Windy Peak

"Quit biting and threatening Lelio."

Cinnamon instantly shrank in submission, realising she'd overstepped the line yet again.

"We need to get out of this cold before others fall into hypothermia. Cinnamon, you will allow Lelio to lean on you for support on the way down the mountain. If anyone needs help walking, do not hesitate to ask for assistance."
She nodded acceptance of the female's suggestion, at the same time trying to work out what had got into her. She hadn't been this rough and angry for years. Bemusedly she looked around for someone to help. Ironically her eyes fell one one of the uninjured wolves, Gale. She flicked looks between Linnea and the male, seeing a rather familiar expression on the other female's face. Then, as Gale's attention moved, her ears caught a whisper, and saw a flash of raw emotion on Linnea's face
"You like Adena"

She sighed, realising the female might be in exactly the same position as she had been months before. As Linnea scrabbled about, clearly trying to climb to her feet and escape Gale, Cinnamon moved forward. But then she hesitated, deciding to leave Linnea to sort out her own muddle and be there to pick up the pieces, as Lena had done for her.

Looking around she spotted another pair of wolves, both of whom were strange to her, though one was clearly a pack member. Carefully, mindfull of the snow, she walked over to them
"Hello...I'm sorry for my ignorance" This she directed at the pack stranger "But might I know who you are, and your respective ranks." She shuffled her feet nervously "I got left behind on the move, and I'm just trying to straighten up who is who."

The strange wolf smirked at her and Cinnamon instinctively drew herself up a smidgen taller, asserting some authority in that direction
"Ya might know me name...and ya might not. As for a rank, I 'aven't got one."

Though she was surprised to hear an accent, especially such a strong one, from the wolf's mouth, Cinnamon showed none of it, matching the strange female look for look, though not to the point of the smirk or slightly snobbish tilt of the nose.

"It's fine that you haven't got a rank, we can sort that once everyone is on their paws" She paused breifly "As for names, I am Cinnamon, and I am a Scholar of this pack, called Banishing Winds by those that know..."
Smiling slightly, eyes echoing that, she waited for a response, and also the stranger's reaction.

Phantom watched with confusion as the black female darted off after showing herself. His golden orbs stared at where was running towards. Outside the territory, he thought, bad choice. The white male looked at the other female, "I'm taking you back then i'm going after her. And that's final." The scout nudged the female in the direction of where the pack was. "I better warn them..." he said softly. Slowly the male raised his head upwards and howled loud and long for the pack to know he had company. If they don't hear me, they'll be in a little shock. As Phantom lept nudging the female to go, he began to think. The body of the loner was thin. The ribs clearly visible through her black pelt. She hadn't eaten in days or maybe weeks. She has no choice. She needs a pack. And mine is the only one around. Maybe once i go after her, i can convice her she needs the help that the pack can give. But theres no way im going to keepe going after loners like this from now on! It gets kinda old to run all the time and chase after them.



(Sorry it's lame and short ^^)

Feather began to walk the direction that the male, who called himself Phantom, pointed. She was hungry and she was hoping that there would be food where she was going. It was hard for her to walk up the slope, which wasn't that steep, but she was weak. She had been in this time of weather before, but much longer ago, with her old family pack. As she was walking, she began to talk, felling it was an awkward silence walking up the way. "So um, how did you see me in the snow?" As she was walking up, her head was pointed somewhat down. She sniffed the air for food, and a slight scent came. She kept walking, and sniffed the air again, seeing if she was any closer, which she was. The food source was nearby, but she still couldn't see it. So she kept walking, hoping the male will see it. She was smiling, to where he couldn't see it, but she was happy someone found her, especially a nice male.

(I'm still working on making my post longer.)

Saphera watched him walk away and she got even more worried that he may bring a patrol with him. She could barely see that happen so she decided to take a rest and almost instantly collapsed onto the soft snow. She breathed heavily as she tried to catch her breath. She didn't even get that far and she felt like she was about to die. "Wow" she thought "I could go much ferther than this as a pup!"
She dealt with she knew she should get moving soon. So, she wait a few more minutes then began to tear through all of the bare bushes and branches. Saphera started to brath heavy again, and she once more collapsed on the snow again. This time her lungs hurt to friom breathing so heavily in the cold air. She decided to find the next bush and crawl under to lick and soothe all of her small cuts from all of running through brush. She found one and dug a small hole to keep a little warmer. She then began to lick all of her cuts and began to relax. Her exhaustion began to make her relax. She caught herself and shoved her head into the freezing snow to keep herself up. She knew he would be here soon probably with more wolves. She needed to be awake at least to make her last struggle she knew she couldn't run this time either. Saphera had definatlely worn herself out too much even over the mot very large distance she covered in the time she was running form the male.

