He felt out of place in these new lands. The wolves here stood on two legs a large percentage of the time, and here he was still getting used to the whole idea. It had been a long time since Tourniquet infected him with the strange virus that appeared to change his entire DNA, but Shandom Qi’Vaex-Nightslayer still full heartedly preferred the form that kept him with four paws on the ground.
Since his joining, Shandom had spent most of his time to himself. Fall was in its full, beautiful glory, and he took the opportunity to explore and acquaint himself with the lands he would now inhabit. He also took very seriously the idea that he should acquaint himself better with what was here called his “optime” form, and so it was in this form he sat, underneath the starry skies. His long, alabaster body almost shone in the moonlight – Shandom was not particularly adept at being inconspicuous. He kept his head tilted towards the moon, faced slightly right so he could greater appreciate the skies above him.
Looking up at night reminded him of her, and it was one of the few ways in which he could feel a true sense of serenity. The moon was reminiscent of her beauty – ethereal, inarguable, regal, and precious. It reminded him of nicer times, peaceful times; times when the pair of them would sit by the river under skies like these and enjoy the quiet peace of togetherness. His relationship with Lea was never based on conversation – as children, they had gotten far past that and grown to know the other’s emotions by the air around them. When it was tense and volatile, the hairs on Shandom’s nape would stand: he knew Lea’s instability, though he would not acknowledge it to himself, much less others.
But usually she was serene and wonderful and the air around them was filled with what Shandom thought to be magic. Really, it was just his love for her emanating in uncontrollable waves – he’d never been able to fully harness his feelings and make himself totally socially acceptable. Lea had never mentioned it though, not unless he brought it up – and usually incidents like that ended in screaming matches, heavy hearts, and horrible days without speaking. Shandom never learned from the previous mistakes to not mention it, to not act upon it – he was blind to how uncomfortable it made her. Lea saw him so platonically that to her it was incest, as forbidden and repulsive as romantically loving her own father. What he would have done to make her see differently…
Lost in his own thoughts, Shandom continued to stare at the luminescent moon.
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