How perfect this was. How lovely this was. What she wouldn't give to paint the sky the warmth she felt against her, all around her, inside, fluttering and leaping, the love in her eyes. There was no longer darkness to vanquish, evil to chase, red eyes to flee from, because in its short time for skewered retribution, it chose to shrink into the shadows of another world, a colder world, and since, her world had flourished. Her heart overflowed, bountiless, lipless, for now who upon it spilt gold was limitless, and from her eyes beauty in newfound joy shone. She was a mother now; such a proud mother, a forgiving mother, and with each sun her children outlived, her paws worshipped the ground just a little bit more. Her daughter, a healer - a rebellious healer, beautiful bravery, and her sons, little warriors, though how she could ever think of them as little now, she couldn't imagine. They were her strength, their first heartbeats her lullaby, and apart from their father they were the only things that kept her tethered, here, where nightmares could shake you, and not slipping down the rabbit hole. How wonderfully surreal it was. Like a dream. Her own little dream. And for once he would not be there to wake her with the sound of her screams.

She was not a creature of revenge; the Alphess, Lucy. She was a tattered creature, a once broken damsel, and how Azul saw as much as he did in her tired eyes she wouldn't fathom, because all that she could see were the frayed ends of marionette strings, a single cut fresh in copper rust, and though it was in the damp confines of his mad mind and between the shrill echoes of his voices' cackling laugh she was kept, it was her tears that chained her. If only she was strong enough then. If only she was brave like her sisters were, like her daughter was, like her pack. If only she was weak enough to bring her father's fate to him, to the traitors who turned a blind eye, a deaf ear, to the fools who followed him and called him king; the nameless death. The eyes in her sleep. But her mind was not riddled with ravings of plague, and her bladed paw not the lust to spill even his blood upon soil, if ever it could be raised high enough, and so she was content with allowing her ghosts to roam free, and he his stolen time in turmoil. There was freedom now to enjoy, happiness to bask in, embraces to remember, and it was a task she took with weightless shoulders to ensure its prosperity in Helidos.

In an effort to better secure the pack land's delicate territorial line, an effort more to secure a last grasp on mental reassurance of one, the Alphess had found herself further wound into neutral grounds, grounds of which she made sure the footfall of her children would never sound. Venturing further than where familiarity reigned at such a time of potential tension was of course dangerous for all, and though she was Alphess and in the least had a say over her death upon warring lands, the small fae strode tall but ever carefully through the snow and frozen arches of the Falls. She knew well that with a ring of song her Alpha or dearest Guardian would be at her side, though she doubted such a situation would call for either. She was friend here - to most -, in the shadow of Serenity's cusp, and though her intentions were purely business, these waters needed to be tested. Succumbing to awe in spite of the overwhelm to the air, Lucy sat for herself on the lake's porcelain edge, the red of an afternoon hare staining the soft auburns to her cheek, down her neck, and she breathed the crisp of winter's peace. How she wished she could tear her beloved from his work for an evening, a sunset, just long enough to enjoy what the season had so graciously brought them. How she wished he could've escaped with her now, so that his warmth could silence this neverending shiver, and it was to this thought, and this silence of solitude, that silenced her. What was better than reality but a dream, after all?

Days and weeks passed like the falling of leaves. As they masked the forest floor, the nights grew colder and the winds blew harder. The first droppings of cold frost fell from the sky. Some clung to the leaves and branches of the woodlands, while others clung to the floor. With a matter of hours, the frost was gone, but the Alpha knew it would return with a much thicker density. Winter was among them and it slowly crept into the lands. His pack had been preparing for winter for months, bringing the kill pile to a large mountain of carcasses. His pups had grown older and wiser with their age. His daughter mimicked Creek in her responsibilities, learning about all the herbs and healing duties. The other two pups had taken a liking to the art of fighting and learning what it meant to be a Warrior. One followed the rules of the pack, while the other seemed to do his own thing, make his own path. Azul had seen this in another wolf before, which caused little worry to strike the depths of his mind. He hoped for Lucas, it was only a phase, something the young pup would learn to get over. But for now, it was too early to tell. On this day, Lucy had found herself out of the den, something Azul had been happy about. It had taken her a long time to recover from her slight illness after giving life to their young. They knew not the reason for it, only hoping with time she would be better. The pups adored her, keeping her company when they were done with their lessons. The borders were patrolled by the Aurora, Kenai, and the Beta pair. Everything in the pack was going well and there was little to be concerned for. The pups were old enough to care for themselves, but Azul would never admit it, afraid they would wander off without permission or do other dangerous things. Walking to the Caretaker's den, he requested Alanoth care for them, watching them while Azul did a patrol of his own. It was not often the brute was able to perform his duties, keeping close to his den for his kin.

