Re: Evergreen Forest

[Soran]

“Have they taken on meaning to you?” Her tail flicked behind them, indicating the gathered pack they had left largely behind. She was genuinely curious. She had no way of knowing how long Penan had called the pack his own.

Her question took him by surprise; so much that his muzzle, which had been open to propose an offer to hunt, sealed shut with a short snap. It wasn’t the female who had asked, it was the question in itself that halted his footsteps as he struggled to collect his thoughts. A memory surfaced, one carefully tucked in the corner of his mind. A memory he treasured as if it was some irreplaceable object.

“Why do you stay? There is little for us to call our own. Think of the pups, your sister Panoply and Heronian, my own kin. We could escape...”

Odesque’s voice, small yet clear, rang through his mind. He saw her form, bright and lithe, but sturdy enough to stand her ground against the very wolves that threatened her. And her knowledge of plants, names Pinion had long forgotten, despite his struggle to hold them to memory. She’d laugh quietly in the heavy thicket of the forest, during one of their herbal lessons, as Pinion mistook poison ivy for that of a local five-leafed vine, and had his mouth and tongue enveloped in angry red welts. She treated him promptly, all the while chuckling at such a puerile mistake. And then her laughter faded as she asked him just that.

The memory faded as quickly as it had come, and Pinion found he had come to a complete standstill while his eyes trained on a five-leafed vine. “Perhaps they have.” He began, his golden-gaze never leaving the plant, “I tried to stop it. Ties are cause for great loss when severed. We care for things blindly, so that we may never see the consequence. I fear repetition of the past, so I strive to create a new future for myself. And if that means involving myself in the everyday worries of life, and tying myself to those who live here, then so be it.” His eyes broke contact with the leaf, and now found the watchful gaze of Thaddea. “I apologize, as that was probably more an answer than you were looking for, and more than I should’ve given.”

[Elysia]

She could see the surprise in his eyes, the snap of his jaws. She’d expected as much, or perhaps not. She’d been torn between what to expect. One half had known he would react the way any would – with shock and a flustered reply. The other half had thought he might react as she would, with a logical blunt answer. She’d expected too much of him, that she now knew. She tucked this piece of information away, vowing to save it to mull over later. In such a short time, she’d collected much to meditate on. It was interesting, really, fascinating. She’d forgotten how enthralling the dynamics of a group of individuals could be. She stood, waiting for his answer. She blinked calmly, not relaxing from her rigid posture. Since she’d asked, she doubted he’d refuse to reply. He didn’t seem the type. And should he, well they would continue their scouting expedition. She’d endeavor to remain silent. But this plan of action was not necessary.

“Perhaps they have. I tried to stop it. .Ties are cause for great loss when severed. We care for things blindly, so that we may never see the consequence. I fear repetition of the past, so I strive to create a new future for myself. And if that means involving myself in the everyday worries of life, and tying myself to those who live here, then so be it.”

He’d endeavored not to meet her gaze, sticking his own to a fallen leaf. She listened silently, nodding at some points. While their similarities were numerous, she was beginning to pick out their differences – the important ones at least. While phrases of what he said reverberated with wisdom, there were parts she couldn’t help but disagree with. In her own mind, there was a way to involve one’s self in the creation of a new future without tying one’s self to those around them. Yet, one phrase kept repeating in her mind – one she found utterly delicious, alluring even. We care for things blindly, so that we may never see the consequence. It was hauntingly true, and hauntingly unavoidable. It was the danger of love, of even the minor form of affection. It made one blind. Many made such a sacrifice willingly. Thaddea remembered her mother’s advice – to travel with light steps. There were some traps from which disentanglement was impossible.

“I apologize, as that was probably more an answer than you were looking for, and more than I should’ve given.”

