Under a Winter Sun (Auburn)

[Aylenni]

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[atrb=background,http://i55.tinypic.com/30w71ae.jpg] The warm afternoon wind ruffled Kayden’s caramel colored fur. She shivered. No matter how warm the island grew, she was a desert wolf. Even after four weeks away from the dry, arid climate her body preferred desert heat to the frigid winter of Traum. Traum, she mused. Not so long ago, all that word meant to me was a name out of the tales- an island out of a dream. It was true. Ever since she could remember, Kayden had been brought up with the stories of the wonderful wild wolves of Traum. She remembered listening to stories about Cesaru and his cohort, Seshafi, and of the great Sister Wolf. There were others, too, but those three had always been her favorites to listen to. She had gone off into the desert sands and imagined great battles in which she and the Sister Wolf fought Cesaru and Seshafi. They always won, though it was done in different ways. When Kayden had come to the island, she was astonished to learn that Sister Wolf was very much real and very much alive. The news of Seshafi’s existence shocked her, too. But unlike the stories she had heard as a pup, the villains of the island were not connected with Cesaru, but a terrible wolf named Dragunov Solokov. Kayden didn’t know much about evil, but she knew good when she heard it. So she had made up her mind to seek out Serena and join her pack if she could. The only problem that remained was actually finding the mysterious female. So for now, Kayden wandered from the western end of the island to the east, keeping an ear open for news. Since Nefertiri had fixed her up, Kayden was recovering well, though the scar on her muzzle wouldn’t leave her until her dying day. Kayden spotted a patch of sunlight ahead and scooted into it. Sunlight warmed her fur, making her smile. The tints in her fur stood out, reddish brown and gold. Kayden tilted her face up to catch the light. The sun was the only thing that she preferred about Traum’s climate. In the desert, the sun was scorching and unforgiving. Here the light only warmed her fur. The dust caught in the light swirled around as Kayden walked, making the trails seem alien and dreamlike. She rather liked the effect. Tall trees lined the path to either side, great trees that had made her gape with awe when she’d first seen them. The world was full of strange sounds, new sounds that belonged to new creatures. If there was one thing that made Kayden as excited as a pup, it was new things. But after two days of hard exploring while she walked, she had seen most of the flora and fauna of the Dusty Moon trails. The woods echoed with sounds. Kayden stopped for a moment, just listening. She turned her head slightly to one side, as was her habit. She took a deep breath, loving the feel of the cold air inside her lungs. Wait, she thought. Something’s not right. She took another sniff. Wolf. Kayden opened her eyes. She slowed her breathing and listened. Was it just her? Was she imagining the scent and the way the birds fell silent behind her? Or was there truly someone there? There was only one way to find out. ”Is anybody there? Show yourself!”

[Ember]

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[atrb=background,http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk107/puddinxpiexB/400middle.png] Has anyone ever said that history can be a bad thing? That the words that appear in lengends can creat wars? Or that simply having a history can make a wolf depressed? My history hasn't been the best, but it's not the worst. It's still pretty bad through. Getting taken away from your pack by your mother and forced to wander the lands with her is pretty bad. Then you meet your long-lost brother and things just get confusing and....yeah. I think I should stop my mental ramble now. But, of course, it must have been fate that caused me to lose track of sourroundings. Sucked in by my thoughts, I wasn't paying any attention what so ever to where I was going. Suddenly, I heard a noise. ”Is anybody there? Show yourself!” Woah, how had I missed the fact that there was a wolf right in front of me? I stopped in my tracks and blinked stupidly at the wolf in front of me. Well, she was tiny, that's for sure. I was confused at this. Never had I seen such a small wolf, other than when I was a pup and I saw my littermates. And she was pretty, in a way. Besides all the scars on her. She smelled of desert and heat and warmth, althrough this place at the moment wasn't very warm. In fact, it was freezing. I shivered slightly, hoping she wouldn't notice. " Well, 'ello thar, " I said, my slight accent creeping in from spending all my time with my mother. I smiled at her, and tried not to look dangerous, but how could someone looked dangerous when they have a startled look on thier face?

