He walked alone, descending the dark, tree-studded slope at a timely pace. The breeze carried a certain chill at this time of year, but he was perfectly warm with his thickening pelt and all the travelling he had been doing overnight had his muscles warmed up. Truth was, even though he had acquired the rank of Warrior now he still had the mindset of an Elite, and consequently he had been patrolling around his pack and looking out for anything peculiar or dangerous in the midst of the night, where his coat blended into the shadows brilliantly. For a while now he had carried this gut feeling that something bad was to happen to his home, something devastating, and all he wanted to do was protect his pack and serve them dutifully, like he had once promised a certain white fae at the border several years ago. The hints were there, with a new pack around and tension supposedly arising between Erenyx and Helidos, as he had heard that his Alphas had experienced a sour encounter with the loathsome Alpha Teren. He also supposed Erenyx must want to prove their ‘fierce’ reputation with more than just gossip from murmuring tongues and the hostile actions of one of Teren’s minions to a member of the pack every now and then. Teren himself must be out of his mind, what with everything he had learned the Alpha had done from Ciro.

It had occurred to him that with all his absence from his packmates when he had taken time away (and even once he had returned to his work, he had been solitary and unseen in doing most of his tasks), that it would possibly be better for him to step down as Elite until he had all his bearings and had caught up on some things among the pack and with himself. He was ageing yet he was still as strong and fit as any younger wolf, so he wasn't unfit for the job by any means. If there was a young brute in the pack, or one soon to join the great group of wolves, that wished nothing more than to hold a more esteemed rank, then the opportunity was now there for them. There were those individuals who loved to work hard and have the title to show for it, which he did but his heart wasn’t solely focused on being a respected figure. And who was he to keep it from a wolf who longed for that role? He valued contentment more than upholding his higher rank, and since being Elite wasn’t only what made him happy, he was not troubled about losing the rank. He had surrendered it willingly and he would do all that he could as a Warrior now. His main priority was to seek out Ciro and keep up his fitness but with less of a responsibility for now. It was a chance to start over and focus. When he felt ready, he would review his situation and see if regaining his rank was a good idea or even possible.

As he exited at a small break in the treeline about halfway down the hillside, he was greeted with early morning light in shades of pale pink and orange. It was a welcome sight after being under the dark canopy of trees and nightfall for hours, though it took his golden orbs a moment to adjust to the brighter surroundings. When he indeed could see more clearly, that was when the view grew more spectacular, as below him the expansive field of wonderful flowers could be seen. This part of his homeland was very peaceful and romantic, befitting its name as Amor Glade, but he had only been once or twice. Perhaps it was because he wasn’t a healer in search of herbs, which there were many of in the glade. Perhaps he subconsciously hoped that the less he visited, the more breathtaking it would be every time that he did stop by. It would be a shame to become accustomed to something so beautiful, that you weren’t at least a little in awe each time your eyes laid upon it. As he gazed around now, he realised that he had seen this exact view before. This had been the woods that he had traveled through, years ago, with Aurora and another fae and brute whose names he’d now forgotten. Aurora had led the group of new wolves to this place and they had enjoyed themselves racing each other, until they met a confrontational female smeared in blood walking out of Helidos, who he knew now must have been leaving for Erenyx. Fel had also come across them and, being her usual quiet, observing self, had not participated in running through the field with them but had left instead, though she had been pleasant enough. He wished now that he had spent more time getting to know the large black female as well as giving her company and learning from her, and he wondered if she ever thought of him like he sometimes would think of her and other friends he longed to see again. Moving towards a bare tree that sprouted from the earth at the center of the small clearing on the slope, the mahogany brute sat among its gnarled roots and lay his tail to rest at his side, closing his eyes as he relived the memories in his head. As the light from over the field bathed his face, he thought not for the first time how the wolves dearest to him seemed to have a habit of disappearing. Yes, there were things in his past that he wished had turned out differently, things he could have done better and wolves he wished were still here, but he had no regrets because the past was just that, a time from before that was unchangeable. It was easy to forget he was still alive and well, and that in itself he was lucky for. A warmth filled him as he slowly opened his eyes again and took a gentle breath. He would be optimistic and embrace what was yet to come, for just like before, there would be wolves to enter his life and change it for the better, and he would find happiness again.

