Surreal

He had just run off, like a bull; blind to everything. Deaf to everything but revenge. It was the first time she had ever felt uneasy with him as a mate. Yes, she understood that family was family, and Sibelle was important to him. But Sibelle had a mate who would fight for her. Falk had a mate and children who needed him. But when that battle roar had echoed, he had charged off like an idiot. Had he even heard her say that his own children needed their father? That Sibelles husband could fight for her? Her paws had taken her out of the willows; southeast. Her mother had taken up pupsitting duty for her, keeping the children contained, and Alsander had taken up guard, in case trouble came toward the willows. She didn?t have to ask herself if Castiel would be on the alert? He was always on the alert. Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and worries, and she paid little attention to where her paws led her, beyond veering around or leaping over obstacles.. What if Falk got himself killed because he couldn?t think past the hot headed rage? Would their children be left without a father? What if he was claimed? She wouldn?t be foolish enough to fight for him back, and risk being claimed and stolen from her children as well. However much she loved him, her children were part of the picture now, and their interests were first and foremost of importance. A muted shush of sand under her paws only vaguely registered in her mind as she padded on, until something like a rainbow shimmered enough to bring her out of her deep thought. It took her a moment, but as she looked all about, the wonder of what she had stumbled upon slowly filled her. It was a strip of sand, shimmering under the sunlight, though the sun had been covered by rain blackened clouds further north. She had broken from under the storm, and now gazed upon a sandy strip that shimmered like the colors of a rainbow. Her nose lowered to the ground and she nudged the sand lightly with a paw, before raising her head and gazing out across the sea. A faint smudge marred the horizon, dark against the sky and sea. Land. She stepped forward, then back, turning her head toward the north and west. She ought to get headed home. Regulus, Zuriel, and Faite would likely be getting hungry by now. How long had she even been wandering?

He?d return to the place where Skah had been injured. His guard up as his ears searched for any sound, nose searched for any scent, and his eyes would search for a form. He wasn?t sure what he could learn, but returning here would help put his mind at ease, maybe. Was she still lurking here, waiting for the next Tahtla wolf to come along? He?d be ever vigilant, the Aika could not lose another of her guard. With great care he would traverse the sands easily, ready to make himself scarce at any sign of danger. Bright sunny eyes would watch as the sight of a figure would come into view. With nowhere to hide Shai could only keep his eye on the shape, keeping within his mind the scent that stained his brother?s torn pelt. His eyes would narrow as his hackles raised, tail standing over his back as he stood tall. He would run in an attack was offered, he might even run if she made an approach, but for now he would observe. Still curious about these Northern Natives. "yoruban" "english"

Surreal

A faint scuff of sand under a large set of paws made her head jerk around from where she?d been gazing. Her mismatched blue and gold eyes flicked around before landing on a dark frame. In an automatic reaction, she settled into a squared stance, though the rest of her body remained neutral. Then she allowed herself to look at the male more thoroughly. He stood tall, tail raised, hackles up, gold eyes narrowed. Gold. Her heart panged a little, a faint acknowledgement that she had missed her father. That past would never be changed, so the pang was dismissed. The male was very large, larger than her own Falk. That wasn?t what caught her eyes, though. No. What made her stop and stare were the bright feathers jutting from his fur, and the thing wrapped around one front ankle, and dangling from his tail. Was he some strange new breed of wolf? However menacing he was appearing, he didn?t seem to want a fight; more than anything, he just seemed to be warning her back. So, respectfully, she took two steps back, watching his eyes and stance for a reaction. She didn?t try to speak to the male until she was settled into a square stance again. It was comfortable, with a slight amount of weight resting on her haunches for a more powerful propulsion if she needed to run or fight. Either way, if she had to flee, she?d make it hard for anyone to track her to her children and family. As she fell into the ready stance, she finally spoke to him. ?Hello... ? Unconsciously, as it was part of her species, her body spoke the greetings as loudly as her voice; her tail waved a tentative hello, as her ears pulled forward. It was the way of all wolves, just as his body posture said ?Get back, and I won?t hurt you.? She wasn?t yet aware that he had no idea what she was saying. That was likely to change, depending on how this encounter played out. Nor had she any notion that he came from that dark smudge of land on the horizon. She could smell other wolves; one scent, mingled with that of blood, was familiar, from when she had slipped near to the old Valhallan lands. The female who had taken over the pack after the female Viridiana had given it to had disappeared. Battlesong hadn?t been completely clear on how that nameless face had gone. She was aware of a sense of intrigue forming in her own mind. Those feathers. Were they a part of his pelt? Had he grown them? Surreal had needed to grow up faster than she might have if the war hadn?t happened. There was still a faint remnant of that highly curious puppy she had once been. Questions bubbled under the surface, but she, being a polite adult, held them back.

