Post by Therdde on Dec 19, 2008 1:24:17 GMT -5
Skelaghe - Female Wolf
Helaku - Male Wolf
- Rolling Foothills -
Skelaghe has always insisted on hunting outside of Amaranth when she has been in the cougar territory. Even now, with the threat of violent cougars out there, that hasn't changed. Besides, the solitude gives her a chance to think on all that has happened recently. Her heart is not really in the hunt. It never had been. She is simply not a huntress. Now, though, it is even worse, and her 'hunting' is more along the lines of wandering uselessly and being thankful that Vincent and Sketch are not completely reliant on her for meals.
Helaku had been absent from the region since the last encounter he had with the natives. Being so long without a pack or associates, he had grown used to being alone and fending for himself instead of socializing. He hadn't been the same since the pack died out, and had returned to the lands to search for anyone who might have unexpectedly survived--he found none and thus returned to this place, a small boulder nestled between two trees, covered in a way to let him observe things, and what he observed was a wolf heading his way. He sat stronger, stiff and ears erect, eyes locked on her as the wind blew in the wrong direction and he did not yet have a clue who she was.
It has been a very long time since Skelaghe has seen Helaku. She always blamed herself for that, to some degree. It has been so long that she has forgotten the details of his scent, though. So, though she knows there is a wolf in the area, and the scent is, in some very vague way, familiar, it is not enough to draw her out of her thoughts, which prevents her from having even the slightest chance of locating him as she continues on her way. They are not in Lazuli lands, and the smell is not that of a cougar, so she is not as concerned as she probably should be, in such troublesome times.
Helaku cared little for what the groups of the region called themselves so long as they didn't bother him. His eyes continued to watch, wondering where this wolf was off too, and alone like him. Such a bold creature, yes. Perhaps a tad too bold. He jumped down from the bolder and retook a position in which to sit. The growing fog added added nicely--he hated clear sunny days.
Skelaghe is not bold. What she is, is... Distraught, in the only way she knows how to be distraught. There has been no storytelling. No daydreaming. Just the piercing belief that her deity and the spirits that have always guided her actions have abandoned her. No, not abandoned... But without their guidance, she is uncertain about how to achieve her redemption, that she might regain her place in their good graces. In this state, she does not notice Helaku at all until he jumps down. First, her ears perk in his direction, and then she actually looks at him... And for a brief period, she is nearly convinced that what she is seeing is a ghost, until she reminds herself that, if he were a ghost, she likely would not have heard him jump. Then, she says, in a reserved tone, "Why have you returned to me?" Even she is surprised by /what/ she says. She never used to be so doubtful about the motives of others... But, for all of her doubts, she has never stopped believing that things happen when they do for a reason, and if she is being punished, as seems to be the case... Then what is Helaku's purpose here?
Helaku stared at her hard. He had been so absorbed in himself that the Ute Mark did not registered in his mind. She could have been an imposter, someone posing as an Ute for all he knew as he no longer recognized her scent. This Helaku was not exactly the same Helaku that had been a member of the pack. Even the last time they met, which he did not remember as he put it out of mind, he had not been the same Helaku. "State your business here," he interjected. "Who are you, where did you come from? Why should I not chase you off?"
He /is/ here to punish her then. To remove from her one more of those tenuous links to her past. Skelaghe cannot help but respond to this with a smile. Odd though it might seem, it helps her to know why, even if the why conflicts with her interest. "I can give you no good reason, if that is what you feel compelled to do. You might let me know, though, so I can save us both the trouble and leave of my own accord." She will not fight. Even if she were normally inclined to do so, she would not fight against /him/.
Helaku eyed her more strongly than before, unconvinced. Quickly, he dashed forward, stopping at her, nose to nose, eyes to eyes. He still didn't recognize her. "What I feel compelled to do...even if it isn't beating you, killing you? Those words carry far, and suggest other things." Helaku had become overly observant; himself even thinking so far as mating with her in order to continue his line as it should be, and yet she put up no defense. Her absence of defense baffled him. She should defend herself.
Skelaghe may not be brave, but she is not cowardly. She remains still as he rushes towards her, though she cannot truly hide the flash of fear in her eyes. Despite that, her tone is level when she responds, keeping her eyes on his. "What would resisting gain me?" His anger? That, certainly, is not something she wants. Her companions are not here. She is alone. Running would do nothing but potentially lead Helaku to them. So she remains. At no point does Skelaghe realize that Helaku doesn't recognize her.
Helaku leaned closer, and closer to her. His nose touched her nose as he stared deep into her eyes. "What would not protecting yourself gain you?" he said. "Wandering around, and not willing to defend yourself--I could have easily torn out your throat just now. Who are you? I won't ask again." He pulled back his snout, showing the teeth beneath. They were...sharper...then they used to be and none too friendly.
