River of Dreams (open to anyone)

[nanuk]

Nanuk watched as Athalos devoured the fish. She thought back to his earlier words. "I guess you're right..." she said. "There's no way that I can avenge my parents..." She suddenly felt something wet slide down her face. With a start, she realized that she was shedding tears. Oh, god, don't cry like a yearling! Not in front of him... she thought, but she couldn't stop the salty drops from coming down.

She DID miss her parents, more than anything in the world. How she hated that damn rogue! If he hadn't come onto her terrritory, none of this would have happened. Nanuk let out a strangled sob. It hurt just thinking about them. She turned away from her companion, ashamed to let her feelings show in front of him.

Nanuk wandered to an isolated part of the river and sat down, sighing. She was too emotional, too wrapped up in the past to be trusted around other wolves. She would never be a true member of a pack, she would always be a cast-out, a loner, because of her emotions.

"I'm useless!" she cried. "Mom, Dad, I'm sorry..." she said as she lay down and sobbed. She was hungry, lonely, and miserable. Life had never felt more like crap then now to Nanuk. She sighed and curled up, hoping that Athalos wouldn't abandon her.

She had to face reality, but reality hurt. It clawed away at you until there was nothing left. She sighed and curled up, weeping.

[athalos]

If he had any knowledge that speaking as bluntly as he had would have struck a nerve, Athalos would have put it in all of his ability to avoid the tears. This was not something he was experienced with. Nor did he see the need to show any compassion or concern. At least he had enough self control to stop himself from letting out any snide remarks as the waterworks continued. She didn't see to want to cry so openly, but the male really found no reason to blame himself for it.

Why were females so sensitive? They were furry bags of mush. And his mother had always told him that the words of a male meant a lot to a fem, but he didn't think that being honest would have hurt her feelings. Even if he didn't directly cause it, the situation stemmed off from his reaction. Unexpectedly, she stepped away, heading off on her own. This was when Athalos began to reconsider his agreement on becoming traveling companions with Nanuk. This could be a good time to ditch her.

But that would just mean he'd be out on his own again, surviving off of smaller morsels. He'd have to be alert twenty-four seven, and there was the lack of protection traveling alone. His eyes rolled in their sockets, nose scrunching in distaste. If he wanted to stay with Nanuk, even for his own selfish benefits, he'd have to apologize at least. Or come up with some other words of motivation.

Athalos straightened himself considerably, standing and padding off in the direction Nanuk disappeared in, but at a much slower pace. Maybe, if he took his time, she would have calmed down by time he arrived. The Tundra Wolf had dreadful memories of dealing with hysterics. He knew full well that something as simple as pulling tears out of a femme was enough to warrant a scolding from 'karma'. But, wise in the way all males think themselves wise, and very concious of his dignity, Athalos had not bothered to consider the consequences bestowed upon him.

A curled up, sobbing form told him otherwise.

He kept his distance from her, watching her. "Get up." he grumbled, impatient with the emotions pouring from Nanuk. "If you'd really want to avenge your parents, you'd have to be stronger. Even if finding this rogue would be impossible, you cannot show weakness." That was all he really found he could say. Athalos and his lack of social prowess led to his unfamiliarity with comforting. He backed up a few steps, head raised high and tail limp behind him. With his last words, he began moving up the opposite direction Nanuk was in, lending her one last message.

"I'm moving on. If you're still interested in traveling alongside me, suck up those tears and catch up on your own time. I'm not stopping."

ooC:// Don't take him offensively... he's just harsh. It's just him.

[/right]

[nanuk]

Nanuk watched as Athalos stepped away from her. "No, don't leave!" she cried. "I'm sorry.... don't leave me here..." All to no avial. Nanuk sighed. Stupid emotions. She had let them get the better of her, and now she was paying for it. Her own travel companion was walking away from her.

"Fine, walk away!" she yelled. "I don't need you. I'm fine by myself." She sighed and walked further downstream. "Stupid males." she hissed. Why did they always walk away from other wolves when they became emotional?

She sighed and headed back towards the way she had come. Suddenly, her leg shout out from under her. nanuk twisted to see what was wrong. There had been a log in her path and unforunatley, Nanuk was not fast enough to avoid it.

She tried to move, but pain shot up her leg. "Damn idiot." she muttered at herself. Why couldn't she watch where she was going once in a while?

"Athalos!" she cried. "My leg..." She hoped he would come back. That leg wasn't going to move itself.