He?d watch her stare at him, bicolored eyes very much watching his stony form as he stood, ready to bolt. Much like a giant stag found out in the wilderness he would feel just as proud as he felt flighty. She would realize his nervousness, and with grace would retreat from him. She?d stand back and voice a greeting, though he did not quite understand the word he?d commit it to memory. He?d stop himself before he repeated the word back to her, not quite wanting to communicate so verbally yet. However, he would nod, accepting her greeting and her presence as his hackles would lower and he would relax visibly. "Hello," he?d say back in his native tongue, wondering if she?d catch that they spoke two different languages. He too would find that questions would bubble up within his mind as he watched her. Why was she here, what did she want with their home? Was this she wolf aware of the heathen that had attacked his brother so ruthlessly? His head would tilt slightly, an obvious sign of his own curiosity as he kept himself silent and still, not willing to make any more movement. "yoruban" "english"

Surreal

Her stepping back seemed to help; the rigidity of his frame lessened, and his hackles smoothed down, making for a much less menacing wolf. It was when he answered her greetings in another language, but his body said hello, that it began to click for her. He seemed to be processing her single word; filing it away for memory. He doesn?t speak my language. Or even mothers birth tongue. This is new? And it opened up an interesting challenge for her. It was one thing to teach a pup how to speak; quite another to teach an adult a new language from their birth tongue. Well? She had started Regulus out with names? So, she started thus with this wolf. She could see that he was curious, and even through the language barrier, she could practically see the questions bubbling. The cock to his head as he watched her said as much. So, she indicated herself with a raised paw curled to her chest. ?Surreal.? The paw extended, lowering to the ground, and she wondered if he?d understand. This was both new, and familiar. If he was as quick of mind as he looked, she didn?t doubt he?d catch on swiftly.

He?d watch, with obvious suspicion, as she realized their immense differences. He?d visibly relaxed but that hardly meant his guard was let down. He?d still watch her warily, but there was a curiosity about him. He?d watch her as she moved her paw to point towards herself before saying yet another strange word. He?d catch it though, taking it and relaying it to memory. This was her name. He?d keep his gaze trained on her form as she lowered her foot back down, and for a long moment he would silently watch. Then his own paw would lift, indicating himself in much the same manner. "Shai," he?d say confidently before placing his foot back to the earth. "Surreal." He?d repeat her name easily, but with his obvious accent. "yoruban" "english"

Surreal

She wondered if he had encountered others from Alacritia before her. He?d relaxed, yes, but his eyes held that wariness and suspicion; and she couldn?t dismiss the scent of blood that still lingered on the edge of perceptibility. There was the curiosity, as well, and a keen intelligence. He did, indeed, catch on quickly to her introduction. As her paw hit the ground with a shush of sand under regained pressure, he watched her, and she gave him no reason to worry that she would make a sudden lunge for his throat, keeping her posture friendly, but neutral. After a moment, he mimicked her gesture, and spoke a word. She processed the name, then nodded in mute approval. It was a nice name. It sounded strong, which seemed to fit the male. As he repeated her name back to her, her tail took over communication; wagging in delight at the first successful step in teaching and learning. She gave an effusive nod, a smile breaking over her face. ?Shai.? She repeated his name back to him, as he had hers, and, like him, her accent made it a unique way of saying his name. She and her siblings, and children were the only ones with that unique accent of mixed Russian and Scottish with an educated British base. Castiels was more strongly inflected by the Russian due to his longer exposure to their father, while she had more of her mothers accent. Now that names were given, she wondered what she could teach next. Her eyes turned to meet his; maybe he?d have his own ideas of something to learn. She knew that pressing too much might confuse him. However, he seemed to be one very bright male. Finally, she looked around, her eyes landing on the ground at last. That could work. They were obvious. She lowered her head, tapping her paw to the ground. ?Ground.? Her eyes met the golden gaze, the offer to teach written in her body; the hopeful wagging of her tail, the attentive perk to her ears, and the added appeal in her eyes. This whole meeting was serving a deeper purpose, as well. It was keeping her mind from wandering to worry about the outcome of her mates charge to battle.

