What Doesn't Kill you... (open)

[Buck]

A large, black and gray form moved through the Deadlands, seeking solitude in the burning, dry ground and giant, useless boulders. Not many wolves came here, so it gave Hades the perfect location to be alone. And he was alone, at least for the time being. Right now, that was good enough for him. The large male wolf made his way around a large boulder before sitting down in the shade that it provided, his eyes running aimlessly over the barren landscape before him.

It really was desolate here. His ears flicked backwards as a thought crossed his mind, relating himself to the desolate and useless landscape here. He couldn't help but wonder how useful he really was to this pack. Sure, he was strong and powerful, but hell, this wasn't even his birth pack! He had been exiled from his pack and accepted here. It was all so, strange and unusual. It made him feel, well, different. He frowned as the thought circled around in his head, making him sigh softly and sink down into a laying position.

His head found its way to his paws and his eyes closed, his breathing slowing slightly as he relaxed and began to doze off. It was nice to just get away every once in a while. He always felt so different from the rest of the pack, and he needed a break from it. Here he knew he wouldn't be disturbed, here he could relax.

[[Midnight]]

Binah was growing restless.

Well, it wasn't just her. There was an odd aura in the valley that hung in the atmosphere. It was like a mixture of tension and expectation, that made every wolf wandering alone always on the alert. Some were growing just as anxious as she was, to the point that they a few were snapping at each other at the most minor of provocations.

Binah had been keeping mostly to herself as of late, though that didn't mean she wasn't wasting her time. Mostly, she was watching. Keeping to the shadows, watching the way her father pulled the strings (if one could call it that - she didn't see much of him) and listening to the gossip and the speculation of the subordinates that made up this powerful pack. She found that everyone seemed to have some sort of unique opinion about her father the Alpha, and about the kidnapping of Caden. Many ideas she found to be idle chitchat from ignorant pups, but other input she found she enjoyed entertaining. It gave her insight that she'd not had. Of course, she was always quick to give her own opinion, too, but slowly, she was learning how to decipher when holding one's tongue was the best thing to do.

The she-wolf's long outcoat was flowing gracefully in the wind as, tongue lolling from her jaw, she gave chase to a hare that darted across the Deadlands. Any prey out here was a rather rare sighting, so she'd been stalking it the moment she'd spotted it. It was doubtful she could catch it, so now she was just giving chase for the joy of it.

The rabbit swiftly made a few zigzags, trying to throw her off. She skidded on her paws maybe once, trying to read into its movements, but she was quick to regain speed and soon learned the trick - don't follow every path it takes, just keep running straight. There was a small clump of underbursh just up ahead anyway - likely it was headed for its warren there.

As she suspected, she could not run fast enough and watched the rabbit suddenly disappear from sight so quickly as though it were nothing but a phantom. She slowed her pace, panting heavily, but knew she was still full of energy. She turned away from her path to take another - a well-worn trail that lead across the dust and up to a large boulder jutting from the sandy ground. It made for a quick adventure, so she bounded up its ledges and stood at the very tip, trying to pretend that she was regal and elegant and beautiful. She pictured herself as Alpha, looking down on her pack of brutes that swooned over her silver tongue and her wise leadership.

After a moment, she felt quite silly. These kinds of solitary fantasies were for pups! In another few months, she'd officially be a yearling, no longer viewed as a pup by wolfish standards. She'd start leading hunts and working up through the ranks, establishing her own dominance. The thought of it made her anxious again. There was a battle looming on the horizon, a war that would likely be costly. She wasn't sure she was ready for change. Part of her heart was worried for her father, who was probably considered elderly by now.

She leapt off of the rock - though it was several feet high, she landed quietly and with grace, almost panther-like. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of pride; she was beautiful, and she knew it. Better yet, she was the Alpha's daughter. She had her heart set on someday leading this pack. Maybe even her own! Why, what was stopping her from breaking away from Falling Moon, and leading her own--

As she swiveled on her paws, heading for the shade of the rock, she stopped mid-step when she saw that there was a shape already crouched in the shadows. In the brightness of the sunshine, she could not quite catch the identity of the wolf before her, and her hackles instinctively rose. But the scent of Falling Moon was thick in the air, so she stopped herself from snarling a warning and instead sat back on her rump, angling her ears towards her packmate.

"Oh, come on now. It's winter, and you're sleeping in the shade?" she spoke in that honey voice of her, laced with self-importance that gave her dignity - or perhaps an obvious mask of conceit.

[Buck]

Just as he let himself think that he had a moment of peace, a chance to relax and enjoy his solitude, it was shattered instantly. His ears flicked backwards as her scent filled his nose, not to mention the sound of her clumsy, careless steps as she approached. Sure enough, moments later she was landing in front of him, oblivious to his presence. Naive much? He sighed, refraining from rolling his eyes as she finally noticed him and spun around. The alpha's daughter. Awesome.

When she spoke, he sighed, letting the smooth, beautiful voice sink in as he watched her. It was obvious that she couldn't see who he was, since the shade mixed with his dark fur and hid him quite well. So he slowly stood, stepping into the light and sitting down where she could see him. He wasn't sure how the pack felt about him, a wolf from another pack that had been brought in, let alone the alpha's offspring. He watched the young female for a moment, saying nothing in response to her words, that is, until he sighed softly and shrugged.

"I was enjoying the peace and quiet."

He said softly, glancing back at the shade where he had been laying. Plus, it had been comfortable. But now that peace was shattered and he was no longer alone. Instead, he had a pup wandering around and making noise. But he kept his mouth shut now, wondering if she recognized him. After all, it was no secret where he had come from and how he had not been born into this pack. He hadn't really spoken to her before, but well, he just assumed others didn't like him much now. What was the point of getting insulted and disappointed. At least now he expected it. He wasn't an idiot. He wasn't the most attractive male in the pack, either. He was pretty large, and pretty strong, but that only mattered sometimes. Right now, who really cared?