x. Mercy less { s l e e p }

[Thorn]

<sub>A gentle mid spring breeze blew through the trees of the forest. Thorn paced about searching for a suitable denning area. His snout was pressed to the ground and his ears where pricked up slightly. Taking in the soothing scent of the forest he scratched a tree lightly with his paw. He made a swirl like mark with his claws and then claws through it with only two claws. It was the mark he and his sister used to do. No those where the good times. In mid wonder his muzzle bumped into something solid, blinking in confusion he stepped back.

With a smile he looked into the cave in front of him, a den a nice warm den. Already drowsiness had grasped him by the scruff of the neck and was carrying him off. Closing his eyes he walked into the cave, it seemed to be decorated in soft leaves and moss. Tilting his head slightly he curled up in a dark corner, his tail under his muzzle. It was hard sleeping alone, how he wished another body would press against his. He had not mate. No sister. No one.</sub>

[Adder]

Adder had been greeting and accepting newcomers for most of the day, and now Adder was tired. Exhausted, even. So she had began heading towards the only place she knew for solitude - the Home Glen. As far as she knew, none others knew of it.. yet. But Destiny, being a tracking scout, probably soon would. They all would. But-

A scent. A slightly familiar scent. As Adder reached the warm den, she realised that another was there after all. Thorn.. the newcomer she had greeted earlier and given the title of hunter. She looked surprised, jaws slightly open, standing at the mouth of the cave, before she nodded and headed towards the opposite side of the den. She had no liking for talking at the particular moment.

Settling down against the hard, cool rock surface that marked the Home Glen sleeping quarters, she flicked her plumed tail and resisted the urge to yawn, hoping that it would seem offending towards Thorn. You're the Alpha here, a small voice said sharply inside her head. She ignored it and placed her muzzle down against the rock, eyes still open.

[Thorn]

<sub>-| "Thorn you fur ball hurry up"

"Coming Firn"

"I thought I lost you there"

"Me too"

"Sorry thorn, are you okay I didn't mean to hurt you before"

"Its okay"

"Love you Thorn"

"Love you Firn"-|

Tears swelled up in his eyes as he thought back to the /good/ times, dampening his rough cheek fur. Letting a small sigh drift from his muzzle he curled himself into a tighter ball. The soft balls of moss around him didn't seem able to warm his cold body. Shivers ran up his spine, he wanted her back. He needed her close to him. Letting out a pained bark he buried his head under his paws.

He didn't even know that Adder was there. He didn't even feel her gaze on him. With his claws scraping at the hard granite stone of the cave he forced himself to stop the tears. This though gave no change as the memories seeped in.

-| "Thorn thorn I am coming"

"Firn help me!"

"Got you"

The two wolves lay by a raging water fall, one clearly male had his rare end soaked through the other seemed to holding the male by the scruff of the neck protectively.

"Thank you firn"

"Always here Thorn"

"Always here Firn"-|</sub>

[Adder]

Adder herself was deep in thought, but had promised herself not to let her memories get the better of her, remembering what she had said to Asriel, what Chinook would have said if he was in the same position. Starting a new journey may not be so hard, despite the ones we have lost. Or maybe it has already begun.. Smiling to herself slightly, she decided to only smile at her memories. Suddenly, she remembered something that the old Alpha of Oracular Forest's young daughter had said. Memories are nice.. but that's all they are, Adder had growled at her at the time, but now she understood.

Suddenly, she heard a deep scraping as Thorn's claws scratched the surface of the cave floor. Glancing across at the male hunter, she observed him carefully and suspiciously, wondering what could be tormenting him.

Adder, a small voice inside her head said. She nodded. He was in the same position as she was - remembering their past. She wondered whether he had lost a loved one too. She opened her muzzle to say something, but paused and then closed it again, turning away, eyes narrowing.

[Thorn]

He blinked his pale yellow eyes open suddenly realising Adder was there, jumping back his hit his back hard against the cold cave wall. Giving a small yelp in pain he bowed his head, "M'lady.. I.. sorry.. you.. scared.." he blurted out this words in confusion. He had indeed been half asleep at the time. Swallowing the lump in his thought he calmed himself "I am sorry Adder, I was just thinking" he said with a exasperated sigh.

Turning slightly he moved back to his bed of moss, silently cursing himself for acting like such an idiot. Shaking his pelt he turned his head to lick the now tender spot upon his back. Why had he jumped like that. Why was he so tense. Something was coming and he could feel it, the nasty creeping feeling snaked up his spine like a parasite. He couldn't shake away the felling making him more uneasy all the more.

