Vermillion droplets played among the faded grass, who once held themselves so vibrantly amongst the day light. Desolate, dingy green orbs surveyed the environment around the red fae. Her breath hitched slightly, her lips curled themselves into an inaudable snarl. The time of reckoning had come.
 The falls rained down their swift judgement like a god, plunging to beast into a watery hell. The torrents eliminated it's life. A silent prayer was cast, then answered by the bears lifeless carcass floating itself to shore. A damn shame, the fae thought, he had been a quite worth opponent.
 Her breath hung low, crawling near the bloodied mass of flesh and fur. Ears pinned back, Silacea hung above, preparing to administer a final death blow, a true assurance if the black feind's passing. The gesture was exchanged by the bears massive paws tearing the claws through the faes delicate hide. A howl of agony escaped her lips, it carrying past the realm of dream into reality.
 Silacea's eyes ripped themselves open as she shook her hear faintly. Where was she? Her ears shot into place as she heard the rumbling of the waterfall below, the pale moonlight cascading among its ripples surface.
"That was one hell of a dream..." Her voice trailed off, filled with damage and mistrust in her surroundings.
 "Silacea, it was only a dream. Merely pictures played in your sleep by your mind..." She assured herself calmly.
 She had merely fallen asleep at the falls again, of this she was certine. And she had dreamed of her death. This much was true, but what did all of that mean? She withheld no recollection of how she had come to the falls, but surely their was a logical explanation. Their was always-
 Her thoughts were broken by the sound of paw steps in the distance, slashing their way through the silence. She lowered her head, ready to lunge at what adversary may come in her direction, be it wolf or beast.

The Hunter returned from yet another successful outing. Today he had two fat ducks clutched in his jaws after a fruitful visit to the lake in neutral territory. He tossed the carcasses onto the kill pile, standing for a moment to admire his work. Upon his first arrival the pile had been dismal at best. Stores were dreadfully low and most wolves went hungry if they didn't fetch themselves a hare now and then. He was proud to see the stores filling fast. On his first full day he had learned that he was the only appointed Hunter in the pack, a task that weighed heavily on his shoulders. One wolf to feed an entire pack. He immediately set out to fill the stores with carcasses. Lead Warrior Chiara had been a large help in that first hunt and it had nearly cost her her life. He noted that the stag from that day was long gone. But it's pelt he had saved for himself, using it to decorate his den and provide some warmth for the colder months soon approaching. Winter is coming, he thought to himself. It always does, and every year it tested the resolve of the wolves.

He felt his job was done for the day and set out for the neutral territories once more. But this time he moved in the direction of the falls. As he travelled he considered that perhaps he should leave hunting tomorrow and spend the day refreshing his skills as a fighter, as the Alpha had suggested. He reasoned that the kill pile was well stocked for the next few days or so at least and he would be fine to take a training day. He loped easily through the underbrush, not taking much care for the sound he made. He was not hunting and it was therefore not necessary. Should he happen upon another wolf, be they from Helidos or his own pack of Erenyx, he would rather they heard him coming and were not afraid. He burst through the tree line and beheld the magnificent falls. He stood in awe of them as they dwarfed him. But he was startled. Before him stood a large reddy-brown fae. She was quite similar to him in both size and colour. Though he could tell she was a little older. Looking up slightly the moon had risen high and it complimented her quite nicely. He dipped his head respectfully and introduced himself. Hello miss. My name is Magnus, Hunter of Erenyx. From your scent I can deduce that you are also of the same pack, and gathering from your stature and hostility at the moment, I would presume that you are a warrior, as most of our pack. What I don't know is your name. His words were soft like honey as his amber eyes raked over her form. He put on his most alluring smile and began what he hoped would be a new friendship.

Silacea's eyes glowed at the new life form before her. Her head tilted itself to the side inquisitively. Dipping her head in respect, she nodded as the brute Magnus' assumption of her being a warrior. He was similar to her in many ways, his pelt seemingly cut of the same cloth. A faint smile rose to the surface of her now calm waters. She held herself proudly, yet not dominantly, pressing her left shoulder forward out of habit.
"Hello, I am Silacea, warrior of Erenyx as you presumed. You must excuse my odd behavior, for I... Well, I had a rather vivid nightmare." Her gaze floated to the ground in an act of shame.
Stars danced in the sky overhead, making glints in her pelt. Their was something about the newcomer before her. Silacea quickly decided against her original intentions of deception with the brute. She him as the type that couldn't be fooled by such games. She liked that.
The calm rush of water overcame her senses as she slipped into the serenity surrounding her soul. It felt as if her worries had been cast off, just by the presence of another. It gave her the reassurance that she so desperately lacked in her loner days, yet her eyes clouded slightly with fear as her dream of death had come over her again and again, replaying in her mind.
((Sorry for the short post!!))

