The Pack Lands

Gale had only just noticed the disappearance of both Taru and Ameliora. His pawsteps were somehow really light compared to the weight on his mind. This was the third time that he lost someone he loved. Lily had betrayed him, Elysia had died and now Taru left and he would never see her again. His words to her had been that he'd follow her to the ends of the earth. That he'd cross oceans of distance in order to be by her side once again but something deep in his gut told him otherwise. He needed to let her leave. Without his bulky form to follow her. This was a decision that she had made on her own and no matter what the warrior did, he couldn't leave this land. Had Taru come and ask him personally to leave with her, he would have but he couldn't leave the pack that Elysia and Taru had loved so much. It was now his duty to carry on as a guardian for the Banishing Winds and to protect what Rune and Maiara had worked so hard to build.

His green eyes looked up to the darkening sky and he stopped gracefully. Smoke was billowing up from behind the canopy of trees. Flames were licking upwards to the sky and he simply stared. Normally, his first response to the fire would have been for him to go back and help the pack in anyway that he was needed. However, he was numb on the inside. What was his point in existing any more? Was he truly even needed on this earth? His massive head shook as he realized his thoughts. Love was all about having and losing but moving on. He would always have a purpose but it would be up to him to find and achieve it. For now, Gale sat down on the grassy ground and watched the flames eat up the trees. He should have run or at least looked for the rest of the pack but at the moment, he needed to calm the churning of his mind and his stomach.

The Wanderer stayed silent as the fire grew closer and closer to where he was sitting. Hues of orange, blue, white, yellow and red were evident in the flames. Before this, he had been Gale, the Western wind. The wolf who was like the fire because he could destroy everything in his path. Now, he was still Gale, the Western wind but the flames in his soul had cooled down. Elysia had seen to the initial effect and Taru had sealed it. With the two of them gone there was nothing to hold him back any more. With his heart encased in a thick, impenetrable wall of ice, there was nothing that could hurt him anymore. No other would be able to destroy the ice because if he had to, the brute would use the fire and the beast to protect himself.

Flames started to lick at his paws; the male stood. He turned around and walked eighty feet away from the fire before sitting down again. He did not fear the flames even as they devoured all that was in their path. More than anything, he felt respect for the non-living object. It was powerful and detatched and beautiful and a mystery. That's what Gale was to become.

This time, no one would change him.

[Lame..]

Frantic paws reached periodically to the searing earth as Linnëa fled desperately from her home, the air rippling like the sea around her as heat threatened to claim not only the lives of all of her forest but her own life as well. Terror shone plainly in Linnëa's bright blue eyes, as the reflection of the currents of flame and light rippled all around her. However, the flames progressed far to fast where she was currently situated, a dryer part of the territory where the fire was allowed to progress far faster than Linnëa had expected. It quickly overcame her on both sides, and then in it practically shut a door in Linnëa's face. This was when the true predicament of her precarious situation dawned upon her. She was trapped, and her only escape was to dive through the flames and out to freedom. What injuries would she sustain? Would she even be able to make a clean escape? Thoughts like these tore through her mind, shredding all sanity she possessed as she practically fell in on herself. Her limbs shook with fear for herself and her home, and the smoke seemed to rake within her lungs, causing her to cough far more than she appreciated.

Then, as she finally gave in to herself, the groan of a weak tree giving way above her told her in a crystal clear message that it was time she leave. So, with a few discombobulated bounds she thrust herself through the fire, ignoring the searing heat and the very odd feeling of it softly touching her fur, it made her entire coat stand on end and make her look like a fluff of khaki, brown, and white fur with 'O' shaped eyes in the center. As Linnëa landed, she was relieved to find the other side left her a clear escape. She thundered between the foliage, flying out of the underbrush in a sudden appearance, as if the very wind had pushed her to escape.

"The fire has found a dry place in the territory, it moves swift as a feline and is headed here. We have to move! NOW!" She barked, regardless of any rankings. Those did not matter.. What mattered at the time and moment was the safety of her family, the safety of all she had to live for at the time.

Linnëa was a sight to be marveled at, the ends of her fur were singed and her nose and ears were bright pink where the skin was visible. And, she held up one paw, for the pad was badly burnt and was stinging like a hornet after all the running and jumping that had happened within her discomfort zone. She then allowed herself to think of the one tree that had inspired to grow, and wished upon the stars invisible to the day that it would not be burned, but there was little hope in that. As her adrenaline faded, the wolf within her began to emerge, and that wolf was not at the current time the normal Linnëa. No, it was a worn and tired Linnëa, one that showed her age for what it was. However, as the roar of fire began to be heard to her ears once again, she straightened, turning to face the oncoming threat full on.

