It was a sea of red. Plumes of red leaves, swaying in the breeze like waves. One lone figure was atop one of the branches, making his way across the trees by using the branches as foot-holds and jumping points. It was a wolf with brown, black-streaked fur. He had a handsome face for his age, distinguished even further by his markings which were a mixture of light brown and black with a white underside and chest which only accentuated his eyes which were the lightest blue, reminiscent of the waves in the ocean. He leaped to the nearest thickest branch he could find, landing expertly on all fours smoothly. Straightening, he surveyed the tree ahead with calm eyes. He was entranced by this new world he found himself in. A world full of vibrant crimson that smelt like something he had never encountered before in his life. The sight was amazing. His brothers would have laughed at him for whiling away his time in here. Waxing lyrics and poetry about flowers and petals. Especially Icarus. But Renier was who he was. And he saw the world in a way that was not the same as his siblings. It had garnered him some teasing and taunting from his brothers, especially Icarus but he had his own interests. It was not his problem if others didn’t. Unfortunately, they were just different from theirs. Renier had ran away just to make himself scarce as Icarus had looking for a punching bag. Right then, Renier had just wanted to explore some new places so fighting was the last thing he wanted. He did not enjoy fighting but he respected warriors all the same. His father was one and he could see the strength he had in his demeanor. Both physically and mentally. Though at times he hadn’t understood his father’s actions he trusted him and liked how calm he was. Like nothing could shake him. He hadn’t spoken with his father about what he wanted to be but hunting veered more towards his interests. But for now, the pup was enjoying himself. He had climbed trees before but underneath the supervision of his father. Now that he was older, he could flex his muscles so to speak. He was fairly high, at least 10 metres up.

He peered over the edge of the branch, ears forwards judging how far the ground was from his position. Not far. Manageable. Fortunately, this was one of the few trees that had a little more branches at the middle. He jumped down to the lowermost branches, balancing on four with four paws. Carefully and slowly. And when the branches supporting his back hind leg began to break at the joint he did the same thing with the next four lowermost branches making his way down swiftly. He made sure not to break any more branches. There was no point at any rate. Pausing, he looked down again as he was out of branches. So he crouched, bracing his muscles and launched himself towards the ground. Though his body was not extremely muscular he was still strong and lithe. He landed, coming close to the ground to absorb the impact through his paws so that his entire body was taking the shock instead of just his paws. As if on cue, the wind decided to take a jaunt and blow one of the bunches of hanging leaves into his face. It tickled his nose, making the top of brown-white muzzle wrinkle and eyes squeeze shut. The sneeze was impending. It was coming. His throat was tingling. And he sneezed.

(ooc - sorry it's not so good. My original reply was lost before I could post it.)

Escape. That was her goal. Willow was always trying to get out. She wanted to be out of the den, away from her violent brothers. She avoided the hunting grounds, where her disapproving father lurked. She avoided the main camp, where the big scary Alpha Teren always had his eyes watching. Everyone wanted her to be a fighter, like her mother. But that just wasn't what she wanted. Her brothers said that being able to fight was part of the honour of being an Erenyx wolf. Violence wasn't what she wanted. Willow wanted to be Apprenticed to a Caretaker and learn their ways. She wanted to teach everyone that there was another way. If Helidos could do it, why not Erenyx?Why did pups have to always fight and earn dominance over one another? Why couldn't everyone just be equal and benefit from being friendly? These might seem like the whinings of the pup lowest in the pecking order, and in part they were. But the little Apprentice had a point. She was so surrounded by violence it was a wonder she hadn't been consumed by it yet. She had managed to distance herself from that sort of training so far. But how long could it last?

Lavender's Grace was her special place, so full of beautiful coloured trees. The floral scents had a calming effect on her soul. She love the gentle aroma of lavender. The reds here did not seem so harsh as the red of flesh and blood. It was muted and interspersed with deep purples. The little white fae crept between the shadows, feeling the gentle spring breeze ruffle my fur. A sound of rustling leaves nearby found her and the little pup spooked. She hid behind the trunk of a tree, searching the canopy for the source of the sound. She spotted another pup, close to her age creeping in the branches. She watched as he descended from branch to branch, eventually making a heavy drop to the ground. How does he do that? Another breeze blew, throwing a leafy branch into the boys face. He sneezed. She giggled.

Rubbing his nose, he started to walk ahead the leaves brushing against his fur. The field looked lusher than anything he had ever seen in Erenyx. There were flowers for one thing. The mere presence signified he had entered a world that was beyond the confines of the blood-soaked, violence-fuelled arena of Erenyx. Now that he thought about it, he had barely seen anything like this field in Erenyx. Nor anything like the trees. It was unreal. Like something out of fantasy. Renier’s reality was comprised of dangerous rivers (one with eclectic colours and another that was a whirl-wind of destruction), fathomless lakes with rocks and precarious, perilous cliffs and ledges that even he hadn’t tread yet. Nothing like this. It showed that reality was relative, not concrete. He bent his head closer to the ground, ears forwards. The flowers came up to his lower legs. He was relieved he was a wolf. The field didn’t swallow him whole. It was deep. Then he heard a giggle from nearby. The young apprentice stopped, raising his head and looking around. He had never heard a giggle like that before. It sounded delicate and tender.

