Breathe(Dax)

[Homicide]

{Breathe Your life into me
I can't feel you}

The weather had become more pleasent now that fenris was slowly finishing his long and, if one thought about it, lonely trek across the sky that was slowly turning into a deep burnt auburn kind of color; oranges and crimsons dancing in sync with the sun god's movements as he slunk toward the horizon. At the moment another pair of orange was moving, only these were a pair of lanterns that danced with delight and curiousity. These were the eyes of a curious and happy pup as he wandered through the pack lands without much of a care on his short attention span.

He hadn't actually been accepted just yet and Chalos had even treated him as a threat in the first few terror filled moments of their meeting. Due to his relation to a cannibal that went under the guise as Genocide the gargantuan Dragga had been more then a little suspicious of him and his intentions. To be honest he had only wandered here as he had not noticed the boarder due to his awful tracking skills. But soon the dragga had warmed a little bit and told him to prove that he meant no ill will toward the pack and to make sure he would leave for a while then return at some point or other.

But on a happier note he had managed to find a mother in Ryku, which had put him in a much better mood then he had been an hour or two ago. He know he would worry his mother by wandering off but he was too curious, he had to look around what could be his new home now. Have trotted from the dens he continued on, ears flicking in response to the caws of jays and the cooing of a few doves here and there. A smile curling his black lips the pup began to chase after sounds, scaring off a few squirrels and some birds but soon enough he couldn't help but become bored with the quiet of this place and soon he began to pout just a little "I hope Mom doesn't worry about me too much..." he murmured quietly but soon he couldn't help but tip his head a little then ask outloud

"I wonder where everyone is..."

[Dax Ehzno]

Daxton had been happily in the throes of a relatively deep slumber when something, some unknown factor, caused him to stir, cerulean eyes blinking sleepily and his tapered muzzle parting in a cavernous yawn. He was still relatively new to Deor- he had only been there a day or so, actually- and so waking to a pristine view of the forest in a spacious den came as an awakening shock. The mann tensed, ginger tail flicking back and forth nervously, before his mind caught up with his sight and he gave a broad smile, realizing just where he was- home. The word wasn't foreign in itself; he had only been cursed to the life of a Kerl for a few moons- but the packlands themselves were quite alien, though in a way that only caused him to be insanely inquisitive, and not skittish of what might be lurking around unforeseen corners.

Still feeling rather thready after his short lapse into unconsciousness, Dax returned to his original position- lean, tawny limbs before him, short muzzle resting delicately atop his oversized paws. Mind still rather hazy, it took him a moment longer than it would have to register the bizarrely colored cub that was nosing about the den site- the hues of his pelt were peculiar at best. It seemed, at first glance, that perhaps his fur was only patchy, rather like Dax's own, but as the nurse's line of sight sharpened considerably his cyan eyes widened. The whelp's fur was a rangy mix of reds and siennas and yellows and oranges, complete with a vermillion mask, scarlet stockings on his limbs (although one of them seemed to be considerably more pumpkin colored), and a gaze of a shocking hue- not quite amber, not quite red. Something more...in between.

Needless to say, the older mann's curiosity was piqued. The pup- for his name was still unknown to Dax, as was his own to the cub- was watched with a quizzical stare, intense scrutiny lurking behind his wide eyes. It was not out of an initial dislike, however; more so out of surprise. The hoary dragga wondered for a moment if the youngster would stop his investigation, but he seemed completely unaware of Dax's presence, and continued about his business with such a cheerfully serious manner that, for a moment, the nurse was reminded of himself as a whelp. With a crooked grin and a sweep of his thick tail, the mann was on his feet and padding after the cub, tawny limbs carrying him with a surprising grace over the lush terra. Cupped ears swiveled to catch the manifold of hubbub that the lera created as he continued on, wondering for a moment if this was the one Ryku had spoken of- he had thought, for a moment as the cub passed, that her scent had wafted along behind him.

