Ties That Bind

[Idrial]

Wrage gave a playful yip as Flick nipped at his throat, he was just about to pounce on Flick when his wife nudged him. Wrage turned around on a dime a wolfish grin on his face as she took off like a lightning bolt into the forest. He gave into his wife as he had not seen her in a playful mood in ages, looking back at Flick with mischievous eyes before speaking to Flick.

"Seems my wife wants to play chase," his tone playful. Flopping his tounge out of his mouth.

"You can leave Pinkey with me if you wish. And no I will not be eating a guest." Keynigh did not have that type of interest in the rat.

Keynigh would not be playing with them for the time being, he needed to consult with Akasha, should accept vampires into the clan? It was a strange thought to be having and it was something that needed to be thought through,  for now, Flick would stay as a guest. Would he become a Dark Wolf? Well that remained to be the question at the moment. Once Flick made his decision on where to leave Pinkey Wrage would take off with Flick and try to find his wife, who was miles ahead by now.

[Black Philip]

Flick loved to play chasey! He understood being tagged, and thought it the best choice of game indeed. He could explore these great woods as they ran. He let Pinky crawl down him and whispered in rat that he should stay with Keynigh, nodding thankfully at the leader of the Dark Wolves. He was still worried that Pinky would get eaten though, not by his baby sitter, but some other forest denizen. Flick commanded Pinky to crawl on the wolf's back, and then turned to Wrage.

"Well let's not keep her waiting!"

He darted off, leaving the other in the dust in much the same way Ex had to both of them. Flick had many gifts but speed was not one of them. He was fairly fast, just as a wolf, but he had to rely on his stamina to stay close. Flick was resilient and never tired, and even though the Dark Wolves had obvious power they still needed air. Flick had no such concerns and closed the distance as Ex began to tire. He enjoyed the trees he passed by, the animals he saw, and the feel of the earth beneath his paws.

[The Cedar Witch]

Extasis darted and wove effortlessly through the trees like a dance.  She slowed her pace, ears perking up to listen, nostrils flaring to take in the scents around her.  Her sides moved as she took in air, panting slightly, though she was far from out of breath.  The initial sprint was for show--the wolf knew how to pace herself.   The two were still far enough off, but she could feel them coming. 

She went to make a wide circle around and back, picking up speed again, to come up from behind them.  Ex grinned with her teeth, keeping low to the ground as she moved. 

[Idrial]

Keynigh had a large grin on his face as the two took off after his daughter, he had hope in his heart for the first time in years. With Pinkey safely secured to his back, he took off in a gentle trot, heading towards the heart of the woodlands. He would leave the three to play, for the time being, Wrage and his daughter knew where to find him.

Wrage had his nose high in the air following his wife's scent, her paw prints barely visible as she flew across the forest floor. Then her scent stopped and Wrage had a grin on his face. So you want to pull the old come up behind trick? Continuing forwards so not give away his plan, getting close to Flick and whispering in his ear.

"Keep running then find a place to hide. She is trying to come up from behind." Taking off in extreme speed again.

Wrage then jumped in a nearby bush and crouched low to the ground, shaking with excitement. He waited for Flick to position himself before turning his attention to the trail. He hoped his wife would fall for the trap but she was a seasoned hunter, he was betting on his wife's excitement overtaking her hunting senses. After all they were playing a game rather than hunting, something rare these days.

[Black Philip]

Flick could sense the beast in Ex, his vampire powers alerting him to her. He appreciated the tip from Wrage, and nodded quietly at the instruction. He had another idea how to spook the seasoned hunter. This would be a trick that was rare to see indeed. He stood in the open where she'd be approaching, and seemed to almost sink into the earth. There was no digging, but in fact, a form of shape shifting. His white fur became the soil of the earth, and then Flick was gone, melded into the forest floor. He'd have no odor underground, but his natural one lingered in the air. Once Ex passed by looking for him he'd transform back and pounce on her! This was a fun game indeed!

*Flick used Earth Meld from Protean Discipline.

