On the Prowl (open)

[<3Kodi]

The night was dark and clear in the hunting lands between packlands. Between the open breezy meadows and shady woodlands it was among Kodiak's favorite hunting spots. Trotting on quiet paws through a woodland portion, the brown and white femme breathed in the scents of the night. Spring had at last come and with it the world came alive with many different scents that sent Kodi's head in a whirl. She could smell wildflowers blooming in nearby meadows, a den of newly whelped rabbits to the south and the simply overpowering musk of the woodland as she sprang into full glory during the warmer season. Pausing on her path, Kodiak pricked her ears and scanned the surrounding undergrowth with her keen honey-colored orbs. Shadows reigned in the night but a wolf's eyes were made for such challenges so Kodiak didn't mind the darkness. She did however, mind the fact that she had been roaming in darkness for several weeks since Orin's death. It saddened her usually fiery heart to be so alone. The darkness felt less welcoming when one was alone and suddenly even spring seemed cold.

In her lapse of thought, Kodiak took a step forward on a twig which snapped. The sound seemed to shatter the still illusion of the moonlit night. To her right Kodiak heard the leaves rustle noisily. Whipping her head in that direction the northern-born fae saw a doe spring from where it had bedded down not but a few feet from where the wolfess stood. Kodiak cursed herself silently for not seeing it before springing after it. Her stomach growled noisily, urging her on in her chase but even in her hunger Kodi couldn't help but enjoy the feeling of the hunt. When she hunted, Kodiak felt like she came to life. She could feel the wind caress her pelt as she ran, powerful muscles flexing smoothly under her thick brown coat and feel the forest sigh as she passed tree after tree. The feeling of her heart pumping made Kodiak feel excited, an adrenaline rush of sorts as she chased the doe toward a strip of open land between two forests.

The doe left the trees and hot on her hooves came Kodi, ignoring the racket she made as she jumped a bramble thicket. Kodi growled in frustration as she hit the open field. The doe was getting farther away and with it went Kodiak's chances of a meal. Growling in frustration once more Kodiak poured on as much speed as she could coax out of her limbs. Sprinting after the doe along the open field, Kodi felt suddenly very alone. It was just her and the doe, the trees watching with silent ill-interest. If she had at least one other wolf, Kodi was sure she could catch the doe but now she simply slowed her speed. Coming to a stop, Kodiak watched as the doe fled into the trees once more and vanished leaving its huntress in the field listening to the silence of the night and her own heavy panting.

With a disgruntled sigh, Kodi sat back on her haunches and huffed. "This would be so much easier if I had some help" Kodi barked to herself, thumping her tail on the ground in ill-temper. A frown curled her maw as she stared at the trees. On a branch she spotted a squirrel, watching her and chattering in its odd language. The squirrel's laugh-like sounds didn't aide Kodi's temper. Springing to her paws Kodi rushed at the tree and reared onto her hind paws and snarled up at the squirrel, front paws on the trunk until the squirrel fled higher into the branches but continued its odd chattering. Snorting in dismay Kodi sat back on her haunches under the tree and glared at nothing in particular. "Stupid squirrel."

[Halo]

The world seems oddly silent on this warm spring night and so strangely empty. Where did everybody go; they couldn’t possibly be asleep on a night like this, could they? They’re missing all the action, all the sounds and new smells that come out only after darkness falls upon their quaint haven. Bah! His wolf brethren aren’t any better than those equine ‘invaders’ that bed down at dusk and abandon the glories and adventures-to-be-had of the moon’s reign. But not Haben! Oh, no! He’s not going to sleep until he can’t keep his eyes open anymore. Or at least that’s the plan.

He trots through the forest, tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth with eyes dazzling with good spirits and his wagging tail held high and proud. His off-white pelt fairly glows, even in the dimmed light within the trees, a beacon against the shadows. No bother, though. He’s a go-with-the-flow sort of guy and if he happens to get a chance to catch some prey, then so be it. If not, oh well, he’ll just go hungry for one night.

Crashing noise echoes through the still air, putting the brute on alert and forcing him to jump to the side to avoid a doe bounding over some brush and landing in the place he had been a few moments before. He grunts and spins around to watch with excited eyes, contemplating a chase but distracted by the sounds of a defeated wolfess out across the stretch of meadow from which the deer had come. What’s more interesting than prey? A stranger sharing the same glorious moon.

