//» You are within the presence of a Goddess

[Silver]

While she had spent a great deal of time within the confines of that massive stone den earlier, the remarks from the dear Alpha had left her anger bubbling. A tease, obviously, but one that had not been taken kindly, especially being that it had been spoken before other pack members. Asserting her dominance over the others would not be a problem, unless of course, more comments such as that where constantly uttered within the range of unwanted ears. Her posture and movements where graceful, fluid --- characteristics found most commonly in those who knew that they where above others, not out of arrogance, but out of plain and simple fact. And such was she, the golden hued beauty--while the other females would toss her those childish, nasty glances, she would continue on, oblvious to their existance, be that they continued to feel the need to behave in such a lowly manner. That and of course, the others that where obviously and rather shamelessly throwing themselves before Gavin in a heat driven frenzy.

The males of the pack, depending on their behavior would more then likely recieve nothing more then mild neglect from her. Her words would be neither to cold or warm to them, but polite and curt. To those that earned her attention, they would be more then surprised to see that she was far capable of great affection, despite any earlier beliefs they might have possessed about her. Such opinions had grown to mean little to her. She had hardened herself against insults and taunts, especially from those considered lower then herself. Her beliefs of her rank where not out of simple arrogance. No. She was not just full of herself. Such respect had been rightly earned, especially among her birth pack. While not as overly large and brute-ish like some females, she could very well hold her own in a good scuffle and while females within the birth pack had often been the ones to recieve a harsh reality check from her, males had no doubt been subjected to her sharp canines. Especially males that failed to take the hint that she had been less then interested in their unworthy existance. And such opinions that she held of others where, believe it or not, usually very well founded. A very good example of such feelings in her current situation would have to be of the young male, Taint. While she had at first, felt an inkling of annoyance by his mere existance, she had come to learn that he was not all that different then her childhood friend. And thus out of his respect to her and his openness towards her, he had been privy to a rare side of the normally refined and composed Goddess.

However, there was also a dark side to the golden beauty and one that was easily stirred from the depths of her being. One that the unfortunate giant had disturbed while she had been lounging before her den when he had approached the earlier gathering. Now, as she stalked through the dying light, her thoughts kept flickering back to the earlier comment, her aggiation growing with each step she took. For a breif moment, as she neared the entrance of the cave, she did not notice the fresh scent lingering there. However, when she finally did become aware, she withdrew sharply as though she had been struck. The scent was obvious to her and she found it repulsive. A female had been here just moments before. In her anger filled approach, she must have missed the sound of the female's departure. Better it be that way, for she was in no mood for some female in heat that was attempting to woo the giant forest lord over. It would have been a terrible mess for she would have surely met the disgusting creature with a sharp tounge and sharper teeth. She did not offically annourance her arrival to the den and did not peer within to see what state the male was in, but instead, stepped into the growing darkness of the cave, voice lashing out coldly. "I hope I did not chase away your bit of tail." However, when her eyes adjusted to the dim lightening, she became aware that the large beast had fallen into the world of dreams.

There was no debate on the idea of waking the slumbering giant or allowing him rest. Her anger, having lessened at the mere sight of her sleeping friend, had not completely left her. While the stench of the female was still heavy, it was likely her mood would not improve, but Gavin's current state had gained him favor. It was hard for the golden beauty to stay angry long at the giant and that only dampened her mood. She was angry at her self for allowing his pressence impact her feelings. He had left the pack all those years ago and she had, then and there, forced whatever kind of feelings she had held for him, away and from her mind. She had had a family. She wouldn't have in this position if life hadn't been so cruel. But then, perhaps, the story would have offered great insight to just at why she seemed far more bitter towards the world. But she'd be damned if she uttered a word about those times. She turned her bright eyes back towards Gavin's sleeping form, unable now to stir up any ill-felt feelings. With a tired sigh, she turned away, moving back towards the entrance. He had a pack now. He had duties. He had every reason to be tired. To wish to be alone for just once. She had seen his glances. Understood the mild tease. He was worried that she would bring hard feelings within the pack. After all, she had a way of stirring up jealousy among females (not that she cared or that the jealousy wasn't well founded. She was the very definition of beauty and grace, after all.) and creating rifts between males.

