Post by Kvatch on Oct 2, 2012 8:04:12 GMT -5
| Althaea, a female adolecent wolf (Ute) |
| Minya, a female cougar (Amaranth) |
| Brutal, a male wolf |
Somewhere along the river...
Since they declared they were going to venture out in search for missing members of the pack, Althaea had seperated herself from the cougar to gather and prep herself for the trip ahead. Eatting a full meal, stretching out.. eventually it all lead up to meeting back up and heading out. That was days ago. Crunching through the snow, the young she-wolf was a rather awkward sight- a brown smear against a white backdrop of greys. In a way it helped her but in truth it made no difference when walking beside the tawny figure of a cougar. Looking around things seemed quiet, the occasional bird making stops amongst the trees and deer watching ever closely for their lives. A few tracks in the snow lead to tunnels piled over and the river that Althaea had seemingly been following. None of them were the ones she was looking for though and it dampened her spirits. She'd continue to search though, for the one she sought was out there somewhere. Dead, alive. She didn't know.
Minya is moving through the snow, which is easier for her, checking that Althaea is okay once in a while. Her eyes and ears are scanning for any signs of the wolves or spirits, but she hasn't noticed anything yet.
Brutal dead? No. But neither is he really alive. Since discovering Althaea wounded and seeing what Grim had done to her -and of learning what his brother had done to his mate before her- Brutal had not stopped searching. The massive wolf had disappeared as soon as it was evident the young Ute she-wolf would survive, vanishing without a word and never seen since. Though it is not like Brutal's departure is steeped in mystery, for though his rage was silent, the shame he suffered was less so. Days passed into weeks and the forest remained empty of his presence, and with the first fallen snowflake, time seemed to promise it would be much longer still. And it has. For Brutal though, it feels like only yesterday and the mere thought of Grim is enough to put a bad taste in his mouth. Worse, the traitorous ilk is still out there somewhere and Brutal cannot shoulder this thought without feeling as if his brother is right behind him, laughing at his failure. Of course, Grim is not the only wolf to occupy the dark wolf's mind, for sharing a space of equal obsession is Althaea, who in this passage of time, Brutal could only hope was well. But hoping is never the same as knowing, which is perhaps the only thing that could pull Brutal away from his hell-bent retaliation. And so here he is, treading through familiar woods once more, though feeling more lost than he ever has.
Back and forth she'd look across the river and into the forest. Suddenly stopping, she falls behind Minya, her gaze upon the ground just stareing at it. Each day the snow would pack on making it harder for her to continue on, practically dragging her limbs through parts of their journey till she found herself stopped from exhaustion. This was one of those times, looking up from her halted path to the cougar now ahead of her. "Minya, wait." Her voice trailing on in the emptiness of the woods. Sitting down was now an option, but she refused. Fearing that if she did she wouldn't be able to get back up. So, instead she forces herself to turn and make closer to the river. A drink would help, it'd have to. When she reaches the river, she stands there in silence stareing down at herself. After a few moments, she dips her head and laps at the near freezing surface of the river a few times then departs.
A few steps later, Minya notices that she can't hear Althaea walking, and stops too. She turns her head towards her just as she speaks, and when Althaea starts to move closer to the river she follows her and drinks some water too.
The familiar paths taken through the woods in Brutal's return to them is more of coincidence then any real purpose. In fact, that he should even find himself following along the river is more of mindless wandering than a decisive destination, for of all places, Brutal would have least expected that he should come upon her here, ironicly so very near to the same place where he taught her how to chase fish and where they weathered the storm together in the small hallow beneath the tree. Though with much of the narrow stream frozen and slowed to a trickle, it is the sound of lapping that captures Brutal's attention, bringing his snow powdered face to turn in the direction of the sound. Mild curiosity leads him on, his large head lifting from it's slump as the hulking male nears the opposite bank, coming to stand across from the unusual companions. For a second, he almost doesn't recognize the young she-wolf, who is certainly coming into her own. However, the sight of the cougar brings pause, not to mention the recollection of the day the dogs attacked Ute at the falls. If not for their help, surely they all would be dead, including himself. For a moment longer, Brutal lets his yellow eyes venture over Althaea, his heart felt fluttering in his chest at seeing her, grateful that her injuries have healed with such progress. Sadness is not far away though, ushered in the instant that Brutal remembers why he has returned in the first place. "You look more lovely than I remember, Althaea." calls his voice just as she begins to depart, carefully guarded, but genuinely warm. Letting his gaze shift toward Minya, he offers the young cougar a small dip of his great head in regards, though he is unable to keep his gaze from Althaea long, "Who is your friend?"
Back on the invisable trail, waiting for Minya to follow, her ears are drooped to the sides and her head hung low dispite the rather closeness she's become to an heartlifting encounter. Althaea was ready to continue her search when a distant voice draws her attention down river. The silence of the wood made it easy to decipher and yet it has been so long that she heard his voice that for all she knew it could of been her mind playing tricks. Wishful thinking perhaps. About to turn away, the sound of pawsteps in the snow draws her pause once more. This time she looks in its direction, listening as they drew closer. When the burly form of Brutal steps into view Althaea is at a lose. Was it really him? His voice chimes again and she looks to Minya, a distant smile over her lips. Not a word spoken, she turns to approach the wolf a few steps. "Brutal?" Her tone soft and more mature then the last they spoke. Minya is forgotten for a time but is looked to when questioned about. "Oh, this is Minya."
Minya is drinking the cold water when Brutal speaks. She lifts her head and she watches him for a few moments. She lowers her head to drink again when Althaea speaks, listening to the conversation.
