Returns (open)

[Arthfael]

The heat of a fading summer stroked the thick fur of the northerner like a plague. To most this weather would be concluded as pleasant, but with a pelt such as his, such a conclusion would be quite unlikely. He grumbled slightly at the discomfort, shrugging as though hoping some of his fur would come off with it. His green eyes raked the waves of tall grass as it swayed in the breeze. It carried with it the heavy and distinctive scent of water, the first among his priorities to satisfy. With an unhurried air, the uncommonly large Varg ambled through the sea of moving grass, coming to a halt at the edge of a slow-moving stream. With a rumbling not unlike a cat's purr, the strange brute dipped his muzzle into the unseasonably cool water to blunt the edge of his thirst.

Arthfael had grown in his two moons of solitude, having not seen a one living wolf since his encounter with one Boreas and one Koiji. For once, solitude seemed to have suited the militarily-minded Varg. He had reached his full growth, half again the size of the average wolf with broad shoulders and a warrior's carriage. No longer did his emerald orbits travel over the surrounding area, scanning for potential dangers. He had grown into a confident young mann, with carefully honed fighting talent and a fierce liking for the ideal of a pack and boundaries to protect, if only he could find one that would take him. Through the heat of the summer, Art had escaped to the mountains in a wish to remain cool, as he had not yet become accustomed to the temperate weather of these places south of his homelang.

For a moment, a cunning look crossed the strangely color male. The sunlight glinting on the surface of the shallow water had given him an idea. With shrewd looks up and downstream, the Kerl plowed into the water, splattering a shower of mud and water into the air before dropping into a roll. Once he was soaked from his black-furred back, down his silver sides to his pure white underside, the brute sighed happily and rested his head on his paws, feeling the water brush at his whiskers and the fur of his muzzle that were facing upstream. He slipped off into dreams moments later.

He was back in his old packlands, looking admiringly upon a male Varg that was his perfect match in looks. As he looked on, his twin defied a mann twice his size.

"I refuse your foolish ways, Father," snarled Rian. "I have spent time among those others and I beleive that they are right! Bring peace into your mind, Father, forget this foolishness.

The older Varg looked down on his son with a look of the utmost contempt. "Do not call me "father," filth," he hissed. "I have only one son, my other died this night." This seemed to break past the younger Varg's anger.

"Father, no, that is not what I wanted," Rian pleaded. "Father no, no!"

"Arthfael! We have a trespasser on our lands. Prove yourself of my blood and kill him."

A moment was all it took for Art to decide. He lunged, knocking his father to the ground before whirling about to face his brother.

"Run, Rian, come on!"

Shaking himself from his dream, the wolf stood to find that night was falling. Moonrise was perhaps moments away, but sleep was now far from his mind. "Never to return, eh, my brother," he growled in his deep voice. Arthfael turned from his place of rest to seek out company to get him through the night.

[Snowflame]

Soon it would be Autumn, when the leaves would change and the air grow more tense as the Lera prepared themselves for the Winter, when food would be scarce, temperatures lowered, and blizzards along the way. The fading sunlight shone down brightly onto the ivory pelt of the coming of age female cub, as she trudged through the lush tall grass of the ever familiar meadow. She had grown since she had first come to this land beyond the forest, alone and despaired, not long after her birth pack's slaughter and the seperation of herself and her ever faithful brother Freki. A shadow passed across her pretty face at the memory, one of which would haunt her for the rest of her life, but she quickly pushed those bitter memories aside to focus on herself, and how she had changed. For a start, she thought as she flopped into a patch of grass in the direct sunlight, she had joined a wonderful pack, Koran.

A smile flitted across her maw and she rested her head onto her front paws, the usual mud on them from her many exploits in the land. A sly grin appeared on her, and she giggled to herself. Soon, the dying light from the sun drugged her, making her sleepy. But before she conked out completely, her nostrils froze in the air as she scented a male wolf nearby. Snowflame frowned as she thought she recognised the scent, but it was like a dream, slipping away from her grasp. Sighing, she rose and went to investigate the scent. Might as well go check it out instead of pondering over it, she thought to herself sourly, wincing as her paw hit a small stone hiding in the grass.

With a scowl, she scented the air, then padded towards a figure near a stream. The male looked bigger than most, and his pelt was thicker, indicating that he came from the North. She examined his pelt for a moment before taking a breath and giving a small howl of greetings. She lowered her maw as she finished, and padded towards the male, her icy blue orbs scanning the area around him for any signs of others, but he appeared to be alone, so she sighed and hoped he wouldn't be vicious. Her light complexion sparkled like a spirit in the dark, and she felt a shiver of anticipation for the oncoming moon. A sweet grin etched itself onto her maw, which stayed there as she stopped not six feet away from the male. Suddenly, a flicker of memory tinkled in her mind, for she remembered meeting this very male not long after being seperated from Freki. She gasped, and gave a cry, " Arthfael! It is I, Snowflame!"she then silenced herself, for she recalled their encountered, and drooped her head slightly in embarassment. Another male, Dax Ehzno, had been there as well, but had not liked her one bit. She smiled bitterly to herself at the memory, and turned her attention back to the mann.

