Daybreak

[Zeke]

At last, Zeke could feel his journey into the south was drawing to an end. He had wandered for several months now, traveling first east and then to the south in search of warmer climates and more plentiful game. For perhaps a month, he had wondered if the tales he had been told of warmer lands had been an outright lie; the vastness of the Tundra was considerable, and after leaving his former territorial lands he had found it extremely difficult to navigate. However, with the sun as his guide he had been able to find his way to a much more temperate forest than the ones of his homeland.
There was so much vegetation here, and it was so much warmer. It almost didn't seem real. The change had been gradual at first, but the further south he traveled the warmer and greener it became. He wasn’t sure at first if he liked this change, until he started smelling the game. Rabbits, squirrels, and deer, but these deer were much smaller than the deer of his homeland. These deer were small and nimble, but none too bright either…Zeke gorged himself on an old, sick whitetail who had strayed too close to the lake he had scoped out as a watering hole. The meat of the creature was so full of fat and vitality, it was so rich, that Zeke made himself sick by eating much more than was likely prudent. He hadn’t eaten anything like that in years; the environment to the far north was just too devoid of plant life to support animals that were so fat. The only way Zeke had been able to feed himself prior had been to kill as often as possible, every last rabbit, dove, and sick creature. Here, they practically came to you ready to be eaten. He had a feeling that he was going to enjoy living here; there was so very little effort that went into it. Even now he could smell other deer within the mile, most likely waiting for him to leave Nimara Lake. Perhaps he would leave and let them come; there was no reason to kill them all at once. He needed a supply to last him for a while; he had lost weight while traveling on his own and was hoping to put it back on shortly. Zeke had only yesterday gone to groom himself just to end up feeling a rib beneath his fur. How insufferable; these deer would have to sacrifice their own energy to give him back his strength. The world would not simply give itself up to him, he had to take it, and to take it he needed his energy. He shivered at the thought of going to war with other wolves again. Surely there were other wolves in this land, yes? He would find them, he would choose some to be his own, and he would fight the rest. That sounded good to him, very good to him.
With the first sun of morning filtering through the trees and casting a slight warmth down his back, Zeke dipped his blood soaked muzzle into the water, at first to clean it and then to drink. The water was as cold as ice and it reminded him of the water of home, but it was particularly refreshing in light of the newfound warmth of this region. It felt good, unlike anything he had felt before…this warmth. If he were to so choose, he doubted that he’d even have to seek shelter for the night. He could sleep in the hills, or in the grasslands. There was no need to hunt for warmth much like one would hunt for food. This was a good land, and he wanted it. Still, there needed to be other wolves for him to stake a claim to a territory. What good was solitary confinement? Zeke raised his face to the sky and howled.
”Hello?”

[Sitara]

    Just a little further, just...a little more. Sitara pushed herself to continue walking in the dark, trying to pace herself. Her journey was set back various times for multiple reasons, like getting lost in the Asak forest and hunting for food. S he felt as if there was not much time left for her pack, not much time left for her mother. This so-called messiah her father spoke about had to be found...if there even was one. Many times, she doubt the existence of the "spirits'" warrior. Who did they think they were? How was just one warrior supposed to help an entire colony? Could they at least be more specific? Questions poisoned her mind as she became weaker, as she got slower.

     Dawn came, decorating the sky with beautiful oranges and purples, but Sitara took zero note to the beauty around her. The only thing on her mind was to keep going.
'Just...a little...more, Sitara. Don't stop.'She said in thought. Sitara was determined, but was distracted by the distinct smell of water. She stopped, only to take a whiff at the humid air. The birds began to chirp softly as the first rays of sun peaked in through the lush trees. The air was still light and cool, but the wolf's body felt heavier. The relaxing surroundings finally caused Sitara to colapse.

     Light bounced off the body of water that could be found near causing her eyes to flicker open. A soft whine emit from the wolf as she realized she had fallen asleep. Sitara sighed, but remained laying down on the soft grass. There was no use for her to rush herself, there was really no place to be bur home. Home...the thought of it contrasted with the view. This place, it seemed more like home than anything...or at least what she imagined home should be like. If only it wasn't so far. If only something could assure her that her mother would make the journey.

