the skin i can't wait to shed.
#1
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Form
Lupus
Info
Date: 18 Sept

Time: Midday

Words: 339
Arisiag Shoal

C:

The areas north of Salsola were not very well known to the sable auxiliary. Much of her time since founding the pack had been spent preparing, birthing, and raising her children -- there had been little time for silly exploratory ventures. Now, however, her children were of an age to be left with others. They did not require her every second of every day, and they had ceased such dire need some weeks ago. Still, she had remained hovering over them a bit longer than was appropriate, and even now forced herself to trek north, intending to spend the day away from Salsola.

Eris wished desperately to forget her dead daughter, but she knew she could not. To forget was to lose whatever lesson had been gleaned from the process, that still-convoluted idea she hoped solitude would bring to full realization. Perhaps if she lost herself for a while in this forgotten corner of the realm, she would realize what she was meant to learn with Shibboleth's death. Even as the hybrid stalked had northward and headed for the mountains and beyond, there was no apparent sorrow in her movement. Her coal-black head was thrust to the sky, utterly defiant to the idea that she ought to be in mourning.

Now, she had crested those mountains, and stared wonderingly at the expanse of shoreline before her. This area was quite nearly -- if not more -- as protected as Salsola with its river border. The mountains, low-slung and hunkering they were, provided a natural boundary like the Pictou did. The shoreline here seemed more gentle than the one on their bay side, which was strange to Eris -- the bays were not generally quite so ferocious as the oceans, let alone more so. Eris had meandered down a rolling, gentle incline toward the beach, and now sat staring in wonder at the ocean and the faintly visible, strange land across it. She did not think it was possible to swim, but she did not desire to run away forever.

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#2
Rue had been traveling for days it seemed. Since she had left her dear sister, Astrid, at the St. Lawrence River Rue had traveled south for narrower crossings. The trek was tiring and she had almost given up. She had been chased away by other packs, attacked by a lone wolf hunting, and lost too many prey to count. She was starving, her usually lean body now nearing the point of skeletal. For the past mile she wasn’t paying attention to where she was headed. Her paws were heavy as she walked up steep inclines. Finally, at the top, she focused. Below her was the soft waves and sand of the coast. Had she really come this far? It seemed an impossible feat for such a wolf like her. True, she was born an Alpha, but she was of a small pack in only a small territory in Ontario. She slumped, collapsing onto the ground, giving her sore pads a break. She was playing with the idea of changing human and making a small trap to see if she could catch some fish but she was just too tired.

The wind shifted and she caught the scent of an unfamiliar wolf down the shore line. Her heart skipped a beat in fear. She had encountered a lone wolf before and she had barely escaped with her life. Still, it wasn’t in her blood to turn and run. She was a born warrior. Rue stood, her tail lifting slightly and spotted the wolf a little ways down. As she padded towards the stranger she studied it. The wolf was a she, coal black with her head lifted up. Rue stepped out of the brush along the sand and gave an inquiring whine.

“Hello?” Rue paused, unsure of whether this new wolf was friend or foe.
#3
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(305) Erg, I wrote a whole other paragraph and decided I hated it so I deleteeed. :C

The hybrid was not so surprised to hear the approach of another, and her sable-hued head twisted to meet the stranger, glittering chartreuse eyes taking in everything at once, mind processing this lightning quick. In an instant, she wished she had brought along some sort of companionship. Even her owl, physically useless as it would be against a canine, would have been something for intimidation. Eris was painfully aware, however, that she was quite alone and quite far from Salsola. Nevertheless, she did not think this canine posed a threat; the pale stranger was rail-thin, with little more than the leanest of flesh on her bones.

There was also little sign of attack coming forth from the woman. Even so, Eris maintained her guard, offering a reserved smile to the other woman's greetings. She hoped the brush of bayberry and ocean bath was enough to rid her of Salsola's scent -- it would not do to be identified by their enemies so far from home. The sable-shaded woman made no effort to move and remained seated, but neither did she make any attempt to shoo the other canine away. Hello, she began, hesitating a moment.

Her demeanor was kindly enough, but all the while, Eris's sharp mind clicked rapidly from possibility to possibility, considering each one. She did not wish to be unprepared for whatever this wolf might bring along with her, and far from home, Eris was far from trusting. Nevertheless, there was nothing amiss with the faint smile that showed on her dark muzzle to the snow-colored woman. You look tired. Sit a while, if you'd like, the hybrid offered, though she moved over a pace, as if to indicate she did wish for some distance between herself and the stranger rather than terribly close proximity.

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#4
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ooc text. Haha its alright! I end up doing that A LOT. XD


Rue Atkins


Rue watched the other female and could practically see the thoughts racing behind those strange yellow-green eyes. She hadn’t thought that she would scare the other wolf seeing that she was as weak as she was. In fact, thinking upon it now, her actions didn’t seem wise. Rue was tired, hungry, and lost. She knew she wasn’t in any strange pack’s territory but that’s all she knew. She had lost track of where she was when the hunger pains began. Sill, she tried not to show this as she gingerly sat a few paces away from the dark colored she-wolf.


