Blackfoot Forest Step by Step

An extra day meant little in the grand scheme of things, and Andalusia was willing to sacrifice the time. Of course, it meant an extra night or two, but she would just be more careful. They both would, the Ostrega would make sure of that. She would keep her distance, and after her outburst, she trusted Sebastian would keep his.

The way down proved difficult for Sebastian, and Andalusia offered her support again, though she found her fervour lacking whenever she moved near the young man. The warmth she'd showed before wasn't gone, per se, but concealed and hidden within, and her help came with a rigid formality she didn't try to shake.

There was longing in Sebastian's voice, a note that stirred in Andalusia the familiar ache for home. She furrowed her brow, but that was where she made her pining end. Home as she knew it was far from her now, and a place that, while easy to return to, would be hard to face again. Surely her parents wouldn't want her to worry for them, so she instead focused on Sebastian, whose home was their sure destination, and whose family was likely wondering by now what had become of the sterling man. "Don't worry, we'll get you there." Though she would not return to her family, she would make sure Sebastian returned to his.

Though the path seemed endless, their progress showed in the growing size of the mesa and, when she cast a glance behind them, the ever shrinking mountains. The land glowed with the burn of sunset, and stars woke in the darkening sky. Though a certain tire filled Andalusia, she knew she could continue through part of the night. "Think you can last a few more hours?" She turned to Sebastian to assess him herself. Just because she could go on didn't mean he could, though she hoped he was feeling strong enough to continue. They had slept in, after all, and had taken enough breaks that it surely wouldn't hurt to press on for a while longer yet.

Sebastian's body was slowly getting used to the the endless routine of moving his feet. It was mind numbing. Slowly he sank off into to thought, the road was so much better now it was all relatively flat. The mountains shouldn't have been higher because otherwise he might not have made it. The bulky grey male got closer to his home step by step. He longed for it badly. Then he knew for sure he would get better. He would become a doctor and help out his pack. It was perfect. The male dreamed about being a good doctor so he could honor Tiger. She had been so pretty and nice. Why did everyone he loved leave him? It sucked. Now the bad thoughts were starting to swirl through his mind. 

The male cut them off and realized Andalusia had spoken. "Ah," he let out and then slowly caught what she wanted to say. "I want to go home, lets walk though the night," he spoke as he kept on walking. He was so close now. He could basically smell home. The earth was warm under his feet from the full day of sunlight, as he remembered. He was back in the south. The cool night was great for his paws and heated body. He had already been panting before but now cooling down would go even faster. Sebastian was relieved. The grey male stepped on, almost like a mindless zombie going forward. He just kept Andalusia in the corner of his eye so he would stay on track.

"Hopefully I will reach RHC borders in the morning."

He took a moment to respond, a bad sign, and Andalusia raised her brow when he agreed to carry on. As much as she wanted to keep walking, Andalusia flicked her gaze across him, her head half-canted and eyes narrowed. He certainly held himself better than the evening before, but if he could last through the entire night, as he seemed to have taken her "few more hours", well, they would see in time.

Andalusia lingered on him a moment longer before she jerked her head in a single nod and pressed forward again. "Alright. Great." The sooner they arrived at the Caldera the better, and while travel by moonlight would tax them mentally, they had a better chance of moving through the meadow and past the dark forest unseen.

The moonlight seemed to quicken them, and Andalusia welcomed the change. All around the crickets played through the whistle of the summer breeze, and the world stretched in every direction, solid and calm. For a heartbeat she closed her eyes and willed herself to remember why she had chosen this life, the path of a wanderer. With the silence it was easy, until Sebastian broke the atmosphere again with talk of home, and Andalusia's memories flooded again.

She turned her gaze upon him and dwelt in the silence for a few extra seconds, but his mere presence chased her reassurance away. Her brow twitched, but she allowed an easy grin to remain on her lips. The shadows would conceal her now. "If we keep this speed, there's a chance we will." She paused. So far she had kept from prying, but under the cover of darkness, she held less reserve. "So what happened between your pack and the Rise, anyway, to make them so hostile to you?" He had said something about a father and a daughter, but if he'd mumbled anything beyond that, it had been lost to matters more pressing at the time.

