Re: The Winter Den

by Skye July 18th 2011, 2:17 am

"I also wanted to say that about the conversation, before Ely froze," the female began, a certain fierceness to her voice that Taru rarely used, "Forget about it." It was what she needed to say. The way the male had reacted to the female's advance, she understood. "It seems as though neither of us need looking out for," Taru added before looking back towards her feet.

Altair visibly flinched but he quickly regained his expression of calm. If he had known of her feelings towards him earlier, perhaps he wouldn't have a soft spot for another. He did care for Taru first but he did not want to ruin his friendship with her so he left his feelings to fade to almost nothing. There was still a small sliver of affection for her, but not enough to compete with his feelings for the other. It appeared that he had hurt their friendship anyway. With a heavy heart, he finally looked at Taru.

"You will always be the first." He said, not offering anymore of an explanation. "I am sorry Taru. The pact may not be honoured between you and I but you and Ely can keep it no matter what. Had I known . . . I will admit that I do have some feelings for you too, but--"

by **Dakota** July 18th 2011, 2:30 am

"You will always be the first."

Taru's ears twitched as they swallowed his words. A sudden rage filled her. Her lip raised in one spot, revealing a small group of her teeth. What was that supposed to do? Make her feel better? To be a second choice, that was supposed to make her feel better. Taru was not the one to get mad, normally. But for awhile, things hadn't seemed normal either. She could feel her tongue move, ready to deal out a few vicious words. Instead, she turned away, keeping her jaws closed. Her tail hung limply behind her, not showing any emotion, like it needed to anyways. Taru's facial expressions said it all. She was done with Altair. The female didn't need another friend, she had Ely for that.

"I am sorry Taru. The pact may not be honoured between you and I but you and Ely can keep it no matter what. Had I known . . . I will admit that I do have some feelings for you too, but--"

The ebony female let her dark side answer that one for a moment. A small laugh escaped her tight jaws. She was ready to turn around, to express her hurt to the sole reason of it. Instead, Taru was prepared to leave it. To leave her problem, that stood just outside the den, there. That was the best thing she could do. She made her way back over to Elysia.

by Guest July 18th 2011, 2:45 am

He followed suit, staying close at her heels. As he sniffed lightly at the air. Taking in little gulps of the scent instead of drinking it in. He could pin point the direction but still waited for her to start moving.

by Skye July 18th 2011, 2:50 am

Altair held his head high as Taru went back to where Elysia was. He wished deeply that she had taken her anger out on him rather than just keep herself quiet. For a moment, he even wished that things could be different. If somethings were different, everything else would be. You would not be who you are today. The words that usually kept him so strong felt void of everything.

He had hurt Taru. That alone caused his entire heart to turn black and cave in on itself. She had been his closest, dearest friend and he completely destroyed what they had. It was highly unlikely that they would ever be friends again. Altair would always hold her dear, but she probably hated him now. She thought that she was the second choice of his.

Maybe things were better this way. Taru hated him and Elysia would probably hate him too but he would always have memories of them. His pale eyes turned extremely dark amber for the first time. He was extremely angry. Angry at himself. Angry that he had to have feelings towards Taru in the first place. Angry that Taru had not snapped at him. And angry that the fae had to be so entrancing even after all this.

He was close to going after her and demanding a response out of her but he stopped himself as another face flashed through his mind. The brute calmed instantly. Maybe it was time he told her of what he thought of her. His attention turned away from Taru as he closed his feelings off to her. That was a chapter, a lost one, that needed to cease.

His paws dug through the snow as he followed the fae's scent. He found her quickly. She was settled upon a rock that rose above the river. Silver was beside her and they seemed to be in a comfortable silence. He was so close to not saying anything but he broke the quiet with a simple word.

"Kira."

(Emotions are definitely my forte ^-^)

by Kira July 18th 2011, 10:41 am

The ebony female lay silently, the cool breeze ruffled her coat as she lay peacefully alongside her friend. To her, the river was absolutely beautiful, and she still had yet to remove her gaze from it. How it froze, and how it remained frozen, she had no clue. As the wind began to blow softly once more she faced the it's direction, closing her eyes as it blew crisply in her face.

"Kira."

Upon hearing her name the female lifted her head quickly, her ice blue orbs looking to see who had spoke. Identifying the voice belonged to Altair, her thoughts were assured as she saw the male's ginger pelt along the treeline. "Hey Altair" she said, smiling"How is Mahina doing?"she asked, her ears relaxing.