Is it possible that he truly doesn't remember her? More... Does it matter? "My name is Skelaghe." Which says nothing about who she /is/, but she suspects that's what he is asking. Still, she refuses to back down. She did not come here randomly. She could have hunted yesterday or tomorrow. She did so /today/. Whatever happens here is what is meant to happen, and if it is so cruel as Helaku, a wolf she knows and who she would have trusted, using her to further his bloodline or killing her? Then so be it.
Helaku's ears flickered when she said her name. It was familiar, vaguely, and worthy of more inspection. He closed in on her and buried his nose within her neck fur, inhaling the old scent. Whatever he had been through, it was rough. The Ute mark in his fur had been torn by something in a fight, as it was ruffled and scarred. "Skel...aghe..." he repeated, as if he almost remembered but not quite.
Even Skelaghe's marking is almost permanently faded. She has kept it filled in well enough, but she can do only so much, by herself. Skelaghe grows tense as he pushes his nose against her neck. She knows the risk presented by the fact that he may not remember, but growing tense is the extent of her reaction.
Helaku held his position for the moment, closing his eyes. He couldn't remember most of the things except for the old pack, and her. Yet, those memories were so far away. "What is my name?" he asked. Of course, he had to have proof that she was an Ute. Only an Ute would know his name...right?
The question surprises her, but she does not hesitate to answer it. "Helaku." So... He does remember? At least, some? Skelaghe does not relax yet. Of course, it should be easier for him to remember his own name, right? She may have just been saved... Or she might not have been. She knows his name, but that does not mean she knows who he is anymore.
Helaku's ears lowered and slowly he sank against her, his breath labored. The wolf buried his face against her neck this time, his harshness and ferocity no longer needed. He remembers who she was, but still there was the question of what to do with her. "Skel..."
There is a gentleness, and even weakness, there that had not been there moments ago. So, though she is not as relaxed as she would normally be with a friend, she drops her head to nuzzle against his lightly. Why? Because, despite what she first thought was his reason for being here, Helaku /was/ once her pack brother.
Helaku breathed deep her scent and gently pushed against her, desire to smother himself in her evident. She was the only familiar face he had in this territory, and he wasn't about to let her go to some foreigner. "I've missed you," he said, "you are the only one left."
No. Skelaghe has seen Ixkin at least as recently as she had seen Helaku, before today. There has to be a chance that the late alpha's sister is still living. "I missed you too, Helaku. I was afraid for you for a long time." She did lose track of where he was shortly before those Men arrived, after all. But he's back now... And he remembers her.
Helaku's nose dug deep, relaxed by her scent...until he picked up trace amounts of another. It was another wolf, and at that, a male. He suddenly sat up, staring at her. "What is this scent?" he said, that strong and opposing voice returning. "This is not an Ute scent."
Today is the day for Skelaghe to be unable to see what is coming. She has spent many nights curled up by Bodhi, letting him groom her, one of them very recently. She just can't imagine that's what is troubling Helaku, now. The cougars, maybe? Or the dogs? Skelaghe returns his gaze, sincerely confused as she says, "We are far removed from Ute. What scent?" She cannot surround herself with things from their home territory... As much as she might actually want to, at times.
Helaku pressed his nose firmly to hers, ears alert and tail agitated. "This wolf scent," he said, "this male. We might be a diminished pack, but order still remains among those who are left." Helaku was disturbed; a foreign male had been lingering near her, the only female he knew. No, it wasn't good. And yes, he would kill the male if necessary to protect Ute interests. Life alone had changed him. He was not so much the Beta kind anymore.
Skelaghe finally attempts to take a step away from Helaku, speaking as she does so. "Bodhi? He is my friend." Not her mate. There is a chance that could have changed, at times, but it hasn't, yet. The only wolf she ever thought might take that place has been missing almost as long as Helaku has.
Helaku stepped with her, not letting her put any distance between them. It was still a concern to him, being as Bodhi was male. He was competition, and competition alone until put in his place. Whenever the word 'friend' was tacked, friends of others he made were often...overprotective. "Skel."
Skelaghe cannot help but be concerned by this. Not much concerns her, but... She has other obligations, and if Helaku is not going to attack her, but still intends to be a part of her life... He cannot expect her to drop those. "Helaku... Stay there." This is said as she takes another step back, feeling a desire for space that has come on rather suddenly, since she wants to make this /work/, wants to maintain her relationship with her while doing the same with the others for whom she cares.
Helaku had intentions, yes, though there were things he needed to know. He still continued forward. "Has he defended you or saved your life?" he asked. "Has he brought you food when ill?" Such odd questions; not the questions a wolf bent on mating would ask for sure. "Does he have a pack?"
Has he defended her? Not as such. But the others... "He does have a pack... And not only has he helped me hunt, but there was a time when he helped me hunt for /you/." She continues to back up, speeding up slightly. Something is not right about this. Of course, something has not been right from the beginning, but now... Now, Skelaghe is no longer so certain what it is.
Helaku stopped there and only looked at her. He wanted her and badly. Though at the same time he knew he was making her uncomfortable. Instead of progressing forward he simply stepped back and turned away, unsure of what to say. And..he started walking off.