And he had every right to believe that her presence might disturb the atmosphere of his pack. She gazed now, her back to the slumbering giant, out at the dark sky, eyes narrowing to peer through the branches of the trees. "You have done well for yourself. Your mother and father would be proud." The words were spoken softly, with no intent for the massive male actually hear her. Stepping further out into the night, the female withdrew from as the wind picked up, her thick tail lashing once, irritatedly to the side. With her inital anger settled, she set her attention on the dens. If her chosen spot had been taken, there would, without a doubt, be blood. That, and the idea of returning to her birth pack weighed heavily on her mind and only plunged her low mood further into darkness. "Sleep well, Gavin. You have been lucky tonight. Perhaps there is someone looking after you." She paused, allowing her eyes to flicker back to the darkness of the cave. "May your dreams be peaceful."

[{chay}.«]

His dreams, however, were not peaceful. Not in the slightest- if the golden-furred beauty were to peer closer, she would see a feverish twitching just behind the tawny of his lids, an erratic tic in his massive front paws. It was subtle- the great giant was not quivering in the darkness of his own den- but it was there, giving tale to the horrific scenes that were ravaging his mind's eye.

Blood. It was everywhere, staining the dull gray granite a seething vermilion. Never had he seen so much of it; never had it been laced with such a precious scent. He was standing over her, watching as her swollen body strained with the efforts of birth. It dribbled from her slender muzzle and was pooling beneath her, surrounding her tail and curdling the previously flawless hue of her haunches a dirty rust. Two small bodies had been tossed aside, their miniature limbs frozen in prepartum death, stomachs up and bruise-colored cords still winding back to the she-wolf's uterus. The birthing fae cried out, her beautiful face clenching in evident pain and a wave of nausea struck Gavin as he realized with an angry snarl that he could approach no further. His cerulean eyes mirrored the pain that was held in the other's amber ones, and her voice cracked, faint, as she whispered his name, begged for relief from her labor.

Without so much as time to jolt awake, the scene changed. The sky that loomed above was dismal, a swirling mass of colliding colors- gray and vomit. The ground was hard beneath his feet, and there was no blood- yet there she stood again, perfect body balanced on a thin log, elegant muzzle thrust into the wind. She seemed to hear his approach, and turned, and to his delight he was graced with a broad, happy smile. His tail wagged furiously as he padded forward, his own smile curling the edges of his muzzle. She took a step, cheerful voice echoing a bright laugh.
He heard the crack before he had proper time to react.
The rotted wood of the log shattered, split in half and slipped downward. Her face fell, then, the smile contorting into a terrified scream as she fell alongside it. "No!" he cried, lunging forward. Yet it seemed that he moved through the air at half the speed that she fell, for he slammed into the ground with such force that the very air was driven from his lungs; a jagged pain tore through him as he scrambled to his paws, wincing with every desperate step. As he approached the edge of the cliff, he peered down, though all of him screamed not to, screamed instead to jump.
She lay in a crumpled heap, body broken on the rocks that were almost hidden by the frothing rapids- the fast-moving liquid would pick up a pink tinge as it flooded past her-

And then, rather suddenly, he was awake, eyes shooting open and body jerking as he did so. It was then that he saw Anevay, silhouetted by the darkness behind her. His breathing was ragged, and the look on his face was one of horror- had he fallen asleep again? What monster lay just outside the den to slay the she-wolf? He remained still for a long while, simply gazing at her- hoping, willing, that this was real and not another bad dream. Deciding at last that his nightmares had ended, he quickly stood, speaking quietly as he did so, though the tone was thick with ill-hid fear and relief.

"Anevay." He crossed the distance between them in long, swift strides until he was beside her- now he was trembling however, a gentle quiver as he shivered and pressed his flank against hers. He glanced over her head at first, peering into the thickly starred night and searching, no doubt, for any dangers that might try and snatch his friend away. "I-I...I've had terribly frightening dreams." he mumbled at last. His ears were pinned in an embarrassed sort of manner and he shuffled sideways, lowering his head in a feeble (and very likely futile) attempt to tenderly nuzzle the backs of her ears. "Will you stay for a while? I don't want them to come back." He looked away then, obviously shameful of his words.[/size] "I don't...I don't want to be alone." He gazed back at her, eyes wide and nervous. Here was the quiet, shame-faced cub that he had been in his youth- not the strong leader that everyone else knew so well. Even giants get scared of the dark.[/blockquote][/blockquote] [/size][/font]

