Golden Glade metanoia

AW but maybe @Shalon? :)

He rose and lifted a paw, rubbing sleep from his eyes as he blinked, his sight taking a moment to adjust to the brilliant sunlight that shone through the canopy above. Nico breathed out quietly and shook himself, before setting off towards one of the caches in a steady trot. It wasn't long before he found it, and quickly, he demolished a rabbit he'd caught yesterday before changing directions, going straight for the borders. He found out that it was best if made sure he he did border patrolling in the morning and at night every day. That way, he wouldn't miss out. Plus, the guy needed a schedule to stick to - military habit. And old habits die hard.

Nicolas found the borders quickly, and began remarking them in a smooth, purposeful walk. While this was a boring job, he found that it gave him a purpose, and while others might lose interest after a while, he was always alert and on his guard, noticing the smallest of differences in his surroundings. In a way, he supposed, guarding was a good job for him, but he did not wish to pursue it, finding it more of a duty than an interest. Now, fighting however, was a different story. An entirely different story. It was his life, it was in his blood, and he knew he wanted to perfect it.

The soldier stepped forward, lifted a hind leg and sighed, spraying his scent over the bushes before moving once more. Man, he could definitely use some company.

Shalon had been on her morning walk, she often woke long before the sun, and this day was no exception. Her morning walk consisted of visiting Heartha's den site, saying good morning if the fae was around, and then heading toward the tunnels. She would great any who were outside, although most were usually asleep within the tunnels that she didn't have access too. This was followed by a quick jaunt upto the border.

During her trip to the border she found a new scent, one she had never met before. She had noticed it a few days ago. She was slightly anxious of the scent, however she trusted that Charley had probably just accepted another member. A member that was taking over the duties of scenting the border.

This scent she was on was fresh, like brand new! Shalon followed it, her grey and brown fur noticeable above the green grass of the border. As she grew closer she noticed a figure in the distance, a large wolf stood before her. She approached quickly, however with caution. "Who are you?" Shalon spoke forcefully, and with the authority of border patrol. She had no intention of being rude however, she needed to know who he was before she could relax. Her tail and head held high, her ears alert. She was ready for anything.

Nico had only met two of his packmates so far, Ayla and Charley, which, to be honest, wasn't much at all. He had decided that he would make it his mission, later on today, to find as many of his packmates as possible - preferably all of them - and get to know them a bit. After all, if it ever came down to it and they had to fight together, it was best if he knew them all. Not that he wanted their fledgling pack to go to battle, of course.

He heard her before he saw her, her scent strong in the air as she approached, and her voice sharp and forceful. He stopped and turned around abruptly, brilliant green eyes landing on her form curiously. She wore a coat of grays and tans, and her eyes, a piercing shade of silver bore into him fiercely. The soldier did not blame her for asking him, or demanding, in her case, for he knew that as he was new, she probably needed to know who he was first. He would be doing the exact same in her case.

So, he flashed her his trademark smile and dipped his head respectfully in greeting. "Nicolas, but everyone calls me Nico," he said. "Charley recruited me several days ago," he told her, just in case she got the wrong idea. "And you?"

Shalon looked skeptically at the male before her, "The King?" She took a step or two forward, reaching for the scent of her king upon the wolf. If he had been accept she would find his scent easily. Which she did. The scent was easy to find and it relaxed Shalon, knowing he wasn't an intruder. She nodded accepting his story. Althoug she still remained distant, still weary of the stranger. "I am Shalon." She too dipped her head in greeting.

She took in his features, his size, and his athletic build. She was intrigued to say the least. "Welcome to the Royal Fire Court." It was delayed, as if an after thought, but she was transfixed by his bright green eyes. She had never seen such a brilliant eye colour before.

Nico nodded, "Yes, the King." Somehow, the word 'King' didn't come easily to his tongue. The deWinter attributed it to the fact that he'd never been part of a kingdom before and that he just wasn't used to it. But he knew, deep inside, what the reason was; he just refused to acknowledge it. Either ways, it didn't really matter. He wasn't someone that was meant to sugarcoat words and sentences, he was a soldier and he was here to fight for the pack, to serve the pack the way he knew it, nothing else.

