Freedom at a price.

` beta Posts : 1386 Registered : 2010-06-01

Jay after several hours of travel came to a place that was untouched by man and what seemed most animals as well. His stomach protested at the thought as he was starving from the long haul he had made, sure if he had four legs the walk would have been nothing but a simple run away from everything but each hop was slow and careful. The mist thickly coated the ground almost to the point where he couldn't see anything in front of him but the dark outlines of the trees, he began to shake and not from the cold. The trees towered over him, their long branches like fingers and hands reaching out for him when he heard a branch crack behind him he bolted forward and was shocked to find that he could not only run but he was good at it...even better without the front leg now instead of fear pushing him forward it was joy, feeling the cool breeze in his red fur and the ground rip up underneath his long talons he wondered briefly if this was what flying felt like until he met a dirt gully. There he looked to the naked eye as if he were flying...that is before he began to fall, tumbling down and down he didn't know when he'd stop until finally he made a crash landing into some brambles that hurt like heck as their thorny points drove themselves deep into his flesh. But as he was good at getting out of things since his ordeal with the humans slipping out and feeling his way so that they didn't tear him open was rather easy for him. Getting out he shook out his fur and began to look around, hearing nothing but the faint hoot of an owl in the distance he sent up a howl. " HELLOOOOOOO????"

Subject: Re: Freedom at a price. August 30th 2011, 7:40 pm

Sleeping Willow hopped out of her tree, she limped a small bit then howled back, " Need some help? "

` beta Posts : 1386 Registered : 2010-06-01

Jay screamed and leapt backwards when a wolf seemed to fly through the air towards him just to land in the mist...it was a bit creepy and he swallowed hard. Having no defense really he was prey to really anything that wanted to make him their meal. He hesitantly let out a shaky reply, " I-I s-s-seem to be l-l-ost...I-I didn't mean to encroach upon your territory..." his ears flat and parallel to the ground as his chin grew low, his rump scooting closer to his hinds in an effort to hide a tail that no longer existed to show his submissive nature.

Subject: Re: Freedom at a price. August 30th 2011, 8:18 pm

Sleeping Willow laughed, seeing the wolf looked a little older than her, " Don't worry. I'm Sleeping Willow, " she holds out a paw in greeting, " And you are? "

` beta Posts : 1386 Registered : 2010-06-01

Jay sniffed the paw offered to him, uncertain as to what the wolf was doing exactly. The scent the wolf carried was that of old blood, it made his nose crinkle as his eyes darted up in concern. Perhaps the wolf was pretending to be friendly just to make a meal out of him, however he would stay polite until the wolf proved otherwise. " My name..." he drew a blank, he couldn't think of his name. He had been called so many things during his time with the humans he wasn't sure what he was called anymore, then the familiar sound of his mothers voice calling it out flashed through his minds eye and he smiled softly, " Jay...my name's Jay."

Subject: Re: Freedom at a price. August 30th 2011, 8:37 pm

Sleeping Willow smiles back, " So where do you come from? I come from the mountains. There was a horrible battle, I can tell by the look on your face you can smel old blood, am I not right? My pack was The Pack of Freezing Mountains. My family was killed or taken prisoner. " She looks at Jay, with friendly eyes, " And I'm not going to eat you. " She laughs looking into his eyes, reading the signs or unease.

` beta Posts : 1386 Registered : 2010-06-01

Jay listened to the wolf quite interested in the tale he was being told, he had known no other life outside of the humans world and had almost completely forgotten that it continued with or without him in it. " I-I guess the mountains..." he says his body starting to relax more he had more of a laid back feel about him when he started to get comfortable and that was the vibe he was giving off now. " It was very far north of here and I remember a lot of ice and glaciers...I don't remember much of my home anymore...my family..." he trails off not finishing his sentence as he hopped over to a small creek he saw not just two steps from them. He would have missed it completely too due to the thick fog, he leans down and laps up some of the cool crisp water and lets out an mmm as he closes his eyes. It was the first time he had drank fresh clean water like that in awhile. " So what fight? I mean...who were you fighting?" he asks her not looking towards her as he relished in his beverage.

Subject: Re: Freedom at a price. August 30th 2011, 9:11 pm

Sleeping Willow sits in the shallows of the creek looking up, her silver pelt blending into the mist although she is still visible, " The battle was against the Pack of Falling Stars. They're the most vicious pack I had ever seen... I mean, in all the packs that surround The Pack of Freezing Mountains. My mother was killed and my mother's friend was taken prisoner. " She sighs, " But now I've gotten pretty far. I went back to the territory but it was abandoned. The elders and all the pups were dead.... Or at least I assumed... I found Swift Star and Hawk Shadow's scents but I never found them... " She lays down and watches the water swirl around her, " Have you ever been in any battles? " Sleeping Willow keeps her eyes on the swirling water.

