The Healer's Den

Subject: The Healer's Den Mon Jun 10, 2013 6:37 pm

Well, this was just ironic. The only wolf in the pack that was injured right now was her, the pack healer. The white and gray female grumbled softly to herself as she wasted just a little more time re-organizing the items in her den yet again, if only just to give her something to do with herself. That damn tree branch. How was it that trouble just seemed to follow her around? And it always seemed to be when that black wolf, Zetos, was around. But, things had changed with the male that had saved her not once, but twice now. He was alpha now. The promotion had surprised her greatly, and what threw her off even more, was that he had actually accepted the position, and on top of it, her brother had turned it down. She had always thought that Xerxses would want the alpha position, but no, he had even been speaking to her about stepping down as Beta.

He'd been by earlier that day to drop off some food for her, an action to which she'd rolled her eyes and complained, of course. She had an injured paw, but that didn't mean she was completely helpless. Though, everyone around here seemed to think so. Xerxses had stopped by often, and he almost always brought her food, and that took away her excuse to leave the den to get some herself. She hated being cooped up in here, especially since the only wolf she saw on a regular basis was her over-protective brother. She loved her brother, and she was grateful for his care, but in all honesty, he was boring. He never had much to say, and when he did, it was usually about training or patrols or something that didn't interest her at all. She found herself dozing off frequently when he talked, and when he left her alone again, she'd just re-organize her healing materials or lay in the den entrance and stare out at the usually empty camp.

Their pack hadn't been very social lately, and though they were growing, there was still little unity between the members. Then again, since Zetos had taken on the alpha position, there'd at least been a 'pack hunt'. Whether everyone participated, she didn't know, but she did know that her brother had stayed behind with her. And honestly, she doubted that many wolves had shown up. Likely just a few, but they'd brought home meat, so apparently they'd been successful. In fact, the warriors had returned only recently, and she'd caught glimpses of Pravin and Victoria (two wolves she knew only by appearance, though she'd never spoken to them), but she had yet to see Zetos. Her brother had left her a little over an hour before, and she now laid in her den with her head on her non-injured paw as she stared at an invisible speck on the ground in front of her with everything but an interested and amused expression. This sucked.

Made By Zetos>

Subject: Re: The Healer's Den Mon Jun 10, 2013 7:08 pm

Zetos hadn't known what to expect of the hunt that morning, however he was glad of the turnout and what they accomplished. He knew there'd be some extra work that needed to be done and the hunters needed to be trained to work as a team. Though he saw a lot of potential in his pack-mates, there was still something that was nagging the alpha on his way back. He allowed the warriors and hunters to bring the kills back as he went his own way away from the main pack hub for a little while to allow himself to think, he needed a place where he could have a clear mind and the trees that were about the area provided that for him. "This pack has not been a pack, it's missing the fundamentals of communication, to speak, to let the pack know the mind as one when it needs to be such." The words were said under his breath, however they carried much weight on the wolves shoulders as he spoke, he had known that the position would not be an easy one to bear, yet he did not expect that there would be so much to do that had not been done before.

For now he'd skirt his way along the trees, the larger black wolf moving his body swiftly between bushes and branches, making his way to the area of the dens with every step he took. His speed was not fast, instead he allowed himself a slow leisurely pace to keep his mind active so he could figure out ways that he could bring his pack tighter together and create the unity they needed. His eyes lit up for a moment as his thoughts became distracted, there was that scent again, the female he had met many times before, Trilogy was in her den and he was drawing close. The long black tail swung behind him like a flag caught in the wind as he moved into a gallop towards the packs main camp, coming to a screeching and very unceremonious halt just a few feet away from the area where the wolves could see him.

With ease he moved in, heading straight for the healers den. Stopping a fair few feet away he sat his rump down in the warm grass as he looked at the female who was obviously not the most excited about her situation. "Well, I can see from the look on your face that your paw is doing better, yet you are also being confined to this space and not much enjoying it." He stated the obvious as he looked about the things she had obviously been sorting while the pack was away. "If you'd like we can go for a walk for a little, it'll let you stretch your legs and might be good for your happiness, but, no pressure." Zetos tilted his head to the right as he looked at her awkwardly for a moment waiting for the females answer to his question.

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Subject: Re: The Healer's Den Mon Jun 10, 2013 7:22 pm

She had just about decided to re-arrange her den for the 50th time that day when the dark alpha arrived, sitting himself down with a lack of grace and opening his mouth to speak. Her head turned slightly in his direction, as did one ear, but she let it remain resting on her paws, not even bothering to show any signs of respectful submission or anything. Yes, he was the alpha, but then again, she was already laying on the ground, what more did he expect? But, her posture didn't seem to bother him, and his promotion had clearly not changed his 'charming' demeanor when it came to socialization. "Well thank you, Captain Obvious." She said softly, smirking slightly at the image of her brother scolding her for her lack of respect if he had been present. But she honestly didn't think Zetos would do anything about it, though she kept an ear turned in his direction as her eyes closed, just in case.

