Far across the dark, Horizon filled with red [Ketchup]

[Deleted]

// Title inspired by "Into the west" by Tuomas Holopainen~ //

Kaiho

It had been a silent winter day. Kaiho had been exploring the lands, and now he found himself walking, or more or less limping, towards a creek. He was tired, he could rest here for a moment. He had got a nasty wound on his hip from a certain crazy bear, and after walking and running for the whole day, it was starting to really hurt.
The red evening sun was already setting, creating long, dark and eerie shadows everywhere. Kaiho looked around him carefully, now it seemed like he was alone here. At least he didn't smell any other wolves, nor hear. It was very quiet, only noise was snow crunching under his feet. The creek hadn't frozen completely, so Kaiho drank some icy cold water to extinguish his thirst. He stayed sitting on the edge of the creek, lost in his thoughts.

The night before he and Raven had separated. he hadn't slept well. After he had fall asleep, he found himself on a dark world with red sky, all alone. There, he had seen his brothers. Laughing and mocking him, saying that he'd never be happy in this life. But no! Kaiho had woke up, and he wasn't alone. He had been next to this sweet wolf, who actually cared for him. So he wasn't alone anymore, he repeated to himself on his mind. It felt still so very absurd....

[CursedErin]

Kaiho wasn't fully alone however. From the shadows of the trees near Amoux creek, sat one of Frigid Plague's wolves; Fiddle. The ominous specter of a wolf lowered his head as he watched the other male stagger his way towards the creek. It was almost the end of winter, and Fiddle was more than elated, he hated the snow for more reasons than one and would be glad to see it all gone.

Fiddle smirked wickedly as he saw the wolf at the creek begin to get lost in thought. Slowly, he started to make his way over to Kaiho, stepping cautiously and quietly towards the other male. Once he was only a few feet behind him, he sung; "Fiddle-dum, Fiddle-dee, look who has been seen by me. Fiddle-dee, Fiddle-dum, How are things.. Chum~?" He finished and slowly sat himself beside the wolf, a smirk across his muzzle. In the right light, Fiddle's pelt and eyes seemed to glow ominously, though it was more of a wolf's mind playing tricks on them than anything. "Greetings. You seem.. Interested in what you're thinking of. Any chance a wolf like me might be able to.. Pick your brain?" he said, smirking at Kaiho as his specter green eyes stared over the figure beside him.

[Deleted]

Kaiho was so deep in his thoughts, that he actually startled when he heard voice coming closer behind him. Some sort of shady singing. Kaiho turned his head, and saw that coming beside him, was a male wolf with actually a very ghostly like appearance. Kaiho lowered his ears in suspicion and slight confusion as the other wolf sat beside him and asked him a question within those riddles. The stare from those green eyes felt piercing and distressing to Kaiho, so he turned his head forward and gazed down. He still felt the other's look on him, which made him feel even more distressed.
"I don't think that my thoughts belong to you.... whoever you might be.." He managed to say after short silence, glancing quickly at the other before turning his gaze away.

[CursedErin]

The Frigid Plague wolf kept the wicked smirk along his own muzzle as he watched Kaiho. 'Oh what joyous responses I'm getting.' he thought to himself, almost laughing at how Kaiho glanced up at him and such. "They might not belong to me.. But, and this is just a wild guess, you seem like a wolf, running from his past."Fiddle said, eying Kaiho up and down. Slowly, the specter-looking wolf raised himself to his feet and started to walke around Kaiho to his other side in a menacing fashion. "But what was that past event.. A murder perhaps? A fit of rage that ended in a family's death.. Or perhaps something close to it? Or maybe something deeper in the heart, maybe you aren't running from someone either, maybe you're protecting someone. Perhaps a lover in there? Who knows if that person is in danger right now, maybe they are dead, maybe they are just clinging to life by a strand." he said, not pausing to let Kaiho speak. As he talked to the other male, he would walk ominously from side to side behind Kaiho, going to each of the wolf's sides as he did so. Normally he wouldn't walked around the wolf, but Fiddle didn't feel like going for a swim.

