She was leaving. She had decided, everything was packed up and slung over her shoulder. Her entire worldly possessions consisted of a knife, a bracelet and a t-shirt that Matteo had given her. Those were all the things she owned in the world apart from the damn bag. She made her way through the twisting and turning tunnels of Anathema for what would most likely be the last time ever for she had no intention of returning ever. Her father was dead, and her life was a mess and she was so fucked up in her brain she couldn't even think straight. Her hands were clenched into fists and tears leaked from her eyes like rainwater.
The snowy woman hissed as she went from the darkness of the tunnels to blinding sunshine, it made her eyes ache from the glare and she stomped through the small amount of above ground land that belonged to Anathema, glaring at everything she came across, kicking stones and sticks that were in her path, she muttered darkly to herself still with tears streaming down her cheeks. She missed him dearly even though she saw him very little anyway. Knowing he was dead was like someone had stabbed her heart with a rusty machete and tore it out.
Matteo had Alaki to protect him from Giuseppe, he didn't need her, not the common whore that had gotten him kicked out of his own cave. She could take a hint, obviously she wasn't clean enough for him. She wrapped her arms around herself as she walked straight past the tree where she had first met Alaki, baring her teeth at the offending tree as though her life was all it's fault, then she was past the borders and felt a great weight lifting from her shoulders. She could be whoever she wanted away from this place.
He looked up at the sky and studied the clouds for a bit while he pondered where to go now. He had been alone for several weeks as he had traveled north from Freetown. He had heard snippets that there were packs in this area and had wandered to Souls out of curiosity. As he had progressed north, there were several old human habitations that occupied some of his time as he poked around. It was a new land and he was in no hurry spending time seeing the country and what it had to offer.
When his travels brought him to a line of poles with wolf skulls on top of them, he decided that a wide birth around whomever's pack lands would be a good idea as they did not seem very friendly. His feet brought him to another boarder and followed it south and east, staying outside of the marked territory so as not to make enemies, and in hopes someone would be willing to tell him about the area and give directions.
This particular day, he was feeling good about. The path he came across and now followed took him around the trees and bushes. He swung his pack to his other shoulder and adjusted it to ride comfortably when he came upon a white wolfess. He stayed a respectable distance, "Hello, can you help..." He started to ask and his voice trailed off when he noticed her crying. "Oh, sorry, is there something I can help you with?" the gentleman in him changed his question.
3+
She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts and feelings that she hardly even noticed her own surroundings, they were insignificant and unimportant to her at the moment, she just wanted some time to wander around and think and try and sort her head out properly, she needed Gal and soonish otherwise she would likely descend into a nervous emotional wreck. She also wished the fucking sunshine would get lost and that it rain for a bit instead so it would match how she felt inside, dark and stormy and rainy. She was unknowingly traveling on a direct course that would intersect with that of Ibycus.
She was startled when a voice from rather close by her sounded out, at first she thought it was Matteo from the Italian accent that she heard before realising that the voice was too deep for it to ever be Matteo. She stopped in her journey and looked around herself, blinded for a moment by the shining sun before her baby blue eyes managed to focus on who it was that had spoken. The male's face was very doggish in appearance with ears that didn't stand up on their own, her own over sized ears pulled back slightly and her tail stiffened a little bit, she didn't really want any company of either kind and would be willing to fight her way out of a situation.
She sniffed a bit and looked away, wiping the tears from her face before returning her gaze to his strange turquoise eyes and looked him over, the rest of his was very doggish looking as well, some kind of shepherd maybe or some hybrid with ancestry that way,
"Not really, not unless you can bring back dead people." Her words were short and clipped and her tone neutral, "What is it you want?"
Her reaction told him that she was somewhat surprised by his seemingly sudden appearance. Ibycus may be from a far off land and new to the area, but the look and tone that he was receiving back was universal. He could tell that she was not happy with his presence. Although he was disheartened that the first person he meets in this new land did not want him near, he realized that she must have suffered a great loss.
His turquoise eyes may have shown his disappointment with her reaction to him. "My apologies for startling you, Signora." His deep and accented voice quietly emanated from his muzzle, "I was going to ask about the area, the lands and people here, however," he paused, "I see I am intruding. Please accept my apologies and I will be on my way." he finished with a slight bow. He circled around her and across her path and proceeded on his way to leave her to the quiet aloneness that she seemed to desire.
faaail so badly
As the male said his apologies and made to leave she had a pang of guilt settle through her, just because she was in a bad mood didn't mean she had to take it out on this poor unsuspecting male. She whirled around suddenly longing for company whereas seconds ago all she had wanted to be was on her own,
"Wait! Don't go. I'm sorry for being horrid to you." She took a couple of steps off of her path and down the one the male had taken,
"What's your name? Where are you from? Why are you here? What are you looking for?"
Although he was saddened by the response he received from the female, Ibycus felt that something had happened to cause her the pain and grief she was feeling and knew it was not his fault, but only he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He figured the best thing was to accept the anger that was thrown at him and move on letting her work out her grief in her own way.
He paused in his tracks when she shouted at him to wait and started talking and asking his name and where he was from. and turned to face her to see she had taken a couple of steps in his direction. He wondered at her sudden change in disposition towards him.
"It is ok, Signora, I could see you had something happen recently and was in pain. I am Ibycus and have traveled from Bolzano, Italy." His eyebrow quirked as he pondered the other questions. Questions that he did not really have answers too. "As to why and what, I am not sure myself. I had a need to travel, followed my heart, and here I am." A slight smile showed on his muzzle, "May I ask your name, Signora?"
She was relieved when the male turned to face her, hopefully he had not taken too much offense to her harshness and unnecessary rudeness. She felt she could use a friend right now or at least someone to talk to who was mentally stable unlike Matteo or Giuseppe. The female's arms came around to hug her own torso in a way. He introduced himself as Ibycus and he was from Italy like the Trovatos were although in all likely he didn't know them. He did know what he sought within the lands of 'Souls either. She gestured for the male, Ibycus to return back to the trail she had been following,
"My name is Gemma Saw..." a slight frown creased her mouth "Just Gemma." The woman shook her head as though to clear it before she echoed his small smile, "If you would like a place to stay, there is a new pack that is forming soon, one of my friends is the leader, if you would like to hang up your traveling cloak for a while?" The thoughts of Gal made her smile a bit more genuine.
Behind his turquoise eyes, thoughts wondered at her sudden decision not to give her entire name but he would not press for details. He figured if she wanted him to know, she would say and it was not his place, nor in his nature to pry. "Pleased to meet you Gemma."
His head tilted a bit as he pondered her invitation to possibly join a new pack. Although he was raised in a pack and lived most of his life, so far, in a pack, he found that he got along quite well by himself. He had been alone for a number of weeks now since he left Freetown and it would be nice to have someone to talk to again. He had planned on heading south eventually and decided that now is just as good time as any.
"That sounds intriguing, however, I had not planned on joining a pack right away." He pondered a moment and walked back to her. "I am planning on heading south so I could travel with you and that would give you the opportunity to tell me about the lands and peoples here. Once we arrive and I could decide then to join your pack."
|
