Confused... (Lio)

[iivie]

M a n i x ; ;

Slender black paws thudded softly against the soil as the large but slender he-wolf made his way across the terrain. He still remained in the hunting grounds of this new land he now knew as Penori, but he had left the den Marauder's Band had chosen to rest in the night before. He didn't know what he was doing, or where he was going. He had used the band's own tricks against them, smothering himself in mud to hide his scent before sneaking away silently while all were asleep. He didn't want to say he was out hunting, then they may come looking for him sooner, while they were asleep he had more of a head start if they ever even did come looking for him. He had a feeling Kyrious wouldn't. He always believed it was every wolf for himself and if one decided to go out of their own, he would just let them be, not caring whether or not he ever saw them again. No matter how close they were to him.

Unless, that certain wolf proposed as a threat to the band, which Manix did not. He wouldn't spill out secrets to anyone. He simply just needed to get away. To think. He didn't know if he was leaving for good, or just for a while, or even at all. So many thoughts swarmed his mind, so many questions, so many images. Ever since that night he wasn't able to get a good night's sleep in who knows how long. Nightmares filled his usually peaceful dreams. He guessed he was the only one in the band who had a conscious. The guilt got to him, and it wouldn't leave him alone. He felt terrible for what he had done, or what he had helped do, and wished he had never been a part of it. He almost wished he wasn't born, for he was born into this horrible life. It was all he ever knew. Then he remembered, his paws stopped in mid-step.

It wasn't all he knew. Thinking back, he could barely remember his pup-hood, before he was taken into his father's terrible clan. When he was with his brother and sister, and mother and all was good. Everything in life was just a game then. They were so innocent, so oblivious to everything around them. He wanted to be that wolf again. He was going to change, but in order to change, he had to leave everything behind. A mere image of Odette flashed through his mind, but he pushed it away. They had already manipulated her mind, he would have to leave her too. Besides, he hadn't known her that long, he only wished her the best. He continued to walk forward, wondering if his sister would ever forgive him for the harm he brought to her love, and to herself. His head shook at the thought. How could she ever forgive me?

[Lio]

Lio felt a bit uncomfortable as the warm sun beat down on her back. She wasn't a big fan of heat, and so, not a big fan of summer. A few whispy clouds ambled across the sky, and she squinted her large green eyes as she stared up at the sun. Her gaze then shifted to the shady line of the forest, where she was headed, out of this hot meadow. She began to trot towards it and the only sound other then the light breeze through the tall grass was the fairly uniqe patter of her paws. She walked in quick, small steps asnd her toes hit the ground first, rather than the back of her paws.

Then a new smell drifted to her nose. Not that she hadn't smelled wolf recently - but it had all been stale. As she smelt the breif, fresh scent, she was reminded of her lonlieness. Ara was the type of wolf that couldn't be alone for too long, and it had been nearly a month since she had talked to anyone. But she wasn't going to just trot over - she felt like a pup again as she reminded herself not to mosey up to every wolf that crossed her path. That had to be the thing she missed most about being in a pack, even one she didn't like - she had greatly taken for granted the simplicity of having a conversation. Your enimies within in a pack were still your friends, in a way, and in those days, Ara had never imagined feeling this alone.

Yet somehow, she still seemed happy, not only on the surface. The way Ara saw it, if she had to have a disposition, at least she had a good one. She not only easy to talk to, but approcable, and completley unintimidating. Though the fact that she was delicate and friendly-looking wouldn't be a good thing to most wolves, with Ara's constant need to make friends, it couldn't be better.

[iivie]

M a n i x ; ;

Ears perked, sad, green eyes opening wider with alert, as a new scent wavered toward him. He had stopped moving once more, as he took in the scent, parting his jaws to take a quick drink of the warm air around him. He was out in the open for once, in the field he had first met Odette and Oblivion as they hunted down that stag. Though, he was on the far side of it, the opposite way they had come and a different direction in which they had been traveling. He had been walking non stop through the night and on into morning, now the sun shown high, lighting up the pale blue sky and showering rays of heat upon his silky black, gray, and white coat. He feared if he had kept to the trees they would find him quicker. You think it would be the opposite, since the many different tree and plant scents of the forest may confuse a wolf's keen sense of smell, and provide plenty of hiding places within the shadows, while the grasslands are wide open and usually windy; carrying scents straight toward the follower.

