Leland arrives, won’t someone come welcome him to Souls? Excuse my extensive rant of wolves vs dogs XD I know it’s the bulk of my post, I got carried away.
The sky seemed to have been pouring down rain for weeks. On and off and on for a good long time the last few days it had rained. The week before too many of the days had been filled with rain. And the week before that, rain as well. Leland couldn’t quite remember the weather of the week before that, but he guessed it had rained, and he was growing sick of the storms. Although he traveled in the rain, he didn’t like to. Didn’t like the feeling of his fur being wet, didn’t like the overcast sky and the lack of a cheery sun. Although, if he was to be honest, he didn’t mind the mud squishing up between his toes, that at least was pleasant. And here he was again, legs pumping and broad dog feet splashing through puddles and mud, not quite sure where he was going, only sure that eventually, he would get somewhere.
Larger than the average husky, husky mix, malamute or any of those other compact sled dogs that the humans were so found of breeding, Leland’s built was that of a small wolf, although he was stocky and well muscled, a deep barrel chest and broad head complemented his overly large paws. Despite the genetics lovingly donated by his wolf ancestors, some distant and not so distant, his coat and face were pure dog even if his size was not quite. Typical husky markings of a red-copper coat with a white mask and belly made sure that he could never be mistaken for a wolf and his face was shaped like that of a husky as well. His muzzle was shorter than that of a wolf though his head somewhat larger and blockier. It was the fact that he knew, quite well, how different he would appear, that when Leland stumbled into the area and his nose was assaulted by numerous scents of wolves, some fresh but many quite faded (the land must not be claimed, only one they passed through regularly), he became somewhat concerned.
Growing up in a clan where the interbreeding of wolves and dogs wasn’t uncommon, as well as co-habiting even in the same pack, Leland was quite accustomed to their ways... which really weren’t that much different than his own. Having been wild for generations now, the silly traits that many dogs had acquired to please their masters had vanished, but that was not to say that many cultural differences did not exist between a pack of dogs and a pack of wolves. Still, his clan of northern dogs liked to retain their look, which now after so many years of breeding between the breeds created a unique mixture of malamutes, Siberian huskies, Alaskan huskies, samoyeds, and many other breeds he didn’t know the name for or care to. Leland looked most closely like a very large Siberian husky, though if a human were around they might mistake him for a malamute as well, though neither would be quite wrong (he had a some of both) and neither would be accurate either (there was so much more thrown into the mix).
Leland was also quite aware that at times, different creatures didn’t get along, and his pack had more than their share of run ins with less than open minded wolves. Of course it worked the other way, as his best friend-a full blood wolf-had been killed at the hands of one of his own kind, something that helped set his decision to leave. And so, the question was, how did these wolves, or the majority of them, feel about his kind? The answer didn’t really matter, as he had to cross through these lands anyway as he headed north, and he didn’t know how big these lands were. It might be only a few miles before he was back in solitude, which was how he had spent much of his journey. And if he did run into them, so much the better. Maybe this was the type of place to settle down. Leland stepped into the forest, darkened and cooled even more than the day already was by the thick branches hanging above, though they did little to keep out the rain. So far, so good.
Iskata had been roaming the forest looking for boar, she was in no shape to actually catch them but that didn't stop her from looking for signs and catching sight of them. She didn't mind the rain though everyone who knew the silver and gold lady knew that she was most likely to be found on a sunny summer day sprawled out atop some open place taking in the tantalizing rays of warmth that radiated from the sun who seemed to have been missing as of late. She shook out the excess water from her pelt and crept forward through the woods, the grunts and squeals of the family of boars met her ears as she caught sight of the mother and her three young. Iskata knew that the young were old enough to survive without the aide of their mother's milk, something she was highly interested in. If she could catch the young while another distracted the mother she would have three pigs to add to the assortment of cattle the pack had gathered. She grinned to herself as she watched the mother dip down into a hollow in the ground. After much hunting and stalking the shewolf had finally tracked down the small family's den, something she'd been hoping would happen soon.
Turning away from her hunting and tracking she made certain to leave a marking along the path she took back towards her packlands. Now that she'd found what she was looking for she didn't plan on losing them anytime soon. They would be added to the stock. Unlike Asmodai she had no moral arguments on herding the unintelligent lifestock into pens and keeping them there until meat became scarce in the winter. She after all had worked to get the animals there in the first place, it wasn't like she was plucking them off trees lazily. The work had been done to hunt them down, just not in the season of need. She shook her head as she padded softly down the path, quite proud indeed of the feat she'd accomplished today, even if in anyone else's eyes seemed small it was another step towards extending their survival in the coming winter.
