We Are Young [Tidus]

[Denna]

Food, such an inviting scent to the young female. Purple ears swiveled atop her head and blue eyes burned brightly with excitement. Her muzzle dripped with blood as she pulled at the carcass of a young doe. The meat was tender and oh so delicious. She lifted her white paw and placed it on the deer carcass while she looked around. There was noise in the distance, very faint, almost like a whisper. Most likely the sound of other wolves somewhere off in the distance. Her long fur bristled as she stood over her meal, deep blue eyes searching the surrounding forest. She lifted her blood covered nose and scented the air repeatedly, trying to catch the scents of other wolves. They were obviously not very close by, most likely the sound of other loners traveling through the unclaimed lands

Once she had checked that everything was safe, she dipped her muzzle back down and tore off another hunk from the carcass. She took her time savoring the taste of the freshly killed doe. Once she had eaten her fill, Denna lifted her muzzle and licked the blood from her lips. If she was a cat she would most likely be purring right now as she cleaned the blood off her lips and teeth. Her muscles completely relaxed as she stepped away from the carcass, stretching out her body. She was full and satisfied, ready to relax now. A long yawn escaped her jaws as she looked around the lands boredly. Her rear plopped down onto the ground, too tired and full to travel anywhere right now. Denna let her front legs slide out from under her body and she rolled onto her side. The sun shining down into the meadow and warming her pelt. It was making her feel rather sleepy actually. Her eyes began to slowly close as she relaxed, laying her head down on the soft earth. So quiet, she thought to herself as she lay, sunbathing. Her white and purple tail tapped lightly against the ground, showing that she wasn't asleep.

She had been traveling for quite some time and needed a bit of a rest before she continued on. The female didn't like that it had been so long since she had been in the company of another wolf. After thinking about it, she came to the conclusion that it had been an entire week without interaction with another. Her closest interaction with anything was when she went hunting and caught her meals. Prey wasn't exactly the best company though, especially after you've killed them. She could only hope that soon enough she would at the very least run into a lone wolf. Then she could at least have a bit of fun perhaps. She enjoyed having others around, which made other wolves wonder why she was a loner. At her age, most young females were settled into a pack with a mate and litter of pups. However she enjoyed the thrill of traveling to new lands. She was an explorer and hadn't found anywhere that truly felt like home yet. Until then she didn't see herself settling into any pack.

[Tidus]

[bg=ddddff][atrb=width,300,true][atrb=border,0,true] The thought of joining a pack hadn't really been inviting at first to the young male, but since his separation from his brother and only companion, the loneliness of solitary travel began to weigh heavily on his shoulders. He had enjoyed having someone by his side, someone to talk to and run with. It had been easy when they were just two young boys hopping from place to place, never staying, always exploring. Since the fall, Tidus had been alone. It had been daunting at first, having no one to turn to when he felt unsafe and when the chill of the night lay heaviest. The months passed by and the male grew in his own company, slowly losing his dependence on others. He knew how to hunt and if he got hurt, he could easily heal himself with all the remedies he knew. Still, life alone wasn't all it was chalked up to be when you preferred having at least one person with you. It had be one year since the incident. As he walked through the brush, his head level with his shoulders and tail dripping just barely above the ground, his mind wandered to their last encounter. He and his brother Jaxian had been hunting when the stampede happened. He often recalled the incident, especially when staring down a herd. No groups had crossed his path today or the day before, and as Tidus walked on, he almost thought his mind was tricking him when he caught the scent of a doe and blood. It wasn't the only scent though; there was someone else near by. With carefully placed steps, the white male weaved his way through the thinning brush and stopped at the last tree before the clearing swept in front of him. The grass was brilliantly green and the sun sent everything around him practically glowing, especially one figure in particular that laid beside a bloody body. His green eyes shimmered with curiosity as Tidus studied this she-wolf. He hadn't come across many in his travels. Generally he only mingled with the sick or injured before leaving when he had supplied them with a cure. But he picked up no ailments from his distance, and instead of heading off, his mind wondered if it would be worth staying and trying to make an acquaintance. He lowered his head further to show himself as no threat and a gentle, friendly smile pulled at his muzzle. "Good afternoon,

[/b]" he called, still a favorable distance from the pretty white-and-purple wolf. He noticed the twitch of her tail and was glad to see that he hadn't disturbed a sleeping creature. That would have been unfortunate for him.


