Silvertip Mountain Warm me up!

@Ryuu or @Mason ? :3

Zaria was not in the happiest mood, mainly because she was really cold. The rains were starting to come down daily and this was not something she was used to. Even though it seemed like the summer was there yesterday, now Zaria felt the rain was going on too long. She was used to rain or thunderstorms that last for a few minutes, these lasted for hours. Even the trees were turning orange! Zaria was only used to a hot a humid climate. She had never seen snow, which would probably be a huge surprise for her later on. She was slender and lean, not build for colder climates.

The petite girl decided to search for some company, and preferably a spot that was warm and dry to get her back up to her normal temperature. A howl sounded over the mountain, a call for one of her pack mates.

Ever-present drizzle and torrential downpours were hardly thrilling Mason either. His coat was inconceivably thin – you only had to take one look at his Dad to know that he only appeared to have inherited half of the gene for fur thickness. Mason found this inconvenient and annoying. Drizzle tended to settle on his fur, separating the strands. On a normal wolf (like Dad) this would leave cool-looking spikes along the mane and back and belly. For Mason, the silky threads lifted and moved from each other as though repelled by magnets. His long fur appeared to fluff out until it stood on end. 

A beautiful voice cut into his thoughts as he trotted along a mountain path, and his paws inadvertently stumbled against each other in their haste to turn in the direction of the voice. He pressed into a veritable gallop, speeding with all of his youthful strength through the sparse vegetation towards Zaria. When he determined he was not very far away at all, Mason slowed to what he hoped was a suave lope and attempted to rein in his breathing which had become wild and ragged. He stopped for a moment to reach back and try to smooth down some of the sections of his cotton-wool fur. He then moved on until he rounded a large boulder and spotted her. 

Dancing green eyes benefitted a small and sharp face. She was such a slight and slender wolf which meant she was much nearer in size to himself than his Dad - where she was taller due to his unnaturally short legs, Mason appeared to be nearly as long as her – a testament to the low yet long stature he would eventually grow into. Mason moved towards her, his eyes fixed on her pretty chin. He was used to pale colours in the fur, but he did not often see mottled hues of brown and grey except on his own sock and peppered along his mane. Mason’s tail became a windmill of wags and he announced his arrival with a bright grin and a “Hullo, Zaria. How are you?”

Mason is so cute <3

Zaria was pleased when someone responded to her call. Her fur was rained down too, in a bad way that made her feel cold and horrible. Her tail wagged too in response but not as crazy as Mason's. Zaria was more reserved in that way, so the fact that she was wagging her tail meant that she was pretty excited. Mason was so cute and she really liked hanging out with him. She got to her feet and then nudged him in greeting. Even though he was just a pup she wanted to greeting him the right way. "Zaria Bad! Zaria hate Rain. Zaria wanna murder rain," she spoke with a grunt that wasn't directed at Mason, she was pretty sure that Mason got that it was a grunt towards the rain.

Zaria looked a bit like a drowned cat because she had been outside for awhile now, even though it was only a drizzle. "Zaria cold. Wet. Not happy. Mason know warm place?," she asked. The beautiful girl hadn't made a den yet. Her mother died after she gave birth, so she hadn't had anyone to tell her how to do it. Plus she usually slept under the open skies. This rain ruined that for her. Zaria really liked Fitz's home and sometimes tried to sleep over there, but she knew he was khal so she didn't want to intrude. Yet if she could choose she would stay with them because it was so warm and comfy.

Haha thanks  <3

Mason watched with great interest as Zaria turned to meet him with a few soft wags of her tail. She moved in to nudge him and he held himself stock still – she smelled divine, and although her fur was soggy, it still felt as soft as feathers. It was only when she moved back a pace that he realised he had been holding his breath and let it out in a rush which sounded like a sigh.

She didn’t sound very pleased at all. Her short, sharp bursts of speech rung with utter disdain towards the rain which had also become his enemy. Pleased to have a comrade in arms, Mason’s tail continued to wag solidly, flicking water at the end of each arc. He made a contributory noise of condolence, although he did not interrupt her flow of conversation. He loved the spicy accent that came through in her voice, having grown up with a different langue and having limited experience with Englsih, it added endearing nuances to her words. His own name, in particular, he enjoyed hearing spoken in her voice.

