Moonspear We're not gonna fall

Dash paused along the border to lower his nose to the ground and sniff. The scent of rabbit lay heavy across their borders, but he was unconcerned with it. He marked it with his own scent and moved on, his gait confident as he patrolled the borders of Moonspear. 

Since they had returned with Lazarus' head, Dash had been less on edge, knowing the male would never return to cross their borders again. But, still, he remained ever diligent in making sure that others knew this pack was strong, and would defend its borders to their last breath.

His protectiveness over the pack and its territory had grown in the last weeks, especially with the knowledge that pups were coming. They weren't his, of course, but he still felt a strong obligation to protect them. He stopped again, this time recognizing Charon's scent on the borders. Dash placed his own mark and continued walking.

Heldi found herself patrolling, happy to have her leg back to use even if it wasn't full use. She could still be valuable, albeit a bit slower in that value. Judas's rebuttal still stung, even if the male hadn't said a word to her. It was that same cold shoulder that wolves in the East used to give her. Even if Judas knew nothing of her past, it still hurt. 

Heldi tried to ignore her turmoil, instead finding excitement in the fact that Amekaze would soon have her pups. It was a joyous thing for the whole pack, at least in her opinion. Logically, she would not be allowed close until they got older but that little fact didn't deter Heldi. 

She picked up patrolling, reckoning that Charon and Amekaze would be busy. Besides, she was feeling territorial of their home with a litter soon to be living there. 

Heldi was not the only one feeling this way, for soon she came across Dash. Her tail picked up a wag, moving to his side in silent companionship.

He was concentrating on his duty, and since he was aware of his surroundings, he heard the pawsteps coming up beside him. His head lifted and his gaze landed on Heldi. His tail wagged and he smiled, extending his neck in an effort to nudge hers in greeting. Hey, Heldi. Joining me? he asked. He surely wouldn't mind the company.

He had found himself getting comfortably close to the female, extending to her the title of friend, and not just pack mate. While he respected all of his packmates, and would defend him as he would all the others, it still took him time to really call someone a friend. 

A smile graced her own features, happy to see him and that he seemed to reciprocate. Dash nudged her, Heldi stroking her head against him similarily the way a cat might. It was uncharacteristic, saved for the members of her family she actually liked and her even fewer friends.

"If you don't mind," she half teased, half seriously stated. If he didn't want her around, wanted quiet time to himself, Heldi would go.

His tail wagged and he smiled as Heldi rubbed against. He hadn't ever had a female do that to him, but he had to admit, he didn't hate it. Of course I don't, he said quickly. He didn't want her to think for one moment that he didn't want her company. He was quickly getting used to it, though he wasn't quite ready to admit any more than that. Dash had never been attracted to a female in more than friendship, except maybe Thistle Cloud, but he had never had a chance there.

How's your leg doing? he asked, not being able to see whether or not she had a limp since they were so close to each other. He did, however, slow his own gate as he feigned sniffing the air as the cause. He didn't want her to go faster than she should, but if anyone openly did that to him, he might feel slighted, and that was the last thing he wanted to do to her. 

Her tail wagged, heart kicking up a gear as he spoke. It was true, Heldi had developed a crush on her friend but it wasn't as if she would admit it. There was always the chance he wouldn't feel the same, that it would ruin the friendship they had. Heldi had had enough rebuttal in her life, she didn't need to lose her first friend by it.

"Fit as a fiddle," she chirped, hoping that her over enthusiasm would cause him to overlook the permanent limp she had gained alongside the rather noticeable scar. 

"How're your eyes?" Heldi peered up at them discreetly, trying to find the answer for herself but not wanting to offend.

He smiled when Heldi announced she was all better, and he hoped that she wasn't stretching the truth. She would have scars, yes, though he wondered if she would heal enough to not have a limp. It wouldn't bother him in the least, but he knew Heldi was active in the pack, and might sell herself short if she didn't feel one hundred percent. That's great! he responded. 

She asked about his eyes, and he turned them to her, locking his gaze with hers. All better, he said with a grin. He no longer had headaches or eyeaches when he went out in the sunlight, and he was able to see just as well as he had before the accident. He knew he was lucky to have recovered so well, and it was part of the reason why he was so determined to get back in the swing of things. The pack had sustained him when he wasn't able to do so for himself, and he was grateful for that.

He stopped momentarily to sniff a piece of earth, but found no scents to be wary of. Still, he placed his own marking over it before continuing on. He figured he'd set the pace slow, not in any hurry since he had nothing to do after this. Did you hear about Lazarus? he asked Heldi. He wasn't sure how up to date she was on that.

