Luma's Ravine

[Tay]

Artist: entaie.deviantart.com/


Luma ran and ran. She ran until her sides heaved and her lungs burned. She ground to a halt, her tongue curling from her mouth as she panted heavily. Her yellow orbs scanned the surrounding area. She knew every part of the Kameskai by now. She turned her tired body toward some trees.

Through these trees, and a little walk sat a ravine. It spilled down far enough that a fall would be crippling for life, if not deadly. She knew where was safe, though, having explored it before. She carefully made her way to a ridge toward the top. When she reached it, she glanced out into the meadow below her.

A herd of Caribou, perhaps the same herd from the hunt sat grazing. She took a deep breath, her breath finally settling back inside her chest peacefully. She sat her rump down, watching the animals she called prey. Her ears perked up as a little Caribou cub, a calf pranced around it's mother. It gave loud bleats and Luma felt her mind drifting back to the image.

How can I face him? If I've had this inside me for so long, why is it only now deciding to surface? Is it because Epi is gone? I lived with it for so long...why? I understand why Cass. He's always been there for me, ever since Duskai. I think it started then. When he was the only connection to Riyo, and Duskai had left me...but why? And why must it show up now?

Oh, I feel so ashamed. He's my dearest friend, and he's just lost his mate...and I realize...I realize.... She couldn't complete the sentence, so she stared at the happy family of Caribou, attempting to sort out her thoughts.

[Kaziph]

The white wolf slowly trailed after his beta for many miles, his pace slowing as the day worn on the evening settled across the land like a dark curtain. He felt the cold in the air and shivered inwardly, knowing this winter would be harder on him than those of years past. This time he doubted he would run through the mountain tops, the ridges, as graceful as he had in seasons long gone. He would instead keep to the lower meadows with the youngest wolves. There weren't too terribly many of them this year though. He refused to think of Epi.

Instead Cass let his mind wander over the features of his beta, his loyal Luma. Strange how the word "his" kept cropping up in his thoughts. He wasn't sure what to do about that though, for in his mind that was what the pretty fem was. His. The thought should have disturbed him, but his heart had shielded part of his mind, the part that regarded his feelings and emotions and put names to him. Nature had found it kinder to keep him in the dark about his feelings rather than have him confused, pained, by what thoughts were with him regarding his mate and his friend.

He continued along, not paying much attention to where he was going but only following Luma's scent. The older brute didn't realize where he was, and the slippery ground didn't make him consider his steps as he padded easily along the edge of the ridge. He didn't have the forethought to look down, or he would have realized what danger he was placing himself in by not paying attention. As it was, though, a spirited wind picked up and blew the first traces of snow from the skies, and Cassiel looked up expectantly to see a dark face in the clouds. Epi? He didn't have time to wonder. The wind buffeted against his side, and stepping back for a better look at the sky the brute lost his footing.

Cassiel's world tumbled around him, white and gray and brown and red all at once, swirling into a vortex of colors as the snow, stone, earth, and blood from his new wounds spun around him. He yelped as his back struck the ground at an awkward angle, and the alpha rolled down the side of the ridge like a limp rag doll. He slid to a halt halfway down on a soft ledge that jutted out form the ridge's steep side. The caribou in Luma's meadow, hearing the noise, had shied and moved away from their grazing, eyeing the ridge fearfully. Cass, thankfully, felt his mind slip away, easing the burden of his bones and muscles as he passed out, alone, the snow bearing silent witness to his form - which it would quickly cover in time.

[Tay]

Artist: entaie.deviantart.com/


Luma sat on the ridge, motionless as the Caribou continued to graze. It was starting to get dark, but the pack that had been a warm shelter for her mere hours ago seemed a colder. She felt an edge of awkwardness she knew she would have to show for Cassiel. The thought of his name made the Caribou shy from one side of the canyon and Luma glanced doubtfully down at them.

