On a Stormy Day(Shadowwolf + Della)

[Takhi]

The rain fell down hard this day. The clouds were dark and swelled with their tears. Covered with the hue of gray and silver, they released their falls down to the earth below them. The sun was blocked from sight. No light was able to pierce through. It was a relief, this rain, not an inconvenience as most would believe. The days had been warm, too warm for comfort and with no sun, the breeze, for once, blew cool. The parched ground of the meadow now drank what it needed, provided by nature’s generosity. The long limbs of grass stretched upward to absorb the life-saving fluid. In time, they regained their luscious green tint instead of the dried tan they had for days possessed.

In the midst of this downpour was a wolf, wandering about, away from her new pack. It was a black fae with bright eyes that held vibrant colors of blue and green. Pale pink scars lined her black fur, the evidence of her battles and her sins. Some were inflicted by the one known as The White Wolf, a demon that possessed her when she was only seven moons old. The spirit forced her to do horrible things and kill those she once believed she cared for. But her murderous nature began when she was a pup. She witnessed her brother’s death with a satisfying emotion. Then she murdered her sister and let her mother fall to the same fate in the attempt to save her.

She had been bad from the start and now her true disposition was confirmed by her cry for those she turned to as her family; the pack of Sarnes. They are a pack that is feared throughout the territories. The very name sends shivers through any wolf’s hide, no matter how tough they think they are. And now, she was one of them, given the position of warrior, a ruthless fighter that defends and protects the pack. If any feature of her was strong it was her fierce fighting that when only engaged in thus, the demon would wake and kill once more.

She learned to live and control this horrid beast within, but if a battle rears its head, there is no control; there is only blood, pain and suffering. Away from Sarnes the one called Takhi walked. She held her head and tail high with pride, joy raining down upon her like the drops of water flying down from the sky. She was glad to have a pack and once again, have a purpose. “You must have a reason to wake up in the morning.” Sarnes was hers.

[Shadowwolf]

Gray clouds covered the sky as they released their burden. Millions of thousands of rain drops hammered the ground. The half dead plants swayed in the cool breeze. After days lying in the blistering sun, they greedily drank the life giving liquid. As the storm raged on, deep within an abandoned fox den, a she-cub slept.

The sun was high in the pale blue sky, not a single cloud in sight. A warm cool spring breeze blew gently across the land. The tall grass and weeds swayed lazily, back and forth, back and forth. Flattening the grass where ever she went, was Shadow.

Her white paws pranced as she chased a fluttering butterfly. "Come back here!' She said and laughed. The black cub stood unsteadily on her hind paws. Using her front paws she batted the butterfly, only to miss and hit nothing but air. Finally, she got down on all fours and gazed dreamily at the butterfly as it landed on a nearby blade of grass.

"I wish I was as free as you were. Maybe I'll sprout wings and be able to catch up with you!" She said. Nearby her parents were resting peacefully under the trees, tired and sleepy from a day of hunting. Suddenly, a huge shadow loomed over her. Shadow looked up in alarm to see what lera would dare approach her from behind. Looking up she came face to face with a towering bear.

"M-Mother! F-Father!" She screamed and bolted off into their direction. Behind her, the bear roared a blood-curdling cry and ran right after her. Shadow looked back and saw a rampaging 1700 pound bear chasing her. Urging her legs to go faster, she ran. But, the closer she got the farther away her parents became and the closer the bear got. "MOTHER! FATHER!" She screamed one more time. Then, everything went blank.

Jolting out of her nightmare, Shadow scrambled to her feet. Her teeth were bared and her tail was slightly raised. Realizing that she was safe in her den, she relaxed. Sitting down, she wrapped her white tipped tail around her and began trembled with fear. In her ears she could still hear the roar of the bear and her calls for her parents.

Walking through a maze of passage ways, Shadow headed for the surface. Popping her head out the entrance to her den, she was bombarded by incoming drops of rain. "ARRULF!" She yipped as she jumped back in. Shaking her head clear of rain, her stomach growled. "Time to eat." She said and went out into the storm.

