A Year's Time

[Jericho]

After traveling and being on the move for the better part of a year, time tended to pass by without notice. One day had led into the next, day to night, sun stepping down for the moon-- and before Jericho had realized it, he was another year older. With that year came experience and knowledge. With that year had also came a sobering of mood, dragging his personality further down the jaded path of the stoic loner. Betrayed, framed, and cast out for a crime hadn't committed by his own father, Jericho had turned bitter.

Where once the wolf and readily been there to help others, even strangers, he now turned a blind eye. Trying to do the right thing only lead to disaster. All the wolf was concerned with now was his own self-preservation. Or so he told himself. Jericho tried to convince himself that the guilt he felt for not assisting others in their time of need was not real. He tried to make himself believe that any want or desire to be the better man, to help at risk of his health, was just an annoying residual trait of his former self.

The wolf, young and naive, who had so readily helped others even in light of overwhelming and dangerous odds, was good and dead. That's what Jericho kept on telling himself. He'd wanted to be something, wanted to be a hero, to be something great and wonderful. That aspiration had only lead him into trouble. It was his own decision to cast that dream aside. He needed to plant his paws to the ground and start living in reality. And so he had for a year's time.

His traveling had lead him to an odd sort of land, where the rocks took on unnatural forms. He tread through what had once been a city of men, now reclaimed by nature and her creatures. Around him he looked, seeing nothing, but sensing something. It wasn't sight that he trusted, no, but his sense of smell, his hearing, his gut, and his heart. Somewhere within him there was an awareness of the fact something great and something powerful was lurking near.

Had he been faint of heart, Jericho may have turned tail and run, but he was not. Within the wolf's chest beat the heart of a lion, courageous and proud. He had never back down from anything before and why start now? There was no fear or fright within Jericho, only the calm, assertive nature of a creature who had experience enough to be sure of himself.

His pace slowed to a stop and Jericho took a good long look around the place. He was sure that someone was near.

[Shy]

‘Something’ was watching him; his assumptions were right on that part. Eden had never considered herself a wolf before; she may have appeared to be one – albeit with some mutations – but her physical strength, agility and power was far above that of your typical timber. Those that had not yet met her, or Eztli, probably considered their lives a myth, thought up by the elders to entertain the young of the new world. Gods and magic were make believe.. right?

“You’ve taken your time, Jericho.” It will have reached his ears upon the winds and not in his head as the male would probably believe (for no one else was present.)
“What a waste of a year.” Just as suddenly as her implacable voice had sounded, Eden appeared, stood as still as a statue but a few feet before him. Her placid face was so void of emotion that it would not have been hard to mistake her for a block of marble.

“I’d have liked for you to have come to us sooner, but late is better than never.” Finally she moved, taking a few steady steps toward him. She didn’t appear even to be walking, more like gliding, as though she were as light on her feet as the air itself. It wasn’t her intention to startle or scare him - though if she’d done as much she’d not have apologized – but it was from experience that Eden knew it best to show who she was straight off the bat. How better to prove who and ‘what’ she was than to show off a few of her skills?

“My name is Eden, I hope you’ve heard of me.” She didn’t sound overly hopeful, more expectant than anything. She’d been watching him in the back of her thoughts for near a year and a half. He was someone she’d have liked to have met sooner, back when she’d first been created, but as she’d said before, better late than never. Her clan was formed of only the strongest of beasts, loyal and trustworthy and though she had yet to hear a single word slip from his maw, she knew that he was all of those things; such was her gift.

[Jericho]

A voice alighted across his mind, and though the words had been spoken, Jericho was sure he had imagined them. The wolf turned this way and that, his feral green eye darting from one location to the other. He'd been startled, yes, but Jericho was not afraid. Even when the white wolf appeared directly in front of him, Jericho gave up no ground. His feet were planted firmly to the ground and while he gave Eden an obvious look of caution, there was no hesitance.

His mind raced, however, trying to come up with a viable way the ivory creature had known his name, had known that he had wasted a year in travel. Wasted? No. Jericho didn't feel it was wasted. He'd learned many new things over the course of that year, things to help him survive, things to help him realize that dreams were for the young and naive.

