{One x One } Charisma and Drift.

[t i r e d.]

Haiku gave a short laugh. "The mutt's resilient, I'll give him that." He continued watching their surrounding for a moment, satisfied to see that nothing moved, and the only sounds were those of the sleeping dogs and him and Layla. Gazing down at his packmates, he could now tell that several of them were having the same problem Layla was. A few laid still, but their too light breathing gave them away. Likely they were just pretending so that he wouldn't get on to them. Weariness flashed across his eyes. It had been so much simpler when he only had to take care of himself. Part of him still wished that he was roaming the streets alone, wished someone else had taken on the burden of leading these strays to safety.

His eyes tired, Haiku turned them skyward, towards the stars. "Layla." he whispered, his voice deep with uncharacteristic openness. "What were you looking for up there?" For just a second, he started to believe that maybe it was more than him guiding these dogs. Maybe they were following some hope that laid written in the stars, and he was merely their transportation. If that was so... Would he be welcome to stay once they reached their new home? Most of the dogs held the same kindness and curiosity Layla and Nero had... He lacked that. His view on the world was determined, but realistic. He'd seen the worst of humans, seen dogs beaten into things that were little more than bloodthirsty devils. So what would the home of these optimistic dogs think of him, a scarred dog that had seen too much of the world?

Syra stayed silent and still for a moment, even once the other dog relaxed a bit. When he offered his name though, her tail swished faster, the black fur dragging along the top of the grass. "I'm Syra!" She raised her head as she gave her name, her ears perked forward curiously. "Yeah... You scared me." She dropped to her haunches and tilted her furry head at him, unsure why he was advancing. Was she supposed to do the same?

"I... I haven't seen other dogs before." She offered, just in case she was neglecting some sort of action that implied proper etiquette. "Not since I was still with my mother. But I knew you guys were out here!" She practically chirped the last bit, and her tongue lolled out of her mouth, turning her face into a doggy smile. "So I had to come and find you guys... To see what it was like..." her smile disappeared as the loneliness pulled at her chest again. Her ears tilted back forlornly and her thumping tail slowed to a stop. "To be with others." this last part was whispered, though the other dogs could surely hear, as close as he was and as quiet as the forest around them had been. Maybe I'm telling him too much... He probably doesn't care... Syra cast her gaze to the side of Nero, her body tense and unsure.

[Charisma.]

[.Layla.]

The smile that had been on Layla's face, even for the slightest bit of time returned, as Haiku chuckled, and she let her gaze settle on him afterward. He seemed wary, deep in thought as well, though he did seem like that a lot of the time. As she let out a small, soft sigh, she heard the wolfdog say her name, in a deep whisper. At his next question, she couldn't help but let her eyes flicker to him, also in curiosity. It wasn't always that Haiku asked such things. She knew she would give him her thoughts, nonetheless.

"Well," she began. "I wasn't so much looking for something as I was... admiring, I suppose." She started, letting her chocolate brown eyes rest on him. "Haiku, when you look to the sky, what do you see? Just a bunch of stars and a moon?" She questioned lightly. "I think each one of those stars has its own place. Even though the sky itself is dark at night, the stars are there to light the way." She shrugged lightly. "The moon's always there to watch over us, every single night. You don't ever see any of those stars going out, do you?" She added before lowering her head. Stopping herself, she added a more realistic comment towards the end. "It just shows how big of a world we really live in, I suppose." She looked to Haiku for a moment, before shifting her gaze away, and resting her head against her paws.

[.Nero.]

Nero listened to this she-dog, curious at first, at what she was saying. As she said she had to come find them, his eyes crossed hers. "You could have been in way more trouble, kid." He said, slowly at first, his mind flashing back to Haiku and the other dogs, asleep. Surely if Haiku had found her, she would have been either chased off or threatened. "You know, kid, it's not as easy and carefree as it looks out here." He added, taking another step towards her, and then continuing to walk. "Its not always all fun and games." He added as he walked, his tail low and swishing from side to side.

"Besides that, don't you have a family, or someone waiting for you?" He added, wondering if you should or shouldn't have said that. His mind wandered again, as he thought about what Haiku would think of this, of her, of them, or anything of the like. He didn't know much about Syra, the black furred Belgian shepherd, but he did know that perhaps he would find out more about her later that night as well.