Stepping out into the open, Shadow walked toward the edge of the trees.'Hopefully there would still be some berries left on the bushes.' She thought. Reaching the end of the forest she gazed out into the meadow. Sniffing the air to make sure there was no danger, Shadow could smell nothing but, the scents she smelled were mixed in with the smell of fresh rain. Sighing, she cautiously entered the meadow.

At the sight of a berry bush, Shadows heart lept with joy. 'Yay! It was worth getting soaked to the bone for berries!' she thought. Jogging over, she bent her head and looked for ripe, juicy berries. Carefully, she reached into the bush to pluck off the fruits. Soon, her muzzle was stained with the berry juice. Stretching her tongue she licked her muzzle until she saw her white diamond marking. "Oh what fun will I find today?" she said to herself.

[Della]

Perhaps Tor had managed to soften Fenris up, for this downpour, in the midst of the uncomfortably hot and unbearable summer drought, could be seen as nothing short of a blessing. The heat was being stifled for the day as the ice cold pellets rocketed down and continued to shove away thoughts of festering in the relentless fervor, replacing them with a cool relief.

And, like many of the other creatures in the Transylvanian wilderness, Della was rejoicing and relieving her previously baking body by drenching it to its core. Her head held up to the sky, the she-cub closed her eyes and let her tongue hang out of her gaping jaws as she tried to drench her soul in the same wash of freshness as well. The feeling as her paws squelching through the vast, shifting mud-puddle that was a sprawling meadow yesterday, gave her such a level of satisfaction she thought she felt her very bones shiver in delight.

This was Della’s first real rainstorm, so it was even more magical. Every drop, she thought, was a happy tear from Fenris up in the sky, as he cried out for the proud Varg. That he was showing the entire population that he had made his creations so wonderfully, and they have become so great, the only outlet he had to express the joy welling up inside him was one of tears. For, as she tasted them, they were not bitter and salty, like a weeping drop of sadness, but instead sweet and fresh and filled with hope for the future of his divine race. The mere showers she had experienced through spring could never live up to the splendor and beauty of this storm.

However, the pup was snapped out of her reverie easily as the smell of two other wolves suddenly wafted her way. She was far to excited to share this miracle coming from the sky with new companions to remember to take on a submissive position, and set her nose to the air to scout out the carriers of these new smells.

The one she had logged sometime before. She knew it belonged to a pup she had crossed paths with earlier in her lifetime, but couldn’t quite put a name or a face to it. The other one was completely foreign to her, and had a sense of uneasiness and foreboding about it. She ignored that, though, and instead focused on how intent and ready the scent explained to her this new wolf was. It didn’t take long for her to spot the bright white of a cub’s coat gleaming through the sheets of rain. Scurrying through the mud, she hurried up to the semi-stranger and barked excitedly at her from behind.

”Hello! I’m Della! Who are you? What’s this stuff called?”

It certainly wasn’t the best of entries, but Della was young and inexperienced, and pent-up questions and a lust for being social clouded up the bit of reason someone as young as her would normally have. It could be considered unsafe for the pup to have gone to adventure without Alice, but even she needed a break from parenting duties, and the meadow was supposed to be a safe place to send your children off to play, wasn’t it?

[Takhi]

Takhi heard voices near the shrubs of the meadow. The rain was still pouring, but it made no difference to her. It was not uncomfortable at all, mostly pleasant. Cool water released from the swollen clouds. It was beautiful. Suddenly she caught a flash of lightning. A long, thin, white line sliced through the sky as if the claws of the Gods had just ripped through the world. The thunder came a few moments after, rumbling so loudly that it felt like the very earth was moving beneath her black paws.

These storms were entertaining to Takhi. She had always found lightning so beautiful. The glow it made intrigued her and she enjoyed staring at it even more. The thunder was also an element of a storm she enjoyed. The rumbling was peaceful and made it easy to get to sleep. But now was not the time for sleep. The last thing she was was tired. She followed the sounds of the voices. Her paws flattened the grass that had regained its emerald hue. The dirt had turned to mud and it slid between her toes and caked her fur as she sloshed through.

Takhi lifted her muzzle as a scent came to her nose. Under the smells of the vegetation and water, there was the smell of an animal. The rain did well to mask its true potency, but as she got closer, she knew they were wolves. They were unfamiliar to her and that made her curious, yet cautious. She lowered her body into a crouch and slowly crept along, trying not to be seen.