Renier looked around, at first seeing nothing then spotted the tip of a muzzle sticking out from behind a tree trunk. Another wolf. At first, having never seen the opposite sex his own age the young apprentice was confused then he realized she was a female which was why she sounded different. He watched her, his expression politely inquiring. If he had been a more sporadic, less calm pup he would’ve loped towards her at an easy gait with a bounce in his step happy to meet a potential friend. But he didn’t. Which didn’t mean he wasn’t pleased or happy. His tail lifted in anticipation. Then he realized that the other pup was the one that had giggled at him for getting hit by the grove of leaves. Renier would have gotten mad but he could laugh at himself and he did. But he also looked the other way, trying to ignore the heat that he felt coming to the forefront of his face. He hadn’t been quick enough to see the incoming leaves. But it was embarrassing in front of another wolf. Especially his own pack-mate and a female. So he pretended as if nothing had happened, smiling slightly at her. She was Erenyx. But he wouldn’t have cared what pack she was in. He knew of course, of the rivalries and the feuds, whatever they may be that pitted the two packs against each other. Stories he had heard from his parents. Or the tall tales that his brothers told him to try to scare him. Icarus was a devil when it came to things like that. He had cackled and told him of Helidos wolves who pretended to be benevolent and saintly but each one of them hated Erenyx and wanted nothing more than to destroy them and lay their spleens out for the ravens to peck at. Or that the two packs conducted secret raids at night every mating season when no one was looking and stole all the pups from the rival pack. Which was why there weren’t any pups before them.

Renier had just laughed.

Icarus was far better at fighting than spinning rubbish. But of violence and honour, Renier saw no honour in killing others. For Erenyx? For blind patriotism? It would have been honourable if they were defending their pack from an actual threat. But mindless slaughter was just cold, hard murder. Renier understood that his views were probably different to almost everyone else in Erenyx. He even thought that all the ranks deserved as much respect as the other because of the simple fact that it took all sorts of ranks to make the world work. If everyone was a warrior then everyone would die from fighting. If everyone was a healer then when they had to defend themselves from any kind of danger they would die because they were unable to do so. Parts of a whole. They were all parts of a whole. He had no idea what she thought in general and it occurred to him that she was Erenyx. Though for an Erenyx wolf, he found it strange that she was hiding behind a tree. Maybe he had been mistaken. Nevertheless, this was the neutral grounds so he harboured no thoughts of attacking her whether she be Erenyx or Helidos. He called,“Hey you can come out. I promise I won’t attack you or anything!”

Occ: Don’t worry about it

Willow his behind the tree, watching the strange pup recover himself. She was never normally one to laugh at the misfortune of others. Her brothers laughed at her too often, leaving her shy, timid and beaten down. But maybe they found everything about her amusing. She didm't understand how being small, white and having dreams of being a Caretaker could be amusing. She laughed because the male looked so stunned when the branch hit him. And his sneeze was almost fit-like. She couldn't help but giggle. That didm't really mean she wanted to speak to the pup. For all she knew, he might be just like her brothers. He could be trying to find her right now, wanting to "beat some respect into her". So she stayed hidden behind the trunk, attempting to watch the male so she could know when he was gone. Unfortunately this left the tip of her muzzle out for the world to see. And the other pup definitely saw.

Willow sighed, knowing the game was up. Instinctively she pinned her ears back and tucked her tail between her legs, creeping into the sunlight. She saw a young brute, coloured in tans and blacks with little areas of white, particularly on his cheeks. She ducked her head, honey-coloured eyes lowered to avoid giving offence. "I'm sorry," she mumbled softly. She knew she was in for it. He was going to put her in her place, assert his dominance over her just like her brothers did. She let out a low whine. Why did i have to laugh? Why couldn't I just keep my amusement to myself? Now her sacred space wouldn't be so sacred anymore. Instead it would just be another painful memory, marred with bruises and blood.

