Things to Ponder

[Moon_Song]

((everyone has been busy i think ))

Ea watched him eye the corner. His offer to follow made her blush, but she did lie down beside him. There had been many times in which she wished she could sleep beside him, and now he offered it. She eased herself down beside him. She could feel his warmth, his great size made her feel safe and comfortable.

The last thing she heard was his voice wish her a good night. With a yawn she returned his wish.

~*~*~

She awoke the feel some something warm and wet on her cheek. She mumbled "Mom, not yet" before her eyes snapped open as she remembered where and when she was. Her heart dropped for a moment. She had dreamed of running through the snowy fields with her whole family. She saw her father and mother and her siblings. They were all so happy.

She pushed the memory awake and blinked away the moistness in her eyes before stretching and yawning. She smiled at Akuma and said "Good morning. I did sleep well, thank you."

She saw him eye the opening of the cave and had the same thought he did, but was less anxious to leave. She knew that once Darklight figured out what was going out, they would probably be watched by a hawk for a long time.

She knew though that if they waited too long it would only make it worse. "Lets be on our way". She leaned against him, nuzzled him a bit, and stepped forward toward the outside.

[Relairah]

There it had been, for just a moment, however briefly. He wondered what she had been dreaming about. It brought him back to how often he had shared his hidden past with her, but yet he still knew little about her past. Still, he wouldn't push it. She would share whatever she was comfortable with as the time came. For now, he was content... besides, she had shared with him something else... something key, and for that he knew she loved and trusted him. Which was enough.

He smiled at her when she awoke and told hims he had slept well. "I am glad to hear it," he murmured in response. He nodded slightly when she agreed and stepped out into the morning, blinking with the difference in light and the crunch of snow beneath his paws. Part of him wanted to take their time, just continue being with each other.. just them. But part of him wanted to play and show how excited he was. He gently nipped at her and nuzzled if she allowed.

Akuma figured the others would be at the main dens, having found shelter from the previous storm. Thus, he began heading in that direction, though he wondered where exactly Darklight was. Knowing her, she had probably gone out right after the storm finished in search of Ea. He just hoped they wouldn't find her too soon yet.

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[Moon_Song]

((Should I bring in Darklight to add a little conflict?))

[Relairah]

((Sure if you want XD LOL I could just see her running around and then spying them so running up and being all, "Where in Etanian's name have you been?!" haha it's up to you))

[Moon_Song]

((lol alrighty then))

Ea flinched at the nibble, as she was not expecting it. Once she realized he was feeling playful, though, she nipped back. She even allowed him to nuzzle her. She nuzzled back. She felt so content. So happy...

Meanwhile, Darklight was racing through the woods, searching for a scent of her sister. She had not retuned before the storm, and Darklight feared the worst.

She knew that, in reality, she had little to fear, especially since her sister did have a control over water, no matter the temperature. Still, she was her sisters keeper, and she worried about no one ese but her.

She had begun running as soon as the storm cleared, but so far she had not found any scent markings or trails. It had been a harsh storm, and she thought that possibly Akuma was with her, but that did not give as much ease of mind as you might have thought.

She could sense the two had something between then, and she was hesitant to approve of it. Hesitant to think about it if she were being honest. To think of her little sister finding a male was not a bad thing in and of itself, it was the concern that she would choose poorly. Darklight always thought that none of the males they had ever met were good enough for either of them, but especially not Ea.

Suddenly, a scent wafted through the air and Darklight skidded to a halt. She could smell her sister...and Akuma. She followed her nose, hoping that they were ok. When she got there, though, what she saw made her balk once again.

Her sister, little sister Ea, was affectionately nuzzling and being nuzzled by the warrior Akuma. Her jaw partially dropped, but she snapped it back shut.

She walked out into view and cleared her throat loudly.

Ea gasped in surprise and reflexively took a step back. When she did, she saw her sister approaching, and she did not look happy.

She swallowed hard and glanced at Akuma, as if his face held some kind of reassurance, but mostly she felt hot with embarrassment that her sister had found them in such an intimate position.

