Walking slowly, with her paws dragging heavily below, Lichentooth headed towards a rock that was jutting out of another. Her head was hung low and she was staring at the ground but she was aware of her surroundings and, though they lacked their usual lightness, made careful steps. Her green eyes were dull and had no shine to them, even when she lifted them towards the sun to get her bearings. It was early morning and the rays were harsh on her pupils, which constricted instantly. She took note of the sun's height and looked away, shaking her head slightly and blinking several times to acclimate her eyes again. Finally, she reached the rock she was headed towards and lifted one of her very long legs up onto its surface, dragging the rest of her body with her.
She lowered her body and rested her head on her legs which extended out in front of her, ankles draped over the edge of the rock. She was thin and dainty but her legs were so long that she took up the entire surface. She stared right next to her front paws and her eyes came to life, turning into a lively clover green. The tiniest little buds of plants began to sprout in front of her, rising up quickly. They turned out to simply be grass, but Lichentooth was pleased. She let the patch grow for a few moments longer before she went to take a bite - but she heard something that distracted her. Mouth agape, Lichentooth searched wildly with her eyes and then swiveled her head around, closing her mouth in the same motion. The clover color slipped from her irises and her eyes became a dull olive green again as she watched the other wolf that distracted her.
The large brute felt eyes upon him far after he had been aware of the other's presence, but put a show of perking his ears and turning toward Lichentooth with a look of surprise.
She was lounging on one of the many large boulders that created the enclosed labyrinth between them, her pulse shaking the ground. He'd been rather fascinated - in a detached sort of way - in her strange physique, but hadn't given her much thought in general. Lichen had always been a quiet one, a recluse, and Oakspark had hardly given her a second thought in the older days. Now, however, with so few in the pack...
The alpha diverted his intended course toward Southern's border and made his way toward the female. "Patrol gone on without you, love?"
Lichentooth kept her eyes on Oakspark, although she now felt more at ease than when she first realized there was someone near. Her tensed neck muscles relaxed and her head went back to facing in front of her and she began to lift herself up to her paws. Although many wolves looked down on Oakspark and his decisions, namely those from the other packs, he was still her alpha and deserved her respect and a polite greeting. She dipped her head to him slowly and then lowered herself onto her haunches, sitting tall and thin on the boulder. Her large round ears were focused on him as he spoke to her, and she cringed slightly at his words. She knew it was just the way he spoke, but when he called her 'love' it made her uncomfortable. She let her face get back to its resting position before she spoke. "No patrol" she said shortly, moving her body side to side slowly to rest on her sit bones. She couldn't remember the last time she and Oakspark conversed independently of the rest of the pack, but that was expected with her loner ways. She eyed the grass on the rock in front of her but decided to wait longer before eating it - it would taste better the longer she left it. "I can go on one if you want" she added, realizing that maybe Oakspark was implying that a patrol is what she should be doing instead of laying on a rock eating grass.
Oak glanced over her once after he easily leapt onto a neighboring boulder, then flicked an ear dismissively. Though - call him a KaiSeerian - he preferred his wolves to stay within the volcanic cliffs, these wolves were used to wandering the territory. He wouldn't force the pack to be crammed together with tensions as high as they were. Nevertheless, he'd have to bring it to attention sooner or later. Hmph.
With a soft breath, he slid his gaze down to the vibrant grasses growing from the solid stone. "No need," the alpha dismissed. There was no point in sending her now, anyhow, other than to prove a point. "Volunteer yourself for the markings along South tomorrow, instead."
At that, however, his expression shifted slightly. Southern Snow... His meeting with the pack's alpha surfaced, and he inspected Lichentooth again. Perhaps...
She followed his gaze down to her plants and wondered what he thought about her dietary choices these days. Lichentooth looked back up at him and nodded her head at his request. "Yeah, sure" she replied with a huff to his suggestion. She didn't mind going on a border patrol and freshening the markings, especially since she didn't have anything planned for tomorrow anyways. The reason she huffed like it was something that bothered her was because usually Oakspark had them go in groups of two, at least, and she hated having to talk to someone for so long. The she-wolf drifted off in thought at this, thinking about who would be the least awful to patrol with. As she went through the short list of her pack-mates she felt the alpha's gaze inspecting her. She noticed his expression change and suddenly she felt self-conscious. Lichentooth straightened her curved back and tensed her body, claws gripping at the rock. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she snapped nervously, her eyes scanning over his face desperately.
The larger wolf flicked his eye back up to meet hers, a wry smile tugging briefly at the corner of his maw as she snapped out the question. There was certainly something different to her in comparison to most packborn. More... reserved. A Stirlin, if one existed in Compass.
Though a less preoccupied version of him might have pursued having fun with Lichen's rather nervous bristling, doing so now would certainly not be in his best interest. Instead, Oakspark lifted his head and shifted his focus to the white tips of Southern's mountains in the distance.
"Winterspark will be sending Blizzardsong as part of an... agreement we had made. I want you to learn what you can from him. It wouldn't look very good for East to rely on another's healer, now would it?"
Welcome to Compass Ross Packs territories. These wolves are... different than those of Earth. They live in a different realm, and the only way in or out is through the Transport wolves.
What are these wolves, you ask? These wolves have magic on their fur and the elements in their blood. These wolves have power. But will they use them for good, or for evil? That is up to you.
Compass Rose was created by Sentinel. Content is copyrighted to Compass Rose unless otherwise stated. The skin is created by Wolf of Gangnam Style. The board and thread remodel is by Kagney.