As the white paws walked over the land, the snow stuck to his pads. His tail hung over his spine as he journeyed for the borders. He marked his scent along the invisible boundary, sniffing as he did so. It was only then that Azul realized his mate was no longer in the safety of Helidos. Worry struck him almost immediately, knowing there was danger lurking in the neutral lands. The large beasts had retreated to their dens for a long slumber during the winter months, but the wolves of Erenyx would surely be out and about. Azul was unaware what wolves might or might not have joined the ones with hearts of black and filled with hate. But he was not going to sit around and allow his mate to find herself in any sort of danger without him present. After finishing his marking, he lowered his hind leg and dashed from the pack lands, heading towards the neutral territories the two packs had agreed upon. As he neared the lands, leaving his home, her scent became stronger. In the distance, he could hear the falls still trickling water down the rocks, though not as strong as they were months prior. She was in Serenity Falls, or at least within the area of it. He was curious as to what was bringing her here, but wondered no more as he slowed his pace. But just as he had slowed down, he smelled a scent which was both foreign and very familiar. Immediately, he released a snarl from his clenched teeth. His jaws closed tightly, trying to lock the noise from escaping him. Hiding behind the brush that wrapped itself around the falls, he stared at the pair. His golden orbs watched as the male stared at her, and yet again, he held the anger within himself. But Azul was a patient wolf, he was kind and never allowed any kind of spontaneous anger. No, he would wait until he felt she were even a tiny bit threatened. But his presence would definitely make himself feel more at ease.

Moving from the shadows of the foliage, he showed himself to their rears. The great white wolf walked slowly, planting his rear beside hers, separating the pair from one another. If the brute wished to make contact with Lucy, he would have to go through Azul himself. As he rested beside her, he lapped his tongue lightly over her cheek. He looked to her with a smile, "Good evening my love, finding yourself some interesting company, I see?" he joked as he nuzzled his head against her cheek. His tail wrapped around her back, touching hers gently. He loved the way the light colored her bright coat, making her look even more beautiful than before. It had been a very long time since they sat in the embrace of the sun's final position or it's first for that matter. But he was quickly reminded of the male to his other side. His eyes moved to the frame of the relatively large brute, though not as big as he. Who was this male and what was he doing here? It was obvious neither of them had spoken yet, so he decided to break the ice and give the other a warm greeting. After all, that was what Helidos was all about. "Greetings wolf, I am Alpha Azul of Helidos. I suppose you have come to Serenity falls to see the very last of the waters cascading to the rocks below before the winter wraps its freezing breath around it, causing it to stay still until the Spring sun comes to free it from its frozen cage." No wolf would be dumb enough to attack the Alpha of the rival pack, especially with both of the Alphas present.

It was nearly strange; the silence. The tranquility. The unmistakable sense of nothingness, of emptiness. It was eerie, unsettling, an immediate depression in the infinite bleak, and yet, how blissful it was. How charming. How warming she found the cold, the bite at her toes and the fingertips down her back, the sadness here, in the shadow's peak, the breathless gasps of hollow air. She watched seemingly transfixed as her breath took to its toes before the gloss to her nose, twirling and rising like snowflakes falling upwards in a deathless column toward the grey of aging skies, fragile little wisps of precious life off her tongue to be beaten by a passing breeze, and her eyes burning stones in the white of winter's clutch drew closer to dreams, and the edges of snowflakes blurred behind her lashes. In this rarest moment of silence, of sadness, and of sleep daringly close to enveloping what sight she clung to, Lucy was in no state of mind to recognize the ghost that had joined in her appreciation for the stillness, to feel raw on her skin the chill of dagger steps and violent eyes searching, the shift of power like electricity to the air, like hands fumbling, then choking, intoxicating, for it was her mind that was already lost within itself. It was not until the waters' cold slap against his lips that to consciousness she returned, filling the empty parts where once she was chained with a jolt, and her head was turned in longing, in yearning, in search of a holy guardian that had come to drink by her side, but instead he was there, and her wide eyes filled with nothingness.

