The Sentinels And I Will Walk 804.672 Kilometers!

Engel hanged out about the coast after having met the wolf on the shore. He was quite liking the sight of the sea, and the smell was something he was getting used to. The salty sea spray in the breeze. "And I will walk five-hundred miles, and I will walk five-hundred more!" he sang aloud. It was one of his favorite songs for singing. For that was something did, walking that far...Well, not actually that far, but he had walked a lot. "Just to be the man who walks a thousand miles to fall down at your pawsssss!"

@Awinita

tagging Wirt for reference, or if you wanna throw him in!

It had been a week or two since the incident, honestly she'd lost track of time. A week or two since Wirt had found her again and remained by her side to protect her. A week or two since the nightmares began to plague her and remind her of what had happened...

But once they had reached the coast something inside her clicked. She was still scared of shadows at night and hardly ever wandered far from @Wilhelm at all. She always let him know when she was going for a walk so he'd be able to come to her if she howled. Today was one of those days, she'd wandered away from the seashore and took a walk to explore. Her hip was better too, she'd forced herself to soak it in the cold seawater and it seemed to soothe the swelling. So now her step was less jaunty and though her eyes still flicked about warily and her ears were kept pinned against her skull, she walked with a more relaxed gait.

As she wandered the distant sound of singing made one of her ears shoot up. The tune was lively and catchy and she found herself humming it to herself as she wandered in that direction. She spotted the red furred male up ahead and something sparked recognition in her mind. Curiosity made her walk forward but as she grew closer to him she immediately fell into the submissive, fear ridden posture she had given Smokestep. She pressed her belly to the ground and turned her face, silently peering up at him with wide eyes. He looked nothing like the evil shadow furred man who'd hurt her so badly and she did recall seeing him somewhere before, but even so she didn't know what or who to trust and wirt wasn't here to help incase he lunged for her.

As he went along, he found a fallen tree and hopped up on it, then started swaying his head side to side as he sang. "When I'm working, yes I know I'm gonna be, I'm gonna be the man who's working hard for you. And when the-" 

He yelped as one of his paws slipped, and he scrambled to get back up on the log. "Stupid tree...now where was..." He clicked his tongue as he tried to recall where he was at, then got right back to singing. "When I come home, when I come home, well I know I'm gonna be, I'm gonna be the man who comes back home to you!"

Her eyes slowly turned to watch him pass her by, not even seeming to realize she was there. Slowly she pushed herself up and turned just in time to see him fall off the log and frowned. What the hell? She began to trail after him her head bobbing lightly to the beat of the song, tail swaying behind her as she hummed the tune, ears perked up curiously.

"And if I grow old, when I grow old, well I know I'm gonna be, I'm gonna be the man who grows old with you." He took a deep breath, and stopped for a moment, as he prepared for the chorus once more. This time slightly more louder, and with more emotion into it, and even his rear swaying a bit.

"And I will walk five hundred miles, and I will walk five hundred more! Just to be the man who walks a thousand miles to fall down at your paws! Da Da Da! Da Da Da!"

She began to smile as he continued to sing, her own hips beginning to sway from side to side as her humming grew louder. As he reached the chorus she couldn't help herself and began to sing with him, her voice rather nice to the ears but coming out louder than she thought and making it obvious that she was there. "And I will walk five hundred miles, and I will walk five hundred more! Just to be the man who walks a thousand miles to fall down at your paws! Da Da Da! Da Da Da!"

She finished her tail wagging quickly behind her and a relaxed and bright expression on her face.

After Engel stopped the chorus, he could have sword someone else had sang as well. He turned his head slowly, and out of surprise at who he saw he slipped right off the fallen tree with another yep, falling on his side on the ground.

"A-Awinita" he said out of surprise. "What...what are you doing here?" he asked, as he struggled to get up. He eventually did manage to get up, but remained where he was, now standing.

His sudden movement and yelp of fear triggered a jolt of panic and she immediately scampered back, tucking her tail and cowering. She didn't look up when he spoke to her, not for a long moment. She was suddenly pressed under the tree trunk again screaming for help..for him to stop but nobody had come.


Sucking in a breath she lifted her now haunted gaze to him "I just wandered with a friend...he's protecting me. Making sure the guy doesn't come back" she murmured her ears flicking hesitantly as she slowly began to realize who this was. "Engel? Oh!" She said a small smile forming on her maw. Then she remembered what happened the last time they'd met and she swallowed thickly pressing her tail tightly between her legs. "What are you doin here?"

Engel was very confused as to why she made such a reaction. He was suddenly worried for her, something about her gaze. The look in her eyes. He shook his head as she realized who he was, and asked what he was doing here. 

"Well, you know. Same as last we met. Wandering, singing...stuff." He could not even help the hinting grin he had. Then he recalled something. "There, uh...there was someone I met looking for you. Seemed like they were your friend."

Winni couldn't suppress the shudder than ran down her spine at the way he'd say "stuff" and his hinting grin. She knew what he meant. Not only had she done the act enough by now to get subtle hints but she was also more keenly aware of things like that due to what had happened. 


