Every muscle beneath his dark coat ached, and he savored the sweet feeling of warmth that pumped through his growing body.  He could hear the blood pumping in his ears over the chorus of crickets in the surrounding forest. Overhead, a waning crescent moon decorated an autumn evening studded with countless stars.  As Apollo paused to catch his breath, his tongue lolling from his parted maw, he glanced upward to the starry night sky.  How long had he been running?  It felt like hours, if his screaming muscles were any indication.  But Apollo loved it.  He lived for the satisfied feeling of exhaustion after a day of training.  That night, he had taken it upon himself to run, to get in just a little more exercise before he retired to the pack.  He knew they would be expecting him, maybe even looking for him, though he hoped they trusted him enough to wander away for just a little while.  It was in his nature to return, always. He was young, restless, but deeply loyal to his kin and his pack.

He wouldn’t allow himself to rest quite yet, of course.  Apollo knew it would be a long trek before he reached his family again, along with the rest of his beloved pack.  He knew Athena would be there, as well, and though his night had been rather uneventful, he couldn’t wait to share every moment of it with his closest friend.  His bright emerald eyes seemed to shine through the darkness as his paws bounced off the familiar, worn path, giving the wolf an eerie appearance to any who did not know him.  Those who were acquainted with the male knew he was harmless and held no ill will towards any of the Helidos pack.

Apollo had a little more growing to do before he would rival the size of his impressive sire, Marrok.  While his coat nearly mirrored his mother, Juno (who he adored, as all good sons should), it was his father that he looked up to, wanted to be like.   Though young, Apollo carried himself with an air of dignity befitting the son of the beta couple of the Helidos pack, with his onyx colored head held high, his chest puffed out proudly, shoulders broad and strong.  Of course, he would appear a little less proud if one of the older wolves were to see him, but since no one was looking, what harm could it do?

His pace accelerated unconsciously until Apollo was running once more, his nostrils flared, searching ahead of his eyesight for his pack.  The cold fall air was crisp and invigorating, and the wolf closed his bright emerald eyes as he ran down the trail, relishing the feel of wind in his dark fur.... Until he tripped over his own massive paws.  In a split second, he lost his balance, and Apollo toppled head over paws.  He tumbled a few feet before he landed in a sitting position, dazed by his unexpected trip and sputtering a mouthful of dirt.

Ryland had awoken from her slumber in the caretakers' den early, taking careful notice to avoid rousing any other wolves as she slipped out and away, swiftly trotting away from camp. Her official destination had been Amor Glade, her path diverted by the scent of a plump rabbit, readying itself for winter. The young she-wolf had silently appeared behind the prey, a feral smile curving her jowls as she crouched. Her spring had been a mere second to late, allowing the quick prey a chance of outrunning her. Her paws trampled the earth, speeding after the escaping hare, tongue lolling. The rabbit had jumped down a rabbit hole, too small for Ryland to fit any more than her head in. Now, after the sun at set, Ryland ran through Eden's hollow, the wind from her speed lashing her fur. She slowed her pace, sniffing for prey, beautiful orbs sliding across the ground. Although she was a caretaker apprentice, she felt obligated to help out with catching prey before the winter snows arrived, and prey diminished drastically. Her ear flicked at the noises of the nighttime creatures,  emerald hues observing her surroundings closely. She slowed her walk, her thoughts drifting. She loved making wolves laugh, and helping out, but she also loved the freedom of being a hunter or warrior. She loved running in the fields, the wind whipping her fur, touching her flesh. 'how to choose..' She stopped, standing in direct moonlight, the wild ruffling her fur. 'I guess it gies how it goes..' she mused silently, but was snapped from her thoughts when she heard running paw steps, and scented a very familiar wolf. She gave a quiet bark of greeting, moving towards the source of the sounds, when she heard a crash, and without warning, her brother was in view, tumbling head over heels down the hill. She yelped, taking a few steps back as she realized she was directly in his path. She jumped away in a quick bound, watching with curiosity as he rolled to a stop near her. Her beautiful emerald optics sparkled in amusement, as she looked down at her momentarily stunned brother. "What are you doing? What happened?" She asked, involuntarily giggling at his tumble, her emerald eyes locking on his. "You're out training, this late? You really work hard.." She glanced at him, before moving closer to help him up. "I guess I need to decide what to do too.." She said more to herself, gently tugging on his scruff, trying to snap him back to his senses. She wagged her tail, head tilted, one ear down. She stepped back, awaiting what he would say in return. She gave another soft bark. "Oh, and hello." She grinned down at him goofily, hoping he wasn't hurt. 'I guess that should have been my first question, but oh well..' She mused, still smiling.