Spring had come along and with it so had change. Destruction was adjusting to her place in Seracia. She had found more friends than just Tahlia and Bane, finding herself smiling in Dragon's presence and even in the presence of the ex-king's daughter, Celeste, and Loccian too. Talking to these other wolves had been breaking the shell of the woman she once was. Murder... heartless feelings... they had all been fading away as time went on. Even meeting loners had been bringing the dark woman joy. In fact, the scent of her last encounter with a loner still clung to her fur. He had been a fawn colored male. Handsome, with what appeared to be the world on his shoulders and mind. It was nice to talk to him... and Des greatly hoped to run into him again. He was handsome and intriguing... even close to her own age. But the female hadn't given it any more conscious thought than that. But deep in her heart Destruction longed for further company... particularly of that of the opposite sex. Heading down the familiar path to the den of her ex-mate Destruction went along with a hunk of meat in her jaws. The female had done a bit of hunting for herself earlier that morning, and once she had eaten her fill she decided to bring the rest of the deer fawn carcass to Bane. Partially because she promised to visit him again, and partially because she felt bad that their last visit hadn't gone all that well. Crimson ringed eyes were mindful to watch out for the traps that Bane had scattered about. Honestly if she didn't have duties promised to Seracia and Tahlia she would be out here more often bringing the elder food. She missed his company... and she was sure that Tahlia likewise missed him terribly. But Destruction would do what she could, when she could, to give Bane some sort of comfort. Just to let him know he wasn't completely alone. The female would stop outside of Bane's den, dropping the fresh meat and licking her jaws. Then she would stick her head inside, calling softly to him. "Wake up Bane. You have some company... and lunch." A smile would spread across her maw as Destruction settled down, waiting for the elder to emerge. "Speech" Think

Bane thought about his family and their little conglomerate they had a few days ago at the den he'd taken over since the elder's second banishment. A smile creased his muzzle as he vigiously rubbed the pointed stick he'd chewed up a few days ago back and forth along the bare wood of the pine tree. The bark had been scraped clean with downward swipes of his claws no less than a week ago, then his family had show up before he could even start work on marking this tree at all. A yawn overcame him and Bane's fangs flashed in the early afternoon sun. Perhaps now would be a reasonable time to take a nap? Not that much else was going on... maybe he could watch the water go by, or lope up and down the riverside to get his blood flowing. The twice-banished could also nap, rest up for the hunting of prey in the next few days.

He'd do that, another yawn creeping up on him as the wolf ducked into the earthen den to sleep.
-----
The sleeping male's moist nose quivered as several scents we added to his dozing, as well as the audible approach of a wolf at the den's entrance. The calm wind blowing down into his den carried with it blood... and Des, a bleary eye cracking open. The dry earth shifted against the elders dusty pelt as he tilted his head to look at the female before him. A sly half smile formed on the side of his muzzle at her mentioning that she bore food for the waking up male, worn paws bringing him slowly out of his den. Bane looked up at his once-mate with an amused twinkle in his eye as visible merriment overcame him. "You come to me baring food in you condition? You do know I am a mated wolf Des." Bane nearly howled with laughter as he settled about feeding on a leg and ribs of the young deer, his body remaining halfway out of his den. "Thank you. How are things?" Bane inquired as he licked along his mouth and rose out of his den so he was face to face with Destruction.

A good natured smile would come to the dark woman's features as Bane spoke. "You might be a mated wolf, Bane, but that doesn't mean you can't appreciate the company of a friend, even a female one. You know well enough I'd never come between you and Tahlia. Your family has become just like my own... and I would never wish to cause a rift between them." The female's tail would wag slightly as he settled down, partly in his den, to feed upon the meal she'd brought him. It was good to see him in a better mood. At his question the female would look away for the briefest of moments, going over all that had happened since she had last scene him. Her crimson ringed eyes would shift back to him. "Happier... a lot happier than they have been in a very long time." The female would shift slightly, the smile not fading. "I've been making a few new friends... and I even met an interesting loner I'm hoping to meet again." The femme would chuckle softly. "How about with you, Bane? Are your traps fairing any better in the warmer season?" "Speech",'Thought.'

Bane couldn't help but grin as his?head jerked back to break off two ribs, a set of firm snaps being heard as the set of meat-baring prizes were pried apart. The flesh was licked and peeled from the bones like the bark of a mimosa tree being pulls downward. Destructions words rung in the elders mind as he scraped and bit into his meal, all the while continuing to listen. "I am, and let me tell you Des, Tahlia... Tahlia has been one of the best thing to happen to me ever since I've come to these new lands after the eruption. And even now, things are going just fine now that the friendly she-wolf just brought me a meal and ignoring the condition of talking to a banished." Bane's head tossed in an exaggerated show of surprise and sarcastically whined. "Scandalous!"

