Like a phantom Killian drifted between the trees, following the fresh scent of a rabbit on the move. He wasn't particularly hungry, but he was frustrated and searching for a place to vent his anger. He had been so conflicted lately, wanting to believe that he was a bad wolf but knowing it wasn't true. His heart had been winning out over and over again, making his dream of revenge fall out of reach. Nothing could have made him angrier. He was living for his revenge. Without it, he would have simply given up.



Maybe you should have.



The thought hit him just as he caught up to the rabbit and was preparing his attack. He shook his head vigorously, trying to keep the idea from distracting him as he attempted to take down his prey, but to no avail. Another thought plagued him just as he pounced. Just give up. He missed. He landed on his right paw, which gave out beneath him and allowed the rabbit to escape. He had never made such a huge mistake. It had resulted in the loss of his kill and searing pain in his leg.



Killian struggled to his good paws and let loose an aggravated howl toward the sky. He was emotional, he was hurt, and he was oblivious to the approach of another wolf. What an unfortunate evening.

New smells. New surroundings. Same old Alessa, except perhaps a little bit bigger. It had been exactly a year since she?d awoken to find herself alone. As all pups did, the young girl had tried in vain to locate her mother, but to no avail. She?d searched and searched and searched until her little paws nearly bled. It took about a day for the realization to kick in; her mother didn?t want her. But why? She hadn?t done anything, had she? Alessa had always been a good girl, listening to her mother and following directions. There had been a few times that she?d disobeyed, but what pup didn?t? Surely that hadn?t been enough to warrant her mother?s abandonment of her? She would never know. And so the young thing had set out, alone and without guidance into the world. It was a difficult struggle, with many nights spend half frozen or half dead from the lack of food. Fate was kind to her, bringing unexpected meals and companions along to show her the way and give her the tools she needed. Eventually after so long of being alone, the creamy peach tinted she-wolf learned what it took to survive and she began to make it. She was a quick learner and once she was taught, she could never forget. Her life had become endless wandering, always sleeping in new places, never sticking around one area longer than a few hours. She didn?t mind it much; she?d gotten used to it. Not only that but it was a lot more interesting living the way she lived. She got to experience all sorts of places and meet many different wolves as well as learn a horde of things. Alessa was rather content with how her life had turned out, but she would never forget how it all began. And it was her endless wandering that brought her to this new place. A few of the wolves she?d managed to meet had mentioned a place named Alacritis, where a number of packs lived and thrived. They said it was full of many different ecosystems and of course Alessa was curious. And that?s where she was now. They?d told her that the tell-tale sign of having arrived would be the huge battlefield that served as a kind of entrance to Alacritis. She?d found it easily enough, the stench of blood and death rather hard to ignore. She?d passed through it safely, managing to avoid running into anyone who had the plans of taking a life in mind. She?d wandered in deeper, taking care to only traverse the unclaimed lands. Differentiating between the claimed and unclaimed was easy enough, the scent markers helping her with that. The place she was in now was unclaimed; no scent markers anywhere, just the mixture of many different wolves. These lands seemed well traveled. Alessa wasn?t afraid. She knew she could hold her own in a fight if it came down to it, even if she wasn?t the biggest of the bunch. Sturdy limbs carried the young girl through the new terrain, orange-red and icy eyes scanning the new terrain. Scarce trees dotted the landscape, a meadow outlining the forestry. It wasn?t the pretties place she?d ever seen, but it was interesting in its own right. And then a sound. Alessa came to a stop, creamy peach ears tipped forward with attention as an aggravated howl erupted into the atmosphere. What was going on? By the tone she identified the call to belong to a male. Was he in trouble? He sure sounded like it. Pinpointing the location of the call, the maiden set off, her pace a steady jog as she neared the origin of the howl. A male scent hit her nostrils, confirming what her ears had told her. Dual-colored gems came across the dark brown brute with an obsidian face, the tips of his ears and shoulders dipped in the same color. He seemed to be hurt, favoring his right paw as he stood on his remaining good ones. Without hesitation Alessa approached him, nose gently sniffing towards his paw before she lifted her head, gaze searching his face. How bad does it hurt? It would be stupid of her to ask if he was ok because it was obvious he wasn?t. Better to know how hurt he was to see if she could be of any assistance. Talk like this

