Once Upon a Time

She'd been at the border for a while, ever since she'd run into Mauser and Ramses had shown up to take over. Being around the two males made her uneasy, and she had taken her leave as soon as possible to return to the camp and find her brother. It had been a while since she'd seen the large white beta, and since she hadn't been a pack member here long, she needed the feeling of security that came only when she was at her brother's side. But he'd been missing in action for a while now, and as she neared the camp, she caught his scent moving away, heading off to the training areas of the territory with Teras's scent. With a soft sigh, she stopped, her ears flattening as she tried to decide what to do. She didn't want to go back to camp, not with the chance that Ramses would be taking Mauser back there, so instead she turned back to the border, deciding to finish her walk before heading back to her den for the night.

It was about mid-day now, and as spring filled the forest, the sounds of life were surrounding her once more, a much more pleasant sound than the dead silence of winter that she was used to being greeted with. Alone and safe now, she let herself relax as she reached the border, walking slowly along it and enjoying the peace and quiet as she went. With a deep breath, her eyes closed for a moment, letting the scents and sounds wash over her small grey and white form as her pace slowed even more. She liked being alone, it was safe. No one could hurt her, nothing could go wrong. Well, at least that's what it felt like. It wasn't long before she neared the section of the border that ran near the training areas, and she paused, lifting her head to catch the scent of both Xerxses and Teras on the wind, letting herself relax even more, knowing that should anything happen, safety was not too far off.

Before long she passed the border that was near her brother and Teras and was now heading towards the swamp, the land that marked their border with that of the Kachle pack. It was rare that she'd see any of the mountain pack's members at this border, as there were few that dared enter the swamps, though occasionally she spotted a Zakruta wolf at the edge of the swamp. It always made her wonder why, but there was something about the swamp that seemed to attract the plains wolves. But she didn't let her mind wonder too long about it, and instead continued to walk slowly towards the swamp, wondering why it was necessary for her to even check these borders. No one ever came and went through here, not even the Kachle wolves. Though, as she entered the swamp carefully, she growled softly at the slightest hint of the mountain pack's scent. Apparently she was wrong, as there had definitely been a pack wolf here, though she couldn't tell how long ago. Sniffing at the ground carefully, she took a few steps further into the swamp, her ears pinning back as she nearly slipped into the murky waters that contained who knows what.

Continuing her careful walk, she moved forward, stopping at the sound of a twig breaking off to the left, her heart nearly stopping as the sound echoed around her before she was surrounded in silence once more. After standing frozen for a few moments, the small gray and white female continued her walk, moving onto a mossy log that stretched over the murky water, carefully placing one paw in front of the other, trying to reach a tall mound of dirt in the center of the swamp. In hindsight this was probably not the best idea, but at the time, it seemed like the quickest route out of the dangerous area, so she continued on, jumping at another sound nearby. This shift in her paws caused her to slip on the wet moss, losing her balance and sending her falling into the murky, alligator infested waters below. Sure enough, the moment she hit the water, the waters became active, sending her paddling frantically for the mound that was only a few feet away. However, the few feet seemed to stretch on forever as she swam, her heart racing as there was a splash behind her, the organ in her chest nearly stopping at the sound. But she continued on, finally reaching the mound and pulling herself up and out of the water, almost making it to safety as a sharp pain in her tail made her yelp and a hard tug made her claw at the moist earth she now clung to as she began to be pulled back into the brown, rippling water behind her.

Zetos had made his way along the border for quite some time, after all he had finally escaped the memories that had haunted him. For once he was free from the taunting voices in his head that called back to memory the pain of his past. Now he was on to greener pastures, or so he thought. Somehow he had allowed himself to follow the border towards the swamp, and now found himself in the disgusting marsh. It was a fair change from his old home of snow and ice, in fact the heat and moistness of the air around him he found to be quite debilitating. His sense of smell was messed with, the feeling of relaxedness he had felt moments before now was washed away to a tense uncertain feeling that caused the males stomach to turn and twist itself. The grey-blue eyes shifted in each and every direction, turning towards the waters, they were still, at least for the time being.

