Visting an Old Friend - Amore -

[Drathlic]

Memories had flooded back into the young adults mind as life around him in the past few moons had changed. Memories of old times when he was nothing but a harmless little cub that knew nothing more of the world than death and pain...but also of happiness, friendship and new discoveries. Many friends he had made in his time as a young cub, but not all had he met again to renew that bond with. One of those in particular was a fiesty little hybrid named Amore. The rudey male, once so young and full of innocent play, ran across the young, pearly white faemme within the great towering walls of the Man made domain where Wolfbane is said to haunt. She had stumbled and fell into him, or he too had crashed into her, and she had hurt her paw briefly before they met Drathlic's other friend Kop - a young male born from the Ge-Rad alphas...who's story now he knew not.

After his good friend Renn, another friend of old who he'd taken to the pack lands of List - where he resided - and helped her take a place also within his home, had disapeared for reasons that he barely knew fully, Drathlic had needed to part from his withering pack lands for a time and meet those he knew once...and to renew what he shared with them.
Amore - aftering hearing on wind that she was part of the Koran pack - was his first priority. Padding silently from the mountainous regions of his homeland, the young timber adult - barely out of his juvinile stage in life - began to trapse endlessly on a trek to the Koran packlands, knowing not of its scent, but only the tales of the land. Though it was dangerous that he even think about making his way anywhere near this territory. Why? For the Drappa of this pack, Tarkah, had slain List's previous Drappa and left Fiory in charge. If the faemme knew he was of List...then she might too kill him. And if any of his Listern family knew he'd ventured here...it would be his hide on the den's floor for sure.

Padding closer now towards a great curve that he knew would steep down into a vast valley, Drathlic panted heavily and slowed to a stop aloft the peak, peering down with wide azure eyes at what he saw. The Koran lands were indeed lucious hunting grounds for the pack who claimed it. A large herd of Herla were burrying their snouts into the deep snows of the plains and rooting for vegetation. Hunger suddenly stabbed Drathlic's stomach hard and he took a step back, letting out a small whine as memories of death once again came to his fragile mind.
Shaking them off, he began to scent the trees and grasses close to him - detecting a positive change in scent...a very pungent oddur he knew to be that of a scent mark. If his fotting was correct - he had indeed just landed himself close to the border of Koran. Whether he was within the territory already or just outside it...he knew not. However he was satisfied with himself and grinned proudly to no one in particular.
Letting a light hearted growl pass his lips, the young male threw forward his head and let out a call, a call asking for Tratto's Blessing and for a single wolf in particular to come forward. Amore.

[Amore]

It had been many a Moon since Amore was an ignorant, innocent spawn of a mixed heritage. Back then, the snowy femme had been far weaker in body, mind and spirit than the fine figure she was now, but she had been held back from falling over the edge in to despair by a few friends whom she had met while still a cub. Indeed, Amore was a Hybrid, and had resided far from Transylvania, with a domesticated Dog Pack. Her Mother, Perra, had been similar to Amore in appearance, pearly white and slender, with piercing azure optics that seemed to bore into the object of her gaze. Her Father, Cabbron, had been a magnificent Dragga of three Packs, snowy white and strong beyond belief. His golden gaze was warm and glittered with laughter, and he was a love rat worse than the absent Dragga of Ge-Rad, Draeg, for Cabbron ahd juggled three pure-blooded Drappas, one of each Pack, and not to mention his love affair with Perra. Three cubs were born from the litter, but before she could delve right back to her earliest memories with her siblings, Amore stopped the memories and moved on to when she had first set a paw in the dark forests of Transylvania.

Her first destination had been the dark castle that broke the horizon, a vast dwelling of stone and iron where many Men used to reside many years back. Something unknown had spooked Amore, a noise and a scent of a stranger, a threat, had set the Hybrid cub to racing up and down the many corridors of the castle, struggling to find a way out of its stone maze. It had been during one of these spooked runs that Amore had collided with another Varg, a pure-blooded ruddy-hued cub by name of Drathlic. Temporarily hurting her leg in the crash, Amore was shy and submissive, but the appearance of yet another cub, older than Drathlic and grizzled in hue, Kop or something like that, had spurred the Hybrid on to play-fighting with the others, forging friendships with both, yet more strongly with Drathlic, the first Varg she had ever met in the foreign Transylvania. Unfortunately, many of the images that had imprinted themselves in her mind were fading, and all she really remembered of Drathlic was a ruddy cub with piercing orbs and a kind voice. Besides, if she should ever sight her old friend again, he would have changed as she had changed.