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[Denna]

Her eyes had closed, her breathing slowed as she began to relax fully. Her tail still tapped gently on the ground to let any creature that might come along know she was alert. Her ears swiveled atop her head, listening to the sounds of the forest around her. Birds chirped, there was a rabbit scurrying not far off, and then the sound of paws came to her ears. She blinked open her eyes and her jaws parted as a yawn escaped. Her nap would have to wait it seemed, because as she lay there the sound of the paws drew closer. They sounded too big to be a fox or small creature. She lifted her nose into the air and sniffed a few times, finding the scent of another wolf. Male. The fur on her back rose and her claws flexed but retracted right after. She wasn't typically a hostile wolf, but since she had food she had to be prepared for anything. She guessed that the wolf had probably smelled the blood from her meal and would most likely try to take it from her.

As she rolled onto her stomach, her midnight blue eyes gazed up at the form of a male wolf. Her lips quivered instinctively but she made no sound. Auds on her head perked up and she lay with her head held high. There was nothing threatening about the male, besides perhaps his size. But he was showing no aggression or warning towards her. Instead he had seemed to lower his head and then offered her a wolfish smile. Using her front legs, she pushed her slender form into a sitting position. "Hello" she said, offering a small smile in return. Her tail tapped against the ground as she looked over the male before her. "I'm Denna, and you are?" she asked, introducing herself first. Her blue eyes wandered over the male's form, examining his figure and markings. He looked like a well built wolf, and most certainly healthy. Her head tilted to the side as she watched him curiously. From the looks of things he was alone, no other wolf coming up behind or beside him. Her nostrils flared, scenting the air to make sure that she was in fact right about him being alone. There were no strange scents in the air, no other wolves in the area at the moment.

Her back legs tensed and she pushed herself to her feet, padding towards him a bit. He wasn't threatening, but she wanted to get a better look at him. Judge exactly what his size and muscle mass were to size him up as if he were an opponent. Her ears swiveled around her head as she walked a slow circle around the male, looking him over more closely. "What brings you to these parts?" she inquired as she finished her circle and stood in front of him. He looked like an interesting enough male, she figured that it wouldn't hurt to know what his story was.

[Tidus]

[bg=ddddff][atrb=width,300,true][atrb=border,0,true] The young male didn't have to wait long for a reply. With a certain quickness to her, the she-wolf was sitting up and looking at him from where she had been resting a few seconds prior. She appeared a little rigid from his sudden appearance, but other than that she seemed mostly interested as to why he was here. He took her name in with a nod and replied back, "It's a pleasure, Denna. I'm Tidus.

[/b]" It felt good to exchange words with another after only short visits with the sick and the travels he'd had prior with his lost brother. Yes, he decided, company would do him good. He had hoped he'd made the right choice to stop and socialize, and right now it felt he did.

Tidus twitched his ears forward as the she-wolf stood and approached him. Not quite sure of her intentions yet, he stood perfectly still except his eyes following her as she drew nearer. Understanding grasped him as she began to walk around him and he continued to stay put. It was completely understandable that she would want to get a better look at a stranger who walked up to her, so he would allow her to do so with no protests. When she came back around, Tidus did the same, only staying in his spot. She was a lean girl, sturdy and well built if just a little smaller than him. The size didn't really matter, he could tell; she could pack a serious bite. He would rather not pose any threat to her, not that he had planned to, in the future.

