Whisper Marsh No where to go

Thanatos wandered around relic lore, making his way to Whisper Marsh. There was a pack somewhere nearby but he was unaware of what the pack was called. He missed his old mate but maybe it was time for him to settle into a new pack.

He walked through the marsh, looking around for something to eat. He couldn't pick up the scent of anything and gave up on hunting. He sat down beneath a tree as memories flashed through his mind. All the fights, blood, and death. Then an image of his love, Kama, lying in a pool of her own blood with his sister standing over her limp body stuck in his mind. He growled softly. Thanatos shook his head, trying and failing to get the image out of his head. He lifted his muzzle and let out a long howl, singing for his lost love.

The snow crunched after each falling rhythm of her paws. It was still deep enough to make her sink into it's depths just above her ankles, and instead of paw prints she left behind a trail of small, deep holes. It wasn't much effort to plow against the banks, and in some places the snow was melting from the light of the sun. She was eager to see if the warm temperature had coaxed any critters out of hiding.

With a quick choice she had chosen to head to the marsh today hoping on the off chance there might be geese, or ducks hanging around. Some made the trip back sooner than others hoping to prepare their homes for their own little ones that would be coming. Her ears swept forward, and her eyes narrowed, shifting from one end of the horizon to the other she tried to detect where they might nestle amongst the dead reeds, and grass. She did not glance long when she saw a rather large black wolf across the way. She paused, tucking her neck low, and folding her ears to the contours of her skull. He wasn't looking at her, his head was raised, and his voice sang out. She did not do anything, but watch, and listen uncertain who he called for.

Thanatos lowered his head and picked up a scent of a female wolf as the wind changed direction. He looked around with his good eye and spotted a white female. He almost missed her since her pelt blended in with the snow. He walked forward slowly, not wanting to frighten her. She smelled of pack. Perhaps this was a chance to join a new pack.

Thanatos stopped a few wolf lengths away from her and submitted to her. He didn't know what rank she was in her pack but she was higher ranked than him just by being in a pack. <b>"Hello miss. I'm Thanatos. It's a pleasure to meet you."</b> He was always nicer to females because of his past. He hadn't been this polite before though, perhaps it was because she was one of the few pack wolves he had come across. <b>"What is your name miss?"</b>

What had been calm air was not, and a cool breeze picked alerting him to her presence. She warily watched him with a tightness in her frame aware of the many situations that could pass when two strangers met. Suddenly he was not howling any more, but looking in her direction. Her white tail idly twitched behind her hocks. She had not made a sound, and was uncertain if he was intrigued by her presence, or disturbed. Her black nose twitched, and she tried to decipher more about him. He was not close enough, and the wind was not in her favor. He cautiously started her way, and the proud leader stood her ground not taking her eyes off his dark pitched formed. The closer he became, the larger he became in her eyes. He certainly had had to be apart of a pack not to long ago with the bulk in his legs, thighs, and shoulders. What she didn't quite understand was his submissive posture.

She lifted her head, but kept her muzzle partially down, guarding her throat. For her tail she didn't raise it where she might hold it at home, but kept it align with her spine. She eyed him suspiciously with a cock of her head. He offered a sweet greeting with the addition of his name. Her front paws carefully shift against the cold snow. She wasn't quite sure if she should relax just yet, despite his friendly exterior. "Jaysyek, nice to meet you..." she said, though it sounded more of a question than statement. "You lookin' for some one?"

(This post was last modified: Feb 25, 2012, 12:10 AM by Jaysyek.)

He smiled and wagged his tail slightly. <b>"Jaysyek. That's a unique name. It fits, you are unique, especially with those beautiful eyes."</b> He was happy he could finally speak correctly since he hadn't been able to before with his heavily scarred muzzle. He gave Jaysyek a smile, it looked more threatening than friendly though.

<b>"No Jaysyek, I'm not looking for anyone. I'm just missing someone."</b> He lowered his head as he started thinking about his dead mate again. <b>"Which pack are you a member of Jaysyek? I'm not completly familiar with them yet, I've only recently come to Relic Lore. I am looking to hopefully join a pack in time though."</b>

She acknowledged his compliments with a bob of her head, and thin smile. Maybe they were sincere, and maybe it was just talk. She wanted to remain neutral, somewhat friendly till she decided. Though she couldn't help but recall how Borden had stated the same once he'd mellowed out. She shoved the memory away for the first time taking a good look at the male who was at hand. With no more distance between them, her eyes wondered over the several scars that ranged across his black muzzle, and the one that darted up to his filmy eye. She tried not to stare at it, nor the missing part of his ear for long. Just a quick glance before meeting his orange, and silver gaze. Somewhere, in the back of her mind she was thinking about Vlar, and if she looked like that now. She would not feel guilty, and flicked her ears as he continued to speak. Why ever this wolf did have scars she could only guess, but tried not to make assumptions of the worst. He had tried to smile, she thought despite the scar tissue that's what it was meant to be.

Her sleek muzzle cantered to the right, missing someone? She could relate, and felt a flicker of sadness wondering who he was. His sad had certainly not been happy. She merely frowned not daring to speak for fear of saying the wrong thing. Luckily he changed the subject, and her features smoothed. He was new around, and looking for a home. It must be why he was keeping a neutral, yet warm presence. She took in a short breath, before letting it out. "I'm actually a leader of a pack, Grizzly Hollow to be more specific. There I believe two others around, but I only know where one is. You particular about what kind of pack?" She asked with a single brow raised. She wanted to know a little bit more about him before she offered him a place, or told him about Swift River.

