A new feel

[WindCatcher]

Her white paws crunched the leafy ground as she made her way to the closing edge of the beach. Waves crashing against the beach shore was heard as she made her way to the beach. Tan colored sand decorated; glittering blue water bordering a side of it. As she stepped farther forward, her feet partially sank through the sand. She lifted her left paw up, and the sand fell back down to the ground. It was different -- she had never really seen a beach before. But she liked it, and she quickened her pace to a fast walk to the waterside of the beach. White caps led the blue waves onto the sandy ground.
She heard no others; just the water crash and the sound of leaves blowing against the hills nearby. She turned around, seeing no others. She smiled. It was nice to be alone for a while; instead of being fully social. She ran and ran until she was at the waterside. She slowed and walked by the water. It trickled to her paws as she stepped forward. She pulled back, and shook her paws. It felt good -- but almost too good. She stepped forward again, and the waves crashed to her paws, and this time farther up. She walked forward and forward, taking small steps until she was covered in water; all but her head which shook and looked around.
Her feet paddled in the water, moving quick but slow. Her tail floated behind her, as it moved with her as she swam in the water. A big gust of air blew past her; strong enough to dunk her under. Instead of doing so, she did a flip backwards, and her tail was up in the air with her back feet; her head and her front feet in the water. She struggled until she was upright again; her head soaked, and every part of her. She shook her head and mumbled to herself, and swam back to shore.
She got to shore and stumbled to it. She lied down, her body heaving. She looked up, and sand was snuffled into her nose. She snorted, and got up. She shook her coat and coughed. Although it was a partial disaster, she enjoyed it. She hadn't had something like that for a long time; and she enjoyed it very much.
Looking around, she saw it was blank, and rose her nose into the air. There was no smell at all; no mammal or any creature besides the birds that lived nearby. She yawned. She looked back to the glimmering waterside, and began to smile. Her tail wagged and she ran back and forth across the waves. She ran up and while, and back down, up and down. She finally crashed on the side and breathed very heavily. She stretched herself off, and dozed in the quiet of the beach...

[Elden]

Large black paws sank into the sand as a large, demonic figure strolled forwards. His head was held low, following the scent he had picked up. One of the small Terminus pack was nearby, and he knew who it was. He sat down as he reached a turn in the beach and, shaded by the bush, he could see a figure running up and down on the sand and in the water. He had to smile to himself as he watched, such joy and fun - something that had been sapped out of his life recently. It was difficult to argue against Windcatcher being a cheery soul - Elden had found that out quite quickly. Despite whatever history she had, she always seemed cheerful to the brute.

As Windcatcher flopped to the ground, he felt it was time to approach and stood up, shaking his pelt quickly before trotting across the beach. His tail wagged slowly at a happy mid level as he floated forwards, ears perked towards the female. With every great step, his thick coat rippled over his powerful muscles. His emerald eyes darted to one side for the moment, checking the surrounding area before he slowed to a walk and then a halt near the other wolf. "Afternoon, Wind," he said lowly, his deep voice rumbling the very ground he stood on. He was stood close to her, his held low and his tail wagging gently. Elden intended to stick to the promise he had made himself to watch Windcatcher and see where she could go in the pack, so there he was, willing to have some sort of conversation.

He sat slowly on the sand, curling his tail around his haunches and licking his muzzle lazily, watching the female still. How he had come to be at the beach was a mystery even to him. He had been wandering, memorising the Terminus lands, and felt he was finally getting there. Echo Beach, however, was a gem that he had not expected to discover. He could see himself spending many evenings here, maybe even have joyful pack celebrations on the golden sands.

[WindCatcher]

Her breath moved heavily over her white paws as she exhaled. She had heard footsteps, and now she knew she was not alone on the beach. Her ears pricked to the sound of her name, and she quickly sat up. "Afternoon, Elden." She replied back, as her tongue hung from her mouth. Her paws kept her steady as she sat up to his level. Although he was bigger than her, she sure was close, and that made her feel powerful -- not a weak nanny female who looked after the pups.

As she smiled to company's delight, her golden eyes were also serious. She had recently yet had a conversation with deciding each wolf's rank, and she had to be herself. She couldn't go against her instinct and become more powerful then he, or become lighter and weaker than himself. She just smiled, and her tail flicked over the sand. She gazed into his emerald eyes, and looked away quickly. "And how have you been? Discussing matters and all?" She glanced at him, and back to the waves.

Without thinking, she stood up, and surveyed the waterline. As the waves rolled in, they made crescendos, and then became softer as they fell back down; the white dipping over and disappearing. She took a quick glimpse at Elden, then sat down again. This was serious. She didn't want to screw it up. Yet it was still her free time, and she was always happy to have company.

