A Caution's Greatest Strength

This is where I will be storing all my writings, I want you to be prepared for some to suck, be rather depressing, or kick some butt. These really depend on my mood and muse. If I've been listening to a really good song it should inspire me to write, other times it is a picture of a landscape, or I guess I just imagine it. Anyway, ALL of my writings are personal, they contain hidden meanings and memories. Please, feel free to read any or even comment. Heck, I most likely won't even mind if you take a few portions, as long as you ask. Before you go all, OMGOSH SHE IS CRAZY and blah bah blah, this is MY WRITING and it's a free country, don't like it. Then don't read it. Simple enough right? Good I'm thinking I'll finish this later.

Most of the stuff under the title Fools Thoughts, is about me. The rest is either current writings or past writings.

Also, a thing to take note of is that I roleplay not only on here, but other sites. I'll list a few. Ruby Moonlight, Wolf's Requiem, Let The Evil Go East, and Survivor's Guilt. There's been more than that over the course of my life, however, the others aren't worth mentioning. But overall, Ruby Moonlight and WR take the lead, I've met some amazing folks there. But sadly, WR shut down, RM is still going of course, a lot more alive now actaully. Sorry for the leftover HTML or CCS codings. It was just to make it look pretty on the site. And forgive me for spelling errors. I can't spell worth a sack of grain.

When My Muse Left Me Stranded
I haven’t given up on such things in a very long time. I’m surprised that I made it this far without falling to my knees. The words aren’t flowing into me like they used to, the feeling of being able to teach those who are reading is gone. They left me for another perhaps, one who devotes more time to displaying them in a correct and tender way. Those poor words of mine, treated with disgrace, left to wander through my page, unfitting and unused. I honestly don’t blame them; I have proven that my ability to express any emotion throughout my text has also vanished. A lost girl now, that’s what I am, a filthy depressed child without my words to carry me through the day, through my life. The weight of my beaten heart is more than I want to bare, I begin to take it in my hands, wanting to release the heavy pressure that infected it with a black curse. I want this heart to once again become alive, to show the world that it’s way of twisting and generating the sentences is there, just hidden among the sadness that I’ve carried along with it.

Depressing Thoughts
I can’t say that I haven’t experienced true misery, I can’t say that I haven’t fallen into its grasp before, exposing myself to its violence and torturous ways. I couldn’t look you in the eyes and tell you that I haven’t sinned, or ever spoke lies. I’ve done many things, things that now cause horrible anguish, the give me the nightmares that keep me awake. I will not sit here and say that my grief is more so than yours or anyone else’s. I will speak the truth within these protective words; it will be your choice to decipher what you wish to understand. I’m definitely not even close to perfect; I have my bad days, the days that a pained smile is the only thing I can manage. I can tell you that I have seen death, watch the spark of life fade from one’s eyes. I will say that I have watched my own life come so close to ending many times. I will speak of times when I thought about dying, even picked up the weapon and twirled it around with my fingers. I can think of periods in my life when I was suicidal, how I did things for the chance to gaze upon the maker. I’ve seen a time where my best friend of my childhood became more so, before leaving me, betrayed and confused, where I threatened to leave forever and walked outside with bare feet, fully intending to never return. I can say that I’ve hurt someone so much that they would never trust me fully again, I’ve seen drink after drink go down my father’s throat and watched as he raged. I was a part of a time where I thought my father was going to kill my brother. I have been the cause of my mother’s tears, even though at the time I couldn’t understand. I have defended a child from a mob of unruly teenagers, thus forcing their anger upon myself. I have been thrashed and touched, felt joy and pain; I guess this is what it’s like being a human. Feeling, being, and living, but this is my life. I will not tolerate focusing on the past, it’s there only for one reason, so I can learn from mistakes.

Sunset then the rise of the Moon
The last of the light faded into nothingness, leaving the all mighty sovereign of the night spread its vast control trhoughout the enclosed region. It clutched gravely at the world, a sinister grin playing with hint of madness tugging along thin lips. The pale hands gently folded over the earth, and the darkness exploded. The remarkable fury was unmatched, as it hungrily expanded, needing more suffering to satisfy. Within this age of the oppressive blackness, there was to be no other to shake its wrathful grip. Yet, high above the authority of the opaque sky, stood a million strong. Their strength was small, however, their number proved to be champion. While the cold commander gazed without harshness at the poor earth below. His touch reached out, past the vile bleakness that savagely hissed at the intrution of the pale light. The army of burning fire encompassed the first hand, slashing with a silent and deadly grace through the thick and twisted black. His light grew ever brighter, as the clouds obediently fled the higher commands. The cruel night shrieked with a lasting fear, as the brightness began to infect its being. It writhed along the sky, rushing to disappear to the very edge of the horizon, nursing its wounds.

Dargian Kor
Name: Dargian Kor

( [i]d-arr-sinn-a-gin core[/i] )

Nickname; Dar Kor, Dar.

Age;  four years

Breed;  red wolf

Gender;  male

Appearance;  dargian. lean. athletic, and rigid. as he isn't as packed with muscle as some of the other sub-species, as he is rather a lean predator than the large hunks such as the Yukon. slender muscles cascade down his body length, underneath the raggedish coat. Agile, robust, and hard, his physique isn't lacking in any department. his body can take quite a beating and never show it. hardy is a farily good word for it. his eyes, are a shade of amber. common, of course, yet most don't have the soul seeking affect. once peered into Dargian's optics, one feels compeled to confess their secrets, to give their burdens to him. they seem to draw and repel at the same time. the danger that resides deep, and yet the warmth they carry. a unkept coat of thick, dense fur, with mixed shades that flow with harsh certainty. his pelt is rather good at keeping the weather at bay. It gets thicker at his hing legs, head, neck, and throat, giving him a slight mane. Near his ears, the fur becomes extremely soft and thins out. Blacks, cinnamon reds, whites, and chestnuts flow in a  misture of shades along his body. The white splashes on his throat and legs, along with other areas on his frame. Shades of reddish brown are painted upon his muzzle, and the top of his legs, then exploding into the others hues when reaching his spine.

Personality;  dar is hard to understand. he rarely ever talks, instead using his silent language to get things across. if and when he does speak, it is what he feels needs to be said and straight to the point. the brute shows little emotion to what he is feeling, as he may have thousands of things inside his heart, yet only reveal one on his facade. he is extremely honest, always speaking the truth, however sometimes his words aren't what people want to hear. but when he gives you a compliment, you know it is from the heart. dargian doesn't hesitate, there is never a move that he isn't sure about, and while others are wary, he boldly takes the lead. dar kor is quiet secretive, as the male keeps mostly to himself. he doesn't talk much about the past, and has a problem with locking his emotions deep within, and it builds over time. but he has not yet found it's boiling point. he thinks that he stays underneath everyone's radar, however, they are very much aware of his presence, and if in a crowd they'll part for him. mostly because he seems, intense and lethal, willing to kill if pushed. he believes that the world runs on courage, and repects those who show their breavery. dargian knows that the link that always has led to power, is knowledge. and he has knowledge, the smarts to know when to back out of a situation or protect those who deserve. he is quick-witted, his reflexes, fast, caused by his constant training of his body. his instincts are always near his sleeves, along with his gut feeling as hisself he is sure of. although he appears hard in all apects, he can be pierced. he longs for a family, to settle down. but his mind won't allow such things. surprisenly, he is, once in a blue moon, content to just watch the time tick by, instead of constantly working to insure his place. when faced with a large problem, he remains unfazed, calm, uses his head to figure out a good solution. as he doesn't recal any memories of his childhood, he isn't seen playing with the younger ones often. as he is usually the one to watch silently as the pups skills increase. there is something about him, that attracks and much as it repels, perhaps it is the wildness intenesity, the raw potent pedator empression. he is dangerous, wheather he knows it or not. and damaged, as his family memories long forgotten.

Family;  none

Mate;  doesn't recal having one.

History;  he thinks he started out just like any other wolf pup would, loving parents and not so loving silblings. that they lived in a normal den, everthing in their lives, simple. and so he thought it went, from there on until the young generation reached the age of being a teenager. then, he is sure that all hell broke loose, it was midsummer, and a very dry one it was. the heat was like one is a desert. even the toughest trees soon fell into ruin. the sun had sucked up nearly all the water. it was perfect conditions for a fire. and so one started. it didn't give anyone a chance, spreading like water. it ate everything in it's path, leaving only the runt of the litter. abandoned, Dargian complete mind set changed from the curious puppy to a serious adult on the dark day. he became older, in thoughts and in heart. more thoughtful, more silent, more... dangerous. dar grew, as he learned, and traveled. far from his home in northern texas. and boy did he learn, he used his knowledge to find out other things, make theories, discovering all the different tactics of a a stalking route. he taught himself, through trial-and-error how to hunt. he become extremely good at it. as another year passed, he had seen three oceans, two sets of mountains, and five different sub-species of his kind. all of this had hardened him, into a cold weapon. unlike most two year olds, he didn't think he was superior to all others. instead, he watched and gained insights. he was like the silent predator, that would cut your heart out during the time you lose your focus. he met many other packs, joined then left without a trace. a drifter, he had been. another year passed, quickly. restless, dargian continued to pace through the states, looking for something he didn't know he was looking for. a home. he just couldn't settle down, as he had countless adminers, none in which had ever made it halfway to first base. he always one day, would get up and leave. he couldn't be tamed. as he went, he learned how to create a outer shell around him, and appear empty on the outside, instead what the turmoil on the inside. he went from slightly quiet to complete and utter silence. when passing through human-polutued cities, he observed them, the naked creatures that everyone feared so. he saw the destruction they caused, to make their own mark. it struck him puzzled, and the more he saw them, the more he didn't fear them. once again, another swift year passed, the male had grown since the day in the forest. his size normal, his aura dark, his mind, smart. he wisely strayed out of the humans ways. his trouble days over and long gone. he doesn't look back to often at what he was, but more of what he is. but there is a mystery, he doesn't remember anything past the wildfire. and he would wonder, where did he come from?

Sample Roleplay;  thousands of skeletans, dotted the pure baren wasteland. their limbs stripped of color, their trunks, coated with black. ash was still falling, like snow, blanketing the landscape. it wasn't much to look at, and it's story one of strange simplity. it had been a regal thing once, impressive and mighty, giving life to those who fought for it. a true timber woodland. and many had named the place home. yet here it is, the grove, wiped off the map with a single spark. it was bound to happen of course. the land was dry, the sun, a blazing ball of fury. it beat out the water til there was barely any left. the day a ember caused the very blaze the ended the creatures lives in the dweling. crackling, the flames had spread, eating the dieing plants and animals. smoke clouds grew into huge masses, hovering right above the heat. and the fire had continued, knowing no bounds, hungry for the blood of many. there was no  stopping this monster, so those who could had ran, trying to flee the danger. in just a few short hours, the wildfire had created a complete desolate tomb. a grave for those who weren't fast enough, or strong enough. but that was a day ago. and the ashes still settling. a lonely breeze swirled the flakes, comforting the weary region. yet, there was life, a abandoned beast, the gray dullness happily painting it's multi-hued pelt. it stared, with shock, not terror, at the sight. it was a small male wolf pup, just barely a year old, that gazed with knowing orbs of gold. such a feat, that the fire had spared such a tiny thing as the young one, skipped over it as if it had never been there. perhaps the flames thought the morsel was nothing compared to the buffet of trees and other beings. for whatever reason, the fire didn't touch the brute. the loss of his family would never be felt, for the heat had washed out his memories of being youth, sealing his fate forever. the bundle of gray stirred, getting to his mits of red. yes, the woods were gone, his home, vanished. leaving only a empty shell, and he took a step forward, then lifted his paw, to peer at the print it left. yeah, things can change in a instant or in a day. but things change, and lives continued. as would the wolf as he placed his foot back down and started forward. he would leave this place, find a new begining to his past and his future. as he went, the pawprints remained. in great detail, until the silent gust of air blew the prints away, fading. a journey of a thousand miles, only begins with a single step.

