.A N T i C i P A T i O N ___ &&

[.lithium__&&]

l i t h i u m

the lies, they are the rain.

. . .

&& The feeble gray light of the newly risen sun danced across the feathery mist that was ever-present in Lithium's valley, causing the swirling silver tendrils to glow faintly. The tall, lush grass, which was sprinkled with tiny gems of dew, also shimmered. Even the alpha herself glowed, although not because of the sun's illumination -- Lithium was eagerly awaiting the return of her scout and soon-to-be beta, Asa.


&& The slate-gray she-wolf was lounging on a high, rocky ledge, her golden eyes flickering over her mist-shrouded domain. Lithium wasn't really searching for anything in particular; although her eyes' restlessness might've caused one to think differently, she was just relaxing and letting the pine-scented breezes sing through her ebony feathers. That was when she detected a faint trace of wolf blended with the aroma of pine needles -- the scent of Asa.

&& She can't be this early, the alpha thought in disbelief, getting to her ebony paws. I must've been imagining it... Somewhat uncertain -- a strange feeling for the vain she-wolf -- she barked, "Asa?"

. . .

the hate, it is the clouds.

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[.:.Asa.:.]

Asa drank her fill of crisp water from the same creek she had drunk from on her way into Kin Fell territory. She would need the water for the run home, and she would stop as little as possible. Once again, she was on the back trail, heading back the way she had come. Silver orbs looked to the east, she was making good time yet she would push herself harder still. Her paws barely touched the ground as she switched to a ground eating sprint, it also helped that she was running down the side of a mountain which gave her more momentum. She knew she would get tired faster this way but her mind was focused on the sounds around her in the hopes of coming upon unsuspecting prey.

During the early hours of the morning, animals were just beginning to awaken. Ears usually perked forward, often turned to the side to catch a sound from off the trail. The chattering of the many birds within the forest steadily increased as the sun rose within the sky. The loud dash of the occasional rabbit could be heard as Asa ran past. She had decided she would hunt closer to the heart of Pa’chuua territory as it would be easier to carry back from a shorter distance. Slate blue and gray streaked feathers rose upon her back, the feel of the wind caressing her body and feathers as she continued to run felt amazing and only added to the adrenaline that coursed through her body.

After awhile the slope began to even out beneath her paws, silver orbs once more glanced upon the sun’s position in the sky. Despite having not slept the passed night nor ate in the past two days she had made it back faster. Pink tongue hung out the side of her muzzle as she panted yet continued to run, although she had slowed a bit. She was not far now from Pa’chuua territory.

Her head whipped to the left as a grunt reached her ears. Silver orbs narrowed and her nostrils flared with the scent of wild boar, her pink tongue slipped in her muzzle as she bared her fangs without making a sound. Her body automatically crouched as she sprang forward over a line of bushes. Back paws pushed her off the ground giving her the momentum to clear the five foot tall bushes. She landed two feet behind the boar, silver orbs automatically centering on the neck. As her paws touched the ground the boar half turned at the sound. It’s tusks were small, giving evidence of it being an adolescent, not fully grown. The boar had taken one small leap forward, when Asa lunged. Her powerful back legs once more launched her off the ground. Her maw opened wide and closed upon the boar’s neck at first impact, her fangs piercing deep as a rush of blood filled her mouth. As her jaws closed around her prey’s throat, her paws seemed to hug around its chest. The force of the impact sending both of them to the ground tumbling. Not once did her jaws loosen, if anything they tightened further crushing the windpipe. The boar continued to struggle, but its attempts were futile and grew weakened with each few seconds. Asa shook her head, as the boar’s struggles could barely be felt, tugging at its neck to ensure it was indeed dead. After a few minutes the heart of the boar finally ceased to beat and Asa slowly let go of the neck, licking her blood covered maw and the blood covered neck of the boar. She lay with one paw over the chest of the boar, lifting her head finally from licking the boar’s neck. Her pink tongue automatically hung out of her muzzle as it opened and she began to pant. Her legs hurt from the exertion and powerful lunging, not to mention from her continuous running with a only a few stops. Before continuing on, especially now that she had extra weight to carry she would need to rest a bit.