However that fact soon turned to swift ripples that flew away from further up, the males eyes darted in the direction, he could see a commotion up ahead in the water though he couldn't quite tell what it was. However as he drew closer the brown and green scaled beasts were certainly going after what appeared to be a white furred wolf. His eyes opened at the realization but his mind knew different. She's dead Zetos, she's long gone, it's not her! The voice was back, this wolf, the shape, the look, she nearly looked as his mate had before he found her covered deep in the snow. A sudden burst of speed was pushed into his movement, he had to help her, he didn't know how but he had to, the massive monsters were closing in behind. He wasn't fast enough though and the sound of a snap and then a yelp met his ears, he forced himself into a sprint pushing all his energy into the run.

He met the female without introduction, as his eyes quickly assessed the situation, the massive mouth was closed about her tail and there was a bit of blood staining the fur around the bite. "When he releases you run, you understand?" He wasn't waiting for an answer, they didn't have time, if this beast got a chance it would draw itself up another bite and continue to do so until it had gotten to its unfortunate prey. His body lifted high, the fore-paws drawing off the ground trying to keep his back-paws stable as he brought himself back down hard both paws smashing into the snout of the reptile with his entire body-weight following on top of it. "Now!" The beasts mouth opened as it went to snap at him instead, his own body pushing back against the snout to move backwards as he tried to escape the quick teeth. The beast narrowly missed the male wolf's paw, leaving Zetos recoiling back further onto the safety of the mound. "Care to tell me why you'd be taking a swim with such... adoring partners miss?"

Right before she would be pulled under the water and surely to her end, the sound of a deep, male voice echoed in her ears, almost as if taunting her in her last moments. Of course, that evil brute that had killed her pups was here to take her away from this world and and drag her into his hell once more for an eternity. But when she looked up, expecting to see a familiar, haunting face, she was surprised to see a black male, his words muffled and faint as she lost blood and fought to keep herself out of the water. It took her a few moments to register the words, but as he distracted the beast, she crawled her way to safety, high up on the steep mound and out of harm's way. Heart racing and head pounding, she collapsed in the dirt, blinking up at him as he moved to her side with a blank expression that quickly turned to fear at the realization that the large male was so close to her.

Had she not been so tired, she would have moved away, scrambled across the log and back into Roztok lands to safety, but even trying to stand at this point was not even an option for her terrified little body, so instead she cowered down, fur rising defensively and ears pinning back as she growled at him, praying that he wouldn't turn on her like the males in her past had. In her mind, the only exception to her generalization was her brother, and he was not here. This male, he was a stranger, and she knew nothing about him, or his intentions. Her injured tail was curled under her belly in submission out of habbit, the blood on the end staining the white fur of her stomach red as she showed her teeth in a feeble attempt of defense, her wide auburn eyes never leaving the dark wolf's form.

It took him a moment to see where he had ended up, right beside the smaller female with the coat which changed from white to gray the further up her back it went. He took only a moment to scan her for any more wounds that might have been inflicted before returning his blues back to her own eyes. He took a moment to survey the situation, she was scared, obviously panicking from the way she half-submitted yet tried to keep an aggressive tone that faltered miserably. However he was certain that this was no loner, and if anything he was in her lands if not extremely near to them. With slow and deliberate steps the male moved himself away from the smaller females form trying to keep track of the boundary markings, however the scent of the swamp muddled with his sense of smell and he was soon crossing into her territory having moved just past the log. Once he was a distance away from the female he carefully lowered his head down and let his body lower, averting his eyes from the female as he spoke softly.