[Arthfael]

At first, the large mann did not recognize the female that called a greeting to him from a short distance away. The white coat and the blue eyes sparked nothing more than a dim recurrance of a memory. He shrugged uncomfortably, before recalling that he had wished for company. There was the shadow of trees not too far ahead of him; the idea struck him to run into them and disappear, but he didn't. Instead he turned to face the fae, training his face into a look of welcome. As she continued closer and closer, a sense that he had met her before became stronger and stronger until, his brow furrowed in concentration so that he looked almost angry, preparing to ask her name when a look of recognition flashed acrossed her ivory maw. Her name now his to know, he looked at the ground and muttered it. "Snowflame? Snowflame?" A little muttering, and then he, too, remembered.

At first there was a flicker of annoyance, but he brushed it swiftly away. They had both grown since that meeting. Instead he smiled and let his tail sweep across the grass at an amiable middle position. His chest expanded with a deep breath, and he spoke, his voice much deeper than the subtle baritone it had been at their last meeting. He had grown into a handsome young mann. "Snowflame!" he greeted warmly, touching his nose to the ground with one ear back in a traditional greeting of his kind of the north. Then, he stepped forward to brush shoulders with hers in the greeting of these wolves. "It has been quite some time, hasn't it? You sure have grown, little friend." He smiled his crooked grin at her and looked her over. There was a new cast to her smell, and after a moment he realized it was the scent of other wolves. "And you've found a pack! That's wonderful!"

After a moment, Arthfael felt slightly embarrassed. He had been very short-tempered with her the last time they had shared company, and he wanted to make it up to her at this one. "You were looking for your brother, were you not, when last we met? Have you had any luck?"

[Snowflame]

She continued forwards, cocking her ears so as to hear him. She heard him murmur her name a few times, as if to try and recall where he had heard it before, and then she gave a grin as he called her name, recognision on his handsome face. Her ivory tail swished through the grass, her paws darting furiously, as she bounded over to him and scented him, his familiar scent filling her nostrils. Their last encounter had not gone well, but the past was the past, so she smiled warmly, her tail a pale blur flattening the tall, lush grass behind her. She warmly rubbed her shoulder against his, in the traditional greeting, and stepped back to examine him, and how he had changed. She had changed as well, for she was nearly out of her pup-hood, she was bigger and wiser, as her mother would of put it.

She smiled and nodded as he spoke, knowing that she now carried Koran's scent. She replied, " I have indeed found a pack, Arthfael. Koran, it is called. A good pack, with a good heart." she smiled again, her orbs sparkling with sheer joy and delight. Just then, he mentioned her brother, and her smile faltered slightly. She sighed deeply, her eyes closing for a fraction of a second before she spoke, in a quieter voice, " I still search for my brother, Freki, but I have accepted that I may never see him again. Maybe it's for the best, for it would only bring back memories of my family's. . . death," she breathed in deeply, to steady her nerves.

She had accepted that she probably wouldn't find him again when she joined Koran, but still, she kept her ears perked up for any hint of his name on the wind. She added, as an after-thought, " I wish to apologise for my . . . behaviour last time we met. My family had just died, and I had just lost my brother, so I was a bit . . . ." she couldn't think of a word to use, so she remained silent, thinking longingly of her family.She smiled at Arthfael, and asked,
" How are you, Arthfael? Have you explored the land more since our last encounter?" she smiled warmly at him.

[Arthfael]

The strength of a little company always worked wonders on the seemingly reclusive mann. He enjoyed being around others, once they were there, although he agonized over whether or not he wanted to initiate contact most times. Art was quite astounded by how much Snowflame seemed to have grown. He sympathized with her on her pain over losing her brother; more than that, he knew exactly what it was like, his own pain still as fresh as it was the day it happened. It was made worse by his dream. A shudder worked its way from muzzle to tailtip before he answered. "I am sorry that you have not found this Freki. Just remember that he and your family hunt with Tor and Fenris now, forever to be loved my Sita as well. The hunt is always easy there, and Freki will bring down the largest of prey with the greatest of ease. When it is your time to join them, you will feast on the results of his hunting." He shrugged slightly. "These thoughts do not make the pain any less, but they give me hope when I think of...of my own brother."

It was the first time he had mentioned Rian, even in passing, to another living, breathing Varg. He had guarded the memory of his twin jealously for long enough, however. His eyes sparkled with the depth of his pain for a few moments, then he answered Snowflame. "I have not been exploring much, actually. The summer heat chased me up the mountains, I've been living a lonely life in caves and clearings up there. Now that autumn comes, it is cool enough for me to stand this trip. I plan to find a pack that I won't be able to leave, even when the heat drives me off my paws. Perhaps your Koran would take me in, if no one else would." He chuckled deeply. He had purposely looked over her mention of their last meeting for a moment, but returned to it now with an understanding look.

