Exploring New Land

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.:Verno:.

The young winter pup trotted into a nice looking meadow. He had sent himself on a mission, not looking for anything in particular. Just a place he could sleep for the night. He had been staying until now the place his mother had left him. But the river near by grew too high and he had to leave. Sniffing around, he heard a crack nose. His ear perked up and his eyes grew wide. He dashed across and hid in a few bushes. Looking out he could see nothing, not even the twig his back paw had stepped on. He lay low to the ground ear flat on his head. Searching the meadow.

[Ärï]

The slender blue-black bodice of an herb-scented femme padded through the Free Meadow. Sunlight shimmered over her ebony-azul pelt over lean muscle. In her jaws she carried sprigs of tansy she had recently gathered. On her chest, a white patch of fur in a heart-shape stood out against her ebony pelt. Her step was at an easy, relaxed lope as she hunted for herbs. Back at her den, Fell, her mate, was still asleep. Merci had slipped out to do some herb-hunting and refresh her stocks.

A twig snapped. Merci's head snapped up, ears swivling forward. "Who's there?" Merci called, icy blue eyes sweeping the meadow. Her eyes lingered on the small scrap of fur hiding in the tall grass. She smiled softly. Merci sat back on her hunches.

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Verno couldn't see through the tall grass, but he heard someone coming and called out, asking who was there. Panic taking over him he didn't know what to do. He hoped he couldn't be seen, agreeing with himself he couldn't, he began to crawl away on his belly. The rough ground pulled, on his soft belly fur. Thinking he was well hidden he moved up to the end of the grass and peered out. He saw an adult wolf, with a dark coat, expect for a light patch of fur on her chest. But he was too far to see what shape it made. Taking a smell of the wolfs scent and listening to the sound of her voice, he realized that it was a fae. His tail began to wag and the fear of being attacked by an angry wolf faded. "Me!" He barked.

[Ärï]

Pretty azul pools locked onto the pup and Merci smiled softly. "Hello there little one" she said, putting the freshly gathered tansy at her paws. "What are you doing in the Free Meadow? Is your mother nearby?" Merci wagged her black banner in a friendly manner. She had a soft spot for pups. It wasn't a secret. She was a healer after all and loved almost any kind of wolf. It was probably her high patience and love that had caused her to be drawn to Fell in the first place but there was always a special spot in her heart for pups.

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He moved up a bit closer out of the tall grass, so now his whole head and front paws could be seen. He listened to her as she spoke in a kind and gentle voice. It relaxed his tense muscles. His tail slowly stopped wagging as he thought about her question. "She went somewhere one day, didn't come back...." he said in a quite voice, he rested his head on his paws. "She said she would..." he said more to himself then her. As sadness began to come into his heart at the memory of his mother. His light eyes watched her tail wag, and he sighed loudly. "Been gone for a long time..." He spoke his thoughts aloud.

[Ärï]

Merci smiled sympathetically. "I'm sorry" she said softly. "Are you hungry? I caught a hare nearby if you want it." Merci got to her paws and stretched. She stood, a slender black ink spot in the sea of green tall grass. Merci turned and padded towad the trees. Hidden in a bush at the base of a birch tree was a fat hare Merci had caught while searching for the tasny. Picking it up, Merci padded back toward the pup, dropping it near him and taking several steps back.

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He watched her as she went the returned. His ears pricked up as he heard the hare drop. He smelled in the scent, he didn't realize how hungry he was. He looked back up to her as if asking, but saw she had taken a few steps back allowing him to eat. Tail wagging, he stood up and walked out of the tall grass. Reveling a snow-white pelt with a little bit of gray on his ears and back. He leaned down and took a bit bite. Chewing it gratefully he took another bite. When he was done this bite and looked up and asked, "Do you want some?"