[Elden]

Elden smiled gently, his emerald green eyes watching her softly, observing every bit of her behaviour. As her golden eyes met his, he was unmoving simply sat there in front of her, the powerful energy from his body almost pulsing through the air. He seemed changed with this offer of power, not in a bad way, however. He was more radiant and held himself better. In his mind he had agreed with himself not to fully accept the position until he had proved himself, and that was what he was doing. "I've been good," he said softly. "Obviously, there are still positions that need filling still."

Elden's tail twitched a bit, giving the impression of a suppressed wag. "Don't be so edgy, love," he said with a chuckle, finally laying down in the sand and sighing, looking out at the waves. "I'm not here to judge you, just to talk." His gaze moved to her white paws and legs, which he could see quite clearly from his angle. Maybe it was a bit obscene to lay lower than a pack member, but he was comfortable with her. "I have beta spots, omega spots, nanny spots, hunter spots and an alphess spot open," he laughed heartily, rolling over onto his back and looking up at the sky. "Terminus is just too small to fill them all." He waved his front paws about a bit, stretching his legs out and admiring the length of them. He never really looked at his own legs. He knew he was tall, but only looking at them from this perspective showed him just how tall he was.

[WindCatcher]

She smiled, showing her white teeth. "I do agree. Yet the only members of the Terminus Pack that I have met are you and Valand." Her ears perked as a bird chirped, and flew over the blue waves. She rested her ears back down, and sighed. "Yet I think we'll have new visitors, soon, and if not later." She smiled, and glanced to Elden's emerald eyes. She could tell he could hold the power of an Alpha, yet it seemed. But he still needed to prove himself as one.
She sat up a bit, seeing Elden was lower than herself. She smiled, and then looked down at the big wolf. "I do think you'll find the right wolves for all the positions. But it may take you a while..." She sighed, and rested her head down again, trying to become as comfortable as she could. "You still have time to think. And knowing you, I think you'll make the right decisions for everyone's sake." She looked up at the colorful sky, then back down, and gazed at her paws. They were rather covered in sand, yet the white shown through. She smiled, and looked behind her at her white tail that curved over her back legs, almost reaching Elden's. She quickly pulled it back, and covered up her back legs. It was getting colder, but that was normal.

[Elden]

Knowing him... it had been a long time since anyone had known him, and the words she spoke rang in his head for a long while. He rolled back onto his side, staring at her from paws, which were right near his face. He was in a vulnerable position, he realised that, but he was pretty sure she was not about to rip his throat to pieces, or at least he hoped so. His paw caught her side gently as he stretched his front leg, he jolted and quickly retracted his feet, laughing softly. "Sorry, my legs are longer than I think," he said quietly, rolling onto his back and then his other side, and then his stomach. He smiled and gazed out at the waves again, those intelligent green eyes taking it all in as the sun began to bathe the world in wonderful oranges and reds.

"I hope I make the right decisions. I have never been in charge properly before, only for short amounts of time, in emergencies," he pondered slowly, watching the waves break and crash into the sandy shore, the tide beginning to creep in. "Lord knows when I'll find an alpha female, though." His eyes wandered along the shoreline, his wet nose twitching gently. "I mean, hunters and omegas, they can be any wolf really, but an alphess? My father nearly got killed several times by bad choices in females." He shook his head and stretched his hind legs out towards her, reclining slightly on his side but not rolling over. He was covered in sand, but he barely cared. The beach was so comfortable to roll about in and play on. He looked at his coat and then to the water and then back again. "I think I'll go for a swim." He had been watching the female attempt to brave the water, and she was still wet from the effort, but he felt like swimming for some reason.

[WindCatcher]

Her eyes closed for a minute, but when Elden's paw caught her pelt, she opened them, and glanced at his paws. She smiled. Her legs were long, too, but they were short like a female's would be. She glanced to Elden, who seemed comfortable. "Then I guess you'll have to think long and hard about finding a right female to choose the position beside you." Her words ran through her head after she had spoken, but she quickly shook her head. "Well, I hope you make the right decision. The pack relies on you." She stood up, and grunted. She stood up, her tail flicking as she watched the waves roll in.

As soon as Elden got up, WindCatcher sat down a bit, watching his big black pelt sway. She watched as his paws took hold of the sand, finding the right grip. Seeing as he wanted to swim, she smiled. "Go ahead." She dipped her head, and watched Elden make his way to the beach. She snorted, and rubbed her nose with her paw. "I may join you in a minute, if my instinct gets the best of me." She smiled to herself, and sat up, watching him move away, leaving his body mark on the sand beside her. She looked down to her paws, then back to Elden. Her paws were wet, from her attempts before to the waterside. She had never really come to a beach before. It was different. She had of course been to lakes, and ponds and such, but never a beach. And she had never come close to sand, or had known what it was. But yet, it made her feel comfortable and lazy.

