weep not, poor children

@Mara :)

While Mara left the cave the loner laid there feeling in some of the most pain she'd ever felt, at least physically. She finished up the rabbit, but she wouldn't need another one yet, just the water. Unawarely she began to hum a song Feather had taught her. She laid her head back onto the sand- she had lifted it to eat. Now she hoped she could trust this Mara, and that she hadn't just left her there to die. It wasn't easy for the kid to start trusting her just yet.

Okay, after this, I really do need sleep lol XD

Mara had just reached the entrance to the cave, supplies in tow, when a beautiful melody flowed from the darkness and graced her russet ears. She had to stop and just appreciate it for its beauty. Runt was talented. When the song stopped, Mara stepped back into the cave, accidentally dropping the stick with cobwebs, causing a clatter to echo throughout the cavern. She looked up sheepishly before bending to pick it up and carry it further into the cave.

She set the water soaked moss down next to Runt for when she wanted it and began gently pulling the cobwebs off the stick.

"You have a beautiful voice." she complimented between teethfuls of spider silk.

Luckily for Runt, the lady walked in just after her song ended. Mara dropped the stick accidentally before picking it up. Runt lapped at the water a little, but not much. If Runt were human, you could see her cheeks fill with red. Having others hear her sing made her embarrassed. "Oh, um-uh, thanks dude." She said embarrassedly. "So Mara...." She said awkwardly, not sure what conversation to start.

@Mordecai whenever you want to jump in is fine :)

Mara smiled to herself as she finished the splint up. It was cute that Runt was embarrassed about her singing. If only she knew all the things Mara had done that were far more embarrassing.

"Its okay to be embarrassed. When I first met my Alpha, a crow decided it would be a good idea to dump a load of snow on my face. And of course the snow made me sneeze and I ended up on my butt." she admitted, remembering the embarrassment heating her cheeks.

From where he had been at the border some time ago, the howl for assistance had not gone unnoticed. But it had seemed far enough out on their border that Mordecai did not worry. He still went toward it for the sole purpose of investigating, but naturally took his time. It wasn't until he had happened upon the leftover scene of a fight that his interest grew piqued, adding haste to his steps as he followed the scattering of footprints and dabbled blood.

Far on the outskirts of what was more than likely their territory, Mordecai spied the open mouth of an old den peeking out from the snow covered landscape. The trails went there. He bristled with discomfort, picking out the various scents that he found there. Among those he recognized Mara's scent, and a troubling sense came to him. Had she been hurt? Had it been her that had called? Regret in not answering that call did not come to him yet. Mordecai approached the mouth of the den and was met there with the pungent smell of blood once more and beneath it, came the smell of something unfamiliar.

A growl rumbled loose from him, a sharp warning to whoever lied inside.

Runt couldn't help but giggle at Mara's little story. She got a visual in her mind and it made her laugh. She looked up at Mara. "Sorry," she said with a little smile. She hadn't meant to make Mara feel worse if she did. The remains of her laughter were cut short by a low growl that echoed from the entrance. "Mara, someone's here." She said, wide-eyed. She didn't want to be attacked again...

Mara giggled along with Runt, remembering how embarrassed she felt at the time. That was until she too herd the growl. Feeling the urge to protect this young pup, she stiffened and raised her tail. When she caught the scent of the unknown wolf outside the cave, she let out a relieved sigh.

"Thank god, it's just Mordecai, my Alpha. I don't think I could do anymore fighting today." she assured Runt, weary with relief. Bounding up to the top of the cave she greeted Mordecai.

"I am so glad its you! I was just about to come find you myself. There is something I need to explain to you before you go in there." she whispered to her Alpha after dipping her head in greeting. She didn't want him to go in unwarned.

His warning growl near the mouth of the den gained their attention. Mordecai could not distinguish the words that he heard, but he knew the sound of surprise and the sound of someone else stirring within. The scuffle of feet across a dry floor prompted him to poise defensively, yet the only one who emerged from the den was Mara herself. This alone was not enough for Mordecai to ease himself from the aggressive stance he wore, and his eyes roamed her figure for major injury. That blood had come from somewhere and if not from her, then who?

Drawing his gaze to her face, Mordecai wordlessly prompted her to go on. If she had something to explain, then he certainly wanted to hear it. A plethora of questions burned at the tip of his tongue but he refrained from letting them spill out. But the concern was evident across his face… and the leeriness that followed it was as well.

