An Icy Frustration

[Parrot]

An annoyed huff of breath floated from Rinato’s black snout, drifting away into lazy wisps above his head. The male wolf had spent the last few minutes pacing alongside the frozen river, eyeing the ice with a frown. There was no way in this forsaken world that he was going to find a section that was thinner than the rest, to make an easy break in the ice so he could drink from it. Maybe even look for some piscine creature that had survived the frost. But to his dismay it was all the same. Hard. Unrelenting. Just the type of weather that had driven him from his homeland.

Growling, Rin pounced from the snowy banks and onto the icy river with as much force as he could muster. His grey coat, growing even longer as the winter weather crept into this new land, shook from his movements. Despite all of this, however, the ice still did not break. It didn’t even offer so much as a hairline of a crack to the determined male. Gold eyes glaring, Rin jumped again. It wasn’t the smartest idea for if the ice did break it could plummet the wolf into the cold stream below. Rin didn’t care in the slightest. He could, of course, try to melt the snow in his maw as a source of water but that wasn’t the point now. He had to break the ice to prove that he could.

For a few months now Rinato had been traveling this area, hunting and scavenging as he could. He hadn’t met another soul in the forests, at least not yet. He missed having company. Having someone to banter back in for with. There was only so much adventuring you could do on your own before the life of solitude turned against you.

The wolf jumped again, his black claws scratching the surface but doing little else. Another growl escaped his mouth as he pushed off the ice and back onto the snow, his back legs slipping against the ice as he scrambled off the river. The wolf resumed his pacing, most of his attention focused on the blasted situation before him.
Is this what isolation had driven him to? A mad competition with frozen waters? It was certainly a low spot for the once proud Beta.

[Colorful Crayon]

(If this doesn't work... Well I will re-post)

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[atrb=background,http://i17.servimg.com/u/f17/17/62/40/07/white11.png] The gray and cream femme paced alongside the frozen river, a cloud of mist floating from her maw at every breath. Tiny icicles hung from the fur at the bottom of her legs, and her green eyes were slitted. She had come to the river to get some water, but unfortunately it seemed to be frozen. She jumped back as some snow slid of a branch above and landed in a heap before her. With a low growl she skirted the snow and continued up the river. The frosty snow beneath her paws crackled as as stepped lightly upon it. Stirring up a dusting of snow, she sneezed. Flicking her long ears, she left the cover of the forest and went right to the bank of the river. When a slight sound reached her ears, she swung her head around, looking for it's source. Her eyes lightened on another wolf, on the opposite side of the river. It seemed he or she was trying to break the ice. And failing miserably. Deciding to go say hello, she began her journey over the river, carefully digging in her claws to prevent her from slipping. When she reached the middle of the river, she froze as a tiny hairline crack appeared. With a small yelp, she skittered across the rest of the river, right before the ice caved in, creating a hole about two feet wide and one foot long in the center of the river. "I'm not that heavy am I?" she muttered to herself, before turning to the wolf. Definitely a male, and a quite handsome one as well. "Hello," she said, a bit shyly. Who knew, the male might be an angry grump like the last one she encountered. She studied his appearance, and remarked that he looked quite unusual. Tusks and a blue marked coat. It suited him though, for some reason.

[Parrot]

It was the crack of ice that alerted Rin that he was not alone. He had been so wrapped up in his own determination that the wolf had forsaken any type of surveillance. That sort of behavior could get a wolf killed. Swiveling his head to the side Rinato’s golden orbs swept over the river, looking for what had managed to break the ice while he had failed in all his attempts. What thing had mastered that feat? His mind quickly filtered through all of what it could have been: a large animal, the heat, a tree, an uncannily big fish…

The figure of a large-eared wolf skidding away from the snapping ice answered his riddle. The culprit was lean if a bit lanky looking…though its pretty looking coat made up for that, Rin thought. He watched, entranced almost, at seeing another wolf after all the time alone. Inhaling the air, his maw opening slightly as he did so, Rinato smelled the air, testing it for the scent of the newcomer before him. Female.

The next thing that pulled Rin out of his slightly dumbfounded expression was the female’s voice. The greeting was teetering on the quiet side, a fact that made the male grin.

“Well, hello,” he said, giving a playful bow, “imagine stumbling upon another soul here.”

Rin looked up, his head still lowered from his dramatic show, “Rinato Isshu, Beta of-“ he started before coming to an abrupt stop. He was no longer Beta of the Nova pack and no longer in Terra. It was a strange fact. Lifting up the male gave a small shrug before quickly continuing.

