Just days since his acceptance into Cercatori d'Arte and Loviere was already a good distance away from the territory. It had overwhelmed him - the sheer magnitude of changing from a life of solitude to one where fellow Luperci were all around. The muscle of his Secui form coiled and released as he trotted forward. The young man knew not where he was, or where he was going. Just that he must go somewhere, to take a breather from all that had happened to him in such a short time period. He had left Octavian behind to watch his belongings. Though the members of the pack he had met so far seemed trustworthy enough, Loviere placed high value on what few things he had. On this journey he carried a simple pouch and in it, a small stone knife. He rarely used it. Only in his Optime form could he handle such a weapon. And in that form, he was at his weakest - crippled, to say the least.

He carried the twisted leg gently, allowing his other limbs to bare the majority of his weight. In the two years of his life, he had not yet mastered the art of three-legged travel and one small misstep might send him tumbling down. At the moment he did not fear meeting another wolf. There was little reason anyone might have to approach him, wasn't there? He was, after all, a lamed explorer with little for others to steal.

The scent of Luperci wafted through his nostrils and he flared them, breathing in the pungent smell that declared a nearby pack. He slowed his pace, carefully picking his way through the territory. He dared not go much further into this strange packland, but something had caught his eye. Skulls. He could see them now. Loviere crouched to eye the sun-bleached bone. He pawed at it curiously, wondering what such a thing could be doing there. Soft golden eyes scanned the surroundings and he saw numerous other such skulls. Feeling as though he had stumbled upon some strange site of macabre ritual, Loviere stepped backward, pawing the skull closer to him. The young carpenter had never seen an intact skull before, and he found himself wondering to what kind of creature it belonged.

He swatted it playfully, intrigued by his unique discovery. These skulls had once been living, sentient creatures. And now, what was this purpose they served? An adventure awaits, he thought. With childlike glee, he hopped to the next skull, prodding it lightly. It must have been an older specimen, for it split when he touched it. Loviere gasped, glancing around to make sure no one had seen him. He found himself walking down the line of skulls, wondering what strange purpose they served.

Words | 400+ ooc:// Cactus be invadin' Inferni. And eryeah... Lovi is kinda dumb.

He stared at a skull thoughtfully, eyes locked on the black sockets of the bone. It was like he could feel the emptiness where the spirit had once lived. He set it down gently, sadness filling his eyes. The glee with which he had felt upon discovering the skulls quickly disappeared when he realized that they seemed to be put on show. Like trophies. The spirit was gone, but in a way, he thought, disrespect of the bone was disrespect of the life that had lived inside of it. He felt suddenly guilty - he had treated the skulls like toys.

Had he not heard the advance of the golden wolf, Loviere would have gladly taken the skull to put in a more respectful place. He spun to face the aggressor. White hair stood on end, golden eyes widened in shock as the wolf came for him. This was the second time on this journey that he had encountered violence. Wounds from his last encounter were still wet with puss, and the bad leg was sore. Loviere braced himself, leaning to his left to take the maximum amount of weight off of the twisted limb. His young muscles coiled as a review of defensive techniques flashed through his mind's eye. In his lesson with Alyssum, they had focused mainly on battle with his knife, not his claws and teeth.

"Stop! Let us talk." It was clear in his eyes that this angry wolf did not wish to speak, Loviere thought. The young man attempted to harness his fear, but found himself trembling before the opponent. He backed up quickly, teeth bared. He was usually one for submission, but this attack was seemingly uncalled for.

Words | + ooc:// Shit post.