Swiftcurrent Creek three days rest

Ordered by Lecter to rest for three days on top of the week she already had, Fox grew restless. She paced outside of her den, not willing to risk the chance of prolonging the healing process, but also not willing to sit completely still while her body mended itself. The young alpha still walked with a crooked gait to compensate her injured shoulder, but her pace had gone from carefully calculated to slightly out of control. It was a miracle she had not yet worn a trough in front of her den with her tiny red feet.

As she paced, the yearling thought of Jinx. The hallow woman was likely being tended to by Lecter at that moment, and that set Fox's mind at ease. She still worried for the white giant, concerned that there was irreversible damage done to her warrior that would make her less valuable to the pack. The children that she had lost meant nothing to Fox. They would have been destroyed no matter what, and Fox was simply glad that she had not needed to go through the trouble herself. The yearling was completely insensitive to the fact that Jinx was hurting because of this. Fox thought the poor girl suffered only physical pain.

Her mind also drifted to Haunter, the strange creature who made promises he could not keep. Her lips tugged into a slight grin thinking of him, though she quickly reverted to her stoic expression. The one-eared man was more likely to disappear than he was to stick around, and she reminded herself of that. Then there was Sveinn, the chocolate-coated boy who she had guessed was around her own age. He spoke in that same way that Njal did, which caused a different set of stirrings in the yearling's chest. Come next spring, there were going to be some interesting decisions to make.

I can't tell on the iPhone if this is a private message or a all welcome if it's private ignore me and I'll delete

He had been watching the pack for several days now trying to learn each pack members name and a little bit about each wolf.

He has not been overly successful, which surprised him, but it seems just before his arrival there must have been an incident and he was confident it wasn't with another pack of wolves, he'd heard some of the young ones speaking about a big cat.

His eyes fell on the pacing form and he became lost in thought. A alpha had to make decisions for us for the pack; those decisions could be very strenuous. An alpha needed to know where she or he was needed the most and it was not Ferdie's place to question his Alpha and the only thing that this brute would ever do is loyally defend her choices.

Attacking the cat was dangerous, yet, had the large feline cur decided to take up the pack lands as its own territory each one of the wolves in this pack would have been picked off and hunted in turn.

Ferdie sat upon the ground with a freshly groomed pelt and an even fresher kill sitting at his paws, his yellow eyes still absently upon the young alpha though he was not really starring at her but at her paws hypnotically hitting the ground in pattern it wasn't until she her steps come more chaotic that Ferdinand snapped out of his reverie


He had wanted to find something to talk to her about and wait until he had some thing substantial to offer the petite femme, however his breakfast rabbit from this morning would have to do.

He stood and shook himself to settle his pelt then scooped up the rabbit drawing close to Fox until he was but 6 feet away; he set the rabbit down gently and nudged it toward her.

"Morning Mi'lady" he also offered kind words hoping that he would be tolerated in her presence.

Fox did not see Ferdie until he was more or less right in front of her. She'd been so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she had not bothered to pay attention to the world around her. When she finally did notice him, she jerked her head up and focused on the food he had brought. It was a rabbit, just like the one he had offered her when she had first arrived. Pleased by the gesture, she would not turn him away. Still, she could not help but find his addressing of her as "m'lady" a bit amusing. It seemed like a mocking term, in some ways, but she did not feel he meant it as such. Gently, she took the rabbit and stowed it away at the mouth of her den. As long as she did not go far from it, there was no harm in leaving it there.

Turning back to Ferdie, she addressed him. “Thank you, Ferdie,” she said, tipping her head in gratitude, “How are you finding the creek?” He had not been here long, but surely he had formed some kind of opinion on the place. Fox knew that she had formed her opinion within a few days, and she had no doubts that Ferdie would do the same. The cougar attack had either happened right before or right after he was welcomed into their ranks, but she could not remember the order of things exactly. She did not remember him being there, though she could not rightfully punish those who had decided to stay away from the brawl.

Ferdie Von Pelt smiled, and felt the relief of acceptance wash over him. He lay himself upon the ground and looked up at her, enjoying the view of her from this angle, his tail absently and slowly swayed along the ground. The rabbit was respectfully accepted so now he was going to have to catch himself another breakfast, but that was something he was more then willing to do He was just excited she accepted it.