“Actually, just Rin,” he finished. The wolf eyed the lithe female, with her pretty little coat, his gaze settling on the hole she had made behind her.

Jutting his nose over to the break, Rin gave a curious look. “And I am very impressed you managed to do that. For such a small wolf…”

He was also a little jealous that the newcomer was able to do something he could not. A small female beat him. The second low blow to the once Beta.

[Colorful Crayon]

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[atrb=background,http://i17.servimg.com/u/f17/17/62/40/07/white11.png] Seph had been a bit nervous as to weather the male would reply in a mannerly fashion, or if she would be snapped at, when he bowed and spoke. She was a bit startled as his play bow, for she had never met a male before who showed so much gallantry, even if it was mocking. Well, hello. Imagine stumbling upon another soul here. His voice was smooth, also unlike any she had heard before. He seemed quite nice, and she relaxed her stance a bit. As he began to introduce herself, then halted before naming his pack, a confused look flitted across her face. Rinato Isshu ... Actually just Rin. She was about to introduce herself when he spoke again. Tucking her chin against her chest, an embarrassed look stuck on her face, she lowered her eyes. "I didn't mean to break the ice. I was just walking across, and it broke. Coming to see who you were actually. It is true, I have seen very few wolves, or other large animals here." Raising her head a bit, she spotted the spark of jealousy in his eyes. She hurriedly launched into her introduction, to try and bring the conversation away from that topic. She was still a bit amazed by it herself. Truly, she must have found the only weak patch in the entire river. A slim form like her could not break the river by herself, especially if a large male could not. "I'm Persephone Skycatcher. Seph though, I have never liked my full name." Her large ears flicked self-consciously. In truth, Persephone was a name suited for a well proportioned, pretty femme, not a tall, large eared awkward one.

[Parrot]

The male’s tail flicked behind him as he listened, flashes of the teal coloring underneath showing as he did so. He watched as the tall female wolf lowered her gaze away from him, rushing into her conversation, and then lifting her head back up to him. Her uncertainty was a given, Rin supposed. When meeting another wolf in a place so sparse of activity it often made most unwary. But he didn’t feel that way to this newcomer. Perhaps it was because of how she stumbled into him, ice cracking and a friendly greeting. She wasn’t trying to hunt him, that was for certain.

“Never liked it, huh?” he mused, mouthing out the full name as he did so. “It’s quite a spoonful but it works.” Rin smiled, trying to encourage the shy female some more.

“I suppose I know the feeling,” the male bantered on, not a bit perturbed that he was hogging the bulk of the conversation. Actually, that sort of thing never really entered Rin’s mind. He said what he wanted, when he wanted, and forever how long it took. It was as simple as that to him. “I’ve never enjoyed Rinato that much. Only on more formal occasions.”

The falling snow started to settle on his thick coat as he stood there talking to Seph. He gave a subconscious shake to knock the flakes off, a part of his mind already fretting about the state of his fur.

“What brings you out here, Seph?” he questioned, waiting to see if the female would answer him or not. She was his first company in a long time and a small part of him didn’t want to scare off the skinny wolf with a barrage of inquiries, but Rin couldn’t help it. It was in his nature to question.

[Colorful Crayon]

Seph listened as Rin commented on her name. This male, Rin, he seems to like talking, she thought absent mindedly. As he related his name to hers, she nodded thoughtfully. Rinato did seem very long, and formal for this playfull wolf. At the snow started falling she gazed up at the sky. Shaken out of her fantasy by Rin's question, she pondered for a moment before replying. "You seem to like talking," she commented, not unkindly. "No problem for me though, Most of the time I just like to listen. What brings me here? Well, I was-" she lowered her eyes. "I was kicked out of my former pack, for being different. Everyone else was short, and darkly colored. I was a missfit, the 'runt' although I was the tall one." A smile wavered on her face. "It doesnt matter anymore though, I'm over it. What about you? Why are you here?"

[Parrot]

The female’s comment made Rin laugh; it was a hearty chuckle, something that was neither too loud nor too low. There were little who would point out a fact like that to him. In his past he had been protected by the respect of his rank, something that often annoyed Rin. If someone had something to say, well, they should say it! This one little comment from the female made him like her even more.

Rin’s laughter settled down as Seph spoke, retelling her past to him. When she finished speaking Rinato’s eyes were narrowed in disgust at her former pack.

“They forced you out for being different?” he snorted, shaking his head as he did so. “That’s ridiculous. You’re better off being away from that sort of attitude. They did you a favor, if you ask me.” She hadn’t of, of course, but that didn’t stop Rin.

