The tawny she wolf had been walking for quite some time, her muscles sore and overworked. Not from the walking, no, but from the vigourous training she had been enduring. She had expected this when she had joined Erenxy but she didn't expect it to be quite as....intense. It wasnt even really the training that bothered the Fae, she was battle worn and used to harsh conditions, it was the fact that everyone in the pack was so cold. Well, cold wasn't the right word, for Pharika herself wasn't the most social loving butterfly, and seemed to have a heart made of pure stone, but that didn't mean her instincts didn't tug at her mind. She was a wolf, she was meant to run with a pack.

Shaking her head she came upon the soft sandy area she had been looking for, she had wandered for nearly an hour till she found this place. It was unlike the territory of her new home in Erenxy lands, it was so much more peaceful, she could actually think without fear, not fear, readiness, for being attacked or snapped at. Making her way to the waters edge she sat, resting her now sandy paws in the shallows, wrapping her tail around them. She knew Erenxy was full of wolves like herself, wolves who enjoyed killing but she also knew now that Erenxy wasn't the pack for wolves who wanted any sort of friendship or romance...the more she thought about it the harder it hit her, maybe this was all an act.

An act? For who? Why? Because she had always felt such resentment towards her mother, she tolerated her yes, but Pharika had always blamed her mother for her own misfourtune. Pharika could have grown up in a pack, and had a mate and pups, but no, not now, not in the life she was living. All those times Pharika had personally watched the life drain out of another canines eyes she had felt a twinge in her chest, not of sadness not of remorse but of relation. She was killing these wolves not because she liked it, not because she was filled with bloodlust, because some how she felt that it would make up for her mothers mistakes.

A growl escaped from between her teeth but it quickly faded into a whimper. She had ruined her life. Looking herself over she sighed, her pelt was marred with scars, that she had once convinced herself she was proud of, but the more she looked at them the more she realized that the wolves who gave her the scars had a far worse fate then her. They were dead. Any wolf that had dared approach her ended up fighting her and dying, or fleeing with serious injury. What if they had a family? A mate? A pack? Pups? She had killed so many wolves, without as much as a second thought she had just let it build up against her walls, but it was all hitting her now, not only didn't she ruin their lives but she destroyed the lives of those close to them...and she hated herself for it. She heard a sound, a whimpering...taking a minute and looking around Pharika realized it was her own whimpering. The pain of being a 'heartless' killer was finally hitting her and her walls, the ones she put up as a loner were crashing, hard.

Even though it wasn't a warm day, the sun was still out and the sky was a perfect blue - it was a splendid day for exploring. There had been a place Locke had been wanting to see for many moons now; the ocean. He had never had the chance to see one, and the wolf could not fathom the tales of it. 'A vast sea of water, yet none of it to drink.' Locke thought to himself, intrigued by the idea. Perhaps he might see what this ocean was all about, especially with the weather so nice for this time of year; if he were going to take a dip, the sun would dry his coat in just a short lapse of time. Besides, with winter approaching, it might be his last opportunity. So, setting out early in the morning, he crossed the lands with great leaps and bounds in search of Shipwreck Cove.

It took many twists and turns to find where he was going, but once he did Locke was indeed impressed by what he saw. The soft yellow sand felt nice as it shifted under his paw pads and kicked up while he walked, and the wolf was fascinated by the salty aroma the wind carried to his nose. His spirits were soaring and the need to run and roll around in the sand was too strong for him to take. Locke's paws moved before his mind could even think, and the wolf took off towards the shore's edge. His tongue lolled out of his mouth and a genuine smile hung on his lips as the wind rustled through his coat. The brute had never quite enjoyed life until now; for two years he had been under complete alpha control, opinions and emotions never quite being something he was allowed to express, and the following year as a loner had left him little time to find happiness when he was too distraught by his past and the daily chores of survival. Life in Helidos had surely been the start of a new life for him. Before he was able to reach the waterline, Locke flopped over onto the sand and began to roll around on his back, kicking up sand everywhere and making an absolute mess out of his coat.

