Xola || Female || Lunar Pack || M: Keefe, Valda (Ind), Ghost (Ind) Malmbra (Ind)

The female’s ears were quick to perk up at the sound of Keefe’s call. Her honey-amber eyes flickered from one of the packmates she was examining – the hunter Valda, if she remembered correctly – to the dark male that was now addressing the pack. She listened closely to his commands, taking note of each and every task assigned. Even if she wasn’t mentioned in his announcement (which she was quite grateful for. In a way, it relayed to her that she was trusted enough to be left to her own devices. By him, at least), the information provided would be of utmost importance later in the day. Knowing who did and who did not venture outside of camp and what they did was necessary for her midday check ups. It was not at all because it was simply Keefe speaking. No, certainly not. She definitely listened to the same extent whenever Ghost was the one announcing anything. Of course she did!

An affectionate lick to her ear started the healer out of her pondering. Surprised, she jumps out her fur – picking up her left paw and leaning on her right to provide some distance between her and the friendly “attacker.” Her ears pin backwards and her eyes shrink in confusion, taking in the scene before her.

The dark alpha now sat beside her, icy eyes shining with affection and what she could only assume was his usual mischievous glint. He had extended her his greetings, asking how she was and teasing her in a friendly manner. Relaxing her form – only to the slightest degree – she adjusts her form to sit by the large wolf’s side while facing him a bit more than she previously had been, her own black pelt almost blending in with his due to their current proximity. Not that she minded! She would never complain about being so close to him! She just… wanted to make sure she didn’t have him too uncomfortable?

Then why don’t I move away, she scolds herself, Think logically, Xola!

Bowing her head down in embarrassment, Xola casts her eyes to the side to hide her gaze and give some respect to the higher ranking male in front of her.

“I-I’m fine, Keefe. Just making sure everyone is in tip-top shape,” her voice somehow managed to be quieter than usual, “How are you this morning? Feeling well?”

The elegant night-based female was incredibly tempted to respond with her own tease, but decided against it. Now was the time to be professional, no matter how much she wished to act like a month old pup around the male and just enjoy herself. Though, maybe…

“Sleep well, you mischievous crow?”

Yeah, that was not her best tease. One of her worst, actually. In reality, it just caused more embarrassment for her. Her heart began to race faster than it had moments ago. However, she forced striking eyes up to meet his own – shoving the emotion down to the lowest pits of her mind as best she could.

Taking a moment to steady her beating heart through calming and (hopefully) unnoticed breaths, the healer began to feel a prickling along her spine – like an army of spiders had begun marching through her fur. Twitching one of her still pinned ears, she averts her gaze away from the male for a few seconds to find the source of this feeling. Sitting a little ways away from the pair sat a stunning white female with dark gray eyes. Her white and gray fur waved as she just sat there, unmoving – eyes sharp and piecing, and focusing directly on the night-shaded female with what she could only presume was malice.

The healer flinches at her gaze, turning her head back to the handsome male before her. Taking a few seconds to think, she settles on the decision of not telling nor hinting at the exchange the two females just had. Whatever… that was would stay between her and the warrior, and her and the warrior alone. There was no need to get anyone else involved for the time being. She just hoped that they could work through the “issue” without much conflict.

Keefe snorted at her tease, gently bumping her shoulder with his.

"You always were terrible at coming up with insults," he laughed, licking his paw. "Absolutely terrible."

He heaved a sigh, returning his attention to her earlier question, before the jest.

"Sleep? Ha. I slept poorly, but I'll get over it. It's just a lot of stuff going on. Let me know if you need anything, ok?"

He held her gaze for a long moment, and then gave her a toothy grin, turning away, and carefully grooming down his tail.

"Catch you later, butterfly," he called over his shoulder, heading towards where some of the warriors were gathered. The first one he chose to spoke to was an old friend of his, Malumbra. They had fought side by side many time, and he was glad to see her.

Tossing his head jokingly, he flopped down beside her, glancing up at her face.

"Mal," he said in a light tone, teasing her with the nickname. "How was patrol yesterday? Everything go well? I'm sorry I haven't spent as much time with you. With all the drama with Nightlock Pack, I just haven't had time. But I'm here now."

Pulling her down next to him, he started to gently groom her pale coat, working out the dirt and gravel.

"Tell me how you're doing," he insisted, most of the teasing gone from his voice." I want to know how you're doing, what's going on in your life."