The rain dripped through the leaves as she paused along the trail a moment. She caught the scent of another as she saw a shadow passing along further down the trail. Her sun shot sky eyes traced the brilliant blotch of white and flash of coppery crimson. She would have mistaken the creature for her daughter yet she knew Firefly's pelt held no brilliant whites like this one's did. She took up her pace again as she came around the bend and stood directly in the path of the other. She wasn't being rude entirely, she just stopped to study the male and when you met another in a bend it wasn't like there was really anywhere to turn off to let them pass. Instead she sat down and smiled softly. "Hallo Sir." She had no clue what or who she'd ran into but it was obviously some sort of canine, as much as he looked like she did in some way or another.
She'd met one or two dogs before, though one had been scared to death of her and the other she'd never seen again. Both had looked so strange from eachother in her memory and yet this one almost looked like she did, except not so. She was caught up in those bi-colored eyes which reminded her of Deuce's eyes. She shook her head slightly and excused herself. "I'm sorry for staring.." She looked away suddenly as she realized just how rude she was being. With an apologetic grin she introduced herself. "I'm Iskata Sadira.." She really didn't know what to expect from the male. He was different, that was obvious, but it wasn't like he was going to grow wings and fly away.
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A wolf. The female came face to face with him as he was just turning round a bend, he had scented her before he saw her, but there was no reason to change course just because they were going to cross paths. And as she spoke, he was glad he hadn’t even though of it. “Greetings miss.” Leland followed her lead and sat himself upon the muddy ground, tilting her head as he realized that she was staring at him. Not just the normal look over, one that you give a stranger, or the look over one might give a particularly attractive specimen, but full out staring at him. His coat? His eyes? Leland smiled, bemused for a moment, and then it clicked. She hadn’t seen anyone like him before. His smile brightened as she apologized and he chuckled good natured. “No worries. No crime for looking... besides. I do know I am a handsome devil.” He grinned at her, knowing that wasn’t the reason she looked at him so, but never unhappy to compliment himself all the same.
Iskata Sadira. An odd name to be sure, but many of the wolves he had known back home and those he met in his travels had odd names. His tail, which never curled fully like a true husky’s (only just slightly) beat on the ground, despite the mud that clung to it every time it hit down. Tail wagging, it was something he knew that wolves did, but not nearly as much as dogs, but he couldn’t help it. It was part of his greeting, like sniffing noses, which he could usually refrain from doing with those not in his clan. It seemed the luperci wolves did not sniff noses much anymore, an ancient tradition that the luperci dogs and non luperci dogs held onto, though he had met a few non luperci wolves that engaged in such acts with him. Leland just kept himself seated, and aside from the thumping tail, he did not do anything strange or out of the ordinary, just in case his practices weren’t common place around here. “Leland’s the name. Please to meet you, Miss Iskata.” Looking at her again, he couldn’t help but ask, already having an idea of the answer, from the way Iskata had looked at him. “Not many dogs in these parts?” That’s what he was. A dog. A mutt. A mix. Some sort of husky, but that word meant little when the pure breeds were no longer pure, after generations of mating and mixing without the human’s guidance.
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Iskata was slightly amused that after so long of not seeming one of these once upon a time domesticaed canines there was one right here in these lands. She smiled at the idea, the last time she'd ran into these distant yet so close relatives to her own bloodlines had been along the warfs in the port town. When the male had returned her greetings she smile and nodded, glad that the stranger hadn't been upset or run off like she'd almost expected him to in these rural backwards lands where there wasn't a million souls cramped into the seaside port towns like the southern lands held.
If he could see below her silver and gold hues he'd know she was blushing at the words he'd spoken, but instead of letting him know how his words distracted her she grinned and admitted. "Well, they don't make them like you around here.. you could say that." The comment was part flirt and part truth. There really weren't many like him, of course, all of them could really be mixed bloods and just didn't know that. It was obvious that they shared some type of common bond, they were both canines after all, but she didn't really sweat it, she didn't care how they were alike and how they were different. It had just been a surprise to see such a strange and different face in these lands.