His voice was deep but soft, and his accent still Canadian “I have found the others distant, but I have heard tell of a ‘lion’ attack and in the aftermath of something like that I would expect nothing less... I just wish I had been here to help... The land is pleasant and easy to protect, it also would give an advantage in a fight to those who know it well.” He left out the fact that he had sparked some of the less then happy reactions, since he was still learning his own place in the pack. Never before had he needed to submit to others, no one other then an alpha had ever expected him to submit. This was hard for him to adjust too, he pretended to himself it was because he had been a lone wolf to long but he knew the difference. He couldn’t slide in and just assume a high rank, he knew that now, and oddly he was mostly ok with it, this surprised him too.

He tipped his head to the left a little as he asked this question “Are you ok, Mi'lady?” He spoke with reverence in his tone, there was nothing in his words, tone or posture to indicate that the word mi’lady was anything more then a word, a title, A word this wolf had never used in jest. Ferdie wanted a truthful answer and wanted to know how she was both physically and emotionally. He wanted to get to know this femme, she fascinated him but getting her to open up to him was proving to be a daunting task

For a moment, Fox wondered if she had been one of the ones that Ferdie considered "distant." It was true that she had been rather wrapped-up in her own affairs since he had arrived, and perhaps she had not been giving the newcomers the attention they deserved. She appreciated his honest feedback, even if she made no move to say so verbally. Instead, she responded with what she hoped was an honest answer. “Swiftcurrent is home to many stoic creatures, yes, but even the most stoic ones have to have fun from time to time.” A glimmering grin accompanied her words, implying that she was just as guilty. While Fox tended to be stilted around her new followers, her closer friends (and oddly enough, strangers) often saw the more fiery side of her.

When he spoke again to ask of her well-being, the yearling paused. “The wounds are healing well. Lecter,” her face squished up at the thought of him, “takes good care of the injured.” Already, Fox was feeling better after visits from Tuwawi, Haunter, and Lecter. She still had plenty of resting to do, but Lecter had only demanded she stay away from patrol for three days. She was not forbidden from short walks to the creek for water or digging up caches for sustenance.

Ferdie Von Pelt stood up and lifted his shoulders up then dropped his forequarters down and gave a long open mouthed yawn, He stretched shoving his nails into the ground as his front legs reached long and low, his tail hung limp from his raised haunches. Slowly he stood back up into a normal position licking the roof of his mouth.

“I have never had another wolf attend to my wounds before, It’s been a pretty lonely existence since Cascade Mountians....” He trailed off, His mouth hung open momentarily by the wound he had just inadvertently reopened and salted. Ferdie tried his best to hide the pain that clearly showed in his eyes. His eyes; The window to his soul. The very soul with a gaping the hole in it, left by others who had broken his heart time and again. His teeth clenched without him knowing it as he tried to put a wall around the pain and drop a stoic front.

Ferdie shifted and looked at Fox, he had to look down of course but there was no dominate undertone to his stance, that he learned had to be earned, not a pill he had wanted to swallow. Soon he would have to find Haunter and apologize for his earlier transgression. However he had not seen the elusive male since, and figured the other wouldn’t want to see him anyway.

Looking to break the silence he left hanging; he offered kindly, hoping she would accept; any excuse to stay in her presence would be welcomed “Mi’lady, I would like a drink and I would also enjoy your company, the creek is not far might you accompany me?

The brute hoped she would not ask about that awkward episode that had just happened, but he couldn’t blame her if she did. All he wanted to do was have a conversation and he had pierced his heart own heart with a rusty arrow. Would talking about it help? probably not. But time (and a lot of time at that) had not healed his wounds, and perhaps they’d never be healed. A burden for all time, he didn’t like the taste of that. Perhaps he should seek out this Lector and see if the wolf could help with pain that was not physical.

Hoping to keep the conversation going on her and not himself, while he waited for her response the the first question he gently asked another “You are younger then me, Mi’lady, and wiser by a long shot” He couldn’t help but smile at the shot he gave himself Even so, how did you find yourself Alpha of this land and pack? He did not know the history of the pack but he was hoping to learn, and also what he was hoping to glean was how social etiquette worked when one was not at the top of the pack.