     Sitara's thoughts were interrupted by a howl. This also caused her to jump to her feet. She looked around, trying to locate where the sound emanate from. Not too far away, she could see a wolf as dark as night. Sitara was tempted to answer his call, but could she trust this wolf? She was weak, famished, thirsty, she could not fight. Even if she was in her top shape, she doubt she could truly take on such a large wolf. Her curiosity got the best of her and Sitara decide to get closer, but she still remained hidden in the bush of the forest.

[Zeke]

Minutes passed, and Zeke’s lone howl was not answered. Had he been in the territory of another pack, it would have immediately been followed up upon. This confirmed his belief that he was, in fact alone here. He had no doubt that his voice had carried, he was in a highland and his howl was a strong one. In the past it had carried as far as ten or so miles under the right circumstances with crisp air. That settled it. There were no wolves here. He supposed it was time to go then. He would wait up in the hills during the heat of the day and then come back down at night to hunt, maybe; he was still full from having an entire deer to himself. With a deep breath he set out on his way, or had been about to when a scent reached his nose that made his hair stand up on end.

A wolf.

He took to sniffing the air, looking around quickly, trying to catch a sign of movement. The scent was so strong, it had to be near. It was definitely a wolf, the first wolf he had encountered in this strange new land. He definitely wanted to make this creature’s acquaintance, whether or not it was a friend or foebeast. After just another moment of visual surveillance he caught sight of the figure. He froze, his tail held high. She was small, tiny actually, and her markings were so strange to him. They were unlike that of any wolf he had seen prior, and immediately he questioned what it was that he was seeing exactly. She was too small to be any wolf of the Tundra, the size of a yearling of his kind. Still. There she was. Perhaps the wolves of this land were different? He had heard whispers of such tales, but had oft been inclined to dismiss them as merely that…whispers. At any rate, she posed no threat to him. He smelled no other wolves, and had made sure of it this time. He would make contact with her. She would be a valuable source of information for him, and the first interaction he had been blessed with for some time now. He padded off towards her until there was only a few feet between them and then bowed his head.

”Pleased to make your acquaintance. My name is Zeke, the son of Kvasir and Freyja. The pleasure is all mine.”

She certainly had an interesting quality about her, in the way she was formed and the way she carried herself. It was lighter than the wolves he knew, quicker. Like she could dart off and he wouldn’t be able to catch her as easily as those he had tracked in the past. There was a certainly slyness to her, especially in the face. She was different. Exotic. Nevertheless, he would have to decide if she was to be left alone, kept, or killed…and at this particular point in time, he was feeling rather neutral about all possible decisions.

[Sitara]

Zeke

Sitara laid low on the greenery that surround her, it was much unlike the dry trees of Titan where her coat would serve as camouflage. The tree trunks didn't help much and the twigs and roots were...well...on the ground. The wolf was almost certain that she would stick out like a sore thumb-whatever that was-if she stood upright, so while he was here, she would lay. Sitara kept a close eye on the shadowesque figure, keeping close attention to his body language. Beams of light shined against the lake once more, peering through the leaves that surround her. The glistening water tempt her; she yearned the cool feeling of water against her tongue.

Her eyes shifted from the lake to the wolf that stood nearby. Sitara could see his intentions of leaving and finally stood, but it might have been too early. Did he hear her? Did he see her? Her questions were answered when she noticed the  wolf looking around, looking for her. Though he did not see her, he was aware of her presence. She did not dare move a muscle, if she did, he would surely find her. It might even seem like she's trying to corner him, seeing as she had been watching him for a while now. One thing was for sure, she did not want to come off as a potential threat, especially when she was in no shape to be one. That would only bring problems. Sitara's final  decision was to stay still and wait, wait for the inevitable and-oh, he found her. 

The wolf scanned her from head to tail. He seemed deep in thought, as if he were analazing every bit of her. His eyes on her made Sitara feel uncomfortable, it made her wonder what went through the dark wolf's mind. It made her wonder if he had any intentions of claiming her as his own personal slave, killing her or maybe even both. Watching him inch closer did not help either. At this distance, Sitara could admire how much bigger than her this wolf was. This Zeke was twice as big as she was and surely twice as strong, if not stronger.