Obsidian
[size=1][center][color=white]

[left][b]Name[/b] [/left]

Obsidian

[left][b]Nickname[/b][/left]

Torque

[left][b]Age[/b][/left]

2 years and 3 seasons

[left][b]Breed[/b][/left]

Grey Wolf

[left][b]Appearance[/b][/left]

[blockquote]Torque has a black pelt with patches of dark gray, dotting around the sides of his neck, shoulders, ribs, and hind quarters. His massive head is pitch ebony, until reaching the insides of his ears where the hairs are hinted with white and gray. There is a line of pure obsidian color that travels down his spine and comes to a stop at the base of his tail, this line is duplicate on the bottom of his throat. It continues downward  pooling around a small white spot on the base  of his chest and then keeps going until reaching the start of his tail. On his sides there are lines that thread their way from the start of his shoulder to the beginning of his hindquarters, leaving a look like ink-covered fingers had clawed his ribs multiple times. His eyes are normally stormy gray, however, they constantly shift shades, from almost black to a pale blue gray.[/blockquote][blockquote]Obsidian has the stature of a normal wolf, about 111 lbs and scarcely 3 foot for he is still coming into adulthood. He is well muscled, mostly around his neck, shoulders, and hind legs. Torque mostly seems lean and robust, but really is well fed and healthy. He has a large birthmark across his muzzle in the shape of a X, rarely visible because it is barely a shade lighter than the rest of his muzzle. There are scars from Lily's teeth on his left hind leg, the aftermath of his sister grabbing it to save his life. Obsidian has, on his left fore paw, a white third toe.[/blockquote][left][b]Personality[/b][/left]

[blockquote]Obsidian is fearless, thus getting him into life-threatening situations. He is also very protective of his pack, family, and friends, and will not stand by when others threaten them. With courageous determination, he doesn't easily give up hope, and would fight to the death if necessity. Though once he found that whatever issue hadn't had any weaknesses he would relent. He is know to very patient, and can wait for hours or days. When he first meets wolves, he is polite yet distrustful,  but once he gets to know them he is loyal and devoted to making his friends happy. He doesn't make good friends easily though, as they would have to peel back the many layers of his personality. Torque is the type of wolf you would want on your side during a bad situation, one who will stick with you till the end and almost always has a backup plan.[/blockquote][blockquote]Torque has a habit of licking his paw when he is nervous, often causing a raw spot. He also has a scary fascination with fire, and stares at it like a bird in the eyes of a snake. This has never given trouble since he hasn't been close enough to the flames. He dislikes having to repeat things over and over or when confided in small places. He gets restless and very grumpy, refusing to speak. But when cornered by wolves that mean him harm Obsidian turns into a lethal weapon, causing pain whenever he can. In times of panic his mind gives in into his fearless and determined side, and the strageic is left to the back of his brain. He hates when males take advantage of females, and since his mother, a victim of rape, he is very protective of younger wolves. He enjoys the thrill of a good hunt, and even more so, a little wrestling match. Obsidian also has a liking for swimming, and is expert fisher. [/blockquote][blockquote]Obsidian is sometimes, with the wrong words said, quick to anger, but is also quick to say sorry. He  can admit that is he wrong, but will need strong  proof  then  he would begin to try and find anything he can about that subject. Because he believes in being prepared fro any situation and tries to find out everything about everything, which means he asks a lot of questions. Torque is quick-witted, can won't stand down to a challenge he know he can win. He loves puzzles and observing a fight, loving to learn the fighting style of each creature. He is very good at planning a strateges. Having seen lots of the world he became wise is most places that younger wolves wouldn't even think about. [/blockquote][blockquote]Rarely, Torque exposes some of his softer side, like catching him rolling in a patch of lavender or singing on the full moon night. He can be very kind and gentle, and would be there to lean on. Obsidian isn't harsh or serious during these times of subtleness, instead he is quite laied back and more willing to open his heart. He would love just to be with a special someone and enjoy watching the world go round. Torque's mind sometimes just needs a break, and this is the result. He would calmly take burdens from others and give them the peace they need. He is willing to do anything for a loved one, but would rather relax along a river or lay on a hill, looking up at the stars. Obsidian feels like he is truly safe, during this, therefor he would warmly welcome wolves into his life. Fortunately for him, this seldom happens.[/blockquote][left][b]Family[/b][/left]

Mother : Zorah

Father : N/A

Sister : Lily

[left][b]Mate[/b][/left]

N/A

[left][b]Offspring[/b][/left]

N/A

[left][b]History[/b][/left]

[blockquote]His mother was a victim of a forced breeding, but that didn't effect her love for them. So when she gave birth, she cared for Obsidian and his sister, Lily, like a normal mom would. Though their mother often found herself in lean times,  barely catching a lemming or two to feed her pups. Zorah, Torgue''s and Lily's mother, wouldn't speak of their father to them, only saying that he was a wolf of high regard among his pack until he betrayed them. As the two grew to the age of being able to explore, which they did very much like, their mom started to leave early in the morning and then return at the rise of the moon with food. [/blockquote][blockquote] On one of these days, Torque and Lily traveled far for the birthing den, their curiosity in overdrive. Soon they started to play a rough game of tag, Lily being faster almost always winning but Obsidian had the advantage of being stronger and stealthier. So whilst this rumble and tumble, they came to the edge of a sharp drop off. Unaware they played, each step leading them closer to the cliff. Obsidian made to first slip, he managed to roll Lily onto her back and decided to pounce her. As he leaped he realized to late and he started to fall downward. [/blockquote][blockquote]Lily, not seeing what was happening, grabbed his hind leg to make him trip. But that move saved Torque from a sure death. When their mother finally found them, Torque was clinging for his life while Lily tried to pull him up, she came to recuse them both, also scolding them fiercely. Obsidian and Lily grew older, learning from their mother all that she knew. Worried about them, Zorah, after the near death of Torque, begun to train them at a very early age so that they would be wiser when that they left her. Obsidian show great talent in hunting and fighting, whilst his sister was tracking and running. But Torque frequently let his instincts take over, expically when he is cornered[/blockquote][blockquote]But when Zorah had taught them as to her knowledge extent, and she decided to send them away to learn even more. Zorah had heard rumors about the Vale and sent Torque there to gain knowledge, but she gave a different task to his sister. That would be the last day Obsidian would ever see them. So he journeyed to the Vale, hunting and traveling for weeks upon weeks. He met other stranger wolves on his travels, some kind enough to let Obsidian stay with them, the rest wouldn't let him within a 2 miles radius. Most saw Torque as a danger, for he went alone and unafraid. So rumors had quickly spread until only a few lupes would let him stay and learn about their ways. [/blockquote][left][b]Sample RP[/b][/left]''

[blockquote]A shadow of the darkest shades of black, slowly wove its body through the heavy underbrush. The rays of the moon above threaded downward and lit the wolf's path. The wind busied itself by caressing the fur of the dark creature, lightly dancing around the brute. The night was a clear one, the stars softly dotting the navy sky. Cool was the night, the chill almost freezing his breath. The lupe was traveling, seeking a land far from his own, long sturdy legs gliding with great ease. Muscles rippled underneath his thick ebony gray pelt, the lupe was of normal height, yet seemed larger in every aspect. [/blockquote[blockquote]The brute's large head lowered, his muzzle barely grazing the earth below him. Scents of stranger wolves with a hint of a rabbit filled his nose, as he breathed deeply. His eyes of dark thunder gray searched ahead of him, always wary, but nothing fronted his path. Then he paused, resting, he had been going non-stop for a least the entire day and  well into the night. Obsidian's pants fading into the sounds of darkness, closing his orbs he let the breeze lift his spirits. The winter's wind weaving through his coat, comforting and calming. Instantly feeling better, Torque shook himself, the tired body quickly refilling with new energy.[/blockquote]Being  young  hadn't affected him in the abilities to hunt and fight, he relished in them both. Just over two years old the wolf was still considered a teenager, yet was seemed to be trained to the hint of perfection. His understanding of the world around helped greatly, as did his seemingly limitless energy and strength. Perking up his velvet soft ears, he listened silently. He should find a shelter of sorts. He could feel the air crackling with the tension of the snowstorm that he just manged to stay ahead of.[/blockquote][blockquote]The orbs of now a shade of blue grey, glanced back at the beginning of the storm. The clouds swirled behind him, darking with the power of Mother Nature, for this storm would be worst than he had ever seen. Obsidian's lips lifted in a silent snarl, he should of planned this happening. Growling to himself, he increased his pace to a run. The wind picked up also, following in front of his lean form. A freezing cold breeze flowed through the plains carrying the snow with strong arms. Torgue let his mind fill him with the energy of a mighty determined tiger. His stubborness to live pushing him onward, lucky for him there was a large rock that jutted out of the grass. So pressing himself toward it, he slammed into high gear. The snow started to fall, thick and heavy, clouding his vision. Obsidian blicked swiftly, and kept going. The rock quickly came into sight and he dove behind it, sheltering from the cold wind that blasted everything with freezing snow. It should be a while before this ends...[/blockqoute][left][b]Other Characters Played[/b][/left]

Renegade

Niveth

[left][b]Other[/b][/left]

Fight Style-

[blockquote]When faced with a bigger wolf than he, Obsidian will use his smaller size, outmaneuvering them whenever he can. First he will search for any weakness that the creature has, say like a rib that hadn't healed correctly. Torque would direct all his beginning attack there. If unable to find a physical weakness, he would start a series of complex and irritating attacks, slashing than leaping away to safety. That is just to bleed and tire them out, so he could move into stronger and more vicious bites. Now he would do something he saves for last, because the animal is weaker and with less fight. Obsidian would fake a attack, like pretending to go for the throat, but instead grabbing the muzzle and biting down as hard as he can. Thus affectedly blocking the larger animal's air supply, and he would hold on until the beast goes down. [/blockquote][blockquote]When going up against a small wolf, Torque uses his strength, bowling them over every chance. However he is wary therefor, will not attack first, leaving the lupe to have the beginning move. Normally he would start circling the creature, creating a wolf circle, thus forcing the other to move with him. Once the wolf is moving he can see if they have any mishaps, much like how he hunts. He won't charge in and go into a rage, but rather he stays cautious, dodging and slashing as the other attacks. He doesn't like to take damage for it would only slow him down. [/blockquote][blockquote]When up against a more than one wolf, his fearless and determined side takes over, leaving the strategical half to run on low priority. He dives into series of moves, from extreme to simple. He is fighting to kill and survive, but he tries not to let anybody behind him. He dislikes being cornered. When fighting with his pack, he waits until a clear signal to attack before leaping into the fray. Committing himself to protecting those his cares for.[/color][/center][/size][/blockquote]

Sorry ... its longggg.. :D.. or at least to me it is.

