[html] http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a329/ ... _horse.gif); background-position: top center; background-repeat: no-repeat;">
She did not pass into the lands as she might have before, taking a place just outside of the borders. She knew that there had been a change in leadership, having recieved a note from Naniko about the situation in Crimson Dreams, and would not take any chances. Her white sibling had not said exactly what had happened, only that she had done something and had been removed from leadership. Had her brother's mate Savina come up, as next in line, to take her place as leader? Ember had gone through a lot with Naniko over the years, and was now on neutral terms with the wolf. Whatever she'd done, it had probably been pretty big to get herself kicked out. She wasn't sure how to feel about that; Ember was a wolf who was very into her own tribe and obeying its laws...
She'd been struck with an idea a few days before, an idea regarding her spirit-animal. He seemed to only appear when there was water present, as an orca, and she was wondering about something. If she got a vial and filled it with water, put a stopper on the top, and then kept it around her neck...would that keep him around? She wanted Utriu around all the time so that she could ask him for advice and guidance. She had seen such vials before, in the shed that Naniko had kept her herbs, and had come here to ask for one of them. In exchange, the dark wolf had brought a few pounds of fresh meat from a recent kill to trade.
She was also interested in seeing her brother Kansas' pups. She'd only run into Amata, and was wondering about how the other ones were doing, how big they had gotten. Whoever could get her into that shed and get the vial would recieve the package of meat that she had brought. The Aniwayan sat down, her package in hand. She was in her two-legged form, that being her preferred one, and wore her cloak over her shoulders and sword on the belt around her waist as usual. Green eyes looked up over the horizonline, searching the surrounding hills for a sign of another.
[/html]
[html]
OOC: Forward-dated to 13th September; ::Word Count:: 500+
The day was turning into an exceptionally warm September one, which was both enjoyable, as well as a bit of a drawback for the fair femme, who missed the cool quality of the unexpected rains. Although she had long since adapted to the difference in temperature, it would be unfair not to admit that the cool weather felt more like her than the hot summers and the often times warm autumn. Her thoughts were already with the crisp white snows of winter, and she could picture with great vividness the long, chilly cape covering the lands, transforming them into something similar to the landscapes of her childhood. She could almost imagine the hills of her pack covered by the heavy blanket of the cold season, something that would make most wolves seek the cover of their homes and the warmth of their loved ones. This would by no means be the first winter she spent alone-- the first winter of her life, she had lost her half-brother and then mate; the second she had endlessly sought the faintest trace of Pilot; this would, by no means, differ.
It was unusual for the ivory female to be patrolling the borders, and although she wouldn't have admitted it to anyone, not even to herself, part of the reason behind her current dutiful scrutiny of the pack boundaries was her growing hope that she would find Pilot. A new-born hope had taken hold of her heart ever since her conversation with Jazper, and the things that he had managed to stir deep within her in regards to the white male had reigned over her mood, leaving no room for the doubts that had haunted her. Of course, nothing could offer her the certainty that everything would be well-- and the pale Crimson Dreamer was not naive enough to think she had cause to feel certain about anything. She knew that there were no hints as to Pilot's eventual return; in fact, his absence was still as present and heavy as ever. But she had once more found the wolf she had previously misplaced in her mind, and for that she was grateful. It had been increasingly hard to live with the bad thoughts she had formed about him, and returning to the optimistic image of the kind, generous wolf she had fallen in love with was something she felt deeply indebted to Jazper for.
Her musings taking her far away, the alabaster femme only just caught the scent of another she-wolf, quite close by to the place she was now, in the direction she would have been following nonetheless. She quickened her pace, curious to see who the stranger might be. The scent brought nothing threatening, that would make her sound a call, just as precaution. She felt weary in handling stray wolves after her encounter outside the Dahlian borders, which had left her with a couple of wounds that were still healing, though they were barely visible now. As she neared the she-wolf, the scent filling her nostrils completely, she took in her appearance, wondering idly what she was doing around the Crimson Dreams borders. She reclined to her haunches a few feet away, her voice soft as she next spoke, "Hello. Are you looking for someone?"
|
[/html]
[html] Kay. Just to remember...they were going to talk about lowspeech later on in this thread? ^^ Crappy post from me btw XD <3
The white female graced her vision and she had to take a second-look at the woman before deciding that she wasn't Naniko. They certainly did look similar! Ember had looked a lot like her ex-mate, Khaden, with her black fur and green eyes but now that she was a bit older her coat had matured, showing lighter bits of browns mixed in with the darkness.