"Sitara..." She paused only for a moment, "daughter of Eli and Ava. Sister of Tarak, Micah and Silas.

Sitara could still smell the blood on his muzzle. It sparked curiosity in her; it made her wonder what it was from. It might have been from a rabbit or maybe a juicy doe. She shook the thought away as it was only making her hungry. It was her time to examine him, it was only fair. After scrutinizing Zeke's figure for a few seconds, she could see that he was thin. The wolf was almost in as bad shape as herself. 
"He must be a traveler..." She concluded to herself.
a
"Zeke...where do you hail from?" Sitara questioned. She was curious as to how far this wolf had traveled, she wanted to know who he was and possibly where he was going. Maybe he knew some brave, possibly even legendary warrior from his fatherland. Her fears of being killed by Zeke dissipated, feeling more comfortable around the wolf.

[Zeke]

Well, it seemed as if she could indeed communicate with him. That was certainly a start. Sitara, the daughter of Eli and Ava. This foreign wolf and her sire had strange names, ones he had never heard before. How interesting it was, to see such a creature. Such a small, strange wolf. He had to suppress a grin and a chuckle; how novel it was! But when she asked him from where he had come, all momentary lightheartedness and joy left his body. Ah, yes. The north. The lands he had left. His home or what had once been his home. Home was wherever he decided it would be now; but barring success, he would return to the north and make sure that it remained conquered for but one wolf. Zeke was the lord of all that met his eye…and he would let every last soul know it, this one included. Still, he had no desire to be seen as a slaughterer of the innocent; at least not yet, it did not suit his purposes.

”I come from a place of snow, and a great night that eclipses the sun. A place where frost is not nearly as cold as the hearts of those who step upon it…”

Zeke chuckled to himself. If only she knew the truth behind that last statement.

”The timber wolves, the greys and the like know it by the name of Kalastar. My pack called it Skaða.”

Now he would ask her questions in return. He was absolutely dying for answers at this point, and he would most certainly have them. She was in no position to deny his bid for information, and Zeke had a feeling that she knew this.

Now do tell me if you please, where you hail from…and where I am. Furthermore, I would very much like to know who this land belongs to, who the alpha is. You are the first wolf I have seen in many miles, and where there is an adult fae is there not usually, if not always, a male alpha as well?”

He looked her over once more. From this distance it was fairly easy to see how emaciated she was. Skinny as a bone and extremely weary in her posture; but perhaps this was how wolves were made in the south? If so, he would very much enjoy living here. If she was any indication of the size of a southern adult, he figured the males would only be marginally larger. Still…there was always the chance that this land too had been invaded by the wretched timbers and greys.

”But on the other hand, you’re not very well fed. Either you’ve left your pack, they’ve gotten rid of you, or they were never particularly adept at finding game.”

He figured that she had already deduced his nature as a solitary male.

”I, myself, as you can see am packless. This is by choice. I seek the most virtuous and glorious life that can befall any member of our kind. I seek to make my name known in every land and to every wolf.”

He looked her straight in the eye hoping to gauge her reaction to what he would say next. This would in part determine how she was about to be treated by him in the following minutes. He was willing to help her seek food and would allow her access to the watering hole…but only if she played his game. He would watch her body language closely.

”No creature hunts the mighty wolf, and in all of the lands there is not a kingdom more powerful than that of the wolf. We are the dominant species, even bears will fall before us in the right numbers.”

He smiled, showing off his razor sharp incisors.

”But, as we know my dear…every kingdom needs a king. One to unite it from mountain to sea.”

[Sitara]

It may have just been her anxiety, but something seemed amusing to the larger wolf. Sitara looked straight at Zeke, hoping there was a tell tale sign of what seemed to keep him in such a joyous mood. The small wolf could simply hope this unknown male  wasn't some sort of psychotic sadist bent on torturing and killing everything that moved. And with that thought crossing her mind, she remained alert once more. His body language changed; Zeke now carried a somber demeanor. Although she was not too worried about having insulted the wolf...somehow, there really was no reason for him to feel this way,  she was curious as to what memory may have caused him to change all of a sudden.
'Ah...a Northerner.' There was something about the wolves from the north that Sitara just couldn't stand. Maybe it was just because a lot of them had killed pack members, or made bets as to who would kill her first, or even just because they made fun of her small size. Whatever it was, she just didn't like them...but maybe, just maybe, this one would be different. There was hope for the northern wolves to redeem themselves through this one large and dark figure. 

