[Eli]

He's back!

Let me see!

It's my turn!

HEY!

Eli woke with a gasp. Eyes took time to adjust to his dark, dank chamber. The stone and dirt hovel tucked under the crumbling castle had been his hideaway for most of the winter.  it was cold, for unlike the reptiles that buried themselves during the snowy weather the dog was conscious to the frost. The occasional rats and worms that could be found in the tunnel were less than sufficient so the dog was sometimes forced to venture out to hunt. While food in the stomach was nice the ventures out of the hole broke his concentration. When days and nights were haunted by voices and visions, keeping them at bay took willpower. And it seemed that willpower was growing every day. When Eli agreed to follow the strange human to a new land filled with wolves and hellions he thought the biggest obstacle he would have to face is learning to live with such a strange pack. Never did he think it would be the spirits that would make adjusting to Gemini such a trial. Not that he was convinced that's what they were.

Paws squelched in the mud as the dog cautiously emerged. Short coat clung to his skeletal frame, obvious testament it was far past time for a proper hunt. Eli paused as he took in his surroundings. Be it spirits or (as he sometimes suspected) a newly discovered defect in his brain, there was nothing but the soft din of spring noises coming from the woods. A tired smile crossed his face. Finally, a little bit of peace.

Golden eyes looked up to the blue sky and he sighed contently. Nights would still be chill for a while but Eii was comforted to know he wouldn't be constantly shivering. A creek fed by a spring was not far from here, and in his last few visits he found it ice free. The dog drank, tail wagging as he quenched his thirst. But one ear swiveled around as he lifted his head. Someone was behind him. Eli stood still for a moment, gauging to see if he felt that pressure, that presence in his mind. Nothing seemed to be reaching out, this was legitimate...hopefully. The dog hopped around to face the stranger, hoping it was a friendly one. He may have been staring, Eli noticed to late, but nowadays it was hard to believe exactly what his eyes saw.

"Hello. Uh," clumsily he lifted a front paw, trying to balance on two and motioned to the water, "Care for a drink?"

Spirits didn't need water. He presented a simple test.

[Ashe]

"You’re wishin’ too much, baby. You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone oughtta be." - Eat, Pray, Love

 

Ashe was lost in thought over her troubling predicament of the man-creature who could talk.  Reason and Anxiety had been arguing about it all morning, and frankly, she was more than a little done.  Gemini was like a Sour Patch Kid tm, all confusingly sweet and sour and leaving you with the distinct impression that they were kind of dicks. Ashe kept flip flopping between how lovely a place it was and how little she seemed to be clicking with the people.  Sure, Echo was nice... and Razi was... not so scary anymore. But she kept finding herself in more and more awkward situations, and well, she just didn't think her heart could take it. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she rounded the bend to the creek to suddenly stumble upon a stranger. She was used to this creek being deserted, and thought she would have a drink in the quiet glade.  But nope, here was yet another oddity for her to encounter.  What was it this time?  A 3-legged dog.  Why not?  Ashe inwardly grumbled.  She seemed to have no end to the unusual, and couldn't find just one decent, vanilla, plain as black and white, individual.  Instead she was just assaulted by... diversity.  You're being rude, said Reason.  This poor thing has probably been through a thousand times worse than you have, and you're mad that he doesn't have four legs.  Listen to yourself.  Ashe drooped her head and looked shyly at him with her deep blue doe eyes.  She was glad he couldn't hear what was going through her head.  She was ashamed to be thinking it. "Hello. Uh, care for a drink?" She'd been staring.  Had he noticed?  He probably noticed.  Geez he probably thought she was gawking at his leg.  She wasn't, she hadn't... she- Ashe mentally shook herself and responded. "Um... yeah." A+ communication skills there, girly.

[Eli]

For a moment there was silence. Eli all put expected the stranger to dissipate in front of him, leaving him alone talking to himself and looking the fool. A staring contest had commenced and once the dog discovered they were both guilty parties he gave a tired chuckle and tail wag. It wasn't the first time he'd been on the receiving end of looks and it certainly wouldn't be the last. With a quick shake of her head the wolf took the offer, and hopefully that meant his perception was right in labeling her as one among the solid and living. Eli hopped to the side, giving the stranger plenty of room to get a drink.