She realized she’d fallen silent as she mulled over his words. She pulled herself from thought, flicking her tail dismissively of his apology. There was no need, he’d given exactly what she’d asked for – more actually. And while she detested being given less than requested, she rarely resented extra information. The little facts, the little answers, they were what defined someone. And whether Penan had meant to or not, he’d done an excellent job of defining himself in Thaddea’s eyes. She remained pensive for a few more moments, eventually speaking. “You say you fear repetition of the past, that you wish to create a new future,” she paused. She’d been looking at the ground as she sorted her thoughts, but she now brought her gaze to his face. Her words were not meant to be accusatory, nor negative in any way. She realized they may be taken as such. They were mere inquiry, a provoking thought of sorts. “so how do you know whether you care for them? Isn’t it possible they are just a tool for you to escape that which you fear?” The question was both complex and utterly simple. Did he truly care for them? Or was he hiding behind the fear of a past long gone?

[Guest]

Derek fell in beside Linnea, staying rather quiet through the trip only giving a short snort of laughter at her joke of finding males. It seemed that any hope of finding familiar ground with the female and starting up a decent conversation was out the window, between his wish to remain as far from his emotions as possible and her own history of problems it seemed unlikely that this trip would be anything but dull.


That was of course until the little thing beside him got sidetracked and rammed herself into a tree. Stopping in his tracks, Derek's eyes widened, he felt the sudden urge to burst out laughing and start rolling on the ground, Biting his lower lip and attempting to hold in the bubbling laugh he rushed to Linnea's side. "Ar-are you ok?" He could tell she was embarrassed, but the situation was so comical, there was the alpha of the pack fallen on her butt and rubbing her now scraped nose.

(Lame, but thanks for indulging the whims of a friend Liver XD))

[Guest]

Liafi's departure

Yawning, the female continued her search. She glanced over her shoulder as the wolves became more and more scarce. Leaving the Banishing Winds behind was an awful thing, but she just had to find something out, something that she could not discover with the pack breathing all around her. Alone, she felt safe. There was no one waiting to turn and betray her. She had only herself to fend for, and that meant that she was safe.

Well, almost.

She had made friends there. Cayden, Linnëa, and others. She had come to terms with her past, so now she had a lot of growing to do. One day, she might return, but she doubted it a little. Growing meant looking forward. She would always remember her friends, and everything that had gone right while she was there. She would remember Jackie, and how much she owed the female.

Dipping her head, Liafi let out a howl. Sure, it was high pitched like the howl of a coyote, but she was who she was, and after accepting that, she let it end with a smile on her face.

"Farewell."

Enter Karma

Momentum.

She just kept going. The world flashed by as her paws practically flew across the littered earth. She had to get away. She had to find them.

In the cover of the trees, the female was just a black blur. The light that stapled through dappled her pelt with an array of colors that were not usually there. She slowly came to a halt to catch her breath. Her sides felt like they were splitting , but she knew that she had to get back into shape. After all the time, being treated and cared for, she felt like she was a stranger to the wild.

Trees loomed, offering protection, but they could fall. They had before. They had claimed her friends.

Shaking her head, the shadow of a female glanced forward with pale golden eyes. She had not seen her own shape in quite a long time. The bright, happy gleam that had once been so present was gone, replaced with hopelessness and despair. Others might think she had given up, but the cold hard glint was determination. "I have to find them," she breathed. Panting, she looked side to side. The scent had changed, but it was the scent all the while.

It made sense, after all, that with time, the pack would change. Would she be welcomed? Or would they greet her like a ghost? A risen wolf who they thought dead. She, too, had though herself dead, but the humans.

They had helped her. The aged female had thought that humans weren't brought destruction by their paws, but, it seemed that good could come from them too. Perhaps, humans had different kinds, like wolves did. There were greedy, and there were kind and gentle. Blinking, the female began to walk forward. As was typical, her steps were light. It was not intentional, but after living as a shadow for so long, it was natural. She stepped slowly at first, hoping the pain in her ribs would begin to dull. "Come on, Karma," she grunted.

A howl rose through the air. It sounded like a coyote. Snapping with a growl, she trudged forward. The thing would face death if it tried to attack. But as she moved, she came across a scent border. Ears perking up, she looked around. This was the scent border that had haunted her for so long!

Racing through, Karma felt her spirits brighten. Adrenaline allowed her to ignore the pain as she sprinted.