His tail swaying side to side, Renier waited. Though he didn’t overly show it, he was eager to meet her. His gaze remained fixed on the tip of the muzzle behind the tree, light blue eyes peering at it happily. He would wait. She seemed shy. Maybe she thought he was mad at her for laughing at him but he wasn’t. He didn’t care that she laughed at him. Renier ducked underneath another chain of flowers as the wind came again, keeping his head down. Even though he didn’t care he didn’t want to be hit by leaves again when there were other wolves around. When she finally came out from behind the tree he made sure to smile a little at her in order to look friendly. It helped as his eyes were by nature incredibly earnest and sincere because of the colour they were. The earthy tones and markings of his facial fur just helped accentuate the effect even more. She had a pelt of pure white fur, kind of like the clouds and eyes that were in between gold and yellow. Kind of like his mother’s. Her ears were pinned back, tail tucking behind her legs. Renier folded one ear down, tilting his head slightly to the side at her in confusion. He was surprised to see her act the way she was acting like she was expecting him to hurt her because she thought he was mad at him. If she was Erenyx then shouldn’t she be tougher? It was surprising to him. She smelt like Erenyx. But maybe she was just scared because she had been hurt before? Or something. It was surprising to him. As she ducked her head, avoiding his eyes and let out a whine he moved forwards towards her closing the gap between them and lowered his head facing her so that they were at eye level.

“I told you I’m not going to hurt you,”Renier said calmly. He didn’t know why she was acting the way she was. It was a strange thing to him. Renier had been bullied by his brothers but he went on his life the way he wanted to ignoring them. It was a strange thing. He was Erenyx but he was so far removed from the violence and cruelty that clung to it with reckless abandon. Of course he would fight back if the situation demanded it but he did not enjoy it, not really. He wondered if her family had been incredibly cruel to her so much that it made her feel this way about herself. He thought that it was possible. It would explain why she thought that she would be hurt for giggling at him. Renier wasn’t that sensitive or cruel. He bent down plucking a flower from the field with his jaws and placed it front of her on the ground among a sparser patch of flowers where there were less.“Here, how about instead of hurting you I’ll give you this instead. I’m Renier, from Erenyx. I’m the youngest son of Lead Warrior Tye and Healer Cliché. Who’re you?”

He did smile at her in attempt to make her feel at ease, but it did little to calm her. His eyes were a very pretty shade of blue, but she worried if she said anything of the sort it would anger him. He promised not to hurt her, but she'd heard the lie so many times it held no meaning to her. Her brothers often said such things before they launched their attack on her. So she dropped her eyes again and kept her ears back. The boy dropped a small flower in front of her. It was beautiful and delicate, just like her. But also like her, it lived in a cruel world that wanted to force it into what it thought the flower should be. She lowered her head to sniff its light floral scent. She closed her eyes to the world in this moment of bliss. As the scent enveloped her she forgot her fear and instead felt special, maybe even strong, for the first time in her short life. She gripped the stem between her young jaws and lifted her head to finally see the boy. "Thank you," she whispered. A little louder, she said, "I'm Willow. My parents are the Guardian Chiara and Lead Hunter Magnus. Our dads are good friends." It was the most talkative she'd been in weeks. She even offered a small tidbit of information without being asked. It was indeed a big day for her.

Renier knew about his eyes though his brothers teased him for them sometimes especially when his mother commented on them. Like father, like son apparently. Though he saw the resemblance in that his were as light and honest he thought that his weren’t as cold. But there were times when he saw something like affection in his father’s eyes, especially when he was looking at his mother. Sometimes he wished that he would do the same with him but the only thing that he showed his sons was a blank face. And the only thing he told them was to keep on training every day. He had never expressed anything more than a grunt or a brief, blunt command. Every morning, even when they’d been four month-old pups, he’d push them out into the early morning from the dens and have them run and play in the clearing to train their bodies. Playing in the form of wrestling or even competing in stare-downs to get their confidence up. Or challenges such as who could get that squirrel the fastest. When any one of them had fallen, he’d pulled them back up and grunted at them to keep on going. When Icarus had rebelled, he’d thrown a tiny pebble at him which Icarus had managed to dodge. Then his father had kept on throwing more and more pebbles and Icarus had swiped them back. At first Renier hadn’t known what he was doing but then he’d realized that it had been his way of keeping his older brother’s attention and training him at the same time. Icarus had grown faster, his reflexes growing sharper with each pebble thrown at him. Though, the last time Icarus had done that he thought that his father had let him run away knowing that he could take care of himself and that meditation was a lost cause on him. It was what it was. A family of sons. Not daughters. Sons who rebelled and sons who explored. And where sons were concerned, especially in a world such as his, there was no time to be afraid. Or if fear crept into their hearts, they would learn to control it even if deep down inside, they felt it. Not just any sons but the sons of a warrior. Fear was not a monster they could afford to foster and nurture. It would always be there but it would always need to be kept at bay. To him, it was a foolish wolf who claimed not to feel scared. It was a brave wolf who was able to acknowledge his fears and face them head-on. It took courage. From memory, Renier knew that there had been other pups that had been born this season. He had heard his parents talking about them and their parents. They were good friends with their parents it seemed. Could she have been one of the pups? He watched her, his expression open and curious. He had always wanted to meet the other pups. They were a family of females and males. He had never met a female pup before.

