Waiting on Forever {Ren}

[Sasha]

After practically washing up on the shore of this land, Sasha had been physically exhausted. It was a long swim around the island of Anikira, and she had only just barely made it. Through pouring rain, strong winds, and high waves, she had swam behind her mother, trying to keep up as best her little legs could. She was barely a year old, and Kiva had decided that it was then that they should leave. The journey had taken two days, but they had finally made it to their destination. Greeted by two wolves as they arrived, Sasha was pretty positive that her mother had formed a pack right then. She was too busy eating to pay attention, though... But the other two wolves had stuck around. The ugly male that brought them food seemed lose to her mother, and Sasha wasn't sure she liked that. The female that looked like she was starving seemed nice, though. Sasha huffed softly as she walked over the lands of her new home. It was early morning, and none of the others had awoken yet. It was just the silver colored she-wolf and the quiet peacefulness of the morning. The young wolf had decided that if they were going to stick around here, then she better explore and find all the best hiding spots... And hunting spots, she supposed, but she figured with the way the ugly male and her mother had been acting, Sasha was just going to need some places where she could be alone.

It wasn't that she didn't like the male... She just didn't really like males in general. Her father had been the start of that. He hadn't loved her mother, and Sasha knew that. She was a product of some brute trying to spread his genes around Anikira, and Sasha hated him for that. She hated that he had never visited her, and she hated him. If he had only loved her, maybe things would have been different for the poor young wolf. Sasha's ears flicked back against her head in slightly anxiety as she thought about her father. He brought such terrible thoughts to her mind, and Sasha didn't like that. Luckily, though, the young female found herself at a source of water. She wasn't quite sure where she was... Or how she got there... Or how to get back... But the water was beautiful. Crystal clear and crisp, it was a lovely sight to see. Sasha needed to see peaceful water instead of the rolling waves of the ocean for once. Fresh water, too, which meant she could drink it. Drifting to the water's edge, the pup found her feet in sand as if she were at the beach, and as her paws hit the water, she shivered gently. It was cold, but perfect after a long walk through the forest. Craning her neck, the young wolf flicked her tongue out of her mouth several times, lapping up some of the crisp water. Once she had had enough to drink, the young femme moved underneath the shade of a nearby oak tree whose roots had been exposed. Panting softly, Sasha crawled beneath one of the roots, letting the top half of her body lay out in the open while the rear half stayed hidden beneath the roots. Resting her chin on her front paws, the female's blue eyes gazed out over the water. This would be the perfect spot to spend some alone time...



@ren

[Deleted]

The crisp autumn air was a godsend to the young male as he slipped through the forest, the sound of his footsteps amplified in places by the smattering of orange-gold leaves that flecked the earth. Ren was not exactly sure where he was; he knew only that it was beautiful, and that somewhere behind him, his siblings lay slumbering beneath the canopy of leaves. He’d been restless, unable to sleep as the morning sun peeked through the umbrella of reds and golds, and so he’d risen quietly to wander. After his meeting with Saphira of Descai – as well as the young male, Pharaoh, and his odd companion – he’d longed for company. He pestered Arete and Everest enough as it was, and so today it was with a light heart and a sense of bloated confidence that only youth could bring that found Ren wandering.

He was not sure if these lands were inhabited; he did not think they were, for in some places the scent of others was fresh, but in others it was stale. Perhaps it was not the best place to search for company, and yet Ren was not comfortable with wandering too far away from his family. He was sure that they were capable of defending of themselves – he only hoped that they would not have to. In the months since they’d been orphaned, they’d all grown considerably. As time wore on, Ren was growing less gangly and more lean, his muscles forming nicely beneath his mottled pelt, honed by days spent traveling ceaselessly. His voice had deepened, losing it’s squeaky, puppyish soprano, and now it was a low, smooth baritone that fell from his muzzle when he spoke. While it was clear he was no adult yet, Ren had reached a year of age, and no more was the bumbling, clumsy young pup who’d once trailed after his siblings.

As he moved, the trees began to thin. It was barely noticeable, a slight spreading of the trunks, but after spending so long traveling, Ren knew what it meant. Soon there would be a break of some sort in the forest, and indeed after several more moments, he caught the gleam of sunlight on the surface of water. His muzzle stretched into a smile as he hurried forward, his paws sinking just slightly into the softer ground as he bounded towards the water, taking one particularly large leap over the gnarled roots of a tree and –

A moment later he was sprawled in a mess of limbs on the floor, a growl of surprise slipping from him. He’d very nearly come to land on a silvery mass of fur, and only by slinging himself aside at the last moment did he avoid toppling onto the stranger. He scrambled to his feet in what he hoped was a dignified manor, prepared to snarl at the wolf for laying hidden in the shade, when suddenly the scent hit him. It was a female, and one close to his own age by the look of it.