Standing back on his paws after rolling, the wolf chuckled softly to himself. The furs on his coat were going every different way and clumps of sand stuck to his body. He looked like a lunatic with his tongue dropping back out of his mouth and his ears flicking the sand out from inside of it. However, a new emotion rose inside of the wolf then; embarrassment. Sitting on the other side of the coast sat a wolf, her paws dipping into the water. Oh dear.. had she been watching him? Perhaps she hadn't noticed. Licking his lips, he looked away out towards the sea. 'Well.. i've already made a show of myself if she has seen me.' he thought to himself, looking back to the fae and trotting along the shore towards her.

While he neared, sounds suddenly entered his ears that made him shiver; whimpering. His ears went down and he stopped approaching. Perhaps he shouldn't intrude. What if this fae was hurt, though? Locke swished his tail back and forth, before clearing his throat, "U-um, excuse me, miss. Are you okay?"

Pharika had been too busy thinking to notice the male who had approached her until he spoke. Jumping she leapt to her paws and laid her ears back against her head. She had finally decided to leave Erenxy to join Helidos, but upon getting accepted she was ranked as an omega. Keeping her eyes down she sighed "Yes...Yes sir. I'm ok I suppose." she stumbled nervously. She was an omega, she knew she would need to give all wolves she met her utmost respect if she intended to climb the ladder. Pharika was a Mexican wolf and true to her breed norm in beauty, despite the numerous scars her pelt supported, beauty one would expect with royalty or snobbishness, but as of late she hadn't been concerned much with her own beauty as if she didn't realise it even existed. She was far to concerned with keep the others around her happy as to avoid conflict and negative points against her climbing the ranks.

Keeping her eyes glued to the brutes paws she began to shake a bit, she wasn't cold, she felt something she wasn't usually attuned to....her own fear. She wasn't necassarily scared of this male, after all he had approached her with kindness, however, she knew that pack members treated omegas as nothing more than dirt for them to pad their paws across. She didn't think she had done anything to provoke an attack or assault of any sort, but maybe this male had been having a bad day and needed someone to take his frustrations out on. Who knew? And being an omega Pharika would be a perfect target.

Pharika was usually not to quick to judge others, she also usually wasn't one to cower in fear of others. However this was all new too her, she knew this pack to be wolves of peace, but everyone had their bad days and sources of frustration. Not only that she knew her pelt still had a tinge of Erenxy scent to it. She had licked most of her fur clean but she couldn't reach her three long scars down her thigh thoroughly nor a few places on her back. Letting out a second whimper she backed away a step, keeping her eyes down an her ears back, she was indeed frightened. She had sniffed the air upon first meeting this male, and didn't scent a huge amount of power about him, but regardless of his rank, high or not, she knew he could hurt her if he chose too, she was only an omega, a new one at that, no one would even know, much less care.

The scent of fear suddenly stung his nose over the salty air, striking down Locke with confusion. Fear had not been the reply he had been expecting this wolf to show him. He had not intended for her to feel threatened, and had made it his best effort to approach her kindly. Helplessly, the white wolf watched the dame shake in her fur. 'What am I supposed to do now?' He thought to himself, feeling a little awkward just standing there. She had referred to him as sir, though he did not understand why. Was this a fellow Helidos member? The scent on her pelt was confusing. Both Helidos and another pack scent, potent and bitter, lingered in her fur. She had a few visible scars, and Locke's tail hung low when he wondered if that was why she was so skittish towards him. 'Many wolves hold scars,' he thought, pinning his ears back. 'Some may be scarred on their bodies, while others have scars in the mind that do not heal properly. Both are painful to remember. I wonder what her story is.' The dame whimpered and backed away from him then, breaking him out of his thoughts.  

