It had all started innocently enough, the wolf having slogged through the snow away from her small cave that she had found big enough for her own skin, and that of the young wolf with her. Having left him with the remains of a small fawn she'd found yesterday, it was time to hunt again. She had followed her normal path through the Thicket of Secrets before slinking over a fallen log. She had found a few rabbit dens here, and if she was lucky, a fawn or calf.



She lowered her nose to the snow and began rooting around it until she found what she was looking for - tracks of a rabbit or two. With a feral glee, the wolf followed the scent trails until she found a small hole dug under a fallen log. Despite the fact that she would have been irate had someone dug at her home, she had no such qualms about digging into the rabbits home. A low growl had escaped her throat as she braced her hind feet and began digging at the entrance of the hole, sending snow flying every which way.



So absorbed in her digging, she hadn't noticed the approach of another predator looking for a meal in the heavily covered landscape. The sounds of a log crunching to her right caught her attention and she froze, lifting her head and testing the wind for a scent of anything. It wasn't the scent that told her, but instinct causing her to turn and freeze upon seeing the Brown bear standing on the log. Both predators froze as they noticed one another for the first time. It was as if time had frozen, not a single sound as both regarded the other, and even the wind had fallen silent, leaving their fur unruffled.



That silence quite literally exploded as the bear roared, shifting its weight to its hind legs before barreling towards the she wolf in a ground thundering charge. It was the charge that broke Vlarindara from her frozen position and gave her the courage to turn tail and run...like she had an angry bear on her tail. The wolf managed to keep ahead of the barreling animal for all of ten seconds before she ran into a veritable wall of brush and brambles. Her inexperience in this area was her downfall it seemed, and as the beast charged at her, she was only backed into a corner.



Vlarindara spun and snarled, letting her hackles raise as the beast thundered towards her, sliding to a stop and rearing to its hind legs, a massive bellow ripping through the quiet of the forest. The bellow was all the warning she had before the thing crashed back to the ground, shaking some loose snow off the nearby trees. Even before the bellow of the bear had faded, the blood curdling snarl of a wolf had lifted in warning.

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src=http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SvwPAhUm8f8/TTNnNYS9VAI/AAAAAAAABbI/KRzfm3Lpygk/icon_001.png align=right hspace=5>What Borden did not intend was to wander farther than Wild Cherry Orchard, to indulge in his curiosity, to get entangled with the dense vegetation that made up the area that created the Thicket of Secrets... His ears perked forward at the sound of twittering birds, the scurrying of squirrels, the quick gait of something fleeing his heavy footfalls. A doe? A fox? Rabbits? He shook his head and continued through the thick underbrush; he just hoped he would be able to get out and get back to the mountain. Every now and then, he rubbed his sides up against a tree or large stone, planting a marker that would hopefully lead him back the way he had come.

A bear had come this way. He wrinkled his muzzle at the scent, recognizing it from the time when he had wandered into one while attempting to fish in a river. The memory was from a few years ago, though, and his father and uncle were quick to collect him and end the lesson. A low growl rumbled from his throat and he pressed on, if he saw the creature, he'd be sure to let it know that he was not a canine to be messed with.

Taking his time with navigating the area, he happened upon a fractured log and two sets of tracks, one pursuing, the other fleeing. He lowered his nose to the ground and padded about the area. Not just the bear's tracks, but wolf tracks. Straightening his posture, he surveyed the small glade, though it wasn't long until the air was shattered by a deep, echoing roar. It was rare that the two species met, and when they did, it often resulted in both going their own ways after intimidating one another and finding their opponent unworthy of a fight. This wolf, it seemed, had been unlucky.

Catching her scent, Borden wrangled his way through the thicket, his body and the path he was making twisting and turning wherever he could run to find the source of distress. It was probably foolish of him to have come in the first place, but he had to know what the thicket held and if many often wandered through. For all he knew, he could've brought a few squirrels back to the pack den or perhaps make a new acquaintance; but, this, oh, this was something else.

His stocky frame wriggled between two trees, his eyes finally taking in an unsettling sight. There, caught between the a hulking brown bear and a tall hedge, was the female whose path he had traced. As the bear bore down on all fours, her snarl pierced the air around them. Not even thinking, his charcoal lips curled back and through a set of sharp teeth, he let loose a thunderous growl. He prowled to the bear's right, snapping his jowls as a threatening display. Begone, he warned.

