The golden colored female walked the paths of Auster, the land that had been her home since she was little. She had come with her family to these strange lands, passing through Boreas on their journey here. That had been back when the girl was only a couple months old, carried by her mother to the strange lands. But now they were not so strange... They were home. The forest where the great oaks resided was her home. The female breathed in, flicking her ears forward as she breathed in all the familiar scents. Not many wolves came to visit The Ancient Oaks... Making her existence lonely. Especially with the disappearance of her parents.

Deep blue eyes would widen as the scent of a strange reached her nose. Someone had actually journeyed here? Her shock was evident as she searched the other out, soon finding him unconscious upon the ivy floor.

Maria let out a soft whine as she approached the stranger. Was he hurt? Was he safe to approach? The girl wasn’t necessarily afraid, no,but more worried about if this male was alright. She didn’t have very many herbs stocked up; just some basic ones to stop light bleeding and ease pain. She wasn’t very advanced in her studies just yet. Padding to his side the golden female gently nuzzled the black furred male’s side.

“Please... Please wake up.”

The brute had kept his gaze closed. All he could remember was the immense pain of hunger, and even a few injuries after fighting for some food. Though he had won, he walked off without even a second thought of the prey animal. However, the pain coursed through his body like an ocean over the shore, the pain crashing roughly inside of him as he closed his eyes tightly, a pained wince taking over him. But, before he could do anything else, the sound of a voice echoed in his ears as he slowly lifted his eyes, revealing a she-wolf with a golden pelt and white throughout. What even shocked him a bit, was the blue that surrounded bits of her body. However, despite the pain, he stood up and a small growl in warning.

He slowly stood up, wobbling to his legs before looking over to one of the trees nearby and taking a seat. The brute's stomach growled in anticipation for a chance to get a meal and to replenish the diminished energy that was obviously showing. This she-wolf, why did she even bother to come over to him? It would not even make the slightest difference anyway on what she could do, and Shadow paid no heed to her at all. The last thing he wanted was a yearling asking if he 'needed assistance' Please, like he would even want to accept help from a nuisance like she. He stayed silent, lying down and keeping his head on his paws, his stomach growling as he closed his eyes tightly. Though he was used to pain, for some reason this pain was getting worse and worse it seemed.

Maria blinked with surprise as his eyes opened. They were strange, a dark red just like some of the markings of his coat. The golden yearling took a step back, her white tipped ears flicking back under his gaze. He seemed to be staring, at least for a moment, as if she was something odd. But there was nothing odd about her coat, at least that Maria knew. But though she had woken him up the male said nothing to her, instead getting to his paws and even issuing a growl at her!

Maria’s eyes shown with concern, a frown upon her face as she watched him wobble over to one of the trees. He was in no shape to be doing anything, let alone threatening her. The femme let out a soft sigh, glancing around as she scented the air again. He had a couple of minor wounds... But it looked as though they had stopped bleeding at least. If she could run to her den she could get him something for the pain... But right now, she realized, this male needed food. He was displaying signs of weakness... How had he let himself get into such a state?

Moving from where she stood Maria would scent the air. With surprise she noted that a kill was close and quickly went to fetch it. Had... Had the male killed it and then collapsed? Quietly she brought it to him, dropping the rabbit in front of the brute before letting out a soft bark. “Here.” Maria nosed it towards him. “Eat.” She wouldn’t ask any other questions. Not yet.

Shadow had opened one eye to see that the female had bolted away, leaving him alone and with his thoughts, just what he enjoyed most of all. A small malicious grin ran over him before closing his other eye and trying to take in the darkness of slumber. Just when he thought he was about to fall asleep, he would hear a soft bark echo in his lobes, inwardly, he groaned to himself and lifted his head to see a hare in front of him. The female would tell him to eat, but who the hell was she giving him orders?! Yes, he was starving, but the last thing he needed was help from a pathetic she-wolf who obviously showed no capable signs of being able to defend herself. He fought the urge to eat the hare that was in front of him, looking to the female and giving a small 'tsck' sound before keeping his head on his paws once again and closing his eyes.