[t i r e d.]

Haiku's eyes stayed on the stars. How many nights had he depended on the moon and stars to light his way in his escape? And he relied on them even more now. When the dogs had to travel in the thick forests at night, it was only the brief patches of moonlight that filtered down through the leaves that made it possible to progress.

"What about during the new moon, Layla?" his voice remained a quiet, thoughtful whisper. "What about when there is so little light that we have to stay out in the open at night, for fear that something might discover us while we're blind?" After another long moment searching the sky for whatever it was that Layla saw, he closed his eyes. Shaking his head wearily, he rose. "I should return to my post." But before padding off, he lowered his head and gently licked the top of the retriever's golden head. "Get some sleep, we still have a long way to go." But instead of the rough tone he'd had when he first walked over, he said this gently, something close to softness in his stern eyes.

He turned and walked back to his place in full view of all of the dogs. Sitting, he thought about Layla's faith in the stars, considered his lack of it. He gazed back up at the sky one more time, searching. But he just couldn't see what she saw. They were just light sources. Sure, they were there, most of the time. But it didn't mean anything other than balls of gas millions of miles away were making it possible to see at night.

"I... I know it's not easy..." Syra whispered. And she did, in theory at least. But in truth, she'd always been tame, always had her meals hand delivered to her, and the most she had to do for her food was chase mindless sheep around and direct them where the humans wanted them. The reality of it hit her hard suddenly. What am I doing...? The sheepdog was way out of her element, and she could very possibly be in danger if she wasn't careful.

"I do have a family. A girl." The lean black dog pulled her eyes back up to Nero's face. "But..." She needed to tell him all of a sudden, make him understand why she would leave her easy life for the dangerous unknown, even if only for a moment. "Have you ever been all by yourself? Have you ever wandered aimlessly, looking for something but not knowing what it is, just that you have to find it?" Her brown eyes grew bright and intense as her excitement grew. "That's what living with my humans is like. They are my family, but... There has to be more." She stood up a bit, her soft ears turning forward. She took a single step towards the shepherd. "Do you understand?" she asked softly.

[Charisma.]

[.Layla.]

"It always returns though. Even when it disappears for a short time, it never really disappears for good." She added, with a small, hopeful smile, before letting her gaze drop. She stopped after that, just watching him carefully, as he stood, and suggested he return to his post. She was nearly about to set her head back down into the grass, before she felt him lick the top of her head. It wasn't something Haiku normally did- or ever, for that matter, and at this her velvety ears perked up, her chocolate eyes slightly surprised. He told her to get some rest, but his voice wasn't as rough as it had been before. All she managed was a soft "...I'll try." to him before lowering her head again, and taking a breath.

As he returned as he said he would, she thought to herself, about the stars and the moon, and where they were going to end up going, and what would happen. She was a rather hopeful soul, and tried to stay positive as much as she could, but the future always made her wonder. Slowly, as these thoughts traveled around in her mind, her eyes began to close, and eventually her breathing slowed as well. She seemed at peace when she was asleep, and so calm, just like the night itself.

[.Nero.]

As they walked, Nero turned his attention to her as she started to explain things to him, about what she meant. Though his mind was elsewhere before, he thought it would be helpful to listen to her speaking. She seemed a bit naive when he had first asked, but as she explained and he listened, a similar memory came to him in his mind. As she asked if he understood, he stopped, turning his head towards her, and his ears pulled straight forward as well. "I had someone too, way back, you know." He sighed. "I know." He added as he shifted his gaze warily this time. He remembered what it was like when he had a partner. He had only ever been close to one particular human, and that was when he was in training with him to be a police dog. That was a long gone memory, but it did make him think of Syra, with her human.

As soon as he had mentioned anything about it, he stopped, as if wishing he hadn't. "Just... just forget it alright kid?" He paused, realizing that may have been a little too rough, but he hadn't meant it of course. He had only just met Syra, why would he tell her anything about which human he had stayed with or what happened. Humans were one of the reasons he was alone as a stray now. Glancing toward her again, his gaze lighter now, and calmer, he started, "So tell me where you're from, Syra."