The change was instant, Ren’s fur flattening along his spine, ears perking atop his skull and muzzle spreading into a wide grin once more. Her fur was a lovely plethora of silvers and grays, her eyes a soft blue, and upon her hip was a peculiar marking in a similar shade. She was like nothing he had ever seen before – although, to be fair, Ren hadn’t seen many she-wolves besides his own sister.

”I’m so sorry,” he said, his tone proving his sincerity. ”I didn’t see you there.” Then, shooting her a winning gaze-and-smile combination that he hoped was very charming but that was truly more cringe-worthy in its obviousness , his bowed his head towards her and offered, ”My name is Ren. I cannot refrain from asking: is your name quite as beautiful as you are?”

TAG: Sasha
WORDS: 644
NOTES: I had so much fun writing this xD

[Sasha]

The young female had slowly closed her eyes, her mind drifting off into a peaceful, light sleep. Dreams slowly started to flow through her brain, bringing small happy bursts of the young she-wolf sprinting through the trees as she chased after a rabbit. Just as she pounced to capture the small furry creature, the fast-paced crunching of leaves beneath paws filled her ears, bringing her back to the world. At first, she was in a groggy state of slight awareness, but as the large mass of fur leaped over the roots she was lying under and almost came crashing down on top of her, she startled awake. Sasha jumped to her feet and pinned her ears back as she set eyes on the stranger. Snarling loudly, the she-wolf's hair stood straight up, white teeth glinting in the morning sun. She had come from a pack of anger, and from that, she held within her the potential to explode should someone anger her enough.

The young wolf hated to be startled awake, and so this wolf, who looked to be about her age, was now an enemy in her eyes. Besides that, she wasn't sure who he was or why he was here. For all she knew, he was a new spy of Kairos sent to find her and her mother. That thought was terrifying and was only more fuel to her fire as she watched him. His demeanor changed as soon as he saw her, and that really only angered her more. Just because she was a girl, he was no longer growling? Sure, it was the gentlemanly thing to do, but Sasha didn't want to be looked at differently just because she was a female. If he was angry, then she wanted him to tell her. Sasha's snarls died a little as she listened to the male speak. Baritone lyrics drifted from his maw, though the young female was not focused on how lovely the sound was. Instead, she focused on his words.

"Well maybe you should watch where you're going." She spat at him before lifting her nose at his... Well whatever that face was that he was making. Some sort of cross between a grin and a... Well Sasha wasn't quite sure, but by his demeanor, she was guessing that it was supposed to be charming. Disgusting. Like she would ever. She couldn't deny that he was fairly good looking, but she already didn't like his attitude, and she was sure that that could never change. As he spoke again, Sasha could only roll her eyes. While her snarls had stopped and her body language appeared slightly less aggressive, she was still having none of this male. "Try again, sugar. I don't fall for charming phrases like that." She growled, looking over him. Even after he called her beautiful, she still held a hatred for him. Really, she had just never been in a situation like this before, with a wolf -especially a male- around her own age, and she was very unsure of how to act. There was also still the possibility -though she had never heard of him before- that he was from Kairos, there to confirm that she was, indeed, Sasha.

[Deleted]

If one might have asked Ren what he was expecting from the encounter, he could not say. A soft, delicate femme who was flattered by his words – if he was lucky. One who was curious and occasionally flirtatious, perhaps, as Saphira had been. What he had not been expecting, however, was the unabashed anger upon the silver femme’s features, or the harsh words that greeted his failed display of bravado. For a moment Ren was taken aback, staring at the she-wolf with his head cocked just slightly to one side, unsure of how to respond. It was clear that she had no intentions of making this encounter easy for him after his blunder, and for a moment he considered leaving. A second later, his pride thoroughly erased that idea. He would not back down from a challenge.

”I did apologize, you know. It’s not as if I meant to,” he pointed out in what he thought was a very rational way. Ren had limited experience when it came to dealing with anger; his father, when he had still been alive, had never been particularly angry. Stern when the situation warranted it, but not furious. And whenever Ren managed to irritate Everest and Arete, it was normally a matter of teasing them or goofing off until he’d cracked their angry exterior and coaxed a smile from them. He had the feeling that teasing this femme would only result in the loss of one of his extremities, however, and so he was baffled.

”Your stone heart wounds me,” he said dramatically, before a sly grin broke out on his features once more, ”but you can keep calling me sugar, if you’d like.” He was pushing his luck now, but he couldn’t help himself; Ren barely contained an ounce of self-control. ”And so you do think I’m charming, then? I wonder sometimes; it’s always nice to hear it confirmed.” He took a single step back from her, taking a moment to let his gaze roam across the features of her face.

