A moment can last an eternity, or it can last a fraction of a second. Either way, the moment did not change in and of itself. Only the perception of the moment was altered. Fel walked silently through the flowers, which were all wilting and decaying. Strong gusts of wind battered her thick pelt, letting the long fur wave and flatten against her muscular body. Even with the changing of the seasons and the slow decrease in prey as it began to disappear for the winter into their little holes, Fel was surprisingly fit and almost brutish in her frame. But then again, she was not a feminine fae at all. Strangely enough, even the nurturing of two pups did not melt her frozen heart. Only Alanoth could do that, and he was gone now. Her mate had disappeared, and she figured, with her age, she would never find another. She, of course, loved her children in some remote form, but they both reminded her of their father, and so she had avoided them as much as possible. This is why it took her a while to realize that her only daughter had apparently left with Alanoth. Perhaps it was for the best… She was weak in spirit anyway.

Fel looked around silently, scanning the evening sky. The sun was going to die soon as it was already painting the heavens with its blood. The fae stopped for a moment to bow and stretch her back. Glancing around her, her nostrils flared as she scented the air. It seemed that there was another wolf not far away. Instantly her body became more rigid and she rose to her tallest position, tail stiffly out behind her like a horizontal banner. She was not sure exactly who this newcomer could be, so she waited with silence. Almost glaring orbs, nearly devoid of color, watched the direction from which the scent wafted. Fel made no aggressive movements, but stood as a statue, a dark metal among tan, decaying life.

Quinn was already accepted into her new pack, and though she felt some of them hated the fact that she was there, she had a feeling it would all change with time. Once the other wolves got to see who Quinn really was, then of course they would learn to adore her. In these moments of happiness, she was shrouded by the dark times, the thoughts of her mate and pups who did not follow her to this magical place. Fenris had been the best mate she could ever dream of. Kraven was a monster to her, but taught her a valuable lesson without his own knowledge of the matter. But then again, he was dead, so why did it matter? It seemed almost every good thing which happened to Quinn resulted in her losing something of great value. Sighing she moved from the pack clearing and headed for the other areas of the pack. The lands here were vastly different than the ones she was used to. There were barely any maple leaves, if any, and the smell was more of a home feeling to it. She could not explain what she was feeling for this place, for the wolves who lived here, but she knew it would eventually all come together. She pushed away the thoughts of her loves she had lost and moved forward to a large field filled with flowers that had begun to wither away and die. Their beautiful petals were shrinking and falling from their centers. She could imagine this place in all its luster during the spring and would promise herself to return once the winter had passed and the new year was upon them.

Off in the distance, she saw a large form. The midnight creature was large, much larger than Quinn herself and for a brief moment, she believed it to be the brute she had left back in Maple Woods, Teren. She paused for a moment, allowing her harvest eyes to get their fill of the wolf before her. The wind blew in its downward direction and told the Alphess of the wolf in front of her. It was not a male and it smelled of these lands. Relaxing her body, she sighed a great sigh of relief. For if it had been Teren, she did not know what she would do. She knew he had a hatred for females and for so long she had controlled his every move, forcing him to be kind to those he could hardly care about. Pushing her paws forward two at a time, she moved towards the creature, the defensive wolf. "Hello, Fel was it? I believe that is correct from our first meeting within the pack clearing. I hope I have not come at a bad time for you. I was just exploring the lands and thought I would get accustomed to my new home. How are you doing today?"

The Guardian watched the figure she was anticipating finally appear and, after a moment of studying her mass, bound in her direction. By the scent, now clearer in the increasing proximity, Fel could distinguish that this was the new authority. Without relaxing her body, her tail dropped down slowly as Quinn approached, acknowledging her rank. Once the creature finally reached her, the black fae examined the other’s body for a moment, noting that it was smaller and seemingly weaker than her own. It was, of course, expected that a Guardian would be stronger than their prioritized wolf, but the difference between them was interesting. She decided, however, that the smaller the neck she was to protect from snapping, the better off she was. Besides, maybe the lighter fae was swift enough on her paws to make up for it.

Quite soon after the fae halted, Fel lowered her head and upper frame in a bow, making sure to go below the ashy snout of the other. As she began to rise to her full height once more, she replied, “Yes, my name is Fel. And no time is bad, as you are the alphess. Bad times are to be put aside in your presence, not that this was one to begin with…” Her words had the quality of ice, calm and cold. Though it might seem that she was purposely addressing her with disdain, this was not the case. Her voice was naturally frozen, unless sparked to life with a warning growl. A shrug accommodated her next phrase as she picked back up, “I am as fine as I ever am. And you, Alphess Quinn? I assume you must be enjoying your new territories.” The icy gaze hung on her pelt, watching her, but not disrespectfully meeting the others’ orbs. No emotion colored her features as she waited for a reply. Fel silently stood, now casually relaxed but remaining still. Another burst of wind buffeted their pelts, making the long raven fur fly with its current before the hairs gently sunk back their normal, sleek positions. The longer than average tail gently swayed from the wind and then was once more limp.

