Good 'Ol Sea Breeze! ( Shila, anyone)

[rallie]

Cool, calm winds blew lightly as the mutt took this peaceful evening chance to just relax, and sit out upon the dock. The sun warmed her, and she smiled as she felt the cool spray of water that took to the wind, and carried up over onto the land. Sure, the docks were quite fishy smelling, but here you realkly couldn't smell anything but sea. Silently, Rallie praised the ocean for being kind today, and then the sun, for bringing warmth.

With a rush of happiness, Rallie wondered slightly why she couldn't share this great day with one of her best friends? She thought for a moment, and then one dog came to mind. Shila! The thought of the dog made Rallie smile, and she threw back hr head and howled out the name of her good friend, a loud howl at that.

[[ Sorry it's so short, and that it sucks. xD]]

[sarhea]

[it don't suck at all! And short is ok-i need to learn short...lol...]

Shila trotted down the streets of Rakine. The humans were out and about in full force, in and out of shops, coming out with bundles of stuff under their arms. The humans here were so different than the ones that had raised her. They always did the same thing at the same time every day. This place for the most part, was relaxed, and you never knew what would happen next. Each day was a new adventure. The wind off the sea rolled gentally through the streets, carrying with it the smell of salt and fish from the docks. She smiled. She'd found that the docks were not as scary as she thought them to be, you just had to know which humans to avoid.

She was a bit hungry and trotted down to the bench where the elderly humans always sat in the evenings. It was always the same ones, and the same old lady always shared her dinner with her. Shila spotted her human "friend" and eagerly trotted up, a happy yip escaping her maw. The old lady chuckled and reached out a wrinkled hand to pet her. Shila returned the jesture with a quick lick to the hand, and in return, recieved a piece of the old lady's ham sandwich.

Suddenly, a howl rang out across the port, her name being called! Shila's ears perked at the sound as she gluped down the bit of food, and a smile spread across her maw as she recognized the source. Rallie! She hadn't seen her friend now for a while, and with a quick thanking yip to the human, she turned and trotted down the street, bound for the docks.

She weaved in and out of the throngs of humans with ease, much better at it than when she'd first arrived. The evening sun had begun to draw close to the horizion, casting a lovely, amber hue across the docks. Evenings on clear days like this were always beautiful. She spotted her friend sitting further down the docks. The humans were already winding down for the evening, thus their day's catch was already stowed and sent to the market, so there was not much need to worry about angering them. She took to the docks and trotted down to where Rallie sat.

"Rallie, it's good to see you this fine evening. It has been a while," she said with a smile as she approached her friend and sat down.

[rallie]

Rallie sat there for a few moments longer, her tail swishing back and forth, as a wagging motion. Her fur ruffled against the breeze that carried the oh-so-good scents of the sea. Seagulls swooped and soared, catching fish and anything else on the top of the water. It wasn't too long before she smelled Shila's scent on the breeze, which made her smile, and wag her fluffy tail happily. Standing, she'd turn to face her good friend, a delightful bark emitting from her vocals.

" Shila! It's great to see you! How've you been lately? Made any new friends?"

Rallie practically bombed her friend with questions, but she couldn't help it. She hadn't seen Shila in so long, it made her worried, and question-powered. How would Shila react? Hopefully, not too freaked out by Rallie's questions.

[sarhea]

Shila watched her friend sitting on the docks, enjoying the nice evening. She soon turned excited when she noticed Shila's arrival. The brown and gray female's tail began to wag, she she jumped happily to her feet, turning to face Shila.

" Shila! It's great to see you! How've you been lately? Made any new friends?"

Shila smiled warmly. Things had been rather slow around Rakine, and she'd done a bit of exploring.

"I've been good. Learning my way around this place, and have even visited Scatterstone Beach. I've met a few of the local dogs, but not many...they seem to prefer to stay in hiding. I've met a newcomer to Rakine by the name of Raine, but have not seen her since that day. Also that same day, I met a strange fellow named Murk. But noone has been seen since...I was almost thinking of doing a bit more exploring..." she rambled off, remembering some of the names of places she'd heard mentioned the past few weeks...she had been getting tired of only pestering the elderly people in the evenings. She turned to her friend.

