Counting Steps (tagged)

[Blood]

@wiltingwallflower

Westariquo:

A brisk gust of wind blew through the forest, ruffling the gray and white furred he wolf as he trotted over the snowy ground. His callused pads crunched with each step on the frozen earth, but despite the weather, he remained decently comfortable with his thick coat for protection. West was still familiarizing himself with his new territory as he moved past the trees and bushes with long strides. He made his way around the boarder, calculating the distance in his steps. When he lived alone in the wild, he would often measure his traveling by steps, and so it made sense to him to gauge his territory by his accustomed system. With senses quite alert, West took in every detail of the forest area, documenting the scents and landmarks in his mental book of Secluded Sunrise. He hadn't matched every member's scent to their face, but he was becoming familiar with the pack's overall smell.

Another one of Blaise's boarder markers made the large male wriggle his nose as he passed by it, but he suddenly stopped short when he noticed a strange scent on the air. It was definitely another wolf, and West lowered his head as his sharp green eyes scanned beyond the territories' boarder. Ears forward and muscles slightly coiling, West inched forward, his neck fur began to bristle in caution. Why was he becoming so intense, he didn't even know what to do if a stranger was at the boarder. But this was his territory now, his pack, and he would protect it from any outside threat so long as he was able.

[Deleted]

Fable sniffs cautiously at the ground, looking around with darting eyes. The sound of a stick snapping behind her makes her entire body jolt, turning to face the cause in the same jump. Despite being on the defensive, her ears are back and her tail sways nervously, legs tensed to run. The only thing in the bushes though is a hare, which both causes her to relax and inch closer. She loves hares, not only for their taste but because they are one of the few creatures that are more anxious than herself.

As she inches closer, she loses focus on the things around her and more importantly the fact that she just passed the scent marker into a wolf pack's territory. When the rabbit sprints away, she flinches out of her daze. Those cream-colored ears flatten on her head but instead of leaving quickly, she slowly backs past the scent marker. All the while her cerulean gaze flicks around, her heart racing in fear. What if someone saw her? What if someone is going to come up to her and question why she entered the territory?

Not good. Not good, not good, not good, she thinks, those long legs of hers starting to tremble softly. At this point, her tail is between her thighs and her ears are so flat they are almost nonexistent. Despite having backed out of the territory and stopped, she stares into the woods ahead of her. Some part of her longs to be found, but that tiny part of her subconsciousness is snuffed out by fear.

[Blood]

West spotted the owner of the scent, a small she wolf cowering a few steps outside the boarder, but her scent had touched past the markings of the territory. Loping up to the boarder line, West watched the pale slender female as she looked with fear shrouding her crystal blue eyes. She could very well be seeking to join this pack, like I had done not long ago. He thought to himself, speculating by her stance that she didn't seem like a threat. Relaxing his tensed muscles, Westariquo let his demeanor express superiority but not in a threatening way. Just as Blaise had done when she approached him. What would she say to this strong she wolf? I guess I could always howl for Blaise if I need her help. The large gray male decided to wing it, and spoke in a deep voice. "Please tell me your name and why you have crossed Secluded Sunrise's boarder." That sounded stupid. I didn't even introduce myself first, what if she just runs away? Inwardly wincing, West waited for the reaction of the female, his face solemn.

[Deleted]

