Narnia [Aleu]

He lay in waiting at the healer's den, already having been given minor inspections and herbs to cure the infection growing in his forearm. His mother had asked as to how this had come to be, though he refused to answer out of the belief she would deny every chance for him to return to training with his new, yet completely arrogant mentor, Samael. The adolescent was put to the test instantly after exchanging names, and that enough sold him spot on. He needed someone to be fast on their feet, quick on their toes with what they had to offer, for he despised the deadly hesitation and irritation that followed his lack of patience. In spite of some fortune left for him, he had managed to find a friend within the mists of that time spent asides the Erenyx soil - far apart from his mentoring, even. It had seemed more often he saw himself making deals - promises that he could or couldn't quite keep well enough on his own, though perhaps it was because he had nothing better to do. However, there was one offer in which he would insist on first before training would be beckoned once more of him from the adult male. It had been five days prior to his first evening with the friend of his, he had counted each moon after so that he'd know the day and hour. Now, the hourglass was about empty, which meant he had plans this time around, though he'd never mention them to his family or anything that so wished to know where he had run off to next. That alone and put to the side, he huffed and looked at the back of the den to see where his mother had gone. When she was out of his sight, he managed to escape and linger farther and farther away from the shelter as best he could without appearing suspicious.

Within minutes, he had at the Erenyx's threshold and crossing into the neutralized territories to what both pack's fair well with, he assumed. His paws crunched the snow one by one, filling his ears with the cracking of ice and the ground beneath him. To the tip of his nose to the end of his tail, he swayed back and forth until his entire body was at a rippling speed and his fur shook free of his matted sides from laying down earlier. When the particles of ice and such were melted and or gone from his pelt, he would start off into a mild tread, which would gradually spring up into a stronger sprint as he darted passed every so tree and rock that guided him closer into the neutral's heart of all lands. At the edge of his vision, he saw a thin sheet of light spreading from one end to another, almost as if it were a bridge. It stretched across an entire valley of life that was lightly dusted with snow and the early morning's dew. He came to a small halt, squinting his dark sapphires across the gap between both sides of the valley, noting the river below as well as some paths that could aid a better route around the area and down towards the river, too. He moved carefully down and over the wake, finding shelter at a rock just short of the river's edge to rest upon. Though before he bothered to lay, he tilted his head towards the sky and his lips molded to the letter 'O'. Puffing his chest full of oxygen, which made him seem bigger than he normally was, he let it out through his voice and howled loudly through the land. His tone was rasp, much like when he would speak, and he melded his song to stretch at its best capacity. With hope, it would find Aleu's ears, but the wolf silenced and rested back on his haunches.

Guest

Aleu had impatiently counted each day from their last meeting, spending each minute wondering if her new Erenyx friend would stand her up on their set date. In their time apparent Aleu had been stuck spending almost all of it in the healer's den herself, treating the severe bite wound on her neck, her broken ribs, and the severe lacerations from her trip down the side of a mountain. Although Aleu chose to look more at the silver lining of that trip, that being the amazing friend she had made in her pack's Delta Rose. Aleu couldn't have asked for a better friend and mentor than Rose, who honestly helped cheer the little thing up by offering her a playmate. Aleu had never had a friend her own age, and with Marrok and Juno the small thing had to act like an adult for them. But with Rose she could be herself, she could joke and play with her and actually act like a pup, something Aleu had never really been allowed to do.

As the sun slowly started to peak the horizon the little pup would grin wide, her tail starting to swish happily behind her as she jumped to her paws, slipping free of the healer's den and heading to the Helidos border. Aleu didn't bother attempting to sneak out, as her adopted parents made it very clear they didn't mind her little walks in the neutrals, even if she was technically supposed to be confined to Helidos until she was healed. As the small apprentice neared the border a loud howl cutting through the forest would cause her to perk her ears quickly, a grin coming to her lips as she would slowly lip out the words "He came..." she giggled, picking up her pace to a slow jog as she made her way towards the source of the howl. With a smirk the little thing would spot her new friend on the banks of a small river in the middle of a valley "I must say...I was almost worried you'd stand me up!" she barked out to him happily, wanting to make her presence known

- No excuses. I'm sorry for the long wait, love.

The unforgivable silence now resting on his shoulders varied the options fleeting before his subconscious, he found no use to channel the abrupt stubbornness to sit still, and instead stood up and paced above the rock. Striker peered down at his fur and cursed something inappropriate under his breath before giving in to the lack of cleanliness in his coat. Despite his earlier attempts to brush the dirt and grime from his pelt due to the healing den's peaceful structure's dusty ceiling. For that matter, he tried to see some gratitude that he didn't necessarily smell as horrid as he predicted with the dirt caught on his hair, for it held the scent of herbs and mint leaves. It was no foreign smell to him, for his mother's fur was practically caked with the odor, and would bring it home to make their large den a peaceful smelling environment before night fell. He secretly enjoyed the scent, but not the residue that was left upon him. But why had he suddenly earned a care for it? There was no one to impress, according to him, perhaps it be the weather patterns. Grunting softly to himself, he shook out his fur and lapped at the leftover rusty coloring found on his shoulder before a soothing voice called out above him. Without a further indication of doubt, he knew it to be Aleu at the swift turn of his ears and the rotation of his snout. He could not help but allow such a thin, ghostly grin to cross his face, "I am a wolf of many things - but a fashionably late wolf is not one of them, my dear." Had he just called her 'his dear'? Striker seized himself from continuing and dropped the smile as he processed his thoughts a bit smoother. He was beginning to spend too much time around his mother it had seemed - more training would be needed to straighten his masculinity. Perhaps allow his mentor to beat him up a bit before his next time with the wondrous Aleu. Yes. That'd be time well spent for him.

