Hyperion had walked these lands for many years, but he had never seen this cavern before. He froze with his paw dangling in the air, eyes narrowing as they caught sight of the opening. The mouth of the cave was hidden partially by rocks and grasses, perhaps explaining why the brute had never seen it before. Curious, he turned his path toward the cavern. What mysteries must lie in its depths? The large male trailed in slowly, breathing in the damp smell of earth all around him. Deep inside he heard the ominous sounds of dripping water. His footfalls were silent. As Hyperion continued to travel deeper in the cavern, the way became less stable. He watched where he placed his feet, being extremely careful as to avoid slipping. One misstep could mean an injury, especially for a wolf his age. Burning amber eyes narrowed even further, struggling to see in the near darkness. Soon, though, the walls on each side changed from mud to stone, and the entire area was drowned in a strange low light. The only evidence of this light was the dull opalescent glittering of the crystals at his feet. There were tiny jewels scattered above his head as well, rare twinkling stars that were imprisoned in stone. This cavern was truly beautiful. What a shame, he thought, that I've never explored it before. Now if only he had some company to enjoy it with... Walk. "Talk."Think.

The sound of the cold droplets of water trickling down stalactites and stalagmites was something to behold. The low stone surface was slightly unstable, and even though her paws were slightly smaller, and used to uncontrollable terrain, sometimes, a low misstep can mean disaster and injury. Her ebony colored nostrils moved in and out, the smell of the stale water and the movement of paws that were not the femmes caught her lobes. They flicked forward. An unfamiliar scent was clearly something that she had just smelled.

She approached forward, almost slipping from a stone that started to tumble. She could see a cavern not too far from her location, but the downfall, there was an older male wolf who would have on this land longer than she was standing in front of the cavern as well. He had white around his pelt, and his ebony coat was slightly more dull due to age. But, he was a rogue, and she was from a hated pack. Would he turn and attack her?

Esperanza approached the brute slowly and watched with a kind heart.


Hello, Sir," was what she had said and bowed her head respectfully. She did not wish to start a fight, and she wasn't quite well in fighting herself. She knew that from a well known fact. Her emerald orbs looked into the amber colored ones of the male, but she stayed silent for him to speak.

The cavern was silent except for the sounds of quiet breathing and the occasional drop of water. The dark brute tilted his head to the ceiling, staring at the tiny sparks of color. If only he could touch those precious artificial stars... Lost in dreamlike thoughts, the male nearly missed the scent that met his nostrils. There was a stranger here. His golden eyes slid quickly down, taking in the young female before him. Her coat was nearly impossible to make out in the darkness, as it was the color of ebony. Her eyes, however, shone like the gemstones in the walls around them. He smiled politely as she spoke. Normally he was a bit wary of strangers, but this girl seemed friendly enough. Besides, all females deserved respect, and that was what he would give. "And hello to you, young lady," Hyperion greeted, bowing low in her direction. His tail flipped happily for a moment. Had he not just hoped for company? "Forgive me, I didn't see you there. I was admiring this gorgeous cave..." Then, with a charming smile, the old brute decided to compliment the pretty maiden. "Oh, how rude of me. The beauty of this cavern is dull in comparison to you." He gave a small, friendly wink before returning his warm gaze to the ceiling. Hopefully the girl would accept his compliment. It was only fair - he was raised that way. But what would she say in return? Walk. "Talk."Think.

The ebony femme would heed the words that the brute had spoke to her. She chuckled at his compliment and bowed her head in respect since it was also what he had done. "Thank you for the nice compliment, Sir, but you are still young I believe, for we are still young until the gods take us to the next world,"she smiled and looked to the cavern as the droplets of water continued to trickle from the ceiling and onto the land. Her emerald optics would stay on the stones as she listened to the wind, shifting her lobes to and fro from the sounds of the whistling wind. "Please. tell me, what is your name, and I shall tell you mine," her words tried to sound comforting and polite as the wind started to whip across her ebony pelt. Her emerald colored eyes sparkled from the sun that peaked through the clouds that showed themselves to the pair of Canis Lupus. A smile came across Esperanza's face and she looked to the male and listened to what he had to say.