[Elden]

"I'm sure I'll make the right decision," he said quietly as he shook his pelt down and yawned, stretching his front legs and then his back ones, starting to walk towards the sea. "Oh, please, do come join me," he chuckled as he ran towards the waves. His gait was long and loping, his paws sinking into the soft, dry sand, and then eventually hitting the wet sand. His large paw prints lay behind him as he bounded towards the water, finally giving one large leap and landing straight in the break, being submerged for a moment.

Elden loved the water, it made him feel light and free light he had no weight. He paddled around lazily in the clear waters, the waves coming into the shore not being so big as some he had faced. He had travelled far and wide, and had come across many stormy and not so welcoming beaches. This one was delightful, with clear water and gentle waves, soft sand and a lovely view of the sunset. He paddled back to the shore and shook his coat down, but remained at the edge of the waves, snapping at the approaching water playfully, his tail held high and wagging as he yipped rather highly, dropping on his front legs in a playful manner. He had always been just a puppy at heart.

[WindCatcher]

She smiled to herself, her tail wagging with anxiety. She smiled to herself, and stood up a bit, watching her manner. Seeing Elden paddle in the waves made him feel just like a friend to her; not a higher-ranked wolf than she. She stood up, shaking the sand from her pelt. She began to walk forward, and it had been a while since she had gotten up. She took one last shake, and she began to walk towards Elden. The waves rolled in softly, and as she moved to the waterside, it gently rolled over her paws. She smiled, perching her paws up, and observing the water.

Without thinking, she began to run to a full speed gallop, her gait extending out, and moving back in, out and in. Her tongue hung from her mouth eventually, and her eyes seemed to glisten. She looked back once, to see her tail swaying behind her in a zig zag movement. She looked back to Elden, who seemed to be enjoying the waves. She took one last run around the sand, and took a sharp turn into the waves. They welcomed her with a cold chill, and she eventually got used to it. She smiled, her tail wagging in the water. She swam to Elden, as the waves pushed her back. Her feet touched the bottom, and she swam out further.

[Elden]

Elden laughed as he watched the female run across the beach, and he jumped into the waves again with a great joy and a loud yip. The large male paddled slowly out into the water, his head held above the water and his tail snaking around behind him. As Windcatcher also ran into the water, he swam towards her, his tongue hanging out and getting large amounts of salty water into his mouth. He hardly cared, it was so nice to be able to swim and have fun.

The male barked loudly to the female, coming nearer to her as the waves gently pushed them about. "See, it's not too bad," he said with a chuckle, shaking some water off his head and paddling past her slowly. He had always been a good swimmer, Leylune had been home to a large lake which he had enjoyed swimming in many times as a young wolf. He had never really been in the ocean too much, but he was open to trying new things. He yipped lightly as the waves pushed him a bit further out, picking him up and rolling him away from the shore. For a moment he even submerged, but he came up laughing, his head soaked.

[WindCatcher]

She smiled, and tried to wag her tail -- but the waves kept it floating in one spot. Her feet paddled in great splashes, as she swam around. "Yes, but I have never tried this before...it's so...different." She shook her wet head, and sighed. "But yes, it isn't so bad. I've just looked afar at it, from the shore." Her eyes turned as she glanced at the sandy beach. "But I don't suppose you do this often?" She smiled wider, and swam around Elden, her grey coat covered in blue water.

As a pup, she had always loved water. Her mother and father had taught her that water was important to become a healthy pup. In her free time, she'd roam around in the beautiful blue lakes, and just relax. After her family had been destroyed, and whatsoever split up, she thought that she'd never have a happy moment with the water again. But quite frankly, she never even thought that if she got close to water, that it'd be a beach.

[Elden]

He laughed and snapped playfully at her as she swam around him, the strong taste of salt washing over his tongue. He liked that taste, but it always made him feel ill when he got to the shore again if he tasted it too much. He swam to her and nipped her scruff playfully, a soft growl rumbling from him. They were not too far out, so he felt safe enough to play. Elden had ended up too far from the shore once before, which had stopped him swimming for a long time. It was not until he had had to rescue a puppy that he had realised it was fun again. He started to paddle quickly to the shore, panting as he kicked with his legs, escaping her playfully.

It had been so long since he had felt he could play with another wolf. He had been wandering for so long, facing so many hostile wolves. All they ever did was attack him, and usually fall to his powerful jaws. It was hard to think that this large black wolf who seemed more like a dog at the moment was a vicious killer. He knew how to fight, he just chose not to unless threatened. He was not the type to lay down and submit to an attacking wolf, he defended himself. He defined a good wolf as exactly that, one who would only attack if attacked. He believed that if every wolf did that, then no one would ever attack, and that would be a whole lot better.

