((Hey there guys! First and foremost, I have to apologize for my long and unexpected absence… It is a whole calamity of errors that have simply screwed everything up and I've had the most horrible time sorting everything out and getting back into writing. Work schedule changed and I got new responsibilities, joined a gym, got sick, hubby got sick, friend left his girlfriend and had to move out on short notice (into our house…) dad's birthday / mother's day / anniversary of mom's death (yeah, that one sucks), more coworkers quitting and not being replaced in my department (we've worked together for 6 years *sniff*) and last but not least, 2 conventions including comic con... This is quite literally the first thing I've written in months, and I hope it isn't too bad…))Ahote
Male | 46 | Fighter
>>>–––———<•>———–––<<<
Ahote's exhausted form quickly fell into a deep and all-consuming sleep. The most basic of needs fulfilled, and his stomach full of fresh food, his body pushed away everything else and tugged him away into healing unconsciousness. His breaths slowed, coming in slow and shallow so that his chest barely rose at all, and he lay deathly still. No dreams disturbed the silence in his mind, nor was the outside world able to reach him where he now lay. For Ahote, there was nothing more than a timeless black void that lay heavily over him like a thick blanket of fresh snow.
Wrapped as he was in his cocoon of oblivion, Ahote was completely unaware of Resin's thoughts and listless slumber beside him, as well as her eventual departure. His form sunk limply into the depression she had left behind, and the only sign of life from him was a soft whuff of air that escaped his lips as he settled into it. Now laying flat on his side with his burns laying naked to the sky, Ahote's body slowly became polarized: the cold snow melted beneath him and soaked his fur, while his exposed skin roasted in the sun. It was an odd sensation, and one his body found nearly impossible to cope with. Any creature that was able to move, would have done so a long time ago, and sought either shade or sun to equalize their temperature. Thus, his mind slowly began to quicken, his brain nattering away at his deep sleep, presenting him with images from his past in an attempt to rouse him.
Ahote had no recollection of the beginning of the dream, in his mind it had always been there, filling the darkness but unnoticed, as though his attention had been elsewhere. It was a strange feeling, to know that he dreamed and yet be unable to wake or move, nor change the dream in any way. No matter how he tried to rationalize it, or push himself away into either deeper sleep or wakefulness, it was there all the same: the distinct sound of rushing water, flowing quickly and with purpose somewhere nearby. He was far too tired and groggy though, to really pay attention to it, and for awhile, he simply tried to ignore the sound. Its insistence slowly wore on him though, and began to tug on his lazy consciousness. "Stupid water…" he thought, and as though his acknowledgment suddenly gave the stuff form, he found himself laying flat on his side in a very wet, and very cold stream.
The water raged and rushed past Ahote as though he were a stone in a rushing river, like the one they had taken such pains to cross and escape the gnashing teeth of the infected ones. Yet, no matter how it battered him, tugging at his ear and rushing past his nose, he was held fast. The sensation was quite annoying, but oddly brought with it no fear of drowning, and he let in a deep sigh, resigning himself to put up with the irritation and fall back into a deeper sleep. Curiously, that breath brought with it not the crisp smell of ice he had expected, but rather the strange wavering sensation of super-heated air. Not smoke, nor the acrid stench of pitch that followed, but the heavy press of pure heat, as one would imagine the scent of the sun.
This oddity was enough to finally coax Ahote's dream self into opening his eyes. However, the sight that met him was nothing short of utter chaos. His left side it seemed was still submerged and his vision on that side swam and danced in time with the current. His right side was met with a near blinding brightness, that slowly began to settle out into a writhing mass of orange and yellow flame with tiny white-hot tongues licking at it's surface.
The dream brought him no fear, not even a hint of the terror that had befallen Ahote and caused the burns that crossed his flank and hip. Instead, he stared up at it in fascination, watching its tumultuous mass, turning and heaving in on itself only to boil up again. It was as if he were trapped between two world, both vying to take over the other half of his body. For the moment at least, they both seemed to be at a complete stalemate, and he was unable to sink into the water, nor were the flames able to consume him. The outlandish nature of this world of opposing elements eventually caused his mind to revolt, and the dream destabilized. Liquid and plasma drew closer to one another until they suddenly collapsed into a blinding white light. Then just as soon as it had come, the brightness raced away, diminishing into a tiny white point...Ahote awoke with a gasp, his eyes flying open only to be blinded by the midday sun. Shivering and panting, he clamped them closed again and struggled to his feet. The dream had left him confused and lost, his traumatized body urging, begging him to move at all cost and he was oblivious to everything else. Had Resin been there, he may well have tripped over her as he blindly thrashed his way out from under the tree. Crashing into the rock wall, he growled, and seemed surprised at the sound before finally managing to pull himself out into the full sun. There he stood for a long time, shaking as he sucked in air. It wasn't until the tremors that wracked his limbs subsided that he opened his eyes.
As his vision settled and slowly cleared, the sight that met Ahote made no sense. There were two great furry limbs before him, impossibly long before they disappeared into holes in the snow, only the barest impression of knuckles and wide, club-like paws, were visible in the darkness around them. He had no idea where he was, or what he was doing there, nor, at that moment, could he even be certain that the appendages before him were his. Slowly, he drew in a deep, steading breath and lifted his head, leaving behind the tree-like vision for that of a dark shade cast against the white snow.
This too Ahote stared at for a long moment, taking in the shape of four legs that spread away from him, grossly elongated by the retreating sun. A ways off, they merged together into a blockish shape, punctuated by a protrusion at either end. Curious, he was studying the shape, when suddenly two tiny shapes flicked into view atop it and he startled back. Terrible pain shot through him and he crumpled to the ground, landing hard on his backside, and in that instant everything came back to him. The fire and the terror, the days of running and fear. And Resin. The last at least brought Ahote some comfort, and determined not to let her find him a sorry lump in the snow, he gritted his teeth and clawed his way back up to his feet.
Back on his feet once again, Ahote craned his neck and stretched his back as best he could before gingerly turning to lick the wet from his fur. It would have been easier to shake out his pelt, but the way the blistered skin pulled at his every move, he thought that sounded like a profoundly bad idea. In this way, he busied himself for awhile, wondering where Resin had gone and resisting the temptation to go looking for her. Not that he was really worried about her, he knew better than most that she could take care of herself. It was just... So dammed quiet out here! The trees ate up the sound, even as the cliff-face tried to throw it back. Even the wind was still and muffled, and his ears strained to hear it whisper, longing to hear it howl just for the sake of hearing something.
Finally, having exhausted what little he could to do to distract himself from the solitude that surrounded him, the gregarious wolf could take it no longer and Ahote limped away from their makeshift den. As he passed beneath the trees, looking for the clearing where the pack should be, he made a concerted effort to place all four paws firmly on the ground. The movement pulled painfully on his sore skin, but he knew well enough if he didn't move the scars would tighten around him and he would never walk normally again.
After a few moments, and more than a few growls of frustration, Ahote pressed out of the trees and out into the clearing. Only to find the it empty. His heart sank in disappointment, on then remembering that the pack had most likely moved closer to the kill to eat, and his forward progress stalled while he tried to decide what to do. There was a great swath of paw prints leading off to the west, and it would be no trouble at all to follow them, but at the same time, he was already exhausted from the small distance he had come.
In the end, Ahote simply couldn't stand the thought of knowing his pack was close and not going to them. Thus, he picked up his resolve and hobbled on. Luckily enough, the trip was not long and he was able to pick his way through the thick screen of underbrush without it scraping his raw skin too badly. The smell of food and, better yet, the scent of his pack brought a smile to his face, and he subconsciously picked up his pace a little. Though it pained him, Ahote barely felt the added strain and soon passed under the last of the tangled bows and out into the sun of the clearing.
The sight that met him could not have pleased Ahote more, and letting a little bark of happiness escape him, he hurried as best he could into the pack. Nearly everyone had finished eating, and that suited him just fine, as it meant more talking and less chewing. Curiously though, it seemed as though a group had moved off back into the forest, and there were more rising to follow, but a few caught sight of him and came to greet the injured fighter. Unlike the now disfigured Keeper, Ahote had no such fears about showing his own injuries, he merely wanted to be close to them, and didn't even consider what they might think of him. All were greeted with a happy smile and a lick on the cheek, and the barest wag of a tail. To do more caused more of a strain on his backside than he could bear, but all of it mattered not: he was home.
Making his way into the thickest part of them, Ahote found a place where a few pups had stayed behind, and happily collapsed into the middle of them. There he pressed his burns into the welcoming snow and rolled on his back with a contented sigh. For the moment, the pain was but a shadow in the back of his mind, and all he wanted was to talk and feel the closeness of the young ones.
Nuzzling one of the pups who crawled up next to him, Ahote looked down at the trail-worn youngster,
"So, where has everyone gone off to now?" he asked, smiling when she rolled over onto her back to peer up at him from upturned eyes.
"S'went with Lani to talk ta the Keeper," she replied playfully, pawing at his muzzle.
Ahote nipped at her paws, nibbling at the pads until she giggled. What could they all be talking about? It was strange, to say the least. He was sure if Attican had anything important to say, he would have announced it to the pack. So why seek him out? Was there some trouble? Or worse yet, some discontent they felt needed to be voiced as a group? At least Lani was with them. He knew she cared deeply for the Keeper, and at the very least he would have her by his side.
The curiosity was practically killing him, but Ahote could quite simply go no further without resting, and for now, he resigned himself to basking in the attention of the pups.
Lani
Female | 57 | Hunter
>>>–––———<•>———–––<<<
Lani, bless her guileless heart, had not a clue of the inner turmoil that faced poor Attican. She wasn't without empathy, and knew that his injuries must hurt him, but the emotional torment he suffered and the wounds to his pride were completely beyond her. The ample little hunter could scarcely ever see beyond her own wants and feelings under the best of circumstances, and now in her exuberant reunion, she simply assumed that everything would be just as it always was. Thus she sat happily in the snow next to him as he spoke with Xani and Hrafn, proud as a partridge at having been the one to 'discover' him.
After a few words passed between them, Attican seemed ready to move on, and Lani hopped up to her feet to walk with him back to the kill. She had already had her fill, but would be more than happy to keep him company while he ate. Perhaps she might give him that bath finally when he was done? The thought brought a warm, introspective smile to the fea, and she was blessedly silent for the few moments it took to approach the carcass.
Stopping in front of the wall of meat, Lani stooped to lap up some of the blood-covered snow, enjoying the wolfish ice-treat until Attican's words brought her attentions back to him,
"Oh, wow. That's... that's a little strong. Stomach's not quite used to that much anymore huh?"In response, Lani nodded sharply, quite proud of herself and her role in taking the animal down.
"Yup, that's right. Not every day we get to eat like the royalty we are," she chirped back, grinning.
At that point, it seemed as though Attican was ready to get down to business, and Lani situated herself to be close by, taking the time to rub some of the blood from her face and lick the frozen blood and ice from beneath her toes. What unfolded next, she couldn't exactly say, but the next thing she knew the Keeper had turned and bolted from the kill, rushing past a very startled looking youngster.
"Attican! Wait!" she called after him, leaping up to her feet.
"Where are you going?" she added in a small voice, stopping after only a few steps when it became apparent that her words had fallen on deaf ears.
Confused and heartsore for him, as he was obviously in some sort of distress, Lani rounded on the younger female.
"You! What did you do?!" she said, her attempted growl coming out more like a mixed up whine.
The younger fea startled in surprise, and looked back at the others who had followed her for some sort of protection from the crazy old wolf, but unsurprisingly found none.
"Nothing! I-I mean, I just asked him how he was, and he dropped his meat and ran," she said, eyeing Lani warily.
"Said something about getting out of sight or something..." she finished, hoping that it would be enough to satisfy the elder.
Lani grumped, sitting back on her haunches and mumbling something about sky-headed pups. What could have happened in those few moments to cause all of this, she wondered? Confused and uncertain what to do, Lani's little round ears pressed down against the back of her head and she looked down at her paws. Around her, she could hear the others talking, yammering about the Keeper's injuries. Was he really missing an eye? How could that have happened? Was he going to live? Why did he keep running away? Did the two-leggers steal part of his soul? Was he going to turn into one of them?
All of it was ridiculous of course, and had it been anyone other than Attican, Lani would have been right there with them in the thick of the rumor mill. If there was one thing Lani knew besides hunting, it was gossip, and this was going to be the juiciest topic for weeks, especially if Attican kept running away from it. There was nothing that gave speculation power like evasion.
Letting out a snort, Lani got to her feet, ready to find herself a nice place to take a nap, when a sudden idea hit her. Maybe Attican couldn't eat? Did it hurt too much to chew? That all made sense, and the chitter chatter of the normal preening-club hens gave her a sudden idea. They were all curious about him, and she had no doubt they all wanted to see his scars, so why not put them to use?
Turning back around, Lani walked herself right into the middle little circle, drawing more than a few rolled eyes and here-she-comes-again looks.
"Hey you feather-brained pups! That poor keeper has never done anything to any of you besides guide you and tell you pretty stories, and you're going to sit there and gossip while he goes hungry." she said, glaring at each in turn until they looked away.
"Why don't you make yourselves useful? Everyone grab a mouthful of meat and make it soft, like you would for a pup. Then take it to him and tell him how much you've missed him. she finished with a nod, affirmative as though they had all unanimously agreed to her plan even though none said a word.
With that, Lani turned on her heel and walked off, looking for others she could wrangle into coming with her. She nosed sleeping hunters awake, and shamed even the most stoic fighters into getting to their paws to help. Even sleepy Vali, who had spent the night watching was driven into the cause. Lani had lead many hunts in her time, and was more than persistent enough in her nagging to ensure they would do her bidding.
Wolf
Male | 20 | Straggler
>>>–––———<•>———–––<<<
Looking over the golden fea in front of him, Wolf couldn't really help admiring her features. Each and ever one of the creatures that followed Resinalpha were unique, and just as each had their own name, so each had their own face and shape. This one was golden, like the sky at dawn, her light colored eyes were bright and clear like tiny fair clouds passing over her sunrise. Soft amber-tipped ears swiveled this way and that on top of her head as she thought, betraying the inner workings of her mind. Wolf couldn't help but wonder if he did the same thing when he thought. Did his own ears stand at attention when he thought? Did they strain to listen to his own words when he spoke to himself?
This train of thought quickly brought on another realization, and one that Wolf had not taken the time to consider until just then: he really had only the slightest idea of what he looked like. Even in spring, there was not much standing water, and in the forest there was no ice polished by ocean waves in which he could gaze at himself. He was suddenly curious as to what color his eyes were. Xani and Resinalpha both had eyes of a golden color. Was that what made them so strong?
Suddenly Wolf realized that she was talking to him, and he realized he had missed most of what she had said, only coming back to himself as she was saying something about where she came from. Feeling like an idiot for getting lost in his own thoughts when there was finally someone else to talk to, Wolf chastised himself inwardly and smiled a bit sheepishly, nodding in an attempt to get her to continue and hoping that she wouldn't notice that he hadn't heard her.
By some small miracle, it seemed to work, and the golden fea continued, asking him a question.
"Hey, by the way if you don't mind me asking - is your name actually 'Wolf?'"The question in itself was confusing, and he tilted his head to the left, looking at her for a moment as though she had spoken to him in some other language. Wolf had only the the barest idea of what a name really was, and he wasn't sure why she should ask him. After all, everything had names. The needled trees were named pines, the small furry animals the scurried into the grass were called mice. The bigger ones were rabbits, and the tall ones with the antlers were reindeer. Therefore, he had just assumed he name must be wolf, as for some reason his mind told him that was his name.
However, looking at her, and thinking about Xani and Resinalpha, he began to doubt himself.
Was it really his name? Or was that just a figment of his imagination? And if he was wolf, what were they? They couldn't all be different creatures, could they?
Catching himself falling back into the trap of introspection, and realizing that she is expecting an answer, Wolf shakes himself from his thoughts and shrugs.
"Well, so far as I know anyway… What about you? What's your name?" he asked, trying to deflect the conversation into something else. Hopefully something that he would have the answer to.
Before more could be said though, some amount of commotion behind them caught his attention, and he looked up to see the loud white one coming towards them. Flinching inwardly, he braced himself for whatever sort of onslaught she might throw. However, instead of the yapping he was used to, she looked at them both seriously and set down the mouthful of food she had to speak.
"Pilot, and whoever you are, I know the two of you haven't been in the pack long, but I'd appreciate it if you'd go visit the Keeper with us. Don't stay long, and bring him a little gift if you'd like. Just be sure to say something nice…" she said, trailing off as she became distracted by the others around her. Quickly she picked up her meat and motioned for a young fea and a tired looking hunter to follow, and set off at a sharp pace towards the trees.
Now, even more confused than before, Wolf looked back to Pilot with his ears tilted at an uncertain angle.
"Uh… What do you think? Should we go?" he asked, clearly looking to Pilot for guidance. He wasn't sure who or what a Keeper was, and what, exactly, he was supposed to do, but if it meant fitting in, he was eager to please.
Lani
Female | 57 | Hunter
>>>–––———<•>———–––<<<
Leaving the two newcomers to sort things out for themselves, Lani quickly picked up her gift and urged the others to follow. It had taken some time, but she had finally managed to get most of them up and moving and wasn't about to loose that momentum trying to talk sense into half-witted stragglers.
Chewing as she walked, Lani easily followed the trail left by Attican's big paws, soon catching sight of his haggard form resting agains the trunk of a large tree. Resin was with him, and for once she was glad to see her Alpha, as it meant he hadn't been alone and this would be easier.
Walking up to him smartly, she placed the softened food in front of him and gave him a gentle lick on the top of the head, keeping clear of his injured face.
"There you are! You had us all worried sick," she said, he voice holding no scolding, simply warmth and endearment.
"You make sure you get some rest and heal up, ok Keeper? I still owe you a bath, and expect it to be repaid as soon as you're ready," she finished, and pressed her head into his shoulder for a short moment before turning to walk away.
On her way out, Lani passed the same young fea that had startled Attican at the kill earlier, and she gave her a nudge with her nose, urging her forward before disappearing back out through the trees. Looking a bit frightened, or at the very least unsure of herself, she too walked forward and lay down a bit of meat for him.
"S-Sorry for startling you Keeper… We've all missed you… she stammered, looking at him with pleading eyes before looking away.
Come back soon, okay? she finished, and she too walked away.
Behind her was the stalwart Vali, holding a tender piece of liver clasped between his wide jaws. One of his favorite parts, he gently laid it down in front of Attican and stood up, meeting the Keepers eyes for a long moment before nodding sharply then turning to leave.
In this way, many of the pack members came through to see Attican, each one leaving a small gift and a few kind words. All of them missed him, and more than a few pups asked him when they would hear another one of his stories before being shooed away by their parents. Standing just outside the screen of trees, Lani watched as they all came and went, making sure that each one took their turn and no one rushed in to surround him. After all, it was the least she could do. Soon enough she would go back to him, to curl by his side if he would have her. In the end, that was all she ever really wanted. Love him as she might, she knew they could never replace their lost mates, and all she wanted was companionship for her final years.
