A Heart without a Light

[size=x-small]We could take this as a joining thread or maybe not, depends on how you guys react towards strangers inside the territory. Atleast give her a chance :P it may be worth it[/size]


It's so cold. Lacinia was shivering pretty badly as she kept moving. Being out there for days without knowing any of the areas made is so difficult to get through. She managed to catch atleast one critter along the way but it wasn't enough. Tired, freezing, and hungry she was at her limits. This is the first winter she had ever face on her own and clearly she did not have the strength needed on her own. She had enough, all she wanted was some place warm so she could finally sleep. Was it really too much to ask for?

As she blindly continued forward she never realised she had crossed the borders of a pack territory. She was getting desperate. Without her memories she was even more lost. The only thing ringing in her head was the word 'Black Rose'. There was no clues to what it was or what it meant. What was the point of wasting energy on trying to figure it out? She didn't even know if she would survive long enough.

What was really haunting her was the number of dead wolves around her when she first woke up. It was terrifying, there was no signs of life from any of them. She couldn't even figure out who they were nor what happend. It really made her wonder if she should have died with them yet she is here now and has been wondering far from that place.

The cold was nothing more than an annoying twinge to the thick-coated male, doing little to faze him. He'd come from the North, after all, so the Winter of the Wilds seemed like child's play to him. Still, even with his fur doing wonders to keep most of the cold out, he couldn't bring himself to rest. Something seemed off, and that something was brought to his attention when he heard footfalls close by. Kove had recently started sleeping near the border of the territory that faced the lake, and found it to be where he spent a good bit of his time when he wasn't out with a friend or pack mate. His position came in handy this time around, allowing him to quickly locate the dark, unknown lupine.

Growing closer, the ghost found the wind to be working to his advantage, blowing the female's scent to him, instead of the other way around. Just as he'd suspected, the shadow did not belong in the woods. Without any hesitation, he padded after the woman, steps light and head high. It didn't take him long to move through the trees, and out around to land himself in front of her. The posture Kove held showed he was alert, but aside from that, appeared to be void of any other emotions. Settling his copper gaze on the shaded form of the intruder, his jaws parted in order to allow his words to escape. "You had better have a decent explanation as to why you crossed onto Blackfeather land."

Her mind was just clouded in darkness, there was not a single light in her thoughts There were only whispers. Being so lost clearly made her not aware of her surroundings. A figure suddenly appeared in front of her, bringing her to a complete stop. She looked up at it slowly. A wolf, and it appeared to be living. At first she felt happy that someone had finally appeared. She was saved right?

Apparently she has to explain something to the male wolf. Something about crossing a border. But she didn't know anything, not even why she was here. She needed help and this felt like the only chance she had or she would never make it.

"Blackfeather?" She said with a soft voice and continued. "Is that the name of where I am now? Please help me, I lost everything but my own life. I don't even have a name to give. I don't remember who I was or where I'm from. I only remember waking up with a number of dead wolves around me, I've been so lost ever since.."

She continued to look at him with her tired fiery colored eyes. She was really hopeing that this wolf could help her. She kept her head low and tried not to shiver as much as before. She didn't want to appear too much in need.

The female came to a stop in front of him, but when she spoke, he was a bit put off by the words. It appeared as if she hadn't known she'd crossed into a pack's territory, which seemed odd. Then again, everything the woman said came off as being odd. She couldn't remember anything, not even her name, but could recall waking up. Waking up with several lifeless forms all around her own. It was strange enough to bring forth an emotion directed towards her; pity. Kove felt bad for the woman of no name, who asked for help from him. Deciding to take it one step at a time, not wanting to force too much on her at once, he started off with answering a simple question. "Yes, this place is called Blackfeather Woods."

Tilting his head a bit, the ghostly wolf watched her closely. He wondered how long she'd been wandering for, how many places she'd stopped before crossing his path. "How can I help?" he inquired. "Did you want to join us?" It was not his choice as to whether or not she'd be permitted to join them, if she even wanted to, but he could at least call to Meldresi or Bane for her. If that wasn't what she wanted to do though, then what could he do to help her? Kove could probably lead her to another pack, or perhaps to a safer area, but then whatever happened would be out of his control. She would be left to wander about, possibly coming across a kind wolf or possible meeting a killer, and anything could happen.

