Kavdaya Of The Nomads

Water sloshed around snowy legs, weighing down the thick white fur  on the belly of the Nomad as she forged her way to the shore, amethyst flecked sapphires squinched shut against the chill of the autumnal weather. In her jaws, she held a clump of water mint leaves. She finally gained the dry land and shook herself thoroughly, careful not to clench her jaws on the water mint. A shudder went through her frame as water flew in all directions, and once she was at least mostly dry, she looked around. She had been in this land for almost three days, and though she had scented other wolves everywhere she’s been thus far, she hadn’t met one of them yet. A muffled, thoughtful hum droned from her nose as she pondered where to go next. She’d started in the north, crossing a narrow land bridge that only appeared when the tide went out, and had decided to forge south. She’d seen several interesting sights along the way; A large geiser that had admittedly scared the wits out of her when it had gone off as she was passing by. Caves that had marks on their walls. According to her fellow Nomads, and the elders, creatures that no longer walked the earth had made those markings. She’d spent her first night in those caves, before making her way further south. And even curiouser sight she had stumbled onto; and nearly into, was an underground cave through which flowed a roiling river of magma. It had entranced the snowy healer for a good while, and helped to thaw her paws from the snows of the north. She had forged south again, passing into lands where snow was only a passing thought, Winter not yet truly settled in. Now she was here, in a patch of willows on the south side of a river. She’d delighted in the finds of several different herbs here, and her third night had been spent here. She could consider living here. Something about the place gave her a sense of hope. The scents, though faint, held a tinge of familiarity. Maybe she had relations here; fellow Nomads who had taken the trek to other lands, and found this continent. Maybe instead of leaving, she would make her home here, until the urge to continue on her way took over. Most Nomads only stayed in one place for a week, maybe a year, then continued on in the search for more knowledge of healing, and more aspiring healers to teach. Teaching… She wanted so badly to have a student. And one way to find one was to find a pack. Thus far, she hadn’t stumbled across any border scent lines. At least, not any fresh ones. She huffed softly, settling the water mint on the ground at her paws. For now, she would rest here, see about catching one of the beavers she’d seen at the river, and then on the morrow she would see where her paws took her. Kavdaya nodded to herself and took up her mint again, padding to what had once been a den for some other wolves. The ones who smelled familiar in a deep, yet distant way. She settled in at the back, amethyst spangled sapphire gaze watching as a light smattering of snowflakes drifted down outside as evening fell and the temperature dropped. If the weather was anything like that of Calarada, soon enough, snow would fall that wouldn’t melt in the morning. She lowered her head to her paws with a yawn. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

He had spent far too long making this contraption, having lost track of time hours ago while he worked on weaving branches around each other of one of the willows in this area. This particular tree he had spent most of his day under had a dense collection of branches bending down and caressing the earth beneath. It was perfect, it gave the male enough to work with, trial and error not too big of a problem because there would be five more branches to replace a single broken one. What made it even better was that he could layer it, the surface becoming tighter and more comfortable, and once that was done he had create a soft cover with small grass and laves that had yet to brown for the changing weather. The resulting product, a hammock. Deivad took a few steps back to examine his work, tail held up in the air wagging, a grin spread across his face and a hint of cockiness mixing with the pride that was growing within him. It was unlike anything he had made before, but because he felt like he just accomplished something out of reach to most, it was perfect. To someone else, it was a complete mess, almost laughable. Branches were sticking up everywhere, especially on the top section where somebody would lay on. "Now to test this bad boy out." Mumbling to himself the male would stretch out first, front paws sliding forward to bring the front half of his body to the ground in a good stretch. As he pulled back up the dark man gave a quick shake before padding forward, light eyes running across the bed one last time, giving a satisfied nod. Carefully now he would lift his left foreleg and reach over, paw hooking over the edge to keep it from swinging forward and send him to the ground. Next was the right foreleg, he once more lay it over and hooked the edge, but would now shift his weight back and forth to test how much it could handle. So he stood there for a few moments in silence, just sort of swinging back and forth in short bursts until he was satisfied. This is when the smile began to melt from his face, trying to get his whole body onto the thing without it breaking and making a fool of himself, even if no one was around to witness it. Body began to shift, forelimbs sliding close to the right side end of the hammock, slowly sliding his belly up onto the middle section. Left hindleg was first, folding and lifting up to slide on as the right foreleg slide to the opposite side to distribute his weight. “Easy... easy...” Whispering to himself the male was able to successfully get his leg up but still kept some weight on the one still touching the ground. That was when Deivad realized this might not have been a good idea, but he would finish it anyway since he made it this far. Carefully he shifted his weight, doing a little bunny hop to get the leg in, the hammock swinging from the action. Right then he could feel the branches tremble and loosen, higher up the branches groaning with the full weight of his body. Eyes had been closed and jaws clenched with the last bit, and with good reason. Just as he was about to sigh in relief and open his eyes the branches gave way beneath his weight, sending the ale to the ground, a whelp jumping from his throat. So there lay Deivad sprawled out in the grass as flakes began to drop from the sky, eyelids wrinkled in frustration and a bit of pain, not bothering to get up till he eased a bit of his broken ego.

