Golden Glade The Battle Is Won

Just under two weeks had passed since the bear, and Ayla had claimed her own branch of tunnel to call her nest. Their first Inner Circle member, though they had yet to do the official ceremony to give her the new rank she deserved. The others were all still Gentry wolves for now, but the pale woman had more than proven herself capable of a fine warrior. She would earn the trade soon enough, but she had a place among the Court's elite. 
Charley's face hurt. Not like the kind where a tiny bug lodges itself in there, and not the kind where you look at the sun or lightning. No, this was the kind that made you keep your eye closed for an entire two weeks, letting only your wife lick it. He didn't know yet if he could see out of it yet, didn't know just how bad his ear and face were damaged. He could feel it, especially when @Aspen cleaned it from her nest. His Queen had fallen ill in the time since the attack, so it was easy for the pair to care for each other. The wolves of his pack were capable of taking care of themselves while they healed, surely. Today, though, the brute had woken without the heaviness of pain and exhaustion weighing him down, and fully intended on going to the entrance and getting some fresh air. Might as well check on them, right?
So, long as it took, the King hobbled his way through the well scented tunnel, one that was now not only his and Aspen's but @Ayla's too. As he'd told her to, she'd scented all over the main cave, the tunnel to outside, adding to theirs, but then to also pick her own branch and den and scent that too.
Reaching the pale evening light was a relief, for as well aired as the tunnels were there was nothing like the smell of plants and, well, everything. The only thing the tunnels smelled like was stone, water, and the three wolves living in them.
Charley tipped his muzzle up and howled for his pack, sending out a simple message that he was okay, and he was out of the tunnel. Not that he went far, of course, only a couple feet to hike his leg up and pee on the wall outside the tunnels. Why not, right? The patchy male sniffed around a little, but didn't go more than a few yards from the rock tunnel at best.

Nobody's gotta join but every Court member welcome (Trespassers, not so much) <3 Might as well get some bonding threads in while Shannon is away, right? :D @Skeet @Heartha @Darsal @Shalon

I hope it's ok I jump in :)

Shalon hadn't heard from her King and Queen for some time, she was worried however she was not sure where her permission to enter the tunnels stood. She had entered to give her superiors nutrients from the bear to help the healing process. However she had only left the food within the main chamber, when they got hungry she was sure they would find it. Shalon still remained close however, she did not return to her own instead for found a comfortable bush near the entrance. She hadn't slept much, instead she had remained vigilant. Her view of the entrance was perfect, and she could easily intercept any intruder before they reached her injured leaders. She only spared a few hours everyday to check on sections of the border, scent marking it so that her King and Queen wouldn't have to worry.

Shalon's ears twitched with the howl from Charley. She was excited, and knew he would be alright, she pulles herself out from under the bushes. "My King!" She greets her tail swinging back and forth, "It is good to see you well."  

Sorry the reply took so long I was hoping someone else would join too T_T

Shalon's scent was one that usually stayed present, and the King suspected that she was guarding them out of worry for the leaders. It was heartwarming, and made him happy that he'd allowed her a chance to join rather than chasing her away. Despite having never had a pack before, she was doing amazingly. It was the dusty female who crawled out from under a bush, greeting him with excitement and joy. It brought a grin to his face as he plopped down just a couple feet from the entrance, remembering when she and Darsal had brought the young rams to the cache.  
                "Hello, Shalon! Its good to be out of those tunnels, at last."
His face still hurt a little, but that was okay: he was alive and that was the important part. He lived to rule another day.

She bowed showing him difference, however he excitment was overwhelming! She had been slightly stressed, they had so few wolves to count on, if something had happened. If the pale women returned, Shalon wasn't sure how she would have handeled it. Her wounds were still healing, but seeing Charley up and about helped relieve a portion of her slight distress. "I am very glad to see you, your Majesty." She hoped he would see the relieve in her visage.

Shalon came to sit infront of the King, her eyes would linger on the wound on his face, on the eye that had no hope of recovering. She still couldn't understand why, why had he done it! It had angered her to see him so hurt, an anger she had forgotten for the time being. However it was returning swiftly now. It wouldn't show at first, the only sign of her internal struggle was the slight narrowing of her eyes, and the stillness of her tail. Hestiantly she looked at him, in his one usable eye. "Why Charley?" She spoke quietly, and spoke his name directly, something she had never done without proper honourific. "Why did you do it? Why did you jump in front of the bear?" Shalon probably knew deep down that she shouldn't question him like this, but she was starting to see him as more than just her leader and ruler, but almost like her brother. And she was upset that he had so willingly placed his life in danger for another. What would have happened to them if he had died? What then?