Within the span of a few short minutes he found himself staring out at the cub, whose blithe frolicking created a sort of itch in Dax's own spirit (he had never quite lost his will to play). Readying himself to spring out and surprise the cub- not out of mean-spiritedness, of course, but rather out of the hope that he would be able to romp about as well- the mann found himself forced to bite back the urge when the little dragga suddenly stopped his frisking, enthused demeanor rapidly fading. His words were barely caught by Daxton, though caught they were- and, with a sort of thrill, he realized that this cub was technically under his watch as long as he was alone and away from his dam, whoever that may have been. Excitement rebuilding itself, the mann let himself be known, trotting forward from his previous position with an amiable woof and stopping a few paces from the little Varg. Looking down with twinkling eyes, he smiled broadly before speaking. “Hullo there. My name is Dax; I'm Deor's nurse.” The last bit was only supplementary information- he was definitely guilty of being proud of his rank, and wanted his status as a Deor member to be known. “Where's your mother, little one?” His tone wasn't patronizing; merely curious- he wanted to know each and every Deorian, and this cub seemed like a good start.

[Homicide]

{I'm falling, falling faster}

A crunching of brown foliage startled his thought pattern and caused him to jump a second later when a voice called out to him "Whoa!" whirling he stared at the mann approaching him and scowled a little bit and seemed to pout in Dax's general direction. Tangerine eyes narrowing he muttered to the mann approaching him "You shouldn't sneak up on others....s'not nice." he quipped, burnt amber gold ears flicking slightly at the call of a jay overhead. But upon hearing the elder wolf speak of his position he couldn't help but tilt his head and speak almost without thinking "A male nurse?" a few seconds after saying this he jerked his head back and obviously became very very flustered at the remark "Er..Ah..Um...N-Not that there is anything wrong with that of course.." he let out a nervous bout of laughter before it died off and he lowered his head again as though in shame and began to mutter to himself "Oh good job stupid... lets insult someone out of the blue... Chalos will have my head for this I know it!!"

But he jerked his head back up, fast enough that his neck let out a loud crack in protest but he ignored the sound "My mother?". He tilted his head again and then suddenly let a smile creep upon his black lips at the thought "Well... up until a while ago I didn't have a mother..." it was odd; usually a yearling such as himself would still have a mother but he had gained some more then inconvenient luck lately. Tangerine eyes sparking with brightness in the next second he hopped back onto his four and stared at Dax with a hopeful expression "Maybe you know my new mom?" he asked with a grin, tilting his head slightly to the right and grinning madly as though hearing some joke and internally laughing at it by himself "Her name is Ryku!" this was said excitedly.

It was only now that the mann's name registered in his mind and his looks became sheepish yet again "Your name is Dax?" he shook out his odd pelt and pawed at the ground a little with his orange legging and speaking again in a soft tone "Well... this is a little lately said but... Pleased to meet you...I'm Homicide." perhaps... just perhaps he could find a friend in this mann and maybe he would vouch for him upon Chalos' return to Deor after his business was settled, it was a long shot but he was ready to try anything right now "So.. how long have you been in Deor Dax?"

{Breathe your life into me
I still need you}

[Dax Ehzno]

Dax paused midstep as the youngster whirled, lowering his head with a smile in attempt to convey to the yearling that he meant him no harm, despite the obvious scowl atop the little dragga's muzzle. The mann raised himself back to his full height once more, padding closer to the younger Varg and allowing himself to settle, bright ginger banner flicking around to cover his tawny paws. “My apologies,” Daxton said, voice edging on amusement. “I'm rather new to Deor; I'm not quite sure of who all is a member or not. I was simply being careful.” As the cub questioned his role as the pack's nurse, the elder wolf merely shrugged and offered him a small smile- it turned into a chuckle as he was hurriedly assured that there was nothing odd about it. “Well, co-nurse, actually. Personally, I've never really heard of a male nurse either, but I don't mind. I share the position with a good friend of mine.” This “good friend”- Capella- flashed across his mind's eye, and he smiled, cerulean eyes gleaming happily. He would have to find her after this; it was odd, not being in her presence. The two had been relatively inseparable since their joint arrival in the pack.

