Hoping he can meet someone in optime form

So many packs! Tharin hadn't even traveled very far, and already he'd come across a fair number of borders, just a few short hours between them. Wide eyed Tharin had returned to this small center amongst the packs, with no clue of where he should go and which one to investigate. He could go over to the mountain pack, or the other one behind it with flowers at the borders. Yet another pack went further than that, small stones along it's border. He'd never seen a border marked like that before, just as strange in a way as the flowers growing along the other border.

He knew he needed a pack, but choosing which one was very difficult. He needed acceptance, and he was a strong hunter. It was more than that though. The borders of two packs seemed very strong, though one was still new, the other weak. Did he want to join a pack that was struggling? Joining a strong pack was attractive, but they might turn him away, with more than enough members bearing the skills that he could offer for them. Laying down Tharin sighed, wishing again that he could just return to his pack, that Akira had never died leaving him alone.

A wave of curiosity washed over Fayne as she sat beneath a tree the gentle breeze blowing threw her pluming fur. She had been daydreaming of her future and what it held for her. Her blue-green orbs were full of hope and happiness as she stared through the tree canopy the slivers of light that broke through danced around her as the wind blew through the trees. She squinted every now then when the light dared to cripple her vision. She was thinking about how different this land was, maybe that was a good thing. She had never been open to change, but change could reveal a whole new side of things and make her life that much more interesting. Thoughts on how packs thrived these days taking the humanoid forms the virus granted them using it to do things they would never be able to do as a regular wolf. Things such a farming and building. These were all things humans did before they were wiped out and so she refused to touch them with a ten foot pole thinking it was wrong. She was learning to accept what she was though and thought that maybe she needed to explore herself a little more.

She stood up on all fours and looked down at her paws. She bent her neck back to examine herself, from her shoulders down to her tail. This was the form she was so used to, but maybe she should explore. She closed her eyes and thought of herself as the tall slender female in her optime form. She willed herself to change, opening her mind to it. She knew that some horrible thoughts would come with the change, but she needed to accept herself. Her body began to shift, first her legs becoming longer as her spine elongated hunching her over. She could hear her own bones crackling and a tinge of pain crossed her mind, though she wasn't really in any pain at all. The thought of her bones moving under her skin was a strange and terrifying thought indeed but she proceeded. Her shoulders widened as well as her hips, her waist became more curved and her chest expanded. She was halfway done with her transformation, the last step came when her hind paws enlarged becoming easier for her to balance on. She stood her front paws turning into hands, each toe elongating and her dew claw forming into a thumb. The last thing was her hair, it grew into long black locks which draped over her shoulder and down her back. Bangs covered her eyes and she brushed them out of the way as her shift completed. She stroked her sides from the length of her ribs down to her hips and swayed her long bushy tail behind her.

Caught up in focusing on the transformation she had forgotten all the horrible thoughts that usually accompanied it, but soon they all came rushing back in one large burst. Her eyes welled with tears as she thought of her family. She wiped the tears from her eyes and gathered herself striding into the forest. She sniffled, her nose running from the momentary lapse of togetherness. With the sniff she smelt someone near, curious she walked in the direction. Soon she stumbled upon a male wolf laying down beneath the trees that shaded this whole area. He had a solemn expression on his face, like he was pondering something. Fayne peered from behind a tree using her tail to cover the front side of her body. She still felt rather shy and self conscious in this form, a small tide of embarrassment washed over her as she hid timidly behind the tree. Her face was still wet from the short crying session she had just had, she focused her blue-green eyes on him. "Oh? Hello there." She said in a soft feminine voice with a hint of the shyness that engulfed her.

Forgot to mention, he has no idea what luperci was, so minor freak out coming

A voice caught his attention. A very shy female, by the sounds of it. Grinning he turned around, searching for the location of another pretty female that would be keeping him company. He didn't see anyone right away, his nose working to pinpoint the exact location. So it would seem this beauty was a rather shy one, hiding behind a tree. That was alright. His tail twitched behind him, glad for the distraction from the more solemn things he was thinking about. Hello. Don't worry, I won't bite. Never do that with strangers. He grinned charmingly, standing up.

