Cold, but far from faded [Smudge]

[Hunter]

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[atrb=background,http://i56.tinypic.com/fapmbo.jpg] Winter. He’d never liked that time of the year. All winters were hard, but the last one and this one were especially hard. Last year, the 6-year-old male Beauceron had taken care of Nemesis who’d been fatally wounded. She’d survived and become his mate, and now they’d a litter of puppies together. All were mouths to be fed, and Clegane was taking a pride in fending for his family without unnecessary help from the Tempest Pack. Food was scarce as always, but snow had already begun to cover the ground, so this winter wouldn’t be the least easier than last year. He rose his big head and grunted, the air turning white from his breath because of the cold. Not too far away, the Stremeira falls stretched out in a magnificent view and but from where the Beauceron stood, the roaring sound of the waterfalls wasn’t so loud that it was unpleasant and deafening. He wanted to be sure if someone should approach him – in times like these, he couldn’t be the only one who strayed far in search for food. The felines would be lurking around as well, and he wouldn’t want his family to wait for him in vain while he was dying in the snow, turning the white ground red with his blood. No. If there was one way he wouldn’t want to die, it would be in the claws of a feline. He wouldn’t let those bastards get him. Never. Even though the Hound was a good tracker, he hadn’t been much successful the last few days. The snow which had begun to fall daily made it hard to follow the possible tracks of prey and even now, at midday, with the sun standing high and shining too brightly down on Earth, few snowflakes where already starting to fall. Even though the sun’s sharp, yellow rays shone down on the snow, it was still cold in the air with the temperature beneath the freezing point, and the ice and snow which covered the earth stubbornly refused to melt. He rose his tail and lowered his muzzle, trying to get a scent of something eatable. He was still well fed from the good times of the year, but it was only a question about time before the lack of food would become visible on his muscled body. A month from now, he would most likely look like a loner. Though, of course, the loners would definitely feel the hard times sooner than him, his family and pack mates. Thinking about loners, a frown appeared on the Hound’s ugly face and he rose his head for a second time, observing. Someone was near. Someone he’d met before. Her scent wasn’t found on the ground, but was carried by the wind. A toothy smile came upon his face, half of it forever damaged by a burning scar and half of it intact, proving the better side of him. The better side… he was growing soft. Soft because of his family, because of mate and puppies, especially his daughters who he thought were the most beautiful in the whole pack. But he didn’t mind being soft towards them. He was still a nasty creature which was proven by the raw muscles showing where the fire once had caught his face, the toothy smile and the rasping chuckle. He would call himself a good father while others would think twice about his words. He would kill any enemy in sight if he got the chance, or injure it and drag it back to the Pack to let his strong offspring have some fun with his prize. But the dog approaching him wasn’t an enemy, he knew her already and her name became visible in his mind like the moon on a misty night. ”Lani,” he said aloud in a husky greeting.

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[smudge]

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[atrb=background,http://i423.photobucket.com/albums/pp315/smudgeblox/laniheadermiddle.jpg] Getting up had been a difficult journey for Lani this morning. Despite the fact she had plenty of fur to keep her warm, her joints had been stiff for the first time in a long while. It was just another agonizing reminder that already her years had started to accumulate however young she pretended to be. Her pale eyes rose to the falls, where thousands of gallons of icy water mounted the hill and crashed to the calmer waters below. She wasn't too far from the top, but trekking up the snowy slopes was no easy task. Each step was a mystery and there were many times where Lani lost her grip and either slid down a ways or nearly fell on her chin. Grumbling to herself, Lani finally hoisted herself up over the edge, scrabbling with her hind legs before making a somewhat clumsy entrance to the top. The view was slightly better, but the low-hanging clouds were hard on the eyes. A nervous rumble came from her stomach. It had been several days now from her previous meal, a measly hare. She needed to find food soon. Her ribs were already a little exposed even after gorging out in autumn. It was what loners had to do if they wanted to survive alone. And what a lonely winter it had been. She had barely met anyone in her feeble existence, and not met a single one of them in the past year. It was a lonely life. Sometimes Lani regretted it and at other times she enjoyed the solitude. She wasn't a very sociable canine but just like everyone else a little attention was needed from time to time. It was better, she guessed, than having the opposite- where other animals wouldn't leave you alone. Lani would surely rip her fur out if that was the case. She didn't like dealing with most of the population. She had been lucky enough so far to meet the smarter and more thoughtful individuals in Hexasol. But maybe that was about to change. She was downwind of another dog but she managed to catch his scent before the muscular frame came into her vision. She sniffed cautiously, but something in the stance of the individual relaxed her. He was a figure of her past...someone she hadn't seen for years. Her eyes lit up in recognition once his face came into view, and the husky mix couldn't help but wag her tail as his baritone vocals reached her ears. She restrained her excitement as she dipped her head. "The Hound. It's been awhile." Lani replied. No wonder she had forgotten his name for a short time there- he had never given her his real one. "You still go by that, right?" Lani teased, knowing he had kept her from his true name for awhile now. Casting a quick look over the rest of him proved to her that pack life had kept him in peak condition. He was as muscular if not more than what she remembered and he looked decently fed despite the conditions. He must be hunting or something, why else would he be this far out from Tempest? Ah, Tempest. She had forgotten about the pack, but word quickly spread to her about the big battle. She felt a little relieved by the fact The Hound had made it through the mess. "How have you been?" Even though she hadn't seen him in forever, the encounter didn't feel awkward. She was quite at ease, a little more socially adequate now that the years had toiled on.

