Blacktail Deer Plateau Who the hell is bucky

sorrynotsorryforthetitle xD @Captain, @Stark if you want him to come in later?

Ezekiel saw the squirrel through the woods. Normally he wouldn't go after such small kill, especially fast small kill, but he was hungry and it looked pretty good. He stalked it calmly, grey tail hung limp as he scanned the small animal. After a few moments of watching it, he leaped from his spot and ran towards the startled beast. Eyes trained on his hunt, he didn't even noticed that it was running for a tree. Until of course it leaped up, leaving him to skid to a halt as fast as possible. He managed to stop himself, but was now completely infuriated. Fuck fuck fuck! He thought angrily, snarling at whatever was near him.

A now angry Zeke pranced through the woods, grumbling about his failure. He didn't like failing, and he didn't do it often.

Captain cocked her ears at the sudden barrage of curses. She immediately leapt to her paws, sweeping her gaze around to peer at the surrounding terrain. That voice, she realized. It sounds familiar. Slowly, she crept through the dense undergrowth, lowering her hackles in a stealthy crouch. There wasn't much to see ahead except for a bunch of trees and... She halted abruptly, narrowing her eyes to small slits. The forest before her thinned out into a small clearing. Within the compound stood a large, muscular male.

     What is his name? It was right on the tip of her tongue. He seemed so familiar. Her irritation passed briefly as she took a small breath of cold, wispy air and stepped closer to the wolf. His cursing only grew worse by the second, and Captain felt compelled to laugh. It was sad to watch such strong canines resort to hunting small game. Wait a second... Is that Zeke? She watched the wolf for a few more moments, her tail swaying hopefully behind her. Ezekiel!

     It was uncharacteristic for Captain, but she felt like this was one of those rare moments when one detached from their reasoning and just went for it. So, in an attempt at mimicking the old friends they'd once been, she darted out of the thick vegetation and tackled the male. "Zeke!" She cried as she barreled into the wolf's flank, boosting off of her hind legs to add extra weight and momentum towards shoving him onto his side. She was surprised at how much he had changed. As younger wolves he had been much easier to manuever. Perhaps she might have the advantage of surprise.

OMG adorable <3

WHAT THE FU- Usually Zeke was pretty cool about these kinds of situations. The kind where you get ambushed by an insane female. But he had been so caught up cursing at trees and stuff that he had hardly noticed the female lurking behind him. His instincts kicked in immediately as she pushed him over and pinned him down. Being a very strong kid, Zeke shoved his paws into her stomach and flipped her over, using her momentum against her. Now the tides had turned, he held her down, teeth barred and a cold look in his icy eyes. Then he recognized her.

It took him a second to see her, but it was definitely her. His one and only friend. No his brother and sister didn't count. Captain? Now this was someone he'd though he'd never see again. The two had known each other when they were younger, and despite their warring families, were very close. Until of course Zeke killed her cousin and some other stuff that probably wasn't the nicest, and her pack moved away. He backed off of her, eyes wide. He didn't know what to say at first, this was really strange. Then his tail began to wag, uncontrollably. This was Cap! His friend Cap! They used to have snow fights back in Evercold Downs, and Cap usually one! He smiled, feeling... Happy!

Cap! I remember you! You're Captain! We were best friends! He grinned, his grey tail flipping through the air.

Why not? XD

     Captain gasped as the breath was knocked from her lungs, her vision blurring as she slammed into the hard earth beneath. The opponents stared at eachother for a second, both too utterly confused to speak. Pain washed over Captain, who was feeling quite stupid, as his large paw rammed her chest harder into the ground. Stupid momentum. She'd completely forgotten his training - he was a formidable opponent. She was weaker now, and it was hard to admit. She shook her head a few times, knocking her vision back into focus. His large blue eyes glared down at her. For a second, she thought he'd changed. Crap.
    
     Relief washed over her as he released his hold, backing away in silence. The realization crept slowly onto his face until his tail began to wag. Captain grunted, wincing as she rolled onto her stomach and hefted herself to her paws. She couldn't help but let her tail wag just as vigorously. She coughed a few times, recovering from his powerful counter-attack, before lifting her blue gaze to meet his again. They were full of delight. "I swear you learned that move from me. If we'd have been snowfighting it would've been a different story." She mused, resuming her usual stance with a nonchalant grin. She wasn't used to being beaten by Ezekiel, especially when playfighting. "You've changed so much. How are you? I hope your pack is well."

Ezekiel paused for a second, ignoring Captain to look her over. She had grown too, her blonde tinged fur was less fluff and was now slick and shiny. She was still deathly strong, she had always been one that he could count on for a good spar. He sniffed at her chest fur, went a circle around her, then went back to sit down in front. Yes this was Cap. What? I learned that move from no one, I made it up myself. And you forget I'm a soldier... I could destroy you in a snow fight! He teased her, his face breaking into a huge smile. Then she got into more serious questions.