“Yeah!” he exclaimed joyfully when she posed him the question. Here was something he could certainly help her with – Silvertip Mountain was his domain and he knew various places that would be snug and cosy for her petite frame. It didn’t even occur to him she might have a mate – he had never seen her with anyone besides his Dad so he expected she just wanted a small hidey hole for herself.

“Come on, I’ll show ya’round and y’can see which place you like best!” And with that he turned on heel, and trotted back the direction he had come, picking a pace that she would easily be able to keep up with given that she was still slightly larger than he. After checking she was following Mason headed in the direction of a hollow he knew and liked to shelter within when he needed some time alone. Such a location was a rarity on the mountain – secluded beauty which might be perfect for the little lady moving alongside him. He was very aware that she was there, next to him. He need to say something before they devolved into awkward silence “So… um, what made you pick here to live? I mean the mountain? Did you not prefer a forest?” He certainly wasn’t complaining, but he would like to know more about her and it seemed an easy topic for her to comprehend.

Zaria watched the young man, who was clearly happy to see her. The girl liked that the boy was fond of her, it was her own vain personality that liked the attention. She didn't think that the boy's attention was more than that. Zaria wasn't really busy with that at all. Sure, she was pretty okay with Fitz's but she wasn't sure if she could even love someone romantically, it never happened before. So who knows? She did feel protective over Alphas Fitz. She returned a smile and a wag when the boy was eager to show her a good place. Zaria was not looking for something permanent, mainly because she liked Alphas Fitz den the most. It was just the right size and it had all the wolves she liked. She hated Copper. She was so eager to just poison him and blame the herbs.

Her thoughts started to drift. Maybe she could accidentally poison him then the 'king of the mountain' could have his grave right here. Zaria found it very offending this Copper called himself the king since Fitz was clearly king. She didn't understand why Fitz would even accept such a self centered wolf, and that was coming from Zaria of all wolves. Mason's words made her come back from her thoughts. The girl turned her green eyes to him for a moment. Following him with ease. "Thank you, Mason," she spoke with a smile, her tail lifting as she walked. With some eagerness in her step because she wanted to be out of this rain and never experience it again. This was no weather for her to live in!

Zaria was fine with a silence, but it seemed Mason was not. She didn't mind talking either because it made her speech better. She shook her head. "Zaria used to warm weather and open plains. Forest scary to Zaria at first. In Dorthran Culture, dead wolves burries at mountain. Close to sky. Zaria thought there were lots of dead wolfs. Of course now Zaria is Smart and knows not true. Buts Zaria pain in her neck, bleed. Zaria's father bit Zaria. Zaria didn't want to be alone. Zaria needed help. So Zaria come to mountain and learns that no dead wolves and forest not bad either," she explained, feeling super proud that she could voice out what she wanted to say. It was seen how the female carried herself.

Mason had had very little contact with Copper – he usually avoided wolves that his Dad had not introduced him to as he was wary. Luckily for him, he did not know of Zaria’s penchant to poison a packmate – this would not have sat well with his moral compass. If nothing else, he knew that Dad was struggling to enlist wolves so that they could hunt efficiently. They needed every body they could get their paws on.

He listened intently as she spoke, keeping his eyes on where he was going so that he didn’t trip over and make a fool of himself. She had been scared of enclosed spaces – suddenly his hollow-den idea was not seeming too stellar – but her culture had always appreciated mountains. This made sense. Mason felt anger and discomfort stir deep within his soul at the thought of her father biting her enough to make her bleed. Obviously Fitz had always chastised him if he was bad, but never enough to make a mark on him.

“I’m sorry to hear about your Dad – I hope your neck is better… Er, an’ I hope we made you feel welcome here. Our Mountain is great. And when I die, I want to be buried here.” Mason spoke with the straightforwardness of youth. He had never even thought about dying enough to fully comprehend what it was, but he knew that wolves were not usually eaten like prey when they died. 

They took a sharp left and the hollow suddenly loomed ahead of them both. Well, perhaps loomed was a deceptive word, given its small size. Stunted trees of a variety Fitz did not know the name for, twisted together. Their branches entwined to create a leafy roof above. A shelf of rock at the back of the trees caused a near-complete house which was simply missing its front wall. However, the trees dripped various slender branches across the entrance which almost hid it from view. It was a safe haven – even more so for Zaria who had mottled fur and would blend in better with the vegetation than his pale form.
“Here, Zari,” he smiled at her shyly, avoiding her green eyes as he used the nickname which had prompted her new name, “this is a hollow, and it is safe from wind and rain.” He hastened to add – in case this was not what she wanted – “but I know other places, if it’s not good enough.”

