within and without [open]

[Tovaana]

Aero;

Her slender black head swiveled back and forth, snapping to one side and then to another. There was sand everywhere and the land rose and fell, but besides the hills there was nowhere for anyone to hide. Nowhere for anyone to be stalking her; it was just her and sand. The fear that had riddled her through the forest had slowly ebbed away the further into the dry lands she traveled. Aero took a deep breath of the dry autumn salty breeze. It was the smell that had initially drew her, the salty scent had distracted her from her fears, and so the scent guided her otherwise aimless journey.

She backpedaled down a sandy slope to keep her balance and crested a point where the sound of the roaring waves hit sand in the distance. Aero froze. The foreign sound was a buzz, somehow soothing, but at the same time it made her nervous that it was drowning out other noises. Would she hear if someone came up from behind her? Her neck arched and she looked back behind her instinctually to see if /they/ were there. She had traveled too many months in fear; she needed to find somewhere to start over. Somewhere where she didn’t have to think about her past. There was a moment that she felt silly that she had looked over her shoulder for the hundredth time.

Through her ebony coat her white skin freckled wherever the breeze revealed it. Her head turned back to the ocean and she moved into a gallop pace closer to the water. She let her mind focus on the new phenomenon before her, as she had never seen so much water before. The sand eventually stiffened and made it easier to walk and she paused, sniffing the ground momentarily and watched transfixed as the water traveled toward her. Her body stiffened as it continued to reach toward her and she made a sudden jump away from the approaching extended wave, but it suddenly withdrew and traveled back into the ocean.

Her heart beat had quickened its pace as she watched the water get swallowed up by the water and gather back up into a wave. Aero’s blood red gaze blinked incredulous of the oddly acting water. It was almost like it was alive. As another wave rolled in she stiffened her small body and resisted running from the reaching water. She lifted her white and back laced leg and poked at the water before it kissed her other front paw. Aero blinked purposefully, taking a step back. Had the water reached further than it had before? Her paws took a few stiff steps backward, waiting patiently as the body of water took its time in swallowing the previous wave and gushing out another series of waves that reached out to her and once again touched her front paws.

Was it possible that the water was chasing her? Did they all know what she had done? First it had been just fear of the pack chasing her, and then there had been strange creatures, and now… the water? Her body slumped a little, part of herself giving up all the stress she had been holding for so long. “What would you want with me anyways?” She asked the water glumly, with slight irritation lacing the words. She picked up her white laced paw once more, stabbing at the water as it came in once more, as it reached her back legs this time, since she had not taken a step back since the last wave. The water was cold and iced her paws that were sore from walking in the sands for so long. While she didn't understand the water, it wasn't so bad, as long as she accepted the way the new sounds and smells took her to a different place within herself.

[fierfly05]

Salt.

He could smell salt.

So where was it?

He'd thought at first that it was just a salt lick somewhere nearby, but the scent had pervaded so heavily so far - surely it couldn't still be near, he'd traveled several hundred yards by now... Like the true explorer he was, he'd sampled a few leaves that had fallen and even probed the soil with his tongue. It wasn't that it infused the area, it was still out there...but where?

Forested shelter gave way to open lands. Long, dry grasses waving in the wind, rustling with every breath that stirred them. The scent became stronger and easier to follow there, so he continued. Trail dust powdered his callused paws and his muscles grew limp and then hard as he tracked the scent for several days. The grasses gave way to a kind of earth he'd never seen in such quantity. His mother had never seen it before either... it was weaker than most soil, dry, grainy - and it got everywhere! He'd seen small quantities near rivers and pools at his childhood home, but here it was all over. The dunes had held his interest for several hours. It was softer and more slippery than regular earth. One couldn't quite dig it properly, it kept sliding between his claws and working itself in between his toes. He was none too pleased when he found a few grains crunching between his teeth. It was interesting, but not interesting enough to eat. He'd continued on toward the pervading taste of salt - now thick in the air.