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh174/Phantom1996/another_black_wolf_by_CallistoTheWolf.jpg

October
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh174/Phantom1996/stray_dog_sleeping_by_darienshieldsgreece-d37ov92-2.jpg

[left][font=monotype corsiva][size=6]||first introduction;  OCTOBER[/size][/font][/left]

[b]||TAG;[/b] October

[b]||ALTERNATE;[/b] Obony, Odders

[b]||LINEAGE;[/b] english shepherd mix

[b]||SEX;[/b] male

[b]||SEASON;[/b] autumn

[b]||WEAR and TEAR;[/b] 2.3 years

[b]||PREFERENCE;[/b] swings both ways

[b]||POWER;[/b] invisibility && electricity

his control over lighting is... weak, to say the least. for he doesn't take the time to really use and exercise the power itself. the only things he can do with ease are run a electrical current throughout his body, the current is quite strong, as if touch the person will be stunned into the ground or forced to endure the pain as the lighting curropts their frame. however his other power, he practices often, cuasing the control of it to be much more pronouned. he can make his entire person completely and utterless unseeable. he has also found that he can make other things invisiable also, such as a object or another dog. however if the thing he means to become unseen is large, he can only keep it like that for only a thirty mintues at a time. the limits of his power are that he can only stay unseen for only a few hours. if gone over that, he becomes visiable. also there is the weak points, such as the fact that stepping in wet sand leaves pawprints, and that his scent of peppermint leaves people suspious

[left][font=monotype corsiva][size=6]||what we should know;[/size][/font][/left]

[B]||LIKES and LOVES;[/B] [list]

[b]x[/b] the smell of peppermint.

[b]x[/b] the wilderness

[b]x[/b] the ocean

[b]x[/b] being challenged[/list]

[b]||DISLIKES and HATES;[/b] [list]

[b]x[/b] leaving a place he has become attached to.

[b]x[/b] nosy people

[b]x[/b] being jealous

[b]x[/b] becoming less of what he was[/list]

[b]||STRENGTHS and MOTIVATION;[/b] [list]

[b]x[/b] protective

[b]x[/b] competitive

[b]x[/b] loss or death.

[b]x[/b] his knowledge [/list]

[b]||WEAKNESSES and FEARS;[/b] [list]

[b]x[/b] the limits of his power

[b]x[/b] the hidden want for love

[b]x[/b] protective

[b]x[/b] being followed[/list]

[b]||ALL ABOUT;[/b]

odders is hard to explain. he is a dog of no words, normally just using his silent language to get things across. if he does speak, it is what he feels should be said. the collie shows little emotion to what he is really feeling underneath, as he may have thousands of things inside his heart, and only reveal only one on his facade. sadly he has found that he can't trust anyone, excalpily the thing he loves most, the ocean. but not trusting doesn;t mean he is afriad. when faced with a problem he remains unfazed, calm, and uses his mind to figure out a good answer. he is a honest person, and will always speak the truth, however sometimesn. there is a thing about obony that makes him so strange, the thing that makes hime seem so intense and grounded at the same time is that he doesn't hesitate, there is never a move that he isn't sure about, even it if means becoming as still as a rock. he believes that the world runs on courage, and repects those who shows their bravery. a good thing about obony is that he doesn't keep the bad memories for long, indead he takes the happy ones and stores them always in the back of his mind. [list]

[i]SECRETIVE[/i];  he keeps to himself, staying underneath the radar of others. He doesn't talk of his history, or the things he has learned. odders has a problem with telling what he is really feeling, rather he has to have someone force the truth out of him. otherwise he locks his emotions deep within himself. it builds, over time, piling up upon everything, and one would wonder,... would there be a breaking point? and truth be told, there is. often times, he is reserved with people, rarely showing what turmoil that lays inside. yet others are aware of his presence, and if in a crowd they part for him as he walks, seemingly having that effect on people.

[i]CUNNING[/i];  the link that always leads to power, isn't brute strength nor speed or endurance. But knowledge. and october has knowledge, the smarts to know how to get out of a situation or to save those who deserve. he tries to always have a plan in case of his constant 'letting the chips fall were they fall' goes awry. quick-witted, his reflexes are faster than most, caused by his constant training of his body and mind. his instincts are always near his sleeve, just in case he needs something to fall back on for safety.

[i]PENETRABLE[/i];  even though he seems hard in all aspects, he can be pierced. a secret longing for company causes him to be polite, almost gentleman like, to others. and it doesn't help that he has a soft spot for the younger generation. i would guess the easiest path into his heart is to just be yourself, he doesn't take kindly ( usually ) to those who are hiding behind something, if though he has his own set of secrets. another way to get a edge is to be understanding. he keeps the chaos inside, hidden from view, and needs someone to understand the constant riots. two others are to beat him in a fight, it won't earn a place in his heart, but he will respect you, until he believes he has become stronger once more.

[i]SURVIVOR[/i];   he lives. that is proof that he has found the secret to living, he knows the feeling of staying concealed in order to live the day and night, the feeling of being watched, or hunted. for he has been there and done that, but he was smart enough to get out of the place when he could. yet he yearns for the times when he was being chased by the others. however he has shown to be perfectly capable of getting out of tight spots. and there is the fact that he wouldn't hesitated to kill if they would threaten the health of himself or his loved ones.[/list]

[left][font=monotype corsiva][size=6]||my, how dashing;[/size][/font][/left]

[b]||HOW MUCH;[/b] 93 lbs.

[b]||HOW TALL;[/b] 27 inches

[b]||FIGURE;[/b] october isn't as packed in muscle like some other breeds, as he is more of a lean predator instead of the large hunks as the rottweiler or the american pit bull terrier. Slender muscles cascade down his body length, underneath the raggedish pelt. Powerful legs benefit him whilst he is running, and strong jaws for snapping. Agile, robust, and hard, his physique isn't lacking in any department.

[b]||THE FUR;[/B] october has a medium length pelt, which is often shaggy and unkempt. It gets thicker at his hing legs, head, neck, and throat, giving him a slight mane. By his tail, the coat gets smooth and wavy, much like the english shepherd's standard suggests. Near his ears, the fur becomes extremely soft and thins out. Blacks, cinnamon reds, whites, and chestnuts flow in splotches along his body. The white splashes only on the lower half on his figure, coming to a end as it hits his banner. Shades of reddish brown are painted on his crown, elbows, hind legs, and tail, while the blue black color stays near the top, acting like a saddle the way it covers his back.

[b]||THE EYES;[/b] the deepest shade of blue. striking hue against his tawny mask. the color shifts, acting like waves in a ocean. they, the colors,  harden when october is angry, turning to more of a colder seeming hue. while in a more happier state, they sparkle, twinkling as he smiles. In the dark, they give off a haunting glow, just bright enough for others to be intimated by the faint light. he doesn't relise how it affects others, as it seems to draw others into its depths, because of the wildness that seem to radiate from him.

[b]||OVERALL;[/b][list]

october. Lean, lithe, athletic, and rigid. 27 inches and 93 pounds of pure potent intensity. a unkempt coat of thick, dense fur, of mixed shades flow with harsh certainty. large paws stalk out from the powerful legs that leap out of the figure. A base color of white, spreads across most of the bottom of the dog, following up his legs and throat before the bowing from the challenge of the more dominate hue of chestnut. The red brown tint unfolds into a mask. But the shade that overpowers all, the blue black, that saddles above the submissive colors. Two creamy white eyes spots dot right above the remarkable blue orbs that carry endless depth. october has the most curious eyes, that seem to glow during the darkness. A ring of ebony encases around the crown of the head, fades near the center. Velvet smooth ears, fold into triangles when alert, down as a normal stance. A plume of soft fluffiness, puffs out behind the english shepherd mix. obony often smells of peppermint for he carries some on his person. he gives the impression of being... feral and dangerous, drawing in those to yearn to taste of the wild side. yet has a slighter softer side to him.[/list]

[left][font=monotype corsiva][size=6]||the origins;[/size][/font][/left]

[b]||THE MOMMY;[/B] Novac, a english shepherd who lives with his sister up near canada.

[b]||THE DADDY;[/B] Unknown

[b]||THE BROTHER(S);[/b] none

[b]||THE SISTER(S);[/b] Autumn, a english shepherd mix

[b]||THE MATE;[/b]

[b]||THE BABIES;[/b]

[b]||THE OTHERS;[/b] Lever, a icelandic sheepdog, his best friend from his younger childhood.

[b]||STUCK IN THE PAST;[/b][list]

Born in just a few miles west of Wind River, Colorado he was raised in a rural settings where the dangers were more of natural causes than betrayal. His single mother was a victim of rape, as many dogs from the outskirts of the city were, yet she didn't seem to have a hard time rising her two rowdy children. The family moved around, always near the town, but they didn't stay in one place for long. For the mother feared the dogs that lived there with her, so she constantly moved from region to region, so she didn't develop close relations to others. Novac, always danced across the line of being safe and just being paranoid, she wanted her kids safe, but also wanted to save herself. But for her sake she was a rather good mother, teaching the ways that she had learned from her parents, whom were living with the humans at the time. Novac gave him the reason to be who he really is, and he loves her for that. Other than his mother being slightly twisted, he had a standard childhood, playing with his best friend, Lever and getting away from his little sister who always seemed to tag along. October and Lever reeked all kinds of havoc on the dogs that live in the indian reservation, becoming the village troublemakers. They often played tricks on the younger pups, and fought constantly with the older. Both Lever and October were known as the 'Demon Duo' as they usually left a path of destruction in their wake. Sadly their time together was short, as soon he was forced to leave the res. because of his mother. So they moved, he, his sister, and Novac, traveling closer to the place October would call home. Along they way, their mother started to become senile, surprisingly, for she was rather young. So Odders was forced to become the leader of the family, required to be there when the pack encountered trouble or when they needed food, he did it all. his mind started to form his personality, causing a rift between his family. so he moved into the big cities, started to wander with the wrong crowd. a gang if you will, and he was good at his place within the club. he had started to kill those he was being hunted by, for the sake of his pack and his. he didn't want them finding his weak spots so they could destroy them. but when things started to effect his family he headed out looking for a safe place to live. so after finding the city of Detroit he sent his sister and sick mother up to Canada, so he could push the town to its.s limits, without being worried for their safety.[/list]

[left][font=monotype corsiva][size=6]||the creator;[/size][/font][/left]

[b]||NAME;[/B] Reason

[b]||ALSO PLAYS;[/b] switchblade & aquamarine

[b]||HOW MANY YEARS;[/b] 2 years... maybe. i forget.

[b]||THE RULES;[/b] fosho &#9829;

[/*justify][/blockquote][/size]

Zephyr Nicolette
[b]ADULT JOINING APPLICATION[/B]

[b]OOC Name:[/b] Antics

[b]Character's Name:[/b] Zephyr Nicolette ( zeph - fur; nic - o - let -e )

[b]Current Other WR Characters:[/b] none

[b]Pack:[/b] Dawn's Omen

[b]Power:[/b] Esper

[b]Power Description:[/b] Being at the lowest tier, Zephyr can only speak her name and hear  thoughts that directly relate to her. Her range is denpendent on if she is familar with the wolf (or wolves) or not. When advancing onto higher tiers, Zephyr is able to use telepathy for longer periods and no longer she is limited to just her name. When dropping her thoughts into another's mind, they would feel a strange sensation, though not unpleasent. They would also 'hear' the emotion Zephyr is feeling when she uses telepathy. For example, if the other wolf had stepped on her tail, they would 'hear' her hurt and anger in her thoughts when she uses telepathy. The other part of her ability also would become more complex, she would be able to hear another's thoughts as they think them. However she cannot search within one's mind nor can she understand the motives that come with each thought. Zephyr would only be able to hear what one is thinking about that exact moment. When she is with a group, her head would be tortured with the vast amount of thoughts that come in, so she would suffer often from headaches. There is not a way to tune them out. Her range stays the same thoughout the tier levels.

[b]Notes:[/b] Zephyr is a mute, she cannot speak, phyically anyway. It is just comething she was born with. It doesn't affect her ability to hunt or fight, mostly just being social is a problem.

