april showers
#1
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The hills rolled, green dotted with a myriad of pastel flowers, with a stream cutting through the foliage here and there. Among the grass hopped a few rabbits, quick creatures that stopped only briefly to graze. Right now, however, any smart creature had stolen away into its burrow; dark clouds rolled across the sky as if mimicking the earth. The dreary snows of winter had abated to allow the sun to reign again, but now it was time for spring showers—and when they came, they came hard.

Skoll had been oblivious to the changes in the heavens, scooting along with his nose to the ground and his tail wagging curled behind him. His energy had gone with the sunlight, however, and he was less excited about exploring when it was so nasty outside. While the neutral territories were far more interesting than the Kingdom to a growing boy, at least the towns by his home offered entertainment inside too.

He was yawning when the first raindrop fell on his tongue. Blinking, he smacked his lips a few times then looked up, only for another drop of water to splash him in the eye. He squinted and backpedaled, his rear end bumping into a bush before thunder pealed, causing him to jump forward again. Determined, he flattened his ears and growled back at the sky; a prince wasn’t afraid of silly old storm clouds!

There wasn’t even a gentle prelude to the spring rain, not a little drizzle of warning. Instead, the sky dropped buckets down on the golden youth, and he gasped as he started to run. A distant patch of sky was still light, but he’d be washed into the ground if he didn’t find shelter soon!

Large paws splashed in mud, claws ripping up the soaked grass as his pelt was slicked against his lean body. He was blinded by the rain as he galloped along, however, not sure where the hell he was going. He’d seen an old badger set an hour ago, but he couldn’t remember where it was or if it had even been large enough for him to squeeze into. Water falling on his head like the blows of a million little wet hammers, the Haskel charged onward to find some sort of solace in shelter.


383
It's raining, it's pouring... Open for anyone; Skoll is in lupus.

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#2
Rain was coming down on this day. She'd traveled a short way south, deciding to see if she could stop by the court pack she'd traded with before. Granted, she'd ended up attempting to kill a member, only to find out that she had survived and have her attempt to kill Amy. The pack was a good one though, one Amy was eager to involve herself with. She would learn what she could about it, bringing the trade that she had gained back. This was only a short trip right now though, not planning on going too far and returning before long. Right now she had things to do that were more important, such as regaining her standing and proving that she wasn't as low as they had mistaken her as being. She didn't like submitting, and would get out of that situation as quickly as she could.

Rain poured down, making Amy glad that she had ditched her two legged form, hating the idea of her clothes being ruined by the rain. Amy had just been planning on bathing in her lupine form when the rain came down. It had felt nice, if thick in the air. It was difficult to see, so Amy had decided to wait out the storm where she was, confident that she could handle the small downpour. It saved her the effort of finding a stream to wash in as well, the rain cleaning her wounds and washing away the blood. In the midst of this Amy had a vision. Her youngest son, the one she had killed, was running towards her, almost an adult. Her jaw dropped, wondering what was going on. Hello?
#3
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His desperate sprint through the rain yielded no results for a while. He was still soaking wet, the drops drilling into his head and eyes and making him miserable. He liked playing in the water, and nice little drizzles felt nice, but this downpour was too much for the young prince. Days like this made him feel grateful for the buildings in the Kingdom, but that was too far away for him to make before the storm was probably over.

Skoll was considering just rushing home anyway, hoping that the rain didn’t wash away all traces of his existence, when he saw a vague form through the sheets of water and heard a questioning voice. Squinting, he ran harder until he could make out the other’s doggish shape.

Wordless, the boy continued to plow toward the stranger. He slowed down at the last second, but the mud made him slip, and he knocked into her. Rather than apologize and leap away, he buried his face in her sodden coat for the sake of leaving at least part of him dry.


180
Bwahahaha.

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#4
Irony is he really does look like Tarak, blond fur and erect ears and everything.

