Tentative Beginnings / Eirlys

[Deleted]

A lone figured ambled along, slowly picking their way across the golden prairies. They were nothing more then a mere fleck of white buried amongst a sea of warm hues, their thin white pelt easily being swallowed amongst the grasses. It was evident that the area recently had some minor rainfall, as the she-wolves large paws sunk easily into the damp terrain, a set of paw prints trailing along behind her. Each step made a damp little noise, her paws sinking into the ground only to quickly be pulled back out, the process repeating over and over, a soothing rhythm. Besides the sound of her own footfalls, there was nothing else to really listen to, the air was calm and there wasn't any other living things around her to make any sort of noise. It was a peaceful place; it was quiet, she was alone for the most part, and the sun was only beginning its daily trek across the sky, so it wasn't as hot as it usually would have been, something the she-wolf was very thankful for. She already had enough of the summer heat, despite the fact that it had only just started, but after living in some dry, barren landscape for two years, you really couldn't blame her.

She didn't know the reasons as to why she left, perhaps she just needed a change, as it quickly got boring seeing only flat white terrain for miles on end. Somewhere in the back of her mind, warning bells sounded, alerting her of how she was just lying to herself, but she brushed them off. The truth was, she knew exactly why she left, but just stubbornly refused to admit it to herself. She had placed herself in isolation shortly after some... less then pleasant events happened, but that was besides the point, she was exploring and trying to get out of her shell. That was it, that's all she and everyone else needed to know, she was just exploring. Sure, it might have not been the best idea to look for acquaintances in some seemingly desolate prairies, but it was a start.

Word Count: 355
Tagged: @lassiel
Notes: Apologies for the wait, writer's block had gotten the best of me.
Also, about the crap title, yeah, couldn't think of anything.

[Deleted]

The quiet of the late morning was interrupted by the sharp scream of a hawk flying overhead, perhaps claiming the empty land as its own. Amber eyes briefly darted upwards, tracking the dark shape for a short moment before returning to the wide land before them. Grass of nearly the same amber-gold color swept off into the blue horizon. The view seemed to go on forever from where Eirlys was seated beneath a scraggly tree. Despite the lack of hills, the land somehow reminded the wolf of her home way back east. She wished it didn’t; she had no intention of ever returning back there. But still, the land was peaceful and Eirlys found herself content to simply be.

There was a sudden movement from above and Eirlys turned her head to watch as the hawk from before swooped to the ground. It didn’t take off again, so she assumed it had been a successful hunt. But her vague musings as to what creature the bird had claimed as its prey were interrupted by a flash of white in the distance. It was barely there before disappearing amongst the grass again, but Eirlys could have sworn she saw it. Her intense focus was awarded with another flash and she rose from her seat to observe more closely, frowning when nothing more was to be seen. It took only a moment of contemplation to decide to investigate.

Eirlys took off at a steady lope, her golden brown fur easily blending into her surroundings. She had once again lost track of the flash of white, but now the scent of another wolf reached her and it seemed obvious that they were one and the same. The peace of the plains had apparently put her in a good mood though, for Eirlys found herself wishing for company and conversation, even if the only company to be found was a stranger. She found the other wolf quickly enough and Eirlys slowed to a walk, moving into their line of sight. A flock of birds startled by Eirlys’ appearance took to the air and she halted, tail relaxed and expression non-threatening.

“I see I’m not the only one traveling these plains today,” she said. “I hope I am not trespassing.” Eirlys didn’t think these were pack lands as she had encountered few scents since she entered the plains and even fewer that were recent. Still, she was hardly one to wish to cause unnecessary offense and it was best to know for sure.

ooc: No worries! Waiting doesn't bother me at all. ^^

[Deleted]

Somewhere in the depths of her cluttered mind, her brain acknowledged the faint thuds of paws weren't her own and the quiet rustling of grass was of someone moving quickly through it. Someone was coming towards her, and they were either walking very fast or running. She assumed the latter.

They had startled a flock of birds in their wake, and the noisy flapping and rustling of wings as they struggled to take flight was obnoxiously loud in the dead silence of the plains. Her ears twitched, halfheartedly locating where the noise came from, and it seemed to have come from her flank. Her gentle trot came to an abrupt stop, and her amber gaze focused on the quickly approaching figure.

A she-wolf of medium build came into her view, their light, warm-coloured pelt blending easily into the endless sea of tall, dead grasses. Their expression wasn't threatening, tail was relaxed, and could possibly be in a good mood, but it was hard to tell for Marlene. They weren't expressing immediate dominance over her, and seemed fairly calm.