Darklight tried to keep the fire out of her eyes, but much of it leaked, so she let it appear as annoyance. In one of her sternest voices she said "Ea, Akuma, where in the hells were you too?! You worried the rest of the pack sick! And for what? To cuddle during a storm? You both know that the both of you have duties that super-cede your own wants. Ea, you have to lead your people. Akuma, you have to protect them, and Ea. For the two of you to go off like that with no word...!"

Darklight seemed to run out of air, so she stopped and began to control her breathing. She might have looked like she was collecting herself, which she was.

When Darklight had finished, Ea glanced again at Akuma, and took a step toward her sister. "Darklight, he was protecting me, and I know I did not fulfill my obligation as Serra to stay with the pack, but I had a very, very important matter to determine."

Ea shifted her gaze meaningfully. A few emotions played across her sisters face as it went from confused to understanding to unsure, and a few other things.

[Relairah]

OoC: Oo! Very exciting =D Even gives Akuma a chance to show off his manly worth >D or should I say... wolfy worth? o.0 *shrugs and gets to typing...*

iC:

Akuma couldn't have been enjoying himself more... and then suddenly, it all came to a stop as Darklight entered the scene - rather unexpectedly. She made her presence very clear. Well, he supposed that was typical of her. In fact, if it had been somewhat different circumstances, he might have been slightly amused, though he would never show it. He appreciated Darklight's love and protectiveness of her sister. Such devotion was sometimes not easy to find among family members... putting that aside for the seriousness of the matter at hand.

He glanced at Ea, catching her looking at him and smiled at her, before looking back at Darklight. If the night before had done one thing, it had increased his confidence if only just a little more than before. Over the time he had been here, it had gradually grown more and more, and in light of the recent events, he couldn't be at a better point right then. The fact was, Ea had accepted him, chosen him, trusted him, loved him. And that was all he needed. Darklight was a whole other story... and he knew it would take time for her. And he hoped she'd come around. But at the same time, he wasn't like the cowering teenage pup meeting his interest's parents - and as the Ser, now, he had a feeling he might need to prove he was worthy of the position. He was a little nervous - yes, but with Ea by his side - anything was possible. At least, that was the feelings within him.

He was silent as Darklight went on her rant about their responsibilities and how they ran off, taking in each word quite seriously. And, he could understand her concerns. But she had the whole situation a little misconstrued. Raising his head slightly, he let Ea speak, as Darklight was her sister and she had ever right to say what she wished. He knew of what Ea spoke, and he couldn't help the urge of wanting to nuzzle her once again. But now was not exactly the appropriate time... perhaps. At least right that second. Instead, he felt it was his turn to speak.

"As Ea said, we did, in fact, not fulfill some obligations - however, we are fully aware of our jobs and you, Darklight, should be more than familiar with the suddenness with which some of the storms in these lands can hit. Before you jump to hasty conclusions, Ea and I had no time to return to the pack. The Serra trusted them to your more than capable paws, and we are very grateful that you took care of them while we could not. We felt that reaching safety from the storm was the most important thing at the time, in order to make sure that Ea would be in good health to return to them and lead them after the storm."

He paused, suddenly wondering if Darklight would be shocked that Akuma referred to Ea in such an intimate way - rather than calling her Serra. "As for the important matter..." he glanced at Ea, unable to help another smile that flitted across his lips... he wondered if Ea wanted to be the one to tell Darklight what exactly had went down in the cave. ((LOL that could be taken so wrongly XD)) If she did, he would allow her to, saying no more for the time being. But, if she indicated she wanted him to, he would return his gaze to Darklight, his gaze shining and confident. "Ea had to determine whether I was worthy of her confidence and trust..." he paused, "and has declared me the Ser of Voyani." It felt strange actually saying it out loud, but it felt nice too, almost making it concrete in his own mind.

Now was just waiting for Darklight's reaction. He hoped it wasn't too much all at once...

