Who I Once Was, Who I am Now

[Ärï]

In a cavern in the side of the Bitterwind Valley, the dark black form of a brute could be barely seen against the back wall of the cavern. His underside and legs were light ashy grey while his back, chest and sides were ebony. Light amber eyes were lidded and moving under his lids, roaming in yet another nightmare.

Wolves die. Falling all around him. Thistle asking to die. 'Kill me' he begged. 'Before the enemy come.' Dark Storm stared down at his friend, battling on what was right and what was wrong. Leave him to die? No. Try to help him? It was too late for that. Kill him? Unbearable. As his mind fought with the choice under his friend's pained gaze, a low snarl caught his attention. His head snaps up. A dark faceless brute leaps at him.

Dark Storm jerked awake, head snapping up and a gasp escaping his black muzzle. Topaz eyes gazed around frantically, expecting to see his ancestors greeting him or a wolf tearing at his flesh. Nothing. Just a cool dark cavern in the side of some foresaken valley. He was alive. He was safe. He was not content. Storm shook his head, shaking away the remains of his nightmares. They would come back as soon as his eyes closed again but for now he would fight off the remaining sleep. From outside the cavern, the sound of paws alerted him to oncoming wolves. Muscules under his pelt tensed as Storm gazed toward the entrance, fight or flight instincts kicking in, battle-sharpened and war-trained. The breeze brought scents but none were familiar so he could only wait in the dark, wary and trembling slightly.

[Sheera]

A slender form of a femora slid into view. The build of this femme was small, as if she was neophyte age. She had long, slim legs that carried her towards the cavern. Her fur was shimmering in the limited light. It wasn't hard to see the multiple colors of browns, cremes, and whites that rippled over her slim build. She was getting nearer, and quickly.

[Ärï]

Dark Storm withdrew behind a boulder as the slim young wolf approached. He hoped she wouldn't hang around long. Ever since his life in the north, Storm had never been a social wolf. Other wolves tended to make him...uneasy. Make him remember. They would ask what's wrong. Ask what was wrong with him. As if there was any one thing. Storm crouched behind the boulder, his dark coat hiding him well. If she did enter, perhaps he could sneak past her or dash out quickly before she noticed him.

The troubled brute could only hope that there weren't others tagging along with the multi-colored femmora. She looked young, six moons give or take. It seemed logical she wouldn't be totally alone. That was all the more reason for him to be cautious and watch his step at least until he got away.

[Sheera]

The slender femora approached the cavern drawn by nothing but fear of the outside world. Fear of being alone... vulnerable to anyone who wanted her. She coward into the den scenting the brute, but not mature to know that this scent was that of another wolf. She entered the shadows and stared out into the cold world with her dark blue pools. She then felt as though there was another presense it made her feel unsafe and she curled up in a tight ball.

[Ärï]

Dark Storm was trapped. The fae was right in his direct path out of the cavern. Mousedung. He would have to stay hidden until she decided to leave. No doubt she knew he was there? His scent was all around the cavern for he'd been there since the night before, struggling through another long night. It seemed she either didn't care or was too desperate to bother caring. Moving slowly, hoping she wouldn't notice, Storm slipped toward the entrance of the cavern, hoping to flee. His paw brushed a rock. It clattered lightly agianst the hard ground of the cave. Storm froze. She could now see and hear him. This day just got better and better.

[Sheera]

The femora sprung to her feet her fur bristling and her hackles raised. She spotted the dark form of the brute and her heart lurched. Her eyes flooded with terror and she took a hesitated step back. A brute. One of the things she feared the most. She stared at him with wide, dark blue eyes.

"W-who are you?" she said in a high-pitched voice that cracked with fear.

[Ärï]

"No one for you to remember" Dark Storm replied, his deep tones mysterious on their own without his dark form and haunted golden eyes. Storm's muscles bunched and he took off running, shooting out of the cavern. Great. Now he was scary and messed up in the head. Things just got better and better. It was amazing how different he could be, totally broken up and still seem scary and pathetic at the same time. Storm came to a stop not too far from the cavern, far enough for the fae to no longer think him a threat. He was standing at a fringe on the trees, rocky boulders leading up the slope toward the cavern entrance. Sighing, Dark Storm sniffed about in the grass, hoping for prey scents.

[Sheera]

The femora was now less afraid but now.. she was curious. She cocked her head.. she still scented and saw him. She carefully got into a staulking form. She slowly staulked out of the cavern and towards the brute staying low to the ground. Her tail was lowered to the ground and her ears were pinned to her head. She stayed below the grasses and staulked towards him silently.

[Ärï]

Dark Storm was aware of the femme but seriously doubted she was any sort of threat, so he ignored her. Moving carefully, he kept distance between himself and the femmora. She must still have a pup's curiousity. That just proved she was young. Storm continued his search for prey scents but was unlucky around the boulders and tall grasses. Raising his head, Storm sniffed the breeze, black banner flicking slightly as he searched for reasonably fresh scents. A doe was on the breeze but the scent was already growing stale. Unless he wanted to spend all day tracking he would have to find other game. Dark Storm's ears pricked. He felt eyes upon him but was reluctant to turn. Instead, he started to stride toward the forest.

[Sheera]

The young femora chased after him in the same position unaware that he was aware she was there. She then bolted towards him as he strided towards the forest. She lept onto his back and held on tight. ? What the heck ?

OOC: She's an odd soul

[Ärï]

Old habits die hard. That's what Dark Storm had been told. It appeared to be right. Without thinking Dark Storm's limbs locked and relaxed suddenly, dropping him to the ground. He rolled, not putting all his weight on the pup, just enough to loosen her old on his back. Quickly he moved so he wouldn't smother her. How bad would he feel for that? Leaping up, Storm stood tense. "What are you doing?" he asked, voice a cross between surprise and annoyance.

(yes she is lol)

[Sheera]

She growled she pushed him with her paws lightly. "You need to loose some of that weight.." she grumbled stretching her paws and rolling over. She stood and shook her fur out. She looked at him with eyes of annoyance. "What do I look like I'm doing?!" she growled. "What are YOU doing?" she asked with a smug grin.

[Ärï]

The dark brute stared at the young she-wolf. At first she had seemed shy. Not so much anymore. What an odd moodswing. Oh well. He had always thought faes to be odd in any case. "I was hunting until somebody decided to play tag" Dark Storm barked in a cool voice. "Run off back to your parents pup. I don't have time for little ones." Dark Storm turned and started to pad back along his former course. Another comment he resented, he wasn't a heavy wolf. It was all muscle. Not fat. Muscle.

[Sheera]

She winced at his words and coward once more. Parents. Something she lacked in life. She raised her head to call to him once more. "I can't!" she squealed in her high-pitched voice. She coward in her one spot and stared at him through her dark blue eyes.

[Ärï]

Dark Storm stopped in mid-step, one paw raised. His topaz eyes were locked on the ground, still as a statue carved from onyx. Slowly, Storm turned his head to look back at the pup. No parents huh? Orphan. Storm had had parents, granted they hadn't been good ones. He prefered not to think of them. In years past he hadn't had much time. Now he had all the time in the world to think of all the things he'd done wrong. All the wolves he had killed. Storm pulled his eyes from the pup. "Sorry, can't help ya" he said, continuing to walk forward though it took a lot of willpower to keep walking away. He'd killed too many to dare think he was capable of helping anybody.