Post by Avalikia on Dec 3, 2010 19:47:50 GMT -7
Characters:
Gyarahabala - Male Elder Gray Wolf
Saarameya - Female Feral Dog
Setting:
Rolling Foothills
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A few well-gnawed bones lay in clusters near the summit of one of the westernmost hills; distinguished hunters would not have too much trouble identifying them as goats. By the looks of it, a goat herd suffered the loss of seven goats, so -- although storms over this treeless area have washed away confirming signs -- it was likely either a large pack or large particular predators; further telltale signs on the bones themselves -- namely the large toothmarks -- would indicate adult lion, possibly even tiger. Gyarahabala, the three-legged elder of the Saahasi pack, is checking out the carnage. The goat herd itself has no traces; understandably, they are probably staying clear of the area near where they were attacked. The three-legged old wolf sniffs intently, hoping for any faint traces of the hunters' scents; he knows Bhaskar has been staying near the lion cubs far to the east, it could possibly be Bhata, but ... he feels determined to see if there might be other tigers about, outside the jungle.
Heading through the foothills from the east is not a tiger, but a dog. And as she walks she stops frequently to sniff the ground and the air for the freshest scents, as this place is not familiar to her and she's on the alert for either danger or prey. As she draws near to where the wolf is investigating the bones, the scent of the bones attracts her attention first. She's not above scavenging, so she alters her course to follow the smell in the off chance that there's something edible around. With the goats avoiding the area it's not like she's picked up anything fresh nearby. But when the very fresh scent of wolf reaches her a moment later, she slows a bit - she's met wolves who like dogs and those who hate them and everything in between and you never know which they'll be until you get there. But, undeterred, she continues forward anyway, but with a bit more caution. She wouldn't have lasted this long if she let a little wolf scent bother her too much.
Gyarahabala would not appear to be a threat, if for no other reason than his physical state -- three legs and a markedly advanced age. His ears prick and swivel at some noise, somewhere nearby, besides the autumn wind. He does not seem to be interested in gnawing the bones nor finding more marrow that might be contained within, merely investigating them; unfortunately, what little the storm might have missed washing away he finds a bit overpowered by the scent of other scavengers, especially vultures, that picked the bones clean after whatever it was that hunted them. There /is/ another scent, however -- and no, not the dog; she is approaching from downwind, so the wolf's scent carries to her instead of vice-versa. The old wolf lifts his head and gazes about, and *finally* catches the phantom with his gaze that his ears had hinted at. "Hello," the old wolf casts to the dog. She, too, might be a threat -- what luck a down-on-their-luck dog might find in finding a wolf they could defeat, especially if they've had misadventures with wolves who were not as pleasant as the Saahasi. "I am Gyarahabala, elder of the Saahasi," he greets, hoping the mention of a pack membership might grant pause should the younger decide to tangle with him -- plus, it is generally good manners. While his ears remain focused on her, he sniffs the air, and hobbles toward a ramping ledge along the western edge of the hill. He sniffs down intently, his nose apparently finding some trace of something there.
As soon as the old wolf comes into view, Saarameya's eyes quickly go over him in the familiar way of someone sizing up a possible threat, though of course it's easy enough to tell that this wolf wouldn't be able to put up too big of a fight. Her ears perk up at the greeting, though his mention of a pack isn't about to alter the way she'll treat him. She hasn't had a trace of another wolf in the vicinity, and since she's a traveler she can afford to make enemies since they'll be left behind. No, what stops her from being aggressive is that she's not a mean-hearted dog and doesn't go out of her way to hurt anyone. So when she's greeted politely she responds in kind. "I am Saarameya, formerly of the Darii," she says in a fairly neutral tone, softening it with a slight wag of her naturally upraised tail. She notices almost immediately from his manner that he doesn't seem interested in the bones for food, which is a bit of a relief because that means they won't have to argue over them, but that also makes her curious about what he's doing here then. "How do the Saahasi fare?" she asks politely as she starts to sniff the bones for anything worth gnawing on.
Gyarahabala hops down to sniff the spot, hidden from where the bones lay by a drop of a few feet in the slope, taking several long moments to sniff it intently before re-surmounting the hill. He sits squarely, far enough away from the bones to indicate yielding them to her. "The Saahasi are strong. Not as strong as we have ever been, but far along recovery from a devastating loss we incurred when I was in my prime ... quite a few years ago," he adds with a chuckle. "The honor and wisdom of our leaders then saw us through very trying times, and the honor and wisdom of a newer generation of leaders will see us through a new, difficult phase. A storm of evil wells within the jungle, hauntingly familiar to us. The Saahasi have sacrificed, and will continue to do so, to help others -- wolves or not -- who travel a path of good." He ponders her greeting and asks, "And what of the Darii? How do they fare, and what brought you to depart from them?"
