Shelter for a stranger

Subject: Shelter for a stranger Wed Mar 30, 2011 7:02 pm

Isis had been walking for days, she managed to sniff out little animals like rabbits or mice, but they only made her hunger invade her even more. Her white coat had grown a little dull, and a certain grayness seemed to overtake it. At nights she would have little sleep, fear of the new land had taken its toll on her; oh how she craved the presence of others."But what can I do?" she asked herself, "I havent seen another living soul in a month, I doubt more will come"Truthfully, the loneliness had made her stronger, she was growing more attached to the strange land as she walked over it. It deeply made her miss the mountains she used to climb, her rough paw pads were not used to the soft grass, but the calmness of it numbed her sorrow. Isis also barely knew she was going, she walked and walked every day, even though she knew inside that the only thing that lead her was instinct, and hope, hope of finding a new home, and a new family. And though many things swam through her mind, another thing infested her more than anything, behind her grew a mob of black and malevolent clouds, their angry rumbling and sparks of bright lights, made her shiver.She hoped she could find somewhere to rest, somewhere to wait out the nasty weather. Her blue eyes scanned the meadow, perhaps to find an old fox den, or a tree of some sort, but if she could not find a place soon, the clouds would surely over take her.

Subject: Re: Shelter for a stranger Wed Mar 30, 2011 8:03 pm

[OOC= Will try and post someone here tomorrow, I guess]

Subject: Re: Shelter for a stranger Fri Apr 01, 2011 3:46 pm

As a wave of rain began to downpour onto the land, Marrok sat up in a dense patch of brush. Even with his Husky-like coloring, all that was distinguishable was his icy blue orbs. He was on a mission; a hunting trip of sorts. He may have been used to the glacier zones of the mountains, yet he consistently went on a hiatus into the much more tolerant climate of the Lone Lands when small prey like rabbit had its largest population of the year. He wasn’t much for little “snacks”, but it was almost of a relief from his normal life. For the past year, he had been a lone wolf, and the experience didn’t really change him. He was always a bit of a trouble maker as a whelp, and still was. Now, his ears twitched as the small sound of paw pads hit the turf about one hundred meters away. He squinted at the figure, and smirked to himself as he realized it meant no threat to him. As she proceeded to talk to herself, he noticed the state she was in. She looked malnourished, lonely, and almost faded among the landscape as she walked towards his position. Above all, he sensed the one thing that tickled his thoughts. Fear. Under normal circumstances, he would take no time in torturing this poor lost soul with howls and threats. But there was something definitely special about her…and he could help her out if he really wanted to. Besides, he had already made great success of the hunting day in finding three rabbits, one of them still uneaten. Eager to get to know the fea, he emerged from his camouflage, twigs and debris still blanketed over him. He was now standing up only feet away, right in front of her face. He just kind of grinned and said, “Hello dear.”

Subject: Re: Shelter for a stranger Fri Apr 01, 2011 5:18 pm

Isis gasped, she had been lost in her thoughts and when the wolf approached her, the silence was interrupted harshly by his voice.He looked normal, yes, and he shared the same eye color as her, but she mostly was stunned by his fur. He had a vale of various shades of grey cascading down his sides and face, they grew lighter as they came to his belly where they turned pure white, and up the hairs of his back were black shadows embroidering his body and face. She was stuck in awe, his looks though, only reminded her of her lost home. And ever since then, she had been so uptight, that other beings besides prey had scared her immensely. She crouched low and pinned her ears to her skull, not long after she noticed his fur did she notice how healthy he was, and that made her blood run cold.. She though, managed to shudder out words, "Hello" she trembled "who are you?" she tried to say politelyIsis awaited his answer, and tried to calm herself as buckets of rain poured down on her. Suddenly though, a huge clap of thunder burst out from the clouds and made Isis jump two clear feet forwards. She let out a forceful yelp and looked behind her to see the clouds hang over the meadow. Just then she could feel the fur of another wolf behind her and she thrust her head back, she looked up to see that she had jumped right in front of the wolf and was so so close that they were nearly muzzle to muzzle.She felt her heart fall, and the blue pools in her eyes turn pale. She stepped back, with her uptight fear and tried to apologize, "I- I'm sorry" she whimpered, and awaited his response.

Subject: Re: Shelter for a stranger Sat Apr 02, 2011 2:44 pm

Marrok didn’t want to startle her too badly, but as expected, she gasped and froze up with shock, as if she had seen a ghost. For a short moment there was an awkward silence between the two of them, as they began to study each other. Marrok saw deep into her pale pools, realizing they were similar in more ways than one. She definitely seemed new to the lands, just by her features. Before he could introduce himself, booming thunder erupted in the air, shaking him to his core. The femme jumped towards him in impulse, and before either of them could comprehend what happened, they were face-to-face and inches away from one another. As she whimpered in apology and surrender, he reassured her with a softer, more soothing tone. “It’s fine. My name is Marrok. I’m not going to hurt you. I don’t live here, but I know my ways around probably better than most.” He struggled to continue speaking as he looked at the frightened wolf. He wasn’t used to being such a “nice guy”. He sighed in his frustration. “Wait,” he said as he went back into the spot of brush, sticking his head into the pile of shrubs. He pulled his head out with his most recent rabbit kill in his mouth. Marrok only realized just then that they were both drenched in rain, fur matted and soaked. With the rabbit in his maw, he shook himself out a little from head to tail, and signaled the wolf to follow him. He began to trot up a slight incline to the right of where the two had been standing, never looking back to see if she was behind him. He knew that on the other side of this hump was a hidden mouth of a rocky cave that would work as fine shelter. He had slept there just last night, and knew that whatever had stayed there before him was long gone. Hopefully, though, this femme (who he still hadn’t learned the name of,) would be able to trust him despite such strange and sudden circumstances. He shook away his distracting thoughts, and turned around to look where she was standing. He sat at the hill’s peak, tail beginning to playfully wag as he awaited her. Marrok started to feel hope rise in him. For once in a long time, he could meet someone that was not going to run (or want to fight him).