[Aylenni]

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[atrb=background,http://i53.tinypic.com/j97kg8.jpg] ”Well, ‘ello thar.” Kayden spun. Standing some yards away was a wolf, a male. He was easily three times her size, though he was average-sized for normal wolves. He was handsome enough, with creamy gray and brown and white fur. His short legs were more red than brown or gray, though there were tints of those, too, and his head and ears were the same color. He smiled, an easy smile that made Kayden instantly suspicious. ”Well, what are you smiling at?” she asked testily. Something about him made her feel cross. Not anything in his manner (which seemed polite enough for a male), or in his fur. But there was something about him that rubbed her the wrong way. She took a few steps closer, being careful not to come within pouncing range. Then it hit her like one of the frigid waves on Midnight Beach. It was his eyes. Chills ran up and down her spine. Her fur stood on end, but not from hostility. She blinked, an a sudden, irrational fear coursed through her. His eyes, amber in the shade, were so close to Nelaros’s… I killed Nelaros, she thought. He’s gone. This one isn’t him. It couldn’t be. It isn’t. Memories of the brutish, callus male from her past flooded her mind, ruining the sun’s gentle warmth. Nelaros had been crude and dirty, and he had tried to take her. Kayden had killed him for that, but he left her with the scar that decorated her muzzle. ”Who are you?” she asked, less testily this time. It wasn’t his fault he looked like the male from her past. She dared to take a step closer. The light shone into her eyes and she winced, closing them for a moment. When she opened them again, she had to squint to see properly. ”I’m Kayden,” she told him, and this time she dropped all attitude from her voice. She couldn’t hold this male accountable for Nelaros’s actions. It was a new world she was in now, a world where things were different for she-wolves. From the tales of Traum she knew that not all the island’s males were as controlling as the ones she knew. Could this be one of them?

[Ember]

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[atrb=background,http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk107/puddinxpiexB/400middle.png] I scared her, that much I could tell. She seemed slightly startled, and suspicious. For some reason, this annoyed me. After all, I wouldn’t hurt a complete stranger, right? And yet for some reason I couldn’t find an answer to that question. " Well, what are you smiling at? " Her cross tone….well, it startled me. I didn’t expect her to respond so unhappily. “ I’m smiling at you, “ I said simply, my amber eyes wide. She took a few steps towards me, her expression annoyed. And then it changed. She turned fearful, looking like she might bolt. I took a step back, afraid that she would run and began to speak in a calm voice. “ I won’t hurt you, “ My eyes were pleading for her to stay. And then the fear left her face, as if whatever had scared her had vanished. I was confused, my eyes scanning the landscape for whatever it was that scared her. Strangely, as soon as the fear had entered her face, I felt protective over her. I wanted to fight whatever had scared her. " Who are you?" She asked, her voice calm now. I smiled again, my face going back to an easy mask that showed nothing of my protectiveness of her. “ I’m Auburn, “ I said. At that point the wind blew, a frigid arctic blast that sent me shivering like crazy. Why did I have to come back to this island in the middle of winter? Well, it wasn’t really my choice, it was my mother’s. My eyes blazed like molten amber at the thought of her. Looking away from her, so she wouldn’t think it was directed towards her, I stared off into the distance. " My name's Kayden," Her voice startled me out of my thoughts. I blinked stupidly, coming back to the present. So, that’s her name. Interesting. I added it to the short list of wolves I already knew. Ember, Crouse, Twilight, Rokai. And now Kayden

[Aylenni]

