A Chance of Reconciliation (Tagged)

[Blood]

@wiltingwallflower

Westariquo slowly strutted through the tall grasses of the meadow he passed through. The tall wispy blades brushed his scarred legs as he disturbed their peaceful swaying to the gentle direction of the chill breeze. Autumn was growing upon the land, and the signs could be seen in the coloring leaves and the sharper caution and alertness in the animals of the forest. Memories of survival and fear passed through West's mind as he continued along. When he was younger, growing up as a loner, this time of year was always stressful for him, uncertainty and peril always came with winter. But now he had a pack, a group of wolves to call his... family. The gray male thought back on his encounter with the small she-wolf and their conversation. He thought about what she had said, and reminisced on the recent past of being with Secluded Sunrise. They had not tried to hurt him, or take his loyalty or friendship and abuse it, and the only reason he was traveling to the creek was to take a breather and think for a while.

Brushing those thoughts away, West embraced his alone time and let out a deep sigh as his shifting ears picked up the faint rippling of water over stones. The Amoux was just over this grassy incline, and his tongue was already anticipating the fresh sensation of cool water to quench his thirst.

[Deleted]

With fearful glances to either side and behind, Fable took quick but shaking steps toward the Amoux. The height of the grass was tall enough to hide her small form until she reached the water's edge. Sinking to the ground with an anxious glance around, she lowered her maw to the water and lapped at the cool liquid. The taste of the fresh water was enough to get the tense muscles in her back to relax somewhat, a soft sigh passing through her lips. A moment of peace these days was hard to come by for her, especially with her already high-wired mind. Sometimes, she guessed, it isn't too hard to allow herself some rest under the cover of the tall grasses. Though this stream was well-known and she was bound to run into another wolf if she stayed long, the tranquility of the area put her thoughts at ease. At least for a short time, it wouldn't be dangerous to relax. Would it?

With this last thought on her mind, she sighed again and then lowered her head onto her paws. Her fluffy tail gave her a sense of security as she pulled it close to her left side, the right being near the reeds and further away from any company. Glancing around another time, she finally allowed the wind to lull her into a peaceful doze where she lie. Little did she know that a familiar wolf was nearby.

[Blood]

West neared the riverbank, his large gray body weaving through the tall stalks of cattail and reeds. The wispy plants thinned out and the ground hardened a bit from rough granulated sand that created a small beach. With each step, Westariquo's claws dug into the shifty earth for stability and balance as he stopped short of the water's edge. The moving liquid lapped at the small stones in rhythmic strokes and set a peaceful lulling sound to the area. Tranquility was in the fresh warm breeze, and the sun glowed in a hypnotizing way.

West lowered his head to the river and drank the refreshing water. Closing his eyes, he let the cool pure liquid fill his mouth and run down his throat in large swallows. Satisfied, the male brought his gaze back up and his large ears perked forward, behind him, and around him, checking the area for unusual sounds. His wet black noise wiggled, and his tongue ran over it and his lips several times, catching any stray dripping or drooling.

A scent had touched his sniffer on the way to the river, now it was stronger. A scent he had smelt before. A scent he knew. Curiosity began pulling at his ear, and the gray male couldn't resist a quick look-around. 'Could it really be her? But what if...' West stopped his thoughts there, for a few leaps away, hiden well in the security of the tall river reeds was a small pale she-wolf. Her tail tucked snugly around her slender body, and her eyes closed in a peaceful sleep.

Not intending to speak very loud or wake her, West quietly spoke her name in question from several steps away. "Fable?"

[Deleted]

Fable had been in a light doze, one keeping her just awake enough to hear a voice call her name. Panic set in so quickly that her brain could not process a gender fitting the voice. The start sent her to her paws, leaping a few lengths away from her unwanted company. Well, the company was unwanted until she saw the wolf the voice had belonged to. It took her a moment to place a name to the familiar face, but once she had accomplished that task, her body relaxed a bit unintentionally. "W-West...?" she mumbled, hoping for some sort of confirmation. Fear that she may have this wolf mixed with another made her take a few shaking steps away, further into the reeds. One threatening movement and it was obvious that she would disappear in the green before the male could blink.

