Alone?

[WindCatcher]

Her feet padded under her as she headed to the Yusta Ford. Although she was part of the pack, she needed time to herself. And besides, how many other wolves had come here? She began to quicken her pace as she moved faster and faster down the trail. She zigzagged left and right, her tail following her movements. After a while, she came to the Yusta Ford. The sheet of ice was still thin, and too unstable to stand on. When it would become deeper into winter, again, it would freeze over.
Heading to the waterside, she began to dip her head when she heard the crack of a twig. She raised her head immediately and her tail went up. Her nose pointed forward, trying to figure out the scent. It was not another wolf, and she could not sense any other presence. She left the noise alone, and dipped her head again. She pushed her paw onto the thin ice, and it cracked. The hole filled with rich blue water, and she began to fill her mouth with water. The twig snapping came again, and this time she fully turned around, giving the noise all her attention. She moved a step forward, and she heard it again. Feet padded and she rubbed her nose. Her ears moved back and forth, trying to decide what animal it was.
After a long while of waiting for the animal to show its self, she began to get curious. Was it the wind? Or was it really an animal? A breeze blew by, and she began to walk forward. As she got closer and closer, her heart bet. When she finally came around the tree, she heard the twig snap again and she jumped in surprise. Why was she curiously scared, although a very strong, determined wolf? She left the thought alone as she began to circle the tree. The scent became stronger. But before she could tell what animal it was, a rabbit hopped out from behind the tree. It looked at WindCatcher for a minute, and then dashed off into the woods.
WindCatcher watched the rabbit leave, and trotted back to the waterside. She lied down and stretched her neck so her nose could touch the water. She shook her head as she snuffed up some of the water, and moved her head to the side. Her tail curled around her back legs, and her ears fell to her sides. She rested her head on her forepaws and looked up at the sky. Birds chirped and flew across the scene. She heard the water trickle downstream...but other than that...she was alone.
((lol....long write))

[tara]

Tara had been observing the female for some time now. Not idly though, caution in its stead. She engraved the scent of the fae into her memory, quickly scanning though dozens of battle tactics for a wolf of her size in her mind, should that wolf prove hostile. A wry smile pulled at her mouth, mentally out-ruling the Malum pack. A wolf prone to jumping in surprise of rabbits seemed far too bemusable to be tolerated by their dark leader. It was a beautiful Ford, and she hoped the tranquility would not be desecrated by blood or bitter words. She wondered if she had been foolish, and if this encounter would end badly. Since she had thus out-ruled the Malum pack, she figured this new wolf must be from the Terminus lands. It was rather far for a wolf to travel, and she wondered what event had brought her here. Then again she noted I allowed my nose to lead me her out of nothing but idle pleasure, so who am I to judge? Thinking on the decision to travel to these lands, or rather, lack of it, she hoped that she had not already made a foolish response to one of the conundrums of the forest. Silently shaking her head, she tossed this thread of thought out. Self reproval would beget her little advantage should this little unexpected meeting go awry. Her golden eyes viewed this stranger a minute more, before stepping out from behind the large oak.

[WindCatcher]

She turned around to see another wolf standing a distant away from her. A small growl formed in her throat, although WindCatcher knew not why. Was she afraid? Or was she being simply cautious? She shook her head, and watched the wolf move closer to her. It was a little smaller than her size, but big enough to show that she was from the light-hearted pack. "Hello," she said softly, her growl starting to disappear. She sat down, and looked to the sky. She smiled to the other wolf, and sighed.

[transfer]

The land was tranquil, quiet. There was a snap of a twig. Transfer turned his head, slowly, to catch the sound. A mouse, nothing more. Annoyed with the sudden break of silence, Transfer flicked his tail, while his ears lay flat on his head. He was led here by two other wolf scents. Not to mention he had been kicked from yet another pack, his 8th. Transfer was sitting at the edge of the long, unstable, sheet of ice. A breeze blew in Transfer's face. From across the ice he cold see another wolf, which didn't bother him much, because thirst was overcoming him. He lay a paw on the unstable ice, and pushed lightly. The frigid water lapped at his paws. Transfer bent down, and dipped his muzzle in the cold water, while his eyes studied the ice flakes dance on the ice. His ears lay still, and his cold eyes stared into space.