[Silver]

The night, despite its unnatural beauty, was not in the least bit comforting. The female wanted to stomp off and leave, wanted to vanish into the shadows of the night and leave behind the giant's pack and return home to her own birth pack. Her heart pained to see her family again--her parents, if they still lived. Yet, something stopped her. She was rooted to the spot just outside the large stone den, her rich, bright eyes locked on the distant stars. Oh, how she wished to be among them, free of this world and the troubles and sins that weighed heavily on her shoulders. Yet she could not. Surrender was just not something that was present within her. And she could not just turn her back on her friend--she could not leave without at least bidding him farewell and wishing him the best. She was just not that cruel. Anger at herself, Anevay uttered a soft growl at the night shadows, tail lashing back and forth in the manner most commonly seen among felines.

She had, indeed, not picked up on her friend's distress---she had been to selfishly caught up in her own dark thoughts. However, while she was without a doubt selfish (though you almost had to be to survive in the wild) she was not without feelings towards others. She was quit capable of feeling sorrow and pain when others spoke of honest troubles and hardships. If she had taken note of Gavin's troubled sleep, she would have slipped to his side and urged him gently to wake. To free him from the nightmares and the demons that plagued his dreams. It was, after all, what friends would do. But she was caught up within her own thoughts, her own selfish, pathetic problems. She had not noticed the giant stirring in the background. And as strange as it was, she had picked up on Gavin's eyes lingering on her. She was usually quit aware of her surroundings, but tonight she failed.

Anevay did not at first, hear Gavin's approach. But as he grew closer, her sensitive ears flicked sideways and she half rose, turning to gaze at the male. Her expression, even in the dim light of the moon, could be seen and there was no real display of surprise, however, her eyes softened and she offered the male a thin smile. She was about to speak, however, he broke the silence first. His comment made her frown and she watched him lower his head, as though ashamed. Shaking her head slightly, she lowered her own so that she might beable to look into his eyes easier. Be it another time, his touch might have been met with a sharp comeback, but his current state softened her heart and calmed her feelings of irritation. "They are but reams, my dear. You mustn't fret so." She paused, thinking over his request and then gave a slight nod. "Of course. We are friends, Gavin. You know I would do anything for you. Come. Lay down and tell me of your dreams. And I will tell you just how silly you where to be so frightened." She rose as she spoke, a teasing smile upon her muzzle. It was an attempt at making the current moment lighter--an attempt to comfort her friend. As she turned fully to move back towards his den, her hip brushed his shoulder, intentinal, but the meaning was simple. She was there. She was real and she would do what she could to make sure he once again, felt relaxed. She did not move a great distance from him, but instead, only several steps, stopping to gaze back at him.

"And I don't want to hear any arguments." She began, bright eyes glittering good naturedly. "You are tired and that is something you can not hide from me. A pack is a great responsibility and you, my friend, need your rest. Once we're over this dream nonsense, tell me of your day. You will find then, that sleep is impossible to ignore and you be blessed with peaceful dreams this time." Again she moved forwards, this time, her sleek form disappearing into the void like entrance of the male's den, reclining upon the stone floor only a few feet from the entrance and against the wall. The den was large and there was no need to plop herself down into the center of it. And while it was normal for her to feel as though she deserved the best, she would not foolishly assume Gavin wished her so close. After all, she was not one that enjoyed close contact, at least not all the time. "You aren't alone, Gavin. You'll never be."

[{chay}.«]

He had never felt such relief as he did when she did not pull away from his frightened touch. The gentle warmth of her side and the gentle palpitation of her heart calmed him, soothed his nervous gulps of air and the tension that had wound his muscles tight. He nodded dumbly as she spoke, only half-hearing, and winced as the tendons in his forelegs shot dull aches up to his chest. Exhaustion, it seemed, took a great toll on his physical well-being. He was almost resting on her now, his muzzle seemingly too heavy for him to lift, though her words were absorbed and he lifted his great head, nodding once more. As she pulled away and padded towards the back of the den, he seemed to right himself, head snapping up and ears pricking, a low, almost inaudible growl blistering from his black lips. The brindled male did not follow her at first- he peered into the night once more, cerulean eyes glittering- but then at last he did, gargantuan frame pivoting so that he could trace her steps and remain in her presence, so that he could protect her. He proffered his own watery smile in exchange for her bright one, biting back a grimace as the images from the final dream struck through his mind once more.

