About Darn Time

[Deleted]

Every step she took away from Edynt Beach and its suffocating company seemed to lift a weight off the Tundra femme's shoulders. She still had the mixed-blood at her side, the old one refusing to stop looking after her, but in a way it was a blessing. Many times Denali had stumbled as they trekked across the plains, her pace to quick for her body to keep up with when only three of her limbs were usable. Had Rapture not ruined her paw she would have been running at full speed towards the safety of Acerbus. Instead, she was hobbling at only a quarter of her usual pace and needed help getting back up on more than one occassion.

Every muscle in her body ached with exhaustion. She felt as if a bonfire had been lit within her body and was steadily raging into an uncontroable wildfire. The pain in her paw was so intense that it hurt to the point of becoming numb, and every breath she took reminded her of possibly broken ribs on her right side. Worst of all had to be the headache though. Even when out of earshot of all the angry voices that had lined the beach, her head still throbbed with intense pain. If she wanted to be able to so much as think without wincing she would need to take something for the migrane soon. Yes, she definately needed to get some sort of pain killer into her system.

As fog began to coat her senses, she couldn't help but breath a sigh of relief. The plains gave way to forest, which meant after a good few hours of strugling they had finally reached Acerbus. Denali halted at the boarder of the packlands, easing herself momentarily on her haunches. She needed to catch her breath, and welcomed or not she would not just enter the lands without warning. As Town stopped at her side, she gave the elder a weary smile.

"Could you howl for me, please?" she asked, voice strained and desperate. She was calmer, yes, but fear still clung to ever fiber of her body. "I doubt my voice will carry. Tell Sir Exodus that you are here with Denali, and that we will meet him at the Drarynough. I'm welcome in these lands."

She sat quietly as she waited on the old one's assistance. It was disconcerting having to rely on a perfect stranger. Normally after her mind collapsed in on itself temporarilly she would seek solitude. Denali was known for her independance. She'd had countless offers to join various packs, and every time she had refused. She'd always refused for fear of something like what'd happened with Rapture occuring between her and a packmate. Denali did not trust herself around others for extended periods of time, and the fact that she now had to rely on someone else for assistance was crippling. At least her latest bout of sever insanity was over and she was in control again.

She lingered a few more minutes at the boarder before finally forcing herself to her feet again. Her limited mobility was eternally frustrating. The Tundra femme always relied more on ther flight instinct than anything else, and now her greatest ally was compromised. If she was not careful then she would stumble. The result was a slow, laborous, overly cautious pace that doubled her travel time.

It seemed like forever before the calm waters of the murky Drarynough finally settled in her vision. It was about darn time they'd finally arrived. Now she could have herself a bath and hopefully earn permission from Exodus to recover in his lands. It would require spending time around others, which was the last thing she'd wanted to do right now, but it was the sacrifice she'd need to make in order to ensure her health.

Denali didn't immediately walk into the dark waters. Instead, as she approached the edge of the shoreline she laid down on the soggy earth. Thunder rumbled in the distance, though rain had yet to fall. Maybe it already had and the storm had run its course. Or, maybe it was on its way and the skies would open up at any moment. Either way, before she bathed the blood and dirt and sweat and sand from her pelt she needed to rest her aching muscles.

It had been a long while since the last time the female had looked so haggard and forlorn. The last one to have found her in such a state much have been Sianna. That stubborn girl had prooved tove have been a good friend, and her infectious cheer had even managed to pull Denali out of her slump after a while. Vaguely she wondered if her old friend was still happily living with the Aldgar pack or if she had moved on. She'd be nice to have around right now. Instead, she had the half-breed with her. The calm elder wasn't bad company. She just held a neutral air about it, neither overly comforting or overly troublesome.

Not bothering to lift her head and actually look at the old femme, Denali sighed. "I supposed you're wondering just what exactly you happened to stumble across in the plains..." Her voice was tired, defeated. The pain was numbing and she wanted nothing more than to sleep. She could not do so until speaking with Exodus, though. And she hated that thought that she might be getting pitied for a misunderstanding. It was only right she let the old one get her facts straight before forming any more opinions. Lord knows what her opinion of Denali already was.

[towne]

The journey through Chamoru was a rather quiet one. After removing Denali from the premise of the beach, life went much more smoothly, and Towne was, in turn, more at ease. She had been the rescuer, though she now thought herself foolish, of the younger female from three violent brutes whom Towne knew not the names. The two had escaped to Endyt Beach where a crowd stood in waiting, and Denali's panicking made it impossible for the two to stay, Towne had made the decision to leave quite hastily, only a few empty spoken words of thanks for the other wolves, for they were just trying to help. The elder female was put under stress by the situation, but as the short trip went on, she became more comfortable emotionally, though her physical state wavered.

Towne and Denali had small chats, a few involving the creme's desire to be alone, and the elder refusing. There was no chance that she would, or could, for that matter, leave Denali in her state. Her injuries were not bad, and only her paw was in ruins, but she had an air about her that made her seem a bit unstable, and as was proven, prone to panic attacks and other odd behavior. Towne's hips sent jolts of fire up her spine with every untimely step, but otherwise, she was healthy as well. The two bonded quite nicely, given the circumstances, and Towne was glad to see Denali warming up to her as she calmed down.

"Could you howl for me, please? I doubt my voice will carry. Tell Sir Exodus that you are here with Denali, and that we will meet him at the Drarynough. I'm welcome in these lands."

Towne stopped alongside her, the tranquility of her mind broken by the spoken word. She still sensed fear and discomfort in Denali's voice, but it was nothing like the panic that had been induced before. "No problem, dear," the charcoal femme said, lifting her muzzle to the sky.

