King Elk Forest Each and every day hiding from the sunshine

@Lilah and whoever else wants to meet this ghost before he joins Rosings :))

How had he ended up here again? After he had lost track of the others from the glacier, he had been on his own. His slim body was much stronger than when he had returned from a longer wandering break, but it was still weak and he had gotten a cold not too long ago. He had to find shelter. Even now could he feel his fur getting damp from the snow that gently floated down from the grey clouds, sending a shiver down his spine.

He realized then that he was on the other side of the Teekon. Had he been here before? The ghost honestly couldn't remember. He curled up against a tree that provided only a tiny bit of shelter from the snow and relaxed knowing no harm would come to him. The Gods were watching over him, as they always did during winter.

She had woken up before the snow had begun to fall knowing that there would be a storm today. She could feel it in the crispness of the air, it was frigid but still held moisture. This pushed her to get up and get a move on, trying to collect more plants that she would need to prepare for the upcoming breeding season. 

Once more she took to sneaking over the borders, heading toward the forest and snooping around trees, gathering moss and digging up roots of various medical herbs. Just as she was about to turn back due to lack of room in her mouth she stood up, turned and spotted the male curled beneath the tree. He was skinnier than normal though not too badly that he was at risk of starvation. She flicked her ears and studied him, wondering why he lay there of all places. "Sir...are you alright? That's a bad place to sleep during a storm. You'll freeze" she hated pointing out a man's poor choice it felt so wrong but she was concerned and the latter won out.

The ghost sighed, blowing clouds from his empty mouth as he felt colder than ever. He was but a sad excuse for a man, wasn't he? So selfish. So... quiet. He honestly had never even tried to speak after his tongue got ripped out. He just let fate decide for him. He didn't try and change anything anymore, yet he wasn't perfect already so that couldn't be an excuse. Perhaps he was just tired... So tired... If he slept now, it would all be over, he probably wouldn't even wake up.

But there was a voice in the distance. A feminine one, a caring one. He opened his golden ringed eyes to see someone hovering about but he didn't even flinch. He didn't care what would happen. He nodded, confirming that this indeed was no place to rest. He sighed, signifying that he also really didn't care. His feet were cold, his nose was too cold, his ears were too cold.

Lilah's ears flicked as the man nodded, she took that to mean that he knew it was a bad spot. The sigh made her gaze widen with concern and she crept a bit closer, crouching and wiggling her tail to show she wasn't going to hurt him. She sniffed at him before giving a sympathetic whimper "You're freezing Mister. Why are you just laying here?" she asked softly. She wanted to warm him up, to get him up and moving but she wasn't sure if it was proper. What kind of hell had this man been through to make him so hopeless? "Are you hurt? I can help you but..you can't just lay here." she snuck in a little closer her tail tucking a bit as she lowered her chin submitting to his natural authority as a man.

He pulled up his grey shoulders in a shrug. Why indeed. Just to die, he supposed, like he should've done moons ago when he still had the chance to die for a good cause. His weak frame and smaller stature often got him sympathy from others. They wanted to help the poor, sad and mute ghosts that still wandered about without a family. Without anything really.

He shook his head. The cold made him numb, especially the scratches around his legs from traveling through brush felt like they weren't even there. When she reached closer he lied perfectly still, round eyes looking up at her. Why did this always have to happen. They didn't need to help him. Now if he were to stay there the poor loss would surely blame herself for not talking him out of it. Could he even rest if he did something like that to another? The answer was no. His frame wriggled before he tried to stand up, weakened from his travels and the cold that had sunk into flesh and bone.

She frowned at his silent response ears going back against her head as he shook his head, saying he wasn't hurt. She figured it must have been something emotional then and for some reason that made her sad for him. As he struggled to stand she slid forward and pressed herself against him, giving him her strength to lean on. She turned her head and hesitated "I'll warm you up a bit and then....then I have a place where you can stay. My frie...leader Grayson is forming a pack. Rosings. He'll let you in, I'm sure. Men...well...men always stick together. Don't quit just yet...Humor a lady and let me try to show you life can be better" she made her awkward little speech and then fully turned, beginning to rub her face against his neck and sides to get his blood flowing. When that was done she licked at his ears, opposite of the direction his fur lay so it would stimulate the blood flow there too.