His next words brought the slight smile crashing away, her eyes widening and breathe wheezing out. She struggled to inhale again and closed her eyes "what did he look like? Black fur?" She asked. If it wasn't the shadowed man there was one other that came to mind, and she wasn't sure who she'd prefer it to be.

Engel tippied his head back thoughtfully, then shook his head after looking back to her. "More of a mix. Brown, cream, bit of black." He had to think again about their name, and it soon came to him...somewhat. "His name, it was...something that rhymed with can" he said.

"He seemed worried about you. Headed towards where we..." He paused, but he couldn't help hiding the smile.

Awinita had to sit down, her heart began to beat way too fast in her chest and suddenly she couldn't breathe. "Nikan...He's trying to find me" she whimpered and slid slowly into a laying position on the ground. When Engel said Nikan had seemed worried about her a sharp and bitter bark of a laugh left her maw all to loudly "He isn't worried. He's worried I've found someone else. He isn't my friend, he is the one my parents sold me to! He wants to own me, body and mind"  she growled looking up at him. 

She began to shake, the ocean breeze suddenly became too cold and she just wanted to hide away from everything forever. "What did you tell him Engel? Please tell me you didn't tell him we...we did it" she asked her voice suddenly urgent and afraid, more for his sake than her own.

"Nikan! Yeah, Nikan. He was..." Now he realized that how she said it was...not right. Then the laugh added to the worry. Only one thing went through his mind...I almost fucked up. "Wait, sold you to?" That had not at all crossed his mind.

He took a step forward as he saw she began to shake, but wasn't too sure after she had growled. "I swear I didn't. All I told him was the direction I thought you were in...I-I'm sorry, Awinita. I didn't know..."

She gave a soft breath of relief when Engel said he'd just pointed a direction out. She took a few more slow breaths and closed her eyes again, trying to calm herself before she broke down. If Nikan hadn't found her by now maybe he wouldn't at all. "It's alright....I'm just glad he didn't hurt you. He's a killer, for some reason only I kept him calm." She whimpered again and opened her eyes to look at Engel "he can't ever know that you touched me like that. He'll kill you Engel....he wants me to be his and only his...it's too late now though.." she stammered. 

"Someone raped me Engel." The confession blurted out before she could stop it. The release of that information broke a damn and she was suddenly crying. "I was trapped under a fallen tree and he just took me and then beat me and hurt me...I'll be worthless to Nikan now, but he'll probably kill me" she hung her head as the tears dripped and looked around in panic, for Wilhelm. He was the only thing keeping her from crumbling but he wasn't there now and she felt like she was gonna shatter. Unsure what to do she moved forward and pressed herself against Engel for comfort "I'm scared...what if they both come for me again?" She whispered.

Engel's blood ran cold. "Wait...he could have ki...ki....what a crazy a'hole." He couldn't even excuse himself for calling Nikan that, and he doubted Awinita would even care, judging by how she spoke of him. Then he heard her say it was too late. He was about to ask if it were because of him, then his blood ran cold again.

Engel remained still as she spoke of how she had been raped. He knew few who had been, and he comforted them all, not daring to flirt with them cause he knew that it was not at all what they needed. He may have been a massive flirt...but he was also a gentleman. 

He took a couple steps closer, and went to nudge her shoulder. "Awinita...I won't let them. I may be small, but I will not let them get to you. A gentleman's oath." He hated rapists, and those who took advantage. He always tried his hardest to resist, and this was why. So he would not force this upon another. It made his heart hurt just thinking about how someone could dare to.

A chuckle left her maw when he called Nikan an asshole and she looked up at him "thats an understatement. I wouldn't be surprised if he's caused havoc everywhere he's walked" she said in an almost sad tone. She just hoped he hadnt hurt anyone in her family's pack, especially not her parents. 

When Engel stepped closer she automatically tensed up but slowly relaxed again when he nudged her and began to pledge his protection to her. She smiled softly again "I have someone...who's also pledged to protect me. His name is Wilhelm but I call him Wirt. He found me not shortly after it happened" she said but glanced around anxiously. "He hasn't been around the past few days though...I'm sure he'll be back either way" she said though she was uncertain.

Engel shrugged. Perhaps this Nikan might have hurt someone, but Engel didn't know if he had or not. "If he has, I'll make sure he doesn't hurt you. Even if it...hurts me...or k...k....you know." He couldn't even say it, or anything about himself getting killed.

When he heard that, he was not sure whether to feel sad she had someone or happy she had someone to protect her. Eventually he settled on one of them. "Well, that is great! We can find him, if he's with you he shouldn't be too far, right?"

Shaking her head slowly she nudged him gently with her nose "don't...I won't let him hurt you. I may not be the best fighter but I can run like the wind itself, if he even dared to try anything I'd book it" she said with a small smile trying to look brave despite the fact that this news had seriously shaken her.