Casually he worked his way around the tree, wishing to see for himself who it was with the soft voice and shy nature. There wasn't a wolf there, though. Instead there was this strange thing, standing up on two legs. Tharin craned his head up, looking to see the top of it. The fur coat was wolfish, as was the head. The structure was so strange, though! His hackles rose as he backed away, wondering what kind of creature he had come across. Where was the female that he'd been looking for? Had the creature killed it? His rational mind quickly cut through that, pointing out that there was no blood, and while the female had sounded shy, fear definitely wasn't there. The female had to still be nearby, probably hiding from the creature.

OOC: Cool, this could be interesting.

Fayne eyed him intently as he stirred searching around for her. She would go out there but she wasn't comfortable at all in this skin so she preferred to remain behind the tree using her tail as an extra means of cover. It seemed like it was difficult for him to find her for a while. She examined him while his head turned ever which way, his pelt was grey like hers with tinges of black. His face was brownish red, his eyes a beautiful shade of orange. She smiled lightly, she loved the color orange. The stranger spoke, kindness in his voice as he attempted to calm her with his words. A stunning smile shone on his face, quite charming. He stood up and walked in her direction, she quickly pulled behind it hiding herself fully. Why was so so damn why in this form, it was kind of embarrassing. She usually held herself with an overwhelming pride. She gathered herself and stood straight, her tail still clutched to her chest in a defensive manner.

The wolf rounded the tree and looked at her, starting at her waste and working his way up to meet his gorgeous amber eyes with her bright blue-green ones. The kind, charming expression that had been on his face quickly faded away and fear crept into his eyes. Fayne lowered her head quickly wanting nothing more than to disappear. She bit her lip softly hoping his demeanor would change, was he kidding? Was he pulling her leg?. He looked terrified like she was some sort of monster. The tears that had recently stopped flowing started welling up in her eyes again. The expression on his face reminded her of how scared she'd been when she saw her first Luperci. Drosnav was horribly terrifying to her that night that they escaped with their lives. She shook her head trying to rid herself of the horrible thoughts. She looked at the petrified wolf that stood before her and came to a sudden realization. Could he be scared of her because he had the same kind of memories? Were the Luperci monsters to him. Maybe, he simply had never seen one before. There was no way to tell.

Fayne sniffled dabbing her eyes with her fuzzy tail. She felt a connection to him somehow and would try her best to soothe him. She gathered up the courage to speak to him, and tried to calm him down. "U-um. I didn't mean to frighten you." She looked over herself and then back to the stranger before her. "I don't really like this form either...but I'm trying to accept it. I mean no harm to you...please believe me?" She told him with a soft kind voice that trembled. She tilted her head and spoke some more, trying to be calm and collected. Trying to have a voice that was believable. "I'm not a monster. I'm a wolf just like you." She told him, lowering her head some more waiting for him to respond. Would he turn and run away from her? Or would he calm down and respond to her gestures. She would change back to her Lupus form if she didn't believe him after this. But it would take a few minutes for the shift to be completed.

The creature's head lowered, looking as if it was reaching down for him. So much taller than him, Tharin wasn't sure that he would know how to fight it, let alone being able to. He had never seen anything so weird in his whole life! Some kind of weird liquid began to fall from it's eyes, looking very, very sad and very, very strange. He had no idea what was going on, and felt himself wishing that he had stayed where he was, not catching the creature's attention by walking over to where it was. The thought of company had been rather tempting for the loner though, wishing that he did have someone to be with.