”Since you don’t seem keen on telling me your name, I suppose ‘beautiful’ will suffice?” He asked, flashing her his most dazzling smile. ”Anyways, I’m sorry for disturbing you. I couldn’t sleep, and so I decided to explore – though really, I spend enough of my life doing that,” he grumbled. As much as he griped, Ren truly didn’t mind being a loner. It was exciting and daring on the best days, and a tad bit boring on the worst. But there was so much beauty to be found in the world, and not enough time; because of that, he did not know if his paws would ever stop itching to wander. ”Are you a loner, as well?” He asked her, confirming his own position with his question. He was not close enough to her to see if she smelled of others, and he had no desire to be. Ren had a feeling that if he stepped any nearer, she might just rearrange the features of his face for him.

And he quite liked his face just as it was.

TAG: Sasha
WORDS: 507

[Sasha]

Perhaps Sasha should have reacted like the typical female... Perhaps she should have startled at almost being tackled and then delicately and shyly giggled and accepted the young male's comments. It would probably make her more desirable later in life when she was old enough to search for a mate. No male wanted an aggressive female companion. Sasha knew that, though, and she was not really in any mood to be around a male at the time being, and so she showed her true, more aggressive self. She didn't want him calling her beautiful because, to her, she was not. She didn't think that she could even compare to beauty. Compared to other females she had seen, poor Sasha thought herself to be just average... Maybe (just maybe) slightly above average, but still nowhere near beautiful. That and her attitude towards him, she thought, should have sent him on his way... And yet he stuck around for more.

As he spoke, the silver femme growled. "Yeah, I do know, and it wasn't accepted," she snarled in a very unpleasant manner. Already, she wanted to leap at the male and claw his eyes out, but she refrained for now... Only because her mother would probably disapprove of it. Actions that involved violence were characteristic of the pack that they had left, and if Sasha was to take part in those actions, she was fairly certain that there would be a long lecture in her future. Sasha's fur still stood on end, her body tense as she held herself back from slashing her claws across his face as she listened to his words. She almost couldn't even stand to listen to him. "It's about to be more than my stone heart that is wounding you," she mumbled, her lips raising slightly to reveal her canines. If he didn't shut up, he was going to lose an eye... Or maybe an ear... Sasha still hadn't chosen which she would rather remove. "And I'm not going to keep calling you anything because you're going to leave. Now."

Yet, she knew he probably wouldn't leave. And who was she to command him to leave? This land was not her's nor did it belong to her pack, so she figured that she would be having to put up with the male for a while longer... Unfortunate for her. "I never said you were charming. I said the phrase was charming. Meaning... If it's executed properly," she smirked slightly, hoping to crush a little bit of his ego by telling him he wasn't near as charming as he assumed he was. His next words made her ears snap back and a snarl rip from her throat. "Quit calling me beautiful!" She growled at him, taking a threatening step closer. With such low self-esteem, the fact that he was calling her beautiful felt mocking to the young female, and she felt as though that could be good reason to rearrange his face for him. "If you absolutely must know, my name is Sasha," it was a dangerous thing to give out her name, but she was sick of him calling her pet names. His sudden question, though, had her curling her lip in disgust as she answered him. "No! Well... Yes... Perhaps... What does it matter to you, anyway?" It frustrated Sasha to not be able to give just one right answer, and so she opted to just give no answer at all. Technically, she supposed she was in a pack that was roaming... A roaming pack... She was not alone, but she was no longer apart of a named pack... Or so she thought.

[Deleted]

"Yeah, I do know, and it wasn't accepted. And I'm not going to keep calling you anything because you're going to leave. Now."

Blinking owlishly, Ren paused to glance around, ignoring the fae’s blatant irritation in favor of the fun that she was providing. ”Me? Leaving? No, no, I believe you’re mistaken,” he said, his expression twisted into one of grave severity. ”You see, I’ve just arrived, and it would be a terrible waste to go so soon.” Well, so much for not goading her, but he found that he could not help it. She was…well, lovely when she was mad – which was a fortunate thing, for it seemed as if anger was a constant companion of hers.

Her commentary on the execution of his flirtations made him pause briefly, ears flicking against his skull in uncertainty. He knew little of courting, it was true. He was young still, at the age where he should have been pestering his father with questions regarding how to woo snappy young faes. But his father was dead, and for a moment the visions of the gruesome end flashed before Ren’s eyes, until at last he could take it no longer and he forcibly pushed the thoughts away, flashing a wide grin at the femme instead. ”Well, in that case, I suppose it’s good that you’re here. I can practice on you, beautiful.”

No sooner had the words left his lips than had her own exploded from her maw, a forcible demand that he cease calling her ‘beautiful’ so heartfelt that he blinked. It was the only sign that he was unnerved, for he did not understand; did she-wolves not want to be called beautiful? But then she was offering her own name, and a much more confusing response to his previous question.

