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Oh, shit, he really needed to do something about his apathy. He really needed to... well, get out there, and be present in his pack. Trent still felt like he was completely new here, and he'd been here for so long; he didn't really remember when it had been, but it had been somewhere during the winter... And now, it was only a couple of months until another winter would visit them. And he didn't really know that many people. Most faces he'd seen only once. Terra and Alder were the only two that could potentially be viewed as friends.
Oh, right, and he'd ditched his pony-thing with Alder the last time they'd really seen each other. Way to go, Trent.
Deciding that he needed to make up for his past misdeeds, Trent walked in his optime form towards the stables today. He could make up to Alder, and the best way to do so, he reckoned, was to actually give some attention to the pony, not-so-lovingly dubbed "Pony". Trent wasn't really sure if he wanted Alder to show up in the flesh, though, or if he'd prefer Alder later heard or noticed that he'd visited Pony. Oh, but didn't he speak horse-speak, anyway? Great, then Pony could tell Alder all about Trent's awesome spending time with Pony.
Reaching the stables, it didn't take Trent long to spot his undersized... thing, among the taller, sturdier, and much more charismatic horses. It took it even less long to spot him; Pony instantly lifted its head and let out a soft whinny as it lifted its head over the stable door. Wait, had it been a guy or a girl? Trent forgot.
It was probably a good thing to try and figure out if it was a guy or a girl, because he couldn't go around calling it "it" all the time. Especially not if Pony was going to give Alder a report of how well Trent was doing with Pony. Trent tugged at the door, but it didn't budge. Hmm. Probably a pony-proof lock, which, Trent had figured out over time, often meant it was a Trent-proof lock, too. He studied the system, which was quite simple, but not for him. He still wasn't entirely used to using his thumbs and all...
Eventually, Trent got the door to budge, and he smiled, pleased with himself. The smile was quickly wiped off his face as he toppled onto the ground though, with a door in his stomach. "Aagh!" he squeaked, 'cause it hurt to get knocked to the ground by a door, and the back of his head thudded against the ground.
Deja vu.
Once more, the first thing he saw when looking up was a pony face. "Gerroff me, stupid thing," he shouted, and pushed the nose away. Trent quickly scrambled to his feet so that he at least had the advantage of size over the darn pony. Now, let's see if you're a lady or a lad... Probably a pig, judging by your behaviour, Trent mumbled to himself, and in the stable halls -- he didn't even bother putting Pony back in the stable, because, let's face it, it would just get right back out -- he crouched to his knees on the ground, pushing his head to the ground so that he could see...
Ah! No weener, so definitely a girl-pony then. She. He mentally noted this, and was also quite grateful that Pony was standing still for a change. Now, he just needed to figure out what he could do with her... Maybe take her for a walk, or something? Still crouched down on the ground, Trent started to get up, desperately hoping no one had been watching him all along.
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[html] ohhh angst-Alder XD
There was something about Fall that caused the Marshal to smile. He did not know what it was fully, if it was the easing of the Summer sun, or the slow fading of green or if it was the presence of a very important training tool. Fall was the time of fruits, and the horses were quite apt to respond to the tasty treat. Alder had taken ‘Thorn to the north, to visit his mother’s hideaway in Berwick and collect the ripened apples that grew there. Buckets, and barrels and bags. He had collected and asked Hawthorn to carry all that he could strap to the shire’s back. Alder found that he even enjoyed a kind himself, a red and green striped hard apple that has sweet tasting flesh. The horses liked whatever kind he could give them.
They would not last long, and so he gave them as rewards and positive reinforcement. Perhaps not the keenest way in training a horse, but Alder enjoyed giving the horses something that they might not find among the pastures.
He walked down the row of stabled creatures, one of the bright red hued fruits in hand. A noise came to him, one that was distinctly canine rather then the whinny of a horse. The Marshal did not rush to seek out the maker, but strode casually once he had the chance to see which Courtier was visiting the stables. Finding that it was Trent caused his gaze to widen and him to pause slightly. He had only seen Trent at the last pack meeting, and they had not even exchanged a glance let alone words. The Marshal had been taking care of the pony since she had arrived, and seeing that the coyote was looking to spend time with her made him oddly sour.