Had she heard him? For a moment, Brutal actually considers the possibility that maybe it is he who is hallucinating, perhaps suffering the same sort of wishful thinking that Althaea herself briefly ponders. But then, the presence of Minya would come as something that would require explanation where wishful dreams are concerned and Brutal's fairly sure he possesses very little inclination to cross paths with a cougar, regardless of who's side they are on. So surely this must be real? Taking a few steps in pursuit of the she-wolf, his movement halts as soon as Althaea turns and her eyes clearly set upon him, something which brings a smile to his dark lips as he returns that gaze. To her question of disbelief, the massive and scar-faced male manages to muster some of his playful pride, replying with a gentle smile and a voiced, "None other." Not to be rude, Brutal spares the introduced feline another glance, offering up a reserved acknowledgment with a echoing of her name off his own tongue, "Minya." Though quickly does his yellow eyes sweep back to the Ute adolescent, with Brutal taking in every detail of her. "You look...better." he says, though a hint of guilt sounds in his voice, his gaze briefly dropping and keeping him from moving closer. Ahem. Finding his resolve in the awkwardness, he turns his attention to less sensitive thoughts and more of casual interest, "What are you doing out here? I would have thought Ute would have gone back to it's old lands?"
She stood there in blank expresssion- disbelief that after all this time when at the brink of giving up he decides now to shows up out of the white. Was he really here? It was hard to believe even now that she was even here trying to find him. It was him however that found her and upon hearing him declare his authenticity an uncontroled smile spreads her lips. Althaea would no sooner smother him with a long awaited act of affection if it wasn't for the fact she didn't have the energy to even meet him half way. Looking to herself she huffs. "I look as I always have." If you dont count the number of visable scars seen through her coat, that is. Alth' had prized her looks in the past but this day in age she was just grateful to be alive. To be able to see Brutal again. The posture of the wolf brings displeasure to the young shewolf, slowly moving toward him. "Ute is moving to new lands." She tells him, stopping within range of the wolf so she's capable of touching him. "To leave without you knowing, without you there.." Leaning in she brushes her face hair against his. "Its why I'm out here. To find you."
Minya stops drinking when Althaea speaks and lifts her head. This is interesting. She doesn't say anything yet, juat watches the wolves.
The sheer sight of that smile upon Althaea's muzzle, no matter how brief it might be, is enough to bring a bit of warmth to a wolf who in days long past, has hardened his heart to frigid stone. When he discovered what his brother had done, it wasn't just learning of Grim's betrayal of the Ute pack, it was learning that he had tormented and tried to kill Althaea, and more so, it also meant learning the truth behind the death of his pups and Naira, his beloved mate. It was a hard blow to Brutal. Not just because of the guilt he felt at having left them alone, but because for as much as he loved his family and found himself loving again with Althaea, Brutal loved his brother more and it was that love that he foolishly allowed himself to be blinded by. No more, though. As he continues to look upon the adolescent, it doesn't take long before Brutal takes notice to the tired shuffle of her paws and the signs of exhaustion. Concern is quick to form upon his lupine visage, his dark brows knitting together in consternation. "I would hope not." is his remark to her rather flippant comment, massive paws crunching heavily through the snowy crust as he abandons his reserved demeanor and moves to intercept her, "You look worn out". This surely isn't how either one of them would have imagined their reunion, for the eager affection that had always been there feels stifled, at least for Brutal's part. Oh how he would love nothing more than to topple her over with a near puppish excitement, to breathe her scent in and nuzzle and lick her until every bit of her coat was in disarray. But the dark wolf has not come back to reunite himself with the Ute youth. He has come back to bid farewell. Surely, to act anything other than nonchalant and reserved would make this all the more painful? And so even as Brutal move so very near, the massive wolf might as well be far away. The news of Ute's travel comes as something of surprise and perhaps more as a disappointment. It just makes it all seem even more for naught, making Brutal wish all the more that he had never come upon the Ute wolf pack. However, more grievous is Althaea's further telling. Drawing in a breath, the hulking black wolf finally extends his muzzle to lightly touch the she-wolf's cheek with his nose, "Well, I wouldn't expect them to put out a search party for me. I wasn't yet part of Ute." Among other reasons, but Brutal doesn't bother going there. "And..." How she must care for him to come searching. Sigh. "...you shouldn't have left. Its dangerous to go venturing off." He glances briefly toward Minya, "Even if in the company of a cougar." He doesn't say it, but the waver of fear and the edge of anger in his tone is enough to imply it. Grim might still be alive.
Althaea would say that she's forgotten her exhaustion but every action posed toward the wolf before her was a reminder of how long she's been out here pushing herself over something she thought she'd never find again. She felt it in her legs, tail, even the smile she so effortlessly displayed. In all consideration given, she accepts it with the meek gesture of sitting and leaning into Brutal, passing through is his touch, if only to hold herself up. She presses her face into his neck hair and would never back away if it wasn't for his words. Pulling back she looks up at him in disbelief. How could he say that.. Sure the rest of the pack would state him just as guilty bystandered but to her.. to her he was more than that. He was a friend, a companion. "I.." She says looking to the ground. "It is dangerous, but so is love." She came out here because she wanted to. She didn't care if there was a chance Grim was still out there. She survived him once and she'd do it again if she had to. "I cant go back knowing I may never see you again."
