Quote from Indy on August 21, 2018, 8:07 am

Hour Glass

“Well you’ll get used to working with animals, Jackie it comes wi-” Zeit started before turning and shooting a glare at Chime. The beta stood there, eyeing the other female for a moment. She moved quickly, quickly checking over her horse, making sure the mare was okay. As far as she knew, Chime wasn’t really trained in dealing with the farm animals, let alone going off by herself. She had been lucky to have picked Karma to groom, being that the mare was old and wasn’t one to try and run off, being too old to really care about leaving the farm.

“You! Before you even think about taking an animal out of it’s pasture or stall, you come and ask me” the beta said sharply to Chime, not going for being mean, but clearly worried about the pack member and the animal. “Karma here is too old to do anything, but had you picked another horse, they might have run off and gotten hurt, or you could even be hurt as well, “ she added, “ they might not mind the wolf smell, but that doesn’t mean the animal might not take advantage of the situation.”

And as if there were other things to get on the rancher owner’s nerves, the new voice entered into the room. This new scent of the wolf meant her and Kratos would have a new wolf on the premise, meaning maybe another member to the pack. She looked from Chime to to the new male, studying him closely. He sounded like he didn’t live around the area, his accent fascinating her for a moment before he spoke. 

She moved, crossing her arms as she made her position of authority more known to the new wolf, eyeing him. “I am the owner of the ranch” she responded bluntly as her greeting, “ Name’s Zeit, what do you need?”

Quote from Indy on August 21, 2018, 5:42 pm

Mae

The Alpha had noted Jackie's expression in silence, and though his thoughts on the matter were kept, it would be untrue to say that he had not been waiting for her biting return with some enthusiasm. When that did not come however, he let his attention drift and he smiled as Zeit resolved the issue with a handy treat and lighthearted remark. 

When the Beta had discovered one of her stalls to be empty and began a determined search, Kratos took a step or two back to visually examine the other stalls for sign of the misplaced animal. Naturally when he did not see it, he turned to the out-of-doors and was in process of going to look around when in came Chime with what Kratos assumed to be the missing horse.

"Ah, there she is." Kratos commented gently, patting the soft-coated mare on the back as she was led through the stable passed him. It was clear that for the most part the Alpha would stand passively by, allowing for Zeit to take charge of this affair. 

Then Chime presented the curious envelope and Kratos furrowed his brow.

"Where did this come from?" He asked, narrowing his eyes as he took it in his hand.

The Alpha brushed his thumb over the seal, then seemed to stare at the symbol for a moment before turning the peculiar envelope over in his hand and bringing it briefly to his nose.

After acquiring some information about the previous handler of the letter, Kratos might have repeated his question in a different way, but then came the knock at the stable doorway with the accompanying voice of a stranger...

Quite by instinct there came a sudden sharpness into Alpha Kratos' eyes and expression which spoke boldly of his alarm at the appearance of this stranger. But it did not take more than a moment for Kratos to estimate the severity of the situation from where he stood, and he found that this other man was not a genuine threat.

Kratos did not say a word in greeting but his body language had changed visibly. For the moment the envelope he held was left unopened, but not forgotten.

*********

After waiting in the hall for Logan to collect her backpack Ulric took up alongside her and headed down. At the base of the stairs he hopped a step and peered briefly into the kitchen to see if anyone was around, and returned again in time to leave the cabin and step out into the open air with Logan.

"Well," Ulric said, taking a short breath as he walked along. He felt somewhat awkward to be the one Logan felt she could approach, but he was perfectly willing to treat her like any other person. "I'm kinda new here myself, but I'll do my best. I mean, if I can be any help at all, I'd be happy to..."

*********

[Meanwhile at the Police Station.]

The woman at the desk gave a awkward kind of smile proceeding her reply.

"I'm sorry, but if you're looking for residential information, I'll have to refer you to Town Hall, or you're welcome to check the phone books. These offices aren't supplied to give out town names and addresses."

The answer might have been a bit dismissive, as if the woman did not want to trouble the young lady or herself, or perhaps for a different reason, yet it was kindly spoken and she added a moment later. "Is there anything else I might be able to help you with, sweetie?" 

