Secret Woodlands Earthquake

Edited so's I could add my pretty, and to accommodate for the thread

He stood at one of his usual border posts, and from time to time he could swear the scent of the diseased wolf still drifted down the border, as if following him, and his head spun from it, dizziness would attack him if he thought of the little scrap for too long. He felt terrible, he had wanted so badly to run her off forever, and he didn't care if she died even now it made him sick. He couldn't be bad could he, what would posses him to have those thoughts, to leave a sick wolf to die like that? Hadn't Azariah even told him she had been done that way? Then why would he even dare have those thoughts in his head?

It couldn't be right, he couldn't be that cruel but he had felt it. The young wolf got up and continued down the border, marked it one last time, and turned towards the sound of water. When he came across the small stream and stopped to drink his reflection stared at him looking depressed, dejected, and angry, with himself. However Hollow drank and began to trot towards his den his mind filled with thoughts of the sickly wolf dead in the forest somewhere because of him. His head hung low and he almost howled with the agony it caused him. It was true she was deathly i'll, contagious, a walking death sentence to them all but did he really have to feel hatred towards her? It scared the young male at how he himself had reacted to what had been said.

Was that what the rouges had felt when they killed his parents, complete disregard for their lives, for his? Maybe he should leave, if he was going to run off every wolf who came to the borders in a weakened state, surely he could not do well by Nina, and now Koda. Hollow felt so wrong in his skin, as the evening sun sank he made his way to his small den halfway between the main one and the borders. Sadly he gazed into it and was reminded of the windswept day he and Azariah had stayed in the makeshift den he had made east of his in the thicket somewhere. He wondered back to that day and if their little hole was still there His heart always stirred for her but if he was turning into something cold and careless he could not let himself be with her.

To add even more to the desolation he was feeling Sloane had left to find his mate and start his own pack. The friend he had made in the russet male was no longer around to help him when he was feeling down. Not to mention the embarrassment he caused himself in front of Sloane and Nina when they talked about mating. He whined softly to himself and stopped at the mouth of den and sat in the cold, letting the snow cover his pelt. After some time it began to sting and make him feel very cold, yet he still did not move. Hollow was nearly as defeated as the day he had come to the forest."Speech."

(This post was last modified: Mar 09, 2013, 05:16 AM by Hollow.)

Azariah wandered around the Thicket, exploring as usual, committing every plant and every tree to memory. She was so accustomed to cataloging flora that her mind was free to wander on thoughts of her new life. In her birth pack, she'd been ostracized for her weakness, forever forbidden to truly be a member. Only Solarra had loved and cared for her. The Healer alone had care whether the small golden fae lived or died and she knew in her heart that Solarra was no more. She'd known that her long and full life was coming to an end and so she'd sent Azariah off to find her true Destiny.

She'd been lead here, each piece of the puzzle slipping easily in place to lead her to the Secret Woodlands pack, nestled in the Thickets. Here, she had friends, a leader that accepted her and a young man that had claimed her heart as surely as if it were his own. She had to admit that they had not known the time when she'd been ill, since Solarra had finally cured her of her recurring near-fatal illness. But she could not imagine them sentencing a sick wolf to die as her parents had.

This thought of course brought the fae from the borders to mind. Their illnesses had been far different though. Azariah's had only threatened her health. The girl Anne, she'd had the Walking Death. She threatened the life of everything that had breath. She prayed that the girl had found some kind of peace before the illness took her from this life, but from what she'd seen as a pup, infected wolves minds were gone in the end.

Thoroughly depressed after thinking of her past life and the poor waif she'd drifted away from the borders towards the center of the territory. Coming back to herself, she reminded herself of all of the good things in her life that she had to be happy for. As if the thought had been pulled from her mind the scent of Hollow wafted to her. Wagging her golden plume happily she sped up to a trot to catch up to him.

When she finally did, she came to a sudden stop. She'd found him, but he looked so forlorn that she wanted to cry for him. He was sitting in front of a den, his she assumed and the snow was slowly accumulating upon his dark pelt. Why didn't he go inside? What had happened? Approaching him slowly, compassion filling her sea blue gaze, she gently nuzzled his scruff and licked his cheek, before settling at his side. Sharing her warmth with him as he had with her not so very long ago. "What is wrong Hollow? She coaxed him back to the here and now with her gentle voice.