He laughs inside himself before crouching and leaping over the viney thorns and prickers blocking his way into the meadow. Haben nearly makes it too, but his left hind gets entangled and it pulls him back and to the ground with a loud meaty thump. He lays in a disheveled heap for a moment, blowing a gust of air upward to rid himself of a leaf that had fluttered onto the bridge of his muzzle, kicking his hind until he gains his freedom. Hah! A triumph!

He bounds up onto his feet, spinning once around in a victory dance before racing across the valley with a bounce that has him clearing the tall grasses to give him better visibility. His dark blue eyes, well accustomed to the dim light afforded by the celestial goddess about, spots Kodiak easily and he makes a straight line for her. Judging his distance, he lands suddenly on all four paws and into a standstill, lifting his head to give a short howling call to the female ahead of him. No sense in getting into a pointless fight because he startles someone.
~Haben

[<3Kodi]

Still huffing over her lost doe and the squirrel laughing at her, Kodiak was surprised when she heard crashing in the undergrowth. Rising to her paws the wolfess turned her head left, then right scanning the shadowy trees. Her auds turned with her head, taking in the sounds of the night including the crashing and sound of an owl hooting at the noise. Kodi blinked and waited. Amber optics caught a glimpse of something white in the trees. Instantly she tensed a bit. Friendly though she was, this was any wolf's land which meant it could be a good-meaning light or a rapist dark. Just to be on the safe side, Kodiak took a half step back to brace herself for fight or flight and watched for the white again in the undergrowth. Before she could call out a summoning howl of any sort, she nearly leaped out of her fur in surprise as something vaugely looking like a comet of ivory fur sprang from the dark treeline.

It took her a moment to realize that Kodiak was watching not a white comet but a white wolf. Neither the white nor the wolf were overly surprising. She'd grown up in a land where white wolves were fairly common, not to mention it was a nice night so others were bound to be about. Kodi watched the male with her head angled to one side with mild interest. Behind her, Kodi's tail was wagging slowly and a smile was beginning to creep across her muzzle. Another wolf and this one looked like fun. He seemed to spot her which didn't surprise her. She'd been barking at a squirrel, no doubt he'd heard her rather disgraceful display or he had seen the doe she'd been unable to catch.

At his call, Kodi allowed herself to relax, seeing as he seemed to mean well enough. Casting out her own soft howling bark back to him, Kodi trotted toward him at an easy pace. The moonlight flashed across her golden optics as she moved toward him, a grin on her maw and her tail wagging slowly behind her in a sort of silent welcome. Kodiak arched her back, laying her forelegs flat against the ground and looked up at the white male, tail wagging a bit faster now. "Hi" she yipped with a friendly grin. "Was that you making all that racket in the woods?" A teasing glint entered her eyes as she studied the male. He was a bit handsome but Kodi didn't let that distract her.

[Halo]

Haben had made enough racket to let Kodiak know he was coming from a long way off and so he couldn’t have possibly been trying to sneak up on her, or so he reasons. And when she sends a returned greeting his way her voice is friendly, her tail swishing through the air in a friendly wag that matches his own and a smile on her face. In response, the male’s own roguish grin turns one side of his muzzle, dropping his front end down into a playful bow before bouncing immediately back up onto all fours.

“Me? A noisy racket? Never!” He tries to look seriously offended, but his mouth is quivering at the exertion of keeping down his mildly hyper smile, that still shows through despite his best efforts. And finally, unable to take it any longer, with a gushing breath he gives in with a fun-loving roll of his eyes and a chuckle. “Okay, fine! You got me. Yes, I admit it.” Haben purposefully wiggles his ears in a humorous fashion. The thought does cross his mind that she might not take him serious for all the childish antics he is performing before her presence, but it is only a fleeting one. It is okay to divulge in your inner pup once in awhile, or at least that is his motto to live by.

He tries to make it discreet that he looks her over, admiring her in a flirty sort of manner but not wanting to give her the wrong impression. As he does so, trying to pull his gaze away in the process, he introduces himself. “I’m Haben,” and he bends a leg in order to bow in a mock gentlemanly fashion, coming up with a flirtacious wink. “Might I inquire of your name? I bet it’s dazzling.”
~Haben

(OOC: BLAAAH!)

