I'll Take you to Paradise ((Open))

[Deleted]

Vixen danced through the tall grass, she could sense water up ahead and in this sweltering heat it was a welcomed luxury. The ground was practically screaming for hydration and every few steps through the short grass a small breeze would pick up dust and scatter it all over her. She had spent the past few days squandering her time away in the forest, and quite surprisingly she had not seen a soul yet. Of course she had sensed others around her, during summer the scent of other wolves was a hard thing to miss. However she had not run into anyone, not that she was looking she was just surprised no one had come looking for her. She half wished she wouldn't of left the forest, at least the large trees provided shade, here it was just her versus the blazing sun, and she was definitely not winning. She made it over a small rise in the otherwise flat terrain and the sudden sight of the dazzling waterfront shocked her out of her thoughts.

"Yes," she exclaimed. She was not a very enthusiastic wolf but a lake in the middle of summer is enough to make even the hardest heart experience some of the excitement reminiscent from puphood. Vixen practically rolled into the water and the cold fluid encapsulated her, finally giving her release from the sweltering heat. Small silver fish darted amongst her and she considered killing them but knew they would more than likely be to fast for her. "I'll show you mercy today," she said, the sarcasm clear in her voice. She drank her fill of water as she swam and once she had her fill she returned to the shore looking for a nice place to rest. Her shelter was found under that of a small bush and while it could not completely protect her from the ever present sun it at least gave some relief whilst she relaxed her aching muscles. 'Now if only something could come along for me to play with,' she thought to herself with a grin.

[Deleted]

Heya! Hope you don't mind me jumping in. C: And I do apologize for the enormous post—it's a habit, lol.

E S K E R

Esker did not like the heat.

It was summer, so of course, it could not be avoided. But he wondered if the surroundings were making it worse. The heat seemed heavier, more oppressive in the confines of the valley, as if it was contained there, in the lowland, only to be multiplied. With his head and tail down, Esker sighed, his tongue lolling as he padded along to try and regulate his temperature.

As he crested a hill, he paused to give his pelt a shake. Once finished, he lifted his head, and what he saw from his vantage point caused his heart to soar. A lake!

He rushed down to the shore, almost puppy-like in his fervor, and splashed into the cool liquid. He trampled out far enough only for the water to grace the top half of his legs—after all, he didn't know how deep it might have been. But that didn't keep the smile off his face, didn't keep him from chuckling to himself even as he took sips from the water.

Having always felt connected to the cool liquid since his youth, water reminded him of home, so he spent several long minutes wading along the edge of the lake, slowly making his way around a section of the shoreline. He wanted to enjoy himself here, far from home as he was, and this place was the first place in this strange land that seemed so welcoming to him.

And apparently, he was not the only one who had thought so. As he passed a particular part of the shore, he noticed pawprints. They were fresh, clear and identifiable in the wet mud. Another wolf must have been here!

He lifted his muzzle, scenting the wind. And then he noticed her—a female, sheltered partly by a bush not far from the shore.

Esker smiled, a genuine gesture, and lifted himself out the water. Still dripping, he tilted his head at her from his place by the water's edge. "Hello!" he chimed, his voice bright and friendly.

[Deleted]

((No, you're very welcome here, I'm glad someone finally joined in! ^.^ And no, I don't mind the length at all, I'll try my best to match you but my roleplaying skills are a little rusty.))

A sound drew Vixen from out of her afternoon daydreaming, it was loud, a splash of some sort and as she lifted her head she saw what had caused it. Another young wolf had joined her but it did not seem that they had noticed her yet.'Well what do we have here'she thought to herself. She watched the new arrival with interest, she could tell by the stranger's build and scent that he was a male which delighted her to a certain degree as she had always been more partial to the masculine kind. A smile slowly crept its' way onto her face as she realized the entertainment and company she had been so desperate for lately had finally come along.