"And you, Rallie. How have you been? I've not seen you in a while," Shila commented with a smile and looked out over the beautiful colors of the coming sunset..

[rallie]

"I've been good. Learning my way around this place, and have even visited Scatterstone Beach. I've met a few of the local dogs, but not many...they seem to prefer to stay in hiding. I've met a newcomer to Rakine by the name of Raine, but have not seen her since that day. Also that same day, I met a strange fellow named Murk. But noone has been seen since...I was almost thinking of doing a bit more exploring..."

Rallie smiled as wide as a wolf could smile, flashing her fangs once. So, Shila was getting to know Rakine better, eh? That was good. Atleast someone besides Rallie was getting to know Rakine, and the ropes. It was a good feeling, though, to have Shila back with Rallie. Shila was Rallie's best friend, one of the only friends she had, actually. Rallie thought she had heard of Murk, though not too sure about that. She plopped down on her haunches.

"And you, Rallie. How have you been? I've not seen you in a while."

Rallie smiled, and her tail wagged a bit. Finally, something she could actually respond to! Rallie just adored talking, talking all the time non-stop.

" I've been gettin' along jus' fine. 'Tis a tad bit lonely sometimes, y'know? I mean, what with all the sea goers around these days, not too many canines like to come 'round. Too crowded."

[sarhea]

Shila nodded as Rallie spoke of the dogs that tended to distrust the humans. Murk had been one of them. She was finding that she did not mind the humans, once she figured out which ones were approachable and which were best to stay away from, like the fishermen. She looked out over the quiet sea. The gulls were settling down for the evening, all the boats were moored and gentally rocking on the waves. Rakine was a wonderful place, but she understood lonely.

"Yes, I know what you mean about being lonely here. I am really liking this village, but nothing seems to happen much. I'm used to a bit more activity. I miss running the races with my old master, the high energy atmosphere...." her voice trailed off as she fell into deep thought. She missed the attention the humans in her old life had given her, the daily brushings, the training, the good food without having to beg for it. The stray life wasn't all it was cracked up to be. But it was the only option for her at this point in time, and she was having to make the best of it. She turned her gaze back to the wolf-dog beside her, her eyes filled with a longing for the old days.

"I just wish there were something to do in this place, something to keep me busy." Her voice was laced with frustration and boredom.

((ooc: we need something to do! *whines* i'm totally lacking inspriration....sorry for teh crappy post))

[Donn]

((If you don't me joining in...))

Behind them, Donnatrix emerged from behind a building. He had heard the howl, and had wondered exactly who it was that had disturbed in that way. He sneered and shuddered at the sight of the two on the dock. Bits of their conversation seemed to float past his ears, and he tried to ignore it. He turned his attention away from them, and back to his objective: two barrels nearby. He was hoping to find something in there, for he had had no luck outside the port, and had come in at a last resort.

He sniffed, and quickly moved, like a shadow, over to the barrels. Inadvertently, this brought him closer to the two females on the dock. He pretended they were just bushes, then remember how much hated bushes, because they were all prickly. He sniffed around the barrels. It smelt promising. He stood on top one, intending to try and open it from the top. Unfortunately, the barrel became unbalanced, and the next thing Donnatrix knew, he fell flat on his face, with the barrel rolling away. "Curse it, darn it, DAMNIT!" he roared in frustration.

[sarhea]

Shila was admiring the sunset, while the itch for some sort of action, any action, began to grow stronger. When a sudden clatter arose from behind them, she spun around, her eyes wide with intrigue. Her head craned about, searching the clutter that surrounded the docks, until her gaze fell upon the movements of a barrel coming to a hault and the angry sounds of an unfamiliar creature's voice. She watched as a tall, but skinny and mostly unkept gray beast arose from the ground, cursing loudly.