[<3Kodi]

The tan and gold femmora was more then pleased to find she'd been right about her first impression of the ivory brujo. He was one of the fun ones. Kodi stood up straight and flicked her tail in amusement at his comical admission to the noise but she couldn't blame him really. He looked like an arctic wolf and arctics tended to be better at running on open ground. Kodiak hadn't lived in the north far enough for tundras, only mainly in the snowy mountain forests where Orin had wandered when she'd been young. She briefly remembered walking on thick ice with Orin telling her how best to keep her balance on ice and how to tell if ice was rotten, or in other words thin. Too bad her uncle hadn't been able to keep his own advice. Mentally chasing off the thought, Kodiak smirked flirtatiously at the moon-colored male as he spoke his piece. So he liked to flirt huh? Two could play that game.

She rolled her eyes and sat back on her haunches. Her name was marginally a male name but Kod didn't mind much. "My name is Kodiak after my father but call me Kodi." Batting her golden eyes at Haben, Kodi cast him a flirty smile.

Springing to her paws, Kodi sprinted past Haben toward the open meadow where her evening meal had slipped beyond her reach. Muscles empowered by generations of natural selection and toned by wandering from a young age, Kodi was no slacker when it came to speed and endurance though her endurance still outweighed her speed. She wasn't running from him out of fear but simply to play. She hated sitting still and having conversations. Cantering to the top of a small slope near the end of the meadow, Kodiak stopped and looked back toward Haben. She let out a playful series of barks, a "come and get me" kind of call with a playful grin. Her tail wagged, hoping he would take the bait and chase her. Chasing the doe had been alright but Kodi had had her rest and now she wanted to move.

Orin had always chided her for being so active, always running ahead of him on their paths when they wandered in snow-frosted forests dead in the winter months. Kodiak used to laugh at him and call him an old bonebag. Sure the nicknames had been nothing but affectionate but still, now Kodi was realizing how much he missed his company. Maybe Haben would be good company at least for the night? Kodi was hopeful, he seemed like an interesting wolf. She had questions but she'd find out what she needed when she needed it.

[Halo]

Haben is, for a moment, uncertain of things when his newfound companion jumps up and speeds away from him, his head cocking curiously towards the side and his fuzzy ears perked forward upon his skull. His senses are intent upon the femora, half expecting her to disappear without inviting him along. He’s a little ashamed of his assumption when Kodi turns back towards him atop a slope a distance away, her pretty voice sounding out several barks that call him her way. And he doesn’t need anything more to coax him along into the game. He’s took the bait hook, line, and sinker and feeling not at all guilty or embarrassed about it.

He’s off like a shot, streaking through the grasses and bounding over their tops playfully and sparing no expense of energy; he has enough of it to last him an evening of splurging it. The male makes it to the top and does a spin around Kodi, bumping his shoulder good-naturedly against her, nipping at her wagging tail. There’s an urge inside telling him he should be trying to impress her instead of fun around, but while they are both enjoying whatever game they happen to invent he has the showoff pushed to the side.

It has been awhile since he was able to enjoy the company of another. The other guardians have been busy with their own matters and most of the other wolves occupying the valley, Crystal Water Creek as the wolves have always known it, have been laying cautiously low in response to the new large equine creatures that have influxed into the region; and who have had the nerve to rename their home Penori when for a very long time it has been otherwise. Though he has resentful feelings towards this change, because he is a Light master he tries hard to subdue dark thoughts. Change just hasn’t ever been to his liking.

Haben bolts to the side, doing an excited jig as he watches Kodi fixedly, waiting for her next move. He yaps at her, encouraging her to enjoy their game in whatever manner she wants. He’d chase her if she wanted, let her pounce on him, nip and push. It’s all in the name of fun and if when that’s the case he couldn’t care less about being offended.
~Haben

(OOC: GAH! I haven’t RPed wolves in too long…*eye twitch* Sorry if my posts stink.)

