An Unwelcome Surprise {Valentino}

[❦Mufasa❦]

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[atrb=background,http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn15/stephers1995/Rai---MIDDLE.png] This will be a breeze. Rai thought, as he trod silently through the tall grasses of the Angelic Meadow. He wasn't here to stir up any trouble, no. He was simply searching for the Alpha of the Enchanted Pack. He was sick and tired of being alone, and he needed to join a family, and Enchanted seemed to be the perfect place for a wolf such as himself. A cool breeze ruffled his pelt, and he was glad he was downwind. He lifted his maw and breathed in heavily through his nose, but caught nothing of any wolves nearby. He crouched down so his belly fur brushed the soft, lush earth as he slunk along, silent as could be. His eyes darted about rapidly, making sure he wasn't about to blunder into anyone. He was searching to become one of The Angels. He was...skilled in the ways of the covert operations, stealth, going unnoticed. And his quick wits made him an interesting beasty to meddle with. But of course, at this point and time, he meant no harm. What would be the point of going through all this trouble, just to ruin his chances of joining the pack he so desperately wanted to be a part of? He blew air out through his nose and shook his head, fur whipping along, flying out in every direction. He gave himself another small shake and his fur lay flat again, the way he liked it. Quickly, he poked his head up, looking around, but nothing but the occasional rabbit was to be seen. He sighed with relief and continued on, hoping to find the Alpha sometime soon. And praying he wouldn't scare the shit out of him. After all, what with the Order around, everyone was on edge. Even a loner such as himself. It was dangerous to be alone. And he didn't want to take the wrong step in the wrong direction.

[Makarov]

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[atrb=background,http://i45.tinypic.com/20fympe.jpg] Was it time for a break? Oh 'Tino, honey. You're a big old boss-type now. There's no such thing as a break in this line of work. Well screw this, all this, he had been roaming his borders tirelessly with dogged detirmination for the good part of half a week now. Benjamin had gone and so that left a frighteningl slim amount of wolves on the borders keeping tabs on the comings and goings of others. The very idea distressed him, and so instead of instating more wolves on the outer edges of his lands - not many willing volanteers - he took the duty upon himself. Of course it was a taxing action to take, but who was he to put his own weariness before the safety of his pack? No one, that's who! "Toesies are a little sore," he said out loud to no one in particular except a solitary butterfly winging its languid, single-minded path across the bridge of his muzzle in search of necter. The insect took no heed to his words, didn't offer any opinion and so Valentino took that in the best way possible. The slim brown wolf dropped down onto his belly sending a heaving woosh of breath out of his lungs, a sigh of exasperation and relief. His legs were aching, so much to the point where they quivered with almost every step. Every joint that had been screaming in protest now let out a universal cry of thanks and for the first time in a while 'Tino gave a secretive and genuine smile figuring it was okay to do so. Within seconds it seemed after laying his muzzle down on his snowy white toes he had drifted off into a deep and replenishing sleep. An hour passed before two unintentional paths met and boy was Mr. Rodolfo in for quite the surprise. It was a scent, a movement in the thick tall grasses around him that came first as a pleasant vibration within his dreams, stirring and stirring until it finally was a voice rousing him from his slumber. Oh but what could ever have the heart to disturb him from such a restful endeavor? Stormy gray eyes flickered open groggily, tongue poking out as he yawned wide and exposed parallel rows of ivory tusks and a slightly spotted palet. It would have normally taken him a few minutes to wake himself up fully but as Valentino raised his dome so that only it poked up over the tops of the tall green grass he found himself face to face with another wolf whom had thought himself decidedly hidden but a mere meter away. Now it is very unlike him to react quickly or aggressively to any wolf but he had been caught off guard. 'Tino flew to his feet, seeming to grow twice his size as his fur flew up and his muzzle wrinkled back to expose his fangs and the pink of his gums. A high-pitch snarl ripped from clenched teeth as he braced his body for any attack - for surely he had startled the other fellow as well. "Who are you?" he growled suddenly, loudly, with authority. Not that you could blame poor Valentino, he was only doing his sworn duty.