It was not like the wolf to be angered, but he pushed it away and forced himself only to be slightly tense rather then hurt or mad. He had only been kind to Trent, and yet the male had been so aloof and kept such a great distance. Alder clicked his tongue at the pony, calling to her as he did when she was unleashed in the pasture. He held out the round apple for her to receive, and hardly gave the coyote a glance. She must have missed you. He gave, his tone forced and masking Alder’s odd feelings. Though annoyed, he wanted to sound cool and unaffected more then anything else.
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I love how Trent only really spends time with his pony to try and make up to Alder, and Alder is feeling upset that Trent isn't spending time with him but is coming to see the pony, haha. <3
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Alder's appearance instantly caught Pony's attention, who happily made her way over to apple-guy. Trent thought it was only because he had an apple at first, feeling a little envious (he wasn't really sure which of the two he was actually jealous of, though, Pony or Alder). But then he realised that Alder must've taken care of Pony all this time, and it made sense that after being stuck like glue to Trent at first, she was now beginning to see that her great hero never really showed up and that Alder was actually there for her all the time. Trent had really hated it when the pony had followed him around the first time they'd met, but now he hated it that the pony preferred to be with Alder over him, no longer worshipping the ground he walked on.
It was evident to Trent that Alder wasn't his bright, calm and somewhat soft self, but Trent didn't blame him. He must seem like a total stranger now, after all this time. Trent scrambled to his feet fully, lifting himself upright, and wiped some of his long ginger hairs from his face. "Looks like she missed you more." Probably because you've only been away for a little while, thought Trent, and he couldn't help but add a little jealously, Or just because you're cheating with food.
Trent felt rather awkward himself, but unlike Alder, who felt much like a closed book -- formal and polite, but not, well, not Alder -- Trent showed it pretty clearly that he was not sure at all how to act around Alder. He wanted to apologise for not coming around to see Alder for so long, like he'd intended to, but since Alder had stolen the attention of his pony, he was feeling a little headstrong about that and decided against it. "How have you been?" he asked as casually as he could manage. Pony was still looking to get Alder's apple and, once she'd get it, she would doubtlessly beg to get more in whatever way she could. [/html]
[html] lol! yeah Alder doesnt even get why he's moody. XD
Pony came to him when he called, and it brought a smile to the Marshal. He spoke a word of low-speech, in a whisper, to greet her and gave the apple as she desired. Alder supposed that the only reason that she even recognized him was because of the day-to-day care he gave, nothing like a special attachment. What he had witnessed the day the pony had come to them was an intense bond between she and Trent, and now that she came to him instead and maybe even favored Alder fueled the negative attitude that he held. But would Trent even care?
His words seemed fairly neutral, and Alder only shrugged his shoulder at them. If Trent came to care for her the roles would be reversed, but he did not want to say any words in spite, and tried to remain calm and non-aggressive.
Doing fine. Trying to deal with the change in leadership, care for the horses. Much of the same. He replied, looking up at him from the pony that was now sniffing his empty hand. What Silvano had said about the parts of the pack that needed his efforts had struck a cord with the Marshal. He wished to start with the stables… and yet he hadn’t even spoken a word to Alder about his mission. Saying that in the open Court he might as well have called Alder out and listed his deficiencies.
You? He asked out of politeness. Alder couldn’t even pin point the reason for his coldness. All he knew was that he had tried so dearly for Trent to find him as a friend and despite his efforts he did not wish for them to be close.
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Trent himself was trying to deal with the change of leadership, too. He didn't really know this Silvano guy, really, so he supposed that it didn't impact him much. Well, unless the new guy turned out to be a horrible saddist anyway. Trent doubted it, though, since Vigilante (whom he'd never met in person as of yet) was still there, too. "I was thinking of visiting Strelein," said Trent, and he looked at Alder to see if he was close to the man at all. "I mean, 'cause it sounded like he could use, err... Well, something." He was going to say 'a friend', but Alder's cool attitude hadn't gone unnoticed to Trent. He hadn't exactly been a friend to Alder... So to say he'd go over to someone else that he didn't even really know much at all to be a good friend might've been hurtful.
Trent scratched the back of his head as Alder returned the question, not really sure what to answer. Trent hadn't been very happy at all over the summer, slouching into apathy and avoiding most wolves -- not just Alder -- but etiquette appealed him to not tell Alder all about that, didn't it? He honestly was at a loss for words, but neither did he just want to say 'fine, really' and let an awkward silence settle between them. Alder deserved at least a little bit more honest than his usual awkward lies.
