When she woke up that morning, the Arctic wolf extracted herself from the cluster of snoozing bodies that made up the Paarzi & Pups household, and stepped out into the wintry weather.
Scimitar was really putting his back into the silent and stoic thing, and Bazi was quite pissed off about it. They had barely spoken since her return, and now that the initial havoc of the early weeks as a step-parent were over, she had more time to dedicate to their 'situation', or whatever it was.
It wasn't just that he didn't seem to like her any more - the gloomy leader didn't seem particularly thrilled about his life in general. He was an Alpha of a large pack (one of the largest, unbeknownst to them all), backed by loyal family and friends, with no immediately obvious threats to their safety. Shadow knew full well that any attack he planned on the Creek would put his children in danger, and seemed resigned to the fact that Paarthurnax had chosen her Swiftcurrent. Things were good. Really good, and yet Scimitar had never looked more tortured.
The whole thing rubbed Bazi the wrong way. She was angry, envious, frustrated - confused, most of all. What did she want? Sometimes, when she spotted him going about his daily business in solitude, she wanted to cut his throat - two seconds later, she felt an overwhelming desire to jump him. It was this roller-coaster of emotions that she battled against now, striding moodily in the direction of The Guardians.
There were babies among them, and for this reason Kieran worked even more tirelessly to feed them. He was up before the sun shone and out until he couldn't see anymore. If these children were god forbid not to make it, it would not be because they were starving.
Keiran had not spoken with the she wolf Bazi, since he had told her in no nonsense terms that both she and Scimitar were being foolish. He had yet to broach that subject with the alpha, not that he was fearful. He just didn't want to be tossed out on his arse was all.
He shrugged as he hunted his large body a little low to the ground and he was on the track of some sort of winter creature. He would have liked to get the babes a bunny, but most were in their holes warm and curled up.
The sight of Kieran with his nose to the ground eased the heat of her rage somewhat. She stopped to watch him. Kieran was a good wolf - he regularly sacrificed for the Creek, and spent more time hunting scraps for the babies than anyone else. But he was definitely hiding something. There was something guarded about the way he interacted with the pack, and ever since bearing witness to a rare show of passion during their discussion about her relationship with Scimitar, Bazi had suspected there was more to be said.
"Kieran," she woofed, striding to join him. "Are you looking for food?"
Kieran had his own secrets. His own heartache, his own grief. He wore it like another set of fur. It was on his skin, it was in his blood. He refused to talk about it though. He would not talk of Kiva, or Kane or Kiara or his parents. He would not tell another of them at least not now. He had promised himself a long time ago, that if the time came that another could work their magic nad make his heart whole. He'd tell them all, but as of yet there was none that had done so. Oh there were many this pack, his friends that were filling the void, but they weren't making it whole.
Kieran lifted his head at the whisper of his name.
"'eeloo 'dere, miss bazi. 'owaya? aye oi'm searchin' for sum grub.
"
Bazi drew level with her pack-mate as he spoke, and smiled at the sound of his lilting vocals. Grub. Who said that? She lifted her paw to scratch at a tussock of winter grass in their path and bent down to sniff at it. No recent activity, it told her - besides wolves, not many animals made their home at Swiftcurrent Creek in the winter. "You're a natural for Gamekeeper," she commented, glancing sidelong at him. "I'm thinking of giving up that job and doing something more.. puppy-centric, you know?"
Kieran turned to look at her out of the corner of a green eye. He gave her a smile, and continued on with one ear tilted back. He would listen as he walked, no harm in that right. He loved to hunt always had. There was a peacefulness to it. A feeling he couldn't find in other aspects of his life. It was one of the few things that hadn't reminded him of Kiva. Though as time wore on, the grief was not so profound. Oh he still missed her, and he would not talk about her, but after 3 years he was finally moving on a little bit.
"Tanks oi plan ter take dat trade if oi can."
He smiled at the mention of babies and turned to look at her fully. Babies, he always liked babies. He would have liked his own, but that was a time long gone past. He tilted his head and smiled again. Babies were the future of a pack. They made it or broke it, really. He was so pleased that perhaps the two lovebirds had worked it out.