But this was not the Banishing Winds as she remembered them. Not yet aware, she searched for familiar faces.

[Soran]

“You say you fear repetition of the past, that you wish to create a new future,” she paused. She’d been looking at the ground as she sorted her thoughts, but she now brought her gaze to his face. Her words were not meant to be accusatory, nor negative in any way. She realized they may be taken as such. They were mere inquiry, a provoking thought of sorts. “so how do you know whether you care for them? Isn’t it possible they are just a tool for you to escape that which you fear?” The question was both complex and utterly simple. Did he truly care for them? Or was he hiding behind the fear of a past long gone?

Pinion closed his eyes in thought, shutting out the image of the five-leaved vine. The nostalgia had died down, leaving nothing more than a small ache in the pit of his stomach. Thaddea’s question was that of sincere curiosity; and unless the male was mistaken, he was sure she was only using his answers to help understand. “I am certain my place here has no ulterior motive. If I was to leave now, with nothing but wind offering to take my place, I would feel the ache in my heart and that miserable emotion, which I cannot seem to escape. Regret will loom over me, heavier than it does now.” His eyes trained on Thaddea’s chocolate gaze, in his own, she would see that he spoke nothing less than the truth. “Though I strive to create a new future for myself, I can never escape my fear.”

He fell silent, his mind preoccupied by jumbled thoughts and conflicting ideas. The female’s questions seemed to dig deeper into his own thoughts than his own ever had. Even Panoply, with her seemingly endless bouts of wisdom, had difficulty deciphering what Pinion strived for. A short lifetime of pain and loss, small victories, and those seemingly distant memories of better times, had shaped and reshaped Pinion’s thoughts. But what of Thaddea’s?

A placid expression crossed Pinion’s features as he choose his words carefully. Any subject he’d inquire on would result in a sharp, soldier-like answer from the female. He needed something that would make he think. “And what of you, Thaddea? What do you fear most?” It was simple, direct, a little less imposing than he wanted, but Pinion hoped to gain a little information on the female.

[Dago]

((Sorry Cinnamon - I was waiting for the edit, but didn't realize you'd already made it! My bad!))

Dago smiled, a dreamy look in his good eye. "Growing up our pack scholar told us many stories about the protectors of the forest." He began, falling into step with her and moving close, allowing himself the luxury of bumping into her from time to time as they walked.

"He told me that when the First Wolf came from the sea, he and his mate had a great celebration, in which the other spirits brought them great and beautiful gifts in comemoration of their love. Skordyrum the Spider's gift was a bundle of leaves wrapped around a few small stars, and the other deities marvelled at their beauty. Lomari the fox was enraptured with the sight of them, and during the festivities took one from the bundle and hid it deep in the forest. Ulfur the First Wolf took note after the celebration, and angered that one of his guests would mock his hospitality, began to search for it.

"Lormari was consumed with love and guilt, for he cherished the small star, but loathed himself for taking something that was meant for another. He felt sorrow, for the wolves were his friends, but the thought of giving up that precious star filled him with even deeper anguish. Lomari hid deep in the forest, shunning his friends and kin, worshipping the little star.

"After many days of searching, and the realization that Lomari was no where to be seen, Ulfur began to figure out what became of Skordyrum's gift. Great hunter and tracker that he was, he still struggled to find the fox.

"When he found Lomari, he was startled at the sight. Lomari had turned from flesh to fire, consumed by the little star and his great passion. He had become one with it, and become part of a star as well. Ulfur did not condemn the fox, but the theft was still considered a crime, and Lomari called trecherous. Lomari, then, could only know passion, and fiery emotion. Through love, he'd transcended flesh and become fire itself. He'd lost his reputation, but gained so much more."

Shaking his head, Dago turned his attention skyward, musing quietly a moment. "You're my most precious star, my lady." He said aloud then. "Too precious to be meant for one like me. Fortunately, I did not have to abscond into the forest with you, but I will correct none who whisper that I stole you away because of love and jealous desire to call you my own." Indeed, he felt like the trickster from his childhood stories, a character whom he'd always admired for always coming out on top despite the mechanisms of the other deities in the tales. Sure, he'd been named for Ulfur Ra Dagoah, the first wolf, but considered himself meager in comparison, finding comfort in the stories of the fox instead of the heroisms of the wolf.

