Whispers to an empty wind

@Scarlett

The glacier for which the pack gained it's name was just as majestic as she had heard tell of from her mother. Even the thought of her mother made shivers run down her spine and the images of red stained earth and the caterwauls of the wildcats who had caught her parents unawares. Her siblings she presumed dead as well or long gone into the wilderness.

The mid morning sun light up the ancient waterfall of ice, shimmering with colours far beyond those around her and she was entranced by the simple beauty she beheld within the ice. It distracted her from the beating of her heart, muted the anxious and damning words each beat sent through her.

Your fault.

Your fault.

She's dead.

Because of you.

They all are.

But it was true. It was all true and she knew it. For she had ventured out of their unscented area, drawn attention to their previously safe den and she could only watch from the shadows as wild cats and lynxes destroyed everyone she held dear in the world. She had drawn them in and she would never forget that, not as long as she lived. Even if she found another family, how could she guarantee they would be safe? Maybe she was cursed, if all she loved and all who loved her died.

The pure white wolf that trotted down over the steep glacier was almost invisible against the white background, only the bits of blue ice betrayed her position. Scarlett wasn't really patrolling, she would be the worst warden ever. She wanted to be everyone's friend. But she was checking the insides of the land if everything was as it should. Maybe she could report on unusual events. Or if there had been a avalanche on one of the tops. They were bound to notice that. Plus some prey animals could get trapped and suffocate in the snow for her to dig out. Scarlett was proud of herself. She was really thinking about the tasks she could fulfill in her pack.

The Northerner moved with ease down the glacier. Sometimes she did loose a bit of her footing but the albino managed to get to the bottom without a scratch. Her reason was the golden wolf she spotted. Her red eyes fell on the other. She realized that the other female was just pup. She looked really young. Scarlett's heart melted already. A hint of Malachi's scent in her fur told her it was okay, and that she wasn't just some stranger. Although, even if she would have been a pup from another pack Scarlett would still be friendly to her. Her tail let out a gentle wag in greeting. "Are you new?," she asked on a warm tone. The kind of tone sweet mothers had.

Scarlett always wanted to be a mother, and maybe once the time came, and her and Raziel were still close there might be a possibility of becoming one. The red eyes wolf stepped closer, tail wagging more. "I am Scarlett," she introduced. "Are you settling in okay? I can imagine you want a friend or someone to hang out with?" The albino hated to be alone she couldn't even imagine how it was for this little one. There must be a tragic reason why she was here without her parents. Scarlett immediately wanted to jump in and hold her tight. She should offer the pup a place to sleep tonight. That would be the right thing to do.

It was the sharp scratch of claws on ice that alerted her to the adult fae's arrival, as the well disguised snow-furred wolfess arrived at the bottom of the glacier with a light thump. She was looking at her with gentle eyes and she felt herself relaxing slightly at the kind gaze, though she was still unsure. The scent of the alpha from before hung around her though, so Néa assumed she was at least trustworthy if she was part of the pack. She tucked her head downwards a little, though her eyes glanced up at the taller, full-grown fae. Her tail stayed still by sheer will power alone, as she had yet to fully feel at ease with the fae, though she was gradually establishing that the other was at least trustworthy.

"Y-yes. I got here today and Malachi welcomed me in." The tone of the fae sent a sad pang through her heart and almost winced with the emotional pain that rang through her. That was the same tone her mother had used, to comfort her clumsy injuries and dry her tears from nightmares. The same tone she had never thought to hear again, sweet and kind and such a mother's tone. She wondered if this fae had her own pups, if she was well-practiced with the art of calming a youngster.

"I... I guess I'm doing okay. There are a lot of adults I don't know here, and even though I am almost full grown, I am stil nervous around them... It would be nice to find someone near my age or just someone to talk to. I miss my family, so it's a little painful and sad to be suddenly in a new pack and assaulted by such a great amount of new scents and customs..." She scuffed her paws along the ground gently, looking at the fae and smiling lightly, her tail wagging slightly. "I'm Linnéa but call me Néa."

The female noticed the flicker of nerves coming from the youngster so Scarlett immediately lowered herself. She laid down on her tummy, but her head still a bit raised. The female wasn't the biggest wolf but she still wanted to make the young one feel at home. She wasn't saying that she was lower than the pup but she was telling her that she shouldn't be afraid. Scarlett nodded in reply. "I noticed his scent in your fur," she spoke on the same gentle tone. Her tail was moving over the snowy grounds and tipped her head a bit.

"Oh sweety," she started. "I know just the person for you to meet. You will make a good friend in her. She is Maera and she is just a bit older than you but still a juvenile. And you can tell me if you are not okay." The female moved into a sitting position. "I can even imagine how horrible it must be for you. So many big wolves and all alone." Scarlett's heart melted. She got on all fours and approached the little girl. The albino liked over the top of her head to then move her warm tongue behind the great spot behind her ear. "If you are fearful or alone. Or just want someone to hold you and keep you warm you come to me alright?"

Scarlett felt her heart swell and sat down next to the smaller one. "I will do my best to give you a great home in this pack." The female then chuckled softly. "Losing your family is something very difficult, so, if you want to be alone don't be afraid to tell me, yes? I will back off and not be offended. You could also join my hunting lessons I'm giving to Maera to distract your mind. Oh we can also go sliding down the glacier. It is really fun," the female chatting on a calm and steady tone. "There are lots of things to do." Scarlett was just overly excited to have another young one she could take care of.

Néa watched warily as the older fae sunk down a little, just about her height and she relaxed a little further from her admittedly overly-tensed posture. It had begun to hurt her back also, so it was probably the best option. But the fur at the back of her neck bunched up a little when she saw the pity in those albino scarlet eyes, an instinctive reaction as she struggled not to- not cry but to release every inhibition and barrier that she had erected inside her mind.

She trembled a little as the soothing sensation ran along the fur of her head and behind her ear, leaning into the familiar sensation that so achingly reminded her of her mother, doing the same thing as she prepared her for bed. But she liked the sensation, it calmed her after all the variation and sporadic nature of this day. "I-I'd like to meet her... She sounds nice and at least she's a little closer to my age.." She glanced up at the white wolf and then down again, absently licking at the dirt on her paws. "I...I will let you know if I need help..."

She sighed and leant against the taller wolf, even if she was not that much taller than the honey coated juvenile. "I miss her...My mamma, I mean. And Papa too... And my siblings, I don't even know where they are... They ran the other way from the den and I don't even know if they are safe..." She thought quickly about the offer and nodded slowly, the hint of a grin poking at the edges of her mouth. "They sound like fun... Glacier sliding sounds amazing! But dangerous.... And hunting lessons would be awesome! I'll be just like Päl, running around and catching enough food for a whole pack!! He's my eldest brother from another litter, though he left the pack a long time." She stared out across the glacier and grinned as it glinted in the sun. She jumped to her feet and smiled up at the older fae with happy, though not fully happy, eyes.

"You know, you remind me of mamma. You have the same kind eyes." She smiled and then bounced off, running up right to the start of the glacier and glancing up with wide eyes. "Woah, it's huge! Can we slide down it?"

The pale female chuckled fondly at the younger one. Oh how badly she wanted to be a mother of her own. For now she could focus on helping Néa into a better wolf. Scarlett could teach her how to hunt but also how this world works. How everything was connected to each other from the Deers to the Birds and from the birds to the insects. A small sigh left her lips. It was a content one. "I will make sure you two meet. You will have a buddy to play with," she spoke. Scarlett wanted to tell her about Mae's secret girl's club but that didn't seem right. It was secret after all. It was not her place to tell. "Please do. I am always one howl away," the motherly female hummed and gave her another soothing lick.

Scarlett was utterly smitten that she had calmed the smaller one down, she had even made the girl grin a bit. Of course Néa would never be so carefree as she was before but Scarlett could maybe lighten her worries a bit. "I bet they are! And they will probably come and find you. You can show them how strong you became and help them out," Scarlett tried to cheer her up and give her some hope. The albino wished that Néa wouldn't be heartbroken with false hope. "Hunting lessons are important but also lessons about the world and nature around you. Everything is connected. We are all part of a cycle," she explained. A chuckle left her lips, seeing the cheery pup. Scarlett's heart practically melted when the younger female said she was reminding her of her mother. It it wasn't for the smile Scarlett might have thought it was a bad thing. She wouldn't want to make the little girl sad. "Oh thank you. I like to be a mommy of my own one day," she admitted with a hint of a smile. "But that will take some time before that happens. Until then I can be your surrogate mommy till your real mom comes back to pick you up. Would you like that?"

The female's tail wagged. "Of course you can! Although this one is pretty steep. There are smaller parts where you can practice your sliding skill. It is totally fun!," Scarlett spoke excitedly. Slowly she calmed down. "But for now it might be best to have you come with me. We get you all groomed and fed. I am digging a den here in the glacier woods. It is close to being finished so why don't we settle there for today. I will show you where the den is. You can always use it at anytime. I will be there too or at my other one in the Emberwood. But it is far away. I recommend staying on the Glacier for now." The female started walking in the direction of the trees, looking over her shoulder if the little one was following her.

Néa could not understand how kind this fae was, in a harsh world such as theirs, such emotions were perceived as weaknesses- and as all weakness were, destroyed and forgotten. One could not be weak in a world such as this. But the sign of the fish echoed around this wolf. She knew well the religion her mother had raised her in, that the world they tread was not only theirs but it was also home to the great spirits of the aether. There were many animal spirits, one for each wolf and creature out there, but a wolf must find their own spirit. A spirit will only follow a wolf if they accept it fully and whole heartedly, in good faith and total recognition of the commitment to nature such an exchange requires.

The Sacred Fish must be the fae's spirit, even if the snowy wolf had not yet noticed it yet. Her eyes sparkled with joy and with the love of children she so obviously portrayed, she fit the description to a 'T'. A fae without children, who so desperately seemed to wish for a litter of her own. "Of course it's all connected. My mamma used to tell us stories of the Great Bears, Atka and Sos, and how Atka birthed the noble wolf from the shadows of the night and the light of the stars, breathed them into being from her great maw. And how every wolf has a spirit and a ethereal being, which will ascend upon our deaths and join the great stars that are our kin." She stared up at the wide pinkish clouds that beckoned the promise of rain, with a bright grin and then glanced back at Scarlett as she uttered those words that made her heart thump loudly.

"W-w-would you r-r-really?" She stumbled across her words, excitement and that glow of something warm in her chest. She followed after the other with a grin, paws sinking into the shallow layer of snow and thinking better of her desire to go sliding. There was plenty of time for that later after all. "Food sounds good and..." She thought back a little while and tried to find the last time she had been able to complete groom her coat. She chuckled sheepishly and licked at a dirty paw. " A groom seems to be in order as well. I have not had the inclination nor the means to really get the dirt out for a month or so."

Scarlett listened to the pup's wise talk. At least, it sounded wise. The albino did not grow up to such believes but how the smaller girl talked about her religion was inspiring. Her mother did talk about wolves turning into stars when they died, maybe there was a bit of the same belief but her mother never pressed on it. Her old family pack was more into surviving and being strong instead of hoping on the gods it would turn alright. "I did knot grow up with that religion but it does sound very interesting. I want to hear more. What kind of spirit would I have?," she asked the pup, making her feel like she was an expert on it. Scarlett was genuinely curious. Maybe it was something she could practice herself, teach other pups to think like this.

"Of course! I can't let you roam around the glacier on your own fighting the cold. I'm your foster mom now," Scarlet spoke in all seriousness. Scarlett brought her to the unfinished den. "Okay here is the plan. Together we will finish this den quickly. Then we have the camouflage to hunt and try to get a meal for you. Then we can have a quick bath and a grooming session so you are all fed, cleaned and ready for a good night's rest in this den," Scarlett immediately constructed a plan for the day. This would be the most logical one. The grooming session could also take place in their warm den. Scarlett loved it. She hated sleeping alone and now they both would be extra warm during the night. Néa was the perfect solution.

Scarlett started making the den a bit bigger so it was less of a snug fit. The white female even let the smaller female dig a bit so she really felt she helped out. The albino did the most work since she had constructed many dens over her life span. The den had been almost done after all. She just wanted to make the one chamber a bit bigger. Maybe she would make extra chambers later on. Who knew. Ass he got out the female shook out her coat, smudged with dirt. "Lets find us some prey to catch."

Néa was a little chuffed at the obvious interest that the older fae showed in the stories she had to tell, even as she went as far as to inquire deeper. She had always loved the old stories, the thought that somewhere out in the wide night sat many ethereal beings that governed their lives. It gave purpose to everything and if only for a little while, it sent a sense of peace and the assuredness that someone was governing her steps, and those around her.

She grinned slightly up at the older wolf and squinted quizzically up. She ummed and ahhed for a few moments, thinking over the beauty of the fae and how kind she was to such a young newcomer. "I think... Your spirit guide is definitely the Sacred Fish, the spirit dedicated to new life. My mother used to say that a wolf under the Fish was the best person one would ever know, someone dedicated to bringing abundance and happiness to the people around them. They are the 'mothers' of the spirit world, kind and gentle and beautiful in spirit. And your loa.... that might be the Wild Horse.... To be seeking Freedom and loyalty." She smiled bashfully and stuck her muzzle into the snow, licking the melting piles of snow as they metled.

She thoroughly cleaned her muzzle and then sneezed lightly, before grinning cheerfully. "I'm a Swift Deer, have been since my second month. The Great Elk of the Eastern Plains of my home marked me and I accepted my spirit guide the same day, though the trials I underwent were extensive. I don't have a loa right now, it's too early and I've changed too much for the spirit world to decide yet." Call her suspicious but she really didn't like going against what felt wrong to her.

The warm glow from when Scarlett called her Néa's mother didn't fade for the rest of the time they spent digging out the den, though inside the amply spaced den it was a lot warm than the bitter cold wind that had sprung up outside, as well as the rain that accompanied it, light that it was. She followed the fae to the outside cave and smiled at her, prancing lightly on her paws as she waited for the other to make a move. Both their coats were covered and smudged with dirt but it could only help to camouflage them. "What are we hunting?"

Scarlett found it adorable how deep the little one was thinking. It must mean that she was very serious of finding her right spirit guide. She was surprised to hear the 'Sacred Fish'. But once she heard the description it was definitely her. Scarlett felt really flattered by the pup's kind words. As it turned out you could learn amazing new things even from the littlest wolves. A smile tugged on her lips. "A Sacred Fish and a Wild Horse huh? That is amazing. Your kind description does fit." She gave a lick over Néa's cheek in thank you. She definitely wanted to do more research on this religion. It sounded like a really good one. She had many more questions but it seemed like a topic for later.

"Oh bless you," she chuckled at the sneeze. The words that came after the sneeze did sound very foreign and vague to the albino. Somehow it made sense in a way that the pup was still too young to be determined to be anything. Lots could change. If the girl had walked into bad clutches she might have been raised as a vile and evil creature. Scarlett was not going to let that happen. As the white wolf trotted next to the young female she thought about what they would hunt. The same question the young one asked her. "Well. In this time of the year we can't be picky we just try to find anything that has meat. Maybe we stumble upon a hare or a fat Raccoon coming down for a sip of water. If we are really lucky there might be a deer that didn't make it through the winter. Alas, the winter has been rather mild so far. Not many have died."

The young female was starting to realize how everything was connected. It might be sad to see prey animals not live through the winter but it would mean an occasional feast meal for the wolves. Now the winter had been surprisingly mild until now which meant not a lot of weak animals had died. The female tried to locate any movement that might have been a prey animal but there was none. Scarlett let out a soft sigh and looked at Néa. She had to find something for the girl. Then her nose caught a whiff of a rabbit. "Stay here," she spoke more assertively and hunched down. The huntress slowly crept closer. Her dirty fur making her blend in perfectly. After a short chase Scarlett managed to get one of the paws from under the rabbit and then relocate her bite to its neck. The white furred prey hung limply from her mouth as she returned to the pup.

Scarlett placed it in front of the juvenile's feet and then gave it a nudge with her nose. Her pink tongue licked the blood from around her lips as she laid down, looking around protectively. Scarlett made no movement towards the rabbit. It was all for Néa. She was still digesting from her last meal. "I already eaten, it is all yours," she assured with a kind smile. The white female was on sharp. The scent of blood had filled the air and she didn't want any wolf taking the meal from the youngster.

Call her a traitor to her nature but Néa always felt bad when the winter was harsh and so many creatures died for nothing. Sometimes it helped to fill the caches but sometimes, the dead were too numerous and it seemed such a waste of life. But if the winter was mild, there were few easy meals and it took a pack more energy to catch large prey and small prey alike. It was a cycle, though sometimes bloody and vicious, that always managed to bring about new life and joy with the coming of spring.

She was about to speak but the fae next to her had already dove off and Néa could only marvel at the graceful lope of her stride, long and efficient. If she could ever grow out of this clumsy stage, she wanted to be just like Scarlett, because she was brave and loving and so awesome it made her tail tingle! She was caught out of her thoughts by the arrival of the object of her thoughts, as she carried the carcass of a rabbit and placed it at her feet. She glanced up quizzically, wondering if Scarlett would eat with her but the wolf's answer was enough for her.

The dirty white wolf was keeping a close watch on their surroundings as she ate the small rabbit, growling happily as the first fresh meat she had eaten for a little while went down her throat. Once she had eaten the majority of the small carcass, she hunkered down and began to wash the blood off her paws and her muzzle, rolling her snout in the snow to get rid of the last vestuges of the red liquid. "Thank you!" She grinned up at the older fae with a happy expression. They still lay outside the den and with a shy glance, she moved a little closer to the fae.

Sure she could never replace the memories of her mother but still... She really liked Scarlett, who she knew would care for her at least for a while and never leave her alone! "Hey Scarlett? What's the pack like here? I haven't really met them yet but... some of them seemed nice but I was too shy to talk to them..."

Scarlett had no clue that the young female was currently idolizing her. Such a weird thing, because several months ago she was told daily that she was useless. The female watched the younger one eat with pleasure. Scarlett lifted herself into a sitting position. "Eat it all," she urged gently. Food was scarce and they didn't want a hungry lone wolf to intrude into their territory. "Mostly because you need the food but secondly, because a lone wolf might smell it and enter our territory. Then one of the wardens, or Alpha Malachi might attack this lone wolf for being hungry, while we left it! That wouldn't be very nice, would it?," she explained with that calm and gentle tone she had.

The older female stepped closer and moved her muzzle to the golden female. "Here let me do that," she murmured before starting to lick the pup's muzzle clean of blood. Her licks were through and consistent, yet, still careful that she wouldn't be to rough. Scarlett licked more Clean than that actually wasn't necessary but Scarlett just wanted the young female to be loved. Mainly because she herself was never loved. That hurt a bit when Scarlett thought that. "There. A clean face for the lady," she hummed. The female then dug a small hole for the bones and pawed them in it before closing the snow back over it. "The bones will turn into soil, which in turn lets the grass grow in spring. Rabbits and hares eat that grass. Those are our prey we eat, it is important to give back to the earth what you can."

Scarlett was utterly smitten with this moment. She could spread her knowledge about the environment and care for this beautiful young lady. "Come, I will tell you under our walk to some water we can bathe in." Scarlett took the lead with ease. Close to her den was a water stream that would function well enough. They could snuggle up in the den and dry out their furs with their body heat. "Well, the ones I've met so far are nice enough? Malachi is nice in his own way. He is a serious wolf. Watch out for Sen because she can be a bit mean sometimes. At least she was to me. Well you know of Maera. Lazar is new, I haven't talked to him much. There are others but I haven't met them yet, they are Njal, Hatshepsut and Manauia. Apparently the first two haven't been seen recently. Manauia I haven't met since I have been rather busy with... other things." Those other things was a male called Raziel.

The albino easily stepped into the cold stream. She was from the north. The cold didn't affect her as much. "Bath time, little lady," she hummed. "I don't expect you to stay in this for hours but make sure the water rinsed out most of the mud." Scarlett lowered herself. The mud was quick to get off, especially when she shook out her fur, making spatters fly in each direction. Even she found it was rather chilly. She stepped out of it and gave herself another shake. "C'mon lets get warm inside and I will groom you some more," Scarlett hummed, giving the youngster an affectionate nudge with her nose to guide her in the direction of the den.

