Darkheart's Story

[dunderhead]

Darkheart is a new addition to Meadows, having crossed into the area just before the flood. He is a ragged monster of a wolf, hideous in appearance even to his own kind. This thread covers four RPs, with Blackfang, Yuma, Titan, and Helki respectively, during the events of Swept Away, mostly introducing the character. In the end, he saves Helki from drowning in the river after the pup had mindlessly slipped in, the flood had already subsided. Helki is an orphaned wolf whose parents had presumably been killed when the floods started. With no where else to go, and practically starving, the little wolf follows Darkheart in mutual silence.

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Characters

Darkheart, elder male wolf
Blackfang, male wolf

==== Rock-Strewn Soil ====

It is a murky morning. The spring air has warmed too quickly and the water by the swollen river is still cold, causing a fine mist to rise up over the place. Darkheart had wadded over the river from the east in search of a place to stay. Now the river has flooded and he has no way back, but he does not care. There is nothing for him back where he came.

Blackfang is travelling just downstream when he notices a strange, large figure not far from him. Curious, he carefully makes his way towards it to investigate. The mist is keeping him from making out the exact species, and he picks up a wolf's scent. But that figure looks a little large to be a wolf. A large dog, perhaps?

Darkheart's ears perk. He notices Blackfang's approach. Though there are many scents of wolves in the area, most of them are old. There are only a few wolf scents still recent. He figures that this creature must be one of them. It takes him, still, a few moments to turn his head. But when he does, Blackfang would see two almond eyes pierce the misty veil. The large wolf is sitting hunched over, as if his back is naturally arched like that, which appears... unsettling, unnatural, kind of like the position a wolf takes when hunched over food.

Blackfang pauses when the figure looks at him. It has to be a wolf, with those eyes. He crouches down to show he poses no threat, but keeps somewhat tensed if he has to make a run for it. This wolf may be old, or it may just be a large wolf that could easily outrun him. The sight of the wolf's shape is starting to scare him, yet he continues to inch forward to the stranger.

Darkheart continues to watch him in this way, sitting down, slightly hunched, until Blackfang approached close enough for each of the wolves to make out each other's face. Darkheart looks immediately intimidating, even if he doesn't mean to be. Blackfang can see age on him, but he looks far from weak, and there is no way of knowing how far he could run if he decides to chase the smaller wolf. Darkheart gets up on all fours and turns to regard him. "A wolf from these parts," he doesn't so much as address as he acknowledges in a low, coarse voice.

Blackfang nearly jumps up and runs at the sound of the wolf's voice, but find some courage to stay where he is. "N-not really. I am st-starting to settle here with another wolf." The wolf clearly has a long life behind him. Still, he is not sure if he is a threat, considering how strong the wolf looks. Either way, the tone of his voice and his looks are creeping Blackfang out.

Darkheart slowly starts to pace around Blackfang, sniffing in his direction. Blackfang can see, as Darkheart walks, his full height. His size compares favorably to that of a cougar. He stands at least a meter tall, perhaps taller. When he was younger he weighed 150 lbs at least. Now he is somewhat lanky in his age, but still poses a dominating figure. All signs seem to indicate that he has been through many fights in his life. And he has survived them all. Which says something, at least. "New?" he asks. He sits back down, about three quarters behind the wolf. "Do you know about the wolf packs here?"

Blackfang is now convinced that he really doesn't want to fight this wolf, and running may not be much better for him. "Y-yes. I have been wandering around for m-most of my life. I just found my-myself in these parts a few months ago." He decides it is probably best to keep on this wolf's good side. He shakes his head at the question, "S-orry, I do not know much about the packs around here. One pack I heard of left recently. The rumor I heard was that they were having some trouble with cougars and moved on." He hopes the wolf's pacing around him is not sizing him up for a fight, or a meal.

Darkheart naturally sizes up nearly every other wolf he mets, but not for one and certainly not for the other. It was probably a very rude and unnerving habit, but he had not ever really learned manners. It is important for him to /know/ the scent of another, /know/ the form that scent belongs to, and he had not met this wolf before. He now clearly recognizes his scent as one that he had smelt earlier. He watches coolly as the smaller wolf frets and stutters, letting him take his time going through the words. Darkheart listens intensely, staring at Blackfang's back. "Cougars?"