”Sasha,” he said, the word like honey upon his tongue, smooth and sweet and so very revered. He took a moment to mull over it, savoring it as if it were the last warm bite of a fresh kill, eyes half-lidded as he gazed at her in consider. ”It is a pleasure to meet you.” And he meant it. ”I’m sorry if I was prying when I asked. I’ve been a loner all of my life, me and my siblings, so it always intrigues me to know where another wolf comes from – and where they have been.” It was a rare moment of seriousness in the conversation, and he took advantage of it. Tilting his head, he gazed at her with indulgent golden-brown eyes.

”Do you not think that you’re beautiful?” He asked. It was baffling to him…because he did. Her fur was a lovely silver color, her eyes a vivid, piercing blue. All of his life, Ren had been endlessly transfixed by beautiful things. It was usually landscape – the spray of mist from a waterfall cascading down to a rippling pool, the vivid shades of gold and crimson as the trees turned in the autumn, the soft cooing of a mother dove to her young as she lay nestled in the trees. He had never thought that he would find a wolf beautiful, not in his younger days, and yet here he stood before Sasha with stars practically shining from his mooning eyes. ”I do.”

TAG: Sasha
WORDS: 545
NOTES: So sorry it took me a few days for this <3 had a bunch of homework to catch up on

[Sasha]

Sasha's muscles were rigid with the tension of a predator ready to pounce upon its prey. She was a hostile creature, and she supposed that her nature would be one of the first things that her mother would try to fix in her before she would allow her anywhere near the position of alpha. And yet, in the back of Sasha's mind, she held the fear that she would somehow be replaced. Not fit to be queen, so forever stuck as a princess. She couldn't see any possible way that she could learn to control her anger, a trait that may force her mother to make the dreaded decision to permanently place Sasha in a low-rank position... Perhaps as a warrior where her hostility and anger could be put to good use. And yet even there, a wolf could not act on impulse. A warrior had to use their head just as much as their body. And yet, instead of fixing her anger and hostility, the thought of being replaced only made her angrier and more hostile. It made encounters like these -where a simple acceptance of apology would have been enough- into ordeals that she would feel weak backing away from. Her anger was turning into a cycle, and a vicious one at that.

Sasha let her claws dig into the sand as she listened to the words of the male before her. "Well if you don't leave on your own, then I'm going to have to force you to leave." She snarled at him, her body already looking ready to attack him... And she wasn't far from it. One more 'beautiful' falling from his lips, and she would lose it. She listened to the way he spoke her name, and she flicked her ears back. He made it sound like it was beautiful. The way he said it, it was as if the name itself was the best thing he had ever tasted. On the other hand, Sasha wasn't happy with the name. It was boring, harsh, and absolutely not beautiful. She didn't necessarily hate the name... She just wished that something about her could be beautiful. She would never be courted with a name like Sasha.

For a moment, the conversation turned serious. The male spoke vaguely of his past... How he had always been a loner with his siblings. She briefly wondered what had happened to his parents. Why had he been left so alone? All this time, she thought that her life was bad because she had never known her father, and yet here was this male, around her age, perhaps even younger, who didn't have either parent... For just a minute, Sasha relaxed a little. She let her ears drift a little forward, more curious than angry, and her muscles softened. She opened her maw to respond, but his next words fell from his lips, and immediately Sasha tensed again, baring her teeth. It was none of his business if she thought of herself as beautiful. That was her own business for her mind only, and he had no right to ask her that kind of question. But what really threw her over the edge was his admission that he thought she was beautiful. "Liar!" She screamed at him as she uncoiled her body, leaping at him in a mass of silvery fur and fangs. She didn't know the strengths of this male, if he knew how to fight or not, or his reaction times, so she wasn't sure if she would actually complete her task of tackling him to the ground and biting him somewhere -anywhere- but she knew she had to try. She was done with this male, his lies, and him calling her beautiful.

[Deleted]

For the briefest moment, there was calm. The anger faded from the femme, her maw parting to give him an answer that might possibly not involve death threats, and Ren grinned in anticipation. But a heartbeat later, just as the admission of her beauty slipped from between his teeth, all hell broke loose. The fury returned to the fae twofold, her silvery fur bristling, a ferocious scream unlike anything Ren had ever heard ripping from her throat. His ears splayed back against his skull in surprise, eyes widening, but there was no time to react. A moment later she was springing, her body colliding hard with his, flinging them both to the ground. All of the breath left Ren’s lungs in one great whoosh, but he found it again a heartbeat later when he felt her teeth snap closed on his shoulder. A yelp exploded from him and he tumbled backwards, wiggling out from under her and leaping to his paws, tail tucked firmly between his legs as he dashed away.