The brute felt his smile grow. The girl took joy in his compliment, as he had hoped. He listened with interest to her words, bringing his eyes back to her. "What a nice thought. I must tell you, miss, it has been many years since I have thought of myself as young." Hyperion mused over what she had said. Still young, he thought serenely, until the gods take me. His gaze remained on the young female as her eyes traveled along the wall. Then she asked for his name. "I would be more than happy to tell you, young lady." Two golden eyes sparked with amusement. What a pleasant girl. "My name is Hyperion." Walk. "Talk."Think.

Esperanza took pleasure in the name and spoke with a gentle tone, "And my name is Esperanza. I am in the pack of Glaciem. At least I try to bring a little bit of kindness to the pack, even though some of them think that my kindness will be the death of me, but I am not afraid to die." She spoke and looked to the brute once again as her emerald eyes sparkled like a star in the night sky. She licked her right front paw, then looked back to him.

"And I think your name suits you well. In my last pack before I came to Alacritis, we believed that wisdom comes from those who are kind and respectful, and those who are bad will not be taken lightly. But, I only get angry if a friend or an acquaintance is either hurt, or has been treated unfairly." She did not know how the male would react to her speaking this way. And speaking about her pack and knowing that many wolves did not like her pack, she was slightly worried she would have a fight, and even if there was a fight, she wasn't afraid to die from someone who was older than she. It would be her stupidity and she would deserve to be beaten or killed for speaking this way. "I wish I had a higher rank, but in my other pack we would be happy with the rank received, and even though I am a brood as what the alpha has exclaimed, then I shall except it."

Hyperion's aged body began to ache, and he let himself sink back onto his haunches. He may have been suspicious at first, but he trusted this little black maiden. His eyes were kind and attentive as she replied, giving him her name. Esperanza. "Yes, a lovely name for a lovely girl. It's my pleasure, Esperanza." The gentleman offered yet another smile. But then words began to flood the air between the two. Esperanza spoke openly, telling the old male things he hadn't expected. She belonged to a pack - why hadn't he noticed that before? He should have smelled it in her scent. That easy smell of countless wolves intermingling with one. Hyperion had heard of the Glaciem pack before. Indeed, the kindness that followed this female seemed... off. It didn't quite fit. But it certainly wouldn't be the death of her. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you end up in the Glaciem pack, miss? It seems unlike you." The dark brute flicked his ear once in curiosity, listening again as more words passed the female's lips. This time she spoke of wisdom. "It's true. Power should never belong to the unjust. I know that firsthand. Unfortunately..." Hyperion released the depressing thoughts as if they were bothersome drops of water, shaking them from his mind once again. It had been months since he'd last thought of Aurora, he wouldn't do it again. Instead he stared at his acquaintance and processed her talk of rankings. He couldn't help it - he despised the idea of packs. Rankings were so unfair, the scales of power so unbalanced. Leaders were corrupt and the commoners always suffered for it. And this beautiful young lady, Esperanza, branded as a brood. Breeding material. As if she had no soul at all. The growl turned about in his chest, threatening to surface. The girl would hear it, and she would wonder what had upset him. But the old brute wasn't in the mood to relive his bitter memories right now. Walk. "Talk."Think.

Esperanza could sense the rage building up inside of him, and she didn't like to make anyone upset. Her emerald orbs showed some sadness in them, but not for herself, for the male she had been expressing her feelings to. "I do not know what drove me to join Glaciem," she spoke out, "but, all I know is that I am the only bit of kindness that Glaciem has, and even though Isardis has made me a brood, I will accept it and not argue with the rank that I was given with."

Esperanza did not like causing problems, and if she was the cause of it, she would do anything in her power to fix it. Her heart sank for her old family, whom she will never see anymore because of the problems she had been facing with her old pack. And, due to her political outburst to the male in front of her, she might have caused a problem in her new pack as well.