"It's nice and fresh."

Small talk was painful, not because Eli was unfriendly but his months by himself had left him out of practice. Instead he opted to take in the stranger. She was small, a laughable comment coming from the tripod, but she lacked the height and bulk of the monster wolves he had seen wandering around Gemini. She was more the size of the wolves his hunting pack were sent on. A horrible thought, he chastised himself. Hunting larger creatures for humans was in the past now, and a past that shouldn't be shared with packmates. Eli was, for the most part, comfortable around his canine brethren now, though if he knew the pack contained cats he might have more trepidation about his new home.

"I'm Eli," His voice cracked from misuse, he cleared his throat, "I'm pretty new around here."

A growl broke through the quiet wood, but the dog showed no teeth. His ears flicked back, embarrassed by his stomach's outburst. Seclusion and snow left the belly wanting.

"Do-you know any good places to hunt around here?"

[Ashe]

"You’re wishin’ too much, baby. You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone oughtta be." - Eat, Pray, Love

 

"It's nice and fresh." His comment was... weird.  To say that she had found her match in awkward might have been a bit presumptuous, but Ashe had a feeling that here was someone who might actually be on her level.  The little wolfdog watched him hop out of the way, and she gave herself a brief instant to think it cute before she obligingly took a step towards the water. She was wary, but lacked the immediate terror that she had experienced in Razi's company.  And here he was thinking that she'd be easy prey.  Oh, the irony in that mental size-up.  Right along with that saying about the covers of books... "I'm Eli, I'm pretty new around here." "I'm Ashe... me too." She said back in her own mousy voice. Again they stared awkwardly at each other for an instant, broken by the unmistakable rumble of the digestive tract.  As she had previously been, Eli was mortified. Ashe politely looked away, feinting interest in some reflection on the water. "Do-you know any good places to hunt around here?" "Umm...." She wavered, her form deflating slightly as mentally withdrew. "Do you... like... mice?" She asked shyly.

[Eli]

The stranger came forward for a drink and Eli casually watched. She wasn't much bigger than him but was a bit bulkier. Obviously not full wolf. Perhaps that was for the best, perhaps the dog shouldn't have been encounter by a hulking Fringe in his first trip out of the hole in a while. Watching the wolfdog move about he cocked his head very slightly. She seemed awful nervous. What it him causing it? That, he thought, would be strange, for even a half wolf could take on a three legged mutt. Maybe no one had told her she was an apex predator.

"Ashe. It's nice to meet you."

She didn't seem to even notice his growling stomach, too distracted with the water it seemed. But when he asked a question Eli was thoroughly confused by the reaction. Had he said something wrong? It was a fearful, almost sad response. If she had been put out by being asked by a strange dog to go hunting he would have thought she would be curt. Eli's ears flopped forward to try to hear what the now muted Ashe had to say.

"I, uh, didn't catch that. Do I like what?" Not wanting her to feel self conscious, for it was pretty clear this wolfdog had some confidence issues, he tried to lighten the topic with a smile, "You know, I'll eat just about anything right now. Though I'm getting sick of frogs, "He squelched his toes into the muddy back, "They feel like eating mud."

[Ashe]

"You’re wishin’ too much, baby. You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone oughtta be." - Eat, Pray, Love

If anyone had called Ashe an apex predator, she would have laughed hysterically.  Sure, she was bigger than Eli, but that didn't make her good at anything.  She certainly wasn't any good at combat.  Was she good at anything?  Running, she decided.  She eyed the dog sideways as she drank.  Reason had a point that she could, at the very least, outrun him.  That quieted down Anxiety a bit, who simmered in the back of her mind, warning her to keep her guard up. Still, she hadn't quite found her voice. "I, uh, didn't catch that. Do I like what?" "Mice." she repeated, quietly. ""You know, I'll eat just about anything right now. Though I'm getting sick of frogs,They feel like eating mud." Ashe looked at him with a horrified expression , grimacing at the thought.  Frogs?!  She'd never tried to eat a frog.  But then, Echo thought her eating mice was weird.  Was it weirder that she enjoyed it? "Mice taste nutty." She said, commenting on her own small plate selection. Oh man, the conversation between these two was going to be riveting.  But Ashe gave him a small smile, her tail swaying with a slight tick-tock.  As she lifted her ears back up, one floped over in an unsure semi-prick, emphasizing her domestic heritage.

