Thicket of Secrets [r]unning on an empty [h]eart

-DATED FORWARD TO 12-10-2014 AS OF 12-10-2014 AND SET FOR @Vera

He hadn't just grown. He had thrived.

Slowly, Pacem was starting to realize that he would never be the largest of the litter but he knew he would always be the most adventurous. It was time he started pushing the boundaries. He was going to cross the borders and go on an exploring trip. Perhaps he'd discover a new species or maybe a new plant? He could only hope! So, without another word, he took off out of the den and he bolted for the borders. He loved to run. He had gained so much control over his limbs and he knew the area so well that he didn't even come close to tripping. He felt so alive!

His black fur was slicked down against his body as he ran against the wind. He was about half way to the borders when he tripped up on his feet. A root caught his paw and he went falling into an almost face plant. He frowned as he looked at the root. It was a different route than he normally took to get to the borders but that was only because he didn't want his mother catching him sneaking off the territory. She would probably ground him in the den for a whole year or perhaps even the rest of his life! No, he had to be all secret-like about it. He took a deep breathe as a smile broke his face. He could do this. He got back up onto his four paws and he kept running.

(This post was last modified: Dec 11, 2014, 04:05 AM by Pacem.)

@Pacem

The Diminutive Ivory She-wolf was out exploring. Again. But this time she was heading towards the pack that was situated to the East South of her home instead of just wandering around the territory. She was very curious about the pack, as there were no others nearby for miles. The aroma of the unknown pack borders drew her closer and closer as she ran at a fast pace, not quite a sprint, but very quick nonetheless. If she wasn't running as fast as she could go, in her mind, it was a wasted opportunity to explore as much as possible.

Upon sighting the tree line Vera slowed down to a quick trot, still heading towards it. She came to a complete stop about fifty meters from the border, leaving a bit of open space so if there was a pack wolf nearby they wouldn't think she was invading their territory. It had happened before, and she would rather not repeat that experience, no matter how tempting it was to cross the border. There was also the fact that her pelt carried the aroma of Black Thorn Downs, so anywhere she went, the scent would be there, including over the line of another pack border. The Diminutive Ivory She-wolf couldn't do that to the pack she now called her home, and so she followed horizontally along the border, keeping that same distance between it and her.

It wasn't long before she spotted the stark black form of a wolf. Definitely not an adult, and not quite a yearling. A pup then. Ears pricking forward curiously, Vera stopped her casual walk, coming to a complete standstill as she watched the pup, waiting for it to pick her pristine white form out from the also white snow around her. She briefly wondered if the parents were nearby, but then discarded the thought as she wasn't on their territory.

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The trouble making prince had made a run for the border after his fall and had managed to make it there with little harm. He crossed the borders into the land beyond what he called home with a sly grin. It was time for him to learn all he could from whatever he could find. With a deep breathe and narrowed eyes, the prince set his sights on someplace north of the pack lands of Secret Woodlands. The midnight black pup ran for a bit until he came to a dead halt. He had almost run into an adult wolf and immediately he backed up a lot. He muttered out an apology as he looked up at the wolf. His mum had always warned him against strangers but here Pacem was - not listening.

He supposed he should greet the other wolf. "Helloooo!" He rolled the 'o' sound off of his tongue like a fully trained Casanova before he went on speaking. "I'm Pacem Hervok. My mum runs the lands around here. What's your name?" The question was simple enough and he could only hope that his charming looks didn't intimidate the femme present - he was adorable. A true legend in his own mind was the more accurate statement. With a fiery spirit he puffed out his chest a little bit as he attempted and failed to show off. Oh this pup had so much to learn in order to make the ladies swoon just by looking at him. He then went for a more subtle approach of a shy smile. He was anything but shy.

@Pacem

The black pup didn't seem to notice her as he was running at her at a dead sprint, but luckily just before he ran into her his eyes picked out her form and he slowed to a dead halt. If he hadn't seen her she would have moved out of the way anyways, but she couldn't help the soft giggle that escaped her muzzle as he hurriedly backed up, muttering an apology under his breath. "No need to apologize, young man," she woofed in a teasing tone, knowing that young pups liked to be thought of as more than what they actually were. "I knew you wouldn't run over a fair maiden such as I. After all, aren't knights in shining armor supposed to keep us safe?"