She forced herself to focus on what they were saying, her eyes staring blankly at her lips as they moved, forming words that she struggled to keep up with. Their voice was booming and foreign to her ears, but she still tried to register what they were exactly asking or saying to her. For a second, she stared blankly at the newcomer, slightly confused and out of it, but she suddenly snapped to attention, her sluggish brain finally catching up.

“I see I’m not the only one traveling these plains today,” Marlene nodded along, head bobbing along slowly with the she-wolf's words. “I hope I am not trespassing.”

They were polite, that was the first thing she acknowledged about them, they weren't immediately jumping to conclusions and scaring her off, it soothed her nerves. Focusing back on her words, she awkwardly shook her head no.

They weren't trespassing, at least for as far as she knew. There didn't seem to be any markings or anything to signify that someone lived her. The land seemed to be free game, but then again, why would anyone even want to live there? It was dry, hot and food seemed scarce, but this was coming from someone who ran away to live in a desert for two years, so she couldn't really question anyone about it.

An easy, unsure smile spread gently across her lips. She had found what she was looking for, surprisingly, and now had no clue as to what she could do about it. If she knew how to make the conversation continue, she gladly would have, but for now, she was at a lost. Hopefully the other wolf was a bit more familiar with social interactions then she was. Nervously, she waited, perhaps they had a bit more to ask her, she didn't know. All she knew it would probably be weird and offensive if she just turned tail and ran off into the distance, so she stood stiffly, waiting for something, anything to happen.

Word Count: 512

[Deleted]

Eirlys watched the wolf before her, who seemed confused and not entirely sure of what Eirlys was saying. The look on the shorter wolf’s face was…well, not empty but somehow lacking as if she didn’t quite know what her reaction should be. Perhaps she had been occupied with other thoughts when Eirlys had appeared. Whatever the case, she didn’t seem too upset about a strange wolf speaking to her and she had even begun nodding along to Eirlys’ words.

But that was it. The she-wolf did not reply, save to give a soft yet hesitant smile. Well. At least she wasn’t one of those aggressive types. But it seemed as if Eirlys’ desire for conversation wasn’t going to be easily remedied. The plains were still, startled birds having long since disappeared and leaving nothing but silence in their wake. Where at first the quiet had been peaceful, now it felt increasingly awkward as the seconds dragged by with no response.

A confused frown pulled at Eirlys’ lips when it became apparent that no reply was forthcoming. “My name is Eirlys Fai,” she said, hoping to prod the other into a reply and keep the silence from becoming any heavier. Head cocking slightly to the side, her amber gaze swept over the wolf once more. “Is everything alright?” She asked slowly. Aware of the stiff manner in which the other held herself, Eirlys kept her own posture loose and nonthreatening.

ooc: I'm sorry this isn't all that great. :/ I think I'm having a hard time getting into Eirlys' head.

[Deleted]

The air had grown heavy with awkwardness in the past several seconds. It was now thickening at an alarming rate, making her mind race with possible words to break the uncomfortable silence, but yet she remained quiet, the words lodging in her throat. She now fidgeted awkwardly, gaze moving to focus on someone invisible object in the distance, her ears flicking towards the slightest of noises. Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea-- her nervous thoughts were interrupted by the gentle voice of the stranger.

Oh, right, she hummed softly, remembering the fact that there was someone standing before her, expecting an answer or invitation to conversation. Her gaze focused back onto the she-wolf, who had just introduced herself as Eirlys Fai. There were staring curiously at her, head cocked to one side and eyes questioning, asking if everything was alright. At first, it confused her, why wouldn't I be alright?, but then she acknowledged the stiff way she held herself, and immediately forced herself to relax. With an internal sigh, she quickly snapped herself to attention. She had grew up playing fearlessly on top of an icy mountain as a mere yearling, why was she so afraid of some chatter with a polite stranger? There was nothing to fear, and she hadn't done anything to upset the other, besides acting strangely, but it was only for several seconds, and surely she could be forgiven.

Her posture suddenly relaxed, the stiffness vanishing with a gentle little swoosh. Her once forced, limp smile quickly tightened into something a bit more joyful and slightly lopsided. She made herself appear more alert, amber gaze brightening and she held her ears forward loosely, an image of attentiveness and calmness.

”Names Marlene,” she started off easily, giving a quick nod towards the she-wolf to try and show she was listening. ”I'm fine, thanks for asking." She said the next few words a bit jauntily, a little beat hidden in them that only she knew.