Rinato gave another huff as his breath warmed the ice that had started to freeze on his tusks. Water started drip down from the left tusk, ever so slowly. As if it had nothing better to do.

“Me? Pack emergency, I suppose. Ended up in this area for the last few weeks or so, not even sure where ‘here’ is,” he paused before giving another smile, “and yes, I do like to talk.”

[Colorful Crayon]

Seph rotated her ears, listening both to Rin and to the forest around her. The steady driping of the snow-turned-water indicated that the sun would soon break through the clouds. Shifting her paws, she tilted her head at Rin, silently agreeing on his opinion about her pack. She watched, mesmerised, as water made its way down his tusk, pausing to collect itself, then driping of in a shining little droplet.

Holding many questions inside, she shifted again, trying to keep herself warm. Short fur was no good for this climate. When he mentioned a pack emergency, her nose twitched in compassion. He must have been a higher rank, since he held himself higher than most did, although not quite regal enough to be alpha. When he said he wasnt sure of where they were, she looked down again shyly. "I did pass a scent border on the other side of the river, a little way back. I beleive we might be in a packs territory. Or at least in the territory of another wolf." She sighed, and scraped the ground with her paw. "I do miss being with other wolves, and it was great seeing someone else- you- here. I am looking for a companion, or even a pack. I wish you well on your journey. What do you plan on doing? There is a chance of you being accepted into this pack if you wish."

[Parrot]

A flicker of a frown crossed over Rin’s face as the lanky female mentioned the scent of another wolf. He hadn’t noticed the smell of a clear pack territory but then again he had stopped looking a long time ago. Despite this he did not doubt that Seph was telling the truth about the odor. He found that loners tended to be better at noticing their surroundings, especially if this particular loner had been alone for such a long time.

When Seph started to offer her well wishes, a sign of departure, Rin’s face fell. It did not matter that he’d only known the grey and cream wolf for such a little time, her company had been the best he’d had in months. Well, it was the only company he had but that mattered not. Rinato knew what he had to do.

A very suave grin crept onto his maw as the male started to talk. “I think this is your lucky day, Seph, because it happens to be that I am also looking for company. And what I plan on doing,” Rin stated as his tail wagged behind him excitedly, “is joining you.”

There was a puppy like glint in the former Beta’s golden eyes as he looked to Seph for her reply.

[Colorful Crayon]

Confusion crept across the femmes face when Rin began to talk. Join her? She smiled a little, and looked down. She had shifted so much that the snow around her paws had melted, giving way to unforgiving rocks. "Rin, that's very kind of you, but you see... I won't be joining this pack. I cannot. My pelt if much to thin for the snow, whichis almost year round here at the base of a mountain.Besides, a handsom wolf like you would do well in a pack, with a family. I'm not sure where I will be settling down, weather as a loner or in a pack. I woud like your company though." She grinned toothily at him. "We hd better go find the wolf who lives here, just in case you change your mind."

[Parrot]

To say the male was unhappy with Seph’s reply would be a gross understatement. It was not often that things did not go his way and it took a moment of intense staring at the female’s short fur, her constant movement, and the way she seemed uncomfortable with the chilly air, that Rinato realized she was correct. His eyes soften as his disappointment melted away. He knew that not all wolves were able to withstand extreme temperatures- it was one of the reasons why his old pack decided to leave their homelands. He had seen too many of his pack lose their grip on life as the cold claimed them for an icy burial.

The next few words the female uttered, however, pulled Rinato away from the sour thoughts. It became a loop of praise in Rin’s head.

…handsome wolf…

A chuckle escaped him as he matched Seph’s wide grin. “Handsome is it?” he winked at her before padding a few steps back. The sun was finally peeking through the thick clouds, offering the pair a few moments of warmth. The sound of cracking ice echoed from the middle of the river as the break Seph had made grew even larger with the faint increase of heat.

“You keep flattering me like that and I don’t think I'll want to see your pretty face go,” Rinato purred out as he shook his heavy fur, bits of snow falling to the ground. “Where to now?”