Of course, that was not what she wanted. She waits a moment, then, perhaps ironically, given the last few moments... She steps towards him. "Helaku... Don't leave. I... We... Just, stay there, for a minute." She can guess what caused the sudden jealousy. She is not, after all, unintelligent. But as much as she doesn't want to hurt him... There are things that concern her about his natural drives, not the least of which was his anger when he smelled Bodhi on her.
Helaku stopped just before he would have disappeared between the trees. He wasn't sure what she wanted and had figured she'd allow him to merely walk off without trying to stop him. In a sense, he still did outrank her as far as he remembered. He turned his head, looking back to see what she had to say.
Yes... He does outrank her... But only back it Ute. Here... "I don't want you to leave... I don't want to lose you again... You only need to understand that there are others, now. You were gone a long time." Helaku is family. Does he hold higher priority for her? Than some, sure. But... It isn't that easy.
Helaku shivered softly. He was bothered by certain things. Living alone had not faired too well for him and during his time away from the new territories he had been subjected to several..unpleasant..things. "I understand there are others," he answered, "but I am starting to remember things. Ever since the pack fell apart I've eyed you..."
Does he have any idea how much she has wanted pups? She is not in season now, but the last time she was... She came close, many times, to seeking out any rogue male to satisfy her. Even recently, she had almost hoped Sketch was pregnant, as even if the pups are not her own, her life is simply incomplete without them. "So what do we do about it? How much are you willing to compromise?" She isn't shooting him down. He is Ute. He /was/ beta. She would be a fool to do so.
"Being as...we have no strength as a pack due to diminished numbers," he said, "I've decided to take a course which our previous Alpha has given me permit. That if I find a suitable female I am no longer Beta, but Alpha even if the pack does not exist. And whom I choose in a mate would also be Alpha." It was all coming back to him quickly. She had no idea how much effect she had on him remembering things suppressed by long times of mistreatment. "To have you as my mate for our pups, just not mine and not just yours, I would compromise immensely."
Alpha... Of a nonexistent pack. But... Is there a chance that it will not be nonexistent forever? That they /could/ have pups to raise in the traditions of Ute? She never considered herself as alpha material, but if Helaku is insistent... "We have time, then. I will not come into season again until winter." She is no stranger to males who want to mate at other times, but she has none of that hormonal desire in her, right now.
Helaku murmured softly, turning back to her in full. He stepped right up to her as he did a moment before, but this time much slower. "Skel," he said softly. "you might not be in season at the moment, but would you care to return with me to the den I have for myself? It isn't far from here." He let the question hang in the air, hoping she would join him. "It is... lonely at night."
Skelaghe winces at that question. It is easy to say that, come winter, she will give herself to Helaku. It is much harder to commit herself tonight. "Much has happened in the time you were gone. My friends and I are at risk... And I have to return to them." She she would like to invite Helaku to return with her. Truly, she would. But they are not staying in their own territory. "Is it near here? If you let me know where it is, I will return to you within the next few days."
Helaku watched her for a moment thereafter. "What are you at risk from?" he asked. "You are Ute, and my responsibility." He nosed into her cheek, hoping she would explain her situation instead of keeping it from him on the basis of it not involving him. Yet it did. "No one is hunting you, trying to kill you are they?"
Just days ago, she was relieved to have a male nearby who she didn't have to be strong for. Now, it worries her, since unlike Bodhi, she has no doubt that Helaku might do something foolish. She remains where she is as Helaku noses against her, but she does not return any affectionate, friendly gestures. Instead, she speaks. "We... Two dogs and I... Were driven away from our home by some cougars. I cannot say they have followed us... But I cannot say they haven't." Regardless, a pack of four, even if Sketch and Vincent were willing to accompany her, and Helaku were willing to accept them, is not a sufficient deterrent for two violent cougars. "Until I /can/ be sure... We must be careful."
Helaku lightly pulled away when she didn't return the gestures, rather feeling rejected. Unlike what she might expect, Helaku wasn't about to go off searching for cougars to confront. There was more to his time away than most would give credit for. "And did the cougars give any reason to do so?" he continued, slowly stepping away from her, more or less turning his back on her at the moment.
Skelaghe's shoulders fall when he again turns away from her. She was not failing to return the gestures as a sign of rejection. Only because answering seemed to be more important. "No. If they would have... Well, I could be more certain about the present." She takes a step closer to him, then adds, "Promise me you will not do something foolish. I do /not/ want to lose you again." Whether he is her mate or simply a former packmate, he means too much to her.
"My time alone has taught me much, Skel," he said. "I'm afraid that if you go back to your friends, the cougars may find you again. If they kill you, there's no point in me staying in this region, or even living. You are the only one of us I've seen and until I see the others I cannot believe them alive. I have no enemies in this region, and no familiars, except for you."