In those days that followed the final battle with the dogs and the betrayal of his brother Grim, Brutal had allowed himself to get lost in his rage and his desire for revenge. So much, that he had forgotten that not everything, or everyone, was lost. And now, as Althaea leans into his burly frame and the heat of her breath is felt billowing into his thick winter coat, Brutal is reminded of this very thing. However, this same reminder also serves to solidify his resolve and the decision for his return. Though with the adolescent nestled so near, Brutal cannot keep up this stoic facade, her words bringing the hulking wolf to suck in a sharp breath, "Don't.." he begins in reply, lifting one of his thick fore limbs and curling a paw around her shoulders as he snugs her in tight, tugging her close just as she starts to pull away. Arching his neck, he nuzzles his broad muzzle alongside her cheek and down the side of her throat, himself forgetting the presence of the onlooking cougar. "I'm not strong enough, Althaea. I can't protect you and I'm not strong enough to go on if something should happen to you." Dark ears lay flat against his head as he listens to her utter such words of devotion, his massive frame felt shuddering with the turmoil of emotions seething and churning beneath the surface. Pressing his nose firmly against the dip of her throat beneath her chin, Brutal's tongue slips forward to dab the flesh beneath the soft fur found here, leading to the lifting of his muzzle and the subsequent manipulation of her own elegant snout into a upward tilt, at which point the moist appendage flicks forth to stroke at length up the underside of her jaw to cross wetly over the cleft of her lips. Though even as the taste of her still lingers on his tongue, Brutal's yellow eyes are there to stare intensely upon her and to measure her reaction, but the look in this gaze retains no warmth from the fire of that affectionate lick. Instead, the twin orbs are hard and unyielding, even painfully frigid. "Then go back knowing that you won't see me again. I love you, Althaea, but I won't wait for that love to kill you too."
Did he really think she cared. She didn't expect him to be strong or brave.. she expected him to be there. To charish the moments that would come, the moments he once had and could have again. Why didn't he see that. Looking up at the wolf, Althaea looked saddened by his words. "Then dont. Dont protect me, don't be strong. Be you." That instant her eyes begin to glassen, ears dropping. "I know somewhere in that torn up body theres a part of you that cares and wants nothing more than to see me live on and be happy. But how can I be happy knowing that your not." With more to say her words are silenced by the touch beneath her chin, its upward tilt- The warmth of the lick across her lips. To swoon her with just a kiss. Why destroy something like that. This she does not understand even as her eyes open to look at his towering above. A single tear falls from each eye, throat knotting trying to keep composure. Dropping her gaze, her head soon to follow, 'Thaea steps back. "Why.. why did you do that" Her tone broken. "Only to break my heart." Taking another step back she looks to the river, its glissen of the moons light. "You know what your bother told me the day he sought to end my life?" Silence falls over her lips as she waits, but before Brutal is even given the chance to speak she continues. "He would rather see you feel pain than have you taken from him by someone like me." It sickens her that its that which she remembers. But it is that that gave her reason to live. "Why give him the benefit of the doubt. By leaving, you are giving him exactly what he wants. Is that what you want, Brutal?" Looking back to the wolf she's held back her tears. "If you truely love me, you'll ask me to go with you.. or you'll stay." She wants to see Brutal prove that his brother's hatred is no match for that of a devoted heart.
It would be a lie to say that Althaea words carry no weight, for they hit Brutal with the force of stone crumbling down the jagged cliffs of a mountain. So strongly does he feel them, that the massive wolf's body give a visible wince. Be himself? That is exactly what Brutal wanted to be, from the very beginning when he learned the name of a hesitant, but trusting wolf pup that day by the waterfall. That had been the first time in a long time that the massive wolf had been anything except someone else. Brutal knows it is a simple thing for her to want, but it is not so simple for him to do it. To just accept his weakness and fear and know that any day he might be shown the full extent of his short-comings at the cost for which would be more than he could bare. And so knowing this, even now, his heart aches as he watches the adolescent's heart break, Brutal cannot bring himself to accept these terms of endearment. Even still, the hulking male also isn't eager to insist upon his own defense, remaining silent and pained as he witnesses the tears that trickle down her furry cheeks. To her pleading question, his reply is honest, the words quietly spoken, "Because I've been longing to do that and that is the memory I want of you." Ever so softly, a whine of agonizing indecision escapes his muzzle and unable to look upon her suffering any longer, Brutal adverts his gaze in heavy thought. However, the mere mention of his brother's name brings the dark wolf's head and erected ears snapping back to Althaea, the face of the beast of vengeance lurking just beneath the surface glimpsed by way of a curled lip and the short throttle of a snarl. And with such conflicting and explosive emotions as sorrow and rage clashing at once, Brutal is quickly overwhelmed, causing his massive frame to tense and his hackles to bristle. This is proceeded by a very abrupt step towards Althaea, practically shoving into her as he pushes his face down near her own, yellow eyes gleaming frightfully with a wild passion the likes of which only comes from love and hate. "I said I love you, dammit! And if I said it Althaea, then I mean it!" he practically shouts, his voice void of any attempt to control the depth of the emotion within. "Don't you see? If Grim can't have me, he surely isn't going to let me have you. If you stay with me, if Grim is out there, I might as well be your murderer! But if I go, I'll be happy just knowing that you're alive!"
There are many things in this world that Althaea wants and to live is one of them. But when you are young and know nothing but fear and pain, where is the point in living if all that you love becomes beyond your reach even when it stands right in front of you. To reach out only to be pushed away out of fear. How is she to feel if not pained? Frightened perhaps. That is the exact emotion displayed however when she is confronted with a fit of rage, or was it sorrow. Unable to tell, the young shewolf finds herself pushed back from the practical shove against her form. A whine escapes her muzzle and she would fall to the ground if she didn't think she had a chance here. "Brutal, what.." For the first time in her life she is scared. Ears pulled back from the shout she steps back. He cant really mean that can he. "Then kill me, because I'm not letting you go. Not without me." Through the fear she shows in her stance a voice on the brink of unimaginable sorrow is heavy yet sound.