Her heart raced in her chest, which was quite clear by how her chest and sides heaved with each breath. Suddenly her mouth felt dry, desperate for another sip of the fresh water near her paws. Unfortunately for the paranoid female, it was unlikely that she would be able to sneak in a drink before the male before her did something flee-worthy. "Y-you are W-West, right?" After speaking, she took another shaky step into the grass.

[Blood]

West froze in his step forward, remembering that this particular female was extremely jumpy and fearful. Almost imidietly the gray male decided to drop his mass to the ground in a relaxed sitting position, hoping that his calm demeanor would make the she-wolf feel a bit more comfortable, because her actions showed she was about to vanish from the river bank in a cloud of dust. "You are West right?" With a soft shaky voice Fable asked the question from behind a wall of reeds, unsure if her first assumption had been correct.

"I am, and you are Fable. Do you not remember our first encounter?" Westariquo thought for a second as he watched the small pale furred wolf panting in terror, doubtful if he should mention his pack again to her or not. He decided against it, figuring that she would probably recall such an experience. With a lengthy pause, West scrunched his body and stretched his left hind leg to get his claws at his chin to scratch away an itch. He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw as he kicked at his face.

When the gray male was content, he opened his sea green orbs and shook his head to refresh his messed up neck fur, and then smacked his tongue over his shining black nose before focusing back on Fable. "So where have you traveled since we last spoke? You are obviously still a loner." West double checked her scent with another quick sniff to verify that no other wolf scents were in her fur. He wondered again how she could survive on her own with being so afraid of everything all the time.

[Deleted]

Fable watched the male carefully—it had been a while since they last had spoken, but not long enough for her to let his felt melt into all of the others she had encountered. Luckily this time the wolf she had spoken to did not forget her. At least now it would take him longer for him to cast her aside as another insane wolf not worth his time. It was that thought that made her run her tongue over her lips and take another step into the grass. "Wh-why are you sp-speaking to me..? You have n-not left your pack, I can assume... S-so... Why b-bother with me...?" she asked, tone confused with a hint of accusation. Unfortunately, that accusation was always present when she spoke, so full of anxiety was her mind.

She doubted that West would answer her truthfully, but there was always a possibility. It took a lot of faith to believe that when a wolf spoke to you, they were being sincere, and after years of being said "goodbye" to and left to wander anxiously on her own, she had so much doubt inside of her that her faith was almost nowhere to be found. I have been many places, Wolf—I mean, West. But do you really care, or are you just trying to make conversation? Do you pity me that much to speak to me? Are you going to say something to prove that my last words to you have no value? Are you going to disregard my warnings because I got on your nerves? Did I get on your nerves, West? Is that why you are speaking to me? To take out your anger? Then why start making conversation? What's going on in your brain?!

[Blood]

"Wh-why are you sp-speaking to me..?" Fable's words shouted in his mind as his casual expression abruptly changed to a more serious look with a furrowed brow. She continued to ask why he was even bothering with her. If West expressed his emotions freely, he would be staring at the she-wolf with his jaw agape, and eyes utterly confused, but he held his thoughts in and took a silent moment to process them. Why was this situation seeming so familiar? Back at Secluded Sunrise's boarder she had started out with a peculiar question, then it just escalated to an emotional spill of her fears about joining a pack. Was this going to turn out the same way? Westariquo grunted quietly, he had to keep his mind clear, he had to focus on the conversation at paw, but the question was how? How was he going to reply to such an odd question? Should he approach it with kindness and encouragement, like he would to a disrespectful little Ferox, or bluntly, and state the truth that she obviously couldn't grasp; that he had simply stumbled upon her near the river, and he was genuinely asking how she was. That he had the right to speak to whom ever he chose, and that did not exclude her of all wolves, and that it was his choice if he with her of all wolves.