Destiny leads and I follow...for I am Destiny's Child

as long as you don't mind this will be just after Ashanti goes missing, and just before Simaea's arrival

She came from nothing, she was just suddenly there and there were two things noted at that very moment, first was the shivering that began to make him violently cold. Then was the scent, every other females scent had changed, yet hers remained the exact same. But instead of asking about she had to go and ask him what was wrong and that was it. There was not one more drop he could take. She came to him like the angel she was in his eyes and just had to ask. What is wrong Hollow? that was it. His eylids slid down over the odd shades in his eyes and his head did not move at all for he could not look her in the eyes with what he was about to tell her.

"Everything is going wrong. I wanted her dead Azariah, that she wolf, I know she was threat but I wanted her to be dead right there. I didn't care, Sloane and Nina knew what to do but I just kept hoping she would leave and die so she couldn't come back" Sloane, of course that would prove to be a painful thought as well the russet leader was gone too. "Sloane's gone now, I have no idea where Kashi and Durai are half of the time, I'm tired now because of the border runs and Ashanti's gone somewhere it's been two days. I think I'm so tired I can't even scent you properly." Everything came out, barely coherent but it was there everything was being bared to the golden she wolf and he was not spilling his heart and soul.

"I just want to be a good guardian, I wan;t to keep you and everyone else safe, but I feel like I'm losing my care now. I can't do that, I can't let myself turn into that." Hollow felt as if his world was falling down around him, and the only little flicker of hope were the words he didn't say, burning in his chest with a warmth that was only matched by the fur of the she wolf at is side I just don;t know how to tell you. What was he to do when he could not even bring himself to utter a few simple words? It would all fall down he was beginning to feel sure of it.

She watched his beautiful eyes slide shut, seeming almost tormented. It seemed her simple words unleashed a torrent of emotion that Hollow had been holding in. he had so much worry and doubt and frustration apparently just boiling beneath the surface. Her tender heart broke for her kind-hearted man. He made her feel so special and wanted, needed even. She could not stand to see him so distraught. He had been there for her and she would ever be there for him. He just didn't know it yet. Though she'd never said the words out loud, she loved this kind wolf and his tender heart to the depths of her soul. She would be there for him until the day that she died. However long the Fates that had spared her gave her gave her, she would give to him, her everything.

As the words spilled forth she listened, leaning into him with dark golden ears flicking to catch every word. She understood his torment over the sick one, his sense of loss over Sloane's departure, his boundless sense of responsibility to them all. He hadn't even missed the fact that her scent hadn't changed as all the other female's had. He missed nothing. Did he even realize how very much he sought to take on his young shoulders? She nuzzled his scruff in silence for a few moments, merely listening and digesting every word and emotion, not wanting to stop the venting of all that was bothering him. His emotions were plethoric and he needed to let it all out. lest he drive himself mad with all of it.

Though she was young and inexperienced in dealing with other wolves, some innate instinct told her what he needed and she prayed that it would also aid her in saying the right things to ease his mind. When his words finally came to an end, he seemed so forlorn that for a few moments, she merely bathed his cheek and ear with her delicate pink tongue, silently telling him how much she cared. Then her soft voice finally spoke. "Hollow, you ask too much of yourself. Of course you wanted her gone. She was a threat to us all and your instinct told you that she needed to die. It was a cold hard fact, hard to face but impossible to ignore. You wanted to keep your family safe and that is a good thing. It does not make you bad in any way. That fact that you are worried that it does proves that you are not emotionless and losing your care, as you put it." Her voice trailed of for a moment to give him time to absorb her words. This, she felt, was the biggest issue right now. She honestly couldn't fathom that he feared losing his feelings. He was so kind, loving and devoted that she couldn't believe her blessings that he even looked her way.

She shifted so that she could look him in the eye and then nuzzled him again, waiting for him to open his eyes and meet her sea blue gaze before continuing. "You do you job better than anyone could. You guard the borders and keep tabs on everyone, making sure that they are all right. I know that it's part of who you are, but remember that that is the Alpha's responsibility too, not just yours. I know that you miss Sloane. He was more to you than just an Alpha. It's OK to miss him. Maybe one day soon, if Nina and Koda allow it, we can journey south to see him and his new mate!" This last she said brightly for the idea truly did appeal to her and she wanted to lift his mood. She needed to bolster him right now as much as she needed to breath. He had steadily become her everything. The thought frightened her a little, but not truly in a bad way. She had simply never needed someone so much and she desperately needed him to be happy.

(This post was last modified: Apr 08, 2013, 07:14 PM by Azariah.)

