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------The bay was one of his favourite places to go, mostly because it was essentially an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet. There was always more than just the fish that swam about in the shallows. His trained eye could easily detect air holes in the sand, made by shellfish for the sake of breathing. A bit of digging could unearth what seemed to be an infinite amount of the molluscs, which could be smashed then eaten. Exposed clams could be left and watched from a distance--with a bit of luck and quick reflexes, he could occasionally manage to catch a gull. Today, he would get a better fill than he could have even imagined.
------His visit had begun fairly routine... spot a hole, dig for a brief while in the soft sand, find a clam or mussel, crack it open with his powerful teeth, then slurp down the soft-bodied animal inside. Naturally, a wolf could sustain itself on clams about as well as it could on field mice--you needed a lot, or they were simply snacks while waiting for something more filling to come along. And come along something did. His ears pricked forward as he caught the sound of a raft of otters not far off. Crouching low, he made his way to the water's edge. The waves lapped at his feet, and the cold water stung, but he paid it no heed. Instead, his red eyes focused on the dozen or so of sea mammals up ahead. He had already managed to cut them off from a direct path to the water.
------Licking his lips hungrily, he singled out one of the mid size females that stood off to the side. He knew that they could become quite rowdy in groups--it would be best to separate her from the rest. As he began to move quickly forward on all fours, he began to grow in size, figuring his half-shifted form would be best for this endeavour. One of them noticed him coming and sounded a warning call. And then, all hell broke loose as the otters turned to face him, barking and preparing for defence. He barrelled along, and once close, raised a large paw and smacked his target roughly, sending her somersaulting through the air. The others panicked and chased after him, trying to nip at his heels. Still on all fours, he continued to sprint. Leaping into the air, he caught the forty pound animal around its midriff and bit down--hard. Sprinting away now, the others realised that saving their group member was a lost cause and scattered, running for the water, where they turned to bark angrily at him. Ignoring them, he gave the otter a vicious shake then spat her out. It was time to feast.
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[html] http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll174/omgrust/t1.png); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: center top; background-color: #25211e;">When the smell of smoke had drifted toward him, and he had scrambled from the library that day to see a great number of creatures escaping toward the mountainside, Jesile had made his final decision. Though he could have set off to the south, once again in search of his father and the family he had become alien to, he had chosen to head for the mountain. Whether is was due to fear of losing what family he had left or otherwise, his decision had abolished all confusion he had brooded over for the last couple of months. He had finally learned to let go (somewhat) of what he knew and allow inevitable change to take its course. Of course there were things he still clung to such as his remaining family, and he could not seem to shake his fear of being alone, but he had finally let go of his father, which had lifted a great weight from his shoulders. There was little he truly cared for now, but Faolin was the most paramount of his concerns. Where was she now? Was she all right? He did not allow himself to question whether she had escaped the blaze. She had to have escaped, and he made a conscious effort not to think any more of it. Inferni had been strong despite its few numbers, and she with it.
With the library that had been his refuge obviously burned down, he had taken to the coast again. The warmer weather made staying in the area easier, and the abundant supply of food allowed him to remain constantly. Several times he had ventured away from the sands to survey the new territories, but more often than not he kept close to the shoreline even with the recent discovery of another library, content with watching the sunrises and sunsets the way he had when he had lived with Inferni. Though he had thought of visiting the new territory of the clan, of visiting Faolin, he had created some excuse for himself and had decided against it. He did not know if he would be considered anything but a traitor for leaving, and the consequences of someone else besides his sister finding him on the borders kept him at bay. If he was attacked, his speed was all he would have by means of self preservation. One day perhaps he would gather himself to do it, but for this day, the sea was enough to keep him preoccupied.