Takhi saw something moving about in the bushes, vigorously tearing it up for the ripe berries. Was this a bear? Had she missed a scent because of the wolves’? But the animal lifted its head. It was one of the Vargs she had nosed. It was just a pup. Its fur was black with varied white spots. Then came another wolf, another pup. This one was colored red. Both were females. That was made apparent by their aromas.

Confident that she would not frighten them or be attacked, she rose from her stalking position and padded boldly in their direction. The black pups muzzle was soaked in red fluid from the fruits. Odd. Not usually the first meal a wolf would go for, but some wolves do eat fruits just so it kills the pain of hunger. As Takhi was only a fox length away from them, she spoke with a high volume, so her presence would be alerted to them. “Hello. I am Takhi. What are your names?”

[Shadowwolf]

Drops of rain pounded onto Shadow's nose. Shaking her head furiously, determined to get off all the rain hitting her little nose. Shadow lowered her head to return on her feast of berries when she heard a voice behind her. Whipping around to see who it was, Shadow saw a reddish orange pup. Sniffing the air around the newcomer, Shadow began to grin mischievously. I remember her from somewhere, but where? Oh yeah! She was with me when that Mann chased us from the cave. Now, what was her name again?

The question seemed to be answered when the red pup spoke up, ”Hello! I’m Della! Who are you? What’s this stuff called?”. Shadow's tail wagged automatically, happy that she had found a friend to play with. "My name's Shadowwolf, Shadow for short, or you can call me whatever you want. These are highland blueberries. Their rare to find.Shadow said, rolling a few berries into Della's direction. Taking a few berries into her mouth, Shadow dug a small hole and spit them back out. Burying them in the dirt. "There! Maybe in a few moons or so it'll grow into a bush." Shadow said happily.

A movement in the grass caught Shadow's eye. Jumping around with her tail and fur sticking up, Shadow got ready for a attack. There in front of her was a battle scarred, black Fae. One of her eyes were green the other blue. Speaking gently, “Hello. I am Takhi. What are your names?” the black Fae said. Quicker than a wag of a tail, Shadow's fur and tail were down. "My name's Shadowwolf, Shadow for short. But, you can call me whatever you want."Shadow replied, dipping her head in respect. I wonder if Della and Takhi are in a pack?Shadow thought. Cocking her head she grinned at the black she wolf. I wonder when are we gunna get out of this down pour?

[Della]

^{OoC|Since we already finished our other thread, I'm going to play it off like that all already happened and they're good friends, alright? I know that's kind of hectic, but I bit of artistic liscense never hurt anyone, and I think my last post was just vague enough to pull it off. Also, I'm so sorry it took me so long to get this post in.}

As the pup in front of her turned around and she began to speak in a voice she definitely knew, Della’s eyes lit up, and her tail began to create a wild flurry, lashing through the wall of water pelleting them in a red-brown blur. It was her great friend, Shadow! The relationship they had built over the past few weeks could only strengthen from the firm center point that was created when they first met. The nightmarish experience that bonded them together allowed Della to feel a deep sense of trust toward her pup friend, and the fact that she had run into her only made today even better.

“I know who you are!” She barked excitedly, taking little notice in the berries. Her tail was going so relentlessly now that the cub’s entire body was being shaken along with it, giving her an air of childish innocence.

Not knowing what else to do with the energy that had suddenly bubbled up inside of her, Della pounced at Shadow, tackling her into mud with a boisterous laugh.

“Don’t you remember me? It’s Della! I’m your buddy!” She yipped, warmly licking a bit of mud off of her friend’s face. Not wanting to tower over her too much, Della rolled from her position overtop Shadow and splashed in the mud herself, showing her stomach in a subconscious display of comfortable submission. Laughing loudly she rocked back and forth, gluing more grass and muck to her fur and opened her mouth to the skies once more. She was enjoying herself so much, she barely even took notice of the fact that the other, more foreign, scent was becoming ever stronger.

Which meant that when the carrier of it spoke, she was so startled she lost her balance mid-rock and ended up with a faceful of mud. Scrambling up after a few slipper falls, Della looked up at this new wolf and felt her muscles tense up, for her core and presence held something that demanded a fearful respect from the cub. Dropping her tail between her legs and closing her ears up against her head, Della spoke timidly and quietly.

