In the midst of the autumn morning, dew still clinging fresh to the edges of burnt auburn leaves that had fallen, a young male rose, stretching his chocolate pelt out along the crunch of dead and dying foliage as he woke. His grayed muzzle opened wide in a yawn before he stood, shaking the various bits of dust and debris from his pelt as golden eyes opened to take in the world around him.

Times were changing, the heat of summer giving way to a cooler time, leaves changing colors and fluttering down to the earth lighter than a moth's wing on a baby's cheek. A light breeze ruffled through Cronan's pelt, reminding him how ephemeral this season truly was; already it was giving way to winter's icy grip, a subtle chill plaguing the previously warm winds.

Regardless of the change in weather and season, one thing remained constant; he was always hungry. His stomach gave a light growl to remind him of that fact. From his time as a young pup to present day he'd trained himself in the ways of tracking, able to follow the subtlest of trails, even picking up on things so slight as a rabbit's footprint hidden in a mess of leaves. However, he'd not had all that much luck recently. A diet of squirrels and field mice didn't suit a wolf; he needed something more substantial, perhaps a deer or a young moose calf. He'd even be happy with a fawn at this point.

His coat had begun to grow slightly dull, and he'd lost a bit of the weight he'd gained during the summer months. Normally he wouldn't much mind, but winter was fast on its way and he knew he ought to get his fill of food while he could. He'd be stuck this winter in either this area or one nearby, and he knew all too well that large packs lived nearby. During the winter months, he preferred to be as far from large packs as possible; they didn't tend to like loners hunting in or near their territory, and it made finding a good meal more difficult than usual.

For now he would settle for rabbits and squirrels when he could catch them, though he wandered in the direction of the scent of deer. Deer were easy enough to find this time of year; catching them proved the main issue. Muscles rolled under his pelt as he walked, eyes following the ground before him, eying the nearly nonexistent tracks of the herd. He was a bit tired, sleep still caking the edges of his eyes, though the strengthened scent of a possible meal helped to wake him.

Dark-tipped ears perked as their sounds began to reach him, the light crackle of leaves under hooves, the crunch of dying grass chewed in hungry mouths. The crimson red of his pelt wasn't often bright enough to give away his position, but it certainly wasn't natural; he hid deep in the undergrowth, the brown base of his coat keeping him hidden well enough to stalk up closer to the group, eyes narrowing in on a young fawn not far off. He was a lone wolf ? he wasn't positive he could take down a fully grown deer on his own, but a fawn would make a good enough meal to keep him satisfied for the time being.

Slowly he crept closer, careful to avoid the dry leaves that coated the ground, paw pads light as a feather as they pressed against the sun-baked earth. His breath was soft, concentrated on the task and unwilling to make any mistake. He needed this meal; his body was a clear display of that, plainly showing his lack of recent meals.

Once he deemed himself close enough, Cronan leaped from the underbrush that had previously given him cover, merely a quick bound and a leap away from the little fawn. The creature froze for an instant in startled fear, just long enough for the muscular male to throw himself upon it and latch on with starving jaws. The fawn stumbled to the ground under the weight of the wolf, jaws latched around it's thin neck, aiming to either cut off its air supply or snap the bones that held its head. Strong jaws soon heard a snap, and the beast went still; slowly the male let go of his hold. The other deer had scattered, but the fawn would provide a good enough meal for now. Hungrily he sunk his teeth into the fawn's fleshy side, beginning to fill himself with the warm meat it contained; his focus was quickly shifted to the fawn as he ate, guard dropping to his surroundings, not paying quite so much attention to the things around him as the glorious meal before him.



