he's at the racetrack around sunset, in lupus form. ^^
[html] After sneaking away from the fire, Trent felt kind of guilty towards Alder. After being shown around by Caspa, he went to look for Alder; something he'd tried postponing for as long as he could. But now, Trent knew that it was time to go and look for the weird, but kind man and his horse and apologise for running off like an asshole last time the two of them had met. He owed Alder that much for his kindness, at least.
Still in his lupus form, Trent sniffed the air, hoping that his keen nose would help him find Alder. There were a lot of scents around here; not just scents from the King and from all of the wolves that lived here, but also the scents of more horses. Not just Alder's. Trent could not distinguish them all, though, could not figure out which one was Alder's. They all smelled like food, to him.
Trent had decided to go towards the shores that he imagined the pack held, but he was stopped somewhere along the way when he came across a strange area. A human building, he imagined, but when he crawled into the large oval track there were little buildings there. Just... A large track, unlike anything he'd seen before. Trent sniffed the air, although it told him little; still the scent of wolf, dog and horse in the air. Nothing else.
The distraction from finding Alder was a welcome one, since Trent preferred being on his own rather than going off to find the masked, tall wolf. Trent watched the darkening skies, oranges and pinks painting a beautiful picture as the sun was setting.
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He had sent the day hauling water. The task was a large one for a single beast, and there were many horses that needed the life-giving element. Thankfully the stream was close, but with buckets only so big, and having only so many it took many trips. There was water that was needed, and as always stalls that needed mucking, and then horses that needed grooming. The work was hard, and made for a long day. But it was his work, and with that he gained purpose. And purpose brought him a great sense of balance. The male always smelled of horse, it clung to him as greatly as his own personal fragrance or that of the Cours pack. He went to the stream, below where he normally gathered water and bathed his face, hands and foot paws before turning to say good night to the horses. It only took a few moments, and the male began to head back to his small cabin.
Passing the racetrack was a normal routine, and he looked to make sure that there was no stray tack lingering. Hickory padded along behind him, the orange and white cat happy that there would be a warm lap to curl up on soon.
He did notice something amiss, but it did not come in the form of a halter or lead. He could smell the coywolf before he caught sight of him, and instinctively Alder was eager to meet the face that he had met only once. But, then his heart rang out. And his mind began to whirl. Though Alder seemed intimidating at a glance, he was a sensitive creature and took Trent’s disappearance to heart. He had thought that they were friends, for Alder had reach out to him with the offer of help, food and a warm fire. He had also reach out and gently knocked on the large wall Trent placed as his defense. His own defenses now rose, pain and confusion did that to any beast. Even one as eager to please as Alder.
The coywolf was in his lupus form. And from what Alder could guess; his more comfortable state. The male forced a smile, and paused in his step when Trent came into view. The growing kitten rubbed up against the male’s legs, wondering what caused the delay in warmth and food and a soft lap. Trent's presence meant may things, more then Alder could even untangle, but one was very clear. He had gained acceptance into the Court, and that deserved a particular greeting. Welcome Trent.
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[html] When Alder came into view, Trent's heart skipped a beat. While he'd intended to eventually seek the male out to apologise for vanishing like he had on their last meeting, he hadn't hoped to run into him so quickly. Caspa had said something about stables; maybe this was the place, since Alder was hanging out here? Trent felt a little awkward looking up at Alder, who would probably have been a whole lot taller than him even in his lupus form, and as soon as he looked at Alder's face Trent looked away again quickly, avoiding eye contact as he was greeted.
Alder didn't seem his usual chatty self (or maybe he just wasn't, yet) and Trent had maybe expected him to be a bit happier to see Trent here. Of course, he had just walked off from the fire that night, so maybe Alder was upset. He didn't look particularly upset, but in Trent's experience it was often hard to tell whether someone was or wasn't.
Ears flattened and perked up a couple of times, twisting uncertainly, the ring through his left ear shaking back and forth. Uh, hi. A pause. Say something! I figured I'd give this place a try. He couldn't bring himself to say what he knew needed to be said - an apology - and instead filled time with small talk of how he'd got here. Things Alder already knew. Trent stared dumbly at the ground in uncertainty while he waited for Alder to make some kind of move or say something to relieve the tension that seemed to surround them.
