Cerberus is going for a walk to stew over things as he usually does. Anyone is welcome to join or provide a distraction; probably two or three others at the most. He need someone to make him stop being so cranky
Luckily for Cerberus, the strange dreams had stopped. He no longer had visions of his brother still being alive, of their horse eating strange things, or of angels. In fact, he hardly dreamt at all anymore, and this worried Cerberus more than the dreams themselves did.
No matter how hard he tried, Ceri couldn’t shake the thought that perhaps there was something wrong with him. He couldn’t hang on to loved ones, he failed at flirting with girls anymore, and he’d come to find that he enjoyed causing a little trouble. Nothing made sense to the poor boy anymore. Nothing, that is, except for the fact that he was simply…existing.
So he went for a walk just as he always did when he was upset. Despite his leg being injured, walking was the one thing that seemed to ease his troubled being the most. He could be alone if he desired, he could observe nature, and he could even hunt for treasure. But even that had proved difficult – there wasn’t much room to put things in a den without shelves. So he resorted to thinking. Walking and thinking – it was all he felt he was good for.
Trudging through the woods, the melancholy coywolf mulled over the slew of thoughts swimming around in his head. Was there really a dark seed planted somewhere deep down inside him, waiting to break free? Was he really doomed to live life forever alone? Was he really such a terrible creature that he would never leave his rank of Pariah? All of these questions he decidedly answered with ‘no,’ but that didn’t make them sting any less. The truth was, he was more alone now than he’d ever been, AND he had no clue how to prove himself worthy of a promotion in his leader’s eyes. He was beginning to wonder if New Dawn was really where he was supposed to be, when something very odd happened.
Out of the trees something fell, landing with a soft thump a few paces in front of Cerberus. It was blue and oddly shaped, and the wiggling movement of it alone caused the coywolf to stop dead in his tracks. As the thing turned its little head, Ceri could see clearly that it was a Blue Jay. Cautious steps brought the canine to the fallen bird, and he lowered his head to sniff at it and turn it over. The little creature squealed from the movement, portraying to Ceri that its wing was badly broken. A genuinely sympathetic frown creased his handsome features, and he glanced this way and that before concentrating on shifting into his two-legged form. Arms and legs lengthened and nimble fingers at the ready, Cerberus carefully scooped the bird up in his hands and very gently flattened the wing against the Jay’s side. Then, after removing the rope from around his neck, Cerberus used a few strands of his necklace to fashion an odd sort of sling for the creature before setting it back down on the ground and tying the remainder of the rope around his pale wrist.
The Jay seemed very confused once released, as if contemplating whether or not it had the right to return home. But eventually it hobbled off, leaving Cerberus alone once again. The abandoned coywolf straightened up, sighed, and then forced his limbs and fingers to shorten once again until he stood on all fours on the quiet road.
This is where Zalen will take Ceri out of the Pariah rank.
Zalen
Zalen had tried doing what his mate had begun doing; climbing the trees and jumping from large bough to bough like a squirrel. But frankly, the large Alpha wolf was not as flexible or lithe as his life partner, so he had refrained from any acrobatics and instead lazed out on a thick limb of an elm tree.
He hadn’t fallen asleep, no, he couldn’t do that such a height, but instead had found himself starting to watch the higher world around him, one he did not see often. The golden dabbled sunlight illuminated a scene of mundane yet spectacular nature, and the dark wolf’s green eyes drank in every second of it. Butterflies flitted about, looking for mates to dance with; squirrels, though they saw him and chittered confusedly, did the same as the butterflies. Everything seemed to be twitter pated, even the dull-witted tree lizard that walked over Zalen’s wrist, bogging his head trying to attract a female that was not there. Zalen smiled and lay his regal head against outstretched arms; he loved Spring.
Then, a few paces off, the chaotic flutter the trees to his left. Zalen raised his head just in time to watch a blue feathered thing fall to the earth below, and when he peered through the thick leaves to see if it was dead, spotted Cerberus, the Pariah. Zalen perked his ears and watched with head cocked slightly to the side as the male, whom he had not seen in some time, help the bird rather than eat it, which is what Zalen most likely would have done. The alpha was amused and humbled by the lowest ranking member’s action, That was very kind of you Cerberus. He said from above.