“Thank you. My name is Rue Atkins. I‘m from Ontario.” Rue said, licking her sullied fur. She was very self conscious now and was scared to look at her reflection in the water. A glimpse into the reflecting pool made Rue grimace. Her once clean white fur was now a dirtied gray. In some parts her fur was knotted and tangled into masses. She looked like a rabid wolf who had never heard of bathing. When Rue was traveling she always tried to clean herself whenever she could but lately she‘d just given up. Her search for a pack was a lost cause.


Rue curled her messy tassel around her muddied paws, aware of the other wolf’s eyes on her. It made her slightly uncomfortable since the other wolf looked so clean. And she smelled good to. There was the scent of bayberry and of the ocean mixed with an unfamiliar scent.

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#5
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(570) It happens! C: And I don't know where this long post came from, ha. >< Not a lot happens at all in the first two paragraphs (Eris like, nods in the first paragraph, heh), so you can probably skip 'em. XD Sorry about that. :C

Suspicion came naturally to the sable-shaded woman now. She trusted those within her pack, and those within her personal circle of preferred persons more than all the rest. The foreigners, the other pack's members -- they were the real danger. Salsola had little to fear from loners; without a pack, they were not quite as fearsome. This woman, however, did not seem to be of the local packs. She was travel thin and seemed worn for it, and her scent bore only a faint trace of the general area -- perhaps she had just tumbled in over the mountains. Eris considered this possibility, weighing it heavily even as the other woman spoke and she nodded along with her, immediately accepting the words as truth. Rue was not from these parts, Eris agreed, and that was good.

Part of Salsola's strategic position was to intercept the newest tides onto the Nova Scotian peninsula. They were, likely as not, the first pack many newcomers caught sight of. Just as many chose to flee, and it was better that way for Salsola and the newcomers both. Those who were encountered far away and alone, though? These were prime picking for their ranks. Salsola could take the choicest newcomers to walk across that isthmus and leave the rest for the other packs. Looking at Rue, however, she did not think this one was choice at all; on the contrary, she seemed particularly travel-worn. Still, her world-beaten appearance did not completely youth from Eris, who spied it lurking beneath smudges and tangles of once-pearly fur. Youth was a valuable asset, indeed, and surviving even a short time alone was a testament to a canine's strength in Eris's opinion. There was more to this wolf than matted fur and dirt.

Eris Eternity, she said, introducing herself in turn. I don't know where Ontario is, but if you've just arrived, it looks like the trip was unkind, the hybrid offered, frowning and inclining her head ever so slightly toward the ground as she did so. I only meant to come up here for a few hours, so I have nothing on my person that would soothe your feet or fill your belly, she added, sounding quite nearly apologetic as she spoke. In truth, she was almost sorry -- tasty morsels at just the right time of need could sometimes serve as a wondrous foot in the door for a new recruit, endearing them to Salsola early on. The presumption that such a journey would cause one to be hungry and weary in the feet was of personal experience, her own long months spent trekking.

If you feel up to it after a rest, maybe we could hunt, she said, rolling a shoulder at the suggestion. In truth, she could eat -- she could always eat these days, regaining strength from gestating and birthing and nursing and now raising her children. Tiredness and hunger had become as much a part of her as her coal fur, and she did not think a meal would be an opportunity Rue would pass. Why did you come here? she asked, adding: hear any stories of a lovely place with so many packs? This statement was punctuated with a short laugh; the story was common enough. Somehow, word spread, and canines from very far away ended up here. Just as many ended up here accidentally, though.

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#6
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ooc text. sorry! school...blehhh


Rue Atkins


“My grandparents told me our land was once called Ontario and that I should never forget the name. ‘The land is our pack‘s heart‘ they said. And I would love to go hunting with you. These past weeks I‘ve had to hunt small game that I could easily catch myself and even then it was just scraplings. Thank you. I‘ve come looking for a pack and my older sister, Astrid, told me to search here. Is this a land of many packs? What is this land called? My mind has slipped these past weeks I must admit. And what about your pack?’ Rue‘s mouth started watering at the thought of food but she pushed the hunger pain away for the moment. In the past weeks she had learned the secret to forgetting you were hungry. She needed to know where she had ended up and what packs were in the area. If all the packs were as nice as the one Eris had come from Rue would be very happy.


True, she was born an Alpha and leading ran through her veins but lately Rue had learned to be humble. She also knew that she wasn‘t ready to lead just yet. She had a lot to learn. Her mother had told her that before she could lead her pack she must learn of three things; life, love, and law. Her mother never said anything more on the matter letting her three other sisters and herself to work out the puzzle. Just for a second Rue thought of her sister Astrid. They had traveled together until Astrid met a Tibetan wolf far from home. She wondered if Astrid was having more luck than her.