[b]Sample RP Post:[/b]

A soft warmth spread across the black bundle, the solar rays threading their way down through the small trees. The pink, orange, and purple hues danced across the lightening sky, as the mighty sun rose to claim it's place in the morning. It was dawn, a beginning to a whole new day and the ending of the night's cycle. The wind gently caressed the dark shape, it's rushing through the leaves, making a calming melody. The clouds that floated overhead, ignored the presence of the earth below, bouncing in their fluffy whiteness, and dancing to shove themselves in front of the sun. As the air around the small Aiileni chilled and the heat of the bright beams faded, she stirred. A moan escaped Zephyr's lips and she, to rebel againist her wake-up call, lifted a large paw to hide her face. [i]It can't be morning... could it?[/i]  She flung herself to her back, waving her legs in the air. The Nicolette blinked once, twice in the dappled sunlight, her liquid gold eyes narrowing. She glared at the treetops and the coming dawn for a few moments longer before finally forcing her body to a sitting position. As she glanced over to her left, where she knew Roth had slept next to her, the wolf realised that he had left a long time ago. Suddenly alert, Zep paused in her  breathing, listening. A breeze made itself known just then, and rustled the bushes in front of her. Zephyr sighed, knowing that her brother probelably wasn't going to be back for awhile. The young adult finally rolled to her feet, and streched for a moment before continuing on. On the move, her form was smooth and quick, each step taken with silent percision. Her lungs took in a huge breath of air, while her nose was filled with the salty embrace of the ocean that roared in the distance. With no destension in mind, she let her legs take her where they wanted. Soon the black coated Aiileni was treading on the submissive sandy turf of the beach. The ocean beside her whispered quiet things, hushing, the waves were also calmer today. It was a rather bitter cold day, on the beach, she had supected such though, it was the middle of December. Suddenly, a grin brust across her features, and she begin to dance in the watery foam that each wave had brought to shore. She would enjoy it now, before the liquid would become too cold.

Dargian Owns The Night, But Not The Marsh
[size=1][blockquote][blockquote][color=Black]the marsh. with it's twisted paths soaked with the blood of countless. how many lives had been lost to it's possessive grasp? how many had fell into it's trap of perfect complexity? how many?[/color][/blockquote]  a storm was brewing, with a light shower that soaked the area. the scent of charged tension. it was going to be a spitting sort of day, for the water just sputtered out of the clouds. the plants, however, loved every second, their leaves reaching, begging. but a misplaced figure was on the map. and it was a unknown to the world around it. the brute was a like newborn, yet also like a elder. he stepped through the cool wetness with silent precision. without direction, the wolf stride out, content with only the sound of the elements. the gray skies above didn't faze, as his amber optics were charged with intense passion. there was a challenge on his facade, a insult to the world. he was fearless, there would no turning back the way he had once treaded. no hesitating, he went onward through the submerged earth. the ground beneath the male, was submissive, dipped as he pressed his paws in. his pelt a rugged canvas painted with dark hues, unkempt the fluff spiked as a breeze winded through his hair. his crown lifted high, watchful yet curious. greenery around zoned in on the newcomer. his presence, appeared to be unwelcoming. but onward Dargian went. his figure was lean, unscathed despite his four years of experience. delicate splashes of water fell from the heavens, misting the tinted coat. as if the marsh needed more rain, but the lupe didn't seem to mind. rather a smirk danced across his muzzle, and a thought dashed. [color=Maroon] [i]What am I doing?[/i][/color] he wondered. [color=Maroon][i]I ain't gonna just walk up to the alpha of this land, whose history could put any good wolf to sin, and ask for a home? Are you not a drifter any longer, Dargian Kor?[/i] [/color] of course he already knew the solution to his questions. his body was no longer as restless as it was, ready for war, so to speak. closing his orbs of gold, he opened his mind's eye, and saw the ocean. with it's dark whispering call, shushing like a mother would a child. the sandy beach cooling off at the sun's rays faded into a orange. it's last resort. it was at it's dangerous at night, with only the depths of blue to go by. going back to where his body was, his optics pried themselves free, and once more he continued, not realizing that he had stopped. his predator-like presence didn't go  unrecognized by the region, while bleak quietness quelled any other thought of noise, only the drizzle of rain was heard. yes, he didn't belong here, with the salty embrace of the marsh,  the green tinted everything, and the dampness. at least, not yet. he lifted his crown, no, he wouldn't assume that the alpha was going to be some soft-hearted fool, nah. he knew better, and he would show what he had to offer. perhaps, he would have a place, he could truly call home. a song rushed past his ebon lips, one of hope, yet one that carried a darker burden. it was a call that knew no limits, and the sound waves flew across the marsh, to the very heart of it. it went on, echoing. as his lyrics faded into his usual silence, he daydreamed of his ocean, back to the place he once lived, but not called home. leaning back on his haunches, Dar set his mask in place. making sure only thing, to whomever he was meeting, would see a silent predator, willing to work. cold amber hardened into shards of brilliant gold. the cool damp air relaxed him somewhat, as it reminded him of the ocean. he was ready for what was to come. fearless, and bold. his mitts rested in a firm stance. awaiting the arrival of the owner of this bleak region. audits perked to attention, yet his eyes remained the same empty shell, there would be little peering in on his history. he was a weapon, sharpened to perfection. there was only one thing he could possibly offer this alpha, and he knew it. it was his life. and his life he would gladly give. he wasn't stupid, he had searched the vale for a pack, that fit his standards. the choice was difficult, but simple, and of course he had chose the marsh. the brute mind buzzed with such annoying thoughts, yet on the outside, only one who would have the knowledge to seek for those specific things, would have noticed. moss tickled his paws, but he refused to move a muscle. he appeared to become one with the earth, the complete stillness he was. as the rain speckled his coat with darkened spots, he pondered on what the alpha would be like. harsh, cold, and protective perhaps. with his past like would match the misted marsh's. but he shook his crown, fiercely, he wouldn't let his mind stretch the theories any farther. he was going to judge the alpha and be judged by the alpha. yes, he was ready. a faint smirk lite, before being crushed by his disguise.[/blockquote][/size]

"[color=Maroon]speaking[/color]"

[i][color=Maroon]thoughts[/color][/i]

I will explain a few minor things before letting you continue on. One, Dargian is my character, I typed his post. Two, this next post, Valerius, forever belongs to Koto, as it is her writing and her character. If I find that ANYONE takes a portion of her writing, I will promptly inform her myself and cause your online life to be one of isolation. I will NOT tolerate any abuse to my demands. I ask only that you leave their writings alone, because it belongs to them.

[ VALERIUS ]

» The clouds raged overhead, the gray scale hues billowing amongst one another a the light precipitation plummeted downward to fall into place among brethren lost in the submissive soil of the marsh's embrace. Large paws maneuvered fluently through the unstable terrain with a both practiced and natural ease as claws ripped into the fold of moist grasses that clung to the ebony dirt and relished in the layer of water that was slowly rising. Muscles rippled with each jolted movement, easily visible through the flattened and soaked fibers of crimson pelt. Weather had never stopped the young sovereign from guaranteeing the safety of his borders, and today was no different. The rain was a weak onslaught, little more than a misting sleet, but given time the effects upon his structure were the same as any powerful downpour. Broad crimson crown rose from its lowered stature among the drowning golden grasses as a masculine tenor reverberated throughout the flat expanse of the marsh, dancing among the mist in a request for his audience. Expelling a soft sigh from broad chest, the tawny crimson alpha abandoned the patrol over the border to meet the stranger who summoned him. Muscles rolled beneath youthful structure as all the potential of his forefathers' bloodlines pulsed within each rolling ravine and ridge with each fluid stride across the submissive ground. Moist soil gave way beneath massive paws as obsidian claws dug into the weak foundation, weaving golden grasses splaying as Valerius made his way across the increasingly familiar landscape and toward the masculine singer. The Misted Marsh was a new kingdom, born from the ruins of the old after the destruction of the hurricane. As such, their numbers were few, but the crimson alpha was not concerned with pure numbers, he preferred to dwell in the strength of each that joined. The marsh was a harsh place to live- there was little prey and only small supplies of suitable drinking water. The seemingly endless amount that swelled between splayed paws was saturated in salt, a blessing and horror from his own homeland. The scent of saline was relaxing to the young alpha, and it made the marsh truly feel like home. However, there was also the curse it brought. The saline water did not beckon in much prey, and almost all hunts had to take place outside the marshland. It was a struggle to survive but Valerius was ambitious and stubborn. They would survive, and the hardships would strengthen them.

» Only those that could live in a harsh environment and pull their own weight would find a sanctuary in this land. The marsh was homeland only to a few, mainly only himself and his sister, Valeria. She was one of the few he could trust even though they found themselves on opposing sides of an argument on almost any occasion. Other than Valeria, there was Tourniquet, his lovely spitfire who frequented the marsh, and whose vows were tentative at best. He hoped one day she would find peace in the marsh and join him, but he only subtly keep the subject alive, satisfied just too simply know that she was close by and within his protection. There were no others yet, the marsh was an empty place, void of almost any canid scent except for his own dominate presence across the expanse. Olive gaze lifted as the masculine scent grew stronger, overpowering the senses as visage shifted to scan the horizon. It did not take long for trained eyes to fall upon the obsidian stranger, posture shifting into one of pure dominance as spine arched into a noble slope and chiseled crown rose in the misty air. Hackles bristled lightly as muscles tensed beneath crimson frame and carried him within a few strides of the stocky brute, expression cold in apathetic scrutiny as he drew to a halt. Olive gaze rolled over the contour of masculine frame, taking in the stark hue of darkened shades across misted pelt; the stranger seemed healthy in physical means, but only through conversation would Valerius truly tell if he would be able to handle himself within the Marsh. Olive gaze darkened as lips released husky tenors into the air to break the silence between the pair. "I am Valerius, the alpha for whom you called. What business do you have with the Misted Marsh, stranger?" Masculine chords breathed into the air curtly, laced in tones seeped in dominance and demanding respect. Handsome facade remained painted with an apathetic expression, olive gaze simply pinned upon the brute as he waited for her case to be spoken. If nothing else, he would hear him out, as he would all the summoned him to the borders. If he wished to see more of the Marsh than a viewpoint from the borders and his bared fangs, he would need to play his cards carefully. He would not tolerate disrespect of any kind. This was his kingdom, and any who were too arrogant to recognize that he was the sole holder of the crown would find themselves in the presence of a historic wrath. His bloodline radiated darkness, but with time he had grown to overcome it, but it only took a stark moment for him to fall back to his roots and truly become a demon that danced out of the shadows of his heart.

Zephyr && Valse
The same thing as before goes with Valse. Valse was a extremely inspiring person for me, he was one of the most interesting people I've met. He had a usual way of thinking and he was extremely good at what he did. If I see that his writing was taken and used elsewhere, I will be hurt to the deepest point and because WR is no longer open, I will not have the chance to inform him. However I will take matters into my own hands and make sure that the rest of your online life is full of misery. Sorry for the threats, but this comes with emotions.

Valse

The steady hiss of rainfall dominated the landscape. The low, thick woods nearest to the coast were filled with it; the limestone rocks had turned a darker shade and the sea's otherwise calm surface writhed with a grey mist of tiny splashes. It was both unseasonably cold, yet surprisingly warm for the location. Valse thought the last day or two felt rather like early spring, with the summer's heat fading away in the lingering cold this place had. Now it seemed as though he was getting a spring storm.

From the shelter of a limestone overhang barely taller than himself, he watched the sea peacefully. Somehow the sight and sound of a rainy day was comforting. The grey that consumed the world was never harsh against his eyes, and the sound drowned out so much that he began to feel isolated – safe. It made him sleepy, like a cosy cave filled with dry grass. Though, it might have been nice to find something like that as well; his current protection was little more than a bank of rock, eroded inward, with grasses and shrubs growing overhead.

Slowly Valse stretched out his body and lay down, wincing softly. The buck deer had kicked him hard, and his landing hadn't helped any. It wasn't the worst pain he had ever felt, but he could tell he would be feeling bruised for a week or two at least.