It's not difficult to tell that a tiger is responsible for the bones, but that's in her favor. Though big cats will sometimes crack the easier bones for their marrow, they can't get nearly as much as a canine can, and neither can any other scavenger but a canine. So it's not too difficult for her nose to pick out a mostly untouched humerus that's fresh enough to provide an easy meal. She picks it up and takes it just a short distance away - essentially indicating that she's yielding the rest of them back if the wolf wants them. A quick meal is all that she really needs as she's not expecting to remain in the area for too long. Settling down with it held in her forepaws, she begins to work on getting it open but readily pauses when he asks about the Darii. "I don't know how they fare - I suspect that they're doing well enough," she says conversationally, "It's been several moons since I left them, so I wouldn't know. As to why I left - the she-alpha and I had a disagreement about how I ought to be treated and I decided that the pack deserved to keep her as leader." Which is a greatly summarized version of the story, but she's not about to go into great detail about to to a wolf who probably doesn't care to hear about it anyway.
Gyarahabala does care, given that stories and memories are about all he has left to collect in his time, but he isn't pushy for those who wish to remain reserved. "There are not many of your kind around ... at least, not that I've found in awhile," he says. "What do you seek? Have you any tales from your journey?" he asks.
The bone gives easily to Saarameya's sharp teeth and strong bite, but she's not in a hurry to finish. After all, she's already walked a long way today and she's come to value the often helpful information she can get from locals as she's passing through an area. And a conversation, even if it's with a wolf, helps ease the nagging loneliness of being on her own. "I've been following the setting sun, searching for another pack," she explains, "The few I've met so far weren't interested in having me stay." There's something about the way that she says that which hints that she's greatly understating it. "I'm afraid that my species is not the most common anywhere," she adds, though she doesn't sound particularly troubled by it. The second question causes her to pause in thought for a moment but she finally answers, "Tales? Yes I do. Though I'm afraid that I don't have much by way of actual news - I haven't rested anywhere long enough to learn much about it other than the presence of other dogs or lack thereof." She pauses for another half moment before her head tilts curiously, "And what of this area? You said that there aren't many of my kind?"
Gyarahabala bobs his head. "There are not many canids of any sort. There were, several years ago, a dog pack, several wolf packs and a sizable dhole clan. Now the Saahasi seem to be all that remain, though a smattering of dholes are trying to kindle a clan near Saahasi territory ... we are on friendly terms with them. There are a few jackals here and there," he says, "one of whom, a kohl-bal, is another dear friend of the Saahasi -- along with her tiger kin. An evil tiger clan, growing in the jungle, is the evil I spoke of ... they call themselves the Ran Garjana. They seem to have moved to the lower part of the jungle, beneath the waterfall nd cliffs, but they have been known to attack above ... and the varsha season brought a powerful storm that may drive them back to the upper jungle, if it afflicted prey too much in the lower parts. A lot of my information, unfortunately, isn't quite current ... in addition to our other friends, my pack -- and myself, personally, in particular, am friends with a golden eagle named Utkrosh who keeps an eye on things for us." He snorts a bit, "I exercised a bit of poor judgment in a bit of a dangerous mission awhile ago that wound up getting Utkrosh hurt ... not seriously, but she lost enough flight feathers that it has interrupted her patrols. I think she's nearly regrown her feathers by now, she will soon bring us all up to date on what the Ran Garjana are up to and the other goings-on in this area. She did find one lone wolf that I believe may be a remnant of one of the lost wolf packs, so ... perhaps there is hope there may be dogs about too, but for safety's sake, we are trying to stay away from the Ran Garjana's realm."
Paying careful attention to that explanation, which is far more detail that she generally gets of an area, she carefully files away the bits that she cares about as she works on the bone. "Evil tigers?" she thinks out loud when he's finished, "I suppose that explains why the canids here get along - you probably have to. Seems like the more peaceful an area is, the more everyone sees the need to fix that by stirring up trouble amongst themselves. And it's just as well that I've been following the setting sun - that would seem to be a relatively safe way through the area." And, hearing about the situation, she's quick to assume that this is yet another area she ought to leave behind her. Still, since she's not near finished with her bone she might as well inquire further. "May I ask what happened to the other packs and clan?"
