slip into the night; open

[akela]

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[atrb=background,http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/9027/akelatablemiddle.png] It was dark, dark and cold which was unusual for this time of year and Akela found herself starring down into the endless abyss of the famous lake that continued for eternity with no sense of an end. She wasn't sure why she was here but perhaps it had to do with the time of year; soon enough she would be two years old and she was coming into heat for the first real time. It was an odd sensation and one she was unsure of and she felt rather embarrassed by it all. If her mother were still alive she would have gone to her for advice and to learn about the birds and the bees but alas such hope was short lived and she was totally alone in this; and she couldn't ask one of her pack mates out of embarrassment so it seemed she would just have to suffer in her silence. Pawing at the ground a soft and heartfelt whine escaped the lips of the still rather young valley wolf as her mind drifted back to her late family. It had been over a year since she had lost them; she had been a mere pup then, barely at an age to survive by herself and if she hadn't have stumbled upon Salen and the kindness of Exodus she would have been dead by now. But time had not truly eased her grief and there was still a hole within her, a scar from the pain and torment she had gone through after that terrible day. She had tried so hard to avenge her family and had foolishly ran into the fight and gotten herself wounded; but at least the brute was dead and she could now move on, all be it whilst still looking for her remaining siblings. She was still convinced that they were somewhere out there and that they had survived and until it was proved otherwise it was what she was going to think. With the anniversary of her birth coming up it was difficult for her to think of the life she now had and the life she could have had if the Knaves had never existed; in two months time the day of her parents death would be coming up and Akela felt she had a lot to be unsettled about. Perhaps it was all the hormones that was causing her to be so upset and confused. There was a part of her which was telling her to seek out a suitable mate and begin her own family and yet she was frightened; frightened of what sort of mother she would be and if she was even fit to carry and raise her own litter. She had barely enough skills as it was, everything she had learned had been thanks to the pack of Salen and she was behind in skills of most wolves her age. "What would you do mother?" Looking into the water she looked at her reflection wistfully... would a wolf even want to mate with someone like her? She wasn't exactly an exceptionally beautiful wolf; in fact she was father average in her opinion. Pushing her legs in front of her Akela's body lowered to the ground and she laid down and tried to get comfortable. Every muscle in her body was restless and it was beginning to annoy her; she hated feeling like this and couldn't understand how femmes went through this year after year. How could one stand feeling like this? It was frustrating beyond all measure but then again most femmes she knew had mates and had more knowledge of how to deal with this. Perhaps it was a good idea to talk to someone; even if she would have to die from shame afterwards, at least then she may have more understanding and some answers for what was going on.

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[Deleted]

[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=background,http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/7288/atreyutbg.jpg,true] He could smell here as clear as a wounded deer in an open field; smelling her long before he could see her through the intense fog that never lifted. Dark emerald eyes waited for her to appear on the Drarynough shore. Atreyu had been sitting at the edge of the bottomless lake for a while, and was seated fifty lengths from where she stood. Observing her from is place, he noted that she seemed uncomfortable, the cause as to why was unknown from this distance. "Exodus did say to make new friends..." whispered a silent voice. Killer instincts forced him to take the indirect approach; instead of walking along the the shoreline where the fog wasn't as dense, and she could see him coming, he stepped into the shadows of the surrounding forest and further concealed by the thick haze. She was out of his sight for most of the trip, but her hormonal scent was growing thicker with each calculated step he took. Emerging out of the fog like a spirit of the forest, he quietly walked up behind her, leaving a fair distance between the two so she didn't feel as cornered as she was. The sound of his throat clearing was the only noise alerting her to his presence. "Good evening ma'am." he said softly in his gruff voice. "Hope I didn't startle you," he added with a polite nod, his eyes giving her a 'once-over' of her reaction. "Do you mind if I join you here?" he asked, though the step forward he took made it clear that the answer did not honestly matter to the male, to Atreyu, to the Beta of Salen... ***** words: two eighty three muse: average - but strained notes: i know it's not three hundred, but at this point, i just need to get the posts out there.