Shila turned from Rallie, a look of concern upon her face. This creature, wolf from what she could see, didn't appear too friendly, but he also sounded possibly hurt. She stayed on the docks, safely out of his reach, calling out with concern, "You there-are you hurt?"

((OOC: sorry this so totally sucks and is short, but i'm physically, emotionally, and mentally drained after a horrid weekend...I'll try and do better...blah))

[Donn]

Donnatrix froze. He had tried so hard to pretend that the two females nearby weren't there that he had forgotten to keep his voice down. Whimpering due a sharp blow to the head, he scurried back, up and behind the remaining barrel.

"I'm fine." he said contemptually, in his heavy Yorkshire accent. In truth, he had bashed his head on the stone paved ground, on a particularly sharp piece jutting up from the tiling. By all accounts, he was not fine. A small cut had been opened on his head, just above his right eye, and it slowly bled, not enough to drip onto the stones, but still, it hurt badly.

Donnatrix sat down lent against the barrel, pitifully, and whimpered, grumbled and whined to himself, as he put a tentative paw on his head. Pain shot through his mind, and he removed the paw as if the cut was red hot. He looked out at the other barrel, which had come to a stop near the dock. He had to get to it before those other two, he was starving. Slowly, he crept out of his hiding place, keeping his pale, blue eyes fixed on the speaker, moving slowly towards his barrel. Somehow he had come upon the irrational conclusion that they might try and take away his barrel, which seemed to have something good in it, Donnatrix couldn't for sure say what.

[rallie]

Rallie smelled the male before she saw him. A bit more to the left, yes, she saw him, then! Rallie leaned a little left, to stare past the barrels at the moving shadow. Her expression turned curious, with a hint of slight suspicion. Why? Why was he trying to hide himself? It was pointless. Didn't he know they could smell him? Er..well..the scent of ocean, fish, and..some crab--thing..did kindof mask his scent.

Rallie stood, narrowing her eyes, raising her ears, and tilting her head to the side. Who was this male? Hmm? Although he was hurt, Rallie could see from the way he fell off of that barrel. Shanda had already said something, though the roaring thoughts in Rallie's mind blocked out what she said.

" You! Who are you? Why are you sneaking around like that?"

Ofcourse, normally Rallie was talkative enough. She had a right to know. Or, atleast she thought she did. She growled softly, barely audible, and trotted forward to the male. She looked at the male, seeing his movemtns focused somewhere else. She turned her head, and looked at the barrel with suspicion. Was he hiding something in there? The only thing in that barrel was fish bones, Rall knew that. She'd checked the barrels before.

" You'll not find much in there, matey. I cun assure ye of that fact, lad. All 'tis is fish bones. Goin' to eat them bones, eh? Might take you a while to get those things down yer throat!"

[[Sorry, I just HAD to give Rallie some kind of speech-thing.]]

[Donn]

Donnatrix sniffed. It smelt like fish. He was sure. Bu then, fish bones pretty much smelt the same, didn't they. He wilted in disappointment. Oh, what the hell. He might as well starve. He sat down where he was and looked a the barrel forlornly. The caution and contempt he had felt before to the females was now lost over his hunger and failure to find food. Failure. What good was he? He couldn't even look after himself.

"Then I shall die." Donnatrix said miserably. He hadn't found anything. This was it. Because he was so inept, such a failure, he told himself, he would die a slow, and horrible death. Who would watch him die? Probably these females. Then what? They'd probably eat his dead body. Or at least that's how Don saw things. A few tears rolled down Donn's face, and he put his head down on his front paws and waited for the female to kill him .Which she would of course. She would see his weakness, and exploit it, Donn was sure of it.

