[rejoining] presence of spirit

[Deleted]

ooc: i'd prefer spirit run into torio, since she knows no one else, but the beta or someone is allowed to jump in <3

the scents of the forest were overwhelming, invading her olfactory sense at an alarming rate. it cause a rush of her heart, beating frantically within her chest, and it threatened to burst out just to spill its contents upon the floor. there was frost beneath her pads and she welcomed the tingling sensation that flooded her limbs with a grateful sigh, revealing a puff of mist that lingered for only moments in front of her face before evaporating into the winter air. she could hear the birds, at least those of them that had stayed, flitting in between the branches of the forest she called home, singing their sweet melodies to one another in search of mates for when springtime came. she couldn't help but smile at the thought, even though the mention of mates within her mind caused a pang in her heart. of course, even as she gazed out at the beautiful landscape now, there were pangs in her heart she wouldn't be capable of ridding herself of for a bit.

spirit had been gone a long while, something she was none too particularly happy about, but for no reason would she ever place danger upon the shoulders of her packmates. ever. there was no question that she had lost her status in this pack as its lead warrior, no doubt that she had probably been forgotten. as she had entered the area, she wondered if kastiel was still around, but had caught no whiff of him. torio still seemed to be the ruler here, though, and it gave her some vote of confidence for what she was about to ask of him. she wondered if she would still be welcomed by the male, by the pack she had left behind in order to save it. she had not wanted to unleash her father's wrath upon them. from what she had been able to remember, her father's pack was no doubt strong and large. she didn't know the numbers they had while they had trekked down here to find her, but she knew it would not have ended well for airlia.

so she had gone.

there was little trace of gladness in her mind for leaving. she adored this pack, these lands that they lived upon. the chilly bite to the air was almost a painful reminder of how she'd abandoned them. perhaps abandoned was a harsh word for what she had done, but it seemed to fit within her range of emotion. she felt horrible for leaving, but she had not done so out of spite nor boredom of these wolves. no, she loved these wolves with every inch of her being. she would keep them safe at the cost of her life, even the cost of the rank and place within the pack that she had lost for being gone. granted, traveling so far south had taken too much time. it wouldn't surprise her if torio forgotten she even existed. she just prayed that she hadn't been forgotten, because she wished to be here more than anything else in the world and would do anything to get back in. it would mean the world to her if torio would permit her to come back...

spirit sighed again and kept her body standing upright, standing within the middle of the territory as though she had nothing to worry about. she didn't, really, but she had to be a stranger to most of the new wolves that she had smelled on her way in. she felt safe, though, because it was her home. she didn't want to go anywhere else. 'if i'm going to do this, i have to call him... otherwise...' well, she didn't want to think much on that part of things. it was almost painful for her and she wouldn't let herself linger on it. instead she mustered up what courage she could and tipped her chin back. her ears flattened upon her head and her eyes slipped to a gentle close, the chorus and bell-like chime escaping her throat. she called out, "torio, my friend...it is me, spirit... i have returned, and i seek your presence..." as the call ended and she stood there, waiting to see him, to smell him even, she pondered how she was going to do it; how she was going to give him an explanation.

Word Count: 751

[Deleted]

The air was sharp in his nares, the stark cold a constant reminder of the dangers that winter could bring. But those worries seemed to have ebbed away since the grey wolf had joined Airila. The once small group of wolves was expanding, and becoming much more like a pack. Huxleyi had no doubt in his mind that the coming winter would bring no troubles out of the ordinary. Long limbs brought the brute through the trees, the threat of snow not yet evident, but Huxleyi knew it wouldn't be long before the white flakes swirled from the skies. That would change his surroundings quite notably, and he would have to relearn the appearance of the world around him. The lofty pines would be crusted with silvery white, and the once soft sandy beaches would be frozen solid.

All was calm on his little trek until a voice caught his attention, the females call ringing clearly from a location well within the pack boundaries. Her voice was foreign to him, but she had called directly for Toiro. He wondered then if he should intervene if they were friends - perhaps privacy would be desired by the pair. But when no reply came from Toiro, the beta set off towards the she wolf with all haste.