The strangers ways just grew a little stranger and weirder as he began to beat his tail in the mud. She chuckled, not able to help herself, he just looked so silly there splattering himself with mud when just a simple little wag could have done it. "Well Leland, you've got that right, then again I'm not sure how this small part of the world would really take a sight like you."[b/] She really didn't know, but she'd like to find out. She thought it could be interesting to see how her own family and packmates took to seeing such a unique character, but she wasn't about to bring him into their mists just for an experiment. The silver and gold lady might have some passing strange ideas but she wasn't cruel, and she really had no clue what in the world her family would do or say with the newcomer in their lands.
Turning a little circle as she stretched her legs she smiled and asked. [b]"Well, what brings you here, and from where in the first place?" she arched her back then dipped down, her long scarred forelegs stretched as far as possible as her sky toned eyes watched and waited on the stranger now aquaintence before her.
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Leland smiled at Iskata’s words, as he was enjoying being an oddity, at least for the time being. He might grow tired of it, or rather, he was sure he would grow tired of it, but what was to say that he was going to stay in these lands? And if he did, well, what was to say that the wolves wouldn’t grow use to his face, his coat, his body, his speech and mannerism? Iskata seemed friendly enough toward him, but what if the other’s weren’t? Perhaps she could shed some insight, as her next comment, not knowing how the others would take the sight of him, did concern him somewhat. You mean, you think they might reject a mutt like me? He hoped not, for even if he was only passing through, and he wasn’t sure if he was or not, or just how long he’d stay if he was only a short rest, he didn’t like to be rejected, bullied or made fun of.
Leland smiled at her next question, why was he here and where did he come from? He supposed he’d get that question a lot and he would grow tired of answering, but it wasn’t like Leland to lie or avoid the truth, no matter if he wanted to recite it or not. “Broken heart. I jus couldn’t look at my sweetheart anymore, so I left home. Well, nah. There was also getting to be so many of us, living in so little land, it’s only natural for a young fellow like myself to go out on his own, inn’t it?” He smiled. Many of the dogs and wolves his age, mostly males, left the packs if they hadn’t found a mate, which he technically had not. That was okay, the farther he got from her, the more he was feeling better. “As to where I come from, hmm. It’s quite a ways west, I’ve been traveling for months. More than a hundred miles at least, but I can’t say just exactly how far I’ve been traveling.” Leland smiled again at the lady, unsure what to say next, letting her take the lead.
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Iskata laughed at the words he spoke, she wasn't sure how exactly to explain it to the male how others might view him. There were many things she could say yet all she did was grin and shake her head, her eyes twinkling as she spoke up softly. "Not exactly.. I'm sure if anything they'd be a bit baffled as to what exactly you are.. It's more the shock of the difference. Not too many carry a pelt like yours.. You'll probably catch an eye or two.." she smiled at the male before her as she failed to admit that he'd infact caught her eye, though that really didn't mean anything, she was allowed to admire whoever she wished to, there were no feelings hurt in admiring from a distance.
Iskata knew that she was being nosey, but what would you expect when you ran into such a strange new creature in the mists of these rural lands. She cocked her head to the side as he spoke, a wave of pain cross her face and held in her eyes at his words, a wound she could relate to. She shook her head sadly and smiled at the two toned eye male. "Well, perhaps you can fine healing in your travels.. or peace in these lands if you need a rest. I can understand.." she said softly as she looked away briefly, not wanting to dig in her past or ask the same from the beauty before her.
When he spoke of how far he'd traveled from she turned her eyes back, a bit of mischief shining there as she admitted. "Well there's not to much furthere for you to travel, unless you want to swim across the sea.. which I wouldn't try to do if I were you. Vicious monsters in the deeps they say." she attempted to act serious, she knew firsthand that there were monsters of the deep, but she didn't think that Leland was about to go for a deep sea expedition either.
Turing her face away a moment she gazed up innocently. "Of course.. If you wanted to go fishing.. we could tie a rope around you and toss you off of the pack's pier.." she said so seriously. knowing the moment she turned her eyes back to the male she was going to lose all sense, so she tried to keep her sun shot sky eyes from meeting his.