It had been a stupid idea, coming out here looking for trouble. As a loner he had learned his limits, and he knew the animal he tried to tackle was beyond them. That was the whole point. In a pack, he had to be useful... and for his own sake, he had to be tougher. When there was nobody to practice fighting with, larger prey seemed like a good compromise. The trouble was that his pride (or was it shame?) kept him from learning his lessons on pack land, and now he had a long and painful way to walk back.

Valse yawned, and sniffed the wet earthy smell on the air. It had been stupid, yes, but he knew that when he made the decision. Did that make it better, or worse? He couldn't decide.

Zephyr

Drip, drop, plissh, plosh Zephyr sung in her head, as she danced in the bombardment of the droplets. The small black female had always liked the rain, and everything thing that came with it, like the hair-rising show of lighting and the deep rolling thunder. It made the world seem exciting, the constant danger and that's what Zeph liked best, excitement. She wasn't reckless, though she had tread on the line of being so, just merely unafraid of what the world offered. Besides, she had been raised in these very lands, they didn't strike fear in her. Except, maybe the ocean. Even now, as the Aiienli paused in her movement and brought gaze of a honey-hued to the sea, distrust filled her.

The water, a ever dangerous thing, she didn't trust it unless the sun was high in the sky above. The liquid shimmered as each drop of rain returned back to the sea, sprouting small ripples that quickly faded with the crushing waves. She reverted back to her happiness and pranced onto the rocks that jutted out from the sandy earth. Suddenly her hunger made itself known, and her stomach grumbled a warning. Zephyr continued to leap on to the stones, with her muzzle low to the ground, brushing against the damp grass. Maybe if I'm lucky, a rabbit will just hop out of the rocks and into my mouth she giggled at the unrealistic thought and went onward.

She was just about to jump onto a larger rock when her nose clutched at a strange scent and she froze, Zephyr didn't recognized the smell and it encouraged her inquisitive nature to rise. So she crouched down, her dark pelt blending in with the wet limestone and silently stalked around the rock and saw.. nothing. It was just open bea- there! Farther beyond the beach was a large rock that over the years of salt water that had assaulted it finally gave in and eroded into a cave of sorts. Inside was most grass, just hidden neatly was another figure. An animal, perhaps? she wondered. That I can eat I hope.

Her mind reached out, trying to touch the newly found creature, but stopped because of her limits. She stayed in her position of a stalk, lurking in the shadow of the boulder above her. Unsure, she waited before deciding to creep forward along the edge of the dark-hued limestone. Zephyr placed each paw with quiet precision, her technique nearly perfect, except the fact that her blue marking stuck out like a sore thumb. The dark female paused as she neared the other, realizing that it wasn't something she could eat, instead it was a wolf. So she dropped her act of stalking and started towards the other in a friendly manner.

As she was now closer, her mind could touch the stranger. Hello, stranger, she whispered into his mind, ( she guessed it was a male by the feel of his mind ) as she advanced. Her own head pounded, the simple phrases already hurting, but she continued, I'm Zephyr Nicolette, who are you? Finally she stopped, exhausted by her effort, she was close enough to the newly met wolf anyway and she lay herself down on the damp sand, letting the rain wet her coat.

Valse

Thunder rolled in the distance, coming in from the sea. Valse's silvery ears twitched at it, but his eyelids were closed, his head lying flat between his paws. Not asleep – not yet – but he felt himself drifting away to that heavy, low hissing of the rain. His sensitive hearing picked out odd sounds even through the rain, most of which he barely noticed; a stick falling from a tree, a brief gust of wind shaking heavier drops of water from some leaves, and some other things he did not recognize.

In spite of his poor shelter he was beginning to feel warm. There wasn't very much wind, and in the summer even this strange region was somewhat warmer. On top of that, he had finished cooling down after his earlier exertion, and now his body was returning to normal. He always did feel a bit of a chill when he lay down after a long run, before he was properly adjusted, though he wasn't sure why. All that was left to make him cold now was the rain, and he was keeping out of that. What he hadn't escaped had by now mostly dried, and really only affected his extremities anyway, since he was fairly waterproof.

Suddenly, something changed. Before he knew what he was doing he was on his feet, teeth bared and eyes wide. Upon catching sight of another wolf out in the rain, he began to put together what had happened, and relaxed a little (though he felt as though he had to force his lips back over his fangs). Whoever this was, she had crept up here and spoken to him. It was the same way Krynn could speak if she wanted to; with her mind. Sort of the opposite of what Valse himself did, he thought. Of course, not having to compete with the rain, a voice immediately inside his head seemed much closer than if she had just said what she wanted to say, and feeling someone had about stepped on him made him jump up the way he did.

Now that he got a closer look at her though, he couldn't help but feel a bit less than afraid. This wolf was... tiny, even by Valse's standards. At first he thought she may be a large pup or a yearling from a nearby pack, but squinting a bit, he thought she looked a bit more developed than that. She was just... little. Thinking back to the pack meeting in spring, and the ageing but small alpha wolf of the Coven – before Thorne had come to share the same rank at that very meeting – Valse decided this wolf must be of that same kind, and merely didn't grow to be much bigger.

'I am Valse,' he said, sitting down and looking around warily for any other surprises. The rain hitting her fur was making her seem much darker, but he saw some blue in her fur as well. Such an odd colour must make stalking prey in the woods or plains even harder for her than his silvery white coat did for him, he thought. Perhaps she merely hunted in the night, and stayed to the shadows, pretending to be a flowering plant. He smirked at the thought.

'So what makes you stalk around soaking up all this perfectly good rain, anyway?' he asked, noting that she hadn't seemed to want to know why he was here or whence he had come the way someone out on patrol might. Only who he was...

Zephyr

Zephyr glanced back to the ocean, wary, making sure that the high tide hadn't decided to surge higher. The small wolf wondered quietly to herself, as her amber eyes stared into the coming storm. It appeared that the sputtering rain hadn't used up all of its tricks, it still had a last resort to give. As if on cue, the darkened sky rumbled, and excitedly Zeph turned her black crown back to the stranger. Does he also enjoy this gloomy weather? she pondered, but didn't send her thoughts out to ask. Instead she silently observed him, he had seemed to be sleeping before she sent a greeting to him. And nearly leapt to her own paws when the male took an aggressive stance. Her ears flattened themselves to her skull, but the golden honey depths remained passive, she wasn't looking for a fight.

As the stranger seemed to regain his composure, her ears went forward again, trusting. He didn't give the impression of a one who begs for a fight, yet she felt that he had seen battles. Zephyr edged nearer to him, mentally her mind did also, peeking into the clockworks of his head. Again with the shortness, the Aiienli sighed, everyone she met, always the first thing they noticed. Zeph didn't mind being small, it often tipped the luck into her favor. Her ears flicked, catching the silver-gray male's lyrics. Valse, no last name. she thought, Zeph had guessed that it wasn't common to not have a last name. She wondered why this Valse, if he wasn't lying to her ( as that was a possibility ) didn't have one. Her jaws parted, as if for words to travel out of them, however they closed and Zephyr shook her head. Praying that the older wolf understood her silent language.

Mirroring her new friend ( already considering him one ) she sat back on her haunches. As she forgot to close the link between Valse and herself, his thoughts came unbridled and,.. about her ( as she could only hears the ones about herself. ) A plant! I beg your pardon! she yelled inside her mind, insulted, she curled her lip, showing off a white glint from one of her canines. Strength brought from her brief period of anger, focused her power and she sent a quick message. Your thoughts are visible you know. she pinned him with a hard stare, scolding. But his question forced her to pause in her rant, and curiosity rippled in her features. Great. Now she was stumped. She hadn't the slightest idea why she had been wandering around her pack lands. A larger drop of rain hit her muzzle, and she peered up at the clouds.

This is gonna be a good storm. Lots of flashes and roars she thought. Rising to her feet, she tilted her head, hesitating, before she crawled underneath the rock with him. She wasn't sure if Valse would like her being stuck in a narrow space, but she slid in next to him anyway. Warm. she thought as she settled in, perfectly comfortable with the height of the overhead rock. The advantages of being small, she thought with a smirk. She crawled until her eyes could see the incoming storm. Answer to question, she sent the clipped phrases at him and pointed upward to the sky. As the clouds grew increasingly violent looking. Remembering her duties as a pack member, she stretched her paw to tap Valse with a puzzled expression on her face. Then her forepaw went back to the earth, and repeated the gestures. Why are you here? she said in her thoughts, as if Valse could understand them.

Valse

A tilted ear and slight curious squint was all the response Valse gave her accusatory statement. Another wolf might have been surprised to learn she could tell what they were thinking; he was not. True, he hadn't met many people with that sort of ability before, so it was somewhat unusual... but he had been open to the possibility of his thoughts being exposed to others ever since the day he first used his power coherently.

What she was referring to remained a mystery, however. She seemed to think he had done something wr- oh... that. Well, it was his mind after all. If she didn't like what was inside, she shouldn't be looking. Besides, he didn't mind making her angry; it was actually kind of funny on someone so small.

Suddenly she quit peering up at the sky, and he began to pay attention again, wondering what she was looking his way for. He tensed awkwardly as she approached and slid in beside him. Valse could hardly find her intimidating, but all the same, he wasn't used to complete strangers getting so close. Then again, it wasn't often he met anyone small enough to use him as a shield – not that one was really needed, for the rain was falling straight down.

Her 'answer' didn't explain much to him at all. She was here because of a storm? Maybe if the wind had been stronger that might have made sense. He was about to tell her as much when she began prodding him and looking confused. For the first time he began to get a sense that maybe she didn't merely choose to be silent, but couldn't actually speak in any other way. The gesture was completely mysterious to him, and surely there would be no reason to use it if she could just ask whatever question plagued her so.

Something else caught his attention as well, some scent about her that seemed familiar. At once he opened his mouth to speak, then realized the futility of it. Sighing, he closed his eyes and relaxed a little, feeling about with his mind. It wasn't long before he slipped across the gap between his consciousness and hers; they weren't exactly far apart after all, and he wondered if her own power made it easier too, although if it did he couldn't tell.

Thinking of her strange gesture was quick to bring him to her own recent memory of it, and revealed its meaning to him. He could have tried to explain it to her then, but why he was there actually seemed rather complicated once he thought about it, and he didn't want to wear himself out by telling stories while he maintained a link to her mind. The next thing he did was bring up that scent, seeking through her own memories to find one that explained why he remembered it. As soon as he found what he was looking for, he shut off the link and opened his eyes.

Dawn's Omen. The name in his mind tasted bitter, the way his expression looked. So that was why he knew it... well he should have known they'd be wandering around here, it wasn't far from the land he'd first met one of them. Valse tried to keep the memory out of his thoughts, knowing she might look at it, and hoping she couldn't dig up his memories the way he could with others.

In a flash of anger he nearly bared his teeth again, thinking how easily he could get revenge with her sitting right there next to him... but he didn't. She wasn't the one who attacked him. She probably wasn't even related to that Blackbird cur. In fact, for all he knew, the rest of them might be nothing like that at all. Yet in a way he wished otherwise, just so he could have made one of them bleed.

Valse's cold silver-blue eyes stared out at the storm and what he could see of the ocean gloomily. He had forgotten to answer her question.

Zephyr

The black female froze when she felt his presence inside her mind, her eyes searching the ocean as if for a answer. The sensation was awkward, to say the least, as she'd never had another within her head. Zephyr wasn't sure if she liked the intrushion, but wondered if her own power caused this sort of discomfort. Or maybe it was because of the fact she was more intune with wolves mentally that she knew that Valse was also reading her thoughts. Suddenly as quick as Valse had entered her mind he was gone, along with the link she had built between them. Guess he found what he wanted she mused and it didn't seem if he liked what he found either.

