Amazed (open to all)

[kalaia]

In the shadows of the nearby forest, a flash of red fur could be seen, the rustling of leaves beneath heavy paws was audible to any nearby. The lone wolf was exploring this side of the forest for the first time, and was constantly stopping to peer about, looking for any potential threats. As she padded along, her thoughts drifted elsewhere. She had been living in the area since she was a pup; she knew about what had happened with the two major packs. She had no opinion of her own on the matter, over which pack was 'right' and which wolves did 'wrong'; and this was part of the reason why she was still a lone wolf after all these years. Her indifference to the two packs' struggle seemed to upset most... but it simply wasn't any of her business.

She snapped back to the moment as the gentle music of waves against the shore drifted to her ears; they perked forward, and her eyes focused on the beach that she had happened upon. She stopped walking, her paws sinking slightly into the warm sand, and she glanced around quietly for any other creatures in the area. She never had been scared of conflict, but right now she was not up for a fight. She had decided that she was ready to join a pack, and had made a mental promise to herself to try and avoid unnecessary 'disagreements'. However, her mental notes had readily been ignored thus far.

There were a few creatures in her eyesight, but none of them seemed particularly threatening. So she slowly made her way closer to the ocean. She stopped when her paws hit the wet sand, her claws sinking into the thicker ground, particles of orangeish brown clinging to her tan-hued paws. Quietly she watched the waves lapping near her paws, then raised her eyes to the horizon. A smile crossed her muzzle and she closed her eyes as a warm ocean breeze flowed against her fur. She looked quite dramatic there, her thick fur flowing in the wind, her eyes green eyes narrowed peacefully as she gazed out at the ocean, her legs parted slightly to keep her balance as the waves crashed about her feet. To her, this was heaven.

[abhorzion]

Stood atop her favourite rock in amongst the scattered trees next to the beach, Elaine looked over the beach before her. Gorgeous white sand as far as the eye could see, the sky clear with a pinkish hue to it and of course the dark waves, lapping gently at the warm sand. She loved living in this little wood, the sights, the sounds, the fantastic smells and the bountiful supply of food and water made it feel like home. Elaine smiled to herself. For a wolf who lost both parents whilst still a pup, she'd done well to find stability. She was pleased with herself. As she gazed over the beach just ahead, she felt completely at peace, a pleasant calm washed over her. A faint breeze tickled her and she shivered slightly, shaking her thick, red hair.

The maned wolf jumped down off her rock and pottered over to the small stream not far from her make-shift den and lapped at the clear, sweet and pure water. A nearby rabbit noticed her and bolted but Elaine didn't give chase. She wasn't particularly hungry and she wanted to get down to the beach for a swim anyway. She finished drinking from the stream and with a lick of her lips and a shake of her fur, Elaine trotted down towards the white beach, her small black paws kicking golden leaves, crunching loudly all the way. As she neared those familiar sands, a new scent filled her nostrils and she stopped dead, ears and nose twitching anxiously. Her eyes widened as she scanned the area for a possible source of the smell. She lowered her nose to the ground and picked up a trail, another canid. She froze momentarilly, she hadn't seen another dog or wolf in a while, how would she react? She decided it was best not to show that she was nervous and followed the scent slowly, taking care not to get muddled with other smells. As she neared the beach, the scent became stronger and Elaine stopped again. She looked up and there she saw, just a few metres away, right in front of her, another wolf. Stood in the shallows, fur billowing in the wind stood as still as a statue. After a quick pause to think, Elaine decided to approach the wolf.

Slowly, with her head held level to her shoulders and tail swaying from side to side loosely, the long-legged canid padded onwards towards the sea and the other wolf. As she walked, her paws sank into the warm sand, cushioning her weight and allowing her to stalk along the sand silently. As she drew nearer, she held her ears back, folding them down against her thick black mane which was standing on end in anticipation. Elaine paused and took a deep breath, then entered the shallows, her paws splashing in the water sinking slightly with every step. She stood next to the wolf and looked at her. She looked bold, she had strong vivid green eyes that were narrowed with an expression of contentment and her thick fur, billowing in the wind was a deep red colour. Elaine stood up tall and pricked her ears up. She smiled somewhat uneasily and cleared her throat.

"Beautiful, isn't it." she said, softly, casting a dreamy gaze out over the glistning waves.