Fable whimpers anxiously, taking a shaking step away from the large male — larger than her at least. "I —," she begins, cutting herself off and swallowing dryly. The brute before her could do any of these possibilities. First, he could snarl at her and order her to leave, threatening her not to come back or else. Secondly, he could do the first without a thread. Thirdly, he could calmly ask her again, as she is obviously not going to give a clear answer. He could go the extreme and leap on her, maybe even kill her. Should she run, he may even chase after her. It is the last possibility listed, though not the last he could preform, that makes her stay put. However one of the last options terrifies her the most, as it always does with any situation she ever finds herself in: the male could do something even she would not expect. Being unable to predict things in the present is the root of her anxiety.
"I," she tries again, "r-rabbit... Rabbit... I... Sorry!" She slowly starts backing away again, unsure of her own words. "It...w-was an accident, I just saw the r-rabbit and I got dis-distracted by it and then it ran in there, and I stepped over...! I-I didn't mean to, I promise. I just got...d-distracted." The moment she starts speaking, she cannot stop, rambling until she realizes she'll start repeating herself if she doesn't stop. At this point her wide blue eyes are darting around like usual. While this would be comforting to someone who knows her behavior, her unease is painfully obvious. G-go... I should go. I should just run. But what if he stops me? What if he's mad? What if he doesn't let me leave because I'm a threat to his family? That's understandable, I mean a rouge just marching into a territory is suspicious. Bad wolf. It was an accident. It was an accident!

[Blood]

West suddenly forgot how stupid his introduction was as he heard the stutters begin to pour from her muzzle. She shrunk back even more, her actions consumed in fear. A soft grin slightly appeared on Westariquo's maw as he stood there unmoving. He felt bad for her, but listened to her spew of words with patience. The small she wolf was like a pup, innocent, afraid, and easily distracted, how did she survive on her own being so scidish. West was surprised she hadn't gotten herself killed yet, the outside world was harsh, and he knew that. She must be pretty smart then, or fast.

With what he understood, West didn't think accidentally crossing the boarder by getting distracted by a rabbit was much of a threat, so he wondered what he should do now. Pisht! She didn't even say her name in all her stuttering, or at least he didn't catch one. He would start it out right this time, and be a bit more sensitive, because she looked about to bolt. "I'm West, a subordinate of Secluded Sunrise. Your accident is forgiven, but would you like to seek the presence of my alphess Blaise about joining? His large ears swiveled to the side as West glanced at the ground,then returned his focus back on the she wolf.

[Deleted]

Fable pauses in her mental rambling, tilting her head at West curiously. He'd done the unpredictable but in a different way than she ever would expect. However the question is not one to her liking and she furiously shakes her head. "No! Nope, nope! I don't do well with other wolves," she states, her ears lifting slightly from her head. Her tail is untucked from her thighs, but it stays low and sways behind her nervously. There must be some reason why he didn't tell me to leave. But joining the pack? What kind of pack is it, again? What was the name again? Something with an 's'.... She shakes her head again, this time to clear her thoughts and to keep her from getting off track. "Y-you said you're name was West, right?" She doesn't say anything more after for a little while, just watching West curiously.

With some sudden mental cue, her gaze whips around, left, right, past West into the territory, and then over her shoulder. Being that there is a wolf in front of her, a large male at that, she quickly returns her eyes to him, making sure he hasn't moved at all. "Why'd you tell me your name?" she continues, one ear positioning itself higher than the other as she again tilts her head in confusion. Is a pack wolf not supposed to shoo you if you wrongly enter their territory? Her entire body jolts and she looks up quickly when a bird flies away from it's perch in a tree. She watches it leave and then goes back to monitoring West. Despite wanting to flood him in useless questions, she keeps to her own, waiting for him to say something that would provoke her to speak in return.

[Blood]

Westariquo raised eyebrow at her sudden reply and deliberate action of disapproval. Other wolves? she was completely opposite of him. West almost went insane because he had been alone for so long. He needed other wolves. "I can see that." He mumbled softly before continuing to speak more directly to her. "Well if you do not wish to join or speak to my alphess, then I would advise you to watch your step next so something worse than "I" wouldn't happen to you." With slight nod West flicked his tail and turned to leave the white and tan furred female at the border. Only a few steps were made before her soft voice spoke again, stopping his count. His green eyes held her reflection once more as he answered her respectfully. "It is, and you never told me yours." West hoped she would actually give him her name this time, because he wanted to have something to bring back to Blaise.