The head shook, looking like it could easily snap a rabbit's neck with that strength. Doing his best to not look scared Tharin's hackles raised, fangs revealed in a feeble attempt to keep it away. Maybe he could drive it off somehow. The creature started speaking then, and Tharin recognized it as the female he'd been looking for. Impossible! How could that happen? The female he'd been addressing was rather shy, and definitely sounded like a wolf to him. In fact, she still sounded shy and wolven. Describing herself as a wolf was met by a snort though. You might not be a monster, but you're certainly not a wolf. I know what wolves look like. He wasn't that stupid. Gently he stepped over to the large creature, sniffing her cautiously. What are you?

Fayne's heart dropped when the stranger said she wasn't a wolf. She was more wolf than the majority of the Luperci that inhabited these lands. She was a traditional kind of girl, but of course a random stranger wouldn't know that. He stepped towards her and sniffed her out. She stayed still careful not to frighten him, he looked up at her and asked her "What she was." Well she was a wolf!! But she'd already told him that and he failed to believe her. She wasn't going to give up so easily though. She would have to show him, show him that the creature that stood before him was only one of three forms a wolf was capable of changing into. The virus was the culprit, you had to be extremely careful not to be infected by it these days. Fayne looked into his eyes and pleaded with them, pleaded mentally for him to just believe her. She shrugged and stepped back lowering herself to the floor in a squatting position her fists holding her up.

"I am a wolf. But, if you honestly don't believe me then I suppose I'll just have to show you. Hmm?" She closed her eyes and focused just as she had done before. But reverting back was always easier to her for she didn't have to worry about bad thoughts when she shifted back to her Lupus form. Her transformation back began with her long black locks retreating. Pulling themselves up and over her shoulders disappearing among the short layers of black fur that framed her wolfish face. She started to shrivel and contort her long straight back shrinking and her hind legs shortening and curving into haunches. Her front legs shorten as well her fingers shifting back into paws. The crackling of her bones was audible and she hoped it didn't frighten the poor soul standing only a few feet away. Within five minutes she was back on all fours, her head dropped and her eyes closed she took a deep breath.

Fayne lifted her head and opened her eyes to meet his, she wagged her tail behind her completely relaxed now that she was back in her comfort zone. She tiled her head and smiled kindly speaking with the same soft voice, now rid of the shyness that accompanied it in her Optime form. "Now do you see? I am a wolf just like you. The only thing different about me is that I've opened myself the changing world around us. A virus is the culprit, it's granted us powers. These days, two types of wolf walk this earth. One being pure and untouched by the virus and those who have accepted the virus as a part of them and discovered another side of themselves. Those who have grasped the power of the virus are called Luperci, which is what I am. You saw what all Luperci are capable of. But, my blood is the same blood that runs through your veins as you stand before me. We are the same, yet different. " She explained to him, hoping he would understand. If he had any questions she would be happy to answer them. She planted her tush on the ground and simply waited, seeking the understanding in his eyes.

It seemed she was determined to convince him. Tharin watched the female squat down, moving closer to the natural four legged form wolves held. It still wasn't a wolf's body though. The curves, the strange stretched toes, they were all very very unnatural. Her words confused him, ears flattening back. What was she talking about? Tharin backed up from her, watching cautiously for what she would do. His hackles stood up as the painful rendering of flesh and cracking of bones filled the air. Her form moved around, sick and disturbing to watch.

When it was done a normal wolf stood before her. Turning his head Tharin promptly threw up, made nauseous by the sight of her changing around like that. It was so disturbing, watching her move around like that, bones shifting and flesh moving in a way it was never meant to. Glancing back at her Tharin's ears pinned back in shame. He shouldn't have done that. Next time he wouldn't. Tharin's stomach churned at the thought, protesting his idea of trying to grow used to it. All traces of shyness were gone now, just a confidant female left behind.