Now, the frail cub was an elegant adolescent. Her pelt had shown its true nature of that of a Varg and mirrored her Fathers, her tassel lightly feathered and swift to swish from side to side in friendship. Of course, her cyan orbs were the same, and her anatomy was closer to that of a Dog than a Varg, but from a distance, Amore could have been a Varg. Her slender form was strong and swift, yet rather than wish to be a Huntress, Amore dreamed of helping others, and she had been requesting Koran's Assistent Drappa, Phantom, and the Drappa, Tarkah, if she could train as a Healer. Although the outside had changed, the inside was still the shy gentle, clumsy Amore that could never be changed.

As she lay on the snow-covered ground, catching up on a bit of rest under the bows of a pine tree, a youthful howl rang through the air of Koranian terra, strange to her auds. Maw quivering, auds pricked forward with interest, Amore gracefully rose to her digits as she tried to decipher the message from the beautiful melody. Of course, it requested Larka's Blessing from the Koran, but there was something more, a more personal private request. Though she was uncertain, the ivory youth could have sworn by Fenris that she had heard her own name, a mere note in the harmonious song, but still her name. Curiosity getting the better of her, Amore's pillars worked as she sprang forward into a steady lope, speeding through the pine forest as if she had been doing so since she was a cub.

As she grew closer to what she hope was the source, a beckoning scent forced Amore to meander towards her right, as if some force was pulling her to that spot on the Border. Mixed in with the strong scent of the Koran, and the fainter individual scents of her Packmates, was the not so subtle scent of an alien Pack. Lifting her maw to the sky, the ivory femme breathed deeply, trying to pinpoint the Pack-scent, but unfrotunately, it was not one which she knew of. That did not allow the call to have come from Cinder, for her brindle friend had recently joined the ranks of Sarnes, a Pack which Amore depsised, mainly for the rudeness of which Serg, its Dragga, had shown Amore in a breif meeting between the pair. No, it was not Cinder, but it was strong and one which she would remember for all her life. But it was unscruttable and Amore could not put it a to a face.

At last after what seemed like ages, Amore sped forward for a few more metres, bursting through the snow-covered branches of a thorn bush and leaping forward into the clearing thet marked the Border of her terra. Standing there, in the center, half in half out of Koranian terra, was a ruddy-hued adolescent. Even as she felt his gaze, Amore felt a stirring inside her, like a submerged memory re-emerging, but avoiding eye contact, Amore scanned the Mann, trying to recognise him. His ruddy pelt was somewhat familiar, and his voice was strong and clear, but Drathlic had changed too much for the ivory Hybrid to remember him as her dear friend. Suddenly, the scent was recognised as that of List. Though she did not know ;List very well, Amore knew that Tarkah had slain their previous Drappa, Bila, and that ever since then the two Packs were deadly enemies. A snarl curling her lip, Amore stared at the red-hued Mann with anger. "Back of, Listern Varg," Amore growled threateningly, taking on a hostile stance, her hackles bristling as she felt her blood riising to defend her Pack. "Or I'll flay your wretched skin and hang it out for the ravens to pick over."

[Drathlic]

Standing in silence, only the sound of the wind battering against his erect and fully alert auds broke it. Waiting patiently for what seemed like an age to the young adult, Drathlic's lowered tail twitched and his cyan hues gazed out across the valley - watching the herla below to amuse himself whilst also watching out for the figures of any varg. But a russling behind him suddenly caught him off guard and the young timber male of List swung his body round and lowered it slightly in a show of submission and respect. But the sleek form of an elegent white and cyan blue eyes emerged from the brush. There was no mistaking her. It was clearly Amore.
A faint smile curled the edges of his whitened muzzle and his head and ears perked, tassel beginning to slowly sway as he moved his body into a more comfortable position, standing facing her now with his head still slightly lowered. "Amore..." he spoke softly, his grin growing broader in delight. But the quick reaction that followed caught him completely by suprise.
Yelping in fright by his friend's suddenly savage actions, Drathlic immediatly dropped to the ground and tucked his tail submissively between his hind legs and pressed it firmly against his belly whilst rolling slowly onto his side. Wincing at her cruel words, Drathlic was suddenly beginning to wonder if this wasn't in fact his friend that he'd met all those moons ago. What if it was another Koran faemme? Or...if Amore in fact was not even part of this pack. What then would happen to him?
A whine escaped his muzzle and he slowly opened his eyes, the light making his azure hues shimmer. "I am sorry, please don't harm me. I thought I'd called out for Tratto's Blessing. I...I just wanted to see if my friend resided here in your lands," he whimpered, lifting his paw and curling it up by his chest.