Sebastian walked on, trying to numb out the pain even more. He had to keep his mind on the end line. He was so close, and he wished he could rest. The male grunted softly in response to her confirming they could make it. The male wished they were there already, not because he wanted to get rid of Andalusia but he craved for the comfort. He let out a long sigh when she asked. "I am not even sure what happened," he admitted. "All I know is that I was in the North visiting a female that did a favor to my pack. And well I was just scouting the area and I stumbled onto this female. She smelled I was from the Caldera and went ballistic really. I wasn't fighting back, telling her I wasn't some assassin that would kill her. I am not a wolf that even wants to be an assassin you know?," he spoke.

The male shook his head before continuing. "She called her pack and it was almost my death. I should have run when I could but I didn't want to run. I didn't want to be a coward," he mumbled. "And I wasn't even ON their territory. Those wolves are crazy," he huffed. "Apparently she is my alpha's daughter, but she isn't such a fan of my alpha it seems," Sebastian explained. The grey tank of a male was disliking his immense size. It made other wolves freak out most of the time. His walking pace had gotten a bit slower, and pants are heard between his sentences. Sebastian was tired, so tired. Though he sped up again though. His want to go home was bigger.

He didn't give her much more to work with, but she gained certainty this would be her first and final dealing with the Caldera. If affiliation alone was damning enough, she wanted no part with them. Yet in the Caldera's defence, it didn't sound like Sebastian had been all too wise himself. Regardless of his justification, he had obviously encroached on the Rise's territory. There was no other way to explain how the pack had been near enough to ambush Sebastian like he claimed they had - claims she was inclined to believe, as evidenced by his injuries. Unless, of course, he had been so stubborn to leave the North that he'd actually waited for them to arrive, but the lack of logic there proved a difficult thing for her to grasp.

She let a lapse of silence fall over them without intention, her thoughts more stuck on Sebastian's actions than on the conflict itself. Anything she said on that matter would be speculation and gossip, useful for nothing but mindless chatter. There were more pressing concerns with his story, and on these she couldn't stay silent. "Alright, hold up. Does it really matter whether you were on their land or not? You were obviously close enough if her whole pack was able to show up and fight you off." Andalusia's brows knit and she stared at the ground ahead, mind too busy to notice the lag in Sebastian's gait. "Leaving their land wouldn't've been cowardly, it would've been smart. What you did was stupid, and could've killed you. What good would that have done?"

Sebastian let out a long sigh and turned his head to her, before realizing that his wounds wouldn't really allow that. He stepped on, yes, he had been rather stupid. He let out a soft grunt as the female scolded him. "I know for sure it was neutral grounds," he spoke, but yes it was stupid to have waited. He had too much pride, and he paid the the price. He felt the pain shoot through him and grew more grumpy. The cobwebs kept him from bleeding out, he could have been dead. He learned his lesson.

"Sorry mom," he let out with a light annoyance and glared at her. The male stepped on. He didn't really like to discuss how stupid he was or how close to death. He had realized that but he had been loyal and honorable. That were his values and he stuck with them. Sebastian let out a long sigh and held his head low to the ground. He just wished this was all over, that would be great. "I know. I know," he grumbled. "I was stupid, you don't have to tell me that."

Andalusia frowned when Sebastian raked his gaze against her. His irritation snapped through the air, but she let his sharp retort roll off her shoulders. If he wanted to gamble his life away, fine. But she couldn't stand by without warning him first, no matter how blunt her choice of words.

Though he claimed to understand his choice had been unwise, his prior intonations contradicted his confession, and it took everything for Andalusia to bite back the chastisement that begged to fall from her lips. The situation struck a nerve with her, and threatened to bring out a side of her she hadn't favoured in a long time. He claimed he knew his folly, but his grumbling sounded more like a way to silence her than any admittance of true understanding. Andalusia took a beat of silence to weigh her words before she spoke again. "Then next time, run while you can." If he wanted her quiet, he would have to wait a while yet. Though Andalusia held back the bite in her voice, she pressed her queries further, fuelled by a virtue of her own she held close to her heart. "You might think it was worth the risk, but did you even think about your family when you chose to stay?" He feared being named a coward, but honour hardly seemed the type to leave one's family to the dark. If that was what honour meant, then Andalusia would take the name of coward and let the fools die in honour's way.

