Anxious Contemplation

[Sarise]

Sarise slipped through an alder thicket, briefly folding her ears down to keep them from being scratched by the twigs. She wove her way through the undergrowth to the clear space in the middle of the shrubs, a shady spot with a thick carpet of moss that felt good beneath her pads. The she-wolf sniffed the wind and listened, but heard no other creature stirring. It was safe enough for the moment.

She sat down to nibble a burr out of her forefoot, reflecting on her situation. Alone, in unfamiliar territory, with the tantalizing scents of game and other wolves on the breeze, but no other animal in sight, and no clear trail to follow. In the enclosure she’d shared with her pack, she had known where all the likely hunting spots were; all the game trails and feeding sites and streams were as familiar to the young wolf as her own paws. This could get uncomfortable, Sarise thought worriedly. Last night she’d been able to find a hollow beneath a fallen tree to shelter under. Today, she’d been lucky again, finding a river in the valley where she could slake her thirst. But as for food, well, luck hadn’t been with her there. And not having a reliable source of prey, or even a mental map of surroundings, was making the young wolf anxious.

The she-wolf had gone silent and still in contemplation, her coat of variegated grays and browns making her nearly invisible within the dappled shade of the thicket. Now she sensed more than heard another presence. Perhaps the hesitant step of a deer moving through the undergrowth, or perhaps the nearly-silent stride of a wolf. Sarise lifted her head cautiously, testing the breeze, her ears tilted toward that almost-unheard sound. For the moment she waited, knowing she had left a trail of scent that any other wolf could follow.


{{OOC: Whoops. I forget how sensitive the naughty-language sensor is. Changed the word to tilted.}}

[Breaker]

The sound of bird songs filled the air as the large gray wolf padded silently across the forest floor. Above his head, colorful songbirds whirled about, doing their daily business. Breaker too was doing business of his own kind. He had picked up the scent of a female gray wolf, and this wolf was alone. It was rare to find a lone wolf, as wolves are such social creatures. The idea struck him, that perhaps this wolf was looking for a pack.

Breaker had been following her trail, as silently as possible. The young Alpha of the Cedar Mountain Pack now picked up his pace as he got closer. Closer and closer to this new wolf, till he could see her plainly, only being a hundred yards away. "Hello," He simply stated, trying not to startle her.

[Sarise]

Her pursuer moved into the open, a large gray wolf - a handsome male. Sarise flicked her ears back, then forward - who was he, who stood so confidently in plain sight on her backtrail? He carried his head and tail high, like an alpha. But he was young, scarce older than she, and his intelligent face showed an open honesty she wasn't used to seeing in pack leaders. Her own father had kept his own counsel, his face a mask of authority and patent wisdom.

This wolf called a simple greeting, and Sarise stood to answer him. "Hello," the young gray wolf called back softly. She kept her body language neutral, ears held back slightly, her tail neither banner-high nor curled between her legs. He seemed kind, and he moved with the assurance of one who knew the territory. Perhaps this was just the opportunity she was seeking.

Moving closer, slowly, studying his body for the tension that might precipitate an attack, Sarise folded her ears down and let her tail wag slightly. Conciliatory gestures. "My name is Sarise," she told him, pale eyes searching his in quick little nonthreatening glances. "I'm a stranger here, sir." The honorific came out automatically. He had to be a highly-ranked wolf; noble confidence showed in every line of his bearing. "I ... I didn't mean to trespass. Humans took me from my family and released me here."

[Breaker]

Humans, thought Breaker. He remembered the days when he lived at the refuge center. Life wasn't terrible their, in fact, it was quite good. But it couldn't compare to life out here, being able to eat whenever you want, go wherever you want, and never having to deal with humans poking and prodding you with their cold, hard, tools. Looks like this new female, who was about the same age as him, had been dropped off here by the humans.

"Sarise, I'm Breaker, and I'm the Alpha of the Cedar Mountain Pack. And don't worry, you weren't trespassing. Brevard Valley is free land," Breaker looked at the healthy, attractive female, trying to get a gage of how she was faring outside of the refuge center. "I came from the refuge center too, in fact this whole pack did, but we addjusted to life in the wild," Breaker sniffed the air and was begining to look nervous, as he caught the faint scent of red wolf. Come on, lets head back to my packs territory, as those nasty red wolves rove these parts."

[Sarise]

Good - she wasn't in trouble. And better - he was the Alpha of a pack, and seemed ready to accept her. That made a great deal of Sarise's stress evaporate. She hated being alone, and if his pack were all as strong and kind as Breaker, she'd be perfectly safe.

His words, however, reminded her that there were other dangers in the world besides loneliness.

The young she-wolf looked around in alarm, her coat going sleek with anxiety. Red wolves? The way Breaker said it made them seem like something far different from her kind - a menace to be avoided. Trotting quickly to Breaker's side, she let her tail wag quickly back and forth in a friendly gesture.

"Yes, I'll be happy to go back to your territory," Sarise said, making sure to keep her head slightly lowered. Most males were tolerant of females, but it wouldn't do to make herself seem arrogant in front of the alpha male. "I haven't eaten today, so I'm fit and ready to run," she added, hoping she could impress him with her speed or stamina.