09-27-2009, 12:29 PM
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WC: 557
Finn took another look at the wolf. He was so very tall. She couldn’t even imagine looking down at the world from a height like that. On the whole, luperci made her feel nervous, envious and even a little inferior. They could build and fight with weapons, while the best she had at hand were her teeth, claws and good old-fashioned ingenuity. This whole land seemed to be filled with luperci, she had yet to meet another regular wolf. She was out of her league here. An ant among giants. So, if surrounded by a possibly hostile world, what would that ant do? Make friends with some of the bigger giants of course.
“I’ll take your word for it. I’ve never met a wolf who could lift a spear, let alone wield it.” She’d come from the far west, were the virus had not yet taken so strong a hold. Every wolf she had met face to face, or fought, had been a plain old canine. Her father had told her stories of the freakish wolves of the east, who ran on two legs and lived in houses. She’d scoffed, thinking them fairy tales. As soon as she left home, however, she’d seen the truth of it. Stopping to drink at a small stream, a great, silver-furred luperci had loped out of the trees, calm as anything, and knelt to slake his own thirst on the opposite bank.
They’d stared each other down for a moment, before going on their ways. Finn had never forgotten his eyes, a brilliant gold, and the unwolfish smile he’d given her. Worst of all, he’d been wearing clothes. A shirt and pants! What would they think of next, shoes? This wolf didn’t appear to care as much about being covered as the one from Finn’s past, but it would be a blind wolf who didn’t notice the rather fierce club that hung by his side.
“I’ll have you know I am as friendly and optimistic a wolf as they come. A real social butterfly. I just have a problem with saying no. I’ve never backed down from a fight, though if you challenged me I’d be sorely tempted to amend that record.” Finn shot him a crooked grin, her left lip showing off every tooth on the side of her mouth. She had been more hot-headed in her early youth, full of seemingly righteous anger and clashing feelings. She’d let it out through fighting, and paid for it with bits of her hide.
“I’ve been scrapping since I was knee high. See this? My ear? My brother ripped it off when I wasn’t but ten months old. I don’t think he meant to do it, but, well and ear’s an ear.” Aegnus had teased her something horrible after the fact too. Talk about adding insult to injury. If anyone called her Lugless again she’d rip their throat out herself.
”M’name’s Finn.” Finn said, wagging her crooked tail a little more. ”And since I can’t think up any decent or flattering nicknames for you, you should probably tell me your name before “Cyclops” sticks.” A bad joke, but she didn’t think he’d take offense. The wolf seemed quite easygoing and Finn was happy to just to talk.