Then he mentioned going for a walk, and she slowly lifted her head to stretch her paws out in front of her and out behind her before leaning against the side of the den entrance opposite to him so she could look up at him. "Are you sure that my baby-sitter will allow that?" She asked, rolling her eyes slightly as she glanced over at Xerxses's den. He had just returned to it and entered, casting a glance over at the two of them before disappearing inside. Regardless of whether Zetos was alpha or not, Xerxses was still protective, and she had no doubt that if the alpha remained here for much longer, Xerxses would make a more obvious appearance. With a soft sigh she let her head sink down to rest on her un-injured paw once more, her eyes closing as her tail rested limply beside her, one ear still trained carefully on the alpha that sat nearby.

Made By Zetos>

Subject: Re: The Healer's Den Mon Jun 10, 2013 7:42 pm

There was something about the white female that kept his interests up and his mood light, maybe it was the disdain she seemed to show towards him, or the fact she was so open about her feelings. Either way it always seemed to bring a little bit of a laugh to the male, she was good company to keep. When he had mentioned going for a walk together she seemed to show some interest though and even moved some as if she was going to go, though when he traced where she was looking and listened to her words Zetos knew instantly what was coming to her mind. The male knew well enough that the other one had a rather protective side of his sister, he had seen it the first day that they met, and even in just spending his time with the pack he had seen it over and over. Hell, even earlier that day Xerxes had decided that he would watch over her instead of coming on the hunt with them.

However he was not particularly afraid of the beta, sure Xerxes was bigger than him but Zetos had no intentions of hurting Trilogy or letting harm befall her. Besides, if the beta decided he really wanted to have a battle with the alpha then Zetos would give it to him, he had taken the rank that was offered but he was not afraid to show that he also could hold the rank as well. Gently his voice came out as he looked at her once more. "He'll live, but you need to move because you are showing your restlessness." He chuckled softly as he stood up, shifting at his shoulders as he moved slightly closer to the females den, awaiting her move to make sure that she was alright, not wanting her to fall over and end up hurting her paw more. For a short moment Zetos turned his head looking over to his beta's den once more just to see if he would come out and give him a piece of his mind, however it did not seem as if that was going to happen, thankfully.

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Subject: Re: The Healer's Den Mon Jun 10, 2013 8:32 pm

It was obvious by the way that the dark male looked over at Xerxses's den that he knew what she meant by 'babysitter', so she didn't really feel the need to explain any further. When he spoke, she shrugged slightly, knowing that since Xerxses had turned the position of Alpha down, he wasn't about to challenge Zetos any time soon. So she let the topic drop, and instead focused on standing, since it was clear that's what the alpha was waiting for. Her ears pinned backwards as he moved and looked like he was watching her closely - as if she were going to fall - and moved away from him slightly as she did so. She didn't need his help standing, something that was proven only moments later when she stood up to her full height, which was still much smaller than him. She avoided putting much weight on her injured paw, as it still hurt a lot, but she'd have to start using it soon or it would weaken and heal improperly.

Finally she placed the paw delicately on the ground, looking over at the male wolf for a moment before limping slowly towards the trees. Xerxses remained in his den, obviously not interested in causing any trouble for the alpha today. Instead, Trilogy moved to the borders of the den area without any confrontation, and soon she was out of sight of her brother's den and she let herself relax slightly. She still walked with a limp, and she was clearly in pain, but she did her best to hide it. She'd had worse injuries than this before, and she was healing nicely anyways, so she wasn't about to whine and complain about her injuries now. Her side and ribs were still sore, but not nearly as bad as when she'd gotten injured, so that was a good sign as well. She'd been eating well, and now that she was getting some exercise, her healing process was likely to speed up even more.

Not to mention it was nice getting out of the den and out from under Xerxses's watchful eye. She had no doubt he'd avoid any arguments with Zetos, so she didn't even let herself worry about what would happen when he found out she was gone. Instead, she let herself relax, simply enjoying her walk, even though it was painful. She never forgot her typical caution, however, and kept at least one ear turned in the male's direction an at least two feet of space between them at all times. He might have saved her life twice now, but he was still male, which meant that she still did not trust him completely.