"Does dat mean yer an' scimitar 'av worked it oyt den? dare 'ill be more babies comin'? oi wouldn't mind dat trade either."
The idea that Bazi and Scimitar had worked out their differences seemed to brighten Kieran's sombre eyes. Bazi didn't have the heart to vent her frustrations with the slow progress she and her off-again-on-again lover-to-be, so she nodded. "No babies yet. Things are going well, we're working on it," she assured him with a stiff smile - he was not the only one that wanted the Creek to be flooded with children. Bazi's desperation for that very thing was fighting her pride tooth and nail. "But what about you? Any gossip?"
Had Bazi felt the need to vent. Kieran would have surely listened. He would have lent an ear, to a pack mate, his family. He shifted regardless and perked two ears forward, ready to listen to what she had to say. He chuckled at the next part.
"Scon are glad. Dat yer are jammy in love, Bazi."
Keiran laughed outright, at her next question. Him, and gossip, they did not see eye to eye. As a matter of fact, he went out of his way to avoid it. He didn't talk to enough to learn any. He gave her a cheeky smile. Shaking his head no, he spoke quietly.
"Naw, oi'm afraid oi nu naw blarney. is dare much aboyt 'ere?"
Kieran bought her white lie, but Bazi would not need to feel guilty about it for long - a happy reunion awaited her in the near future, though she had no awareness of it now. Puppies and everlasting love would be hers to tell true tales of soon enough.
"No?" she questioned, mirroring the Celtic wolf's mischievous grin. "A handsome, sociable guy like you? Falwasi and Kaskara are unattached, you know..." she teased, waiting to see what he had to say on either woman.
Kieran despite his intrusive past. Despite the face that he was betrayed in many ways, he was a trusting soul. Some could say, too trusting, perhaps? He tilted his head, green eyes alight on the small form before him. She was such a tiny thing, a small smile went across his maw. Her and Scimitar, would make fine children. And he wished them, all the luck in the world.
He laughed at her jest, he was no longer handsome. Perhaps, once upon a time. However, not anymore. He tilted his face towards her, so the the sunlight lanced across the scar that marred his face.
"'andsum, ah. naw more bonny lassy." He gave her a small smile though.
His smile quickly went south, at her next words. He looked down quickly.
"Ah. naw, love is not for me lassy. oi tend ter break things, whaen oi touch dem. Kaskara is me dear mucker, an' oi love 'er as such. oi chucker not nu falwasi well."
He supposed if any wolf could get him to love them, it would be Kaskara. The one female to show him kindness all the time. But as far as he could tell, she only saw him as her friend. And he refused to think beyond that. The thought to painful. Just like that his grief sliced him anew, all over again. As he thought of Kiva's pretty face.
He eluded her again. Bazi rolled her eyes at him, making sure it look good-natured even though she was genuinely annoyed that he was so slow to share. It was uncommon to find a wolf that kept things to himself. Something about the Teekon Wilds turned its wolfish inhabitants into trumpets of melancholy and drama if so much as a blip of ill fortune had occurred in their past. Bazi prided herself on sharing nothing - but to have that returned to her was infuriating.
"Fine, fine," she agreed with a resigned sigh,
"No ladies. But only food will buy my silence!" With a bark and a skip, she began to trot in the direction of the last paltry herd of animals she had scented - even though it had been days ago.
Fade? :)
Kieran did not know of her irritation, with his lack of communication. He, however probably would not have cared. He didn't want to tell anyone of his past, didn't want to let others know. Know how big of a failure he was, how he had caused his mates' death. Simply, by accepting someone, he thought was a good man. One of the many reasons, he would never be the one to make the choice of who was to be added. Never again, would he take up that mantle. He would intercept, he would chat, but he would never make a decision.
Kieran shook his head, a small smile on his face. He didn't say anything though. He followed behind her at a lope, it wasn't all that hard to keep up with her.