In need of shelter [Border Post]

The thick icy blanket of perfectly white snow was soothing for his cut and aching pads. A sprinkle of the stuff had settled on the rusty brute's back and was starting to melt in though he hardly seemed to notice as he continued to limp along- his right foreleg seeming to be a bit of a problem to him. Seconds would tick by slowly in the still forest when the male would stop and let his deep amber orbs drift upwards until they were facing the sky which was currently an icy blue, looking crisp and cold but at least it meant a break in the snow until the thick, heavy white clouds would roll in with their next batch of the Winter's harsh gift. The eyes would return to the trail ahead of them and visible uncertainty would flicker in them briefly before the male seemed to push it away before continuing on slowly. Images flashed at the back of his mind of a giant grizzly coming down on him and his father and his deep amber gaze gaze would be hidden from view for a few moments as he'd squeeze his creamy eyelids shut and grit his pearly white fangs. However amongst the sudden chaos that had formed in his mind- the last words of his dying father stuck to him like a fly stuck to a web and amongst the roaring mess of his mind they seemed to echo calmly around the edge. "G-go now son...you must get away.... At the time Twelve had tried to let out a cry of protest however his father had brushed it away without hesitation before continuing on "There's two packs not too far from here...probably just a day or two's journey. But you have got to make sure that you....that you turn up on the right b-border... By this time Twelve had been shocked into an unsteady silence, he remembered his surprise at what his dad wanted, for him to join a...pack? However his attention had instantly snapped back to his father as the male continued to speak, pausing more frequently as he struggled to get air all the way to his battered lungs "The one you must....y-you must join is H..Helidos but Twelve, whatever you do..do not end up on the wrong border..those bastards from Erenyx will just tear you apart.." Twelve had leaped to his paws despite his weakened, pained state and nudged his father frantically- asking how he'd know which border belonged to Helidos, how he knew of these packs, and which directions to take? But the light by then had already died from the old male who had cared for him for the past year and all he could do was let out a long mournful howl....Twelve now bit his tongue harshly, the fresh pain brining him back to reality and the metallic taste of blood swirled about in his mouth for a few moments before he spat it out in a wet sticky mess and continued on slowly.

The memories of that day were foggy and loud and chaotic and didn't make any sense apart from that one part where his father told him where to go before letting death claim him and take him who knows where. That part of the day was as clear as day and he could remember every tiny detail about it. Luckily he had managed to get information from certain loners, the information getting better the closer he got to the land inhabited by Helidos and Erenyx. Supposedly he was going in the right direction for Helidos but nerves and fear still raced up and down his spine, the last loner he had met had directed him this way and he had hoped to find another one who knew of the packs to ask the same thing and see if it directed him this way too to make sure it wasn't just some cruel joke but he'd come across no one else in the frozen forests. Now what a state he must look, blood still oozed from wounds dotted about his body and old dried blood that was his, his fathers and probably a bit of the grizzly's as well, was stuck and matted in his thick fur. His right ear was torn slightly and felt like fire as it burned and stung and his right forepaw was thankfully not broken or dislocated but the muscles had been stretched slightly and it had turned crimson in colour. When he had first been told to find Helidos, the male had feared that his injury was more severe and that he was crippled- the pack would never accept him then. But after closer inspection, it had turned out to be something that would heal itself and would not take too long to do so either.

Soon scents would invade the male's numb, black leathery nose and he would stop- feeling the nerves and fear reach a breaking point. He was at the border. but Twelve, whatever you do..do not end up on the wrong border.."those bastards from Erenyx will just tear you apart.." the words echoed about in his mind harshly and Twelve swallowed nervously, pawing at the icy cold snow absentmindedly as he stood there for a few moments, the icy wind cutting through his fur relentlessly. He had to give it a try...there was no point in just standing there, with a swallow and a deep breath that almost stung his lungs as the icy air rushed down towards them- the male threw back his head and let a low, powerful howl drift from his maw and climb higher and higher towards the blue icy sky. His head then dropped back to its normal position and the wolf shuffled his paws nervously. What was done was done, he really should be cleaning himself up but he felt like he deserved these wounds, deserved them for being a coward and letting his father die for him so the wolf ignored the multiple wounds the continued to leak with pain and instead just stated softly "Please oh please tell me this is Helidos..."