No. It was not from her thinking the name. She shook her head, turning her yellow orbs to the place they had shied from. Perhaps a rabbit or a fox had slipped down the slope and startled...her orbs widened in surprise and concern and she jumped to her feet. Cassiel! She barked, causing the Caribou to look up again. She ran quickly and carefully down the side of the ridge.

She glanced down to where her Alpha lay, unsure how to reach him. She spot an outcropping of rock, and carefully set her paw on the slant. It sent little rocks scattering down the side, but she ignored them. She lowered her body into a pounce, staring at the thin wedge of rock. She could easily overpower her jump, and sail down the side of the ridge, as she assumed Cassiel had. She took in a deep breath of the cooling air and leapt.

Her paws hit stone and she threw her weight backwards, stopping her momentum. She glanced down to the still form of Cassiel, adrenaline stopping her from panicking. She glanced for another outcropping, something but there was none near to her. She gave a growl of frustration and decided she could try her luck walking down the steep side. It was, after all, a slant here and not a straight fall. She faced her body sideways and set a shaking paw upon the rough, crumbling rock.

She edged carefully, focusing on her paws on the rocks. She walked step by step, diagonally. Ever so careful, for what she walked on was steep. She grew closer yet noticed another out cropping. She could slide to that, and then down to Cass. She turned her form forward and tried to walk forward, her feet began to slide and she felt the pads scratched in areas. The pain was minimal and she easily ignored it.

She reached the out cropping above Cassiel and jumped onto the rock in front of that. She slide again, pressing her paws down so she wouldn't slam into Cass. Her paws were shred more, but blood from Cassiel's fall covered the blood from her paws, and she finally touched the ground beside him. She nosed his still from, licking his face gently Cassiel, wake up my friend. Wake up, please. Did we not just go through this dear friend?

She gave a half-hearted chuckle, as her tears began to fall from her bright yellow pools. They hit Cassiel's coat, as she nosed him frantically for any sign of life. She licked at a gash on his shoulder, whimpering like a pup. The sky began to grow darker and she raised her head in a howl of frustration. Images of returning to the clan without Cassiel ran through her mind, and she shook her head.

She placed her paws on either side of him, lowering her body gently. Her stomach lay against his side, giving her warmth to him. She kept her paws braced on the ground. There was little room here, for her to try and keep him warm. This would do for now. She kept her weight off of him, her orbs focused on his face. If he did not wake soon, she didn't know what she'd do. She continued to nuzzle and lick his face, hoping.

[Kaziph]

Cassiel felt himself sliding through the land of dreams, and in them there were faces he vaguely remembered from his cubhood. He saw his parents, regal together in their ivory coats, and his dear brother that had passed away when he was but a few seasons old after a hunting accident. There were friends and family, wolves that were loners that he had known along the way somewhere but couldn't quite place... but his eyes didn't see his beloved mate, and that was strange. He didn't think on it.

He swirled through the stars, blinking in the blinding pain that suddenly enveloped his spine and head. The darkness rushed into a tunnel of light and when he opened his eyes there was snow falling about him, and the landscape was stark white already. The gusts of wind that had tripped him tugged at the edge of the steep slope, chilling him. It was then that he realized he wasn't alone. He felt the soft pressure of her body against his before he looked, but Cass knew who it was. It wasn't the black wolf that would haunt him forever; it was a kind face, a loving face, one that he trusted completely.

I was looking for you, he rumbled softly, not hearing her earlier words. Where did you get to, and why did you run off like that? The pack needs to stay together. We are strong again; we cannot fall apart now. He shifted and made as though to rise, but he realized the folly of his move as soon as his hind legs tried to take on his weight. The earth around him shifted dangerously as he laid there, considering his predicament. He shifted his weight back again to his haunches, and it was all he could do to hide the horror he suddenly imagined from his companion. His back legs were numb.

What happened? he snarled, lifting his forequarters from the earth and gazing about him. He glanced up first, seeing the slide of rocks that lead to the ledge where he now sat with Luma. His eyes took in their situation, and he realized what danger they were both in. It wasn't completely his fault, but he knew Luma had jumped down to him, and so if something were to happen to her... well, he simply didn't want to think on it.

