Drooping Willows Through thick and thin...

Koda smiled and gave a satisfied nod when she finally began to eat. He noticed that she had waited for him and it warmed his heart. He was equally as hungry now and ripped his meal up into pieces small enough to <span class='word'>glutch</span>. Not much interested in the food, other than as sustenance to keep him fit to protect Nina, he finished quickly. When she finished her own meal and moved over to him, he sighed with contentment. He was perfectly happy to lay peacefully with his love for a while before they had to leave and gave her a gentle nuzzle to show her.

The feeling of perfection that overcame him when they were together was there and giving him a warm feeling. He wished that he could tell the world that she was his mate, but the timing was not right. It might never be right for the outside world, but it was for them and that would have to be enough, at least for now. He suddenly had a thought and it brought him great joy, but he was unsure of how she would take it. The words were on the tip of his tongue, but something held him back. He was unsure whether it was doubt or the fear of changing something that was already near perfect, but he decided to wait at least until they stopped for the evening.

Reluctantly, Koda stood and licked her golden brown cheek lovingly. With a sigh he said, <b>"It is time to be on our way, my love."</b> He would enjoy every minute that they had together and he gave her an encouraging smile, golden eyes warm with love for her.

Arla and Emma are the ish and made my pretties!
Koda will most likely always be accompanied by Chiron unless otherwise stated, or requested.

His smile. . .his voice. . .it all melted her to the core. There was nothing like him being next to her forever, and she knew that it couldn’t happen. . .and that was the sad thought. They would be living miles apparent, but their love wouldn’t fade, they could live miles apart and they would still know where to find each other. She nuzzled him back once and then soon the two of them were sitting in a comfortable silence. Something she happened to know didn’t happen between many others. Between them it seemed as though they could talk without actually forming words. And that was how she could tell something was bothering him. . .but she didn’t pry him. . .she would wait until he came to her. There was no point in forcing anything out of him.

Watching him closely when he spoke, she sighed. She didn’t exactly want to go yet but she knew she had to. So with a quick nod she got up, ready for the long day ahead of her. She knew it was going to be painful, but with Koda by her side she could get through it, just as she always had. She waited for him though, for she needed his support to walk. Her broken leg made it hard to walk because she wasn’t quite used to walking on three legs instead of four and she still needed a little bit of time to get used to it. In a few days she would be back with her family and away from her mate.

It seems when you're around, my life is complete.

(Slight bit of PP, hope it's all right. I will change it if you want me to!)


Koda saw that her reluctance to give up their little interlude was as great as his. It was something that both of them would have to learn to live with, but their time together now was not over yet and he would savour every minute he had with her. The happy warm times and the sad, pained times like this moment. He knew that traveling, even at their veritable snails' pace was painful and awkward for Nina. He did the best that he could to help her but really, aside from a figurative and literal shoulder to lean on, it was all up to her.

He made himself feel like he was doing more by forever scanning the land before them. He hadn't yet let go of the fear that Ash would come back and try to finish the job. If that devil's mongrel even looked at Nina, he would simply be dead. Koda made that promise to himself. He could not stand his love being in constant danger. Knowing how in-tune that they were becoming... more by the minute, it seemed... Koda shook off those thoughts. He would do nothing to bring Nina down, so instead he simply focused on her and getting her where she needed to be.

The minutes turned to hours and the sun was now high in the sky so he encouraged Nina to rest. She had leaned on him from time to time, but heroically forged on. She had such a heart, but her body was so damaged right now, that he didn't know how she could go on, even at their slow pace. They came upon a shady spot with a trickling brook to drink from and there he insisted that she rest. <b>"I know that we have a long way to go, but let's rest now and I will try and catch us some lunch."</b> Since the fare was smaller and they were traveling constantly they, meaning Nina, needed to eat more frequently. He gave her no chance to argue about stopping as he darted off to find what he could.

Arla and Emma are the ish and made my pretties!
Koda will most likely always be accompanied by Chiron unless otherwise stated, or requested.

((It's fine. :) As for me. . .totally brain dead, this is the only thing I could think of.))

For hours the two of them walked in silence, and it was appreciated, for it only gave her more energy to focus on walking. She would hardly even let her back leg touch the ground, but after while. . .her limb started to tire out and she just had to let it drag out behind her. She took comfort in knowing Koda was walking with her and was comfortable knowing that when she needed something to lean on that he would be right there for her when she needed him. Her heart warmed when she was around him and just being around him made her happy. That was why when Koda finally made a stop and claimed to go get the two of them some lunch, she didn’t complain, she simply lay down.