Cinnamon didn't react as the strange wolf looked her up and down, clearly sizing her up as a challenge
"Cinnamon...it fits ya,"
Thank you" She smiled slightly, while starting to gain the impression that a smirk was this wolf's way of smiling rather than meanness.
"I s'pose it's only fair t'tell ya my name then, i'n't it?"

And there was that accent again. Cinnamon repressed a sigh, hoping who ever she took this wolf to would be as accepting of her mannerisms as she was trying to be. This time she noticed that the accent was heavier and the sneer almost too strong... The strange wolf also seemed to take a long breath before carrying on
"Me God-given name be Jacqueline, though most know me as Jackie. Calico Jackie."

Cinnamon inclined her head slightly "Pleased to meet you, Calico Jackie." Then she met the female's eyes again, an honest question coming from her mouth "Do you prefer to be called that, just Calico, or just Jackie?"

(Urm...I haven't been accepted in the pack yet what do I do???)

(Ok I guess I'll wait until you move topics if that's ok)

It was quiet, but Gale had heard it. Linnëa's voice was soft; only he could have possibly picked up her words and the excruciating pain that was echoing within them. It only took a few seconds before his green eyes flicked to the female of which he was laying beside. Terror and worry filled her normally calm blue eyes. She had not meant to say it out loud, but it was there now. Hanging like a storm in the air between them. The alpha female tried to move away from him, but it seemed that he muscles were failing her commands. Not like he would let her go now, especially in her weakened state. Even though some wolves strove for independence from relying on others, he wouldn't allow it. She was hurt and even though Gale wasn't sure how to respond to her at the moment, he pressed himself closer to her.

What could he say? Yes, he liked Adena. A great deal in fact? Even though it was true, Gale couldn't bring himself to say the words. Besides, hadn't he left before in order to let his feelings for Adena disappear and for Crimson to earn the beta's affections? He knew of his best friend's affections for the beta female and even though it had been hard for him, he had left so he wouldn't get in the way. Even when he came back he had tried to stay out of the way and let Adena fall in love with Crimson, but it didn't seem to be working. As far as he knew, there were no shows of affection between the two. There had been a few instances between himself and Adena that he had believed was a sign of liking, but now he wasn't so sure of them. Adena wasn't an open book, that was for sure. She liked to keep things in, to let herself ponder over them without others butting in. Linnëa however, was a bit more open. She was friendly and bubbly when there was time to be but when she needed to, she was stern but fair. Both females as well as Crimson deserved happiness. Did they not? If Gale were to completely back off and to completely release every feeling he held for Adena, could he fall in love with Linnëa? He definitely believed such could happen. After all, there was nothing that no one couldn't love about her.

A cloud of thought crossed Gale's eyes; making them unreadable. The old "Western Wind" wouldn't have even began to think this way. No, he would have made Crimson stand down and would have tried to take Adena as he own, no questions asked. Even though Elysia and Taru changed him for the better, someone else was keeping him this way. His green-eyed gaze flickered between Adena and Linnëa once more before coming to a rest on the latter. If he was to go through with his plan, he would have to make the alpha understand that she wasn't his second choice. He wouldn't be settling for her. In fact, she would be his first, the reason that his world was a brighter place. At first it could be a slightly, near-impossible task but he was sure he'd be able to achieve it with time. With a clear mind, the beta male quietly pushed his feelings for Adena to the back of his mind and let the candle of his affections for Linnëa come first and foremost.

"I do, but there's someone else I care for more." It wasn't exactly the truth, but it wasn't a lie either. While what he felt for Adena was a burning flame that was as powerful as a wildfire, it would fade if he let it slip away. "And that's you. The reason I looked at her was because I hoped that I wasn't leading her on. I feel bad for it because I lie here, next to the most beautiful she-wolf in the entire Banishing Winds pack while she has to look on. I know not if she has feelings for me, but if she does, I want to make it clear that mine aren't as strong as hers."

