OOC: It's whatevers, I have no plot ideas at the moment. >.<
An overwhelming happiness had taken Fayne's body and heart captive ever since she'd been accepted into New Dawn. To her it felt as though she was a puppy again, seeing life in a whole new light. New faces littered this new canvas as well as new scents and places. Though, she hadn't been particularly keen on getting to know everyone. Instead she'd been entertaining a new energy that had replaced all the loneliness and sadness that engulfed her on her journeys. An energy so entirely overwhelming that she found herself exerting large amounts of energy each day doing normal wolfish things like hunting and running. Today, she had stumbled upon Sunrise Meadow, it was a glorious place. Flowers bloomed all around and tall grass created a hiding place for the abundant amount of small game that inhabited this exceptional place. Fayne took it as a challenge to hunt down these rodents to waste her pent up energy for today. The silvery she-wolf held her body low in the grass, her ears held abruptly forward twitching at any subtle sound she heard. Her nose wriggled as she picked up the scent of a close vermin. A rabbit, gnawing on the fresh grass close by. She tip toed through the brush with deadly silence coming up on the rabbit in a short time. A small smirk crossed her face just before she pounced.
Off she went and so did the rabbit, Fayne leapt after it both of them darting through the tall grass. Her eyes were keenly following the movements of the rabbits, it was seemingly impossible to keep track of it with sight alone due to the brush. Fayne's heart raced as she rushed after the prey, running so fast she could barely keep balance. All four of her feet leaving the ground with each angelic stride. Her heart audibly pounding in her ears, pumping doses of blood into the crevices of her body. She felt alive right now, nothing could come between her and this unremarkable happiness. She was keeping track of the rabbit well but her endurance was running low. She became clumsier and clumsier with each stride eventually slowing down and letting the rabbit get away. Before she could stop she tripped over her own feet and somersaulted, tumbling over the small rocks that littered the landscape. She clenched her eyes shut as she tumbled as to not get any debris in them, how clumsy she was. The silver wolf came to a sudden stop falling forward onto her neck, all four legs behind her in an awkward manner. Her rump raised in the air, her busy silver tail hanging limply between her legs. A brisk chuckle escaped her muzzle, she could be so clumsy sometimes which is what made her such a bad hunter. That, and her lack of experience.
The dainty wolf topped over on her side and rolled over on her back, taking deep heaving breaths to slow her beating heart. The impact creating a poof of soft dirt. She let her eyes wonder to the bright blue sky overhead. The sounds of the terrain lulled her into a sleepy trance. Birds chirped around her and the soft breeze blew the grass creating a soothing melody of nature's noises. Calmed from the chase, she let her mind drift off thinking of her new family. She would create a life here, hopefully she would be able to make herself a family as well. She hoped so, she wanted the chance to be a mother. To raise pups in this wonderful land. With these calming thoughts she eventually fell into slumber. Though her previous thoughts had been pleasant, her dreams weren't. The horrible thoughts of her past haunted her. A deep aching sensation took over her as she thought about the family she had been forced to leave behind and the family she had lost to the Luperci. The young wolf tossed and turned in the meadow as she was engulfed by these nightmares. Whimpers and barks escaped her lips and her whole body writhed as he physically tried to escape them. Eventually she awoke to the night sky, stars shone brightly above her. Her breath was heavy, her whole body burned with the heat of her dreams. The moment she realized those thoughts were nothing but nightmares she shook them off and calmed herself. "Damn...how could I let myself fall asleep? What horrible nightmares." She rolled to her feet and looked around, the sounds of crickets filled her ears as wells frogs croaking. She was in no hurry to get back so she strode through the meadow. The moonlight reflected on her fur, it seemed to flow like mercury as the night breeze blew on her. She took a seat dead center in the meadow and simply took in her surroundings, shutting down all her thoughts.