"They have not found me yet, and besides... I chose our hiding place carefully. We are currently being protected by the same type of creatures that are hunting us." As she told Sketch, who better to protect them from cougars than cougars? Here comes the potentially uncomfortable part, though. Taking several more steps forward, and brushing against Helaku's side as she tries to come shoulder to shoulder with him, Skelaghe says, "I could ask if you would be allowed in the territory."
Helaku did not resist or shrug off her touch. The wolf welcomed it and brushed himself back against her. He was, of course, troubled. Something had changed him, and yet wrestled his mind as he tried to readjust to another's presence. No one knew what he had seen and been through, and he wasn't too eager to talk about it. "Somehow, I doubt they would approve. My mind does not work as beta mind any longer, but of an Alpha. That would not sit well with them, that such a dominant wolf appear. It might even make them question you."
Of course, that /is/ a problem. She knows that Kein would not allow his orders to be questioned, and that the best that could happen is that he would drive Helaku off when the inevitable occurred. Which leaves only one other option, if she and Helaku are to be together... "Then Sketch, Vincent, and I all come to stay with you." He is Ute. He should not despise dogs as the Lazuli do. It is a risk, but... "We are far from where we encountered the cougars. The cannot track us through Amaranth land. If we lie low... It /could/ work."
"I have intended to remain relatively unknown in this territory either way," he said. "Let them have their conflicts in this territory. Our kind, your friends, and I have nothing to do with it. It would be best to secure the safety of you and your group instead of having to live under someone that might make things undesireably hostile for both of us, or them. Our former Alpha would be displeased, wouldn't she?"
Skelaghe does not answer Helaku's question. Would the former female Alpha of Ute be displeased? Skelaghe cannot be certain. She thought Tobba was displeased... Until now. Because, now, she can see a purpose behind why she was driven from Lazuli. "I don't know... But I will return to my friends and suggest this course of action to them. Where can we find you?"
"I will be at this same place," he said. "The fog is dense in this small patch of forest in the morning and dawn." He nuzzled into her cheek once more, his eyes falling on hers. "Be quick. Since I returned, I've been hearing of questionable acts taken by some of the wolves. You are familiar with the old directive that when our pack was under threat only quick and well-guided steps were taken by each member?"
Skelaghe does return the nuzzling, this time. When she answers his question, her voice is quiet, given that her mouth is so near his ear. "Not as well as I should have been, but yes." She was not a fighter, ever. As such, this period has been even harder on her. How might it feel, to return to a time when she might be safe within a pack again? She longs for it... But she realizes that now is not that time.
Helaku murmured lightly, his tail swaying, wagging now. "Just remember, speed and accuracy," he said. "Return to your friends quickly, but don't alert those you'd be leaving. Just...return to me, with them." He set his muzzle under her chin, looking straight into her eyes..again. There was warmth behind him as there used to be, though it had been dampened. Upon a closer look, at the top of his head and between his ears, a large scar lay hidden under the fur. It continued on, and back, down the left side of his neck and across the shoulder, all the way to his hindquarter. And there were more than made themselves evident. His time away had taken him to a lot of fights, maybe too many. The same Helaku, and yet not.
Can she do that? After they were so kind? Well... Maybe not kind, but Amaranth offered them protection. To leave without a single word? Skelaghe will certainly have to think about it, on her way to where she left Sketch and Vincent. Even so, she gives a slight nod of her head, and says, "No later than tomorrow morning, we will be here." Or she will be. What if her canine companions refuse? Shaking the thoughts from her head, she nuzzles against him once more.
Helaku turned to his side, looking back towards the trees, happenstance having it that long scar visible to her. "Tell your companions that if they come with you, they might be able to breathe a tad easier. I suspect things are not as easy as they seem among that territory. If that pack was attacked, they may expect you or the others to fight for them. As you were on the move it is my assumption they are currently your protection. An entire pack does not protect without a price. Do tell them, there will be food available for each of you here upon your arrival." He once again nuzzled her, his tongue lapping out and against her muzzle. "There is a stream not far from here where you can drink before returning to them."
Skelaghe does not correct the simple terminology errors that Helaku makes. And sure, it comes with a price, but the price is negligible. Minimal privacy, some restrictions on movement... But all the same, she would like to be with Helaku, and Sketch would want to be with her. That is all that matters. "I drank before I came, but thank you for the concern." She breaths in deeply, taking in his scent, before finally stepping back. "I will be back soon, Helaku."
Helaku had to assume as he had not met the cougars, unfortunately. She knew them better than he did, but again his time away had taught him much. "If possible, take a shallow stream for your path, mixed in with solid ground if it is on the back. When one wades in the water, their scent cannot be traced. It is something I learned while away." He sat on the ground at the foot of the boulder he had made his perch earlier. "I await your return."
Skelaghe gives a nod of her head, then finally turns to head back toward the mountain. Her pace, when she finally begins walking, is faster than normal. She will return to Sketch and Vincent as quickly as she can... And then do her best to explain to them why they should be doing this, after having just found safety in Amaranth.