Destiny leads and I follow...for I am Destiny's Child

At first all he felt was the rhythmic lap of her tongue over his ear and cheek and that was enough to soothe his weary and stormy soul. When she did begin to speak it was like the sound of a spring day, perfect harmony always resonated through the young male as the golden yearling spoke and he always wished she would never stop. His eyes remained shut for a few moments as he just let her voice come into his ears. It was as if she sang to him when she spoke and it made the corners of his mouth twitch upwards just a little. If Azariah doesn't think me wrong, then maybe it's still okay, maybe it doesn't have to fall apart. From the rising tide he felt in his heart he was very reassured by her words and the beating of his heart that he was not becoming emotionless.

Silence met his ears once more and he heard the rustling of movement and felt the form of Azariah move from his side. His eyes opened once more to gaze into the striking sea blue gaze of the golden she wolf. It was just like the first time he had ever seen her and he was stricken, held in place just by her eyes. She spoke once more and was successful in reassuring young Hollow, even her suggestion of visiting Sloane one day was a soothing thought. What she said was true and it was also up to the alphas to keep everyone accounted for, in the same sense it was his job to make sure his alphas were okay, for they would always be the rock of the pack, the reason it thrived would be because of them, the young they would bring and their determination to keep the pack alive. Which was always another driving factor behind his own determination.

Azariah nuzzled him and all at once a very strange feeling over took Hollow, it was an odd warmth that spread from his toes and into the rest of his body, and once more he found himself stepping towards her almost out of his own volition. His nose touched hers and he held it there and his muzzle opened, "I'd like that, I just don't want the pack to... to have the same fate as my family." He realized he had never even thought to tell her of his past and the upbringing he never got to have so the yearling took a deep breath and withdrew his muzzle. A solemn look crossed onto his features and he traced hers with his eyes. "They were killed by rouges when I was barely old enough to hunt for myself, and I could not forgive myself if the pack were to ever be attacked and befall the same fate. I... I even have nightmares about it, If... If I lost everyone again... especially you, I just don't know what I would do."

The words again came to the tip of his tongue and again his mind shied away from what he really wanted to say, because I love you. It was maddening that he wanted so badly to say it, but the thought terrified him, terrified him of her answer even though it was apparent she liked him, he didn't know how much and whether or not her affection ran as deeply as his.

Bit by bit the tension seemed to leave him as he heard her words and she was thankful that she'd been able to give him some peace. He did so much and tried to be so strong for everyone, including her. He was her Knight in Shining Armor, but that didn't mean that he didn't need someone to lift his spirits and give affirmation to his sometimes herculean efforts to do it all. She loved him and longed to truly be his princess, but she felt an all-encompassing satisfaction at being the one to steady him in the turbulence of life. Somehow, being here for him, right now, was the most important thing in her life and she was grateful that she'd found his trail when she had. In time to drag him back from the abyss that he'd been teetering on the edge of. To bring him back to her... She flushed hotly at the thought, but reminded herself that she had yet to tell him of her final secret. He might figure it out if he put two and two together, but with all that he'd had on his mind, perhaps not. Would knowing turn him away from her? That thought caused an actual physical pain to her heart, so she turned it away. Hollow needed her steady right now, not an emotional wreck.

As she finished speaking, she was as felt lost in the sea of Hollow's eyes, loving their uniqueness and the wolf that they graced with all of her young heart. She longed to tell him that she loved him, but she feared baring her heart and then having it destroyed if he turned from her. It amazed her to think that this one wolf had more sway over her than her old family and pack ever had, even combined. What he thought of her mattered. Because of Solarra's gift of love, what they had thought had never truly mattered. It had saddened her occasionally and at moments angered her, but these feelings had been fleeting at best. Hollow, Nina, Koda and all the rest of her new pack mattered to her. As a pack mate, her condition could only be a benefit. If she were to ever become Hollow's mate, it would make all the difference in the world.

Her small tangent of thoughts were brought back to the present when Hollow's nose softly touched her own. The light tough sent a slight shiver down her spine, making her tingle lightly as his touch usually did. The words that he spoke then did break her heart. It was no wonder that he tried to take the world on his shoulders. He had lost everything too, but in a much more brutal way. At least she'd had Solarra. He'd had no one and nothing after losing everything. Now, he had a home and the same fear continued to plague him. Words escaped her as his pain and fear washed over her. She moved forward, boldly embracing him, stretching to wrap her golden head over his neck and shoulder in comfort.