There was blood in the air, too, and the alpha realized that while most of it was his own - coming from his stinging back, no doubt - some of it was Luma's, too. His dark eyes came around and rested upon her. He wasn't going to say he was sorry for following her and as a result falling down the cliff's side, but there was a slight hint of ill humor in their depths that he couldn't deny. Well, now what? He wasn't about to tell her about his throbbing back legs, but the wound on his back was too obvious to deny. Cass had a hard time dealing with his emotional gashes, but the physical ones he could handle. He was tough on the outside, after all.

[Tay]

Artist: entaie.deviantart.com/


Luma felt guilt burn against her cheeks. I'm sorry Cass...I just needed time to think...I...I thought to only leave for a while but I must've lost track of time...I'm sorry. She lowered her head, for she did know better then to run off and leave the clan so newly put together like that.

His snarl made her wince, and her ears fell back. She frowned as she looked around. She caught his glance, and she sighed. I...don't know...I only thought of getting down her to you, Cassiel. Rather stupid of me in hindsight. I thought you learned not to leap into things a long time ago? She thought to herself, as she glanced up and down the ridge again. Apparently not...

She looked studied the route back up for a moment before easily dismissing it. Even if Cassiel hadn't been injured trying to go up the mountain side would be foolish and extremely dangerous. She looked to Cassiel, feeling sad and guilty. I am sorry, Cass. For putting us in this situation. I shouldn't have run off like that...I just...I needed... She gazed into the handsome wolf's brown orbs and couldn't think to put words together for the warmth that was growing in her chest.

Even older as Cassiel was...he was still a handsome brute. It wasn't hard to see where Cass's sons developed their strong looks from. She dropped her attempt at finishing the sentence and looked back down the slope. Perhaps if we walked sideways like I did to get down here...we could make it to a low enough point that sliding the rest of the way would not harm us...

Her yellow orbs stared into his warm brown and she looked hopeful once more. Do you think...you'd be able to do that Cass...? She tried not to look to his back, knowing it was bad. She instead gazed down at the meadow, watching as the snow slowly fell. A beautiful view it'd make, if their situation wasn't so dire.

[Kaziph]

Cassiel grunted, easily dismissing her apologies. Words didn't matter much overall, but he knew that she regretted her actions, however slight the offense had been. The alpha met his beta's eyes, and he saw... something like warmth in their depths, something that reminded him of another's eyes - only those particular eyes had been a violent shade of green.

The white wolf blinked, lost for a moment in the depths of her own orbs gazing back into his, and then he ripped his attention back to the ridge. He glanced up first, and upon seeing no way of climbing back up, looked down. It was still steep, and he had fallen only about half way down the incline. It would hurt like fury, he knew, to fall again, and the next fall could be the end of him, or Luma. It made him angry thinking about it.

Sideways, you say? he rumbled. It might work. If he could feel where his back legs were touching the shale, that was. What if he started out, couldn't feel his footing, and fell again? It was the only way, though, that even had a hint of safety about it. Ok then, let's go. You first. He motioned with his muzzle; it wasn't a gentlemanly maneuver. He just didn't want her to see how back his back looked, and if he did fall or lost his footing, he didn't want her to see that, either. Why does it matter? he wondered to himself. Had it mattered before? No, he didn't think so.

He realized he was old, but Cass still felt like he should be able to take care of himself - and his clan. If he couldn't get down the ridge by himself, how could he expect to lead his family? He once again didn't think on it, adding the worry to the burden already on his shoulders as he stared forlornly down the cliff's side.

[Tay]

Artist: entaie.deviantart.com/


Luma nodded to Cass, feeling awkward about this whole predicament. She couldn't look at him, for fear he would see something different in her orbs. He'd been in love with Epitaph, and though her orbs were almost opposite, she feared he would see something similar there. She didn't know what he would do if he found it. She didn't know what she would do if he found it. She nodded to him, staring down the slope.

