Viduity Mourned

[Squeeji]

The season was ever so faintly warming, as winter grew later, sometimes warm, sometimes more bitter than any wolf could imagine, and with this change, some animals stirred, and others, deemed it suiting to burrow in and ride the rest of the season out, until the more comfortable winds of spring finally came over Arnlan.

However, this was a soothing time for some creatures, one of which was the Scout Pollux, who found herself coming out of hiding early, her coat covered in snow, white as a mourning gown...she had gone to be with the wolf she had loved, long, long ago. And the she-wolf looked strangely serene stepping through the underbrush, she smelled of old earth...and looked half starved.

The cycle of her mourning however had come full circle for the year, and any wolf familiar with her over time would know, that she would be in good spirits at least until fall came again, that was just the way of things. The old female yawned and stretched, poking around the dens, until she made it to the food storage, taking a modest nibble for herself, not without guilt, but should repay the debt in full, if not more so when she returned to full health.

Pollux cocked her head, it was so very quiet, it made her nose wrinkled in concern as she sniffed around, alert, she made a few greeting barks, testing the area for company. "Hullo?"

[Electus]

Winter was waning, and Mortil could feel the days becoming less cold. The snow still blanketed the ground of Arnlan, and the sky was still dark, but the ash-grey wolf could tell. Spring would come soon, and it would be many moons before winter came again. He sighed. Though he once disliked the winter, he had slowly grown to love the quietness that it gave. Winter was his solace, his time of rest, a time where he wouldn't have to think on all the troubles that plagued him.

But that time was to soon pass. Mortil raised his head to the sky, his one good eye staring. He shivered slightly, and started to pad away from his thorn-surrounded den, shouldering his way through an open spot in the thorn patch and emerging from the secluded locale to perhaps find some food or some company.

He yawned, opening his jaws wide and the snapping them shut. Today seemed so monotonous...

"Hullo?"

"Hm?" Mortil wondered out loud, hearing the inquiring voice. It was unfamiliar. Who would be so close to his resting place? He padded towards the origin of the voice, letting out a lonely, bell-tone howl.

"Who is it?"

[Squeeji]

"Its Pollux, the Scout." The older she-wolf plodded up boldly for someone who knew quite plainly who the young male was...and all that entailed, infact she held her tail high and proud near the youth. Pollux, the pack land gossip, the master scout, it wasn't just her joy to know what went through the lands of and surrounding Arnlan, it was her duty. She smiled warmly and came over to the monochromatic Mortil, who's scent had ghosted her senses once or twice before.

With a shake she brushed away the rest of what covered her shiny coat, eyeing the one eyed male over curiously. "How are you Mortilas Umbra..." she sat down on her haunches and scratched behind her ear, a casual conversation, as she held no ill will towards Mortil. After all, she had always wanted to meet him, as to make her own opinion on the male.

What a wonderful way to start back on her duties here in Arnlan, her tail wagged as she waited for Mortil to respond.

[Electus]

"How are you Mortilitas Umbra..."

Mortil sat down on his haunches as Pollux emerged from the mist and introduced herself. He tilted his head as he was wont to do, pondering the question for about five seconds. He then decided to state his answer.

"I am content. That is enough."[/b]

He looked the wolfess up and down. She looked tired, but that wasn't his business. He yawned again, blinking owlishly. The cold weather started to make his scars ache, but he paid them no heed.

"What of yourself, Pollux? You seem...tired...distracted. Is something troubling you?"

[Squeeji]

"The weather, doesn't suit me." Pollux sniffed, she smelled ghosts a lot these days, a hint here, and hint there when the cold winds came through, just the slightest memory of Castor's scent, enough to make her nostalgic. But she was honest with the male, and licked her nose and she thought about it, but shook it off as simply as a one would stir a chill. "But, it warms, so I'll be better off in the passing days."

She poked her nose close to Mortil "You're a very quiet boy, aren't you?" Pollux stood quickly and started circling, a spring in her old step. A young thing like that, should be out frolicking with creatures of his own age, being young, enjoying his youth, she huffed like a pushy old den mother at the gray wolf. "You don't hide here often do you? I mean you're a member of Arnlan now, you shouldn't feel so shy as to not go out and meet..." she gestured with a paw thoughtfully trying to find the words "Well...I guess other wolves I mean."

Pollux was refreshed in knowing that she wasn't still as alone as she often thought she was, and in light of that, she seemed to press social behavior in light of her former darkened humor.

[Electus]

"The weather, doesn't suit me."

Mortil nodded. "I see."

"You're a very quiet boy, aren't you?"

The ash-grey wolf shrugged, smiling slightly. "I suppose you can say that. I've traveled alone to get to Arnlan, and that took a great deal of time. I guess you can say I'm used to not...talking to other people other than Umbra."[/b]

"You don't hide here often do you?"

Mortil shook his head. "I get out often enough, don't worry about it. But some days I just prefer to sleep. I've had enough of troubles that I'd rather not face the world sometimes. Besides, I've met enough for now. Nightblood, Archer, Crow, Mordecai...four is enough for now."

