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Description

This was quite the odd predicament. When she had accepted that strange dog’s challenge to solve a riddle, Rashida hadn’t quite realized it would take her so long to find an answer.

At the moment the Saluki-Borzoi was pacing by the wooden fences of a farm. She absently let her tail brush against the old, rotting wood, her mind in a serious debate over the puzzling words of the riddle. “In go humans, out comes stone… In the darkest of nooks is a world unknown..” she muttered to herself. “Stones… stones. All I can think of is a beach. It has stones in it and people go there sometimes. Although, I suppose they don’t go in a beach ....” She’d barely been in the area for more than a few days so she wasn’t exactly well-acquainted with the various landmarks that dotted the landscape. The only places she knew of were the territories of the three packs, the city, the beach, and the farmlands. Her lack of knowledge was proving to be quite the hindrance in finding the answer.

Rashida was certain the mysterious fourth pack couldn’t be in the city. Even though such a place was practically made of stone, it wasn’t as if humans were actively taking apart the buildings for them. “Below the monster which sits on its throne. Within these depths you'll find your new home.” It couldn’t be the sewers, she decided. That was Vryheid territory. Given how aggressive that pack was, she doubted any pack would want to be so close by. A sudden bark drew her out of her musings. It was one of those guard dogs she’d heard about. This one was a rather bulky collie with eyes as blue as the sky. He eyed her wearily but had a friendly smile on his maw.

“You seem a bit lost, miss. Whatcha doin’ all the way out here?” he greeted.

Rashida offered a small nod and stopped in her tracks, letting the male pad up beside her on the inner fence side. “I’m looking for someplace but I don’t know where to start searching, so I’ve been elucidating my thoughts so as to draw up a fitting answer. Unfortunately, I am not familiar enough with this area to even fathom where to look first.” She noticed the slightly confused look that overtook the collie’s features and she let out a little chuckle. “I don’t know where I am and I don’t know where I should go,” she simplified. It sometimes escaped her notice that most folks weren’t as fond of using deliciously complicated words to express their thoughts. At her clarification, the collie brightened up and grinned at her. His tail began to wag. “I’ve been here all my life. I could prob’ly help you out if ya want. What is it yer looking for?”

“A place with lots of stones,” Rashida said.

“Like the city?” the collie suggested.

Rashida shook her head. “No. Not there. Someplace below the ground, where lots of big metal monsters used to go to. I think it’s a digging site of sorts? But for humans.”

The collie licked his lips in thought. “Humans getting stones with metal monsters? Hmm… Ain’t nothing like that near the farmlands or coast. City probably wouldn’t have that either since it’s so cramped. Maybe,” He turned his head west and Rashida followed his gaze to where the treeline of a distant forest lay. “You could try your luck there. Only other place with enough space to hide something like that.” Rashida’s tail flicked as she deliberated. It made sense, she supposed. Something that required metal monsters to help get stone couldn’t be something one missed. She’d been wandering across the open lands for a while now and she had never come across a location like the riddle had described.

She bumped her nose appreciatively to the collie’s cheek. “It seems plausible. Thank you,” she smiled and turned to run for the forest.

Rashida passed by many fields and meadows on her trek. On one such field, a bunch of humans had gathered for what smelled like a feast. The aromas of cooked meats permeated the air and it made her mouth water. It had been ages since she’d eaten cooked food. She’d been living mostly off of raw meat from fresh kill and she absolutely refused to eat rotting leftovers tossed by careless humans. To eat freshly cooked meat was a rare delicacy to her as a stray - especially one that disliked being fed by human strangers. An idea popped into her head. “I need to bring something…. Why not some food?” she thought aloud.

Rashida had planned to simply hunt a few birds and hares to bring but a bunch of grilled, seasoned meat fresh from a stove seemed a much more appetizing offering.

With that in mind, she sauntered over to where the feast was. She kept low to the ground as she slinked near the edges of the party. Most of the humans had gathered on the opposite side of the field, tending to fires to no doubt cook slabs of delicious beef and pork over an open fire. The side where Rashida was on, where only a couple of humans were keeping vigil, held all the food ready to be eaten. She hid behind a tree and surveyed the area. There was little opportunity for her to snatch something off the table where all the yummy treats were. If only-

And then, as though lady luck had decided to suddenly smile upon her, a human came by the table and began placing some sandwiches and wrapped steak into a small basket. Said basket was placed on a chair nearby. To Rashida’s delight, the chair was just short enough for her to grab the basket. She waited on bated breath for nearly ten minutes, eyes keen on the basket and the human near it. She sneakily crept up once all the people had gone to help with the cooking and, with as much care as she could muster, she bit the handle of the basket and began to drag it towards her. Just a little bit more.