Thomas Clerk had continued to stand not too far off and approached Cherise for the second time. "What's your name, Ma'am?" He said, offering a kind smile and extending his hand.

Quote from Indy on August 21, 2018, 5:43 pm

Kim:

Cherise looked down at the desk for a brief moment, looking puzzled.

"Oh, I see.. Sorry." She sighed giving a weak yet clearly defeated smile. She continued to stand at the desk, but was lost in thought and pondering on what next she should do:

Should I head to Town Hall? Where would I find a phone book? What if she doesn't want to see me.. Yeah, the phone book is better, that way I can call first- Were the thoughts that past through her head in a moment.

"Is there anything else I might be able to help you with, sweetie?"

Cherise being pulled from her thoughts, became aware of her surroundings again. She looked back to the woman at the desk and quietly shook her head adding with a pleasant smile No, but thank you for your time." Her attention was then drawn by Thomas Clerk, the officer from before.

"What's your name, Ma'am?.

"Oh! Hello again. I'm Cherise Johnson." Happily she shook his hand. Cherise's hand was very soft and delicate.

Bonus:

Hamilton quickly sized up the pair. It didn't take an expert to comprehend Kratos considerably large size. The man was easily a head taller then Hamilton, and larger in the shoulders. Though what spoke out more about him was his unwavering, firm stance, and silent watch. There was a definite air of power about him, Hamilton considered quietly, daring to keep a steady stare in mild awe.

Zeit's voice withdrew his gaze from Kratos, and he brought his attention to the red head. Realizing her position of authority, but all the same, being amused by her straight forward, no nonsense approach, he replied. "Lookin' to earn a bit o' tucker ma'mm, though looks to me I was beat to the punch." Hamilton indicated towards the other company, flashing a friendly smile as if to establish the innocence of his remark. "The name's Hamilton, real pleasure mate." 

A scent dawned upon him. He was moderately surprised he hadn't picked up on the indistinguishable odor of werewolves any sooner. Anticipating this proof, he was reassured of the idea, and didn't come to him as a surprise that the rumors were true. His expression remained unchanging throughout the brief revelation. 

He lingered in the entry way, unsure whether to proceed, he remained at a comfortable distance.

Quote from Indy on August 21, 2018, 5:43 pm

Shealio

Rook went ahead of Maria (whom he traveled with) early in the morning to get some breakfast; he wrote his note and placed it on the tree nearest to were they where camping, he untied his horse, Eeven, and rode off down the rugged road.

Before long Rook came across an apple orchard, he took a look around and saw the pasture, he figured these apples belonged to someone but they would make a great breakfast. Maria wasn't really a picky eater and neither was he and they really beat wild herbs. He tied up Eeven and begin picking just a bag full.

Rook wasn't Naive by any means, he just didn't see the problem, if anyone didn't want him taking them he would have no problem giving them back or paying, he also wasn't sure just how ripe these were, but they looked pretty good to him, but to be sure he would see if Eeven trusted it.

"Here you are friend, enjoy!"

Rook said with glee, happy to get to treat Eeven to something nice. Eeven chomped them right down without a second sniff and Rook guessed that meant they were pretty good and gave him one more. 

"Ah, Maria is going to enjoy this." he said feeding Eeven the bits he missed on his first munch of the Apple, "One for you, one for me?" Rook said taking a bite of a plump juicy apple.

Rook finished picking the apples and started to tie the bag to the side of Eeven's saddle.

Being around the farm reminded him of his childhood, likewise did working on one. He thought after breakfast he would have a good time coming back with Maria to talk with whomever owned it. Rook enjoyed meeting many people from many different places, and had a great time socializing with them.

He supposed he should talk with someone from the farm or leave a note so they wouldn't assume he was some filthy thief. He scribbled something onto a small piece of paper and stuck it to the tree with a small piece of string.

"I took a few Apples from the trees, and hope you are not angry! You look like you have a great farm and I'll be coming back later with my friend, I'm happy to pay for whatever I took and sorry in advanced." 