Coming through the trees he soon could smell her clearly, his nares flaring to capture the scent fully. There was no hint of sickness or injury, so at least that was a comfort. Once she was in sight Huxleyi gave a low chuff, then allowed his body to take on a more dominant position. Ears erect, he strode forwards with confidence, Huxleyi's tail raised slightly above the line of his spine. "Good afternoon." He greeted, giving a slight nod to the female, golden eyes settling onto her form. "You're trespassing here, but I think you know that. You've called for Toiro - what business do you have here, and with him?" He was very formal, his voice serious but not threatening. He was more curious than anything. Was she a past friend? Lover? Enemy?

He truly hoped she was not here with ill intent - Huxleyi had sworn loyalty to Toiro and would not hesitate to engage the she-wolf if she showed signs of aggression. For now at least, the atmosphere was calm, and Huxleyi remained dominantly neutral towards the female. If she were a friend of Toiro he wouldn't want to be too overbearing. Perhaps the beta had fallen too easily into pack-life: he had suddenly noted how very pretty this she-wolf was. The natural instinct to find a mate at this time of year had arisen in him, despite his attempt to suppress it. But taking on a partner for the sole purpose of reproduction - he had done this, and it had led to the death of those he truly loved, and inspired no loyalty or affection.

[Deleted]

There were only so many things that she could process in those moments. She desperately wished she weren't trespassing, because she knew that she was. This wasn't her home, technically speaking. Her scent was no longer here, marking the borders, protecting it from the outsiders that threatened it when Torio and Kastiel had gone away. She had been the lone defender of this territory for some time at one point and she'd do it all over again. This time, she had been the one to leave the area. This time, she had left others to defend it so she could defend it in her own way. She would never let a soul within these borders perish whether she liked them or not. This was her pack and she had a duty to protect the members. In her own way, she loved each of them, even those that were now strangers to her. She could smell all the different wolves. While it was saddening that she had missed the arrival of them all, she was glad that the pack was strong.

Spirit's howl had been strong and clear, demanding her friend's presence if he would be willing to give it to her. When he did not answer, though, a sickening worry grew within her chest and she feared he had gone. Though, she knew it was a lie. She had caught his scent on her way in. He was still here. She still had at least one friend. Torio was still her, but not Kastiel, a friend close to her like no other. She would miss him desperately, but like everyone else she had long since lost, she would have to move on. The presence of the male hit her on the wind. It was a scent she had also caught more towards the borders, though stale, it had been strong. Something had told her the male was of power. From what she remembered, Castien had been a warrior when he joined. She assumed he had taken over her Lead Warrior position when she had disappeared. If this male seemed to hold the same strength in scent as she believed, then he had probably replaced Kastiel.

Spirit did not lower herself to the male. She did not show any sign of subordination to him. There was no need to. She had been used to treating Kastiel and Torio as friends rather than leaders, but did as they had asked her to from time to time. Her tail remained at a level point and she watched him with her wary golden eyes. She listened to him speak. "Trespassing? Does not feel like it. I guarded these borders once, long before you came." Her tone was in no way condescending. It was merely a statement, but there was a pretty smile upon her maw. She did not want to make enemies with a packmate. "Torio is a friend of mine, a very good friend. I was Lead Warrior here a few months ago, but I left to protect the pack...without telling anyone. It is something I regret, leaving, but it is something I had to do to keep everyone from getting killed." Though there was much more to the story, that was something she would share with Torio. She'd share it with this male if she knew him better.

Then, she chuckled, smiling widely. Her tail gave a wag, showing her gladness for being back here. "I have missed this place, truly. However, the scent of a particular friend of mine, the former beta, is missing. I presume you are the new one?" Judging by some other things that she had come across, it seemed like the reasonable answer. She still smiled, though, despite her ache for the loss of Kastiel. She didn't know where he had gone. Sighing, the female arched her back into the sunlight that beamed between the trees. It warmed her black fur, causing it to glimmer with health. Though she had been far from home, she had cared for herself. A yawn gaped at her jaws and she turned her glittering golden gaze back to the male. "I have come back to Airila. I know my previous position was most likely filled, so I am asking for assignment into the ranks once more." It took a moment for her to realize her manners were missing. She was not used to the wolves not knowing her by name. "I am Spirit. May I ask your name?"

