The silver and gold lady had been sticking close to the lands that Deuce and her had agreed they would claim for their own once they ewre able to become more than a gathering of loners trying for more. She shook her head as she sat perched on the porch of a house down the country lane she'd happened upon. The place had delighted her, running down the dirt road she'd found house after house spacing down the road and out of sight. Enough for a pack to live and still have their own privacy if needed. The large farmhouse that was just up the road from where she sat was still within view, the red barn and pastures were filled with clover and rich grasses, giving Iskata the idea to fill the field with prey for the growing band of wolves.
She could recall long ago when a wolf named Noah had the same idea and had suceeded in capturing the calm patient beasts he'd called cows, showing her other creatures that could be kept as well, ones the humans had kept for food. She'd intended to find and capture some for their pack thatway the herds could be kept close on hand as well as ranging for other foods was available. Noah had told her about how food had to be stored for the herd during the winter yet it made the cold months less of a danger to the pack in slim seasons. Her eyes danced as she made plans, knowing that she'd need help to make them happen.
She'd risen up from her perch on the deck and had made her way along the fenceline, testing the wiring that held firm and the wood that was used to keep the border of the lands. She'd loved the fact that the border was premade and that it seemed to stand the test of time. From the small stock of knowledge she knew about these things called cows it was quite easy to keep them in the fence as long as the wiring and wood held firm. There were places that may need repaired but she was okay with the work, of course at the moment she had all the time on her hands to actually do what she pleased until they were strong enough to even consider themselves a pack. Her eyes were bright as she stood on the wood railing of the fence and smiled, knowing just where there were a few cows that she could gather, though she didn't know what sort of a challenge that would be getting them within her fence here.
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I am assuming Iskata is already shifted. If not tell me and I will correct it.
Life was looking brighter than it had in weeks. Alexey was back. Her mother and father would not be returning, of course, and she greatly grieved for their father, but she could not dwell on that too long. Adelaida had known that their father’s end was near, and when she had left them she had thought to herself she probably wouldn’t see their mother again, at least not for a long time. That was okay, she had accepted that. Perhaps one day, Alexey and her would return to visit Katanka. For now, Alexey was back. Alexey was home. And that was enough. Adelaida was no longer a stranger in her own lands, she had family here once again. And Alexey’s courage rubbed off on the sister, and Adelaida walked with a bit more authority, as if she belonged in her own birth lands.
And so, it was with this second wind of courage that the masked female found herself wandering the lands again. She still stepped lightly, after her encounter with the shape shifter she really did not want to encounter any more, but she also was tired of hiding from them. And perhaps, perhaps they were so bad. It was hard to tell if the encounter had been worse because of the female’s hostilities or because of Adelaida’s terror. Reflecting on the incident with the coyote Adelaida knew that encounter had gone poorly because of her. However just because that coyote was not outright hostile (he was indeed crazy and that was not good either) didn’t mean the rest of them weren’t. She wouldn’t be changing her opinion on them.
It was in this fashion that Adelaida stumbled upon another of them. She was still traveling in the brush, but it ended abruptly in a field that had a lot of human buildings and posts and workings that she did not understand. That was not what interested her, she had never had any use for anything the humans had left behind. It was the fact that the shape shifter was so interested in them. And also that Adelaida had stumbled upon the shape shifter without being discovered this time. Crouching in the brush the brilliant blue eyes stared out at the female. The two legged freak stood there investigating every pole and wire, but why? Adelaida lay hiding, trying to work the mystery out in her mind when an itch began to form in her nose. And then, she sneezed.
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Iskata had been working her way around the farm, her mind a maze of ideas and things she couldn't wait to show to Deuce, though she knew that would have to wait, she still had a lot to check out before finding her to be packmate and fellow leader. She grinned to herself as she stood perched on the fence overlooking her new domain as she dreamed of the things to come. She couldn't even figure out how in the world these events had fallen into place so far but she was glad they had. The small gathering would soon become a pack and everything would become a dream come true.
