Navigation: Gambit Briar

Midday. It was warm out. The sun shone happily, clouds dancing in the blue sky. Birds chirped and bugs sang their buzzing, humming tunes. Someone gargled phlegm under a bush. Or at least, that’s what it sounded like. ”Bleah-ACK!” the guttural, ugly sound shredded through the charm of the afternoon. In a little alcove formed by a tangle of briars and woody vines, a tiny black mess of a creature was currently crouched and heaving. His tongue stuck out and his pale eyes bugged, and he hissed and hacked and coughed and gurgled. After a moment, victory came when a little bone was expelled from his throat and onto the ground, covered in saliva. ”Ah!” a shrill noise of dismay followed the bone in a similarly forced fashion. The little wolf wheezed and coughed some more, his eyes watering.

When he finally had his breath back, he took a moment to wait out the burning pain the effort had tortured his diaphragm with. He panted, glancing around. Wow, he had almost died and no one had been around to see! He didn’t know how he felt about that. He glanced back down to the small animal bone, and then to the pile of rot he had gotten it from. He had just gotten so excited… The fiend licked his lips, blinking away the tears his choking had involuntarily produced and straightening himself. He focused back on the rot. What a perfect, mushy black pile it was. He had navigated through a labyrinth of grabbing vines and tearing thorns to get to this! His prize. All the cuts that oozed and stung on his sides well worth it. A grin slapped haphazardly across his face, revealing an impressive display of teeth. Waiting no longer, he dropped his front to the ground and rubbed his chest and throat blissfully in his discovery.

Navigation - Gambit Briar

THE WOLVES WILL CHASE YOU IN THE PALE MOONLIGHT Drunk and driven by a devil's hunger... Ok, so strolling through the Gambit Briar had not been one of his smarter ideas.  Gingerly Hárekr slipped through the thorns, his movements sharp and precise as he attempted to get through with out his delicates getting scarred up to badly.  Truth be told he wasn't sure what he was expecting to find here but if he were to hide some nice treasures this seemed like a good place to do it.  Háre jerked his head to the side just in time to avoid bird droppings that splattered on the ground.  Oh those stupid little birds were mocking him he just knew- What the fuck kind of bird was that?  Ebony ears flicked forward at the strange hacking sound.  Carefully he followed the-  "OW!" scent….. well he'd just given himself away.  Bi-colored eyes peered under the thicket to see a small dark male hovering over a rotting carcass.  Hárekr's head tilted to the side.  "Hmmm… well it seems you're not a bird.  Who are you?  Whatcha got there?"

The previously solid-seeming form of the rot gave way immediately to a liquid-like consistence as the beastling pressed into it. It worked its way easily into his tangled fur, cool and slick and foul smelling (of course, that was what he liked). His little lips peeled back, flashing teeth in a delighted grin. His thoughts were absent as he bathed in the filth, his focus drifting until a sharp sound pierced his attention. The imp stopped suddenly, pausing where he was with his butt in the air and his chest on the ground. Wide blue eyes glanced back and forth, searching for a culprit.

He found it quickly – a strange looking wolf, a clash of black and white. It had different colored eyes too. There in the face, the beast saw not one but two. There was a yellow-eyed black wolf, and a blue-eyed white wolf. The body was white with tumultuous black patches that very much looked like they wished to escape. He was extremely intrigued.

His muzzle tipped up a little so that he might stare, unblinking and unbreathing, at the stranger for another moment. Then he inhaled sharply and stood. The fur on his chest hung down in slick clumps and a newly revived stench emanated from him. A few inky drops of rot dangled and stretched until there were naught but mere threads holding them onto his fur, and then they broke and fell with soft plops to the ground. He licked his lips idly. ”Not a bird – Cesar,” he provided plainly, oblivious to the grand social transgression he was committing by steeping himself in something so repulsive.

He cocked his head then and glanced back to the heap of death. ”Mmmm, eh-uh,” he shrugged, making a noise of unknowing. ”It’s dead. Been dead. Pretty good,” he sniffed, wiggling his nose to one side and then glancing back to the stranger. A sudden suspicion entered his pale eyes. Did this wolf want to take it all for itself? Oh, he did not want that. Maybe… maybe they could negotiate. ”Does he want some? Cesar will let him have, hmmm…. this much,” he stepped back so the stranger could see him draw a claw through the mush, cutting off about a third. ”No bones,” he added, with some firmness. Although they had almost killed him, he wanted them.  