Word Count: 769

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[Deleted]

She showed him no respect, not even a hint of it in her posture or voice. This irked him, and it was evident. His eyes flashed suddenly, pupils constricting sharply, then dilating as his eyes narrowed. Huxleyi was anything but impressed by her brazen attitude, despite the charming smile she flashed. He'd seen lies before and this female gave him no reason to believe she was sincere. Even after her little story, the beta remained mostly unconvinced, his head held aloft to peer down his snout at her. Her assumption of his rank proved to be correct, so he nodded at her question, giving a gruff reply. "Yes, I'm the beta here."

He relaxed slightly as a thought struck him: Huxleyi did not pull rank around those in the pack, and Toiro certainly did not either. Perhaps this relaxed attitude was one that had been about prior to his arrival - indeed some habits died hard. He calmed noticeably and gave a smile which conveyed his perplexion. She then asked for his name, after explaining her return and that she had once held Castiens role. Giving his head a quick turn from side to side he released a small twinge in his neck - he had been on edge. "Yes, I'm Huxleyi." He let his tail wag now, truly happy to be meeting a friend of Toiro's. "I'm pleased to meet you Spirit. Any friend of Toiro's is a friend of mine, and certainly welcome here." He relaxed his posture entirely, letting his tail fall to a more natural position, still waving, he let his ears swivelto be less forward facing.

"I apologize for my earlier stance - I was unsure of your sincerity." His ears fell back, sheepish in the face of the female who had clearly done much in the past for Airila. "While the position of Lead Warrior has been filled by Castien, I can offer you the rank of Warrior for now." He hoped that this offer would satisfy Spirit. He couldn't very well give her her old rank back. She had left and, no matter the reason or intent, the role had been filled by a wolf who likely deserved it. He wouldn't rob the now recovering Castien of his chance to prove that despite his injury he could still perform.

"Do you know Castien?" He asked, head tilting out of curiosity. "Or Aludra?" Huxleyi was certain Spirit wouldn't know the other packmembers because they arrived after he had. Huxleyi hoped they would all get along - he didn't want to have to break up any fights. He was nothing like that would happen, as long as conditions didn't get too hazardous. As long as bellies stayed full no one would be on edge, after all those already within the pack had started to act like a single unit already. Hopefully Spirit would fall right into place; she seemed capable.

Words: 507
Muse: So-So
Notes: This was a bit rambley and bi-polar. Sorry. xD

[Deleted]

She was pleased with the confirmation in her assumption. The answer, though, filled her with a sense of sadness. The former beta had been such a good friend to her, someone she had grown so close to over a short amount of time. Kastiel, how she would miss him. He and Torio were one of the few males that she had come to befriend and trust in such a long time, as her own past made her wary of the opposite sex. She sighed, nodding slightly to his response. "Kastiel was a wonderful beta...but I am sure you are perfectly equipped for the position." 'Otherwise Torio would not have appointed him to it. So much has changed.' She kept the thought to herself out of respect for the male. Higher ranks were never something anyone could particularly just get to. It was something that had to be worked for. In her time away, she was rather positive this wolf, and several of the others, had earned the ranks they were given.

Huxleyi? Not a name she had ever heard before, but she was never one to judge. She quite liked the name for the uniqueness the ring had to it. She just hoped she would be capable of pronouncing it correctly every time she had to say it. The smile upon her maw only grew wider at his now warm welcome, her gold eyes glowing as he relaxed his posture. She had no intent to harm anyone on these lands, unless they intended harm against the pack that she held so dear to her heart. "Believe me, the pleasure is mine. It is good to know Airila has grown strong in my absence. I am also glad to call you a friend, Huxleyi." She prayed, though, that the others who had joined so long ago would not be a bad influence on these ones. They had left her, disappeared into thin air, forcing her to defend the lands on her own. It had been a painful time. Friends were something she needed and wanted, but she seemed to have the effect of making them vanish...

