached, still prompting in the back of his mind to keep to himself.

But he had abandoned those thoughts by choice, determined to find his old self and open up. Perhaps love again. And living here in the Voyani pack, such a goal had become tangible to him. But not just tangible... he had truely come a long way. Yet, to be somewhat reserved... well, he knew that was wise. When the situation was needed or in the presence of certain ones.

But that was not here. Not now. He didn't feel the need to hide himself from her in any way. In fact, now that he thought of it... he didn't think he had, really. Even when he was just taking his first steps here. He pushed the thoughts from his mind.

"The pack has grown since that first meeting," he said matter-of-factly. "It seems a while ago." He wasn't sure if she felt the same, but he spoke it. "Are you hungry, Serra?" He hoped she didn't mind his inquiries. Afterall, he desired to show her respect. But if she were, he would suggest they could perhaps hunt together. But if she were not, he was content to merely remain.

[Moon_Song]

She nodded, glad to know that he, too, was well. She thought a moment about the pack before she made a reply. It was true, about the pack. It was still small, but it had grown. She had not seen some of the pack in a while, but perhaps they were occupied in some other part of the territory. The membership had become a varied group as well. "We have. Such a variety of characters too."

The thought broadened her grin. The goal she had set out for had become reality, to a point. She and Darklight had a pack. They were at peace and happy in their land. Ea beamed at the thought.

Was she hungry? She had yet to eat and the thought brought her attention to her empty stomach. "I could use a good meal. What kind of game did you have in mind?"

[Relairah]

Akuma's eyes lit up when she agreed to hunt with him. He found that he was eager and his tail even wagged a little. "Oh, perhaps a small deer, or we might even find a larger one some others could share with us."

With that, he would rise from his sitting position, turning to move into the cover of the trees. No doubt there would be some prey out and about, perhaps eating some of the grass which had sprung up beneath the snow, or eating bark off the dark trees.

If Ea wanted to lead the hunt, he would follow her faithfully, or if she wanted to follow or even run beside him, he let it be comepletely up to her. Either way, he was happy to be on the move, the air brisk and cool. He could feel his muscles beneath his fur, the adrenaline starting to rise.

It wouldn't be long before the scent of deer would reach his nostrils, and he couldn't wait to taste the meat. Within time, a small clearing could be seen, a small herd busying themselves. He slowed, crouching, his eyes scanning over them. Because of the cold here, they stood closer together than one might find them in a warmer climate.

He shifted, glancing at Ea to see what she might be thinking and glanced back. It was then he noticed one of the deer trying to get at a twig higher up in one of the trees. It seemed rather occupied and focused. Perhaps it would be easiest to seperate it from the rest. He waited, letting Ea be the leader she was, if she wanted to be. Or, if she gave him the gesture, he would circle, drawing closer to the one until he would spring forth from the tree-lining.

OoC: Hope you don't mind the direction I went with it.. if you want it different let me know xD

[Moon_Song]

((OoC: No it's fine ^_^))

Ea smiled at his enthusiasm. "A small deer should do just fine." As Akuma stood, she stepped through the water and ran beside him. She was still limber from her earlier run, and she enjoyed the feel of movement in her muscles.

Her senses remained alert as they ran, searching for signs of any nearby prey. It wasn't long at all before the scent of deer could be detected. Her stomach reminded her of how empty it was. She knew she was hungry but she hadn't realized the extent of it.

Soon enough they reached a clearing where a small herd partook in the fresh shoots of grass. She slowed herself down and lowered herself to the ground. Her fur melted in the surrounding snow. The only markers that she was there were the black designs she proudly bore and the pendant around her throat. And her eyes of course.

The herd was close together, keeping warm in this frigid place. She glanced at Akuma and their eyes met. She nodded and went back to picking out a target. There was one just a little too far from the herd. Under her breath so that the sound wouldn't carry she said to Akuma "You see the one there?" She motioned to the one that she had noticed "There's our target."

If Akuma agreed. she would slowly creep closer and closer, trying to close the gap between them and the ill fated deer. Just a little closer. Just a little closer. A little more...

They would eventually be just a few yards from the deer. Every one of her muscles tensed. The young deer needed to only take a step or two closer. The wind was in their favor here, and unless the deer saw them, it would remain completely unaware until it was far too late.

She nodded to Akuma, indicating it was ok for him to make a move. He was much larger than her and would have an easy time taking down the deer. She would run on the opposite side of the deer that Akuma was on, and if he was successful in bringing the beast to the ground, she would immediately latch onto it throat and suffocate it until the life drained from its eyes.