(( You are all very epic posters. :U ))

The wind blew hard, the fire was burning up into the sky. She watched silently as the fire ate everything in it's path, as it fought it's way towards her and the pack. She stared, lost in thought. Every part of her wanted to run into it and go be with Demon. But the one part of her couldn't let her do that, and that was her brain. She threw a glance to the side, and backwards watching the members of Banishing Winds Pack scurry for there lives, something caught her eye on her side. She turned her body, to see a male laying there. Her jaw dropped, and she trotted over there. "Excuse me?" she asked to the male, "Sorry to ruin your .. thoughts and whatnot but If you are a member of Banishing Winds Pack I suggest you follow That wolves directions" she said pointing at Linnëa. "There is a fire, and it could rip you to shreds in very little time. So please, run to westward creek." she said as she turned on her heel and walked off. She rose into a fast trot, she went towards Kira.

The smoke of the beast had filled the sky and the beautiful trees behind her had burnt into ashes. She frowned at this disaster. 'what would Rune do? Maiara too ? there pack land washed away by the soul of a horrid fire.' she thought angrily. She approached Kira, "Kira!" she called as she slowed before her. "I hope you don't mind, It's Queen.. I was just wondering and found here.." she babbled out "I'm so sorry for last year when i messed up and left, I was wrong. I let go and I've changed, I just needed some time to think. I was wondering if I could prove to the alphas once more that I can be who they want me to be.." she said almost breathlessly.

Queen thought deeply; ((this is her thoughts ))
'Two years ago, I was a stupid young wolf. I fell for a male, and made the wrong decision. After a couple of weeks, we were traveling and a horrid forest fire broke lose burning the last thing in my life that made a difference. I left and tried making more of a difference. I found this pack, when I was three. I whole year had made me a horrible person and I was pointless back then. I broke out one day and left, yet again .. pushing the only thing that made a difference in my life. Yet another year past, I almost had a family.. but I lost it. Everyone piece of it, and It left my life in a ditch. Once I crawled out of it; I realized I just needed to get back to my old ways. I tried hard to, but I couldn't be the old cold me. I changed, I made a new me, reformed. Of course I still have a dominant side; but I am welcoming and nice now that I realized I have made so many mistakes and never yet to learn from them. It's about time I did, learn from them. '

She shook her head from her thoughts, which brought her back into reality.

((this was.. lame ish .. I kinda liked some parts.. ))

Spirit's mind became blurred with thoughts. More members kept appearing from the smoke that clung to the air around them. They simply kept talking... and talking. Plans seemed to have been made about creating a search party and traveling to the densite to try and see if they could spot any straggling members. Spirit's thoughts went to Soran. She hadn't spoken with him recently, nor had she really seen him. Worry flicked across her features, casting a frown on her muzzle. Part of her wanted to travel to the Westward Creek, her natural instinct of self preservation. But thoughts of stragglers kept nagging at her mind. 'If they keep merely talking about forming a scout group the fire will have consumed all stragglers before they even reach them' Spirit's gaze cast up to look at those around her, a reserved and troubled look crossing her features. They may not like what she was going to do - may even hate her - but the anxiety and worry was killing her. Turning from the group Spirit bolted back towards the fire and densite. She had to find them, she had to find the stragglers.

( Lame... )

Cinnamon stared as Linnea burst out of the foliage. The female was barely recognisable, her fur burned to a crisp. Then another wolf raced in the opposite direction, clearly fed up with waiting.

Without hesitation she followed Spirit back towards the densite, only to diverge from the Lead Scout's tracks suddenly. She swerved, diving even closer to the fire, back to the clearing where Gale had been.

The smoke stung hereyes and flames marked her vision as she scanned the area. Then she sprang forward, leaping at the male, knocking him off his feet.

"Gale don't be a fool, Run! Run to the creek." She dropped her head to whisper in his ear "Even when all seems lost Wanderer, there is still something to live for."

Then she stepped back, glancing warily at the flames "Now, will you come willingly? Or must I fight you." She locked eyes with him "I will do it Gale, to prevent you destroying yourself and the pack, I will do it."

Spirit wondered blind. The smoke was heavy and thick in the air around her; with every breath she took she felt it enter her lungs, her throat burning. What had she been thinking running out here like this? Abandoning the group and just charging into the flames? It was practically suicidal. Spirit's throat burned once more as she drew in another breath. Her stark blue eyes scanned the land around her. The fire was destroying many of her natural landmarks and the smoke made it difficult to see far out. The forest was becoming nothing but a trap and with the fire closing in Spirit needed to start moving. Tearing her eyes from a blazing tree Spirit turned and ran off deeper into the smoke. Someone had to be there, she just knew it. Voices began to sound somewhere admits the smoke. Narrowing her eyes Spirit carried forward, picking up her pace as they grew louder.

