Running in the Same Direction {Nelio}

[Tawny <3]

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[atrb=background,http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd415/Somatra1/tback-2.jpg] [scrolly:h(370), w(340),sy] Nighttime was a beautiful thing, especially in a place just as beautiful as the cove. She could barely see the stars from where she had perched herself within the tangled roots of one of the trees that the forest held. The branches above were very thick, blocking out most of the light from what she could tell. Her copper flecked, silver eyes could see through the dark just fine, however, as she had been laying there in the roots for quite some time. For once, her hallucinations decided to leave her alone, give her some time to herself. The performance had gone exceptionally well, much better than even she herself had ever expected. Her hallucinations had obeyed her all throughout the performance, leaving there to be such a good reaction to them afterwords. It had exhausted her thoroughly, however, which lead to her reason to come out to the forest to give herself some time to rest and to think. Her head hurt enough already, but she couldn't help but go through her own thoughts of so many different things that had been occurring lately. Her mind mostly resided on Nelio. She didn't understand why she was having feelings for him, feelings stronger than that of just a friend or a sister. They had known one another for a very long time and had started this circus together. However, he had a mate, he already had someone to love. As much as it pained her to know such things, because her own feelings for him had bloomed into such a beautiful, yet lonely, flower, there was nothing that she could do about it. She would have to move on, find someone else, only...she wasn't so sure that she could do something like that. Tawny sighed, curling tighter around herself within the roots of the tree. She wished she could just tell him how she felt without ruining anything, but she didn't know what would happen if she were to attempt such a thing. Her heart pounded at the thought of being with the male, and ached because she knew she couldn't be. She didn't want to ruin the relationship she already had with him, yet wanted him to know that she loved him more than a friend. The Cael rested her cheek on one of the branches beneath her and the tears slowly slid out from her eyes, running through her fur and leaving trails on her hairs. There really was nothing that she could do...was there? [/scrolly]

[Nelio]

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[bg=00c5cd] Lio would be full of falsehood if he said the territory owned by the Accord was not a beautiful place indeed. They had the perfect combination of land, from forests that were rich in prey and natural cover, as well as cliffs as a natural defense, and their water, while not the rolling wonderous water of the cove was lovely to swim in regardless. His heart did remain in the Cove with the lovely blue waters and white sands, the roll and crash of the waves lulling him into sleep at night, it was enough to make his heart sing with home sickness. He was content to know that the performance had gone on as good as could be expected for their first time, he knew things could have gone better but they could have indeed been disastrous. His hope was that the Accord would continue to invite them back or give them shelter if they could continuously provide them with entertainment from stories of their travels to performances, and he hoped that he could count on future packs providing the same thing. So it was with these thoughts that Lio was traipsing through the forest of the Accord’s lands, he had found himself a rather juicy rabbit and had enjoyed it thoroughly. Although he loved the salty prey of the Cove it was nice to have something that had fattened itself on the earth around it giving it specific flavoring. He was also on the hunt for one of his group mates, Tawny to be exact. She had been on his mind nearly constantly, and though Dreamith was around he felt distance between them, and not in a good way. No matter what Crow said he knew the male and Tor had something going on, and Lio could not begrudge the male a chance to reconcile with the female without him in the way. He had become so much closer to Tawny then he ever expected, after they weathered the storm together on Taryn Island in the Cove, and even traveling he made she had everything she could need to help her deal with the hallucinations and as he had told her she did fine with them. He was high stepping it through the forest, his silver metallic eyes searching for her, his tail wagging back and forth with his excitement and anticipation about seeing her. Crow had asked him what was going on between himself and Tawny and if he was honest with himself, he really didn’t know. When he had first met her they had shared a pack before although they had not known much about each other, then she became like a sister and best friend to him and now…now he felt so much more to her. He knew that she was so cautious about anyone getting close to her after all, she had lost her sister, her family, multiple times. He couldn’t just come in and out of her life willy nilly, and doing it several times. But it would seem every situation he got into was complicated, even though he had taken Dreamith as a mate, he felt her absences, mental and otherwise and their differences more than ever. He also felt himself pulling away from her, and while he knew Tor was infatuated with him, and he definitely with her, they had not had the time alone together to allow it to bloom into something more. Then there was Crow to add to that whole situation, and there were times with the two of them that just made him want to slam his head into the beach sand until he could no longer see the glares or not so subtle actions that they were spitting back and forth at each other. No, with Tawny things were easier, simpler and they always had been besides the fact that he could not simply walk in and out of her life like he had others. He knew it would break her heart after all they had already gotten so close to each other he knew it would probably hurt her even now if he walked away from her. But of this he had no intention of doing. His nose twitched slightly as he moved through the forest and if anyone happened to run in to him, they would find him to look like any other timber wolf, natural, brown and unobtrusive. Truth be told he would never be a fine warrior, his body was built for speed in the water, and even though he had trained on land, his musculature did not make him excel on land, sometimes if he did not concentrate or did not feel well he was more than likely to stumble here or there. Finally, he found her scent, his ears perked forward and his smile grew even larger, it would be just like her to find a place outside of the pack’s den area to be by herself, out here in nature, closer to food, closer to solitude. But Lio had no intention of letting her be alone, not if he could help it, he knew since these hallucinations started that she had been trying to withdraw from everyone and everything but Lio wanted to be her lifeline back into things and make it so she could be happy and a part of the Circus, even though she fulfilled her duties he still knew she stayed on the outskirts not getting close to anyone and he never wanted her to feel like she was totally alone. Her scent finally got stronger near the bottom of a mangled tree and he tilted his head as he tried to peer into the branches. Finally he saw her eyes blink and knew that it could be no other than Tawny..”Tawny…” He peered closer to the roots, and even managed to hear a slight sniffle, and his eyes tilted in concern. “What bothers you to this point Tawny?” He growled at the roots blocking his view of her and grabbed up a smaller, thinner portion with his teeth and claws and pulled until he heard the wood breaking and giving way beneath him. Pushing it to the side he pushed his head down close to hers, only to see marks and trails of tears on her muzzle. He whined slightly, “You’re crying..” He reached down to try to attempt to lick her tears away and push his head against hers in a sign of comfort if she would let him, his eyes full of concern and caring for her as he looked down on her. The little moon shining a little light on her den of shadows so that he could see the light reflected in her eyes as he stared down at her, silence overtaking them both.