It had been so long since she howled, and her first attempt was rather grainy and pathetic. Towne stopped and giggled, her childish reaction lightening the mood. The female blinked a few times and smiled sheepishly at her company. "Can you tell I've lived in free lands for a long time?" Towne said lightly, a laugh still in her voice. "How many years now... nine?" Towne stopped, and widened her eyes, another laugh spewing from her throat contagiously. "Goodness! I'm nine years old!"

As her laughter subdued, she remembered her howl. Towne again lifted her maw to the sky, circled her lips, took a deep breath, and let sound pour from her throat. This howl was much more elegant, full and beautiful. It conveyed the message perfectly, telling Exodus that they were to meet him at Drarynough, and then some. It turned into a kind of song, and the old one's head was tilted to the sky for a moment, drinking in the night stars as the sound trailed through the lands.

She pulled her head slowly down again as Denali spoke. "I supposed you're wondering just what exactly you happened to stumble across in the plains..."

Towne answered bluntly. "No." She turned and faced the female, casually coming a bit closer and wading into the waters herself, feeling the cold mud between her paw pads and hearing the thunder rumble above their heads. "I don't wonder about that. Whatever happened was your business. I've seen enough in my day to find the context clues." The old charcoal female smiled lightly at Denali. "Though, what I do wonder, is why you reacted in the way that you did back at Endyt." She took a sip of the water and gently lowered herself into the small lapping waves on the muddy shore. "I also wonder why the sun shines, and how the stars dance across the sky. I wonder where my mother is, and I wonder if my father is back in America. My mother once told me he lived there." Towne creased her brow, then snorted another tiny laugh. "I don't quite know what America is, but if my father is in it, I know he is happy. Though, if I'm nine years old, I can't imagine he's still alive anymore."

Towne looked over at Denali, a soft look in her eyes. "What I'm trying to say is that I wonder about everything, and I never get the answers. It doesn't disappoint me, it just leaves me with more wonder in my life." With a smile, she added a last bit. "And wonder is the most beautiful thing. It is the first to come and the last to leave, and it really does fill me with joy."

The elder turned back to the water, relaxing every muscle from her neck down, and her hips and joints all gave a sigh of relief.

[Deleted]

Nine years old? Denali lifted an eyebrow but said nothing. Instead, her eyes drifted closed as her tall ear laid itself flat against her skull. She'd be rescued by a creature nearly twice her age. Here she was nearing her fifth year and yet she needed to be looked after by an elder. Wasn't life just grand? The forcefully independent femme felt little older than a useless pup at that moment, unable to care for herself at all. How she desperately wanted to go curl up in some secluded cavern and wallow in her own self misery for a while. She couldn't, though. She was in the presence of company and wasn't in the mood for any lectures on the woes of self-deprication.

Somehow she ended up getting a lecture anyways. Her head throbbed and seemed to pulsate with every word that came from the old one. "You talk too much," she murmered, not really paying any attention at all to what Towne was saying. The less she concentrated on anything, the less her head ached. It wasn't like much of anything useful was being said to begin with. It was all nonsense about unanswered questions. Definately not something she needed to hear right now.

Though a few things did catch Denali's attention. She still didn't lift her head or spare any glance towards her companion. It was rude, yes, but she was too upset with herself at the moment to care much about her treatment of others. She did have the ability to answer some of Towne's questions though. "America is a giant landmass, much larger than Anikira. It is forever filled with humans, some sweet but most not. It's also where I came from... Why I am the way I am."

She paused for a long moment, squinting her eyes tightly together as the old memories threatened to surface. That was just what she needed on top of her current health concerns. Now was not the time to let the emotion overwhelm her; emotion that she didn not have the energy to handle. If she was going to explain herself she would need to stay detached, distant. Towne had already misunderstood her statement about offering an explination. Even in her exhausted state she still wanted to set things right.

Taking a deep, calming breath, she opened her eyes and finally looked at the mixed-blood. "When I offered to explain, I meant myself and not the situation in which you found me. You can only understand such a situation if you understand me..." She paused again, forcing herself to sit up. Her busted paw never touched the ground as she carefully manuvered herself up onto her haunces, remaining snuggly tucked into her chest. The expression she wore was a distant one, full of sadness and pain. What she was about to tell was not something she explained very often. It would explain her behavior in both the plains and on the beach though, and the old one had said she was curious as to the intense fear witnessed at the beach.

"I have what the humans call Schizophrenia. It was caused by something the humans gave me, the drug deteriorating my mind. I can't control it, many of my own reactions unrational. Whenever I hit an emotional low I become agressive and pick fights I can't always win. When I finally revert back to normal... the paranoia is at its worst. On a good day I can't handle surprises, especially ones with no respect for personal space. I would not classify today as a 'good day,' and I'm actually amazed something worse didn't happen back on the beach. Such intense fear usually shuts my mind down completely..."

She quieted, head down as she stared at her paws. Over the years Denali had become highly aware of her own sanity. She'd remembered the term the scientists had used to describe what they'd turned her into. Schizophrenic. She knew of the irrationally intense fear she suffered on a daily basis. She knew the difference between the bad days and the good ones. This day was turning out to be one of her worst, and it would be a long while before she reached that "good day" status again.

[towne]

When Denali spoke about America, Towne's ears pricked and she listened. Humans she knew of, and though she had never met one, her mother had told her of both their loving care and torture. She had told her of how they lured her in with cheese and bits of meat, stroked her ears and nuzzled her neck and shoulders with their hands. But Towne hated them all the same. The same creatures had backstabbed her mother, abusing her trust and taking her in for their own uses. She was a large creature, larger than her father was, and could have fought back- Towne imagined she did.