Glancing to her with his sapphire hues, the color danced with delight as he was internally pleased to see that she had come. He could only express it with a short, recognizable nod of his cranium and flicker of his ears, "I've been training in the time of your absence, I believe you'll be very pleased with whom has chosen me as their apprentice, and I as for a mentor." He spoke relatively loud in response to her presence, the end of his tail spitting the tiniest of twitches before he lingered towards her from his initial spot on the rock near the water's edge. The river's roar was no match to his words - his complete attention lied soulfully on her. "What have you acquired since our first encounter?"

Guest

The small fae would attempt to keep her excitement in check as the brute spoke to her, a little giggle leaving her muzzle as his odd title for her didn't go unnoticed. "My dear? My my what a gentleman!" she would smile teasingly, doing her best to bat her eyes at him cutely. While it was clear Striker hadn't taken much time to groom himself before their meeting Aleu would be a severe contrast. Sitting carefully flattened along her body was her beautiful snow white fur, melting into a mix of ash grey and black along her back, glistening slightly in the bring light of the white snow around them, showing the careful attention she had put into grooming herself this morning. The fur on her neck and ribs was carefully pushed down to cover most of her fresh wounds, although some were too large to fully hide.Quickly however Aleu would catch herself acting overly cute and pause, sitting up straight and clearing her throat in an attempt to regain some form of dignity, and hoping he would take it as a joke. Something was different about Striker, something Aleu didn't quite understand yet. Most wolves the pup had met in her life she kept at a distance, locked out of her inner emotions and shielded from the true her. Most of her nature came from her upbringing, raised by a hostile paranoid wolf who only wanted to prepare her for the cruel harshness of the world around her, and because of that Aleu treated most she encountered as if all they desired was to hurt her, and after her run-in with Teren and the little runt Aspen one could hardly blame her. But Striker was different. For once in her life she felt like they were equals, friends, a wolf she could truly be herself with and not fear any sort of retaliation or pain in return. Even when they had just met her comforted her, eased her pain and showed her there was something out there other than darkness, even if that something wasn't quite clear in her mind. With a mental note to bring this up next time she spoke with Rose the little fae would bring her full attention back to her friend.

As he spoke of training Aleu would smile again, recalling their last conversation and his concern over living up to his father's reputation "Oh? I'm glad to hear that!" she said, pausing at the second part of his statement. Quickly her mind went to one wolf, the only wolf in the pack she had any connection with anymore "You're training with Samael?" she almost barked, clear excitement in her eyes at the mention of her brother. Even though they had only spoken a few times, Samael was still the only family Aleu truly had left, aside from her adopted family in Helidos, so she was more than overjoyed to know he was doing well, and that Striker would be in good paws through his training, especially with the brutality most of Erenyx showed, making death a very real possibility. By now the young fae's tail was sweeping from side to side quickly behind her, the first few minutes of their newest encounter going far better than she possibly could have hoped!

With the male's next question the small fae would fall back on her haunches, thinking for a second about which part of the series of good news she should tell him about first. "Well...A lot actually." her voiced trailed as she thought through the words in her mind first "Well...I got into a fight with Aspen, and Teren tried to kill me." she said honestly, turning her head slightly so he could see her proudly displayed wounds under her carefully placed fur. "Then Beta Marrok agreed to help train my strength and stamina, and Delta Rose is going to help me with agility and everything else, her build is much closer to my own so she will be able to teach me to fight with what I was given, while Marrok helps me grow even stronger." she said, her own beautiful tan orbs meeting his for a moment as the last words left her lips "And most importantly, I have family here now." she said with a soft smile, her hardened shell seeming to drop for just a moment at the thought of someone truly wanting her.

After just a short moment the pup would turn her head to gaze off into the distance, clearing her throat again as she regained herself "So uhm...Shall we go for a walk?" she asked, wanting to do anything but sit here feeling embarrassed at the moment, sincerely hoping her openness with the brute wouldn't scare him away. Was she moving too fast with this? Telling him too much? How could she know? She had never really had a friend before, and her mother had never taught her this. Had she already blown it? He would probably just laugh at her, think of her as a pup, or pity her like the others. But he wasn't the others was he? All of these thoughts seemed to buzz about in her mind like a swarm of angry bees, all of them blurring together until she couldn't focus on just one thought anymore, the young apprentice almost seeming to zone out for a moment as she tried to organize the sudden panic going through her mind. And then suddenly it stopped. No, he wasn't like the others, he was here because he really did want to see her. She knew after what had happened with Aspen that meeting him again would be of great risk to him, so why would he do that just to laugh at her? No, he had to be different, to be special to her. He had to be her friend.

