Sunspots was aware that if it weren't for Toula's mercy and patience, he wouldn't be alive. And he was also aware that Zaahira hated him. Well, the feeling was mutual.
Sunspots walked for a long time, thinking. At one point in the morning, he went to a tree and lay down. He had a dream where he was on a tree, Zaahira, below, told him
"jump, jump".
Later, Toula looked at him and said
"jump in fifteen days." Then Khaba would climb the tree and push Sunspots, laughing.
He woke up with a start and sighed. It had only been a dream. He yawned and looked around. He had no desire to travel, nor to hunt. He kept walking around the tree, and managed to catch a small bird with white plumage.
He wasn't hungry, so he simply used bird's feathers, leaving them on the ground around the tree. Then he kept walking and found some flowers of different colors. Standing on two legs, he placed them on the bark of the tree.
He sat next to the tree and looked at the horizon
tavina truly had no business being so far out of doors, and so soon after a war! but the indoors had become crowded and cloying once more; she could not stop thinking of nala; and thus the sesh went out, beyond akashingo one day, on some pretense of herb-gathering.
she came across a decorated tree and a man sitting stiffly under it. by now the entire palace would have heard of the unruly brothers. tavina set down her mouthful of fresh mint and regarded him with a cool look, eyeing his tree. "is this your home now?"
Sunspots looked at the female. She smelled like Akashingo, and he wasn't surprised by her coldness. In truth, almost all of Akashingo's wolves seemed to hate Sunspots, or at least treat him as a trespasser.
Sunspots backed off a bit. For some reason, the sun bothered him at that moment. He narrowed his eyes as the female spoke, Sunspots backed off a bit. For some reason, the sun bothered him at that moment. He narrowed his eyes as the female spoke, feeling his head ache. For that reason, he spoke softly, in a whisper.
"hi. I'm fine, thanks for asking" he said ironically "and who are you?" he didn't come closer, nor did he get up, but he did move a paw in her direction.
In his life, Sunspots had known many wolves, many personalities. Khaba, dominant and aggressive; Legend, mysterious; Selena, cold and distant; Toula, kind. Those were all different personalities.
What was the personality of that female?
"i'm from akashingo." she didn't need to give her name for him to understand she had the backing of many. still she settled, shielded her eyes with a single paw. "are you going to give me a name or are you just going to mope?"
she had time for one, not for both, and the longer they stood gawking at each other the higher chance of an altercation.
Sunspots wagged the tip of its tail.
"My name is Sunspots, although I think you already knew that" he said, cocking his head. "Your eyes…" he leaned forward "Your eyes are a very unusual color, I have never seen anything of that color"
He lowered his head and looked at the feathers and flowers he had placed, but nothing was purple.
The wolf got up and moved a little closer to the female, sniffing carefully and memorizing her scent.
"Your fur is perfect for camouflage at night" he commented, then he looked at his paw "I can only camouflage well among the trees or in autumn" He smiled "I wouldn't like to have white fur, it doesn't even camouflage at night"
sunspots came closer and tavina stepped back, eyeing him with distaste. not because he was an outsider, but because he was a man. he was brazen and forward with none of the respect to which she had become accustomed.
but he was also young, and rather wild. "you can hunt at night with white fur," she commented. "but yes, mine is best for that. such a shame i'm not much of a hunter then."
she peered beyond him toward the lake. "are you staying there? moving on?"
Sunspots smiled "I think you're a better hunter than me" he stepped back a bit when he noticed that he had gotten too close "I haven't hunted anything bigger than a rabbit since I had to feed the cubs..."
He stopped, aware that he had said too much. However, he continued: "The only one who hunted with me was Selena, but Khaba interrupted us..." His ears twitched "The last time I saw her, I promised her I wouldn't let anyone hurt her."
"But I couldn't protect her, just like I couldn't protect my cubs. I think that's why I tried to protect my pack, protect Khaba" he lowered his head "but I couldn't protect him either"
He was silent for a moment before continuing: "Even though I hate Zaahira, I think I would be incapable of hurting someone who had been Selena's friend."
"Toula told me that I should return to the pack in a fortnight, and I don't know whether to do it." She looked at the horizon, and her melancholy tone turned into a laughing tone "I don't think Akashingo can accept me"
men certainly had a habit of dumping their emotions right into the laps of unsuspecting women. tavina watched him with an expression that hardly shifted, though she was secretly pleased to know so much about what had happened.
it seemed khaba had torn the pack apart. the names were slightly familiar, but moreso was the shattered look on his face. failure after failure, and now hopelessness.
"the queen offers a new chance. a choice. prove yourself. do something that is for her and for akashingo."
Sunspots listened carefully, and then sighed. He would have to prove to Toula that he wasn't Khaba's Omega, though even Sunspots didn't believe it.
"Sitting down won't help anything" he said, suddenly motivated, and took a few steps towards a tree. "I will learn to hunt and fight. I will be able to help Akashingo."
He raised his head and sniffed. Then he looked at Tavina nervously. "Would you like to join me on a hunt?"
a hunt. tavina glanced around and then back toward sunspots. "i suppose if you meant to kill me you wouldn't do it here."
she approached him with a brisk step, tail waving.
"what do you have in mind?" he was an enemy, but he was not. perhaps she could show him how to be a more worthwhile man.
Sunspots smiled. Then he lowered his head and sniffed carefully at the ground.
A trace! It was... A wolf. Oh, it was Tavina's trail. Sunspots sneezed to hide the mistake from him and went back to sniffing. Rabbit... Seven minutes ago.
He kept sniffing for a moment to be sure and then raised his head "do you like to eat rabbit?" he asked, looking at Tavina.
"i do," tavina asked, wondering at his abilities.
confidently she set off. "see the tracks there? looks like a few of them. how many would you like to try for?"
her eyes scanned the horizon as she spoke.