Night Stars [Aludra]

[Toiro]

The large grey wolf softly padded through the shadows of the Xayar forest – a forest he’d called home for a little more than two years. Tonight the forest was silent. Well, almost. Far off in the distance he could hear the soft hoot of an owl, and occasionally heard the rustling of small night-time creatures as they foraged in the undergrowth. They were safe for now; Cherie’s recent hunting efforts had given the pack full bellies, and they were not in danger of starvation. No, he wasn’t out hunting tonight. For some reason, Toiro hadn’t been able to sleep, so he’d decided to take a little night stroll to calm his thoughts.

Suddenly, a huge dark shape loomed through the trees, and Toiro paused. He didn’t recall any large land features in this part of the forest, but then again he hadn’t been down here in quite some time. Most of his efforts had gone into patrolling the borders, and he’d had little time to wander in the depths of the territory. As he cautiously came closer it revealed itself as a large boulder, most likely dislodged by a recent avalanche as it wasn’t too far from the base of the Tia’deli.

Toiro let out a soft huff of laughter. What kind of alpha was scared of a rock? Yet another reminder that he wasn’t a typical alpha, but he didn’t really mind. As long as his pack was safe.

As the male moved around the boulder he realised that he’d approached it from the steepest side, and that on the other side it sloped gently down until it almost reached the forest floor. Steel grey eyes judged the jump up onto the rock, in the mood for a challenge. Yeah, he could make that. Powerful muscles gathered underneath him, and then propelled him up onto the great slab of stone. That wasn’t too hard. Sure, his hind paws had scrambled a little on the edge, but that was probably due to clumsiness rather than the difficulty of the leap.

Looking around, he noticed that it was quite the view from up here. From the flattish top of the boulder, he could see through the sparse canopy of the trees around him, which allowed him a view of the snow-capped mountain behind and the forest gently sloping down away from him. The wolf didn’t feel like going much further tonight, so he settled down on the stone, shifting once or twice until he was comfortable. Perhaps he could find sleep here, but no, not yet – there still seemed to be something keeping his mind alert.

A gentle breeze ruffled through his fur and Toiro took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh scents of the night. It was a little colder up here in the open, but that did not bother him; he was a grey wolf, and was used to the climate of Shyia. Their territory really was beautiful, and would be even more so when the first snows covered the branches. That was not far off now, he realised.

With a light sigh, Toiro shifted his gaze up towards the stars; diamonds glittering far up above in the blackness that was the night sky. He’d never understood what they were, or why they were there, but that mysteriousness simply added to their beauty.




.

[Deleted]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=width,500,true]