Edit; so many typo's. Excuse me. :3

Hey, thought'd I'd spend some time on here. No results so far, just real bored in here. XD

Néa chuckled and giggled as the warm tongue of the older fae washed her face clean, grinning widely as she watched the white wolf moving the now picked-clean bones of small rabbit into a deeper hole and she nodded to the wolf's advice. "I'm sorry... I hadn't thought of that. I'd hate to get another wolf hurt... Even if they did break the rules..." She liked the idea of the circle of life turning around and around and around, through all the ages the same cycle had existed. They ate the rabbit, the rabbit ate the grass and the grass grew from the soil and the soil was old bones and the love of the Mother Nature in full bloom.

She followed the fae to a cold stream and she yelped as she stuck a paw in, whining at the bitter cold that the white wolf seemed to endure so easily. She gritted her teeth and quickly rinsed off in the chilly water, washing mud and small flecks of blood from her coat, before climbing out and puffing up her fur before shaking hard. Sufficiently dry but rather... fluffy now, she followed the female to the den, chattering away as she did so.

"Yeah, Malachi was nice. He was a bit tense but I was a stranger, so I can get that. And you are the only other wolf I've met! And you are the bestest and awesomest, so it's good I met you quickly. But Sen sounds mean.... Does she have a reason for being mean? Perhaps she was like me and didn't have someone like you to make her all better?" She squinted quizzically before shaking it from her thoughts.

Awww. Get well soon! I think this is the end on my part. You can wrap it up. Then we can start a new thread if you like, where Scarlett takes her on a field trip or something! :3

Scarlett watched the pup endure the cold water, she could imagine that if the girl was not used to the freezing water then it must have been pretty damn cold. Néa was smart and she did understand what Scarlett was explaining. The albino female entered the den first so she could lay down and be a pillow for Néa. Her heart warmed when the pup spoke about her fondness for her. A smile tugged on her lips and then started grooming over the pup. Scarlett had done her face already so she started by her ears and then moved down over her neck. A soft hum coming from her throat. "Thank you," She spoke with a smile. "Malachi is still tense with me at times. I think it is just his nature. Apparently a lot has happened I don't even know about." That was a bit of a lie since Malachi had told her a part of it. But still, those were not stories to tell a child before bedtime.

A quick chuckle left the female. "I think Sen has no reason to be how she is... She doesn't like me because I am so soft, at least I think. Maybe she thinks being nice and soft is like being weak but it isn't. You remember that alright? Just because you are kind doesn't mean you are weak. I think it takes more strength to be nice to someone who you dislike than to hate on everything because you don't want to. That is being weak mentally." If only wolves knew how much she endured from teasing till actual abuse. They would be surprised at how kind Scarlett was. She briefly pictured what her life would have been if she had been bitter. The female disliked that thought. "Lets get some rest. The sun been down for quite awhile now," she spoke on a soft yet very clear tone. Scarlett's whole body tingled because she was loving this. She couldn't wait to have a whole litter or babies to take care off. Even though she told the young girl to go to bed, Scarlett continued with licking a grooming her so she was extra comfy and relaxed.

Sorry it's short. Just wrappin' up, so loving these two together! So adorable!!!

The gentle washing of her coat was soothing and Néa snuggled into the warm heat of the wolf next to her, tucking herself into the soft fur of the other's belly with a growling buzz of happiness. Sleepiness was overtaking her but she heard well the words Scarlett was saying and nodded, even though sleep was addling her mind a little. "I wouldn't ever want you to be mean... And I will always try to be like me! Sweet and soft... Like a delicious piece of meat! But yeah... You're all light and shiny and pretty, very *yawn*... very pretty...." Sleep was beginning to catch up with her and the soothing grooming of her fur wasn't helping in the war against sleep.

She was almost asleep, as the fae beside her settled into slumber she wriggled a little and snuck her muzzle in the soft fur of her belly, sniffing the scent happily. "Goodnight... Mamma..."