Gyarahabala nods. "Not all of the tigers are in the evil clan ... there are several we are friends with ... and yeah, the evil clan, and an evil clan that came before it, are a big reason the normal hostilities between species largely do not exist here." He gazes westward, toward the direction the sun sets, and frets a bit. "If you continue west," he says, then looks back to her, "you will find a vast desert. Not the most pleasant terrain" ... and an ally of the Saahasi happens to be guarding lion cubs there, at least the last the wolf had heard of them, though the news -- like much -- is old. Blast, why did he get Utkrosh injured on that foolish mission that accomplished nothing!? "Unfortunately, we do not know. We lost contact with most of them years ago, when another evil tiger clan -- the Sakht Nakh -- ruled the jungle with brutality. The Saahasi were forced to abandon our ancestral territory within the jungle, and retreat toward the mountains, where we established a new territory. The other packs were in the lower part of the jungle ... the Sakht Nakh tigers were between us. We did attempt to skirt the jungle to scout for the others, but ... we could not find them. Some we did, indeed, find dead from the vicious fangs of the Sakht Nakh, but many we never heard from. About a moon ago, Utkrosh did spot a wolf, traveling with an unknown tiger, whom I met with ... I believe she may have been a daughter of one of the lost packs, but she was hostile, paranoid, riddled with parasites and bonded to the tiger. Such happens when a wolf is raised outside of a pack ... especially by a non-canid. It was that mission, to find her, that got Utkrosh injured ... for a powerful Varsha was setting in as I had Utkrosh guide me to where she had found the wolf, Kanti, and the tiger, Raasabha. Utkrosh was injured when the winds kicked up fiercely. I managed to take the tiger and wolf to safety, and I found some garlic to try and deal with the wolf's parasite, but ... she was very fearful and distrustful of me. If it had not been for the agreeability of the tiger, who did seem to genuinely look out for her well-being, I would not have had the short time I did with her. The dhole clan fissioned in the Sakht Nakh war ... some actually wanted to seek a truce with the Sakht Nakh, while others wanted to help fight. Many of their clan were killed, and even after the war, they could not find the cohesion to re-form the clan. I do not know what became of the dogs, they were in the lowermost portion of the jungle, and we were only able to scout there after the Sakht Nakh had been defeated, about two years after we had last seen the dogs ... and we could not find a trace of them."
"A desert?" Saarameya replies, looking off to the west. But while some would see such terrain as barrier, she sees it as a challenge. But not the sort of challenge one faces just for the sake of it - she's not as foolish as that. More as a challenge that she's willing to overcome if she has to. As the wolf goes on to explain about the wolf with the tiger, she'd be gaping at the end of it if it weren't for her strongly instilled manners. Sufficeth to say, her bone is forgotten for the time being. But when the wolf continues on to the part about the dog pack - the part she's most especially interested in - it drags her attention from marveling at the oddity. "Well, that's a shame," she says when he finishes, "I should say that I am not overly afraid of tigers - the Darii had to contend with several of various dispositions. And I do like the idea of having more pleasant relations with my fellow canids than they did - the closest pack to us had it in their heads that we were less noble and pure than they were. Despite the fact that there were frequent rumors of... well... other relations having happened in the past." Certainly, this dog's habit of summarizing is liable to drive anyone crazy. "But I can't stand the thought of being packless, and if evil tigers plague the area so frequently, then it's probably best for me to keep moving," she concludes, before thoughtfully returning to her bone. There's something about the repetitive nature of chewing on something hard that helps her mull things over.
Gyarahabala flicks his ears. "If you are as pleasant as you seem, you could ask my alphess, Kirana, to stay with our pack for awhile, if it pleases you. Utkrosh is already nesting in our territory, and Bhata -- an honorable, if somewhat trouble tiger, another dear friend of our pack -- is welcomed among us as well, if could tolerate one friendly tiger in your midst. The dholes are a bit ... skittish ... so, for their sanity at least, I would recommend, if you find yourself catching the scent of dholes, to kindly walk softly around them ... they have their paws full with a litter of pups. Sadly, the Saahasi are without pups this year or last ... circumstances just weren't right." Something Gyarahabala hopes Kirana will amend, before Gyarahabala draws his last breath.
The remark about how pleasant she seems causes the dog to wuff quietly. "Well I don't know about how pleasant I seem - I'm stubborn and opinionated and not easily pushed around," she says, sounding amused. Oh yes, she's certainly familiar with her own flaws as a canine. "But I suppose I'm pleasant enough to those who are pleasant back - which I'd imagine your pack would be or you wouldn't be offering that at all," she continues before pausing a half a moment to think. "I will... consider that offer," she concludes, "You've mentioned many things that are troubling, to say the least, and I'd like to know more about what I'd be getting myself into before I can decide if and for how long I'd want to stay."
Gyarahabala nods. "Our packlands are relatively safe from the Ran Garjana," he says, looking back westward. "That vast plain separates the jungle, where the Ran Garjana reside -- and in the southernmost portion, below the cliff -- from the mountains, far to the north," he points with his muzzle, "where our packlands are. The Ran Garjana do their deeds where they can hide in the jungle, but there is nowhere for them to hide were they to cross the jungle, and we would see them coming."
