-Amaranth- Crimson and Gold. (FS w/StoneFur)

The sun had slowly begun to set on the lands that the packs now called home. Red and gold streaked across the sky, as she looked upwards, eyes half lidded in something close to despair and sadness. She missed her mother and father dearly, sure. But she missed her little brother Cypress the most of all. Life was not the same without him there next to her. After he'd left, well....

Shaking her head, she turned and looked over the lands, her long legs making strides easily. As the sun continued to fall, the world became shrouded in darkness, allowing the wolfess to blend in as she crouched down into the grasses, having caught sight of a large rabbit that was nibbling on something or other.

Her mismatched crimson red and gold eyes watched the creature carefully, studying, watching for signs of it being spooked.

The wolfess slowly moved out of her crouch, before her long legs carried her quickly towards the rabbit. She was over the rabbit before it could really muster much of a reaction and her strong jaws went down around it's neck and it was only able to muster a squeak before she quickly ended it's life.

Amaranth quickly began to devour her meal, this was the only thing she had eaten so far that day, besides having gnawed on a stick earlier in the afternoon. She was all but consumer by her meal, when something nearby made a sound. She wasn't sure what it was, and her head went right into the air, her mis matched eyes scanning the immediate area for whatever had made the sound.

She hadn't crossed over any borders, she'd made sure of that. Amaranth had been careful enough to stay well clear of other pack borders at the moment, she didn't know what the wolves nearby were like, after all....

OOC: Had to edit, Firestorm. Parts of my original post didn't make any sense. I think if this were to take place anywhere, the rogue lands would be best.

Busy... That was how things had been for the young medicine wolf lately. Stone Fur had well known the hazards that a new home might bring the pack, but he hadn't truly comprehended just how often his packmates, and those in the Swift River Clan would run across the natural hazards of this place. Due to that, he was starting to run low on several of his herbs... most notably Burdock Root.

He'd journeyed far out of Pack territory, close to the mountain range that bordered the Rogue Lands. Hopefully out here he would find more herbal supplies, undisturbed.

Like Amaranth, he was hungry, but Stone Fur had learned a long time ago that hunger couldn't rule him. As the pack's healer, he had to put everyone else ahead of himself. He could eat once his task was done.

He paused as over a hill the sound of gnawing caught his attention. Stone Fur crouched. He still wasn't sure of the threats the packs might encounter out here, and he was no fighter, so he kept himself cautious as he crept toward her.... Only to spot a female wolf, a lovely one at that, finishing off what appeared to be a rabbit.

He slowly stood up and offered a greeting bark. Hopefully, she would prove to be a friend... and not a foe.

Her ears flicked towards Stone Fur, her mismatched eyes watching him closely. She looked suspicious of him, and the way her body was poised was evidence of her fight or flight response kicking in.

This wolf didn't seem a threat, she noted. She ever so slowly relaxed enough to stand normally, then sit. Her long legs made her look awkward, almost like a pup that hadn't grown into their body yet, though she was far from a pup.

At nearly 4 winters, her petite frame was as big as it would ever be. Amaranth really only weighed near 100 pounds, so she couldn't have been much of a fighter. With her ears drawn back and her mismatched eyes focused on Stone Fur, she looked every bit as much of a puppy as her legs made her look.

Amaranth simply stared at Stone Fur for a long moment, her eyes intense, like she were trying to see into his soul. As a breeze floated by, the wolfess caught a small whiff of Stone Fur's scent, which belayed the Black Mountain pack scent. Apparently, she deemed him not enough of a threat to be suspicious anymore, so she spoke.

"I am assuming, given that you are so far away from your pack, that you are looking for something and not here to try and chase me off."

Her voice didn't sound cold by any means, and she wasn't trying to be mean. In fact, her voice was fluid and flowed as she spoke. Amaranth looked over the wolf that had found her again, noting that he clearly did not act or look like a warrior or a fighter. But, looks could be deceiving, she had learned well in her four winters.