She smiled when the pup said hello, dragging out the 'o' syllable before he introduced himself as Pacem, which she vaguely recognized as being Latin for peace, though she could tell the pup was anything but. Her brows raised slightly when he mentioned that his mother ran the pack, of course she did, only the alphas had pups, but what was curious was the fact that he said mother, and not parents. "My name is Vera Corvonic, young prince. I come from over there," she said, pointing her muzzle back the way she came. "I'm part of the neighbouring pack, but I don't doubt you know that already. A fine man such as you must have already explored these lands and know them well." Vera had a cheeky glint in her eye as she spoke, watching as the pup puffed his chest out in an attempt to look more dashing before settling for a shy smile. "What brings you out from home, Prince Pacem? Out to make all the ladies swoon?"

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No need to apologize? There was every need to apologize that the knight had almost crushed the fair maiden while holding a steady run! She acknowledge him as just that - a knight in shining armor - which made him puff out his chest just a little bit in pride as he look up at the fair ivory maiden. "Just trying to do my duty, ma'am." He tried his best to be that formal wolf that Koda had been at the meeting and Miccah had been before him but he was pretty sure he was failing at it. Perhaps Koda could give him speech lessons sometime. The beautiful fae introduced herself as Vera and Pacem dipped his head in a dramatic fashion to her in order to play his part as the chivalrous character.

He only gave a curt nod when she told him he probably knew all about the neighboring packs - he knew a lot of them. When she asked why he was away from home, he shot her a dashing smile while he answered. "Swoon? No, not swoon. I'm here to make the ladies fall in love." He wanted the long term effect where the ladies ran after him every day. He had, no doubt, set his sights quite high for something like that. He couldn't help but give off a small laugh. "What is a fair maiden like you doing out here? Don't you know the dangers of the area? What about the three headed bear? Have you seen that?" He began his questioning with a wide grin.

@Pacem

Creamy ears pricked as a smile graced the Diminutive Ivory She-wolf's feminine face. He certainly was a well-mannered pup, more so than most she had come across. They were all usually bossy, spoiled brats, but there was always the quiet, shy yet friendly one in the litter. Pacem seemed to partly fit that role, if it wasn't for the fact that he had crossed the pack border. It reminded of herself when she was younger, but she escaped from her territory many times as a pup for very different reasons, none of which she would ever mention to the brave, young pup standing before her with his chest puffed out full of pride.

Vera chuckled softly wen he gave her a dashing smile and told her he didn't want to just make the fair maidens of the world, but fall in love with him, so they would constantly be running after him for all of his affections and loving words. That was a true Casanova's words, and she knew he would grow up to be a handsome and loving man one day who would make a girl feel like the most special wolf in the entire world. "I'm sure they will all fall at your feet for your dashing looks and wish-making words. I certainly would, if I wasn't already promised to another," Vera said mischievously, a devious glint in her caramel brown eyes.

When the stark black pup questioned what she was doing out in the wilderness, asking if she knew of the dangers, especially the three headed bear. Deciding to play along with him, the Diminutive Ivory She-wolf widened her eyes almost fearfully and looked around, as if searching for the monster he spoke of. "I was out exploring the land for herbs to use, thinking it was safe for me to traverse these lands. But this three headed bear, I have never heard of such a monster as that. Oh, Young Prince Pacem, you absolutely must tell me all you know of this three headed bear so I know what to watch out for." Yes, she was being just a little dramatic, but so what? It was fun.

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He let out no signs of humor when she spoke, demanding information from him about this three headed bear. He thought about his story as he mulled over her words about how she was promised to another. How interesting that was indeed. "It's a giant bear! It's jet black with black eyes and it has three heads! Three heads with six eyes and three mouths and three snouts! It's super dangerous because it only hunts for wolf. I'm out to kill it to save all of the lands." He declared his quest with charisma as he spoke dramatically about the bear, trying to lure her into the trap of actually believe it and not just playing along - he knew that at this he would fail.

