[html] ooc;; 30.11.10. excuse saul, he's a little upset today!
Deep breaths had long since become ragged and pained in his throat. Lightly muscled body was pushed harder than it had ever been pushed before, the muscles raw and thurmming with the stress the youth was putting them under. Paw pads were still uninjured but the young male could feel a small split in his right front paw threatening to break open and bleed upon the snowy ground. Tears streaked from his eyes down his tawny face and a grimace pulled at his lips, turning his usually happy smile into a horrible frown. His tail was tucked firmly against his belly whilst his ears lay flat against his head. He wasnt being chased, but the tawny male ran as though his whole life depended on it. So he was running and running, crying his eyes out. They were threatening to become hysterical and the only thing keeping him from breaking down was the rhythmatic thump of his own paws on the snow that seemed to have at least a small calming effect on him.
A small part of his brain told him he was being stupid. He wasn't even crying about anything in particular and his flight from Dahlia this morning had been totally unprovoked. Most of his packmates knew that he was a happy creature, if not a little reserved at times. But this panic attack that had sent the male running from his home was completely out of character for him. In all truths he had no idea why he was so upset and panicky, but this mornings run had sent him into a panic attack. He had been running near the beach and had seen a rabbit inpaled on a stick. It was still moving and it had struggled when it had seen him. All of a sudden he had felt an itching sensation all over his body and he couldnt breath.
He had run, trying to work it out of his system. When a lap of Dahlia hadnt done the trick, the male had decided to venture further afield and had run south, out of Dahlia. He was racing away from something, but he couldnt have told you what. He missed his brothers, who were in Dahlia but never seemed to be around, despite the fact that they lived under the same roof. He missed his aunt, who had turned totally aloof and distant the past few months. Oddly, he missed his mother, whom he had never really known but missed with all his heart. Surprisingly, he missed his father, who had never really been there for him but was a figure none the less. He desperately wanted Shiloh back in his life, even though he knew that once he found her she would walk all over him and wipe her paws on his coat to keep her clean. But that was how it was supposed to be, that was how his world worked. And none of it seemed to be working right now. Perhaps that was why he was running.
A stone made him stop- he almost crashed into the ground, to be more precise. Pain shot up his leg, firey and hot. The slit in his paw that had been okay and unbroken up until now had been wrenched apart by the small pebble and now he was bleeding. Looking around, Saul found his nose detecting a strong pack border. He sat down, resting his injured paw lightly on the ground to keep his weight from it. With each pump of his heart, a small amount of blood oozed out and it wasnt long before a small puddle of blood surronded that paw. He had learnt to heal minor injuries in his time as a loner, but his panicked state couldnt quite deal with this at the moment. With tears streaking down his face and a pressure on his chest that he didnt understand, Saul sent forth a shaky howl to get some assistance from someone who might take pitty on a lonely teenager.
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She couldn't see much around her, but that didn't stop her from walking. There were only so many places for her to keep looking at and checking around the territory, but she did so several times a day. Her little sister's scent had been fading from her usual hangouts ever since the night that Grace hadn't come home. Addison realized that the young female would want space to herself and that she would go out on all sorts of puppy adventures, but the fact that she hadn't returned home since that day made her heart wrench. The little girl was the reason that the cinnamon-flecked female had returned to 'Souls to begin with, and now that she was gone she felt as if she'd lost some of her purpose.
Of course, she refused to believe that Grace was actually gone. Every day the shifted wolfess checked those spots, over and over and over. She still felt certain that her orange sibling would be there one of those times, jumping out from behind a log...coming out of some underground hole or hiding place to surprise her. She couldn't see Grace choosing to leave of her own free will, so it was easier to believe that she was still somewhere in the territory despite the evidence pointing otherwise.
Her relationship with her sister had been good, or so she had thought. Grace was a free-spirited pup with a feisty attitude, much like Addison had been at that age, but they had been getting along well. She had taken her from their mother because of the way that Dierdre had been neglecting the girl. She had been taking care of her since then, providing the girl's meals; wherever Grace was, how was she able to eat? She had barely begun to teach her the basics of hunting when she had disappeared.
Mismatched blue and gold eyes blinked back emotion as it threatened to spill over from her lids, one cinnamon hand coming up to brush them away in a quick and frustrated manner. It had been weeks. The short luperci shook her head to try and clear her mind, causing her barely-confined batch of reddish waves to come loose from their hair tie. It shot off into the woods beyond and she slowly set off after it. A deep fog had settled around the territory despite the time of day, refusing to lift, but she managed to find the hairband easily enough.