The brute nodded his head politely when the fae spoke her name. Silacea. An odd name to be sure, but not the strangest one he had come across in these lands. She begged his pardon for her odd behaviour, claiming recent nightmares made her skittish. And as silence lapsed between her, her emerald eyes glazed over with fear at what she had seen, to scare an Erenyx wolf it must have been a truly horrible dream. Ah yes, nightmares. They plague us all do they not? We all have our demons we carry with us. If I am not being too nosy, might I ask what these nightmares were concerning? the brute thought his words a little hypocritical! asking a fae he barely knew to share her dreams with him. He was a private wolf, keeping much to himself and only revealing what was necessary. But it had become known to him that some wolves, faes especially, benefitted from airing their thoughts and allowing others to bear them scrutiny and provide an opinion.

He awaited the faes reply, studying her as he did. She was not all together the most beautiful wolf he had seen, but nor was she the ugliest. By far she was quite well put together. Her eyes intrigued him as they were a shad he was still not quite used to seeing. He didn't think he would ever get used to seeing wolves with eyes of blue or red or green. Or two different colours like the Beta Nyx. Or even the ghostly white of his Alpha Steele. But he did not voice these comments. She was also quick to reply and apologise for her actions, something which told him that she would be the kind of fae he was used to. He saw no need for flirtatious actions in this case for the game could turn sour. If he lead her on for too long the consequences could be disastrous. Still, the game was tempting him to play. But he would have to see how these first terse words of introduction went, before he could properly turn on the charm. For now, he simply gazed at her, appearing entranced when really he was waiting. His tail swished as he lowered his haunches to sit in the dirt. The corner of his muzzle raised in a very attractive smirk.

The red fae's ears perked forward as she was returned to reality but Magnus' steady voice. He wished to know of her dream? Her muzzle flushed of vermillion, her eyes cold. The killer in all it's perverse glory? Could she share this morbid vision without some sort of consequence? She gave a playful smirk to him, but it flashed from her face as soon as it had come, 'I promised not to play games, no teasing!' She willfully reminded herself. Then her kind grazed across the idea of how much she should reveal. Could this new male use this information to his avail? She was sure it was possible, but whether he was dishonest or not, she paid no heed. Finally her words cut through the silence like a fang.
"If you must know, it was of me killing a bear in the light of the moon. It's life came quickly into my paws, but at the end, finishing blows were an exchanged commodity, it ending my life, and I ending it's." Her voice flowed steadily from her mouth. Her breathing still not quite normal, but it was getting there.
She sunk to the ground, resting her head on her paws. Her head cocked to the side, she looked up at Magnus. What would he have to say? Of this, she was unsure. Focusing on the sky, her eyes dazzled with the lights from the heavens above her. Heaven and Hell, how simple an explanation to the complex topic of afterlife. Was their no in-between? In the world, was their truly only the holy and the damned? Was she half was to Hell, or half way to Heaven? When she died, would she got to either? Or perhaps their was a sort of limbo, like an in between. She would never know as long as breath still remained in her chest, as long as her mind replayed the pictures that vexed her so.

Her nightmare was simply that, a nightmare. The dredges of our fears brought into mental clarity. His lips twitched into the faintest hint of a smile as he spoke. Ah. It seems you fear death my lady. As it should be. But a brave warrior such as yourself should have courage in the face of death. he rose fluidly and stepped forward, sitting very close in front of her. Her gaze turned skyward and her bright eyes reflected the soft ambience of the stars, their reflections glittering in her orbs. Do you know what we say to death when he stares us in the face? He paused a moment, raising an eyebrow in question. He leant forward, bringing his nose very close to her ears, the fur tickling his wet nose. He whispered, Not today. he held his close position for a moment, inhaling the faes sweet scent before he too turned his gaze skyward. He had never really had much inclination for stargazing. He found it a pointless endeavour other than to tell time. But on this night something seemed different about the stars. They appeared to be alive, dancing across the sheet of inky black as the two almost identical wolves sat together looking up. And he smirked his usual smirk. His personality would never change.

