Snow....

Kinshi sat under a rare tree in the moorland. It was hidden in the snow. Kinshi sat wagging her tiny tail. The air smelt freash and the snow tasted good. She took a giant bite out of the snow near her feet. The thin ice crached under her powerful jaws and the snow melted in her mouth. She swallowed the soft snow and smilied.

Once again making the daily rounds on his empty moor, Scath silently pawed his way through the crunching snow around the borders. He scented occasionally, rolling around in the snow to leave his scent behind, to mark where his border lie.

Another scent found his nostrils and he froze, his ears instantly pricking up higher, finding the direction the smell was coming from. He found a... deer? He couldn't tell. It was either a deer or a wolf. He almost howled, but didn't think that was the best thing to do. But why not? Might as well give the trespasser time to run before he caught up. And he didn't need the deer if it was prey, his belly was full.

He sat down and let out a warning howl, his eyes glued to the creature under his favorite resting tree.

Kinshi's ear twitched she looked at the wolf from her snow feast. He didn't smell like one of the packs she had been near. So why was he anywhere near her. She stood up her tiny tail twitched. Where had he come form. She sniffed. She had never smelled it before. Who was he. She understood the howl he was close to her border. But she was still on her own side. So she didn't quite understand.

The Kalori Alpha stood back up, looking at the creature as its form became that of a wolf when it stood. A female wolf, he could guess from the lithe body build. He trotted forward, expecting to see the she-wolf sprint from his territory, but she stood still.

He felt a twinge of annoyance, but kept pace. He didn't speed up or slow down. Once he neared her, he slowed down to a simple walk, ending when he was a stride's distance away from her. "What business do you have on Kolari territory?" Scath asked.

"I just found this place, i'm sorry i really didn't know it was anyone's territory, really!" Kinshi layed her ears back submissisvly. Fear dnaced in her eyes he was a male. So he would be stronger than her. "I'm really sorry."

Scath stared at her, feeling a little uncomfortable. It wanted to confide, tell her it was okay, but that wasn't what Alphas did. Unfortunately. They were fierce and unforgiving, ruled with iron paws. "I'm in an empty pack, for crying out loud." he muttered to himself.

He sat down, "Are you from a pack?" he asked, not exactly mean, but not entirely nice.

"N-no sir..."Kinshi's voice was tiny and she shrank down. She felt small beside him. Her body was slender she felt like a twig next to him. HE was largely built enough to take down a deer alone.

Scath stood still, didn't budge. "Um.. okay. So you're a loner?' he remembered when he was a loner, that he was still pretty much a loner still. He felt a twinge of sadness creep into his pelt, wishing so much that he was still with his mother. The dog he barely remembered, but still longed for.

"Y-yes sir," Kinshi said. Watching the wolf. He stood still. His eyes seemed to speak of something sad. Had he lost those presious to him like her.

He took this in for a second. Well, he certainly could just let her go. That was easy and he lost nothing. But... "Well, I guess I'm an Alpha. I'm in a pack called the Kolari. Unfortunately, some... unfortunate turn of events have caused our pack to dwindle down to just me. And, because of all the empty spaces, you could join if you want." he shrugged, doubting she'd take the chance. Wolves didn't like to stay out in the open, on a moor where there less protection than in the woods.

Kinshi looked up at him fear melting form her eyes. "R-really," Kinshi smiled. A pack. Somebody to live with. Even if it was just him a nice warm bed sounded lovely, and somebody to talk to without fear of getting killed! She could be her noraml self again. "I would love to join ur pack!" HEr eyes shined with happiness.

Scath still sat there, expecting to hear a "No thanks, I'd rather go my own way." or something of the sort, but the she-wolf perked up immediately, accepting his offer. His eyes widened and he looked at her. "O-okay." he started, "I guess I should be showing you around, huh?"

"Right," Kinshi made a wolf-smile showing of pearly teeth. Her stump wagged. She relized she shocked him, but it was part of a wonderful day now wasn't it.

Standing up, he shook the snow that flecked his light-colored pelt, and flicked his ear. "Alright, let's get moving. There's not much to cover, but it's enough to take up the rest of the sun's time here." he said, starting off at a brisk trot. The joy of having a pack-mate had given him some new energy, and he wasn't so bored anymore.

Kinshi nodded and trotted after him. Her long slender legs and tiny paws seemed to make her strides longer than his. But she keep pace right with him. It wasn't very hard.

"So.. this is the Daltori border, it leads off into the woods and past a creek, where they tend to stay. Beyond that are the caves where the Shen stay. They're not exactly the nicest, so I wouldn't be going next to them anytime soon." Scath said, his nose down to the snow, skimming over the frosty fluff.
He looked up, over at the she-wolf. "Besides, they don't exactly like half-bred's leading Packs." he shrugged, while trotting a little faster.

"Half-breed? Really you look like a normal wolf to me!" Kinshi said. It was her turn to be shocked. She almost stopped but she went a bit faster to keep pace with him.

He nodded, "Yeah. I guess my mom was a dog." he looked forward again, looking in the distance to see the camp. He couldn't see it yet, after a few more minutes they could though. "I'm Scath, by the way." he introduced himself, forgetting to make a note of his own name.

Kinshi nodded. "I'm Kinshi, it means forbidden." She said watching the snowy scene before her. SHe had an odd name but she liked it. She tought it was pretty.

Scath smiled, "Nice name. I've heard that my name meant Shadow or Shade, but then someone else told me it meant Protection, and some other idiot it meant Dread. So I really have no clue. Only my mother knew what it meant." he said simply. "Are you hungry? There's food back at the camp if you are." he looked ahead. Yes, there it was. The camp consisting of nothing but moor grass, now covered in snow, and a very large thorn tree.

"Yea, I don't really get much to eat ever since i had to leave my old den." Kinshi said. REmembering her old home. Where her siblings grew jealous, and bad things happended. Her brother had been stronger, and her sister was smarter. So why had they been jealous. HEr mother and father loved them to. THey were proud of them all. So why ouldn't they see it.

"No problem, I've got a fresh deer. I'm sick of patrolling. Race you back?" he smiled, looking over at the lithe she-wolf. She'd beat him, probably. But hell, why not? He needed a little fun in his life.

"Sure!" Kinshi smirked. Speed was her domain. It wasn't smart to test her like this. Kinshi took of. Paw after paw her long strides and long legs were quick. She reached the deer. She didn't even break a sweat.

Scath howled, excitement threading through his blood, pumping adrenaline into his veins. He went forward, his strides long and quick, his paws light. He looked almost as if he were floating, and in a way, he was. But he couldn't catch up to the she-wolf, not quite. Kinshi beat him, reaching the deer when his head was tied with her fore legs. He ended up reeling forward, unable to stop in time. While she halted neatly before the deer, he skidded ahead, twisting and swerving in the snow.

He stayed there for a second, snow stuffed in his mouth, melting. He'd ran straight into a snow bank circling the tree.

Kinshi fought the urge to luagh. She couldn't not giggle tough. "I forgot to warn you, i'm one of the best and fastest runners around. It's how i made it tourgh the territories." She smiled. Thid was tehmost fun she had in a long time.