Zeph glanced at him through narrowed eyes, not distrusting, but with renewed interest. What Valse didn't know, was that once she was familar with him, she no longer needed a mental 'bond' to hear his thoughts. Yet all she knew was that he was hiding something from her, a topic that he wished the small Aiileni wouldn't see. She silently watched him, he gave the impression of one who was without emotion like something in his past had affected extremely. Her eyes snapped to his colder-hued ones as a thought of retaliation passed over to her, he wanted to inflict pain. A rumble rolled above her, shaking loose bits of stone from the overhang and she folded her ears back.

Did I do something wrong? she wondered, hurt that her new friend would twist into such violence so quickly. Disapointment flashed across her features, she was terrible at this. Without words to speak, her power so limited to only a few words and sentences, her parents were gone, and lastly she was already losing the battle for her pack. She hid her face with a paw and curled into a ball. She realized then, she had no relation to anyone, her family had vanished, and she turned away from Valse. Why are we so violent as a species? she sent the message to him, Why do you want to hurt us? What have we done to deserve such hatred?

Frustration and anger rose from her chest, spilling into her mind and sharpening her focus. She didn't deserve to be the target here and she turned to glare fericely at Valse. You are the one that shouldn't even be here she growled in her mind. I belong here. What's your excuse? Suddenly she was tired, tired of the emotions that spurred her descsions and tired of just sitting here. Rolling to her feet, she stalked over to Valse and sat back down, right in front of him. She wanted answers. I don't need the truth, all I want to know is why you wanted to- she sputtered before collapsing at his feet. Her power was sucking away at her energy, and she fell, drained.

So tired she mumbled in her thoughts, as her eyes flickered, trying to fight off sleep. What's your excuse? she grumbled at the silver male. He smelled of Dark Coven, she thought they were allies or perhaps Valse was new there. Her stomach ached, Oh yeah, I'm hungry she remembered, forgetting that she had been seeking food to fill it before meeting Valse. Succuessfully fighting off the blanket that threatened to put her to sleep, she dragged herself away from him, still angry. Your so grumpy. she mused, glaring at him again. The storm still drizzled droplets of wetness that once again dampened her coat. Close enough to the edge to get wet, yet she stayed on the limestone ledge and she watched as a sliver of lighting crackled across the gray sky.

Valse watched the sky flash before a wave of thunder rolled over them, closer than the last. It really was like a wave, wasn't it? His ears could almost picture it, feeling the shape of the sound as it washed over everything. He wondered if the strange creatures living beneath the water felt that way when the sea was heaving, and he wished that it was, for he had liked to watch the waves crash against the rocks and smell the salty air. Somehow, it made him feel peaceful. That would be nice about now.

Beside him the silent ball of wet fur again demanded his attention, and Valse responded with a sideways glare. So she had been listening. Somehow the anger he sensed in her made his own feelings worsen. So she could sense his thoughts – so what? That didn't make them any less his. Everyone had feelings not meant for others to see, or thoughts that never came to actions. Everyone. Someone like her should know that by now.

A terse sigh of irritation escaped him as she fell down midway through her demand. Did she make so much fuss over every sick thought in every wolf's head? Excuse. At least he had an excuse – a reason to feel the way he did – though why he should share it with her he had no idea. All he did was think, and feel. Things he learned from her thrice-damned pack. He had been young, and alone, with no idea where he was or that anyone might care. For confusion and fear he was all but killed. If it had been up to Tartarus he would have died there by the river...

'Nobody so quiet ever needed to shut up so badly,' he glared at her. 'Who are you to judge me for the way I feel? It was a wretch from your pack who taught me to feel this way. So what if I have dark thoughts? Did I act? Did I spill your blood on the sand and leave you to die? No – I didn't! Don't make me regret it.'

He turned away, looking out over the woods now. Strangely – fortunately – snapping at her had done a bit to calm his nerves. Although he probably wouldn't have harmed her, he couldn't help but imagine it happening, just like it did before with him as the victim, and he knew it would have bothered him for a long time... maybe for all time. She didn't deserve that any more than he had, although he wasn't about to apologise for the thought – she had been sniffing around in his head. It wasn't as though he accosted her for belonging to the Omen when he found out; it was a private feeling. A wolf with powers like theirs should know better than to mess with those.

Zephyr

Valse really could take her words and toss them right back at her face, with a lot more fire. The heated lyrics flew at her, the hatred coming off him in waves, and she would of shrank back farther if she wasn't already at the brim. Sticks and stones she thought with a ironic laugh, could that phrase be any more wrong? The silver male was right on most of the counts, she was acting like a spoiled naive pup, accusing him for one simple thought. Zeph tried to come up with excuses to why she would even bother him about it, and there was none that she knew of. It had just horrified her, she guessed, thinking of it mostly for her own pride than Valse's sake. Zephyr, ashamed, twisted to face his words and the light gray male.

Her crown lowered and her eyes cast down, her feelings were hurt, yes, but she kept them well-hidden. Instead she was more sorry than anything, she didn't have the right to pry and probe things from his mind, or anybody else. This power is a curse more than a blessing. It was to, sure she had another way to speak other than her crazy gestures and movements, but she couldn't tune the thoughts out, they came to her whether she wanted them to or not. From my pack? she asked herself, shocked for shaking her head. No, there must be some sort of misunderstanding. But sticking to Valse's 'advice' she kept quiet letting the silence lengthen between the two.

A exhausted sigh escaped from her lips, and she breathed deeply, embracing the fragrance of salt, rage, and rain. A interesting combination for sure, Zeph wanted to lose herself in it's smell, to disappear from the scene, and to get away from this.. battle. The droplets continued to flood down from the sky, stubbornly clinging to her back before sliding off. Bolder, she lifted her golden depths from his paws and watched as he observed the woodlands beyond the ocean. Is he thinking about leaving? she wondered, knowing she couldn't let him without saying a few more things.

She got ready to force more heated words in his mind, a snarl forming. Yet instead of the furious lyrics, she stood, treading towards him slowly, and touched his shoulder with her nose. Thank you. Stepping back swiftly, in case he had chosen to go back on his words of not killing her. The Aiienli had, when she was younger spoken through touch rather than her power and this was an gentle pressure that was a apology of sorts. She paused in her telepathy, resting her mind before once again pressing the phrases into his mind. And I am truly sorry, 'cause you're right, I should know better. It was the truth and she turned to hop off the ledge and into the sand.

The water showed no mercy to the small pup and plummeted her with hard pellets. Walking until she reached the receding ocean, she dipped a paw in. Zeph wanted to know one last thing, however she didn't need the war to start up again, so she waited a moment before asking lightly. Why did you come back? It was her final question, unless Valse still wished to speak. Which she was sure he wasn't, he probably wanted to get out of here and pretend it never happened. Lowering her ears, she mournfully gazed at the dark liquid.

Valse

It surprised and confused Valse the way she reacted. What did she have to thank him for? What did anyone? Though he was not the cruellest or most selfish of wolves, his life had never lead him to do anyone a great assistance. Her apology and change in demeanour made him feel almost guilty, though he could not think how he was. Perhaps neither of them had done any wrong, and merely reacted to what the world dealt them.

He watched with some regret as she left the shelter. Valse expected the tiny wolf to leave. Though he wasn't sure why, it bothered him. She had seemed so innocent and naïve at first, and this heaviness on her now was his doing. Or at least, it would not have befallen her had they not met. Why did he have to endure that, of all things? It was a cruel irony for him who remembered times when his innocence was ripped from him to see himself becoming one who would cast that shadow on others – but damn it all, it wasn't his fault! Why did he feel responsible for it?

From down by the sea she asked him a new question, and he gave a sniff of amusement. She had gone too long speaking only with her mind, if she thought he was going to shout answers to her over there, above the noise of the rain. Or was she still listening after this much time? His discipline had lapsed; he hadn't meant her to feel his last thoughts, but he wasn't used to the effect lasting so long. Rising to his feet, he stretched a few disapproving muscles slowly and stepped out into the weather.

Half way down the rocky beach, there was another flash of lightning, and he saw specks of white in the sea, reflecting light through the grey mist of rain. Ice. What happened here, he thought, to make this place so cold? Had there been some mistake, or random whim of fate? Did some event take place here to make it so? What a vex... He kept walking until he reached the shore.

'I didn't,' he replied at last, looking curiously at the water to see what she might be watching. 'Come back, that is. What happened between me and Tartarus Blackbird was... some way from here, by the river far to the south.' What happened after that, to this day he could not explain. Queer memories of running on a sapphire sea and seeing the sun cry tears of flame filled his head when he tried to think of it. All he knew for certain was that Tartarus had left him to die, and that Krynn had found him before it could happen. Why she hadn't found him in the same place, he couldn't know...

'I've never been back, or seen him since then, but I've no doubt he lives. Maybe someday I'll have the chance to pay that debt to him, and I can't say I wouldn't take it, but I'm not a fool. If I went there looking for him, his pack would find me, and they would kill me.' That she was part of that pack, he conveniently left unmentioned. His mistrust of them had not improved, but his debt to be paid was between himself and the Blackbird, not their allies or acquaintances. It was the same reason, months ago, he had tried to convince Krynn not to get involved. As far as he knew, she hadn't.

Lightning crashed over the sea.

'You know this... storm, reminds me of a story I heard long ago. Well, long for me. By this story's telling, there was a time shortly after the world was made, before Narsha, the warrior, had loosed magic amongst wolves, when the land and the sea had yet to mature into the forms we know them by today. The sea raged and writhed, and threatened to wash over the world, and the land trembled and shook, spewing fire and ash, creating high mountains and deep rift valleys.' Valse looked along the bay, remembering.

'The world was new, and the world of wolves was new to it. We numbered far fewer than today, and we were still learning to survive. The churning elements threatened to lay us all to waste, but we had no way to fight them; just like now, we could only stay out of their way. Then, there came one wolf, a great grey creature named Skarn, bigger than any wolf had been before him. Ibernus, probably...' Valse tilted his head left and right in turn, effecting a kind of shrug. 'Skarn scaled the highest of all mountains, higher even than wings can fly, where the air is so thin and cold that most would die. Reaching out from the peak one night, he snatched a star from the black sky, opened his chest with his own fangs, and placed it in his heart.'

'The star's power transformed Skarn. His eyes became as lightning, and his voice turned to thunder. When he returned to the world, he froze vast tracts of the writhing sea, and shattered many of the fiery mountains with such force that all in the world felt the ground shudder and saw the dust blacken the air. Ever since then, Skarn has kept the world calm, sending storms to subdue the land and sea when they grow restless. It's his sole task above all things; even when the gods were divided in war, and us with them, he took no side and kept his vigil.'

'I've never known if that legend was true or just made for amusement,' he confessed, 'Probably just a story, but I always liked it. The thought of someone who takes no part in the bickering of wolves and gods, just keeping the world from chaos... it's reassuring, somehow. I think it all would have come apart long ago if it were someone like me up there.'

Zephyr

The dark liquid licked at her paw, however it was swept away from her by the current, and she drew small loopy circles within the sand. Zeph didn't know what she was feeling, as his thoughts came to her, unwelcomed. She ignored them, good-naturedly, and kept spinning the shapes as the water erased them. The Aiienli almost wanted to check and see if Valse was still staring at the woods, arguing with himself inside his mind. Her ear flicked, capturing the muted sounds of his steps advancing towards her. As he neared her, the silver male spoke after a few moments of silence between them. Tartarus? Our Tartarus? He taught Valse to act with such violence? she wondered, before shoving the thought it the back reaches of her mind, she would deal with that later.

