ooc A thousand apologies but this post completely lacks any semblance of elegance. It is 4:40 AM here and I am still trying to oil the gears back up. Hope it's manageable! I will smooth out again real soon, promise. Just wanted to make sure this got up. ^_^ WC 909

This was one of the most exciting things Orin had ever done… although grant it, everything Orin was doing at the time was, to her, the most exciting thing she had ever done. Her brief trip to Cour des Miracles had landed her in the presence of a friend, someone she had shared a particularly special experience with when she lived in the Court and had discovered the costume shop. There were few others excepting Niro that she could ever remember having so much fun with, and since that day she found herself drawn to Mars Russo. They were kindred spirits, both a little quirky and misunderstood, and that is what brought them together.

She had never ridden on horseback before! The stallion, Vox, was with Mars the day the two had met, but the pair wandered off without the steed that day, and before coming to the northern lands Orin had never even seen a horse – or any other livestock for that matter - in person. He was an impressive beast and Orin took to him at once, accepting him as though he was just another part of Mars (for they had been together every time Orin had run into him), and fancying the stallion for being such a close connection to the great mounts that the knights rode in the novels she so cherished. When the trio (the two Luperci and the stallion) departed from the Court that day, Orin was a little shaky riding on Vox’s back, and at first her excitement caused her to clamp her arms mercilessly around Mars’s chest, constricting him with a strength the belied the woman’s small stature. Yet it did not take long for Orin to ease up, gain trust in the creature, and loosen her death grip on its master.

Orin’s pride swelled with every soft crunch of the horse’s hooves in the powdery snow below. There was something to be said about traveling the country on horseback. She had been delighted when Mars offered her the opportunity to join him in his perch rather than lead or trot alongside on their trek to Cercatori D’Arte. Not only did they have a budding friendship, but Mars trusted and respected the woman enough to allow her to travel with him on his magnificent steed. What’s more, he asked her to carry his precious guitar as he could not with her at his back. This was important, and Orin was not about to shirk her duties. Despite her frequently roving mind she watched the landscape diligently and gave concise directions when needed. The last time she had seen this terrain she had been at a full sprint, excited about her trip to Cour des Miracles to see her brother, but she still recognized this land easily. Vox was quicker and more efficient in his march than she had suspected; they had already arrived at the border of the art pack lands.

When Vox stopped unexpected, Orin jerked forward slightly into Mars’s back. She uttered a small noise and fretted for a moment that the animal was broken, but a nudge from Mars got the stallion moving again. She spared her grip around Mars’s midsection long enough to adjust the guitar that was slung over her shoulder, then pointed towards a colorful landmark across the way.

“Look there, that’s the rock the members of Cercatori D’Arte decorated upon the pack’s founding,” the monument was off in the distance and too faint to make out any details. Orin moved her hand and motioned another direction. “I live in the town of Thornbury, this way. My bookstore is in the middle of the shopping square. If we go to the town Shawchert or Skye are bound to be there. Is Vox too tired?” She had already explained earlier to Mars that Shawchert and Skye were the non-mated, coed leaders of the pack. They both resided in the town, too, though in the residential district. Luckily, it was a small town, and Vox would be able to relax soon.

She watched the land around them as the horse took them through the pack lands towards Thornbury, ready to highlight any more monuments, but to her dismay the path did not cross any. Mars had been pleasantly attracted by her description of Cercatori – so much so that he packed up and returned to D’Arte with her the same night they had run into each other in Lunenburg – and she hoped the pack would impress him so he would stay. She was faithful that he would be accepted into the pack. Orin was blind to Mars’s idiosyncrasies, and the man was talented with the guitar and his ability to sew and in her mind would be an asset to the talents of the pack.