The childish idol of her mother and father still remained with the elder. Because of her overall deprivation of communication and growth development, she lacked many of the thinking tactics and common sense most wolves found embedded deep inside. Towne lacked problem solving skills and much rational thinking, leaving her most immature for her age. On the other hand, however, Towne was wise. The elder listened and understood, and learned by experience. On her own, she developed some of the skills she was deprived of as a young child, though chunks of her adult maturity were largely missing. The Mackenzie-Shepherd was intelligent and sympathetic, with a fantastic memory. It was a great shame to waste such intelligence on a such a being.

To say Towne was a waste of life, however, would be completely wrong. While her life was quiet, with words only being spoken to herself to preserve her language, she had learned much in the ways of healing, and knew history about the lands of Anikira that the young could never hope to understand. She saw the burning of the Boryz forest. She lived the eruption of Pievunt-An. She knew of the growing band of rogues threatening the continent. But even more so, she experienced life in all kinds- vicariously, of course.

When the creme Denali spoke of Towne's misunderstanding and kind of disease, the elder mix was slightly overwhelmed. She had never heard of this 'Schizophrenia' before, and she hated the sound of the word even more than the off-white female's description of it.

Towne shook her head when Denali finished her slew of speech. She tried to speak, but no words would form inside her head. This was a rather confusing event for Towne, considering her lifelong abundance of words. This confusion and temporary brain lapse lead to her speech being reduced to a kind of spluttering. "Urgh... well, um..." Towne swallowed, the small lump in her throat growing.

With the only voice Towne had heard in nine years being her own, the speech directed at her was overwhelming for her senses. In all honesty, the poor creature just simply couldn't handle the intake of company and words. "Well, you did faint." Towne internally bit herself. What the hell was she saying? The statement was hardly relevant to Denali's heartfelt information. She tried to fix herself quickly, adding more. "What I meant was, that, well, you didn't shut down, but you fainted..."

Towne suppressed a small whimper as her childlike mindset clicked back into place momentarily. She laid down and curled herself into a sphere, her muzzle resting upon her tail and hind leg. Her hips let out a shriek of pain as she moved them into place, but her emotional discomfort was moreso. With a sheepish smile, Towne momentarily lifted her head and spoke to her off-white companion. "I'm sorry. Your days must not be well spent."

[silver]

Looking down at the cute little fluff ball of a Flea, Exodus nodded showing her he heard her words. It amused the brute that she was willing to prove herself, despite the fact that Exodus was willing to spoil her. This was his chance to have a pup of his own! Grinning widely in an uncharacteristic way, Exodus’ body hummed with happiness as it coursed through his frame. Trotting through the rain began to bum out Exodus’ mood, however, as time passed. Within minutes of starting their shortish travel, the brute was soaked through and through. He really did feel bad for having his troupe follow him in this weather, especially little Flea. Chancing another glance at the pup, Exodus knew that she would be fine, though. She looked like a strong pup given the fact that she had been on her own for a bit. What if she catches a cold? There’s no Shaman in the pack and I’m not too familiar with herbs. His mind entered fret mode. Calling back, Exodus raised his voice above that of the thunder and the rain, “Do any of you know much about herbs?”

To the others, his question may appear quite random. However, since they had nothing else, Exodus might as well get to know a bit about his members. There had been a sudden influx of members as of late, it was hard to make time to talk to them and find out how they best fit into the pack. It was high time he gave ranks out, as well. That was another step towards having a better organized pack. By thinking of the pack, Exodus’ mind strayed to Taurus, the missing Salen Beta. Where has that brute gotten to? The Alpha through with a grumbling growl that blended in with a reverberating thunder that caused the very earth beneath their paws to quiver.

Waterlogged scents wavered into his nose at this moment. Exodus paused shortly to pick them up better. One was of the familiar Denali. Oddly enough, this scent wasn’t found easily on the ground if found there at all. In fact, it was found more in the air as if she had been carried by another. That was when he found Towne’s scent. At this smell, Exodus blinked and licked his muzzle. This must have been the wolf that howled. I smell no others, so it must only be the two of them. Hmm, wonder what happened. Progressing onward, it wasn’t much longer until the pack stumbled upon the two wolves. Eyeing them before heading to join them, the charcoal Alpha sized them up. Denali didn’t seem to be well, and the other female was unlike any wolf Exodus had seen. Her fur was long, flowy, and smooth. It was quite unlike any normal wolves’ pelt.

Padding down to meet them, Exodus caught the end of their conversation. The black wolf with the strange pelt was speaking about how Denali had fainted and how she must have had a hard life. Now that he was closer, Exodus could clearly see the long, pointed ears of Towne, which only further provoked his interest in her looks. “Hello.” He growled softly in, what was for him, a friendly way. “Welcome back Denali.” The Alpha dipped his head to the off-white femme with the one floppy ear. “Hello, elder-femme. My name is Exodus. I am the Alpha of the Acerbus land and Salen pack. Welcome to my territory.” Respectfully, Exodus dipped his head low. In his eyes, elders were to be highly respected and valued. They had stories of the past and lessons for the future as well as great advice from experience. “If I may, could I know what has happened as of recent to have caused the sudden, but appreciate arrival, of you both?” The black brute questioned with a raised brow while his orbs gazed between them both. The moment had been too quite, apparently, for another round of lightning with an accompany of thunder went off. Exodus hung his head and sighed. Looking up, his eyes found the dark canopy of the trees a relieving sight. Here and there, only droplets of water found their way to the ground. The rest of the rain water was deflected to the ground via route of leaves, plant stalks, and tree trunks. It was very refreshing from their rainy and water flooded travel here.