Blackfang nods, "Y-yes. I do not know of any details. My guess was that the cougars may be attacking the pack. B-but that was just my guess. I have tried to stay clear of that pack. I do not know how kindly they take to strangers on their territory..." He pauses there, hoping he did not go too far in this already. He cannot see the wolf behind him, and his heart is ready to leap out of his chest and is breathing heavily.

The large wolf doesn't make any noise. Maybe he has already left. Maybe he has snuck /closer/. Maybe... he's right behind Blackfang. "What is the pack's name?" he then says simply, no further or closer than he was before.

Blackfang hears no sound from the wolf, which sends big chills down his spine. By now he is on the verge of total panic. "I...I...don't remember. I think...I think it was something like...Lazuli...or something like that." Just what did this wolf want with him?

Darkheart nods softly. "Thanks," he says simply. He starts to turn around and quietly walks away, standing tall and lanky, but stops after a few paces. "Oh," he looks back. "What is your name?"

Blackfang takes a scared look behind him. Was the wolf leaving? "Black...I-I'm Blackfang," he manages to get out. "Who are you?" he asks, hoping the wolf doesn't begin to think he is looking for trouble. His stuttering alone should send a message that he does not want to cause any trouble.

Darkheart turns back to face in front of him and starts walking. He sighs, shaking his head. "You don't need to be afraid," he says calmly. "My name is -- " he takes a few moments, pace not faltering, "not important."

Blackfang cocks his head. So this wolf would not reveal his name after he had revealed his own. He would like to know the identity of this stranger, but it is probably something he doesn't want to know. "Sorry. You look..." He tries to find words that would not offend him, "You just kind of scare me. I'm sorry."

Darkheart stops and looks behind him. He lets out a deep, tired sigh. "Yeah," his voice rustles deeply, and turns back, and walking on again. "They call me Darkheart," he offers, somewhat sorely, and continues into the mist.

Blackfang gets up and ponders following the wolf...er Darkheart. In spite of the fact that everything about Darkheart gives him the creeps, something in Blackfang is starting to tell him that this strange wolf may not be as bad as he seems. Even so, is it worth the risk of possibly angering him? "I'm sorry if I was pressing the question." It would appear that Darkheart does not like his name, so he decides to avoid using it in conversation whenever he can, if he ever sees him again.

[dunderhead]

Characters

Yuma, male cougar
Darkheart, elder male wolf

==== Fallen Log ====

Yuma has been away from Kein, Nayeli and the cubs since earlier this morning, when he wandered away in pursuit of a passing noise. The big male should have been keeping watch - and he was, really, until he realized that the noise was being made by a doe and her fawn. Eagerly he went stalking after them, intending to bring down enough food for all of them to share, but he made a slip and the warning shrill of a jay sent the deer into swift flight. Yuma gave chase, but he lost the deer, and then he lost himself. Now the burly male moves uncertainly through the grasses, trying to retrace his own trail.

Darkheart walks steadily and slowly from the southeast. He had come from the east, before the river swelled. He can not go back from where he came, but that suits him just as well. There is nothing for him there. He has abandoned his old life, as he had done many times in the past. Earlier, he had met a rouge wolf whom he had inquired of the packs in the area. This wolf was frightened by Darkheart's size and appearance, as many creatures are, and gave as much information as he knew, stuttering mindlessly. But he had not known much. He mentioned a pack, 'Lazuli', he believed, which had recently vacated the area just before the river flooded, running from cougars -- from wolf-killers. Darkheart thought it was a disgrace for an entire pack to run from cougars. There must be a lot of them about. And he has been smelling them now, as he walks gradually northward. He keeps a careful vigil, but radiates a sense of cold calmness.

Yuma grunts in annoyance as he prowls slowly through unfamiliar territory, wishing he was back in Amaranth land - wishing they were /all/ back there, safe in a familiar place. He also knows that if Kein or Nayeli, or even both, have probably noticed his absence now... and he doubts they'll be happy with him for abandoning his post, even once they find out the reason for it. The cougar notices a patch of trampled grass and changes direction slightly, feeling more certain about the path he is taking. He is not aware that, in a matter of moments, this path will cross that of a lone wolf.

Darkheart is a keen wolf in his age, and presumably has more reason to be weary than the cougar. His ears perk as he hears the cougar first, and slowly turns to regard him. A fairly large and powerful looking one at that. The wolf has never had much call to remain hidden and unnoticed, though, and he stands still, next to a small cluster of trees, letting the cougar notice him when he passes. It is likely the largest wolf the cougar has seen, standing perhaps over a meter tall -- taller than most any cougar -- but without the length of body that a cougar may have. His limbs are long and lanky, rather than stout and short, and it may unnerve Yuma to see the wolf staring at him with his reflective almond eyes once his presence becomes apparent.

