Here he was... Wandering at the bottom of the ravine. He decided that a short trip away from Valhalla, just to stretch his legs, was needed, and thus the brute had wandered here. It was quiet, honestly... And the male found the solitude a little relaxing. Sure he enjoyed the company of others but... A little alone time never hurt anyone now and then. Once more his thoughts had turned to the pup he had rescued. He was almost four years old when he found her... And just over five when he left her with a pack... Leaving without a single word. He would sigh, ears lowering at the thought. It had been a hard decision... It honestly had. Emily was a truly special wolf... Her young, bright spirit had captured his heart... But her age had made the brute worry about hurting her... And so, doing what he felt was best, Arwel had left her behind before coming to Alacritia. She had a past tragic like his own... He had been wandering the valleys below the mountains that he and Sindri had moved too... And that was when he found her... The lone survivor of the slaughter of a small pack. It was far to similar to his own past... And so maybe that was what sparked their bond. Slowly Arwel would come to a stop, laying down where he was. There wasn?t really any others that he could scent for the moment... And he didn?t care to search for company now that his heart was aching again. She was two now... Right? Nearly three. How time kept moving... Changing things. Would she remember him? Did she often think of him as he thought of her? Arwel could honestly only wonder. "Normal. Speech. Thought. You."

Emily was out enjoying the sunny day as she ran around in a field chasing after doves, occasionally catching some to eat but for the most part just chasing them for the fun of it. Emily loved her peaceful life on the island but she occasionally wondered if there wasn?t anything more than the leisurely life she had. She decided that the next day she would go on a adventure to see what else lay beyond her small island.

Emily woke up fairly early the next morning excited for her new adventure. She spent a few hours catching some breakfast for herself plus a little extra food for energy to make the swim new the nearest island she would have to swim to if she was going to make it to the main land. Once Emily was sure she was prepared for the swim she made her way to the ocean.

Once Emily got to the ocean paused for a minute to get her sense of direction. Once she was sure she new what way she needed to swim she started walking into the water. Emily let out a small yelp and jumped back, "Wow the water is so cold. I can?t let this stop me though." Shaking her head Emily took a deep breath and jumped right in and started swimming.

It took most of the day but she was able to make the swim to each island along the way until she had finally made it to the mainland. Emily started to explore this new land, her excitement growing with each step she took. Eventually her excitement would lead her to a ravine. As she entered Emily sniffed the air. She couldn?t explain it but something in this place was giving off a familiar scent. She couldn?t quite place the scent but something about it made her heart ache, but... with what? She decided she would follow the scent as it led her deeper into the ravine.

For a while he laid there... Until a scent would reach his nose as the winds shifted. Arwel would lift his head, body tensing as he breathed it in again. C-could it be? Was it... Really her? But... How? He had left her with a pack some time ago... And now... How was it she was able to find him? Arwel had thought, by stealing away by cover of the night, that he had seen the last of Emily... Had left her in what he had hoped would be a better life. His feelings for her... Especially when she was only a yearling... Had concerned him. The scent was slowly getting stronger... And slowly Arwel would rise, cerulean pools mixing with confusion... And pain. Had... Had she caught his scent? Was she even looking for him, or living out her own life? There were so many questions... And the older male would take a step back, debating about simply leaving the area... Fleeing from sight before Emily could take notice of him. ...But... It wasn?t what he truly wanted. His heart would call out, demanding him to go to the female. He would take a single step forward before hesitating, ears lowering some. What would she saw to him when he saw her? Would she be angry...? A soft sigh would leave Arwel. Regardless of how the meeting went... He knew he had to see her... Even if it was just one last time. Arwel would walk on, traveling for only a couple minutes before he saw her form. She had matured, truly filling out her young body. She was still as beautiful as ever... And from what he could see she looked well. He would come to a stop, directly in her path, sure that she would notice him. ...and waited. "Normal. Speech. Thought. You."

Emily continued to make her way slowly through the ravine as she followed the mysterious yet vaguely familiar scent. She had only been traveling for a few minutes when a figure approached her, stopping just in front of her. Emily started to back up with her tail between her legs. She wasn?t afraid of this new wolf but she preferred to avoid confrontations if she could avoid them. She was about to turn around and look for a new path when she stopped and smelled the air. For whatever reason, the scent she was following seemed to be coming from this other wolf.