The brute had been so absorbed in his frustration that he hhad been completely unaware of the approaching female until it was too late. She was sudddenly upon him, investigating his paw and asking him about it. He flashed back to his sister doing the same thing any time he had been hurt before the incident. She had taken such good care of him all of the time, like her little brother was the most precious thing in the world to her. Wow, did he miss her... But this girl wasn't his sister. She looked nothing like her. She was a complete stranger.



Quick as a fox, Killian jumped away from the inquisitive female and withdrew his paw underneath his belly. His body was tense as he stood observing her with glowing red eyes,, analyzing the light peachy tones of her fur. It was an odd coloring, one he hadn't seen before, but it seemed to suit the personality he asumed she had - friendly and inviting. She was pretty, but she had invaded his space without his consent. She had gotten close in a moment of intensity that she couldn't begin to comprehend, and Killian had reacted on instinct. A low growl began an escape from his throat, but he cut it off as he regained his senses and the adrenaline faded.



The now subdued Killian limped back over to the female almost as quickly as he had bounded away, presenting his paw. While he was used to it hurting, the pain he was feeling now was excrutiating. SSilently he cursed his thoughts for being so invasive. It's pretty bad... much worse than usual. His deep vocals came out much quieter than they normally would, shame over his reaction pouring into his words. Sorry about the way I reacted. You caught me by surprise at a bad time.



Now that he had calmed, he took a moment to again examine the girl. She certainly was pretty, in a very unique way compared to all of the other females he had met and flirted with in his past few months. He also found himself impressed by her instinctive decision to rush to his aid. Most wolves would hesitate, wonder about their safety first. This one hadn't even considered it from what he could tell. Then again, she could have been watching him for quite some time and he just may not have realized. Perhaps she had made her decision with more care than he believed.

When it came to others, her safety didn?t really matter much. Since having been abandoned by the one wolf in her life that was supposed to be around for a long time, Alessa made it goal in life to help others; no matter what. She?d been doing that ever since she could remember and this situation was no different. In retrospect, maybe she should have been paying more attention to his body language and how he was handling the pain, but all she?d seen was a man in trouble and she?d reacted. Swift to take action and come to his aid, to see if there was anything she could do. But then, there were those who didn?t want her help and for the moment he appeared to be one of those. He started at her sudden appearance, his frame moving away from hers in less than a blink of an eye, his injured paw drawn up underneath his belly. Alessa stayed calm, watching him with mismatched eyes as his ruby ones studied her, perhaps assessing her reason for having approached him unaware. Her ears flattened away down her skull as a growl worked its way up his throat before it died away, not reaching its full potential. Was he realizing that she had come to help? It appeared so as he limped his way back to her, presenting his injured paw to her, deep lyrics filling her now attentive ears as she lowered her muzzle, nostrils twitching soflty as she gently prodded his paw. Nothing felt broken but she could feel a bit of inflammation around the joint. She was no healer, but she knew icy water was always a good way to dull the pain. At least for her anyway. From what I can tell it looks like you might have sprained it just a bit. I?m no healer so I could be wrong. That being said my knowledge of healing herbs is non-existent, but there?s a little ravine I saw just beyond those trees that I can lead you to. The water has to be pretty cold this time of year so the chill should help to numb the pain. She took a step back, allowing him just a bit of breathing room in compensation for having intruded his personal space just moments ago. His next set of words were laced with shame as he apologize about his reaction to her arrival. Shoulders lifted in a shrugging motion, dimissing his apology. You acted just like any other wolf would to a stranger?s sudden appearance. No need to apologize. In truth she had probably deserved that for having snuck up on him, so she wasn?t going to hold it against him. She watched him in patient silence, waiting for some kind of answer, noticing how his eyes roamed over her, making what she assumed to be a more detail observation of her. She took a moment to allow her own two-toned gaze to rove him once again, noticing a patch of white that lined his belly that she hadn?t noticed before. He was obviously larger than her, his sex giving him the height and girth to overpower if he so wished. He wasn?t bad to look at, but then again she wasn?t a beauty by any means. Would he accept her help? She supposed she would find out. Talk like this