Dax's brow furrowed and he eyed the pup, allowing himself to slide down so that he was resting comfortably, straining his ears to hear the yearlings self-deprivation and deeply frowning as a result. Chalos? Wasn't the Dragga? Not knowing the whole story behind the angry mutterings, Dax shook his head, confusion still knitting his ruddy forehead. “It's no matter, kid, don't worry about it. If someone told me they were a male nurse, I'd be more than confused as well. Besides, a wolf can't judge based on what he doesn't know, now can he?” He had had no intentions of running along to tattle on the cub; he hadn't even taken offense to the statement- though he was suddenly having second doubts about the wonderfulness of Chalos. Then again, perhaps this cub was one that had been causing some sort of trouble- no, that couldn't be it. He seemed friendly enough, after all.

The yearling seemed to bounce right back into his previous happy-go-luckiness, clearly excited at Daxton's mentioning of his dam- and, when he revealed the identity of his mother, the elder male was as well. He laughed alongside the pup, eyes bright and his head nodding. “Yes, I do know your mom. You're Homicide, aren't you?” The cub had yet to reveal his name, and so, when Dax put two and two together, it was quite a mental relief. “She's wonderful, isn't she? Ryku was one of the first Vargs I ever met here.” So this was the one the onyx femme had been referring to- and to think, Daxton had been immediately unsure, simply because of his name. The mann nodded, affirming his name, and then smiled as Homicide affirmed his own as well. “Pleased to meet you, too. Ryku told me a bit about you last time I saw her; she was in a bit of a rush to find you. You're a good son to her, right? It was quite obvious that she cares about you. And I've only been in Deor for a few short days...what about you?”

[Homicide]

{This is who I am when, when I don't know myself anymore}

The warmth of the elder male's voice and words seemed to calm the pup some from his panicking manner and he couldn't help but smile sheepishly when Dax continued to assure him that he took no offense to the commenting of him being a male nurse. Honestly he should learn to reign in his tongue and pick his words wisely. But soon he shook off the worry and brought his head up again at the comment of his mother and he grinned happily "Uh huh... she is great...a lot better then my first mother..." his little body shook a little while the rusty reddish brown fur along his spine seemed to stand on end for a momentary second or too. But not wanting to come off as ungrateful he shook himself out and just grinned shyly "Usually others are put off by my name... even adults... " he smiled almost sadly after saying this and chuckled quietly before shaking his head again and muttered to himself a second later "Or they misjudge me cause of Him" the word was spoken with dripping bitterness but it soon faded away and the pup looked back up at the co-nurse with amused tangerine eyes, obviously liking the comment of Ryku in a hurry to locate him "She was?"

But for a moment he did not notice his surroundings. He had no luck with nature in the same way he had no luck with water or scenting.. he was young after all but unlike most youngsters he wasn't taught the basic needs for being a wolf like he should have been. Up above a jay circled in the air, blue and black wings slowly cutting through the wind and silently it stared down with dark beady black eyes. But soon enough it let out a caw as it spotted the strange patterned little pup; wings drawing to it's sides as it fell in a dive. Homicide let out a loud yelp a second or two later when hard angry beak rammed into his rump. But within a second he whirled, jaws open and snapping shut with a loud crunch over the annoying bird. After doing this he stood silent for a moment or two, stunned by what had just happened. Jaws going lax he dropped the bird and stared at it "I...caught it?" he sounded awed by this, as though that mere fact was impossible.

