14th August . Mostly set in the Valley and the Dampwoods . Optime Form

The gentle rocking motion of the dark horse beneath him was beginning to feel like a comfort to the male. He spent a lot of time in the horses presence these days and always took him when he left Ichika for whatever reason. One of those reasons was to cross the mountain at a reasonable pace, but there was also the comfort in knowing that he wasnt alone and he wouldnt be alone as long as Hermes was with him. Saul had been trying to make some headway in breaking Maia to the saddle and bridle but it was proving harder than he first suspected. He'd managed to stroke her and was beginning to work with the brushes in taming her coat and mane. It was a big leap of trust just to be able to brush her without being bitten or kicked at. He wasnt going to give up, there was no doubt about that. It was just taking longer than he anticipated and it was beginning to wear on him.


His sights were set for Anathema today, which was surprisingly close to Ichika. There was just a huge mountain splitting them, which made the journey longer than it should have been. Had the mountain not existed, he imagined it would only take him half an hour from Ichika's south eastern borders to reach the darker packs own borders. But the mountain was there and it added an extra hour onto the journey. Plus, the mountains were what made Anathema what it was- if the mountains werent there Saul imagined the pack would not exist where it did. The boundaries came into sight, or perhaps smell was the better word as he could smell their borders long before he could see any visual boundaries. He pulled Hermes up short, feeling the horse snort softly beneath him as he scented other wolves.


It took him only a few moments to manouver the horse into a position where he could see most of the pack in front of him. He's arranged to meet Scorpius here and he was on the lookout for the dark haired boy. He also didnt want to howl for him in case it attracted unwanted attention- he and Scorpius had business to do and he was here for the boy alone. Sitting atop Hermes, the male waited patiently, trying to organise his thoughts clearly in his mind. It never worked, but it was a valiant attempt.

14th August . Mostly set in the Valley and the Dampwoods . Optime Form

He remembered the conversation with Adonia, just over a month ago. He knew that the ram would be very important in their attempts to raise the numbers of Ichika's sheep. Since one of their sheep had been slaughtered for the harvest festival, they now only had five sheep. If they all bred with the ram Saul was about to obtain, provided they only produced one lamb each, they would have eleven sheep in the spring including the ram. It was an exciting prospect and Saul knew that once he got the ram settled there would be excitement with the Ma-Tzu as well- he knew Adonia was very keen to see baby lambs running around in the pastures where the sheep were kept. He let his mind wander, thinking of the baby animals they might have by spring if all went accordingly. He knew it wasnt specifically his job to get involved in this, but it was personal interest that had him trying to see more animals in Ichika. It always felt wrong that Dahlia hadn't kept any animals and now that they were in Ichika, he was like a pup on its first hunt- giddily excited.


He had sunk so deep into his thoughts that he didnt notice the approaching dark male, nor the large sheep walking placidly beside him. It was a good think that the ram was not overly aggressive- it would not help matters if the sheep was confrontational. Saul raised his hand in return to the wave Scorpius sent his way before dismounting. Cinnamon backed ears perked forward as the males deep tones came forward and he grinned softly, clasping Scorpius's hand when he came close enough. The Anatheman explained about the ram and Saul looked down at it with a bemused expression. Taking the rope tied around its neck, Saul took control of the trade. "Thank you Scorpius, its a great help. We now have a ram to get things going, so hopefully we'll have a busy spring with lambing and the like." He chuckled softly, knowing that they would have to take the ram with them. He could leave it in Anatheman territory in case someone took it back before they returned, nor could he make a 'quick' trip back over the mountains.


"We're gonna go and catch this horse for you then!" He said decisively, catching hold of Hermes' reigns and walking forward, knowing that the boy would follow him. The trade had been simple, a ram for a horse that didnt belong to Ichika, one that had to be caught wild. It was a great trade for Saul- he was beginning to enjoy learning the finer technique of catching horses and there was no time like the present to practise. It didnt take them long at all to get down into the Dampwoods. Saul found a tight meadow that they could use for a corral and tied the ram to a tree trunk, enough rope for it to eat the grass around it happily. He glanced back to Scorpius, a grin on his face. He always like this part.

I am sooo so sorry Fy! That wait was baaaad! <33

Scorpius was quiet as Saul announced what their trade was going to be, accepting with a simple nod of his head. The young male wondered if Scorpius had had other ideas, but the walked forward happily together. The ram walked beside Hermes well enough, nervous at first but swiftly getting used to the large animal walking beside him. Saul always wondered how long it had taken the domisticated animals of these days not to freak out when faced with the wolves. He supposed it was the upright position with which they walked- maybe it confused them long enough to be caught or become prey. Saul had no idea, but it was an odd thing to consider. He had no idea if Adonia had named the sheep, but he wondered about giving the ram a name. They werent going to eat him- he was too valuable to them as a breeding animal. But there would come a time when they couldnt use him anymore because of inbreeding and they would either kill him or trade him. Perhaps it was best not to name him.


They arrived in relative silence and Saul tied the ram up while Scorpius surveyed the area. They were quiet then, not because of having nothing to say to each other, but through the necessity of remaining unnoticed. Scorpius took his time choosing, but before long he had one picked out. Green eyes danced softly as the caught sight of the blue roan he'd chosen. She seemed a little way away from the other horses around here, but he had no idea why. He nodded softly, trying to work out a plan in his head. He could use Hermes to round her up, set him loose to go and talk to her or something and then sneak up and catch her. Or he could ride Hermes out there and round her up. There were lots of possible ways to do it and Saul was torn for a moment. He glanced over at Scorpius then, wondering if he might like to be involved.


"I could probably go out with Hermes and get her, but that would be no fun. You should be the one to actually catch her, since she'll be your horse. I suggest something along the lines of me driving her back towards you, and you being ready with the rope?"


He said simply, looking back towards Scorpius to make sure he understood and agreed with the plan. He clambered onto Hermes' back, moving the horse forward into a nice walk while he remained low over the saddle. He'd left the rope with Scorpius and the boy would have to be quick of he was going to catch her.