He wasn't exactly the noblest wolf especially with his dark past, but this was the best thing for him to do. It benefited everyone--or so he believed--because everyone would end up with someone. That was, as long as Linnëa took him as hers. Without breaking eye contact with the khaki female, the beta laid his head upon her back.

For the first time in his life, Gale was content with his actions.


[Really lame.. Sorry Lines!]

Linnëa's eyes were still confused and scared as he simply moved closer. The feelings and thoughts of the wanderer beside her moved across his eyes like the fog of a morning, blocking the sun of feelings that even Linnëa could not pierce through or perceive. It troubled her, her greatest defense in anything was being able to see what was happening in the minds of others. In fact, it was her greatest defense in just about anything. For, the easiest way to win in combat was to know what your opponent was striving for. If it was simply to kill, their movements might be rasher and rushed, thus making indirect attacks better than the alternative. However, if they were focusing on a specific goal, their attacks may be less rash and more coordinated and skillful, causing the need for coordinated attacks and reading the body language of another to be important. Of course, such a skill was even important in far less life threatening situations, like right now. But she couldn't use it. Not now, with his thoughts hidden. This caused her to look away herself.

So many thoughts all confused her mind. He didn't like her. That was why he was indecisive; he was trying to find a nice way of saying that he was not in any way interested in a three toned freak that had the markings of a house cat. Or was he? Maybe he liked them both? Even though she found the thought of him liking more than one wolf discomforting, she was able to deal with this assumption. Or maybe she had misread his feelings, maybe he liked no one. Maybe he just liked to browse, like the male Lelio did. This only confused and scared her. Or maybe, she had angered him. She immediately felt a reverberating flash of terror rise within her, but she managed to quell and hide her feelings just as he did. She could not react until she heard what he seemed to be getting ready to say, it was not to be allowed by her.

The female knew she liked him, and could feel just how easy she could fall in love with the male. She already liked him a lot, they both seemingly had hard pasts. He was strong, and kind. He could talk and hold a conversation, or sit and simply enjoy the company of others. She didn’t know Crimson nearly as well as she knew him. She'd realized that she had set her sights on Gale this very day, and right at that moment she could not get herself to be in love with anyone else. She'd adapted such a thing as soon as her first and last mate Firnen, had contracted rabies from a female she did not really now. And in his madness he had decided she was his mate, and that Linnëa was but a wretch. It had been horrible, and since then she had almost lost confidence. She knew that the real Firnen by then had been gone. But the words from the diseased and maddened body of the male had shattered her. She'd not been able to really attach to any male since.

She had been called demented, horrible, ugly, stupid, and many other things as he attempted to kill her, and as she attempted to find the real Firnen in the rabid form. And, at last, he had jumped and the only way she could escape death was to open her jaws. And thus, she had killed him. It was as simple as that. One bite in the base of his head, and he was gone. The female quickly followed suit, and the same thing happened to her as well. Her eyes lingered back to Gale, to find him looking at her. Her past practically echoed in her eyes. But, her past had not been all bad. Before all of that, she'd had a rather naive and easy life, one filled with joyful experiences, learning, kind teachers. She guessed she had really forgotten anything before, even her parents were a dim shadow.

"I do, but there's someone else I care for more. And that's you. The reason I looked at her was because I hoped that I wasn't leading her on. I feel bad for it because I lie here, next to the most beautiful she-wolf in the entire Banishing Winds pack while she has to look on. I know not if she has feelings for me, but if she does, I want to make it clear that mine aren't as strong as hers."

Her mind was wiped. She stared dumbfounded for several moments, her mouth unable to form the words in reply. No words were needed. Just actions. Her shivering slowed to a stop, as she found herself warm once again. In fact, she could feel her entire self reddening beneath her khaki hued fur. His head rested upon her back, and she gave him a smile. What would she do without him? He was quite literally saving her life right now, at this very moment. If he had not acted when he did and offered his warmth to her pelt, she would not make it. Her neck curved so she could poke her nose to his, her blue eyes seeming to open once again at that very moment. Not just a calm sea, like a day at the beach, the warm sun and the waves, the soft crashes of the shore. Then, she finally spoke.

"I care for you greatly, more than anyone else. Back.. Back when you tried to leave, I never admitted it, but I had not felt so alone for a great time." She said, her voice soft. She smiled. He liked her. He really, truly, did. There were only three words to be said now, three words that rang with truth, three words she never thought she would utter again, not in her life. They flowed out like a large swell of waves upon the shore. "I love you."