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His pelt was unique, his body was strange, and his mannerism were probably out of the ordinary as well. All that was fine, and he was relieved to find that Iskata did not think that others would be hostile, just curious. He could deal with curiosity, he could even relish in it. Leland was curious about lots of things, new people, new places, anything and everything that was different he came across, he enjoyed that he would peak other's curiosity as well. “Ah well, catching an eye or two inn't such a bad thing.” Leland waved his tail behind him good naturedly.
The older female before him continued to speak, answering his question on if he really could go any further. He was near the end, only ocean after this? Then perhaps he would have to stay, though of course he would have to look around the lands a little more before he made a decision. Meet a few more people. Was there any place for a creature such as him in these lands? “Well then, I suppose I will just have to stick around, fer a while anyway. Although, miss Iskata, I have no intention of being thrown off anywhere, tied to anything.” Leland's voice mimicked Iskata's serious tone, although mirthful laughter bubbled underneath the surface. “Is that how you fish around here, or is that just the poor treatment you'd give a silly fool such as meself? I'd expect somewhat of a nicer welcome...”
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Iskata had become laid back over her life and the new stranger really was just a mild surprise in the line of events to have passed lately. She grinned at the male as he spoke of catching an eye or two, the teasing obviously not wasted on the uniquely marked male. Shaking dust from her pelt before she begin to pick at a burr that had settled in her fur she turned her eyes to the male as she worked and worried at the pesky seedpod. "Of course a good looking lad like you wouldn't mind that.." she teased, "Just don't go breaking all their pretty little hearts.." she warned. She really would have minded watching to see what happened with the stranger but she wasn't about to follow after him just to see the reaction of the natives.
Finally catching the burr between her teeth she gave a good yank and pulled it from her pelt, wrinkling her nose as she noticed the large gathering of hairs that departed with the invader. Sighing dramatically at the burr, she finally abandoned it and turned back as the serious voice seemed to mock her own false seriousness. Her jaw dropping in drastic astonishment at his words she huffed and sighed before admitting. "What, you wouldn't even subject yourself to the native traditions! That will never do.." she tisked and fretted as she finally have in and smiled. "Normally, no.. but I'd think if you'd want to catch the big fish you'd need some big bait?" She wasn't about to use him as bait to catch the big ones, he was an awfully grand catch all in all.. too bad he'd be viewed as a tall tale back home if she even brought up the subject of the red stranger in the woods. "We can be nice.. sometimes." she said with a sweet smile, trying for innocent, though failing miserably.
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Leland grinned foolishly at Iskata’s words, but in reality the words nagged at him. Ate at him. He wasn’t the one to go around breaking hearts. It was his heart that had been dropped and smashed to pieces. Why did she have to remind him? Yet she hadn’t meant to, she was just continuing their bantering and so he happily let that joke die. Broken hearts were no joking matter, but on the other hand fishing was. Leland could turn his attention on other talk and quickly forget what ailed his aching heart.
Native traditions? Leland chuckled at the woman. "You sure there er fish big enough fer that?" His tone was still joking, but he honestly had never seen a fish larger than his own head. Who knew what lived in the depths of the sea? Leland doubted Iskata’s sea monsters, but really big fish? Maybe. Just maybe. "’Sides. I dun’t think they’d like the taste of me. If ye don’t have huskies in this part, then I mus not be part of their natural diet." What a logical reason not to throw him in, surely she couldn’t argue with that. "I know from looking at ye, you could be nice all the time, if you wanted. I don’t know why you’re picking on a fellow like me."
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Iskata norally would have joked about breaking hearts but she'd tried time and time again to forget the past she'd carried. She'd built walls up time and time again only for them to fail and the pain to bloom again in place. Her walls were higher and thicker with each spin of the wheel but she'd come to a point of just forgetting about an eternal love and was just moving on with her life, a pack to love and care for would have to be enough from now on, atleast she hoped so. Pushing the nagging memories aside she turned her sun kissed baby blues towards the male as he chuckled softly.
A grin split across her maw as she gasped at his questioning of the giant fish in the sea. "You don't believe me?" She huffed slightly and left him with a slightl disgrunted hrmpf as she added. "We'll just have to take you fishing just to show you then.." she said matter of factly as she tossed her bangs from her eyes. The logical reason he'd given her for not feeding him to the fish didn't settle as well as he hoped as she smirked and suggested. "I think it'd be considered a rare treat to them.." She nodded after a moment as though she had to agree with herself before settling in with a soft smile.