Only once he’d placed a significant amount of distance between them – with significant to Ren being three tree-trunk lengths – he stopped and turned his wide, baffled eyes on the silvery femme, hoping she didn’t lunge again. He’d be better prepared now…but Ren knew he would not fight her. They were startlingly similar in height, though Ren outweighed her by a moderate amount, and yet…he had never fought in his life, had never desired to. The closest he’d came was mock-fights with Everest, and even then none of them ever displayed the sheer fury that Sasha was. And something about it seemed wrong. He’d stumbled upon her here and somehow driven her to this point; it was, logically, his fault.

”Alright, alright!” He gasped, tripping over his words in a hasty attempt to calm her. Ren knew very little of she-wolves, but he’d assumed that he was doing something right when his previous attempts at flirtation with the Descai princess, Saphira, hadn’t gotten him laughed at. But it was obvious he’d done something very, very wrong with the femme who stood bristled and snarling before him. ”No more nicknames. No more compliments. I’ll call you Sasha – and only that.” He did not pretend to understand her aversion to being complimented; it was baffling to him, and Ren was sure that the confusion and likely even a smattering of fear reflected in his golden gaze. Most males might balk at the idea of fearing a femme, but Ren did not; her rage was unlike anything he’d ever seen.

”I can go, if you’d like,” he offered quietly, muscles still bunched to dart away incase Sasha lunged at him again. ”Or…we can sit by the water and talk? I promise I’ll try not to make you angry again. I just don’t have very much practice with behaving myself around others. I can pester my brother and sister all I want, and they’re the only ones I ever see.”

TAG: Sasha

WORDS: 496

[Sasha]

For a split second, the violent rage that Kairos so heavily taught within their pack was displayed upon Sasha. The rage that she had tried so hard to avoid was ingrained into her. She wondered if it was because of who her father was. Kiva, her mother, was not incredibly violent, so it must have been her father's side of the gene pool that was forcing Sasha into the violence against this young male. She had never even met any of the pack except Tala and Kayi, and they had seemed so nice. Perhaps it was the observations of the way her brother was slowly being taught to act that made her see the violence... Had taught her the violence. It engulfed her and threw her silver body at Ren, teeth snapping in hopes of connecting with their target. Unfortunately, they did, and as the yelp escaped from the young male, and his blood dripped upon Sasha's tongue, she let go and jumped back. He had snapped her back into reality, and a clear fear shown in her eyes.

In that moment, Sasha found herself backing away from the male, her bristled fur slowly lying down on her back. Her blue eyes watched him as he ran off a few paces before turning back to her, speaking to her. His tail was tucked, his shoulder bleeding, and he was clearly afraid of her. But could she blame him? She was clearly afraid as well... Of the same being he was. She feared what she had become, and she feared that she would progress even more into the exact thing that she had tried to avoid... The exact thing that she had hated for all of her life. Who was she now? Sasha flicked her ears back against her skull, tucking her tail as well as she watched the male. She thought about running... But then, her mother had taught her not to run from her problems... A little hypocritical since that is exactly what she had done in swimming to this new land.

Sasha listened to the male as he promised not to compliment her anymore. It wasn't that she didn't like the compliments, she just didn't believe them. For whatever reason, she didn't believe that she was beautiful. She didn't think that her silver colored pelt was a pretty color... It was just white. How boring! And her eyes, while bright pools of blue, seemed common to her. You always saw silver wolves with blue eyes... Or even black wolves with blue eyes. Blue was common... Boring. Sasha flicked an ear towards the male when he suggested they sit by the water and talk. He was confusing to her. She had just attacked him... Why would anyone want to stay after that? “I don't understand why you want to stay. I hurt you. You should want to get as far away from me as possible...” She said softly, creeping close to the water. She wanted him to stay... She wanted to apologize for what she had done to him... And yet, she didn't quite know how...

[Deleted]

It seemed as if ages passed in silence with Ren waiting to see if she would lunge, though in reality he supposed it was only several heartbeats. The anger seemed to fade from her suddenly, and she made no move towards him. Ren released a breath he hadn’t known he was holding, watching as she moved towards the water, seemingly accepting his offer. For a moment he did not move, but it was her dejected inquiry that drove him forward at last. He slid closer to her, keeping a distance that was respectful but not insulting, even after her outburst. He will still confused by it, never having seen anything of the sort, but Ren had never been very good at holding grudges. He plopped down on the ground, the toes of his front paws brushing against the cool water just slightly. A moment later he pulled them back, watching as the droplets sank into the fur of his paws.