[Kall]

Kall had been wandering alone again for what seemed like hours.
He had fallen asleep and his friend was gone.
He was heartbroken for being lonely and worried that something had happened.

He whimpered and wandered some more, sniffing nearly every blade of grass he saw for any sign. After a while he felt as though she had either left because he was somehow annoying while he slept or maybe one of them had just gotten lost.
The more he thought, the more he figured she was probably okay. She seemed to like Kall and that made him believe she wouldn't leave him alone on purpose.
He gave a happy bark and began to trot along again through the trees in his usual happy way.

Birds flew around overheard and rabbits hopped back and forth around him.
All in all it was a good day again.
Kall was once again happy. He had finally met someone who didn't mind him being the wolf he was and he quite liked that.
Now it was time to find another wolf that felt the same way.
Kall gave another loud and cheerful bark before hopping along through the trees in search of more buddies.

[Cinnamon]

Cinnamon listened intently as her mate told his story. The words swirled in her ears as she dropped into a sitting position, wrapping her in a den like comfort feeling. Had her mother ever told her stories? She couldn't really remember, and if the white female had they were nothing like this. She felt her mind being lifted away to another world.

Almost imperceptibly the forest clearing changed to her vision. She saw the First Wolves standing there, proud and tall, she watched as the spider brought her gift and the fox pilfered one, saw the wolf track him. And in parallel to that she watched the fox become besotted with the star, giving up his very self for the one he loved.

Slowly, oh so slowly, she came back to herself, feeling the rough dirt under her paws and the gentle breeze in her fur.

"You're my most precious star, my lady"

She was still half in the story ashe said that, and was stunned by how much he valued her, to weave her into this tale, make her part of his stories and history.

Too precious to be meant for one like me. Fortunately, I did not have to abscond into the forest with you, but I will correct none who whisper that I stole you away because of love and jealous desire to call you my own.

Cinnamon smiled, and knew it to be smile she had ever used before, half coy, half trickster "Ah, but you did abscond with me Gliron, albeit under my direction. For did we not slip away from the others on the pretext of a territory tour? And did not our ramblings lead to a very different end?" She watched "And if you identify so strongly with Lomari, as I believe you do, then follow his path, let your love abandon that shell of Dago that you seem to think so unworthy. Choose a new name, Master Bard, whatever you please, as long as you remain my Gliron..."

[Guest]

Jack

Jack slunk through the forest, occasionally stopping to sniff the air. There was a pack nearby, one that might provide a little rest for a few days. He didn't plan on staying long, he just wanted a meal and then he'd be on his way. He'd been following the son of a wolf that had once given him a little trouble, but he needed a few days to rest his weary pads. The old male would eventually pay the price in his kin's blood. Ears acute, he heard a wolf in the distance and began making his way towards him. For awhile, he watched him soundlessly in the bushes. He seemed to be a happy fellow, and one that would be susceptible to his trickery. Putting on an open smile, friendly eyes and confident but not threatening posture, he stepped out of the bushes and trotted up to the male (Kall) from behind. "Hey!" he called out, keeping a few meters distance. "Would you happen to be a member of the pack here?" His tone way open and friendly, and if one were to turn back and look at him, he had a bit of an aloof feel to him, from his eyes to the way he slightly cocked his head to the side.

[Silver]

"Ar-are you ok?"