` beta Posts : 1386 Registered : 2010-06-01

Jay shakes his head, " Nah...I try to avoid conflict..." he said looking down at the crippled arm the remained close to his chest unable to straighten, plus his missing tail must give off the wrong impression of such things. " I lost my family because I was hurt during a hunt...they left me for dead and well I've been looking for them ever since...seems we have more in common then we know eh?" he said just really trying to make light conversation for the wolf, it had taken him awhile but he was over the loss of his own family. They had left him to die and in doing so had ruined his life, taken from him the ability to really ever exist inside of a pack. " Besides I'm sure you'll find them...just don't go the way I came from or you'll run into some pretty mean hunters..." he knew one wolf only needed to take a glance at all the scars that riddled his body to tell he wasn't making it up and he had fought until they had beaten the wild wolf out of him.

Subject: Re: Freedom at a price. August 30th 2011, 9:38 pm

Sleeping Willow smiles at him, " We would make a great team, Jay. " She looks to the sky and sighs again, " I'll never find my pack, the Pack Of Falling Star's leader, Sharp killed them all before realeasing me with this limp. " She sticks out her back leg. Then her eyes brighten, " We should go to the mountains, Jay! " She hops around funny looking.

` beta Posts : 1386 Registered : 2010-06-01

Jay immediately looked frightened by the thought, visions of running into those humans again...that glacier coming down on his tail and him having to chew it off to survive..." N-n-no way...I'll never go back..." his heart pounded in his chest as a panic attack held him captive. It felt like an elephant was sitting on his chest and he began to pant heavily, the world started to spin and all he could think of was never going back to those humans again. " I'LL NEVER GO BACK!!!" he yelled before blindly sprinting off into the dark woods. Everywhere he looked he saw those dark branches reaching to take him back, back to that musky smelling barn where they spat at him kicked at him threw things at him...he'd never return the way he had come his family could rot where ever they were for all he cared now for panic gripped the poor wolfs heart so much that he was sure he was back on that farmland trying to out run the farmers and their dogs now.

Subject: Re: Freedom at a price. August 31st 2011, 5:06 pm

Sleeping Willow sprinted after him, " Wait! Jay! I know secret ways no other wolf has travled to get around the mountians! " She whimpers slightly, losing sight of him.

` beta Posts : 1386 Registered : 2010-06-01

Jay started to come to his sense's and slowed slightly, his panting hard in his chest as he turned to wait for the wolf to catch up with him. " I don't care...they left me for dead and for that..." he looks over his body as if to say can't you see that. " They didn't want me and I don't need them..." he growls a little, something had grown in him in his time with the humans a dark monster...rage and vengence. He was no longer the pup seeking out his family, no he was seeking a place to call home and if he ever ran into his pack again...he would kill them for what they had done to him. " I don't want a war that isn't my own..." his voice deep and powerful, it surprised him so much that he hadn't realized it had come from him at first.

Subject: Re: Freedom at a price. August 31st 2011, 7:11 pm

Sleeping Willow catches up, " We won't run into war, trust me. " She hugs Jay, " And I'll help you if you run into your pack again, at least you might still have one... " She turns around and sits down, whimpering. Small tears rolling from her eyes.

` beta Posts : 1386 Registered : 2010-06-01

Jay mumbles to himself, " I don't need any pack..." he snorts and shakes out his crown. He was irritated at the thoughts that were filling his head and he didn't like them there so as he learned he locked them away, deep down inside of himself knowing there would be a day he could let it all out...but today was not that day. " Go back to your pack if you will...but I'm headed away from that place and I'd do the same if I were you. The humans back that way have ways of disguising their scent and without me...you'd be easy prey." he says with an almost sneer. His time with the humans having turned him into a gruff old wolf, blunt and to the point whether it hurt someone or not.

Subject: Re: Freedom at a price. August 31st 2011, 7:34 pm

Sleeping Willow looked up, " I don't have a pack anymore... And I would rather tag along with you than be fresh-kill...." she crawled over to Jay with her tail under her.

` beta Posts : 1386 Registered : 2010-06-01

Jay smirked, " A wise decision...however I am unfamiliar to these woods...perhaps you'd be willing to be my guide? Of course if you're up for it...and stand up you have all the qualities of a higher ranking wolf. Show some pride in yourself." he nods, he really had grown up a lot in that barn. He knew who should and shouldn't be ranked, he was lowest of the low and that was the cards fate had dealt him. However she was a young beautiful fae who could easily become a beta and possibly alpha when she matured perhaps a little more. " So...any ideas on where we should go from here?"