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He didn’t know why it had been such a slap in his face when Trent hadn’t been at the fire when Alder had returned that night. The male couldn’t even think about what would have transpired if he had been sitting there, waiting when the Marshal returned. It was foolish to dwell on and yet part of the sensitive male’s heart could not let go of the questions. Trent did not look at the male, something Alder expected from him. The meek tree-named wolf did not understand what was wrong for him to always advert his gaze.
Trent spoke, first few words sounding as if he was not expecting to see Alder where he stood. This was his home; it was his place of responsibility and work… Alder did not know whom else Trent expected to see. But, then he added a bit about giving the Court a try. Alder nodded, and focused on the fact that Trent had come and asked for acceptance. From what Alder could gather from their small time spent together, it was a hard task for Trent to tackle. How have you been liking it so far? Alder asked, his tone far less rigid then they had been just a moment ago.
Alder didn’t want to feel the way he did, and he allowed his heart to be touched when the matter was not one related to the organ at the least. Maybe he would enjoy hunting together in the dimming light, or a run to the shoreline to watch the world disappear at the edge of the earth and into the dark of night… But he was hesitant to extend any invitation, and waited first to hear what the coywolf had to say.
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[html] There was an awkward wall between the two of them, or at least Trent thought to feel it. There was also the boundary of the form difference now, and when Alder spoke it was shorter than last time. No endless washes of curious questions, but just one of a time. Trent wasn't entirely sure whether he liked it or not, this change. Ah, I only arrived pretty recently. There's a lot of... Human buildings everywhere. But I already knew that from visiting that city to the East. What was it... Halifax City? Trent figured it was that, anyway, hoped it was since that was the pointer that Sebastian had given him. Maybe he'd be able to figure out more about himself if he met the red-furred male again. Then again, he'd been completely terrified... Did he really want to toss himself in scary-stuff's way like that again? Sebastian was harmless, at least when it came to violence, but there was something deeper there. The thing that lured Trent in, but also the thing that scared him more than anything else in the world.
A short silence reigned between the two of them. Trent glanced at the kitten. What's that? He felt rather stupid asking such a question and being unable to phrase it more respectful, but he'd never seen a miniature mountain lion before.
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That wall the Alder had felt during their first meeting had doubled in thickness. It was his own fault, he knew so as the tension crept deeper into his muscles. Trent’s words did not demand an answer, but Alder knew that the only way to rid both of them of this awkwardness was to dismiss the small incident and be present in the moment. It meant something that Trent had come here, it meant more then what he spoke aloud. There were so many packs that he could have gone to, and it he had truly wished to never see Alder again he would have gone to one of the other packs he had mentioned.
It can be hard to get used to. But I thinks its nicer then sleeping on the ground. He said with a small smile. There, it had been forgotten… Alder wondered if he had settled in the hotel with the majority of the pack, or if he had found an abandoned cabin for his own. But that question would have to wait.
Trent’s attention moved to the kitten, who only looked up to investigate the other canine. He was still hungry, and still wondering where his warm lap was. Alder glanced down, lightly he spoke Oh, that’s Hickory. He’s a cat. The male thought nothing of the question, for he had not known what kind of feline Hickory was when they had first met. He had thought it a bobcat pup before he had been taught differently.
Alder cleared his throat, as he sometimes did before asking or saying something he was unsure of. Have you seen the coast? Have you explored that yet? Blue eyes looked towards the ground, black fingers fidgeting slightly. The question gave Trent every opportunity to dismiss the invitation that awaited such questions. Alder did not want to close him into another uncomfortable situation.
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[html] So far, Trent had been sleeping on the ground, since he didn't have anything in his room yet. All it had was a broken down table of which Trent had yet to find out the usefulness. Since he couldn't find any use for it, it had been shoved into a corner of the hotel room. It felt cold and unpersonal, the room, but perhaps the emptiness was why he'd chosen it. Whether it was because he could make it his own then, or because the emptiness mirrored what was in his soul was left up to debate.
