Word Count → 501 :: New Charrie xD Setting: Just before twilight, the dampwoods. Kira is in Optime form.
The sun began its descent in the sky and the tawny girl decided it was as good a time as any to make camp for the night. She uttered a quiet ‘umph,’ as she hopped from the stallion’s back, her feet thudding softly on the pine needle ridden ground below. She’d been traveling long hours for two weeks now and her legs were sore from riding. She stretched her legs one after another, rubbing her thighs before straightening. She turned two yellow tinted eyes to the red/brown stallion beside her and reached out to pat his thick muscled neck. “We’ll rest here for the night, Rhaego. The world can wait for us another day.” She reassured him gently, bringing herself around to his face to stroke his velvety nose. He whinnied softly, and she smiled widely, leaning to press her forehead lovingly against his own. She left him and sighed contentedly to perch herself upon the rock and reached into her leather pack. It was a few moments before she found it. It’s smooth surface was cool beneath her fingers and she withdrew the comb, taking a moment to gaze upon it. Her father’s handiwork. She smiled at it fondly before running the prongs through her tousled sandy blond hair.
It had been a struggle to be alone for the very first time in her life, but she took it as an adventure. The whole concept of being a loner, it was rather exciting- just a girl alone in the woods, who knows what could happen? Well, she wasn’t alone. She had Rhaego with her always, and a formidable horse he was. He was a fierce red brown creature with a white leg and various splotches that made him look as if he’d had white paint splattered on him. Not a single one of her family ever managed to puzzle out how such a strong and high-spirited horse had chosen such a young girl for his master. But their bond was undeniable. He obeyed whatever command he was given, even where all others had failed. It was a curious thing, indeed.
It felt good to be rid of the tangles and she blinked leisurely until her lips began to take up the hum. It was an old melody that she knew very well. Her mother used to sing it to her as she ran the very same comb through her golden locks. Moments passed before it soon became a full fledged song, flowing seamlessly from her lips to grace the air around. With no one to hear she sang freely to the trees about her, feeling as if her family were there again around her. It was then that she felt the presence of the leather pouch against her collarbone. It was filled with the ashes of her great grandmother, and she knew she was not alone. It was a warm and soothing presence and encouraged her voice onwards, rising in pitch sweetly as if to beseech the very skies above.
She hadn't seen Tawny in a while, which honestly worried the girl. They usually managed to meet up with one another despite traveling in opposite directions at times...it was an odd ability that they had. Just when Wretch would believe that she was rid of the girl completely, Tawny would pop back up. Or vise versa. It wasn't that she found the other a nuisance, but there were definitely times when she grew tired of her constant companionship. Wretch could only take so much of one canine before it started to drive her crazy, even Tawny. The blue-eyed coyote frowned a bit as she walked along, looking off into the wood that surrounded her. Where could that silly girl be? Despite her occasional annoyance with her, she actually was finding that she missed the brown haired canine a bit.
The sound of music filled the otherwise quiet night around her, surprising the coyote hybrid and making her glance about sharply. Was Tawny nearby, singing for her? She hurried toward the sound, desperate to catch a glimpse of her companion. The necklaces around her neck jingled together as she ran, clinging together with every hurried step that she took. Wretch had to see if it was her, if they'd finally found one another again. She stepped out into a small clearing, her voice loud and clear. Hello? Hello, is someone there? The small hybrid considered climbing one of the nearby trees to get a better look at the surrounding area, but thought against it. She didn't want to have to take her backpack off and risk losing it somehow.
If she’d been paying attention to her surroundings the she-wolf would have undoubtedly heard the sound of the others footsteps. But as her voice rose in song she was oblivious to all else. When the comb ran through her hair without a snag she ran her fingers through its length. Satisfied, her song faded away and she turned to drop the comb back into her pack. A soft sigh fell from her lips and she looked upon the sun sinking in the west. The night was coming swifter now and some scattered stars awoke in the purple sky above. It was time to start the fire, yet when she rummaged through her pack her reaching fingers soon found everything except her flint and tinder. She searched more urgently, but came up empty handed. Vexed, now she dumped the entirety of her pack on the ground. A couple hides, unmarked leather as well as several tools made of bone all came crashing down.