Subject: Re: Shelter for a stranger Sat Apr 02, 2011 4:17 pm

Isis flicked her ears forward as he introduced himself, his voice was calmer than before and more inviting. She stood up from her crouching demeanor and saw what he pulled out of the bushes. A rabbit, oh the glory, her blue stars brightened up with hunger, and her dakr pupils widened, she suddenly noticed how starving she actually was! Marrok probably could not noticed she was drolling in the rain, but she only concentrated on the smell of blood that invaded her nose. He motioned her to follow him, and she willingly trudged in the mud behind his tail, salivating over the rabbit. Then he sat at the hill's peak, dropping the rabbit and wagging his tail playfully. She looked at the kill and felt the black hole in her stomach rise like wildfire, but she realized she had not introduced herself yet. She looked into his eyes and gave a sincere smile, a sudden heaviness had lifted from her shoulders, and she too began to wag her tail,"My name, is Isis" she said kindly,"and thank you, for being so kind"She then found herself to be disgustingly soaked in rainwater and shook her white fur lightly, making sure not to wet Marrok. She sat down and tried to explain her situation,"I haven't been long here either,I lost my pack a very long time ago."She felt her smile fade, as she realized how long it had been since she heard the voice of one of her pack members, their memories were faint now, and haunted her dreams whenever she thought of them. And for such a long time, a dark vale of sadness was her only antidote to numb her sorrow; but now, a light had ignited in her soul, and burned the vale of darkness that swept over her, she was just a little happier now, and elated that she finally had a friend in this new world.

Subject: Re: Shelter for a stranger Sat Apr 02, 2011 11:46 pm

Marrok was relieved to turn around and see her right on his tail. He was happy to see her introduce herself as Isis. He had a new companion. While this was all well and fine for the moment, it had no effect on the water that poured from the angry, black sky. Isis looked extraordinarily cold as she shook the relentless wetness from her now warped white coat. The way she never left sight of the old rabbit body made it pretty obvious of her unfed stomach. Marrok could even sense the deep sadness in her eyes when she spoke of her former pack, her consciousness sinking deeper and deeper into the cracks of her unwanted memories. In all, Isis was in dire need of aid. “Look,” he began to shout over the sound of forest trees whipping in the gusts of breeze. “There’s an abandoned cave a few paces from the bottom of this hill. We can stay there for the night, though this was the last day I supposed to be here, so we’ll figure something out.” He pushed the rabbit closer to her paws and added, “In the mean time, take this with you and follow me. I am not in need of it, and it should do you some good.” Without waiting another minute, Marrok raced down the muddy slope. As he reached the bottom, he made a sharp turn into a rocky mass hidden among the trees. Once disappearing into the darkness for a few seconds, he peeked his fair face outside the cave’s mouth. His eyes lit up against the dulling gray surface of mineral that made up the cavern, as he stared at Isis for her to get down the hill and out of the ferocious storm.

Subject: Re: Shelter for a stranger Sun Apr 03, 2011 1:55 am

Marrok was quick, he told of of a resting place, shoved the rabbit towards her and thundered down the hill like a mad dog. She wasn't surprised by his speed, she knew males from he rold pack that were imesely strong int he legs, yet she always was faster than them. Isis snatched the rabbit from the ground and darted down the hill, she looked as if she were flying and was faster that the rain itself. She felt gravity pull her down faster as she reached the foot, and a huge burst of lightning busted from the angry sky, with heaving thunder to follow it; but she did not flinch, running was her talent, and she used it well. She quickly flashed amongst the tree, moving like a serpent after a kill.

Then she saw the the stone cave that sheltered Marrok from teh rain and she sprinted her last steps toward it. As she entered the cave with the rabbit, she began to notice how fast she actually was. She felt her pulse moving like the little heart beat of a rabbit, and her tongue lolled out from her excessive sprint. She smiled, Isis hadn't ran liek that in monthes when she was after infant weasel, the warmth of her blood thrilled her, and made her happiness grow. She dropped the rabbit and turned to Marrok who seemed to be watching her curiously,"Sorry" she chuckled "but i love to run", The white wolf wagged her tail and shook the rain and mud from her fine hair once more. She laid down on the cold cave floor and curled her tail as she quickly tore into the rabbit flesh. She consumed it quickly, making sure to lick the blood from her chops. She looked back at Marrok, she wondered if he was just as lonely as she had been, or if he had a pack once. And if he did, who was he? Who was Marrok? She asked herself in her mind very lightly. She knew he probabely didn't care, but deep inside, she was eager to find out. But when she managed to think up of words to say, she felt a wind of faitgue sweep over her and her tired eyes grew heavy. She curled her tail up to her nose and calmly settled herself on the floor. Then she peered her weary eyes at Marrok with gratittude,"Thanks again" she whispered loudly "Marrok" she smiled delightfully, before she gradually surrendered to sleep

Subject: Re: Shelter for a stranger Sun Apr 03, 2011 10:03 am

Marrok had truly underestimated the likes of Isis. Up until this moment, Marrok really questioned how she survived in such a harsh environment that was completely foreign to her. He figured blind luck; but when he witnessed her gallop down the hill in a fury of speed, he was almost struck in awe. All he could see was the blur of her pale coat weave in and out trees, and the auburn chunks of mud and earth that kicked out behind her powerful legs. She practically beat him to the cave, and he knew where he was running before her! This fact was worst of all, at least in his mind. He kept trying to reassure himself that he wasn’t trying to run his fastest, but deep inside him, he knew he probably gave it his complete effort. Thus, he concluded that Isis would be a much better asset to have tag along with him than he ever suspected, as she entered the shelter, explaining her passion to run.