After awhile she became aware of the ever rising sun, she knew it was barely morning yet she prided herself upon doing things within an exceptional amount of time. Standing, she shook out her feathers that were ruffled from the tumbling, flexing them up and down. Silver orbs fell upon the dead boar that lay at her paws. A grin spread across her maw at her prize. She had been lucky, the boar was inexperienced and had not heard her approach until the last second. A rumble coming from her abdomen gave away her hunger, yet she refrained. Considering that Lithium would accept her into the pack, she would allow the alphess to eat first. Her ears flicked back against her skull at that thought but perked forward as she made the final decision and would follow through with it.

Her maw opened once more and bit down hard right in front of the boar’s shoulder blades. She lifted it from the ground and tested the weight, grunting slightly herself. It would be slightly hard, but she was not far from where she would find Lithium. Finding a gap within the bushes, she pushed through, once more on the back trail and continued at a slow, awkward trot. Her head was slightly tilted as she carried the boar so that the back end that dragged upon the ground was between her front forelegs and allowed her to trot easier.

Ears perked forward at the sound of her name. She recognized Lithium’s tone. Her pace increased somewhat, yet the burning within her legs could not be ignored for much longer. She emerged from the mist, Silver orbs centering on Lithium who stood upon a large rock platform. Her trot slowed to a walk, she said nothing as her mouth was full of carrying the boar. Opening her bloodied maw, she dropped it a couple feet away from the stone platform. Stretching her maw wide, silver fangs showing as she tried to get the kinks out of her jaw muscles.

She took a step back from the boar, shaking her whole body, and sat for a moment, before the burning in her front legs made her lay down. She gave a sheepish grin, looking at Lithium. “I may have overdone it.” She stated simply, silver orbs looking up at the brightening sky. She had made it quite a bit earlier than even she had thought. Silver orbs gleamed with a bit of humor as she looked back at Lithium, “I figured you had not had breakfast yet.” She said as she nodded to the adolescent boar before the stone platform. “I only ask that you save me some.” The scouting had gone well, she had caught prey, and she had made it back in record time... Asa was in a considerably good mood, or maybe it was the exertion and being over tired that was getting to her.

Asa laid her head upon her paws, and closed her eyes. Jeepers, I must be more exhausted than I thought... Asa surprised herself as she did not mover from her closed eyed position. Her chest expanding with each deep breath taken, showing her ribs. She would give her report after she caught her breath.

[.lithium__&&]

l i t h i u m

but there's room for two.

. . .

&& Lithium's pale eyes widened as her new beta padded into the misty clearing, a huge haunch of boar clamped in her bloodstained jaws.

“I may have overdone it.”

&& The alpha chuckled softly, her raven-splashed feathers rippling with mirth. "It smells wonderful!" the slate-gray she-wolf called cheerfully before leaping down from the rugged ledge, her gaze fixed on the hunk of meat. It wasn't like Lithium to be in such good humor, but her beta's return had greatly improved her already sunny mood, causing her frosty demeanor to melt away.

&& The black-swirled alpha padded up to Asa, dipping her head in thanks as the blue she-wolf offered her kill to her. Lithium lowered her muzzle to tear off a hunk of meat, but paused halfway through, glancing back up at Asa. "You know," she murmured, "it would be okay if you ate with me...after all, technically speaking, alphas and betas share eating privileges."

. . .

six feet under the stars.

o o c || omigawd, asa-luff, you are amazing. i can't believe you actually did that. XDD

[.:.Asa.:.]

Although her eyes remained closed, a grin spread upon Asa's maw at Lithium's cheerful exclamation. It seemed the alpha was not as frosty as she appeared to be and did indeed have a friendlier side. Maybe it came with respect. Asa is a good judge of character and she respected Lithium, a reason in which she was as relaxed as she was in the alpha's presence.


"You know," she murmured, "it would be okay if you ate with me...after all, technically speaking, alphas and betas share eating privileges."

Silver orbs opened to gaze at the alpha, ears perked forward. Lithium declared Asa as her beta and she had not even given her report yet. Asa lifted herself up and nodded to her alpha. Walking to stand near Lithium's side, silver orbs watched Lithium and she waited until the alpha had begun to tear at the meat before she began herself.

