a nervous tic motion of the head to the left

Nayati Utina · 10-18-2010, 09:46 PM

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Do you mind if we backdate this to before the 14th? 300+

His life in this tribe had seemed so good until recently, especially with the reappearance of Sanuye. He still found it hard to believe that she had managed the journey from the Great Tribe to here. It was not a journey for the meek, and he had always viewed the coyote girl as meek. The Utina didn't view her as weak in spirit in any way, but certainly not the one to make such a trek on her own. Though she hadn't been completely alone. Her Spirit Guide and horse had been there to help her along the way. However she had managed it though, she was here safe and sound now, and that was what was important.

After the joy of her arrival though, he had been dealt a heavy blow. Asha, his best childhood friend, had left to return to their old home and hadn't even said farewell to him. Nayati knew that she was ignorant of his true feelings for her, but wasn't their bond of friendship enough to make her realize that he would be hurt by such an action? Though, it wasn't really as if they close bond had been sustained once he had followed her here. While she had greeted him enthusiastically upon his arrival, after that she had been distant. The blue-painted man couldn't even recall clearly the last time he had seen her. Still, for her to leave with no word, it cut him deeply.

Usually a strong and dedicated worker, the Enagayahe Kanati had been lethargic since learning of his once friend's departure. He couldn't help but wonder if he had told her how he really felt if she would have stayed. Perhaps, but her absence had left his heart feeling confused and now he wasn't sure what it was that he felt for her. Her leaving only made his emotions more of a quagmire than before. He had stayed in his hut later than was his custom, and when he did emerge he made a slow and wandering journey to the Adagio Creek. When Nayati reached the waters he sat down upon the bank and listened to the flow of the river, hoping it would provide some relief to his soul.

Theodoric Martin · 10-19-2010, 09:42 PM

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sure! does the 12th or 13th work? (wc: 453)

About a week had passed since Theodoric had become a Gatlvska in the AniWaya tribe. Other than unpacking his looms, however, the Scottish luperci hadn’t done much weaving yet. There was much to be done: turn an empty hut into a home, help with the harvest, and enjoy the last bits of warm weather. While he was trying to make it to the working fields daily, the majority of his time was spent at his new home in the village. He’d spent the first day cleaning the slightly neglected building from top to bottom (he was a bachelor, but he was a fastidious one), and in the following days made what repairs he could (he wasn’t a carpenter, but he knew which end of the hammer to hold).

By now, he had unpacked all that he had brought with him and made the things that he could. There was now distinction between kitchen, workroom, and sleeping quarters. A sturdy post for the eagle owl Wynne stood in the corner of the main room, and a thick blanket made from the Martin clan’s signature weave hung across the doorway. The overall effect was somewhat austere and definitely lacked a lady’s touch, but it was comfortable enough.

Theodoric began the day by writing long overdue letters. His script tended to be ill-formed and his vocabulary somewhat terse, but he wrote willingly enough. The Martin had few friends and family that would miss him, but those that did would at least be sincere about it. His younger sisters especially ought to know he was safe and sound – and if they could get him a shipment of wool before the weather turned, all the better. At this point, Theo hadn’t yet considered how the letters were to be delivered, but that would be a task for another day.

His correspondence completed, Wynne made it known that the simple viand she’d eaten at breakfast had not satisfied her hunger. In response, Theodoric laced a leather bracer on his left wrist, threw on a cloak, and carried the owl outside. She took off hunting, her wingbeats silent in the autumn air. He followed at a distance, eager for the excuse to stretch his legs. By the time the duo reached the Adagio Creek, the bird was on her third vole of the day. While she fed in the treetops, Theodoric made his way to the river’s edge; he had always enjoyed watching the flow of the water. With some surprise, he noticed another AniWayan at the waterside. “Hello,” he called out in greeting. “I hope I’m not intruding?” If Theo hadn’t expected company all the way out here, perhaps this fellow hadn’t either – and maybe that was the point.

Nayati Utina · 10-22-2010, 07:05 PM

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The 12th would be great! Big Grin 300+

His sky pale blue eyes became transfixed on the creek's running water. Everything else around him became dimmed, even all other sounds his ears became deaf to. All there was was the gentle trickling of the water and the dripping of the small caves. The Utina's breathing became deep and steady, meditative. The man felt soothed, the calm running water having that inherent effect upon him. He remembered back to when he had been a pup and whenever he had become morose his mother would carry him to the nearest stream or river and tell him to listen to the water. It was a practice that had become ingrained in him.

Unfortunately, there was only so much comfort that the creek could give him this time. Nayati wanted answers, and that was one thing that the water could not give him. What had happened between him and Asha? Why had she become so distant? Why had she just left? Had he done something to drive her away from him? Had her impulsive nature simply gotten the better of her? His eyes searched the water pleadingly for an answer to any of the questions, but they were not there. He could find nothing in himself or his memories to give a direction to why things had turned out as they had. Perhaps he would never be given peace-of-mind on this situation.

The tribal hunter had been so absorbed into his private meditation that he was surprised when a voice cut through his focused seclusion. His head shot up and he searched for the source quickly, eyes bright and intense. When they alighted on the other man though, his gaze softened. Nayati sighed, and shook his head in response. "No, you are not intruding. I was just...becoming lost in my thoughts." The painted wolf stood up, not one to forget his manners. "I am Nayati Utina. Are you new to the tribe?" He hadn't seen or smelled this man before, for certainly he would remember someone dressed in a cloak.