The cooling breeze caused her growing pelt to ruffle as it passed through the strands. Shivering slightly, the auto kept moving forward with her stroll. Her mind wandering elsewhere as she walked through the trees, their branches and slowly falling leaves creating shadows on the forest floor. She felt safer now that she had participated in Nnlya's training with the pups, but she still was uneasy. Nights were often restless, and she couldn't quite get comfortable without some tension forming around her body, seeming to attack her and drag her down towards is worst point. Images of war haunted her dreams, her friends lying dead before her in the jaws of wolves that smelled like Erenyx. Tensions were still rising, even more so. And she now knew that they were going to break. And when they did, all Hell would be unleashed. It was these thoughts that caused her to wake up with a jolt and curl tighter against her fear. Yellow eyes looking outside her den entrance, almost waiting for something to happen. But nothing did. Not being able to fall back into sleep, she rose from her den, setting out on a walk to clear her mind. The moon was still ruling the skies then, shadows dancing on the ground she walked on, not at all helping with her nerves. But now the sun was taking over, and light was pouring through the gaps in the trees, easing her into relaxation.

Amour Glade, which could be translated literally into "Love Glade," or "the Glade of Love," was covered in flowers and herbs, making the scent of the area sweet and pleasing. Everywhere you looked there was color, for each flower seemed to be uniquely different and the blades of grass of multiple shades of green added a lot of beauty to the simplicity of the plant. The Autay didn't know much about herbs or the arts of healing, but she did find it interesting how something so small and delicate could have the power to heal a wolf or other animal. She did not know any healers either, although she was unsure if there were any healers in Helidos. The she-wolf hadn't really met anyone outside of her pack yet, which was strange, but if she did happen to find a healer she might as them to teach her a few things she should know. Suddenly, she felt a wave of happiness come over her, unsure of the cause but she accepted it. Eyes closed as she lifted her nose to the sky, accepting the cold breeze that carried scent from all sorts of places to her. But one caught her attention as soon as she smelt it. Eclipse... It was early morning still, the sun just beginning to rise in the sky, yet he too was awake at this hour. Smiling softly to herself, she almost set off to go find him, but paused herself. Remembering how he had caught her a meal the last time when they had met she decided she would catch him one first. Lowering her head she sniffed the ground searching for a hare, her nose quickly finding the scent of one. And so she quickly followed it, soon seeing the little creature with a white fluffy tail. Bending down she began to inch her way towards it, before darting out and catching it swiftly between her teeth. Having learned her lesson last time about hesitating when hunting when the brute was around, she wasted no time in completing her task.

Happily picking up the critter, she began to trot back to where she had scented the male. He sat in the roots of a tree, appearing to be lost in thought. Grinning quietly, she began to sneak up on him from behind. Her golden eyes alight with mischief as she crept forward. Reaching behind him, she gently placed the hare on his shoulder, or attempted to at least. Once it was relieved from her grasp she walked around him to his front, a smile placed on her jaws. "Morning, Eclipse. You're up pretty early, huh?" She was as well, but she knew it was because of her thoughts and fears. But why the brute was up at the crack of dawn was unknown to her. However she didn't question him, only smiled warmly a the male.

