near the Salsola border along the Pictou

ic: Zana had been strolling closer and closer to the Salsola borders. She knew some sort of family lived there, but she had family all over the lands, that didn't make them close enough to care about. She flicked her lilac eyes along the river as she moved quickly along her bank. The scents of the pack were near, meaning she was near. Her nose rose to sniff the air as her eyes sparkled slightly. She loved a good adventure,and here was one just waiting. She could learn about this new pack and possibly meet a few new faces as well.

She paused though, turning to look upriver as she flicked her tail quietly, the soft snap of ribbons pulling through the air behind her. She had thought she had heard something but wasn't sure. Zana stilled her tail, crouching low to the ground as she sat quietly, watching and waiting. There was someone out there, just who she would find she wasn't sure though.

Careful. Predicting my character is leaning close to powerplay. Soooo it's not Tayui. Muaha.

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[/html] Tayui had noticed a particularly tiny coyote a few minutes ago. She hadn't really been following the girl; just mustering up her courage to say hello. She didn't want to creep after the tiny thing without introducing herself properly, but she also didn't want to make a fool of herself and gape at the other woman the whole time. Tayui could smell that despite her size, she was no yearling; it just seemed as though she had some sort of growth defect. Even then, it wasn't the girl's size that intrigued her the most: it was how she moved; she was stealthy and alert. Tayui wondered if she had finally found her first spy.

She was about to approach the girl when she heard something off in the distance, on the other side. She froze, letting one paw hang in the air. Her ears swiveled around her skull as she tried to catch every little sound as it retreated into the distance. She shook her head and then continued on, dismissing the sound as a deer or some sort of creature.

She trotted up to the coyote, approaching slowly and carefully. She tried to move in a way so as not to startle the girl. After all, she didn't want to get off on the wrong foot!

She barked out a greeting and wagged her tail, hoping to introduce herself as a friendly face.

"Hello there," she called out quietly. Being so close to the borders of Salsola, she didn't want anyone else finding her here. [html]

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ooc: Sorry vout the wait, and sorry bout the near pp. Wasn't trying to make it seem thatway.. I think I worded it funny.. she was suppose to just know something was out there, suggestively anything, not Tayui.

ic: Zana had stared off into the distance, her ears perked forward as the small snap of a dry branch greeted her. She snarled as a bird flushed from the brush, her heart racing slightly as she shook her head. She was just about to move on down the path when the ghostly sight of the other creature caught her attention out of the corner of her eye.

She was greeted by this new creature quickly following the woman's appearance; Zana turned to face the other full on as she waited for the stranger to come upon her. When she grew closer her voice was soft and stead. The small Inferni woman greeted her as well, "Hello.." her voice low as she wondered who the newest stranger in her life was. She didn't feel a need to worry just yet thought, the scent of the woman didn't seem to belong to the pack or the territory she had been stalking and that's all she really had to worry about right now.

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other as she added. "I'm Zana.. who are you?" She didn't feel a need to tell her were she came from, if she didn't know the scent by now then it wasn't the Inferni woman's problem.

Ohhh I see. :o A lot of newer roleplayers do that and it bugs me to no end lol. >_> 's cool!

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[/html] The coyote greeted her, quietly, in return. She responded with a small "hello" and then introduced herself as Zana. Tayui immediately liked the name; however, she had never heard anything like it before, so could not place the girl's heritage. Whatever she was, she looked to be an interesting mix of coyote and something else. She couldn't hope to place her perfectly -- and especially with her small stature, Tayui wondered if she was part dog or jackal. Whatever it was, it was a mystery to her and only made her want to get to know her more.

"I'm Noir," she replied. She tilted her head once she caught the girl's scent: Inferni. "You're in Inferni? Is Gabriel still the leader? How is Kaena? If you don't mind me asking," she added with a small chuckle. She didn't want to say that they were friends (since she didn't think they considered her to be a friend), but she was somewhat acquainted with the son and his mother. She found them to be pleasant enough; she just wondered if this girl would be willing to share. [html]

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Zana sat watching the wolfish woman as she felt herself to being studied too. She was use to being looked up and down when people realized that she was not a child. Her small fluff of tail tapped up and down as she wondered just what this woman wanted. She didn't seem to belong to this pack here but she was a wolf and Zana had been found near the lands. She was slightly suspicious as to how they so happened to meet but she was smart enough to keep her maw shut.

