|
|
Post by Bandersnatch on Aug 10, 2006 8:29:00 GMT -5
Teak flopped once more onto his master's grave. Having filled his stomach, he had returned to the old cemetary from Hallow Village.
It had finally become apparent to him that he could not spend the rest of his life by this graveside. He would have to move on if he wanted to continue to eat, to be in others' company, to live.
Teak rested his head on his forepaws and his eyes glaced over as he drifted into deep thought. He had spent his whole life in Hallow, though his recent trip proved he barely knew the place. Would he be able to find another human? No, nobody could replace his man. Would he have to live on the streets, stealing scraps? What of the world outside Hallow's boundries?
Teak's eyes stared out, unfocused and blank. He was practically unconcious to the world, so deep in thought that he'd not notice anyone approch.
|
|
|
|
Post by myenna on Aug 18, 2006 16:41:34 GMT -5
The small dog looked so sad, Kait wondered if she should disturb him. His eyes so blank, so lost in though, that he hadn't even heard her comming up behind him. For a long while, she just stood, watching him mourn, but she finally nudged him softly with her forepaw and smiled.
"You look like you could use a friend," she said gentley. He was obviously heart broken, and Kait hoped that perhapse she may be able to provide a bit of relief to his pain.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bandersnatch on Aug 20, 2006 7:57:55 GMT -5
Teak flinched, snapped suddenly from his thoughts, startled at what he perceived as the sudden nudge. He leapt quickly to his feet, realizing another's presence.
"You look like you could use a friend." He paused, blinking rapidly at the female. How should he feel? Defensive, maybe? Embarrassed? His large ears flopped back as he glanced backward through the corners of his eyes, his mouth forming a grimace.
After a moments hesitation he looked forward into the setter's eyes. "I-I... uhh..." he stuttered, stumbling over his words, not sure how to answer. Though he had food in his belly, he was tired, dirty, miserable and feeling completely lost - yes, it was at that moment that he truly could have used a friend.
|
|
|
|
Post by myenna on Aug 21, 2006 17:31:52 GMT -5
An understanding smile spread over Kait's face. "My name's Kait," she said. "Wait here." She ran off in the direction of the village as fast as she could as to not keep her friend waiting. She soon returned carrying two things in her mouth. One was a bucket full of water, and what looked like part of a bee hive.
Putting them in front of the mix, she said, "The water's to wash away the dirt and the troubles. The honey comb is to sweeten the sorrow. These always make me feel better when I'm sad. Why don't you give it a try?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Bandersnatch on Aug 21, 2006 18:54:39 GMT -5
Teak stood dumbfounded as Kait dashed off unexpectedly. He scrunched his face up in confusion at what had just happened. He was still standing in the same position when she returned. He watched as she trotted back, pail of water swinging from her mouth.
Teak glanced from the items placed in front of him, to Kait, and back to the water and honey. He stared intently at his paws, trying in vain to hide his expression - he couldn't hold back the small smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth as Kait gave her explanation. After a moments hesitation, he stood and took the step to the bucket. He took a gulp of air, and quickly plunged his head in, and back out again. The water was cool, refreshing. Teak lifted the handle between his teeth, flipping the bucket over his back. The result was noisy, between the loud SPLOOSH and the clatter of the bucket as it again greeted the ground. Despite it, the water had successfully tumbled across his back and trickled down his limbs. Mud and grime was swept away from Teak's fur, and the original blue-grays and warm browns of his fur glimmered, sopping wet. It had been awhile before he felt clean. Though his appearance had benefited from the water, pieces of his fur still hung in small matted clumps, and his ribs were even more visible. He stepped back, away for Kait, and sent the loose water flying as he shook off. He stepped forward again, scooping up part of the piece of honeycomb into his mouth. The sudden sweetness on his tongue almost made him gag, but he retained himself. The honey spread through his mouth, feeling almost warming. He swallowed it back, though a bit had dribbled down is chin. Kait was right: he did feel much better.
Teak looked back up, worries forgotten, to Kait with the warmest smile, and the most expression, he had worn in a long time. It wasn't just the wash and honey that had uplifted him, but the setter's sudden and unexpected kindness. "Uh... Thanks." He murmured, the smiling continuing, and the drop of honey still hanging from his chin.
|
|
|
|
Post by myenna on Aug 22, 2006 16:45:12 GMT -5
Kait smiled as she watched her new friend bathe and eat. He already seemed a bit cheerier than before, but now that he was clean, she could easily see how thin he was, and it worried her. She hoped that he wasn't ill as well.