[Tawny <3]

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[atrb=background,http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd415/Somatra1/tback-2.jpg] [scrolly:h(370), w(340),sy] Her claws dug into the soft dirt beneath her paws, creating tiny little divots within them, deepening the pocket between the roots. She only wished she could make herself forget about everything, lose the thoughts within her mind. She didn't want to think like this, think of her closest friend, someone she had once loved as a brother, as something ultimately more. She felt...dirty, as though she were covered in the slime from the lake's bottom that she had swam through earlier in the day. All of the algae and the sticky weeds clung to her fur, and was incredibly difficult to get out of her fur. That was how she felt, though her mind had the feeling. Mugged down and slow. She despised the feeling more so than she did the hallucinations that followed her around very often. Tawny was glad that, for once, the hallucinations had left her alone. They pestered her so much on a normal basis that it irritated her to no extent. Not to mention that the three pink fish were a constant eyesore. The brown fur along her back and neck rose as she thought of them somehow coming back to her in this moment. She was exhausted, though, so she kept the power at bay fairly well. For now, at least. Her breathing became heavy and uneven as she began to cry, not catching the scent nor the sounds of her approaching friend. She desperately wanted to wipe the tears away with her filthy paws, but she couldn't even bring herself to lift her leg up high enough in order to do such a thing. The Cael loved water very much, but this kind of water was something she wished she had never encountered in her life. She disliked feeling weak. Her head shot up from where it rested at the sound of her name, leaking eyes opening wide and ears pricking high to find Nelio merely feet away from where she had nestled herself within the roots of the tree. For a few moments, she found herself simply staring at him, unable to make her mouth move and her words form. "I'm f-fine." Dammit, there was her screw up. If there was one thing that anyone could know about her...it was that she never stuttered. Ever. She never cried either. When something like this occurred, there was something else obviously wrong. The one weakness she hated so much about herself was that whenever she cried or stuttered, something was very wrong to make her that way. Those whom really knew her knew that this much was true. Whether Nelio was aware of it or not, she didn't know, but she was sure he would be. Tawny did not want him to know she was hurting, and definitely didn't want to share the reason for her pain. She was extremely afraid of losing the relationship that she had with him, something that she adored to no extent. She loved him, in more ways than one, but could not find it within herself to admit that to him. It pained her to know that she wouldn't do it, ever. He had a mate, he had someone else to love on this level. He didn't need her for that. As the thought went through her head, it caused her to flinch. He didn't need her. That sentence hurt in itself more than most other things could, unless he said them to her himself. He wouldn't, though, he couldn't... Could he? She pondered the possibility of him ever doing that. Everyone had their darker side, but she wondered if he could stoop that low. She came from her own mind as his tongue swiped across her face to clean the marks of the tears that continued to roll through her fur. She scrambled to the side, making some room for him if he wished to join her. Her ears went flat against her head, and she shook her muzzle slightly. "Do n-not fret... It's n-nothing." Tawny couldn't stop herself from stuttering, and she was very unsure as to why. As much as she loved the male in front of her, she couldn't put her facade on again. Perhaps that was it. He was so easy to be around in many different ways, and perhaps showing the true emotion that she bottled up inside was one of those easy things to do. She appreciated the opportunity to do so every now and then, and not have to do it alone. However, she didn't want him to see her like this. She was a complete mess, at least in her own eyes. [/scrolly]

[Nelio]

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[bg=00c5cd] Even in the shadows of the roots he could see her eyes, every beautiful speckle within them, and they were set in a very smooth and beautiful face. The fact that she was crying at all bothered him intensely, he had to wonder what was making her so very uneasy and uncomfortable. He knew that she still might be trying to handle her hallucinations in a better way, as they had made the trip entirely unpleasant for her. He had stood by and watched and tried to be there for her in any way he could, attempting to take care of her, do the right thing and provide her with extra strength. One thing that he had to fight his nature with with Tawny was her sheer stubborness. She refused to be taken over by any emotions, any difficulties, yet she had pursued for him, for the Circus, for everyone else involved. She had even become more apt to more involved with other members, and not quite so separate. Lio wanted desperately for her to feel more at home not only with him but with the others, little did he know she was more attached to him than she had been before. His ears came to attention when she stuttered and cried, and he knew something was obviously wrong, he had heard her stutter once before, when she had seemingly lost her sister Jade, and he knew she had cried many tears over losing the only family she had. For this he could not blame her. He had done his fair share of mourning first when his sister had left the pack and then we he had become separated from his own family. Little did he know when he had joined their old pack that he would have found a female that he could see himself growing old with. He had this image of them both sitting in a green valley re-living their adventures and performances, of course this had only happened after they had spent many a year traveling together, enjoying the different climates the different lands, everything around them. Just like he found the Accord’s lands beautiful they were no match for the female he was looking down on right now. His tail wagged enthusiastically as he looked down on her. It saddened him to know that she was so upset by something, and as usual she pulled away from him and everyone who she could have gone to to talk to about the problem. His ears went back and his tail stopped its happy motion, a small whine and whimper emitted itself from his throat as he attempted to comfort her in any way possible, his eyes glimmering with love and compassion for her. When she moved over under the roots for him to be able to come in beside her he scooted in as close as possible and placed his head and neck over hers and pulled her close. He inhaled her scent, felt the plush of her pelt against his and the sound that came from his throat was one of pure joy. It was so comfortable, and so easy with Tawny and he hardly ever questioned it, but it was within this moment he knew no other female could replace her. No matter how passionate or full of lust he was for others, she held such a special place in his heart. “Don’t placate me Tawny, I know there is something so desperately wrong right now. First of all you never cry, I know why you would isolate yourself during this time but you don’t stutter and cry all alone because nothing is wrong. I know you Tawny and I care about you so much…” He didn’t quite know why he was so worried about her other than caring about her and Crow’s curious question came back to him, what was up with him and Tawny? If his pack brother saw something going on, was it so obvious to others? Also, if it was so obvious how was it that he and Tawny hadn’t noticed it…or maybe just that he hadn’t noticed it. If he looked into his heart of hearts he knew the brown female was sitting right there, waiting for him. However, he dared not go to her and tell her anything, for fear that he would ruin the last good relationship she was hanging on to. He could always say it would make things better between them, more connection and communication but he also couldn’t force her to believe him either….this was the mental hell Lio lived in when it came to matters of the heart, more specifically his heart. Pushing his muzzle down into her fur he smoothed her out in some places and finally whispered, “Even if you don’t want to tell me…lay here with me?” With a soft sigh of contentment he curled around her tightly, protectively, and knew he would fight until death to make sure she was alright and safe. [[Sorry it’s short…bugger muse ran out on me early.]]

