A Lost Soul

[Redd]

Time: Dusk falling dark
Location: Nal Hutta - Swamp Area
Form: Wolf Form
Tags: [member="Gerwald Lechner"]

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Redd’s paws padded through the water and paused as an ear pricked towards a sound of branches breaking far off in the distance. The wolf could almost feel the presence of her old pack, almost but not quite. The swamp was no forest and mud was everywhere. She had almost sunk into a bog hole but had managed to crawl her way out. Her nose had wrinkled at the smell at first, but slowly but surely had grown accustomed to the smell. Who knew what else lurked amongst the thick vegetation, but for now the wolf wasn’t about to find out what that was. [SIZE=11pt]Shelter,[/SIZE] was her main number one goal. She had to find shelter of some kind as even she who was used to sleep deprivation had to get even an hour's worth of sleep at some point.

Golden eyes looked over her shoulder for a moment before paws splashed their way through the small stream over to the other side. Upon firm ground once more she continued forwards, all the while making sure that no scent of any kind was nearby, nearby enough that posed a threat anyway. Mud matted the fur around her legs and she felt it cool along with the evening as the sun that shone above her head, gave away to the night. Soon it would be dark and although it had been a while since she traversed the wilds, even she knew that a lone wolf had to hunker down when the night fell. Animals of all kinds, small and large came out to play and some of those animals wouldn’t be too friendly, especially to a lone half-starved wolf. This wolf wasn’t at 100% yet, not yet anyway, but she was sure to change that with a decent hunt tomorrow and perhaps maybe some rest.

Rest… What rest? Ghosts haunted her dreams and sometimes they even haunted her waking day. When would they ever leave her alone? When would they stop reminding her of things that she had lost? Her tongue lashed at her nose as she pressed forwards, pausing to stop and sniff at an unknown print in the soft ground. Angling her head, her ears pressed back against her skull. Redd didn’t [SIZE=11pt]recognise[/SIZE] the print of the wampa, but whatever it was it would be dinner later on. Not that she knew where it had gone, but that wasn’t a priority right now, what was a priority was shelter, as even now she could feel the cold beginning to set in. A soft growl rumbled within the wolf as she pushed on, noting trees and their unique patterns.

That was until she came across a hole in the base of a large tree, one that she could crawl into. Dropping to her stomach she crawled into the gap of the tree, pausing only slightly so then she could wiggle her hindquarters in under and through the small gap. Once through the hole proved to be big enough for her and whatever else she could drag in and there would be no other way in or out. It was perfect for her uses for now and dark, but that didn’t hinder the red wolf. Not to mention even in this space, she could keep somewhat warm. Positioning her form at the furthermost point from the entrance, she curled up but made sure that she could still see the entrance, just in case anything decided to come in after her. She would know, but still, she couldn't be too certain that nothing would even come through the small gap. It didn't smell like anything had even habited the tree, but then again, everything basically smelled like the swamp, so anything was possible. Redd deduced as she laid her head into her front paws.

However, even as tired as she was, the wolf only managed to get a couple of hours sleep.

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

It was not often that Gerwald would simply drop everything he was doing for a wild goose chase, but Alwine had made it seem urgent. In fact, it was. Another Lupine was discovered, and from what was known, she was not a Van-Derveld or a Lechner. The more Gerwald learned about the past, the more he discovered just how wrong his mother had been, and how wrong the histories made things seem. The Van-Dervelds had not been the last family, the Lechner's had not been the last family. However, from what Alwine had said, this pack was nearly wiped out. This Lupine that he was looking for was the last of her line. They had to find her, and they had to do something. Gerwald didn't know what, but they had to try.

He was told the Lupine had been roaming around the swamps of Nal-Hutta as a wolf, and from what anyone knew it may have been a long time that she had been hiding that way. If they were going to meet, and if she was going to trust him, the quickest way to arrive as a wolf himself. When the ship touched down that was exactly what Gerwald did. His clothes were set aside for the form of fur and fang. The smell of the marshes assaulted his nose, almost violating his sense of smell, but there was something on the breeze. The Lupine was near.

Following the scent, Gerwald moved about the marsh with a swiftness that displayed he was on a specific mission. His paws sank into the moistened ground, and mud caked his fur as his feet carried him to the tree where she was hiding.

Gerwald stopped in front of the tree and put his nose into the small hole she had crawled into. As a Lupine Gerwald was larger than a normal wolf, but he was also large for a Lupine. There was no way he was getting into the tree, so he could only hope his presence, and the fact Lupines could smell each other, would draw her out.