Surveying the terrain that can be seen from this vantage point, Saarameya nods. Having the plains as a buffer seems like a nice enough feature. But then again, even being able to see a tiger coming is of limited help, especially if there's more than one of them. Hmm, this situation will require some careful thought. "Then if I decide to stay I will look for your pack," is all that she can really add on that subject, once she's committed those details to memory. She gnaws on her bone a moment more before she realizes that they never did get around to talking about what prompted her to start this conversation in the first place. "The tiger who left these bones isn't Ran Garjana then?" she asks, nudging the conversation in the proper direction.
Gyarahabala frets a bit. "I'm not certain. We do not know every tiger who is Ran Garjana ... and I do not recognize one of the two tiger scents in a spot just below that was likely a place where they lurked. The other tiger scent, however, I do recognize ... a young tiger who was brutally savaged by the Ran Garjana. It is difficult to determine what happened ... perhaps this other tiger ... nay, tigress, definitely female ... perhaps she is merely a stranger who helped the young lad out on a hunt. Would seem odd, though ... she could also be with the Ran Garjana, pretending to care for the young tiger so as to gain inroads to find out where our allies are."
"Ah," Saarameya replies as her curiosity is appeased. That would explain why this old wolf was so interested in the bones but not as food. "I suppose that's the difficulty of working with tigers - they don't bond to their group in quite the same way we do and so have an easier time of pulling such tricks. Still, if you've got tigers banding against you, I can see how you'd also need them on your side," she muses out loud. What a different place this is from the Darii! There you might get along with a tiger here and there, sure, but actually work with them and have to trust them? A bit of a foreign idea, really. Then again, perhaps this is just on a larger and deeper scale, as the tigers who were friendly with the Darii would help convince the those who were not that it would be a good idea to leave the dogs alone. Yes, Saarameya definitely has some serious thinking to do!
Gyarahabala says, "The need is mutual. These Ran Garjana are as vicious and brutal to other tigers as they are to smaller beings, such as wolves. Tigers tend to be solitary, save for those who bond with jackals, but some are still good and honorable. We share information, look out for each other, and when the time is right -- when we have strength, know how many there are and where they are -- we will fight together."
A surprised blink follows that last part. "You mean to say that you intend to actually get rid of these tigers?" Saarameya asks, just to clarify. Up until this point she'd assumed that the wolves were mainly focused on keeping them away from their territory. Fighting tigers who work together seems like too large of a task. Even alone the big cats require careful handling by a pack if they want to avoid casualties. Still, despite her surprise she doesn't seem to be afraid of the idea. In fact, nothing the old wolf has described thus far seems to have made the dog more than slightly nervous - she really wasn't lying when she said that she wasn't overly afraid of tigers. But all she adds to that idea verbally is: "That's a rather bold idea." And her attention is suddenly absorbed by her bone. Gnawgnawgnaw.
Gyarahabala says, "Not alone, we won't ... but we helped defeat Sakht Nakh. We suffered terribly, but ... with our allies, including good tigers such as Bhata ... we prevailed. When the time to strike came, the Saahasi wolves did not sit by and let the tigers on our side fight alone. We struck hard and fast, used our pack abilities to our advantage, and several Sakht Nakh tigers fell directly to wolf fangs, including my own ... and that was after their leader had taken my foreleg," he says. "We helped distract and confound several more to allow others to get the killing blows. Sakht Nakh no longer exists. There is a new clan now, but ... we learned our lessons from the old one. We keep ourselves safe, we look out for our friends and allies, and when the time comes, the Saahasi will lend our claws and fangs to the fight ... but the timing must be right when our allies are fully mustered."
When the old wolf finishes Saarameya doesn't comment for a few moments, as she seems to be nearing the end of what even canine teeth can get out of this particular bone. Licking her lips, she tries to decide if she wants another one - but though the quantity of marrow in one bone is small, there's plenty of energy to be had in it. And though her desire to move on through quickly has ebbed, now she's eager to investigate this area more thoroughly. "Hmm, fighting tigers is certainly not something to take lightly," she finally comments before standing and starting to stretch. "Well, you've given me a lot to think about," she says with a small wag of her tail, "I hope I see you again, whatever I decide."
Gyarahabala bobs his head and yawns. "I certainly did not envision fighting tigers when I was younger, even after joining Saahasi ... but with friends and patience, nothing is impossible." He returns her wag with one of his own. "Its been a pleasure to meet you, and I do hope to see you again ... but I am not the young wolf I once was, and need to find a nice, quiet place to rest before reporting this finding to my friends who might help me make sense of it."
Nodding her head politely to that, Saarameya says, "It's always a pleasure to meet a kind wolf." Which is true - she finds her sibling species to be rather pleasant company when they're the sort that treats a dog properly. "And don't worry over me - I might not look like much but I've passed through many dangerous regions unscathed. If you don't see me again, it will be because I've left," her eyes drift over to the western horizon at that thought, but then she directs her attention to the plain instead. Yes, that's where she'll go first. "Good hunting," she says by way of goodbye before she starts off.
