The canine had been traveling for more than two weeks now. Traveling through foggy rainy landscape that she was unfamiliar with. The nonstop storms had not helped her to travel quickly either. Instead the storms bogged the gray hunter down making it harder to catch food for herself and slowing her journey with off and on thunderstorms.

So it was simple really. When the thunderstorms started up the she wolf found shelter. As those storms subsided into a lazy rain she started out again. Perhaps this was the reason the journey to find Shade and his pack had taken twice as long as long it should have.

Right now the rain showers were giving way to yet another vicious thunderstorm. Crackling lightning forked through the sky and across the heavily forested landscape. Thunder snarled its anger down upon the sensitive ears of any wolves that were caught without shelter.

Narimé had, at the beginning of the storm, taken shelter in a particularly large fallen log. Her eyes were slits looking across the red ferns every time lightning flashed across the sky. To her it almost looked as if the floor of the forest was set on fire. However Nari knew that the plants were simply brightly colored. Likewise she knew that as long as she had taken cover and let her body dry off that she would be fine by the time the storm was over.

However this she wolf was not the only one searching for cover during this dangerous storm....

He had met a girl, a princess, named Aponi and then he had gone home. But once he had gotten the slightest taste of adventure, he had started to crave more. His eyes had wanted to see all of Relic Lore. He wanted to learn about his family and seek out those who had been friends with his father or mother. But the mountains divided him from what he truly wanted. He wanted revenge for the death of his father, the wolf named Elettra would pay with her life when he found her. He knew he could never take on a full grown wolf, that was just madness to think he could, but when he was older he would be just as grown as her. He would be able to take her on.

The storm was raging outside, his eyes were squinted as he attempted to see. He had found a log, yes, a log, but it was definately better than catching a cold again. He had hated it last time and he would surely hate it even more this time if he did. She shook off his fur once he had hidden, tucked into the warmest and driest nook he could find and he stayed there, hoping the storm would stop... it wasn't long before another tried to use the same log. He had simply stayed as hidden as he could... "Hello?" He called out the words softly, he could see silver fur and it reminded him of someone else, he just couldn't quite name who it was.

Narimé flinched startled at a voice directly in front of her deeper into the log. Her velvety black nose twitched taking in the scents of the creature who was hidden deeper within the log. Her bristling silver fur flattened as Nari recognized a pups scent. Though she could not recognize the pack scent that was upon the hidden lad. All the woman could tell was that it was a healthy male pup with the stench of many wolves, a pack, upon his fur. Not wanting to let the silence between them linger Narimé quickly answered the child.

"Little one. Who are you? Why are you alone out in this storm?" She asked gently knowing that she herself would not want her own pups alone in a storm like this. The motherly part of her wanted to reach out to the boy to comfort him if he needed it. However the silver wolf kept herself still unsure of whether the pups parents might be nearby looking for him. Narimé would rather not have her scent upon the dark child if his parents did turn up.

The silver female listened for an answer nodding quietly to herself as her eyes adjusted to the gloom. The cavern wolf was used to traversing the dark tunnels of her main den, so her violet blue eyes quickly grew used to the dark. What she saw was a brownish black mottled child with brownish amber eyes staring in her direction. She couldn't help but utter, "Don't worry I won't hurt you. " to the stranger boy.

The wind battered the outside of the log. A constant rhythm of rain splattering the earth enveloped the silence that spread once more.

"My name is Narimé Lagina Thorben. I'm a leader from very far away, but...Well I might be able to help you. If you are lost that is. Can you tell me who your parents are?" Nari was sure the pack scent coming off the child was not from Corinna's pack, and the child did not smell like Phineas either. Which meant that there was yet another pack she did not know of on this side of the mountains. Unfortunately for her Shade's scent was no longer upon Karpos for Shade had been gone from this world for a short time now. So the silver wolf was unsure where the pup came from. Getting his parents names might be useful if I can find them. Nari's thoughts echoed out in the splattering rain fall that tore through the silence.

Narimé's mouth opened in awe as the pup answered her first question. The mention of Rosealia's name caught her ears tugging her attention in further as the pup explained himself.

Her hackles rose bristling against the insides of the log.

"Elettra would do no such thing!" Nari found herself blurting out before snapping her jaws shut listening to the pups voice. Shade couldn't have... Is that why? She tried thinking of what could have happened to make Shade so late in getting to the planned meeting place. She knew nothing of Elettra's vengeance upon the male who disrespectfully left Willow Ridge hanging without a leader.

Narimé calmed herself quickly. She couldn't fully believe the pups words however serious they might have been said. Even while looking into the excited youths eyes she couldn't bare to think that Elettra would kill a past comrade.

As the prince announced his name Narimé flattened her muzzle and moved her nose forward to touch the boy in a gentle greeting. Her tail, even with her mind all a flutter, wagged in a friendly manner to convey that she still meant no harm. Karpos Slayer. You are my friends son. It is only right that I help him find his way back home. Nari thought slowly glancing back towards the floor of the small space.

"Auntie huh?" She gave a half smile while nodding as the pup then spoke of being lost. "Well I wouldn't be a very nice auntie if I didn't help you get back home. I mean... Neither of us like the rain that much do we?" She spoke simply with a roll of her eyes and a cheerful mask upon her face. A mask that hid the turmoil inside her heart. Narimé for sure would have to find out what happened if she could. However firstly she'd have to find Pitch Pine Trail. Secondly the silver wolf would have to speak to someone who was there. Someone who could give her both sides of the story. If Shade was alone on his way to meet me then... I obviously can't get much of a story there. However @Elettra... Nari shook her head quickly. El would not intentionally kill a previous pack mate. Not unless it was for a really REALLY good reason.