Yuma stops dead when he steps out from behind a tree, unable to miss seeing the large wolf approaching him from the southeast. He appears surprised, but not visibly frightened. This may have something to do with his own physique. Yuma too is large for his kind, not so much in size as in weight; he is barrel-chested, his burly body set upon four sturdy, powerful-looking limbs. Yet for all this he is young, not quite two years, with very few scars visible on his body. The cougar's gold-green eyes quickly sweep the surrounding woods before returning to Darkheart. Obviously he wonders if this wolf is alone, or just the first of many. "Hello," he greets, in a carefully neutral tone.

This old wolf is ragged and war-torn. He has fought cougars, even bears. Neither usually ends with a fatality on either's account. This is a large one, though, powerful looking. He has been told that there are wolf-killers about. How many cougars would there be in the forest? But this one greets him in a careful tone. The wolf sits down. He appears awkwardly hunched over when he sits, as if he is protecting a carcass in front of him and ready to feed. He studies Yuma for a few moments. "I have heard," he starts, his voice deep and chilly, "there are wolf-killers here. Drove away a pack of wolves."

A frown furrows the male cougar's brow. As he studies the scarred wolf, he feels a fresh pang of guilt for leaving the others in his party unguarded. He has not seen a wolf since he watched the pack cross the river, before the flooding began... but here stands one before him. Where there is one wolf, there are usually more. "Wolf-killers?" Yuma repeats, his muzzle wrinkling as if in distaste. He seems to think for a moment before continuing. "Several nights ago, before the flood, I saw a pack of wolves crossing the river." He wonders if that was the pack this wolf is referring to, and then he remembers the one that returned, a short while later. "They warned me that the flood was coming... but they didn't mention any wolf-killers."

Darkheart gets up again and slowly starts to pace around the cougar, studying very carefully. Regarding each scar on its body, though few they may be at his age. "That is what I was told," his coarse voice continues. "They left because of cougars. Drove them away. Killed their pack members." Darkheart's glare is penetrating and accusing.

Yuma does not, at first, seem aware of the sharpness of the wolf's gaze. He spends several seconds just marveling at the number of scars marking the other male's form. In the course of his life, the cougar has not had many dealings with wolves - so he has no idea that these 'wolf-killers' are other cougars until the wolf actually says it. "Cougars killed wolves? Why?" Yuma looks genuinely confused... and a bit uneasy, now that he realizes why the wolf is circling him. Uh-oh.

"I don't know." He stops for a moment, now on the other side of the cougar having walked clockwise. He notes the certain uneasiness of the cougar. It does appear that the wolf is sizing the cougar up for a fight, but Darkheart had not lived so long, scars or not, by fighting cougars, especially not ones so bulky as this one was. This was, as rude and unsettling as it was, how he generally greeted people. He sits back down, hunched, as he had been before. "Do you?"

Yuma tries to remain calm when the wolf passes behind him, but his dark tailtip flicks restlessly until Darkheart reappears on his other side. A moment after the wolf sits down, Yuma does as well, though his own posture is straighter. "I'm traveling with a pair of other cougars from my tribe," he explains carefully, after taking a few seconds to collect his thoughts - and decide what information should be omitted. "My sister, and her mate. I know that none of us would interfere with wolves... unless given a reason." Yuma tilts his head slightly and continues to regard Darkheart.

Darkheart nods silently, absorbing the information thoughtfully, his gaze ever present. It was information he wanted, not fights. These parts are unknown to him, perhaps to them both. An exchange of carefully picked words would help them each. He does not seem to be so... on guard, now, but his features never soften. "These wolves were frightened," he says coolly. "Are you sure," he asks slowly, watching Yuma's features carefully, "that there are no other cougars here other than you and your tribes men?"

It takes too long for Yuma to answer, but not for the reason the wolf may suspect. He is wondering about his sister's cubs - surely they don't count, and naturally Yuma is reluctant to mention them unless he absolutely has to. "I can't be sure," he finally says. "This is not our territory, and the flood has blocked our way home."