It was so simple to follow her, his gaze fixated on her slender bodice, that as he stood before her he did not sit for several long moments, and instead simply glanced down at her tiredly, evidently unsure of what to do. His thoughts were coming slow, and there was no real method, no solid ideas. She would find him foolish, he knew, and would not be flattered in any way by the fact his feverish dreams had involved her. How could she? He allowed his haunches to sink to the floor, and then his forelegs, until he was resting in something of a comfortable fashion- close enough to his beautiful friend so that she could not find his eyes and tease, but not so close that they were touching.

"It...it was terrible. You will find me to be a fool, I know, but...they were as real as they could be." It sounded strange, a voice so low being so quiet, hardly a whisper, but he continued, though he did not want to. "At first it was not so bad...I was back home, with my mother and father. But then...something happened, I can't quite remember what, and it changed, and I was standing outside of a den. And there was blood. So much...so much more than I had ever seen before. I found the courage to look inside, and you were there, and I could not help you; I could not move. The cubs...they were dead as well, but somehow I knew that they had been dead long before they had met the world, and there were more, and right as I felt that I would be able to come to your side, everything went black. I think I might have awoken then, for the shortest moment, before plunging back into another. And you were there again, and I cannot explain to you how happy you were, but you were standing on a log. And you seemed pleased, too, to see me, for you turned to move towards me and the log broke...I tried, I jumped, but fell just short, and you fell, and landed on rocks before being swept away from the current." Though he had maintained composure throughout the retelling, his breaths had shallowed some, as though he was on the verge of a breaking sob; clamping his jaws shut he breathed and replaced his head on his massive tawny paws, blue eyes trained on the entrance to the gave with such a steadfast glare that it seemed that if anything did try and intrude, they would be slain by the very daggers that his orbs held.[/blockquote][/blockquote]

ooc;;

sorry for the shortness. and the crappiness. i'm pissed, because i know that isn't really how he would act...but i'm exhuasted and couldn't think of anything. e.e[/size][/font]

[Silver]

While she lounged against the cold stone wall, she allowed her amber eyes to drift back to where Gavin had stood. And though the look was rare, it was more then likely to appear when in his presence. There was the unmistakable gleam of deep seeded concern and honest affection for the great brute and while she would not speak of it, she felt glad that he would feel as comfortable as to confide in her his troubles, while he would not dear appear in such a state before fellow pack members. She watched him drift in, her nose twitching slightly in an attempt to pick up any scents that might lead to the discovery of danger. Content that for now, they where at peace, she returned her gaze to the larger male, watching him first settle down before allowing her two fromt paws to cross in a comfortable fasion, keeping her own head up right.

As he began the recount of his dreams, her expression remained blank, unreadable and while it struck her odd that he would dream of such things about her, she remained completely silent. Even as he finished, his head turned away from her and his unease apparent, she remained silent. What words could she really offer him? How could she prove that his dreams where nothing more then his mind playing cruel jokes upon him? Hesitantely, she rose but did not step forwards. After all, what right did she have to near him? He was an Alpha now. Their relationship was different. No longer where they simple friends, but instead, he was the leader and she nothing more then a lowly member, just like all the rest. No longer could she toss harmless jests at him--no. That would be seen as disrespectful--only becuase the others simply lacked the knowledge of their bond.

For a brief moment, Anevay considered turning away. After all, it was growing close to needing to end this. To severe the friendship and move on with life. If their friendship needed to change because of his new rank, then it wasn't worth staying. That and she just wasn't ready to see her friend in the care of another. One that no doubt would be lost on what to do when that horrible time came. Her amber eyes drifted back to his large form, lips twitching in a silent, soft snarl. Fool. Why had he grown so close to her heart? Why had he left in the first place? This was his own doing! He had left the pack on his own. He had brought this upon himself. If whatever mange-ridden female he chose couldn't care for him in the later years---would severe their loyal bond because he was no longer himself, then it was because of himself. Angerly she lashed her tail tot he side, unable to bring herself to step forwards, to leave the cave and Gavin behind. No, that bond that they had created all those years ago kept her rooted to the spot.

