Silvertip Mountain I feel so unstable when it's out on the table

@Steady

Another chat with the alpha. Of course, it was dealing with a somewhat uncomfortable topic, in which Anita felt was what she primarily spoke of with Steady. However, he was going around with Chaska, trying to figure out her love life. It didn't make her angry, but she found it funny that Steady was snooping around despite his composed demeanor. 

Anita tipped her head back and howled for the alpha. It wasn't loud or urgent--just a small message that spoke "let's have a chat." However, "let's have a chat" coming from Anita could mean a few things. The she-wolf took a seat, waiting patiently for the alpha to arrive.

Thanks for starting!

Steady's usual good mood had vanished with Krypton, and he found himself struggling to give in to depression. The one wolf he thought would never leave and she was gone. He felt so hurt, knowing she had wanted to simply slip off in the night without so much as a word to not only him, but to anyone in Silvertip. It felt like a betrayal, because she had gone through everything that he had, but still felt it would be alright to do that. 

His obsessive thoughts about Krypton's leaving were interrupted by a howl summoning him. It wasn't urgent, but Steady immediately lifted himself off the forest floor and headed to Anita. They hadn't really spoken since he reprimanded her, even when her demotion was over. He knew she was contributing to the pack, and hoped to see her continue that.

He trotted up to her, coming to a slow stop, his tail held neutral. He wasn't in the mood to wag it, but his voice was friendly enough. Hey, Anita. What's up? He assumed she had called for a specific reason, though didn't know what. He had completely forgotten his conversation with Chaska, as it seemed less important to him than other happenings.

no problem!

Anita shifted when the dark shape of Steady came into view. The more she thought about, the more her topic sounded silly. What was she going to say? She decided to keep the conversation light, instead of confronting him. Her tail wagged enthusiastically at Steady's arrival, but his stayed neutral. It was enough to worry her, but his tone of voice was reassuring.

"Hey, Steady," she smiled, offering him a quick dip of her head. How would she open this conversation? What if Steady totally forgot about the ordeal with Ezekiel and Chaska? "Chaska accidentally spilled the beans. You know, about your...investigating," she chuckled. Keeping this conversation light would be benefitial to the both of them. Anita wanted to have a casual conversation with Steady. However "hey, I caught you and Chaska talking about a love liaison with Ezekiel and I" was not the most casual topic.

She greeted him in a friendly manner, and so he figured the conversation couldn't be bad. At least, he refused to think so. After what had transpired last night, he just couldn't handle a tough conversation right now. He sat back on his haunches as she mentioned something about Chaska and their investigation.

He looked confused for a moment, trying to figure out what she was talking about. Then, the memory came back. Steady sighed, knowing he was not looking good right now to Anita. She was being graceful about it, but he didn't think for a second that this was all gravy. Anita, I'm... I'm so sorry. That wasn't intentional. Chaska and I had a difficult conversation, and I was trying to get his mind off things. I... I admit that I thought the friction between you and Ezekiel was due to suppressed feelings, and we sort of came up with the idea to try and get you two to confess those feelings. He had snooped where he shouldn't have, and he knew it. I didn't mean any harm, I promise. He knew that didn't excuse his actions, but he hoped she would forgive him. 

She noticed the alpha's solemn sigh. "Steady, it's ok," she reassured, concern in her eyes. The alpha seemed a bit under the weather, and it most likely had to do with Krypton's absence. Anita didn't know the she-wolf too well, but still mourned. 

"You were only trying to help Chaska, don't feel bad. Besides, you weren't wrong..." Anita trailed off. She wanted to say what had been picking at the back of her mind for a while. "I did have feelings for Ezekiel. When I met him, I hated him so much," she laughed. "But for a little while, I thought I could joke around and be comfortable with him," she said, keeping her gaze to the ground. "Obviously, he didn't want anything to do with me. But that's alright, I have moved on."