She wouldn?t give him any reason to worry about her presence, and he knew that maybe he was being too jumpy. Really though the gargantuan wolf would show this weariness around every Northern wolf he came across. Better safe than sorry really. However, he would adopt her pose, seeking a more comfortable position of neutrality. They exchange their names easily, he knew he was correct in the pronunciation as she wagged her tail softly. Additionally she would smile and nod, seemingly quite excited about their ability to communicate. She?d repeat his own name, her own odd accent giving his name an interesting twist. She?d meet his gaze and he wondered what else he might be able to teach her. Obviously very much intrigued now Shai would look equally interested in their impromptu learning game. She?d seem to have found another idea, her head would lower curiously and she would stamp her foot, uttering a word he would take in. He would concentrate only for a moment, wondering is she meant the ground or the sand beneath his feet. "Ground." He?d state simply as he too would thrust his foot to the ground. Then he?d look back to her, ready to take his turn. He?d stomp his foot as he would say "Ground." in his own language before digging into the sand, his paw grabbing at the rainbow particles. "Sand," he would say again with the tones of his birth language. "yoruban" "english"

This was getting to be fun. She could see when his guarded nature slowly began to turn to intrigue, his body beginning to mimic her own neutrality. As he mimicked her gesture once again, and repeated her word, she smiled, her unruly tail beginning to wave again. He caught on very quickly, just like her children had. And then he added a new level of delight by repeating the paw to the ground and uttering what she guessed was the word for ground in his own tongue. Eager as ever to learn, she repeated in his language as best as she could. ?Ground? Her eyes looked to his for approval. Not only was he willing to teach that word, he added onto the lesson by stirring the sand with his paw and speaking a different word. She caught on swiftly, tail picking up a beat in the incessant wagging. ?Sand?, she pronounced, then added in her own language, ?Sand.? Her eyes fell on a shell and she smiled, leaning forward enough to nudge it with her nose. ?Shell.? Mismatched blue and golds lifted up to meet the solid gold gaze, her own twinkling with pleasure at this interaction. Surreal had a large family, but she had few friends beyond her blood relations who weren?t also either mated into the family, related to those mated to the family, adopted into the family, related to those adopted into the family, or some other manner of relation. Maybe this southern stranger would be a new friend who had no blood ties, mating ties, or any other ties to the family. It had been years since she had seen the pup Creed, or the male Cross and his sister Orica. She did sometimes wonder what had become of them. Liberty could have been a friend, if all the events that had come about hadn?t happened. A lot of what she hoped for rode shotgun in her expressions and posture, her frame having turned from neutral to carrying a touch of hopefulness and delight. She wanted a friend.

Shai Adeyemi

They would stay there for a few more hours, teaching each other bits and pieces of the other's language. Both very much eager to learn about the other. He would learn many more words before the eventing sun would start to turn the sky a brilliant red that would stain the clouds above their heads. The sands would erupt into beautiful rainbows as the low sun would touch them gently, a magic would begin to surround them as Shai would start to think about his retreat. There was one more word he wanted to learn. [yoruban]"Surreal, friend." He'd tell her in his native tongue, his paws reaching out to touch her breast, right where her heart would be.


"Speaking" ; Thoughts

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And so hours would pass, and the distance between the two wolves would slowly close until they could easily reach out and touch one another if they so wished. The sky turned red, the sun beginning to dip toward the horizon. She?d had a good time, and her worries had been pushed aside for a while. But all good things had to end somewhere. She could see the end of their time together coming. She felt overfilled in her teats, soreness beginning to flower there. The only relief there would come from feeding the pups. Gods she hoped weaning wouldn?t be as achey as this was. And Shai seemed to be ready to part ways. She wouldn?t detain the southern wolf. He reached out, and his large paw pressed her breast, and he spoke in his tongue. Her name, and a new word. She read the meaning in his eyes and smiled. Lifting the paw opposite of his own, she mimicked the gestured. ?Shai, friend.? She uttered in her own language, then again in his tongue, ?Friend.? And she hoped she?d encounter the male again. It was a fun exercise for her brain, learning the new language, and she figured that she might teach her children so they might be able to converse with the southern natives. She gave the big male a smile, then rose, a groan escaping her jaws as her underside hung heavily from her frame, overfilled with puppy food. She looked up at him, a rueful grin crossing her jaws. ?Surreal must go.? And heading home was not going to be a comfortable venture. She decided to try her paw at a sentence in his language, just enough to ask a question. ?Shai? See Surreal? Again?? So much having been learned today, she hoped that she?d gotten the right words.

She would easily find her way into the same position as he, the recognition in her eyes really enough to say everything. She would say the same words in her own language and he'd memorize the word. She'd repeat him and he would nod, showing her that she's said it correctly. He'd enjoyed their day together, maybe not as much as he'd enjoyed exchanging words with Motif, but it would help him to trust the Northern wolves again. She'd smile largely at him, and he'd find himself returning the gesture as she stood. The last words that would flow from her lips would show him how much she'd really learned. He would nod, understanding her perfectly. "Someday," he'd answer quietly not knowing if she'd know the meaning of the yoruban word or not. "yoruban" "english"