The warm summer sun shines from up high in its heavenly post. Far beneath the celestial body, a russet female wolf makes her way across a strange and foreign land. Keahi meanders through a grove of oak trees, inspecting these beautiful ancient giants. They are a magnificent sight to behold, their gnarled roots stretching far away, at some points poking up above the ground, jaggedly cutting through the soft dirt. Paws carefully pick their way over roots and around downed trees, blue eyes shifting almost constantly to take in the grand scale of… everything.

Keahi isn’t from this place and, since her journey has brought her to these distant shores, the russet wolf has decided to take the time to explore every inch of every place she comes across. She slows as the giant trunk of a once mighty oak blocks her path forward. Not stopping, the wolf strolls forward, lowering her front toward the ground to bunch her muscles before pushing up and off in one, fluid motion. Light paws land silently atop the object and Keahi stops to observe this place from her new perch.

It is truly, breath-taking.

"Keahi Mogotsi"

Kione preferred wild open areas to run about versus having towering tree’s all about him.  Still, Kione did enjoy exploring and it wasn’t a bad idea to explore areas that weren’t his idea.  How else was he to learn if there were secrets inside?  What if there was a lion in here in need of being killed?  Perhaps there was a pool of water to splash about in?  What if there was some unknown amazing thing he’d yet to experience hiding within this forest.  If nothing else, it was good to know all sorts of terrain and how to fight in it.

Kione pauses before a downed trunk, not that the dog couldn’t jump over it but he heard someone else on the other side.  Large round ears listened and then suddenly he didn’t need to rely on his ears as a head and then the rest of the wolf popped into view.  Kione, with all his paws still on the forest floor, angles his head to consider the female wolf.  “Hello miss, don’t believe I recall seeing you about these parts before.”  Not that he knew all the land yet but it was as good of a greeting as any other.  She didn’t smell like any of the packs he’d met down here either.


"Kione"

The russet wolf enjoys her spot atop the fallen giant and she relaxes as she inspects the world around her. Silent paws move her along the trunk, blue eyes scanning out to the horizon when a voice calls up to her. Keahi stops and turns her gazes down to the stranger, noting their big ears and strange body. Brows furrow and she lightly leaps down to come to rest near this strange creature. Head tilts as she inspects him, taking in his bizarre patterns and body. A curious hum softly floats out from her closed mouth as she looks, until she finally says, “Curious.” It is a statement from the woman who has never seen this kind of creature before. Her topical island is a far cry from this strange land but, seeing this… thing has her all the more interested in learning where she is.

Softly, Keahi says, “I am sorry to stare but I have never seen something like you. You are very curious. Are all the creatures that live here like you?” Bright blue eyes hold a enquiring light in them and she slowly moves to make a wide circle around this male. Paws carefully pick their way over roots and around dry branches as she walks. While this place is a sight to behold, Keahi is more interested in the creature she has found.


"Keahi Mogotsi"

Kione had hoped to find something wonderful like a pool of water so clear you could see to the bottom and a good overhang to jump from.  Admittedly, he knew great spots for jumping and swimming but could there ever really be enough?  So far what he had found were tall trees, chatty birds, and ivy that were both new and some that appeared to have been attached to those trees for as long as some smaller trees had even been alive.

The most interesting thing he’d found now was a wolf.  As a pup, he’d assumed wild dogs were everywhere and wolves were rare.  Last year he’d learned better.  Kione was rare and as far as he knew there wasn’t anyone like him on this land.  It lead to the question of where his kind could be found and how did his pack end up here.  

The reminder of how Kione was the only wild dog left became even stronger as this lady looked at him with so much curiosity.  The dog cast a crooked smile despite a bit of inner sadness that he had to brush away.  “Sorry, as charmin as my looks are, I fear I’m one of a kind around here.  ‘Afraid you’ll have to settle for other wolves for canid companions, Luv.”  So, wherever she came from didn’t have his kind either.  Joke was on Kione if he actually was the last of his kind anywhere.

“Welcome to the neighborhood,” Kione graciously offered as if this was his backyard instead of a land a ways off from his pack.  He was exploring as well after all.  Kione felt a wind slide through the trees, their branches stirring.  There was a blue sky even farther up there, empty and void of clouds, nor was the sun visible from his viewpoint.  No clouds, no rain.  Yeah, going to a watering hole sounded like his next stop.


"Kione"

The way this creature talks is strange and exotic and Keahi feels a small smile trying to worm its way onto her lips. Dipping her russet head in response to his greeting, she says, “Thank you for the welcome. Do you greet all newcomers to this place?” It is a serious question, no malice or humor hidden within the words. For all she knows, there is greeting in every place here. Eyes sweep over the male once more as she questions him when a breeze tickles her ears and runs its cool fingers through her coat. The whispering of branches rustling with the wind has Keahi tilting her head back and her blue gaze lifting to look up at the canopy of leaves above her.

These mighty oaks are ancient beings, that live and breath. They communicate with each other, heal each other, and nurture one another. Back home on her island, trees are given respect for the life and food they give and, for a fleeting a moment, she wonders if this land gives them the same reverence. Branches rub together and, in those soft sounds, Keahi hears these giant beings speaking to her. Looking back to the stranger, she gives him a small smile and says, “My name is Keahi. Would you mind me telling where I am, Mister…?” The words trail off, leaving a space for him drop his name. Blue eyes slide off his form to inspect a cluster of fungus that grows in the darkness offered by the downed trunk. Even that looks different from the ones in her home land.


"Keahi Mogotsi"

Kione barked out a laugh at the idea of greeting everyone, his bark more akin to a high pitched bird call.  Wolves sounded horrifically out of tune and they never realized just how rustic their voices sounded compared to his melodious family.  “Sorry luv, I’m just visiting as well.  A quick exploration and change of scenery before I head back home.  Name’s Kione and the land you are on right now is Auster, farther north there is a bridge of land between great waters that takes you to Boreas.  Now then lass, I’m done with this forest though.  These sleeping giants can keep on with their ways.”

Kione turned to head back to the north, the ground was solid, rigid from a lack of recent moisture.  The tree’s would surely get more rain eventually but it wasn't here right now.  Were he less aware of his steps the painted wolf would be breaking dry branches up and down the forest.  “Feel free to follow or not as you wish but I’m going for a bath and then home, the latter of which I don’t invite guests too.  Not my say.”

"Kione"