With one great tug, the basket fell off the chair and dangled in her maw. It was thankfully not as heavy as she’d thought it was. The smell of all the succulent food inside made her drool drip onto the wooden lid. She hadn’t eaten yet, she remembered. Oh, how she wished she could take a nibble.

But no, this was her offering. She would not touch it.

Before any human noticed, she darted away from the table and went off and away till she was out of sight.

An hour passed before Rashida, at last, arrived at the edge of the forest. She had run most of the way and so her fur was windswept and slightly disheveled but she knew she had to work fast. She’d have more trouble finding the place the riddle spoke of in the dark of night. It was only a few hours away from the sunset, so she couldn’t afford to dally. She trudged into the thick foliage and began her search.

Yet another hour had passed and so far Rashida had not seen even the slightest glimpse of what could be the pack’s location. She eventually came up with the strategy of diving into the middle of the forest and then retreating to the outskirts where the cliffs were, scratching trees and placing rocks along the path she’d taken to avoid returning to the same spot. It wasn’t the speediest method, she had to admit, but it was the most efficient. She combed her way upwards, going north. Then, just a couple hours before the sun would sink from the sky, Rashida found her first clue.

The earth beneath her feet was beginning to turn hard. As she walked further along, the ground became dryer, with fewer grass blades sprouting out. The ground was almost dusty in a way. Very much like the grounds near a digging site. Rashida hurried to where the ground became dryer, leaping over bushes and squeezing past thickets until, at last, she saw something in the distance.

It was a rocky cliff, its surroundings bereft of trees and shrubs.

Her teeth sunk hard into the basket handle as her hopes rapidly climbed.

Rashida’s saw the large chunks of rocks and boulders that piled near the cliffside. There were holes and divots carved into the rocky face. Tunnels, she assumed, that led down into the earth. With a sniff, she recognized the tangy scent of rusted metal, though faint a smell it was. Her pace slowed then and she found herself tensing with caution. On the chance that she had guessed wrong and this was a dangerous place filled with predators, Rashida had to be prepared to make a hasty retreat. Her hackles rose up at the thought of being confronted by a bear or the like. The basket would slow her down if she ran. Dozens of morbid scenarios flitted through her mind until, to her relief, she spotted the familiar silhouette of the strange dog who’d given her the test.

She straightened up her posture, shaking the dust from her fur and readjusted the basket in her teeth. “Here goes nothing,” she whispered, trudging on to what she hoped was the answer to the riddle.

This is my audition piece for a character in:

Description

This was quite the odd predicament. When she had accepted that strange dog’s challenge to solve a riddle, Rashida hadn’t quite realized it would take her so long to find an answer.

At the moment the Saluki-Borzoi was pacing by the wooden fences of a farm. She absently let her tail brush against the old, rotting wood, her mind in a serious debate over the puzzling words of the riddle. “In go humans, out comes stone… In the darkest of nooks is a world unknown..” she muttered to herself. “Stones… stones. All I can think of is a beach. It has stones in it and people go there sometimes. Although, I suppose they don’t go in a beach ....” She’d barely been in the area for more than a few days so she wasn’t exactly well-acquainted with the various landmarks that dotted the landscape. The only places she knew of were the territories of the three packs, the city, the beach, and the farmlands. Her lack of knowledge was proving to be quite the hindrance in finding the answer.

Rashida was certain the mysterious fourth pack couldn’t be in the city. Even though such a place was practically made of stone, it wasn’t as if humans were actively taking apart the buildings for them. “Below the monster which sits on its throne. Within these depths you'll find your new home.” It couldn’t be the sewers, she decided. That was Vryheid territory. Given how aggressive that pack was, she doubted any pack would want to be so close by. A sudden bark drew her out of her musings. It was one of those guard dogs she’d heard about. This one was a rather bulky collie with eyes as blue as the sky. He eyed her wearily but had a friendly smile on his maw.

“You seem a bit lost, miss. Whatcha doin’ all the way out here?” he greeted.

Rashida offered a small nod and stopped in her tracks, letting the male pad up beside her on the inner fence side. “I’m looking for someplace but I don’t know where to start searching, so I’ve been elucidating my thoughts so as to draw up a fitting answer. Unfortunately, I am not familiar enough with this area to even fathom where to look first.” She noticed the slightly confused look that overtook the collie’s features and she let out a little chuckle. “I don’t know where I am and I don’t know where I should go,” she simplified. It sometimes escaped her notice that most folks weren’t as fond of using deliciously complicated words to express their thoughts. At her clarification, the collie brightened up and grinned at her. His tail began to wag. “I’ve been here all my life. I could prob’ly help you out if ya want. What is it yer looking for?”

“A place with lots of stones,” Rashida said.

“Like the city?” the collie suggested.

Rashida shook her head. “No. Not there. Someplace below the ground, where lots of big metal monsters used to go to. I think it’s a digging site of sorts? But for humans.”