Gyarahabala nods and bows pleasantly on his one foreleg before heading off.
Gyarahabala - Male Elder Gray Wolf
Saarameya - Female Feral Dog
Setting:
Rolling Foothills
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A few well-gnawed bones lay in clusters near the summit of one of the westernmost hills; distinguished hunters would not have too much trouble identifying them as goats. By the looks of it, a goat herd suffered the loss of seven goats, so -- although storms over this treeless area have washed away confirming signs -- it was likely either a large pack or large particular predators; further telltale signs on the bones themselves -- namely the large toothmarks -- would indicate adult lion, possibly even tiger. Gyarahabala, the three-legged elder of the Saahasi pack, is checking out the carnage. The goat herd itself has no traces; understandably, they are probably staying clear of the area near where they were attacked. The three-legged old wolf sniffs intently, hoping for any faint traces of the hunters' scents; he knows Bhaskar has been staying near the lion cubs far to the east, it could possibly be Bhata, but ... he feels determined to see if there might be other tigers about, outside the jungle.
Heading through the foothills from the east is not a tiger, but a dog. And as she walks she stops frequently to sniff the ground and the air for the freshest scents, as this place is not familiar to her and she's on the alert for either danger or prey. As she draws near to where the wolf is investigating the bones, the scent of the bones attracts her attention first. She's not above scavenging, so she alters her course to follow the smell in the off chance that there's something edible around. With the goats avoiding the area it's not like she's picked up anything fresh nearby. But when the very fresh scent of wolf reaches her a moment later, she slows a bit - she's met wolves who like dogs and those who hate them and everything in between and you never know which they'll be until you get there. But, undeterred, she continues forward anyway, but with a bit more caution. She wouldn't have lasted this long if she let a little wolf scent bother her too much.
Gyarahabala would not appear to be a threat, if for no other reason than his physical state -- three legs and a markedly advanced age. His ears prick and swivel at some noise, somewhere nearby, besides the autumn wind. He does not seem to be interested in gnawing the bones nor finding more marrow that might be contained within, merely investigating them; unfortunately, what little the storm might have missed washing away he finds a bit overpowered by the scent of other scavengers, especially vultures, that picked the bones clean after whatever it was that hunted them. There /is/ another scent, however -- and no, not the dog; she is approaching from downwind, so the wolf's scent carries to her instead of vice-versa. The old wolf lifts his head and gazes about, and *finally* catches the phantom with his gaze that his ears had hinted at. "Hello," the old wolf casts to the dog. She, too, might be a threat -- what luck a down-on-their-luck dog might find in finding a wolf they could defeat, especially if they've had misadventures with wolves who were not as pleasant as the Saahasi. "I am Gyarahabala, elder of the Saahasi," he greets, hoping the mention of a pack membership might grant pause should the younger decide to tangle with him -- plus, it is generally good manners. While his ears remain focused on her, he sniffs the air, and hobbles toward a ramping ledge along the western edge of the hill. He sniffs down intently, his nose apparently finding some trace of something there.
As soon as the old wolf comes into view, Saarameya's eyes quickly go over him in the familiar way of someone sizing up a possible threat, though of course it's easy enough to tell that this wolf wouldn't be able to put up too big of a fight. Her ears perk up at the greeting, though his mention of a pack isn't about to alter the way she'll treat him. She hasn't had a trace of another wolf in the vicinity, and since she's a traveler she can afford to make enemies since they'll be left behind. No, what stops her from being aggressive is that she's not a mean-hearted dog and doesn't go out of her way to hurt anyone. So when she's greeted politely she responds in kind. "I am Saarameya, formerly of the Darii," she says in a fairly neutral tone, softening it with a slight wag of her naturally upraised tail. She notices almost immediately from his manner that he doesn't seem interested in the bones for food, which is a bit of a relief because that means they won't have to argue over them, but that also makes her curious about what he's doing here then. "How do the Saahasi fare?" she asks politely as she starts to sniff the bones for anything worth gnawing on.
Gyarahabala hops down to sniff the spot, hidden from where the bones lay by a drop of a few feet in the slope, taking several long moments to sniff it intently before re-surmounting the hill. He sits squarely, far enough away from the bones to indicate yielding them to her. "The Saahasi are strong. Not as strong as we have ever been, but far along recovery from a devastating loss we incurred when I was in my prime ... quite a few years ago," he adds with a chuckle. "The honor and wisdom of our leaders then saw us through very trying times, and the honor and wisdom of a newer generation of leaders will see us through a new, difficult phase. A storm of evil wells within the jungle, hauntingly familiar to us. The Saahasi have sacrificed, and will continue to do so, to help others -- wolves or not -- who travel a path of good." He ponders her greeting and asks, "And what of the Darii? How do they fare, and what brought you to depart from them?"