There is a battle waging between Brutal's heart and the thoughts in his head as he stands there before the young she-wolf, unbridled emotions clashing wildly in a storm of chaotic confliction. He knows the consequence of giving in to the selfish desires and silly dreams that exist as a flicker of warmth in a cold heart, where the shadows of a nightmare already once-lived loom all around, just waiting to catch him sleeping again. More so, the threat of re-living those heart-wrenching days of endless pain and agonizing loss have taken on a tangible form in Brutal's memory, with leering golden eyes and a wicked sneer. A grim figure for which Brutal can finally destroy, but in turn so could it rend and tear the last pieces of sanity left in Brutal apart. Despite all this though, as the massive wolf catches sight of Althaea's suffering and sees the fear that sweeps across her own visage as the she-wolf faces the thought of a farewell as final as if it were Brutal's own death, her words echo in his ears long after Althaea speaks them. Kill her? He could never...yet...does death not look like this? The fear in her eyes and the sadness upon her face? The pitiful plea in a voice that wishes for more time? Brutal may not always be able to save her from death when it comes, but he will not be the one to kill the part of her that his heart would have endure- her spirit. With this conclusion, a calm drifts in to settle the storm, quieting the rage and soothing the monster within, retreating back beneath the surface with a heavy sigh. Bristled hackles begin to descend and the coiled muscles in Brutal's broad shoulders relax upon that exhale, "Alright..." he breathes, "You win. I'll stay at your side." It isn't long after that Brutal's massive figure closes the gap that had emerged between himself the the adolescent, one which in a silent oath, Brutal will never allow again. With a resolute and near challenging liberty the likes of which the dark wolf has never before allowed himself to take with the Ute she-wolf, he buries his face along her neck fur, only to pivot abruptly as he lifts a front leg to cross over her back, his bulk nearly swallowing her up as he presses and nuzzles into her body, pulling in deep breaths of her scent. With Althaea practically positioned between his front legs and beneath his chest, it isn't until he has snuffled all the fur around her head and ears up into disheveled clumps that Brutal decides to elaborate on the winning terms. "Though, before you decide this is what you want, Althaea, know that it means leaving Ute behind. Possibly forever." Leaning out to the side so that he might be able to look upon her face and she his without having to contend with awkward angles, his brows knit with sincerity, "Because if we stay, I would knowingly be putting them in danger. It is bad enough that I did so ignorantly, even arrogantly. Either way, I owe your pack an apology and you owe them peace of mind."
Althaea was in the right of just walking away and though it was well within her power to do so its not what she wanted. It was against all she stood for. Giving up on something she worked so hard to keep- It just wasn't going to happen. She would rather die than be forced to live broken. Dropping her body to the ground, her eariler exhaustion sticking its head back into things, Althaea uses it as a ploy to dismiss a possible failure on her part. Head placed between her forearms admiting defeat would be her next step, that is until a certain set of words catches her attention. A tired smile slowly falls over her lips but it fades only as she begins to feel guilty. She was getting what she wanted but not in the way she hoped. He was suppose to come to this decision on his own not because she was making him. Picking herself up from the ground, she sighs but as she does she is taken unexpectedly by the embrace. Leaning into the burly wolf she looks up through snuffled hairs when he speaks. She never would of considered leaving her pack had he not considered it himself. At a time she would of dropped everything but as things turned for the worse she felt obligated to stay. Leave her heart behind and make do. Then she was betrayed and attack giving her plenty of time to think. "My time there has always been limited." She tells Brutal sure of herself. "The day I choose to befriend you was the changing point in my life. How was I to know such a choice would bring so much pain to the ones I loved." Turning away the young she-wolf looks out toward the river, past it toward where she last saw the remaining members of Ute. "I am sorry." Softer words have never been spoken, slowly turning back. "They will forever be my family but its indeed time I moved on." Its hard to admit when you've done something wrong, but even harder to let it go. With a deep breath she says, "I am ready."
If the dark wolf were wise to her moment of dissatisfied guilt, Brutal would most certainly argue that she didn't /make/ him do anything. Her words and behavior simply assisted him in arriving to this conclusion and with his mind made up, she'll just have to live the the consequences of being a enlightening individual. This is, of course, if Brutal knew of her fleeting shame; as it were, the massive male is non-the-wiser and wisely uninterested in discerning it. Instead, Brutal's attention is focused on more important details, such as how her fur smells like pine cones in the winter air, or the distinctly feminine lilt that he hears when she speaks- a voice that he recalls was much younger in pitch not so very long ago. Or maybe it has been a long time? Of course, what matter is it now, if but of no matter at all? He is here with her and here is where he will stay. Well, that is, all depending... With some of himself still draped warmly over the length of the adolescent, Brutal adopts a more suitable posture alongside her in order to acknowledge and listen to Althaea's thoughts as she confronts the decision that needs to be made for her part of this binding agreement. For the most part, Brutal goes on to regard her with a comforting understanding and a warm patience while she arrives to her final conclusion, though he is not without a moment of shared sadness that so much hurt has indeed come from choices that had been made. But if it was the last thing he does, Brutal would see to it that this would not become another one. Still, in spite of it all, Brutal allows himself a smile and the dare to hope that he too might feel as certain about that as Althaea is in this moment. A token of encouragement and a voice to his happiness is given by way of another stolen kiss, leaning in close to wash his tongue firmly along the edge of her lips, his husky voice murmuring against her ear, "I am glad. Rest now. I'm here." And just as soon as Althaea does so, so too does Brutal lay pressed close to his lamb, his stout chin on her shoulders and his eyes watchful through to the snowy boughs all around them.
| Minya, a female cougar (Amaranth) |
| Brutal, a male wolf |
Somewhere along the river...