Zeke began to speak again, this time with a demanding tone in his voice. He wanted to give her no choice but to answer. All hope was gone.
"Who the hell does he think he is?" Sitara now bore an incredulous look in her face as he yet again spoke. It was now clear to her what seemed to be so humorous to Zeke. She took offense when he began speaking about her pack. Sitara could feel the anger growing in the pit of her stomach, but chose to remain calm. The strong air of arrogance that emanate from Zeke's words sickened her. Size and strength seemed to be all that mattered to this wolf, proving to her that he was one of the same. He spoke of a glorious life, but she knew he was the type that would never be satisfied, the kind that could have the world and would not be at peace with themselves because they would want the moon and the stars that accompanied it.
'Oh. King. THAT'S who he thinks he is...' Sitara answered her earlier question. .

He looked her in the eyes and she looked straight back at his. The fae felt a need to just walk away, but her pride took the best of her.

"Oh, of course." Sarcasm oozed from her words as she smiled right back at Zeke. She let him know that she had those as well. His attempts at being threatening simply made her angry instead of afraid. 

Zeke's monologue was over and she could finally speak. 
"I would be lying If I didn't say we were completely different." A chuckle escaped her after telling him this. "And...this may seem like a surprise to you, but one...is not the right number." The people she had to deal with because of her search. If only her father had just not told her about his little warrior. If the spirits didn't contact the old kook. Sitara was just about to decide that her father was actually high off peyote in the middle of the fight and she was going to go back home and take care of business another way, that is, if she made it alive out of this one.

[Zeke]

Zeke could practically smell the annoyance and possible hatred wafting off of Sitara, but this did little to surprise him in truth. In fact, he found it somewhat amusing. There were always those who tried to hide their emotions to ill effect, only in fact showing their lack of control over aforementioned emotions. His smile did not wane even for a moment. She probably thought him simple for the breadth of his goals. So be it, he had no time for those who sought only to put themselves in a more comfortable position in life; life was a conflict from the day one was born till the day they died, denying that fact only made it more unbearable. Zeke chose to embrace the war that was survival, and to do so was absolutely his right. One wolf being bothered by this was laughable to him, petty really. Oh yes, they were absolutely different. This much Zeke knew, and it was painfully obvious. Still, he needed her for the time being. At least for a little bit longer. The little wretch.

”One wolf is nothing, even a wolf such as me. I too know this; do not mistake me for simpleminded or narrow in my understanding.”

His smile faded and once again he was serious. So she would not be dealt with by charisma, intimidation, power, or any other reasonable force. Fine. He would appeal to her sense of reason.

”Allow me for one moment, to be frank with you. “

Zeke sat down on his haunches, no longer representing any sort of physical threat. If she ran, she would be able to get away. At least until her energy gave out, at which point Zeke would have little trouble tracking her.

”You are obviously by your lonesome for a reason, and it does not concern me as to what that reason is at this point. Strength is always in numbers. I will help you with whatever it is that you desire, whether that be finding a new pack, tracking someone, or finding yourself some sort of strange looking but suitable mate. In return, you will help me with what it is I desire. I desire to make myself an alpha, and to be an alpha, one needs a constituency.”

For the briefest of moments, his smile returned. He expected that her pride would now allow her to follow him for any amount of time, but still, if she did agree…it was a start, at the very least. He did not expect for her to stick around no matter what the outcome was.

”All I ask from you is to follow my lead. I don’t ask you to like it, and I don’t expect you to kiss up to me either. All I ask is that during our interactions with others you give the outward appearance of being either my beta or my mate. You will receive your compensation for this in the form of easy access to food, and the protection that comes from traveling.”

He motioned towards her emaciated figure, particularly her ribs.

