Moonlight's Glow (Tagged)

[🌅Phoenix🌅]

Argus
Pandora:

This was her first winter since she had come to White Wolf Mountain and she loved it already. Though that didn't say much, considering she liked almost anything and everything. You could say she was maybe a little too loving of all things. A light coating of snow had announced the early winter and was already high on the pup's ankles. Pandora danced around the meadow in such a jolly and happy fashion that it was absolutely ridiculous. If she was smart, then maybe she would of caught some prey to feed her small belly and help her survive the soon-to-be-harsh reality of the frozen season. But no, has simply enjoyed herself, prancing and leaping as a show of fluttering flakes surrounded her like a light curtain. "Yay!" She squealed as she slipped gracelessly on the ice in front of her. "Again! Again!" The pup was still exclaiming to herself as she slid along the frozen surface many times over. Pandora was so distracted by all the joy she was experiencing, the she-wolf had no time to pay attention to any dangers at all. Not even the most obvious threats would faze her. She was just that oblivious.

Unless she was taught a lesson soon, her life would be a very short one. Hardly lasting to the end of Winter if the pup kept this up. All the same she had only been born just outside the valley and had only even through Summer, Autumn and Spring so far where prey was a very minor problem in her area. She had always loved adventure and could never sit still, so she journeyed wherever she pleased to entertain herself. Pandora glanced into the sky, hoping to see a glimpse of the gleaming sun she loved so much. To her dismay, the overcast clouds blocked off the rays of warmth, leaving only a bright patch of clouds illuminated to tell its position. Pandora continued to skate (or slip is maybe a better way to describe it) along the ice, already forgetting about her small wish to see the shining orb of light. Her tail twitched with a bright spark of happiness when she realised she might be able to see the moon tonight if it all cleared up! The female bounced on her toes happily as she thought that she might be able to see the lunar flowers too. Maybe she was little optimistic that the glowing things would be able to survive such a harsh season, but that was just how she rolled in the end.

Happy, optimistic. Always looking into the future as an amazing thing. That was how her mind would always work or at least she thought it would. 'What do adults do for fun? I've never seen anyone play in the snow like I do.' Pandora frowned in thought, but only for a moment before she was all smiles once again. 'Maybe when I'm older, I'll still play with the snow and show the adults how to have some real fun!' With a grin of satisfaction sitting upon her maw she went back to her "ice skating" for some more slippery fun.

[Argus]

Brone turned his head as he heard a faint exclamation a ways off. Winter had come, and sitting down the snow reached his haunches. The snow had littered his dark coat with flakes of white and feeling one hit his face and melt, he shook off his fur and stood. Might be interesting. With that in mind, he walked closer to the sound, crunching snow underfoot as he went. He had eaten earlier and wasn't looking for any food but this hadn't sounded like any source of prey he had ever heard. It sounded like a wolf. As he walked into the clearing and saw what was making the ruckus, his face dropped. It was just his luck, to run into a pup which could not provide him any entertainment, just annoyance. It also appeared that this wolf was less intelligent than others, slipping around the ice and just asking to break her neck. He couldn't imagine what foolishness possessed the wolf because he had never wanted to be out in the cold at that age. The wolf wasn't paying attention to him at all and he was seriously contemplating sneaking off and forgetting all about this little pup. However, his morals dictated that he stop the wolf from killing itself and he found himself conceding to them.

Sighing with annoyance and knowing he'd regret this, he walked over the treacherous ice, slipping himself a few times before he reached the pup. When he did get to it, he stood in front of it to stop its erratic sliding, picked it up by the scruff of its neck and walked carefully back towards the solid snow. He hadn't been to this part of the valley before so he didn't exactly know what it would be like under normal circumstances, but he knew that at the moment, it was freezing cold even through his thick coat.This wolf was smaller and he didn't know why the thing hadn't just died of the cold yet. It would have made his life a whole lot easier if it had. It didn't though and now I'm risking my own neck to save it. It wasn't something he was happy about and his movements, once he reached solid ground again, were sharp and jerky to prove it. He set the pup down again, and now that he wasn't focused on stopping its foolishness, realized it was female. Funny. Normally it's the male pups that are stupid like this. It had been a while since he himself was a pup though, and he didn't hang out with too many of the young wolves so maybe things had changed. The fact remained that this little creature had been acting stupid and he planned to teach her a lesson and be on his way.

"What do you think you were doing? Skating on ice can be dangerous." He didn't think this would him any good since he didn't know the wolf and it was unlikely she would listen to a stranger. At least he hoped that she didn't take strangers at face value because that would be even dumber than ice skating on untested ice.