"Azul told me you have been his Guardian for a while now. Can you tell me what it is you do for the pack? I have never heard of such a rank and am rather curious. I figured I would ask the best qualified wolf this, face to face.. That is. Do you have a partner who shares the same rank as you?" Quinn looked to the other wolf, wondering if the large black figure would relax even a little bit. She knew they were both safe within the confines of the pack territory. Nothing could come to them, and if it did, there were many other wolves who would be around to stop them. "Well, this land is vastly different than my first packs. The first pack I ever lived in was much much smaller than the ones I have been in as of late. There was so much danger, bears lived very close to our home. The next pack I lived in was lined with Cedar trees. Their scent was so beautiful I could not turn myself away from it... Not until..." she lowered her eyes to the ground and tried to keep the pain she had been feeling still within her heart. She lifted her harvest eyes to the midnight wolf.

"My last pack, before this one.. It was covered with Maple trees. Every day looked like fall. It was beautiful. As I wandered these lands, I am finding that no two areas are alike. They are all different in their own ways. It is a beautiful change to see, after all these years. I sometimes wonder if I will ever get lost in all of it's glow. But I guess I will never really know, as I have always been able to find my way back to the pack clearing. But enough about me, please tell me of your life. How long have you been with this pack? What was your life like before?" Quinn smiled to the other, hiding back the pain she hid inside. The wolves she had loved, Kraven and Fenris. How she hoped one day to see her lover once again, to see the smiles on her pups' faces.

Fel regarded the fae as she spoke. Even for a freshly appointed alphess, it seemed that she had no idea what was going on in the pack. The brutish female silently hoped that this would change as soon as possible. “The description of my responsibilities is simple: protect the alpha and/or alphess and their family with my life. With this sudden change of events, that moves Azul and his family off of my security priorities and puts you on the pedestal instead. I’ve been personally trained and evaluated by the late Elite Kenai, and specialize in making sure no harm comes to you. As for your second question, the answer is no. I have no partner as no suitable male has stepped up to attempt training for this position.” Fel concluded the blunt response, remaining just as she was while the other spoke again. It seemed that memories of the past pained Quinn, but this was the only pain that Fel could do nothing to prevent. Emotionless, she watched the small fae as she looked up finally and resumed her speech.

Fel noticed the masking smile that appeared on the fae’s face, assuming that she had finished. The wolf’s relaying of her past packs seemed nostalgic, and her awe of her new territories was predictable. Her questioning of the guardian’s life, however, was not foreseen, though it did not surprise her in the slightest. It was only natural for her to wish to know more about her sole protector. The chilling eyes watched the fae neutrally as a cold tone picked up again. “I was born into a pack in the mountains, many months of travel from here. The climate explains my long fur, which I count as a blessing. The rest of my litter was killed as newborns for their lack of such a pelt. My father, as the alpha, put me in training to succeed him one day. I had… around four mentors. My father, seeking proof of the progress of my training, ordered each of my teachers to fight me to the death. Clearly they did not survive. After three years, my father was aging and, as my final evaluation, I was sent with three brutes to raid the rival pack. Unfortunately, we were ambushed. Those bastards had known about the attack somehow… But how, I cannot fathom. Regardless, my company was torn to shreds, being gravely outnumbered. Two of us were killed, and one brute and I escaped with heavy injuries. My ass of a father sentenced me to a choice between death and exile for this one error- my only error. Upon my exile, I was stripped of my birth name and chose the very last thing he ever called me as my new name. Fel. Tainted. From there, I travelled from pack to pack for two years, earning my stay at each by offering myself as a mercenary of sorts while exchanging techniques as time allowed. A good bit over a year ago, I stumbled upon this place and was greeted by a wolf named Delta Marrok, now the Beta male. I proved my worth as a warrior and pursued higher ambitions with the training of Elite Kenai. Eventually, I achieved this rank and was put in charge of the protection of Azul and, most importantly, his mate and pups. After a few seasons, I met a brute by the name of Alanoth and fell for him. I bore two pups the next spring: a brute, Thorin, and a fae, Jacelin.” Fel paused, thinking about Thorin for a moment. Perhaps she was wrong to treat him so disdainfully. Maybe she should really be there for him more than she was now. Mentally, she pushed such thoughts away. “Alanoth just disappeared one day, taking Jacelin with him. I don’t know why or where to he has ventured off, but I suppose it does not matter. They’re both gone, and that’s that,” she shrugged. The Guardian looked at her alphess, having finished her indifferent relay of her life’s happenings, and added with a sarcastic smile, “That’s a short version of my story. I hope it was entertaining…”

Any normal fae would have craved the return of her mate and pup. But Fel wanted nothing from them. If they decided to leave her, they could do so. She considered her duty to the pack the most important job of all. Everything else, even her only remaining child, was irrelevant. The smile faded shortly from the black membranes of the onyx fae’s lips. Her jaw shut, she remained as she was, color-less gaze resting on the ashy pelt in front of her.

