Discovering the Woodland . . .

[Unalaq]

As Unalaq trekked through the trees, entering into darkness, he became aware of how close everything felt and how suddenly small he seemed. He didn’t like it; it reminded him of being stuck in human hands, of cages and crates. His pulse pounded in his ears as he heart rate picked up and he habitually bowed his head, shifting his eyes back and forth to get a clear visual all around him. Going back this way reminded him of the land he seen; actually, he had crossed two territories. One that was bordering this one (it had a lake in it, but he wasn’t all to keen for big bodies of water) and the other . . . the other stirred feelings of edginess in him. The repugnant scent of death had been strong there. He did not wish to return.

He skirted to the side some when a bird flew over his head. He grunted and kept moving.

Frequently, he sighed and looked back over his shoulder, keeping a close eye on his Beta. No matter how much resentment she might now feel towards him, he wouldn’t let it impair his judgment. He liked her, regardless. She could take a bite and keep on fighting. He almost felt guilty for making her so upset.

Almost.

“If my fine sense of smell does not mistake me,” he said, pausing with one paw on a dense log. “We have reached some of the main den area.”

He turned to look at her to see if she had any comment, finding her bone chilling gaze rather unpleasant.

Unalaq jumped back from the log and sniffed around, pawing at the snow until he found an opening. He poked his head inside, finding the dug out area underneath roomy and, for the most part, clear. He sniffed around a bit more, but in the air, before he back out and then trotted around to some of the other areas.

“So what say you, Larka? Does my Beta agree that this is considerable safe to settle in for the night?”

[Larka]

Larka's eyes narrowed as he kept looking back at her, was he sorry? No, she could smell it, he didn't really care. She held back laughter as he was spooked by a bird, didn't he know that birds spooked as easily as he did.

She watched him walk around the place, keeping her bone chilling gaze on him. Their eyes met once, but he turn quickly, seemingly in slight fear.

She ignored his question, sniffing around untill she found a rather large opening. She squeezed through it, the narrow dirt walls closed in on her. Soon it opened into a rather large den that could fit about two full grown wolves and three puppies.

Larka squeezed back out of the den, Unalaq's gaze probing for a answer. Her snow white fur had turned brown, but she made no attempt to clean it off.

"It seems stable." Was her only answer until his gaze became to much for her. "We WILL sleep here tonight." she growled, the Alphess in her once again comming out and this time she made no attempt to push is back down.

Larka turned around and squeezed once more through the tunnel, curling up as far away from Unalaq as phyisicaly possible once he entered the den. The lonley feeling she had had when traveling had returned when no other wolfs fur touched hers.

A strong wind blew into the tunnel, making her shiver violently. The wind continued, as did the shaking. She knew falling asleep would be impossible without the extra warmth of another wolf. Larka sighed, wishing that she could once again be curled up beside Thor, or at least that Unalaq loved her back.

[Unalaq]

He allowed her to go first, his eyes showing a sign of amusement, though he remained stoic and calm. Her curt answer, sharp as it was, was enough for him. It bugged him how she wasn’t able to let her inner alphess go, however, and this was going to have to change. If he let her remain this way, his pack might think less of them, assuming that it would grow in the future, and he couldn’t have that confusion. It would only weaken things. The fact that her tone was demanding could only end up getting her demoted, he assumed. But there would be time to talk about that later.

Instead, he silently followed her in, taking up the other end, curling up with his back to her. He simply laid there in silence, breathing slowly. For all it was worth, he might appear asleep, but his mind was moving much too quickly for sleep. He stared at the den wall for a while, his body still even as the cold air rushed in. It didn’t bother him to much down here; his arctic blood gave him the pelt of one that could survive a harsh northern climate. It made him wonder how he might fare in the spring and summer months here; where he came from, it had never gotten very warm. But he was farther south now, and he wondered how much that would change.

After a few hours he took to a hypnotic licking of his paw, clearing it of blood and dirt, until the limb felt warm and numb. He raised his head to the silence, blinking. He sighed and tried to hear if Larka was awake. What he really needed was some time to himself. He couldn’t hear anything so he couldn’t tell if she were sleeping or not. Slowly, he got to his feet, waking softly across the earthen floor. He leapt up into the entrance and disappeared quickly, trotting across the snow. He didn’t know where he was going, just that he was. He needed to clear his head.

Unalaq found himself following a rocky ridgeline, slick with ice and snow, and it ended on top of an outlook. He paused, glancing down at the steep drop at his paws, then his gaze traveled to the landscape before him and he took a daring step forward.