With Kyrious, it would be too easy to find Manix in the forest. Even if he had never set foot there, he seemed to know every single tree, rock and blade of glass that inhabited any forest. He could search down anything there anyday with ease. While in an open meadow or field he felt less than uncomfortable. It bothered him so much in fact, that it messed up his concentration as well as his sense of smell. It's almost as if his body goes into a panic attack. He has no where to hide as well, so his prey could easily be stalking him and he wouldn't even know it. No matter how intelligent and sly Kyrious was. Manix could still beat him in that arena, intelligence was his game. He was the sneaky one, he may not be as strong as his brother, but wits could often win any battle.

Manix lifted his nose to the air, throwing his head back, ears laying flat against the back of his neck. He took another drink of the air around him, focusing on the scent, eyes closed. It was definitely another wolf. A female, he couldn't help but grin. Parting his jaws slightly and curling his lips into a certain shape, he let out a howl. A unique howl that only Manix was known to make. It was unlike any normal wolfs', perhaps it was because he was part fox? The howl started like any normal howl, song-like, musical and low. Then it raised to a higher note and ended with a friendly growl that almost sounded like a cat's meow ending with a purr. He held back a little, trying not to be too loud, he figured he was too far away for the others to hear, unless they had decided to come this way. Oh well, even if they did find him, he would act as if he were hunting, or had run off to think, he could play innocent. Even his own brother had believed his fake tricks before.

[Lio]

Ara had been half expecting a howl - after all, if she could smell the wolf, he could undoubtedly smell her - but she had not been expecting one like that. She had never heard anything like it before - it began low, like many howls, but it had a tone which she had never before heard. It was beautiful, but she wasn't sure what to make of it. Her ears slowly pricked up as the note of it grew higher. Then, as the friendly growl was thrown in, she couldn't help but let her mouth twitch into a smile.

she really was awfully happy now, as she stood in the tall grass. If you knew Ara, this would definitively be the expression you would be used to - she was a bubbly wolf, and pretty care-free. Seeing Ara unhappy like she had been moments before was uncommon and unsettling - even for those that didn't know her well, a serious expression didn't seem to fit with her face. And it wasn't that she was expecting to make a long term friend right now, though she would definitively like that, just seeing someone, exchanging a few words, was enough to make her happy for a while.

Ara raised her own snout to the air and let out a howl that was not unlike her own voice - a sweet soprano. It began with a short, single yip, then rang high, a melodic tune that grew higher near the end, and stopped rather abruptly -yet that fit, somehow. She stared up at the sky for a brief moment, then returned to her normal stance and began to trot towards the other wolf – a male, she had realized before his howl began. For this she was happy – Ara could be quite the flirt.

[iivie]

M a n i x ; ;

The brute waited, perking his ears, for the howl that would come back. He wondered if it would be a friendly or a warning howl, or if the she-wolf would even return his greeting at all. Just at this thought, he heard it. Like his, her howl was unique, her own. It started as a yip, and he wondered if it was a pup at first. Then the lovely song-like howl followed it, cutting off suddenly just as he thought it was go down a bit lower. He grinned at the different-ness to it, he didn't like everything being the same. It was nice to have a bit of change, you know? To stand outside of the crowd. To simply be you.

When the howl had ended, he now knew exactly where the female was. He pinpointed her easily, and headed off in that direction, meeting up with her halfway. As her slender body appeared from across the meadow, he gave a sly, playful grin. Everything about him looked happy, as he pushed away all the thoughts of sorrow and guilt. He wouldn't tell this new female about his past. Not right away anyways, he wouldn't want to bore her, or upset her, by putting his worries on her shoulders. The last thing he wanted to do was run off a possible new friend. This was his very chance of starting over. With a wolf that new nothing about him.

His bright green eyes took in her lovely appearance, catching her eyes first, for they stood out above all. When gazing into them, it almost looked as if he was looking at his own reflection. Shock plastered upon his face at the resemblance. "How odd.. Though they were beautiful, he had to admit. After pulling his eyes from hers, he shifted his gaze down her body. Her coat was a lovely cream color, with darker chocolate highlights, but what attracted him most was her lovely frame. It was very slender, thin, small, feminine, yet cute as well. His eyes lit up with his grin, what a combination.

[Lio]

Ara's happiness bubbled inside her. Finally, an escape from her thoughts. As she walked, she spotted him from across the field - he had a very unique look to him, even from a distance. Her curiosity was instantly sparked. What type of wolf was he? He could have been a maned wolf, but she noticed the whitness of his fur as they grew closer. No, that wasn't it. She would make a point of asking him later.

