The Return

[Squeeji]

"Am I...looking forward to retirement? What sort of question is that? I'll probably die from being idle so long Nightblood." There was an irksome tone to her voice, a certain darkness, she wasn't mad at the Sentry, but she still sounded half ready to go on the warpath. "Being a scout is...not easy work Nightblood, and I'm getting very old, very fast. You're injured, you walk with a limp...as you get older, you'll find...its harder to get up as fast as you used to...difficult to put that spring in your step..." Her intention wasn't to frighten her, but clarify the situation.

"When I had left on my last mission, my leg had gotten gored fighting against a buck, that had...never happened before. I saw it as a sign to step down from my position. I'm worth more to the pack alive, than dead, for my knowledge..." Her ears swiveled back against her skull and her jaws clenched. "I have never gone through my day with one moment of leisure you see. Its not wise but I use my duties to get myself through from day to day..." She scowled, and licked her nose.

"I am looking forward to my retirement like the receiving end of a human's boom stick."

[nightblood]

"Am I...looking forward to retirement? What sort of question is that? I'll probably die from being idle so long Nightblood."

The Sentry lowered her head and ears, not wanting to get thwapped on the head for her stupidity, though she knew she should have been.

"Being a scout is...not easy work Nightblood, and I'm getting very old, very fast. You're injured, you walk with a limp...as you get older, you'll find...its harder to get up as fast as you used to...difficult to put that spring in your step..."

Her eyes widened at the prospect, becoming very fearful. She knew it was enevitable, but the time for weak joints and slowness seemed to be coming upon her at an alarming rate. She was already starting to feel the effects of arthritus with the winter months.

"When I had left on my last mission, my leg had gotten gored fighting against a buck, that had...never happened before. I saw it as a sign to step down from my position. I'm worth more to the pack alive, than dead, for my knowledge..."

NightBlood rose her head and nodded. Indeed, knowledge was among the most important weapon any pack had. With that, she realized that she would contibute little to the pack as her strength wanned.

"I have never gone through my day with one moment of leisure you see. Its not wise but I use my duties to get myself through from day to day..."

Another nod. NightBlood knew the feeling. Though loyalty was the first reason she kept up her responcibilities, it was the sence of accomplishment that got her by.

"I am looking forward to my retirement like the receiving end of a human's boom stick."

Blood cringed, but laughed at the idea.

"I know that feeling all too well," she said with a grin.

[Squeeji]

The old female just laughed a bit, bitter, but not unfriendly. "Get used to it Nightblood, because, at your age, its all down hill from here." She winked one of her mismatched colored eyes at the younger female and shook herself.

She complained about retirement rarely, but dreaded it with all of her being, but the scout just sighed as though giving up the fight for this particular inevitable situation. "But you're still young and have at least a few more good years before you're in my place, why not make the most of it? Find yourself a nice boy, enjoy yourself...do something so you don't get to my age and say: 'What did I really do with my life?." Pollux laughed and shook herself.

"Its my personal observation that you take yourself far too seriously sentry. Being loyal to your pack is not correlated with misery. I'd hate for you to have to wake up everyday like I do." Her eyes softened, Pollux cared enough to try to stop Nightblood on the path she was going down...one of stoic depression, but even she knew that it wasn't easy to change your path when you were so truly stuck upon it...after all, Pollux was still on it herself. "Don't let your daily pitfalls destroy what should be the happiest time of your life. You're young, successful and within a pack that respects your hard work...so please, don't let this thing with Archer, Ziko or even Shadeblood ruin your life..." The scout hushed some, a contemplative look on her features, her ears swiveling to some unheard sound or unseen disturbance.

[nightblood]

"Get used to it Nightblood, because, at your age, its all down hill from here."

"Great," Blood answered, roling her eyes in the same joking way.

"But you're still young and have at least a few more good years before you're in my place, why not make the most of it? Find yourself a nice boy, enjoy yourself...do something so you don't get to my age and say: 'What did I really do with my life?."

"Its my personal observation that you take yourself far too seriously sentry. Being loyal to your pack is not correlated with misery. I'd hate for you to have to wake up everyday like I do."

"I know you're right, Pollux, but..."

With a sigh, Blood cast her eyes downward again. She took herself seriously because of the events throughout her life. There was no happiness now that ShadeBlood had died.

"Don't let your daily pitfalls destroy what should be the happiest time of your life. You're young, successful and within a pack that respects your hard work...so please, don't let this thing with Archer, Ziko or even Shadeblood ruin your life..."

After a moment's calculation of her accomplishments, NightBlood came to the conclusion that Pollux was right abut everything. This was the very reason that she loved talking with he elders; she always learned something new.

"Thank you for talking with me, Pollux. You've helped me more than you know."

With a quick look toward the inner lands of the territory, she remembred how hungry she was. The river was bound to be melting by now. And perhaps her friends woul lke to know that she had returned. She smiled at the thought.

"If I may be excused, I'd like to go to the river. Perhaps we will meet again soon?"

[Squeeji]

"If I may be excused, I'd like to go to the river. Perhaps we will meet again soon?"

Pollux waved a dismissive paw. "C'est la vie..." she feigned some dramatic gesture of being left and then laughed. "Go, Nightblood, you smell like a 8 day hike and look like you got starving in a mud puddle." It was teasing statement not meant to be cruel.

"Eat, clean up, and go say hello to your friends who miss you." She shook her head and began to turn to crawl back into the deeper woods. "Don't worry about Sofika either Nightblood, I will talk to her if you would like."

But the sneaky scout didn't let Nightblood say yay or nay to the situation, she bounded off into the darkness like a wraith like shadow, giving creedance to the claim of her being a Arnlan native.

[nightblood]

"Go, Nightblood, you smell like a 8 day hike and look like you got starving in a mud puddle."

With a grin, Blood accepted the 'critisism'. She stood up and bgan to walk toward the river.

"Eat, clean up, and go say hello to your friends who miss you."

The sentry bowed to Pollux and flicked the end of her tail to show that she had heard. "I will."

"Don't worry about Sofika either Nightblood, I will talk to her if you would like."

Turning back to the elder female, the smile had been wiped clean off her face. Instead there was a shocked expression as she stopped in her tracks. "But-"

In what seemed to be an instant, the Scout was gone. Blood did not bother to give chase. She was too exahsted. Running would only make her pass out, as would shouting.

She stood there as the snow began to fall, staring at the dark area where Pollux had disapeared.

"I like to take respocibility for my actions, but you know best. We'll see eachother again," she thought to herself.

After a moment, she went her own direction, hoping for a quiet spot by the river so as to dwell over the Scout's words.