Suddenly he remembered that Dax was even there and he looked over his shoulder at the mann behind him, seeming a little unnerved by what he had just done "Um...sorry about that... Birds don't seem to like me. he offered a half hearted smile toward the co-nurse as he slowly turned back around to face him with a little more subdued nature to him this time and he decided to answer the other's question "I've only been here a few hours." he hadn't been here long and Ryku had gone off to the mountains for something or other, he on the other hand wanted to explore what might become his new home. Reluctantly Ryku had accepted and let him go off on his own. Luckily it was Dax he met first... he was unsure about everyone else though.

{This is what I choose when it's all left up to me}

[Dax Ehzno]

Daxton was glad to see that the cub seemed to have settled a bit; the last thing he wanted Homicide to feel was distress, especially since he had made it rather obvious that any wrongdoings would be hasrhly dealt with. Again, the thought distressed the nurse greatly; Mist and Ryku had offered nothing but praise for the Dragga, so why was the yearling so worried? Still, as irrepressible as most cubs are, the eccentric-colored little dragga had bounced right back, and so the elder mann did the same, going along with the conversation with a composed air about him- that is, until Homicide's hackles bristled for a moment, the ruddy fur between his shoulder blades pickling visibly and causing Dax to stiffen rather suddenly. Realizing with a frown that this reaction was caused by the mention of his previous- and apparently biological- dam, the older wolf raised his brow. “Well, whatever undue suffering your previous caregivers put you through is over now. No one here would let anything happen to you.”

A small pang of guilt rippled through the mann's abdomen as Homicide spoke; he had definitely been errant in doing the same. The typical wolf might ignore it, overlook the fact, but Daxton had a pup's sense of honesty and so, with embarrassed tones, he admitted his faulty reasoning to the cub. “To be honest, when Ryku wold me your name, I was a bit...put off, as you said. It's not often that a cub's mother would name her child something so violent- though I can see now that I was grossly wrong; you seem like a perfectly pleasant cub. And I'm not sure who you speak of, but more than often, yes, one is guilty by association. It's usually not true, of course, but it can be a bad move at best to assume that someone is entirely innocent, especially when they are linked back to another whose deeds are less than pleasant.” As Homicide's pumpkin eyes took on more positive glow, Daxton chuckled and nodded. “She was indeed- left us with hardly a goodbye. I'm surprised she's not here with you now- does she know where you are? Mind you, it's never a good idea to keep a concerned mother waiting.”

The birds had been creating a rather uncharacteristic ruckus (even for avians as noisy as jays) since the wolves had entered the clearing, but he hadn't been expecting a particularly nasty one to chance a pitch at Homicide's brightly colored rump. He hadn't even the time to yelp a ”Look out!” before the bird had struck the cub soundly in his haunch, drawing a sharp cry from him and an angry snarl from Dax, who was on his paws. In the split second where he had been poised to swipe as the jay rose into the air again, he heard a sickening chomp and his blue eyes widened as Homicide's young jaws clamped firmly shut, effectively silencing the previously irritating bluejay. The sight sent Dax rollicking back on his haunches, grin spreading across his face as a loud laugh bubbled from his jaws. “Good job, Homicide. Not every cub has that sort of reaction time, you know.” His voice was an odd blend of amusement and pensiveness. “As for the bird, make sure you don't ever eat one- nasty creatures. Even the live ones have all kinds of worms that can make you very ill. And in case you didn't know, they like bright colors. Your pelt was probably a wonderful target.”

He nodded absentmindedly, gaze still trained on the blue and white bird that lay crumpled beside the cub, before giving Homicide his full attention, a puzzled look coming across his face. “A few hours? Really? Has Ryku showed you around yet? Personally, I've only seen around the boundaries and the densite. I'd like to know where everyone meets- I've yet to meet Chalos, you see, or anyone besides Ryku or the Drappa.”