Curiosity was slightly evident in her eyes as West watched her, but her head was quickly turned and her crystal blue orbs focused on ten different objects at once before returning to him. Suddenly out of the blue, the she wolf asked the large grey male a strange question. He stared at her pup-like tilted head for a few seconds of confusion before giving the best answer he could think of. "Out of respect of course, and what other name are you supposed to know me by." West dropped his ears for a second before perking them up again. His gaze rested upon the female. Why was her personality is so confusing.

[Deleted]

(lol, my character in one word: confusing)


Fable's tail raises a little bit at the word "respect" as it is not a word she hears often, if ever. "My name's Fable," she responds softly, head no longer tilted and ears perked happily. And then she glances around her once more, though in a calmer manner than before. After looking back at West, ears flinching back to their low position, she states, "I..I've, um, never been in a pack before... Is it nice...West?" Her tail wags a bit more, a more happy vibe around her after saying the wolf's name. The name is nice in her mind, simple and, while unpredictable, something that doesn't need thought. He seems nice, but I can't move any closer. He could be just indulging me to lure me in closer, and right when my guard is down he could attack. I can't lower my guard at all. Not at all.

[Blood]

Fable, finally the she wolf complied to his request. He repeated the name several times in his head to plant it in memory. The name suited her, for some reason she just looked like a Fable. "Thank you." West said shortly, "Now we are both introduced, and if you ever do change your mind, howl." Slowly his large body began to turn away from her again as he assumed the conversation was over. Apparently the she wolf was not though, and West stopped again as he heard her ask another peculiar question. Never been in a pack... go figure. Before answering, the male reminded himself the number of steps he was at when he stopped the first time. "Being in a pack is nice, we are like family, we always have each other's back." A faint glow illuminated his sea green eyes as he looked at her small petite form. West had been in a few packs before Secluded Sunrise, but they didn't work out very well for him, they never felt like family. Although West hadn't been apart of Secluded Sunrise for very long, he just knew it was going to be different, they were going to become the family he had always wanted. Of course West didn't want to tell this new acquaintance of his that he had just joined, but left her thinking otherwise. Graciously he waited a few moments longer in case Fable was not yet finished speaking with him.

[Deleted]

Fable's brows furrow and she looks away, growling softly at the ground. "If family is like that, then I've never had a family," she states lowly, almost not talking to West at all. She shakes her head for the third time, the second for clearing her thoughts, then giving her surroundings a once-over. "West, are you sure being in a pack is hat nice? Aren't you ever scared they could suddenly not want you? Aren't you scared about doing something wrong and getting kicked out? Isn't it scary being surrounded by so man wolves whose thoughts you can't predict, and all you can hope is that they aren't thinking violently about you? Not knowing what others are thinking is terrifying because they could just be pretending! Doesn't that frighten you?! You always need to watch your back because someone could be ready to kill you from behind, right when you let your guard down, right when you think they've accepted you, someone could think differently from the others! And that someone, despite knowing that they'll get in trouble, kills you because in their thoughts, which you could never know or predict, you are the worst wolf they know and are better off dead!" Her ears have gone back on her head, her tail between her hind legs and forelegs shaking. The fae's eyes are wide and panicked, shoulders heaving with each harsh breath. "Is that not scary to you...? You can never know what's going on in someone else's head, and you'd never be able to tell if it was bad—if they act differently outward—until they finally turn their violent thoughts into actions... How...how can you live like that? In such close proximity to other wolves? All animals are unpredictable, but dullwolves don't recognize that in our own kind! And the ones they have recognized it in are being sent away! And for what?! For the safety of those who are only hiding their insanity?! Even the most crazed wolf must have some part of them that is scared!"