It's not difficult to tell that a tiger is responsible for the bones, but that's in her favor. Though big cats will sometimes crack the easier bones for their marrow, they can't get nearly as much as a canine can, and neither can any other scavenger but a canine. So it's not too difficult for her nose to pick out a mostly untouched humerus that's fresh enough to provide an easy meal. She picks it up and takes it just a short distance away - essentially indicating that she's yielding the rest of them back if the wolf wants them. A quick meal is all that she really needs as she's not expecting to remain in the area for too long. Settling down with it held in her forepaws, she begins to work on getting it open but readily pauses when he asks about the Darii. "I don't know how they fare - I suspect that they're doing well enough," she says conversationally, "It's been several moons since I left them, so I wouldn't know. As to why I left - the she-alpha and I had a disagreement about how I ought to be treated and I decided that the pack deserved to keep her as leader." Which is a greatly summarized version of the story, but she's not about to go into great detail about to to a wolf who probably doesn't care to hear about it anyway.
Gyarahabala does care, given that stories and memories are about all he has left to collect in his time, but he isn't pushy for those who wish to remain reserved. "There are not many of your kind around ... at least, not that I've found in awhile," he says. "What do you seek? Have you any tales from your journey?" he asks.
The bone gives easily to Saarameya's sharp teeth and strong bite, but she's not in a hurry to finish. After all, she's already walked a long way today and she's come to value the often helpful information she can get from locals as she's passing through an area. And a conversation, even if it's with a wolf, helps ease the nagging loneliness of being on her own. "I've been following the setting sun, searching for another pack," she explains, "The few I've met so far weren't interested in having me stay." There's something about the way that she says that which hints that she's greatly understating it. "I'm afraid that my species is not the most common anywhere," she adds, though she doesn't sound particularly troubled by it. The second question causes her to pause in thought for a moment but she finally answers, "Tales? Yes I do. Though I'm afraid that I don't have much by way of actual news - I haven't rested anywhere long enough to learn much about it other than the presence of other dogs or lack thereof." She pauses for another half moment before her head tilts curiously, "And what of this area? You said that there aren't many of my kind?"
Gyarahabala bobs his head. "There are not many canids of any sort. There were, several years ago, a dog pack, several wolf packs and a sizable dhole clan. Now the Saahasi seem to be all that remain, though a smattering of dholes are trying to kindle a clan near Saahasi territory ... we are on friendly terms with them. There are a few jackals here and there," he says, "one of whom, a kohl-bal, is another dear friend of the Saahasi -- along with her tiger kin. An evil tiger clan, growing in the jungle, is the evil I spoke of ... they call themselves the Ran Garjana. They seem to have moved to the lower part of the jungle, beneath the waterfall nd cliffs, but they have been known to attack above ... and the varsha season brought a powerful storm that may drive them back to the upper jungle, if it afflicted prey too much in the lower parts. A lot of my information, unfortunately, isn't quite current ... in addition to our other friends, my pack -- and myself, personally, in particular, am friends with a golden eagle named Utkrosh who keeps an eye on things for us." He snorts a bit, "I exercised a bit of poor judgment in a bit of a dangerous mission awhile ago that wound up getting Utkrosh hurt ... not seriously, but she lost enough flight feathers that it has interrupted her patrols. I think she's nearly regrown her feathers by now, she will soon bring us all up to date on what the Ran Garjana are up to and the other goings-on in this area. She did find one lone wolf that I believe may be a remnant of one of the lost wolf packs, so ... perhaps there is hope there may be dogs about too, but for safety's sake, we are trying to stay away from the Ran Garjana's realm."
Paying careful attention to that explanation, which is far more detail that she generally gets of an area, she carefully files away the bits that she cares about as she works on the bone. "Evil tigers?" she thinks out loud when he's finished, "I suppose that explains why the canids here get along - you probably have to. Seems like the more peaceful an area is, the more everyone sees the need to fix that by stirring up trouble amongst themselves. And it's just as well that I've been following the setting sun - that would seem to be a relatively safe way through the area." And, hearing about the situation, she's quick to assume that this is yet another area she ought to leave behind her. Still, since she's not near finished with her bone she might as well inquire further. "May I ask what happened to the other packs and clan?"