Sebastian really wanted a change of topic to be honest. He had thought about his family and how his father was probably glad that he would have been dead, but maybe the female meant his other family. His Caldera family. That could be, he just thought he did them proud for protecting them. It was terribly foolish though. Now he was injured, and there was nothing he could do about it than to let himself recover. Sebastian was certain that he wasn't very keen on leaving the Caldera lands behind anytime soon. The sun went down and darkness settled around them. "I learned from my mistake, Andalusia," he spoke. It sounded genuine, he really did feel stupid but he was proud enough to not want to be reminded of it.

Sebastian limped on, his body was almost growing numb by now. The grey male wanted to keep going, and it was probably his mind that kept him going. "I do appreciate you helping me. I do," he spoke to the female. He was actually more than grateful because otherwise he wouldn't have made it home. Sebastian wondered what he could do for her to show that he was grateful. He was still limping now but maybe in the far future he could help her out or something.

Though she eyed him, Andalusia said no more. He at least sounded honest this time, and though his choices still rattled her, she let silence steady her tongue. Instead, she studied his wounds. They were dimmed by the moonlight, but they glistened where the fluid had yet to scab. She could only trust they would teach him beyond what words could say, and perhaps better. Hopefully the Caldera had someone who knew medicine better than she, and would know how to prevent the infection that could set in to any of his cuts. Sebastian had been foolish, but if he pulled through this, he would learn.

She kept an eye on him as they travelled through the night, as the moon shifted and marked the passage of time. When he offered his gratitude again, for what, the thousandth time? Andalusia had lost count, but she stifled the quirk of a smile and cast the youth a side-long glance to appraise him. "So I've heard." Death was a part of life, and would one day be Sebastian's fate as much as hers. But in odd twists, they were sometimes trusted with the reigns to save. The Stalikkahs had taught her how to act when that rarity came about by their own sacrifice. She could have passed Sebastian by, but when she owed her life to the grace of others, any thing more than helping him would have been like spitting in the face of the family who'd saved her.

"Anyway, enough of that." Andalusia murmured, more to herself than to Sebastian, and a nervous laugh echoed after her words. Her leave, though months before, still rubbed her. What she would give to be with the Stalikkahs again, and with her siblings beside her. But wishes like that were detrimental. She couldn't go back, and she turned the conversation to Sebastian again. "So, tell me about your pack. Conflicts aside, what are they like?" That would be enough to distract her from thoughts of her family, and was genuinely a topic she took interest in. Though the prospect of joining was out of the picture, there was no harm in learning. About their culture, their structure, their policies - anything Sebastian thought safe to divulge, Andalusia would take with keen ears.

Sebastian felt his face heat up a bit once she commented about how much she heard about him thanking her. Luckily fur grew over his cheeks. The male just wanted her to know he was more than grateful to her and how happy he was with her helping him, even though they had a mild argument before. Sebastian wondered how his reunion would be. Would Fox and Peregrine be happy to see him? Hopefully. Sebastian liked to see them as a family. One day he would earn that name, after that.. he might go crazy and see if he got the interest of a girl that wanted to stay with him. Though... that would probably take some time. He should focus on healing, girls were... typical anyways. He briefly glanced at Andalusia. Yes. They were all so... feisty. He was more easy going, at least that is what Sebastian thought of himself. Not that there was much truth in that. 

"They are a very family based pack. They have an alpha couple and a beta couple. If you want to join they are super formal but once you join they are not and really try to intergrade you into the pack," Sebastian spoke with a certain fondness. "I thought about leaving after a month because I didn't feel at home but then the alpha female changed my mind, and I am happy she did. The only thing that was a bit sad was that the only wolf from my age died recently. All are older and have families or a loved one. I don't really have that, yet. But! You know. I can get along with most." Sebastian wasn't sure if he should tell all of this to the female, but he wasn't telling any pack secrets so the male decided it was more than okay to share this information with her.

He indulged her more than she'd expected, but then, he seemed the type who would. She listened anyway, grateful he trusted her enough to share. Their pack struck no new chord with Andalusia; she had encountered many like them, and she stashed this piece of information with the mosaic of the Caldera she was forming in her head. If she felt familiar with anything, it was that family was everything. So life had been with the Stalikkah's, where kinship stretched deeper than blood.