Her words were insulting. Tharin knew lots about the world. He survived, hunted, knew all about death. The fact that a sickness was the reason for what he had seen didn't surprise him in the least. It made sense that something like that would cause such a horrid looking change. Sickness had taken Akira from him, and now it appeared that it had made these freaky new creatures. Her words about luperci having power, grasping this 'gift', filled him with distaste. There was nothing wrong with what he was! I see. His voice gave off none of the turmoil, though the worry and anger in his eyes did.

The wolf that had just witnessed the most intimate moment a Luperci could share, upchucked right in front of her. She wasn't sure if it was because of the loud crackles her bones made when she shifted, or it it was because of what she was. A tinge of shame crossed her face. Maybe she really was a monster. Maybe she was just like those who this sickening virus had corrupted. Her mind wrangled with itself, tossing ideas back and forth, a mental battle raged within her. It was clear on her face what was going through her mind at the moment. She was filled with rage, shame, guilt, all at once. Her body quivered with the emotions that filled her and she held her jaws shut tightly for she wanted to yell at the stranger with every inch of her being. Revealing everything about her past all at once, desperately forcing him to understand. But, instead she held her tongue and continued to deal with the subtle involuntary muscle spasms that accompanied her anger.

Fayne looked deeply into his red-orange eyes which were full of the same kind of anger her own eyes revealed. Two angry wolves, stood in front of each other clinging onto what they believed, completely unaware of what the other has been through. Fayne's breaths became short and fast as she tried to contain herself, she was always brusque when it came to her own beliefs and found it hard to contain her thoughts in situations like these. She simply eyed the wolf, dislike in her eyes as he spoke two simple words. Words that didn't show a hint of understanding. She just sat there with incredulity in her eyes, she couldn't grasp this situation. All of the wolves she'd met so far were so welcoming and accepting of her. Why did she have to run into someone that made her doubt herself so very deeply. Not only was she angry at this stranger, she was angry at herself. Why did she think for even second that showing him that would make him believe...why would she be so stupid as to reveal such a horrible thing. Though she was trying so hard to accept it she doubted herself with ever corner of her being.

She tilted back her head and eyed him, her lips twitching trying to keep the emotions hidden. She took a deep breath and looked up through the trees focusing her gaze on the bright blue sky above them attempting to calm herself so when she spoke she didn't yell at the stranger. "I know." Her voice trembled uneasily, her eyes held back the tears which wanted to flood her face and drown her. "I knew it. You think of me as a monster. I can see it in your eyes as you stand before me. I can see the intense anger that wells within you." She paused, giving herself time to calm before she spoke again. She wanted so badly to yell at him, but she refrained from doing so and spoke in a soft even tone. Hints of anger were clearly audible in her usually kind voice. "All my life I've thought of myself the same way, trying so very hard to push aside those thoughts and live happily. Unfortunately that's impossible because I am what I despise most. I am impure, I am a monster! I can see it in your eyes!!" She couldn't stop herself from yelling the last two sentences. She turned herself around taking deep heavy breaths in desperation to calm herself. She was so pissed at what she was, it was ridiculous. The tears were flowing too freely to hold back and streamed down her face. She was so very, very stupid.

The female's body trembled with rage. She must have guessed that he didn't believe luperci were all that amazing, granted a 'gift', and embracing a changing world. He was fine the way he was, no need to change that. Tharin didn't want any disease that made his body change so disgustingly. He didn't want to view himself as inferior to another simply because he'd been able to avoid this virus. He wasn't inferior. Tharin liked what he was, except for the small nagging thought that mentioned he might have been able to save Akira's life if he had this virus, had this gift. Shaking it free he looked up. He had done everything he could to save her. It hadn't been enough though, and he doubted even this strange existence would have been able to save her.

When she finally began to speak her voice trembled. Ears pricked forward he looked at them, curious about what was worrying her so much. Surely she should be happy to carry this 'gift' she'd so proudly spoken about. The words that came though weren't what he expected. Tharin didn't think that these luperci were monsters, just very, very weird. He had only met the one, but she didn't seem like a monster. The last part spiraled up, and Tharin realized that she hated the virus, couldn't get free of it. Stepping forward he nuzzled her softly. You're not a monster. Even I can see that, and I just met you. Poor soul, infected by something she couldn't get rid of. It was better than meeting someone who believed they were superior because of it at least.

