Dated 8.6.10

They were grinning at her.

Some were bleached a clean, cold white and there were others in worse condition. Split, cracked, growing moss, decaying- it was enough to make the average wolf tuck their tail between their legs and retreat. Some teeth were still rooted strongly in some skulls, evidence of a healthy mouth and a dangerous wolf; just not strong or dangeorus enough to avoid death. Regardless, the pretty beads and feathers dripping from the skulls were alluring enough that one looking for such things would pay no mind to their models. Bindu was not, by any means, looking to steal adornment from the more unfortunate wolves before her, but the colors and textures of the Inferni's dead guard held her interest for a few minutes.

The wolfdog had loitered too much on the road, resting here and there on the way to her destination, but since Element's suggestion of finding a pack Bindu had been filled with some good emotion. It was hard not to rest or stop and nibble on flowers because the steady robot pace had been broken. However, should the wolves fail her, it wouldn't take long to reclaim the said rhythm of insanity.

Her dark eyes reflected the rainbow of macabre before them, but behind the colors a thought struggled to the surface. Hostile. Hostile. Where had that word come from? Had Element said it, or another? Bindu strove to remember, but her efforts were not rewarded. The word floated there, in a thick fog of uncertainty ... cautious paws divided some thicker grass that was in the way, and the teen had entered Inferni territory. She had not associated 'hostile' with the territory ahead.

The land ahead didn't appear to differ from the land traveled prior. There were some trees, lots of grass, the occasional rock, dirt. Above, there was a blue sky, met by wandering blackish eyes. Nevertheless, something felt alien. Perhaps it was the touch of the earth (hard under her paws), or the mottled scent of wolf (inhaled by a weakened nose), but a certain component was definitely off. White, speckled paws increased their beat, skirting past a tree in their path or crashing through a bed of dead leaves. A pressure grew in the dog's neck and head; the bandana seemed to grow tighter, and a buzz resonated in her cranium. The skull sentinels' grin appeared in Bindu's head but she did not know that she was frightened. Frightened of the unknown- of this dangerous shortcut.

No problem.

A pain rose in the crevice between a toughened paw pad, and, combined with strong-smelling fear, fueled the agitation that was quickly growing inside of the wolfdog. Her state of mind made her paws want to move faster, stronger, better, but in such poor condition she was unable to maintain a pace that was swifter than an even trot. And that paw hurt-hurt-hurt, sending little electric beams up the teen's foreleg that blended into familiar, ordinary aches at the elbow. That stone, that blasted stone, was probably still wedged somewhere twixt Bindu's toes. She didn't notice the stone so much as the pain. From now on whenever the word 'Inferni' came to mind, that badgering prick and the fright and the tired would always resurface as a distant memory of more unfortunate times.

Her dark eyes flitted sideways every few seconds like a nervous deer, round and black and soft. An ocean of smells; her spotted nose was drowning in it, overwhelmed by a strange and growing scent. Wolf? Was that wolf? Or a scary creature that would gobble her up? When the scent amounted to an incredible stench, Bindu found herself slowing down, and eventually to a wavering halt. Something was there, something was close by. Wolf? Wolf? She rocked back and forth on her weathered paws, intending to find a comfortable stance; however, the motion was lost and replaced as a quirk. Still swinging slightly, to and fro, to and fro, her orbs located a smudgy figure walking through the trees, black and sleek. Its form was shimmery due to the teen's forever watery eyes, which had also started to swell recently and developed an irking itch.

At first, Bindu thought that the coyote was Element, with his shiny black fur and elegant walk. Her tail gave a hesitant wag, because even though this creature kind of looked like Element, it did not smell like him, however mottled her sense of smell was. On further inspection (consisting of a fierce squint), the teen deduced the figure to be, in fact, not Element. It was a wolf, or so Bindu assumed, and it had a peculiar odor about it that she had smelled around since passing the skulls. It was the smell of a coyote, but the teen didn't realize it. The wolf with the odd scent sparked uneasiness. Regardless, the wolfdog took a measure to overcoming her wild instincts and took a few eager steps forward, at about the same time that the creature barked a simple but forceful, 'Hey'.

Immediately, the red-clad wolfess half-barked-half-shouted "HEY," in reply, displaying her polished social skill and expertise. To an ordinary wolf (or coyote), Bindu's enthusiastic movements might be mistaken for aggressive -and maybe, in some little corner of her mind she was trying to be. The teen still wasn't so keen on wolves (or coyotes that looked like wolves). The sight of this one made her want to snap snappity snap snarl bite. Wolves had always been dangerous creatures to Bindu and her previous herd, but Element had said that some wolves were nice and maybe this one was one of them (hostile hostile hostile bite run go skulls).