With new positivity burning in his chest, he felt lighter and freer than he had felt for some time. No guilt or grief would burden him at that moment. It had taken maybe two years to get to this stage, being able to completely put all the wrongs behind him, and his recent nostalgia only helped to lay them to rest by helping him realise those things were only painful memories. They were in the past, so why did he often bring them up like they were still happening? He had opportunities to do things and he would take them now that he no longer was stuck on things beyond his control. There was only one way to get the life he wanted; he had to focus his mind and body, take control, and reach for it. Seize the day. That was exactly what he had in mind for the following hours of daylight. Firstly, he would gather some herbs from the meadow below to stock up the healer's den since they needed supplies for Winter, then try to grab some tasty morsels for the kill pile. After that he could go for a run, or find some company with his packmates, hopefully even find one to spar with since he aimed to train at every opportunity now that he felt sure something was going to break out between Helidos and Erenyx.

There were many possibilities for what he could do. It was great to be alive. He shuddered slightly and sat taller with this new happy emotion washing over him, staring at the pretty flowers down in Amor Glade. He was then about to stand on his paws and get started on his tasks when suddenly he felt something touch his right shoulder. It had been only a few moments since he had opened his eyes and cleared his thoughts so his senses weren't fully alert, but his nose twitched immediately and he recognised the scent before he had even completely turned his head to see what made contact with him. In fact, he smelled two things; dead hare, and a familiar she-wolf. As his head whipped around to look he was surprised to see the little deceased herbivore was draped over his shoulder in the edge of his vision, and the wolf hadn't touched him at all. Eclipse stared at the hare for a second before he glanced forward again to see the female who now stood before him, a pretty smile on her lips. A little grin had automatically surfaced on his own maw, amused at her playfulness and what she'd done. It was Elsbeth, the lead autay whom he'd talked to once before and had since seen around the pack. He supposed it was only because he knew who she was that he now noticed her, though she was indeed quite a noticeable fae in the pack, he couldn't deny that. Golden eyes studied her briefly, observing how she looked against the backdrop of the colours of dawn which illuminated the beauty of her appearance. His thick tail thumped lightly against a large root beside him as he was pleased to see her again.

“Morning, Elsbeth. I've been up all night actually. Been checking the lands, and I’ve ended up here. I’m quite glad, too. It's a splendid sunrise and it will be one of the last opportunities to see Amor Glade flourishing and collect some herbs before it all is smothered by frost and snow. Though I shouldn't worry about having something stunning to look at in the pack...” His voice was cheery and his gaze locked with hers pointedly at the last part of his speech. He smirked slightly and confidently rolled his shoulders to mock his joking attempt at charming her. The hare then plummeted off his shoulder to descend quickly towards the earth, but he caught it expertly in his jaws before it could land and then wiggled his furry brows at Elsbeth to display his pride for his skilled catch to her. Eclipse was internally surprised by his abnormal actions and soon his bravado faded with a sheepish chuckle as he stood up with the dead creature in his maw, the taste of warm blood tingling his tongue. The brute was in a good mood and feeling truly joyful and that was of course where his newfound boldness and energy came from, but he was not used to flirting even if it was for harmless fun. But he thought little of it and simply thought it was nice that they were already this comfortable with each other. Reaching his maw forward, he placed the hare on Elsbeth's muzzle so he was free to talk again. He suppressed a smile and pretended to inspect it seriously. "Hmm, I see the hare is healthy and freshly killed. You are quite the huntress... when there's no clumsy oaf disturbing you. It's kind of you to offer it to said oaf who then caught you a hare, but you needn't repay him if that's what you think. However, I was going to add to the kill pile after collecting some herbs here and this will help, so thank you. If you're not doing anything for now, you could join me with gathering herbs in the glade? We're short on healers to do so." As he looked to her while inviting her to go with him, he noted that her stare was tired looking."What are you doing sneaking up on wolves at this hour to give away free food anyway? Can't sleep?" He asked, gently attempting to find out if anything was keeping her awake that he could help with. A rush of cold air blew directly at his front and slicked his dark-brown hair back handsomely over his figure. He leaned close to Elsbeth as he picked up the wild rabbit carefully between his jaws once again, then moved around to the fae's side and continued along down the slope, expecting her to follow beside him as she replied to anything he said and he would listen.

