11-06-2009, 07:11 PM
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 » kol! The waning light of day filtered through the scarce canopy, which seemingly grew thinner by the minute. Only the most stubborn of leaves clung to their autumnal colours--not a speck of green was left, and even the magnificent reds and yellows were succumbing to their fate, turning dull orange and brown. As the sun raced to hide behind the horizon, hazy thoughts of his afternoon fell with it; just as surely lady Luna ascended to her evening throne, nearly three quarters full and shining brilliant white--enough to obscure the stars directly adjacent in the sky--his mind and movements grew sharp, clear, and brisk. Wallowing around the Sugarwoods with Ms. Monroe had proven to be a relaxing way to fritter away the afternoon, but as always when the fog of smoke cleared and the dull of the alcohol subsided, he knew it was time to move on. Had he passed through here even two hours prior, he may have overlooked a ghost of a memory's scent without a second thought. All of a sudden, though, he found his steps halting as his nose crinkled and drank in the cool air of twilight. Anselm lowered himself carefully to the ground in a crouch as his ruby eyes squinted at the lightly scattered leaves on the forest floor; he picked one up thoughtfully and brought it to his face as if it were a flower, scenting it carefully before placing it back where he'd found it. Already his body was shrinking; already his mind was made up and the rest of him was adapting to catch up. He would track this puzzling scent--it had not lingered so close to Dahlian borders on his last pass through the area. Now on four legs he could follow her trail swiftly; his movements were hasty yet silenced--he knew full well the slightest mistake could trigger a shit-storm from Dahlia's barbaric horror of a Beta. It was the same risk he took when he went to visit Cwmfen, and he was paying as much attention to Haku's scent trails as Kol's. Their lines converged at one point on the border and here he faltered, ears pivoting constantly as he kept on high alert for any sign of movement or life. Only when he was confident there was none did he lower his head to the ground again, carefully picking apart the trails that seemed to diverge once more. How rank and awful was the male's; how it reminded him of death and the stench of rot. His expression dropped as he considered turning and fleeing from the scene, crashing into his den, and simply having a restful night of sleep. As appealing as this idea sounded, he knew life was never so simple. Above the stink of Haku was the light, feminine musk of a friend of an enemy--one who he'd deliberately avoided in battle before, and one who had done the same in turn. The hybrid simply sat now, puzzled; what to do, what to do? Curiosity killed the cat; satisfaction brought him back. With that, he dared to trail after her just a little bit further, eyes questioning and mind ever alert.  |