The Patrol [closed]

[Meds]

((This is the thread where Manaaki and Topaz are finishing off her training when Maachah intrudes. Argus, maybe wait until Tiel has posted first, then go ahead )) Tiel Argus

Manaaki;

Today was another fine day. Manaaki and Topaz had been training in scouting for four long seasons. Topaz was no longer the young and unsure pup she was that Manaaki had first met; in fact, they were out on another border patrol that day (one of many, of course), and it looked as if her training was wrapping up. They were doing this border patrol together so that Manaaki could fine tune any last-minute problems, but after this he figured she was ready.

Topaz had never done a patrol completely on her own, though she had scouted portions of a days' run by herself. Fortunately, however, she had never come across any issues as of yet. This made Manaaki very happy, for it showed her that most of the time, a Scout's job was relatively stress-free.

The large silver giant made his way to the meeting spot where they would start their patrol that day. It was the same spot that Manaaki had first taken Topaz, back when The Border was a mysterious and somewhat frightening concept. Now it was old-hat, though Manaaki hoped his little trainee would still give it the respect it deserved. Really, aside from Scouts making sure nobody came into the territory, the Border was a rather made-up concept. All it was was an invisible line marked by himself and the other Scouts. But that did not mean it did not have significance. This imaginary line was what Manaaki had been instructed to protect and watch.

Brown-ringed eyes flicked up to the sky. It was early still, but the temperature already spoke that it would be a hot day. All the better, Manaaki thought to himself with a rueful smile. Sometimes, Scouts had to do their job without convenient breaks for water or shade. It wasn't all glamorous—today, Topaz would learn that.

[Tiel]

((Sorry I didn't post until now! This thread slipped my mind. Argus ))

Topaz:

Any day now, Topaz would rank. Frankly, she was getting bored of training. She felt useless. Just a shadow of Manaaki's. She would not be able to serve her pack until she ranked, and over the course of her training, her mood had gone from eager, to tired. She was tired of doing the same thing over and over again. Not that she would be doing anything differently as a full on scout, she would still do border patrols daily. But she wouldn't have to follow her mentor around all the time, and packmates would no longer see her as Manaaki's little trainee. She'd actually be useful to Secluded Sunrise.

That day, Topaz was definitely not expecting anything interesting to go down. The morning was warm and pretty, and from much experience, Topaz understood that interesting things rarely took place on warm and pretty mornings. The weather had been like this for most of the summer—clear skied and pollen scented. Topaz was craving a thunderstorm, or just some clouds, even. But today was average again, and only average things would happen.

Waiting at the southwestern border, the spot they had first begun training at, Manaaki looked ready for an easy, stress-free, average patrol. Compared to the beginning of Topaz's training, she was excellent at angling her way through the trees to get to the border now. She had done it so often already, she didn't have to think about directions anymore. Her muscles remembered what to do to get her from one place to another with ease.

Topaz felt wind guiding her paws as she strode through the vegetation toward her trainer. She felt wind in her fur, on her face, gusting her tail. Nowadays, Topaz always noticed the wind. It had become a little part of her when she had been gifted Current from Goddess Sheba, and now she barely remembered what it had been like without the wind on her side.

She flashed her teeth at Manaaki, then harnessed the air around her to create a small current gusting toward her trainer. Her mouth opened as she allowed her creation to pick up her voice and carry it toward his ears. "Good morning," the breeze whispered. Only Manaaki would be able to hear it.

Then she trotted up next to him, her tail pointed, ready to begin the patrol. She was smiling, despite her mediocre mood. Topaz seldom stopped smiling.

[Argus]

Maachah was wandering, unsure of where PinkHeart was, but quite sure of the fact that he didn't know where he was either. He rarely came to this part of the valley, knowing that some rather large packs made their homes around here, but he had searched everywhere else. If he didn't find her here, then he would have to assume that she had left the valley or somehow died. Maachah wasn't saddened by this fact nor was he happy. He was used to being alone and he would survive with or without a mate. He had always thought that he preferred life without one, and even now it was true. It was easier, and he never had to worry about saying the wrong thing and having to travel in angry silence. Still, he felt it only fair that he look for her, knowing she would have likely done the same for him. He just didn't have to be happy about that.