[Deleted]

At first, Kaiho had a distressed and actually a little irritated look on his face as the other kept talking. His thoughts were not meant for shady unknown ghost-wolves! But the word 'murder' made his face go from irritated to shocked, and he couldn't hide it. As the other kept talking almost as he knew about Kaiho's past, it felt like a bolt had striked on Kaiho's heart. If it could have be seen, under his fur he went completely pale. He felt almost nauseous, and even though it was not possible, he felt like he tasted his brothers blood on his mouth again.
He shaked his head, and wanted to just run away from this. But his legs felt like frozen from the sudden shock.
But when the other mentioned about Kaiho's loved one, that made him stood up quickly. "N-no!" He just shouted at him, not fully capable to think clearly. But that wouldn't be possible, they had seen each other on the morning! But he heard a whisper on his own mind. Everything was possible. No, don't let that shady ghost-wolfy trick you, he tried to tell himself, even though it was already too late. "....You know nothing." He managed to say, voice shivering, giving away his uncertainty.

[CursedErin]

Fiddle cackled maniacally, he could read Kaiho like an open book, he had taken common guesses to a wolf who could be running away from something, though he was a bit off. The specter-colored wolf stopped and looked directly into Kaiho's eyes. "Do I know nothing? Or.. Do I know everything?" he said, smirking wickedly once again. He was enjoying the other male's reactions for everything he did. When he mentioned the 'murder,' he could see the nauseousness in his face, but that was nothing compared to the next reaction he got. "Are you sure she is safe? How do you not know she isn't in trouble. Right. Now?" he said, beginning to walk from side to side once again, flank to flank.

The Frigid Plague wolf enjoyed his teasing immensely, it was fun to mess with another wolf's mind, to pick their brain and have them question what they thought was reality. Fiddle would continue to enjoy this feeling as long as he wanted, until Kaiho snapped and stood up to him at least.

[Deleted]

Kaiho's mind was racing, he couldn't really concentrate on anything. He only stood there, looking forward at nothing. He really needed to get himself together! From the shadows he saw that shady wolf, circling around him like a bird of prey. No, Kaiho didn't want to accept being a prey, a source of fun for the others. He wanted to get away, like a coward he was. He saw his dark reflection from the black water. Those scars in his face were a ugly reminder from the past, he didn't want to go through it again and again!
"Then maybe I should just leave...!" He blurt out growling, without thinking showing actually some teeth, and stepped past the other one. He started to just walk away, hoping that the other wouldn't follow. He felt bad and embarrassing that his pulse was beating so quick from all this, and that he still had a pressuring nauseous feeling... but thanks to that vulture he actually had started to fear for Raven's well-being.

[CursedErin]

Fiddle cackled once again at Kaiho's responses to what he said. "Fiddle-dum, Fiddle-dee. Go ahead and leave. Fiddle-dee, Fiddle-dum, what if she is already done?" he sang, before snicking a bit and then seating himself down next to Amoux Creek, not caring if Kaiho left or stayed, he just wanted to have a bit of fun.

[Deleted]

Kaiho didn't walk fast, glancing quickly behind his back to see if that jester followed him. It seemed like he stayed there. Kaiho sighed in relief. He needed to calm down.
He sat behind some trees and bushes, and focused on breathing and collecting his thoughts. He didn't remember to been the badly... mixed and in confusion since that night he had left his brothers. That jester had really mixed his mind, and he didn't like this unsure feeling. Raven had to be alright, she was probably braver and better in fights than Kaiho, he had to admit. And she would probably call for him by howling if she wasn't, he thought. Kaiho glanced again around him. It was getting darker all the time, shadows eating the surrounding forest. He didn't like this feeling he had, that he still wasn't alone.

[CursedErin]

Fiddle drank from the creek for a moment before turning and walking towards Kaiho once again. "Keep yourself sane, if you can." he spoke ominously as he walked past Kaiho. The Frigid Plague wolf didn't even bother to look at the other wolf, he just kept on walking by. "After all, I wouldn't want that little mind to be gone when I come back again."  he snickered before heading into the forest, disappearing after awhile as he padded away.

-Exit Fiddle-

[Deleted]

He was still there. Kaiho glared at him while he walk past him. He wanted to say something, even something to defend himself, but he couldn't think of anything. He saw how the other disappeared in the shadows. Hopefully he was now completely alone....

For the whole night, Kaiho just thought about everything, arranging his thoughts. He couldn't get much sleep, nightmares were plaguing his dreams. When he finally saw the morning light through the woods, he gave up on sleeping and started the day by drinking some ice cold water from the creek.

Then by the noon, he heard a familiar howl. It was coming from where the ruins of Abeytu were. And Kaiho's heart stopped, he recognized that voice. It was Raven, something was wrong.
Without much thinking, he rushed through the woods. He ran as fast as he could, wind howling on past him.
She had to be allright!

- Kaiho out-