Word Count: 802

The fall was well in it's way. Soon animals would be hiding themselves and it would become harder for wolves to search for their good. Not that the girl had much of a problem with that. The thick coated lady had been born and raised in Russia. Food there consisted of bark and rabbits if you were lucky you'd get moose. So survival, was high on her list of things. Not that she had to worry much about that since joining Glaciem. It had been brought to her attention that the more she moved around, the more she was enjoying this small game she played with the other wolves. As her paws made small prints within the dirt, she glided along the confines of the forest. Her black tail making a swinging motion back and forth. The only other noise, being that of the falling autumn leaves. Her fluid movements were short lived though, as the sounds of a hunt began to fill her ears. The Tuxedo marked woman lifted her body up in alert. She wanted to find the source of this noise, because perhaps it would give her some source of entertainment. Lova's strides turned into sneaky zigzag motions. That was until she found a place to support her hidden form. Her shoulder blades pressed up against her as she crouched down. Her tail curled around her right side as she watched the odd colored male hunt. Lova was already finding him interesting just by the face of his coloring and the necklace with the feather that he had on. He was a bit shorter than her, but only by and inch by the looks of it. Lova opened her mouth to dig in his scent, to commit it to memory. It wasn't until he was finished hunting that she decided to back up out of her hiding place. The male seemed to be rather hungry by the way he was eating it, it was enough to make her mouth water. Though she mustn't try to steal, not when he could leave marks on her fur. She was within Glaciem, they could feed her, if she returned to the pack lands and requested food they must give it to her. Then again they could just throw her off, and have her hunt for her own food. What a sad state that would have been, and she probably would have thrown a fit over it. Love one day wished to be a queen who sat beside a king who would take care of her. It was a troublesome task, and she didn't believe in love. So what would that amount to? When her king already had a lead lady, Lova didn't have the hope of taking her place. It was rather ambitious of her, but ambition was good. If you knew your way around at least. That was what her father had told her. In those snowy streets all year round of Russian territory. It was the stronger ones who could have the dreams and wish for things. Eventually, it would be rewarded too, if you worked hard enough. Standing back and waiting, didn't ever do any wolf good. Once the man was into his meal. She made herself known, the lady moved forward. Her gray muzzle marking on her lower jaw seeming fairly out of place from the rest of the shirt like marking. Her toes and back paws were free from the gray color. For as her face and chest was white too apart from the portion of her head that was the same gray. Her black tail stood out from the rest, but probably not as much as her cyan eyes did. Lova didn't make a sound crouching lower down as she was within range of the wolves eyes. Her tail made a ticking motion back and forth as she eyed his prey. Maybe he'd give some to her, or he would snap at her. She honestly couldn't wait for the response that she would be given. This game was something she enjoyed playing, the game of life as many would call it anyway. "I don't suppose you are willing to share are you?" Lova spoke in her light Russian accent. It wasn't heavy on her vocal cords since she had been here for a year now. Although the language was still in her head, she could speak foreign tongue if she really wanted. The click in her tongue was something she had been born with. As she raised her body and tucked her tail between her legs to show that she honestly meant no harm. The lady pulled her legs equal distance from each other as she raised her head to expose her chest. The rather thick coat of fur around her was growing in for the winter months. Making Lova fairly fluffy. She wouldn't be surprised if she was the most amazing pillow in the world, but at the moment she was more worried about the food. 831 words Speech,

Though the male typically stood alert and on guard against even the slightest motion or scent, his mind was far too engrossed in the idea of a good meal to pay much attention to the nearby female until she made her presence known. He was hungry, and he needed to eat; the presence of a female wasn't about to sway his motives for being here. For now, the only scent he paid attention to was the scent of the young fawn he had so recently downed.

However, as Lova stepped towards him, his head shot up with an instinctive low growl. Interrupted in the middle of his meal, he was fully prepared to defend himself and his meal; he had learned not to go judging books by their covers, and though this wold was female, he did not mark her off as a threat. She was as large as him, if not even a tad bigger, though not by a significant amount. He didn't doubt that she'd put up a decent fight if it came down to it; for now he hoped intimidation may keep her from trying much.

A light snort of disgruntled humor came from his bloodied muzzle at her words, ears swiveling slightly at the strange, foreign accent her voice carried. ?Hmph. You smell like a pack wolf, surely they can feed you.? he commented. Her scent was clear, though the scent of others muffled it. He didn't doubt she lived among many others. Yes, she was a rather pretty female, and her accent was slightly intriguing, but a fawn was hardly a good meal for one wolves; it was a mere snack when shared between two. He hadn't eaten in days and with winter coming, he wasn't quite sure when his next meal might be. At least this woman belonged to a group and could likely be provided for; he, however, was on his own and relied only on the meals he could catch himself. During the winter, most of the prey a single wolf could catch moved on, replaced by elk and moose. Unless he could grab a calf, he'd likely be living off rabbits for longer than he liked to think.