Her daydreams were suddenly interupted with the suddeny outburst of a sneeze, her ears flicked back and forth as she gathered where in the world the sound was coming from. Finally having arrowed in on where the sound had came from the scent finally reached her nose as she smiled softly, remembering the scent from the strange lady she'd met in the woods. She leapt down from the fence and moved towards the oddly hued lady, calling out as she finally was able to spot the girl in her hiding place. "Adelaida?" she called, unsure what in the world the wolf was doing hiding and spying on her. She hadn't done anything wrong had she?
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Adelaida? The monster has heard the sneeze. She had leapt down and come across swiftly to her. She was towering above her now, it would be impossible for the creature not to considering the size difference. Worse of all was this creature knew her name. Terror froze her in place, crouch in the brush, unable to think, unable to even chastise herself for such a stupid idea to come spy on a shape shifter. Bright azure eyes stared up at the two legged being and then instinct took hold. The fur on the back of her neck stood on end, and lips slowly revealed natural weapons (all that Adelaida had), which was nothing compared to the fangs and claws of the creature before her. Fight or flight. The last few times she had chosen flight, but without even thinking, perhaps it was because she was addressed by name, she could not help her response this time. It was only natural. And it was only natural that in her terror, in between low and long growls of warning, Adelaida thought she recognized the scent of the large female, yet this did not ease her fear. Her heart beat as fast as it ever had in her chest and she could not quite the primal sounds that she emitted in her frenzied panic. The scent however made her think twice. Perhaps she did know the thing before her, but she could not understand why. Perhaps because she knew it, or thought she knew it’s scent at least, it knew her as well. And perhaps it would leave her alone. "Don’t touch me." The words were spoken low, half warning (unintentional and automatic) and half a plea (the result of knowing that she knew the creature but not being able to place how she knew this two legged beast).
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Iskata stopped a few feet away from the girl when she noticed how frightened she was. It wasn't just the manner and the boy language, but the scent of fear was so heavy in the air that she wondered what exactly was going on. She dropped down to all fours and sat crouched before the lady, not offering a word but trying to show that she didn't mean her any harm. She was so baffled by the strangly marked wolf's reaction that she wasn't really sure what to do. Her tail twitched back and forth as she tried to meet those of Adelaida with her own sun shot blue orbs. When the lady's fangs were bared to her she took a few paces back and gave her a bit more room, the words that were spat from her mouth hurt Iskata to the core as she flicked her ears back, trying to fine the right words.
It took her too long for the words to return as she shook her head and watched the lady, her manner saddened Iskata, she knew they really hadn't left on the best terms but she hadn't thought that the lady was afraid or angry at her, and it seemed different now. She swollowed hard before speaking, "Adelaida, what's wrong with you! You're acting like we've never met.." She shook her head in frustration, her short hair swaying across her face as she rambled on. "I'm sorry so much has been changing with all the packs but really, just relax! I ain't gonna hurt you.." She was starting to wonder if the lady was even capable of remembering who she was, maybe she was a little touched in the head or something. She'd seen it before, but the masked lady had seemed so normal..
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Adelaida did relax as the female before her dropped to all four and moved back. The last were she had run into had only advanced on her, come closer and closer, while this one seemed to respect her wishes. That was a comfort, but as long as the creature did not magically disappear Ade wasn’t completely content. So worked up in her terror she did not realize or recognize the subtle hints that she had hurt the other’s feelings. The idea that she was capable of so did not even cross her mind. Normally she would have been mortified to hurt another’s feelings, but she did not quite view the shapeshifters as others, at least others like her. Did not really think they were the same as normal wolves, and so although it made sense they could feel emotions, Adelaida did not really consider that.