[member="Redd"]

 

[Redd]

In the middle of waking up, the wolf caught the slight hint of another scent, one that whispered of another Lupine. However, the red wolf had almost palmed it off as being a remnant memory, one that was suddenly causing her to scent such things. This scent, was slightly different to the ones of her pack and slowly she rose up onto all four of her paws just as a nose poked through the small hole of the tree. A growl was swift, just as she snapped her jaws at the intruder’s nose, but it had disappeared right before the wolf had anything to say about it. Shaking her head, Redd paced the small area. It couldn’t be another Lupine could it? Her pack had been wiped out, even that slave owner had said as much before she had ripped out his throat. No, this one smelled different to her pack and it was curiousity that led to her next movements.

Trusting that this Lupine was standing a little back from the tree, she squeezed her malnourished form through the tiny gap. If she had been anywhere near a healthy weight she wouldn’t of had a hope in hell squeezing through it, but her current condition had paid off. As she squeezed out, more mud matted her fur, but it didn’t bother the wolf, no. What bothered her as she finally exited the tree was that there was another one of her kind, a Lupine standing a couple of feet from her. Ears were laid back as she scented the male and slowly, paws shifted so then she could pace to the right of him. Another growl was low in her throat, while weary golden eyes took in this new Lupine.

Questions were quick to be form, questions that only this male wolf held, but as she took in his healthy frame, Redd began to wonder as to who he served. Not trusting that he was alone, an ear flickered out to listen to the surrounding swamp for any hint that something else was out there. A ship, maybe backup on foot? His pack maybe? However, the wolf didn’t hear anything else, nor did she scent anything else other than him, but she wouldn’t completely rule it out considering the scents in the swamp were so powerful. Paws began to carry her form so then she ended up circling him once, twice; before she stopped in front of him again. Keeping with slow movements, she stretched her nose out towards him as she drew in the male’s scent again. His scent was… Definitely Lupine and she was definitely not dreaming this.

In fact, ever since the arrival of this new Lupine, the ghosts of her pack had basically retreated to the depths within her mind. Was it because there was another Lupine? Or was it something else entirely? Another low growl was given as she pulled back and away from the male. No something wasn’t right. The timing was all too convenient. Especially after she had run from the woman and her pup; right after that stranger had all but helped the red one escape. Did that woman send this Lupine after her so then to tempt her back into another kind of prison? Except this one didn’t seem like it was a prisoner, it was out here after all without the strange woman with him. Confusion coloured her golden eyes if only for a moment, before she began to take a couple more steps away from the Lupine.

As she took each step back, something deep within longed to run with a pack once more, to feel at home, at peace, but peace had been ripped from her many years ago when she had found her mother’s form lying dead from the assault. Redd could remember the whines of panic as she desperately tried to get her mother to rise up once more, but after a small sting from a dart, the young cub hadn’t remembered anything except for the many cages that she had occupied in her life-time. This Lupine didn’t seem aggressive yet, not yet anyway and she wasn't about to give him the chance.

Right now, the red wolf wasn't a match for this male, not yet in her current condition anyway, but she would fight him if she had to.

[member="Gerwald Lechner"]

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[Gerwald Lechner]

Gerwald stood motionless as the other wolf circled him. She was trying to decide whether she should trust him or not, but did she have a choice? The was Ger saw it was that she could follow him, or remain on the swamp world. Both were risky, but only one of those things was foolish. If she stayed, she would go feral, and may never get back in touch with the other part of what made her a Lupine.

That was why Gerwald nodded with his head as he turned to walk away. Was she going to follow him?

The ship was not close. He had kept it a good distance away on purpose, and Gerwald would eventually talk to this wolf and try to coax her into changing, but for now this was the best way. If she would follow him then perhaps he would change back to a human as they walked through the marsh.

It was an odd sensation to know of a third family of Lupine's now. This didn't change everything, but it certainly drew a question to everything the Lupine's believed about themselves. What would Katrine say when she heard of this new family? What kind of hold would she have on Figaro Favoura if more families arrived? Would being a Van-Derveld be enough to maintain her right to rule? Certainly it had to, but it only made their union more important if new families would begin to emerge. It also took away any argument that Alwine had in objection to his desire to mate with Katrine. It would not ruin their family to begin with, but that case was even weaker now.

Gerwald continued to move to the ship, using the force to speak to her.

"Come with me... let me take you to the others."

[member="Redd"]