Cut me loose My parachute won't let me fall Don't be afraid of a chance for a miracle ~*~ (musical inspiration for title: linkie) It was a glorious night sky that swirled above the rocky land. A dark inky blue striped with lighter swaths was made to dance with tiny babbles of light and the slimmest sliver of crescent moon. In another land it might've been too dark, but no, not here, not tonight. The sky was so crystal clear, and lupine eyes so keen, that each star might've been a spotlight. The garden of granite and sandstone below swam with muted starlight and long blue shadows. It wasn't a midnight for sleeping, it was one for living, for running, for dancing. And through this nighttime masterpiece passed a long and lonesome howl. It's source? A beautifully feminine figure of a wolf that seemed stitched together of the same stuff that made up the sky - white stars and ebony night. Two shining sapphires opened up wide and glowed out into the world as they searched. They had agreed upon the meeting place. Orica knew that Demyan would be here. He had to be. They'd been apart for some time though. Perhaps one week? Two? It seemed too long and yet too short. Orica had had to leave him to say her goodbyes to her family and to see the birth of her litter of younger siblings. She would not be around for their earliest months, but that was alright. Creator willing, she'd be back among the pack well before their first birthday. They pups of course were going to grow up safely and happily. Their future was assured. Orica meanwhile was off venturing into the unknown. But she had her reasons. She believed in Demyan and she knew he was a better wolf when he was around her. For his sake and for the sake of those who would otherwise be in danger of him, she was willing to make him her traveling companion for as long as it took - be it a season or a year. And of course... she might've had reasons pertaining to herself as well. She couldn't lie, she liked Demyan. well no, that wasn't quite right. She liked what he could be, and she had faith in his ability to change. His dark side terrified her, but she'd already seen him wrestle it aside numerous times for her. And more than that. He actually seemed to.... well, to like her. Maybe. But that was too confusing. She knew nothing about that, so she let that be. She was showing she liked him to by doing all of this. By waiting for him. Again she let out her high sing-song howl. ~*~

Night and day that little medic never left his thoughts. Every morning that he woke he awoke thinking about her, wondering if she'd slept well the night before and if she'd awoken fine that morning. Every night he went to rest he wondered how her day had gone and if she was sleeping safely and soundly. He yearned for her presence, for her melodic voice to fill his ears, to be able to see himself reflected in her sapphire eyes. Every time he went hunting he wondered if she'd eaten well that night. Orica plagued his thoughts non-stop and it was driving the titan mad. She had told him that she'd had to leave him for a little bit to say goodbye to her family, but he had never imagined that this short amount of time would seem like an eternity. He had done good in her absence. He hadn't killed that white pack woman whom he'd failed killing the first time. He'd let her go free. Would Orica be proud that he hadn't killed anyone in her absence? She told him that exactly after a week or so, down by the eastern territories, she would summon him. And he had waited for that night every night after she'd left. And finally, finally tonight was that night. Demyan had been sitting in an open field, Nickolai situated beside him, cyan eyes upturned towards the starry sky, already imagining Orica's marbled figure coming into view as he greeted her after their prolonged separation. It was then a song-like voice broke the quiet night, summoning the man who had once been a monster but was trying to reform his ways. Powerful limbs pulled the man back onto all four paws, a brief shake of his pelt given to rid of debri before he was off at a quick gallop, Nickolai running easily alongside him. The organ's in the beast's chest beat at a frenzied pace as he pushed himself towards his little medic's call. He had missed her so much. He would've never imagined himself missing someone before...He never missed his sister, even if they went weeks without seeing each other. She wasn't an essential part to his survival. Orica was. Or at least...It felt like she was. Her scent was pungent in the area and it attacked his nostrils with full force. Her smell sent a punch to his gut, making his stomach twist into knots as he broke through the foliage, cyan gaze immediately locking in on her marble figure, bathed in iridescent moonlight. She was just as stunning as he remembered her, if not more. He slid to grinding halt, talons digging into the soil as he brought himself to a complete half about a foot or two away from her, massive chest expanding and contracting with the exertion of his run. Nickolai had slowed down well before they had reached Orica, his lithe feline form swaying into the area as he padded up to the young she-wolf, rubbing the length of his body alongside her ribcage before moving away to perch himself atop one of the higher rocks, forepaws dangling over the edge, elongated tail swaying lazily behind spotted haunches. Demyan didn't pay attention to his feline companion, knowing the cat would stay well out of his way. The gargantuan gazed down tenderly at the ebony and ivory traced young woman, part of him wanting to rush forward and embrace her while the other part told him to stay put. Still unsure of where they stood the man held back, watching her quietly, waiting to see what she would do or say. Talk like this