It was not long before they reached each other. She'd thought she'd never see a wolf with eyes as green as hers. They stood out handsomley against his black and white coat. His ears were large, and he was slender like her, but much taller. He was a strange looking wolf - not that he wasn't attractive. Ara's twitch of a grin transformed into a smile. "Hello," her bell-like voice chimed, "I'm Ara."

[iivie]

M a n i x ; ;

A few more steps and the wolves were now close enough to make out even more details within their features. She was even more lovely up close. The grin didn't leave his maw, as she spoke, her voice just as melodic as her howl. "Ara.." He repeated the name as if tasting it, and committing it to memory. Instead of telling her his name, he padded around her in a circle, keeping his eyes locked with hers, while checking her scent, as well as sizing her up. It was just something wolves became accustomed to, though he wouldn't hurt her of course. Not unless she posed as a threat, which so far she hadn't, and there weren't any other wolf scents on her pelt that he could make out anyways.

Though he had gotten most of the mud off that hid his scent, by bathing himself in a nearby pond, some of it still remained embedded into his fur here and there; though it no longer hid his scent. It almost purified him, the scent of the wolves from Marauder's Band no longer stained him. Now he smelled of water, testosterone, a bit of the earth around them and just, like, well, like Manix. There wasn't any other way of putting it. However the mud that did remain deep into his fur had now dried and was giving him a somewhat uneasy feeling. Perhaps the two could go for a swim. At the thought of cold water rushing around him, making him feel weightless, reminded him of the sun that now beat down onto his pelt harshly.

[Lio]

Lio chuckled slightly as he sized her up, Swishing her short, fluffy tail back and forth. Now that was closer, she looked at him more closely. He had caked mud under his fur. She wondered what that could be from; wading through a river, or perhaps... hiding his scent? She smirked, then took in his scent. He had a nice, natural scent, like water and earth. And there was somehing else there as well, though she couldn't put her paw on it...

He let him size her up for a momement longer. she just kept thinking how nice it was to be around somone, though she did want to move into the forest or something - out of the heat. She had always been more of a fan of winter than summer. Also, she had been traveling for a few days now in the meadow, and as much as she had like the smell of the tall, slightly sun-dried grass at first, she was getting a little sick of it now, as some peices stuck on her coat. "And you are?"

She turned to face him now, taking note remember his unique scent. He did look a bit like a maned wolf, spare that the red parts were white on him, and his ears were bigger. He sure was handsome, esepecially those eyes of his. She shook her fur - a few peices of grass clung to it, especially her down tail.

[iivie]

M a n i x ; ;

Stopping in front of her after taking a few more laps around the female, he gazed into her lovely green eyes and dipped his head in a formerly fashion. He lowered his hind quarters to the ground, sitting before her, so that their eyes were now more leveled and she didn't have to look up at him. Then she spoke, asking the question he had suspected she would ask when he didn't tell her before when she introduced herself to him. Another sly, mischievous grin plastered across his maw, one canine protruding from his upper lip, to hang out on top of his lower jaw. "Whoever you want me to be, Miss."

He didn't want to tell her his name, for at the moment he felt that it betrayed who he was. He felt that if he no longer called himself by that name, it would somehow take a very small portion of the guilt away. It would make him feel like another wolf. Even though he knew he could never take back what he had done, nor could he forget it, or make himself another wolf entirely, he felt that this would make him feel a little better at the least. Pushing away the thoughts, he continued to smile, nothing but happiness, amusement and mischief showed on his face; so that she wouldn't be able to tell how he really felt or what he was really thinking. He hoped that she would take him away from these horrible feelings, and these thoughts would dissipate, or vanish completely, though he greatly doubted it. Nothing would be able to change who he once was, nothing could take away what he had done, so he just had to deal with what happened. He just had to overcome this, to forgive himself for this and prove to the world that he could-he would change.

And this was his chance to do so. For once in his entire life he felt free. He hadn't even realized how cooped up he had been through the years. All this time he's had someone else controlling his life, giving him orders as he obediently did as they said, no matter how much he regretted it later, and no matter who's life he took. For a split second he thought his true feelings were going to show, but he held them back quickly. Everything was going to be okay. He had to keep reassuring himself of this. He couldn't bring back those he had brought to death, but he could stop himself from doing the same to other innocent beings.