A wave of heat hit Spirit as the flames seemed to rear up nearby - too close for comfort. At the other side of the small clearing Gale laid leisurely on the ground, acting as if there really were no flames a few mere meters away. Cinnamon was on her paws next to Gale, shouting at him to get up and run towards the Westward Creek, threatening to attack him if her didn't do so. Spirit's fur bristled as she stalked up to the two wolves, her eyes narrowed angrily though worry flashed in them if only for a moment. "Cinnamon." She stated flatly. "Threatening someone is no way to try and help them. Gale must have his reasons for wishing to lay before the fire..." Her voice failed her briefly. She knew why - or she liked to think she did. Gale was heartbroken, both Taru and Elysia were gone now. Both had seemingly vanished without a trace, leaving him behind with what? Shaking her head Spirit cleared her throat, turning to Gale. "Please excuse me, Gale. I understand you have your own private reasons for wanting to stay here with the flames but I'd very much like if you would join us in running to the Westward Creek. It would be safer there, everyone's becoming worried as it is." Spirit couldn't do much but hope Gale would comply. They were running out of time, the flames were nearing by the minute.

"Excuse me? Sorry to ruin your .. thoughts and whatnot but If you are a member of Banishing Winds Pack I suggest you follow That wolves directions. There is a fire, and it could rip you to shreds in very little time. So please, run to westward creek."

Gale said nothing but let a vicious snarl follow the female as she left. She didn't know him; she didn't know what he went through as soon as him came to the Banishing Winds. Everything that had tied him here was gone but he still couldn't get himself to leave. That's why he found himself staring into the fire's burning flames. It was eating away at the forest that the pack had lived and he could hear the yelling of the members as they issued orders. Judging by their tones, they were afraid of the destruction. However, the warrior welcomed it. It was like the end of all the pain he had felt a while beforehand and it was a welcome release. So many emotions had been bubbled within him even though Taru had just departed. Without her in the pack, more of his feelings would become bottled up again and again until he burst.

The Wanderer's sprite bottle green eyes were blank and offered no insight of what was going through his mind. By now, his paws had become seared because of the flames that would constantly crawl to where he was and eating away the fur there. He didn't feel any of the pain however because he was so oblivious to all that was going around him. Only the fingers of the fire held his attention as they continued to reach for all the greenery. Given time, all of the forest could be extinct by the end of the night for a wicked wind had picked up because it had been created by the fire itself. It blew through his fur; he closed his eyes and let the feeling of the air rush through and past him. It held a calming nature and somewhat cleared his mind of the feelings of anger, betrayal, hurt, and deep, heart wrenching sorrow.

All had been quiet before something or someone blindsided the Wanderer. A new, vicious light shone in his eyes as he opened his jaws and prepared to bite down on the pelt of his attacker. Luckily he stopped himself short of piercing the flesh of his packmate. Cinnamon was gawking at him as if he were insane for remaining in the center of the territory while destruction was everywhere. The dark, violent look in his eyes faded and was replaced by a look of cold detachment. Cinnamon's brown coat remained untouched by the soot that littered the ground but if she were to remain, the light grey would decorate her fur in various patterns. Then again, the female was pretty enough that it wouldn't matter much. Instead of throwing the scholar off like he would have if she had turned out to be an unknown wolf, Gale rolled and nudged her away. No one was allowed to pin him down. Never again.

"Gale don't be a fool, Run! Run to the creek. Even when all seems lost Wanderer, there is still something to live for. Now, will you come willingly? Or must I fight you. I will do it Gale, to prevent you destroying yourself and the pack, I will do it."

When Cinnamon spoke, the brute lifted his lips and let loose one of his famous snarls. He was not the type to be told what to do. If he wished to stay with the fire, he would do so. Besides, now that he knew Cinnamon was here, he wouldn't be caught off guard which meant she wouldn't be able to drag him away. It was only because he hadn't been aware of her presense that she had been able to make him loose his balance. In the back of his mind, Gale realized that this was only the second time that such a thing had ever occurred. The first had been with... Elysia. A thorn of pain stabbed at the male's heart, seeking a way to hurt him more than it already had. The beautiful bracken coloured female would always be Gale's first love, that didn't mean that Taru fell as someone he simply settled with. He loved her too, maybe even more than he had loved Elysia.

The warrior growled deep in his throat as it came to his consciousness that his thoughts were heading back to the topics he wanted to avoid at all costs. He needed to erect something that would shield him from all the pain that would come from reality. Perhaps a wall of ice? No, it wouldn't be enough. A wall was far too easy to knock down or to slip through the cracks. This change would require him to encase his entire heart in the frozen liquid. He would have to add as many layers as he possibly could. Now, he'd need a secondary defence. For a moment, he just sat there in silence before he lifted his paw to move it away from a burning leaf that fell from the sky. The answer came to him immediately: Fire. In front of the icy barrier that blocked his heart, he'd use fire. It was hot and it would allow him to defend himself from anyone who sought a way to get to him.