Spirit merely laughed at his apology. In no way was she making fun of it. She found it humorous, really, that he was apologizing for something completely normal. "Do not feel the need to apologize. It shows you are a good beta. I was a stranger to you and you treated me as such. It's a sign of a good leader." Ah, so the position of Lead Warrior had been filled by Castien. The thought of such made her smile. She had met Castien once or twice. He was a rather large male, larger so than herself, and she was quite large for her species. Almost awkwardly so, really. She honestly believed it was a good thing the male had gotten the position when she had gone. She had never really gotten the opportunity to train with him before she disappeared. "There is no wolf more deserving of the rank Lead Warrior than he. The Warrior rank will suit me just fine. Believe me, I expected something akin to demeaning upon my return..." She had expected a form of punishment by receiving a lower rank.

The Tundra female gave a gentle laugh and a shake of her pelt. "Yes, I know Castien. He is a good male; strong, capable of leading the warriors of this pack. I am eager to work alongside him once more." Aludra... As beautiful as it sounded, the name did not ring a bell within the confines of her mind. She couldn't say she knew the female. "No, I am afraid I do not remember an Aludra. I know Torio and Castien. At one point, there was Kastiel, the beta, but it seems he has gone." She could sense the slight uneasiness in his eyes. "But I do get along well with most people. I am a warrior. My job is to defend my packmates, even at the cost of my life, whether I like the person for who they are or not." And that was the truth of it. When it came to making sure her pack was safe, she would throw her own life on the line in a matter of seconds. Outside the confines of battle, she would deal with different personalities in her own manner. Friends or enemies. Otherwise, it was strictly business. "So...how does Torio fare?"

Word Count: 766

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[Toiro]

The familiar howl brought his head up immediately, and even before the words began he knew it was her. Joy blossomed in his heart, and he would have leaped to his feet had he not been standing already. As it was he was in the middle of a hunt, but he hadn’t actually managed to catch anything yet other than a scrawny rabbit which he’d devoured on the spot as it would have probably taken more energy for the wolf to haul the measly meal up to the dens than what it would give to him or his packmates.

The thought didn’t even cross his mind to howl - he’d forgotten completely and was now racing through the forest at as close to a sprint as he could physically manage without crashing into the trees. He was desperate to see her again; even more than he thought he’d be. Now where was she? Somewhere in the Xayar forest, that was certain, but probably deeper than a loner would venture, as he would not bet on her patiently waiting at the border.

He was puffed by the time he found where she was and it seemed that Huxleyi had beaten him to it, but it was good to know that his beta was alert and willing to confront intruders. Still he paused briefly in the shadows a fair distance away as he got his breath back, not wanting to disrupt their conversation, which seemed to be going pretty well by the sounds of it (their voices carried on the breeze towards him so he could hear most of what they were saying, although he had missed a lot of what had been said in the beginning). Huxleyi’s decision to offer her the position of Warrior pleased him and he liked the way his beta was handling the situation. Yes, Toiro believed that he had made a good choice that day on the beach.

And then Spirit inquired about his health and he simply couldn’t resist any longer. “I’m quite well, thank you.” Toiro grinned as he emerged from the shadows of the undergrowth and into full view. The large grey wolf quickly crossed the distance between them and embraced the she wolf, not worried about showing affection in his beta’s presence. “Spirit, I’ve missed you!” This was fantastic! First Castien had recovered from his near-fatal injury, and now Spirit was back.

Castien had deserved to be made lead warrior with the bravery he’d displayed during that fight with the cougar, but the alpha couldn’t stop himself feeling guilty for replacing her. “I’m sorry about your position, but I… thought you were gone for good.” He didn’t think that she and Kastiel had planned on returning even if they did find the beta’s lost sister – they had seemed nearly at the point where they could start their own pack. A sudden realisation struck him then and he pulled away and looked at her, grey eyes searching golden. “Is Kastiel with you?” He was really confused now; Spirit had left with Kastiel to look for Dust, so why had she returned? And alone? Had something terrible happened to his former beta?