Linnëa's hind end slid from beneath her then, the paw she'd used to rub her scraped nose diving quickly so she did not fall the rest of the way down to the earth. Now in an awkward sitting position, her eyes moved to see Derek, holding back spontaneous laughter behind his normally depressed and far off gaze. This caused surprise to ignite in the khaki female's mind. And then, a single word rushed through her mind, a smile beginning to play on her expression. Victory! He was smiling, and had even forgotten his troubles, he seemed happy! Her tail began to tap the ground lightly with delight at this thought, and she laughed herself at her admittedly amusing slip-up. She rose to all four paws, and gave Derek an inquisitive glance. These emotions were not something she'd seen yet from this male, it caused her to feel a mix of intuitiveness and amusement. Now, she knew how to crack that sad shell of his. Humor. Who would've guessed. Actually, she should have, but her initial reaction had been to sympathize with the male. But this, this worked far better than she could have hoped.

Her thoughts were then quickly taken away by what was initially the scent of a loner. She looked in the direction of this scent. "Our first scouting success. Shall we look?" She noted quickly, before flitting off towards the wolf she had yet to see. Within a few minutes she came across a dark pelted female. She seemed excited, joyful, something that beckoned her curiosity. She looked to see if Derek had followed her, waiting a moment before showing her presence to the loner.
(I made it easy for Derek to be spotted first. Please excuse how horrible this post is, I'm not feeling my best at the moment.)

[Alex]

Strut alongside the bank, she was becoming a little bit more discouraged in her quest of finding anybody. She spotted a wolf barking cheerfuly, she gave a big smile hoping he would be her friend. "Hi ! " She smiled at him wondering if he heard her.

[Kall]

Kall trotted along at his usual, happy pace, nipping and pawing at everything that moved around him. He liked to follow and sneak up on smaller animals, jumping at the last second to scare them and watched them scamper off.
It never occurred to him that the same thing would happen to him at all.

While playing and biting at a small leaf that had broken off a tree and fluttered down, he was suddenly aware of a voice behind him.
Someone called out to him!
He yipped and quickly whipped around to face whoever was talking.
It was another wolf. Oh how cool, he thought, mouth hanging open. His tongue flopped out of his gaping mouth in a rather playful manner.

He was about to say 'hello' when the other wolf asked if he was part of the pack.
"The pack?" he asked, overly excited.
There was a whole pack of wolves here?!?!
"Eer.. no," he answered, "I'm not.. really in any pack.. I'm all alone out here."

[Sand]

Sand waited for midnight to finish the conversation with the unknown wolf. Sand had trotted for quite a while along the bank, with midnight. Sand sat beside his sister wondering if she would ever give up looking for a pack. Sand had tried to join a pack once but they had just fought him off, but then he found his sister and decided to travel with her.

[Alex]

She smiled at sand and jokingingly pushed him into the shallow river, she watched him get up with a smile.
"Ooops" she said giggling and wagging her tail playfuly.

[Sand]

Sand pushed midnight in after. Oops i must have tripped getting up. Sand watched her get out out and playfully pounced on her. they started play fighting until sand realized, the other wolf was still there. Sand stopped and looked awkwardly to the other wolf and said sorry. Sand was really embarrassed.

[Alex]

She noticed he became embaressed over nothing she looked at him tilting her head.
She took off "Can't catch me" She stopped waiting for him to catch up. Whe he did she shook her wet fur off and it flung water all over him. She smiled at him.

[Silver]

She smiled at sand and jokingingly pushed him into the shallow river, she watched him get up with a smile.
"Ooops" she said giggling and wagging her tail playfuly.

Midnight, please remember that all posts need three full sentences of text. Thanks!

[Sand]

Sand did not respond when she shook her fur and got him all wet. he was wondering why didn't she continue there is a wolf there, he wondered could she see the wolf or was this only his mind. "Midnight do you see the wolf or am I seeing stuff". Why would he see something and not her.

[Alex]

Laughed and smilled at him, "Uh...Ermmm i uh don't see anything...?" SHe just shrugged, continueing to smile like a goon.
She nuzzled him softly she felt tired but she didn't show it. She was suppose to be his little soldier. She continued to walk up to the river lapping up some water.

[Dago]

"Your Gliron I will always remain." He replied quickly, "And to no other will I ever belong. I have but one heart to give, which now belongs to you." His smile turned mischevious, "Perhaps the little trickster is not a title for me, for I was under the impression that there would indeed be a tour. Needless to say, I am pleased with where the winding route has taken us, but now I see the light of truth, and believe that it was the star that stole the fox in this particular tale."

