Without You, My Life is Incomplete-Naila, Open

[Malo]

It wasn't often that Fallon made her way to the top of Moonhowler Cliff, but now today was not a normal day. She passed by a large rock and swung her paw at it, knocking it far to her right and off the side of the cliff. She paused to watch it tumble down, far away from her, hitting other rocks along the way, until it finally became a dot in the distance and disappeared from her sight. She felt extremely hot and anxious. Storming up the pathway to the clifftop, she felt a rush of hot, warm tears streaming down her brown cheeks.

Reaching the top, she began to pace, unable to sit down, unable to think. Pacing didn't clear her mind as she thought it would. Instead, a million thoughts rushed through her head as she recalled the scene she had encountered only hours before.

Blood, a lot of blood. The entrails of the once living body sprawled across the clearing. And that stench...that horrid, unbearable stench. Fallon knew, that for as long as she lived, she would never forget that smell. Almost on cue, the thought of the smell made her stomach churn, and she immediately retched, her breakfast making a new appearance on the smooth rock below.

Coughing as she lifted her head, she felt herself searching frantically for something. Someone. Then she realized who it was she wanted--no needed--to see. Naila. Running to the cliff edge, she lifted her head and let out a mournful, urgent howl. She needed Naila now, one thing she thought would never happen. But as selfish and self-centered as Fallon was, she knew she couldn't handle this alone and she knew Naila deserved to know what had happened. In the back of her mind, she hoped Justyn was nearby too, at least at the den so she had somewhere to run afterwards.

[[Midnight]]

Justyn bordered on the clumsy side, despite the large size of his paws. Since he wasn't as sure-footed as another wolf may be, he had once purposely avoided the mountain range when there was no reason to be there.

Things had since changed, and as ironic as it may be, his new den with Fallon was right around the mountains, in fact, right near the Springwater Cave. When he had picked out the spot and carved the new den, he had Fallon in mind. He really thought she'd enjoy the place. It was close to the center of pack activity, and more importantly, only a few pawsteps from the humming noise of the naturally carved spring cave.

He had just woken up from a snooze and was hanging around the higher elevated areas, sniffing around for a rodent or two to snack on. He was just lifting his bulky head when his ears instinctively perked at the sound of a wolf song. The voice was feminine and familar, but he didn't like the tone of it. It spoke of heartbreak. His hazel eyes narrowed and he frowned deeply, continuing to stare off into nothingness even after there was silence.

Concerned for Fallon, he began to travel the short distance to where he thought he had pinpointed the sound. It was a higher place than where he currently was, but the only mountaintop higher than the one he was on was nearby, and a common spot for Falling Moons - Moonhowler cliff. By heart he knew the way to the lookout. As a pup, fresh in Falling Moon and misery, he stayed near the cliffside and often stared down at the massive land below, stretching out incredibly far. After a moment of lost breath, he'd stay and think of his family, the good and the ugly, wondering who was left.

He hadn't been there since becoming Beta wolf.

He made record time, forcing himself at a faster pace even when he was jumping rather precariously from rock to rock. When the dangerous cliffs widened out and the pathway grew flat once again, he slowed his pace and contemplated what he might see up here. He usually ran into Fallon when she was alone; she seemed to prefer solitude, much like the pack typically did. Her howl was what brought him up here, though, and maybe others, too. She was lonely and seeking someone out, and instincts as well as concern had pushed him to answer her call.

Before he rounded the bend, a sour smell caught his senses and he briefly wrinkled his nose with distaste. He hastened and moments later he had come up to the cliffside, facing Fallon, who looked like a wreck. Anxiety took over his calm demeanor.

"Fallon?" he called quietly, frowning, his head lowered warily like he was bracing himself for bad news.

[Malo]

Fallon was facing the cliff edge when she heard her name spoken in a familiar voice. She turned her head to face Justyn, her eyes filled with sadness and a hint of relief at the sight of her companion. She sat down, a sign that she wasn't going anywhere any time soon. But her anxiety prevented her from sitting still. She changed her position at least five times within the two minute span of silence that followed.

Finally, she could not take it any longer. She jumped and ran to Justyn, throwing her head into his chest with such force she worried slightly that they would fall backwards. She stood there for a moment. Then the tears came. Her body heaved up and down as she sobbed in his chest, wetting his fur with more and more tears. It was not often that Fallon let someone into her emotional world, but at a time like this, she was glad that she allowed Justyn in. She was relieved that he had shown up first, so she could release all of her emotions into this one moment. She had always been stronger than her sister, and it would have been a complete mess if she had relayed her news without finding an outlet first. Two crying wolves was more than Fallon could handle.

She cried for what seemed like an eternity to her. Finally, her sobs began to quiet down and she heaved less until she had completely stopped. A long silence followed as she took comfort in Justyn's presence. Finally, her face still pointed toward the ground, she spoke in an almost inaudible whisper. "My mother is dead." Her voice quivered as if she would burst into tears again, but she managed to hold her composure. She spoke low, as if she feared that speaking the truth would somehow send her tumbling into a dark pit of blackness. For the first time in her life, Fallon was scared.

[[Midnight]]

Frankly Justyn had a feeling what was about to come, but he wasn't prepared for it nonetheless. His heart sank when he watched her face, respectfully quiet as he waited for her to come clean with what was on her mind. He knew she was gathering her thoughts and also fighting to stay above hysteria, much like he himself did when he felt emotionally distressed. The silence seemed to get to him, as he was about to come forward to her side, jaws parted to speak, when she suddenly jolted forward and crashed into his chest. It took him by suprise, and he stumbled slightly, but stayed on all fours.

As still as stone, Justyn stood in place and let Fallon cry for as long as she needed to. Momentarily, he was at a loss what to do to comfort her, mostly because he had never had to deal with a crying wolf before. He had seen Rose scream rage and cry painfully, but at the time, he had purposeful caused her the sorrow and was in no position to offer her a comforting chest to cry on. That was the first and last time for Rose; now she still held her emotions inwardly, even when Justyn knew she could cry a waterful of tears.

He did not like Fallon's pain and wondered what caused it. The first thought to come to him was something to do with Duke and her Beta position she so badly wanted. He wondered if that was enough to make her cry, and somehow he doubted it. If it was something to do with Duke, or any wolf for that matter, Justyn felt so angry at that moment that he felt ready to kill the one in question. Fallon was still crying, however, and it gave him enough time to cool his thoughts down a tad. His anger would not be of use to him right now anyway.

When she finally spoke, he almost hadn't caught what she said. He was silent at first as he tried to make it out in his head, and then it clicked. It surprised him immediately. He remembered when she spoke of her mother. It was brief, but he understood that she didn't care much for the female. It was her father that she had cared for. Still, his heart went to her. Even if they hadn't gotten along, it was still her mother. Justyn took to trying to hate his mother for a while, too, but now he only felt pain when he remembered she was dead, and it was because she had given her life to protect his.

He neck wrapped around hers to cradle her comfortingly. He still couldn't think of the right words to say for something so tragic, but he would do his best to lessen her sadness.

"I'm so sorry. I'm here for you now," he rumbled softly, feeling sad for her. Justyn did not like death and the way it left behind scarred loved ones. It was an enemy too powerful to face. "Cry as much as you need to, okay?"