05-18-2009, 08:07 PM
[html]
.......  Set in The Trenches........Although he had not had much time to explore the lands of the tribe he was now part of, Hemming thought a quick excursion would be in order. He had seen most of the northern lands as he wandered in, but the eastern shore and the south were quite foreign to him and so, naturally, he was intrigued. .......The tall gray wolf had wandered away from the Reserve, slipped through the fence that surrounded the fields of wapiti, and headed towards the Atlantic Ocean. Happiness swelled within him as he meandered, stopping occasionally to peer up a tree at a strange bird or to watch an elk do something particularly lively. It was fortunate that he had left early in the morning, for his path was distracted and his pace deliberating in its slowness, and he wanted to reach the ocean with enough time to get back before dark. Hemming didn't have the best sense of direction, and figured it would be a good idea to leave himself some time to get lost without being in pitch darkness. .......It wasn't that the male didn't enjoy being lost, - in fact, getting lost was one of his favorite things to do - it was just that he figured he should be home by nightfall to establish himself within the territory, to show that he was loyal to the tribe. What good was a tribe member that was out all hours of the night and barely around during the day? Anyways, he had found a nice little spot to watch the sunset, up in an old tree and not far from a trickling spring. .......Soon enough, by his standards at least, Hemming could smell the ocean and hear it as it lashed against the rocks. A small smile crawled across his lips as he clambered up a small rise. Before him, now, was a great spread of large rocks, and just a few minute's walk away, the ocean. It was low tide now, apparently; there was a row of seaweed and a few marine animals stranded higher than the waves were reaching. He wandered towards a pink, transparent jellyfish caught on a rock and squatted down, eyeing it with interest but not getting too close. He had read about and seen pictures of these creatures in books, but had never actually seen one. ......."Hello? Anybody in there? he asked, resisting the urge to poke it. The wolf knew it wouldn't understand, even if it was still alive, but years of being alone had made him accustomed to saying almost anything that passed through his head out loud. He noted its radial symmetry, its tentacles, and the way it was possible to see its insides. How strange it was, nothing like any other animal he had ever seen, and even more fantastical than the pictures he had seen in books. Gingerly, he extended a finger and gently prodded the creature's hood. Its texture was even stranger than its appearance, and he dragged his finger along its surface. One problem, though; how to tell if it was alive? |