Chasing Answers

[Sierra]

Sierra had gotten Calvin his share of the deer they'd taken down together, and she'd found that she was lonelier than she'd thought. She missed her brother deeply and wished he'd not been lost to the wolves.

It reminded Sierra why she'd come to Moscow in the first place - to find out what had happened to her brother. Why the man with the snake tattoo had killed him. The scar on her leg was a constant reminder as to how bad things had really gotten, but Sierra consistently pushed it away, there had to be a reason he'd gone mad.

Aaron had spent a great deal of time in the wolf dream before his passing. Sierra knew the dangers, Snow had reminded her consistently. But this night she had to try to find out something. To figure out the world she lived in now.

Sierra closed her eyes with Snow lying next to her. He promised to guide her through the dreams, but they wouldn't stay long.

Sierra woke in her room, things flickered in and out of view. Drifting Snow sat regally on the bed. He was not the wolf in her bed, he was somehow more beautiful, more like drifting snow, like he was part of the wind blown snow that Sierra saw in the city. He was beautiful.

Drifting Snow howled at Sierra, she was still human and Snow sent that it was good. Run with me.

And they ran. Sierra trying to keep up but he'd bound in and out of view. When she'd fall too far behind Snow would send Focus! He was teaching her but as all wolves did, they taught by doing, not lecturing, they knew no other way.

Sierra tried her best to find Snow and follow him. It was a very interesting game to play. She could focus on him, and his whereabouts, but when she got there he'd be gone. But as the time passed she was getting better, catching glimpses of him before he'd waft off into another part of the city.

((Any Dreamwalker is welcome to pop in))

[Calvin]

Things seemed to be moving for Calvin. Generally he was happy, even though the pain still existed in his chest, it was healing. He had finally found some peace thanks to Connor. He had quit trying to sense the wolves so much, but would occasionally would reach out to them. He would be starting his new job soon and had already picked up some tools and a toolbox for work, so he had some free time.

He spent his free time studying Native American culture, focusing generally on his mother's tribe - the Potawatomi. In the meantime, he also gathered some woodworking tools and bowstrings. He had looked up instructions on how to make a bow, and would begin that as soon as he found the right wood for the bow itself. He didn't want to purchase the wood, and he had planned to go into the woods later to find what he was looking for.

The real surprise was Dawn Wind. Dawn Wind sought him out shortly after Calvin had met with Connor, telling him to meet him in the dream. It was time for him to learn. Dawn Wind stressed the danger of the dream and would only train Calvin if he listened. Calvin agreed and entered the dream.

He was in the woods, wearing traditional Potawatomi clothing. His shirt was made of deerskin as were his moccasins. Instead of the traditional breechcloths and leggings, however, Calvin wore deerskin pants. The clothing was fringed lightly and were lightly decorated with beads.

Dawn Wind was waiting for him, and instinctively, Calvin started to shift into his wolf form until Dawn Wind hit him on the chest with his front paws.

"No pup! Run and follow"


Dawn Wind took off, seeming to be more like the his namesake than a wolf. He seemed to teleport away and Calvin smiled. It was a sort of game that Calvin had played a couple of times with Whispering Leaf. The object was for Calvin to focus on the wolf and find him. Whispering Leaf would wait for Calvin, but Dawn Wind took it to the next level by leaving as soon as Calvin arrived, forcing Calvin to focus harder each time.

Calvin had been too distracted before - in too much emotional pain. With his healing came a new focus. Dawn Wind had pushed him to begin healing, and with healing, Calvin became teachable. Now was the time to learn what he could do.

[Sierra]

Sierra had almost caught up to Snow. Almost predict where he'd be. He would give her a wolf snout grin, which was weird if you thought about it. A growl but with love. Really if anyone saw it they'd think the opposite. Snow was proud, she had caught on well.

But in the distance Sierra saw someone she thought she recognized. Someone who she'd only met once. Snow had stopped too as he watched him move in the dream world, looking for something. Snow sent Sierra an image of them playing the game. And Sierra smiled, he was being taught as well.

Without acknowledging each other Sierra and Snow followed Calvin through the dream. They would catch up, even Snow was enjoying the game. He called out to the wolf in front of them, and let him know he was there. Sierra called out. "Calvin."


Snow drifted off into the dream to find Calvin's friend. He was very eager to join a pack. Almost too eager, Sierra wasn't sure he'd like being in a pack, Sierra didn't see him doing the bottom of the pile well. He enjoyed behind top dog, or wolf in this case. But he missed the pack and so did Sierra. They had always enjoyed their time with the wolves when she was taking pictures and spending time with them. She would have to do that again soon. Maybe with the wolves here around Moscow, that could prove useful. Maybe they'd know about the man with the snake tattoo and his friends.

[Calvin]

The game got easier and Dawn Wind kept turning the difficulty up, always forcing Calvin to work a little harder each time. Calvin had to admit that he was enjoying the game, and sometimes lost focus on his quarry, causing Calvin to have to stop for awhile in order to find the wolf's trail again. A quick reprimand from Dawn Wind would always help Calvin refocus.