He'd gotten a few glimpses of blue between dunes. A river? Maybe, a huge, sluggish river if that, he didn't foresee the terrain turning steeper beyond, and he couldn't hear it rushing - there was some strange roaring sound, but not of water rolling downhill.

He finally huffed his way to the top of the last slippery dune standing between him and the blue and his jaw gently dropped.

First to his left, then to his right, his head swiveled back and forth in awe. The white, gray water lapped along the sandy shore nearly endlessly in both those directions - extraordinary! More amazing yet was that it reached out far. Somewhere the water turned from blue to silver and ran out to kiss the sky - anything beyond that he wasn't sure of, mists secluded the edge of the water and where the sky must have met it. Truly, that was all there was left! No trees, no grasses, no more sand, just...water. Endless, roaring, purring water.

He may have not thought through what he did next very well.

"Yeah-hoo!"

Long, gangly legs flew out from under his body as he sprang forward and tumbled down the slope toward the unending blue and gray. Sand kicked up behind him as he flew down. Maybe he tripped over himself a bit there at the very end, but no matter, it resulted in a terrific splash, so all was well. Brr! The water was colder than he'd thought it would be. He let his body drop down into the rolling surf of the blue and gray. Much colder! But it felt wonderful on his dry, tired paws and aching legs. He let his tongue loll out of his mouth for a moment, intending to lap the water up - as he tasted it, he sat up and spat the fluid out again. It was salt! This was the scent he'd caught! How was there so much salt here? Here in this enormous, endless thing! It was fascinating, he'd never heard of anything like it. His mother had used to tell him that the earth was born of water and the rivers grew sweet at the edge of it. Maybe this was the other edge...

He'd laid back down again and the water purred and slid up the shore - some got into his nose. He snorted out and showed himself out of the unique body of water. As soon as the sand was firm - about ankle-deep really, he anchored himself and shook the salt and water out. Fascinating, but he crossed the line at the water investigating his nares, besides, he wanted to look again and how the earth curved from land - growing up amid branches and thickets, the curve of the earth was something he'd seldom gotten to see, and it was awe-inspiring.

A petite form caught his eye as he turned, a she-wolf, no less than twenty paces from him. She'd probably seen it all, he may have nearly barreled her over in his dash, he couldn't recall. Oh well, now she thought he was a hooligan, no big deal, it was more fun being a hooligan with someone. "Isn't it fantastic?" he grinned, trotting over to properly introduce himself to the femme.

[Tovaana]

Aero;

A loud noise called her from the escape the sounds and smells had created. Her whole body tensed and her breath caught in her throat as she backed away from the ocean, casting her gaze wildly about. Her vibrant red gaze found the lanky male in the near distance tumbling down the dunes and toward the strange body of water. She relaxed a little when she realized he had not noticed her yet. So, she watched, frozen, but not quite so tense. Aero didn’t recognize him, which was a good thing.

She quietly observed the male as he frolicked and tried the water – which must have tasted as salty as it smelled. Her ears flicked idly, feeling amused by his antics. He seemed to reflect exactly how she felt all males were – fools. The only difference was that he wasn’t pretending to be any other way. Her head tilted the moment his head swung in her direction and spotted her.

Aero did not grin back, instead she watched calmly as he approached. "Isn't it fantastic?" The words reached her over the lulling noise of the water. A wave came in a kissed her feet and she tried not to flinch at the touch, since she had quite forgotten the strange tendencies of the water. Her eyes had lowered to the sand and then up at the male. Her smile was strained as she replied to him, “I’m not sure I’d use your wording.” She couldn’t deny the soothing nature of the place, but she wasn’t entirely convinced either.

“Though, you looked like you were having fun.” Was there a part of her that was jealous? She’d never had the leisure of being carefree. She’d always had to watch herself, not step on anyone’s toes or claws… Her eyes turned out to the ocean then back to the male. “Who’re you?”