It forced her to turn towards him and ease forwards. It forced her to settle once again in front of him, one paw out streched so it laid upon his own, a comforting sort of motion. "Dreams. Thats all they were. If it makes you feel any better, I will avoid logs. As for pups, I have already had my family--shortly after you left and yet I am still here. Thus, that part is already proven false." She streched her neck forwards, snuffing gently at the side of his face in an attempt at comfort--to also show him that she was indeed, flesh and blood. Finally, she turned her gaze away from him and settled it upon the night sky, thick tail thumping gently against the ground several times. "Come now...Toughen up." The words were spoken softly, the normal sharp taunting tone gone. But instead, it was light, an attempt to bring some humor to his otherwise low mood.

Sensing that it would take more then soft jests to rouse him from his discomfort, she returned her gaze to him, offering a gentle smile before speaking. "Tell me about your life after you left the pack. Surely you met some little female along the way. Perhaps you have pups out there somewhere?"

[{chay}.«]

He felt her rise beside him; her long shadow was cast towards the den's mouth and he raised his head quickly, uncertainty whisking itself across his face. Yet he said nothing, and simply looked up at her with those same wide eyes- one long, low whimper drawled from deep within his breast before he fell silent. Would she truly leave now? He winced as her tail lashed viciously, bringing back all the anger she had taken out of him as cubs, whether it was for his own good or not. They were not cubs anymore. They were adults, and they were not exceptionally young ones. True, both were in their primes- but Gavin especially, it seemed, had nothing else than the fact that he had scent-marked vacant territory and proclaimed himself Alpha to show for his five years. It seemed, even, that the two did not even know each other anymore- he was merely clinging to was seemed to be false hopes, and as of late these thoughts had caused such deep depression that he had chosen to strike out form the densite, to stay at the very boundaries so that he could ascertain that none would bother him. It was a great burden- not being Alpha, for that he loved with a passion- but the fact that he no longer wanted to interact with the others. It was a dark emotion, and one that he would make sure would never be told.

As she lay beside him, he could do nothing but gaze at her in silence, scanning her amber eyes for any hint of emotion that he yearned for. The warmth and gentle weight of her much smaller paw atop his was met with a sad smile, and he dipped his head to lick her faintly tawny paw in gratitude before bringing it back up to listen intently- though as he did so, her words struck him with such force that his demeanor nearly crumpled. Of course she had a family, of course she had a mate- what was she still doing here? He made no reciprocative move as she tucked her damp nose into his cheek, and said nothing to her jest. Even when she spoke again, questioning about life after he had left, he did nothing but proffer a bitter laugh at her words.

“A female? Do you think I am some sort of Lothario? Despite what you think, I am not so easily swayed by flashy she-wolves, dear Anevay. It seems your lectures did sink in, and well. No female has ever held a candle to the one that ever did evoke such feelings, and she is far out of reach now.” He fell silent again, lowering his muzzle to once more absentmindedly lick Anevay's forepaw, as if the action was comforting. “You, obviously, have done both. The last memory I have of you is of you ignoring my calls and walking away with Tron. Yet you have said that he was not your mate...”[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/font]

[Silver]

The caress of his tounge against her paw sent electrified twingles up her leg and she had to restrain herself from returning the gentle gesture and instead, offered a soft, uncharacteristic smile. The atmosphere of the den was thick and uncomfortable --but she did not withdraw, instead, she locked her eyes with his breifly, a simple clear message hidden behind that calm gaze. I am here. I am your friend. She saw the sad smile twist across his face and again, had to check the surgering emotions and desire to touch her nose to his--to cuddle against his side like so many times in the past when the tauntings to him had been so harsh and that the only comfort she could offer was her mere presence. Her own tauntings and jests at him where an attempt to rile him. To get him to think about other things instead of the other young males of the group. But he had been a gentle pup and would not be riled to such an extreme. Instead, she feared now, that perhaps she had caused more harm then good.

The bitterness in his laugh nearly startled her, but she listened, eyes searching his face before she finally broke the silence, her voice soft, tinged with regret. "Unfortunately, that is an action I wish I had never taken." She paused, swallowing the growing lump in her throat and shifting her eyes to the cave mouth. "I was foolish. Young. I thought perhaps it was just another one of those games. You'd call. I'd ignore you, only to return later and laugh at your moping. Instead, you where gone." Again she was forced to stop, the emotions and memories that where flaring up becoming almost to difficult to keep in check. She pulled her golden tinged ears pulling back against her slender skull. It seemed like a great time had passed when she finally managed to compose herself and continue. "That hurt me a great deal. My best friend --gone in a blink of an eye. But if I had realized that you where leaving, I would have stayed. I would have ignored that foolish brute-- It was not out of affection that I trailed off with him. Heaven's no. But you would get so worked up about it. And him, well, it was fun to see him attempt to gain my attention. He never did get the hint."