She froze as the male brought himself closer to her to speak, and she nearly nipped him once he brought his muzzle to her ear, but a voice inside of her told her not to. And so she obeyed. Not today... the words echoed in her head. They reminded her of her once optimistic brother. Mist was the closest she had come to comfort. But she shook her head, not allowing her past to cloud her mind anymore. In fact, she owed much to her past. It made her tolerant of many things the typical fae couldn't withstand.
"That is what troubles me. I fear no physical or mental damage. I don't phase at pain. But death, the though of everything being... over. It's the finality of it all...that's what I'm afraid of. Once I'm dead, I will be nothing but a pile of lifeless flesh to be eaten by the crows. Useless. I never want to be useless." Her words were spiked with an emotion that resembled anger, but if seen in the right light, was the spitting image of resent. Her hear shook, then she looked up to Magnus, rolling on her side to relax. She opened herself for him to join her in the dirt. But it seemed as if he wouldn't see the invitation. Or maybe he would, and she was wrong.
"I am a fool. I haven't even dug a den. Damn." She cursed herself under her breath, not intending for the male to hear her directly. But what did she care? After all, it wasn't as if he was going to say anything about it in the first place. Or possibly this was just one of many underestimates that she had made in her time.

The brute felt more than saw the fae fall to the ground and roll on her back to look up at him. He found it odd bud decided against making her look foolish. He lowered himself to lay beside her, his paws kneading the dirt as he watched her. Suddenly she spoke up, calling herself a fool for having not built a den.If it is a den you seek I may be of assistance. Our pack is small and therefore does not hold any empty den sites, but it might be able to help you choose a spot and make one. That is if the help is welcome? The brute watched the fae as she pondered internally upon something. But he didn't want to be rude and pry. So he held his silence and made do with studying the surrounding landscape. The nearby falls appeared cold and refreshing, begging him to swim in the pool beneath them. Even so late at night the weather was balmy. With a thick fur coat, any respite was welcome, but it would be rude to do so in present company. He restrained himself for bolting headlong for the water. Although perhaps if he asked, the fae might join him for a late night swim?

Silacea sighed heavily. Was this the real Magnus she was conversing with, or was it a front he put on, like she does to so many. It would be ironic to say the least, the first time she has been honest with a brute would be the time she would get lied to. She couldn't bear herself to let her mind rest on that thought.
"This is probably going to seem rude, but I would rather just sleep outside tonight. I wouldn't want to trouble you with helping me make a den. I couldn't take advantage of a fellow pack mate's kindness." Her words were hinted with gratitude.
She noticed him casting glance to the water, and a thought came to her mind, is he wanting to swim? Her mind fluttered to her scars. Could she let herself be exposed in such a way? Perhaps it wouldn't be bad for her to take a swim, burn some excess energy, though she was afraid of how he may react to the scars that speckled her frame. He never took notice of the scar on my shoulder... Maybe he won't care... She then flicked her direction from the water to Magnus, then back to the water. It might be possible that he would take the hint that it was fine to ask. Her eyes then glanced at her surroundings, flickering through the trees. She thought she could spot a buck, and nearly sprang to her feet. But she pushed her hunger back, and it made it's descent.
Down.
Down.
Down. Until nothing remained.

He lay there, listening to her soft voice turn down his offer of aid. He shrugged it of with a careless, As you wish and continued to watch her. She studied the water thoughtfully, perhaps she also wanted to swim. Her head darted in the direction of Magnus and back to face the water. Could it be? A fae who wasn't afraid to get her fur wet? He grinned and loped up, twisting in front of her and bowing. His tail raised high in a banner signalling play. Did you want to go for a swim? Without waiting for an answer, he darted forward, nipping at her paws, and shot off, sprinting for the pond.

The falls crashed loudly overhead as he dove into the depths, submerging his body completely. Arching his back and tilting his head towards the surface, the Hunter paddled his way up until his muzzle broke the air. He sighed, releasing his pent up breath. He turned to face the shore, searching for his companion. When he found her, he raised an eyebrow in question. Would she really come?