He was an Erenyx. Not a ghost but a demon. Not one to bring her solace but one to hound her with the echoes of memory. He was foe, and yet she met his stare with curiosity. A child's appetite. A hunger for clarity, and in the brief moment that their eyes had found themselves wound, she could see into him, and she was sure he could see into her. As sudden as the smell of his spice became the air, Azul had found them, found her, and in turn a shiver found her spine as from between his jowls an Alpha's muffled snarl broke her nothingness, her sadness, and he was there again to warm her. Her paws shuffled in an awkward dance toward where his thrice as large awaited already close, as his warmth could never be too near, too overpowering, and she embraced him as first lovers' might, and kissed him as if it had been an age, and though in odd company they both - unwavering - stood, she fell into his gaze with the tethers of time unraveled, and with the hopes of never coming out.

"Azul," she whispered, her voice dry, cracking with underuse. "Azul, what will I ever do with you?"

Of course he had found her. Of course he was to follow her, to ensure her health after such an episode, her safety in the reign of war, and though at the corners of her auburn face a lingering flicker of annoyance kept, the beauty of his crooked smile was all there was to dwell upon. She was still looking, falling into him as his voice sounded once again; bold and loud and familiar and lovely and so very beautiful, but there was something there that brought her back from wherever it was he had took her, something etched in his words that caused her to remove herself from the plaster of his side, to return to austerity, to respectability, as should an Alphess when accompanied by a strange male in stranger's lands, and so as the rose pink of blush drained from her cheeks, Lucy did just that. She turned outward toward the once apparition, stepping forward slightly as to duck from under Azul's protective shadow, and smiled with autumn eyes around what milky fur cast itself from his wall. She stayed, though, with her Alpha her guardian and the warrior afar, and prayed that she looked little like the cowering fawn balancing a crown atop juvenile ears as she pictured herself in her head, and she watched him as she spoke.

"And I, Alphess Lucy. We bid you good evening in the hope that you bring with you no ill intentions for this... odd meeting. What is your name and title, stranger?"

Irrationality. It was very fitting for the wolves of Erenyx, at least in his mind. Steele had been the most irrational of thought. He could not handle the easy life Helidos had to offer to him, and thus forced himself to leave the lands and create one of his own. But no matter what Azul thought of the act, he had tried to kill Kenai and that was not okay. In fact, if Steele had not led the lands after the event, Azul would have banished him from the pack. Who knew what other wolves he would try to kill? The beast was a menace to the pack, and it seemed it was only a matter of time. But he was gone now, and apparently accepting new wolves into his lands. It only made the Alpha wonder how many others lived in the lands of dark and hatred. This one seemed rather calm, considering who his Alpha was. Perhaps not all the wolves in Erenyx were ridiculous, only the Alpha pair and a couple close followers of the two. Maybe there was hope for this wolf, perhaps some persuasion could cause the male to turn tail on his home pack? But Azul would wait a while to see the way this wolf acted. "Irrationality, such an interesting name. How did your parents come up with such a different sort of name?" Azul was plenty interested in what the male had to say for this. This Warrior, with an odd name. "Do you know the Alpha you serve? Have you ever actually met him?" He looked to the Warrior and then his mate. "My love, I doubt he would make any ill moves towards either of us. From what I can tell thus far, he seems to have his head right."

