Welcome to Gaia! ::

Nestled in the Frozen Abyss, hidden under a blanket of white, lay a village clinging to life in that frozen wasteland. The majority of the village was hidden within the mouth of a cave that stretched for miles down. It was their shelter from the elements, a place to retreat from the cold; it was their home. Here is where their children played, their elderly sat and chatted the day away, where their warriors rested before they went in search of food. A wolf pack.

Their alpha was a wise old man, kind in appearance but stern in nature. Long silver hair hugged his back, his natural color from birth, and his tail held the same color though darker gray markings trailed down the center of it almost to the tip. His female, his love, held a much lighter color of silver that glistened brightly like the moonlight. It wasn’t her hair, not even her beauty that had caught his attention. It had been her eyes. Her stormy cool gray eyes that looked back into his as if they were looking into his soul. She was much younger than he was, but she had the presence of a much older and wiser woman and wasn’t afraid to assert her dominance. He loved that about her.

Even now as he looked at her it was as if he was looking at her for the first time, getting lost in those eyes unwilling to find his way out. Smiling down at her small form he reached out a hand and caressed her protruding belly. She was with child, their second. Children had not come easily for them mostly why the majority of their pack was made up of outcasts and rogues. Their last child, their son, was already fifteen years of age and had a mind of his own when it came to leadership, though he had an interesting challenge that he constantly fought with. From the day he was born he had been completely blind. He had been born an albino child, starry white hair but milky white eyes to match, but his lack of sight had never hindered him in the slightest.

From the moment he could walk he took it upon himself to explore his surroundings, often finding himself deep within the cave or outside in the frozen abyss. It was a wonder to some how he had even survived until this point but his parents knew better. They knew that he was smart and used his other senses to his advantage to make up for what he lacked.

As the night drew on Cole paced the entrance of the cave a look of worry on his face. Jin sat patiently at the door. He could not see his father’s face but he could feel the tension he was giving off. “I’m sure mother is fine.” He said softly.

“I…I know I shouldn’t worry. She is a strong woman.” Despite the words that were spoken he didn’t seem to believe them as he continued to pace.

“So what do you think the baby will be?” Jin asked trying to distract his father. He had been the only sibling for some time and the thought of a baby sister or a baby brother had yet to really sink in.

“It will be a boy of course.” Cole said with confidence. He had said that from the start when Marlene had begun showing. Every day he would smile and asked how his new son was doing but Marlene would always smile and shake her head. ‘Its not a boy.’ She would tell him. ‘Not this time. No, this one is a little girl. My little angel.’ But Cole would always laugh but it didn’t keep Marlene from smiling. No, if anything it made her smile more as if she had her own little secret.

“You know mother would disagree,” Jin laughed. “She always told you it would be a girl.”

“I know she did,” Cole said staring out at the snow. It was coming down harder than it had before, but the fire within the cave was keeping the cold at bay. “But I can say without a doubt that this child will be your new baby brother.” The thought of having another boy made Cole’s chest swell with pride. He would have two strong boys to look over the pack when he was gone. He would teach them both everything he knew and hoped they would help each other lead.

Suddenly the wail of a baby filled the cavern and Cole turned sharply in that direction. He took a few steps forward but halted in his tracks. Why was he afraid to go any further? Something didn’t seem right. Not long after one of the elderly women of the pack came out of the darkness with a little bundle in her arms. She walked right up to Cole a sad smile of her face. “It’s a girl.” She said softly.

“A girl?” Cole was in disbelief but still couldn’t keep himself from smiling as he took the child into his arms. He rocked the baby gently and drew back the wrappings to reveal snowy white hair, just like Jin’s, however, when she opened her eyes they were an icy blue. Just like her father’s. “She’s beautiful.” He held her close. “How is Marlene?”

The elderly woman’s face became saddened, the happiness of the new baby drained from her mind. “She…she had some difficulty, Sir. I’m afraid….She didn’t make it.”

“No…” Cole said softly turning to Jin and handing him the baby. “Marlene?!” He called out running to the back of the cave. “MARLENE!!”

“Sir! You shouldn’t!” The elderly woman tried to warn him but he was already gone. Sadly she turned to Jin as he stood there in confusion holding his new baby sister.

“So…mother is gone?” His voice was raspy.

“I’m afraid so lad.”

The baby in Jin’s arms began to cry as if sensing the sadness in the air but Jin was quick to cuddle and rock her to calm her back down. “Shh shhhh, it’s alright.” Tears began to well up in his sightless eyes as he sat back down rocking the baby. “I will take care of you.” Jin whispered to the crying baby. “I will watch over you little one because you are mother’s little angel.” He held the baby close to his chest as he hummed a little tune that his mother used to sing to him. As the memory of her voice came to mind and the realization that he would never hear it again, the tears began to pour down Jin’s cheeks as he continued to hum the lullaby.