He could see the entire moorland from here, the frosted grounds, nearly lifeless. He flicked his ears back and carefully sat, overlooking all that was his. A new emotion washed over him with the new breeze; with it came the scent of fresh snow and faintly, the scent of others. His eyes were for the mountain though, as it rose so far away in a white, glistening glory. What was so special about it? He wanted to know. He needed to. Dropping his gaze to what was his territory, he studied every nook and cranny he could, familiarizing himself the scent of the land, the look and feel of the earth.

He shivered a little and pointed his nose to the sky.

His emotion poured through now and he didn’t stop them. His head bound so that his muzzle was pressed against his chest, tears leaking down his maw, dripping into the snow. It was hard to untangle the past and then try and sort out the future. None of it made sense . . . but he wanted this. To become Alpha was to mark himself a new wolf, one that could withstand that hardships of whatever was brought to him. He would defend his pack, treat it as a family he never had, and forever be loyal to it.

He didn’t know what would happen if that was torn away again. He had already given up half his heart, after all.

“Sakari,” he whispered in the night air. He was alone up here. He couldn’t even see the dens. “Lovely vixen. Have I betrayed you? Have I done you such a great wrong that you continue to haunt my thoughts? The life you bore had not even had a chance to breathe the air of their homeland . . . and it’s because of me . . .”

Unalaq stood up, his body surrendering it seemed to the cold and the ice. His head was bowed to the wind and his eyes stung. He shivered and looked up, facing the sky.

“I couldn’t save you. I didn’t even have the chance . . . my revenge wasn’t enough . . . it didn’t bring you back. Lovely . . . I’m sorry . . . I’m so sorry . . . I grow sick with misery some nights, I’m sure you know. I’m sure you’ve seen . . .”

He shook his head and glanced behind him, as though expecting her to walk up behind him. He sighed again and closed his eyes. This was ridiculous. He needed to think about his pack, and what he was going to do with Larka.

Well, at least he felt more stable now. He was not apt to snap at her now . . . he hoped.

He jumped slightly when heard a small squeal behind him and he turned quickly, trotting down the slope, slipping slightly on the rocks as he tried to find the source of the sound. Then he saw and the inner sense to chase coursed through his blood.

A fox had cornered a large rabbit; an amazing, perfect meal opportunity. Already it had a dead one at its side; this one was cornered against some large rocks. If he planned this carefully, he could take the larger one easily and let the fox have the other. The rabbit already seemed to have an injured hind foot. With a nasty snarl, he leapt forward, snapping at the fox (who grabbed his other meal and bolted) and caught the rabbit just as it tried to leap away. It struggled in his mouth for a second before he delivered the final death snap that made it go limp. He glanced up to see the fox staring at him hopefully, bushy tail raised interestedly. He snarled again and the fox turned tail and fled; they hardly ever messed with a wolf. Satisfied, he turned slowly and trotted back to the dens.

He slowed to a walk as he came near the one he knew Larka was in, or had been at least. He had no idea if she was awake or asleep but he didn’t care. He clambered into the den and stood above her, ever domineering, his gaze hard again. When he dropped the rabbit in front of her face, it was not quietly. It would wake her should she be asleep.

“A meal,” he said stiffly. “For my Beta. Enjoy.”

He turned and dropped down into his corner again, back to her, licking his paw. Dirt rose about him and he shook his fur. He sighed and flicked his arms behind him to hear better.

“You slept well, I hope?”

[Larka]

Larka watched Unalaq leave and pain flooded through her. Was she really that unplesant? She jumped up and bolted out of the den, hoping to find him but Unalaq was already gone.

She sighed and looked up at the mountains, their strong stable outline giving her new hope and strength. Larka jumped up on a log and sat, keeping watch for Unalaq.Larka waited for quite sometime, thinking the whole while.

What would she do if he'd really left? She looked towards the sky, "Thor, I will always love you. But I have been trying to move on, is that such a bad thing? Why does Unalaq hold on to her so? She could never come back, does he not understand that? Or is that why he doesn't want to move on?" she asked the unanswering sky.

A fox bolted by with a rabbit, she ran at it growling in fury. This was her home and no foxes were alowed. Larka heard Unalaq comming through the trees and bolted back into the den, laying back where she had been.

A could of dust rose when a large rabbit fell in front of her. "Thank you Unalaq and no I have not. Sleep hasn't come at all tonight, it must be that darn wind." she growled, taking a bite out of the rabbit then shoving some towards him. "You must also eat."

