Fallen Tree Cove Through A Glass Darkly

@Moonshadow

The dark man opened his eyes to find twilight had begun to fall over the cove which meant for him it was time to go take care of his duties. It took him a moment to rise to his feet as he realized that he’d been able to get a little more sleep than usual. He didn't know if it was a sign that maybe he was starting to finally be getting better but he was glad to have the rest. Glancing up at the sky it seemed a bit darker than it had only moments ago. Knowing he couldn't waste anymore time he rose to his feet giving his body a good stretch. He didn't bother with shaking the dirt from his pelt as he moved into the forest away from his normal path hoping to catch the scent of something he could add to the cache.

The distance he had traveled from his makeshift den wasn’t far before he found what he was looking for. It wasn't rabbit or squirrel but something smaller, not much but every little bit helped in the winter months. He put his nose to the ground in search of the burrow belonging to the vole whose scent had caught his attention. When he thought he found it Kajika dug a little at the snow to see if there really was a burrow under it. No such luck but as he lifted his head a few feet away at the base of a tree was a red squirrel. Slowly and quietly he crept closer doing what he could to remain undetected but when he was ready to make his move something happened, the squirrel stopped it's nibbling before scampering up the closest tree.

(This post was last modified: Feb 15, 2017, 03:26 PM by Kajika.)

Please see OOC Profile for OOC Preferences, Thank you.

OOC! Out of character comments here

The day was coming to an end as silver eyes looked upon the darkening sky. Her duties were all done except for one, checking in on her teacher. The ebony woman had promised that she would be able to balance being there for Kajika and neutering her relationship with @Tagg and she intended on doing just that. She had sought him out about three or four times a week and always did it away from his makeshift den. While she knew where he slept she kept that knowledge to herself not wanting to intrude. It was out of character for her but she knew how bad he had been hurting so she didnt want to make it worse. This time however instead of just simply seeing how he was holding up she had some important news for him. Her beloved hero had popped 'the question' and now they were mates. Happiness had been overflowing in her ever since that night. She thought that her teacher would be happy at the news - oh little did she know.

Large dark paws moved easily over the familiar frozen ground. Her charcoal nose followed the dark mans scent from his makeshift den. Usually if she arrived before he set out for the night she would wait in the shadows until he left. This time he had departed before her arrival so she followed unaware that he was hunting. Her paws carelessly crunched on the snow and knocked over small rocks in their wake. Kajikas scent had grown stronger alerting her that she was close. Coming around a tree silver eyes spotted him form crouched just a ways away from a tree. Her gaze moved from him to the red rodent clinging to the bark. It spotted her and scampered up the tree. Woops. Her silver tipped ears fell flat against her skull as her head and tail dropped. "Sorry 'bout that" she apologized as she made her way over to him. Had she known she would have been more quiet.

The squirrel was gone up the tree and a perfect meal opportunity lost, a huff of frustration escaped him but he didn't move from his crouched position just yet. His ears laid back just enough to pick up the sound of someone approaching. Kajika didn't have to catch her scent to know it was Moonshadow as if to prove him wrong she had been checking up on him. Always finding him just before he started his duties and she was off to bed. Credit had to be given where credit was due, she seemed to be doing a good job balancing. Still he felt it was only a matter of time and so it became another thing that he was left waiting for.

Slowly he rose to his full height and turned to face her after her apology, “Don't worry about it,” he told her with a shrug, “Heart wasn't really in it anyway.” In the past weeks even hunting didn't have the same fun as it used to. It no longer really took his mind off things and had just become something he did because it was required of him. “How are you today Moonshadow?” He asked as he took a few steps toward her and sat back on his haunches his head held low as he looked at her. “Everything go alright with your duties?” He doubted that was what she had come to talk about, how thin he was or unkempt his coat was, those were what they talked about, “It seems I was able to sleep a little today,” he informed her evenly hoping it might make her feel a little better, like she was helping him.

(This post was last modified: Feb 15, 2017, 10:50 PM by Kajika.)

Please see OOC Profile for OOC Preferences, Thank you.

OOC! This is technically set after her talk with Namid and Vespertio and Tagg but since its no where near finished I'm keeping it super vauge.

She felt bad for scaring off the squirrel despite his effort to make her feel better. She knew he needed the meal since his frame had been thinning. She allowed a small half smile to form on her inky lips in an effort to make him feel like he made her feel better. She walked at bit further until she was practically nose to nose with the dark man. She sat a bit to the right so that she wasn't in his face. She did this every time in hopes that she could groom him a bit. While sometimes he allowed her to there were days where he didnt. He asked her how she was doing and how her duties were going. She shrugged "Duties are fine, nothing out of the ordinary since that lynx" she answered nonchalantly. While she was excited to tell him the news of her and Tagg she decided to see how he was doing first since she knows that her relationship triggers memories of him and Des. "I'm doin' okay" she replied with a small smile. She was far better than okay but had to contain herself. Her smile widened as he stated he was finally able to get some sleep. Her tail wagged behind her happily as she reached in to nudge his scruff. "That's wonderful to hear Kajika. So you doing a bit better today then?" She asked with genuine concern in her tone. She reached over and began to groom an especially unruly patch of fur as he responded to her.