She lay one paw out in front of her, feeling the step before taking it. Making sure it would not be false and send it scraping down the side. She glanced down where her body would fall and took a deep breath. She took one step forward, going at an angle down the side of the rock face. She kept her ears back to hear for Cass. Hoping that his back would not be bad enough to hinder his walking. Hoping he wouldn't fall again.

She kept this pace, not looking anyway but forward. The ground wasn't far, if she kept this pace. She couldn't hear Cassiel's footfalls with the shush of the snow and her heart pounding in her ears. She only hoped he was somewhat close to her.

She reached a tree growing at an angle out of a small patch of dirt. It was a forlorn looking thing, leaning toward the meadow, as if it too wished to leave it's rocky home. She paused then, leaning her side against the tree, and glancing back toward Cassiel.

[Kaziph]

Cassiel's paws were shaky, there was no doubt about it, as he made his way down after Luma. His back legs were stiff because he didn't know when they had made impact with the ground until the motion jarred his hips and lower back. The brute was careful, though, and with time he made his way to Luma's sad little tree and paused. He motioned for her to continue, not wanting to show how out of breath he was by speaking aloud.

Sorry, not much posted here but there's really only so much I can post with Luma leading the way down the ridge

[Tay]

Artist: entaie.deviantart.com/


Luma nodded to Cassiel's silent comand and continued. Soon she glanced down and noticed the ground a reasonable distance away. She continued walking for a bit longer. You can keep walking to the end, if you wish to avoid shredded paw, Cass. I just want off this wretched thing. She turned then, facing downhill. The ground was only about four or five body lengths away.

She glanced to Cassiel, allowing her orbs to look to his injury for the first time. She felt herself draw in a breath. Cassiel's beautiful white fur was stained red. Pieces of debris cling to the sticky spot and Luma's eyes pooled with guilt, regret, concern...and love.

She wished nothing more then to get to the bottom of the ridge, help Cass to a nice little shelter and lay with him. Clean his wounds and care for him like a good mate would. She let her orbs meet his, these thoughts all but written across her forehead. Then her paws began to slide and she tried to gain her balance. She failed, and tumbled the short distance to the ground, end over end.

She landed in the snow dusted grass with an omphf. For a moment she lost herself, and lay still on the ground with the snow easily falling down upon her sore body. She then gave her head a shake, and rose to a sitting position. She felt a warm trickle on her muzzle, and glanced down to the bridge of her nose.

There the rough rock had ripped a small gash. She shook her head and bent to wipe it on the ground. She glanced back up to Cassiel, weakly smiling. I'm alright. Bruised and sore...but okay. Don't copy my grace, Friend. It's not worth it. She laughed a little, licking the side of her mouth where her blood dripped. It'll stop bleeding soon enough...Perhaps it won't scar either. She thought absent mindedly, watching Cassiel's form on the cliff side anxiously.

She hadn't meant to let the emotion rise over her like that. She only hoped he noticed only one slip. Her physical one, as opposed to the emotional one.

[Kaziph]

The white alpha kept his attention on his paws, making certain his back legs made contact with the earth before trying to move his fore again. Perhaps fate intervened, but the happened to glance up at his companion just as Luma's bright eyes turned back upon him, full of varying emotions. In that brief moment the brute saw several things, the most of which being enough to overwhelm him, too, even though he hadn't placed or acknowledged the word of the emotion as belonging to him. Then he saw her slip, and the wolf's heart lurched into his throat so that he couldn't speak, just stand and stare stupidly as she tumbled the last few meters to the ground.

When he had gathered his consciousness, the beta of the mountain clan was already moving and looking around, speaking to him, although he hardly heard her words. Cassiel edged forward, slipped himself but managed to stay upright, and half slid to the ground, the end of the terrible ridge, at her side. His back throbbed, his legs still tingled and he wasn't sure that they were propped up right, but they held his weight as he pressed aggressively up against her.