When the teasing had been directed back to her she gave him an innocent look as she asked with shock. "Picking on you? But I've just barely begin to pick on you?" Her eyes flashed with amusement as she looked away from him with a thoughtful look across her face. "If you stick around.. there's endless possiblities in store for what could befall a fellow like you." A soft laugh fell from her lips as she flicked her bejeweled ears before smiling again. "Don't lie.. you know you'd enjoy every minute of it.."
RAWR RAWR RAWR
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"Ah, no. I know for sure that my meat’s tough and stringy. Not a treat at all." Leland spoke in a matter-of-fact manner. Of course his meat was so, he had not an ounce of fat on him. Though he appeared some what stout, it was only in comparison to some of the female wolves’ leaner builds, despite the fact most wolves stood taller than he. It was the malamute blood that made him seem stocky, rather than sleek like a true purebred husky. Shaking out his fur, so he appeared even fatter yet, he shrugged. Carnivores normally did not make a good meal, even for a fish.
Leland’s tail continued to slowly thump as Iskata continued the bantering. Her words were vague and teasing, and suddenly Leland didn’t quite enjoy the game as he had only moments before. Don’t lie.. you know you’d enjoy every minute of it.. It was as if she was alluding to something and Leland didn’t wish to go there. Shaking his head, Leland spoke kindly, but awkwardly. "Ah, sorry miss Iskata, but I dun’t believe I would. You see... for as much as I seem like the joking fellow, we do have to get serious every now and then." He cleared his throat, as if to officially change the topic at hand. So, ah, how many packs are there in these parts anyway?"
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She chuckled at the words that Leland had said, her eyes twinkling as she flashed him a quick smile but ddin't respond. She could see well enough that he was wellbuilt and quite trim. She raised a brow for just a brief second before the quick expression was passed. The sudden flash of excess water from Leland's pelt make her jump, one paw lingering off the ground as she turned her face away from an extra bath. The floofier version of Leland almost made her laugh but she subsided quickly.
The back and forth jesting seemed to end suddenly as Leland turned away from the silly play. She sighed slightly as she admitted, "The serious world takes the fun out of life.." but she knew the truth, they both belonged to the real world and the serious side of life did have to take it's role every now and then. She turned away from the male with the two-toned eyes as she thought about the question he'd asked.
Turning back after she plotted through the truth of the matter she smiled and granted him the facts he wished for. "I'll forgive you this once.. but you'll have to come visit sometime, for making me return to my duties." she hated the fact that every now and then it seemed that she was never able to get away from the worries and cares of being a mother and a leader, but she would live, for now atleast. "There's quite a few packs around here actually.. and a clan of sorts. I'm not for certain now many packs, they tend to come and go..." she thought bitterly of how quickly they could disappear but she didn't comment farther on that. "Dahlia de Mai lives to the west, Twilight Vale lives to the south east.. Shadowed Sun is to the North east.. by the mountain.. the pack I belong to, Phoenix Valley we're sortof right between Shadowed Sun and Twilight Vale, past the human city.. there may be another pack.. I've heard rumors but haven't made truth of it all yet... and the clan is to the far north west... they're none too friendly towards wolves.. but I'm not certain about you, but don't say you haven't been warned.."' she said with a shrug.
Flicking droplets of water from her paws she turned her eyes back to the male and asked. "What do you want to know?" She could play the responsible one.. she had to all the time, what difference would it make now.
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Iskata went through the role call of all the pack in the area, and Leland nodded attentively. He had a lot of exploring to do if there were so many. Perhaps one of them would accept a silly fool such as himself? But it would be a while before he settle on any one pack anyway, he needed to get a feel for the area still and the canines who inhabited it. He wasn’t sure he would settle in these lands, although he knew for a fact he would not return “home”. However if he did stay, he would join up with a pack or clan, Leland did not like being alone. He was a pack animal, perhaps it was deeply instilled in him because of his heritage. Even if he was the strange one in a pack, he doubted he could find any with true dogs in them, he would be happier with others than on his own.
Smiling and bowing slightly to the woman he shrugged. "You’ve told me everything I need." His bi colored eyes turned to the sky. How long had they been talking? It seemed to have been quite a while. Although Leland had no where in particular to go, he didn’t like to linger too long in anyone spot either. "I would say, Miss Iskata, that it’s time to part ways fer now. If I get a chance I will come vists you again though." If he stuck around is what he meant.
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