”On the other hand, you can continue to try to live off of rabbits. The downside is that living off of rabbits, and rabbits alone, will eventually kill you. Ever hear of rabbit starvation? They aren’t fat enough. You’ll die eventually, and that would be regrettable. If you weighed more, you could perhaps be attractive in a strange foreign way.”

He stood up and prepared to turn around and head towards the mountains, with or without the fae.

”If you decide not to join me I will allow you access to this lake without any sort of aggression. That is the last decency I will offer you. I do not aid those who bear ill will towards me. The choice is in your hands.”

[Sitara]

Zeke

Intimidation was never a good way to appeal to Sitara. If anything, it made all reasoning and means of communications impossible with her. Zeke could say anything he wanted to at this point, she wasn't really going to pay much attention. All that could come out of his mouth was probably just to belittle her. The fae was the least bit charmed by the wolf and intended to let him know. The smug look on his face was replaced by seriousness, making it seem like he got the message.

Zeke got down closer to her level. Okay, okay, we're getting somewhere now. This time, his tone was more sincere than it had been throughout their conversation. Maybe this was worth listening. He made an offer no wolf in their right mind would deny, especially not a starving one. Not only that, but she was certain he could deliver.
'You need to take this offer, sweetie.' She could hear her concious say, in his voice no less. Her ego, on the other hand, told her that she would rather starve, that she couldn't trust him, that she should just leave. The offer, though an excellent one, did not appeal to Sitara at the moment. She could not bare the thought of her stuck with someone like Zeke. She was not about to take orders and follow around this miscreant. Especially not as his alleged "mate". He really didn't seem to find her attractive, anyways.

The wolf stood. As soon as he was done talking, Sitara simply walked past him towards the lake. She looked down at her reflection and chuckled. She really did look a bit mangy. The fae began lapping up the water, being careful as to not get her muzzle wet. She kept on going as if she had a thirst that could never be quenched. From the corner of her eye, she could see movement. Sitara stopped drinking the water to take a better look and could see cloudy figures moving down below. The movement was hypnotizing, causing her to inch closer and closer until she dove into the water. It only took a couple of seconds before she emerged with a three pound chum in her mouth. The fish flopped around in her mouth, smacking her a few times on the face as she swam back to shore. Finally making it to the shore, Sitara bit down on the poor fish and broke his spine, causing all movement to cease.

Her "feast" began. She gobbled up the morsel in a matter of seconds. A groaning was heard. It was her stomach. This was the moment the fae realized she was being ignorant. She needed him now more than ever and Zeke, for whatever reason, needed her as well. Sitara decided it was time to set her pride to the side. She looked around, trying to spot the dark wolf.
I'll go... The words taste like vinegar to her, but it was the right choice for the time being.

[/quote]

[Zeke]

Sitara

Zeke watched as the fae padded off towards the lake with some degree of disappointment. It was regrettable that she was acting this way, but it was by no means unexpected. So she did not wish for his help or what meager companionship he could offer. A moment passed before he heard a splashing sound, and when he looked over to her he saw a fish in her mouth. What the hell was she, a Kodiak bear? Fishing in the lake…next she’d be in the river trying to catch hopping salmons in her mouth. As he walked by the edge of the lake towards the foothills he shook his head. Shameful. Industrious, but absolutely ridiculous. Still, when one was starving it was not their place to choose one thing over another. He wondered for a moment what fish tasted like. It smelled good, but it also smelled rather unusual. He yawned and continued about his way, he was still rather full from his earlier meal.

“I’ll go…”

At first he hadn’t processed that she had spoken to him at all, but as it sank in he turned around with a questioning look on his face. Had she actually said that, or had he just been hearing things? Although it had been sheepishly spoken, he decided that he had in fact heard what he had thought he had heard.

”Well, I am surprised, truly. I was expecting an altogether less cooperative stance to be taken up between us.”

A smile reached his face once again.

