Hiding her limp, which forced throbbing waves of pain to flood her shoulder, the raven wolf carried along in the light of dusk that still filtered through their camp. There was a frost that would be setting in soon; Fel could feel it in the air and the way the wind came in. The responsible thing to do was for the brutish fae to go around and ensure that everyone’s dens were up to withstand the weather – which is exactly what she did. The first dens to be inspected were of the healers and autays. Fel had even brought a batch of sticks that could be used as a structure for patching holes or making wind barriers. And so she continued on with those sticks stretching her rather large maw and her neck craned down to help support her cargo with her neck and chest. Her eyes, carefully surveying the dens, flickered with a lack of emotion that made even the snow seem warm in comparison. However, she really did not want for her pack mates to get hypothermia and die. It would not be good on her account, as it was among her duties to protect and organize the pack.

After a few mended dens, Fel was almost finished. The rest were in top shape. The only ones she had not yet seen were Narla’s and Desmond’s, the latter of which she did not intend to intrude upon for fear of insulting him. Carrying a few remaining sticks, she went to seek out her little creature. Fel was tired and no longer bothered hiding her limp, finding it not worth the pain. Narla was not likely around anyone anyway, and she had little reason to think less of her for her injuries.

Fel approached her little creature’s den, which was away from the rest. It was a meager den and likely needed the repairs. So without dropping a single stick, Fel limped over to her student on silent though crooked paws. Narla seemed to be busy working on it already, so it was probably good that the beta came with supplies. Without a word, she came up behind the den, being careful not to step on it, and noticed several holes. How strange of a thing it was, to have holes in one’s den. Fel shook her head and began to patch them, layering branches in a cross-hatch formation so that the earth that would cover it had something to rest on. With a huff, she stepped aside and began to dig at the frozen earth with her heavy, clawed paws to get at the softer dirt, which would then be aimed to top the patches. Her shoulder argued, but she couldn’t nurse it now. The sun was gone, but there was still waning light in the sky. She had just enough time to finish.

There was enough dirt on the layer of twigs and sticks that patched the main holes of the den, so Fel grabbed one of the larger branches and moved to cover the mound from external forces. It would take several nights for the ground to freeze over and become as hard as the rest; Fel figured the added support wouldn’t hurt. With warm breath billowing visibly from her nostrils and mouth, she carried the final fortification to the area just at the moment that it began to crack and collapse. Out darted her apprentice from the other end. Narla seemed fine, but the den itself was ruined beyond immediate repair. Throughout the short but intense event, Fel simply stood and watched with a stone-like lack of expression. When the dirt and snow settled, all the beta did was sigh, drop her stick, and begin to limp back to her own den. Passing the tawny creature without so much as a glance in her direction, Fel gave a signal with her tail to follow her. The dingo-fae was an idiot, it seemed, but she was her idiot. Clenching her jaw through the aching of her shoulder, the beta led the way, her judgmental silence interrupted intermediately by the rising wind and falling sun.

Fel’s den was essentially a cave of medium size. It was tall enough so that Fel could comfortably walk in but not rear. Likewise, she could turn around fully in the opening but could not sprawl out in it. It was wider on the inside than at the entrance. Large slabs of rock were the only visible flooring, walls, and roof to the enclosure. It was protected from the deadly chills but still cold enough to suit the frozen tundra that was her soul. Fel even smirked slightly to herself at that metaphor. Don’t kid yourself. You have no soul, Felwolf. With a turn of her head, however, the smirk evaporated and a rumbling order emerged instead. “Get inside. You’ll sleep here tonight.” The dark fae then gestured to the puma skin on which she was to sleep. Next, her paw raised towards the feline skull in the back corner, and her lip raised simultaneously in a warning snarl, “Break that, and I’ll replace it with your head and present it to the alpha instead.” It was a gift for Desmond… A gift with a bit of aging left. She still needed to put it under the winter sun – Fel’s plans for tomorrow morning. Relaxing her curled lips, the beta waited for her creature to pass her before sitting down and blocking the entrance.