[kalaia]

At first she was unaware of the maned wolf's presence. She was too lost in her own thoughts, in the beauty of it all. The warm waves lapping against the sand, the pink sky reflecting off of the water like a flowing mirror; this was why she hadn't minded being a lone wolf for so long. She loved the freedom to be able to go where she wanted, do what she wished, and befriend whoever she felt worthy. She knew that joining a pack, especially one as dramatic as the two main ones in the area, her freedoms would most likely be hindered to a certain extent. She knew that wolves of her sexual orientation were rare; what if she joined one pack, only to find that the love of her life was a part of the other? Or even worse, what if both packs shunned her for her lifestyle? What would she do then? She shook her head lightly, as if shaking the thoughts out of her brain; this was such a peaceful moment, she shouldn't ruin it with such silly worries. She had been a loner her entire life, and not being accepted by a pack would cause no problems for her.

Just as she was about to turn to leave the lapping waves, she heard splashing to her right, the noise getting louder as it's cause approached. Calmly she turned her head, and her green eyes fell upon the maned wolf femme who had made her way into the water. The approaching female looked harmless enough; head low in a submissive stance, approaching slowly with no signs of anger. All thoughts of unacceptance pushed aside, she offered the wolf a friendly smile as she stood beside her, and glanced back at the horizon as it's beauty was commented upon. "Too beautiful for words," she replied breezily. The way that the female had approached and commented offhandedly on something so peaceful put her at ease with her situation - if all of the wolves around here were as friendly as this one, she had nothing to worry about. She knew, however, that the chances of that were slim. Her attention was drawn back to the female, and she met her eyes, dipping her head slightly in respect. "My name is Kalaia." She didn't ask for a name in return, for another, most personal question that had been nestled in the dark depths of her mind was slowly burning it's way to the surface. Although it may be taken as rude, she asked the next question after a slight hesitation. "Are you part of one of the packs around here?"

[abhorzion]

Releived that the wolf wasn't startled and didn't present a threat, Elaine smiled politely. She agreed that no words ever written could quite capture the peaceful, beautiful scenery that lay before and all around them. It was almost like magic, almost like a dream and that is why Elaine loved living here so much. The situation was very pleasant indeed. Two total strangers enjoying a moments peace and quiet relfection, no hostility, no tension. The pair were completely at ease with on anothers presence. Elaine cast a glance at the dark red wolf stood next to her quietly in the shallows. She looked strong-willed and proud as she stood tall gazing over the ocean. Kalaia... what a wonderful name. So unusual yet fitting for such an individual. Elaine hadn't met many other wolves but she knew she'd never heard a name like that before. She must be from far away, just like me... she thought to herself and she uttered a quiet sigh.

"Are you part of one of the packs around here?" Kalaia said suddenly, looking at Elaine. Her voice remained soft and breezy although she seemed a little curt, much like the long legged one herself.
Elaine smiled back at Kalaia and shook her head.
"No, I'm on my own." she replied. "I know of the packs around here but..." she paused, a shiver ran down her spine suddenly for reasons unknown, but she shook it off. Pack life was something Elaine hadn't thought about until now and it seemed very strange and scary to her. "I like living on my own" she finished, bowing her head slightly.
Who was she kidding? She'd found herself a nice little spot outside pack territory just minutes from this beautiful beach and with plenty of food and water to go round. It was the perfect time to think about having a family. Puppies. It was something she'd dreamed of subconciously, she wanted her own children, wanted to give them a decent start in life, not like her own miserable puppyhood. Stuck in that hovel of a circus, beaten, whipped, starved and tormented. Humans and their offspring pointing, laughing and throwing things at her. Elaine frowned and shook the bad memories away. She decided that if she did have pups, they would never be subjected to the cruelty of the human race.

Her mind wandered back to the current situation and she looked at Kalaia, whose bold green eyes were still fixed on her, intently but with no hostility. Elaine sighed heavily and tried to force a smile but it didn't happen, even if she looked out into the pink sky, she still felt glum. She looked back up at Kalaia.
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be so miserable." she said, trying to sound plucky but failing once again. The sharp pang of emptiness filled her entire body. Without a family of her own, she was incomplete. Elaine turned and trotted out of the water and lay in the warm sand further up the beach to dry off. She nodded at Kalaia to come join her in a moment of thought.
Perhaps she should try to find herself a place in a pack, perhaps she was ready to face other wolves. Afterall, she as talking to this one and she didn't seem so bad. Maybe, just maybe there were other wolves like her out there somewhere.

