OOC:

It hadn't been long since he had arrived in the land known as Nova Scotia, but all ready he knew he loved it here. Each step he took brought him to a place he had never been before with new experiences to be enjoyed, new sounds to hear, new scents to enjoy, all of which he enjoyed without restraint.

As he padded along, carefully maneuvering through the trees using the wind blowing through them as a guide, he took everything in he could, listening to all the animals chirping, buzzing, and moving around him. Luckily for him, it was a windy day, making it easy for him to walk along without worry of smacking into a tree or losing his way. Not that it would matter much as he couldn't tell where he was at in the first place. He wasn't worried though as being blind had made that fear seem to disappear. His powerful sense of smell would alert him to any scent markers nearby and if he did get lost he would easily be able to find his way back to Serena Reserve using the scent trail he was leaving behind him.

He had parted ways with Ralla not long ago to leave her to her duties, having heard of a pack hunt which, being an outsider, he would have no part of. He didn't mind, however, as he felt the need to explore around the packlands anyway, knowing he would be outcasted as long as he was an outsider. It was standard practice in a wolf pack, common knowledge that he had taken to heart since the day he was born. Soon it would not matter, if he decided to join the pack.

Up ahead in the distance he heard a steady sloshing sound, his mouth automatically drooling as his mind told him he was thirsty. He smiled as within seconds he was upon the source of the sound, a small river just perfect for what he needed. He lowered his head to drink, not bothering to look around for obvious reasons but keeping his ears swiveling in all directions to keep him alerted to the sounds of the forest.

OOC: Not a problem, I can be patient when need be I decided not to notice Sepirah at first, but will in time. Kinda short

The water was cold, fresh, and refreshing, running through his mouth like a winter's kiss. He drank until his mouth went numb and sat back on his haunches, licking his chops of the water. This was indeed a wonderful place to be. It was just so peaceful here, being alone in the middle of this seemingly never ending forest, with only the sounds, scents, and the darkness to keep him company. There was never going to be an escape, however, from the fact that he did indeed miss the sights as well. The wonderful colors swirling together, the night sky as it filled with light from the moon, the sunrise, reflections in the water, and what he wouldn't give to see the faces of those he met, to remember them by face rather than scent. He didn't dare get his hopes up about ever finding a cure for his blindness. Fate had laid down its hand, an ace up the sleeve and he had bet his sight on winning.

The sound of the rushing water brought him a sense of power as well as homesickness. He remembered seeing the mark on his chest for the first time way back when he was a pup, from away from these lands known as Nova Scotia. The moment had been clear in his mind ever since he had lost his sight, as if it was trying to tell him something. He thought this over for a while, listening to the hypnotic sound of the water for a long while, unaware that someone was watching him at the moment, until he decided to keep heading downstream. It would be foolish to try and swim across this river. He had no idea how deep it was, could only guess how fast it was moving by the sound, and had no idea someone was on the other side almost mirroring his movements. The river was loud, blocking out the sound of quiet footsteps to his sensitive ears. To him, he was completely alone on this walk through the woods, walking tall and proud, tail wagging slightly, unaware of how wrong he was.

Kemo ”talks”, walks, and thinks.

OOC:

Kemo had been walking for only a little bit, his mind flowing through thoughts keeping him occupied. He wondered if there were other packs in this land of Nova Scotia. He had only been to the AniWaya territories, met only one wolf so far, which was amazing considering how much this land was hyped up by Aunty. She had said this place was a land full of many different kinds of wolves and creatures, all living together in several different areas, some large some small, each contributing in their own way to the land that supports them. As he walked along this rushing river, he had yet to see that in action. Even in the AniWaya territories, it had seemed so quiet, so alone everywhere. Where are the wolves who were so plentiful in this land? Where are the creatures that inhabit these woods? It was then that he heard the words.