[atrb=background,http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/6300/alumid.png] Sleep, what was that. Recently the Arctic femme had found herself with quite the case of insomnia. Her mind had been racing with thoughts of the past, present and future. For the first time that she could remember it was impossible to clear her head. A heaving sigh escaped the delicate femme's figurine as she rolled from her back to her stomach once more. She had attempted to fall asleep somewhere on the edge of the Tia'deli mountains. Frost felt as if it had nipped its way through her entirety, 'The stars should help.' Her vibrant green gaze inquired to the darkness above as she wondered what the next step would be for her. All seemed so perfect now that she had been permitted to call Shyia her home; yet, something had been digging underneath of her skin. It was an unnamed creature at the moment, but it still held the power to drive her mad. Normally Aludra was able to figure out exactly what was on her mind. This struggle had proved to be quite perplexing to the femme. Legs straightened, paws braced themselves to carry the female's light body throughout her new home. Once more she would be wandering around, aimlessly gathering herbs while walking. It seemed as if the majority of this territory was permanently engraved into her skull now, this proved quite pleasing to her. The Shaman enjoyed knowing her new home and the majority of her pack mates. Those were things that she valued highly, how else was she going to aid this pack. The female would not admit that having an apprentice would be beneficial and bring her much joy, but so would many other things. For now she was content where she was, overjoyed actually. However, the bug in her skull kept digging around. Eyelids covered the vibrant hues shining from her crania for a moment, struggling the female maintained her composure. For once she was thankful for the darkness, it would prove as good cover from the strange emotions dancing inside. She kept her pace steady although it was a bit quicker than normal. The female believed she was gaining some coordination, which was impressive in her eyes. After all, she had not been accepted into this pack with skills of hunting or fighting. Her brain had been perhaps the only reason she would be of any use to other wolves. An idea crossed the femme's mind, she recalled there being a large rock in the forest. It must certainly have come from an avalanche, but it would prove useful for her star gazing tonight. 'Enlightenment will be gained on all of this,' a smile pressed itself to her maw and the trot soon became a sprint. Wind whispered secrets through the ivory pelt that tickled her flesh. The breeze was nearly relaxing to the Shaman, not often did she give herself a chance to run. Her exterior was quite laid back, inside her mind was always churning. The mass soon grew into her view and the pleasure swelled in her chest. She had managed to locate something that she had only stumbled upon a few times. Mentally the female patted herself upon the back. She had only been here a few months and already this land's secrets were completely known to her, or so she believed. Claws dug into the ground, preparing herself for a leap that was quite daring for her. Paws pushed their frame upward, outreaching to catch a landing upon the stone's ragged surface. Her landing was a bit less than graceful, but she managed not to bust herself to pieces attempting to gain the higher ground she desired. The grin of success had now grown quite wide and that was when her eyes landed upon the silhouette of the Alpha. He was not so much farther away than she was. In fact the brute seemed to have simply walked a bit away from the place that she was standing at. A startled whimper escaped the female's maw, 'tonight is quite full of surprises.' No word could describe the happiness that flowed through her veins, it felt as if it had been forever since Toiro was in her view. "My Lord," her face felt broken from the grin stapled to it. How long had it been since their chat by the pool? It felt like an eternity, although she knew better than to believe that was true. "I have missed your company," her head lowered in a bow of greeting towards her Alpha. Shyness once more swarmed her, it seemed as if she had nearly forgotten how to interact with this brute. Her mind was in shock that he was standing before her. Nothing could have made the femme's night better, a green gaze abducted the light that the stars were casting down upon the two. 'Perfection.'

[Toiro]

The thick-furred grey lay on the cool smooth stone watching the stars, the most relaxed he’d been in a while. At night the world seemed to slow down and he could think freely without the pressure of acting like an alpha. He liked the cold too, and the soft breeze as it whispered through the trees. Shyia was truly the perfect territory. It was nice and cool all year round, with a varied climate. It had easy access to fresh water, was sheltered by the mountain range, and the forest always held creatures. He loved it here, and would change nothing about the land if he could. The Airila pack was wonderful too; he had a strong beta, a loyal warrior, a skilled huntress, and a beautiful and clever shaman. They were few, but they would manage.

Suddenly a faint sound came from somewhere behind him, and Toiro’s head swivelled to face the noise, ears alert. Grey eyes fell upon a pretty white she wolf who had obviously just landed the jump up onto the rock. She seemed startled to see him there, but her face lit up almost immediately. A swell of warmth grew inside the large grey brute and his fluffy tail thumped once or twice on the rock. It was good to know that somebody cared for him, or at least apparently missed his company.

“Aludra…” Toiro couldn’t stop the soft smile from spreading on his face. “It’s good to see you.” It seemed that they hadn’t seen much of each other lately, what with Toiro’s border patrols and Aludra’s herb gathering. In fact, he hadn’t seen Huxleyi or Cherie for a while either; perhaps they could have a meeting, or a pack hunt soon, to build up more comradeship between them. He really would like to get to know his wolves better – there hadn’t been enough time during the last few months but he was going to make the effort now.

Grey eyes flickered to the bare rock beside him, before returning their gaze to the beautiful white femme. There was enough room for her if she wanted to lie down, but try as he might he just couldn’t think of a way to offer without sounding presumptuous or just plain weird. Why was he so shy around her? Sure, it was in his nature to be rather quiet, and he wasn’t the most sociable creature in the first place, but he didn’t think that was the only reason. Maybe it was because he really did care about what she thought of him, and didn’t want to ruin her opinion of him.