OoC: Eh... I got carried away XD but I hope it's fine! Let me know... lol

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[Moon_Song]

((It's perfectly fine (: ))

She was shocked into silence as soon as Akuma finished speaking. Her Ser? She has chosen a Ser? And it was Akuma? Such a wolf, he was...well he...

Darklight couldn't hold a thought before another tumbled over it. After a moment she realized her jaw was hanging open and she snapped it shut audible. She then began clenching her teeth as she thought of what to say. Her mouth formed words several times, but no sound came out. Eventually she just stared at the two, standing side by side, and was finally able to say "how?"

Ea steeled herself for whatever her sister would say to Akuma's bold but truthful claim. She did not expect her sister to be so struck by the news. She worried she had broke something in her when she was unable to speak.

At the one word, Ea swallowed hard again and took a step toward her sister. "We simply connected, Darklinght. In Akuma, I have found someone I trust and I know I can rely on just as much as I can with you. Akuma will be a great Ser, you'll see."

Ea smiled to try and soften any harsh edges that may have come across in her words. She was sincerely trying to ease her into the news, but she felt she was flailing.

Darklight said nothing. She listened critically to her sister speak, not once looking at Akuma. When Ea finished speaking, Darklight sat up a little straighter and cleared her throat. She tried to make her expression diplomatic, but she could almost feel the daggers shooting from her eyes as she finally looked Akuma over.

"Is that so?" Her voice was layered in a thick, stinging venom. Darklight took a few steps towards Akuma and looked up into his face. "If you put so much as a toe out of line," She leaned in closer so Ea could not hear and let the ice run through her voice with the venom, "I will rip your heart out and make you eat it while it still beats."

Abruptly she turned and headed for home. Her rigidity lent to her position of general, or at least that was the thought that ran through her head. Without turning she said to Ea "I will see you home later."

She had nothing else to say. Nothing else she could do. Ea belonged to someone. A single tear fell.



Ea only nodded as she watched her sister go. When she was out of sight, she turned to Akuma. "What did she say to you?"

[Relairah]

Perhaps Akuma had not been expecting Darklight to be that shocked. She seemed entirely unable to figure out how to react at all. Well that was a first. Still, for the anticipation, he waited, entirely understanding when Ea tried to smooth things over. Maybe he had been too direct, he wondered? No... that wasn't the problem. He wished he knew what the general was thinking... but he wasn't a mind reader after all.

Finally, Darklight spoke.

Well, suddenly her feelings were quite clear. She was way beyond pissed. Well, he couldn't say he was too surprised. She was the last wolf he expected to accept it without a lot of time and testing. She was suddenly so close to his face, whispering her warning words. In one sense, he could almost scold her for talking to her Ser in such a manner. But on the other paw, she had been Darklight's sister, protector, guardian. And as such, she did have a certain place over anyone who could potentially harm Ea. Akuma swore he wouldn't do such... but perhaps all this matter might be sorted out later as Darklight didn't even give him a chance to response, only marched right off as soon as she had spoken. For now, that was probably for the better. It definitely would do no good for tensions to rise any higher and any possible fights break out over something that was actually good and happy news.

Instead, he focused his attention on Ea, ears flicking in her direction as she spoke and he smiled at her reassuringly. Well, he supposed he should have expected Ea would ask. There was no point in lying to her - especially since her trust had been so recently established. But... he wasn't exactly sure how to go about it for a brief moment. "Eh... well pretty much warning me not to make any decisions that might harm the pack... or you, perhaps more closely to her meaning." He paused, glancing the way Darklight had disappeared.

"I know I have things to learn, but she doesn't know me as you do. I have leadership experience in my past. I suppose proving my worthiness of Ser and of respect is only to be expected."

Another pause. "Anyway, shall we go back?"

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[Moon_Song]

Ea's eyes searched his face as he spoke. She did not doubt him that Darklight had threatened him. In fact, she expected it. Even so, he tried to put it as lightly as he could. For that, she was grateful. He seemed to understand the intricacies that were involved in the situation. As he had mentioned, he did have leadership experience.