Nico watched as she stepped closer, black nostrils flaring as she caught Charley's scent on him. She nodded and introduced herself. "Shalon," he rolled the word along his tongue before flashing her a crooked smile, "Pleasure to meet you." He noticed her looking over him, perhaps analysing his use, or admiring his body. It didn't matter to him, in his brain, the two of them were pretty much the same. "Thank you," he grinned at her, green eyes flashing with gentle amusement. 

He turned around then, "Care to join me on a patrol?" he invited, canting his head slightly.

sorry for the long wait.... I was camping :P

Shalon nodded curtly, two for patrol were better than one. She took a step forward a fell instep beside the new male. She gave a sidways glance to Nicholas, or Nico she corrected. She rarely shortened anothers name, however she would endeavour to do so if that is what he wished. She walked along side him with an ease of familiatiry with the border. She remained vigilant of their surroundings, less they be caught off guard while on patrol. Shalon would however look toward the male every so often before finally voicing a question, "So tell me ... Nico," She ventured carefully, not wanting to pry, however she wanted to get to know the male learn for herself that she could trust him with her new family, "what brings you to the Court?" Her silver eyes search for any deception, although she tried her hardest to look sincere.

no worries :)

She fell in step beside him, and he spared her a brief look before concentrating on the patrol, pausing briefly to spray his scent on the ground. Through his peripheral vision, he noticed his companion sending him sideways glances every once in a while, but otherwise said nothing about it. Nico knew, to some extent, that he was relatively good looking but didn't dwell on it; he wasn't a narcissist. And besides, soldiering didn't make much time for admiring, or, romance.

She spoke, and the soldier turned his head slightly, fixing his green gaze on her as she voiced her question, before turning back to scan his surroundings.  "Charley found me nearby," he answered slowly, wondering what she really wanted to know from him. "I'm a soldier, away from an army. Someone like me doesn't have much use alone. He told me about his pack; I joined up."

Nico paused, eyes narrowing to look at her, though the corner of his lip quirked upward in an unmistakable smile. "What about you, Shalon?"

Shalon nodded her head agreeing with his pligth. She never considered herself a soldier, more a survivor, but she could hold her own in a fight. She wasn't really sure what being a soldier entailed, her mother and brother were definitely NOT soldiers, but she gave a mental shrug if he wanted to fight for her pack then she wouldn't question it. She continued to glance his way, although she told herself it was due to suspicion, her glances where something more.

Shalon herself was unknowning of her own grace and beauty, she had never met another who thought her beautiful aside from her mother. Yet this handsom male made her wonder, it was a trivial matter however. Although his smile in her direction caused her to become slightly flustered. Looking away quickly, she looked to her paws, a small micro smile developed on her own lips. "I'm a loner." She stated simply, "I have been alone for sometime, when King Charley offered me a spot in his pack I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to be in a pack." Shalon's voice strayed, she wasn't really one for sharing. He told her his reason for being here and she shared the same. Her silver eyes, shined silently, she was happy. Although she had yet to realise how happy she was.

Every so often, Nico still caught her sending him sideways glances. When he flashed her a smile, he noticed with an amused look in his green eyes that she looked away almost immediately, her eyes on her paws and a shadow of a smile developing on her lips. The soldier kept his gaze on her for a few longer seconds, concealing his curiousity behind impassive, cool, emerald orbs. He wondered what kind of wolf she was, and what kind of past she held.

Shalon told him that she was a loner, having been alone for sometime and when Charley offered her a place, she joined. Yet her words implied something different; he presumed that she'd never been part of a pack before and a part of him twinged in sympathy for her before remembering his natal pack; it was a complete shit hole. So, Nico supposed that in a way, not being in a pack could be a good thing. But he didn't know her that well, so he didn't go around making judgements.

He stopped and looked at her then, his bad boy smile tugging at the edge of his lips. "So," Nico murmured, "How's pack life treating you?"

