Swiftly the small female dressed in white moved through the lands that were now her home. Her paws were whispering quiet stories and her auds were erect, alert. Slowly, her tail wagged behind her as the female was continuing forward. Large stones surrounded her, but the sound of trickling water could be heard not too far ahead. Softly the small arctic female smiled, this would surely be a new meditation spot for her; besides, it was rather comforting to be within the mountains. Aludra had never been in an area quite like this, and love for her new pack swelled within her. Not only was the land absolutely flawless, but the brute who had accepted her was quite eye catching. Once again the female found her mind roaming, and the subject upon her mind was not the usual one.
Somehow the Alpha had stuck within her mind, there was something so very striking about him. 'Perhaps it was those lovely grey eyes,' her mind drifted off into an almost day dream state, yet her paws kept pulling her forward. Aludra had never suffered from something quite like this, even when she had her mate predetermined for her. Not a single creature had ever summoned her attention in quite a way, and he surely made her feel rather important. 'I do have the position of shaman already,' a swelling of pride and joy poured into her soul, 'I do believe I can educate them if any other wolves are interested in learning.' A gentle smile slunk across her maw. Although the romantic ideals she had about this brute were appealing as well as entertaining, Aludra was an intelligent femme. By no means was she going to allow herself to get attached or fall for the brute. That would be foolish, and as a creature of logic over emotion the femme could not permit herself to do such a thing. He was the alpha after all, he was in charge of the entire pack; yet, she was the shaman, she had the power to save another creature's life mentally, physically or spiritually. Either way, the brute Toiro most certainly had his eyes set on a female if he did not already have one.
A chuckle escaped her lips, 'I'm so silly, well I permitted myself to day dream for a bit. Now I have to drop those thoughts, why worry myself with something that will surely not happen.' Another giggle escaped her slightly agape maw. It was true, Aludra allowed herself only a select amount of time in order to day dream, it was not wise to waste precious time and energy wishing for things. Especially to wish for things that would most certainly not come true, and maybe the femme didn't want them too. After all, she hardly knew this Toiro; although their initial meeting had been memorable and made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside that did not mean that true happiness could come from it. Yet, the femme could not shake the giddy feeling within. 'It must just be the thrill of being accepted and given such a great honor in a pack, especially one with a leader such as Toiro and with lands as beautiful,' the femme was dragged back to reality.
The caverns she had been traversing seemed to burst open into a giant gaping mouth, and within the center was a swarming pool of blue that cast an eerie azure glow across the massive slates that formed the dome that the female was within. Her jaw swung open and her green optics were open wide; shock, awe, wonder. Aludra took a deep inhaling breath, and held it in until her lungs felt as if they would explode. "This land just keeps growing more wondrous by the moment," the fae hardly realized that she had spoken out loud. Quickly she permitted herself to be seated before the sea of blue before her, the gorgeous area had sent the femme slightly weak in the knees. Indeed, she truly had found the most ideal place for meditation. Aludra did need to figure out what signs she had seen in the stars the other night, it had spoke of great things to come; yet Aludra was not quite certain if her joining the pack was the only pleasurable thing she would be experiencing.
Toiro padded between the scattered boulders littering the floor of the U shaped valley leading up towards the caverns of Lerelm. It had been almost two years since the avalanche, and yet the boulders still remained, strong and steady just as they had been on the day of that terrible blizzard that had swept through the lands. If he hadn’t found their shelter that day, he would be dead for certain, and Airila would have ceased to exist. He owed the huge chunks of rock a lot, and their constant presence here always comforted him. They were good for sunbathing on too, although clouds covered the sky today and it was a bit chilly.
The large grey wolf slowly entered the entrance chamber of the dens. He paused for a second, wondering if he ought to go and check on Castien, but decided the other grey would be fine and that he needed rest more than anything. Perhaps Toiro would go down to the aquifer for a drink.
The grey padded through the caverns until he found the tunnel that led down to Lerelm, but paused for a second and scented the air. It appeared that another wolf was down there already, and he recognised her scent as Aludra’s. The alpha male was really quite shy, but he felt the need to least go down there and check whether she needed anything. He didn’t want her to be unhappy, and if she was lonely he might be able to provide some company. And he did want a drink, didn’t he? So Toiro quietly entered the passageway.
After a short while, he came around the final corner to find the female sitting near the pool. She seemed to be in awe of the cavern; just as he had been when he and Kastiel had first discovered it. He missed his friend deeply, but at least they had parted on good terms. That was important to Toiro.