When she was gifted with a name and asked questions she could answer Zana paused a moment before answering. "Ezekiel leads now.. Gabriel stepped down before I returned to the lands.." She picked at the ribbon on her tail as she asked. "What does the leadership of Inferni have to do with you?" She left Kaena out of the equation, wondering if this was just all some sort of interrogation and if she should be finding some sort of excuse for escaping.

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[/html] Ezekiel. There was a name she didn't know yet. Who was Ezekiel? Tayui was sad to hear that Gabriel was no longer leading, for she had much faith in the younger hybrid. When they'd met, he had impressed her with his calm demeanor and his awareness of the harsh realities of life. There had been other things, too, that had impressed her but she couldn't remember them all now. All she recalled was a feeling of finding someone who truly listened and formed their own opinions regardless of what she tried to insist. Her encounters with the now-former-Aquila had been interesting and always intriguing. She supposed she owed much of her mission now to him, for it was with Gabriel when she recognized her desire for vengeance. He had helped her realize the consequences of her actions and for that she was thankful.

"We're acquainted. I know that sounds vague, but I don't think they consider me friends; just someone they know," she explained with a laugh. She shrugged, wondering if she could ask more. "Oh, I hope I'm not bothering you! I just saw you near the borders and was curious to know. I can leave now if you're busy. I'm sure you need to get back," she added. She certainly didn't want to impose herself on this small woman. [html]

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Zana couldn't help but grin at the woman's words. "No offense, but we view few outside of the clan as friends. It keeps things simpler." Zana's few friends outside the clan had mostly all been clan members at one point. She hadn't trusted anyone outside the clan enough to believe that a true friendship needed to exist.

The small woman shifted her weight as the other lady babbled on. She was quiet a moment before she gave in and admitted."I have nowhere to go.. I have been exploring the lands, it's part of my job." She didn't care if this woman knew what she did within the clan. She stuck out like a sore thumb and yet that is what seemed to baffle others into forgetting that she was lurking around their lands. It was a gift, and a curse... "What were you doing around here then..?" She asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

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[/html] When the coyote began to smile, Tayui panicked for a moment in concern that she'd said something unintentionally funny. Quickly, she realized that it was not a cruel smile and that the other woman was just pointing out a fact of life. Tayui considered the woman's words for a moment, wondering if that was the real reason she and Gabriel and Kaena could not be friends. Although Tayui had felt like they could indeed be more than just acquaintances -- if only because the word was so cold when they had shown her such warmth -- she realized now that political realities could prohibit it.

Soon, too, Zana explained that exploring the lands was her job. Quickly, Tayui asked: "oh, are you a scout or an ambassador then? I was passing by and had hoped to see if Gabriel was about. I hadn't really planned on bothering him. I'm not sure really." She frowned and then added: "I guess I was just hoping that I might see someone from Inferni by chance. Sort of wishful thinking, I guess? Though it seems to have panned out!" She added a cheeky grin and a small shrug. If Zana didn't mind entertaining her for a bit, Tayui would be happy to pick her brains for answers. [html]

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Zana kept very little friends outside the clan. Most were actually some sort of blood tie and not actual friends. She distrusted finding friendship in someone that could taint her loyalties to the clan. It might make her life a little less bright when she was away from home but it kept her from having to make a choice between friendship and kinship. She would break the bonds of friendship in an instant if they ran across the clan, all except a select few family members who were not exactly members of the clan. There were very few she made exceptions for, and while she couldn't exactly explain why she made her choices this way..it had been her choice.

Zana knew she probably shouldn't have shared so much information with the stranger, but what could she do. She suggested that Zana could have been a scout or an ambassador.. so she lied. An ambassador was a friend of sorts between the clans and packs, and while Zana strove to find out exactly what their connections with other packs were, down in the dirt she was a spy. She did it for the bettering of the clan and with little concern or remorse to what may happen to other parties involved. "Yes, an ambassador. I've been newly instated and wish to further my knowledge of the other packs and clans in the lands." Wisdom was knowledge, knowledge was what she always labored for, and if it just so landed in her lap today she wasn't going to stop it.