[Sorry it kinda sucks, gotta get back into the swing of things ]

A new force bloomed within the young brute's being as her laughter filled his ears, but he quickly ignored it for something else, perhaps his years of adolescence were beginning to grow old a bit too fast for the ashen tike. His eyes trained on the water only tail lengths away, silently muttering a few words to himself before her voice cleared his thoughts, only to fasten a look in her direction, a quirked brow of great interest arching upon his face. It was a compliment. Somehow, he did not feel that pride he earned when his father recognized his abilities in fetching a plump hare, but more of a humble gratitude for her response. Dipping a casual 'thanks', he considered her compliment as a good thing, however he made no effort to reply to that other than, "Don't get used to it.." Striker said through closed teeth, his expression comparing to that of an inanimate object. That is, until he could sense a warmth upon the underside of his furred cheeks creep up on him. He was internally glad there was hair to cover such rosy, vulnerable pigments. Again, she spoke, her voice of a wonderful tune and excitement to what he'd most likely never be able to compare to something to what he'd seen or heard once before. She reminded him a lot of his mother, friendly but equally rugged to a degree. But they differed greatly in goals. That much was quite obvious, to say the least, "Yes. It was not entirely my intentions, but seeing that he holds a close relationship with you, I knew to trust him... Besides.. how could I not pry when such rumors are heard by my very ears than to meet the object behind them?" He gathered, a hint of a smile dashing across his lips. The sapphire in his eyes blazed a fresh shade as he continued, "My only qualms being that he's quite the hard-ass when it comes to training.. Nevertheless, we've managed to become... friends.." Striker's face contorted at the sound in his mouth to befriending the ex-Alpha male's first born, only to remind himself that Aleu was his, indeed, best friend. "We even have nicknames for each other." He stated casually, brows knitted and ears erect.

Eyes rolling over her form, she answered to his curiosity with harmless words, but it was what he had collected in that response to what made the hair on his back stand up and his muscles beneath that mass of fur start to tighten. His insides began to boil from the inside out, his flesh growing in temperature through equally conditioned with his sufficiently bred smoke-colored coat. His upper lip twitched with the spite of a growl wedging between his canines and off his damp, serpent-like tongue. But it was like nature silenced him not to open his mouth, for he could not find the strength to do it so obviously before her. "Aspen, you say?" He asked as naturally as he could without giving away any indication that he knew him, but in fact, he knew him all to well. He knew what he looked like. How he acted, how he carried himself, and even, how he hunted. Striker dismissed the fact that his own leader was also behind it, already having known that he did not care for such a brute and his ways, but respecting him reasonably just to keep the fur on his back. "As for Teren.. that much does not surprise me." He retorted, fighting off the desire to roll his eyes. When he caught the end of her words and the fact that she too had been training to keep up in toning and whatnot, he gave her a slight smile of acknowledgement, internally joyed to hear what all she had gained in their absence. But that quickly vanished with the image of her wounds, to what have healed since that event she experienced. His thoughts cursed at his lack of being there to protect her, instead working for his own selfish needs to be bigger, better, stronger to face such difficult encounters. If only she knew the true reason behind why he was training so roughly with the once-was heir of the throne. Perhaps relief would then release the tension in his bones. Still, he had her new found family to thank for their time to help her. At least then she had allies to help her in the end while he could not. Instead, he now had a new enemy in mind to worry about.

At the suggestion of a stroll, he made no effort to deny such a request, nodding once without hesitation, "Lead the way." He wasn't used to the idea of someone leading him, but rather him doing the leading, or, actually, him leading himself - alone. There was no one out there for him to lead, now that he thought about it. Awaiting the go, he climbed down to meet her side, his fur brushing slight of hers as he casually moved in step to meet in sync with her own paws. When everything had settled, he looked to her, the sound of the mountains and the spring below filling the air around them - to what became the sound of serenity in the wake of two young lives.

The brute could not help the fact but to look only at her and say, "It's funny.. actually," He started, turning his gaze to glance at the landscape, admiring it's shape and form upon the horizon, the end of where the planet began to fade and round-off towards the sun, "-as soon as I saw you, I knew an adventure was going to happen." Forming his mouth into a grim smile, he lunged forwards and nipped at her neck before playfully dashing into the other direction as a game was aloft his mind. Swaying on his large paws, he gave her a challenging gaze, "Try to keep up, old sport." He bellowed over the bubbling spring before prancing off through the valley's mountain side, carefully of each leap and jump in his step before taking one. The smell of game running through the meadows not far from them filled his nostrils, and he was willing to fetch a meal, but not until she'd reach him first would he sprint for the kill.

Guest

Slowly the small fae would catch herself allowing eyes to roam up and down the younger brute, her gaze quickly shifting away as a sudden flash of heat came to her cheeks. She couldn't deny he was cute...no that wasn't the word for it. Handsome? Yes, that seemed to fit better. But why had she noticed? Brutes were just the same as faes, just normally a lot more arrogant and bull headed, they didn't seem to be as open to sharing what they felt or thought, even though she knew their heads had to work the same. Even if they did seem like more of a pain than all the faes she knew. But if they were such a pain to be around, why was her best friend a brute? And why did all the faes she knew want to find a mate so badly? It just seemed like such a waste of time and energy. And having pups, ew! Maybe.... She really wasn't sure how all of that worked but she did have a rough theory, and ew!

Pulled back from her odd chain of thoughts, which she would need to remind herself to bring up next time she was with Rose as well, the pup would give Striker her best cutest pouting face, the one she always used on Marrok to get an extra piece of the daily kill, hoping it would work on all brutes the way it worked on him "Aw that's too bad, I rather like the sweet you." she said, a soft playful pouting tone to her voice. As the conversation progressed to his apprenticeship with her brother Aleu would nod "We did have a fairly close relationship, but truthfully I haven't seen him or my mother since I left Erenyx. I'm happy to hear he is doing well, and I must say I'm very happy to hear you've become friends." she smiled, giggling teasingly at his next statement "I can imagine, he was trained by my father after all, who was notorious for being a brutal trainer." she admit, shuddering as she recalled the tortures her mother made her endure. At the mention of nicknames Aleu would burst into a small fit of laughter, stuttering through her laughs "S-sorry...It's not you just.." she giggled, starting to slow for a moment "My mentor and I have nicknames too.." she burst out laughing again. "She calls me bearheart...and I call her bear-butt!" she laughed hard again, finally starting to slow a little "How about you? What are your nicknames?" she asked, actually curious what they would have come up with.