She talked about how much he'd grown, and asked how he was. What should he say about his pack? Tell the truth? They had been close, but he didn't really like opening up about that kind of thing. Maybe someday he could find more trust in her. You've grown too! Yeah I'm fine. Starved, but fine. My pack, well I left the bluff. He stopped there, avoiding her gaze for a moment, clearly not wanting to go in depth on the matter. He looked back up quickly, not wanting to spoil the joyful mood. What about you? Where have you been. I haven't seen you since the incident. By the incident, he was referring to her pack moving away after her cousin's killing. Yeah, like that wasn't gonna spoil the mood or anything.

Captain ignored his hesitance, though it did slightly bother her. She wasn't use to secrecy between them, but she understood his caution. Heck, we've only just met after months of seperation. And... We've changed. I'm surprised he didn't rip my fur off.

    Captain shrugged, trying to mask the disappointment. She didn't want him to think it bothered her - it was against her own nature. "Yeah...Yeah." She glanced down at her paws. They looked so much older than she remembered. When she was with Zeke, she felt as though she was a youth. Not this weird adult she had grown to be. It was strange, hearing his voice and picking up his scent, and then expecting the same old pup attached to it. Now, all she saw was this handsome young male from a different pack. Everything felt messed up.

     "I've been doing well. The valley wasn't hit too hard I guess, and by the time it arrived... Banner and I had a lot of time to make an escape. From there, I just traveled in search of Stark." She left out the part about her failure to rescue Banner...Or, for that matter, anybody but herself. She wasn't proud of her cowardice and had no intention of ever allowing herself to fall victim to panic again. It was an illusion, a cruel source that twisted her mind and made her run. It made her reckless.

     Slowly, she lifted her pale blue gaze. "Ezekiel, you know our packs are gonna pick up our scents the moment we waltz in, right?" She laughed, a playful smirk slipping onto her face. She desperately wanted to change the subject. This was her best friend that she had supposedly lost forever - she didn't want to ruin things.

Good good! She'd been doing well. That was good to hear, he would've felt sad if she said she'd had a horrible time. Partly because he would've felt it to be his fault. It was his fault that the whole incident happened and she had to leave. Why had he ever listened to his mother in the first place. He hated the thought that he'd ever been Bjara's submissive little soldier boy. He wished he could've been more like Captain, she always did what she thought. He would strive to be more like her now. She continued to talk, but a name struck him and brought up a bad memory. Stark. Her brother, if he remembered correctly. Stark and Zeke didn't really get along. Hopefully Stark wasn't around at the moment or they might have an issue.

Masking his concern with a kind smile. Glad your ok. His long tail wagged across the ground, slowly becoming a playful thump. Then Captain brought up a good point. Steady would certainly ask what was going on when he brought another pack's scent back to the mountain. They should probably deal with that. He cocked his head teasingly, as if pondering his options. Then the big goofball nodded, Yeah you're right. They'll probably ask about that. Race you to the nearest stream! He leaped up clumsily, skipping to get his head start.

The shale grey male raced through the forest, past the dead trees and towards the nearest source of water. He soon heard rushing water, and found he must be close. He turned his head to see how close Cap was, surely she wasn't far behind. They'd always been equals when it came to speed. He skidded down a slope towards the stream, kicking up leaves in his wake. He stopped at the waterside, turning towards his friend breathing heavily. I won. He managed, a victorious smile plastered on his face.

Captain laughed - a genuine, easy laugh - as she raced towards the creek. Her sandy-blonde tail streamed out behind her. Her lithe legs carried her effortlessly down the incline, weaving around trees and large plants. "Hey, no fair!" She growled playfully as she picked her way down the incline wih precise accuracy. "Hah, I won!" Captain hurtled forward, tackling Zeke so that they both tumbled into the water. She rather enjoyed pummeling him.

     She hit first, triumphantly ducking her head just to make sure, and paddled her  paws. Instinct kicked in, and she kicked with her hind legs to close the distance. Her head surfaced within seconds, a grin on her face. "I hit the water first!"

Captain hurdles out of the forest behind him, throwing them both into the creek. Zeke hit the water, it was cold, but it felt great. It would wash away any lingering scent, and also any dirty splotches in his soft grey fur. He kicked out his paws, pushing through the water and resurfacing  with a deep breath. No I definitely hit the water first you pushed me! He growled playfully, swiping a paw at her head, back legs treading. The water wasn't too deep, but it was deep enough to swim a bit. Before Cap had time to swipe back, Zeke disappeared under the water and came back up a few yards away, leaping up onto a rock in the middle of the aqua blue stream.

The handsome grey boy sat down, shaking out his thick mane. He licked his paws, not sure he liked the feeling of heaviness they had. He looked back to up Captain and sighed, I'm glad I found you Captain. It was a genuine statement. If it weren't for her, he wouldn't have the playful and kind side that he has today. She brought out the good inside his icy shell.