Indeed Charley did see her relief, her happiness that he was okay. It brought him a sense of pride that even the Court forming didn't give, one he really didn't know. Knowing that at least some of his wolves saw him as more than just their King brought him happiness, and as he was beaming in that joy Shalon came and lay before him. Charley was okay with the closeness, but when her expression fell and she stilled, he found himself worried. Was something wrong? Did he upset her? It was then he realized what she was looking at, and then she was asking him why. The ragged man noticed her use of his name, and her questioning was fierce; she wasn't happy that he'd done it, clearly, that he'd taken away half his sight and hurt himself. Surprisingly, it was a question he hadn't asked himself, WHY. He didn't need to, after all. Charley offered a warm, wide grin to Shalon, his tail wagging behind him despite the scarring he now dealt with. 
                "I'd have done it for you. Heartha. Aspen. Anyone in the Court, really. You guys are my family, my home: I might be the King, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't throw myself into battle beside my comrades, give my all just like everyone else making my dream come true. I did it because to not would be dishonor, allowing Ayla's death would have been a crime against the Court." 

Shalon looked away sharply, her anger still boiling. It had been festering for days now, even though she had remain vigilant she still couldn't comprehend why he would do such a thing. Risk his own health, "But we are here to protect you? Aren't we?" She fumbled with her words, while she was starting to feel like everyone was becoming a family, maybe it had been so long since she had been part of a family she had lost the meaning of what that word meant. "What would we do without you Cha-my King?" She thought it very noble of him to want to protect them, but she saw herself as expendable compared to the dream of King Charley and his pack.

She thought for a moment refusing to meet Charley's eye, how could she? She felt like a fool for asking, but she still didn't understand. "But none of us are your blood relations." Shalon stated it simply, did other risk their lives for those they had no relation to.

Charley shrugged at her statement: sure, by the book, yes, subordinates were supposed to follow the King and Queen, to do what they had to do in order for the pack to go on. In his eye, however, the Royal Fire Court wolves were already so much more to him. 
             "Sure, technically. But do you really want to risk your life for someone who wouldn't do the same in turn? I want more than just mindless subordinates that will throw their lives away: I want a family who will dedicate their lives to the purpose. Anyways, if you all go and die, who would I have around to serve me?"
He chuckled at the last part, only half way joking. 
"What would you do without you Cha-my King?"
                                 "You can call me Charley, Shalon. I'm not gonna go around calling you "Gentry" or whatever rank you have. We're friends now, right?"
Reaching forward in a comforting nuzzle to her shoulder, the messy furred man gave a bright smile. Blood relations were useless: his own mother had treated him like hell, whereas Reek had become all but his brother.
                                                          "Blood is nothing, to me. Loyalty is what shows true family." 

Shalon thought about what he had said, it was true she wouldn't want to throw her life away for just anyone. It was comforting to know that he would want to protect her just as much as she wanted to protect him. She simply nodded, and gave a small smile to his last comment, it was true. "That won't stop me from trying to protect you." Shalon stated firmly, with a pointed look.

"You won't think it disrespectfull to call you Charley?" She was slightly nervous, she thought it was a sign of respect. But when he nosed her, she couldn't help but relax. "I do see you as a friend, actually..." Shalon smiled sadly, "You remind me of Obia." She looked at Charley, while she couldn't see her brother she could hear it in his words, the way he tried to reassure everyone.

She seemed to understand, calm down with both his words and touch. The name, however, she seemed worry about still, and refused to not protect him. That was the point: She fought for him and he fought for her, as was the way he wanted the pack to work. 
                "Exactly: And I wont stop protecting you."
"You won't think it's disrespectful...?"
Charley laughed, shook his head. 
                                      "No, not at all. I'm glad we're friends, and so you have rights to call me Charley."
Her brother? He wasn't sure if she'd told him that or he was just assuming, so he tipped his head and asked.  
                                                         "Is that a good thing?"

"I think it's a good thing. Obia is my brother." Atleast Shalon hoped it was present, she didn't know his wereabouts, but she figured she would know if he had died. Wouldn't she? She would feel something if he passed on from the world. "I hope you don't mind me saying so." She grinned at him, "You don't particularily look like him, but you could be his twin in personality. I swear." Shalon shook her head, "I wasn't sure when I first met you, but I can see it know. In the way you lead and the way you dream for the future." She looked away from the male, "Perhaps one day I will be able to call you a brother." She subtly spoke of a closeness she craved and missed dearly, and hoped that Charley might be able to help her regain such a relationship in some minuet form. Although she glanced at the male, wondering what his reaction might be, and she hoped she hadn't overstepped.

His thoughts were confirmed, and Charley assumed that she'd already told him. He stayed silent as she spoke of how he was like this Obia, not in looks but personality, in his dreams and his leadership. Pride beamed from the King in form of a grin and a wildly wagging tail, and he reached out to nuzzle her again. 
                    "I hope so, Shalon. I'm proud to be spoken so well of."

fade? last post for Shalon?

shalon nuzzeled him back, "It is well deserved praise." She still longed to find her brother especially since she had found such a wonderful home with Charley and Aspen, she wished her brother could be apart of her life. Perhaps one day he would find her, but for now all she could do was pray that he was ok, that he was safe. Shalon hoped he had found his own home, just as she had found hers. She gazed upon her King with her silver eyes, a warm glance. She was finally excited for the future, and future with her family.