Ezekiel trotted along through Felsig Forest, admiring the returning greenery. He'd always loved green forests, especially on sunny days. Mostly because there wasn't much forest at Winter's Bluff, so any chance he got to explore a dense forest he took. His old pack had been all rough mountains a few evergreens. And it was always snowing. Here was
hot and he wasn't sure he liked that aspect. The rest was great though. As he walked, he began to think about what else he wanted to do with his life. It was a random thought, but something that made sense to think about.
He was already a mercenary, he had a great pack and a good position. He had friends, which he thought he'd never have. He needed more hobbies. He loved patrolling and napping, but what else was he good at. He was a pretty shitty hunter, and he didn't like learning knowledge stuff. Perhaps he could do something helpful. Like counsel. Would he be good at it though? He'd find out soon enough. He stopped to rest on top of a mound of moss and leaves, and began to lick his paws.
Steady patrolled through the territory, as it seemed he always was. He wasn't particularly paying attention to his surroundings at the moment, however, his mind lost in itself. He was reflecting on how much his life had changed in the nine months since he had come here. Half that time had been relatively bliss, learning and growing with the pack and finding his place within it. His brother's death seemed to be the beginning of the downfall. While things were returning to something akin to normalcy, he still felt a hole within himself.
So engross in his thoughts was he that he almost completely passed his gray Gamma without even realizing he was there. The wind shifted, bringing his friend's scent with it, and Steady stopped, raising his head to see Ezekiel on top of a mound. Some Alpha's would not have liked another being higher, but Steady was easy as long as there were no negative connotations that came with it. Hey, what's up? he asked, pretending as if he didn't just almost totally miss him being there.
Ezekiel caught on to Steady's scent quickly, and turned his head to greet him, but the black wolf was kind of walking in the other direction. Had the alpha just not noticed him? Zeke waited on his mound, until Steady realized he was there and greeted him. Zeke snorted, finding the ordeal amusing and hopped down from his perch. He didn't want to seem challenging, even though the conversation would be friendly and they were good friends. I feel so rejected. You almost walked right past.
He said, clearly teasing Steady. He didn't really feel rejected, he just found it funny.
Ezekiel had noticed that Steady seemed a bit out of it though, and after his thoughts on what he wanted to do with his life, this would be a great time to check or counseling. Something wrong?
He asked, sitting down, ears perked inviting Steady to share. One good quality about Zeke was that he could be a very good listener when he wanted to.
Ezekiel claimed he felt rejected since Steady hadn't noticed him right off. Steady gave an expression that clearly stated he didn't believe him, before it morphed into a smile. He was glad Ezekiel hadn't taken that personally. His friend knew that wasn't like Steady, and called him out on it, asking what was wrong. Steady sighed, his gaze going to canopy of the trees, as if the answer was there.
Truth be told, Steady wasn't exactly sure it was just one thing, or why he even felt this way. The pack had a good thing going now- they were bigger, and with the prey returning, they would be stronger. They were forming bonds that would hopefully last over time. So, then, why did Steady feel so glum? I don't know, he said aloud, sitting back on his haunches across from Ezekiel. Part of me is still settling in to this role, part of me knows this pack is as big as its ever been, but I feel lonely. It didn't make much sense to his usually-logical brain. Niita and I have something going, but she wants to be a scout, and that's going to keep her away. It had already started to. He had done his best to ensure she didn't feel guilty for that, but the truth was he was missing something.
As soon as Steady sighed, Ezekiel knew he was in for a story. For a moment he debated why he thought being a counselor would be a good idea. He was a great listener, but he didn't like long stories. Oh well, he was too far in to turn back now. He would just have to help the best he could. As Steady spoke, Zeke knew immediately what he suffered of. He was stressed, and worried. He wasn't taking enough time for him. He was worried about the pack, and whether or not Niita would be home in time for date night. He needed a Steady night.
That's rough pal. You have a hard job, but we aren't your kids. We can handle ourselves sometimes. You know you have a good group, and I'll handle anything you need me to. Don't feel lonely. We're all here for you.
He offered his friend and nudge then rolled his eyes playfully. As for Niita, she may be a scout and she may be away often, but she'll always be back. I know she likes you just a as much as you like her. And if you really care for each other, no distance will separate you. Talk to her about it if it's really bothering you.
Hopefully that would help.
Steady listened as Ezekiel spoke, seemingly very understanding of his situation. He was very right on one count- that Steady had a good group of wolves who could handle themselves. He was getting to know each of them more and more, and with each passing day he appreciated them more. But, it was the fear of loosing them that really got to him. You're right, I know. Sometimes the fear of failure is a lot to handle, and I can't help but feel that if I'm not managing closely, some might take that as I'm not managing at all, he admitted softly. He had always waited for wolves to come to him with any problems or concerns they might have. But, that was before the life of the pack rested on him. He was only as good as his followers were. It's kind of funny, when you think about it... It isn't anyone not doing their part that has me worried. It's them not being happy here. As a wolf who never dreamed of being more than a Beta, Alpha was a tough role, though one he was still thankful for. I wonder, sometimes, if Fitz felt the same as I do. I never thought to ask what it was like leading a pack, considering I thought I'd be his Beta forever.