"Cinnamon. Threatening someone is no way to try and help them. Gale must have his reasons for wishing to lay before the fire... Please excuse me, Gale. I understand you have your own private reasons for wanting to stay here with the flames but I'd very much like if you would join us in running to the Westward Creek. It would be safer there, everyone's becoming worried as it is."

Spirit's appearance from the dense, almost black smoke caused Gale to be torn from his train of thought. She was speaking to Cinnamon first, chiding the scholar on threatening the warrior. Once she finished talking with the other female, Spirit lapsed into silence for a moment. Her eyes misted over for a moment; it allowed the Wanderer to believe that the lead scout was in her own thoughts. Since he didn't know her that well, he couldn't read into the quiet that spanned between the three. When her attention was on him, he bristled slightly. However, her voice was more of a suggestion, one that had hope clinging to it. She actually wanted him to go? To be honest, Gale had respected Spirit since the beginning. Being one of the few not to be afraid of him despite his initial conversation with the pack certainly gave him a good feeling about her.

"Do you want to lead the way, or shall I?" He asked quietly after many, many moments for silence between them. The only sound was that of the crackling of the trees as they burned.

Spirit watched as Gale turned to look at her as she approached. His gaze left her feeling slightly confused; not really sure how to interpret it. Her eyes darted down to the ground briefly as the three plunged into a somewhat awkward silence. Only the sound of crackling wood filled the atmosphere. Though the thought of being so close to the flames didn't bother Spirit so much, the heat and smoke was. She glanced back up at Gale, almost timidly though her demeanor changed back to her brave mask. "You can go ahead and lead the way, I'll follow up with Cinnamon." The truth was Spirit didn't want Gale to see her emotionally broken. She still had yet to find Soran, for all she knew he could be out there somewhere in the territory injured, or worse, dead. The thought made Spirit shudder, taking a few steps backwards Spirit waited for Gale to begin the journey back to the group.

"You can go ahead and lead the way, I'll follow up with Cinnamon."

Gale nodded and had been about to set out when he heard a loud howl. It wasn't far from where they were but it seemed to be coming from behind the wall of fire. The wolf on the other side sounded terrified and must be having some issues when it came to escaping the fiery forest. The warrior let his old skills and intelligence reappear back into his mind as he turned to look at the flames. Age old instincts that roared at him to flee from the heat were ignored but the thought of getting Spirit and Cinnamon hurt because of his hesitation wasn't something he wanted. While he wished to help the other wolf, he needed to get the lead scout and the scholar out of the forest and to the creek where they could wade to the other side and be safe. Lifting his massive head, the muscular wolf howled. It would serve as a beakon for the other female and hopefully she would be able to stay safe until he returned for her. Before pack life, he never would have cared about what may have become of the other fae but he was a guardian now; he needed to preserve the lives of all.

"Hopefully she'll stay safe." Gale murmured as he flicked his white tipped tail. He turned and took the lead, his paws moving at a quck speed.

More and more trees caught on fire and before long, the warrior stared to cough because of the heavy smoke. So much hung in the air that it was difficult to gather any oxygen that lacked carbon dioxide. He knew that if they didn't move quickly enough, the fire would drink up all the oxygen and they could die from that alone. A fierce determination to save the lives of the two faes was a powerful drive force for the male. Never before had he lost when it came to the protection of others and he wasn't going to allow this to be the first. This trait of proectiveness was something that not many wolves had and for Gale, it was as natural as breathing. It came easily and without any problems. He needed to save them. He had to.

"How are you two holding up back there?" He asked through his coughing. The guardian stopped for a brief moment to look back at the two who followed him. "Try to take shallow breaths and move as quickly as you can."

[Lame..]

(My first post for the competition between Kaiana and I hahaha XD)

Altair had waited for Taru's reply patiently; his confusion at seeing the tiny Delta turn and pad away without saying anything to him. Her movements were fluid and full of confidence and that told the ginger-and-white brute that she was leaving for good. Never again would he encounter her in the pack's territory after this moment and the Guardian felt a twinge of disappointment. He had been ready to apologize and become friends with the pretty fae but with this sudden departure, he would never know if she truly harboured no hate for him any longer. However, Altair did not give chase to his oldest and dearest friend for he knew that she was doing exactly what she wanted.

As soon as her dark furred body vanished into the shadows of the trees that seemed to sprout some weird sort of grey mist, Altair picked his heavy body up from the ground and stretched. He was sore from sitting and watching Taru leave the territory and from his journey back home. For a moment, he just stared into the now empty forest and contemplated his next move. Almost instantaneously, the image of a beautiful fae with fur that contained a wide spectrum of shades of black and grey flooded his mind. Her eyes were a crystal blue, like ice when it's at it thickest. Just the thought of that particular female made the brute smile and his heart grow light. She was the one he cared for, the one that he had yet to see. Already the sound of her voice filled his mind, tormenting him.