?Besides,? the brute added, ?Not like you're some helpless little dame. Just as capable of hunting for yourself as I am; the herd scattered north, help yourself.? he muttered before returning to his meal, tail lightly flicking behind him. His ears remained alert, listening in case she chose to advance closer to him, not fond of the idea of her attacking for his meal while he ate. Should she choose to, he'd certainly be ready; he was far from weak, and he was of decent size. He wouldn't go giving up his meal without a fight for it, though his meal was already half gone.


Word Count: 472

The lady was rejected, well then, he obviously wasn't into the flirting game. Sometimes Lova enjoyed that, it made it easier for her. It was annoying when others brought up the concept of love when she didn't believe in it. The man was on his own and surviving by yourself was a hard task she knew this. As she pulled herself onto her stomach the girl's black tail lied flat against the leaves on the ground as she watched him eat. Well, it was a nice try at least. Cronan had been honest and outfront with her. He would make a strong male in her book. Though he probably would never join a pack. Her cyan eyes glowed as he made his judgement against her. Yes smart boy, she was part of a pack and could be taken care of. Who didn't want to be taken care of? Her paws dug into the dirt as she looked at his red accents. He was interesting, she liked it. She was most likely uninteresting to him, but she didn't mind. "Maybe another time, I just felt like it was a nice shot." She said shrugging her shoulders up than down. It wasn't like she wanted to leave, she'd be rather bored if she was. She relaxed herself, she wasn't going to attack him. Lova never attacked another wolf unless she was severely provoked. Plus she was not a fan of looking forward to the permanent marks that would splay across her body. The tough Russian girl thought she could do without them. Setting her muzzle against the floor she pulled her pink salmon tongue over her snout. She lived her life the way she lived it, and she found the way that others lived interesting. The different stories and personalities that she collected data on made it easier to deceive others. Though right now, Lova was Lova, and no other personality was being shown across her. She was simply sincerely, wanting to get to know him a bit. After all, she couldn't just make this a wasteful encounter. "From your attitude, does this mean you've always been alone? I know how hard it is to survive on your own so." She shrugged. Trying to make conversation was simple for her. Socializing was something she enjoyed to do. Lova tilted her head and gave a smile. Go off an hunt, that was a bit of a laugh to her. She was in no mood to hunt and she knew the male was probably just trying to get rid of her. He wouldn't though, not just yet at that. He could decide for himself later weather she was worth sticking around or not. Lova was not a pusher, she just wanted to live the way she wanted to, without pressing her idea's onto others. This world was for the strong, and the first rule was to respect others who were strong as well. Otherwise, they would no exist in this world. Speech,

The woman refused to leave, though Cronan took no surprise to that. He found women were often stubborn and didn't seem to leave unless they truly wanted to; it seemed Cronan's rejection of food hadn't swayed the female's mind. She didn't seem too keen on going off to hunt her own deer, either. Pity; there were a few other fawns in the herd and he was sure she was able-bodied enough to get one for herself. Truthfully he preferred a women who wouldn't go depending on him; he wasn't too fond on the idea of hunting for two.

?Why even bother asking for favors from strangers when you have a pack that'd likely feed you? I wouldn't guess you'd be too interested in getting yourself indebted to strangers providing you favors.? he mentioned, licking his bloodied muzzle as he finished up eating for the time being, moving a short distance away from the carcass in case she truthfully was hungry enough to go gnawing at the scraps.

His golden gaze drifted to the pale female as she spoke to him, clearly attempting to make small talk. ?Yes. he answered bluntly, leaving it at that. Hell, it was an answer to her question, wasn't it? If she wanted more than a 'yes' or a 'no', she ought to try asking some more open-ended questions. He wasn't much for 'chatting', especially with those he hardly knew. The idea of a female wanting to bother speaking with him was a bit uncommon for him ? he was a loner, he didn't often run into many females ? and honestly he'd never attempted to go about wooing anyone. He didn't see much of a reason to try and gain her favor. After all, to him she was merely a passerby after an easy meal.



