User Name:
KayleeBanana
Kennel Number:
289
Use:
I actually saw this character up for adoption a while back and have regretted not trying for her ever since. Her coat patterning is absolutely gorgeous. I simply adore the color pink and Radiance captures the color in the best possible way. She's distinctly feminine, but fierce despite that. If I had the good fortune to adopt her, she would receive her own post on my character thread and be much loved. I'd most certainly order art of her from the artists on CS, but she'd also be the center of many pieces of my own art. I have a drawer reserved solely for my hundreds of doodles that I make and I may even be able to work her into a piece for art class.
Name:
Radiance
Meaing: Brightness or light.
Synonyms: resplendence, splendor, brilliance.
Gender:
Female
Species:
Northern Rocky Mountain Wolf
Age:
Two
Weight:
100 pounds
Personality:
Radiance guards her true feelings jealously. She holds herself with pride and dignity and does her best to appear strong, immovable, unearthly. Behind her facade of strength, however, she hides doubt and insecurity about who she really is. Often times, Radiance will make things more difficult on herself in order to prove that she's able to hold her own. Only those whom she trusts without exception are able to slip past her carefully-crafted armor and see the true wolf hiding within.
History/Background:
Radiance opened her eyes to a harsh, blinding light. Her skull throbbed with a pounding like the hooves of deer in flight; her vision was blurry and unstable. "What's happening?", she thought, blinking to clear her eyes. She was laying crumpled in a wooded clearing, amongst towering pine trees and ferns. The sun streamed through the tree's boughs and reflected off the light dusting of snow that lay on the ground, producing the bright light that had blinded her before. A crisp chill permeated her coat.
Fighting nausea, Radiance fought to stand. The snow beneath her was churned and stained red with drops of blood. The pounding in her head doubled in intensity as she stood. She staggered and gripped the ground with her claws, hoping that the world would stop spinning soon. Once the pounding dimmed to a dull throb, Radiance surveyed her situation. Her coat was matted with burrs and twigs. The pads of her paws were torn and bloodied, suggesting a long journey over harsh terrain. A trickle of blood seeped into her left eye; her head was bleeding. Every portion of her body ached, from the tips of her ragged claws to the marrow of her bones. Radiance shuddered with exhaustion and resolved to find a warm place to sleep.
Though every step pained her, the wolf began her trek out of the clearing. Instinct told her that the scent of blood would draw predators to the site like a magnet, and the best thing she could do was distance herself from it. Radiance walked slowly through the woods, pausing every so often to scent the breeze for anyone following her. Eventually, she stumbled upon a creek, frozen by the frigid temperatures. Fortunately, the ice was thin and she was able to break it with solely her weight. She drank deeply, grateful that the water soothed her dry tongue.
Radiance continued her journey until the sun ducked behind the treetops. Darkness began to fall in the forest. Satisfied that she had put enough distance between her and the blood-stained clearing, she dug herself a shallow hollow between the roots of a tree, covered her nose with her tail, and slept.
~~~
The next morning, Radiance was startled awake by the crunch of snow beneath paws. Her turquoise eyes snapped open and her entire body prepared to leap into action. Between the roots of the next tree, a small white rabbit froze. It had not yet noticed her, but it was only a moment before it did. Radiance's stomach rumbled at the thought of tearing into fresh meat. With a roar, she jumped from her hollow and ran for the rabbit, jaws gaping. The terrified hare froze for a moment, eyes wide, then bolted, its wide paws sending up clods of snow as it bounded away. Radiance raced after it in hot pursuit.
The rabbit led Radiance on a wild chase. Her breath came in rapid pants, her muscles ached with exertion. But Radiance knew she could not afford to loose this prey; she would be too weak to catch anything else. As the desperate rabbit steered towards a hole nestled in the side of a snow-covered hill, she pounced, sending the rabbit skidding off to the side. It tired to correct its path, but it was too late. Radiance snapped up the rabbit by its neck and bit down with a decisively. She carried the limp form away from the hole, laid the carcass on the ground, and hungrily dug in.
After eating her fill, Radiance licked her chops and sat, wondering what she was going to do now. Her memories of what had happened before she awoke in the clearing were frustratingly dim. Only a few solid images remained: a kind hand that petted her back with quiet assurance, a collection of buildings squatting in the snow, and a sable-pelted wolf with wings like a bat. The memory of the other wolf filled her heart with unusual warmth. After struggling to recall anything else, Radiance concluded that the best way to reconstruct her patchy memory was to locate the dragon wolf.
Radiance struggled to her paws and padded off into the forest, determined to seek out her goal. Using the sun, she oriented herself to the east and began her journey. As she wandered through the forest, she encountered all types of wildlife. She relied on the occasional rabbit, vole, and small bird to sate her ravenous appetite. Once, she startled an elk foraging for food. She eyed it hungrily, but knew better than to try and take it down alone. She also spotted the dim outline of a bear in the distance, and steered well clear of it.
