Unknown Territory...[acceptance]

[solleks]

A chilly mist hung over the village, and the clanks of cart wheels could be heard echoing along the cobblestone streets. Also heard was the clicking of claws against the smooth stones, and the great bodies of both man and dog shuffled around the streets, preparing the day's work, getting ready for the tasks each hour brought. It was a bright day, and the sun shone brightly overhead, piercing through the mist ever so slightly, causing the dew strewn ground to sparkle.

Sol-leks raised his head high, scenting the air, taking in both dog and human, snorting softly before continuing on his way. He knew not where he was, or where he was going. These were unknown lands to the wolf dog, and unknown lands brought cation to his blood. But one thing about the village was different. It gave the scent of hard working animals, and caring humans, who, for the most part, were fair with their canine companions.

But, a thought came to the brute's mind. Where was he to go, where was he to stay, without his master around, he was staying always alert. For only moments ago, his master had gone into a human construction, and had yet to come out. Sol-leks was restless; and with him just siting there, not doing anything, was driving him nearly mad.

The brute paced back and forth, tail swishing from side to side. His shadow casted pelt blended with the shadows, and then when it hit the sunlight, it shone silver. His left eye sparkled a rich, royal Gold. His other eye on the other hand, gave away a mysterious air with it's mist-like hue. He blinked his sightless eye, and it contracted slightly as the light hit it.

[117]

The mighty Knight rose his armour-clad arm, thrusting the sword of destiny high into the air. His army of elite Knights roared behind him ready for battle. The forced march had lasted for days, wearing down the soldiers and letting their anxiety rise. They all were tired, yet did not let it show. For ten long years they waited patiently for this time to come. Now, far from their distant homes, the soldiers faced their enemy in an open valley, mountains on both sides. There was no room for maneuverability. Face to face, head on. The only direction to move was forward. It was time for battle. Their leader slowly dropped his arm, pointing his sword toward the opposing army whose ranks were spread across the narrow valley. With one quick word, all hell broke loose.

“Charge!” yelled the Knight, rushing forward ahead of his comrades. The rest of the army followed close behind, swords raised as their battle cry filled the valley. They stayed close together, keeping rank as the charge crashed into the enemy lines. Their thrust broke the enemy lines in half, punching deep within the ranks. With first contact, blades and arms began swinging with no direction.

The front lines erupted into hand-to-hand combat, each soldier for himself. As the initial momentum came to a stop, the Knight blocked a few quick swings from the five enemy soldiers which surrounded him. He parried another futile attempt on his life and countered, knocking the enemy soldier down. With a quick swing of his own, the second fell. Three left. One leaped at him, sword held high above his head. The Knight shouldered him, knocking the wind out of him and causing the sword to drop out of his hands. As he shrugged the enemy soldier off, the others jumped him. A sharp pain shot through his side as the loud clang of metal on metal rang over the roar of the fighting. The Knight spun, catching the opposing soldier in the helmet, dropping him instantly with a solid thud. He stared at the remaining soldier, who stood in shock, frozen in place.

“Run.”

The voice was not his own. He realized the soldier had not been looking at him, but behind him. Twirling around, his heart sank. The Black Knights of Tavern charged down the slope of the valley, directly at them. He knew better than to stay and fight. The Black Knights of Tavern were legendary, known to wiping out five complete armies in a single night. Things looked grim.

“Retreat! Retreat!” the Knight yelled. The battle froze as the soldiers turned to watch the oncoming Black Knights. If they reached them, they would all be doomed. Soldiers scattered in random directions, some running for home while others ran wildly in fear. The Knight sprinted down the valley, gaining ground on the Black Knights. Ahead of him, the valley broke right.

Velnair bolted onto the bustling street, dodging between adults who were getting ready for the day’s business. After several blocks, the small boy slowed to catch his breath, knowing the barkeeper would not have followed him this far. For a reason unknown to him, the barkeep did now like little kids playing in the alley behind his pub and scared them off every chance he got. Luckily for Vel, the man had on one pound too many and could not keep up with the slender boy for long. As long as they spotted him early, no one would be caught.

The young boy slowly walked the cobblestone streets, looking for something to do. Hopefully later in the day he could gather up the other kids again and regroup, maybe even restarting their battle. It was not a real battle, per se, but just a bunch of little kids playing. None of the hostilities fell into the real world, which Vel was grateful for. He did not like fighting in real life, and most likely would not unless he couldn’t get out of it. After all, most of his fighting was as the underdog, being smaller than most kids his age.

Vel noticed a large dog pacing the sidewalk. His dark coat glinted in the sunlight, emanating a bright silver glow. The eyes were different colours, which intrigued him. It was odd seeing different colours on one head. It’s almost as if the dog had traded one of his originals away.

The boy stepped closer to the dog, reaching out and roughing up the fur on its head. The coat felt soft as he ran his hand over it.

“Hey, boy. What’re you doing?” Velnair asked curiously. Obviously he did not expect an answer, yet he had always felt dogs somehow could understand human language. Whether it be true or not, at least he was trying to be friendly.

[solleks]

A trail could clearly be seen as the old brute paced back and forth, throwing dust into the air every step he took. He paced back and forth, swishing his tail to and fro. Sometimes, if another dog walked by, he would stop for only a moment, and then start back up again. It was a never ending cycle.

Whether or not he might have heard the boy come up, he didn't register it fully till he felt the boy's hand on his head. The moment he did, however, he froze still, and then only turned his head to look up at the youngster's face. As his head was stroked, he wagged his plume tail back and forth.

“Hey, boy. What’re you doing?” He didn't expect that the human would have known he could understand, but he did. Perfectly. The old wolf dog parted his lips, almost seeming to smile at the boy, even if it might have looked a little threatening, it could still be seen as a smile. Moments later, he replied, in habit, and without even having to think about it. "Waiting."

[117]

Velnair jumped at the dog’s “voice”. He froze. Did he just…speak? He could have sworn he heard the word “waiting” come from the animal. Dogs can’t speak... Vel dismissed the sound he heard as just another grumble from an animal. Maybe he had been thinking what he would have said, therefore thought the noise sounded awfully similar to it.

“What’re you waiting for?” Velnair asked curiously. It had been awhile since he had seen a stray dog loose in the village. Sure stray dogs existed, but not ones quite as unique as this fella. Even if he were to stay on this street alone for much longer, a traveler might come by and claim him as his own. If it was not for company, he could at least make a bit of money pawning the dog off to a kid somewhere. A couple of names popped into mind which would take the dog, including himself if his aunt would allow pets.

The little boy sat down, leaning against the stone building, hoping the dog would come and join him. If not, at least he could stare at his beautiful fur coat. The silver shine awed him, for it was almost out of some sort of fantasy. It reminded him of dragons with brilliantly shining scales that would decimate flocks of sheep and farmers. Only the fur looked better than dragon scales, and much softer.

“Did someone leave you here to wait?”


(OoC: I don’t think humans can understand animals…)