Although surprised by his admission that no other wolf had attended to any of his wounds in the past, Fox did not comment on it. She wondered if he meant only in his adulthood, for surely his parents had tended to him as a whelp. Fox was used to her pack mates gentle touches now, and she welcomed them when it had been necessary. Despite the terrible things that the cougar had done to them as individuals, the leader felt that the event had brought them together as a pack. They had survived something, and that meant a lot.

When he asked her to accompany him to the creek, she nodded her head. “Sure can, though I might be a little slower than usual.” With her wounds still healing, Fox was required to take it easy for a little while. She began limping toward the banks of the creek, not wishing to linger any longer than she needed to. His compliments were noted, but they felt a bit too forced for Fox's taste, and so she did not respond to them.

“Eh,” she began when he asked of the origin of her leadership, “The pack was founded by Lethe. She was a fine leader, but kinda messed up in the head, I guess. She threw herself in the creek and drowned. Willingly.” Fox relayed this story with little emotion. She had not been close with Lethe, even though she had respected the woman. “For some reason I got it in my head that I was going to take over, so I did. Nobody challenged me, so I remained.”

As she moved past him, he subtly scented the air just to be sure her wounds were not more grievous then she let on. Were he in her place he would hide his pain as best as he could. He was a very stoic wolf. He learned how to be stoic when he was very young barely a yearling.

Her story made him smile, a real smile one that reached his eyes. He chuckled softly "That sounds something like my own story," the wall he had placed up worked, the pain that would have pierced his heart and had just moments before barely niggled at the mention of his past this time, the thoughts that wanted to spill into his mind he tried to temper.

He fell into step beside her easily matching her pace even though hers was slower then she normally would have traveled. He began to speak offering her a different story then the one that wanted to make it’s place in the forefront of his mind just to cause him pain; if not for any other reason but to fill the silence. "We were barely whelplings when our father decided to teach my two siblings and I how to fish; being an excitable pup and one that needed to be better then everyone else for my father to notice me, I got a little of control. Somehow I slipped and fell into the water. I don't know how I got to the rivers edge but when I came too, the others were still being taught to fish and I was left to my own devices. Over the next few days as my siblings were being taught to fish. I felt sick; my head ached terribly and I was so tired all the time, running and pouncing made things worse for a while. I never recovered my father's love or respect after that. Even though I tried harder then ever when I started feeling better."

Ferdie drew him self up, he hated thinking or talking about his family; although his mother was very loving, his father was a brutal uncaring alpha concerned in only leaving a strong legacy behind. Ferdie had unfortunately learned much of his dominate attitude from him. Though thankfully, none of the darker traits that hinted upon his father’s heart. His mother had been finally able to show him love after his father rejected him, his two brothers were not so lucky.

Ferdie stopped at the creek’s edge and stared down into the water, He seemed to be staring at his reflection looking for something, and expecting something bad.

Hah, don't mind Fox here. She is confused by Ferdie's apparent random behavior.

Ferdie was... strange, to say the least. Fox had encountered plenty of strange ones in the wilds, but he seemed especially peculiar. There were times when she was not quite sure what to say or do in his presence, simply because he was baffling. When he chuckled at the story of Lethe's death, she cast him a glance of bewilderment. And then he stated that his own story was similar in some way. The yearling was not one for small talk (and perhaps she never knew what kind of response she was going to get from Ferdie), and so she did not inquire further.

However, without any prompting at all, Ferdie began telling a story that did not resonate with her story at all. When he finally finished as they reached the creek, Fox stood and stared at him. “That doesn’t sound like my story at all.” The fireball heaved a sigh, and couldn't help but think that perhaps Ferdie didn't realize what an oddball he was. “Ferdie, I seriously don’t get you. Did you, like, miss some kind of early social skills?” She did not say this to tease him, for she was genuinely curious. He had been challenging Haunter at the border, so perhaps he was just a little messed up in the head.

The growing pains of shifting a wolf from an old RP to this one seem to be almost over

Ferdie sat down without taking a drink, he looked at her up and down, his eyes were not seeking hers but rather looking her over, taking in her femininity. Slowly they made their way back to her face, though he was not about to stare into her eyes he just wanted to convey himself properly.

