Moving forward {(Animus pack member/open?)}

[ulrica]

<sup>The wetlands were beautiful this time of year. Though a chill was steadily creeping in and there were very few flowers left on the trees which grew in this small grove, the area still held a sort of charm. Perhaps that's why she had come here. Perhaps that's why she had accepted the position of beta... Oh well, whatever the reason the young she-wolf was glad she had. Her short life had already been filled with enough hardships and battles for three wolves, it was past time for her to settle into a home. As her lithe paws carried her over a slight ridge frozen into an unusual solidity by the moisture within and the frigidness at night, she cocked her head slightly to the left in order to widen her birth of sight to include that side. Stupid males... Why do they always attack without thinking...? She thought grumpily, her entire situation placed on the shoulders of one irrational wolf. Her blindness in her left eye, the slight limp she sometimes walked with in her left hind leg, and the sharp twinges of pain she often felt from her right side.

The charcoal black femme pulled up short, gritting her teeth as such a sharp pain speared through her ribs. The breath seemed to be sucked out of her lungs and a small whimper escaped her clenched jaws with the intensity of the fire in her side. How was she expected to live if this was to continue for the rest of her life? Finally, after what seemed like years later, the pain receded and she was able to continue on in her walk.

The time passed quickly and for a while everything was fine. Her mind was wandering, thinking light thoughts about how winter was approaching and how the squirrels above seemed especially busy. One of the small creatures scurrying right before her paws as if it hadn't even seen her. Ula chuckled quietly to herself, watching the swift little thing rush from one hole to the next. Sometimes digging, sometimes burying, always moving. Like you... Her brow furrowed and she decided it was time to move on. Taking another step, the dark wolfess expected to meet the soft ground of the ridge she was now walking along. But she didn't... Her front left paw met nothing but empty air and as she tried to catch herself, it only pushed her farther into the nothingness. Stop. Get a hold of yourself and just move... The rational part of her brain said. The other part was a little bit louder... Holy crap! Where the hell did that come from! Oh gods I'm going to fall!! Silencing the panicked screams that came from her subconsciousness, Ula instinctively twisted forcing her front paws to dig into the top of the ridge while the fae's hind legs scrabbled for traction in the steep slope. At first it seemed as if she wouldn't make it back up, but with a final shove of her hind legs she catapulted herself onto level ground.

Ula fell onto her left side, panting haggardly while her eyes closed. Pain flared anew in her right side, once again as if someone was ripping into her with jagged fangs. She groaned, but exhaustion left her momentarily immobile. Eventually, the pain faded again and she was able to breath without choking. She rolled onto her paws, half walking half dragging herself to lie down at the base of a large tree. She curled up in a crook of the massive plant's roots and contented herself with watching the squirrels dart from spot to spot. I guess I'll stay here then... At least for a little while... She decided silently while twisting her neck to put her right eye facing outward. If anything tried to sneak up on her she would know, perhaps not by sight but there were other means of security. Besides, this was her pack land. Who would be dumb enough to stalk her here? A male... She thought smugly, a wry smirk curling one side of her mouth as yet another squirrel darted in front of the femora mere inches from her nose.</sup>

[Le Mad]

It was ever so chilly out this afternoon. It had been a rough night, with the beta having gone scouting, and he hadn’t been able to sleep well. He sauntered along with a skip in his step, however. His ears bounced with every impact his paws made with the ground. He hummed gently, his light voice hitting the pitches fairly well. It wasn’t long before he was singing out loud, softly and gradually letting his voice blossom into full fledged singing. He didn’t have a bad voice, that was for sure. His soft fur glistened as he entered the foliage, still letting his upbeat song fill the air.

”There’s no combination,
no words I could put on the back of a postcard,
No song that I could sing, but I can try for your heart.
Our dreams, and they are made up of real things,
Like a shoebox of photographs of sepia-tone lovin’.”

He trotted along, singing audibly, until he heard the ragged breathing of a familiar voice. His striped ears perked, and Droz picked up the pace, but as he approached, the breathing slowly diminished. He could hear her lay down, very close. Finally, he approached her, looking at her form curled up on the ground. He trotted over in front of her, and the large beta sat himself down. He looked down at her, cocking his head to one side and arching his left eyebrow.

