27/01/2006
Step, step, swat, swat, swat, swat, trip. Veronica is either chasing an invisible mosquito, or she's trying very hard to go through some kind of combat exercise. She's not so good at it, either, as evidenced by the way she keeps tripping over her own feet, hitting herself in the chest, arms and face with her own hands, and generally making a fool of herself. Her hair is tied back in a loose braid as she owrks her way back and forth along the edge of the lake.
Circle Keeper's not very loud in his approach, the Uktena toddling his way back from the bawn end of things as he makes his way up the valley. His chin tinged a little red from whatever apparently ended up dinner, he seems lethargic an inordinately mellow for an Ahroun. When he makes it to the end of the lake, he stares up to the west bank where the longhouse and Maqii are, watching the cub with mild bemusement. When details fail to become readily apparent, the Uktena hops up on a log, using the raised vantage to try and resolve the kilometre-distant cub.
Veronica's flailing continues, getting rapider and more disjointed until finally she catches her heel with her other foot and falls on her face. The cub yells a curse, then shoves herself back to her feet. "I can't do it!" she shouts at the lake in general, apparently resolving to pout her way to success against her enemies. Swinging an arm around lazily, she stomps in a circle, then starts back towards the longhouse, shoving her hands into her armpits.
Circle Keeper, from his lofty vantage, peers about from the tree line to the other shore of the lake, looking for anyone Veronica might be talking to. When he doesn't imediatly see anyone, his head cocks to the side as he peers at the teen herself. Hopping off the log, he begins to lumber on over towards the inhabited area, tail sweeping along behind him as he goes.
The Galliard stomps along, oblivious for the moment as she sulks. No tears this time. She just walks, stretching out her arms and shoulders as she goes. When she finally does look up, the white wolf draws her eyes. She pauses where she is, then purses her lips and leans forward to pick out details that help her tell the difference between her elders. "Circle Keeper?" she finally calls in his direction.
Circle Keeper's head, and ears, lift high upon hearing his name, looking from side to side before he finally settles on the cub. He comes to a dead stop, tail inching a bit higher unconsciously as he sniffs in her direction.
The tang of sweat, a bit of blood and none of her previously ever-present perfume filter back through the wolf-senses of the Uktena. Veronica changes her direction, walking towards the wolf. Her pout goes away, though it's slow, and she puts a bit of a hop in her step. "How are you?"
Circle Keeper interdicts the cub about three fourths the way to the longhouse, the wolf being faster than the human shaped cub. But far from slowing or stopping, the Uktena continues on back towards the clearing. Almost absently, he informs the other that he is currently healthy.
Veronica glances at the longhouse, then at Circle Keeper. "Where are you going?" she calls after him, turning and running to keep up with him. "Can I come too?" Slow little human legs are given up on right quick, and the girl takes a moment to shift to wolf form.
Circle Keeper slows, and slowly twitters to a stop, turning around to face the cub by the lake. This one is going here, he shows her readily. He even stamps a foot to make the issue clear. He's especially slow to add that he /thinks/ cub can be here.
Fledgling trots up alongside him, sniffing the ground, her tail waving low. Why here? She looks around, as though the reason for Circle Keeper's run must be completely obvious. Is something special here? Food or wolves?
Circle Keeper's head once more scans about, ears perked and intent as he listens closely. His nose quivers with each sniff, not unlike a bloodhound on the scent, and his eyes are narrowed into intent little slits. Sniffing the chilly wind from the north, he slow turns back to the cub. Isn't, he tells her, before he summarily trots over to the water and dips his head down. His tongue laps rapidly, the Uktena greedily guzzling the water to hydrate himself.
Fledgling huffs and sits on her butt, giving the elder a slightly disappointed look. This one met a wyrmcomer last night, she finally says. Getting to her feet, she pads to the lake and joins him in having a drink. The big one. The high ranked one.
Circle Keeper'd appear to miss about half of what the cub's telling him, only looking back to catche the tail end of what she said. Chin dripping from all that depriving fishes of water, the wolf's ears skew, and then perk again. What is big?
The shadow alpha... She chuffs, then her ears flick to and fro as she tries to work out the right word. The shadow wolf. The dark ones, the thunder ones. Wyrmcomers. This one met their elder last night. Veronica cleans her muzzle of water thoughtfully. She had just hurt one of her wolves very badly.
Thunder Tribe. he supplies readily, tongue reaching down as he tries to lick his dripping chin. Circle Keeper doesn't look all that surprised at any of the news, nor particularly alarmed. Culls-the-Apes-Rhya is Adren, he informs her very matter of fact.
Fledgling huffs. What is rhya? she asks. Culls-the-Apes did not say rhya when this one heard her name. Do Thunder Tribe hurt their own wolves much? And... The cub whines, and takes another lap at the lake. And eat humans much?
Circle Keeper looks positively bombarded with all those questions, staring mutely at the cub as if he's trying to sort everything out into manageable categories. Rhya is bigger rank. Circle Keeper is Cliath, but Culls-the-Apes-Rhya is Adren. Bigger rank, so is Culls-the-Apes-Rhya.
Rhya is elder! The pup seems far too thrilled by this news. Her tail whips from side to side gleefully. So, Circle Keeper is Circle Keeper-rhya. This one will know now. What about Thunder Tribe? The tail slows considerably, though the cheerfulness is still there. Thunder Tribe fights, eats humans much?
Circle Keeper gives a flat 'no' to the question, starting to sog his way along slowly just a little way up the shore. He twists his head around to view the cub again, so to state, Eats two leggers much, yes.
Fledgling yelps. No! Why on caern? she demands, rushing at the Uktena. Eats? Really eats humans? Laws say no! She stop short of him, her posture dropping to something more submissive. Laws say no! Bad wyrmcomers!
Circle Keeper starts to get bent out of shape, and his mood is only slightly placated when the cub shifts her posture downward. His eyes round out, and jaws click shut. Law keepers punish thunder tribe for doing bad. Law keepers think law is good and kept.
Fledgling drops to her belly and shows throat immediately, stretching her neck up to lick at Circle Keeper's jaw. So not all thunder tribe eat humans? she asks from her prone position. Only some? Only lawbreakers.
Circle Keeper readily steps over the cub, standing astride her with his head raised high. He remains there for a moment, before lowering his back end down onto the cub sharply, and then stepping off. His tail irks out behind him as he starts heading for the maqii.
Fledgling stays down for a moment, then hares off after the Uktena, giving him a wide berth, and demonstrating overexaggerated supplication. This one is sorry, Circle Keeper-rhya.
Circle Keeper heads for the hide stretching frames, not quite paying the cub any attention as he makes his way over there with a quick pace. He stops at the base of one, and starts sniffing at the treated skin with acute interest. Walking around to the other side, as he faces the hind he almost seems to realize she's still there all at once, and he sneaks under the frame. All those dead animals smells seem to have him salivating, despite his recent meal. His head cocks to the side, whining out a vocal, yet wordless question to the Cub.
Fledgling pads up closer to the skin and takes a sniff as well, prancing around it in a circle, her tail starting to wag again. She ducks her head at the whine, then scuttles back a bit. Her ears prick. Meat in the longhouse. This one can bring? She offers, playbowing for a moment.
Circle Keeper huffs hard, mood turning slightly sour again. Shaking off his ruff with a sharp snap, he takes another step towards the cub: What is Cub wanting from Circle Keeper? he asks, more bluntly.
Fledgling backs up. This one...this one wants to understand wolf better. Wants to know more about Older Brother. This one does not see many elders. Wants to be friends. She tucks her tail and lowers her head, trying to appease the Ahroun.
Circle Keeper's annoyance turns to outright confusion, head skewing to the side as he peers at the cub. Is cub trying to join ridgeline-pack? he asks almost incredulously, like it was the most logical of explanations.
Fledgling cocks her head from her low position. This one is not ready for pack. This one wants to be Wendigo, would try very very hard to join ridgeline pack. But this one is still cub, no pack.
Why make this one happy? he asks. With Circle Keeper's only explanation being right out, his confusion returns with a vengeance. Will not mate with cub. Garou not mate with cubs or garou.
Fledgling's fangs flash for a moment. No mate! she protests. No mate! Law. Law important. Elders say Law very important. No mate! This one not want mate. Males stupid.
Circle Keeper's posture arches a little, shoulders pitching inward as he stares in the direction of the cub. Circle Keeper will not give cub his food, he states adamantly, like it was the most obvious thing in the world to tell her at this point. Feeds kin. Cub can ask kin for what is not eaten.
From afar, Circle Keeper watches CK run through his mental checklist. | Well, if she's not trying to mate, or get into my pack, then she's gotta be after my food.
Fledgling stays down, ears, tail and posture alike. Cub has food. Cub can hunt! She doesn't expand on the technicalities of her hunting prowess, which is limited at best. Cub not want Circle Keeper-rhya's mates or food or wolves or spirits or important things.
Circle Keeper's eyes narrow, leaning forward to sniff at the cub tepidly. After a long moment of peering, he finally asks, if not want to mate or get food or join pack... why does cub want this one to be happy at her?
Fledgling whines, still submissive in every bit of her posture. This one is lonely, she finally admits. This one likes elders, likes learning, but this one had brothers and other females in other home. This one had human-cub-learning-place. This one lonely.
Circle Keeper's confusion washes off like mud at the carwash, the Uktena suddenly seeming to possess crystal clear clear understanding. Cub wants other to fight with and talk at! He declares, suddenly all too chipper.
Fledgling cocks her head, and eventually her tail starts to wave. Yes? This one would like that much. Very much. Play? She licks her chops, her expression slowly transforming from upset to hopeful.
Circle Keeper turns around and starts to summarily leave. No good bye, no answer to her question. The Uktena just turns and begins to trot down the valley at a quick pace.
Fledgling huffs indignantly as she's abandoned, then hurries after him, sniffing at him as she gets closer. She doesn't ask another question, just follows a bit behind and to the side of the elder. The cub has gone into full 'good behaviour' mode.
Circle Keeper pulls to a stop after a small distance, quickly turning back to peer at the cub: Where is cub going? he asks seriously.
Fledgling stops and backs up. This one was following. Should go back? She takes a few more steps backwards, confusion plain along her face and posture. Circle Keeper is not clear.
Cub should stay at lake unless her elders take her to the bawn, he states slowly. Circle Keeper is going to the bawn.
Fledgling's head and tail drop. This one goes to the lake, she replies, trying to mask her disappointment by sniffing at the ground. Circle Keeper-rhya is good guardian. This one will stop bothering.
Circle Keeper's head cocks to one side, before he turns back and continues on his way.
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