Lonely Road
#1
OOC: Amherst, mid-day. Torok is in Optime, wearing his usual loincloth and deerskin pouch. WC: 360

He had been on his own for a few months now, just wondering about, not really sure where he was going. Torok could manage just fine without his mother, it was just lonely without another wolf to talk to. Fraya, his golden eagle, was good company but she would get rather annoying quite often, always yammering on and on and telling him where he should go. He didn’t need to be told where everything was, he could sense them just fine. Fraya was worse than his own mother that way, always acting over protective and treating him like a child. Torok was an adult know, he could take care of himself. Fraya would never listen though; she would treat him like one of her own hatchlings no matter what he said.

They had been walking through some town when Torok finally decided to stop and rest for a little while. Even though he was blind, he still knew he was in a town. It was obvious really, buildings always had a different scent than a forest or a beach did. The scent reminded him of home a little, which ended up bringing his thoughts back to Lark. He missed his love greatly and only wished that he could have been there with him to explore this new land. Lark had always talked about running off and traveling together. If only Torok had listened, then they would have left long before his Alpha found out about the two of them, then Lark would still be alive.

Torok had to force the painful memories out of his mind, clutching the crescent moon pendant around his neck as he sat down, leaning against one of the buildings. Fraya had flown off somewhere, probably to find herself some dinner. His stomach rumbled at the thought of food so he pulled the last bit of jerky out of the pouch that hung from his waist. There was hardly anything left, but it would hold him over until he went hunting later. He took his time eating the small amount of food left, just resting until Fraya would return, then they could continue on their journey.
#2
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17.07.12 . 1pm . amherst . optime form


Despite the dark cloud of Coli's recent attack, Saul was feeling rather optimistic. In just a few short days, his son would be seven months old and he would be able to shift. In many ways, Saul was sad to see his child growing up. He remembered so vividly it must be muscle memory, the feel of his tiny son in his hand, in his arm, cradled against his body. Soon enough, Teme wouldn't need him anymore and he would just be an old, worrywort dad. He was pleased for his boy though- he could finally start making his own way, choose his own path and learn.


Despite having first claimed parts of Amherst, they'd brought their borders back so that the city was once again completely neutral. They'd decided that they didn't quite need the buildings and they would rather have the beach instead. Still, the young Virding couldn't help but take trips out there- not only to make sure that that dog wasn't out there, as well as the dark wolf who had attacked Lilin. He supposed it was the same with all new packs, testing their strength, trying for weaknesses.


He didn't have anything particular in mind as he moved through the streets. He'd managed to convince his bird to accompany him- Saul felt as though he never spent enough time with the Gyrfalcon. It was his own avian companion who alerted him to the presence of another and Saul was alert, green eyes flickering back and forth to try and spot whatever it was that Eirias had alerted him to. It took him only a few short moments to spot another Luperci, scarcely clad and leant against a building. He moved towards the wolf, making sure to create sounds to precede his approach.


"Good afternoon sir" He called out, his tone polite and interested.

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#3
The jerky wasn’t much but it would satisfy him enough for now. Perhaps Fraya would find something nearby he can hunt. There was nothing on the wind that told him any game was nearby but maybe once he was out of the town he would be able to find something. His ear twitched as he heard the faint sound of flapping wings. It was obvious it wasn’t Fraya and he almost dismissed bird as nothing important until he heard movement nearby. Once the wind changed direction, he picked up the distinct scent of a male Luperci. The scent told him the other male was a pureblood wolf like himself, and that he was close to Torok’s age. He turned his head towards the other male as he spoke, able to notice in both his voice and in his footsteps that he was close to Torok’s age, or perhaps a year older.

Torok stood, using his staff to lean against as he took in the males scent. Good day sir. How are you this afternoon? He tended to loose track of time whenever Fraya wasn’t around but he knew it was noon since Fraya usually only left two or three times a day. He wasn’t surprised when the Golden Eagle returned, freaking out about the other male. Holding out his arm as he heard her approach, she landed gently and started yammering away again about how he shouldn’t trust the strange male before him. Finally getting the eagle to calm down, he smiled in the direction the male was standing as he moved closer. I apologize on behalf of Fraya here, she isn’t too fond of strangers. He breathed in deeply, realizing the male’s bird was a Gyrfalcon. Torok was fond of nearly every type of bird, but clearly Golden Eagles were his favorite. I see you have a Falcon. May I ask his name?
#4
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17.07.12 . 1pm . amherst . optime form


As he approached, and Eirias gave another cry that was relatively wordless to Saul, he watched the other Luperci. There was an almost helpless way to which to wolf cast about and it struck Saul immediately that the canine was blind. The rolling way with which his eyes moved, and the off-center look revealed the male almost instantly. He was surprised when the male used a walking stick to stand- from his scent it was clear he wasn't very old at all, but there seemed to be a need for it. Surprise was his first expression and he supposed he was grateful that he couldn't be seen.