As their hearts beat against each other his words sounded again in her head, but the ones that tightened her throat were ...especially you... The raw emotion and these words had her wondering, Did he truly think so much of her? Care for her that much...even above the rest of the pack? She had done nothing to deserve such devotion and she became even more terrified of his reaction when he learned that she could never have young. Her last hope that Solarra had been wrong somehow had died as time went by and her heat cycle never came. Pack law aside, she would never be a mother and if Hollow chose her, he would never be a father. He would be such a wonderful father! Could she truly deny him that?

She shied away from that thought once more, focusing on Hollow's fears. Backing away, her soft eyes met his once more. "Unfortunately, there are no guarantees in life as we both know all too well. But we are a strong pack and you are no young, inexperienced pup. You are a vigilant and vibrant guardian. I, for one, sleep well knowing that you have done your job and I know that the others do too. And if trouble does come knocking, we will be ready together. All of us." Azariah so wanted to tell him that she loved him and his valiant heart. She wanted to say the words so badly, but she could not. Not until he knew everything. Not until she knew that he loved her as she did him. The shame of it tormented the young fae even as she sought to comfort him.

Destiny leads and I follow...for I am Destiny's Child

The first sounds the young male heard were of silence, a whisper on the edge of hearing echoed in his ear. It's time His heart began to beat fast at the depth of feeling he saw in her gaze, just before she stepped forwards. He nearly ducked away as caught off guard as he was. Until his mind released it's tight grip on his heart and he stretched into her embrace. For a while he would stay quiet and just let himself be with her, feel her heart beat against his, he would let himself feel her fur against him. His eyes opened to trace the sea of gold along her back until he saw something rather strange, it was red. Rather her fur there was red, it was an odd shape but it spoke to him. She has imperfections as well, as time goes by there will be more imperfections, but it makes her better, for you know you will never be perfect and you will never be able to do everything alone. The voice in his head seemed to come from everything as if mother nature herself was speaking to the wolf. Hollow knew it was only his consciousness assuring him that what he wanted was not wrong. It could never be wrong If it felt like this

The dark yearling inhaled and her scent ran through him and filled him with a fire he had never known before, causing him to hook his head around her neck and press more tightly into her fur. Warmth radiated from within the woodlands male and he could feel his heart and soul pouring over it filled him, and he knew it would soon burst. There was barely anything left to say but he did not care, she was here with him and no amount of words could ever replace that. Hollow felt now that he was hers and he knew she would forever be held within his heart. Assurance poured into his mind and soothed his doubts. This was true and real, it was not a fleeting glimpse at affection, nor was it a passing fancy or merely being enamored with beauty. This was love, this was what it felt like. The same sense of security washed over Hollow that he had when he was nothing more than a pup curled into his mothers belly next to his brother and sister.

"Oh Azariah.", he breathed softly to her, "I couldn't do this without you." It was true, for she had become the one thing that had given him the preparedness to lay down his life in the face of the terrible sickness that had been brought to their borders by Anne. She made him braver than he could have ever hoped to be on his own. She made him stronger than he ever dreamed and he could feel her in his heart, soul, and even in his blood even if she was nowhere in sight. It was the most pure feeling he had ever felt and it set fire to his bones and lived in the air that he breathed.

In one fluid motion he stepped back and away from the golden she wolf and his world stopped spinning. Hollow stumbled to his left as if dizzy for a moment, it all struck him so hard that his core was thrown off balance. Sloane's voice rang out in his head, he was just as right today as he had been all that time ago, Azariah was here, but no longer here in the sense Sloane had meant it. She was Here, with him. Hollow's eyes were as wide the blackberry fields adjacent to their home, he looked almost as if he were going to faint until he took a breath and spoke, "Azariah, you... you... uh... I.... N-no matter what... I'm sorry." His words were garbled in useless and he looked at the ground for a few moments feeling his heart sink. Follow your own good heart son. The voice of Hollow's mother came whispering into his ear. The black head raised and he locked eyes with the golden she wolf he loved so much, she could bring him back from the brink of disaster and just stand there and look at him as if it was nothing to her to save him. As if she wanted him always.

The words began to come from his muzzle without him even realizing it, "I love you, Azariah... Always, no matter what I will be here for you, you make me feel like nothing can ever hurt me." Rooted to the spot he stared at her as if he was about to burst into flame, he waited with a breath held that he didn't even know he had sucked in. It all lay bare for her to see Hollows very heart and soul were now cast at her paws and she could either love them, or she could bring down his world.