[Hunter]

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[atrb=background,http://i56.tinypic.com/fapmbo.jpg] At first she was cautious and didn’t come closer before she was more confident of whom he was. It’d been a long while since they’d seen each other so he couldn’t blame her if she didn’t recognize him at first. But it seemed like his ruined face was easier to remember than he’d thought which came to the big dog’s satisfaction. It just showed that his unusual facial trait had been nasty enough to crave into someone’s mind but in this case his face didn’t seem to be an unwanted sight – just as it was with his mate and pups at home. Ugly as he was, the big dog wasn’t as intimidating to his packmembers anymore after he’d gotten a family, but what did he care about that? As long as the felines trembled by the mere sight of him, Clegane was a happy dog. ”The Hound. It’s bee a while. You still go by that, right?” Lani replied as she came closer and he kept his smile on his face as he remembered that Lani maybe still didn’t know of his real name. ”It is, Lani, and however awkward it is I guess you deserve more than calling me by that name. After all, I don’t think any of us are thinking one another a stranger nor enemy,” he chuckled in a rasping manner and let the other dog speak out. ”My name is Clegane and as you might see, I’m fine though I have had my troubles as well – we’re in war after all,” he said, not only thinking about the battle in Straight Bit but also the fight between him and Nemesis against the white lioness Icefang and how Nemesis almost had died while taking a blow meant for him. ”As for you,” he said while looking her over just as she did with him ”it doesn’t seem like the life as a loner has much benefit for you.” He rolled his shoulder as he noted the obvious fact. Lani had a hard time and he didn’t understand why she still hadn’t joined the Tempest Pack or at least teamed up with someone.. or maybe ”you’re still alone?” he asked with his brusque voice, not really believing his nose as he sniffed in the air and found no other scent on the black and white female. They were about the same age, so it surprised the Beauceron that he couldn’t scent either the scent of a male or pups on Lani. And as far as he remembered, there hadn’t been any other scents on her as well last time they’d met years ago. After having gotten a family, Clegane couldn’t imagine that someone would choose to live without.

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[atrb=background,http://i423.photobucket.com/albums/pp315/smudgeblox/laniheadermiddle.jpg] The Hound, or Clegane, as he now referred to himself as, appeared to be at ease. The two of them treated each other like old pals, even though there was still little knowledge of each other. It was a relationship Lani couldn't be more appreciative toward. Although they got along an respected one another, neither of the two poked their nose in too far. Clegane's following comment brought forth a tiny smirk to Lani's lips. It looks as though he is still trying to convince me to join Tempest, the husky mix thought. She could give him some credit, however; the opportunity was slightly more appealing now that a few years had passed with her dwelling in near-constant solitude. It was then she realized Clegane's name wasn't the only new aspect about him. His smell was no longer defined, marred instead by the scents of multiple other closer canines. If I'm not mistaken, he has a mate...and maybe even pups. Lani tried her best to suppress the inward twinge of her envy. Tempest was doing this male good...while Lani had wasted the past year or so roaming alone, Clegane had established a family. But was that kind of life the one Lani wanted? Her stubborn nature exclaimed no, but deep down her real thoughts consisted of 'I just can't seem to find anyone....it'll never happen.' The silence that had settled quickly awoke Lani from her thoughts. She forgot Clegane had asked her a question. "I manage," She replied with a shrug, unconcerned by the differences in their overall conditions. "And yes. Just ol' me." She smiled, but the sadness behind it wasn't completely hidden. There were a few dogs out there, she guessed, that could suit her. It had just never came to the point where her thoughts ranged beyond friendly. "And you? I'm sure you've come farther than me," She asked, lightly making a joke at herself from it. She strained to recall exactly what she had felt like before, when she had first met this canine. Definitely younger, but also less motivated. Now Lani was on the verge of desperate....desperate for anything. A change, a new chapter...or maybe even a fresh start, because there was no turning back now. Each minute ticked on and life gradually grew dimmer...the hourglass waited hungrily in her mind. ooc; wow, I totally lost track of this. :x I'm sorry!