In her life she had known both beauty and despair. Her puphood was graced with love, happiness and joy. But all good things must come to an end, so they say. Childhood must give way to adolescence, adolescence to adulthood. Winter must give way to Spring. Death follows life. Night turn to day. Everything was changing, constantly changing. It was both beautiful and terrifying. Even now it was the season for change, the season of autumn. You could physically see the leaves change from vibrant green to pale yellow, darkening through oranges and reds while they fell until finally they turned brown against the earth. Their crunch underpaw was delightful, though unnerving during a hunt. Autumn was the faes least favourite season, winter was the most beautiful in her opinion.

Thudding paws crushed leaves into the ground as she sprinted across the plains. It was too open out there, too exposed. She was safer in the trees, in the shadows. The shadows were her friends, they protected her from the prying eyes of evil souls. Beneath the boughs of the trees a cooling breeze wafted over her, carrying with it the scent of a pack. Best not to delay the inevitable, she thought. She was a healer, with only basic hunting skills and some raw talent for self-defence. But also as a wolf she was a social being, she needed a pack around her in order to survive. She could never have lead her old pack, not the way she took it. There would have been no respect, only fear and anger. No, she was wise to turn down the position and leave. It took courage and willpower to accept her shortcomings.

The border wasn't far now, the scent growing stronger. Trees were heavily marked by the dominant male of the place. Good, it meant the pack was strong and active. She hoped they could use a good Healer. Of course she was willing to train as a Warrior if needs be. Only the Alpha could tell her that. Ashlen would have to wait until the time came that one of their number deigned to greet her and offer her food and comfort within their walls. Stopped at the border, she recalled what others had done in her own situation. They had howled, ensuring the message travelled far and wide. She did the same, tipping her muzzle skywards and her ears back, she let loose her song. All there was now was to wait.

Through the pouring rain, the wind roared. The nights were terrible, and the days glorious. With the passing of the midnight downpour, the world was refreshed with glistening dew. The entrance to the Alpha male's den was lined with water, soaking it in through the rocks and the moss. The dirt to the base was moist and cold. He could smell the wet dirt and knew that it would not be the last of it. Autumn was still in full force with their terrible winds and thunder storms. Any night, Teren would find himself sleeping through it peacefully. Nothing stirred him from his den. Nothing, but the sound of a visitor. Over the last few months, he had actually interacted with few wolves at his border. His high ranking wolves had been diligent in taking on this task. But there were times he was unfortunate enough to find one or two. As he walked proudly from his bed of coats and furs, he embraced the heat of the sun upon his back. The black fur was quick to absorb the warmth, almost pulling it from the sun. It was nowhere near the intensity of the summer sun, but today had been one of the hotter days of late. The Alpha male stretched his body along the ground, hovering just inches from it touching his chest. His bushy tail hung over his spine and his nose pointed up to the sky. He could feel each bone along his spine crack. It was a relieving feeling, much like that of the herbs some Healers had given him so long ago. They made his joints feel as if he was a pup again, only his experience had been better by ten fold. When he rocked back to his normal stance, his tail hung between his legs. His eyes scanned the grounds, looking for any stirring wolves this early in the morning. If there was one thing he was truly thankful for, it was the fact that the pups no longer cried and whined at all hours of the day. For the most part, he had been able to ignore them. But soon they would know the face of their Alpha, only leaving one to learn to hate him for what they would be forced to do. Thinking of this brought a smirk to his features and he set forth on his journey around the borders.

Patrolling as he had always done, Teren kept his senses keen. His eyes were sharp like that of an eagles, able to spot prey from far away. His sense of smell was still strong, finding clues that the other wolves had in fact been doing their jobs. His muscles beneath his coat tingled as they were still waking. Old age was setting in on the wolf, and he knew his time on this side of the forest would not be much more than at least five years, if he even made it that long. The dark lord passed along his boundary, set forth by the marking of his urine. His stench forced the incoming wolves to stay out. For if they trespassed into his lands, their flesh would be the price to pay. Teren was not one to make false threats. If he said he would do something, he would always carry it out. The large brute wandered around his path, and soon the sound of a howl would pause all of his thoughts. A low growl escaped from his lips as he realized this call was of a fae. "Just what I need, more bloody females.." He continued with his slow pace, making the female wait to for him to appear even longer. There was no need to rush, his days of that were long gone. As he broke through the protection of the trees, his eyes stared down to the female before him. Immediately he took not of her eyes, green much like his own, but her body was hideous. Her coat was a reminder for the wolf he once loved and this sent an angered snarl from his throat to spill from his lips. "I am Alpha Teren, and these are my lands. Why have you come here?"

Closing her maw her song was cut off. The trees seemed to echo with the sound, growing fainter as the sound travelled until the forest was eerily silent. Everything was still for a moment. There was no wind in the trees, no creatures scurrying about. She was completely alone. Isolated. There was a pressure building around her. It pushed at her sides, trying to suffocate her. It was overwhelming, the sheer force of absolute silence. It made her uncomfortable. Was this what it was like to be deaf? Or was it being alone? Maybe it was both. But her answer was the same to both questions. She didn't like it. It was a struggle just to continue for another second. Each little moment seemed to stretch on forever as she had to reason with herself. Why was it worth continuing? She had already lost Aaron, she'd killed her Alpha in bloody revenge. She'd stupidly turned down being Alpha. The rush of power she'd felt when she'd torn the bastards throat out, his blood feeding her vendetta. The only rational thing she'd done was approach this border.