“Ugh, I seriously need to add some pockets.” She sighed. It was near impossible to find anything in her sack, and the smaller items often evaded her groping fingers. It was no use, she realized. She must have left it at the previous camp. It wasn’t until all her personal effects were strewn messily all over the earth that she heard Rhaego snort. She quickly turned to see him gazing off into the distance with ears flattened. Her own ears perked up and a voice rang clearly through the stillness. “Over here!” she called. It was another moment before she saw the small white hybrid coming towards her. Rhaego gazed uneasily at the stranger and Kira walked to his side to calm him. She wondered how long she’d been there. Had she heard her sing? Definitely. She blushed into Rhaego’s mane, hiding her embarrassment from the stranger.
WC^.^ Wretch is very socially awkward <3 forgive her!
She had been so preoccupied with thoughts of her friend that she had not yet thought about what she would do if it ended up not being Tawny that she came across. The voice that carried through the trees should have been enough to deter her and make her run the opposite direction - it was obviously unfamiliar to her. But something made her continue to go. She had to see it with her own eyes, to be absolutely certain that Tawny wasn't anywhere in the immediate area before she would move on and look elsewhere. She burst through the collection of shrubbery that lay between the two of them. Wretch froze afterward, eyes landing on the horse first and then on the other canine in slight shock.
..I heard your voice. I thought you were someone else - I didn't mean to uhh.. Her voice faded off awkwardly. She moved from foot to foot, looking for exits that she could easily take in case the other changed their mind and chose to come after her. She'd been surprised several times in the past and wanted to be ready in case this girl was more dangerous than she looked. I was looking for my friend...I haven't seen her for a few days and we usually travel together. She tried to explain, voice crackling with anxiety. She still held many misgivings about interacting with others, and wasn't sure how some canines would react to certain things that she would say. Darkness was beginning to fall around them and she looked up to the sky before turning her aqua gaze back to Kira. I should go. Sorry for interrupting - you can keep singing if you want, and I'll just leave you be. She hesitated now.
The sandy girl took a couple steps back at the wishful thought that the other wouldn’t mention what she’d heard. She wanted the moment to pass by as quickly as possible and stopped to peer over Rhaego’s back. The other girl soon broke through the foliage and she could see her more clearly. She watched the girl freeze as she looked at Rhaego then herself. Her eyes trailed the same path and she gazed at her horse, her brow wrinkling slightly before returning to the timid girl. “He won’t hurt you,” she called, reassuring the hybrid with a kindly grin. Rhaego seemed to disagree and soon tossed his head and snorted. “Oh hush,” she chuckled, swatting him. Her ears twitched as the hybrid herself spoke. Kira couldn’t help but cock her head at the girl, her eyes looking almost white in the oncoming darkness. She watched the canine with increasing curiosity as she shifted her feet one after the other and looked around.
An ear twitched as the girl’s voice cracked and she found she was listening much more attentively. “I haven’t seen anyone else around here, besides you, but I really haven’t been here long.” She offered not unkindly. Kira was eager to put this stranger at ease, and couldn’t help puzzling over her behavior. She wasn’t scary looking the last time she’d checked, in fact, she looked downright normal. Her gaze dropped to the ground momentarily when she mentioned her singing to hide the sudden blush. When she looked up the girl was struggling on whether or not to leave.
“No, no don’t leave!” Her gaze turned to the sky. “It’s getting dark. Come share camp with me, we can keep each other company.” Rhaego made a small sound, but the girl ignored him. “I’m Kira by the way and Mr. Grouchy over there is Rhaego.” She said, pointing to the stallion. She waited a moment before turning hurriedly away to the pile of her effects. She reached out and pulled at one of the pelts, the larger of the two. It was big and black, the fur thick- the hide of a black bear. She unfurled it and spread it over the ground beside the rock. It was long enough to seat the two of them comfortably. When she was done she gathered the rest of her things and shoved them hurriedly into her pack, setting it down next to the blanket.
She seated herself upon the fur, curling her legs to the side. She patted the pelt beside her with a warm smile. “Here, come sit with me.” Her gaze fell to the empty space before her. “I uh, would light a fire, but…I left my flint at the last camp.” She admitted, with another blush, drawing her eyes downwards. She perked up soon after, “maybe we could pretend there’s one?” It seemed nothing could dampen the girl’s spirits and she grinned infectiously, staring expectantly at the white hybrid.