His next revelation caused a stir of discomfort, but her walls remained strong. His desires were nothing new to young wolves, but she cautioned herself against encouraging him too far. Even if he was foolish, he seemed strong and sensitive. No doubt he'd find someone to share his life with, yet there was always the chance he would end up alone. Then there was the matter of the death he spoke of, though she couldn't discern how that fit into his musing. "Sounds like your pack really cares for you." She petered to a pregnant pause, her thoughts thick and loud. She couldn't hold silent on this, and she eyed him before raising her voice again. "Though what will you do if you don't find someone to take as your mate?" She didn't know how loaded the question was, but Andalusia wasn't about to let that stop her from asking.

This thread is almost 2,5 months old! That is so cool! :D

If only Sebastian knew how much stronger his want for his own female would become over the course of the next two months. The young male looked at the female next to him. He liked to think that the caldera wolves cared about him. Of course they did! He wondered how they would react to his return. The male then thought about her words for a moment. "The alpha promised me that he would look out for some females," he spoke, sounding so optimistic. "But, I don't know. If there are no female around I might go look for them myself? I don't know. I am not very good with them. I get all flustered and yeah--" He stopped when he realized that Andalusia was a female. But he had been a bit awkward with her too. "I guess, the longer I spend time with them the less awkward I become?," he then realized.

The young male limped heavily. "But, like you said, there might be a change I never find a mate. I am not sure how my shoulder will heal. Maybe I will keep an ugly limp and no one will want me," he spoke suddenly sounding so sad. "Oh.. That would suck," he pouted soon after he said that. He grew silent for a moment. Because he really was a wolf that liked the company of others and the idea of having someone close to him, someone to protect really suited him. Then he would always be alone, that idea sounded horrible for the very social and chatty male.

This is probably the longest thread I've ever been able to keep up with :D When we're done, we should definitely thread again (:

It was oddly humorous, how he talked about women like they were something to catch. A spark of laughter quivered across her lips, but surfaced only as a crooked grin. "It just sounds like you're trying too hard. You're doing alright with me." And maybe that was a good sign. If he blundered around the ones he felt drawn to impress, perhaps his lack of fluster proved she'd scared off any affections he might have formed toward her.

She scoffed at his next words and flicked her tail to dismiss his pouting. "Believe me, if that shoulder never heals, your measure of attraction to the opposite sex will be the least of your concerns." He could get off with a limp, but a wrench in the shoulder would be trickier to work with. Hunting and sparring would no doubt be difficult, and in natural progression, survival. As for aesthetics, she'd come across pairs with uglier scars than Sebastian's and still faithful to each other. There were still wolves out there who sought company deeper than the skin. "If you're surrounded by a pack that loves you, is it really so bad if you end up a bachelor for the rest of your life?" She was able to made her peace, though she supposed her complications forced that peace upon her.

Likewise! And I would love that. Sebastian is a lone wolf now so that would give him the opportunity to travel etc! :3

Sebastian looked at her with a bit of embarrassment when she was laughing. Was it really that funny? He didn't find it funny. He felt antisocial around females because he was always trained to fight and how to lead. He had no ambition for either of those two. "Are you saying I am even making a chance with you?," he asked, his tone was teasing, so he didn't mean it in a too serious way. And it was a bit of a nudge to the way she reacted before when he came too close to her. 

"Really? How so? Is it because females like battle scars?," he asked, very unsure if this rumor was true or not. He was going to try and heal his shoulder with the best capabilities he could. He was not yet a healer and he would love to become one. Maybe that would be his final test to heal his own shoulder. "Yeah but a pack love is different kind of love you would get from a female. I like the idea of someone that I can call my own. Maybe that is just my male genes whispering into my mind," Sebastian spoke. He never really had anything more than just friendships so how could he know...

<3

Her smile faded and she glanced at him through the corner of her eye. "Unfortunately for you, I'm happy to live as a bachelorette." She didn't have much of a choice, but she'd moved past the point of complaining. It wasn't any use. This was her lot in life, and honestly, it wasn't so bad.

"Some of them do, but I don't put much stock in them." Physical attraction was surface affection, and never lasted long. Andalusia didn't have much to say after that, and offered Sebastian a shrug. "Maybe." She had learned to content herself with a future of running alone, though there had been days as a yearling when she'd pined for the affection of a man. Her eyes glazed, and she shivered at the chill bite of a morning gust. "Enough of that." The memory still stung, and she honed her focus on the brightening land before them.

Deep woods stretched over near horizon and crawled up a slab of mountainside, flattened at the top. She glanced back at Sebastian and cast him a questioning look. "See your home yet?"

