Nine Below [Open]

[Toiro]

Toiro stumbled through the snow, lost in the terrible blizzard that swirled around him. His vision was limited to a couple of inches in front of his nose; everything else was a blur of grey and white. Wind buffeted his thick fur, blowing it in every direction possible, and stealing what little warmth he had left away from him. It howled through the treetops, lifting even more snow into the air and driving the snowflakes towards his narrowed eyes.

Toiro let a whine escape from his mouth. It had been foolish to go out in this weather; no sane wolf would have dared to brave the treacherous slopes in this horrible snowstorm.

But the cave down by the beach was full of water. Deep water. He and Keyara had watched helplessly as the waves crept in to their home, coming steadily closer as the storm picked up. Soon, the waves were crashing in the lower cavern, whilst the frightened wolves huddled together in a higher side passage. Finally, Toiro couldn’t take it any longer. He fled, following the narrow passage higher and higher until he came to an exit. He didn’t stop to think about what he was doing; the terror of the waves was still fresh in his mind. Toiro ran and ran, not caring where he was going; hardly even noticing the snow that was building up steadily on the ground.

So now here he was. Lost and alone, on the lower slopes of the Tia’deli mountains. Toiro ploughed slowly through the knee-high snow, trying to prevent himself from collapsing to the ground. He knew that if he took even the shortest of rests, he would most likely not get up again. He would be lost forever, buried underneath the cold snow.
Maybe that wouldn’t be so bad… he thought, succumbing again to his depression. At least I wouldn’t be so damn tired. What’s the point of suffering? I’m going to die anyway…
It was true. Toiro’s breaths came in short sharp gasps and his legs felt like they were about to fall off. He could sense Death nearby, cooing to him with her soft voice. Trying to ignore the whispers, he kept pushing on.

But his efforts seemed to be in vain. The wind still fought relentlessly against him. The snow still blinded him. The boulders still tripped him up and got in his way. Boulders? Toiro shook his head, sending a shower of snow falling to the ground.
He stared at the great grey lump looming up in front of him.
It definitely wasn’t a hallucination.

On his whole journey through the snow Toiro hadn’t encountered a single rock bigger than his head, but looking around, he realised there were more of the huge boulders lying half-buried in the snow.
It looked like they had fallen from somewhere; some rocks were cracked in half, others lay toppled against each other. The slip seemed quite recent; it would’ve had to have happened in the last month or two.

Perhaps there’s a cliff? Toiro eyes shone with a glimmer of hope as he stalked forwards through the snow once more.
With cliffs came caves, with caves came shelter, and with shelter came survival.

Quite suddenly, he realised that the wind had died down, and the snow was coming from the sky rather than the ground. Soon the reason for this became apparent.
As the mist thinned out, Toiro could just make out a face of sheer rock rising high up into the sky. Below the clouds, a wobbly line marked the top of the cliff.
The cliff curved around until both sides were nearly perpendicular to the first one, creating a large semicircular valley. It was excellent protection from the blizzard, which continued to roar overhead while only a breeze was felt in the valley itself.

This was all well and good, but what Toiro really needed was sleep. He certainly couldn’t sleep out in the open, for although the wind was weaker the snow was still falling heavily. Glancing around, he noticed a mound of rocks and boulders piled up at the far end of the valley. Maybe he would finally find somewhere where he could rest. Summoning his remaining strength, he began the climb up to the top of the rock pile.

He had hoped to find an overhanging ledge of some sort that he could lie under, but what he found instead was much more interesting.
Jutting out from the top of the pile was a large stone. The stone wasn’t that amazing to look at; but what lay behind the stone was. It was a small hole, not much bigger than Toiro’s head. He would be able to squeeze through if he did a bit of digging. His paws scrabbled at the rocks and sent them rolling out behind him and down the pile in a mini avalanche.

Toiro soon realised that the cave was much bigger than he’d originally thought. The entrance seemed to have been almost completely blocked up by the mound of rocks. If it the rocks were cleared, he estimated that the cave would be the perfect size for a wolf to live in.
Toiro sighed wearily as he imagined how long it would take to uncover the whole entrance. I’ll do it later…

The exhausted wolf crouched down and peered into the darkness. The only scents that he could smell were stale ones. Toiro shook his pelt thoroughly to get rid of all the snow that had accumulated, and took a furtive step inside. Nothing happened.
Don’t be so silly, Toiro. Nothing’s going to attack you. Nobody’s even been in this cave since the rocks fell down over the entrance.
Cautiously, he made his way down the other side of the rock pile and into the warm darkness of the tunnel.
A contented sigh escaped from his mouth as he padded over to one of the walls, flopped down onto the ground, and immediately fell asleep.