[WindCatcher]

(sorry...I know we're not going in order...but Tara hasn't been on for a while...and I can't wait! )
Startled, she stood up, looking at the male. Taking scents in she could tell he had been pushed away from many packs. She looked to the male, and pushed the thin sheet of ice with her nose. She drank the water, licked her lips, and looked up at the sky; it's darkness closing in. She sat down, and looked at the scenery. She studied the male for a while, accepting his scent, and noted how big he was; compared to her. Smiling a bit, she sneezed, and shook her head. "Hi."

[transfer]

Transfer looked up, but said nothing. He never seemed to be friendly. Transfer stared into space one more time, thinking of another place he could continue to. His pink tongue lapped up water, "Hi..." the wolf muttered. Never friendly and hardly nice, Transfer didn't want to socialize. Some ice flakes danced on ice as the dark wolf snorted. Ceasing his drinking, Transfer turned and walked. His tail swished, and his paws left their print. Leaving the other behind.

[tara]

Tara jerked swiftly out of her reverie. She tossed her storm-cloud gray fur and gave a curious smile. From the fae's reaction she did not seem in the least hostile, only wary, as the wise should always be. She padded a little closer to this new wolf.

"Hello"

She said, rather reservedly. She did not want to alarm this she-wolf. Tara was a social canine, and she was always ready to meet a new friend.

"I am from the Aduro pack, a patron of the light. Do you come from the lands without a leader, the Terminus lands?"

[transfer]

A twig snapped under the black wolf's weight. He stopped and strained and ear to the others' conversation. Not usually the one to eavesdrop, Transfer was feeling a little bored. He circled his standing spot and sat lightly, his tail flicked back and forth. He smirked almost disgusted, as he over heard the new wolf,
"-[glow=red,2,300]The Aduro Pack, patron of light[/glow]-".
As a dark wolf, Transfer never agreed to see what the light side of life was. He growled at the moment, then stopped, trying not to sound off that he was listening. The wolf waited listening for more.

[tara]

Tara pricked her ears. She'd though she'd heard the faintest sound of a twig breaking. She surveyed the area, and inhaled deeply. One of the most important things her mother had taught her as a pup was that every sound counted, however small. "Besides" she thought sardonically "Better to be paranoid than dead". A rippling laughter came from her slim throat. She could smell something, all right. Something that had not been there a moment ago. She looked around again, slowly. If anyone was was there, they were doing a good job of hiding. Unbidden, the phrase "Eavesdroppers often learn highly instructive things" flashed to mind.

"Should the little sparrow blinking on the tree tops care to sing for us, we'd be ever so grateful for the music."

[WindCatcher]

Her ears perked to Tara's words. "Yes, I do. Yet we have almost fully found a leader to our pack." She smiled, and turned to Tara. She seemed confident, yet nervous of the newcomer to their conversation -- the one that had brought Tara's attention to a snapping twig. She smiled, and stood up. "Hmm. An evesdropper, eh?" She smirked, and turned to Tara. "I'd be ever so glad to hear of what you have heard." She sat down, and lowered her tail. Even if he was from a darker pack than her, she had no intention to break out in a fight. What good would that bring? Further more, gossip might go around -- which is probably what they all didn't need.

She sighed, and smiled to herself. It was nice to be getting to know everyone. Yet some wolves were still too 'nice' or 'soft' or even 'dark' for her mind. She had only come here so short ago, and she still needed time to settle in

[tara]

Tara grinned in response. "I'm glad you're getting that Alpha buisness sorted out. It's all very well in times of peace, but in the case of war, turmoil in the pack would be nearly inevitable." She sighed, her silvery maw dancing in the snows reflective light. And the prospect of war doesn't seem too far fetched, she thought grimly. She wondered if it would come to that. With her Alpha's long periods of absence, and her being the only other pack member, the Aduro pack didn't seem very formidable at all. If the Terminus and Malum packs joined together against the Aduro pack, she new it would end badly, and Beltane certainly didn't need any more turmoil to her already greif-filled past.