“I see you’ve found the pack dens” Toiro spoke softly, not wanting to frighten her with his presence. It also seemed to him like a place where one should speak quietly; perhaps because of the mystical beauty it held. “The water here is good for drinking. I believe it’s fed by an underground river of sorts, so it’s always fresh and doesn’t run out” They were lucky that they had such a good source of water for the pack. It meant that if a sudden snowstorm occurred and they were trapped inside the dens, unable to hunt, they at least had plenty of water. The dens were perfect, really, hidden as they were in the heart of the Tia’deli mountain range. Even wolves who trespassed on the land didn’t venture up into the cold mountains, so the dens were as safe as they could be.
Which reminded him; winter was on its way again. He would need to sort out a hunting timetable so that they could be sure of having enough food to eat. Huxleyi had told him that he was a decent hunter, and he hoped that it was true. He still didn’t know whether Aludra had talents in hunting or fighting, and he supposed the shaman might want to spend her time gathering and sorting out her herb store first.
As he looked at the beautiful white female, he felt the beginnings of feelings stirring inside him that he hadn’t felt in a very long time. Toiro was far too noble for common lust, but she had awoken a softness in his heart. A crush, one might call it. He was afraid of showing her these feelings though, in case she felt as if she would be disobeying her alpha’s wishes if she rejected him. No, he most definitely did not want to pressure her like that, and if he did such a thing to her when they had only just met he would never know whether she really cared for him too. Unlike some brutes, he believed that love was something that needed to come equally from both sides in a relationship. He would much rather have a long term mate and believed with all his heart that true love existed. The alpha was a hopeless romantic, really.
For a moment Aludra thought herself completely crazy, for as she was drifting in and out of thought she could almost smell Toiro. It made her feel quite pathetic really, believing that her thoughts were playing tricks on her in such a way. The white femme had never found herself spending time like this, but perhaps she needed it. Maybe this was truly best for her after the last few months had brought such craziness. Green eyes fluttered shut for a minute and the female's breath remained rhythmic and soothing, but the sent of Toiro seemed not to grow fainter, but stronger almost. And then, her auds quivered slightly, and she recovered the sound of his voice quickly. The shy femme was rather flustered as she turned herself towards the large brute, a soft smile clouded her features. 'At least I know I'm not crazy and he was actually coming towards me,' the femme giggled a bit for a brief second before she lowered her head towards the ground.
"Greetings my lord," her voice was smooth and gentle. Her teeth found themselves pressing against her tongue rather tightly, and the femme cast a emerald glance up to the large brute before her. Slowly the female raised her head slightly, a glow of happiness still found within her eyes. She hardly noticed the wagging of her tail had picked up some speed. Aludra was not afraid of this brute in the slightest anymore, in fact it was quite the opposite really. The fact that he was sharing his company with her was nearly a blessing. Aludra felt slightly bad that she had not gathered many more plants, she had more or less been exploring the pack lands and grabbing whatever she found in the land. Well, this cavern would be a phenomenal place to store them, so perhaps it was good that she had stumbled into this place. It would be good for many purposes.
The femme ceased the nibbling on her lip, and began to softly speak again, "Indeed I have, and I must say as I travel your lands they never stop growing more beautiful." An admiring glance was cast back towards the glowing pool towards the center of the room. "I have never seen an area quite like this, it is rather mesmerizing," quietly the female studied the brute's paws with her eyes as the nervous fluttering within herself began growing stronger. She noted that the brute hadn't called her by name, 'Perhaps he has forgotten? I am new after all,'. Mentally, the fae shrugged off the idea of it bothering her if the brute had forgotten her name. He did probably have a mate after all, and she was not going to let herself get fooled.
"This is a rather scientific wonder, the planet is quite marvelous," a fond chuckle slipped from her lips. When something spectacular was stumbled across by this femme, she could not help but attempt to establish how it was formed. Alas, now was not the time for her to drown in her own intellectually stimulating thoughts; surely Toiro did not wish to hear her ramble about things such as this. Well, most other creatures did not care about most of the things that she liked to converse about. "And constant water is very beneficial for the health of everyone, this could be a very good area to store some herbs in as well," this time Aludra's glance around the aquifer was quite studious. Her mind was performing math equations that even Aludra did not know of in order to calculate where would be the best spot to put the medicine and herbs. Auds were pulling closer to her head, and then standing upright, as the ideas rolled through her mind. This pack was almost too good to be true. They valued her knowledge enough to make her a shaman, they had constant fresh water, a handsome alpha, her mind was floating around in her crania. 'Oh gosh,' the female felt the warmth rushing into her cheeks.