It was true, she no longer had feelings for Ezekiel, but feelings of longing still gnawed at her gut. "I came to Silvetip Mountain to be close with others, but for some reason, I still feel lonely." She sounded so ungrateful, or at least that's what she thought. Anita cursed herself for turning the spotlight to herself when she wanted to comfort Steady.

"Enough with my drama," Anita smiled, gazing at Steady. "Of course I forgive you, how could I hold a grudge against my Alpha over such silly matters?"

Anita insisted that it was okay, but he still didn't feel great about what he had done. His intentions had been in the right place, sort of, but he was not usually the kind of wolf who went about gossiping about others. He hadn't even had proof that what he thought was true, he had just went with it. 

Then she confessed that she did have feelings for Ezekiel, at least when she first came. He had been right, but he knew that didn't make the gossiping right. I don't think you should give up on a friendship with Ezekiel. I think he can hold a grudge, but maybe if you come at him in a different way, a softer way, it might get through to him. He wasn't trying to get them together, but he knew Ezekiel and knew they would get along if they let the past go.

He frowned when Anita admitted she was still lonely here. He had always striven to make this place feel like a home for everyone here, and the fact that Anita felt lonely was personal to him. Well... he thought out loud. Let's hang out then! For a brief moment, hope shone through his sad exterior. He did like Anita, even though they had gotten out on a rocky start. He felt partly responsible for her loneliness by not seeking her out more to build a friendship with her. If she wanted, he would certainly make that right.

He gave her a soft smile when she forgave him. Thank you, Anita. That's very gracious of you, and I promise it won't happen again. He felt so bad, even more so that he had completely forgotten about it, and it apparently had spiraled out of control. 

Anita listened as Steady spoke of maintaining a friendship between herself and Ezekiel. "You're right. I don't want to alienate myself from Ezekiel, since he seems like a good wolf at heart. Besides, he's happy now." She smiled, thinking of the male and his relationship with Valette. 

Her mood was lifted when the alpha suggested hanging out. "That sounds wonderful," she smiled gratefully. "I did not mean to make you feel as if the pack was not welcoming. I know I said I felt lonely, but in these few moments I've come to realize something," she spoke, her gaze matching Steady's. "This pack is like a family to me, you have done a great job. I couldn't ask for better friends."

She listened to him apologize again, and wished there was a way to permanently reassure him. "We all gossip sometimes. I can't say I'm completely innocent on that matter." 

Steady nodded in agreement. Yeah, he seems to have settled in rather nicely. The Gamma was one of Steady's closest friends, and he had seen the changes the other male had made since coming here. Steady had no idea of anything going on between Ezekiel and Valette, though, and didn't realize Anita was referencing it.

He wasn't sure if she was saying these things to make him feel better, or if she really felt them, but he was grateful either way. We do have a good group of wolves here don't we? he asked, a sliver of a good mood returning in him. Including you, he added, wanting her to know that when he talked of family, and of friends, she was included in that. He knew he just needed to show that a little more. 

He gave her a little smile when she confessed that she wasn't completely innocent of gossiping either. Well, learn your lesson from me, he said, a little jokingly. 

He had invited her to hang out, and it didn't seem like just sitting here talking was... enough. While Steady's mood was still down, he knew he would be failing her if he continued to stay in it. His gaze traveled around a moment, before his nose caught the scent of water, giving him an idea. Hey, the river is right over there. Want to go swimming? It was hot out, and might be a good way to cool off.

Anita smiled. "I do have to say, we have a wonderful group here at Silvertip." She could sense that Steady was starting to feel a bit better, and so was she. "And thank you," she said graciously. "I feel welcome here, that is for sure. The squabbles with Ezekiel were my problem; they had nothing to do with the pack," In a way she was trying to say her troubles with Ezekiel were not Steady's fault.

"I suppose that, in a way, I did learn my lesson with gossipping. We both did," she grinned, getting up to stretch.

Anita definitely liked the sound of going for a swim. The summer heat was still brutal, and what was better than splashing around in the water? Besides, it was a good place to hang out. "Swimming sounds amazing!" Anita replied, standing up from her stretch.