"I apologize to have frightened you miss, I saw you were in peril and did what I could. I mean no harm to you and if you wish me to go I will. Are you alright?" He realized how stupid he sounded having just offered to leave and then asking if she was ok, but he felt that it was only appropriate after the actions that had taken place. He changed a glance upwards at the she-wolf before looking back down, she bore a striking resemblance to whom he had lost and the pain and guilt was back in his stomach. Mixed in however with the foul memories was the sweet taste of victory, at least he had managed to save her, to keep her from death, from whatever that beast was. "I am Zetos." The words came out ever so softly from his voice, he harbored no ill-will, though he was certain from the way she had reacted to his presence she believed anything but that. For now he had spoken his share of words, he would not ask the frightened one her name nor place her in a more uncomfortable position than she already seemed to be in.

The small female remained crouched down and growling softly as he moved away, her eyes narrowing a bit as he moved further into Roztok lands, but the main thing was, he was moving away from her. It took a few minutes of the distance between them for her to stop growling, her ears pinned back and her posture still slightly low, front paws shifting anxiously and fur on her shoulders and neck on end as his deep, masculine voice filled her ears once more. The words that came to her ears confused her, an apology - something she'd never heard from a male before - and he was asking if she was alright? She couldn't keep from tilting her head ever-so-slightly in confusion as she stood there, still crouched to half of her normal height as she dark male towered over her from several feet away. Then he introduced himself, her front paws still shifting her weight back and forth anxiously in front of her as she stared up at him with narrowed, fearful eyes.

Finally, she let a slow, shaky breath leave her muzzle as she opened her mouth to speak, the sound a high-pitched, feminine tone that was barely audible, as it was quite difficult for her to utter at the time. "Trilogy." She said softly, giving him her name only before inhaling slowly and pushing herself back into a sitting position to examine her tail. "I'm alright." She said softly, mostly to herself as she kept an ear carefully turned in his direction, her fur still on end and her body still tense as she surveyed the damage to her once-white tail.

From every move the female made he could tell that she was not comfortable with the current situation that she was finding herself in. Maybe it was his size that was intimidating her? He lowered himself so his belly was against the ground, tucking his tail between his legs, seeing the way she tilted her head in thought and confusion for a moment. However her voice was soon to follow, it was a beautiful one at that, however the male found himself straining to hear her speak. Trilogy what a strange name, it was nice nonetheless, he would try to commit it to memory, but whether his mind would let him keep it in there was another story in and of its own. He remained silent for the time as she stated she was alright and then began to look over her tail as if to inspect it. At least she wasn't more hurt, I'd hate to see how she'd react if I had actually come close and touched her. Something tells me she won't be trusting. The thought was fleeting and now it was his turn to take a moment to let himself mull over some things.

Finally his words decided to push themselves out and he spoke so she could hear but held a tone of humbleness to himself as if in hope it would show he was not intent on a fight or being forceful. "I have come from a far away land, and I have sought a home of where I may finally settle. Would you happen to be one whom I may talk to about such matters? Or shall I continue my search?" He smiled softly at the female for a moment before talking softly. "And before you tell me to continue my search, please don't be throwing yourself to those things again, life's not worth wasting." His head turned slightly as he looked back in the direction that he had originally come from, he couldn't turn it far enough but he knew where his old home was, he knew where the memories he was running from were following from. His heart stopped for a moment causing him a pang and he grit his teeth as he let it pass over him.

She watched him lower himself to the ground, as if to make himself appear smaller, and her body relaxed, but only slightly. She was sitting now, and she watched him carefully, her front paws still shifting back and forth anxiously as he spoke and questioned her. He was asking her to join her pack? The question made her shrink down slightly, her ears flattening and her head lowering a bit as he spoke of moving on. "I'm just a Roztok healer. Only the alpha, Ramses, or my brother, Xerxses, the beta, have the power to accept you into the pack." She said, once again in a soft voice, as if in fear that he'd hurt her if she spoke too loudly. At this point, he was between her and the safety of the packlands, as she was currently on the border of Roztok and Kachle lands, in a neutral territory that she was not safe in.