[Eli]

"Oh mice! Yeah I like mice, they have a good crunch," Eli couldn't help but give a little good natured grin at her grimace, "If you haven't had a frog yet, I don't recommend it. It's a taste you don't forget. But you gotta eat what's available, right?"

At this point in his life the dog could go the rest of his life without eating another one of those slimy amphibians. The conversation about the day's menu was paused for a moment as another wolf approached. A large wolf with a full grey coat. Eli watched them approach and opened his mouth to say something when it walked right passed them, dissipating before it hit the water. All the stranger it almost seemed Ashe...no. No, that couldn't have been what spooked the wolfdog. There's no way she could see what was in his head. Eli hadn't known her long but it was easy to observe she was a jumpy individual. This was coincidence. Something else bothered her.

The tripiod gave a cough, a reason to cover up his agape mouth. He turned to take another drink to dislodge whatever imaginary object was lodged in his throat. When he turned he licked the water dripping from his lips, an apologetic smile on my lips.

"Sorry. Got something in my throat. So, uh, you know where to get some mice? Would you mind showing me?"

[Ashe]

"You’re wishin’ too much, baby. You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone oughtta be." - Eat, Pray, Love

 

"Oh mice! Yeah I like mice, they have a good crunch, If you haven't had a frog yet, I don't recommend it. It's a taste you don't forget. But you gotta eat what's available, right?" "I think I'd rather eat moss than a frog." Ashe said, intending to follow the lighthearted trail of conversation.  Then, she felt rather than saw the shade pass by.  Suddenly it got so cold, even though she had been standing in the full sunlight.  By all rights, that shiver shouldn't have happened. The grey wolf had passed behind her, so she had not seen it.  But as the fur prickled on the back of her neck, she resisted looking around.  There were no spirits from her blood here.  It wasn't she they were calling to.  Best to keep her head down and pretend that nothing was happening. "Sorry. Got something in my throat. So, uh, you know where to get some mice? Would you mind showing me?" "Oh, no.Yes. Don't worry." Ashe stammered "This way!" Away from the water. She hunched her shoulders, moving away from the water, then she tried to cover the action by trotting a few steps away from the water, like she had somewhere to be.  But she'd jogged the wrong direction, she turned and headed in the opposite direction, still angling herself away from the water.  Lonely spirits were apt to drown you just for company.  She looked anxious.  She felt anxious. Damn. Was he going to follow?

[Eli]

The wolfdog was off like a shot and Eli had to take a breath to even comprehend she was leaving. He quickly trailed after her, wondering if he should bring his concerns to light. He certainly didn't want to point out how jittery she was being only to force an embarrassing 'that's how I always am' out of her, but if something was wrong then perhaps he could help.

"You know..."

The question was left unasked as Ashe spun the other direction, the sharp turn nearly upending the tripod. Staying on all three feet Eli scrambled after her. Something was definitely up. Could it be...no. There was no way she was in his head. Brows furrowed as he hopped behind her. But, was it really in his head? Obviously something had spooked Ashe too.

"You know, " he started again, upping his pace to travel next to her, "I haven't been in Gemini long, but I've found it kind of-interesting. It's like there's something in the woods. You had any strange things happen?"

A strange step to validation. It could go either way. Either the wolfdog would laugh off his affliction, or just maybe, she'd share a similar story. Eli didn't fully believe this was something that could even be shared, but a sense of relief came over him the more he considered it.