((lame, even though I waited until I was fully awake to post XD))

by **Silver** July 18th 2011, 10:55 am

"Kira."

The words rang through the silence, bounced off the trees and the ground and echoed slowly. As if it was some heightening time in the world, but Silver had no clue as to why. Then, she figured it out, as her sensitive mind caught the emotions that emanated off of Altair and something clicked. It was winter. And winter always led to this... This moment. But she stopped the wave of feelings with one thought. Her moment had come, and was still going. Bayne would never affect her, never make her hurt again. She didn't care anymore, only Falco, her mate, mattered. Only him. Warm feelings pooled inside of her, and then excitement for Kira. She turned, and with only one gaze, Altair should know that she knew.

A smile, small and feeble but there, played along her muzzle like grass swaying in a spring breeze. Her eyes seemed to smile all on their own.

"Hello Altair"

by Guest July 18th 2011, 12:26 pm

Elysia had been shocked into silence and numbness by Taru's sudden departure. For one, she hadn't understood why her friend had left, and two she had been hurt. Elysia, in her own mind, was putting aside her own thoughts and feelings for the good of Taru. It was all for Taru. Yet she had been wrong somehow, somehow it had all just gone wrong. Then Taru had left, her words short. Elysia just couldnt puzzle out what was going on. She lifted her head, pulling herself to her paws. She stayed behind the bushes, though she was quite in view. She wrapped her bushy tail around her paws, looking after Taru with confusion. As Altair approached Taru, Elysia got a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. Elysia turned away, feeling rude for intruding on their conversation. She caught bits and peices of their words to each other, enough to know Taru was in pain.

Fury flared up inside of Elysia. What had Altair been thinking? She had heard his words to Taru the night before, when Elysia had nearly died. He had led her on, enough for Elysia to beleive that Altair had truly loved Taru. It had been enough for Elysia to put aside her own feelings, for the good of Taru. Despite Taru's harsh words earlier, Elysia had known. She could see it in her friend, the way she looked at him and the way she lit up when she saw his face. Taru had loved him, perhaps still loved him despite the pain he was now causing her. Elysia turned her head away from the pair, not wanting to intrude and trying to keep herself from launching at Altair. Couldn't he have been more delicate?

Taru began to return to Elysia. Elysia rose to meet her, shouldering her way through the bushes. Elysia didnt quite say anything, there wasn't anything to say in response to what had just happened. She couldnt think of anything to say, it was awkward and painful - for both of them. Elysia sat down, curling her tail around her paws. Taru didnt need encouraging words or reassurance. She needed a friend, someone to listen and stand by her side. That was what Elysia would be, what she knew she could be for Taru.

by **Dakota** July 18th 2011, 12:56 pm

Taru looked at Elysia, waiting for some words, any words. When nothing came to her ears, she frowned. The grimace took hold of her features, creating depressions in different places on her face. It was what she needed, silence and peace of mind. However, the female felt as though she wasn't truly within herself. She was out of it. "I need to clear my head," Taru whispered in a pained voice. And trash a few emotions from my top list, she thought, beginning to move through the trees. Her nails penetrated the frozen earth with every step, taking her away from Elysia. She had smelt deer a few paces ahead and decided a challenge was needed. Hunting something like a deer was always a difficult task for the petite wolf, even with a group, but alone? Taru didn't know if it could be done.

While walking towards her future targets, Taru tried to think of something, anything, that made Altair a threat. If she could think of a good, hurtful reasons that he should not remain her friend, she could cut off the friendship without too much pain. She was good at those types of things. The female had ended several relationships like the one she had with Altair. A few days of quick friendship, then, when she had enough, to walk away. This time was different though. She couldn't completely leave him, like she could with other loners. Taru was part of a pack, and it seemed as though he would be joining it. Perhaps run him off? No, that wouldn't be right. Perhaps learn to accept he was just a friend she would have to put effort in to keep? This thought made a shallow pain drift through her, but Taru was not a fighter, nor a hateful wolf. She would just need time to revert to her old self and accept Altair once again.