”In all fairness, I did antagonize you,” he said to her, smiling as he watched tiny fish dart beneath the surface of the river. His flank still stung from his small wound, and he paused to turn and lick it clean, knowing little about caring for injuries but knowing that he at least had to keep them clean. Still, he doubted a small graze of the teeth would cause him great harm. ”I suppose I can be normal for a while,” he told her deviously, lifting his gaze to find hers once more. He would not push her to sit beside him, but he hoped that she would; something about the feisty femme made Ren’s heart race. She was even beautiful when she was angry, he thought, but he did not dare tell her so after her previous explosion.

”Do you have family near?” He asked her, and then, so it did not seem as if he were prying, he offered, ”I do. My siblings are still resting near, but I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to wander.” He would not tell her exactly where they were, something that he’d learned from Everest, but he hoped that opening up to her would prompt her to do the same. ”We’ve been wandering for a while. We even met a few Descai wolves, but that’s really the most exciting thing that’s happened to me in some time.” He looked slyly towards her, daring to add, ”Except meeting you today, of course.” It was not quite as flirtatious as his previous comments had been, but it was true; he would classify getting attacked by a sassy she-wolf as exciting for sure. Sasha was unlike anyone he’d met before, entirely unique in both appearance and attitude. Instead of being scared off by the fae, as some others might have been, Ren instead found himself intrigued. He only hoped that he did not offend her again, so that he could spend a little longer getting acquainted with the mysterious silvery femme who stood before him. He was sure that nothing better would come of his day, after all.

Sasha

[Sasha]

Sasha wasn't sure what emotion she should feel the most. Concern for the other wolf? Fear that violence would forever haunt her? Sadness that she had allowed the anger and violence to take such a strong role in her life? She didn't know what she was feeling, but she knew that none of the emotions were good emotions. Her ears flicked back against her skull, her head dipping down in defeat. She hated violence, and yet she was the very product of one of the most violent wolves in all of Anikira. Aggression coursed through her veins. She was larger than many wolves, and she was sure that was no accident. Kairos was trying to make warriors, not tiny, useless mutts. Sasha was surprised, though, that Ren seemed to be about the same size as her... Maybe even a little larger. Perhaps that was why he seemed not to be too afraid of her. Truthfully, if he wanted to, he could probably win in a fight against her. Then again, Sasha was fast and held the anger of a pack solely based around violence. Perhaps it wouldn't help her win, but her background would definitely give her a slight advantage in a fight.

And here she was thinking about fighting again. It was like a disease. It plagued her mind even when she wanted only to be rid of the anger and violence. Looking over at Ren as he came to sit by the water, she wondered why he didn't leave. Why he would stay and talk with her after she had already attacked him. He did have a point. He had antagonized her, but that still didn't give her an excuse to be like that. Her mother was starting a new pack... A pack based around peace and serenity. And yet Sasha felt as if she could not take a place in the pack. With all the violence that she held within her, she had no business being in the pack, let alone being heir to the throne. The very thought, of ruling the pack in the distant future, loomed over her and made her want to run as far from them as she could. She would never be able to follow in her mother's footsteps... She would never be able to do the pack justice. But Sasha supposed that was too far in the future to worry about just yet.

Golden brown eyes met ice blue eyes for a brief moment as the wolves looked to each other. Sasha wondered what Ren had said because her mind had been too focused on other thoughts to be bothered with what he said, though she was almost positive that it had been something about being normal. For a moment, the silver femme sat there, watching the male, but she eventually stood, her eyes on the wound that she had inflicted upon his body. With her head low, tail tucked between her legs, and ears slightly back, the female moved closer to the other wolf, proceeding with much caution and slow steps. She didn't want to scare him away... Only to examine the wound on his flank. It wasn't terrible. There was some blood, but it wasn't life threatening... If he kept it clean, of course. An infection could kill him within a matter of days, and Sasha mentally cringed at the thought of a wolf dying because of her. While violence seemed to be something that possessed her, she was no murderer.

Hesitantly, the female drew closer to Ren. "You will be fine... If you keep it clean... May I?" But Sasha didn't wait for an answer before she moved to lick the wound. While she was positive that Ren could do it himself, she wanted to make sure that he hadn't missed any spots. She wasn't too sure how he would react, but if he moved away, she wouldn't blame him. She was actually expecting him to. It would make sense, after all. She was the one who had caused the injury in the first place, and to put her maw near it again could make any wolf nervous... But she only wanted to lick it clean. After a moment, the femme backed away a step, listening to the male's words. Family... Yes, she had her mother... But that was it. That new male... He was not family. He never would be in her eyes. Though she supposed that was more anger that she didn't want showing through again. "Yes... I have my mother... We just got here the other day. We came from Kairos... And I'm glad we left. Mother says she's starting a pack. These will be her lands. But don't worry... You and your siblings won't have to leave as long as you mean no harm. It's a peaceful pack," she explained, gently lowering herself to the ground so that she was laying beside Ren. "And you said you were going to be normal," she replied, regarding his comment about meeting her being the most exciting thing to happen to him in a while. Flicking her ears towards him, she paused for a moment before working up the courage to ask, "You say you and your siblings... Where are your parents?"