The only reason he cared at all was because he'd been planning to put the squirrel in the cache, it could have been a meal for Lunette at least. She'd moved closer to him before sitting down in his right, this had become her routine when she checked on him. He had quickly caught onto her motives with this action, grooming, his coat was in shambles, as she'd told him. It was something he hadn't noticed but she wanted to make better for him, most days he didn't stop her but there were others he just wasn't able to so he would move away. “I'm glad to hear that,” he said evenly, “Glad that Lynx is gone too, sometimes it seems like it's always something coming across the border,” he shrugged. It was a fact of life he felt and as he always had he always would protect the pack until he couldn't anymore. “Just okay?” He asked with a raised brow, “Tagg didn’t do anything did he?” Kajika questioned as it was the only way her being “okay” made any kind of sense. He also was sure to tell her about the little sleep he had managed to get, he thought it would make her smile and he would rather see that then a crown. “Yes, I suppose it is, just don't want to get my hopes up too high.” He told before shrugging, “For now I guess I am. I don't know, I guess I am not sure what better would feel like.” It had been so long since he'd felt anywhere close to normal he wasn't sure he would know if he was getting better.

(This post was last modified: Feb 15, 2017, 11:45 PM by Kajika.)

Please see OOC Profile for OOC Preferences, Thank you.

OOC! Out of character comments here

Today it seemed like she would be able to groom him a little bit. His tolerance for her help made the woman happy. She believed it showed that he was having a better day whereas when he wouldn't let her she could tell it was a rough day for him - or night seeing he's gone nocturnal. So she went to work on a particularly tangled patch. Her silver tipped ears turned towards the dark man to hear his words. She agreed with his statement and gave him a half muffled "mhumm" in response. The bear, that moose, then the lynx had all trespassed in their home but the cove wolves were easily able to protect it and one another. "Lucky for us you were able to take it out with ease" she complimented looking up at him briefly. A smile adorned her muzzle as her sincere words fell. She hope the compliment would help him feel better...in any sense really. "Just okay?" His tone caused her to pause her grooming to look up at him again. She laughed lightly as he questioned if @Tagg had done something. Her teachers protective tone reminded her of her older brother. She shook her head "No he didn't" she reassured him with a smile. "Nothing bad at least" she added remembering the news she wanted to share with him. Her tail swept the frozen ground happily at the thought of tell her closest friend of her happy news. Never did she think that he wouldn't find it very happy.

The fact that Kajika had been able to get a few hours of uninterrupted sleep was a good sign. He stated that he supposed it was a good thing but didnt want to get his hopes up. She knew that feeling. Not wanting to get your hopes up in fear that it would be torn down. So not hoping was easier than having to face disappointment. While she could empathize with him she knew that the healing process took longer if one didnt allow themselves hope. "It is. Its a good sign even if it's just for a day. Every good day counts" she replied between licks. He just had to take it day by day so that he didnt become overwhelmed. He shrugged at her question of him doing better. He claimed he wouldn't know what better was. "Just compare it to yesterday." She suggested unsure how to exactly explain how 'better' feels.

He had taken notice that she had taken it upon herself to try and tame an unruly patch of his coat and had decided to allow her the chance. This was something she often tried to do when she came to check on him, take it upon herself to groom him. There were days however he was less tolerant of if and wouldn't allow it but this was not one of those day as he sat back on his haunches to not be a moving target for her. She agreed with him about the Lynx that had come o to the territory only weeks ago. He nodded at her statement, “Yes it was lucky but everyone else played a big part too. We worked together and got it taken care of.” He didn't think what he'd done was that special but perhaps it was the dark monster that had taken up residence in his mind, he didn't know anymore. His attention to those thoughts were directed back to Moonshadow and it seemed she had something to tell him, “Well he knows what will happen if he does,” stated Kajika netting her gaze as she worked on his pelt, “What exactly do you mean by nothing bad?” He had an uneasy feeling in his stomach.

It was the first time in a long time that he had been able to get any form of sleep so having the chance to get a least a few hours, it was something to be happy about. He couldn't bring himself to do it with so much disappointment in the past so he told her as much. It was better this way, to just live one day at a time and take things in stride the best he could. He felt if he did that he would be okay and the drowning feeling could be kept at bay. She however was convinced that it was a good sign no matter how long it lasted, he turned his head to look at her before brushing his muzzle against hers, “You haven't steered me wrong yet so perhaps we'll put this one in the column of better days?” She was always encouraging trying to help him to see the small victories even when he wasn't feeling up to it. “Today is a little better than yesterday but what if tomorrow is worse?” He wasn't so sure about this theory of hers so felt it best to get her opinion on the matter.