At her question, his ears flicked in thought and he sat down, letting his tail lightly tap the ground as he had seen her do. "Just traveling, really,[/b]" he said with a very slight tilt of his head. "I've never quite stayed anywhere for a long period of time so I cross a lot of different places. What about yourself?[/b]" Again he relished the feel of being able to share conversation with another. Too long had he been alone. Even if this was just a quick chat before they went their separate ways, it still felt nice to stop and talk. Quickly, he added, "I hope I didn't disturb you just now by coming this way.[/b]"


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[Denna]

Denna didn't typically introduce herself right away to a stranger, which meant she was feeling even more lonely then she realized. It had been a long time since she had parted with her last sibling. They all probably had families by now, and where was she? All by herself in some stranger unclaimed territory. She couldn't even imagine how disappointed her mother would be to find out that she wasn't settled somewhere. Eiru was a very family oriented female and enjoyed being within the confines of a pack. So it was a mystery as to how her third born pup would be so much her opposite. Even Denna's father enjoyed being part of a pack. It just simply hadn't been a lifestyle that she could see herself living, at least not yet. There was so much world that she had wanted to see. Of coarse that didn't necessarily mean she had to be alone all the time. She took in the male's name as he gave it, finding it a rather suiting name for the male.

As she walked towards him, she took note that he didn't seem to tense up like most others would. He stayed completely relaxed as she made her way around his body, looking him over carefully. She could have done this from her spot, but she felt the strange need to make a show of it. Her auds twitched as she came to her stop in front of him, feeling as though she had a full assessment of him. He was most definitely well built with a good muscle mass, most likely he would win if it came to a fight. Depending of coarse on how skilled he was at fighting. She was quite a little warrir back in her puppy days, and that only grew with age. Denna let her midnight blue eyes stared straight into the bright green of his.

It seemed that she would have some company for a bit, as she noted him sitting and becoming more comfortable. Her purple ears twitched atop her head and she tilted her head to the side as he explained about his travels. She found it rather intriguing that like herself, he had been traveling and didn't stay anywhere for long. "I too am a traveler" she said with a smile. She was surprised to have immediately found something in common with this male. Perhaps they would share stories about places they had traveled. Or he could direct her to new places that she may visit. Her eyes sparkled with sudden excitement at the idea, feeling rather glad that this male had happened upon her and struck up a conversation. She sat back on her rear and her tail wagged softly. "Don't worry about it. I was just resting my body a bit after eating. I could certainly use the company" she said, not wanting him to possibly leave. She would be rather disappointed if he tried to leave without getting to talk more.

[Tidus]

[bg=ddddff][atrb=width,300,true][atrb=border,0,true] Fighting wasn't generally in his list of things he enjoyed - besides play fighting, that is - and he actually had rather avoid it at all costs. All violence did, in his eyes, was cause unnecessary injury and possible death when things could have been resolved through speech. His ideas were different than many others however, and he had come to terms with this long ago. With and without Jaxian, the male had had his share of sprawls that he had wished to avoid. He knew how to fight and defend himself, but he did so mostly just to tire out the rival. With incredible lightness in his steps, he often avoided blows to try and use reason. That didn't always work, and unfortunately there was more than once he absolutely had to get his teeth and claws dirty to settle something. It wasn't something he liked. Seeing how Denna wasn't looking for a fight, though, these thoughts scraped by quickly and left his mind quicker than the wind. He smiled back at her as she did and listened to her speak. Another traveler? How about that! Already he felt even more at ease around the she-wolf because of their common occupation. The sparkle in her eye told him that he alone wasn't the only one pleased by this discovery. Perhaps he would really make a friend after all. The thought was a very pleasing one. He had been alone much too long. At her words, he gave a nod. "As could I,

[/b]" he said with a small laugh in his voice. He couldn't help the sudden delight; Tidus had finally found someone to speak to after weeks and months of lone travel. "If I may ask, what are you favorite places to stop at? I enjoy the thin forests right before a mountain range or a valley with a river myself.[/b]" His smile remained, his own eyes glowing with the prospect of continued conversation. He definitely needed this, company was just outstanding, and Denna was just the wolf he need to speak to.