The trees moved by quickly and Calvin was reminded of running through the woods near the farm as he grew up. Moving in the dream was different. It seemed to be more like teleportation than running, but the only sensation that Calvin missed was the wind brushing by his face.

Calvin’s focused was interrupted by a sending from Dawn Wind and Calvin stopped. Others were approaching. There was no danger indicated in the sending, so Calvin knew he would be safe. Dawn Wind would inform him of any danger. He had to regain his focus anyways. Dawn Wind sent another image, informing Calvin to stay where he was.

"Calvin,"
a woman’s voice from behind him said, making Calvin reminisce of his dream of Mary and Benji the other night.

Calvin turned to see a woman approaching, and a smile came to his face. It was Sierra. After a moment of feeling like an idiot for not being able to guess her identity - she was the only woman he knew that could enter the dream - he waved a hand in greeting and approached her being careful to remain within Dawn Wind’s limits. Thinking back to his hunt with Sierra and her wolf companion, his clothing changed momentarily to the same he wore when he had met them - before Calvin thought once more about the more utilitarian Native American garb. He still found her quite attractive and was glad to notice the pain in his chest didn’t intensify at the feeling. He was healing indeed.

"Hello, Sierra. I hope all is well,"
Calvin said as two wolves appeared in the clearing. One had the dark gray-brown pattern of Dawn Wind and the other was white as Snow. "Sierra, Drifting Snow, this is Dawn Wind."


Dawn Wind retained the calm he usually had, but there was a difference to it – a sense of excitement. Dawn Wind was glad to see another wolf, even though he had his own pack. He laughed inside at the idea of the little pack that was beginning to form around him in Russia.
Edited by Calvin, Jul 15 2014, 03:41 PM.

[Sierra]

Sierra smiled at Calvin. Snow was at his finest, he strod back to them with glee radiating from him. He was in heaven.

Sierra spoke to Dawn Wind with both images and her voice. "A pleasure."
She looked to Calvin. "All is well. Snow is happily teaching me to navigate with in the Dream. He thinks I don't understand. But the game is always fun, and I don't mind."


Snow looked embarrassed, if a wolf even understood that emotion. Sierra ruffled his fur atop his head. "I see you are playing the same game."
Sierra smiled at Calvin and turned to Dawn Wind and asked him how Calvin was doing. Sierra grinned at the response.

Sierra was curious, she asked for Calvin's benefit but the images spoke more than her words. "Where do you hail from Dawn Wind? Maybe Snow and I can come visit your pack?
As she thought of the camera it appeared in her hands. "I'd love to learn your ways and show them so that two legs understand.."

[Calvin]

Sierra greeted Dawn Wind politely and he assumed that she was sending him images. It was how they communicated with the wolves. The words were, therefore, for his own benefit. Calvin and Sierra didn't have the ability to communicate with each other telepathically.

Dawn Wind greeted Sierra in his own polite manner. Sierra mentioned she was playing the same game, ruffling Snow's fur and asked how Calvin was doing and Dawn Wind responded with a series of images. The first showed the injured wolf that Calvin remembered from a sending before, but it was changed. The bloody injury had begun healing and the wolf - Calvin recognized it as his wolf form - had begun to move, but still with a limp. Not having told Sierra of his struggles with accepting his family's death, he was unsure whether or not Sierra would understand the image.

The second image was a continuation of the first. Dawn Wind himself appeared in this image and snarled at Calvin's wolf form before putting his own mouth over Calvin's wolf muzzle - not biting enough to hurt, but enough to show his superiority over the smaller wolf. Dawn Wind's paw pushed Calvin to the ground, forcing him into a submissive position.

To Calvin the images were clear. "The pup is healing and learning how to listen to the Alpha."


Sierra then took out her camera, asking Dawn Wind if he could photograph his pack. Dawn Wind sent an image of the woods to the east of Moscow, giving Sierra permission to enter his domain. Dawn Wind then returned to business, as it were, suggesting a change to their game. With two wolves and two two-legs, the game could be more difficult for them. Calvin would follow Dawn Wind, and Sierra would follow Snow, then they would switch; Calvin would find Snow and Sierra Dawn Wind. Calvin offered his assent to the game. He had said he would obey, so ultimately it was Dawn Wind's choice whether or not Calvin played along. Calvin waited for Sierra's assent as well, preparing his own focus for the next round - he would need all the focus he could get.

[Sierra]

Sierra nodded. It would be interesting. She knew very little of the pack outside of Moscow, but it would definitely be interesting to spend some time with them. Sierra wondered if this was who's territory they had hunted in earlier.

With the nod, Snow and Dawn Wind had taken off. Leaving very little time for Sierra or Calvin to think. Wolves had very little sense for taking their time. It was kill or be killed in their world, survival was all that mattered.

Sierra focused on Snow and bound to where he was. Switching from one to the other was more difficult. She had no idea where Dawn Wind was, and his presence was not as familiar to her. It took several moments before she was bounding after him.

The scenery passed in wisps and streams. She had no idea where she was or had the time to figure it out before she was bounding off after the other wolf. It was frustrating and tiring. Sierra wasn't sure how much more of this she could take. The waking world passed her by, but she was still asleep, though she didn't feel rested.