When he again spoke the words Tron and mate together, she felt the anger rising from her gut and she had to force back a growl. "Yes. I did say that. And that is the truth. He never was and never will be. But I know what you must be thinking. I mentioned a family before and why would I be here if I had one?" When she paused this time, there was a look of saddness upon her face, her amber eyes darkened with rememberance. At last, when she lifted her gaze to his, there was a hint of a smile there. "And indeed I did have one. But my young are grown and on their own. And my mates dead. I had two. When I realized you weren't coming back, I decided to start my own life. Draust was the first. But we had no young together. He died shortly after we started out together. Then there was Belar and we had eight healthy pups together. Two were killed by a coyote when they where playing outside the den. That was Aoranu and Broem, two of our sons. The others grew older, finally capable of taking parts in hunts when Belar was killed by a grizzly sow protecting her young. Then my remaining pups split off. Going their seperate ways and well, here I am." The smile had faded, replace by an expression of longing. She missed her young dearly, but understood that they too, needed their own lives. They probably had packs of their own or had merged with others. There were probably pups somewhere. But it had been best for them. She had urged them on as painful as it had been. I have lived a wonderful life, children. Now its your turn. The words seemed still fresh in her memory and she could still see clearly the day that they had slipped away together in a group, casting uncertian glances back towards their mother. But when they finally crossed the valley floor and crested the hill of the territory boarder, she had vanished. She knew that if she wanted them go any further, she would only follow.

[{chay}.«]

His thick tail thumped hopefully against the floor of the den as she proffered an unanticipated smile. There was a nervous tension licking at his actions and permeating from the awkward abnormality of his great size, and he tried desperately to ignore it. This quiet was so abnormal that it was startling- almost as startling as the realization that she, quiet surprisingly, had yet to withdraw her paw. There was something incredibly different about her light touch now than there would have been before, and while it would be a lie that he had not desired her affections since the first time she had chased off verbal assailants, the fact that said affections were in some slight way being manifested, the nervousness was nothing that he enjoyed.

He immediately regretted his words at the sight of the beautiful she-wolf in such emotional pain, but instead of giving a blatant apology, he attempted a rather slow explanation- his thoughts were difficult to form into competent sentences.

[/size] “They were never games to me, I am afraid. To hear my own brother boasting, yet feeling helpless- I believed that if I were to take any action against him, our friendship would be shattered. Perhaps, if I had known the jesting behind it, I would have stuck it out a bit longer...but I was not aware. And the sight would tear apart my insides to such a degree that it became difficult to speak to either of you- hence the reason I became so withdrawn near the end. I tried severing ties with you before my departure, in all the ways I could. But you know me well enough to understand that it would have been impossible for me to have explained my feelings- for that, I am sorry. I did not have the courage to bare my own heart, and to clear up the misconceptions that have obviously lingered between us for the past three years. And..had I known that you had pined, you know I would have returned. There is very little that I would not do for you.” Throughout his address, his words had slowly decreased in volume- his voice was scarcely more than a whisper by the last sentence.