As he munched on the honeycomb, she lowered her body and layed down, paws crossed in front of her.
Uh...Thanks
"You're quite welcome!" she said, smiling broadly, not only at his statement, but also at the dribble of honey stuck to his fur. She brushed her own paw on his chin to wipe it away and then rubbed it off of herself into the dirt.
"So, I still don't know your name," she said, looking back up at him. He was awfully shy, but she knew that she could change that after getting to know him.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bandersnatch on Aug 22, 2006 20:16:00 GMT -5
Teak frowned, slightly embarresed, as Kait brushed the drop of honey away. As she lay down, he followed her actions actions, dropping gently to the ground. His damp fur stood up akwardly in spiky tufts. It was ironic that this friendship was starting in a place of death and ending.
"Teak." He awnsered the not-quite-question. It was then he suddenly realised that Kait was one of only a very few number of creatures he had seen wondering around the cemetary. It seemed an odd place to visit without some sort of reason. "Why are you here?" he asked, his tone curious.
|
|
|
|
Post by myenna on Aug 25, 2006 15:43:56 GMT -5
A dark look of hurt and fear came over Kait's face as he asked the question, greatly contrasting her happy mood before. "You have your reasons," she said, dropping her eyes to the ground, "I have mine." After a moment, she forced a smile and looked back up at Teak. "No worries," she said. "It's not importaint any way." In moments, her smile became genuine and she returned to her joyfull self.
Her eyes stared off at the beautiful reds and purples of the sun bleading on the horizon as it slowly dissapeared. "Don't you love sunsets?" she asked. "We should probably find shelter, though, especially with you so wet. I wish I had though of brining something for you to dry off with. Oh well, too late now. Where do you usually go when it get's late? If you don't have anywhere, theres a burrow I dug in the roots of a tree in the back of the graveyard if you'd like to stay there."
|
|
|
|
Post by Bandersnatch on Aug 27, 2006 21:37:40 GMT -5
Teak's curiosity grew with Kait's sudden swing of mood. Had she suffered, maybe similar to how he had? He had not yet developed a sense of what was polite, perhaps, but he emphasised with the unpleasent feelings that Kait seemed to feel, that Teak thought - just maybe - matched his own. It wasn't fair to drag her through those emotions, and so he would not question further.
"Don't you love sunsets?"
Teak followed Kait's line of sight. He had not really noticed the sunsets before. Not just from living an indoor life, but rather because he took little notice in his surroundings. All the bright colours were rather lovely - so much more vivid than in the village, where all the colours seemed pale and dull.
His attention was quickly averted back to his companion as she spoke again.
"Where do you usually go when it get's late?"
Teak glanced at the cold ground next to him, where patches of grass had just started peaking up through the dirt. Cold, and open. There was something eerie about the nighttime in the cemetary. Perhaps the setter's companionship would help to fend off the lonliness. "I would." Teak spoke softly. "Like to stay there, I mean."
|
|
|
|
Post by myenna on Sept 2, 2006 14:29:11 GMT -5
"Wonderful!" Kait cried and lead Teak to the place she had called "home" for the last couple of days. It wasn't very nice to look at, but inside it was warm and snug. There was just enough room for the two of them to sqeeze in together. Once they were settled, the sun had already disapeared and the stars above were shining brightly. She gazed at them dreamily, remembering the constalations that she had been shown by the humans on the ships the had sailed on. Someday, she wanted to find a picture in the stars that she could call her own.
A pang of desire for the sea shot through her, but she knew she couldn't leave yet, not until she had found what she was looking for.
Sounds and scents of the night creatures filled the air. Many were unfamilier to her, but she was able to pull out the screach of a night owl, and the smell of the mouse that it had made into a meal.
"How long have you been here alone, Teak?" she asked after a long silence.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bandersnatch on Sept 5, 2006 8:14:23 GMT -5
Teak settled in next to Kait in the small den. He held his legs tightly curled against his body. Though perhaps a little cramped, it proved much more comfortable then outside, where the wind seemed to blow right through the fur and hide as though they were not there, chilling to the bones. The ground was warmer here, slightly below the ground, then where it met the cool air. Further warmth was given, of course, by the body heat that each dog emitted, inevitable in such close contact.
