10-04-2009, 04:06 PM
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 It had taken him quite a while, wandering through the Souls' territory, before finding what he sought. Cwmfen's directions had certainly been useful in finally acquiring his destination, and he was glad of having met her. He would not have known this place by its scent alone, having only its name and never a hint of it on his nose. It didn't look like anything fantastic...if anything, the border of the territory he'd found seemed rather arbitrary, marked by no particular landmark that he could particularly make out. Nonetheless, he liked forested territory as much as any other, and assumed that it had its own charms, otherwise it wouldn't be situated where it was. Jantus took a deep breath and exhaled in a rush. He was anxious, and that was unusual. He was so physically imposing that he had little to fear from most individuals. He commanded a pack so fierce that they feared no invasion, and so large that they feared no coalition against them. But here he stood today, getting ready to meet someone who alone had the authority to grant him what he wanted. Jantus was no cutthroat, he wasn't accustomed to getting his way by force alone; it was just that, so far, all he had wanted had been within reach in the valley that was his home. Now he was a long way from there, and what he wanted was in someone else's lands, where he had no authority whatever, and all of the strength of his pack meant nothing because he would not use them for this. The big man was in shifted form, but he was concerned to know if he shouldn't shift back before calling out. Ordinarily, he counted it as a blessing to look the way he did: strong and intimidating was a good way for the alpha of a pack like Snow-Capped Pine to look. After all, they'd won their valley home through force of fang and claw, and they had fought for years to attain it; the conflict in that region had begun long before Jantus and his younger sisters had come onto the scene. No, it was a group born of war, and it maintained that tradition, though in practice that tradition of war manifested more as training and sparring than actual battle. Their most bitter enemies had been driven from the valley, and hadn't seriously contested any portion of their territory since before Bold had been killed. Nonetheless, it seemed that now his appearance would be a bother. Between his battle scars, missing eye, alarming bulk and the steel club on his belt, he hardly looked like someone the alpha should allow to cross his territory. Still, Jantus hated the idea of shifting down, especially without knowing anything about his location or the people who lived here. The massive were howled up into the sky, calling attention to his preference. It was a deep, throaty yowl, but its emphasis was clear enough. No hostility, just grabbing attention. Afterward, he removed his bear-skin cape and his belt, before shifting down, feeling uneasy the entire time. His eyepatch loosened around his head as he did, but was made well enough that it stayed put, and would remain in place unless he actively tried to hunt or fight in that shape. Hopefully, this shape would be less offensive to any wolf who happened to come by. He didn't want to abandon any of his affects, so hopefully it would be the alpha that answered him, and not some scout who would lead him deeper into the territory. |