Subject: Re: Freedom at a price. August 31st 2011, 8:57 pm

Sleeping Willow sat up, " I'd be honored to. And I am still unfamiliar to the woods as well... I'm just here until I find a mate or friend. " Then her eyes flash with happiness, " We could go look around these unfamiliar woods? "

` beta Posts : 1386 Registered : 2010-06-01

Jay smirks and raises a brow curiously in her direction, " Team up with me?...are you sure you're looking at me?" he asks even looking behind himself to check to see if there were any other wolves around for her to be talking to but it was only him. How could anyone wish to be around a wolf who couldn't even hunt for himself...plus missing his tail he was a wasted cause and he had already come to the realization long ago that when he escaped the humans he would more then likely die...but he had also reasoned with himself that he rather die a free wolf then a caged one. But maybe he wasn't such a lost cause after all, if he teamed up with this wolf at least for awhile he'd get food the wolf may have a slight limp but it was much better then his crippled arm of course he could at least scare the prey into the others direction and flush out the weak...hmmm this might actually work, " Sure why not...but I'm headed this way..." he says nodding away from the mountains where the humans lived.

Subject: Re: Freedom at a price. September 5th 2011, 6:31 pm

Sleeping Willow nodded and laughed a little, " Yeah! " she wagged her tail happily, " If you don't mind that I tend to talk a lot and I can get pretty annoying. " she glanced upward not knowing if it were morning or evening, " Do you know if the sun's up? I can't quite tell. " she squinted trying to look through the mist, " Oh yeah, and you can call me Willow. " Sleeping Willow smiled slightly, still looking up.

` beta Posts : 1386 Registered : 2010-06-01

Jay nods, " Yeah...it should be just about dusk now..." he says looking up towards the tree tops as well, no sun had gotten through the trees all day and it made the place rather dank smelling and cold. So to stay warm he half hops over to Willow and takes up her side, ready to make way through the forest to find themselves dinner although he wasn't sure where it would come from. " Maybe we should start thinking about food and a warm place to sleep for the night?" he suggests to the fae, even though she had submitted to him he held himself in no higher standing then her instead he saw her as the leader since really she was going to have to be someone he depended on for food at least. " Oh and talking doesn't bother me...it'll pass the time when we travel...I mean that is if you still want to come with me and everything..."

Subject: Re: Freedom at a price. September 5th 2011, 7:49 pm

Sleeping Willow stroked her tail down Jay's spine, " Yeah, we should find somewhere to sleep. And I'll go hunting if you would like. It'll just fill the air with the smell of prey and not moss and mushrooms. " Willow laughed, " Over there would be good. " She pointed out a dark hole in the mist, " It might be someones but we could still check. " She shivered then started to walk toward it.

` beta Posts : 1386 Registered : 2010-06-01

Jay jumped near out his skin when her tail brushed along his spine, he had thought it a spider and had quickly bounded forward a few hops as he shook with chills from the thought. There had always been spiders in that barn he had lived in and he had learned quickly that a bite from one of them could kill as he had seen it happen to a few chickens. When she moved towards the hole in the ground he started forward as though that was what he had been doing all along a bit embarrassed by getting the willies from nothing but a brush from her tail. What had she been doing with it anyways? he wondered as he popped his head into the hole to find it vacant of any fresh smells, pulling his head out his ears now with a bit of dirt and moss he pants softly as he smiles to give her the good news. " Empty."

Subject: Re: Freedom at a price. September 5th 2011, 8:12 pm

Willow smiles and walks in, " I'll make the nests. " She limped toward the river picking up huge scraps of moss with her teeth, " Pick your place, Jay. And I'll make yours first. " She sat, waiting for him to pick, " Your the only wolf I've talked to in a few months, Jay. I'm glad your letting me tag along with you. " Her smile grew warm and her crystal blue eyes became bright.

` beta Posts : 1386 Registered : 2010-06-01

Jay smiles as a thought dawned on him that he could get their food while she made them places to sleep, " Anywhere is fine with me and really it's nothing...I mean," he hops over towards the river bank as he continues the conversation with her, " I haven't had the company of another wolf in...probably almost a year now...plenty of dogs, just not wolves and besides if it wasn't for you tonight...well I wouldn't have a place to sleep or the good company." He laughs lightly as he stares down into the sparkling water, watching as some wild salmon maneuvered their way around his front fore before he springs his jaws down around one and launches his head and neck back and up letting go so that the fish flew through the air and plopped right down on shore where it flopped around for awhile before it died as he continued to fish. " You'd never know it but I once used to want to be alone...can you believe such a thing?"