[WindCatcher]

She smiled, and nipped back at Elden. She let her fur swish in the water, and she closed her eyes. It had been so long since she could call herself at peace. Her family, her siblings -- all gone. But now she felt as if she had been brought out of hell, and into this new world where she could choose her ways, and start over. She watched as Elden swam to shore. WindCatcher smiled, and, without being deep in thought, she trailed after him. She stopped, and padded to shore. She passed out onto the beach, the waves touching her hind legs. Her paws were deep in sand, and her tongue hung from her mouth. She looked to Elden, and her mind filled with thoughts again. Her parents, her siblings. Being in the Terminus Pack. Oh, what now? Elden had taken her in to the Terminus Pack, and now she knew him, and Valand. What could go wrong?

[Elden]

Elden walked up onto the beach from the water and shook his coat down, looking down at the other wolf on sand. Swimming could be a tiring past time, even Elden felt his strong limbs burning from fighting against the waves. He sat down beside Windcatcher and yawned, looking out at the darkening sky beyond the sea. The wind caught his damp coat, making him shiver, but the sweet scent of the salt water made him smile. He too was facing a new life. He had never expected to wander into a packland and become an alpha. It was a great responsibility which he felt overwhelmed by, but he had Valand and Windcatcher by his side - so he felt at ease. He laid down slowly, the water lapping at his bushy tail as he looked at the female. "How many winters have you seen?" He asked softly. It was a personal question, but he was curious. Some wolves went by the summers, but Elden loved the winter, he had been born in the winter. Elden himself had only seen three winters, but in those three years he had seen much. He spent the first few months in Leylune before being dragged away, and then he returned again when he was a strong young wolf to face the devastation that had been reaped against the pack. The images still made him feel sick. His father's body, his father's best friend clawing for life, the peaceful members of Leylune fighting for everything they knew. He had heard his father's great battlecall from the edge of the packlands, and had rushed in to help. But he had been too late - he had arrived just in time to see the great wolf fall. Elden sighed and brought himself out of his chain of thought, the glaze over his eyes disappearing as he drew himself back to Windcatcher.

[WindCatcher]

Her ears were perked forward, listening to Elden. Dark clouds loomed in the sky behind them, and WindCatcher's golden eyes looked forward to a broken tree by the beach. A breeze blew the leaves back, and WindCatcher's watched as a branch fell to the sand. WindCatcher closed her eyes, and lowered her head.
"I have seen many winters, although I do not wish to have seen some." Her mind raced with the flashbacks, once again.

WindStorm's black fur blew back, as a sharp wind hit his pelt. Aki stepped forward, and watched as his gaze fell to a dark shadow lurking about by the trees. "Aki, take WindCatcher into the den." WindStorm said, as he looked back to the young pup waddling around. "What's wrong?" Aki asked. "Take WindCatcher into the den," He said once more. Aki sighed, and picked WindCatcher up by the scruff. The young wolf pup curled into a ball as her mother carried her into the den. She moved to the back of the den, and set the pup down. "What's going on?" WindCatcher asked. Her mother smiled, and looked down to her, then back to her father. "Your father is just observing," Aki said, as she pushed WindCatcher behind her. The lurking shadow stepped forward, this time a wolf. "What do you want?" WindStorm asked. The wolf grinned, and began to walk around WindStorm. "Aren't I invited, too?" He asked, through white fangs. "You and I both know you're dark," Her father said in his deep, threatening voice. "Ha. If only you were smart enough." WindStorm bared his teeth, and ran to the wolf. He jumped onto his back, and growled. The dark wolf bared his teeth and threw WindStorm to the ground. WindCatcher buried herself in her mother's fur. "Mama," WindCatcher said, peeking out. "WindCatcher, stay down." Aki said. WindCatcher's golden eyes looked out from her mother's bushy tail. She could see her father, and a dark black wolf fighting. She hid her eyes, but couldn't help peeking every once and a while. Finally, she heard a grunt, a growl, and her father was pinned down. She could hear talking - although not knowing what they were saying - and then the dark wolf pierce his teeth into her father's neck. When his head flew up again, his evil stare turned to the other wolves. "Any one not wish for me to be alpha? You'll end up like him." The wolf glanced to the unmoving WindStorm. Aki's eyes narrowed, and she picked up WindCatcher when the wolf wasn't looking. She carefully carried her around the den, and when she was away, she broke into a run. Pretty soon they stopped by a lake. "Mama, where are we going?" WindCatcher asked. Aki looked down to her. "Far, far away from our pack." She said. And that was the last WindCatcher saw of her pack.

Her gaze still ahead, WindCatcher glanced to Elden. She hadn't noticed she hadn't been talking for a while, and began to speak. "This will be my fourth moon," She said. "How many have you seen?"