Fallen Tree Cove I won't bite...hard

@Desideria Sorry for the wait on this


It was raining. It made his fur stick to him frame and turned it darker in color and it fit his mood perfectly. Anthem had been thinking about how he had meet Des and how it seemed that she wasn't comfortable around him. Who wouldn't after all he had snapped at her when he could have held himself in check, but he hadn't. After the hunt he hadn't talked to her at all but it was starting to bother him. Had he actually made her wary enough of him that she felt that she couldn't trust him as a pack-mate? That wouldn't do. They had to strong for the pack and for the pups that were growing with everyday that passed. The only was to try and fix it.

Head low Anthem made his way from the pack borders that he had been patrolling to sit under a pine tree its limbs sheltering him from the worst of the light rain. He stared glumly out from beneath it as he sat on the soggy ground. He had been coming across Des's scent on the border as if she was coming and going repeatedly. Even if he wanted to speak with her so that they could get things straightened out would she even be in the territory? He let out a frustrated sigh before tossing his head up to call her. His tone wasn't demanding he was simply asking for her presence. If she chose to show up that would be another matter that is if she even heard it. Silently he watched the area around him with blue eyes wondering how long he should wait before finding something to eat. 

As had become very typical for the diminutive dame, she'd taken to tracing the pack's borders. Fallen Tree Cove was her home, and even if Des hadn't taken to many of the pack members outside of the alpha herself, she saw no reason to abandon the group or shirk her self-assigned tasks. Becoming a scout was something that she wanted…that she wanted. No one told her this was something she had to do, or even that she'd be good at it, but it wasn't stealing. It wasn't from her past, and there was something very revitalizing about that. Perhaps more importantly, every time the wolf felt unquiet, she could put the itch in her paws to a productive project rather than larceny. Marking the borders wasn't much, she knew, but adding strength to the territory would assist the leaders and allow them a little more time with their children. A bit here and there would add up, and they might never even know it was her, but it made sense to Desideria, and it was something that kept her busy every day. Even this day, in the chilly rain, she ducked her head and tracked the very familiar trail – the call summoning her startled the femme into a jump, head shooting up. The voice wasn't immediately recognizable. The only folk she'd expect to call her was Kajika or Namid, and it did not belong to either. Still, it was familiar enough to belong to pack, and the woman turned abruptly, following the song to the source. She froze when she realized it was Anthem who'd called for her, ears sweeping back in concern as she bobbed her head and halted several lengths away. "Do you need something?"

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@Desideria

It was silent other than the rain that fell around him. He hadn't heard a howl in response to his but that didn't mean anything. She could have heard him and be coming right now to investigate or she might not have heard him at all. A rain drop hit him on his nose and he sneezed suddenly shaking his head. He didn't mind the rain much but as his gaze went to the sky he wondered if they would see any sun today or if it would remain hidden. His ears alerted him to the fact that someone was approaching and his gaze went in the direction. Anthem didn't move as Des came into sight. 

When she saw him she froze and he felt himself tense slightly. She looked worried he decided as she asked him what he wanted. His gaze swept her form. What did he want? He wanted to make amends sure but did he want to make her a friend like he had with their leaders or some of the others he had met when he had been a loner? First he would try to fix the damage he had done. A soft sigh escaped his lips. I... His voice broke the air and then he swallowed hard stopping before beginning again. I wanted to apologize for the way I acted when we first met.  He told her simply. He wasn't one to normally apologize as he almost always felt justified but if they were going to work better together then it needed to be done. 

He let his words hang on the air for a moment. He really didn't know were to go from here but he was sure that what he had said so far wasn't going to be enough. He let out another sigh as he looked to the ground slightly frustrated before looking back at Des once more meeting her gaze. I would like to make amends but I do not know how to fix what damage I may have caused. He told his gaze holding no hostility or threat within their depths. With that he fell silent as he watched her.

I am the Anthem we sing,

  

My sister the Angele we follow,

     

My brother ,Nathaniel, our guide

Together we shall not stray.