It felt good to lie there and relax for a little while, she didn’t want to wear herself out right now. But she knew she was wearing Koda out. . .she could see it. He was taking good care of her but sometimes she thought that he was not taking care of himself. He was going through so much to try and help her out and she was just useless. There was absolutely nothing she could do to help him out and she probably wouldn’t be able to help her pack mates out either. She couldn’t hunt. . .she obviously couldn’t fight. . .the only thing she had left was her medical knowledge. She wasn’t sure if it would be enough though. . .one would hope though.

It seems when you're around, my life is complete.

Koda returned in short order with a couple of squirrels. The pickings were slim and he was anxious to get back to Nina. The food would be nice, but she needed the rest and the water even more at this point. When he got back to her near the brook, she looked exhausted and had a sad and faraway look on her face. He hated to see her like that, but he knew that so much had changed for her so fast... It had only taken her brother mere moments to derail her life. <i>Well, not all of it</i>, he thought. She still had him and he was sure that her pack would stand by her. If they didn't, then they didn't deserve her. Then she would be free of her responsibility and free to be with him. A moment of selfishness passed over him and he wished that they would turn her away. But no, that would cause her immense pain and he would never wish that on her, so their relationship would stay the same. Always together at heart, never enough in real life.

Shaking off his thoughts, he lay both small creatures in front of her and went to get a drink. The cool water was quite refreshing and he drank his fill, before laying next to Nina nuzzling her and saying, <b>"I will find something for myself in a bit. Please, eat sweetheart. I'm going to rest for a few minutes."</b> With a sigh, he lay his head on his pale paws and felt a heavy exhaustion come down on him out of nowhere. His eyes closed and he took a deep <span class='word'>abstergent</span> breath before drifting off into nothingness with no warning.

Arla and Emma are the ish and made my pretties!
Koda will most likely always be accompanied by Chiron unless otherwise stated, or requested.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/bluepups/NinaTable.png); background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; padding-top: 312px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px; text-align:justify;">When she looked up briefly she saw a flash of Koda’s golden pelt. He had returned to her, with four scrawny squirrels. But she knew it would be enough for the two of them. She could share, there was no need for him to go get more, for she knew he needed rest. And she would allow it for him, for she knew that he needed the rest highly. Once he settled down, his sleep was almost immediately. She was sad to know that she was the one causing him the exhaustion and it only made her want to leave to be on her way on her own, but she knew that eventually he would catch up with her. Just as he always had.

She grabbed two of the squirrels in front of her and ate them quickly, leaving the bones on the side and watching Koda. She then nuzzled the other two over to him, keeping silent. She then he muzzle onto her paws and watched him. Her dreams were in her mind and she wanted to think about them closely. Could there possibly, one day, be little Nina and Kodas running around beneath their paws. She supposed they were just thoughts that a female should have about her mate. She couldn’t help but long for it . .little pups squirming beneath her paws.

Nina had always had a connection to pups. She thought it was because she was a healer and that she was always taking care of them before and after they were born. But now she wasn’t sure if there was more to it or not. Could the female possibly have her own personal longing to have pups and being close to them was just a simple comfort for her? It would have made sense, but she could be happy with Koda without pups. They both knew it probably was never going to happen, and that was a risk that the two of them were very willing to take.

For a while, Koda's sleep was deep and dreamless. The tension of caring for Nina and constantly being on the alert for another attack from her brother or the cruel fates had caught up and he was firmly in the grasp of exhaustion. Eventually, he dreamed and his dreams were beautiful. Nina was safe and unharmed, by his side. Their happiness was almost magical and he smiled in his sleep. Everything was perfect, from the sun shining down on them to the water gently flowing by them, the perfume of flowers and herbs bathing them in calmness.

Then, in an instant, everything changed.

<i>He was returning from a hunt, plump birds dangling from his mouth, feathers making him sneeze. Suddenly, a dark shadow came over the land and Koda looked up to see an image of Ash looming over him, fifty feet tall, laughing evilly. Koda's hackles raised at the mirage and he looked around frantically for Nina who should have been laying peacefully by the water's edge. She was nowhere to be seen and his heart raced wildly, keeping pace to the wicked chuckle. Then he saw her... she was in the water, fighting the current as it inexplicably grew stronger. She was paddling weakly, going under repeatedly as her broken leg was no use. All of the blood drained from his face and Koda took off at top speed, running until he felt as if his heart would burst.