[athalos]

<sub>It wouldn't be long until nightfall. The male let off a sigh of relief as new sights and smells reached him. He had traveled this way months ago, before he had turned around to re-scope out the land. He would have been clear of this river had he not dared to speak up to Nanuk...

He stamped down on his thoughts when they reached that point, his chest rumbling with a small growl. He had to stop dwelling on the past! Suddenly, he sneezed...dust from the ground blew around them at the force of his sneeze, and he staggered slightly like a drunk person. After the effects of the sneeze wore off he shook his head and continued on.

Eyes trailed to the direction Nanuk was in after a few moments, and he felt stupid suddenly. If he was tired, she must be exhausted...no stop thinking like that! He had forgotten that he had warned her about slowing him down! He didn't care if she hated him! "What would you do, Rohan? You were always polite, knew what to do, and could solve any issues...” he stopped, realizing he was rambling to himself. 'Athalos you ninny!' he scolded himself. A soft howl echoed in the distance, and he matched it to Nanuk's. 'Great, you leave her behind and now she's making noise!' his brain was shouting at himself now, and if one were to peer inside his brain you'd most likely see an animated wolf figure beating his head against a pole...

He wasn't sure what had compelled him to do so, but he turned on his paws, looking back in Nanuk's direction. Incessant ramblings seemed to drift off on the wind, but he couldn't make out the words. A faint, tingling ran down his spine. Why did he feel like something misfortunate had happened? Battling against his better judgement, the Tundra Wolf sighed, nose pointed to the sky and eyes rolling. "By the Gods, I swear I will regret this..." he growled aloud to himself. And he was off, trotting briskly back downstream. The female's curled up form had been down quite a ways, and he realized that the breathing pattern was a bit off.

Upon closer inspection, he spotted a bit of swelling in her limb. Looked like a strain of some sort. "Nanuk..." he grumbled, nudging her. He had no medical prowess. He was clueless with what to do. Hopefully he could wake her, and she'd know what to do. But that was only a wish. Miraculously, the little animated figure in his head was healed up and ready for another go of beating its head against a pole...</sub>

[nanuk]

Nanuk stood up as soon as she saw Athalos coming towards her. "Athalos, I think I've broken my leg." she moaned. "Or at least sprained it." She tried to move it, wincing as she did so, to deomnstrate. "We might not be able to travel for a while."

She tried to rememeber what herbs were good for healing sprianed or broken legs, but Nanuk's memory was blank. She sat down, shaking herself lightly.

"At least we'll stay here until it heals." she said. "Then we'll move on to wherever we need to go." Of course, they would stay inside of this territory. Nanuk didn't know the other pack's attitude towards strangers, so she thought that their best bet was to stay here.

"Shit." she muttered as she tried to stand up, but found that she couldn't. Nanuk fell back into the sand, cursing loudly under her breath. Damn! Damn, damn, damn! Why did she have to submit herself to such torment? What had brought her to such suffering?

Nanuk knew that it would be crazy to stay around this river any longer with the grief that it was causing her, but she was in no condition to travel. She sighed and lay down.

[athalos]

<sub>Why'd he come back?

He winced at the news of her leg. Great. She'd better hope it was only a sprain. If it were broken, he'd just have to leave her. It's one thing to let the tendons heal, but to mend bones? Hah! She'd be done for. "You're just one big pile of bad luck, aren't you?" he sighed. It was meant to be a joke, but he found he lacked all teasing tones to turn that into a humorous statement. At least this time she wouldn't run off again. She would be stuck there.

She attempted to stand, and the Tundra wolf growled warningly. "You know it's hurt, don't push yourself." Athalos snapped. "You'll damage it further if you do." Though he lacked medical intelligence, Athalos knew to move on a wounded limb would just have the injury worsen. That's how wolves got themselves killed. They'd make it so bad that they wouldn't be able to move. She had one up on those kind of wolves. She had Athalos there. Too bad his impatience was an ever-lasting issue.

How would one comfort a hurt wolf?

'There he had been, paw twisted up in the long vines that ran up the trunk of a tree. He whimpered and whined, struggling to escape. A voice shot out. It had been Rohan's, and his salmon pink tongue slapped against his muzzle in a comforting gesture. 'Don't move, brother...' he had told Athalos. And the Tundra pup calmed down. There, they laid side by side until his father had come to help free him.'

Okay, so he wasn't hurt, just stuck. But still.

"How'd you manage to hurt yourself?" Athalos questioned as he walked around to lay himself beside her.</sub>

[nanuk]

Nanuk fell silent as Athalos tried to lend her a joke. She laughed. "You're right. I've been doing everything wrong lately..." she sighed. When she had tried to stand up, Athalos had snarled in her face and told her to lay down. She did, wincing as she did so.