OOC: Sorry this reply is so pathetically short. Tar is tired -.-

Well she could have done a number of things, but she would wolves interesting. She enjoyed meeting new ones every day it didn't matter where they were from. Lova had joined Glaciem because of the coldness that was there. After living a year on her own perfectly fine as she may add to herself. She figured it was simply easier to live under someone. She has still her own wolf. Lova was a strange one in that aspect as she knew how possessive her new king was. However if she truly wanted to get away she would have by now, but he fascinated her. Isar was truly a gifted albino. Lova might even enjoyed the feeling of danger she gave herself or others. This one in front of her was fairly straight forward, and he seemed annoyed. Her smile turned into a slight frown as she stood on her paws. Ignoring the left overs for a few moments, it would be a waste, but why hadn't he eaten the whole thing? "A stranger can become a friend in a matter of seconds.I haven't been in this pack for long, most of them I don't even know. All I know is that it's a harem and most of the women are trying to gain favor of the king." The woman hopped over closer to him her tail flicking from side to side. Her head tilted a bit to all of his answers, so did he honestly think he was really smart? Lova didn't know but she tried not to judge too harshly she really didn't know his situation after all. The woman could assume a number of things and they could all be wrong at that. Her cyan eyes turned over to the scraps, when she lived in Russia if you wasted food the king would punish you. Since it was such a precious thing, and not very common. Though Lova knew how to survive, and was excellent at laying traps. She turned her body around, and started to eat what was left. Though her eyes kept locked on the male as she splayed her paws on the bones picking off the meat. "You probably don't want anything to do with me, but I like meeting new wolves. They could make a potential friend or an enemy. I haven't been alone my entire life but I spent an entire year on my own near these lands. Surviving here was easier than surviving in a group in my old home. So I like to make friends I guess. My name is Lova." She finished the food that was left and then stood again looking towards him. He indeed had an interesting coloring. She had high bets he really didn't care about who she was, although she cared about who he was. Lova wanted to know more, and perhaps he wouldn't. "I'd like to know more about you. Though already it seems like I've annoyed your ears off." She laughed a little bit, giving a smirk towards his direction. Her body language made her move away from him for a small bit. He could attack her at any moment, she was not stupid. Though honestly he could do what he wished, at this point she had taken a liking to him anyway. In her book he was a nameless friend she could help out when needed. For Lova, that was actually a rare situation. Maybe it was his coloring, or the necklace that was around his neck. It was something at least, and she couldn't pull her paw off of it. Speech,

He watched as the woman finished off what he'd left her of the meal. It wasn't all that much, but it was technically more than he was expected to give. He wasn't too fond of sharing, especially life necessities like food, but he was admittedly full. No use stuffing himself in front of a hungry mouth. His ears perked at the words she spoke; friendship wasn't a fully foreign idea to him, though being a rogue, he found it rather hard to keep solid 'friends'. Long distance relationships didn't exactly exist among wolves, and he moved about so often that he typically only held acquaintances. Regardless, he knew he'd be stuck here most of the winter. He didn't rule out the possibility of friendship. However, her words intrigued him slightly as she spoke of her pack. A harem? Not many packs ran in such a manor. He assumed it'd be rather nice to be the king of one, but... well, for any other male in the pack, he doubted the benefits were shared. Either way, spreading his genes wasn't exactly on the top of his priority list. He'd much rather wait for the right gal to come along and convince him that pups were worthwhile.

?I am Cronan.? he answered as she spoke again, figuring since she gave her name, he ought to give his own. ?And it isn't that I don't want anything to do with others. I merely... find women complicated and men unappealing. Company merely seems like a thing that'd take more effort than it's worth to me.? he corrected with a light shrug. He very rarely encountered a wolf who was friendly to him with no thought of benefiting from it. Often they wanted something back from him, and he'd come to find that maintaining relationships was rather difficult. Not to mention he was used to being on his own; working so hard for a bit of company was a strange idea to him and was hardly worth it. He never shunned company, of course, but never did he give the slightest implication that their friendship would be reciprocated.

With a yawn he stretched out among the crunching, colorful leaves and lay down along his belly, resting his head on his paws. ?What exactly are you hoping to know?? he questioned, not all that practiced at 'small talk' and truthfully not knowing what sort of information on him she was after. It seemed a rather boring idea to spew out his entire life story to a woman he'd only just met, and truthfully he hadn't done many noteworthy things and didn't have much to tell anyway.