Made By Zetos>

Subject: Re: The Healer's Den Tue Jun 11, 2013 9:57 pm

The way that she moved when she first got up to go with him, the constant looking towards her brothers den, the way she moved away from him when he offered help. It seemed that something had happened to her, and her brother was trying to protect her from whatever it was. Though the way that she acted would lead the wolf to believe that maybe she did not need the amount of protection that she was currently being given. For now though Zetos would keep his lips sealed and walk with her, his eyes constantly casting their glance back onto her to see how she was doing. It seemed the entire way along she was watching that den of Xerxes's as if waiting for him to come out or to try something, and the alpha was ready in case it did, yet the need for defense or confrontation never seemed to arise, and when they had gotten a fair distance away and out of view of his den the female seemed to calm down a little.

He took his time, allowing his normally brisk set speed to slow down to match hers, though it seemed she was not very slow even with the wounded paw. He enjoyed the walk though, for the first time he got to spend time without having any formalities and it was a nice change of pace from the normal that he had gotten used to. Taking a moment to smile and breathe deep the male tilted his head, allowing himself to speak, but he was careful with his words, taking every second he needed to mull over what he wanted to say before he said it. "Forgive my imposition, but I hope I do not come off as a threat to you. The way you walk and move around me, I hope I do not frighten you." He was being honest with the female, his tone had become softer as he spoke. To some extent it had irked the male the way that she was around him, it also amused him the way she would get snippy at his comments, however the constant skittishness was a little unnecessary in his mind.

His body remained tall, towering over the smaller female who had positioned herself a little ways a way, and he constantly peered over as he guided them towards the lake. "Aslo, your brother may be able to bring you food but you need water to live as well, which is not readily available at our camp, so hopefully this will help you out a little." Well there he was talking again, silently he cursed himself, letting his eyes shut as he turned his head in the direction they were walking as if trying to ignore the fact he had made the comment in the first place. "I'm sorry if I seem prying, if you wish me to stop, just ask." He let himself fall into silence, keeping at the pace the female set beside him.

Made By Zetos

Subject: Re: The Healer's Den Sat Jun 22, 2013 7:53 pm

The female's ears pinned back at the dark wolf's words, and even though he was her alpha now, there was little respect in her posture or behavior. "You're a male." She said softly, answering his question plain and simple. She was sure he wouldn't understand her reasoning behind the words, but it was obvious she wasn't about to willingly explain. Instead, she increased the pace slightly, finally coming to a stop as they reached the lake. The shore was a bit rocky, which made her movements more cautious and careful, and even though there were a few almost-falls, she made it to the water and slowly sank into a laying position to rest.

She was the pack healer, and she knew enough to know that it would be foolish to just keep on her feet and not rest, so she planned to take her time. Carefully she leaned forward, keeping her injured paw out of the water, and let her tongue lap up the cool liquid slowly. It tasted nice, and she took her time and drank a decent amount before leaning back and glancing over at the dark alpha. She wasn't sure if he'd ask questions, but she had no doubt that he had at least a few things he wanted to ask her. Whether he said anything or not depended on him, though she wasn't really sure if she'd actually answer him or not when the time came.

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Subject: Re: The Healer's Den Sun Jun 23, 2013 11:04 am

How very strange of the female indeed, her one answer to his question was just that he was a male, there was no more explanation to it than that, which ended up sitting heavily on his mind as he quietly looked her over while she sped herself up as if speed would allow her to escape the situation she had walked into. However, Zetos was not about to prod to quickly into this matter, from Trilogy's actions it was obvious this was a sensitive matter and not one to take lightly, however, her having a problem with males in general would not be healthy when it came to the pack as a whole. The wolves of the pack should be able to trust and lean on one another and it would be something she would have to work on in time to come. For now though, the black one would hold his mouth shut and just match her chosen pace towards the lake.

When she finally rested herself down he began to pace around behind her, the moments before of her stumbling and nearly falling had put the alpha on end, however he kept his distance now that she was safe. The male's mind was riddled with thoughts and questions, sure it was not his place to poke and prod the female, but there were things that he wished to know, why males, what would it take to change her view, was she alright? "Are you alright?" He stopped for a moment as he peered over at her, as if hanging on to the last thread of life and this answer would be what saved him from the fall below. He had saved her twice already, and he found himself attracted to her in some facet, but it seemed as if what he wished was forbidden, the doe that ran but would always be a snout-length out of reach. "And I am male, but that does not make me whatever you seem to think I am." His words were not cold, instead they were soft and carefully said, taking a small pause between each word as if to press the importance of what he was saying further. "I will not hurt you." He would let that one sink in for a little before he said any more.

