Word Count → 716 :: Shandom's gonna be all sorts of confuzzles! Sorry for the length, btw. Good chunk is babble.
As per usual, the Gamma awoke before most of his packmates. Dark eyes cracked open with the sun and the white creature stretched languidly, allowing his body to pull itself into comfort and consciousness. The quiet sounds of a not-quite awake world comforted Shandom, and a dark smile curled across his ebony lips as he opened his maw in a large, contented yawn. The air smelled fresh and new, and the man was eager to begin his day. Shandom lived in a comfortable routine, and it involved moving quietly out of the den so as to not disturb the rest of his brothers and sisters. His pawsteps were close to silence as he picked his way through the rapidly crowding den, careful to avoid any unnecessary noise. The half-blind man blinked rapidly as he stepped into the early morning sun, adjusting himself from the darkness of his sleeping place. But his quiet smile remained curled across his lips as his steps quickened away from the den and closer to the borders of the Dawn territory. He was a man of the morning.
Shandom wasn't particularly hungry, though his black nose twitched instinctively as he passed several rabbit holes. But he was not the kind of creature to hunt when it wasn't necessary to satiate himself; the Gamma was respectful of the earth and its blessings, and would not take from it unnecessarily. What was the point in killing simply for fun? It was an adrenaline rush, certainly - all predators felt the same way when consumed by the hunt. But it would take away from hungrier brothers and sisters, and his own fun was not worth their discomfort. No, Shandom wouldn't hunt this morning. Perhaps later, when he felt further, and more insistent, pangs of hunger. For now, he was quite all right with simply travelling over the new land, and listening to the call of birds.
He loved the sounds of nature. It brought him a sort of serenity he didn't often have. The Gamma was trapped in a world of self guilt and loathing, though he rarely made it seen to anyone in his pack. Indeed, the only ones who knew truly of his problems were the Alphas, and especially Titania. He'd spent more time with her than Zalen, though he respected and loved them both as if they were his own kin. But the child-Queen stirred a chord in his heart that reminded him of how he once looked at his daughter Zeneca; it reminded him how he'd desperately wanted to take care of her and shield her from all things bad. They looked similar, in a way - Titania was colored red in places where Zeneca had been the purest of white, but they both had a delicate and ethereal beauty that drew everyone to them. It made them special and otherworldly, and while Shandom had abandoned his daughter, he did not intend to leave his Alphess.
A child's cry interrupted his call, and it was a beautiful one - one that was full of potential and promise. It made his lips curve into a knowing and paternal smile, and though children made the Gamma nervous he knew it was his responsibility to meet these new members of New Dawn. Adjusting his posture to reflect his rank in the pack, the Gamma trotted at a brisk pace towards the childlike scent, noting along the way that they had a female - supposedly their mother - with them. Soon his mismatched and half-useless eyes fell upon their tumbling forms, and he could not help but laugh richly and deeply at their play. Not far behind them was a dark female who did not quite smell of New Dawn, and he flicked an ear briefly in confusion. But he would give this woman and her children the benefit of the doubt, and he would not chase them from the lands - they did not appear to be intruders, after all. "Hello!" Shandom barked, his tail raised and ears perked forward. But his face was friendly, though scarred, and he did not mean the woman or her children ill. He came closer, and his tail wagged a bit. "Your children are adorable - it was one of yours I just heard, if I am correct?"
Shandom image by James; table code from the mentors!
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