"Eden." Jericho repeated and the name was familiar. The story of the white-wolf goddess had traveled far, but as the story was passed on, it was added on to, changed, morphed. To his tribe, Eden had been considered a celestial goddess, the physical embodiment of the moon. The story Jericho had been told and learned may have been false, but at least he was aware of one important fact. Eden was otherworldly, a goddess. That meant he had to proceed with caution. He would have to rope down his dour and sharp-tongued nature and act with respect.

To anger a god would be folly. Jericho knew this.

"You are the Moon Goddess, aren't you?" He said carefully. " You know my name. You know how I spent the past year. You've been watching me, waiting for me to come here?" The situation was surreal but Jericho was careful not to sound too skeptical. He kept his gruff voice at a respectful curiosity.

"Why?" It was a valid question, and under light of what Eden had revealed, Jericho's mind was almost sent reeling. Watched by a god? Weren't gods supposed to protect the mortals? Then why had he suffered through the pain and humiliation of exile, over a crime he was not guilty of? No. He had to be careful. Jericho cleared his mind and tried to keep his emotions under control. There was no telling how far the goddess' powers reached and whether or not she was able to read thought and feelings.

[Shy]

As he planted himself to the spot, Eden took to slowly circling him. It wasn't aimed to be an intimidating move in the slightest and though she knew he could take it to be as much, she still continued, studying him from every possibly angle with her head held high and her tails whipping behind her. She was every bit that celestial goddess the tales spoke of and though she wasn't necessarily a deity of the moon, she did quite like the title.

"Not quite." She replied simply as she finally came to stand back before him, her pure black gaze eerily locked upon his own. She looked like the embodiment of a ghost for no wolf could have been as thin as her and as seemingly surreal.
"I'm a Goddess, you're correct, but not of the moon. I'm a resident Goddess to the world, there are two of us, myself and my sister, Eztli. I rule these lands and those surrounding them up, until the borders of Tlaloc." Eden actually owned the larger of the two hemispheres and never did she let Ez forget it.

A smirk touched her maw then and she couldn't help but give a lazy flick of her head, not quite mocking him but certainly finding something amusing. The year had been a waste in her opinion for he'd not spent it within her clan, though she did respect the fact that he'd used it to grow stronger.

"I have a clan upon these lands, a pretty exclusive one that I feel would benefit from your membership." It was a simple response and one she delivered with no invitation to join; that would be his choice entirely.

"I merely took a liking to you, to the way your mind works." A further hint at what she was capable of. "I do believe in free will and thus is the reason I did not come for you. You were to come here of your own doing, not mine. I do not bully wolves." Though she would have if he'd take much longer. Her head turned to peer off over her shoulder as she was momentarily lost in thought.. his thoughts to be more precise.

"You do not need to be quite so careful, I'm not about to injure someone who could become an asset to my clan."

[Jericho]

Jericho watched the ivory-hued goddess circle him and while he did not move to follow her movements, he did his best to keep his eye on her. The wolf could almost feel how calculating her gaze was, could sense that she was measuring him up, judging him. He was a proud male and held his head up high, thinking with confidence that he'd more than meet expectations. Still, after a year, Jericho's one true weakness was hubris.

Eden didn't beat around the bush or hold her words back. From what Jericho could tell, the Goddess spoke her mind freely and openly. That was a trait he could respect. As she spoke the realization dawned on him. Eden had been observing him for who knew how long, learning of how he worked, of how he lived his life. He had been an alpha's son but his pack, his pack had been nothing, unheard of and obscure.

Yet somehow through all the wide, wide world, Jericho of the Maní, had drawn Eden's eye. There was a sense of awe to be found in that and a sense of pride. Jericho had thought himself nothing more than a wanderer, doomed to life in obscurity. Those dreams of becoming something great had been left to die but now, now Jericho wasn't so sure.

Eden. The Goddess of the Northern Hemisphere. She wanted him to join her tribe, her exclusive ranks.

