The Outcast....

[Esperanza]

The wind blew through the mountains, it's touch icy and sharp. The snow was tossed around, deep and wet. The sun was barely making it over the tallest peek, its rays brushing the terra with a few strands of it's golden warmth. A few buds from flowers poked from the ground, yet they where slowly dieing, withering from the lack of water and sunlight. A few birds flew across the sky, their silent caws echoing through the stillness of the mountains. A mountain goat was climbing up a steep incline, other's following close behind. They where used to the cold, treacherous terrain. Everything seemed to grow silent in a few seconds as the wind passed over the terrain once more, a new scent swirling with it's coldness. A lupine was coming there was, and a fae to be exact.

The small lupa was walking through the deep snow. Her paws sinking in deep, muscles legs moving with a limping gait. Her small dome was down, audits flicked back against her dome. Her orbs where slightly closed, their amber depths staring forward, snow caked on some of her eyelashes. Her nose twitched, maw opening to reveal black lips and long, pearly white ivories. Her pink tongue slipped out for a second, spittle dripping from her tongue. She panted slightly, feeling the cold air crackle in her lungs, her chest burning. She huffed, snapping her jowls closed a few seconds later. Her thick, snowy white pelt clung to her thin frame, her banner slipping between her pillars and against her stomach. She shook herself, before walking again.

Her wounds from the betrayal she had sprung where healed, that horrible day having occurred 3 years back. The lupa had walked through the forest, across rivers, and into the mountains, leaving her home behind. Now she appeared here, looking for a refuge. Her scars along her bodice, two on her rump, a couple on her stomach, and one from her left orb to her neck, usually called attention to herself, yet she didn't notice. The lupa never did, for her thoughts where almost always in a daze. Now, she seemed to awaken slightly.

These mountains, as beautiful as they where, reminded her of her home. She welcomed the cold, letting it blow through her thick, arctic coat. Her orbs opened all the way, scanning the perimeter. She picked up speed, from a walk to a slow run, a smile on her lips. She only slowed down as she dashed up a small, snowy rise. Her orbs scanned her new home, spotting the herd of mountain goats but they flew past. Throwing back her dome, she let a howl rip from her jowls, starting from the bottom of her chest and ending in the sky. Each note was beautiful, stronger and wilder then the last. They echoed through the mountains, rich and vibrating with life. Then at last, they ended, cutting off. The lupa let the wind dance across her, her orbs closing for a few mere seconds. Slowly, she opened them, rejoicing. She would move on no longer, for this was a place where she belonged. Though, she needed the acceptance of the dragga or drappa before it was truely her new home.

With a grunt, she set on her way.
Her name was Esperanza.

[Vereor Lupus]

Thin, glass sheets of snow covered the rich lands of the Vilgar mountains. Everything was dripping with cold lonliness, as if they were searching for guidance from a pack to claim them. There were many scents that slid through the nostrils of a very strong-minded wolf. He could sense everything that was going around him. Elkryn were lingering in the largest valley of the mountain, grazing with their tense muscles attempting to keep them warm. With all of the other wildness living around him, he could only smell the scent of a couple of wolves. It intrigued them that there would be so little. So much mystery lived in the cracks of the ice through these lands, he wanted to know it well from the inside out.

His large mahogany paws left prints in the broken glass pieces of snow, showing every wolf that he was present in this land. He knew there was a leader around, but he was unable to tell if they were lupa or lupo. Obviously, they hadn’t travelled much around their lands. He would seek them for acceptance, depending upon how they acted around him. If a wolf respected him, he would respect the wolf. But only if they deserved it, of course.

A sound of a lupa suddenly crept around him, his ears swiveled to determine which direction. His muscles tensed as his picked up his pace to a brisk run, he wanted to see this wolf. As he drew closer he slowed down, keeping himself behind a couple pine trees. It was a white lupa, blending in perfectly with her surroundings. A beautiful sight of wolf, and many things in his mind weren’t beautiful. Keeping his ears forward and his head held up high, he exposed himself into the peeking sunlight of the mountains. He lowered his head and lifted it again in a gentlewolf-like manner. But Vereor was anything but gentle. Emerald eyes pinned on this iced wolf with strong curiosity. What would this type of wolf be doing in a chilling place like this?

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[Esperanza]

Espy lifted her dome, letting the wind tease her slightly as she sniffed the air. No scent of lupine was fresh, everything old and distant. She sighed softly and began to jog, letting her muscles relax and her almost always stiff pose run loosely. She let was enjoying this place, for she had been born in the mountains and this place seemed like home. It WAS home to she, and soon, would be forever. Her maw slipped up in a silent laughter, her orbs widening slightly, pupil's dilating. She let the warm heat of excitement slip through her blood as she jogged around, making a mess of the soft, cold snow.