As sadness clouded her eyes briefly, Gavin simply frowned sadly, not completely sure that he actually wanted to hear tales of her previous lovers- though, of course, he listened anyway. Her words, he knew, should not evoke jealousy- though of course they did- and so he bit the monster back, focusing instead on his empathetic reaction. What could he say to her? There was nothing, truly. She did not seem exceptionally troubled, and he realized that there was a good chance that she had come to terms with the unfortunate happenings long ago. “I...I never knew any of this, Anevay. I know that there is nothing that I can say that will ease your pain, but I am sorry. I'm sure that your cubs are doing wonderfully.” He suddenly felt miserable for troubling her with such meaningless things as dreams- she obviously had far greater things lurking in her mind. Still, one thought was still quivering in the back of his mind- “Why did you come here, then? If everything you had worked for had dissolved...I wouldn't have been able to do much more than return home.” It was true- but, then again, he had long since stopped thinking of their old pack as home. Home had become wherever he could feel at peace- and those places were limited. There had always been something missing- for as wonderful as he felt his pack was, he had formed no solid friendships with any of them; his father was dead, and the status of his mother he could not be sure of; he had lost his best friend in a fit of overly-emotional and irrational behavior- only to find her again. Yet it seemed that things were not yet healed entirely- that would take time, he knew. But as she lay beside him, her demeanor not the one she placed for show to the others but one that was far more becoming, he could not help but feel flooded with such strong sentiments that he felt as if he was suffocating. He gazed at her for a long moment, a thousand inexplainable emotions coursing through him, before slowly outreaching his white-bibbed muzzle to brush it across her cheek tenderly. As he pulled away, he licked the underside of her maw before withdrawing and attempting to find her eyes once again. He stared solemnly at her, searching for any hint of warmth in her usually cold, and now faraway, gaze. “I never want you to leave,” he spoke in a cracked whisper, and in such a way that its sincerity could not be doubted. “And I'm sorry that I did.” [/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Silver]

As the words flowed forth from the male, his voice dropping in volume it seemed, with each word he spoke, she found herself unable to utter a word, a sound--her jaws instead, parting slightly as if to speak but never fully parting in a complete action. The amount of emotion and tension in the air forced her to turn her eyes away from him--not that she was at all ashamed of his behavior, but the guilt of her childhood behavior was becoming far to overpowering. Facing him once again, she wanted to comment on each word he spoke as it slipped from his jaws. About the fear he felt those years ago. She wanted to laugh, to chide him for being so silly. Their friendship would have never been shattered. At that age, she would have poked fun at his mood and put the incident behind her. Thats how she was all those years ago. The rather harsh -- yet descret treatment from her fellow female pack members had molded her to be so. She of course, got along well with the opposite gender and her looks had proved to be rather valuable making her only more disliked. Was it her fault for being so lovely? Of course she knew there was little he would not do for her--- she knew very well that she would do whatever she possibly could for him. Thats what friends where for. He had offered her the company she lacked from the other females in the pack. She could talk to him. He was the one she trusted the most. She could merely nod her head slowly, eyes locking with his only briefly before she once again moved her gaze away, directing it towards the night sky.

"I caused you so much distress.." She began slowly, keeping her weary gaze towards the stars. "I was no better then those other pups that hurt you so. I know I never said it, but you meant so much to me. The other female pups, well, they where unkind, but pups are like that, I suppose. But you where someone I could come to. The one I could protect. And I liked the feeling of being needed." She paused, turning to face him once more. "But if you had not left, you wouldn't be here. At least something good came from it." As the silence streched, she settled into a silent, thoughtful state, eyes drifting to the far wall and taking on a rather distant unfocused glaze. The conversation so far had drawn up forgotten memories, memories that she had for so long attempted to push from her mind. When he spoke again, she blinked, slightly startled. "The pups? Yes... I'm sure you're right. They traveled together when they left. They where all very close. All had their specific titles--since they where mere whelps they behaved like that. I have no doubt that they are somewhere.. in a pack together perhaps." She offered a sad smile, but turned away at his next question, her shoulders dropping.

"That is a good question." She finally said, turning her eyes to him once again, her sad and weary smile having become more light hearted. "I did travel home briefly. But Tron was still there and so was his desire. I felt disgusted by his presence and with you not there, I had no wish to stay. You see, I had thought there was a chance you would have returned home. And when I saw that you hadn't, I decided to search you out. I had thought that maybe you'd have a family. I had wanted to see the pups"

Again, the silence streched, but only for a moment. His movement startled her and at first she made to withdraw, thinking he made to snap at her. A foolish thought, but one that had crossed her mind suddenly. Instead of feeling the sharp, burning pain of teeth breaking skin, she felt the soft, velvet like touch of his muzzle against her cheek and then the soft caress of his tounge along the underside of her jaw. His next works left her somewhat speechless for she had not expected him to feel that way, but she shook her head, finally able to find her voice. "I wouldn't leave." Though even she was uncertain about that. What if she truely didn't fit in there? Shifting her gaze to his, she briefly touched her nose to his in a friendly, comfort gesture before soft, light hearted laughter rippled out. "We have both been fools, though I more then you. You thought I had eyes for Tron and I thought you disliked me and that was why you left. We were both so wrong."