-Rook

Quote from Indy on August 21, 2018, 5:43 pm

Deseree

Giving a short nod to Ulric in response to his offer to help, Logan tugged the backpack over her shoulder tightly before slipping her hands into her pockets.

Silent for a moment, she looked towards the sky, enjoying the afternoons warmth against her cheeks. 

She wasn't all too unfamiliar with the awkwardness that Ulric had, and in some ways she shared the feeling. Usually her interactions were with those who were in her age group or older, and there weren't many younger young adults in her little village. And yet she did not feel the need to talk down to him but rather she put him at the same level as the others she had spent time around. 

"Mentally, I would think of you more like an aged man? More like thirty or something.. but you are still very young really? The young men in-" 

Her speech and movements came to a stop, as a light breeze passing carried with it unfamiliar scents, though very vague even to the nose of a werewolf. As quickly as it had come, it had passed, and Logan was left to wonder if her nose had deceived her. 

"The last moon left a bitter taste. Next time things will be different, I hope."

Having lost her trail of thought, she continued onward in silence.

Quote from Indy on August 21, 2018, 5:44 pm

Cat

Toby listened to Theo closely, eyeing the small stack of books and papers he held. Oh, thank you Theo. he said at last, taking the book about Rome and admiring it's cover with a smile. His grin wavered slightly to a look of surprise as he was offered the pamphlet about how to birth a calf.

Oh.. Well.. He began, looking at the front and back of the paper uncertainly. After a moment, he shrugged and nodded in content acceptance. Well, you never know. Zeit has cows, this may prove useful someday. he said, his smile returning full swing.

Carefully, he set the pamphlet aside and looked to receive the other things Theo was offering, though he kept eyeing the calf pamphlet with mild alarm and increasing curiosity-- It wasn't your typical read, and seemed very random, but Toby decided he would read it. Not just to be nice, but because he actually wanted to. Strange as it was to think about, it was technically a life skill, and maybe a useful one at that. You never know when Zeit's cow might need help when Zeit wasn't around.. Or perhaps Toby might go on a voyage someday and only be able to afford passage on an animal barge, and befriend a cow named Bessie, and if the barge sank and he was marooned on an island with Bessie as the only survivor and they had to learn to survive together, then after several weeks Bessie's baby is about to be born and Toby would need info like that to safe her life and the life of her baby, so all three could be rescued together... That might actually be a very touching story; a boy and a cow. It was food for thought, and might make a good movie or book of it's own someday, even if it never happened in real life.

As Theo offered the book he had written himself, Toby's eyes lit up. Ah! An original work? How exciting! Yes, thank you Theo, I shall read it at once! he cheered, taking it and flipping through the pages in anticipation. His eyes as big as saucers and a smile that spread from ear to ear, he brought the book up close to his face and studied the pen-manship. After a few moments, he cast a look of pure gratitude at Theo.

Thank you for bringing me these, Theo. It's really nice of you-- In fact, it's the nicest anyone's ever been to me. he said, looking almost of the verge of tears.

Quote from Indy on August 21, 2018, 5:44 pm

Aim

Tensing up, Chime looked toward then away the beta, shame written on her face, though a flicker of anger flashed, she got to the barn safe, didn't she? The horse was fine, she was OK, flustered now, but OK. 

Anyway, shouldn't she had been told of needing permission beforehand? What sort of- ..oh wait, had she? The fire went out. Admittedly, Chime hadn't been listening to everything, not always her fault, she quickly excused herself, sure she, at times, had her mind on other things but she had a lot to think about since the last full moon and all it's horrors.. 

"..I'm sorry... I will be sure to ask in the future."

She found herself whispering the words, then looking back to the Kratos, opening her mouth to answer his question when the man who she saw outside came knocking. 

Quickly closing it, she watched as Zeit took charge, then followed the exchange. She wondered if she should still answer the question now or would it be better to at a later time? Looking up to the alpha's face for a brief second, looking to the ground. 

Fidgeting, she started playing with her hands. 