As soon as they moved from the wooded area into the more open yet heavily vegetated area that marked the edge of the town, Orin’s excitement began to wax. Her enthusiasm showed in the slight twitch of her arms clasped around Mars, and the sudden liveliness of her tail. “This is Thornbury!” she blurted. “My shop is beyond that row of housing.“ She pointed. “And if we go that way,” she pointed again, “we’ll be at the Capitain’s house.”

With that she tipped her head back and let out a long, mirthful howl, letting her pack know that she had brought a friend into the land and requested the presence of a leader.

ooc I am in nerdlove with this thread. WC 1,009

“Hmm…” She pondered Mars’s question for a moment before shaking her head no. “I know Thornbury the best, but I don’t know of any sort of stables or anything here. There is a hunting lodge on our land that I came across once… I don’t remember seeing any, but it might have something you could use. Good news is, though, that most of the stores have been well sealed up and still have a lot of usable wood, or at least some things you could use until it warms up enough to cut and dry wood to build one out of. Not many members have pets or livestock that I know of. Shawchert or Skye might be able to tell you better.”

She trailed off when she spotted the house off in the distance. This one she knew was Skye Collins’s house, and just past the residence she could see the patch of garden that the Secondo Capitano tended even throughout the chill of winter. Somehow, Skye’s green thumb kept these plants growing despite the cold and snow. The woman explained to Orin once that it was just a matter of keeping the crops fed, warm, and the beds cleared. She admired the woman for her talent and resilience.

And as though her thoughts alone summoned the woman (never mind the fact that Vox’s hooves made a prominent clop or that Orin had called out a moment before), Skye emerged from the house before them. Orin smiled to her leader when she spotted her at the threshold, and gave a fervent wave of her hand.

“Hello Skye! You’re just the woman I was looking for,” she grinned. “This is my friend from Cour des Miracles.” The stallion had stopped his lope and Mars had made a motion indicating that he would help her down, so she paused a moment in her banter to slide her legs over Vox’s back and be lowered down with Mars’s assistance. She was so short and unskilled on horseback that it took her longer to reach the ground than a normal horseman, and her legs swung free for a moment, searching for the ground, before her foot-paws dropped into the snow. Although it was a graceless and unpracticed thing she was doing, she somehow managed to add a fluidity to it that abated her awkwardness. With a swish of her tail and wave of her arm, she silently thanked Mars for the help, and then moved out of the way so he could dismount.

Mars’s dismount was much more swift and deft than her own, and he certainly did not need any assistance in the matter. He was already off the stallion’s back by the time the Takekuro woman had turned back to her leader. Most Luperci towered over her, and she was used to it, but sometimes being around Skye who was on the shorter side as well came as a bit of a relief. She was only a couple inches shorter than her leader. She smiled and was about to explain, but Mars interjected with his measured introduction, so she stopped. She waited as her friend introduced himself, and she could not help but feel a pang of embarrassment for him – for something in the introduction seemed forced and unnatural. She wondered if he or Skye felt that way, too. Orin had never seen Mars around anyone else, but did not suspect that was the matter. Rather, she assumed her description of the pack had been alluring and that admittance into Cercatori D’Arte was important to him. And with that, she felt a surge of pride.

She was a little lost in thought and caught by surprise when Mars turned to her and held out his hands for his guitar, but luckily she had been listening and did not drop the ball. Orin’s delicate fingers quickly snatched the strap of the guitar that was slung over her shoulders and slipped the instrument off her back – careful not to touch the strings or risk detuning it. (She knew little about instruments, but she knew enough not to apply pressure to the strings when it wasn’t necessary.) She spoke to Skye as she gave the guitar back to its owner.

“I just took a short trip back to the Court to visit my brother when I ran into Mars. I was telling him about where I had been and how much I love this place; how I fit in here better than I ever did in the Court – no offense to them – and, well, I thought he would fit in well here, too. Mars is an artist also, as you can see. He plays beautifully, and he knows about fashion and costuming.” She grinned, and accidentally blurted the next part. “He could help me with the show! Or, us with the show, I mean. Imagine how much better our performances would be with beautiful costumes?” She glanced back at Mars, oblivious to the fact that she just volunteered him for a task that he had not agreed to yet. Her smile broadened at the thought, and her honey colored eyes took on a far away look as she dreamed about just how much better a pack performance could become.