Cerberus nearly jumped out of his skin when the hearty voice of his alpha tumbled from the trees just as the bird had. He looked up, merely to confirm that it was in fact Zalen, and then immediately crumbled into a bow of submission, as was habit. Fortunately, this act had become easier with practice, and he no longer curled his lip in silent discontent when he bowed. And truthfully, when the mottled coywolf really thought about it, he held no ill feelings for his pack members. They had taken him in, given him a second chance, and refrained from ridiculing him when they certainly had the chance. Instead it was more that he disliked the feeling of not being able to aid his pack to his utmost ability. So, in exchange for submitting despite his upset, he now submitted as if it were just as much habit as was breathing.
But what was it that Zalen had said? That he had in fact done a good thing? That he was pleased with him? No, no he was reading too much into it. He’d told him that he had been kind; nothing more. But this was enough to put a smile on the hybrid’s face. Shuffling his paws shyly beneath him, he chuckled and lowered his head even further. Thank you Zalen, he said, his voice extending to the ebony male despite being near the ground, I appreciate that.
Suddenly it dawned on him that Zalen was actually in a tree. A tree. Ceri’s eyes widened in wonderment and he glanced up at the lounging alpha in a moment of forgetfulness. But he immediately averted his gaze again, all the while puzzling over how he’d gotten up there. Zalen, sir, he said, his brows pinching together in question, may I ask, what are you doing up there?
Zalen watched as the surprised Cerberus genuflected exuberantly before him. He smiled at this; Zalen was not a one to look down upon his subordinates, thinking he better than they, but he genuinely appreciated when those lower than him in rank showed submission. He felt it was a showing of trust in him when they did that, and it gave him a sense of peace and comfort.
The Pariah thanked Zalen for his kind words and asked cautiously what he might be doing up in the tree. Zalen could not help but chuckle, Honestly, I have no idea. And with that he stretched out his long limbs and swung himself off the branch to land at Cerberus’ side. He smiled at the male and gave him a nuzzle, I never knew you had any healing abilities, He said, referring to what he had just witnessed a moment ago, Have you spoken with Deuce? Perhaps she’d be willing to train you further, if you are willing to learn. New Dawn was in need for more healers, Deuce being on in years was well versed in her craft, but she was only one wolf, and if they ever needed more than what she could lend, there would be trouble.
Zalen sat back on his haunches then, relaxed, and let his pink tongue loll out in a relaxed pant. He stay this way for a while, his ear flicking off some biting insect, before he turn to Cerberus again, How has the pack been treating you since your return? He was not sure how well Cerberus had been fitting in, nor did he know how others treated him behind Zalen’s back. He wanted to make sure of the male’s well-being. In his heart, Zalen knew that Cerberus no longer fit into the Pariah position, but his decision to move him onto an equal footing with the majority of the pack would depend on what the male had to say regarding this question.
Cerberus tottered backward as Zalen dropped out of the tree and landed beside him, and his bi-colored eyes widened once he realized that the man was in his two-legged form. In all the time he'd been in New Dawn, he thought that only the lupus form was permitted, and so he'd forced himself to stay down on all fours since he'd arrived, save for the night he played with Shadow. Granted, the times he spent outside of pack lands was usually used to walk along on two legs, but the brief moment in which he used his optime form to aid the injured bird was the only time he'd used that form on pack lands since the night with Shadow. Tilting his head to one side, Cerberus looked at the ebony alpha curiously, but kept his maw quiet.
However, as if he'd read his mind, Zalen then addressed his healing of the bird once more, causing Ceri to lift his head ever so slightly. He was able to relax when Zalen had nuzzled up beside him, but otherwise he remained hunched and withdrawn. Now replaying the event in his mind, Ceri realized that he'd never really considered his ability to help as a healing talent - he'd only ever done what needed to be done when he saw a creature in trouble. But perhaps, he now realized, this was indeed a talent he had yet to discover all along. An excited sort of smile crept upon his lips then and his ears flickered as they fought the urge to stand. I never really considered it healing, helping others, he said. But I'd love to learn from lady Deuce. I've heard she's quite the medic.
