Emberwood you're my everything

I marked this as "pack quest" because it has to do with their quest of moving! :) All SC wolves welcome!

Today they had stopped near the Emberwood Forest. Kaskara had ventured out farther than the others to look for food. She also wanted to visit the areas she had yet to see on their way north. She hoped the pack would find itself in their new home within the week, but traveling times with babes was ever fickle.

Kaskara walked along the edge of the Emberwood, admiring the brightly colored leaves mixed within the evergreens. Though she was excited to see their new home and to finally feel safe within her own pack, Kas felt a bittersweetness seeping into her. She would miss Swiftcurrent Creek, but this new adventure was exciting. She wondered how the others were handling the journey. Their camp was nearby, but Kaskara had decided to move off to give them some time apart.

It could get hectic on the road so she was trying to keep her distance, to keep her eyes and ears open for any danger, because the two most precious lives were traveling with them, and she didn't want to risk their harm.

*stealing this :D*

Kieran had been traveling, he was paw sore and weary, but he kept his head up. The wound upon his face was slowly healing. It no longer cracked and bled, it was almost a complete scar again. He wanted revenge in a sense on the wolf that had done it, while at the same time he just let it go. Heavy footfalls fell along the ground, as he walked from their current camp. It was suffocating for the scarred Irishmen, all those wolves all around him.

He dipped his muzzle to the ground, Kaskara's scent came to his nose. He wuffed gently, as he rounded a bend. He tilted ears forward to listen to his friend, one wolf that never suffocated him. One of the few he could be around for extended periods of time.

Teehee <3

Kaskara was only alone for a few minutes before someone chuffed behind her. She turned and smiled upon seeing her friend Kieran stalking toward her. Though she missed those who had chosen to remain behind, Kas was excited for this new journey and for her family. Things could only look up from here.

"Kieran," she said softly, bumping her nose gently against his shoulder before pulling away. She knew he didn't like physical contact very much, but she wanted to make sure that he knew how much she appreciated him being there. "This reminds me of our trip to Duskfire Glacier. Except this time we have our alphas and family with us."

Kieran continued his movement forward. His green eyes taking in the world around them. It was beautiful this way, a bit like home. He felt he was going to enjoy this new home. He wasn't really all that concerned with who was going, except the leaders and Kaskara. No one else he knew or cared to speak to really. Which was a failing of his, he needed to work on.

Kieran blinked at her touch, and returned the gesture kindly. He wasn't used to it, he had been once upon a time. Someone had always been touching him, his mother, sister, brother, Kiva. All of them, then while he had been alone, it had been different. He was no longer used to it, but he was trying. He was trying so hard, to be a least semi normal. He would never be perfectly normal, his grief and his accent would see to that.

He smiled "Dat wus an interestin' trip. scon are glad we tuk it, or we wud not 'av bazi an' scimitar together. family, oi 'av not 'eard dat ward in donkey's years."

Though Kieran felt he wasn't normal, Kaskara didn't mind. He was kind and thoughtful and loyal, and that was about as good as a wolf could get in her eyes. She had never questioned his loyalty to pack or family, and for that she was grateful. Not everybody was a touchy-feely wolf and that was okay with her; she wasn't exactly Miss Emotional either. Perhaps that was why it had taken her so long to realize her feelings for Kieran weren't totally platonic, though she didn't have the guts to tell him.

"We are family, aren't we?" she asked him softly. The leaves around them glowed orange in the light and cast them in a golden haze, making everything seem fuzzy and soft. Kaskara looked at her friend, wondering what he was thinking behind those green eyes, and waited.

Had Kieran been privy to the other's thoughts, first he would have balked at the thought of him being kind, loyal and thoughtful. Mostly he just existed, did his own thing, fought to survive and move past the grief. He was beginning to do okay, but sometimes still in the chill of the morning and evening, a pain would begin, it was just a small pain in his chest. But it was there all the same. Had Kaskara told him of her feelings, he really wouldn't have known what to say or do. Though he would have had to look introspectively, and analyze his own. And he would come to a ground jarring conclusion, that it was returned. Despite how he felt about it, and the guilt he felt. However, if he really thought long and hard about, Kiva would not have wanted him to feel so badly, she would have wanted him to move on. They had spoken of it, countless times. He however, refused to think about that, until it was staring him in the face.

He studied her in the burnished gold of leaves and sun, and her soft spoke question surprised him. Of course they were family, and friends. There was no one among the pack that he trusted more, and he would kill for her and die for her, just as he would for Scimitar and Bazi, and their little babes. Though, again if he thought about it, he maybe a little bit more fierce. Refusing to let another that he cared about so well, die at another's paw. Aye, we are family, Kaskara.