She was quiet; waiting for a response, though her whole body was tense, ready to run in case this wolf decided to surprise her....

Stone Fur beheld the female for a moment and shook his head. "If I had intended that, there would have been far more effective means than offering a greeting bark," he pointed out, "My name is Stone Fur, healer of the Black Mountain Pack. And you?"

He didn't seem to regard her with much thought anymore. She was obviously no threat, and so he continued on with his task, searching for his herbs. He wasn't about to reveal his needs to a female he'd only just met, threat or no.

Still, every now and again he looked back up at her, watching to see how she would respond to his actions. "By your scent, I'd say it's been some time since you encountered another wolf," he said idly.

"If I had intended that, there would have been far more effective means than offering a greeting bark,""My name is Stone Fur, healer of the Black Mountain Pack. And you?"


Amaranth smirked slightly, her right golden eye scrunching slightly as she raised the eyebrow of her left upwards in what could only be considering a humorous, even sarcastic gaze. She slowly stood up, stretching her legs a moment before speaking.

"Well, if absolutely insist on introductions, Stone Fur." She started, a smile on her muzzle as she nodded her head towards him before continuing. "My name is Amaranth. I used to be a hunter and a moon guard."

"By your scent, I'd say it's been some time since you encountered another wolf,"

It seemed, that with Stone Fur's statement, that Amaranth's personality did a near 180, and she looked downwards, her ears pulling back again, as her eyes seemed to become sad. She was quiet for a moment before she spoke; quietly, so quietly that a breeze could've passed by and drowned her words out without much force behind it.

"Yes, well. That's what happens when you leave your pack."

Amaranth sat down once more, seeming for all intents and purposes, trying to shrink in on herself. Wrapping her night black tail around her equally dark hindquarters, she pawed at a small plant growing out of the ground with a little purple flower on top. It looked spiky with heart shaped leaves and she continued to shift dirt around it as she spoke again.

"Left about six moons ago, I think."

(She's playing with a piece of burdock root, in case you are curious. )

Stone Fur listened to the introduction and nodded. Amaranth. It was a rather lovely name. Sighing a bit he made his way over to relax beside her. He was tired from his hunting, and despite the need for herbs, he needed rest even more at the present time.

"You left your pack?" he asked, looking so shocked he didn't even notice that she was chewing on the very herb for which he was looking, "Why? What happened?"

Stone Fur himself had been a homeless pup, taken in by a wolf named Thrawn, who helped him find his home in the Black Mountain Pack. While Thrawn had gone on to become Deepening Shadows, the alpha, Stone Fur had been taken in by the kindly healer Broken Light, and her mate, Fire Wind the Legend Holder. He knew the loneliness of having no pack to return to, and could not imagine where he would have been if not for all of them. Why, he wondered, would Amaranth be willing to give up something so precious... something every wolf depended upon in order to survive? He had not meant to offend her, but if her answer was any indication, she'd not left under very pleasant circumstances.

(Actually, she was poking at the Burdock Root, not chewing on it.)

"You left your pack?""Why? What happened?"

Amaranth turned to look at Stone Fur, noting that he decided to relax instead of hunting for whatever it was that he was looking for. Her eyes were somber and she gazed at him in the same way.

"My little brother and I, were about a year old when we came of age and we chose our ranks. We were combo hunters and moon guards, since our packlands were always more prone to intruders. Cypress and I were perfect for the position, black pelts and sharp young eyes."

Amaranth paused for a moment, her fur bristling slightly as she thought of the night of her dearest brother's death. She took and breath to calm herself a moment and sighed deeply.

"Well, an intruder got past my brother. They fought when Cypress had noticed him. Cypress didn't win. I charged after him to kill him but my alpha stopped me, telling me that it wasn't worth it. I didn't listen and chased him down. We fought for a moment, but I couldn't bring myself to kill him. He had been ordered to infiltrate and he was actually genuinely sorry. I couldn't bring myself to kill him, even though he had just taken the most precious person in my life from me."

