The Heartwood Never Felt a feeling of comfort.

@Isolde

Dreven lumbered through the heartwood a thrum in his chest. They were building their numbers. Bodies growing. There was the bad business with Khasni and Malacath, but he had hope they'd work through it.

It was with such thoughts on his mind that he headed towards the borders. Red eyes on the horizon. He would stop and scratch up the ground. Even lifted his leg on a few bushes. Fresh markers for the borders.

summersun baring foam white teeth scorching short fur and making view hazy but hunter eyes knew movement of prey like shape of food bowl

antelope raced over open field and so far behind went the hound keeping speed yet pace even not to tire out faster than pronghorn 

pronghorn faced midfield wood but hunter knew pronghorn would change direction go around it was young but it knew it couldn't race in there

(good enough heshe had been seeing wolfbeasts in-between trees lurking eyes glowing voices rising)

but it saw something,

and in moment lacking awareness tripped over dirt mound kicking up ants and pebbles.

hunter knew no better moment would come,

shehe put strength into legs and lunged at pronghorn still regaining footing,

teeth sunk into side of neck hanging on,

prey thrashed to regain weightless freedom,

memory

jaws slackened and t.k. was flung away,

rolling and rolling in dirt and summergrass

(pleasenopainpleasenopain)

I apologize in advance. Honestly I never know what Dreven will do. So I can't promise he will be nice.

Dreven stared with a sort of sickened amusement as the dogbeast fought to capture and kill prey. Though he was momentarily struck in surprise when the creature let go.

Dreven saw the pronghorn coming and with practiced ease, and sure footing he ran and caught the blooded creature between the former marks and dug deep. Heavy feet digging deep, he crunched and the creature thrashed and grunted, finally surrendered.

Dreven drug it near the strange mottled creature and dropped it at his feet.

Next time hold on tighter. And watch the borders.

He was in a giving mood he supposed, not hungry. They could have used it in their caches, but this creature beneath him, seemed pathetic and careworn.

And perhaps he could chalk up one good deed now and again. Then without another word, he turned to lumber away, eyes back on his border patrol.

trust me, i knew what i was getting into when i replied;)

rolling still in drygrass paws covering head then face then head thinking next moment hoof will crack skull like chickenegg

but moments passed no trampling came t.k. was laying still on back paws still covering eyes

there was a dragging sound

(ok)

then words

(?????)

.

the greyhound twisted got on all fours scrambled away backwards.

wolfbeast.

big big wolfbeast.

all tattered and torn and strong and blood-eyed.

a whimper.

but then other memory

rodyn

and as brain struggled to think up next thing, wolfbeast turned and left

"t.k!"

breathless and gasping and posture small and unsure and lips trembling brindled dog watched bigbigwolfbeast's back.

"name. nameist.k." 

i'll be t.k. you be, you be...?

Okay just making sure, lol. <3

Red eyes boring, searing. Big blunt head turned. Tattered, broken ear lifted and then shifted. He stared. A smirk ever present on his face. Eyes taking in all that was small beast.

Easily broken. Skittish. Worried, but there was something in it's voice. A question.

Dreven. My name is Dreven.

Dreven turned and approached, looking downward. Eyes tracing dips and shadows. Minute thing this beast. Tinier than him that was for sure. His coloring was nice though. Pretty. Reminded him of forests with lots of leaves, dappled in shadows of spring.

You shouldn't be so close to borders, little dog. Bad things could happen to little dogs.

There was a cold smile then, though he made no move to be threatening, merely watched, and waited. Toying.

thoughts were mixmush as single concept of gratitude formed in brain as solidbrown eyes were pinned to pronghorn dead still giving of smell of life and warmth 

eyes went up as name was given back

"dreven." repeated. quick nods of confirmation. this meant something.

and because meaning of it was good t.k. didn't turn to run when wolfbeast came nearer just stood trembling slightly like treetrunk after tremor

(name given name name means good means good)

((only means things won't last but that was fine shehe was good was fine without rodyn))

"n-no- yesyesiknow." first shaking then nodding "thankthankyouforcatch." eyes darted downward to killed prey. 

a gulp.

