Phantom Hollow Little Travels

PP with permission

Aduin had agreed to go on a little walk with @Brandy. He hadn't expected however that they'd go so far out. And Brandy, she was very antsy when he asked to stop in the borders. So they kept going. Aduin remained a short distance behind, just by a couple paces. To him this was unrecognisable territory. 

He kept looking around, afraid that at any moment something could come after them. And this place they had come to, it was dark. He hated dark. Anything could be in there. He paused at the edge of the territory. What if there was a pack? What if they missed some scent border? What if- He banished those thoughts.

It was not often Brandy left the borders, and even in those few trips, she'd either gone alone or with her mother - it was a refreshing feeling, again feeling free, but then presented the uncontrolable feeling that something might go wrong in the Fen. It was this reason that she usually left alone - at least there were other wolves to be there when she wasn't. 

Today, however, Aduin had been with her as her paws began to itch, and she'd been so at ease with him lately that they felt closer - the copper girl didn't leave him behind. Eventually, he just let her go ahead; probably not a good idea on his part, for the aging girl was soon more than a little zoned out and walking without direction. 

Eventually, when things again began to be familiar, Brandy felt a stone drop in her gut - had she stumbled too close to the Caldera pack? 

No. Dread overcame her when the dark, foggy woods finally clicked in her mind - Malice. She'd been here, she'd led the pack that turned her and her mother away. Ears slicking back, a low growl rumbled from her throat - upon finding no border, she was not shy in striding in, tail curled over her back and hackles prickled.

Aduin kept his eyes on Brandy as much as he could, but he couldn't help looking here and there. When he heard a low growl, he shrunk down low, thinking there was some predator nearby. Then realised that it had been Brandy who had growled, her hackles raised. Something wasn't right. She looked edgy, like something or someone she did not like one bit was here. He knew nothing of what had happened to her in Teekon just before she came to Broken Antler Fen.

"Uh, Bran? Something wrong?" he asked, trotting forth to get beside her. "I don't like this place. It's really...eerie. Dark." He shivered all over, keeping a look out for anything that posed a threat. "Maybe we should go back."

As usual, Aduin's tension was palpable in the air -- internally, Brandy was rolling her eyes -- but she didn't show if she'd noticed or not. As she pulled across where she thought the borders had been, his ebony form was beside here. 

                       "This is where my mother and I first sought a home -- the bitch, Malice, turned down our every interest and then turned us away for lacking dreams. We'd been traveling all our lives, we were tired -- I barely knew how to act like an adult, how to fit into ranks. She was cold at every turn, rude, pushy -- I don't know why we didn't turn away at the first sign of aggression."

His hope to go back was ignored -- the copper girl had to see what the woman had been so proud about, so restrictive. If her mate wanted to go back, that was fine, but she knew he wouldn't leave her here.

Aduin didn't like the place. But as it turned out, Brandy had more of a reason to hate it, if she did at all. Besides the place looking scary to him, it was the first place she had come to before Broken Antler Fen. They'd been turned down. Part of him was angry at the fact, but the other part just wanted out of here even more. What if they still remained? There hadn't been a scent border, but what if they missed it? 

Only when Brandy pushed on did he take a side. Her side, and stayed there. "I-I'm sorry to hear that..Being turned down at such a young age..." He moved in closer, trying to comfort her while not seeing if she needed any with a prod of his nose against her cheek.

It wouldn't have surprised her for Aduin to press about going back, or to even have him decide to go back, but she was perhaps unfairly surprised when her mate pulled closer. She smiled at his touch, turning her face to him and momentarily nuzzling his neck in appreciation. It wasn't that she was scared and needed him there, but he constantly showed her the affections of a proper mate that growing up a loner didn't teach her. While it also made her a little upset to think about how she'd treated him in the past, she was just glad to be learning. 

                              "I wouldn't have met you if we hadn't been turned away. I might've been like her, too."

At this, Brandy wrinkled her nose. Was she more likely to have developed that way or would she and Ambrosia have rebelled? They very well might've still fled from the woods, ended up at borders of a fully formed Fen.

Either way, the yearling padded on into the territory, tail raised over her back and head high. Now so dreamless now, am I Malice? Your pack probably fell apart. If only she knew the female was now the Lady of Arthendal, with a mate and kids of her own!

Aduin's gesture had been accepted, and returned with a nuzzle of affection along his neck. For a moment he thought his heart skipped a beat at the touch. He was lovestruck, and had been ever since their first date. That was why he remained with her, by her side. Even in dangerous situations.

He couldn't help but smile, yet at the same time feel sorry. Brandy really was angry, perhaps even upset at having been turned down. And even with her comment on having not met him if she had been accepted, it still saddened him. And at the comment of being like this wolf she spoke of, he could not understand why she thought that. "Brandy, you are kind. I know that you would never turn anyone down, unless you had a good reason."

They went further in, and found that there was no one around. He sighed with relief. If they weren't here, there would be no one to come out and ambush them, no attack to worry about. Still, he disliked the look of this place. "They must have left some time ago." It certainly did not look like they did recently.

Her mate rejected the idea as she did, but Aduin definatley had more faith in her than she did. This, too, earned a nuzzle, this time to his cheek. 
                                     "I like to hope so. Think I'd make a good Beta, Addy?"

Her dark guardian followed her closely, his sigh adible when they both could comfirm nobody was around. There wasn't a scent, no fresh dens or kills, nothing -- this place had been abandoned at least a season ago, if not more. 

                                                                 "Probably during the famine."

Aduin had hope in Brandy. And no matter what others thought, he beleived she would be a great beta. She was loyal, and she was a good hunter in his eyes. He nodded in answer. "I do. And if no one else does, I will be sure to help them see you will be" he said with a smile. He would do anything to make her happy.

The thought of the famine was cold and dark. The bugs that had come through, the lack of food. Being malnourished, hungry. So close to dying from starvation. They had tried very hard to hunt. But it had been a rough time. His ears dropped at the memory of the famine, his face becoming somewhat saddened.

Aduin believed in her dreams, and a purr of affection rumbled in her throat, tail fanning behind her. 

                 "I hope Sebastian and Pearl think so too."

Brandy didn't think much of the famine, really -- she'd grown gaunt, but her injury had been the worst part of it.  The mentality she'd been in then, and perhaps her age, had squashed any trauma the locust storm should have caused. 

                                                "What do you think I could do to get their attention?"

Aduin smiled lightly. His tail wagged alongside hers, almost in sync. He really did hope along with her. A deep rumble deep in his throat was reply to the purr. But the smile faltered a bit when she asked how she could get their attention. He guessed with Sebastian to do what he asked, lead hunting parties, get on his good side. Pearl, he knew next to nothing. Nothing about how to get on her good side.

"I..With Sebastian you could lead a hunting party. But with pearl, I'm not too sure." Perhaps with the two looking after the alpha's pups would get them closer on their good side.

They stalked along through the dark woods together, Brandy thinking about ways she could possibly impress Pearl. Aduin's idea to lead a hunt was amazing, but she wasn't sure Pearl could even hunt anymore, while the pups were growing. If she wasn't there to see, how would Brandy impress the pale woman?

                     "I think that's a great idea, Aduin. I'll track something down when we get home." 

As for Pearl, though, she didn't even know if she'd be allowed to babysit the alpha's children. Was that something that would help, or would it keep her from going out and doing other things to impress the female alpha?

Aduin's smile widened. He would get her to that stage, or at least try his very best. "That's good to hear. If you need any help, just call, all right?" He gave her one last nuzzle before stopping. He was starting to feel as if it had been long enough here in this dark forest. 

"Should we, uh, head back now?" he asked, almost pleadingly. They had gone pretty far into the dark forest. "We don't want to get back late, do we? I mean, I would hate to get lost here." And he hated the feeling of ever being lost, especially in some place dark.

Rumbling softly in her chest, Brandy bumped her shoulder against her mates.

                      "Don't worry, I will when I find something worth adding to the caches."

Brandy was enjoying her stroll through the dark woods, creepy as they were to the yearling. She would have searched more in depth, but Aduin's plead reached her this time, and with a soft sigh, a smile lighting up her face, she nodded. The poor boy shouldn't be getting all worked up. 

                                                               "Yeah, c'mon Addy. Last one back has to find dinner!"

Swiping a playful paw his way, the warrior girl spun around and hared off the way they'd come. She gave a howl of pure joy, excitement -- enticing Aduin to join her fun and give chase.

Aduin nodded to that. Before him, he saw a capable hunter. If she found something worth getting, it was bound to be worth it for the pack, and worth catching the eye of the alphas.

Aduin grinned, ducking as he thought her paw swipe would catch him. "Not if I get there first!" He shouted after her, howling after she did. Then he chased after, tongue lolling out of his mouth as he ran against the wind, back to their home.