"You do not have to apoligize to me; I was in a similar state of mind when we first met, though it was tempered with the experience and knowledge of the wilds," he said, then added with humor, "such as not to run out onto a moutainside in the midst of a blizzard." He nudged her side playfully, trying to secure a bond of friendship. "And I left my pack under my own choice, you were taken from yours." He nodded sagely. "I understand."

[Snowflame]

Snowflame blinked several times, thinking about Freki. Arthfael had told her to never give up looking for him, and she never would, even if she had to travel to the ends of the world and back again. Heaving a sigh, Snowflame curled up in the grass, comforted by the mann's company. She cocked up her ears as he mentioned his brother, and a pang of sympathy emitted in her stomach for Arthfael. The younger female smiled at him, understandment in her orbs.

Then he answered her question, whether he had been exploring or not. She nodded, tail twitching slightly, and at the mention of Koran, burst out, " They are a fine pack, and if you do ask them, they would probably say yes," grinning, she started to groom her paws, blue laterns sparkling.

Then eventually, he spoke of their last encounter. She gazed up at him, reassured by his answer. She laughed at the mention of running aimlessly in a blizzard, and nudged him as well. Her maw was stretched in a wide grin, the humour of it all now so clear to her. Her face fell slightly as he spoke next, and whispered, " Aye, my family had just been killed. . .and Freki had just gone poof. I wasn't thinking clearly, " she gave a sigh, then grinned, " I won't be running through a blizzard anytime soon," she giggled and yawned slightly, revealing her sharp teeth.

Snowflame stared around her curiously, watching a bird fly overhead, wondering what it was like to be able to fly. She licked her lips with her tongue as the smell of lera drifted over her. She yawned again, then turned back towards Arthfael. She grinned. " I wonder what happened to the other varg . . .Dax was his name?" she grimaced at the memory, but put it aside for later.

[Arthfael]

The large mann shrugged his shoulders lightly, listening to Snowflame speak of her own brother. He grinned at her, speaking of a home and pack. Throwing his head back he laughed loudly. "Do you think your Koran will accept such a brute as I?" he asked with humor, gesturing to his enormous perportions. He grinned at her. "How can they be sure I won't eat their pups while they sleep? After all, I am a wild northern Varg." He grinned again and wagged his tail. His mouth a little dry, he tried to wet his lips, excited by the thought of finding a place to call home. He looked to her, vainly trying to conceal the hope that was burning in his body. "Perhaps-" he began then shook his head. "Never mind, it was a foolish hope. I--Perhaps I could accompany you back to your packlands, and at least meet the Varg that took you in." He looked on shyly, his ears lowered while he stared at his paws.

He then leaned upon her shoulder in a comforting way, thinking up a way to draw her mind from thoughts of lost family and friends. He sat and said softly. "I mentioned I had a brother. He was my twin, friend. We were nearly identical in looks, though I was always the larger, stronger, better fighter." He spoke calmly, with no boastful intonations. A statement of truth. "His name was Rian. Mother named him, "great leader" the word means. Father named me," he added bitterly. "Arthfael. "Strong as a bear." And so I am, I live my name everyday." He smiled without humor and then lay down. "Strong as a bear, and great leader, we were. I told you when we met before that my father engaged in wars based on his beliefs, his gods and idols. By the age of six moons my brother and I were both soldiers for our father. Rian was more of a scout, I a fighter. We were unbeatable together."

Now he was little more than lost in his memories. "Rian was capture on one of our missions. The believers of Tor and Fenris sent him back alive, unharmed, but he was changed. He was caught one night telling me of the wonder of this religion. My father comdemned him to death, and told me to carry out the execution." He frowned and dipped his head shamefully. "Needless to say, I didn't do it directly, but his death was my fault."

(sorry for the delay, life got busy for a little while there.)

[Snowflame]

A slight breeze blew gently through her ivory fur, as she contented herself to enjoying the presence of Arthfael. She could not help but giggle slightly as he laughed out loud about his size, and that he was a wild Northern wolf. Snowflame flushed slightly as she thought, He may be a brute, but he's a handsome one, she was glad he did could not read her thoughts.

Snowflame kneaded the ground with her paws and her mind turned back to her beloved family. Why, oh why, had fate been so cruel? She blinked several times, then looked back up at the Northerner as he spoke again, asking her whether she would accompany him to Koran, and meet the wolf whom took her in. She nodded, realising how awkward he must feel, and whispered, " Of course I will, my friend," she felt a smile tug at her maw, but quickly concealed it as he leaned onto her shoulder in a comforting way. Emotion filled her slanted orbs, and she knew that she would feel forever grateful for his kindness and generosity.

She sat down next to him as he spoke of his family. Her mouth hung open, her eyes completely focused on him as he told his amazing life tale, which touched Snowflame. When he got to the part of his father telling him to execute Rian, she let out a small gasp and felt a strange anger towards Arthfael's father, though she daren't not speak her thoughts on that matter.

Arthfael had dipped his head down in a shameful manner, and the young female padded over to him and nuzzled him tenderly on the maw, her nose rubbing against the side of his maw. She sat down besides him. She tried to think of something to say, but could not, so she comforted him with her body heat and companionship, knowing that Arthfael was still her friend.

(No problems about the delay)