He stopped moving to sit to his haunches and he studied her, with eyes of moss. He licked his chops, already regretting what he was about to say. He was not a emotional fellow, he was not one to be all lovey. However, something was bothering her, or it seemed to him, and he would get to the bottom of it. And if there was one who had hurt her, well he would take care of that too. Ye' gran' Kaskara?

Kas smiled at his reply, glad that he felt their kinship too. Though they shared not blood, their bond was one of friendship and pack, which could be even stronger than blood in some cases. Kaskara was glad that Kieran understood and agreed with her in this. He paused and she followed suit, sitting with him beneath the late autumn leaves of the Emberwood. He studied her and if she had known better, she would have been abashed at his directness. But instead, she simply took his gaze at face value, and returned it with her own occasional glance.

Then he asked her if she was okay, and she nodded. It took a moment for her to mull over her thoughts, to form coherent words, but eventually she was able to reply verbally. "I'm excited and afraid of our new adventure, of this new home we're going to. I've never seen ti, but Scimitar says its wonderful." She paused to look at Kieran, wondering if he had heard the same. "I trust him completely, but I still wonder what it will be like. And I wonder, too, if we're doing the right thing by leaving. Of course I support it, but I still wonder, deep in my heart, if we are not simply running away from our problems instead of facing them."

Kieran turned the smile, and averted his gaze. Knowing that he had been studying her too closely, and it was rude. He didn't want to get in a pissing match with her, so to speak. She was his superior, second in command only to Bazi and Scimitar. Kieran didn't much mind the glance she gave him. He wasn't one to get all up in arms over staring, unless it was a challenging gaze. Then he got a little iffy, but this he knew was not the case.

Kieran laid one ear back, and thrust the other forward, a gaze of deep thought. He wasn't sure how to answer her. He could see where her thoughts could be validated. And of course he knew she made sense, but he also knew they were to follow and not question. Though, as a second in command, she had a right to do so, more than him.


 Oi trust Scimitar an' Bazi. 'Owever, oi clap wha we cud be considered runnin' from our problems. An' perhaps yer are roi, but we are also deservin' av a second chance. They are a blessin' in disguise Kaskara, trust me on dat."


He looked at her again, and gave her a small nudge to the chin, gently. An' dare is naw 'arm in bein' fearful, it makes yer smart an' strong an' keeps yer alive. 

Kieran spoke of second chances, of deserving something better than what the creek had offered them these last few months. Kas nodded, understanding that sentiment all too well. They did deserve a second chance, a place to call their own without all the trouble that the creek seemed to bring upon itself. She hoped that Star and Dovev would hold it well. Just because she had left didn't mean she loved the place any less, or the wolves that remained behind.

Kas looked toward her dark-furred friend and wondered what his words meant. They were clear in one sense, but Kaskara had a feeling that there might be a double meaning. She pushed the feeling aside and grinned. "You're right, Kieran, like always." An idea sprouted in her head at that. "Have you ever thought of becoming a counselor? You always know exactly what to say to ease my mind. We could use a smart wolf like you to guide the pack."

Kieran did not all that had happened. He did however, know that the creek had it's share of hardships. It was insane some of the stories he heard. Between a war between some pack called the Sunspire. Shadow leaving and causing contention. Then his mate coming back and birthing their children in the packs center. Then Star and the attack of the other pack members. It was just ridiculous, when one thought about it.

Kieran chuckled and shook his head, Naw, Kaskara scone are in me weck alwus roi. Sometimes, scon are dead wrong. best mind dat. 
Kieran looked down for a moment, remembered one time in particular.  When he had been dead wrong. The one time he had vouched for another. Only to lose everything he loved in the end. Yes Kieran wore that banner like a shield, he was demon, portrayed as a saint.

His ears tilted forward at her next words, he had never thought of that. He supposed, he had some advice to give. Mostly because he was a lot older than most here, even than Scimitar he thought. He had lived for awhile, both as a pack man and as a lone wolf. He frowned in thought, could he trust himself to give sound advice, or would he hurt someone again. He shrugged large shoulders and shook his head a bit. Naw, Oi canny say dat oi 'av tart 'av dat. Bit Oi supposed oi cud try, if someone wants ter blather ter dis ganky bake. Though oi might confuse dem wi' me words.