[kalaia]

Kalaia listened to what the wolf had to say, a friendly smile still on her muzzle, her tail flowing from side to side gently in the breeze. The female hadn't offered her name in return, but that didn't really come to a surprise to her; she had stopped asking for the names of others a long time ago. She had run into many stuck-up wolves who would simply ignore the question when she was an adolescent, and now in adulthood she didn't bother to ask, nor did she really care most of the time. A name was a word you should only know if you were going to come across the wolf again, and want to speak to them again. But this maned wolf beside her... she seemed different. Kalaia was actually curious about this one's name.

"No, I'm on my own" the wolf had replied to her inquiry about her current pack. "I like living on my own." Her smile broadened a little; maybe she didn't need to join a pack. Maybe she could find a few friendly loners like this one and simply live as a group, apart from all of the drama of these two main packs, not worried about who carried whose litter, and who banished whom. True, she would adore living in a friendly pack where she could have people to rely on and talk to when she got lonely, but with all of the problems the two nearby packs had, it didn't seem worth the trouble. It didn't occur to her that living with a group of loners would essentially make them a pack.

Then, as her eyes remained steadily on her female companion, she noticed a change in the wolf's mood. The smile quickly faded from her muzzle as she watched the female revert to her thoughts, the glassy look of someone lost in their thoughts clouding the maned wolf's eyes. Her ears swiveled backwards, and her tail stopped it's content movement; something had happened in this female's past, something bad. She could sense it. Then, without warning, the wolf snapped out of it, apologized, and padded out of the water and onto the beach. At first Kalaia just watched her leave, a pang of sadness entering her own heart. This wolf seemed sweet, intelligent... and those were always the ones who had rough upbringings. Sure, Kalaia had to make it on her own as a pup, scavenging what was left from previous kills, sticking to the shadows to avoid drawing attention from larger predators; but nothing too traumatic had happened to her. She always felt bad for those who didn't get to enjoy their puphoods.

Then the stranger wolf nodded her over, and she made her way out of the waves and over to the drier sand. The warmth radiating into her paws made her seem instantly cheerier, though she didn't smile; her visible emotions could only be read as concern. Her large paws brought her over to the long-legged wolf's side, and she lowered herself until her tan belly was against the warm sand. She pointed her muzzle out towards the ocean, but her eyes were on the wolf beside her. "I'm sorry, for whatever happened to you," she said very softly, only audible to the two of them. She was mildly afraid that she would upset the wolf, anger her by getting into her business; but she was willing to take that chance.

((Sorry, it's not the best, but I still have that cold and my brain isn't working too well ))

[abhorzion]

As the leggy wolf lay in the warm sand, her troubled mind was soothed slightly. Elaine looked at Kalaia approaching, the sunset softening her silhouette and she wondered why she'd connected so easily to this wolf when normally, she didn't bother with others. She avoided them in fact. Kalaia lay down beside Elaine.
"I'm sorry for whatever happened to you." she soothed, quietly. Elaine felt puzzled, it wasn't her fault yet she was apologising. She barely knew this red wolf yet she seemed genuinely concerned. These were emotions Elaine hadn't experienced in years, it felt strange to have someone care yet it was also somehow nice, comforting. Elaine shook her head and gazed out over the glistening ocean.
"It's not your fault, Kalaia. You needn't apologise." she replied, a faint smiled spreading over her dark muzzle as she gazed at the sunsets reflection on the dark water before them. A quiet sigh escaped her mouth. The scenery was fantastic, the setting sun warmed the cool autumn air and the gentle breeze danced through Elaines thick, black mane. It was bliss. The long legged wolf looked at Kalaia, trying to see past her bold green eyes and strong, determined outer shell and wondered what makes her tick. Why she wanted to know, she couldn't explain but she felt something good within her, something new and special. She'd known this red wolf for all of about ten minutes and already she felt she'd found a friend, something she'd never had before.
Elaine grinned cheekily.
"My name's Elaine, by the way." she said, still grinning.

Ooc : Rawr short postage! sorry!