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#7
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(408) Always liked having a computer in class. >_> INTERNET FOREVER

Eris Eternity did not know her grandparents. A faint pang of jealousy reverberated in her chest, rattling softly against her ribcage. She had not even known her father, let alone his parents. Kaena's parents were also a blank, no less mysterious than the scarred old woman herself. Eris wondered what it was like to have heritage to inherit; the sable-hued woman had carved her own way in this world, leaving her own markings on it. How different she might be if only she had a path to follow.

I think your grandparents told it true. It is good to know where you come from, the hybrid agreed, though that faint rattle of jealousy still held her captive, and the smile that fell across her coal muzzle did not reflect in her lime-hued eyes. When I traveled here, I ate only what my cat could catch, she said, her voice taking on a tone of lamentation that seemed odd, considering just how long ago it was that she'd made her way northward and just how far she had come since then. When you're ready, she added, indicating she was in no rush to eat.

The woman's questions were considered with a pause, and Eris tilted her head back, eyes roaming to the sky as if it held the answers. There are many packs here, yes. I do not know what to call this land. Some call it... ah, Nova Scotia, I think, the hybrid admitted, rolling her shoulder in a shrug. Others say the place is called Souls. I'm not sure which is correct, she said. Eris did not know the origin of either name; the first sounded utterly foreign, and the second seemed silly.

The question regarding her pack was considered more heavily than the rest, and the answer Eris provided was surprisingly truthful. My pack is to the south, quite a way. I would avoid trespassing, she warned. Even if I were to find out you are my blood sister here and now, if you trespassed upon our land later, I would be bound to punish you. There was no threat in the hybrid's tone or her expression; rather, she seemed almost regretful that she had to issue such a warning. It was evasive -- a tactic, nothing more. The last thing Eris Eternity regretted was defense of her pack and her family. She would never apologize for such things.

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#8
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I think we can bring our own laptops but I don‘t know if we have internet available Tongue


Rue Atkins


Rue caught the glint of jealousy in the other woman‘s eyes and bowed her head thinking that she had somehow insulted her. She had meant no harm. It had just been idle talk really. Again Rue caught the edge in the wolf‘s voice as she warned her away from the pack‘s boundaries. To know that this wolf would protect her pack no matter what the cost was made Rue respect her just a little. She seemed so wise and superior whereas Rue felt just a silly girl of only nine months, which was just what she was. So far on this trup she had been reminded of that.


“I would not want to disturb your pack or cause any trouble m‘lady. ..But if I come to seek your pack to join what then? Tell me how I can join while we hunt…? Rue finished the statement as a question, not wanting to pressure or insult the woman more. More and more she became curious as to this woman‘s background and her family. Did she have pups? Did she have a mate? Rue dreamed of having her own family and loved to hear stories of other‘s relationships just like any teenaged girl.


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#9
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(465) BUT... INTERNET? D:

The dark hybrid considered the other canine critically, though her visage was as relaxed as ever. It did not surprise her that others would seek to join Salsola, but Eris was not certain Rue knew exactly what she asked for. Salsola could not suffer the weak; there was no room in their pack for those who could not carve their own place. Rue was young, certainly, and youth was generally quite a good indication of impressionability. The hybrid supposed the hunt would serve as good a test as any to determine the pale she-wolf's acceptance. Eris was not so haughty as to think her pack did not need members; they needed and would accept new blood as any other pack.

If you were of our pack, it wouldn't be trespassing, she responded, her tone playful and the grin splayed across her dark muzzle more so. Let's hunt, then, and I'll tell you how you might come to belong to us, and us to you, she said, standing without further hesitation. She had made up her mind already about their quarry. Fish were easier to catch, and Eris was better at fishing than hunting on dry land, but she knew the flesh of a fish would be sadly dissatisfying after a journey such as the one Rue had endured.

There are sheep that live on these hills. They come from the ones left by the people -- they are not so smart as a deer or elk, the she-wolf said, happy to share such tidbits about their intended prey. Eris wanted a sheep, but she would hunt whatever crossed their path. The Auxiliary walked slowly, in no particular hurry to dart up the mountains and seize their prey. She had to speak of Salsola, after all. If you wish to join, when you come to our borders, you should bring a gift for the leadership, she said, speaking of herself and Sirius as if she were not Eris Eternity The Auxiliary but Eris Eternity the peon, the underling.

It needn't be anything terribly fancy. Just something to show your appreciation for being considered, the sable-shaded woman cautioned, stepping gingerly onto what once might have been a hiker's trail or even a dirt road; it was wide enough to accommodate them side by side, if Rue so wished to walk beside her. She had paused speaking for the moment, waiting to hear Rue's reaction to such a proposal before elaborating further. There was more -- much more -- but introducing just this basic tenet of their pack served as a preliminary test, too. Though she moved fluidly down the overgrown path, she was attuned to her partner's reactions, ready to answer any questions the pale canine chose to ask.

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