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[Denna]

She felt as relaxed as he looked, which seemed to be a lot. Her muscles relaxed and she found herself sitting comfortably before this male. It was nice to have someone to talk to, who was as interested in traveling as she was. They could tell stories about their travels, point each other in the direction of great places to visit, the possibilities were endless. Denna was surprised and excited, two emotions that made her feel rather hyper. Her tail swayed back and forth behind her, itching to hear his stories. Eager to speak to another wolf at all. The male admitted that he could also use some company, which meant that he had been traveling alone for some time. She began to wonder how much they could have in common. She got to her feet and shifted a bit, feeling impatient and anxious now. Her ears twitched and she made herself sit back down, trying to relax again.

Denna tilted her head to the side as he questioned her on her favorite place to stop. She had been to so many different places, and they all had their own wonders to them. After a few more moments of thinking she finally decided on a few places. "I suppose my favorite spots would be waterfalls and caves. Both majestic in their own way and great to explore" she said with a smile. Caves could go deep fo miles, and there could be so many different creatures living within them. Waterfalls, well they were so beautiful the way the water fell into the pool below. Plus there could sometimes be secret caves behind watefalls, which always made for good exploring. Her tail wagged behind he back as she thought back to some of the lands she had visited. "How long have you been traveling for? Have you always been alone?" she asked him, curious to find out more about this male and his travels.

[Tidus]

[bg=ddddff][atrb=width,300,true][atrb=border,0,true] It was generally pretty easy for him to get relaxed, and since there appeared to be no tension in the air between the two, he certainly was pretty at ease. He never was one to get too excited about a situation unless the subject or topic at hand was of interest. Upon watching her, Tidus notice the slight twitch of her appendages, the way she moved, and how she stood up then sat back down quickly. He smiled in kind amusement at her impatient excitement. It was true that he was glad and excited himself that he had found another to share a moment with, but he found himself not completely expressing it on the outside. Instead, he stayed calm and collected. He had a habit of bottling up whatever wasn't calm and keeping it to wage on the inside, something that his mother did, unknowns to him. With interest, the white male watched her as she thought of her favorite locations. He waited patiently, eager to hear what caught her attention and how she viewed things. At her words, he nodded fondly, his calm smile remaining as he thought over the waterfalls and caves he had seen in his travels. "I'll have to agree with you there,

[/b]" he said fondly. "I find that I like exploring those areas nearly as much as the spots mentioned before.[/b]"

At her next question, his expression faltered for but a moment. His smile lost it's brightness, but he continued to keep his pleased expression, if not adding a hint of nostalgia to the mix. "Well, to be perfectly honest, I cannot say that I've been traveling for as long as I remember, for I have vague memories of a time before then.[/b]" His eyes grew distant as he tried to hook the fuzzy images into his mind to study for the umpteenth time. "I can't really say when I started traveling, but I know I started very young, less than a year old. My brother and I wandered from place to place, never stopping for long, always on the move.[/b]" A pang struck him as he thought of Jaxian. Oh how he missed his brother.

"About a year ago, we were separated while hunting. I haven't seen him since, and since then I have been practically alone.[/b]" Tidus regained focus and looked back at the she-wolf, his full attention restored to her. His tail wagged contently, slowly, behind him as he tilted his head. "And what about yourself, miss Denna?[/b]" he asked kindly, open to hear her story.


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[Denna]