She gave the male a friendly nudge, not trying to cause the male more pain than what he might be feeling right now. The sound of crows and ravens flew by, and Esperanza hated those black birds that flew above her head. Their ridiculous cawing and singing drove her crazy, and she would sometimes try to hide herself just so that she could get some piece and quiet.

"And pardon my behavior sir, please, I do understand about Glaciem, and other things that have been going on with them. But, I would do anything for them since they are my new pack. I lost my old pack because I didn't follow the rules, and I ended up having my old alpha kill off my mother, father, and my siblings. I managed to get away, but I am still hurt from this, and I vowed never to let it happen again if I ever found a lover," she spoke with fire in her heart, and spoke the truth in every word she said. Esperanza placed her cranium upon her paws and a small tear trickled down her face and onto the foliage underneath her.

His eyes had pinched shut. He blocked out the angry and irrational thoughts. Anger in itself was irrational, as there was nothing he could do to help his mate or unborn pups now. They were gone. They'd been gone for nearly five years now. But the pain never faded, as much as he wished it would. But when Esperanza comforted him with a nudge, the thoughts drained from his mind. The growl cut off and left silence in its absence, as if it were never there. "I'm terribly sorry, my dear. I should never have reacted that way. I have some bad memories of pack life, is all. It has nothing to do with you." The last part was a lie, of course. He did worry about this girl. He worried about her safety, and her happiness. And he should tell her that, shouldn't he? His bright eyes opened again, looking kindly upon the maiden. "Miss Esperanza, I will not ask about your pack again, if you promise to answer this one question." Hyperion leaned forward and nudged her in return, offering one last smile. It was weaker this time. "Just tell me that you are happy in your new home, and that you feel safe around the other wolves. That's all I need to know, my lady." Something told him not to get involved. Something insisted upon it. But he ignored that feeling and spoke anyway. He cared too much to leave it alone now. Walk. "Talk."Think.

Esperanza looked to the dull ebony male and heaved a small sigh. "Sometimes, I feel like an outcast to them because I am not scary, demanding, all I would be good for is making pups since I am a brood there it would seem. But, you do not have to worry. I do have friends who are there for me, and would do anything for me. And I would do anything for them, and even die for them. Even though we have only met for a short while, I do think of you as a friend as well, Hyperion, and I would even die for you. I can sense the sadness in your heart, and I am sorry I brought it up, but, know that whoever you lost will always be watching over you, and will be in your heart and dreams. Just whenever you feel alone, know they are always with you. Even though you cannot see them, they are there, watching over you. And I will always help you. even at the cost of my life. And that is a promise I intend to keep."

The ebony female spoke with seriousness as she howled out as it echoed throughout the land. Esperanza would howl if she meant everything she had said to another, and she would stand and bow respectfully to the male before her, and smile.

To his relief, Esperanza answered comfortably and honestly. She had friends in her pack, wolves that would look after her. But it still made him sick to think of this female - and the many others in the pack - that were only "good for making pups", nothing more. It was a horrible thought. Hyperion felt a jolt at her next words. She began pouring out heartfelt sentiments about past loved ones. Those he missed, watching over him. Always with him. Could that really be possible? As open-minded as the old wolf could be, he couldn't bring himself to buy into this. If they were there all this time, why did he still feel so lonely? The words flooded his mind, and he felt the threat of tears stinging behind his eyes. "Oh, my dear girl... I appreciate your kind words. They mean more to me than you can imagine. I am glad to call you my friend. And I want you to know, miss, it usually takes a lot for me to trust another. But you captured me from the start. I shall never forget you, or the words you have spoken." And as she howled her sincerity, he joined in. The sounds echoed into the distance. "I would die for you as well, miss Esperanza. Thank you for your friendship." His round black nose pressed firmly against her neck, and he smiled genuinely again. Tears fell from his cheeks, but he didn't care. This lovely young female was his friend. She was kinder to him than anyone had been in years. She was his relief, and she already felt like a daughter to him. "Thank you," he whispered again, against her ebony fur. Walk. "Talk."Think.