The girl didn't seem at all bothered by his reaction, much to his relief. She watched him calmly as he went from startled to angry to calm in a matter of moments. Just another thing to add to the list of things impressing him about this female. She looked over his injury carefully, giving her assessment of it. Clearly this wasn't something she frequently did and medicine was not a specialty of hers, but she had a good interpretation of the situation. Well, it's been injured for a long time... But I definitely aggravated it with this little hunting accident. He shook his head slighly, still in disbelief that he had screwed up so badly.



It seemed as though her response to his apology was a sort of apology in its own right. Thank goodness she didn't hold it against him that he had reacted so poorly, but rather understood that it was and honest mistake. Killian offered her a light smile, unable to conjure up one with more substance. The light and dark inside him continued to wage war against one another. The hell-bent-on-revenge side screamed at the top of its lungs that this was a distraction, an unnecessary detour on his life path. The good side, the real Killian, struggled against it's opposite. It wanted someone to care about him for once. It had been so long since anyone had.



The young brute fought desperately to ignore his thoughts and feelings. and to act on instinct. He let his innate decision-making skills take over, removing the act of thinking all-together. It was just too much to handle right now. He found himself nodding to the girl. I do think some cold water would help at least ease the pain. There's no fixing it completely unfortunately. He stepped closer to her, his body feeling weaker and heavier by the minute. Please lead me?



There was no room for protest. He need help, and he recognized that. Sometimes, you just had to let go of being the tough guy for a while.

She?d never really bothered to teach herself about herbs because she?d never really had a use for them. She?d traveled around too much to really be able to sit down and figure out which ones were which and what their uses for. She was the I-will-suffer-through-this-and-deal-with-the-pain kind of girl. She always figured that her body was strong enough to heal itself on its own without the help of herbs. She?d had a few occasions where, only by fate?s grace, a healer had stumbled upon her when dealing with the pain just hadn?t been enough. Other than that, she?d always dealt with things on her own. There were some times, like now for instance, that she thought it smart that she probably learn about herbs sometime, but she always dismissed the thought. It just wasn?t her. His voice brought her back from her wandering thoughts. Well, it's been injured for a long time... But I definitely aggravated it with this little hunting accident. It had been going on for a while then. That had to suck. Happens to everyone every once in a while. Alessa noticed the light smile he presented her with, his offering of thanks maybe? She wasn?t sure. The smile didn?t touch his eyes, so maybe he wasn?t really feeling it but the creamy peach she-wolf didn?t mind. She didn?t need thanks from those she helped. Just them accepting her help was thanks enough. It didn?t take long before he was nodding in agreement, consenting to her help with oral confirmation. She was glad he was taking her up on her offer. She wasn?t sure that she would have been able to leave him the way she?d found him if he had rejected her help. Of course. I?ll take it slow so you don?t strain yourself too much. But just as she was turning to start heading in the direction of the small ravine, something caught her attention. She stopped herself before she began her turn, noticing how the brute?s frame seemed to sag, as if his energy was depleting. Could it be that his injury was worse than what she?d thought? Again with asking for consent, Alessa pressed herself up against him, somewhat lowering her smaller frame, using her shoulders as support as she tried to assist him. Here, let me help you walk. Again she was unsure if he would accept her help, but she gave it anyways. She took a tentative step forward, waiting for him to move so she could as well and they could begin the short trek to the ravine. Talk like this

When he was younger, accepting help would've been something that Killian consciously did. The idea would not have repulsed him in the least, not like it did now. He was supposed to be able to handle pain on his own. He was supposed to be tough enough. How else would he get his revenge? His gaze focused away from the she-wolf helping him, he almost didn't realize she was still there when a quiet growl emitted from his throat. Damn that spoiled rotten heir.