"Wonderful," she praised in return, smiling genuinely in joy at his full recovery. Secretly Heldi had feared that Dash too would remain permanently impaired, not that it would bother her. On the contrary, the Vledfest didn't want Dash to experience the feeling of uselessness she had gone through.

Heldi blinked at Dash, unsure what he was talking about. No one had ever mentioned the male and she had never had the displeasure of meeting him. "Who's Lazarus?"

Heldi asked who Lazarus was, and Dash had to look at her to be sure she was serious. It seemed she was. You never met him? he asked. You're lucky. He was glad Heldi had no contact with the traitor. He was part of the pack for a while. I met him only once, and I didn't like him at all. Got a weird vibe from him, Dash explained as he walked with her along the borders. He still stopped every so often to mark, especially where some scents weren't as strong as others.

He attacked Ame out of the blue one day, and as he and Charon fought, Lazarus was thrown off the cliff. I don't know  how he survived, but we tracked him all the way south to Broken Antler Fern. They tried to save him, but he was dead by the time we got there. He hesitated to tell her what they did next, but he would rather tell her himself than have her hear from someone else. We... We brought back his head to Ame- as proof he was gone, and would never come back. He hadn't minded what he did, knowing it brought some closure to Ame. Besides, he had never been squeamish. But, he wasn't sure if Heldi would approve of what they did.

Heldi shook her head in silent affirmation, ears pricking upwards curiously as Dash continued on with the story. By the end, they had flattened against her skull in surprise, a bit of relief burning in the back of her mind at never having met this traitorous fiend.

"Why did he attack her? Just for the fun of it?" Heldi was surprised, surely not even the craziest of sociopaths would openly attack an Alpha without the slightest reason.

Her eyes widened in horror as the last of his story reached her ears, ears flattening even further to the point it seemed she had none. The bastard could understand somewhat why Amekaze would have enjoyed seeing her attacker's decapitated head and at the same time, couldn't repress a shiver of revulsion.

He shrugged to her question. That- I don't know. When Charon called us just after the attack, it was to find Lazarus. Since I didn't hold him in a high regard, I didn't question it. Maybe sometimes Dash was a blind follower, or maybe he wanted a reason to go after Lazarus, and Charon had literally given him the order. Whichever it was, Dash had no regret about any of it. They had gotten rid of a poison, as he seen it. If they hadn't, who knows what pack Lazarus would have went on to haunt. Or worse- who knew if he would have come back and attacked again? 

He glanced at Heldi, wondering how she was taking all this. Her ears were flat against her head, and he worried she would think less of him for all of this. He realized then, there were very few wolves he had come into contact with that he actually cared what they though- but, Heldi was one of them. Would it change his mind on his lack of regret if she disapproved of his actions? Probably not. But, he would be sad if she didn't want to be his friend anymore. For the first time ever, Dash asked, What's going through your mind? He needed to know, and part of him was scared to admit that. He had never counted on anyone, not really. But, he seemed to be beginning, at least, to count on Heldi's friendship.

Heldi nodded absently, trying to shake off the crawling of her skin. She liked to believe she was tough, given her background, but Heldi had never seen such gore nor did anything like it happen often in her homeland.

Dash seemed worried, over her reaction to his partaking in the decapitation or perhaps her opinion of Moonspear. Heldi had already begun learning to leave any questionable actions in the past, leaving it for the Alphas to handle. Perhaps that made her a bit of a pawn but Heldi wasn't looking to be a saint.

"I just don't understand people, I suppose," Heldi shrugged slightly. "Why must they find it necessary to hurt each other? I can understand self defense but just to attack people for no reason..."

Heldi shook her head, perhaps relating too much to her own explanation.

It seemed Heldi's thoughts were less on the task Dash had helped with, and more on the fact that one of their own had attacked one of their leaders, and possibly without a motive. Silently, Dash was happy that was her worry. If she had questioned what he did, he would have been saddened.

He shrugged. When I was a lone wolf, I fought a lot, but it was mostly over food. I don't know why some attack others unprovoked. He didn't miss the fighting lifestyle, though he tried to practice his skills every now and then, just to keep them fresh. He knew there might come a time when he had to use them to protect the pack. Lazarus had died before he needed to, but there was no telling who might come along tomorrow. 

Intent on moving the conversation forward, Dash tried to think quickly of another subject, buying a little time as he stopped and marked the borders. Then, he wondered. So, who all do you know here? he asked. He didn't really talk much with anyone outside Heldi, and the three leaders. But, it didn't bother him as it might have once upon a time. Charon and Ame seemed fit to give him the title of Beta, and these days, he didn't question it as he did in the past. 