[Tawny <3]

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[atrb=background,http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd415/Somatra1/tback-2.jpg] [scrolly:h(370), w(340),sy] Tawny was rather mortified. She only shed her tears whenever Nelio was around, and she only trusted him to see her in such a state. She was supposed to be strong, or at least she had convinced herself of needing to be. It pained her to know that she could be weak, that she did have the ability to break apart and cry as she was now. She did not want to be that way, and she could only assume it was the afflictions of her current emotions that was making her such. The Cael wondered if forgetting all about this and moving on would be better for her, but such a thought was extremely difficult to fathom with said affliction standing mere feet away from her. Her head was beginning to pound, blood thudding painfully within her ears. She felt so estranged in those moments, feeling as though she had never fit in to begin with, and that was somewhat the case... Tawny desperately wanted to spill her pain, her fears, and her feelings to the male in front of her. However, she couldn't bring herself to even look at him while thinking how much she loved him. He was claimed by someone else and there was nothing that she could do about that. It caused her heart to ache, knowing that there was finally one thing she could not tell him. All of the dreams the pair had together as it was, growing old and telling stories to little pups for fun once they were done with their traveling years. She wondered how far away that was, and if she would still love him the same way she did now. She was far from sure that she would move on, since her connection with him was deeper than the one that she'd ever had with her sister Jade. He had been there for her when she had vanished more than once, never leaving her side for any reason. The female was all too joyful, on the inside, when he came in close to her. She pressed herself into his pelt as far as she could, wanting to escape within the beautiful brown and cream locks. She returned the sound of happiness that emitted from his throat, feeling her tears slowly beginning to diminish. She was calming down, her breathing reaching a level of normalcy and her heart rate returning back to its original state. She never questioned the way Nelio made her feel, how he seemed to have this uncanny ability to calm her down when she couldn't calm herself. She tried to bury herself within his fur, wanting to lose herself in it and never come out. If she could lay here with him forever, then she would seize the opportunity in a split second. Tawny thought of his words as he scolded her for attempting to lie to him. She never could and she knew that all too well, for he knew her too well. She wanted to tell him everything, and immediately her mind began spinning, the wheels in her head churning. There was a way to get around telling him directly of her love for him, perhaps by merely asking the question that was on her mind. "Very well, Lio..." She felt almost embarrassed by the words ready to exit her mouth. "Have you ever fallen in love with someone you can't have?" It pained her to ask it, especially in a way she was lying to him about how she felt. It hurt, and if he knew of anything that she felt, she was sure that everything would be ruined between them. The Cael waited patiently, holding her breath almost painfully. She merely nodded. She would lay with him any moment within her lifetime without hesitation. [/scrolly]

[Nelio]

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[bg=00c5cd] As all was said and done Lio kept remembering Crow coming up to him before the performance and asking him what was “up” with him and Tawny. He had sneakily avoided the question, instead bringing his attention to the performance and even the situation between Crow and Tor. He knew something was going on there…and as possessive as he felt over the beautiful younger female, he could tell that her heart wavered when it came to him. For once Lio felt as though he was just someone that people swooned over for a period of time. Females were infatuated with him, and most of them loved to be around him for the sheer sake that he pampered females, and he loved being around. However, he found that more often than not they came and went, hell Dreamith had come and gone twice now. As much as Lio loved adventure, and turning things up and down in his life, he was starting to realize that he wanted a constant in his life…and Tawny well…she had turned out to be much more than a constant to him. It was she who had stood by his side through all the planning, she who had traveled despite her “condition” and it was she who reassured him, and was loyal only to him. It had bothered him when Crow had so blatantly pointed out that there might have been something there, but Lio was a fool if he even thought for a moment he hadn’t fallen for Tawny. Lio knew that Tawny would rather die than to see anyone else when she was in a state as this. In fact he could only remember her crying in front of him, she let him see her at her weakest moments, and how would it look, both of them curled under the roots of the tree? Lio cared not if anyone saw them, he would not be moved from Tawny’s side for any such reason other than her sending him away. Even then he was not so sure he could abide her wishes if it meant leaving her alone with her tears and pain that seemed to torment her so. The fact that she would not look at him made him believe he had done something wrong, and while he ached to be close to her, and to tell her that she was the one who haunted his dreams and waking thoughts he simply said softly, with a slight choked voice, “Have I done something to upset you Tawny?” He thought for a long moment and resigned himself to continuing, “I know the traveling has been hard on you…and through our journey many things have changed…have you noticed them all too? Changes with the other members I mean..” Trying as quickly as possible to try to cover up his comment he looked up through the roots at the moon above them. Suddenly though she came closer to him, snuggling in deep against him and he couldn’t help but close his eyes in contentment, and a low sound escaped his muzzle as she mimicked his sound of happiness. Could it be? Was she just as happy as he was to be snuggled up together like this? For the longest moment as she inched closer and pushed herself deep within his fur he was more than content to let her. The closer she was the more he got to be covered in her scent, the warmth of her body pressed against his was making him more than content to be there. His ears had picked up on the fact that her sniffling had ceased, and her heart was not pounding like a panicked rabbit within her chest. Here, in the cover of the roots, with the only light being that of the moon they lay, and he was happier knowing that his presence made all the difference to her mood and how she was feeling. Small sound of happiness escaped his maw and his tail beat furiously into the ground away from them, like the cadence of a happy drummer to which it’s beat could not be contained. His ears perked when she seemed to concede to telling him what was wrong and he pulled himself up from laying on top of her essentially to make eye contact with her. Their eyes were two sets of metallic color, just as their tales were, and he had a moment of realizing that though they may have had similar brown pelts, their eyes and tales were nearly the exact opposite and perhaps that was why he felt so strongly for her. Though they were opposite they did seem to be made for each other. His ears perked forward as she spoke and eventually asked him a question…’Have you ever fallen in love with someone you can’t have?’ He swallowed at the question as he looked down on her, and realized that she was holding her breath as she awaited an answer. Had she fallen for him? Would it be egomaniacal to hope for such a thing? Perhaps he could circle about an answer and get more details? “I am not so sure Tawny…I mean in my case I think love is easily mistaken for lust and many people..females especially see what they want to see instead of what is really there. Sometimes people don’t see a person, they just see what that person can do for you or how they can make you feel…” “I mean take Tor, I do care for her, I think she is a beautiful wolf with a very wonderful heart. The way we communicate is different than how I communicate with anyone else, but I wouldn’t say I was in love with her. I also see that there is something going on between her and Crow, whether they want to see it or not. Sometimes it’s not a matter of not being able to have someone…as much as not being able to see how to have them..” He looked down for a long moment, scratching at the soft dirt around them, “Take Dreamith and I…I courted her when we were all members of The Clan…but then she disappeared and I left…when she returned I thought I could pick up where we left off, and for a while I thought I did love her. But here we are and gone again she is, I‘d be a fool to tell you that I thought it was going to work out. I have realized that while I may enjoy some instability, traveling into the unknown I have recently realized I want someone…stable.” He pushed his eyes up into hers, noticing that she seemed to be waiting for him, to speak, to say something to push the air from her lungs and so he continued…”I want someone who I know I love..but that isn’t all, I want someone who has stood by me, someone who understands my dreams, and shares them. Someone who won’t leave at the drop of the hat or when things get too hard, someone with whom I share a deep bond, deeper than anything either of us have experienced…” the unsaid portion of his speech was, ‘someone….like you..’ but instead he let the silence surround them as he looked into her eyes, “But I suppose to answer you…this wolf would have to have me as well, and I don’t think she would…so I guess I do know what it is like to love someone you can’t have…”