THE WOLVES WILL CHASE YOU IN THE PALE MOONLIGHT Drunk and driven by a devil's hunger... Cesar? Huh, was that this odd little coyotes name? Hárekr's left ear flicked back as he continued to gaze curiously at the scrappy little male, pondering if he was Loki in disguise just waiting to play a trick on him. Háre laughed as Cesar offered him some of… whatever that was. Still it was highly amusing how the wolves of Alacritis seemed to want to feed him. First Sin, then Bernadette now Cesar? "So nice," Hárekr purred. "But alas I am full. I've been munching on little songbirds." Hárekr glanced over the scarred and chewed up male. "Are you a fighter of some sort or a punching bag?" He chuckled. "Looks like something's been chewing on you!" Hárekr crouched down to get a better look at the other male, carefully pushing a few thorny brambles out of his way. Háre wondered if the other male lived here? It was a rather safe little sanctuary and would certainly be difficult to spar in or give chase to the little wolf as he likely had a better idea of how the brambles grew. How interesting… Hárekr felt himself brimming with questions but he did not want to overload Cesar with questions especially as he was not quite sure what the other wolf's mental state really was.

He was pleased when the other wolf declined, said that he’d been eating birds. The imp nodded, and then dropped himself once more into his pile of mush. He looked up towards the other wolf while he asked a question. ”Punching bag?!” he squeaked indignantly, eyes widening. He hopped up again quickly, having smeared more rot onto his stomach. ”Nuh-uh! Cesar once beat up a wolf thiiiiis big,” he stretched and reached up far above his head. It was a true fact, but easily unbelievable to a stranger (and strangers were all that Cesar knew, anyways). He licked his lips and tilted his muzzle to the side, looking at the other from the corner of his eye with a sudden sheepishness, almost. ”It’s just, everybody’s very mean,” he added – explanation for the abundancy of his scars.

With a small grunt, he’d step forward, pressing through the briars to head towards the stranger with curiosity in his squinting, pale eyes. He squeaked, pausing for a brief moment after clumsily scraping his right foreleg on a thorn. He smacked his lips again as if it would help, and turned back to look towards the other wolf, forgetting the superficial but stinging scratch already. ”When did the white wolf eat the black wolf?” he asked, his eyes focusing intensely upon the other’s face, unblinking. There were two. ”Does the black wolf get to talk, or just the white wolf? What are their names?” he asked quickly, his voice sounding distant.
 

THE WOLVES WILL CHASE YOU IN THE PALE MOONLIGHT Drunk and driven by a devil's hunger... Hárekr didn't bother to stifle his giggle at the smaller man's indignant squeak. "Wow really? One that big?" His tail wagged and he grinned. "You must be quite the fighter." His mood quickly sobered as a shadow passed for a moment over his face. Yes… everybody was very mean, back there in that place, but that place was not here. Háre smiled toothily. "Aye, though everyone I've met here has been so nice. Everyone offers me food, have you met many Alacritians?" The smaller wolf moved towards him, pausing as he cut himself on a thorn. "You live in a very prickly place, why this pla-?" Háre's words were cut short as Cesar asked him a most curious set of questions. He felt a strange stirring in his gut a humming in his mind as both eyes narrowed cautiously. "I don't know what you mean… there is only me. Only Háre… " wasn't there? It was just him, right? Maybe he did some really awful things but everyone did really awful things and even if they didn't they were probably thinking about it. "Out of curiosity though, why do you ask?" It was an odd question to fall from the strangers lips and one that put him slightly on edge.

”Yuh-huh,” he nodded firmly, assuring the other of both his comment and observation. He cocked his head, feeling a pang of jealousy as the stranger told of his rather opposite experience. Oh, he wished people were nice to him! And getting offered food! Oh that was one of his favorite things (that also never happened). ”Yeeees,” he drew the word out with contemplation in his thin, high voice, ”but they don’t like Cesar very much. Noooo.” And what a shame it was.

The bigger wolf began to ask about his poor choice in where he was spending his time, but stopped abruptly as the imp’s own questions interrupted. He seemed confused. The little black wolf tilted his head to the side again, sticking his tongue into the side of his cheek. ”Mmm, there are two. He is two – a black wolf with a yellow eye, and a white wolf with a blue eye.” It seemed very obvious to the beastling. ”Never seen that before,” he mumbled aloud to himself. He moved forward more, carrying his palpable stench with him as he stuck out his nose with the intent of giving a thorough snuffling to the other man’s pelt. There must have been something different, something special about him!