The wolfess sighed again, before continuing.

"The alpha had threatened to banish me if I went after the intruder. Somehow, my mother had convinced him to let me stay, because I hadn't killed him, only injured him. I stayed for another two winters, but nothing was the same. I kept remembering everything that Cypress and I did growing up and I couldn't stand being there anymore. It simply hurt too much. And so, I left."

She looked back to Stone Fur as she finished her story, trying to keep her tears at bay as she remembered her little brother. Dear wolf, she missed Cypress like nothing else, feeling like she was missing a chunk of herself inside....

Stonefur's ears and tail lowered, and he frowned as he listened to Amaranth's story. She was a she-wolf so young, and beautiful, yet she'd been through so much. His empathy as a healer got the better of him and he moved closer, gently nosing the tears away that even now threatened to flow.

"I know what it's like to lose someone close to you," he admitted, "I have no memory of my puphood before I was taken in by the Black Mountain pack, but I've seen more loss than I'd ever dreamed... I lost my adopted parents to old age. My first adopted father, I lost to war... and all my skills as a healer couldn't have done anything for them."

He sighed. "I suppose all that is to say that I know how you feel," he said, "But the truth is, I don't think you could have done anything to help your brother, more than you did. Sometimes Black Wolf just has plans for us... we don't know why. We can only trust he has our best interests at heart. I-"

He broke off as the scent hit his nose, and he found himself suddenly looking down. His eyes lit up. Burdock root! He looked up at her. "This is exactly what I've been looking for... Listen... Amaranth, come with me. Come speak with the alphas. I'm sure they'd be willing to give you a home. Ebon Star and Aspen can be hard at times, but they're fair leaders.. you don't have to run anymore."

Amaranth was initially surprised by how close Stone Fur was, but she didn't shy away. If anything, she barely leaned into the touch, relishing the contact with another wolf for the first time in a long time.

"I suppose all that is to say that I know how you feel,"But the truth is, I don't think you could have done anything to help your brother, more than you did. Sometimes Black Wolf just has plans for us... we don't know why. We can only trust he has our best interests at heart. I-"

The wolfess sighed lightly, nodding her head at Stone Fur's statement. It felt...refreshing to have somebody that understood her, and now, life didn't seem quite so bleak to look at.

"This is exactly what I've been looking for... Listen... Amaranth, come with me. Come speak with the alphas. I'm sure they'd be willing to give you a home. Ebon Star and Aspen can be hard at times, but they're fair leaders.. you don't have to run anymore."

Amaranth was confused for a moment, before she looked down at the plant that she had been inadvertently playing with. Oh, Stone Fur had been looking for this type of plant? Well, it made sense she supposed, considering his healer rank. The next half of his sentence made her heart stop a moment. He was invited her back to his pack? To be a member? Amaranth was quiet for a moment once more, thinking, weighing the pros and cons. Honestly, there were alot more pros than there we cons. Slowly, she nodded to Stone Fur, before she stood.

"Okay."

Stone Fur yipped excitedly. He quickly dove toward the plant, and with his teeth and claws tore it out of the ground. He was careful to preserve as much of the root as he could, of course, knowing that the more of it he had, the easier it would be to treat infections. Soon enough he had gathered as much as he could carry into his muzzle, holding back his tongue so as to avoid getting any of it in his body. He gestured for Amaranth to follow him and started back over the border.

It hadn't even occurred to him that he might be attracted to her. His last love had been a young Omega by the name of Little Doe. That had ended tragically, and he hadn't pursued a relationship since. Instead, like Fire Wind before him, he'd thrown himself into his work, and thus became an even better healer than Shining Skybird and Broken Light before him.