She finally sighed and gave in, feeling that it did no right leading the woman on since she had obviously known the last leaders once. "Look.. Gabriel no longer leads the clan. Kaena stepped down before he did.. and though she still resides.. Gabriel departed. Ezekiel, his son leads us now." She didn't wish to be brash, but the possible bright sunny days this woman may have once known were long gone in the clan's eyes. Their new leader was young but he pushed them each and every day. They grew stronger and stronger with each passing day. As long as she didn't give away their secrets talking about the past and looking into other lands wouldn't land her in trouble.

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[/html] Tayui tried not to look surprised when Zana agreed with her. For some reason, although she'd guessed that Zana was an Ambassador, she didn't really think she would be correct! Tayui felt a moment of gratification at being correct, but quickly forgot when Zana continued to speak. The woman explained that she was new, which somehow made sense to Tayui even though aside from Gabriel, Kaena, Kesho and that red-eyed monster, Tayui didn't know who would be considered a new or old member. She supposed that meant Ezekiel was fairly new, too. Tayui wondered where Gabriel had gone -- was he dead? Had he left? Was he run out by his own son? She didn't know, but she was curious. She just didn't want to scare off the other coyote. Zana had explained that she was wary of non-Infernians, so Tayui knew she had to speak delicately if she wanted to make her plan work.

As Tayui considered Zana's words, she wondered if she would be interested in gathering more information about Salsola. Tayui had spent the last few months wandering around the neutral lands, stealing snippets of information where she could. She would be interested in trading some of what she knew of Salsola if Zana would spy on them for her. Tayui just wasn't sure how much she should offer.

"Hmm," she replied. Quietly, she asked: "do you know anything of Salsola? I can trade information about the pack if you're interested. I'm also a collector of rare and valuable facts, so I'm always on the lookout for someone who'd like to trade."
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There was a lot she didn't know about her own clan, but her duties didn't include knowing the inside of the clan, they tempered on her knowledge outside of the clan. She told very few that she was barely even a clan member, half her blood rang free with one of the strongest wolf names of them all. She was often viewed as a traitor by both sides so her nature was often distrusting to begin with. She wasn't aggressive towards others by nature but if they tried to test her she would push back. She wouldn't admit it but she was glad this beast had not decided to see what they could get from her.

She sat silently watching the woman before her for a moment, not knowing exactly why she had approached her in the first place but it seemed that she was being granted a gift. She had been compelled to learn more of the strange secretive pack but because of their love of privacy she doubted she would learn much. The words of the woman made her ears prick forward as she paused for a moment before replying. "I don't know much.. though I would like to.." she let her eyes glance over at the woman as she asked. "What do you know.." she shifted her weight from one paw to the other as she frowned. "and just what are you looking to trade.. for this information.." Things were starting to seem a bit strange but she knew that the woman had her interests now.

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[/html] Tayui nodded empathetically when Zana explained that she didn’t know much. Good. That meant she wouldn’t be too suspicious of Tayui’s motives for gathering this information. If she knew a lot about Salsola, then she might know how suspicious they were of outsiders or she might know of some of their barbaric practices and be too frightened to do the job. Tayui was also glad to hear that the coywolf had a personal interest in the matter: then, at least, if she were discovered she would have an incentive to cover her tracks – and Tayui’s.

"I just want to know a bit more about them," she explained. "I have a friend in there – I wanted to visit her, but she needs me to come by the borders when they aren’t patrolling. I’m… I’m not as young as I once was and I don’t look forward to a physical confrontation. I’m not stupid enough to linger too close to Inferni’s or Salsola’s borders, so I try to stay away." She shrugged and then added: "what would you like in exchange?" She didn’t think it would be fair to state her request without hearing what Zana wanted in return. Hopefully, they could arrange some sort of trade that benefitted them both. [html]

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