She had managed to wonder into a territory called the Blackfeather woods. She started to wonder if it had any links to the word 'Black Rose'. Maybe there was a connection and if there was they could restore her memories. The thought filled her with energy. She had to stay with them at all cost. The chances of survival and the chances of recovering the lost memories are much better with them.

She now cought the scent of the area, this was indeed a place that belonged to wolves. So the wolf before her was indeed a member. She shifted to a innocent charmful look. "I would be grateful if you allowed me to join you. I don't think I could survive out there on my own. But are you sure that I'll be able to join?" Her voice continued to be smooth and calm.

Because of her memory lost she wasn't even sure what her talents were. She didn't know if she would be useful to them or not. She turn her head down with a sad look, giving the appearence that she believed to not be able to join. "I don't know what I am really good at. I'm not sure if I am any use. Will you help me rediscover my talents?" She swifted her eyes to look upward in attempt to make a slight puppy eyed appearence.

An obvious change took place in the female before him, though the white wolf didn't bring it up. It appeared as if she'd taken on a more innocent look, remind him of Scarlett for a second. Since meeting the albino, it often felt as if many things reminded him of her, but now was not the time to let his train of thought wander away. He quickly snapped himself back into focus, looking back to the female rather than passed her. "I can not guarantee you'll be accepted," Kove told her, not caring to lie to a wolf who could potentially join the pack later. "Might want to lead with the fact that you woke up surrounded by corpses. I'm sure they'll love that." He flashed a grin to her, but it was replaced with a neutral expression soon after.

The darker wolf's expression looked as if it changed to one of sadness, or possibly disappointment, but after spending so much time in the dark woods, he wasn't too quick to believe it to be real. He was a liar himself, but never liked the thought of someone conning him. Still, whether it was meant to be real or not, the male couldn't dent the puppy eyes. Besides, it couldn't be too hard helping her recover at least one talent, could it? Shaking his head for a moment, Kove released a breath from his maw. "Alright, alright, just knock that off," he told her, no longer liking the look she held. It seemed too innocent to be real when coming from someone who didn't even know her own name. "We can work to try and recover at least one, or maybe two, and then I could call for our leader... How does that sound to you?" As a second thought, he believed it might be best to call both Bane and Meldresi. The priestess had recently given birth, after all, and he didn't want to pull her from her pups too much.

Lacinia cought wind of her innocent from being only a little bit effective but it wouldn't be enough to confirm a large favor. She was going to need to change tactics and hope for a more favorable response. A guarantee was wanted, she needed it. She wasn't so sure that she wanted to meet the leaders. Taking the male's words to be on the line of sarcastic made her believe it was a bad idea to tell them about being surrounded by corpses. In second thought this male must be making fun of her, He doesn't believe a word she was saying, does he!? The idea made her a bit angry and frustrated.

She looked at him with a striking glare once she dropped the innocent look. "You're making fun of what I told you, aren't you!" She said as she turned to look away with a "Hmph!".

Still, she needed his help but shortly after her stomach grumbled, distracting her for a moment. She turn back to look him ".. Maybe if I had a good nights rest I would be able to remember useful information.. I'm not ready to face any leader yet.." She said softly. Something to eat would also be nice too.

She then swifted to a slight glare into his eyes. She didn't want to let go of the fact he made fun of her indirectly. "Since you thought it might be funny for me to tell your leader that I was surrounded by corpses, now you have to help me. I'll forgive you if you help guarantee that I'll be accepted." Basically punishing him for what he has done. Maybe he would need a little hint to start this out quickly, She didn't want to stay out in the cold for too long. "We can start with what your pack finds useful, maybe I'll have a talent somewhere among that." She said as she moved on to a more friendlier expression.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't see the wolf with amnesia as a threat. The 'hmph' nearly made him laugh right then, finding it to be childish, but he held in his laughter and said nothing on it. If she were to join, the dark woman would definitely be interesting to watch, though he wondered what could have happened to make her lose her memories. "I would never make fun of a lady," Kove told her, but the small grin across her maw made it painfully obvious he was lying; not that he was trying to hide that fact. His ears perked a bit again when he heard her voice following the 'hmph' that sounded just seconds before, and he gave a slow shake of his head. In truth, the man should have figured she wasn't ready to meet their leader yet, since she'd just arrived and couldn't even remember her name yet. It'd be fairly odd to try and join a pack without evening knowing something as simple as your own name.

