'cause it's the first of may, first of may[/html]
1048outdoor fucking starts today
The frangible sunrise hung over Inferni's claimed territory like a silent pendulum, swaying in such great arcs during the day that the coyotes were unaware of its periodic motion. But China Rose was not; she sat with her tail curled around her hocks near The Caves she had been shown by Anselm, her face turned toward the west, where the golden liquid of the sun melted into the horizon. According to Anselm, the peaceless pack lay in that direction as well, and she nearly clucked her tongue at the symbolism. For Dahlia de Mai to lay to the west meant that it was closer to the sun, as if it believed it was righteous and Inferni was not. But in an ideal world, Mother Nature loved all equally; unfortunately, all did not deserve that love.
From her viewpoint, this world—this "Souls" or whatever it was called by the outsiders—was more than a little tainted. It was like a heavily-laden pen had been dropped point-down on a page, any location, and seeped all its poisonous ink into the earth there. The Peace was not strong. China could feel this in her breast, and the Earth Mother inside her cried and cried for relief from the smothering atmosphere. But she set her jaw with a stubborn determination. Not only was it a part of her to find her father—a task that was seemingly all but complete now that she had permeated his new chosen location—but it was also a part of her to spread the Peace in a most constructive manner.
Truly, it would become her task. Beginning, of course, with this war.
The means were not yet laid out, and her mind had not yet turned to the task of thinking it out. She could not jot down her ideas—she, and many of those she had grown up around, did not have the slightest idea of pens and paper. Quills were an ancient art and ink wells weren't to be found. Either way, the Lykoi was stuck with only her mind to keep track of her accomplishments and the advantages laid before her, the moral standard to which she would adhere… But that was already known. Juniper Peace was not a place of violence, nor was her heart, and so violence would never be the method.
She slowly stood up, feeling her fur fall around her, unsettled and messy. She had never been an overly tidy looking kid, and while she spent incredible lengths of time grooming herself, it was usually to little avail come the following evening. It was something she accepted with firm and simple patience, but she could not admit to not caring about her state. Perhaps when she finally could shift, to stand on two legs, she would be a more appealing sight. Again, it was not of primary concern. Presently she was more interested in the landscape passing by than she was in her own shortcomings, to which she scarcely returned in thinking.
She didn't know where she ended up—it was not identifiably different from the rest of Inferni. She had struck out south-west but was still deep within the natural territory. But even this realization did not stop the young girl. Her paws returned her to the Forest of Nod, to the bleached skulls peering ominously out into the forest, emotionless and incapable of response. When she drew upon them she was once more compelled to part her lips in polite and brotherly conversation, but she was reminded of the first encounter, and her teeth promptly clicked together instead. She did not linger there long; her path brought her back toward the north, retracing her steps from The Caves to here.
But it was along this meandering course that China Rose paused, her head lifting to the wind that ushered down across the plain. With it came the sound of squeaking metal and tumbling plastic, and a glance to her left brought to her attention the mass that was Inferni's claimed Landfill.
Though it was a gross sight to the hippy youth, as was anything overly wasteful, the nature of the material in it—she noted this as she drew closer—was dated. This was not caused by the clan, which brought a wash of relief over the young peaceable creature. No, this was, instead, a motley collection of traps and defense systems. But the coyotes didn't know it yet; it was her small and undeveloped mind that began to formulate great shields of scrap metal taken from the crushed cars, ways to guard The Caves in which the majority of the pack took up residence, or so she assumed. She could see the clever animals setting up traps.
And the wolves that Anselm had told her about—Dahlia or whatever it had been—would fall in droves to those traps. Ingenious, especially if Inferni holed up in the Landfill. Then again, she thought, that would mean easy access for the wolves to the rest of the lands. A takeover was even less appealing than a battle to them, she was certain, though in both cases China Rose could feel frustration creep into her throat like acid. Neither of them was a solution, just a means to an end. Compromise, which could not truly be had should peace exist. In a compromise, both sides won, but both sides also lost. Peace could not encompass loss; in its presence, grief and mourning rose. No, the coyotes could not make the Landfill their base of operations, she decided—but what if they brought the Landfill to other parts of the land? A fortification of all the territory… That would be ideal.
A soft shudder worked its way up her spine at these thoughts. Violence made her sick to her stomach, but if they were in a war, she supposed it was inevitable. She would do all she could to keep the peace, and in the absence of that ability, she would do what she could to preserve the clan so that peace would one day come to them. She remained there a short time longer, considering this new source of safety and defense, before continuing her stroll, now intent on telling someone what she had discovered.