As the pup started to talk about her run in with Aspen and Teren she noticed the dark look come over Striker's expression, her voice trailing a little as she responded to his question "Yes Aspen...but to be fair he didn't want to kill me. We were just sort of...fighting before Teren showed up. I don't know how far Aspen would have taken it... but Teren threatened to kill him if he didn't kill me, and his hesitance to actually push me off the cliff is the only thing that saved my life." she admit, looking away a little ashamed "I need to train harder...although until Teren showed up I was doing pretty good." she admit, nodding as he mentioned Teren didn't surprise him "Well, no it doesn't surprise me. Teren would do anything to see me dead. He would probably make you a warrior tomorrow if you came back with my pelt." she said with a smile, knowing all to well he wouldn't, or couldn't do that to her, she knew better than that.

As they decided to go for a walk Aleu would smirk "Oh? I get to lead? Very well then. " she said, her voice clearly teasing him over letting her take the lead which was honestly surprising to her.As the pair started to move Aleu would glance around rather awkwardly, not entirely sure what to talk about now. She felt like she wanted to say something, but she had no idea what. As the male moved over to her Aleu would turn her head just in time to feel his fur brush against her's, the gentle sensation causing her heart to skip a beat as her cheeks burned hot under her fur, leaving her speechless for just a moment. As the pup spoke again Aleu would be forced back to reality, shaking her head for a moment and smiling, actually a little touched by his words "Thanks... Can I tell you something Striker?" she asked, not really waiting for his answer to begin "When I first saw you, I was afraid you would attack me, or call me a traitor like everyone else. But you didn't, you talked to me and comforted me... And for that I will always be thankful. You are my best friend Striker, and I hope we have many many adventures to come." she smiled.

As Striker suddenly bit down on her neck the little fae would eek slightly from the sudden playful attack before chasing after him, laughing loudly as she sprinted after the other pup, her slender frame allowing her to easily keep pace, although with his slightly longer stride he would give her plenty of competition. Aleu would quickly catch the scent's he was going after, as her eyes narrowed with the sense of competition. She wouldn't let him win that easily! She was no normal fae after all, she would be the killer of alphas! With her mind set on beating him to the prey the pup would charge ahead, agile paws pushing off of rocks and barriers as she slowly made ground, tongue lulling to the side as she panted, now happy Rose had made her run laps around the pack clearing before each training session, as the endurance she was building would surely come to use here.

Knitting almost to make a whole, his brows narrowed in dismay for the unique display of expression, strangely admiring the way her lip moved, but all the while tilting his head in thin confusion. He leaned closer to sniff the skin to which she positioned jutting out of her mouth, wondering if it had any real importance other than to stay like that. It only smelt of her breath, he did not understand, "What.. are you doing?" The apprentice found no result or reason for it being other than a few possible ideas, but the real reason was oblivious to his young mind and environment. He had never seen any other of the wolves do it where he lived, maybe she was sick, which caused him to worry slightly before shaking it off in search for a better excuse. "Did a bee sting your lip or somethin'? Is that why it's all swollen like that? I may be able to fix that for you.." His eyes began to wander around the premisses, gazing through the weeds to find perhaps a substitute or a proper earn to relieve the swelling. When he couldn't find something from where he was standing, he turned back to the sound of her voice and noticed that her lip had returned to its normal state when she spoke. The male couldn't quite wrap his head around it, and would tend to himself later in trying to perfect this 'pout' of hers. Perhaps he needed to observe females more before coming back. He shook his head and laughed short of his foolishness, it was merely a trap judging by her voice, "I don't understand you faes..." His head lifted back up when she spoke of Samael and his great deal of training beneath his father's being. The wolf had known the former Alpha do be quite the story, being he was the one whom formed their pack, and ruled it for a long time. He was also the biological father to his best friend and mentor, no matter how much his parents would try to keep Steele unnamed from the den during feeding time, he would always play a part in their lives, both past and present, and most likely, guaranteed for the future, too. Striker surpassed a small smile to her enjoyment before he was asked of their nicknames, only to then roll off a quiet laugh, "They're not as kind to each other as yours, but I find them likeable.. He refers to me as Little Shit, and I call him Mutant. I like to believe they're very fitting.." He joked before starting in a faster trot up the mountain side.