[Ashe]

"You’re wishin’ too much, baby. You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone oughtta be." - Eat, Pray, Love

 

She began to relax as she moved away from the pond, but she was lost in thought for a moment. So far, no one had really explained the belief systems of Gemini to her.  Was ancestor worship so prevalent that the ghosts were permanently in residence?  Or was there something about the land that gave them power?  The few ceremonies that had been preformed at home had only allowed a brief interlude beyond the veil.  Usually, it took more than the power of one to even make a successful breach.  But here... it seemed like a simple revolving door, forever spinning. "You know- You know, I haven't been in Gemini long, but I've found it kind of-interesting. It's like there's something in the woods. You had any strange things happen?" Ashe tripped, having momentarily forgotten her new companion.  In addition, her pace had not been at all appropriate for his condition.  She mumbled a small apology and slowed her pace, allowing him to catch up and walk beside her.  The look on his face was also scared, pleading, like her answer could make or break him.  Ashe's nervousness returned.  When she had spoke to Razi about ghosts, she spoke as though she wasn't afraid.  That had only been partially true.  Was she afraid of the ghosts at home?  No, she had never been afraid of her ancestors.  But like the people of this land, the ghosts... everything was strange. "What were you taught about what happens to you when you die?" She asked, answering his question with a different question.  But that would be probably the best way to start... she thought.

[Eli]

"Some..."

There was a pause, a bit of skepticism in his voice. Until that moment Eli hadn't realized he would have only been accepting of one answer. A solid "Nope, things here in Gemini are peachy keen, you just must be crazy". How odd that the dog would rather think something was wrong with his brain than to think about the afterlife. The dog fell into an easier pace next to Ashe.

"We were told dogs wait for their owners to follow them when they die, but never really what that means. Some thought it meant their mind melded with the shadows, still following their human. Others said the soul was still with the body, trapped there until their human calls them out. I-never really thought about it much."

There was something about death that frightened the dog, that frightened a lot of souls. Maybe it was the tales of dogs forever buried, their body dead but mind conscious. Maybe it was not knowing what was truth. That was the tricky thing about such topics. It seemed everything was made up and the truth didn't matter. Eli often thought about the soul just being snuffed out. What was on earth was all he had. The tripod wasn't sure how he felt about never seeing old comrades and people again. Brown eyes turned to the wolfdog.

"Are you saying these woods are haunted?" The words were not judgemental, nor where they harsh in any way. Merely curious. Soon after speaking this out loud he was overcome with a feeling of relief, of near joy, that was not his own. He'd been feeling so many things that weren't his lately.

[Ashe]

"You’re wishin’ too much, baby. You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone oughtta be." - Eat, Pray, Love

"Some... We were told dogs wait for their owners to follow them when they die, but never really what that means. Some thought it meant their mind melded with the shadows, still following their human. Others said the soul was still with the body, trapped there until their human calls them out. I-never really thought about it much." "You were a slave?" Ashe asked.  Her pack told the occasional story about the human monsters, but these were hunts, raids.  Humans were predators who stole pups, killed entire packs, and destroyed without mercy. When Ashe's mother spoke of humans, she always said how she "escaped".  The pack, which had rarely accepted outsiders, had taken her in when she had been on the brink of death.  Ashe had heard the story before she had left for her Trahentium Inventionis.  Her mother's trail of discovery had been one of terror and desperation. So far, Ashe had been unscathed by hers.  Had Eli escaped too?  Ashe wanted to ask so many questions, but the jumpy way he was made her hold back.  She knew what it was like to feel bombarded. ""Are you saying these woods are haunted?" "In the pack I was raised in" Ashe continued, avoiding his question. "The spirits of those who were gone became part of the land.  They protected the pack, watched over us, and could be called upon for guidance.  You appealed to your ancestors for strength, or courage, or wisdom. They said that it took great power, or the communion of the pack to be able to call great spirits from the far shore.  There are rituals and offerings for different spirits, both good and bad."  She looked off into the trees, the woods calm and silent in the morning light. "This land has a power I have never felt before."