(Hey Twelve, sorry for your wait and thank you for your patience. I will reply to this as soon as possible, most likely within a few hours)

[Aye, it's no problem. Take your time~]

It was just another day keeping occupied, doing his duties to help his pack. After everything that had happened, life still moved on. Time wasn't going to reverse. There was no going back or pausing the present, he could only move forward. His tail swung loosely from his rump as his steady paws paced onwards, taking the familiar trails around the territory perimeters. Nostrils flaring, every breath brought multiple fascinating smells to his senses that allowed him to see more of the world around him than his eyes or ears ever could. With each flare tendrils of clear smoke leaked from his nose and into the air. The hard ground crackled quietly beneath his pads, the snow having frozen solid with the intense chill. This Winter was a long and difficult one as there had been a series of snowstorms and extreme temperatures. The elite was currently well-fed with a mostly full stomach, though the difficulty of moving through deep areas of snow and the migration of prey still took a toll on his body, he was growing gradually thinner. The wolves had to work that much harder to eat and with less food to sustain themselves with the energy required for the extra effort. However food was not on his mind at the moment, but rather how many loners there must be starving and alone without a pack to work together and help pull them through this harsh season. Perhaps it was nature's test to weed out the weak and prove who was the strongest and smartest to realise that anyone's best chance of survival was with a group of other's to support you. Yet still, some were actually searching for a pack of their own simply without much luck, and that was why Eclipse was on the lookout to scout the edge of Helidos for any such wolf. He knew how disheartening it was to try at something for so long and keep failing, and even just to glimpse another wolf after so long of being alone made all the difference. Sometimes it struck a little bit of fear or excitement, but almost always there was a little bit of hope.

Eventually the dark male slowed to a quick walk, still scanning the terrain but beginning to feel like today was not a day to find a lone wolf. He paused for a moment to shake out his pelt, throwing off the bits of chipped ice and debris that had collected and simultaneously fluffing up his coat to keep him warm. As he finished thrashing his fur from left to right, he froze suddenly. A howl rung out loud and clear, masculine and one he did not recognise. He began to trot on again at a more hurried pace, using his senses now as well as the direction the voice had come from to guide him to the location of a young male. Once the multicolored brute was in sight the older brute slowed down and curled his tail, keeping his head high to show his status as a wolf of the pack beyond this border. It didn't take long to notice the brute was beaten and bleeding in parts, and quite frankly was a mess. The view was a sore one to behold, Eclipse's golden eyes softening slightly with concern for the wolf. Even if the unknown wolf was not seeking acceptance he would offer some sort of healing assistance once their conversation was done, should the male not be of an aggressive or challenging type. But formalities were first. "Greetings, brute. I am Eclipse, an Elite, or guardian as you may know it, of the Helidos pack." He bowed his head briefly after the introduction as a greeting, his ears twitching slightly with the sounds of the surroundings. Then he continued with a lighter tone as he did sympathise for this wolf. "As you must know, you are on our borders. So tell me, who are you and what is it that brings you here?" He remained stood, tail still hovering high as he eagerly awaited the reply.

Visions were becoming fuzzy for the multicolored brute and pain would just turn to a weird, fuzzy numbing sensation. This was dangerous. Unconsciousness was dangerous. Was it the blood loss? Infection? Just pure pain? Exhaustion settled itself deep inside the male and he felt as if he were clinging on to life- clinging on to the tendrils of life that stood out in the darkness his mind held. However some other emotion battled it, fear. It lay at the pit of his stomach in a pool of icy coolness- and broken up thoughts still managed to flicker through his mind. Nothing was fatal yet, right? In fact, he hadn't thought that any of his injures were fatal at all, maybe it was just pure exhaustion making him want to lie down and sleep forever? Yet fear battled on, keeping him awake and as alert as possible as he tried to comfort himself and the fearful questions that were hurtling themselves through his mind painfully. What if it was Erenyx? He'd never make it out alive in this state- and even at his strongest, chances of making it out alive would be well...not very good you could say. And what if they thought he was crippled and not worth it. What if they thought he would die anyway and to not bother wasting their herbs on him. No! He would grit his pearly white fangs and clutch at the ground with curved claws as if letting go would mean immediate death. There was nothing serious about these wounds, there was just a lot of them. If he got the herbs he needed and rest and food, possibly even water- he'd be fine. Fear would still flicker through him like a flame and his flickering amber gaze would dart from side to side nervously, feeling almost as if everything was in slow motion.