With a soft grin that lighted West's previously stern expression, he tilted his head at an inquiring angle, and blinked at the white she-wolf hiding in the river reeds. "I came for a drink of water. And it would be rude to ignore you, so... where have you traveled since we last spoke?" West had repeated the last sentence he had spoken before her questioning reply. He had chosen to mix both of his ideas and present his words with kindness yet in a direct manner. The effort of coming up with how to speak to Fable twisted his mind tighter than he expected. It was a lot like speaking to pups, but on a much higher level of analyzing thought patterns for West. But in a way Fable was a pup in his mind, she was so imprisoned by fear that she almost acted like a scared little pup. Large shoulders broadened as West's body stooped closer to the ground, his chin touched the waters surface before he broke eye contact with Fable and lapped up more of the refreshing liquid.

[Deleted]

Fable waited in an oddly patient manner, but what West said confused her. He was just being polite? That seemed to settle her mind, because though she watched the male with cautious, her curiousness led her to his side—well, not directly beside him, but still quite near for how hidden in the grass she had been. It took her a moment of watching West with open confusion and curiosity before she spoke, but when she did, her tone was more relaxed and her body was crouched low near the water in a more comfortable position. "I... Around. I don't really remember. I never do. It's just...all over, I guess," she responded, then yawning hugely out over the lapping water at her paws. "But... You interrupted my nap. I don't get a lot of those, Mister." She made a face as if she were scowling, but the playful glint in her eyes said otherwise. It seemed for a moment that she was more comfortable around West that she had originally let on, but in truth she was testing her waters.

She had met West once before, and the time he spent with her before, and currently was adding up in a good way. Being near him made her mind calm down, if only a little. After the short time she spent around him, she felt as if she did not need to worry about his responses to things she said or did, because he always ended up going with the "unexpected" option. While it confused and, yes, even irritated her, she couldn't help finding the male a bit curious. "What about you? Are you still in that pack? What was the name, again?" It was clear by her tone that she was not trying to be rude, but much like the pup West compared her to mentally, she had no filter. There was innocence in her words, and despite her intelligence, she couldn't help speaking her mind. At least, when she was near a wolf who would listen.

[Blood]

West drank to his full content, only once glancing to the side to see that the young she-wolf who was previously hiding behind the river reeds was now nearer to him. He finished his lapping, and lifted his head to look over at her, his body still in the stooped position as water dripped from his soaking chin, and rolled off his angular jaw. Fable was watching him closely, a very intent gaze was trained on him, full of confusion yet curiosity. Large crystal blue eyes shining with skepticism and doubtfulness, peered at him. But deep within, hiding behind her fear, West seemed to catch a glimpse of a calm that emanated when she came to sit a few steps away from him.

West said nothing as their eyes connected for a short moment before Fable stuttered, "I... Around. I don't really remember. I never do. It's just...all over, I guess," The gray male held back a raised brow of exasperation, and sighed instead, lifting his large body to an upright sit. His hind end rested flat on the ground, and his bushy white streaked tail flopped down near his hip. Westariquo thought about what the pale she-wolf had said, did she just travel aimlessly, was she a loner like he had been, or was she lost if she couldn't remember. Vivid memories came back to the battle scarred he wolf as he thought back on his life as a wandering wolf, and how he had been searching for a pack... "Are you searching for something Fable?" The words came out before West could really think about it, but he saw her wide yawn that bragged her sharp white fangs, and decided not to worry about her response. Warmth began to touch West's skin as the bright sun beat on his thick pelt and soaked up the golden rays, casting a drowsy feeling over him.

"But..." Fable continued, interrupting him from his peaceful thoughts. Her tone was a gently teasing as she scolded him from disturbing her rest. "Ah, a nap... That sounds really good right now." West exhaled through clenched teeth as he tried to hold back a yawn. He shifted his paws, and slowly lowered himself to his elbows before completely laying down to his side. Looking back over at the female who still crouched by the waters edge, West gave her a soft smile, his furry cheeks squishing against his panting chest as it expanded and shrank in steady breaths. It hadn't occurred to West until now, that the young female he lay beside, was quite a bit more relaxed and comfortable around him than when he first had met her not long ago. She was actually smiling at him, and her personality was a bit more clear to West. Although he still didn't know her, the gray male liked how she was calming down around him, and even opening up. Of course she could be falsely expressing her true self, but West would continue to be gentle and trustworthy, and willing to stick around.