"I-- What?" August eyes like saucers, Desideria stared blankly at the pack beta, mind as barren as her expression. It had been eons since anyone apologized to her, much less for something that could easily be spun as her fault to begin with. When someone sought to cavail her relentlessly, she had an entire bucketful of excuses and insults she could throw back to sway the blame or attention on her. But a friendly interaction, much less a remorseful one, through the subordinate into a place so foreign she momentarily forgot how to speak. And everyone knew just how much the timber wolf liked to chat. Blinking a few times, the female shook herself out, momentarily forgetting to slither near the ground in the presence of the unpredictable Anthem. "I-- Uhm. Thank you? I think," she murmured, mind racing as she wondered what on earth a normal wolf might say in such a situation. "Don't, uh…worry about it, I guess. No harm done." After all, it wasn't as if the stone gray male had caused her physical pain. The reprimand was a lasting impression, but not one that couldn't be altered with time and effort. Which, apparently, was something Vespertio's right paw wanted. For the second time in just a few minutes, the flabbergasted female found herself speechless, head tipping to one side as she tried to determine what to say. "…you don't…have to fix anything. I dunno, you were just doing your job, I guess. I've been…scolded before, you know?" If to illustrate her point, Des wriggled what was left of her right ear. Corporal punishment had been a favorite among the wolves of Crow's Crossing. "Just…spooked. Yeah?"

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She didn't seem to know who to respond to his apology. He felt himself watching her with growing amusement as she finally began to speak telling him that there was no harm done. But even if he hadn't laid a tooth on her his words would have done something. They would have caused some discomfort, some distrust. He knew it with how she had left after he had scolded her and the white woman who he hadn't seen since. Which to be honest he was utterly grateful for if he saw her and she began to pick at the Cove or at his friends he was aware that it could turn into something more than just words. That was just how he was.

His ears pricked with faint interest as his gaze was caught by her ear as she directed his gaze toward it. He gazed at it silently wondering how she had gotten it but he wasn't about to pry into her past. An idea came to him but he wasn't sure if it would work. Maybe he couldn't earn her trust by doing things but maybe if he opened up a little it would help some with what discomfort she had around him. To be truthful it wasn't you I was upset with it was the white woman. He began briefly lips curling slightly as he mentioned the woman he hooped to never see again. So I apologive again for that. I want to do something though so you aren't 'spooked' around me though. He told her his voice calm. This next part though was going to make him extremely uncomfortable, his slight shifting showing this. If you want you can ask me any question and I will answer it truthfully no matter what it is. 

With the words spoken he knew there was no turning back. He hadn't even let Vespertio into his past and Namid he had told stories, but here he was going to let someone he was barely acquainted with into his past. All for the sake of the pack. He wondered briefly when he had changed so much.

I am the Anthem we sing,

  

My sister the Angele we follow,

     

My brother ,Nathaniel, our guide

Together we shall not stray.

"…oh." Desideria tried to school her skeptical look, though to little avail. In truth, she hadn't particularly cared for Primrose either (after all, she had mouthed off to the beta, despite the difference in their rank), but it had certainly sounded, to her at least, that the stormy male was equally as displeased with her display as he was the witch's temper tantrum. With her head tipped to one side, she allowed the other wolf to continue his speech – either he was a very good actor, or he was actually feeling a bit of remorse over their prior interaction. His offer, however, cleared up a lot in the woman's mind. For a moment, she only sat in surprise, mind reeling as she tried to comprehend what this meant. It was a very generous offer, for sure, but-- But information (unless it was about her missing siblings) was not something the desert dame often sought out. "You don't…you don't have to do that, you know? Your life is your own. Not really looking to…intrude, I guess." Still, even if she wasn't horribly interested in looking on at Anthem's inner workings, the offer was still appreciated, and probably had some of the effect he was looking for. Some of the tension had started to drain away from the smaller female's body and her tail gave one single hopeful wag. "How about this? How did you become beta of Fallen Tree Cove?" she asked – hopefully, that wasn't prying too deeply into his past.

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He wasn't sure if he was getting through to her or not as she tipped her head while listening to him speak. Were his words going to help at all or was he going to have slowly drag himself back onto solid ground? As Anthem finished speaking he saw that she once more wore a look of surprise. It seemed that he was doing that a lot tonight and to top if off he was actually surprising himself as well. He listened to her speak and felt like he had been snarled at. He had offered to let her see what was behind him so that she could understand him better so that they didn't have to go through this again and she had refused. 

