A Tense Meeting (Vaiyalhi and Alcatraz)

Picking her way carefully through the vegetation and snow, the she-wolf released a low huff from her jaws as she moved. She really wasn't fond of the damp white fluff. Still, she could do little about it, and so she did her best to keep her mind off it as she moved. It did have a nice fresh scent, and tasted good when there was no streams nearby. When she got tired she would bury herself in snow and dirt, and then it would be a nice protection against the chill. But that wouldn't be for a bit--she still had walking to do at the moment. Not that she had any destination...but that was alright.


Vaiyalhi shook herself slightly, removing some of the stiffness from her spine. She glanced around the desolate woods, ears twitching to the almost eerie silence that hung over the place. She'd paused a moment, but soon after she moved forwards again, endlessly striding along at a smooth, quiet walk.


Alcatraz was nestled in his temporary den, a large hole in the side of an earthly cliff among tree roots that he had dug out himself. The sound of pawsteps crunching through the snow nearby caused him to rouse from his slumber. He narrowed his pale yellow eyes, slipping from his den and glancing around sharply. The loner was very protective of the Chandor border ever since he had discovered his childhood friend residing among its ranks. He turned and faced the direction of the sound, scenting the air carefully and trotting toward it.


Alcatraz soon caught sight of the loner padding toward him. A little she-wolf with a thick silvery tan coat. Alcatraz relaxed, letting his thick mane lay flat. This she-wolf was not a troupe of invaders looking to pillage the good wolves of Chandor. But by now Alcatraz was sure that the she-wolf would have seen him, so he lowered his tail to ensure her he meant no harm, though his pale eyes remained suspicious as he growled, ”You are nearing the lands of the Chandor pack. I would wander no closer, if your plans will allow.” he said.


When movement disturbed the quietness of the forest, Vaiyalhi came to an immediate halt, her ears twitching up. One sniff was enough to bring her the scent of a stranger, a male wolf. It wasn't long before a brownish shape appeared in her vision, standing out from the snow. He didn't appear threatening, but he didn't look happy to see her either. He didn't smell like a pack wolf. Twitching her ears to the voice, she blinked, then rolled her shoulders in a casual manner.


"Pah, I've no interest in messing with a pack." she retorted stiffly, eyeing the male. Or was he a pack wolf? Why else would he be so defensive of their lands? She wrinkled her nose thoughtfully, tail twitching slightly against her hind legs.



Alcatraz nodded his broad head, his thick mane ruffling, ”Good.” he said gruffly, his pale yellow eyes watching her. Her could already sense the spirit within her. She was a fiery female, probably a necessity for her due to her small size. She would need some way to keep up with the other loners trying to survive. He wondered how far she had come to make it here, as he often wondered with new wolves. ”Where are you from?” He asked her. His voice was not warm, but slightly curious.


The light-colored canine kept her eyes on him as well, her gaze level and rather bland. Twitching her nose as the breeze danced past her face, she lifted her head, jaws opening to taste the air for a moment. Hearing the male's voice again, a question ringing through the snowy landscape, Vaiyalhi's ears pricked and she tipped her head to one side. "Far." She began simply, rolling her shoulders. "West. I hailed in a mountainous land, but I don't know if it had a name." she finished with a blink. Jaws closing, the she-wolf remained still briefly, but then parted them to ask him in return. "And yourself?"


Alcatraz nodded once, his yellow eyes narrowed thoughtfully, ”Hmm, a mountain wolf. You seem rather small for such rugged terrain.” He commented. He imagined, however, that she must have made up for it somehow, and he thought he knew how. ”I also was born into a mountain pack. But to the North West.” Alcatraz said. Unlike the little she-wolf, it was clear that he was from the mountains. He had abnormally thick fur and was rather huge.


Her fur spiked at the comment on her size, but it was hardly a surprise. Perhaps she wasn't built like a mountain wolf, but she had the thick pelt and strong legs. Brushing it off with a twitch of her tail, Vaiyalhi let her gaze dart over the male, taking in his full appearance as he went on. She gave a slight nod once he'd finished. "Mhm, I see." she rumbled with a twitch of her ears. Closing her jaws, she lapsed into silence, unsure how to continue the conversation. She wasn't sure if she wanted to.


Alcatraz saw her thick fur spike at his comment and Alcatraz could not help the smile that crept onto his muzzle. That was the spirit of the mountain wolf that had kept her alive. But she proved to have more patience than he had expected, brushing off the comment with a disinterested answer to his question.


Alcatraz cleared his throat, ”May I ask for your name?” Alcatraz asked, his pale yellow eyes narrowed curiously. He knew he would not recognize it, but he liked to check. After all, he had found Gabitrix after all this time. You never knew who someone was until you asked.


Was he mocking her with that look? Vaiyalhi's gaze narrowed more, but she said nothing, at least not until he spoke up again with another question. She debated, but decided there was no harming in giving him her name. After a moment's hesitation she lifted her chin and opened her jaws to speak again. "Vaiyalhi," she drawled out, her tail giving another agitated twitch. She eyed him intently, head tipping in the slightest of nods, waiting for him to introduce himself. She didn't bother asking, seeing it seemed sort of obvious. Perhaps it wouldn't be too bad to linger for a quick conversation. Her curiosity told her that, anyway.


Her name, foreign to his ears, sparked no memories. ”Alcatraz,” he answered to her unspoken question. He saw the agitated twitch of her tail and shook his thick pelt before saying, ”Well, don’t let me keep you, Vaiyalhi.” The dark loner said, releasing her from the chains of conversing with him. But Alcatraz himself did not move. He wanted no one near Chandor. She would be the one moving, and in another direction.

Her head tipped in a brief nod to his response, and she straightened slightly as he went on. "Don't worry, I won't." she huffed cheekily in response, her ears flicking. She took a step to the side, in the direction away from the pack's border, since he seemed to guarded about it. With a last glance over the brown-hued male, she turned abruptly and skulked away through the winter-dead undergrowth.