Trail of Mystery (Open Circuit!)

[Njack]

Strange. The coarse, burnt grass crunched - if it could be called that - softly under his paws. Actually, he didn't know whether this was illegal. What could be illegal? All of it.

In his mind, Ligua was debating. I joined the Yozoran pack from the loner lands. I'm not trespassing on another pack's land. I am merely... He stopped. Turned around, checked his surroundings. What am I doing out here?

He didn't know why, really. He felt sort of flustered, and couldn't think clearly. It wasn't right. He was the analyst in his family. He was the one who tried to come up with solutions when they had to hunt prey...

It had been a while since his sister disappeared, and he wasn't sure if he was out here to find her. Something, something just beyond his grasp had led him out here...

What was it?

[Sivoncé™]

"Lost. Great job, Amoret. I thought you were supposed to be helping me!" A disgruntled, irritated snort was issued from what appeared to be a young male wolf, patchy and calico in color. An odd sight.

But maybe even more strange was the she-wolf next to him, presumably a few moons younger. "Oh, shut up! I know exactly where I'm going! Just hold your tail on!" The fox-like she-wolf snapped, wound up and agitated. She was sniffing the smoky atmosphere vigorously, turning her head and perking her ears as well. She paused and glared up through the shafts of swirling mist.

"Lost?" The other wolf prompted, more concerned this time.
"Pshht. We're stuck in a freaking snow globe, I tell ya. Wherever your little friend Weed went, it's impossible to find him now. Heck, I'll be lucky to get you back to your pack now and get me home!"
"Never trust a loner!" The male grunted and sat, diverting his gaze from the female and she paced around and cursed. Snow globe? What in hellfire's name is a snow globe? He eyes a dark smear in the world of white and gray. "Hello? Is someone there?"

[Njack]

No, no, I'm not here. Course not. And then, he tripped.

Shoot. Ligua perked his head up quickly. "Woah!" He stumbled back a few steps, away from the wolf he had just tripped over. "Who are you? What are you doing here? Why were you sitting down? How did I freaking trip over a WOLF?!"

He was rather confused, which was a severe understatement. Panting a few times, he drew himself back together, then inquired, "Uhm. Sorry bout that. I'm..." He paused for a second. It won't hurt. "...Ligua. Who are you?"

[Sivoncé™]

Amoret was sent sprawling, tumbling backwards as a large weight stumbled over her. She managed to knock Kippy, her companion, off his paws somehow in the process. She tensed, squirming away from the new wolf and standing a few paces back to study him through narrowed eyes with sooty outlines. He smelled of the packs, though which one, she wasn't sure. This relazed her only a miniscule amount, but she was also wearing a satisfied smirk at the disheveled Kippy.

Kippy snorted and rose to his paws, shaking himself to rid some of the dirt from his pelt. He blinked, recognizing a Yozoran he remembered spotting at the recent Moonless Meeting. "Ligua? Yes, that sounds a bit familiar. And it's no problem -- the visibility out here is terrible...." Kippy eyed the warrior thoughtfully. "It's a bit odd to see a Yozoran out this far. We have reason to be here -- after all, Annelise is still missing. Someone's got to look for her. But why would the Yozorans send their own out this far, hm? It seems a bit meddling to have so many different scents clogging this region up. Iver knows we're sending out search parties."
Amoret frowned upon Kippy's open hostility. What's wrong with him? Ligua didn't do anything....stupid packwolves and their stupid alliances and agendas! "Don't mind him! I'm Amoret, and that's Kippy from the Siverian Pack. I'm just a loner, though. Are you all right?"

[Njack]

"A... Siverian, huh?" Images flashed through his mind, but he pushed them away. This shouldn't disturb you! It was a rescue! It worked, it was a success! Of course, no one but Sabela knows about it in the Siverian Pack...

Uncomfortable with the level of questioning, but not showing it outwardly, Ligua continued, "Well, for your information, I'm just taking a walk." Great job, Ligua. You don't even know if that's illegal. "If you want to put some hidden meaning into it, go ahead. I can't prove anything." He had a sinking feeling this had something to do with the Moonless Meeting...

He shifted to Amoret. "Yeah, I'm okay. I trip over stuff all the time. This smoke probably isn't going to help, either." He gestured all over the place with his paw.

[Sivoncé™]

Amoret sat down facing Ligua, yawning as if she were bored with the situation. But, she did have a small smile on her face as she watched Kippy's pelt prickle. "Look, I know I said I would help you and all, but I'm really tired and I'm not a tour guide. Maybe this dude can help you back to your territory, he seems nice, even though you apparently have a twig up your but. Just stay close together and use the buddy system, m'kay?" She blinked at Ligua apologetically.
He's just taking a walk, right? What's the big deal? Well, maybe there's like some weird pack wolf thing about not taking walks when it's too foggy out or something? Ugh, they irritate me, the lot of them! Why can't they just be happy with life as it is, instead of just making up a buncha dumb rules to follow?

"I'm a warrior, I don't need a baby sitter. And if you're just taking a walk, why can't you do it in your own territory?" Kippy retorted icily. A flash of guilt passed through his eyes, as he was being particularly rude to the Yozoran. But with the events of the last Moonless Meeting in place, and Annelise and his best friend, Weed, missing in action, he couldn't help but feel bitter towards the wolf he seemed strangely far from home.
I was hoping this would all blow over, but until we find Annelise and Weed....

[Njack]

Something flashed through Ligua's eyes. Hurt? Anger? Discomfort? It was impossible to tell.

"Listen, if you don't believe me..." He searched for a solution. "Hmm... You said you were looking for someone. I can come with you and help, to show I mean no ill will... You can always roll in the dirt or something to get my smell off of you. The smoke will help with that, at least."