She continued to watch as he slowly made his way closer to her and wondered just how long it would take him to notice her. The answer came when he spotted her tracks in the riverbank and she watched as his eyes made a line to her. She returned his smile and his welcome with one of her own, "Why hello to you too," she said, her eyes glistening and a small laugh escaping her maw,"what brings you to this lovely place," she asked wagging her tail ever so slightly.

She tilted her head back in a way to signify that he should join her, there wasn't an overflowing abundance of shade but enough that the two of them should be able to remain relatively cool. Her body language signified that she was not threatened and she could only hope that her face portrayed the kindness she was attempting to convey. She mustn't let herself get too excited for she would certainly scare the poor lad off and she just wasn't willing to go back to that never-ending boredom that had been plaguing her for the past weeks.

[Deleted]

Yay! I'm glad to be getting back into roleplaying, too. And no worries! I'm trying to be more relaxed with my replies, haha. xD

E S K E R

The female under the bush seemed friendly as she laughed and returned his greeting. Esker smiled, watching as she tilted her head back, gesturing him to come closer. And he was willing to, but first, he needed to dry off. It would only be courteous.

Esker gave himself a fierce shake, sending water droplets flying off his gray-blue pelt. They shimmered in the sun as they left his body, taking some heat with them. After he finished, his fur was left sticking up in random patches. Esker gave himself a quick glance over before moving to the stranger, an amused grin on his lips. He looked silly.

With a shrug, he walked closer to the female. "Nothing in particular, really," he said, chipper. He scooted beside the bush, planting his haunches on the ground and sitting close, but not quite under the shade. "Just wandering for now. A little new to the area!" He turned to her, looking over her bright, warm-colored pelt. He was happy for the company. "How about you, miss?"

[Deleted]

((Sorry for how long it takes to reply, I'm so busy during the day that I usually can't get around to posting until late at night xD))

Vixen watched attentively as the male sent thousands of water droplets flying into the surrounding air. It was really a spectacular sight considering his pelt itself was comprised of the same color hues that water was so known for. She became lost as she watched each individual droplet plunged toward the ground, throwing up a small mushroom cloud of debris as it finally made impact with the hard surface. She was broken from her trance when the male promptly took a seat beside her, and she smiled as she listened to his description of his general reason for being here.

"My reasoning isn't much different from yours actually. I was just wondering around and quite literally stumbled upon this place. It's a funny coincidence but the past few weeks I was wondering the woods, wondering where everyone else was and the moment I stopped looking for company I ran into you. I like how things work out that way sometimes, how things are never really the way you expect but anyways I'm rambling aren't I? " she said her voice trailing off. "By the way my name's Vixen, my parents were extremely original," she said with a soft laugh gesturing to her obvious fox-like coat, the sarcasm in her voice palpable.

[Fierfly]

((Hi! Mind if I join you?))

Renegade:

The black wolf loped easily through the high grass. His long, lithe legs never failed him and never would. He'd been at his easy run all day and he could keep going if he wanted. The male often ran all day for no particular purpose and to do it today would have been no trouble, but he needed to find water. Even though his coat was short and fine, the solid black soaked up all too liberally the rays of the sun and along with it the heat it gave.
He doubled his pace. Kai Lake couldn't have been far from here he knew, the air here was too fresh, not as stifling and dry as the rest of the Grasslands were. He was not disappointed. The cool blue shallows were at his feet in minutes and he slowly lapped up the clear water. Voices from down the bank attracted his attention. They were not hostile, they were even friendly, a bit lazy, simply enjoying the weather and scenery. He lifted his nose to the wind. A male and a vixen, he was sure. A couple? He doubted it, their scents were too distinct, couples fawned over each other and their scents mixed together making tracking more difficult, but these two he could smell distinctly and individually. They'd probably just happened upon each other as they were bathing or drinking, wolves often did at the lake.
Renegade ran his tongue over his maw and muzzle as he thought. Was he in the mood for company today? Not particularly, especially not the company of foolish cubs who were talking with complete strangers, but he wasn't about to leave his drink yet, and what would they care if he just happened to swim up the bank and then get out and quietly observe them from the other side as he often observed any wolves he sensed before meeting. He decided they wouldn't care, and neither did he.
The lithe, black wolf plunged into the water and was soon submerged, only his head and back above the water. His large, capable paws and long legs propelled him up the bank until he could see the two under some brush. He carefully kept out of sight in that special way he had. If they weren't looking they wouldn't see him, but if they were alert he would let them. He came to the shore, but didn't shake himself - the flying water would give him away - and he crept through the brush on his belly, creeping closer to the two to better be able to observe and see if this was all worth his time.