She smiled warmly at him as he mentioned heir departure. "Well, now that we have been found out, there isn't much of a rush. Perhaps we could take a walk?" She motioned toward the general direction of the stream they had met by only a short time ago.

[Relairah]

She was gracious, as always, and it seemed Darklight's threats and harsh words toward her had no effect whatsoever now. At least from the way she suggested they take a walk. It was true. The news was out so there was no point rushing back - at least to announce it. Though he had a strange feeling that Darklight was expecting them to be right behind her. He didn't want her to be infuriated that they hadn't obeyed when she scolded them - but it simply was their decision to make.

In any case, a walk sounded nice and he smiled at Ea, giving a slight nod. "Sure. That would be nice." He began walking, breathing in deeply and releasing. "I suppose that could have gone much worse." He paused, glancing to see Ea's reaction, then he lowered his head slightly. "Ea... might I ask you a question? Don't answer if it's too soon... I just want to know more about you." He paused, and if she said it was ok, he would proceed. "Why is Darklight so aggressively protective? I get it's part of her personality and it's natural for her to be protective. But what I mean is... the level of her devotion to protecting you is somewhat greater than natural. Ea... what happened?"

He hoped it wasn't too much to be asking her right now. But he wanted her to tell him everything. He knew she could transform - which was a great secret and step on her part. But... he felt like in some ways, she still hadn't let him in. And perhaps that was just part of them building their relationship. If she wasn't ready, he wouldn't press the matter either. Instead, he would try and shift the discussion to something less serious, perhaps ask her what she thought of the recent pack members.

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[Moon_Song]

Ea chuckled to herself when Akuma said it could have gone worse. "Sometimes, her bark is worse than her bite." Sometimes.

She noticed when Akuma paused, and she turned her head to look at him. A confused look crossed her face, but she heard him out. "What is it you want to ask?"

She knew this question was coming. She debated whether she should tell him the whole story, or just the answer. She swallowed the lump that she could feel forming, and slowed her pace a little, looking at nothing but the ground. "My...our father charged her with the duty of watching over me...before he...before they...died." Ea's eyes were beginning to sting from holding back the tears. She hated that she didn't have the same control over her emotions that Darklight had.

She didn't want to look up at Akuma just yet. She felt if she did, she might see some loving, warm expression that would cause the flood gate to burst, and she would spill out.

[Relairah]

As always, she was graceful even in answering the question. It was clear that she just wasn't ready to give him all the details yet. He respected that. But still she answered the question. He could hear the sadness in her voice - her holding it back. Why was she trying to be so strong around him? Perhaps pride? He wasn't sure.

In any case, everything made more sense. Darklight felt it was her duty in honor and memory of their deceased family.

Ea was right in assuming what she would see in Akuma's face. Warmth, sympathy, sadness for her loss. The desire to comfort her and take away her pain. Perhaps she didn't want to cry. Or maybe she did. Akuma did what he felt was right.

He moved toward her, if she allowed, and attempted to place his head over her neck in a wolfish hug, nuzzling the back of her head gently. "Thank you." He paused. He could most certainly relate to the loss of loved ones. "Ea, I'm here always," he murmured softly, hoping she would understand what he meant. That she could fall apart if she wanted. Or that he would support her if she didn't yet. He wouldn't push it. Instead, he waited for whenever she was ready... to move on, or whatever.

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[Moon_Song]

He nuzzled her, trying his best to comfort her. He muttered words of ease and encouragement.

She could hold back no more. The lump in her throat ached to the point of physical pain. She couldn't breathe from the tightness in her chest. A sob escaped her throat, and with it she blurted out "It's all my fault. They're all gone because of me."

Years of repressing those words had weighed heavily, and the force of them leaving her caused her legs to buckle. She dropped to the snow, hot tears streaming down her face.

She had decided. She owed him the whole story. She knew of his, then he should know of hers. He was her mate. It was only fair.