[❦Mufasa❦]

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[atrb=background,http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn15/stephers1995/Rai---MIDDLE.png] He heard a growl come from a very short distance away in the grasses, and he leaped up, bringing himself to his full height, a deep growl bursting from his own maw, then stopped, realizing it must be the alpha. He seemed authoritative enough. But...such a trim little fellow. Rai honestly felt a little uncertain about his bulky luggage at the moment, but all of that aside, he was relieved to finally have found who he was looking for. It took him a moment to collect his thoughts and to remind himself of what he must do, and hopefully it was little enough time to prevent an attack, and to prevent himself from looking like an utter fool. Of course, it was probably already a little too late for that, sitting there in the grasses crouched like something was about to come up and bite him in the ass if he did not stay hidden well enough. "Who are you?" The Alpha snarled, with quite a large amount of authority and really, the volume of it was a bit assaulting to Rai's poor eardrums. He quickly dropped his head and bowed to the Alpha, praying that Valentino would not choose this moment as a good one to leap and end up skidding over Rai's head and plowing straight into his backside, which was protruding a bit into the air, much to Rai's discomfort. Then, he rose again and he said, "Many apologies, sir. I did not mean to startle you, I simply did not want to attract the attention of any...unwanted company on my way here, so I thought it best to stay relatively unseen. Until I found you, that is. My name is Rai, and I am looking to join your pack." He bowed his head again, though it was not nearly as low this time, and simply a cordial nod sort of thing. When he straightened back up, he met the Alpha's fierce gaze with his own calmer, more serene one. Most of the time, people would think him to be aggressive once they heard of his past, and sometimes they just made that assumption, but it was not always the case, thankfully. Otherwise, he feared this endeavor of his would have already been to hell and back.

[Makarov]

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[atrb=background,http://i45.tinypic.com/20fympe.jpg] It seemed that he had reacted far too quickly, jumping the gun in his fatigued state and letting the snarls slither from his lips like the hiss of a snake. When Rai leaped up and lowered his head immediately, a worried glint in those eyes, the brown-hued leader suddenly felt his aggression levels quickly plummeting. Now he was suddenly grasping at straws, his origional nature returning to him as he realized he had made a bit of a mistake. It took a lot for the Alpha not to babble on and on and apologize as he was apt to before, and he prided that he kept himself with a fairly calm resolve this time. The slim, brown wolf took a couple steps back as his hackles lowered down as well as his muscles untensing. "Many apologies, sir. I did not mean to startle you, I simply did not want to attract the attention of any...unwanted company on my way here, so I thought it best to stay relatively unseen. Until I found you, that is. My name is Rai, and I am looking to join your pack." He spoke in a worried babble, much like the alphen did himself at times and that perhaps put him at more of an ease. "Well Rai.." 'Tino started off slowly, his rump falling to meet the ground below him as he seemed to sit and think. After a moment he fixed the other portly fellow with his sad gray eyes. "You see there has been a lot of grief here Rai. We recently lost a wolf on our lands to a demon in wolf's clothing, so I walk with caution and wariness... You will excuse me for how I so brashly confronted you." He paused again to gather himself, his voice very gentle. Here he raised his muzzle a little as if motioning to the other male. He was getting much better at this whole talking to guys without turning into a stuttering mess thing. "My name is Valentino Rodolfo, Rai and it is a damned pleasure to meet you, a fellow sane wolf, out on my plains. I can be thankful for that at least.. Now come, walk with me. I wish to know about you, and where you will fit into this family of wolves." He motioned with another wide arc of his maw and a friendly grin.

[❦Mufasa❦]