“You alright, Ula?” He spoke in his smooth voice, hoping she hadn’t heard him singing his heart out in the woods. That would be embarrassing.

[ulrica]

<sub>The hints of a voice carried through the air to reach the dark wolfess's sharp audits. She was instantly alert, her fur stiffenning slightly as she scented the air. Familiar. Could it be....? “You alright, Ula?” Yes it was. Ula stood as Droz came into view, the constant ache growing in her side as she did so. The male Beta always made her nervous, as every male did, but his easy going nature usually helped to soothe her skitish nature and for that reason alone she did not snarl or show her fangs. Even so, the instinctual fear shuddered at the back of her mind; the cowering creature which was always present. That brain wave of self-preservation which incurred the caution and sense of peril whenever the young femme was brought around a male. Answer him... A voice chastised in her head, forcing Ula back to the present. "I'm fine. Just took a little stumble a moment ago." She shifted her weight and hid a wince as the movement sent a twinge of pain through her newly scared wounds. How long will this last...

Ula cocked her head to the side, shoving away thoughts of her pain as she remembered the whispers of a singing voice which had been on the wind moments ago. "Um... Was that you singing....?" The young fae asked softly, the crystaline voice seeming small and worn down in the empty air.</sub>[/color] 

[Le Mad]

Droz's foxlike ears cocked to the side as he tilted his head. She didn't look comfortable with him around, but she slowly began to relax. He was about to ask her if he preferred she left when she explained herself. He let out a light sigh of relief; he had been afraid she was hurt badly. He wasn't necessarily convinced though, and the striped wolf bowed his head closer to her, looking at her face.

Suddenly, his ears folded backward at her question. She had heard him singing. His face flushed, though you couldn't see it under his dark fur. He looked off to the side, lavender eyes looking up toward the sky as he attempted to look cool. He had been singing of a subject that was barely masculine at all. He had been singing of love, which was something he thought about more often than not.

"Uhh. Yeah. It was me singing." He cleared his throat, comically embarrassed. "I was... Uhm. Trying to startle prey." He flinched. Trying to startle prey? Why would a wolf even do that? He hung his head, defeated.

[ulrica]

<sub>Ula drew back slightly as Droz examined her, his eyes showing the disbelief he felt. Thankfully, her question made him back away. She flinched as his ears lowered, expecting him to attack at any moment. But luckily, the action was one of embarrassment and not aggression. Still... she would watch him... Lavender eyes looked away, as if meeting her eyes would give away the answer. "Uhh. Yeah. It was me singing." Ula tilted her head curiously, listening as he continued uncomfortably. "I was... Uhm. Trying to startle prey."

The dark she-wolf blinked, a total 'what the hell' look covering her visage as she starred at the Beta. "Startle prey..." She said softly, no question in her voice, simply tasting the words. "Singing to startle the prey..?" There it was, the slight lift of her voice which indicated disbelief. Singing to startle prey." Ula laughed, looking at Droz exasperatedly. "Really?" She asked between laughs. "That's the best you could come up with? Startling prey?!" The femme laughed again, shaking her head a bit. "I think that's the best excuse I've heard all-" The words came to a choking halt in her throat as pain strangled the oxygen away from her lungs.

Hind legs suddenly turning to jelly, Ula was shocked to find the ground rising to meet her. She gave a yelp as her body connected with the ground, the sound of pain instantly turning to a snarled warning as the broken fae struggled desperately to get away from the male in front of her. Pain meant weakness, and weakness would make it irresistible for Droz to attack her no matter how pure he seemed. This was the corruption of the femme's mind, the warped view she now held of males. The fear which was always there in the back of her head.

((OOC:Sorry for the suckiness of it, it's been a while since I've used her lol xD))</sub>

[Le Mad]

Drozjin felt his face heat up even more when she laughed at him, and he gave her a lopsided grin. She criticized his excuse and he laughed a bit too. She was right, it was a stupid excuse. His eyes met hers again when she began to speak, but the mirth suddenly vanished from her face as she fell to the ground. He jumped up, looking at her writhing on the ground.

"Hey, hey, woah. Woah, Ula are you alright?" He asked, but she scrambled away from him. His ears pointed backward as he stepped forward. She seemed petrified of him. A snarl rang from her throat and he backed away, tail and head lowering. He didn't want to be assertive, and she seemed truly terrified of him.