“M-My name’s Della.” She said to Takhi while looking ponderously at the scars that littered her body; wondering what deeds (or terrors) she must have gone through to achieve them. Averting her gaze quickly, she lent her gaze to Shadow, ready to back her up if something were to happen, and hoping she would be smart enough to keep a level head, (unlike last time), and not reveal a peep of a growl from her jowls. Hopefully if they both were cool and subtle, the danger would pass and they could enjoy their selves once more.

[Takhi]

As Takhi finally madder her presence known, she watched the pups’ reactions. The little black fae seemed unfazed by her appearance as she happily spoke her name, revealing her identity as Shadowwolf. With a smile across her maw Takhi said, “I’ll call you just Shadow.” Then the red pup spoke, but her reply was stuttered, a sheer sign of fright. Even her posture was fearful and submissive, as if Takhi was the killer of cubs and intended to take their young lives away.

She called herself Della. Both of them intrigued Takhi. Their scent, though faint from the rain, was that of Koran. They were about the fifth or sixth Koran members she knew of. There were so many of them nowadays. So few of any of the other packs were around, at least around the parts where Kerls usually wandered. But what almost put the Sarnes wolf off was Della’s posture. She seemed so scared. She remembered that young age. She was afraid of foreign wolves as well. But one of her most treasured companions was the first stranger she met.

His name was Blackeye. He was Dragga of The Kerl Pack, a group of loners, rogues, and outcasts all living as one. Unfortunately, Blackeye’s life was lost when he was shot by men. Takhi’s old territory was crawling with humans and every winter, wolves would starve as the people over hunted their prey. They were hard times. Stepping aside from that, Takhi’s gaze focused on Della now.

“You have no need to show submission here. I may be older, but I am not one who demands that every wolf younger than I am must bow to me. So please, unclench your nervous muscles and stand with confidence.” Another bolt of lightning stretched across the slate sky, followed by the rumbles and grumbles of thunder. “What are two Koran pups doing out here?” she asked.

[Shadowwolf]

Shadow yipped out in surprise as she was knocked into the mud with a splash! The red cub laughing while she tackled Shadow. "Don't you remember me? It's Della! I'm your buddy!? The red pup said as her tongue came out and lapped some of the mud off Shadow's startled face. "D-Della?" Making her name a question, Shadow's memories of their first encounter with each other flashed in her mind. The time by the cave with the Nightmare Varg that had given them quite a fright. Moments later......

Shadow watched with her intense blue eyes at the black Fae. Her maw stretched out into a smile, "I'll call you just Shadow." Shadow just nodded and grinned at the Fae, turning her head toward Della. Shadow's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of Della's submissive body. "M-My name's Della" Della stammered. "You have no need to show submission here. I may be older, but I am not one who demands that every wolf younger than I am must bow to me. So please, unclench your nervous muscles and stand with confidence?" Shadow's head turned back to the battle scared Fae.

Lightning flashed into the sky, making Shadow flinch at the bright light in the sky. It just had to be thunder. I hope we get out of the rain soon. Shadow said, worry plastered onto her face as she stared at where the bolt of light had came from. "What are two Koran pups doing out here??" Shadow's mind flicked back to reality. "I came out cuz I was hungry, now I'm not. Della is out cuz.....cuz...." Shadow pondered, Why is Della out here? Shadow thought cocking her head to the side in wonder.

[Della]

As Shadow came to recognize her, and this new Takhi spoke with a calm and open tone, Della felt herself relax. Slowly, her muscles began to loosen themselves and her stature became sloppy and comfortable. The pup kept quiet, however; for the first time, it seemed, she had nothing she was bursting to say to her current companions.

Puberty was finally reaching the cub, calming her hyper and scattered mind and causing her muscles and bones to ache and cramp as they began their spurt toward maturity. Her eyes had completely transitioned into a magnificent and gleaming jade, teaming with wolven spirit. She was taking things more seriously, and becoming more interested in knowledge’s that affected her quality of life, such as pack hierarchies and hunting tactics. It felt strange and was almost frightening, but every day was so new and so filled that all the child could do was go to rest excited for the next.

