Firestone Hot Springs The door to December

When Koontz rose this morning, there was a cool nip to the air. She rose onto all fours, stretched until her muscles felt limber, then sought out Ray for a joint patrol of the borders. Afterward, they breakfasted together near the communal den and went their separate ways, with the Alpha female slowly padding toward her outlook post above the springs.

Feeling a little chilled and restless to boot, she didn't stop there but proceeded to pick her way down the plateau toward the hot springs. When she arrived there, she ignored the stench in the air and made a beeline toward some of the warm water. Dipping her silvery paws into it, she sighed and relaxed onto her haunches.

Her thoughts—many of them tinged with anxiety—pressed at the door of her mind. Yet she refused to open it just yet. Her pale eyes closed and she simply existed for a moment, quiet and motionless in the cool morning stillness.

Kisu was starving by now; his will was the only thing keeping him going. The short bursts of energy every now and then were just his body's way of striving to live. The last rabbit he had was days ago, and by that point he was ravenous--he voraciously scarfed the entire creature down, swallowing hard the entire time to force the chunks he barely chewed into his stomach.

A few minutes later, he was certain that he was dying; the air has become increasingly warmer and humid, and he was huffing to catch his breath. The hollowness in his stomach pulled and he shuddered throughout his frame, making the entirety of his body ache. He lowered his head and his eyes became heavy. The last of his willpower kept him from collapsing at every moment.

This is it. After all of this time, I die from hunger.. Not fighting to protect myself or a family. From hunger.

The sound of footfalls made her ears twitch. Koontz slowly opened her eyes, turning her head toward the sound. Eventually, a wolf materialized. Even from several dozen yards away, she could see the thinness of his frame. His steps seemed a little wobbly. Her brow furrowed, wondering if he was ill.

"Hey," she said, calling out to him, "are you sick?" If he was, there wasn't much she could do to help him; she was no medic. Perhaps she could find someone else to help, though. "Maybe I can help," she said accordingly, rising to her feet but making no other movement toward him yet.

With his body trembling and fragile, Kisu winced with every step. Even sighing at his pathetic state hurt.

After all of the time on my own, I die like feeble pup deserted by its pack, he reflected. He didn't even have the energy to be irritated with himself.

A strong female wolf's voice caught him off guard, but he couldn't make out her words. The hair on his back ruffled. He began to growl, but faltered as his body began to give out. He tried to stand erect, but once again, his frame started to collapse. His face pointed down, he raised his eyes helplessly to meet hers before everything went black.

She could see that her shout alarmed him; he probably hadn't noticed her until now. Her ears slid back as he began to growl, then pricked again when he suddenly fell forward. Koontz hesitated, took half a step forward, paused, and then padded cautiously to stand over him. He appeared to be breathing, though now that she was up close, the Alpha could guess at the reason for his collapse: he was veritably emaciated.

She looked around a moment as if searching for answers to pull out of thin air. Koontz then acted quickly and decisively. Shoving aside the voice that warned her not to waste resources on some weakened stranger, she hastily strode back up the plateau and dipped into the cache nearest the borders. She plucked out the cold, stiff carcass of a rabbit, then swung around and descended into the hot springs again.

The young Alpha placed the rabbit beside the unconscious wolf, then padded to the nearest pool of water. Although it stunk, she lapped a mouthful, then pivoted on a silvery heel and unceremoniously spat it into his face in an effort to rouse him.

Kisu was pulled from unconsciousness due to a sudden wetness on his face. He didn't open his eyes, but he could smell the scent of a dead rabbit near his head. Did I catch this without remembering? he wondered. He arched his neck slightly and opened his watering mouth to pull it in, fur and all. Kisu no longer cared about being picky. He shifted his body so his torso twisted to a position with him sitting up, while his backside still lay flat against the ground. He opened his eyes and they immediately shot to what must have been whoever called out earlier. He paused for a moment, the hare halfway in his mouth, and then began scarfing it down again, his eyes on the female the entire time.

After his final gulp, he lowered his head in a guilty manner. Kisu looked away and sighed. "Thank you..." he forced out. She should have just left me to die, he cursed in his own mind.