" You want me to join you?" He couldn't help but sound disbelieving. " Truly, me?" Again Jericho looked as if he was having a difficult time of comprehending such a thing.

"If you would have me, Goddess Eden, I would join you. I would serve you." Maybe he was making too quick a decision but this was a chance that Jericho knew he could not let pass. Here was his chance, an open path to a new life.

[Shy]

A smile finally touched Eden’s maw as he put everything together and came up with the right answer. It had taken several other, already accepted members far longer than it had, him. She’d been right; he was quite the smart one.

“Yes. I want you to join me.” No, she didn’t beat around the bush despite having all the time in the world, and maybe more. Best to keep things simple, especially when dealing with mortals. “Though of course, you’d not just be joining me. My clan has grown considerably over the last few months.” It was as though she was creating an army, and secretly - she was. “I accept only the best and I consider you worthy of such a title.” Her head cocked in an almost amused fashion, as she looked him over with her pure black eyes. Seeing deep within someone’s very being was quite entertaining.

"If you would have me, Goddess Eden, I would join you. I would serve you."

“Of course you will.” Not at all self conceited… ha! But no, it actually wasn’t. She could already see that he would be loyal, and most impressively - strong. Still, she hadn’t been expecting him to accept her offer so quickly, most had to think on it for at least ten minutes. Had he been looking to settle? He seemed pretty eager to throw himself into pack life.

“I would have you, Jericho. I haven’t been waiting for a year for nothing,” she cocked her head to the right, across the frozen planes. The winter months had been harsh on her lands and snow was still spread as far as the eye could see. “Would you like to take a walk with me? We could discuss your options and decide upon a position within my clan you’d suit.”

[Jericho]

It was almost out of character for him to have made a decision so quickly, but Jericho trusted his gut and it told him that to spurn Eden's pack would be a foolish move. Never had he ever even dreamed that a Goddess would be watching over him, waiting for the day he would come to her, come to serve within her ranks. He was a proud male and the knowledge that Eden had selected him stroked his ego, making that pride swell. He wouldn't let it get the better of him, no, but it was nice. That year spent traveling through the wilds had nearly buried his aspirations, now, under the light of what Eden had revealed, Jericho felt as if there might be a chance to recapture his dreams.

If he was in the service of a Goddess and if he could prove himself worthy and strong and loyal, then maybe, maybe he would become something great, someone to be remembered. So many times as a pup had Jericho been regaled by tales of the past, stories of warriors and soldiers and great heroes. Though those heroes had died, some tragic and painful deaths, their names lived on through history. That was what Jericho wanted. He wanted to be remembered, not to fade away from the pages of history once the flame of his life flickered out.

"Then I thank you," The male said, dipping his head at an angle, single eye closing briefly. This was his chance and he would not let it pass him by. With his strength, with his courage, with his willingness to give it all -and he would now because now he would have a purpose-, he hoped to make a name for himself. But the wolf was getting ahead of himself, his childhood tendency to dream and fantasize rekindled. Eden had a good, strong point. There was much to be discussed.

"Of course, Goddess Eden, I will walk with you." With that he stepped to stand at her side. " You know much of me, more than possibly I know, so perhaps I will you ask you first-- where do you see me in your pack, how do you think I might best serve you?" The wolf questioned, turning an intelligent, one-eyed gaze to the white female.

[Shy]

Eden was silent as the began their walk, her head held high along with her tails. She too was a proud wolf.. or, goddess, and though she may have appeared to be 'up herself' she was actually rather down to earth. It took a lot to scrape the surface of Eden however and though she didn't really like being seen as an uptight bitch, she really didn't have the time to change everyone's view of her.

"How would you best serve me," she played it over upon her tongue as they walked, keeping her gaze straight ahead on the path she'd walked a thousand times. It took a while longer still for her to speak up. This had been something she'd been muling over for the last few months, alone in her mind. She didn't want to put such an asset to waste. She had come to two final positions she considered him well suited too, both of which she'd give him time to think over.