He nodded when Ezekiel advised him to talk to Niita. I told her how I felt, but I also said I never wanted to hold her back from whatever she wanted to do, he replied. He would never forgive himself if he held Niita back, and he imagined she would resent him one day if he did. Their budding relationship was still new and fresh, and they were both young wolves who had their whole lives ahead of them. But, Steady had always been wise beyond his years, and he was ready to settle down. But, he would never ask Niita to do that before she was ready.
Steady spoke of his fear of failure, and Zeke nodded. This made perfect sense. Ezekiel himself feared failing all the time. Like when he thought it was his duty to mark the borders and protect the pack. If anything happened to any of them because the borders didn't have fresh markers, or and intruder got past the borders, he would feel it was his fault. Even if it wasn't, Zeke had taken on being the pack guardian as his responsibility. Steady felt like if he didn't keep a close eye on the pack, it would seem like he wasn't even trying. Zeke knew that wasn't true, and surely no one here thought that.
The next thing that the darker male said is what finally made the most sense. Perhaps he was comparing himself to his brother. Zeke didn't know this Fitz, but he was sure he was a good alpha by the way everyone talked of him. But Steady wasn't his brother, he was his own alpha. He missed his brother too, and thought he wouldn't do as well a job. I didn't know your brother, but he seems like an amazing guy. But you aren't him. You can't worry about not living up to his idea of an alpha. You're running the pack now, and you're doing great. I'm sure he'd be proud.
He said comfortingly, maybe he'd gotten it right this time.
As for the Niita problem, Steady didn't want to let her go, but didn't want to cage her either. This was a harder problem to help through, as Zeke didn't have much experience with girl problems. But he knew about freedom, and leaving those you care about. I think you should just wait. Be there for her, and whatever she chooses, let her. You're right, you can't choose her life, but you can help her find what she wants. Being the best man may change her mind, maybe she'll want to stay with you. Just try and get on the same page as her. I guess.
He shrugged, hoping he didn't sound too silly.
Ezekiel was right that Steady was trying to run the pack as Fitz had. It was a natural thing for him to do, knowing how well his brother had succeeded in his leadership, and Steady wanted to follow his pawsteps. But, while he was related to Fitz, he wasn't Fitz. They had a similar upbringings, but their experiences were different, and therefore molded them into two different wolves, who, while they shared similar characteristics, would not always make the same choices. Steady smiled to his friend, feeling some of the stress lift off of him. Thank you for reminding me of that, he said sincerely.
In addition to his stress over leading the wolves of his pack, his heart was struggling a bit, as well. He didn't want to push Niita into anything she wasn't ready for, but his heart was constantly telling him to be near her, to protect her. Are you sure I can't just put her in my den and make her stay there? he said jokingly, chuckling a little. It's what he was fighting his instincts against. Their relationship was new and he wanted to explore it more, not let her go off for days to scout the lands, no matter how beneficial it was to the pack. But, that would be both immature and flat out wrong of him to do.
On the right track! Ezekiel smiled, giving himself a mental point for helping Steady through at least one of his issues.
No problem pal. Anytime. I'm thinking of becoming a counselor. Think I could make the cut?
He asked, wanting to know his friends opinion on the matter. Steady made a quick joke about Niita, at which Zeke chuckled. He could tell that Steady wanted to advance his relationship with the female. But every relationship needed a little air.
Not sure she's into kidnappers, but give it a go!
He joked back. He'd spent a lot of time with Steady, and felt like he could trust him. In fact, other than his old friend Captain, he probably trusted Steady more than anyone else.
Sorry short!
No worries! :-)
Ezekiel admitted that he was interested in becoming a counselor, and asked Steady's opinion. Steady nodded quickly, I think you'd make a fine counselor, he said honestly. You'd be in a position outside of whatever issue wolves might come to you for, so you're better able to give a different viewpoint, he said, thinking aloud mostly. It was what Ezekiel had just done for him, and it seemed to come naturally to the other wolf. Just... he began cautiously. Be aware that although they may come to you for advice, sometimes it can be hard to hear what someone else has to say. Try not to take their reaction personally, he said, giving his friend a soft smile. Advice giving could be a difficult thing, but Ezekiel was a kind wolf, and Steady admired he was going for the trade.
He laughed again at their banter over kidnapping Niita. Not exactly what one might call a great conversation subject, but each wolf knew the other was joking. With his own female problems seemingly fixed, Steady focused on another. While I've got you here- How are things going with Anita? Her demotion to Omega was over, and she was now able to work her way back up the ranks, but Steady hadn't heard an update on if the female had actually learned her lesson, or if Ezekiel needed to, and had, put her in her place.