The form wasn't slowing down. Amy's nose worked madly, trying to pick up the scent through the downpour that was coming down. All she was smelling was mud though, and the heavy cloying scent of the water that was pouring down. She couldn't even smell the blood that Amy knew was running off her body, cleansed away. She caught a glimpse of green eyes, the scent of dog finally reaching her, and his head was burrowing into her. Amy stood stock still, trying to figure out what to do. With him so close Amy leaned down her head, taking a deep breath. It wasn't a ghost. It was a hybrid, from the pack she'd been thinking about visiting.

The relief from learning that was clear to see, tension easing off her. There was still the problem of what to do with him though. She was glad that the illusion had been broken, as much as that had freaked her out. Amy stepped back a little, frowning as she looked down again. It's rude to bury your head into strangers. He was lucky that she was in a good mood, or he might have ended up pinned to the ground for that forwardness. Glancing around Amy squinted, looking for a way out of the rain. Flicking a heavy wet tail at him Amy moved over to a small cluster of trees. It wasn't perfect, but it would block the worst of it, and maybe if they were lucky there would be an old animal den they could dig into. No, not them. Just her.
#5
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Skoll felt like an infant again, pressing his little head into his mother’s side when a loud crash of thunder frightened him. He knew that it was silly, that he was almost an adult and a prince besides, but the rain overwhelmed him. Maybe if he hadn’t been so worried about getting washed away outside his territory and lost forever, he would have been able to face it with logic and bravery, seeing it only as a bad rainstorm and not a sign of the apocalypse. But all the water also reminded him of his near-drowning in the cove, the salty waves crashing overhead and the collie woman pressing his tiny body close to her thick fur as she struck out for shore, slammed against the rocks.

The dog stepped backward, chastising him, and Skoll looked up with a few rapid blinks of his green eyes. “Oh—um—sorry,” he mumbled, embarrassed. He knew that, knew that it was rude and silly and dangerous even if she was a bad guy. He stared at his paws, both out of shame at his condition and to keep the rain from dripping in his eyes.

Her drenched tail almost whipped him as she turned, and he padded after her instinctively before he saw the trees. Quickly, he broke out into a fast lope, streaking for shelter and sighing as he found it. The trees weren’t too big, only a little group in the meadows rather than a proper forest, but he took advantage of the meager shelter of the foliage nonetheless. He tucked himself up against a trunk, curled up in a ball and leaning his cheek against a big root.

“It’s miserable,” Skoll lamented, and looked at the blonde canine. “Why are you out here? Uh, ma’am,” he added, remembering his manners to make up for smashing his face against her.


310
That's pretty sad. :c

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#6
A quiet apology met her, accepted with a brief nod. It appeared this young one had manners. Amy moved towards the goal, inwardly sighing as the pup padded after her. She didn't have time to waste caring for a lost pup. Amy wasn't interested in doing so, and had plenty of other things that she could be doing instead. Such as finishing her bath. The rain didn't bother her at all, occasionally hurting when it came down particularly thick on an open wound, but otherwise alright. The pup streaked before her, earning a low growl. He ran forwards, curling into the shelter. Amy stepped after him, searching for a better place to stay dry. He had taken the best spot, curling into the tree trunk. Amy stepped forward, prepared to drive him out from there as she settled down next to his body, nudging him so there would be room for her.

A smirk twitched at her lips, amused at the pup's lament against the weather. You should have stayed in your pack then. I came out to see the court. Didn't quite make it before the rain hit. Twisting her head Amy licked at her fur, working on cleaning off the last of the streaming blood. It wasn't much, just cleaning up what had been left from the rain. Satisfied that she was clean Amy moved onto the pup that was next to her, licking at his body and removing the excess dampness. She had proceeded from his head to his neck before catching herself, jerking away. Spending time with this pup was not something she wanted. She had to stop.
#7
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The boy did not heed the dog woman’s growl; getting dry, or at least avoiding some of the raindrops pounding on his skull since getting dry was impossible, was forefront in his mind. Had he been older, with a few more scars and a few more encounters, he might have been less naïve and oblivious to her moods. For now, though, he was snuggled up against the big roots and flopping his drenched tail, and she hadn’t tried to bite him or anything yet.