Narla sat there panting for a moment as her hovel lay in ruins before her. She looked around, desperate to spot even the tiniest, dank little bolt hole to sequester herself in for the evening. There was a soft thud as Fel dropped whatever she had been holding, sighed and walked off. Narla watched her leave, resigned to fixing her own problem when she saw the Beta's tail flick in such a way that indicated she follow. Narla plodded along after her mentor, head and tail lowered in defeat. Her little paws stepped in the prints made by the much larger wolf she was following. It was painfully obvious how small she was just by looking at their paw sizes. She was sure the much larger wolf was disappointed in the meagre stature of her apprentice. She had very little weight to work with, no height to tower over her enemies. Her little paws continued to step over the larger prints. She knew exactly where they were headed and she didn't feel right about it. She couldn't sleep in the Beta's den, it wasn't befitting. She was too lowly to share the Betas den.

The Warrior hovered outside for a moment, unsure, but not wanting to anger the large wolf she stepped inside. It was huge inside, much larger than anything she had ever slept in and more room than she could ever need. Much smaller than the other, she slid past the brutish fae quite easily, taking up residence on the puma skin indicated. She knew it was the one that had injured her. The dingo looked down at her side for a moment, spotting the scars left there by the skinned beast. She stretched, her side twinging from the movement and causing a low whine to slip through her lips. She curled up on the skinned pumas back, head resting on her paws, looking at Fel. "Thanks Fel." She muttered before turning her head away to look at the pumas skull, still drying out. Fel had said it was for Desmond. "Do you like him?" She asked, wondering what the Alpha was like, having never spoken to him personally.

Narla kneaded her paws into the pelt beneath her uncomfortably. The biting wind still managed to glide over and around the Betas body to prick at her skin. Silently, she cursed her fur for being too unsuited to this climate. This was nothing like winter back home. It amused her, she'd spent half her life travelling outside of Australia and yet she still called it home. There was something about that great southern land with its beaches and mountains and breathtaking views that couldn't be called anything but home. She loved the place like no other. The dingo turned her attention back to her better, lowering her muzzle between her paws to protect from the wind. The last thing she needed was frostbite. She was interested to hear Fels opinion on the Alpha and with some luck the warrior even managed to hear how he'd started the pack. A rogue, encouraged by Fel herself, found himself some loyal followers, banded them together and claimed a territory for their own. It was a true success story, one wolves might tell their pups before bedtime someday. But she was even more interested to hear Fel's opinions on the mating season. It hadn't affected her so much this season, her body still hardwired to breed in the autumn-winter of the land. Yet another interesting oddity, that the seasons were the opposite up north. So in the summer she often found herself a little edgy, but it was nothing a quick swim couldn't handle. Narla smiled at Fels last comment about her quick turnaround of Alphas. But Narla grew curious. "Did you ever want pups, Fel? When you were younger?" But it was quickly overpowered by a question of Fels own design, she wasn't even sure if the Beta had heard her query. "I've not had the time to meet many males here. You've kept me too busy. I once knew a nice dingo, met him when I first made the crossing from Australia. He was nice, but just a good mate, you know? No one's ever really caught my eye, it's not really my kind of thing. I prefer adventures to being tied down." She gave a weak little smile as another gust blew into the cave, making her shiver visibly. Damn this bloody weather.

Fel grew larger as she grew closer. The creature was ominous and domineering, filling the cave with her presence. It was to be expected of the Beta. Narla cowered in her corner, keeping her appendages close to her body to keep the warmth in her core. So long as her heart continued to beat she would push on, survive however necessary. There was a lull between her own discussion and the Betas response, prompting the dingo to remember that her colloquialisms were confusing to the wolf. She realised her use of the word 'mate' might have been a little off-putting as it had a much more intimate meaning here. However, Fel appeared to recall this and pressed onward in their conversation, as did Narla. "Yeah, that's fair. No distractions." She wondered what Fel was really thinking. What was going on in that large head of hers. She didn't mean large as in egotistical, but larger as in its physical size in comparison to her own.