Snow had settled along his spine in a flaky white coat but the male didn't seem effected though his body protested through continuous shivers and such. The wet, icy substance had completely covered all four of his paws and when the time came for him to move- wether it was in a vain attempt to get away or a desperate movement of hope towards what might save his life- he would leave behind four deep pawprints that would take a fair amount of time to fill. Ears would perk forward from where they had been resting flat against his skull and his black leathery nose which had grown numb with the cold would twitch as the scent of a wolf hit him full on. Someone had heard his call and he was about to find out if this was a good thing of a terribly bad thing. Nerves shot through him. Maybe if he started to move away now he could get away in time....Yet the telltale noise of crunching snow would grow louder and a black form would appear from the darkness of the trees to stand there- looking odd and dark amongst the sparkling whites surrounding him. The black pelted brute would then move towards the injured loner and Twelve would curl his tail beneath him submissively, crouching low so that the snow instantly clung to his thick stomach fur and a few curious blades of grass would tickle his chin from where they peeked from a part where the snow thinned for a couple of inches before returning to its thick never-ending self.

Helidos... As soon as the word had left the other brute's mouth, Twelve felt his shoulders sag slightly with relief. So it had been the truth. This was Helidos. Deciding to trust that this was not a lie, he could detect...sympathy maybe? In the depths of this wolves bright golden eyes and he really doubted that them Erenyx wolves who would tear him apart would hold such emotions. "I-I'm T-" He broke off, angry at how thin and weak his voice sounded and the wolf would clear his throat- trying to do so as unnoticeably as possible which was not a very easy task before continuing on; his voice seeming a little stronger and surer now, he definitely did not want this wolf to rank him an Omega and he had to prove that he was better then that. Keeping his body close to the ground he spoke up "I'm Twelve sir, pleasure to meet you" At this he'd give a respectful dip of his head before continuing on "I suppose I'm here in hope of joining your pack" He muttered before looking away with slight embarrassment. Oh what a site must he look, would this wolf even want him at all- he wouldn't blame it if it didn't.

The submission that was shown to him was good to see. It showed that the wolf knew to be respectful and was not a threat, which was pleasing. But the way he acted, seeming quite fearful, made Eclipse arch a furry brow and cock his head slightly. Perhaps it was just that due to his weakened state, the other brute wanted to make it clear he had no ill purpose to be here, as he was desperate to not sustain any further injury. Obviously the wolf of creams, greys and browns did not know what sort of wolf he was talking to, as the dark male, although he may appear sinister in color, would not wish to hurt someone without cause, especially someone so respectful and frail. With the bleeding the male was pouring out he was in a vulnerable situation. However, while the Elite was around he would be safe, and he would be sure to make this encounter as brief as possible so that the loner could be looked over by a healer. Once the male had registered his words however he seemed to relax considerably, particularly after him mentioning his rank and the pack which he belonged to. Ah. It made sense now. The loners in these parts could not always be sure which border they had stumbled upon; whether the one believed to be the land for canines to flourish and prosper governed by a fair leader or the one infested with vile, power hungry evildoers who would not think twice for killing or harming one who had put a paw wrong. But as one who was accustomed to the Erenyx stench, Eclipse could identify such sinners from a mile away. Perhaps the smell was not so obvious to a wolf who was lucky to not have smelled true badness before, as the smell was not attractive at all, much like flesh that had gone rotten. Understandably this brute would not want to pay a visit to them. They would have torn him to pieces, at least verbally, or chased him away. The deep chestnut pelted male still had yet to see or hear of a case where an Erenyx wolf had acted maliciously towards another, particularly a stranger, despite the rumors of their pack.

Relaxing, he let his shoulders roll back and dropped his tail so that it was extended out behind him but did not breach the level of his back. Now that the other had been determined as not a danger and was in no form to put up a fight, the Elite could afford to be less dominant and bearing over the wounded male. His ears were perked as the other began to talk, stuttering for a moment before gathering his confidence and more certainty in his voice. He smirked gently, glad to see the male putting an effort into showing his true qualities and proving he was a good wolf to accept. Weakness was not an admirable thing for one wishing to join a pack, unless they wished for the role of an omega. The Helidos brute listened as his questions were answered by the other male, focusing on his words and pushing aside the fact that the brute was injured and probably in pain. He had made it this far, surely he could hold on for a few more moments. When he had finished, Eclipse spoke up, making his voice clear. "I should say it is fortunate that you did meet me, judging by the looks of you. You are going to need some mending by our healers." His nose twitched at the smell of the scarlet liquid on the tawny pelt, which made him slightly uncomfortable as the scent of blood from his own kind was not a scent to be desired, but rather to incite fear for something dangerous that had happened. Still, he remained calm, noticing the other seemed ashamed or embarrassed. "You are but one bird amongst a flock, with the amount of wolves we receive that seek acceptance. Accepting you would seem foolish, to take on someone who is going to need a good bit of time to rest and recover which a healthy wolf would spend being productive. However, it is against my moral values and what I imagine would also be true for my Alphess to turn away a wolf who has posed me no problems and is in need of help." Black lips flashed a quick smile before his face faded back to his tranquil and open expression. He paused to let the words sink in and take a breath, shuffling his paws which were getting a bit numb with being motionless in the snow. The words were honest and meant to reassure him that as of yet, he was not gong to be declined an opportunity to join Helidos. "So, Twelve. In order to join, you must be placed in a rank. In order to place you in a rank, I must know your skills and preferably anything that has happened in your life which evidences what you're good at, or not so good at. Also I think it would be wise if you told me what happened to you that got you in this state." He indicated the rogue's wounds with a quick glance. "If that's not too much to ask." Snow settled on him, dressing him with a white cloak and making him gradually fade away, to become more difficult to spot with the white surroundings. It was as if he appeared to be a demon disguised as an angel, the pure flakes hiding something much darker. Though he was no demon, just a troubled soul that could spiral into moments of melancholy and helplessness, but what was one supposed to feel when they had lost all dear to them? Right now his focus was on the poor brute, hoping for both their sakes that whatever had hurt the wolf did not intend on pursuing him and finishing him off at a later date. It would be interesting at the least to learn more about the male.