Embarrassed, he turned back to the female and offered her a quick smile of apology. He hadn't meant to think out loud to any degree. Killian hoped that she wouldn't be frightened or upset by his behavior. He probably seemed like a lunatic, and most wolves didn't want to help the crazy ones.



His head fell up and down in a slow nod. He was glad that she was willing to keep the pace easy for him, and that she had presented it in a way that didn't sound like she was pitying him. Accepting help was one thing, but being pitied was another. He would never be able to live with that. His disability put him at very little disadvantage the majority of the time.



Now, though, the pain was just too much. His eyes widened in shock as the girl pressed up against him for support, but Killian said nothing at first. She certainly was brash, but he never would've asked for her assistance and without it he would have very little chance of making it to the cool water. Thank you, he murmured softly as he took his first slow step with her on the way to relief.

She really shouldn't be the way she was. She should be bitter and angry and resentful towards the world. She had every right to do so when the wolf who had brought her into this world had abandoned her, left her to possibly die at the hands of the elements. Being a lot older now, Alessa still couldn't understand what would drive a mother to abandon her child without a second thought. Had her mother not been ready to be one? Had Alessa not been the child she wanted? The girl supposed she would never know. It didn't matter much now. She was a year and a half, far past the point of needing to be babied or taken care of. She didn't need anyone. She had herself and that was all she needed. At least that's what she tried to make herself believe. And then a growl broke through her thoughts, reminding her that she was helping out the strange boy at her side because he'd twisted his paw. Bi-colored gaze flickered to the darker male at her side, audits flickering to attention atop her creamy head. Why'd he growl? It certainly wasn't directed at her, she could tell that much. So why had he? He'd turned away from, apparently lost in thought when he'd suddenly turned back after his unexpected growl, flashing a smile of apology her way. She simply watched him calmly, not in the least bit frightened or upset out by his behavior. She had certainly met stranger wolves in her travels. He was relatively normal. She could feel the quiet shock ripple through him as she pushed herself against him, using her body as a crutch to help him make the trek to the ravine. At first she thought he was going to protest, but after a moment she realized he wasn't going to do anything. He appeared to fully accept her help, as unexpected as it was. Thank you. came his quiet murmur, taking his first.You're welcome.Alessa followed suit, taking the next one until they were slowly making headway towards the ravine. She would have offered to carry him there, but she was clearly not physically built to do such a thing, so she settled for acting like a crutch, aiding him towards the ravine that would prove relief from his aching paw. Talk like this

It was relieving that she hadn't been taken aback by his behavior so far and was still willing to go so far to help him. After the incident, having so many close to him turn their backs on him without a second thought, Killian highly doubted anyone would she enough sympathy to do anything like this for him. It was strange how one bad experience could give a wolf such a negative world view, and make him approach all situations full of doubt and uneasiness.



If it weren't for his injury, he'd be far more uneasy about the present situation. Alas, desperate times called for desperate measures, which included letting go of his inhibitions and "going with the flow." He stepped lightly and carefully, leaning on the girl beside him for support but trying not to put too much of the burden on her. He was still a strong male who could take care of himself if he needed to, and he needed to make sure that was clear for his own conscience.



As they padded carefully over the snow together, Killian found himself frequently falling into a dreamlike state in the quiet. He couldn't tell if they had been walking for thirty seconds or an hour anymore. Uncertain of what this meant, he became bent on keeping himself fully aware. He spoke a clear inquiry to the female without attempting to turn his head for fear of asking his body to do too much. She would understand.