"My lady," his words were soft, his eyes gently watching her. "Please, I mean no harm to come of you." He licked his lips, quietly hoping he was handling the situation decently. "Are you hurt? I was worried for you when I heard you whimper. Do you need medical help? I- I don't really know anything about that, but.." Was he getting through to her? Doing the only thing he could think of now, Locke wagged his tail in a friendly manner trying to cheer the girl up. He felt like he was the big bad wolf to her right now, about to huff and puff and blow her out into the sea.

Pharika listened carefully to the brutes words and carefully raised her eyes and eventually her ears. The longer he spoke the more comfortable she became. Sitting she wrapped her tail around her paws, slowly but surely calming her shaking. "No...no sir I'm ok.....I'm sorry if I upset you by being afraid, sir. It's just....I'm new here is all. I made a bad decision and joined Erenxy. But only for a brief time. I left. I come to Helidos to ask for entrance to this pack, I was accepted by the alpha. However,  he only permitted me to be an omega. I've been a loner all my life sir. But I know from my mother how omegas are treated and how they are expected to act." she finally said, fighting to keep her shaking from returning.

This male seemed true to his words. He didn't smell or look of hostility, and the way he acted didn't seem as though he was intending to hurt her. This pack, from all she knew, was full of wolves of words and peace, however, she did smell a little bit like Erenxy and despite her slightly small size, well compared to most wolves she'd met in this pack so far, she was still a fairly intimidating site. What with her scars and all. Shaking out her fur she sighed. Maybe she would have been better off staying a loner all her life....maybe her mother was right, maybe no pack would want her. No wolf would ever want her.

The sound of the crisp blue ocean waves lazily washing ashore, only to lap back into the great sea, was calming to his ears. It gave him peace, and with the sound relaxing him the wolf began to think more clearly. Locke watched the young dame listen to his words, and in time she began to understand that she was in no danger from him. Her blue eyes looked up to him finally, her ears erect, and she proceeded to sit in the sand. Locke contently sat down along with her; perhaps if he were seated she would feel at ease. The white wolf listened thoughtfully to each of her words, nodding occasionally and trying to learn her situation. 'So the other scent she carries on her pelt is Erenyx.' he thought, analyzing the information she had given her. 'However, she left and joined with Helidos. I wonder what happened while she stayed with Erenyx, and if the rumors of the darkness that lies in that pack is true.' He shifted his paws, thinking back to his old pack for a moment. 'Did they give her those scars, or did she acquire those as a loner?'

Clearing his throat, Locke looked up to the sky for a moment, considering his words. The sky was still a ocean blue with a few clouds lethargically sliding across it, and the sun brightly shone high above them letting the world know that, yes, it was still there. Looking back to the fae, he smiled. "No apologies are necessary, my lady." He paused before continuing. "Decisions are a necessary part of life; they are both a blessing and a curse. Unfortunately, we can't foretell where those decisions will lead. However, you must not dwell on the bad things that you have learned from." He couldn't help but think back to his own past, and if many things would have been altered had he made his own decisions then and fought back against the twisted alpha. "You say you were merely accepted as an omega, but a pack is a unit. Every member is important, and every wolf has the opportunity to prove their loyalty and provide for their home. I have not stayed within Helidos long, but I believe that the wolves that reside within our pack territory are true in their hearts and follow the idea of justice. He felt a little like an elder wolf rambling on about his old days. "If it was because of your rank that you were afraid of me, you are mistaken; I would not harm you, and I do not believe that others of Helidos will either. They will look to you to prove to them you are willing to stand by their side and make peace with your past, as much as you can; not hurt you or treat you lowly." That was the most he had spoken in a long time, and Locke felt a little embarrassed he had almost seemed to lecture her. She shouldn't be worried he'd hurt her, instead she should be afraid that he'd bore her to death with his rambles. Licking his lips because of nerves, he grinned. "Sorry for my long speech, I got a little ahead of myself. My name is Locke, I am a warrior of Helidos. It is a pleasure to be acquainted with you."