"Aspen is blinded by his own arrogance. No.. he's a strong fighter, I'll allow him that, but not a wise one. I've seen him hunt, he's not as fast as I due to his weight, though I can see the appeal in what Teren may of found in him... He could be a threat later on if he continues to be inspired by Teren into becoming the Alpha's little side bitch." Striker declared, knowing what manipulation could do to an individual so young that has time to develop and become something they weren't. His father, he believed, became a prime example to him. And he could see the insanity growing in his eldest brother - Icarus was failing to be sane, and though he did not so much as worry about his family as much as he had wanted, there was still a possibility of him severely hurting the ones around them. He peered back to her with pained blue hues, "It concerns me as to what he's been planning lately. Teren's absence has left many without answers." The apprentice had spoken to much on foreign affairs, he needed not for Helidos and Erenyx to king war over each other, but with that, anything of Erenyx was now silenced in replace for fun. He was thankfully relieved by her words, the chains holding back his heart slowly falling down so that he could register enough feeling to smile for longer moments in her presence, "I'm happy to say I am not like other wolves. Besides, only a fool would think of attacking someone at first chance." His brow arched and he smirked, "I like to know their weaknesses first." Dashing on up the hill and to the field of grass where the elk roamed, he displayed joy in their game, prancing to and fro until finally they were at a resting place within the weeds where they could hide. Striker's underbelly grazed the ground as he crouched close to nature's floor, ears erect and muscles tightened while he stalked along the taller grasses to avoid being caught. It was a fair game now, but he had every intention to win in being the provider. His eyes locked onto a smaller target, knowing he was not quite big enough to take on a full grown just yet, but perhaps a calf. It was drinking near a half-frozen stream that spooled into the valley, accompanied by a mother, to whom was too busy with drinking than watching her young prance further away from her side. Such innocent creatures, he thought with a sassy eye roll before inching closer. Thankfully, the winter was still in their favor for it being the start of the season, causing both Aleu and him to have the perfect chance to blend in with the white and black colored landscape. When the coast was clear, he took advantage of every silent second to examine the calf a bit closer as he got until he had the chance to take it. Without another second glance back to his partner in crime, Striker leaped forwards and stirred the herd of elk into a frenzy before making a b-line to the prey within an instant.

Guest

The small fae would watch the other's head tilt in confusion to her display, the act not at all receiving the reaction she had hoped for. With Marrok he would usually melt instantly and give into her demands. But Striker didn't seem to understand the act. At the question the little pup would take on a real pout, a look of disappointment coming to her features before he would speak again, a slight giggle bringing Aleu back from her pouting as she shook her head "No, no bee stung me..but if you wanted to fix it I bet a few little licks would help." she would giggle, batting her eyelashes at him ever so slightly before realizing he probably would miss the not-so-subtle hints again. "Brutes..." she sighed, giving a little shake of her head "And I will never understand brutes....How does your head work?" she asked, cocking her head at him wondering if she would get a real answer or just another snide remark that would somehow insult her.

With the conversation shifting to her brother and their nicknames the little fae would perk her ears, actually seeming a little taken back by the names. Although she did have to remember it was Erenyx after all, but she couldn't recall her brother ever being that cruel to her. Was this new darkness over Erenyx finally getting to him and changing him to something darker, or if he just had a side he had never shown her. It brought to the fae's mind the question of how brutes treated each other. Surely they treated fae's better than they treated each other. Although why was still a mystery to her. "Those are uhm...Interesting nicknames. Maybe I should come up with a nickname for you..." her voice trailed off slightly as she began to think, wondering what kind of nickname she could give him. She could be mean and give him something teasing, or she could try to flatter him. No, she had to go mean. He would surely nickname her something mean, so she was obligated to return the favor.

With the mention of Aspen a soft growl would rumble from the apprentice, just hearing his name yet seemed to make the pain in her wounds flare up. "I don't understand why he attacked me...I didn't do anything to him, I'm not a hostile wolf...and while Helidos and Erenyx are far from allies we aren't at war either...I mean, we get along." she said, slowly pulling the look of disgust from her face. As Striker went on about him being Teren's bitch Aleu couldn't help but giggle slightly "Yes, I can see that.... Although I must say any wolf would have been stupid to disobey in that situation. If Aspen hadn't attacked me, or tried to kill me when Teren told him too he'd probably be dead." she said honestly "And I understand not wanting to die for a stranger...Especially one you believe is a traitor." she said, honestly unable to be mad at the pup for his actions, no matter how much she wanted to hate him. As the conversation went on Aleu would roll her eyes "Oh who cares about them. Teren is just a bully and Aspen doesn't scare me. Besides, Teren couldn't possibly plan anything too evil. Erenyx is far from a bunch of sheep, letting the wolf eat them one by one, they won't let him do anything too horrible." she giggled.

With her rather sweet confession now out of the way and a noticeable smile on Striker's muzzle Aleu couldn't help but tease him, wanting to see just how far she could push this moment before he would force her back "Oh don't worry Striker, I know you like me to. Even if you are too...male to say it." she giggled, unable to really think of any other word to describe why males were so like this, unable to accept the feelings all creatures had. With his next words the pup would smirk playfully, tail swishing behind her as she teased him back "Oh? So you're just getting to know my weaknesses? Keeping your enemies closer?" she would ask, a devious grin across her muzzle now "So, what are my weaknesses?" she asked, actually curious to see what he could come up with. And of course it couldn't hurt her training any to know where she was perceived as weakest, after all if she knew where she was most likely to be attacked by her perceived weak points she could focus more on those skills to surprise her attackers. As the young brute took off Aleu would easily keep pace behind him, so much so she was actually caught off guard when he came to a stop, the pup's eyes going wide as she slammed her paws into the snow to come to a halt just inches behind him, her nose nearly slamming into his back as he lowered himself to begin the attack. Lowering herself to match the small pup would creep along beside Striker, her eyes more fixed on him than they're prey. Aleu wasn't certain which one he had his eyes on, individually they could easily manage one of the smaller prey. But hunting together they could be much more optimistic, even if neither had any real experience hunting in a group. Inching forward the young fae wouldn't allow the brute to outpace her for a moment, all too aware any lead he took now would only be exploited once the chase ensued. As the pair crept ever closer Aleu could feel her heart racing under her fur, tail twitching gently behind her. She had gone hunting many times before, mostly for small game such as rabbits, but never had so much been at stake. Striker was her friend, and her closest rival. Whoever got the kill would have almost permanent bragging rights and superiority over the other, for a while at least.