Lova was used to friends coming and going, friends didn't mean you were being tied down to something. She'd never want that on someone. She listened to him and nodded his head. He was right on that matter, though men could be just as complicated as women if you found the right ones. Though she herself didn't find it any effort at all. Simply because of the hoard of wolves she met on a daily basis. They came they went, some she'd spend one day with and then never see again. Never once had that bothered her. She didn't see the point in major attachment, not with anyone if they didn't want it at least. Lova would never press something on someone else, not unless they wished it from her. Simply if they said nothing, she would continue on her way, it was best to be out front with the woman. Maybe she was more complicated maybe she wasn't. It was all on the effects of how she had been raised. Any other child who experienced the same thing, she probably would have seen some amazing siblings if she had any. Born the only pup to a family run by a faulty king may not have been a big adventure but it was that story that made her, her. "Well Cronan, you are right about women being complicated. And it's obvious you aren't attracted to the same gender. But I promise I won't make a friendship much effort for you. I won't plague you with anything. I just simply enjoy the different personalities I meet every day. In my year alone wolves would come and go some I'd never see again. It just like the information. And perhaps if I do run into you in the future, I can do you a favor or we could just catch up. I am not a woman who would ever chain one down if they didn't wish to be." She said with a smile giving out a small laugh. She liked Cronan, she was not as evil as her king was, but she didn't mind this. Every wolf had a different way of getting around. Lova honestly didn't see things as evil or good, she was her and everyone else was themselves. A few times she could yell out her opinion, but unless another let it burden themselves it really wasn't her problem. She flicked her tail before walking forward. "You're different, from all the others I've met. You may be simple but, it doesn't mean you are less of a wolf than the next." She tilted her head. Lova wasn't hoping to know anything at all. She was hoping he'd take one hour out of his day just to bond with someone. She wasn't asking him to stay and protect her. She wasn't hoping for a guardian angel either. She knew how to take care of herself, and she only joined Glaciem for the fun, though now she was stuck there because of the kings rule. One day, she wished to have her own pups, and see them grow strong. They would certainly have nice gene's within them that was for certain. "I'm not hoping to know anything really. I just want to know a little about you, your answer before gave me information on the man you are. You don't want a friendship with effort where you feel like you have to be in one place? Or am I wrong. Tell me then, why do you not like knowing others, or having friends? Are you afraid of something?" She asked curiously. He didn't have to answer if he didn't want to. She knew that, by now though she didn't want to walk away. Some odd small talk had turned into a full blown conversation for her. Speech,

Lova, in his mind, didn?t seem like such a bad wolf. He?d never minded chatting with others; he merely? took a while to warm up to them. He wasn?t all that adept at small-talk and most weren?t all that willing to give the effort it took to get him to start talking. Lova didn?t seem so bad, but he wasn?t one to go judging so quickly. ?So you?re telling me you?re merely wanting to chat and meet someone new? Don?t want anything in return? I?d say that?s a first.? he commented as she mentioned the fact that she wouldn?t require much effort for their friendship on his part. Surely he wasn?t so interesting to her that she?d go wasting her time and effort on a wolf who wasn?t willing to show the same level of commitment.

Sure, he didn?t mark all females as the same. He didn?t expect every one of them to need something in return from him, but typically he found women didn?t often show favor to someone without thinking beyond measly chit-chat. Either way, now that she?d made her intentions supposedly clear, he had words to hold her to, and that suited him just fine.

His ears perked lightly as she spoke, considering her words for a brief moment in time. ?Not afraid of anything, no. Well, I guess that?s not all that true.? he reconsidered. ?My markings are what typically attract attention. And I suppose that?s to be expected; they aren?t exactly ?usual?. I simply find that most who want my friendship are hoping for more, and I avoid getting to know people because I don?t want to find myself in a situation where I enjoy someone?s company and they merely enjoy my markings.? he answered with a light shrug. He?d far prefer not loving someone to loving someone who didn?t return the feelings and only wanted him for his genes. He was well aware that his looks were abnormal and that attracted the attention of certain wolves, but he?d avoided having pups just yet because he knew all too well that the women who longed for him only longed to pass his looks onto their litter.

?I don?t mind having friends. I guess I?m more worried about what might come after that.? he stated. He?d never shied away from the idea of settling down with the right gal, but he didn?t want to venture into friendship and find his heart broken by the wrong one.