As he cracked the shell of another crustacean and happily slurped on the innards, it came to his attention that someone else was nearby. Ordinarily, he would have allowed them to go undisturbed and he would have gone about his own business, but the scent of the stranger was so familiar that he did not disregard it. Instead, he raised his nose from his lunch and gazed attentively out into the distance. There just around a small bend in the shoreline. Absently, he left his shell and began with a steady trot toward the hybrid, listening carefully to the sounds of the frantic otters as he drew closer and closer. When he finally arrived, the male had successfully taken one of the creatures, making Jesile think for a moment whether it would be at all worth the possibility of being viciously chased away simply for a moment's time. The scent of Inferni eventually swayed him away from the approach of safety. It was better to speak here on neutral ground than on their borders.
The rest of Inferni made it safely, then? he asked easily after halting several yards away. His concern was genuine, even if that concern was focused primarily around Faolin. | [/html]
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------Red eyes locked onto the figure of the youthful coyote that approached him, although he kept his head low as he began to tear into the otter's side. By the time that Jesile had even gotten within speaking distance, he had already managed to devour the heart, liver, and other internal organs of the unfortunate weasel-esque creature. Anselm towered over his kill, in no way prepared to surrender it to anybody. It did not seem as though the boy wanted trouble, but living the life of a loner had taught him not to make exceptions. Guilty until proven innocent... a threat until proven otherwise. Hell, he knew that he would gladly snatch a kill that was not well defended or looked after.
------Figuring his body language would be sufficient, he said nothing until the other spoke. Concern was in the younger 'yote's voice, and he paused for a moment to gulp down whatever meat was in his mouth. "I suppose. I don't really know who they started with, only who is with them now," he answered, eyeing him warily. If he was so concerned about Inferni, why wasn't he a part of the clan? He certainly didn't recognise him from the meeting, nor could he recall seeing the boy when he and Gabriel had first returned to gather up the troops before settling in the Waste. "Did you get separated?"
------This was an interesting situation. He wondered exactly how many others that had originally been a part of Inferni were now gone. Despite being familiar with the area, he certainly knew little about Inferni itself, other than its reputation and that it was lead by his cousin. He had no way of knowing that Andre had been exiled; he couldn't know that Jesile had originally separated even before the fire; Matrix and her family were complete unknowns; Arkham was also a mystery. He only knew those that had returned with him to the Waste: Rachias, Gabriel, Faolin, Samael, Molochai, Hybrid, and Gabe's two young children.
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[html] http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll174/omgrust/t1.png); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: center top; background-color: #25211e;">Jesile sat comfortably upon lithe haunches as the other male continued to rip into his otter, making it absolutely clear that he had no intention of stealing the kill. Even if he had wanted to, his agility would aid him surely, but the red-eyed male would be able to snap his neck rather easily in the attempt before he was ever able to snatch the carcass from under his nose. And then, if he wasn't killed, he would be chased, and if he wasn't caught, he would be caught later. A bit of food just wasn't worth the trouble when there was plenty of seafood lying around. Aside from this, Anselm was a member of Inferni, and despite that Jesile had not set foot anywhere near their territory (old or new) in what seemed like a very long time, he still felt a slight attachment to the clan himself. Had not become so over-analytical and paranoid, he might have returned.
The tone of voice the hybrid used caused a curious frown to crease his lips, though the tone was not without good reason. Being a coyote and not residing with Inferni seemed a rare circumstance, as even the Scot he had conversed with the previous month had seemed to think so, and he had been a wolf. You were usually either a traitor or you hadn't spent much time in the area. Jesile fell under neither of these categories as far as he was concerned, and yet the reason he was not with them now was beyond his own capabilities to explain. At least he was offering what he knew instead of outright assuming that Jesile was in some way a traitor which was something he would probably deserve by default.
The fact that he had not heard of anyone who was still missing was an instant relief. The missing mate of the Inferni leader would certainly not go unnoticed. Anselm's next question however took his relief and turned it into an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach. No. I left before the fire in search of my father. It was quite simple, actually. The complicated bit came with the question of why he wasn't with the clan now. | [/html]
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------Somewhere in the distance he could still hear the otters making a fuss; clearly they were oblivious to the important discussion at hand. Or something. As time went on, Anselm was no longer convinced that this what he might have thought it to be, but then again, if anybody asked, he couldn't say what he originally expected. Jesile kept a comfortable distance, both physically and mentally, and for the most part the red-eyed canine was pleased. He continued to chow down, now only glancing away from his visitor on occasion, rather than maintaining a hard and intimidating stare.