[🌅Phoenix🌅]

Pandora:
She didn't hear him coming, not at all. Pandora was consumed in her play and nothing more. It was only until she felt strong jaws tugging her away from the ice that the pup saw the wolf. 'Definetly an adult.' She thought plainly, they were far too strong to be even the largest pup. Although she had been enjoying the game she had been playing, she didn't struggle or protest as the wolf carried her. Pandora found herself upon some more solid ground now, the snow beneath them looked less slippery than the ice she was slipping and sliding along. 'Why does the wolf not want to play on the ice with me?' The pup unconsciously tilted her head in thought and tried to look into the mature wolf's face. She failed miserably. As the small wolf was set down on her furry bum she could finally see her saviour's face (though she didn't think he saved her). The male seemed to be thinking, though what about she couldn't be sure. Pandora had started to bounce where she sat, using all her energy not to just run around in circles so that she could listen to the wolf. Why did she want to listen? She wasn't sure, it wasn't like the pup comprehended much as is. "What do you think you were doing? Skating on ice can be dangerous?" There was a hint of a growl in his voice and slight irritation that told her (or would have if she was better at comprehenshion) that he obviously was regretting this decision of save her little butt.

With a smile she replied brightly, "Ice skating is fun!" She exclaimed, obviously missing his warning about danger. Pandora continued to say some more. "Why don't you play with me on the ice mr wolf!" Her voice was warm still as she suggested it, nudging the large male the the frozen patches of land. She bounded up and down, her tail flashing as she indicated him to follow. "This way! This way!" She checked to see if he was following, but obviously he wouldn't want to. Ooo, do you have a game we could play mr wolf? Pandora jumped in a circle before coming to the male, pressing her flank against his as if it would help him think of a game. She remained bright still as she looked up at the large wolf and his dark face and his deep blue eyes. She was still leaning on his side and nudging him for more ideas. Just as she did, she realised how hungry she was and her stomach grumbled. "Ok! Snack time!" She leapt away from him but added as she went, "You think of a game while I'm getting a bit of food, yeah?" With a quick bound and a lick of her lips the pup was out of sight, her fluffy little tail bouncing after her as she went.

It wasn't too long before she found a small rabbit, digging to what was probably its burrow. "Cute bunny." She said out loud by accident, scaring off her prey before she could catch it. "Oops." It was a mistake indeed for winter was very unforgiving when it came to prey and every scrap was fought over usually. 'That's ok, I'll just find another one!' She thought this time, keeping cheery and joyful as she bounded along the snow, her pawsteps printing deeply and clearly in the snow so that anything and anyone could easily track her. Of course, she was too ignorant to notice this and still went on without a worry in the world.

[Argus]

Brone blinked at the little minx started talking. She asked if he wanted to play with her, not even seeming to realize that he had forcibly carried her somewhere or that he was annoyed. He even began to wonder if she was mentally impaired by the time she asked if he had a game that they could play. It was freezing cold and winter and this female was asking him if he had a game they could play. Then she had the audacity to press her little body against his and rub against him. By this time his mouth was hanging open in shock and he was contemplating putting her back on the ice and letting her freeze. Before he could follow through with that plan, the pup was taking off, proclaiming it was snack time. He was inclined to disagree but who knew how long it had been since the girl had eaten. It was winter after all and food was scare at this time. He couldn't decide whether he should be happy she was gone or try and run away while he was alone. After all, she might be planning on coming back and he wasn't sure if he wanted to be around when she came back. She had seemed a little like a nutcase by the time she had left and he couldn't really gain anything from her since she was a little young for him to kill.

But no. That's not what he decided he should do. Instead, he decided it would be a good idea to follow her, and that's exactly what he did. My stupidity just never ends, does it? Either way, he made a pretty good pace once he was resolute that he would follow. She didn't exactly make it hard for him either walking in the snow without trying to cover her tracks or her scent. He found her stalking a rabbit but then she exclaimed what a cute bunny it was and scared it away. Seiously? He shook his head and the little pup just seemed to take it in stride and bounded off as chipper as ever. His eyes bulged comically from his head and his maw hung open for the second time for that day. He took off after her, running, and a little annoyed with the wolf. It really wouldn't surprise him if she hadn't eaten for a while as it seemed she was a rather poor hunter. He would help her if only to ensure that he could in no way, shape, or form be blamed for the death of this young wolf. "Stop!" He would show her how to hunt correctly and maybe along the way she would learn the value of covering her tracks. He wasn't exactly holding out hope for that though. It's a wonder she's still alive. If she acts like this all the time it would be plenty probable for some wolf to run into her tracks and kill her or that she would starve.