Esperanza smiled and nudged the older male. She could see tears falling from his eyes, and she felt sympathy for the gentleman she had come to know. But, before she knew it, she ended up licking his tears away. The salty droplets that fell was something she had known far too well.

"I know it may seem sad for you to think that they are not there, but sometimes, they will be there when you least expect them to be." She smiled as three doves were sitting on a branch in front of them. One flew in front of Hyperion and flapped its wings, singing a small tune as it went back to perch on the tree branch. The ebony femme smiled and lied back down. She was kind of worried about her pack, but she didnt care, she now had many other friends and an older friend whom she can rely on if need be.

The doves soon sang in unison, and then flapped away. Esperanza watched them fly away as she looked back to the older wolf who laid beside her.

Hyperion was more than a little surprised when his friend began licking tears from his cheeks. It was an incredibly kind gesture, though a bit unexpected. He chuckled and pulled away, clearing his vision with a few more blinks. He didn't need to act weak in front of this girl. He was her elder. He was supposed to act as a role model, not the other way around. This feeling of inferiority was altogether new to the old brute. Normally he was the one giving advice, the one drying tears. How had this come to be? In the confusion of it all, he realized it didn't matter. Didn't his weathered mind deserve a bit of release? It had been years since he'd let the last tear fall. This was his time now. This new friend he had found was prepared to die for him, and he should let himself be open and honest with her, whatever the cost. "I think that, perhaps, I can believe you. But I also believe, miss, that it is only fair of me to share a bit of my past with you. You've given me so much of yours, after all." Hyperion cleared his throat slightly as nearby doves began to sing. "I joined a pack when I was very young. I made many friends there, many allies. Then one day, another wolf joined the pack. Her name was Aurora. "I wasn't expecting to fall in love with her, but I did. She was so good, and so incredibly beautiful... I don't know what came over me. I had always had such a respect for authority, and here I was, trying to start a family with the girl. It's my fault, really, that I didn't think of asking the alpha. He always seemed a little... unstable. "When he found out that Aurora was pregnant, of course he was furious. He sent me away on a hunting trip and attacked my mate as soon as I was gone. He didn't hurt her very badly, only enough to ensure that the pups in her womb were dead." It was here that the deep, aged voice came to a pause. This had been his first loss, and somehow it was the greatest. At least Aurora had gotten a chance to live, to see the world. That brutal alpha had murdered children, unborn children, that would never have a chance at life. It continued to nauseate him. Eventually, though, he found the will to go on speaking. "I couldn't understand what he had done. I lost my mind in a desire for revenge. I wanted to hurt the alpha somehow, to make him feel the heart-wrenching pain that I was feeling. But he had no mate nor pups, and I wouldn't dare to commit such a hellish act anyhow. "But I did manage to gather my closets friends and organize a revolt. The day of the attack, they turned on me and attacked me instead. This is why I have such trouble placing trust in another wolf. Even your closest friend could betray you at any moment." Hyperion swallowed hard, pushing down the dark memories of his past. "Aurora was killed in the battle that followed, and I was banished from the pack. I've been wandering ever since. It's been at least five years now, and who knows how many I have left." Walk. "Talk."Think.

Esperanza felt a sense of condolence to her elder friend. The sound of water trickled upon the foliage as she listened to the rhythm of the droplets. Her heart sank. Sadness over-whelmed her, and she thought that her life had been a living nightmare since she had lost her siblings, but to lose the life of a small pup whom had not been born yet was something that she couldn't even begin to fathom. A tear trickled down her cheek, the words that had been spoken about his old alpha made her sick to her stomach, and she literally thought she was going to pass out.

"I am sorry about your family, but like i said, like may surprise you in the long run, and you can only take a second sometimes to catch it's true beauty. Love every second you have on earth, and when I have pups, if i ever do, I wish to take the sadness away from you, and i want you to be there for them as well since you are like a father to me, even more than a friend." She nudged the brute and stood upon her paws as the cold soon started to shake her spine and body. Sadness was something that she still felt, but she didn't want to keep on walking the world with depression.