[ooc: Aw thanx... Asa wuves her Lith XD]

[.lithium__&&]

l i t h i u m

time to lay claim to the evidence.

. . .

&& So, Lithium mused as she ripped a strip of meat off of the dead boar, what to do now? It wasn't really a question that the silver alpha needed to ask herself, because she already knew what she planned to do next: Recruit more pack members.

&& Lithium finished chewing the morsel she had torn off, ignoring the faint wails of hunger that still echoed in her belly -- after all, hunger puts one on edge, and the she-wolf had a gnawing suspicion that she would need her reflexes to be as finely tuned as possible if she wished to return to the clearing unscathed. "Hey Asa?" the she-wolf said, abandoning her usual, formal address. Not waiting for her beta to respond, she continued, "I'm going to go out and scout for pack members...after you give me your report, of course," the stone-colored Archangel added with a small smile. "I know that you did a lot of traveling, so you don't need to come with me...just keep an eye on camp."

&& The alpha blinked in surprise as another pine-scented breeze whispered by, snatching up one of her ebony feathers as it passed. Lithium watched, her pride slightly wounded, as the source of her exotic beauty was snatched away by the mocking mists. After a few moments, the silver Archangel realized that the crisp scent of pine wasn't the only odor that the zephyr had brought her way -- fading away into the mist was another, more subtle scent: That of a lone wolf. "About that report, Asa..."

. . .

fingerprints sold me out.

[.:.Asa.:.]

Asa could feel her hunger slowly melt away as she continued to eat. She knew of course not to become too full... Full bellies made slow wolves. Tearing off a long strip of meat she took a step back and laid down with the end of the meat between her paws while she tore at the other end. Silver orbs looked up briefly as she noticed that Lithium did not eat more meat. Asa quickly tore into the last of her strip of meat, finishing it in two bites.

Her pink tongue licked around her muzzle as she stood just as Lithium said her name. Silver orbs focused on Lithium as the silver hued alpha stated what her plans were and that Asa was to remain at camp. Asa would have went with if necessary and she would not have complained but a part of her was grateful.

As the wind swept past snatching a feather from the alpha's back, Asa turned so her muzzle was in the direction in which the wind came. Not only did she catch the scent of pines, but the scent of another. Silver orbs focused back on Lithium, as she noted the alpha's tone.

Asa nodded as she spoke quickly, "I only found two scents within the Kin Fell Territory, both of which were a few days old. One scent could be found all across the territory and that was the alpha male's scent. The other belonged to a female, yet the path of that scent went straight to the heart of the territory and no where else. I believe that the alpha has no members within his pack, except the possibility of one new recruit." She paused a moment before continuing. "As I said the scents were a few days old and I did not see another wolf during my scout and I covered most of the territory except for the very center."

She finished her report and nodded before looking off once more in the direction of which the scent came. She knew that Lithium would be impatient to see who else was nearby. Silver orbs returned to gaze at Lithium and she simply said, "I will keep an eye on things here, call if you need me."

[.lithium__&&]

l i t h i u m

but our footprints washed away.

. . .

&& Lithium stood quietly while Asa gave her report, her black-tipped ears pricked intently. "Thanks," the alpha said after her companion had finished recounting the scouting trip's events. "That's nice to know...I guess we don't need to worry about a threat from that pack, mm?" Her head cocked pensively, the gray Archangel murmured, "I suppose the territory could even be taken over if our pack grew large enough to occupy the whole valley..." Lithium's golden eyes gleamed dangerously and a small smirk flickered across her features as she realized how much the idea appealed to her ambitious nature. After all, it's not like that other alpha is actually using his land...

&& Lithium frowned as another breeze whisked by, the scent of the enigmatic stranger a scarlet exclamation point compared to the black-and-white scents of the mist and stone. "I really need to go confront that wolf," the silver wolf muttered to herself, her ink-black feathers stiffened in irritation. "I'll see you soon, Asa," she added hastily, hoping her words weren't lost in the mist as she lunged forward in pursuit of the trespasser.

. . .

i'm guilty but i'm safe for one more day.

end thread !

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o o c ||[/b] Power-hungry Lithium is power-hungry. XD
I'm sorry this post -- pssh, ALL of my posts in this thread [XD] -- was/are so bad; my muse took a vacation. D=

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