Roaming the lands which belonged to him, he smelled the scent of the wolves that had recently joined his pack. He could differentiate by their gender, and the colors of their coat from the ones he had actually spied upon. His silver gaze stared over the lands as he made his rounds. His tail hung over his spine with conviction and purpose. The Alpha patrolled the lands more and more daily, allowing his mate to have some free time to herself and with their pups. His young pups had been growing bigger and bigger. With time they had shown qualities he could have only imagined his pups to bare. They were brave and strong, intimidating to others at times. He was very proud of the young ones, only looking forward to their development as pack wolves, thriving members of his world. He was more than proud of them. But on this day, his mind would wander from the home he knew, the love he felt within his den from his mate and their young. Today he would ponder the idea of reaching his land into a terrain which was known to be neutral. But the Alpha cared little for the lines they had created. He cared little for what Azul had requested, or the ways he held his pack.

Diverting his course from the Erenyx lands, he trotted for the lands not claimed by any, but shared by both packs. His tail kept its stance, even as he crossed the land of home. His silver hues rested on the land, watching as it changed from cold winter blustering winds to pleasant places of little snow, but mostly frost. He loved the winter time, the way the breeze brushed through his thick coat and the satisfaction that his pack was prepared for the worst winter they would see in a long time. He had much to be thankful for, and he was though his mouth would never utter the words, not even to the fae he adored above the rest. As his midnight paws trampled over the fallen leaves and blended snow path, his body lurked forward with swift movements. His legs moved fluidly like the waves of the ocean, crashing on the beach. His tail hung over his spine, asserting it in its favored place to rest. His dominance was an aura which could be seen and smelled for mikes around. But as his thoughts were blank, they quickly found themselves in a rather intense fluster. A scent he knew all too well, traced itself over his nostrils, filling the canals like a flood. As the scent wafted into his nose, he closed his eyes and imagined the brute who held it. White coat and bright golden orbs which set perfectly in his face. The male could not help but to snarl and growl lowly as he made his way closer to the male, and the others that were with him. Of the scents around him, he found one female of Helidos, one he knew to be the Alphess. The other scent belonged to his lands, but why would they be so close to one another in the closeness of the neutral lands? What could the Alpha pair wish from such a wolf?

Forcing himself from the shade of the falling sun, he charged to make his appearance known. It was then his eyes spotted just how close the threesome were to one another. Azul rested his large body between the wolves, making them look small in comparison. But he did not fear the larger wolf, instead it only tripped a switch in his brain, which fueled the anger from within. His snarls did not stop as he glared to the Alpha pair. He hated them. Every inch of his being wished to kill the couple now, end the rivalry of the two packs, and take more land for his own. "What are you doing here?" The question itself was open to all, though his eyes glared to the rival Alpha. He hated how his fur was so white, so pure. He hated every inch of the one named Azul. He hated the Healer turned Alphess as well. No Healer was deserving of such a rank, but as he pondered over how he would kill her, his mind reminded him she were an Apprentice as well, not even a full Healer. Pity. Power was wasted on the weak, but what was he to expect when the Alpha himself was a timid creature, resorting to words instead of actions. Steele made sure his stance told the others exactly how he was feeling, how irked he was to find this meeting.

For a moment that fluttered past, unnoticed, inconsequential, the Alphess's brow furrowed tight in unmatched worry, a small paw unconsciously slipping closer between Azul's nearest toes; a comforting haven in which she could fit entirely, and though it was not the Erenyx warrior's actions nor short breath of word that deserved such doubt in the reflection of his eyes lost in hers, it was his stillness. His nonchalance. His refusal to elaborate, to humor, to curse them to oblivion or sing for them in demons' tongues, and though it was this mirror of docility that would once bring her peace - happiness, even, allowance to converse without strain or hidden hearts with one righteous amidst decay, it instead brought to her more questions than answers. She was reminded once more, as it was with every encounter with Erenyx, of He and his devil's cards, of his tricks and his lies and cleverness. A snake who kept silent, who coiled himself around even the minds of kings, who sugared his venom until even those who forbade him his twisted joy fell to their knees at the sight of him, and so then, the Alphess thought, what was it that differed between two wicked minds? Nothing, she supposed, and so, in this fragile moment of worry and doubt, fear and anger, frantic searching, she granted its dwelling for as long as she willed it before her smile rekindled and roared, and it was all forgotten, save for the foreboding of memory's echo.

"Perhaps, Warrior Irrationality," she said, her voice gentle in the small space between them. "But keeping in mind an unfortunate feud between our packs certainly allows some room for worry upon our paths' crossing - respectively."