However before Aleu could give it any real thought the real fun would begin. Pushing her body up hard off the snowy ground Aleu would bolt after Striker. With his sudden burst he would manage to snag an early lead from the fae, who was more than determined to quickly make it up. As her small form burst forward her speed and agility training with Rose would quickly make itself known as she made up most of the lost ground in the first few moments of the assault. However with the twists the pair took to stir the herd it would be difficult for Aleu to truly catch up. However once the pair made their final stretch for the young calf the fae's raw burst speed would come into play, her form finally catching up to match his before slowly starting to inch ahead. However as the duo came closer to sealing the gap something in Aleu's mind would click, and without thinking about it her paws would slow, just long enough to ensure Striker would come out ahead in the last few sweet moments of their hunt.

[Sorry it isn't great. I promise they'll get better.]

- It's perfect<3 Don't sweat it. I figured I'd press a bit forward for the plot with a longer post.

He would save her questions and the other half of their conversation for after. But this was a time for his complete focus, no matter how hard he wished he could concentrate on both the prey and his companion, he could not, nor did he expect anyone else to be able to during being under given circumstances. When his paws had beaten the ground with the momentum heaving him forwards into a dead sprint, the game was on, and everything around him seemed to be on pause as his brain calculated both the distance and speed he would need to render the prey dead and caught between his razor sharp teeth. The carnivore made a disgruntled noise to disrupt the herd, keeping them alert and scattered away so that the wolves were not pondered with the decision of retreat. The apprentice would need to make as much of a distraction as possible before looping around to catch the calf off it's guard. Thankfully, due to his youth and fresh amount of energy, he would be able to retain air and run faster than an adult would, his weakness being only the strength to take it down. It would take more than one blow from him if he truly wished to succeed with a larger meal rather than smaller game would be. The mother attempted to warn her child with a single bleep of concern, only to remind herself to run before it'd be too late. As the calf managed to receive the call, it awoke from its playfulness and took off in a slightly slower run towards it's mother's flank. Unfortunately for the offspring, Striker had already gained the advantage with dividing the gap, having looked back to see that Aleu was closing in even closer to where he was headed before turning and chasing after the born.

Adrenaline fueled his fire as he got within inches of it's kicking legs, filling his insides and tingling his bones to make his body go numb and the density of the air of his lungs increasing, making it easier for him to breathe through his mouth. When he was sure he was close enough for a solid blow, Striker reached out quickly and snapped at it's left flank, causing it to yelp but continue on as the mother tried to carry on in rounding her young to safety away from the big bad wolf. Huffing arrogantly at the failed attempt, the apprentice vigorously shook his head and kept tailing it's blind side. He exchanged minor speeds for rapid fakes behind the calf to lure it away from knowing his advances. As the opportunity came to his paws, he sprang forwards and dug his jaw into the calf's back, taking it down in an instant from tripping beneath the brute's mass. It struggled and groaned for it's mother, terrified of dying so soon, and the mother's black eyes were willed with angst and sorrow as she sprinted away with the rest once after taking one last glance to her beloved child. He cared not for her emotions as he silenced the prey with a bite to the jugular, whipping his head back and forth until it could no longer bleep again. Blood spilled over his maw and down his front as he growled and tore into it's neck, a sudden rage then clouding his mind to complete black. The young life that was once in it's terrified eyes had faded from these lands as Striker took no mercy in licking his cheeks and eying the creature with a mindful gaze and twitching grin. As he examined the corpse, he smirked at his progress, having been able to accomplish preventing his kills from being messier than he started and definitely fulfilling his strengths beneath a wise mentor. Lowering his mouth, Striker wrapped his mouth around the throat and hoisted it up over his back with a quick flick of the jaws, holding it steadily there upon him by it's front leg. Seeing as Aleu did not keep up with him, which he did not comment on, he was pleased with himself to be the one to of taken it down, grinning proudly as he neared her side and dropped it nearest her feet.

"Faes first." He said with tempting words, quirking a brow.

Leaving her to feast before him, Striker moved into her personal space as best he could without finding himself uncomfortable as he leaned closer to whisper in her ear, "Let's not play coy.. I already know I'm your weakness." Nothing in his mind told him to observe her reaction, instead walking passed so that he be seated behind her to keep watch of any nearing predators or hungry wolves on the rise for an easy meal. As he scanned the perimeter carefully, his blue eyes constantly on the move, he allowed himself some inner peace of mind to breathe and relax. Though it was still winter, Striker began to feel that the ground was melting, it having dampened his fur quicker than he had noticed this morning and showing tiny patches of grass open to the herd that had now headed south. The wolf watched as the elk had now become tiny specks in the distance, a pod of them slowly heading to lower ground to perhaps follow the stream for a source of water. Despite this, he made a note to himself to warn Samael as to where the game was directing itself so that they have an abundance of food this spring. Ears narrowed he remembered back to her flirtatious behavior, having found it still foreign to him and quite strange yet for him to return. Though his actions were a bit looser than hers, the adolescent was not quite used to it yet. Perhaps more visits like this shall strengthen their comforts into blending his attitude to return the favor someday as her equal. Until then, he'd awkwardly get by and carry on as he always did and most likely will do. As he waited for her to finish, Striker stood up and came over to where he had tore the neck open before plopping slowly down to gnaw at it's meat. The shoulder was hard to tear into, but not impossible, once he had gotten deep enough, he was successful in managing to get nearest tender meat to keep him at bay for a while. It hadn't taken him long until his belly was satisfied with its fill before something rumbled between them. Looking to Aleu, he narrowed his blue eyes, "Was that your stomach, 'cause that definitely wasn't mine." Striker said quietly before climbing to his feet at the ground began to shake slightly beneath the pads of his paws. Ears pointed, his breathing hiked and his eyes shot widen open as he looked behind him to find the sight of large white clouds rolling down the mountainsides. The elk must've disrupted the mounds of snow to create an avalanche.