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The addition of another wolf had not been something she would have counted on, and it was obvious in the way she reacted, freezing against the bramble wall. It was the bear who helped her move, having looked between the two wolves with reproach. Instead of going after the one most likely to give him a problem - and allowing the other to escape, the bear turned on the female and charged her, his paw sweeping out to take a swing. Generally, he would have left her be, but food was scarce enough and he disliked sharing it with a wolf, let alone a wolf he knew he could easily finish off. Bears weren't picky about their meals, and in all honesty, were scavengers and animals of opportunity. When faced with a being that smelled of illness and disease as she was, he couldn't just let the opportunity go to waste.



Vlarindara had managed to avoid the charge by the skin of her teeth, which to say wasn't very much. His swipe had clipped her hind leg and sent the wolf sprawling into the snow in a heap with a high pitched and unladylike yelp. Being that she was out of the way, the bear turned and charged the healthy wolf - best to run him off of his meal. As it stood, he had every intention of making the best of the wolf he'd found - the only good wolf was a dead one. Granted, not all the canines shared his point of view, but that was only a disagreement. The lumbering beast first tried to intimidate the male wolf by charging him.



He really hadn't wanted to get into a fight with two of the beasts, but if he could keep the sick one out of the way, then dealing with the other one would be simple. Theoretically. However, unknown to him, the female he had thought out of the running was getting to her feet and gaining her footing back. Being taken on a tumble by a bear was enough to put any wolf on their heads. She knew she could run and leave the other one to deal with the bear - but that was just no way to go about things. Besides, it was technically her responsibility that she had brought the thing here so she had to see it through. The snarl loosing from her mouth cut through the air, but was lost in the growling of the bear as it charged Borden.

[dohtml] src=http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SvwPAhUm8f8/TTNnNYS9VAI/AAAAAAAABbI/KRzfm3Lpygk/icon_001.png align=right hspace=5>Claws raised, Borden watched as the bear raised a massive paw, not towards him, but her. The foe’s movements were definite, substantial, and, not to mention, hard – the fights he and his brothers waged against one another were nothing in comparison. The brown bear could easily bring one, or both, of them to death’s door. Borden made to snap at the bear’s forepaw as it swept across the area, but the closing of his jaws clicked as his companion cried out in pain. His ears folded back, taking blindly into account that she had been hit.


Looking through his eyes was like tunnel vision; his instincts to fight had him raging, half-blind in the nearly enclosed space. All he could see was the bear’s face, its eyes ablaze with anger. All he knew in that instant was that he wanted that bear out. Now. Whatever it took, he would ward it off. No exception. His hackles raised, he emitted another threatening growl, recovering from his miscalculated strike. The beast didn’t want to listen? Fine. Bears, he knew, were not often thought of as creatures with spirituel minds.


As the bear had successfully gotten the female out of range, separated Borden from what was possibly his only true chance of survival; the mountain wolf squared his shoulders and lowered his head. His black-tipped tail waved across his back as he continued to flash his teeth. If she had decided to bolt in the heat of battle, so be it. He’d find a way to escape. Somehow… If she stayed, however, the chances of them surviving this encounter would increase.


Prowling to his right, he watched as the bear eyed him now. Then, without warning, it charged. Borden, being nimble on his feet, attempted to dodge the attack, attempted to strafe fully out of the way. If he managed to pull off the maneuver, he’d dash around his opponent and collect distressed damsel, usher her deep into the thicket where the bear could not easily go. If he could do that, well, at the moment his mind could not comprehend what was next. He just had to buy them – not just himself – time to run for it. With her injury, his strength alone could not win this struggle, he had no choice but to consider evasion.

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The she-wolf had gotten to her feet in time to see the bear charge the second wolf. Of course, this left her with the option to simply run, but even injured - she refused to leave another to the jaws of the bear that had been her blunder. A snarl loosed from the throat of the white beast and she moved in as if to snap at the bear - to pull his attention from the male in front of it. Of course, seeing Borden charging out around the bear gave her pause - he was quicker than he looked, that was for sure. It didn't take her much to turn and run, allowing the other wolf to essentially herd her towards an opening that she could use to escape to freedom.



She lagged slightly in the deep snow, but just as it hindered the wolves - it hindered the bear. The moment they passed through the underbrush, Vlarindara fell into line behind her sudden companion, simply moving without thinking about the crashing behind them. Of course, the large bulk of the beast wouldn't allow it to follow them, and the growl of outrage followed their flight. After a time, she came to a stop, panting harder than she should have been before glancing behind them and listening, watching to see if the beast had followed. Thankfully, she couldn't see it anymore - it must have given up the chase. Her attention turned back to the wolf who had distracted the bear, and helped her find an escape.