Things seemed to be settled as far as his gossiping went, and he gave her a gentle smile in response to her comments. He was glad she didn't let the friction between her and Ezekiel run her off of the rest of the pack. She was a nice wolf, and Steady felt without a doubt that she fit in here with everyone else. 

Anita seemed to like the idea of swimming, and Steady stood to walk to the river. He may have usually offered up a race, but he didn't much feel like running at the moment. So, he strolled along, casually reaching over in an attempt to nudge Anita in a friendly gesture. 

They reached the river and Steady didn't hesitate to wade into it. The water was flowing slowly, making the river calm and easy to paddle in. He swam away, then turned back towards Anita, bringing a paw up into the air before slapping it back on the water, sending water spraying. He grinned, hoping Anita would join in on the light play.

Anita followed close behind Steady, the sound of the river becoming louder as they walked. She waited as Steady got in, and then waded into the refreshing water. She relished being able to cool off, quickly dunking her head under the water.

Anita was greeted by a splash when she came up. "Oh, you're so going to get it now?" she challenged, wading over to where Steady floated. Anita raised a paw up and slapped it onto the water, close enough for the droplets to barrage Steady's face. She grinned. "Two can play at that game."

Anita responded playfully to his splash, and gave him a rather large one back. He closed his eyes against the barrage of water and promptly dove beneath the surface of the water. He wasn't a perfect swimmer, but he made do with the skills he had. The fish, frightened by their presence, swam off quickly in every which way, trying to get away from them. But, they weren't Steady's prey.

Quickly, he made his way underwater to Anita, his open jaws searching for one of her paddling legs. He thought to grab a hold just enough to let her know he had her, and then let go before resurfacing. He had to take a deep breath once he reached the air. 

sorry for the short post!

Anita felt something bite her leg--nothing painful but definitely noticeable. She whipped around, seeing the dark and blurry shape of Steady underwater. By the time the alpha came up to breathe, Anita had already slipped underneath the water.

She paddle around the back of Steady, trying to hatch a plan while her breath ran out. Her jaws clasped around his tail before she darted away. Anita broke the surface, swallowing water as she laughed. "Challenge accepted."

No worries! :-)

He shook his head before opening his eyes, expecting to see Anita. His gaze searched for her, knowing she had just been there. Suddenly, a tug on his tail let him know where she was and he chuckled, trying to spin his body around as he heard her verbally accept this play challenge.

He was about to retort when a sharp pain in his tail got his attention. Ow! His head whipped around, knowing that Anita wasn't the one to bite him, it must have been something else. A few yards away, a beaver popped his head out of the water, looking towards the two wolves. Steady immediately assumed he was the one who bit him. Hey! If you're going to play, play nice! He wasn't really sure if the beaver was actually playing or not, as he had never interacted with one except to hunt it. Maybe it was trying to get him back.

Anita heard Steady's exclamation and turned around to see what the source of it was. A beaver popped its head out of the water, blinking almost innocently. She could hear Steady yelling at it, and she couldn't help but chuckle. He was trying to talk to a beaver, after all.

She waded a bit closer to Steady and his new rodent friend, careful not to scare it away. "Do you think we should hunt it?" That was the logical question, but not necessarily the fun one. "Or chase it around?" That seemed fun. Letting the beaver play with them actually seemed pretty comical. "That thing has guts to stick around here, especially with two wolves. Maybe it's just dumb," Anita laughed, wading a bit closer to the the large rodent.

The creature did look innocent, but Steady didn't buy it. He didn't think the fish were brave enough to bite him, nor would they find him tasty enough to even try. No, it was most definitely this beaver. Anita came up beside him, commenting that they could either try to hunt it or try to play with it. His gaze remained on the beaver until it dipped its head under water, only to come up again a few seconds later.

I'm not really in the mood for a hunt. His gaze went to Anita. Play? Maybe she was right that it was just dumb, but Steady was feeling merciful today. The critter could provide some enjoyment and in return they wouldn't try to kill it.