[<3Kodi]

Kodiak wasn't very surprised when Haben took to her little game of "come and get me". Most males did but that didn't matter much. Kodi liked to run and chase, romp around and play-fight. Other faes she had met laughed at her because she took to the actions of a male more then a female because she was aggressive and never held her tongue like a good female should. Kodi snorted softly at the thought and refocused on Haben, glad to see he didn't seem to mind her odd little game. In fact, she was surprised to find him appearing quite eager to chase her as he came bounding across the field toward her. The moonlight from overhead shimmered over his fur making him appear to glow, briefly dazzling Kodiak's honey-colored optics. Before she fully recovered from her slight dazzling, Haben was there, circling her. When he bumped her shoulder, she nipped at his shoulder but her fangs barely skimmed fur. She had no intention of hurting, simply playing.

As the male nipped her tail, Kodi swung her tail to try and catch him in the face but missed, laughing all the while at the male's antics. It was good to see someone so energetic, it made Kodi's blood sing with the hopes of a night of simple play and games of tag like normal packs did when they all got together for a night. It was nice. Haben spun away from her and began to lope down the hill, looking back at her. Kodi let out a playful bark before coiling her muscles and preparing to follow him. Her amber eyes lit up like flames in the dark at the prospect of having a good time with someone.

Springing down the hill after the male, Kodi leaped and landed half way down the hill, sliding a little as she half-stumbled and half fell down the slope toward Haben. At the base, the gold and tan fae righted herself and whisked her tail high, tossing her head and barking playfully at Haben. "Good to know not all wolves are sticks in the mud" Kodi teased, a grin on her maw as she lowered her front half again, wagging her tail.

With a laugh, Kodi sprang toward Haben, intent on tackling him though she was careful to make sure she wouldn't hurt him.

[Halo]

"Stick in the muuud?" The last word trails on before an 'oof' as he falls to the ground beneath the weight of his playmate's tackle. She need not worry too much though, Haben is much tougher than he looks and much sturdier than he acts. He can hold up beneath her onslaught of 'attacks' and, besides, his position here ain't so bad. He nips and gnaws on whatever part of Kodi's fores he can reach, growling between laughter as he wiggles and squirms. "Who called me a stick in the mud? Grr! Lies, all lies!"
~Haben

(OOC: I AM SO SORRY! My muse is really low right now, but I wanted to give you SOMETHING to reply to. SORRY!)

[<3Kodi]

Kodiak grinned broadly as she accomplished her goal, managing to tackle to Haben. She was a bit surprised at the strength in the muscles coiling under the male's fur though she couldn't help but laugh a little. Never judge a book by its cover. Haben might not look quite as tough as some but he sure was when you got close enough. Kodi giggled as Haben nipped at her forelegs and his fangs brushed her fur. She felt safe enough around him to be sure he wouldn't actually bite her to draw blood so she had no worries and instead nipped back. Gripping one of his ears gently, Kodi tugged on it lightly with a playful growl bubbling in her throat. She knew if anyone else saw them they would snort and turn away because the pair must look like wrestling whelps.

The gold and white fae was unbothered however as she wrestled with Haben. "Well sir" Kodi yipped, springing lightly away from the male, a teasing glow in her amber optics. "I you don't really stick out in a crowd." Kodi circled Haben, as if appraising his appearance. "White is a rather bland color afterall" she teased good-naturedly as she nipped at his shoulder, her fangs not even brushing his fur.

Kodiak knew she was probably setting herself up for some easy comeback. After all, brown and gold and white seemed to be a fairly common pelt color and solid white wasn't as common in these woods as it was in the more northern parts of the land but Kodi didn't mind. Teasing and romping around was all in good fun, no harm intended and it took a lot to get Kodi actually offended. She remembered Orin always teaching her that a good temper made for a good wolf even if Kodi's temper was less good and more restless. Right now however, Kodi felt plenty content to tease Haben rather then spring off and hunt. His own energetic personality seemed to be balancing hers and it was nice.

[Halo]

She springs away and he kicks his legs to roll himself onto his belly so that he can stand, giving a quick shake the rid his lovely white pelt of grass and dirt that had clung to the strands like pests. He scoffs quietly at her opinion of his fur color, though not really offended by it at all and knowing the jest was all in good fun. As he comes up with a retort, he closes the distance between Kodi and himself with a deer-like bound, going for her ears as she had him though he is less successful as they twitch out of his way and his jaws get busy speaking rather than their original assignment.