A slight whine as she let her ears fall back and her tail slide lower, almost between her legs but not quite. He was certainly a wolf who belonged here in this land - so it wasn't her place to assume dominance over him. Not to mention that if he chose to take offense, he would have thrashed her almost as easily as the bear would have. Though, should she have been able to choose - she'd have chosen a run in with a wolf over a bear. The female crouched lightly in the snow, lowering herself instinctively to become a smaller target.



"Thank you for the help.." Her tone was soft as she spoke, a light whisper if anything, if not a bit hoarse, as if she hardly used it. The female kept her eyes lowered, and did everything she could think to keep herself non-threatening, and not to get his attention in a more.. adverse way. Though, if she could have chosen, she would have bolted as fast as possible to avoid a possible confrontation. "My apologies for bringing such a thing into your home. Had I known it was closer, I would have left before drawing attention to myself." She had moved slightly, creeping backwards almost a snails pace - ever so slowly to put distance between herself and the male.



"I will leave your lands as quickly as possible..to avoid further confrontation..." It was hard to judge her age, by size alone, she could be fairly old, but her mannerisms and her innate submissiveness made her seem younger than what may be assumed at first estimation. Of course, size meant nothing when there was patches of fur missing from past warnings of other packs - mostly on her hind legs and haunches. It made her seem somehow...less intimidating than she might if even at full health. At least, that is what she hoped, and she hoped he would let her leave without further injuring her - or calling his pack to his aide.

[dohtml] src=http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SvwPAhUm8f8/TTNnNYS9VAI/AAAAAAAABbI/KRzfm3Lpygk/icon_001.png align=right hspace=5>Success. Borden’s tail tucked underneath him as he dashed around the back of the bear; his nose lightly nudged the ivory female’s side, catching up with her was easy enough with his stocky limbs. “Run!” he shouted, following her under and through the dense vegetation. The bear let out a frustrated roar behind them and Borden clenched his teeth together, not wanting to look back. He had survived, they had survived. The thought alone was relieving, even more so after realizing the massive creature had stopped following for several minutes now.


Healing, now, would be in order, at least Borden thought until he looked at her fully for the first time. A whine broke the silence and he tilted his head, watching her fold her ears and slightly curl up. His pale gold eyes studied her with care, his own posture relaxing in concern for her well-being. She then offered him a gentle and appreciative thank you, an apology, the acknowledgement that he had possibly owned the thicket, a farewell, and an expectation of anger from him. Wait… was all he could think of, his jowls opening at first without being able to force the word out as she backed away.


Over the course of seconds, he struggled to string his words together. “I…” he sounded. He shook his head and sighed, beginning again in a pleading tone, “It’s… P-Please.” His gaze upon her softened and hints of sadness started to appear all over his face. “Please don’t’ go,” he breathed. “Wait.” The sight of her was enough to cause him to worry – her leg had been nearly snagged by the bear, the marks on her flanks and muzzle, her frame being lithe and rather underweight. Where was she going to go… looking like that?


Waiting to see if she was going to stay or leave was going to be a waste of time so he blurted everything out. “I don’t know what you did to that thing back there, but I’m glad you’re not its next meal,” he began, his voice trembling now from the adrenaline rush. “There’s no need to apologize, I didn’t even know bears could be around this time of the year; I’m- I… I come from the mountain and how I managed to get all the way here, to find you and ward that brute off, I’ll probably never know.” He paused to swallow and take a quick breath, “But, please… D-Don’t apologize. Stay, rather. Your leg…” He gestured with a slight nod to her, “I don’t want you to get hurt any more than need be.” As he finally quieted, he questioned what he could or should do; his uncle had been a medic, and though he listened attentively to the silver-backed male, he could not, for the life of him, remember what to do if he or someone else was injured. Taking into account that winter had swept away most of the plants, he was sure there wouldn’t be anything to prepare for her wound either.

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At first, she was shocked, at hearing the gentle, pleading tone of the male in front of her. It was strange, as he was the first wolf in this forested area she'd had a ...closer contact with aside from the adopted pup, Raigo. She had stopped when he'd said wait - more out of reflex than anything, and she did have to admit, being able to have something of a conversation was relieving. When he mentioned that bears weren't around this time of year, the she wolf held her tongue - she'd seen a few on her travels.. beasts who remained awake during the winter months.