Taking a quick step away from the group, Exodus dipped his head and took a drink from the opaque waters of Drarynough. The cooled waters slipped down his throat and quenched his once dominating thirst. Now, there was only the ebbing hunger that chewed on his stomach every once in a while, voicing its protest at the lack of food it was receiving. A hunt was defiantly needed. Exodus decided not to leave this land until they had found something the pack could eat. It might take the pack two or so hunts to feed them all, but they could do it. Perhaps he should split them up, observe from a distance, and help when needed. It sounded like a good idea.

[shadow]

<sub>Tired and over all exhausted both mentally and physically as well as emotionally, the Ethiopian trotted along into the lands of Acerbus. He’d never been to Acerbus so it was new to him. He looked forward to meeting Exodus, Salen’s alpha. He’d heard little about the pack, and even less about the newly formed back in Kamari. He’d never traveled farther than The Occasus’, for it was his home. He had a feeling now that Zahir was “back” he’d be doing a lot more running around between the packs. Specially with his high rank as a “messager boy”.

As he reached the border between The Occasus and Acerbus, Kaoru stopped. He lowered his head and sniffed the ground, seeing exactly where the boarder was. Once conformed he stood straight again and licked his lips and lifted his head up to the sky and howled asking if he could enter the lands to speak with their alpha, Exodus for he had news of Zahir.

With a soft sigh, the Ethiopian brute realized he wasn’t quite that alone. His brown orbs searched a bit farther into the territory and saw a gathering of three or four wolves. He sighed and took this time and walked towards them, technically still on the outside of Acerbus’ boarder.

As he approached the three wolves, Kaoru dipped his head to them. “Um, hello?” He spoke softly, one seemed to be an elderly femme, who looked more dog than wolf. Another white femora who’s pelt was stained with red, obviously blood, and obviously injured. The other was a large brute, solid black except for the gray marking on his forehead. Kaoru remembered something saying Exodus being “the marked alpha.” was this what they meant. “Sir Exodus I presume?” He questioned the large black brute, hoping he was not mistakened.</sub>

[flea]

Flea followed her alpha and continued humming her little tune. She had fallen behind a bit, but only because she wanted her small paw prints to match the much larger ones of Exodus. Extending her legs, stepping in each mud print Exodus had made. The rain was coming down evenly, enough to make her coat completely soaked. As much as little Flea disliked the water, she was having a blast. A massive puddle was approaching as she padded closer to it. Without thinking about how deep it might be, she jumped in with a small splash, getting completely soaked with brown water.

She climbed out of the muddy hole, giggling amusingly, and shook off the filthy water from her once, creamy white fur. Noticing that she had fell behind after that stunt, she bounded a few paces to catch up to Exodus. He looked back at her one moment and called out loudly, “Do any of you know much about herbs?” Flea cocked her head to the side while she strode and wondered, I hope he isn't getting sick! Flea took a quick glance behind her too see the if the pack was still following, in which they were.

As they moved onward, the scent of others was filling her ebony nares. She figured they must be close to the ones that called earlier, she was excited to meet more new wolves. Time progressed, and the view of two other wolves were now in sight. "I see them." Flea chirped to herself, she assumed the alpha had spotted them long before she had. Young Flea slowed her pace and let the adult have their moment before she intruded herself. After Exodus had introduced himself and welcomed the females, Flea padded to his side, sitting on her haunches as her muddy tail swayed in the wet grass.

"You both are very pretty!" Flea lightly shouted to the two faes with a smile on her innocent face. She giggled as her multi-hued orbs followed Exodus as he began drinking water. The thunder and lightning failed to surprise her anymore, her eyes scouted back to the injured white female, and her expression fell sadly. A nearby sharp howl pierced her sensitive ears, and her head jerked in the direction. A much smaller wolf entered the area they were in, and Flea grew excited. The size of the wolf made Flea think it was a much younger wolf like herself, but once he got closer, more adult-like features were pronounced. Her smile never faded though, for once, Flea enjoyed the much company and newcomers.

[crise]

The ear shattering storm had left the clueless Crise quite jumpy and just a tad bit hysteric. Her eyes darted in every direction, checking for any signs of danger. Every step she took was on shakey legs, paws leaving shallow indentations along the muddy ground. Her body felt soaked to the bone and was trembling all over, heart pounding within her chest. Her fluffy plume was curled cowardly between her rear legs, auds pinned against her skull snuggly. She dared not speak a single word during the entire trek to the lake. She did, however, fail to halt an incessant whining that made the five year old seem more like a one year old.

While lost to her fears and total lack of self, she almost missed the words of the alpha as they progressed through his lands. He was asking about herbs? Long minutes after his initial question, her brain finally processed the information and all motion halted as she attempted to remember if she knew anything about herbs or not. She shood shock still in the deafening rain, contemplaiting lost information that probably wouldn't return to her any time soon. It took another loud clap of thunder and one much too close flash of lightening to get her tail in gear again, and with a loud yelp she leap forewards practically jumping out of her skin. After a moment she settled down just enough to formulate a responce. Then she slipped back into the makeshift little line they were all wandering in and resumed her shakey surveilance.

"I don't remember if I know anything about herbs or not..." she'd barked, voice thick with raw fear. Slightly cryptic as it was, it was the truth for poor Crise. She remembered that she had a memory problem. She didn't remember if she had any skills as a healer or not though. Then again, if she did then maybe she would have been able to lessen the affects of her defective heart and brain by now.