Zaria walked with Mason, trying to stay a little close so she could already have some of his warmth. The young male was pretty good at making her warm. He was used to this weather after all, at least she thought he was. "Is Okay. Zaria happy without Father. I'm better. Neck is better too. Zaria heal," she explained. The girl had visited the quick and cold flowing waters to clean her neck throughly daily to make sure it wouldn't get infected. Now even her fur had grown back into place. The slender girl trotted forward until they reached the spot. Zaria was stunned how beautiful it looked and was quick to enter inside of it.

She loved how the rain stopped around her, the sound of the rain was rather nice though. She liked the sound but not the feel. She smiled a bit at the nickname. "Is good!," She then let out and looked from behind the various slender branches across the entrance at mason. "Mason join!," she spoke, encouraging him to come with her inside. She didn't want him to grab a cold, and he told her he hated the rain too. So she wouldn't want him to be outside in the rain while she wasn't. Zaria would share with Mason, it would be a tight fit but warm and cosy. Zaria wouldn't mind being so close to the boy, after all it was not him she had a thing for.

Mason watched as she delved into the hollow without further ado. She was clearly happy with the surroundings. The young lad watched her tail swip out of view, to blend in behind the trailing branches just as he had suspected. A smile graced his lips, at the thought of finding her a home. Somewhere the only he (for now) and she knew about. A secret!

He caught a flash of green as she turned to gaze at him from the depths, calling out her views. Masons’s smile blossomed into a grin. He danced forwards, nosing aside a branch to dive in after her. It was only when he was suddenly in the confines, pressing himself against a side-tree in an attempt to stop his fur touching hers, that Mason realise the gravity of his error.

His heart had stopped beating, it seemed. In that moment he turned to look at her, expecting her to morph into something else. The moment passed; she remained Zaria. He was being silly. She looked cold and wet still. Mason let out his breath and visibly relaxed. He allowed himself to peel away from the wall, and turned so that he could stand next to her, looking out of the branches. The rain pattered away.

“Shall I teach you a song?” Mason began. It was a song he had created. His father wasn’t particularly musical, but Mason loved tones and rhythms. It seemed he was an inherently musical child. 

Suddenly he sat, his tail curling against his haunches, closed to her hind leg and he began. His voice rang out, lilting and clear. Muffled somewhat to anyone outside by the trailing curtain ahead, it still burgeoned around Zaria’s new home with ease. 

“When the rain comes out to play, 
And dances in the trees,
That is when the fur of wolves,
Is tickled by the breeze.

When the storm is dark and dim,
And the rain lashes our home,
Then we stay inside with family,
So we are not alone.”


That was all he had managed so far. It occurred to him she might not have caught a lot of the words but hopefully the melody was something she could enjoy. He stared stoically ahead, suddenly nervous about the reaction of the pretty wolf sat so close to him.

Zaria didn't mind the closeness for once. The female thought how snug it would be if she had Alphas Fitz here with her. She would be surrounded by fluffiness and warmth from the pale thick coat. But the father would never leave his kids probably. Zaria wasn't sure how to get further with this. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be. She didn't love before so why would that change so suddenly now. It probably wouldn't.

Her slender frame laid next to Mason's and her muzzle turned to him as he said something but she didn't know the word 'song' yet. Then the male started singing, it sounded rather nice. She wasn't used to this type of singing they had more warrior shouts but nothing like this. Her ears, that were usually held back and flattened, perked up at the tones filling the small space.

Zaria wasn't really much of a singer or musical at all but that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy it right? The female nodded slowly. "Zaria likes. Only not used to.. song. Zaria never song. Warrior and Murder calls," she explained. She wasn't sure if Mason knew a lot about her previous culture.

Zaria listened intently to his song. Mason wasn’t sure what she thought at first. She appeared to keep her cards close to her chest, rather than wearing her heart on her sleeve. Perhaps in the future, Mason would learn to hide his emotions more easily. At the moment, most emotions registered on his wide-eyed face.

She nodded (he could see from the corner of his eye), and it appeared she liked the song which relieved him. He turned his head to gaze at her as she spoke. Murder sounded rather violent – he had heard about it in passing but never experienced it. 