He twitched, reacting to the smell of the rabbit before he even fully opened his eyes. Koontz took a step backward as he latched onto the carcass, then began to eat it ravenously. She licked her jowls as she observed, not hungrily but thoughtfully. Who was this wolf and why was he in this state?

When he finished—which took all of two minutes—and thanked her, Koontz nodded her head and dropped to her haunches. "You're welcome." Her head tilted ever so slightly to the right. "What's your name and why are you in this condition?" She used her gray muzzle to indicate his thin frame. It was a valid question, considering they were in a land of plenty, and he appeared to be healthy otherwise.

Sitting down, the female wolf inquired who he was and why he was starving... great. Nothing better than feeling vulnerable and weak to another wolf. He grunted in response and, wavering, rose to the same position she was in.

"I suppose you deserve an answer for saving my life." he spoke quietly. He sighed, but it came out as more of a huff. He looked around for a moment, and then began speaking again while staring at something far-off. "I'm Kisu." He paused a brief moment before continuing. "And I believe I ate some bad berries..." he pronounced sheepishly.

"This is embarrassing..." He mumbled to himself. Kisu turned his head and focused his eyes intently on the she-wolf for the first time.

She was about 30 pounds lighter than what his normal weight was; he had no idea what he compared to her in this state. The regal manner in which she held herself made her look very queen-like, but he could tell by her size and her face that she was still young and not fully grown. What's a pup like you doing out on your own? was the next thought to bounce around in his head. I may not be a challenge in this state, but what if I had been healthier and a vicious, one-track-minded wolf, thirsting for blood? I could have ripped her to shreds...

"You should get back to your pack," he proposed, watching her striking pale blue eyes carefully to gauge her reaction to the words that he had just spoken.

She acknowledged his statement with a sort of amenable silence, her ears twitching as he gave his name and a reason for his ailment. "Bad—?" she began to question, but he spoke over her, declaring his embarrassment. Her lips pursed together thoughtfully, then she smiled lightly.

Unaware of his misplaced and malevolent thoughts, she opened her mouth to say something else, only to have him accidentally cut her off again. Something about his words rubbed her the wrong way and her pale, icy eyes narrowed infinitesimally. The voice that had warned her not to waste her time and resources on the ailing stranger said, I told you so.

"I'm perfectly fine here, thanks," she said a little crisply. Then, because she couldn't help a stab of curiosity, "But why do you say that...?" She looked directly back into his eyes, instinctively disliking that he held her gaze, though she reminded herself that this was neutral territory and she needn't necessarily look for a challenge in his eye contact.

ooc: whoops, haha, I made it sound like Kisu woulda killed Koontz. He was basically suggesting (to himself) something like a "it's not safe to go alone," not: "I'm going to eat her aliiiive!" ....ha. I am going to make a small edit, even though it won't change the story

As she narrowed her icicle tinted eyes, they seemed to glow. It made her look even more majestic. A cutting tone from her made him assume that she took his comment in a condescending way; but, then she inquired why he had said what he did. He lifted his eyebrows in mild amusement.

He held eye contact as he responded. "You could get hurt being alone, and, though I appreciated the food and you saving my life, you needn't take care of me like I am of your pack."

No worries! Koontz has no idea what he was thinking, but even if she did, misunderstandings happen and it's sometimes fun to run with 'em. :)

His response seemed benevolent enough, yet the new Alpha's confidence—and her sense of pride—had grown recently, so she replied levelly, "I can take care of myself, thank-you. And... I do what I want." She paused, then Koontz added, "If anyone's in any kind of danger, it's you. You're fortunate not only that I fed you but that I didn't chase you off or kill you in your weakened state, especially being so near my borders."

Although she liked to think it was obvious by the way she presented herself, Koontz was a subtle, modest creature. After this speech, however, she was pretty sure she'd made it clear that she was an Alpha wolf—young, yes, but fully capable of taking care not only of herself but of her pack. And random, dying strangers, as it were.

"...so near my borders." was what Kisu really focused on. He had a lingering feeling that she might have been an Alpha, but he couldn't believe it due to her age; he figured she was an Alpha's daughter.