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[atrb=background,http://i53.tinypic.com/j97kg8.jpg] ”I’m smiling at you,” he said, as if it were the plainest, simplest thing in the world. Kayden blinked. The world was turning on its head these days. She had never encountered someone who spoke to her this way; all of her meetings before had begun with females or in hostility. This male was different; this male was unlike anything she had ever seen before. Kayden took a cautious step closer. ”I won’t hurt you.” Kayden believed him, but fear of Nelaros’s memory rattled her countenance. She didn’t know what to say to this wolf. She had no idea how to act. There was something in his eyes, something that compelled Kayden to stay right where she was instead of dashing into the forest to try and sort out her tangled feelings. Without intending it to happen, or so it seemed, this male had trapped Kayden under his paw. She couldn’t move, held paralyzed by his presence. ”I’m Auburn.” Hearing his name made her relax a little. She let go of a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. The wind blew, a fierce cold breeze that took something away. The male turned away, but Kayden could see the fire in his gaze. She told him her name, and he blinked. The fire seemed to fade a little. She frowned a little. ”I’m sorry I snapped at you,” she told him, and to her surprise she found it true. She was rarely sorry for mouthing off, or for saying things she meant, but for some unfathomable reason, this male, this Auburn was bringing out the softer parts of Kayden, the parts she thought had died when her mother had left her. Kayden blinked away tears, swallowing as she thought of her mother. Serra had loved Kayden, or so Kayden had thought. But when she’d run away from the desert, Kayden had felt snapped in two. It was love of her mother that made Kayden leave as well. She had come so far, had struggled through so much to find the one person in the world she loved. But Kayden had lost hope somewhere along the way, thinking that her mother had to have died on the journey to Traum. The pain of losing her mother was fierce, and Kayden didn’t like to talk about it much. In the amber eyes looking at her, however, she thought she saw the same ache. Suddenly Kayden was seized with a desire to talk about it, to ask him if he’d lost his mother as well. But she barely knew him! How could she ask something like that so soon? So instead she said nothing for a moment. ”I-I… You reminded me of someone. Just for a moment. You… you’re much different than he was. That’s why I was so rude just now,” she explained, feeling her face go hot. Why was she so concerned about being polite to this Auburn character? And why was the apology making her so embarrassed? Kayden didn’t have a clue, and she didn’t much like it. The wind died down again, and the clouds that had blotted out some of the sun’s light moved away. The full force of the sun’s light hit Kayden in the face, the light making her fur gleam gold and her eyes seem to glow slightly. She closed her eyes, moving sideways and out of her light patch. ”He… he wasn’t a very nice person,” she said, flushing hot again. Why did Auburn affect her this way?

[Ember]

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[atrb=background,http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk107/puddinxpiexB/400middle.png] ”I’m sorry I snapped at you,” It was her voice, so sorry, that got to me. That, and the little frown on her face. " It's okay, " I said, my voice still soft and quiet as I took a slow step towards her. There was saddness in her eyes as she noticed the blaze in my eyes, and it cooled even more. I wondered about what she was thinking. What had cause the saddness in her past to make her this way? Woah,woah. What about Rokai? I frowned as I thought about it. Rokai, the healer of the Order, which was allies with my brother's little pack/group thing. She was kind and sweet and gentle, so very differant from Twilight and Crouse. And I loved her green eyes...... ”I-I… You reminded me of someone. Just for a moment. You… you’re much different than he was. That’s why I was so rude just now,” Oh. Well that explains a bunch of things. So I looked like someone she had met before. But why would she be rude to someone she's seem before? Her next sentance explained that question. ”He… he wasn’t a very nice person,” I felt a rush of anger. The fire in my eyes blazed once again as I imagined what 'he' must have done. Oh, if I ever seen him again......death. " What did he do? " I growled out, my voice low and dangerous. At that moment, I relised that Kayden was embarrased. I dropped the dangerous tone from my voice, althrough it was still a growl, and paced back and forth in front of her, lashing my tail as much as I could. Oh, everyone will regret the moment my temper was raised.

[Aylenni]