She'd never had much experience with horses. They looked almost like giant deer to her untrained eyes, minus the horns...and yet luperci did not use them for food. The other luperci mentioned that she hadn't been in the lands for very long and that she hadn't come across any others yet, which made Wretch think that she valued her alone time. The guilty feeling continued to creep over her and she swallowed, still moving from foot to foot anxiously. Wretch didn't like to be shouted at and wasn't up for another brawl...this canine didn't appear to be the type who would want to harm another, but she knew better than most that looks could be incredibly deceiving.
The lithe girl hesitated at the treeline and was about to turn back when the other's exclamation reached her ears. She had needed to hear that phrase itself to be sure that leaving was not the right choice to make, and she cleared her throat. The other seemed to wish for her to stay and keep her company, as night was falling. She'd yet to make camp herself but often took refuge beneath trees or in snowdrifts if she could find one large enough to accommodate her, and hadn't camped with someone else since she had lost Tawny.
She had chosen not to leave, but that didn't mean that she would automatically trust this one. The girl's thoughts whirled as she came a bit closer, not accepting the warm pelt but choosing to settle down onto the ground instead with a small grunt. She put her pack down next to her and began to dig through it, picking out the fire-making materials that they needed and tossing them over onto the fur next to Kira. Wretch D'Angelo. She said, giving her own introduction. She pulled her knees up to her chest, her long tail coming to wrap securely around her feet. Aqua eyes swept upward toward the sky before returning to Kira. Why'd you come to these lands?
OOC lol Kira is totally invading Wretch's personal space right now xD
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The young wolf studied the white hybrid with her sharply colored eyes, too pale and icy to be considered truly yellow. It was an oddity as it was the only cold thing about her. She smiled a warm smile, her pristine white canines glinting in the moonlight as it ascended into the ever darkening sky. It was several moments before the hybrid approached, and Kira’s brows slowly knitted together in confusion, but her countenance did not harden. She cocked her head again slightly. She was strange, this one. When she finally approached her frowning brows smoothed, and her smile was radiant once again. She watched her as she passed by the bear pelt so warm and inviting on the ground and sat beside it instead. When she tossed the flint she grabbed it without hesitation and held it in her hand, rather than settling down to her task. There was no thank you from her lips, either, but it wasn’t because she was being impolite. It was her first encounter with anyone outside her family and she was bubbling with excitement.
As the girl, now known as Wretch offered her name, Kira realized how far apart they were sitting and rushed to remedy it. She quickly scooted down the bear pelt to sit beside the other girl, turning her body to face her. She was eager to start a conversation, but the hybrid beat her to it, asking the first question. “Well, when my brother left us to go out on his own he came back and told us so many wonderful stories about what’d he done and seen, I had to get out too. I was only half a pup then, so I had to wait. Now, here I am.” She spoke quickly, the words tumbling out of her mouth at an incredible near indecipherable velocity. “I just packed up my things and left for Nova Scotia…This is Nova Scotia, right?” She gazed at Wretch questioningly. “I heard there were a lot of Luperci here.” She paused a moment, as if to catch her breath. “Mother and Father didn’t want me to leave, but I just had to. They gave me Rhaego, though.” She gazed at the horse, who by now had ceased to worry over the two Luperci girls and was nudging his nose through the snow, trying to reach something edible beneath.
The girl adjusted herself to sit on her knees and calves, placing a hand on each knee. “Enough about me, what about you, do you live here?” She questioned, but as soon as she asked another question was on her lips. “Who was it you were looking for?” She watched her a moment, waiting for an answer before turning towards a spot of ground before them. The flint in hand she reached for the other materials and soon started about creating a fire, possibly giving the hybrid a chance to regain some personal space. She succeeded after a time, the gleam of the fire dancing in her eyes.
I love your table ^^ Also, I'm really enjoying this thread!