Toiro had not left her mind for too long since their first meeting, and for the first time in her life she felt torn in her mind. Never before was there anything that had stopped her from having a rather quiet productive day. Now though, even without realizing it this brute had placed himself safely in her skull. 'You just haven't seen another brute for awhile,' the femme attempted to convince herself that it was all sheer coincidence, but maybe this would be what the sky foretold her. Her breathing settled a bit, deep and relaxed, it was an attempt to clear her mind. Aludra hoped that Toiro would stay for awhile, after all she could use the company. The last few days she had pretty much spent all of her time alone, and the girl had somehow not ran into a single other member. That did not bother her in the slightest, if anything it relieved her a bit. Not being bombarded with new wolves would allow her to begin gathering herbs for their winter supply, after all she needed to ensure that everything was ready for the bitter cold season. "Lord Toiro, would you permit me the ability to store the medicine and herbs I gather in here. If it is always accessible then it would ensure that we could use them in winter, and most do not taste so pleasing," the femme giggled for a second before continuing, "The water would be rather helpful for that." Aludra looked away from the brute, feeling the warmth sting in her cheeks.
The white she wolf seemed to be pleased to see him, and his tail too had fallen into a relaxed rhythm. She commented on how good the lands were again, confirming that the praise was more than simple politeness.
“Yes, Shyia is an extraordinary place and we are lucky to have such a beautiful area as our home… It is good to see that you are getting to know the territory a little better, but… don’t be surprised if you don’t run into anyone… I have to admit that there is only myself, Castien, Huxleyi and you at this stage.” Toiro sighed. He felt bad for not telling her when they’d first met but he really hadn’t wanted her to leave. At least he had spoken up now rather than hiding it. A small pack wasn’t so bad anyway, even though it meant they had a harder time hunting and defending the borders. Wolves who were closer worked better together, or so Toiro believed.
She spoke about the possibility of having a herb store down here and the grey wolf nodded. “Of course you may. Although, we do visit this cavern rather frequently so if you were wanting a quieter spot it might be best to have a cavern off to the side.” He would let her choose whatever place she thought would be best to keep her herbs. After all, she was the shaman, and he hardly knew anything about plants except for what she had told him.
The was a short silence, and then Toiro found himself speaking even though he hadn't planned to. “Aludra? My… my lead warrior, Castien... He was injured in a cougar attack a few months ago and he hasn’t healed. The Isata gatherer has given me some herbs to treat him, but it was such a long time before we could get the help for him, and… I fear that there is little we can do except hope.” Toiro bowed his head in sorrow. He didn’t want to lose his lead warrior, especially after all the loyalty and bravery he had displayed to protect his alpha. “You wouldn’t mind having a look at him would you?”
He had hardly dared to even touch Castien for fear of making his injury worse than it already was. Before this week, his days had been mostly spent in silence by himself. Whenever he wasn’t trying to hunt to get enough food for himself and his friend, he had just lain there in misery, not even fighting the depression as it began to return. However, the arrival of Huxleyi and Aludra into the pack had lifted his spirits already and he had allowed himself to grow hopeful for the future.
Before he knew what he was doing he had taken a few steps forward so he was at Aludra’s side, his thick grey fur lightly brushing against hers. It had been such a long time since he had been close to another wolf, and he was thanking her for being there. He really was glad that she had decided to join, and hoped that she would stay here with him.
.((OOC: Castien is frozen so she won't be able to fix him. You can say that Aludra visited him after this thread if you like))
Although Aludra had originally planned to spend time alone, as she never really thought that others would come around to keep her company, she was pleased that Toiro had joined her. Perhaps it was all coincidental, or maybe he had been watching her from afar, either way the white femme was excited not to be alone. 'Maybe I will find out more about this brute now that I am not requesting to join his lands,' knowledge was power, she knew that. Now, the female did not want any controlling power, but she would have the power of understanding the brute if she got to know him better. Relationships of all types were built on understanding and knowledge of the creatures. Her glance averted towards the ground as Toiro began speaking to her about his lands, it seemed that he had heard her sincerity.
The female smiled a bit and let out a small giggle, "I just figured perhaps the others weren't rooting around in the foliage and that is why I haven't seen them." A gentle smile was on her features, the femme was not bothered by the fact that this pack was small. Every pack had to start somewhere and she realized this. "I am not bothered by the small size of the pack. Every pack must start somewhere, and bringing in the wolves who will truly be of value and will assist the packs growth are important." Her emerald eyes observed his paws as she spoke, more than anything the ivory female wanted to glance up at her Alpha; yet, she did not want to appear disrespectful in the slightest. It was not her place to speak much about the pack or to be staring into Toiro's orbs, he was her superior after all. "If you would like, while I travel to gather herbs if I find a loner who does not seem to have an ill-will I could suggest they come this way?" The femme nibbled her tongue lightly and shrugged a bit. She only wanted to help Airila.