The warmth of her wet body came close, and he relented to her nudge, shifting over a little bit so she could settle down with him. At least they were both in their lupus forms; although the creamy-gold hybrid was far from small, he didn’t take up nearly as much room as he could have.

Her amused words made him sigh with regret, but his pale ginger ears flicked up at mention of the Court. Before he could look at her, however, he could feel her tongue on his fur, licking away some of the excess wetness to make the weight of his coat much more bearable. A happy whimper left him as he closed his eyes again, but all too suddenly he grooming stopped, and his green gaze moved to her curiously.

Rather than ask what she was doing, Skoll grinned lopsidedly. “Why’d you wanna see the Court for?” He paused for a moment and added proudly, “That’s my pack, actually! My dad Vigilante’s the King too.” He resisted the urge to add that that made him a prince, although that was his first instinct. It went without saying, and he had to learn modesty sometime.



281

Who woulda thought I'd see Amy soften up for my puppy? x3

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#8
The whine from the pup as she groomed him had not helped Amy in the slightest. Perhaps she should just kill him. Then she wouldn't have to deal with this. It would be easy. He was young, vulnerable, exposed. Nobody would get here in time to protect him. A simple snap of her teeth, and the life would end. She'd done it before, could do it again. He grinned over at her, a lopsided grin that was sure to melt hearts when he was older. It was a good thing that Amy was stronger than that. She wasn't going to give in to that.

Amy opened her mouth to reply when the pup suddenly gained a lot more worth. A large smile parted over her face. The son of the king. That was brilliant! He probably knew all kinds of things about the pack, and would happily tell her without even realizing. To ask some questions so I can bring things for the pack. I'm a trader you know. I bring supplies for various packs. I would like to trade with your pack as well. Does your pack welcome traders? I'd hate to be turned away. She nuzzled down at the pup, waiting for his answer.
#9
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The woman smiled as he spoke of his pack, and Skoll wondered just what the reason for the grin was. Was she glad to see someone of the pack, or did she not believe that he was a prince? He had gotten smiles for many reasons, but he decided this time to trust that it was a good smile.

She wasted no time in asking question, and he wagged his tail at her nuzzle. “That’s cool,” he said of her profession, and frowned thoughtfully. “I don’t remember traders coming, but I don’t think they’d say no; I mean, everyone needs stuff. And they went to the festival to trade, too.” He had gotten a couple of free books out of the deal, which made him happy.

“What kind of stuff do you have?” the wolfdog asked after a moment, uncharacteristically shyly; he didn’t know if she still had more questions or if it’d be fine if he asked one of his own.




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#10
Amy had stopped at the pack before, so she already knew the answer to the question. It was simply prepping the pup, getting him ready to answer whatever questions she chose to ask of him. It would be easy to get the information out of him that way, so used to answering them that he does so without thought. Canines often did that, youth even more so. She nodded her head at the answer, accepting what she was given. Tilting her head Amy wondered what her answer should be for the pup. Perhaps she should lie. No, he was still young enough to be molded. He would accept the truth without questioning how it was possible.

I can retrieve anything that one asks for. I sell everything that can be imagined. If you need medicine, or clothing, or even a spell against something bad, I can find it and bring it to you. Granted, Amy didn't believe in spells, selling them usually to the superstitious that would believe something was magical even if it had clearly come from a place no more magical than the dirt they were standing on. She traded in flesh as well, but Amy didn't think he needed to know that. I see. What kind of stuff does the pack like to get?
#11
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Green eyes widened as the woman explained that she could get hold of anything and everything. He couldn’t imagine having so much stuff that she could grant everyone’s wishes, from medicine to clothes. The bit about spells made his ear twitch, and he remembered skeptical Caspa who had tried to teach him from a young age that magic and its children did not exist. She’d preformed magic tricks of her own, however, naming it truer than fairies or ghosts. He was still uncertain where he stood on the whole thing, but he had no reason to disbelieve this woman.