”This is a rather unexpected nonetheless welcome surprise. “

He bowed his head once again to Sitara. He would try to do less to beguile her anger for now, at least as long as she was deciding to be useful to him. There was no reason to burn any bridges, especially not ones he had just built. Perhaps he had come off too strong at first anyway. This wolf obviously did not respect power like they did in the north. She was a much more shortsighted creature and had probably been beaten around by fate one too many times. Unfortunate, truly, but not exactly his first and foremost concern. Well, not exactly at least. He needed to know what her plan was, and what her concerns were so that he could best fit them in with his own desires.

”First and foremost, I would like to ask you…exactly what it is you are trying to do. What is your end goal here? I cannot help you unless I know what it is you want, of course. This way I can determine how we are to best help both ourselves and each other, yes?”

For now he did not hold his tail high, and he did not assert dominance in his body language or tone of voice. There was no need for it, and to do so would only hurt their relationship. This Southerner was a strange and easily angered type. Angered by words that were so normal for Zeke that he had to feel as if tiptoeing was the only way he would not incite her wrath. Still. If that was what it took, so be it.

”Once we’ve established this, we can decide if we are going to travel or stay here for some time. Albeit, I do not know the area, I’m sure you can offer me more insight on the local geography. My god, it is so warm here…”

[Sitara]

Sitara looked back at the confused wolf, half-expecting this to be his reaction. Who could blame him? She was about to walk away from the offer and disappear from his life forever. She was, up until her stomach gave her a reality check. To think, rumbling tripes where what caused this stubborn fae to change her mind. Hunger really did take you to extreme measures. There he went on about being surprised as if it wasn't already clear. Maybe it was something about the northern culture and making this painfully obvious. Or maybe it was her being biased. 

"Yep...big surprise." She sighed and shook off the water that dripped from her fur, almost instantly regretting her decision. Sitara wasn't going to go back on it, though. There were wolves other than herself that relied on her return with a warrior. It was this thought and his question that sparked an idea in the fae's mind. First off, she hesitated telling him the reason she had traveled so far from home. Zeke would surely deem it laughable that she had gone on a long journey just to look for someone who would fight her wars for her because her father told her about some warrior in his deathbed. But she had to. She could take this....this...this Zeke and turn him into some sort of decorated hero, a paladin from the north. A mighty, righteous messiah from the icy tundra with a jaw of steel and claws....well, you got the idea. She was sure her people would buy it. No doubt. No wolf in her pack would question the nature of this hero, just because they were as desperate as she was, if not more. 

"Well...", she searched for the right words in her mind. "I'm looking for a mercenary...my pack needs a mercenary." She wished to avoid using the word hero. He was no hero, he was a charlatan! 

"I'm sure we can work out an alliance of some sort." She took a couple of steps closer. "I'll leave my pack and travel with you and help you recruit until you have enough members in your own. In return, you protect my kind-my family." She was tired. She was lonely. She was homesick. She was ready to go back. If he was the key to doing so without leaving empty handed, she was going to take it. This burden got too heavy for her to carry, both physically and emotionally.

Sitara was about to collapse. Exhaustion and starvation were not the best mix. A short nap and a single fish  was not enough to replenish her, as much as she wanted to believe it was. The same heavy feeling from dawn slowly peeking its way back. She stood as strong as she could, trying to avoid showing any signs of anything to Zeke. She wanted his reply to be yes and believed the best way to do so was show him strength. It was something that was important to him, or so it seemed. This just shows that Sitara needed her shadowy hero more than she would ever admit.

[Zeke]

This one was so endlessly cynical, it really was borderline insulting. Did she take nothing at face value? He wasn’t even trying to deceive her at this point, and still she acted as if he was feigning his surprise. So needless, so boorish. He was about to sigh and perhaps even protest her choice of tone when she mentioned that she was in need of a mercenary. A mercenary? He could certainly fit that role. It would be an easy way to build up his following and his fame. If these Southerners were in such a need of a fighter, perhaps they were in need of a new leader. Even if they didn’t all come rushing to serve him, he was sure he could snag a few as he left; having become their hero would probably be a great boon, and whatnot. Still, on the other hand he wasn’t exactly sure what he’d do with them. He needed warriors on his side, and judging by the size of this female they weren’t much in the warrior department. Still, perhaps there would be a few that would make decent scouts for him. Scouts were hard to come by in the north, and this spry, stringy little creature looked like she would be a very good one assuming she could learn. Zeke lacked the ability to remain unnoticed in most situations, but was an excellent tracker. He could teach her what she needed to know, assuming she didn’t already know how. He would keep this in mind. But anyway, yes! An alliance! What she proposed was an even better notion that what he had expected. She’d be his first pack member, as well as assisting him in finding permanent ones? Excellent. The only thing he raised an eyebrow to was when she said her “kind.” Oh, so she too had noticed the overwhelming difference in breeding between the two? He chuckled.