He was doing it again, that strange thing that he did. He trotted along on all fours in his two legged form, but this time it was different, smooth, natural. Before his gait here had been slightly awkward and leggy, but now he looked like it was meant to move this way; elongated knuckles and finger pads moving across the ground as if they were feet instead of hands, back legs striding smoothly despite the lengthened thigh and bulging knee cap. The sun was setting, and the dark Alpha moved like a shadow across the grasses, sending up plums of winged creatures as he disturbed them in the grasses. He had been scouting the borders this day and was returning home just at the cusp of night.
He path was to bring him near the border of the Sunrise Meadow, and it was a shame he had not been there during the day, for it seemed the wild flowers were finally in bloom, but all their colors were hidden now as they shut up their petals against the encroaching dark. Still, Zalen slowed his gait, enjoying the scents that the flora let out into the air. He would have continued briskly on his way however, had it not been for movement suddenly in the midst of the flowers; a silvery figure rose from a lying position, and the ebony male stopped cold, olive eyes focusing on the female wolf a mere fifty yards before him.
He did not recognize the creature, but it seemed as if she had been sleeping there, and he could not detect any malicious scents mingling in with those of the wild grasses, still he had to make sure that this she-wolf was no threat, and hopefully just passing through.
He trotted towards her then, black nose wriggling as he neared, tasting the air for her scents. The closer he got, the more familiar it became, and he could smell Titania as well as a myriad of others upon her. It seemed then that she was a newcomer to New Dawn, one that he had not yet been informed about, and his gait slowed to a more relaxed pace. However, he did stride right up to her, his form enveloping her with its massive size, and he brought his snout down upon the ruff of her pelt for a good sniff.
Fayne had lulled herself into a meditative state. Her mind was completely blank, she only heard the many sounds of the night. Leaves rustling as the wind whispered through them, making it's own very unique sound. All the creatures of the land were audible, the subtle sound of a rabbit digging a den nearby, the marmosets chattering with one another in the trees all around her, busy warning each other of her presence. Not only could she hear here surroundings, she could smell them even better. Her nose was overwhelmed with the scents of the meadow. The many plants and animals that called this place home all made their own aromas, each unique to itself. She'd been traveling for so long, she'd forgotten that this world wasn't always so cruel. It could be soothing and wondrous. She hadn't given herself a chance to relax since she'd been accepted into her new family, now was the first time in days she'd let herself take a breather. It was so nice, she was so glad she was here at this moment. So glad she had a family to go back to and that nobody could hurt her now. A long sigh escaped her lips, her whole body relaxed. In all of this she hadn't noticed the Alpha male coming towards her and was rather surprised when she heard a loud sniff as he took in her scent.
"Oh!" He had startled her, her entire back stiffened in alert her tail bushed itself out unintentionally. Without thinking she spun around to meet bright green eyes with her own blue-green ones. He was in Optime form and hovered over her, she was quite small in her Lupus form compared to his six foot seven frame. Upon eye contact she immediately diverted her attention elsewhere, it was rude to look straight in the eye of the Alpha. Without thought she sunk low to the ground, her ears flattened themselves against her head and her tail curled itself up against her body. This was the proper submissive stance to be taken in the presence of an Alpha. A quiet whimper freed itself from her jaws as well as a sort of apology for her lack of attention at first glance. He had never met the Alpha male face to face before and it was quite nerve racking to her. She had met his mate, Titania, who had been there to accept her among their ranks. She probably should have introduced herself to him sooner, but she let other things get the best of her. She thought it kind of embarrassing that she didn't even know the male Alpha's name, what a bad start. She should have taken the initiative to speak to her family ahead of time, though she felt overwhelmed by this whole situation. Happiness was her primary emotion but she couldn't help but feel saddened by the fact that her real family was elsewhere. Dead for all she knew and she worried about them every day, at all hours of the day. It was rather stressful thinking about them when she was trying to survive, but now it was just a thought that seemed to float in the back of her mind daring to dampen her mood.