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[atrb=background,http://i53.tinypic.com/j97kg8.jpg] His eyes blazed a fierce amber color like liquid gold. Kayden couldn’t stop looking at his eyes. But his anger, his obvious rage, that confused her. What had she said to make him angry? You’re not like him at all, she thought, not having the courage to say it to Auburn. You’re much different than he was- and I like you much better. Of course she didn’t have the guts to say it. ”What did he do?” The anger wasn’t just in his eyes, but his voice as well, and it sent Kayden’s head spinning in circles. What the heck? she wondered. What had she said? How had she acted to make this crazy guy so protective? At least he hadn’t misunderstood her. Auburn paced in front of her, tail lashing furiously back and forth. For some reason she didn’t understand, she warmed to him. For some unfathomable reason, she wanted to tell him everything, wanted to explain to him what had happened. So she smiled a little at him, trying to get him to calm down a little. ”It’s a bit of a long story,” she said hesitantly. She sat down. ”His name was… his name was Nelaros,” she said very quietly. It was the first time she’d said his name since she’d spoken to him, actually, and she was surprised at how much just saying the three syllables affected her. Then, taking a deep breath, Kayden decided to tell Auburn everything. ”It started with my mother, I guess. Serra. She taught me never to accept being dominated by someone just because they expected it, or because of their sex. She taught me to hunt, to track. To fight. Everything that the males learned and the females didn’t, where I come from. I don’t know where she learned it, but it doesn’t matter. She hated being controlled by my father. So a few months ago now, she left us. She said she was coming here, to Traum. I thought she was crazy- we didn’t believe the island existed except in stories. But she must have known it was real. Anyway, after she left, I guess there was nothing standing between me and my father’s will, because he started cracking down. Finally he told me I was going to be mated to this Nelaros, and I panicked. I knew him- he was the worst of the ones born in my year. Brutish, cruel. He was a real jerk, and he wasn’t… gentle… with women. I couldn’t live like that. So I left- followed my mother. He caught up to me. We had words, and I told him if he tried to put a paw on me I’d kill him. Well, he tried.” Here Kayden’s voice cracked. She hadn’t expected it to be so hard for her to speak about Nelaros’s death. ”So. I killed him. He gave me this scar on my muzzle, and I was in bad shape after we fought. I was near death, really. Broken ribs, exposed bones, bleeding something fierce and me without knowing how to fix myself. Well, I found the ocean, and I swam across this channel, and I found Traum. And that’s, uh, that’s pretty much it.” Kayden felt her face flush again. Why was it so embarrassing just to speak to this man? Why did just telling him the truth make her heart beat as fast as a frightened jackrabbit’s? Why did she feel so compelled to tell him everything? Why had she told him everything, or more than she’d told anyone else? There were no answers, and it was driving her crazy. She cleared her throat. ”Not, uh, not that I mind, but why… why does it matter so much to you? I mean, I barely know you, and you don’t know me, and I just told you my whole life story pretty much, and why did I tell you my life story?” She stumbled over the words. You great bungler, she thought to herself. You’re screwing everything up. But what was there to screw up? She’d probably never see this Auburn ever again. So why was it so important to her, that he knew everything?

[Ember]

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[atrb=background,http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk107/puddinxpiexB/400middle.png] This whole thing was making me angry. I paced throughout Kayden's sory, my tail still lashing as she told me her life story. It was the end that really made it's mark on me. ”So. I killed him. He gave me this scar on my muzzle, and I was in bad shape after we fought. I was near death, really. Broken ribs, exposed bones, bleeding something fierce and me without knowing how to fix myself. Well, I found the ocean, and I swam across this channel, and I found Traum. And that’s, uh, that’s pretty much it.” It made me so mad, listening to how this stupid male had hurt Kayden. I didn't even know why, I just knew it did. And I was also in awe and how she managed to do this. Killing the one who hurt her and swimming across the ocean, bleeding all the while. Amazing. There was awe somewhere in my eyes, I knew, mixed in with the anger. ”Not, uh, not that I mind, but why… why does it matter so much to you? I mean, I barely know you, and you don’t know me, and I just told you my whole life story pretty much, and why did I tell you my life story?” " I don't know, " I said truthfully and bluntly. After all, I truly didn't know. What made me feel the need to protect her, the need to keep her safe? No one deserved to live the life she had, at least that I know. And yet she had done it bravely, starting over again her, just like I was doing. It was only then that I relised that I hadn't had one thought of Rokai the whole time she was telling the story. Maybe we hadn't really....clicked like I thought we did. Maybe...maybe. No, it was too painful of a thought. I'll think about all that later. " The only thing I do know is that no wolf deserves to live the life you've lived, except those that have hurt you. You're really brave, yah know? " I said, flushing slihgtly when I gave her the compliment. She was brave, and pretty, and she reminds me of the way the sun feels on a spring day, hot and bright and full of hope and strengh. I smiled, wondering at my self. Why do I like every she-wolf I meet? Althrought I haven't had this type of connection thing with Rokai and Norther, I still loved thier green eyes. But Kayden, she was differant.