[Squeeji]

"Well don't think that's enough, there's still the whole pack of Arnlan you'll have to meet. A pack doesn't work well if they're all strangers." It was hard to tell from Pollux's words if that was some placed word of wisdom, or a very light scolding. "It doesn't matter who you are, and where you've come from...as in the long run you are with us...well your world is a lot smaller now...and less scary." She finally settled back down, she was so used to always moving, always working during her waking moments that she could hardly be asked to hold still.

But she did lay down, cleaning her paws as she kept talking. "You can't exactly stay here as a productive member of the pack if you well...just sleep." She smiled as she shook her head.

[Electus]

Mortil shrugged again. "True. But you'll have to trust me enough to meet them all at my own pace."

"You can't exactly stay here as a productive member of the pack if you well...just sleep."

Mortil smiled. "You of all people should know that I've fought my share of battles and provided all that I'm capable of so far, had there been need to do so."

It seems she thinks little of you.

I'm not going to waste time explaining that she doesn't.[/i]

As you wish.

"It doesn't matter who you are, and where you've come from...as in the long run you are with us...well your world is a lot smaller now...and less scary."

Less scary, eh? Let me banter with her. You've had you're share of time.

Fine.

Mortil closed his eye, and when the wolf reopened it, it was bloodshot and red.

"The world is a lot smaller perhaps,"[/b] Umbra said, his suave voice cold as the snow and wind, "But Albireo's world is not always less scary."

[Squeeji]

It would have been wrong for Umbra to think that Pollux thought less of the young male, who seemed pleasant enough, if not a little mopey. "You're so young and angry, too quick to think I'm looking down at you. I know what you've done for the pack but I won't go out of my way to thank you, if that's what you want. But I'm glad you're adjusting...I just hope that things smooth smoother for you now." Like most wolves who somehow ended up in Arnlan, she assumed the youth had some hardluck story, most of them did, and she never fretted over it, they'd either adapt, or die. That was the way of these lands.

If she noticed a change in Mortil, she didn't care, Umbra wasn't something she'd worry herself about either, "I said less scary, not always less scary." she laughed, and winked at the red eyed creature, she wasn't a harsh or cruel female, in fact, she was often quite amiable even to a monster like Umbra, she was just a bit duty bound and loathe of leisure. "That would be stupid to say...whatever boggans and bedlams that haunt the two of you, well...those are past now...better or worse...which is good. Now its just picking up the pieces...one would assume."

"I'm even pleased that you're here." It would be less interesting if he wasn't, and the pack was in need of fighters at least.

[Electus]

"I'm even pleased that you're here."

Umbra laughed, and the sound was such that you might have expected the very bark to be stripped from trees around them.
"What a fascinating wolf, you are." Umbra said, "If I was so inclined, I'd bow. But oh well."

"No, no, I need no thanks, and neither does Albireo. No...what Albireo needs...well, I personally care less about what Albireo needs, but he is usually is the one on the surface." He returned the wink. "I believe he secretly enjoys company, despite his protests. But I personally loathe company. I'd much rather sleep or fight. Which means I must make my exit. Adieu, my most intriguing wolfess!"[/b] With another laugh, Umbra made the mental switch with Mortil, and the wolf's eye grew bright and golden again.

Mortil arched an eyebrow at Pollux. "Well? What did he say now?"

[Squeeji]

Pollux shook her head, with a slight of a frown on her face. A bit of a scolding maternal tone to her voice. She found this wolf, or rather these wolves, an interesting conundrum, and she had always liked puzzles. "That was a private conversation said in confidence, however I assure you, there was nothing to be concerned about." She smiled and nodded, a slight wag to to her tail.

"So you must not be able to hear him..." she hummed thoughtfully.

[Electus]

"So you must not be able to hear him..."

Mortil shook his head. "Not always." He said, getting up and circling the place where he sat once to loosen his stiff body. He sat back down again in the exact same spot, tilting his head in the opposite direction.

"And vice versa. As I'm sure he explained, he likes to sleep."

He shrugged, looking up at the sky again. Then he sighed. "Spring will come soon..."[/b]

[Squeeji]

"So it is, a rather tiresome season really...there hasn't been any real newness to Arnlan in ages...no new pups, no blossoming romances among the youth...hell, it hardly gets above freezing here for there to be new growth..." Pollux shrugged, a season, just like every other, except fall...it seemed somehow colder in the fall...unlike the general cold that Arnlan was known for. "I hold no real love for spring...except when there's newness to be seen..."

She yawned, and stretched. "Do you fancy it? Spring, I mean...you don't strike me as much of a pup that enjoys much of anything in particular..."

[Electus]

"Do you fancy it? Spring, I mean...you don't strike me as much of a pup that enjoys much of anything in particular..."

Mortil shrugged. "Do I really seem that way? I suppose so...I don't fancy spring much. I am partial to winter...I guess because I was born in it. But maybe I like it for other reasons. The quiet...the pureness of fresh-fallen snow...The way it seems to mute everything. Yes...It's quite unfortunate that winter must end. I will miss it, like always."[/color]

He yawned absently, blinking owlishly. "Well...it was nice to talk."[/color] he said earnestly, giving a razor thin smile. "Til next time."[/color] The ash-gray male stood with the air of leaving.

(( I suppose this is a good time as any to wrap this thing up ))