She is breathing even harder by the time she stops ranting, eyes darting around as they had a few minutes ago when she was less relaxed in front of West. The one thing she doesn't dare to look at is the wolf a good three meters from her; she is scared to see his face—scared to see if the wolf she has released her fears to will, in return, be scared of her for speaking of frightening things. He could be doing one of two things, not including the universal option of unpredictable things. One, he could be frightened of her for thinking such crazy things, and he may chase her away as he had not before. That, or he could be honestly contemplating her words and feel fearful of his pack because of those words. She doesn't manage to catch her breath before beginning to slowly back away. Her rump hits something and she yelps in fear, leaping and turning to face her attacker—a tree. She shakes her head and then looks toward the group, still panting. I look and sound like a fool. A mentally unstable wolf with senseless fears. An idiot! Digging her molars into her tongue, she glances quickly at West's paws, seeing if he has moved.

[Blood]

Westariquo's eyes skeptically caught her brows furrow and heard her growl to herself. In doubt he dropped his ears and lowered his head an inch. He was right, she did have more to say, but what she said next, shocked him. With the first few sentences she spoke, his heart dropped. Those were his exact fears. Every pack he was ever in from his birth pack too Secluded Sunrise he hoped he would be accepted, that he would be worthy enough to become part of their family, but it never turned out how he hoped, and he was always left with deeper insecurities from when he was first abandoned by his parents who didn't see worth in him. Even now West was unsure whether the wolves of Secluded Sunrise would accept him for who he was or not.

Fable continue to spew sentences from her mouth, each word dripping with emotion. Her passion was real as West stared blankly at her petrified form. In only a few moments, the shewolf had shared her overwhelming anxieties with him, whether she knew she was or not. Behind his expressionless gaze West couldn't decide if her bluster was for her own concern or if she was trying to protect him and making excuses for him to leave his new pack. West was pretty sure Secluded Sunrise was not an evil pack, but he was for the most part still weary about the motives of the other members. Fable did have a point, but he wasn't going to not be part of a pack for that reason. No matter how risky it would be, West had to have other wolves to stand by, he wouldn't give up on seeking the family you never had. Even if it meant walking the entire valley.

Sympathetically he dropped his head and slowly shook it before voicing his soft response. "Joining a pack is a risk anywolf is going to have to take, and be willing to throw their safety out in the paws of their pack mates for the sake of trust. When trust grows, a family is born, and even death can't easily break that." West's eyes returned to her that were avoiding contact. He watched her fearfully step back and bump into a tree. Her cry of alarm sounded in the cold air, but he ignored it as he continued. "For that bond of trust I am willing to take any chance no matter how dangerous."

[Deleted]

Fable shakes her head repeatedly as West speaks, growling lowly to herself and finally louder at him, looking him dead in the eye now. Those soft, innocent blue eyes have now become as cold as ice, jagged like rocks at the bottom of a cliff, but no less are they scared. "Trust isn't real. Trust is just another lie! You're lying to yourself, putting yourself in danger, and for what?! Just to be close to other wolves?! Trust is a lie... All of it's a lie. They use that against you, using words like, 'don't you trust me?' and then they finally tell you the truth. They hated you all along... I feel bad for you, West. You're a good wolf and you don't deserve to die, but it's practically guaranteed now," she rambles, shaking her head slower and eyes once again liquid. She backs up again, the tree out of the way this time. "Watch your back, West. You never can know or predict what others are thinking, and you never can tell just by their words. It's in the eyes, and when it's not there... A wolf who covers his eyes has secrets, and often times those secrets are dark, and violent, and if they're iced over when they look your way, it's possible my insane antics are right."

[Blood]

West abruptly noticed Fable's escalation towards him, but calmly finished his reply. The once timid crystal blue eyes now glared at him with ice daggers and overwhelming fear. Fable suddenly lashed out in words towards him, and West was taken aback by her outburst. Surprise flashed across his face but he stood his ground unmoving as he tried to comprehend the meaning of her emotions. She obviously had a problem with trust, but West kept hearing her fears although they were directed as remarks towards him. Fable's eyes were glossed over as Westariquo looked at her with a sad tint in his green orbs while trying to listen to her spew.

