Heartleaf Creek you gotta help us disappear

For @Yvly

The lone wolf duo (Kerberos and Maera) hadn't been spending lots of time together but when they did it was a blast. They always seemed to be discussing ideas, sharing new information, even sharing a simple den was exciting to Kerberos. The fact that he was no longer alone all the time was a huge relief! The Rigel male was fond of Mae and all she seemed to have offered so far. He hoped the same could be said from her end.

He set out on another adventure. This time Kerberos found himself traveling alongside a creek he looked to see if anything was trapped underneath. Fish or small prey were ideal in his instance. It would be a difficult task to try and haul anything big back to the den by nightfall. Kerberos also grew to understand that nightfall was more or less their curfew. He didn't mind one bit, though. Once the sun disappeared from the horizon it made the wintery lands seem much harsher than they were in the light. It made crawling into the old den for warmth and rest much more enjoyable.

Stopping at a spot in the creek where the water wasn't frozen, Kerb dipped his head down and drank. The coolness of the water soothed any thirst that maybe had been present before.

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I am the worst person ever ;~;

The Tawny Leader often found herself beyond the borders of the Hollow territory, sometimes sticking close enough to hop right back over or as far away as the neighbouring landscapes. It was with clenched jaws and a hanging head that she sat at the bank of the creek, staring down at her reflection with narrowed eyes. She had never wanted any of this: leadership, conflicts... all she had wanted was to find a home that she felt she belonged in, but it seemed the world was against her. It was a punch in the gut over and over again and she could not take it anymore. The thought of just leaving had crossed her mind just once, but that would make her no better than all the wolves who had left since she had joined the Hollow. She could not do that to Lily or Veho or any of the wolves she now called family.

With a swift swipe and a snarl of anguish Yvly splashed furiously at her reflection, creating immense ripples that distorted the water and resembled the turmoil she felt inside. She had to be strong, though. Giving up was not an option, and so she would carry on day to day doing her duties as leader until it was forced from her. There would be no freebies to anyone who wished to take the role from her no matter how much she would rather be a subordinate. Only someone who really wanted to the role could take it from her, to prove themselves in her mind that they could do well beside Veho. Only then would she relinquish it to them, and after that... she had no idea.

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It's all good <3 @Yvly

Everything in this moment seemed perfect. The coolness of the water, the sights around him, even the soft sounds of birds or the wind. It couldn't remain this way forever, though. The tawny male was well aware of that.

He hadn't expected it to end so soon. His ears perked up at the sound of water being splashed. There was a snarl too. Kerberos couldn't stop his hackles from rising. Concern for his own well being was obvious. What was that strange so mad about? Was there danger nearby? Something that lurked in the water? Nothing was making sense so he had no choice but to trying and find out what was going on.

His tawny form slid down the creek's side until he saw someone. They shared the same colors on their pelts. Mostly the same size too. "Um, excuse me miss," The tawny Rigel's voice broke the silence between them. "Are you alright? I couldn't help but hear some commotion come from this way. Don't mean to be intruding. I will go if you wish to be alone." He offered her one of his kind smiles. Even his pale eyes seemed to be lively with kindness.

He held a neutral position as he awaited her answer. Part of him wished she would keep him around for a nice chat, perhaps he could figure out what had been wrong. Yet he would be logical and would understand if she sent him on his way. Sometimes it was best to be left alone.

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Tawny ears flicked back at the sound of another voice and, turning her head to face the stranger, the Tawny Leader gazed at him with a scrutinizing expression. His pelt was very similar to hers but his eyes were yellow, pale like a daisy and full of unprecedented kindness. No matter how irritable she was feeling at that moment, as a leader, she needed to be a role model for the rest of her pack - even though they were not around. Smoothing out her expression and perking up her ears Yvly responded to the male in a light tone with a small smile that definitely did not reach her eyes. "No it's... you can stay, if that's what you wish." She sighed softly, glancing over her shoulder at her reflection, "You're fine, I'm just having some troubles right now." She would not reveal the turmoil going on with the pack lest the male see it as a sign of weakness.

Yvly was silent for a moment as she turned back to face him, considering her next words. If he was by himself it would be a good opportunity to invite him into the Hollow, but at the same time she would not wish to bring a stranger into the fold with the current events. "Are you passing through?" He did not have the Woodland scent on him so she knew he was not a pack member of Aideen, nor did he smell of the Ridge, and from what she could tell there was not another wolf scent on him. The Tawny Leader waited with bated breath for his answer, managing a couple wags of her tail to try and seem a little more friendly despite what she was feeling inside. It was the least she could do for Veho and the rest of the pack.

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He admired her soft politeness. She was truthful, or so he thought. She confessed her emotions and his lips drew into a thin frown. "Would you like to talk about it? My mama always said I was a good listener and talker. And I mean, I don't know anything so I don't have any pre-existing thoughts that might change my opinion." He rambled and smiled as he offered an almost submissive wag of his tail. Maybe if he could help her with her problems she would feel better and that would make him feel better. That guilt conscious would gnaw at him till he was nothing but his bones.