As the ivory brute spoke her mood lightened further with every word that slipped from his maw. He wasn't gonna hurt her, she knew that now. And the longer he spoke the more inspired she became. He was right, the pack wouldn't hurt her, they would look to her, they would want her to be outgoing and prove herself. The more she thought on his words the happier she got, as her tail subconsciously slipped from around her paws and began to wag slightly on the sand behind her. Yes, she would proove herself, how? She didn't not know, but her choices and attitude would decided whether or not she climbed in rank.

"Pleasure to meet you Locke, I'm Pharika....but you can call me Phar if you'd like. I haven't had many friends but the ones I did have were allowed to call me that." she said with an awkward chuckle. She wasn't the best at conversation but at least she was trying right. Looking over at the water next her she leaned slightly over and placed her paw in the water, sliding it forward quickly, splashing him lightly with the salty water and sending him a playful grin. She hadn't had a friend in a while, and honestly she could go for making another one. Getting to her paws she shifted into a playful stance her tail lashing in the air, she didn't care if she seemed immature, she wanted, and needed to have some fun.

As he spoke, the timid fae slowly became more confident in nature and seemed to blossom with happiness. 'Perhaps I have a shot at this whole social thing,' he thought, proud of himself. This could quite possibly be his first friendship with a wolf that resided in Helidos. Well, his first friend in general maybe. Being the alpha's bully alongside the whole not being able to speak unless told to thing didn't settle well with the wolves of his past, and the loner life didn't exactly provide a lot of opportunities to have a nice little chat with another wolf when it was a wolf-eat-wolf world out there. Things were different now, and he could already see just how much things were going to change. "What a nice name, Phar." Providing her with a toothy grin, he chuckled. "How long ha-" His words were cut off abruptly as a pawful of water splashed onto his face. The sand particles that had been clinging to his fur turned to a wet clump, and, blinking the water away from his golden eyes, Locke stood up and shook his white pelt ceremoniously with sand flinging everywhere. 'So that's how it's going to be,' he jokingly thought to himself, eyeing the dame now as she entered a playful stance to him. The wolf watched her tail go this way and that, and his ears flicked in amusement. As a pup he had played with others, but that was a very early time in his life. When he had become a shadow, play was forbidden to him. He had watched the young adolescents of his pack with envy as they happily played in the pack clearing, and he had always wanted to join them. However, his path was set differently from them. At this point he didn't even know if he knew how to play. 'Well, this is my chance to learn,' he thought, giving the she-wolf a sly smile.

His paws instantly spread out before him, letting his rump wiggle around in the air. Beating the sand with his paws as his tongue lolled out, and unfortunately getting a few pieces of sand inside of his mouth, Locke watched Pharika. "I'm going to get you back for that," he humorously spoke, readying his legs. Quickly and gracefully, he bounded towards the shore and jumped into the shallow water. Turning back to the dame, he scooped some of water with his paws and flung it towards her with a silly grin on his face. Ocean froth bubbled over the spot where the water had been displaced, and Locke excitingly lowered back into a playful stance, his golden eyes watching Pharika carefully to see what she would do.

Pharika watched to brute carefully awaiting his response at her attempt to play. She half expected him to scold her, and scoff at her being so pup like. Howver, as he slipped into a playful stance much like hers she couldn't help but let out a giggle as sand found its way onto his tongue. She opened her mouth to speak just as he splashed her bak, the salty water splattering into her mouth and onto her chest fur. 'Oh really?' she thought backing up a few steps before crouching down and leaping forward into the shallows, soaking her belly fur in water but also succeeding in splattering water in every direction.

As the water flew she let out a joyful peel of laughter followed by some playful barks and yips. She never had any siblings to play with as a pup and being that she was a loner she never had any time nor others wolves to play with in her younger years. So this is what it was like? This is what it was like to let loose and trust someone enough to completely let your guard down and just play with someone. No fear, no hostility, no fear. Just fun and friendship. Focusing her eyes, the color of the water and sky around them, on the snow colored male she smiled. She could live like this, she could live with friends and fun, she could do it. So far she was loving it.