But Della was still young enough to quiver as a particularly bright and ominous clap of thunder spindled out over them, lighting up the trio’s faces in a spooky, crackling flash. Her pupils dilated insanely and her heart pumped a bit harder before she realized that the attention had been turned onto her once more.

“Oh! I’m just off on an adventure!” Della said, with her usual liveliness in her voice once more (If only a little jolted.). “I’d only been to here once before, and it was with Mama Alice. And she didn’t let me explore at all, she didn’t. She was teachin’ me huntin’ mice. Y’know, Mama Alice told me you hafta creep up all quietlike like this-“

And the cub took a moment to bury her face in the mud; her tongue stuck out in concentration and her rump hoisted in the air, and scurry through the grass and sloshing soil a few steps in demonstration.

“And then you gotta pounce ‘em, like this!” She continued, hopping up onto Shadow’s back and giggling wildly.

“But Shad’s no mice; I wouldn’t eat her, I wouldn’t.” Della giggled again and rolled off of her friend to land between the two. It was the fate of a pup’s answer to ramble off into something completely irrelevant.

[Takhi]

OOC: Sorry this took so long.

The one called Shadowwolf said she was a little hungry so she came to get some berries. Takhi still found it a little odd that the usual carnivore sunk her teeth into fruit. Not like it was unnatural, but it is usually not the first meal a Varg would go for. Ah, she was starting to see new things every day. The rain kept on streaming down. All of their fur was drenched with the waters. Thunder continued to rumble, getting louder each time, followed by strong, fierce bolts of lightning. Each white scar stretched across the sky, illuminating the dark fields below.

The Gods were sure in turmoil today, but the water was needed. The land had been bone dry for weeks. As hard as stone. The grass ceased its grand growth and the usual opportunists that fed on the vegetation moved off to find greener pastures. Now, with the rain, the meadow would be rich and plentiful, a wolf's version of the Garden of Eden, a paradise where the Herla would venture and the Vargs would feed. It was just a matter of time before bucks and hinds would be spotted in the morning light again.

For now, the wolves would play the waiting game. As Della spoke, she mentioned Alice, the blind fae. "Mama Alice," the pup called her. Adoption. It had to be. As the adventurous youngster pounced on her friend Takhi asked, "You mentioned Alice. She is your mother? I met her in the woods a few months ago. We were attacked by a Sarnes wolf, oddly enough, one of my new pack mates. Her name was Red February. I helped Alice fight, my eyes becoming hers. We thankfully got away. Tell me, how is she doing?"

[Shadowwolf]

ooc: SRRY for the wait!

A shudder ran through Shadow's body, the sound of thunder rang through her ears. Trying not to show here hate to the flashes of lightning, Shadow's ears strained to hear Della's voice over the din. “Oh! I’m just off on an adventure!” Della said, with her usual liveliness in her voice once more (If only a little jolted.). “I’d only been to here once before, and it was with Mama Alice. And she didn’t let me explore at all, she didn’t. She was teachin’ me huntin’ mice. Y’know, Mama Alice told me you hafta creep up all quiet like this- "Shadow watched with interest as Della crept through the grass with skill. Shadow's tongue lolled out of her mouth, wondering what technique Della used to catch the small rodents.

Her father had taught her how to hunt rabbits, fawns, and mice. Even though she had the skill to hunt the little things down, Shadow preferred rabbit and deer which she thought was more filling than the small morsel. Shadow's blue eyes tracked Della's moves, every step with intent focuse. "And then you gotta pounce ‘em, like this!” Shadow's eyes whirled to Della's sudden leap. Giving a small yelp of surprise before she felt Della's paws on her back. Della's laughter rang out into the air, soon to be joined along with Shadow's own joyous laugh. “But Shad’s no mice; I wouldn’t eat her, I wouldn’t.” Shadow continued to laugh at Della's joke, letting her laugh last a little longer.