{{You know who's coming}}

[Adder]

As Thorn spoke, Adder watched him, frowning slightly. Something was bothering him and she had an inkling why. She gave no knowledge to anyone else apart from Thorn, perhaps lost in thought. She shook her head, eyes piercing as always.

' No.. it's quite alright, '

She replied, frowning and looking at her forepaws. Strangely, her tail was not held high, nor was her head. Perhaps she had forgotten her rank, although that wasn't a likely option. No. Merely trying to forget who she was for the time being. Adder had always been one to be lost in thought. She looked back up towards the male, and opened her muzzle to continue.

' Thorn, I.. '

Suddenly, something made her stop abruptly, and she switched her gaze to the mouth of the cave. Observing Thorn suspiciously, she glared outside. It was an unfamiliar scent, and a strange one at that. A newcomer? Trespassing?

' Show yourself. '

[Thorn]

<sub>Standing at the moulth of the cave was Kiba, his once silky white fur was mattered. Clumps of mud clogged his claws and dried blood splashed his chest. The blood however belonged to a rabbit that he had tried to eat. Well. A leftover rabbit. Her small black eyes where brimming with tears, his small white body shivered and shuck. At the sound of the female voice he scampered into the cave. Slipping clumsily on his paws he hit his muzzle on the stone flooring of the cave. Not even pausing to yelp he got up and ran to Adder.

Pressing himself upto her he began to cry softly, nosing underneath her front legs he wrapped himself in a protective ball beside her. "Gone gone gone" he cried out. He had nothing other to do than throw himself at this she-wolfs mercy. His wet cheeks rubbed against her side as he tried to get some mortal warmth from the female. He only caught a glimpse of Thorn out the corner of his eyes yet he still tensed horribly and started quaking in fear. "Hurt me no hurt me no" he yelped burning his head under Adders chest.

---

Thorn looked at her warmth, wondering what the female was about to say to him when suddenly something interrupted them. Snapping his head round he gazed at the entrance of the cave. For a second he quivered with a tough of fear before he realised it was a pup. Blinking he tilted his head to one side in confusion. here was its mother, why was it in such a state. Was it Adders.

He looked at Adder in shock thinking that it was her pup. Had she left it thinking that the pup would never find her. He stared blankly at the poor cub. Blood. He gasped. What was the dried red marking upon his chest, had the pup been attacked. Taking in the pups scent hurriedly he urged to run over and comfort it. Though he was stopped by the pups pitiful cried for mercy. Looking to Adder in curiosity and confusion he silent questioned her.</sub>

[Adder]

As the young cub stood at the mouth of the cave, Adder was all in offensive mode, but after realising how young he was.. she paused, eyes wide and jaws open slightly. He looked completely alone. Scruffy white-grey cub fur was matted with blood and dirt, his weak small tail tattered.

When the youngster ran up to her, she stood completely still, wondering who it was. She looked over at Thorn, as confused as he was. However, she soon found herself lowering her head uncontrollably to look into the youngster's troubled eyes.

' We won't hurt you. Where is your mother? ' she asked, back into sincere Alpha mode. Shaking her tail swiftly, she stood up, but let the cub hang onto her leg.

This is crazy.. I wonder if the mother is Destiny? she thought wildly, referring to the only other female in the territory. She looked towards Thorn, now forgetting the thing she was going to say.

' Do you know this cub? '

[Thorn]

"We where playing hide and seek and she.. she" he burst into tears again. Burying himself in her soft fur shivering uncontrollably. He was still cling onto her, refusing to let go. His soft black eyes showed nothing but pain, she indeed had left him to die. Though something hit him hard, a thought and idea. Letting go of her he dropped to the ground, landing lightly on his paws he looked up at her. "Stay with you me" he asked, his small voice cracked with weak hunger. Before he could speak any more he buckled on his paws and passed out.

Thorn gasped jumping to his feet, he ran over to Adder. "I know not of this pup m'lady, I think it is in need of food" he said sniffing at the pup "and a wash" he said walking in a clean circle. A frown played his face, "hide and seek" he murmured over and over again in hushed tones. Within a split second his eyes watered, "he has been abandoned" he muttered to adder. "Let me go find food for it, Adder I beg help this whelp he has no one" he said. He did not want the pup to grow up like he had.

[Adder]

Adder watched the cub with wide eyes. She had never been in a situation quite like this one before. As the cub passed out, she moved her muzzle swiftly under the cub to stop it from hitting the ground heavily. As a highly experienced hunter, she had extreme reflexes. She nosed it - a dry nose. Dehydrated. She turned back to Thorn worriedly.