[seadragoness]

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[bg=000000][atrb=background,http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff153/Lumarinam/kastiel-background.png] The snow was so white it was almost blinding, an inanimate object capable of such cruelty, by the way it danced the air around the wolf, teasing him, taunting him. Hunger was the biggest issue beside the cold. The way it clawed at his empty belly, he could swear he felt the marks inside him. His stomach felt small, and insignificant, yet for its size he had never heard a more demanding noise then the hungry growling’s emitting from inside him. The chances of finding prey in a blizzard where slim to none, there was nothing more the dark brown wolf could do but stumble on. Each paw-step was torture, to put the pads of his feet down on snow so cold it chilled him to the bone, to feel it sink as he dragged up the next paw, down it went and so on and so on. His head hung low and his tail tucked right up to his hind legs gave little to the picture of an impressive wolf fighting for his life. But of everything he was facing, the very worst was the way his mind played tricks upon him. Every once in a while he could swear he saw the strange white felt of Dust, lying in the snow. Every time, without fail he changed course, yelling her name, only for the wind to snatch away his voice. The fifth time his lesson was still not learned. Leaping, running through the snow – this time it would be her, it would be... he knew it. He stopped before the body of snow... to see it was nothing more then a bush, so covered with the cold, fluffy wet substance that not a single flake of it’s colour could be seen. There was no Dust here... there never had been. Some might think him pathetic for taking on a quest that was doomed to fail. It was his fault his sister was gone... all his fault. The night of her disappearance was much like this one. Where the wind snatched away her trail, keeping it to herself. Maybe he should have listened... it was so clear that Mother Nature did not wish for him to find her. But give up his only sibling, his baby sister? Kastiel knew that if he gave reason a voice, the words it would whisper in his mind where ones he wished to never hear. His sister could not have survived on her own, not through a clear day, and definitely not through a storm. His course was so muddled now he did not even know the direction he had come from, his fight against the cold and wind waned as yet another search proved fruitless. He would have lifted his head and howled for her, but he barely even had the strength to keep on standing, let alone survive this terrible storm. Stumbling forward a shape seemed to loom from the snow, so real, so solid, even more so then the shapes of Dust behind him. Renewed energy at the thought of solid rock beneath his paws Kastiel pushed on through the snow. Another few moments of nothingness and he knew he would have collapsed, and this his body would be nothing more then a shape beneath the snow. Pushing himself onto the rocks, his breathing warm air before him, he sighed in relief. He felt almost tipsy on the hard surface, of course snow outlined the rocky bulk, but at least his paws could push through and stand firm. Staring at the rocks, the snow, he could not have missed to unmistakable signs of life. First the scent, already decaying with the push of the wind, and second the steps, slowly filling with the gentle snow. Had he been any later signs of life might have been all but gone, and he would have thought himself alone in this isolated world. He jumped up, across the rocks – and found the cave the other wolf had begun to uncover. He cautiously stuck his nose into he entrance, and all but cheered at the strong scent of another wolf. The moment the joy came, so however did the caution. He was in no state to fight, and he had no idea of his potential opponents strength. He did not enter, not when he could be cornered in an area he did not know, well the other wolf might already be familiar with. He had encountered too many hostile life forms to let caution to the wind. He raised his head and he howled, ensuring the cave entrance could hear his call easily enough. Would the stranger come to the entrance and investigate?

