Post by Kaziph on Jan 12, 2010 21:10:11 GMT -5
Cassiel had spent several days with his new mate, his emotions mixed as he looked upon her pretty silver frame. He spoke kindly toward her and showed her the customary love that was expected between newfound love, sire and dam, but in his dreams at night he still saw the ebony face that haunted him, would haunt him, forever in silence. The green, acidic eyes mocked him, laughed at his folly. Am I truly gone? it asked, making him question himself over and over again.
What if Epitaph wasn't gone? What would happen when she returned to find him with another female, within a year of having last seen her? Was he disloyal, or practical? The clan needed cubs, but weren't Aisha and Jaden mating, too? He believed they would, but he wasn't certain. They hadn't asked him, yet. His dark brown eyes were gentle and light whenever he was near Luma, but when he wandered away from her side and thought she wasn't looking, a dark cast came over them as he pondered these deep, dark thoughts. He didn't know what to do, but whatever came, came. He had loved Epitaph, would always love her. He had been happy with her, but he had been the worse he had ever been, miserable, in his life in her absence. Yet the dark she-wolf had taken to leave whenever the thought hit her, like a shadow as the sun came up and chased it away. He ached to be beside her again, but he had new duties now, to Luma. Even though his heart would not mend from Epitaph's departure, at least it was no longer decaying away. It was being propped up, dangling though it was, by a steadier kind of love that would not leave his side. He knew, somehow, that he would be the one to leave her first, perhaps in his death.
So these thoughts were on his mind as he absently came upon the loner and two of his children, Glyph and Beryl. The dark coated young fem made him start, like before, but this time the surprise was masked quickly enough to have been perhaps a greeting that was just a bit too friendly. Children, he rumbled. He didn't question his son, of where he had been. Glyph had been from his first litter, had always been the least likely to stay around. He would always be welcome within the mountains. Cassiel didn't take time to exchange greetings. He walked directly up to the female, inspected her briefly, and nodded. There was always room for a healthy young wolf in the clan, and there were enough other members to keep her in check should she do something foolish. Welcome, he said aloud, dipping his head and grasping her muzzle within his jaws, customary greeting. He released her, saying, I am Cassiel. Explore as you wish, with another. His ears pricked toward the other two present, and then he turned away.
He didn't give them a chance to speak to him, for he was already loping off back into the pack lands, back to find Luma.