Unlike before, he now had a sudden boldness in the way he carried himself around her. More playful and... flirtatious? It had been a while since she had experienced such things, and only from one male. Her past mate, whom she only left out of grief and guilt of her sons' deaths. The love for the three of them still stood in her heart, but she knew that she could not return back there. It was no longer her home, and she only hoped that the brute who had first claimed her heart understood why she had left and found happiness once again. Sam... He was a good brute, strong and brave. A year or two older than her, but that never stopped him from spending time with her as she was under the care of her mother and the other nursing she-wolves. He had loved her since then, and it wasn't until she had matured did she return his feelings back and they became mates. A cute little story, only it did not end happily ever after. But that was in the past, and she needed to focus on the future. The auto wanted to be happy again, perhaps find a male who would love the same, or perhaps more, than her past one had. Children would be an obvious yes, considering her line of work in the pack. It would be ridiculous if she weren't to have some of her own. But then again, that all depended on how things worked out for her here.

Shaking away those thoughts she returned her mind back to the brute before her now, in the present. His tail thumping lightly on the ground as he gazed at her and spoke. Tone cheery and somehow soothing to her ears, easing her insecurities about the tensions between the rival pack and their own. Heat pooled beneath her cheeks, the brown fur hiding it from the pointed look he gave her at the last part of his little speaking session. Unsure how to reply she just let out a small laugh, soft and shy as she stared back at him before shaking her head softly. His shoulders rolled, as a smirk took over his facial features. The hair fell limply off towards the ground, only to be caught quickly in the jaws of the now ex-elite. He had stepped down, not finding himself to be suitable for the position anymore, or so she had heard from around camp. A very selfless and righteous thing to do if that was truly how he felt, and it now way put a downgrade on her views of the male. If anything, it was honorable to do such a thing. Or at least in her own eyes it was. He released a small sheepish chuckle after she had rolled her eyes playfully at his prideful look at his trick. Only then to step towards her and lay the hare across her muzzle, causing her eyes to narrow at him in confusion. Balancing it carefully as he pretended to judge her catch with careful criticism. Rolling her eyes once more she continued to stay still, the tired look she had worn before sensing him slowly returning back into her orbs. Unable to answer his question with a voice or not she gave him a look with her eyes that stood for that, along with the shrug of her shoulders. Sure, why not? He then seemed to noticed the look she held, and asked her questions once more. Removing the hare afterwards and began to walk down the slope.

Sighing she got up, trotting a few paces until she came beside him in a  walk. Her tone was soft, quiet, and full of the fear she was feeling inside. "I haven't been sleeping right for a few weeks now. Wandering the territories at night, despite the uncertainty and fear I feel in my chest, has become a normality since it started. Call it mother's intuition for knowing when something bad is going to happen, or just general knowledge and fear to those smart enough to pick up on it, but I know something will happen. Between our enemy and us. Quinn has been acting more on edge, I can just see it. I am afraid for the wolves, Eclipse. For the apprentices of either pack. I fear war is coming, and some children might never get to see their family again. I don't know if it is just me getting ahead of myself, but it is still hanging on deep down inside me. What do you think?" She looked at him then, moving her gaze away from the ground and to the brute beside her. Her eyes asking him if she was wrong about it or not. However, no matter how much she hoped, she knew. She just knew that is was real. The dread she held inside, was true and her fears very well might become reality. But she didn't let it get to her much, instead she leaned forward, taking the hare from his jaws gently so he could speak once more. Falling a step back she reached over his back, her jaw brushing against the fur as well as her side, as she gently placed the hair evenly there. Making sure it wouldn't fall off as he continued on with his gate before making a small skip in her self to resume her previous position beside him. Her ears perked as she listened for and to the sound of his vocals.