"How about we talk for a little while till the rain stops?" She asked quietly to the dark prince. "Do you know a good game maybe? Then we'll leave for home when the rain has finished." She nodded as if her idea was the correct thing to do.

She nodded still unsure of whether to trust the pups story or not. The young boys face told her not to push him with any other questions. Then a sharp answer from Karpos stated that he was in no mood for games. Sighing lightly the silver wolf shook her ruff in the small space of the hollowed log. Yeah, yeah I know... I hate the rain too... She thought quietly letting the pup vent for a few minutes. When he suggested she pick a topic to talk about Narimé had to stop and think about what to say.

Nothing about family or friends. Right now isn't the time for those topics. She closed her eyes letting the silence stretch between them. The rain battering the log and Karpos depression reminded her of a time that seemed so long ago now. A time when she herself had been a small pup hiding under the giant head of her adopted father. Saquanchan Lospire had been a great storyteller, and his stories had helped Narimé and her adopted siblings through a few scary times. The older woman was remembering the story he told her back during a bad thunderstorm where the pack had to take cover in the deep woods of their home.

"I have a few stories you might be interested in." Narimé opened her blue eyes and glanced sideways at the younger male hoping he would be interested in a story or two. Granted she could only remember a few of the stories Saquanchan had told her so long ago. However she hoped the stories she could recall were good enough to take Karpos mind away from the stress of what was going on around him. Even if it were only for a short time.

Narime could think of only one story. at that time. It was definitely one of the stranger ones which was probably why she could remember it so well. Though she herself was intrigued by the story Narime wasn't sure if Karpos would like it. Then he commented on a strange scent that sent the girls nose twitching. She could smell mountain goat, which the she wolf had seen only once before near Serpents Pass. However there was no smell of blood in the air so hunting them would be near to impossible since it was just herself and a pup. "That smell is mountain goat, but we won't be able to hunt them. They are too big for a single adult wolf alone." She commented then looked back to the boy.

"I do have one story though. A story about us wolves and another creature called man. " She looked down at the child then realized that he probably didn't know what man was. Not that she had ever seen one, but her adopted father had told her what they supposedly looked like. "Man is a strange creature that walks upright on only its two back legs. Apparently they are squishy, weak, slow, and bare of any fur. They will often cover themselves with the bright colored fur of other animals. You see I haven't seen one, but my Pappa dida few times." She explained quickly so that the boy would know what she was talking about once she got to the story.

"Now the story is how a monster came to be, but also how we survived the time of great snow." She had often wondered if the time of great snow had actually happened. Sometimes she would wonder how long ago this had happened and why the story was still passed from wolf mothers to their pups. At least it had been passed down to Nari within her pack.

"A long long time ago during the time of the great snow, us wolves were barely able to survive. There were other bigger badder wolf-like creatures and enormous animals out there that would hurt and kill us." She spoke softly trying to remember the exact words Saquanchan had spoken to her.

"...and the snow, it was deeper and colder than any winter we have yet to encounter. Animals without packs would sleep forever and freeze to death because of the cold." She shivered just thinking about such a cold climate. "Man also lived in packs so they were able to survive the cold. However just like us the bigger wolf creatures and giant animals would kill off the humans. " She paused for a moment letting the pups imagination run wild. He could probably think up worse scary creatures than she could.

"One day a mother wolf with two pups lay in her den starving because the rest of her family was killed by the larger wolf creatures. Then the scent of blood came to her. She stood up and walked out of the den all the way out onto a big mountain of ice. She found there a she man with her own newborn child. The female man had also lost her family and could not take living alone anymore. The she man was trying to kill herself. " Narime clawed at the ground. She could only imagine what she would have done in that situation.

"The spirit of the world looked down upon the two dying mothers proud of the wolf and man's tenacity for life even though all the other animals were far stronger and more capable of living in the cold world. The spirit spoke to them her wishes. She said, "You want to survive and make your kind strong? You must then become one and work together." the female man looked to the wolf unsure of what to do. The she wolf understood that working together as a pack would ensure survival but she questioned the spirit knowing that the lump of man cub would not survive the winter with her when it had no strong teeth or fur. The spirit then took one wolf pup and combined its essence with that of the man cub and gave it back to the she wolf then said, "Take this child and give the she man your second pup. Work together with her until you find your own once more..." so the mother wolf lived near the she man's den and they worked together for a long while to hunt and fend off predators. " She paused once more wondering if she had lost Karpos along the way with her story. Then began once more.

"The ancestors of that one puppy who lived with man turned into something called a dog. Dogs are just like us, but they come in more colors and owe their allegiance to man. " She quickly added the last part so that Karpos knew what a dog was. "While the female wolf took her other man pup child with her and found another pack of her own to join. " She was almost finished with her story. Though the man wolf pup was another story all together.

"So we wolves and man survived the great time of snow while the larger animals died off under our fangs as food for our pups." She grinned proud of her race of wolf and glad that she was not a weak man. Though curiosity nagged at her on what a man looked like. Narime had heard of them but never seen one. She had lived in the wildest parts of the world like Lore where man never enters.

"Would you like to hear the story about the monster now? The man wolf child?" She looked to Karpos wondering if she should continue or not.