He finally caught up to her and looked down at the smaller being. "I have a game. It's called let's not scare away the prey and put ourselves in danger by not paying attention to anything." He walked forward, more of a stalk really, and didn't glance back to see if she was following. His paws sunk lightly into the snow and since it was still snowing there was no danger of anyone following him. He was angry, not stupid. He didn't scent anything for a while but finally found the fresh scent of what smelled like a rabbit. He looked at the small purple female and nodded his head in the direction of the smell. "Try again, this time without making noise."

[🌅Phoenix🌅]

Pandora:
The pup was still oblivious as ever, her sweet smile that she carried everywhere with was still there. While she was oblivious, there was a slight twitch in her nose that made a unconscious reconition to a faintly familiar scent. If only she could find out who it was... But of course! Only one wolf would be able to carry an even slightly familiar smell in the valley and that wolf was Brone. It was the first face she had met since she barely knew her parents even though she was young. She didn't wait up for him though, she knew any adult could catch up to her, so she let him. It was only until he called out to her that she came to a halt. "Stop!" The male's deep voice was raised loud enough for her ears to hear. Pandora turned briefly to the sound of his voice and scent and did something that was definitely not in her nature. She waited. With all the effort she could manage, Pandora kept her paws from moving any further. He appeared aside her only moments later, looking down at her short figure. The female willed herself to listen to him properly instead of distracted. Still, there was no guarantee she was going to pick up every detail. "I have a game." Brone began, her ears perked up excitedly and she squirmed on the spot. "Its called let's not scare away the prey and put ourselves in danger by not paying attention to anything." Her ignorance easily skipped over the obvious matter that this was not a game, but a rule she should follow by.

"Ok, starting... Now!" The pup began to stay in silence longer than she had ever managed before by some miracle of some sort. Brone's trained walk was already getting him ahead of her and she quickly scrambled after him, pressing down the urge to shout "Wait for me!" as she did so. Pandora noticed that even though he wasn't trying overalls hard, his pawsteps seemed lighter and less obvious than her, despite their weight differences. The female began attempt mimicking him (in a quite disappointing fashion) to see the difference. While it was only minor and her mimicking skills were far off, it had made a difference still. Though she did not have enough insight to see this, the annoyed hunch of his shoulders and the slightly faster pace of his walk clearly displayed his irritation and anger. She was following as fast as she could, occasionally slipping but mostly keeping her balance. The female watched curiously as the male begun to go a smal, pace slower which made it easier for her to follow, but also made her wonder why. That's when the waft of rabbit hit her nose. It was most definetly alive, but that was all she knew thanks to her little hinting knowledge. Though of course, Brine had far better hunting skills than she did as he looked at her. "Try again, this time without a noise." She nodded ( while she was still suppressing the urge to talk) and continued on in the direction her had motioned his head toward.

Though it was purely by her better half of wolf instinct, Pandora dropped into a low and somewhat acceptable standard of a hinting crouch. She didn't look back for the male's approval, she just simply trudged forward until the smell of rabbit consumed every sense. She could already taste it. Her hunger definitely had boosted her senses in a need for food and she lowered her very poorly camouflaged flank further into the snow so that only her head could be seen above it. Pandora glared at her target. Her paws were jumping with energy. The pup managed them. She lifted her tail like a flag. And she leapt. No, it was not graceful and no it was not perfect in form but it was enough. Enough to make her a meal today. The lagomorph gave a squeak of alarm but it was too late. Pandora trapped the rabbit within her paws, biting it and scratching it a little to make sure it was completely lifeless. A truphant cheer rose in her throat, but she did not raise her voice for she did not want to ruin her friend's game. She picked it up in her smal, but powerful jaws and trotted proudly to Brone, showing it off like a trophy.

[Argus]

The pup had listened well enough although Brone could tell that she was just bursting with energy to be silly. She didn't seem to catch onto the fact that the game wasn't a game, but perhaps that was for the best. At least this way she was willing to do her best. She followed his instructions on keeping quiet and managed to snag her dinner. However, her form was wrong though better than what it had been when he witnessed her previous attempt. He wasn't even sure whether she had crouched at all that time. He had also noticed that she was trying to imitate his walk earlier although she hadn't been successful with that either. The pup was just too energetic for him and it made him feel like he was some ancient, shriveled up wolf when he really wasn't. He shook his head at himself and looked at the pup who was staring at him for approval and pride. "That was better, but you could definitely improve. You did well in controlling your urge to talk though." He had seen how hard she was trying to keep her exclamations contained, and except for that one in the beginning, she had succeeded. He smiled grimly down at her then looked up at the sky and sighed. "Not today though. It's cold and I want to find somewhere warm to sleep." He had no intention of helping her improve her skills today or any day. Of course, he didn't tell the purple wolf that and he certainly didn't give any indication of being friends with her.