Ezekiel beamed at Steady's compliment. He was glad that the alpha approved of his counselor idea. That really encouraged him to stick with it. If he could help Steady, hopefully he could help others. Finally he'd found something useful he could do that didn't involve muscle mass. The alpha gave him a bit of advice, that Zeke would remember. Steady himself could make a good counselor, he always seemed to be listening and understanding. Thank's Steady. I will. You know you wouldn't be a bad counselor yourself!
He smiled back at Steady.
It seemed their conversation about Steady's soon to be mate had come to an end. Ezekiel was sure she wouldn't appreciate what had been said, luckily she wasn't here right now. But then again, she was easy going, and might not care. He had always liked that about Niita, and that was one of the reasons why he considered her a friend. Suddenly the topic changed. Anita. It seemed the topic was always Anita. The spunky golden female was always either there, or was brought up in his conversations. It's much better. I can tell it kills her not to crack a joke sometimes but she's trying. I don't have much to complain about anymore, I've gotten use to it I guess.
He shrugged, realizing that he'd thought about Anita a lot lately.
Steady cocked his head to the side when Ezekiel said that he should go for the counselor trade. You know, I just might, he said seriously. Steady liked helping his friends, and no one had ever said he gave bad advice. Maybe would give Steady a chance to bond a little tighter to the wolves in his pack, too. He had been feeling a little distant lately, and this would give him the push he needed to get back in the swing of things.
Steady didn't really think positively of how Ezekiel worded how Anita was doing. He said it was better, and that Anita wasn't really making jokes, or maybe he had just gotten used to it. Well, either she's respecting you or you're getting used to her disrespect, Steady concluded aloud. One is good, one isn't. If Anita hadn't learned her lesson from being demoted to Omega, likely nothing would teach her to respect hierarchy aside from physically putting her on her back until she got it. Steady didn't want to be that kind of Alpha, but he damn sure would if he had to. That, or he would simply run her out. But, there was something else that didn't make sense. I'm a little surprised that you're taking that from her, he said honestly. Is there a reason for that? Ezekiel was a strong wolf who could hold his own, but he seemed soft on Anita.
Steady was right. But Anita's taunts varied from time to time. Sometimes he could tell they were joking, other times he knew they were to annoy him. The second of those had been ocurring less lately, which he deemed improvement. Or maybe he'd just gotten used to her calling him those things and no longer found it annoying. Well I-
Zeke was cut off when Steady spoke again. Zeke being soft on Anita? Was he being soft on Anita? Maybe. He knew the answer to the question. It was yes, but not exactly for the reason his friend may think.
She reminds he a bit of my sister. I miss my sister, so when she taunts me and such, it's annoying yes. But my life just doesn't seem normal without that kind of taunting. My old home I didn't have many people to fall back on. But I always had my sister. God she was a bitch.
He chuckled at his memories of Jojo, but there was a twinge of sadness behind it. You know you hold onto things that you miss. I miss my sister, and then there's Anita.
Did that make sense? Hopefully Steady would understand. Zeke didn't want to be hard on Anita because she was one of the things that reminded him of the good parts of home, her obnoxious self and all.
Did Anita just get family-zoned? XD
He listened quietly as Ezekiel explained his feelings on the situation, saying that Anita, with all her joking and nagging, kind of reminded Ezekiel of his sister, who he seemed to miss. Steady nodded, supposed he understood. He just wasn't sure how much he liked it. I get it, he admitted. If it remains at a level you can accept, then I'll let it go, he concluded on the matter. However, if it gets out of line, my definition of out of line, I'll put a stop to it. There was only so much Steady would put up with beyond a wanna-be sibling rivalry.
Steady's thoughts moved on to how much Ezekiel missed his home. Do you ever think of visiting your family? he asked, wondering if his Gamma was thinking of leaving. Steady could understand the need to visit, but he hoped Ezekiel felt enough of a loyalty, of being part of a family here to come back.
Hehehe <3
Ezekiel was glad that Steady understood. The black wolf always seemed to. But he could tell Steady still struggled in fighting his instinct, which told him to put Anita in here place. He gave Steady a gracious glance, and a smiled.
I'll definitely tell if she becomes unbearable again. Promise.
It was a bit of a joke, but he was serious. If Anita fell too out of line again, not only would he tell Steady, he would confront her himself, maybe finally get an answer to why she was such a jerk to him sometimes. Also why it varied. Why sometimes she was over the top annoying, and sometimes she was polite. A mystery to Zeke.
The next question that Steady asked was a lot easier to answer.
Pfft, no. I may miss my sister and maybe my brother, but the rest of those sorry bastards can die alone for all I care.