The Aniwayan raised one hand in greeting, to show the other that she had spotted her against the backdrop of brown and green and to show that she was friendly. Had this wolf met anyone from Aniwaya before? She was more than willing to share some of the tribe's ideas and traditions with anyone who wanted the knowlege.
"Hello! Not someone, really...just something that one of my siblings used to have here. I brought something to trade--she has left these lands, i think. Naniko D'angelo? I'm Ember Phoenix, from Aniwaya. Kansas' sister, as well." She offered a wide smile, the wind blowing her beaded and feathered hair back and forth as she spoke, clinking the decorations together.
|
[/html]
[html]
OOC: Yup, they were going to talk about lowspeech. And nah, my post isn't any better either T_T || *Firefly was the one who lied about her name  ::Word Count:: 500+
The pearl femme listened to the ebony female, realizing that she would have to break the sad news of Naniko's departure. In a way she was glad it had been her that the Aniwayan had stumbled upon-- another Crimson Dreamer might have been hostile to Naniko's friends, or otherwise not know much about her current whereabouts. However, the ivory-pelted she-wolf knew of her friend's departure from the city, and she only wanted to offer the recent Phoenix Valley member time to birth in peace, before going to visit her. Just as she was about to open her mouth and speak, her mind finally realized the name the stranger had given. From deep within her, the familiarity of it brought back her memories of an encounter to a wolf bearing this name outside the boundaries of Shadowed Sun. Yet the two wolves, the one then and the one now, looked completely different, from the little Urma could remember. Not to mention the encounters were different altogether-- that she-wolf had been hostile, had threatened and mocked her.
Had it not been for the mention of Kansas' name, who felt a sure-enough choice as to the truth behind the stranger's words, Urma would have probably been much more wary. As it stood, she decided she had no reason to be unwelcoming so far. "I'm sorry... I once met a wolf, more like Kansas in appearance than you, and she introduced herself as Ember Phoenix*. It's what my momentary confusion was all about." Now that she had put that worry away, she could concentrate on explaining Naniko's absence. "As for Naniko, yes, I do know her. She's a good friend of mine. But I'm afraid she no longer lives here. For a while she lived in the city, but now I'm pretty sure you'll find her in Phoenix Valley. She's due to have pups sometime soon, and needed a safer home than Halifax." She couldn't think of an impersonal way of saying what she had just said. It was unfair to have to try to explain what had happened, when there wasn't much she felt she could explain. It had been an accident, and somehow it had gotten more complicated than mistakes should ever have to get, and now it had led to an uncomfortable situation that set families apart and made wolves make choices Urma did not envy them for having to make.
The alabaster femme watched with curiousity the beads and feathers in the obsidian female's hair, reminding her of her own hair decorations for when she chose her Optime form. Now, however, steadily in her Lupus form, she relished the liberty of four legs and the familiarity of her pose. Although now she had gotten more and more used to a two-legged stance, especially because of the small modifications she could make just to entertain herself, the ground felt more real, more solid under four paws. Her own pace was somehow much more sure of itself, and she could step with a greater certainty that her legs would respond faster to any action needed of them, be it running or falling in pace with someone or purposefully lagging behind. The Aniwayan's hair decorations clinked peacefully against each other, seemingly as if to pick up a tune from times long ago.
|
[/html]
[html]
She was still carrying the pack of meat, a reminder of the reason she had come here. Ember did know that Naniko had left Crimson Dreams because of the note that her adopted sibling had sent her via pigeon, but she didn't know if she had returned to her pack or gone somewhere else. She wasn't sure about going to the birth, either, but would come by later on to see the pups and welcome them into the Sadira family.
Ember was a bit confused by what Urma said next, about another wolf introducing herself as Ember Phoenix. Who would have done that? "If she claimed to be Kansas' sister, then that must have been Firefly. When was that? She used to be a pretty big liar...I wouldn't put it past her." She explained. "And Naniko's not here, huh? Phoenix Valley. Haven't been there in a while...I'll have to go up sometime. She had some tubes in her herb shed that I was wondering if I could have one of. I brought this meat to trade" She held the bundle out.