The fact was he knew what was reality and what was fiction. He liked to play his tricks while out on adventures to make the ladies swoon and fall in love. This woman's head had been stolen by another. "Who's the lucky one then, fair maiden?" He asked out of blatant curiosity for what the woman might offer in response. Would she give a name or perhaps a false name? Would she be vague with the name but describe him? The ebony pup of seven months did not know what to expect from the woman named Vera. The white form before him was a mystery. He loved mysteries. He loved solving mysteries by himself which was why no one else was there except himself and the fair maiden Vera.

@Pacem

The Diminutive Ivory She-wolf listened curiously to the young prince otherwise known as Pacem as he explained what the three headed bear was, what it looked like and what it was doing out in the wilderness where they lived. He declared all this information with as much charisma as a pup like he could, as well as with much dramatic flair, enough that she felt proud of him. Most thought her a drama queen when she spoke with drama-filled words, but here was another soul that understood the fun in using it to its greatest extent. Though she didn't really believe him, Vera pretended to, and she guessed that he knew that was exactly what she was doing. He did seem to be smart and creative, after all.

Smiling to herself when Pacem asked her who the wolf was that captured herself, she thought to her Fero, as she called him, her own personal knight in shining armor that saved her from everything dangerous to her, even when she felt like she didn't need to be saved. He was always there for her, no matter what, and that was one of the things that she loved the most about him. She had never had someone there for her when she was younger and that had created a hole within her, emotionally, one that Florence seemed to fill up completely. Looking at Pacem, the Diminutive Ivory She-wolf lowered her head so her face was on the pup's level, though she didn't have to bend down far, if at all. "His name is Florence and he is one of the kindest and bravest men I know. He's always been there for me, and given me everything that I could ever need. I don't doubt one day you'll make a woman as happy as he does for me."

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@Vera

It was quite obvious that the femme before him was just playing along to his fantasy of successfully making a girl fall for him - though why he wanted to do such things puzzled him - so he considered giving up and moving on to explore the lands more. She started to speak of a man named Florence and how he was her everything. He was envious of that and it made him yearn for more. This fact also made him ponder one question: where was his father? Was his father Miccah? No, it couldn't be Miccah because of the tension between Miccah and his mother. Perhaps it was Koda? It could very well be Koda considering how he had taken the lead when Miccah fell to the second position.

Perhaps he'd ask his mother about his father at another date. With a deep breathe, he started to speak again. "This man, Florence, sounds like a lucky man indeed, fair maiden." The words dripped from his tongue with sincerity and respect coating his every word. It was becoming clear that scouting and diplomacy would probably be the like of work he would choose despite the hard backbone he contained which would suggest being a guardian. He liked adventure too much to be confined mainly to the pack lands. Pacem loved speaking, especially to the ladies though he was starting to suspect there was more to it than making a lady swoon, so perhaps he would have to talk to his mother about what role he would be best fit for. He pondered it as he awaited a response from the lovely Vera.

Do you want to do one more post each and then I do a fade? Or do you wanna fade the thread @Pacem? ^^

Glancing back at where the stark black pup had come from, within the thickets, she wondered where his parents were. Though she knew he was safe enough with her and with being so close to his packs' border, she was still curious as to how he had managed to escape from the adults supervision, and why they hadn't started looking for him yet. Well, actually, from personal experience she knew just how easy it was to bypass the older wolves, but the one difference between Pacem and her younger self was that her own parents and pack mates had no care if she returned or not. She was just another mouth to feed to them, but she knew that the wolves within the thicket did care for the pup before her, as they should.

Face splitting into a smile, Vera flicked the tip of her tail, showing her pleasure at Pacem's words of wisdom. "I suppose he is," She said thoughtfully, though in her mind she thought of herself as the lucky one. Without him she would have been coyote food, and dead long before her life had even started. It was because of him that she lived day to day as she did. "But I am also lucky to be with a man such as he." Looking around at their surroundings, she surmised that she had been gone long enough and Florence would be waiting eagerly for her return. She had already explored further to the east earlier, and had been gone for almost half the day. It was time to return back home. "Well, I should leave you to your travels, Young Prince Pacem. It is time for me to return back to my home." However, before she left she waited for him to make the first move, whether it was to go back into his packs' territory or continue exploring.

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