[haste]

[ hopping innnnn, hope you don't mind. ]

Information was expendable. Ever since her master—who she'd merely seen as a source of free food—had careened away in his rickety wooden boat and left her to fend for herself around the port she'd been learning this. All it took was the right tone, the right posture, a little thickening of the charming Irish accent and perhaps a tick of whatever liquour was nearby—something most dogs round the port had never tasted and trembled with stupid, backwards excitement over—and Haste had found she'd been able to wheedle whatever know-how she needed out of the resident strays. Apparantly Rakine was some little terrier mutt's turf however the only borders marked had been stale, decrepit, carelessly trampled over and remarked, and noone particularly fearsome looking had stopped her for trespassing; although perhaps that was down to the fact that she hadn't seen one to dog who could match up to her, in size at least.

The dogs who had owners seemed to stay out of the strays' way; the strays were just concerned with feeding themselves, and there hadn't been a sniff of a wolf. Haste observed that the pack order was a general shambles and she felt the desire to put things right—strays could feed themselves much more efficiently in a pack. In between wandering out of the port to look for small game and looking for scraps she'd been been restricting the desire to assert her dominance; afterall, though she was pretty sure there were only four who'd oppose her, for all she knew this Faline's spies could be watching her all the time. No, if she wanted to establish herself as top dog she'd have to first scout out where this Faline was and who her lackeys were, get close to her and then force her to submit, but if her patience wore any thinner she had considered just trying to gather up a group of followers and starting to establish her own order, "Faline"'s permission or not.

Presently, Haste had been lounging rather lazily beneath a creaky pier, just out of reach of the sea, when a loud wailing howl pierced the sky. She opened one eye lazily and rolled it, untangling her gangly legs and stretching them out infront of her casually. She was quite startled to find that the tide had rolled in since she'd first curled up under the splintered beams and—with a wide yawn—quickly clambered onto the top of them, for good measure. It was then that she noticed a small ragtag band of dogs sitting not too far away, and pricked her ears curiously. Some whiny puppy angsting about starving, or something, as far as she could jist. Just a typical whelp. Thank God for the wolf blood in her; almost every dog she'd spoken to that hadn't been a wolf hybrid or had some close relation to a wolf, for example huskies and German shepherds, had been, though not exceedingly stupid, a good few levels less intelligent than their ancestors. Haste shuddered—was the wolf's intelligence being eroded away in its domesticated descendants? She didn't like to think so.

Roving her icy blue eyes over the motley group once again she observed fairly quickly that none of them were as large as her, which was a consilation. Goons of Faline's, perhaps? They certainly didn't seem aggressive and perhaps this would be a good opportunity to establish herself a reputation—she could always flee, if need be, and she was pretty damned sure none of them would catch her.

"Top o' the morning to ya," Haste laid on her homeland's accent and appeared quite suddenly and seemingly out of nowhere, circling a small way aways from the group. Her ears were laid back and her lips pulled taut in a submissive 'grin,', however her head was held high—without even trying she was a good foot above most of them—and she ran her tounge over the upside of her snout in a clear sign of confidence, giving a message akin to "I'm not spoiling for a fight but I'm game if you want one." She stood panting good naturedly, too cautious to sit down quite yet, and asked calmly, "None of you would happen to have any know-how about a little chick called "Faline," would you?"

[Donn]

Donn sat up immediately, and glared at the newcomer like it had just climbed out of the pits of hell. It was mainly the voice. Donn had always had the impression that he should be embarrassed about speaking in a strong Yorkshire accent, but there was good one. Donn also noted the blue eyes. There was something unnerving about this whole creature, and Donn didn't like it, so, he decided that now was the time that he might be actually able to say something above a low growl.

"Well, I wouldn't know mooch about soomebody caalled 'Faline', but I'd liike to know preciisely who, and what you miight be?" He said a little more confidently than he had been speaking before. He was approaching something of a highlight in his day, for he had just found someone who wouldn't be able to say 'What kind of stupid accent is that?' without him being able to give a nasty retort to their own. "Ooh, and aalso, it's evening, not moorning thank'ou very mooch."

[sarhea]

[[ooo, i'll get to this in a little bit-this is getting interesting! Finally some worth while activity!]]

[Donn]

((Oh, OK. I'll stand by for your next post.))