' Very well, please do, '

She replied, frowning slightly, her eyes still wide with horror. Adder nodded towards the lower hunter, yet now with her tail and head raised. If only I hadn't sent Jude and Alphonse on that hunt.. she thought to herself, cursing. Slowly she sank to the ground, letting the cub gather warmth from her active body.

ooc; OMG so terrible. Museless. D;

[Thorn]

<sub>He nodded swiftly running from the den and into the forest, hi dark eyes blossomed with new found worry. 'I wonder' he though to himself, pressing his muzzle down to the ground. He picked up the new found scent of a doe not to far away, moving on silent paws towards the deer he looked for a small white tail. With his thoughts playing on the pup he stepped on a trig. Blinking he stepped back and darted through the bushes.

There it was, he saw the deers speckled hide and moved quietly closer. Tensing he brought it down in three blows to the neck. With a groan he began to drag its body back to Adder, thorns caught on its lifeless body causing the blood to flow. Blinking away the temptation to eat it he brought it into the den.

Kiba eyes opened up slightly at the scent of fresh kill, he huddled close to Adder his small body warming up. "Mother now you" he squeaked gently to her looking up with soft round eyes.</sub>

[Adder]

As Thorn was preoccupied, Adder frowned at the youngster. She observed the white cub with confusion. Where had he come from? And what was he doing here? For he was obviously male, but extremely young. He also seemed inexperienced in the ways of the pack - nobody else would run up to the Alpha and nuzzle into them like that!

' I'm sure your real mother is around somewhere, ' Adder said comfortingly. As Thorn brought in the food, she nodded in thanks towards the male hunter. ' Did she teach you to eat meat yet? '

The cub looked young, perhaps at about two or three months old. Dirt and dry rabbit blood clung to his scraggly wolf fur, and he looked thoroughlly miserable.

' After that we'll go and clean you up, hm? What is your name? '

[Thorn]

He blinked up at her shaking his head, "no, I tried eating small thing with long ears but it hurt my teeth" he said baring his small white teeth up at her. Turning his head to the large carcass he sniffed at it turning once more at another question. "My names Kiba whats yours" he squeaked tilting his head and perking up his ears. A wash. Oh that would be nice, wagging his tail in delight at the thought he curled himself up by her legs again.

"So how do you eat again" he said with a soft smile. Padding over to the dead doe he paws it slightly. "Smelly thing" he said sticking out his tongue.

Thorn chuckled lightly at some of the young cubs words, he was indeed a smart one. Flicking his tail side to side he decided he better leave this den. Bowing his head to Adder he smiled "I am deeply sorry m'lady but I have other things to tend to" he said finishing with a small wink. With that he turned and padded out of the cave.

Once out side he becided that he would explore the new territory. This by findign an old log and going to sleep in it. Yes well. It was still exploring.

[Adder]

Adder watched Thorn leave, somewhat bewildered at his sudden departure. Calm down. Alphas aren't supposed to panic, she thought calmly. After composing herself, she nodded towards the cub and looked towards the carcass.

' I am Adder. I own these lands. You are welcome to stay if you wish, ' she said, still keeping as formal as ever. Adder had always been secretive, but deep inside lurked a formiddable sense of selflessness. However, these things were put to waste, as she did not have a cub, or indeed, a mate.

' Tear off the soft parts with your front fangs, ' Adder guided. ' Make sure you don't get any sharp objects, bones, stuck in your jaws. Didn't your mother teach you these things? '

She frowned. His mother must have been killed.. why else would she leave her cub along, stranded? she thought to herself.

[Thorn]

He nodded as she spoke, moving forward he lunged at the meat his front fangs bared. He tore at the soft meat of the next and tasted the blood, chewing it he sat down swallowing it little by little. After he had finished about a three centimeter wide mouthful he looked to the rest of the large doe. "You eat" he said pushing the doe towards her with all his might. He ell silent again "mother just taught me how to keep quiet and not look for her till I counted to two billions" he said tilting his head to one side.

Blinking he took another bit out of the doe, his mind falling to the wash he was soon to get. It would be nice to have his fur smooth and soft again. He hated the brown things in it, and that crusty red stuff that was just the worst.

With his muzzle stained with does blood he snuffled around its lifeless body, " It like the thing with long ears only bigger" he murmured to himself lost in his own childish thoughts. Still chewing on the meat he swallowed quickly, after this spitting out a bone.