Fables questions came back to him, and he set his head down on the cool ground before answering. "Well... I am slowly adjusting to pack life. When we first met, I had recently joined Secluded Sunrise." West frowned slightly, and turned his head away from Fable's direction. He hadn't told her that before, he had simply mentioned that he was a part of the pack. "Before that, I was a loner all my life." Sea green eyes blinked and his tail flopped behind him as he peeked over at the thin shining form of Fable.

[Deleted]

Fable tilted her head curiously whenever West spoke, oddly intrigued by the sound of the male's voice. The way he suddenly relaxed around her surprised her, but she could not help feeding off of his energy. Soon enough, she was lowering her fluffy belly to the dirt. Though she gave no chance and kept her limbs tense, she felt her eyelids grow heavy just by the slight relaxation in her stance. Something West said, though, made her brows furrow and one of her ears tilt in confusion. What did the male mean, he had "recently joined Secluded Sunrise"? Had he been playing the pack card before to try and get her to leave him alone? That was a high possibility, and she didn't know West well enough at all to protest that he was not that kind of male. But then he ended his statement with, "I was a loner all my life." Now, that was a new thing she did not understand. How could someone possibly be able to live around other wolves when they had their space to roam and be free? How could a male ever tie himself down like that? It was unthinkable to her. Why?

"But... Why would you give up that freedom? You can roam wherever you please as a loner. You may even find someone to spend your time with, should you desire company. So why join a pack? I feel like I've told you this before, but you can't trust other wolves! You never know what they're thinking, West! What—what if it's something bad and you end up getting hurt because you put your faith in some wolves who would never have your best interests at heart?! Doesn't that terrify you, West? I—I could never, not ever, join a pack. If I joined a pack, I would be judged and I wouldn't even know unless someone told me outright, and then I would keep thinking about all of the things they were keeping secret about me in their minds, and I would drive myself insane—well, more insane—with fear and unease! Just the possibility that someone else hated me... And I didn't even know until they got so tired of me they decided to act on their hatred...? How could you live with that fear, West? Do...do you hate me? I completely understand if you do, I mean, I sort of just..barged into your life, right...?"

After ranting, basically a repeat of last time with more insight added, she stumbled to her paws, fear and uncertainty making her legs tremble and her tail sway. Her ears pressed back on her head and she shook a few steps away from West. "I..If... If you want me gone, just say it! I'm a bother, right?! I'm annoying, right?! I'm insane, right?!" Though hurt shone in her eyes, her lips pulled back over her sharp teeth, a warning from a paranoid female. "If you want me gone, just say it, West."

[Blood]

West closed his eyes to the gentle sound of water running over stones, the warm autumn (ooc: I know it's winter but this thread was started in autumn) sun melting onto his shimmering coat, and the brisk wind playing with his thickening gray fur. He hadn't had a relaxing moment like this in a long while, the stresses of joining a new pack could be dropped in the river and sent away with the current to leave his shoulders free of weight. The pressures of always doing things right, and the importance of fitting in(that he always worried about far too much), could all be forgotten in this moment of stillness and peace.

A shifting of pebbles aroused the gray male from his silent serenity, and his sea green eyes flickered open to reality. He hadn't forgotten about the she-wolf. Fable was almost to the ground in a comfortable position to take a snooze when she spoke out abruptly about something he had just said. "But... why would you give up that freedom?" West opened his mouth to reply something, but the previously softspoken she-wolf continued with barreling force in her reproach. She spoke about being a loner and the freedom in it as a joy. Freedom? Westariquo saw fading flashbacks of his having to survive the harsh winters and dark starless nights full of hungry predators. The fearfilled moments of his youth when he had wished with all his heart that he had someone to watch his back, or help fend from an angry bear. When having a pack to stand by his side would have saved the many scars from marking up his body. Being a loner had given him no happiness in freedom, but only fear of his tomorrow. Sure his past memories as a neglected pup wasn't the best for coming from a pack, but he remembered how the other wolvesin the pack at least got along together, he had just been a nothing pup, so he hadn't been good enough to get along with. But this was a new start, he was worth more, he wasn't lame or a failure in skills, he had survived the worst the wilderness could throw at him.