"Hi, I don't think we've met before. I'm Fayne, I was accepted into New Dawn just a few days ago." Her voice was soft and kind, just like it always was. Though, she was shy and it was clearly audible. She gave a weak smile feeling quite intimidated by his presence. He stood tall just as an Alpha should, though larger because he was in his Optime form. He was hunched over on all fours like one would be in Lupus form, but he was still huge. Fayne just kept her stance as is until he chose to speak to her, her eyes stayed at his feet.
He startled her, but that was to be expected, and she melting into a silvery gray puddle under his wandering nose. She smelled wonderful, all new and feminine. He was glad that another female had entered into the fold, the majority of the ones here already were already mated; they desperately needed some more females for the other males here. But Zalen would not speak of these needs to this young girl, who despite her fright was cordial and shy as she introduced herself. He gave her a warm smile and removed his hulking form from above hers to lay down in the grass on his stomach, arms before him, folding as paws normally would be.
He was quiet for a moment, his eyes diverted b the movement of a nearby rabbit, his ears flicking away at the buzzing of a mosquito; it was serene out here, but not quiet in the least bit, the music of the night playing its simple, sweet melody. He then turned to her, and said softly in his tenor voice, slightly raw from not having spoken for a while, I’m Zalen, I’m glad to finally meet you. He then relaxed full, and laid his head down against the crook of one arm, leading to the side and gazing up at her from one eye, Nice place you chose to take a nap. He chuckled lightly, Hope you were having good dreams?
A sense of relief washed over the dainty silver wolf as the Alpha removed his giant nose from it's place above her. She relaxed a slight bit, still staying in the low submissive position that was expected of subordinates in a pack such as this one. Following her introduction he threw a warm smile in her direction which she glanced up to catch, it was much appreciated as it meant to her that she was welcome. A brighter smile, wider smile crept onto her face as she sat there beneath him. The enormous black wolf didn't respond to her words immediately, instead delivering his attention to a small vermin nearby. Fayne's own eyes instinctively followed the bustling noises of the rabbit as well, her nose wriggling in front of her as she took in it's sent. She narrowed her eyes and glared in the direction of the rabbit, could that son of a bitch be the rabbit that had escaped her earlier? How dare it come back to this spot, does it want to die and become a meal for a wolf? She huffed in discontent for the rabbit's actions, not even knowing for sure if it was the same one. Her attention was diverted back to the Alpha when he spoke, his voice was kind and welcoming, though slightly high in pitch. Fayne nodded to him when he finally returned her introduction. It seemed his name was Zalen, it sounded quite familiar. She's probably picked it up from on of the many conversations she'd over heard when she lay in the den surrounded by family.
The black mass rested himself on the floor of the meadow, laying down on his front side laying his head on one of his muscular appendages. She watched him as he made this awkward shift, one of his large green eyes caught hers and she immediately looked away. He seemed to be relaxed, but she didn't follow his example staying in the same submissive position. It was only proper that she did so unless he directed her otherwise. He spoke to her again, his voice was strong and soothing. The bright smile from before held it's ground on her face, she was happy to have finally met the Alpha male of her pack. He was kind, which was a very good thing. The black wolf gave a brisk laugh, and she nodded giving a small laugh of her own. It really was a great place to sleep, it was so soothing she hadn't even meant to fall asleep here. But, she had exhausted all her energy in one chase. Her smile faded as he finished his question. She shook her head solemnly in response. Her dreams had not at all been pleasant, the complete opposite really. She responded, staring off into the meadow, her mind seemed to be elsewhere when she spoke giving a small half-ass laugh before she did so. "You would expect one to have pleasant dreams when dozing off in a place like this right?" She forced a fake smile onto her face. "But no, they weren't good dreams. Nightmares really. But, just nightmares." She turned to throw another smile at Zalen.