The collie licked his lips in thought. “Humans getting stones with metal monsters? Hmm… Ain’t nothing like that near the farmlands or coast. City probably wouldn’t have that either since it’s so cramped. Maybe,” He turned his head west and Rashida followed his gaze to where the treeline of a distant forest lay. “You could try your luck there. Only other place with enough space to hide something like that.” Rashida’s tail flicked as she deliberated. It made sense, she supposed. Something that required metal monsters to help get stone couldn’t be something one missed. She’d been wandering across the open lands for a while now and she had never come across a location like the riddle had described.

She bumped her nose appreciatively to the collie’s cheek. “It seems plausible. Thank you,” she smiled and turned to run for the forest.

Rashida passed by many fields and meadows on her trek. On one such field, a bunch of humans had gathered for what smelled like a feast. The aromas of cooked meats permeated the air and it made her mouth water. It had been ages since she’d eaten cooked food. She’d been living mostly off of raw meat from fresh kill and she absolutely refused to eat rotting leftovers tossed by careless humans. To eat freshly cooked meat was a rare delicacy to her as a stray - especially one that disliked being fed by human strangers. An idea popped into her head. “I need to bring something…. Why not some food?” she thought aloud.

Rashida had planned to simply hunt a few birds and hares to bring but a bunch of grilled, seasoned meat fresh from a stove seemed a much more appetizing offering.

With that in mind, she sauntered over to where the feast was. She kept low to the ground as she slinked near the edges of the party. Most of the humans had gathered on the opposite side of the field, tending to fires to no doubt cook slabs of delicious beef and pork over an open fire. The side where Rashida was on, where only a couple of humans were keeping vigil, held all the food ready to be eaten. She hid behind a tree and surveyed the area. There was little opportunity for her to snatch something off the table where all the yummy treats were. If only-

And then, as though lady luck had decided to suddenly smile upon her, a human came by the table and began placing some sandwiches and wrapped steak into a small basket. Said basket was placed on a chair nearby. To Rashida’s delight, the chair was just short enough for her to grab the basket. She waited on bated breath for nearly ten minutes, eyes keen on the basket and the human near it. She sneakily crept up once all the people had gone to help with the cooking and, with as much care as she could muster, she bit the handle of the basket and began to drag it towards her. Just a little bit more.

With one great tug, the basket fell off the chair and dangled in her maw. It was thankfully not as heavy as she’d thought it was. The smell of all the succulent food inside made her drool drip onto the wooden lid. She hadn’t eaten yet, she remembered. Oh, how she wished she could take a nibble.

But no, this was her offering. She would not touch it.

Before any human noticed, she darted away from the table and went off and away till she was out of sight.

An hour passed before Rashida, at last, arrived at the edge of the forest. She had run most of the way and so her fur was windswept and slightly disheveled but she knew she had to work fast. She’d have more trouble finding the place the riddle spoke of in the dark of night. It was only a few hours away from the sunset, so she couldn’t afford to dally. She trudged into the thick foliage and began her search.

Yet another hour had passed and so far Rashida had not seen even the slightest glimpse of what could be the pack’s location. She eventually came up with the strategy of diving into the middle of the forest and then retreating to the outskirts where the cliffs were, scratching trees and placing rocks along the path she’d taken to avoid returning to the same spot. It wasn’t the speediest method, she had to admit, but it was the most efficient. She combed her way upwards, going north. Then, just a couple hours before the sun would sink from the sky, Rashida found her first clue.

The earth beneath her feet was beginning to turn hard. As she walked further along, the ground became dryer, with fewer grass blades sprouting out. The ground was almost dusty in a way. Very much like the grounds near a digging site. Rashida hurried to where the ground became dryer, leaping over bushes and squeezing past thickets until, at last, she saw something in the distance.

It was a rocky cliff, its surroundings bereft of trees and shrubs.

Her teeth sunk hard into the basket handle as her hopes rapidly climbed.

Rashida’s saw the large chunks of rocks and boulders that piled near the cliffside. There were holes and divots carved into the rocky face. Tunnels, she assumed, that led down into the earth. With a sniff, she recognized the tangy scent of rusted metal, though faint a smell it was. Her pace slowed then and she found herself tensing with caution. On the chance that she had guessed wrong and this was a dangerous place filled with predators, Rashida had to be prepared to make a hasty retreat. Her hackles rose up at the thought of being confronted by a bear or the like. The basket would slow her down if she ran. Dozens of morbid scenarios flitted through her mind until, to her relief, she spotted the familiar silhouette of the strange dog who’d given her the test.

She straightened up her posture, shaking the dust from her fur and readjusted the basket in her teeth. “Here goes nothing,” she whispered, trudging on to what she hoped was the answer to the riddle.

This is my audition piece for a character in: