i'll take thee away

She had just gotten over the fight with Rain two nights ago, and her wounds were plain and obvious. There was a deep wound of some kind on the right sight of her chest. There were fang marks and tears in the skin of her neck. Other small cuts and scars clung to her, some were just from rolling around on the stone. She hoped they would be ok, and not stick around forever. The old scar along her back had long since healed over, but its faint pale mark remained on her back and hip. She was very battle scarred for her age, barely older than a puppy. How she had survived the slavery and a wild fire, she did not know. She laid down on the grass below her and rested, willing her wounds to heal themselves.

Amber walks through the forest, patrolling the area for some good hunting places or a potential threat. She had just joined this pack a few days ago but would do anything to protect her pack. She breathed in the cold air and smelled another wolf. Instinctively, she ran swiftly towards the sent. It didn't take quite long, her long legs carried her like wind through the forest. She could see the wolf now. She ran in front of her, blocking the intruder's path. "Who are you?" she asked. Her voice came out gruff and hostile to put a scare into the intruder. She seemed very badly wounded and looked so vulnerable. Amber stood tall and stared at her in hostility.

She looked up to a hostile-looking wolf. Her scent had other wolf's scents mixed in, and the lone wolf knew she was a pack wolf. Typical. "I could ask you the same. I'm Runt." Alas, it was obvious that she was very small, small enough to be named for her position in her litter. Compared to her brother Stone, it was like comparing an ant to a bird, and Stone stood as Thorn's favorite child because of his logic, strength, speed, and smarts. Thorn, Runt's mother, had also thought that Stone reminded her of her deceased husband Cloud. Runt had never known this passed father of hers. She did not know how he had died either.

Amber tilted her head in disgust. She found the name Runt a bit rude. In her old pack, rudeness wasn't tolerated. Ever. If you had been rude, Alpha would give you a very good beating. She growled again, thinking she was of topic, "What are you doing in these pack lands." Honestly, she didn't want to get into a fight with this wolf. Obviously she was a lone wolf. She knew how that felt. On the run all the time, battling for survival. That's why she joined a pack once again. To have a bit of a back bone. It still felt a bit strange.

"Relaxing, Resting, and Recovering from my wounds. The three Rs." She said with a small grin. "Who are you?" She asked. She glanced up at the sky. It was late evening, and stars were beginning to rise in the sky. They shone brightly and brought back a memory.

Feather, what are those? Those are stars, Runt. Do you like them? Yeah! What are they? I see them every night. They are bright little glowing wolves that are shy during the day and bold at night. Do they do wolf things? Oh yes Runt. They howl to the moon, their alpha.

She had always liked her older sister a lot. She was really nice and very smart. At the time they were both very little, and Feather had not known what stars were yet. But near the end of her time with her, Runt noticed that she had known a lot about the natural world.

Amber sat down. She relaxed a little. This wolf is no threat. she concluded. "Amber.My name is a Amber." She gazed up at the stars with Runt. "You've heard about the Wolf-Stars I presume?" she asked, still gazing at the glittering stars that shown through the dark clouds. She looked down at Runt. "My mother told me about those stories. Stories of the Stars. Well, wasn't exactly my real mother. But just as good." Amber never knew her real mother. Her first memory was being in a muddy marsh, alone and cold. Not a very happy childhood if you asked her.

But then her first pack adopted her. But the only wolf that cared for her, really cared, was her adopted mother. "Oh, those were the good days, my later childhood." She sounded as if she was a 10 year old wolf. But still those memories had a special place in her heart. She looked back up at the stars and tilted her head.

"Yes, I suppose I have.. My sister told me.." She murmured. "Not your real mother? How?" She asked. She had never heard of a wolf whose mother was not their real mother. Of course, her mother was her real mother, even if she had not lived with her for long.

She sighed. She felt strangely comfortable talking to this wolf. Perhaps because she knew what it was like.... to be a lone wolf. Always on the move. Always detecting any danger whatsoever. "I was abandoned at birth. The first thing I can remember was me caked in mud alone. I was scared," She glanced at Runt, to see if she was listening. "So I ran. I ran so so far. Right as I felt death calling my name, something scooped me up and carried me. All the way to camp territory. Her name was May. She convinced the Alpha to let me stay. She cared for me, and acted as if she was my Birthmother. But-" she paused and winced. "She was killed, in a gruesome fight with a cougar. Since then my life became a living nightmare." Amber wasn't willing to go into detail about her old pack life. "So one night, I snuck out, and ran away. And became a lone wolf for quite a while." She changed her mood quickly. "But this pack was kind enough to let me join. To give me.... a second chance." She looked at Runt, her piercing blue eyes gazing at her solemnly. A bit saddened even.