Nero incorporated her name into his comment this time, adding a small smirk toward the end, as he started to walk again. Leaning toward her for a second, he let a smile show. "And do you really think you can handle being... like a wild dog?" He added the word wild for a little twang, and once he had made his statement, he snapped his head back and started to trot slightly, feeling the cool, brisk, night air swirl around him. It sure did feel good.

[t i r e d.]

It wasn't long before Haiku's eyes ventured back towards Layla. For some reason, the retriever cross had captured his attention tonight. She was sleeping now, as he had suggested, and he was grateful. The nights were far too long to spend awake. The only reason Haiku didn't mind guarding the strays was because it was his duty now. They trusted him, and followed him. It was the least the wolfdog could do to keep them safe for as long as he could.

A quick glance around showed that Hardy, the male who took the second night watch was stirring. Another glance told him that Nero had not yet returned, and that's when Haiku began to worry. The shepherd could take care of himself fairly well, but it had been just long enough that the leader's concern wasn't without reason. They hadn't been in this area long enough for him to know what dangers could be lying out there in wait for a quick snack.

His worry sent the large male trotting over to Hardy, who seemed surprised at Haiku's approach. The two dogs generally just nodded at each other before heading to their separate destinations, so this was something new. "I'm going to go out and scout the area really quick. I shouldn't be gone too long." he purposefully left out that he was searching for Nero. Although Hardy would likely notice his absence during his watch, he was smart enough to know that Haiku was keeping quiet about it for a reason. If there was no need for concern, he didn't want to cause unnecessary worry among the dogs.

As Hardy nodded, Haiku turned and trotted off, following Nero's scent into the trees. He continued this way for several minutes before he noticed something that set his hackles bristling. He had noticed another scent, canine, and best he could tell it was very near Nero. He took off at a run.

Syra was curious about Nero's human, but he didn't seem inclined to share anymore... He seemed so unhappy about his human. Syra couldn't understand that. Her people had been nothing but kind to her, praising her when she did good, and only chiding her lightly when she did something chide-worthy. However, she understood his actions enough to leave the subject alone.

"I came from a sheep farm." the thought of the sheep lifted the corner of her lips. Working with the sheep had been the highlight of her days. It had always felt so wonderful to run and stretch her legs, and to help the humans that treated her so well by doing as they asked. It had been as if she was earning her keep. Although, she supposed, she really had. The farm's sheep were what kept the food on the table and in the dog dish.

Syra glanced at Nero out of the corner of her eye. What would he have thought of her life on the farm? If he disliked humans, would he have thought her foolish to work for them as she did? However, his next question made her smile wider, and her excitement grew. "Of course!" Even if she'd been tame her entire life, why would she not be able to survive outside the fence? "Besides..." she continued, as she picked up her pace, matching Nero's trot easily. Her long slender legs were made for outrunning sheep, so keeping up with the shepherd's gentle trot was a simple matter. "Nothing could catch me!" she finished as she picked up the pace, easing into a gentle run. The wind she created blew her long black fur behind her, and she looked back at Nero challengingly, urging him to race her.

[Charisma.]

{so sorry I didn't see this at first...
I'll post for Layla after a little bit... is that alright? ^^ }

[.Nero.]

Nero really wasn't in any mood to travel back to the past in his mind and explain what happened there, so he let it go, and instead, turned his attention to Syra once again. She took care of sheep? Those white, woolly, mindless creatures? His gaze flicked to her, as she explained. She was a sheepdog after all, so he shouldn't have even found that to be such a surprise. "Are your humans kind to you?" Nero glanced at her, wondering how she could deal with their demands and needs.

As she took off, ahead of him, Nero shot his head up, leaping forward with his two front legs. "Hey!" He barked, in a bit of a challenging manner. Picking up his pace he matched hers quickly, and as she took off running, and looked back at him, he took it as a sort of challenge as well. Leaping forward again, this time he sprung up at a run, reaching her quickly, his legs thudding with each quick step, and hit to the ground. His muscles flexed with every move, and his jaws opened slightly, as he breathed the crisp night air, one steady, short breath at a time. "I think its more like, you can't catch me!" He grinned largely, deciding to take in the moment, and spring forward, taking off at a quick sprint, barreling ahead of her and glancing over his shoulder.