Gosh- sorry, I mustn't have seen this ):

Bindu didn't enjoy the way the wolf talked to her. That voice, that icky voice was sharp and stabby like the stupid pebble stuck in her paw. Maybe this was how wolves were supposed to talk? The little lady hadn't encountered many on her journey, and the mannerisms of those that she had seen were mostly forgotten. A finger of dread wiggled its way up the hybrid's toes and into her belly, just like when the red wolf showed up. Her dark, dark eyes peered at the black smudge blankly, and beneath them unease stirred.

She wasn't supposed to be here (not supposed to be here). The black wolf walked forward like a shadow, and Bindu watched it quietly. Her mind moved sluggishly, the soft brain tissue in her cranium feeling so awfully heavy. Not supposed to be -here-? That was stupid. Dumb. There was a wolf pack here, right? And wolf packs sometimes helped stray dogs, right (hostile)? Then why couldn't-shouldn't she be here, in this spot, right now? This must be one of those wolf packs that did not in fact help dogs.

Regardless, the young wolfdog decided that she should explain herself. "Food, shelter, wolf pack?" she barked, but it sounded more like a statement or a command than a question. Yes- that was an adequate answer, because she was here for those things- food, shelter; and a wolf pack was here, right? Bindu continued in the same tone, "Cat say'd about it." Maybe this wolf knew about the cat. Wolves liked cats, right? Or did cats only like dogs that were far away from home? Black cats? With thoughts that were clear like mud, Bindu shut her mouth and simply stared. Her blackish eyes were round like a new moon, but they were also clouded.

Bindu didn't know her limits. It wasn't that she didn't care about upsetting the wolf; the idea of trespassing didn't come to mind. So the wretched girl sat down on the alien's turf and made an attempt to wag her scruffy tail. There was still a chance, somewhere, that this wolf was a good wolf and not a bad one (hostile). She wanted to stay here, in this place, and rest; but this was Inferni territory. And it was not a safe place to rest, although the hybrid didn't know it. She stared, and could not forget the sound of the wolf's voice.

Ditto x3

Bindu shrank backwards when the wolf yelled loud words at her, sharp and hurt-y. She was also confused; not a wolf-pack? Then what? What was this, if it wasn't a wolf? The teenager looked upward with her watery eyes and one could plainly see the gears turning behind them, even though they were a little clouded. Maybe- maybe this was a dog herd, then! The hybrid grew less afraid the more she thought about it, because dogs were nice (but boring).

“They—we don't like strangers,” the black dog added meanly, and it crossed its arms across its chest. Bindu just noticed that it was a two-leg; how could she not have realized it sooner? She watched its legs fold sickly like that, thinking that they must be broken or something. "Two-leg," she mumbled to herself, and her eyes narrowed accordingly. Dog or not, two-legs couldn't be trusted. The teen suddenly decided that she didn't want this dog's help, because it was a two-leg and its voice was ouch-y. In response to her conclusion, the wolfdog took another step back. Her ears tilted backwards, now that she didn't like the situation.

The shadow dog mentioned Element, and immediately her ears perked right back up. “What cat? My cat doesn't talk,” the two-leg said stiffly. Bindu replied equally as stiffly, "Yeah." Element sure did talk, and the teen knew it. She could remember his voice- maybe not what he said, but she remembered his voice and the way his mouth moved. So this stupid dog two-leg was stupid, and Bindu was right. She stared at the black dog-thing and didn't understand it. She didn't understand. The hybrid's tail lowered. She didn't understand. She was kind of scared.

Sorry for the wait. Thread close soon?

Like a dagger sliding out of its sheath, one long and white fang caught Bindu's eye almost immediately. She shuddered and did not make an attempt to hide her newly found fear. At first, she had thought that this was a wolf, but now it was a dog and it wouldn't help her and it was also a two leg, and skulls laughing skulls- (gotta run, run, back to ocean). The two-leg barked some threatening words and took a step forward. The wolfdog took a step back in response. Eris had Bindu right where she wanted her.

The black shadow said ominously, “I think you should go,” and her twisted legs dropped, dangling at her sides like the broken branches of a tree. "Okay," the teen peeped, her black eyes darting for an escape. The forest was wide and deep. It would not be hard to run, especially if the two-leg would follow in pursuit.

Her retreat began as a slow walk, then progressed into a trot, heading straight back into the path she had made. Bindu tried to watch the enemy dog at first, but then decided that it would be better to just run. The trot broke into a ragged run. The hybrid was not quick, by any means. If Eris wanted to catch her, maul her, take her skull and add it to the collection, she could have done so.

But Bindu had not hurt anyone. She was a simple creature of instinct; she would take shortcuts and eat rancid meat if that was what survival meant. If prompted, she might even have tried to defend herself. But she had not hurt anyone- and, maybe more importantly, Eris had not tried to hurt her. So on Bindu ran. She would be gone in a few minutes, past the laughing skulls, and back into safe, neutral land.