But in order to re-enter Roztok lands, she needed to get around him, and that would mean getting closer to him. The thought terrified her, so she remained where she was, shifting anxiously and glancing nervously up at him every once in a while, too afraid to make eye contact, should he take that as a sign of disrespect or a challenge. After all, that's what she'd known all males - besides her brother - to do in the past. Why would this one be any different? Would he ask her to take him to her brother or Ramses? She wasn't sure how she'd manage that, but as long as it meant she could get to safety, she'd do it. But would he hurt her? What if she did something he didn't like? What if she made him angry? She was tiny compared to him, though she could fight well enough, in all reality, she stood no chance against the large black male she found herself alone with.

Finally, deciding that there was no safe way for her to get around the stranger and to safety, she lifted her nose to the sky, howling for her brother, Xerxses, to come address the black male here at the border. With her large sibling here, she would be safe, and she could get out of the dangerous swamp and back into Roztok lands without the worry of this stranger attacking or harming her. Her song was sweet and long, and when it finished, she lowered her head, keeping her eyes on him as she waited for Xerxses to respond or to appear at the border. "My brother, Xerxses, the beta of Roztok, should be along shortly." She said softly, hoping that even the thought of the beta male showing up would keep him from even thinking about hurting her. But even as she spoke, she continued to shift anxiously, her injured tail laying beside her and her stomach still stained red from when it had brushed against it.

So she was unable to allow him in, well that was too bad, he was about to let himself stand and start moving again as she seemed to get lost in thought. She was peering intently past him and then anxiously to him telling the male that she obviously wanted to get past his current position. As his body stood from its position though she raised her head to let out a howl into the sky. She was calling for someone, most likely one of the two she had mentioned before, and instead of remaining standing he let himself sit back on his haunches. Quietly he turned his head in the direction that she had been nervously glancing at before, he had no doubt that the wolf would be coming from somewhere over in that direction. Of course he would wait now, even if that meant that the female was uncomfortable, he wouldn't hurt her and had no intentions of doing so however if she wished to remain afraid that was her own choice.

His body was tense however, it betrayed him slightly as to his circumstances. He realized that the female had blood on her coat, her stomach, her tail. If a wolf were to look at that and not find out what happened first it could end badly for him. This caused the male to grit his teeth together as his ears fell back, would there be the chance of a fight because of the scene the higher rank would walk in on? If there was a problem would she be willing to tell the truth or would she keep quiet about the situation. His tail slowly tucked beneath him once more, the thought scratched at his mind, a persistent itch that couldn't quite be scratched and left him more wary than not. However the time was nearing and he had the choice to stay and perhaps find a new home, or to run and maybe escape a fight that could cost him more than just his dignity.

He had been training his apprentice near the borders when a familiar feminine call echoed through the trees in his direction. It took him only a moment to tell Teras to return to the camp and he then turned in the direction of the call, heading for his sister. From the sound, the call had come from in the swamp, which only caused his pace to quicken, as he knew the swamp was a dangerous and deadly place. What if she'd been hurt? Attacked? Or worse? Soon he was running in the direction of the border with the Kachle pack, hoping that she'd not gotten pulled under by an alligator or attacked by an angry Kachle wolf.

However, as he approached, the sight of his sister, safe and sound, on a mound in the swamp, made his pace slow slightly. Then, as he got closer, the scent of blood filled his nose, and the sight of a dark male wolf made him tense and growl. Only moments after he got within a few feet of the two did he see the blood on Trilogy's tail and stomach, his growl turning to a snarl and his tail lashing out behind him as he turned on the male wolf. "Who are you and what have you done to my sister?" He snarled, his fur standing on end and his ears pinned back, eyes narrowed in suspicious anger. No one touched his sister, not after every time that he and Blitzen had been unable to protect her. Not any more.