A nearby howl caught her attention as she slid the tie back into place. Her first thought was that it was Grace, but when she considered the tone of the wolf's call she realized that it probably wasn't so. Perhaps someone with news of her, then. The luperci started in the direction of the howl, a figure beginning to appear as the fog cleared toward the edges of the Valley territory. What had they howled for? She could smell the familiar scent of Dahlia, a place that she had lived in the past. "Umm..you called?" She kept her distance for now, gaze wary.
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[html] ooc;; <3
Pain had begun to numb the bottom of his right paw, the pad throbbing mercilessly as blood began to congeal around the open wound. Logic told him that he should shift, but he appeared to be too wound up to calm down and concentrate on these matters. He didnt even understand what he was doing here, didnt know where the journey had gone. One minute he had been gazing into the glassy eyes of an impaled rabbit and then next he was almost to another packs borders, right paw cut and bleeding and too worked up to do anything about it. He had really worked himself up into a state and he didnt know where home was, where he was, if this land was friendly or hostile. Green eyes closed slowly, fluttering shut just as a voice entered his ears.
Eyes snapped open with a slight shock runnig through the males body. Coming through the fog, Saul saw a wolf in optime form. He could just about see reddish curl pinned behind her head and, unbidden his mind produced an image of those curls set free. Embarrassed, he shook the image away and concentrated on the words she had said. She didnt come any closer than she already had made it. She seemed wary and Saul wondered if this was in fact an enemy pack. However, she didnt look like she was going to hurt him any more than he already was. Holding up his injured paw, Saul gave a soft whine before speaking.
"I-i didnt know what else to do miss... I smelt that I was near another's borders and when I slashed open my paw I didnt know what else to do but call for help... Thank you for coming"
He rushed over the first sentences, but his last words were warm and genuine. He was no where near the usual happy Saul self, but he was beginning to calm down. With his paw still suspended in the air he tried to calm himself further, tried to concentrate into shifting. It wasnt working and he remained small and injured on the ground, his lupus form the only one accessible to him at the moment. Green eyes spyed duel coloured orbs from the female who seemed to wary of him- blue and gold that complimented her tawny coat. She looked a lot like he did but with apparently less white to her fur. Dipping his head down in respect for her borders, Saul gave her his name in the hope that it would make her a little less wary of him.
"My name is Saul Stormbringer... I come from Dahlia de Mai."
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I very much enjoy roleplaying with you :] And yep, Addi has more of an orangey-cream color where white would be on a regular timber wolf. And I love my current Addi avatar because the wolf looked just like her and even had the little scars she has. Also, I'm assuming that they would start walking after this post.
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She still had marks from her encounter with Halo, the coyote from Inferni. They occasionally twinged, especially when it began to get colder out, and she rubbed at one scar on her muzzle distractedly as she observed the stranger. That could easily have been part of the reason why Addison was so wary and defensive, even with the entire pack right behind her in the Valley. She had once been an adventurous but innocent child, easily trusting others and helpful to strangers. Her experiences with Halo and the rats had changed her.
Having returned to the valley pack not that long ago, she was unsure of the relations between them and neighboring packs. She'd recently been to visit the pack around the other side of the city, the Miracles pack, and had learned a bit about them and their ways. She also knew of Dahlia de Mai, Crimson Dreams, and of Inferni. Was Phoenix Valley on good terms with them? They weren't fighting or anything, so she felt that they probably were on good terms.
Saul's predicament was an odd one. Addison had met wolves before who couldn't shift (as that seemed the logical solution to the problem), and wasn't sure if he was one of those or not. If he would simply shift, his paw would turn into a hand that he wouldn't need to use for walking. She thought to suggest this but thought better of it; if the wolf could shift he probably would have. "Well...you don't look too dangerous, especially with the whole injured-animal thing going on. I guess I could let you in and give you help."
She had met Halo in a neutral territory, that was another difference. If she needed help here, she could simply call for it. Addison would still watch her back and watch every move that he made, though, just in case. "I was already out here...so...no biggie. Can you walk on it enough to get back to the ranch with me?" She had a medical kit in the barn that she used whenever one of the farm animals became scraped up or injured. Just last week a sheep had gotten caught in the fence.
Addison kept her calm disposition and spoke quietly to the stranger, coming closer. "Addison. I could smell Dahlia on you. This pack is Phoenix Valley; my dad runs it. I live here with my sister." She wanted to take a look at the paw now, but was hesitant to come that close to him. He looked like a nice fellow, sure, but she'd feel better about it once they were in the heart of the territory. "How'd you end up way out here, though?" She asked, motioning for him to walk beside her into the forests before them.