Voices suddenling filling the immediate area jerked the Mexican fae out of her musings, but the sight before her left her further on edge. Two older femmes stood out against the backdrop of the Drarynough, total opposites of each other in appearance. One was supposedly on the whiteish side while the other was a stark black. On top of it all, the white fae seemed to be quite bent out of shape.

Before Crise really had a chance to process the situation, another howl cut through the terrifying air. It was followed by the appearance of a rather tiny male. He was smaller than Crise herself by at least an inch, and that was saying a lot considering the Mexican was easily labeled a runt. With the thunder roaring in the distance again, the female decided to simply not dwell on such trivial matters. Instead, she shook out her pelt in an attempt to dislodge the heavy water weighing her down and settled herself into a sitting position. Her body trembled from the cold rain and her fears, mind swirling in a void of confusion, curiosity, and fear and as decided the best thing for the moment would be to simply observe what was going on.

[Deleted]

As Towne settled herself, Denali did the exact opposite. She forced herself to stand up despite her muscles screaming in protest. Every fiber of her being seemed to throb and ache, and yet she was determined to ignore the pain. After all, she'd been through worse. And, right now the one thing she needed most was a bath. Surely her body would not protest so loudly once she was submerged within the water. It would be refreshing to clean the blood and muck from her creamy pelt.

With her features set in a grim yet determined expression, she slowly limped into the water. The movement took more concentration than she'd expected it would, her legs shaking from the strain of every careful step. As she lowered her injured paw into the cool depths, a startled scream flew from her mouth at the sting of water. Her eyes squinted tightly shut as she curled her head into her shoulder, easing her way in until her body was fully submerged.

Finally, she turned just enough to view the old croon laying on the shore. Apparently her little spiel had startled the old one into silence. The thought was slightly amusing, considering she'd throught the halfbreed to be a rather chatty creature. "I've my ups and downs, like anyone else," she replied coldly. Denali's voice seemed completely empty as she added, "And the fainting wasn't what I was referring to. I don't normally faint. When my mind shuts down... Well, it's easier to witness it than describe it. I just hope you won't have to witness it."

With that the Tundra dove beneath the surface, head and body completely submerged in opaque liquid. It hurt to move her legs, attempt to swim, and yet every little motion was necessary. Slowly but surely the water worked its way into her pelt, loosening the dried blood and debris and removing it from the silky strands. Given the current storm, the bath wouldn't really do a perfect job. It would do just enough though, her normally white pelt drifting from a crimson red to a muted pink strongest only around her wounded areas.

After ten minutes of trying to cleanse herself, Denali finally immerged from the Drarynough. The storm pounded down on the land, thundering cackling in the distance as lightening set the skies ablaze. None of it even dared to phase the aching wolf, however, her most recent trauma leaving her so drained that she just didn't have the energy to be her overly paranoid self. She dragged herself back to shore and flopped down on the bank again, body hitting the earth in sync with another clap of thunder. 'How fitting,' she thought, rather bitter with the world at the moment. 'Why not end a horrid day with such a dreadful storm?'

She didn't really get to dwell long on her thoughts. Sometime between the throbbing aches and stabbing pains Exodus and his pack showed up. She didn't even bother to lift her head from her paws as he addressed herself and Towne, too tired and sore to even think of displaying some common curtosey. In terms of emotion and expression she was rather neutral, completely unphased by anything and everything. Even her tone of voice was flat as she returned the greeting, pain and exhaustion leaving her rather lifeless and as dreary as the thunder storm.

"Sir Exodus," she greeted, the movement of her amber eyes and the steady rise and fall of her still stained chest the only signs she was actually still amoung the living. Silently her gaze drifted over each and every one of the packmembers, looking for any familar faces before resting on the the large, marked alpha again. She saw no one she recognized, no hint of Taurus, yet at the moment she was too drained to let the disapointment sink in.

"Dreadful circumstances have brought us to your land. I've come seeking a place to heal. I'm not always so good at picking my friends, you see. My most recent ones were too easily provoked. Miss Towne has been making sure I don't injure myself further." There was a bit of bitter sarcasm tinting her rather lifeless voice as she spoke in irony only she would probably find amusing. Rapture and the others had not been friends, nor would they ever be. She'd brought her troubles on herself though, and now she was accepting the hand fate had dealt her. Hopefully she would be granted the security she sook and thus allowed to heal in peace. Reguardless, she did manage to make herself cordial enough to comment about the Salen pack. "It seems you're doing quite well for yourself. Your pack's grown nicely since my last visit, though I recognize no faces."

Her eyes lingered on the somewhat innocent pup as the childish voice broke the air. She made no returning comment though. Right now she just did not have the energy to deal with children, despite her usual love of them. Strong maternal instincts or not, right now her body was yelling at her to let it heal instead of making idle smalltalk and playing with pups.

Before she could receive any sort of response from the alpha and his pack, a close howl sliced through the thick air. It seemed very close, coming from the direction of the Occasus, the boarder with the former Zahir lands. In a matter of minutes the souce of the howl made himself known, and had she had the energy to lift her head she would have cocked it to one side in curiosity. The newcomer was an Ethiopian, a desert breed through and through. What would he be doing here, especially when his behaviour seemed to reflect that of a messengers? His howl had said he had news of Zahir. Even in total fatigue Denali managed to be quite the gossip, and thus Kaoru's intrusion intrigued her more than the greeting she'd gotten from Exodus. What was this news the small male had of Zahir?

