Reficul The spring morning was a lot more warm than the winter mornings were, but it didn't make her feel more alone. The odd colored black like pup with patches of brown here and there and two bi colored eyes was lost in this odd land filled with these large stone structures falling apart. She could easily be picked off by a predator of some sorts, but she had been hiding herself, afraid. She had gone out just for a bit to explore away from Loccian but had ended up here. Whining a bit as she looked around. Her tail curled around her back paws as she heard the cry of a hawk. She was hidden between two triangle like rocks, in the crevice. Though obviously her pack scent was waving off her no matter where she was. Don't make a sound, don't make a sound. Ref thought to herself as she closed her eyes for a few moments. The sun shining down the pup lowered her head, trying to keep her breath down. She was scared, she was alone and wanted Loccian to come and help her, but what if Loccian couldn't find her, what if she didn't care anymore? Ref shook her head. "normal. talk. think. you"

Masqurading as a man with a reason My charade is the Event of the season I hear the voices when I'm dreaming I can hear them say: ~*~ Gargoyle was pushing himself and he knew it, but the male would tolerate nothing but peak fitness from himself, wounds or no. He'd just recently settled a claim on the recently vacated lands of Tortuga. It would give his remaining followers and family a place to stay, and who knew? In time they might learn to love it as much as they did their old home. The once-volcano known as Mt. Volcan was truly a sight to see and something about it called to the male. He too had his inner monsters that threatened to erupt in destruction. But he also had a measure of control. And, since the birth of his and Ocena's children, a new gentleness that he had thought erased from his being long long ago. The recent challenge had shaken loose the beast from the box, but Gargoyle was holding himself accountable. He still had his family; his daughters, his son, and his mate. He still had his siblings and relations and his packmates. He still had a reason to hang onto his soul with clenched teeth. With the sun in the sky and the scent of earth and water and stone on the breeze, that job was easy enough today. Sweating from the strain of the long run, the male eased himself down to a lope, then a trot, then a walk - at least until he was under the shade of one of the many worn stone figures - then he collapsed out luxuriously with his hind legs splayed out and and his chin resting on the ground. But that was when he caught the scent of another wolf. Seracian; he recognized it from the fur of Maverick and the wolf Cyrik when they'd come as allies to the winter world. How long ago that seemed. But this scent was different. It was a pup's! And it was nearby too. Gargoyle raised his head and scanned the rocks with blank yellow eyes. There was fear scent on the wind. Whoever this was, the pup wasn't supposed to be out. It was worried. The Northern brute had done his share of good samaritan work in the past, and so many times it seemed to be spat back in his face... but that didn't stop him from quietly wanting to help. Pups. They had some sort of secret back door into his heart. "Hello there." As he called calmly and softly, he laid his head back on his paws. He didn't make a show of trying to search out the pup. He knew how terrifying his 41 inches could be and he didn't want to frighten the child any more than it already must be. What if it had been one of his own cubs? "Are you playing hide and seek?" he called, putting an effort into trying to sound gentle. "Should I go hide too?" ~*~ Carry on my Wayward Son There'll be peace when you are done Lay your weary head to rest Don't you Cry No More

Reficul Ref was startled by a large male who came to speak to her. Games, why would she be playing games so far away from home. Her eyes narrowed as she shivered pulling her head away from him. "Wh-what kind of idiot plays hide and seek in a dangerous place like this." The pup muttered. Then turned towards the male. "You're probably here to eat me aren't you." She hissed a little bit flicking her tail. Loccian had given off a much more gentle approach and she was smaller, this male could mean nothing but trouble. She wasn't used to being around such other wolves as so. She snugged into her hole more keeping her eyes on the male. "Go away, someone else like Loccian will come to save me from the evil hawk." she pouted. The only reason she was acting this way was because she was afraid, and she wanted to seem like she was tough and could take care of herself. Maybe the hawk would get scared and fly off then right? That was always a good solution to the problem. "normal. talk. think. you"

Masqurading as a man with a reason My charade is the Event of the season I hear the voices when I'm dreaming I can hear them say: ~*~ The pup's first words brought a slight start to the male, followed by a low, rumbling sound- the beast's version of a chuckle, a rare sound. So she was one of the logical ones that had grown up quickly, eh? Very well then, making a game out of a dangerous situation was off the table, but he retained the soft, gentle qualities in his voice that took an effort from the beast. "Don't you think that if I were hungry I could go after something much larger and meatier? Besides, I'm a friend of Seracia, which is where you're from isn't it?" For a moment he considered going to fetch one of girl's packmates, perhaps this 'Loccian' she spoke of, but his mind rebeled against it immeidately. He couldn't leave her out here alone? Perhaps the world seemed sunny and safe enough for the moment, but things could turn ugly at a moment's notice. No he'd stay, despite her rather impressive order to go away. Gargoyle, going into something like a play crouch, half walked half crawled over to the opening of the little crevice that the voice had come from. Sure enough there was a little she-wolf pressed up against the stones. Such a pretty little thing too - with different colored eyes! Gargoyle almost smiled at the only other face he knew that had such a trait. "You have bi-colored eyes," he murmured. "My wife Ocena has those too, though hers are red and blue, not green and purple. We have a litter of pups about your age." he tsked, adding a little more quietly to himself "And now I wish I'd brought them." His little Orica would've come over so daintily and told the she-wolf everything was okay and offered to heal any of her wounds. Galileo probably would've sworn to protect the girl and unconsciously charmed her out of her hole. While Avalon, that little one, probably would've just marched in and dragged her out. that was the sort of brood he was sire of. ~*~ Carry on my Wayward Son There'll be peace when you are done Lay your weary head to rest Don't you Cry No More