Nanuk didn't think that her leg was broken, just sprained. "I can still move my leg." she pointed out gently to her companion. "I don't think that it's broken." But holly hell, had she sprained it or what?

She cocked her head as Athalos sent yet another question her way. "I wasn't watching where I was going and ran into that stupid log." she said, snarling lightly. Nanuk acted so much like a fool at times that it surprised even her.

She rolled over. Nanuk's main concern was how she was going to get food. With her injured leg, she wouldn't be able to properly hunt until it was healed. Would Athalos be willing to catch fish for her?

"We still have to find food. If you don't mind, can you catch food for me while I'm in this state?" she asked him. "I won't be able to walk for great distances in this condition, or for very far." she added, ears swileving as she waited for his reply.

She certaintly hoped that he would. If not, Nanuk would have to ditch him for a more worthy companion. She sighed and rolled over. "I can't remember which herbs are good for sprianed legs." she muttered. "Do you think that I should just let it heal?" She cocked her head, waiting for her normally silent compainion to speak.

[athalos]

<sub>"I hadn't meant it that way." he reassured after her response to his weak joke from a few moments ago. Athalos nodded to the female's words, though his mind had wandered off somewhere else, already. He was just not in the mood for talking anymore, as it felt. He wanted to be off with a brisk breeze weaving through his pelt as he ran. They had wasted so much time, as it seemed, already! Already. God. But it would only be one evening. And Nanuk was too hurt to move. Damnit. He didn't want to rest. Oh well. Really, he was just being too responsible and uptight with his time management plans.

A small grin spread across his muzzle, but he attempted in vain to stow it away for the time being. He was busy addressing Nanuk, and he didn't really need his mind wandering. He inhaled and focused his gaze back on the female, then opened his muzzle to just say something.

"That's fine, then. I'm sure if it were broken, it would look odd. I just see some swelling. And you can move it, right?" Wow, that was the most he had talked all day. But he held a point, right? When bones broke all mobility in that limb was an impossibility. One night's rest would be enough to heal a sprain. Hopefully.

He yawned rather tiredly and took a few steps from the female. The conversation really seemed finished; he could leave her free of him for a few moments on her own. Of course, he best not let the injured femme go completely unsupervised, but really, he couldn't be bothered to stare at her so protectively. Athalos shrugged her shoulders, cocking his head to the side. He didn't feel like hunting, but he was her companion now. He'd have to care for her.

"Fine, I'll go fetch something. I'll just hold this to you when I don't feel like hunting some other time." Gently, he touched his nose to her maw, and then turned to head off downstream in search of a meal. Maybe a fox or a bird would do. If he could find one, that was. Or a rabbit! Even if they were quick, he could chase one down.</sub>

[nanuk]

Nanuk wagged her tail happily as Athalos agreed to hunting for her for now. "Thank you, Athalos.." she was interrupted by Athalos pausing to touch the corner of her mouth slightly with his snout, and then turning to pad away in search of food.

Nanuk's heart skipped a few choice beats. Her companion, who had seemed so shallow and isolated before, had just shown a sign of...affection toward her? Perhaps, perhaps not. Nanuk felt a funny feeling in her gut.

Don't be sick... Nanuk willed herself silently. And yet, this feeling didn't feel queasy. It felt wonderful. It filled Nanuk with a warm, tingly feeling that started in her heart and wormed its way down to the tip of her tail and up again.

As impossible as it seemed, Nanuk was falling in love with her travel partner.

Nanuk wriggled all over. She couldn't contain herself any longer. Digging her claws into the ground and wriggling all over her body, Nanuk let a happy yelp as she propelled herself towards Athalos. "Need some help?" she said. "I still have three good paws. I'll gladly help you."

She circled him, then suddenly leaned foward to lick Athalos's cheek. His own favor returned. Nanuk smiled happily, then sniffed the air. Could it be... deer! Nanuk headed downstream, following the scent trail. "Follow me and try to keep up." she hissed at her travel partner.

She followed the trail until she came to a small patch of weeds. Looking through them, Nanuk saw a young deer, its hind leg bent at an odd angle to its body. It seemed like it could not walk, or had lost the will to do so.

Nanuk motioned to the deer with her snout, hoping that Athalos would get the message that there was potential prey hiding in the reeds. "Too easy..." Nanuk snickered. Charging out of the reeds, she went straight for the deer's unportected back. She sprang upon it, growling savagely.