”And is everything alright with you today?” Her head titled slightly towards one side, eyes softly questioning and curious. This, she truly meant, as she quickly glanced over the she-wolf, the mother hen in her suddenly clucking noisily. They appeared well fed and lively, but perhaps could do with another pound or two, seeing how they were so lanky, but she shushed herself before her mind could go any further. She couldn't be giving advice to others about eating more when she herself was so bony and slightly malnourished, it wouldn't be nice. So she held her tongue and tried to settle for waiting patiently, awaiting the she-wolf's response.

Words: 440 Addressed: Eirlys Tagged: @lassiel
Notes: No no, it's fine, and besides, it's better then having no response.

[Deleted]

The other wolf seemed to relax at her question, tense muscles loosening into something more comfortable. It was, in fact, oddly sudden. As if she had only realized the signals her own body language was giving off once Eirlys showed concern. But she was speaking now, giving her own name in reply and assuring Eirlys that everything was fine. Her voice was upbeat, and though it seemed somewhat odd in comparison to the previous silence, Eirlys was for now willing to brush it off instead of digging into a stranger's personal life.

An inquisitive question left Marlene's lips, her gaze studying Eirlys with a scrutinizing eye. She was not expecting to have her own words tossed back at her, though distantly Eirlys wondered why it surprised her so much. Perhaps she truly had been without contact and conversation for far too long. Her long trek to these western lands had certainly left her with few choices for tolerable company.

"Decent enough, I suppose,” Eirlys said, glad that it looked like she might get her conversation after all. She hoped it would continue to go well, guiltily recalling the terrible mood she’d been in the last time she met a stranger. Her temper had not been deserved, no matter how hungry she’d been at the time. But now she was better fed and far more willing to talk. "I’m afraid I've been traveling quite a lot recently and am new to these lands. Are you from here?” Her voice, while not quite eager, was certainly earnest and Eirlys casually took a seat on the dry ground, intending to make herself comfortable for a longer conversation.

[Deleted]

Their response to her question put a frown on her face, her eyebrows furrowing together and grin vanishing from her lips. They were decent enough, and they supposed they were. Even though it was a fairly normal response to the question she had just asked, it still made Marlene pause and question it. Why weren't they great, or even good today? And why did they suppose it, where they unsure of their own emotions? Her little stampede of questions would have continued, if the she-wolf, Eirlys, as she had introduced herself, hadn't asked her a question.

The frown slipped away from her lips and the cheery grin returned. They were new to the lands, that's what they had just said, due to them traveling for a lot recently. Her mouth moved faster then her brain could register, and she was suddenly interrupting them mid sentence. “Why?” The response cut forth from her mouth, booming loudly and rudely as curiosity had overtaken her, and she couldn't help herself from asking.

She herself had been traveling quite a bit recently, and to know that others were, even if it was only one she-wolf, intrigued her. Did they know there was a rainforest, and that there were weird giant, bloodthirsty reptiles in the river that protected it like a sacred treasure? Or that there was a huge desert that stretched on for miles on end? And that this place could possibly be an island? She had tried to travel from each corner of the world to another, but each time she was met with water that seemed to go forever, and she couldn't bring herself to dive in to try and see if there was any land hidden just beyond where her eye's could see. However, in one corner, the west, if she remembered correctly, there was some land that appeared to have a jungle on it, but once again the water prevented her from trying to explore over there. There even seemed to be a pack that had set up over there, as she had seen tiny little blurs on the beach, but she was unsure if they were really wolves or some other animal that grouped together. The questions she wanted to ask her about Eirlys' travels were endless, but she forced it all down and settled for wagging her tail with barely contained excitement.

Words: 394 Addressed: Eirlys Tagged: @lassiel

[Deleted]

Marlene's response to her reply was strange--a quick frown that turned back into a grin once Eirlys asked her own question. The wolf seemed to change moods on a whim, but it was her unexpected (and loud) interruption that gave Eirlys pause. Her mind momentarily blanked at the abrupt question that burst from Marlene's lips and she drew back, startled. "Why?" She bewilderedly repeated, confused as to what Marlene was asking. She considered for a moment, mind racing over the possible meanings. "Why have I been traveling?" Yes. Yes, that had to be it. And almost immediately her mood turned sour, lips pressing together and ears flicking back. Her narrowed gaze took in the wolf before her and--a heavy sigh escaped her, tense muscles relaxing once more. It was obvious that Marlene meant nothing by the innocent question. Her curiosity and eagerness for Eirlys' response was plain to see. It was hardly her fault that Eirlys didn't care to discuss what brought her here.

With those thoughts in mind, Eirlys tempered her voice as she replied. "Not because I wanted to. But it really isn't something I want to talk about." The words were firm, but not unkind. She smiled slightly, hoping to dispel any misgivings her initial reaction might have caused. "Why are you so curious?"