He continued walking, his gaze now on the clear blue sky. It was a pretty day and he reveled in it, enjoying the sun on his dun fur. He was full of dust again and the black socks on his legs were almost entirely brown now, but he wasn't worried too much about how he looked. He never did care much for how other wolves thought of him, but he tried to be decent to them when he met them. He did prefer being alone and many assumed that he was lonely, but he wasn't. He looked ahead and saw trees around him. There weren't a lot of unclaimed territories that had trees and even fewer in the general area he was in. He saw no wolves patrolling the area for intruders, so he allowed himself to relax.

Then he saw a flash of what looked like fur and tensed up again. Maybe it was just my eyes, or maybe it was just a few wolves that had randomly encountered each other. He shifted still not believing the excuses he had made himself. He had a feeling of wrongness like he was in a place he shouldn't have been, and now all he wanted to do was bolt. Then he realized that the wolves he had supposedly seen weren't moving any closer to him, and his curiosity was piqued. He knew he should leave before they noticed him, but he wasn't even sure if he was trespassing. After all, there had been no obvious marks or visible lines drawn to mark this as the beginning of a pack's territory. He shifted and strained his ears to try and see if they would say anything which would tell him if they were indeed on pack land. They hadn't said anything yet as far as he was aware so maybe they were waiting for something to happen. What exactly they were waiting for was the question.

[Meds]

Manaaki;

At first, Manaaki half-wondered if his prodigy would be late, but soon a tell-tale breeze had come to him, ruffling his grey (and now silver with movement) fur and whispering a hello. He turned smoothly into the wind, and soon enough, Topaz came into his view. Of course she wouldn't have been late—she hadn't been yet. She took the whole training-ordeal very seriously, even when she grew tired of it. Manaaki himself had occasionally become bored when he was starting out as well, for until one was really and truly alone on a border patrol, with no backup to speak of and only one's own competence as company, it could be slow. But all it took was one stranger—one curious or out of place detail—to bring the day to life.
He gave a deep nod to her, quite fond of his trainee after the seasons they had spent almost exclusively together.

"Good morning, little one," He said, his voice a dull throb. He grinned and flashed his own large teeth back at her. She was young still, only slightly gawky—certainly not so young as she once had been—but still smaller than him, and so his statement stood. She hated it, he knew, but as her trainer, Manaaki thought he was allowed a gentle level of heckling; besides, keeping one's face and appearing aloof and calm in all situations made for a strong scout. "Depending how our day goes, Topaz," He continued. "I think we might be just about done with this whole thing... You know so much now, you've absorbed what I've taught you well. Do not think this means there is nothing left to learn, for a scout is always learning, but I think that after today, I would be comfortable letting you continue that learning on your own." Of course, he would still be there, he just wouldn't be in charge of her anymore. It would be really helpful, actually, having a scout that he had trained working alongside him. The better a pack's scouts knew each other, the more protected the pack would be.

Suddenly then, the wind that Topaz had been controlling lessened and the natural direction of the breeze pick up once more, bringing with it an unfamiliar scent. Manaaki's head flicked almost imperceptibly to the side, but he held off, waiting to see how quickly Topaz would notice, and what her reaction would be.
How lucky that before they had even officially started their patrol, something exciting might happen. He was there, and had no fear of strangers, but as far as he knew, Topaz had never even met a non-pack wolf; at least, not while on duty.

[Tiel]

Topaz:

Topaz didn't like being called "little one." It felt condescending. However, she permitted it coming from Manaaki, since by now she knew him well, as he did her. He wasn't trying to belittle her, he was just poking fun at her. And really, the truth was, the infamously large Manaaki could probably call anyone "little one" and get away with it, as could his infamously large twin. Topaz wrinkled her muzzle in distaste, allowing her trainer the satisfaction of pestering her with a nickname she disliked, then smiled to show that she wasn't overly offended.

Manaaki went on to discuss how Topaz had improved over the course of their training, and soon she would be ready to rank. The news had an immediate effect on her mood, and the eagerness that had brightened the days of her earlier training suddenly returned. Her eyes lit up, she smiled, her tail danced about. Topaz nodded. "Great!" she said. "That's great news!"