He kept his pace slow, knowing Amaranth was undoubtedly unfamiliar with the forest paths he was taking, and wanting to keep to the edge of the territory. He paused at one point, dropping his herbs just long enough to howl out, hopefully summoning either Aspen or Ebon Star. They would need to approve before Amaranth would be allowed to join the pack.

The night black she-wolf smiled lightly, quirking an eyebrow as Stone Fur all but tore the poor plant from it's growing place. His yipping was what really made her smile lightly. Such an adult wolf, yipping like an excited puppy. She followed him closely, since she didn't know these trails as well as he did, him having been here for longer than she had.

Amaranth watched the wolf quietly as they walked, him on her right side in the view of her golden yellow eye. She continued to watch him quietly. Stone Fur was handsome, she had to admit. Though she couldn't say much on his personality, given that she had known him for only a short time. He seemed a genuine wolf, loyal, and dutiful. A part of him seemed to retain a little bit of a "forever young" type of acting sometimes.

The wolfess smiled as they continued to walk. She hadn't woken up today thinking that she would be finding a new home. Amaranth paused a moment on some sections of the trails to sniff at some interesting scent, before she loped back to catch up with Stone Fur once again with little difficulty.

As they stopped and Stone Fur howled for the alpha, Amaranth opened her mouth wide in a long yawn, her eyes folding back a moment before she shook her head to hopefully rid herself of her drowsiness and standing them back up. Though she looked calm and collected on the outside, on the inside; Amaranth was a bundle of nerves all wrapped up in her stomach. She hadn't really dealt with alphas before and the last time she had, she had been telling her birth pack's alphas that she was leaving, no discussion and end of story. The she wolf just hoped that whichever alpha came to Stone Fur's call was not irritated by having to accept a member late in the night....

((Hm... I think before we move on with this one, Zero, let's get Aspen involved. I'll send a message to Meo!))

((I'll reply to this next time ^^ I've spent a lot of time on here today, updating TBMP's stats, but I just wanted to post this to let you know I'll be here :3 go ahead and bring Ebon Star in if you want..I'll have Aspen catch up))

((Thanks Meo.))

((Okay, here I am xD))

Aspen had been curled up in her and Ebon Star's spacious den, eyes having just closed as she waited for sleep's sweet embrace, when a faint echoing call reached her ears. The appendages flicked and she considered ignoring it, being so close to blissful sleep, but she knew that was not the proper thing to do. The female Alpha forced her eyes open and blinked them sleepily, jaws parting in a wide yawn before she lifted a black paw to rub at her eyes. No avail, the grainy feeling remained. Oh well. Aspen slowly lifted herself to her paws and ducked out from their shelter to stretch in the roomier outdoors. Hind leg, hind leg, doggie bow, grunt. Aspen shook out her patchy colored coat and started on her way, moving slowly at first but as she walked she woke up more and her pace began to pick up. Her nostrils flared, catching the staling scents of the other pack members, but one remained fresh. Stone Fur was still out and about, and on more careful thought it indeed had been his voice that had called her. Knowing that this wolf would not call her out so late in the night without good reason only caused Aspen to move into a quick trot to join him and see what was up. She swerved around trees, hopped over logs, and stumbled once when her paw got stuck in a thick patch of mud. The female's eyes picked through the shadows more carefully when she figured she must be close, and soon enough they picked out Stone Fur's shape..along with another wolf that she did not recognize. Aspen sniffed gently, taking in the scents, and realized this was a complete stranger. Someone was lost? It was possible that it was a wolf looking to join..but so late at night? Only one way to find out.
"What's this all about, Stone Fur?" she asked, not in a rude tone but one that conveyed that she wanted this to be short, sweet, and to the point.

Amaranth sat there next to Stone Fur for quite awhile, waiting on either of the alphas. She sniffed the air on occasion, when some strange new scent blew their way. One could never say of Amaranth that she wasn't always willing to learn, and some of the new scents filling her nose made her curious. She longed to ask Stone Fur what some of these new scents were, but she figured now would not be the best moment to do so.