Taken in as charity again... Being cute and helpless surely was a pain in the ass sometimes when he'd already given up on life. He looked at her with a pained look, the golden rings around his pupils lighter than even the snow stuck to his grey face. He'd let her. Fine then Gods, he'd let her save him. But if once again he was led astray or left behind, he wouldn't go on anymore. That was the deal. He would give others a shot just once more, but then it was over. Finito. Einde.

He managed to stand up, thin legs trembling and sinking into the snow despite his light weight. His skin shivered and contracted in some places, but her touch was so warm and gentle. He had never been so close to a woman. He was usually not desirable to females, he couldn't protect them but needed protection himself. All he was was a sad excuse and he had accepted the fact that he would never end up like his father; with a wife and children and a pack to call home.

Something in the way he looked at her, it struck her and she leaned in and touched her muzzle to his neck "I'm sorry for whoever hurt you mister" she said softly and leaned into him, taking a slow step forward. It was only then that she realised he hadn't said a word or made a noise. She paused and looked at him "Can you talk?" she asked him, her tone gentle. She would need to think of a name to call him by if he couldn't talk, Grayson would need a name at the least.

Whoever... funny, the only one he could think of hurting him was he himself. He couldn't blame his pain in fate, that just happened. He had made it all messed up. He had caused all of his own troubles and woes and he couldn't turn back time. He couldn't do it all again, spare him the pain of losing a tongue and hope altogether. He wouldn't have been thrown in a river, hanging onto life like he still wanted it. He wouldn't... have met this nice lady aiding him in his darkest hour...

It was then that his ears slid down as he hid his muzzle in the fluff of her neck. He didn't want her to know or see. Somehow he didn't want to make this kind stranger worry about him any more than she already seemed to do. He shook his head though with a whimper accompanying it, but his mouth he didn't want to open... He was fine.

He turned and buried his face into her neck and for a moment she stood there, blinking slowly with surprise before she lifted her chin across the back of his neck and embraced him. She felt when he shook his head and she said nothing for a moment but then "That's alright....I guess I need to think of what to call you. How about...hmm...." she wracked her brain for guys names, ones she knew of from the past. "Carter?" she offered the name up "Or Leon. Or uh...Greg?" there was a teasing, playful tone in that one. She gave pauses in between each name so he could nod or shake his head. "Rowen?" she couldn't think of any really good names. She kind of liked Carter. Rowen was nice. "I could just call you Grey. It may be a bit weird Because Grayson but... he'll live" she tried to swallow down the bitterness at the thought of him. Despite everything she owed him her life and therefore had to act with respect.

It wasn't alright. At first he thought of it like that, but more and more experience proved that not being able to talk meant you were just a pet to keep safe. He felt like such a tool, such a weak thing that needed supervision everywhere he went. And if only someone could hear his inner thoughts... They'd see what a complex being he was on the inside. On the outside he was just the goofy, shy mute. He didn't want to be just that to others.

He shook his head at all the names, feeling like they didn't fit him at all, but he paused at Grey. That was a nice way of describing him. A Grey cloud with the sun in his eyes. He slowly nodded, nearly not getting the confusion it might cause because of her leader, but he liked it. He wasn't a Leon, because it sounded like lion and they were brave. He wasn't a carter, it sounded too slick and cool for a wimp like him. Greg sounded like someone choking while Rowen made him think of an action, not a being. And so, Grey was left.

Lilah smiled softly and slowly pulled herself away from him, trying to meet his eyes "Grey it is then. Well Grey, what do you say i take you back? I'll let you want up and then I'll introduce you to Grayson." she suggested still staying close so that he could lean on her. She could tell he was weak and didn't want him to collapse into the cold snow again, she was afraid it would make him want to go up again. If he agreed she would begin to lead him back and show him around a bit before separating and heading elsewhere.

I'll archive :p

Supported by her more sturdy frame did he stand there, nodding along with whatever she said. He was too tired to explore where he had ended up and just went to lay down wherever Lilah would leave him, curled up and slightly content. He would get up and check if she had returned every now and then, but for the rest he just slept till his mind was clear(er) again.