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Description

CREATURES
Wolves aren’t the only species inhabiting Almos. How does your wolf feel about the various animals they share their home with? From prey, to familiars, to creatures with fell omens attached to them, which other creatures are important in your wolf’s life?

As is customary, their friendship started with an attempted murder via envenomation.

As a night watch ended, Arlen slipped into the cozy gloom of his den, eager to fight off the cold that had seeped through his coat as the first real chill fell over Almos. The seasons were milder to the south of the island, but the heat had finally relented. He had snagged a hare on his way back and wished to eat it in relative comfort, warm and tucked away. Settling down onto the packed earth, he dropped the prey before him, only to find himself scrutinizing a strange light shape towards the mouth of his den as he lifted his head. He must have slipped right by it when he walked in, motionless as it was. But if there had been such a light stone there he had never seen it before. Although he could not explain why this struck him as so odd, curiosity seized him and he haplessly scooted forward to take a sniff at the shape.

The thing shifted, and blinked at him.

He had never seen such a creature in his life. Two red eyes on a coiled knot of white, as if someone had bled two drops onto a field of snow. He knew wolves to have this coloration, but never- he could identify it now- a serpent. And a tiny one at that, one which must have been born late that summer with the rest of the fresh adders. This one, this pitiful intruder, must have sought out his den to hibernate. After carefully weighing his options, or perhaps in something of a panic, he made a quick dash for the exit. His mad scramble drove him back out into the light. The cold air hit him, only for him to notice that the tip of his tail had been caught by something. Unsuspecting, he turned, and saw the adder trailing from his tail like a ribbon, its mouth crammed full of fur.

With an extremely unbecoming yelp that he would absolutely deny he wheeled around in a circle, whipping his tail frantically to dislodge the poisonous vermin. This had little effect, and it merely streamed after him until, after a few revolutions, he realized that it had not managed to get through his fur. In fact, it wasn't really close. Now that he had stopped and his tail drooped towards the ground, the adder apparently saw its opportunity and let go, falling a few inches to the ground.

Well then. After a furtive glance around to see if anyone had witnessed his escapades he slunk back into his den. After a quick check for more snakes (none) he reached down to eat his meal in peace and safety. Absurdly, as he tore a strip of flesh free, his eye caught on a flash of white at the den's entrance. Surely not, he thought, incorrectly. The adder had returned. Emboldened by its apparent harmlessness, Arlen did not repeat his escape attempt, and instead watched the creature slip back towards the small scattering of dried leaves that it had initially emerged from. It curled up, its eyes fixed upon him again, its flickering tongue testing the air. They seemed to be at an impasse.

Here was a snake that was still too small to bite. Too white to hide among the leaves. Kind of pathetic. Kind of something to feel... sorry for? He watched the adder as he ate, and all at once a truly insane impulse gripped him. The sentinel pulled a tiny piece of meat free and flipped it towards the snake. There was a moment of stillness in which he wondered what he had expected. The snake had not moved, almost seemed not to have noticed what he'd done. And then in a sudden convulsion it launched itself on the rabbit meat and swallowed the chunk of flesh whole. The writhing subsided and it returned to its wall.

In the morning, he would find the adder had ventured closer to him, a source of heat during this cold snap.

And just like that he had acquired a roommate for the cold season. Eventually he would kick some leaf litter towards the back wall of his den and the adder would carve a tiny nest into the wall to hibernate in. He would take care not to disturb the adder in its torpor. And the following spring he might provide a small offering to the creature when she awoke. And of course a name. Cranberry.

[WC: 757]

And Arlen finally gets a pet!! A sweet little pet! I still have to do a piece to update his ref with. WE SHALL SEE if and when i actually ever do that.

Arlen : +5 Souls

Description

CREATURES
Wolves aren’t the only species inhabiting Almos. How does your wolf feel about the various animals they share their home with? From prey, to familiars, to creatures with fell omens attached to them, which other creatures are important in your wolf’s life?

As is customary, their friendship started with an attempted murder via envenomation.

As a night watch ended, Arlen slipped into the cozy gloom of his den, eager to fight off the cold that had seeped through his coat as the first real chill fell over Almos. The seasons were milder to the south of the island, but the heat had finally relented. He had snagged a hare on his way back and wished to eat it in relative comfort, warm and tucked away. Settling down onto the packed earth, he dropped the prey before him, only to find himself scrutinizing a strange light shape towards the mouth of his den as he lifted his head. He must have slipped right by it when he walked in, motionless as it was. But if there had been such a light stone there he had never seen it before. Although he could not explain why this struck him as so odd, curiosity seized him and he haplessly scooted forward to take a sniff at the shape.

The thing shifted, and blinked at him.

He had never seen such a creature in his life. Two red eyes on a coiled knot of white, as if someone had bled two drops onto a field of snow. He knew wolves to have this coloration, but never- he could identify it now- a serpent. And a tiny one at that, one which must have been born late that summer with the rest of the fresh adders. This one, this pitiful intruder, must have sought out his den to hibernate. After carefully weighing his options, or perhaps in something of a panic, he made a quick dash for the exit. His mad scramble drove him back out into the light. The cold air hit him, only for him to notice that the tip of his tail had been caught by something. Unsuspecting, he turned, and saw the adder trailing from his tail like a ribbon, its mouth crammed full of fur.

With an extremely unbecoming yelp that he would absolutely deny he wheeled around in a circle, whipping his tail frantically to dislodge the poisonous vermin. This had little effect, and it merely streamed after him until, after a few revolutions, he realized that it had not managed to get through his fur. In fact, it wasn't really close. Now that he had stopped and his tail drooped towards the ground, the adder apparently saw its opportunity and let go, falling a few inches to the ground.

Well then. After a furtive glance around to see if anyone had witnessed his escapades he slunk back into his den. After a quick check for more snakes (none) he reached down to eat his meal in peace and safety. Absurdly, as he tore a strip of flesh free, his eye caught on a flash of white at the den's entrance. Surely not, he thought, incorrectly. The adder had returned. Emboldened by its apparent harmlessness, Arlen did not repeat his escape attempt, and instead watched the creature slip back towards the small scattering of dried leaves that it had initially emerged from. It curled up, its eyes fixed upon him again, its flickering tongue testing the air. They seemed to be at an impasse.

Here was a snake that was still too small to bite. Too white to hide among the leaves. Kind of pathetic. Kind of something to feel... sorry for? He watched the adder as he ate, and all at once a truly insane impulse gripped him. The sentinel pulled a tiny piece of meat free and flipped it towards the snake. There was a moment of stillness in which he wondered what he had expected. The snake had not moved, almost seemed not to have noticed what he'd done. And then in a sudden convulsion it launched itself on the rabbit meat and swallowed the chunk of flesh whole. The writhing subsided and it returned to its wall.

In the morning, he would find the adder had ventured closer to him, a source of heat during this cold snap.

And just like that he had acquired a roommate for the cold season. Eventually he would kick some leaf litter towards the back wall of his den and the adder would carve a tiny nest into the wall to hibernate in. He would take care not to disturb the adder in its torpor. And the following spring he might provide a small offering to the creature when she awoke. And of course a name. Cranberry.

[WC: 757]

And Arlen finally gets a pet!! A sweet little pet! I still have to do a piece to update his ref with. WE SHALL SEE if and when i actually ever do that.

Arlen : +5 Souls