Kaskara nodded, committing to memory his words. "I'll remember that." He could be wrong sometimes. They could all be wrong sometimes, right? The melancholy that settled over her during their trip was beginning to lift, but when she saw him withdraw from her, she wondered. What did he have to hide? She knew a little of his family, of his parents and his sister, but he was not an open book to be read. Kaskara wondered what he was hiding from her, from the others, that made him so shy sometimes.

"I don't know what ganky means, but I doubt it applies to you." She paused, thinking about his next words. It had taken her quite a long time to get used to his accent and the way he phrased things, and still sometimes she didn't understand everything, but it was getting easier each day. "If they truly want your advice, they'll learn to understand you. I did." She paused and smiled at him, the golden light of the afternoon bathing them in an ethereal glow. It was quite a pleasant afternoon.

Kieran wagged his tail and dipped his head and muzzle towards her. A soft sound of laughter deep in his throat. She could make him smile, always. It was a nice contrast, to his usual world. Everyone could be wrong, he knew this. However, not everyone was so wrong they lost everything. That was something, he was notoriously good at. Though he had smoothed out his cocky, carefree demeaner, tempering his sides of loyalty and duty. Those few skills, and mind sets that had always been there, just not always present. 

Kieran had nothing to hide, he was not so much ashamed of his past. As much as he blamed himself and for good reason. It also hurt to think of, it hurt badly. Sometimes, it was like a deep wrenching, twisting pain. And it made him want to scream in agony. He knew, that it wasn't real, that it was just his mind doing it. But well, he couldn't get over it as quickly as he wanted too. 

Kieran chuckled, and frowned at the same time. Trying to think of how to explain it to her. Yer nu ganky, unsightly, 'ideous, not juicy? That was the best he could do, and he still butchered it greatly. He briefly thought of his brother and what he would say about his speech. His brother had perfected the language, this language. Kieran couldn't, and really didn't want too. He nodded ot her next words, then he looked around and spoke softly, his own language rolling off his tongue. [b]Álainn, tá sé go hálainn anseo[/b]

Kaskara wondered what had happened in Kieran's past to make him think he was unsightly or ugly. He had a scar, that was true, but it only enhanced his handsome face, not take away from it. Kaskara gawked at herself, wondering when she had begun to see him as handsome. "You're not unsightly, Kieran." She didn't say anything else, but let that lie there, the tone of her voice enough to indicate her feelings on the matter. She wondered if he would pick up on it.

His next words were in his own tongue, and though she had heard the words before, she didn't know their meaning. "Alainn?" she asked, turning to look at him, asking what it meant. Kaskara was learning his language one word at a time.

Kieran had never paid attention to his own self, so he had not really ever considered himself handsome. It didn't matter to him, really. Kiva had told him, he was handsome, had told him many times. He had just ignored her, considering himself the lucky fool to have won her. Kieran's ears thrust forward and he froze for a moment, trying to figure out if what he was reading in tone and body language was what he thought it was. It had been so long, he was a tad rusty. It filled him with a deep, deep fear. He couldn't do it again, he couldn't. He frowned, but she was his best friend here in this area. He didn't dare say anything, to alienate that. And if he was honest with himself, he'd find that he was not adverse to the idea. However, Kieran was never honest with himself, everyone else sure, himself nah. He swallowed hard, and dipped his muzzle looking at her with a green eye. Quickly averting his gaze, Tanks Kaskara. You're not unsightly either. He gave her a grin, and dipped his muzzle again. Uncomfortable, but refusing to mar the moment.

Kieran tilted his head and spoke softly, It means bonny, juicy, gran' lookin'. He lifted his gaze to the sky again and the surrounding area, took a deep breath.

This seems like a good point to fade. New thread? :)

Her heart pattered slightly within her chest when he looked at her, his green eyes sparkling in the warm winter sunshine. She had felt this only once before, but had refused herself the emotions that usually came with budding romance. Kaskara hadn't wanted spoil anything or ruin a friendship, and so had kept her emotions hidden away until they were no longer felt. It hadn't been the best idea she ever had, but it kept her from feeling too much pain.

"Thanks," she said softly, dipping her head in thanks, too. She felt shy, unsure of herself, but tried to hide it. Kieran couldn't like her back; he was still stuck in his past. Kaskara didn't fault him for it, but she knew that whatever feelings she may have for the warrior were not reciprocated and probably never would be. She grinned and looked toward the horizon, where the sun was beginning to descend. "We better get back to the group. C'mon." She chuckled and dashed off, wondering if he would follow her at that pace, or lumber more slowly behind her.