The ebon female yawned once more, her jaws stretching wide before they snapped shut. Amaranth now found herself getting restless, her paws playing with the dirt and tracing little swirls and circles here and there, whimsical things, really.

As the alpha female approached, Amaranth had caught bits of her scent as she neared. The bundle of nerves in her stomach? It seemed to inflate itself three fold, making her nervous in the presence of the alpha. Her ears folded back once more, her form trying to shrink in on itself. It was not lost on Amaranth that the alpha addressed Stone Fur first, so she decided to keep her maw shut....

Stone Fur was not the only one out that evening. Ebon Star had, as he often did, taken to looking at the stars, searching for some sign of his father, or when the alpha Deepening Shadows might return. Ebon Star was still haunted by memories of his father's death, and he longed to be able to speak with him again, whether his father remembered who he was or not.

At least he no longer needed worry too heavily about his responsibilities. He had Aspen to help him, and she had proved more than capable a help-mate. Still, at Stone Fur's howl, he knew something had to be up. He would not call on the alphas this late otherwise. He made his way down further into the valley, only to find his mate had beaten him to the site. He couldn't help but smile. Aspen had always been more ambitious in some things than he.

He made his way to her side as she questioned the healer, briefly touching his nose against her neck before sitting down to await an answer.

Stone Fur's ears and tail lowered into their submissive, bowing position as Aspen and Ebon Star approached, and he briefly signaled for Amaranth to do the same. "My alphas," he said, "Thankyou for coming so quickly. As you may know, I've been out searching for medicinal herbs. Most of my stock was destroyed during the great fire, and I've been struggling to find some of the necessities within our territory. I had to venture outside of the territory tonight to find Burdock root... but I never would have found it if not for the help of this young she-wolf... Amaranth. I believe she would make a fine addition to our pack."

Ebon Star listened briefly to the healer's tale, keeping his face straight and unreadable as he studied the new female. He took note of her rather interesting bi-chromatic eyes, but beyond that she didn't seem much different from any other wolf he'd met. He stood up and moved closer. "I see," he said, "Tell us, Amaranth, what do you believe you might have to offer the Black Mountain Pack? We are not in the business of taking in strays. Every member must have something to contribute."

"My alphas,""Thankyou for coming so quickly. As you may know, I've been out searching for medicinal herbs. Most of my stock was destroyed during the great fire, and I've been struggling to find some of the necessities within our territory. I had to venture outside of the territory tonight to find Burdock root... but I never would have found it if not for the help of this young she-wolf... Amaranth. I believe she would make a fine addition to our pack."

Amaranth had already been in a submissive pose when Aspen approached, and stayed that way when Ebon Star did as well. She watched the two alphas with her bi-colored eyes, trying to figure out more about them without questioning them.

"I see,""Tell us, Amaranth, what do you believe you might have to offer the Black Mountain Pack? We are not in the business of taking in strays. Every member must have something to contribute."

As Ebon Star moved closer, Amaranth quelled her urge to growl at him, reminding herself that this was an alpha, she didn't need to screw this up or find herself on the alpha's bad sides. She stared at the alpha as she spoke, feeling that bundle of nerves weigh heavily in her stomach.

"In my birth pack, I was a hunter and what we called a moon guard. I would help patrol the packlands at night when we were prone to invading wolves. I was also chosen on occasion to deliver messages to other packs because of my speed."

Amaranth stood straight, her back stiff while her ears and tail remained down as she waited for either of the alphas to pass their judgement on her....

Ebon Star did more than simply listen to Amaranth's response. He was judging her manners, He noted that Amarath seemed upset by the way he addressed her, but she held her tongue quite well. He slowly nodded his head and finally came to sit in front of her, red eyes staring deep into hers, appraising every twitch.