With the new information in mind, even more questions sprung up in his brain to ask Isis as she devoured the slightly soggy rabbit kill. The obvious ones were most paramount in his mind: why was she here in the first place? What happened to her original pack that she managed to escape? And above all, was she anxious to become part of a pack again, or the exact opposite? Asking the nitty-gritty details could always come after. He just wanted to find out who she really was better, but he knew she wouldn’t answer those sorts of questions now. She was pretty occupied with the uncontrolled hunger she was fulfilling, and before he knew it, she was on the verge of a deep sleep. He chuckled to himself a little when she dazedly thanked him for what he was providing her. She quickly gave in to rest, while he, on the other hand, had much to think about that was nagging him awake. Sighing, he laid down minutely closer to Isis, facing the outside of the chilly cave. Still dripping wet, he gazed into the endless formation of ash gray rain pounding the puddled dirt below, hoping for a brighter morning and silently waiting for fatigue to take him away. Things seemed like they were going well already, and tomorrow would be big day. He needed an acceptable amount of rest.

Subject: Re: Shelter for a stranger Sun Apr 03, 2011 2:01 pm

When morning broke through, the clouds a disappeared and a bright blue sky greeted Isis from her slumber. Isis was used to waking up early, since every morning she woke up of the fear that something was following her or the bloodcurdling fright of nightmares she had, though the last few nights, her dreams seemed blank, as if something or someone needed to fill the empty canvas. She lifted her groggy head, and yawned powerfully. She slowly uncurled from her sleepy position and pushed out her long legs and arched up her back. Refreshed from the sleep, she noticed how filthy her coat was; chunks of mud hung from her sides and her face was warped from the rain. She came towards the mouth of the cave and gently licked her paws, spitting the mud she took from her coat outside; she continued to do this with the rest of her until she recognized the shimmer of her icy white coat. Isis stood up and shook whatever she did not get to the ground, slowly moving her fur and letting it fall when she stopped shaking. She sat once more, now looking out towards the cave, over the tree tops, a beautiful rainbow was painted at their fingertips and reassured that rain had been here the night before. She looked over by the mountains where the rainbow and blue sky seemed to shade in its gray shadow. Although her dreams had been blank and absent of any memories of her old pack, every time she dared to scope its silhouette, the dark vale seemed to run its cold hands through her fur and make marrow jump in fear. She desperately wanted to howl to the memory mountain, but she dared not to wake her new companion. So she sat there and waited for the male to awaken; just then, Isis looked up tot he trees and saw a small sparrow staring at her. Its beady eyes scoping her white fur and the cave she sat in; the bird flew down and swooped inside the cave. It looked at Isis curiously, and then looked at Marrok with awe, as if it never had seen sleeping wolves before, it bravely approached him. Isis began to giggle as the little bird pecked at his jaws and cocked his head at his sharp teeth. It then climbed up his face, so lightly though that it seemed not to wake him, it stuck its head in his ears and ruffled the fur within, and that still did not seem to wake him. Then the bird came to his neck fur and moved around until it settled itself in his grey pelt, and rested. Isis burst out laughing, she never before had seen a bird approach a wolf like that!

Subject: Re: Shelter for a stranger Sun Apr 03, 2011 6:38 pm

Marrok did not have what he would consider an “easy” night. Every time he shut his eyes, they all came back to him. He had not thought about his family ever since he left them, or at least not until meeting Isis. Each time his eyelids became heavy, their last moments together ran through his head in a vivid sequence. He looked at his three brothers, each one of them standing rigid and confident with their own decision. Marrok always saw himself as the alpha; the leader of them all. But he did not want to lead; he wanted to be left alone. He looked deep into their orbs to ensure each other’s understanding: the red glare from Jericho, the crazed, feverish yellow stare from Cobranq, and the sincere green-hued look from Pyramus. Without speaking or caring to glance back, Marrok turned away from them, walking stiffly through the blood-thinning wind and down the mountain peak he formally called Home. He could actually feel the snow flurries smack sideways against his thick black bristles, and the sub-zero chill that inundated his eyes with tears. Each time he had the dream, he would wake with a startle. In the moments he lay awake, he would witness the same picture: Isis’s body fast asleep, and the thick darkness within the cave that swallowed him whole. Not even the gracious pale moonlight could fight off the immense midnight that surrounded him. And finally, Marrok would surrender to sleep and become trapped in his memory once more. It was a vicious cycle that kept his never-ending nightmare alive, repeating itself all throughout the night.

Finally, after about the hundredth time experiencing the same event, something finally changed. As he walked away and down the mountain this time, an invisible force infested its weight onto his head, like something was on top of him pushing downward. Suddenly, his entire face began to have uncontrollable spasms. His mouth moved all over the place, and then even his ears began to twitch. Finally, a contorting knot festered itself into his chest, and he forced out a loud bark. At that very instant, he found himself wide awake on the floor of the cave. Unconsciously, he jumped off the hard stone floor in a panic, only to see the small body of a sparrow lying where he had been. He felt a wave of intense anger and fury sweep over him as he clamped down hard on his jaws and showed his teeth. He never felt this agitated from something so minor. Able to somehow restrain himself from tearing the little creature into pieces, he watched as the bird struggled to get up and scramble out of the cave. As his adrenaline dispersed from his body, he breathed heavily as he turned to Isis, who seemed to have been awake for some time now. “Sorry. Rough night.” He looked at the fading rainbow that curved above the mountain. Its majesty and mystique almost seemed dream-like, but he knew that he must be back in reality, because he wasn’t alone. “There’s a lot to be accomplished, but let’s just fetch some food and water. The most abundant resources are where we are right now, so it’s best to stock up while we can.” With that, he shook himself of all sleep that remained in his body. It was hard for him to look at Isis, yet he still strained himself to anyway. He sensed she might feel less trusting after that demonstration of high-tempered rage. What if she is worried that I could lash out at her, he questioned himself. On the bright side, Marrok was slightly enlightened to be dry again and no longer soaked, as he stretched his legs and tail. He was preparing to leave the cave in search of a stream or river, already trying to forget his nightmares.