[Tawny <3]

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[atrb=background,http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd415/Somatra1/tback-2.jpg] [scrolly:h(370), w(340),sy] The gray winds of winter nipped at the edges of the valley in the dead of night, being dragged away by the chain spring had around its neck. Warmth emanated not only from the male beside her and the ground beneath her, but from the center area within her chest. Her heart burned, whether from pain, love, or even mere joy with his presence, and it was not something that she could even begin to push away. It was more of a reaction that her body forced upon her rather than a reaction she wanted to have. It dictated itself, leaving no room for her own opinion to cause any effect on it. It hurt, almost, to know that there was little she could do she halt the way she felt, about him and about herself. She wondered if the others even noticed her change, as she had noticed theirs. Everyone had moved on, gotten stronger, come closer to one another. Yet...the only thing she had managed to snag was an irritating power and feelings for someone she knew she could not have. Tawny was taken aback by his question, feeling her heart twist as though someone used it like dough. She could not fathom a reason that he would think he had done anything wrong and it was harming to her heart to hear that he thought he had done something wrong. Well...this was not really true. He had fraternized with the other females in their group, and while she wanted so desperately to pass that off as mere flirting, lust, and natural tendencies, she couldn't help but let it get to her. It crawled under her skin painfully, scratching at the surface and threatening to explode, scattering her own blood in the small space. Her skin was hot, from rage and something else, something she could not identify. "No." She snapped, almost angrily, even in denial. "You have done nothing wrong, never have and I refuse to believe you ever will." He was her closest friend, and she loved him more than anything else in this world. What reason did she have to believe he would hurt her? "Yes, I've noticed the changes..." That was all she said to that, wanting not to focus on the others. She was content and felt safe there, laying beside him. She wanted to burrow deep within his fur and never come out ever again. She wanted to hide there within his pelt, the place where she found comfort and solace in her hardest times. This was the only place she had ever found solace, the only place she would run to when she was in pain and on the verge of losing so many tears. Nelio was her safety haven and she would not trade him for anything in this world, but her hopes were dashed when she knew there was a great chance the male did not return her feelings. It would kill her if he didn't return those feelings. She knew he loved her, but she knew it was only as a brother, a friend. She knew that he did not love her in the way that she loved him and that he never would. In the off chance that he did, she could already imagine herself skyrocketing to the clouds above in her incredible joy. For now, however, her paws were rooted to the ground. When he began to provide answers to her question, Tawny listened intently, searching for something in his voice that would give away the one thing she wanted to hear. However, when he went off to give examples of himself and others, she felt her heart ripping itself apart little by little. She knew of him and Tor, of him and Dreamith. This was why she could not have him, he already had a mate, he already had a love. He did not need her for that. Her breath was caught in her chest, waiting for a pressure to push the air out of her lungs. She wanted to breathe, but couldn't bring herself to do so. Just see someone for what they can do? She supposed that was something normal, considering what she had seen as far as Dreamith went. Perhaps it was her own feelings and her self centered mind that made her want to believe these things, but she had seen with her own eyes that Dreamith could hardly love him as the brown furred female could. She was jealous though, and she knew that impaired her own judgement. She felt her heart skip as he described the one person he wanted to love, to be with, and she could only begin comparing herself to those points. She had stood by him, understood his dreams, and she even shared them to an extent. There was nothing she wanted more than for him to be happy with his decisions in life, and she would do anything to make the Circus succeed. She refused to leave when things got tough, and instead pushed through them as stubborn as she always was. She shared a mutually deep bond with him, though she was unsure how deep his love for her was as hers was for him. She could sense the pain in his voice as their gazes interlocked, speaking of someone he knew he could not have. She had a hunch in her heart that it was herself, considering the other two had already come and gone in his own life, but she would not make any assumptions. However, the words left her mouth before she could stop them, her heart only hoping that he would understand her real meaning behind the words, especially the lack of it being friends. "Do you love me as I love you, Lio?" She was instantly mortified, body rigid, eyes wide, and fur on end at the words that had slipped. She had never intended him to hear them. Now everything was ruined... [/scrolly]

[Nelio]