[Colorful Crayon]

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[atrb=background,http://i17.servimg.com/u/f17/17/62/40/07/white11.png] Seph tipped her head at Rin, seeing the unhappy look on his face. She felt a bit guilty telling him he would be better of without her, as he had clearly decided he wanted to journey with her, or so it seemed. She shifted again, this time because she was uncomfortable under his probing gaze. She let out an inaudible sigh of relief when his eyes softened, believing her. His gaze went a bit dreamy, and she wondered what he could be thinking of. Replaying her words in her mind, she thought she knew the answer. When he spoke again -Handsome is it?- her thoughts were confirmed. She gave a small chuckle. She watched as he padded a few steps away. As the sun broke through the clouds, sending down a few of its precious rays, she gasped in her head. The light bounced of Rin, setting his teal coat aglow. Shaking her head, she peeled her gaze away from t and back to his face. Catching the last of his words, she blushed a little under her fur. "Well, it is true," she muttered. "And maybe I wouldn't want to see your handsome face go either." Raising her voice to it's normal level, she shrugged. "If your sure you want to travel with me... I might go farther into the forest, to where it's warmer." An object washed up on the bank of the river caught her eye, and she turned towards it. Poking it with her nose, she was surprised to see it was a loop, with holes and strings at it's back. Looking up at Rin, she looked back at the two objects. Slipping her paws through them and pulling at the strings with her teeth, she trotted over to him. "What do you think these are? Do they look good?"" Part of her hoped he would complement her. When she realized this, she groaned inwardly. QUOTE "SPEECH"

[Parrot]

Seph’s bantering was quiet but still audible, her voice a light and playful ring inside of Rin’s ears. He quite liked it. Perhaps he enjoyed the sound of Seph’s voice even more than what the words she was forming…though that would be pushing it a bit. They were very flattering words, after all. The male puffed up a bit as he stared at the blushing female, her low murmuring compliments fueling his pride even more.

Rin was about to reply that he was sure that he desired to travel with Seph when her attention was caught by a foreign object by the riverside. He took a step closer to see what the female had found, her form hunched over the object as she toyed with it. After a few moments Seph was finished, the bands secured tightly around her legs.

The brown coloring of the bands melded nicely onto her creamy long legs. As he admired the bands…and Seph’s legs…Rin felt his own face start to flush. There were no females in his old pack who possessed legs as long and lean as Seph did and the new items tied above her paws only accentuated that beauty. Her former pack mates were all fools for casting out Seph.

“Those look great,” he finally said, pulling his gaze from the bands and to her face, “I have no idea what they are but you should keep them. You look amazing in them.”

[Colorful Crayon]

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[atrb=background,http://i17.servimg.com/u/f17/17/62/40/07/white11.png] Seph waited patiently for Rin's opinion, her tail twitching. Why am I still talking to him? Really? He is a stranger, and I have already agreed to travel with him. How is that so? Dragging herself out of her thoughts, she looked at him, but tried not to look like she was. Is it his eyes? His smile? His ability to charm a stranger? She could feel Rin's eyes examining the bands, and tried to shift as little as possible. The agony of waiting for him to comment almost pulled Seph under. What if he doesnt like them? What if he says their ugly, then decides o not travel with me? What if- her other side butted in. It doesnt matter what he thinks. He is a stranger for heavens sake. He is just another loner. No one special. She was shaken out of her thoughts when she saw Rin blush the tiniest bit. Those look great. I have no idea what they are but you should keep them. You look amazing in them. It was Sephs turn to flush, and she lowered her eyes. Why is he affecting you like this? her head screamed. Get a grip. Raising her head, she gave him a heartfelt smile. "Thanks," she said shakily. OCC: Sorry, It's short x3 THOUGHT "SPEECH"

[Parrot]

“Anytime, beautiful,” Rin responded, growing bolder in his flirtations to the new female. He did not feel embarrassed when courting, not even when the receiver was a stranger. It was almost like an adventure in itself- picking the right words at the right time, danger if he took even the slightest misstep. Plus, Seph certainly had a unique attractiveness about her that Rin could not deny.

The winter cold had silenced everything around the two wolves, everything but their voices and breathing. Rin was about to make another move when a grumble of hunger echoed from the male’s stomach, rudely interrupting his coy advancements. Rinato’s face fell flat at the sound, his ears pulling back in annoyance at the unattractive noise. It had been a while since he had last fed, even longer since the last time he had something other than mangy white hares or trying out different plants that hadn’t yet died in the frost. The thoughts have having a juicy bird or, even better, the thrill of chasing down something bigger than a pup and digging his teeth into it made the male’s stomach growl even more.

Trying to cover the sound Rin coughed a few times, his paws shuffling in the snow as he turned his head away from Seph. Not smooth. Not smooth at all.

“Any chance you’ve eaten yet today?” questioned the hungry male, his face not meeting Seph’s.