10-29-2008, 05:42 PM
572 words...
DaVi… she thought, as though she could telepathically connect with her half-brother and ease her mind then and there. Were the rumors true? Had DaVinci sought solace with the pack – no, not just solace, but membership within their ranks – that was the difference Mags was contemplating now. Her pack mates were truthful, and she herself heard Deuce’s brief howl which announced his arrival, there had been no mistaking that. But perhaps word had been construed, like one giant game of ‘telephone’. Was DaVinci actually seeking a home with the pack, or had he just come in need of sanctuary? Was something wrong with him? Was he in trouble? Could she help?
Her mind roiled with thought as she padded mindlessly through the foliage. Part of her silently wished, hoped, that he had joined the pack and decided to make Phoenix Valley his home. Life alone was hard, Magdalena couldn’t fathom a life without the pack, and she felt her brother deserved more than he’d allowed himself. Although she had an inkling DaVinci didn’t see it that way - at least her heart was in the right place.
She idly padded through a coupling of trees which brought her out of the foliage and upon the familiar, rust-colored dusty path that meandered through Phoenix Valley. Had she not been so distracted with thought, she probably would have noticed the scent much sooner than she did, but now that it was upon her and filling her sensitive nostrils, she could not ignore it.
“DaVinci,” she murmured aloud this time. Her paws lurched to a halt and she hastily glanced up and down the path. Her heart thrummed with excitement, but he had already passed this place and was out of sight. Nevertheless, he had passed through here, and not long ago at all judging by the potency of the scent. One glance to the earth beneath her paws proffered fresh prints along the trail… and more than just DaVi’s prints, at that. She quirked her head to the side for just a moment, before shaking off her curiosity.
Choosing the brush instead of the path, she spun around and entered the foliage again, her paws lurching into a run without hesitation. She skillfully bounded over any obstacle that stood in her way, keeping herself parallel with the conduit as she jogged, her brothers scent growing stronger all the while. It wasn’t long before the scent was barely wind-carried – she was upon him! She could pop onto the trail at any point now and lay eyes on his gray visage. But rather than bound up from behind to potentially startle DaVinci and the two she did not know were with him, she intentionally overshot her destination. She knew better than to pop out of the bushes and into an impromptu rendezvous with someone who was used to the rough-and-tumble life of a rogue, no telling how guarded he’d be in spite of being within the safe boundaries of Phoenix Valley.
She chose a spot several yards ahead of where DaVinci now walked, and bounded back onto the path. She skidded to a stop and little crimson plumes of dust puffed up around her paws, almost making her want to sneeze, but the sensation passed quickly. She gazed down the path at the stone-pelted hybrid, a pleased smile crossing her muzzle. Her ears pricked with happiness and she yipped a cheerful greeting.
”DaVinci! You’re really here!”
DaVi… she thought, as though she could telepathically connect with her half-brother and ease her mind then and there. Were the rumors true? Had DaVinci sought solace with the pack – no, not just solace, but membership within their ranks – that was the difference Mags was contemplating now. Her pack mates were truthful, and she herself heard Deuce’s brief howl which announced his arrival, there had been no mistaking that. But perhaps word had been construed, like one giant game of ‘telephone’. Was DaVinci actually seeking a home with the pack, or had he just come in need of sanctuary? Was something wrong with him? Was he in trouble? Could she help?
Her mind roiled with thought as she padded mindlessly through the foliage. Part of her silently wished, hoped, that he had joined the pack and decided to make Phoenix Valley his home. Life alone was hard, Magdalena couldn’t fathom a life without the pack, and she felt her brother deserved more than he’d allowed himself. Although she had an inkling DaVinci didn’t see it that way - at least her heart was in the right place.
She idly padded through a coupling of trees which brought her out of the foliage and upon the familiar, rust-colored dusty path that meandered through Phoenix Valley. Had she not been so distracted with thought, she probably would have noticed the scent much sooner than she did, but now that it was upon her and filling her sensitive nostrils, she could not ignore it.
“DaVinci,” she murmured aloud this time. Her paws lurched to a halt and she hastily glanced up and down the path. Her heart thrummed with excitement, but he had already passed this place and was out of sight. Nevertheless, he had passed through here, and not long ago at all judging by the potency of the scent. One glance to the earth beneath her paws proffered fresh prints along the trail… and more than just DaVi’s prints, at that. She quirked her head to the side for just a moment, before shaking off her curiosity.
Choosing the brush instead of the path, she spun around and entered the foliage again, her paws lurching into a run without hesitation. She skillfully bounded over any obstacle that stood in her way, keeping herself parallel with the conduit as she jogged, her brothers scent growing stronger all the while. It wasn’t long before the scent was barely wind-carried – she was upon him! She could pop onto the trail at any point now and lay eyes on his gray visage. But rather than bound up from behind to potentially startle DaVinci and the two she did not know were with him, she intentionally overshot her destination. She knew better than to pop out of the bushes and into an impromptu rendezvous with someone who was used to the rough-and-tumble life of a rogue, no telling how guarded he’d be in spite of being within the safe boundaries of Phoenix Valley.
She chose a spot several yards ahead of where DaVinci now walked, and bounded back onto the path. She skidded to a stop and little crimson plumes of dust puffed up around her paws, almost making her want to sneeze, but the sensation passed quickly. She gazed down the path at the stone-pelted hybrid, a pleased smile crossing her muzzle. Her ears pricked with happiness and she yipped a cheerful greeting.
”DaVinci! You’re really here!”