With her voice playing in his ears the only thing he could think of was how bad she must have been hurt by another wolf to become like this. Trust was something unpredictable, but something you had to believe in. West didn't know where his thoughts were going. This female was making everything seem so difficult. The gray male didn't know how to react; was she threatening him, warning him, or just angry. With a slow drop of his gaze, West let out a short breath from between his front fangs before lifting his eyes back to the distressed shewolf. "Thankyou for your concern for me Fable." He paused to let his calm words sink in, and then continued. "I am sorry you do not wish to be with other wolves, but my alliance is with my pack, and whether they wish to kill me or not, my loyalty will be true. I do not walk blindly either, trusting them or not, and though I can not predict the mind of a wolf I know where I stand. You can not waver me with what you say, for all I know, you could have hidden intentions of harm, but here I am talking with you. Many other wolves are in the same knot, struggling with trust yet they have to lead other wolves or place their life on the fate of another's intentions, yet they do not abandon their hope because of it." West surprised himself this time as he let his mind be voiced, but he was still unsure if his actions were just or if Fable would burst out in another rant of degrading his groundedness. Maybe he shouldn't have said anything, his insecurities slowly crept into his mind. West slightly regretted saying what he did, but finally let it go, for what was said, was said. A few moments passed before West decided to speak a last bit more. "I appreciate your warning, and thank you for talking, Fable... it meant something to me." Intending the conversation to be over, the large male wolf bowed his head and smiled kindly at the shewolf.

[Deleted]

Fable stares at West with wide, shocked but confused eyes. Despite the fear rooted deeply inside of her, bewilderment shines more truely now. After her rambling about him putting himself in danger and being a dullwolf, he is still insisting on trusting the pack he knows nothing about? How dumb is this wolf? And to be thanked for her worries makes no sense to the fae whose been shunned her entire life. Instead she growls lowly at West, the sound anxious and confused and not at all aggressive. "Then... Fine...," she mumbles, eyes liquid again. His smile and patience with her is not like what she has experienced from anyone else. Had she rambled to a different wolf, they would have scolded her for such thoughts—thrown her to the ground and snarled at her for speaking badly on their pack. That, or they would have told her to simply shut up, told her she was a nuisance.

She glances around and then gives West another confused look before staking a few steps backward. "You're an odd wolf. You unnerve me." Like she really has any room to talk. "I'm leaving." Despite her words, she continues, for a few minutes, to watch West with that befuddled gaze. And then she finally pays more attention to her departure and does a thing she would never do with anyone else—she turns her back on West, though she keeps glancing back at him, and trots away.


~ Exit Fable ~

[Blood]

Panic flashed through west's mind as he saw Fable staring at him in bewilderment. Had he said something wrong, was his body language to agressive? With a nervous quick glance around, West shuffled his paws for a second but then told himself to relax. A rumble came from her throat, but it sounded confused scared. West watched the small female who seemed very unsure about herself now. She mumbled, and West felt relieved when she didn't argue back again, but at the same time he wanted to keep talking with her.

Doubt was clearly written on the she wolf's face as she peeked around and began to move away once more. Fable spoke again, West's ears perking, but he inwardly sighed when she stated her departure. Sympathy gripped his heart, he felt bad for her living in fear all by herself. She needed to be around other wolves despite her anxiety. For a moment West stared compassionately into Fables crystal blue eyes before she turned her back and walked away. Before she took too many steps, West spoke up, "I am honored to have met you Fable, and I hope you have safe travels." There was a pause before his voice lowered to a hushed rumble. "Good bye Fable." It was something about her name that he kept repeating it, that maybe if he said it more she would change her mind, but that though quickly vanished as well as her form in the distance.

Slowly turning, West went his way, counting his steps as he walked the boarder of Secluded Sunrise. The she wolf's voice playing in his head.

-exit Westariquo-