» To Break Like Time, Open~

[Stormecho]

The place was too open. That was her first thought on seeing the pond, on the soft grasses that were playfully ruffled by the breeze. True, there were trees at her back, but they were behind her, so how could she tell if someone was sneaking up on her? Morrigan almost felt guilty for bringing her weak, awkward self to a place of such peace, but at the same time, the peace was filled with threatening shadows. Ears angling backwards, the pup carefully circled the pond, sniffing the grass and even deigning to poke her nose into the water, trying to determine what sort of danger could lurk in the still waters. The safety of the pond thus proven, she carefully settled down on its banks, ignoring the tempting thicket of scents that the wind brought her, and the enjoyable feeling of firm ground beneath her. There was rain on the wind, and she arranged herself so that her back was to the pond, and she faced both the oncoming wind and the trees that could shelter so many perils.

There was no good cover here, unless she decided to jump into the water... That thought still preyed on her mind, going in circles while she wrestled with it the way she would wrestle with a stick or bone. Her back was safe, and she would hear anyone approaching because of the splashing of the water. She could catch glimpses from the corners of her eyes, so that ensured that her flanks were guarded, and her ears were keen. And she faced the most possible source of danger, the trees she had emerged from, straight on, a sure way to catch scent and sign of anyone approaching. Satisfied with this planning, she curled her bushy tail tightly around her haunches and stared ahead. Summer was over, and even during its abundance she hadn't relaxed.

Now... winter was coming, and the mottled grey pup wasn't sure if she could go through it unscathed. It was the greater worry that gnawed while she tried to deal with small issues of guarding her back. It was what gripped her even now, when the summer's fading heat still lingered in the air. Survival.

[Fuego]

Rafael was growing fast in the coming months. His once baby blue eyes had turned a very beautiful green just like his mother and father before him. His fur was now a bit more thick now that Autumn was here, knowing that Winter would soon be on its way. Even though he wasn't supposed to be out and about without some kind of authority watching over him, Rafe couldn't help but feel the urge to wander off. Carmin had gone off somewhere else, probably staying close to Daddy's side. She was such a Daddy's girl that it made him kind of sick sometimes. But Dad was cool though, and he didn't mind it too much. He just wished that she would come around and play with him every so often. There weren't any others like him that he knew of to play with around here. And it was starting to get a bit boring. Carmin would always stay around the den with Mom and Dad. Where's the fun in that? Slowly the red and grey mottled pup took off into the deep grass, suddenly catching the scent of another wolf nearby. A newcomer? Sweet!

Rafael took off after the new wolf, hoping that this would be a new friend for him to play with. The closer he got, he realized that it was a female. Hmmm, this could get a bit interesting. Deep inside his secret mind, he wondered if Carmin would get jealous if he got any attention when she was away from others in the pack. Rafe knew well of the ranks in the pack, and who was to be placed where. So he didn't have any trouble bragging about the fact that his father was the beta of the pack, and that his mother was the lorekeeper here. He held great pride in his parents' accomplishments and efforts. He would also use these great facts to his advantage. He knew darn well that no one would ever touch him knowing who in fact his parents were. So in his mind, Rafael was completely safe from any harm. If only Carmin knew of this little secret. Ha! He's so lucky! Rafe bounded up to the water's edge, noticing that this wolf was actually a pup like him. A smile came on to his face at the prospect of a new playmate or buddy.

"Hi there! Are you new?" Rafael called to her in a very nice manner. His voice had gotten a bit deeper, but not by much since he was still young, since the past few months have gone by. He was most certainly going to be a very handsome fellow when he got much older. Surely most of the other females would be after him almost every day once the breeding season hit. He just had the handsome touch to him. With dazzling green eyes and a pelt that was hard to miss, he was the talk of the pack in his mind. Who could honestly be better then him? No one! Rafael just waited there with a bright and warm expression on his face, wondering if this girl would talk back to him or not. His tail was wagging from side to side in a happy manner.

