Blackberry Fields Now falling and failing is all I know.

It had not been long since Catori joined this pack, and already she was beginning to regret it. Or maybe she had since day one, she couldn't quite figure it out. Not everybody seemed willing to converse with her, or at least that's how it seemed to the onyx wolf. Not even Ashton had been speaking with her much.. Though she couldn't blame him. He was probably trying to catch up with everyone.. Still, she was lonely. 'Did he forget about me..? Honestly...Am I that invisible?' she scuffed. She knew she was being selfish, but in certain situations don't you have the right to be?

There had to be a way to get more wolves to notice her.. But how? She was far to nervous to approach them and start casual conversation. These canines where terrifying to her. She was almost positive none of them cared for her anyways. "I'm probably just another wolf filling up an empty slot to make the pack larger.... Or is that even how packs work?" Another thing she wasn't sure of. She trotted lightly against the still growing spring grass. At least the weather was nice. Being out and about on days like this always calmed her down just a little.

Quite recently taking walks had turned into one of her biggest hobbies. If she was going to be alone she might as well be doing it away from everyone else. Though she was always sure not to travel to far away, not knowing her surroundings very well yet. She could do whatever she wanted away from them all. Meditate, scry, talk to the spirits.. All the things she loved doing that they probably wouldn't understand.. The one problem being these activities no longer made her as happy as they used to. "I really need to make some friends.... or at least acquaintances." she groaned from the back of her lungs.

Once again he was shirking his duties, hoping that his lack of drive would go about unnoticed. There was just no point anymore, nothing to strive for. A sigh left his lips as he moved through the thicket. Already it was growing stuffy, and he just couldn't figure it out. Why had he wanted to return to such a high degree? There was a whole world out there, and for some reason he found himself rooted to the lands he had been born in.

Crossing over Catori's trail, he averted his course, thankful that it led him away from the thicket. Finally feeling as though he could breath again, the boy set out after her. Speed was not on his side, and he had to run for quite a while before her scent began to burn through the air. The wind carried her voice towards him, causing a smirk to plaster his lips. Feigning hurt he let his own words fling through the shrinking space between them. "Am I not a friend?"

High on the fact that they were no longer in the thicket, he did not halt where he should have, instead moving towards her, if only to bump his shoulder into hers. His weight crashed into her side for only a second before he bounded backwards into a bow. "You think far too much." A playful bark left his lips, as he challenged her in the friendliest of ways. A light growl played against his throat, as he awaited her response.

Her eyes widened with surprise as she heard the familiar voice, soon after being nudged, and then the voice again. It all hit her at once. Could it really be? "A-Ashton?" She stared at the boy like a deer in the headlights. "Ha. What a coincidence. I was just thinking about you.' Snapping out of the trance he put her in, she crouched playfully and let out a growl of her own. Was this really happening? How strange. Not only was he talking to her but he seemed happy about it. How not very Ashton of him. Something had to be up.. Was the world ending?

"Not good things of course, so don't even think about getting cocky!" She smirked. "And I don't think to much at all.. If anything I don't think enough! Wandering off with a stranger and joining his pack only for him to ignore me for the rest of forever. What's even up with that?" maintaining a still cheerful voice, she rolled her eyes and let out a laugh. Though deep inside she really did hope for an explanation, He probably wouldn't catch on at all. It was for the best. If he was being nice, there was no sense in ruining it. Talking to him would be a temporary release for her. She'd hoped this would be the end of feeling so alone.. Though luck probably wasn't on her side. 'He has a lot going on right now.. No time for Catori.' she grumbled in thought.

Smirking, the young Hervok allowed hot air to fill his already too large head, heightened by the fact that she reciprocated his stance. When was the last time he posed like this? He considered bounding forward, but the mood was lost when she spoke again. He could lie. It would be easier that way, but this girl had followed him for miles before joining his pack on a whim. Something about lying to her made his skin crawl. It just wasn't fair.

There was truth to the fact that Ashton had been avoiding her, but he had been trying to get away from everyone. It wasn't as though he targeted her specifically, and even though her words held a cheery note, he could sense that this was an actual problem. Of all the things that Hollow taught the boy, dealing with emotions was certainly not one of them, and so he stopped; Frozen to his spot for only a second before letting a long drawn out sigh leave his lips.

Sobering now, he resumed a neutral pose, no longer giddy with freedom from being outside their borders. Lowering his backside to the ground, he allowed his knees to give way. Rewarded with a light thump, his pale green eyes fell upon her. Where to start? Maybe he could start at the beginning, when Koda left, or Tacoma died. What he needed was not a friend, but a psychiatrist. "Listen, I'm sorry. I've just had a lot going on since we got here." Eluding her gaze like the plague, he found his orbs resting on anything that wasn't her.

'He actually got the hint...?' Although now she almost wished he hadn't. Ashton no longer looked happy. That was the first time she'd ever seen him like that and it was already gone.. Just like that. Because of her.. But this is what she wanted right? If she was ever to receive any answers now would be the time. "A lot going on...." she tried to think carefully about her next words, but couldn't decide on anything meaningful enough to heighten his spirits. 'He's averting his gaze... Is he uncomfortable? Oh jeez... How do I do this...' she exhaled.