.

[Deleted]

He felt silly for apologizing now, it certainly wasn't something he would normally do, but this was different from normal. As far as Huxleyi was concerned, now that he had spoken to Spirit, that she had never really stopped being a member of Airila, she had just been maintaining her loyalty from afar.

Spirit then spoke fondly of Castien - wolf that in truth Huxleyi was not really acquainted with. He had heard of the brutes recovery, but duties along the border had kept him quite busy and he felt that Castien, despite regaining his health, would still need time to strengthen his mind and body once more. He didn't want to intrude or cause unneeded stress on the male, but he planned, once finished here to go and visit the Lead Warrior. Guilt struck him at his negligence on the matter, but he pushed it aside as Spirit explained she did not know Aludra. This answer helped Huxleyi create a mental time line for the arrival of the pack members of Airila.

Purposeful words of duty tumbled forth and Huxleyi was certain of his choice to give her a rank above subordinate immediately. This was an experienced wolf who meant what she said - it was this type of being that Huxleyi could admire most. He liked honesty, and he liked wolves with drive and ambition to further the pack - not the individual. "Spirit, I look forward greatly to working alongside you in the future. You are a wolfess worthy of respect." He dipped his mug to her, and then listened as she asked of Toiro, but before he could respond the alpha appeared from behind him. He watched as the male embraced Spirit, clearly quite happy to see the female. Huxleyi let his head tilt to the side and his ears relax notably, tail wagging to see the ecstatic reaction of Toiro. He stayed silent and listened as Toiro spoke to Spirit - he felt a little out of place in their reunion so he rose slowly, allowing his muscles to stretch in an arching back. "Toiro, I'm pleased you've come, but I think I will excuse myself to give you some privacy." He smiled at the pair, and dipped his mug to them both. "Spirit, it's been a pleasure to meet you. I can't wait to work alongside you." He took a few backwards, paused to take the two in momentarily then turned to trot away, deeper yet into the trees. He was hungry and was quite certain he wasn't the only one.

Word Count: 436
Muse: Pretty good
OOC: I figured I'd give you guys some privacy to reunite! =D

[Deleted]

Her mind wandered for a few moments, wondering wherever Toiro could even be. She missed the male and had wished he had greeted her himself when she had called for him, but she supposed she wasn't too surprised. She didn't know what it was like to be an Alpha and there was no need for her to know. She was much happier just defending the pack as she was, be capable of fighting to keep it safe, to allow it to grow even if it would be at the cost of her own life. She loved this pack, loved it more than anything else in the world and it had been the only reason she had left, because she wanted nothing bad to happen to it. She hadn't even warned Toiro or even said goodbye to him. She felt she was better off just leaving. It wasn't something she wanted to lay on the Alpha's shoulders, because he was busy enough as it was. Perhaps that was why she didn't want to know the stress of the high position, because she was content with defending it.

Spirit dipped her head in return all the same, "You as well, my friend. Maybe a sparring match in the future as well? One can never get too spry." She added the last bit with a small laugh of her own, because it was quite true. It was very difficult to keep one's physical abilities on the higher end of the spectrum when they didn't push themselves to make sure it stayed there. Honestly, she really loved a good sparring match against her packmates. It was a good way to make sure that they stayed in shape, knew one another's strengths and weaknesses. It made it easier to improve, but also to help one another in fights. When it came to defending the pack, she took it quite seriously, because this was the last thing she wanted to perish. She was surprised to hear the voice that did not belong to the male in front of her, but she turned and grinned happily. Her tail wouldn't stop moving back and forth, eyes glowing in happiness. "Toiro!"