"Well! Your opinion of me is quite contrary to my opinion of you. I find your pelt quite pleasant to look at, exquisitely beautiful." He chuckles, amused by the mix of conversation and 'wrestling', like some gentleman's fencing match...minus one gentleman, and gently takes a hold of her scruff, pulling in the attempt to, carefully, take away here balance. Haben doesn't want to play too rough, for fear of accidently doing harm and putting a rift between them. Though as far as any passerby's opinion of them he could care less! Should one be that judgemental of a couple of canine's enjoying some fun then they aren't fit for his worrying. His fretting should go to more important matters, such as how he can flatter his attractice companion.
~Haben

[<3Kodi]

Amusement colored Kodiak's visage as the femme watched the graceful male leap toward her like the doe she had chased what seemed like an age ago. She always forgot the grace some wolves carried and it was always a pleasant surprise to her. Kodi was born in the far north, built for mountains and long winters with no sun. Though she could only assume Haben had been made for the same enviroment she couldn't help but find their differences vast and astounding. He could float like a ghost or stalk like the morning mists. Kodiak always found herself too loud or too restless to do anything such as float or flow across the ground. Orin had always teased Kodi about being too out of tune with nature's flow, too caught up in movement and sounds, smells and sensations to feel the subtle rhythm of nature that most wolves were atuned to.

Casting off the thought Kodi laughed as Haben commented on her pelt before giving it a light shake just for show. Batting her eyes, Kodi eyed Haben. "Really? Well aren't you sweet" Kodiak simpered, tapping her muzzle lightly against Haben's.

Feeling fangs on her scruff, Kodiak gave a startled but still amused yelp as she felt the male's weight tug her toward one side. Paws kicked up bits of grass as she stumbled too far to the right and tumbled to the ground. Kodi extended her paws quickly, hoping to tangle up Haben and take him down with her as she rolled away from him. A slight slope in the ground took her a few tail-lengths from the white male before she came to a stop laying in a sphinx pose with her golden fur ruffled. Bits of grass clung to her pelt and her golden eyes danced as she looked around to see if she'd managed to trip Haben.

Springing to her paws, Kodi shook her fur out and pranced toward Haben, tail swishing.

[Halo]

The wolf laughs as he stumbles over the paws kicking out as his legs, at the same time leaving go of the hold he had on Kodi, but never fully touching the ground. Haben does, however, manage to come up with grass and dust sticking to his wet snout, which causes a small sneeze as he watches his friend roll down the hill away from him. He yelps and barks after her, bouncing from side to side and even dropping into a play bow in between as his tail wags so wildly that his whole rump shakes. And despite the indignity of the thing, he doesn't seem bothered in the least, completely comfortable with Kodi.

The fem prances back up towards him and he finally gives in to the consequences of his exertion and flops down on his rump, learning towards his right hip, and lolling out his tongue to pant heavily. He hasn't ran around and romped for quite awhile and is, sorry to say and sad to admit, a little out of shape. Haben feels a little embarrassed, seeing as Kodiak seems so fit and still ready for more play, and it causes a faint heat to erupt upon his cheeks that he hopes she doesn't notice. Despite his ability to flirt senselessly, he can be quite shy too. (He's well rounded, he would comment to that).

"I need a break. I'm sorry I'm so lame," he says, trying to sound cheerful, but the guilty sounded through the smile spread across his parted, gasping maw. He shakes his head, ears making a flopping sound when he does, to get rid of a tickle in his ear and then, as he shifts from one hip to the other, he can't help but to stare. So a male will always be a male, even if it's deep, deep down, and he finds his dark aqua eyes roam over the pretty fae. He coughs then and straightens up as if coming to his senses and this time sneaking glances her way.
~Haben

(OOC: He's hopeless...ROFL)

[<3Kodi]

Kodi laughed at Haben's admission to needing a bit of a break. Her laugh isn't taunting or mocking, simply amused. "Alright Haben, since you asked so nicely" Kodi yipped, sitting back on her haunches. Her posture isn't slumped or crooked but she sits up straight like a statue carved from warm-toned rock, her eyes crafted from the finest drops of amber. Moonlight glances off her optics, flashing her eyes silver for not even a second as she angles her head toward Haben. She lets her gaze roam a bit as she takes the time to relax. Kodiak is pleasantly surprised to find she doesn't feel restless now. Her energy is tapered, restlessness soothed by Haben and her heart content to sit and let the night pass as it wished. Her mind was far from the doe she'd lost or the squirrel that had had the audacity to "laugh" at her misfortune.