"We have plenty of fliers at the moment," he said, "They are the wolves who scout our territory and deliver messages from one side to the other, and between packs. Still, food is always a priority. We always have need of hunters. If my mate will agree, then I believe we would have a place for you. You will need to learn our laws, receive markings of your rank, and we would need to be certain of your loyalty, but such seems a small price. I do not believe any wolf is meant to live a life without the companionship of his pack..."

As Ebon Star moved even closer, sitting in front of her. When his red eyes bore into her own, her bi colored eyes seemed to harden over, a fierce and guarded look crossing the gold and red eyes. Amaranth stared into his eyes just as deep as he was hers while she keep her guard up, her face a stone mask of seriousness. She hadn't actually been upset by how he addressed her, but by his close proximity. It had become a habit of Amaranth's in her time as a loner to keep others at a distance if at all possible. Distance meant protection for her, meaning that others could not hurt you.

"We have plenty of fliers at the moment,""They are the wolves who scout our territory and deliver messages from one side to the other, and between packs. Still, food is always a priority. We always have need of hunters. If my mate will agree, then I believe we would have a place for you. You will need to learn our laws, receive markings of your rank, and we would need to be certain of your loyalty, but such seems a small price. I do not believe any wolf is meant to live a life without the companionship of his pack..."

She nodded lightly at the alpha's word, though held her tongue a moment when he mentioned her loyalty. Though it made every bit of sense to her why they would need to be certain, given that they didn't know her; it didn't stop against the feeling of being slighted somewhat in the loyalty department.

Amaranth was many, many things. A fierce friend and protector among them, but she was not disloyal. The only wolf that she would've actually considered betraying her birth pack for was her little brother, Cypress. And Cypress was now dead, she had no reason to betray anybody, she wasn't attached to any other wolves enough to cause her to even think of that. At least, she wasn't attached quite yet.

"Indeed. It had been some time that I have not had a place to call home. I have missed having someplace to call home and a pack to call family."

The dark wolfess looked from Ebon Star to Aspen, looking for her decision.....

[Still waiting for Meo here]

((*points to new thread in YWHn'G with a big grin))

Aspen leaned towards Ebon Star when he approached her and touched her neck, tongue flicking out to barely caress his cheek as he moved towards Stone Fur. She sat silently, observing Amaranth calmly as her mate spoke. She needed someone to teach her the things Ebon Star spoke of, and as he continued to talk to the two others a list of these wolves ran through her mind. If she was going to be a hunter, then there was only one that would be best to train in a new wolf. One of their best hunters, and the swiftest, Storm Raven. Assuming the silver female agreed, that is.
The tri-colored female nodded to Amaranth,"I agree to this. And to teach you the laws and ways of our pack, you will be assigned a mentor. However, we won't worry about that tonight." Aspen leaned into Ebon Star ever so gently, eyes beginning to feel grainy once again,"Welcome to The Black Mountain Pack, Amaranth. You will stay with Stone Fur tonight until the morning, when a mentor is chosen for you. You will then have a temporary den close to your mentor until your training is finished and your loyalty has been proven. Only then can you stake a permanent den for yourself." In a new land, Aspen did not want to make any foolish decisions. When Amaranth denned near her mentor after tonight, the female Alpha wanted a night watch to keep an eye on her. She'd have to speak to Ebon Star about both the mentor and which Soldier would be the first to keep watch at night. Not a bad idea in fact...to have a night watch within Camp twenty four seven...
As the idea rolled over in Aspen's head, a yawn broke loose from her jaws. She'd think more on this tomorrow. For now, it was sleep time. She nuzzled her dark mate's neck fur before standing up and tilting her head towards Camp, silently ordering Stone Fur and Amaranth to follow them back home.

"I agree to this. And to teach you the laws and ways of our pack, you will be assigned a mentor. However, we won't worry about that tonight.""Welcome to The Black Mountain Pack, Amaranth. You will stay with Stone Fur tonight until the morning, when a mentor is chosen for you. You will then have a temporary den close to your mentor until your training is finished and your loyalty has been proven. Only then can you stake a permanent den for yourself."