Since they declared they were going to venture out in search for missing members of the pack, Althaea had seperated herself from the cougar to gather and prep herself for the trip ahead. Eatting a full meal, stretching out.. eventually it all lead up to meeting back up and heading out. That was days ago. Crunching through the snow, the young she-wolf was a rather awkward sight- a brown smear against a white backdrop of greys. In a way it helped her but in truth it made no difference when walking beside the tawny figure of a cougar. Looking around things seemed quiet, the occasional bird making stops amongst the trees and deer watching ever closely for their lives. A few tracks in the snow lead to tunnels piled over and the river that Althaea had seemingly been following. None of them were the ones she was looking for though and it dampened her spirits. She'd continue to search though, for the one she sought was out there somewhere. Dead, alive. She didn't know.
Minya is moving through the snow, which is easier for her, checking that Althaea is okay once in a while. Her eyes and ears are scanning for any signs of the wolves or spirits, but she hasn't noticed anything yet.
Brutal dead? No. But neither is he really alive. Since discovering Althaea wounded and seeing what Grim had done to her -and of learning what his brother had done to his mate before her- Brutal had not stopped searching. The massive wolf had disappeared as soon as it was evident the young Ute she-wolf would survive, vanishing without a word and never seen since. Though it is not like Brutal's departure is steeped in mystery, for though his rage was silent, the shame he suffered was less so. Days passed into weeks and the forest remained empty of his presence, and with the first fallen snowflake, time seemed to promise it would be much longer still. And it has. For Brutal though, it feels like only yesterday and the mere thought of Grim is enough to put a bad taste in his mouth. Worse, the traitorous ilk is still out there somewhere and Brutal cannot shoulder this thought without feeling as if his brother is right behind him, laughing at his failure. Of course, Grim is not the only wolf to occupy the dark wolf's mind, for sharing a space of equal obsession is Althaea, who in this passage of time, Brutal could only hope was well. But hoping is never the same as knowing, which is perhaps the only thing that could pull Brutal away from his hell-bent retaliation. And so here he is, treading through familiar woods once more, though feeling more lost than he ever has.
Back and forth she'd look across the river and into the forest. Suddenly stopping, she falls behind Minya, her gaze upon the ground just stareing at it. Each day the snow would pack on making it harder for her to continue on, practically dragging her limbs through parts of their journey till she found herself stopped from exhaustion. This was one of those times, looking up from her halted path to the cougar now ahead of her. "Minya, wait." Her voice trailing on in the emptiness of the woods. Sitting down was now an option, but she refused. Fearing that if she did she wouldn't be able to get back up. So, instead she forces herself to turn and make closer to the river. A drink would help, it'd have to. When she reaches the river, she stands there in silence stareing down at herself. After a few moments, she dips her head and laps at the near freezing surface of the river a few times then departs.
A few steps later, Minya notices that she can't hear Althaea walking, and stops too. She turns her head towards her just as she speaks, and when Althaea starts to move closer to the river she follows her and drinks some water too.
The familiar paths taken through the woods in Brutal's return to them is more of coincidence then any real purpose. In fact, that he should even find himself following along the river is more of mindless wandering than a decisive destination, for of all places, Brutal would have least expected that he should come upon her here, ironicly so very near to the same place where he taught her how to chase fish and where they weathered the storm together in the small hallow beneath the tree. Though with much of the narrow stream frozen and slowed to a trickle, it is the sound of lapping that captures Brutal's attention, bringing his snow powdered face to turn in the direction of the sound. Mild curiosity leads him on, his large head lifting from it's slump as the hulking male nears the opposite bank, coming to stand across from the unusual companions. For a second, he almost doesn't recognize the young she-wolf, who is certainly coming into her own. However, the sight of the cougar brings pause, not to mention the recollection of the day the dogs attacked Ute at the falls. If not for their help, surely they all would be dead, including himself. For a moment longer, Brutal lets his yellow eyes venture over Althaea, his heart felt fluttering in his chest at seeing her, grateful that her injuries have healed with such progress. Sadness is not far away though, ushered in the instant that Brutal remembers why he has returned in the first place. "You look more lovely than I remember, Althaea." calls his voice just as she begins to depart, carefully guarded, but genuinely warm. Letting his gaze shift toward Minya, he offers the young cougar a small dip of his great head in regards, though he is unable to keep his gaze from Althaea long, "Who is your friend?"
Back on the invisable trail, waiting for Minya to follow, her ears are drooped to the sides and her head hung low dispite the rather closeness she's become to an heartlifting encounter. Althaea was ready to continue her search when a distant voice draws her attention down river. The silence of the wood made it easy to decipher and yet it has been so long that she heard his voice that for all she knew it could of been her mind playing tricks. Wishful thinking perhaps. About to turn away, the sound of pawsteps in the snow draws her pause once more. This time she looks in its direction, listening as they drew closer. When the burly form of Brutal steps into view Althaea is at a lose. Was it really him? His voice chimes again and she looks to Minya, a distant smile over her lips. Not a word spoken, she turns to approach the wolf a few steps. "Brutal?" Her tone soft and more mature then the last they spoke. Minya is forgotten for a time but is looked to when questioned about. "Oh, this is Minya."
Minya is drinking the cold water when Brutal speaks. She lifts her head and she watches him for a few moments. She lowers her head to drink again when Althaea speaks, listening to the conversation.