"Playing sounds good too," Anita chimed in after studying the beaver. The water was shallow enough to stand in, so she decided a game of chase would be best. The beaver was a small distance away, floating harmlessly on the surface. Bolting towards the rodent, Anita felt the ground dissapear from underneath her paws. Obviously, there was a steep drop-off that she had not seen before. 

Damn beaver. Anita could not help but think this thing was smarter than she thought, and it almost seemed to be laughing at her. Paddling furiously, she managed to get close to it. By the time she had gotten there, the beaver simply dove underwater and swam away towards Steady, much faster than she had expected.

"It's coming your way!" Anita shouted as a brown, streamlined body shot towards the alpha.

Anita agreed to play and he nodded in acknowledgment. She went forward, and then seemed to began swimming instead of walking on the bottom. He watched and took a few steps forward. When she got close enough, the beaver disappeared underwater, and Anita gave Steady the warning that it was heading his way.

Steady dove under the surface, intending to head the critter off. A quick movement, and the beaver was swimming past him, giving him a shoulder check before swimming around him and back towards Anita. It seemed to know they were interested in playing with it instead of killing it. Steady headed up for air, breaking the surface of the water. Back to you! he said, laughter in his voice.

Anita laughed as the beaver swam around Steady before making a beeline back to her. How is that thing so fast? She was preoccupied in her thoughts, not seeing the beaver streamlining towards her. Obviously, it make no intention to get out of the way. 

A loud thump accompanied by a wheeze from Anita resulted from the beaver's colllision with the she-wolf. The thing wasn't even fazed, swimming around her to float happily in the water. Anita sputtered with surprise, though she was still quite a bit amused. It chittered, almost as if it were laughing at her. 

Anita narrowed her eyes, slinking underneath the water. Sneaking up on a beaver probably wouldn't work, but it was worth a shot. The she wolf's jaws gently closed around its large, oddly shaped tail, not assuming anything would go wrong. Instead, she got a big slap in the face as the creature wriggled free, bringing its tail down her face with an array of water droplets. That little.... Anita didn't even finish her thought before it slunk towards Steady, most likely about to try the same exact trick on him.

Steady's ears perked at the loud thump that accompanied the beaver's blow to her body. For an instant, he was worried the beaver might have hurt her, but she rallied and moved to make a move of her own. Since Anita was underwater, Steady didn't see her grab the beaver's tail, or the hit that she got in return for that. He did see the shadow of the beaver heading towards him, and this time, he was ready.

He brought his front legs out of the water, a moment before bringing them back down on the swimming critter. Steady was able to grab a hold by wrapping his legs around it, but a few seconds later, since it was all in good fun, he let it go. The beaver swam around him, giving him another nip on his tail before swimming off. The game was obviously over for the beaver, and it, technically, had gotten the last laugh. Steady grinned to Anita, knowing this play session with what was supposed to be their prey under any other circumstances, would most likely never reoccur. He turned and made his way to shore, shaking off the water from his fur. It bristled up, in a comic sort of way, sticking out every which way. He plopped his body down on the grass and began to roll in it, trying to help his fur dry out. And, because it was fun.

The game was over and unfortunately, the beaver did get the last laugh. Anita watched with narrowed eyes as its slick tawny figure swam away victoriously. She shrugged it off and laughed, clambering to the shore. A chuff of amusement escaped her as she looked at Steady, fur sticking up like a porcupine. Remembering he was her Alpha, she attempted to cut off her giggling, but all was for naught when he started to roll around in the grass.

Anita dropped down, rolling in the grass herself. Sure, she had laughed at him earlier for doing so, but it did help dry her off. Successfully dry, she stood up, giving herself one last shake to rid off any excess water that clung to her fur. Her time with Steady had been quite fun, admittedly. Things were looking a bit overcast at first, but it all managed to go smoothly in the end. Anita turned to the alpha and opened her mouth to speak, face suddenly a bit more sincere.