Quinn enjoyed the fact that the Guardian was more than willing to explain her duties, and in a manner she could easily understand. When she spoke of Elite Kenai, she had heard Azul speaking of that same wolf during one of their talks. The position was what she expected it to be, with how it sounded anyway, but in her heart she still wanted Fel to protect Lucy and the pup, knowing those truly mattered to Azul, as an family should. "It sounds as if Azul was very fond of Elite Kenai and I am sure he trained you well with how I have heard others speak of him. Were you two friends?" she asked with a soft smile. As she began to tell the tale of her past, Quinn sat quietly and listened. As she spoke of her cruel father, forcing her to fight and fight to what seemed as though he wanted her dead. What a horrible thing to think about. How could any parent wish that their offspring would die in a fight, right before their very eyes. But as she continued to speak, she started to think of a male she had discovered the truth about, Teren. He was very much like that. He hated females and tried to have his own pups and any pups of his old pack fight one another. It was a horrible thing, something Quinn would never allow under her reign or if she was in any pack. The wolf before, speaking of this tragic tale, did not move nor showcase any emotions. She was almost like the mountains, solid and still. Never moving nor showing their weak points where they would inevitably crumble to pieces. This was the perfect way for a wolf with such an important task to act. With the ending statement of her story, Quinn knew she would have to go in depth about her past with the wolf before her. She wished for Fel to, without a doubt, stand beside her and think of Quinn as a deserving Alphess.

"In my natal pack, I was a Caretaker. My job, of course, was to watch the pups which were birthed to the pack. One Spring, the only litter born was the Alpha's. Everything was fine, until one high-strung male pup wanted to go wandering off on his won. I tried my best to bring him back to the pack, but he ran off. I followed after him and eventually found him inspecting the entrance to a bear den. The bear came out and was not pleased. Immediately she attacked the young pup, killing him before me while I tried to offer myself instead. After that, I ran back to the pack. My father was only the Beta, but he hated me for what I had done. They banished me from the pack and I never looked back. During the fight with the bear, it swatted me against a large tree, knocking the wind out of me momentarily. While I was running away, my ribs ached and sent huge amounts of pain through my whole body. When I finally made it to the borders of a new pack, I fell to the ground and passed out. I don't know how long I was asleep for, but the Elite of their pack found me. His name was Kraven." Her heart stung with the simple mention of his name. "I requested being the Caretaker, but he said he saw great promise in me, and that he would train me himself. For months we trained, and he was cruel. He taught me to stand up for myself, to not blame my actions for the death of the pup. It was a foolish wolf, and therefore, it was his fault. I learned many ways to fight, to use my whole body in such things. He forced my body to learn true speed, even though he himself was much larger than you. With his training, I was granted the rank of Elite beside him. In that pack, Elite was considered to be as high as Beta. And on the night I was promoted, he had requested from Alphess Dahlia, that he and I be mated before the rest of the pack. It was so. Months after, things started to change between he and I. He disappeared for days at a time, then weeks, and then a few months. When he returned to me, int he dead of night, he spoke of a horrible crime that he was going to commit. I begged him to stay with me, for our love to flourish, but he could not stay. That was the last time I saw my beloved Kraven. Months passed and I became even more depressed and never wanted to tend to my duties. I stopped eating and then one day it clicked. I would never see him again, all his training would go to waste if I did not get my body back to my top shape. So I trained myself, with the things he had taught me."

Quinn paused for a single moment, and looked to Fel. She was standing just as she had been the whole time. "When the chance to become an Alphess to the neighboring pack came, I took it. The smell of Cedar Grove, of Kraven was everywhere for me. It drove me wild with thoughts of him, of our love together. I could no longer live there. I became Alphess and everything seemed to settle in place. New wolves from all around started to come to my borders, and I loved it. There was one, one spectacular male who spoke in a fashion I had not heard for many years. He spoke like wolves of the olden days, and it captivated me. His name was Fenrir and he was one of the most beautiful wolves I have ever seen in my life. In the few months we had before he became my mate, we ran from a bear, after he saved my life and spoke of many things. He was perfect for me. But after I gave birth to our pups, a couple months after that, there was a large fire which engulfed the tress and brush, causing all the wolves to split up. I lost him and my pups. I don't know where any of them are, but I had to leave. If I stayed looking for them, I would be dead. I feel horrible, a great sadness rests over my heart and I knew finding Azul, an old friend, that I would slowly become whole again." When she stopped she looked to the other, and spoke softly. "I am sorry my story was so long, but I wanted you to know there are things that trouble my dreams and my mind as well. You are not alone in that aspect. With time, I hope we can build a strong trust between one another, that our friendship will be able to mend the hurt we have endured all these years. What do you say to that, Guardian Fel of Helidos?"