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[bg=00c5cd] Time had marched on for all of his friends and acquaintances seemingly. In the span of time since they had all come to the Cove they had all changed. Some had grown more handsome, or beautiful, some had matured, others had grown muscles and actually grown in to their bodies. But the one thing that hadn’t changed was the sheer fact that they were all tied to each other, one way or another. Crow and Raynor had made friends, seemingly to help him survive the separation from the lovely Tor, he and Tawny had grown closer..much closer than he ever thought possible. Everyone had found their own way to bond back and forth and bring the ties that bound even closer together. Lio was still amazed that his idea was actually coming to fruition in a way he had never expected. Originally the Circus was supposed to only be Caella wolves, but he knew that having Crow, and any other member who was not a Cael was more beneficial than it would be harmful and so in his own way he had grown as well. Lio had never saw himself as a leader per say, even though his own family would have groomed him for it, but here he was, leading a group of wolves just as he would have in his own home pack. His eyes searched her face when she snapped at him and told him that he had done nothing wrong. For some reason he did not believe that, with the way he felt about her he had done something wrong. He had entered into a relationship with someone else, and had even remained there knowing each day that his feelings for the other brown Caella were very real and becoming deeper each day. “Everyone makes mistakes Tawny….I think more or less its that we hope someone will forgive us when we do make them…” Should he ask for forgiveness? What if she wouldn’t give it? What if he was the reason she was crying?! His eyes and face fell slightly with the realization that he could be the very reason that she was upset and hurting. His mind went back to their traveling to the Accord’s lands, and he wondered if he had caused her unnecessary strife during their journey, another feeling he could not fight and would never forgive himself for. He felt a small part of his heart crack, as though it would open and spill out it’s contents to the ground in front of her… She seemed so very happy for a moment as she lay next to him, huddled up within his fur, and he couldn’t help but share her feelings. Under the moon, in the still cold lands of the Accord, in this small den like place under the large tree they had found their own small paradise. For within those roots, they had cover, they had warmth in each other, they had company in each other, and all around the scene was more than romantic. Lio had to smile softly as he lay against her, pulling her close. There was something so easy about being with Tawny, be it within the roots of this tree or in the small enclosure they had found on Taryn Island within the Cove during the worst storm they had weathered. He did not so much have to worry about anything he said being stupid or out of line, Tawny had stuck with him this far, and he couldn’t imagine her leaving him. In fact the very idea that she might go off and find a mate of her own…being with someone other than him, made the hairs on his spine bristle in annoyance. She just couldn’t go…he wouldn’t…he couldn’t handle the idea even let alone the reality. In the moment they shared, when he was looking into her eyes and there was silence he was afraid. Neither one of them seemed to want to breathe, to shatter the moment that they were sharing in that moment. He knew then that she was afraid, afraid that he might hurt her, or say the wrong thing, and here he was afraid that she didn’t want him after all he had done and been through. They were essentially two cowards who were more than in love with the other and terrified to admit it. If he wasn’t already caught in the middle of the situation and a serious player he might have been able to stand back and see the sheer humor and insanity of the situation. But being what it was he knew there was no way he could make light of things, not now. Now was no time for anything but the most absolute of honesty and as if it could be questioned as to who and what they were talking about Tawny made quick work of that when her muzzle opened and seemingly beyond her own intention asked the question that essentially was on both of their minds at that point. She looked terrified that she had even said it, beyond what his answer would be and Lio knew that now more than ever delicacy was required. ‘Do you love me as I love you..?’ Then in reality she did love him, he knew that she cared for him after all, he took care of her through all of her bad times and struggles. But the way she looked when she had asked it made Lio believe that she meant it as more than that, and he knew, looking into her wide eyes and seeing her puffed out in fear that he did love her. He loved the idea of being together with her, caring for her, even fighting with her sheer stubborn nature to love her. His face softened as he looked at her and he nodded slowly, “I do love you Tawny….before the performance Crow asked me what was going on between us….and I avoided the question because maybe it was something I didn’t want to admit to while I thought you only cared for me as a brother or as a friend….I mean don’t get me wrong, I love you Tawny, I love taking care of you, protecting you, making your tears go away, but I suppose on this journey it became obvious that it was more than a familial love. It was something that grew over time, but I never wanted to make you uncomfortable if you didn’t feel the same way. You let me comfort you in times, but a lot of times I thought you just acted the way a friend would, a close friend. But I can sit here and look into your eyes all night, I could lay here and inhale your scent forever..” He entwined their tails together for a long moment, remembering that stormy day. “I love you Tawny, so much more than a friend….and I would never do anything…well I will never do anything again to let you down, or hurt you…there are none above you, more important to me..” In that he knew he was being honest, with all that had happened with the others, he knew that Tawny was who he was meant to be with, or they wouldn’t have met that day when the sun was kissing the edges of the Cove.

[Tawny <3]

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[atrb=background,http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd415/Somatra1/tback-2.jpg] [scrolly:h(370), w(340),sy] Tawny was having a hard time moving alongside her comrades. She did not want to move on as they were, growing closer to one another in so many different ways. Growing physically, mentally, emotionally. She liked to see how it was happening, as it was a great and wondrous thing to watch people grow, but in some sense of the word she did not like it. She did not like it in the slightest. There was no exact reason as to why she disliked it so much, but...sometimes she just wanted to freeze everything and keep it that way so she could stare at it forever, never lose the feeling in the moments. Like when she and Nelio were caught in the storm. That would be one of the moments she would have frozen in time, in an instant she would've had the photo taken so she could gaze at it forever. She supposed that was what her mind was for. Mistakes....she had made so many of those in her little life, so many that she would never live down. For once, though, she had managed to do something right by this circus. It made her happy to see Nelio happy, and she supposed that had been her ultimate goal all along, and she was glad to see that it had come true in the most beneficial way. She allowed the tears in her eyes to dissipate, but the sadness didn't disappear completely. How happy could she feel if he was happy and, as much as she hated to admit it, better off with someone else? Dreamith was a kind and lovely female...there was no reason Tawny shouldn't be happy for the male she loved so dearly. Perhaps they would be blessed with pups and the golden female could be the godmother... Wanting to shake her head, she pushed those thoughts aside. His fur was like a security blanket to her, a safety haven that she could hide away in forever. If she could merely shrink down to size, then run and hide within the furs of his pelt. She could stay there forever. His scent was like a drug, something she was so addicted to that she would die if she had lost it. She smiled at the thought of such a thing, having such an escape. Tawny felt her heart race horribly, as though she was having a heart attack, as though her heart would explode from her very chest. Was she really hearing what she was hearing, or only what she wanted to hear come from his mouth? Crow...ah, Crow. She'd had her doubts about the male at first, but now she supposed she ought to thank him. At this point, she might not have known how the male felt about her...but she couldn't complain about it. "I am...so glad..." At that point, there were no words that she could begin to form in her mouth anymore. Her heart was ready to burst from her ribcage, but it beat solely on happiness, only on the joy of hearing the words that she had wanted to hear for so long. It made her...so happy. "Lio...it makes me so happy to hear you say that, so happy. I could scream, quite honestly, but I won't...because I don't want anyone else to know we're here." This was her moment of peace, and she wouldn't allow anyone else ruin it for her. This was how she wanted to feel. "But..." A frown formed on her maw, and this was a question she wondered of. "What now?" [/scrolly]

[Nelio]