[Deleted]

After their encounter, the last thing Ren expected was to feel Sasha’s tongue against the wound along his shoulder. He’d been still as she’d come to sit beside him at last, not wanting to startle her, but when her hesitant question had filled the silence, he’d been confused on her meaning. His eyes widened, head swinging round to watch her, ears flickering atop his head. Her touch stung at first, and he fought not to hiss at the pain of it, but a moment later there was only relief. He relaxed just slightly, but still did not speak; he did not know how to react to this situation, for their entire encounter was entirely unique to Ren. When at last Sasha pulled away he said, very quietly, ”Thank you, Sasha.”

She went on to answer his previous question, and he listened intently. Kairos…something about it seemed familiar, but he brushed it aside. On the terrible day that Ren and his siblings had found their father slaughtered by a monster, they’d come moments too late to hear where the brute had reigned from: Kairos. And so Ren did not recognize the name now, nor the actions of the General who ruled Sasha’s previous pack. ”I hear Kairos is very large,” he said, finally remembering the fleeting rumors he’d heard of them. A moment later he brushed it from his mind as she mentioned that her mother was forming a pack. Ren had never been interested in packs – he valued his freedom too much – but it was nice to hear that her mother’s pack was a peaceful one.

Then she inquired about his parents. For a moment Ren did not speak, his ears flattening against his skull, his golden-brown gaze sliding towards the water they sat before as the old grief and anger flashed through him. ”Ren.” If he hadn’t known better, he might have looked to his left, on the side Sasha was not seated. It was his mother’s voice that called to him, soft and sweet, but he would not look. He’d fallen for the apparitions for so very long; he could not afford to be heartbroken again.

Sucking in a deep breath, his gaze reluctantly returned to Sasha as he said, ”They’re dead.” There was a pause the span of three heartbeats, and then he added, ”Well, I know my father is, because I saw him die. My mother…she just wandered off one day, and we looked for her, but we never found her. We were looking for her when my father died.” He’d almost said ‘when my father was murdered’. The words choked him, clawing up his throat, but he clenched his teeth firmly against them. He could not admit it; not here, not now. Not when his heart was already raw and tattered and confused. So Ren summoned a weak smile and shrugged his shoulders. ”I’m still trying to come to terms with it. We were orphaned young, and now all I have is my brother and sister. We survive, somehow.”

Sasha

[Sasha]

Sasha wasn't sure what she had been expecting from the other young wolf when she had decided to lick his wound. Really, she figured that he would flinch away before her tongue ever made contact with his body. But he didn't move, and frozen he stayed as she made sure every inch of the bite was clean. She wouldn't let him die... Not from infection at least... Not from her. Really, she didn't know the male enough to actually care for him, so if she were to find out tomorrow that he had died, sure she would be a little upset, but definitely not devastated. However, if he died because of her, that would classify her as a murderer, and she wasn't sure that she could live with that title. That title was one that Kairos members held and worshiped. A murderer in Kairos was a warrior... A hero. A murderer in Othala, however, was a criminal, and Sasha could never have her mother look at her like she was a criminal. As much as she might dislike her mother's choices sometimes, she still loved the older wolf and desired her approval in everything that she did.

As the young female pulled away from the male, she caught his whispered thanks, but all she did was shrug, laying herself down beside him as she looked out over the water. She wondered what his life was like as a loner. She had only ever known the life of a pack. Born into Kairos, she had lived in their violence for almost a year before she had followed her mother's lead out of the pack's lands and to these new lands. She had expected to be a loner once they had gotten here, but it had only taken a few days before Kiva had formed the pack called Othala. And really, it had pretty much been formed the day that they had arrived on the beach with the two other wolves that had saved their near-drowned lives. Sasha had never known what it was like to wander wherever you liked, doing whatever it was that you wanted. It must have been nice, wandering around, finding newer, more beautiful homes every day. "Yeah... They are big... But I hated them... All of them. And I still do."