"So why join a pack? I feel like I have told you this before..."

[/i] Fable continued, grabbing the male from his mental replies, as she talked on. A slight nod showed the gray wolf's agreement, that that conversation had definitely been argued before. West was left no space for comments or replies, let alone answering her questions as she babbled on about the whole not trusting packs again. In his mind, he made a mental note that he would answer her statements with what he had been thinking, but that would be saved for a different day and time, because he felt the assurance that they would meet again sooner or later.

"How could you live with that fear, West?" Fear, what fear? The fear of living, the fear of taking- "Do...do you hate me? I completely understand if you do, I mean..."[/i] Fable went on, but the gray wolf laying on his side, paws outstretched and tail splayed out behind him, couldn't hold it back any longer, and a soft rumble breathed in his chest, the beginning of a deep chuckle. The coincidence of them meeting again, the whole conversation that they already seemed to have had before, the reality that most of her fearful words were spoken to fast for him to comprehend all at once, and now the bizarre questions of her asking him if he hated her, was too much to not let the hilariousness of the entire situation get to him. The chuckle slowly turned to a light-hearted laugh, and West laid his head down his eyes closed and jaw cracked in a bright grin as he huffed out hair with joy clearly shown on his face. For his usual serious self and non sarcastic personality, this was an extra rare laugh, but the male couldn't help it. He let out a final gust of laughter before taking in a long breath of air and letting it out while his eyes lifted to hers. His voice was soft as he tilted his chin towards the white female, "Just come and lay down in the sun with me and rest, you look tired. Tired from running. Running from wolf packs, running from fear... running from yourself." A small smile graced his lips before he closed his eyes again and let out another sigh. "I don't hate you Fable... I want you to stay." West said those words in a peaceful whisper as he flicked the tip of his tail and soaked up the warm sunshine. [/p]

@wiltingwallflower 

[Deleted]

Fable was offended at first. How dare this male laugh at her?! He did not know what was going on in her mind, nor did he know the reasons why she felt such ways about certain things. "Just come and lay down in the some with me and rest, you look tired," he told her. She felt her anger slip away, her ice colored eyes softening. She thought his kindness would end there, but then he continued. Tired from running. Running from wolf packs, running from fear... running from yourself." Her ears laid flat on her head and she shyly inched closer. She lied down near West, but far enough not to be a bother. When he spoke again, oily tears pricked her eyes and it was all she could do not to cry.

"I don't hate you Fable... I want you to stay."

A smile brighter than the sun spread across her face and she nodded. "Then, I will stay," she replied softly. She scooted a bit closer to the male. Now with a comfortable distance between the two of them, she stretched out her forelegs and rested her head on her slender limbs. She could not stop grinning, her ears perked happily and the tip of her tail flicking around. No one had ever told her that they wanted her near, and for West to welcome her meant a lot. A heavy sigh from her maw relaxed her tensed back, easing her a bit closer to West. Several minutes later, the she-wolf was sleeping soundly.

[Blood]

West had watched Fable's reaction to his laughter filled sentence. With each statement her expression had changed, first to irritation, than to confusion, and then to bashfulness. His words had influence on her, and that's just what he had hoped for. If he couldn't change her mind by telling her that her fears were driving her insane, than at least he could calm her by speaking to her like he would to a normal wolf having a normal conversation. West had closed his eyes when he spoke the last words, oblivious to her face that melted with appreciation, but he did however, hear her heavy sigh of relaxation, and her shifting movements closer to him.

"Then, I will stay," She whispered. In his resting form that splayed out on the pebbled riverbank, the gray and white male was about to open his eyes and look again at the shy she-wolf laying next to him, but he decided not to and just grinned softly in the warmth that surrounded him. The sounds of Fable creeping closer and closer made West want to sit up on his elbows and scoot closer to her himself, but he new she would have felt threatened and shrunk back again in fear. He had to gain her trust slowly, and by the Power that was going to take some time.

The moment grew silent with peace, and the over whelming warmth of the sun felt like a force field of tranquility surrounding them and covering them like a blanket of fur. West became drowsy with the feeling, and it wasn't long before the babbling of the stream and the rythmic beating of Fable's heart and breath put him to sleep.