Aludra's smile grew even wider as the brute mentioned a smaller side cavern for the herbs, "Well, I could keep some more common ones separated out in small bundles and teach everyone what they do; just in case I am ever gone and someone needs at least some medical attention before I get back." a slight nervous, excited laugh slipped through her lips, "And I could keep the rest of them over there," she nodded her head in the direction of a small cavern on the side. She shifted her weight from one side to the other and her tail began wagging more vigorously than she had intended it to. It was difficult for her to mask the happiness that she was experiencing from actually being a part of a pack, especially as the shaman. Aludra was pleased to be able to educate and care for her other pack mates, even if there were not too many of them right now.
Toiro began speaking to her yet again, but this time it was not about anything good. Their lead warrior was severely wounded and may not survive. Aludra's tail stopped wagging in mid motion and dropped back between her legs where it rested. A soft whimper escaped her maw, and she nodded her head to Toiro slowly. "I will surely go visit him, my lord," instantly Aludra's mind had shifted into overdrive. If she could save their lead warrior then maybe Toiro would see how skilled she was with medicine, maybe he would be proud to have her within his pack. Images of plants, herbs, remedies were pounding through her mind, it was an angry picture book that she had to figure out which to use. "I will do everything in my power to help Warrior Castien in any way possible, I do hope perhaps I can do something for him. Even if it is only temporarily relieving his agony," her green orbs glanced towards the ceiling of the cavern. Her mind had yet to stop turning over with ideas and suggestions to herself of what could possibly be done to aid her fellow pack mate.
Her heart ached slightly, for she could sense instantly the worry and pain that her Alpha was going through. 'He must be very close to Sir Castien, I will do everything I can.' Aludra had set her mind to it, and there was nothing that would change that. If the femme could do anything to better the pack she surely would. And it didn't help that found Toiro to be quite the respectable Alpha, and he did seem to care genuinely for his pack. After all, he did just request that she aid Warrior Castien. Her tail flicked slowly a few times, the femme could not prevent herself from being happy for having such a perfect new home; yet, she knew that being the Shaman meant seeing lots of things that would not always be so happy. 'I guess Castien will be my first test on helping someone, I pray to the heavens that I can better his life in even some way,' Aludra tried to remain optimistic, but from the way Toiro was talking she was not so certain on if his life could be saved. The female gulped nervously, a mixture of emotions were swarming through her petite white frame.
Before the female realized it Toiro had moved to her side, lightly brushing up against herself. The femme could not help but inhale sharply for a moment, excitement gathering within herself. Aludra had never been this close to another creature unless it was direct family. Even the mate her family had chosen for her had never brushed so close to her. She bit her lip to keep the smile upon her features from growing too large, and attempted to regulate her breathing as well. 'What do I do?' the female wanted to move closer to the brute, to show the friendly connection; yet, she was uncertain if it would be showing disrespect towards the brute. The femme had an idea, rather then actually taking a side step towards Toiro, she merely shifted her weight towards him slightly. Allowing her to be leaned up against him ever so slightly, 'At least now if he gets upset I did not actually move, I merely shifted my weight.' Nevertheless, Aludra felt the warmth running towards her face, praying that Toiro had not unintentionally brushed against her.
The last thing the poor femme wanted was to be banished from her new home for doing something that the Alpha deemed disrespectful. After all, she had never expected to find lands that she adored so much. And the Alpha brute seemed as if he was genuinely interested in the well being of the wolves in his pack, not just on himself and the packs survival. It was rather inspiring to Aludra, quite a breath of fresh air compared to some of the horror stories she had heard about other creatures. Her green eyes closed for a moment, and the femme tried to clear her mind and calm herself down a bit. Her anxiety was building up, and the femme was starting to panic. 'What if' questions were pounding through her figure, and the femme began to feel like she was doing something wrong. 'Breathe, it will be alright. He brushed you, perhaps he does want to be near you?' The thought of Toiro wanting to be near her brought a smile to his face; yet, she knew that he was the Alpha and that would separate them.
Ooc| Okay, whenever we start a new thread between them (sometime after this one is over I'd imagine) I'll claim that she went to visit him and brought him medicine and tried to help with his pain, etc.
Toiro’s breath was held as he waited for Aludra’s reaction to him being so close. He wasn’t sure whether he ought to have come so close now. What if she was offended? But he couldn’t move away now – he didn’t want to move away. Then the white female’s weight shifted ever so slightly so that she was leaning into him. His heart fluttered a little in his chest, and he hoped that she wasn’t close enough to notice.