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[atrb=background,http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn15/stephers1995/Rai---MIDDLE.png] He waited quietly, yet anxiously for the Alpha to respond to his request, praying that he would not be turned down on the spot for his sudden idiotic blunder of all things. An awful way to start off when meeting someone, and he regretted it firmly. He swiped his tail nervously about him, finally settling with laying it across is paws as he sat down. "Well Rai.." Sad, clear grey eyes fixed upon his own deep brown ones as Valentino started off with a slow reply, as if he were rolling around each word he was about to say, tasting it and making sure that it really was just what he needed to say. Rai believed that enough blunders had already been made, though all of them by him, and was glad that this Alpha was so quick to think about what he was saying. "You see there has been a lot of grief here Rai. We recently lost a wolf on our lands to a demon in wolf's clothing, so I walk with caution and wariness... You will excuse me for how I so brashly confronted you." Rai shook his head and offered a slight grin, waving off the apology and he replied, "It is nothing, sir. I would not have expected anything less from anyone else. I have seen how on-edge every wolf seems to be. And I am very sorry for your loss, sir. It saddens me to know this." He lowered his head again in show of his sympathies and then looked back up into those grey pools that seemed to go on forever. It was as 'Tino's voice got gentler that he noticed what a handsome wolf he had been speaking to. Rai was questioning himself, probably bisexual, but a little uncomfortable with the fact and tried brushing the thoughts away but they ate away at him until he could not ignore them, just put them on a back burner somewhere. Besides, there was that Prince girl he had met, she was so...stunning. He snorted softly and then his ears pricked as 'Tino began to speak again. "My name is Valentino Rodolfo, Rai and it is a damned pleasure to meet you, a fellow sane wolf, out on my plains. I can be thankful for that at least.. Now come, walk with me. I wish to know about you, and where you will fit into this family of wolves." A lopsided grin messed up the solemn look on his face at the other male's words, a small laugh was forced from his chest as he replied, "It sure seems like we are the only two sane wolves I have met in a while, I have to agree with that. An even larger grin broke out over his face as he was told to walk with Valentino, to find out what place he would hold there, his dreams were finally coming true. "Of course sir!" He replied, excitement tinging his voice as he stepped over to walk in time with the Alpha whenever their journey would begin.

[Makarov]

[atrb=border,0,true][cs=7][bg=546A7A] Rai seemed to shrug things off with a good nature Valentino himself had been never able to capture in his many years of life and travel. He envied this to many extents but just could not find the heart to make it an outright thing. He watched the other for their reactions for quite a while but came up with little more then a bashful good nature that he seemed to be exuding all the time. It was hard NOT to trust the portly little fellow and he was indeed very much an interesting being, for as good as he was being after being attacked by the alphen himself, it was as if nothing had really happened at all. He noticed the way the other male snuck to occasional, curious peek but said nothing of it, having been used to it for quite a long time. In fact he said it was nothing, offering his condolences. All Valentino could really do was nod his muzzle, looking off towards the horizon to distract his gaze for a few moments. The world was a strange place and well, Valentino had very little to say on this day, it made him feel excruciatingly awkward, but this was something he would just have to fight through as he had done every other time before. Rai seemed willing enough to follow him and with that the brown male rose and began to pull a steady yet leisurely pace in front of the slightly larger male. As they went he spoke, unable to shake the idea that those eyes behind him might be wandering across his form, checking him out. 'Tino stroked his pink tongue casually across his dark muzzle. "So tell me a little about yourself Rai, what has led you here to my Kingdom? Every wolf has a story!" This was accompanied a cheery, albeit forced smile. There was not too much joy to be found in these days of late, and with Bishamon out and about as he usually was he found himself to be excruciatingly lonely. "Everyone walks a destined path in this world.." He added as if an after thought, trailing off a little though his ears were perked and attentive.

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[❦Mufasa❦]

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[atrb=background,http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn15/stephers1995/Rai---MIDDLE.png] As Valentino set off, Rai began to follow, his steps slower than normal, to stay with the wolf and perhaps a bit behind him as well. He did not mind the change in pace, the leisurely way that 'Tino walked seemed to make this place all the more welcoming. The silence, Rai did not mind. Sometimes the best things were conveyed, the most meaningful things were conveyed, when nothing at all was said. According to Valentino's facial expression, he did not agree but everyone has a different mindset, something Rai had been forced to accept when he was young and foolhardy. Rai's teeth grazed over his lower lip as he scraped something off of it, or perhaps it was out of nervous habit. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Valentino licking his lips, perhaps hungry...perhaps for some other reason. Rai shook his head and snorted, then quickly covered it up, acting like it was an itch he could not scratch. "So tell me a little about yourself Rai, what has led you here to my Kingdom? Every wolf has a story!" Valentino spoke casually again, asking about his past...but dare he tell? He supposed he would have to. "My story begins a long ways away from here, in the northern forests where you find no leaves, only needles of the pine trees. I was the largest of a litter of four, but only two survived past our first year. It was a place with brutal seasons, it snowed and was frozen half the year, and as soon as it melted, the heat would skyrocket, giving us no time to get used to the warm weather. But of course, who ever said that the environment was about to play fair?" A bitter laugh interrupted his story before he continued, "And, as soon as I was old enough to travel on my own, almost all of the young males were sent out on some sort of 'test' to see who were the strongest. In reality, it was to make the pack smaller. Those who did not make it back, would never find the pack again. I was one of the few who did not. That is why I have spent the rest of my life dedicated to becoming invisible, the ultimate tracker, to make up for my stupidity. And for losing my family." A stricken, pained look came over his face, "Oh, Clarise..." His voice faded, thinking of his little sister and he looked away, sighing, then back at Valentino, "But that is in the past, and well...this is now." A half-asses smile was pushed onto his face as he looked back up at the alpha, his eyes gentle, but with ghosts of his past floating behind that gentle mask, and sadness along with it.