What is your name anyway, miss? I'm afraid in all of this worry about my burden we managed to skip introductions. He wondered idly if she would be an fun to flirt with, though in this situation he wasn't sure that he was capable of it anyway. A tiny, almost unnoticeable smile played on his lips as they continued their trek to the water.

Despite the fact that he was allowing her to help him, she knew that he really didn't want her help. She knew exactly how he felt. Since having been abandoned by the one being that was supposed to take care of her for the rest of her life, Alessa learned to do things on her own. She learned to rely on no one else but herself. Why should she rely on anyone else? How could she? If her mother was able to leave her behind so easily, as if she were nothing, then who was to say a stranger couldn't. The creamy peach dove didn't need help from anyone else. She could do just fine on her own. But just because she didn't want anyone to help her, didn't mean that she wasn't going to help anyone else. The boy beside her was careful with his steps, apparently not wanting her to bare all of his weight. She was somewhat glad that he was able to support most of himself. That meant that he would be able to heal a little bit faster. At least she hoped so. There wasn't much else to distract the girl from her task of taking the boy at her side to the ravine. She mentally closed off all other thought process except to bring him to the chilled water for relief. They were nearly there anyway. What is your name anyway, miss? I'm afraid in all of this worry about my burden we managed to skip introductions. That almost made her laugh, but she suppressed the urge. She was helping him because he'd gotten hurt and he was worrying about introductions? I figured we would get to that once we got to the ravine, but I guess now's as good a time as any. My name's Alessa. Yours? She could hear the quiet trickling of the water. They were only a few feet away. The she-wolf didn't pick up her pace, but instead remained at the steady walk they had built up, knowing that it wasn't smart to rush him and risk injuring him further. Talk like this

How long had they been walking? Five minutes? An hour? The pain was clearly getting to him. Killian realized this. He wondered what he could've done to worsen his injury so much. He had grown so accustomed to the constant throbbing in it that it shocked him that he was being affected so much by it now. Perhaps something was broken? He glanced down at the paw he held elevated in front of him. No, not broken. Sprained maybe, which, on top of the severe nerve damage he assumed he already suffered, wasn't exactly great.



The girl seemed surprised that he had asked for her name, but she answered nonetheless. Alessa, he repeated quietly, a grin forming on his maw. He glanced at her, his red eyes shining. A beautiful name for a beautiful girl. A wink accompanied his sultry tones. Honestly, he used that line a lot, but it was never a lie. He would flirt until the end of his days, but he would never ever lie to a female. Especially not one who was helping him.



Focusing his gaze ahead again and turning his attention to keeping on his feet, he completed his response. My name is Killian. Turning his head to look at the girl had been draining. He was glad they had finally reached the water. Though they were still a few feet away, Killian lifted his weight from the female and limped to the shore fueled by adrenaline. He dropped onto his belly and let his weaker limb fall loosely over the snow into the icy water. A sigh escaped him as he closed his eyes, feeling content.

They'd only been walking for about five minutes or so, but at the rate that they were going, she was sure it felt like an eternity to him. It sure felt like that to her. She wasn't used to going this slow, but she'd offered her help so she wasn't about to start complaining now. She wasn't too sure how much the pain was affecting the boy beside her, given that he wasn't really providing any outward reactions to it other than cradling his paw against him, but that wasn't saying much. There wasn't a grimace or a hiss of a breath or even quiet cursing. Maybe he had more experience with pain than she knew. Moments after having given him her name she could hear it repeated back to her in his quiet, sultry tones. Alessa. A beautiful name for a beautiful girl. Alessa turned to face him, his ruby gems on her as he presented her with a wink. Really? She could've rolled her eyes. Of all things, he was trying to flirt with her? The cream peachy wolf wasn't convinced one bit by his words. For all she knew that could be the pick-up line he used on anything remotely female looking. Ontop of that, she wasn't interested in any kind of flirting or really in anything that had to do with forming any type of bond with anyone. The light pelted she-wolf turned away from the boy at her side, refocusing her mismatched eyes on the path ahead of them. Let's get you to the stream before the pain really sets in Killian. She didn't make any kind of remarks about his name or his physical appearance, choosing instead help him the last couple of feet to the water. But it seemed Killian had other ideas as he leaned away from her, limping the rest of the way. He settled himself at the bank of the stream, allowing his injured paw to gingerly breach the water's chill surface. Alessa took a moment to shake herself, chasing away the numbness that had begun to invade her shoulder before she padded over to the cool stream, peachy muzzle lowering as her salmon tongue snaked out to lap at the chilled water. It slid easily down her throat, easing the drying that had begun to take over. She drank a few more gulps before lifting her head, droplets of water clinging her to her chin as she let her gaze fall back on Killian, simply observing him. Talk like this