Amaranth nodded her understanding to Aspen as she spoke. Although why she needed to be re-trained to hunt, she didn't quite understand. As the alpha told her that she would be staying with Stone Fur until morning, her stomach couldn't help the minor flip-flop it pulled. That big bundle of nerves was gone, and if Amaranth's fur had been any lighter than the night-black that it was; one would've seen her blush slightly at the thought. The healer was cute in his own way but also a genuine wolf; something that was difficult to come by these days.

As the issue of loyalty popped up once again, Amaranth couldn't help but wonder if the pack had dealt with a lot of disloyal members in the past.

"Thank you, Alphas Aspen and Ebon Star" she said as she gave a deep nod to her alphas as she followed them without question. She felt relived, relived to have finally found a home. Maybe this one would be better than her birth pack, because here the wolves did not remind her everyday of how many of them thought that Cypress had died because of her.

As they walked back to the camp, Amaranth gave a sideways glance to Stone Fur and smiled lightly, her bi-chromatic eyes shining slightly. She could honestly say, that she actually felt happy for the first time in a long time....

Stone Fur remained silent for the longest time as Ebon Star and Aspen had their say, but he couldn't help but smile, ears perking and tail wagging with pride as they finally accepted her. Afterall, finding new members was usually done by one of the fliers, or one of the alphas... someone who spent more time close to the border than he did. "Come with me then, Amaranth," he smiled, "The Healer's den is always open to a wolf in need... My mentor, Broken Light... she taught me that."

For the briefest of moments, Stone Fur felt a pang of sadness run through him anew. Broken Light had been old when he'd met her, and she'd lived a long, good life. She taught him everything he knew about the healing arts, and even had once boasted he was as good as Shining Skybird, if not better. Of course, it was no competition, but Stone Fur still couldn't help but be proud of his accomplishments.

The two walked together, and he returned Amaranth's smile. "I wouldn't worry too much about Aspen's reaction to you," he said, "She's... well... she's more of an introvert really. She takes things too seriously, but she and Ebon Star have been wonderful for our pack ever since we arrived here... since we lost our last male alpha, and our female alpha, Sage Ghost, went into retirement."

Ebon Star watched the two walk off together before turning to join Aspen. A somewhat playful smile settled over his features. "A mentor, my sweet Aspen?" he chuckled softly, "Loyalty is paramount obviously, but I would think by now a wolf her age would have the skills she needs without extra training."

"Come with me then, Amaranth,""The Healer's den is always open to a wolf in need... My mentor, Broken Light... she taught me that."

Amaranth smiled lightly before she bumped shoulders with him playfully. Stone Fur may not have looked it, but the ebon wolfess he was walking next to could be in tune with some emotions, and sometimes sought to cheer others up.

"Then Broken Light was very wise."

"I wouldn't worry too much about Aspen's reaction to you,""She's... well... she's more of an introvert really. She takes things too seriously, but she and Ebon Star have been wonderful for our pack ever since we arrived here... since we lost our last male alpha, and our female alpha, Sage Ghost, went into retirement."

She watched Stone Fur lightly, her mouth opening slightly in a smile with an 'ah' expression. Still smiling lightly, she spoke.

"Well then, that explains why Aspen wants to assign me a mentor even though I'm nearly four winters old. I was wondering about that."

Amaranth quirked an eyebrow, momentarily confused. "You lost your alpha male? What happened?"

The sentence had burst forth from her mouth before she'd had a chance to run it through her brain's momentarily missing "Sensitivity filter". Every pack that had ever "lost" an alpha did not usually lose them in peaceful circumstances. Her bi-eyes widend slightly before she seemed to be trying to stumble over an apology with only little success.

"I'm so sorry....I didn't mean....You don't need to answer...."

Amaranth's ears pressed themselves backwards again, and she suddenly felt very shy and contrite. She sighed lightly, still following Stone Fur.

"I'm just going to shut up now."