The former Elite could tell that his words from before had made Elsbeth sort of shy and embarrassed. For that he felt slightly guilty, though it was also amusing. He hadn’t thought she would interpret his statement in a truly flirtatious way, with his older age and normally reserved personality. He would mind his tongue to make sure she wasn’t made uneasy. Once or twice she had rolled her eyes and had only shrugged to agree with going with him to the meadow, but when she first approached and surprised him with her presence she had been smiling and seemingly happy. He hoped he hadn't been too bold and that perhaps a lot was on her mind or she was tired, which he knew could cause sudden mood changes. The respectful brute only wanted the fae to be comfortable around him and for them to have a pleasant morning together. Eclipse had no desire to make any female swoon, as he had only meant to compliment her. He was more than justified in doing so as she really was one of the most beautiful faes within Helidos, at least in his own opinion. He wouldn't know what she thought of him though or if she knew about his new, possibly temporary, position in the pack, but he hoped she thought well of him just as he did of her. These thoughts all lingered in the back of his mind as he travelled down the sloped forest towards the glade, the hare gripped lightly in his maw as he waited for his newfound companion to answer him and mention anything else she wished to.

When she did speak, her sweet voice sounded worried and scared. It concerned him to hear such tones in her vocals. He watched the fae beside him as he listened, making sure she was somewhat alright. She spoke of insomnia due to her concern over a war between their pack and Erenyx and the consequences for wolves on either side. He also felt certain such things were to happen and was sure most of their pack thought the same. It was a looming darkness ever approaching them and it would surely engulf them soon. Things would not be peaceful for much longer with the sick games Teren was playing. As she continued to voice her troubles he caught her say something about ‘mother’s intuition’ and was curious about if she had pups or was referring to something else, but he wouldn’t question it. He wasn't sure if he would comment much at all, but when she looked to him asking for his opinion he then had to. He was about to lower his head to remove the creature from his jaws and allow him to talk until Elsbeth kindly took hold of it and placed it over his back. The mahogany brute dipped his head gratefully in response. For a moment he pondered what to say, not wanting to worry her further but also trying to avoid weaving his way around the truth. "No pack around here can be at ease so long as Erenyx exists, or at least while it is ruled by a wolf like Teren. Since the creation of that pack, it has been inevitable that there would be bad blood between us both. All I know is this. We are a strong team and a loyal family that won’t permit this threat. Where we fight to defend our own, they fight for the sake of bloodshed and power. They don't have that added fire in their blood that comes from the heart, the determination to defend our morals and the loved ones each of us has. As a Warrior now myself, I will put my all into keeping Helidos safe, as will the others. Injuries and fatalities are sadly unavoidable. However it is far more honourable to lose lives aiming to do what's right than doing nothing at all, because they will probably kill any of us at any opportunity, war or no war."

Glancing around now, the morning light grew brighter as the trees thinned out at the verge of the forest. He breathed a sigh as his golden eyes turned to Elsbeth once again, his pads treading over soft grass now. “A part of me feels like we would be playing right into what they want us to do, and I agree it would be unfortunate for pups to lose family members. But I know we will pull together to help those in need and you are a fine Autay to look after them. I have experienced loss personally and I think in some ways it builds you as a wolf. Sometimes you must lose in order to gain, as some lessons in life are best learned through pain. Please, don’t let your worries over what may happen keep you awake. Or if your mind troubles you that much, you are always welcome to find me. I’d like to make sure you’re alright.” He offered a slight smile and gently nuzzled her shoulder before gesturing with his muzzle at the fauna surrounding them as he came to a halt. “So, how much do you know about herbs? My mate was the Lead Healer and she taught me several remedies useful to me when I was a Hunter, but I’m definitely no expert. Creek was her name... she passed on to the Other Forest about two years ago and she would be distraught to see our lack of healers. That's why I’m putting forward my knowledge, however limited it is, to assist us until we gain some real Healers.” His voice remained as happy and uplifting as possible given the situation and topics that were discussed, his ears alert and tail flicking casually against the breeze. Shaking his pelt slightly, he let the hare fall from his back as he started gathering any herbs that he could identify, preparing to teach Elsbeth whatever he could to fill in some gaps in her healing knowledge.