Had she heard him? For a moment, Brutal actually considers the possibility that maybe it is he who is hallucinating, perhaps suffering the same sort of wishful thinking that Althaea herself briefly ponders. But then, the presence of Minya would come as something that would require explanation where wishful dreams are concerned and Brutal's fairly sure he possesses very little inclination to cross paths with a cougar, regardless of who's side they are on. So surely this must be real? Taking a few steps in pursuit of the she-wolf, his movement halts as soon as Althaea turns and her eyes clearly set upon him, something which brings a smile to his dark lips as he returns that gaze. To her question of disbelief, the massive and scar-faced male manages to muster some of his playful pride, replying with a gentle smile and a voiced, "None other." Not to be rude, Brutal spares the introduced feline another glance, offering up a reserved acknowledgment with a echoing of her name off his own tongue, "Minya." Though quickly does his yellow eyes sweep back to the Ute adolescent, with Brutal taking in every detail of her. "You look...better." he says, though a hint of guilt sounds in his voice, his gaze briefly dropping and keeping him from moving closer. Ahem. Finding his resolve in the awkwardness, he turns his attention to less sensitive thoughts and more of casual interest, "What are you doing out here? I would have thought Ute would have gone back to it's old lands?"
She stood there in blank expresssion- disbelief that after all this time when at the brink of giving up he decides now to shows up out of the white. Was he really here? It was hard to believe even now that she was even here trying to find him. It was him however that found her and upon hearing him declare his authenticity an uncontroled smile spreads her lips. Althaea would no sooner smother him with a long awaited act of affection if it wasn't for the fact she didn't have the energy to even meet him half way. Looking to herself she huffs. "I look as I always have." If you dont count the number of visable scars seen through her coat, that is. Alth' had prized her looks in the past but this day in age she was just grateful to be alive. To be able to see Brutal again. The posture of the wolf brings displeasure to the young shewolf, slowly moving toward him. "Ute is moving to new lands." She tells him, stopping within range of the wolf so she's capable of touching him. "To leave without you knowing, without you there.." Leaning in she brushes her face hair against his. "Its why I'm out here. To find you."
Minya stops drinking when Althaea speaks and lifts her head. This is interesting. She doesn't say anything yet, juat watches the wolves.
The sheer sight of that smile upon Althaea's muzzle, no matter how brief it might be, is enough to bring a bit of warmth to a wolf who in days long past, has hardened his heart to frigid stone. When he discovered what his brother had done, it wasn't just learning of Grim's betrayal of the Ute pack, it was learning that he had tormented and tried to kill Althaea, and more so, it also meant learning the truth behind the death of his pups and Naira, his beloved mate. It was a hard blow to Brutal. Not just because of the guilt he felt at having left them alone, but because for as much as he loved his family and found himself loving again with Althaea, Brutal loved his brother more and it was that love that he foolishly allowed himself to be blinded by. No more, though. As he continues to look upon the adolescent, it doesn't take long before Brutal takes notice to the tired shuffle of her paws and the signs of exhaustion. Concern is quick to form upon his lupine visage, his dark brows knitting together in consternation. "I would hope not." is his remark to her rather flippant comment, massive paws crunching heavily through the snowy crust as he abandons his reserved demeanor and moves to intercept her, "You look worn out". This surely isn't how either one of them would have imagined their reunion, for the eager affection that had always been there feels stifled, at least for Brutal's part. Oh how he would love nothing more than to topple her over with a near puppish excitement, to breathe her scent in and nuzzle and lick her until every bit of her coat was in disarray. But the dark wolf has not come back to reunite himself with the Ute youth. He has come back to bid farewell. Surely, to act anything other than nonchalant and reserved would make this all the more painful? And so even as Brutal move so very near, the massive wolf might as well be far away. The news of Ute's travel comes as something of surprise and perhaps more as a disappointment. It just makes it all seem even more for naught, making Brutal wish all the more that he had never come upon the Ute wolf pack. However, more grievous is Althaea's further telling. Drawing in a breath, the hulking black wolf finally extends his muzzle to lightly touch the she-wolf's cheek with his nose, "Well, I wouldn't expect them to put out a search party for me. I wasn't yet part of Ute." Among other reasons, but Brutal doesn't bother going there. "And..." How she must care for him to come searching. Sigh. "...you shouldn't have left. Its dangerous to go venturing off." He glances briefly toward Minya, "Even if in the company of a cougar." He doesn't say it, but the waver of fear and the edge of anger in his tone is enough to imply it. Grim might still be alive.
Althaea would say that she's forgotten her exhaustion but every action posed toward the wolf before her was a reminder of how long she's been out here pushing herself over something she thought she'd never find again. She felt it in her legs, tail, even the smile she so effortlessly displayed. In all consideration given, she accepts it with the meek gesture of sitting and leaning into Brutal, passing through is his touch, if only to hold herself up. She presses her face into his neck hair and would never back away if it wasn't for his words. Pulling back she looks up at him in disbelief. How could he say that.. Sure the rest of the pack would state him just as guilty bystandered but to her.. to her he was more than that. He was a friend, a companion. "I.." She says looking to the ground. "It is dangerous, but so is love." She came out here because she wanted to. She didn't care if there was a chance Grim was still out there. She survived him once and she'd do it again if she had to. "I cant go back knowing I may never see you again."