Not sure how to react he figured that since he had apologized and that he had no other way to help at the moment he had better leave. That is before he did or showed something that might scare her off again. Until she seemed to relax and her tail began to wag behind her. Anthem froze confusion showing before her question was voiced. Already standing he thought of the best way to answer the question. I became beta simply because there was no one else. When I joined there was a number of wolves who resided in the pack but then they left, all of them. The only ones that remained were Vespertio and myself. So I didn't have to try to claw my way up the ranks because there was no one else who held the position. He told her slowly before giving her a small sad smile. He had been given the rank he hadn't earned it.

I am the Anthem we sing,

  

My sister the Angele we follow,

     

My brother ,Nathaniel, our guide

Together we shall not stray.

There are several fresh rabbit tracks in the mud. Hunt Opportunity

"What? They left?" she asked incredulously, eyes wide at the revelation. It seemed absolutely bizarre to her that the wolves would leave such a resource-laden home – there was fresh water, and that attracted plenty of food. The pines provided shelter, and if the forest wasn't of your taste, one could always take shelter among the rocks. The notion was mind boggling, but it seemed Anthem had no more answers than what he'd already offered. Everything was beginning to make sense, she supposed. No wonder Vespertio and Namid both held him in such high regard – in a time of need, he refused to abandon them, and stepped into a role that demanded loyalty and responsibility. Not every wolf would be willing to do as much. Tipping her head, the scout in training gave another small nod. The question was meant to simply not offend the beta for his offer, but turned out to be much more enlightening than she ever could have realized. Perhaps this was the reason he came across so harsh when they first met, so stern with her, so fierce with upholding the laws set down by their pair of alphas. "I think…fighting isn't the only way to earn a rank, you know? Vespertio clearly thinks highly of you, and Namid spoke well of you too, when we spoke." It didn't need to be said that she was griping, but perhaps it was important for the stormy male to know that the queen did take up the helm and speak in his defense. "Being there in no one else was, I think that means you earned the position. And you do a lot to uphold it, so…" Desideria rolled her shoulder in a shrug as she trailed off, not sure where else to go from there. "You were there when the pack needed you, so now, as it grows, it's appropriate you hold that rank. Besides, hardly seems like Primrose pulls her weight as your opposite. Haven't seed hide 'er hair of her since that night, yeah?"

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Her reaction to the knowledge about the what had happened had him nodding in silent agreement. They had left, all of them. He didn't know if they had all left at once under Athena's guidance or if they had all just decided that the Cove wasn't their home and had left over the course of days. At the time he hadn't interacted with them but he knew their scents and if they returned he wasn't going to be so welcoming. That's if they showed up again at their borders trying to seek entrance once more. No matter how much he wanted to hate them for leaving hadn't he done the same thing in the past? If so he would have to hate himself as well no matter what the reasoning's were. 

He listened with interest as Des spoke telling him that fighting wasn't everything. When he was younger that was exactly what he had thought but trust and loyalty were always the points that he had looked at when choosing someone to lead him. He didn't bow to those that he didn't know, cared for, or thought that they were hot stuff. He for the most part hadn't cared. The thing was that at the time he had only been within the pack for a short time by his standards. Then he had been bumped up to the position of beta. Even if he might have been considering the role he still had to prove himself to his own standards and then it had been given to him. He didn't voice any of this though he did laugh a little.

Uphold it? I only patrol the borders and make sure that we have full caches. The first time I even used my rank was with Primrose and you. The reason I keep the rank is so I can keep Namid and Vespertio safe. He told her shaking his head slightly in denial. He didn't use his rank much or rather at all but for the most part the reason he held the position of beta wasn't so much as to be second and command but to be close to the King and Queen so that he could protect them. Now that you mention it though I haven't seen her either though her scent is still here. Think I scared her into hiding? He asked the last part his voice lighter. 

(This post was last modified: Jun 28, 2015, 09:23 PM by Anthem.)

I am the Anthem we sing,

  

My sister the Angele we follow,

     

My brother ,Nathaniel, our guide

Together we shall not stray.