"Ula, hey, calm down. I'm not going to hurt you." He said. His feelings were slightly hurt that she would think that of him, but he didn't let it show. If she allowed, he would slowly nose his way up to her, despite any blows that she threw. He would allow them to hit wherever she aimed, and he would eventually place a warm paw on her shoulder in a comforting motion. If she allowed him, provided that she hadn't seriously injured him at this point, he would press gently.

"Hush, Ula. I'm not going to harm you." He would whisper in a smooth, calming tone, staring her in the eye.

[ulrica]

<sub>The pain was receding, but the fear was only growing. With each step Droz took toward her, Ula shoved herself into the tree as if hoping the bark would open up and swallow her whole. "...Ula are you alright?" No, no she wasn't alright. Far from it. Her whole body ached with ghost pains. A shudder wracked through her slender body, sending a shiver of agony through her side. It felt like his fangs were once again being shoved deep into her flesh, ripping and tearing...ripping and tearing...

The male still approached him, his ears pricked forward and concern on his face. She should trust him. He was the second Beta after all. Ula needed to believe they could work together. But there was always that fear... That terror in the back of her mind which said he would kill. That said he would tear into her throat and sever the precious life-vein. He could kill her.... Run away! Run away!! The fear screamed in her head, sending her heart racing. He was feet away now, Ula snarled, cowering low. Inches. Another snarl, her silver eyes closed tightly waiting for the attack. A warm paw gently touched her shoulder, and everything went still. The she-wolf's heart slowed to steady rhythm, her eyes opened to find the lavender gems staring calmly at her. Gazes locked and the femme found she couldn't look away nor did she want to.

"Hush, Ula. I'm not going to harm you." His voice was calming, soothing. Like magic, the wolfess listened. The fear receded, and while there was some pain left, it seemed bearable now. Ula nodded her head dumbly, silence holding her tongue hostage. I need to apologize... Her maw opened, but no words came out so she shut it again. A shyness came over her then and she tore her eyes from his, fighting a scowl from her face. What are you doing?! It's all a trick!! He's fooling you!! The fear raged, but for once... It was ignored. "Forgive me..." The fae said softly, finding her voice while staring sullenly at the ground.</sub>[/color]

[Le Mad]

He had braced himself for a blow to come once he touched her, but he was glad to see that it had been the right choice. He felt her relax slightly, and she stopped growling. That was a plus at least. He smiled apologetically at her, but her eyes looked away. He took his paw from her and backed away a good two feet, giving her some space.

"There we go, 'at a girl." He said, smiling, "I knew you'd hurt yourself." He chided, looking her over, "I just don't know where you've done it." He watched her stare at the ground, as if she were talking to herself. Her mouth did not move, though, and at that instant she looked very uncomfortable once again. He lay on the ground, trying to look as least threatening as possible, when she apologized.

"It's alright, Ula. You had a right to be scared." He said brightly, shrugging off the fact that she had thought of him as a murderous beast. "Now where've you hurt yourself and we can see about getting you fixed up? Does that sound alright?" His tail wagged as he spoke, bright eyes awaiting an answer.

[ulrica]

<sub>He brushed off her words like they were nothing, her eyes looking up to find him lying down. He's trying to make me feel better... No, it didn't matter. The distrust had rooted too deeply for it to just be forgotten at the sound of some pretty words and the face of concern. Ula steeled herself, refusing to feel reassured. It was childish yes, but her past walked before her eyes in the form of this Beta, a past the scarred far would not be quick to forget or forgive.

"Now where've you hurt yourself and we can see about getting you fixed up?" Ula frowned, her silver eyes growing hard with a sudden bitterness. "No." The word was hard and resistant, like she wanted to be angry. Standing on shaky legs the femme snorted, casting an undeserved glare at Droz. "I've seen healers, and I've had time to let it heal. This is as good as it gets. So no, that isn't alright. No more painful poking and proddings, no more serums shoved down my throat. I'm finished." She finished with a growl, fighting the tears from her eyes which were constricting her throat painfully. 

"I'm sorry..." Why was she unleashing all of this on him? She needed to get away, to get herself under control. "I...I should go..." Her voice was sullen as she padded silently by him, the limp in her hind leg more pronounced after her little tumble.</sub>