[Makarov]

[atrb=border,0,true][cs=7][bg=546A7A] If there was a single thing that Valentino favored that he was even just a little bit good at, then if was most definitely the art of listening. If he could do a single thing for the rest of his life it would be listen: listen to the trials and tribulations, the cries of pain and joy, the stories of great heroes and heart-breaking romances. So when Rai took the time to begin to tell his tale, 'Tino was quite relieved, and stepped into a familiar comfort level he could most certainly deal with for a while in the presence of this new contributor to the ways of the Enchanted Kingdom. Perhaps Rai could see that discomfort, and perhaps it was far more apparent then he would have liked it to be. Enchanted was summer-tide jewel, always warm and welcome and full of color. Snow rarely ever graced this verdant oasis on the southern most edge of Traum. But at the same time it was rather tainted. Blood had been spilled here, innocent blood without a single notion of remorse and with a clear intent marked in the brutal disposing of the body of a formerly beautiful and vibrant she-wolf. 'Tino shuddered to think of the reports that had come back, Theravada, her bones broken, entrails strewn everywhere, drown and beaten and her head missing. It had been taken like some sort of disgusting trophy, carted off to wherever that hellish spawn of this earth crawled to when the sun came up. "My story begins a long ways away from here, in the northern forests where you find no leaves, only needles of the pine trees. I was the largest of a litter of four, but only two survived past our first year. It was a place with brutal seasons, it snowed and was frozen half the year, and as soon as it melted, the heat would skyrocket, giving us no time to get used to the warm weather. But of course, who ever said that the environment was about to play fair? And, as soon as I was old enough to travel on my own, almost all of the young males were sent out on some sort of 'test' to see who were the strongest. In reality, it was to make the pack smaller. Those who did not make it back, would never find the pack again. I was one of the few who did not. That is why I have spent the rest of my life dedicated to becoming invisible, the ultimate tracker, to make up for my stupidity. And for losing my family... Oh, Clarise..." And so he listened, and felt his emotions roll on that ride with Rai's own heart as he recounted the tragic happenings of his past. It was true, all wolves came from some sort of hardship. No one ever lived a life in the dark willingly, but through the experiences we're forced to see the world in so many different lights. It is up to us to piece them together and figure out the puzzle for ourselves without being swept up in all of the bad stuff. Still, pain flooded Rai's features now, contorting his facade with a deeply-rooted sadness. 'Tino's heart went out immediately to the tubby yet altogether quick wolf. "What does not kill us will make us stronger, Rai. Without the dark in our life, we would have nothing to contrast the light with, it would cease to have that positive meaning." He spoke from the soul, and yet still felt the words come out a little out of place. "But that is in the past, and well...this is now." "That is is. And here you are now welcome to a family, my friend." Valentino's pace slowed to a halt as he turned and suddenly gazed out over the last expanses of the Angelic Meadow. The two of them stood on a steeper rise, nearer to a copse of trees. Such a breath-taking view it had always been, 'Tino thought it would only be right to stop and share it with his friend. Without really even realizing it he had drifted off into a thoughtful silence. "Do think we are teetering on the edge of war..."