"My mother told me this a couple days before she had been killed. Love and life is like a blooming flower. It is there for a while and you think that everything will last forever because you have someone by your side. But, once winter rolls around, the flower dies; like life passes on to the next world when our time comes. But, in every death, there is life, and just like life is born, a new flower is born, and each more beautiful than the last."

Esperanza treasured her mother's wisdom since she had been older than her father, and had taught her, and her siblings, everything they needed to know in the world. The black femme was happy that she got to live and know the teachings her mother had given her in this world since she had been chosen to survive that terrible day. Her emerald orbs sparkled as she was slightly on the verge of tears, sucking them back in and then looking back to the male with kindness in her heart. Even though she was from a disliked pack, she was determined to be the flower to their lifeless and cold place, and to show that she was there and willing to give her own life to teach what her mother and father had given, and had spoken to her a long time ago before the slaughter of them took place.

At last, the tired old brute had told his story. Now there was someone to understand his pain and help him through it. But he didn't want to burden anyone either. Conflicting emotions raced through Hyperion's heart as he stared into Esperanza's emerald eyes. She expressed her condolences, of course, it was only polite that she did. But her words grew in sincerity and warmth as she asked the ultimate favor of him. To be a father to her, to offer his presence and guidance when she had pups of her own. Tears brimmed at the corners of his eyes, accompanied by a large grin. "Miss Esperanza, I would be honored. You truly are like a daughter to me as well, though we've hardly known each other for a day." He felt a rough chuckle move through his throat. They didn't know each other well at all, and yet, it was like he knew her better than any other wolf in his lifetime. Except for Aurora. He blinked, feeling a cool line of water on his cheek as a single tear escaped. This was a blessing to him. Truly a blessing. "You've no idea how much this means to me, darling. How much you mean to me. Even now." But there was one problem left to face. "I hope you understand my concern, Esperanza. I still do not feel comfortable thinking of you in that dreaded Glaciem pack. You may have friends there, but you have a friend in me also, and I want you to know that you can trust me. Are you sure you want to return to that frightening place?" It may have been unfair of him to use such harmful adjectives. Dreaded. Frightening. But how had this pretty ray of sunshine found such a depressing darkness to call home? "If you must return, I hope you will allow me to escort you. I need to see that you are well, my lady. Please." He brushed the side of his massive body lightly against hers. "It would give this old brute some peace of mind. What do you say?" Walk. "Talk."Think.

Esperanza gave a small chuckle. "If you would like to come along with me, I have no problems with it. But, I insist not to walk into Glaciem territory, only near, not in. I would be devastated if something were to happen to you. Even though we only met for a short while." A smile stayed upon her face as the smell of cold hit inside her nostrils, causing them to be burned with the frigid sensation of the temperature, even though it was Summer. Her eyes stayed focused on the dull, ebony male and she listened to the songs of the birds as they fluttered past their heads.

"I'm glad you will allow me to come with you. I promise to not overstep any boundaries." With a deep nod, the male returned his gaze once more to the shining crystals above. He would follow Esperanza, just to make sure she was safe. Hyperion breathed a sigh of relief and squinted at the sparks of color and light. He suddenly felt claustrophobic and wanted to move. "When should we leave, dear Esperanza?" his voice was kind, but urgent. He slowly began to step backwards, toward the cavern entrance. His feet slipped slightly on a patch of loose pebbles, but other than that his exit was smooth. He turned around, keeping his friend at the corner of his vision. He didn't want to seem rude, just walking away. But the cave - as beautiful as it was - was beginning to suffocate him. Hyperion just wanted to get away from the old memories and look forward to the future. The rest of his life would be happy. He wouldn't let anything else go wrong. Forcing a smile, the male left the cavern where such dark pasts had been shared. Where tears had fallen. If he ever explored the cave again, it would be too soon. His memories would rest here, untouched and forgotten. For good this time. "Which way to the Glaciem territory?" OOC: Do you want this to be the end of the thread, Esperanza?