OOC: Sorry for the holdup. Been busy this weekend; festivals and such, and now back in school for the week. xP

Lova was here, and listening to every bit of it. Cronan like anyone else had his fears, his worries. There was no crime in that, and she consoled the fact that he'd honestly share them with her. Though when he mentioned his markings, that was actually what had caught her interest in the first place(it wasn't like that was her goal now though). A small smile rose on her face, she gave a laugh and tilted her head. "I can't lie your markings are what caught my interest at first, but not because I found them attractive or anything. No offence, I just don't let myself get caught up in such emotions. Love is all but a lie to me." She gave a shrug of her shoulders. Maybe she was getting too ahead of herself, but she was only being truthful. She found the idea of love and settling down to be rather, distracting. From since she was a child she never really understood her family, and after her father had taken over his throne, everything had changed up there in russia. "I like personalities, knowing about someone is good enough for me. Knowing and losing is better than not knowing at all. People come and go, and I came from the life of a faulty king. The world isn't all but perfect, but at least the wolves in it are. Even if they do think they're plain." Her tail wagged back and forth. She could be his friend then? Hopefully he didn't fall in love with her, he probably wouldn't though. After all, after tonight, he'd be long gone. She wouldn't be surprised. And once he asked her to leave, she wouldn't be any more surprised on that fact. "I'm sorry that you have that fear, there are lots of wolves mainly women who would drag you along. If it make you feel any better I won't fall in love with you? I don't believe in love, not for me honestly. I apologize if you do fall in love with me, but I doubt I'll see you much after this. Unless we run into each other someplace else." Lova pulled herself right in front of Cronan. Her cyan eyes looking straight at him as she tilted her head. Paw forward she raised her forelimb and tried to tap him on the nose. "You are you, and you are interesting Cronan. Don't let anyone else deny you that fact." She giggled and sat down. Maybe she was getting too much ahead of herself. She could have been just as evil as the next wolf, but when the ice broke, there was a mild heart under it all. She was strange, simple and strange. When she didn't want to be, she could act. But, who knew, it was the way the world revolved around it all that made her excited. Speech,

Cronan watched the icy woman before him, not overly used to the concept of someone merely sitting and listening to what he had to say. Typically women didn't much care to speak with him. He figured most males would love the attention from the opposite gender but personally he'd come to nearly hate it. But for now Lova seemed to be a fine girl, just sitting and taking in his words. His head tilted a bit at the slight smile that came to her face, not too sure how his words could have caused it until she spoke.

He smirked lightly at her commentary on his markings. Well, she'd certainly be the first that was merely interested in his markings without finding them attractive. Though he had to wonder, did that imply that she found him unattractive? Not as if it mattered ? they were merely friends, he supposed attractions had nothing to do with it.

His head gave a light tilt at the words she finished with, not all that sure he'd met a wolf with the same viewpoints. Love was but a lie? ?Might I ask why you say such things? Most dream of the idea of love. Having someone to settle down with, to be there for them, to talk to, to comfort them. What about that is unappealing to you?? he asked curiously. Well, she hadn't stated that the ideas were unappealing, but even still, the words 'all but a lie' sort of implied it.
?Half of falling for someone is in their personality.? he commented when she mentioned she enjoyed getting to know wolves. ? Surely there are wolves you like and those you don't. I can't imagine a wolf who enjoys getting to know others has yet to find one she fancies more than a mere passing friend.? he stated, resting his head lightly on his paws as he relaxed into their conversation, finding her a bit easier to talk to once he'd warmed up to her a bit.

The male couldn't help a light laugh as she spoke. A promise not to fall for him? ?Falling for someone isn't anything you can control. But alright. If you're going to promising not to fall for me, I promise to keep my paws to myself.? he answered with humored eyes. His golden eyes followed her as she moved closer to him and gazed into his eyes, raising her forelimb to tap him on the nose, one of his ears flicking back a bit at the action while the other perked up slightly in a bit of a comical expression when combined with the slight smile on his face from her words.

?Well, I'm glad you find me interesting, at least. If it matters much to you, you're one of the few wolves I've met where the idea of friendship has actually been somewhat appealing.? he replied with a light flick of his tail as she sat in front of him.