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[Toiro]

The water was coming closer. Dark waves lapped against the sandy floor, coming closer, closer.
Suddenly, Keyara felt movement beside her. Toiro had scrambled to his paws and was staring at the water with such horror in his eyes that Keyara felt a stab of pity for him.
“Toiro…” she began, but her words were lost as her friend raced off up the tunnel and out of sight. Keyara leapt to her feet and followed, trying to catch up with the frightened brute. “Toiro!”
She had come to an exit, where the bright white light shone through into the passageway. A grey shape was running through the snow outside, running away from the water, and Keyara.
Doesn’t he trust me? Doesn’t he know that I’ll keep him safe?
“Don’t leave me Toiro! Don’t go out there! You don’t realise how dangerous it is! You could die!” The wind must have swept away her words, because the love of her life disappeared into the trees without a backwards glance.“Toiro! No!” Keyara screamed in anguish, bursting out of the safety of the cave and into the blizzard.
She ran in the direction she thought Toiro had gone; ran and ran, until she was almost dying from exhaustion.
Hours later, she stopped, completely lost in the white wilderness. The territory was unfamiliar, and even without the snow blurring the landscape, she didn’t think she’d know where she was.
Keyara whined as she sank down onto the cold slippery ice. This was the end. She and Toiro were going to die; both lost in the terrible snowstorm, and perhaps only metres apart.
Keyara struggled to her paws in one last effort. She lifted her muzzle to the sky and howled.“Toiro. I love you. Alive or dead, I hope we meet again"



Toiro jerked awake, eyes wide open and staring. Somehow he knew that what he’d just dreamed of had been true, and Keyara was out there somewhere, lost in the territory she had claimed only months ago. Her howl had seemed so real, so close.
He had to find her.

Toiro scrambled to his paws, and only then noticed the silhouette standing at the entrance to his cave. He froze for a second, startled by the sudden appearance of the other wolf. Suddenly a smile broke out upon his lips. “Keyara! I thought you were dead!”

Toiro bounded forwards and up the cave-side of the rock pile, his tail wagging happily behind him. He was just about to bury his nose into the other’s neck fur, when he realised something was wrong.
First off, Keyara was female, and this wolf was definitely a male. Second, Keyara had a beautiful white coat, whereas this stranger had fur that was much closer to black. And thirdly, the scent that rolled off the male was not sweet and flowery like his beloved, but instead was clean and fresh, like early morning dew in a meadow.

“Sorry, I…” Toiro backed away, utterly embarrassed by his foolish assumption. What if this is his cave? He might chase me out. He might kill me.
Toiro’s panic stopped abruptly as he remembered that he was the alpha of these lands and he was the one who kept Shyia’s borders safe from intruders.

He growled as threateningly as he could and raised his hackles, prepared, but not wanting, to fight.
“Who are you?” he asked, his voice deep and strong even though he wasn’t feeling very strong on the inside.
He still couldn’t believe that he really owned territory, so he settled for a simple “And what are you doing in the pack-lands of Airila?”

((Changing the colour. I can't stand that pink anymore ))

[seadragoness]

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[bg=000000][atrb=background,http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff153/Lumarinam/kastiel-background.png] Kastiel had contributed to alerting the wolf of his presence, now that he was standing the cold had gotten worse, and shivers racked his body. As he waited for a response from the dreaming wolf his eyes turned to see the landscape before him. Even in the dangerous blizzard he could see that it was beautiful. In fact – more so for the snow that fell in flakes upon the white surface. He could see them falling, billowing about him in the wind. Scent of wolves was unsurprisingly scarce, any trails would be snatched away, buried and smothered with the ever-falling snow. He had no clue as to how big the landscape here was, his view was greatly limited by the ever-turning snow, a soft white curtain to hide him from the land, and the land from him. He rose his head and let out a strong howl, a voice to Dust on the chance... the slightest, bleakest chance that she might be out there. He turned when he heard movement, to see the wolf rising from the spot he had chosen to sleep – although it seemed to Kastiel to be random, far safer to take a corner beside the entrance, out of the direction of the wind and sight for anyone who might stumble by, yet enough room to run or fight if it came to that. The wolf however was coming rapidly towards him, so much so that Kastiel shied away, unsure if he was being provoked or the other truly meant to fight him. The only thing that stopped Kastiel from jumping to the side and properly assessing the situation (flee or fight) was the words the wolf spoke as he advanced. He spoke a name, strange to Kastiel’s ear, and words that nearly broke his heart. It would seem that Kastiel was not the only one who had lost one close to him. When the other realised who he was, he stopped his progress just shy of an embarrassing embrace to a stranger. Upon this realisation came suspicion, worry and of course embarrassment for his mistake. His words started out unsure, sounding as through he had one paw in the wrong. As his mind cleared the last fog of whatever dream had consumed him, the other grew in strength, standing firmer before kastiel and asking who he was and why he was in pack lands. “Pack lands? I was not aware that this was so. If I am trespassing, then I apologise, however if you wish to send me back out into the blizzard I believe that this would be unwise – I may never find the exit to your territory” He took a breath, tilting his head and realised he hadn’t actually answered the wolf’s question, or if he had it was rather evasively. “I’m Kastiel, and I’m passing through in my search for my sister” He explained to the other, knowing exactly what if felt like to lose one close to them. But was it fresher for this wolf? Had he lost his friend in the ferocity of the blizzard? If he had... well, then Kastiel wouldn’t hesitate to go right back out there and look for this wolf.