Malumbra | Female | Warrior | Lunar Pack | M: Keefe, Xola [ind]

Malumbra's scowl shifted to a guilty look as Xola caught her glaring at her, and she quickly got to her feet, padding away from the two wolves, heading for the warrior gathering. The cloudy weather matched her mood perfectly, adding to it with the humidity. Her scowl came back as another wave of humid air hit her, and her eye scar began itching and burning. She sighed with annoyance, pausing to scratch at it with a paw. It always acted up on humid days like this, sometimes even impedding her usefulness on a scout with it's intensity, ever since that fateful battle. Her face a storm cloud of frustration and moodiness she sat down just outside the group of warriors, scratching at her eye again.
A few minutes later she heard a familiar set of paws padding towards her and quickly reset her face, trying not to look as guilty as she felt as she turned to face Keefe. She forced a smile at his teasing, and even through her frustration her heart skipped a beat at the sound of his nickname for her. She shrugged uncommitally "Pretty basic, to tell the truth, we could scent a couple Nightlock wolves near the border, but that's to be expected. Other than that it's quiet." she said, her eyes softening as he apologized "It's ok, I get it, you have a lot of responsibilities now."
She let out a light surprised growl as he pulled her down beside him, then began moving his tongue over her soft coat. Her heart beat multiplied, and she was sure he must be able to hear it.
"Snap out of it, he's the alpha now. Get your head out of the clouds" a voice scolded her in her mind, and she blinked, relaxing her body as she lay her head on her paws with a sigh. "Well" she said, almost reluctant to let down her guard, even to an old friend, "You know how it is for me in this weather, so not all that great" she continued in a wry voice. She had tried keeping her thoughts and feelings bottled up for so long, but here, with Keefe, she felt like she could tell him almost anything. And she had to tell someone. "Keefe" she said suddenly, all joking fleeing her voice "You remember the day i got this scar, but did you know that ever since then not a single wolf, well besides you, Ghost and the healer of course, have spoken a full sentence to me?" then her sarcasticness returned "Oh and i heard of this wonderful new game the pups have, it's called "The Mark of Evil", and apparently it's all about a group of the pups hunting down one pup with a marked eye. I wonder where that came from?" Her eyes were bitter while she spoke, then she glanced over at the Alpha. "I don't know why I told you. I shouldn't have." she said, abruptly sitting up. "Just forget it, it's not like it really matters."

Solaris || Male || Nightlock Pack || Hunter || M: Mairea, Murel, Aurea

The larger male continued to stare down at the much silver-laden female as he waited for an answer – his mind wandering slightly as he did. The size between the two was laughable. To him, the beta was essentially a new apprentice who had yet to grow into her fur. But, he dared not to underestimate or disrespect her. She was beta for a reason. She could handle herself – even against a wolf such as he.

A sudden shift in her gaze caught his attention, bringing him back to the present. Her eyes now carried a mischievous glimmer to them, and to say he was surprised was in understatement. This was not an emotion he had not been expecting from the higher ranking female. Let alone one that would be aimed at him of all wolves. He was not one for pleasantries, or conversation in general. Nor was he one for spending time with those he held little trust for. So, seeing this emotion within the eyes of a wolf he barely had any interactions with before now? It was confusing. But, he made no remark nor particularly notable outward expression that would hint towards this emotion. The only response one could possibly see would be a smidge of movement as he leans forward to study the look. The slightest flash of curiosity flaring up deep within his sunny hues attempts to mimic his action, but it was gone as soon as it appeared.

She moved the moment he made his inquiry, standing and turning around to stalk off. Her tail flicked a signal – one that he recognized as “follow me” – which proceeded to gently slap him across his lowered face. In response, the sun-bleached male jerked his head backwards, scrunching up his pitch black nose. Not in distaste or anything of the sort. Just a reflective action from a movement he was not suspecting… and from a single white hair that decided to stick to it.

The large male released a sneeze around the time the alluring wintery female began walking forth. It didn’t take much for him to catch up with her – a step or two was all that was really needed for him to be right at her heels. He kept his eyes set on what lay ahead of them rather than the female herself when she began her explanation. He found himself being quite surprised by the amount of power her voice held. Not because she was small or anything, he just wasn’t expecting it… okay, yeah, it was her size. He’ll admit it – inwardly, anyway. Never before had he heard such strength within a voice before, let alone from someone as petite as her. Even the voices of some of the other, taller “higher ups” held nothing comparable to his.

His wandering mind and shifted gaze cost him in that moment, as the beta abruptly stopped before him – causing the burly male to nearly flatten the poor thing. His broad chest bumped into her back end, paw hanging in mid step and ears back in uncertainty.

Mairea’s question came just as suddenly as her pause. Cocking his side gently to the side, he listened intently to her words (and proceeded to place his paw down in order to not look like some bumbling buffoon). Honestly, he could understand her concern. While Solaris cared very little for the “weak links” within the pack, he had a… certain soft spot for the hunters. Among them, of course, was Auera. A wolf that, while being seemingly eccentric, did manage to earn the respect of the male throughout their time hunting together. And that injury of hers… there was no doubt that it caused him worry on some days.

Before he could provide any sort of wordless answer to the beta, she continued to ramble – almost as though she were talking to a wolf that wasn’t even there. Typically, this sort of constant conversation would have… bugged the sun-painted giant, but he’d let it slide due to its topic and his reinstated curiosity. The tilting of his head intensifies and his ears finally arch forwards from their backwards position.

