Let's Wade... Wait?, Open to: Anyone

[Sarge]

Oh, this was quite amusing. Thick form of a mutt crashed through the contracted area of vegetation, grunting and stumbling as he met up with abandoned burrows and holes and sudden dropoffs. All this work for a drink? This wasn't his idea of fun. Deep, amber-colored eyes scanned the thick treeline for river mist, hoping for just a brief shortcut without risking spraining his sturdy ankles. With no luck, the King Shepherd continued to struggle through the miniscule terrain, pushing and shoving himself against trees and bushes in which only proved to be mere obstacles in his path. The soft crunching of wilted leaves underfoot dismayed those who were eavesdropping, disguising the canine's struggle with soft, pleasant sounds. He, however, refused to pay attention to that.

The King Shepherd was dubbed by the name of Sarge, a strong and powerful name to reflect his physical attributes. He was a large dog, standing over the ground at an astounding 31 inches. The male simply had the thickest shoulders any kind of creature would be amazed to see, but this wasn't simply appearance. He had the strength and ability to back it up. Intimidating, yes, but he proved no threat, in which is soft, teddy-bear-like eyes seemed to give away.

"I swear... This is beyond annoyin'." A mutter gurgled from his larynx, a deep sigh of frustration hissed from his expanded nostrils. His self-motivations only extended the wide range of patience he posed. And, shortly after his murmurs, his large paws hit soft ground, an obvious sign of moisture. The river was near. Once the bear got over his utter joy for the discovery, he lifted his thick skull, squinting though the trees as his ears perked forward as the sounds and scents of the river began to stir.

"Thank god!" His struggle was over! He chuckled to himself as he weaved through a few more trees, then strolled along the steep bank until he found an isolated pool with a descending coast. The male's thick paws seeped into the sand, his skull lowered as he observed the glossy water surface, watching the small aquatic life squirm and jet. A slight smirk curled on his jowls before he lowered his frame to the ground, neatly tucking his legs beneath him, and lapping up the delicious beverage like a cat lapping out of a milk dish. The water swished and gurgled as it eddied down his throat, quenching his thirst poco a poco. A gentle breeze whisked itself upstream, caressing the shepherd's thick coat. Today was a good day for him. Nature seemed to prove it definitely was.

Sarge withdrew his head and seated himself upon his thick haunches. After zoning out momentarily, staring at the river's interesting rapids, he turned his attention toward his spine and tail. It was a mess! Leaves, twigs, sticks, and needles made their homes in his coat, much to his displeasure. He disliked being untidy. The male revolved his shoulders, stretching his skull back to nibble out the unwanted debris from his precious coat. Grunt here, frustration there, he managed to clean his fur within about fifteen minutes. The King Shepherd regained his royal composure, beaming in accomplishment and satisfaction, sitting upon his untouchable throne of a sand bank. His large ears continued to remain perked forward, listening for any life on the opposite bank, waiting for something to happen, perhaps. His tail thumped the ground idly behind him, his velvet pink tongue caressing his cheeks in patience.

[Pearl]

Ugh, lost! That was the only word that suited the current situation, and the very thought left a sour taste in the feline's mouth. All she'd done was left her little garden terrace in Invercargill to go explore - and now, God knows where she'd ended up! She remembered passing through the core of Dunedin (it was pleasant enough, but quite honestly Pearl preferred the familiar streets of her own city) and then trudging through forest paths. The cat hadn't ever been here before, and the mere thought of being somewhere she didn't know sparked a mixed reaction of both curiousity and cautiousness. However, being the constantly cool, collected type, she refrained from showing these emotions upon her features. She was good at keeping her feelings in check.

The thin creature was feeling rather peckish and eyes of iridescent emerald scanned the surrounding foliage. There was no plate of fresh tuna - no trash can she could tip over - and as far as she could tell, no berries. None that were suitable for consumption, anyway. Her whiskers fluttered as head was shaken from side to side, attempting to focus on an escape route from the leaves that poked at her from every angle. A single beam of light, shining through a gap in the shrubbery, was her answer and - swoosh! - the creature soared right through it.

Landing on the muddy riverbank with an unpleasant squelch Pearl found herself sinking several centimetres into the gunk. Finally letting a sliver of disgust slice through her normally blank features, she meowed and shook off the dirt, only to have it replaced the moment she lowered her limb again. How particularly frustrating. Pearl, although a seasoned street cat and used to the uncleanliness of her city 'hood, constantly kept herself immaculately groomed and the mud was getting on her nerve. She decided it best to try to move somewhere drier.

