Thicket of Secrets A Song Lost in the Wind

It had not been a long journey to where the new pack would be. Although his weak condition made it much harder than it really was. His whole life he had fought for with every beat of the organs in his chest. Two short years, two long years of a life time. He had used the land and the land was trying to use him yet again. Would he ever go a year without nearly dying? Death was the one think that you couldn’t grab by the throat and defeat and he hated it for it. He could feel words forming in him, sounds playing in his head he had to get them out. He raised his muzzle to the air and let loose a long howl. This wasn’t a calling or gathering howl, this was a song howl.

“Death is the friend we all share, the friend we must hate for what he does. Always at our shoulder, never at our side. We try to flee and he cripples us with pain and disease. His land is of blood and dead with crimson marks. His shadows cast over all of us, never letting us leave his domain.” His song was that of desperation, of truth and of frustration. He sighed and lay down on the slightly frozen grass “when will my eyes no longer see the next day? What will I do if Nina leaves me like the rest? I will be alone with death and probably just cease to live, isn’t that right death?” He merely talks to himself as he tries to calm his nerves.

With death comes life and with life comes hope.

It had been so long…so long since it had all happened. The harsh reality of what was to become of Copper Rock Creek been shoved into all of their faces. They were ready though…she knew they were, just a matter of timing now. When the time felt right, she would be able to make the final decision to when they could settle down. Her paws still ran over the thickets, the snow that now coated the area almost parting a way for her. Now that the snow had fallen it would be much easier to step on something, meaning that Nina wouldn’t be surprised if she had many pack mates hovering near by asking for some sort of help. Her ears twitched as her body moved, the adrenaline running through her veins.

Her small jog around the area was broken when a song filled her ears, one of sorrow…and the voice, she knew, oh so well. Her neck automatically turned towards the sound of the voice, her muscles pushing her forward, her golden fur glistening in the light. Concern filtered through to her one emerald eye, leaving her in a jumpy state. What had happened to the young man? As she became closer the other male’s scent teased her nostrils and she immediately sped up, her muscles tensing when she saw the scrawny form of Kashikoi. He was so thin…extremely thin compared to her. She approached quickly, her nose burying itself in his neck before offering him a quick lick to the cheek. What had happened? Her somewhat larger form looked even bigger compared to the small wolf in front of her. She was extremely concerned for her family. "Kash…what happened?"

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

(Haven't seen you in forever Kash, I'm throwing Ashanti in)

(267 WORDS)

Ashanti had spent little time at CopperRock Creek, but she had fallen in love with the secluded spring. Leaving it was one of the hardest things for her. Her eyes lit up as she searched for herbs, she'd planned to be the healer of the new pack that was being created. Of course she's have to wait until she'd been fully matured in order to claim the role. “Death is the friend we all share, the friend we must hate for what he does. Always at our shoulder, never at our side. We try to flee and he cripples us with pain and disease. His land is of blood and dead with crimson marks. His shadows cast over all of us, never letting us leave his domain.” The voice of Kashikoi came to mind as she heard the despairs. She searched through the Thicket, Kashikoi was a packmate, packmates were there for each other and Ashanti was determined to find out what was going on.

"You need not worry so much of death, but as time. Time is the greatest teacher, but it kills all it's pupils. For if one is too powerful for time, one is too powerful for death. Therefore when one reaches the point of almost too powerful for time, time hands them to death willingly. We are all at the will of time and death." She said, standing face to face with the wolf. Then the face of Nina she noticed too. A friendly smile as she saw her. "Hello Nina, hi Kashi." She said, proud that her friends were here with her.

The soft breeze that carried through the area shifted as if controlled by the song as it finished. With the shift of the wind it brought new scents to the scrawny wolf. His sensitive nose was able to pick up the flora decay of plants as the winds brought winter. There were two different scents however. One belonged to the formerly lamed Nina who was now much better. The other was not as familiar but it belonged to Ashanti. He had not thought that the two females would come let alone anyone in the area. He let out a sigh as his lone existence was interrupted. Nina wanted to know what was wrong and Ashanti was trying to impart wisdom.

