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.

It was quite pretty here. Where Shandom grew up, where he still called home, the skies had been different. Thinking about it, it probably had something to do with his long, strenuous trek through wild country side. It had been years since he settled down with a pack and stopped moving entirely. The closest he’d come was when was with Keliyya, and he saw how well that turned out. After only a few weeks with her, Shandom felt antsy and uncomfortable – exposed, almost. Since he was forcibly removed from Etienne, staying too still made him wary. He knew that Lea’s goal that night had been to kill him. If he knew her determination and tenacity at all, if that somehow remained unaffected when her mind spiraled south, Shandom was positively certain she was still trying to find him.

Even though he knew seeing her would be dangerous, Shandom still wanted it more than anything. Though he was positive she would never give him the chance to have a civil conversation with her, he knew that if he saw her, even just for a moment, he would be able to tell if the Lea-Belle he knew and loved still lived within the dark monster. It would be such a relief to know that she was, perhaps, almost salvageable. If someone could just help her, Shandom thought she could be okay again. Whether or not she wanted to return to that state – now that was a completely different story.

He was brought out of his musings by a female voice, and that startled him. His muscles tensed, and his paws clenched together as a small snarl threatened to rise on his lips. Shandom knew it was probably entirely his fault that he was caught unawares – he had been the one staring at the moon, after all – but this sudden interruption was, regardless, rather unwelcome. Pull yourself together, man! he internally chided himself. This is a lady- you must present yourself with some semblance of dignity! Resisting a smirk, Shandom rose to his feet, still slightly uncomfortable with the idea of only having two legs underneath him. He kept his face slightly tilted to the right, so better to see her.

”My name is Shandom Qi’Vaex-Nightslayer, mi’lady,” he spoke, a small grin on his face. She was about his height, though much slimmer, and he found it rather baffling that she wore clothes. He resisted the urge to lift a curious eyebrow at her attire, though he supposed it might be normal in these parts and he was the weird one to be without something to cover himself. ”I am a very recent newcomer to this pack, Cour des Miracles, so I apologize if I caused you any duress”. He gave her a broad, easy smile and faced her head on, slightly aware that his scar was in its full glory. Ah, well, it’d been years. Time to get used to it. Hopefully she wouldn’t stare too much.



Shandom does. Shandom thinks. Shandom says.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Ayita,” Shandom said, his deep tones respectful and deferential. From the way she carried herself, the woman was of a higher rank than he – not that doing so was particularly difficult, as he’d only just joined Cours des Miracles. He hadn’t spent a lot of time considering what exactly he wanted to do in this strange new land, though he assumed it would be necessary sooner rather than later. It would be unwise for him to burden a pack with his needs when he could not give them something in return. Where he was from, that was punishable by death. Shandom did not think it would be necessary to assume any differently of these lands.

He was slightly embarrassed when he tried to recall who allowed him into Cours des Miracles and found he could not. Heady embarrassment rose through his veins like slow fire, and his confident smile wavered for a moment. Indeed, it was even more humiliating: she was the mate of the King, the leader of the pack. Naturally, he should be trying to impress the lady. Instead, he came up with absolutely nothing. “Unfortunately, I do not think I caught the man’s name who allowed me in, though I should be sure to make both of these gentlemen’s acquaintance soon.” Shandom grinned sheepishly at her, eyes cast downward. “I mean neither of these leaders disrespect, of course – I believe I am simply being forgetful on this lovely evening.”

But she’d mentioned something about a war, and Shandom could not help but to be intrigued. Political pack dynamics fascinated him to some extent, though it would not be prudent for him to admit that in such a situation. “I am sorry to hear that the lands have been at war, Lady Ayita Shandom began. “It is unfortunate that I arrived at such an inconvenient time. Discontent between packs is always hardest on those who are most involved. I hope you and your family have fared well?” Shandom’s sentence ended in polite questioning, hoping there would be a way to find more information. If there were a particularly aggressive pack… well, he’d want to avoid them.


Shandom does. Shandom thinks. Shandom says.