Why would this female even bother aiding him? Whenever Shadow was even helped, things had always ended up turning from bad to worse in his opinion. Though he was more than capable of fighting, and even dying if he had to. This female who offered him a hare and told him to eat, was not something he even wanted the slightest. She looked weak in comparison to him. He had been used to not having any source of food for some time, for it had happened on more than one occasion. "Why bothering aiding me, you nuisance?" Shadow barked rather harshly, not bothering to keep his gaze on her as he closed his eyes, not caring that she was there.

Maria was taken aback by the stubbornness of this male. He seemed to not want her help in the slightest, even when he was definitely needed the aid. He was pretty much starved, that much was evident. It wasn’t good for his body and no better for his mind. The small female would blink as he spoke, calling her a nuisance. The girl frowned deeply, furrowing her brow as she continued to look upon this male. He didn’t even both to keep his eyes on her!

But Maria wasn’t necessarily angry. She was frustrated yes, but not because she was called a nuisance. More so because this male didn’t seem to see that he needed the help. The golden wolfess stomped her paw lightly, narrowing her gaze as she looked upon the strangely marked male. “Look.” Maria growled softly. “Call me what you will but you do need help.” Maria tilted her head to the side.

“So rather than act like a big baby, why don’t you eat the food you clearly need and let me take a look at your wounds? If they’re left untreated they can get infected... And you won’t be so growly when you’re in pain, I can guarantee you that.”

The brute would shift his gaze to the side after opening them to look back at the wolfess. Why was she so determined to help him when it was clear that he did not want it? Life was totally full of surprises with him right now, and with her, he had not been sure why, but it seemed like she was the first one who have ever even shown any kindness. His parents did not even bother to do that either as a small huff escaped it. This dame was persistent, so it was obvious she would not bother leaving him alone if he did not accept the aid that she had to offer. With a sigh, he began to tear into the hare, blood staining his muzzle as he did so, making the ebony fur he possessed even darker. His crimson optics stayed focused on her in case she did anything stupid.

He relaxed his body a bit so she could make out the wounds a bit more, but he knew if she were to even hurt him once, she would regret it severely. He finished his hare in a matter of minutes, shocked that he had eaten it so quickly. Actually, he wasn't due to the fact he had not eaten in what seemed like a week. "What is your name, girl?" He asked, his tone shroud and rather deep and monotone, almost as if he had no care in the world and wished that he was alone right now.

Maria found a bit of relief as the male began to eat. It was in her kind nature to not let another starve themselves... And perhaps soon he would allow her to see to his wounds as well. Truth be told part of the reason for Maria’s naivety in helping strangers was her loneliness. So desperately she longed for company... But this forest was all she had known for some time. It scared her, the thought of leaving it. Even when game was harder to find in winter this was still her home... She couldn’t just abandon it.

After the male had finished eating he asked her name. Not exactly in the nicest manner, but at least he was sort of being friendly? Maria’s tail began to wag back and forth as she answered the male, a bright smile on her face. “My name is Maria, sir!” The she-wolf barked happily. “I bet you’re feeling a bit better after something to eat, huh? But you’ve still got some wounds that need cleaning... May I?” She wouldn’t approach him without his permission. Her parents had always said to ask a patient for permission before she began treatment on them.

Shadow would listen when she spoke her name, seeing that a bright smile lingered upon her features and her tail was wagging. Why would she even smile when he just asked a simple, nonchalant question? However, he would take in her simple name with interest. Maria. It was a rather different name, but he paid no mind to its simplicity and gave a small huff in response to her own. The sounds of crows landing on branches shifted his gaze as he looked to them, then back to the hare that's bones were now in front of him. There were a few bits of meat still left upon the bones, but, the brute would kick them to the side with his front paws as they flew off to pick away the remaining scraps from the bones.

Then, she would ask if she could tend to his wounds. Though they were only a few scratches that would heal in due time, he did know that she probably wouldn't bother to leave him alone unless he said yes. With a defiant and agitated sigh, he relaxed his body in a way that showed she was allowed to do as he wished, his eyes not leaving her form incase she were to dare think of hurting him intentionally.