If he was not able to bring it down right off, she would jump onto the beast and help wight it down until it fell.

[Relairah]

Akuma loved the rush of adrenaline running through his system and the feel of his muscles beneath his skin. Alive, eager. As he pounced, the deer fell, put off balance by his weight and force moving against it. Before it could struggle to try and get away, its life was ended as Ea sank her fangs into its throat. Akuma stood off of it, the other deer having fled the clearing at the sight of the wolves. He looked at Ea, a smile coming to his lips. "After you, Serra," he said, dipping his head.

If she would invite him to eat with her, he would then dig in, but waited for such an indication as was his place. Once he was allowed, he would love the taste of the deer on his tongue, the blood trickling down his throat. This was satisfaction after the thrill of the hunt. He was excited, and moreso at having been able to hunt with Serra Ea. What a priviledge, he thought to himself.

Once he had had his fill, he would stand back and lick his lips to clear it of any mess. "Thank you, Serra, for the priviledge of hunting with you." He paused, looking back the way they had come. If some remained, he would then ask if they should bring the rest back for the pack to partake in, though most likely, between the two of them the small deer would be mostly gone. Too bad the others had fled. Otherwise they could have brought down a second one for the pack. But such was the laws of nature for preservation.

He sat back, wondering if Serra Ea would have any ideas of what to do next. Or maybe she would simply want to partake in conversation.

[Moon_Song]

The two brought down the beast with ease. With its life drained, Ea moved to rip a chunk from the shoulder. She sank her teeth deep into the still warm flesh and with great force pulled out a bite. She had not eaten in a while and the flash tasted so good.

She looked up at Akuma and motioned to the dead animal. "Please, eat". She smiled when he dug in just as she had, taking choice bits and chomping them sown to fill their empty bellies. As she ate Ea gave thanks to the life lost in order to sustain hers. She said a little prayer for the little creature in her own mind, hoping it would be of some good. Hoping the spirit of the small animal would know that it did not die in vain.

With a full stomach, Ea stepped back, lied down and began cleaning her fur and muzzle. Her fur and been colored deep red in areas and almost pink in others. luckily fresh blood wasn't hard to clean, especially with all the water they had access to.

"Not at all, Akuma. Thank you for helping in taking down the beast. With out your help I would have been running for hours after it." She smiled, as she usually did and looked back to the carcass. Between them they had practically picked it clean. Had the rest of the herd stayed nearer they could have brought some back for the pack, but that didn't seem like it was going to be the case here.

Ea licked the blood from a paw and thought a moment. "Tell me Akuma," she said thoughtfully, "how far have you traveled in your life?"

[Relairah]

OoC: Hey, lub. Sorry I disappeared again. I got busy and then my fiance's dog peed on my computer DX anywho, I hope you're still up for this ^^; hope all is well on your end! xD

iC:



He smiled warmly when she thanked him in turn and gave a brief nod. If he were human, a faint blush would have touched his cheeks. "Nevertheless, Serra, you are a great huntress." He then set about cleaning himself in turn until the blood no longer stained his blue and purple fur, though being as he did have such dark colors, it would perhaps have been less noticeable, even if some blood did remain.

Fluffy ears perked in Ea's direction when she questioned him on his travels and he looked at her, silent a moment. He was pondering the question, and thinking of his past. He still found it curious that so far, she had been the only one he found it easy to open up to. He found he could think of and talk about his past and it was as though it was entirely natural. Since becoming part of the Voyani, he had acquired friends in his fellow packmates, and even opened up some with them. But it wasn't entirely the same. Perhaps it was simply because of Ea's personality. Her patience, kindness, and understanding. Who knew.

After a moment, he opened his mouth, looking at her in earnest. "I came from a land far to the Northeast, many moons distance. If I remember correctly, about thirty seven... with stopping only for rest or on the brief detours of hunting to sustain yourself. From there, I must admit that my travels weren't very diverse. I followed the southwestern path, having heard rumors of a good land there when I was a younger wolf. Here, I have seen most of the surrounding lands, though only in passing. I went on one adventure with some companions a short time ago, and we travelled to places some may not believe exist. But it's somewhat on a different plane, and hard to explain, Serra." He paused. "I supposed that is the extent of my travels."

He wondered if she wanted more details of the things he saw or discovered. Or of his adventure. Such as the identities of his companions, the purpose of the journey, this other place they went, and the like. He wouldn't mind sharing such information with her. But he didn't right then say it unless she requested to know.

