Stars in the Sky

[Monkey Monk]

Silence is such an overpowering thing. Most of the animals are asleep and those that aren't have mastered the art of keeping quiet. The wind is dead so the trees will not speak in their long, drawn-out language. Those tall trunks stretch out toward the sky, as if reaching out to touch the bright moon or the glittering stars. The ground is covered in a light blanket of fog, the mist clinging to the ground in an eerie but also serene kind of way.

Through the fogs stepped a tall, lanky figure. It walked on four legs, large, heavy paws falling onto the cool spring earth. Long legs carried a lean torso. Sleek fur was of a dark, ebony pelt which held streaks of silver within the poor of shadow. A long, canine head was held somewhat low, tails of fur coming from the tips of ears to droop down toward the earth. Mad green eyes move around slowly, gazing at the surrounding area with a curiosity and a certain degree of wariness. Four parallel scars were slashed over the left eye, which was amazingly still intact.

Where this being had appeared from could not be said for sure. What lands he hailed from and how he had come to be here were also a mystery. He himself was confused on the matter. The last few moon cycles of his life had been confusing and utterly disorientating. Those events had also left him with a cautious portion to his personality. He seemed to be on edge, expecting some sort of horrible creature to come out of the foliage and attack him. It was not a demeanor of fear, but more of readiness.

These lands were a complete riddle to him. He had not even heard legends of this area, nor known of its simple existence. Now he was stranded here and had no where to go.
The sound of running water soon fell upon those curious ears, and that head rose ever so slightly to catch the air. The scent of fresh water was heavy in the air and just then the mascu realized how dry his throat was. He made his way to the stream, finding it soon within the lake of night-time fog. Slowly he bent his neck down, lanky body tilting slightly as he drank the water until he was full. Slowly he pulled back from the water, licking his lips slowly. The water was extremely good, probably some of the best he had ever had. Now his eyes looked around for food, but he doubted that he could find anything until spring. His hunger would have to wait until the sun came out.

Even though he could not see any food, he did happen to find a place that looked like a prime place to relax for a moment. He needed to recollect himself and get his bearings, try to recall the exact reasons for how he had come to be here. His lean body slowly reclined onto a bed of dry moss which resided under a tree. The position was open and comfortable, close to the water. His sore and tired body soon relaxed onto the ground and the mascu decided that he might as well stay here until morning, seeing as how he felt like if he walked any more he would fall dead on his paws. A sigh shot out his throat as his long head settled onto his paws. A small shudder shook throughout his body as he stared at the ground in silence.

[Aveilthé]

OOC: Savin' this here post. Gonna post later... sorry Monkey XD Kinda busy at the moment.

[Felypsa]

I truly am a bizarre wolf. How can I ever have lost the taste of meat? Sighing, Novawing shook her head and stared forlornly at the remains of a hare she had recently caught and killed. She had taken but two or three bites of it when she suddenly found she had not the taste for it. She would take it to her family, but her mate Zydeko was abroad again, and her twins would never accept the gift. Ever since that Defender training they had undergone, Zahevan and Zotagu insisted on doing everything themselves. There was little room for a loving mother in their growing lives.

Still, she couldn’t just leave it. Meat often spoiled, attacked by miniscule creatures that ruined the overall flavor of the meat. Maybe my twins will eat some after all, Novawing thought as she picked up the remains, or maybe I will regain my vital taste of meat. Resigned, she began to make her way back to her abode.

The reason that this she-wolf with the beautiful, glowing, lavender-colored fur, the big, warm eyes the colors of the Aurora Borealis, and the maroon-violet gossamer wings was sick of meat was astrological. The stars were aligned oddly, telling her something. Nova, who spoke the language of the stars, was not entirely sure what they were telling her, but it was upsetting enough to make her stomach stir restlessly.

She could not even tap into her starmagic tonight. The stars were disturbed by something, and their restlessness was affecting Nova herself, here on earth. Uncertain and a little afraid, Novawing sunk into a deep reverie, trying to understand what exactly her friends the stars were feeling.

So deep in her reverie was she that she did not immediately notice the vagabond wolf who had taken refuge beneath a tree by the lake. That is, until he let out a sigh, which startled Nova. She looked over at the source of the sound and noticed the vagrant—looking exhausted. Never one to ignore a newcomer, Nova approached him, trying to smile around the rabbit in her mouth. She set it down before him.

“Greetings, stranger. I am called Novawing. You look dreadfully tired and famished, to boot.” She paused, seeing a perfect use for the meat she had no stomach for. “Would you like the rest of this hare? It is not much, but I fear I am not in the mood to go out hunting again.” She nudged the carcass towards him. “Go ahead. Consider it a welcome gift.” She smiled warmly.

[Monkey Monk]

The last thing that the travel-worn mascu expected was for another to come forth so soon and make an appearance. When he heard the voice so close to him, his body rose and shot back quickly. Front paws scrambled at the ground, bunching his body up against the trunk of the tree. The more he pressed to the hard wood of the trunk, the higher his body stretched out. Soon he was pressed as far as could go, nearly standing on his hind legs. He stayed in that position until he finally noticed that the other wasn't hostile, which is when he slowly began to relax and stretch out his lanky body like some giant coil.

Rather than return to laying upon the bed of moss where he had been before, the mascu began to pad off to the side slightly. He sat down a few feet away from the other, looking at them with a curious hint to his mad green gaze. Slightly his head cantered off to the side as he continued to look at the other being warily. For some time he simply sat there and looked, not saying a word nor moving a muscle. Why he did this was probably some old habit or something. It was, after all, the way he had been taught to react to a stranger. After a moment he began to circle back to the other, coming to a stop a short distance from directly infront of them.