Fighting back the sobs, she spoke again, but her voice was broken. "I should tell you what happened when Darklight and I were young." Ea stared at the snow beneath her. She could not bare to look into his face if she were to finish the dreadful tale.

((I don't know if you read her bio, but for fun i'll summarize it))

"When we were young, our pack was small, but it was a happy one. There were my parents, Darklight, my brothers, and another sister that died very young. Darklight and I, we were special among our siblings. We had powers. When out parents found out, my mother gave me my necklace, and my father trained Darklight, and gave her her task. They explained to us that a wise old dragon had told them of us while we were still in the womb, and how they should go about raising us. "

Ea's eyes seemed to have water in reserve as they flowed almost continuously. he voice caught a few times, but she continued on.

"One day, near the Giaku border, I had gone off in my human form. I loved running on two legs. It was an odd feeling, but it somehow felt right." Ea's eyes had a far away look in them as she continued. "I didn't realize at the time, there were patrols. They followed my tracks back to our den...and...my parents, they...they told Darklight to take me and go. They and my brothers would fight them off, but...they didn't make it." Another sob broke out, but she suppressed it enough to finish her story.

"Darklight went back after the noises died down...but...all she saw was death. She...it destroyed her. I could hear it in that howl." She could no longer stop it. She didn't want to anymore.

She looked up into Akuma's eyes, her own clouded by tears and anguish. "Their deaths, they're all my fault. I killed them!" Ea burried her face in his chest and let the tears come. She let her tormented cries rip form her chest. Had she ever cried so hard since that night? Had she ever let herself cry over it at all? She couldn't remember. All she could think about was the memory of it all, and the horrible idea that Akuma would no longer want her.

[Relairah]

The large purple and blue wolf hadn't exactly expected her to suddenly tell him everything - but part of him was glad she did. However, as her words spilled forward and she suddenly broke out in such terrible sobs, his heart suddenly began aching with her, going out to her, desiring nothing more than to take her pain even if he wasn't entirely sure of it yet.

What she first said caught him a little off guard, and then she explained the whole story. He listened in silence, eyes steady on her as she stared at the snow, looked into his face, and finally buried herself in his chest. At first he remained silent, and finally he pressed his head upon hers gently, if she allowed. What could he say to convince her it wasn't her fault? To comfort her?

"Ea... I'm sorry," he murmured, meaning for her loss. He wished for a moment he had human arms to wrap around her and hold her. He finally also understood why she was so wary of who discovered her human form.

Finally, he spoke once more, his voice soft. "I need to tell you something, Ea, and you need to believe me." He moved back slightly, trying to get her to look at him once again, even through the blur of her tears. "It wasn't your fault. The patrols could have simply run you off their land, as is their job. They are the ones at fault. Not you. They chose to follow your tracks. Perhaps out of boredom or blood thirst. Ea," he paused, not wanting to say anything that might make this whole situation worse, "all you did was explore a natural part of yourself, desiring to experience it." Okay, he was somewhat guessing there, but it had to be true... having another form was still a part of her. Hadn't he established this when she first showed him?

"Nothing is wrong in doing that. You were young, and of course you returned home. To family, to protection, to those who love you. There is nothing wrong there either." He was silent once more for a moment. "Ea... you came here. You became the leader of a pack. You have done well protecting them and keeping them together. You have demonstrated kindness and care for each member of your pack - especially me when I felt hopeless. Despite her aggression and harsh words, Darklight loves you. She doesn't blame you. Even though she protects you, she looks up to you to be the leader when the time comes." At least he thought so. "You've proved you are a loving wolfess and the one that I want to spend my life with. The she wolf I know would never betray her loved ones - which is how I know you are not at fault."

Finally, he leaned toward her again, eyes unwavering. "I love you, no matter what, my Serra Ea," he murmured, attempting to give her a wolfish hug, if she allowed. It occurred to him that it couldn't be gone that simply, that easily. She had such pain lying within her - it takes time. He knew that from his own experience. But at the very least, he could offer her support and he hoped eventually she would heal.

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