[silver]

Exodus question as to if any in his pack new anything of herbs went unanswered for a while. Finally Crise piped up, but her answer was not one Exodus wanted to heal. Inwardly, the brute cursed himself for the horrible job he was doing in leading this pack. There were ranks to give out, members to get to know better, hunts to take care of, water to drink, air to breath. Exodus let a small sigh out and hung his head for a brief moment. Perhaps he was not cut out for the job of an Alpha after all. All he seemed to be able to do was scare the crap out of trespassers, with the exception of those two females he chanced upon. The sound of his name caught his attention. Exodus turned his silver gaze upon Denali who had finally realized he was here. After she finished the initial part of her speech explaining the reason of her injured arrival, Exodus blinked.

“I see.” He rumbled. For a moment, he stood there and chewed over her words. Who were these friends she had run into? Obviously, they were no true friends. “Well, you know you always have a place here, Denali. Remember.” A nod accompanied his words. “I thank you, Miss Towne, for watching over Denali. She has the mind set to always seek trouble, I’ve found.” The large brute flickered a dangerously sly smile to the off white femme who was among one of the first wolves he had the pleasure of meeting here in Anikira. Denali went on to mention stuff about his pack and how it seemed to be doing well. A sore spot for the Alpha. Clearing his throat, his gaze traveled back to those in his pack. “Yes, so it seems. However, I must admit it is quite unorganized, as of yet. There was a sudden influx of those wanting to join. I must give out ranks, soon.”

After he said this, Exodus optics fell upon little Flea. A scowl flashed across his face, and Exodus bristled and turned to Denali. His mind swirling with a bombard of new thoughts. “You came here with Taurus. Taurus hasn't…” The scowl upon Exodus muzzle deepened as he mused over this new revelation. Taurus has been missing for an awfully long time. “Shit.” Exodus snarled, going bipolar on everyone once again. “Where did that bloody brute get to now.” Sighing and calming down, Exodus frowned. He would need to figure that out later. Surely if Taurus was in any kind of trouble, he could get himself out of it. Taurus could talk his mom into buying his own brother.

A howl brought Exodus out of his thoughts of Taurus. His eyes flashed as he growled and looked about in an attempt to find the source. Eventually, a young Red wolf padded over to the group, though was sure to keep himself outside of the Salen pack lands. Exodus raised a brow, clearly amused that this brute was one of few who actually did as a wolf was required to do when near the boarder of another’s pack. For that, the young brute was off to a good start in the black Alpha’s book.

“Sir Exodus I presume?”

At this, Exodus gave a slight dip of his head. “Yes, young brute, that is I.” The winds of the storms changed and the rain faltered, then ceased. Exodus took pause and turned his massive cranium to peer up at the canopy obscured sky. “Hmm.” A breeze buffed Exodus’ face and the brute narrowed his eyes and took in the scent it carried. “Ahhh, you are from Zahir. Interesting. Tell me, brute, is your pack still ruled by that young, unresponsive female? Her name escapes me. You know, news of your pack has traveled around quite a lot recently. Enter my lands, for I believe we have a lot of news to share.” With this, Exodus gestured for Kaoru to enter further into the lands. While the other did as told, Exodus’ eyes scanned the area around him. He was keeping tabs on the others, watching what they were doing and what all was going on. So many things to take care of.

Edit;
Exodus suddenly stiffened, body ridging with a new revelation occurring to him. His silver optics narrowed as am extremely drrp and low growl emitted from his chest. Yep, it was official. Exodus was bipolar. Bipolar or not, there was someone on his land! Angrily, Exodus mentally tore the enemy to shreds. He was SICK and TIRED of others entering his territory unannounced and without permission. "Crise!" He barked in an unusual and quite livid tone. "If you would, please go and see to the intruder. Make it obviously known that I am extremely unwelcoming to his presence. I don't give a damn if they came to me personally, crawling on the floor on their belly like a coward. Run. Them. Off. If that doesn't work out well, howl I'll deal with them personally." The same low growl as before found its way out into the world again. The hard, cold, and bitter silver optics were dangerous and piercing. The laws straw had apparently broke a long, long time ago. However, it seemed as if it could re-break. Astounding. From here on out, Exodus would no doubt be very picky as to who he allowed into his lands, and who would be unwelcomed.

[shadow]

<sub>Kaoru’s deep brown orbs traveled to one figure to the other. He knew who the alpha was among the others, he was the largest and second eldest brute there. Well, the only brute there aside from himself. Kaoru’s brown orbs stared into Exodus’s silver hues, Kaoru dipped his head to the alpha as he spoke to him. Kaoru thought for a moment mulling over the question the large black brute had thrown at him. How was he to answer? His eyes became a dim shadow as he thought about the pack and how it’d happened, how everything had happened.

Wrinkling his nose, Kaoru’s lip twitched in a slight snarl like manner. Those rogues, he would get revenge if it was the last thing he’d do, he realized it no longer mattered what happened to him. Zahir had rose from the ashes and now he felt the reason to protect his pack as well as the other packs. He was the only one who’d lived through the attack, ‘Because I was a coward…’ He thought to himself, but no more! He would no longer be a coward and cast the importance aside. He would defend this land of Anikira.

Exodus must have meant the alpha previously before Alya. Kaoru shook his head. “I’m not sure if you’ve been aware but my pack, Zahir had been completely killed by rogues, including the alpha, Alya, the previous alpha before Alya was killed in the lava flow from the volcano.” Kaoru licked his lips, wetting them as they suddenly became dry. The event seemed just like yesterday the panic activated the adrenaline in his body. He took a shaky breathe. “I was the only survivor. Recently wolves have wandered onto Zahir land and with much decision, a new alpha has been appointed in Zahir.” He said firmly, his thoughts now wandering to Iri and Avani and Vee. His superiors as weird as it was. However Kaoru was happy. Well mostly.