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[bg=00c5cd] While Lio waited in agony to the answer to his questions and statements his mind began to turn, as it always did. Rarely did he go a moment without thinking about something and at this very moment it was what he really wanted. The Circus was important to him, but it seemed to only truly be important to Tawny and himself, perhaps it was just his charm that allowed him to woo the others into the idea. They were a rag tag bunch of misfits truly, and the idea while it flowed well within his mind and during their performances, the other times had been less than pleasant. He cared deeply about all three females, Tor, and Dreamith and Tawny, but as they traveled together he saw that they were all miserable, and it seemed he had made them so. Dreamith struggled with the idea of sharing him, and Tor while she wanted to be close could not mask her negative feelings for Dreamith. Then there was Tawny who while she tried to be the strong one and fight off feelings had developed them too. So now here he was, alone in a tree with Tawny, the female who had been there at the conception of this horrible idea, who had pushed alongside him to make it work. Who had traveled despite her “gift” coming on right at the onset of their journey. His first mate was gone, abandoning the area, and his second mate had seemingly followed her, unable to deal with the stress of the situation anymore. He couldn’t blame them truly, and he hoped they would each find their own happiness, as he seemingly had with the brown colored female in front of him. The unfortunate thing was, what would they do now? The Circus had all but fallen in on itself after their first performance, and although he knew Tawny was strong she was no in shape to continue traveling, and he couldn’t expect her to. She had her own thoughts, goals and aspirations, and he would no longer ignore those things, mentally he puffed out his chest and accepted the fact that if Tawny wanted to live the rest of her life in the Cove, he would spend that time there with her. To have her so close to him, huddled against his fur was having an obvious effect after all, he was male, but he curled in tighter around her and himself to hide such a fact. Now was not a time to go off like a raving lunatic trying to mate with her a few moments after he declared his love. No Tawny was the type of female who would snap at him in a vulnerable place, he just knew it, and while he loved her, he’d like to remain completely intact. It was enough to be around her scent, to feel the softness of her pelt in some places and the more coarseness of other places. He knew that she shined like the most beautiful gold in the sky when she was in the water, and he adored how their colors inter-mingled with each other when they were both wet. Dry they both looked like natural wolves, two different shades of brown, and although he was speckled, the brown highly overpowered it. When he saw her face and muzzle alight with joy and happiness his own heart swelled. To see her happy was truly something he felt was more valuable than the Circus, but the Circus had brought it to him. The idea of being on the go and never being in one place had brought him to Tawny. He would be forever grateful to the idea even if it did bring about so many other things and crashed and burned as it was doing now. He chuckled at her desire to scream her happiness to the world, and agreed though that it was a private moment and there was no need to bring anyone else to it. Here in the shelter of the roots and trees of the forest he was content to lay his head across the back of her neck and pull her close. The fish swimming above their heads could have been invisible for all he cared, they made no change in how he felt for her. He inhaled deeply, and felt his eyes begin to close before he heard her tense for a long moment and asked him what they would do now. His mind clicked back on and for a moment he stretched his paws away from her to continue thinking about what they should do. He began to lick at her neck and around her maw as he spoke softly. “I think we should leave here, the Accord has housed us for a long time, and although I don’t want to admit it, the Circus is failing, and it is probably my fault. I could never expect three females to tolerate each other for that long, not with such strong personalities, and my own feelings changing….” He sighed and looked up at what sky they could see, before looking down at her. “Let’s go home, back to the Cove, I am sure some of the others returned there, but it is our home, we can find a den close to the cliffs, and spend what is left of the spring and beginning of summer diving into the water and being together…” He licked and gently nipped her, “If we decide we want to travel together later on, perhaps next spring or summer, we will, but for now I would just like to take my mate home, and see her shimmering golden tail streaking through the ocean waters and riding the waves with her….how does that sound?”

[Tawny <3]

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[atrb=background,http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd415/Somatra1/tback-2.jpg] [scrolly:h(370), w(340),sy] It pained her. His idea had failed...again. This was the second time the Circus had not managed to get on its feet and stay there successfully, which left a deep hole in her heart that ached for the male. This had been his goal, his dream in this life and she had watched it go down the drain more than once. She could not say she was entirely disappointed, though, as she was now at this point with the male she had found herself falling in love with more and more as each moment she spent with him passed. However, she was sad for him. Dreamith and Tor had both gone away, as well as Crow and Raynor. She knew he had loved both of the other female and, because of that, there was some jealousy on her party. But she wanted him to be happy, so she never really allowed those feelings of hatred and jealousy. While she had wanted him to herself, she would not stand in his way if there was something else that made him happy. Tawny felt strong, despite the emotions swimming around in her head and her chest. She was glad to have done all that she had with him, especially through the Circus. While her power disabled her to some extent, she did not mind it at all for any reason. This had been his dream and his ultimate goal, and nothing would stand in her way to help him achieve those things. She had watched it collapse with him, and that made her wonder what happened next. Would they just go their separate ways too? She hoped not. She loved him too much to leave him for any reason. She pondered the idea of returning to the cove and staying there the rest of her life. There was plenty of food and shelter, and it was a lovely place to live. She didn't want to be there alone, though, and that was quite honestly her worst fear at the moment. Being alone...it frightened her, especially now that she had experienced the real feelings of a good relationship with other wolves. She was comfortable in his fur, never wanting to leave it again. Her mind though, that if his fur was really an inhabitable place, then she would want to live there forever. A small laugh escaped her throat as she thought of such silly things, then buried her muzzle into his pelt for another deep smell of the intoxicating scent. She slowly felt her mind begin to haze over, most of her senses starting to be chipped away from her mind. She was so happy with his response to her, and the warmth growing in her chest was spreading to other areas. If she wasn't a Cael and was a Lupus instead, she was rather sure she would burst into flames from the feelings she was having. She wondered what the burning sensation was, and she knew it wasn't just the joy and love that was resting in her heart. There was something else there that she could not identify, but it tingled and was growing strong. If there was any way the pair of them could be physically closer, she didn't know of it, but she wished it to happen. It was almost surreal, the entire situation, and she feared almost that she was dreaming. She feared that if she blinked or even just opened her eyes, then he would disappear into a puff of smoke before her and then all of the things in her head and heart that was going on had all been fake, had all been imagined. Such a think would break her heart, to be honest, and she wouldn't be sure what to do if she had no one anymore. Dying, at that point, didn't seem so scary if she had no one on this planet to live with. If she was going to be alone forever, then she may as well be in a place where she could see those she had lost before, then maybe she wouldn't be so alone. However, every bit of this was real and she wasn't dreaming, and a strong part of her believed in that. She knew it was real, but that fear was still there. Tawny nodded. They had been quite hospitable to them for some time. "I believe our time here is up. I am sure us being here would become a bother to the Queen after some time." She frowned. She didn't like his expression when he admitted the Circus was failing. It seemed to hurt him badly and that made her want to...cry? Maybe not, but something like that. She chuckled, "Lio...I tolerated them just fine. I was jealous, though, I'll admit that, but...Dreamith made you happy, so I said nothing." As he spoke, she closed her eyes after pulling her head back some, enjoying the licking and nipping movements he was making at her. Her mind hazed off further, and she craned her neck slightly to return the motions to his face and ears, the burning in her body growing stronger. She grinned. His mate... I like the sound of that... She felt her pelt heat up at the hinted compliments of her tail, her scales that had once been so hated by others had become a treasure for someone else. Tawny gently tugged on his ear, smiling, "I love the sound of that, Lio...home sounds lovely." [/scrolly]