Spirit stumbled slightly under the male's weight as he embraced her, but she made no hesitation in showing the affection back. She rubbed her muzzle against his fur, drinking in the scent gratefully. Though it had been some time, it was still one of the most welcoming things she had come across since entering the territory. The scents of the forest and the pack had been the other, but the scent of an old friend was unbeaten. She listened to his words and gave a small chuckle, "Don't worry about my position. Castien is a strong and capable wolf. If I had a word in who would be to replace me, it would be him." She craned her head slightly and licked his cheek. "I wasn't planning on staying away forever, friend. But I do owe you an explanation for my absence." Spirit paused a moment to look at Huxleyi, dipping her head once more towards the beta. "A pleasure as well, Huxleyi. I cannot wait either, and thank you." The thanking was for many things.

She watched the Alpha back away from her and she held his gaze. His words struck her like a hammer, and her heart sank. How was she supposed to tell him she just didn't know what had happened? Kastiel hadn't come with her. In fact, she had not even seen the male when she had gone. She figured it would have been better for them to allow her to disappear, than to have told them and left them waiting, aching and in pain when she might not have returned. "Toiro..." She didn't really know what to say. She slumped down onto her behind and tried to sit as straight as she possibly could. Her golden eyes tried to blink away the film of water that was threatening to spill over and into her fur. "He didn't come with me... I didn't say goodbye because I thought it was best that I just disappear and not leave you waiting. I didn't see him before I left." The pieces even fell into place for her, and it made her want to scream. "I don't know where he is, Toiro... I think Kastiel may be...gone..."

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[Toiro]

It was so good to see Spirit again; he could hardly believe that she was right there in front of him. She really had come back! The grey’s heart was soaring with elation – he’d missed her so much and it was also good for Airila as a pack that one of their strongest warriors had returned. He was glad that she wasn’t too upset that her position as lead warrior had been taken, and she seemed to be supportive of Castien. The gentle alpha would have hated it if there was fighting between his members, and really was pleased that all of them got along so well together. He was, however, worried that he had grown more distant from some of the newer wolves, and wanted them to know that they truly were part of his family. Toiro wanted to know and be friends with every single one of his wolves, and didn’t want his position as their alpha to scare them away. Perhaps a pack hunt would be good for that. In his experience wolves tended to relax a bit when they were hunting, focused more on the task rather than worrying about their social skills. It worked for him, at least.

Toiro dipped his head as Huxleyi excused himself from the conversation – a thank you for his consideration. He wouldn’t have minded it if Huxleyi had decided to stay, but he supposed the beta wouldn’t have much to do and it was nice for the old friends to have some privacy as they reunited. But as he turned back to Spirit he saw the look in her eyes and his heart sank. Was something the matter? Spirit began to speak, but he didn’t understand her words, and not because he didn’t want to believe them. They simply made no sense to the bewildered grey brute. “But… you and Kastiel left on the same night. He told me he was going to look for his sister, Dust, and I thought you’d gone with him. But, if you didn’t… Where have you been?” He was confused, but he was beginning to understand what had happened. At least Kastiel wasn’t confirmed to be dead; that was the good thing, although Toiro thought it highly unlikely that his old beta would return. So what had Spirit been doing that had required her to leave so suddenly without saying goodbye? It had broken the alpha’s heart to think that his loyal friend had abandoned him, and she had been away for so long. He hoped that she wouldn’t disappear like that again.


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[Deleted]

Spirit was glad to be supportive of Castien. She had seen once or twice what he was capable of and she had little doubt he would fail in his position. He deserved that rank as much as she had when she had received it, but she knew she was not worthy of the rank, let alone the love she was receiving from the large male. Her heart had been pulled at by the strings when she had to leave her home, had to be so far away, had to bear living in other places for just a little while. She had missed this land, the trees, the snow, and the wolves within it. While some, or most, of them were strangers to her now, she had dreamed of returning to each and every one of them, whether they knew her or not. It had made her heart ache even more when she had found out her own father was intended to take the lives of every creature within these borders to just to get his revenge on her, just to get even because she wouldn't do what he had told her to.