The ocean water rippled around his legs, and Locke could feel the sand squish under the weight of his paws; unlike the lakes he had been to, the soil under his feet was mostly clean from many rocks and debris. His eyes watched the dame leap into the air and come down next to him, and he gave a quick, surprised bark as water splashed all over his coat. A chuckle erupted from his lips as the white wolf shook his fur to get the water out, trying to give the female a taste of her own medicine. His ears flopped over, and Locke panted with a goofy grin on his face. 'I didn't know how fun this could be,' he thought to himself, wagging his tail. His hopes began to grow as he thought about the possibilities of finding more friends and if silliness like this occurred often. Hunting with friends sounded pleasant as well, and it felt like he had whole new ideas to try.

Laying down in the water, Locke rolled over onto his back. Above him the sky looked like the mirror image of the ocean, and a soft sea breeze rippled over the water; chilling his fur that was wet. The ocean waves lapped over his soft belly, and the wolf felt like he could just float away out into the sea without a care in the world. His golden eyes closed in happiness, noting where Pharika was before he put his guard down. "Pharika, what are your plans for Helidos? You said you left Erenyx, but what do you plan to find in Helidos?" His question didn't mean to intrude in her life, but he felt like learning more about the wishes of his friend.

Pharika laughed along with Lockes chuckle her eyes filled with an overfilling happiness that seemed as if it would flow over the brim of her eye lids at any moment. Seeing him roll onto his back she sat panting slightly, her tongue hanging out of the side of her mouth. As he began to speak she listened quietly. What were her plans? Well she knew that she wanted to rise from omega but what else? Looking up at the sky she sighed, she wasn't sure what she wanted to or what she had hoped to find here, she just hoped the do better than she would have in Erenxy. Looking back down from the sky to her new found friend she sighed,he asked some pretty hard questions.

"Well Locke I don't know. I have came here in hopes to find friends and maybe a mate or some family like figures. I also have hopes to climb up from omega. I know it's kind of high set but I wish to some day be lead warrior." she finally said, her tail swishing calmly over the surface of the water. Flexing her paws she smiled as the sand squished around them, it was nice. She'd never been to a salty body of water before, it was very nice.

What was it that he wanted in Helidos? Locke listened to the dame's words, thinking to himself. He had nothing in particular he was striving to become; warrior was already more than he had anticipated to achieve. Of course he would strive to become a worthy warrior of Helidos, but aside from that there was not much he deeply desired. In quite honesty he was content. Opening his eyes quietly, Locke looked over to Pharika. She was seated near him in the water, her tongue hanging from her mouth. 'Lead Warrior, hm?' There was not a doubt in his mind that eventually she would rise from being an omega, but lead warrior would take time. She would have to hone her fighting skills and prove leadership to hold such a title; even more so a strong sense of loyalty to the alphas. If she were determined and did enough hard work, anything was possible.

A large wave crashed over him then, and the white wolf spluttered and quickly rose to his paws in a fumble. The salt water left a nasty taste in his mouth, and Locke shuddered from the discomfort. His white fur was pinned to his flesh, and he felt a little like a drowned rat. The sun above them seemed to be making a shift in the sky, and Locke flicked his tail in consideration. If they left now, their fur could dry in enough time before they reached the pack territory, and they would arrive before dusk. He smiled to Pharika. "I wish you luck on reaching lead warrior; it is an honorable desire." He paused, tilting his head to get a little water out of his ear. "As for friends, you've already made your first one. Perhaps we can hunt together some time." Trudging through the water as it sloshed up his legs, Locke reached the shore and shook his pelt. Sand stuck to his wet paws, making the warrior roll his eyes. White fur was a nuisance to take care of. "Would you like me to escort you back to Helidos, Phar? Or do you have more business to do here?" He turned back to the dame, wagging his tail with a smile on his face. It had been a great idea to travel to the ocean today. Never would he forget the smooth sand and the salty waves, nor would he forget the time he made his first friend.