So she was a leader? He hadn't heard of Grizzly Hollow before but if she was willing, maybe he could find out more. <b>"I apologize miss, I hadn't heard of your pack until now. I suppose your mate is somewhere nearby then?"</b> Jaysyek seemed very friendly, most leaders he had come into contact with in his past were overly aggressive so this was new for him. <b>"If you don't mind Jaysyek, I would like to get to know you better and perhaps I may be allowed to join your pack one day."</b> He smiled sincerely at her.

She was asking about what kind of pack he wanted to join. He was quite sure. Thanatos had only been in his birth pack, which hadn't turned out well. He decided to be honest with Jaysyek about his past. He looked down for a moment then met her eyes as he spoke. <b>"Miss, I should be honest with you. I had only ever been a member of my birth pack, my scars and blind eye are proof that things didn't end well."</b> Thanatos paused before he continued. <b>"My father was the leader. He gave an order for us to...exterminate a rival pack. I spoke out against it and he blinded me and had the other pack members attack my mate, who was carrying pups, and myself. I survived with scars as a reminder but my mate didn't make it. That's who I was singing for earlier."</b> He knew that the fact he spoke out against the leader of his birth pack would be a bad sign to a potential pack member and leader but he felt she needed to know. <b>"I'm just looking for a pack who's leaders I get along with. I would protect them with my life as long as they were not like my father."</b>

He was a polite fellow she'd give him that. The world needed more considerate beings, but she kindly shook her head at the mention of a mate. "No, not exactly. I had a mate, but we aren't exactly together any more. I lead alone for the time being." Her words did not break in rhythem, offering the truth of the matter. Borden had asked for a chance to make things right, to mend what was shredded. He'd said he was not the same wolf she'd let back into her home, but she wasn't sure if he would be the man she'd let into her heart. She was afraid what he had become, and if he really did love her as he had.

The longer she was in Thanatos presents the more genuine he seemed to become. He was not merely an actor confined to feeding her sweet lies, but wanting a home, maybe Grizzly Hollow in fact. A faint smile edged on the corners of her lips. When he appeared to be thinking, almost ready to speak she held her tongue to listen. The honest truth sounded from his lips, and she kept a mask of indifference listening to each detail, each sound of his voice. The puzzles fell into place when he told her his story. He was missing his own mate, and though hers had not been dead she did know the hurt,the loss, and pain. Her smooth face wrinkled, a tiny frown pulling her lips down. She did not condemn him for speaking against his father, it seemed very brave of him to do the right thing in which he had payed dearly for. She was reminded of the male Crux, as he almost seemed to pledge to protect. She knew if he really wanted to join, he would be a good asset. Maybe she trusted to easily, but how could all of he said be fake?

"That is quite a tale of sorrow Thanatos," she said most quiet, and somberly. "It takes courage to do the right thing, and I admire that in a wolf. You seem like you could get along in the hollow as I can assure you I'm nothing like your father. I think some believe I'm to kind for my own good," she smiled at the comment, "But I feel before I accept you I must ask if you can get along with other males. There's currently seven in my pack counting my son, and breeding season is not far off." She didn't believe there would be a huge fight over her or anything, but the rush, and influx of hormones was kinda a wild card. She was going to have a Leader by then, but a possible mate was in the air. Whoever became her mate would naturally be Leader by default.

So her mate and herself were not together anymore. That meant she was looking for a new male to lead and stand by her side as a mate. Perhaps this was an opportunity for a new home and maybe even a new mate. It was time for him to move on. Maybe this beautiful white female would be his. He forced the thought away. If she accepted him he would be there to protect her and her pack, it would be her decision for who would be her mate. She had six males to choose from and since he would be new if he was accepted he was less likely to be chosen.

He smiled and nodded as Jaysyek spoke again. <b>"I never thought you were like my father miss. Not many wolves would go down to his level."</b> She did seem very kind and he hoped Jayse wouldn't be too trusting and get into trouble. Maybe that's what happened with her and her mate. He wouldn't pry though, it wasn't his business. <b>"I'll admit, if you asked me a few weeks ago I would have had to say no but I have been working on it and I am getting along with males better now. I just don't seem to be able to trust them as easily as females. I can promise you I will not lay a paw on any of your pack members though. And if I am accepted I will gladly protect you and your pack with my life."</b>

Her shoulders gave a prominent shrug. "Figured it's best to get things in the open," she stated in reply. "Sometimes things aren't what they seem,"her lips grew tight. If she had judged him on his appearance she would have come to some bad conclusions. If someone looked at her only seeing a white female they would soon realize she was more than meets the eye. For the time she was glad she didn't know who his sire was, nor where he was at but hoped he stayed far beyond Relic Lore. It seemed Thanantos was about her age if not older, and her mind pictured his sire crumbling in some grave to put herself at ease. The wolves who had hurt Indru had not made appearance here, she hoped it kept that way. In reality she was aware there could not be peace in the lands forever. The balance of things usually titled to one, and then the other. It had been fairly calm in the lore it was only a matter of time before darkness of her own kind found the happy valley.

She rose to attention, very grateful for his honesty. Mistakes were the greatest of teachers, and he appeared to have learned from his. "That is enough for me," she offered with a smile, and gently wag of her tail. She strode forward, and swiftly rang the underneath of her neck against the contrasting black of both shoulders. It was his physical acceptance into the hollow, her scent mixed with his. Now Thanatos would have his chance like everyone else who sought the forest for their home. Until than she would believe he was a wolf of his word. Though how would eight males in the coming weeks she would soon find out. Stepping back, she casually looked around."Before we head home, I was hoping to catch something to eat. You haven't spotted anything promising around have you?" She asked, hoping if he had any questions he might ask them at this time.