Her dreams were of her family and how she had lost a lot of them to power hungry Luperci. They weren't really just nightmares, they were memories, replaying in her mind maliciously ravaging her emotions while she slept. She was glad the Luperci that lived here, were generally kind. The ones she'd met so far had been at least. She still was way too frightened to venture too far from forest, she knew that many Luperci had taken human lifestyles and this scared her. She turned to Zalen and gave a small smile, then stared off into the sky. The stars shone brightly above them now as the sun had set before she woke up. Stars were comfort to her. It was told that when a wolf died they became a star, at least in her family. It comforted her thinking that all those she'd lost were above her right now looking down and watching her. But then again, maybe they were sad. She'd found a new family and left her real family behind, could they be spiteful of her? She shook her head attempting to rid herself of the unwelcoming thoughts, then looked to the trees instead. What was in the past, what unchangeable. There was no use worrying about something you have no control over.
Zalen listened as the shy, yet happy girl suddenly changed to a sad one. He listened as she spoke, saying that it was not goo dreams she had been having, but instead nightmares. Zalen grimaced a little, but then flicked his ear as if her worries were nothing more than the mosquitoes that were now plaguing him, Don’t fret, nightmares can tell us a lot about ourselves, about our fears and weaknesses. Learn from them, become stronger because of them. He raised his head from his arm then and shook it out, I used to have nightmares all the time… he trailed off, his olive eye glinting eerily in the starlight, I was so frightened because of them, but soon, I accepted them for what they were, a chance to learn from my fears. Now, I hardly ever have them anymore. He turned to her again and wagged his tail.
Then, shifting again, Zalen sat up, and crossed his legs in front of him. He picked at the grass, becoming enveloped once more by the atmosphere of this place; it was nearly as ethereal as Avalon, but this place felt more real than the plateau in the mountains. He plucked a white flower from beside him; he had watched as it had opened from a five pointed star into a trumpet before his eyes. It had bloomed just as the moon had risen, and he noticed there were several others of its kind that had just unfurled. It smelled of citrus.
Zalen reached over and placed the stem of the bloom into the soft fur behind Fayne’s ear; he hoped he was not being so forward, but he wanted to ease her nervousness; he knew that prickling sensation that one gets right after a nightmare. Sometimes it was good to wake up and have someone near, even if that someone was a stranger.
Fayne kept her blue-green orbs focused on the trees that surrounded this wonderfully peaceful meadow. She could only see the first layer of trees, aside from the twinkle of something reflecting the moonlight every now and then, beyond the first layer all that was visible was darkness. Though, under the moonlight in the meadow where the two New Dawn members sat it was quite bright. She could see the whole expanse of land clearly, the light from the moon created a sense of daylight in a wide open places like this one. As Zalen started to speak, Fayne leaned into his voice, the ear closest to the Alpha swiveled in his direction as to listen up. The small movement of her head created a rather bright reflection of the moonlight, her fur sparkled under the moon. As the male Alpha spoke, that tinge of sadness that shone on her face slowly dissipated with each word. All that he said was true. If one could peer into Fayne's dreams as she slept, they would know things about her that most would never hear of. She rarely opened up to someone as to share the phantoms of her past. The silver wolf nodded at the finish of each sentence, when he paused she glanced at him as he wiggled his arm. With his next sentence she turned her head slightly and eyed his human-like arms with her peripherals interested on what he was saying. Her dark bushy tail twitched with intent for what he would say next.
Fayne's eyes brightened as he finished and she rolled her head back to look up at the stars once more thinking deeply about what the Alpha had just shared with her. Though she wished she could go back and be stronger, she couldn't. The only thing she could do now was learn and prosper from her new family and hope that the next time it came down to protecting the ones she loved, that she would be able to. As for the Luperci, she was learning to accept them, she was learning to accept herself. Not all of them were monsters. The power that came with the virus was unimportant to most, including her and she needed to realize this fact. Though a lot of them were learning to live like humans, they were still wolves and always would be. In reality, they were no different than their ancestors, other than appearance. Fayne glanced at Zalen, he was Luperci and he thrived just as wolves always had. In this closely knit pack respecting the traditions and rules that wolves have always lived by. A smile made it's way onto her face once more, Zalen's words had lifted her spirits a considerable amount. She had a new life now and need not worry about the nightmares that plagued her for they were only memories. They could not hurt her now. The black male shifted next to her taking an Indian-style position, once again he towered over the petite female. Her stance still low to the ground, her ears were a bit more relaxed than before but still pushed backwards and her tail still tucked close to her body.
