[♫]Lonely

[Miyu]

She shook snow away from her now-puffy coat and sighed, taking in her surroundings yet again .
"Whaddya know," Arethia muttered, taking in the endless expanse of white going up the mountain. "More snow."
She howled softly, imagining a responding howl echoing back from one of the caves. If only she had someone to talk to; imaginary conversations with her long-gone brother were growing old.
Still, though, she had to keep going. Arethia had heard there was a pack nearby; maybe they knew of her mother and brother.
"So, Venom," she said conversationally to the air, ignoring the repetitive accusations of 'Crazy' in her mind. "How's it been, being with Mom all this time? I mean, you left us, so your life must have absolutely fantastic to stick with her all this time." Arethia paused, her head cocked to the side as if hearing a question. "What happened to Dad, you ask? Well, it's not as if you care, you left us, after all, but I'll tell you anyway: He's dead. I killed him. He had it coming; he was old, suffering, and he was the most cantankerous bastard alive. Or dead now, I guess." Arethia giggled quietly to herself, flopping onto the cold blanket in snow and letting her slightly demented mind flow with the wind.

[caira]

It came softly from a distance, barely audible among the hard packed caves but it was still enough to be heard. Caira's ears were still sharper than ever these days, which she was grateful for. Inside her own cave she had been curled up against the side wall drifting back and forth between sleep and thinking. There was a lot on her mind these days and almost welcomed the call as a distraction for her. Stretching her limbs she arose in a state where she was still swaying in a dreamland of soft grass and familiar places. Caira's face resembled that of a pups barely opening its eyes for the first time, it didn't take long for a blast of cold air from outside to drag her back into reality. Finally being able to trot at a steady pace she made her way down from the caves she had been only moments before.

Nobody else was outside from what she could see but this was fine by her standards, she didn't want to start up any conversations at the moment. Her only goal was to arrive at the place where the howl had drifted in from. With nothing to really go on she picked a path out of instinct and began her small and short journey. For all she knew, Caira could be wandering in the wrong direction but she was very sure of herself today. Moving at a swift pace now she bounded through the snow, taking larger leaps was all she could do to prevent herself from getting stuck. After living in this region for so long she had become a pro at though, you just had to learn to adjust and use the environment to your advantage.

Finally in the distance she heard it, the sound she had been hoping to hear. Well it wasn't really another call, more like the sound of a wolf talking to someone. Her blue eyes scanned the area wondering where the second wolf could be, and cautiously approached the area. Only a few feet away was a red colored wolf with hazel eyes. The wolf although small was still bigger than her and lying on her back holding a conversation, however Caira did not see anyone else. "Who else is here?" Caira called out from where she was standing. She could honestly say that she was confused at the moment.

[Miyu]

Crazy, the wind whispered in her ear, drifting gently through her conscience.
Crazy, but sane, and you must act sane, so can you? Can you be sane can you can you-
"Yes," Arethia murmured, blocking out the voices and turning to the she-wolf, staring at her for a moment before realizing she had asked a question.
Crazy crazy and sane sane and crazy crazy and confused
"I mean no. Or yes. No? I don't know... what did you say?" Arethia mumbled, feigning innocence and confusion. The she-wolf stared at her miniscule paws, shuffling them around; every feature of her body: her sad, mixed-up eyes, shuffling paws, tiny size: all gave her the look of a pup in the middle of a chastising: a look of regret, but also of defiance.
Defiant? I think not you're just a klutzy little outcast you buffoon you'll never fit in anywhere she's the Alpha you know she'll never let you in the pack
"Are you the Alpha?" Arethia asked, biting back a howl of frustration and anger.
'Shut up,' she thought testily.
No you shut up you insolent child you don't deserve to be here run away now child tail tucked between your legs what would your father say
"I don't care about my father!" Arethia exploded. Then, realizing she said this out loud, she looked down at her delicate paws again, but this time in shame.

[caira]

Standing there with not a single clue as to what to do, Caira shifted uneasily on her paws. These were the kind of situations she tried to avoid at any cost. Well, any form of confrontation for that matter. She was not the type who liked to socialize if she could help it, when it came to speaking there was always an awkward air that seemed to surround the space. Even fighting, although she excelled far beyond her years could also be an uneasy moment. Everything was always a challenge which is why she preferred the solitude of the caves. There was no reasoning behind being an alpha other than fighting and one meeting that consequently changed her life.