Then there was a scent that drifted through the air. It wasn't, itself, a particularly threatening scent, but it was unfamiliar. And considering the situation, Topaz being an almost-scout on her pack's border, an unfamiliar scent was a threatening scent.

Topaz's eyes widened at Manaaki. She scanned his face for any sign that he noticed it as well, but he was completely calm. Certainly he noticed it, too, but he wasn't reacting to it. No. It was a test. This was Topaz's final trial before she ranked, and Manaaki was waiting to see what she would do about it. It was almost as though Manaaki had set this up on purpose, an intruder on their border right before she ranked. Some would call it luck. Others would call it fate. Others would call it the Power. Topaz, an orphan who had managed to find a home in Secluded Sunrise, trek to the White Wolves and receive the gift of Current from Sheba, called it the Power.

Topaz thought fast. Her nose twitched. Her head snapped to where the scent had come from. She scanned the vegetation before her. Wind was strong, Topaz knew better than anyone, and it could have carried the intruder's scent a long way before the smell thinned out, so it was hard to tell if the stranger was close or far.

She narrowed her eyes. Nothing but leaves, leaves, and was that.... a star? It was snowy white, glinting in the sun, and as soon as Topaz saw it, the rest of the picture immediately came into focus. A wolf was hiding behind the shrubbery, his pelt a natural color that would've camouflaged well, but the star on his forehead was a dead giveaway. Topaz couldn't tell how muscular he was, peering through plants, but he was definitely tall. Of course, not as tall as Manaaki. Topaz wasn't sure anyone was, except for Kanga.

Topaz didn't wait to see what her trainer would do about it. She stalked forward a little. There were two of them — maybe Manaaki could be counted as three — and only one of him. If he meant trouble, they could take him, and if they couldn't, it was in their job description to try. However, starting with violence immediately seemed unwise. Saying something first, to test the waters, was smarter. Topaz bared her teeth to show that she would be willing to bite back if he tried anything, then said slowly, "I see you, trespasser."

[Argus]

Maachah froze up even more if that was possible. His eyes rounded, and he looked around for any possible escape. He didn't know what to do anymore but he knew what he should have done when he first heard the silver wolf speak. He saw the tiny flick of his head and knew he had been noticed. He didn't know why he didn't leave then but chose to believe it was because he didn't have enough time to get away. In reality, it was because he knew he wouldn't have been able to outrun both of the wolves and running would just have made him look more suspicious than he already did.

He didn't know what to think about these two, but he knew that he was on pack lands now. Apparently, the smaller female was in training to be a scout. Not that it mattered much to him what she was training to be. He wasn't part of a pack, and never would be, had no wish to be and therefore he had no business with these wolves beside the fact that he had accidentally wandered onto their lands. He understood that it was their job to watch and stop trespassers, so he felt the need to assure them that he wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

He just didn't know how he was supposed to do that. The small female proclaimed that she saw him, and he rolled his shoulders. Might as well get this over with. "You do? Darn, I thought I had found a pretty decent hiding spot." He was joking of course, because that was how he coped with situations like this. He was very aware that this wasn't the time or place for jokes and he did his best to remind himself of that fact. He did know that joking was a lot better than telling them off another of his coping mechanisms. That would definitely get me in trouble. It was a good thing he only did that when he felt the other wolf thought they were better than him. He was a loner and traveler by choice, not because he couldn't be part of a pack.

He walked slowly from the trees he had been concealing himself behind and smiled abashedly at the others. "I take it I'm intruding on pack lands? Terribly sorry about that. I was looking for someone and just wasn't paying all that much attention." He took a moment to really study the two wolves since his view of them was no longer obstructed by the leaves and branches. One was a silver giant and the other was a smaller dark brown and cream wolf.Yep. I definitely would have lost a race with these two. He shifted uncomfortably in the previously pleasant morning.