Much to his surprise, and delight, Alessa had coolly ignored his flirtation. Maybe it wasn't appealing when he was injured or maybe she just didn't find it appealing at all. There was no way to be sure, but either way Killian was impressed. Most girls would giggle, or at least smile and flush, at those words. This one was an anomaly, and that was something he liked about her. He chuckled in the silence of the moment amused by his thoughts.



Her suggestion fell on ready ears. Killian had already been pulling away as she spoke to him, driving him toward the water. He now lay quietly there, basking in the cool relief that was taking over his injured limb. In only a few more moments, the swelling would subside and the nerves would cease function, leaving a blessed numbness in place of the pain. As he lifted his head to drink from the flow, he noticed that the female was watching him. He let his tongue snake out and lap up a few sips before acknowledging her.



Life danced in his ruby gaze now as he turned to return the observation. Seen enough yet? he questioned, his tone laced with sarcasm. He couldn't be sure how long she had been watching him, but his guess was that it had probably been long enough for her tastes. From the way she ignored his flirting before, Killian guessed she was no fun. Just a very kind, helpful wolf.



He wondered idly if it might be nice to talk to someone who wasn't "fun" for a change. Since leaving home, it wasn't something he had really experienced. The brute tended to flirt, or not to acknowledge others at all. In the months since he had been exiled, he had yet to have a normal, friendly conversation. He wasn't sure he was even capable anymore.

She hadn't come here to make friends or acquaintances or anything like that. In all honesty, she wasn't really sure why she was in this place to begin with. Her paws had brought her here and she'd begun to linger a bit, the need to travel on suppressed at the moment. Was there something here that was calling to her? What could it be? She had no family to speak of, no friends, nothing. So why was she sticking around? She wanted to help people and this new territory was teeming with wolves that she could help. Something was happening but the she-wolf wasn't sure what. Killian had obviously tried to make a pass at her, it had happened to her before, but she'd coolly ignored it, making it seem like she had no idea what exactly he was hinting at. She had only come to help him, not to try and make something out of it. Her suggestion to get him to the water had been heeded as he'd separated himself from her, setting himself down at the shore of the stream, submerging his injured paw into the chilled water. She could see how the tenseness of his muscles vanished and relief flooded his frame. She personally knew how good it felt to finally get the insistent throbbing of an injury to stop, so she was sure Killian was feeling the same relief right about now. After sating her thirst Alessa had allowed herself to settle, hind limbs folding beneath her as she sat beside the stream, the tip of her peachy tail flicking over the water, sprinkling droplets across the earth as it danced behind her haunches lazily. Her fiery and icy gems were intent on the boy not to far from her, watching as he too lapped from the water only to raise his head, ruby gaze meeting her own as he sarcastically asked if she'd seen enough. Maybe, maybe not. It's for me to know and you to never find out. she answered coolly, her own sarcasm not as heavy as his. Talk like this

The cool water was delicious as it slid down his tongue and throat. It had been a long time since he had tasted anything so pure and clean. He missed having such luxuries always at the ready when he had been in a pack. Everything was so much more attainable, so much easier than life alone. It was the only thing he missed about his old life, and it was something he looked forward to in finding a new pack to support him. And, hopefully, this pack would help him seek the revenge he so desired. Excited fire gleamed in his eyes when he thought about it.