He said, claws clenching at the memory of his mother and family. This was a touchy subject for Zeke. He didn't want to go too much into detail, but acting reluctant could make his friend worried or even suspicious. The Manchester glanced over at Steady, and smiled half heartedly to mask his resentment for his family.
No. My family wasn't at all like this. They were all fight, kill, listen to the rules. They didn't care for one another like this pack does. My mother was more, my mentor. And I hated her for it. I never really learned what real friendship and family was until I came here.
That bit was true, he just left out some bits.
He nodded, glad that Ezekiel promised to tell him if things got out of hand again. Steady didn't want to have to intervene again, especially since it only seemed to be between the two of them. He hadn't heard of Anita bothering anyone else. Part of him still thought there was something more going on, like maybe Anita had feelings for him and this was how she was showing it, but it was just speculation.
He relaxed his body, not aware that it had gone tense when he asked Ezekiel if he wanted to go back. He smiled, not holding back his relief at the question. He hated that his friend had a bad experience there, but he couldn't help but be thankful that this was where he wanted to be. I'm really glad to hear you say that, Steady replied. Throughout this all, you've become a good friend to me, and I would hate to see you go, he admitted. If your brother or sister ever comes around, they're welcome to visit. By Ezekiel's response, he doubting they would be coming around, but just in case they did, he wanted to extend the invitation. If that was the only family Ezekiel had that he wanted to see, Steady didn't want to keep him from that.
Ha! If Anita did have feelings for Ezekiel, the grey male couldn't tell. It may have crossed his mind once, but the thought was pushed away when she'd called him a pansy so. Part of him knew that Steady was hinting at the idea, another reason that he was glad the subject was dropped. If Zeke maybe, though it was microscopically possible in his eyes, did have feelings for Anita, that would mean he was falling for someone like his sister. His sister. No, definitely not. Zeke would deny feelings for Anita down to his last breath.
The large male smiled back at his friend. The thought of Gabe or Jojo coming to this pack was funny to him, but he appreciated Steady's extension to his family. I doubt we'll see them around here, but who knows.
Speaking of brothers and sisters, Zeke thought this a good time to ask about Steady's. Do you have any other siblings?
It seemed Ezekiel didn't think his siblings would be visiting, but Steady was glad he put the invite out there anyways, just in case. He nodded when his friend asked if he had any siblings.
Three. Charming, Benevolence, and Gracious. Gracious was here for a little while, and then went back to our family pack. At least, he hoped she had made it back. June was supposed to go with her, but they got separated, and June had come back without knowing where Gracious was.
I'm sorry it's so short! >_<
Charming, Benevolence and Gracious. The names were strange to Ezekiel, but he'd also never met another Ezekiel. He nodded, glad that Steady was willing to share a little more about his own history. Curious about where Steady had come from, Zeke dared to ask more. But he started with the question that was really on his mind.
So your family pack, which isn't this one I guess. How do you come up with the names? Do you get them based on your personality later in life? Or when your born and you just have to live up to it?
Its ok! I short post sometimes too ^^
Steady thought for a moment, looking back on his home pack life, and how they had chosen the names. You know, I don't really know how they chose the names. We got them at birth, or at least young, before I can remember. No one ever told me I had to be a certain way. They just raised me how they raised everyone, and I guess it just happened that I am steady, he said with a chuckle.
He felt a little different these days, leading instead of following, but he felt he was getting a good hang of it. The wolves of Silvertip did give him a pretty easy job, he had to admit, though. They mostly got along well, and fixed things among themselves. The harder stuff he could focus on because of that.
Ezekiel chuckled as well, he found it funny that Steady didn't know. It wasn't like he knew why his old pack did what they did. But why had never come up, for either of them it seemed.
Well your parents did good, with the name.
He teased, but also complimented. The same couldn't always be said about Zeke. He was more ready, than steady. Prepared, but never really certain of anything. The thought was funny, how contrasting the two friends were. But they made a good team anyway.
The Manchester looked toward the sky, realizing how late it had gotten. This conversation had gone on for a long time, and it was about time Zeke did his evening patrol. He sighed and looked to Steady.
I guess I better get going. Those borders aren't gonna mark themselves.
He said, standing and stretching his legs in preparation to leave.
Thanks for the thread! Zeke and Steady are such pals <3
Would love another one so Steady can talk to Ezekiel about loving Anita!
He smiled gratefully to Ezekiel, glad to hear someone had a little faith in who he was and what he was doing as a leader. He certainly wasn't perfect, and he felt he had made some mistakes, but his heart was in the right place. Thank you, you're a good friend, he complimented.
He nodded, Get to it! he commanded, though his voice was playful, and he smiled. He knew by scents which wolves were patrolling and which weren't, and he could always count on smelling Ezekiel strongly on the borders. He himself would go check on Adeline and see what she was up to.