She listened to him, letting him tell her about his thoughts on the matter. She disagreed with him, silently, fighting fire with fire was never a good idea, someone would always get burned. She didn't want either Valse or Tartarus to meet, she wanted to protect them both. Frowning, she glared at the sand, she cared for everyone she met. They each stood out from one another, but in the end, everyone was the same, they all had loved ones to go back to, and why they would throw their lives away, she had no idea. Zephyr brought herself back onto the topic, she had been thinking about bigger things, like war between to packs, instead of a dispute with Valse and Tartarus. Deeper inside, Zephyr was glad that her mother had chosen Dawn's Omen for her to be raised in, it was peaceful here and safe. Mostly anyway she mused.

A flash of lighting shocked her back into reality, and she edged closer to Valse, lighting, like the ocean was unpredictable, and she didn't trust it. However, the silver male spoke again, and her thoughts hushed. A story? she wondered, for Zephyr never really had a heard tall tales when she was growing up, if she had, it was about Narsha and Asanla. Scooting even closer, she waited eagerly for the words. She was like a child, pressuring Valse to tell of the great tales of life before hers had begun. As he continued, she soaked up his lyrics, like a sponge, and in her eyes she see it all.. She was there, with Skarn, climbing along the mountainside. Encouraged by the thought of holding the world together. All to quickly the story ended, and Zeph found herself wanting it to go on.

Taking the story, she folded it inside her heart, willing to remember it always. She shook her head, not caring if it was created just for the purpose of entertaining young pups. The black female glanced at the storm, no longer wary. He must be very wise... she whispered the words into his mind, before continuing, If you had the courage to go up that mountain, knowing you wouldn't come back down, I think you would've done the same for us down here. She didn't peel her amber irises from the sea, finally noticing the ice farther out. Odd she thought, before she pressed her nose against his shoulder again, asking for his attention. It seemed like Valse was a thousand years old, with the way he spoke but on the outside he was just a young wolf. Do you have more st- she questioned him, before a particularly large wave surged onto the shore, lifting her paws from underneath her.

Falling into the icy water's grasp, she yelped outloud, the liquid sapping the warmth from her body and carrying her down to the breaking of the waves. COLD, COLD, COLD. she yipped in her thoughts, before splashing back to Valse, shaking the clinging droplets from her pelt. Not funny, water, not funny, I guess one more thing added onto the my list of disadvantages. she grumbled. Lifting her feet higher, to heat up herself again, she trotted out of the water. The rain above seem to go harder, as if laughing at her predicament. Gingerly sitting back down behind him, so if the water decided to jump up again Valse would get the front of it, she glanced at him. Pretending that her embarrassing fall hadn't happened, I like your story too, it reminds me that there are others who care so much for peace that they would devote their own lives to make it real. and the pain became to much, she wished to say more, but a pounding headache forced her to pause.

Suddenly tired, she yawned, her eyes blinking slowly. It had been a long day, without a successful meal, though she could go back to her pack and play with Fawn, she looked at the silver male before moving back to the ocean. The danger lulled at her will to stay awake, the gentle passing of each wave that crashed onto the shore and the pattering of the rain shushed by the ivory sand. She shivered, cold again, Guess it isn't the best time to sleep.. she thought. She glanced back at the overhang, wishing to go back and rest, but turned back to Valse. Slowly rising to her feet, Zephyr yipped at him, before slapping her paws onto the sand, bowing. A quick game would wake her up, only problem, she had to get Valse to join.

Valse

'O I don't know about that,' he chuckled, 'I might have scaled that mountain in a night if I heard I could stay.'

Did it get lonely up there, in the sky? Somehow Valse couldn't imagine it would. With the world unfolding before you each dawn, all the lands there are for you to watch over, for all time, how could you possibly feel alone? You might know a young pup one day, and follow the story of her line from then for generations to come. When the night came, who knew, perhaps from the heavens one might speak to Alsana herself...

Zephyr interrupted his thoughts just in time for Valse to turn and see the wave sweep over the rocks and sand... though, he made no effort to dodge it himself, and the water barely came up to his chest. Initially a little surprised at how easily the wave lifted her off her feet, he laughed quietly as she fled the lazy sea, his mind thinking back to her paw dangling in the water not long ago.

Looks like it poked you back,' he taunted with a grin, wondering what her fascination with the water was. Valse shook some of it from his head; he had been standing in the rain long enough to start collecting it now.

It was strange... she reminded him so much of a child, and yet, if he was not mistaken, she could hardly have been much younger than he was. Had his travels taken so much out of him? There was no moment he could think of, no turning point when he had himself gone from yearling to adult, just like he recalled no change from pup to yearling. No matter how he changed, Valse never felt any different – only that he knew more things now than he once had.

Perhaps he merely misjudged. She was so small, and her manner so foreign, that he may simply have been seeing her youth and overlooking her maturity. It seemed arrogant of him to think that he was somehow more wise to the world. Her light-heartedness made her happy, while he was forever cursed to think deeply on all matters and often feel lost and helpless as a result. How could his way be the result of any wisdom, if it gained him that?

Her voice got his attention, and he watched her gesture, confused. She had cried out when struck by the wave as well, and it dawned on him that she did not lack a voice as he had thought earlier, only... could not, or did not speak with it.

As he watched the rain drip from her dark coat, it suddenly occurred to him what she was doing, and he realized he had been looking for another one of her silent messages – when all she wanted to do was run around for a bit. It was an awkward thing, in part because he had not played like that since he left his family what felt like a lifetime ago, but also because he knew his bruised body was likely to make him uncomfortable. All the same, he took a more stable stance – looking far too conscious of it like a pup learning to walk – and advanced toward her, swinging a forepaw lightly to see if he could cuff her about the head before she dodged away.

Zephyr

She grinned back at the silver male, glad to finally see a faint smile on him. Zephyr was different in this way from others, she never wanted to be the cause of someone's anger or sadness, she sought out the lonely, making it her 'job' to help them enjoy the little things. In most results she ended up with a new friend and that was good enough for her. Maybe that's was why Zephyr was drawn to the shore side again, so she could meet Valse, she glanced at him, curiously before giving him a sweet smile.

Does he not understand? she wondered to herself, as she dashed a few meters away before rushing to him again, joy in every one of her features. Testing the waters once more, she tried to will the words at him so he knew what she wanted, but her mind snapped back into place, bringing the mental pain of her boundaries. Zephyr bowed again, this time a bark coming from her throat. The Aiienli then stopped, hearing his thoughts. To her, they seemed sad, like a last letter, she wanted him to be... well, happy. She spun herself in a circle, yipping excitedly all the while, twirling for a few more moments she paused, hoping that Valse had figured out her puzzle of her actions.

To the black female, life was simple... and short, she willed herself to live it at her greatest potential, which was mostly just making others feel like a pup again, where happiness what easy to come by. Zephyr raced back at Valse, her tail wriggling in a blur and her pink tongue hanging off to the side of her bright grin. Stopping near him she peered into his eyes, she saw his resistance, but encouraged him with a soft yip. Come on, you can do it, playing yes? she slammed her forelegs on the ground, her rump sticking into the air, and beamed.

As Valse rolled to his feet, surprising her, noting how he moved so quickly. So of course, she didn't see his paw coming before it knocked her head into the sand.

Oofmph she thought, snorting out the grains. Yuck, sand tastes.. gross she feigned a frown at Valse before giggling. Leaping back to her own paws, she splashed back in the water, grabbing a mouthful she sped back to him. The plan was to take the water and throw it on him, but the not-easily obtainable liquid slide out of her jaws. There went that plan, she giggled to herself. Zephyr charged at Valse, and gently butted him with her head on his shoulder, trying to guide him farther ashore.

She loved water, but she didn't like its unpredictable tendencies, it could be calm one minute than furious the next. Glancing back at Valse, she nudged him again. Then leaving him for a moment, she ran along the water's edge. Let's run, she thought, as another wave crashed into her. Knocking her head over paws, the water dumped her ragged frame back on the sand and fled with a shushing sound. Coughing, as the salty liquid had clogged her nose, she stood and dashed back to Valse, prancing with glee. To her, Valse seemed to awkward, like he hadn't played really much as a pup, as she did. So she decided to coach him, though she wasn't the best teacher, as she tripped over a hidden piece of driftwood and fell a few jumps away from him.

Valse

The chase went on for a time, weaving around and scuffing the cold wet sand. Valse spent most of his time trying to work out what she was doing, though he doubted even she knew. It was a strange combination for him: a familiar activity, albeit one he'd almost forgotten in this last year of his life, taking place in a strange land. All the faces had certainly changed – his too, probably. He didn't so much think about it as feel it anymore, devoting his actual attention to watching her find a new way to lose her footing every few moments.

Striding up to where she had landed most recently, he looked down on her with his head tilted in a sort of questioning, perhaps disapproving expression.

'I thought smaller beasts tended to be more... nimble,' he said with disappointment, 'but you've all the agility of a herd of muskoxen. Though I suppose at least you don't smell like a muskox.' In fact for the time being she smelled powerfully of salt, which was no mystery at all.

Thinking of that made him thirsty, and he walked further ashore where the rocks became larger and more prominent. Sniffing about for a few seconds, he soon found a small puddle of fresh rainwater to drink from, and did so. The thunder seemed to be coming from the land more often as time went by, and he supposed the storm was coming ashore. Seeing the woods again made him remember being drier and sleepy beneath the stone overhang, and he suddenly felt more aware of his bruises and sore muscles.

That overhang wasn't much of a shelter though, and now that he was already wet again, he questioned if it might not be more comfortable to keep walking through the thick woods in search of a drier, more complete shelter. Not that he could be certain to find one, but in all that forest there must be something, somewhere. Looking to see where Zephyr had gotten to, he wondered whether she meant to keep running about or also find somewhere to rest. Perhaps even hunting (something smaller than last time) would be a fair use of his time, if there was much to be found.

Zephyr

A sigh of exasperation before the obsidian coated female pressed words into the silver male's mind, It's a game, Valse. You don't have to be nimble. Zephyr smiled up at him and when the larger wolf vanished from her view, she flipped over onto her feet. A what ox? she wondered as her ebony figure followed Valse's pawsteps, lifting her feet higher than necessary in fit in his prints on the sand. Zeph never heard of such a creature, she was only familiar with what she and her pack hunted. They must have supreme agility, then. she thought, taking Valse's words as a compliment. She observed him as he lowered his nose to the earth, pausing in her treading to search his face for a clue to what he was viewing for. She discovered herself waiting patiently as he seeked the object of interest, however she didn't have to halt long as Valse lapped up liquid from the in between the rocks.

Zeph edged closer and dipped her tongue into the chilling water. After a few gulps she left his side, leaping on the higher rocks to do some smelling of her own. At her high viewpoint, she raised her muzzle to the seabreeze. Wait there, please, I'll be back.she whispered to him as she sniffed at the damp earth. It would take her a bit to find a suitable meal for the both of them. She peered at the landscape, keen eyes carefully dissecting each movement in the from within the trees. She became the predator, the hunter, and silently with swift precison she stalked through the region. A sound, and Zephyr stood motionless, as a white tail twitched a few yard in front of her. Her body tensed, every muscle preparing for the assault and suddenly she moved. Charging forward, her paws digging into the sodden ground and the rabbit shot out of reach of her snapping jaws.

She gave a chase, the small beast hopping just a few jumps ahead of her. It slide into a log, the pale bob of it's tail disappeared. Zeph twisted her body into the rotting wood, shredding it into separate chunks and splinters. Her fangs shutting onto warmth and a shrill scream echoed in the region, before it was cut off with a satisfying crunch. I got it. Carrying her prize she looked for Valse, it wasn't the best thing she caught, but it would do. Zeph sent him another message, worry etched in her expression, she hoped he was still here. Valse? Honey brown eyes lifted to sky and the rain dampened the coat of her catch.

Valse

Licking the rainwater from his lips, Valse watched the darker wolf slip away sniffing at something or other. Was there some trail there? He hadn't noticed, himself expecting the rain to have washed away and diluted most scents. It could be there was something or someone she expected to be there, or perhaps she had heard some noise in the woods and wanted to see what it might be – or was just looking for a meal. Now that he thought about it, maybe he wouldn't want a complete stranger along if he were hunting, either.