Such a prospect was incredibly exciting to the young wolf. Sure, he'd helped his father out on the farm a lot and even his mother on occasion. But now he had the chance to prove to his pack that he was just as skilled as he'd tried to portray when he very first approached New Dawn borders. Now, he perhaps had a purpose.
Zalen's words permeated his thoughts once more and Cerberus lifted only one ear in order to register his question. The afternoon he and a few other pack mates spent pulling apart a car came to mind, and his ear immediately flattened again. My brothers and sisters have been very kind, to my pleasant surprise he said. Then a shy grin curled his lips and he chuckled. I'm afraid I may have upset sir Augustus, though. I know little of pack rules, as I have never been in one before. So I unknowingly stood above the Epsilon, and he was quick to show me my place. I haven't made the same mistake twice.
Zalen noted the surprised look on the scarred man’s face. It seemed his two-legged form was odd to some, he wondered why. Perhaps there were still lingering perceptions among the newer members that the bipedal body was not something to be used in the pack lands. That was silly, though Zalen did make it a habit to try and animalize it as much as possible. Besides, walking on all fours in this form was more comfortable in some ways then walking on two, and he had become very adept at it.
After he spoke, he watched as the Pariah brightened at his compliment and stated he would very much like to study under Deuce, Well then, that’s good! I will talk to her on it. He smiled and thumped his tail against the ground. Why exactly had Titania put this male in the Pariah position again? Oh yes, Blind, some something to do with how he had been cuddling Insomnia. But Zalen had recently found that Insomnia seemed to be the pack flirt, something that she luckily had not shown in front of Zalen, for he surely would have put it down harshly just as his mate had done. At the same time though, Insomnia was using her flirtatious attitude to relieve tensions, at least amongst the males, and that was what her rank as Omega called for.
Cerberus spoke then about how the others had been treating him well, and how Augustus had disciplined him when it came to dominance and submission and Zalen nodded, Good that you learned from what he had to say. Respect is very important to keep the pack strong. Zalen stood then, onto his hands and feet and shook his pelt free of grass and leaves, Shall we walk? He asked, and then began walking off; he was sure the male would follow.
It was a beautiful day and Zalen was silent for a while as he walked through the sunlit grasses, but then he spoke very matter-of-factually, There is no reason you should hold the rank you have. Consider yourself now to be on the same footing with your pack-mates as a Subordinate.
Things were happening so fast, Cerberus could feel his head spinning. It wasn’t bad, of course, for they were all very good things. From possibly landing an apprenticeship with the mate of Blind’s adoptive mother, to being invited to walk alongside the alpha, to most recently being promoted to Subordinate, the day was shaping out to be perfect.
However, the promotion had come to the coywolf as quite a shock. It was so much of a shock, in fact, that he stopped in his tracks almost as soon as he had started walking with Zalen. M-me? he stammered. A subordinate? But sir, I… Immediately Cerberus stopped himself. The last thing he wanted to do was seem ungrateful, and even risk losing the position and remain a Pariah. So he took a deep breath, straightened up a bit, and started again: What I mean to say is, I am incredibly grateful and wholeheartedly accept the promotion. But…well, what have I done to deserve such an honor?
He absolutely wasn’t questioning Zalen’s decision - ever since he’d been placed in the lowest rank all he’d wanted to do was climb, and he had tried to be on his best behavior. But even Titania had had to rouse him from his lazy slumbers beneath the tree, an activity that he had become quite good at. Other than that, he felt as if he hadn’t helped to accomplish much and was often off exploring, though he did try to stay as close to pack lands as possible. Surely Zalen knew this?
Zalen, he tried again, I will gladly serve and honor this pack with all my heart and soul. But I want to deserve the promotion, too. You’re sure I deserve it?