Subject: Re: Shelter for a stranger Sun Apr 03, 2011 8:57 pm

Isis laid down her ears, a sudden fright came to her again as her laugh faded away and the frightful chirps of the sparrow drummed her ears. His outburst was unexpected, and made her unsure about her new companion, she had half a mind to use her strong legs and run from the place, to run like she ran from her home, and to run from her sorrow, but she had been running for far too long and knew that she needed him for several reasons and nodded with understanding. Isis knew that she needed him, because ever since they met, she was calmer and felt more hopeful about living, and she wondered, that if possibly, Marrok needed her as much as she needed him. Plus, she was not worried that the same thing would happen to her, his frustration only made her want to relate to him and to get to know him better. She looked at him kindly, staring warmly at his eyes, as if she were trying to comfort him , even though she was a little frightened."It's okay" she explained "just lead the way, and I'll follow"Isis stood proudly, her tone seemed assertive and it confused her, she wasn't angry at him, but she guessed blindly that maybe it was her instinct to act more independent and not so weak.Being protective of herself was natural, but she did not want to make Marrok think she was angry with him, so she looked at him and flashed a reassuring smile that she was his friend. She stood closer to his side with a friendly demeanor and bumped his side to make him lighten up.

Isis perked her ears and wagged her tail, she tried her best to seem happy even though she had been course a few moments earlier. She eased up and lowered her head to relax, if Marrok's tense outrage could make her feel protective, then maybe her perky attitude could make him just a little more hopeful and relaxed. So to take his mind off of whatever had disturbed him, she thought of a question for him to ponder about"And by the way," she continued " why did you help me? I mean, what made you trust me?"she lowered her ears again to await his response.

Subject: Re: Shelter for a stranger Wed Apr 06, 2011 8:24 pm

Marrok’s ears fell back in regret as he began to feel the embarrassment and anger close in on him for his random outbreak. With each second that passed, he was beginning to wish he didn’t wake up from his stupid memories that intended to torture him forever. Despite his emotional tearing, he felt obligated to not show himself in fear of seeming unstable. Isis, however, appeared to approach him in an unexpected way, as she looked to have gotten over the ordeal fairly quickly. She even took a stand of dominance and maturity when he had wanted to curl up in frustration like a cowering pup, which intrigued his curiosity. He had never seen a wolf that seemed so defenseless, yet could wield an inner strength of courage like a second nature. As she teasingly bumped him, his head shook a bit in surprise, as he tried to not smile or laugh using all of his might (even though a shiny grin still was able to peek out from behind his black lips). What didn’t kill them would only make them stronger, and with that notion he tried his best to drop the sticky topic. With the morning moving so fast, he slowly walked towards the edge of the bleak cave when Isis questioned him why he decided to help her. The statement stopped him in his tracks, for quite honestly he barely knew the exact answer himself. He usually didn’t want to look behind him and see the dark, murky trail of past filled with malicious scars, but it was what defined his normally brutal actions. He had demonstrated pure ruthlessness to anyone that intended to get in his before now, no matter who the ‘anyone’ might have been. And yet he had eased off the throttle for this one ordinary case of a lost newcomer with nowhere to go. She was most likely the first femme he laid eyes upon since leaving his family for good. Maybe Marrok had an epiphany while trapped in this desolate forest with only himself and his twisted thoughts, and decided that she would be most ideal to test his new found glory on…Finally, after a deep pause, he turned back to see Isis and said, “I didn’t really need to trust in you to bring myself to help you. You seemed…special…in a way that I’m trying to put right.” He began to grin. “But I still don’t trust you,” he laughed jokingly. He jumped down from the mouth of the fortress cave and pounced past the nearby rubble below. He had plenty of serious plans and such to inform her; but he would wait for her to catch up to him and let things simmer down better, as he began to bound more quickly through the drippy emerald vegetation, almost as if he had initiated a sort of game of catch-up.

Subject: Re: Shelter for a stranger Wed Apr 06, 2011 9:03 pm

Isis watched silently as he tried his hardest to hide emotion, it seemed that he was still tense but was less afraid. She was not surprised when he explained his distrust for her, but she knew that there was nothing, (or at least nothing he would want to know about) that she could hide.His chuckled made her want to smile widely, it was the first sight of normal happiness she had seen in him, and hoped to see more of it in the future. She though, was shocked when he playfully admitted that he found something "special" about her,"What could be special about me?" She thought silently She had no significant powers, no extraordinary beauty, she practically a walking skeleton when he found her, and she still was malnourished as they spoke. So what made her so interesting? She thought with wild ponder, but she decided to keep her questions at bay until she truly knew the nature of the male. Isis made a small smile before they began to trot forwards, she looked behind the trees and watched the silvery snow capped mountains as they consumed the rainbow and faded like memory shadows. She turned her head quickly, trying to hold back the water in her eyes that suddenly came to her and the swelling of her throat. She hoped Marrok hadn't noticed and shook the wetness from her eyes, the femme looked forward and continued.

Then, when her new companion could not be any more amusing, he began to quickly canter over the shimmering wet grass, as if the morning glory had brightened his spirit he began to leap over the earth. Isis chuckled quietly and began to pick up her pace, she felt the tiny drops of water splash her paws as she followed; the wind pushing her fur back but only making her want to go faster. Her chest began to bubble up in laughter as she dashed over the blades of rain kissed grass, and before she knew it, she came up to his side and was waiting for every turn and dip he could move at, following his direction but beating him at speed. Concentration was her key, and she was determined not to lose it!