While the girl had been staring at him for quite some time, her expression wasn't very readable. There was nothing clear to say whether or not she was staring out of interest, but he assumed there was no interest involved. A hint of sarcasm traced her words as she responded to him, but it was nowhere near as pronounced as his. She seemed so plain... Ordinary.



A chuckle escaped his lips and he shook his head slightly. Killian didn't have much of a response for Alessa, so he simply murmured, Fair enough. He dipped his maw into the water again and drew a long drink from the stream, reveling again in its cool deliciousness.




ooc;; Sorry, this isn't my best xD

There was no one obligating her to stay in this place. Not that anyone could anyway, no one held power over her except herself, but there was no one who was at least asking to consider staying. Why? Because she didn't know anyone. She hadn't run into anyone except for Killian, but that had just been by chance. She tried to pass off the fact that she liked helping out people, despite knowing that it was blatantly obvious. She didn't run around smiling and happy as can be because she helped someone out, but each time she helped someone, she felt a little more at peace with herself. She knew the resentment she held towards her mother and the distrust that was projected to the rest of the world wasn't good for her, and it wasn't fair to those she'd never gotten to know to not be given a chance, but she couldn't help it. For all she knew everyone was like her mother. Looking to get close to her only to up and leave her without reason. She wasn't going to let that happen again. If others knew what kind of past she came from, they would understand why she's so closed off, so hard to read, so stoic. It was a rare occasion, she couldn't remember the last time it had happened if it ever happened, that she displayed any kind of emotion, even anger. Oh she's been angry before, it was just that no one ever knew because she'd become so good at masking her emotions beneath her seemingly statue-like visage. And that's what Killian was seeing now, the statue-like Alessa simply sitting there, only the flicker of her tail, moving of her eyes and the rising and falling of her chest giving away the fact that she was alive. There were some times that she wished she could be more open with others, more willing to let them in. Traveling on her own and being without the company of her own kin weighed heavily on the young girl at the times. Wolves were pack animals, they were meant to be around others of their kind, not traveling alone for most of their life. Was this why she was lingering in this new place? Could she be hoping that somehow she would learn to be around others, to accept them and possibly let them in? Killian's chuckle, accompanied by his words broke her thoughts. The creamy peach she-wolf snapped herself from her thoughts with a shifting of her mass, talons kneading into the soil as she refocused her two-toned gaze on the earthen colored boy beside the water. Is your paw feeling any better? she murmured softly, the sarcasm from before gone. OOC: it's not a big deal XD Talk like this

The girl continued to nonchalantly observe him, seemingly lost in her own thoughts at the same time. Killian lapped up a bit more water while waiting patiently for her reply, but none came to his remark. A more serious look crossed her features as she inquired about his paw. He shrugged and smiled. I can't feel anything, so I'd have to say it's much better. He paused, turning his gaze back out over the stream toward the pines beyond. This day had taken a drastic turn in a direction he hadn't expected and had initially frustrated him beyond words, but he was feeling content now. He was truly grateful for Alessa's help and he needed her to know that. Thank you for everything you did today, he said in a soft voice.



He hadn't relied on the help of another since he left his pack. His sister had always been his protector and his savior back then, but her attitude had clearly changed when he was punished for defending her. His eyes narrowed momentarily at the thought. She would get what was coming to her - karma was a bitch. Killian only hoped he would be there to see it. He turned back to Alessa, his head tilted slightly to the side, his tail swaying gently back and forth on the ground. Where did you come here from? His thoughts about his former pack had helped form the question in his mind. He wondered if she had experienced a past anything like his, but he doubted it. Most families didn't disown their children.