“I hope I’m not disrupting anything by being here…” If she had come here for some alone time then he could leave, although he would in truth prefer it if they could both stay. Toiro found himself gazing into her leaf green eyes, wondering how such a perfect being could grace the earth. She seemed even more beautiful with the moonlight illuminating her fur, if that was even possible.


.

[Deleted]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=width,500,true]

[atrb=background,http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/6300/alumid.png] Warmth rushed into the femme's cheeks, flushed into her soul. Her desire was to clear her ever cluttered mind - and this had done just that. No longer did the female feel worried or stressed. It seemed that everything was going alright now. Everything was perfect, just like it had been when they conversed before the pool. A grin rushed itself upon Aludra's features at the thought of his body lightly brushing against her own. The memory still remained vivid within her head. A pleased rhythm was quickly set into her tail. 'Toiro,' his name rang within her mind with an incredible echo. It was as if she was standing at the bottom of the deepest canyon. As if she had cried out to him silently and within all of this he answered her. No longer could her gaze remain upon the Alpha. This was hardly for disrespectful reasons, but her own anxiety acting up. Abruptly her muzzle turned up towards the air, her orbs focusing themselves upon the stars above. 'You have not failed me yet,' she let out a light hearted sigh. Satisfaction swarmed her silhouette. Tremors of nervous joy consumed her, the smile merely grew when Toiro responded with his own grin. Her heart beat began racing, 'Perhaps my company was truly missed as well.' The thought was more than welcome to the Shaman. After all, until Airila her life had been quite lonely. There was nothing to look forward to and no one to lean on. This life had shown her something quite different. Now, the Arctic creature felt important; nearly as if others needed and relied on her. Certainly they would survive without her, she knew this quite well, but being here was a divine blessing. Now she had a friend and a family of sorts. Things were beginning to feel right, how they were supposed to be; even more so with Toiro placed in front of her. Nothing else could bring her to smile so wide. "You certainly are not missing anything," a soft breeze swirled around her, ruffling her fur as she spoke. The wind felt like an avalanche to the female, shocking her suddenly from the whirlwind of emotions. Everything felt surreal, as if this was simply a dream far too pleasant to ever be reality. Aludra half expected that at any moment she would awake to find herself stiff and partially frozen at the base of a mountain. She could imagine herself rolling to her paws and stumbling off to the dens. Luckily her pelt was well prepared for winter. In fact, the female quite welcomed winter. It was beautiful, the trees all coated in white lace. Yet with the fall of snow brought around the mention of another year of life. She grew older every winter, how many winters had she seen now? The femme was still a bit young, in her view anyway. She would only be three this time around, but her body felt as if it had seen many more snowfalls. "It is the highlight of my day to see you," the female whispered the words as she noticed Toiro's shifting gaze to the spot next to him. 'Is he inviting me over?' Aludra assumed this was the only reason he would glance about in such a mannerism; thus, she concluded to lay next to the brute. If he felt uncomfortable with it, or was trying to indicate something else, then she would wander away. Slowly the female moved towards the Alpha, cautiously laying herself upon the ground. The cold slate beneath her felt welcoming, and the warm body near her felt incredible. Once more she was at a loss for words. It seemed that speaking was still something to be worked on. 'Cherie could give me a lesson or two on conversing with others,' her thoughts danced about, thinking of her friend for merely a moment. Then everything faded away, back to the present. A cautious look was cast towards Toiro, taking in his features once more. Thoroughly enjoying his company.

[Toiro]

The highlight of her day? Had her day really been that bad? Sure there wasn’t a lot for her to do as a shaman, especially since they didn’t have any injuries (apart from Castien, who was still unconscious). Maybe Airila should start a war or something so that she’d have something more interesting to do... But cynical thoughts aside, he found that her words had given him a sort of fuzzy feeling. It was good to feel wanted, and even though the rest of her day might have been boring it was nice to know that he was at least more interesting than gathering herbs, which was definitely better than nothing.