Letting her gaze roam, Kodiak studied the trees nearby, finding no signs of anything interesting. The deer would have heard their noisy barks and saw them moving on the meadow and wouldn't show themselves in any case so Kodi wasn't concerned about prey. Around them the meadow lay peaceful and quiet as if time had stopped, letting Kodi reach out and touch the world again in the form of Haben. That thought led her gaze to the snow-pelted male, a carving of ivory shining in the moonlight. Kodi had been lonely for a long time but now she didn't feel so lonely. A soft smile graced her maw at that thought.

"You know, I've been alone for a long time Haben. I'm glad you found me tonight" she barked, speaking softly which was a bit out of character for her but then again, this was a bit of an out of character thing, her sitting still in one spot.

Kodi tried to keep her eyes on Haben's knowing she probably was facing somebody important. She'd met wolves in the past, alphas, that had had the hearts of pups and then their pack had all but tried to run her out for treating them the way they wanted to be treated. It was confusing, the world Kodi lived in but she kept living. Besides, nobody that looked like Haben did or had a name such as his could be anything but an alpha or close to the alpha's family of some large pack or something like that.

[Halo]

"Me as well," the ivory brute admits with a warm smile, gentleness in his gaze as he stares into the honey orbs belonging to a most interesting lady. He starts to wonder, how did Kodi, a friendly and kind (not to mention attractive) fem, come to be alone? Haben would think that someone out there should have found her a gem amidst a stone row. However, if she had not been ignored and passed up by fools, how could they have ever come together like this and consoled each other's loneliness? The world has a strange way of getting other to do what it wills. And this time, Haben is refreshed by its choice.

He tries to suppress it, but a yawn creeps up and he is forced to acknowledge it with gaping jaws and a whine, the irresistable act leaving him with a remarkably relaxed sensation washing through his being. He stretches his fores out in front of him and plants his belly on the ground, lowering his head upon crossed paws while his eyes roll upward in their sockets to continue addressing his friend's own gaze.

"Is there something you wanted to ask me?" He tilts his head to the side even at the position he is in, a curious light, like a pup's inquisitiveness, dancing on his face. "Sorry, you just looked like you were wondering something." Well, she had, at least in Haben's opinion. And he's never been a very secretive fellow and doesn't want Kodi to think that she has to walk on eggshells as far as words go; she could ask him just about anything and he'd probably answer.
~Haben

[<3Kodi]

Golden orbs snap up to meet deep blue as Haben speaks, her ears swerving forward to catch his question and trying to ignore that feeling she'd been caught staring. The skin under her flushed hot and Kodi was glad she had fur to cover her blush but instead of stuttering and acting like an embarrassed youngling caught sneaking off, Kodi smiled and met his gaze confidently. "Actually I did have a question" she admitted though not at all sheepishly. Sliding her legs forward to settle in a sphinx-like pose, the earth-colored fem passed her pink tongue over her outstretched paws a few times before looking back up at Haben to ask her question. "Do you always run alone or to you go with a pack?" Kodi asked curiously.

She'd never really been part of pack, at least, not long enough for it to ever really count. Usually she was found to be too rambuncous or too wild, too willing to disobey orders if her mind told her something was wrong. Kodiak didn't like the idea of being a brainless drone that simply did whatever one or two wolves told her to do simply because they claimed the title of alpha or alphess. Kodiak treated wolves like they were her equals but in doing that it meant she wouldn't look up at anyone or bow her head on command like a whipped dog. The very idea made her sick but maybe Haben knew of a different kind of pack?

Kodi could imagine sometimes in her dreams a pack that was simply family and everybody was the same. If you romped around and played with a packmate you didn't have to worry if it was an heir or the leader or a beta. A slightly wistful light flickered in Kodi's gaze at that thought, she couldn't help it. She always dreamed of a pack where she was accepted as an equal and not looked down on as a wolf refusing to let go of youthful energy or stop a hunt just because it was crossing borders to continue the chase. Kodiak danced with danger and courted loneliness but she didn't always want to stay that way.