Her next questioned caused his eyes to light up. "You could say that. A friend and I have been living as loners not too far from here." His tail waved happily. There was not once that he didn't enjoy talking about him and Maera. Even if it was in a vague and not fully comprehensible sense. Like he always said, she was all he had for now but that was more than good enough for him. Her advice, lessons, words kept him alive so far and he had to be grateful for that. Not once had he been put in any true danger other than the always present gloom of winter. There was nothing anyone could do to stop winter, though. That was inevitable as the end of time.

"Oh, by the way, my name is Kerb." The tawny male offered her a faint smile and wondered how she would react. Each wolf he had crossed reacted differently to his introductions.

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"I'd rather not," Yvly said softly in response to his offer. It was nice of him to do so, but for her sake - and the Hollow's too - she would keep it to herself. "Some of the troubles aren't mine to share... so it would be rude of me to talk about it to someone else." While not exactly a lie her words were not the complete truth either, however it was the only way she could say no without being impolite to the yellow-eyed male. Even if they parted in separate ways it would be good for the pack to have lone wolves out there in the world who believed them to be friendly and welcoming to strangers, especially with Winter already upon the land.

The Tawny Leader noticed how the male's eyes lit up, his expression becoming quite animated, as he spoke of his 'friend'. Now she knew there were only two strangers close by and not a large group. She would make sure to keep an eye on the eastern border for the time being in case they crept a little closer, but unless something drastic happened she would keep the information to herself. Veho had enough on his plate at the moment without worrying about lone wolves nearby. Yvly managed another small smile as the yellow-eyed male offered up his name, following suite with her moniker she used when outside the Hollow's borders. "Crystal." She paused for a moment then, thinking over how she would word her next sentence so it did not seem like she was trying to imply anything. "Are you planning on staying around here for the winter?"

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@Yvly

The woman was honest about her situation and he knew then and there he couldn't push the subject of what was wrong. "That's completely understandable and kind of you. I'm sure they respect you a great amount for not sharing what isn't yours." His voice was soft and genuine. So far she was on his good list. Only one wolf was on a true shit-list with him and one he was more wary of than actually mad at. If anyone knew that they would assume he was a hard wolf to upset, which was entirely true.

"Crystal."

"Wow." He gasped softly. "That's such a beautiful name!" Kerberos's eyes lit up with the bubbly kindness again. He had heard some interesting names but here's was truly something beautiful. He had heard tales about crystals but never had he seen one. Guess you could say he saw one now, though! The tawny male had to wonder how and why she had such a name. Perhaps it was family tradition just like his own name had been.

Her next question caused him to furrow his brows. "I'd love to answer that but I genuinely don't think I could." He frowned softly before speaking to better explain. "My friend and I just kinda go where there's food. I guess you could call the place we normally stay our home but we're just loners. Don't have a claim to anything and anywhere." His shoulders shrugged softly. It was a strange life to live but he got more and more use to it by the day.

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I am so slow, I apologise :c

"That's very nice of you to say," The Tawny Leader remarked with a twitch of her ears, noting the softness of the other's tone. She liked how he did not push but instead just let it all slide by. A few wolves like him would be nice in the Hollow at the moment with all the drama going on. Yvly was not expecting the compliment that fell forth from the male's maw, and while normally she may have given a small smile she could only muster up a small twitch of her lips and slight cant of her muzzle. A name was a name to her, but each to their own, she supposed. "And what's yours? If you don't mind me asking," She queried gently, knowing that he may not want to say his own and fully respecting that decision if that was what he wished.

Yvly nodded thoughtfully at his words having expected something similar along the lines when she asked the question. It had been a far fetched hope, but it was enough for her. "Food is becoming a little scarce nowadays," she murmured softly, mouth pulling sideways in a grim expression. As leader it was her job to make sure all members were well looked after, but it was challenging enough to find food for herself. The Tawny Leader knew they could fend for themselves just fine, but there was always a nagging thought at the back of her mind going 'what if?".

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He was merely being honest but he'd accept her compliment nonetheless. A small smile painted his face as he nodded his head to let her know he accepted her little kind snippet.

His ears perked at her question and he went straight into introducing himself as his tail wagged. "I'm Kerberos Rigel but that's kind of a long name so you can feel free to call me Kerb if you'd prefer. Most other wolves do. I'm fairly used to it." The tawny male shrugged his shoulders in a very nonchalant way. He wasn't sure who all had called him Kerberos anymore. Granted he wasn't really constantly around anyone else other than Maera who indeed called him Kerb like most. He didn't mind anything she called him, though.

The dark tawny Rigel heard her softer comment just barely. "That's a major issue during the winter. If you'd ever like to try and hunt or track with someone I'm usually in the area." Kerberos commented hoping she got the idea. Just in case she did he explained it out for her. "So you could always come out here and call. If I'm in the area and not elsewhere I'll make sure to arrive as soon as I can." His tail swayed behind him and he offered her a wide smile in hopes it would lift her mood.

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