[Eli]

"A slave?" Ashe genuinely surprised him with that comment, head snapped to face her as they walked, completely surprised, "No. No it's not like that. We worked with our humans. We helped them hunt and guarded the camp and they took care of us. It was mutually beneficial. I can't think of any other dog that thought they were a slave. Where did you hear that?"

Eli's humans had plenty of dogs, never reaching out to wolves to attempt to redomesticate (as Eli believed dogs were in fact the source species). Oh sure, they had no qualms using dog packs to run a wolf down now and then for fancy pelts, but it didn't take a genius to realize Ashe had enough wolf in her to make that comment. Some things were best not shared between strangers.

The tripod let that hang as he kept pace with the wolfdog. For the second time she didn't come out with a clear answer, instead talking about her home pack's beliefs. The were different than any he had heard and he was fascinated. It seemed Ashe's pack put a great deal of thought into the afterlife. The idea of rituals was a strange one. Eli often shirked thinking about life after death, but he was certain being forcibly ripped from his peace to communicate with some distant relative would be irksome. But there was something to her words. Could these visions truly more than a defective brain? Her last comment left him silent a moment. Did-did she feel these things too? See things that weren't there? Could they really be there?

"Your pack has but quite a bit more thought into this than mine," Eli hopped along, mulling over Ashe's words, "Have you ever seen these spirits yourself? Done these rituals? Can-can they come without being summoned?"

There are more things in heaven an earth, Eli, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

[Ashe]

"You’re wishin’ too much, baby. You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone oughtta be." - Eat, Pray, Love

 

RP Post Goes Here "A slave? No. No it's not like that. We worked with our humans. We helped them hunt and guarded the camp and they took care of us. It was mutually beneficial. I can't think of any other dog that thought they were a slave. Where did you hear that?" "My pack was remote for a reason." She said, eyeing him and using a rock in the path as an excuse to move to the far side of the trail, putting a little distance between them. "My mother escaped humans and made it into the mountains.  It almost killed her. They almost killed her." She went quiet, but Anxiety was loud in her head.  He worked with the human monsters. But... not enslaved?  Had this dog wanted to kill her kind?  If he was a hunter, he might have been a wolf-killer.  But, interjected Reason, if he was, what was he doing living with a pack of wolves?  And what about the human monster that the Queen kept?  She didn't want to meet him again. Did Eli "belong" to the Gaven monster? Were they together?  What if he was a spy? Anxiety offered.  Not helping.  How did he lose his leg?  She refused to look at it, but her mind still wondered. "Did you join Gemini alone?" She asked, her suspicion and wariness back. While she was half dog, she had been raised wolf.  It was a tactful way of asking if there were more of the monsters here.  She hadn't seen them, but if there were, Gemini might not be the place for her after all.  She kept debating, kept wasting time.  Had there really been a reason for her to stay?  Was Echo's company enough? "Your pack has but quite a bit more thought into this than mine, Have you ever seen these spirits yourself? Done these rituals? Can-can they come without being summoned?" It was ironic that the conversations about ghosts and spirits was less terrifying to Ashe than the fact that Eli was possibly, (probably) a murderer.  She wasn't really interested in carrying on this conversation, not with alarms blaring in her mind, but she kept up the pretenses. Best not to let him smell fear. But honestly, that was her day to day scent. Shaking her head, she kept walking on the far side of the rut in the path. "Only those few who show promise are taught by the Shamans.  I wasn't... applicable." A nice way of saying that the Shaman had told her a half-breed could not be taught.  Domestication clouded the mind... her bloodline wasn't pure enough to summon spirits.  Didn't keep her from feeling... something.  But she was untrained, and didn't know.  How could she?

[Eli]

Eli eyed the wolfdog as she spoke and the previous conversations of spooks almost went forgotten. They almost killed her, she said. A mountain lion had almost killed him. Hell, a couple of loan wolves thought it would be funny to chase him around before he found Genimi. It was a game to them, not that he didn't believe that if he didn't find that tree hallow to cram himself into that they wouldn't have killed him. Yet here he was, living among them now.

