underwater
#1
She had been tending to Soal that morning, making certain that the wounds he'd received in the fight hadn't turned and that the horse hadn't injured himself further. The stallion was in fine spirits though he seemed to be tiring quickly. She assumed that had more to do with the wounds than anything. The small woman decided to brush down his coat, cleaning out the thicker fur from the winter as his summer coat was coming in now.

The tiny woman felt like she needed a bath after she had bathed the stallion, the older horse was patient with her silly ways and though he didn't agree with getting a bath he roamed out into the meadow to sun himself dry. Zana returned to the creek where Soal had allowed her to groom and bath him, going for a dip herself this time. The small woman didn't take long and before the sun had dipped much lower into the sky she had joined the stallion in sunbathing in the meadow of clover.

Zana had crawled onto the older stallion's back and sprawled out. His pelt was warm and already sun baked. Although he seemed to mind her damp body perched onto his own he soon settled down and let her enjoy her peace as he began to doze in the afternoon sun.
#2
[html]


333 → sorry for the wait <3



The Optio was in a foul mood after hearing about the mansion attack. She’d increased patrols along the borders, taking up most of the slack herself, and that left her weary, shadows appearing under her ice blue eyes. The raven that so doggedly followed her urged her in his croaking voice to rest more, but resting was the last thing on the scarred woman’s mind. She grew upset, she put her energy into work, and that was how the cycle went and always would go.

Bathing was one of the last things on her mind, but Stark had made some pointed remarks about a particular lady who wouldn’t be impressed were Vesper to remain rank, and so she reluctantly padded down to one of the creeks forking through the Waste. It would be swollen with rainwater soon, although hopefully the floods would remain minimal. With wolf attacks already hanging over the clan’s head, water damage would be too much.

Her patchy fur was soaking, slicked to her lithe body and making her appear smaller than her lupus form already was. She didn’t bother to shake the excess water from her coat as she stepped into the meadow, glad at last to see that the bird wasn’t bothering her. They were fond of each other in their own ways, but she would not hesitate to rip feathers from his self-righteous ass should he bother her more than was intelligent.

The scent of a horse caused her nostrils to flare and her body to grow rigid, but the sight of her pygmy friend on the stallion’s back was too amusing for her to stay afraid. She approached the monstrosity of a horse with due caution, ears flattened and steps slow, and spoke from a safe distance.

Hi, Zana, Vesper greeted, realizing how little there really was to say. She could bother the other about patrols, or chat about the weather, or something else equally uninspiring, but as usual niceties failed her. She ground her teeth.


<style type="text/css">
.btqaven b {font-weight:bold; color:#49484b; font-family:courier; letter-spacing:1px; font-size:13px; text-shadow:#83817d 1px 1px 2px;}
.btqaven p {text-indent:0px; padding:5px 10px; margin:0px;}
.btqaven {margin:0px auto; width:500px; background-color:#ece8e2; background-image:url(http://i.imgur.com/Ia2Rq.png); background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; border:1px solid #83817d; padding:320px 0px 3px 0px; font-family: georgia, sans-serif; font-size:12px; color:#83817d; line-height:16px; letter-spacing:.5px; text-align:justify;}
.btqaven b:before { content: open-quote; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; }
.btqaven b:after { content: close-quote; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; }
</style> [/html]
#3
The fight that had broken out had bothered her greatly, though Angel and she had got away with little to no real serious injuries she did not like the fact that creatures had driven so deeply into their lands. She knew that soon she would have to leave Saul to heal and patrol on her own to make certain that the creatures were gone for good from the lands. Her heckles rose slightly at the idea that they hadn't left. A soft growl filled her maw but was soon dispensed by a voice speaking up.

She hadn't even realized that Vesper had been approaching, not even the snort of warning from the stallion had got through to the pygmy woman's thoughts but slowly she turned to gaze upon her leader and friend. She tried to smile but it couldn't reach her eyes as she spoke in response. "Hello Vesper.." She assumed that the woman would known already of the troubles within the clan but her eyes narrowed slightly as she prodded the woman just to find out. "Have other intruders been spotted?" she asked.

The tiny figure rolled off the stallion's back and butted her head against his neck for a moment before taking a step towards her superior and waiting to see just what news the woman might have for her.
#4
[html]





The pygmy woman sat up and smiled at her, although the smile wasn’t soft or warm enough to be truly sincere. Vesper knew that much; most of her smiles were the same, more smirks twitching her lips upward. She had been ice, but the fire clan had melted that loner’s shield away, and her smiles came more easily now.