Captain flipped around, swinging at nothing but air in a futile attempt at returning Zeke's 'favor'. She grinned when she spotted him crammed on a rock, successfully out of harm's way. "Actually, I believe I found you." She slipped him a quick grin before holding her breath and ducking underwater. It felt cool against her sun-beaten fur, gently brushing through her sandy blonde coat. When she neared the rock, she surfaced and tread the water, staying in place with indefinite ease.

     When she saw the sincerity in his icy blue gaze, she felt a pang of homesickness. It was the worst kind, because she knew she would never get it back. Ezekiel was the closest thing she had to Sun River Valley now, excluding Stark - but he was always so worried about Banner. In all honesty, she knew that her brother would trade her for Banner in a heart beat. She dropped her gaze, detached slightly, as her paws and legs worked to keep her afloat. "Zeke, why did you do it?" She asked, quietly. Her voice was almost a whisper. "Why'd you have to kill my cousin? Why'd you let us move?" There was no anger in her tone, just a sense of melancholy. She understood the circumstances Zeke had been under, but it still irritated her. Not him - she enjoyed his company more than most anything else - but the action. The sheer fact that he had been controlled like that. It hadn't been fair... It hadn't made sense to her. All these years, she'd been wanting to know. Plus, maybe if Zeke could face what he did, she could, too. If anything, she was only asking out of sheer hope that perhaps she could learn to forgive herself. At the moment, the only thing she wanted to do was find Banner and bring her home. Ezekiel could never do that to her cousin.

Ezekiel wasn't sure what he'd done to make her think of the past, but all of a sudden their fun and games became a bit more serious. He looked away when she spoke, a look of pure shame written on his face. Why did he have to do it? It was because of his mother, his ruthless mother and even his father. He'd always blamed them but was it really their fault? Was he just making excuses? He didn't want to face the fact that none of this would've happened if he hadn't followed her orders. He had been the best of soldiers which had left him with the worst of guilt.

I... I was following orders. I was a soldier but not anymore. I'm sorry. When he finished talking, he looked back up to meet her gaze, blue eyes flashing. His stare was blank, he wasnt sure what emotion he should be feeling. Mostly he just stayed to himself.

Captain looked back at his icy blue gaze with a soft smile. It didn't reach her eyes, but she hoped it would somewhat comfort her old friend. She felt bad about bringing it up, but she had been aching to know anything since she'd left. She set her jaw subconsciously, as if formulating some type of equation. It was a habit she'd come to appreciate sometimes - it let her zone out when she felt awkward. "Don't say that. I just wanted to know, I didn't want an apology." She swam to a nearby rock, paddling sluggishly through the current.

     Slowly, she hefted herself onto the hard surface. "You..." She grit her teeth as she pulled herself fully onto the rock, sighing with relief. "You are still a soldier, Zeke. Don't let them fool you. Just because they made that term seem like something so bad doesn't mean that it is." Captain shrugged, dipping her paw into the water and watching a school of fish dart away in alarm. "My name is similar to soldier. It means commander, but it isn't much different. We're all captains at times." She looked back up from the water and grinned, this time with more emphasis. "You've changed. You're the better soldier now, Zeke. Thank you, for explaining it."

Last for me! Pm me when you'd like another. Maybe the next one we can have Stark for some more drama?

Ezekiel still felt the shame, even when Captain said she didn't want an apology. Even if she didn't want it, he couldn't express enough how sorry he was. He'd done too much damage and accumulated too much guilt to let go that easily. Even if everyone he'd wronged forgave him, his chains had already been made. He watched as Captain hoisted herself up onto a rock to talk more. Apparently they were done swimming. If only he hadn't said anything, he could be wasting her in a splash fight right now.

Captain spoke so calmly, she was blunt but right. The thing was not that being a soldier was bad, though he did think of it that way. He just didn't want to be one anymore. Inside he didn't want to fight, not even as a guardian. And yet his instinct and duty always led towards violence. Plus his aggressive personality didn't help. Maybe she was right, a soldier was just who he was and always would be. But it didn't have to be a bad thing. Not with her at least. She understood him, not in the way others wouldn't. Not even his brother or sister, wherever they may be.

Captain was smiling again, she'd seemed to have gotten over her point. Zeke didn't smile back, smiling wasn't one of his favorite things. Instead he nodded and replied, Thank you Cap. It wasn't much said, but it was enough. They way he said it told everything about what he felt. He looked down at the water below, it glimmered and shined brightly. The sun had fallen further now, and the shadows it cast were like long black figures beckoning out the moon. He should return home. I should be going, new pack, gotta make a good impression.

The large grey boy leaped from his perch to hers, almost pushing her from her rock. Once stable, the two wolves smoothed together so as not to fall, Zeke chuckled a little. They probably looked silly, but he wanted to give her something before he left. He touched his nose to her shoulder, a smile managed to stick to his face once more. See you, Cap. After a moment, he got up and leaped to shore, making his way back to the mountain. He was a mountain wolf now, and part of a new family, but Captain would always be his first family. And his closest friend.