Presently he found himself wondering how far 'there' was, as he was standing uselessly in the downpour with nothing to do but think about how wet he was. When at last he found himself tracing the progress of a single drop of water down his ribs, where it had soaked through his thin summer coat, Valse decided he couldn't take it any longer. The limestone overhang wasn't too far away, and he wound through the undergrowth to reach it, shaking the water from his fur as best he could manage before entering and curling up with his back to the open world.

Shivering for a moment, he found himself wishing for a blanket of snow instead. At least he could curl up in a mound of it and sleep if he had to, knowing that it would stay put and not seep into his fur. Soon enough he had begun to warm up again though, and drifted in and out of consciousness to thoughts of summer fields and rolling in green grasses underneath the warm sun. As soon as he got back, he'd have to spend a day lying about on a warm granite boulder. As it happened, he knew of just such a boulder to visit...

Blinking, he raised his head and looked around. Had that been her silent voice returning from wandering, or only a faint memory of someone calling his name?

'Not far,' he called out, figuring she would understand if she was there.

Zephyr

The black shape shook off the stubborn droplets that clung with wet determination to her coat. Zephyr frowned as more drops replaced the ones that she had just before flung from her damp fur. Her limp prize that was gently hanging from her jaws, leaked out warm crimson blood from its wounds. The ebony female swallowed, letting the taste roll through  her mouth. Then raising her muzzle to the dark clouds that hugged the region, she blinked as the rain sprinkled her face with cold moistness.

Zeph changed her gait, pushing into more of a lope and headed in the direction of the coastline. Splashing into the puddles that had formed in her absense, the Aiienli lifted her crown so her catch wouldn't get touched by the drizzling flood of water. Zephyr considered on sending Valse another message, but she hestanited. [i]Perhaps he is sleeping again,[/i] she thought quietly, the image forcing a smile to her lips.

On any count, she hoped that the silver gray male hadn't decided to leave her company just yet. So she hurried her pace, making a effort to avoid the rain that continued to harass herself and the beachside. She came to a halt at the location she had last seen the lighter hued wolf, to find he was long gone. Disppointment drenched her features and within her honeyed iris grew sadness, [i]Not even a good-bye[/i], her mind whispered. However, her ears perked up at the faint words that were thrown out at the small obsidian female.

Twisting herself, she tried to discover where lyrics' source was. [i]The overhang?[/i] she questioned, eagerness flowing through Zeph as her hope was restored. He hadn't left her. She leaped off the large stone, still holding her wet meal in her jaws. The body was still warm, but the rain wasn't helping in keeping it so.

Zephyr grinned through the moist fur that coated the roof of her mouth, her eyes twinkling with happiness. Prancing across the beach, the ebony Aiienli dashed back to the place where she had first met Valse. [color=white]I brought you something, Valse,[/color] she pressed the words into his head, before coming to a stop near the large bundle of silver. [i]Well, you look comfortable.[/i] Pausing to fling the water from her pelt, she slipped in beside him and gently placed the abused rabbit on the grassy floor at his feet. Zephyr retreated back to the edge of the rock, before resting her head on her huge paws, tracing Valse's figure against the dark background beyond him. [color=white]Do you have any more stories?[/color] she asked the older wolf, failing to hide the excitement that shown clearly in her eyes.

OOC: no paragraphs makes my mind hurt :P

Valse

'Oh?' he was already looking at her when she said it, wondering what she was carrying. She hadn't exactly been sneaking as she approached, and he heard footfalls over the steady rain. 'Uh, thanks,' he sounded and felt awkward, wondering what had made her decide to hunt for him. There are no slow rabbits, he thought, and this was why. Here lay one of them now. If only it had known, he imagined it would have run more often in life.

'Ah,' he said when she spoke again. 'Bribery. Now I see... well, I've certainly heard more stories. Can I recount them, though? That might take a moment. First I need to see if I can remember enough to make any sense...'

That was tougher than it sounded, for mostly he forgot about them until something brought one to mind. He tried to think of the ones he'd been told as a pup, of the gods, or warriors, or adventure. Somehow there were always little bits missing, and he didn't want to tell it without them. Others were just... well... so long. It was one thing to tell them to pups over a few days, as he had heard them, but in one meeting?

Remembering the rabbit, he took a moment to eat as he thought. Hadn't there been one tale with a rabbit? Something about a river or stream... perhaps that was a fox. Maybe he wasn't even thinking of the same thing anymore. Instead, he tried to remember by people he had met along his way, who told him one thing or another. That seemed to go a little better, as he had at least something to remember those ones by.

At last, he managed to get something more or less complete in his mind. The rabbit was now only some of a rabbit, and he moved over a little, realizing it would probably fall apart if he tried to move it instead. 'You'd better finish that,' he said, 'before it cools down.'

'I uh... I'm not sure quite how to explain this one. Not really a story, and I don't know quite where it came from in the first place, but someone told it to me early in my travels. Said I reminded him of it, wanting to stray so far from home.' Now, if only he could think how to start it. Poetry wasn't anything he was used to, and it felt strange reciting it as though he was the one thinking these things. Yet, he could think of no other way to begin...

'If you should wake to find me gone, do not mourn for me, do not weep for me.' he spoke in a sort of detached voice, eyes closed, making it clear he was remembering the words.

'I cannot linger in fields of gold. I'd waste away, if truth be told. The comfort of the summer's sun torments a soul who loves to run.'

'My spirit belongs where the wild winds blow, at the edge of the world with endless snow;

I long for mountains tall and cold, where the meadows in spring are bright, and bold. If it is I you wish to know, I'll meet you there, where the wild winds blow.'

Valse opened his eyes again, realizing he'd begun to imagine the scene from the poem. It did seem a lot like the place he'd come to, didn't it? The mountain, near his new home, reminded him of just those things. Funny, he'd never really thought about it again since he first heard it. He noted though that he was quite happy to enjoy both golden summer fields and flowery spring ones high up on the mountainside. The old wolf who told it to him hadn't known that, though, and he supposed only having one would make the choice harder

Somehow her yawning had reminded Valse's body of what it had been busy doing before she arrived, and he quickly found himself feeling sleepy again too. At least, in some way, a little more exercise seemed to have helped a bit with various aches. Though he noted the bruises remained unhindered...

When she started asking questions, he thought back, trying to remember if he'd ever been given any clues about what the answers might be. If he had he was unable to bring any of it to mind. It seemed so long ago now that nobody could possibly have come up with that back then and still be alive, but when he considered it, he really hadn't been alive all that long at all. So long as whomever first told it hadn't been much older than the wolf who told it to Valse himself, he supposed they could be alive. All the same, he felt somehow it was something old even to that wolf, as though he recalled it from an age ago.

'I don't think the one who made that up had much intention of waiting for anyone,' he mused. 'They'd simply have to catch up. I suppose he could still be alive though, but words can live for longer than wolves do, if they're passed on. Maybe his spirit lives in a place like that, if he found it. Maybe he just... became part of it, or something. I don't know, mostly I try not to find out what it's like to die.'

Gazing out into the hazy day, he held his breath in for a moment, then breathed it out in a slow sigh.

'I don't know,' he admitted, 'I don't think I've ever known. It's pleasant enough there: I have the meadows and hills, and the mountains not far away, but... I'm too new, too... unknown. It's hard to tell how I feel about the pack, when I don't really know how they feel about me. Though... I do still like to wander now and again, as you can see.'

'I suppose I've always just wanted to mean something, to stand for something important. The trouble is, first I have to figure out what things are like that. My home isn't just where I belong, it's what I belong, but I've no idea what it might be. I just have to hope that I find it, whatever it is, before I die, I suppose.'

Zephyr

Steady, constant, the rain appeared to be ceaseless, which didn't bother the black and blue form to say the least. Waves lapped at the sand, drawing it in and spitting the grains back against the shore again. It was a easy life here, a sleepy smile made itself known, shimmering across her muzzle. She flicked a ear at her companion, catching each word he spoke.

Zephyr shifted her weight around the space she occupied, avoiding a rock that prodded at her ribs. Once settled, she tossed some sentences at him, [color=][i]Perhaps you should make yourself,.. unnew. Though if you chose to come this way again, I'll never mind your company.[/i][/color]  She told him, ratherly seriously for her character, of course to make up for this unusual act she flashed a quick grin in his direction.

[i][color]Even if your a little grumpy. [/color][/i]Zeph let her gaze travel back to the shoreline, warmth spreading through her body despite the wetness of her coat. At the time, she was happy, carefree. [i][color=]You think too much, Valse, and you're wisdom is beyond you.[/i][/color]  She whispered at him, keeping the grin in place. Placing her crown on her paws, the ebony female let herself relax.

She took comfort in the silence at grew between them, studying the drops of water that dripped from the sides of the almost black rock. Zephyr thought back, realising that she, herself had become wiser, to say the least. Their encounter had been rocky at first, but she had smoothed the jaggedness and the hatred after they clashed.

Her head shook, she didn't want to dwell too long in the past, the thoughts always brought more along than nessarity. If she'd knew that during this time she spent in her inner workings that her face was carrying a slightly pained expression, she would've stopped the flow of memories instead of letting them lick at her barriers.

Fericely she shoved them the things farther within herself, shutting off the whelming flood. The strength fled from her body, leaving a very tired Zephyr behind in its wake. Through half closed lids, the obsidian girl dragged herself closer to Valse and then collapsed at his side, exaustion taking over. [color=][i]Good night.[/i][/color]  Within a few moments, the black Aiienli was asleep, leaning toward the warmth of the silver boy's mostly dry fur.

Valse

She wasn't wrong about his situation, of course... Valse knew he would never feel he wasn't amongst strangers if he never actually came to know anyone. It just... sounded far more simple than it felt. To so many wolves, he had so little to say, no common ground to stand on. It was an awkward way to meet people. Naturally, his presence that way would make them uncomfortable, as well.

'I do,' he said quietly to her accusation about his thinking, 'but I can't seem to help it.' Wise wasn't a way he thought of himself, though. There were so few things he knew, and so many he wished he could. He doubted anyone could live to be as wise as he wanted to be, to answer his questions about everything, and it was vexing. Learning felt natural. Curiosity was a need much like hunger, in its own way. Only... when he ate, he felt full eventually. Nothing he might discover ever seemed to make him feel as though he knew enough now, and didn't need any more. No, not wise. Just lost and seeking direction, and too many answers to too many questions.

It seemed she was done with whatever thoughts her own mind had wandered to for the time being. The smaller wolf falling asleep by his side caught his attention. He wanted to point out that it wasn't night at all, but it occurred to him that she would probably just say he was over-thinking again. Not that he disagreed. A sigh of resignation made a brief puff of mist ahead of him as he gazed out into the strange, unseasonal landscape, where summer did not seem to truly exist.

With all but the rain and the light hissing of waves having turned to stillness once more, Valse rested his head idly on the stone floor and waited. For a time he dwelt in a strange place somewhere between sleeping and awake; though his eyes were often open and his ears twitched, he didn't remember the passing of time. Eventually it was clear that he simply would not fall into the kind of sleep he had hoped to, and he raised his head again, noting that the rain was much lighter now even though the clouds obscured the exact period of daylight this was.

Though at first he was reluctant to leave Zephyr while she slept, he reminded himself that she was much closer to home than he; and besides, it was unreasonable to think she would sleep through danger approaching: it wasn't her senses that seemed impaired, but her voice. He would not say farewell to her this way, but it wasn't as if they didn't know where to find each other. Valse was unused to temporary farewells, he came to realize.

Softly, quietly, he rose to his paws at last and slipped out into the world once more...