THE WOLVES WILL CHASE YOU IN THE PALE MOONLIGHT Drunk and driven by a devil's hunger... A chill breeze picked up, sitrring the clouds the hung overhead as a light shiver ran down Hárekr's spine. It seemed the odd little wolf hadn't had quite as good a luck with the generosity of Alacritians that Háre had had and the larger man would grin a bit at the odd way the wolf, Cesar, would slur his yes and no. With some sense of amusement he wondered how a wolf came out like Cesar. Was it some sort of birth defect? Was something done to the little wolf to make him like that? "Aww… well that's a shame… oh, oh, oh! Are you still hungry? We could go find something to eat. I bet there are lots of nice birds and snacks hidden around here." Hárekr would briefly attempt to change the subject and offer his body movement. Standing still in one spot for this long wasn't his style. Cesar would speak again of him being two wolves and while he was about to protest he stopped as he realized the small wolf was referring to his mismatched eyes. Ahhhh yes…. those. These eyes of his had been quite an oddity back home and lead to rumors and myths both good and bad, though generally the later. "Oh? I suppose you are right Cesar." He grinned, opting to play along. "Maybe I am two wolves… but I have only one name. It's Hárekr, or Háre for short. You will see more I'm sure. Many wolves in Alacritis have different colored eyes. Now what do you say we do a bit of exploring? Or do you tend to lurk in your den all day?"

The other wolf suggested finding something to eat, and the imp’s pale eyes lit up. He always felt like he could eat a whole stag (which was probably a terrible idea, since, whenever he did get the opportunity to positively gorge himself on something, he usually ended up throwing it up a few minutes later; being starving for a while and then eating excessively rarely worked out). ”Oh, yesyesyes!” he chattered. This was assuming that the other would be doing most of the hunting; Cesar was terrible at it.

He pranced to the side a little with excitement, cocking his head and flicking tattered ears. The stranger agreed with his observation – a pleasing thing to hear, after growing so accustomed to hearing ridicule for most of his actions. The ebony beast grinned, licked his lips, and then clacked his teeth together a few times. Hárekr. Yes, yes, this was very pleasing! He nodded enthusiastically. ”Yes, exploring!” he said with an eager grind to his voice. His tail swayed back and forth, and he’d prance a few steps closer, waiting to let the taller wolf take the lead. ”Háre will be… a friend to Cesar, yes?” he questioned expectantly. Since this was going so swimmingly, he might as well try and ask.

ooc:  If you'd like to continue this you're welcome to start the thread in Wolfpaw Lake and pick a winner.  If you want me to start it let me know and if Cesar is like hell naw I'm staying here that's cool to.  xD

THE WOLVES WILL CHASE YOU IN THE PALE MOONLIGHT Drunk and driven by a devil's hunger... Ears flicked forward, tail twitching playfully as Hárekr gazed at the odd little wolf.  He grinned at the other's excitement.  Now what prey would befit two hungers such as they?  Bi-colored eyes gazed about the brambles and briars, lingering on the little birds that flitted from place to place.  He knew there were rabbits about but catching them would be quite difficult. "Bah… I do not know what we would hunt here without getting torn to shreds.  Your home is quite secure Cesar but perhaps we can find richer hunting ground…. hmmmm Wolfpaw Lake is not far from here." He doubted the two of them could take on a deer or an other sort of medium or large prey unless Cesar was secretly an amazing hunter for the small wolf didn't strike him as that apt a hunter.  Wild boar would be dangerous hmmm…. but there were other small prey animals. "Yea, the lake!  Maybe we can catch some muskrat's or a beaver or something." Hárekr started heading in that direction pausing to turn and glance back as Cesar asked about friendship.  One of his ears flicked lightly.  Friend?  Well that was a curious word and one Háre had not often used.  His definition of 'friend' tended to be a bit looser than most.  It meant occasional companionship and favor over strangers but not significant loyalty.  If his alpha ordered the small wolf's destruction he would more than likely carry out the order.  Háre smiled.  It had been a long while since he'd used that word though an he couldn't help but feel he didn't fully understand its meaning. "Friend….friend…. yes!  I could be your friend." His tail wagged lightly as his grinned widened. "How fast are you Cesar?  Race you to the lake!" Hárekr turned and promptly tripped over a raspberry briar before scrambling back to his feet and taking off.  True, Cesar might not know the way but he could follow Háre til the lake was in view and then the race would be on! -exit?-

Hárekr gave a few astute observations of the brambles, and Cesar shrugged, biting his lip and then swiping his tongue along his mouth. It wasn’t where he lived – he lived nowhere – but he didn’t feel like mentioning. He nodded in agreement when Háre suggested finding a new place. A place where he wouldn’t get hurt so much! When the lake was mentioned though… he got a little nervous. Water was not something he liked. He frowned a bit, biting the inside of his cheek. ”Uhhh, Cesar will not go in the lake…” he said. ”But he’ll go,” he clarified, just in case his company thought he didn’t want to go at all. He was just a little afraid.

When the white wolf agreed to be his friend, he grinned broadly, his tail wagging furiously. ”Good, good!” he cheered, his voice shrill. Then, Háre proposed they race. ”Cesar is fastfast!” he said excitedly. He did like to run. And with that, he shot off through the briar with surprising agility, disregarding the other wolf’s stumble. He kind of knew where the lake was… but if he couldn’t find it, he’d eventually notice so that he could slow and follow Háre.

-exit-