In fact, the opposite was true. His shoulders were hunched and his body language, in general, suggested that he didn't want her to follow him. He prayed that she picked up on that and didn't follow him. The last thing he needed was some pest following him around like he was a babysitter. The little she-wolf seemed to believe that they were friends despite him not doing anything to contribute to that idea. Okay, maybe I did chase after her and tell her I was going to play a game with her. And maybe I did pick her up from the ice in the first place. But that means nothing! It was the truth too. He really had done all that stuff because his conscience wouldn't allow him to let the pup go hungry or freeze to death. He found it funny how he had no qualms about killing an adult and he didn't feel anything when a pup died, yet he couldn't be the cause of the pup's death. Ridiculous. He wandered around for awhile looking for some abandoned den, but didn't have any luck. The sun was already at the highest point, and while it was warmer than it had been all day, he knew it would soon get even colder than it had been earlier.

He wondered where the pup had been living and how she had even ended up in this part of the valley. There really wasn't a lot of shelter around to stave off the cold. He shivered and sighed with annoyance. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure that she hadn't been following him. He didn't see anything but that didn't mean she hadn't been tracking him. While he was here he thought he might as well cover his tracks. He threw a little snow over them and watched as all evidence of him ever being there disappeared. He kept walking, making sure that he was treading lightly since he had forgotten earlier. It didn't do him any good because he just ended up where he had found the pup ice skating. He wasn't really paying much attention to where he was walking and his paw hit a patch of ice. He slipped and fell right on his back, then he lay staring at the sky for a second, watching the snowflakes fall. He gathered his senses and stood, making sure he avoided the ice. "Note to self: Always pay attention to where you're walking." He still wasn't accustomed to the snow and he certainly hadn't played in it as a pup. He had grown up in a warm climate and was always thankful that he didn't have to deal with snow and ice. Now though he lived in a place where there was an equal measure of warm and cold and he found that concept hard to adjust to.

[🌅Phoenix🌅]

Pandora:
Even through her complete ignorance and oblivious nature, Pandora could see that Brone was somewhat pleased with her slight improvement from everything else the pup had done today. That was good. Now that they both were friendly with each other, she could play more games with him! Pandora was practically shivering with excitement. Though not for the first time today, she kept her voice to herself. 'Was this what adults did almost all the time? Just think everything instead of saying it?' She pondered away in her mind. Sounds boring and silly to me.' The wolf was at that stage now that she was becoming Brone's "close friend". While the male would probably not like it to happen, it was going to happen wether he liked it or not. That was one of the problems about her. If you hung around her (even for a little bit) the pup would become quite clingy. Despite this though, it would also mean that she became protective of said friend. Of course, if she was extremely close friends with a wolf, she'd actually die for them. That's a pretty tall order considering all the other negative things about Pandora. Brone had began to speak and luckily she had begun to listen and comprehend just as he did. "That was better, but you could definitely improve. You did well in controlling your urge to talk though." Pandora brightened at his praise, fine with the fact that she still had a lot of things to improve on.

The male smiled a smile that wasn't filled with joy like hers. His eyes trained cautiously on the dark, rolling clouds above their heads. He definetly thinking about the weather now and it looked as if some storm was coming. That wasn't good, no matter what the season. Though Winter somehow managed to make anything worse. Brone exhaled deeply and began to talk again. "Not today though. It's cold and I want to find somewhere warm to sleep." Pandora nodded in brief agreement, finally shivering for the first time today. It was if his mention of warmth had made her body actually think of the freezing temperature. She looked up at him with something close to admiration. The pup had only just realised this had been one of her first encounters in the valley and already she was feeling something her ignorance usually skipped over. Being grateful. Pandora had not realised how much this day and wolf had given her until she ran her mind through it all. Even though he may not of been exactly happy about risking his neck to help a pup in need, she still wanted to do something. She'd have to betray the no speaking rule for this one, but she thought it was worth it.