------At the explanation he simply shrugged and offered an indifferent "Oh." He really didn't care what anybody else did, and it wasn't in his nature to pry into personal matters. He certainly hated it when anybody tried to dig their way into his mind or dissect his motives, and he was sensible enough to realise that asking questions normally meant you would be asked more in return. "Well, we live over there now," he said gruffly while gesturing in the clan's direction, just in case Jesile was interested. He didn't know if the coyote had found his father or not, or what he was intending to do any more. Once more, he didn't care to ask.
------"Should I tell Gabriel or Faolin you're in the area?" he inquired, business-like in nature. Who knew--perhaps his leaders would be pleased by the news, in which case he would be content enough to report it. He had to track them down sooner or later anyway, to let them know what he had discovered about the newly formed packs that were springing up like colonies of bacteria all around.
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[html] http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll174/omgrust/t1.png); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: center top; background-color: #25211e;">Although the general location where Inferni had rooted themselves was a useful bit of information, the scent would not have been difficult to track himself, and with the constant roaming he seemed to be doing these days, it was only a matter of time before he stumbled upon the new territory by chance. Nevertheless, he let his half-frown fade away and offered a nod of acknowledgement and thanks. The male seemed rather apathetic and lax despite his rough exterior, while Jesile perched attentively and secretly neurotically on small paws with the approximate ferocity of a butterfly. He was rather content to exist in that moment for the necessities (or what he felt were necessities) and then go about his business with minimal friction.
Thanks, but I'll probably find Faolin sometime soon and let her know myself, he said, trying to maintain a cool air of indifference as though it didn't really matter how those tides came or went. His insecurity of everything was simply too obvious for him to even think of not hiding if he was able. Grateful for not being asked any further questions, Jesile decided it would only be proper to return the favour and leave the older male to his own devices. With this, and after an appreciative nod for the offer, information, and of not being chased away or worse, he stood, turned, and trotted back down the beach to retrieve the snack he had left behind and to think things over. Saying that he would find Faolin eventually made it feel like he would actually do it, but he knew that if he thought of it, he might once again change his mind. Sometimes it was more difficult to reach the point at which the thing could be accomplished than accomplishing the thing itself. He knew this, and yet ignored it. | [/html]
[html] http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s304 ... d/rawr.png); background-repeat:no-repeat; padding-top:160px; background-position:top center; background-color:#FEFEFE"> Neat quick thread. [: -Loves <10 post threads that accomplish something then don't drag on.- >>; So <3!!!
------It seemed a little strange to be interested in Inferni and its members, but not to necessarily join the clan and live amongst them. From what he knew, Faolin seemed rather laid back and gentle--she didn't seem to have quite the same bitter after-taste as he, Gabriel, or the majority of the other members might. Similarly, this kid seemed none too aggressive. Obviously Anselm was no psychic, so he didn't really notice the extent of other's insecurity, but he did notice the general lack of forwardness (and maybe confidence). Either way, perhaps he was closest to her and didn't necessarily agree with what the rest of the infamous clan did. It seemed that there would be nothing to report, and now the youth offered thanks and moved away from him.
------Anselm said nothing, but he frowned as he watched the other coyote go. Jesile was certainly mature for his age, or at least not annoying. At all. No names, no stupid questions, no lame talk about the weather. Respectful of distance. Didn't try to draw things out that were obviously over and done with. Huh. Ding, ding, ding! We may have a winner, kids! Maybe, just maybe, if he saw him around enough, he could "get used to him." (Seldom would he admit to having friends--"getting used to someone" was about as close as he got, and essentially a euphemism for actually enjoying their company.) Thoughtfully, the red-eyed hybrid lowered his head, ripped off another chunk of otter, chewed, and swallowed. [/html]
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