Magnolia Glen tall men with feelings

@Phineas
August 12th, After Dusk, Clear Skies, 73F/23C
RE - there is a meteor shower tonight

Mercy was gone. He had been gone for 64 days. Aponi knew this because she remembered the first night that she had slept alone, and the second and the third. She had told him that K'arnae was missing, that she couldn't find her anywhere and that night he hadn't come home. He hadn't been home any night since then either. At first she had waited for him, every night in the den he had built for them hoping she wouldn't wake up with a chill at her side where he should be, but she always had. Now, she had grown bitter and cold in her heart whenever she thought of him. It drove her, pushed her, she was more determined now than ever to become queen and rule. If she ever saw him again she would make sure he would regret ever leaving, she would rip him to shreds.

Aponi had become somewhat of a recluse, she had abandoned the den built by Mercy for a smaller individual one closer to the communal area but she avoided contact at all costs. She pulled her weight in the pack of course, she knew what happened to wolves who didn't but she always performed these duties solo. Making rounds while everyone else slept, filling caches whenever she took food from their stock, maintenance around the den site whenever it was needed.

Tonight though, she lay upon the ground which thankfully was cooler than the muggy summer air and stared at the sky. Deep royal blue the stars shone brightly, only broken by the black outline of the magnolia trees. Staring upwards she watched as the lights did something she had never seen before, they moved, streaking across the sky at great speeds as if they were falling. Bitterness gripped her once more as at a weak moment she wondered if Mercy would have known what they were. Aponi hated to admit it, and she refused to even to herself, but she was lonely.

It was a hard thing to leave three sleeping cubs in a den without not just a guardian.. but the warm figure of their mother. She had been for half a month now -- he had hoped perhaps she would return.. having taken a journey a little too far. Yet this hope was met with an unsettled silence, and each passing day it became more apparent that Borlla had simply stirred havoc with Oak Tree Bend and then left.

Now, even if she returned, he was not so sure she would be welcomed back with open arms.

His eyes grazed each child as they slept. They were growing so fast, he was almost lost at what to do now. Zia too was gone, and being unfamiliar with the females of the Glen, he did not know who he could seek advice from. Who would be there for them when he did not have specific answers? Bending his muzzle down, the Argyris nosed the crown of each before rising, slinking past the bundle and stretching his large figure in the silent night. Ahead, the brighter sky streaked with a quick light, and fixated for only a moment, Phineas wondered if wishes did come true.

He did not go very far from the den site -- there was, however, a slender form upon the ground that did catch his eyes. Aponi was youthful -- she had arrived with Mercy from across the mountains.. and he had also noticed the lack of presence of the dark male. Clearing his throat so as to not startle her, Phineas gave a light dip of his muzzle in greeting, his fiery eyes regarding her wearily as his tail swayed behind him like a proud banner. Have you ever seen shooting stars before? His voice was a deep rumble in the silence of the night, and feeling out of place, the regal slowly sat back to his haunches.

One silver ear flicked backwards at the sound of pawsteps upon the earth, though she fully expected whoever it was to keep moving, perhaps perform a border patrol. To her surprise a voice sounded behind her and her head turned so her gaze could focus on its speaker. Seeing it was her alpha the blue eyes quickly dropped respectively to his chest, assuming he was here to ask of her some duty. Once again she was surprised by him, perhaps she was losing her touch on how to read others. Looking back to the inky sky Aponi shook her head no in response to his question, she hadn't seen them behave this way before.

Truthfully Aponi was unsure how to act now. She knew her end goal, she knew she wanted to lead and as of now her sights were set on leading this pack, so how should she act beside a male she hoped one day to allow her to be his equal? She had heard the whispers of course, the hushed conversations, Borilla was gone without a word, just like K'arnae, just like Mercy. Perhaps they were altogether somewhere having a good laugh about all that they had left behind. The thought caused the bitterness inside her to stir up once more, as if she had been suddenly doused in ice water and then she had an epiphany. Perhaps Phineas felt the same way, perhaps he was bitter and angry and sad all at the same time as she was. Maybe, just maybe he woke up every morning and for a brief second wondered why he was alone before remembering.

Suddenly Aponi felt more comfortable, as if a silent understanding had come between them and muscles she hadn't realized were tensed relaxed. Looking back to the male she asked a question of her own, "Do you know why they do this?" Whether she was talking about the stars or their mates even the girl didn't know.

If Phineas had known her thoughts – the dreams and goals she held in mind, it likely would have made him uncomfortable to an extent. He was an aging man, and with his mate now gone, it would seem he would end up alone.. at least on the romantic aspect of things. Phineas had his children. His pack. His home. Perhaps, after the pain of being left behind faded to only a dull throb, he would believe that this too would be enough.

Then, perhaps, he would also realize that as he aged, another would need to take his place and lead. Whether the crown would be taken by his children to maintain the Argyris legacy was yet to be seen – Phineas did not give handouts, and everything his children might have wanted, would need to be earned and taken by them honorably.

His ears flickered as she spoke, hearing her voice and noting the sadness that seemed to filter between them. As if knowing her question could have had a double meaning to it, he instead opted for the most obvious – the safest route. No, he murmured, his eyes lifting to study another as it seemingly fell from the sky. My mother once told me when I was much younger that it was the souls of wolves falling from the sky. There was a pause then, and he snorted slightly. She was a very religious creature, though. As another one shot across the darker heavens, he gave a nod upward then, except this time, motioning to the stars themselves. They have function, though. You can read how close a season is by the stars position.