Before the dog could say anything more to her, his ears perked forward, and his jaws locked. Slowing down, he nearly skidded, and fell into Syra, before he dug his claws into the dirt. Something was wrong, and the air seemed to stir uneasily. "Oh no." He murmured lightly. His eyes seemed to grow wide with anxiousness, as he shot a glance at her. "Oh... no." He said the phrase again, this time slower. "You need to get out of here, kid." He said to Syra, quickly, his voice trying to stay calm, but showing little hints of anxiousness. He could smell a very familiar scent coming straight for them, and the last thing he wanted was for Syra to be chased off a bloody mess. The she dog hadn't done anything, besides startle Nero when they had met, but other then that, she didn't quite deserve to be mauled and snarled at, and he knew that the leader coming their way would be very upset and furious.

"Syra, you need to take off, get away from here and stay hidden." He told her, stepping aside to nudge her towards a trail of shrubs. "There should be a river or creek around here from what I've heard- right?" He asked her frantically. "Go. Run, and cut straight through the creek okay?" He told her as he nudged her again, this time at a stronger force. "Hurry." He said as he stepped back, turning to look at her. "Go!" He said one last time before he turned to face what was coming his way.

[t i r e d.]

{It's fine c: And of course ^-^}




Haiku's sensitive nose made his dash towards the dogs a quick one. He continued dodging trees and bushes until he reached a clearing, and the two dogs were dead ahead of him. He had burst through the trees, his hackles raised and a growl starting deep in his throat. He didn't stop completely, just slowed his pace to a threatening walk, his head low and tail raised. He looked every bit like one of his wolf ancestors.

He took in the sight in front of him. There stood Nero, turning to face him after nudging aside a pure black dog, who was seemingly about to turn and run. "Stop." his voice dripped with hostility, and he never stopped his advance. "Nero." He turned his dark eyes on the shepherd. "What do you think you're doing?" his voice was hard as stone. Turning his harsh gaze back on the sheepdog, who stood frozen with one paw raised, he took in the sight of her collar, barely visible underneath her long fur. "And who is this?" Just in case anybody had any doubts, Haiku showed how he felt about the strange dog by baring his canines. He finally came to a stop a few feet away from the pair and raised his head, looking down his snarling snout at Nero.

Syra cast her mind back to the previous day. Hannah's mother had been out in the fields with her, and the morning dew was still soaking the ground as the two worked the sheep. The sheep stayed in the barn overnight so that predators couldn't get at them, so every morning Syra had to guide the bleating creatures from the barn to the pasture some hundred feet away. It took longer than one would think, especially when the lambs hadn't grown yet. This morning it had taken ages to guide a particularly stubborn black lamb into the gate. But once they had finished the job... Syra's eyes lit up at the memory of the bone she had been given. Yes. Yes, my humans treat me very well. She didn't answer Nero out loud, but there was no doubt in her mind that her people would do anything for her comfort.

Syra let her black body stretch out as she gained back up on the shepherd. Just as her nose reached his flank, Nero slowed dramatically. Jerking her head around to see what was wrong, the sheep dog slowed less quickly, trotting a few paces until she stopped several feet away. Her furry head cocked to the side, confusion in her eyes. "Nero?" His anxiousness began to rub off on her, and she felt her energy levels rise.

She didn't move from where she stood, staring instead at the other dog, trying to figure out what had caused this sudden change in him. And then she smelled him. There was another dog nearby, and if she had to guess, she'd say this was what Nero was so worked up about. She whipped her head around as Nero began nudging her, straining her eyes to try and make out a shape. Are they close? As she was pushed away once more, Syra got another look at Nero's face. His look made his decision for her. She turned and raised her paw to bound away, but a chilling voice stopped her in her tracks.

[t i r e d.]

{charisma, i just realized. we were in a roleplay together like, forever ago. with pix and TNZ and everyone. it was about sled dogs cx}

[Charisma.]

[.Nero.]