There he looked at the other's eyes, as if trying to read whether or not there was something amiss, or some sort of danger. Whatever he saw, he seemed to not sense danger for his gaze then darted down to the hare in her grasp. Instantly his stomach roared out as if to remind him it had been a few days since his last meal, as if he could forget. Saliva began to form in his muzzle, causing his tongue to dart out once or twice to sweep across his lips. It was then, when he was watching the offered food, that he let his voice ring out toward the other. His voice was deep, but smooth and tasteful. While he spoke out, he let his body straighten to it's rather tall sitting height. "Thankyou, but I do not think I have the heart to take food from a femme, and please do not take offense to that. And how did you know that I was new?"

The reasons for his last question were ones he had taken note of when he first entered the area. The scent of many, many different wolves had crossed his snout when he first entered the terrain. There were so many different scents that he would have given these lands to hold a couple dozen different packs. What were the chances of someone knowing who was new and who was not? However he soon felt rather stupid for his question, noticing that he did not exactly look a lot like the other.

Slowly his tail began to flick, causing the mists around to swirl about in their soup-like, earth-bound cloudbank. The wolf continued to look at the offered food for a few moments, weighing whether or not to take it. However he shook himself mentally and let his gaze break away, leaving it to wander around the surrounding area. At last he noticed what it was that was socially accepted of him to say. Quickly he bowed his head, bending his long legs to give his best respects, or as good as he could manage. He had never been one for all the hustle and bustle of "manners", having always thought them to be unneeded rituals. "By the way, my name is Cruor, but most folks tend to call me Cru."

[Felypsa]

To Nova’s dismay, the wolf reacted with more surprise than she would have expected. Eyes widening slightly, she watched as he practically climbed up the tree when she spoke to him. She wished she had the ability of her sister Echo to immediately calm a person just by humming or singing. Instead, Novawing tried to formulate something to say that might soothe the startled wolf, but before she could come up with anything, he had relaxed himself.

A few moments passed in silence as the stranger regarded Novawing. She waited patiently for him to determine that she meant him no harm. Finally, when he acknowledged her, he did not say what she expected. She raised her eyebrows and studed him curiously. He certainly seemed like he could use a meal. The reason he was refusing it seemed ridiculous indeed. She just smiled and shook her head. “I am not offended, but I confess I do not understand why you would not take it…I have done nothing to it; it is good food; and I am certainly not going to eat it. I’m quite full. But you are not, or so it appears. Please, accept the gift, and pretend that it is not a female giving it to you. You need it far more than I do at the moment. Forget chivalry for a moment, indulge yourself.” Her eyes danced encouragingly, and she nudged the hare forwards pointedly.

At his question, she smiled again, but it was a knowing smile. “A lucky guess. Heaven knows there are wolves here who have been here for many seasons whom I have never met before. But you had a certain look about you…of one who has never been here.” She winked.“But mainly, it was luck and the stars.” An ironic statement for her.

“Cruor,” she acknowledged, bowing her head in welcome to him. “A pleasure to meet you. I hope you do not find these lands disagreeable. Go ahead, eat. Here, everyone who is hungry eats until they are full.” Another wink, but not a flirtatious one.

[Monkey Monk]

The more that the mascu gazed at the offered hare, the more his stomach began to remind him how empty it was. He obviously wanted to take the food, be grateful, and then break his fast. However he did not make a move to the food. The words that he had spoken and his demeanor made it all too clear that where he came from males were expected to give up for the females. Such was not an all too uncommon thing either. In many lands where food was scarce the males put the needs of the females and young before their own. It was simple survival facts, females cared for the young and the young were the future pack. Even though this societal tradition was nobel, it did tend to lead to the deaths of many fathers, brothers, sons, and lovers.

Resilient to the end, the male continued to refuse the offering as politely as possible. A small smile formed on his lips as his lanky body slowly relaxed upon the soft ground once again. Above in the night sky, the stars twinkled merrily and the moon cast forth it's silvery rays unto the earth, revealing the scars that were savagly slashed across the male's face. Quickly his true self bubbled to the surface of his temperament. His long, fluffy tail began to flick in an almost idiotic fashion. A small bow was given to his head as he spoke out, wild green eyes looking at the other curiously. "Once again, thankyou for the food, but I would much rather feed myself than live off of the labor of another. Don't fear though, I can catch prey..." There was a pause as a grin came to his lips before he continued. "...Occasionally."

[Felypsa]

Novawing studied Cruor carefully as he contemplated the meat before him. She could not, obviously, tell what was going through his mind, but judging from the look on his face, he was clearly tempted. Yet for some reason of his own—some stubborn reason—he would not take it. She frowned a little; she recognized hardheadedness in the name of honor. Her children, young and eager to grow up as they were, would probably refuse food even if they were hungry as well. But they were coming of age; she was unsurprised by their foolish preening. She expected better of a fully grown and mature wolf, especially one who had clearly been through some rough times traveling.

“Well, if you’re not going to eat it,” she said, a little irritably, “it’s going to go to a complete waste. It’ll sit here and rot, and the bloody birds and bugs will peck at it. No good to anybody. Refuse a gift if you like, but I don’t see it helping anyone.”

However, Nova did not want to start off a relationship with a newcomer by clashing their separate beliefs. Nudging the hare to the side, then, so that it would still be there if Cruor changed his mind, but not directly in the way of his temptation, Nova gave a warm, welcoming smile to him. “So, Cruor…since you are not from here, where do you hail from?”