In those days that followed the final battle with the dogs and the betrayal of his brother Grim, Brutal had allowed himself to get lost in his rage and his desire for revenge. So much, that he had forgotten that not everything, or everyone, was lost. And now, as Althaea leans into his burly frame and the heat of her breath is felt billowing into his thick winter coat, Brutal is reminded of this very thing. However, this same reminder also serves to solidify his resolve and the decision for his return. Though with the adolescent nestled so near, Brutal cannot keep up this stoic facade, her words bringing the hulking wolf to suck in a sharp breath, "Don't.." he begins in reply, lifting one of his thick fore limbs and curling a paw around her shoulders as he snugs her in tight, tugging her close just as she starts to pull away. Arching his neck, he nuzzles his broad muzzle alongside her cheek and down the side of her throat, himself forgetting the presence of the onlooking cougar. "I'm not strong enough, Althaea. I can't protect you and I'm not strong enough to go on if something should happen to you." Dark ears lay flat against his head as he listens to her utter such words of devotion, his massive frame felt shuddering with the turmoil of emotions seething and churning beneath the surface. Pressing his nose firmly against the dip of her throat beneath her chin, Brutal's tongue slips forward to dab the flesh beneath the soft fur found here, leading to the lifting of his muzzle and the subsequent manipulation of her own elegant snout into a upward tilt, at which point the moist appendage flicks forth to stroke at length up the underside of her jaw to cross wetly over the cleft of her lips. Though even as the taste of her still lingers on his tongue, Brutal's yellow eyes are there to stare intensely upon her and to measure her reaction, but the look in this gaze retains no warmth from the fire of that affectionate lick. Instead, the twin orbs are hard and unyielding, even painfully frigid. "Then go back knowing that you won't see me again. I love you, Althaea, but I won't wait for that love to kill you too."
Did he really think she cared. She didn't expect him to be strong or brave.. she expected him to be there. To charish the moments that would come, the moments he once had and could have again. Why didn't he see that. Looking up at the wolf, Althaea looked saddened by his words. "Then dont. Dont protect me, don't be strong. Be you." That instant her eyes begin to glassen, ears dropping. "I know somewhere in that torn up body theres a part of you that cares and wants nothing more than to see me live on and be happy. But how can I be happy knowing that your not." With more to say her words are silenced by the touch beneath her chin, its upward tilt- The warmth of the lick across her lips. To swoon her with just a kiss. Why destroy something like that. This she does not understand even as her eyes open to look at his towering above. A single tear falls from each eye, throat knotting trying to keep composure. Dropping her gaze, her head soon to follow, 'Thaea steps back. "Why.. why did you do that" Her tone broken. "Only to break my heart." Taking another step back she looks to the river, its glissen of the moons light. "You know what your bother told me the day he sought to end my life?" Silence falls over her lips as she waits, but before Brutal is even given the chance to speak she continues. "He would rather see you feel pain than have you taken from him by someone like me." It sickens her that its that which she remembers. But it is that that gave her reason to live. "Why give him the benefit of the doubt. By leaving, you are giving him exactly what he wants. Is that what you want, Brutal?" Looking back to the wolf she's held back her tears. "If you truely love me, you'll ask me to go with you.. or you'll stay." She wants to see Brutal prove that his brother's hatred is no match for that of a devoted heart.
It would be a lie to say that Althaea words carry no weight, for they hit Brutal with the force of stone crumbling down the jagged cliffs of a mountain. So strongly does he feel them, that the massive wolf's body give a visible wince. Be himself? That is exactly what Brutal wanted to be, from the very beginning when he learned the name of a hesitant, but trusting wolf pup that day by the waterfall. That had been the first time in a long time that the massive wolf had been anything except someone else. Brutal knows it is a simple thing for her to want, but it is not so simple for him to do it. To just accept his weakness and fear and know that any day he might be shown the full extent of his short-comings at the cost for which would be more than he could bare. And so knowing this, even now, his heart aches as he watches the adolescent's heart break, Brutal cannot bring himself to accept these terms of endearment. Even still, the hulking male also isn't eager to insist upon his own defense, remaining silent and pained as he witnesses the tears that trickle down her furry cheeks. To her pleading question, his reply is honest, the words quietly spoken, "Because I've been longing to do that and that is the memory I want of you." Ever so softly, a whine of agonizing indecision escapes his muzzle and unable to look upon her suffering any longer, Brutal adverts his gaze in heavy thought. However, the mere mention of his brother's name brings the dark wolf's head and erected ears snapping back to Althaea, the face of the beast of vengeance lurking just beneath the surface glimpsed by way of a curled lip and the short throttle of a snarl. And with such conflicting and explosive emotions as sorrow and rage clashing at once, Brutal is quickly overwhelmed, causing his massive frame to tense and his hackles to bristle. This is proceeded by a very abrupt step towards Althaea, practically shoving into her as he pushes his face down near her own, yellow eyes gleaming frightfully with a wild passion the likes of which only comes from love and hate. "I said I love you, dammit! And if I said it Althaea, then I mean it!" he practically shouts, his voice void of any attempt to control the depth of the emotion within. "Don't you see? If Grim can't have me, he surely isn't going to let me have you. If you stay with me, if Grim is out there, I might as well be your murderer! But if I go, I'll be happy just knowing that you're alive!"
There are many things in this world that Althaea wants and to live is one of them. But when you are young and know nothing but fear and pain, where is the point in living if all that you love becomes beyond your reach even when it stands right in front of you. To reach out only to be pushed away out of fear. How is she to feel if not pained? Frightened perhaps. That is the exact emotion displayed however when she is confronted with a fit of rage, or was it sorrow. Unable to tell, the young shewolf finds herself pushed back from the practical shove against her form. A whine escapes her muzzle and she would fall to the ground if she didn't think she had a chance here. "Brutal, what.." For the first time in her life she is scared. Ears pulled back from the shout she steps back. He cant really mean that can he. "Then kill me, because I'm not letting you go. Not without me." Through the fear she shows in her stance a voice on the brink of unimaginable sorrow is heavy yet sound.