"Do you think it'll come to that? War, I mean."

She was curious to hear the fae's response. The Terminus pack normally had good insights into matters, though Tara could sometimes not stand the self-asserted way they intervened as mediators into matters.

[WindCatcher]

WindCatcher partially smiled, raising one lip. She nodded in response to Tara's words. It was true. Turmoil in the pack would be something the pack couldn't afford if they didn't have everything settled in. Peace would be the only thing that her pack could afford if all was well. She smiled, and looked up to Tara. "Turmoil would be un-wanted in a pack that has not yet cooperated with each other," She said, looking up to a bird flying by to a tree limb. Placing a paw in front of herself, she smiled. "We are still deciding things that could be good use for my rank," She said, glancing down at her paw. "I have different...'things' that could help me choose a pack..." She placed her paw back under herself, and went over the different ranks. She didn't keep Tara waiting too long, because she smiled, and her tail flicked.
As soon as Tara asked; [glow=red,2,300][glow=red,2,300]"Do you think it'll come to that? War, I mean."[/glow][/glow] WindCatcher sat up tall. Her paws quivered. She didn't look to Tara at first. Would it -- in fact, come to war? WindCatcher hoped it wouldn't, because then would would come between the packs? WindCatcher knew the Dark pack would stay the dark side, and the light the light. But then, what would Terminus Pack choose? They had always been a double-sided pack, but in times of war, would they, in fact just choose one side? Would they stay out of the fight? Or would they be there own side? She did not know, but didn't want to find out -- EVER.

[tara]

Mouth tilted slightly upward in sympathetic laughter at... Suddenly, Tara frowned and tipped her head to the side. What was this Fae's name? She quickly ran though the list of things she had learned about this new wolf, in case she had forgotten, a scenario she fervently hoped was not the case. Tara was glad to say that she could run (and fight) with the best of wolves, but when it came to basic things, like remembering a wolf's name, for instance, she could sometimes be at a total loss.

Think, she told herself, think. Tara new she was of the Terminus pack, very polite, and decidedly uncomfortable on the subject of war, but as far as names she wasn't coming up with anything.
The silvery fae had lived in the wild alone for months, and new the nessecary yet sometimes rude rules of the forest, yet she could not escape the nagging annoyed feeling she had at herself. Despite occasionally harsh circumstances Tara had, for the better part of her life, always prided herself on courtesy, regardless of the situation. And now, she was having an entire conversation with a wolf she might very well become friends with, without even bothering to introduce herself. She huffed.

"Forgive me, I have completly forgotton myself. I go by Tara, which means in the tounge of old "earth". What shall I call you?"

[WindCatcher]

She smiled, showing her shining white fangs. She looked to the wolf, and glanced up at the treetops. "For a wolf who knows so much about confusing things - in my book, I'd expect you to know." She closed her lips, and sat down. She didn't want to waste the wolf's time, though, and had no reason to not tell her. "WindCatcher," She said in a quick moment. WindCatcher. Ah, yes. The name her parents had given her. The way she played with the wind; catching it in her paws. Shaking her head to relief herself from the flashbacks of her pas life, she looked at the wolf. "Although I have before been called Wind."

[tara]

Windcatcher. She thought about this name, about the way it sounded when spoken, and what it said about this new acquaintance. Tara wondered if this was a literal synonym for her, or merely a fanciful name. At her words "For a wolf who knows so much about confusing things- in my book I'd expect you to know." Tara's eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly.

"Windcatcher, if you were a pup, a very wise and clever pup, and someone placed a small rock in front of you, what would you observe about that rock? You might guess that is was small and hard. You could learn the general colour of it. Correct?"

She paused a moment to let her words sink in.

"Now, tell me. If the very wolf who placed that rock in front of you asked what it was called later, and you did not know the word for rock, could you be expected to just guess that word upon your observations?"