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[Toiro]

“Pack lands? I was not aware that this was so. If I am trespassing, then I apologise, however if you wish to send me back out into the blizzard I believe that this would be unwise – I may never find the exit to your territory”

Toiro nodded his head slowly. What the other wolf said was true. Judging by the state of him, he wouldn’t last a minute out in the blizzard. Toiro knew that he would never be able drive a fellow wolf away from safety, so there were only two options.
Either fight with this strange wolf and attempt to knock him unconscious, or share the cave with him and perhaps even have a little chat. The latter option seemed to be what the other wolf wanted, as he spoke up again.

“I’m Kastiel, and I’m passing through in my search for my sister”

He looked friendly enough. His pose was neither dominant nor submissive, and he seemed quite relaxed about the whole encounter. Toiro changed his stance to a far less aggressive one, and planted his rump down on the cave floor.
After a long pause while he formulated the words, he shyly lifted his head and addressed the other wolf.
“It’s nice to meet you, Kastiel. My name is Toiro, and I am the alpha of Airila. You’re welcome to share this cave with me until the storm dies down” He inclined his head, as an invitation for Kastiel to come down into the tunnel.

Toiro stood to make room for the new male, and found himself pacing worriedly from one side of the cave to the other, his calm exterior evaporating by the second.
Finally he turned to look at Kastiel, an almost desperate glint in his eye. “You haven’t seen Keyara on your way here, have you? White wolf, blue eyes, extremely pretty, beautifully thick furred arctic…”
He trailed off, then sighed, lost in a daydream where he and Keyara were standing together at the entrance of the Issimor Caverns, watching their pups playing happily on the beach.

All of the happiness drained out of him as he brought himself back to the present.
Why did I have to run away? I’m such a coward; I left Nikia to die, and now I’ve run away from Keyara. What kind of wolf am I?
Toiro slumped to the ground. “It’s all my fault” he moaned, forgetting for a moment that Kastiel was there. “I didn’t save her, and now she’s dead. Why is the world so cruel?”

[seadragoness]

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[bg=000000][atrb=background,http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff153/Lumarinam/kastiel-background.png] Kastiel gave his undivided attention to the still nameless pack wolf before him. He was listening to Kastiel, nodding his head as through seeing the wisdom in his words. But pack lands? He had not intended to stumble upon lands that belonged to another. If it hadn’t been for the uncontrollable blizzard that blazed about them, he would not have come here. Of course there was the chance that Dust had joined the life of packs, the wolves would have thought her strange, but at least in this scenario she would be cared for. But pulling himself back to the freezing reality, he watched at the wolf took a seat before him. It was clear that the other no longer saw him as a threat, and Kastiel definitely saw this as a good thing – who knew how long they would be stuck in the blizzard for, if they were hostile then it would a rather uncomfortable wait. Kastiel moved forward in a none-threatening manner to enter the cave and move just slightly to the side so the breeze would not remain on him. He was grateful for the warmth the cave provided out of the snow, and now he was more comfortable to take a seat, even though the other had risen, as the other wolf began to speak. The first thing Kastiel noted as he watched the wolf, was that he seemed shy – new to something. When he spoke his name and aligned it with the Alpha title, it became clear to Kas just what he was new to. “Thank you Alpha, and once more I am sorry for trespassing” He nodded his head low, respectfully to this leader before him; Toiro was his name. having risen it was clear he was becoming agitated and impatient. He took to pacing, and when at last he gave his attention back to Kastiel, the loner was saddened by the look he could see in his eyes. What was worse, was that Kastiel was completely familiar with that look, and some of the feeling this brute was battling with. When the Alpha took to describing the lost worst, Kas realised just how bad it was – they were mates. He could practically feel the despair rolling of the other wolf, and rising he made his way towards him, nudging him gently on the side of his head to comfort him. “First off – it wasn’t your fault, you’re not a bad wolf, I can see that. As for dead, we don’t know that yet – chances are she was clever enough to find shelter, right?” was his attempt to cool the wolf’s worries. It was like losing Dust all over again, with every day the hope of her survival dwindled, but he could never bring himself to give up on her. “When the storm clears, or at least dies down I’ll help you search for her” He promised gently, his eyes moving to the cave entrance and the raging storm. If they looked now, all they would get was lost.