The elder was quiet at the mentioning of his traps as he continued to feed for a few moments. His silence would be answer enough as well as how he voraciously tore at the flesh and jerked his head back to swallow. Bane delayed his answer about Destruction in regards to her mood and couldn't help but give a tail wag that swished over the dry soil along with a dip of his head. "That's good."

The elder's one good eye peered past Des at the closest trap and jerked his head at the bloody protrusions. Blood was thick in the air and all animals could undoubtedly smell it. Bane looked down at the choicest meat and viscera covered organs and started to pull out pieces of liver before swallowing. The twice-banished finished the liver and didn't resume until after the heart was consumed. "These traps now smell of blood and death ever since winter ended. There was a surge of prey out foraging since the snow went away... and for about four days after winter passed I'd constantly fill myself and let the rest of the dead stay. No animals come around here anymore from the smell. I simply couldn't eat enough. Now I've hardly fed on anything from a trap... I should bury them and hope to the gods that prey returns."

Destruction couldn't help but smile as she watched Bane eat. It felt good, helping him. The female would wag her tail a bit, chuckling as he spoke. She was so happy that Tahlia had managed to bring the brute happiness, just as he brought her happiness. The had two beautiful pups together, as well as Bane's other son, Nako, being cared for by the she-wolf. Des saw a lot of Bane in the young pup and she did truthfully worry about him a little. The thought of him doing something to get banished would occassionally come to mind and Destruction would quickly chase it away. None of those children would be banished. Between her and Tahlia they would keep an eye on them and help them stay out of trouble. She was attached to all of them... and she wouldn't let any more break ups in the family happen if she could help it. The female would break into fullblow laughter at his sarcastic whine. Honestly, he could be such a goof. He would try and avoid her question it seemed, about the traps, and this worried the black furred female quite a bit. He surely relied on them to get most of his meals... and it wasn't like she or Tahlia could be here every day to help feed him. Eventually though he would direct her and the black and crimson woman would glance towards one of the traps. Ah... she thought the scent of blood was thick... she had been hoping it was just because of the bit of prey she had been carrying. The female would then look back to Bane with a small frown. "Yes... it certainly seems that you're in a bit of a pickle with them. If you'd like I can help burry them...and then when you need more I'll happily help you set them up. I'm sure once the scent of blood and death go away they'll return." The female would glance back to the trap and then to Bane. "I'll try and bring you more food when I can too." The female would pause before continuing. "Seracia had a meeting recently. I'm sure Tahlia told you that Maverick is no longer in power. It proved... interesting..." A smile would come to her face. "I'm also going to be Nako's mentor." Her tail would wag at this. She was sure the boy would grow up strong in both body and mind. Speech,

Bane couldn't help but frown as her silence, the realization that he was almost starving out here all by himself. He could go weeks without food, as could all wolves, but the feeling of an empty stomach was frustrating and a bit worrying at some times. It wasn't so much that he hadn't eaten much, is was the total absence of prey. Even the fish were avoiding this place along the shore. Bloodied groundwater seeping into the river. A probability. At least Bane had his mountain water. Good tasting mountain runoff that filled his stomach not quite the same way as meat but didn't even get energy from. Food was required to hunt more food. It was the nature of all things that breathed.

Des's laugh brought a smile to his muzzle. He could still make others express mirth and joy. Getting old had its perks. His traps were commented on and Bane glanced about at where his knew they all lay in the ground. Getting old had its perks... Bane wrinkled his nose at the offer of having help bury them. She had offered to help make new ones. That deed would be greatly appreciated, making the new pit traps and he wouldn't have to clean out the old ones. He couldn't risk and injury while all alone, the infection that would definitely come with that mishap. "That would be nice. And to be honest I could do with you bringing another meal. It been a while since I was meat drunk." Bane was quiet as Destruction told of the pack meeting and what had transpired. "I'm not sure I recall if Tahlia told me, I was busy giving the pups the rundown about the ways of the Bloodied Moon tribe, but I'm glad their going to learn more. I mean Nako is, going to learn. Be taught by you." Bane gave a awkward smile at the stop-start sentence he stuttered out, his tail brushing just over the dirt. "I don't remember if Tahlia told me who's the new king... queen is, whatever." Bane returned to his forgotten meal. Nothing much left desirable of it. Just like his purpose in life. "Took me long enough to get those titles down." The elder gave a sigh and lay the corner of his bloodied muzzle on a paw.