[Unalaq]

He nodded to her as she thanked him, talking about the cold wind. She hadn’t been asleep then. She had known that he had left. He heaved himself to his feet, staring blankly at the rabbit that she offered him before walking past it to plop down in front of the den entrance, his body blocking most of the wind from entering.

“I’m sorry you didn’t sleep well . . . I wasn’t much into sleeping either, I’m sure you could tell.”

It didn’t bother him as much as it bothered her; his hide gave him a lot of protection from the elements. His skin was nearly calloused.

“I already hunted for myself,” he lied smoothly, nosing the rabbit back to her. After his confessions on his secret outlook, his hunger was not a number one priority. “I must say if we keep the foxes around here we’ll have easy meals if we plan our outings just right.”

He looked over his shoulder, to the outside where twilight was just touch the horizon. Daylight would come in several hours now. He wondered if it would bring anyone else to his new found terra. He turned back to Larka, studying her carefully.

“What lies south of here, past the Forest territory? I passed it on my way here . . . and the scent of death still lingers in my nose. I’ve never been so anxious to leave a place before. It struck me as just . . . odd . . . And I smelled life in the direction of the mountain. Who resides there? Do you know? Should I make allies with them?”

Something about the mountain terra drew him, but he wasn’t sure what . . .

[Larka]

Larka nodded her thanks to him as he blocked her from the wind. She grabbed the rest of the rabbit, knowing by his smell that he was indeed lying but wouldn't be eating anytime soon.

She looked quizically at him but though about his question. "To our east lies the Raven Wing Territory, that's where all loners are. To our east is a small Island called the Outlands, nobody knows if any live there yet." She looked at him for a response then continued.

" To our South is the River Wood Territories, they seem to take nothing seriously. To our North is the Sun Crest Territory, Those that reside in that pack are thought of as the Guardains of the Terrirories. They guard us from the pack to our Far South, the Blood Fang Pack, I trust you won't be going there for only the dark evil wolves dare to go there."

Larka waited for a quick response but seeing as she got none she replied to his earlier statement. "Yes I did see you leave, but if you don't mind my asking, what were you doing up there?" Sunlight began to stream slowly through the tunnel and made Unalaq's fur glow.

[Unalaq]

He watched unblinkingly as she took the rabbit back, and then took to licking his paw absentmindedly. He pricked his ears to say he was listening to her as she described the surrounding lands to him, remembering the names. River Wood interested him, but he hadn’t seen any wolves when he passed through it. He wondered how the two of them would fare when that pack formed . . . the Outlands sounded like a mystery to him. He didn’t know if he should fear or respect them . . . The Raven Wing lands were of little interest to him, unless it meant getting more pack mates. Blood Fang sounded . . . odd. Evil wolves? What could possibly make them so much darker than the rest of them? And what made those of Sun Crest so great as to be guardians for the rest? Were they a large pack?

He stopped licking his paw and glanced up at her again when she started speaking again, when he hadn’t responded. Where had he gone?

He sheepishly cast his eyes to the ground and contemplated what to say. In his mind he had gone so many places. In reality, just over the ridgeline that overlooked the moorland. It had become his sanctum, because it was a steep, rocky climb that only the sure footed could ever make, especially in the icy winter. He had hoped that it would be his secret place, a place he could escape too, but still be close to home. When Unalaq looked back to Larka, his green eyes caught the sun and blinked, slightly irritated. The sun was coming fast now.

“I went for a walk, to clear my head, just around the den areas.” It was true; he hadn’t wandered away from the dens. “You’ll excuse me for not telling you? I thought you were asleep; I didn’t want to wake you. As for what I was doing . . . trying to make peace, I guess. Trying to . . .”

Ask forgiveness . . .

He almost blew it.

“Trying to figure out how to structure the pack,” That had been partially true; planning on leading with one alpha. “And wondering why lay north of us. Of course, you answered that for me, now didn’t you?”

He shifted slightly and looked behind him again. "When the sun is higher, I’d like to head towards . . . what did you call the land? Sun Crest. I’d like to go there, and see these guardians you speak of. You may walk beside me if you desire. I would like to let them know that there is life on this moorland again.”

[Larka]

Larka watched him carefully as he spoke. She saw his akwardness and knew that there was something he wasn't telling her.

What bothered her more was that he wanted to go up to Suncrest. It was a long journey, and though she'd seen wolves there before she knew falling would be easy and fatal.

"Why on earth would you want to go up there? It's a lot colder than here for one thing and a lot more dangerous. One wrong move and your Fox food. The prey will be harder to catch and there's not alot of shelter on the way up." She growled

"Besides they can figure it out themsleves. They have four paws eyes and a brain." Larka tried to hide the worry in her voice, but she couldn't. Her voice cracked slightly with the emotion she was doing so well at surpressing.