His eyes darted around, and he smiled nervously and rolled his shoulders again. He hoped it didn't come to any conflict, but he knew that there certainly was a chance that they would want to punish him for trespassing on their pack's land. He didn't think he was doing himself any favors by staying here though and with this realization, he stood up a little straighter. "Well, she's obviously not here, so I'm pretty sure I have no reason to be here. Should I just leave now?"

[Meds]

Manaaki;

His little jibe got to Topaz, but only on the surface. Manaaki had known it would not grate against the bone—they had grown too close for that. She knew the way his mind worked, and he hers. He would not poke fun to intentionally hurt her, only to perhaps bring a reluctant smile to her face. It worked, in any case.
And then, to Manaaki's pleasure, Topaz caught the scent almost as quickly as he had. She was considerably less subtle in her noticing of it, with her head snapping towards it and her hackles raising. Manaaki watched her all the while, closely and quietly. He watched her eyes dart back and forth until finally settling on a target. His face remained blank as she called out to the trespasser. He nodded inwardly.
Direct, confident, and with only a hint of hostility. Good.

The male called out to them then and slowly emerged from the bushes—slowly and cautiously. Manaaki had half a mind that the intruder moved with care on purpose, which could mean a number of different things. Probably, he was either moving slowly to show them that he meant no harm (the more likely case), or he was moving slowly to fool them into thinking that he meant no harm. He sized them up, eyes drifting over both frames. Manaaki stood behind Topaz like a great and unmoving silver shadow. He said nothing.
The male explained that he had been looking for somebody, and had accidentally crossed over into Secluded Sunrise. He then asked if he should just leave. Manaaki's eyes flicked to Topaz.

Manaaki himself didn't get a bad feeling about the male, but that did not mean that the male was being honest. For all either of them knew, he had 'accidentally' trespassed, when in reality was getting a feel for the land and where the border was sheltered and hidden by trees. For all the knew, he could have been mapping out the edge of their territory all night until they caught him.
Then again, perhaps he really had been looking for somebody.
In any case, it was Topaz's job to think along all of those lines. Manaaki still said nothing, appearing even more like a great shadow, giving his prodigy time to think. His eyes did not move from the stranger's face, but he was not giving out a hostile air. If Topaz were to look back at him, she would see a calculated blank, a canvas waiting to be coloured the way that she reacted. Whichever direction she went, Manaaki intended to support her.

[Tiel]

Topaz:

The intruder did not use a threatening tone of voice. He spoke conversationally when he assured the pair that trespassing had been an accident, but Topaz did not lower her hackles. This could've been a trick.

Manaaki made no move other than waiting and seeing what his trainee did next. This was clearly a part of the test, which Topaz did not plan on failing, thank you very much.
Still maintaining a mildly threatening posture, she watched the dun coated intruder emerge from his hiding place. Certainly he meant no harm, but one could never be too careful.

"I take it I'm intruding on pack lands?"

“I take it you’re right,” she said, voice low. She had intended to sound dangerous, but she still had the voice of a pup. She tried not to let her frustration show, though. Topaz was hyper aware of her trainer watching her every move. She could feel Manaaki’s eyes drilling into her back, studying the way she handled the situation. She wouldn't let him down.

"Well, she's obviously not here, so I'm pretty sure I have no reason to be here. Should I just leave now?"

“First of all,” Topaz snarled. “Even if ‘she’ was here, you'd still have no reason to be. Second of all, you're right. You should leave now. But don't you forget this is Secluded Sunrise territory. If you ever decide to come back, things’ll get uglier than this.”

She was tempted to steal a small glance behind her to see Manaaki’s expression after all this. Had her words been too strong? Not strong enough? She didn't want to look away from the trespasser, though, nor did she want him to see her for what she was, a vulnerable scout-to-be trying to impress her trainer. So, instead of looking back at Manaaki, she gathered up some wind slowly enough that the stranger would not likely notice what she was doing, then let it pick up her voice. She tossed the breeze back to Manaaki, letting it swish her tail along the way. “Clear your throat if I'm doing well?” the wind whispered, small and hopeful.