Helaku - Male Wolf
- Rolling Foothills -
Skelaghe has always insisted on hunting outside of Amaranth when she has been in the cougar territory. Even now, with the threat of violent cougars out there, that hasn't changed. Besides, the solitude gives her a chance to think on all that has happened recently. Her heart is not really in the hunt. It never had been. She is simply not a huntress. Now, though, it is even worse, and her 'hunting' is more along the lines of wandering uselessly and being thankful that Vincent and Sketch are not completely reliant on her for meals.
Helaku had been absent from the region since the last encounter he had with the natives. Being so long without a pack or associates, he had grown used to being alone and fending for himself instead of socializing. He hadn't been the same since the pack died out, and had returned to the lands to search for anyone who might have unexpectedly survived--he found none and thus returned to this place, a small boulder nestled between two trees, covered in a way to let him observe things, and what he observed was a wolf heading his way. He sat stronger, stiff and ears erect, eyes locked on her as the wind blew in the wrong direction and he did not yet have a clue who she was.
It has been a very long time since Skelaghe has seen Helaku. She always blamed herself for that, to some degree. It has been so long that she has forgotten the details of his scent, though. So, though she knows there is a wolf in the area, and the scent is, in some very vague way, familiar, it is not enough to draw her out of her thoughts, which prevents her from having even the slightest chance of locating him as she continues on her way. They are not in Lazuli lands, and the smell is not that of a cougar, so she is not as concerned as she probably should be, in such troublesome times.
Helaku cared little for what the groups of the region called themselves so long as they didn't bother him. His eyes continued to watch, wondering where this wolf was off too, and alone like him. Such a bold creature, yes. Perhaps a tad too bold. He jumped down from the bolder and retook a position in which to sit. The growing fog added added nicely--he hated clear sunny days.
Skelaghe is not bold. What she is, is... Distraught, in the only way she knows how to be distraught. There has been no storytelling. No daydreaming. Just the piercing belief that her deity and the spirits that have always guided her actions have abandoned her. No, not abandoned... But without their guidance, she is uncertain about how to achieve her redemption, that she might regain her place in their good graces. In this state, she does not notice Helaku at all until he jumps down. First, her ears perk in his direction, and then she actually looks at him... And for a brief period, she is nearly convinced that what she is seeing is a ghost, until she reminds herself that, if he were a ghost, she likely would not have heard him jump. Then, she says, in a reserved tone, "Why have you returned to me?" Even she is surprised by /what/ she says. She never used to be so doubtful about the motives of others... But, for all of her doubts, she has never stopped believing that things happen when they do for a reason, and if she is being punished, as seems to be the case... Then what is Helaku's purpose here?
Helaku stared at her hard. He had been so absorbed in himself that the Ute Mark did not registered in his mind. She could have been an imposter, someone posing as an Ute for all he knew as he no longer recognized her scent. This Helaku was not exactly the same Helaku that had been a member of the pack. Even the last time they met, which he did not remember as he put it out of mind, he had not been the same Helaku. "State your business here," he interjected. "Who are you, where did you come from? Why should I not chase you off?"
He /is/ here to punish her then. To remove from her one more of those tenuous links to her past. Skelaghe cannot help but respond to this with a smile. Odd though it might seem, it helps her to know why, even if the why conflicts with her interest. "I can give you no good reason, if that is what you feel compelled to do. You might let me know, though, so I can save us both the trouble and leave of my own accord." She will not fight. Even if she were normally inclined to do so, she would not fight against /him/.
Helaku eyed her more strongly than before, unconvinced. Quickly, he dashed forward, stopping at her, nose to nose, eyes to eyes. He still didn't recognize her. "What I feel compelled to do...even if it isn't beating you, killing you? Those words carry far, and suggest other things." Helaku had become overly observant; himself even thinking so far as mating with her in order to continue his line as it should be, and yet she put up no defense. Her absence of defense baffled him. She should defend herself.
Skelaghe may not be brave, but she is not cowardly. She remains still as he rushes towards her, though she cannot truly hide the flash of fear in her eyes. Despite that, her tone is level when she responds, keeping her eyes on his. "What would resisting gain me?" His anger? That, certainly, is not something she wants. Her companions are not here. She is alone. Running would do nothing but potentially lead Helaku to them. So she remains. At no point does Skelaghe realize that Helaku doesn't recognize her.
Helaku leaned closer, and closer to her. His nose touched her nose as he stared deep into her eyes. "What would not protecting yourself gain you?" he said. "Wandering around, and not willing to defend yourself--I could have easily torn out your throat just now. Who are you? I won't ask again." He pulled back his snout, showing the teeth beneath. They were...sharper...then they used to be and none too friendly.