Kavdaya Of The Nomads

Kavdayas sleep didn’t last very long; maybe even only a second after she dozed. A yelp crackled through her dreamy half-sleep and she was awake in an instant, ears cocked. She rose to her paws and trotted out of the den, following the scent of a stranger on the wind. She found him sprawled on the ground, eyes squinched shut in what looked like pain. She approached cautiously, as she knew some wolves in pain tended to lash out at those who got to close. ”Are you alright?” Her eloquent Irish accent gave her words a soft flavor, a soothing note on her low, soft tones. Amethyst flecked sapphires scanned his form, seeking any clear injuries. What had happened? There was no sign of a struggle, no scent of blood. She waited for the male to answer before she would come closer. While she waited, she took in his appearance. He was mostly dark grey, with other shades of grey for his markings. Thus far, she couldn’t see his eyes. Her mind ran over the various plants and roots for pain; Valerian roots, Aconite, Chamomile to relax muscles. As she looked around to see if any of those might be growing within range, she noted the willows. Fool. Willow bark was great for pain. Her eyes trailed along the boughs, noticing that some of them seemed to have been woven together. Right over where the male lay. She didn’t puzzle over that long, instead trotting to the trunk of one of the willows to scrape her canines over the bark, pulling a strip away. She kept one eye on the male until she approached and stopped a couple feet away and dropped the strip. “If you chew this and swallow the juice, it ought to help with any pain. I am Kavdaya of the Nomads.” Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Quietly the male groaned, mentally slapping himself for being such a fool but not fully thinking out this little project of his. It was actually a pretty good idea, making a raised bedding spot to rest rather than finding an abandoned den from a larger creature and using that. Half of a failure perhaps, for it did give way beneath him but it only gave Deivad more ideas and a better thought into how he could make it better for the next time he decided to rebuild it. The longer he lay there, despite the bit of pain from falling, his mood didn't really go sour, it actually seemed to improve a bit. His skull began to rock from side to side in a slow manner, but paused once he heard something approaching. Ears raised from his head and swiveled around in the direction the steps were coming from, his head following it moments after to allow his lightly colored jade eyes to fall upon a woman with snow white fur and sapphire eyes with what appeared to have flecks of color. Quickly his attention went to the marking upon her forehead, an oddly shaped, colored marking. Interesting... Caught up by this new thing the man almost didn't catch what the woman had said, head jerking back and eyes blinking to refocus in just as she said alright. Alright, was she asking if he was alright? His brow raised, questioning what she said briefly before straight up agreeing with his original question. ”Yeah, perfectly fine.” He spoke up with a toothy grin and shake of his head, what sounded like a short chuckle slipping from his jaws as he began to lift the front half of his body from the ground. Chest shifted from left to right with a mumbled growl, eyes narrowing at a slice of pain that webbed across his heart. Deivad was just about to ask the woman about her lovely accent, something he didn't really come across before, but just as he was fully sitting about and lips about to form words she was off trotting towards one of the trees. Head tilted at this, wondering what the woman was doing up until she came back over and dropped what looked to be a piece of the tree's bark, telling him to chew then swallow the juice to help with any pain, following up with her name. ”Oh... um, thank you... Kavdaya, of the Nomads.” He paused while addressing her, wondering about the nomad part. A title from her pack? He tried to sniff the air discreetly in an attempt to catch her scent for any signs of a pack and within seconds he couldn't identify one. ”Thanks but I don't really need it, I kind of just, soooort of dropped from these here woven branches.” He motioned behind him with a nervous chuckle, feeling like such a goof since she was trying to give him some kind of herb to help with what she might have thought was a serious injury where it was needed. ”I didn't really think this one through.” He looked back at the branches and gave a small shake of his head, the girn still there even as he turned back to the woman and dipped his head. ”The name's Deivad.”

Kavdaya Of The Nomads

Kavdaya heard the male assure her that he was alright, but she had heard that out of many of the injured wolves she’d helped in her travels. She’d also caught the slight narrowing of his light green eyes as he’d sat up. So when he thanked her, but then refused the offer of the bark, she gave him a stern look that everyone she’d known in the Nomads had mastered. That long, steady, stare. Though one ear flicked back as he explained what had happened. It certainly wasn’t something Kavdaya would have tried; she preferred being in contact with the ground. He introduced himself, and she dipped her head slightly in a nod. “A pleasure, Deivad.” A mischievous twinkle lit in her eyes as she glanced up at the willow boughs. “Do you fall from willow trees often, or was this a first impulsive attempt at joining the birds in their perches?” The tease was gently spoken, with no attempt at barbing the male in her voice. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