He took a moment to decide who to answer first as his tail hung down. “Time is a tool of death, because death is able to control time not the other way around.” He said this to Ashanti before turning his head slowly to Nina. “Why is wrong is I am useless with no pack.” He stated this rather blankly before continuing “I can barely hunt enough to sustain me, I was never able to finish learning how to be a healer, and in a fight I’m just as useless at that as fighting something like an elk. That and I feel as if I am slowly dying out hear.” As if they had merely vanished he looked up at the sky before turning his head to lick at his side to clean his fur of the rough brambles.

With death comes life and with life comes hope.

It was not long before another one of her friend’s made their presence known and all Nina offered was a polite nod of her head to the girl as she spoke to Kashikoi. She knew the girl was wise, but perhaps right now was not the time to give out her lifelong advice. She knew Kashikoi well, and she didn’t doubt that he wasn’t listening, for she was sure that he was, but as usual, just as she had guessed he retaliated with his own opinion. Her tail flickered behind her easily when he spoke to her, emerald eye sparkling in sadness as his words became deeper and deeper. She knew the things he was saying weren’t true. He could survive without a pack, though his will was probably the thing that was keeping him back. Nina knew well enough when another wolf lost the will to lead their life. Whether this was what her pupil was doing, she was not sure, she just knew she wanted it to stop.

She nuzzled his cheek affectionately before he leaned down to examine his disheveled coat, and when Nina spoke, she held utmost certainty in her voice. "You are not useless, nor are you weak. You just need encouragement, my dear. You can hunt, you just need to push yourself. You can fight, you just need to find the will to do so. And you can definitely heal, you just need the heart and memory to do so." She nodded her head as she went along, knowing that it was quite likely that he would deny her words. She said them anyways, knowing that in the end he would take her words to heart, just like he always did. Though, just as usual, she would remain unsure if he would heed her words or not. It didn’t matter though, she wasn’t here to lecture him, more of to comfort him.

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

With those words, Ashanti knew to shut up, Nina was here, Kashi was there. But he was depressed. Maybe another comment? She knew a perfect one. "Kashi, true friends are like diamonds, precious and rare. False friends are like leaves, found everywhere. We need you Kashi, your a true friend. Though I've only known you a short time, I know that your a great wolf. We need you." She said, that was it, her wisdom. Her sense of hope and feeling that flowed out in these words. It was truly who she was, they needed to know who each other were.

Ashanti glanced briefly at Nina, she herself needed both Kashi and Nina to help her. They needed her as well. That was how a pack worked and without a member, a member missing, the pack would not, could not be a family. Her ears perked up as her scents picked up something. Her eyes narrowed around looking for it. Ergot. She loved the herbs, the herbal tongue of spirituality. Nothing to whinge here. Nothing at all. At least nothing she could figure out, she knew wolf's who whined about learning such things. But she found it fascinating how Aranna gave them the things they needed to survive and recover from all ailments.

She licked her lips slightly as Nina talked about hunting. She could use a vole, but she knew never to leave a friend in a time where they needed support. She saw this as a time when Kashi needed his friends there. Maybe she could call Sloane? Sloane and him were in a pack together, shared the same strive to keep iit alive, perhaps they could help one another. They were all family.

(This post was last modified: Jan 09, 2013, 09:12 PM by Ashanti.)

ooc your things are really hard to read by the way

The females we saying words to him but initially he wasn’t hearing anything. In his mind he was seeing them creeping towards him trying to corner him with their words. Perhaps this vision was caused by a replay of his past when the other wolves would corner him before taking bites at him. Perhaps it was caused by his body being deprived of what it really needed. The small brown male shook his head violently to shake the vision from his mind. He could hear them clearly now, Nina was saying that he wasn’t worthless which in itself was pretty hard to believe in his current condition. Next Ashanti said something about diamonds? What were diamonds? He hoped that they weren’t prey.

“I don’t know what diamonds are and Nina if you can’t tell; I’m in pretty bad shape. You can see it with your own eyes can’t you?” He gave off a whimper as his stomach growled slightly thinking about Nina mentioned hunting. He looked at Ashanti secretly afraid to stare at Nina’s single eye. The eye would be a constant reminder of his mistake. “I’m sorry both of you, I know you both care about me, but I guess I just don’t understand where I stand in this world right now. I know where I came from, I know this forest, and I know what I was and what I am right now. But I don’t like what I am right now…” He looked at his feet as he realized that he had slowly been stepping backwards.