"I was alone for the most part," Heidi commented, not missing her past life either. There had been her time at Shadowfax with Zephyr but that had ended in failure. She wondered briefly where he was and what he was up to these days. Had he ever started that pack?

"I met everyone at the hunt," Heldi glanced briefly down at her scar, feeling the ghost pain of sliding down the mountain. "The only people I've talked one on one with are you, Charon, Amekaze, Floki, and Judas." Could you really call it talking if the last had ignored you entirely?

"I met Harley and Althaia but they seem to be gone," Heldi wasn't quite up to date with that either.

Dash remember what Heldi had mentioned about her past, but didn't comment further on it, worried it was a difficult topic for her. While he didn't usually volunteer information, Dash had no qualms about talking about his own past; but it was mostly something he didn't think most wolves were interested in.

He nodded as she talked. I haven't talk to Judas. How is he? he asked, wondering if the male was nice. Dash knew he should probably socialize more, but he was happy concentrating on securing the borders. He also realized, though, that had he spoke more with his pack mates, pointedly Lazarus, he may have been able to foresee his betrayal. 

Althaia? he asked. That was her name? She had never told him her real name, and he had always called her Omega, though not in a demeaning way. They were mates, he confessed. Dash wondered what Charon and Amekaze thought about their disappearance, figuring Charon hadn't given Omega permission to leave. Dash still had no idea what had transpired between the Omega and Alpha male.

"He's a rude prat," Heldi snorted. Honestly, it may have well been that Heldi didn't exist. She had offered to go scouting with him on a trip from Charon, given that he wanted to get out more and that she had a Scout trade. Judas seemed to think he could handle it alone, ignoring her in favor of speaking directly to Charon before leaving. 

"Yes, Harley told me. He didn't like her calling herself anything else," Heldi nodded, recalling the slightly jilted conversation that hadn't amounted to much. 

"Dash? Is this place...good?" She turned to look at him, brows furrowed for even she was a bit confused about what she was asking. "They told me some stuff that doesn't sound very nice." 

His expression showed his surprise at Heldi answering so quick, and so honest. Oh, please, tell me how you really feel, he joked, trying to lighten the moment. It was obvious she didn't think highly of Judas, and Dash had to mentally work at not instantly disliking him, as well, simply for Heldi's sake. But, Dash was not generally a judgmental wolf, and he didn't think that would change now. But, if he ever came upon the male, he would certainly keep Heldi's opinion of him in mind.

His friend confessed that Harley didn't like Omega to be called by anything other than her real name. Dash's ears flicked back momentarily, before pointing forward once more, displaying his discontentment. She never told me that. If I had known her real name, I would not have called her by her rank. But, she never seemed displeased by it. But, had she hid that from him, just like her name? He thought they were becoming close at one point, but Dash was beginning to realize that she had kept many thing from him. It appeared as if she hadn't trusted him, as he had her.

He stopped his walking and turned to her at her next question, his head tilted slightly, his expression contorting into confusion. What did they say? he asked, instantly feeling as though he needed that information. Dash had his own views on Moonspear, which mostly consisted of loyalty and protectiveness. For Heldi to ask if this place was "good," completely caught him off guard.

Dash was obviously surprised, both by her statement about Judas and her question concerning Moonspear's general goodness. Heldi stood by what she said, Judas was a rude twat.

"They said that she crossed the border hunting, that Charon took her as a slave," Heldi paused in her walking, turning to face Dash. Her ears flattened, wondering if he would take offense. He had lived here for quite awhile after all. 

"It's just that some of the people here don't sound like good people," Heldi admitted. Her loyalty wasn't something that was wavering, if she was loyal to bad people so be it. Her opinions though, could not be said the same of.

He nodded, confirming Omega's story as to how she got here. Yes. She trespassed, and tried to hunt here. I caught her, and ended up breaking her leg in the process of taking her down. Charon could have taken her life, instead he took her freedom. Dash had gone back and forth on how he felt about taking her as a slave, but she could do just about anything another wolf could, except advance in the ranks and leave the pack. Because he and Harley were able to at least help her heal, Dash hoped that at some point, Charon would ease up. But, it seemed the moment she could, Omega had taken off instead of serving her punishment. She may have been titled a slave, but she left the first chance she could get. We cared for her while she healed. That was it, he explained. It was how he saw the whole situation. Now that he thought about it, it unnerved him a little that she had actually not done anything for the pack after they had spared her life. 