The need to find the female was a powerful one and one that Altair had never experienced until this current moment. Casting one last sorrow-filled glance in the direction of which Taru left, he dipped his head in the final good-bye before turning his well muscled mass and transversing across the sea of green. Everything was hushed though tension was thick in the air. It was like someone could take a knife and cut right through the quiet. The ginger-and-white brute felt his fur prickle, especially along his spine. Something was horribly wrong. He strained his ears to detect what it could be but he froze before paying full attention to everything.

There were no animal sounds. That sign and that sign alone gave him enough information to come close enough to pinpoint the exact reason for why the other creatures would be so quiet during any time. For one thing, there could be human interference somewhere nearby. Another reason could be that the entire pack was somewhere very close and all the prey animals migrated elsewhere. Altair instantly dismissed those two notions. If either were present, he'd at least smell the pack or the human; it was highly improbable that they were possible at the moment.

That's when the third and final thought crossed his mind. There was a fire somewhere in the territory. That was the explanation for the mist that had been present in the woods. Fear caused Altair's pelt to fluff up and make him appear much larger than he already was. Only another second of hesitation kept the Guardian from racing away and towards the black cloud that was rising from the territory's core. If the black fae who still danced in his thoughts became injured because of the fire, Altair would never forgive himself. It had been up to him to leave and therefore, if Kira suffered because he was missing just a few seconds of time to save her, it would all fall on his shoulders.

A tremble echoed down Altair's spine but did not inhibit his frantic running. Many times he found himself stumbling over the exposed roots of the larger species of trees. Each time he managed to right himself before his body had the chance to fall and hit the grassy earth. It was a burning need to get to Kira that drove Altair onward despite the pain that flared from his paws. Even though he had managed to keep himself from falling, his paws always hit the rough bark of the root; causing them to bleed. The bleeding wasn't heavy but the slivers that remained lodged in the gargantuan wolf's paws caused him the pain. Most of it was ignored because of the desire to see his heart capturer but there were times when a paw would land on the ground funny and cause him to yelp out softly before continuing.

It didn't take long for the green landscape to change to the burning one. When he met the wall of fire, he did not hesitate to leap through it. His pace hadn't even slowed when he found himself airborne. For the few seconds that he spent in the air, he could detect the scent of burning fur and flesh a moment before he felt the pain. The ground was beneath him before he knew it and still his pace did not change. Even with many of his hairs on fire, the brute still ran. He was on a mission and nothing would be able to convince him to cease until he saw it through. Kira would need to be by his side and safe before he would even being to think of relaxing for a moment. It just wasn't possible at this time for it to be otherwise.

Smoke drifted in the air; choking him and blinding him. Altair's vision was now restricted to just a few feet in front of him and that caused him some grief. With his sense of smell now disable because of the heavy, thick smoke, the only sense he had left was that of hearing. Even that had dwindled down to almost nothing since so many voices were heard here in the heart of the fire. That played a factor but another piece was because of the sound of trees being burnt and their branches falling and breaking on the singed floor. What was left of the blades of grass turned to ash when Altair's paws touched them. The only thing that the brute didn't realize was that the soot was entering his blood system through the cuts on his feet. Not that he would care even if he had noticed. His mind was still fixated on Kira and her safety. Once he was certain that she was safe, he would go back into the burning world and rescue whoever would need him.

Soon enough, he saw the familiar form of his mate and came to a complete stop. She was standing alongside the unfamiliar form of a male from earlier but Altair paid barely any attention to that detail. When Kira glanced at the treeline, he had thought that his pale amber eyes had caught her pastel blue ones but when they continued to move on, he knew that he hadn't. Then again, she might have thought that his fiery hued fur made him a part of the fire or maybe he was a trick of her imagination. For what ever reason, Altair didn't care. He just had to get to her. The now blood-red paws that had carried him so far moved him towards his love.

"Kira..." Altair whispered her name as softly as a breeze.

The brute desperately wanted to bury his muzzle into her fur but there were more pressing matters at hand. Flames danced into the sky and the smoke made it appear as if it were nighttime. The wolves needed to leave this part of the territory and they needed to do it now. If they waited for too long, they could become trapped in a fire circle and even though Altair had previously leaped through the searing heat, he was not keen on doing so again. It was a painful experience and since he had discovered that Kira was safe, the pain that had been dulled by the hormone known as adrenaline was now creeping back and bit at all of the injuries he recieved during his trek.

"If we are to go, we must be off. Now." The male pointed out as he glanced towards the area where the fire was beginning to spread. "It would be foolish for us all to wait here. To get the stragglers, we need to send a few and they must stay together. Otherwise, we could lose more than just this section of the territory."

(Ugh... DX)

Cinnamon froze as Gale's jaws opened, stopping inches from her leg. Instead he bared his fangs in a snarl, climbing back to his feet from where she'd knocked him down. He was angry with her, angry with her for catching him off guard.