"Stuck to myself mostly, I guess." Not really by choice -- well, it wasn't like anyone had forced him or anything, but... Trent really wished it had gone differently, now -- and Trent hoped that it would make Alder feel a little better about Trent not seeing his pony for so long. He had to be angry, taking care of the bloody animal all the time and getting nothing in return; at least, nothing but a pony. Not any friendship or gratefulness from Trent. But hey, at least he was still here, right? Trent wiped some hairs out of his face again and looked at the ground. The pony still stood by Alder's side, hoping for more apples. "Err, if I do visit Strelein, it's normal to bring something like a gift, isn't it? Do you think he'd like the company?" It was a little shameful that his own social inaptness was all Trent could talk about. He just didn't want Strelein, fallen or not as a leader and thus not quite so influential anymore, to think he was a complete idiot. Trent hadn't done a lot of visiting to people in his old, wolfier life. He liked the novelty of his optime form a lot, and had grown into it better over time, but he still lacked in mannerisms a lot.
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Alder looked down at Pony, and touched the top of her head affectionately. She was a good little mare, and did not cause him any trouble at the least. It was only when Trent was around that she became energetic and a bit unruly, but nothing that the tall Marshal couldn’t manage. She nuzzled into his hand again, and even became a bit pushy. Alder removed his paw from her all together; unconsciously teaching that attempting to over power would not gain her more petting.
The masked male hadn’t even given that idea a thought, and for him his focus had been on the new leader rather then the old one. Perhaps he had been too distracted, or easily moved to bypass one that had been brought down to the level of a Serf. But Trent’s insight was eye opening and Alder nodded. That was nice of him, venturing on the verge of compassionate. A trait that he had not truly seen in Trent until now, all Alder had witnessed was awkwardness and fear. He should appreciate that. Alder returned, his words coming more softly then before. Strelein should appreciate the attention he got, for at his level there was likely to be little shared with him. Yet the Captain did not know if that was really fair or not.
He explained what he had been doing, and that was residing within himself. Nothing told Alder that Trent had been working on a co-rank, or a project in general that would keep them separated for all these months. But it was no real surprise that Trent was off being by himself most of the time. Though compassion was a new to be see from him, aloofness was not and Alder only nodded. In the moment that he took to find the words to respond Trent returned to the subject of their new Serf, and with the questions his thoughts were diverted away from their previous focus.
I don't think he deserves gifts, he did not fulfill his responsibility to the pack. Alder returned, even giving him a look of surprise. Why would Trent bring a gift to a wolf that had failed them? Then in the next turn his features softened, But I imagine he is lonely. They all got lonesome at one point or another. Alder then moved to grasp the pony’s halter and with it in his hand extended to the coyote he added, She could use a run in the pasture. looking to him to join in on the chore.
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Trent wasn't even really sure why he had such a desire to visit Strelein. Alder of all people, Trent imagined, would've been the first to think of visiting the fallen leader, because Trent saw him as someone who was kind and compassionate and would feel sorry for him. But Alder's answer didn't really let that much shine through, only mentioning that Strelein would probably appreciate the company.
The idea of giving a gift, though, Alder didn't seem to approve of very much. Trent didn't understand why. He thought it was the thought of bringing something that mattered, as a sort of thank-you for them letting you into a tiny fragment of their lives. Apparently he was wrong, though, and gifts should only be given as a thank-you for doing... well, something. Trent wasn't sure how exactly their leader had failed them, especially because he had no idea if anyone, like the Alpha he didn't know, or Alder, or anyone else had reached out to Strelein. Trent sure hadn't, and maybe that was why he wanted to visit the Serf now, out of belated care and guilt for not showing it on time, being the friend he might've needed before falling into his flawed behaviour. He would never know if he could've stopped it from happening, though, now. And maybe it was one of the things that got Trent back up, that made him care a little. He hadn't really been spending time doing anything to benefit the pack -- but then, he was dangling at the bottom of the ranks for a reason -- but now he felt like he could refind some sort of purpose, by offering Strelein a friend.
Or maybe seeking the company of someone weaker and even less contributive than himself would make Trent feel a little less guilty for all of his own mooching away in Cour des Miracles. He'd feel better because at least he was better than Strelein, and he'd feel better because he contributed by trying to help the fallen leader back up on his feet. Strelein had once been a leader... That meant he was not a total waste of space, at one time. And that meant that he could get there again, surely.
"She...?" Trent thought aloud, blinking stupidly as Alder mentioned a 'she' that wasn't currently anywhere to be found in Trent's train of thought. Then he looked at the pony and hastily added, "Oh, yes, of course."
Trent waited for Alder to take the first move and would follow by his side, but once they were on their way he came back to the subject that plagued his mind presently. "But Strelein was once a good leader, wasn't he? So don't you think that maybe, if we'd reached out to him more, I mean uh, earlier, that he wouldn't have fallen? Wouldn't have gotten so rotten at his job? Maybe not all the blame is one person. And if he was once a good leader, then he still has that potential, doesn't he?" Trent wasn't sure why he was trying to defend the fallen Dauphin, truthfully, but there was a part of him that symphasized with the man, and Trent didn't really like it when all of the blame for something was pointed only at the one person directly involved. But indirectly, they were all involved. A pack was only as strong as its weakest link, and they all had that responsibility to make sure the weakest link would get stronger. Not just Strelein, who might've -- Trent didn't know the reason he had sunk so low, so he didn't know -- just needed more understanding and friendship, and maybe this would never have happened. As an afterthought, Trent added, "Did you know him well..?"
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As he grew the leaders in his life had always been such strong and unmoving figures. Growing up with the matriarchs of Crimson Dreams above him had shown him that females were far from a weak entity. Then with the King to call alpha Alder had been given the father figure that he had needed all his life. To know that Savina had chosen not to lead and to leave, giving his mother full weight of the pack to rest on her shoulders had that could not be expected from an aging wolf… and now with the grand disappointment and Strelein had become, Alder was finding little forgiveness to expel for those that had fallen from grace. He wasn’t even sure how much room for acclimation he possessed for the new leader that had spoken with such assertion.
They walked side by side, and Trent’s words made the Marshal think beyond just the black and white of the fall of the once-Dauphin and into the gray. But how did any of us know he was failing? I can only help someone if they ask for it. His rank was not among the Cavalry so no, Alder paused, looking ahead rather then at the other male. So it was the pack’s fault for not seeing the signs that had led to this? Alder had not seen anything, he lived and breathed his duty and he assumed that others did the same thing, if they chose to take on that commitment.
I didn’t know him well, and I don’t know if any of us could have stopped what happened. I don’t know what it’s like to be a leader, so I cant judge him for that. But I do know what it is like to be responsible to others… Alder looked over the male then, and wondered what he had taken on as a member of the pack. He huffed and frowned, now sadder then anything else. I would not accept a gift if I lost my rank, but I would need company. They had reached the gate once he spoke those words, and he turned to face the other male. Looking sullen, Are you his friend?
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Trent hadn't known he was failing, that was true. And apparently, neither had Alder. Perhaps that's why he was so defensive, trying to absolve himself of any responsibility or, perhaps, worse, feeling offended and personally victimised by Trent's words; as if he, personally, should've done something more. Trent didn't mean it like that, but he did think that maybe they could've done more. It was a scary thought that if he would fall back into a hermit's living tomorrow, there would be nobody to know or care about it. Only angry Alder who wouldn't come to see him, but who'd be disappointed and unhappy that Trent had betrayed him, regardless of the reasons. It was disheartening.
But, right, back to Strelein... Trent blurted out, "That new leader guy knew." After all, he'd been the one to throw him off his throne. Trent sure as hell hadn't known, but then, he admittedly hadn't made a habit of hanging out with the pack's leaders. He was rather intimidated by them and felt like they'd only see his klutziness and complete waste of space if he'd come too close to them. But others, like that new leader guy -- his name slipped Trent a moment -- had apparently noticed, known, and had gotten angry -- like Alder was now, and might've been had it been him confronting Strelein -- instead of trying to help a pack mate. Even if he'd wanted the man to relinquish his leadership position, he could've still remained part of the normal ranks, maybe even as a respected member, right? It just seemed wrong, because once upon a time, no doubt Strelein had been a good member of the pack. Otherwise he wouldn't have been a leader.
"I just don't see why we should kick a dog that's already down. I mean, yeah, if he's not feeling well he shouldn't be a leader, but he was once upon a time a good leader, right? I just don't like this whole taking-a-person's-dignity thing." Trent didn't even know why on earth he was sticking up for Strelein in this argument he and Alder were having, because he didn't even really know the fallen leader. But he still felt empathy for him. Maybe it was because Trent himself was a chump that was no good to the pack, although it would've made more sense if he would've been one of the kickers then, to cover up his own incompetence, not the one jumping in front of them and telling them no. Trent was confused, and he didn't remember ever thinking this much... Looking up at Alder when he asked the question, Trent hastily said, although he was unable to decipher just why Alder sounded grouchy about it nor why Trent was so hasty to deny, "No. I've only met him once."
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That was true, Silvano obvious knew that Strelein was in need and had he done anything? Alder would likely never know, and the statement went unanswered. The topic was weighing on the normally lighthearted and yet cautious wolf. The turn of attitude he held towards Trent was not settling with him well either. Trent had once been someone Alder had striven to befriend, and now that Trent had not put out that effort there was something else building in him. Alder ignored it, focusing on the topic at hand and figuring that it was this that caused him to feel so very sour. The demoted and the promoted had brought instability to him and he did not know where to place his trust.
What Trent spoke was not fully directed at Alder, but he felt as if it was. Alder hadn’t done anything wrong, and he had never treated anyone poorly. His mind grew dark, almost in the same way as it had when he had confronted his brother at the time of the AniWaya war with Crimson Dreams. But the Marshal knew better, and looked only to the gate, opening it and releasing the pony into the pasture. Trent still seemed incapable of caring for the mare…
Once it was closed there was a release of the building tension, though it only trickled and bleed from a new crack. Trent had only met him once… He was placed as a Serf, and we were giving direct orders not to treat him poorly. I have no intention of going against what was asked of me. I did not kick him. If it is your hope to caudle him then do so. But do not expect him to be grateful, he may just forget you. It was with that the crack turned into a hole and the hole a gaping gushing wound. Alder turned away from the gate, ashamed by his wayward emotions, and headed from which they had come.
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Damn it, why was this all so hard? Trent didn't really want to upset Alder, but it seemed that with every passing moment, he managed to do so further and further. Neither did he really want to argue about Strelein, someone he didn't even know, for goodness' sake, but was still busily defending the honour of. The coywolf glanced out towards the pasture as they reached the fence, watching as Pony was released into the pasture. He was so lucky to have Alder here, taking care of her, but every attempt at trying to make up to him seemed completely in vain. Well, social skills had never been Trent's strongest point.
Alder sounded even more upset when he spoke again, the gate closed and Pony out in the pastures, hunting for the greenest grass there. Trent felt angry and wronged, but he had never been very good at dealing with emotions like those, and so he remained quiet, at first, after Alder told him how he felt very clearly.
Trent stroked some hairs out of his face, gaze averted in automatic submission while he searched for the words to say. Talking about Strelein more seemed useless, even though Trent had only started on it not only because he actually meant to visit Strelein, but also to show Alder another side of him. He'd wanted to say 'look, I can be sympathetic to others and try to help them', and 'look, I'm useful for the pack', and so many other things in hopes to win back Alder's friendship, but his plan seemed stupid now. All it had done was made Alder upset, because he didn't feel the same about giving Strelein a second chance, or so Trent thought.
"Look, I..." He swallowed, not really sure what he was going to tell Alder. His gaze was still averted. "I'm sorry if you think that he doesn't deserve that I go and try to cheer him up a little, or err, something..." Trent stayed a little more behind Alder now, something he didn't consciously realise, instead of next to him as before. "I just..." The sentence wasn't finished, because Trent didn't really know what to say, and he hadn't a clue what Alder wanted to hear (which was always the trouble with trying to say what others wanted to hear... it could backfire so awfully on you). He sighed lightly, scratching at the fur on his legs to keep himself from fumbling his hands together stupidly.
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[html] Alder is rarely such a poop, its fun to play so i couldnt stop! XD
It was so very wrong for Alder to place so much blame on Trent, and to allow his hurt feelings to be pushed back onto the other male without explanation. Yet Alder didn’t know why it bothered him so much, and if Trent confronted him the Marshal would not know what to say. It wasn’t about Strelein, it wasn’t about Silvano and the changes. It was about the fact that Trent had forgotten that Alder cared for him, forgotten that he had gone out of his way. He had forgotten, hadn’t he? Alder could not see that clearly though, the explanation was far from beyond his recognition and he resided to be passive aggressive and even evasive.