[fierfly05]

She was small, sleek. Petite raven form, black and white lacing on a front paw - pretty really, though she didn't have the light, frolicky attitude her form foretold. She greeted him with a smile, but her soldiers were stiff and her eyes were not on his face, they were on his paws and teeth, glancing around behind him, keeping her vision open should the encounter turn less than friendly. Well...he couldn't exactly blame her with the behavior he'd just exhibited. He might have seemed mentally unhinged there for a moment, but, eh, what the heck, that was the fun of adventuring to a new place, no one knew you, a terrific chance to start over.

She wouldn't have called the water fantastic. Interesting. He thought it was terrific. But with the stillness he began to notice a rhythm to the water and how quiet the surf really was as it came up and rubbed against the shore. Perhaps it was more amazing than fantastic, not the place one would normally expect to be hit with the mighty drug of adrenaline he'd just experienced in losing his head over the uniqueness of it, but it was different and amazing nonetheless. She didn't hold it against him, and the awful divot in his grin peeked out when she observed that it had looked that he was having fun. "I was," he confessed, "A bit nippy, a bit salty, less fun than usual to get up your nose, but fun."

Her eyes often strayed back to the water, like she was searching for something there. Answers? Solitude? Maybe the answer of the tide or something to quell the uneasiness she held between her shoulders. Why was she so tense? She asked for his identity. The grin broadened and the quirk smoothed a bit. "My given name is Leviticus, I never held any fondness for it. I go by Levi. And whom may I have the pleasure of addressing?" he arched an eyebrow playfully but softened his look. He wasn't crazy - well...not as crazy as one could be, certainly only the harmless type if he was. He wasn't out to hurt her.

[Tovaana]

Aero;

She eyed him with a guarded gaze as he spoke about the fun he had. All he was talking about were experiences, in her mind she having a hard time computing how it all added up to ‘fun’. Her head tilted, observing the red and teal marked male before her. He was slender and compact, it matched his youthful demeanor. 

“Then, why don’t you just say ‘Levi’?” She accused, frustrated by the male’s nonchalance. Her paws moved a little on the hard wet sand, surprised when they sunk so easily in the wet sand. Surprised by the sudden sinking feeling she looked down at her feet and stumbled from the spot she had been, trying to tumble more gracefully than she meant to. Wet sand had splashed her chest and her shoulder had too the brunt of the tumble, as a wave had come up at the same time, adding to the wet tumble. Her paws were covered in a layer of sick sand after the water had left.

Her red gaze cast up as she finally caught her balance, but also glanced distrustfully at the ground intermittently.. “This place is…” She was going to say cursed, but so far she hadn’t been found by her pack… and the strange creatures weren’t to be found either. So, perhaps it wasn’t so cursed. She huffed, stepping away from the rolling waves. “It’s…” She felt flustered that she had looked just as strange as he, if not more disgraceful. Her body slumped a little, unable to come up with a suitable term for the place.

[fierfly05]

She eyed him dubiously as he described the little dip he'd taken. True, probably not what most would consider to be fun, but then, he wasn't like most creatures. The unknown didn't frighten him, it woke him up, that was what life was for, was it not? To be lived, to explore things you wouldn't have known otherwise. He remembered when his mother had explained the concept of sun and moon to him and his siblings when they'd begun toddling and tumbling outside the den for the first time, that was entirely the point of existing - meeting new waves of understanding, going from uncertain to rock solid in your understanding, or even just trying. A bone for effort his mother always said, as long as you could say you'd honestly tried, there was no shame in where you'd finished. It wasn't that you lived life, that you finished the senseless race, it was that you were living it, appreciating the journey as it happened: adventures were meant to be enjoyed.

Apparently the femme before him did not share his opinion. She didn't care for his introduction at all and took no heed to his request to learn her name. Well, some were private like that, he couldn't really blame her, but she had started the introduction. It was no fun to ask and then not give something back.

