Standing on the edge of the waters, Fel felt nothing but serenity lap at her ankles. The day would be coming to a close soon, as it was the late evening. This meant that the horrid sunlight that beat down upon her thick, onyx coat no longer irked her, and she could stand where she was and still feel comfortable. The spring and summer seasons always forced her to stay to the shadows a little more often, which really, she did anyway. The fae could not allow herself to overheat. But at least the ice in her veins always kept her cool… Fel avoided letting her blood boil as much as possible and was incredibly effective at doing so. Silently craning her head up to the sky, she noticed the orange tint of the evening sun begin to replace the soft blues of the sky. It reminded her of the gentle kindling of flames created by lightning before the fire spreads throughout the forest, and the trees blaze like torches among the beautiful downpour of rain. Nature was terrifyingly beautiful sometimes… As was she.

Fel glanced down at her reflection to see what others saw. She was certainly a massive wolf, and her face held no elegant, feminine qualities. No, she looked like a brute bred for battle. Ears erect atop her head, they looked like fluffy shadows of thick horns. Then came her broad head with the wide snout, which she raised to a proud height upon noticing. The beta looked to her face as a whole. It was emotionless, heartless, and deadly. Her eyes were like smaller versions of the lake – still, blank, and showing nothing but what was shown to them. Moving on, she examined the rest of her form. True to memory, it was bulky and strong. Her strangely long tail waved limply in the breeze, barely touching the waters with its hairs. She huffed, turning her gaze back to the forest. Fel imagined, in her fantasy, that everything was ablaze around her. Ash fell like snow onto the water, and the forest crackled and burned. But Fel… No. Fel stood strong in the center of the fire… in the center of the ring from hell.

Eclipse found himself feeling restless that evening. He was not sure if the heat was getting to him despite his fur actually being thin since he was from further south, but he could not relax. He had left his packgrounds and headed in search of the lake where he believed he could find some relief. It was always stunning there, and the sunsets were particularly breathtaking, especially when the sun was caught at its prime position on the horizon of the body of water. However, he wasn't going solely for the view, but for the opportunity to exercise away his stress and perhaps also bathe in the waters to cool his body and soothe his mind. On the way out of camp those two hours earlier, he had detected the fragrance of the herbs and plants as he passed by the healers' den, and that scent always dragged back memories for him. But for once, the memories did not pain him to recall. Instead, he reflected on what he was forced to remember with fondness and a happiness in his heart that he was lucky to have had those moments with her, the white healer fae with soft blue eyes, and that she could live on in his memory. It was a new milestone that he was at peace with, and so his journey through the lands was quiet and reflective; an enjoyable kind of nostalgia. The reason for passing the healing den was to see if any were inside, but it bothered him that there wasn’t and there was no sign nor smell that any wolves had been working in the healers' den for a while, yet the pack definitely needed at least one healer and he was searching for one to be Ciro’s teacher.

Once he had reached Mirror Lake he had wasted no time in wading through the water. By that time the sun and pale sky was indeed beginning its transition into the dark of the night, beginning with the appearance of harvest hues darker than the colour of even his own orbs. As he walked deeper through the liquid, he stared about him, first assessing for anything around the lake or surrounding area before allowing his golden eyes to indulge in the sight of the sky. In his life he had experienced quite a few things; raging rivers, floods and avalanches, but he had never witnessed the disaster of a forest fire and so his visions would be nothing like those of the the she-wolf who was in the same vicinity. To him, the sunset made him think of what it would look like if pollen could bleed out from flowers, smothering the ground in its bright colour and sweet scent. He didn’t allow his imagination to grow too much however and after a moment he settled by the water’s edge so that his legs and stomach were laced with the liquid and it rippled gently against his side. The sensation was pleasurable and he closed his eyes, yet he still was not able to feel completely at ease. The future of Ciro weighed on his mind so the dark mahogany brute decided he would make finding the youngster a mentor his plan of action over the upcoming days. Feeling almost guilty and useless at not being able to help the young brute sooner, he could not just lay there idly. Opening his eyes, he stood and ventured into the lake once again, though this time he left the shallows completely and his strong limbs began to tread over water rather than pebbles and dirt. Swimming was the right exercise for him right now, improving his strength and endurance from swimming against the current yet he felt weightless at the same time. His brown nostrils snorted and his lungs worked harder, it was a good challenge and a nice feeling. Not being in a rush for anything was a rare opportunity and one he would take full advantage of as he paddled along and hummed to himself.

But his time to himself was abruptly cut short as a black figure came into view. From that distance he could still tell the wolf was large and broad, and for that reason he presumed it was probably a brute. Something about the wolf was familiar though, whether it was the pelt or the stance, so he swam closer, adjusting himself to approach from the front so that the other could definitely see him and he could judge from their reaction if it was a good idea to greet them or not. The deep brown hairs of his head and part of his shoulders and back were visible above the water line and his long tail slithered along behind him. Since he figured it must be a wolf he once knew but who had left Helidos or lost friendship with himself, his caution was reasonable.

Everything burned around her, groaning with the voices of a thousand warriors calling to her from the depths below the earth. She’d no idea how many roars could emerge from the forest around her – from the dying screams of her mentors to the final breath of Athena. Fel was watching it all, listening. She could feel the ashes pepper her raven pelt while the flames, reflecting against the calm waters, colored her a bloody orange. In these waters, she was surrounded; trapped by the past. But in truth, she was as free as she ever was and ever would be.


But then the water around her began to move. Fel dropped her icy gaze to the brown wolf swimming slowly towards her. When she glanced back up, almost desperate to slip back into her fantasy, it was no longer there. Now, the trees were quiet and still. Nothing burned. With a small inward sigh, the fae looked to the wolf that was approaching once more, somewhat annoyed with it for interrupting. The scent, much fainter in the lake water, was of a familiar brute. It could not be Alanoth or Thorin, and it shouldn’t be anyone from any of her previous encounters or packs from beyond these lands. Could it be? With a squint, she recognized him. Eclipse. She bowed her head slightly in greeting, wondering what he would think of her – or what he already thought of her… Rumours had surely spread around Helidos. Maybe he was swimming here towards her to avenge some poor caricature invented by the whispering of tongues. Guard up, she prepared for him to find his standing as he came close enough to touch the sandy bottom of the lake.