Then Espy stopped, the wind blowing harshly against her dome. With it, the wind carried the scent of another lupine. She let a small growl escape her jowls, and glanced around. Her banner was high, auds pricked, and lips pulled back to reveal her ivories. She only stopped when she spotted the Lupo, and noted that he was trying to look friendly. She was not fooled.

Stepping forward, the lupa heading towards him. She picked her way over some jagged rocks, paws sinking into the snow. Her muscles were taunt slightly, auds pricked forward, and face expressionless. He was not threatening her, so she would be peaceful, at the moment. She stopped a few feet before him, scanning him for a second then dipped her dome. She was not going to be aggressive to her.

[Vereor Lupus]

His gaze stayed on her, which wasn’t a very hard thing to do in the first place. He had never really seen a wolf as white as her, and her aura of confidence just added to the effect of it. There was something about this lupa that was different than the rest, something that could never be covered by fake emotions and tameness. But he couldn’t rust his own judgement, for he didn’t know her and had been proven before that his judgements are most likely to be false.

He took a step forward as she dipped his head to him, not a hostile wolf. That point was proven. But it was possible that a wolf like this, walking alone in these lands, could easily pounce on him with a fury. That would just make things more interesting in his mind. He was no doubt a powerful wolf, and wouldn’t mind showing that off a little to a lupa. As he got a little closer, he kept a respectful distance at his stop. His paws sank into the snow and he discovered the true colors of this lupa’s orbs. A deep gold, there was definitely a side to this wolf that he wanted to know. But he was probably too serious for her taste. Although, at times Vereor could be relaxed and fun to be around but there hasn’t been a wolf to know that side. Or let alone a wolf that wanted to.

“So what would a stunning wolf like you be stalking around these parts for?”

[/i] His face was unreadable, and he didn’t hesitate to speak smoothly. That was one part of Vereor that couldn’t be taken away from him, always trying to impress a certain lupa. His orbs were collectively calm, but he was still aware that he could be attacked at any time. That’s the only way this lupo ever thought; danger was lurking around ever corner just waiting to take a chunk out of his pelt.

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[Esperanza]

Espy looked him full on, her amber gold orbs boring into his own. She smiled softly, letting herself relax for she if she did, he would know she was not planning on trying to attack him. Being smaller, and weighing less then others, Esperanza had never tried to attack another lupo or lupa full on...not even after her brothers death. She just didn't feel like it was something she do, but a mere waste of time. Sucking in a small breath, she listened to what he had to speak, only wincing when he said she was stunning. Espy knew she had a beautiful pure white pelt, but she was anything from stunning. With these ugly scars, she thought she was damn right unattractive.

Darting her orbs away before he could spot the pain sinking in, she spoke "I came from my homeland. I have been searching for a couple years to find a place like this" she murmured, trying not to give to much information about her home or anything like that. He, like others, would be disgusted if they found out her past. She was not a lupa anyone would trust, because she had betrayed her own family...and that was a crime that would haunt her for eternity.

Sighing heavily, she turned her orbs on him once more. Speaking softly, she asked a question, like he had before her "Since I have answered your question, please answer mine. What is a lupo like you doing in the mountains? I would not think you are used to terrain like this" she said, a spark of interest thick in her lyrics. She was truly interested in why he would like a place like this, for which she called home.

[Vereor Lupus]

Different. These lands that his paws touched at this very instant was unique. So different, that he felt like he needed to redefine the very word in order to be able to describe this place he was seeing. But in all honesty, at this very moment, he wasn’t paying any attention to the landscape at all. This wolf was the most intriguing wolf he had ever laid his orbs upon. He wouldn’t let this wolf escape his gaze until he got her name, the eagerness to know her filled him once again. It wasn’t even a want to know her, it was a need. It was an odd feeling to Vereor, so he didn’t know exactly how to handle it.

She spoke in a very soft voice, but with her stance she was anything but acting inferior to him at the moment. He didn’t want that, when normally he would be forcing a wolf underneath them if they acted this way toward him. Vereor didn’t hesitate to use force when it came to other lupos, for his mighty body came to his advantage. But there was also something about the look in this lupa’s eyes that changed when he commented on her beauty. It was interesting to him. Was it pain? He wouldn’t say anything, for he wouldn’t know what to say.

With Vereor’s history, he was taught not to feel the emotion of pain so he never really understood it. Sure, he had felt it before, but he would soon take it out on someone or something to make himself feel differently. His father was definitely a strange one and taught Vereor things that most wolflets wouldn’t be taught. Vereor would never understand this. Then she spoke.