[Lio]

Ara grinned. So he had a sence of humor - for that she was greatful. He seenmed happy enough as well, but for a moment she got the feeling his contentment was only on the surface, though the fleeting thought vanished as she took another look at his smile, which looked honest enough. I was easy for Ara to accept that the feeling other beings portrayed were what they really felt - the feeling she looked like she was feeling were the ones she really had. You could always tell how Ara felt, and though she was almost always happy, you could easily tell if she was sad or mad or anything else. She truly wore her heart on her sleeve. Sometimes this made others uncomfortable. You could tell if Ara was bored by you, and instantly knew if she didn't like you. Not that she didn't try to be polite about it, but her body language was, to say the least, obvious. It had caused he much embarrasment in the past but also many good things - some wolves liked to know what they were dealing with, right off the bat.

It was evident from Ara's slightly perked ears, contentedly swishing tail, the casual tilt of her head, and the glint in her eyes that she was both comfortable and interested. She wondered what to make of the wolf's responce. Who did she want him to be? No one really... just himself. so who was he? she pondered this for a moment and, having no idea how truly close her guess was going to be, said, "Well, you look like a Max to me." Her wide smile beamed again and she chuckled again. She liked him, she had already decided. It was an especially easy decision to make for her to make when it came to fortunate looking males, and he was charming too.

[iivie]

M a n i x ;;

He watched her intently, paying attention to her body language and facial expressions as they changed from perked ears, tail wagging, and tilting her head, to a more thoughtful and dazed look. Another smile, this one just as sly as the other, but with a more pleased look to it, smeared onto his jaws, showing more of his fangs this time. "Then Max it is." He kept eye contact with the female, his eyes glinting, daring and playful. For a moment, this female had captured his full attention, actually taking away all the bad thoughts that seemed to consume his mind and overwhelm him with guilt and sorrow, and hatred of who he had been and what he had done. Then, the thoughts came pouring back. Without any hesitation he pushed them away again, that was all behind him now. A true smile lit up his eyes this time, all with full and real happiness. Relief raced through him at the feeling, and he truly believed that everything was going to be alright.

Stepping back to his slender, ebony paws, he turned and began walking off toward the forest. As he passed her, he whispered into her ear, "Care to join me for a swim, Miss Ara?" The sun continued to beat down upon the two, and the vast open-ness of the meadow wasn't going to help shield them from the sun. The pale blue sky stretched for miles without a single cloud, which only helped the sun burn onto them. He really didn't know where he was going, he was just trying to get away from his past, to be as far away from the others as possible. He didn't really know what would happen if they ever found him. Right now, it seemed as if he was at peace with the world, and intended to keep it that way for as long as he possibly could.

He wasn't absolutely sure if there was a lake or pond or anything where he was headed, but he had in fact picked up the trickling sounds of water up ahead, so it must be somewhere close. Maybe a river, or a creek. And wherever a river or a creek was, if they followed it, it would eventually lead to a larger body of water. Fresh, clear, cool water. It wasn't until now that he realized how thirsty he was, and his mouth seemed to drool at the thought of the velvety liquid flowing over his tongue. He could take her back the way he had come and lead her to the pond he had bathed in to get the mud off his pelt, but he didn't want to risk anything. Especially her life. It was at that moment that he thought of something terrible. If Kyrious saw her with him, he would most likely kill her on sight; assuming that Manix had run off and told her all their secrets. He'd also be angry at him for leaving in the first place, and then he remembered what they had done to Arctic. He swallowed hard, and forced the thoughts away, he wasn't going to let any of this happen. Even though he didn't know this female, he had already decided that he would protect her with his life if need be. He wasn't going to allow any more deaths on his behalf. He couldn't take another innocent life, and he couldn't handle someone dying at his expense.

[Lio]

He gave another impish smile, this time showing more of his fangs. Ara wondered, fleetingly, whether she would ever find out his real name. Did it matter what she called him anyways? Would he not be the same wolf by any name? As long as he didn't care, she didn't either. Then something about his smile changed - and she loved it. He truly looked happy, and it seemed to her this was a smile he hadn't worn in some time. This made her happy as well, happier even.

And then, he got up.

He got up and began to walk away. In that split second, before Ara's judgement could convince her otherwise, She worried frantically if he was leaving, just like that. It was incredible how much she had grown to like this wolf in only the few minuets she had known him, when she wasn't even sure at first if she would be making a friend at all. But then, after a few more quick steps, he whispered an invitation in her ear, and she knew that was not the case. The sun beat down on them and Ara could barely look up at the blinding sky, let alone the sky. The few whispy clouds that had been there earlier had abandoned them - plus, herthroat was parched and she felt unclean - not that she was particularly dirty spare the few peices of grass on her pelt, but sometimes you just feel like you need to rinse off. And she had no doubt it would be fun. "Of course I'd love to," She added a sly smile, "Max."