The male in front of her wasn't moving, and he wasn't leaving. She sat there awkwardly, watching him anxiously and hoping that Xerxses would show up soon. Thankfully, it wasn't long before her brother did appear, and within a matter of moments he was snarling and threatening the black male, and her head rose and ears perked up, her jaws opening to protest. "Xerxses! He didn't hurt me. He saved me from the alligator..." She said softly, surprising herself with the fact that she was defending the stranger before her.

She was on her feet now, and she moved over to her brother, shrinking and curling her tail between her paws as he passed the black male, watching him carefully before relaxing as she reached Xerxses's side. "I fell into the swamp and made it to the mound before it caught my tail. Zetos helped me get away." She said, remembering the stranger's name as she explained everything to her brother, who had stopped snarling and sat down at this point, leaning over to lick his sister's injured tail in an attempt to clean off the blood and assess the wound. It wasn't too bad, but she would have to take care of it back at her den later on to make sure there was no infection.

Soon a larger wolf was making his way towards the scene, however he could not smell him past the swamps own scents. The male could feel his head reel for a moment as he saw the other male make his entrance, from the quick surveillance that the wolf had done Zetos could tell that he was going to be in for a bit of trouble. From the look of the male it seemed that this was probably the females brother, and from his reaction to the look of Trilogy he was probably a protective brother in the least. This caused Zetos to lower his body but at the same time back up somewhat, he wasn't looking for a fight however if worst came to worst he would deliver blows. For now though the male decided he would wait, even as the large ashen wolf before him began to ask what he had done. From the growling and snarling he was uncertain of what the next move would be, however his own hackles began to rise slightly, he was not going to show his aggression but he was ready for the attack if it came.

However a feminine voice cut in to his mind and stopped him, nearly calming his entire form as he heard Trilogy explain the ongoings to her brother. He was shocked to say the least, the same wolf who had seemed to not want to be even near him a moment ago was sticking her neck out for him. He knew he'd saved her life but such acts of kindness normally did not end up having the same in return. He kept his head bowed respectively however, lowering himself slightly to the ground as he spoke softly when the female had finished. "Yes I am Zetos, I come from cold lands far from here, had I know it was another wolf in peril I would've helped her sooner but this place holds an overpowering scent and I can't quite find myself within it." He stopped for a moment as he kept his eyes averted from the larger beta. "Your sister has informed me you are the one I am to be talking to, I apologize if I seem unkempt but I have been seeking a home for many long nights, even the seasons have passed me by in time." He let himself fall silent as he chanced a glance to peer up at the males fore-paws.

The large male was surprised when his sister stepped in, defending the dark male that she had been looking absolutely terrified of only moments before. It took him a moment to realize what was happening, though, when he did, his growl ceased completely and he licked Trilogy's shoulder lightly while listening to the male speak. When the words were finished, he looked down at her sister, who was now sitting beside him, watching Zetos intently as if she were studying him. It was obvious that she was much more comfortable with him here, and he was glad she was able to relax some, but he was still suspicious of this male, at least to a point.

"And how would Roztok benefit, should you be accepted as a member?" He asked, knowing nothing about this male except for the fact that he'd saved his sister from being eaten by an alligator. Talents and abilities, he knew nothing about. But already he had a positive thing going for him, and if his answers matched up, then there was little doubt that he'd be allowed into the pack. However, only one word from the small gray and white female beside him could change everything. But for the time being, it seemed that she was intent on remaining silent and observing.

Obviously from the way she acted around this other wolf he was close to her, he had no doubt at this point that this was her brother. From what he could see of the twos' paws she had moved closer and slowed her fidgeting finally. How would the pack benefit if he were to be accepted by this larger male, he let his eyes close for a moment as he mulled the thought over, he knew he had his strengths and weaknesses, well mise will be honest. "I have always been a warrior, when I was in my old pack I could hold my own and was loyal to them until they were no more." He let his answer die off there as he raised his ever so slightly, he could see just below the head of the female respectfully averting his eyes from the two of them, his body finally fully relaxing as he sat quietly. "And just as that... alligator? You said? Tried to attack her I tend to fix problems quickly."