Sasha flicked her ears back as she listened to the story of Ren's parents. Dead? Or at least presumably dead? How awful! And, for all of her days, Sasha had found herself wishing that she had more. She wished that she had had a father who loved her. She wished that her brother hadn't gone off to the Agoge to become like the murderous pack of Kairos. But at least she still had her mother to look out for her. She had a place to call home and a pack to take care of her when she couldn't take care of herself. She was lucky compared to most, yet all she had ever wanted was more. Suddenly -but slowly- the young wolf stood and moved closer to Ren, moving to brush the top of her head against the bottom of his chin and neck, expressing concern and sorrow for his loss. She hoped he wouldn't pull away, but it would be understandable if he did. They had only just met -and their encounter hadn't been the friendliest so far- but she felt the need to try and comfort him. "I'm so sorry for your loss. I have lived my entire life without my father... But to lose both parents... I can't even imagine," she said softly, sitting beside the male as her gaze once more drifted out across the water,"You and your siblings are always welcome to join Othala... I'm sure momma would be happy to adopt you."

[Deleted]

"Yeah... They are big... But I hated them... All of them. And I still do."

This was something that was entirely new to Ren, for he could not imagine hating his family, who he’d grown with and learned from, and who he loved so dearly. But it was different, he supposed, when one was a part of something as large as Kairos was. So many wolves, so many different personalities…perhaps Sasha didn’t see them all as family. The idea of being a part of a pack, of something so large and substantial, was daunting. He’d enjoyed the days spent when it was just his parents, his siblings, and him – a small family unit that functioned well and supported each other.

He was dragged out of his thoughts by Sasha as she stood and shuffled closer to him; he sucked in a startled breath as she nuzzled him, her scent washing over him and comforting him in a way. Never before had he spoken of his parents and their deaths to anyone who was not family before today, and he was surprised to be met with sympathy. It was a far cry from the snarling, angry wolf who he’d encountered earlier, this version of Sasha. He preferred it.

He did not dare pull away, instead sitting silently with her for a long while until she spoke again, extending an invitation for him and his siblings to join her mother’s pack. Still, he was quiet. He deeply appreciated what Sasha was offering him – but Ren knew he could not accept. The very idea of settling in one place, of investing his feelings in so many wolves who could be taken from him as abruptly as his parents had been…it made his chest tighten and his paws flex.

”I appreciate your offer. I really do,” he said softly, tilting his head so that he could glance down at her, hoping to show the sincerity flickering in his gaze. ”But I don’t think I can accept. I just…I’ve wandered all of my life. And I don’t know how to stop doing that yet.” He gave a wry, apologetic smile as he glanced back towards the horizon. ”I feel like there’s still so much I haven’t seen, or experienced. I’m too restless to stay in one place.” He let an amiable silence fill the air after his words, though secretly Ren hoped he hadn’t offended her when she’d just began to behave normally towards him. ”Are you happy that your mother started a pack? I seems like an awful lot of responsibility.”

Sasha

[Sasha]

Sasha had never really taken a liking to anyone other than her mother. Her brother had never really been around all that much since the Agoge had taken him from them... And even before that, she almost... Well she didn't hate him, but she disliked that he was going to go through the Agoge and become a powerful warrior of Kairos when she was stuck being just another hunter. There had never been anything special about her. Her brother was the one that Kairos wanted, not her. Even now, the two wolves that had helped her and her mother when they had first arrived in these lands... She almost hated them. Eidus was her mother's new mate... Or would be at some point, she was sure -she could already see the way her mother looked at him- and Rain... Well... The two of them together took attention away from Sasha, and the young wolf, almost two years old now, couldn't help but to feel almost... Abandoned by her mother. It was such a drastic change to go from being the only one in her mother's life to being third in line. And Sasha knew that her mother wasn't intentionally trying to exclude her, but with a pack came responsibilities... Responsibilities that Sasha wasn't ready for, but Rain and Eidus were. That was why they were getting more attention. Kiva could talk to them about the pack, but Sasha wasn't ready for that. At least, in her mother's eyes anyway.



Sasha sighed as she sat back down beside the male after she had offered some sort of comfort to him. She was glad that he hadn't pulled away... She was really only trying to help now. Her ears flicked back slightly as the male's lyrics lifted to her ears. She didn't look up at him, just stared out across the water. She figured he would say no, but she had thought that she should offer anyway. As he confirmed her assumption, she just nodded and looked up at him. “Well... You are always welcome to come stay with us if you should so desire,” she replied softly, looking back out across the water and laying down once more. Sighing softly, she thought about Ren's question. No. She wasn't glad that her mother had started a pack. In fact, she would have rather stayed a loner, she believed. It would have meant that she was still her mother's whole world. It was then that the idea hit her. Run away. Sure, her mother would miss her, but her and her new mate could just have some more pups. Maybe Ren would let her come with him. He spoke of seeing the world, and that was something that Sasha desired. She was over being last in line for her mother's attention. At least if she was a loner, she wouldn't feel the need to fight for anyone's attention. “Honestly, no... It's too much responsibility, and with all of the pack responsibilities that she has to deal with, she has no time for me anymore... I understand, but...” she replied with a shrug, looking down.