Subject: Re: Shelter for a stranger Sun Apr 10, 2011 11:28 am

[OOC: Sorry for the belated post. I think I'll start using his picture again.]

Marrok had began to coast his speed for awhile as the ground below him started to become more and more uneven as he went onward. Divots and depressions became more evident and deadly, and the land next to him was sloping almost sideways into a ravine of endless emerald flora. His pace was nice and even, and he knew he could keep this speed for miles on end before going anaerobic. He even began to make a twisted little smirk because of his dominance in this ‘race’. But where was Isis? He had barely heard her pattering behind him, and he was beginning to feel alone. What if she had gotten lost? This was pretty rough terrain for someone who has never laid eyes upon it before. With that brief thought in his mind, he made the mistake of quickly turning back behind him. He had done the one thing you are never ever never supposed to even consider if you are trying to out-run somebody. To his immense surprise, he looked directly into the beaming icy orbs of Isis, who was practically at his side. In great shock, he sprinted harder than should be possible in such an enclosed landscape. But he had finally gained clarity in his travels. He reached the exact point he had been searching for. Ahead was an ancient tree, possibly the largest in this forest, slightly tilted to the right and looking on the verge of collapse. Marrok ducked swiftly under the massive structure and made a sharp turn to the right where the giant was pointing to. He sprinted as if he were going downhill, and was running closer and closer to a now unhidden clearing. With each gallop, he lowered his body more until at last he sprung up with all of his force. At the edge of the clearing was a glistening natural spring of cyan below, untouched by waste or weather, and Marrok had intended to leap it in a single bound.

With so much kinetic energy behind his mass, it seemed like a given to be able to hop over. Yet the spring was unmistakably wide: an intimidating 30 feet. With his takeoff, Marrok’s body had fully lain out in the air, and at the height of his climactic jump, his paws had already began to paddle the air, awaiting the turf below. Time seemed to slow, and the instant became an unending eternity. As his body finally began to come closer to the landing on the other side, life resumed, and somehow Marrok had accomplished the astounding leap. All four paws had landed perfectly on the opposite side of the spring, bringing his sprint to a dead stop and leaving heavy paw imprints into the sloshy tanned clay. Was this entire game just a means of getting to the spring faster? Basically, yes. Hopefully, however, Isis could follow suit with Marrok’s difficult completion of the task. The crystal water was perfectly fine to fall into, yet once again she would be soaked in liquid. Awaiting the result, Marrok turned his body around to face the spring, wishing the best of luck.

Subject: Re: Shelter for a stranger Sun Apr 10, 2011 12:57 pm

Isis giggled when she saw her friend turn around to see where she was running, his shocked expression amused her and it felt good to laugh since she hadn't laughed so much before she met him. Then when she thought the race would turn out to be easier in the end, the terrain got more dense and rough. Large dips in the earth and tall grasses slowed her speed slightly, but she somehow managed to gain it back, but only to lose again in the future. Being that she was used to rocky mountains that only go upward and downward, having a variety of hills and twisty paths made her intelligence on this forest a little more aware. Then, her look of the land, turned to awe as a humongous tree came to her view. Its branches seemed to brush the sky, and its trunk was so thick that if it fell, surely the earth would crack under its power. She carefully studied as she ran, even though there were trees in her old mountain home, none of them could stand in this tree's power. Mountain tree looked like twigs compared to this one, and the fat leaves on its arms looked more like bundles on every little branch, so her eyes were stuck in complete awe.

Then she remembered that she ha to follow her friend if she was to survive here, she she turned forward, only to receive another surprise. Marrok had managed to cut through every twist and turn that came forth, he darted tot he right of the great tree and dashed toward a 30 foot spring. She watched as his speed increased to full capacity, and his legs spread out to let him fly. The husky colored wolf did something nearly impossible, and soared over the glittering spring with ease. He landed perfectly on the other side and turned to watch her do the same. Now it was her turn, and her ears turned incredibly hot, pressure made her cringe but she wouldn't let any dignity she had drop from her now. She pinned her ears to her skull and stretched he legs out as far as she could. She took long, fast strides toward the spring and sprung out like an arrow over the water. Her outstretched paws pointed to the shore and her long body swiftly soared over the water. Then she could feel the cool dirt under her feet, and she relaxed, her speed was still strong though and she slid forward until she turned to the side and came to a stop. She looked to the ground, she still felt pressured and still felt alone in her worry. She refused to look at Marrok, she could feel a nervous zap tingle up her spine even though she completed the task. She sat down and turned her back to him, because the leap,onlu reminded her of her worst memory.

Subject: Re: Shelter for a stranger Sun Apr 10, 2011 2:36 pm

Marrok stood in awe as Isis sprang over the body of water with grace and amazingly landed with flawlessness onto the cool clay just a few feet from where he watched, skidding to a complete stop. Marrok was without words to say back, as he was still catching his breath from their running workout, his pools turning more gray as the excitement in the air decelerated. His eyes remained fixated on the crackling soil forming around his hard pads, refurbished with water and new life. He yearned to just howl until his lungs surrendered to hoarseness, for it had been long since he had felt so full of life. It might startle his companion, however, who he finally unglued his eyes from the ground to see. He was astounded to see her pull off such a feat. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe she could do it, but the fact that she appeared to becoming more in tune with the forest that had formally tore her apart and spit her back out. She had already reached a point where she had concurred the hardest that the environment could throw at her. But as Marrok looked towards Isis, she was utterly silent, not even facing his direction. Marrok’s demeanor soon changed, as the forest now inhaled the presence of its two new visitors with a new found breeze. Stuck staring at the back of her creamy pelt, he decided to direct his head back down to the dirt. He tried to ponder what had gone wrong. Was she injured from her massive leap? Was she angered at him for leading her all the way to here? Could something have been catching up to her? Marrok lifted his body up and slowly approached the sulking body of Isis, gingerly scraping closer. His head nearly next to hers, he solemnly asked, “Isis, is something wrong? What happened?...” He was treading on dangerous, unknown grounds with this question. For all he knew, she could have been reminded of trauma deep within her past, and in a severely doleful state. His lightly pursed lips struggled to find an answer to the problem. “Everything’s going to be fine…” he added, backing up now to give her more space. Worried for his new friend, Marrok sat patiently behind her for support.