There is a battle waging between Brutal's heart and the thoughts in his head as he stands there before the young she-wolf, unbridled emotions clashing wildly in a storm of chaotic confliction. He knows the consequence of giving in to the selfish desires and silly dreams that exist as a flicker of warmth in a cold heart, where the shadows of a nightmare already once-lived loom all around, just waiting to catch him sleeping again. More so, the threat of re-living those heart-wrenching days of endless pain and agonizing loss have taken on a tangible form in Brutal's memory, with leering golden eyes and a wicked sneer. A grim figure for which Brutal can finally destroy, but in turn so could it rend and tear the last pieces of sanity left in Brutal apart. Despite all this though, as the massive wolf catches sight of Althaea's suffering and sees the fear that sweeps across her own visage as the she-wolf faces the thought of a farewell as final as if it were Brutal's own death, her words echo in his ears long after Althaea speaks them. Kill her? He could never...yet...does death not look like this? The fear in her eyes and the sadness upon her face? The pitiful plea in a voice that wishes for more time? Brutal may not always be able to save her from death when it comes, but he will not be the one to kill the part of her that his heart would have endure- her spirit. With this conclusion, a calm drifts in to settle the storm, quieting the rage and soothing the monster within, retreating back beneath the surface with a heavy sigh. Bristled hackles begin to descend and the coiled muscles in Brutal's broad shoulders relax upon that exhale, "Alright..." he breathes, "You win. I'll stay at your side." It isn't long after that Brutal's massive figure closes the gap that had emerged between himself the the adolescent, one which in a silent oath, Brutal will never allow again. With a resolute and near challenging liberty the likes of which the dark wolf has never before allowed himself to take with the Ute she-wolf, he buries his face along her neck fur, only to pivot abruptly as he lifts a front leg to cross over her back, his bulk nearly swallowing her up as he presses and nuzzles into her body, pulling in deep breaths of her scent. With Althaea practically positioned between his front legs and beneath his chest, it isn't until he has snuffled all the fur around her head and ears up into disheveled clumps that Brutal decides to elaborate on the winning terms. "Though, before you decide this is what you want, Althaea, know that it means leaving Ute behind. Possibly forever." Leaning out to the side so that he might be able to look upon her face and she his without having to contend with awkward angles, his brows knit with sincerity, "Because if we stay, I would knowingly be putting them in danger. It is bad enough that I did so ignorantly, even arrogantly. Either way, I owe your pack an apology and you owe them peace of mind."
Althaea was in the right of just walking away and though it was well within her power to do so its not what she wanted. It was against all she stood for. Giving up on something she worked so hard to keep- It just wasn't going to happen. She would rather die than be forced to live broken. Dropping her body to the ground, her eariler exhaustion sticking its head back into things, Althaea uses it as a ploy to dismiss a possible failure on her part. Head placed between her forearms admiting defeat would be her next step, that is until a certain set of words catches her attention. A tired smile slowly falls over her lips but it fades only as she begins to feel guilty. She was getting what she wanted but not in the way she hoped. He was suppose to come to this decision on his own not because she was making him. Picking herself up from the ground, she sighs but as she does she is taken unexpectedly by the embrace. Leaning into the burly wolf she looks up through snuffled hairs when he speaks. She never would of considered leaving her pack had he not considered it himself. At a time she would of dropped everything but as things turned for the worse she felt obligated to stay. Leave her heart behind and make do. Then she was betrayed and attack giving her plenty of time to think. "My time there has always been limited." She tells Brutal sure of herself. "The day I choose to befriend you was the changing point in my life. How was I to know such a choice would bring so much pain to the ones I loved." Turning away the young she-wolf looks out toward the river, past it toward where she last saw the remaining members of Ute. "I am sorry." Softer words have never been spoken, slowly turning back. "They will forever be my family but its indeed time I moved on." Its hard to admit when you've done something wrong, but even harder to let it go. With a deep breath she says, "I am ready."
If the dark wolf were wise to her moment of dissatisfied guilt, Brutal would most certainly argue that she didn't /make/ him do anything. Her words and behavior simply assisted him in arriving to this conclusion and with his mind made up, she'll just have to live the the consequences of being a enlightening individual. This is, of course, if Brutal knew of her fleeting shame; as it were, the massive male is non-the-wiser and wisely uninterested in discerning it. Instead, Brutal's attention is focused on more important details, such as how her fur smells like pine cones in the winter air, or the distinctly feminine lilt that he hears when she speaks- a voice that he recalls was much younger in pitch not so very long ago. Or maybe it has been a long time? Of course, what matter is it now, if but of no matter at all? He is here with her and here is where he will stay. Well, that is, all depending... With some of himself still draped warmly over the length of the adolescent, Brutal adopts a more suitable posture alongside her in order to acknowledge and listen to Althaea's thoughts as she confronts the decision that needs to be made for her part of this binding agreement. For the most part, Brutal goes on to regard her with a comforting understanding and a warm patience while she arrives to her final conclusion, though he is not without a moment of shared sadness that so much hurt has indeed come from choices that had been made. But if it was the last thing he does, Brutal would see to it that this would not become another one. Still, in spite of it all, Brutal allows himself a smile and the dare to hope that he too might feel as certain about that as Althaea is in this moment. A token of encouragement and a voice to his happiness is given by way of another stolen kiss, leaning in close to wash his tongue firmly along the edge of her lips, his husky voice murmuring against her ear, "I am glad. Rest now. I'm here." And just as soon as Althaea does so, so too does Brutal lay pressed close to his lamb, his stout chin on her shoulders and his eyes watchful through to the snowy boughs all around them.