It was almost amusing when the woman had given him that look, one he had seen been given to children from their mothers back in his birthplace. It was that long, steady stare they would give from across the way, letting their child know she was watching and if they tried continuing in doing something they shouldn't then they would get a good punishment once they got back home. So when he explained what had happened and why he didn't need the bark and the look faded, he smirked playfully because even if he didn't explain the look wouldn't work. The look hadn't worked on him since the early days of puphood. After his explanation of his pain, the woman thought it was funny to tease him. She asked if he fell from trees often, or if this was his first attempt at joining the birds. His eyes narrowed, face smoothing with a sly smile, that “why you little” look forming at that mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "Or perhaps I was trying to catch the attention of a beautiful woman nearby with my amazing falling skills, hm?" He shot back at her with a grin, followed by a wink. Why not have a little fun? Deivad wasn't one to get hurt easily by a joke, more so one to continue on to leave on a light note. With that he finally decided he should pick himself up, groaning softly as he heaved his body up onto all four limbs, taking a small step forward and shaking himself lightly. He wasn't trying to cover the woman in leaves and dirt, but shaking enough to get them off.

Kavdaya Of The Nomads

This fellow had the look of a trouble maker. Her playful question brought an expression onto his face, as he made a joking reply and a wink. Kavdayas chin lifted as a low laugh rippled from her jaws. “Hardly beautiful. And, you’d be surprised, that isn’t the strangest courtship routine I’d have heard of among the animal kingdom. Musk oxen slam their heads together from a running start hard enough to make the ground shake.” She stated this with surety; she’d watched the display before. Those creatures were shaggy and huge, and she was amazed they didn’t have headaches from all the head butting. His groan as he stood sharpened her attention on him, her eyes again studying his frame to watch for any favoring of legs or wincing. However, he seemed alright, shaking off the dirt and leaves from his coat. She stepped out of range of the flying debris, blinking against a snowflake landing in her eye. The white flakes were falling more steadily now, and had grown in size. She glanced up at the sky, momentarily enjoying the mesmerizing snowfall for a moment before falling to Deivads frame. “So, if I may be so bold as to ask, where do you hail from, Deivad?” It was a conversational question, and her gentle smile encouraged him to continue. It had been a while since she had last interacted with a fellow wolf. She started toward the den, offering him to follow with a wave of her fluffy tail. It was large enough to easily fit three large wolves. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

His brow rose at the woman's comment, a small ball of confusion forming at her declining the thought that she was beautiful. Deivad wasn't a womanizer but he for one didn't attempt to hit on every woman out there, no way a horn-dog or looking for any opportunity to get a quickie. He was just complimenting the woman. Oh well though, his attention quickly shifted towards what she said next, bringing up a strange form of courtship between creatures called musk oxen which slammed their heads together from a running start, apparently hard enough to make the ground shake. “Wow, that is quite impressive.” He spoke mostly to himself, just voicing a thought. To think, these creature could charge at each other, slamming their heads and still continue on without brain damage, at least he was guessing this happened. And here wolves were with nuzzles and kisses before doing the deed, it honestly made him feel kind of like a loser in a goofy way. Jade eyes blinked away snowflakes that had been collecting along his lashes, following the woman as she glanced to the sky. Just then he would realize that the flakes had grown in size and falling steadily, a sign that Winter would soon be upon them and so he should begin preparing to either head further south or to settle in a den till Spring was back. Ears perked up however as the woman spoke, both his ears and attention flicking back to her. She was asking about his homeland with an encouraging smile, well, from what his brain could register. Before he could form words with his dark lips however, she was moving away, a wave of her tail offering him to follow. Without trying to appear like a creep the man gave a gentle grunt signaling he was falling behind her, allowing the woman to lead the way while he thought of what to share with her without giving away too much information about himself. ”For the last year I have been something along the lines of a wanderer ” he began, head lifting to be aligned with his back, gazing to the sky. ”There were troubles and especially hardship in my birthplace, so after a particular incident me and a few childhood friends thought it was best for us to leave.” His tone had grown heavy with mention of his past. Times were difficult, many children around his age were put through harsh training to become brainwashed minions, and the women... the women's treatment was harsh, treated like breeding machines and beaten into submission. He was lucky enough to get out of there with his younger sister before she hit sexual maturity, but unfortunately it was too late for his litter-mate who would bear the scares the rest of her life. "As you can tell by the change in my tone, I would prefer talking about my travels as a nomad rather than where I actually come from." He cleared his throat, coming alongside the woman momentarily with a faint smile. His travels were much preferred, for there were happier times with his friends and small family, free and able to as they pleased. "What about you Kavdaya, where do you come from?" He questioned curiously, chipping up a bit, his tail even begging to wag in a steady motion as the wind began to pick up and toss the flakes around.