“Thank you” Toiro whispered softly into the silence. He was thanking her for everything: agreeing to have a look at his lead warrior and for suggesting that she could persuade some loners to come to Airila if she found any on her travels, for her knowledge of herbs and her willingness to teach others about them, and also for not moving away when he needed the comfort. He cared a lot about other wolves; how they felt and what they thought of him. Sensitive might be a good word to describe him. He was strange in that respect, and it was unlikely that he would ever have become an alpha if Keyara hadn’t claimed the land. Not many alphas were as kind and soft-hearted as he. It was partly a good thing though because it allowed him to be closer to his members so that they could work as a team rather than a collection of wolves kept in line by the threat of punishment.
The grey wolf was very glad that Aludra hadn’t pulled away, more so than he would even let himself believe. He didn’t want to grow attached to the beautiful female, but he couldn’t help but feel that there was already a faint connection between them.
His heart had already been through so much anguish, so was it worth risking any more? All of the wolves he had been close to had either died or been separated from him: his mother and father, his old pack, his good friends Kastiel and Spirit, and now even Castien was seriously wounded… and he didn’t even want to think about what had happened to Nikia and Keyara. Toiro glanced towards the pool. Maybe he shouldn’t let the shaman keep her herbs down here. Deep water had a way of taking his loved ones from him... Or perhaps it was his paranoia of deep water that had lost them their lives? The wave of guilt was so strong that he nearly broke the contact between him and Aludra. He was responsible for their deaths. If he’d been brave enough to save Nikia… and if he hadn’t left Keyara by herself in that storm…
Toiro roughly pushed the thoughts away. No. He would not let that happen again; he would not be too focused on his memories to think about the present. He needed to be strong. Airila needed him to be strong, and as an Alpha he needed to be there for his pack. And that didn’t mean he had to live a life alone. In his heart he still believed that love was possible and he was no longer going to let the past hold him down. He was a free wolf.
The femme permitted a smile to cross her features as his warmth radiated through her. 'Maybe this could all be a mutual feeling, a mutual crush of sorts?' Aludra nearly chuckled as the thoughts soared through her mind. The female was not quite sure if she was jumping to conclusions or being overly hopeful, either way she enjoyed the brute's company. And that was not mentioning how much she enjoyed being so close with him. The female was attempting to regulate her breathing, trying to keep it at the same pace it was before. Yet, her excitement was causing that to be rather difficult. She wanted to speak to the brute, yet she wasn't sure what would be proper to say.
His thanks was much appreciated, but Aludra was only doing her job. She loved caring for others, that was true, but her doing her job seemed no reason for thanks. However, his words still broadened the smile upon her features. A green gaze was sent towards Toiro and softly she spoke, "I am only doing my job and what I love to do most. Caring for others has been my priority since I was young," the femme struggled to keep her gaze from instantly darting away. The white one had never been able to maintain eye contact, or conversation, for too long. It was a skill that she was working on a little bit every day, or trying to at least, but it seemed that thus far it was not getting her anywhere. "I would do anything I could to help out you and your pack, Toiro. It is my honor to be part of Airila," no longer could the femme keep her glance upon the Alpha. Quickly she turned her gaze back to the water and let out a slight nervous laugh. 'What am I to do? I certainly cannot hold him with conversation if I continue to remain this shy,' the femme dug her paw into the ground. Finally the femme decided to apologize, what else was there to do? Certainly the brute would grow quickly bored of her company if she remained so reserved.
"I am sorry for being so quiet, sir Toiro. I am not used to having others to converse with," for a moment the anxiety seemed to pour away. Hopefully the brute would understand, at least to some extent. Sure he knew nothing about her past, but she knew nothing about his either; there was a chance that they were in the same boat? Her auds quivered in an attempt to pick up on a tone other than her own blood pulsing through her veins, there was none. Toiro was about as silent as she, it was comforting but made her nervous all at the same time. A sideways look told her that the brute seemed lost in thought, much similar to how she found herself. 'He could be thinking the same things you are,' the idea made Aludra emit a rather soothing sigh. It was very nice to have company, even if the conversation was not rapid.
Her tail began wagging slowly, gently brushing into his legs every once and awhile. Aludra wanted to see his reaction, after all she was certain that Toiro would not suddenly go into rage mode; or hoped at least. Finally the femme decided that she would inquire a bit into the other creature, show evermore interest in his life. In truth, the femme did want to know more about Toiro; but she had been raised not to stick her nose where it didn't belong. This could be one of those times where it was important to show interest in another's life. Aludra was happy to learn about this brute, thus she brought herself to inquire, "How long has Airila been around?" Inquiring about the pack would perhaps be the safest way to learn about the brute's past. It would be additionally helpful to learn about her new home as well.