“Well,” Skoll began in answer to her question, clearly preparing himself for a long speech. He tried to think of what the other members of the pack dreamed about, what they liked to use, what they might truly need.

“Alder likes horses. I like horses, too. But we don’t have a lot of really big ones for big luperci.” He knew that the masked male himself was large, requiring just as large of a horse to bear his weight. Even Skoll was big, though he was not yet in danger of breaking Hwin’s back; she’d borne larger loads in her old pack, it seemed like. “I like books,” he added cheerfully. “Books with stories in them. My big brother Liam likes those too I think, but he reads medicine books. He’s gonna be the apothecary, so maybe he needs medicine and stuff to help. And Strelein makes clothes; Terra and I got in all his fabrics the other day and maybe he needs more.”



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#12
Amy listened to what the pup said, careful to note what could be learned from there. Not many large horses. That meant that the pack members were either smaller, or that the larger ones lacked the horses that they required. Amy could supply those larger horses, though it would take time to find them, not to mention expensive to acquire such large creatures. The pack was educated, if the youth knew how to read. That would be useful to keep in mind. The pack was further along than she had imagined. Books would be a hot commodity for them.

She chuckled as Skoll described getting into the fabrics of one of the pack members with another pup. Not very well trained. It looked like the pack had a loose structure. Information would be loose then, not very well traveled. They wore clothes as well by the sound of it. A very laid back pack. Amy's tail swished. It sounds like there's lots I can give for your pack. What about your king? Is he around lots? Are there other leaders? I'd like to meet them. He must be very great to have brought about such a wonderful child.
#13
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He was unaware of the conclusions drawn behind those brown eyes of hers as she listened to him courteously. Her chuckle made him smile, and he squirmed momentarily in the crook of the tree root to try to make some more room for the both of them as the rain continued to pour down. It wasn’t as intense as before, becoming bearable enough to stand in for a while, but he doubted it would be finished for another few hours at least. The most he could pray for was a soft drizzle when he made his way back home.

The blonde woman mentioned his father then, and the carefree smile on the youth’s face disappeared. His ginger ears lowered back against his skull, and he shrugged a shoulder. “He’s around,” he said. “And the other leader is Strelein, who makes the clothes. I don’t know if they’d want to meet a stranger. And Daddy—I mean, my father doesn’t really need a lot of stuff, since he doesn’t go to two legs a lot.”

It wasn’t that Vigilante was absent from his life; he had been an idol for the child as soon as he could walk, after all. However, the man had never been very involved with those outside the pack as far as Skoll could tell. He found himself realizing how much of a mystery his father’s personal life was, but he guess that was for the better. A king need only be a friend to his subjects; it was good that he was doing patrols and stuff inside the pack rather than going on treks just for trade.



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#14
The rain was slowing down now. The dog shook out her coat, licking at the pup again as she thought over what he had told her. Who knew that a pup could be so observant? They seemed to have so many uses now, instead of simply pests that she had to be careful not to break. Amy's maternal streak was well hidden, finding herself irritated whenever the pups touched her supplies as they tended towards dangerous and delicate. This usually was followed by an outbreak of temper chasing the pup off, sealing the image of someone who wasn't good with pups and wanted nothing to do with them. Exactly how she liked it.

Pulling back Amy watched puzzled at the reaction. It seemed there was a distance there. One that Amy could definitely take advantage of. Leaders that were distanced, didn't like outside interaction, yet showed strength. Good leaders, but ones that Amy could easily deal with, letting her get her way with things. Standing up Amy looked around, tail swishing. Rain's clear. Want me to take you to your pack? Perhaps finagle a tour of the pack out of it? That would be the icing on the cake for her.
#15
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Closing his eyes and letting himself by soothed by the female’s tongue on his wet blonde fur, Skoll pondered over all of the information he had given her. He supposed the Court could expect the merchant to come and trade, and he hoped that he’d have something to give to her in return. The problem with not having anything was that, in order to obtain what he wanted, he needed treasures to give. The cowboy who’d gifted him the books had only asked for some cooperation, and that hadn’t really even been a real trade.