She shifted her weight in the soaked sediment and stumbled back a bit. Back she fell onto her rump and over onto a shoulder - then a wave came and kept her rolling. His amber eyes watched in good-natured amusement, creasing a bit as she came up again soaked and paws still caked in the dark sand, and a streak remaining on her shoulder where she'd fallen earlier. It was not polite, but he laughed. Not at her, if she'd been laughing herself he would have been laughing with her, but what was not to laugh at? "Because what's the fun in that? Stories are fun! Besides, now you can appreciate that 'Levi' is a handsomer name - and an easier one than what you'd otherwise have to call me." he trotted over and poked his snout down to help nudge her up back onto her paws.

She got back to her paws and looked around disapprovingly, leaving the lapping waves behind, he moved to keep up with her, neither ahead nor behind, but beside. She still hadn't given her name. She had her own opinion of this place, it wasn't fantastic, it wasn't terrific. "Unusual?" he suggested, attempting to help her - apparently her current vocabulary failed in what she intended to explain. Well, maybe unusual wasn't what she was gong for, but it was certainly true. Water moving up and down on the shore, and salty water at that. What would come next? He hoped a great deal.

[Tovaana]

Aero;

He was… laughing? She was too flustered in the moment to really care, but perhaps she shouldn’t be so surprised. Males were like that; calloused and uncaring. She hadn’t been wrong yet, but it didn’t mean they should be condemned…but he had had it coming, right? She hadn’t been totally wrong? Wouldn’t he have hurt her, killed her even? And…not all males were the same, right? They were all similar, but not as foolhardy as… as… she couldn’t even face his name at the moment. Let alone find vocabulary for the present moment.

Her gaze landed on the male, devoid of emotion. Aero’s head tilted only the slightest as she considered the word he had presented. Aero nodded wordlessly, since words had failed her a moment before, she thought it safe to offer a gesture to agree with the male…especially since the last thing she wanted to do was admit that he had come up an adequate word and she had not.

She was so tired of running. She gulped, her emotions seemed to have risen in her fluster – but she bit it back as she shook a paw of sludgy sand. Her body moved away from the ocean a few strides and then she sat. She was tired, too.

Then in the momentary silence she realized that she had not given her name. At the beginning it had been somewhat purposeful, but then she had gotten distracted.

“I’m Aero, by the way.” Her tone seemed to wave a white flag.

“It’s unusual and I don’t like it… but, I do feel safe. That’s something, I guess?” She mused aloud.

“I’m sorry, it’s been… I’ve…” Useless words. Unreliable words. And why did she care tell this strange stranger? “I miss having a pack.” It wasn’t perfect, but it was something.

[fierfly05]

She ignored his offer of help and paced away from the water. Noting the numbing sensation overcoming his own pads he followed, it really wasn't such a bad idea. The little tumble seemed to have cowed her. Certainly if water had rolled him over like a clumsy pup he too would have been feeling rather disoriented and a little ashamed, but he'd been starting to expect resistance from this one, now she was beginning to give.

Aero. It was a lovely name! It was easy to say! Easy to say names were always something to be grateful for, and they were so short they had to be interesting to make up for it. A-er-o - hrrmm, almost like "error" or "arrow", or something strange made of the two being smashed together in an in-cohesive name of itself. It really was pretty. "A pleasure to meet you," she already had his name, it would be moot to give it again, but she was focused on their topic from before.

The moving water was unusual - it wasn't that he'd forgotten the purr of the water as it rolled in and out. On the contrary, it was a rather loud sound to be described as a purr, it filled his ears with the power and volume and the white surf of the water crashing on the sand spoke of the raw power and energy lying in the endless body of liquid, but that was what made it interesting. It was powerful, not sluggish and still like other lakes - if this even was a lake. Again, the possibility of it being the end of the world, either where the light and horizon had been born or where the planet would someday roll into and die, crossed his mind. He'd adored the stories, they were fun and fanciful, and he still loved them, but had eventually grown to dismiss them as pup's foolish games, now he wasn't so sure. Maybe there was room to dream yet. Every fantasy came from somewhere surely - mostly superstition, but there was always a cause for the curiosity that invented the tale.