Is it possible that he truly doesn't remember her? More... Does it matter? "My name is Skelaghe." Which says nothing about who she /is/, but she suspects that's what he is asking. Still, she refuses to back down. She did not come here randomly. She could have hunted yesterday or tomorrow. She did so /today/. Whatever happens here is what is meant to happen, and if it is so cruel as Helaku, a wolf she knows and who she would have trusted, using her to further his bloodline or killing her? Then so be it.
Helaku's ears flickered when she said her name. It was familiar, vaguely, and worthy of more inspection. He closed in on her and buried his nose within her neck fur, inhaling the old scent. Whatever he had been through, it was rough. The Ute mark in his fur had been torn by something in a fight, as it was ruffled and scarred. "Skel...aghe..." he repeated, as if he almost remembered but not quite.
Even Skelaghe's marking is almost permanently faded. She has kept it filled in well enough, but she can do only so much, by herself. Skelaghe grows tense as he pushes his nose against her neck. She knows the risk presented by the fact that he may not remember, but growing tense is the extent of her reaction.
Helaku held his position for the moment, closing his eyes. He couldn't remember most of the things except for the old pack, and her. Yet, those memories were so far away. "What is my name?" he asked. Of course, he had to have proof that she was an Ute. Only an Ute would know his name...right?
The question surprises her, but she does not hesitate to answer it. "Helaku." So... He does remember? At least, some? Skelaghe does not relax yet. Of course, it should be easier for him to remember his own name, right? She may have just been saved... Or she might not have been. She knows his name, but that does not mean she knows who he is anymore.
Helaku's ears lowered and slowly he sank against her, his breath labored. The wolf buried his face against her neck this time, his harshness and ferocity no longer needed. He remembers who she was, but still there was the question of what to do with her. "Skel..."
There is a gentleness, and even weakness, there that had not been there moments ago. So, though she is not as relaxed as she would normally be with a friend, she drops her head to nuzzle against his lightly. Why? Because, despite what she first thought was his reason for being here, Helaku /was/ once her pack brother.
Helaku breathed deep her scent and gently pushed against her, desire to smother himself in her evident. She was the only familiar face he had in this territory, and he wasn't about to let her go to some foreigner. "I've missed you," he said, "you are the only one left."
No. Skelaghe has seen Ixkin at least as recently as she had seen Helaku, before today. There has to be a chance that the late alpha's sister is still living. "I missed you too, Helaku. I was afraid for you for a long time." She did lose track of where he was shortly before those Men arrived, after all. But he's back now... And he remembers her.
Helaku's nose dug deep, relaxed by her scent...until he picked up trace amounts of another. It was another wolf, and at that, a male. He suddenly sat up, staring at her. "What is this scent?" he said, that strong and opposing voice returning. "This is not an Ute scent."
Today is the day for Skelaghe to be unable to see what is coming. She has spent many nights curled up by Bodhi, letting him groom her, one of them very recently. She just can't imagine that's what is troubling Helaku, now. The cougars, maybe? Or the dogs? Skelaghe returns his gaze, sincerely confused as she says, "We are far removed from Ute. What scent?" She cannot surround herself with things from their home territory... As much as she might actually want to, at times.
Helaku pressed his nose firmly to hers, ears alert and tail agitated. "This wolf scent," he said, "this male. We might be a diminished pack, but order still remains among those who are left." Helaku was disturbed; a foreign male had been lingering near her, the only female he knew. No, it wasn't good. And yes, he would kill the male if necessary to protect Ute interests. Life alone had changed him. He was not so much the Beta kind anymore.
Skelaghe finally attempts to take a step away from Helaku, speaking as she does so. "Bodhi? He is my friend." Not her mate. There is a chance that could have changed, at times, but it hasn't, yet. The only wolf she ever thought might take that place has been missing almost as long as Helaku has.
Helaku stepped with her, not letting her put any distance between them. It was still a concern to him, being as Bodhi was male. He was competition, and competition alone until put in his place. Whenever the word 'friend' was tacked, friends of others he made were often...overprotective. "Skel."
Skelaghe cannot help but be concerned by this. Not much concerns her, but... She has other obligations, and if Helaku is not going to attack her, but still intends to be a part of her life... He cannot expect her to drop those. "Helaku... Stay there." This is said as she takes another step back, feeling a desire for space that has come on rather suddenly, since she wants to make this /work/, wants to maintain her relationship with her while doing the same with the others for whom she cares.
Helaku had intentions, yes, though there were things he needed to know. He still continued forward. "Has he defended you or saved your life?" he asked. "Has he brought you food when ill?" Such odd questions; not the questions a wolf bent on mating would ask for sure. "Does he have a pack?"
Has he defended her? Not as such. But the others... "He does have a pack... And not only has he helped me hunt, but there was a time when he helped me hunt for /you/." She continues to back up, speeding up slightly. Something is not right about this. Of course, something has not been right from the beginning, but now... Now, Skelaghe is no longer so certain what it is.
Helaku stopped there and only looked at her. He wanted her and badly. Though at the same time he knew he was making her uncomfortable. Instead of progressing forward he simply stepped back and turned away, unsure of what to say. And..he started walking off.