Before the she-wolf could even open her mouth, Brone had begun to walk. His longer strides easily getting him ahead of her for the second time today. She tried also for the second time today to mimick his close to flawless gait. While her usual style was lopsided and bouncy, his was measured and confident. They showed complete strength and mobility despite the icy dangers. If she was going to say it, she'd better follow him, right? 'Right!' Her mind boomed loudly that she almost thought she had said it out loud. No birds scattered though, so Pandora was smart enough to keep her mouth shut for now. She followed him. Of course she did. While her skills were lacking, the space-coated pup managed to sneak outside his borders of vision as he checked for her presumably. Then she stopped for a split second. 'Why am I sneaking up on him?' Her only logical slice of brains answered that one for her. 'Because it doesn't look like he wants me following, does it?' So that settled it. Pandora picked up pace and was alarmed when his tracks were almost non-existent. Almost. She hung onto the thread of hope that she'd pick up on his scent now, so she put her nose to the close to gone prints. She had it! His smell was easily familiar to her.

Another familiar thing sounded out. It was Brone's voice. "—pay attention to where you're walking." It was partially cut off, but she got the got the message loud and clear. He obviously wasn't quite watching his step. That should make it easier for Pandora. His body lay flat against a thick sheet of ice when she finally stumbled upon him. "Hey, Brone." The she-wolf started, for the first time today, her voice normal and not hyper with excitement. "Thanks... For everything."

[Argus]

Brone blinked at the pup from where he was standing. Great. Then he looked sideways at the pup. "I never told you my name.How do you know it?" He ignored her thanks, knowing that he would have just as soon stepped on her carcass rather than bury her had she been dead. She wasn't dead though, so he had helped her, and he hadn't been complacent with her when she managed to kill her rabbit. He had let her have her sense of pride and accomplishment through it. Now she was following him around like a lovesick idiot and was calling him by a name he had never told her. The two of them weren't friends in his mind which negated all right of hers to call him by his name, even if he had told her what it was. He backed away from her, making sure to keep his distance from the frozen patches of ground and avoid a repeat of falling flat on his back. While he was mainly focused on the fact that she knew his name without him telling her, in the back of his mind he was also disconcerted over the fact that she had followed him.

Maybe this clearing is where she dwells. While this was certainly a possibility, it wasn't probable. He couldn't distinguish any form of shelter where she might have been able to find solace from the cold wind. With the snow, there was plenty of water to drink, but he knew sustenance was just as scarce here as any other location during this season. In his musings, the detriments of living here far outweighed the merits. He wasn't the one who could possibly be eeking out a living here, so he ignored these thoughts. He was still puzzling over the enigma of how she had managed to learn his name. However, before he could become too paranoid or agonize too much about it he heard the sound of thunder. It was far off in the distance, but while normally this wouldn't have concerned him, he saw lightning strike a tree in front of him. The snow fell faster and with it, he felt a few drops of rain. He didn't think that the conditions of the storm would continue much longer and was irrevocably relieved because of this reassuring fact.

Either way, he didn't want to be out in the open in this type of storm, knowing that it could cause even more snow to form and that it may even transform into a blizzard. He highly doubted that, but it was certainly was a possibility. He turned, all thought of the pup and her mysterious knowledge of his name forgotten and began to walk briskly away. It was true that he hadn't seen any form of shelter when he looked the first time around here, but desperation made his eyesight keener. And he was desperate. While his biggest fear was heights it didn't mean that he wasn't intimidated by such things as the weather. He knew that it wasn't the most intellectual thing, knew that sometimes he was irrational, but that was part of his nature, and he couldn't amend his nature. At least, he didn't believe that it was possible to do so. He found a cave somewhere near the place where he had found the little pup ice skating and curled up into a ball inside it.

He didn't look up, choosing to hide inside his cape of fur. Doing this gave him plenty of time to ponder the result of his meeting with the predominantly purple pup he had met. He had forgotten all about her knowing his name and his subconscious chose to forget it completely. That wasn't what he was focused on now. He was more interested in how she had reacted towards him leaving her for the second time that day. For some reason, he felt almost ashamed because of it. When he thought about him, a big fully-grown wolf, practically running away and one so young staying, proving that they were braver than him, his cheeks colored. He considered going back, just to prove that he wasn't scared, but he was no idiot and he knew it was safer for him to stay put. He may have been proud, but he wasn't suicidal. The pup could fend for herself and if she chose to stay exposed to the weather, that was her choice. He had never claimed to be friends with her and therefore he had no obligation to her. With that thought firmly in mind, he settled himself more firmly on the ground and began to attempt to fall asleep. Subsequently, as soon as he attempted to do so he found he was unable to.