The gentle tone of his voice and his own hesitation was as much relaxing as not having been chased off. She found herself sinking back onto her haunches by degrees, and had only noticed the movement when her hips grew cold from the snow. The cold ground covering did wonders for her sore leg, though the cold in general tended to aggravate the old scar over her shoulders. His offer to stay drew a soft gasp from the female, and she looked around nervously, as if it was some cruel joke before returning her attention to the kind male standing before her. "Do you..speak for your pack? I..wouldn't want to encroach or cause further problems for you. Most wouldn't accept a packless wolf, let alone one such as myself. " Despite how hard she tried, she couldn't seem to keep the faint feel of hope and longing from her voice. Nor could she keep the matter-of-fact tone from it either - something she had come to accept on her journey.



She had scented the air, testing it for smells other than those of the wolf before her, but she still looked worried, concerned. "I would wish to avoid further injury myself...I can't provide for myself or the pup if I am.." A hint in her tone belied exactly how worried she was for not only herself, but the young pup she'd brought with her. Another interesting item of note should one be conscious enough to notice - she'd said 'the pup' not 'my pup', though she claimed responsibility over it. Though it seemed she carried herself slightly differently, not by way of rank, but simply the mere thought of a home - somewhere she could stop wandering... Of course, she hadn't said it in so many words.



Another furtive glance around brought her attention back to Borden, and despite having settled down slowly, she still had her back tucked firmly against the thicker parts of the brambles. It may have been uncomfortable, but she refused to leave her back to a possible threat - even if he didn't seem to be one quite yet. Still, she couldn't shake the chance of a home - even temporarily.

[dohtml] src=http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SvwPAhUm8f8/TTNnNYS9VAI/AAAAAAAABbI/KRzfm3Lpygk/icon_001.png align=right hspace=5>Heart beating rapidly in his chest, he exhaled in relief as he watched her sit. He didn’t even mind as she warily glanced around, he had expected her to do so. Lowering himself onto his own haunches, Borden’s brows furrowed as he listened to her speak again. “My pack? Well, somewhat,” he answered. “Alexander is the alpha of Midnight Plateau; I am simply his eyes and ears away from Mount Dire. A scout, a guard, if you please.” For some reason, he wanted to spike a little humor by stating that most would invite her into their pack, given that she was, indeed, without a pack. The sentence sounded better in his head though, and he kept quiet as she observed the area, all her senses acquiring any information she might have missed.


As she spoke once more, commenting about her leg just as he did, she mentioned a pup. Borden even noted her choice of words, and he gave her a nod. A rogue wolf caring for her pup – singular, one and only - was not an odd idea in his book, but “a” pup was honestly something that drew his interest in her. When she returned her gaze to him, he averted his after studying her for several quiet seconds. It was rude to stare. His eyes and ears pierced through the foliage, confirming they were quite safe, at least, for now.


Not gazing back at her as he listened to the silence in the air, he asked, “How old is the pup?” By his tone, he was merely curious, and instead of asking if the youth was nearby, the age alone would help him assume if she had left the youngster in a makeshift rendezvous site or told him/her to meet her elsewhere in a matter of hours. By character and his genuine nature, his heart went out to the both of them. Winter had probably been quite cruel thus far, especially with the recent snowstorms. “Are they expecting you soon?”


Doubting Alexander would allow him to bring her to the mountain if he invited her to accompany him, Borden kept biting his tongue. He wanted to help. Desperately. Perhaps the youth would be an excellent addition to the pack - an apprentice at best - and with three adults being able to provide fo-- The mountain wolf silently scolded himself. Wishful thinking wasn’t the way to go, but, oh, what to do?! He wasn’t an alpha and had no say to accept her and the pup into the pack; the invitation… wait. His tail gave a slight wag as he replayed what she had said. “I’d be willing to help you,” he offered.

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At first, she hadn't wanted to give any more information than she already had - it was simply too dangerous. But as the wolf spoke, she found herself oddly trusting of him - perhaps it was that he didn't seem that secured in his own rank above others.. or he simply didn't scare her - not yet. The female lifted her head and glanced off to the south, her ears shifting as if hearing something before returning her attention to Borden. She knew she had given away the direction Raigo was in, but she was confident he wouldn't find the rascal - at least so long as he stayed hidden. He'd done well so far.



"I'm not sure of his exact age. If I had to guess..older than six months but not quite a year old yet..." She seemed to frown, shifting slightly against the brambles and in the snow. While she was calmer - and seemed to be trusting of the male, she had kept her back to the brambles, and her forelegs tucked up against her delicate underbelly. Her tone had gone softer as she spoke of the young wolf in her custody, she did care a great deal for him. "He's not old enough yet to learn the more complex mechanics of hunting...far too young and too ornery...but he listens...and no, he's not expecting me back until nightfall.."