[Amore]

Her name was a strangled whisper, but Amore still heard the ruddy newcomer utter it with warmth. Shocked, the elegant faemme drew backward a few steps, regarding the intruder with curious eyes. Twin azure fires danced within their depths, mirroring those of the ruddy male. Not looking at his orbs, Amore stared at him as she growled, "How do you know my name?" Looking down, Amore gazed into the Mann's orbs, lost in their beauty as memories washed over her. He had changed in so many ways. He was larger than Amore and his wormy excuse for a tail had grown into a fine tassel by anyone's standards. His pelt was red-hued, but longer, resembling the armour-like fur of the Varg. But his eyes were the same. Those azure orbs that Amore had lost herself in on her first meeting with the stranger, now captivated her as they faced each other. Drathlic.

Welcome flashed in her dazzling orbs, the only warning that she had recognised her old friend, before she acted. Her small digits cracked through the snow as she circled Drathlic, carrying herself in a dominant position, head and tail held high. With each circle, Amore brought herself a little closer to Drathlic, until her fine legs were brushing the fur along his back. Comign to a stop, the elegant ivory faemme bent her head, and covered Drathlic's head in licks and kisses, showing ehr happiness at seeing her friend. As she licked and kissed, she spoke, ehr words muffled slightly. "Drathlic, my old friend, it's so good to see you! How is Kop? More importantly, how are you?"

[Drathlic]

Drathlic thought it best not to reply when Amore asked in bewilderment how he knew her name. He thought it best to let her figure it out for herself...after all...faemme could get quite funny when they were told things rather than left to find things out for themselves. Though as she stared deeply into his trembling gaze, he looked away in fear that she might strike him for being disrespectful within lands that were not of his own - not to mention lands that were rivalled with his own pack.
Not noticing the welcome that now shone in Amore's own cyan hues, Drathlic started when she began to circle him in a dominant manner. Maybe she hadn't recognised him after all and now this was his end. Her paw steps got closer and closer to his cowering form until finally her leg brushed against his thick pelt. In immediate response, Drathlic threw back his head and bore his neck to her in a sign of submission, his azure eyes clenches tightly shut and his trembling tassel tuckled tightly between his hind legs.

Though no pain came. No snarls or growls. Instead, a mass of warm licks and kisses showered his head and muzzle. Opening his eyes, Drathlic showed a clearly bemused expression as he lifted his head and leaned back to observe the delighted pleasure in Amore's ivory face. He let out a long sigh of relief before pulling his bulk off the ground and taking a few steps back to gain some ground, proud banner now swaying happily at the far more comfortable situation.
She remembered his name too - and this he couldn't help but grin broadly about, his leathery black lips pulling back into a rather dim-witted looking grin. "I'm very good Amore, thank you for asking! And yourself? You seem fine enough here," he chuckled softly, reaching his muzzle forward and giving her neck a tender nudge before pulling it back and licking his muzzle. Though hearing the mention of Kop, his tail stopped swaying and his auds flexed back slightly. He didn't know to be honest. Kop was of the Ge-Rad pack, and he knew something had happened between himself and his good friend Renn. Though the details were not known to him. Shrugging slightly he glanced away from her eyes and let out an uneasy growl. "I'm actually not very sure on Kop's behalf actually. I haven't seen him in about as long as I've seen you. And neither his sister Shayla. But I'm sure they're doing fine," he smiled hopefully, trying to seem sincere and not let Amore think anything different. Though as with all faemme, there was that unpredictablilty about them...

[Amore]

"Pity," Amore murmurred softly, "I would have liked to see Kop again. And as for me-" Breaking off, the pearly Hybrid considered her situation. As a Member of Koran, Amore was treated with the same respect by her Packmates as any other Koranian - yet she still felt uncomfortable in her surroundings. Maybe it was the alck of knowledge of the Koran terra, for though she ahd resided there since Winter, due to the blizzards and other harsh extremes, the ivory faemme had not had a chance to explore her surroundings thoroughly and her lack of knowledge meant that she was often intimidated by the older Vargs who led hunts and such. Or perhaps it was Tarkah's distrust. The snowy Drappa had disliked the youth since they had first met in the Castle. Amore had also come into contact with a small grey cub who's name was lost to her and Serg, the ghastly Dragga of Sarnes and First of the Balkar. All three pure-blooded Varg had mistreated Amore and generally hated her for her heritage.