"Hey...." she bumped him with her shoulder in the same way he had done previously. "Wanna.... Talk about it?" She knew he wasn't much of a 'talk about your feelings' kind of wolf, but it was worth a shot.. At least to her it was. She wanted desperately to be close to him. This guy was the only wolf she knew, even if it was only a little. She needed him whether she liked it or not, she needed him to open up to her. "I mean if it will make you feel weird then we don't have to.. But I think it could help, it's obvious you're holding things up inside.. and that's not good... So if you wanted to... you could talk.. to me.... I won't judge you or anything I promise..." gazing at the wolf, she tried not to lose hope.

He scanned the horizon, searching every inch of it before he could even consider speaking. Ashton had never been one to talk about his feelings, and he would be damned if anyone else were to overhear their conversation. Once satisfied that they were completely alone, he allowed his rear to meet the ground, producing a soft thud. Following up with a sigh too quiet for his character, he let his mossy gaze find her own. The struggle was not apparent as he battled within his mind. At some point he even considered telling her to go to hell, but that wouldn't do. Catori meant no harm, and he was sure that she didn't intend on using the information to blackmail him. In fact, he was almost positive that she... cared? But why, when he was nothing but horrible to her, did she want to listen?

One the war was won, a new problem showed it's ugly face. Where to start? There were a million things he could have said, but the fae couldn't have the patience, nor did he have the stomach to tell it. Just thinking of all that he had lost made him feel nauseous, and so he began. "The guy Miccah spoke of, he..." Halting, he glanced around, reassuring himself that not a soul was within earshot. "Hollow." Clarifying, he had no intention of repeating himself. "He was kind of like a.. a father to me, I guess." Ashton had never said that out loud, and with his former mentor gone, the words were even more bitter.

A young pronghorn has fallen behind its herd and starved in the snow. +5 Health

She watched her friend take a seat and was almost immediately sure she was going to get what she wanted. It was actually a pretty weird feeling to her, considering she didn't actually think it would happen. She then noticed his eyes flicker all around the area surrounding them, meet her gaze only to talk for a moment, then back to flickering.. Was he looking for something? Someone? Who knew. Ashton was sort of a strange wolf now that she began to think about it.. Or more so unpredictable? 'Or maybe I just don't know what the hell is going on here at all. I don't know anything about him....' She let her own gaze meet the floor as she continued to let the prince talk slowly with the little words he could.

'Hallow...' It took a second for her to recall the name, even though joining the pack wasn't that long ago it still seemed so far away.. The name didn't stick with her to well because Ashton seemed to shrug it off himself in the situation.. 'He's pretty good at fooling the wolves around him I guess... Never would of thought Hallow was that important....' She tried to collect herself the best she could before speaking, as always. Catori had a hunch that he was in a lot of emotional pain right now. "Ashton......" she paused. "I'm so sorry... I... I know it's hard... I lost my father too... I didn't know.. Why didn't you say something sooner..?" she couldn't help but frown.

Holding back a snort, the male thought about it for a moment or two. Saying something sooner would mean recognizing that things were not okay. It would be exactly the opposite of ignoring his problems, and Ashton highly preferred keeping the world as far from his mind as possible. Life was easier when he could just forget everything. Maybe that's why he always felt so much better when the sent of Secret Woodlands did not clog the air; When Koda's scent didn't lace the boarders, and when he couldn't see that damned rock Tacoma had fallen from. Yes, things were much better far away from the heart of the territory he once called his own.

"It's... not that easy for me.. to talk about." Even that simple collection of words seemed to stick in his throat. How could he talk about the memories that haunted him when he couldn't even talk about talking about them. Standing to his full height - which was nearing it's maximum - the male turned from her. "Walk with me" His only request before burly paws began moving over the Earth. Without a destination in mind, he knew that it would be easier this way. He wouldn't be forced to look at her, and the changing scenery would give him an excuse to put more time between each sentence. He could compose his thoughts, and just maybe, she wouldn't be able to see the pain flashing across his features every so often.

"It's... not that easy for me.. to talk about." Of course it wasn't. Why would he tell her anyways? He knew just as much of her as she did him. The more she thought about that the more she began questioning why she was even here. Wasn't it a little like her last home? Sure here she had a friend, but could you really address someone with such a title while knowing so little? Ashton was merely an acquaintance at the end of the day.. But Catori hated putting it that way. She wanted him to be a friend. "I suppose it is.... she spoke softly, not really knowing how to properly respond to something like that. Things where never hard to talk about for her. If someone wanted to know something she would explain it in a heart beat, no matter how painful the memory.

Ashton asked her to walk with him, unusual, but she wasn't going to turn down the request. She silently followed the boy in hopes that he would speak more about Hollow.. Or just speak in general. It was nice to hear his voice. She put distance between them, but not much. She was a little more behind than he was. Maybe it would be easier for him to talk to her if he couldn't see her face. 'Not everyone enjoys an audience anyways.. Come on Ashton just talk to me okay..?' she kept her eyes to the ground.