Do you stay at the hotel too? Trent asked off-handedly, as though it wasn't a very big or important question. Of course, it was, because it would make the difference between seeing Alder every now and then, or possibly not a whole lot. Trent wasn't sure which one he preferred. Alder had been a bit invading of his privacy the last time they'd met, but now that he was more held back Trent almost missed being asked about everything. He missed the invasion of his privacy. Maybe he just liked misery.
Hickory. The cat. Trent stared at the strange miniature mountain lion, but did not comment. He wasn't sure how to interact with others that weren't wolves, really, so he decided not to in the end and focus his attention back to Alder.
Trent shook his head in response to Alder's question. No. I was actually on my way when I ran into this, uh... This. The coywolf had no clue what 'this' was, really, although he guessed it to be the stables that Caspa had mentioned. Mostly just because Alder was here, though.
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Alder shook his head, No, I have my own cabin not too far from here. He pointed vaguely in the direction he was headed, his soft smile unchanging. It was a small placed, built by his friend Anann. But it was make with a large Luperci in mind, the doorways tall and so that no one needed to bend over. The male felt better, lighter now that he had let go of the tension that had plagued him. He would forgive himself for the unknown mistake that caused Trent to leave that night, and he would forget any rudeness that may have been received from the coy-wolf.
Trent answered his question, and from what Alder could tell the other male was moving towards the unspoken idea of perhaps venturing there together. The signs were hard to read, social cues that Alder didn’t always understand or read. But he felt them here, and tried so far to listen to their subtle voices. Niobrara Racetrack He gave the name lightly and still with his soft smile. It was not meant to be a correction, just simply information that Alder could teach him.
He paused, wondering if his next attempt to be friendly towards the uneasy man would just push him away. He stepped sensitively in his tone, Mind if I come along? He felt his throat itch, and Alder cleared it of the discomfort.
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[html] Trent was almost disappointed when Alder said that he had his own house rather than living in the hotel. He wasn't a very sociable creature, but somehow the idea of all living together in one den of sorts, but with seperate rooms, seemed like a good idea to Trent. He wasn't even sure why he wanted Alder to live closer to him so badly, but didn't share his feelings with Alder. They seemed stupid, anyway, and what good would it do anyone? Trent had yet to sort out his feelings for the black-and-grey wolf he had met only once, during his first shift, and figure out his shifting, and it would do him nor Alder good to know that he regretted they didn't live closer to one another. So he did not speak.
Racetrack? Do... wolves race here? Trent had never heard of such a thing, and it didn't yet occur to him, not even by the fact the racetrack and stables were together in one place, that perhaps they wold race horses. Trent imagined that wolves in their lupus forms came here to race. He wondered what humans used to race here, though. Maybe wolves, too.
Alder's self-invitation was not very surprising, and Trent nodded in acceptance. Sure. Having someone more native to the lands along seemed like a good idea during his exploration. Trent longed to see the ocean, for it always reminded him of how puny he was and it made him see how his problems were only relative. He was a tiny speck on the face of the earth, so his problems somehow mattered less at that realisation. He didn't really remember much of their last time together and as he started to trot in southeastern direction, towards the ocean, Trent asked, Were you born here?
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Alder had never thought that the hotel was a bad idea, it reminded him of Haven Manor. The pack was together, living as one and yet there was a bit of separation and privacy. But when he had come to the Court he had simply lived with Haven. It had been hard, for his mother had pushed him to move. Though seemingly gentle to others, his dear mother’s actions had been harsh on the sensitive and insecure male. At the time he had been far less confident then he was as he stood before Trent, he had been a pup and Haven had provided him with the same family comfort that Anu and his other brother’s had. Then when Anann had left the Court, she had offered the cabin she had built near the stables. It was perfect for him, and Alder had accepted eagerly.