He dared to take another step forward after noticing that she had relaxed a little, but he was still tense. It was inevitable. “I wish I could tell you why I decided to come here. Probably the fact that there was a very small scent of Wolf in these parts, and it has great potential.”

[/i] He really did wish he knew why he came here, maybe it was fate.

“Now lupa, if you think I’m deserving of knowing, may I ask your name? Mine is Vereor Lupus.” [/i]


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[Esperanza]

The lupa listened to him, as she watched him for any sign of discomfort or anything else. Usually, lupa's and lupo's steered clear of her as she did to them. Though this lupo acted different and it surprised her. He seemed a bit interested in her, intrigued actually and she was caught off guard. Her auds twitched slightly and a small smile played on her lips for a second as he asked for her name. Her orbs flickered with a emotion, though not one that can be named, and spoke. "My name is Esperanza" lyrics where cool and smooth.

Sitting on her haunches, no point in standing any longer. Expression's left her orbs and features, and she glanced away, watching the place she now loved and adored. "This place reminds me of home, but I also have bad memories clutched deep. Since you should know what kind of Lupa I am, I will share some of it. When I was a young age of 4, I agreed with a pack of Lupo's to bring my pack to them to be slaughtered, to save myself. I know it was foolish of me, but I was young. My brother found out and attacked me...I had to kill the lupo I adored and cared for. That is why I fled my home, for the betrayal I did and caused many lives" she turned to look into his orbs "Do you despise me now like all lupa's and lupo's?" she questioned.

[Vereor Lupus]

Esperanza. The name echoed off of the edges of his cranium, trying to keep it caged in so he wouldl remember it forever. This was definitely a wolf that he would never want to forget. There was just something about her that was so unique than the others. So many secrets hiding behind her eyes. Then she suddenly began telling him a deep story about her past, he didn’t understand why she would tell him something like that so quickly.

He kept her gaze as she told this story, and it ended up being one of the secrets that she was hiding. Raising an eyebrow, he tried to let it sink in that this wolf had brought others to be killed. He could understand that, for she was only trying to survive. That was the way of a wolf, wolves needed to do anything and everything in order to survive. He took a step toward her and nudged her neck a little. Looking at her with all seriousness, he spoke smoothly, “Despise you, my dear? That just makes me respect you. Any wolf that wa willing to give up their own family for their survival would have to be one of the most strong-minded wolves I have ever seen.”

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[Esperanza]

Esperanza was confused at first. He didn't despise her as many did when they heard her sad tale. She let a small smile carve onto her maw and her orbs danced. "Thank you, Vereor for not treating me like the other lupines" she said, dipping her dome. She then glanced back up, not discomforted that she was with him. He was not like the other weak-minded wolves who thought her saving her life and leading her family to their doom was horrible and despised her. No, Vereor seemed pleased and delighted with her, calling her strong-minded. She was glad that she had done something right in at least some lupo's mind.

Though, now that she had said her thanks, what else was there to speak of? She let her mind wander, trying to come up with something subtable for them to talk about, not wanting to bore the brute. Then, she turned her dome to scan the tundra. "I best be going Vereor even though I now think highly of you, for you do not treat me as others do" she glanced at him, a unreadable look on her maw. "I have to find the lead Lupa of these lands to find acceptance" she murmured, getting to her paws she said a soft thank you then turned and began to glide away, trying to find another scent beside her's and his.

Yet, Esperanza did glance back once more before turning away. She didn't think he would follow, but would he?

[Vereor Lupus]

He wanted to understand this wolf. He wanted to understand her thoughts, her very purpose of being. With most wolves he simply only acknowledged their existence, but with this wolf, he wanted to know absolutely everything about her. Her white coat was crawling with more mysteries that he wanted to uncover. He would seek her as a proper mate, for she would be perfect. But he would never be so blunt as to say that to her. Believe it or not, he respected lupas more than lupos. He just saw lupos as mere competition for power, and he almost always won that game.

She thanked him and said she was on her way to determine if she was worthy of this land. Of course she was, how could she not? For she was anything but weak, and he could tell you needed to be strong in order to live on lands like this. And you would have to be able to kill, without even thinking about it. Ignore the Balance. A smirk slid across his mull thinking about his life to come. He wouldn’t let this lupa go. She walked on and looked back to him. He chuckled a little as he let his ears perk forward, what lupa would be interested in an evil minded lupo like him? But she waited. He took his tough paws across the grass and brushed up against her slightly. Going on for acceptance, he would dedicate himself to this pack. But of course, that would only depend on the mindset of the leader. He was curious to see who would lead him. This would be good.

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