[atrb=cellSpacing,10,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 500px; background: url(http://i50.tinypic.com/23s7vd0.png); background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px dashed transparent, bTable][atrb=style, width: 400px; height: 500px;] She very much appreciated the way that he paid attention as she spoke. His eyes were focused on her face, not on the rest of her. There was no sign from this male that he even had an interest in her body, which she did not mind at all. The idea of speaking with another horny brute made her irritated and only appreciate this male all the more. She smiled her appreciation at the male and listened to him speak in response to her favorite spots. There was something to like about every area she had traveled, even the desert had it's good points. In fact, she couldn't really think of any place she had visited that she didn't like. There were creatures that she might not have liked, but the area itself was nice. She enjoyed traveling and seeing the world, seeing so many places in such a short span of time was nice. There were so many stories that she could share with others about her travels. All the different creatures she had met, the different areas she explored, and the situations she got into. It made for some very entertaining stories. She noticed the change in his expression as she asked him if he had been alone for long. Her own eyes lost their sparkle as she watched him intently. Both ears perked up to show that she was listening to every word that he said. She gave a slight nod to show that she understood his memory loss. She herself remembered everything from even her earliest days as a young pup. Although there were times when she wished that she didn't have all those memories. He had started traveling at around the same age as she herself. Her ears twitched at his mention of a brother, curious as to what had made the two split up. Her smile fell and turned into a frown as he explained what had caused the split between himself and his brother. "I'm so sorry" she said softly, her ears slanting back on her head. She couldn't imagine how it would feel to have one of her siblings simply go missing. The male had turned his attention back on her, and Denna shook herself out. Her frown disappeared, but no smile replaced it. Instead her face was simple, blank almost. Her head tilted to the side as he asked her then about her own travels. "I began my travels at around my tenth month of life. Most of my siblings stayed behind with our parents and their pack. They weren't ready to leave, and some of them simply had no desire to go" she began to explain to him. Her tail wagged softly as she spoke with the male, finding her own memories to bring back her happy smile. "One of my sisters traveled with me for a while, until she found herself a mate. Now she is settled in with him, and having pups of her own" she finished explaining about her family, and felt a tiny bit of loss. She did miss her family, she had always been close with them. But she enjoyed her life, happy traveling the world and seeing so many places. Although it did get quite lonely from time to time. ---------------- Status; DONE Muse; Good Words; -didn't count- Tagged; Tidus Notes; Awwww

[Tidus]

[bg=ddddff][atrb=width,300,true][atrb=border,0,true] The stories Tidus could tell about his travels could simply be considered times when he and his brother fooled around in different places. They were boys, and young at that, with no responsibility except for their own selves. Even though they were males that wandered and did dumb things that some youngsters may do, one thing that wasn't on their to-do list was court females. Generally they strayed away from others of their kind to avoid trouble and to keep away from mishaps. Other loner males may approach women and try to win them over to get what they want an move on. Tidus had far more respect for everything than that, and even the thicker-headed Jaxian had no plans to be with a female just to get action and to move on. To both, the thought never struck as right and so as they wandered, they made sure to stay away from she-wolves to avoid any sort of temptation it may cause. And it worked. Foolish they may have been at some points, they never went too far as to scar someone. It was mostly just harmless border pranks or startling the other brother. Tidus wouldn't have minded sharing stories of those times, but even though with the time that passed, it was difficult to talk of Jaxian for too long. He didn't believe him dead -- no, his brother was tougher than that -- but he still missed his kin sorely. Tidus acknowledged her nod with a twitch of his ears as she listened. She appeared to be focused on everything he said and the gesture made the young male feel grateful. It was nice to have someone to listen. At her words, he gave a small nod and held back a sigh. "It's difficult at times to... go on without him. We relied on one another so much. But I know he's out there, and he can handle himself.

[/b]" He gave her a tiny smile in thanks before lifting his head attentively to gaze at her face, her eyes mostly, as he listened to her begin to speak. The male gave a small nod as she explained her time of leave and couldn't help but smile inwardly as Denna's face brightened at the recollection of her memories. "That's great for her. My best wishes to your sister and her family,[/b]" he said with a quick nod. As she finished, he gave a small satisfied grin and chuckled light-heartedly. "It sounds like we've got a bit in common. Starting off traveling at a young age with a sibling, then branching off to travel on our own. It's interesting.[/b]" Though technically Tidus didn't "branch off" on his own. It was kind of a forced thing, really.

He had never really attempted to bond with a stranger before, but now that he was, Tidus found that he rather liked it, especially after being alone for quite some time. Denna was easy to talk to and she looked to enjoy roaming as much as he did. A thought crossed his mind and he couldn't help but feel a sudden burst of excitement at the idea. First, he asked, "If I may ask, where are you headed?[/b]" It didn't really matter to him, he would go anywhere if it meant exploring. But if Denna welcomed him as a friend, then maybe he could finally have some company. It was a very appealing idea to travel with someone else again, and he couldn't stop the small wag of his tail behind him.

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