"What about you, Serra? How far have you and your sister travelled?"

[Moon_Song]

No worries at all. I've been all over my self ^_^

She wanted to ask more about his travels. She was curious about who he had traveled with, what kind of things had he seen, what kinds of places had he been to...

But her thoughts were brought else where when he returned her question. She thought a moment, a nostalgic look crossing her face. "Darklight and I have been to many places it seems. We have been to the grate packs' lands and to the marshes as well as the firewells. All in search of a place of our own. When we found this place, it just seemed to fit. We were both born in a land like this. It felt...right"

She shook her head, as if to shake off a memory, and chuckled a bit. "Listen to me ramble. Please, if you don't mind I would like to hear more about your travels. Who did you travel with? What kinds of adventures did you have?"

[Relairah]

OoC: Lol I guess real life just happens sometimes, huh? XD

iC:



He was silent as he listened to her explain how she and Darklight had travelled in search of their own place. When she finished, she once again turned the attention to him. He didn't answer right away, but he did smile. "I never mean to intrude, Serra, but I never mind listening to anything you want to say. Even if it's just ranting or rambling about something or other, you know you have at least one wolf to place it with." He was glad she and Darklight had found this place and made their own pack here. It not only was a start for them, but also it had created a place for him and the other members of the pack. He was very grateful for that. Perhaps, in a sense, he felt that gratefulness toward Ea and her sister for letting him become part of the pack.

In any case, she was waiting for him to fill her in on more about himself. "About my adventure, Serra... it was with a strange group... a mixture of cave-demons, wolves, a lizard, and a bird, if you'd believe it. They were quite a lively group, I must say. I met them shortly after one wolf, Hawk, and a cave-demon princess, Istariel, became mates. So there was some sort of celebration.. though I didn't attend. On the contrary, I met the other wolf, Ammolite, and the lizard and bird first." He paused, his eyes clearly replaying the memories in his mind. "It's funny, how things were always going on while I was with them. One danger after the other. First, something happened with Ammolite... she seemed to lose consciousness and a strange whirlwind took over, trying to attack the rest of us. The others came to the surface to help. Once we dealt with that, we ventured underground to the cave-demons' home only to find Istariel kidnapped... I suppose that was really the start of the adventure."

"I suppose I joined in out of curiosity and concern. It was strange I have to admit. That I can think of, since I came from my homeland, it was the first time I willingly joined a stranger group, though I still was quite reserved. I think they never really learned much about me the whole while. I suppose I regret that now. We ventured through the mountains, and rescued her. We learned she was pregnant. We returned, and everyone was able to enjoy some time of relative peace. It didn't last long as Ammolite was then in danger. Also, Istariel had her pups... but was lost in the process. Shortly after, we had to venture to the realm of spirits where we were almost tricked into losing our souls. We ran into the group's first nemesis, Spectre. A demon. Hawk seemed to be the main target, and with Istariel recently deceased, Spectre used her illusion to try and achieve his goal."

"It was all quite confusing, illusions of ourselves and each other, unable to discern what was true and false. We made it out though, with Ammolite." He paused once again. "Afterward, Ammolite and Hawk spent a lot of time together and became mates. When we all returned to the underground caverns, I left the group then. I think partially because I was afraid of getting any more attached than I already was. I had grown quite fond of the group, and the near-death experience brought back the memories of my past. But I think also, I felt I needed to leave them so that they might have the time alone and healing they needed."

Akuma was silent for a few moments. In truth, as he was thinking about it, he realized the experience had taught him much, and perhaps was the initial step toward him deciding to change and open up again, to become the wolf he had been so long ago, or perhaps a better version of himself. "Serra, I think I have realized that at first, I left in fear. Fear of opening up, of having attachments, of being hurt. Of losing loved ones. But I realized without those loved ones, life was lonely and perhaps worthless. In the long run, I think it was what brought me here, to Voyani. I am glad for that." Glad to have met his fellow pack members. Glad to have met her.

"I hope you didn't mind I said so much... I suppose I didn't realize there was so much to say." He smiled shyly.

[Felypsa]

oOc| ummmm sorry to intrude but I just...wow...that was...Rel, do you have that plot saved? lmfao

[Relairah]

OoC: Oh snap I saw your reply and was thinking, "Oh man, I think I got something wrong e.e;" lol I was skimming over the plot so didn't really read each thing... anyway, no I don't but I can get it for you if you want!

It was definitely one of the best ever! So intense, dramatic, moving... omg *dies*