Sierra stopped when she neared Snow's position. She sat down to rest. Snow noticed and padded up to her. The images he sent were confusing and Sierra knew she'd spent too much time awake and her mind was starting to get hazy. "Just a rest, that's all I need."


Snow grinned at her with a sending of sleeping pup curled up next to it's mama wolf.

[Calvin]

Snow and Dawn Wind took off after Sierra assented to the little game. Calvin was familiar with Dawn Wind, and finding him was easier. Finding Drifting Snow, however was more difficult. It was the first time he had played this game with the younger wolf, and Calvin wasn't as familiar with Snow.

At the first clearing, he saw Dawn Wind take off for his second rendezvous and Calvin focused, all of his thoughts bent on finding Sierra's white wolf companion. Having nothing to go on, made the process more difficult, and it took a significant amount of time before he sensed the wolf. Calvin took off, arriving just in time to see Snow head off in another direction.

Calvin thought that finding Dawn Wind would be easier this time, but again he had nothing to go on. He had no idea which direction the wolf would have gone after meeting with Sierra. He kept his thoughts from drifting, focusing only on Dawn Wind - searching for the alpha wolf's trail.

There!


Calvin rushed to Dawn Wind, seeing his tail disappear just as he arrived. The game continued much that way, draining Calvin's energy as it did. Even though he was sleeping, he knew he would wake up tired. The Dream did that. Calvin persisted, however, waiting for Dawn Wind to finish the game.

As Calvin found Dawn Wind again, the wolf met him in the clearing and sent him an image of Sierra and Snow. Both were resting and looking very tired. Dawn Wind took off and Calvin followed, feeling relieved that the game was over for now. Man and wolf arrived in the clearing where Sierra and Snow were resting. Dawn Wind walked up to them and lay down on the ground. Calvin followed suit, taking a seat next to Sierra.

"That was pretty intense, wasn't it?"
he asked with a grin. "I honestly didn't think it would be that hard."


Calvin wanted to lie down and take a nap, and inside he chuckled at the notion of sleeping in the Dream. Doubtless, Dawn Wind wouldn't approve. The wolves in general didn't like him being here and because of Dawn Wind, he now understood why.

Even so, Dawn Wind had invited him to come into the Dream this time. Maybe with proper training, the madness could be prevented. Calvin thought of himself, crawling on all fours and thinking - really thinking - that he was a wolf. The thought made him shudder and Dawn Wind raised his head to look at Calvin. The image had been sent to Dawn Wind, and Calvin had probably sent it to Snow as well.

Dawn Wind sent the image of Calvin being chastised again, and Calvin dismissed the thought from his head. The older wolf didn't want him to dwell on such things yet. He wondered how much Sierra knew about what could happen to them, and although he wanted to ask, he didn't deem it appropriate. Instead he leaned back on his hands and stared at the Dream sky, wondering if it would give him answers.

Edited by Calvin, Jul 19 2014, 08:23 PM.

[Sierra]

Calvin and Dawn Wind joined them. Calvin sat next to her and Dawn Wind laid down next to them. It felt comforting. Sierra new she should leave the dream world and go to sleep, but Snow sent Sierra a concerning image - Calvin on all fours as a wolf.

Sierra looked to Calvin. "You worry about becoming a wolf?"


Sierra frowned, she knew what could happen, she reflected up on her brother. Sending both images and words. "My brother became a wolf. My parents thought he went mad, and tried to get him help. A Russian man with a snake tattoo killed him."
Sierra looked to Calvin with a smile. "Having a real life and the wolves is possible. Don't stay a wolf too long in your dreams. Don't succumb to your wolfly desires in the real world."
Sierra laughed. "Sure like your meat a little rarer tha usual. Be protective and aggressive when necessary. But use it to your advantage. Don't let the wolf take over. You'll be fine."


Sierra put a hand on Calvin's leg and smiled. "It was great seeing you again. But I must ask my leave. I need real sleep."
The latter statement being directed at Dawn Wind. He was older, and Snow even deferred to him.

[Calvin]

"You worry about becoming a wolf."


The words shook Calvin out of his thoughts. and he turned to face Sierra as she told him of her brother. Calvin couldn't help but feel sad. She had lost a family member to the wolves and to...well...murder. She seemed to be okay - and definitely wasn't where he was, but seemed to emanate the calm that he himself now felt.

"Don't let the wolf take over. You'll be fine."


She knew better than most the dangers of the Dream, but was here, and things were becoming more clear to him. Dawn Winds reluctance to let him use his wolf form made sense, and Calvin sent him gratitude.

"It was great seeing you again. But I must ask my leave. I need real sleep."


Dawn Wind responded to her, giving her permission to go, while telling Calvin it was that he needed to leave too. Calvin would need some real rest as well. Calvin knew he wanted to see Sierra again though. He knew that a date wasn't possible - not in his current state, but they could do something as friends right?

"Thanks Sierra - that helps a lot,"
Calvin said, feeling grateful that she had alleviated his fears.. "Hey, do you want to get coffee sometime?"



Edited by Calvin, Jul 21 2014, 03:06 PM.