The masked male shook his head, Oh no, it was for the horses when the humans were around. And then he remembered, and reached a hand out as he added, But, Caspa likes to come and run here. I don’t know if you’ve met her, she’s very nice. He spoke the words with a small smile. The ghosted hued woman was an interesting creature, a bit uninterested in his trade but very nice nonetheless.
Alder waited for Trent’s reply. He did not seem opposed to the idea of Alder joining him in a trot through the territory, yet Alder would have felt a bit more encouraged if he had been given a smile. Even still, he felt a tad more confidence for there was a lack or rejection. Thanks. He spoke, genuine tone the same as before. Alder waited for the other male to turn, before he dropped to the ground so that his hands felt the dirt. In a swift clean moment he changed from his Optime form to his Lupus body.
Four pawed Alder moved to match the coy-wolf’s stride and the kitten watched as his warm lap left. Hickory turned with a squawking cry to look for Hawthorn.
No I was born in Crimson Dreams, my mother is the second in command there. I moved here to live with my brother Haven, a little before my first birthday I think. He spoke with a little nod. The large male focused on his gait, making sure that long legs and burly body would not take him ahead of Trent. Glad I did. I learned to hunt, tame a horse, ride and help the pack. I’m glad you joined too. The last bit seemed to simply slip out, but Alder was looking at the ground in front of him so any awkwardness could possibly go unseen.
I know a short cut. It was then that the large male looked at Trent. He was a bit different from the four-legged stance. The same gold and cinnamon hues, tans and gray eyes, yet still different in a way. Knowing that being caught looking at Trent too long would mean the moment's destruction ink dipped paws and ankles turned him slightly, and cut through the wooded glen rather then down the path.
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[html] For horses; what a strange and foreign idea that seemed to Trent. He didn't know much about them, but had always considered them prey, not friendly animals like Alder did. He nodded in response to Alder's words, though. Caspa running made more sense to him, and she seemed like the type of... creature that managed to hit good speeds. Trent himself wasn't fast, at least not above averagely so. He'd always been pretty average at everything, including running.
When Alder changed to his lupus form, Trent was a little surprised. He'd never seen Alder in that form, and it was a little odd to get used to the new form. Luckily Alder had pretty distinct markings, especially the mask on his face, so it was still Alder.
Trent wasn't especially fast, but neither especially slow, as he trotted in the direction of the ocean. Alder seemed to like it here, which gave a hopeful prospect for Trent's future here. He hoped he'd like it, too. Trent wondered why Alder had left his home pack to live with his brother, but he didn't ask, because it somehow seemed intrusive. He offered a glimpse of a smile, albeit a forced one, as Alder said that he was glad that he'd joined. Trent had no idea why Alder was so friendly towards him, but he decided to just take it as it was. It was good to have friendly faces around that liked you, and would come to your aid if you'd need it some day. Trent didn't think he deserved such friends, but he didn't object when he realised that Alder seemed to be turning into one.
Oh, great! Trent said, holding the small smile, when Alder said he knew a short cut. The coywolf simply followed Alder, since he didn't really know the area and trusted his tentative friend to know the way better than he.
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Alder did not typically enjoy talking about how he had come to the Court. It had been a hard time for him, a major move towards growing up and he had felt pressured by the change. Anu had every hope that he would become an adult in the hands of Cour des Miracles. For she had known that as her shadow, his constant place behind her as a pup, he would not flourish. But he felt comfortable in Trent’s presence even if the coy-wolf seems constantly uneasy in Alder’s. Of course there was still the confusion of understanding and guessing how exactly Trent wished for Alder to act, hoping not to step over any boundaries and push him away. But Alder did not fear opening up and exposing himself, Trent was far from a threat.
When eyes glanced back at the other male, wondering if he would follow him through the trees blue eyes caught the small smile on the cream hued chin and cheeks. His nose twitched from side to side as he concentrated on keeping his own smile from widening too greatly. He simply walked through until the small game trail was revealed. There was no faint scent of canine along the way, for it was pretty hidden from the common eye.