And then the beast spoke again, and the voice was familiar. More so than the scent the other carried with her. And she spoke of them meeting before. But as far as Adelaida knew, they hadn’t met before. She had only met one shifter and it had not been this female. More words from the female. And the content of those words clicked in place with the conversation she had, had with a female. "Iskata?!?" Ade’s eyes stared in disbelief. And then she silently cursed herself for being so foolish. Umbra had said the shifters were capable of going about as normal wolves, as Iskata had been when they first met. So why was it Adelaida had assumed Iskata was a normal wolf. Although she recognized the female now, she was not able to completely relax. The fangs were recovered by lips, but the fur along her spine refused to go back down. "Iskata? I didn’t know... Didn’t know you were one of them."
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She didn't know what in the world to do with the lady before her, she was baffling to Iskata, one day as friendly and polite as any stranger can be the next run in as scared as if the hounds of hell were on her tail. She twitched her tail back and forth as she waited for the lady to calm down yet it really didn't seem like she would. With a soft sigh Iskata was beginning to lose her patience when almost suddenly it seemed that it dawned upon the masked fem' that she did infact know the wolf before her.
ISkata smiled when the lady finally realized who she was, though she could tell that the woman was quite surprised. When she said her name Iskata nodded and grinned, she watched as Adelaida's fangs disappeared, though it was still obvious that she was still at a loss over seeing Iskata this way. When the dark hued lady expressed not knowing that she was 'one' of them Iskata shook her head and scowled at Adelaida. "Now what's that suppose to mean, it's not like I had a choice in who I am.. That's rather silly you know." she thought it was all childish, the way the once time stranger was acting, yet she'd never been in her place either. Iskata had always had a rather open mind to anything the world threw at her, this was one of those times and she knew she'd probably have been more curious than anything, yet she really couldn't answer that since she'd never really know.
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Didn’t have a choice? Adelaida hadn’t really any idea what caused some wolves to shift and some wolves not to, that had never been explained to her. Yet she had some sort of an idea. Her parents couldn’t shift, and neither could she or her siblings. Perhaps it was just genetics. Adelaida had no idea if there was anything more to it than that. And in that respect Iskata truly had no choice. Yet couldn’t they control it? And if they could why choose to live so unnaturally? Up on two legs. Like humans. Perhaps Adelaida was being rather silly about it all, but Iskata, and the others, could never know what a shock it was to be introduce to this new concept. Were wolves. They came from scary fairy tales, and yet now they existed in the flesh. All the shifters, and even many non shifters it seemed, grew up knowing about them. Yet Adelaida had been shielded from that knowledge, and now as an adult it was hard to wrap her mind around it.
Still unconsciously Adelaida could not help but keep her body in fight or flight mode. Muscles tense and ready to spring away at the smallest hint that Iskata was to make a move. Her fur still stood on end, a subconscious effort to make herself appear larger, although there was never a way to match those that were shifted in size. "You truly have... have no choice? Why be like that at all then? If you can look like me, a normal wolf, why not walk around like that? Why would you want to be like... a human?" Why indeed? In the stories she had heard as a child, they had always been villains. Destroying nature, harming her kind, harming domestic dogs among so many other things. Why then did it seem so many shifters strived to pick up where those awful creatures had left off?
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Iskata leaned back and rested in the grass while she watched Adelaida, knowing that the lady still wasn't sure of the things that the silver and gold lady said. She shook her head and smiled as she thought about all the strange things she'd seen in time, now understanding what it was that the masked wolf had been so upset about. She could remember when she'd first discovered that she could shift. She'd seen others do it and over time she'd learned with the help of friends and family. For the longest time she didn't even like shifting but as the moons went by she'd discovered all sorts of things and ways that the form she could take on would and could help her. She turned her eyes back to Adelaida and answered her honestly. "No, it's actually a lot like the silly stories the humans once wrote about, the things we become.. I use to be more wolf than anything else.. but over time things changed.. maybe I just changed." She knew she'd changed, but the more she thought about it the more she realized it had been her friendships and the things that Faolin, Phasma and her had all discovered and learned together about their alternative forms.