Cinnamon. Threatening someone is no way to try and help them. Gale must have his reasons for wishing to lay before the fire... Please excuse me, Gale. I understand you have your own private reasons for wanting to stay here with the flames but I'd very much like if you would join us in running to the Westward Creek. It would be safer there, everyone's becoming worried as it is."

Her head jerked round at the sound of Spirit's voice. Chastised she dropped her head in submission. As she looked at the Lead Scout she saw deep worry in the other female's eyes.

She fears for Soran, she fears for the wolf she loves. Her brain kicked in finally, giving her a reason.

"Do you want to lead the way, or shall I?"

Gale's quiet sensible question broke her thought. In stictively she glanced back at the fire, inhaling a mouthful of smoke as she breathed. Through her coughs she heard Spirit's answer.

"You can go ahead and lead the way, I'll follow up with Cinnamon."

Gale led off, walking quickly. Cinnamon watched him carefully. She could almost see his brain working as he assesed the safest routes. Now she realised quite how foolish she'd been, she might still put the whole pack in danger. Quietly she nudged Spirit, banishing her own fear

"I know you're worried about Soran." She made her voice sound more confident "But he'll be fine, he didn't lead Howling Stones Pack for a year by being an idiot... He's a survivor, and sensible."

Dark soot clung to Soran’s fur long before he smelled the smoke and flame around him. How stupid he had been, to reside in the forest without days of contact, merely flitting around like a ghost of the territory. In truth, he feared to face those that still remained in the pack. He had caught word of departure from many, though he hadn’t yet discovered which of his friends had truly left never to return. And of Spirit; the male felt shame biting at his stomach. For all he knew, she could’ve needed him there. And here he was. Hiding in the bushes, the kind of coward he never would’ve imagined he’d be.

Now however, Soran couldn’t just dwell on what had happened. Even as his eyes snapped open, and the first of the flames licked the trees around him, he knew he needed to find the others that survived, if there only a few. His body reacted before his mind as his paws began to pull him away from the destruction. The earth was hot, and burned his paws as he fled the forest; seeking any way out. Birds and other small forest dwellers ran along side him, hoping to come across one part of the forest that still remained untouched by fire.

Escape it seemed was hopeless as Soran crashed through the underbrush, desperate to outrun death. But in an instant, his nose caught a whiff of something that seemed out of place in the surroundings. Air. Fresh. Untainted by smoke and ash, and not far from the position where Soran stood. On bleeding paws, the male began to run again, unaware of the burning branches catching on his coat and the wounds opening on his skin.

Relief washed through him at the vision of sunlight pouring through the entrance to the forest. Wasting no time, Soran sprinted for freedom, unable to catch the dying and crackling branch that had begun to fall as he ran. His face had hit open air when the branch collided with his back legs, catching the male and sending him skidding across dying grass into the open territory made nearly unrecognizable by fire. Dizzy, exhausted and sick from inhaling smoke, Soran could only lay settled in the dirt; nearly every inch of chocolate brown coat covered by dark soot. His back legs throbbed painfully, and brief panic suggested they had broken. But turning to glance at the damage, Soran could only assume that they had been badly bruised.

Unable to move until clear air washed away the smoke, Soran turned back and settled his head in the dirt; occasional coughing drawing smoke and ash from his lungs.

(... catching up. XD)

As Kira stood there, she noticed something. She hadn't checked the whole forest for members, she shook her head. Before Kira could reply, Queen had taking off running back into the heavy clouds of smoke, her pelt was full with ash which bugged Queen. She shook her fur to remove some, but no use. She pushed herself into the burning forest, she brushed past a once gorgeous rose bush, but now a burnt crispy nothing.

She frowned as she watched animals scurry out of the burning woods. She winced when she stepped on a hot part of the soil, she quickly took off trotting. Dodging the fire, and burning things. As quickly as she saw a big tree come crashing down towards her, she ninja lunged to the side and rolled. She fell on her side, with a loud thump.She whined at the impact but shrugged it off.

The charcoal female pushed her weight back on her paws, she glanced around. She was lost, she turned to see some larger animal lay its head down. She stupidly sniffed only to inhale smoke, she grunted at the smell. She jumped on top of the log, and jumped off it. She looked at it and coughed out a "Hello?" she looked around as her eyes pained from the smoke.

Queen stopped, knowing the scent. "Soran?" she whispered to see him laying there, she gaped. "Soran!" she called as she ran towards him. "Soran.. you awake?" she asked as she thought of how to help him. She noticed the slightly uncomfortable position he was in, she glanced around to find a Tree fallen across from him.

(( Hope this is fine if not.. well delete my post ^_^ ))

It wasn't long before a faint, masculine bass of a howl sounded from somewhere within the choking forest. Sepya strained to pinpoint the source over the growling sound of the flames. She managed to decide on a general direction, and attempted to burn the image of those treetops in her mind. Sepya replied hastily, her shrill note fading out quickly in her relief. The pack had not totally abandoned her. Yet, anyway.