Gyarahabala nods. "Not all of the tigers are in the evil clan ... there are several we are friends with ... and yeah, the evil clan, and an evil clan that came before it, are a big reason the normal hostilities between species largely do not exist here." He gazes westward, toward the direction the sun sets, and frets a bit. "If you continue west," he says, then looks back to her, "you will find a vast desert. Not the most pleasant terrain" ... and an ally of the Saahasi happens to be guarding lion cubs there, at least the last the wolf had heard of them, though the news -- like much -- is old. Blast, why did he get Utkrosh injured on that foolish mission that accomplished nothing!? "Unfortunately, we do not know. We lost contact with most of them years ago, when another evil tiger clan -- the Sakht Nakh -- ruled the jungle with brutality. The Saahasi were forced to abandon our ancestral territory within the jungle, and retreat toward the mountains, where we established a new territory. The other packs were in the lower part of the jungle ... the Sakht Nakh tigers were between us. We did attempt to skirt the jungle to scout for the others, but ... we could not find them. Some we did, indeed, find dead from the vicious fangs of the Sakht Nakh, but many we never heard from. About a moon ago, Utkrosh did spot a wolf, traveling with an unknown tiger, whom I met with ... I believe she may have been a daughter of one of the lost packs, but she was hostile, paranoid, riddled with parasites and bonded to the tiger. Such happens when a wolf is raised outside of a pack ... especially by a non-canid. It was that mission, to find her, that got Utkrosh injured ... for a powerful Varsha was setting in as I had Utkrosh guide me to where she had found the wolf, Kanti, and the tiger, Raasabha. Utkrosh was injured when the winds kicked up fiercely. I managed to take the tiger and wolf to safety, and I found some garlic to try and deal with the wolf's parasite, but ... she was very fearful and distrustful of me. If it had not been for the agreeability of the tiger, who did seem to genuinely look out for her well-being, I would not have had the short time I did with her. The dhole clan fissioned in the Sakht Nakh war ... some actually wanted to seek a truce with the Sakht Nakh, while others wanted to help fight. Many of their clan were killed, and even after the war, they could not find the cohesion to re-form the clan. I do not know what became of the dogs, they were in the lowermost portion of the jungle, and we were only able to scout there after the Sakht Nakh had been defeated, about two years after we had last seen the dogs ... and we could not find a trace of them."
"A desert?" Saarameya replies, looking off to the west. But while some would see such terrain as barrier, she sees it as a challenge. But not the sort of challenge one faces just for the sake of it - she's not as foolish as that. More as a challenge that she's willing to overcome if she has to. As the wolf goes on to explain about the wolf with the tiger, she'd be gaping at the end of it if it weren't for her strongly instilled manners. Sufficeth to say, her bone is forgotten for the time being. But when the wolf continues on to the part about the dog pack - the part she's most especially interested in - it drags her attention from marveling at the oddity. "Well, that's a shame," she says when he finishes, "I should say that I am not overly afraid of tigers - the Darii had to contend with several of various dispositions. And I do like the idea of having more pleasant relations with my fellow canids than they did - the closest pack to us had it in their heads that we were less noble and pure than they were. Despite the fact that there were frequent rumors of... well... other relations having happened in the past." Certainly, this dog's habit of summarizing is liable to drive anyone crazy. "But I can't stand the thought of being packless, and if evil tigers plague the area so frequently, then it's probably best for me to keep moving," she concludes, before thoughtfully returning to her bone. There's something about the repetitive nature of chewing on something hard that helps her mull things over.
Gyarahabala flicks his ears. "If you are as pleasant as you seem, you could ask my alphess, Kirana, to stay with our pack for awhile, if it pleases you. Utkrosh is already nesting in our territory, and Bhata -- an honorable, if somewhat trouble tiger, another dear friend of our pack -- is welcomed among us as well, if could tolerate one friendly tiger in your midst. The dholes are a bit ... skittish ... so, for their sanity at least, I would recommend, if you find yourself catching the scent of dholes, to kindly walk softly around them ... they have their paws full with a litter of pups. Sadly, the Saahasi are without pups this year or last ... circumstances just weren't right." Something Gyarahabala hopes Kirana will amend, before Gyarahabala draws his last breath.
The remark about how pleasant she seems causes the dog to wuff quietly. "Well I don't know about how pleasant I seem - I'm stubborn and opinionated and not easily pushed around," she says, sounding amused. Oh yes, she's certainly familiar with her own flaws as a canine. "But I suppose I'm pleasant enough to those who are pleasant back - which I'd imagine your pack would be or you wouldn't be offering that at all," she continues before pausing a half a moment to think. "I will... consider that offer," she concludes, "You've mentioned many things that are troubling, to say the least, and I'd like to know more about what I'd be getting myself into before I can decide if and for how long I'd want to stay."
Gyarahabala nods. "Our packlands are relatively safe from the Ran Garjana," he says, looking back westward. "That vast plain separates the jungle, where the Ran Garjana reside -- and in the southernmost portion, below the cliff -- from the mountains, far to the north," he points with his muzzle, "where our packlands are. The Ran Garjana do their deeds where they can hide in the jungle, but there is nowhere for them to hide were they to cross the jungle, and we would see them coming."
Surveying the terrain that can be seen from this vantage point, Saarameya nods. Having the plains as a buffer seems like a nice enough feature. But then again, even being able to see a tiger coming is of limited help, especially if there's more than one of them. Hmm, this situation will require some careful thought. "Then if I decide to stay I will look for your pack," is all that she can really add on that subject, once she's committed those details to memory. She gnaws on her bone a moment more before she realizes that they never did get around to talking about what prompted her to start this conversation in the first place. "The tiger who left these bones isn't Ran Garjana then?" she asks, nudging the conversation in the proper direction.