(This post was last modified: Feb 17, 2017, 10:58 PM by Kajika.)

Please see OOC Profile for OOC Preferences, Thank you.

OOC! Out of character comments here

This patch on his shoulder proved to be more of a hassle than she thought. She wouldn't allow it to beat her through so she kept at it sometimes using her small teeth to pick out small twigs. As she cleaned he replied with how everyone had worked together to take it down not just him. "Sure we all helped tire it out, but you were brave enough to take the opening and end it" she replied shrugging her shoulders at the first part of her statement. She looked up at him briefly with an encouraging smile for the second part of her reply. She knew that with him being down he would be more likely to pass the praise off to another so she made it her mission to point out every good thing he's done, no matter how small.

Another light laugh fell from her maw as Kajikas protectiveness came out once more. This time say that @Tagg knew what would happen if he ever did. Moonshadow chalked it up as simple protectiveness unaware of their conversation that had taken place before he confessed his love for her. She smiled at him with her tail picking up speed as it anticipated telling the news as he questioned her. "By nothing bad I mean something good, no great, has happened" she explained, her silver orbs shining with pure happiness. "He popped the question! He asked me to be his mate!" She blurted unable to keep the news in any longer. Her tail wagged furiously now nearly causing her whole body to follow in suit. She resisted the urge to bounce about as she did when her love had asked her.

She was finally able to calm herself down enough to go back to that unruly patch of fur. As she listened to his words of her not steering him wrong so far she nodded into him with another muffled 'mhumm'. She would have looked up at him but there was a particularly stubborn twig that if she could only get a hold of... *small bit of fur ripping* Finally she grabbed ahold of it and yanked unintentionally pulling some fur out with it. The dark she wolfs ears folded back in guilt as she spit out the twig. "Sorry" she apologized giving the spot a lick. Deciding that was enough grooming for one day she moved back so that she could face him better. She smiled as he decided to put this day in the better day column. Every tiny victory counted not matter how small. His worry showed itself once more as he questioned what if tomorrow was worse. "Then we'll worry about that if it happens. What of tomorrow is even better?" She smiled raising a brow at him. No one knew what the next day would bring but she hoped it would be good.

She seemed to be having a difficult time with the patch of his fur that she was working on, he continued to allow her to work on it though he didn't really care how it looked. She seemed very determined to point out what he had done, he shrugged at her statement, “Just doing what I was told,” he replied. The dark man didn't really see anything heroic in his actions, Namid had said if there was an opening to take it, he did. “If everyone else hadn't been there I wouldn't have been able to do what I did,” he added so that she understood they had worked as a pack and ended the threat together. That was the more important part the way he saw it, how well they had worked together, following the orders given by Namid. That was what had gotten the job done and allowed him to take the feline down once the opportunity had showed itself.

It seemed that Tagg hadn’t told Moonshadow about the threat he had given the man should she get hurt in all of this. Kajika had not been kidding when he had said it, feeling or not she was his friend and he would not allow her to get hurt. It seemed however that there was more to things, “Oh? Great is good,” he said with raised brow as she seemed to be building up to it. Then she blurted it out, the two of them were mates which was not completely unexpected he supposed. He resisted the urge to take off running away from her and in the few seconds after she'd told him he quickly composed himself. She could not know, “Congratulations, I'm truly happy for you,” he said putting on his widest smile and most cheerful tone, “I wish you both the best.” It sounded so fake in his ears but he hoped in her enthusiast she would take it for what it was. He had done his best to keep what he was really feeling out of his voice and face. It seemed she had made the decision to tell for him, or rather Tagg had.

She soon had returned to her previous grooming of the fur on his shoulder and all the trouble she seemed to be having, he didn't notice. He was still too caught up in what she'd told him regarding her and Tagg, what it would mean in the future. There was just so much going through his head, so many emotions that the rest of their conversation didn't matter any longer. He winced slightly as he did feel her pull some of his fur but he didn't really acknowledge it. “Doubtful,” he’d heard himself say when she suggested the next day might be better. There wouldn't be any more good days or days of getting at least a few hours of sleep. “I don't think you should hope for anymore good days,” he told her as he met her gaze. That was that it was best she got used to the idea too so that her hopes wouldn't be dashed.

(This post was last modified: Feb 20, 2017, 12:10 AM by Kajika.)

Please see OOC Profile for OOC Preferences, Thank you.

There is a deer that was killed by a lynx nearby. +10 Health