She got up and dashed slightly ahead of him, now more eager then ever to get into the forest. She perked her ears and smelt the air - she caught a trickling sound so slight she wasn't sure if it was even there, but the wind carried the clen, fresh scent of water to her nose. She gave a quick look back at Max before darting off into the tall grass, towards the forest and, of course, the water.

[iivie]

M a n i x ; ;

He smiled again, at her words, though she couldn't see his face at the moment, as he continued to walk ahead of her, taking each step gracefully. After her answer, came his name. Well, not quite his name, but the name she had chosen to call him. He felt something stir within him as she said it. He could almost see the sly smile that plastered upon her face, from the sound of her voice. Something about it made a shiver race along his spine, but in a good way of course. He just couldn't figure out what it was...

Shrugging it off, he watched as the she-wolf dashed in front of him. Just seconds before he had heard her pawsteps running up behind him. A laugh escaped his lips, sounding both handsome and cheerful as it hit the humid summer air. The thickness surrounded him, making him wonder if it was going to rain soon. He grinned at the thought, hoping, almost desperately, that it would. He could almost imagine the icy drops of rain pricking at the skin beneath his fur. Pushing the thoughts away, and blinking the dazed look from his green eyes, he gave Ara a mischevious grin, before darting after her.

[Lio]

Ara's ears twitched at the sound of his laugh, sort of pricking up, but unintentionaly. It was a very pleasant sound; she instantly wanted to hear it again. This was suprising to her, seeing she didn't take note of things like that. In a way it was... satisfying.

Her nose twitched as a diffrent and very welcome scent hit it. The very faint, but definite smell of rain in the distance. It was a heavy, humid smell that hung in the air, and she could catch it coming in on the wind. It was hard to imagine, with the cloudless sky that hovering above them now, that a storm of any sort could be on the way. Nonetheless, it was a truly delightful thought. One of the things Ara loved most was little dewdrops of rain dotting her fur, the musical sound of a drenched forest, dripping with little crystal-like beads of water everywhere you looked. She even liked the warm, wet smell of the ground after all the clouds had cleared away. She wondered how long it would be until those clouds would appear on the horizon.

Ara had become distracted, and he was gaining on her. She kicked up the speed, kicking up some dust as she went. It was clear now that this was a race, and that was something Ara shined at. But Max had long legs and was probally pretty fast himself, Ara assumed. his could be a challenge. That only made her smile.

[iivie]

M a n i x ; ;

Manix watched the she-wolf as she ran. Her steps, as well as his, were graceful. Her pale fur seemed to shimmer in the uncovered sunlight that showered unpon the two. Just ahead, he could make out the outline of the wall-like shadow that hinted the begining of the forest. Tall, leafy trees stood before them, so inviting as the breeze wisped through their branches. Once under the thick canopy, they would be sheilded from the rays of heat that now beat upon the entire meadow. He picked up his pace slightly at the thought.

Just as he had quickend his pace, Ara had quickened her own. He assumed she had heard his approaching, and took it as a challenge. He grinned, speeding up even more. His long forelegs stretched before him, taking him farther with each stride. He may not be as well of a fighter, but agility was definitely something he was good at. His slender paws hit the ground lightly with each step, this surprisingly making him leap higher into the air, pushing himself forward, thus carrying him even farther. He was so caught up in the race, that he had hardely noticed the deep shadows engulf his body in one singal leap, taking him out of the harsh rays of sun. The cool air surrounded him instantly, cooling him down in the most pleasent of ways.

He enjoyed it so much, that he allowed his eyes to close for a second, taking in the feeling as he parted his jaws to release a sigh of both relief and happiness. He felt a sense of freedom creep over him, and it felt so nice... Opening his eyes again, they immediately began searching for the female. Once they spotted her, he gave another sly grin and raced past her, dodging the few pine trees at the entrance of the forest, as he went. His thick tail swished out behind him, never touching the ground as he kept up speed. The trickling of water only got closer as they ran, and he began to ache for it... To feel the velvety liquid linger on his tongue, quenching his thirst, before he allowed his entire body to be taken in, letting the weightless feeling take over as he let himself go with the current.