"My personal guard is currently going un-lead and recently I have formed an alliance with the Qalateqa of my lands. They now serve as my bodyguards and my most loyal warriors, unfortunately they are a rather unruly bunch and I think it would be both a challenge and a rank you could flourish within if you considered it." She smirked to the thought of the freakish Vedetta being ordered around by this proud wolf, she knew for a fact that they'd listen to his words but perhaps it would be too big a challenge for him. She could see it now, the irritating Qalateqa, Twi chewing on his haunches whilst he tried to order her to take her post. She shook it off and tried to convince herself he'd have no problems.

With a slight pause in her gait she turned her gaze to him, ears perked and expression unreadable.
"Otherwise, I have a position within my High Court I would consider you suitable for." She cocked her head and wore a genuine smile as she continued, "As my personal advisor. Of course, if you were to choose the latter position I'd need to put you through a trial period, just to ensure it's the right decision on both our counts."

[ Sorry for the awfulness hun. Y_Y Sore throat. ECH! If you had another position in mind, lemme know. =3 ]

[Jericho]

Jericho followed Eden's example and remained silent as he walked beside her. To be walking at the side of a god, never had Jericho ever conceived of such a fantastic idea, yet there he was and it was happening. He'd become jaded and sour through his life traveling abroad and alone, and because of that he couldn't help but look at things at a somewhat-pessimistic angle. There was the possibility of things going horribly wrong, of him failing to acclimate himself with the pack, or perhaps his inability to measure up to Eden's standards. The latter possibility wasn't much of a possibility at all in the proud wolf's mind, but what if? No. He wouldn't let doubts cloud his judgment and dampen his resolve.

He was determined.

With a keen mind and attentive ears, Jericho listened to Eden's words carefully. Right away he felt drawn to a certain path that she had laid out before him. Jericho, while being intelligent, was no diplomat. He didn't have a way with words like others, but for what his voice lacked in eloquence, it more than made up for in authority. Indeed it was as if the wolf was cut and molded to fit perfectly into the military life. He had experience, knowledge of battle, the capability of treating wounds with medicinal herbs, but most of all-- Jericho, at his core, was a defender, a protector. That had been his job in his old pack, to guard, and within that occupation he had found a great sense of purpose. He almost felt like a hero, but that was his ego talking, and he'd grown less conceded over the year.

" I think that I should like to meet this pack of Qalatega." Jericho announced with a nod. " It's through militaristic means that I feel I can serve you best. That's where my experience lays." With that he cast his eye around the snow-swept scenery, taking in what he could of Eden's domain. " Thank you, for this chance." Jericho said, his voice sober. It wasn't often he expressed his gratitude but this was important.

"Is there anything else I should know? Anything important, crucial to my fitting in and finding my place within your pack?"

[Shy]

Listening to his thoughts seemed to absorb her as they walked, a far away look in her eyes as she stayed walking at a steady pace at his side. He probably wouldn't have needed to speak a single word, but conversing with him seemed to be quite entertaining in itself. The Qalatega, as he'd learn, were a difficult bunch to understand and they rarely spoke much sense - well, the majority of cases were so. Dante was one of the most serious of the bunch and she had taken a liking to him as she had, Jericho.

"I may feel it necessary to put you on a probatory period for that ranking as well, but only to keep check on your sanity - I can tell you now, it will be a lot of hard work." A whimsical smile touched her maw as she steered him right, toward a valley among the mountains laid out before them - toward her home. "Gemini will most definitely be the hardest to understand, and Idi is a stubborn brute." They were her children and she spoke with a soft fondness despite her words.

"As to how you should fit in," her head cocked and her pure black eyes turned up to him, "You'll fit in just fine. You'll find that most are just like yourself, in respect to your ways of life." She nodded slightly, seeming pleased with how well things had gone - not that she'd expected him to be a difficult. "Just be yourself, as cliched as that may sound, take no messing but be respectful. In return, they'll accept you."

She paused then and sighed, lowering onto her haunches.
"Do you mind if I phase us there? I've become lazy of late but I really don't fancy a four hour trek to the Pantheon." He probably didn't understand what she was asking. Transportation besides that of walking was beyond anyone but herself and Eztli.