He didn't know what else to say, or what else to do. Should he part ways? The sudden burst of energy he had would drain and leave him soon. He cursed at himself--not only for hesitating on what his next action would be, but also because he was in the mercy of this wolf, a yearling at that, and possibly her pack. He hated being vulnerable. Kisu stood there, his silvery-goldenrod eyes far away, concentrating hard on what his next move should be.

He stood there, silent and motionless, at an apparent loss. Recognizing the signs of discomfiture, Koontz said, "Maybe you should be on your way." It sounded rather uncaring even as the directive left her lips, so she added, "Is there anything else I can do for you before you go, Kisu?" Even as she posed this question, she realized she'd never introduced herself. Doing so now would seem like she just wanted credit for her selfless acts, which she didn't, so she didn't include it.

Kisu felt a catch in his throat. He shuffled his paws slightly. He felt his eyebrows, his mind protesting, draw in a distraught way. What would he do now? Maybe if a rabbit came across my path soon, I could...

"Hmm," he said out loud without realizing it. He looked into the piercing eyes of the she-wolf and began to linger towards her. When he was eight inches from nose-to-nose, he stopped walking and then remained there.

"...Alpha," Kisu began, not remembering if she had told him her name or not. He felt a little uneasy; but, he sighed hot air out of his nose and continued. "...I would wholly appreciate you showing me the borders of your lands.. so I can associate with the areas to stay away from. I do not wish to cause any disturbances with your pack, partly because I am in your debt, and partly because I believe fighting is futile."

He was sure his voice was kind enough, but for the past year or so, the only time he had talked was to himself. He wasn't entirely certain, though; he had been quiet since his mate was killed by his own brother. Kisu decided there was no other way. He sucked up his pride, and hunkered his head down with his ears pulled back. He felt miserable inside, but knew there wasn't another choice. On his own right now, he would die. He just hoped that this wolf had some sort of heart.

She fully expected him to disembark just then. Instead, Kisu looked her right in the eye and moved closer. This triggered an entirely instinctive response from the young Alpha. Her ears slipped a few notches backward and her head lifted, though she kept her snout lowered over her throat. Her tail lifted and the fur along her back stiffened into a silvery ridge.

"Stand down," she warned him. She took several steps backward to put some distance between them but, otherwise, Koontz stood her ground. "Don't you know that when you look me in the eye like that—and get so close—that you present yourself as a threat?" she asked, a hiss of agitation in her otherwise soft voice. She'd given him the benefit of the doubt so far, but she really didn't appreciate this. Clearly, he was a loner, but surely he hadn't entirely forgotten the ways of the wolf?

He hunkered down then, a picture of misery. Although Koontz did feel sympathy for him—she had provided him with food, after all—she consciously hardened her heart against his plight. The unfortunate truth was that she just didn't have the time or space for Kisu. She had her hands full with a sizeable pack already and she did not have any energy to spare on a weak loner who did not even mind his manners.

"My borders are easy enough to distinguish; my pack claims the plateau," she said, trying to smooth the stiffness from her voice now that Kisu seemed properly chagrined. "And we don't mark them clearly for no reason," she added with a switch of her tail. "I wish you the best, Kisu, but I've done everything I can do for you."

Koontz felt an urge to apologize, though she had nothing to apologize for, she reminded herself. With that said, her pale eyes looked upon him with concern, even pity, for a lingering moment. The Alpha then turned, secure in the knowledge that she'd handled this in the best way possible, even if it was unfortunate that she would have to turn her back on a wolf in need. You can't save them all, her inner voice hissed as she walked away, and at least you gave him a meal before you closed the door in his face. Koontz sighed lightly, then disappeared up the path to the plateau.

Kisu felt defeated. Numb. When the Alpha disappeared from his sight, he let out a long and lonely howl that resonated from his soul. And then another... and another.

After he was done with his cries, he lay down with his head on his paws. He didn't realize how much he missed being with a pack. It was the only time he was lively, but he never felt understood; he never trusted anyone enough to tell them his tale.. and when he finally did, he left the pack to go after his brother soon after, and the one person he told chose another mate over him. Letting out a sigh, Kisu stood and willed himself to the right. He wasn't sure how much he resented himself, but he was positive that he did.