"Mordecai...?" She repeated slowly, still nervous. It was hard to make a wolf relax who's ankle had just been fractured/broken. She begun to try and follow Mara by dragging, but she only moved two feet before she gave up. She was nervous that maybe this Mordecai dude would punish her for trespassing and even going as far as to start a fight. She'd been punished before. She turned a little, glancing at the long white scar on her back and haunches, still there after all this time.

Taking a deep breath, Mara started her spiel of an explanation.

"Okay, here it goes." she whispered before looking back up into Mordecai's eyes. "So, I was patrolling the borders as I usually do, when I came across a wolf just barely on our side of the border. So, I attacked of course. I was so busy protecting our territory that I didn't realize what I was doing. This girl, she is still a pup! Anyways, I broke her ankle and she fainted..." The small red warrior stopped, taking a deep breath before continuing on. "When I came to my senses and realized what I had done, I took her here, got her some water and food, not from anywhere near our borders of course. I put a splint on her injury and when she woke up, she told me her story. She has been all alone! She was a slave! Can you believe that?! A tiny pup, a slave." Mara exclaimed, still shocked at the notion.

"But to get to the point, she wants to join the pack. I would take care of her, you know, help her get back on her paws. And when she is fully healed, she is an amazing fighter and would be a great addition to our pack. I just hope you will except her." Mara finished with a huge gasp of air at the end. Her grey eyes sparkled up at him, pleading for him to at least consider it.

The story that she gave came out fluidly, but punctual. Mordecai listened, but felt the nagging spark of ire rising up from deep within. It was not so much over what she was doing or what she was proposing, but rather the insubordination he felt creeping up into her features. She had met his gaze. The spark there that he saw did not come from her, but rather from the memory of Cara meeting his gaze with her demands. And that very spark was like the flash of fire to oil in a hot pan.

Mordecai let her finish, but answered her with pure dominance — he honed in on her smaller form with a flash of teeth and a guttural growl, reaching out for her muzzle. If it was one thing he was coming to terms with in a new position, it was keeping himself from being trodden over. As Mordecai had learned, even the smallest cracks in any facade were easily exploited by those seeking it, whether it was willingly or not. He felt confidence in his actions, hoping to silence her pleas and drive her into submission of her own. Only then would he asset the situation from there… provided his confidence and luck did not betray him.

She listened as Mara told the story rather well, her voice echoing into the area where the kid was. Afterward all she heard was a fierce growl. "No!" She shouted, and began to drag herself forward, no matter how painful it was. It had been the unfamiliar voice, the voice of this Mordecai dude. She let out a strangled cry as pain shot up her leg, especially her ankle. Even though Mara had hurt her, she didn't know how packs work, and she didn't want this Mordecai dude to hurt her. "Mara!" She shouted, her voice echoing up towards the top of the cave.

Fear flashed in Mara's grey eyes as Mordecai snapped at her. She hissed at Runt to hush up before letting her fear bubbled back up again. She had never seen her alpha like this and it scared her immensely. She whimpered and crouched down in a submissive position, her tail between her legs.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." she whimpered pathetically. To be honest, she didn't even know what she had done wrong. She thought she had been thoroughly respectful of him. Maybe he just didn't like what she had done?

She lowered her head and closed her eyes and waited for him to punish her for what ever she had done wrong.

Also fading this out...

In spite of the hollering of the injured wolf in the den, Mordecai paid them no mind. He didn't discern much at all from the voice that rang out, but rather let his focus stay on the submissive form of Mara. She had dropped immediately, bending to the display he was willing to show. If there was a modicum of regret to linger, Mordecai did not show it. Her wording bunched up and tumbled out in whimpering, the coup de grace that his message was received loud and clear.

"Patch them up and send them on their way," he said sternly, not liking that they would have to spare the resources. It was bad enough she had bend her will to look after someone who hadn't the ability to discern what they were doing and the reasons why he didn't care to hear. The Spine could have used the extra body, sure, but an injured one was not something Mordecai was keen on taking in. Aggravated, he pushed on suddenly, stepping over the lowered form of Mara. Without realizing it entirely, he embraced the fact he wanted nothing to do with the situation from there on out, and was quick to push it from his thoughts.