The older dog stood, and the boy grinned she pointed out that the rain had been let up. “Yes, ma’am,” he answered, tail wagging and sending drops through the air. He began to pad in that direction, trotting happily and waiting for her to come with him; they’d make good time, and hopefully his parents wouldn’t be missing him or too worried about the storm.

As he walked, he decided to voice his concern. “I’d like some stuff, maybe, but I don’t have nothing—I mean anything—to give back.”



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#16
He was certainly happy go lucky. Amy backed up a short distance as he wagged his tail, sending water flying. Amy would shake her own coat out, but that would probably irritate the cuts on her body. Suddenly filled with an itch to rub at those places and cool it off Amy froze still. She couldn't rub at it. That would be a very, very bad move. The pup trotted off, and Amy quickly caught up, doing her best to not rub herself wrong and end up more injured than she should have been.

She walked along with him, able to see how close they were to the pack now. It wouldn't be long before they arrived at all. Tail wagging Amy looked down at the pup's question. Smiling sweetly she thought about how lucky she was to have found him. He was so fresh, so malleable. Someone she could bend to her will without a second thought. You don't need to have things to give to me. Not everything you trade is an actual object. You could show me your pack, or teach me something you know how to do, or promise to help me if I ever need it in exchange for what you want.
#17
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The maternal smile made the boy feel safe, and he was not worried about the dog or the drizzle or anything else as they walked the final stretch toward his pack. He was ready to get home and spend the rest of the day indoors, which was rare for the adventurous boy. Maybe he could sit and read by a window; that was the only thought revolving around sitting down that truly appealed to him. Liam had given him that play to read; maybe he could start it, even if it was about lovey-dovey stuff. His brother had promised fights, but the older Catori didn’t seem like the fighty time to him.

These thoughts ran idly through his head until the woman answered his question. He brightened when she said he didn’t have to have an actual object to give her, but the alternative made him tip his head thoughtfully. “Maybe,” he concluded after a moment, green eyes darting ahead again. He wasn’t sure if he was allowed to show her the pack, since he was so young and not high ranked, and he didn’t think he could teach her something that she didn’t already know. A promise sounded good, but he didn’t know what he wanted from her yet; he’d have to figure that out before he came up with something in return.

“Well, I can’t show you the pack now I don’t think, and besides it’s gonna be yucky and muddy for a while.” His tail-wag betrayed the fact that he didn’t find the mud yucky at all. “But you can come back, and maybe I’ll want something then.” He grinned brightly at her, then slowed down when he saw the borders come into view.

He wanted to bark and run straight home, but he remembered his courtesies and turned around, dipping his head. “Thank you,” he said amiably. “I hope to see you again—er, what was your name?” He couldn’t remember them swapping actual introductions and laughed. “I’m Skoll Haskel.”


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Maybe end with your post?

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#18
Unfortunately her words set the pup thinking. That wasn't what she wanted him to do. Amy wanted him to be too excited to think over what it was she was saying and agree to it. Instead, the concept of trading for something other than objects had him considering the true value of what he could trade. It looked like this pup was rather smart. A bit unfortunate on her end. When it came to pumping information Amy preferred her informants to be dumb as a rock, unaware of what she was doing and answering all her questions without wondering why.

Amy nodded, managing to keep a smile together. It was the false one that she used when her emotions ran too hot, hiding what she was actually feeling. The pup's reasoning behind not showing her the pack was rather charming to hear, almost making her laugh instead of her tail simply twitching in amusement. I'll come back on a sunny day then. Reaching the borders Amy stood proudly as the pup courteously dipped down to her. Amy Sunders. It was wonderful meeting you Skoll. Turning she began to walk back to Anathema. This had been a very useful trip. Now all she needed was to avoid irritating her wounds on the way back.


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