Spirit felt the pang in her heart at the expression upon her friend's face. It was hard to believe that they had left on the same night. Oh, how she missed Kastiel, everything about him. His scent, eyes, fur, just...everything. She remembered how they had met in the cave that day. It had been rather nice, but cold, and she had been quite disheveled. He had been kind enough to not chase her out, to hear what she had to say before he decided what to do about it. Her ears flattened against her skull. "I'm sorry, Toiro. I didn't go with him, I didn't know he had left. I am...so sorry." She could say it over and over and over again. She could apologize for something that she didn't have anything to do with, for something she didn't cause. Kastiel had left of his own will and not because she wanted to. While she had believed she had desperately loved the male, she had hesitated in even telling him these feelings because she'd had a horrible experience the first time.

Where had she been? What was she supposed to tell him? She hadn't even told Kastiel the entire story. Her golden eyes cast off to the side, where Huxleyi had vanished, but it didn't seem he would be returning. "My father was not a good male. He was very controlling, determined everything about my life, even who I would mate with. I was happy because I loved the male, got rejected and I ended up running away because of my heartbreak, wanted to make something new of my life." Spirit felt awkward telling this story, telling him her life, a life she had attempted to get away from. "I didn't think he would come after me to exact his revenge or whatever. My mother came ahead and warned me, so I told her to tell him that I was heading east, running from the pack because I had killed a fellow member. He was threatening to kill every living soul within these borders. I led them off to Zozyr's Glory, where I ended up fighting and killing him, sending the three other wolves home. My mother died in the process." She pushed the tears from her eyes, refusing to let them be seen. She had adored her mother more than anyone in the world. "They will leave us alone, though. The pack will be safe. And that's where I've been."

Spirit didn't know what else to tell him.

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[Toiro]

She apologised, for something that was in no way her fault. But he knew that she and Kastiel had cared for each other; it must be devastating to come back here and find him gone. Toiro nuzzled Spirit, his warrior and friend. He could think of no words to comfort her, so all he could do was be there for her while she mourned the loss of her old packmate. He missed Kastiel too, but it had been the male’s choice to leave and Toiro had at least had the chance to say goodbye.

He listened carefully as she began to explain where she had gone, and quickly realised that she was sharing her history with him, from back before the two wolves had first met. She seemed to be skimming over it a bit, but that was to be expected. The past obviously held a lot of bad memories for her and she wouldn’t want to dwell on those feelings if they weren’t necessary to telling him what he wanted to know. The alpha himself hadn’t shared his story with anyone; he hadn’t been given a reason to bring up the sorrowful memories now that they were all so far behind him.

Spirit continued, describing how she’d led her old pack away from Shyia. It would have been so much easier to stay in her pack lands where she had the protection of other wolves, but he knew this had been a personal issue that she’d had to resolve between her and her father. Still, it had been a dangerous and selfless thing to do and he admired her bravery. It reaffirmed his belief that she was a good warrior – a true protector of the pack.

The grey male was sorry that Spirit's mother had been killed in the battle; she sounded like a good wolf. Toiro couldn’t imagine what it would be like seeing either of his own parents die – he loved them both so much – but with a shock he realised that they would both be very old by now, if not already passed away. But he’d known when he’d left his homeland that he would never see them again, and the years had long since dulled the pain of that fateful day. This really was a new life here – Airila was a haven for all of those who wished to start afresh, a place where the past was unimportant.

“Thank you.” Toiro dipped his head to the dark-coated female once she had finished, sincerely grateful for what she had done to save the pack from harm, and also for confiding her story in him. “But, if you ever have to leave again, please tell me.” Now that the threat from her father was gone that shouldn’t be necessary, but he would have been distraught not knowing what had happened to her had he not assumed that Kastiel had taken her with him.

“I missed you, my friend.”