Larka looked down at the finished rabbit and nudged it away, avoiding eye contact with Unalaq.

[Unalaq]

He couldn’t help but smile slightly at her concern. Well, at least they were still on talking terms . . . She confused him though. She spoke highly of the place, of the pack . . . why shouldn’t he try and meet them? He’d rather be on good terms with a supposed guardian. He turned to look out of the entrance again, sniffing the faint chill of the air, blinking in the oncoming sun . . .

“You misunderstand.” He said slowly. “I do not mean to go up the mountain; I simply mean to stop at the foothills and call out for a meeting at the border. On my trek around the territory, the scent of this land ended there. I assume that’s where their territory begins.”

He turned his head and regarded her with pride.

“Besides; this furry hide will not be “fox food” any time soon. I grew up in arctic regions. I have the paws of a mountain goat . . . if mountain goats had paws, that is. You’d be amazed at some of the things I can climb, trees excluded.”

He grinned at the joke, nosing the paw that had been bleeding. It was clearing up nicely now. He healed well from the cold.

“But, if you insist, I can go alone, have you watch the territory for me . . . or,” he raised an eyebrow, knowing full well that she would, for some reason, not like his next idea. “Or go see what lies south of us. I’ve never heard of an “evil” wolf, merely angry loners or possessive alphas. Perhaps we can reach an agreement, make a pact. Start over. I imagine they have a different alpha by now. Why not make peace between the lands? Surely their hate is not bred into them.”

He stood and then cringed as he banged his head against the top of the den, making dirt fall about him and Larka. Shaking the dirty from his fur, he glared above him.

“Okay,” he sighed. “For being so short, this den is much too small. First duty for springtime; we work on the dens.”

He stood, crouched, waiting for her answer . . . or argument. Which ever she threw at him.

[Larka]

Larka nodded..."Alright, a meeting at the Foothills...sounds ok to me." she said, laughing slightly at his answer.

"I'm sure you do, Unalaq...by the way, what's a mountain goat?" Larka had mnever been up IN the mountain therefore she'd never seen this "Mountain Goat" creature.

She looked at his paw, the wound had healed very well but still would open easily. She held back laughter at his slight unknowingness. He was in no condition to travel but Larka could see arguing yould do no good, so she yielded.

Before she had the chance to speack he spoke of making a pact with the Blood Fangs. Larka's head whipped towards him, eyes blazing and lip curled into a snarl.

"NO! They are evil, there is no getting past it. You will stay as far away as possible from the trechorus wolves! No pact will be made, EVER! Unless you would like to condem yourself, if so then count me OUT!" she snarled, voice fierce and full of emotion.

[Unalaq]

Unalaq grinned as she accepted the Foothills invitation, his tail swiftly wagging back and forth. He was anxious to meet these guardians she spoke of and see why they were so beloved. Just because they lived in a mountain? Jeeze, you’d think they had wings and a halo . . .

He chuckled a bit when she asked what a mountain goat was but answered her question.

“A bad tempered creature that is bloody hard to catch but has some of the best tasting meat I’ve ever had. Maybe, when it is warmer, I will ask permission to hunt on the mountain and we’ll share a goat. They aren’t very big, but their hooves are sharp and they know how to climb those steep rocky cliffs like no other. Rarely does one fall. Same with the mountain sheep . . . but the rams are a bigger pain, so I stick to the goats. The thick fur takes some getting used to, but other than that . . .” he licked his maw, realizing he was drooling. “Good eating, let me assure you! And so much better than dog food . . .”

He jumped when she snapped at him then, with a snarl, telling him about the Blood Fang pack again. Her anger quieted him again and his ears flicked back in surprise. Condemn himself? She would leave if he went?

“That bad?” he muttered out loud.

Seeing her in this much distress worried him, but at the same time it intrigued him. What could be so bad that it made her react like this?

“Alright,” he reassured her, trying lessen the wild, upset look in her eyes. “Alright, I won’t go to Blood Fang.”

At least . . . not now, and not with you knowing about it.

Whatever was there really seemed to frighten her, and he wanted to know why. He wanted to know why he should be frightened of that place as much he wanted to know why he should revere Sun Crest. All this was making him so confused . . .

Jeeze . . . what had he stepped into?

“I think the sun is warming,” he said softly, trying to redirect her attention. “Let’s see if it is warm enough to travel yet, hm?”

He placed one paw through the entrance, looking back to see if she had more to say to him.

