And for all the roads you followed...

Small spots of sunlight sneaked silently amid the intricate grid of vegetation and logs, and the warmth and stuffiness could be smelled by almost any creature that dared to venture inside of the overgrown brushwood. The large femme was no different, and she filled her lungs in short puffs, inevitably moving and pushing particles of vegetation that danced in the air around her. She strolled a little deeper, evading every branch or root that could get in her way as she turned her head right and left, amber eyes carefully looking for the perfect spot to place her body and rest.

It was not the first time she had come to this place. Even if it was winter, and the territories of Relic Lore were for the most part covered in the white cloak of frozen snow, these past days had been sunny and calm, and it would often get almost too hot for the heavy winter coat that covered Akila’s prominent body. The Thicker of Secrets was the perfect place for her to stay –she had decided not too long ago, after month of exploring and learning- if the weather out in the plains wasn’t the most propitious. Its exaggerated vegetation didn’t let the sun shine for more than a few parts, keeping the place fresh, and making it a pleasant place to be for cold-natured beings like her.

The cream femme tensed one side of her mouth in a smile at the sight of the spot she had decided to choose. She lowered her nostrils to the mossy ground, sniffing every particle she could get, making sure there wasn’t anyone around, and then proceeded to lay her bushy body on the greenish floor, ready for maybe a few hours of slumber and sleep, just until the hotness of the ambient had gone away.

She landed her head over a slightly protruding root strategically chosen for that purpose, and with a last gaze at her burdened surroundings, she closed her eyes. She had to admit it, were this moments the ones that made her feel grateful about having crossed all the way to Relic Lore. The light pelted wolf loathed to sink in dark memories and thoughts, but how could she forget all of that? She had witnessed too much suffering, she had passed through too much to just forget and carry on with the pain.

But she had no other option.

Her mind began to wander, slowly remembering little moments of her past life as a Beta. Those memories wouldn’t get eclipsed by the dark ones, she was perfectly aware of that. She wouldn’t permit it.

Akila would have sworn she was already sleeping when the near sounds of branches crunching, maybe splitting under what sounded like steps, inundated her mind, depriving her of her sleep, slumber that had now switched to interest. Amber eyes scrutinized the place, searching for any visual proof.

And for all you did not find...

And for all the dreams you had to leave behind.

And for all the roads you followed...

And there was the proof. Golden eyes blinked a couple of times before adjusting to the new sight of the light fur of the stranger entering the perimeter the slumbering wolfess could cover. Another wolf, Akila could distinguish, and one eyebrow lifted over her eyes at the strange sight the Thicket was bringing today. Her nostrils exhaled in a rough sound, lifting dusty particles around her head as her limbs forced her weight to lift and balance on her four paws. Then, she regarded the newcomer, slowly tilting her head forward as she tried to discern her personal scent from that of the stuffy air that danced over the obscure place.

It was a female, and although her presence could make the stranger pass for a small adult wolf, the juvenile scent clearly told her age didn’t even reach the first year of life. A pup. Akila’s mind couldn’t hold a small breath of joy at the sole thought of it. It was not a secret, nor it had been in his deceased pack, that her debility were, and had always been, pups. Her lips formed a tender smile, and her large head nodded as an acceptance to the almost unnoticeable apology the young one had pronounced. She approached a few strides, and softly paused a few steps from the young female. She looked nervous, but then again, what kind of pup wouldn’t feel uneasy in that kind of place, with a strange –and big- beast like she was as company? The cream colored vixen sat on her rear, eyes still regarding like a soft caress. She didn’t want to scare nor intimidate her, yet she still couldn’t hold a few hints of curiousness.

“What are you doing here, littlewolf?” She asked with the same motherly smile, attempting to break –at least a little bit- the apparent tension the smaller one seemed to feel around them, Then, her nostrils moved the quiet air once again, seeking for any hint that could make her ascertain where had she come from. The small one held other wolf’s scent all over her snowy pelt, and Akila decided to adventure in supposing she belonged to a pack. After all, such a small pup wouldn’t be able to survive alone. “This is no place for pups. Shouldn’t you be with your pack?” the fair femme questioned.

And for all you did not find...

And for all the dreams you had to leave behind.

And for all the roads you followed...

Tender muscles tensed where the warmth of a smile was shown, and the amiable gesture widened, transformed in what sounded like a quiet chuckle to the adult femme. She gazed with observant eyes of a natural kindness as the small wolfess wavered between her own thoughts and doings, and soon found her mind faintly amused by the sight of the small, clumsy –and apparently scared- child. The massive beast widened her ears to carefully listen to the demure voice of the petite youngling. The voice sounded quiet and hesitant, as if there was some sort of remora holding her throat from voicing her thoughts, but Akila’s mind was on how very much she enjoyed the juvenile sound of a young one’s bark, and how distant it had seemed to be for her for all these lone months. The faint voice rushed through her breathed air like a sweetened song to her ears, and another quiet titter came out of her nose as a whisper to her own ears and inners when she had finished with her listening. Amber eyes scrutinized forward one more time, another deep smile drawn on her face.