Darkheart nods again. He is one to tell when he is being lied to, or at least not told the whole truth. But he does not press the issue. And besides, he has seen cougars fight with one another before, viciously, being territorial animals. He thinks for a moment this long pause may be some level of concern, but, his answer does not seem particularly concerned at all. And he has not smelt cougar territorial markings. However the cougar decides to take the presence of other cougars is not much of a concern to Darkheart. "You live in the mountains?" he asks.

This time, Yuma does not hesitate before he nods, answering, "Yes, we do. There's a wolf pack higher up on the mountain, but we do not have business with them." The cougar seems confident of this fact, at least. After all, his father was once the Chieftain - he feels sure that he would know about any business with that pack, the name of which now escapes him. Feeling somewhat interrogated, the cougar straightens up a bit, deciding to ask a few questions of his own. "These other cougars... have you seen any of them?"

Darkheart's eyes don't appear to blink often, but when they do, they blink very slowly. "No," he says simply. "A rouge wolf told me of them. I don't believe he had met them either. He had indicated," he continues to speak in a slow measured manner, "that if he had, he would be dead as well."

Yuma appears disappointed by Darkheart's reply, nodding his head once. "If they have red markings painted on their fur, that would mean they're members of my tribe. Amaranth." He still doubts that the cougars the wolf speaks of could not be from his own family, but it would be reassuring to know for sure. The tribe /is/ quite large, and not all of them inhabit the territory at once.

"I see," he gets up again and starts pacing, although no longer in a circle around the cougar. This was a good thing to know. Lazuli, a wolf pack from this area, and Amaranth, a large tribe of cougars from the mountains. He registers both of these names. "What is your name?" he turns toward the cougar again. "If I ever meet one of your tribe," he says calmly, "I will tell them that I have spoken to you." He begins to pace the other way. "And if I meet cougars in this area not of your tribe, I will tell you of them." He stops again where he had last been sitting.

Yuma follows the pacing wolf with his eyes. His dark-tipped tail picks up the rhythm, flicking back and forth as Darkheart moves from left to right. "My name is Yuma." He nods again, and his eyes narrow slightly. "If those cougars are as vicious as you say, I hope you don't run into them." The male's eyes flicker over Darkheart's scars again, and he grins slightly. "You don't strike me as the sort of wolf who would run from a fight."

Darkheart smirks, which rather more appears as a sneer, showing off the wolf's long and jagged teeth. "My life would not be much to lose hear," he says, turning away. "But I do not have much to gain by sacrificing it, either." He starts to walk away. "Except maybe," he walks slow and tall. "My body would not hurt so much," he ponders to himself. He will let himself disappear behind another cluster of trees if the cougar has no other questions to ask him.

Yuma cocks his head, finding the wolf's answer curious, even a bit cryptic. He does not know what Darkheart - whose name, he know realizes, he never learned - meant by such words, and while he has no shortage of questions, he does not ask any of them. He has to find his way back to Kein and Nayeli. Getting slowly back to his paws, the cougar casts around for a moment before picking up his trail and continuing on his way.

[dunderhead]

Characters

Titan, juve. male dog
Darkheart, elder male wolf

==== Grazing Pasture ====

It was getting dark and Titan was heading back towards the barnyard. He had just met a lovely lovely dog that he really really liked, but now that he was heading back towards the pack his mind was sinking downwards. He had two rabbits in his muzzle from curious hunting. He now just wanted to get back and sleep, his collar gently jingling as he pads forward.

It was too easy to smell Titan. The aroma of fresh kill emanates from those two rabbits, which would perk the interest of any wolf. It doesn't take long for the keen creature to spot him as well. Curious. A small dog, but still looks like just a pup. The wolf had not smelt human around here, and anyway, a 'man-traitor' dog would not be carrying such a meal home with it, would it? Darkheart follows it for a way, creeping in the half-light, getting ahead of the dog.

Titan wouldn't notice a thing about the wolf as the young pup continues to pad on forward. He was intent on offering his kills to the pack in apology for disapearing. But... did he really want to be a pack dog? could he really help the pack? These questions ate away at him as he padded forward distractedly. He wasn't sure but maybe... just maybe the was a way to get home.

The wolf merely walks, at a distance ahead, out into Titan's path. He settles down onto his haunches, calmly, and the first indication that he is there may be a cold amber glare toward the pup's direction. That is too much food for a single pup. Where is he going?

Titan suddenly freezes up as he looks around , did he just spot the wolf? no suddenly he lays down the kills and is on a sniffing trail again. He smells a rat.. and it seems to be just over this rock. The wolf could watch him slinking away, freeze up then leap of the rock with a growl a squeak of terror then silence.