[Stormecho]

Morrigan raised her head, ears laying back against her skull. The wind brought her the scent of another wolf. A packmember, by the thick tangle of scents of other wolves... She shifted, uncomfortable that she was essentially waiting for someone to come to her. The bad luck had stopped, or possibly split itself up to go after all of the wolves in the pack - she didn't know. Numbers promised safety, and she knew she wouldn't live on her own, so she had let herself be ushered into a pack that she knew nothing about. Perhaps another pup would be happy to get the chance to walk around in safety and befriend other wolves... But it just scared her. So many unknown possibilities... So many enemies.

It hurt, to know that she was waiting for someone to come to her, but she managed to quash the rising panic and stress once the other emerged. A pup, younger than her, with a vibrantly colourful coat in comparison to her own shades of grey. She hadn't even known that fur could come in that shade of red. Still, despite his disarming cheer as he stopped nearby, she tensed up, ears pressing against her skull. “Hello...” she replied cautiously, edging away. Her tail gave a halfhearted wag in response to the furious beating of his, but her ruddy gold eyes were troubled. “Yes, I'm new.” Hopefully now he wouldn't bother her – she was a stranger, and she certainly didn't trust him. No doubt he didn't trust her either.

Murky grey fur bristling at her neck, she tried to decide if she should leave or not. She was sending out mixed messages of fear and threat, but the pup couldn't help it, as the stress and fear was still there, hovering near her heart.

[Fuego]

He watched her curiously, waiting from some kind of response. And when she finally did, it wasn't at all the kind of 'hello' he was really expecting. She was all tensed up with her ears flattened against her crown and her fur kind of fluffed up, like she was some kind of bird in a really bad mood or something. Birds were another creature that Mother had told him about. They weren't anything to be afraid of. Nah, they were just annoying to listen to and he hated it when they just stared back at him with those beady black eyes. Any way, he just stood there with a more annoyed kind of look on his face. "Why are you acting so icky? I'm not goinig to hurt you." He told her with a smile appearing on his maw. "I'm Rafael by the way. But you can call me Rafe for short. My sister calls me that all of the time, even when she's mad at me." Rafael knew well how to annoy his sister. And he did it all with pride some times. He just couldn't help it.

"So what's your name? I haven't seen another one like me here ever. I didn't think that there were any other pups like us. Are your parents here?" He was just chock full of those questions. But hey, he really couldn't help himself. Rafael was starting to seem more and more like his father; always questioning things and trying to figure stuff out. It was just in his blood. Rafe layed down near the water's edge, staring down at his reflection, hoping to see something he could pounce on. Carmin had been on his tail a lot lately about attacking certain creatures. He remembered when he was just a bit younger, that she had stopped him from pouncing on a bug. How weird was that? It was just a bug! What was wrong with pouncing on a bug? Nothing was wrong with that in his mind. Rafael was just chilling there, waiting for the girl to talk back. And she really needed to cool down. It wouldn't do her any good to worry and such like that all of the time. No, it wouldn't be good at all.

[Stormecho]

Morrigan blinked, unaware that she was acting "icky", as he put it. Was he really so naive as to not be on his guard at a first meeting? Still, he was younger than her - surely she could outrun him, and he certainly didn't seem to be ready to attack. Relaxing her posture, her tail wagged slowly as her ears returned to their upright position, though she was still somewhat stiff. "I'm Morrigan." she replied carefully. The idea of shortening it hadn't occured to her - it was indeed a mouthful, but being named at all had been a blessing among her pack. They had thought she would be stillborn like the rest of the litter, or that she would die - a name had been the ultimate gift, proving to the world that she had a chance. The next flood of speech made her shift uneasily, and her head drooped for a moment before she regained her wary composure.