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[Deleted]

How could she have left? This pack was her life, the sole thing she lived for. Of course, she would live for something else if she had loved it enough. Kastiel had once almost been that thing, and it made her want to howl out her grief knowing the odds of never getting to see him again. Was he dead, laying in a ditch or in the roots of a tree somewhere? Such thoughts pained her and she pushed them away so fast it made her head ache even more. Why was she thinking of these things? She had survived the wrath of her father and her old pack had long since gone away. She had made it, she had done what no one had originally thought she would've been able to do. The over-sized princess of the northern pack had beaten the odds stacked so meticulously against her. Even though Kastiel was gone and her remaining family by blood was dead, she could now spend time with the wolves in her life, like Toiro and Huxleyi and Castien.

Spirit had been reckless in not staying, in not enlisting the help of her packmates, of her friends. It had been partially the wrong thing to do. But she had worried for them, had prayed that they would forgive her for doing such a thing. It wasn't that she hadn't had the faith that they could fight her old pack off, survive against all odds, but she didn't want to drag them down into the horrible thing that had once been her life. She had her issues and her father had his. It was something that had needed settling between the two of them and her beloved friends had no reason to get pulled into the very middle of it all. She couldn't do that to them, put them through it. She loved them too much to cause them any kind of pain. Her golden eyes were wrought with pain and love for her packmates, because she adored their lives so much. Her mother had spoke of large numbers coming to kill her, and losing what she had was not something she could afford. "Do you think they'll forgive me? Well, I suppose you and Castien are the only ones left I know, but...still..." Forgiveness was all she wanted.

The femme wanted to laugh. She certainly didn't plan on leaving anytime soon, not after all of this at least. "I'm not going anywhere, Toiro. You'll have to chase me out to get me to go." She would stick around this time. She loved Toiro and Castien and even the wolves she hadn't met yet. She could say she loved Huxleyi because it was true. He was a part of the pack, a part of her home, a part of her heart just like every member within these lands. There was nothing she loved more than the wolves sitting around within the borders. She could go on and on all day long about how much she adored this place, about how she would never leave again. "I missed you so much, as well, my friend. I apologize if I caused either of you pain by being gone. It was not my intention to be absent for so long, but it seems to have remained strong in my absence, as I expected of it." Spirit had confidence they would be fine without her, giving her faith her decision. "So...how does Castien fare?" She wanted to know how everyone was doing, but was better off starting with who she knew.

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[Toiro]

Spirit asked whether he thought the others would forgive her, and Toiro could hardly believe his ears. “Of course! I’m sure everyone will be overjoyed to have you back. I, for one, am...” How could she be so uncertain? She must surely know that they would never ever chase her away. She was a valued member of Airila, and her helpfulness and courage had once seen her take the position of lead warrior. If she hadn’t disappeared, Toiro had no doubt that she would still be in that position; her loyalty to the pack was unwavering and he knew she would have made them all proud. She had made them all proud. By the story she had told, she had done an incredibly brave thing by leading her pursuers away into the unknown loner lands where anything could have happened to her. He could still hardly believe that she was finally home! The large grey wolf wagged his tail happily; he was extremely glad to have her back, and hoped that she would stay forever.

“It might do you well to spend some time to get to know your new packmates; Airila has changed a lot since you were gone.” Only a short while ago he’d doubted the pack’s chance of survival, but thankfully new members had swelled their ranks and they were no longer in risk of disbanding. Now that they were at a healthy size, they could focus on creating stronger bonds between each other. Yes, Airila had changed a lot, although Toiro hoped their values remained the same.

The dark coated warrior then inquired how Castien was doing. “He was badly injured while protecting me from a cougar attack, but he’s recovering now and seems to be doing well.” Toiro shivered at the memory; he still had a faint scar running under the fur across his shoulder from that dreadful encounter. His warrior had done a very good job at fending the big cat off though, and there had been no sign of it since. They were lucky enough that Shyia didn’t often attract large predators, and they had a fair number of warriors to protect each other. Now that Spirit was back they’d be even stronger. “Shall we return to the dens and see if he’s there?”




((OOC: You’re more than welcome to post after me but I don’t think I’ll be making a post after this one (Toiro’s over the liquid-time limit at the moment so I’m trying to get the older threads finished). Maybe they could have a new thread sometime in the future though?))