"Speech" Thoughts Almost another year had passed for this wolf, age has been god to him s usual though time may be different. More fights and more spars seemed to come from every direction he faced. Recently he'd been through a couple of short battles, leaving his once silk textured obsidian coat slick and healthy, now torn and collecting more gray than ever before. Thick as it was it still stood in every direction, grays, chestnuts, chocolates, and blacks scattering about his tall, slender figure. Muscle over muscle collecting against his fine stature, he'd lost weight and it was visible, though it was not to the point of no return for the resilient brute. A sigh escaped his throaty vocals, following it was a near-silent growl as he kept himself on alert as he walked, stepping over visible cracks and feeling the temperature beneath his feet change from warm to icey cold as one step would draw him toward a patch of old snow hidden in a shadowing crevice. His long legs were slowly moving as he kept his dial low and even to his rotating withers. scruff of his neck shook to rid him of left over dirt and unwanted loose pelt now unleashed into the still air for a moment. Silver optics remained forward as he walked, nostrils once in a while flaring to take in the surrounding scents over the crook of the mountain side, every once in a while the scent of a hare caught his attention, and the large brute would suddenly sink low to keep his attention on the potential meal. Word Count - 266 Tags - Esperanza! Mood - Neutral

The obsidian female walked through the vast cold. The snow had covered her fur and had caused it to be stained with the small, white particles. Her ebony claws crunched underneath the foliage that covered this landscape. The sound of ducks continued to cause her ear to erect, for winter was coming ever faster, and they would need to be warm from this cold place they once called home. Her emerald optics scanned the land. She was close to her home, but she was much nicer than most of her pack and smiled as the frigid wind whipped against her face and pelt.

The warm smell of another wolf came close to her, and as she was able to make out his obsidian coat, with all different dark colors around his tail, she watched him stalk the hare. She went low and hid in the deep grass, and when the rabbit was moving close to her and into the grass, she managed to get it and shake the life out of it's small stature as it screamed out in pain.

The rabbit hung in her mouth, but no blood stained it's coat or hers. And she could tell this brute was a year younger than she, but he still seemed to have been able to hunt very well. His posture was precise and his body lean, while she was also a bit as large as he was. She approached him and placed the hare down in front of him and gave a small smile as she began to walk away.

"Speech" Thoughts As the hare neared closer and closer the brute remained silent, obsidian pelt slicking back against his long bodice, a stern expression tightened the fibers in his tired face. Auds peeled back against his skull as if super-glue was layered beneath them. His surrounding had gone fairly unnoticed for now, the hare being the only thing on his mind as a swift through slight breeze sent the prey into a frozen state, only to follow the path of it's death not but a moment later. The black male looked on slowly, his gaze growing gradually dark and dim as his dial lifted to see another before him. A shiver of discomfort fell down his spine as his auds turned back against this skull once more, a look of exhaustion plaguing his now frustrated visage. A great sigh escaped his impatient lungs as his silver optics slowly turned up from the limp hare to meet the gaze of the wolf who had beat him to his meal. Brows flattened as the feeling in his gut sank and he realized his chance was once again done. Upon closing his eyes and opening his locked jaw to speak out he jumped at the sudden sound of the hare landing at his feet. A blink of puzzlement ensued as he starred at the meal, observing her every move as she turned away to leave. Taking his mind a moment to put everything that just happened together he spoke out. "Wait..." He glanced away from her and then back as a powerful wind overtook the snow patched floor beneath them, bracing himself without thought the tall brute watched her for a moment. "Why did you do that?" Deep vocals poured out between his jawline, silver gaze narrowed in puzzlement though the rest of his lean bodice was tense, awaiting her reply, but also in careful anticipation towards anything that could happen. Word Count - 319 Tags - Esperanza! Mood - Neutral

Her form stopped and looked to the brute who had asked to stop. She gave a small smile. "The hare was close to where I was, and I killed it. But, I could tell you would need the hare more than I did." she spoke with a kind heart and sat down, her eyes staying focused on brute's eyes as her green orbs shone slightly from the small amounts of sun that peaked through the clouds.

"My name is Esperanza, and who might you be?" She asked, tilting her head slightly and listening to the sound of the birds once more as her ears stayed erect. The smell of oak and maple continued to come through her nose and she heaved a small sigh.

