River Mood(Dakota/Open)

Long, ungraceful strides carried the femmes masculine body along the river side, racing whatever she could. Birds, bees, dragonflies, even the unbeatable wind. Her competitive spirit flew. The gentle thudding of the earth beneath her paws was the rhythm she set to, the rhythm she lived for. The rhythm of the earth. Of we running. Her heart beating faster, beating harder and faster, until the sound if her heart beating droned out the sound of her enormous paws slapping the earth. It was so strange to move without a fear of falling, to Dakota. She was so large and clumsy, she appeared to be a newborn pup. But running, running was different. The need for speed, the promise of never letting her down. She smiled. The rhythms ringing in her ears, she concentrated on feel. The sticky, wet snow sticking to the pads of her oversized paws, the rest flying behind. The morning sun beating down on her thick, winter coat. The feel of the breeze snuggling in her warm coat with her. The feeling of.. Bam! The feeling of running into someone. The feeling of pain and cold water as it seeped through her coat. The knight swam up, her head above the water. She scrambled out, gripping the scruff on the other wolves neck. A sweet maiden, seeming tiny and fragile in comparison to Dakota. "Sorry, lass. I wasn't focusing. Are you okay?" Dakota's naturally deep baritones rang out, hoping the lass was okay.

The maiden that Dakota had just dragged out of the water coughed and heaved, sucking at the air, trying to fill her lungs. Dakota raised her eyebrows, giving a tiny chuckle. The maiden beneath her accepted her apology, and then announced her name. Dakota watched her. Wowza. She was pretty. Raina. Dakota cleared her throat, wishing and hoping her voice wouldn't fail her. "Dakota, pleasure to meet you, Raina," the knight introduced herself, her boyish grin and posture encouraging any thoughts of her being a male. "You're awfully pretty.." Dakota murmured, and recoiled immediately. No, not in disgust, but instead in shock of the words that had just rolled off her tongue so easily. "Sorry.. I come from Grey Mountain Pack. Do you come from a pack?" She asked, trying to cover up her foolishness and stupidity with a simple question.

Dakota watched the pretty maiden's face, looking for a sign of her showing disgust at another maiden calling her pretty. But instead, she blushed. "Thank you." she whispered shyly, and Dakota grinned. Whoo. That was a close call. Why hadn't she been so uncertain, like a maiden would be if another maiden said that? "That's a long distance, what are you doing all the way out here? No, I'm afraid I am not present in any pack." the tiny maiden interrupted her thoughts. Dakota nodded. Wait..Did Raina think that Dakota was a brute? Sure, she resembled it, but still. Dakota spoke up. "I think Grey Mountain would offer you a home.." he said, and saw a fish swimming in the water. Immediately, the big knight sloshed at it, managing to snatch it up. Killing it quickly, she picked it up in her teeth, and offered it to Raina.

The pretty maiden in front of Dakota took a dainty bite of the fish, and chewed politely. Dakota smiled brightly, and set the fish at Raina's feet. She took a bite, and swallowed it quickly.

"Thank you. Grey Mountain? Who's the Alphesse and Alpha?"

Raina's expression was quizzical, and Dakota smiled. He had just recently joined the pack, and just actually started to remember their names.

"Placid and Yiska. They have se-- six pups,"

Dakota had just recently learned that they had once had seven pups, but one of them had just recently died, so the Alpha's were in a stage of mourning.

Raina smiled, and Dakota smiled back, instead of her boyish grin.

"What is the weather like up in the mountains?"

Her voice was soft and sweet, and made Dakota smile. She really liked this female. A lot.

"Well.. Mountainy. No, just kidding. The atmosphere is really quiet. It's pretty peaceful. It gets pretty chilly in the winter, but in the summer, it gets pretty warm cause you're closer to the sun. But it still gets a nice breeze,"

Obviously Dakota was a huge fan of the mountains, and adored the weather. She smiled ruefully at Raina, and then glanced away.

Raina smiled back and laughed, and Dakota grinned at her. Her hips gave a slight sway as she planted her back rump on the ground, swishing her tail side to side as she did so. She sat up tall, her orbs never leaving Raina's.

"I'd say you like the mountains. From what you say, I think I would like it up there...Would you mind showing me?"

Dakota jumped up, even though she had just sat down.

"Of course! We can leave right now, if you'd like,"

Her voice was deep, but full of excitement. Her tail was wagging at 100 miles an hour.

Dakota heard her twinkly little laugh, and grinned. She began to move away, her paws sounding like thunder on the forest floor. Her movements were slow, so that Raina could catch up. She moved through the trees, the bushes parting slightly as she passed through them. She warm sun was now at it's peak, beaming down on them as they traveled through the trees. Soon, they reached the end of the forest, and came to a large clearing. Dakota turned to face Raina.

"Are you hungry? There are some really good hares and stuff in here, so we can eat on the go,"