Emily started to get excited as she walked over to this wolf. Something about him made her heart skip. "Hey, do i know you? I don?t really know how to explain it but your scent is really familiar like maybe your were a friend I used to have when i was little. Oh I?m sorry my name is Emily, whats yours?"

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As she walked towards him the brute would feel his heart sinking. She... Responded almost fearful at first. Had it really been so long that she had forgotten him? Had her life changed so much? Moreso now Arwel felt guilty for even nearing her... For taking what peace she had left and taking it away. He would lower his gaze, fighting within himself. But still she would approach, softly speaking. Her voice had matured as well, though it was still light, as if a songbird could use words instead of melodies. That voice had always been pleasing to the ears. It was certainly Emily. ?...?[/color He would slowly look up to her, a saddened gaze in his cerulean eyes. [color=#0FCDF0]?I...? Hesitation. He had seen her. He knew she was well. Wasn?t that all he really wanted? All he really needed? The male fought with himself... But his heart would win the battle. ?You do know me, Emily.? He would finally say. He would try to give a smile, though it was a saddened one. ?It?s me, Arwel. You?ve grown so much since you were a pup... Those days at Sindri?s den don?t seem that long ago...? That last part... Was a lie. It seemed ages ago... A lifetime since he had seen her last. ?What happened with the pack...?? The one he had left her with...? She didn?t bear other scents on her coat. Was she... Alone now? "Normal. Speech. Thought. You."

Emily stopped dead in her tracks. That name... it sounded so familiar. Emily sat down trying to remember where she had heard that name before. After a few minutes of thinking an image came to her from when she was young pup. She used to play a lot with a older wolf named Arwel, but one night he had disappeared. could this really be him?

As the memory of her old friend came back so did all the emotions she had felt towards him. Anger suddenly came to the young wolf as she gave a little snarl at her lost friend. "Why did you leave me alone like that!? You never told me you were leaving! You never even said goodbye." The anger was quickly disappeared from her eyes as she ran toward him and nuzzled him happily. "I've missed you so much Arwel."

Arwel would flinch, ears lowering as her voice became sharp, yelling at him for leaving her. He deserved it... He honestly did. He left her... Didn?t say a word... And now here he was, over a year later, just expecting her to forgive him? He would dip his head, a deep sigh leaving him as he tried to find the words to apologize. But, just like that, Emily?s attitude would shift and he would find the young femme nuzzling him, at his side now. His cerulean eyes would shine with a bit of sadness, and finally he would return her nuzzles, a whine leaving him. ?I?ve missed you too, Emily, more than you could ever know. I?m sorry... So sorry that I left you with that pack. It seemed to be the right thing to do at the time... You deserved to be somewhere safe... To be without fear... Or pain. I was a single wolf... A loner. I could not offer you the protection a pack could... And my fighting skills... Well...? He would trail off. He still had scars visible when she was a pup. Overtime, however, his coat grew over them, though during summer they could be a little more visible. Arwel would move to draw her close now, draping his head across the back of her neck and pulling her into a hug. ?...Why are you out here all alone? Did... Did something happen to the pack?? He would slowly pull back. ?They... They didn?t... Hurt you, did they?? "Normal. Speech. Thought. You."

"No Arwel, I mean they taught me to fight better and the training was tough but they never tried to hurt me purposefully. I left the pack because i was old enough to be on my own and I wanted to know more about what was beyond the pack lands." Emily began to recount the details over her training with the pack and how she had finally left the pack, going to islands and how she swam between the islands and hunted small animals.

"It hasn?t been easy being on my own and more than once I thought to go back to the pack but my heart and will kept me going forward. After many days of traveling I finally came to this ravine." Emily's tail began to wag. "I caught your scent in the ravine and i followed it. I couldn't believe my eyes when i saw you standing there.. I cant believe were finally together again! Its been so long I almost thought you were a dream."