Ferdie huffed sadly, “I’m sorry Mi’lady. My past is long and confusing, much like the story I shared with you His eyes dropped to her chest, His shoulders dropped and even his aura seemed to dim.
He did not realize how odd his behavior seemed; he was a wolf trapped between two worlds. The past and the present; yet he was clearly not happy in either place.

“I wanted to shared with you the story of my past, and how our stories were similar, But instead I gave you something, slightly less painful. No, no wolf has ever tended my wounds not even as a pup, that was the story I gave to you, but what I should have shared was the story of my Queen, Kosses was her name.”

A tear slid down the brutes face, his broken heart ached terribly, His voice became horse as he stopped any further tears

“She was a seductive wolf, the Queen, Alpha over all the packs in the land, she was Alpha of the alpha’s the alpha’s were to all follow her command, and by extension their packs.
She and I were ... we were ... not mates, but she let on she wanted to be, I was inthralled, then she chose another; out of no where. I went to the farthest pack land the alpha there also had loved her. He died, he was old and perhaps a broken heart helped do him in, I was with him when he died. So I lifted my tail up and I walked around like an alpha, none challenged me, they just accepted me, In fact no wolf has ever contested my self appointed rank before.

Not long after; Kosses came, she was still the Queen I had to listen. She led me on more, she had wished I was her mate. I tried to challenge her mate for her but as it turns out he was not a wolf but a shape shifter of some sort and on those grounds he refused my challenge and Kosses returned to his side. It was not long after that, that a great famine and drought hit the land, Everyone left, even she did. I waited the longest of all, but even I could not wait where there is no food or life.”

Ferdie sighed again, there was more, but nothing that needed to be explained now. Not about Kosses anyway.

“I have never been asked or expected to submit to another wolf. Under my parents; they were alpha’s therefore as a pup I was treated as one, When my father decided that my brothers and I had to fight to the death to determine the strongest of the three of us, to take his place as alpha. We were barely yearlings, I turned and left immediately, I don’t know what happened to my brothers, My mother intervened when my father went to kill me for leaving. She was giving me enough time to leave, I don’t know if her killed her in my stead, however he was like that. She would not have wanted me to return, even to save her. My mother mentioned once I might have had two sisters but my father killed them even before their first meal believing females to be weaker.”

Ferdie perked a bit; talking about his youth gave him back some of the strength that his past with Kosses stole. He lifted his eyes to meet Fox’s “I believe females are stronger then males, in most every way” He smiled fondly, offering nothing more then adoration in his tone “Mi’Lady” He bowed his head to her.

He thought to himself after sharing with her his heart and bearing his soul in-conclusion, yes, I guess I did miss out on a lot of early social skills.

Fox listened, though because she was an inattentive wolf, she would likely forget the details. At some points while Ferdie was talking, she zoned out completely, daydreaming about the coming spring and Haunter. She managed to snap back to reality just as he was finishing his speech, and she looked at him with indifferent eyes. Fox was one of the least chatty folks running around in the creek, and the imbalance made her uncomfortable. “Uh huh,” she replied vaguely, unsure of what he had really said due to her spacing out so much.

“Well, anyway, I should… get some more rest.” It was a crappy way of her saying good-bye while not outright kicking him out of her way. “I’ve got that rabbit to eat, anyway.” Without further adieu, Fox turned, picked up the rabbit, and scurried into her den. She would eat Ferdie's kill there and contemplate what to do with him.

[exit Fox]

If you want to kick Ferdie out, please do so IC that'd be better then a OOC,
If she attempts to do so by herself; Ferdie may snap and attack, he's quite fragile of late.
If she doesn't Ferdie's storyline has a little something planned that affects his own character

Ferdie watched her travel away, his emotional wounds stung as strong as physical ones,
His alpha's complete dis-interest made him realize that none of it mattered anymore. Now he thought to himself, what does matter? he felt like he was loosing himself here, trying to get close to her was harder then climbing into a porcupines den.

Who could help him adjust, he coughed as he stood slowly and walked away drink completely forgotten.