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[html] ooc;; awww i lurve rping with you too jamesy! ^^
Green eyes watched as some sort of internal battle took place in the female in front of him. He wasnt sure what had made her so wary of stranger, wary of Dahlians in his eyes. He had always thought they were okay with their southern neighbors but her wariness made him second guess his assumptions. He had heard of their wars with Inferni, but he didnt exactly know the ins and outs of who had supported whom in those battles. Perhaps Phoenix Valley had not sided with Dahlia. But that didnt matter to him now as she was speaking and she seemed to be yielding to him. He wouldnt be here if he didnt need her help- if he could only calm down and shift so he could heal himself this would be much easier to deal with. But he couldnt and she was the only other person around that might be able to help him. She allowed him to come with him and for that he was grateful.
"Thank you..."
He breathed, getting to his feet and holding his right paw high so he wouldnt be tempted to step on it. He hopped over to the young female and smiled softly up at her. She seemed nice enough even if her manner was brusque and blunt. She asked him if he could walk on it and he shook his head softly whilst still holding his paw up. It had stopped bleeding too badly and only a few drops settled where he had stopped to wait for her to lead the way. But they were off again and she was speaking. She seemed a chatty one, which usually would have appealed to Saul's better nature. But right now he wasnt feeling so chatty and although it wasnt annoying that she was he didnt feel quite right about letting her do all the talking. So when she offered her name he smile up at her.
"Its nice to meet you Addison."
He murmered softly, not thinking what to say in return to her comment on her father being alpha of this pack. So he walked alongside her instead, hopping and limping. He didnt know how long they'd been walking when she spoke again, asking him what he was doing out here anyway. He didnt know what he was doing here. He'd had a freak out at the beach and ended up running away- which usually helped clear his mind. But it hadnt and he'd kept on running to see if it would help. And when it hadnt he didnt know what to do and by that time he had been all the way out here and his paw was hurting. It had taken the small pebble just moments to lodge itself in his paw and split it. That was what he was doing out here.
"Well uhmm... I was at home, at the beach. And I saw a rabbit impaled on a spike. And I freaked out about it and ran... it usually helps to clear my mind. But by the time I got out here it still wasnt clear and then i split my paw... So really, I dont know what Im doing out here."
It was the most he'd spoken for far and he sounded very quite and nervous as he said it. That wasnt very characteristic for him but he didnt care right now. His paw was hurting and she was going to help him, right?
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He did look rather pitiful with his paw like that. Saul was in his lupus form so Addison did tower over him a bit. She wondered how tall he would be if he were shifted; probably much, much taller than her. Both of her parents had been very tall luperci, so she wasn't sure why she'd been stuck with the short end of the stick (no pun intended). Her mind branched off of that thought to wonder about Grace once more, curious of what the girl would look like once she got bigger. Her sister's disappearance was really affecting her thoughts.
"It's ok. I bet you'd do the same for me if I was the one in your situation." She said. She kept a steady but slightly slower pace as they made their way toward the ranch. His story about the rabbit didn't make much sense to her. She didn't know why a wolf would choose to do something like that at all, especially in a pack like Dahlia de Mai. "I wonder who impaled that rabbit like that. When I was living there the pack was led by Haku Soul...he'd do something crazy like that."
They reached the ranch without too long. Her cabin was just outside of the ranch itself, but they would need to go to the barn first to get the supplies. "One sec." She pulled the gate open and then shut again, coming back with the medical kit. She wanted to take care of the cut as soon as possible, but had useful things like bottles of water and extra bandage in her cabin. She could see it from where they were at; it wasn't too far of a walk.
"My cabin's over here." Addi pulled the door open when they reached it, holding it open for him. Her living space was rustic but not without decoration; it had two bedrooms but it was obvious that she slept in the living room more often than anywhere else. She had many books and baubles from the human city up on shelves. Blankets and pillows lay all over the couch and recliners, some drooping down to the floor, and she tossed them into a pile onto one of the chairs. In her fireplace embers were still glowing and with a few pieces of wood and a couple of sparks it was going again.
Her claws clicked on the wood floors as she walked about, picking a few things up. Grace's toys still littered the floor near the fireplace and she scooted them out of the way with her foot, sitting down in one of the recliners and reaching for a bottle of water that was on a nearby side table. "Paw, please."
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[html] ooc;; <33
Normally a smile would have tugged his lips at all times, but the tugging pain in his paw and the lingering adrenaline from his flight out of Dahlia was something that, combined, made a deadly mix that was not altogether compatable with his system. In fact, it made the young male feel really rather sick. The timber wolf in front of him began to speak again and although a smile would usually have been upon his lips he could only look up at her and twitch his lips. Of course he would have done the same in her situation. He gave a nod in her drection, feeling down and upset. He still hadnt figured out what was wrong with him.
"Of course I would do the same."
