Alex headed out of Anathema, considering where he could get some more booze. Since the last fight with Alaki, the stupid git had managed to drink most of the new supply he'd brought in. He was going to need a better place to store them if he wanted a chance to actually drink it himself, instead of having it disappear down the Angelo's gullet every time the stormy male decided to throw a tantrum. Alex was clearly the mature one of the pair, acting like an adult and lazing around.
He looked around, whistling a little as he headed for that little house he'd found a short while back. Someone had used it at some point as a place to stash their alcohol, leaving a whole place full to the top with it for him to siphon off of. His stride was long as he moved over, wanting to get there and make sure no one else had decided to put a dent in his booze storage. He wanted to move more of it to Anathema, but one could only carry so much, not to mention he still needed to find a much safer place for it, out of reach of Alaki.
caught here in a fiery blaze, won't lose my will to stay
i tried to drive all through the night
the heat stroke ridden weather, the barren empty sights
no oasis here to see, the sand is singing deathless words to me
Adjustment to pack life had been much harder than the merchant had thought. He had good neighbors, and he was sure he’d be able to befriend all of his pack mates eventually, but living among so many others had become overwhelming in a short amount of time. Although waking up in a new place each night didn’t bother him, the scent of many wolves around him had startled him as he sat upright in his salvaged bed. Even his house wasn’t haimish yet. Lastly, it was awkward running across the others and wondering if he was expected to do something other than act merry and hunt a rabbit or two in the woods within the territory.
Of course, Levent pretended that his feline companion’s discomfort, not his own, was the reason for their present excursion. They walked familiar trails northward, stopping along roads to loot valuables from cars (an old umbrella being the most interesting thing he found), and eventually made their way into trails around the mountains. Up here, he could forget that he belonged somewhere, and Wilson seemed in a better mood than ever, which made Lev happy too.
Only thoughts of a blind she-wolf kept him from wishing he didn’t have to go back.
“Maybe we could run into someone to trade,” the Venditore suggested, shifting the satchel around his shoulder. It was almost empty other than a few of his shinier baubles, such as a couple of rings and necklaces—and the one umbrella. “Bring something back to the pack.”
The cat looked at him doubtfully. “Who are you trying to impress?” he asked, his voice climbing high and hard.
He smiled and bowed his head. “Why, all of them,” he replied amiably. “That’s how packs work. You make a good impression on them, and you get privileges. I could make a good living for us, Wils; we won’t have to go hungry or worry about safety, and I can find what I’m looking for.” His tone shifted only slightly at that last statement, but he looked casual as he faced forward and walked off again, leaving Wilson no choice but to follow.
The going was easy enough, and Levent headed off in a direction he hadn’t before—to find a small building nestled in the trees, overgrown and musty. His ears pricked, and he moved quickly to the house, peering into a broken window. The sight of walls of alcohol made his throat tighten, and Wilson bristled as he hopped up onto his shoulder to have a peek.
“Maybe someone in the pack drinks?” the Turkish wolf said, and the cat growled. However, he did nothing as Lev went around, trying to find a way in. He respected Wilson’s feelings on this matter since the last incident with booze, but a bit of wine was very valuable in this world. There was too much for him to carry back, but keeping this place secret would mean he had a source of as much alcohol as he needed for his trading.
Alex came up to the building, freezing at the scent of another. Someone had been by here. Perhaps they were just passing through. Going near the building he proved to have no such luck. Someone was here, investigating the building. Sighing Alex shook his head. Couldn't be helped. He'd known someone would get into his alcohol sooner or later. Since he didn't have any real claim to it, he couldn't just chase the other off.
Striding over Alex grinned. Hey there! Looking for a way in? He stepped over to the door that he used, pushing it open. It only opened enough for someone to squeeze through, but that was enough for him. Alex indicated for the stranger to follow and stepped in. Some human must have stored his liquor here. I've been tapping at it for the past while. There's enough to share though, so help yourself.
caught here in a fiery blaze, won't lose my will to stay
i tried to drive all through the night
the heat stroke ridden weather, the barren empty sights
no oasis here to see, the sand is singing deathless words to me
Levent jumped guiltily as he heard another voice, and he realized that such a treasure-stash shouldn’t have been undiscovered for so long. Feline claws dug into his shoulder, and he spun around but slowly, looking as self-assured as he possibly could. Unexpectedly, however, the newcomer had a grin on his handsome grey face. Blinking in happy relief, the Turkish man came a little closer with his dark ears swiveling forward as the other opened the door. He followed the other’s invitation, sidling through with a grunt, although luckily he was small enough that the doorframe’s shape didn’t matter.
“Allah’ın Annesi,” the brown wolf breathed as he stared at the heaps and pyramids of bottles. It was enough to make his liver hurt just staring, and the other’s question made him wince again. “That’s very generous of you,” he said, chuckling slightly to keep his emotions at bay as pale smoke eyes flicked to the alcohol again. “I might bring some back to my pack, if that’s all right. My girlfriend doesn’t let me drink.”
Wilson tensed and mewled testily, and the Venditore managed to grin at him. It wasn’t like he’d admit that a cat was forbidding him from drinking. He looked back at the pierced male and stuck his tongue out lightly. “What’s your name, handsome?”
The wolf was clearly expecting a retort back to clear off from the area. Alex wasn't a fighter though, and he couldn't expect to be able to keep the booze all to himself without having it in pack territory. Part of him had hoped the smaller male would give up, seeing how tricky it was to get through the door, but he squeezed through, much more easily than Alex had. He kept smiling, waiting for the other to accept his offer to drink.
Hearing that the wolf wasn't allowed to drink brought laughter from the grey male. He came in, looking to raid the booze, and couldn't even touch it himself? That was funny. My name's Alex. Too bad your girlfriend won't allow you a drink. This stuff is pretty well aged. Alex looked through the pile, choosing a mix of good and bad. He didn't want Alaki to down all the best stuff when he wasn't looking, after all.
