I'll Be Back

Coen had decided to take the tokotas out again, but this time had something particular in mind. He’d been trying to learn as much as he could about the locations where the wilds roamed. He’d tried taming out here recently and had actually taken a liking to it. Even though he hadn’t been successful yet it had been fun to try. So, he’d tacked Breithla up and rode the lilac dire female out towards one of the many locations the wilds could be found in- the Iluq Forest. As was usual, Coen didn’t get to go anywhere without a crowd of tokotas at his heels, eager to join him on his adventures. Sedna, Mayhem, Titan, Connie, Firefly, Solitari, Tessalie, and Mokka were also coming. Sedna was a familiar face; she wasn’t Coen’s tokota but still had taken a liking to his pack. Tessalie wasn’t a member either, but she’d come to visit her daughter, Firefly, and had gotten roped into the adventure. Connie and Mokka had been being harassed by Mayhem and tagged along to escape. Unfortunately he followed. Titan was good friend of Breithla’s, so he was tagging along to. There was quite the menagerie.

A small shiver rippled down Coen’s spine as the Iluq Forest came into view. It really was such a creepy place. The trees were large, arching up towards the sky. There was still snow in the forest; it stayed there almost year-round. A thick fog lay close to the ground, making visibility low. Coen suddenly had the urge to turn and leave, but he knew that he couldn’t. If he wanted to learn as much as he could about the wilds he needed to learn about this place too. Sucking in a deep breath and laughing at himself for being a coward, he sent Breithla forwards. He could feel the tension in the female’s muscles, but she was as obedient as always. Sedna, Mayhem, Firefly, and Titan didn’t seem very concerned about the spooky environment. They were brave. Connie, Solitari, and Mokka clung to one another as if their lives depended upon it. Tessalie’s spiky tail was tucked slightly as she followed her daughters and the others forward. She really was not a fan of all this, but it was far too late for her to go back now. She would stay with her daughter and the others.

The snow began to crunch against the pack’s feet now. Their breath was easily seen now as they slipped beneath the shadows of the large trees, the temperature much cooler here than in the sunshine they'd just come from. Breithlá still felt tense beneath Coen, but the elegant dire kept moving forwards. Coen stroked her reassuringly. Sedna led the way, Mayhem, Firefly, and Titan quickly following. Tessalie clung to her daughter's side, feeding off her bravery. Connie, Solitari, and Mokka clung to one another. “I can see why the Taktuq pack consists mostly of grays now.” Coen spoke up, breaking the eery silence. “It's so glum and grey here.” his blue eyes swept about the little clearing that they'd entered. It was hard to see the sky through the trees. The thick fog certainly didn't help matters any. “I’d like to just look around for a while then we'll get the heck out of here.”

Another shiver suddenly rippled down his spine and he felt a low growl rumble through Breithlá's body. Sedna came to a screeching halt, Firefly and Tessalie nearly bumping into her. Mayhem and Titan had their hackles raised. Connie, Solitari, and Mokka tried to hide themselves behind the lilac dire. They were no longer along. All around them there was movement and Coen caught glimpses of glowing eyes. Every now and then the fog was clear enough for him to see the bodies that the edges belonged to. Tokotas. They just have encountered a few of the wild tokotas from the Taktuq Pack. They didn't seem too keen on intruders, but were much too nervous and flighty to do anything about it. They were likely hoping that Coen and his pack would get freaked out and leave. Well, they were going to be disappointed. Coen wasn't ready to go just yet.

“Titan; Mayhem.” Coen said, his voice full of warning. The dire and toki lowered their hackles slightly, but obviously weren't very happy about it. “Let's keep going then we will leave.” Coen sent Breithlá forwards again with the gentle pressure of his legs. Mokka, Connie, and Solitari strayed closer to the large blue dire. Breithlá was very calm and they fed off of her energy. They didn't like the tense energy radiating off of Titan and Mayhem. Sedna, Tessalie, and Firefly seemed nervous, but not aggressive. They didn't want any conflict. The eyes still followed them, but they made no moves to be aggressive. From what Coen had heard the Taktuq Pack was a very skittish one, making them very hard to socialize with and tame. He was up for the challenge, but there were no tagged Taktuq members at the moment.

They pressed onwards, the fog wrapping about their legs like the coils of a snake. Sedna, Firefly, Connie, Solitari, Tessalie, Breithlá, and Mokka had relaxed now. They were still a bit on edge but not too terribly. Titan and Mayhem were still pissy about being stalked, but there was nothing that they could do. Even if the Taktuq Pack was supposedly timid that didn't mean they couldn't turn upon them if they felt threatened. Coen and his pack were far outnumbered. “There isn't really much to see here, is there?” Coen asked rhetorically. A herd of caribou suddenly seemed materialize in front of them from the fog. The fog had been so dense they hadn't seen them from a distance. Well, atleast there was prey here. Coen was sure that the pack probably used the thick fog to their advantage, being acclimated to it.

“Well, we've learned a lot just from the hour we've been here. The pack truly is timid, not wanting any conflict. The forest is dark and glum, thick with fog. I think I've got the general feel for the place, so we might as well go ahead and start heading home.” He could see the relief on the faces of Connie, Solitari, Mokka, and Tessalie. Sedna, Mayhem, and Titan didn't seem to care. Breithlá felt a little more relaxed beneath him now. They turned, doubling back. Coen heard the scurrying of something moving through the scrubby grass. The pack had scattered due to their sudden movements. Coen couldn't help but chuckle softly. Scaredy cats, the whole lot of them!