She'd just had a brawl that morning, a fact that was evident - Wretch hadn't stopped to clean herself off and her fur glittered with shards of broken glass, shards that occasionally caused her to grimace as she moved to a more comfortable position. Some canines were a bit over-protective of things...she hadn't expected to get into a fight, but with Amy it had appeared inevitable. She had wanted to check that shop for wool and other things she considered valuable, but the other canine had claimed the shop and wanted to end the argument with weapons. Her short daggers hadn't been able to do much, but she'd escaped without major injury and had discovered some wool and needles in another shop farther down the street. That was what mattered. The hybrid reached up to rub at an itch near her eyebrow and winced when she felt a shallow but lengthy cut there.
Wretch expected the other canine to start the fire immediately, but it did not appear that she would be so lucky. She wanted to sit and chitchat a bit. Fire.. She said feebly, her voice fading off. From the female's story it sounded like she was fresh out...that being on her own was a new experience. It wasn't all sunshine and daisies; hunting was more difficult by yourself and so was a variety of other things. Not having a permanent, safe place to sleep could take a noticeable toll on a person. Kira's question made her head rise once more, blue eyes focusing on her. I don't know. She had never been told the name of the general area...she had only ever known her own comfortable pack of Ichika no Ho-en before choosing the loner life for herself.
She had decided that she wouldn't answer until the girl had at least started to build a fire, and held off saying anything until that point. The fact that Kira would so readily sit beside her had startled her somewhat - she was unused to such treatment from other loners. I live everywhere. I have family in some packs..but those places aren't for me. They're foreign. My father disappeared and I left the pack I originated from shortly after that. I had a traveling partner..a friend who looked very much like you, but I've lost her. Wretch wasn't sure what else to reveal at that point and simply sat for a few minutes, watching Kira build the fire that they would share. I miss her, I guess. I always thought she'd be around...she meant a lot to me. In more ways than one. The end of the sentence came out as more of a whisper, one that died down as the fire sprung to life before her.
OOC Thanks, Raze made it for me! Yours too! Green is my favorite color xD Me too!
The hybrid’s statement of fire fell of deaf ears, and Kira continued to gaze at her with mounting interest. She didn’t seem to know whether this was Nova Scotia or not and her brow wrinkled. It had to be, she thought. She’d been using the sun and stars as her compass, waking up early to plot her course with the help of the rising sun. “The sun rises in the east.” She assured herself quietly. “Sets in the west.” She soon nodded. “Yes, I traveled north then east., so this has to be Nova Scotia.” She was sure she’d come the right way, and shrugged off the other girls uncertainty. When she was finished contemplating her course for the past few weeks she perked up to hear Wretch speaking again. Kira smiled to see her gaining confidence. She listened raptly as the other girl spoke. “Like me?” She was listening even more intently now, if that was even possible. “Is she pretty?" She asked soon afterward with a girlish giggle. She hadn’t been looking for an answer and asked simply out of jest.
As the fire roared to life before her, Kira was still listening intently, and her wolfish ears pick up all of the girls sentence, even the parts she might not have meant for Kira to hear. “You’re not alone now.” She said sweetly, her tail stirring to life behind her and giving a wag. She thought of Wretch’s last words and her curiosity peaked. “More ways than one…Like what?” It was just like the girl to poke her snout in places where it wasn’t welcome, but her family never seemed to understand privacy, and shared everything openly. She was no different.
In the light of the fire Kira could see Wretch more clearly and as she turned from it, it’s glow sparked the glint in her eyes and they flashed blue/green as her pupils reflected the light. Strangely enough those weren’t the only things that were shining. She now noticed the sparkle of crushed glass and the disgusting dark red of dry blood here and there. The smile on her muzzle finally died and her eyes widened. She reached out to brush the scattered pieces of broken glass off her white pelt. “Wretch!’ She gasped. “Oh, no what happened to you, are you okay?” Rhaego snorted and threw his head up suddenly at his master’s sudden start. Her head whirled to him. “Calm yourself, Rhaego!” Her voice was uncharacteristically firm. Even stranger, the stallion obeyed immediately and quieted. She nodded a wordless ‘thanks,’ to him, and her ears soon twitched back to the hybrid. She turned her head as well, and began to fret over the various cuts.
