<Lone Things> (Epinicion)

[Modesto]

Modesto sat on the edge of a frost-rimmed pond with his tail curled around his toes and his dark head bent so that he could see his long face in the still waters. His reflection offered no succor nor plan; in a stroke of bad luck, he’d managed to lose track of his entire pack: the strange and charming Sierra, his coyote-friend, and Rami, with whom he’d made such a short acquaintance. At the feet of what or who to lay the blame, he simply didn’t know: their vagrant lifestyle, the wilderness, his pack-mates themselves? Or had he failed? He knew it had started when they resolved to momentarily separate for the sake of hunting small prey when larger could not be found: but truly, they should have been able to find each other once more.

Whatever the ultimate cause of their separation, he’d lost their scents in a frightening muddle of pack-marks and the intermingled odor of pack-wolves, and now sat on the edge of one of those territories.

Perhaps it would be wise to howl and show his belly for this pack, to bolster their ranks for the winter and afford himself security. But Modesto had tasted of power, and after supping once from that cup he could not turn his back on it. It had stirred instincts in his breast which had once been distant: for territory and mate and pups and loyalty. The black wolf turned his nose to the wind and sniffed wistfully; although he sensed something doglike in the air, he still envied them their established position. He even envied the other nearby pack, despite the fact that its scents were wide and varied as if none of the members were related.

With a grimace, Modesto levered himself to his feet. With a change of the wind his fortunes might worsen; although he was well on the outside of their boundaries, some canines could be quite tetchy about strangers lurking about their land. Anyway, there was no reason to stay where two large packs already dwelt; the prey would be thin, and he, a young and lone wolf, needed to find the most optimal habitat if he meant to survive the winter. His tail and ears drooped at the thought; he’d figured himself set, with his pack all ready to survive the winter healthy. At this rate, he’d be as thin as the elk come Spring.

((I’m unclear on whether or not Rami is technically in the pack yet; I believe the thread was never resolved. If she is, then I imagine she could find Modesto later in this thread, once him and Epinicion become acquainted.))

[Epinicion]

___The wind bit at his heels as Epinicion neared the boundaries of his pack's territories. It was as though the hostile chill was driving him away deliberately, and he wondered if his pack would have had the same reaction if he'd informed them of his leave. Perhaps it was cowardly, exiting without words, acting as though he were just going on a stroll. But things had been tense in the pack for months now following the mountain lion incident, and the last thing he wanted was to add fuel to the fire by leaving the pack in the dead of winter for the sake of contemplation. It was selfish, this much he knew, but he felt his sanity crumbling beneath the oppressive weight of the constant stress of pack life. Kangl and Imrit's seemingly ceaseless warring, Endrina's sullen sorrow, the neurotic terror of the pups... it was just too much. And besides, he was nearly three now and it was mating season. Wasn't emigration appropriate?
___Granted, mating season probably held little hope for one of his inclinations. He wasn't sure what to make of it just yet, but though he had a firm desire to have his own pups, he lacked any interest in the smells of females in heat, even those unrelated to him. Perhaps he just needed to find the right female (perhaps that was why Kangl and Trista had pups instead of Kangl and Imrit). At any rate he wasn't about to find anything of the sort in a pack full of close relatives, so the diaspora was inevitable. Still, guilt plagued him, mostly in regards to being one less hunting member in the harsh winter. Sure, the others had recovered well enough, but winter was winter and there were still... well, some pups left to feed. He winced.
___So preoccupied was Epinicion in trying to determine if he was doing the right thing by leaving that he eventually did leave, reaching and crossing the boundary without even noticing. He probably would have kept wandering, likely right into hostile territory, had he not suddenly become aware of the fact that a second wolf was close by. The hybrid froze mid-step, nostrils flared and ears perched alertly forward. Was it a member of Raze's pack? Though he had no quarrel with them, short of some ill sentiments towards his mother, he knew that several members of the pack despised his clan. His nose, thankfully, reassured him that the wolf nearby was not from that group at all - he did not have any recent scent of other wolves upon his fur at all in fact. A loner, this close to these territories? he thought, frowning slightly. With both packs so on edge, he's apt to find his death out here. While this was not technically a concern of his, of course, his life thus far had taught him to abhor violence - and so he advanced in the direction of the scent.
___It was not long before Modesto became visible, his dark form perched by the edge of the pond looking decidedly forlorn. It occurred to Epinicion that he'd never encountered a wolf that was not a member of the pack, and he faltered at the tree line, ears back and low with uncertainty, one paw slightly raised. Did he call out from a distance? Approach and investigate? How should he maintain his posture? Swallowing hard, stepped far enough into the clearing that his brilliant amber pelt stood out like a flame amidst the cool whites, blues, and grays around him. Clearing his throat, he addressed the stranger, posture neutral if not slightly nervous for the time being.
___"Ah... hello there?" he called, his voice a little scratchy from the cold. He sounded small and uncertain even too his own ears, winced a bit; proud pack wolf he was, eh? Deciding he shouldn't leave it at that, he followed with the words, "You might want to be careful around this area, it's about as hospitable as the weather." He chuckled dryly at that.

[Modesto]

Modesto startled and jerked around at the sound of a voice, fur on end with surprise, his eyes wide and ears back in startlement. It took a second longer for the stranger’s tone to sink into his mind, so that his expression smoothed out into something less frightened; for a moment, he’d thought the worst had come to pass, and he’d soon have an irate pack at his throat. Served him right for sulking so long at the edge of their territory, really. But the fiery-coated wolf didn’t seem to have a temper to match his coloring, because he looked as nervous as Modesto felt. Modesto couldn’t help but be a little curious about that; after a moment of observation, he realized the other wolf wasn’t much older than he, perhaps even younger, and probably didn’t have a lot in the way of experience with loners.

A nervous smile flitted across the black wolf’s lips at the stranger’s advice – did he sense a bit of a threat there? But the chuckle that chased the statement bellied that interpretation, so that the Modesto’s anxiety eased; perhaps he wasn’t destined for a violent encounter today, after all. With that slackening of tension came curiosity; he shot the other wolf a quizzical glance, thinking his words implied odd things to say about his own pack. Each to his own, Modesto supposed; his own mother-pack had been quite a calm little aggregation, but he knew not all wolves were so happy.

“I was just about to leave,” Modesto assured the stranger. Then he laughed ruefully. “I’m not really sure where to, though. I’m not very familiar with the land yet…”

Modesto trailed off and shot the wolf another look, sidelong and somewhat bashful, not sure if he should just get a move on or if more conversation was possible – or welcome. He was a very social creature, and he’d never been long without companions; first his natal pack, and then his own short-lived group. It hadn’t been long since the latter broke up, but he could feel loneliness creeping up on him, like a huge and aggressive puma with taste for the flesh of canines. Anyway, the stranger might take Modesto’s words as an opening to offer some advice, and that could never hurt.

Meanwhile, the wind whistled something wicked and Modesto shivered against it. He’d always been rawboned, and although age had put more muscle on him, he’d never quite lost his ranginess; a sturdier wolf might well have felt less uncomfortable. He winced and sidled closer to the windbreak made by a large tree on the pond’s bank, which brought him closer to the other wolf. He took the opportunity to stretch out his nose slightly, sniffing and curious; it reminded him of proper greetings, and he suddenly blinked and gave a little ‘oh!’ He smiled, a bit unsure. “My name is Modesto, by the way.”

Of course, names were irrelevant if they parted ways and never met again, but it struck him as rude to stand about talking without sharing even so much.

[Epinicion and Onus]

___Epinicion's awkwardness seemed to be catching - Modesto startled when he spoke as though the wolf had not even heard his approach. That was dangerous business, hanging around the borders of pack territories and also being utterly oblivious to one's surroundings. Still, the male recovered rapidly, clearly evaluating the words carefully. A flicker of nervousness across his features indicated that he might have taken the male's warning about the habitat as a threat rather than a benign word of advice. However, he quickly caught the jist, then informed the pack wolf that he intended on leaving. Epinicion found himself mildly disappointed; this was his first meeting with a lone wolf, and he wished he could get to know more about the male first.
___Then, surprisingly, Modesto seemed to imply that he may be looking for assistance learning the lay of the land. Perhaps he was just reading into the lupe's words, hoping to prolong the encounter? The male's suggestive glance and quick introduction seemed to suggest otherwise. Epinicion felt a smile crease his maw. It just so happened that he was on a mission to roam, so perhaps a bit of company would make the voyage less bleak. He took a few more pace in the male's direction, tail daring to waver a bit at his hocks. Dipping his head in a polite and non-threatening gesture, he grinned and replied,
___"And I'm Epinicion - your guide, perhaps?"