[Ärï]

Merci shook her head. "No, you eat. I had my fill this morning." Merci used a paw to count out the tansy she had gathered as the pup ate, examining the stalks again to make sure they would be good for keeping. She ran a keen eye over the pup. He was thin and looked too young to know how to hunt properly. Merci had seen pups before, many times at all stages of development. This pup seemed a little young in her opinion to be on his own, whether or not his mother had intended to leave him. Other then looking a little thin, he seemed healthy enough, a handsome pup with clear eyes which signified health. Merci smiled lightly. "Was your mother part of a pack? Did any other wolves come to see you?" she asked. If the pup was part of a pack he would need to be returned and the pack would need to know his mother was missing.

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Verno sat down and looked at the hare. Then up to her as she spoke. He made a thinking face and after a few moments replied, "Um where we lived it was just my mum and I." He examined his paw and started speaking again. "One morning she left, I think she was getting food..." He stringed his memory trying to remember all that happened. "No one came to see me..." He shivered remembering the next part of his life. "I stayed where my home was for a long time..." He laid down again resting his head on his front paws. "The water near by got high, and came to my home.... I had no time, I had to leave." He waited to see what would happen next.

[Ärï]

Stepping forward Merci touched her muzzle lightly against the pup's head, between his grey-tipped ears. Merci groomed his ears comfortingly. "Alright, I see" she murmured. "Its alright little one, don't worry about it too much. I'm sure your mother will show up soon. If you'd like, you could stay at my den, that is if you don't mind the stink of herbs all the time" Merci offered. Merci glanced skyward. It was nearly sunhigh. Fell would have left by the time she got back. Her eyes went back to the pup. He needed a place to stay. It was a dangerous world for lone pups, too many wolves meaning ill-will to the innocent. Merci had been taught that lesson at an early age just because she had defended her brother. Merci shoved the thought forcefully away and looked back at the pup.

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The pup felt comforted and more at ease. He looked up eyes bright as she offered him to stay with her. "Really?!" He howled happily. He jumped back and began to playfully stock a leaf on the ground. "My mom sneaky she'll be able to smell me!" he would never give up hope even though the odds were slim, he didn't realize that. He ran back up Meric and rubbed his muzzle to her chest. He waited to see where they'd be going.

[Ärï]

Merci smiled and turned, leading the pup back toward the trees. Her paws skimmed the ground easily though she kept her step slow enough for the pup to keep up. Soon they reached the ancient cedar that Merci had dug her den. The smell of herbs lingered around the den. Within the den it was lined with moss and feathers as well as niches in the walls for herbs. Merci sniffed the air carefully. Fell was gone now but he hadn't been gone long. Merci wouldn't be surprised if he came back to see where she'd gone but Merci wasn't worried.

"This is home sweet home" Merci said, smiling at the pup. "By the way, my name is Merci. Did your mother name you?"

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He followed Merci at her heels, trying to keep up. As they got near he could begin to smell the scents of her home. But the smell the herbs he could smell the most. He wrinkled his nose as it got use to the smells. "Hi Merci!" He barked now knowing her name. He nodded his head excited to her next question. "My mum named me Verno! I remember she told me! She named me after my dad." He looked up at Merci eyes shinning.

[Ärï]

Merci smiled. "Nice to meet you Verno" Merci barked, wagging her banner. "You may get to meet my friend Fell if he decides to come back before nightfall." Merci sniffed the den entrance. He hadn't been gone long, it was possible he'd come back though knowing Fell, he wouldn't. Knowing him he'd be jumping off cliffs or leaping through trees. Merci smiled at the thought of a wolf running around in the trees. It seemed impossible for him to like to jump off of a cliff. Her own experiance with cliff-jumping had left her weak and frightened out of her wits.

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"A friend?" Verno looked around the den eyes wide. "When can I meet him?" He sat down his tail still wagging. "Is he nice?" He barked starting to ask many questions as they flooded into his mind. "What does he look like? Where is he?" he looked side to side again. He had a sudden burst of energy, and felt like running around. It was probably best that he burn off all his energy. He didn't know how much he had, being a pup it could go on forever. He waited moving oh his hunches ready to spring.