Darkheart watches this display, and uses the distraction to creep closer, watching Titan steadily. Unbeknownst to the little dog, Darkheart now hovers over his kills. He lowers his snout down to them, taking a whiff of each. He raises his head again to Titan, and the massive, twisted wolf stares at his back as a paw presses against one of the kills. Darkheart would be... quite something to turn around to.

Titan does turn around and pads forward and ... epp! thats a big wolf! He thinks freezing up and stareing forward. "y...y...you are standing over my kills.." he says staring at the huge monstrous wolf. "p...please don't stalk my kills I worked hard.." he says with a bit of a whimper.

This sight would probably give Titan a chill. Darkheart sits down hunched, right by his kills, head lowered and back bent as if he looked like he were about to feed on them, and yet, he simply continues to stare coldly at the small dog. "Dog. Who are these for? This meat would be wasted on you," his voice rumbles low and breathily.

Titan narrows his eyes as he does feel the chill but he wasn't about to be shown away from his kills by this wolf and summons up courage to growl at the wolf. "There for my pack" He says staring forward, he won't dare take a step forward, he is far too afraid.. but he is willing to try a bit of show.

The wolf is taken aback by the young dog's show. He had frightened animals three times as large as he was by presence alone. The wolf is, after all, as large as a cougar, and far more... twisted, gnarled looking. He chuckles and lays himself on top of Titan's kills. "Your pack?" he asks curiously.

Titan whimpers as his threat seems to do nothing and slowly he picks back up the rat and starts to back away. He was quite frightened... but he didn't want to screw up what he had with the pack. "y...yes the pack I belong to.. .y..your not going to give them back are you?" he asks with a bit of a frightened squeak in his voice.

Darkheart lets the dog finish. "What pack?" He neglects to address Titan's question. Otherwise, he does not move or shift at all, following Titan's movements with his cold eyes.

Titan now stops and stares forward and frowns. "The Sienna dog pack" He says shaking his head a bit looking from the wolf. "An...and can I have my kills back?" he asks hopefully.

His brows furrow and he looks at the dog curiously. "Dog pack? Where?" He continues to ignore the question.

Titan frowns and shakes his head. "b..w...why would I tell you" he says with a sad whimper. "Why would I tell a big evil wolf where home is?"

The wolf smiles at this description. He could -easily- find the dog pack, now that he knew of one. Especially once Titan takes those easy-to-track kills 'home' with him. But he is not honestly sure if he cares to. "Tell me about the meadows." he asks simply.

Titan sighs and slowly sits down still on his guard. "The pack is over at a big barn you can't miss it" He says then looking about. "I don't really know about the meadows.. they are wide open grass with horses and rabbits and apparently big cougars who kill anything that non-cougar"

A sudden expression of interest lights up in the wolf as Titan mentions the cougars. He had heard of them before. "Oh?" hoping Titan would continue. His paw taps on a rabbit's broken neck lightly.

Titan whimpers and frowns a bit . "Y..yeah cougars... they killed a dog and have had the pack up in arms" He says pawing at the ground lightly.

The wolf scoots a little closer, rabbits still firmly under paw. He is clearly interested now. "Up in arms?" The wolf's voice slowly rumbles. A dog pack has stayed despite the cougars where a wolf pack had fled?

Titan weakly nods frowning wondering if this is betraying his pack. "They want to leave... but.. but there waiting for someone.. I.. I don't know who" he says with a frown backing away again.

Interesting. Interesting. The wolf gets up, and slowly walks away from the kills. He's asked enough from this pup.

Titan blinks and watches the wolf get up and start to leave. "h..hey your leaving me my prey? and.. and what's your name?"

"Darkheart," he says simply, turning back only to eye the pup one last time, and then paces off.

Titan blink blinks and slowly heads over to his prey and starts to quickly gather it up.

If the dog would turn around, he'd notice the wolf had all but disappeared, vanishing behind a bushy outcrop in the overgrown fields.

Titan wouldn't bother, he was spooked, scared out of his pelt as he runs off towards the barn a bit of a whimper in his voice.

[dunderhead]

Characters

Helki, juve. male wolf
Darkheart, elder male wolf

==== Rippling Stream ====

The sun is starting to sink behind the trees and the hot day starts to cool, as a small, lone figure makes his way to the stream for a drink. Closer examination would reveal, that said lone figure is a wolf, abeit a small and rather malnourished looking one. He wearily pads towards the stream, tail dragging the ground. He finally reaches the stream and wearily lowers his head to take a long refreshing drink.