|
[/html]
[html]
OOC: ::Word Count:: 600+
The blanched female listened to the Aniwayan before her, trying to brush off the issue of the mysterious identity of the other wolf who had introduced herself using a false name. It had been such a long time ago it almost made the pale Crimson Dreamer find no pleasure in recollecting it-- those times felt nowadays like old lives whom, in the absence of a possibility of integrating them in her existence, she could only wish to be able to completely shed, one day. She dreamed of the day when she would be able to look back with no remorse or fright that such a thing would bring back the nostalgia she dreaded so much. She hated feeling stuck, as if she would never be able to move forward unless she faced her past, a prospect she felt estranged to and which she had no desire to see take place. All she continuously strived to do was move forward-- with the image of Pilot always by her side, but still with the opportunity to give some sort of meaning to her life within pack boundaries. In his absence, she tried to busy herself with multiple tasks that would prove her utility within the structure she was now part of. Talk about this Firefly and why she would have wanted to pose as her sister simply served as a reminder of a life she was forbidden access to, and that saddened her, so she simply shook her head dismissively. "Oh, I really don't know for sure. It was such a long time ago, I can barely grasp the basics. All I wanted to say was that your name sounded familiar, though I'm sure that other wolf looked nothing like you. It doesn't matter now, though, anymore, does it?" She meant the question to be rhetorical, and hoped the subject would be dropped in favour of another.
The explanation for why the Aniwayan had come looking for Naniko made Urma unconsciously pull her ears back against her head, feeling slightly out of place. She wished there were a way in which she could handle the issue of Naniko's belonging to another pack better than she currently was, but the truth was that, irrespective of her conversation with Ehno and the reassurance she had found in it then, Naniko not being close to her was affecting her significantly. It would have been fake for the ivory femme to pretend that the distance between her friend and her weren't taking their toll; just being in Crimson Dreams felt like a betrayal judging by the fact that two of the people who had helped found the pack were missing indefinitely from the ranks-- Naniko and Pilot. It was enough, living in the looming aftermath of Pilot's unexpected disappearance, without having to deal with the solitary feeling her white friend's departure caused. These tumultuous feelings tugged at the pearl female continuously, so much that she could barely pay attention to what the dark stranger had said. When Ember's words finally made sense in her numbed mind, she was again submerged in the feeling of helplessness that had moments before caused her to press her ears flat to her head. "Well, I'm sorry... I have no real clue as to where she kept her herbs and, at any rate, with no one to tend for them for so long, I doubt they're in any condition to be of any use to you. Theoretically, Anu, one of the leaders, would probably have a garden of her own, but I'm not sure. And I don't know whether, what with the upcoming pups, Naniko would have had time to settle a small patch of some herbs in Phoenix Valley. I guess I'm not much help." Her tone was disappointed, her voice small as she finished her lengthy excuse.
|
[/html]
[html] ooc
She had really been hoping to get one of the vials, but nodded and accepted what the woman said. If they did not think that Naniko's herb shack was there any more then she would not push it. Maybe they had burned the thing down after her sister's removal from the pack. She held the package of meat out anyway, a show of goodwill. "Have you been by Aniwaya before?" She asked curiously. Some wolves hadn't heard of the tribe, and she did want to spread news of them.
Ember hadn't meant to come knocking on their door asking for favors from anyone, and was more than content to just stand and talk if Urma was willing. "I've always lived around this area...I'm originally from Storm. Like Kansas and Firefly. I heard there was another pack, one down by the ocean like Phoenix Valley." Perhaps this wolf would have more information; Ember did want to go and visit that one too, in time.
|
[/html]
[html]
OOC: ::Word Count:: 300+
Urma listened to the Aniwayan with great attention, trying to remember all the packs she'd been by in her journey. She had seen a lot of packs that she did not know of, and she remembered Aniwaya had been one of them. Obviously, she had never approached it enough to intrude into pack lands and had only hovered around the borders for a few hours, resting and then going around it, as she did with every other gathering she passed. Of course, she had never made a call for an Aniwayan member or a leader, so her presence had probably gone undetected. The fair femme was certain that, had anyone sensed her presence, they would have found her and asked what business she had around their borders. In view of all these musings, she gently replied, her eyes level with the she-wolf's, "I've only seen it in passing. Never been close enough to meet anyone. Except you, now, of course."
The next pack Ember mentioned sent a jolt down Urma's spine. The ivory Crimson Dreamer clearly remembered Pilot mentioning that Storm had once been his home. The thought that there was a link between the female in front of her and the missing alabaster male brought a wave of saddness over her. Back then, she had probably been in Greenland, unaware of everything that was happening here, not even fathoming she would ever meet either of the wolves involved. It was, of course, useless to think of that now; it surely didn't change the fact that this piece of news affected her slightly, even if a while back it would have been irrelevant. "I know a Pilot Haddon who used to be from Storm. And from what I heard, he joined Aniwaya as well for a while, before disappearing. I don't know if you know him, though."
|
[/html]
|