Subject: Re: Shelter for a stranger Sun Apr 10, 2011 5:15 pm

Isis could almost hear nothing, a deep ring in her ears drummed them silent and her pupils widened to where you could barely see her icy iris. Her body shivered, even though it wasn't cold, she tried not to make a scene, but she could not resist. She faintly heard Marrok speaking to her, his soft words piercing the high ringing in her ears. A dark vale came over her again and a cold hand ripped her happiness away. She remembered fire, and harsh words, she saw blood and heartless being invading her thoughts. She felt a blindness over her eyes and a snarling pair of jaws, these memories, which she thought had disappeared were back again, haunting her with the worst. Isis knew now that they would never leave her, and that every step she took walked her closer to another flash of horrid memories. Her mental sanity was tainted, and a femme like her saw things that she never should have seen. Isis closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to make her memory flashes disappear. She hadn't noticed that Marrok had a worried face and had taken a few steps back. She found warmth in his words, a comfort of some sort and she could not understand why, she tried to stay independent and overcome her thoughts with reality. Then, just as fast as it started, the ringing stopped, and she was back to reality. Heat of embarrassment came back to her, and she turned to answer her companion. "No, I'm fine"she lied, but hopefully he could not tell. When he tried to comfort her, it only made her remember, so she tried to hide her sorrow behind fear. She stood up and walked towards him, her head down. She stared at the ground and shifted her eyes,"Sorry"She said with a shaky voice, trying to hide her eyes."Just hungry i guess, my stomach hurts"she lied again, this time trying to make it seem that her stomach was cringing, even though she might really have been hungry again. She tucked in her tail, and she looked just as fearful as when they met, she knew she would never change.

Subject: Re: Shelter for a stranger Sun Apr 10, 2011 9:34 pm

Marrok’s brow began to twitch in confusion, as Isis became lost within her own ecosystem. She seemed to be incapacitated by her own horrid flashbacks, only able to stare into space with fear. Her body even started to convulse in revolt, as if she were fighting an insidious creature of her imagination. Only minutes after starting, her flare-up ordeal ceased as if nothing had ever happened. Finally she spoke with a weary tone, reassuring him that she was fine. He couldn’t stop looking at her in wonder, his eyes brilliant with activity as he thought to himself. It seemed obvious something here had triggered her minor meltdown, possibly from her past. Maybe Marrok had uncovered a wolf just as screwed up as he was. She gave a sorrowful glance with a deeply deprived look, claiming her great hunger. Nodding, yet still with an uneasy and puzzled look in the impressions of his face, Marrok slowly turned to the shining spring. “Here, drink. It should settle you. And where there is water, prey will be lurking close by, so no worries.” He lowered his head, looking at her as he lapped the frigid Maya blue water. He let the water swish around his pearly fangs a little like raging water rapids over boulders, as he prepared to give a bit of an ultimatum. He lifted his head slightly more above the reflecting liquid and took an exaggerated breath of cool air. “We cannot stay here. You may think we can get by living in this desolate forest, but there is a reason no other wolves live here. Being completely isolated can only hurt us in the long run, and there are many better options. We can always go to the mountains of Muerta where I had formally lived, but the weather is harsher and colder than any other, and the dominant pack that resides there is not very safe or welcoming towards ‘newcomers’.” Marrok briefly flashbacked to having to survive in his tightly-knit clan avoiding the presence of the Muerta Mountains pack. Hopefully they had forgotten him, even if he was a misnomer neighbor to them in the first place anyway. “There are plenty of other packs to our north, east, and west, yet it will be a trek of great struggle with limited supply of resources. We can always play by ear, but the risks can pile up to the point of overwhelming us. The key, though, is that we stay as close together as possible, and get away from here.” He had managed to get out the one thing stuck on his mind, and in pretty brief terms, too. Afraid of engulfing Isis with too much to think about after just regaining her consciousness to reality, he bit the thoughts on his tongue back and went silent, staring mildly at her.

Subject: Re: Shelter for a stranger Sun Apr 10, 2011 10:18 pm

Isis tried to ignore his perplexed stares, she nodded in agreement when he offered water, and tired to lap up the clean liquid slowly. She listened to his theory, he was smart, it seemed he had been raised in a pack before, and was probably more social than she was. She tried to shake the fear from herself and gently moved her head from side to side, moving her fur softly. She flicked her tail and looked out over the spring, staring at the tree that was still clearly visible."Agreed, I lived in the mountains before, it was where i was raised, so I'm used to the cold" she claimed" I know very few wolves down here, and I intend to find more of them. Isis found confidence in her words and attempted to look at Marrok, but his mild look still made her uncomfortable and she turned back to the water."I will follow you anywhere, accept in the north, I intend to stay away from where I used to live, for personal reasons. she turned to him"Do you understand?"she asked sternly, making sure he knew she was grave. She perked up her ears, and curled her tail up, hoping he understood her wishes.

