Of all the things that happened to Quinn, nothing made her more happy than finding Fenris. Drenched in the sea of orange and red leaves, their love was founded. He had captivated her with his voice and the way he spoke. It was... different. She could think of nothing else when he talked to her. It serenaded her ears and allowed the lass to appreciate everything he had to offer. He was protective and honest, kept her safe from a vicious bear. He had done many other things for her, and sometimes she felt she had never really told him exactly how she felt about him. The Alphess left the safety of their home early in the morning. She had seen her young being accompanied by the Autays and felt safe they were being watched. Now she could slip away from the pack center for just a moment, hopefully much longer than a moment. She needed some time to herself, to think of many things and discover what would make her even more happy. She had everything she could truly want. The Alphess wandered casually. She had no plans to go anywhere in general. As she walked, she closed her eyes. Allowing her other senses to take over, Quinn moved effortlessly to the unknown. It all smelled of home, and she knew she was safe. The Alphess had finally opened her eyes and was surrounded by maple. She could feel the regret filling her mind. She knew this area well. She had been here with Fenris, when they fought and were chased by yet another bear. She could have died, but he had saved her.

Harvest hues stared to the world around her. The colors mocked her mind, placing her back into a world she once called home. Maple Woods. Closing her eyes, she allowed the smell of the woods to grasp her brain. It pulled her back to a time when she was Alphess for the first time. Her heart stiffened and her body stood as stone. She could not budge or move a wink. It was the downpour of the memories, the pain, and the joy which flooded her mind. Her young, the first litter she actually loved... they were there. They were not here. She could hear their laughter, their bickering, but mostly the words "I love you". Shaking her head, she tried to spill the thoughts from herself. She raised her chin into the sky and released a low and mellow howl. It made her heart sink and the sound would allow any to know she was feeling the pains of life. It was not physical pain, but heartache. The Alphess would not allow the heart t go away, she just could not.

In the late hours of the night, the rugged alpha has slipped from the comfort of his den, but only after gently nuzzling each of his sleeping pups and whispering into each of their ears how much much he loved them. He had made a habit of this every time he had to be apart from them, for should something happen.. to himself or to them, he wished for their last memory of him to be one of joy. Content with the sleeping young wolves, he then nuzzled into Quinn's neck, giving her a gentle lick upon the cheek so as not to wake her from her much deserved rest. He had taken it upon himself to switch up his routine, and patrol the boarders in the dead of night, when danger was at it's peak. The other higher ranking wolves were grateful when he had told them to get some rest, and that he would take over their watch for a few nights. He didn't mind the dark, it held a mystery to it that captivated him, and while most of the forests creatures slept the night away, a whole new variety of them came to life with the rising of the moon.

Before he had even noticed, the sun was beginning to rise, trading places with the moon who was now ready to take its leave from the sky. Rising from the spot where he stood, he shook out his thick russet pelt and turned his back to the border to head for camp. The pups would be waking soon no doubt, and he wished to take them on a small outing to the training pasture for the morning. There was much they still had to learn, and were they ever eager. It was a full time job trying to corral them, and heavens knows he could not do so on his own. It took an entire pack to raise proper young wolves, and he was grateful for all the help they had to offer.

He had not made it very far when a howl broke the early morning air, though it was not that of a stranger seeking entrance, nor was is a call for help, but a howl of pure sorrow and pain. The mere sound of it was enough to pain him, especially knowing exactly who had let out such a somber noise. His pace quickened instantly, and he corrected his course towards the sound of his heartbroken mate. He knew exactly where it had come from, and could not bring himself to understand why she would put herself through the pained memories such a place would bring up for her. It did not take him long, for his paws moved with a great sense of urgency, and he soon found himself bombarded by the scent of sweet maple. Not only did the trees of maple hold bitter sweet memories of their former life, but it was stained with loss, and with a darkness that he did not think would fade. The last time that they had been here, they had fought. It was a first for them, and he wished never to do so again, for seeing the hurt in her eyes and knowing the pain he caused her was punishment enough to last him a lifetime. Not only that, but they had been unlucky enough to find themselves in the presence of a bear upon their last visit. He did not smell any such threats this time, but one could never be too careful.

His urgent pace slowed as he scanned the maple forest for his beloved, and stopped dead in his tracks when his amber eyes fell upon her.
"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest:
So long as wolves can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this and this gives life to thee." he said in a soft tone as he gazed upon her lovingly. She was as fair and beautiful as the first time he had laid eyes upon her, and he felt as though it was time her remind her of this so that he may ease her sorrow and pull her mind from the dark thoughts that threatened to swallow her whole.


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It was not long before the Alphess could hear her Romeo's voice. She new it from the moment he spoke his first word. Her ears rested to the back of her head and slowly spun to face him. "Fenris..." she said in a tender sound. She quickly moved herself from her position and pressed her tiny body against that of her mate's. He was warm and inviting to her as he had always been. She rested her head beneath his chin, rubbing it against his neck. She clung closely to him, closing her eyes as she listened to his words. There was no better sound in all the world. "I am sorry my love. I just came here, and I had the memories from Maple Woods here. I... it's just so hard looking at our four young ones and not knowing how or where our oldest are. I miss them so much and I wish they were here with us. I can't stop myself from thinking how large Reed is now, how cunning Harley is and how passionate Cadence is. I just know they are alive, no matter what anyone says about them. I dream of them every night. They will come to me, I just know it." She opened her eyes and lifted her head to clean his neck fur. She turned around so the two of them cold face one another. "I know should be happy for the lives we have now, the babies we brought into this world together... But my mind cannot stop itself from thinking of the past. Surely you can understand, my love?" Quinn looked up to him, her harvest eyes stared into the golden orbs of her lover. She wanted to hear the comfort in his words, that he too was missing their first litter. She wanted to know that she was not crazy for constantly thinking about them. She wanted to know that he too was hurting as much s she was.