Sebastian looked at her almost playfully. The young male laughed softly. "That, I thought so already," he pointed out, especially after that one morning when she just freaked out. The grey tank of a male looked forward, in the dark he couldn't really see the caldera against the sky but they were getting pretty close to it. He squinted his eyes to see and then started to nod. The young male grew excited even though his pace by now was so slow that it was close to crawling. Maybe crawling was faster. His limp was bad. 

Even though he could see the Caldera it still meant that it was a long way off. They still needed a few more hours to reach it. It would probably be in the morning when they did. But with the Caldera before him Sebastian felt more motivated to go quicker and instantly did so. It hurt but he bit through it. "Yes. I wanna go home. Home home," he chimed. He looked at Andalusia he would say goodbye once they were close enough he was certain he could get there on his own, making the female a hero in his mind for even helping him.

She couldn't hold her face straight for long, as was often the curse of a perpetual grin. It was good, though, that Sebastian knew, and in her right mind she understood he was toying with her. The nerve of him - but she couldn't help but shake her head, and laugh in a puff of breath. There was a familiarity in that.

Though he trudged at a sluggish pace, a new energy sparked the air as Sebastian confirmed her query with a nod. The excitement sparked her fur, but remained skin deep. Somewhere within, a resistance tugged. Despite their rocky start, he'd proven good company, and dare she'd say she would miss him. She shook herself of this, and focused again on the task at hand, though a part of her still sunk knowing that soon, she'd be alone again.

Andalusia picked up pace when Sebastian pulled forward. The sight of the Caldera had an obvious effect on him, as seeing home often did. She did not share in the nature of his excitement; in fact, it was difficult for her not to feel the sting of homesickness again. But she did not complain. A soft grin remained on her face. He was happy, and she did not wish to spoil his uplifted mood.

They would part ways soon, when Andalusia was certain he could make the rest of the journey alone. She had said goodbye many times, and this would be just another, with many more to come. Andalusia trusted the resistance she felt would not last for long, and she would turn once again to her own future as she left Sebastian to his, wherever that may be.

This feels a natural place to end; how do you feel about wrapping up here? (:

Definitely this was an amazing thread! Instantly time for a reunion! :3

Sebastian was ignoring the hurt in his shoulder. He kept on going since he was seeing his home so close by. All this traveling took great amounts of energy and he would probably collapse form exhaustion not he borders. He didn't see the dread of saying goodbye, but he was going to try and find her again someday. To show her how well he had healed. He was going to put all his effort in getting better, and healing his shoulder. 

The tank of a male stopped, panting heavily, as he turned his head to the female that helped him through this. The male smiled a bit. They were close so he doubted that she wanted to go further. He stepped forward and have her the biggest drool covered lick over her cheek, just to tease her a bit. He stepped back without being sorry. "Thanks for helping me," he spoke instantly looking more sincere. "I won't forget it, ever." He gave her a nod in goodbye. 

"Take care alright? And if you are lonely you know where to find me." Sebastian could laugh a bit but as soon as he moved his smile fell and his brow furred in pain. He didn't look back over his shoulder since that would hurt, plus he wanted to go home. Finally. Home.

I will give you the last post! :3

<3

She planned their goodbye to be clean and quick. Leave it to Sebastian to pull a fast one. Andalusia barely had time to flinch before he attacked her with the sloppiest kiss she'd ever been dealt, and she jerked away just as he pulled back himself.

"You - !" She ducked her head to rub his slobber from the other side of her face and turned her head to glare upward through her dry eye. "Got a funny way of thanking a woman."

He'd already started moving away by the time she could look through both eyes again, and she let his words sound on the morning air. His sentiment was sweet, but she doubted she would come this way again. Not that she wouldn't like to see what became of the boy, or if her labour to bring him back in one piece would even prove fruitful. Her travels with him had simply shed light on a different directive. If Mordecai hadn't been wiped out in the fire, she still had family here. Sebastian had managed to forge ties with a pack foreign to him, but as long as wolves with shared blood walked the wilds, her loyalties ran with them.

"Don't do anything stupid," she called after his retreating form. Andalusia watched him a heartbeat more, before she shook her head and turned to strike a path away from the Caldera. With her task complete, the pull of weariness seized her mind and the morning light did nothing to wake her. She gaped her mouth in a large yawn and shook herself again. She would find her way north later. For now, she simply wanted to find a place to sleep.