With a grimace she began picking her way through the mud, hopping on pebbles and rocks whenever possible. Finally she reached a curb in the river where a large brank hung over, its end barely raised above the water's bubbling surface, its twigs and limbs lined with small white flowers. Practically purring, the cat launched herself upon the branch and landed nimbly, not so much as quivering as her paws instinctively found the best footholds. Shimmying a little farther up the branch, with a pleased sigh Pearl lay down upon it, letting her paws dangle over the edge. A comforting breeze tickled her paw pads, cooling the hot discomfort that had been formed by blisters.

She was just about ready to hunker down and have a good nap when her roving, heavy-lidded gaze settled upon a creature at the far side of the river. A dog, of all things! The Wegie-Mau mix couldn't help but find some interest into what his reason might be for wandering into this area. Although Pearl was aware of the deep-running hatred between cats and dogs, she didn't foster that hate herself. In fact, canines intrigued her, though most shunned her for her 'heathen' beliefs. Heathen! Religion! Hah!The way she saw it, cats were the centre of the universe, why else would Egyptians show such profound devotion to them? Only the goddess Bastet ruled cats, and even then she was a, er, rather flexible leader. Considering she was just a myth. And it's not like dogs knew the better religion, anyway - who knew what they worshipped? Milkbones?

Resting her chin upon the branch and letting a soft purr rumble from her chest, the creature kept one eye closed and the other open, focused upon the large dog before her. Cats were tricksters at heart, and Pearl would play the role of being the mischievious 'forest spirit'. You wouldn't believe how superstitious some dogs are. "Greetings, traveller... come to rest your weary paws...?"

[Sarge]

The vibrant Zealander sunshine spilled its warm contents over the lush territory, giving the trees sweet energy and beginning their sugars-making. Magpies screamed at one another in the looming canopies, causing quite the racket. Now what? Little did the canine know the magpies were rather shrieking at an unwanted newcomer, but he did little to acknowledge the situation. The shepherd lowered himself on to his chest, swinging his hips to place his legs on his side. Tucking his head on to his soft, large paws, he shut his eyes briefly to dognap.

"Greetings, traveller... come to rest your weary paws...?"

Thick ears perked at the sound of a new voice. It was definitely small. Huh. He opened his eyes, catching the sight of a feline dangling from a tree branch. He never had a problem with cats. To him, they were very much like humans... 'look but don't touch.' Sarge knew most cats were definitely aware of the stereotypical rumor that there was this centuries-aged war between the two species, but not once has this dog seen such behavior. The shepherd's thick skull lifted itself from its pillow of bony paws, goldenrod eyes gazing toward the mutt of a feline.

"Hello to you too. I'm sure I should refer to you as a traveller aswell, eh? You reek with city odor." Sarge wasn't the best at first impressions. He was generally sarcastic whenever he met someone new. Perhaps it was simply a matter of habits. His heavy eyes surveyed the feline carefully, taking in every detail. It was official that he didn't recognize the cat, so might as well make new relations.

"So, I've never seen you about here, feline. Where're you from?" Sarge paused briefly, mulling to himself as the feline replied, if she did at all. "I'm Sarge," he stated with a calm grin. He pushed his upper body above the ground, reclining proudly like he had done before lying down. The breeze continued to caress his smooth fur, and the river's cool mist began to settle on his follicles.

[Pearl]

The cat purred, a deep sound rumbling from her chest. But her face remained stony, whiskers twitching slightly. It was surprisingly comfortable here on the bough, and the sunlight spilling between branches was soothingly warm across her splotched coat. She yawned, exposing a row of glinting teeth before ears pricked forwards and she inhaled, prepared to respond to the dog's question.

"Hmm, a dog who doesn't keep his brain in a hole with his bone... what a rare find." A smirk flashed briefly across her jawline, although so quick it was as if it had never been there at all. "I kid with you. I kid." Her tail, which hung over the side of the branch, began swinging back and forth slowly like a pendulum as intelligent eyes focused upon him, searching his features for a glimpse of a possible threat. Nope. Seemed like the classical dopey-dog stereotype. She'd take advantage of it.

"Invercargill," she replied, raising a paw to bat at the gauzy magenta ribbon wrapped around her neck. It seemed to filter sunlight through with a pink tint, casting a patch of rose-coloured light below her. "I come from Invercargill. And I'm not so much of a traveller, 'just lost' is a more accurate term." She shuckled dryly. Finally, showing some emotion? Or was it simply a display, perhaps fooling the other into a sense of false security? "Where are you from?"