Shalon gave a small shrug, "Well I suppose, Charley and Aspen as good reliable leaders." As far as she knew, "And Heartha is just as dependable." She had still yet to speak with Ayla so she refrained from mentioning the other woman. "And what of you Nico? How is this pack treating you?" She knew that sometimes her paws itched for the travelling she once endured alone, however the pull to find a family was stronger than her wish to be alone.

Shalon was curious thought, this was really the first male she had met aside from her brother and Charley. Her mother had always told her to avoid males, Shalon wasn't sure why. It didn't seem relevant now.

Nico gave her a look, and wondered if she had been here way longer than he had because in his experience, one could only know if leaders were good and reliable after time and as far as the soldier boy was concerned, there wasn't enough time to see if they were reliable leaders. One had to wait months at the very least. But perhaps Shalon had been recruited as part of Royal Fire Court before he had, hence the faith in her leaders.

Nico lifted a hind leg and sprayed at the base of a tree before continuing the patrol, eyes scanning his surroundings, only pausing when she spoke to cast her a glance. "It's great," the male said, a grin on his face. "Although, I must say, I'm not used to..." he trailed off, trying to find a word before shrugging. "No wars and battles, I suppose."

Shalon herself had never been part of a war, nor any battles. Although she had seen a slaughter, and so far she hadn't seen anything quite so terrible since arriving in the Glade. She simply nodded, Shalon was still weary of the pale female she encountered at the border shortly after her own arrival. Was she a lone wolf? Or did she had back-up? Where they merely waiting for the opportune moment. She wouldn't voice her concerns to the male however, instead a small smile came to her, "That must be a relieve." Shalon looked to the male once more, she wasn't sure what to make of him, he was certainly handsom, she couldn't deny she was attracted. Even though she wasn't really sure what that meant. "Do you plan on staying here? In peace, or do you plan to return to the wars and the battles?" It was perhaps a bold question, but at the moment she couldn't care.

Nico chuckled softly, "You'll be surprised to know how many soldiers can't adjust to civilian life and prefer the battlefield," he said with a smile, although there was a trace of sadness lingering in his voice. He didn't know if he was one of those men, but with time, he began to suspect that he missed fighting and it scared him to bits, though he would rather die than admit that. After all, who would like to say they were scared that they were addicted to fighting and danger? It was simply a theory that mere civilian wolves did not understand and he did not want to spend a long time explaining just for the result to be even more confusion. So he kept things vague; it was better that way.

Nico paused and looked at her, a look of confusion flitting across his face as he considered her question. He pawed at the ground, rubbing his scent onto the borders as he thought. "I don't know," he admitted honestly, exhaling quietly and lifting a shoulder in a shrug. "I don't have much of a plan anymore." 

Shalon nodded, more out of acknowledgment than understanding, who would prefer a warzone? She though to herself, although she could see the slight sadness in his eyes, so refrained from asking the question that hovered at the tip of her tongue. She stayed silent by his side, letting him come to terms with his past, with his possibly festering wounds. To give him time she occupied her time rubbing her shoulder against a tree, leaving her scent behind.

"Well." Shalon stated looking once again toward Nico, searching for his apple green eyes. "I hope you find a home here." She stated quietly, she knew others had issues with the laws of the pack, but she also knew that being a small and new pack, they needed the strength of a soldier. "At the moment we need you strength Nico." She looked shyly away from him, "You are a soldier, and we have few fighters among us." She confessed her worry, hoping he could understand its root.

Nico offered her a sideways smile, although his heart was no longer in it, his mind lost in the flashing memories and images of the battles and wars he'd been in, as well as the broken images of his fallen comrades. His heart engulfed in the sudden overwhelming amount of pain, Nico swallowed and pushed the emotions all away, unwilling to deal with them in the presence of someone he barely knew and didn't quite trust, yet. So, on the outside, none of the soldier's internal turmoil showed. Instead, the half smile played at his lips, and he appeared to be intensely focused on patrolling.