“Avani is our alpha, and I Kaoru, lead warrior of Zahir was sent here to inform you of Zahir’s resurrection.” Kaoru smiled to the large alpha brute, things where so far going smoothly, all they needed now was more members. Hopefully, they would get more within time. With the news of Zahir being back in action and no longer MIA, maybe now they could grow and thrive once more.</sub>

[crise]

As the thunder disipated, Crise's fears began to do the same. The calming of the storm meant the calming of the Mexican, and by the time the rain fully halted and the heavens ceased to rumble Crise had relaxed back into her usual, chipper self. She still wasn't quite a vocal as she normally was, but she was at least no longer trembling and whimpering in fear.

Auds were cocked, attentively listening to every word that passed between the alpha and the gathering strangers. It seemed these newcomers were not prospective pack mates at all, though the injured one was clearly on friendly terms with Exodus. And the small male had stated that he belonged to another pack entirely. Crise's head tilted to one side as she tried to understand what was going on. In a way, her blank mind was being put through information overload. Not only was she relearning who she herself was, but she was also learning a lot about a group of strangers. There was just way too much going on at once for her to handle.

That's why when yet another unfamilar scent carried on the soggy wind, she was slightly greatful for the distraction. As social as she was, there was just too much going on for her fragil brain to handle all at once. "Yes sir! Right away sir Exodus sir!" Whether or not she would carry out the alpha's orders to a T was unlikely, as she was ingrained with a relatively friendly nature. It did not mean she would not try though. Crise finally had a chance to try and be useful, and it did not involve a dangerous adrenaline rush. Then again, maybe another black out was exactly what she needed to do exactly as ordered. She'd murdered before while on the verge of collapsing. It's how she'd lost both her sister and her mate. If such an incident were to kick in while dealing with the intruder then maybe she could make her alpha proud. Even if he'd find her collapsed and unresponsive after all was said and done.

Without another word the tiny femora rose to her paws and trotted back into the forest. For her pace she set a brisk trot. Exodus had instructed her to act like a bitch. Maybe the increased heart rate would do just that. Even without her memories, Crise was driven enough to want to succeed. It was just a matter of battling her instincts to act in the manner demanded of her.

[flea]

Eyelids drooping and widening as the young pup tried to remain awake. In all honesty, little Flea was paying no attention to the conversation with the older wolves. It was boring. She yawned loudly and blinked, licking her maw lightly while looking out into the dark forest. The storm had broken up and moved on by now. Felt like eons when the adults chatted and such. Her paws were muddied and fur still quite wet. Flea stood and shook off the wetness, then sat back down to ease the itch behind her ear.

It was a long while since young Flea had rested. Usually, pups would nap regularly throughout the day. Not Flea. So much commotion and so many new wolves to meet, there was too much going on for the pup to rest now. She watched each of the adult talk to one another, but all she was hearing was 'blah blah blah.' What snapped her out of her tiring trance was Exodus shouting at the female Mexican called Crise. Her ears shot up as well as her eyelids, she thought maybe Crise had done something wrong, but the alpha demanded her to seek out an intruder. Intruder? Flea wondered as her odd matched eyes scanned the area. No new faces around here, must be somewhere else.

Flea watched Crise leave to find the unwelcome newcomer. The little pup almost asked to join to give her something to do other than listen to the adults talk about boring stuff. Instead, a small white butterfly caught the pup's attention. Which meant it was time to play. She quietly stalked the butterfly, rear in the air while crouched, pawing closer and closer towards the insect. Her small creamy tail wagged slowly, and she pounced on the leaf the butterfly settled on. The winged bug managed to fly away, but Flea kept following, pawing at it, trying to get the little creature. She wasn't necessarily watching where and how far she was going, but she knew soon enough she'd catch that pesky bug.

[Deleted]

A soft smile was brought to her maw as she watched small Flea chase after a butterfly. Pups were so sweet, so young, so untainted by the horrors of reality they did not wish to know about. It was a time if innocent bliss, and for a brief moment Denali wished she were a pup again. Then she chased the thought away, knowing full well that her puphood had almost been as trouble filled as her adulthood.

As the conversation began to fly, the Tundra femme gradually pushed herself up in a sitting position. It seemed too important to miss by wallowing in her own pain. Thus, with a few whimpers of pain and exhaustion she managed to get herself up and relatively comfortable. Her injured paw she held in the air, putting no weight on it. Despite having scabbed over, the pain was still too great for the limb to be of any use. The rest of her injuries were mainly minor, made worse simply by exhaustion.

Denali's auds swiveled this way and that as she observed the words and demeanors of those around her. Exodus seemed to grow more frustrated by the minute. "Thank you, sir," she'd murmered quietly, and then hadn't said another word. Her thoughts turned towards the white brute she'd traveled with so long ago, Taurus. It sounded as if he'd done quite well for himself in Salen, and yet not he was missing? How unlucky! She would have liked to have seen him again, and now there was a chance she never would. Hopefully where ever he was he was safe.

The sound of anger cut through her thoughts, and with a yelp Denali pinned her tall ear down and whimpered in fright. Something was wrong, and the fright she'd gotten from Exodus's sudden explosion was too much for the girl. The alpha brute was extremely angry at the thoughts of another intruder, and he'd practically scolded the small fae named Crise to go take care of the problem.