Trent called out to him, and Alder paused in his step. He did not turn to face him at first, but tried to exhale the confusion that resided in his chest. It didn’t matter what he thought and felt, Alder was being arrogant if he thought that it did. He turned a half step back towards the thin coymix and finished his sentence for him, want to make it better. His eyes were sullen, soft and sad. I hope it works. Alder added. But it was a lie.
He turned back around and continued back into the stables to finish with his work and keep up with the many chores that needed to be done. He felt guilt and pain from the lie, and from being so hot headed and angered. He couldn’t even tell why, why he was upset and why any of it even mattered. A growl came from his throat, hoping that Trent would not follow him and see his face in such a frown and twist of anger.
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Haha, I guess Trent brings out the uh, 'best' in him? XD Up to you if Alder is still in the stables or if he'd gone away (it's about ten minutes that Trent stands outside until he goes to the stables and calls).
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This was all just so confusing. It was one of the first times that Trent thought back to his old home, to his parents, and more specifically, to his mother. The coywolf remembered the discussions they'd had, and she had been one of few to actually take the effort to debat with him about anything. His father didn't really care enough. His mother, well, Trent had never been quite sure if she cared even less than her mate, or if she had cared too much. And, looking at Alder now, Trent didn't know either whether Alder didn't care a shred and didn't want anything to do with the coywolf anymore, or whether he cared so much that he was upset that Trent did things he didn't approve of.
It was something that Trent wasn't able to wrap his mind around. He just wanted things to get better, he supposed, and with that Alder's finishing of his sentence was right. But for all Alder's hoping that it would work, things weren't actually getting better; they only got worse before his very eyes. It was evident when he walked away that he didn't want Trent to be there anymore, and the coywolf stood there for a moment. He didn't really want to leave though, but maybe Alder needed some time alone? But what if he'd come back out of the stables and realise that he didn't really want to shred their friendship, that he wanted them to be friends again, and Trent'd be gone?
He could hardly stand here all day waiting for Alder to return, though... Neither option seemed very good, staying or going. Trent felt completely desperate, no idea how to fix what he'd unknowingly done. So much for trying to please people and try to get out of his shell...
Taking a deep breath and hunching his shoulders a little, Trent eventually -- it had to have been about ten minutes -- made his way to the stables, to find that he was not rooted in place after all. The coywolf stroked his hair back out of his face. "Alder..?" He hesitated as he called into the stable. ".. Are you err, okay?" Trent had no idea if Alder was still in the stables since he'd stood outside for so long; maybe his friend was long gone by now.
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[html] far too ashamed by his actions, Alder runs away! D:
He did hope that is was all going to work out, he would realize that when he become clearer headed. Alder didn’t hear the call that came after a passing of time; he had already disappeared round the barn and out into the wilderness that surrounded the stables. None of it had to do with Trent going to see Strelein because he was a Serf and had been demoted. It was because Trent showed so much compassion for someone that hadn’t done a thing for him and he had forgotten Alder. Hadn’t he?
Alder raked a clawed hand across his chest, eyes peering out into the thin wood as he headed home. Angrily he growled to himself, shamed and embarrassed. Confused and hating himself for caring so much about one single being. And not understanding why it mattered at all. He kept off the trail, taking the long way to his cabin rather then the short path that was normal for him.
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Thank you for the very interesting thread! Can't wait to see how things will progress. >)
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Trent waited outside after he called, waiting for a response. Waiting... But nothing came. He didn't hear any sounds, either. After a moment of hesitant fidgeting, the coywolf stepped into the barn to see if Alder was still around, if maybe he was just being silent, or... But no. He wasn't there. Trent sighed lightly and ran a hand through his long hairs, not sure what to do next. But he knew there was little he could do. And if Alder was gone, then he was probably not looking for company, anyway. Anything Trent would do now, including tracking Alder down and talking to him, would only make things worse.
Giving up, Trent exited the barn, looked around one last time -- nothing -- and started to move slowly back towards the hotel. It wasn't a place he particularly liked, even though it was his home, but it was, well, a home. His mind was heavy with things that had transpired between himself and Alder today, but Trent didn't know how he could change what had happened or make things better, so eventually he put them out of his mind, shifted into his lupus-form halfway through to the hotel, changed direction and did something he hadn't done in a long time; go hunting, embracing his natural instincts. [/html]
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