The crossbreed felt no need to make any noise as the setter stared longingly towards the stars. There was a distance in her eyes, as if she were far away. The air was quiet, almost peaceful. The noises and smells of the night seemed not to reach his nose and ears - from his life as a lapdog such things were previously useless to him would stay filtered out for quite some time.
The silence, of course, wouldn't last forever, and eventually the female's voice broke the air. Teaks ears, which had slowly slid down the sides of his head, perked up again as he made estimations to awnser Kait's question. He looked away, staring in the direction of the Cemetary, though from their location it could not be seen.
"About a month." He deduced. He did not extend upon this with an explanation of how he got in such a state - it hadn't been asked of him, so he did not know to give it. His gaze returned to her. His eyes were questioning, full of curiosity for her answer to her own question. He did not ask, in worry that dredging up her past may bring up negetive feelings as it did before.
|
|
|
|
Post by myenna on Sept 7, 2006 19:53:04 GMT -5
A month? Had he been living in the cemetary all that time? Though her pitty went out to the mix, a small spark of hope lit inside her. Maybe, just maybe, he could help her.
"Do you meet a lot of other canines here, then? Since you've been here for so long? You haven't met any other setters, have you?" All of her words were blurred together as she rushed through them, but she didn't care. Her excitement was so overflowing that she hardly noticed that she had stood and knocked the poor male out of the burrow until after he had rolled out into the night. "I'm looking for someone," she explaned, more slowly this time and with a look of appology for knocking him away.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bandersnatch on Sept 8, 2006 4:17:33 GMT -5
"Oof." Teak's breath was knocked right out of his chest as he hit the ground. As startling as Kait's sudden enthusiasm was, he returned to his feet. He shook out his now half-dry coat, flinging the pieces of earth it had picked up from his tumble. The mutt paced back to the small den. Though her words had been many and rushed, he tried best to awnser all her questions.
"Um... not really." He gave a weak smile. "There aren't usually many dogs around here... or, well, anyone really. I've only really met dogs in Hallow." Teak was oblivious to the idea of breeds, but could only assume by the 'any' that she meant one that looked alike to her. "But... no one like you."
|
|
|
|
Post by myenna on Sept 8, 2006 9:39:09 GMT -5
Not really. I've only really met dogs in Hallow. Kait's spirits dropped a little bit, but she was still able to keep a weak smile. She thought that might be the answer she would recieve.
Kait curled back up with Teak in the den and layed her head on her paws. But...no one like you Kait smiled at his remark and adjusted herself to face him.
"I've probably been making you feel a little akward by keeping you in the dark, haven't I?" she said. She decided that she would let him know the truth, since he seemed like someone she could trust. "The dog I'm looking for is named Kail Nightinggale. He's my brother, and I haven't seen him in almost a year. I don't know whether he's dead or alive right now, so when I've been looking in vilages and graveyards to find him. When I sailed here, this was the first place I came to check for him, but it turned out it was for humans. I was going to leave when I saw you sitting alone." She sighed deeply. She had kept the story short for time sake, but also because she was fighting back a flood of tears. She missed her brother dearly, and wished she could find him agian. It just didn't seem fair that one so close to her heart could be lost forever.
"I'm sorry to load you with my baggage. You probably have your own troubles to deal with." She forced another smile, something she'd been having to do quite often lately, and closed her eyes. "We should probably sleep now so we'll be rested enough when the morning comes," she said.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bandersnatch on Sept 9, 2006 20:17:10 GMT -5
Teak frowned as Kait forced a smile. Had he upset her again? But after a moment it was gone, replaced by what seemed to be a genuine one. This reassured the mix.
"I've probably been making you feel a little awkward by keeping you in the dark, haven't I?"
Awkward? Teak shook his head. She had been so open and kind that he hadn’t felt anything but comfort around her.
He listened intently as she continued on to her explanation, her abridged story. Her eyes brimmed with emotion, making his heart grow weary as he watched her, uncertain of what to do to help.
She had searched villages and such? “Have you looked in Hallow?” He asked quickly. It was his first thought; the only place he really knew at all. “Maybe someone there can help.” he added meekly. After all, its inhabitants had helped him out, and had seen happy enough to do this – well, for the most part anyway. Maybe they could help Kait out too?
"We should probably sleep now…”
Teak gave a slow nod. All the emotion and movement of the past few days had taken their toll. He was feeling weak and tired. Sleep would come easily to him.
He couldn’t help but stare closely at Kait, a worried look in his eyes. Would she be alright?
|
|