[Argus]

Maachah smiled grimly and inclined his head. He was jubilant at the thought that these wolves understood that it was a simple accident. He had no ulterior motive in being here and he certainly wasn't looking for any sort of trouble. He had sensed that the male was in charge here, and had been expecting him to reply to his disguised request to leave, but instead, the female had answered. Perhaps he had been incorrect in his musings on the hierarchy here, but he certainly wasn't going to squander his chance of leaving to find out.

He wasn't happy about the hostility of that reply, but it was true that he didn't belong here. He had no reason to be displeased with them, as it had been his fault that he came to be in the situation. Any suspicions he had of the younger one being dangerous had been erased when he heard her voice and now only the faintest glint of amusement at her voice remained in his eyes.

"Many thanks for your gracious understanding. You need not worry about seeing me here again." No, there was no need for that. His interest in any pack was not great, and his embarrassment over this incident would deter him from ever coming near this land again. His ears flicked as a slight breeze again cooled the day, but thought nothing of it. With his cheeks faintly warm, and his body full of relief that he had not been persecuted for a mistake he had unwittingly committed, he turned and left.

Exit Maachah

[Meds]

((Oh! That was quick xD But thanks Argus!!))

Manaaki;

Topaz spoke to him clearly enough that he would have had to be quite slow to miss the point. Even if his female was here, that didn't give him a right to waltz past well-marked borders, and if he really had been looking for her, could have asked for help, howled—anything, really.
Manaaki's face stayed blank, but his eyes twinkled as he listened to the previous-pup do a perfect job with the whole ordeal. Suddenly then, a little whisper of wind strayed to Manaaki's ears. Ah yes, her gift. So she wanted reassurance, did she? For a half-moment, Manaaki considered ignoring the request alltogether and turning it into another lesson, but the he realized that after today she would no longer just be his trainee, and that as a fellow-scout, reassurance while in the middle of a confrontation was sometimes very appropriate.
Manaaki coughed quietly, casually, so quietly that the male probably wouldn't have heard it, and allowed his tail to flick Topaz's own. She was doing fine, if she could just stay out of her head.

The male then gave a pleasant surprise as she thanked her, then was quick to take his own leave. Manaaki's brow lifted slightly, and he turned his neck fluidly to watch the stranger run off. Well, that was short and to the point. He might have hoped that a little something more had happened, to give Topaz more of a taste, but this was good too. More often than not, the interactions would go like that. Hopefully.

The silver and grey wolf turned to his trainee.
"What do you think?" He rumbled, giving her a rare smile. "I think you handled that entirely well. If you continue to conduct yourself that way in every situation—at least until given a reason to act otherwise—I think I have no issues ranking you.
I'll have a word with Betess Amora after today and fill her in—" He kept Amora out of his thoughts beyond mention of her name and rank reasonably well, focusing on the conversation at hand perfectly and not letting his mind wander.
Though it would be good to catch up with her...

[Tiel]

Topaz:

Manaaki cleared his throat. Topaz let out the breath she had been holding. She was doing fine. Better than fine, actually. Soon, she'd be a scout and situations like this one would come up all the time, and Topaz was ready.

“Many thanks for your gracious understanding. You need not worry about seeing me here again.”

She waited until the interloper was out of sight before she relaxed herself, teeth no longer bared. She turned around and looked up at Manaaki, who was smiling. Manaaki was careful with his smiles, Topaz knew from experience, so this must've been a situation that seriously called for one. She smiled back with the same easy smile that was never far from her, and her trainer began, “What do you think?”

What did she think? Topaz checked herself. She felt good. No, she felt awesome. After all, she had just defended her packland from an intruder, and she thought she had done a decent job handling the situation. She felt ready to be a scout.

“I think you handled that entirely well. If you continue to conduct yourself that way in every situation—at least until given a reason to act otherwise—I think I have no issues ranking you.”

Topaz did a little hop, her tail jittering about, then she nodded.
“I think I'm ready, too,” she said, then after a moment’s hesitation, added, “Thank you Manaaki. For everything. It's been great training under you, and I look forward to scouting by your side.”

She meant what she said — Manaaki had been an amazing trainer, and now they'd be working together for Secluded Sunrise. A grin spread across her maw. Topaz was a scout. She was a scout and she was ready to serve her pack.

— Fade Out (I think?) —