Of all the things that he had been expecting to come from her, an apology was not one of them. Straightening himself out instantly, he stares down at the stunning, silver wolf before him with slightly constricted eyes. She was just full of surprises, wasn’t she?

With renewed vigor, she began to move once more towards the other hunters of the pack – leaving Solaris behind for a second or two as he simply stared after her in disbelief. Finally coming out of his stocked state, he trotted after her and fell back into step within a matter of seconds. Though, he stayed a few inches further back to prevent himself from running her over again… and to avoid getting slapped by her tail.

They arrived at their destination in no time (in Mairea’s standards, anyway), coming to a complete stop beside the beta and in front of the two huntresses that… were still asleep. The sun-stricken male was starting to second guess his high praises of these two.

A quiet snarl resonated from the large male in slight annoyance as his ears partially flattened (man, he really had a thing for ear movements), relaying his thoughts better than words ever could. Really? Sleeping in? Today of all days? Pathetic swine. Stop embarrassing yourselves and get up! We have a job to do.

The shining female beside him, however, handled the situation in a much … friendlier manner – simply clearing her throat to get the attention of two slumbering females. His snarl stopped at this time, but his expression remained sharp and disappointed. While he would allow Auera some leniency in this, there was no excuse for younger Muriel. And, while he was basically in no position to do so, he was going to make her work for her laziness. One way or another.

Snoozing the fields of floral was a reddish-coated male, resting on his back with his belly exposed to the Sun. Bláth's front paws were tucked against his chest, and his hindquarters sprawled out. His tail that was on the ground was stiff as can be, his sides rising and falling at a steady pace. If you listen closely, you can hear the young male snore. It's quiet but still detectable if you listen closely. As he was in a deep sleep, a butterfly appeared to drink from the flowers. It fluttered over Bláth head for a minute before settling on his lips. It was an adorable sight to behold to those who bear witness: the young male in a blissful slumber and his butterfly companion. Well. It was before Bláth's mouth snapped open and swallowed the insect whole. As his tongue tasted the awful flavor, Bláth's eyes shot open and rolled onto his side, trying to spit out what remained from his mouth. He shook his head displeasingly, making continuous gagging sounds as the taste lingered. "Ugh, gross. I think I swallowed a bug." Bláth made one more heave before resting his head on the bed of crushed flowers, sneezing as the pollen forced its way into his nostrils.

The Sun was partially covered by the clouds that threatened to rain, yet he wasn't too bothered, wanting the rain to come to help his flowers grow. Bláth rolled onto his back, stretching and listening to the sound of the woodlands surrounding him. It was peaceful and soothing to the nerves. Now, he's going to ruin it since he's awakened. No one is allowed to have peace when he's not around. That's most certainly forbidden! As he moved to his paws, he shifted into a sitting position and scratched behind his ear. With the movement, a yellow mist left his coat, spreading before disappearing the more expanded it became. "I'm dirty. Filthy," he grumbled, shaking himself off, "time for a bath. I'm not licking dander while my tongue is suffering still." Bláth stretched again, bending downwards with his rump in the air, his tail curling as he felt his body loosen. His absence from the camp would cause a disturbance and gain the alpha's annoyance with his lack of information. Although, wouldn't that be a good thing for her to get a mini vacation with his departure? She won't be that mad...right? Bláth gave one final shake before prancing toward the rival, yet his brain begged him to sleep.

Bláth hesitantly ignored it, wanting to focus on getting clean before the mad sneezing occurred. When a deer darted past him, Bláth halted and watched it for a bit, his stomach grumbling in hunger. Finally, he shrugged and carried on as if the deer didn't exist, literally standing inches away from him. He was hungry and would enjoy the taste of fresh-caught meat, yet it wasn't his job to hunt. His laziness knows no bounds, even when he needs to eat. Bláth preferred his food to be caught by others as it was their stamina they were wasting, and he won't even give thank them for it. It was their job, a simple act of duty. They don't deserve such gratitude from him. Thinking about it all made him internally snarl, viewing the hunters as nothing but assets and unimportance. Warriors are beneficial, but as meat shields, as their lives are risked for his sake, with Bláth not having to lift a single claw to guard his vitality. Truly. Being around others was tiresome, mainly when they arrived at camp and were severely injured from whatever foolish actions they did. His whole demeanor was different than before, with an empty glare in his eyes of brown. The male wasn't in the best of moods.

Realizing that someone can detect his new expression, Bláth flipped it back quickly, giving his head a rough shake that nearly knocked him over. His mask is back on to hide his true feelings. He starts to skip with his steps, the light in his eyes beaming with joy. He loved his packmates. He's thankful for their aid. Bláth adores their presence. Whatever fake positive attitudes he could muster to make his lively aura strong enough to hide his true feelings. To make it believable. Bláth hummed a random jolly tune as his skipping intensified.