Horizon

This was a bad idea. This was a stupid, really really stupid idea. The experience with the fat guy and Kumar had taught Seeker he could barely function around strangers anymore. But if he and Theodore and Storm and Sonya did wind up in the hills, or near them by the lake, chances were he’d find Laura. And he wanted to have some news to tell her about her healer friend, even if that was… no news.

Seeker was confused. There were a heck of a lot of wolf scents here in this cove, adults and puppies alike - but he hadn’t crossed any borders. He was certain of that. What… was there… a pack living here that didn’t actually live like a pack? Seeker couldn’t even fathom it. Not after so many months of pacing along Brotherhood borders.

He all but tiptoed over the sand, feeling like an idiot. “Hel- hello?” He croaked, trying for a bark that came out weirdly high and squeaky.

Jote had been bumbling around here and there. No particular destination or purpose entered her mind to carry out all the while, but she found a great amount of joy from playing in the sand and splashing around in the water.

On this particular day, she was running around like crazy with a spark of zoomies fueling her body. A few small barks and playful growls involuntarily left her lungs as she zoomed around on the sand, sending masses of it spraying in a wide radius every time she drifted her body into turns. Running was fun, especially when kicking up sand made you feel as powerful and dramatic as it did Jote.

She had been meaning to make her way back to the cove and she did, though slowly as she tried to redirect herself in the midst of her hyperactivity. Eventually she made it back to where she knew the dens were, but there was another wolf standing there with his back turned to her, facing the entrance to the coves. She watched him curiously, but her legs didn’t give up and continued propelling her straight for him. When she got close, she shoved her legs sideways into the sand to force herself to stop. She slid a short distance until stopping right next to the stranger, panting heavily but not lacking a smile.

“Yo! Who are you?” He didn’t smell like anybody in the Tribe, but maybe that meant he was new. Or maybe he wanted to be new to the Tribe.

Somebody doing zoomies that Sonya probably would have fallen for in about three heartbeats and a single glance caught Seeker’s attention. He froze. Completely, he didn’t even breath until he was spotted himself.

The girl had made an impressing sliding stop in the sand that Seeker longed to try and perfect himself, however. He jumped when she spoke to him anyway.

“Umhi” His voice came out way, way too high. She was going to think somebody chewed his manhood off. “I’m Seeker just here looking for a healer sorry I coudln’t find any borders.” He paced in place anxiously, licking his lips and crouching down submissively. Then he got fixated on the huge split in the she-wolf’s ear.

If she lunged at him he was going to run all the way down the beach without stopping.

|| Sorry for the waitttt ||

Jote watched the stranger with risen brows and curiosity that drenched her features. When he finally piped up, she was taken aback by how high-pitched his voice was. It didn’t really match his appearance, she thought. It kinda made him more cute, in a little brother way.

But he started speaking again and his tone was a normal pitch. Oh, okay. It seemed to match him better now.

His name was Seeker and apparently he was looking for a healer. She smiled to herself as she made a small joke out of his name in her head, but didn’t think it was worth saying aloud. Instead, she brightened and her mind immediately went to Yuna. “I’m Jote! Thresher for the Tribe.” She was still proud of the title, even if nobody ever knew what it meant. She barely knew what it meant - aside from being nice to others and making them feel welcome. Jote decided she’d do whatever she wanted to, though, including taking up hunter tasks to fill the cache. Except she sucked at fishing still.

But Thresher sounded cool, so whatever.

“We have a healer. Her name is Yuna. Are you hurt?” Orange eyes started scanning his body like they were on a mission. If he was hurt somewhere, it wasn’t obvious.

((It’s okay!))

THRESHER. What in all the sweet summer skies was a thresher and what would happening if he was threshed? His emerald eyes grew even bigger.

He tried twice to speak up, but failed to make a sound until a nervous: “Um.” Stop starting sentences with um!

“Um.” !!!! “No I’mnothurt.” He explained hastily, knowing at once the healer who was offered to him was the wrong one. Female, the wrong name. “A male. Marce. Last seen around here?” He had stopped pacing in place, but he was still in a submissive posture.

Why was this guy so nervous? Jote didn’t think she was being too aggressive, but she did often view herself incorrectly.

His talking seemed even more anxious than his pacing and Jote watched him with a blank face until her lips pressed together in a tight line. “First off, I think you should chill out a bit,” she said blatantly. Did she look like she was the type to attack others for no reason? Maybe it was her oozing confidence that intimidated him. That’s what she’d tell herself, anyway.

“Second off, I haven’t heard of a Marce. But I can call for Pace or one of the other Tribers if they’re around. Maybe they’ve heard of him.” She shrugged. “Is he part of the Tribe, too?” It’s possible he was new. Jote still hadn’t met everyone in the pack considering she was still pretty new, herself.

Seeker backed up the moment the command was past her lips. Chill out. His ears folded flat-back, and he looked for a moment like he was considering it, or at least trying.

She didn’t know Marce, and offered to call somebody else. He was barely coping facing one stranger. “Nothanks.” He managed before he turned and fled from the overly pushy she-wolf, missing the last part of what she was saying entirely. Seeker pushed himself hard to reach what equated to his top speed in the sand, which wasn’t quite as quick as if he had been on more solid land. 

This had been a bad idea. Just because a pack had been here didn’t mean they knew Marce.

Sorry Laura. 

((Attempted exit, sorry, he does this a lot))

Before she could utter another word, the stranger muttered a ‘no thanks’ and immediately turned to leave. Okay then. Jote knew she could come off a bit strong, but she was in no way using a rude tone or acting mean. She even offered to get someone else to help since she was of no use.

But okie dokie then.

Jote just watched as Seeker ran off, wondering what he’d endured in his life to cause him to be so cowardly. As much as she might’ve wanted to help him out, she didn’t really feel like chasing after him. Maybe he’d come around again in the future.

|| Fade ||