She said, worryingly before rummaging into her pack. In her haste she pricked her finger on the naked bone handled dagger amongst her things and withdrew her hand immediately to suck on the injured digit. With the taste of blood in her mouth she turned to Wretch helpless. “Do you have anything? I could try cleaning them up for you.”
She had survived on her own for these last few months, but that didn't mean that she was all that knowledgeable of travel. She knew that the giant ball of light in the sky was called the "sun" and that when it set, the stars would come out and darkness would fall upon the lands...but not much else about it. Wretch didn't know her directions, but had traveled certain paths around the area in the past and tried to use the same paths over and over again. O..ok She said, trying to show that she understood the other's words about directions of travel. Wretch scratched her head when asked about whether Tawny was pretty. Wretch had always thought that her scarred friend was quite beautiful..but each of the two females had their own individual look. Yes, she was very pretty. I thought so, anyway She answered quite seriously.
Maybe we should travel together, Kira. I plan to travel back to the pack I grew up in to see if my father was back...but after that I have no plans. She proposed, broaching the subject carefully. If Kira wasn't interested then Wretch would take no offense...she could see no harm in two canines watching each others' back and having mutual respect for one another. She had been missing the company of another canine ever since she had lost Tawny. Perhaps this would fill that void a little, if the other girl agreed. Wretch had thought that the crackling of the fire might have shrouded her words, but it appeared that Kira had heard them all. She shrugged a bit, looking into the flames. I felt something special for her. It's why I miss her so much...I never thought we would be separated like this. Heartache.
The horse seemed startled by Kira's next ouburst, and Wretch's blue eyes widened in surprise as well as she turned her head back to stare at the animal. Had it become unsettled? Would it calm down? The horse seemed to follow its master's orders well and soon quieted with some firm words from Kira. I got in a fight earlier. Some bitch didn't want to let me into a building in the city...and I wanted to see if there was any yarn in it. I eventually got away, but I got cut on some glass and tossed through a window at some point She said simply. I might have something..Oh, did you cut yourself...? I have some cloths in here that might do, as well as a bottle of alcohol. If I got some of the glass out of the cuts I could just lick some of them, though... She offered the other girl her bag to look through, unsure of what she might want to use. Is your finger OK?
She paid little mind to Wretch‘s uncertain confirmation, and hardly noticing that she‘d been speaking aloud. “My dad knows how to read.” She found herself explaining. “He came across an old map in a hume-den, and since then he’s been obsessed with them. I made him a map of our camp for his birthday.” She admitted proudly. “He loved it.” She said soon after, remembering the happiness in her father’s eyes when he received her little gift. She’d painted the camp site in full detail on a canvas of tanned leather, grinning broadly whenever he consulted it after setting up camp again after a move, ensuring that no matter where they roamed it would always look like home. She broke from her reverie, beaming, then giggled when Wretch commented on her friend’s beauty. The girl was so very serious at times Kira couldn’t help but chuckle.
Her smile dimmed, but only a little as Wretch spoke her offer. Her sandy brown ears perked and she paused before smiling warmly. “Oh, Wretch, I’d love to come with you!” She said happily. She was no more than a stranger here, and company was indeed quite welcome. She’d been beginning to feel lonely with only herself and Rhaego and the prospect of a traveling companion made her swell with joy. She looked forward to moving on and seeing the sights of this wondrous new land, not to mention hunting on her own had become increasingly harder, and she’d never been full for long. Maybe the two together could take down larger game. It had been weeks since she’d had deer, or any other large prey. Her belly seemed to rumble at the thought.
She saw Wretch’s surprise at Rhaego’s outburst. “He’s harmless, really.” She offered, hoping it would make her less wary of the stallion. “Just high-strung is all.” She shrugged a bit, undaunted by his behavior and returned her attention to the girl’s cuts. When she offered her the pack she pulled out some cloth and gave pause seeing the bottle of alcohol. She’d seen her father and uncle with similar bottles before, drinking it, and sometimes pouring it over cuts and scrapes, but whenever she came near she’d often been turned away for reasons she couldn’t understand. Her brows furrowed a bit she opened it and gave a sniff. It burned her sensitive nose and she reached up a hand to rub it, eyes suddenly watering. Perhaps it was right of them to steer her away. It didn’t smell like something she’d like to drink.