Theodoric Martin · 10-26-2010, 03:46 PM

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perfect! also, drinks sometime this week? (wc:344)

The space and quiet necessary for long meditations were quite lost on the culture of Theodoric’s childhood. He was raised amid the crush of city crowds and the constant clamor of his family’s never-ending demands. Until he ventured out on his journeyman’s travels – already a full grown man and an adept at his trade– the Martin clansman took the full, noisy, intensely social way of life he grew up with as the norm. Only here, across the sea, Theo discovered a whole world where the population thinned and the wild spaces still held their sway; here, he found silence and inspiration and peace. And it was here, with that feral wildness, that he first fell in love.

So Theodoric could understand the desire and the need for time alone, and felt intensely guilty at having disturbed someone’s private meditation. Despite words contrary, it was there in the slight jerk of the head and the suppressed sigh that made Theo feel like he’d just barged into the other man’s home, uninvited and unannounced. Intrusion or not, the other was a gracious host, smiling and rising to greet him. “A pleasure,” he returned the introduction with a polite dip of the head. ”Th’ name’s Theodoric.”

Having grown up in a coastal port city, the Gatlvska was accustomed to seeing characters of many shapes, sizes, nationalities and creeds. In his eyes, the long cloak he wore was no more an oddity than the bright silk scarves imported from the far east or the juju peddlers’ trinkets brought from the jungles of the south. It had not yet occurred to Theodoric that his garments, along with his strong accent, gave him a rather outlandish appearance here in AniWaya. “Yes, I am. I arrived only a few days ago.” They had been busy days, but Theo was already forming a liking for his new pack’s lands and peoples. “What about you? Have you lived here long?” The question might sound silly – Nayati might have been born here, for all Theodoric knew – but you never know until you ask.

Nayati Utina · 11-03-2010, 07:28 PM

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Okay, so that week has past, but I do definitely owe you a birthday drink! 300+

Perhaps it was best that his thoughts had been interrupted. If he kept fixating on them for too long he would likely drive himself mad; he felt he was nearly half there already. His friendship with Asha had been one of his very first, and she had always held a spotlight in his life, even after she had initially left the Great Tribe to come and form this one. Nayati had truly thought, or hoped at least, that once he followed her here that everything he had wanted for "them" would come true. That he would have the guts to tell her how he felt and that both Asha and Dawali would welcome his advances and that they could start a family. It seemed that those dreams would remain in the realm of fantasy now, though.

The Utina could sense that the brown hued man felt a little bad for coming upon him as he had, but it was not as if Nayati had locked himself away to be alone. If he had wanted to avoid any possibility of interruption, he would have stayed inside his hut, not come out here into the open where any fellow member of the tribe could easily stumble upon him. There were no bad feelings to be had, as far as he was concerned. Now that he was more in the mindset of pleasant conversation, he noted the interesting lilt to the other man's voice, one he had never heard before. "A pleasure for me, also," he said with muted smile.

The AniWayan was not used to seeing clothes that people wore outside of what was normal for his own people and culture. He had seen some garments on others, but not many. Though now that he thought of it, Ember wore a similar cloak at times, but she lacked such an accent to her voice. "Arrived from where, if you do not mind my asking. I have never met anyone that sounds as you do." Hopefully Theodoric wouldn't think him rude, for he was only curious. "I have been here...not quite a full year, but almost. I came from the Great Tribe of AniWaya, of which this is a smaller, sister tribe." It was a little shocking to realize exactly how long it had been since he arrived here.

Theodoric Martin · 12-07-2010, 07:18 PM

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apologies for the delay. NaNoWriMo ate my November. (wc: 311)

With introductions made, Theodoric spread his cloak on the ground and took a seat. He settled near enough to carry on conversation at an acceptable volume, but not so close as to crowd his new acquaintance. Briefly, he wondered if he was flouting local tradition by seating before a senior member, but decided that was unlikely in a pack with AniWaya’s tribal structure. And in any case, he would not make the same mistakes as his previous stay across the sea, when he had been socially paralyzed by the fear of acting inappropriately. He had been an adult physically, but had not matured into a socially confident canine until recently.

A wry grin inched its way onto Theodoric’s features. He would never be rid of his thick Scottish accent, even if he tried – and he wasn’t that interested in trying. The way he spoke was a part of his identity, after all. “Not at all,” he replied amiably, “I was born and raised in the Scottish town of Edinburgh.” He paused, considered, and then elaborated for the other’s benefit, “It’s east across the sea and north a little, on a big ‘ole island.” The description was a little coarse, but he had no idea of Nayati’s knowledge of European geography. For wolves who spent their entire lives on this rather large continent, learning about their cousins across the sea would only have nominal value.

In passing, Theodoric had heard mention of AniWaya’s great sister tribe. He knew, vaguely, that the hierarchy and social values were borrowed from the other tribe, but otherwise knew little about it. Not where it was, nor why the current AniWayans had left it. “What is the Great Tribe like? I don’t know much about it.” He didn’t mean to pry, but he was curious. Theodoric had always liked to know the beginnings of things.

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