He would breathe a sigh of relief as Emily said that the pack hadn?t done anything to hurt her. They had taught her to fight, doing better than he had judging by her words. She had chosen to leave... It was by choice. Emily had felt she was old enough to see the world and to be on her own. He would shake his head. ?Perhaps you are older now, yes, and you can care for yourself, but Emily there are still many dangers in this world... That was why I had left you with the pack in the first place. I wanted you to be safe...? She was still okay now, he would reassure himself. Her journey hadn?t gotten her hurt. He would give a nod, breathing out. ?It is definitely not easy to travel alone... That is why many loners go in pairs at the very least, or small groups. If I knew about your travels before now, and that you were out on your own I would have been much more worried, but... I can?t say that I?m completely unhappy about it. You?ve come across me again... And, well, I?m glad we are.? He would give a quick lick to the younger she-wolf on her forehead. ?I... Hope you can forgive me for my past decisions with you. I only wanted what was best for you.? And he had been afraid too... Of leading her into danger... Of letting the feelings he had started to feel for her develop. He would make the decision though, right then, that it was okay now. She was older... She could understand his heart... And he could understand hers. ?I?m part of a pack again myself... They live nearby. I was hoping that you might stay close to us, so that I could come visit again... Until I can figure out what we should do. The pack is rather large at the moment, swelling with numbers... We have some allies, however, that I might be able to take you to. You?ll be able to grow within another pack... And I?d come visit you as often as I could... That is... If this is acceptable to you?? He was rushing ahead and making plans... But would Emily even want this? "Normal. Speech. Thought. You."

Emily was glad to hear that Arwel was in another pack. It meant that he was safe and wasnt? on his own anymore but as the talk came to her joining another pack her heart began to sink. It wasn?t that she wouldn?t mind joining but he was talking about a pack away from him. How could he even suggest being away from her again?

"Arwel... we just found each other and now you want to send me away again? I really wanna stay with you." Emily let out a little whine. " Arwel... I..." Emily couldn?t bring herself to tell Arwel how she really felt about him. He must already have someone special. "Well if you think that's what is best I?ll think about joining this ally pack."

The male would lower his ears as Emily spoke. She sounded so heartbroken, the whine tearing out his own heart. He would look down shaking his head. ?It?s not like that! I?m just worried about you... I have duties to the pack... And my sister is there too... I can?t just abandon them. But we?re getting near our limit for members too... I?m not sure how easy it would be to get accepted into the pack... I just want to make sure that you are safe... Not all wolves are kind... You should know that.? His voice was soft. Arwel would look up at her now, shaking his head. He gently nuzzled her cheek, looking into her eyes with his own cerulean ones. ?I care about you a lot... But I don?t want you to do anything you aren?t comfortable with. You don?t have to decide now... We can always wait a bit and see if maybe Valhalla?s numbers go down. I only suggested the ally pack because you?d be somewhere safe and I could still see you. Its not that I want to send you away... That was one of my worst mistakes... It is one that I don?t want to repeat.? It was the truth... He felt horrible about it... Even more-so seeing how saddened she was at the thought he would send her away. He couldn?t do it to her. Not again. "Normal. Speech. Thought. You."

Emily saw how down she made Arwel. She also let out a little whine and nuzzled him gently. ?Well if you think it would be best to go to this ally pack then I can do that. If it means i don?t have to be apart from you again I?ll do anything.? Emily?s tail would begin to wag happily as she thought of just how much Arwel had meant to her and she wondered if he felt the same.

?And please don?t worry about me. I can take care of myself.? Emily gave a playful growl as she bowed to him almost challenging him to a play fight just like when she was a pup. ? Please don?t worry about me Arwel. Like you said well be able to see each other all the time. I understand you just want whats best for me and it would be wrong of me to ignore your feeling as well. I?ll do whatever you think is best for me.?

The gentle nuzzle made his heart lift some, though he still felt bad as she began to speak. She really, really didn?t want to be apart from him again. And he didn?t want to be apart from her either. He felt even worse, however, that she was so willing to go to one of the ally packs as long as it meant that she wouldn?t have to be apart from him. Clearly it meant that he meant a lot to her... And he could feel his own heart pressing him to show her that he felt the same about her. He didn?t feel any more at ease however when she said she could take care of herself, giving a playful growl and got in a bowing stance. When she was a pup this action was simply seen as cute, and one that he didn?t mind seeing her do... But now it only made the older male wolf nervous. He really didn?t want anything to happen to her... But at the same time he wanted to feel that he could trust her. That he didn?t need to worry so much and follow her every move like he did when she was little. Arwel would give a soft sigh as he looked back to her. ?We?ll figure this out together, Emily. For now, if you are truly sure you?ll be alright, I want you to stay close to this ravine. I?ll come visit you as well, as much as I possibly can. M-Maybe some room will open up in Valhalla... And if not... Well... I?ll go with you to the ally pack.? He would give a soft smile. ?We don?t want to be too far apart I guess, do we?? He said, hinting at the fact he guessed her feelings for him, and revealing some of his own for her. "Normal. Speech. Thought. You."