"There's bad apples in every species." Eli enjoyed the company of humans but would admit some were far better than others, "Wolves not excluded. Like I said I couldn't think of any dog there that wasn't comfortable. We took what we needed." Most of the time, "No different from wolves."

It was strange to the tripod that this obvious hybrid was so out of touch with her dog roots. Eli felt a pang of sympathy, but it only lasted a moment. Ashe made a deliberate move away from the killer dog and it wasn't exactly subtle. Flopped ears folded back at the question.

"Yes." His voice was cooler than it was before, "I don't have my old pack waiting in the woods to pounce on you."

Eli wasn't particularly known for attitude, but between Ashe turning her back on their shared heritage and her sudden irrational fear was enough to push it. And everyone had their limit. Was it hypocritical for him to feel this way when he was nervous about joining a 'wolf' pack in the beginning? Perhaps. But the difference here was Eli was never vocal about his prejudices, especially to their face.

"Did things really change that much?" Ashe had spoken more on the topic of her pack and spirits but Eli didn't hear it, "We were just going to hunt together. Now what?"

[Ashe]

"You’re wishin’ too much, baby. You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone oughtta be." - Eat, Pray, Love

 

"There's bad apples in every species. Wolves not excluded. Like I said I couldn't think of any dog there that wasn't comfortable. We took what we needed. No different from wolves." Clearly the dog had his own opinions about her kind.  Ashe, while she was aware that she was not full wolf, she didn't really grasp what a dog was.  Human-lovers, monster-slaves, mixed-lineage mongrels. The damned. Slurs whispered behind her mother's back.  Chanted at her by ill-spirited children.  She could sympathize with why he would have his own reservations.  But he had been warm enough to her. "Yes. I don't have my old pack waiting in the woods to pounce on you." "I was referring to humans. Like the Gaven that Queen Serrate keeps." Ashe responded back, just as tepid.  Some of her earlier temper returning.  Everyone around here was always so touchy! She had to walk on eggshells all the time.  He practically admitted to being a wolf killer and now he had the nerve to be insulted? She walked straight ahead, her jaw set in a firm line of neutrality. "Did things really change that much? We were just going to hunt together. Now what?" "I will show you where the mice are."  Ashe stated simply, giving him a disheartened shrug. "And..." she hesitated "Perhaps we should exchange records of our journeys." Clearly there was much to learn, and if he hadn't realized already, she was very young, very scared, and very far from home.

[Eli]

"Humans were a part of my pack, too." He reminded, "We weren't seperate. We worked together." He hopped along a little further, mulling over her last comment in his head. Eli was terrible with names but once Gaven's name was spoken he new she was referring to the Not Quite Human that had let him in a year ago. It was a strange thing to say, "If Gaven is kept by the Queen, aren't we as well? She's our alpha, too."

It wasn't the first time the dog had the idea of being owned being frowned upon by the feral canines but he saw little difference there. Back at camp he had a job and deferred to the humans to see if he was doing it correctly. Wolves worked the same way. They were ranked and listened to the king and queen. Perhaps wolves saw this comparison too. Maybe they didn't like what they saw. That's why they divorced themselves from their roots.

"I'd like that." And he meant that. There were wires crossed here and he wouldn't mind playing mental electrician for the afternoon. Hopefully she would remain opened minded. Eli had hoped to learn more about these infernal visions and voices, but he would settle on teaching the wolfdog about humans instead.

[Ashe]

"You’re wishin’ too much, baby. You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone oughtta be." - Eat, Pray, Love

 