Kove was ready to say something along the lines of offering her a temporary place to stay where he could keep a watchful eye on her, but he stopped before the words could even form. Instead, he focused on her voice, and what she had to say. "Who said I wanted your forgiveness?" The male quirked an eyebrow at her, but he couldn't hold the expression for long. She found her way of acting to be too childish and, oddly, adorable to keep the expression in his features, so it was soon replaced by a small, humorous smile. "Could try hunting, killing another creature, and see if your body at least remembers how to do something your mind might not. That would be seen as being useful."

Right, That was clearly a lie. This male most likely makes fun of all the woman he first encounters. She would have to find a way to punish him for that. Strangers shouldn't be making fun of other strangers. Punishing would still have to wait, She needed things from him. She just wanted to hit him on the head with something but she didn't really have the energy to do so instinctively.

She turned around with her nose in the air. "Oh you'll want forgiveness sooner or later, I atleast know that since you find this funny." She said with a bit of anger. If only she wasn't tried and hungry then maybe she could have gotten a hit on him. All that she could really do is remember it until she can punish him for such bad manners. Why was there a price to pay just to get a little help?!

Then she looked down at the snow. Hunting just didn't seem like something she had the energy to do. "I could try to hunt something, I really do need something to eat. But I'm not sure if I'll have the energy to catch something." She said in soft tone. Then she turned her body slightly to the side so he got a bit side view instead of just her back. She sighed before turning her head to look at him with her fiery eyes. "I think I'm starting to look a little too slim, what do you think? is it possible to find something to eat soon?" She said as she slowly blinked at him. She swayed her tail gracefully once her alluring unintended pose was set. Surely he wouldn't mind helping her recover a bit of energy before getting down to business.

In truth, Kove hadn't ever really made fun of a female stranger before. Well, he never thought he did, anyways. The way this new shadow acted, however, seemed to just call for him to poke fun a bit. Wasn't the best thing to do, but he didn't think the woman would mind too much. If she did, though, he didn't think she would be so quick to plot out a way to get back at him for it. Oh, if only the male had been born with some magical ability that allowed him to read minds.

"Are you so sure about that?" he questioned. "Maybe I'll just continue to see humor in this, then continue on my way once the laugh is over." His ivories peaked out from inside his maw as he flashed her a grin, the fact that he was enjoying their conversation clear in every way. It wasn't as if he did something like this all too often, but his mind reminded him he needed to get serious once more. His conscious could be a real drag at times.

When the stranger turned to the side, questioning him about what he thought, Kove took a step closer in order to get a better examination of her. She looked slimmer than the other females he'd seen and met with, but she wasn't emaciated. "If we head out of the territory, I will assist you in catching something the first time around," he told her. The lighter being didn't feel comfortable hunting on Blackfeather land with one who did not yet belong to the pack, but had no problem helping her out outside of the pack's borders. "After that, you'll need to kill something for yourself, alright?"

Lacinia didn't like the feeling of someone just treating her like a joke. It was settled, once she recovers enough strength she was going to hurt him. The fact that she needed his help really kept her from turning mean towards him. She just had ignore what she didn't like for now. She had to stay on his good side.

As the male got closer to take a better look at her she felt his warmth even if there was still a tiny bit of distance between them. She wanted to get closer, so she turned around. "But isn't there an easier way? Doesn't your pack have something to eat laying around?" She asked, she wanted the easy way to get through it all. She took the last few steps closer to him, walking to his side. "Pretty please? I'll find a way to give you a reward suited to your liking. I'm sure I can, I made it this far right? so I should be able to do something you enjoy or like." She said as she passed by.