"Hello there, Mr. Wolf." All thoughts left him as he turned around, trying to pinpoint the source of the sound. He sniffed the air, trying to catch the scent of the stranger, but nothing came. Where was she? On the other side of the river? He knew this area did not belong to a pack up to this point, he had made sure to check for scent markers at each opportunity, but of course he could be right up against the borderlands without realizing it. Her tone of voice suggested she was a bit frightened, of him or of something else he wasn't sure.

"Greetings. My name is Kemo and I am a kind wolf. Is this your territory? I did not mean to trespass, just wanted to try and get familiar with the territory. I have no intention of hurting those who do not wish harm upon me, so you need not be afraid of me. Forgive me, but would you come closer? These blind eyes prevent me from knowing who I'm talking to and the river is interfering with my other senses." He looked around instinctively, but was really trying to hear or smell a sound or scent to find the new potential friend..or enemy.

OOC:

He listened carefully for any sign that the stranger was coming closer, trying to find out where she was. The river cursed him with its constant roaring in his ears, punctuated only by her words and a slight splash close by. Finally she came near enough that he could pick up her scent, sniffing at her slightly and filing away the information for future reference. The scent was alien to him, his head tilting to the side in curiosity. He had never come across this scent before. It was similar to a wolf's but equally as different, unique he would say. What kind of creature would this be? He had a hard time telling how large she was because he couldn't pick up the sound of the air flowing around her and he couldn't tell where her voice was coming from as the river just seemed intent on making sure she kept a large privacy fence around her.

"Greetings Sepirah and nice to meet you as well. I'm glad to see a friendly face out here, but of course that is only a figure of speech for me. As for what pack I am from, that is an interesting question for you to ask. I am not from any pack around here, I hail from a large pack much farther south. You say you hail from Inferni? That means there's another wolf pack around here, perhaps more..."

How many packs were around here? If there was at least two, then why was this area so quiet? He knew he would have heard at least a couple of howls on his walk out here if there was as many wolves as he was led to believe. The game seemed plentiful around here, the animals calm and content, no howls and hardly any new wolves on a simple walk. Where could they all be? Were the packs hiding from each other?

He snapped out of his thoughts as he realized where he was. "I'm sorry, how rude of me to go off in thought like that. It's just so weird to think of this place as having so many packs, yet it's so quiet and lonely. Anyway, what brings you out here? I was just going for a walk to clear my head. This seems like the perfect place to do it." He smiled, his ear twitching as a bird called behind him.

OOC:

Kemo listened as best as he could, the river really started to get on his nerves now. While it was an amazing sound to hear in its own right, the roaring noise disoriented his senses, making him want to get away from it. He suddenly noticed her scent wasn't as strong now, her voice starting to drift away, making him realize she was walking away from him. Hoping she intended him to follow, he did so carefully, making sure he kept the sound of the roaring monster on his left. It wouldn't be a very fun experience to fall into that kind of trouble.

Did she say coyotes and jackals? He had never heard of such creatures and he wondered which one she was. Were they similar to wolves? He supposed so, given the fact that her scent seemed to slightly resemble a wolf's, as well as there being an entire pack of them somewhere north of here. He noticed she had refrained from saying wolves, causing him to wonder if they didn't let wolves into their pack. Do they hate wolves? Sepirah sure didn't seem to mind his presence. He would have to ask Ralla about Inferni next time he saw her.

”I was mainly just exploring. I don’t know. I’ve found myself away from my pack lands more often now. I’m not sure what to do actually.” He contemplated that for a moment, knowing exactly how she felt. AniWaya seemed to be just as quiet as this Inferni pack. He hadn't met many wolves in AniWaya yet, but no matter where he went there was that same eerie quiet. Sometimes it made him wonder if he was going deaf as well. "Well I would be more than happy to accompany you in your adventure through these lands. It's always nice to have company on a walk, if you don't mind of course." He sped up, catching up with her and walking alongside her. The river was slowly quieting now and he smiled at the sound.