He was paralyzed with shock.

Guest

Aleu followed her companions silence and lowered herself, muscles tensing as she prepared herself for the attack. As Striker lunged forward the young fae would follow, paws slamming against the snow and ice below them skillfully with the speed and agility Rose had been teaching her, which the young pup was all too grateful for now. As the pair raced around the herd to stir them the fae would keep close to her opponents side, letting him plot the course while also attempting to keep pace for the final ascent. Once the duo would round their last turn their target would be in sight. It was a young creature, probably born the same season as them. Oh how different things were for them though. As the wolves neared their quarry something explainable would click in the young pup's mind, telling her to slow down, to let him be the one to take the prize of their little game. Aleu didn't have the time to ponder it now, so she simply pushed it to the back of her mind and pushed forward.

With it now clear she wasn't going to take down the creature her instincts and training would take control. Moving away from Striker's side the slightly smaller fae would push herself between the offspring and it's mother, snarling and snapping her teeth at the creature to push it away from the protection of the rest of the herd. Knowing she didn't have the time to set up the killing blow the multi-colored pup would snap and nip at the animal anywhere she could, drawing it's attention to her to drive it closer to Striker and allow him the time and opening he needed to finally take it down. As the brute delivered the death blow Aleu would turn her attention to keeping the larger adults away, although it appeared they were now far from a threat to the pair. Slowing to a stop the fae would walk back to Striker, panting softly "You win, congrats." she smiled, giggling at his words and dipping her head "Thank you...And you said this gentleman thing wouldn't last." she smirked, walking forward to take her piece as he spoke again.

As the brute moved closer to her Aleu would perk her ears, hearing his words her eyes would go wide for a second, her cheeks burning under her fur as she opened her mouth in an attempt to argue, but nothing came to her mind. Finally after a long second the fae could only turn to the kill with a pout "How are YOU my weakness? I bet I could beat you any day at any time in a fight. I did survive Teren himself afterall!" she said, although it would be clear to him from her voice she was defeated, this time. Moving to the kill Aleu would rip into it's stomach, avoiding the parts of the digestive system that if ruptured would taint the meat she started to rip at one of the lungs. Her mother had always taught her to eat the organs first, as they were much better for energy and health, then fill on the meat. As Striker watched the herd in the distance Aleu would help herself to the liver as well, before moving to finish her fill on one of the back legs. Once content she would move from the felled beast to stand guard.

"Since it's your kill I left you the heart. It's the best part." she admit, only glancing back at him for a moment as he ate. With a few moments of silence at last the fae would be drawn back to what had happened earlier. Why had she stopped? She had felt fear many times before, and it had never slowed her down. But this hadn't felt like fear. Deep down she knew it had to do with Striker, but how? Was he right that she had a weakness for him? She did have to admit the thought of ever actually having to hurt him pained her, and if he decided to attack her she probably wouldn't be able to kill him, not only for physical reasons, but because he was her best friend. But that still didn't explain why she slowed down. She was faster than him, she could have taken the kill, but for some reason she didn't want to. Then an even more startling realization came to her head. She was happy she didn't win. If she had won Striker would have been bested by a fae, something that was unacceptable in Erenyx. And then it hit her. She slowed down because she wanted to make him happy. If she had taken the kill it might have upset the proud Erenyx brute, and she didn't want that! With that realization and even more startling one would come to her mind. He really was her weakness.

These thoughts however wouldn't have much time to swirl in her mind as the voice of her companion came to her ears, pulling her from her thoughts. "What? I didn't hear anything." she said honestly, having been too busy pondering her now terrifyingly real condition with Striker to notice the rumble. However with her attention now back to the area around them the fae would begin to feel the sudden rumble under her. At first the young creature thought it was the elk stampeding back. Jumping to her paws she would begin to look a quick circle around them, stopping when her gaze fell on Striker's terrified look, as she followed it up the side of the mountain. With the massive cloud coming down at them now in sight the fae would freeze for only a moment before her body began to act. Running to Striker she would quickly grab the back of his scruff and delivering a firm tug to pull him out of his trance as she started to sprint towards a large rock outcropping they had passed on their chase "This way! I think I saw a cave while we were moving in!" she yelled back, turning to make sure the brute was following her now before she got too far away. Oh yes, he was her weakness, as she would die trying to save him before she allowed him to perish here.

Why had it seemed like his feet were sinking in a fresh pond of quick-sand, and the snow was its replacement against his frozen limbs? His body grew numb to the point where he could not feel the pads of his paws, unable to sustain the nipping, painful feeling of the cold registering it still beneath him. Had he been exposed to the ice too long that he had received frost-bite? No, there was still some control in his feet, but his mind told his body to not budge one muscle, for he was frozen with fear. The white clouds came rolling closer, he could almost swore he had felt it claw at his wet nose towards the end of his snout, but before he could waste more time as a useless statue, teeth had latched onto his fur in a dominant tug to awaken his reverie. It was Aleu, her words cutting the air like glass, so clear, yet echoing towards the back of his mind like they had been trapped in a small enclosure where nothing could disrupt her voice. Before he realized what was going on, he had managed to hoist the remains of the calf onto his shoulders, weighing him slightly down, but not as terribly as it had been before, for they had consumed most of the weight now. He was now running, sprinting before the storm, to which bit at his hind legs that kicked up more flakes behind him.