Fayne was trying very hard to calm herself. It was a curse being so touchy on the situation. Why on earth did she have to get so worked up about it? So, the times were changing. So, she had been tainted by the virus. Life went on and she was trying to accept it. This virus was a part of her now, whether she liked it or not. She thought about her life now. New Dawn had recently accepted her into their family and she was so overwhelmingly happy that they had done so. Their views on the world were very similar to hers. They would rather live their lives as things were before this stupid virus tainted the wolves existence turning it into something...human. Some could say they were evolving into something else as a whole species. But, she didn't want to live like humans did. She despised it and thought it was silly, why would you want to live like that when a wolf's life is so simple. Live within a family and respect one another, doing what is necessary to survive and nothing more. It's a great life. She started to calm down, the tears retreating. Once they stopped she turned back around to face him, he was eyeing her a sense of sympathy in his eyes.

He walked towards her, she was timid at first not quite sure what to think of it. Not quite sure what he thought of her, he seemed conflicted to her. His muzzle touched the side of her face gently, it soothed her. She closed her eyes and leaned into his face. His words were calming. She had just gotten ahead of herself in that moment. Once the touch was done she looked into his eyes...how stupid she was. To have displayed such emotion to a complete stranger when she usually was composed. There was still something bothering her about him. If he didn't think of her as a monster, then what did he think of her? He was angry when she explained what she was. She tiled her head to the side and spoke to him, her voice gentle and kind. "So, you've never laid eyes on a Luperci before." She smiled. "I'm sorry I reacted in such a way. I was the same towards them when I first saw one...I thought they were evil. I didn't want to become that and I thought it was wrong. If it were up to me I would have nothing to do with them...except that I am one now." She chuckled and looked into his gorgeous eyes waiting for him to respond.

She calmed down with his touch, pressing into his face. He licked her cheek softly, glad that he'd been able to help her calm down. Hopefully this virus wasn't infectious, as he most certainly didn't want to catch it, ending up as much of a freak as she was. He pulled back, grinning softly. Life wasn't so bad. Really strange, apparently, with his whole world flipped upside down in a single instant. Not so bad though. The sun still shone and the wolves still hunted. Nothing would change that fact. He nodded his head, expression sheepish as she confirmed she was his first luperci.

Hearing that she'd thought the luperci were evil Tharin considered it. He hadn't really been able to decide how he felt about them yet. On the one hand, their shifting was disgusting, making him physically ill to watch, and the shape was so strange and alien, provoking fear with the thought of not being able to fight one off if one decided to attack him. He smiled sympathetically at her words of wishing that she could have nothing to do with them. Bad luck I suppose. It tends to reach most of us one way or another. He grinned the best he could, trying to look supportive.

The awful memories of Fayne's past rolled through her head as she sat there, she quickly pushed them aside before they got to her. They were phantoms who enjoyed torturing her. In her lifetime she had made no good memories and was left with nothing but pain and suffering. At least now she would be able to make some, her first being accepted into New Dawn. She used this one fine memory to save her from the thousands of bad ones. The grey brute licked her cheek and she responded with her own gentle nudge. She looked into his eyes, they were full of sympathy. She hoped he finally understood the drastic changes that accompanied this new world. They weren't exactly good changes, but if you opened your mind to them they could become so. Fayne had been trying so hard, yet she always felt the same way about the Luperci despite all the kind ones she had dispersed with. She would always be suspicious of them, just waiting for that dark side to come out as they become thirsty for power. Just like the humans were. The stranger spoke to her, his voice was mild and soothing. His orange orbs full of kindness, he was trying his best to deal with all this.