"So, what do you say?" His stomach dropped a couple notches further down as he spoke the last words. Great, now you sound like some evil crafty villain. Mwahahaha.

(OH SHOOT XD)

[Sivoncé™]

Amoret glanced at Kippy, a gaze with a sharp message clearly stating, 'you know you should just do it and not be so prickly'. ; a meaningful glance was directed from her to Kippy. He didn't seem to notice, though, and she turned away, muttering something and cursing under her breath.

"Oh, sure, you would be able to find our wolves right away because the Yozorans are the ones who took them!" Kippy snapped, bristling. Annelise was the only wolf they had reported missing, and the Siverians were keeping the fact that multiple wolves were gone a secret. Through anger and desperation to find his best friend, Weed, he had revealed a little too much.
And, in realizing it, he looked just about ready to spring.
Stupid....he's bigger than me and older than me....how the hell am I supposed to get out of this.....
Well, if he makes the first move, Amoret will probably help me. Probably. Maybe not....

[Njack]

"Took them?" Ligua bit down on his tongue, blood seeping slowly from the wound. "And why would they... we... do that?"

"We've got enough troubles with those... wolves that came out of the smoke already. And even if you say we did take them, you've got nothing to lose if I lead you right to them, then, right?"

"Think about it. What would I get out of this deal? Nothing. Only the chance to prove my good will. And even if you wanted to afterwards, you couldn't tell anybody about my good will, because one: no one would believe you, and two: I'd get in horrible trouble for helping you. So I wouldn't have anyone else's gratitude. That's not what I'm doing this for.

"It also works the other way. If you run off now and tell on me, no one will believe you either, because this smoke is clouding everyone's senses. I can't even smell myself in this smoke."

Ligua eyed Kippy, who looked almost ready to strike. "Either way, it's your choice."

[Sivoncé™]

Amoret studied Ligua oddly, as if she was noting something for the first time and didn't know what she thought of it. She shifted her eyes to Kippy without saying a word, wondering what his reaction would be.

"Are you blind?" Kippy snorted. "We, 'we' meaning all wolves with clear minds an decency, don't know what the hellfire you Yozorans are doing! And I think it would be quite obvious what you would get out of leading me somewhere: you would add me to the collection of 'lost wolves'!"

"I dunno. Kippy kinda makes sense, Ligua makes sense, but what about this: I'll go with you to keep the peace and then leave once you're done with your duty? This is waaayyy more interesting than anything going down at home!" She grinned.

[Njack]

"Alright then," Ligua said. "If you don't trust me to lead, I'll follow. Where are we going?"

He raised his head, sniffing the air. Smoke. He wasn't lying when he said he couldn't smell anything.

As for what Kippy's implying... If the Yozorans are up to something, I have no idea what it is.

[Sivoncé™]

Kippy's mouth dropped what could've easily been a foot.
Amoret burst into snickering laughter, shaking her head and clearly enjoying herself immensely. "Why, you two quarrely like an old pair of seniors!" She snorted at this and continued laughing, harder, as if this was the joke of the year.
Kippy shook his head at her, muttering something cross, but not directly looking at Ligua.
The wolf did seem to genuinely not know anything....
But in times like these, was it worth the risk? Probably not.
What would a warrior do in this situation? I need to stop looking like a neophyte and thinking like someone my age really does -- warriors know when they do and don't need help, and they certainly don't take it from other packs unless there's like an alliance or we really need the help of that specific pack....
"How about this?"
Kippy leaped at Ligua.
"WOAHHH THERE!" Amoret burst into another intense fit of laughter. "You're crazy, both of you!"

[Njack]

We quarrel like seniors? Seniors quarrel? Actually, I thi-

UNHH (XD)

Ligua, who had not been facing Kippy, tumbled over as the other wolf's weight smashed into his side. He sprang back up, eyes blazing, smoke swirling around his form. He moved forward, and-

He stopped. The fire died in his eyes.

"What are you going to do, Kippy? Kill me?" Ligua stared directly at the other wolf. "Go ahead."

[Sivoncé™]

"What are you going to do, Kippy? Kill me? Go ahead."
Kill you? Kill him? Narrrughh!
"Dimwit! Warriors never kill in cold blood unless its necessary! But you and your little pack wouldn't know that, would you?!" He grunted, rolling down a small bend by accident. He rose and collected himself before racing back up the small slope and rushing Ligua once more.

Amoret was doubling over with hysterics now, knowing full well that nothing would actually happen and feeling no need to intervene for either side. "Keep it comin', guys! You might just be able to perform a better soap opera than my parents can! Except for the fact that they're always kidding when they do this kind of stuff...hey, maybe that's what makes this so much more enjoyable!"

As Kippy sprang, a fourth figure flickered to the scene and interupted his attack.
"OWW---""THAT'S WHATCHYA GET!" The female snapped, rising and shaking some dust from her black and red coat. She glanced sideways and Ligua, grinning widely. "Looked like fun, couldn't resist. You could've handled it, but hey -- I couldn't pass up an oppourtunity to put some," she paused, turning to glare at Kippy, "SELF-RIGHTEOUS SIVERIANS in their places." Saskia smiled again and licked her paw, laughing a bit.

[Njack]

"Uh..." That wasn't exactly what Ligua had been expecting.

"Thanks, I guess." His thoughts were quite different from what he was saying.

Shoot. Now I'm going to get asked, "So what were you doing out here anyway, with a Siverian and a loner?" and also now Kippy's probably going to rat me out to the Siverians, or at least now he'll even be more hostile. And if I'm ratted out to the Siverians, all the Yozorans will be in trouble, all because of me!

All those thoughts flickered through his mind in a fraction of a second, barely leaving any discernable trace on his physical appearance. Ligua bit his lip.