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[Toiro]

Toiro flinched instinctively at Kastiel’s touch, but forced himself to relax. The stranger was only trying to be friendly, after all.
Kastiel spoke, trying to lighten up his mood, and Toiro listened for a while, for a moment almost believing that Keyara had survived.
But in his heart he knew that she was gone. He knew that she was lost somewhere out in the blizzard, probably already buried by the snow.

He sighed, letting out all his troubles in one big breath.
There was no point in moping – Keyara would have wanted him to keep going, to enjoy his life while it lasted. It had taken months to get over Nikia’s death, but that didn’t mean he had to do the same with Keyara.

Raising his head, Toiro made a promise to himself. He would build the pack of Airila and make it strong, so that Keyara’s legacy continued on. Airila would be a force to be reckoned with. It would never be defeated.

“I appreciate your offer, Kastiel” he nodded, truly grateful to the kind male. “However, I can’t accept right now, as I have an offer of my own to make” Toiro stood proudly in the middle of the cave, his depression gone, or at least well-hidden, as he addressed Kastiel.

“I, Toiro, alpha of Airila, invite you to join my pack”
He paused, then tilted his head to the side anxiously “So, what do you say?”

Toiro then realised how much he wanted this wolf to be part of his pack. He had all of the main qualities that Toiro admired: strength, bravery, kindness, and patience. He really hoped that Kas would be Airila's first real member.
He quickly added some more words, so the wolf’s decision wasn’t influenced by pressure.
“If you don’t want to, of course I understand, but you’re always welcome to come back if you change your mind”

.

[seadragoness]

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[bg=000000][atrb=background,http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff153/Lumarinam/kastiel-background.png] Kastiel could see the hurt this wolf was suffering of with the thoughts of the she-wolf caught outside in the cold, and he was also impressed that the wolf seemed to push past it, to bury it for the time being. Kastiel knew of course the charade was put in place for his benefit – this wolf was the Alpha, and he had a pack to care for and a stranger intruding. Having moved closer to the Alpha to offer his condolences, to offer words of comfort, he was now closer to the entrance of the cave. The blizzard blazed as strongly as ever outside and Kastiel wished they had provisions, a kill to slowly eat during their time trapped in the cave. Kastiel stomach rumbled with hunger and he knew that too many days trapped in here and starvation would become a real problem. The wolf seemed to consider his suggestion, and his answers came as something of a surprise. How could whatever he had to offer change the course of Kastiel’s own offer? Surely the other wolf would appreciate the manpower. Kastiel then realised that maybe he would organise his wolves to set about the search instead. The wolf then invited him into the pack, and he tilted his head in curiosity. Of course – most wolves must enter the territory in search of a home, although Kastiel’s position was somewhat unique with his involuntary trespassing. As for actually joining the pack – it wasn’t something Kastiel had really thought of before. To entwined into the search for his sister, so much so that it consumed everything else. He had no friends, no real life... all there was was the search. So far he was empty handed, no trail, no leads, and no witnesses. What if he settled? Let word out somehow about the sister he searched for. Would his chances increase or decrease? Having a set place for his sister to find him would be a different tactic to any he had used before this – and he was desperate enough now to give it a chance. “I will consider it – I have a feeling there might be plenty of time to think it over before the storm ends. However, if I did agree to it I would have a condition. When I find my sister, she can have a home here too?” He put this forward to see what the Alpha thought of it. For now he would leave out all the complicated bits – how she was wrong in the head, helpless, insane, head in the clouds. If she joined the pack he would care for her, and he would not lacks in any duties he had been given. He had done so before, and he could do so again – although last time it had been a family of four, not a pack of... “Out of curiosity, how many wolves reside in your pack?”