She was attentive to his name. Sarge. Clearly he was a pet, and not a wild creature - or he had been a pet at some point. Wild dogs and wolves often had names that sounded like a random jumble of letters someone found in alphabet soup. But Sarge, that was a name with a meaning. As was her own. "My owners call me Pearl," she replied, flicking her tail. Misty green eyes drifted away, examining her surroundings. Now, if only she could get pointed in the right direction to Invercargill! Hmm, perhaps this canine would be able to guide her home. She turned back to him with a renewed interest, ears tipped forwards to gobble up his answer and judge whether the dog'd be of any use.

[D'vorak]

((No offense with what I am typing... this is how my character is xD Just a let you know now kind of thing.))

She snorted as she watched the two. Almost like two love birds, but except, it was a dog and a cat. How pathetic. She mocked the cat softly. "Come to rest your weary paws? How about I rest my weary teeth in your flesh! It makes me sick!" she spat at the ground. She hated the dogs. They HAD to come here and infiltrate HER homeland! How dare they! The fat and ugly pigs for animals! Not to mention they sided with the humans. To see the dogs since they were their 'remakes' it made them look even that more stupid. The ebony female could only watch as they conversed together. Weren't dogs and cats supposed to hate each other? It was something she could not figure out when she saw these two. She snorted and then gave a loud sneeze. She didn't care if they heard her. They should have known she was here by the scent being blown in their direction from the wind.

Deciding not to wait anymore, she shook her head and got up, padding her way to them. Her pelt bounced as she moved swiftly and silently. Her golden optics were the only things that could be seen as she appeared in and out of the shrubbery. Finally, she appeared behind the dog. "Well, well. A 'canine' I assume. The kind that I detest the most." she snarled. "First and only warning. Get. Off. My. Land." she said as she have a pause between each word of her warning. Her snarl sounded into the air like a chainsaw cutting a tree. Her white fangs flashed in the sunlight as her pink tongue wiped them clean, getting them ready for use. "And you, feline. I suggest if you do not wanna see the blood shed of your friend, I suggest you leave and find another friend before I change my mind about not eating you afterwards." She was ready for a fight. Whether the dog was or not. She hated dogs. They were not even the same species, except scientifically. But who cared about science anyways?

[Sarge]

"Hmm, a dog who doesn't keep his brain in a hole with his bone... what a rare find. I kid with you. I kid."

It wasn't the first time Sarge dealt with felines. In fact, he used to live with them. Many cats happened to live amongst the streets in Invercargill. It wasn't uncommon for the King Shepherd to see them day-after-day, barking at them through the windows and fences for fun. Sarge grunted as he shifted his weight from one haunch to another, his thick tail resting rather comfortably on the Clinton River bank.

"Invercargill. I come from Invercargill. And I'm not so much of a traveller, 'just lost' is a more accurate term. Where are you from? My owners call me Pearl."

Sarge's ears perked up at the sound of the familiar city name, shaking his head with a deep-gutted chuckle. "Well now, you've wandered quite a ways away from your suburban life, haven't you? It's not uncommon. I've happened to come from the same city a couple years ago. It's a plea-"

"Well, well. A 'canine' I assume. The kind that I detest the most. First and only warning. Get. Off. My. Land. And you, feline. I suggest if you do not wanna see the blood shed of your friend, I suggest you leave and find another friend before I change my mind about not eating you afterwards."

Oh great. Another one of those big-headed wolves. Sarge grunted at the meaningless warnings the wolf growled, his head shaking at the ineffectiveness of these insults wolves typically gave out. "I'm terribly afraid, you obese coyote. If you want to talk of territory matters, I'm sure the river is grey zone. It's by the law of nature, especially this one. I have never whiffed your piss and shit about this bank, so why care?" Sarge growled under his breath, his lips lifted slightly in irritation. These wolves were much too ignorant for their own good. "How 'bout you go off with your pack and go catch some deer or rabbits, like normal wolves do?"

[Pearl]

The cat's ears pricked at the sound of a strangers voice, and she swivelled her head, green eyes focused directly on the intruding wolf. A bitch of one, too! Why did these wolves think they owned everything?

"Funny... I always thought wolves and dogs were both 'canines'. Although I wouldn't expect someone like you to know that," she retorted coolly, making no effort to shift her position. Neither dogs nor wolves could climb, and she highly doubted the wolf would dare cross the deep swampy river, only to jump and snap hopelessly at her perch high above. Being a tree-climber had its perks.