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[❦Mufasa❦]

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[atrb=background,http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn15/stephers1995/Rai---MIDDLE.png] Never had I felt so upset…yet so welcome at the same time, it was so alien to me. I saw the way that ‘Tino shared in my emotions, and the way that he sympathized with me after the telling of my story, the recollection of the bad memories that ran though my head seemed to distract me a bit, and it took all the willpower I had to pull myself back into the present. I prayed it was not a visible effort, but I knew that my expression probably gave me away. Whenever I had a weak moment, you could read me like a book. I considered it my greatest flaw, for what if one of my weakest moments were within the boundaries of an enemy’s territory? What if they had taken me as a prisoner with others to ransom us back for more land, or a surrender deal? It seemed highly unlikely here, but my pack at home had done just that numerous amounts of times. Most other creatures would consider wolves as beasts who have nothing but blood and misery on their minds, and perhaps this is true for some of us. But I know for a fact that many of us are calculating, and rather intelligent. My mind began to wander back to my beloved sister, I wondered if they had taken her, like so many had threatened to do before. If I ever found out that she had died at the paws of some sick and twisted beast, looking for someone to gain vengeance on; I knew that I would not be staying in Traum any longer. I would dedicate the rest of my days to hunting down the bastard and exacting my own revenge. A wolf that harmed my sister, a wolf that lay a paw on her in any sort of negative way, would suffer. I had sworn it when she was attacked as a pup, and even though we were separated, I would find them and I would protect her from anything bad that loomed on the horizon, I can promise you that. I was sure by now that a determined, rather set expression had come over my face. And it would be the one to stay. I had to focus, I needed to prove to ‘Tino that I had drive, that I had the ability to pull myself out of any sort of reverie, even one as painful as the one I had just experienced. Living here would be difficult, having to prove myself over and over. Not that they would force me, but I would end up forcing myself. It was just the way that my mind worked, I needed to prove to them that I could be a flawless stalker in the night, despite my size, despite everything that runs through my mind. I had to prove it. And I would. "What does not kill us will make us stronger, Rai. Without the dark in our life, we would have nothing to contrast the light with, it would cease to have that positive meaning." ‘Tino spoke, and his words were sage in my mind. I liked the way that this wolf thought. He could take anyone’s negative perspective and turn it entirely around, I was sure of that. And he listened, so few wolves really listened. They mostly just turned their heads away and stared off into the distance, perhaps pretending to be mulling over your words, but in reality, they had no idea. ”I have never thought of it that way before, sir. But…you are right. Sometimes being forced to slip into the dark is exactly what you need to find that silver lining.” I had no idea what to call him, Valentino? ‘Tino? Sir? But whatever I called him, I knew that I would say it with respect. This wolf really did know the goings on of the world, it seemed. And it would do me well to listen to any advice he gave. "That it is. And here you are now welcome to a family, my friend." I had a family. I finally had another family. After months of being alone, I finally had a place I could call home. Despite my rather calm exterior, in reality, I was bounding and leaping for joy such as a pup would do, his first few weeks out of the den. I had never felt more alive. A huge, crooked grin fell across my maw and I bowed my head, and said, a grateful tone taking up my words, ”Thank you, sir. That means a lot, it truly does.” Suddenly, Valentino stopped, I looked up, wondering why, and suddenly, my eyes widened. They took in the view of the Angelic Meadow around me, and I could hardly help but let in a sharp intake of breath. The view was actually stunning. I had never seen anything so amazingly beautiful in my life, it seemed to be alive with pure wonder, this place did. Despite its darker corners and deep mysteries that I am sure were hidden within Traum, I knew that this was a place to be to find beauty. "Do think we are teetering on the edge of war..." I turned my head and cocked it a bit to the side to look at Valentino, wondering what brought that on. ”The edge of war, sir? How bad do you expect this one to be?” I had no idea if there had been wars in the past here, so I simply asked the question. I would fight if needed, though it was not my absolute strongest suit, but this new pack of mine would not see me sitting about like a cowering fool in the midst of the dens while they went out, risking life and limb to keep the rest of the members of our family safe. A feeling came over me, something difficult for me to describe, but still I let it flow through my body. It was cold, for hate of war and fear of what could happen, but it was warm, because I finally could say that I had a family to fight for, and to defend. I believe that was what truly mattered to me at that moment, and I think that is what made me see the beauty in this place that, within a time of unhappiness, I surely would have missed. ooc: I am so sorry that this took me so long! I just recently regained a crapload of muse. I will keep with this one a lot more steadily now!