Then the white she wolf slowly moved forwards, and Toiro kept quite still so as not to discourage her as she settled herself down on the rock beside him, almost exactly in the spot which he’d glanced at earlier. Maybe his thoughts had been too obvious when he’d looked across at the empty place beside him, but he hadn’t said anything definite so he could still deny it if she seemed offended. Which, luckily, she was not.

They were close enough that he could feel the warmth coming off her body, and he felt his heart quicken.
The rush of emotions swirling through his veins was like nothing the four year old had ever experienced before, and he almost felt as if his heart would burst with happiness. Perhaps it was just the male’s hormones beginning to kick in for the start of mating season, but her presence had filled him with joy and he no longer denied to himself that he found her attractive.

Not that he would act on those feelings; he was her alpha, and had a responsibility over her safety and wellbeing – he would not take advantage of his position. She would have to make the first move if anything was to ever happen between them, or else he would be worried that she didn’t truly feel the same way. It was very important to him in a relationship that both wolves loved each other equally, and his honour would not allow anything else. Toiro was a noble wolf; perhaps even too considerate for his own good. Certainly everything would be much easier if he was a bloodthirsty rapist, but that simply was not his nature. So he had to deal with this situation, knowing that he was likely wasting his time worrying about these things when nothing would ever happen anyway. Well, perhaps he should just enjoy the moment – it was a beautiful night after all, and he was fortunate enough to have the company of an intelligent wolf. There was nothing wrong with them being friends.

He saw that a slightly nervous gaze was cast towards him, and he smiled softly, trying to let Aludra know that she could relax. He was more relaxed himself now, and found that he could enjoy her company without worrying about whether she liked him. The silence between them was pleasant, and the grey found his gaze returning up to the stars once more. “I often wonder what they are… what their purpose up there is…” Aludra was a knowledgeable wolf – perhaps she might know? Never in his life had he met a wolf quite like her; she seemed to know so much about nature and plants and the way things worked.



.

[Deleted]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=width,500,true]

