Firefly Glen weep for yourself

ooc; If Mal shows up, he will run.

He sat with his head low and his bright eyes shining, looking for all the world like a beaten and dejected pup thrown into time-out after some terrible infraction. In a way, he was. The woods around him reminded him of days gone by - most notably of a rabbit in a scarce winter and a break down. It reminded him of running and not looking back, of hiding and feeling horrible regret. He still felt it now. Why was he here? Markus was dumber than he'd thought previously - much, much dumber.

Fireflies flickered in and out around him, oblivious to the suffering of the man as they floated by. His gaze alighted upon one as it shone and then faded out again. The color was similar to the eyes staring back at it. His mood shifted strangely from grief to self-loathing and back again as he thought of a dappled grey wolf. Mal. He could never look at Mal again. His legs folded, then, and he sank unceremoniously to the ground. Why had he come back? Why had he come back?

This place called him, but he was ashamed to be here. He was pulled to return to that forest where he had once felt he belonged...to that person...but he was no longer a part of it. Closing his eyes, he sighed miserably. The fireflies landed and floated around him, lighting up his pelt. He did not cry, not then. He only let the self-hatred eat at his guts as he lay in contrast to the warm beauty that surrounded him.

*yoink*

firefly glen had, for the longest time, been off limits to arcturus. he was too afraid he would see moonspear wolves there (coward). it had taken months, but today, arcturus took the first steps into the territory of his birthright since his self-exile from the spear.

it was gorgeous. he had forgotten the winking lights, the peaceful bliss -- the quiet settling of the forest as night crept over it. it was almost serene, except...

he could scent another wolf here. an age-old territorialism overtook him, and for a moment he strove to drive the intruder out. oh, how habits died hard! oh, how instinct made a fool of him!

he was not moonspearian anymore. he was not a mountaineer. this wolf had every right to be here as he did.

so, arcturus cried out into the dark: "who is there?"

ooc; Poor damn Markus xD

He was too busy wallowing in his own pity to even remotely notice the other wolf. Maybe if he'd been paying even the slightest bit of attention, he could have smelled or heard something to tip him off that he was not so alone. As it were, Markus was an oblivious idiot and he could have just as easily been eaten by a bear as heard the sharp ring of the voice cutting through his foggy misery.

Markus' gray head shot up, ears forward. In one mere moment he remembered the Moonspear wolves and their threat about the Glen, the one he now lay within. The attack that had led to the break down and act of cowardly confusion that had made him run. The black pelts, the coldness of their eyes...he was on his feet. In the darkness lit by fireflies he snarled, hair at attention along his shoulders and spine. His teeth gleamed and his amber eyes shone bright with a mad sort of fear, darting around to find the source of the voice and looking for more in the shadows. 

​He was terrified and his body had, probably foolishly, chosen fight instead of flight.

a snarl burst through the murkwood, putting arcturus immediately on edge. a crawling sensation scuttled under his fur, his hair rising as he saw a figure, greyed with a dark mask, come towards him with eyes wide.

at first, he feared it was moonspear come to iron out their claim -- he hated being caught unaware like this, and cursed himself for his own vain stupidity. yet the scent that trickled into his nostrils did not tell a story of mountains or even comrades -- for that, arcturus put his foot down slowly and set aside his rising tail. "who are you?"

yet it seemed the male was but an apparition on the wind -- no sooner did he catch sight of markus, he lost sight of him. perplexed, arcturus traversed the glen for some time before returning home.