Her thoughts dissolved as sight of a deer made her stop. Taru's pale yellow eyes anaylzed every possible way of going at this young stag, who struggled through the snow. The female was fast, but in the snow, slower than normal. How fast was the deer in the snow? That was a good question. Without thinking too much about it, the ebony female launched forward. Her jaws parted, revealing teeth that intended to kill. The deer fumbled in his first steps, launching through the snow in small bounds. Taru could feel the snow crumbling beneath her with every step. Her fur was on end, carrying tiny crystals of ice that illuminated her dark pelt. She could feel the wind from his hooves, threatening to get too close to her face. Her breathing had become uneven, some gasps and others collected. Taru realized she was starting to fumble, legs shaking. In a small bound, she launched herself forward to try and make a grab for his hide. Her white teeth scraped over his rough fur, leaving only a few marks as they slid away. A failed attempt meant defeat for Taru. She slowed, letting the deer escape. Her jaws were parted as her breathing grew slower. The female was tired.

by Skye July 18th 2011, 2:33 pm

"Hey Altair" she said, smiling"How is Mahina doing?"she asked, her ears relaxing.

"Mahina is doing fine. Her flank is still numb but she's doing better now." Altair replied with ease even though he was absolutely nervous. He never acted on emotions of affection before so it was understandable that he was conflicting with his self.

"Hello Altair"

"Hello Silver." The brute looked to his other friend. His eyes widened as he noticed that her eyes were glowing with their own light. So she knew did she? Maybe he could say things in front of her but he wasn't sure if Kira would appreciate it.

"May I speak to you alone for a moment Kira?" He asked as he fought from lowering his head. It took all of his strength to keep his pale gaze on the lean, black-and-grey mottled form of the object of his affections.

by **Maiara** July 18th 2011, 2:39 pm

(I'm just going to pretend that I walked off somewhere. If there are any people who haven't been accepted into the pack yet, you are now...because I'm lazy)

Maiara let her paws leave soft imprints in the heavy snow as she returned to the densite. When the storm had begun to brew, she'd wandered off under the canopy of the surrounding trees. Although frozen cold and stiff, she had survived the storm. Huddled close to the base of a pine, she'd fallen asleep under it's low boughs, too far from the den site to return until the storm had passed. Ice crystals stilll clung to the tips of her fur from the snow that had fallen on top of her as she had slumbered.

The den site seemed muted by the snow. Growing morning light made everything shimmer wonderfully, as though proving that things always prove brighter after such a brooding tempest. Finding herself a suitable spot on the white ground, she sat and groomed the ice from her fur, wondering what she had missed while off in the woods, hoping that the pack had found suitable warmth in the storm. With each lick of her tongue, her frozen veins thawed slightly, her circulation improving. She couldn't imagine the storm's chill and wrath here in the open clearing, unprotected by the limbs of trees.

(yeah, lame, I know)

by Guest July 18th 2011, 2:45 pm

Mahina pinned her ears against her skull. Though still wobbly, she managed to stand up and pad out of the den, her head hanging low and her tail lashing behind her. She knew what was about to happen from the faint voices she had heard, and she didn't want to hear any more of it. She stalked into the forest, lashing at the snow with her paw. She stood there, staring down at the snow. Drama was not something she wanted, but she only had more coming for her.

by Spirit July 18th 2011, 2:53 pm

Spirit looked up as she heard the soft crunch of footsteps in the snow, spotting Mahina wondering off into the trees alone. A frown crossed over her features as she caught the expression the female showed. Rising warily to her paws Spirit followed after Mahina slowly. She wasn't sure what would happen, but she felt she should talk with Mahina. They seemed to have been becoming good friends before the whole.... event. And through it all Spirit still thought kindly of the pretty fae, of course a tad nervous, but that was something that could be worked out. Taking a deep breath Spirit spoke. "Mahina?..." Her voice trailed as she came up beside the female, standing roughly a foot away. She wasn't sure how close she should get, or would be allowed it. "Is everything alright?" Spirit paused, her tail swishing behind her as she waited for a response, an answer or anything remotely close.

by Kira July 18th 2011, 2:56 pm

"Mahina is doing fine. Her flank is still numb but she's doing better now."

"Thats good" she said, happy that her friend was feeling better. She looked between him and Silver curiously as she noticed Altair's eyes widen as he said hello to Silver.

"May I speak to you alone for a moment Kira?"

The question caught her off guard. "Of course" she said, her curiosity sparking once more. She padded lightly across the snow, smiling as she heard it crunching beneath her paws before sitting down some distance away from Silver. Confusion was upon her muzzle, what could he need to speak with her about?