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[Toiro]

Toiro looked over at Kastiel, nervously waiting for a reply. The wolf seemed confused, maybe about Toiro’s strange sentence structure. He had been a bit vague about the whole Keyara business. Maybe I should clarify…
“Keyara’s dead and there’s nothing I can do about it” he whispered, afraid to admit out loud what he knew in his heart.
Only as he was giving Kastiel his first proper inspection, did he realise that the male seemed to be having troubles of his own. He had an air of helplessness about him, although it was well hidden, and he looked slightly sad.
What was that he’d said about a sister? Toiro struggled to remember.
“Is something wrong?” he asked, worried about his new friend.

The wolf didn’t seem to have heard the inquiry, but instead answered his other question, saying that he would consider it.
Toiro's shoulders slumped noticeably. In his experience, when a wolf said they’d consider something, they meant it as a polite way of saying no.

But Kastiel had conditions, and that was promising.
He listened to the wolf’s request, and nodded enthusiastically – grateful that it was something he could do. “Of course she can join. I would never turn away a wolf who asked for a home in Airila. When you find her, tell her I send my regards, and hope that she considers joining too”
He smiled, pleased with the turn of events. Everything was going to be okay.

And then the wolf asked the question that Toiro was dreading.
“Ah… well, actually…” He sifted through his vocabulary, trying to find words to describe Airila’s current situation without sounding weak.
“Keyara and I started the pack a few months ago. We haven’t gotten around to finding members yet, so, uh… I guess it’s just me”
Toiro grinned sheepishly, praying that this wolf wouldn’t take advantage of the situation by attacking him and claiming Shyia as his own. He had seemed kind, but who knew what lay underneath the calm exterior?

[seadragoness]

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[bg=000000][atrb=background,http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff153/Lumarinam/kastiel-background.png] Kastiel watched the wolf, could see that he was adamant, that his mate was dead. Kastiel knew he could never give on his sister, not in the past, not now, and not ever. The difference, Kastiel could see in this wolf’s eyes, his lack of hope. This wolf knew in his heart that it was true, but Kastiel could still feel her. He was sure he would know if she was gone – and gone she was not. The wolf agreed to his conditions, and Kastiel’s smile was gentle, warm – he already knew that he would not turn down the offer. This was there chance - he would carve a home into this pack, and when Dust came he would ensure she would fit right in. Maybe he should give warning about her condition but he could not bring himself to speak it. He was... afraid, afraid that if he told this wolf then he would no longer be so eager to accept his sister into the pack. Dust needed a home when – not if – he found her, and this pack would be the place. “As for her consideration – so long as I am here she will join” He murmured, and with those words the struggle to hide his despair seemed as impossible as turning the tide. However, it was a weight he had carried a very, very long time and once he pushed aside the sadness, the determination was able to take sole residence once more. With his question on the pack’s strength, however, the wolf sounded like he wanted to be a great deal less forthcoming. Kastiel was almost amused by his stumbled response, as he finally got out the words that he was the only wolf in the pack. Maybe not quite the strong pack he had planned for his sister, but it was a start. He vowed then to help this wolf recruit, to make the pack a strong one, one to be proud of. Kastiel’s track record proved just how determined he could become, when he set his mind to it. If he pledged himself to this pack then he would die for it, he would always be loyal to the Alpha and protect it as well as he could. “Then yes, Alpha, I wish to join your pack” He murmured gently – the brute’s mind was clearly made up.

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[Toiro]

Kastiel seemed amused at his hesitation. Toiro’s head lowered as he waited for the other wolf to start making fun of him. Why does everything end badly? Why can’t I just have a normal, happy life? He backed away warily, realising as he did so that his only means of escape was the tunnel behind him.

The other wolf was standing in the middle of the cavern with a determined look on his face. When he suddenly announced that he wanted to join Airila, Toiro barely prevented himself from gaping in surprise.
Kastiel was an odd wolf, unlike any other that Toiro had met. Usually, wolves hated joining such small packs - usually they were drawn towards the larger ones, in the hope of becoming powerful some day.