Of course, that was not what she wanted. She waits a moment, then, perhaps ironically, given the last few moments... She steps towards him. "Helaku... Don't leave. I... We... Just, stay there, for a minute." She can guess what caused the sudden jealousy. She is not, after all, unintelligent. But as much as she doesn't want to hurt him... There are things that concern her about his natural drives, not the least of which was his anger when he smelled Bodhi on her.
Helaku stopped just before he would have disappeared between the trees. He wasn't sure what she wanted and had figured she'd allow him to merely walk off without trying to stop him. In a sense, he still did outrank her as far as he remembered. He turned his head, looking back to see what she had to say.
Yes... He does outrank her... But only back it Ute. Here... "I don't want you to leave... I don't want to lose you again... You only need to understand that there are others, now. You were gone a long time." Helaku is family. Does he hold higher priority for her? Than some, sure. But... It isn't that easy.
Helaku shivered softly. He was bothered by certain things. Living alone had not faired too well for him and during his time away from the new territories he had been subjected to several..unpleasant..things. "I understand there are others," he answered, "but I am starting to remember things. Ever since the pack fell apart I've eyed you..."
Does he have any idea how much she has wanted pups? She is not in season now, but the last time she was... She came close, many times, to seeking out any rogue male to satisfy her. Even recently, she had almost hoped Sketch was pregnant, as even if the pups are not her own, her life is simply incomplete without them. "So what do we do about it? How much are you willing to compromise?" She isn't shooting him down. He is Ute. He /was/ beta. She would be a fool to do so.
"Being as...we have no strength as a pack due to diminished numbers," he said, "I've decided to take a course which our previous Alpha has given me permit. That if I find a suitable female I am no longer Beta, but Alpha even if the pack does not exist. And whom I choose in a mate would also be Alpha." It was all coming back to him quickly. She had no idea how much effect she had on him remembering things suppressed by long times of mistreatment. "To have you as my mate for our pups, just not mine and not just yours, I would compromise immensely."
Alpha... Of a nonexistent pack. But... Is there a chance that it will not be nonexistent forever? That they /could/ have pups to raise in the traditions of Ute? She never considered herself as alpha material, but if Helaku is insistent... "We have time, then. I will not come into season again until winter." She is no stranger to males who want to mate at other times, but she has none of that hormonal desire in her, right now.
Helaku murmured softly, turning back to her in full. He stepped right up to her as he did a moment before, but this time much slower. "Skel," he said softly. "you might not be in season at the moment, but would you care to return with me to the den I have for myself? It isn't far from here." He let the question hang in the air, hoping she would join him. "It is... lonely at night."
Skelaghe winces at that question. It is easy to say that, come winter, she will give herself to Helaku. It is much harder to commit herself tonight. "Much has happened in the time you were gone. My friends and I are at risk... And I have to return to them." She she would like to invite Helaku to return with her. Truly, she would. But they are not staying in their own territory. "Is it near here? If you let me know where it is, I will return to you within the next few days."
Helaku watched her for a moment thereafter. "What are you at risk from?" he asked. "You are Ute, and my responsibility." He nosed into her cheek, hoping she would explain her situation instead of keeping it from him on the basis of it not involving him. Yet it did. "No one is hunting you, trying to kill you are they?"
Just days ago, she was relieved to have a male nearby who she didn't have to be strong for. Now, it worries her, since unlike Bodhi, she has no doubt that Helaku might do something foolish. She remains where she is as Helaku noses against her, but she does not return any affectionate, friendly gestures. Instead, she speaks. "We... Two dogs and I... Were driven away from our home by some cougars. I cannot say they have followed us... But I cannot say they haven't." Regardless, a pack of four, even if Sketch and Vincent were willing to accompany her, and Helaku were willing to accept them, is not a sufficient deterrent for two violent cougars. "Until I /can/ be sure... We must be careful."
Helaku lightly pulled away when she didn't return the gestures, rather feeling rejected. Unlike what she might expect, Helaku wasn't about to go off searching for cougars to confront. There was more to his time away than most would give credit for. "And did the cougars give any reason to do so?" he continued, slowly stepping away from her, more or less turning his back on her at the moment.
Skelaghe's shoulders fall when he again turns away from her. She was not failing to return the gestures as a sign of rejection. Only because answering seemed to be more important. "No. If they would have... Well, I could be more certain about the present." She takes a step closer to him, then adds, "Promise me you will not do something foolish. I do /not/ want to lose you again." Whether he is her mate or simply a former packmate, he means too much to her.
"My time alone has taught me much, Skel," he said. "I'm afraid that if you go back to your friends, the cougars may find you again. If they kill you, there's no point in me staying in this region, or even living. You are the only one of us I've seen and until I see the others I cannot believe them alive. I have no enemies in this region, and no familiars, except for you."