Isis looked toward the wolf, trying hard not to seem incredibly nervous. She tried to think of what he had planned, was he to bring her to a pack and leave her there? Were they both going to join a pack? Was he trying to find someone? She had little knowledge of what but kept her thoughts to herself for personal reasons. Then she felt a bubbling sensation of hunger grow in her, her head seemed light and her eyes wanted to close again. She craved nourishment, and she wondered what kind of prey they had down here and if it was worth hunting for, besides small rodents like rabbit or mice. She thought of the meat she used to feast on with her pack, the blood seemed to invade her nose, even though there was none. For once she was having good memories, and she hoped that her lost stare hadn't weirded her new friend out. So she wearily looked up at Marrok with an angry stomach, hoping his next subject had something to do with hunting.

Subject: Re: Shelter for a stranger Mon Apr 11, 2011 9:01 pm

Marrok wondered how Isis had got along with her former pack. The colonies on this peninsula were some of the most welcoming and tolerant he could ever imagine, but also some of the most dangerous. He hoped she get acquainted well with any pure hearted wolves they might meet, for as far as he was concerned, she was a much more social being than he (and for this as well as various other reasons, he intended to stick with her as long as physically possible). Of course, she may think differently while never having to see his rocky past and only a more reformed, calmer present character, but it would have to escape him at some point. He quickly shrugged off the idea in his midst of listening to Isis’s reply, glancing up as he continued to nourish himself with the crisp spring fluids. Finally, she made it clear that they never travel North, taking a clear dominant stand and giving off a very serious demeanor. He felt necessary to only reply with a slight head nod, face still low above the water. As he began to stand to full height, a loud, deep grumble from within his chest alarmed his ears. He perked up a little in a bit of surprise, unaware of his building hunger for meat, as he started to now grin. “Looks like that’s a sign we should hunt something down. We should probably get started as soon as possible.” He slowly walked on away from the spring, turning around at the edge of a densening sage brush. “The prey may be overpopulated in numbers, but they have a distinct advantage among the ground floor compared to us. Don’t make it any easier for them. Stay low, keep a sharp eye, and stalk slowly without a sound.” Swiveling back, Marrok proceeded to prowl gradually into the unknown forest horizon, tail swaying in a mix of concentration and happiness.

Subject: Re: Shelter for a stranger Mon Apr 11, 2011 10:50 pm

Isis was satisfied with his understanding nod, she wanted no more from him. The white femme managed to slip out a smile when his stomach fiercely growled, her hunger was great but when a male was hungry she knew it was time to find something and fast. A great example would have been her brother, Caden, he would do anything for a hearty meal of elk and was irritable when his stomach bubbled up in hunger. She wasn't surprised when he explained the large quantity of prey they had, because it was much warmer than the cruel cold climate she used to hunt in. Obviously, she knew her hunting might be rusty, she may have been swift, but stealth and focus was the main ingredient, in completing a perfect hunt, and she had lacked greatly in both ever since she lost her birth pack. Yet, she had confidence that they would be successful if they found any vulnerable victims, because it was more likely to hunt large prey by two wolves than by one. Isis found it weird to think of only two, she was used to thinking of only one or one whole group. She was used to thinking of hunting huge prey for her whole pack, her siblings and elders all coming together to bring down just the right quantity to satisfy an entire pack. Honestly though, she liked the term of only two, it reminded her that they would not have to work as hard for food ,but it wasn't just one lonely individual. Her ears flicked forward and her tail calmly drooped to the ground as she followed Marrok. "What exactly are we hunting?" she asked bluntly. Even though she had high hopes for something larger than a rabbit or mouse, she felt to have the right to know exactly what they would be looking for. And as they sauntered, she glanced at the huge tree once more, to watch in all it's glory. She smiled and gently whispered to herself"What a beautiful tree" and continued to follow her equally hungry friend.

Subject: Re: Shelter for a stranger Tue Apr 12, 2011 9:13 pm

Quickly glancing back to check on Isis, Marrok saw a last glimpse of the great tree he was leaving behind, disappearing from view with the creeping overhang of tree line above him. He was never a fan of the ancient woodland tree. Of course, it had served as a useful landmark anytime he came back from the mountains to this isolated forest, but its presence always seemed to…bother him. It was just an awkward feature to a rather small, compact area of vegetation. Resuming his focus ahead of him, Isis already asked him the question on what they intended to hunt. Marrok promptly dismissed the matter with the most suitable answer available. Ducking under a fallen log, he looked back, speaking in a matter-of-fact yet quiet tone. “Anything that moves. Our main focus will be on the target of deer. They’re the most worth in committing to find, and easiest to spot. Unless things come to the worst, or an easy opportunity presents itself, smaller prey might as well be disregarded.” He thought back to just a year before, where he was being put through tests into becoming his pack’s Hunter. The pack possessed a strange hierarchy rarely used among wolves, primarily based on the status one’s job allowed them to have. Of course there were alphas, but besides that the chain of command was a bit organic, and not necessarily set in stone. If anything, the pack was more like a pride. Marrok was training to assume the position of being the sole wolf, only on occasion with support, in charge of obtaining the pack’s source of meat. It was stressful, and by far one of the most difficult positions, but it remained the thing Marrok excelled in the most. At this moment, he felt he was one of the most qualified beings to assist Isis in pursuing prey. To strike up a little encouragement, he reported back, “Don’t worry. Hunting should feel more about impulse then skill once you get acquainted with it again, anyway. Don’t focus on your technique. Focus on your strengths, and how they will guide you to work the most efficiently.” He also gradually began to quicken the pace at which they creped through the thickening forest, as visibility decreased and foreign noises were coming from all directions. Soon, differentiating between objects became nearly impossible, and the entire world just appeared as an unwelcoming green blob. All that stuck out among the mass of plant life was the white legs and belly of Marrok and the pale pelt of Isis behind him. Finally, after the eternity of trekking through the twisted unknown, the moment he had been anticipating had come. The aroma hit him hard in the maw and immersed all of his senses with a unique saltiness and almost metallic taste that warmed his entire being. The fumes almost began to make him dizzy. He had struck the scent of pure blood. Jackpot. With an eerie whisper, Marrok spoke towards Isis. “I think I should move just slightly ahead. I think something is close. Signal me if something is wrong.” He wasn’t trying to worry Isis, but nevertheless trotted another few meters in front. He could sense “it”, but this “it” that began to make his heart pound with a rush of stimulation could be anything. It felt closer and closer with each solitary step. Maybe a kill would be simpler than he thought.