His head tilted to the side when she confessed that she didn't think some wolves were good. Can you tell me who specifically? he asked. Because he hadn't hung out with many of the other Moonspearians, he may not be able to agree or disagree with her feelings. But, it would give him an idea of who to seek out first. If they had another "Lazarus" on their paws, he wanted to be proactive about it this time around. 

Heldi shook her head, unable to express what exactly about Althaia's position had disgusted her so. It wasn't uncommon for intruders to be killed or taken on in servitude where she grew up, but they kept their names. They weren't slaves, it was all a part of the code Heldi had grown up with. They felt indebted to the people they trespassed on, honor required that they repay their debt.

"Judas ,for example, doesn't seem like a very nice person to me but perhaps he was just having a bad day," Heldi admitted. "The thing you told me about Lazarus." Amekaze wanting to see the head, Charon's rather questionable reputation as a slave master. 

"Drama just seemed abundant here," she shrugged, unable to explain it any better.

Dash listened as she repeated the same two pack mates again. While he understood she didn't like them, he wasn't hearing anything bad about the rest of the pack. While he wouldn't necessarily make the same choices as Charon had, he knew the other options would have been worse. I think every pack has its drama, he said. Though, this was the only pack Dash had ever been a part of, so maybe that altered his perception of it. What Lazarus did wasn't because the pack made him do it, or made him that way. He was like that before he came, he added, wanting to defend the Moonspearians. And maybe Judas was having a bad day. Did those two wolves make up Moonspear as a whole? Dash didn't think so.

He sighed as he let his gaze roam the area behind Heldi before bringing it back to her. Charon and Amekaze have never treated me wrong. I don't feel their actions are... that out of place, if they are at all. Was Heldi seeing something Dash wasn't? Was he a blind follower, content in his ignorance? Well, if he was, he didn't know it. Are you thinking of leaving? he asked. He felt they had become good friends, and he didn't want to lose that.

Heldi nodded, agreeing silently. Her Clan had its own drama that had been entirely centered on her father's affair, Heldi as the product, and her family's(or at least part of them) cruelty. Shadowfax had had the whole ordeal of who would become the next Alpha, given that the previous had no mate or children. Drama was present everywhere, Heldi just hadn't expected much of it here. 

Charon and Amekaze do seem nice, they've always treated me well even if whenever I see Charon one of us ends up mad. It just feels as if I'm missing something, not seeing the whole picture. 

"What? No!" Her response was a bit passionate, confused as to why he would think she was leaving. "No, Dash I'm not going anywhere. This is my third pack, honestly if I had to leave I would probably just become a hermit," she snorted. 

"I just wanted to know. I get this feeling sometimes that there's more happening behind the scenes than is being let on," Heldi added, hoping he wouldn't go to the Alphas with this.

He visibly relaxed when she confirmed that she wasn't looking to leave, and his tail swayed back and forth behind him. I'm glad to hear that. I'd be sad if you left- especially knowing you would be all alone. He extended his neck in an attempt to put his nose to hers- a physical touch of friendship that he rarely shared. The loner life, while sometimes unavoidable, was not very satisfying. Wolves were pack creatures, and even though Dash had spent years as a traveling loner, he could very much say today that he preferred pack life.

He looked thoughtful when she admitted she thought there was more going on than what they already knew. Were the Alphas keeping secrets? Dash mentally looked back on recent events, but he wasn't sure what they could be hiding, if anything. Well... Secrets are hard to keep. If they are hiding something, it will come to light soon. At least, he hoped so. He liked to have all the information before making a decision, and really, his gut said he was doing the right thing by being loyal to Moonspear. But, he would not ignore Heldi's suspicions, either.

Heldi was surprised by the touch, considering Dash was rather withdrawn; even with her. When he pulled back, she ducked her head slightly to hide the shock on her features. 

With a nod, Heldi turned back to the path they had been walking. "Let's not worry about it, if anything did happen we won't know unless someone tells us," Heldi nodded again, to convince herself.

He was aware that his touches were few and far between, but not that they had made Heldi feel a little uncomfortable at the show of affection. As she turned to resume their patrol, so did he, falling into step beside her. He nodded in agreement with her. I agree. Charon and Ame will have my loyalty until, or unless, they prove they don't deserve it, he replied. He would not let the idle chit chat of others sway his opinion, although he didn't readily discard it, either. It was filed away in his brain, just in case he might need it the future.

As they strolled along, he continued to mark the borders, ensuring they were strong-scented to alert others that this territory was claimed. He would probably go until Heldi didn't want to accompany him anymore, and then maybe head back to his den for a snooze.

We can fade here, or with your post <3