[atrb=background,http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/6300/alumid.png] Emotions began to settle as her figure lay in such close relations with the Alpha. It soothed the femme to be near him, something about his presence created a sense of peace within her soul. This feeling was still a foreign one to the Shaman. Never before had she been able to relax this much around another canine; especially not an Alpha. A dreamy gaze swept across her features, and her mind drifted to the sense of family. The female had never been a fan of this time of year. Even as a pup she had watched others deal with the winter. It brought about happiness amongst couples and sorrow with those who are alone. Alas, she was nearing another birthday and could not help enjoying the thought of being a mother. She knew that true family was a concept quite far away. Eyes snapped shut suddenly, her brain convincing her that such a thought was inappropriate right now. She should not be thinking of pups and family when everything felt so right in the present. 'Once more my body is going to go crazy,' she emitted a slight giggle. Her paw began shuffling around a few pebbles that were laying upon their rock. Tail began thumping like a metronome against the ground behind them, 'how did I get so lucky? The words nearly escaped her muzzle; although the question did not release itself from her mind. Everything had lined up so well tonight. The sky was clear, stars casting a glittery glow upon the two wolves perched upon the boulder. Light reflected from the brute's eyes creating a near glowing sensation. Aludra was awestruck by the large brute laying beside her, and his smile only encouraged that sensation. The Shaman nearly believed that he was telling her to relax, calm down and breathe. Her heart seemed to be blocking her lungs though. Never before had the intake of oxygen been such a struggle; regularly such a task could be skillfully performed without giving it constant attention. For some reason the Alpha had quite a hold upon her, Aludra nearly hung upon his every word. Just his presence was enough to satisfy her, create a sense of infinite joy. 'This is the only time I really feel alive,' she was slightly displeased by the fact that her thoughts continued racing; yet her maw remained sealed. Did she really not have anything to say? She shifted her attention, juggling it between Toiro and the glittery orbs above them. It seemed that the brute was paying attention to the sky as well, not long after her shifting gaze began he inquired. Auds perked as they greedily absorbed his every word, a flash of adoration crossed her optics. Aludra could not help but adore the skies above, they held such mystic wonder about them. They saw everything; their ancient life knew the paths of the creatures below. Aludra had spent much of her life studying things that most did not spend much time on, in fact it drove her. Infinite knowledge would seem unobtainable to most; however, she was motivated more by each passing day to continue learning. The world was extremely vast, she became quite fluttery inside at the idea of knowing all of its' secrets. Her smile was growing more genuine by the moment, the pleasure swelling inside. Aludra was ecstatic that Toiro was interested about something she was, even if the question happened to just be said for conversational purposes. "They have many purposes for being up so high and there are many different views on how they got there," she turned her muzzle higher towards the stars before standing once more. Behind the femme her tail wagged happily, she would not remove her glance from the sky despite the fact that Toiro was receiving the entirety of her attention. "I believe they are there for guidance. Even in the darkest places they can shine their light, show all what path to take. Tell us how we truly feel deep inside, as most of us do tend to bury our true emotions." The femme's melodic voice drifted away for a moment. It seemed she had indirectly called herself out, perhaps Toiro had not noticed the silence. Aludra was battling with the growing interest she had within the brute, the way she felt so safe with him near her. 'It would be foolish to speak of such a thing now, how can you guarantee that this is not temporary?' Aludra knew she was not a creature for impulse, usually, especially not when dealing with her feelings. Besides, her last impulsive decision was wandering into Descai; it would certainly take some time before she made rapid conclusions to her ideas. The female had so much more to say, but somehow she could not manage to allow the words to pass her lips. The few statements she had spoken left her tongue tied, baffled by the change coming over her. The grin never melted away, nor did the glimmer within her eyes. She stood, basking in the loving glow given by her stars above. Still she remained so near Toiro's side, her tail lightly brushing him as it eagerly paced back and forth. Everything felt divine for the ivory female at this point. 'The only thing that could make this moment better would be to cuddle up next to him,' the thought startled Aludra slightly. Was she supposed to feel this way towards her Alpha, her superior. Certainly it was not considered normal or right. Toiro would have no time for someone like her, if he was to pick a mate it had to be someone with more skills than she possessed. A few pin pricks punctured her heart; yet, the female still remained jovial.

[Toiro]

The inky blackness up above was scattered with countless stars, varying in brightness and size, and the grey wolf found that he was truly curious to hear Aludra’s response. In his old pack he’d been too young to care about the distant sky, and nobody he’d met since had ever seemed interested. Physical abilities tended to be more valued in the wolf world that mental ones, with most aspiring to be powerful warriors rather than peacekeepers. It was a pity really, that knowledge and kindness weren’t valued more by the average wolf.

Grey eyes slowly moved from the stars above to the she wolf beside him, watching as she gracefully lifted herself off the stone and turned her gaze up into the sky. Toiro was relaxed, but listening carefully, and when she began to speak he treasured her words as if they were the most precious of jewels. Her voice was so lovely to listen to, and the words she spoke conveyed such knowledge of the world. How could she be so wise and yet so young and beautiful? Toiro was struggling to imagine a more perfect femme.

He found himself deciding that Aludra would make a wonderful mother – so gentle and caring, and such an inspiring teacher. The alpha had always wondered what it would be like to be a father, but he hadn’t had any experience with pups besides his own time growing up. None had ever been born into the pack of Airila; he’d thought maybe with Spirit and Kastiel that would change but then they’d gone.

Toiro had little interest or skill in fighting, but he felt a strong desire to protect her – even more so than he naturally felt as her alpha – and if anything bad was to happen to her he would be devastated. He hoped with all his heart that she wouldn’t leave him; even if they never came closer together than this, he would be content as long as she was safe.