“Can you show me?” Mason inquired with interest. “A murder call, I mean”

Zaria looked to the side at Mason and then instantly shook her head. Her green eyes were rather strict for a moment before they softened. "No," she spoke verbally to give her strictness some extra effect. "Alphas Fitz not happy if you use them. Murder is bad. Murder means bad wolf. Mason not bad wolf. You can only use call when mean it. I hopes Mason never mean to kill," he pointed out to the younger one.

She didn't want to make him feel ashamed for asking. He could always ask het anything she wasn't always going to answer. Zhavvi might have but she was Zaria now, and she wanted to turn her back on her previous bullshit culture. Females had no saying, well she did! She did have an opinion and her opinion was not that a pup not older than half a year could not learn such a horrible war cry.

His throat constricted when Zari shook her head with sudden authority. He gazed at her, his ears drooping against his pale scalp as she bolstered her reasoning with words. He hadn’t known that his Dad had already forbidden such things. 

Immediately he shook his head, spreading a few droplets of rain left and right. “No, I don’t wanna….. murder” tears sprung into his eyes at the thought. He had only wanted to know what it sounded like, he hadn’t been insinuating he wanted to know so that he could murder someone. Is that was Zaria thought of him?

He pressed himself lower to the earth and fell silent, listening to the soft patter of rain outside. He didn’t know what else to say, lest she think worse of him.

Stop melting my heart, dang it! :P

Zaria looked a bit surprised when Mason was so affected by her words. How in the hell would he react if he knew that she possibly killed other wolves!? The slender female was a bit clueless what to do now. Her green eyes on him and then she reached forward licking over the tip of his nose. She never really licked anyone like that but she wanted to calm him down. "I knows. I knows. But for murder call you must mean it," she spoke. "And Mason shouldn't mean that he wants to kill other wolfs," she explained.

She looked at him for a moment. "I not mad. Don't worries. If you do anything bad you can always tell me. Zaria knows how to handle bad things," she let him know. "Zaria help you. Always, yes?," she spoke, making him promise it somewhat.

Sorry for the delays, I’ve been poorly and very busy!  Maybe we can wrap this one up and have a fresher one soon? :D 

Mason’s heart appeared a traitor – it stopped again when his companion leaned in close and gently adorned the tip of his nose with an angel kiss. He stayed still, his ears still drooping, and he didn’t breathe until her head had moved back to its original position. From the corner of his eyes he could see her green ones shining in the dim light. She spoke, explaining why she had said what he said. Just as his Dad often explained why he was telling him not to do something; that made sense.

He breathed deeply in relief that she didn’t think he was a murderer or something. And then she made possibly the best promise a near-teen could hear – she would always help him, no matter how bad he was.

Managing to take a firm grip of his emotions, Mason flashed her a relieved grin and his ears skyrocketed to point at the roof of their hidey hole once more. “Okay Zari, if I ever do anything bad – by accident” he hastened to add “I’ll come straight to you.” 

Mason looked over her pretty face, mottled with colours he was beginning to know by memory. “Always” he murmured quietly, before quickly looking back at the curtain of branches lest she see his eyes well up with gratitude. He didn’t have many wolves close enough to feel he could go to them if he was in bother. Zari had just written her name on that small list, bringing the handful of individuals to three.

Not to worry! Yes! Definitely! I mean, Mason finding out that Zaria is together with his father might make a good but heartbreaking thread. xD

Zaria usually was pretty on point what kind of effect she had on a male, but Mason was only a boy. The girl wasn't trying to manipulate the child so she was just herself with him. Not thinking of other feeling the pup might have. She nodded with approval. "Good, and even if it wasn't an accident you can always share it with me," she pointed out, wanting him to know that too. She doubted that he would do anything malicious, since well, he was Fitz son. But she would never know. And even then while wolves were at their worst Zaria would accept them, just because she could be a very mean one too.

"Good. You are good boy. I know. I feel. Do not worry," she spoke. Zaria was very protective of the one she called family, it was in her nature. She had found a new family with Fitz, Mason and June. Zaria stayed with Mason for awhile just chatting really and bonding more with the child. Maybe children weren't that bad. Though when Zaria thought about it, if her pups were anything like her she wasn't sure if she would want them.

-fade end! -