His anger, however, had unconsciously triggered something in Denali's mind. It seemed that with her aging mind her schizophrenia was growing worse. She blinked several time, confused by the images she saw dancing in front of her eyes. Hallucinations had never been a problem for her before, but now she was surrounded by images of death. To her Exodus looked like a snarling skull attached to his usual body, the mark on his head glowing as brightly as the demonic eyes in their sockets. Kaoru had a whispy tail of bone and small, sharp horns poking out from where his ears should have been. Towne's ribs were visible, and not the sort of visible that occurs from lack of food and being under weight. And Flea... Sweet, innocent little Flea had grown long, knifelike claws that slashed at the butterfly.

Whimpers of panic escaped Denali's maw as she tried to clear the visions in front of her. Accidentally she placed her injured paw back on the ground, which caused her whimpers to erupt into a yelp of pain. Amber eyes were so wide with fright the whites of them were clearly visible. Furiously she shook her head back and forth, trying to clear her vision of the horrific images. It was no use, however, for everywhere she looked the skeleton like wolves haunted her. Only after Crise was long gone and Kaoru began to speak was she able to settle down and watch the delusions dissapate. She panted lightly as she tried to get her breathing under control, a frown tugging on her maw as she tried to act nonchalantly about what had just happened. She couldn't quite explain it herself, and maybe if she acted as if nothing happened then the others wouldn't question her.

Pushing her hallucinations to the recesses of her mind for the time being, Denali did her best to focus upon the conversation at hand. Of all the packs, Zahir had seemed to always be the most troubled. It could not keep a steady alpha, its members plagued by death. One of these days she would like to visit the lands, see for herself which rumors she'd heard were true. Being a loner had its advantages, and being a loner who loved gossip meant that she'd learned many things, fact and fiction, concerning the desert dwellers. "Is it true Alya's spirit still walks your lands?" she questioned, though it was impossible to fully keep out the slight waver in her voice. Those hallucinations had shaken her up, and so long as she was in the company of others she would not be able to ponder their meaning.

[silver]

While trying to forcibly calm himself down, for it was unwise to allow a stranger of another pack to see how Exodus could often lose his temper over such matters as a intruder. The second the news of the Zahir pack wavered into his ears, Exodus found himself experiencing a new emotion; pity. How terrible it must be for this brute to go through such an ordeal and be one of few, if any other, survivors of his pack. Their lives extinguished in one way or another, whether it was through lava, rouges, or old age. Exodus found his head dipping in respect towards the Red wolf before him. Allowing Kaoru to continue, the black Alpha took note of the brute’s shaky breath. No doubt he is plagued by his lone survival. A terrible thing. Taking the moment of pause as an excuse to look around and check on his pack, Exodus gave a mighty frown. What if something were to happen to his own pack? Rouges could easily step lightly into his land without a second though, get through his pathetic defenses, and quite easily attack his family.

Swallowing hard, the massive brute’s silver optics lingered upon the ever so slight frame of Flea who pounced around chasing a butterfly, no care in the world. A harsh and unforgiving force squeezed tightly at Exodus’ heart and lungs, causing his breath to fall short. He choked, then coughed, and finally cleared his throat. Sitting back upon his great haunches, the mighty brute heaved a forceful sigh whilst turning his eyes back to Kaoru to listen further. Offering Kaoru, the Leader Warrior of Zahir, a slight smile in return Exodus managed to say, “Well said, Warrior of Zahir. I thank you for informing us all of Zahir’s greatly welcomed return to the living. May you and your pack be blessed by the Gods, and that your Alpha reigns for many years to come.” Again, Exodus dipped his head; however, this time around it deeper to show more respect. This Red wolf had left a good impression on Exodus. The Alpha could only hope that he would attract such loyal members to his ranks, sooner rather than later.

“Perhaps sometime in the near future, I should like to travel to the Occasus and speak with your Alpha about a possible alliance between our packs. Those never hurt. And with rouges running around Anikira, now is better than later, when it may be to late.” Nodding his head once more, Exodus looked away and into the distance, his eyes becoming foggy. “Thank you for informing us about the problem with the rouges, as well. We had heard rumors, but these rumors are put to rest with realization of their threat. Things will be changing. Hmmm.” The charcoal Alpha fell silent for a moment before clearing his throat and turning to Kaoru one last time. “If ever Zahir ever falls to trouble yet again, call and Salen will answer. Until we meet again, Kaoru, Lead Warrior, farewell.” This said, Exodus stood to his full height and shook out his coat.

Calling out the Flea, Exodus gave a small sigh. “Don’t wander too far, Little Flea. Danger lurks under every rock.” Now, back to the other pressing matters at paw. Before the Red wolf could take his exit, Denali posed a question that intrigued Exodus. Turning to face Denali, his eyes soon traveled to Kaoru as his ears listened for the answer. More talk of spirits walking the land. Hmm. Makes one wonder what the Afterlife has in store for us. I wonder where Denali heard news of Alya's spirit. Exodus’ nose gave a sudden twitch at the same time a real flea bit his backside. He growled with the sudden pain and promptly sat back down only to reach back and snip angrily at the little vermin. “Bloody bugs.” He muttered under his breath. Looking back up, Exodus’ eyes narrowed sharply as he noticed Little Flea had disappeared from his sigh line. Standing back onto his paws, Exodus ventured away from the group a few steps and sniffed the ground to catch Flea’s scent. “Flea!?” He called out once more as a sudden worry began to gnaw on him. “Flea, you’ve wandered too far away!” He voiced gruffly and stepped forward a couple of more steps. If he received no answer shortly, things would turn nasty.