[Nelio]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true] There was just enough room between the roots with the area that he had scrunched and scratched out for them both to stand, roughly but still, and his mind, being male could only think of things he would need should Tawny be receptive to his advances. His heart began to pound roughly in his chest and he could swear he could feel it in the back of his throat as he looked at her from head to toe. In this moment, as many others he thought he so very beautiful, here she was smart, powerful, lovely, stubborn, and a wonderful companion, not to mention loyal. Lio could not think of a better combination for someone he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, and the very thought warmed him down to his toes, which were carefully curled underneath the female beside him. He knew that Tawny had backed away from him several times in the attempt to make sure he could find happiness in whatever endeavor he decided to take. While he appreciated this, it had caused a lot of chaos while he determined and re-determined his feelings, which had been hard, hard being an understatement. Nelio was sad, and it showed for a long moment in the pushing of his ears against his skull and the silence of his tail against the earth around them. For once he had genuinely felt a connection with all the wolves in the Circus. They had bonded during the journey and their training, and the performance had even gone well, but even all those things together had not been enough to keep the group together. Tor and Crow had their own issues, in which he played a part as the object of Tor's affections, and then there was he and Dreamith who had had several issues over time, Raynor who had split loyalties and duties, and then Tawny who had been the only un-attached, loyal member. With all these issues with a small group he could not even imagine what would have happened if there had been a bigger group that had assembled. This experience just furthered proof for him that he was not cut out for pack life, even in his early life there were just several families grouped together, there was no structure and though everyone chose to look out for one another it was not a necessity. He knew Tawny would fair the same way when it came to a pack structure, neither one of them had done well in the Clan, and now having experienced all they did, he wondered if she would feel the same way he did about being part of a pack again. Or if she would delight in just traveling with him after a serious break from it all and just luxuriating in their own company. He was ripped quickly from his thoughts by her small laugh and leaning in to take a deep breath of his scent and as she did he made sure to lick around her muzzle and make low, growling, yet happy anticipatory sounds as she came closer. “You smell delightful my love.” He returned the favor by pushing his nose through her fur, particularly around her neck and chest, nipping at her and pulling lightly, yet possessively. Basic, and primal urges and necessity were beginning to take over in his brain and he knew advanced conversation and thought processes were beginning to take a back seat the more her scent permeated the air, and her husky voice filled his ears. His metallic silver eyes stared at her face for a long moment as they tried to move this way and that to become even closer then they were. “I'm here Tawny...” He whispered close to her ear, as though he could read her mind about fearing to be alone. He didn't quite share the feeling but was more than grateful and content that the Great Spirit had afforded him a female and a mate who was truly his equal and stubborn enough to keep him in line, and beautiful enough to make his heart ache. “I appreciate all the Queen has done for us, and I will tell her before we leave that should she ever desire to call on me, or wish me to come back for a performance solo, I will do so in return for her kindness she has showed to all of us during this very tumultuous time. “To be honest...about Dreamith...” His looked sideways for a long moment, maybe he shouldn't admit this...” I was interested in her when we were all in the Clan, but she disappeared, and after that I left, and found you. I had not seen her for so long that when she came back I thought we could reclaim something that had been a long time ago...I felt insanely guilty when I realized that I didn't feel as intensely about her as I did in the beginning. By then Tor had come into my life...and I really care for Tor. Even still, but she has made her choice.” His eyes looked down into the ground as he admitted the truth to Tawny, Tawny had been first but she had not been the only. He had avoided courting Tawny because she had not made it clear how she had felt about him until just now. Dreamith had been a mistake and he knew but he didn't want to hurt her, although he could not lie about Tor, her beauty and her passionate had brought Nelio in, and he had been selfish in not wanting to give her up. But during their training and journey he had felt something between her and Crow, and he needed to back away from her and Dreamith to not only do his duties but to let her settle her problems. When she and Dreamith had left, it had forced him to determine how he really felt about the one and only, the first and the last, Tawny. He wished for her not to be mad at him, to storm away from him, and little did he know that the Great Spirit had gifted him with the ability to change and alter the emotions of others, but Lio only thought of it as basic charm, it would all depend as he would see. As she had tugged on his ear and said she loved the idea of going home he broke out into possibly the dumbest grin to grace his face but he lowered his head and licked at her lips, “I hope so Tawny, because the future means nothing to me, without you.”Speech

Table by Eldarwen · Image · Image

[Tawny <3]

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[atrb=background,http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd415/Somatra1/tback-2.jpg] [scrolly:h(370), w(340),sy] Tawny was glad. There was no one else in the world she could think of to be with, now and forever. Not Jade, not her friends from the pack, no one. It did not phase her in the slightest that her family was gone, that the ones she had held close to her heart had vanished off the face of the earth alongside others. She had Nelio, he was here for her and he had made it clear he was not leaving. Her heart pounded so joyfully in her chest, threatening to burst from her ribcage and run away from her, leaving her to chase after it through the forest of the pack that probably didn't want them here anymore. She was glad to be with him, to be pressed so closely up against him. She wanted him closer, wanted to know he really wasn't going to leave, despite how clear he had made it to her already that he was going to stay. She noticed his sadness through the prickle in his pelt, feeling it as she had her nose shoved into his fur. She did not bother him about it, knowing that he was disappointed that the two other females he dearly loved no longer were with them. She understood the pain of losing someone that was so deeply loved, as she had feared the same result out of Nelio as Jade had given her. She had loved Jade so much, so badly that she was left so alone when she had disappeared. More than once, too. She had mourned and cried, though not in front of anyone else, and had suffered in her heart over the loss of her beloved sister. There was no one else in the world that she missed, but Nelio would have surpassed Jade in that area had he left her side. He hadn't, though, so Jade remained in that spot. She remembered discovering that Jade had been in the same pack when she was within the Clan, the one the Sunchaser had ruled over with a rather gentle fist. She missed being in a pack, missed having the near constant company of other wolves that she could somewhat get along with. However, she didn't want to go back. She didn't prefer one or the other when it came to being in a pack or being alone. They were one in the same thing to her. If she could just wander the rest of her life with Nelio, then she would. If he wanted to join a pack to live out the rest of their days, then she would not object to such. She had him, and that was all that mattered to her. Not even her own godforsaken power could stop her from wanting these things, could stop her from doing any of these things. She smiled at his words. He smelled just as lovely as she did, perhaps even more so. Possibly, they were like drugs to one another, addicted to each others' scents so much that they couldn't let those smells go. She felt something begin to take over her, something she couldn't control, and she knew it as he nipped at her, possessive of her. "You as well..." Tawny feared being alone, she didn't want to be that way. She didn't want to be in this world without him. She'd really had no purpose since they had met in the Cove that fateful day and had discussed the possibility of this Circus. Though it had failed, she could not say she regretted going about the whole thing. She blinked, pulling back her head far enough to look at him as he rambled along about Dreamith and Tor, telling her something she had not known from the start. However, she was far from stupid or unobservant. She knew of his affections for both females, though had not known of them from before they had met, but she did not really care. She loved him and was willing to forgive him for past mistakes, and loved him despite how he still clung to former loves. However, he was right. They had both made their decisions, and their choices had led to a separation from Nelio. While she knew it pained him and while she knew he still possibly clung to those old relationships, she loved him and was willing to help him move on. "Lio...I love you. I love you more than I ever loved Jade, my own blood sister. I know you loved Dreamith and you loved Tor, but you are right...they have made their decisions and moved on. If you cling to these things out of whatever emotion, then I understand. I am here for you, no matter what, no matter how bad things get. Have I not proven such?" She smiled. "It is fault on my part, too. I have hidden my feelings for so long and you have not known until now. I understand, Lio, I really do. There is no need to be ashamed of these feelings, love." She understood the feelings he held in his heart and she did not want to hold him back from feeling those things, especially if they helped him to move on. She loved him so much. She didn't care if he still felt for the other two females, but she knew he loved her as well. That was all that mattered to her, especially with the growing desires that proceeded to bloom within her chest and other various places. She returned to licking at his face after he had done so to hers, "I am glad you feel as such..." [/scrolly]