She laughed and splayed her arms out wide, swaying from side to side for a moment to a tune that wasn’t there. “I want to dance dripping in fabric and gems.” Orin was certainly more talented at writing, but her tiny body seemed to have enough energy at times to power a Luperci as big as Shawchert for a week, and she loved to dance. Somehow, she always ended up dancing when Mars was around, too. Of course, for once, Orin restrained herself to the gentle swaying just to illustrate an example of what she meant, and at least did not break out into full step. After a moment her movements slowed and she paused, turning her gaze to the Russo man and stepping out of the limelight so he could demonstrate his musical talents.

ooc I am sooooo sorry for my delayed reply. Had a few things pile up over the last few days! wc 661

Orin was taken by the melody as Mars began strumming on his white-faced guitar. Her wide grin turned into a contented smile, and the typically vociferous woman was finally silent. She was keeping time with Mars as he plucked at the strings, the evidence of which showed in her tapping foot and the swaying of her tail. Orin had a tenancy to follow the music in some little way every time she heard it, and was showing a slight increase in her ability to follow the beat and keep time – though a musician she would never be. She preferred music when it was played by someone else so she could twist and move to the music... she very much enjoyed dancing. Though this time she did not break out into another number.

Her eyes glanced between the duo-tone Russo man and Cercatori's second in command, and she looked positive and hopeful. It did not take long for Skye to recognize Mars as a man of many talents, though, and voice his acceptance into the pack. At the words, Orin squealed with delight and hopped happily, her hands flying to her mouth and her eyes brightening with glee.

“Oh my god! I knew it, I knew they'd love you here, Mars!” Careful not to crush the guitar, she threw her arms around the man's shoulders in a tight, joyous embrace before turning to Skye and doing the same. “Thank you, Skye! You are a woman with a keen eye for talent.”

Orin continued to grin and nodded proudly when Mars stated his desired rank. Musician. It was a beautiful thing for him to have the freedom to choose the path he would walk, while still being allowed to train in other facets of art as well, and Orin was proud that she had helped make this moment happen for the man. Finding Cercatori D'Arte had been like being high-fived by the hand of fate.

Then, suddenly, Mars asked the question about what show Orin wanted to do, and could she have through her fur she would have. She was quiet for a moment as she shook her head sheepishly. She had told the Russo man about wanting to put on a play months ago, but since then had done little to plan for it. Really she had no idea it was ever going to happen, and then had gotten so wrapped up in settling into her new life that she had not done any more plotting. When she first arrived in Cercatori during it's founding there were not enough Luperci to put on a play production, though she and Shawchert had discussed the possibility of a performance troupe.

“I haven't decided yet,” she muttered, a little timidly. “Honestly, I got a little sidetracked with all of this. But I should start thinking about that now.” Her eyes flicked to Skye. “Hey, maybe that's something we can all do together? And,” she glanced back to Mars, “I'm so happy that you'll be helping with the costumes! Oh, you've got to meet Bangle. He's my neighbor. You might just get a kick out of the things he sells... you two might hit it off, he can probably supply you with some tools and materials.”

Her eyes suddenly widened when Mars mentioned something to Skye about stables. An 'oh yeah' expression crossed her visage for a moment. “I almost forgot about that. I didn't know about any stables,” she said to Skye. “And if not, who is a good carpenter who might help build a fence?” Looking back to Mars she added, “I've done a little carpentry myself with the lighthouse back in the Court, and some repairs on my bookstore here. But I'm not sure I would be too much help... Or maybe I'd be perfect if you want something that looks like a Picasso painting or something!” The tiny woman broke into laughter.