He was no closer to her, but the mirage changed until it was just Ash's giant transparent head before him. <b>"She will die, as she should have. You can't change that!"</b> Koda ignored the taunting and redoubled his efforts, the the distance between him and his love never decreased. All of his efforts were not enough...Then she went under again... this time she did not come back up and Koda's heart was in his throat. He could not breath as he watched the surface of the water for any sign of his love and there was none. The water stilled and she was simply... gone. <b>"Did you really think that you could save her? You're a fool! She had to die! She had to die! She had to die!"</b> The image slowly faded, but the mantra repeated endlessly and Koda's heart broke over and over again. <b>"NO!"</b> His scream was filled with utter despair as he died inside.</i>

Koda jumped to his feet with a snarl, trying to attack the mirage of Ash that was already gone. His tear-filled eyes were red with rage and he whipped around snapping at the air, before he fully awoke and realized that what he had lived, what he had felt with every fiber of his being was not real. It had obviously been a nightmare. The worst nightmare he could possibly imagine... his sweet Nina's death.

He saw her laying there, a shocked look on her beautiful face. Surely he must have just looked insane, but his joy at seeing her alive and by his side was overwhelming. He closed the small distance between them and lay down with his head on her shoulders for a long moment, embracing her, while a wave of trembling relief passed over his large body. He couldn't even speak, all he could do was hold her as he tried to convince himself that she was alive and well.

Arla and Emma are the ish and made my pretties!
Koda will most likely always be accompanied by Chiron unless otherwise stated, or requested.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/bluepups/NinaTable.png); background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; padding-top: 312px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px; text-align:justify;">He slept so peacefully and it made her smile. . .but then he started thrashing around in his sleep, startling her. What was wrong with him? He muscles froze beneath her pelt and she couldn’t move. What was wrong? And just as soon as it started, his thrashing ended and he woke up. He soon was by her side, his head on top of her shoulders. What was wrong? She rolled over on her back, wincing slightly in the process, and looked at him with concern.

She then put a paw on his cheek and tilted her head slightly, "Koda, what‘s wrong? What happened?"

Her one good orb searched his brilliant golden ones in wonder. It had obviously been something to do with his sleep, he must have been having nightmares too. Why he hadn’t been talking to her about them, she wasn’t going to ask. But she was highly concerned for him. He looked overly terrified by the dream, or nightmare, or whatever it had been that had interrupted him, in his peaceful slumber.

For long moments he just lay with her. When she rolled over and touched his cheek gently his heartbeat slowed down and he felt as if he could finally breath again. She was truly all right. She hadn't drowned in a demon spawned river. The only water near her was the tiny little brook that they had drank from earlier. With a sigh he answered her question, <b>"Just a dream my love. A very bad dream."</b> He oversimplified it because she didn't need to know the details, especially now, and he didn't think that he could relive it himself right now. He could still almost hear the mantra in his head. How he wished that he could have ended the threat to Nina's life permanently.

He looked into her emerald eye, his own golden ones dark with emotion. <b>"Promise that you will never leave me."</b> His entreaty was almost a whisper and raw with emotion. The rational part of him knew that there was no way that she could truly promise what he asked. Never to die and leave him alone in this world without her. The part of him that was still terrified of losing her needed to hear the words. Now it was his turn to be a basket case...

Arla and Emma are the ish and made my pretties!
Koda will most likely always be accompanied by Chiron unless otherwise stated, or requested.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/bluepups/NinaTable.png); background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; padding-top: 312px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px; text-align:justify;">Her tail wagged slowly as she watched him, worry coursing through her as she watched him closely. He seemed to calm down slightly though. When he finally answered, she didn’t pry for anymore information, if he wanted to tell her what happened then he would, but she didn’t want him to say anything that might end up hurting him. He seemed to be sleeping fine until a small while go. But now he was just thinking about what he was going to say next. And when he did speak what he had to say shocked her. She couldn’t promise that to him. Because then if something did happen then she would have broken her promise to him.

The look on his face broke her heart though and she sat up and nuzzled him affectionately on the cheek and nipping his fur slightly. Love shown brightly in her one emerald orb and her she then nuzzled him once more. She loved him so much, and she would keep the promise, to the best of her abilities. Now looking at him, she realized once more how hard it would be being away from him for so long. She didn’t know why, but the fact they wouldn’t be able to physically see each other injured her soul.

She then smiled at him and whispered, "Only to the best of my abilities. I love you."