She seemed to ponder over something for a moment before she voiced these opinions. It had been playing on Saul's mind, he had spent most of his flight over here trying to figure out firstly what had freaked him out so much and secondly who had done that to a rabbit. Maybe it had been an accident, or maybe someone was trying to warn them, or threaten them. Saul had never heard of Haku Soul, but he knew Soul was Conor's last name. He wondered what relation they were to each other. What she said about that being something Haku would do piqued Saul's interest. Was he really that strange?
"I'm afraid I dont know who Haku Soul is... But my leader Conor has the same last name. Conor Soul..."
He mused, his voice rather quiet and reserved. There was a lot going on in his head and he couldnt make sense of any of it. They had arrived at the barn and Saul waited outside. He couild hear her rustling about inside and he wondered what she was doing. As she exited however Saul could see the bandages in her hands and he was thankful that she had these things on hand. He was instructed that her cabin was this way and Saul followed the timber wolf with his paw still tucked up into his body. She pushed the door open and Saul could not help the smile that smothered over his lips. The cabin was chaotic, but in a certain lived in manner. Blankets and pillows littered to sofa's, often spilling over onto the floor. There were toys on the floor and Saul allowed his tail to wag softly at the though of Range and Melee, back at his home. He watched as she revived the fire, appreciative of the warmth that had begun to radiate out into the room. It was just moments before Addison demanded his paw. Sitting down, Saul carefully placed his red-stained paw in her hand, preparing himself for the pain of having the dried blood washed away.
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I'm sorry for the wait on this :[ I don't have constant internet on break, which blows. End soon?
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She worked on his paw as he spoke, considering his words carefully. Conor Soul, huh? She wondered what relationship Conor would have to Jefferson, her father. Interesting. Addison would have to pay a visit to Dahlia and see what was going on up there. She was interested in learning about her family and the different ways that everyone was connected.
"Can I come to Dahlia sometime?"She asked, cleaning and bandaging the paw up. She patted it when she was done, releasing it and looking across at him. "I need to get out more...and if he's around, I'd like to talk to Conor. If not, though, maybe a tour."
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[html] ooc;; <33
The stinging of his paw was getting better, despite the split it had sustained. He had never really had a proper injury before, not anything that had actually made him bleed. His mind threw him and image of his little brother bleeding from where their grandmother had bitten him. Gideon had bled before, really badly. Saul on the other had never really had anything that had hurt. He had collapsed of exhaustion and hunger on Dahlia's borders where Bris had found him, but that wasn't injured. He smiled softly as she wrapped his paw in a bandage. It felt soft against his fur and as Addison released his paw he gave a soft sigh of relief.
"Thank you Addison."
Came his subdued voice and he closed his eyes once. Her voice made him pay attention however and he gave her a confused little look. She had asked him whether she could come to Dahlia. Anyone who had bandaged up a stranger with no question of who he really was, was certainly welcome on his borders. And she seemed to know Conor's family. Though Saul had never heard of Haku, he shared Conor's last name and therefore he was family to the cinnamon and gold male. He allowed his tail to flip back and forward as green eyes caught mismatched ones from the older female.
"You are more than welcome in Dahlia"
He murmered with a gentle smile. He wasn't feeling the best and this was most certainly out of character for the young Stormbringer male. He couldn't even explain why he was feeling the way he did. So instead he let it wash over him, allowed his ears to droop down. Saul heard her voice once more and he gave the softest of chuckles.
"I'm sure you'll find him somewhere. But if you can't I'd be more than happy to show you around."
He said, hoping that next time he saw her he would be in a better mood. However she had calmed him down and he felt ready to go home now. Green eyes glanced up at the timber female and hoped that she would take him to the borders- he had no idea where he was right now.
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<3 Another one soon! Whenever you have time :] wc: 216
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She could sense that their time together had come to an end. Addison wasn't one to beat a dead dog and it seemed obvious to her that he wasn't really up for much conversation. He seemed a bit out of it, as far as wolves went. Maybe it was the constant pain from his injury. Addison had gone through torture in her days and knew both physical and psychological pain and the effects of it. He'd probably feel better once he got back to his home and pack. "Alright. Being a Soul myself...I'd just like to meet more of the family, I suppose."
Addi wasn't sure when she'd actually find the time to get up to Dahlia and seek Saul out, but it was nice to know that she would be welcomed to if she wished. Maybe he'd be in a better mood and maybe his paw would be feeling well enough for that tour that she had mentioned. She nodded at his words about Conor. "Well then...let's take off." She gave him a smile, warming her hands up a bit more before going to the door and opening it to step out into the territory. It'd be a bit of a walk for her, but then she would come back and take a nice rest.
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