She hadn't even made the challenge but the alphas before her were much older and said that she would play an important role in the future. Caira wasn't sure what that meant but it all led to her standing here. "Yes, I am the alpha..." Her head moved in the both directions taking the landscape in. It wasn't out of the ordinary to meet a wolf on the verge of insanity; it could happen to the best. There was another awkward moment as the wolf shouted something about her father. Feeling it would be a long day Caira moved into a comfortable sitting position and stared.

[Miyu]

"I apologize for that," Arethia said warmly, wrapping her tail around herself so it rested on her paws. "Sometimes, when I have a thought running through my head, I can't help but say it out loud." She laughed comfortably.
'Damn, I'm good at this,' the she-wolf thought in self-admiration.
Arethia bowed her head respectfully before mimicking the Alpha's pose.
"So, what brings you down to the caves?" she asked, wincing in her mind.
'Hope I'm not being too forward. I need to get into a pack, to leave all this behind...'

[caira]

Nodding her head in understanding, she tilted her head to one side to think. It was a bad trait in her opinion; hesitation was always present upon speaking. In her mind she thought that it was not the correct behavior of an alpha, she should be strong and outgoing. The alpha should never be one to hesitate but to act accordingly. At this moment she was not acting in this manner. "Understandable, everyone is entitled to their own personal affairs." Her voice was low now, although it always sounded cold and distant it was still kind. Lifting her head up she watched the sky, the scar on her face became more apparent in the light. Looking back at the wolf she replied, "What brings me down? It was you who called was it not?" Her face went blank as she wondered whether or not a mistake had been made. Maybe this wolf was only passing through.

[Miyu]

Arethia stared dumbly at the Alpha before realizing what she had said. "Of course," she amended smoothly, vaguely remembering the soft, lonely howl she had emitted earlier. How could the Alpha have heard that?
"It was a while ago, I think. I forgot about it." she was silent for a moment, struggling to find something to say.
"My name's Arethia," the she-wolf offered slightly timidly, mostly for lack of conversation.

[caira]

Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the wolf, rising to her feet she started to pace all while thinking. The other wolf though she was small, was still by far bigger than Caira. She tried to note all of her features, she had a system and it required knowing everything she possibly could about a possible pack member. This is what made her at the top, she knew everyone’s weaknesses and their strengths as well which made it easier for her understand them. "So then, if it was your call...then it must mean you are looking for something. Like the Canitao pack." Caira watched her intently while speaking, her small frame moved with grace as she continued to pace in the snow.

"Is that why you are here? To be accepted into the pack?" She stopped only briefly to look over at her with curious expressions. "Arethia...well it is nice to meet you. My name is Caira." Caira sat down and looked over her shoulder listening for the slightest sound. She was always cautious, one could never be too careful. "All that you see here now is the packs territory. We live in the colder climates; it's what suits us best. I am the head alpha of the Canitao pack. If you continue heading in the same direction you will run into the Lashia pack, and that would not be a wise choice. They do not like our kind but the Peacemakers are accepting of both."

She got up and began walking motioning with her head for Arethia to follow. "The Lashia's call the Peacemakers ...Traitors. Most agree with those cats, unfortunately they can be a bit closed minded. It' a horrible mess, so I started the pack far out here in hopes that there will be a change."

[Miyu]

"Well..." Arethia shifted her paws in uncertainty. Yes, joining a pack would help her forget her past life, and possibly get rid of the voice, but if the voice went away, would she be able to stay?
The she-wolf took a deep breath, sizing up the Alpha as she did.
Caira was her name? Pretty. The Alpha was small, smaller than she, but she looked strong, and from her words, she was at least somewhat compassionate. She didn't look like the kind who would abandon her family.
And, in a way, the pack was her family. And somehow, Arethia had a feeling that Caira wasn't like her mother.

"Well, I wasn't seeking to join a pack, but it would be better than living alone," Arethia mused, getting up to follow the Alpha. "It's kind of boring, living alone for almost your entire life."

Then the she-wolf caught up to Caira's last words. "Peacemakers?" Arethia asked curiously. "Traitors? Sounds kind of exciting. And who's this Lashia pack? Are they wolves? Do they hate wolves? I bet they're not so tough, I could take them on!" Arethia prattled, caught up in the excitement of possibly finally having someone to belong to.