Well that was half true, he hadn't yet solved the problem of his matted fur nor the fact that his memory would not let him forget his failures. For a moment Zetos took a deep breath before he spoke once more. "I know how to hunt with others, whether I'm in the lead or just following orders, I'm not one of those fools who thinks they can bring a beast down by myself. Those fools are just waiting to get their faces kicked in, seems like there's more and more of them these days..." The last sentence was a lot colder than he had meant it to be, but he had truly never seen so many foolish wolves try to hunt down a deer by themselves, heck they'd be lucky to catch one and even if they did the hoof to the face or chest could prove to be fatal. "Forgive me for the harshness of that... I've had my fair few encounters on my journeys with a few lacking common sense... not as common as I once thought."

Once again he listened to the male speak, nodding slightly as he finished, not at all put-off by the harsh words. In all honesty, he agreed, and Roztok was in no need of foolish or, well, stupid wolves. This male had already saved his sister's life, and if what he said was true, he'd be a decent addition to their pack. With their numbers growing, they'd successfully taken over half of the Krajina land, allowing Zakruta to over-take the other half, leaving the Eastern Forest split in two at the river. This gave their pack a larger territory, and they'd need large, powerful, and loyal wolves to patrol the larger borders, and well, with his experience, Zetos looked like he'd be capable of doing just that.

"From what I have seen and heard, you would make a fine warrior, if you would like a position within our pack." He said softly, glancing down at the small female beside him as she looked up at him and then back at Zetos. "Though, Ramses and I will be keeping a close eye on your for some time, to ensure that your words are true and your intentions are noble." He said, warning the wolf that he would be watched carefully, as he and the alpha, Ramses, were not quick to trust anyone.

There was some thought across the larger ones face, the male slowly allowed himself to stand as he finally heard the answer to his request. So they would let him in, the way that Xerxes looked at his sister reminded him not only of protection but near that of one who was asking whether she was alright with the decision as well. However there was no reply from her as she turned to look back at him, he averted his gaze once more making sure to keep his eyes from landing on either of the two's in order to keep from initiating a challenge. Carefully he dipped his head in responce to his final statement. "I understand completely, and I assure you that in time you will see I am trust worthy." Carefully he raised his head once more, turning his vision carefully about before finally speaking, slightly abashed about having to ask the question.

"I got a little turned around in this area, the way everything is I can't quite find the marks... I came from the colder climate and am not accustomed to the scents in an area so humid as this... Which way do I need to go?" After all at the moment they were standing near the middle of a rather nasty swamp area filled with animals that had just tried to kill the smaller of the three, he wasn't about to just wander off in any whilly nilly direction, and he had a feeling that he was to accompany the beta back to the pack lands anyhow, so he would take to follow the leader, though from the way the female was so skittish about him he would make sure to keep the larger male between them as to hopefully keep her calm.

The white male wasn't at all surprised that the dark newcomer had no idea where the borders were, and he mentally reminded himself to come back and mark them even more later on that day. But for now, he needed to get Zetos back to camp, as well as make sure Trilogy was safe and back with the rest of the pack. Sure enough, only moments later, the black male was asking which way he should go to enter the packlands. "You can accompany Trilogy and myself back to the camp." He said, moving so that he was between his sister and the newcomer once she stood, looking back at Zetos and waiting for him to stand and follow.

After a few moments he began to walk, with his sister, towards the camp. It wouldn't take long to get there, but the path to the camp would take them slightly around the lake and right to the dens, only showing the newcomer a small portion of the lands. He'd need to explore on his own in order to learn the ins and outs of the territory. Right now, though, Xerxses's main concern was getting both Zetos and his sister back to the dens so that he could go back on patrol and strengthen the borders at the swamp. That and he needed to get back to training Teras as well.