She set it aside for now, and carefully reached into her own pack. She was looking for the dagger this time and peered inside before grabbing it by the handle. “Oh, I’m alright. I do it all the time.“ She assured. Her eyes turned towards the girls cuts and she came closer to get a better look. “I might have to dig a bit to get the glass out.” She warned, her hand on the dagger and her eyes apologetic as she saw to one of the deeper cuts out of the hybrids reach. The rest were only scratches, but she‘d clean them all they same so they wouldn‘t become infected. “Why would anyone do such a thing, and by herself?” She asked, then, thinking of the woman that had done this to the hybrid.
She had no idea what a hume-den was, but kept her muzzle closed on the subject. Wretch didn't want to appear more ignorant than she was already proving herself to be in regards to the outside world. She had been a very, very sheltered child...always protected, always given anything she could ever want. Now that Saul was gone, that reality had been shattered and she had been forced to grow up quite a bit in the last couple of months. She was no expert on living on her own, having had Tawny with her to help her with things from the beginning..but she was learning.
The girl could see the advantages of having a companion, it seemed, and she agreed to Wretch's request. It would make both of their lives a whole lot easier to travel places together, and as long as they had some way to find one another again then they wouldn't be separated for very long whenever they chose to go off and investigate things by themselves. She would have to think of some kind of a system...perhaps they could state an area that they would be in, or Kira could make a map of the area and mark their future locations and the paths that they would take on it so that each one would know where to go to find the other. Good She said quietly.
Rhaego did startle her, but she wondered if her fear of the giant beast would go away with time. She would just have to get used to the horse and his mannerisms. Wretch knew very little about horse behavior, so such actions and sounds made her fear the beast a bit. Kira dismissed her concerns over her cut finger, and Wretch tried to hold still so that she could get her work done. She would occasionally flinch when a piece of glass was removed, but didn't move much besides that. She was protecting something for some reason...I didn't get it then and I still don't. Must have been something really valuable, though. I didn't think anything in the city could be claimed, especially by just one canine..and I thought I could take her. I'm not a very good fighter yet, though..so I did get hit a few times. Have you ever been in a fight? She asked.
Kira listened intently as the girl spoke, being as careful and gentle as she possibly could. She winced whenever Wretch flinched, but otherwise her hands were very steady. Practiced hands they were. Hands that worked leather and hides, sewn clothing, tended horses and children. Despite her youth she had many skills, and an eagerness and will to learn such as you could find, and always with a radiant smile on her lips and a glint in her cold, near colorless eyes. The fires warmth seemed not to touch them as she worked, and they shone silver in the night. “Still, I really doubt you were trying to steal anything for her to get so offended, I wonder what it was she was hiding.” She mused. “But that is awful, that woman sounds wicked.” She said, disapproving. When she asked her about fighting she shook her head with a small smile. “No, I’ve never really gotten into a fight, maybe with my brother, but…that wasn’t a real fight. We didn’t use weapons or anything. He stole my toy.” She pouted a moment, before shaking her head and laughing lightly.
When she was finished removing the glass she grabbed a bit of cloth and tore off a small piece without care. She doubted it was anything the girl would miss, and if it was she was highly confident in her skill to repair it. She took the bottle of alcohol, more carefully this time and tipped it over a bit enough to wet the cloth. When she turned back to the white girl her face was terribly apologetic. “This will sting,” She warned. She went for the smaller cuts first, swiping at them lightly with the cloth until she was satisfied that they were properly cleaned. She was quick and precise, never lingering overlong, but when it came to the largest of her wounds she hesitated and looked up at Wretch. “You can hold my hand if you want for this one.” She left her left hand open and waiting for the hybrid to squeeze or not and bent to do the last of her work. She dabbed lightly at first, testing it, before swiping with a little pressure, careful all the while.
When Wretch’s wounds seemed properly taken care of Kira sat back on the pelt and fingered the leather pouch at the hollow of her throat. A fond smile crept over her lips, but it did not reach her eyes. Instead they seemed almost sad, but before any tears could come she blinked them away and sighed shortly. It was just a moment before she turned to Wretch again. “Are you hungry?” She asked, feeling a sudden rumbling in her stomach. The rabbit hadn’t lasted as long as she thought it seemed.
