Away From the Roar [Open]

IC Month: Current Month, Spring
IC Setting: Outskirts of Lake Therma, Early evening/Late afternoon

Boots crunched softly against the impacted ground, kicking up wayward dust every other step. Delicate paws followed in suit, though created much less fuss than their master’s/ The only other sound mixing with the constant steady walk was the idle subtle movements of the lake. It was late enough in the afternoon to qualify as the beginnings of the dinner hour, but not late enough to zap all traces of light from the world. Over the rim of the volcano the sun began to set, casting a hazy orange glow over the typically aquamarine waters. Karl smiled to himself as the din of the colony grew fainter with each step and ran his fingers along the spine of Donner’s back, scratching gently with his nearly nonexistent nails. For some reason or another he wanted a miniature escape from the hustle and bustle of the dining hall. He wanted to be able to breathe freely, inhaling the crisp early evening air without the cantankerous clanking of silverware in his ears. Naturally his solitary longings led him toward the shore of the lake, tucked away from the colony proper.

He stepped carefully around the craggy volcanic rocks that hugged the shoreline, thankful for his sturdy footwear when he was forced to climb over impeding boulders. The Borzoi followed the man gracefully, carefully picking around the rocks and leaping over the ones that got in his way. He was a clever creature and the only company his master knew well enough to invite along. Karl knew he could have easily set up his temporary eatery along the more trafficked side of the lake, but that would have defeated the purpose, wouldn’t it? He didn’t mind getting his ankles wet or his knees covered in dust. He wanted his seclusion and he was going to have it! That thought caused him to chuckle aloud, a low, deep sound that brought with it a wider grin. Had he come all this way just to be alone? Of course he wasn’t talking about his trip to the lake, no, but rather his trip into his space, his journey onto another planet for God’s sake! Had he risked everything for new beginnings simply so he could keep to himself and shut the doors to anything but work and personal recreation? …Maybe. But he was patient.

There. Karl found the prime location he had been looking for and climbed on top of the boulder destined to be his dining table. The lake licked the foot of the boulder, hugging the shore so tightly there were spots surrounding the man that sand wasn’t visible. He pulled one leg up and dangled the other over the edge, letting it swing idly of its own accord while he stripped the rucksack from his back. Donner eyed the boulder Karl had chosen, his dark amber eyes flicking from the close warm waters and the giant rock surface his owner was currently seated on. He licked his narrow muzzle and weighed his options, choosing to keep his coat dry for a little while longer. With the deftness of a hunter, Donner leapt onto the wide rock, stepping around his master to sit beside him, his apricot ears pricked forward. Karl smiled and lovingly thumped the dog’s chest, muttering sweet nothings and praise. He then unpacked the foodstuffs he’d brought and cradled it in his lap, inhaling deeply and thinking back. Slowly he ate, never one to rush his meals, while watching the way the light danced on the lake’s surface. Who knew he would grow to appreciate beauty? The man grinned, laughing quietly to himself and reminiscing on long car rides along the Autobahn as tall evergreen trees whizzed past. He never gave the trees the time of day before.

As he ate his mind flitted from topic to topic, first the next project he had been assigned to work on, the run he would need to give Donner the next day, the state of his quarters, the state of his hair which was in dire need of a trim, the first haircut he could remember, the last haircut back home, his first black eye…The man smirked at the memory of his swollen left eye, remembering the scream of horror his girlfriend at the time had given when she saw him. His smirk grew into a grin as the memory continued, recalling the state of his opponent with satisfaction. That had started it, that had sparked him. Karl shook his head in fondness, one hand absently reaching to touch the long-healed break in his nose. Sometimes he missed the life of a fighter, the constant high of winning and the body’s ability to ignore pain. He wondered if he’d box again and drank from his canteen.