"Speech" Thoughts Her response to his question was so matter-of-fact that is managed to throw the large brute off his rocker a bit. Such kindness to a strange and potentially dangerous stranger was very rarely seen in these recent times. And so he couldn't help but say nothing while his mind attempted to understand what she had just done. After a moment he barely tilted his head for a moment before seating his sore hind quarters into the small patch of snow beneath him and the hare. His auds slowly turned forward as she mentioned her name, "Esperanaza..." He copied her vocals as she allowed her name to pour out to him so freely. His silver gaze turned down towards the hare, and suddenly an air of hunger overtook the brute. He'd never been good at giving out his name and so instead he focused on what mattered to him at that moment in time, he quickly darted his gaze the other direction in momentary understanding that he was alone with this one called Esperanza for now. Safe to say his meal was now accounted for and would not go to waste. He'd never been great with communication with others, and so the obsidian rogue merely laid himself down, sliding into the snow to quickly allow his jaws to rip at the throat of the hare, beheading the lifeless creature before slowly and deliberately making his way down the carcass leaving nothing behind to spare. His attention now solely on the meal before him, paying little mind to the kind stranger for a moment, not until realizing she asked for his name in return. "Look, i'm just in search of somewhere to stay for the night, my name's not important." He spoke out slowly and thunderously, allowing his lips to moisten between syllables, stirring a few of his words into a mumble as he cleared his jawline, avoiding eye contact with the fae. Word Count - 325 Tags - Esperanza Mood - Hungry, Neutral

The fae would nod and look to the sky ahead of her. The cold wind began to cause her form to shake slightly, even though she was used to it, her body still shook from the frigid temperatures. Her emerald gaze looked to the brute's silver orbs and she sighed, "I understand. I usually stay away from my pack, but I am also sorry that you do not have one. I have a den nearby if you would like to stay for the night."

She would speak in her soothing and kind tone as she turned away as sadness came through and she didn't know why as she lied down in her den once she went inside and closed her eyes for a little while.

"Speech" Thoughts His gaze slowly wandered from his meal to the obsidian fae walking wishfully away from him. She had understood what he said to her, which for once is something a bit surprising. He watched her step away from him, both confused but also satisfied with their conversation for now. Staying alone was something he preferred to do though with the lingering storm, his decision had been made. Chewing and nibbling away at the remaining flesh on the rabbit locked between his forepaws, He sensed the exact moment the fae's emotional stability changed. Taking a moment the brute laid his tongue over his paws, slowly lifting his dial away from the carcass. Sighing gently he lifted himself from the chilled snow and finished by sniffing about the meal to be sure nothing was left for the scavengers. He turned and headed towards the sad dove lying only a quarter mile away, speaking out suddenly and loudly he approached the opening to her den, "I feel obliged to ask you what is the matter exactly?" His silver optics matched the flashes in the skies as lightning began to overtake the heavens, thunder distantly to follow. Word Count - 194 Tags - Esperanza Mood - Neutral, Satisfied

Esperanza looked to the obsidian brute before her. Her emerald orbs shone light a gem once the lightning flashed outside of her temporary den. The smell of the blood from the rabbit hung in the brute's form, but she didn't mind it. "I have been alone for a while despite me having a pack. They are different than me, and they make me know it too. I'm a friendly she-wolf who was always alone and had very little friends to speak to. I'm four years old and I never even knew what love was." She told him as she looked to her paws.

Thunder and lightning crashed and shone in harmony of each other. Her ears were erect as she could hear rain pour down, and the sounds of water continued to run down in large drops. "I'm sorry if I made you before, I didn't intend to."

"Speech" Thoughts With a soft blink the obsidian brute looked at the lying fae, the sadness in her face palpable in the air, the obvious concern and upset emotion flowing from her pores like acid. Silver optics softened for only a moment for the brute nee his time was limited staying in this area. With a heavy sigh he slowly walked towards her. A small half-smile crossed his face. "Love? I lost most of my sanity over that a long time ago.." His deep throaty vocals poured out, a whole octave lower than the thunder crashing above them. With a shake he rid himself of most of the rainfall that had soaked the back pelt through. He sat beside her, not close but not far. Word Count - 125 Tags - Esperanza Mood - Amused.

Esperanza looked to the brute with emerald orbs shining like gems whenever a lightning flash shone throughout the sky. Her eyes shone concern for the brute, but she did not touch him in case he seemed to not like being touched. "No one's sanity is never really gone, one just has been through a lot of emotions in the past till now that they think that it is." She told him and looked to the sky as she would sometimes blink when rain got in her eyes. She lied down in her den once more and could smell the scent of what seemed to be eggs.

"I have been through a lot in my life as well, and ever since I have been through a lot of pain with my emotions. Sometimes, my mother used to tell me, that you shall never love until you forgive those who have hurt you in the past, and sometimes, I would not believe her words of wisdom. Now I do."

"Speech" Thoughts His auds slowly folded back against his skull ever so lightly, feeling the fae's words skirt through them. After a long moment he felt the need to speak again, though strongly preferring not to, he referred to his inner thoughts to filter his words carefully. After a long while of silence, he blinked slowly, silver optics closed for a moment where he sat. "I suppose it depends how you look at it..." He kept his attention away from the fae. "When love felt so eternal, one never imagined it could be broken so easily and so suddenly. But it's entirely possible." A sadness ended in his sentence and the young brute starred out into the distance beyond them, a silence falling over him, and nothing but the rain overtook the senses. A small, innocent smile crossed the brute's maw and he continued to avoid eye contact with the fae, "Wise words." He lightened the conversation with a muse of admiration to her heartfelt belief. Word Count - 168 Tags - Esperanza Mood - Heartfelt