With death comes life and with life comes hope.

Many words were exchanged…all of which Nina patiently waited to hear. She had a job to do now. She was no longer the side healer who followed every else’s command and orders, while helping her pack mates and others while waiting for the next order of business. She was now going to be their alpha, their top commander and she was going to have to know the order of business before she offered out the orders to them. She would not be an overpowering leader, but if she needed to be she would do so. It was not time for her friend to feel sorry for himself, and Nina could no longer possess the pity that she held for him. The only thing she could offer out was comfort and advice. Things had changed since Aeylen and Ruiko had left, and the change was noticeable. The golden brown female had toughened up and weakness was no longer an option for her. She had to stay strong, for her family.

When Kashikoi had finished speaking, her voice was not cold, but it held an edge of warning in it, as if though she were already on edge, which she was. “You have done unto yourself of what you have allowed, Kashikoi, you must eat and strengthen up. Find the will to do so, if not…may I remind you of your family.” She stretched her last word…if one hadn’t known her well enough they would not have been able to see the slight hurt in her one emerald eye. He would not look at her, and she feared she had lost her friend forever. She had done all she could to support him and to keep him strong, but she could no longer help him. The rest of his healing relied on himself and on himself alone. He was the only one that could save himself.

(This post was last modified: Jan 20, 2013, 11:30 AM by Ice.)

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

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         Ashanti decided to shut her face hole, for she was the only one here who knew of diamonds. The pack she'd been born into, Diamond Cove because of the elegant crystals in which if you looked, could be seen around. She looked at him with fierce determination. She listened to Nina speak of how much Kashi had to offer. How much he had, if only he could just find the will to do so. She agreed with Nina. Kashikoi was not worthless, he was a fit hunter, he could protect borders, he'd been there when Ashanti had joined Copper Rock Creek hadn't he?

       She let her tail wag slightly from side to side, she hoped Kashikoi to get better and be his former self, or as she knew him to be soon. To say the truth, Kashikoi was like a really great friend, where as most males hated her guts. She'd changed. She was who she was now, not the foolish girl she once was. Since her time n Copper Rock Creek and with the wolves she now called family, she was a healer, she was more mature then she'd ever been. She let her eyes look into his. She wondered what could be going on inside her friends head. Why was he thinking this way? It made no sense to her, it puzzled her and she went into a hypnopompic trance. She was thinking, lost in thought. She often got lost in thought like now. She looked attentive, but her eyes dazed, as if lost to the conversation.

         Is there more to this life then I know? Is there more then just being loyal to the pack? It was like walking between the raindrops, riding the aftershock beside my family. It was like being one family under the sun and nothing could change that. I can't let Kashi believe that he was worthless to the pack. He was part of the family and that was that. They would lose no one because they are worthless. For no one she'd met in copper rock Creek or who will be in the future pack. All the of them had a trait. It made them special and welcomed. she thought. Her thoughts deep and controlling of herself.

(This post was last modified: Jan 18, 2013, 01:58 AM by Ashanti.)

After his statement a long silence settled over the group. Perhaps he had hurt them? Pushed them away? He wasn’t sure why it was taking so long to answer. What was pushing this far? Far enough to hurt his friends, maybe even the last of his friends. He secretly wished that they had never come here in the first place, that they had ignored the song. A strong wind whipped through his fur bringing chills and furthering what seemed like an eternity. He didn’t know what to expect from the two females before him, would they talk or just leave like most of the wolves in his life had done.

It wasn’t much longer before Nina answered. Her words bit into his soul like a weasel biting the neck of a mouse. There was no escape from her words; she had brought back up what he had treated as taboo for so long. His old family, or was she talking about his current one that was disbanded? All the same the bitter words stabbed into him and hurt. The other female deemed to stay quiet during this as he looked between the two. Maybe he should just go or should he stay? Instinct was telling him that he must leave for now and come back when his nerves had calmed down. Feeling wounded yet sporting no blood he turned slowly away from the two. If they wished to follow so be it, it wasn’t like it would make much of a difference right now. And with that he began to walk away.

With death comes life and with life comes hope.