Before the brute could respond the female walked forward quickly, nearly stumbling clumsily over herself, and leaned her muzzle towards the water to take a few licks. All of this thinking had made her rather thirsty; and this was a clean water supply after all. Sheepishly she cast a playful smile back toward Toiro, for a moment the femme thought of splashing the brute; however, she believed that now was not the time for it. Maybe once he had answered her question about the pack and they both felt more relaxed. It surprised Aludra how suddenly she wanted to play with the brute, the femme had never had the drive to romp around with another creature. Especially not an Alpha. 'Wait and see, let's not rush things.' Slowly the ivory female walked back over towards Toiro and nuzzled herself slightly closer to him then before.
The female had never been given an opportunity to fall in love, and the thought had always interested her. She was in no rush, for it seemed that often she was far to logical to allow herself emotional attachment for no reason. Maybe that was the missing link though, was taking the risk to be with someone. Although she had seen many creatures suffer from falling in love with the wrong one, maybe you just had to risk yourself for the right creature. Emotions could be so illogical at times. Aludra was always stumped by love, the femme hoped that perhaps good fortunes would be coming her way though. This new life was already so astounding, maybe it could only get better? Everything seemed nearly perfect for this moment, even if her mind was confused by the emotions and questions flying through it. One day the answer would be found, the femme was certain of that. Everything would solve itself if only she was patient.
He hoped that she didn’t really think that comforting her alpha was her duty – he wanted their contact to mean something more than that. It was a long time since Keyara had died and he didn’t particularly want to remain single for the rest of his life. He wouldn’t actively search out females just so that he could have someone to be with when it came around to mating season, but in his heart he did want company. “No, it is me who is honoured that you decided to join us.” Aludra seemed like a very sensitive and caring wolf. Many wolves thought that opposites attract, but he believed that having things in common with someone was important. It meant that they could relate to each other.
She spoke about how quiet she was, perhaps feeling that her conversation skills were lacking. He understood the feeling all too well. Sure, he could usually deal with loners just fine, but when it came to an actual personal conversation he often found himself struggling for words. “That is nothing to apologise for, Aludra...” He murmured softly in reply. Talking was just not their strong point, but as long as they were trying to learn that was what mattered. Anyway, silence wasn’t a bad thing. For instance, the quietness between them now was comforting to the grey wolf. He didn’t like too much hype and drama; peace was just fine for him. Something brushed against his legs and he realised that it was the arctic’s tail wagging softly. He smiled shyly at her and his tail resumed its slow relaxed rhythm. No, this silence wasn’t of the awkward kind.
Then the beautiful white she wolf inquired about how long the pack had been around for. It was an innocent enough question but it still brought up memories. He really did want to get over his past, but maybe it would be good for him to tell another his life story. Maybe that was the key to letting him move on. Although… he wasn’t sure this female would want to have to listen to him, even though she would probably be too polite to refuse. Toiro was not a wolf who liked forcing things upon others, which could sometimes be difficult to avoid with the natural authority he held as an alpha.
Before he could answer her question, the Airila shaman moved away from him and headed towards the pool. He caught his breath, and muscles tensed as he prepared to rush to her aid if she slipped. If she fell and knocked herself unconscious on the rock, then drowned in the pool, he would never be able to live with himself. But that thought was paranoid. Nothing was going to happen to her – she was fine. The alpha forced himself to take a deep breath and calm himself down. He smiled back at her as she glanced over her shoulder; he wasn’t going to let anything ruin their peaceful moment, especially not his fear of water.
He concentrated instead on answering her question. “Keyara, the former alphess, claimed the land at about this time two years ago. But we have had some rough patches since then…” Like when Toiro had left the territory to make alliances with the other packs and had returned home to find that only two wolves had remained loyal to him. What a stupid thing to have done. All he’d gotten from that trip was an alliance with the Haishin pack. Well at least he would never make that mistake again. Nope, he would be staying right here in Shyia for the rest of his life.
“Did you have a pack before this one?” He didn’t want her to share anything she was uncomfortable with, but she had just asked him about his pack so he thought it was a fair question to ask. If she really hadn’t wanted to talk about her history, she wouldn’t have risked it by asking him about his. That was his logic, anyway.