“Thank you” He blurted out, wagging his tail happily once again “You don’t know how much this means to me. If you wish, you can be my beta, and together we can make Airila strong; recruit until we are the most powerful pack on Anikira” Toiro smiled.
For Keyara. Maybe he was a little power hungry, but it was all for his mate. She was the greatest wolf that had ever existed, and he would prove that to the world by making Airila the greatest too.

A grumble broke Toiro out of his thoughts. He looked around, wondering where it had come from, until he realised that it had been his stomach. He laughed, embarrassed. Hopefully, the snowstorm wouldn’t last too long, or the two wolves would starve to death in their own territory.
Toiro licked his lips hungrily, remembering the venison that he and Keyara had shared when they’d first arrived on the continent.
Focus on the present! You can’t just sit there and daydream your life away..
Toiro shook himself, and pushed Keyara to the back of his mind where she would not dominate his thoughts. She would always be there though, and he knew he would never forget the white wolf who had saved his life.

Finally, he turned to look at Kastiel. “Perhaps we should explore this tunnel?” he asked, beginning to be bored by the now familiar grey walls of the entrance cavern. “After all, we should get to know our territory, and there’s no point in standing here waiting for spring to come”

[seadragoness]

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[bg=000000][atrb=background,http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff153/Lumarinam/kastiel-background.png] Kastiel realised that he had surprised the wolf, that his new Alpha had expected some other kind of response from him. He wondered if this wolf was even much of a fighter, something that was normally a necessity for a leader. Was it strange to consider this wolf his friend when they had only just met? He would do his best to watch out for this wolf, and stand beside him. His loyalty was to this wolf, but his devotion would never dwindle from Dust. Almost as through the other wolf could hear his thoughts – or maybe read his loyalty in Kastiel’s gentle expression, but he spoke then of a beta position within his pack. The brute was surprised by this offer, and knew that with it he would be completely within his power to accept Dust into the pack and care for her. He lowered his head in respect to Torio, his own tail wagging happily in response. It would be my honour” It would seem that the course of his life had changed in that moment. He had never really imagined he would settle down in a pack before, let alone become a beta of one at its very beginning. All he needed to complete his happiness was Dust. If she was here to see this moment, and know that she would have a family, just waiting for her to find them. Torio, his new Alpha, spoke then about exploring the cave after his own stomach had rumbled like Kastiel’s. It was clear the pair where hungry and Kastiel truly hoped the storm would not rage on for much longer, else he would have to go out into it to find food for himself and his Alpha. “Airila will strong” Kastiel agreed, even through the reply had come slightly late to his Alpha’s own words. It was a good idea, to explore the cave – it wasn’t like they had anything else planned. “Very well, my Alpha” Kastiel murmured gently and moved to stand beside him and wait for the Alpha to be ready to explorer.

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[Toiro]

Toiro nodded at his beta’s words. He could see that Kastiel would be loyal to him, whatever happened – and for that he was grateful.
He led the way into the tunnel, pausing to look back at the snow still whirling around outside. No-one could say how long the storm would last, but Toiro hoped that it would be over fairly quickly. He was quite certain that there was no food in the tunnel, but perhaps there was some water. Thirst weakened wolves faster than hunger did and Toiro was already feeling the first signs of dehydration. Of course, there was always snow, but the two needed all the warmth they could get.

Finally, Toiro took his first steps into the darkness. The light from the entranceway had dwindled, and despite his natural night vision he could hardly see a thing. The tunnel went deeper and deeper; for a moment he thought that it might lead right to the centre of the earth. From what he could feel, the floor was sand; however, the walls stayed smooth and solid. In a couple of places, the ceiling was so low that Toiro had to crouch to get through, but apart from that the tunnel was a decent size for a wolf.

Toiro wasn’t really afraid of being so deep underground – his thoughts were more focused on what he’d do after the storm stopped.
The cave entrance had seemed like a nice place for a den; it was spacious, but cosy and comfortable at the same time. Also, it held no memories of Keyara for him to dwell on, unlike the Issimor Caverns, where she had claimed the territory. His mind was mostly made up already – however, it seemed polite to ask his new beta.
“What do you think of the caverns back there, as our den site?” he called over his shoulder to Kastiel, who was hopefully still following along behind.

