Like the edge of the world

[Bronx]

Bronx had never seen the ocean. She had never really been anywhere outside of her two homes but the animal shelter and the park. It was the salty smell of the air that drew her; she had never smelled anything like it before. There were strange things in that smell, underwater creatures she would never see, and the inexplicable salty smell of water, which should smell fresh and clear. She made her way up the ridge, out of pure curiousity, and when she reached the top she stopped dead. It was like she had reached the end of the world. There was nothing but water in front of her, stretching as far as the eye could see. The strangest thing was that the water was moving. It crashed constantly against the cliff below, and the sound frightened her at first.

However, after a few minutes of adjusting herself to this new place, she almost began to enjoy the rythm of the waves striking rock. She lay down, paws stretched before her luxuriously, and let the sun warm her fur as the sea breeze washed over her. Every now and again, she would raise her nose and sniff, but mostly she just watched the mysterious dark water below. Some type of birds were darting into the water, and then back out again. Another alien thing; she had never seen a bird swim before. Every now and again one of the birds would emerge with something slick and shiny, and the strong salty animal smell would get stronger as the bird would dart to the cliff with its fish. She crawled up to the edge of the cliff and glanced down. The drop was steep and dizzying, but she could see the waves crashing now and it was beautiful to watch the strength of them. The water would turn white and spray up powerfully before rushing back out. She studied the cliff, and could now see where the birds had been bringing their catch. There were nests below in the rocks, perched precariously on little outcrops on the cliff face, and she could smell the fish as the parents fed their little baby birds. But she didn't like being this close to the edge, and slowly she backed up to lounge in the sun once more.

[Artemis]

A pale muzzle was raised off two crossed paws. The padded seats of the old Number Fourteen bus were few and far between, but if you knew which were which, you could sneak into one for the night. The dog occuping one of these more comfortable seats hadn't been asleep that night. No, he's been waitful, listening to the sounds around him. Every now and then had been a scuffle of two or more dogs near by. His acute hearing had picked them up before they went out of range. Artemis took a lesuirely streth, his long tail flicking out slightly as he leapt lightly off the chair. His clawed paws clicked gently across the floor of the bus. He took the stairs cleanly in one swift movement, landing first with his front paws, his back curling up behind.

The area in front of him was littered with scrap. He'd lift a paw every so often to dislodge a piece of light scrap that lay in his path. The floor was also coated with a thin layer of grease, one that he could easily rectify. Not that this mattered. Learning to walk over hard surfaces gave you surefootedness. The ability to scale buildings or hard destinations. His tail was lifted out of the grime, sifted softly through the silent air. He scaled the stairs with no trouble, each paw using the grip on the metal. From here he could servay what he was leader of. The pale moonlight reflected off the sides of the bus, throwing it out onto the floor. The regal looking dog bent back his haunches. He didn't need an army. He didn't knwo what he needed. It would come along soon enough if he did need it desperately.

Even his home, as much of the city as it spanned, was not enough for Artemis. His long, bushy tail flicked out behind him with every lope. His long, easy stride took him out of his terratory, skittering on the side of the Cambride Packs. Not exactly a rivalry between the two pakcs, but he did have something against the leader, Cyanide. Their first meeting had not been pleasant, yet not hostile. Neither had taken to the other at all. Artemis left the city behind him, now taking the steep downhill climb towards the thunderous waters. His surefooted paws found each stable rock and piece of flat ground as he trotted along, the spray from the crushing waters splashing up at him. His coat was soaked within minutes, but with the weather like it was, this wouldn't matter for long.

The path that lead steeply downwards turned an abrupt u-turn up the next crevice i nthe cliff. Unsuprisingly. If the path carried on any further, it would lead straight down into the canyon, where many a foolish dog had been lost. Artemis had no opinion on this, and no thought of commiting suicide. Instead he just followed the path up, padding up quietly, any entrance he could make masked by the thundering of the water. As he reached the top, he looked over to where another dog sat, almost obscured by the fog.
"I wouldn't stand there for too long, the rock is unstable." It was rare for Artemis to start a conversation, but he had no need to see a dog fall over the cliff. She may not have heard him, but he seated himself in the sun, letting it warm off his wet coat.

[Bronx]

ooc: sooo sorry for the wait. I ended up getting sick too! I was in bed for a couple days, haha...I still feel crappy.

ic

As soon as the dog behind her spoke, Bronx was on her feet with hackles slightly raised, legs spread, head lowered, ears back. It was an offensive stance, but it was out of surprise more than aggression. When she finally allowed the other dogs words to sink in, she allowed herself to relax, but only slightly. It was hard for her to let her guard down around others easily, even those who showed no aggression towards her. Cautiously, she came away from the edge until she paralleled his position. Her eyes flicked to meet his, then out to sea once more. Rolling her weight into her rear legs, she sat down smoothly, her tail straight out on the earth behind her.

She was relaxed on the outside, but she was fuming at herself inside. How ridiculously stupid she had been, sitting on the edge with the wind in her face, preventing all scent of approach from behind, and with the roar of the sea in her ears, preventing all sound of approach. She flicked her right ear. Stupid, she chided herself once more before letting herself off the hook. She had learned her lesson, and wouldn't make the mistake twice. At least this dog had meant her no harm.

Turning her head slightly in his direction, she cocked an ear at him. So...what are you doing up here? Idle conversation starter, but she didn't mind making small talk for now. She was alone now; no family, no pack. Every now and again, she craved some kind of pack interaction, even if it was just an idle conversation with a stranger on this beautiful ridge.