He would shift his weight slightly as shivers rippled up and down his spine, the ground was cold and wet due to Winter's gift and he was certain that he could feel the cold beginning to seep into his battered body and climb up through the depths of his bones. Shutting his eyes so that his deep amber orbs were hidden momentarily by a pair of thick creamy eyelids, the multicolored brute would fight the urge to let himself give in to the tantalizing thick curtain of black that coated his thoughts causing them to be slightly sluggish and blurry- darn he was tired. However he would shake his head causing sharp pains to shoot through it and keep him as alert as possible, if he could get himself accepted into his pack then maybe he would be able to find himself a den and just curl up and sleep.....

As the dark pelted brute spoke once again, the words would sound overly loud in Twelve's perked ears and for a moment the male would pin the two creamy ears flat against his skull before forcing them to resume their perked position and narrow his eyes with forced concentration. At least even in his slightly dull state the wolf could tell that this other male's position was relaxed and did not suggest in anyway that he was going to be a threat or that he felt threatened. Well if the dark pelted creature before him felt threatened by this helpless battered thing then he wouldn't really know how long this pack would last. As the wolf's position became more relaxed- Twelve chanced sitting back up, pushing his upper body up from the bitterly cold ground with weak forelegs and forced himself to sit up with as much dignity as one as battered as himself could hold. He may be injured however that did not mean he had to act weak and despite the screaming of his burning muscles- the position was better and helped keep him focused on the conversation.

Twitching his ears at the other's words- Twelve merely nodded. There was no point in denying it any longer, he was in need of help from a healer to help with these wounds and maybe give him a poppy seed once they were finished to help him sleep? That would be nice. Clearing his throat- he spoke up this time managing to keep his words steady even if they were slightly hoarser and softer then usual though the wolf had never had a very deep or loud voice to begin with "Yes you are quite right sir, I will not deny that I will need help to recover fully." the words were simple and true, he had the feeling that this pack was large and successful and if most were in anyway like this male then it was a pack to be respected and he hoped more then ever that if they gave him the chance to fully heal that he could help serve these wolves forever more. The next words would be responded to with yet another nod despite the small nerves that shot through him. The wolf- Eclipse had assured him that he would not be turned away in this state but he wanted more. He wanted to be able to prove himself a worthy member of this pack- he may not be much help now but once he was fully healed he would put twice as much effort and work into everything he did to make up for it. A small frown formed on his maw- he should really be saying some of this aloud. However for now he kept silent and just listened as the wolf continued to speak- amber eyes showing nothing but respect and gratitude.

A shiver passed over him and this time it was not just because of the cold. Memories passed through him in a chaotic frenzy and he would have to take a deep breath to steady himself. He would not break down in front of this male no matter how kind he appeared to be. As for his rank? He had this one decided already. After a few more moments of almost suffocating silence as even the forest surrounding them seemed to hold its breath- the battered multicolored brute spoke. "My whole life was spent training to be a warrior however it never seemed to work out properly for me, something always felt off or not right. It was not until I discovered the magic of herbs and healing did I realize that being a warrior was not the path I wanted to take but that life of a healer. I did not want to be the one out doing the killing and injuring, I used to think that was the only way I could serve my pack but then I realized that I could serve my pack just as well by healing those that came back injured so that we could have more fighters to defend the territory. Of course, things didn't work out the right way. Our pack was invaded- destroyed. It does not really matter what happened just after that but it was just me and my father. We wandered about from place to place, he trained me to fight even though I had pretty much fallen in love with the idea of being a healer. It all seemed okay again even if my siblings and mother were gone...but then the bear came....it left my father dead and me like this. If it weren't for my father I'd be dead....he saved me but I couldn't save him..." he turned away, once again feeling the familiar and terrible pang of guilt eating away at him from the inside. "As for the bear, don't worry, it isn't following me or I'd be long dead." A sigh would leave his maw followed by a soft groan as he tried to stand- however he succeeded and stood there shakily for a few moments before flicking the snow from his ears and observing the Elite with soft almost wary eyes.

