spirit

The skies were ashen, and the air frigid. Overnight, snow had accumulated on the ground, blanketing the vegetation in a thin layer of ice crystals. Most inhabitants had opted for a day of sleeping in, but she was up before dawn. She was awake and panting for air, her little lungs frozen. Pawing her way out of the abandoned badger den she had claimed her’s, Spirit emerged from the warmth of her makeshift home and into the cold atmosphere of the world. Around her, the world was silent. Little ears pricked, black nose twitching, Spirit gazed into the woods intently. Her ears twitched. She could hear the stealthy wings of a swooping owl in the distance.

Although she should be wary of the northern owls, Spirit was not. Although they could easily prey on her, Spirit was not drawn edgy from that fact. She knew her way about the land to avoid ordeals. She was poisoned with bravery and arrogance. A little pup, hardly old enough to cope without her dam’s milk; unafraid and alone. Alone, yet unafraid. Odd how the two things went together. They hardly ever did.

Pacing forward, Spirit skulked close to the front ground, her paws glazing over piles of soft, new-fallen snow. She scrambled over a fallen branch, landing on the ground once more and halting. Around her was silence. The world lacked life at these hours. She was alone. Alone, but she was unafraid.

Tainted

The cold mountains were hardly a place for small canines, especially not pups. While Tainted was fully grown, she was not as well suited to the cold as her wolf-hybrid father. Her weak back also made climbing a bit of a hassle. She'd have to take the most gentle slopes up if she wanted to get where she was going.

Tainted could hardly remember the last time she was up here. Tahti took her and Predator up to the summit one summer, and Tainted wanted to recall those memories. Tahti was killed long ago. As painful as it was to revisit her mother's favorite locations, the hybrid felt it was a good step towards recovery.

There it was. There was the temple. Tainted stared at the familiar sight, but it was too much. She quickly turned around and bolted off, only to almost run straight into a pup. She looked down at Spirit, unsure of what to say. Was this pup's mother here? Should she be wandering around all alone? All Tainted could manage was a gulp and a simple greeting: "Hello." Her voice was wavering, evidence that she was feeling rather depressed at the moment, but it still held the tone of politeness she reserved for non-threatening strangers.

spirit

She had wandered a short distance from the branch, her little paws scampering across the frozen earth. The cold air nearly exhilarated her now as her body awakened. Rearing onto her hind legs, Spirit did a little twirl before her front paws connected with the ground once more. Lost in her whirl of playfulness, Spirit had hardly heard Tainted coming. It was the dull thunder of paws against the mountainside, while Tainted was just a couple dozen yards off, that Spirit realize she was not alone.

Tensing, Spirit pivoted around to see the coywolf upon her. Too caught up in her dismay that she was not alone, Spirit remained footed. She and Tainted were face-to-face before Spirit batted an eyelash. Oddly, Spirit wasn't as racked by the other canine's presence as she would've thought. Instead, she was happy. The loneliness Spirit had been subjected to the past few days made her suddenly realize how much she yearned for company.

Spirit blinked her little honey-gold eyes, cocking her head at Tainted. She studied the older canine for a moment, trying to analyze Tainted like her mother used to analyze animals. Deciding she wasn't an immediate threat, Spirit replies "Hi" with a friendly yip. Her little nose twitched as she extended her head towards Tainted. "Are you a nice wolf or a bad wolf?" Spirit outwardly asked. "My mommy always told me to stay away from bad wolves."

Tainted & Technopunk

The cold air nipped at Tainted's ears, forcing her to pull them back closer to her head to conserve warmth. The trek up here also made her hungry; she needed more energy in the winter. She would love to go hunting, but first this matter needed to be taken care of. Tainted needed to make sure this pup was safe, and hopefully she could find the pup's mother.

Tainted hadn't dealt with pups in a long time; not since she and Suenga had pups. Thus, she looked a bit uneasy. "I'd say I'm a nice wolf." That was debatable, though. Lyckos would likely compare Tainted to the devil. Overall, though, Tainted felt like a good guy. "Where is your mother? Are you out here all alone? This isn't a safe place." The thought hit Tainted that this pup might not have a mother anymore, and she realized that she would be glad to take her in as her own.