[Homicide]

Rising to his eccentrically color splashed paws the pup rotated his ears a little to take in the sounds around him before they snapped forward to focus upon the elder male in front of him. He could not help but grin a little at the praise he received for taking care of the pest that was the dead carrion beside him. Before he had never caught a bird and instead had to tune into their jeering calls that he could swear was incorrigible laughter falling from the accursed creatures beaks. But his grin vanished upon the information that the avians were attracted to bright colors and h couldn't help but speak up "Really...? I never knew that..." but then again what pup who was chased out of their pack at seven months of age would know such information? And what pup would be so erratically colored that they would even have to worry about it? Upon hearing the comment about his name being unusual and what mother would name their cub such a name he couldn't help but drop his tangerine gaze to the ground and cough softly "My...uh... pack wasn't exactly a normal one." he murmured quietly.


Soon enough, in the time it took a leaf to flutter to the forest floor, the pup bounced right back to his giddy self and tilted his head just a little bit upon the elder mann speaking of Ryku and his wondering on why he was here alone and not with her "Oh.. Mom went to the mountains a while ago... she said she'd be back though." was the response from the young cub as his ruddy tail flickered back and forth like a metronome behind his flank. "Around?" he chirped softly, a smile once again gracing his muzzle and carving into his expression ever so gently "No actually.... I've only been wandering around so I haven't seen much." but then he turned his eyes to the sky as he watched dove's flutter by on soft, almost silent, wings. No doubt heading to their nests; heading home. Snapping back to Dax the pup seemed to get an idea and almost grew a little more giddy as this thought bubbled and expanded in his head and soon enough he could no longer help but ask the co-nurse before him "Will you show me around?" he asked curiously, right ear tilting down to the side just a little bit "Or at least to the places you have been already?"

[Dax Ehzno]

Daxton nodded emphatically, brandishing a wry grin. “They're naturally attracted to them, but most colorful insects prove to be really gross if the bird tries to eat them, so they spit the bug out. Like those bright yellow butterflies? I thought it'd be fun to catch one, and I did, and then I, um...I ate it, and it was awful. I felt sick for hours afterwards.” The mann gave an irritable glance toward the now-dead avian before looking back up at Homicide, who had given a light cough and proceeded to give a vague explanation of why he was named so peculiarly; Dax could see that his words had obviously sparked nothing good within the younger male and so he hurriedly tried to explain himself, stumbling over the words. ”I, ah, I wasn't trying to insult you, or anything; you have a perfectly fine name. It's different, and that's not a bad thing. Sort of like your pelt; to be honest I'm almost jealous of the colors. I'd rather stand out in a crowd than be the typical gray wolf, you know? We were all made different for a reason.”

It was naught a minute later that Homicide had once again perked back up, seemingly at the mentioning of his adopted mother, and Dax gave a gentle smile, though for a moment a worried expression darkened his typically auspicious visage. “The mountains?” He murmured aloud, tone dipped in something like uncertainty, or perhaps fear for the drappa. “What in Tor's name is she doing there? Do you know if she went by herself?” Even on a good day the Carpathian mountain range was dangerous at best; it may have transitioning into spring down in Transylvania's valleys but in the summits it was winter the majority of the year; something about the altitude, Dax presumed. He himself had been caught there not too long ago in a dreadful snowstorm; he didn't want the same for Ryku. Suddenly he seemed rather anxious- unsettled- and he began shifting from his sitting position, casting a wayward glance in the direction that he knew the craggy peaks to lie.

He turned his blue glance back to the the quirky Homicide, tension seeming to fade as he heard the younger dragga's request. A broad grin spread across Dax's face and he nodded, bushy tail waving side to side in an excited frenzy. “Of course!” His voice was incredibly cheerful and he immediately stood, overextending his tawny forelegs and raising his haunches in a wonderfully relieving stretch. “I'm afraid I can't show you much, though,” With a tone of sad admittance, the hoary nurse raised himself back up, banner still swinging calmly. He padded a few steps forward, halted, and, with a sheepish look on his features, turned and began ambling the other direction. “The dens are this way; I'll show you mine. And then we can go to the borders, if you want. And maybe we could find where the water source is. Maybe we'll run into someone; who knows.”