Nothing much...

Bane would accept her offer on the traps, which Destruction had little problem doing. If Bane got injured she knew just as well as he did that there was a good chance the infection would kill him, especially with no healer around to immediately tend to the wound... or even tend to the wound at all most likely. She knew there were some loners that had healing knowledge, but she didn't know how many of them passed by the river. Surely some, but this exact part? Probably not many. But that was alright, she would do what she could for Bane and his family. Even if it meant being away from Seracia for an extra day or two. It wasn't like she had never took a trip like that before. At the mention of possibly getting another meal Destruction would chuckle softly at his words. "Well, since I'll likely be here a couple days setting up new traps and taking care of the old ones I can do that. We'll both need to eat to keep our strength up, and I'm sure I can find enough meat to satisfy your craving." The words were said with gentleness. Who would have guessed, looking at them now, that Destruction and Bane might have once been on such bad terms that the male avoided her? The female would give a small nod as Bane spoke again. Well, it wasn't necessarily something incredibly important anyway, or, at least, Destruction didn't think it would be to Bane. Spending time with his mate and children were definitely of a higher priority, which was understandable. She would move close, laying next to him the best she could with their positions, ahd looked back to him. "The new ruler is our queen -- Loccian. I'm not exactly sure what went on with Maverick, but, well, things have changed since his rule." She would shake her head, deciding to push away from the subject. "I'm excited to train Nako. He is a sharp boy, and I see a lot of your spirit within him. You're of course teaching him things of your old pack, but I was wondering if there might be anything that you would like for me to do with his training as well. I will try to keep his skills as well rounded as possible, though I'm allowing him to choose the path for our training to start with." Destruction spoke of the young male fondly. She hadn't realized it, but she viewed him much the same way as she had her own son, growing attached to him, as well as his siblings and Tahlia too. They were her family. Not by blood, but through spirit. Speech,

Bane licked at the bloody flaps of skin and thin meat still on the bones of the fawn as Destruction talked of taking a few days to help clean up and make spike pits. "I really appreciate this Des. Helps take a load off I can't even manage to carry anymore. Don't even want to try, might hurt myself." Bane murmured as he heaved the bloodied scraps into the river with a jerk of his head. He licked the dark she-wolfs cheek when she lay next to him in gratitude. They stared back at each other for a moment and the elder felt a blush creep up on muzzle. It didn't really register that Loccian was queen now, Bane staring at her crimson eyes for a moment before touching his nose with hers. The only thought going through his mind was that Des was the one to teaching his bastard son Nako. And he couldn't think of anyone else he'd rather want to be a mentor for his offspring. Or any of them for that matter, Anais and Jakart.

A sideways press against Des's pelt was given in thanks from where he lay, the two wolves having their ebony and pale fur mingle. "I, I thank you Des. Thank you for being the one to teach him." Her words were noted if the elder wanted Nako trained in, and after a moment of weighing several options as to how to go about teaching a next generation Talutah Bane rumbled a reply. "Make him be put through thick and thin. Drill his mind as well as his body. Let the cold cruel world be truthfully voiced by your maw and if need be make him listen." Bane nudged an ear and gave a playful nip. "Again, this means a lot." The elder gave a smile before resting his head on a foreleg. He didn't really hear what Des said next, for he was warm and full, and sleep quickly found him in the company of another.

-Bane is asleep-

Destruction would shake her head, a warm smile on her face as Bane spoke. ?Honestly Bane, don?t worry about it. I?m just happy that I can help.? She knew well enough it would be too dangerous for the lone elder to take on such a task alone. Her mind was still working, trying to find some way of making sure he didn?t die out here on his own. Their noses would touch, and Destruction felt a bit of happiness stir in her heart. She was proud of herself. For making the right decision to make peace with Bane... And glad that she had become part of his new family. His pups helped fill the void of losing Dillinger, and honestly the female couldn?t imagine being around greater young wolves. She would rest there beside them, their fur mingling, her own body giving him some warmth. She would give a nod, crimson eyes shining as Bane spoke. ?You can count on me, Bane. I will do everything I can to prepare him for anything that this world may throw out him. Good things and bad things alike.? She would chuckle as she felt the playful nip, her tail flicking a bit. ?...and it means a lot that you would let me become part of your family, Bane. I?m so much happier now... So very happy.? She would rest her own head on her paws. ?I don?t know about you but I think I could use a nap... And after that I?ll get started on those traps. Unless you?d like me to hunt for you first.? She would chuckle again, the feeling between them light. Speech,

{{Ooc:: End thread?}}}