"I haven't seen other pups around here, no." she admitted, turning her head to glance around the pond in case ninja wolf pups were sneaking up on them. Fortunately, there was no sign of intrusion on her solitude, other than Rafael. "No, my parents aren't here. They didn't come close to this place." Ah, the heartbreaking angst - and the bitterness of being abandoned. She couldn't trust anyone, especially not adults. She didn't join him, stubbornly staying where she could see if anyone else decided to join the meeting. She fell silent, knowing there'd probably be another series of questions to answer in a minute or so.

[Fuego]

Rafael just watched her as she spoke, curious as to why she was acting so peculiar. There was nothing to be afraid of that he knew about, so why should she worry so much? "It's very nice to meet you, Morrigan. I hope that you really do like it here in this pack. It's very nice here, although a tad bit boring sometimes." He said to her with a small smile. Rafael noticed that she actually relaxed a bit somewhat. Her ears came back up and she was less tense. That was really good to him. Deeper he soaked his red and black painted paw into the water, batting away at anything that may come at him from within those slightly murky depths. He wasn't afraid, mind you. Just a bit cautious. He had never really liked the thought of what could be lurking underneath the water much. Perhaps it was just because of the tsasings he got from Carmin. Oh well. He would hopefully get over it soon. Looking back at her, he decided to try and talk some with her again.

"My father is the beta of this pack, so if you have any problems or anything I'm sure that he will help you out. He is very cool to be around." Rafe spoke highly of his sire to the slightly older pup, hoping that she would indeed try to get to know him and some of the other pack members. There was indeed a certain safety that he felt in these numbers. It was nice to be apart of such a huge family where everyone looked out for you. Rafael was lucky to even exist at all in the first place. A tawny wolf would have been his brother or new sister when they were born, but that sadly wasn't meant to be. Dad told him and Carmin of this a while back, and this made the red mottled pup wonder if that could have been him. Perhaps now he ws just trying to rid himself of that void. Morrigan was not much older then he was, so she would have made a perfect adopted sister, but that wasn't meant to be it seemed. "Why are you so rigid? What is wrong?" Rafael asked her with a small frown. She was a strange one indeed.

[Stormecho]

Morrigan would have thought herself blessed if life was "boring". She could do without famines and droughts and fires and the horribly bad luck that had followed her pack for so long... "I think I'll like it." she assured him, if only to respond, and not truthfully. She would need far more time to decide if she liked this pack, and she knew no one anyways... Except the red-furred pup currently occupied with dipping his paw in the water for some odd reason. His next words made the pup tilt her head to one side, confused for a brief moment. "Your father is the beta?" By the time she had gotten to know the pack, there had been no need for a beta, as it had been reduced to relatives and two hunters - hardly a pack at all.

"I'll be sure to remember that, and tell him if anything is wrong." Another flat promise - she wasn't sure if she intended to stay later than a year or two - enough to have strength, her full growth... On her own, it would be better, in a way. She didn't have to worry about trusting others, about betrayal or being abandoned. At the question, she stifled an urge to flatten her ears once more. "Nothing is wrong." Oh yes, blatant lying - of course it would help.

[Fuego]

Rafael listened keenly to every word that she spoke. There was something just not right with her, and it was really bothering him. "What's wrong really? You don't have to lie. I can tell that you are." He said to her. His sire, Fuego, had taught him while he was still able to remember things clearly at this age, how to tell if someone was lying to him. Fuego had this thing about looking out for the best for his two kids. Carmin barely ever listened to Mother, so it was probably best that she was taught by him. Any way, Rafael was taught to seek out certain things in others that would help him decide if they should be apart of his life or not. Rafe wasn't sure how Daddy would feel about Morrigan right now. Maybe he wouldn't like her. But Rafe for some reason, did like her. She was interesting as far as he could tell. And perhaps she could make a new buddy for him to play with and such. Carmin was off doing other things, so it was hard to keep himself pre-occupied. Ugh, such was the life of a small pup.

