Shade gazed around the clearing in the fen, there was something almost strange about it. Everything had fallen into place, he had everything figured out, but something felt strange almost, still, he pushed on. He padded through the clearing and into the forest beyond; he was far from home, very far from home he would also say. Still, he didn’t care, he needed to do this, and this friend meant a lot to him and that was why he took time out to visit. He personally wanted to visit her because he had sent Silver over to her, and he hadn’t visited himself. He had gotten sidetracked though, he was in a place he knew well, the place he took his first paw steps into the Lore, and then some. It was here he met Skana, who ended up joining Willow Ridge shortly after he had.

So many memories were on the side of the lore that he barely visited anymore; west of the Serpent’s Pass. Memories yes… but most of them were bad, and so he left his life there behind for a new one, with new wolves who respected him, trusted him. A new life with his two little pups who had their mothers blood, but not her looks {what a good thing for him because he was an emotional mess when she left}. He remembered Rosealia so clearly, she had the sweetest accent that could woo any man into following her, and she had the most adorable smile. His eyes were filled with sorrows as he thought about when she started to distrust him in a way. He thought that Nina had told her something of his past that he had purposefully avoided. He… in a way... regretted many things that had happened, and that was why he settled down in Dragonfly Fen, in Pitch Pine Trail, to get away from it all.

The evening sky stretched out above him, the setting sun was off on the horizon as he arrived at the lagoon he had visited more than once. The place was almost sacred to him. He recalled when he had run into Nina, Sloane and Narime at the lagoon, and shortly after he had felt unwelcomed in there little gathering and he had left. He wasn’t a very popular or even a much liked man. He was pretty sure that Nina hated her, and Koda might have started taking to his mate’s beliefs that he was ‘evil’ or whatever she thought Shade was. Shade still remembered the first days, when Narime always had that smile, her eyes were always shining bright and she was always so happy, but when he had seen her last it wasn’t the same. She seemed to be duller, like she was worn out, though he would expect as much from pups and that shining in her eyes seemed to be gone. But at the same time, she had caught him deep in her territory so it was probably just leftover hostility for his little mishap.

He felt like clawing at a tree, or perhaps scraping at an animal, what animal he didn’t care, with his eyetooth. He was frustrated, because he was having a hard time doing the one thing he wanted, dropping the topic of everything of his past, Rosealia, the pack that he use to serve and protect. Part of his heart had been left behind when the other ninety nine percent had moved on. Now, he was stuck in this phase of transition. He had a lot to look forward to going home, he had the thoughts of Spectre, the woman who served beside him, and who would, when spring came around, he a mother. Then there was his two little pups who were always so energetic, even when they had a bad cough like Karpos had. But part of him feared going home to the pack.

He figured out a lot, like the reason he fell for Rosealia, and later on Spectre. Rosealia had been so frail, fragile, and he had trained her, did everything in his power to make her strong and in that process, they fell in love. Then they had a terrible fight, one thing led to another and she was avoiding him. Then, something magical had happened, they had recovered, and mended the wounds, she healed and then they had two little children before she disappeared, taking that one percent of his heart with her and leaving the pups for dead meat until he had found Anastasia who cared for them. Spectre had been lost in the woods, only a name she made up herself to go by, she had forgotten who she was, and in a way, he thought he could turn her into Rosealia, though he realized how silly that was.

Spec had been an amazing wolf, many things were thrown at her and she overcame them all and now she stood at his side for everything, or almost everything. He had promised her that he was over Rosealia, but that one percent, that one percent was getting in his way. He looked into the water, fading out until it reached the upper parts of his leg. He gazed up at the sky and howled; that was all he needed to do. He just needed to howl everything away, though he would not dare to how back home, where everyone could hear his sorrows that he saw as his weak state. That might encourage wolves to challenge him for his spot as leader, which of course he would be able to take care of them easily with his 5 odd years of fighting experience, excluding when he was a pup himself.

The stars in the sky had started to faintly appear as the sun sank even lower in the sky. It was like they were all there with him, Shadowstorm, his mother, everyone who had passed that he had ever cared for was singing to him from the stars. He was foolish in his own mind, perhaps he had gotten in over his head even with that. But he would never back down, and that was final. He was falling up, and he was just a heartbroken wolf on the road to recovery.

Shade turned when he scented Elettra, his eyes were not filled with fear, nor were they filled with pride. It was anger as he still had the belief that Rosealia disappeared because of Elettra and her pack of vicious and demeaning wolves whom he once belonged to. The scent of Pitch Pine Trail had faded a bit, since he had been away for about a week, but there was still the distinct scent and Shade knew when she attacked it would be a fight he could not lose. If he lost, Elettra would easily be able to track the scent to everything he now knew. She could track it to Ace, Capella, his first followers as well as Anastasia. Perhaps she would seek out his pups directly. She flew right by his side, he had moved a bit in natural reaction that caused her miss.

He hissed at the female he once curled his tail at in fear. There was a growl in his throat towards the female as he leapt at the form of Elettra, latching onto her shoulder with one fluid leap, biting down hard. His tail was raised and lashing back and forth in pure anger, aggression. He just figured this was a good way to deal with everything. It was a way to deal with the death of Shadowstorm and the disappearance of Rosealia. Venting his anger in a fight was always what he seemed to do best, especially when he facing old enemies. She was like a demon, plaguing his mind with worry that she would one day find them and wreak havoc on the pack he work so hard to create. It was simply, complicated. He hoped to hold to shoulder and weaken her.

Shade hissed, letting go of her shoulder, but then rushing himself into another attack. Sure he had left, but he saw it as his way of freeing himself, though his thoughts might have been a little twisted, he launched and clawed at her side as he past her left side. When he landed, his eyes widened, another Willow Ridge wolf by the scent.... and Spectre. What had she been doing here? He only put more effort into it, his eyes cautious now though. Spectre was there, and he was dumbstruck, had she brought more of the pack? Shade knew that the pups could never make it over the Pass, so they were at least on the other side. He had so many things to fight for, and he knew that if Elettra did have her wolf join in, he had Spectre to hold her off. No, this was between him and Elettra, and him and Elettra alone.

He didn't care about the surroundings suddenly, his tail lashing as it was curled up in aggression, a snarl on his muzzle, his teeth bared for a fight. This would end with one of them respecting the other, or one not moving, perhaps one submitting or even one fleeing. He just hoped he had the strength, for it not to be him. He had no doubt in his mind that Elettra was a strong wolf, he knew that because he had served under her for 6 months, even leading beside her for a weak and she always had that strength, but he knew, or at least he believed, he had the will power. A hiss, his eyes locking with his enemies, a fierce determination in his eyes. He may be older, a bit weaker than her, but none of that mattered in his mind.