The femme was quite pleased when Toiro spoke of being honored to have her within his pack. A strange feeling began to arise within Aludra, the female was not sure if a smile or a tear was going to appear first. Feelings were a strange thing for Aludra; for although she had possessed them for her entire life it was not until recently that she had experienced strong emotions. Well not sense she was so brutally torn from her pack. That was when the femme truly was a tormented soul, it had taken her many moons to finally rid her body of the agony. 'Let's pray to the heavens that nothing of that sort ever occurs again,' Aludra was unsure if it would be possible for her to survive another event such as that. Often though, the female could not prevent her mind from thinking about her family. On occasion wondering if they were still alive, if they ever thought about her. However, the femme knew at least one howl would have escaped their maws to call for her. She had heard none and that was all the answer she needed.
Perhaps it was fate that she stumbled upon these lands, met Toiro and joined his ranks. 'Could this all be predetermined?' The thought intrigued Aludra, but she was hesitant to believing it to be true. Her intelligence had driven her thus far, and the femme refused to believe that her life was spelled out in stone. That she had absolutely no choice in the direction her life took. There was a bit of truth to it though, after all the femme was not an Alpha and truly she could not control becoming a part of the pack or if she died in an invasion. Many factors in life were out of her control, and regardless of what she did; the femme could not know it all. A part of Aludra despised that she could not obtain all the knowledge in the world, but the femme would damn well try.
"I am glad we are both pleased that I am here," the femme's voice was nearly silent, her shyness once again taking over. She was quite ecstatic that the brute was truly happy to have her here. The female was not used to a creature wanting her around so much, sure her old pack had treated her fairly well; but the female had never been truly wanted. Or at least never felt as if she was. The Arctic one knew not how to respond to him telling her not to be sorry that she was shy, the femme had never been too much of a conversationalist; and although the silence wasn't bothering her, she was concerned that perhaps the brute was not as comfortable with it. Her nerves had been going crazy the past few days, she was not exactly used to the happiness growing within her. 'This could be good, perhaps what other creatures strive for in their lives, don't over analyze it and try to drive it away. Maybe it will never come back.'
Her frame shivered whilst the femme listened to the brief pack history given by her Alpha, maybe there was more to be told than that. In fact, she knew that there was more; yet, now would not be the time to inquire. The brute had responded to her inquiries and there was no reason to pry, after all she would not want the brute to pry so deeply into her life. "I hope things are getting better since the rough patches," the femme offered a slight reassuring nudge to the brute. Attempting to calm down the sensitive topic that was now going to be brought up for both of them. Truth be told the female was not dreading telling Toiro of a bit of her history, it was his right to know. He had accepted her into his lands he should know at least a small amount of what she had been through. So with a soft sigh Aludra began to speak as smoothly as her words would flow.
"I was born in a pack on another land, everything went pretty well for almost two years after my birth. Yet, then food became scarce and we had to wander from our territory to hunt, and I ended up getting separated. I was searching for a remedy for the ailments that were consuming many of the other wolves. But I never could find them, I never heard a single call from them either." The femme averted her eyes away from Toiro as far as they would go, attempting to blink away the forming tears. Apparently enlightening another creature of her history was a little more difficult than she first imagined. "Either way, I was on my own for awhile before I ended up on Anikira." A gentle sigh escaped the female's lips, true she had explained more than the brute did; yet still much remained unspoken. Toiro probably did not wish to hear of all the unfortunate details that occurred in her life. It was not the most exciting or joyful story to tell.
Toiro listened to her story, the compassion in his eyes sincere. It wasn’t the worst way to be separated from one’s pack, because at least by the sounds of it they could still be alive, but it definitely wasn’t an experience that a wolf would want. He knew how it felt to be alone with no one at all to call a friend. After he had left his home pack he had wandered for months by himself, lost in a deep depression. His attempt at suicide had been real, but he was glad now that Keyara had saved him. He would like to share his history with somebody someday - his whole history, both the good and the bad, but now just didn’t seem like the right time. Perhaps Aludra would be the one to hear it, but he was not ready to share such private information just yet. Maybe it was because he couldn’t stand the thought of her judging him before she knew the other aspects of his personality. It had been more than two years but the guilt of Nikia’s death stilled weighed upon him.
Toiro mentally shook his head, dispelling the thoughts from his mind. He looked over at the female next to him, pleased that she had returned to his side. It appeared that she hadn’t been using the need for a drink as a polite way of leaving him. “The past is gone now, and I will not let it repeat. I have great hope for Airila’s future.” He was stubborn, and he would not let this pack die or be taken over. Even though he had never aspired to be alpha he had found that he enjoyed the job and was loyal to the wolves who had chosen to follow him.