Maria took note of the agitated sigh, how his gaze didn’t seem to leave her form. The girl moved towards the male all the same however. Ears perked forward she moved slowly, not wanting to alarm him when he was already in an agitated state. The femme would examine the scratches he had. Most of them weren’t very deep, but there was one on his shoulder that the femme thought appeared deeper than the others. If he wasn’t careful with keeping the dirt out of it the would could very easily become infected.

The golden femme glanced at the male once more before offering him a gentle smile. Then she started to get to work. Her pretty pink tongue would slide out of her mouth and over the wound, cleaning it free of the sweat and dirt that had settled upon it. She knew getting this male to agree to wait for her to get her herbs would be a long shot... But perhaps if he saw she meant him no harm he’d go for it?

Shadow had not kept his gaze off the golden woman's form. For some reason, he felt his heart beat even faster than normal whenever he looked at her, even when she offered him a gentle smile. What was this damn feeling, he was thinking as a small sigh escaped him. Feeling her tongue run smoothly against his cuts, caused him to give a small wince, but he was used to the pain by now. He would turn his cranium away from her and place his head upon the ground, watching the crows as they battled each other for the scraps that were left on the bones. It was rather amusing to say the least.

Perhaps since this female had told him her name, it would probably be the one good thing he would offer for the dame even though he hated showing kindness to those he had only met just for one day. "My name is Shadow..." he spoke quietly, but loud enough for Maria to hear. He would close his eyes, not really wanting to pay attention to the dame anymore since he was obviously bored and only focusing on darkness that surrounded his eyes would be even more entertaining.

Maria kept to her task quietly, musing to herself the potential backgrounds this male might have. He spoke again, much to her surprise, quietly offering his name; Shadow. It was a name that seemed fitting of the man. Maria gave a small nod, a sign that she had heard, before moving onto the next cut. She proceeded in the manner until they were all clean, coming up beside Shadow as she smiled gently once more.

“That’s a bit better... But they won’t be fully treated unless we get my herbs. That is... If you don’t mind accompanying me?” Maria shifted on her paws, flicking her ears back. “I know it might be hard to trust a girl you just met... But I honestly just want to help!” She moved before shadow, dropping down onto her belly so that her nose was directly facing his own. “Maybe... Maybe you’d want to stay here a while and regain your strength?” Maria suggested hopefully.

Shadow would turn to see that the dame had nodded, obviously showing that she had heard him while she had continued with cleaning his wounds. A small sigh would come over the brute, before turning his cranium to see that Maria had lied down upon her stomach, her nose happening to touch his only slightly from the small touch, but he paid no heed to it. She would ask him if he would like to accompany her to retrieve some herbs for his wounds, or, perhaps even stay here and regain some more of his energy. The last question almost made him want to laugh. Was she questioning his ability to continue forward despite not having rested and eaten for some time? Shadow's crimson gaze stayed locked upon Maria's orbs.

"Do not think that because I have only eaten once for this time that I can't continue. I have been through a lot worse situations than this, but, I will accompany you to get your herbs." He would explain, standing up as his ears stayed upright, almost as if on alert that something would attack them at any second, but, he was also trying to see that if she were to make out anything that sounded suspicious, he would either attack her, or decide it would be best to just leave. He did not turn away from a fight, but he did not want to fight a girl unless he really had to. He turned to her, waiting for her to lead the way to retrieve the plants that were said to help with his wounds.

Maria continued to smile, even after Shadow’s gaze met her own. His words might have seemed harsh, like he was trying to be this big strong wolf and let her know that he wouldn’t be messed with... What a silly thought! Maria wouldn’t hurt anyone just for the sake of hurting them and truthfully doubted her abilities to do much damage anyway. Her blue orbs rested upon those crimson ones, never flinching even as Shadow stood. She too rose to her paws.