___Onus, meanwhile, was taking a similar course of action as Epinicion - jumping ship in the height of pack strife. Raze had been exceptionally difficult to cope with lately; he was bad enough as his predictably cantankerous self, but ever since Saabin's return and the incident with Umbra he'd been difficult to read. Much of the time he was silent and sorrowful, only to erupt into outbursts of misdirected anger. Onus often found himself the target, having always had a tense relationship with his father. Pair this with the skewed pack dynamics from Cepheus's new position as ruler and the presence of Sheba's wolves among them, and it was all a bit much for him to deal with.
___Thankfully, unlike Epinicion, he wasn't experiencing the stress alone. Olier had been a godsend. Because he had no real attachment to any of the pack, Onus could feel safe talking about the pack issue without having to worry about who it might get back to. Not to mention that the coydog's companionship was enjoyable regardless of any venting perks it might offer; he'd never been close with his siblings, so having another canine around his age that he could interact with was a refreshing experience. Admittedly, he felt his interest in Olier starting to transcend mere friendship, not that he let on, and he was thus grateful with the male agreed to accompany him on this excursion away from the pack.
___Up ahead, Onus heard voices. He skidded to a stop with his ears snapped back and tail hanging low nervously. He sniffed the air, trying to ensure that he hadn't accidentally wandered onto a neighboring territory, but found that they were on neutral land, just beyond their own pack's boundary. Still, one of the two males he smelled was clearly one of Kangl's pack. Would he react with hostility if Onus and Olier attempted to pass? This was the only route out unless they doubled back through their own territory, which ran the risk of bumping into a packmate that might question the exodus.
___"Olier?" he called quietly, wanting to be sure the male was close by.

[Onus]

// Just as Onus considered Olier's appearance to be a godsend, Olier was equally grateful for Onus' persistent acceptance. Never had the young coydog felt so welcome. Maybe not by a majority of the pack, but just the one was nice. Of course he'd avoided the rest of the pack as often as he could manage, thusly not really helping correct the way the others perceived him, but just having a place to call home was an incredible experience.
While he'd done, in his opinion, more than enough wandering for quite a long while, he was more than willing to accompany his new-found friend on whatever journey he pleased. Olier had only Onus to cling to and the wolfdog's presence had become a necessary component for normalcy.
As was his usual habit, he pads alongside his companion, just a short step or two behind him. As Onus halts, Olier glances at him with pale blue eyes, pausing mid-step. His posture closely mirror's the other male's as he too notices the voices. Anxious as he always tended to be at the prospect of being around other canines, he sways and plants his raised paw to the ground, tense and sniffing intently. Quietly, he questions Onus, "Do you know who they are?" \\


((Hope this makes sense. I'm exhausted. *crawls to bed*))

[Modesto]

Modesto responded to Epinicion’s smile with one of his own, relieved that he’d read the situation correctly. Furthermore, he was glad to have met such an amiable creature; was he wrong in thinking that the fellow seemed as interested in this encounter as he was, himself? It hardly made sense, though, seeing as the other was a pack wolf, and thus assumedly had his own companions with which to socialize. In the next moment, however, the ruddy wolf’s posture and words explained his amiability; of course a wolf setting out on his own for the first time would want company. Modesto found his own tail waving with far more exuberance than Epinicion’s; he’d really not looked forward to being on his own.

“That’d be great,” Modesto confirmed; but before he could gush further, a scent came to his nose that made his head come up, ears perked and expression turned pensive. A deep breath of air confirmed the approach of two more canines, one of them touched with a slight acridness that Modesto associated with coyotes; neither of them, he suspected, were pure wolf. For a moment, he had felt excited, sure that his lost companions had somehow found him; but his nose was quick to quash such hopes. Neither scent was familiar. Modesto frowned, a touch anxious; with the cold and the distance, he couldn’t confirm if these fellows belonged to Epinicion’s pack. Perhaps they’d been sent to retrieve the male? Did packs do that? He turned a nervous smile on the other wolf. “More company – someone you know?”

He thought he heard a nervous voice call out, then; and perhaps a reply, in tones of equal unease. So there might not need be a confrontation, after all; the two approaching lupes could as easily be vagrants, as well, or pack wolves off their own territory and thus disinclined to start a fight. Modesto hoped so, anyway; wouldn’t it be a grand coincidence, to meet more lonely wanderers? Even if they didn’t wish to join his and Epinicion’s venture, they might have information to share; and Modesto couldn’t help but think being familiar with the other wolves of the region would be a advantage to any pack.

[Onus and Epinicion]

___Onus heard Olier's footsteps fall into place behind him and looked over his shoulder as the male inquired about the unfamiliar scents up ahead. He forgot that Olier's time with the pack had been brief, brief enough to not know of some of the deep-seated hatreds between the two packs. He himself was unclear of every particular, but it seemed to center around a fling between Trista and Kangl, some unfortunate mishaps involving the resulting pups, and a fight between Raze and Kangl that resulted in a lasting injury to the latter. He did not know if the fued was between the alphas alone or all members of both packs, but he knew that Imrit had made a very bold threat against Trista that possibly applied to all of them. The pack had no right, of course, attacking them on neutral land... but civility was often cast by the wayside in times of heated emotion.
___"One of them belongs to Kangl and Imrit's pack..." he frowned. "That might not be good for us, but this is pretty much our only route out, so..." With the best of his bravado, Onus adjusted his posture and started through the trees. He only hoped that if a conflict did arise from this decision, it would fall on him and not Olier.