He smiled slightly as she gripped the stem and lifted her head, straightening up himself in rhythm with her. He thought himself to be an honourable wolf, as much as he could be and he would always keep his word. He would not hurt her. Others may have but he would not. A whisper escaped her, so faint he could barely hear it but he caught it all the same. Thank you. Renier nodded to her in a wordless gesture to show that he had heard her and appreciated it. It was another trait he had received from his father. The ability to speak without speaking or to speak with as little words as possible. Needless to say, Renier wasn’t the talkative type. He could be curt but he was not a talker. In a louder voice that was a little more than before, she spoke continuing onwards introducing herself as who Renier had thought she was. His expression brightened, excitement filling his blue eyes. He did not know as much as the Guardian as he did the Lead Hunter. But he trusted his parents. They hadn’t spoken anything bad of her so he thought that it meant that she was a good Guardian. And he had never met a hunter before. He knew hunters were different from warriors and he preferred being a hunter. He thought he was better at it he supposed. But he was happy to have a friend at least. Another who was the same age as him and it was even better that their parents were friends with each other. He said, tail wagging,“Cool. So what are you doing out here? My dad’s busy so I’m exploring.”

Willow didn't know where to look next. His eyes kept drawing hers, but she knew from experience that eye contact could be misconstrued as an act of dominance. Her father made sure she never made that mistake again. The last time she looked him in the eye without permission, he snarled at her and growled to "never do that again." Poor Willow had been scared out of her wits and hid in the back of the den for the whole day. It was only when her mother, Chiara, sought her out that Willow understood what she had done. Her mother explained how she, an Apprentice, had inadvertently challenged the Lead Hunter for dominance. It was not the most common form of challenge, but her father had reacted so strongly to it that it had to be real. Sometimes Willow wondered if maybe her father just hated her and that was why he snapped at her. It seemed plausible in her mind, he was never very nice or affectionate to her. He doted on her sister, Piper, but never his youngest daughter. Piper was strong and proud and desperate to prove herself. The oldest daughter of Magnus and Chiara Wanted so much to train as a Warrior beneath the Beta Female, to rise through the ranks and make something of herself. Yet Willow wanted none of that. She only wanted to be a Caretaker, not even the Lead Caretaker. She just wanted to have her job and do it. She didn't feel like she needed to hold a special rank to prove to the pack that she was worth something. They'd all thank her when their children managed to survive their first year because of her.

The other Apprentice on the other paw seemed just the kind of son her father would want: tall, handsome, well built, perfect in every way. He had a way with body language in which he could speak without words. A simple gesture conveyed his meaning. He had heard her thanks and acknowledged them in a gentlemanly fashion. His father is busy, she thought. My father is always busy... at least too busy for me. The other Apprentices father was of course the Lead Warrior Tye. Willow had overheard her father tell her siblings of his friendship with the male. Numerous times the others of her litter had requested to hear the story of how he took off most of Tye's ear. Willow tried to ignore her fathers stories, preferring of hear the softer ones told by her mother. But the one time she did listen to the tale, she found it odd that her father had never mentioned the reason why he started that right in the first place. "My father is off hunting, as is my mother guarding the Alpha. I'm here to get away." She paused, but it seemed he wanted more of an answer. "Away from my brothers. They're not the kindest of siblings. They call me weak because I don't fight. They try to force me into fighting. But I want none of it. I want to be a Caretaker. That is who I am. That is why I explore. To get away." Her jaws clamped tightly shut. She was surprised at herself. So eloquent and strong. It was unnatural. But for some reason she had spoken every word and meant it. Whats more, was saying it aloud made her feel stronger, more like her mother than ever.

It was a puzzling thing to him. Though he had been brought up in a pack where brutality reigned supreme he was not so inclined to think that it was the only way to behave or bring others into line. He understood of course, its necessity. Some things could only be handled using force and violence, unfortunately. And perhaps Renier was different. He truthfully did not spend his time thinking about what others thought because he did not care. He simply only thought about what he desired in life. What he was working towards which was bettering his skills and exploring whatever paths lay themselves before him. He had been gravitating towards hunting but he was open to try out other things, if only for necessity’s sake. And just out of sheer curiosity and for knowledge. And the only one he needed to prove himself to, was himself. And to his father. He had entertained the idea of rising through the ranks, becoming something mighty and powerful but he had thought that power was meaningless without a cause. And if the cause was only to destroy, intimidate and inspire nothing but fear into others then it was a cause not worth pursuing. Oh he would hunt of course. Defend or do whatever it was that he was commanded to. But he was not interested in gaining power. Not right now. And when he really thought about it, he wondered what one would do with all that power. And what one would be without that power. If a wolf was stripped of his rank then would it reveal what a wolf truly was inside? Without power, a wolf was a wolf. No more special than a leaf on the ground or a twig from a branch. It was a scary thought because it meant that a wolf would expose all that he or she was, without the prestige or name. A tortured soul crying out for attention. Or just an average soul that was struggling just like everybody else. And that, at its core, was a scary thing. Being ordinary. Being normal. Instead of being strong and invincible. It meant that you were vulnerable. Because behind the rank, the name and the mask that you showed to the world there was something real there. Something raw and maybe something a little broken. It was a terrifying thought.