The distance between them was significant, and Alessa felt like it was just a bit too far from him. She had after all just been pressed against him not too long ago, so there had to be no problem with her being closer to him now. Despite her mistrust of others, she could feel herself enjoying his company. It had been some time since she had been around another like this. The creamy, peach tinted dame rose to her paws, disregarding any dirt that clung to her pelt, slowly padding closer to Killian. She stopped about a foot away, allowing her limbs to fold beneath her as she assumed the same position as he, ivory plume curling around her haunches as she settled herself, mismatched gaze focusing on the boy in front of her. He presented her with a smile for her question, shrugging as he told her that it felt much better. A small smile upturned her pale lips. I'm glad your paw feels better. It was just another day for her, another someone she had been able to provide assistance to. After he regained his proper ability to walk, would she see him again? Part of her wished to see him again, but then again she didn't think she would. She hardly ran into the same wolf twice. And then he was speaking again, thanking her for having helped him. She lowered her head against her paws, adverting her mismatched gaze. You don't need to thank me. Helping others is what I do. she answered quietly, honesty ringing true in her words. Alessa allowed her gaze to fall to the water, watching as the clear liquid rushed past the water, traveling to who knows where. Audits flickered towards Killian, a question reaching her ears. Where did you come here from? Fiery and icy pools fixated themselves on the earthen boy before her once more, pale lips parting to speak. I don't know. Somewhere I guess. I don't have a home. Never did. She watched his quietly, wondering how he would react to her response. Talk like this

Taking him by surprise, Alessa rose and approached him. His eyes widened very slightly as he watched her come nearer and settled merely a foot away, mirroring his position. Killian hadn't expected anything like this, but her presence so close to him was somewhat soothing. He slowly drew his numb paw out of the frigid stream and pulled it close to his chest, satisfied that it had been submerged long enough to nullify the pain and decrease the swelling completely.



At her response to his thanks a small chuckle escaped him. I may not have to thank you, he replied coolly, But I want to. It's the right thing to do. You are more than welcome to reject my thanks if you so desire, though. A grin spread on his maw and he shot her a playful wink.



He set a serious gaze on her as she informed him that she had no home and did not know where she had come from. He struggled to hide the feeling of sympathy from showing in his expression. Killian sighed, glancing off into the distance. Would it have been better for him if he hadn't had a real home as well? Or was it better to have loved and lost? Garnet orbs focused again on the she-wolf. I'm sorry to hear that, Alessa. Sometimes though, maybe its better not to have a home... It really was probably. No one to stab you in the back, no one to hurt you, no one to ignite such a fierce desire for revenge in your spirit.



Killian's pack had ruined him. No other wolf deserved that pain.

She could see the startled look in his eyes at her having come closer. She'd expected as much, when she'd been somewhat cold and unwelcoming to him upon her first arrival. She didn't mind the look though, she could hardly care. She just wanted to move closer and if he had a problem with that, then that was really too bad because she wasn't about to stand up and move anywhere else. She liked exactly where she was at the moment. She liked being a little bit closer to him, whether it was because it would be easier for her to provide more assistance or simply because she liked being around him she wasn't sure. It wasn't like it was really of much importance to begin with. And then he chuckled at her response, smiling and playfully winking at her as he allowed her to disregard his thanks if she so wished. She rolled her eyes dramatically, smiling despite herself. Oh I'm not rejecting your thanks Killian. It's always nice to have others appreciate what you do for them. But then the playfulness disappeared, replaced by a serious look as she explained that she didn't know where she'd come from, much less had a family to speak of. He glanced away from her, looking off into the distance, seeming to be lost in his own thoughts for the moment. Did he too have no family? He didn't seem like the kind of guy that had raised himself on his own. His next words strengthened her suspicion of his having a family. She shrugged, shoulders lifting only to sag back. You don't have to be sorry, I don't mind it. Never really needed a family...Why do you say it's better not to have a home? Had something happened to him? She could only wonder as she waited for a reply, audits standing to attention atop her peachy skull. Talk like this