He followed her to the end of the line before he himself discovering this cave, too. It had taken them the entire field before they reached to the lower depths of the valley, having chased up them to beat to the top, and now facing the dangers of avoiding the fall below. Striker made ease with what he was giving, all the while holding the corpse upon his back at his near best, making agile steps and leaps before the rumbling caused his footing to speed up. By the time they two had entered the shelter, the avalanche had dozed over the cliff, shielding their entrance as it fell into the valley. He stayed behind her and panted heavily. Despite the more muscle, he knew he weighed much more than her, even without the prey, he was lucky to still be quite young to work on his agility and endurance. He would make these notes to grant his mentor for more training on various things - he would hope to learn to be faced with any situation, so that his chances of survival only expand to greater horizons. As he looked to the snow piling up outside from the natural disaster, he made a disgruntled sigh, seeing as it was forming a thick barrier between the cave and safer options to get back up to surface. They'd have to wait till morning for the snow to melt and the ice to thaw enough for the paths to become less miserable and threatening, which meant, they'd be here for the night. "If I were you, I'd get comfortable.." He said whilst observing the caked mouth of the cave before examining the shelter itself. Averting his gaze to the floor, he sighed and disapprovingly shook his head before he mustered a few undeserved words before fixating a gaze on Aleu nearest to him, "By the way.. thanks for saving my ass back there. I owe you one." Striker said quietly, his voice filled with a neutral thanks, but his thoughts filling his head with utmost shame. He was to be responsible and protecting, but now he had already ruined his chances of protecting the one thing he secretly trained for. The apprentice spared no apologies for the act, and brushed it carelessly off before putting down the prey. Luckily, they wouldn't go to sleep on empty stomachs, he thought, uplifting his mood slightly. "Hopefully by morning the snow will have melted enough for me to snatch a couple hares for us before we think of parting back to our homelands. We'll have to make the food last us for a couple days at most if things don't go as planned.." His voice was stern as he eyed what remained of the elk offspring, noticing its torn figure to be quite the display, and unfortunately not enough to hold them down for two more days at the most.

As Striker shook his head, the rest of his body shook along with it, causing a large amount of snowflakes to fly up around him and melt before it could hit the floor. He watched as they danced, never having experienced much of winter before, since this was his first year to its presence. Despite his lack of emotion expressed in his face, his eyes wandered upon the little white dancers and happily burned a bright blue to its beauty.

Guest

As Aleu saw her companion rushing after her she would slow her pace ever so slightly as not to lose him, keeping herself two or three body lengths ahead of him as she continued to look back every few seconds to make sure he was keeping a safe distance from the storm of white death trailing behind them. As Aleu came to the edge of the cliff she would stop, waiting for Striker to be right on top of her before cutting hard around the front and into the cave that was to act as their shelter from the avalanche. Allowing Striker to enter first in case the kill needed help on the entrance. Once in Aleu would dart in close behind, not stopping stopping to finally catch her breath until the pair stood at the back of the tiny cavern. Turning to face the entrance again Aleu would watch the wall of snow come down, burying the pair in their new tiny home as a loud groan left her muzzle "I'm going to be in so much trouble for this..." she muttered, ears perking at Striker's words as she nodded slowly "Yeah....Doesn't look like we're going anywhere tonight." she admit, turning back to face Striker before she just started to laugh.

For several long seconds all Aleu could do is laugh. It wasn't at him, it wasn't at the kill, it was just the rush of their race for survival finally coming to an end, and the adrenaline rush was simply looking for an escape now that her muscles had stopped. As she slowed her laughing the little pup would let out a loud "Wooh!" before giggling again, she couldn't deny there was a certain rush to nearly dying she found quite fun, which may be a problem later, or now. As the other apprentice spoke again Aleu would perk her ears, starting to pant slightly now that the last burst of energy had finally passed "Oh, don't worry about it...You would have done the same for me. Besides, what was I supposed to do? Just leave you standing there to die?" she asked teasingly "And you owe me one? Hmmm...What should I have you do.." she giggled teasingly, "Let's see...I saved your life...That's worth quite a bit...So what can I make you do for me.." she said with a smirk as she thought, wondering if Striker would actually allow her this, or if he would object.

As the conversation switched to their survival situation again Aleu would nod slowly "Luckily the snow should keep us fairly well insulated..and we're fairly deep in the dirt.. We will need a large piece of that pelt to hold water, which if we keep snow melted we should have a good supply of." she said, knowing all too well how to survive during the winter, as it was one of the things her mother had taught her high in the mountains where snow covered the ground all year. Although it would be much easier to do here without the thin air that made even breathing a chore. "Luckily as long as we have water and warmth would shouldn't die...We have at least a moon before starvation becomes a problem." she said, knowing how long an adult could go without food, but as a yearling she had no idea how long they really had, but it was the last of her worries. With one last sigh as she caught her breath Aleu would move over to Striker, "Set the elk on the ground...I need it's pelt." she said plainly, wanting to get started on their water supply.

» Under the Mistletoe [Aleu]
» Day In and Day Out [Samael, Aleu]
» Balance [Aleu]
» Seeking {Aleu}
» Leaves Fall (Aleu)

Narnia [Aleu]

Narnia [Aleu]

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