Her ears twitched as she looked around, her guard completely lowered as she spoke in a soft tone. “Now lets see... The quickest way back to my den...” Maria muttered to herself. Then, with a wagging tail the girl set off towards the den she called home. She glanced only once over her shoulder at Shadow, giggling as she asked in a playful tone,
“Well? Are you coming?”

Shadow had kept his attention focused on the dame, even has she was looking around for the quickest way to her 'den'. A small groan overcame him as he heard her giggle, asking if he was following her. Though he did not say a word, he walked over to her and waited for her to lead the way. His eyes stayed focused on her, when he felt like there was a presence around them; but perhaps he was only being paranoid as he walked beside her toward their destination.

The different smells that lingered in the wind, almost appeared to be hypnotizing the young male. And, with a heavy sigh, he would look over to see some more crows hovering around them. Her raised an eyebrow and stopped, looking around as his nose lifted upward to take in the scents that were around them. And, when an unfamiliar scent hit him, he dashed forward and stood in front of Maria. He did not know why, but he all of a sudden felt a sudden urge to protect her, even if the situation was nothing that the brute had to worry about.

Maria didn’t miss the groan, though she did pay it little mind as she lead the way. Her steps were light, almost carefree as she strode through the familiar part of the forest. She moved happily along, ears twitching every so often as she caught the sound of this animal or that. Nothing seemed out of place to the golden she-wolf and for that she was very, very grateful. Her home here was peaceful, she thought, and there hadn’t been any serious signs of trouble since she arrived in Auster.

Yet just like that Shadow seemed on edge. He moved before her, taking on a protective stance. Maria’s ears lowered, her brow furrowing and blue eyes shown with worry. What was going on? A soft whine built up in her throat, a soft voice escaping her as she quietly asked; “Shadow?” Had he picked up on something out of the norm for her peaceful abode?

Shadow shifted his gaze from side-to-side, happening to see what appeared to be shadows of other wolves, or other wildlife for that matter. But, he could easily tell that whoever these animals are, they were looking for a fight and not to make friends. He kept his claws digging into the soft earth as is alabaster canines were exposed. A deep growl erupted from his throat as his tail stood up in what was supposed to be dominate stance. Some chuckles surrounded through the bushes, almost three at most as what he could pinpoint at the moment.

"Show yourselves, cowards!" Shadow barked. Chuckles continued to reverberate throughout his ears as he looked around, staying in front of Maria as a look of urgency seemed to appear upon his brow. That was then when three black wolves happened to approach them, all three of them being males as they appeared to be laughing at him and Maria. "What do you want?!" Shadow demanded, eyes staying narrowed and a serious expression was noticed.

"What does it look like, freak? We want that beautiful looking thing behind you!" All three of them laughed as Shadow stayed even closer to Maria to this time, his claws digging into the earth even more as he shifted his gaze to Maria, his eyes showing sincerity and kindness for once, almost as if without words he was saying 'I will protect you'.

Maria shrunk back as Shadow barked out, anger in his tone. He looked so fierce, ready to lunge into battle at a moment’s notice. Yet the femme did not yet see the threat, or rather threats, that loomed in the shadows. But then, as if part of the shadows themselves, three black wolves, all males, came sliding out of the darkness. They were large, with mocking looks in their eyes as they laughed at the two of them. Maria felt her blood begin to boil... They... They what!?

A shocked look crossed her face at their words. It took a moment to register, but Maria realized this males wanted more than a friend. A growl, much to her own surprise, shook from her throat as she lifted her tail slightly. Her ears pinned back against her skull as she shrank down, though not without uttering a threat. “Go ahead and try. I could poison you all while you sleep!” An empty threat considering her current stock of herbs... Not that these brutes would let her get to them.

Her blue gaze met with Shadow’s and the girl gave a small nod, trying to offer him a smile before glaring back at the other three males. “I’m not some prize to be claimed. So go on, g-get out of here!” She was doing all she could to appear strong, to keep her voice up and threatening... Too bad she was so quiet... And the stuttering surely didn’t help.