"draven." neck craned to see better criss-cross face but dodge red eyes "wh-whyhelp? whyhelpme?"

tail gave a single wag.

hope?

Pity rose in the dark beasts breast. He wasn't one to give into that feeling often. He had seen far too many pups and nursing mothers and others dead and tortured. Had turned a blind eye. But his beast seemed so simple. Perhaps it was a thought of a white she wolf that kept him at bay. He could have ended him. Should have ended him. Beasts like this didn't last long.


Dreven sighed. Because I felt like it.

The gigantic beast eyed the small one, and shook his head. Alright T.K. Let's get this pronghorn away from the borders. Because my packmates will kill you, you come back. You understand.

Regret black and bile rose up deep in his chest. Why had he helped this pathetic creature. He should have left it for dead. He grasped the pronghorn and with a few twists and turns, settled it to his back, and he began to walk away from teh Heartwood. somewhere away from his packmates so this creature could at least eat in peace. Then once he was deposited. He wouldn't need to think on him again.

currently a passenger on a four-hour car ride to the family village up in the mountains, on the opposite end of the country, so let's see how many typos i can make lol

mouthline trembled watching dreven 

answer stumped himher.

thin skin of forehead scrunched in frown of focus, eyes narrowed significantly

felt like it? felt like catching large strong prey near bordermarker and dragging and giving it to stranger never met before?

small rumble built in back of throat developing into groan of annoyance at own mental faculties unable to understand

dreven shook head and t.k. pulled back to world outside own skull 

yes yes made sense, nodded in reply. first wolf to not hide not lie admit it.

t.k. reached with own muzzle to grab a proghorn leg, but dreven handled corpse with ease that terrified.

still greyhound clasped jaws about hindleg and pretended herhis runnerstrenght helped carry

I didn't see many

Dreven froze when the beast's mouth trembled. Gods alive, tell me it isn't going to cry. Tears are a big fat no. Not today. tears and snot. Distasteful. were his only thoughts. but the creature didn't. Thank goodness. He wouldn't have been able to handle.

Dreven quirked a brow, A small smirk present on his face. Come on little dog.

Dreven took large steps, he chuckled at T.K.'s willingness to help. He barely made it to Dreven's shoulder and he was trying to handle the pronghorn.

He took him far away enough that he couldn''t even smell a trace of borders and lay the pronghorn down near a sheltered tree and thicket.

Here you go.

hope ya had a fun weekend, mine was a blast :D

antelope dropped with thud

t.k. let ankle slip out of mouth

shehe looked over catch with tail giving wag every other beat

good distance. 

very kind.

"verykind." said breathlessly with gaze excessively avoiding dreven's.

sharp nasal inhale, head turned to look at kindwolfbest. greyhound dipped muzzle 

"t-thankdreven-t-t-thankyoudreven." tongue darted out to wet whiskers.

very kind

We had football scrimmages inbetween thunderstorms today and i worked yesterday. So not bad.

Dreven shook his head. I am not kind little dog. Just being kind in this moment. There is a difference.


Dreven wasn't sure how to convey to this dog that there were kind wolves, like Atka and then there were wolves like him. That could do kind things, but didn't make them kind.

Kind is sort of down deep. Them wolves are mannerly, friendly always helping out a friend. This is not me.

Dreven eyed him again and with a stiff nod, he turned to head back the way they had come.

head dipped low at admission

made sense made sense

but further talk made brows furrow in difficult attempt to comprehend.

action clashed with saying, if good was done once it would be done again, unless dreven was liar

and liars don't admit they lie.

greyhound at some point looked away gaze derailed by effort and now looked back jaws parting to speak only to see dreven turned and leaving

greyhound straightened to watch kindwolfbeast leave

after long silence dreven was further away and shehe barked after 

normal sort of bark like when humans leave in car and dog needed tell them it will keep things in order and won't forget them if their return next hour or next year

t.k. started on ripping off pieces of catch to bury in ground, like heshe was told once