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 Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 2:29 pm
Their travels had made them equals. It was no longer about Amaury taking pity on the poor, brain-damaged wolf, or her owing him (and the stranger Backus, who had left after the three's one night together) for saving her from the human's snare. A family of two, both of their roles were of equal importance in keeping them alive... and happy, she supposed. It had been a long time since she'd thought about happiness as something that came from other wolves as opposed to coming from the newest human trinket she'd found.
She felt closer to him than she had ever felt to any wolf in her life--though that wouldn't necessarily mean much, as once she had left her family pack she had never formed a relationship with another wolf. Their travels had created an easy and caring atmosphere between them, even if she didn't share her emotions easily. Sometimes, she felt they were both on the edge of something more, but then they backed away from the cliff. What was stopping them? There was her distrusting nature, and there was his haunting, missing past. Maybe it was time to forget those, though, and focus on the future. Maybe instead of just wandering together, they could do something... more. Be a family together.
Amaury rolled onto her side and waited for Lite-Brite to wake up. Maybe today could be a new beginning.
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Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 2:59 pm
Lite-Brite always slept close to Amaury, they kept each other warm and it was logical for them, so much of their relationship was half based in logic and half in the trusting friendship that had blossomed. The past seemed so much less important to him when he thought about the future and what it might hold with Amaury. He slept with his back against her as always for the night found him to be a troubled sleeper, his paws moving in a desperate search for something that lingered in the far corners of his mind. This night had been no different and his paws scrabbled against the earth even as he nuzzled closer to Amaury his lips lifting in a protective silent snarl. The foe in his dreams was hulking, a red eyed demon bearing down on the ones he cared for. In his dreams fringes of bright colors darted around with screams of pain, but sharper and sharper was the image of Amaury, the need to protect her.
He woke himself with a jerk and looked around startled his pink eyes picking out every detail of his surrounding with care. He stood and shook off turning and smiling at Amaury. He couldn't even see his yellow pelt reflected in her bright eyes, he lost himself in her gaze.
"Morning..." He murmured his voice still as soft as the day they first met. There was a new uncertainty though, his stutter was gone but he still spoke hesitantly. Now it wasn't for not knowing anything about his past, it was fear of not knowing anything about the future. Though they had traveled together for quite some time Lite-Brite was terrified that his beautiful companion might choose to leave someday...soon. He had come to care for and admire her in so many ways, the thought of leaving her made his heart clench painfully.
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Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 4:04 pm
Lite-Brite's unsettled sleep and startled wakings no longer troubled Amaury. It was just another part of him that she had grown used to, and she no longer woke during the night or became worried in the morning. The heat of his body pressed against hers was comforting, and she always missed it a little when he woke and stood, as he had just done.
"Good morning," she answered cheerfully, gold eyes meeting pink as she looked up at him from her position still on the soft grass. She touched her nose to his gently, his scent familiar and comforting. "How did you sleep?" Some nights were bad, and some were worse; a few were good. He dreamed of a family he couldn't remember, and that was another thing that worried her -- what if he'd known someone, then; someone very important to her, and what if he remembered her and decided to leave Amaury? Outwardly, she encouraged him in his search for her past, but in her secret heart-of-hearts, she wished he would stay with her forever.
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Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 8:11 pm
"Better then most nights..." He replied his voice strained slightly, he wanted to tell her how much he worried about her. How badly he wanted to stay with her, not just as her traveling companion...but as more. He was starting to remember, snips of useless information of his past. He was almost certain he had been in a pack, and that he hadn't been in any sort of hunting position. He remembered vague tied of friendship and devotion to blue and red blurs, but they were such weak feelings compared to what he had for Amaury.
Little did Lite-Brite know that he had never had a mate, that his only duty to his pack had been training, patrolling, protecting. He was often brought fish by one of his young friends practicing her swimming or meat by his other companions, brothers in arms. He did not know that his alpha searched for him and any survivors of their pack desperate to rally them together...after what had befallen them. In truth perhaps he did not wish to remember, this new nomadic life would suit him...if only he could be more certain of it.
The desire to protect his companion was so strong, he could remember still the way his heart tripped in agony when she was caught. The un-inhibited joy when she had escaped and they had fled to safety. And even the slight twinge of jealousy at the presence of another male. He had come to feel for Amaury, but he was a wolf of few words, and it only took a few to ruin or reinforce such fragile bonds. "It's nice here..." He finally murmured looking around even as the sun bathed everything slowly in morning light.
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Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 2:53 pm
"That's good," she answered in an off-hand manner, to cover her concern. She still felt for the pain he had to go through.
"It is," Amaury agreed. Lite-Brite had been commenting on the scenery, but Amaury wasn't looking. His yellow pelt drowned out the sun; the green on his face was brighter than the grass below; the pink of his legs was more fascinating than the dawn sky; and the white sheen of his coat was more interesting than water ripples. Some would call his coat esoteric, too much, a hinderance... she just found it a nice buffer to her own muddy browns and reds. She loved color and shine and gold, all the things the two-leggers could make... but nature topped them all with Lite-Brite.
How does one put all that into words, though? She sat up, turning her attention to the valley, setting her head against the neck of her companion. Soon they would have to move on, and think of survival. For now, it was nice to sit here.
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Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 3:22 pm
Lite-Brite turned his eyes to meet hers and gazed at her a long moment intently trying to summon words, his head had long ago stopped painfully swimming. Now looking at her he felt his breath fading away and his head swimming, but not with pain. Euphoria filled him and the words slid easily from his mouth as he watched her.