[Nelio]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true] Nelio was quickly losing the control he tried so hard to hang on to, though he had mated in the past he had always made sure that he was in control and that the situation called for it. But with the way he and Tawny were talking, and how close they were and how her scent simply overflowed into his brain shutting off any higher thinking functions. A slow, rumbling growl escaped up from his belly to his muzzle as he looked into her eyes, it was as though he had willed the desire he had for the brown female into his eyes and pushed it into her, pulling at her heart, pulling at the very core of her being. He wanted her to feel as warm as he was feeling, he wanted her to desire him just as he desired her, and though he didn’t know he could do it, the power he had been given would do just that with how willing Tawny was to him. Especially now that they had worked out exactly what they wanted from each other, he wanted her as a mate and she wanted him, neither of them wanted to be alone, and both had agreed that returning to the Cove was in their best interests. He had tried very hard throughout all these endeavors not to leave Tawny, not ever make her feel abandoned because they both knew what that was like. He had known it several times through his own family, and then through Dreamith the first time, then the Clan, and now the Circus and now Tor and Dreamith again. It would seem as though he were in a perpetual ring of loss as well and though he may have loved the other two, it was not either one of them who he had chased back to the Cove. He had chased Tawny into the Accord’s forest, to stop her tears and unburden his soul with his confession. He had come to soothe her tears, and to show her how much he appreciated all she had done for the circus even now that it was over. That had all led to the fact that they both loved each other more deeply than they had been willing to admit, and he could now face that, he wasn’t scared of howling it to the stars. Perhaps once they returned to the beach he would see Tor, and Crow, and be able to speak to them again, tell Crow what had happened and even nudge Tor in the direction of her own happiness. The teal Cael female flashed in his mind for an instant and he smiled mentally, she was still beautiful, but she wasn’t his..whatever was going on with her and Crow had taken her from him. As far as he was concerned Tawny was his, and he was rather shocked at the bluntness of his mental statement, but he knew it to be true. She was his, and he had no intentions of sharing her with anyone, not even another pack. With as many let downs as he had had over the past few years unless they were forced to, he had no intentions of making Tawny follow him into any pack, it was unnecessary. Plus, very few packs had the landscape needed to keep a Cael wolf happy, the Cove provided everything, shelter, cliffs, water, fresh and salt, and plentiful prey. Even if a territory had a lake or river, it usually wasn’t enough and at one point in time all Cael wolves migrated to the ocean, a calling they could not ignore. Lio found no reason why they could not spend the rest of their days there, mating, swimming, him protecting her, having her…the thoughts in his head were doing nothing to contain the desire which was quickly becoming a white hot flame within his belly as he looked into the eyes of his mate. HIS Tawny. Even though he waited on her response with a baited breath he could not help the pounding of his heart and the fact that his mind was very far away from the idea of forgiveness and the current conversation, but you could blame that on him being a hot blooded male. Although when she started to speak he broke himself out of his circular thought process and tried his best to listen to her because her response would truly make or break them. If she was so entirely jealous she could not deal with what he had told her he was not so sure what he would do. But if she forgave him his mistakes then they more than ever had a future together. Here she was telling him that she forgave him, and that she would stick by him as he worked through the emotions he had for the other females. She even agreed that they had made their own choices and went their own way which was true and he nodded, she had been there and proven that she would stand beside him no matter what happened. His grateful smile, lit him up from his muzzle to his eyes as he pushed his nose to hers softly, “I am ashamed I didn’t tell you sooner that my heart had chosen you, pined for you and cared for you..” At this point, after their declarations of love, and statements of forgiveness and caring, Nelio knew that Tawny was the one for him. Not many others would forgive and still love him after all she had seen him do, and it only further confirmed for him that they truly were meant to be. What had started as friendship had bloomed into a love which could withstand anything. Knowing this he knew he could give in to the desire that he felt not only in his heart but within his body. He could smell her desire, and see it within her eyes and so with a slow motion he began to stand, having just enough room to do so within their makeshift den. The moonbeams came through the roots of the trees, shining down on her and around them giving them both a truly ethereal glow. His eyes shimmered within that light, truly taking on a rather otherworldly quality since they were already a metallic silver but with the aide of the moon they became something else. “Tawny…” Her name was like a soft question, his body poised over hers, as if asking her if he could, at this point he wanted nothing more than to cement their choice to be mates, and then in the morning run back to their private oasis. His claws dug into the earth around her sides, pulling it up and surrounding them with the scent of fresh earth, it would seem all the elements were in attendance, from the fire in their hearts, to the air they breathed, the earth below them, the water to the side of them, and even the moon and stars above them. He hesitated until she moved below him allowing him what his heart desired at this moment. [[Okay slight power playing perhaps, but I wanted to move it along! >] If you want to respond one more time then fade totally up to you Moonie!]] Speech

Table by Eldarwen • Image • Image