[Deleted]

No worries, Martyr. I'm a busy college student myself. And Fierfly, not at all, the more the merrier! Also, sorry, poopy rushed post before bed, lol.

E S K E R

Esker listened intently as the female spoke, grinning as she commented on her own name. He was a rather simple wolf, and thought the name worked well for her, even if she would have preferred something else. "I would say it's quite fitting," he commented, and then began to introduce himself. "Esker is the name. Pleased to meet you, Vixen."

And then something caught his attention. A scent.

Esker blinked, but kept his expression rather neutral. His warrior training had given him the prowess to detect even the slightest smells. And while he suspected they were being watched, the other wolf’s scent had been muted by water. If they were being watched, the stranger didn’t appear to want to be noticed. And if he was a threat, he would have come at them straight on. But he didn't, so Esker didn't worry.

As long as he wasn’t planning to attack, Esker didn’t particularly care to address him. He’d let him do as he pleased. Besides, Esker had a plan.

Not letting Vixen onto the fact they might have had an observer lest that cause any panic at all, he merely continued to chat with her, a small chuckle escaping his lips. “Oddly enough, it’s much the same for me. I haven’t run into anyone else, and wasn’t necessarily looking, either. Yet here we are.” A goofy smile remained on his face.

Refreshed by his pleasant talk with her, he took a stand. “I don’t know about you, but I could use a snack. Hungry?”

Before she could answer, he paced down to the water’s edge. Back home, there had been a lake, too. And while he preferred hunting prey that made its home on land, fish were nothing to turn his nose up at. He’d had them as a meal on more than one occasion—in fact, several times, now that he thought about it.

“I’ve done this before, once or twice,” he said, wordlessly referring to the act of fishing. The smile was apparent in his voice, even though his back was to the female. “It might do me some good to try again, huh?”

Then, he raised his voice. Perhaps his next proposal would grab the attention of the mysterious onlooker. He certainly knew it’d do it for him, if he was in such a position. “You’re welcome to try, too,” he invited, not speaking to the female or the stranger in particular, and instead letting them think what they would. “It’s rather fun, if not challenging.”

[Fierfly]

Renegade:

He felt a small, laugh-less smile tug at the edge of his mouth. Well, well, these cubs were no fools after all, he'd certainly misjudged them, a pleasant surprise considering that he seldom really "missed" anything.

"Well, well, well Esker," he mused silently, "You found me. Not surprising, I sense a warrior's blood in you, still - not bad my friend. You issue me a 'challenge' and I will accept - just not right now. I am a Renegade and now it's time for me to wander once more. Maybe we'll meet again and I can take your challenge then. Maybe..."

The limber black male slid silently back into the water and paddled back to his previous position at the lake shore. He raised his nose once more to find Esker's scent. He'd remember it, he never forgot a wolf, especially not one that could so quickly find him. This cub was not really a cub, but an equal in the ways of stealth and survival and perhaps they would meet again. But the wind rushed in anew and the whisper on the wind called to him again. It was time to move on.

Keeping well out of sight but well within range to be sensed by the warrior, he broke into a free run, away from the lake, traveling on to wherever the wind would take him.

-Exit Renegade-

((Sorry I took him out so quick, but this is really going to help me establish an air of mystery for Ren which is vital for his character, and feel free to look him up later if you want to settle a score with him or just need something for one of your chars to do. Just keep in mind that - true to his name - he never stays in one place for very long. He's a Renegade.))