[The Cedar Witch]

Extasis made her wide circle silently and came to a stop, smelling the air.  Wrage was there, downwind of her now; and the faintest trace of Flick too.  Picking up speed again, Ex bounded straight for the pair.  Her mate was easy enough to sniff out, even though he was hiding.  Fick's trail stopped inexplicably in the middle of a clearing, and she bounded right over it (not knowing Flick had hidden in plain sight) with paws scarcely touching the ground directly toward where Wrage was hiding.  She would pounce and tackle him to the ground!

[Black Philip]

Once Ex was clearly on the other side of him, Flick slowly began freeing himself from the earth. Since he was trying to transform quietly it would take longer, and he hoped that Ex would be too busy looking for Wrage to turn her head back. If she didn’t notice he’d pounce on her the moment he was fully formed. If she did notice, it gave Wrage the opportunity to pounce. Either way the game was exciting!

[Idrial]

Wrage gave Flick a hard blink or two when he saw the fun lad mend as one into the ground, throwing his head back and forth in excitement, biting his own tongue to keep quiet, this would be a devious surprise. Wrage had never seen anything like it and he stayed in hiding, now delightfully being the bait, his wife appearing. Wrage made a mad dash towards his wife, her paws just missing his body, which smashed into the ground hard, heart racing as he escaped by the skin of his teeth from his wife. Running back over to the spot Flick had hidden, his head turning backwards, he couldn't wait to see the look on wife's face.

[The Cedar Witch]

Extasis yelped excitedly as she missed Wrage and he went skittering back the way she had come from.  She twisted her body rapidly around and followed at full speed, still completely unaware of Flick and too engrossed in the chase to be paying much attention to him.

[Black Philip]

Now fully freed from the earth, Flick pounced on Ex! The pair rolled around, the momentum of his jump giving them some room to roll. He lashed at her playfully with his teeth, and then bounced off, landing a few feet away and trotting up and down in victory. He howled loud and proud.

"AWOOOOOOOOO," he sent into the clear night. "AWOOOOOOOOOOO!"

He didn't see where Wrage had gone, or what he planned for the white wolf.

[The Cedar Witch]

The surprise initially made her tense before she reminded herself that this was a game.  Extasis yelped, tussling with the newcomer with playful growls and nips.  She watched him pace, then howl, tongue lolling out as she panted. 

"That was some trick!"  Ex trotted over to Flick, tail wagging, "How can you hide in the earth?  Can it be taught?"  It would be a useful skill to have.

[Black Philip]

Flick was overjoyed that his trick had worked, and that Ex wasn't mad about it. He knew that the ability meld with the earth was a rare trait, even among Kindred, and doubted it could be taught to a living wolf. Still, he never saw the hurt of trying anything, and he loved exchanging skills for skills. Ex had him thoroughly distracted as he responded.

"Thank you," he answered, licking his paws a bit. "I'm not sure I can teach it, but I'm willing to try. It's how I sleep outdoors without the sun hurting me."

Flick wasn't sure what they knew about vampires, but figured they'd at least suspect sunlight would destroy them. Movies and books had let the cat out of that bag a long time ago.

[Idrial]

Wrage dug his paws deep into the dirt trail, turning back after his wife had been foiled by the vampire, joining in on the howl that emerged from Flick's snout. It brought joy to his heart to see the pack have fun once again, it had been a terribly long time; not since the death of his packmates. Overhearing the conversation between Flick and his wife.

"Can all vampires do that? Or is that a skill you alone have acquired?" Panting a little with his tongue hanging out.

[The Cedar Witch]

Ex sat on the ground with a light thump, tail still moving.  She tilted her head to the side.

"Is it only a vampire trick?"  She hoped not. 

[Black Philip]

Flick thought about it, and determined that it was a vampire trick. He'd heard of some fae being able to meld with the earth, but not in the way he did, and not from the same source of power. He shook his head up and down.

"It is something that is rare even among vampires," Flick explained. "My clan and only a few others have the gift. I can always try to teach you though. The worst that can happen is that it won't work!"

He felt good about this idea! He shifted weight between his front paws, noticing how nervous he was about this topic. He considered he shouldn't be sharing secrets about his clan so freely.