”Alright, Sitara. I will protect your kind , your family. I think you will find that I am not half as bad as you think. The Great Mother put me on this earth for a reason, like any other creature. Perhaps helping you is where I will find what I desire, yes? Either way, the chance to do battle…for a good cause no less, cannot be denied. Your family requires a paladin? Here I am.”

Zeke stretched out his muscles, feeling rather tired after having just eaten so much. Still, his companion looked as if she was about ready to collapse. There was still some of his deer left, hidden on the other side of the lake. He would offer it to her, as he could just as easily hunt again. In fact, it would be much easier with two wolves instead of one. Now was not the time to be greedy or cite right to a kill. He looked at Sitara with a smile that was in fact genuine. He could tell she was trying her best to appear in control and healthy, which he admired. Those who did not show their weakness were essentially devoid of it. What an odd creature she was, but he could get used to having her around as long as she didn’t get too heavily holier-than-thou.

”There is a deer on the other side of the lake. I killed it an hour before we met. It is yours for the taking now, little one. I’m afraid I already ate the heart and the meat between the ribs, as well as most of the left hind leg, but there’s plenty left over for you.”

He motioned with his snout towards the other side of the lake, before taking another drink from it. After he was satisfied, he started walking in the direction of the deer.

”Yes, yes. Go eat before you collapse, little one.”

[Sitara]

Every now and then, Sitara would glance over at the lake. She wondered if she had enough energy to grab another fish or two, oooooor if she would just sink to the bottom like a rock. This brought up another inquiry. Could Zeke even swim? She could not imagine a situation in which Zeke had to swim. Everything in Kalastar was frozen over...right? She wouldn't know, there was never a reason the fae had to travel that far north. To say the truth, this was the furthest she had ever traveled towards the North. The only things she knew about the icy tundra were what she had heard. Battles and snows and bears, oh my! Mmmm, not really her cup of tea. She liked the flexibility of being able to sleep pretty much anywhere.

She was staring off towards the lake when Zeke spoke. Her ears pointed towards the wolf before looking over to him. Her face mirrored his surprised look from before. He agreed. He actually agreed. Sitara could almost go up to him and lick his face all over....almost...not quite. She was excited by the news of going back home soon. She was going to go back to her family, everything would be better and she could listen to her mother, find a suitable mate and settle down. Ava always did tell her daughter that she was far too picky. There's no such thing as a perfect mate, she always went on. Bah! Sitara was determined to find him, when she was younger..and now...maybe, but she would try to set some things aside. Her mother wanted grandpups from Sitara before she died. Tarak and Micah had already fathered their own litters, blah, blah, blah.

Zeke offered his kill and that took the cake. He was already proving to not be as bad as she thought. Sitara felt a bit guilty. The way she had been acting was based mostly off other wolves' actions and not his own. Sure, he kept calling her little one, but she had to give him a break, cut him some slack.
"Zeke...thank you." She smiled. It was a soft and genuine smile. Sitara practically skipped her way towards the deer. When she finally did reach it, she tore off a big ol' piece of thigh and began feasting on Zeke's donation. The deer was quite juicy, scrumptious, making her eat more and more until she was full.

Sitara let out a satisfied sigh before licking her muzzle clean. She hadn't had a meal like this in days, probably even weeks. A soft, squeaky yawn emit from the small fae before she laid down. It seemed like the perfect spot for a nap. A nice shade, a cool breeze and the only thing near that could kill her wouldn't because they needed each other. Her eyes flickered, threatening to close. Sitara decided that she would rest for now, there was no big hurry anymore. She curled up into a ball and let out another sigh before closing her eyes.