Nero froze in place before turning his head slightly, his muzzle shifting up slightly. His gaze slowly found its way towards the hostile male in front of him. Haiku had found them faster then he had expected- or rather arrived faster then he had expected. Cursing lowly under his breath he let out a huff before turning his gaze towards him, preparing for what was to come, as well as preparing what he might be able to say to him. His jaw slightly clenched as he felt the air between him and Syra shift. "What am I doing?" He started, sounding a bit off. "Oh what am I doing?" He stated again. "I wasn't doing anything." He added with a bit more sturdiness in his voice. All the while he was trying not to look toward Syra as that might have set Haiku off even more.

Nero's mind raced to find a believable reason as to why he was with this dog, knowing Haiku hated it. "She was lost." He blurted out suddenly, before cursing himself in his head for saying such a thing. "I was just on my walk, like I said, and then ran into her." He added hoping to add to this particular story. "Its not like I planned for this to happen, or any of us for that matter." He added, feeling his wits returning to him. "Come on now Haiku, no need to get angry, lets just all be on our way." He sighed, with a flicker of his eyes, his snout curling slightly upward.

[.Layla.]

It seemed some time had passed before the slender golden retriever cross was woken by a particular chilly breeze. Her nose twitched as she squeezed her eyes tighter before opening them slowly, and blinking. She was alone. Haiku and Nero had gone. For a split second, she felt alone, by herself, but soon after she felt as if something could be very wrong. Something had stirred. Her eyes opened wider as she glanced around herself, cautiously. Haiku wasn't exactly one to just disappear without coming back shortly. Nero, she could understand because he was always out and about.

Slowly, she stood, her eyes darting cautiously around the area. Lowering her nose closer to the ground, she tried desperately to find a scent that could lead her to them. After a short bit of searching, she caught on to something, and slowly but surely made her way across the grass. She quickened her pace once the scents grew a bit stronger, occasionally lifting her head to check her surroundings. She hadn't found their bodies yet, but she was getting closer. not quite able to locate them right off the bat, she straightened herself, sensing they were very near by. Without any hesitation she quickly let out a few sharp barks, her ears pressing back against her head to try to hear any responses. She could hear snarling in the distance, which sounded closer to being Haiku's snarl rather than Nero's. It must have been Haiku...

{{I really do apologize for the very long delay once again.}}

[t i r e d.]

{it's okay, of course c:}


Haiku leaned towards the other dogs. "It seems that you're doing more than nothing." the brute growled, his eyes betraying his irritation. "And for what reason did you stay with this... pet?" Haiku could smell the tame scents of the black dog even from where he stood, her pelt was thick with the odours of humans and sheep. Her glossy, smooth pelt didn't help the grey dog's opinion of her either- any dog that could afford to look that nice had never had to hunt for her own meal. "Why didn't you tell her to continue on without you?" He wasn't about to just let Nero walk away without taking responsibility for his actions. The other male knew how he felt; it was hard enough taking responsibility for the others already, another dog would just be an inconvenience. Besides, there was no guarantee that a pet such as the female in front of him wouldn't have her humans scouring the woods for her as soon as the sun rose.

Even as focused as he was, Haiku didn't miss the barks that rang out in the woods behind him. His pointed ears tilted back for a moment, trying to recognize the pitch. Was that Layla? A quick flood of concern washed through him, washing away a bit of his anger. He raised his muzzle to the sky for a moment, letting out a single questioning bark of his own. If the pack was in danger, more of them would be calling for him. Hopefully, she was just searching for him. Even so, his weight had shifted towards the woods so that he could depart at a single bark's notice.

Syra's slender frame shifted uncomfortably as the grey dog's bark rose into the night air. His attention now turned away from herself and Nero, at least for now, she was still uncertain of what she should do. This was what she had been dreaming of- not two feet from her side was Nero, the wild dog she had always hoped herself to be someday. This other dog though, he seemed less like a dog and more like a wild wolf, straight from the storybooks Hannah had used to read to her.

"Nero." her whisper was tight, her tone betraying her fear. "Should I leave?" If he said yes, she would leave... but she didn't want to do so alone. She wanted to continue on with Nero, run through the fields with him, maybe catch a rabbit? Maybe he could show her what it was like to live in the woods? But this beast in front of them had to be someone important, her had a commanding sort of aura around him, and from his snarling it was clear he was used to being obeyed.