"They have not found me yet, and besides... I chose our hiding place carefully. We are currently being protected by the same type of creatures that are hunting us." As she told Sketch, who better to protect them from cougars than cougars? Here comes the potentially uncomfortable part, though. Taking several more steps forward, and brushing against Helaku's side as she tries to come shoulder to shoulder with him, Skelaghe says, "I could ask if you would be allowed in the territory."
Helaku did not resist or shrug off her touch. The wolf welcomed it and brushed himself back against her. He was, of course, troubled. Something had changed him, and yet wrestled his mind as he tried to readjust to another's presence. No one knew what he had seen and been through, and he wasn't too eager to talk about it. "Somehow, I doubt they would approve. My mind does not work as beta mind any longer, but of an Alpha. That would not sit well with them, that such a dominant wolf appear. It might even make them question you."
Of course, that /is/ a problem. She knows that Kein would not allow his orders to be questioned, and that the best that could happen is that he would drive Helaku off when the inevitable occurred. Which leaves only one other option, if she and Helaku are to be together... "Then Sketch, Vincent, and I all come to stay with you." He is Ute. He should not despise dogs as the Lazuli do. It is a risk, but... "We are far from where we encountered the cougars. The cannot track us through Amaranth land. If we lie low... It /could/ work."
"I have intended to remain relatively unknown in this territory either way," he said. "Let them have their conflicts in this territory. Our kind, your friends, and I have nothing to do with it. It would be best to secure the safety of you and your group instead of having to live under someone that might make things undesireably hostile for both of us, or them. Our former Alpha would be displeased, wouldn't she?"
Skelaghe does not answer Helaku's question. Would the former female Alpha of Ute be displeased? Skelaghe cannot be certain. She thought Tobba was displeased... Until now. Because, now, she can see a purpose behind why she was driven from Lazuli. "I don't know... But I will return to my friends and suggest this course of action to them. Where can we find you?"
"I will be at this same place," he said. "The fog is dense in this small patch of forest in the morning and dawn." He nuzzled into her cheek once more, his eyes falling on hers. "Be quick. Since I returned, I've been hearing of questionable acts taken by some of the wolves. You are familiar with the old directive that when our pack was under threat only quick and well-guided steps were taken by each member?"
Skelaghe does return the nuzzling, this time. When she answers his question, her voice is quiet, given that her mouth is so near his ear. "Not as well as I should have been, but yes." She was not a fighter, ever. As such, this period has been even harder on her. How might it feel, to return to a time when she might be safe within a pack again? She longs for it... But she realizes that now is not that time.
Helaku murmured lightly, his tail swaying, wagging now. "Just remember, speed and accuracy," he said. "Return to your friends quickly, but don't alert those you'd be leaving. Just...return to me, with them." He set his muzzle under her chin, looking straight into her eyes..again. There was warmth behind him as there used to be, though it had been dampened. Upon a closer look, at the top of his head and between his ears, a large scar lay hidden under the fur. It continued on, and back, down the left side of his neck and across the shoulder, all the way to his hindquarter. And there were more than made themselves evident. His time away had taken him to a lot of fights, maybe too many. The same Helaku, and yet not.
Can she do that? After they were so kind? Well... Maybe not kind, but Amaranth offered them protection. To leave without a single word? Skelaghe will certainly have to think about it, on her way to where she left Sketch and Vincent. Even so, she gives a slight nod of her head, and says, "No later than tomorrow morning, we will be here." Or she will be. What if her canine companions refuse? Shaking the thoughts from her head, she nuzzles against him once more.
Helaku turned to his side, looking back towards the trees, happenstance having it that long scar visible to her. "Tell your companions that if they come with you, they might be able to breathe a tad easier. I suspect things are not as easy as they seem among that territory. If that pack was attacked, they may expect you or the others to fight for them. As you were on the move it is my assumption they are currently your protection. An entire pack does not protect without a price. Do tell them, there will be food available for each of you here upon your arrival." He once again nuzzled her, his tongue lapping out and against her muzzle. "There is a stream not far from here where you can drink before returning to them."
Skelaghe does not correct the simple terminology errors that Helaku makes. And sure, it comes with a price, but the price is negligible. Minimal privacy, some restrictions on movement... But all the same, she would like to be with Helaku, and Sketch would want to be with her. That is all that matters. "I drank before I came, but thank you for the concern." She breaths in deeply, taking in his scent, before finally stepping back. "I will be back soon, Helaku."
Helaku had to assume as he had not met the cougars, unfortunately. She knew them better than he did, but again his time away had taught him much. "If possible, take a shallow stream for your path, mixed in with solid ground if it is on the back. When one wades in the water, their scent cannot be traced. It is something I learned while away." He sat on the ground at the foot of the boulder he had made his perch earlier. "I await your return."
Skelaghe gives a nod of her head, then finally turns to head back toward the mountain. Her pace, when she finally begins walking, is faster than normal. She will return to Sketch and Vincent as quickly as she can... And then do her best to explain to them why they should be doing this, after having just found safety in Amaranth.