[Aylenni]

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[atrb=background,http://i53.tinypic.com/j97kg8.jpg] Every movement Auburn made conveyed his anger. Kayden could see it in the way his muscles clenched below his fur, the way his tail moved. She could hear it in his breathing, and if anger had a taste or smell, she would have felt them, too. But however furious his movements seemed, it was nothing compared to his golden eyes. The rage she saw in those eyes scared her. Kayden was a little surprised at that. She wasn’t easily scared. Not the sandstorms of the desert nor her father’s cold wrath nor even facing down Nelaros or the black male Fenrir had made her this frightened. She had never been this terrified before. She had never been this confused, either. She couldn’t take her eyes from Auburn’s gold ones. They burned into her, and she felt that those eyes saw right through her to her heart. ”I don’t know,” he said when she asked him why it mattered. ”Neither do I,” she whispered. She had no idea, no inkling of thought why this Auburn mattered so much to her. Whenever he spoke, her heart stopped. When he turned his x-ray eyes on her she felt open, laid bare by the intensity of his looks. Her anger was gone; she had thought nothing and no one could get rid of that. For the first time in her life, Kayden had no idea what to say or do. She was tongue-tied and it was only by the grace of the desert spirits that she hadn’t actually begun to stutter yet. ”The only thing I do know is that no wolf deserves to live the life you’ve lived, except those that have hurt you. You’re really brave, yah know?” Auburn flushed a little as he said it. Kayden did, too. He smiled, and Kayden’s knees nearly gave way. ”Oh, not so brave as all that,” she said quickly. ”It was fight or die, I suppose.” Her tail swished back and forth a little, betraying her nervousness. Baffled, Kayden shook herself mentally. What are you doing? she demanded of herself. I don’t know, and I’m not sure I like it! She had never felt this way before, never been so nervous and anxious and anticipant all at once. She wanted to know him, wanted to hear his voice, wanted to hang on his every word. No, thought part of her, a tiny, cold part. You came here for your mama. Not to lose yourself over some man. Get a grip. She cleared her throat. ”I came looking for my Ummi, my mother. I don’t suppose you’ve seen her, have you? She looks like me, except she has brown eyes and I have green, and she doesn’t have the black marks on her leg and shoulder.” For whatever reason, Kayden hoped he would take enough interest to come with her, to help. It was an impossible thing to ask, and she didn’t dare give the wish voice. But she couldn’t make it go away. Say something, she willed. Say anything- I don’t care. I want to listen to you. I want to know you. The words might have been the most submissive things she’d ever thought, but they were earnest. Kayden was slowly losing the cold exterior she’d cultivated, revealing herself to Auburn almost against her will, and certainly against her better judgment. Say something, she pleaded mentally, before I realize what I’m doing and run away. I don’t want to run away from you…

[Ember]

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[atrb=background,http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk107/puddinxpiexB/400middle.png] ”Neither do I,” These whispered words said a lot more than they were supposed to. I could see it in her eyes, the confusion. For some unexplainable reason, I wanted to comfort her, tell her it's okay. But, no, I was too much of a coward for that. ”Oh, not so brave as all that,” she I had to smile at that, the attempt to hide her embarresment. " You little lair, " I said playfully, teaseingly, for a monet forgeting my anger towards those that had hurt her. ”It was fight or die, I suppose.” I took a step forward, resisting the urge to comfort her yet again. " It shouldn't have been, " I said, the teaseing tone completely gone from my voice. Just thinking about it......anger shone in my golden-amber eyes. ”I came looking for my Ummi, my mother. I don’t suppose you’ve seen her, have you? She looks like me, except she has brown eyes and I have green, and she doesn’t have the black marks on her leg and shoulder.” I blinked. " I'd have remembered if I met someone like you, " I said, eager to make her happyish. " But, no, I haven't. But then again, I haven't been on this island very long, so, " I gave a slight shrug there with my shoulders, wondering at her. No doubt she'll suceed in finding her mother. I know she could. " That reminds me, " I cocked my head in my typical puppy fashion. " I haven't told you my story yet, " A shadow of pain flickered across my eyes before I quickly hid it behind a mask. Oh gosh. Now I was resorting to what my brother, Crouse, does when he wants to hide his emotions. I guess we are related after all. There was momentary panic in Kayden's eyes. Her green eyes seemed like a deep sea of confusion. I search her face, trying to guess why. It couldn't be me....could it? No, not a possablity. I tried to keep that thought out of my head, but it kept coming back. " Do you want me to? " I asked, my tone laced with sadness.