Renier admitted, if only to himself, that it was something that he feared. He may have been the youngest son but he still wanted to be strong if only to show his brothers he was not the weak pup they thought he was. To show his father and mother that he could be brave and strong. He was still a young male, still trying to find his way in this world that he was been born into. And he knew he had such a long way to go. He had heard stories of the other Apprentice’s father from his father. Her father was Lead Hunter Magnus and from what he’d heard, the male was as different from his father as could be. But he had enjoyed listening to the tales of their friendship. For some reason his father hadn’t said much about how they’d met. Something about a race and a bet. In his usual deadpan way, his father had only responded with a remark about hunting for his honour in the mountains when he’d asked him further. Renier hadn’t thought he’d been serious but sometimes he couldn’t tell. And when Icarus had asked him why his ear looked weird he’d just chuckled and grabbed his brother by the scruff of his neck, holding him over the river to show him his other ear.

His ear twitched as she spoke again, blue eyes moving back upwards to focus on her (he had let them drift down without realizing it, lost in his thoughts). He straightened, shifting slightly. Her father was a hunter. Maybe one day they’d be able to hunt together. But she didn’t sound too happy that her father was away. He could understand that. His brothers were all too happy to play with him. By ambushing him and trying to scare him and once, Icarus shoved him into the river. He’d almost drowned but Renier had taken Icarus with him the second time it happened. They were brothers. Renier knew how to give twice as much or equal as much as he received. It was a way of showing affection as he knew that his brother never wanted to really hurt him. He did not know how it was with Willow and her family. His father had taught him never to underestimate anyone, regardless of what gender they were. Renier listened to her, head ever so slightly inclined at her. His ears were leaning forwards, tail hanging casually behind his flank but altogether he was intently following her words and noticed that she sounded stronger this time for some reason. And sincere. If this was who she believed she was then that was all there was to it. She seemed similar to him in that she didn’t want to fight but her brothers forced her into it. But he wanted to be a hunter, not a Caretaker. He said,“My brothers do the same thing. I don’t really like fighting too. I stopped caring.”He turned his head, gaze straying up to the long bunch of flowers.“It’s why I came here like you. To explore.”Looking back at her, he realized she had stopped speaking but he supposed she wasn’t used to speaking so much to someone she had just met. But maybe he could show her how to climb. He said, placing a paw on the nearest branch and testing its strength by pressing against it,“This place is so different from home.”

How could it be that there was a male in this pack who didn't enjoy fighting? It just didn't add up the snowy female. Every male she knew was a fighter of some sort, even her father had combat training. She had yet to meet any male healers or caretakers. Caretakers. it was high time she sought out a caretaker and begin her apprenticeship. Her mother might know of one she could consult. The apprentice knew she should have been looking much earlier on, but she first needed to grow bigger. She needed to be stronger, more able to handle herself before she could consider seeking out someone to educate her. All in good time. Still, this young brute was different to any she knew. It would be a waste to walk out now and learn nothing of him. Home. Home was wherever her mothers licks and nuzzles were. She watched him, worried as he placed his weight on a low-lying branch. Surely it couldn't support him. But he had a point. "Yes, it is different here. There's more life. It's beautiful." She said, looking around at the wondrous colours. She returned her honey gaze to Renier, nervous as he continued to test the branch. She crept closer to him, flower still dangling between her teeth. "What are you doing with that branch. You know it's dangerous to try to climb trees. Wolves aren't properly built for it, you know." She said in an almost know-it-all voice. She'd seen her mother tree-jump once, but the Guardian had told her daughter never to try it without proper instruction. Though she was eager to see how it was done.

Renier could almost hear her thoughts. It was something he had questioned himself many times. How could there be a male in this pack that didn’t enjoy fighting? Didn’t enjoy the rough-housing and tumbling and playing? He wondered too sometimes. The only world he knew was that of fighting but during the time spent in the pack he hadn’t acquired any bloodlust for it. Or any kind of particular feelings towards it. No inclination towards seeking out fights or seeking out mentors to train with. To him it was just there. And it would always be there. Sometimes one had to do things they did not enjoy in order to survive and he guessed that these were one of those things. He did not mind getting his paws dirty. Being the son of a warrior only accustomed him towards the entire notion of bloodshed and violence. Seeing it, touching it, feeling it. Hearing about it. It lost its gruesomeness and horror when it became familiar to him. A lot of things were that way. The more familiar something became, the less mysterious and scary it became. He considered training with his brothers enough for the time being. For Icarus in particular spared him no mercy. Later perhaps he’d seek out someone else to help train him as his father seemed too busy. Renier had to remind himself that his father wasn’t doing it on purpose, that he had other duties he needed to attend to. Even though sometimes it felt like he was neglecting him. But it made Renier more self-reliant he supposed. Or at least, it helped him in learning how to do things for himself. It better that way. Because he could discover things for himself which grew into a kind of confidence in his abilities. It was okay if he didn’t know everything and it was okay if he wasn’t interested in fighting. It didn’t mean he couldn’t fight. It just meant he chose not to. And he thought that it took a stronger wolf to stand against the tide than join it. But home was home. Currently home was where his family was. And in the end, he was born in Erenyx so home was Erenyx. Where his father and mother resided. Where he could traverse perilous terrain. It was dangerous of course. But life was by its nature, incredibly so. At least, that’s what he thought. One just had to be cautious and prepared instead of reckless and arrogant. And then there would be no danger.