Silacea smiled as Magnus had taken her hint. She likes this new playful side of him, how it came all at once. The brute was reminiscent of a pup just learning how to play with others. She barely felt it when he bit her paws. Her eyes wide in mock surprise as she let out a playful yelp.
Her eyes could barely keep up with him as her darted toward the water. An agile hunter indeed. She could barely contain herself as he jumped into the water, submerging his fiery self into the murky depths. She counted the seconds until he would come to the surface. It was around fifteen, but she couldn't be sure, she had lost count. When he emerged from the water's grasp, he let in a gasp for breath. He cast a glance to her, and she knew it was her turn.
Instead of taking a direct route into the water, she climbed up a ledge, which was about two times her body length in height. Her fur fluffed as she sarcastically turned to the soaking brute.
"Magnus, I'm so scared I'm shaking!" She giggled, letting her true height sink in. It wasn't that bad, so she backed up a few paces, and ran as fast as she could. Plummeting head first, she barely missed the rocks around her, one grazing her paw causing a slight gash. She barely blinked as the water calmed the throbbing sensation. Her lungs begged for a breath as she arched her back to breach the surface.
She hadn't had this much fun with another wolf since her brother. She tilted her head, looking at the brute with soft eyes. He really was like Mist, after all. Blood slipped into the water lightly as she shook at her paw. It was no more than an annoying sting to her, and she hoped the movement would diminish it. It did, and as she looked over it quickly with a look of confusion, but accessed that she hadn't hit anything life threatening, as the flow of the crimson liquid ran slower now. Her attention then turned to the Hunter, who she hoped hadn't seen how she didn't react to pain. Wolves like her were few and far between, like some exotic breed of freak raised for the devils pleasure. They hurt not, and most felt not, yet her heart still beating, had emotions. Her previous Alphess may have stripped her of her nerves, but she had not stripped her of her spirit, as was planned. She was too strong for that. Or perhaps she was just too weak to give in. Either way, she was still here, and that had to count for something.

The brute watched in amusement as she made a circuitous route to a very tall ledge. It was scaled quickly and she stood there, hesitating. She called to him, so he replied. Jump! Jump! Jump! And she did. Backing up a few paces to allow room to run. She hurled herself off the ledge, diving head first. When he looked below her he saw the water was shallow and scattered with rocks. He feared for his pack mates safety and let out a warning bark. Though she didn't seem to hear him, her dive angled and brought her in just shy of the rocks and barely in deep enough water. She surfaced a good ways away and stopped to inspect her paw. Perhaps she had still been rather close to the jagged points cutting through the water. He watched her as she tried to ignore the pain and, as far as he could tell, stem the flow of blood.

She seemed perfectly fine to his eyes, but his soldiers upbringing required that he ask. Although he wouldn't respond to her answer quite as he would have if he was still in his previous pack. There would be no more unnecessary blood on his paws. He would simply take her answer and leave her to it. He wouldn't kill her for her injury, but he wouldn't coddle her for it either. He paddled swiftly to her side, surging effortlessly through the water. Are you alright?

Silacea's eyes grew wide as he swam near. All this fuss over a gash that's shouldn't so much as cause a limp. It intrigued her, how gentleman like he was. Though she pondered over the fact that it may be and act. It MAY be fake, yet it had just as equal a chance of being real, so why should she allow it to bother her?
"I'm perfectly fine, thank you." She said quietly, dipping her head to show gratitude towards his kindness.
Her head assumed it's natural position, cocked over to one side in a way that you would suppose could hurt her neck, but it seemed natural to her. Her ears flicked to and for as she listened to the sounds of the surrounding forest. Spotting a fleck of pale silver below her, she shot down with no warning whatsoever. She held her breath as her dull green eyes shot to a fish. She loved fish. It reminded her of her innocent days as a pup, when her family was alive. Though a bit odd, she had acquired a taste for fish, she liked it's slightly salty blood, and the crunch of its bones as her jaws clamped for the kill.
Her jaws just barely grasped the flipping animal, struggling wildly in her clamped mouth. Rising to the surface, she tossed the fish to shore. She had no intention of eating it, but perhaps someone of like tastes may want it's flesh. She would take it back to camp with her to add a few mouthfuls to the kill pile.