His own words were answered and elaborated on, a question on his health. It was pleasing to the male that there were others out there worse off than he, who still enquired on the wellbeing of others. With a smile, Saul gave a soft nod to himself before answering. "I'm very well thank you, and yourself? My name is Saul Stormbringer." He introduced himself, before the commotion of an incoming bird caused him to look up. A golden eagle, similar to Marahute, swooped down and landed on the males oustretched arm. That was likely what had bothered Eirias. With a soft whistle, the male called his bird down and the white bird settled on his shoulder, talons digging it. The chatter from the eagle made no sense to the Stormbringer, but it seemed the blind wolf did.


The mans apology was received with a soft smile and a snort- he was used to birds not being friendly. "You have nothing to apologise for, Eirias my own bird has a thing for trying to eat pups and cats... He's not very sociable at the best of times." Saul answered, answering the males next question in his reply. Curiosity about this wolf was key and Saul allowed his gaze to take in the rest of him. He looked relatively feral, or poor whichever way you looked at it, and had very little material possessions. He supposed others might not need a lot of things. "Do you have business in Amherst?" He asked, trying to unveil a little bit more of the male he was now in conversation with.

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#5
Torok knew perfectly well that he more than likely appeared helpless, leaning on his staff and using it the way an older Luperci would. In truth, it was just habit. The staff was given to him by his father when he broke his leg. It was the only thing his father had given him before he die, making it one of the few items he felt the need to have. He listened as the male spoke, introducing himself as Saul. Mentally, he stored the name and matched it with the scent so he would recognize Saul if he ever ran into him again. I’m well, thank you. It is a pleasure to meet you Saul, I’m Torok Haima. He bowed his head respectfully to the male as he continued speaking. Apparently the falcon, Eirias, enjoyed eating pups and cats. To Torok, this seemed odd, but he hadn’t been around a bird that ate anything besides rodents and fish. He nodded, understanding that there was other predatory birds that liked larger prey.

Asked if he had business in the town apparently called Amherst, Torok shook his head. No, Fraya and I are just traveling around. We don’t exactly have a destination. And yourself? He noticed Saul’s coat carried more than just his own scent, but many other wolves along with a strong female scent, obviously a mate. May I ask about your pack? You carry a strong presence with you, might you be the Alpha? The last time Torok had been near an Alpha, his love was killed, making him a little cautious of the man before him now.
#6
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sorry for the wait chicky, i lost track of this one!


Their conversation was amiable and Saul found that he was enjoying himself. Now that he had a pack to look after, he often found himself bogged down and tied up with the endless tasks that came with the job description, as well as his own personal projects that never seemed to cease. He rarely had a chance to just stop and chat and he felt a smile tugging at his lips. The blind wolf had a peaceful presence about him, something soothing. It was the kind of presence that did not need mindless chatter to comfort- he felt that if he knew the male better, they might be content with sitting in silence, doing various tasks without needing to fill said silence. As it was, their short silence was filled as the male expressed his pleasure at meeting him, offering his own name in response.


"The pleasure is mine, Torok." Saul said softly, knowing that sometimes others found his formality an odd thing. He couldn't help it- he might have said he'd been raised as a gentleman, but nobody had really raised him, so perhaps he'd just turned out a gentleman. He snorted softly, the shake of his head given at his disbelief at his youth. He tried not to dwell on it too long, and the blind males words helped alleviate the swell of bitterness in him when he thought of his puphood."I was just having a look around, there's usually something we need in the town and my pack is only a few minutes from here, so its an ideal scavenging ground." He informed the loner, his tail swinging softly at the thought of his home.


It seemed the blind male was more perceptive that Saul gave him credit for, surprise lifting his face once more. He gave a chuckle, running a hand through his hair once before nodding. "I am, my pack is called Vinátta and we follow the Norse way. We only recently formed, over by the Grand Lake and Commune of the Salmon. Do you have any interest in joining a pack?" He asked, wondering if the male would be interested in joining Vinátta.

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#7
I am very sorry for the wait dear. Bf surprised me with a road-trip and I didn't have wifi until we got back.
WC: 405

Other members of his family pack found it quite odd that he was so respectful and formal. It simply wasn’t heard of. The males in the pack were supposed to be ruthless, savage, killing machines not a helping hand. Torok was pleased to meet someone who shared the same qualities as him, wanting to learn more about the man before him. The soft snort threw him off though, making him wonder if he had done something wrong. Is everything alright Sir?

His head cocked to the side slightly as he listened to Saul, nodding his head as he mentioned his business in the town. Apparently there were plenty of items his pack took from this place. He didn’t know what they would need, having very little possessions himself. If there is anything in particular your pack needs, perhaps I could help? I may not be able to see but if I know what I’m looking for, Fraya and I can usually find what we need. It probably seemed like a silly offer to the Alpha before him, a blind man offering assistance at finding items. He would help nonetheless if Saul required anything.

With Saul’s chuckle, it was clear that he hadn’t expected Torok to be able to perceive so much about him even though he was blind. It was common for Torok though. Many figured since he was blind, that Torok was an idiot as well and incapable of having a stimulating conversation. That didn’t seem to be the case with Saul though, he was kind and didn’t treat Torok like a cripple. Hearing the name of the pack, Torok stored the name Vinatta away with Saul Stormbringer along with his scent and the scent of his bird, Eirias. He wasn’t sure where this lake or the salmon place was but he was sure he would find Saul’s pack if he tried. At the moment, I am simply traveling and hoping to find my mother. I wasn’t able to find her scent again once we were separated but I’m sure I’ll find her again eventually. Perhaps one day I will join a pack though. I do know one of my relatives lives in a pack somewhere around here, mother always talked about joining her pack but she was the one who knew where it was. Please do not take offense to that Saul Stormbringer. I am just unsure of my path at the moment.
#8
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no worries dear! also, would you possibly mind if we finished this up in the next couple of posts?


His snort hadn't gone unnoticed and Saul was surprised to hear concerned words come from the dark male. Saul shook his head once, before realising the blind male wouldn't be able to see him. His snort had been in response to an internal thought and he wasn't sure how to explain to Torok that his internal thoughts were often more cynical and sardonic than his outer personality. He thought he'd answer the enquiry regardless, giving a little chuckle as he spoke. "Yeah, I'm good. Just a few stray thoughts that amuse me." His tail gave a soft wag, before the mans next question came.


Was there anything Vinátta needed? He supposed that it would be useful to find some more tools, hammers, nails anything like that. They had a good supply of these, but it was always good to have a back up supply. Of course, he didn't think it would be happy sending the blind male and his bird off to find things for him. "Thank you, friend, for your offer. I didn't come out here for anything specific, and I wouldn't feel right sending you off for no reason." He declined the offer, but felt grateful to the male for his offer regardless. Cinnamon backed ears flashed forward and he listened with a small smile as Torok relayed his story. He was surprised to discover he was looking for his mother- he'd thought the male was older than he perhaps was.


The slight plea that the male take no offense to his decline was taken with with a little shake of his head- he found he quite liked the male he'd met today. "I would not take offense, friend. It is always beneficial to ask. Do you know where you're headed, or will you see where the wind takes you? He asked, genuinely curious to know if the male had any form of path in mind.

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#9
Sure, We can wrap it up with your post or my next one if you want.

The chuckle brought his ears forward again as Saul explained the chuckle. It seemed his mind had wandered a bit, bringing forth a few humorous thoughts. Saul also stated that he wasn’t looking for anything in particular at the moment. Perhaps if Torok found anything useful, Torok could bring it to the Alpha at some point. I understand Sir. Perhaps he was a little too formal, calling him Sir, or by his full name, but It was just how Torok was.

He probably seemed like a child, explaining that he was looking for his mother. He was still a yearling but could manage fine without his mother, but since she had been sick when they were separated, it was her he worried about.

Torok nodded as Saul explained it was beneficial to ask, and was happy the Alpha wasn’t offended. Yes Sir, Fraya and I will let the wind guide us, at least for a while. Hopefully we will find the pack mother talked about soon. I’m not even sure what it’s called. His relative would have been here for a while, perhaps she had met Saul. Then he would be able to point Torok in the right direction. You wouldn’t happen to know Ismeme Theos would you? It’s her we are looking for.
#10
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just going to post something quick to get my post back and then i'll request for it to be archived


The young males accepting words were a comfort to the Virding- it was always good to hear that another was willing to help out when they were at least physically less able to. It perhaps restored a bit of Saul's conviction in others- Torok was blind but he was still willing to help another out. Saul could remember a good few others who were far too wrapped up in their own issues that the thought of helping another was preposterous to them. "Thank you, Torok" Saul offered, his tone infused with a seriousness that he hoped the dark male could hear.


His words were taken and it seemed Torok would take them seriously at least. That was good news and Saul allowed a smile to grace his lips. He felt as though he'd know the man for a long time and he would be sad to see him carry on. His own question caused a shake of his head, before he vocalised his negative response. "I'm sorry, I haven't heard of her. But you might try going South... most packs are South of where we are now so I would imagine that would be a good place to start." He offered, before he called Eirias down from a building he'd been perched on. He knew he was going to have to make his way home shortly, but he almost didn't feel right about saying goodbye to the man. Unconsciously he reached out to touch the males shoulder once before he moved back. "I wish you luck on your travels, Torok... and if you ever need help, call for me." He promised and gave the male one last smile before turning and moving back towards Vinátta.

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