She realized how so very unfair her presence in this meeting was; how iced her lips, how bladed her words could become if ever a pin would drop, for her judgments upon those from whom her bias shrunk were harsh ones, and her petty need to defend the truth in what was taken from her too resilient. She realized that none could compare to him. She knew that her anger and sadness and terror stemmed from he and he alone, and yet, it was still all of them. They all held the potential. They all carried the plague. Of course, it wasn't true, and she knew that it was not, but to put the blame on simply a chance; a chance that but a single wolf could crush her, ruin her, as if for some skewered reason she was chosen to endure such pain, instead of on the world's entirety of evil was not something she could allow. She was not a vengeful creature, yes, but all once broken damsels still carry their flaws, albeit hidden under a fresh coat of porcelain paint. And so she stayed in an eternal cycle of sadness.

She turned to Azul as he spoke to her, lingering on the last traces of his voice that hung suspended in the air before she raised her eyes to his, grinning impossibly; shooting him a look of disapproval for bringing attention to her obvious fault in a way that only she could do with him. She remained in his embrace as she awaited Irrationality's explanation of his name's origin with a turned ear, happily offering her shoulder to the soft down of Azul's coat as winter continued its temper-tantrum, though on the air she happened to notice something...strange, something off. Something undoubtably Erenyx. At first she shrugged it off as the remnants of Irrationality's scent yet to be desensitized or the leftover trails of pack members gone astray, but eventually, it got stronger, and soon a chorus of chaotic thrashing accompanied it. Her eyes had grown wide, now, and they looked to Azul's with brimming terror, searching for a sign of comfort, of calm, of strength in his squared jaw, and then they found Irrationality, saddened and angry, a look that shouted 'BETRAYAL!' as if his silence had called the devil to them, as if whatever amount of trust she had placed in him within the past fleeting moments had rolled over and died, and she turned away. She assumed the worst; she assumed it was her father's killer come to bring her to him, and though, in another fluttering, happier moment, the thought of seeing her father again was one filled with an odd sort of joy, she was not finished with this world, and she focused on matching the rise and fall of Azul's breathing against her side. She quenched a shiver's hunger with a clenched fist into the snow as it dared to taste her spine, refusing to give him any further satisfaction in her death as she trembled, as her Alpha's body shielded her, and her nose pressed against the white of his arm as a slew of guttural snarls and growls entered the ring where the three wolves waited, and then he spoke. The monster shouted, his true voice masked by gritted teeth, but it was not his voice. It was not her monster. It was Steele. A rush of breath escaped her lips, and slowly the weight against her chest diminished.

Thank the gods, she thought. Thank the gods it is not him.

Her head shot up in sudden anger, ears flat against her head as she peeked from Azul's gracious wall, eyes fiery and boring into the ebony pelt of the Erenyx Alpha with enough hate to bring black to the edges of her vision. "What we do in peaceful lands is none of your concern, Alpha Steele. You do not bring your reign with you here."

even before Azul saw the creature, he knew exactly which wolf the growls and snarls belonged to. He had spent so much time around Steele, he could tell his scent and sounds with his eyes closed. It was hard to forget something like that. The brute had tried to kill his closest friend, aside from Lucy, and who knows what else he did in the pack. He could have spilled a venom into the ears of some, encouraging them to leave home. But that was history now. What was important was the now. The three Alphas were in close proximity to one another. Azul tensed his large muscles as the serpent drew closer to his warrior. As the black shade stood beside the warrior, Azul pried his eyes from Irrationality and glared at the midnight brute. "What do you want Steele? We were just enjoying a nice conversation with your warrior here, nothing to see, so why don't you move on along before this peaceful environment gets ruined by your filth." After the words had slipped from his clenched teeth, Azul wondered where they had come from. This was the first time he had seen Steele since he fled their lands. Perhaps that was where this angered jabs towards Steele were coming from. He sat tight against Lucy, letter her know he was here for her. But she seemed to be angered by the brute just as much, if not more than he was. His golden hues glared at the male, staring intently as he snarled. when the male spoke, he looked to him. The pair would not be prying the male from Erenyx. That was not going to happen today. Perhaps another time.