"That's 'cuz if you did, you'd end up like this!" Shadow said at Della. Sitting on her haunches, Shadow moved her front paws over her stomach. Taking a deep breath of air and holding it in, making her stomach as round as a balloon and moving her paws over her stomach as well. Shadow giggled at her own joke before she refocused her attention at her two companions. "You mentioned Alice. She is your mother? I met her in the woods a few months ago. We were attacked by a Sarnes wolf, oddly enough, one of my new pack mates. Her name was Red February. I helped Alice fight, my eyes becoming hers. We thankfully got away. Tell me, how is she doing?" Tahki asked Della. Shadow cocked her head in wonder at Tahki's question and looked toward Della in confusion.

"Don't you live by yourself? Not that it's any of my business to know....." Shadow asked still puzzled and tryiung not to seem to nosey at the same time. Even when they were both in Koran, Shadow had not yet met any of the senior members. She had only met Chiaroscuro and Frostpool, who were both recently joined the pack like her. I think Chiaroscuro mentioned that his mother was Alice and Della was his sister, but they hardly look alike! Shadow frowned at the thought. Turning her eyes toward Della and watched. Just simply watched with those intense blue eyes.

[Della]

^{OoC|Ack! Sorry for the long wait. =/ Also, if it might come up, I'm going to say this thread happened before Roscuro died. It'd make it easier to keep Della consistant. Also, sorry my post isn't that great...And is short.}

Laughter bubbled up inside Della at Shadow’s obesity impression. Eyes gleaming, it only took moments for it to burst out of her mouth, rolling off her tongue loudly and joyously. Her tail thudding hard against the ground as it wagged so quickly, the cub basked in the happiness she was gifted with when she was with her great friend. “You’re great!” She said in between spurts of giggles, really appreciating their friendship for a split moment.

However, it didn’t take long for Della to slip out of the maturity of appreciation and back into the distractible puppy she was. Takhi mentioned Alice, and her ears pricked up and turned their attention to her voice.

“Yeah! She’s my Mama! And a great Mama, too!” Her muzzle stretched into a wide smile, displaying how proud she was to be someone’s child. However, as her mind settled on the Sarnes wolf’s story, something dawned on her, and her face contorted, scrunching up in a scrutinous display of displeasure.

“Is that the thing that gave Mama Alice her blind?” She asked cautiously, her tail rising in a newfound suspicion of the new wolf. If she was in the pack with the thing who caused her precious mother her eyesight, then she’d instantly turn her away, if not try and attack her. There was no way a wolf in such a crowd that was in cahoots with a terror who spread blindness could be anything but evil to Della. A growl threatened to escape her, but she held it back, waiting for her answer.

“And no, I only use-ta live by myself! Mama Alice adopted me! Isn’t that great?” She replied to Shadow with a definite lift of enthusiasm in her voice, though she didn’t take her shimmering eyes off of Takhi. She didn’t realize that most everyone else didn’t know what was going on unless she informed them, for, being a pup, she thought every pup should at least know as much as she did, and that every adult knew every question that could ever be asked.

[Takhi]

OOC: Sorry I took so long....been busy for a while.

As Takhi mentioned the name of Alice and the attack they both had endured with the notorious cannibal of Sarnes, she could sense that Della’s mood had quickly changed from being a care free pup into a stern and surprisingly cold individual. Della’s eyes narrowed as she automatically assumed that Takhi and a now fellow Sarnes member had caused Alice’s blindness. That caught the dark fae off guard. The severity of the encounter was not what led to the Koran wolf’s loss of sight. Takhi never really knew or asked what was the event that brought on the dark world she was forced to live with for life. It had triggered her curiosity, but at the risk of offence, she reframed. Takhi knew that unfortunate flaws were not the topics to bring up in conversation. It was sad that Alice could no longer see her world. She couldn’t even imagine not being able to see others, to see the sky during the day or night, to never gaze upon the moon, or stare in awe at the grace of the Herla as they galloped through the long grass in the morning light. All her pity and sympathy returned.

“No,” Takhi began, “When I met Alice for the first time, she was already a blind wolf. The one called Red February, nor I, was the cause of your mother’s condition. I may have done bad things in my life, but I have given up my horrible past and would never hurt one as decent and kind as that fae. You have my word.”