[Larka]

Larka nodded and followed him outside. There she sat watching him prepare for the trip, she would probably be leading. Her family had travled the route only once before.

"Unalaq, do you know why I fear Blood Fang so? My whole family died under their claws. You see we lived in Raven Wing, over towards Blood Fang Territory and we lived a somewhat peacefull excistance until they for no reason but sport, attacked us. My father put me somewhere and they never found me." she said, voice cracking with emotion and wavering with fear.

Larka's claws dug into the ground as she thought back.

"When I finally found the corage to come out of my hiding spot, they were strewn across the ground. I don't want to see you like that Unalaq." she whispered the last part and looked up at him.

She wanted him to know she cared, though he couldn't ever tell how much she did.

[Unalaq]

Unalaq stretched in the snow, arching his rump into the air to stretch his back. He rolled around in the snow a little bit, pushing himself around with his hind paws . . . awe he loved the snow . . . he would miss it when it was gone. After he was done, he shook himself off and wiped a paw over his face. Yes . . . that felt good! A goofy smile spread over his maw as snow slid off his nose . . . and then he saw Larka.

His words had stirred a memory in her . . . he hadn’t meant to upset her.

Standing cautiously a few feet away, he cocked his head and listened intently, his eyes softening. Blood Fang must be a pretty big pack if he had killed her whole family. It made his stomach lurch a little and he glanced uneasily towards their direction before putting his full attention back on Larka. Well . . . no doubt he understood now. He saw the shift in the snow as her claws dug into the earth. Her last comment made him flick his ears back and eyed her sadly.

She had gone through a lot . . . and the look in her eyes when she said his name made him realize just how much of her world would be lost if he actually got into trouble in the pack. But he had to know; if he was going to be Alpha, he at least needed to scout the lands and know what he would be up against. He needed to know how to protect his pack. With a sigh, he approached tenderness in his green eyes.

He hesitated when he reached her, not sure what to say or how to react . . . finally, he arched his neck over hers, pulling her head against his shoulder, his breath warm against her neck.

“You wont lose me.” He said softly.

He wasn’t sure what to do from that point, and so “hugged” her slightly tighter before stiffening.

A distinct, beautiful howl captured his ears just then and he turned his head away, looking towards the mountain. He had had never heard anything like it before . . . it literally took his breath away. The voice was so pure and clear . . .

“Who is that?” he wondered out loud.

He had never heard of a wolf whose voice came near to that, not even his own Sakari. It was as though the tone rang against crystal. It simply captivated him.

[Larka]

Larka sighed and let her body relax in Unalaq's "hug". She wanted to believe that she wouldn't lose him, but sneaking around Blood Fang Territory wouldn't be a good start.

An angered growl escaped her throat as he pulled away. Her eyes became as icy cold as they were the night before and her body language became as harsh and as cold as her eyes were.

"That's probably the alphess of Sun Crest. The old Alphess did that a lot." She growled, voice harsh and showing no emotion. Her claws still dug into the ground, creating large dents in the soil.

Larka turned around and went to go sit on the log, her white pelt glisened in the sunlight, casting a tantalizing halo like glow around her. Her ice blue eyes cast and angred glare on the ground in front of her.

Why didn't Unalaq say that about her?

[Unalaq]

Unalaq dazedly looked back at her angered posture, cocking his head at her growl. What had he done now? He glanced at his paws for a moment as she spoke.

That was the alphess of Sun Crest? Impressive.

“Well, then we should answer back! Say we’re here! And coming!” he said, suddenly excited, still unsure as to why she was angry.

Without thinking twice, he threw back his head and sang, his ragged voice echoing out over the land, directed towards the mountain. He hoped the alphess would hear it. He sang for he did not know how long – he couldn’t remember the last time he had joined in on a distant song like this. It felt good. After he was done, he turned back to Larka, to see if she had also sang.

He was surprised to find her gone from where she had been. He turned around, for a moment, her white fur blending in with the snow, until it caught the sunlight and he blinked. She sat on the log, apparently upset, grumbling. He thought back to what she had said about the howl, or more like . . . how she said it. He thought in silence before saying anything that might get him in further trouble with her – still not at all sure what he had said that made her this way – and then nosed her side gently.

He thought the Sun Crest pack were guardians . . . why did she sound . . . angry?

“So . . .” he said slowly. “Are you going to tell me why I’m in trouble now or will I have to make the trek to Sun Crest alone?”

After a long silence he placed his forepaws on the log and looked up at her, bright green eyes reflecting her fur.

“Are you going to speak to me, beautiful? I can’t read minds, sadly . . . though I’ve heard that ravens can . . .”