"You just sound so dead and plain. Are you always this flat out annoyed or something?" His voice was getting kind of accusatory. His dark green eyes looked at her golden ones with a hard stare. He was trying to figure her out to the best of his ability. Being around such a weird pup for him was new. Was every other pup like her? Carmin surely wasn't. Then again, she could be hiding some stuff from him. Rafael didn't know about the past litters that had been born here in these lands. Apparently this pack was famous for weird ass puppies. Akki's kids were just weird from what Daddy had told him. And there were others, but he hadn't seen them yet. Rafe was kind of hoping that he really didn't see them. If Morrigan here was any sign of what the others, then what on earth was he supposed to do around here for fun? There was no way on earth he was going to hang around such emo wolves. No way at all.

[Stormecho]

((Bwahaha, fear the emo pup of supreme emo-ness! :P))

Morrigan managed to keep herself from looking away, which would have made it even more obvious. "It's nothing you'd want to hear about." she replied, remembering all too well that his sire was the beta - she couldn't be rude outright, but trusting him with anything would be impossible. Gone was the pretense of relaxation and friendliness - she had stiffened up again, not with fear, but with watchfulness. When he decided to stare at her, she stared right back, hoping her slightly larger size would make him back down, or at least stop questioning her. "Not always. I just arrived a day ago - I'm tired." the pup retorted, grey ears angling back once more to show her irritation with Rafe. It wasn't a lie this time - she was tired of everything: of being abandoned, of running around aimlessly, of having to guard her back constantly. But she had to stay on guard, so that she could survive... And if that meant she had to snap at a seemingly friendly wolf, she'd do it: her feelings were what were important, not Rafael's.

"I sound this way because I sound this way." she continued stubbornly. "It isn't because I'm always annoyed. I wasn't annoyed until you decided to pester me." Her tail was almost still, except for a slow twitch of the tip, more restless than happy.

[Fuego]

This girl was just straight up mean. What on earth was her problem? Rafael just gave her a very cross look, keeping his eyes all on her and not letting her make him feel threatened. Morrigan was a pup just like him, only a little bit older. So why should he be afraid of someone like her? It was just plain dumb. Rafael decided though that she might not be worth the trouble. So he turned back around to head on to the dens. Just wait until Daddy hears about this little annoyance. Turning his head back to look at her, he decided to give her at least some kind of fairwell, even though she just might hate him to bits right now.

"I'm sorry that I bothered you, Morrigan. I'll leave you alone then if that's what you wish. Good bye." And just like that, he was off toward other parts of the central packlands. If this emo filled pup didn't want to be around him, then maybe somebody else would. After all, who could resist such a cute flaming furr ball like him? Rafael could think of no one, except for miss grumpy over there. Rafael fled back on through the shrubbery, hoping to god that he would find someone a bit more pleasant to his soul.

[Stormecho]

Morrigan didn't relax even as he turned away. "Good, that is what I wish." she muttered after him, to prove that she was a bitter, unlikable loner whose passing shall not be mourned... At least, not mourned by Rafe. The mottled grey pup stayed stiff and tense until he was out of sight... And then she relaxed enough to sit down and lick her fur, keeping an eye on her surroundings in case an attacker leaped out. It didn't matter to her what the red-furred pup thought of her - if he complained to his sire, it would be a minor matter.

Trying to befriend him would be a bad idea, she convinced herself. He could relay anything she said or did to the beta, and she didn't want some unknown, highranked wolf to know about her past. Or her bad luck, for that matter. What if she could be thrown out just for carrying it along with her? The hunter had died because he had been with her - she knew that. If he had left, like the others, he would have still been alive. So she had it. Maybe she was the bad luck. That was an unpleasant thought, and the cub whimpered softly, before drawing on her resolve. She was alone now. Alone, she could watch her back and do what she needed to survive. Everything would be fine...

((I love Portal quotes way too much. XD))