There was a silence between them as they walked, and Alder did not mind it. He was at ease in the quiet far more then he was with small talk. Though he was over coming the tension that had been left between them since their last meeting, he still was unsure how close he could get to the other’s private life, his past and his feelings. So the silence was met with his small unmoving smile. It was not till the scent of salt and the sound of crashing waves did Alder look back at the other wolfish canine. Cheeks perked as he motioned with a happy look that they were close.
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[html] In silence the two canines moved closer to the shore, following the trail that Alder had mentioned. Trent simply followed Alder, staying close, next to him where he could, but never passing where Alder walked out of respect for hierarchy. Trent felt rather uncomfortable under the silence, but neither knew of anything he could possibly say, so he walked on in silence. It was funny to see Alder in his lupus form but, in a way, it also made Trent feel closer to him because he was more, well, just like Trent was. No longer this weird and alien luperci that Trent had so much to learn about.
As Alder motioned, Trent's large ears perked forth and he looked in the direction of the sound of waves. The coywolf trotted ahead only then, making his way towards the shoreline. The salty scent of the shore made him happy, and Trent looked happier than he had in a long time as he trotted towards the ocean with a fond smile on his face.
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Alder turned, his tail wagging softly behind him as he trotted out to the land’s end and the ocean’s beginning. The landscaped changed dramatically, the woodland clearing and the underbrush becoming low and shaggy. A wintery wind caught his loose fur, and his unshorn pelt waved with it’s influence. The Sun was setting, leaving them and with it’s departure color streamed through the sky. It always reminded Alder of his sister’s paintings, memories of his puppyhood. A masterpiece that only the deity of his mother could create.
The tide was growing, and hadn't yet come to its highest waves. The wind teased the white foam, and the scent of salt was heavily lacing each breath he took. The beach and shoreline was not Alder’s most favorite of places, but it brought him a peaceful feeling each time he came to it. Even in high tide where the ground beneath him shook Alder was able to retreat inward, and let the world around him and the stress that it caused slip away.
It was the sight of Trent’s smile that made Alder the happiest that he had asked the coy-wolf if he could come along to the beach. He had wondered what would cause the new Courtier to grow at ease and find a small simple pleasure, and it looked as if the masked male had finally succeeded.
Steps brought them to the sand. It was not pure and soft but littered with stones and pebbles of the rocky shoreline. But, there was still a cushion to his footing and the rocks had been softened by the constant weathering of salt water. Most of the coast is cliffs and rocks. He explained, glancing to the male – courage to give eye contact regained – before he moved his nose down to touch the wet ground. Then he asked, What did you like to for fun do in your old pack? Did you have brothers and sisters? Alder's courage to unleash his curiosity had been regained as well.
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[html] Trent watched the beautiful sunset once they'd reached the shores. It looked beautiful, although he'd seen it many times before. Trent didn't care particularly for it, not more than that it was good, anyway; but he wouldn't have missed it had the sunset not been there. It was just another thing, and while he knew others could enjoy them, Trent wasn't one for the aesthetic beauty of nature. He liked things you could touch.
It was kind of disappointing that most of the coast consisted of cliffs and rocks rather than the rocky beach they were at now, although there could be great views from cliffsides. The question about fun was one that took Trent a little while to consider. He hadn't expected a question about his home, and looked clearly shocked at first, then thoughtful while he tried to bring back the memories. He mostly remembered the less-than-fun things, like the mating rituals last year where his parents had sent him out there to, goodness knows what they expected of him, fight for females or something like that when at the beginning of the mating season all the younger males and females got together. They had to have forgotten that Trent was one of the more submissive males of the pack, and he hadn't even gotten into a scrape, let alone a fight. He'd just folded his ears and tail, and nobody had ever questioned that Trent hadn't wanted to fight for a female. Well, except his parents, for some reason.
Lost in thought, it took Trent some time to answer. Oh, I don't know... he said non-commitally. Stuff like play-fighting, I guess, although I usually ended at the bottom, anyway. Ah... I guess we didn't do a whole lot for fun. Nothing that had actually been fun for him, anyway, nothing that he could do right now, right here, with Alder. Curiously Trent looked at Alder, although he did not ask. Did they do anything for fun, here?