Subject: Re: Shelter for a stranger Wed Apr 13, 2011 1:14 am

The white wolf stayed silent, nodding her head at nay answer or comment Marrok said. She already felt a sense of disturbance, change in the air around her. The golden beams of light that poured into the trees seemed to shimmer over her and Marrok as they trotted over the earth. Her icy eyes scanning the landscape, and her large ears swiveling back and forth to hear anything suspicious. She began to remember the words of her grandmother, Yin, she could almost see the worn and washed eyes of her elder, the brightness of yellow that seemed to beam out from her old demeanor. She could feel Yin's presence waking beside her, the white pelted elder guiding her along the hunt, as she did a year ago. "Focus Isis"she whispered faintly in her head,"find the seams, but keep very quiet" Isis barely heard her words, but as she replayed them in her head, they seemed to get louder. She looked to the sides, trying to hear the light feathery foot steps of a light hearted deer.She felt as if she were walking on air, her toes stepping on nothing but damp earth and lacking the disturbance of sound. Then the white wolf looked forward, staring at the backside of Marrok, but she could swear she saw something different. He was thinner than before, more slender, and the dakrness of his husky pelt had melted to a pure white. His ears were pure black and his tial was lifted high,then she recalled the backside of her dominant sister,"Fan?"she questioned quickly, her voice faintly overcoming the silent hum of the forest. She could feel the blood in her heart run cold and the pads of her silent feet turn incredibly hot. She blinked her eyes, the recollection of her packs' hunting positions had taken the reality of her hunt for survival, the faint memories of her pack ranking had infested its images on what was real. Yet, in all the fearful and ghostly recollection, she wasn't afraid, the memory seemed kind, like the ghosts of her pack were guiding her, leading her to where she belonged.

Then it hit her, the warm and fresh scent that grabbed her by the jaw and made her drool. The robust stench that made her hunger double, the intense smell of blood had come to her presence, and it wasn't far. Suddenly the presence of her pack left her, her beloved sister that led her to the scent had warped back to her companion, Marrok. Then his words became clear, and the importance in his voice made her focus twice as much. She flattened her ears and forwarded her eyes to sharply watch for the kill that Marrok predicted was ahead. The thrill of the hunt pumped through her life giving arteries, and the hungry power of blood lust rna through her stomach like a virus. She slowly sauntered closer to the source of blood, anticipating every torturous step closer to the kill.

Subject: Re: Shelter for a stranger Sat Apr 16, 2011 9:51 am

Each climactic step closer was pure bliss for Marrok’s senses. It was almost painful to let the situation drag out so much, and not to just barge out into a desperate sprint. The buds of his tongue sizzled with the tang of flavor he anticipated once he sunk his fangs deep into the pelt of an unsuspecting grazer. The scent was far too vivid to be a corpse, as Marrok assumed the figure ahead may be injured, spilling its drips of velvet blood across the green covered landscape. How Marrok only wished to have began hunting at dusk, which would have made for a perfect storm in terms of getting a kill. But they were on the move, and knowing they were traveling upwind on the scent of a disadvantaged creature lying further on was enough to please him. His eyes even started to tear with the aroma so infested within his body and the opportunity nearly throwing itself to him. The wounded animal could not be very far; at the most 100 meters away. As the tension finally reached a point of no return, something he could have never foreseen happened right before his eyes. “Lay at ease, you’re getting too jumpy too soon, as usual.” a familiar voice said nonchalantly next to him. Marrok quickly twitched towards the direction of the noise, and to his surprise there stood his brother Jericho. With his pupils the size of the head of a pin, and his orbs widened in shock, Marrok looked face-to-face with his red-eyed sibling Jericho. He had never seen a vision of his past during the day, but greater concerns expelled the thought, as Marrok abruptly stopped prowling to examine this apparition. Thankfully he was seeing Jericho, who was the only brother he ever felt related to, and the only one he even resembled. Jericho was an evil looking clone version of Marrok, with the same mixed Husky coat look and luscious tail. All he could do was stare into the now smirking face of Jericho. Not even another word was exchanged between the two. Marrok remained frozen, unable to unfixate himself from such a rare sighting. Finally, the image flashed away in a clouded mist before he could even let himself react. As he stared at the empty space where Jericho had once occupied, Marrok whispered to himself, “No…” Yet the scene around him was much quieter than he had thought, and the word nearly echoed around the two wolves. He only glanced back at Isis for a moment, still flustered from the image of his memories that had projected in front of his very eyes. The entire event hampered his momentum, and even crippled his drive to go on, despite the stench of reality flowing around his chilled body. The time was ticking, and he had to do something hastily or risk losing an easy break. Nails now digging hard into the dirt, his breaths became more heavy. He at last looked all the way back to Isis, psyching himself into his "hunting mode" again. “Let’s get this over with.” He jogged forward, gaining ground quicker than he could realize. His vision tunneled as the environment in his peripherals completely disappeared. The scent had not escaped much farther away, even with Marrok’s minor setback. Once again, the smell was intoxicating beyond anything else he could imagine, warming his body with a feverish energy. He had gone farther than he thought and in an instant was brought to a dead halt. The only part of his body that moved was his ears, twitching back and forth as they gathered in the sounds of the environment around. Marrok had very suddenly come within 30 meters of a tall, dark brown, slow moving mass, unaware of his presence.

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