He was glad she thought the same or along similar lines. It was more beautiful here. And he was surprised that she thought so as well but altogether pleased. He looked at her reassuringly as she spoke,“I’m just testing the branch. It’s okay, I’ve been doing this all morning.”He tested the branch where it was starting to splinter. He said,“It is but there’s a trick to it.”Renier gestured towards the branch he had been testing with his free paw, applying more pressure at the joint with the paw that was on it currently.“You have to see what branch is good and not broken. This one won’t hold me so I won’t use it.”He gazed upwards, taking in the position and angle of the rest of the branches. Spotting one that was sturdy and thick, he jumped onto it. Then he continued to jump branch by branch, taking into account the branches’ size and length as well as the joint where the branch connected to the tree trunk. In particular, that part and what the bark looked like it. Whether it had aged so badly it was useless he could not jump onto it or whether it would be strong enough to hold his weight. He used not only the tree in front of them but the nearby trees as well. Even before he landed, he was two steps ahead searching for a solid, robust branch that would support his weight for the precious seconds he would be on it before launching himself at another branch that was close-by. On and on he went, going upwards. And each time he landed, he made sure he had another branch in mind to jump on before doing so. He would only spend a few seconds on each branch or slightly more before moving onto the next branch so that the current one he was on wouldn’t break under his weight. He called down to her as he made his way up with long, limber legs,“Always stay two steps ahead by figuring out the branch after the next branch you’re going to jump on!”He was reaching the top and he had one goal in mind. Aiming for the centre of the tree trunk where he could perch in the crook that split the trunk at the top into its many branches. So when he was close enough, he made one final jump soaring through the air and in one effortless motion, planted his right forepaw and left hind paw on the upper part to balance himself before lowering his entire body to ground it on the branches that split out so that he was secure and wouldn’t fall off. Looking down at her with a faint slight smile through the grove of crimson leaves, he said,“I know wolves aren’t built for tree jumping but I’m not that big yet so I’m doing it while I can so I can become more agile and quick. When I’m older I’ll break the branches and then there won’t be any more trees left. I won’t keep on doing it. But you could maybe. If you’re still around. It’s not that hard but you just have to be careful.”He paused, his calm eyes studying her as he considered her form in mind,“But it’ll probably be dangerous for you since it’ll be your first time so you should probably do it with your mum. She’ll teach you the right way to do it. But if you want to you can try.”

She watched him, noting every movement he made. Even as he said it, she could see the first branch he tested was too weak to even hold his weight. He leapt up, landing gracefully on a larger, thicker branch. Her eyes followed as he moved from branch to branch, gaining height up the tree. He moved well, he made it seem almost easy, but she knew that was far from the truth. He moved almost immediately from one branch to the next, appearing to select each target at random. Any wolf with any sort of intelligence knew that each target would have to take into account a number of factors: the size of the branch, the strength of the branch, the joint of the branch to the tree, the age of the bark, not to mention a few weather conditions to be considered. Clearly he was intelligent, a fast mind ticking away in that growing head of his. As he moved he called out tips and instructions to her, as though he expected her to be following him. She wasn't one to do the opposite of what someone stronger than her wanted. She crept closer to the base of the tree, raising onto her hind legs to test the branch he had begun on. But she was just a little too short to reach. She dropped back to her paws and padded about, trying to find a lower branch of similar strength. There was none, but the tree beside it had one that might work. She approached, raising once more to place her forepaws on the surface on the branch, leaning her weight on it to test its support. It seemed to hold. Very ungracefully, she managed to haul herself up onto the branch, crouching scared. She looked up, getting her bearings in regards to the other apprentice, as well as searching for the next branch. She found one and, after working up enough courage, she leapt onto it. When she landed safely, she looked around with a grin. She made the next one too, this time she giggled. Then the next, she smiled and said, "I'm doing it! Look, I'm doing it!" But she spoke too soon. The next branch was too far and too weak. Her claws barely scratched its surface and the trees limb snapped beneath her. She went tumbling below until she caught on a branch. The breath whooshed from her lungs as she was winded, lying draped over the branch.

Looking over the branch, the young apprentice’s ears folded forwards. He watched her with earnest, blue eyes. His tail started to raise keenly as she tested the branch first, then hauled herself up. He didn’t know what she would do so he was glad she was joining him in his fun and what more, looking like she wanted to engage in it and essentially doing it even if it wasn’t refined. She still seemed nervous and scared. But she was new and they were just playing. Renier had found it intimidating himself the first time. He didn’t expect her to do it but he was impressed that she had. There was more to her than met the eye. He wondered if she could make it to the top. To his surprise it seemed as if she’d followed what he’d been saying. And she was making her way up the tree effectively. And it came to Renier that maybe her initial nervousness had been a product of her brothers’ constant teasing. It was something he could’ve related to. Maybe that was why he preferred being away from them. There weren’t many things they could relate to. He could not really understand his brothers’ passion for fighting though he had tried. When Renier wanted to explore, Icarus mocked him saying he was weak for spending his time doing that instead of fighting. But there was one thing that he knew his brothers did not enjoy like him. Their father’s absence. He was glad that there was one good thing about having siblings and it was that he had them for company when they were younger. When the only time he had seen his father was in the morning and night when he returned from his duties. Sometimes blood ties were strong enough to surpass violence even if it was instigated between family members. Renier had his family and he loved them all the same. It was sad in retrospect but that was the beauty of family. No matter how much they hurt you, you still ended up loving them in some form or way even if really…sometimes they didn’t deserve it. As she leapt onto the next branch, Renier’s ears perked up happily. It was fun. This game and it was fun playing it with another pup. A friend. It was good for sharpening the mind which Renier had always thought was just as important as the body. She was taking it with caution which was good and she started to grin. As she kept on going, Renier smiled slightly starting to jump down onto the branch beneath him. He laughed, enthused by her excitement and said,“Keep on going!”

Renier’ s eyes widened as he saw her claws miss, the branch snapping with her force. Too far. She had underestimated the distance. And the branch was far too weak to hold her. He started to cry out her name before leaping down from the branch, hopping from branch to branch swiftly and quickly to intercept her. He sailed past her, further down until he felt the tip of her tail brush his nose when he landed on the branch beneath her. Renier’s ear went down, one eye shutting as he cringed slightly as he heard the impact of her body hitting the branch. He internally breathed a sigh of relief. There’d probably be a few bruises but nothing major. But just in case he stood up on his hind legs, placing his paws on the branch she was on and scanned her for any signs of injuries. No blood. She looked okay. But he had learned that just because someone looked okay on the outside it didn’t mean they were on the inside. And he was no healer so he wouldn’t have known if she was hurting on the inside. So he asked gaze running over her carefully,“Are you okay?”

Willow had never been winded before and so was unprepared for the pain. Her chest burned as she struggled to get enough air into her lungs. No matter how much she sucked in, only a small amount of the oxygen would make it into her system. Her eyes became blurred and her nose tingled uncomfortably. The pups throat was raw and pained with each inhale. She dangled there a little longer, slowly working her way to a more regular rate of breathing. Somewhere she heard someone ask if she was ok. She realised Renier had travelled down to her level. It was unexpected, but the Apprentice was glad for his concern. She swung her creamy head around to see him, coughing and wheezing. "Yeah," her voice strained, "I'll be ok." Slowly she moved to pull herself back up onto the branch, hind legs scrabbling feebly to gain a solid hold. Her forelegs moved awkwardly, struggling to support her body weight until her hind legs could find their place. Her ribs and abdominal muscles twinged while she moved. Maybe it would be a good idea to have Cheshire or another Healer check her over when they got back in Erenyx lands. On shaky legs she held her body, glad for the support the other pup offered. Looking down she didn't have too many branches to jump down to reach the ground. Looking up she saw the broken limb that had lead to this pain. Maybe that's enough for today. She mumbled a, "Thanks," and heaved in a few more breaths. She gave him a little smile while her tiny chest heaved. She was going to be very sore tomorrow morning.

Renier watched her, his tail raising slightly. She wasn't getting up, just lying there and sucking air. That wasn't supposed to happen. He wanted to ask her if he could do anything but she was having trouble inhaling. He tried to think of what to do to help. He had only accompanied his mother on walks, learning about herbs and medicinal plants. Breathing. He had to focus on her breathing. If she was breathing right she was probably just hurt from the fall. But he guessed that he should make sure she got a healer just to make sure. His mother if possible since he was the only healer he knew. But if they saw another healer that he knew was a healer then that wolf would do as well. He would waste time searching for healers if he didn't know which wolf was a healer. As she swung her head around to face him, coughing and wheezing, saying she was okay he nodded towards her, glad that she wasn't hurt. She was having trouble so he made sure to be ready to catch her or help her stand in case she fell or stumbled. There was one thing Renier knew and that was he had to help his pack-mates. He followed her gaze downwards where he guessed she was judging how far she had to go down.

Renier ran a keen gaze over her again. No blood. He smiled back at her in return, the faintest of smiles touching his tawny-white muzzle. "That's okay. I'll help walk you home since you're hurt." He jumped down the rest of the branches swiftly, quickly landing on the ground close to the base of the tree where the last lower-most branch was beneath her. He would try his best to catch her within reason. The best he could do was leap and catch but he had faith that she would be able to make it to the last branch at least. It was only one body length away from the ground at a vertical drop. At any rate, if she fell he’d be there to help her somehow. To catch her. Though he didn’t think it would come to that. She seemed like she was getting the hang of it. She wasn’t as weak as she thought. Least, he thought so. Someone who was weak would never have had the courage to do something they were scared of doing. Scared of falling. She had hurt herself but she had brushed it off and gotten up. Enduring the pain that she had received. He figured that was the only thing someone could do when they were hurt. She was tougher than she thought. Perhaps her brothers thought that she wasn’t compared to them but each wolf had their own threshold and it usually increased. She would get stronger. Just like with everything else, all she needed was time to grow. Nevertheless, he gazed up at her waiting to see what she would do next. It looked like she was re-considering continuing. And Renier had been here long enough. If she wanted to leave then he would leave with her just so that she would be okay. He flicked his tail, remaining silent. There was nothing much else to do now. He entertained the notion of staying to tree jump some more. It was a fun exercise. He could but he had to make sure she was going to be okay. And they were pack-mates after all. They had to look out for each other. So he waited to see what she would do.

Looking up from studying the ground below, Willows attention was on her companion. She nodded, grateful for his assistance. It would be slow going to get back to Erenyx lands. The white fae would need to take her time so as not to aggravate any internal injuries she might have. Of course she had none, but she was not to know that. She was not a healer, nor even apprenticed to a healer. She watched him descend, being very sure to memorise the path he travelled. She dropped onto the lower branch where moments ago he had stood, worried for her wellbeing. Then, as quickly as she could, she hopped her way about the branches until she reaches the lowest rung. Her sides heaved painfully when she stopped for breath. Her lungs expanded greatly against her rib cage. Her tongue lolling from her maw while her head sagged, oxygen rushing in and out of the passageway there. Finally, she knew she needed to get to the ground and get home, only rest and maybe a Healer would make this better. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, crouching, then dropped herself back into the field of purple. She stumbled slightly upon landing, but managed to hold her footing. She wobbled her way forward, resting her weight heavily on the other Apprentice. With slow steps they set off towards their packs borders. She was exceedingly grateful that he had stayed. Her brothers would have laughed and left her to find her own way down.Her sister would've been telling her to be stronger and get moving. Her father would've been angry at her for being so stupid, but also disappointed that she wasn't any better. That made her sad, being such a disappointment to her family. But Renier had stayed and offered to help. Friendship. It was a fairly foreign concept, but one she was willing to explore. A friend was just what she needed. Lavenders Grace was a place she would return to someday, because it had good memories associated with it. The memory of a childs first friend.

Renier was glad that she hadn’t landed worse. From what he could see it’d been the sudden shock that had hurt her. She was able to make her way down, though her sides were heaving when she stopped at the lowest branch. She was stopping for breath. Her head was sagging, tongue lolling out. Was it that serious? He thought it wouldn’t be. As she squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, preparing to crouch he prepared himself. He knew how bad a jump could be if it wasn’t done right. He moved, adjusting his position so he could jump or roll or something to help her fall safely. She made it, landing though she stumbled as she did. Renier had started to rise, thinking to use his forelegs to catch her if needed then went back down on his paws. He was glad that she hadn’t landed badly. If he hadn’t caught her or helped her cushion her fall it could’ve been a sprained ankle or worse. He thought he could defend them from a snake. A fox even or an eagle. All he needed were rocks and quick thinking. As she wobbled forwards, Renier opened his muzzle then thought better of it and closed it. Perhaps speaking was not the right thing to do right now if she’d been struggling to breathe and was wobbling. He’d have laughed if he knew if it wasn’t serious but it could be so he didn’t. He glanced down at her as she rested her weight on him, surprised at how much less she weighed. It was a different feeling. But it felt good to be the stronger one for once. Not that strength was paramount but when he was surrounded by strong wolves it felt good to know that he could be strong too, if not just as strong as them.

He said to her,“Hey I just want you to know that you’re not alone. We got each other. If your brothers are you giving a hard time just hang out with me. I’ll help you get better and maybe I can help you defend yourself. I have plenty of practice with my brothers.”He knew what it was like. And sometimes, he thought that he could never live up to his father’s expectations. Though he was trying but Icarus was always the better fighter. It never really made him sad because his father never said anything about how his fighting was or his hunting was to him, which was even sadder so he had learned to not care. But it hurt deep down. And he thought that it probably hurt Icarus even more. And Striker. But he supposed that it may make Willow sad. So it was good to have someone who though did not have exactly the same circumstances, was in a somewhat similar position in some ways. Had he made his first friend? He thought so. His very first friend. His tail swished side to side as he made his way back to Erenyx with her. It felt good.