The Sentinels A Shadow in the Moonlight.

"Who would willingly pick a life that becomes nothing but surival?"

Akai once had had it thrust upon him. Laying his head down upon his paws and lending the space in front of him a half lidded gaze, memories of a time alone upon the tundra came back to him like the rain that had been cutting him to the bone but a half-hour before. None to talk with, to laugh with, to thrive with, a life where the entire world was an enemy and every sincere face was hiding malice somewhere beneath their silvery hides, yes, the white wolf understood her suspicion. It was natural, an internal instinct to read the contents of ones expression and glean from it a darkness that every living thing had within, but...

"I was young and alone too, once." Whispered above the rain, but below the thunder. "Years ago in a place far from this. The world felt so much larger, like I was but a fleck against the snow... as if I didn't know my own size any more. My mother was dead, my father had turned mad at her passing and had fled. Me and my sister, we couldn't catch anything, the snow was so deep... and we were so inexperienced."

Though there was some minor sadness within Akai's tone this was characteristically spoken very plainly and matter-of-fact. Deep down, in contrast, the memories of his sister and he biting at leaves to try and find relief from the sickening hunger caused a pang once more in his stomach as the male gave a soft sort of sigh. If she did not wish to share where she had come from that was fine, but perhaps the young black wolf could perhaps learn something from his own mistakes. He did not speak on half-truths or things that he had not seen captured within his sun-like gaze, a world of emptiness and shadow where every thought was hunger and safety. No, Akai would not have wished that life on anybody, not even his enemies. Death was far more kinder.

"... I am a lone wolf, but I did not choose this path or this life. To all the lone figures I have met, none have ever truly desired solitude. It isn't in our hearts."

His golden gaze caught the spiralling of mist from his mouth disappear into the air. Ah... how he missed his sister terribly, more than a stake through the chest, more than the breaking of bones, more than the bitter, life-sapping cold. Sombre and quietly now,

"We are wolves, after all."