((Mine is lame too Mai XD))

by Guest July 18th 2011, 3:03 pm

Elysia watched as Taru left her again, a second time in but minutes. She didnt move or speak. She didnt got after Taru. She just stood and watched silently. Taru needed time, as she had said. But where did that leave Elysia? All her great plans, they had come to nothing and now she was alone. The worst part was that she wasnt entirely sure where to go from there. She had always been around Taru - her and Taru conquering the world one rabbit at a time. Elysia stood and slowly turned away from the direction Taru had dissappeared. She wasnt sure where to go or what to do. Altair and Kira looked to be having an intimate conversation. Elysia had no doubt that there would be a brand new couple by the end of the day.

Elysia moved as if to walk somewhere, but she didnt really have anywhere to go. Everywhere she looked, pack members were in pairs. There were conversations long started and relationships older than she knew. So where was she supposed to go? She looked around, setting her sites on a tall sycamore. She padded to the base, scrabbling her paws on the ground as she dug into the deep snow. She hollowed out a small place for herself, slowly settling in. She rested her head on her paws, simply lying down and watching. Watching was a strength of hers, watching and waiting. It was what she would do now, in her time of confusion.

(Lame XD waiting for a PM from Rune)

by Guest July 18th 2011, 3:07 pm

"Mahina?..."

Mahina's ears perked up when she heard her name. She watched in silence when Spirit appeared next to her, and her ears pinned back slightly on instinct. It was only after the need for comfort made her let her ears lie against the sides of her head.

"Is everything alright?"

"I don't know..." She muttered, her eyes closing. "No, nothing is alright." She turned her head away. As if that would make her feel any better.

by Skye July 18th 2011, 3:10 pm

"Of course" she said, her curiosity sparking once more.

Altair nodded to Silver and therefore comfirming that he was about to do what she thought. He quickly went over to Kira not really taking notice of his nervousness any longer. It had been replaced with a powerful resolve. He would not mess this one up like he messed up with Taru.

"Here's the thing, being near you makes me crazy." Altair began. "But I don't think I could ever be with out you. You have the most beautiful, kindest blue eyes I've ever seen. The comfort of your fur is the thing that I find myself longing for. And you're the only thing I can think of. But I can understand if you don't feel the same since you don't know me. I just needed to get that off my chest."

It was extremely difficult for the brute not to look at his paws after he finished speaking but he knew that he would be better off looking right at her whether there was a rebuttle or an acceptance.

by Kira July 18th 2011, 3:37 pm

"Here's the thing, being near you makes me crazy." Altair began. "But I don't think I could ever be with out you. You have the most beautiful, kindest blue eyes I've ever seen. The comfort of your fur is the thing that I find myself longing for. And you're the only thing I can think of. But I can understand if you don't feel the same since you don't know me. I just needed to get that off my chest."

Kira was shocked at his words, was this true? After Bayne she had thought herself damaged beyond repair and only time had healed the wound. Thoughts raced through her mind, and she looked to the ground. Bayne had asked and she said no immediately, yet she was questioning the word's Altair spoke, and then she realized why. She felt the same. "Your right... I don't know you" she said, looking at the ground. But, somehow I still manage to feel the same way she said softly. The thought to never look up tempted her, but this was Altair, and he had just told her the words she longed to hear. She lifted her gaze slowly, finally able to look at him again. Her heart pounded nervously, as she felt her coat growing warm despite the crisp air and the cold snow she stood on.

by Spirit July 18th 2011, 3:40 pm

Spirit frowned, concerned for her friend. Friend? Dare she say the word after only sharing a few words with Mahina. Yes; while the attack had caused some rough patches Spirit would still consider herself close to Mahina - of course not as close as before - but jealousy made people act in strange ways and Spirit was willing to forgive her for it. Shaking her thoughts Spirit turned to Mahina once more. "I take it this has to do with Altair?" Spirit - though her hearing was slightly crippled - could still make out the faint sound of Altair and Kira conversing. Though by their expressions... it went a lot deeper than a carefree talk; this was serious. Her heart filled with happiness for the two of them as she remembered when she had spilled her guts to Soran. But speaking of those things wouldn't help Mahina, not now. Spirit didn't dare bring talk of the brown male, she didn't think she was ready to have that kind of talk with Mahina; but she would be willing if Mahina was. The white Scout just wanted everything to be right again.

by Skye July 18th 2011, 3:47 pm

"Your right... I don't know you" she said, looking at the ground. But, somehow I still manage to feel the same way she said softly.

Altair was careful to not let his happiness to be too evident. It might scare her but his pale eyes showed what he was trying to hide. They were aglow with unfathomable jubilance. When she first began, he had thought she was about to turn him down and he knew he would understand and try again later if he could. Though when she continued, he felt his heart grow light as if it grew a pair of wings.