"I know this is all hard to take in, but you'll get there. Even I am still trying to wrap my head around this drastically changing world. It can be incredibly overwhelming." Fayne walked forward nudging him with her shoulder as she did so, she took a seat under a large tree taking in her surroundings. She could hear the beach not far off. The sound of the waves colliding with the earth was very relaxing. A realization hit her, she had not introduced herself and she didn't even know this wolf's name or anything about him. A thirst for knowledge washed over her, her eyes becoming suddenly bright with enthusiasm. "Stranger. That's what you are to me and I would like to change that. My name is Fayne. We had a rather rough start, but I think we'll be okay." She smiled widely and eyed him. So he, was not a Luperci. He was a full blooded wolf? Fayne admired that very deeply and thought it incredibly attractive. If only she had remained untouched by the virus, she wished it so. But, it was too late for that and there was no way to go back. She could only hope that with time, things became more acceptable.

The luperci nudged him softly, bringing his tongue to loll out, satisfied that she was fine. She wasn't a monster. Or at least not evil by any means. Tharin would be very surprised if she turned out to be harmful towards others. He glanced away sheepishly, staring over the land. The scents of the pack carried in the air, still a mystery but now there was even more for him to wonder about. He wondered if they would be like him, or changed like the female before him. Did he want to be in a pack where he was so different from the others? Would he even fit in and be accepted? He would be on four legs while they walked around on that frightening set of two legs.

I'm not so sure I will. Fayne nudged him softly before turning to rest under a tree. Slowly Tharin followed after her, the initial fright and turmoil of seeing her change fading away. Wrapping his tail around his feet he met her turquoise eyes. They were bright now, curious. He chuckled at her words. It was true, this had all happened without them even learning who the other was. Tharin was rather busy trying to wrap his head around what luperci were, and Fayne struggling with the trauma of carrying the disease. Well Fayne, my name's Tharin. I was just thinking about which pack to join when you came here. Not so sure I know enough to choose now.

The cool breeze continued to ruffle her coat, her full nape seemed to get in the way of her face making her look fat. She huffed with discontent and attempted to position herself in such a way that her fur would blow away from her face rather than in it. She spun around in circles, twitching and swiveling her ears until she sat herself down on one side of the tree so the wind hit the tree before it hit her. She smiled happily and watched her new companion mosey on over to where she had taken a seat. A brisk chuckle escaped his lips and it seemed to warm her heart. She was very pleased to have met someone that had pure wolf blood, he reminded her of her family, of her home. Before it's members became corrupted by the changing world. She listened intently to him as he spoke. Tharin was his name and she was glad to know him just a little bit more. His words sparked her interest, he was looking for a pack just like she had been doing for these past months and she'd finally found one. A place to call home. Yet another large smile swept over her and her tail thudded against the ground. She threw her head back with enthusiasm to indulge him in the packs that inhabited these lands. Or more so indulge him on the pack that she had chosen for she didn't know much about the other packs that inhabited this land. All she knew that most of them New Dawn tended to stay away from and she was happy with that.

"Well Tharin... She responded, mimicking his previous sentence playfully. "As far as packs go, the majority of the ones in this land have taken to a more human lifestyle. They've started farming and such, taking advantage of their Optime form to do so." Fayne's face became instantly disheartened. She didn't like that wolves were living as humans did these days. It was hypocritical and rude!! Why would one want to live as a creature that for years has hunted wolves down for pelts and intruded on our homelands? Pushing us to fight even harder to survive. Humans have been our one true enemy for as long as time can tell and to submit to their lifestyle is disrespectful to the many generations of wolves that lived untouched by this sickening virus. Fayne gave a loud audible sigh and shook her head in discontent returning to the matter at hand. She couldn't let herself get carried away on this situation or she would never shut up. "I really don't know much about most of them, but I'm guessing that you, being a pure wolf, would most likely lean towards a pack that respects the traditional values of a wolf pack. Am I right?" She said, keen on hearing his answer. She was confident that she was right and she held her head proudly letting her pride get the best of her. Her bushy tail swayed behind her as she waited intently.