"Humans were a part of my pack, too. We weren't seperate. We worked together. If Gaven is kept by the Queen, aren't we as well? She's our alpha, too." Ashe didn't answer. Frankly, she didn't really know. What she did know was that she had no desire to interact with the Gaven monster again. He had thrown snow at her, terrified her, and for no reason other than his own amusement. Humans were cruel creatures, just like her mother's stories. It was going to take a lot more than one dog's vague comments to dissuade her. She'd never met Queen Serrate. Was fairly certain that, while she lived in Gemini, there wasn't very few who even knew she was here. Hard for a girl who came from a place where everyone knew everyone. To say that Ashe was dissatisfied with her life at the moment would be an understatement. She was adrift, and while she loved the territory she now called home, she really wasn't finding herself very fond of this pack. The lofty rulers were practically ghosts, and the members were less than welcoming. Even this conversation had turned into quicksand, sinking her into an unpleasantness that seemed to flavor her existence these days. Eli might find this an interesting conversation, but she'd have rather gone on about ghosts. Spirits she understood. People were crazy. "I'd like that." "This way." She turned at a fork in the path and headed back towards a collection of ruins that lay close to The Wall. The place had probably been a farmhouse, or a landkeeper's shack. The house itself was in horrid shape, barely more than a collection of masoned stonework. It had a smaller building that had been filled with hay at some point. A barn or livestock shed. Part of the roof had caved in, and birds nested in the upper levels. Below, the seeds of the grain grew tall in the dappled sunlight, stunting in the corners. The whole thing was almost completely shrouded by a couple big, gnarled trees, but the branches had not yet grown completely over the top of the structure. When they got close, Ashe paused, sniffing. The first time she'd been here she'd scented something musky, but had never smelled anything like it before. The building's door hung at an odd angle, but still barred entrance. It was easier to jump through a opening in wall than try and get in that way. The smell was here again, stronger than the last time she'd been here. Ashe began to walk around the corner to where she knew the window was, but instead found a pile of dirt ringing a hole that gaped by the foundation. That hadn't been there before... Her nostrils flared. Whatever it was, the smell was coming from that hole. Today was not Ashe's lucky day. But then again, when was, really?

[Eli]

To say the day had taken a turn from the awkward to the downright uncomfortable would be an understatement.  Eli, previous to his time in Gemini, would never have pegged himself as an awkward individual. Time in the pack taught him that either he was blind or wolves just made the world that way. The dog was content to keep to himself as he kept pace with Asche, mapping out a lesson plan to his new professing job of Humans 101.

To the tripod's surprise the anxious little wolfdog led him right to a human settlement. He gave a little smile, not unkindly but at the strange irony of the situation. It was a beautiful sight, very peaceful despite it's disheveled state. The awful humans were long gone, but the fruits of their labor still grew wild. Asche was onto something, he was certain this place would be crawling with mice. Eli closed his eyes a moment to let the breeze ruffle his ears and listen to the unique brand of chattering peace the forest provided.

When he opened his eyes he noticed the wolfdog had wandered off towards the shed: a great hideout for the food. Eli hopped over there, ready to do some simple hunting to cleanse the pallet of the tense conversation of earlier. But smile soon faded. Asche sniffed around a freshly dug hole at the base of the structure. This was far to be to be a gopher, and he would have counted himself lucky if it was a badger. He came forward to stand next to her, taking in the scent just to make sure he was correct. His eyes bulged. Nothing else could smell that bad.

"Asche," His voice was quiet, a near whisper as he took a hop back, "We need to go. Now." He reached over to give her a quick shove with his muzzle, "Now!"

His eyes pleaded with her to move as he turned around. He wouldn't run without her. They had just met, and certainly not on the right paw, but Eli was a dog, and dogs were stupid loyal. Hopefully not scuidicially so.

[Ashe]

"You’re wishin’ too much, baby. You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone oughtta be." - Eat, Pray, Love

 

"Ashe, We need to go. Now." "Wha-?" She didn't even finish her question as he shoved her. "Now!" The look on his face made her listen, and Anxiety went into full blown alarm mode.  Was a human here?!  Was that the scent he recognized?  But it didn't smell like that Gaven-monster.  Ashe's tail was tucked and her ears back as they retreated with more haste than grace from the shed. "What is it?!" Ashe asked, her frantic whisper practically a hiss. Was this dog cursed by the spirits after all? Clearly these two were star-crossed. Disaster is my middle name.  And whatever were they going to do for breakfast now?  Ashe didn't want to eat toad.

I'm so sorry it took me so long to get to this! Ashe took the worst back seat.