Hate me in ways, ways hard to swallow

[Slaying the Dreamer]

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http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c13/v ... erhaps.jpg); background-position:top; background-repeat: no-repeat;border:1px solid black;"> ooc: Aww... I'm trying to keep a guinea pig from gnawing through my husband's laptop cord (since mine's already broken)... Not quite the same situation, but you're forgiven nonetheless, lol! xD I've got soul but I'm not a soldier Slay watched silently, feeling a flicker of gratitude as Hanna unshifted, reverting to her natural four-legged form. He had only seen her this way the first time they met, and that had been from a distance. It came as a small surprise to realize that she was a year older than him, and that she too was without a mate. Perhaps being alone wasn't something he should feel so self-conscious about. Fulfillment came in more ways than just one. It wasn't a huge comfort, though - Hanna had her talents to fall back on, and as an herbalist, would always be wanted and treasured among wolves. Slay had little such talent to offer. When her transformation was complete and she was back on his level, Slay gladly returned the friendly nuzzle. The dark-furred female was now smaller than him, something he was quite used to. "Claustrophobic, eh? You don't have to tell me twice," he said wryly. He could relate to that on several levels - he was feeling pretty trapped at the moment, what with all the drama unfolding around him - not to mention the actual fear of closed spaces he suffered from. The arctic wolf had never been able to sleep in a den or a human dwelling... "...It must be nice, then; having a place to go to that's away from it all. I'm a little envious, Hanna." He smiled honestly, ducking his head with an ounce of embarrassment. "I went missing for a few months during the summer, but in the end I came back to the pack. I can't leave, but I don't feel comfortable staying, either. It would be nice to make up my mind, like you did." He sighed heavily, letting the frigid air condensate his exhaled breath into a cloud of white. Everything was black and white during the winter. "'The season of death', huh?" he repeated softly, letting his pale blue eyes wander. That was an apt description - the leaves were long gone, abandoning the bare trees to icicles and wind. Small creatures were either sleeping or desperately scavenging, easy prey for the lean luperci. Slay had thought of winter as static - a time when nothing changes, and all is frozen. But Hanna was right. It only lead to more change in the end. "Are you happier now?" he asked suddenly, turning back to hold her gaze. "Do you like not having ties to pack life, or is it something you miss? I don't mean to pry, but during the time I knew you, you always seemed... distracted. Much like Colibri was..." He let his white-tipped ears drop to a respectable level, not intending to badger her with personal questions. He wanted to know, though - if he had chosen not to return, would he have been better off? He hadn't spoken to Hanna's sister since the white Alphess left them for some man, and he had heard no news of her life since. It was all so confusing, why people did what they did. He had never thought it cowardly, though, to quit pack life - it was merely a different option...

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