shandom's helping him join new dawn in another thread, so dont worry about that

Tharin watched Fayne move around with amusement, a silly grin on his face at her antics. She finally settled down with the tree blocking the wind, Tharin having watched the whole thing. Fayne listened to his words with intense interest before tossing her head back, apparently rather enthusiastic about his search. Well, she did have the scent of other canines on her. If he hadn't seen it for himself Tharin would never have realized that she was different. He wondered how they lived, as changed as they were. Fayne's playful words brought a grin to his face as she started explaining.

Hearing that the luperci lived like humans was strange to him. Tharin came from an area where humans hadn't really made their mark even while they were alive, vague stories of two leggers that could kill from a distance and lived with prey. The idea of wolves doing that, even sick ones, was a very strange picture. He couldn't even picture how the kills were made. The sigh seemed to be a very disappointed one, though Tharin didn't know why Fayne would be disappointed. She was a luperci, and he didn't know enough about humans to know why humans were bad. He had no idea what she meant by traditional either. I would like a pack that would take me in.

OOC: Oh okay, great.

Fayne was observant of Tharin's subtle facial expressions as she explained. He seemed to be confused about the whole thing, but that was okay to her. Maybe sitting here in this forest would lend them some time to talk about their pasts, presents, and futures with one another. This thought warmed the young wolf's heart, she nuzzled her face into the many layers of warm fluffy fur that surrounded her neck with content. She was just so incredibly happy at how things were turning out for her, these thoughts played in her head like a broken record and she didn't mind it one bit. She eyed Tharin with a warm, welcoming look on her face. Smiling with her eyes so to speak. She hoped he would take interest in New Dawn and eventually join then. It would be nice to have some other fresh meat on the inside so she didn't feel like such an outcast. It would be tough earning the trust of her pack mates, but she was up to the task and looked forward to it. Tharin responded with one simple sentence which brought a frown to her face. She'd hoped he'd show a little more interest in the words she'd spoken so she could explain, but all these decisions were up to him and him alone and she couldn't force him on the right path. She knew that they would accept him with open arms though, he was a perfect fit for them.

"I'm sure whatever pack you chose will accept you if you're kind and courteous. Maybe we'll even end up in the same pack." She said simply, with much exuberance. Obviously Tharin didn't need any more help deciding. Fayne was quick to change the subject though, her mind bursting with questions for him. Her eyes were full of curiosity for this new acquaintance and she couldn't hold her questions back forever. "So, where is it that you come from? I mean, you obviously haven't been in this area very long otherwise you'd be aware of the virus and other things."

She sure was a beautiful wolf, with thick silver fur. He was enjoying her company, at least as long as she didn't decide to change. Tharin was still trying to wrap his mind around what she'd told him. It was a big change in his world. The welcoming air that came off her was nice, everything very warm about her. She didn't seem to understand his struggle with finding a pack though. He was young, and he might not be accepted into a pack that was already filled with plenty of other wolves capable of hunting.

He smiled at Fayne's words, glad to hear that she thought he'd be able to join a pack so simply. Ending up in the same pack as her might be nice. He didn't know what pack she was in, and didn't particularly feel like asking, since he was pretty sure whatever pack she belonged to the wolves would be living on two legs. At least, that's how he imagined it. I come from the north. There's no signs of humans there, but there's plenty of prey. Or at least, there used to be.