With the violent crackle of falling cedars slicing her through ears the wolf danced back and forth, whining anxiously. Soon enough, the flames would begin to lick the very grass of the plains she was standing on. Then what would she do? Despite the moist condition of the earth that comes with springtime, the fire had devoured the forest with such ease. The flat terrain of the pack’s hunting grounds would be like a pile of tinder wood for the fire to devour.

Sepya had to decide soon, for time was of the essence. If she attempted to cross the plains, she risked two things: being run down by the fire or losing the Banishing Winds pack. If she managed to escape the wall of heat with her life, she would have to flee to the distant snow-capped mountains. But the distance was so great, and Sepya had already travelled so much to get here. She was tired and weak as it was; her last meal was three days ago. The prospect of yet another aimless journey did not sit well with her.

Shaking her head worriedly, Sepya trotted in a tight, anxious circle. She would wait within the grounds a little longer, to see if anyone appeared through the smoky trees. A small cloud of ash floated in the middle of her path, the fine layer on her coat disturbed from her movements. Although the air was clear to breathe now, it would not remain this way if things kept up.

---

Sepya stopped her mindless pacing to stare in the direction of another howl, this one much closer and familiar to the she-wolf. Although BlackIce was too far away from her at present, just at the treeline, Sepya couldn’t help but release her signature grin in the Timber’s direction. So they haven’t forgotten…

Soon enough, BlackIce was within auditory range. "You may not be pack to them but i think you deserve to be called a fellow pack member."

”Th-thanks BlackIce…” Sepya stumbled on the words; something else had caught her attention and tied her tongue. She followed the wiry female’s gaze to her hind leg, where a painful-looking gash was bleeding openly. “Oh Oh.”

Ice tore her eyes away from her wound, she would live, For now at least... Ice replied to Sepyas small gasp of reply towards it, masking the pain it caused her, "I'll be fine..." Even with these words Ice knew there was a great chance that she may not be able to continue her life for as long as she wished. Ice lifted her eyes to the burning forest that was her home for quite some time, she shook her head with a frown, then spoke aloud not really directing her words anywhere, "They'll be burnt to a crisp before they make a decision in there..." Ices tone held little worry and the little humor she often held. The fire was spreading more and more, with each flicker she watched to see if she could spot any of the members but, no such luck.

For now Ice suggested towards Sepya, "We need to find ground without much vegetation for the time being, that way the flames won't be able to reach us here." Ice waited for her friends reply of agreement.

((kinda lame... but im tired... and my phone is dying so yea kept it short and to the point. ttyal - talk to you all later. :-])

Everything happened much too quickly, the ebony female finding herself frozen in time for several minutes- completely zoning out in the worst possible time. With a sudden snap back into reality her ears sprung up once more and she shook her head. She turned to those who had remained, "Go to Westward Creek and cross, you will be safe there" she said, dipping her head in the direction of the creek. She quickly turned around to face the wall of smoke once more, the polluted air filling her lungs.

"If we are to go, we must be off. Now." The male pointed out as he glanced towards the area where the fire was beginning to spread. "It would be foolish for us all to wait here. To get the stragglers, we need to send a few and they must stay together. Otherwise, we could lose more than just this section of the territory."

Altair's voice broke into her mind, and she looked to him in shock. He hadn't been here for months, and now he came running back- his coat charred by the flames. "Altair..." she said softly, cringing at the sight of his crimson stained paws. "You need to cross the creek with the others and rest. Crimson, Adena, and I can handle the search party" she said, flicking her ear lightly. With that she gave a reassuring smile, turning to face Crimson and Adena. "Shall we go now?" she asked.

{So sorry for the late post! With it having been my birthday weekend I couldn't find time to post. This post is also quite bad... but I had to catch up sometime so eh.}

Spirit only nodded silently, Gale's voice going in one ear and out the other. Her eyes kept flitting to the burning trees around them, looking for any sign of life among the smoke. But there was none. No movement, no sounds. Only the soft sound of crackling fire and coughing filled her ears. A frown pulled at the corners of her mouth. For all she knew the three of them were the only ones left. When she had ran from the others they still had not fled to the creek. Had they gotten out in time? Spirit let out a quiet whine as her thoughts took a dark twist. Her gaze cast to the ground as she tried to push the thoughts from her mind.