Over time, her wounds healed, though her fur still remained in disarray. Her stomach no longer pinched tight with hunger and her vision never wavered. Her muscles stretched long and lean beneath her coat, a testament to her strength and speed. However, her memories failed to return along with her vitality, a fact that frustrated Radiance immensely. Without knowing who she was or where she came from, she was severely handicapped. Thus, she was forced to random aimlessly until she found a clue as to her destination.
On her seventh day of travel, Radiance spotted a snow covered hut in the distance. It was nestled snuggly in the foothills of the mountains on which she traveled, the smoke curling from its chimney just a smudge in the distance. Radiance marched towards it with renewed vigor. "Perhaps I'll find a clue to my identity here", she thought to herself. At the edge of the tree line, Radiance hesitated. She could smell other dogs in the area and the trees at the edge of the forest had been marked. But her eagerness overrode her caution; she bounded through the snow to the house's side. Up close, she could now see that the hut had been crudely crafted from stacks of tree trunks, stripped of their branches and laid horizontally, one on top of the other. The gaps between the trunks had been filled with a mixture of mud and grasses, which had hardened into a solid mass. The chimney was made from river stones.
Scattered around the perimeter of the building were the tools of the occupant's trade. Coils of rope and wire sat half-buried in the snow next to simple wire boxes and steel bear traps. A hatchet was embedded in a stump next to a stack of firewood; showshoes hung from a hook on the wall. Empty tin tanning vats were turned upside down as so not to fill will snow. As she explored the scents of mouse around the wood pile, Radiance pricked her paw on a length of barbed wire buried beneath the snow. The wound did not hurt, but it caused her to give a sharp cry of surprise, which echoed across the foothills. She paused, afraid that someone may have heard.
On the opposite side of the house, a door burst open. Radiance bolted, leaping around the pile and running for the safety of tree cover. Paws churned the snow as five broad-chested dogs careened around the sides of the hut and gave chase. Radiance doubled her speed, but the pack surrounded her with practiced ease. She found herself facing the hard eyes of the lead dog. His teeth were bared and his coat flashed green and purple and black, like the feathers of a crow. A growl rumbled deep in his throat as he advanced on her. Radiance pinned back her ears and snarled, but retreated before him until she was pressed up against the logs that formed the north side of the house.
With quick glances to the side, Radiance surveyed the other four dogs that had trapped her. Two were females; one had a silky coat of brown and lilac, the other, orange stripes like a tiger. The other two were males. The younger of the two had a curly tail and was a powder blue. His growl was high pitched, like that of a puppy, but the scars on his shoulders told another story. The elder male was blacker than night, with eyes so deep a violet that they were almost black. He eyed her critically and Radiance had to resist the urge to tear his throat.
The dogs held her there until a human thudded around the side of the building. He was tall and broad. His face was worn and burned from the sun's reflection off the snow. His beard was black and covered his chest. He wore a thick fur coat and pants over leather boots. Radiance wrinkled her nose; his pungent odor was like the sweetness of a carcass left to rot in the sun. The human stood behind the alpha male and studied her. She growled deeply.
"Excellent work, Prisma." The man ruffled the dog's ears roughly. "She's a pretty one." The lead dog wagged his tail slightly in acknowledgement, but his gaze didn't waver. The man disappeared into the building for a moment and returned carrying a length of crude leather that had been braided into rope. His fingers deftly tied a knot in the rope, forming a noose, then stepped towards her. Radiance barred her fangs in warning, but the man didn't seem disturbed by her open show of hostility.
"Furor." The powder blue pup's ears pricked in interest. "Hold her." The small dog sprang forward and hit Radiance's side with surprising strength. Radiance's legs collapsed beneath her and she writhed in the snow, trying to regain her footing. But Furor stayed on top of her as she thrashed, pining her to the ground. Meanwhile, the man slipped in and, quick as a striking snake, slid the noose over Radiance's head. The leather tightened around her neck, cutting off her air. Furor jumped away as she pulled herself up, eyes flashing with hate. "This human dares to bind me?" Radiance raged. She launched herself at the man, but was stopped as Prisma knocked her aside like a bear does a fish.
Radiance now understood that a lack of steady meals had made her weaker than she realized. There was no chance that she could defeat one of these dogs in battle, much less all five of them. She backed away from Prisma, still growling. However, her malice had faded and her growl had taken on a note of fear. The alpha dog heard this and quirked his mouth in a half smile. "This isn't over, mutt" Radiance thought, but she quailed with uncertainty inside. "How will I get out of this?"
~~~
Evening fell and darkness consumed the foothills. Radiance shuddered and curled up in a ball to fend off the cold that was seeping into her bones. After she had given up, the man had tied her to sturdy peg set deep into the log wall, where she still remained hours later. At first, she'd struggled desperately, almost choking herself in an attempt to get free. When brute force did not break her tether, she'd started gnawing on the leather in hopes of snapping it. She'd made good progress until the man came outside to check on her, a bowl of fetid meat in his hands.
"I know it's not much, girl", he muttered as he approached. "But it's all I got." Setting the bowl down, he looked at the rope. "What's this then? Trying to get free, are we?" The man gave a harsh laugh. He whistled loudly and in a few seconds the black dog with violet eyes trotted to his side. "Keep a watch on this one, will ya Vex?" The dog's nose twitched and he sat in the snow. "Good boy." The man patted Vex on the head and went inside. Vex's luminous purple eyes flickered as he watched Radiance try to ward off the cold. She stared right back at him, waiting for his focus to flicker. But the dog held her eyes without difficulty. Radiance grudgingly felt respect for the dog; there were not many who could hold a wolf's harsh gaze.
"What's your story then?" she inquired after a long stretch of silence. Vex simply blinked in reply. "Fine," Radiance grumbled. "Suit yourself." With that, she planted her back to Vex and dozed off.
~~~
The morning light revealed that Vex had remained at her side throughout the night. The dog said nothing as Radiance rose and shook the night's snow from her fur, but he did raise his lips in warning as flakes pelted his body. Radiance ignored him and went over to explore the bowl that the man had left yesterday. The meat inside was coated with frost and as hard as a rock, but she bit into it anyways. Hunger raked at her belly with iron claws; she had to eat. Radiance nearly gagged as she tasted the rottenness that had invaded the meat, but forced herself to swallow. Better to die full fed from bad food than to starve on an empty stomach.
After snapping up the last of the meat, Radiance decided to try her luck again with Vex. "Are you always so quiet?" Vex glared. "The only thing you've done yet is snarl."
The dog frowned at her. "Do you always ask so many questions?" he snapped. His voice was harsh and edged with bitterness. "Now be quiet and leave me in peace!" Radiance felt a small thrill of victory and settled quietly in the snow.
She was watching a hawk soar on the breeze when the man left his hut. He came around back, Prisma trotting dutifully at his side, and patted Vex on the head. "Good job, boy." he praised. "Go on inside." Vex glared at Radiance one last time as he disappeared from sight. "Now for you, pretty lady." The man held up a length of leather, dyed the color of deep water. A flat tin disc dangled from one side. "I stayed up last night making you this collar. Thought the color would match your eyes." Radiance snarled as he reached forward, but one look from Prisma silenced her. His message was clear: touch him and I'll shred you.
The man buckled the collar around her neck. The leather was soft and supple, but thick enough to hold her. Then he took a length of thick rope and tied it through a metal ring at the back of the collar. He secured the rope to the peg in the wall and finally removed the leather tether. Radiance huffed gratefully; the noose had been uncomfortably tight. In response, the man patted her head. She laid back her ears in distaste, but with the watchful eye of Prisma focused on her, she dared not do more.
Prisma remained behind after the man left, Furor and the tiger-striped female in tow. Radiance watched with interest as the trio as they disappeared into the dark pines of the forest. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Prisma watching her with obvious interest, but when she looked at him, he turned away as if nothing was amiss.
Radiance pinned back her ears. "Why?" she snarled. "Why did you do this to me?" Furor and Vex and the two females may have helped to capture her, but because of his standing as alpha male, it was Prisma whom she blamed for her capture.
Prisma's lips quirked, as if he found the question amusing. "I do as my master tells me." His voice was smooth and airy. Radiance's mind buzzed with anger; it was obvious that he did not take her seriously.
"A true wolf takes orders from no one," she spit back. Prisma's eyes gleamed hard.
"A true wolf follows the orders of his alpha male," he said harshly. "A lesson you obviously will need to learn. You are part of my pack now, whether you like it or not wolf, and I will expect you to follow my orders as if you had been born here."
A growl grumbled deep in Radiance's throat, shaking her body down to the tips of her claws. "I will never bow to you," she hissed. "I'd rather die."
Prisma smiled cruelly. "We might just be able to arrange that." Radiance's heart clutched at the implied threat, but Prisma seemed to relent the statement. "The work we do is dangerous enough; don't go asking for trouble where isn't needed."
Radiance took his words as a suggestion for a new question. "What is your work, anyways?"
Prisma seemed pleased by the question. "We aid our master at his job and run his trapping route with him. We provide protection from bears, moose, anything really. We are his companions and friends and, most importantly, his allies."
~~~
Radiance's first few weeks living with the trapper and his dog pack went smoothly. She was rarely let off of her tether and when she was, it was always under the close watch of Prisma or Vex. The female dogs' names, she soon learned, were Tenga and Grace. Tenga's orange coat was ridiculously bright in the vast whiteness of the snow, but Radiance quickly discovered that her stealth in the forest was unparalleled. The striped dog could slip virtually unnoticed amongst the shadows casted by the tall pines. Grace, on the other hand, was as menacing as a flower. Her gentle ways stood out in stark contrast to the rough attitudes of Prisma and Vex, Tenga's silent strength, and even the rough-and-tumble enthusiasm of Furor. It was her calming words that soothed Radiance's anger whenever Prisma got under her skin. The black wolf was seemed to take every opportunity to rile her. Grace's kindness nearly made Radiance's imprisonment bearable. Almost.
WIP
Likes:
- snow
- wilderness
- freedom
- strength
Dislikes:
- being confined
- being underestimated
- feeling vulnerable, weak, or incapable
Greatest Fear:
Being rejected or scorned for perceived weaknesses
Theme Song:
Get Back Up by TobyMac
Silver bells
or C$60 for 