The words that Tharin spoke took Fayne's breath away in a large gasp, her eyes were full of wonder. This wolf came from the same area she had come from, far up north. They were isolated from the virus and before this apocalyptic world they were rarely ever found by humans. There was a time when her family lived in a place comparable to heaven. Lush green landscapes and a thriving amount of prey. If not for the virus they would have remained up there, happy and untouched by the harsh realities of this cruel world. The she-wolf felt her heart drop when Tharin spoke his last sentence, a subtle sadness was visible in her eyes. Did he really mean that the land had been touched by this changing world? She would definitely have to look into this for herself in the future, she couldn't believe that the place she'd been told stories about as a pup may be nothing more than a fairy tale now. Her previously wagging tail was now laying limply on the floor, her eyes were still full of the exuberance from Tharin's words but hinted the sadness she tried to hide with a bright smile. "That's rather strange, I come from the north too. Very far north. The place my pack called home was beautiful. Untouched by time so to speak." She stopped herself. Her stories were unimportant, she wanted to hear more about him.

Fayne lifted herself from where she sat and walked over to Tharin with a sincere look on her face. She sat herself down no more than a foot away from him eager to hear his stories. He had come from the same place she had and now she wanted to know more and she was willing to listen. "Tharin, I'd like to hear your stories if you're willing to tell them. I'm curious about you." She nudged his muzzle gently hoping he would open up to her. If he wanted, she would exchange her stories with him as well. Though, at the moment Tharin had her complete attention.

She came from the north too? Tharin's tail wagged, unaware of the fact that his avoidance of speaking about the famine that had come had dampened her spirits. The land would recover, the land always recovered from such things, but his pack had simply been unable to wait it out this time. The north will always remain untouched, no matter how many strange things enter this world. He spoke with pride, glad that he could share this fierce joy of the northern lands, where prey ran in abundance and the pack was the only thing that truly mattered.

It was too bad he couldn't return there. Tharin wondered if he'd ever find another place to call his own, a place to be with others of his kind and share that joy with. Fayne moved to sit next to him, nuzzling his muzzle gently. His ears lifted, taking on a more dominant stance in the presence of the submissive female. Happily he returned the affection, licking at her ears. I'm afraid I don't have many stories. I wasn't much for paying attention to that kind of thing. The hunt always interested me more. His ears flattened a little with embarrassment. There had to be something he could tell her. I could tell you about the time a bear attacked the pack if you'd like.

The subtle sadness that encroached upon Fayne's excited demeanor retreated when Tharin reassured her that the North would remain the same. Another one of her bright smiles was unavoidable, completely consuming the previous sadness. Her tail twitched slightly with joy of his words. Tharin's voice was strong and proud, it was obvious he loved those lands just as much as she and her family had. She always wished she could go back there one day, just to see it one more time. But, this would have to be much later. She had a new family to worry about now. His sense of pride for that land was something the two wolves shared and Fayne was beginning to like him more with every word he spoke. "Well those are comforting words." She moved a tad bit closer to him, his warmth radiated towards her. It was nice. The handsome male licked her ears, she seemed to move into it. Having him here, she was about the most comfortable and open she'd been in a long while and she was enjoying every minute of it. Her blue eyes were drawn to him as he spoke, though it seemed he didn't have very many stories for her. She shrugged, not really minding all that much. His company was just as good.

When he mentioned hunting she suddenly became embarrassed just as he had and she diverted her attention to a leaf fluttering by carried by the breeze. Her head sinking and her ears swiveling backwards. She was a horrible hunter. This little tidbit of information was her fatal flaw. Not having a pack to hunt with had led her to become inexperienced at hunting and she was ashamed of that. She was a wolf and wolves were supposed to be good at hunting. Fayne turned to Tharin just in time to catch the same embarrassment on his face, she pretended to ignore it as he continued to speak comforted by their shared emotions. The dainty wolf's whole demeanor changed when he spoke of a story he could tell her, her tail thumped loudly on the ground behind her. Her ears doing a complete 360 back to their previous position pointed directly at Tharin. "Yes! I would love to hear it. If it isn't too much trouble that is." She hoped not, she wanted to know so much more about him. It seemed they were more alike than she previously thought. The fact that he wasn't a Luperci only helped towards this fact. She watched him intently waiting for him to speak once more.