OOC:

Kemo let out a soft sigh as the river's roar slowly faded behind him, leaving in its wake a calming quiet, punctuated only by the soft sounds of Sepirah's paw steps and the normal ambient sounds of the forest around him. The sound of her paw steps, while a normal uninteresting sound to most, each had a story to tell and he knew perfectly well how to listen.

Judging by the force each paw step made she was smaller in size. That told him she was obviously female, a fact which he could easily pick up from her voice, and that she wasn't luperci like Ralla had been, all though she could be in lupus form right now or whatever it was called for Sepirah's species. The even gait she held told him she had received no recent injuries and she was in perfectly healthy condition. Sometimes it amazed even him that so much information could be received from such a simple and often overlooked sound, though it was overlooked because it wasn't needed with the ability to see your surroundings.

Speaking of surroundings... He thought to himself, noticing the change. The sun was beating lazily on his fur, calmly warming him as he "looked" around the new area. The smell of pine wasn't as powerful here, meaning he was in a more open area. Was he out of the woods? Not yet. He chuckled to himself, remembering the old joke his father told him seemingly forever ago.

He heard her stance suddenly change, more weight added to the ground, the scratching sound of grass along fur, the position of her voice as she informed him of the dangers of Inferni, all telling him she was lower on the ground, possibly laying down. Perfectly understandable considering the hypnotizing effect the sun seemed to have at times.

The severed heads of wolves, strung about the territory like decorations? And she associates herself with these creatures? His opinion of her suddenly changed. His eyes flashed angrily, his fur bristling slightly, though he still kept up the friendly demeanor. He would make sure he would take extra caution around this unknown female. Sure she seemed nice, friendly, and welcoming, but it was easy to fake those feelings. How could she be so friendly to him, a stranger she had never met and a wolf no less, her pack's apparently greatest enemy? There had to be something going on behind the scenes. The effects a group, especially a close knit group like a pack, can have on its individual members are very powerful and he would not be the one to put that to the test.

All thought was dropped however, when she rubbed against his side. He knew it was her, her scent very close to him and the sound of her beating heart almost pounding in his ears. A clever trick. He thought to himself, but was he merely judging the wolf by its teeth?

"You coming then Kemo?" He hesitated, his mind returning to its previous thoughts, but what if he was wrong? He supposed he could trust her for now, knowing he could run at the worst possibility. He may not be trained as a warrior, but he could at least defend himself and he could run fast if he needed to. The flick of her tail under his chin broke him from his trance. "Lead the way. Be my eyes as you said." He smiled, hiding the dark thoughts from her as he followed her to wherever it was she was headed.

OOC: So close....Revan's almost here Sorry about this terrible post, my muse just took a long break.

Kemo nodded politely as she explained to him about her affiliation with Inferni, though he still didn't trust her. What kind of wolf could trust someone after they just told you something like that? How was he to know that she wasn't really like that, determined to lead him to a place where her pack mates could jump him and rip his skull out of his head. Him being blind would certainly give her more confidence and it would be much easier to lead him into a trap, but she underestimated him, of course.

He decided he would give her the benefit of the doubt for now, setting one paw in front of the other as he followed her. "Where are we going?" He tried to "read" her heartbeats to see if he could pick up something to give away her intentions. It was no use however. He could tell when somebody was lying, afraid, angry, and happy, but he couldn't read anyone's mind. It's a shame, really, that this power was beyond all of them. It certainly would make the world much easier to survive in.

OOC:

Kemo followed her for what seemed like hours, the surroundings not changing much, meaning she must be leading him further still into the forest. He had no idea where though, or where he was, but luckily his sense of smell and hearing could lead him to a nearby pack, or he could just follow their scent trail back to AniWaya's territory if he needed. The sounds of nature were lively today, telling him that the forest didn't sense anything was wrong, merely going about life as if this was just any other day. He trusted the forest, the tiny animals, birds, and even the trees could always tell if something was wrong or was going to be wrong soon. As soon as he realized this, he let his guard down a bit, though only a bit. Ever the cautious one, he would not let himself get too complacent in the darkness that was his life.