Then when Amore dared venture into Koranian terra and join the Pack she had dreamed of since she had first heard of it, the pearly faemme had experienced distrust from both Kadin - Co. Dragga - and Tarkah. Of course, the precense of the might ebony and red male, Zhentee, and the Co. Drappa, Phantom, had prevented any misfortune and Amore had been accepted into the Koran. However, she was not blind and it was blatant to her that Tarkah doubted her loyalty due to ehr heritage, as if the fact that Amore's Mother had been a dog and she had been raised among them could not vanish from Tarkah's mind.

"Things are a little...awkward," Amore finally managed to speak, looking at the ground. Her once-wagging tassel now hung limp, its feathery tip brushing the ground. "It is great having a Pack to support me and I have forged friendships with many, but...Tarkah and a few others can't seem to forget that underneath my doggish anatomy I am the same as them. The free spirit of the Putnar runs in my blood yet they overlook that and think only of Man's servants," Now that she had started it was hard to stop, even if her words may sound slightly against pure-blooded Varg, Amore felt that she could trsut ehr first friend in Transylvania. "They all seem to think that - Serg, Tarkah, Demon - that ebony Fortune Teller called me an abomination. And ties with a Listern Varg can't help-" Breaking off, Amore realised that her last words definantly would have offended Drathlic. Silently cursing herself, Amore leaned inward and ran her tongue over Drathlic's maw, apologising for her words.

[Drathlic]

Drathlic's auds drooped slightly as he watched Amore's perky and excited form suddenly deminish and grow limp with sadness. He gathered himself and padded forward slowly, his tassel swaying slightly and a soft grinning curling his muzzle. The ruddy male gave her a tender nudge under the chin and pulled back for their azure eyes to meet. But before they could, the ivory faemme and stopped dead in her speech and looked horrified at what she had just said, showering his muzzle in apologetic licks. Letting a light hearted chuckle pass his lips, Drathlic shook her off him and smiled fondly, banner now swaying happily again. "Don't you think I know that? List will not take kindly to me befriending a varg from Koran - but it won't stop me. What they don't know won't hurt them right?" he grinned mischeviously - something that was not often seen across the ruddy male's muzzle.
Standing for a while further, simply listening to spring take its course around the pair; birds whistling and chasing one another around, insects buzzing in the shadows greated by the vegetation and the howling of a far off Kerl. Smiling calmly, Drathlic drew in a deep breathe through his shimmering wet nasal and exhaled, auds suddenly perking as his icy blue hues glanced into those of Amore and his tail sprung up with interest. She smelt of something...interesting. But of what, he was quite unsure - though he was sure that he'd smelt it on other faemmes before. Letting an intrieged growl pass his lips momentarily, Drathlic edged his closer to the Ivory hybrid and began to tentively sent her face, neck and then worked his way along her sleek body, hoping greatly that she would not suddenly snap at him.

[Amore]

Pausing in her licks, Amore listened to Drathlic's chuckles and words, so different from the slightly shy cub he ahd been when they had first met. It was strange why they should not be allowed to see each toehr, afterall, they had done no harm to the other's Packs, and had instead joined the rivals moons after the battles of the past. It was saddening, and Amore would have liked to be able to see Drathlic freely, but she did not want to give concrete evidence to Tarkah that she was untrustworthy, and she knew in her bones that Drathlic's own Alphas would not be best pleased. A shame, but there was nothing they could do about it besides meet secretly in neutral territory or something similar. Suddenly, Drathlic's cyan eyes met hers, a shock of electricity as he gazed for a moment before leaning in. Her natural reaction was to tense, and she did so for a few moments before relaxing again, yet feeling nervous all the same as Drathlic inspected her neck and chest, scenting her. His wet nose brushed the tips of her ivory hairs, sending jolts of feeling through her nerves. The young male began to inspect the rest of her body, moving forward as he scented her all over her back and right flank. Amore knew that something was enticing him, causing this strange behaviour, yet she did not know what, and she was still a bit too young to feel the same excitement that Drathlic felt. But even as he continued to scent her, moving ever so slightly down her slender bodice, Amore held herself still, practically basking in the attention he was giving her, no matter how strange it was. She was enjoying what was happening, and she was also loving the fact that she felt smaller than Drathlic, accepting his dominant stance as he scented her.

[Drathlic]

Drathlic continued to scent her body, his tassel flicking with thought and interest as he moved down her sleek frame. But as he reached the base of her tail he stopped and pulled his muzzle away, pulling his head back and taking several side steps so that he was now a slight distance from Amore's frame. His azure gaze turned to face her ivory muzzle, avoiding her gaze as he seemed to look almost guilty for what he'd done. It had almost been an invasion of her privacy and person space to have gotten so close and acted the way he had - he didn't even know why he was drawn to her scent in such a manner.
Growling lightly, he turned his body round so that he was facing the same way as Amore, padding up now beside her until his head was level with hers and he placed a friendly smile on his ruddy muzzle. Flattening his auds, Drathlic lowered his head slightly and placed it under Amore's and lifted up, nuzzling into her neck fur before pulling out and eventually locking their cyan eyes into a stare. "Sorry, I don't know what got into me there..." he apologised softly, hoping that she was not angry with him.