Her head lifted as she seemed to glance through the filter of the foilage above them, as if judging the time until nightfall - not long, but she'd have some time yet. Plenty of time to lose this male if he became troublesome..but his offers of help were earnest at least. They seemed so at any rate. That he'd mentioned he was the eyes and ears of his alpha, he'd neglected to mention that he was the mouth of the alpha as well... Which made her doubt the chance to have a home - even a temporary one...She had found that while the winter had been hard, some packs had originally offered her refuge - until they'd found that she was incapable of hunting the larger game required to sustain the pack. Not for lack of size - but strength and endurance. No pack wanted to allow another hungry mouth to feed that wasn't a pup and couldn't pull their weight. She had gotten stronger since her last run-in with a pack.. so perhaps she would have better luck in this new land.



"I would not think to inconvenience you....Let alone for someone you don't know...but perhaps we could use the assistance.." She seemed almost cautious as she considered accepting his offer, and her thoughts were flying - she knew that she would have enough time to get back to the small cave she called home - taking into account the soreness of her leg. No doubt it would cause some problems as she returned - she'd come quite a ways in search of a meal. The she wolf got to her feet with a near-silent whine as her stiff leg was forced to move. Thankfully the claws of the beast hadn't cut into her flesh, but it didn't change the fact that even a glancing blow from an angry bear was enough to permanently cripple a wolf - she'd been lucky.



After getting her feet beneath her, she straightened to her full height - favoring the leg just a bit as she took a few steps towards Borden, careful to keep her body language submissive. "I will have to get back to him before dark falls...I fear he might try to come looking for me. You are...welcome to come along if you need a place for the night?" A moment's consideration and the female smiled lightly, glancing once more to the South. "I haven't introduced myself...Vlarindara Windrunner...if you wish, you can shorten it to Vlar." The expression on her face was gentle, but she hadn't run, or backed back up against the brambles - and was even offering lodgings. She couldn't exactly offer a meal - most of whatever she caught went to Raigo.

[dohtml] src=http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SvwPAhUm8f8/TTNnNYS9VAI/AAAAAAAABbI/KRzfm3Lpygk/icon_001.png align=right hspace=5>She answered his questions, continuing to express her suspicions about him by means of body language. Borden wasn’t even bothered, simply nodding as he took in her replies. The pup was barely a yearling and still learning. He also wasn’t anticipating the female’s return until the late evening hours. When she stated how she didn’t want to inconvenience him, he couldn’t help but give a smile and shake his head, “I honestly don’t think you could hinder me in any way at the moment.”


Until now, Borden hadn’t realized the delicateness of their situation, how the pup exclusively depended on her and how she constantly battled against the elements despite her injury or injuries. “Consider it a deed,” he smiled, watching as heaved herself onto her feet. At least she wasn’t severely wounded; the bear’s swipe didn’t break the skin on her leg. The heaviness in his chest was relieved slightly as she straightened, drawing close to him. Seemingly deciding to trust him, even just a little, she offered him not just an invitation to tag along, but her name, full name even.


In a matter of seconds, he wondered if his superior, who was probably heading up the mountain for the night at this very moment, would question his whereabouts. If he stayed with Vlarindara, it would probably be only for the night; and, hopefully by now, Alexander knew that it wasn’t uncommon for Borden to disappear for a mere 24 hours. He would return to the rocky slopes before sunset the following day to check in with the large gray- and white-pelted male, customarily exchanging news and paying his respect to him. Okay, so maybe the alpha wouldn’t miss him. Perhaps it was alright to accept her invitation; he could help her hunt and keep watch while both she and Raigo slept soundly.


Truth be told, Borden could not turn her offer down, if he could assist her, without a doubt, he would by any means available to him. “Well, thank you,” he said, his smile broadening as his tail gave a few more wags. “I truly appreciate it.” He paused, taking in her facial features, and the trust she was slowly grasping by not withdrawing from him. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Vlarindara,” he bowed courteously. “I’m Borden Lyall.” He did notice that she hadn’t offered him to join the duo for dinner, but that didn’t trouble him either; in fact, the rabbit that Alexander had provided him for breakfast that morning was a generous meal. If anyone was to be dining this evening, it would be Vlarindara and Raigo; they needed the nourishment more than he did.

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