The wolf shrugged then, seeming to remember his past. "My alpha gave me little in this life. He gave me my name, and he gave me this scar. As his son, I was to bear the name of the First Wolf, as he had, and his father before. Ulfur was his sire, and Ra was mine. Ulfur was the name meant for my son, according to this tradition, but on the night I received this scar I was revealed to be a bastard and undeserving of the name Dagoah. If it pleases my lady, I will wear the name Dago to mock the alpha who gave it to me, and pray that he cannot truly rest at ease in his grave for my keeping it."

He met Cinnamon's eyes then, his look sincere. "I am not a cruel wolf, Cinnamon, nor a vengeful spirit. However, for the murder of my sweet mother, and the murder of the scholar who told me the stories of my youth, I feel that his death was hardly punishment enough, for his actions still cause pain and suffering in this world even though he is no longer a part of it." His sincere look turned to a well meaning smile. "Furthermore, I should hate to have to reintroduce myself to my mother when we meet again in the eternal spring."

[Guest]

"The pack?" ... "Eer.. no," ... "I'm not.. really in any pack.. I'm all alone out here." "Well, not anymore!" said Jack, almost as playfully as this wolf. "How about you come with me? I'm sure whoever these wolves are they'd allow us to stop by for awhile." Inside Jack was amazed at how aloof and carefree this wolf was. If Jack had been there to kill him, he wouldn't have had a chance! Making sure his gruff thoughts didn't affect his face or demeanor, he set off, following the stronger scents. "Let's go!"

[Alex]

She was still with her brother, sand as she continued to watch the two wolves(kall and jack) talk why the heck had he not heard her when she said hi.
She walked over to them saying "UH......errrrmmmmm.... hi....?" She watched them closly to see if they heard her this time.

[Elysia]

“I am certain my place here has no ulterior motive. If I was to leave now, with nothing but wind offering to take my place, I would feel the ache in my heart and that miserable emotion, which I cannot seem to escape. Regret will loom over me, heavier than it does now.”

She made no reply for a long moment. Here was where their differences would become most prevalent. She glanced into the trees. They were familiar, not as home but as a specimen she had seen many times on her travels. Her lips pursed, twitching with thought. Eventually, she said simply, “We differ.” She saw no need to elaborate, and so did not. But she was certain that should she awake with a desire to wander, she would wander without a glance back. There would be nothing to tie her. This was not simply because of the short amount of time she had considered the place home – but rather her nature. It was possible she would spare a thought for Penan, but only to remark to herself on the suitability of his companionship. It had been the same way as long as she could remember. It had been the same way when she had left her own family – without a glance backwards. But that, well that was another situation entirely.

“Though I strive to create a new future for myself, I can never escape my fear. And what of you Thaddea? What do you fear most?”

Fear was a horrid thing. It broke one down, shattered them to pieces which could not be reassembled. It robbed them of who they had once been, leaving a cowering shell in their place. His question sent her deep in thought, deep into memory. What memories she had were mostly what others had told her. Her own memory was flawed to say the least. As she had been told by a sister she couldn’t remember, an elk hoof had grazed her temple. The only outward sign was a small scar below her ear. But she’d woken up with nothing – nothing but strangers gathered around her, fur matted with blood, and insistence that she was one of them. But as was evidence, she’d been unable to assimilate to such a life – to a family she had no recollection of. So what did she fear? She didn’t fear death, or the loss of others, not in that conventional way. She held no great affection to be lost. She feared imperfection, but this was a fear impossible for others to understand. She feared imperfection, and she feared her own mind. She feared the memories lost inside it, the information she once held. She feared who she had once been, and what she had lost to a glancing blow of a shining black hoof.