Fel heard the question pertaining to Elite Kenai, but did not have the chance to answer before the shorter fae engaged in a long recount of her life. It was interesting that what was once a caretaker would have the luck of becoming an alphess. But then, of course, she remembered that Alanoth gained the pups of a strong guardian, so apparently miracles were indeed possible. A similar sort of banishment occurred in this story, but seemingly softer than her own. Then again, this wolf’s body had been softer and less accustomed to physical pain. Thus Fel was forced to overlook that she passed out from not life-threatening injuries. She then spoke of a large male mentor who shaped her to be who she is now. His abandonment stirred nothing in the guardian’s heart, no smidge of empathy. It was in fact better to be alone. That way, she had no attachments, no strings tied to her heart that restrain her actions. In the next minute, Fel finally found out how she had become an alphess and then fled to here. Glad that the story was coming to an end, the onyx wolf watched the other indifferently. During no part of Quinn’s speech had she shifted or changed emotion. Pale eyes just as cold as they had been, they momentarily met with the other pair before her. The purpose of this sharing of luggage was clear now. Quinn was simply trying to show that they had points in which they could relate to each other so that the two may form some sort of friendship. Thankfully, the ashy fae expected nothing immediately, or else Fel would have to tell her that she would most likely receive nothing. Trust could be gained from the dark guardian; a true friendship was not impossible but very unlikely to occur. Regardless, she was asked a question and therefore forced to answer.

“As you wish, Alphess Quinn of Helidos.” A small dip of the head accompanied the reply. After a moment of invisible consideration, she decided to address the question asked earlier. “I never answered to your curiosity between Elite Kenai and myself. He was indeed a great mentor and an even greater wolf, so it is not surprising that so many think highly of him. His passing was a great loss to all of Helidos. But were we friends? No. Quinn, I am not like many other wolves. I don’t have ‘friends’. I either trust you, or I don’t, and it ends there. I learned my lesson with dabbling in emotions. I am not hurt. I am simply hollow; there is nothing to mend within me. To mend is to fix. I am not broken, but rather I have become what my home pack intended of me, except unlike them I have morals. I will protect you to my death, and any other pack member that I find in need as long as it does not interfere with my major commitment. But involving myself with others would only be detrimental to me. I hope you do not think any less of me for my emotional incapability, Alphess. It only means that I live to do my job, and nothing gets in my way.” Her voice drifted as smoothly as the surface of the ice topping a lake in the middle of winter. In truth, she did pray that this particular female would not hate her as many others did. But if that were the case, there was nothing to be done about it. Fel spoke nothing but the truth, and if she was rejected because of it then so be it. The guardian watched Quinn with the usual indifference, waiting to see her reaction.

Having heard much about Kenai, and much more about the rest of the pack, she smiled to Fel. If one did not have friends, than what was she to her pack? Were they just pack mates? Nothing too special or extraordinary? The Alphess grew a bit concerned for the Guardian. In her old pack, Quinn was friends with all who lived within her lands. She loved them like they were her own flesh and blood. She knew each and all of them by name and hunted beside them with pride. "I can see where your pain comes from. As I have told you, I too suffered from a great deal of pain, but I never stopped putting myself out there. I have learned the various levels of love and care for others. MY rank is not only a position, but a way to showcase my feelings for those who live in my lands. I must say, I am thankful for your honor to your role in this pack. It is a very important position, as you can see, I am very tiny and will need the protection as my fighting skills are not the best in all the world. I can make due with the abilities I hold, but the extra help would be quite grand. I hope, for the pack's sake, that my life is never to be in danger. But if it ever does get dangerous, I know I can rely on you to keep me safe and guard me with your life. I am very grateful for this. I could not begin to tell you how happy to hear of such rank exists here. In my old pack, we had far less ranks. There was no assigned position to my safety or well-being. We only had Alpha/Alphess, Elites, Deltas, Warriors, and of course the Autays and Curadors. Azul has created a place with such potential for its members." It was only then she realized she had been rambling. She looked from the other, to the world around them. It was silent here, and if anyone should come to spy on them, they would surely know of their presence. Quinn returned her gaze to the other. "So, outside of your duties, what do you like to do?"