As she spoke, he did managed to pick up the subtle cues in her words, the sounds of the slight swishing of her tail, remembering she had used that very same tail to entice him to follow her by running it under his chin and across his nose. Kemo understood these signals, but was nevertheless very confused. What did this jackal want from him? Did she want him as a friend? As something more? Or did she merely see him as an enemy? It was difficult to truly tell the motives of any creature, especially a female. He chuckled mentally at that. "Sure, I'll sit with you and watch the sounds of the forest. But tell me Sepirah, are you really here to listen, or are you here to watch?" He smiled a bit at his riddle, wishing he could see the look on her face. He wasn't sure if that statement confused her, or if it even sank in at all. Who knows? Maybe he was reading into her signals too deeply.

The heavy sigh spurred him on and he sat with her, scooting gently closer to her so that he knew where she was by touch, and would know if she got up, whether in a rush or slowly. "The breeze not only feels wonderful, it helps me to figure out where I'm at, or if there's an obstacle in my path. My ears are extremely sensitive and along with my whiskers, I'm able to feel and hear the subtle sounds of air currents as they travel around objects. It's one of the things that keeps me alive and helps me to not slam into a tree or something. I bless the wind, for without it, life would be that much harder for me." He smiled, ending his speech with a sigh. "So tell me Sepirah, I'm dying to know. If your pack hates wolves so much, then why are you being so nice to me, when you know if your pack saw you so close to me it would surely anger them greatly." He looked in her direction, using her heartbeat as a guide to seek out her face.

OOC: I know you do, but I'm back for the moment, so here's a post for you ^^

The jackal seemed to be lost in thought for the moment, so he contented himself with listening to the sounds she had pointed out earlier. When she rolled over and stood, he looked in her direction, a polite smile on his muzzle as he expected something completely different from what he heard. His eyes opened wide, then narrowed in his anger. "Fear you? Learn my place? I'm sorry Sepirah. I fail to understand what I did to make you so angry, but I suppose you wouldn't really understand what it would be like on my end. You come out with your pack posts wolf skulls on their borders and what am I supposed to think? My place is with those I care about. I have no pack, so I have no ties to bear. I may not be a member of a pack around here, but that does not make me any lesser than anyone who is, including you."

He growled savagely and got up to stand a bit away from her, facing away from the sound of her heart. "Look, if you really think all I think is you and your pack are savages, you are mistaken. I'm just going by what you told me. Naturally, wolf skulls on borders, with me being a wolf, is going to raise up at least one red flag in my mind, couldn't you understand that?" He sighed heavily. "I apologize if I offended you and your pack, but my instincts are telling me one thing is for certain, your pack has a problem with wolves, I'm a wolf, therefore, your pack has a problem with me. So, by pack association, you have a problem with me as well. It's just my way of thinking."

He turned back to face her, "looking" her up and down. "Speak your mind, I have nothing but time. If you wish me to disappear, so be it."

OOC:

The whole time he was ranting, he was also listening. Her heartbeat gave her emotions away as it seemed to speed up and pound even harder in either anger or fear, and he had a hunch it was the former. He didn't need to think too hard after he finished his speech as she turned right back and gave her own and on top of that used her paw to cut him off, further proving his suspicions were correct. Her words cut an icy path through him, but he shrugged it off, determined to get his piece in before she left.

"Mutt? Mutt!? Sepirah, I was making my point, I wasn't arguing with you, but if you really want to leave, go. Go ahead and run. I haven't done anything to you, I haven't done anything to make you want to run away from me, but it's your choice, I'm not going to stop you." His heart told him to chase after her, to try and save their all ready strained friendship, but his mind made the final decision. "Fine then, go. Goodbye Sepirah, maybe in the future we'll talk again, but until then, take care of yourself." And with that, he turned and left, heading off toward Muggles. He couldn't wait to see Ralla again, someone who wouldn't just turn their back on him like Sepirah had done. With one last "look" back in Sepirah's direction, he disappeared out of sight, quite possibly for the last time in Sepirah's eyes.