Cinnamon's words made her feel slightly uncomfortable. Was it really all that obvious? She cleared the thought; of course it was, she was practically dragging her feet and looking around them every other second. A sigh escaped her parted jaws, perhaps it was time to just let it all go and focus on getting out of the heat. "I know... I'm sure he's alright, but I can't help but wonder..." Spirit sharply turned her head, hearing the crash of a tree as it hit the ground somewhere relatively close. She stopped, digging her paws into the dirt as her gaze swept across the landscape around her. Though the sound became lost and Spirit had no idea where it had originated. Deciding it'd be foolish to charge blindly into the smoke once more Spirit turned back to the group, a cough wracking her body. "I think we should really be getting out of here. Now." She said between coughs. Picking up her pace, Spirit took the lead, checking over her shoulder every now and then to make sure the others were keeping up.

"I know... I'm sure he's alright, but I can't help but wonder..."

"And I understand" she whispered back "I had a mate once, and I worried for him when there was trouble." Then she coughed and sneezed, trying to expel the smoke from her lungs

"I think we should really be getting out of here. Now."

Cinnamon nodded, glad that the Lead Scout was taking charge. Automaticly she picked up her pace to a rapid trot, coming up so she was nearly level with Gale. Dropping her voice and breathing shallowly she adressed him while keeping one eye on the white coat of Spirit up ahead

"I'm sorry I jumped on you and shouted at you... I was scared... Scared for my own life, and scared for you." She sighed "Gale, you were the first wolf in this pack to speak to me, first to accept me. Whatever makes the others go cold towards you, whatever you've done..." Now she realised she was laughing, slightly hysterically "I don't know what it is, I wasn't here." Then she sobered "It doesn't affect my view of you."

she paused in her speech and glanced at him, paws still beating the trot rythemicly "There isn't time to explain all that I see in you, but know this Gale, if ever you want a friend to talk to or just someone to rely on, come and find me." Daring she nudged his shoulder in friendship "Alright

"I think we should really be getting out of here. Now."

That was what Gale had been thinking. He didn't want to remain in the burning forest longer than he had to. Perhaps it would be best if he let the two with him continue on their own while he turned around and dealt with those he needed rescue. As an elite guardian for the Banishing Winds, the protection of his pack was the thing that needed to be dealt with first. Besides, the creek wasn't too far away now and there were no obstecles that could get in their way. He was expendable, the faes weren't. They held meaning in the pack, he was simply the cold wolf who hated all and held no friends or companions. They did. Spirit's mate was the beta male, she was the lead scout and Cinnamon was in love with Crimson. There were bonds that he didn't even know of though none were with him. Not anymore at least.

He didn't slow even as he heard Cinnamon come up alongside him. He did shift away slightly but not so much that she would notice. Lately, he hated it when others came close to him and it all went back to Taru. She would be the last. Again, his thoughts were starting to take a darker turn before he threw them aside in order to maintain his calm. His fur bristled as he heard the sound of a great thud that signalled that a tree had fallen somewhere. If the three stayed in the forest much longer, they could fall victim to a burning menace.

"I'm sorry I jumped on you and shouted at you... I was scared... Scared for my own life, and scared for you. Gale, you were the first wolf in this pack to speak to me, first to accept me. Whatever makes the others go cold towards you, whatever you've done... I don't know what it is, I wasn't here. It doesn't affect my view of you. There isn't time to explain all that I see in you, but know this Gale, if ever you want a friend to talk to or just someone to rely on, come and find me. Alright?"

"Don't worry about it." He replied quietly, weaving around a tree that was becoming engulfed in flames. The rest of her words stuck in his brain but he wasn't going to reply to them at the moment. "Listen, take Spirit and continue straight. The smell of the river is strong enough that it over powers the scent of the ash and smoke. If you stay forward, you will find the creek. Wade across it and to safety. Do not leave the creek side until Kira or Soran instruct you to."

Without waiting for a reply, Gale turned and ran back into the center of the fire. Now, normally the warrior wouldn't risk his life to preserve those of others but he was extremely loyal. The loyalty to the pack came from his affections for Elysia and Taru. That is why he was going to do what he was about to. He owed nothing to the Banishing Winds other than the fact that his life changed. For the better at first before slowly crumbling down again.

[Lame..]

"Don't worry about it....Listen, take Spirit and continue straight. The smell of the river is strong enough that it over powers the scent of the ash and smoke. If you stay forward, you will find the creek. Wade across it and to safety. Do not leave the creek side until Kira or Soran instruct you to."


Cinnamon nodded quetly to his instructions then stared in horror as the male raced back into the flames

"GALE!!!!!!!!!!" She yelled his name in terror, wanting nothing more than to follow him, to see he was safe, prevent him from doing something stupid. But his words had had the air of comand about them, her subserviant rank forced her to obey. As the fire closed in she broke into a sprint, racing towards the water that she could smell. Her paws drummed the ground.

Then spray lept up around her and her paws stung as the water of the stream soothed them. Shoulder deep she paused, looking back into the firey wood.

Why did I react like that when he left? my heart is Crimson's. She sighed and swam to the other side crawling out and laying down to wait for anyone else, while she puzzled out her heart.