It may have been the timing of the season, or it may have been the timing of their friendship, their bent relationship. He had known her for almost as long as he had known his Epitaph; she had always been there for him, his children. Things had come full term, and there was no longer his dark shadow to stand at his side, for Luma had taken her place.

So it was with these pressures on his instincts that the brute paid no attention to social graces or words, giving into his animal nature naturally. His eyes were wild, the browns fading into black and his pupils dilated. His jaws snapped once on air and then found the side of her neck, clamping down to pinch but not draw blood. At first he made as though to shake her, like an opponent that he would wound to kill, but his pressure slackened and a whine escaped his muzzle, heart-wrenching in the depth of it. He thought of all the times they had been together, and how much he missed his love, his Epi, but that miss was slowly healing. It would never leave, but a silver colored patch could begin to cover the hole left behind in his heart.

Finally words found him, or rather, he found the words. They came out incoherently in a snarl, violently angry and painful and everything kind about him all at once. Be careful, my Luma, I cannot lose another. It would break me.

[Tay]

Artist: entaie.deviantart.com/


Luma stared at Cass in shock as he slid down the ridge like something possessed. She felt her heart begin to thump when he pressed against her, sending her blood rushing through her veins and making the spots where his body and hers touched tingle.

She was startled for only a moment, bearing her teeth at his frenzied snap for her neck though no threat or danger was attached. Mere shock drew this reaction from her body. Then, when he grabbed her neck, closing his jaws just enough to pinch she felt adrenaline explode into her body, and she too was taken over by the instinct of the wolf. When he released her neck, barely a second had passed before she had closed her jaws around his in turn.

Now was the moment of truth, for if she did not share his affections she could merely clench her jaws together quickly. It would take only one deep bite, and a quick shake to be sure that Cassiel's life would be ended. She would return to the clan with his blood staining her pelt, the lone Alpha. These thoughts registered in her mind from instinct and it took less then a second for her to banish them.

She loved the Kameskai, it was true. She loved the lands, form the gentlest hill, to the roughest ridge. She loved the seasons, the winds of summer and the blizzards that blanketed the ground. Mostly, though, she had loved the leader. Who ruled with such a kindness in his orbs that she had felt at home the second she was accepted. Though Cassiel was a strong and intimidating brute Luma's yellow orbs were able to see the sweet warm behind the protective brown from the start.

She had been with him form the first, like Epitaph. Though she was a more silent and background companion, she had been there. She had celebrated their first litter, then after their second. She had helped to raise the pups as if they were her own, for in all honesty they had been. Committed as she was to the Kameskai, it made those pups hers as well. Not physically, or through blood. They were hers through pack, as good a family as any.

As she thought of her first moments inside the Kameskai, leading to where she now stood, she could not imagine her path leading anywhere else then it had now. She let her jaws only close enough to pinch, and she released him, the wolf instinct in her dying down, happy with it's newly made bond.

Her yellow orbs flew to his brown, for the events that had just occurred were almost too much for her to keep up with. She heard the raw emotion in his words though, and met him with a similar intensity. Never will I leave you Cassiel. I felt loss far too much to ever dream of it. Believe me when I say I will walk these mountains with you for as long as we both are able. She dipped her head to him, feeling the emotions twirl in her belly. She considered them for a moment, but knew that it was a good twirling.

Hesitantly, she nuzzled him, ever so gentle, as if she thought the moment shatter and leave her dreaming up upon her ridge.

[Kaziph]

Time was distant to Cassiel, for a moment seemed a lifetime and another was gone in an instant. He felt her jaws close on his neck, and an uncontrollable fury rose in him as he felt his alphaship lashing to be loosed on this usurper. It was a battle of wills to pause, to consider the implications of Luma's actions. She was alpha female now, his equal, his partner. Epitaph's ghost, the one he held dear in his mind, seemed to snarl to him, but then it was gone in a wisp of smoky gray breath through his nostrils in the cold mountain air. He was once again turning the page of chapters in his life. First from cubhood to an adult loner, from loner to alpha, to mated pair with his dark shadow. Now a new story was unfolding before him, open to changes and chance and new love. He was ready for it. He wondered if the rest of his clan would be.