Reficul Ref blinked as he got closer, frowning and forcing her body lower down into the hole. No way she'd come out with a monster like him starring at her. He was about as big as her dad, but that had been her dad. Her tail was stuck on the edge now as she glared at him. It wasn't until he spoke about his wife that she calmed down a bit. Another wolf with two different colored eyes like her, and he was a father too. She wiggled herself out a bit then tried to push her way out. She stopped and pressed her head against the males. "Listen you, you should never, ever, ever, leave your children behind. Even if you can't take care of them you have to be there for them until the very end understand." Her tail wagged back and forth out of nervousness. Ref got out of the hole but then cowered again at the circling hawk. She backed up into Gargoyle. "I just want to go back to Seracia, and never sneak out again!" She cried out loud sobbing. Now that she was all alone she really was upset about it. There was no way she was getting home now right, just this dumb old male was here. That wasn't much for her to go at wasn't it. She lowered her head and shivered a bit. "normal. talk. think. you"

The girl wormed herself about a bit and then popped out and walked straight up to Gargoyle's head, which was conveniently lowered thanks to his position on his belly. His yellow eyes widened slightly with her words, but he made no effort towards a reply, verbal or non. He paused a moment though, watching her as she started off. Well he didn't know how much depth was behind the words in the she-wolf's mind, but they settled quite well into his. Words to live by those.

Seeing that the girl was heading out, the male hauled himself to his full hieght. All 41 inches of it. His tawny paws started to pick up a pace wide and easy and slow enough for the little pup to keep up to easily. In fact, he remained slightly behind and beside her. Even from there, her little wail of self reproach was plenty loud. "I think that's quite wise," the male murmured. "You know your parents have probably been driven sick with worry." He guided her down a path lined with mossy covered stones, and started into a line of trees where the bird overheard, which she seemed to have been quite worried about, was no longer able to track them so easily. Even if it had been, no bird was foolish enough to tangle with a grown wolf the size of a bear just to get at some little tidbit.

Reficul Ref was a bit surprised at the man, she was being called smart, it made her giggle happily. Though she was still terrified that Loccian wasn't around. Her brown tipped tail flicked, parents what was he talking about? Weren't adult suppose to know everything? "I don't have parents, just Loccian." She tilted her head and flicked her ears. She was trying to conceal her constant shivering in fear but it obviously wasn't working. Scared, she was just plain terrified. Loccian needed to hurry up and find her, though she would probably be scolded for wandering off when she got back. "Take me home mister!" She whined out loud digging her paws into the dirt. Ref flicked her tail and looked at Gargoyle with her shivering form. She was almost a year old, she couldn't be acting like this in front of Loccian or the others could she. She pouted and lowered her head, it just wasn't fair. Why did the world have to be so confusing as it was. Ref didn't want to be alone ever again, and she didn't want anyone else leaving her behind. "normal. talk. think. you"

Gargoyle flicked at ear at her words. No parents. Just Loccian. So she was adopted. Or maybe this Loccian was another family member. Crusade had adopted a few kids in her time, and Gargoyle, well, when it came to little Ithurial, she'd more adopted him than the other way around. In his lifetime he'd learned that 'adopted' family members often developed ties as strong as blood. Sometimes stronger, for being blood didn't always mean, being close. In his musings he half noticed that the girl was shaking again, this time more visibly.

Eventually she just pinned herself down, asking for home.

"Alright," murmured Gargoyle in his throat, rolling tones. "Up you come then." He leaned down to catch up her scruff carefully in his jaws. The fact that she was night to be yearling didn't count for much when the wolf was Gargoyle's size. Ithruial was past her first year, and not long ago he'd picked her up and carried her through a snow storm. Heck'd he could lift up Ocena and she was a full grown wolf. Years of dragging around deer and caribou could do that to the neck muscles. But Gargoyle was recovering. Flesh had been torn off the left side and front of his neck. Had been. It was growing back now, and he felt fine enough to risk the strain. So long as the little girl didn't freak out or try to pull back. He wasn't trying to scare her more, in fact, most pups felt comforted when carried by their scruff. But he was still just a stranger and he didn't know if she'd let him.

Reficul The pup was nearly startled by being picked up but she relaxed and let out a small giggle. This brought back some fond memories of her father, but there was that one in the back of her mind that made her sad. She pushed it away and flicked her tail unable to move due to her relaxed muscles. She looked ahead, he better take her home before she whined about it all along the way. "Hey mister.....where are you from. You don't smell like Seracia." She looked up at him with her mismatched colored eyes in a curious manner. Loccian had told her a little bit about the other packs and how her parents were considered rogues because they didn't belong to any packs. The world was filled with wolves but many had evil intentions as she saw it so she was almost terrified of making friends, let alone fearing being left alone. "normal. talk. think. you"

Gargoyle hefted the she-wolf up with a grunt. Straightening up his neck and tucking his chin, he started to pick up the pace into a an easy, jogging trot. If only he'd still had his tail, then he would've perfectly resembled a mother tabby carting about her kitten. The trot quickened as he began to really cover ground. His ears twitched when the girl spoke. It seemed she'd been blessed with a good nose and a good amount of curiosity. Of course he wasn't from Seracia. He smelled like a mixture of snow and ash and nearly thirty other wolves she'd never met before. But he couldn't really get an answer out around the mouthful of her scruff. Besides, a proper answer to that 'where' was a little difficult at the moment. In the end, the best he could manage, was a wet, mumbled, "Long story."

As the time passed away with the trees and feilds, the scent of Seracia began to drift in on the stray wind. It was terribly faint, but at least Gargoyle was now going by more than just the vague directions his sister had given him form when she visited the southern kingdom. "Almost there, kiddo."