Another canine soon arrived. Technopunk had been ordered by Nightshade to keep an eye on Tainted, as the latter seemed to be distressed. The mutt made her way up the mountainside, clumps of snow sticking to her long brindle coat. "Tainted, you-- oh!" Technopunk was a bit startled by the pup, and even more surprised that Tainted seemed to be calming down a bit in Spirit's presence.

spirit

Spirit blinked at Tainted, her little tag wagging softly. The pup wouldn't know a villain from a hero if it would save her life, but, to her luck, Tainted wasn't all too bad. Not enough to hurt a pup such as Spirit.

Upon the question about her dam, Spirit's bright expression sudden faded and she felt her stomach drop. Spirit glanced away, gazing off into the distant forest with a soft sight. She herself couldn't explain the horror in which she had gone through, her little mind could not completely comprehend the situation, nor could she seek the words to convey it. Spirit whimpered for a moment. "The silver monster trapped her," Spirit responded, frowning. "She sent me away when the two-legged came. When I came back, the monster and mom were gone."

She truly didn't understand the situation. All she could remember was the panic and the desperation her mother was in. And the blood. All of that blood coming from her leg. As the memories traced their way across Spirit's mind, she shuttered and withdrew into herself.

Her distress was broken upon Technopunk's arrival, but Spirit was still haunted by the memories of her dam's death. Spirit cast a look at Tainted, then Technopunk, and back again. "Is that a good wolf too?" She asked.

Tainted & Technopunk

On occasion, Tainted did feel like a villain. She was partly to blame for nearly killing Hydras, and it was an intentional attack; retribution for turning Tahti and her ailing daughter Aurinka away. Part of her still loathed the Lurkers, but with Kahvi's children Auri and Kobalt living with them, she just had to bite her tongue. It was for the safety of those young ones.

But today, she'd try to play the part of a hero. She didn't dare get too close to the pup for fear of scaring her, but she listened intently to what she had to say. As Spirit explained her ordeal, Tainted had no words. She just stood there, appearing rather shocked, opening her mouth to speak a few times, but ultimately no words were formed. Eventually she managed to collect herself and attempt to comfort the orphaned pup. "I'm sorry to hear about your mother, young one. I can offer you a home with my family. It will not bring your dear mother back, but it may offer you some comfort." She lowered herself down to the pup's level, trying to appear non-threatening. "What is your name, child? I am Tainted, daughter of Tahti and Luke."

Technopunk breathed in to cool, crisp air. She looked up at the sky and smiled. Not everybody could be blessed with her cheerful demeanor, and that happy-go-lucky attitude annoyed Tainted a little bit.
"Yes, she is," Tainted said with a nod. "This is my friend Technopunk, and she is good too."

spirit

Oddly enough, Spirit was uncomfortable with sympathy. As horrible as the ordeal had been, Spirit didn't want comfort. She wanted to let go and forget it. Move on with her life. As Tainted said, there was nothing to bring her mother back. And that concept, the young pup had grasped in her little, juvenile mind. It had been one of the first steps Spirit had taken to stop herself from being overtaken by sorrow. Sorrow burdened the surviving soul, and Spirit was in the strife to survive. A mourning pup would get nowhere in this vast, unforgiving world. She dwelled only a moment long, before looking back up at Tainted with a fierce spark. "Home?" she repeated the word, her tone soft. Even with her mother, they had no home. Cast away, her dam was left to raise Spirit in the outcast life. "I am Spirit...I do not know my parents. Other than she sometime said she was Outcast." The child of Outcast, what a title. "I would like a home, Tainted," Spirit decided.

Spirit cast a long gaze at Technopunk, trying to form an opinion on the other wolf. She was friendly, indeed, but there was something about Tainted that worried Technopunk. This caused Spirit to inwardly wonder about Tainted. What was this other coywolf about? Who was Tainted, indeed? But Spirit had already cast her comfort into Tainted. Regardless, Tainted was, perhaps, the type of motherliness for Spirit.

Tainted & Technopunk

Spirit's story gave Tainted a heavy heart. The coywolf herself had experienced so much death, including the murder of her dear mother, so she felt Spirit's pain.

"Spirit," Tainted repeated with a slight nod. "What a pretty name. Spirit, daughter of Outcast." At this point, Technopunk nudged Tainted, who in turn looked back at the brindle Dutch shepherd/border collie mix with a grunt of acknowledgement. "It is time to go home. You may live with us. There are many pack members who would like you as a friend." The coywolf wagged her tail and smiled, turning slightly and beckoning for Spirit to follow them home. Next stop, Manahcob Downs.

spirit

Spirit cautiously followed the two canines. But then, she was unafraid.