"He knows where I am. If I need him he's usually always a howl away" she said calmly shaking her head again at the offer to find him. "I like to explore the seashore myself. There's something about the ocean that makes me feel at peace" she said and breathed in the salty air. She was trying to sway the subject to something more pleasant and a good topic struck her "hey...do you know any other songs? That one was awfully catchy!" She asked plastering a bright grin across her maw.

Engel could only just remember the last other wolf that cared about him and his safety. Pema. He got sad, having not told her the truth of why he left. Right now, she could have been worrying that his trip was taking too long. Or perhaps, she knew by now. He didn't want to think about it.

"The salty air is nice, ain't it? Might be a nice place to live..." he murmured. He grew a grin at her request, and he bowed his head oh so gentlemanly. "If the lady wishes it, I shall." He brought his head back up, and began to think. 

Then an idea came to mind, and he closed his eyes as he began another song. "Do you ever feel like a floating leaf? Drifting through the wind, wanting to start again? Do you ever feel so paper thin, like a house of leaves, one blow from caving in? Do you ever feel already buried deep, six feet under, scream, but no one seems to hear a thing?"

He drew in a breath real quick. This song he recalled after learning it from a dog he had come across. As he sang, he lifted his head slowly up and up by the chin.

"Do you know there's still a chance, for you, cause there's a spark in you. You just gotta ignite, the light, and let, it shine, just own the night, like the Fourth Of July..."

Awinita smiled brightly for a moment looking like an eager child as he agreed to sing again for her. When he began to sing she hung onto every lyric. The first verse spoke to her and she swallowed thickly almost crying because she understood so much. But then the second verse hit and took a positive note and her eyes widened and her tail began to beat against the ground. "That's beautiful...I like that one" she whispered her eyes bright once more.

He heard what Awinita said about his song, but he was not done just yet. He took a breath as he prepared, prepared for the chorus. "Cause baby you're a firework! Come on show 'em what your worth! Make them go 'Oh! Oh! Oh!' as you shoot across the sky-y-y!

Baby you're a firework! Come on let your colors burst! Make them go 'Oh! Oh! Oh!', you're gonna leave 'em falling down down downnnn!" 

He brought the song to a low there, and smiled lightly at her. "Learned that from a dog I met once. Heck, don't even know what a 'firework' is..." Then he realized, for once, he didn't cough through the song.

Awinita's eyes glimmered with something akin to hope as he continued to sing. Maybe she could heal and grow despite what had happened, she'd never have to let anyone know what happened. She could show her true colors....let them burst just like the song said. 

When he finished she released a sigh of contentment and smiled at him. "Whatever it is...I get the jist. It's inspiring... really." She said earnestly. There was a song her mother used to sing to her when she was younger..."Do you wanna hear a song I know?" She asked hesitantly. She had never really truly sang in front of anyone before.

He nodded. She could go right ahead with her own song, if she wished to. "I enjoy hearing others sing. There was someone I once met sometime just after I met you in fact, a beautiful singing voice she had. It was-" He stopped there, and gave a sheepish smile. 

"Uh, go ahead." Sometimes he got caught up talking about others, sometimes he didn't. He wondered if Awinita's singing voice would be any contest for Helia's.

Awinita didn't mention the fact that song was one of her home packs ways of telling stories and bonding. Most often then not they simply carried out wordless melodies together but sometimes she'd hear someone singing to themselves. This song in particular was something her mom used to sing to lull her to sleep during a stormy night or when Nikan had pushed her too far. "Alright then..." She said softly and cleared her throat. 

"Wandering child of the earth 
Do you know just how much you're worth? 
You have walked this path since your birth 
You were destined for more 

There are those who'll tell you you're wrong 
They will try to to silence your song 
But right here is where you belong 
So don't search anymore"

Her youthful voice showed her experience in the ways of singing but it wasn't perfect. Despite that she crooned out the notes in a golden tone her voice almost angelic as she infused the lyrics with her mother's warmth and care. Her eyes closed as the lyrics came to her with the memories of her momma's scent. 
"You are the dawn of a new day that's waking 
A masterpiece still in the making 
The blue in an ocean of grey 
You are right where you need to be 
Poised to inspire and to succeed 
You'll look back and you'll realize one day 

In your eyes there is doubt 
As you try to figure it out 
But that's not what life is about 
So have faith there's a way 

Though the world may try to define you 
It can't take the light that's inside you 
So don't you dare try to hide 
Let your fears fade away"

She cracked open one rose colored eye to take in his response, while sucking in a breath to continue. If he looked like he wasn't enjoying it she'd stop and probably be embarrassed.

Engel perked his ears, and perched his forelimbs onto the fallen tree, resting his paws on it while he had his head turned towards her. Then she began to sing. The lyrics were...well, they reminded him of something a mother would sing to a child. Like something Heartha would use as a lullaby. It certainly touched a deep part of his heart, one of his eyes even leaked a little.

As she paused, he kept his eyes on her. He moved one of his paws on the fallen tree in a sort of a roll, as if to ask her to continue.