___Epinicion was pleased when it appeared he had read Modesto well; the male was indeed hoping for some travel companionship, and replied affirmatively to his offer. The prospect was thrilling; not only had he never ventured far from his pack lands, nor interacted with non-pack wolves short of the fleeting encounter with tresspassers that ultimately left several of the pups... his mind wandered to sadder times, involuntarily causing his ears to droop and a frown to tug at the the corners of his muzzle. He shook away the gloom as best he could, trying to remind himself that the very point of this excursion was to leave that negativity behind before it infected him as it had the rest of the pack and ultimately destroyed him. He recovered his cheerful expression, about to open his mouth to continue their conversation.
___Then, a smell reached his nose, quickly followed by Modesto's words; the other male had clearly taken notice sooner, being less distracted. Two male canids, both hybrids of some flavor, were advancing through the forest towards them. Their paces were only faintly audible on the frozen earth, hushed and tentative as though nervous, and their voices only incoherent whispers through the trees. Their scent, however, was telling: both were members of Raze's pack, or the pack that was formerly Raze's. This concerned the lupe. He heard very little about the other group, only that his irresponsible cad of a mother yeilded from their ranks and that their leader, former leader, whatever was the violent tempered creature who had scarred Kangl's face and given him a permenant limp. Ep's ears flicked back uncertainly, tail hanging, but did not want to appear cowardly before his new friend.
___"No one I know personally... I know their pack, though." He swallowed hard. "They don't sound aggressive but... we should be careful, if they continue towards us."

[Olier]

// His ears quiver as he listens to Onus' brief explanation.Kangl and Imrit's pack? That sounds faintly familiar. He remembered hearing mention of the neighboring pack during his brief time as a part of the pack. Might not be good? But wasn't neutral land supposed to be safe? He wanted to ask why they couldn't just turn around and stick around on the pack territory a while longer, perhaps wait until they left, but he keeps quiet as the male began walking toward the trees. A short, low whine escapes his throat and his tail curls beneath him. His pale eyes intently survey the trees before him, trying to catch a sight of something. Failing this as they trees efficiently blocked his view, he hangs his head a moment before padding after Onus. He follows more closely than before, feeling safety within such proximity of his familiar. His ears flatten and his eyes flicker about, waiting for a first glimpse of canines they were approaching. \\

((If there is some sort of confrontation, you're more than welcome to rough Olier up a bit. Or just frighten the shit out of him. ))

[Modesto]

Even if the situation hadn’t demanded his attention elsewhere, basic courtesy wouldn’t have allowed Modesto to pursue the reason behind the flicker of sadness on Epinicion’s features; yet he still couldn’t restrain a curious oblique glance at the other wolf. It would be reasonable to assume his impending departure from his homeland had him down; but this seemed like an older hurt, not preemptive homesickness. Being rather familiar with the latter himself, Modesto nurtured the conceit that he would recognize it. Of course, he wouldn’t be able to nurture any conceits at all if he didn’t pay some mind to the possibly-aggressive hybrids bearing down on them.

The black wolf frowned at Ep’s words, surprised that they had to be careful on neutral territory; he’d noticed something frankly wonky about certain aspects of the packs he’d scented, but the idea of being attacked without trespassing went against the grain of some very deep-seated instincts. He hadn’t been in close enough contact with the local wolves to fully grasp the true oddness of Gallop Free. Ignorance aside, Ep’s anxiety couldn’t be doubted; Modesto would have to ask him about the details later. For now, he offered a confident smile made mostly of bravado and said, “Well, there’s only two of them; we should be okay, even if it comes down to a fight. But…”

He trailed off, head cocked, and squinted through the partially defoliated trees. Was that a flicker of movement he saw, startling bright white against the dark of damp tree trunks? He doubted his eyes, but never his ears; the sound of a canine’s nervous whine carried through the chill air. Not a dominant sound at all, nor something a wolf would utter if raring for a fight. Granted dogs and coyotes could be different, but Modesto had his doubts. “No reason to get hurt over a misunderstanding,” he muttered to himself. Then, raising his voice, he shouted: “We’re not looking to fight!”

He glanced aside at Ep and smiled sheepishly, well aware that he hadn’t exactly followed the ruddy wolf’s suggestion to be careful. He shrugged, a little anxious that the other wolf would think he’d ignored his advice out of arrogance. “It’s worth a try?”

((I dunno about your guys, but Modesto’s a little too mellow to start a fight for nothing xD Granted, it seems to go against the GF tradition to have a thread with no violence…))