Aero didn't like the pulsing water - how one could not like this novel he had no understanding. It was so open and beautiful and enormous! But her likes were hers, and this did not suit her, but it did make her feel at peace. He nodded. He felt adrenaline and wonder at it personally, maybe even a bit of bitter humility seeing how large the world really was and realizing how small he was in comparison as one creature, but to each their own. It was indeed something.

An apology? She owed him none - ah, so she wasn't as cold as she first seemed. She was lonely, she missed having a pack. He nodded, "It's disconcerting - leaving what's familiar for this." he nodded out to the curiosity of the lapping waves, "But it's so freeing. No one knows you, you've never set paw here and it's never received you - everything new and without mistakes to start something new and explore and understand." he lifted his nose - there was a wind blowing from the water, it was salty, he couldn't smell other land out beyond it, but maybe it was just too far out, or this really was one of the ends of the world. No matter. There didn't have to be more, for now this new place was enough. Enough to try and prove and attempt to understand. He was small out here, but he was here, and a whole world of opportunity presented itself to him here. Why should he ignore it?

"I wonder if there might be a pack forming here you could join if it would put you more at ease," he mused aloud, and turned to eye her.

[Tovaana]

Aero;

He didn’t know the half of it. She gulped lightly as he suggested it was disconcerting to leave comfort for unfamiliarity. Her eyes followed his own gaze out to the waves as he motioned to them. She tried to let the constant motion soothe her – because while they had not been totally ‘same’, they were constant. After one waved rolled, another rolled right after it – layers that never ceased. It did not have intelligence, the water had not known that it had touched and surprised her… still, Aero didn't like the idea of water that moved in and out like a trap. How was one ever to take a nap near a place like this? Hoping the water didn't overtake them while they slept? 

The moment he mentioned ‘mistakes’ her eyes darted with panic to the male and she took a side step away from him. She had fallen for his easy going nature, had relaxed a little – given in… what if he had been hired out by the pack to track her down? Her brilliant red gaze eyed him distrustfully and suddenly she felt dirty. She felt as if the blood of her past was on her chin and chest, damp and heavy. In reality, the sand that clung to her shoulder had helped materialize the fear that the male had triggered.

Then he finally turned to look at her, but even the idea of a new pack did not ease the sudden panic she was feeling. Would it ever go away? The guilt? She did realize that the male was not acting like a trained assassin, but she needed to clean herself. She needed to rid the feeling.

“Yeah, maybe.” She mumbled a little breathlessly, and she averted her gaze – as if the male would be able to see her guilt, or the blood, that clung to the front of her. With her laced leg pushing ahead of her she stumbled into the shallow waves. “Uhm, I just… I’ll be a moment…” How could she explain to this stranger? A male, nonetheless, the sins of her past? She couldn’t and wouldn’t…especially if there was any chance that he knew anyone associated with the pack. She continued toward the waves. She dove into the waves, the fear of them paled in comparison to the urge to rid her body of the blood that only lived in her memories and nightmares.

Finally as a thundering wave came level with her chest she dove at it, feeling it hit her chest with satisfactory pressure. So much so that it pushed a last breath out of her lungs. She did not plunge through the wave like she had thought she would. Aero had misjudged the power of the body of water and felt the inertia of the wave push and pull her under. First it took her breath away and then pummeled her small frame over, a mixture of sand and saltwater tumbling her back in the direction of Levi. Aero’s initial satisfaction from almost being clean turned quickly back into panic, clawing at the sand and feeling it give under her as another wave rolled into her, the previous wave pulling at her feet as it retreated. This place… it was like she was living in her thoughts…

[fierfly05]

Aero's tail dropped and clung, an ear twitched and she ducked her head. Something he'd said? She gulped and excused herself for her own plunge into the waves. He beamed. Finally! All too happy to repeat the adrenalizing experience from before, he pranced in as well - okay, he jumped again: the splash was too satisfying an experience to deny. It was shallow, only up his legs halfway, possibly less, he turned and rolled over in the surf. Yes, surely now he was properly filthy with sand, and wet and heavy sand to boot, but it was cool and squishy - it was fun!