The large grey wolf sat in silence, deep in thought. He trusted this she wolf, and he wanted her to know that she was a key part of the pack. He hadn’t seen much of his newly appointed beta lately, but still hoped that his choice had been the right one. It wouldn’t hurt to have a second beta though, although for official purposes he would rather keep her as a shaman. “Aludra? If you do find any wolves looking for a home here, and you think that they have qualities suited to Airila, I give you the permission to accept them.” This applied wherever she was, in the loner lands or in Shyia if Toiro was busy. He was spending a lot of his time hunting and he didn’t really want to lose his prey to answer the call of a loner who may or may not join. Sure, he could catch the prey, drag it back to the dens and then meet the caller, but it would be better if someone could get there immediately. Besides, even if she did accept someone who wasn't compatible they could be driven out later on. Airila just needed a few more members, and then they wouldn’t have to fear anyone. Not that they feared anyone at the moment, but Toiro was aware that the pack wasn’t the strongest it could be.
The femme was comfortable around Toiro, in a way that she felt was unusual. They had not known each other for long, but it nearly felt as if it had been an eternity. For a moment the female lost herself in thought, day dreams caressing her mind. Surely the female was a rather hopeless romantic; but that did not mean that she would outwardly express it. Aludra was nervous about letting her guard down, not that it was as strong as it could have been. Although the femme wanted to more than anything, it was a bit difficult. She had never experienced such mixed feelings within her soul before, but there would be not a single doubt about her happiness. Her heart was soaring through the clouds and the female just couldn't seem to pull it back to Earth, although she wasn't really attempting to. The white one would allow herself the silent enjoyment of the Brute's company. Hopefully he would enjoy hers an equal amount.
Gradually the female's mind floated back into her body, and her optics glanced over Toiro quickly. It was a rather poor attempt to appear nonchalant. Aludra was not the smoothest of wolves when it came to conversation or really any sort of social interaction. It was a skill that had always lacked for her, similar to that of her coordination. 'It is quite a shame that I have such a vast amount of knowledge, but it seems that is the end of my skills,' for a moment the female's heart dropped. It would be nice to be like some of the creature's she had met within the extent of her life; however, Aludra knew that breaking away from her knowledge would be more traumatizing than anything else. Knowledge truly was the female's motivation to most things. It would take her awhile before she would logically be able to sort out the emotional aspect of her life. Especially now, her feelings has been set ablaze as soon as pack acceptance was granted. Being accepted was one of the most amazing feelings to the female, that and being able to care for others.
Her auds quivered, Sir Toiro was speaking once again. "Airila has an extremely bright future, my lord," a shy grin was cast in the brute's direction. It was her attempt to show him not only that she had faith, but that the female wholeheartedly believed in the success of the pack. Aludra was not one to throw her faith places that seemed vacant or abandoned, and Airila certainly was a secure place, in her mind at least. "I have no doubts about Airila's success, especially not with you leading us." The Arctic one was nervous with her speech, yet the words seemed to flow easily from her lips now. Well, easier than before to say the least. 'Maybe I am getting more used to this whole socialization thing, or at least with my Superior?' the female resisted the urge to mumble to herself while she thought. Sometimes the female would become so lost within the confines of her mind that she would not even notice that she was speaking aloud. It was not insanity, merely her attention being excessively focused upon one thing.
And then the words exited Toiro's mouth that caused a hurricane of excitement to explode within the femme's frame. 'Me? Trusted with the honor of accepting wolves into these holy lands!?" Aludra shivered uncontrollably, her rapid tail wagging had something to do with that. Green eyes glanced up towards Toiro's steely grey ones; she was wondering, praying, that her ears had not deceived her. That the happiness that had just been sparked would not be so quickly shut down, these were one of the highest honors. "My lord," the female bowed her head to him once more, she knew not what was proper to say in such a situation. This entire experience was one that seemed to be from a dream, for surely no reality could be going so perfect. It was nearly impossible to believe that this could be truth and not merely fiction. Finally, the female knew she had to respond; yet the feeling of pure ecstasy would not flee from her veins. "Thank you my lord, I am so very honored that you have chosen me. I shall not fail you," the female's shivering had not subsided.
'Is this true? Pure reality? That I am being trusted and granted such a miraculous task?' It felt as if her eyes would explode from the joy welling inside. The femme had truly never thought that someone such as her could be so proudly respected in a pack of wolves that was not blood family. And yet it had happened, everything the female believed to be impossible had shown itself true. Aludra knew prayers of thanks would have to be given this night, and for many moons after. The femme could resist the urge no longer, and nuzzled Toiro, feeling that her happiness was about to cause her skull to detach from her spinal column. The femme had truly been reborn.
Last Edit: Oct 15, 2012 22:51:25 GMT -5 by Deleted