Shadow was shocked that Maria even bothered speaking to the three brutes before them. They appeared to be circling them now as one of the male's spoke to Maria. "Yeah, I'd love to see you try!" Shadow snarled, "If you three even think of touching her, it will be the last mistake that any of you ever make. You can count on that!" Shadow snarled, his crimson orbs showing menacing intentions as he took a step forward.

One of the males laughed and lunged forward toward Maria. Shadow shifted his paws to the side, tail staying raised as his weight stayed more toward his back paws as he, too, ran forward and leaped at the male, pushing upon his side as the dark male fell backward and rolled back to his comrades. He appeared to be a bit dazed, but not unconscious.

"Consider that a warning," Shadow spoke, his voice monotone and staying menacing as he kept his eyes focused on the three males. All three of them this time surrounded him. The ebony brute did not even bother moving with the three male's closing in on them. "If this is supposed to scare me, I have seen plants that were much more fierce than you three idiots." One of them snarled in rage and leaped upward as Shadow moved to the side almost at a moment's notice it seemed, causing the attacker to hit the ground. "I was taught if you stay calm, your opponents will have a harder time hurting you. If you are full of emotion, more than likely you will be beaten to a bloody pulp." He approached the male that fell and placed both of his front paws on the male as the attacker gagged, trying to break free, but he was much smaller than Shadow. "And that is exactly what will happen to you." Shadow's crimson optics bore deeply into the attacker's emerald eyes, and, a swift bite fell upon the attacker's throat as he yelped in pain as blood stained Shadow's maw. He moved out of the way as the attacker lay motionless.

The two males stared in disbelief at their dead comrade, and, without hesitation they ran as one hollered. "Freak!" Shadow was used to the name calling and turned to Maria.

"Sorry you had to see that, Maria. But, I doubt any of those two will think about hurting a female again," he explained and looked at the dead wolf before him, his eyes closed and head down slightly, almost in regret it seemed.

She was afraid. Shadow was protecting her, though the Gods only knew why. When one of the males lunged for her however the golden she-wolf froze up, her eyes widening with horror as she looked upon the male. W-what would he do to her? She squeezed her eyes closed, bracing for impact, but the impact never came. It seemed helping Shadow was paying off as the mysterious brute aided her, deflecting the male’s attack and pushing him away from her.

When she heard Shadow speak Maria opened her eyes again. This time, much to her horror, the males began to surround Shadow! She took a step back, a low whine rising in her throat as she looked at each of the males in turn. They were so big... Could she really do anything to help? She was scared, her body shaking as she tried to steady her breath. She had to do something...! She couldn’t just stand here while Shadow fought all alone! She had to be brave... She had to!

But Shadow was faster than the hesitant female. Everything seemed to slow down as she watched with horror; Shadow murdered one of the attackers. Sure they had been in the wrong... But murder... She kept her ears pinned, her body shaking as she watched Shadow and the dead male on the ground. Sure the male had been smaller than Shadow... But he had been larger than her.

Maria watched Shadow as he looked down at the other wolf, seeming to almost be in regret. He... He hadn’t really wanted to kill him? But then... Why? Maria whined softly once more, taking a step forward as she gently nuzzled Shadow’s shoulder, speaking in a quiet tone. “Thank you... I’m sorry I hesitated... I... I shouldn’t have made you face them alone.”

The dark male would listen to the dame speak. She was rather hesitant with helping him fight, but he could somewhat understand why due to the fact this woman was more reserved and was more of a healer than a fighter. She had thanked him. Seriously, why would she even bother thanking him? He had murdered someone, and though he had done it some times before, it was really the last thing Shadow wanted to do despite his appearance and facial expression showed. Some of the world seemed to almost freeze in his eyes, but he paid no heed and nodded once to Maria.

"Though you may have tensed up, I have seen many who have just ran away and did not bother facing their fears. If you do not face them, then how will you protect the ones you care for?" He would say, walking onward for a couple yards before turning his cranium back to Maria, wondering if she was still coming or if he should be on his merry way. His crimson orbs still showed seriousness, but they were calm nonetheless for once in a long while. The blood of the male that had been killed still lingered on the dark brute's maw as well, but Shadow didn't even care about it.