She actually found this a bit fun. She enjoyed trying to gain his favor but only if she manages to get what she wants out of it. If she wasn't stopped as she walked by him she would flick his nose with her tail. She wouldn't really think about doing that but it just happen. She would be a bit surprised if he stopped her, But it was also mean she couldn't enjoy his warmth. She avoided touching him except with the tail. She didn't think it was time to get too close, wouldn't that be taking a bit of a risk if she did? She prefer playing somewhat safe for now.

Kove nearly snorted when she spoke of an easier option. There was always an easier option to things, but he never thought the easy way out to be of any fun. The light marks that could still be seen on his muzzle when close enough were proof of that. He could have just turned and ran the second the cougar had shown any signs of aggression, but he hadn't. That wouldn't have been as interesting, it would have hurt his pride, and it could have possibly gotten his friend, Scarlett, hurt more if the cat would have given chase. He hadn't done the easy thing in that situation, and he sure as hell wasn't going to take the easy path this time.

"There probably is something just laying around," the male told her, his copper orbs trailing after her as she moved closer to his pale form. "But we aren't going to go after that. This could be a learning opportunity for you, you know." He felt her tail flick his nose, making him pause for a moment so he could turn his head towards her the best he could. Had they been related, he would have nipped at the tip of her tail the second it got close to his face, but since they weren't, he resisted the urge to do just that. "Besides, I think it might be amusing to watch someone who doesn't know what she can do hunt." He was kidding, of course. Well, sort of. He did think it would be amusing, but also pretty terrible. If she couldn't catch anything, Kove would help her out a bit, but he'd do it discretely. As his father had told him numerous times; one could not truly achieve anything if everything was simply handed to them.

[size=x-small]Either we start a new thread outside the territory or continue here. It's fun but it's not over yet >:P How dare Kove push Lacinia when she is already at her limit![/size]

Now it was starting to feel like a waste of time trying to get more out of this male. Atleast she got some help for hunting, she wasn't sure if she could manage to hunt on her own with such little energy she had left. Lacinia was a bit disappointed that she didn't get what she wanted. Maybe she should have tried something else in order to gain more favors. It was too late now. She sighed and told herself that the cards have been played and it's time for the next phase.

She walked a complete U-turn around him and stoped at his other side. "Fine... You can have it your way." She said as she turn her head away from him. "But if I starve to death, It would be your fault! and then you'll pay for it! somehow.." Spoken in a loudish tone. Looking down at the snow, she realised that she didn't know any way to get back at him if she died. She had to make sure that she would to be able to survive. Dying now would be a complete waste. She still needed to figure out what happend to her and recover her memories.

She understood that the male just wanted some entertainment. Perhaps a price to pay for asking for help. Deep inside she hated the idea, she couldn't find the reason why she hated it. It made her dislike him even more. But she still needed his help, The whole situation was at her disadvantage. She had to play by his rules, for now.

"Lead the way, I'm sure you know where to start looking." She said as she looked ahead. The fun here was over for her, she wanted to get this over with quickly.

I think we should start one outside of the territory, so this is my last post here. Kove is surely going to get himself on Lacinia's list, if by some miracle he isn't already on it.

Kove couldn't keep in the chuckle that grew in response to her words. The female seemed to be a bit on the dramatic side, not that he minded. It was humorous, to him, and he found himself anticipating each response that left her mouth. “You will not starve to death,” he assured her, all traces of whatever seriousness still remained officially leaving him. “I will make sure you are fed before being presented to the Queen.” Taking a few steps forward, he made it clear that they were to set off at that moment.

The male wasn't too impatient, and was actually looking forward to assisting the woman with hunting something down. Even if it ended up being something small, the thrill of a hunt would still be there, and depending on how decent the stranger was, he might even get a laugh or two out of it. As he looked over his shoulder and at the raven coated lady, something reminded him that he'd forgotten to introduce himself. While she had no name to offer him, he did have one that could be shared with her. “You may call me Kove, by the way,” the ghost informed her. He thought of what he could call her, just as a temporary name, but couldn't think of anything. Shrugging his shoulders to answer his own thoughts, Kove decided to try and think of something while they hunted, or perhaps she would remember her name while they worked to track something down. “Off we go now,” his voice rang out once more as he allowed himself to take a few more steps forward, but stopped and waited for the other to follow before he continued on himself.