Pearl bore no particular attachment to this Sarge character - after all, they'd only met for several minutes at the most. Yet the thought of the wolf ripping into him wasn't appealing to her. But what could she do? Back down? Eh, nothing to back down to! For some reason the cat got the feeling Sarge could handle the situation, so she merely continued flicking her tail and watching with amusement, pitching in yet another sarcastic remark.

"I'm rather looking forward to seeing bloodshed. Your own, that is."

[Absolut]

[First post here; excuse the rust. [x' I'm sorry if I mess up something, just tell me and I'll try and fix it.]

Absolut had been following the river for a while, lost as ever, and determined to figure out the landscape eventually, come hell or high water! High water seemed the more likely of the two right then -- he'd been up to his ankles in mud for the past few hours.

The sound of voices attracted the massive beast at first, though it was becoming increasingly obvious that he may not like what he found when the scene came into view. His pace slowed, his head lowered slightly, and his steps became more cautious, though he could do little to muffle the squelching of his paws. The voices, combined with the ambient sounds around them did a good enough job with that, even if he wasn't invisible, nor soundless, by any means. Perhaps they simply wouldn't notice him, too deep in their.. Was it a territory debate, he heard something about land. The molloser would have groaned, had nature given the proper vocal equipment for such a sound. Smells flooded his nose, leaving him to shake his head slightly as he deciphered one from another. It was a little overwhelming, to find nothing for hours on end and suddenly--bam! Right on the outskirts of a dispute.

He did not want to interrupt whatever dispute they had, so Abs simply stood his ground, a good two yards behind Sarge, and waited to see what would happen. Perhaps not with bated breath, but at least with tired curiosity. The female wolf-dog's scent made him angry, and he wanted to curl his lips into a silent snarl to show his distaste. He refrained from doing so, at least at the moment, as he was not interested in joining the fight, and he didn't want the King Shepherd to mistake the expression. Seven inch advantage on the other dog or no, he didn't particularly want to risk himself getting needlessly injured, and the big ol' male looked tough.

It was only then his nose noticed the cat, and this whole situation suddenly seemed a lot more strange. He was neutral to the domestic members of the feline race, but he couldn't imagine what she was doing out here. His brows wrinkled a little bit in apparent confusion, but that was all that he could convey.

[Sarge]

"Funny... I always thought wolves and dogs were both 'canines'. Although I wouldn't expect someone like you to know that."

A smirk formed on that King Shepherd's jowls, his ears perked forward toward the offending wolf. He inclined his head forward, his muzzle curious of the scent of this canine. Huh. She has some dog in here too. Now that's degradin'. Sarge relaxed back on his haunches, watching the female in amusement. "I do not believe you can say much, mutt. You're a mix of both wolf and dog. You're the lowest of the low when it comes to us both." He laughed, raising quickly to his four paws.

[b]"I'm rather looking forward to seeing bloodshed. Your own, that is."

The Shepherd curiously in the direction of a new scent not far behind him, while saying calmly, "Now, now, Pearl. Who said I had to fight this pile of scum to prove who's better? It's purdy obvious." His keen eyes were focused another dog. Sarge tilted his head curiously, turning his attention away from the degrading mutt and toward this comfortably relaxed molosser. [i]Interestin'. Looks like dem fightin' dogs.

Sarge had his attention inclined toward the new arrival, his body quickly spinning around to follow his head. "Hey there!" he called in a rather cheerful tone. "Ne'er seen you 'bout here before. Where you from?" The Shepherd waved his thick tail behind him, his ears slid about to keep it directed toward the two behind him, mainly on the wolfdog.

[D'vorak]

"Hah. Strong words coming from a piece of shit like you. And I am nothing compared to him. We work for our food and earn it. These shit heads? They beg for their food and get it. They don't do work and its degrading to the whole canine species. And I don't expect you to fight me. Thats just the coward you are. And we were the ones that gave birth to you retarded shit whores. The only reason you came into the picture is when Man changed you to his liking. So just be happy that you exist here, because we can take the life away just as easily."

She said as she snarled at the dog. She hated the canines. It was their fault that their lives were in ruin. Their fault that the humans were hunting them. Their fault for everything. And one by one, she would make them pay for it.

"And you cat, are next. I can hunt you down just as easily. I have eaten your kind before, and I have to say it is mighty tasty. And I know some torturous ways that will make you keep your own tongue.