"I would ask to be your mate," he said after a moment of silence. "Unless you wish to take time to get to know each other better?"

by Guest July 18th 2011, 3:53 pm

"I take it this has to do with Altair?"

Mahina nodded, blinking away tears she knew her kind was forever denied of. She was trying to blink away the current moment, wishing she could rewind to a time where everything was alright. Maybe Kanae was wrong, maybe there wasn't someone out there that cared for her. Maybe she was just chasing a lost cause.

by Guest July 18th 2011, 3:56 pm

(Sorry for making you wait Inso!)

Akera glanced back, making sure the white male was still with her. She threw him smile, then decided to focus. She sniffed the air again and started following her nose. Once the female sensed that they were growing closer to the deer, she went into hunting mode. All her senses were on high and she jumped at the tiniest crunch of snow or falling branch. Feeling how close she was, Akera started to creep up near a clearing. Looking between the trees she saw a small herd of deer shuffling in the snow, probably looking for any sign of food in the deep white. Flicking her head back to her companion, she gave him an excited smile. Barely whispering, she asked, "How do we want to do this? Which one do you want?" Her tail wagged slightly in anticipation. She did love the hunt.

by Kira July 18th 2011, 4:12 pm

"I would ask to be your mate," he said after a moment of silence. "Unless you wish to take time to get to know each other better?"

A small smile twitched at the ebony female's muzzle, her eyes bright with happiness. "We do need to get to know each other better. But, the only thing I don't know about you is your past, nor do you know mine. And the past is just that, the past. So I must say yes to your first question, if you agree. Nothing I learn will change my mind" she said, smiling. Was this truly it? Had she actually found someone that wouldn't just turn and leave on a dime? She realized this could have been Bayne, and the thought sickened her to her core as she recalled how he had abandoned Silver. But this was not Bayne, this was Altair. And the two couldn't have been more different.

by Spirit July 18th 2011, 4:19 pm

Spirit fell silent as Mahina nodded to her. Spirit gave Mahina a friendly nudge on her shoulder, offering the she-wolf a kind smile. "I know times are hard... heartache hurts." Spirit paused. What was she saying? She sounded lame. Pushing that aside she continued slowly. "I've been through it before - though of course it was when my mother died. I was so young... She had meant the world to me and I had admired her... but it all just vanished." Spirit grief beginning to surface as she remember her deceased mother. Her gaze dropped to her paws as she shifted them awkwardly beneath her. "I never thought I could be happy again... Until I came here..." Spirit stopped. Maybe her ranting was going too far? The white she-wolf sighed, letting out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. It wouldn't hurt to go on. "Mahina... Every cloud has it's silver lining... I know it's hard right now but everyone experiences pain, it's what makes us stronger. Altair may have just not been your guy, but don't let that discourage you from ever trying for someone else. Out there there is someone waiting for you and perhaps someday fate will bring you two together." Spirit stopped, rising to her paws. "I wish you the best Mahina. And if you ever need to talk to me feel free to. I'll gladly listen and help you in any way I can." The scout smiled before turning and heading back to the den. She huddled under the nearest pine tree she came across, trying to hide herself away from the cold. Thoughts of her mother brought back a grief she thought she had put behind her.

by Skye July 18th 2011, 5:43 pm

"We do need to get to know each other better. But, the only thing I don't know about you is your past, nor do you know mine. And the past is just that, the past. So I must say yes to your first question, if you agree. Nothing I learn will change my mind" she said, smiling.

"It would be my honour to have you as my mate." Altair replied. "And you are right. The past is the past. There is truly nothing that it can do to harm the future unless we allow it to."

The ginger-and-white brute smiled a smile that had not surfaced for a long time. He would have moved forward and touched her nose with his but it appeared that his legs had turned to jelly while he waited anxiously for Kira's reply. He was already sure that some of the others had picked up on their conversation but he did not mind. This moment was all that mattered.

by **Rune** July 18th 2011, 6:04 pm

“That is very true and we lost a lot with his departure, but that isn’t why I wish to speak with you now.” Rune replied, his eyes drawing to the entrance of the den as traces of sunlight flickered in and shed a bit of light. “As you know Derek was our beta, but he is no longer here and as a Delta that means you have the choice to step up and take his place if you wish.” He added just as he released a small yawn escape from his muzzle.

(Lame postness...)

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