"Thank you Zalen. You're words are true. Nightmares are nearly reminders to better ourselves. Hopefully being a part of this family I can do just that." She turned to look at him just as he plucked the flower from the earth. Like magic it opened in his hands. Other flowers of the same kind opened up all around them releasing a pleasant aroma that smelled of citrus fruits. Her eyes darted from one blooming flower to the next, observing the chain reaction that was taking place. She closed her eyes and took a large whiff of the beautiful smell, it filled her sensitive nasal cavities. She could almost taste the delightful smell. A moment later she felt the touch of the male wolf as he placed the flower behind her ear. She stayed still as he did so. His touch was comforting and welcome. He had previously been incredibly intimidating to her, but her sense of nervousness subsided as they had conversed. He was a gentle heathen and Fayne enjoyed the company, but respected him all the while knowing that he was the leader. She smiled widely at him. "I'm very glad to be a part of this family. This world we live in has been changing so rapidly and it's nice to see that some things remain the same. New Dawn's traditions are comforting and familiar and I'm happy to be here. Grateful really."
She spoke so softly after he had placed the moon-flower that he hardly heard her words,but he could tell from her body language alone what she had said. He smiled again, his large black tail thumping against the soft grassy ground behind him, And we are more than happy to have you as a part of us. And this was more true then he could say, for her youth and feminity were something that would make New Dawn strong in the future.
Zalen's green eyes were drawn up to the heavens once more as he dwelled on what she had just said; about the changing world. That had been why New Dawn had been created, to escape the changes happening elsewhere, the ones that were frightening and bizarre. But even New Dawn could not fully escape these changes; there were Luperci here, even he had the virus within him, but there was just no getting away from it. At least the ones here lived their lives as naturally as possible; but Zalen was no fool, he knew some members had human vices; weapons, drugs, livestock; but what could he do? He loved them all dearly, and could not make himself drive them away for these things.
With a sigh he turned back to Fayne, Do you plan on sleeping here tonight? I will stay with you if you'd wish. Otherwise, the den beckons us. The thought of sleeping out in the open was no his favorite, but he would do it for her protection and comfort, if she asked it of him.
Zalen's response couldn't have made her happier. When she joined she felt happy, but had lingering feelings of misplacement, like she didn't belong somehow. But, seeing as the Alpha had just told her personally that they were happy to have her those feelings quickly subsided. It was evident that Zalen's words were true by the tone of his voice, that and his large black tail was wagging behind him. Seeing that made her own silvery tail thud on the ground they sat on. Happy whimpers escaped her lips, the content feelings brought a physical warmth to her chest. To think that after all she'd been through she'd finally found somewhere safe and warm to live. Here she had a future. In it she saw a life mate and many pups. She'd always wanted to have children of her own and now she would be able to. If she'd stayed a rogue, caring for her brothers and sisters, there would be no such future for her. Her life would most likely end in a blood bath. Wolves that chose to live outside of a pack generally didn't survive threatened by rogues, other pack wolves, and dangerous large animals. But, she was safe now and she only hoped her brothers and sisters were as well.
She looked over at her kind Alpha, her eyes were glowing with enthusiasm for what lay ahead of her. Then her own eyes shifted to the stars once again, a large smile on her face. If her family was up there watching her, then she would do her best to make them proud. Her thoughts were broken by the male's voice and she immediately jerked her head to look at him. Without replying she stood herself up and stretched her front legs. Her blackish rump and tail in the air and her head rolled backwards awkwardly. A soft unintentional groan forced itself out of her jaws as she finished up the stretch. The silver wolf stood up and looked over at the male. The determination for her future was still written all over her face. Her posture was relaxed and submissive. Her ears were still back, her tail hung loosely between her legs. "No, I think I've had enough of being alone. Let's go back and join our family in the den." The thought of being surrounded by other wolves that cared for each other was a welcoming thought and she was looking forward to it.
