The male had been lonely for some time now. He had lost his love Eclipse, and now he lost the love he didn't even know about. Arcane claimed to be his old mate, she claimed that he killed their children and attempted suicide. But was there a reason to believe her? Absolutely not. He was welcomed back into Glaciem, his old home. He had never heard of the place before, but would two others lie about the same thing? The black male lay in his den, he was old and he couldn't do anything useful. His injuries kept him from doing anything, he couldn't even run anymore. So he spent the last of his days laying inside his den and only walking outside on occasion. No one really talked to him much, only when they would come by. And he hadn't seen his old lover Arcane since they met at the border. Today Saix stayed in his den like any other day. He didn't sleep, he just set his chin on his paws and starred outside of the place. There was no snow today, not even rain. But it was still cold up here and Saix couldn't even imagine why he chose this place to be home. WALK "TALK" Think

~*~ Crusade's pups would be coming any day now. It pained her somewhat to be confined to the pack cave on these - the last warm weeks of Glaciem's year. She wanted to hunt. She wanted to find Keki. She wanted to climb a mountain. The pups kicked sharply within her. Okay, maybe not climb a mountain. But needed to move. She might be old and swollen fat with children, but she was still Crusade. She needed to feel the earth passing beneath her paws and the breeze twisting through her fur. She'd just take a quick walk - maybe luck would let her run into Keki. That adopted daughter of hers had been making herself scarce and it was worrisome. Did she think that just because Crusade was having biological pups it would make her any less of a daughter? Crusade had enough heart to go around, and what she wanted to prove that to Keki. But she wouldn't be able to travel far. Nor fast. Just an easy stroll in the northern summer sun. The stroll drew her paws along game trails and forest roots, through tussocks and tundra grass and under fallen logs. She was just getting ready to turn back, when a scent of a wolf caught her nose. It was the one wolf who'd been allowed a den away from the rest of the pack. Because frankly the rest of the pack wasn't sure if they ought to kill him. Saix. Crusade had had a long talk with Gargoyle - in which, to her surprise, she'd played Saix's defendant, arguing that the male had no memory of what had passed and while that niether healed wounds he'd caused nor absolved him of his sins, they had to at least give him shelter. The male was not long for this world and it would be cruel to turn him out. Gargoyle hadn't liked it. In fact he'd hinted more than once that perhaps the most merciful thing to do for all concerned was end Saix quickly. It was one of those few times when Crusade and her brother were on opposite sides of a disagreement. And at such times tension was always high. Yet in the end, Gargoyle had yielded. After all, Saix was too weak now to cause any real trouble. Especially if he kept off to himself. Crusade found herself walked towards the lonesome den. "Saix?" she called from a distance. "Saix, it's-it's Crusade. May I come in?" ~*~

Crusade. Crusade. Crusade. The male struggled to remember who the girl was, but it hit him that she was the one that was with Arcane when he came to the borders. "Oh Crusade... Yes come in, please." He waited for the girl to come in, observing her plump belly. Crusade was due to have her pups any day now, it her belly sure showed it. It had been a long while since he had made contact with anyone, so company could have been nice. "Come make yourself comfortable. Tell me Crusade, how have your days been?" This girl was Arcane's sister, even though all they had in common was facial and body structures, their colors were not even close to the same. And of course Saix wanted to know about his past life, but Arcane refused to be near him, it seemed like she want even in Glaciem much anymore. And so the man grew lonely, and he looked as though he would die any day day now just as crusade looked as if her pups would come spitting out as well. WALK "TALK" Think

~*~ Crusade's ears perked pleasantly at her welcome. "Thank you," she said gently. She walked the rest of the distance between them and found Saix lying at the mouth of his personal den. Creator Above... how old he looked. And how tired. Rather like Ralon had looked, Crusade thought to herself. The whole elder buisness - it was not something she'd ever thought she'd be facing herself. But she would in time. Still, when age brought infirmity to her, she'd hopefully have her young children to play about her. An old age like that was practically a blessing. But an old age like Saix's.... Crusade, in her calm, prowling sort of walk, came to to the den, made a little circle, and then laid herself down beside Saix so that they were both facing out of the cave to the tundra and woods beyond. When she laid down now adays it had to be more on her side - allowing her belly room to bulge out beside her. Yet besides the obvious movements she had to resort to not to injure herself, the she-wolf gave no sign that she burdened by the bearing of pups. It was uncomfortable, yes, but when compared to all the wounds she'd taken in her life it was a trifle, and from this discomfort she'd bring about a miracle. Who could ask for something better? No, the one feeling the most discomfort here, had to be Saix. But other than offer her presence, Crusade was rather at a loss for what to do. When she looked at him... Crusade turned her head so that she could see him with her remaining eye. She voiced her thoughts aloud. "When I look at you Saix... I am not sure who I am seeing." Her voice was quiet and grave, but gentle. "Am I speaking with the proud warrior whom I first met as a rogue and walked with along the borders? Am I speaking with the Brave who stood beside my sister and the pack even through a great migration? Or am I.." she trialed off. She could not voice the other side of things; the other face Saix had once taken. "But I suppose I'm not talking to any of them, for you don't remember it." Her single gold-green orb bored into his baby blues. It was as though she wished to turn them to blue glass and see through them to what lay beneath. However, such things are beyond even the eldest and wisest of mortals. "Seems we are only just meeting again, and I apologize, for I never properly introduced myself." The she-wolf straightened her uncommonly high shoulders. Rather unconsciously her chin lifted and her bearing settling into a reminder of what she once was. A Warrior Queen. "I am Crusade, daughter of Clash and Drake, sister of many, and mate of Cifer, Glaciem's Lead Brave. For many years, I was your Alpha, but now I am retired from all duties. I still do whatever I can for the pack, but my fighting days are over. My heart now is set upon careing for Glaciem's future generations." She had said quite a bit and now she lay back waiting. Would any of it ring any bells for the male? Would he return with an introduction of his own - telling her who he thought himself to be...? ~*~

Her belly was so full of all those little babies, it was ready to pop. Saix looked at it only once an thought about the children he once had. He didn't remember them, but he thought about what they were like and how their appearance resembled his own. And of course Arcane's as well. He pictured something along with what Garnet used to be, nothing like Cryptic with her browns that colored around her eyes and legs. Of course he didn't know of Clash and Drake and how their appearance could affect his children. Of course his father and brother were both a dark whiskey brown, which could have had little affect on the two. He gave a little bow to Crusade as she lay adjacent to him. He didn't quite know how to respond to her thoughts, she was going on about the many faces that she saw on him, but she was right when she mentioned it was none of them. He had lost his entire mind, his memories weren't even intact anymore and her hope to think he could remember at least her name, was only a little wish that could never be granted. "Well I'm sorry Crusade... But I'm sure nothing can help me now." He went on to introduce himself to her to return her own introduction. "Well..I'm Saix as you know. I was found on the shore without a memory and the only mate I know is the girl who helped me find this place." There was nothing much to say, what was there to tell about a man who couldn't remember a damn thing? But Saix's mind continues to click onto the young he produced and killed. "Arcane has yet to come see me. Could you tell me Crusade, what were my children like?" WALK "TALK" Think

~*~ ?They were the first pups born to Glaciem.? Crusade told him, her eye glazing over with memory. ?I was there when they were born. I?d been gone for some time and returned home upon the day of their birth. They had a third littermate, but the pup was a stillborn. That.. was not easy for Arcane to take at first. But the surviving pups, Cryptic and Garnet soon filled her heart. They were such lovely, lively little things?? Her voice fell and words refused to come back. The curse of being through as much as she had meant that every good memory was inevitably attached to some bad one. This case was no except. One moment her mind?s eye was conjuring images of the two mottled cubs tumbling about in the snow ? the next she was forced to see their graves. The she-wolf shook her head. ?I-I apologize. I cannot speak of them much.? She looked the male. No doubt he knew why she could not. ?Saix..? Crusade murmured, ?I am sorry for the way Arcane broke everything to you.? It shouldn?t have been like that. Crusade wasn?t even sure it should?ve been done at all. Would it not have been more mercicul if Saix had been allowed to die without these questions and burdens on his soul? Yet who would dare blame Arcane ? certainly not Crusade. Her little sister had been through so much. ~*~