And then there was the matter of territory marking to deal with. He still hadn’t met their neighbours, so it would be only polite to inform them of Airila’s claim. They would be able to scout out the territory too; Toiro still didn’t know the lie of the land, he had spent most of his time around the caverns on the beach.
“Claiming the territory, choosing a den, marking the borders, meeting the neighbours… What else need’s doing?” he wondered aloud.

[seadragoness]

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[bg=000000][atrb=background,http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff153/Lumarinam/kastiel-background.png] The tunnels proved to be rather interesting; the beckoning darkness seemed a place of mystery, his eyes taking long enough to adjust that he felt the walls must surely be closing in on them. He had no fear of tight spaces; he hardly counted as a claustrophobic, however he was cautious by nature and his position beside his leader was protective. He had to be ready, to drive off any force that might threaten the pair – maybe it was the habit of how he was use to caring for his sister that caused him to be over protective of a wolf that could surely handle himself. What ever the reason, he forced his eyes to take in the darkness and sift through it until he could make out the shapes as he followed a few respectful steps behind Toiro. The deeper they moved into the darkness, the wearier Kastiel became. There where points in the cave where he was forced to give up any advantage by crawling beneath the dropping cave ceiling, only for fate to find them both unharmed on the other side. For a while nothing was said between the two, and the eerie silence heard steps where there where none, or distant noises he couldn’t quite make out. When his new leader’s voice cut through this silence, his eyes snapped towards him, before he settled back into stride once more. “It’s a place we already know to be safe, dry and warm. If we find a water source in here as well in case we ever get stranded in another storm where all set” Kastiel more then happily agreed – adding on a few pointers of his own. Even as he uttered the last words of his sentence, Toiro let out his other worries, with scouting the territory and marking the borders – and of course meeting the neighbours. As he asked for Kastiels opinion, he uttered his own thoughts. “Spotting herds and tracking them, border patrols, checking out the proximity of predators” He added, but rather then weary he sounded nothing short of determined – he could make this territory safe and strong - for Toiro, and for Dust.

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[Toiro]

Toiro listened intently to Kastiel’s suggestions. “Ah, yes… of course. Why didn’t I think of that?”

His new beta really was intelligent. He was glad he had met this wolf; glad that they had both happened to find the cavern. It was almost as if Fate herself had arranged it.
Toiro padded along down the tunnel, his head bent so he didn’t brush it against the roof.
What would they do after the snowstorm stopped? He needed to get things organised, and this seemed like the perfect time to do it.

First, the two would find suitable borders for the territory and mark them. While doing this they would meet the neighbouring packs, and tell the alphas about their claim on Shyia. Then, it would be a good idea to go on a hunting expedition, like Kastiel had suggested, and try to find the hot-spots for prey. He nodded, happy with what he’d got so far. Was that everything his beta had mentioned?
Border patrols could be organised later, when Airila had enough members to do the job, and predators weren’t such a big deal – at least, he hoped so. Toiro’s old pack had never had any major troubles with other predators, so he didn’t get the point of wasting his precious time on them. Maybe that would be his downfall, but Toiro was content for the moment.

He continued to walk in silence, between the huge walls of stone.
Just as he was beginning to wonder whether the tunnel did go down into the middle of the earth, he turned a corner and spotted a dim light at what seemed to be the end of the tunnel. “Look! We've made it!”
He hastened forwards, eager to see what lay in the cavern beyond.

The first thing he noticed after he’d squeezed under yet another low ceiling was the eerie blue light. It filled the entire cavern, making everything glow. “Wow” he breathed in awe.

The smooth stone floor sloped down towards the centre of the large circular cavern, creating a basin. In the middle of this was a huge pool of water. The light seemed to be coming from the pool, but on a second inspection he realised that it was actually coming from a small hole, way up in the ceiling above him.
The walls of the cave were smooth and glassy, like the surface of the lake. A forest of stalactites and stalagmites protruded from the rock at the far end of the cave, near where the pool disappeared under a shelf of rock, presumably leading to an underground river.
Toiro let out the breath he had been holding, and took a tentative step inside the cave. It's perfect…
That was true. This would be a very good water source for the Airila pack.
He walked down the smooth slope, until his paws were at the edge of the water. Bending his head to drink the cool fresh water, he had never been so happy in his life.