When he climbed back to his paws, Aero's raven form was plunging head-first into a crest larger than herself, another close behind. ...It was much further out than the shallows he continued to paddle about in...

The waves crashed over her and her body was turned almost on its side as her paws were knocked from under her by the power of the wave. Her head went under. He straightened and waded deeper into the shorewater, up about 3/4 of the way on his long, slender legs now. Where was she? A dark shadow a bit nearer to the shore now, off his right shoulder. ...She had gone in anticipating a swim hadn't she? Ohh, this could potentially get messy. Another few steps, now the water was tugging at his paws and burrying them in the shifting sand. "Aero..." he tuned his ears for a response.

[Tovaana]

Aero;

Everything was salt water and… lack of breath. Air, she needed air. Salt filled everything, her mouth and nose – her eyes as she searched for light. The water pushed her past where the male had followed her to and she felt a waved pummel her into the sand… The sand at least meant there was ground. Hope thrilled through her, along with pain, as she twisted as she water pushed and her head broke through the water as she pushed against the squishy ground.

Now chest high in the water she sloshed through the water. A wave came from behind, but by now she was oriented and she recovered quickly. She pulled tiredly against the undercurrent, blinking the salt from her eyes and coughing some of the water she had breathed in. She stopped when the waves were around her ankles and sat down in the shallow waves staring at her feet where sand swirled and encompassed as water went out back to sea pulling sand with it.

She felt like crying. At the same time, the feeling on her chest was gone, so that was something. She took a deep breath and looked up, finding the cheery fellow. Perhaps she should apologize, he probably thought she was crazy – maybe she was. She hadn't heard him say her name when she had been pummeled by the sea, her ocean 101 class had been rough, but educational nonetheless.

"That's a strong body of water..." She muttered when he was within earshot.

[fierfly05]

Levi:

Her head cam up, eyes wide enough that her whites showed and he was almost ready to jump in after her, but she oriented her nose towards shore and began a sheepish doggy paddle for land. All was well, he too retreated a little further and higher onto ground until his legs were largely free of the water and he could wade properly again to meet her. She was dripping wet, coat shaggy and sagging and tousled every which way, white grains of salt clinging to her raven cape and the long bits of fur on her legs as the coat thickened for winter.

"That's a strong body of water..." she muttered, trembling a bit, looking away and stalking over to the warm, dry sand.

"It is, but as long as you're alright, there's nothing to fear from it." she looked a little shaken, but still in one piece and thus alright. He looked back out at the pulsing waves. "I'd think it's safe enough if you don't tempt it. I doubt even kelpies would live in water this turbulent." she'd kept on trotting without him, he began loping to catch up and then fell into step beside her. He shook the salt water out of his coat in traditional canine fashion and shook a glob of wet sand out from behind his ear. "So, where are we off to? Pack hunting?"

[Tovaana]

Aero;

She wanted to believe him about not needing to fear…but in her mind she took it a step further – that she didn’t need to fear anything. No one had found her yet, so perhaps her past was not haunting her. She didn’t bother shaking the water from her coat, finding the weight of the water secure and a reminder of what had just happened. Aero nodded at him politely, still feeling quite sheepish after what had just happened. He was probably better off enjoying the ocean and waves by himself.

“Where are we going?” She repeated his question as she walked awkwardly through the sand. She found that the closer she was to the wet sand, the easier it was to walk. Her bright red eyes glanced up at the wolf in stride next to her. Pack hunting he had asked, and she wanted to believe that he was a kind wolf, someone she could trust.

“Is that what you want?” Then after saying this, she remembered the conversation they had had moments before. He had wondered out loud if there was a pack that would bring her in and make her feel better. “Oh right, I mean… if you want to come with me.” Why couldn’t she sound more like him? More confident and happy? She paused to shake the water from her fur that had finally stopped dripping. She glanced at him once more, “would you ever join a pack?” she asked conversationally.