As she dismounted from her stallion, the Optio sighed at her question and stared in frustration at her paws. Stark and I haven’t seen any, she replied quietly, naming her raven. Nor have any of the other scouts I’ve talked to—but it’s only a matter of time, I think. She lashed her tail behind her. It was too… It wasn’t just a stupid fight like the other wolves that harass our borders. It was a strike. I fear that they’ll come back.

She had seen the skulls. She had heard the tales of monsters coming to the borders to piss on their land or snarl at their children. The coyotes had hunted them down one by one, decorating their borders with their enemies, but this was the first time she’d heard of that wolves had come so far into their lands bringing steel. For all of her scars, the dozens of enemies she’d faced great and small, Vesper had never seen war before, and she was worried that she might get her first taste.


<style type="text/css">
.btqaven b {font-weight:bold; color:#49484b; font-family:courier; letter-spacing:1px; font-size:13px; text-shadow:#83817d 1px 1px 2px;}
.btqaven p {text-indent:0px; padding:5px 10px; margin:0px;}
.btqaven {margin:0px auto; width:500px; background-color:#ece8e2; background-image:url(http://i.imgur.com/Ia2Rq.png); background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; border:1px solid #83817d; padding:320px 0px 3px 0px; font-family: georgia, sans-serif; font-size:12px; color:#83817d; line-height:16px; letter-spacing:.5px; text-align:justify;}
.btqaven b:before { content: open-quote; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; }
.btqaven b:after { content: close-quote; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; }
</style> [/html]
#5
The Lykoi lady turned her eyes away from her leader for a moment as she listened to the words of the other. She knew damn well that what had happened in the heart of their lands had been a strike. She had seen the wolves taunt and tease at the border. She had run off the youthful intruders before as well as fix the damage they had done to the warning skulls along the lands. The tiny woman was not a fool, though she did not understand why they came.. she understood that there had to be a reason and that this could not be the last of them.

Her stormy lilac eyes slowly turned back to Vesper as she spoke. "They came right into the heart of the clan territories. They had almost made it to the doors of the mansion.. What are we to do..." Their numbers were strong, she knew that, but their territory was vast as well. There was only so many that could be patrolling at once and there were other chores to be done inside and outside the lands as well. A shiver etched down her spine at the idea of them being so unprotected. She didn't believe for a moment that the clan wouldn't fight, but it had been a long while since anything had tried to test their borders and the feeling was a bitter taste in her maw.
#6
[html]


this is cruddy, but i wanted to get something up



The Optio’s ear twitched, and she frowned at the other’s breathy question. Fight, she replied flatly, reclining on her haunches. It was what any of the other Lykois would have answered; Ezekiel’s voice stood out in her mind. But she knew that offering the suggestion so lightly was folly; she wasn’t as naïve at that. There were plenty of reasons that fighting wouldn’t work, although that was what Inferni would be forced to do in the end.

It’s up to us to make sure they don’t get as far as they did, Vesper added, her tone more concrete. She was at the head of the scouting tier now, and she knew that the duty would fall on the shoulders of her students as well as the more experienced patrollers. Patrols will be increased, of course. We might need warriors to accompany some of the younger scouts. I know I can ask help from the ravens; one of them is my companion now. She ended at that, not needing to belabor the point; Zana was more experienced than she was and would know what was needed.

They won’t catch us off guard again, the tawny coywolf ended tensely, but there was something vulnerable and young in her cornflower blue eyes. In reality, she needed reassurance that what she said was true—but she’d never ask it of her clan. The Aquila had entrusted her to this position, and she had to be strong.


<style type="text/css">
.btqaven b {font-weight:bold; color:#49484b; font-family:courier; letter-spacing:1px; font-size:13px; text-shadow:#83817d 1px 1px 2px;}
.btqaven p {text-indent:0px; padding:5px 10px; margin:0px;}
.btqaven {margin:0px auto; width:500px; background-color:#ece8e2; background-image:url(http://i.imgur.com/Ia2Rq.png); background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; border:1px solid #83817d; padding:320px 0px 3px 0px; font-family: georgia, sans-serif; font-size:12px; color:#83817d; line-height:16px; letter-spacing:.5px; text-align:justify;}
.btqaven b:before { content: open-quote; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; }
.btqaven b:after { content: close-quote; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; }
</style> [/html]


Forum Jump: