New Lands

[HumanoidCarbonUnit]

Pasha padded along, he was deep in thought which was always a dangerous thing when you were a lone wolf. He paid little attention to his surroundings. He didn't know where he was, he hadn't known where it was in at least a year. He was alive and well, that was all he really cared about anymore. The young wolf longed for more to care about deep down but he couldn't think about that. It made his heart ache to think about all he had lost, it was better if he kept a happy heart and thought about the present or the future. The past was, well, in the past and he couldn't change it.

The dark wolf's stomach gave a rumble and brought him back to this world. He tried to recall the last time he had eaten something. It had been maybe three days ago he had found...something dead. He had filled his belly on that something. He couldn't even remember the last time he had killed something to eat. He looked about to see just what he could snack on. He saw nothing in the intimidate area and gave a wolfish shrug. He was a strong male, he could live and be happy if he didn't eat for another few days.

It was a little warmer here, not that that was saying much. Snow still covered the ground, the path which Pasha had traveled was clearly visible, not that it bothered him much. The male was large and powerful looking, that was generally enough to keep him out of fights.

It dawned on Pasha to sent the air suddenly. He wasn't sure why he hadn't earlier. While he could deter fights most the time that didn't mean it always worked and it was always better to be on the safe side than to face down an angry wolf, or worse, bear.

[timber]

ooc: Hope you don't mind me responding, i thought it would help kill time until the pack has an alpha

The female trotted through the snow with a spring in her step as she took in the landscape. She couldn’t believe how beautiful it was there, a little cold perhaps but still beautiful. She was approaching the Kyrkjak River; it appeared to be frozen solid so she didn’t hesitate to step onto the snow covered ice. The ice never even cracked under the weight of the wolfess, she was glad for that. As she neared the other side she noticed some disturbance in the otherwise untouched snow on the bank of the river. Her ears flicked forward with interest, perhaps some prey had passed through?

Upon closer inspection it was plain to see that the tracks were that of a wolf, a large wolf at that. It wasn’t prey but it was interesting. Her tail wagged slightly as she changed directions to follow the path left by Pasha. The female’s long legs and relatively light weight helped her move through the snow without exerting excess amounts of energy but stepping in the already made tracks made it even easier. Olive was a tall, slender female and although she was as tall as most males she was much more petit in build.

As she got closer the scent of a male appeared in the air. Maybe he was a member of the pack, if he wasn’t maybe he was looking to join Fjordsong like she was. A little farther ahead the form of a wolf came into view. She had been correct in her assumption that the wolf was big. The female gave a friendly bark to alert him of her presence and continued forward.

[HumanoidCarbonUnit]

OOC: Thanks for joining in ^^

There was no scent of another, at least as far as he could smell. The wind blew in such a way that it made it possible to scent only for others in the direct he was going. He knew there was no one behind him, for he had come that way. This was a very lonely place, he thought to himself, surely another would have thought to make it there home. He had been certain that he would have found another pack by now. It had been nearly a year since he had had another to keep him company. He was wearing down. Wolves were social animals meant to live in harmony with one another, all Pasha had encountered were fights, that was when he wasn't isolated.

The big wolf nearly jumped out of his skin when a friendly bark broke his thoughts and the silence. Quickly, Pasha spun about to see just who was behind him. A small she-wolf walked behind him. It had been so long since he had met another he was uncertain of what to do for a moment. If this female was looking for a fight Pasha wasn't willing to be part of it. He didn't want to scare her of though so he posed himself in a confident position. His ears perked upright, his head raised high, and his tail dropped. He hoped all he had to do was stand like that and avoid a fight. “Are you a member of the pack here?” He asked when the petite female was closer, “Because if you are I would rather avoid a fight.” He puffed himself up a little more, “I'm more than happy to turn tale if you have no room for me.” He scoffed at himself in his mind, he really was a rather worthless fellow. He always turned tail, it didn't make him a very attractive male.

[timber]

The way the brute postured himself was confidant but not aggressive. There were always risks when it came to meeting strange males but she preferred to keep those thoughts off in the distance, after all this was supposed to be friendly territory. Once she felt she was close enough she stopped moving towards him and stood in a relaxed manner. Olive’s hopes of coming across a member of the pack were lost when the male asked if she was a member. A look of dismay crossed her face for only a second before returning to a gentle smile. She sighed and shook her head “I was sort of hoping that you were a member” she explained.

She wasn’t looking for a fight, she hated fights so there was no need for him to worry but she decided she should reassure him of that “I am not looking to fight. I’m here for the same reason you are, I was looking to join but it seems this is a hard pack to track down” she explained. She was glad to have met someone who might be a future pack mate “My name is Olive by the way” she told him. Normally Olive was quiet and didn’t have much to say but she was thrilled to have come across another wolf. She wasn’t cut out for the life of a loner, what was the purpose of living if there was nobody around to enjoy it with.

[HumanoidCarbonUnit]

Pasha caught the disappointed look that flashed across the she-wolf's face. He was not surprised by what she said next.

“I was sort of hoping that you were a member”

So he was not the only loner in this area. That was good, the pack couldn't be large or particularly aggressive if loners could wander onto their territory not be ripped to shreds. The little female didn't look like she could handle a fight, so this was all well and good. The big brute was a little surprised by how at ease the white-grey female was. She didn't seem to expect any sort of fight or danger. This struck Pasha as a little odd, but perhaps females didn't have to worry about fights as much as males.

““I am not looking to fight. I’m here for the same reason you are, I was looking to join but it seems this is a hard pack to track down “

These words calmed Pasha a touch. He relaxed his body a bit, though he wanted to sit and talk with the female he resisted. Some things where good choices to make when in the company of strangers, others where not smart if you wished to come out of the meet unharmed. He nodded, this pack certainly didn't leave much trace of their activities. “There is two of us now though,” he smiled, “Two noses have a better chance of finding a pack than one. I certainly haven't seen heads or tails of anyone here. Truth be told I wasn't sure that others called this place home.”

The female introduced herself as Olive and Pasha gave a nod. He felt a little out of place with his name now. It was different to say the least. “I'm Pasha,” he said, “Or...just Pasha.” He cut himself off, he stilled attempted to introduce himself as Pashenka though it had been many months since anyone had called him that. The male was a little nervous about giving up his name so soon. It was not that he didn't trust this female, it was simply odd to have found someone who seemed to actually want his company. Or at least didn't want to kill him.

Pasha turned his head as to not look at the female now that he had nothing much to say. He pretended to have an interest in a smell to his left. He was a social creature but he lacked social skills and often found himself out of things to talk about once he said hello to another. “Have you been traveling long?' He asked after a moment uncertain if that was the sort of question he should be asking.

[timber]

Olive was sometimes too friendly for her own good. She usually assumed the best of others and it had almost gotten her in trouble with other loners a few times, still that aspect of her personality didn’t seem to change. When Pasha suggested they work together to find the pack her spirits rose a bit. It would be much easier to find the pack if they worked together and much more enjoyable as well. He mentioned that he wasn’t sure if there was a pack here or not “Well, unless I have been mislead I believe this land belongs to the Fjordsong pack” she said. The female had never intended on being a loner for long and had spent a lot of energy searching for a pack where she would fit in. This pack had sounded promising; they were supposed to be the peacekeepers of the three major packs.

His introduction was a little awkward to say the least ‘pasha or pasha?’ she thought with a slight tilt of her head. “Well Pasha it is then” she said, still smiling. There was a pause in the male’s speech as he seemed to become distracted by a scent in the snow. He seemed a little shy but that wasn’t abnormal for a lone wolf. He asked if she had been travelling long “About a year, not that long” she explained although to tell the truth it had felt like an eternity. “What about you?” she asked as she sniffed the air in hopes of catching the scent of any other wolves that may have been close but there was nothing. Finding this pack would prove to be a challenge if they didn’t even have a direction to go in. She started walking, expecting him to walk along with her. They could talk while they searched.

[HumanoidCarbonUnit]

“A bit over a year,” he replied back as he picked up his pace and followed after her scenting the air and scanning the horizon. He knew it had been a year and three months that he had been traveling, it had been a year and a month almost to the day since he had lost his brother. The counted the days and hoped to see him again, though Pasha new that it wouldn't happen. His brother was dead and that was that. The male took a big sniff of the ground and inhaled a bit too much snow. Reflexively he sneezed and shook his head. He gave a sheepish look in Olive’s direction before caring on like nothing had happened.

He tried to think of just what they could talk about. He wondered why she was packless and how she had made it a year on her own. It had been difficult for him to do, hunting hares was hard work and not very rewarding. It was easier to steal bits of kills from others, though she did not look as if she would chance that. He wonder just where she was from, though he knew it was better not to ask that. He knew he certainly didn't want a stranger prying into that sort of personal information. Instead he asked a rather silly question in an attempt to keep conversation going. “How do you feel about the winter?” he asked, regretting it the moment the words left his lips. Knowing there was nothing he could do about it now he kept talking, “I am not the biggest fan. I don't mind the snow or cold so much, but it gets old after awhile. I would much rather have the spring. Everything is happy and green then.”

[timber]

At the sound of the sneeze she looked to Pasha from the corner of her eye but only for a second. It was easy for others to underestimate Olive’s ability to fend for herself, her thin body made her appear frail but her legs were long so she had speed on her side if nothing else. She had struggled like any loner but she survived like any other as well. As far as her reasons for being a longer, she preferred not to think about them. She had not become a loner by choice, her family had grown apart and she was the one left behind in the end.

He asked how she felt about winter and she turned to look at him once more as he explained how he felt. “It’s not so bad, it’s pretty… I do agree that it gets a little drawn out though” she said thoughtfully. She had to admit the conversation was a little slow but any conversation at all was good enough for her. “If only it were spring right now… at least hunting would be a little easier” She thought about how nice it would be if it were spring at that very moment in the past few days she had eaten a rabbit and a pheasant, enough to sustain her but she certainly missed the taste of bigger game. “So Pasha what makes you want to join a pack anyway?” she asked. It was a bit of a dumb question but it would keep the chatter going. She stopped when she came to an old set of foot prints, partially covered in snow. It was hard to say for sure if they belonged to a wolf or not just by looking at them but they were the right size “Look…” she said as she stuck her nose in one of the tracks in hopes of picking up any leftover scent.

[HumanoidCarbonUnit]

Why did he want a join a pack. Pasha was momentarily stunned by the question, not because it was odd but because he had never actually thought of why. It felt like it was the natural thing to do, his life would be easier, he would have company, he wouldn't have to sleep with one eye open, and hunting would improve from dead things and rabbits to elk and deer. “You know,” he said slowly, “life would be easier hunting wise. Plus the company would be lovely. I mean, one can only be on their own for so long before it really starts to drag on you. I'm sure you know what I mean. I could have settled for a loner partner but they don't seem very open to that idea. Why are you wanting to join?” He didn't really expect a different answer than the one he had given. It was hard to think of another reason to want to join a pack.

Olive stopped at the tracks and pointed them out to Pasha. He trotted up to them as well and took a big whiff of whatever the sent was. They were old tracks, old enough so that the scent was not strong. This was a disappointment. They could have been a big wolf, though it was difficult to tell. “Shall we see where they go?” he asked trotting off a little ways. He was more than willing to take the lead, if there was someone further ahead he felt it would be best for him to meet them first.

OOC: I think we need some action. I have no idea when any of the other Fjordsongs are going to join in so how would you feel about encountering a bear of some such animal?

[timber]

Olive nodded as he explained why he wanted to join a pack. She felt the same, especially on the subject of company. She hated to be alone, it was…..lonely. Her parents had both been loners, her father was particularly fond of that lifestyle. So much so that if he’d had a choice he would have been a nonexistent part of the lives of his family but the death of Olive’s mother had given him no choice but to take in his pups. All her life she had struggled with the concept of him wanting to be alone rather than with his family but it was something she had come to accept for the most part.

Pasha then asked for her reasoning to want to become a member of a pack she shrugged “Same as you, I don’t like the idea of living alone” she said simply. She was starting to become her usual quiet self but only because she was feeling more comfortable in her new companion’s presence. He suggested that they follow the tracks; it made sense so she nodded and began to follow him. She looked down at the tracks as she walked. Compared to her feet they were quite large, the fact that they were partially covered may have even made them look smaller. She wondered if they really were wolf tracks, they almost seemed too big. The thought ate away at the back of her mind a little but perhaps she was just paranoid, there were some very large wolves out there. She scanned the horizon but didn’t see anything, just more tracks.

Ooc: Sounds good to me!

[HumanoidCarbonUnit]

Pasha noted that the female seemed to become more quiet. He hoped he was not the reason behind this. He debated about speaking again, but decided he didn't mind the quiet much so he let it be. It was nice to just have the option to speak to another and not appear to be crazy. He was curious about these tracks. All he could tell from them was that they where from a predator, he hadn't been able to tell anything from the smell, which was long dead. Wanting to know more he picked up his pace. All he could think about was how lovely it would be to see a pack that might actually let him join.

A scent grew stronger in Pasha's nose and he stopped. He knew the smell that filled his nose, he couldn't put his paw on it though. He knew it wasn't a good smell though. Not wanting to worry Olive he said nothing and started his trot once again, though with slightly more caution. The big male began to rack his brain for what that scent was.

It soon dawned on him what it was, but it was a little late as he crested a snow covered hill. Just a few yards away a large, grumpy looking brown bear. The bear had seen him as well and chuffed loudly warning the wolf it would be best if he left. “You might not want to follow me, Olive,” he said quickly not sure if she would turn before the bear saw her.

The bear was large but didn't seem to be bulky. In fact he looked as if he could use a good meal, as if he had not eaten enough to sleep all winter. Pasha debated in his mind about what he should do. It was long past the turning tail phase, the bear was mad that the wolf had gotten this close to him. Not knowing what else to do the big male held his ground. He pinned his ears, raised his hackles, arched his tail, and emitted a low, angry growl. All the while he hoped the bear would decide to leave.

[timber]

As Pasha picked up his pace Olive lagged behind a little but stayed within ear shot. She was a little lost in thought, partially due to her worry about what type of tracks they were following and partially because she was thinking about what the pack might be like if they ever found them. Her thought process was interrupted when the male stopped at the top of the hill and yelled down to her, warning her not to follow. She paused, what on earth was he talking about? Her ears twisted to the side in mild confusion until she watched the male take an on an aggressive stance as he stared at something over the hill.

The female growled to herself and pinned her ears against her skull as the musky smell of bear reached her nostrils. She dashed up the hill to Pasha’s side and laid eyes on the predator. It had obviously seen Pasha already, the female’s hair stood on end and she growled again. He had warned her not to follow but what was she to do? Leave him alone to deal with a bear? She had been abandoned before and she wouldn’t do it to someone else even if she had just met them, especially not in a situation such as this.

Her hope was that the sight of two wolves rather than one would be enough to warn off the predator but it seemed unafraid. Looking it over she could see it was thin although she wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. On one hand it would be weaker on the other it was probably starving and a wolf might make a good meal. All there was to do was wait and see if it would back off, if not the two of them were in for a fight.

[HumanoidCarbonUnit]

Pasha rolled his eyes as the she-wolf trotted to his side. Why hadn't she run, it would have been the smart thing to do. He intended to as soon as it was safe, but now he had no choice but to stand and fight. "Why didn't you run," He hissed between his teeth, sounding more peeved than he meant to. he would have apologized but there was a more pressing matter than social relations.

It had been ages since he had encountered a wolf, he and Yuri had always just stayed far away from bears. They meant trouble for young wolfs all on there own. The brute thought back into the depths of his mind, trying hard to remember what his mama had done when they stumbled upon a bear. He vaguely recalled the older members of the pack barking and chasing the animal away. That didn't seem like the safest thing to do. Even as thin as it was the bear still outweighed him, it probably outweighed him and Olive combined. Plus it had more of a reason to stand its ground than the two wolves. "You have any idea what we do now?" He asked his she-wolf companion, really hoping she did have an answer.

He never moved his eyes off the bear. He tried to recall what his mama had taught him about the beasts. He couldn't remember very much, his old pack had done a good job avoiding bears, particularly when the pups where still young. He dearly hoped Olive had a better idea than him about what to do.

[Nephele]

Nephele had watched from a distance, having come from the direction of the bear and watching curiously to see if the two would encounter it. It had seemed like the two were on an innocent trip through the woods and merely spotted the tracks when, much to her surprise, they began to follow them, and by the time they had seemed to realize their mistake had already gotten its attention. After a few moments of debate on how she could help, and a few more on whether not to the female eventually sighed in resignment and sprinted in the direction of the developing conflict.

She charged forward, fangs exposed to the cold air in a feral snarl and the shell of compacted snow that had formed on her back shattering as silver hairs bristled in response to the tensed muscles beneath her skin. Generally placid yellow eyes met the gaze of the bear with wild tenacity, gaze as intense as molten gold. As she drew near the bear made the expected reaction and made a swipe with one of its massive paws, in response the female nimbly dancing back and in reverse approaching the others, gaze still locked steadily with the bear. As she addressed them the feral snarl dropped, though her gaze maintained the challenge towards the bear with an unchanging intensity. Tilting her head in the direction of the male she inquired with genuine honesty.

What are you doing, purring like a kitten?”

She wasn’t particularly fond of dealing with bears, but who save for the insane was. In her homelands of the mountains, bears had always been their greatest competitor, so naturally they had devised tactics to deal with them. She did however have enough experience to know that was nearly a hopeless goal for three to chase one off, but she hoped that with enough aggression and a great deal of bluffing she would at least be able to keep the starving and likely desperate creature at bay. The bear suddenly rose to its feet and roared, in response the female leaning forward with legs stretched and releasing an equally feral snarl of her own, through her teeth managing to make out one phrase.

“If you plan to run you may want to consider doing it now, I’m not all that interested in finding out whether or not we can chase him away.”

[/blockquote][/blockquote]
Hope you don’t mind me joining ^^

[timber]

Olive grunted when Pasha asked why she didn’t run. As if she would just leave him to his fate to deal with the animal all alone. They were with any luck going to be pack mates, didn’t packs help protect each other? She really had no plan, she had hoped that the fact that there were now two wolves would at least be enough for the bear to stand down long enough for herself and Pasha to make their way in another, less hostile direction. Before she could respond to her partner she caught sight of Nephelen charging towards the beast at a high rate of speed, now there was no hope of avoiding conflict. She was unsure of who the other female might be, a pack member perhaps? There was no time to think about it.

The lanky female watched with interest as the other she wolf danced in and out, narrowly missing the animal’s claws. The female suggested that they run and once again Olive didn’t even consider it an option, she wouldn’t leave this other wolf alone with the animal. The bear stood on its hind legs, now she had a plan. She looked to Nephelen “Keep it distracted, I have an idea! Try and keep it on its hind legs!”” she shouted and turned to the male without wasting a second. If they could knock it's legs out from under it while it was in a standing position it would give them some time to get out of there “Pasha if we both hit it from behind it’ll fall backward and we can get out of here before it gets up” she said quickly. “I’m not heavy enough to do it on my own” she said. She hoped he would agree to the somewhat risky plan. There was always the danger that the monster of an animal would fall on them but if they were fast enough they could avoid that easily enough. It all depended on Nephelen keeping the animal’s attention.