It didn't matter to him at that moment, though, for the white wolf had not come back to his senses. Luma was nuzzling him, and although the pain in his back was terrible, it was ignored for the pain in his heart, his soul. The longing to take the female before him as his own was overwhelming, and it was a task to be gentle toward her in return. His muzzle thrust against her neck as a deep rumble issued from his chest, vibrating through his nose into her fur. He began to groom her, his tongue finding her face and kindly cleansing the debris and dirt he found, making her shine radiantly. His instincts begged for the chase, for her to run so that he might catch her... but it was her choice. If she wanted to mate, to bear his children for the clan, the new alpha female would run, and run hard.

And he would catch her.

[Tay]

Artist: entaie.deviantart.com/


Luma could smell Cassiel's needs floating from him. The smell of his desire made her heart beat fast. She looked to him now, realizing that she was the new Alphess of the Kameskai. She felt nearly breathless, though from that revelation or her emotions she couldn't tell. She felt his growl vibrate against her throat, the action made her fur stand up for a moment as a chill swept over her.

She was aware of the season, and suddenly it seemed, she was aware of the brute beside her. She let her yellow orbs look over the brute as he began to groom her face. Throughout her life in the Kameskai, while the seasons had changed and the pups had grown...one thing had remained constant. Cassiel. He'd always been around, as unmoving and reliable as the Mountains themselves.

She felt her blood beginning to boil, for she was aware of the other side of her love- lust. She wanted to bear Cassiel's scent and have him bear hers. She wanted to give him pups, and raise them. She wanted to be his, like the Mountains. She licked him back, getting the debris away from his beautiful face.

Pulling her muzzle away, she lingering beside the end of his nose. She glanced into his orbs. She felt herself sliding into the warmth of the brown pools. Summer in winter. She felt the heat in them, surrounding her, burning her. Singing to her own desire, drawing it to the surface, to swirl in her own orbs. She came back to focus, and felt the need to tell the world of her emotions.

The snow began to fall in earnest now, turning from a light dusting to thicker flakes. In the hush of the snow, Luma raised her muzzle to the sky, singing to the heavens of this feeling brewing in her belly. A cloud of steam rose from her mouth, and after she'd let the note dance with the snow for a while she lowered her crania. Yellow orbs found brown.

In a flurry of snow and silver Luma turned, her unsaid words hanging in the air. She raced over the ground, pillars pushing the ground behind her. This is the last and only time she would allow herself to be chased like prey. Cassiel would be the only mate she would take for the remainder of her life. She made this vow as she flew over the ground, and the unspoken words hung like the snow, dancing, glittering with the new life to come.

...Catch Me If You Can...

[Kaziph]

Cassiel didn't respond to her call, for his thoughts were for her only, not the emotion bubbling within him, demanding action. He pressed his side against her, growling softly, the snow and cold and blood in the air forgotten. The season was fully upon them, and understanding went out the hypothetical window. He didn't pause to consider his family, his clan, and how they would react to this news. He didn't consider that they might reject her, breaking him and her both in one fell blow. He knew, too, underneath the emotion that Aisha had found herself a potential mate. She and Jaden would probably bear their own children this year, and he would become a grandfather. These rational thoughts, however, were dispersed, gone on the breeze, when Luma turned and ... ran.

He darted after her, his numb hind legs finding purchase on the ground difficult. He skittered and slid at first, but then managed to gain some control over their movement. He still couldn't easily tell when contact with the ground had been made, not until the sensation had jarred up into his hips, but his natural gaits came and he was at least able to run, if not handsomely.

The two wolves, alphas now of the mountains, vanished into the swirling snows, the sounds of their chase dying away as Cassiel drew close to his prize, and his love, and caught her in the deep, silvery night.