The thing was, Nico knew, somewhere deep in his heart that despite everything Royal Fire Court did for him, it wasn't somewhere he truly belonged. The thought had been banished again and again, but it stayed inside him, lodged in the back of his mind, waiting to be tentatively opened when he had a moment of silence and lonliness. Then, all his fears and problems would come plague him relentlessly and the war-ridden veteran would have no choice but to confront them. It was a time in the day where he was most tired, burdened by memories; where he was vulnerable to the raging voices of his own internal war.

"Wouldn't that be nice," Nico sighed in reply and smiled wearily at Shalon, ever dilligently marking the borders and keeping an eye out. "I suppose so," he answered, vaguely, his thoughts otherwise preoccupied, although it would look as if he was simply immersed in the duty of patrolling which, given his job as a soldier, wasn't abnormal. "But lone wolves will show up and join, and soon, there will be no need for a soldier. Trust me on this part, Shalon," he smiled sadly, "True soldiers are rarely ever truly wanted in this world...unless the pack's in a war, or they need some mindless killing machines to operate in a team formation to kill something. We're not needed in a pack's whose purpose is inherently, peace and love and family. We're not peacekeepers, we're not defenders. We're fighters who need a common enemy, a common purpose, a common goal. People rarely understand that. They think being a soldier is just like being a warrior, a mercenary, but with a bunch of other warriors. It really is much more complicated than they think." He shrugged, lifting a hind leg to spray his scent upon the borders once more.

"Most of the veterans I know who survived countless wars and battles no longer fit into civilian life. They're so used to the life of fighting and war that their whole lives revolves around it; they don't know anything different anymore and it's hard to adjust. Especially when they join a new pack and they're alone without any of their old comrades. Some become self-destructive and die that way, others succumb to the more mundane aspects of civilian life and take their own lives. Most likely, they come back to danger, to war, even if the chances of death grow higher," he rubbed his paws against the dirt, hoping to get his scent across. "I've met soldiers who have adjusted to civilian life, of course, but those are rare." He grinned then, "Or maybe I've just got bad luck and got stuck with the addicts. I'm going to assume it's the latter."

Because in a way, they were all addicts, him included. Addicted to the prospect of danger, of the thrill of death at any moment, of the blood pumping furiously through your veins as you struggle to fight for your life and for your comrades and your pack. It was strangely addictive and one could not understand until they'd tried to life that Nico himself had led.

"Anyways, my point is, a soldier won't be needed when other fighters arrive. We work better in a team, I suppose, an army, if you will. But if you're looking for a break, like me, it's easier if we reside in a place of retreat, a secluded pack or area. Hidden away from the rest of the world, but still involved, in some ways." Then he shrugged, "If it'll reassure you, I'll stay 'till the pack is strong and see what happens. Maybe I'll have gotten used to it, by then. Formed connections, that kind of stuff. I can see that happening." Not that he actually thought that'll happen. He flashed an impish grin at Shalon and a wink and continued on his way, wondering what she would say in reply to his little speech. He didn't care, either ways, but it was always interesting to see a civlian's side of view.

wrap up? Last post from me?

Shalon listened carefully, words were important, and his spoke of pain and perhaps loneliness. She shook her head, there wasn't much one could say. "I will probably never know what it feels like to be a discarded warrior, a soldier. You are needed here, your strength is much appreciated. I thank you for your presence, and if you find it time to leave...." She looked at him softly, "I know we will miss you." Shalon gave him a sad smile. She was sad that he couldn't find his home here in the glad, and could see himself leaving in the near future.

She stop, they had made it a significant way around the border's, and they were close to Shalon's newly discovered den site. "I think I'll leave the rest to you if thats ok?" She looked toward the forest, "I hope you find the connection you are looking for." She found that her smile hadn't left, he was interesting, and handsom. Perhaps she could make the connection he needs. "Nico, don't stop searching for it. Whether it takes you away from our glad or keeps you here. Try no to settle."

Shalon headed toward her rock, this was an interesting meeting. She had learned a lot about her packmate, and she was greatful to have him around.