“So we have a little hunter here.” Her own voice came out like a soft bark, as if she was afraid to frighten, or hurt the littlewolf in some way. “Why that’s very noble of you, wolves have to fight for their pack.” The softened current of her voice came to an end, and the beige femme found herself wondering briefly whether if she was talking rightly to the kid or not. It had been so much time since she had had a small child under her sight and care, and the latter memories of such task were so painful to her own heart, that her mind had distorted her vision of the matter, hiding any evidence of her darkened past from her immediate way of acting. Perhaps the smaller wolfess preferred to be treated like a full-grown lady, and she was looking like a complete weirdo talking at her with her natural –and almost uncontrollable- instinct. But Akila shrugged, why would he hold her own way of acting? She enjoyed the company of pups more than she enjoyed any other thing, and hell with whoever tried to make her hide that trait of hers.

Her eyes and mind returned to earth as she felt her words flow out of her body in an almost automatic bark “Can I know your name, little one?” she interrogated with her habitual softened voice, her body doubting for an instant whether if she should lean on her snowy belly to make the small one feel more secure with her presence. “I am Akila Ulrin, and I am not here to harm you, in case you were thinking badly of this poor woman.” The bark ended up with another deep snigger, then, caramel eyes were directed to patiently wait for a response.

And for all you did not find...

And for all the dreams you had to leave behind.

And for all the roads you followed...

Elation. It was an elation of some sorts what lingered inside of the gentle beast with every second that passed in company of the sweet youngster. Her ears widened greatly when she waited for the pup to voice her answers, and her skull tilted a few degrees as the little one started talking. She seemed to be a tiny bit more confident about her actions now. At least, the smell in the earth had eased with every soft word she had provided to the child, which was, undoubtedly, one of the best signals in such an uneasy situation for a young one. Not only it helped the child feel more relieved as every second passed, but it also brought good memories of her precious past as a pupsitter. Those were good times. The best of times, she thought, and perhaps she hadn’t lost her touch as much as she had begun to think in these past months, in which her solitude had even made her forget the sweet smell of a vivid pup.

Akila’s smile reinforced when she noted the faded smile the small lady carried over her dark lips, and her snowy ears made her best effort to catch every one of her words, her head still slightly tilted in concentration. As her humble words faded, her countenance reflected her obvious disappointment about her expected lack of ability. Although the large femme couldn’t quite catch her precise age over her flowing essence, she was almost sure that she was still young to be hunting out alone. Perhaps her intervention would help more than interrupt, she thought, making up her own words in her mind before letting them out. “Oh, I bet you are.” She cooed softly, both encouragement and understanding made evident in her speech “One is not born knowing anything, after all. Perhaps you’d like the assistance of an experienced huntress to help you with your skills?” her soft bark transformed into a risky offer, her voice purposely exaggerating her appellation of her own self with a paw lifted in signal of emphasized solemnity.

The young one had also mentioned her name. Arlette. A beautiful name to give to a child, much to Akila’s opinion. Feminine yet strong, perfectly worthy of a noble wolf. Her mind found itself still entangled into her thought and opinions about the girl’s name that the next question to be voiced caught her completely off-guard. Her image of the young Arlette, noble and delicate at the same time, as her name suggested, was abruptly banished from her mind as the new question resounded inside of her brains, making her stare in utter confusion for a tiny thousandth. Her faint snout exploded in some sort of an abrupt chortle as a reaction, and it took another good pair of seconds to recover her composure. Now, she was completely sure that she was, perhaps, forgetting the randomness of the young she had always enjoyed so much. Oh how she rejoiced in the pleasure of joining their games, a decision she had decided to take now. Ears hid at the back of her crown as her large skull approached the other’s face in a grimace of faked secrecy. “Will you keep a little secret for me?” she spoke in hushed tones, her smile however betraying her acting “I used to be a hare once. But let me tell you, being chased by wolves was something I didn't like very much… so I decided to become one!” she recovered her previous stance once she had finished, a white brow lifted in amusement as she waited for a reply to her playful lie. The innocence, it would never cease amazing her.

And for all you did not find...

And for all the dreams you had to leave behind.

And for all the roads you followed...

OOC: shortie >_<

Phew. The cream coated wolfess let out a slight sigh of relief as soon as she the little hunter accepted her help, a squeak coming out of her mouth in a childish motion of excitement. Akila limited herself to nod lightly to the young one, offering once again the warmth of her smile. Amusement of some sorts filling her entrails with every second she spent in parliament with the light colored fae.

Amber eyes widened among the yellow ones of the young Arlette, an imitation of sorts taking part at the response to her harmless lie, just to show once again her king and usual expression. She gazed with elation as the girl accepted her absurd fantasy with a content smile, and then asking more of the fantasia. “Well, hares aren’t my preferred meal, of course… but I’m not the one to hunt here… so let’s say I’ll look somewhere else when the mighty hunter makes her final strike” she barked, lilting voice followed by a blink of one of her eyes in dedication to the one she was referring. “Are you ready? We don’t want to be late, do we?” everything said now, the bulky female proceeded to lift all of her weight, her vastness surpassing by far the one of the child as she shouldered her, directing her padding to, perhaps, a clearer spot of the asphyxiating Thicket.

And for all you did not find...

And for all the dreams you had to leave behind.