She pulled herself from these thoughts. She couldn’t stand and answer him directly. Her unbreakable wall of rigid exactness shimmered to reveal a brisk hard discomfort. She stood, shaking out her fur, padding a few feet towards a towering sycamore. She had no particular desire to be cryptic, yet no particular desire to be as bluntly honest as she usually was. She had no desire to reveal her weaknesses, her petty failings. “I fear what is logical to fear -” She cut off. This was not an answer, but rather one of those disgusting evasions she so disliked in others –their attempts to be mysterious which only came off as foolish. She straightened, noticeably more rigid, her muscles tensed and tight. “I fear imperfection and failure in the face of said imperfection. I fear I will achieve nothing.” She sat down promptly, curling her tail around her paws. She held her head high, but refused to look over her shoulder at Penan. It was a half truth, only made so by what she concealed. Perhaps, more than failure, she feared the feebleness of her own mind.

[Gale]

In the time frame of which Gale had left Taru's side, the warrior had brought down quite a load of prey. Blood stained the air with its heavy, iron-like scent and he relished it. At the moment, a family of four pheasants lay near his paws, their necks snapped from the force of his jaws. With a precise movement of his tongue, the Wanderer licked his blood coated lips in satisfaction. Like he had previously promised, he had avoided any and all rabbits he had come across. Even though Taru had made it clear that it no longer mattered what he caught for her, Gale could not bring himself to hunt the rodents. It was painful for him as well, though it only progressed to an actual, emotional sting when the former delta left. For quite some time, he had to actually depart whenever anyone in the Banishing Winds took down hares. The beta could not look at them because they brought forth too many painful memories that stung his heart like multiple wasp stings.

Proud with himself, the warrior picked up two of the birds by their necks and pushed dirt onto the other two with his tan paws. If he were lucky, no scavengers would uncover his quarry; he would be able to return to them later. With his controlled grace, Gale started back in the direction of which he came. His scent was still hanging on the air and therefore, he knew the exact location of where Taru was located. Deep inside his mind, he hoped that he had caught her food before Iocus did. To him, it was only right that he was the one who fed her after her bought of starvation. Like before, it was his duty. The very thing he lived for.

A brisk trot whisked him through the dense forest. Green, yellow, red, blue and other hues of colour zoomed by the male as he continued on his way back to the female who owned his heart. The realization of that slightly faltered Gale's progress, though he picked it up rather quickly. There was no denying what he felt for Taru. Not even now, after all this time. Linnëa and Gale, they would never work and he knew it. Especially not while Taru was alive and possibly back in the pack. If the dark she-wolf sought acceptance once again, he knew that there was no way he'd be able to turn her down. As the norm, he would seek out her company above all others and they would become inseparable once more. There was no point in trying to fight that either.

For a brief moment, he felt his confidence fall to unimaginable depths. How could he expect to keep Taru happy and in his life when he couldn't do that with Linnëa? In the end, he could just end up hurt again and completely shattered. His heart clenched and threatened to freeze again at the very thought of such a sudden transition. No way would the beta be able to handle such a disappointment, not again. With Lily's betrayal, Elysia's death, Taru's departure, Linnëa and Gale's obvious break-up, he didn't know if he'd be able to handle yet another, even more personal loss. Surely, it would kill him like it did Rune.

Gale stopped at the edge of the minuscule clearing of which Taru lay. Wild flowers of many different colours surrounded the former delta's battered body. The bright colours of the flora contrasted with the dark coat of the she-wolf beautifully. The very sight took the beta's breath away until his eyes reminded him of the obvious exhaustion and hunger that took hold of her during her absence. The bones that had been hidden by her flesh and fur now stuck out like fresh sores. It hurt his eyes just to see them.

Tan paws were soft on the earth as he headed towards the female. Gently, ever so gently the male leaned over and carefully poked the dark head of Taru. A warm smile grew on his face as he placed the pheasants at her fore paws and stepped back. He knew that those who were ravenous had more of a chance to snap at anyone, even a close friend.

[Kall]

Kall's ears shot up in excitement as he heard the words 'these wolves'.
There were MORE wolves?! he thought, practically bouncing up and down with happiness.
He did a quick spin a circle before trotting up to this new wolf.

"Oh, I'm Kall," he introduced, tongue once again sticking far out of his mouth, "What's your name?"

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