one amongst many
#1
[html]Ethereal Eclipse
p. for Drakien Smile


Oak moved swiftly, blue gaze focused and concentrating as his nose took in trail that the creature had left behind. The world beyond Crimson Dreams was a foreign one, for the tree named boy did not even know the surrounding landscape as well as he should. The neutral territory had yet to truly been explored, and so he set out to seek what prey he might be able to track and monitor as he tried to in the pack lands. But so far all he had been left with was dusty trails and mere glimpses of scattering squirrels and a few fluttering crows.


Soot hued toes cracked the ice of a shallow brook, and the sound echoed through the tall trees. It caused him to pause, ears searching for the sound of scattering prey. Yet, nothing met them and Oak was left among the swaying giants. He felt comfortable among the trees, a subconscious reason for his choice of direction. The open hills were a bit intimidating and there was a certain feeling gained by standing among an entire forest of his namesake. The oaks around him did not speak to him as they did his mother, but he knew them from the rest. His mother had chosen a powerful name for her son and he almost felt like one amongst many as he roamed the forest.

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#2
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Word Count → 426 :: Thank you for starting! <3



Drakien had little space to move about in his Optime form with Breixo down for the count, though the salve he'd managed to squish together seemed to take away most of the palomino's pain. He couldn't really go far, but he'd decided leaving Breixo was worth the risk, if he could only find more painkillers--and perhaps a bite to eat. He'd traveled down to the dampwoods, but the trees there grew too thickly, and there were no nettles to be found there. He'd come across three patches already, though, as he wandered about in his Secui form, and he found Ethereal Eclipse far more promising than anything farther north.

He'd been shifting between Optime and Secui for the last few hours, going to Optime to cut off the nettle leaves, and to Secui to continue traveling. He was getting rather weary, the energy all that took wearing on him, and as he picked his fourth or fifth plant dry, he decided he'd simply stay in Optime for the day. He could hunt well in this form; with the silver blade in his hand and wearing a simple wrap around his hips, nothing like the pants and shirt he usually wore, Drakien made a rather feral picture, his nose lifted to the wind as he set the bag he'd been using to carry herbs aside as he began sniffing about for something to eat. There were berries on the other side of the tree, at his back, but he'd not had freshly-caught meat in days, and it was making him salivate just thinking about it.

The only thing his nose picked up was another wolf, and his ears swiveled in that direction, making him follow the near-silent sounds of the other hunter. When it became clear that there would be no prey caught that day, Drakien wondered with a little scowl if he'd been making too much noise, and decided he must have, as a stick cracked under his foot just then. He paused, ears perked, and then sighed, coming more into view as he finally caught up to the other canine. "No prey around today," he said conversationally, and glanced ruefully at the younger male, scratching the back of his head. "Probably my fault, that. Can't seem to step quietly." His voice was apologetic, though his gaze was only slightly ashamed; he'd have to get out here and re-learn what his father had taught him as a boy, if he'd chased off all the grazers. And he wasn't looking forward to that.


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#3
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Sounds reached his ears, yet they were far from that of a sure-footed doe or a light weighing rabbit. At first Oak grew defensive, for in the free lands he could never be completely at ease with a stranger lingering among the trees. He traveled on the same path, slowly as to not alarm the one that may be watching him that he knew that they were there. Yet, a voice called to him and broke the silence. Oak turned, and the figure of an Optime male stood before him. The red hued male watched for a moment, noting that the other was far too close to him and had gone unspotted. He felt a bit foolish. Yet the brown and black male looked shamed, when Oak should have been on a better defense.


Why are you out here, if its not to hunt? He asked the other male, curious and still a bit stand-offish. Blue eyes studied him, though the hair along his spine was not raised in great alarm. Oak appreciated the respectful distance in which the other seemed to leave between them. A fellow hunter wouldn’t have been so loud, and the Dreamer could not think of much else to do in the wood. If he was traveling, the tree-named boy would enjoy knowing where he was headed. His own pack land was not far from where they stood.

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#4
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Word Count → 262 :: Sorry about this wait!



The other male was immediately on the defensive, though Drakien couldn't rightly blame him; he disliked people sneaking up on him as much as he disliked sneaking up on people. This time it couldn't be helped, however, and he made sure to keep a respectable distance between them, a smile pulling at his maw. "I was out gathering herbs," He said, and hefted the bag on his shoulder to show the male, and to prove that he'd not come for malicious reasons. As he considered the question, however, he gave a small shrug and a somewhat sheepish grin. "I was beginning to hunt, however, before I realized I'd scared everything off." And that was why he was so apologetic, for the most part. Here this male was, out hunting, and he'd most probably frightened everything before the stranger even set out.

Carefully, he took a few steps forward, stepping as lightly as he could with his hefty frame and moved around to the male's side, still the same distance away but practicing his step. After a moment, he'd gotten it down, and he brushed a hand through his long hair. "I am sorry for ruining your hunt," He said, and turned his head away, flicking an ear idly. "I'll leave you to it now." He began stepping away, setting his feet precisely and looking out for anything that might give him away before he set his feet down. Perhaps he could find a deer, and then he might seek this male out to share the kill, as he'd never enjoyed eating alone.


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#5
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Oak did not need to wait for a retort, for the stranger replied with a simple answer. It made sense, and Oak had not thought of that before. The ground was filled with many different mysteries, but he did not know any of their meanings. Oak was forming his own sort of apology when the other male began to make his way passed the russet and black Dreamer.


He gave his leave, but Oak felt there no reason for him to scurry off as silently as he could. Wait. He spoke in response to the stranger’s announcement. Where was he going? I haven’t pick up many trails, I think they’ve gone to ground. He added, thinking of the hares that he perhaps would have caught in an area like this. What kind of herbs? Healing ones? Oak asked, hoping to know what the stranger was about, and where he came from.


His interest in hunting had passed and he was now much more curious about the male and his gathering then anything else. I’m Oak. He spoke lastly, an introduction that he hoped would spring one from the other male.

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