Gyarahabala frets a bit. "I'm not certain. We do not know every tiger who is Ran Garjana ... and I do not recognize one of the two tiger scents in a spot just below that was likely a place where they lurked. The other tiger scent, however, I do recognize ... a young tiger who was brutally savaged by the Ran Garjana. It is difficult to determine what happened ... perhaps this other tiger ... nay, tigress, definitely female ... perhaps she is merely a stranger who helped the young lad out on a hunt. Would seem odd, though ... she could also be with the Ran Garjana, pretending to care for the young tiger so as to gain inroads to find out where our allies are."
"Ah," Saarameya replies as her curiosity is appeased. That would explain why this old wolf was so interested in the bones but not as food. "I suppose that's the difficulty of working with tigers - they don't bond to their group in quite the same way we do and so have an easier time of pulling such tricks. Still, if you've got tigers banding against you, I can see how you'd also need them on your side," she muses out loud. What a different place this is from the Darii! There you might get along with a tiger here and there, sure, but actually work with them and have to trust them? A bit of a foreign idea, really. Then again, perhaps this is just on a larger and deeper scale, as the tigers who were friendly with the Darii would help convince the those who were not that it would be a good idea to leave the dogs alone. Yes, Saarameya definitely has some serious thinking to do!
Gyarahabala says, "The need is mutual. These Ran Garjana are as vicious and brutal to other tigers as they are to smaller beings, such as wolves. Tigers tend to be solitary, save for those who bond with jackals, but some are still good and honorable. We share information, look out for each other, and when the time is right -- when we have strength, know how many there are and where they are -- we will fight together."
A surprised blink follows that last part. "You mean to say that you intend to actually get rid of these tigers?" Saarameya asks, just to clarify. Up until this point she'd assumed that the wolves were mainly focused on keeping them away from their territory. Fighting tigers who work together seems like too large of a task. Even alone the big cats require careful handling by a pack if they want to avoid casualties. Still, despite her surprise she doesn't seem to be afraid of the idea. In fact, nothing the old wolf has described thus far seems to have made the dog more than slightly nervous - she really wasn't lying when she said that she wasn't overly afraid of tigers. But all she adds to that idea verbally is: "That's a rather bold idea." And her attention is suddenly absorbed by her bone. Gnawgnawgnaw.
Gyarahabala says, "Not alone, we won't ... but we helped defeat Sakht Nakh. We suffered terribly, but ... with our allies, including good tigers such as Bhata ... we prevailed. When the time to strike came, the Saahasi wolves did not sit by and let the tigers on our side fight alone. We struck hard and fast, used our pack abilities to our advantage, and several Sakht Nakh tigers fell directly to wolf fangs, including my own ... and that was after their leader had taken my foreleg," he says. "We helped distract and confound several more to allow others to get the killing blows. Sakht Nakh no longer exists. There is a new clan now, but ... we learned our lessons from the old one. We keep ourselves safe, we look out for our friends and allies, and when the time comes, the Saahasi will lend our claws and fangs to the fight ... but the timing must be right when our allies are fully mustered."
When the old wolf finishes Saarameya doesn't comment for a few moments, as she seems to be nearing the end of what even canine teeth can get out of this particular bone. Licking her lips, she tries to decide if she wants another one - but though the quantity of marrow in one bone is small, there's plenty of energy to be had in it. And though her desire to move on through quickly has ebbed, now she's eager to investigate this area more thoroughly. "Hmm, fighting tigers is certainly not something to take lightly," she finally comments before standing and starting to stretch. "Well, you've given me a lot to think about," she says with a small wag of her tail, "I hope I see you again, whatever I decide."
Gyarahabala bobs his head and yawns. "I certainly did not envision fighting tigers when I was younger, even after joining Saahasi ... but with friends and patience, nothing is impossible." He returns her wag with one of his own. "Its been a pleasure to meet you, and I do hope to see you again ... but I am not the young wolf I once was, and need to find a nice, quiet place to rest before reporting this finding to my friends who might help me make sense of it."
Nodding her head politely to that, Saarameya says, "It's always a pleasure to meet a kind wolf." Which is true - she finds her sibling species to be rather pleasant company when they're the sort that treats a dog properly. "And don't worry over me - I might not look like much but I've passed through many dangerous regions unscathed. If you don't see me again, it will be because I've left," her eyes drift over to the western horizon at that thought, but then she directs her attention to the plain instead. Yes, that's where she'll go first. "Good hunting," she says by way of goodbye before she starts off.
Gyarahabala nods and bows pleasantly on his one foreleg before heading off.