She plucked a piece of grass with her fingers as she rolled it between the thumb and index finger as she shrugged and continued. "Over time you just begin to realize that there's so many things you can do when you're in one form.. than the other. They all have their ups and downs. I can't pick things up with my paws, and let me tell you, there's some things I wouldn't want to hold onto between my teeth either." She flashed the lady a grin of amusement as she wiggled her toes, staring at them, so different and yet so alike from her other forms. Her sun shot sky eyes turned to Adelaida's as she sighed. "I've spent lazy seasons reading those books the humans wrote.. they were actually a lot like us. Some were good, some were bad.. We're all the same really, they just thought they were better than the rest." She let go of the grass stem and flicked her eyes back across the field as she amswered simply. "I know I'm no better than the next.. but I'll use what advantages are given to me to make my world better." She really didn't know what to say so instead she turned back to Adelaida and asked. "What do you want to know..." Her face was honest as she waited. She'd had questions before and she knew in turn she'd have more. When there was someone to answer them it was always easier.. in some way or another.
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Poor Ade, she just hates everything and everyone. I’m not sure what else to do with this, but logically Adelaida would probably excuse herself now. XD But if you want, I promise Leland would be nice to Iskata, since she gets the short end of the stick with Ade and Cer. We can has thread with those two.
Iskata seemed resigned to calming and comforting the wolf, and yet the more words came from her mouth, the stronger Adelaida’s dislike for Iskata was growing. They could control it, when to shirf, Adelaida knew that much. And yet why would they willing walk on two legs? It was unnatural. It was... unholy. Why take for granted the body they were meant to have? The fact they could shift, and that they embraced it made them all lepers in her mind. Though it was their minds and souls that were impure, rather than their bodies. Of course, when shifted, those bodies were impure. And Iskata confirmed it all. She willing aligned herself, and in Adelaida’s mind all shifters, with the humans. The filthy, selfish, god-forsaken humans.
Humans were not like them, not one bit. At least, they were not like wolves. Werewolves, maybe. Adelaida imagined that werewolves could be just as bit horrid as the humans had been. Wolves were in tune to nature, they knew how to survive without exploiting other animals or the land, they only took what they needed. They were loyal to their group and family, living together in dens, hunting as a group... not living so far from family in those strange buildings, so closed off to the world, so closed off to their own kind. Humans were a disease, and perhaps the weres were too. "I don’t want to know anything. I know enough." Adelaida didn’t want to be able to pick things up with her hands (and anything that she didn’t want in her mouth, she didn’t have a want or need for it at all), she didn’t want to read the human’s tainted words, and she didn’t want to understand anymore about the shifters. Perhaps Alexey would have been more open to Iskata’s kindness, but Adelaida wasn’t as open minded as her sister. "Excuse me Iskata, I think it’s best I go now." She didn’t know why she said it so politely, it was hard to be rude, even if it was the creature being kind to her was absolutely vile. Taking a few steps backward, Ade bobbed her head once in a farewell before vanishing.
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As polite and calm as the silver and gold lady had been it was obvious in the near strangers manner and eyes that she wanted nothing more to do with the lady. Iskata was hurt by the way the masked wolf was acting but she didn't have the heart or the anger to snap at her about her behavior. She watched with sorrow in her eyes as the female spoke of never wanting to know anything about who or what Iskata was. Her ears folded back as she watched the lady turn and disappear underneith the fencerail and with the sway of the alfalfa she was gone.
Iskata sat there all alone trying to figure out where she went wrong but she couldn't look into the mind of the other lady. She shook her head sadly and lifted herself up from under the cover of the grasses, from her complete height she could still see the dark hued back of the female as she disappeared into the wilderness. One last look before she turned back towards the cottage she'd claimed as her home, back to a life that she knew some hated, something she'd never known or had even thought of before. She'd met regular wolves before but they'd never reacted to her kind in this nature, the scarred Luperci really didn't know what to do, but she also knew there was nothing she really cared to do about it at this moment.
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