Runt listened closely as Amber told her story. Runt felt bad when she could see sadness clear in the wolf's eyes. Usually Runt would not share a life story with someone she'd just met. But if this wolf was going to be this trusting with Runt, than she saw no reason to be all cold and untrusting. She cleared her throat and begun to tell her own.

"I was born into a litter of four as the smallest. My mom like me the least so she traded me to a pack for a fresh doe. Turns out this was a pack with ragged rankings that basically sorted to: Regular or Slave. I was the alpha, Coal's, personal slave. After this five months pass and I am raised as a slave. I escaped them in the middle or a forest-fire one night. Since I have been wandering." She said. This was Runt's story in short, very basic and informational rather than all the details. She imagined her three siblings, and what it might be like if they could all be here with her.

Amber stayed silent as she listened. After a while she replied, "That's.... very harsh. To just be treated like that. Like... like dirt." Her ears flattened on her head. "May not seem like it, but we're very much alike." Both had hard times in life. But how could she put up with that? Being a slave? That's no way to treat another wolf. It's just wrong. She looked around and studied her surroundings for any of her packmates. She didn't want the little wolf to be chased out, let alone leave. It was nice to talk to a wolf who understands how you feel. It's very comforting.

She stared at her paws. "Yes. Like dirt. I had no name to them, and there was pain and death all around me. I don't know how I made it through." Next it was as if the loner had read Amber's thoughts. "It's nice that you kinda understand how it feels, to go through really difficult times." She said, and a small single tear rolled down her cheek, however much she willed it to stay. Now she looked weak, but she couldn't help it. A lot of memories were coming back, and a lot of them were terribly sad.

Amber looked at the small wolf. She saw the tear in her eye. "Don't worry, that's all in the past now," she said and gave her a nudge of reassurance. "Besides, there's always a sunny side around every dark cloud." She looked around again, checking for any other wolves. Eager to change the subject, she asked, "Is this going to be your first winter?" Runt looked very young, almost older than a puppy, so Amber felt a bit worried for her. "Because if it is, I'll be happy to help." She knew she was putting her loyalty on the line. If her pack found out... who knows what they would do? But Amber couldn't stop herself. She knew how hard winter could be for a lone wolf, especially at Runt's age. She would feel awful if she couldn't help in any way.

Amber noticed the tear and comforted the ex-slave, using a metaphor to add to her point. The lone puppy could tell that Amber had purposely changed the subject, and she was glad of it. She thought back. "Yeah. But I'm strong!" Fur bristled along her spine as she attempted to fluff up to twice her size. It certainly made her look bigger, but it might not help much when Winter did come... "Thanks. But how could you help?" She asked with a raise of her brow.

Amber laughed a bit as Runt made herself look bigger. "Don't worry, I know how I can help. When winter comes along,every full moon just meet me at the border of camp. Then I'll have food waiting for you. If I'm not there, there will be a stash underground." Yep, she was defiantly biting off more than she could chew, but it's least she could do. The little wolf comforted her very much, so she wanted to do something for her. And she knew she could at least get away with it for this winter. "And don't worry, I won't get caught. Promise."

wrap this up soon?

"I'm a good hunter, but sure. That's kind of you. I'll stay in the area for winter and meet you here every full moon." After she said this she gave it a glance in the sky, as if she expected it to grow to full as she stared at it. She was glad this wolf was so kind. She was okay with staying in the area. She didn't think she needed to head further, she had (hopefully )left Coal far behind her.

[size=xx-small]Already did :)[/size][size=x-small][/size]




"Always happy to help." Amber glanced down at Runt, then remembering she still needed to patrol the area. "I must be going," she said, a bit disappointed to leave, "I'll see you again sometime." She stood up and licked the young wolf's ear, and headed off into the woods once more. Her mind still raced. Will she be able to do this. Care for not one, but two things at a time. What have you gotten yourself into this time Amber! But a tiny voice told her, somehow, someway, she was helping out. She loved that new sensation.