Grizzly Hollow It Will Come Back

For @Rook
Partly Cloudy  - 64 ° F, 18 ° C

He shivered, breath shaky and rattling in his chest. From beneath his paws the world continued to exist. There was no shattering rumble and groan as the earth itself broke in two, forming a gaping maw to swallow him whole. Nor did the planet come to a stuttering halt in the night sky, slowing and stopping time itself. Somewhere in the distance came the hum of nightlife, low and piercing in his ears. He'd trespassed on pack territory and life did not end. Because the universe did not care about what one Flannery O'Halloran did. And he knew not what to do with the newfound realization.

From his parted lips came a heavy breath, one full of desperate relief. There was nothing wrong and it filled him with an energy he couldn't place. It screamed from within his veins, blood throbbing loud and harsh in his temples. Unsure of what else to do he took the plunge. His adrenaline rush pushed him forward, deeper into pack territory where the heady scent left him feeling drunk. He felt immortalized in that moment. With his paws dancing along ancients roots and years of plant life, he was burning. Something that was holy in nature had just happened, he could feel it chattering in his bones.

I was in your sights, you got me alone

Today had begun like any other day: he woke up to the empty space beside him, inhaled the traces of Veho that he wished were still fresher than they really were, did his morning routine of relieving himself and stretching all of his stocky limbs, got a drink of water from the trickling stream a short walk away, and continued to fill his day with anything and everything that kept him well out of Oula and Veho's way. A leisurely patrol around the borders was what held him away from the heart of Grizzly Hollow, but little did Rook know that he was about to spin all the way around and head right back to where he had practically come from. This was going to be a wake-up call, a means to snap out of the sadness that had consumed him as soon as Oula's heat had been resolved.

At first it had the sound of hasty footsteps in a galloping rhythm that sent him on edge; if he had not thought to try and follow in order to realize just who it was that had come romping about in such a hurry. Alarms in the form of bird calls set of in his head, flashes of red and orange sending him into panic mode as soon as he realized that the creature that had come across Grizzly Hollow's borders was: 1.) a wolf, 2.) young, 3.) an unidentified male.

His black-tipped tail came up as if he still owned the place and immediately he set off on the brute's trail in a run that ate up the ground. It had taken a few minutes but as soon as that tawny coat had come into view, his jaws parted and he was more awake than he had been in the past few weeks.

"HEY!" he practically hollered into the forest, his words aimed at the back of the stranger's auburn head. "STOP! Stop right there!" His limbs were starting to threaten to give way beneath him the longer he went on after the trespasser. Then, as if he were absolutely certain he had not been heard in the first place, he went ahead and repeated the command, louder and clearer than before, "I said stop!" He was starting to run out of breath; hopefully the rogue would heed him; if not, he was wholly ready to summon his Leaders.

Chances are I have a BEN WHISHAW gif for that.

If they wanted him to stop so much, he'd stop. The boy reeled, whipping around without a care for how fast he was just going. It almost sent him toppling into the mess of foliage and needles that was the ground, but he continued on in his grand show of antics. They were a beautiful mess of hasty, too-fast emotion in his veins and it invigorated him. Calling to him in a way these kinds of situations always did.

He stared at their lumbering form with a gaze that was dead - and pranced. His paws skipped beneath him, tail an excited flurry of movement behind him. All while his forelimbs tapped against the ground as he took to darting from one side to the next. Taunting, teasing the male to do something before he darted off again. "Why should I?" It was the only thing he called before he sneezed, attempting to soften the blow of his actions. Because his lungs were now set aflame with the bittersweet ache of laughter, the sound soft and breathy from his open maw. And he didn't plan on stopping this game of his any time soon, not when it was only just starting to pick up the pace and be fun. His amber eyes were set upon them with a look that could be described as crazed, all too wild and intense for what was unfolding. The frantic nature to his aggressive play bow stilled, settling into something bearable with his rump high in the air and body almost prone.

I was in your sights, you got me alone

At long last, it seemed the boy had stopped. Though, first, a bit of stumbling was in order due to just how fast the game of chase had had them going. Rook's own gait slowed and a frown appeared on his masked face as the intruder began to prance about. Then there came the dare... "Why should I?" Once upon a time, Rook might have enjoyed this sort of frolicking about, made it a welcome distraction. He was older now, hardened by all that Grizzly Hollow had bestowed upon him, and - not to mention, coupled with the love of his life. There was no more room for flirting or even allowing the idea to come close to him... not when he, Veho, and Oula had cubs tucked away in the heart of the territory.

"You're encroaching on pack territory!" he hollered back, not even caring if his voice was loud enough now for anyone nearby to hear him. His jaw jumped as his mismatched eyes fell upon those ashen features, the bit of russet that graced the youth all along the sides of his neck and throat and dappled over his back. There was a sneeze and Rook was not at all sure if he ought to translate the gesture as something threatening or perhaps light-hearted in nature. Their eyes met and the Lyall now took note of the warm amber hue those irises held; it reminded him of a warm summer sunset. If he wasn't mentally holding himself back, he probably could have drowned in them. His maw set in an unmistakable scowl. The tail at his back still held itself tall and he flashed his teeth in warning as his company slid down into a play bow.

A lump formed in Rook's throat and he had to swallow hard in order to free his vocal chords. If it had been a safe thing to do, he might have warned that his family's safety was at stake. Instead, he did what any wary parent did; and, if this stranger wanted to play 'hard-to-get', perhaps it was best to try and play along. He would wash his paws of his later...

"I said stop," he repeated again, standing several wolf-lengths from the male now, still assuming the posture of a dominant individual. His heart thumped in his chest. Early Spring and its merciless tendencies to send even the youngest wolves into the heat of the breeding season had long since passed. Why this encounter was replicating such a feeling with the Lyall was beyond him, but, if anything, he was going to do anything it took to steer the foreigner well away from his family. His left paw lifted off the ground and hung there for what seemed like ages before he set it down again in one full advancing step. His charisma and guile would have to be on point if he wanted his plan to work. His head canted to the right and he gave a rather lopsided smile. He was going to play along... "If I catch you first, will you stop for a chat?"

Chances are I have a BEN WHISHAW gif for that.