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Alder soaked up the placid energy that the beach around him gave. It drifted in from the ocean, the waves not pounding as it did in high tide but washing over the pebbles and sand with gentle foam. Tent looked surprised that Alder would ask about his past and his family. For the masked male that was just simple conversation, and at the face his curiosity retreated slightly and he looked out onto the ocean.
It supported the patience that he had, waiting for Trent to answer him. Alder was a naturally nervous and insecure creature, but here he did not find anything but a sense of peace and even a growing sense of self-confidence. Even with Trent’s obvious tension Alder felt that the atmosphere brought them a bit of balance.
Alder laughed a single chuckle at Trent’s mention of ending up at the bottom of the playing pile. Me too. Alder spoke, memories of his brother flashing before him. Despite being the largest Alder always ending up the beaten warrior when they played such mock fighting games.
Everyone sort of has their own way to have fun here. There are a lot of interesting places to explore, caves and human houses. Alder explained as they walked. Trent had not mentioned brothers of sisters, and from the reaction that he had gotten when asking about his family Alder was not about to pry. He would rather have the mystery then push the coyote hued male back into his shell.
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[html] Trent wouldn't have expected Alder to be at the bottom of the pile, since he was pretty big and all. Really? he said with a flimsy smile, wondering how it was that such a large, broad creature would end up at the bottom of the pile. Trent didn't literally ask, though, since it seemed like a rude thing to ask about.
Trent figured that exploring human houses could be fun. He'd gone to Halifax city once -- but without finding the wolf he'd gone there to look for -- and he knew that the Court territory had plenty of houses, too. He wasn't much of an explorer, always afraid to run into things he couldn't handle, like bears, so exploring caves didn't appeal to him very much. At least not alone, and he didn't really have anyone to ask along, either.
The houses are, uh... It's new. Trent was used to living in dens dug from the earth or small caves or hollow logs, but not the houses left behind by the humans. It was a new and foreign pack structure to him. Everything is pretty new here. The way that dominance was exerted, the way they ate, hunted, and lived... It was all so strange and new. It truly was as if being born all anew again for Trent, who had to adjust to all of these new things as opposed to his traditional birth pack.
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[html] maybe wrap this up? 
Alder nodded. He had always been the one to fold first and give up the fighting. That was only after his brothers had convinced him to actually play-fight in the first place. He had enjoyed playing alone, or watching the birds fly through the tree or sit and listen to stories. Yeah. He said with a bit of a chuckle and a tilt of his large head. Masked eyes were soft, and his features light and far from resentful. It had been another time, almost another life. He had proven himself since then, in a way. Though Alder took no pride in forcing Cypress to the ground in anger he knew that he could over power those that deserved it.
Of course it was new. The tree-named male had known that this realm was strange to Trent since they had met, he had been so unfamiliar with shifting and the world they lived in revolved around it. But, it could be gotten used to easily. Or so Alder thought. It’s a good place for a new start. Alder received the feeling that Trent was not keen on his past, or at the very least sharing it with him. When he wanted to forget he resided to keeping the memory away from his day to day, and he reframed from speaking about it.
Night had set in as the two males walked along the beach. Alder found that he felt only slightly closer to Trent as he turned to look out to the ink well of an ocean. But it was step closer rather then further away. I can walk you back to the hotel, if you’d like. He gave a soft smile, but only let his eye rest on the gray orbs of his fellow pack mate for a small moment.
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[html] *fades* :3 · table by Alli! Trent hoped that Alder was right, but there wasn't really anything that anyone could do now to prove it, anyway. All he could do was wait and hope. It would not be that hard to find a better life, anyway, as the only ones he'd lived was a fake, hollow one and one on the road. Now, he had a chance for something real. The problem was, though, that the coywolf was not so sure which of his feelings were real and which were fake. Only time could tell.
There was a small pause at the suggestion. "Sure," Trent eventually agreed with a hesitant smile when Alder suggested walking him back to the hotel. The two of them made their way back there again and parted ways; Trent ended up in the hotel, in the mostly empty room that didn't feel like home at all just yet.
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