[Sorry for taking so long to reply! Been busy.]

Golden eyes scanned the treeline, observing how the snow dripped from some of the branches as the wind stirred them and looking out for anything else that moved, simultaneously paying attention to the words flowing from the other brute’s maw. The forest was so silent at this time of year and Eclipse found himself missing the birdsong and the fluttering of dying leaves in the Fall. Winter was just… well, it was dead. Everything was still but the wind, but it was of course in these moments that things could sneak up on you. Wolves could become all too comforted by the thought that most predators were hibernating and that was when their awareness of the surroundings switched off. As a pup Eclipse had been the same, but he was wiser now and didn’t have his parents to protect him, only himself. At this point the Elite still hadn’t heard the part about how Twelve had received his injuries, so he was still alert for anything dangerous that may have followed, but mostly he had kept he eyesight away from the male seeking acceptance so as to not intimidate him whilst he spoke about his past, as it could be a difficult thing to do. All the while the older male was bearing in mind that the multicolored brute needed to be accepted quickly before he became too weakened by the cold and blood loss to the point where he passed out or couldn’t find energy to walk; Eclipse didn’t really want to have to carry the wolf all the way from the border to the camp clearing. By this point the Elite was quite certain that Twelve was fit enough to be accepted, so long as he wasn’t placed as a warrior since fighting didn’t seem to be his forte. He seemed to have the qualities of a Helidos wolf and he had survived whatever ordeal that had wounded him, that was evidence enough of a worthy wolf. The fact that the male enjoyed herbs and healing was good since not many came along and wanted that position. It was a very useful job, one often underestimated and sometimes overlooked. Eclipse had a soft spot for healers, as his mate had opened up his eyes to all the wonders they did. 'Another healer would be good. We lost one this year…' He thought to himself, blinking hard as he tried not to play back the moment when his beloved had killed herself. He had to be resilient and keep those thoughts tucked away, perhaps restricted to only times of solitude, no matter how much the loss still had him feeling empty inside.

He continued listening, mostly indifferent to what was being said. It was not that he didn’t care, but that when one was in a position of authority and granting acceptance they shouldn’t allow their sympathy or emotions show too much. It was not good at a first meeting to get too friendly as it suggested respect to superiors was not important and that was not a good impression for the brute to have. Friendship would be nice to have eventually once he was in a rank and they could talk and get to know each other as packmates. As Twelve explained the incident with the bear and how his father died trying to save him the dark brute glanced back to the young male then, his gold eyes calmly watching as he knew he must feel ashamed, guilty and probably angry at himself. It must have been a distressing time for him and he’d had to withstand his self-hatred all on his own. Eclipse had been through the exact same, but due to the loss of a loved one in a very different way. Empathy tugged at his heart to say or do something to reassure him, but his brain commanded him to just accept him now and get him into the safety of the pack. As the wolf stood and looked to him, he nodded slowly and kept his expression gentle. “Very well, Twelve. If you can swear yourself to Alphess Quinn and the rest of Helidos that you will serve to the best of your ability as a loyal member of Helidos I will be more than willing to accept you. You will be known as Healer Twelve from here onward. For now I will take you to the healer’s den so you can rest and get the help you need, and also get to see where you will be working. If it is too difficult or painful to walk you may lean on me for support. And should you need a den but not have the strength yet to make one, you can stay in mine for as long as you need to. I don’t use it much anyway” He was trying to offer as much help as he could in this harsh season. Turning slightly towards the direction of the packlands, he glanced back to check that Twelve was ready to follow before leading the way.

[Sorry for the delay. School has me busy these days. You don't have to reply. You may change your name to Healer Twelve]

» Border Post - Twist
» The Lucky One (Border Post)
» The Impossible Dream (Border Post)
» When Life Consumes You (Border Post)
» Downward Descending [Border Post]

In need of shelter [Border Post]

In need of shelter [Border Post]

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