The Hunter took her word and began to swim around, making sure he knew where the warrior was at all times. Without a moments notice, she shot down into the water and was under for quite some time. His head cocked to the side slightly, finding the action rather odd. But his fears were allayed as she quickly resurfaced with a fish struggling valiantly in her jaws. She tossed it on the bank where it jumped and flailed, gasping for water. He called out to her. You know, unless you were going to eat that, you would have been best to leave it in the water. Fish deteriorate far faster than fowl or deer. It wouldn't last long on the kill pile and is therefore a waste of your energy. His voice was hard and serious, much of his old training slipping back into his demeanour. He constantly fought internally between the habits that were drilled into him from birth and the views he held personally. It was a struggle for him to find a balance. He did agree with some if his old packs beliefs and continued to display those because they made sense. Strength was more important than wit. For what use were fancy words if your opponent suddenly attacked you while your back was turned? But he digressed. Mating with ones siblings or cousins was not the way to preserve that strength. He knew that much. The brute swam to the pools edge and pulled himself from the water, shaking the loose droplets from his pelt. He turned and stared at his reflection in the settling water. The three short scars on the left side of his muzzle were reflected back at him. And they reminded him of why he left, as they always did. Perhaps it would be best if I weren't around this fae, he thought, I shouldn't be poisoning her with issues of my past. He considered her behaviour toward him, And I wouldn't want to lead her on. She seems nice, a good friend and I'd hate to ruin that by hurting her feelings. He sighed, for once there was a fae he didn't want to turn the charm on for. He truly wanted to be her friend, but didn't want to hurt her. It was a condo drum her faced.

She dipped her head at the wise brutes words. He was right, she simply hadn't thought of it that way. She waited until he had finished his miniature speech, then spoke up.
"I'm sorry, the thought hadn't crossed my mind." Her voice was apologetic as she cast her gaze once more to the shore, and noticed how Magnus had taken leave to it's bank. She followed him, and shook her scarred pelt.
The moonlight glinted off her many scars. How ugly... How could he even stand to be near me...when I look like this... Her mind critiqued her frame.
 But she noticed that he too was staring at his reflection. She closed the space in between their bodies, their pelts nearly touching.
 "Tell me, Magnus, what troubles you so? Is it something I have done, if so, then I-" Her mouth closed as she refused to let the apology pass. Maybe he didn't want to speak of it, and she was being invasive. She dipped her head to him as she backed out if his space apologetically and went to rest near the muddy banks, casting Magnus a glance between her own thoughts. Maybe he really was playing...to think this entire time he could have just been..toying with her. Or maybe she was just being paranoid.
Her ears flicked as she stared down at the dirt, studying the patterns and swirls. How different each of the colors were, but some how, they all blended to make one color. How odd. She shivered slightly as the breeze picked up, but she pressed the thought of the cool, crisp night air to the back of her mind. She glanced to the water once more, but her empty eyes beheld nothing of importance. Just a scruffy, battle scarred fae who looked as if she didn't belong alone. She belonged amongst friends, for her appearance wasn't one that could stand alone without it looking odd.

Magnus looked up at the fae, his eyes cold and hard, it's amber colour no longer radiating warmth. My past is my own and does not need to be revealed to everyone who asks of it. His eyes raked over her form, taking in the many pale scars that were visible. You have your scars to bear, and I have mine. I have not troubled to ask you of them as they clearly hold memories which are not happy and appear to have an effect of your self-esteem. I would ask that you extend me the same courtesy. His hard soldiers facade had fully returned in his annoyance at the faes probing. She was just like the others and if he could have held any emotion towards her, it would have been pity. He turned his body away from her, swishing his tail as he did. He decided he was not in the right frame of mind to try making friends, if that was even a possibility in this pack. He tossed his head over his shoulder, looking down at her. I apologise for my harsh words, miss. But this is not the time for sharing grim stories of times past. I shall retire to my den for now, and if we should meet again may we hope that it be a little more pleasant. he paused! considering his ill choice of words. His voice softened somewhat. You seem like a good fae. Perhaps another time then? He raised an eyebrow in question. But it was rhetorical. He faced the direction of the pack grounds once more and began the long walk. The moon was high and he berated himself for not moving to sleep earlier. He needed an early start if he wanted to do some training.


(Ooc - I think we can leave it there, otherwise the thread gets dragged out for too long and they're stuck on that day for ages, best to keep moving forward.)

(Ooc- Agreed. ))