As Aludra’s voice drifted off he was left lost in the thoughts that her ideas had awakened. So were the stars conscious beings? Gods or ancestors watching over the wolves down below and guiding them to their destinies? From a practical point of view the skies would be a good vantage point – they must be able to see the whole world from up there. He found that he quite liked the idea, although he wasn’t sure whether he believed it. Whoever had been guiding him hadn’t done a very good job of it, anyway. But then he supposed if he had never lost Nikia, he would never have left his old pack, and would never have washed up upon this beautiful land. He would never have met Keyara, and if that hadn’t happened he would never have become alpha of Airila. Hmm… maybe fate hadn’t been terrible to him after all. If none of that had happened his life would have probably been good, but there was no doubt in his mind now that this life was better.

The grey wolf rose, and moved to Aludra’s side, feeling a tingle run through his body as he lightly brushed against her soft white fur. “Yes… we do sometimes.” The words came softly, so quiet that he wondered if even the she wolf beside him could hear him properly.



. ((OOC: I'm sorry it's not much to go on x.x))

[Deleted]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=width,500,true]

[atrb=background,http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/6300/alumid.png] OoC| I know mine is no good either. * Modified to end thread, Jay granted me permission to power play. BiC| The thought of a family absolutely tingled the Arctic creature inside. It was a concept that had only existed in a dreamy haze for so long within the confines of her mind. Aludra had never been given an opportunity to even converse with another creature about the thought of having whelps, even simply as a friend. Until recently, the thought of sharing her history was nonexistent. Who had there been to share it with? Every wolf that had crossed her path had merely been a temporary face within her plane of existence. A tremor swarmed through the female, would Toiro stay or would he too disappear into the wind? Although the words would not pass her mouth, the female was scared. She did not want this sensation to dissipate, to merely be her imagination; however, she acknowledged that it could be. There was quite the possibility that this was all one-sided. Aludra's breath was captured sharply in her chest as Toiro rose to match his stance to her own. The gentle rustle of his pelt against hers made the female instinctively move closer to the brute. It did not even cross the Arctic's mind that she had done so, the movement seemed so instant and natural to her. Feeling herself gently nuzzle against the brute brought about more warmth than she had ever felt before. Instantly her features had brightened and a soft smile swept over her. The sound of his name resonated quietly within her mind, almost like it was a lullaby. Soothing and softly it caressed her soul, easing away all the demons that may have been worrying her. If there was an after life, it could not have been better than this within Aludra's head. Even silently she could enjoy the alpha's company, but isn't that what would separate them? She was by no means alpha material, she was simple and quiet. Certainly she held intelligence, but there was more to being an alpha. One must be able to socialize better than she could, right? Either way, the female knew that eventually this stage would pass. That there would come a time where his interest would no longer lay upon her, but perhaps another female. Well, that was what she attempted to prepare herself for; yet, the thought of a family still hovered within her mind. 'Hormones,' the femme grumbled, attempting to divert her mind from what was truly growing. She had felt this way about Toiro for quite some time, but mating season was a good reason to blame for now. Slowly the female pressed herself against him slightly more than before, half of her was testing if he would pull away or stay near. 'Don't leave me,' her thoughts begged the brute to remain by her side, but for now her voice failed her. Had she caused him extensive boredom with her statements about the stars? The shaman hoped not, but one could never be too sure - at least she couldn't be. "The future will be beautiful," her words spilled from her maw before the female's mind noticed that she was speaking. "The stars, they say that there are grand events in store. Either for you, myself or Airila as a whole," the female turned towards Toiro, facing him with her vibrant emerald orbs. His features melted her heart. It was all the femme could do to avoid nuzzling her face closely to his neck and wrapping her persistently wagging tail around his legs. It seemed both canines were growing not only more comfortable within each other's presence, but tired as well. A quiet yawn escaped the ivory femme's mouth and she permitted herself to lay back on the slate once more. It seemed as if they were on the same page, as her emerald eyes lifted to match Toiro's grey ones, she noticed he too was relaxing himself once more. As they lay, Aludra was unsure how they had ended up cuddling with each other; yet, she would never be complaining about it. Her sleepy head nuzzled the brute near her for a moment before she lay it down and drifted away into sleep.