The pressure continued to mount, slowly crushing her. Her breath came  in shallow pants as she struggled to breathe. The warming autumn morning was not helping her panic, the humidity only made her feel more trapped. She'd almost forgotten why she was here. All that mattered was she got away quickly. She needed to run, she was so close to returning to her full faculties and gaining control over her limbs. She lifted a paw in preparation to run when suddenly green eyes floated in the dark forest ahead. A sliver of shadow peeled itself away from the great mass and walked towards her. A wolf. He looked almost exactly like her previous Alpha. "No..." she whispered, distressed. "You're dead." He sauntered closer, without a care in the world. He looked upon her with disdain, a snarl erupting from his lips. The sound spooked her into pinning her ears back submissively and whined. "My name is Ashlen. I come looking for a place to live and someone to serve. Are you accepting wolves into your lands?"

As the Alpha stood before the fae, he watched her body language. He watched the way she shifted to be in a defensive position. It was only when she shifted her ears to cling to her skull, did he notice a similarity. This bitch, with green orbs, looked like a fae he once knew. She looked like a fae he once loved, only her eyes were different. The color, almost matching his own, was enough to remind Teren that this was not her. That bitch was dead, where this was one very alive. He sniffed her scent as he looked to her. The blended colors of her coat infuriated him. She was like the one who betrayed him, betrayed his trust, and forced his whole world to shift and change. Teren was not a monster to love change, in fact, he hated it. But rage had consumed his life, and a new life he was forced to live. He would always keep it consistent from now on. He would always be known as a monster to the wolves in his pack, those that could really see the sheer evil he held. The massive wolf stared to the fae, snarling still even as she showed her submission to him. Her words made little sense to him, catching only the little bit of the beginning but gathering the rest at the end. "If it is shelter you speak, then you have come to the right place. But before I can allow you entrance into my lands, I must know.. Tell me of your past. What skills do you bring to my pack?"

He looked so utterly hateful of her. It was understandable. She'd killed him. But why wasn't he attacking already? Was he torturing her? Making her wait in fear, not knowing which moment would be her last. But his name was different. Teren, not Malvolio. She took a deep breath, feeling her lungs expand to their normal size with the loss of the previous tension in the air. Now it was hollow, like only the two of them existed. Not in a romantic sense, in the sense that they were both alone on this earth. They had both lost someone dear to them, they could understand each other more than they believed possible. But this understanding would take time and words, something she was lead to believe the Alpha was not accustomed to liberating. "I come from a pack a little ways off, once lead by Malvolio. It was there I trained and served as their healer." All true. "Unfortunately there were some... complications. The Alpha and my mate were both killed in the process." One by the other, and one by her. "I left because I did not believe in the capabilities of the new Alpha." This was true. She didn't believe in her own ability to lead."I should like to think I could be of some service to you." She studied him, still trying to fathom how he could look so much like the old Alpha. It was uncanny. She tried to stand tall, dipping her head once in respect to him.

He listened to her as she spoke. She told him little of her own pack and that she was trained as a healer. Teren looked to the fae, judging her and analyzing her form. The Alpha male continued to stare as he started to formulate a lie in his mind. "Malvolio, you say?" he asked with a wicked stare. With the name, he tried to think of the perfect lie, one which would make the fae do anything he would say. "Once when I was younger, I ran my own pack... I had many male wolves who served under me, but none were as crazed as he. It is unfortunate you came to know him. He was a bastard and used the gifts his mother gave him to rape and torture the weak. I should have killed him when I had the chance, and for that I apologize." But the serpent was not sorry. His lie was growing and increasing within each passing moment. What was he going to tell her next? That if she slept with him this winter, he would keep her safe from all harm? No, h would need to be more cunning than that. But the thought of really giving into his desires, forcing them on the wolf who's coat was like the she-devil he had once loved, then it was worth it and his little trick would have to work. "Tell me, Healer, if you are skilled in the arts, which kind of remedy would you give me to make my joints feel relieved and my mind at ease?" He looked to her, still checking over her form as he posed this question. An incompetant male Healer named Khons was able to do such a thing, surely a creature more beautiful would be able to assist him in this area. "By the way, there are other things I could get some help with, but I think that would be better suited for a chat when not out in the open for any soul to hear." He looked to her and waited for a reply. How would she react to his words?

She was shocked to say the least. He knew Malvolio? Were they brothers? That would suggest the resemblance. But it still seemed so unlikely. If he'd known how insane Malvolio was, why hadn't he killed him when he had the chance? The past was the past and neither of them could change it now, but he apologised for his mistake and he seemed sincere. It was all she needed really. She trusted him now. He was strong enough, confident enough in himself to admit his faults, a truly admirable quality. It was plain to her why he was an Alpha. "If you are troubled and stressed I would suggest you take some chamomile to ease your mind. And if your joints pain you you might like to try a concoction of ragwort and juniper berries." She paused to consider his other offer. It was possible he wanted a personal physician, a Healer to cater for him alone, one he could trust to go to at any hour of the day or night. She was honoured of course, but couldn't jump to conclusions, so she merely nodded, swallowing. "Of course, Alpha. I am yours to command." It was true, she didn't feel like rising through the ranks, she didn't want power. All she needed was a strong Alpha she could trust and serve.