"Thank you," she said. "Not just for hanging out with me, but having that talk too. I've heard Ezekiel is some sort of, er, counselor...but you're not half bad when it comes to his job," she smiled. Anita had come into this conversation viewing Steady as her alpha, but now, he was her good friend as well.

Anita joined him in rolling around on the grass. It was a simple thing that brought him joy, and he was glad that it to her, as well, judging by her laughter. A little drier, he righted himself, smiling over at her. He couldn’t hold back the chuckle that released from his throat as he realized how silly they were being. It was nice, though, to have a few moments of just having a little fun.

He smiled softly when she thanked him. You’re very welcome. I hope you know you can come to me whenever you need. I know I can be tough at times, it’s the Alpha coming out in me, but I promise I’ll do my best not to let you down. He was understanding more and more that the family that was being made here needed less of a dictator and more of a counselor. They were all good wolves with the best of intentions, and they didn’t need a very firm hand always telling them what was right and wrong. A little guidance here and there, and he knew they would all be fine.

He stood, stretching a moment before shaking his own fur out. I think it’s time for me to get back, he admitted. Their play had been fun, but Steady was already back in business mode. Want to patrol a bit with me? He figured if she wanted to, they didn’t have to part ways just yet.

A chuckled escaped from Steady's throat, and she couldn't help but give an amused chuff back. She had just played in a river and rolled around in the grass with the Alpha -- her spiky fur could prove it. It brought a lot of previous tension off her shoulders. Being able to have these small moments of fun was nice, and she was glad to have made a good friend.

She looked up as he spoke, listening in with interest. "Thank you. I will make sure to come to you when I feel the need," she replied with a smile. "Don't sweat the small stuff. You are the Alpha. If you have to be hard on me--or anyone, I understand." Anita didn't want Steady to feel like the bad guy for simply doing his job. 

At his next words, Anita felt her heart sink a little. She had a lot of fun, and wasn't quite ready to go back. Steady seemed to be out of his fun mode, but she understood that they had other things to get back to. However, she perked up at his offer to go on a patrol. "Sure, I don't think I've ever been on one before." She assumed that she'd learn a bit, as well as being able to hang out with Steady a little while longer.

He gave her a smile, glad that it seemed she was a little more confident in coming to him for anything she might need. Their relationship had taken a turn today- a little less Alpha-Theta, and a little more towards a simple friendship. It didn’t hurt that she was so understanding. I’ll keep that in mind the next time you step out of line, he said, his voice conveying his humor in the statement. Steady had come to understand that Anita and Ezekiel had their differences, and that Anita wasn’t an overall insubordinate kind of wolf. It was simply something that happened between the two that was now in the past.

He was a little surprised to know that she had never done a patrol- he assumed they all did them. But, he knew his borders were strong, he made sure of it, and so didn’t find fault that she wasn’t marking them. Well, it’s good to know how, in case we need extra wolves marking and keeping a lookout. If they ever had any problems, he would want to know each and every wolf could contribute to the safety of the pack, even if it was just looking out for intruders and calling back up if there were any problems.

He strolled along, marking here and there, and sniffing if an interesting scent caught his attention. He would explain marking to her, if she didn’t already understand it, and what scents could be dangerous, especially if they were recent. When they were done with the patrol, he would head back to the den for a little rest.

She raised a brow. "You're saying that as if I will step out of line again," she said, feigning hurt. Anita listened to Steady speak about the border and its importance, not doubting for a second that it was a significant factor for the pack. Well, significant although she had never been a patrol, though that was soon to change.

She followed him to the border, knowing what she was approaching by the strong scent. It was her pack's scent, and she couldn't help but reminisce back to the time in which that smell was unfamiliar. Now, it smelled like home.

Her gaze flitted about to possible places to mark as Steady went about with his business. She was about to say something about the improbability of her being able to mark a tree, but decided to keep those words to herself. Anita went to marking areas to the best of her ability. She eyed Steady as he sniffed around for any scents, doing the same.

"I'm surprised I haven't done this yet. I thought border patrols were these huge deals." Anita paused. "Well, I mean, they are a big deal, but not as much work as I thought."