The deer grunted and rolled over, attempting to throw Nanuk off. Nanuk grasped the deer's neck, pinning it down. "Athalos?" she said, sending a half-humored grin in his direction. "A little help here?" Nanuk, to be honest, didn't think that she could hold on to the deer much longer.

She needed Athalos's help if she was to bring it down.

[athalos]

<sub>Athalos almost stopped midstep when the silence was broken and raised his head, audials perked in the forward direction. Tilting his head to the side he closed his eyes in thought before raising his maw until the sapphire orbs opened and stared up at the cloudy sky, a small tremor touched his spine and he lowered his nose back to the ground, his paws quickly following so he caught up to Nanuk who'd run by... What was she doing? He certainly hadn't expected a hunting partner, nor did he expect it to be Nanuk. Hadn't she been hurt? "No... no!" he growled. Was she being stupid? Did she enjoy keeping him angry?

His body moved like liquid night as he silently contemplated on how to respond within his mind.....that mixture of brown, gray, and cream of a body carrying him gracefully over the dried weeds and under the brush...he was maturing, and he knew it. But that wouldn't excuse him from snapping at the wolfess.

His abnormally dull eyes focused on her just in time to catch that devious grin. Perplexed, he slowed to a stop, unsure of what to expect, and then he was caught up in a mid-lick before he'd realized her act of affection. A very angry scowl could be seen on the brute's mouth, growing bigger as her salmon-pink tongue dragged against his muzzle. He had gone to answer, but rather, caught wind of a new scent. The soft sound of brush moving made him turn his head, bright grey eyes locking on the elegant form of a female deer. He just hadn't expected Nanuk to attack so quickly.

Blood was drawn, and the Tundra wolf cantered around to the opposite side, the crimson on Nanuk's mouth enticing him. Oh, he was hungry. The ear-ringing cry for help made him falter in his step, and soon, he felt Nanuk's eyes on him. She was going to hear it from him after this was all over. With a gracelss lunge, his fangs latched onto the bottom portion of the neck, right where it met up with the chest. A simple sharp tug, and he heard another head-splitting bleat. They'd need to bring her to the ground. Upon coming to the conclusion, the male leapt off, spitting to the ground, before bodily colliding with the animal. Those thin legs gave out, and the doe was on her side. All that was needed was a...

CLAMP!

Athalos shut his jaws down on her throat, waiting for her to cease movement. An accomplished smile etched onto his lips, tongue unfolding to lap at blood spatter on his cheek. Ears rotated above his skull, listening to the labored breathing of the doe. It was useless to fight a battle already won. The legs of the animal twitched, life ceasing in mere seconds. What a sad creature.

His satisfaction didn't last for long.

A swift swat of his paw, he aimed to smack her right on her nosetip. "Are you freakin' stupid?! You could have injured yourself further!" he growled vehemently, fur bristling. He couldn't get over how livid he was with her. But the idea of food calmed him a bit. A deep sigh was issued before he looked to the ground, almost ashamed at his outburst. She'd probably run away again. If that were the case, he'd rip off a slab of meat and head off on his own somewhere else.</sub>

ooC:// Sorry, I had work this week. Just got hired.

[nanuk]

Nanuk flattened her ears at Athalos's outburst. She certainly hadn't been expecting that. "I just wanted to help..." She sighed. At least they had caught a decent meal. That was all that mattered.

She sighed. "Yes, I know that I could have injured myself further. But that doe was an easy kill. I wouldn't have hurt myself..." Nanuk growled slightly. Why was Athalos treating her like this? She wasn't a three month old pup, for crying out loud. She could fend for herself.

And what really ticked her off was that Athalos was trying to play shaman all of a sudden, telling her to lie down, do this, do that, don't even think about moving anywhere. I didn't have to help him. she thought. Nevertheless, she put up with her companion's foul attitude.

She dug her teeth into one of the legs of the unforunate doe. Nanuk steadily ground her teeth together as she began to eat. "You know.." she said between mouthfuls of meat, "you're a really good hunter. I never saw that move before..."

Nanuk was currently trying to break the ice that had seemingly formed between her and Athalos. This would really be a good time to ditch her hot-headed companion, but she couldn't just yet. She needed another wolf to look after her with her current injury.

"This... is... delicous." she moaned happily. Nanuk had forgoten just how hungry she was. She really hadn't eaten anything for a while,and mere fish weren't going to satisfy her hunger for very long. Nanuk proceeded to tear the limb right off of the deer's body and continued to eat it.

It was just a simple little move to fully enjoy her snack. Nanuk sighed and continued eating, all the while glancing at her tempermantal companion.