The warrior was extremely surprised when the other moved closer, wrapping herself around the smaller creature. The instant warmth that radiated from the dark faes body was intensely inviting. The dusty dingo was immediately drawn to it, huddling close to her friend. Friend, is that what we are? It was an interesting thought. Fel was certainly the closest thing to a friend that Narla had. She knew the Beta female was not fond of the idea of friendship and closeness, that to care for others was weakness. Narla rested her head against the faes shoulder, nuzzling into it to warm her muzzle. She wondered if Fel would even address her other question or ignore it. Narla wondered if she had touched a nerve in asking, if perhaps something in the mysterious Betas past had caused her to revile the thought of pups. indeed the faes words revealed as much. The loss of her own family had hardened her heart against love and happiness. It made the dingo sad, even if love and mates - the intimate kind - were not on her agenda, it had been a thought she'd had from time to time. Love was not an impossibility, some myth or fairytale, just a rarity.

The dingo stiffened a moment, feeling the wolfs teeth at her hide, but it was friendly, a grooming from another packmate. It was much appreciated, there were plenty of spots on her body that were difficult to groom alone. She allowed herself to enjoy the sensation momentarily, eyes closing sleepily. She blinked swiftly, processing the faes new question and devising an answer. "I suppose I've always considered it, somewhere in my future that I might have pups. But it's more the expectation, isn't it? You're female so you have to further the species. It's expected that we fall in love and mate and raise the next generation. I don't know if I've ever actually considered the reality of it. Am I comfortable finding a mate and losing my freedom? No. Knowing that answer, is it possible for me to have any pups? No." She paused, thinking a moment, huddled as she was against the side of her mentor. How perfectly convenient it was that their bodies were so vastly different in size, allowing them to lay together so comfortably. "What I'm getting at is that there's no point in thinking about an impossible future." She nudged her nose into the larger faes shoulder. She spotted some dirt laying tangled about the faes wrists and leant forward to groom it out and return the Betas coat to a pristine condition.

Narla huddled against her friends side, nuzzling into her shoulder for warmth before going back to cleaning the faes forepaws. It seemed the dingo might have nudged a sensitive spot on the wolfs shoulder as her mentor pushed her away from the area. She wanted to mumble a sorry but the silence in the den made her think it was unwelcome to be broken. There was a particularly dry spot of mud on the Betas right wrist. Narlas pink tongue rasped over the large wolfs foreleg, gathering up all the muck and grime and removing it from the body. With the worst of the grime gone Narla could move more slowly, grooming each hair back into its rightful place, giving it that pristine midnight shine. And while she did she listened. Fel gave Narla the most important gift she could, she gave up a piece of herself. Narla got to hear about the wolfs childhood, her training and even though it was only a small tidbit, it helped the dingo to understand what the other had been through. It was why she was the way she was. Expectations and grim educations had seen Fel grow in to the cold, detached creature everyone knew. She was all about duty, honour, survival. She was the one to do what was necessary when no one else could and now Narla could see that it was her upbringing that made her capable.

Narla leaned closer to the wolf, now done with grooming the paw closest to her she moved on to the next forepaw, accessing what she could and bringing it back to a better state. At least this leg was far less dirty than the first. Narla was interested in the wolfs insight into the mind - and the heart. It was a strange discussion for her to have with another creature, but it was enticing all the same. "It's true, you're right. The mind will do as it will, to wander as it desires. But the heart is worse, the heart will break before it bends and make you do insane things. Or so I've heard." She gave the faes wrist one final lick, admiring her work, then rested her chin over the large wolfs forelegs. She snuggled in close to the Beta, soaking up her heat as much as possible. Curled up together she was happy to believe she'd found a friend she could trust. Narla was happy to confide in herself that perhaps she could stay here just a little longer. She didn't feel the need to get out, she didn't feel ostracised. She smiled. She was actually happy.