((Ok, aawwfffulll post. I'm getting worse >.< ))

[Amore]

As he continued to scent down her frame, moving closer and closer toward her tassel, Amore swung her head round to watch him with curious blue eyes. The pearly Hybrid was puzzled at his behaviour, yet she managed to hold her self still and refrain from the trembling that she already felt inside her. In the few moments inn which the ruddy Mann was scenting her, Amore felt drawn to him in some inexplicable way - but no matter how much it confused her, it felt right. Her nerves were on fire and she felt a tingling sensation as Drathlic reached the base of her tail, daring to give it a quick sniff. A disgusted expression registered 'pon his features and the white fae began to worry - was it her that disgusted him? Had she some how put him off? (Though of what she did not know). However, she quickly realised that it was not her Drathlic was disgusted with, but himself for acting in such a manner. True, it had been forward, but - despite herself- Amore had liked it.

As he moved to stand beside her once more, Amore turned her head to keep her eyes fixed on his head, the ghost of a smile fluttering on her features. "I am not sure either, but you are forgiven," She nuzzled his maw with hers as she spoke, reassuring the Listern Varg that she did not mind his exploration of her body. Burying her face in his neck, fur, she remained there for a few moments, breathing slowly and enjoying the comfort and security she felt with Drathlic. "I'm not sure if you felt the same," She murmured softly, pulling away to gaze at her old friend. "But it felt...nice. I don't know how to explain but it felt right."

((Nonsense, you're a better poster than me any day.))

[Drathlic]

The reaction he had recieved from Amore was clearly unexpected and his azure hues flashed up with suprise as they met those cya eyes of her own. She bore a soft expression as she forgave him and burried her head into his neck. He inhaled her soft scent and sighed with relief. Smiling inwardly to himself, Drathlic felt comfortable next to his ivory pelted friend. Maybe it was because they had been friends since they were young cubs, or maybe it had something to do with her tender nature...the knowledge that she was part dog could have made her seem less threatening compared to most faemme Drath knew. But right now, in this moment, it did not matter.
As she pulled herself away, the warmth that came with her left too and Drathlic almost went with her but held himself back sharply and silently scolded himself for even thinking it. He had already made a fool of himself, there was no need to make matters even worse for himself. But there was no need. Amore already had spoken what he had been stopping himself from thinking.

Had it felt right? Drathlic knew so many faemme, and many of them he had already began tohave strange feelings towards when around them and close to their enticing scents. Though few he had actually developed further feelings for - those feelings brought with them their own confusing thoughts and consequences that he didn't need to think about at this moment in time.
Growling slightly, undecided on what to say, he finally nodded in a guilty fashion, lowered his head and peering up at Amore from beneath her view. "It felt nice indeed, but confusing and enticing at the same time. I don't know what came over me, but I've been feeling very strange lately. I don't know how to handle myself," he spoke softly, hoping that maybe Amore understood what he meant by this and had experienced the same thing. Maybe faemme acted in the same way when they were growing up. And with the lack of male friends, Drathlic found it incredibly hard to question another about it. If anything, he could always speak to his Beta Mann Sudak, though that would indeed be an embaressing issue to bring up to a varg so high ranking compared to himself.

[Amore]

Amore smiled and nodded as Drathlic offered up his answer. In truth, it was not very direct, but she could pick out his meaning among his words - what had happened was purely physical, and they were still friends, nothing more, nothing less. That was how it would probably always be. Of course, it seemed next to impossible, for the rivalry between List and Koran was stronger than that between the Balkar and Ge-Rad, due to a War many Moons ago. It was sad really, and from what Amore could grasp, Tarkah had been hurt, badly, mentally really, but the Hybrid knew no details. Maybe it was part of the reason why Tarkah toom it out on Amore so much, not blatantly, merely an object of hatred. "True, it was enticing, exciting really," She agreed softly. "But it is probably due to growing up, I never could understand concepts such as strange feelings when I was younger, it was jsut so much easier to carry on in my own little world and pretend that others weren't staring at me." She broke off, gazing straight ahead of her, lost in thought and memories as she contemplated her past.

((So so crappy, but me has lsot muse.))