-Time skip (a few hours)

Westariquo's eyes fluttered open, a chill had ruffled through his thick gray fur, and his node felt the brush of a soft breeze. His gaze soon focused on the sleeping she-wolf in front of him, and he sat up on his elbows as quietly as he could. The sun had begun to sink lower in the sky, casting a golden light on the resting Fable, her sides shrinking and expanding very slowly to a steady breath that barely seemed fearful. Just by looking at her West could never image a wolf gone mad with fear, and a mind so toutured by wandering thoughts; West saw a peaceful she-wolf resting in the stillness of the moment, untroubled by the world around her, and confident in who she really was. His eyes glittered with her reflection as he smiled at her sleeping form.

[Deleted]

Fable had shifted closer yet in her sleep, not but a foot away from the male now. Her mind was quiet for seemingly the first time, as she had no ability to recall a peaceful time. When her sapphire eyes fluttered open slowly, but the flinch she expected at the sight of a wolf so near did not come. Her gaze traveled up to the wolf's face, and once their gazes met, she gave a gentle smile. "You didn't leave," she said, "thank goodness." She closed her eyes again and nuzzled into her forelegs, but soon she was finding her line of sight drawn back to the male near her. Their gazes did not meet, but she instead studied his legs. They were strong, so different from her stick-thin limbs. Never had she been known for her strength, though she guessed that wolves would only refer to her as the "crazy loner fae"—not that she particularly minded, it kept them away from her.

As her trail of study led her to West's broad shoulders, she uttered a phrase she never thought she could bring herself to. "West... Can you tell me what it's like in a pack?" After speaking, her eyes flashed up to meet the males. There was no threat of outburst in her gaze—all there was, was a hungry but patient sort of curiosity. She had always wanted to know what it would be like to have a proper family, but her fear of what others thought of her kept her from ever acting on her impulses. To deny that living as a packless wolf was lonely, would be a cold, hard lie. Luckily, she was willing to wait for West's answer, which gave more depth to her childish nature. While she acted very pup-like most of the time, skittish and distrustful, she had enough patience and experience to bite back the flood of questions that raged inside of her.

[Blood]

West watched the small female slowly awake and lift her eyes up to meet his. Their eyes connected and for a second, West thought he had lost his soul in the depths of her stunning orbs and lovely smile. "You didn't leave, thank goodness." Her soft melodious voice played in his ears and his cheek pulled back in a crooked grin. A sudden thought entered his mind when she said that, and his attention flicked to the setting sun. Worry made his ears pivote to the sides as he wondered if he should actually be getting back to his pack, they may be looking for him. West's jaw parted slightly, and he was about to tell Fable that he should probably get going, but again the beauty of the she-wolf captured him as she lay her head back down and sighed. The sun gleaming off of her light pelt, and the cream stripe curving down the back of her slender body. How could he possible leave her side when she was still in such a good place of mind. He thought over the situation, and figured that he didn't have to head back to his territory quite yet, he would stay until she was ready for him to leave.

"West... can you tell me what it's like in a pack? " Fable's soft question stunned the large male, and he searched for her eyes for further explaination, but they were somewhere else, on his body. In confusion, West tried to figure out the problem, either she was just lost in space, or she was actually studying him. This realization made the gray male flatten his ears in an almost embarrassed way, but he quickly tried not to let it show, and thought of how to reply. "Um... Sure." What was being in a pack like? West thought back on his new life of a Secluded Sunrise pack member, what were the pros of that lifestyle. "Well," West began slowly, his eyes flicked around avoiding hers, but then he decided to focus on just them, dipping his head lower so it was closer to her level. "There is never a night you have to spend alone, and never a meal you don't have to share. You can laugh and have fun with the pups chasing the squirrels, and playing tackle with them, you can still explore and go on adventures with other pack mates too." West trailed off as he stared into the face of the sapphire eyed she-wolf. She seemed quite calm and in a different mood than usual, but he still was unsure if bringing up the topic of a pack would make her start on another burst of words. "I really do love being part of a pack Fable." He said quietly while keeping his gaze on her. "I wouldn't... trade it for anything."