Takhi hoped that her obvious words of honesty would soothe Della’s suspicious mind, but it seemed that by mentioning Sarnes, that was the one name that changed the pup’s disposition. The black wolf knew what the name of that pack meant to the rest of the Vargs in the land. They were considered nothing but cruel murderers: ones that will attack and kill any who so much as looks at them the wrong way. Takhi knew this, but also didn’t. Some were actually kind and respectful. Shunke’, the Drappa, was polite and curtious. She couldn’t dream of a bad thought about her. Soon Takhi realized one thing about all the other wolves: they did not truly know what the Sarnes members were like.

“I know you have a bad opinion about Sarnes, but you must not judge those whom you’ve not had the pleasure of meeting. It is true that there are malicious Vargs, but there are also kind ones as well. Sarnes is just a pack of outcasts, ones who have been shunned from the world. I too am one of those wolves. I didn’t have parents who cared about me. And after two months of my life, I didn’t even have a family anymore. They all died. I spent the rest of my life trying to be strong for myself because I was alone and had no one to call to for help. That is why I know I belong in Sarnes. We are one in the same.”

[Shadowwolf]

ooc: Sorry it took so long and if this post is lame! School is slowing me down.... >_<

As the storm continued to batter the Lera below them, not caring who or what did their drops land on. Plants that were once greedily sucking away the life giving liquid, were now full and began to shut out the water. Left out of the open, the rain began to seep together and form a small pool. Puddles the size of small cubs dotted the meadow floor. Mud was plastered to every Lera's coat, wether it was fur, feathers, or scales. Grey clouds dominated the sky, still refusing to let dear old Fenris to shine.

Spunk and energy drained now drained away, Shadow sat there in the mud. Her once banner likie tail now hung limp beside her. The news that Della gave her made a storm within her. Waves of jealousy and sorrow crashed onto her, over and over again. Why do i feel so angry at Della? Why do i feel like i hate her now, instead of loving her like a sister? But most of all why does she have a new mother and i don't? Her ears drooping low to the side of her head. "Oh...that's great Della!" Trying not to show any of her feelings. Even then Shadow didn't feel a bit of relief. Tossing the thoughts from her head, Shadow perked her ears up and tried her best to ignore the questions that still clung to her head.

Shifting her paws, Shadow could not help but feel somewhat left out. She had spoken only a mouth full before being caught with her mind full of questions. Without knowing, Shadow's maw moved, "The Sarnes?" Wether or not her voice was heard mattered not to Shadow for her mind was off doing it's regular thing. Making more questions...that needed to be answered. "What do you mean by your all the same? Every Vargs different... right?" Shadow asked cocking her head to the side.

[Della]

^{OoC|Sorry it took me insanely long to reply! I've just been so busy! School is taking it's toll on me. Blah. Well, in any case, here's my post! Sorry it's so poopy. My next one will be better.}

Della could feel herself un-tense once more, freed of the ominous sense of betrayal that was hanging over her threateningly. She listened intently as the Sarnes wolf progressed with her story, hungrily taking in the new information about the most important being in her world.

Any tales or tidbits of gossip that included her mother was a treat to her unquenchable ears, and was the most valued and well-stored bits of knowledge she received. The pup took every opportunity she could to learn, because maybe, maybe it could bring her closer to helping her dearest Alice in defeating her blindness and regaining the ability to see once again.

However, her bright, attentive eyes whirled around to focus cautiously on Shadow, for as she spoke there was something different in her voice. It was tentative and yearning, and Della’s instincts knew better. Cocking her head and scooting closer to her friend, the youngster licked her face softly.

“What’s the matter?” She said with an equally tender tone, looking up pleadingly at the only adult at the scene; Takhi. She had still not grown out of the stage where she was innocent enough to believe that the adult wolves had the answer to every question, and the solution to every problem. Society had not proven it wrong, and she had not matured enough to realize it wrong.

After a long, helpless stare, she turned back to her suddenly sullen friend and nuzzled her cheek again, not really knowing what to do. She had never really had to deal with a situation such as this, and it confused her and turned her into a frantic mess. Something inside churned awkwardly at the thought that this was her fault, and it only made her more and distressed determined to fix the situation.

“Shad?” Her tail flopped dully into the mud with a dirty splash. Her fur was now laden with more wet then she could handle and she could feel it weighing her down immensely. An icy shiver shot through her spine as she listened to the rest of Takhi’s desperate Sarnes story, but only because of the penetratingly cold rain pelting it’s way into her skin.