Darkheart is a little further down the stream. Perhaps the little wolf did not see him. He is sitting rather still, hunched over, as always. He had already taken his drink and just waits, quietly, looking into the water. He is reflecting. The flood has finally past. He closes his eyes. He's remembering his past beyond the river. He had just crossed the river when he became 'trapped', in a way, from where he came to, but he knows he can't go back, anyway.

Helki is drinking, and starts to lift his head up to turn and move downstream, when his paws start to slip, and before he knows what has happened he is in the river. Now he knows how to swim, but he instead starts panicking as memories of his parents and siblings deaths from the flooding river, come back to haunt him. He flails wildly, drinking in water, as he tries to stay above water, trying to call for help whilist dringking in water.

The silence is broken when Darkheart hears a small yip and a splash. It takes him a few moments to casually turn his head toward where the sound was made, and observes a little wolf popping up and down the surface. Really? Now? The flood had just -ended-. There are a few moments when he just watches it, before he casually gets up and slowly strides toward it. Just to watch.

Helki splashes around frantcally too panicked by what had happened to his family to have enough sense to start swimming. Then he notices what looks to be a wolf, although much bigger than any wolf he had ever seen, watching from the bank, "h...he...hellp! he gasps starting to become fatigued, as he uses up what little energy he had left to try and stay a bove water.

Darkheart continues to watch as he pads across the bank, large footpaws easily keeping up with the little wolf as he is swept by the current. Darkheart seems -almost- disinterested until the cub addresses him specifically in his pleas for help. Darkheart glares at it with his uneasy stare, but his pace still seems measured and calm. And he watches.

Helki quickly bevomes drained, and before long he stops flailing and slips beneath the surface.

Darkheart calmly adjusts his direction. His footfalls now land his paws gradually into the current, and the wolf begins to walk -- not swim -- through the water, trudging toward where the little wolf gently sinks to the riverbed. His tall body pokes out of the river, head easily remains dry and calm, and he softly lowers it unto the water. Latching on to the wolf's neck scruff, he pulls him up, breaking the surface, and begins his walk toward dry land.

Helki is surprised when he is pliucked out of the water by the large wolf, but quite grateful, as he hangs limply from his mouth, spitting and sputtering drained.

It seems that Darkhert's pace had never wavered once as he gradually walks back up the bank and sets the pup down onto it. He saved the little wolf so simply. And he looks especially large up close, towering over Helki's small withered body. The wolf offers the pup a slight nod, and then starts to walk away. It's best to leave now before the pup gains a proper grasp of his hideousness.

Helki slowly shakes his fur out, and looks up, and up, and up at the huge wolf, then as he turns to walk away Helki coughs out, "Wait, I uh, thtank you for saving me. I know how to swim i just... I..." he trails off, Having got a good look at the monstrous wolf, he feels a bit intimidated, but for the most part is in awe of how big he is.

Darkheart slowly looks back at the pup. He is wet and dripping now, all but the top of his back, which does well to cover the scars and generally poorly kept fur that normally splays out of his body in a matted mess. He even looks a little younger than he might have had. Features a little less rough. He gives another slight nod of his head and turns back, walking on.

Helki slowly follows after the large wolf, "I'm Helki" he says, seeming to have recovered a little from his unexpected dip, as he continues to gaze at the huge, wolf.

Darkheart looks back at the pup with a blank expression on his face. It's --following-- him? He doesn't really know what to make of it. Children are not his suite. He usually scares them. He usually scares anyone. So he just turns back and continues onward, silently, walking as he normally does -- a little awkwardly, with a strange sort of twist in his spine. He ignores the little wolf.

Helki continues following him, he is rather persistant, that and he hopes that following him will lead to a meal sooner or later. "Whats your name?" he asks curiously, seeming to be unphased by the wolfs appearance, atleast from the outside.

Darkheart glances back at the pup. Still following? His eyes waver for once. He turns back and continues onward. It takes a long couple of moments for him to answer, as if he had a great internal debate as to whether he ought to. "Darkheart," he says simply in a single low, raspy breath.

Helki follows him in silence now, not having anything else to say. Although his stomach does growl.

Darkheart does not turn back, and he would ignore the growling stomach if it did not remind him that he is hungry himself. For now, he just walks on, at a measured pace, quiet and indifferent and drying.