Quote from Indy on August 21, 2018, 5:47 pm

Hour Glass

Zeit looked to Chime briefly, nodding to the girl to acknowledge her statement. She knew she had been hard on Chime, but it was for her own good. The ranched didn't need the werewolf getting hurt on the farm because of her inexperience, nor did she want anyone else or her livestock to be harmed as well. She made quick note to sit down with Chime, and let her know she wasn’t angry, just nervous and worried. Well mainly that anyways....

Though right now, she had a different wolf to deal with, one she wasn’t familiar with, and one she needed to make sure wasn’t a threat. "Well Hamilton, if you want to work here, you’ve got to sit down when I’m not maintaining the ranch so we can discuss things properly," she said with her gaze narrowed down on the wolf, "Not ta mention you’d need to talk things over with the big guy standing behind me. I’m just in charge of the ranch, what he says goes".

She had her arms crossed, before grumpily moving to walk over to the wolf, ready to get any formalities out of the way. "You're lucky we can break for a little bit," she said, "but you’re gonna need to work on this little accent of yours, it’s hard to understand at times, and it’ll only attract attention to ya". With That she moved out of the barn, "Hamilton, come with me, Kratos, if ya want ta speak ta him, you should come up whenever you’re down with Timothy," she called over her shoulder.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Not too far away, a couple was walking up the road, seeking the pack rumored to be there. The female was practically dancing around, seeming to be quite happy with what all was going on. She didn’t speak to the man she walked with, merely grinning to him as she rushed ahead a few steps, before slowing her pace to allow him to catch up.

She was excited to be near a pack again, missing her own home, though knew she wasn’t going back. Maybe this pack would let the couple join them and let them settle down and start making a life for themselves. "We’re almost there Jarsha!" she said excitedly, nearly bouncing along, "almost to the pack".

Quote from Indy on August 21, 2018, 5:47 pm

Mae

Ulric had smiled, feeling Logan's comment had complimented him in some offhanded way which humility would not allow him to accept. 

Then Logan fell short in both word and step, which brought Ulric to stand still beside her. He, too, had caught the unfamiliar scents. It perplexed him and brought back the memory of that earlier scent carried on the wind through his room. But that scent had not been like these, Ulric noted carefully.

When Logan spoke again Ulric muttered in agreement. "Yeah..." He said, but his eyes trailed off toward the trees in the direction of the ranch. He started walking with Logan again as she continued onward, yet his thoughts lingered behind.

After a moment Ulric glanced briefly up at Logan before looking toward the road ahead. "Do you think there's someone around?" He said in his natural tone, though his face seemed to suggest a hint of concern. 

*****

Kratos' expression held firm. He did not smile in greeting, nor did he look angry; The Alpha said not a word and seemed neither cold nor welcoming toward Hamilton.

What Kratos was thinking could not be guessed, for he kept it to himself, but his eyes stayed ever on the stranger even as Zeit stepped forward to lead the fella away. Then when the two had turned, Kratos lifted his head and spoke. 

"Timothy is in the house," his deep voice called from behind. He left it up to the Beta to remember that Timothy was an issue around strangers, and at every point previously the boy had become unpredictable at sight or scent of them. Thus this last word was intended by Kratos to caution Zeit from bringing Hamilton near Timothy, and he left it at that.

It was only after both Zeit and Hamilton had gone out of the barn that the Alpha adjusted his stance and returned his attention to the envelope in hand. 

"We'll have more problems before the day is out." Kratos said heavily to himself with a shake of his head. He glanced at Jackie nearby and then at Chime before casually resting his elbow on the door of Karma's stall. Once again Kratos wiped his thumb over the seal of the envelope, this time not pausing to inspect it. He then lifted the fold and slipped the note out with one hand. 

"Where did you say this came from, Chime?" Kratos said. As he proceeded to read the letter his other hand was drawn away to rest on the belt at his hip.

*****

In contrast to Cherise's small and rather delicate hand, Thomas Clerk's grip was strong and imposing, yet even so he treated Cherise in a gentle and friendly manner. 

"Well Miss Johnson, you're not from around here." Officer Clerk responded with a smile. "Reknab Bend is a small town. Do you have friends here?"

The lady at the desk did not go immediately back to her business, for the office was a quiet place that day and there was opportunity for intrigue.