"Maybe we could stay....together."
The land was beautiful, this cavern would make a perfected den if they put the effort into it. The human encampment below would allow for them to take food carefully the sparse forest to hunt if they had too. He briefly recalled seeing a small pool of water maybe a stream not too far from here. Still none of these things mattered, settling down didn't even matter all he could think about now was how badly he wanted to keep Amaury for his own. The land could change a thousand times but it wouldn't matter if she was at his side.
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Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 4:49 pm
Amaury pulled back a little to gaze at Lite-Brite for a long minute, gold eyes reflecting pink. Together? Weren't they already together? They'd always stay together, wouldn't they?
Then she understood. Couldn't they stay here, and be together. It was a good place, a safe place, a perfect place to live a normal life, not one barely survived day-to-day. They were both getting older, even if they were still young; more mature, no longer prone to wanderlust. And Lite-Brite... Lite-Brite could be a good mate. The perfect mate. Perfect for her, anyhow.
And someday... maybe there would be a family, and she could teach them right, teach them not to inflict greed and fear on each other but to be kind and treat all wolves as equals.
"We could," she answered. She moved to rest against him again, pressing more of her weight into him, the tip of her tail beginning to wag against the ground. The sunlight caught on her ankh, and it gleamed out like a flame. "Why don't we?"
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Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 4:58 pm
Lite-Brite felt his heart speed as Amaury pressed against him and her tenderly nuzzle her cheek. There were no memories like this to infringe on the moment, nothing compared. He licked her muzzle tenderly and nodded.
"We could, we should...we will then." He smiled softly his tail moving around her slowly as he relished the warmth of her against his side. This was what a home felt like, a real place they could call their own. After wandering so long he hoped that Amaury would be alright with them settling down.
"We'll need to be more carefull with the two leggers..." He added softly remembering the strange nightmares. He needed her to be safe, that was all that mattered to him.
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Posted: Sat Aug 22, 2009 9:36 pm
His body felt like flame against hers, another thing his yellow form did better than the sun. The future stretched on before her as an untouched snowy field, to be shaped and formed how she wanted it.
"Yes," she agreed, somewhat reluctantly. But if they were to plant themselves here permanently, and perhaps slightly increase the wolf population in the area, it would have to be without attracting undue attention from the humans. "We'll be careful." She got to her feet suddenly, full of busy energy. It was a whole new life, and she wanted to start it now! She paced before Lite-Brite, stopping only to nuzzle his cheek. "We'll need somewhere more permanent than hillside," she said. "We'll need a… a proper home."
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Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 12:24 pm
Lite-Brite nodded and smiled nuzzling her softly and standing. "We should find a properly suited place for our den." Ahh how wonderful that 'our' sounded out loud something that was for the both of them. Maybe someday there would be more then just the two of them...but he wouldn't startle Amaury with such a thought.
"We shall stay together I wouldn't want you to be caught alone...granted you are quite capable" he licked her cheek.
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Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 12:48 pm
Amaury laughed, her whole hind end wiggling, feeling like a puppy again. "You bet I am!" she answered. Then, her tone more serious, "But we'll always stay together." For safety and for comfort.
She started off towards the copse of trees that crowned the hilltop. It would provide safety from the elements and prying eyes, as well as an escape route if necessary, but was still near enough to the human settlement that scavenging would be easy. "Maybe there's already a den in here…" she said, "an abandoned one, perhaps."
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Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 1:03 pm
Lite-Brite gave a small soft chuckle and nodded moving to follow after her. She was amazing, brave and darkly beautiful it was no wonder he had fallen hard and fast his heart tied to follow her. He was in love a strange emotion that made him deeply afraid. There was always the concern of her being hurt, what if something happened to her again?
"I can always dig us one if we don't find one suitable." He smiled and followed her his paws felt light and he was calm now. Amaury cared for him too and that was really all that mattered at the moment.
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Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 1:23 pm
"You're too kind…" Amaury murmured, but she meant it, not as a brush-off but a true expression of gratitude. He was good to her, even when she wasn't good to herself; she never found a proper way to thank him.
The trees closed over her, the shade a comforting release from the sun that now lit the landscape fully. Down below, the humans would be beginning their day's routine. She headed to the center of the copse, where the undergrowth was thick, maximizing protection. Inhaling deeply, she couldn't catch any fresh scents of larger animals, though small creatures were hidden in abundance. At the base of a large crabapple tree, however, she found an old depression, perhaps dug by a badger. "We could use this," she said, sniffing around the edges. It was barely large enough for one of them to live in at the moment, but using the tree's root structure, it could certainly be expanded.
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Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 1:31 pm
Lite-Brite examined the badgers tight den and nodded snuffing around and looking up. It was indeed well sheltered a perfect and cozy place for a couple. Better yet for a couple like they wrere always needing a place to hide away after their fun but reckless escapades.
"Ill start expanding this for tonight you can stay inside and Ill sleep outside...keep watch." He nodded and smiled.
"A home of our own" He paused to watch her expression hopefully he wasn't rushing her but they had fallen into such a naturally companionable state that things felt as if they were moving along just as they ought to like a puzzle piece sliding into it's destined spot.
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Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 1:41 pm
She nodded. His plan was solid, and she knew better to argue about who would sleep within and who without. As long as she was sleeping nearby, she was alright.
"All ours," she affirmed. She looked up at him, smiling. "All for us. Both of us."
It felt like the perfect place to start their life together. Their hilltop home, like a brilliant green jewel set in a necklace. Amaury nuzzled against him, at peace.
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