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Subject: Re: The Healer's Den Mon Jun 24, 2013 4:05 pm

The female was waiting for more questions, and soon enough they came. After she laid down, he began to speak again. Her ears flicked backwards as he asked if she was alright, and with a heavy sigh, she lifted her head to look back at him in response to his second statement about him being male. "I'm fine, and I noticed that you were male." She said, a tinge of annoyance in her voice as she spoke. "And it doesn't make you one of them, but that doesn't mean you don't have the potential to become like them. I've been around too many like them to trust anyone other than Xerxses." She said softly, resting her head back on her paws and mumbling the finishing part of her thought to herself about Blitzen being dead.

Then he said he wouldn't hurt her, and she opened one eye to look back at him quietly for a moment before opening her mouth to speak. "I don't know that." She said softly, mostly to herself before sighing heavily and pushing herself to her feet. She carefully stretched, making her way cautiously away from the rocks and the water's edge before glancing back at the black male. She didn't know if he would ask any more questions, and she wasn't sure if she really wanted to tell him all that happened, but the fact that he was interested surprised her. This male confused her, he was so different than others she'd known, yet at the same time, she still knew nothing about him. With a soft sigh she closed her eyes, turning away and making her way further away from the camp. She wasn't ready to head back yet, not to be cooped up in that den again, so she decided to wander a bit.

Made By Zetos>

Subject: Re: The Healer's Den Mon Jun 24, 2013 4:23 pm

Well she answered more than he thought she would have, however the answers that she gave him only left the black male with more questions about her. What had made the female this way, what in her past had brought her to the point that she could not trust any males. His mind slowly wandered as he peered at her slowly receding form as she made her way away from the camp. Some thoughts were already coming to mind as to what may have happened, he wasn't completely stupid, however he would not make mention of those as that would be her place, and her place alone to say what was on her mind. Carefully the alpha moved in line behind her, walking slowly with the female as he let her guide them wherever it seemed to be that she was going. Somewhere in the back of Zetos's mind he knew she was just trying to escape the den that had become her prison, she didn't want to be there before and a drink of water would not be enough to satisfy the wolf until she had felt she was gone from the den for enough time.

The alpha resigned himself to being her guardian upon the walk, even if she didn't trust him. His pace was the same as hers and he kept his distance to keep her comfortable as his head stood tall as if to challenge any who might be around and watching. She had been through hell at some point in her life, he would protect her from now on, she was part of his pack so it was his duty, but even if it wasn't his duty there was something about Trilogy that tugged on the males heart to make him want to be there for her. Quietly he spoke behind her, uncertain if she could hear his voice. "I'm sorry for whatever happened to you, but I will not let it ever happen again. You have two guardians now, even if you don't trust me." He smirked to himself at the end of that sentence, he was not certain if the female would ever be able to trust him, but somewhere deep inside he hoped that she would come to the ability to be able to.

Made By Zetos

Subject: Re: The Healer's Den Mon Jun 24, 2013 10:23 pm

The small gray and white female was having less issues walking now, since she'd gotten used to limping slightly as she went. Though he was not injured like her, the black male remained a distance behind her, seemingly keeping an eye on things and making sure she was safe rather than walking with her. Eventually, though, she heard his voice again, and she glanced back at him, pausing in her walk to make eye contact with him for the first time in a while. "Blitzen and Xerxses weren't able to protect me, what makes you think you're better than they were?" She asked, her voice sharp and her eyes a darker auburn now. Obviously she was a bit worked up and upset, though she hadn't exactly told him why.

She found herself glaring at him for a few moments before she sighed and sat down, shaking her head slowly and looking down at her paws. "We were outnumbered at least four to one. It was my first season and the pack that took us were all males. Neither of my brothers could protect me then." She said softly, taking a slow deep breath and shutting her eyes. She might as well tell him, he was her alpha, he'd find out eventually, and he needed to know and understand his pack. Glancing up at him for a moment before looking back down at her paws, she swallowed and continued to speak softly. "They kept me in a den in the center of the camp, and all different types of males came to visit and leave their marks as often as they could. The next spring I gave birth to three pups, a male runt and two females." She said, choking up slightly at the thought of the pups that she'd lost.

"He killed them in front of me, that laugh still haunts me whenever I see a male wolf, regardless of who it is." She said, her ears flattened to the side and her paws shifting anxiously in front of her as they always did when she was nervous or uncomfortable. The scars she'd received from the pack of male wolves were still visible, although hidden by her fur most of the time, but the emotional scars could only be hidden so much. The fear she had of males was something she believed she'd never be rid of, and no matter how brave she pretended to be, it was always there. With another deep breath and long, heavy sigh, she stood up and began to walk away again, this time heading back towards camp. The only safe refuge she knew of was her den, and out here, she felt far too vulnerable and it was making her even more anxious, especially since she'd just shared her haunting memories with the dark alpha that had saved her life so many times already.

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