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

Stone Fur couldn't help but smile at just how curious Amaranth was. It was no secret of course, and the memory held less pain for him than it did for Sage Ghost or Ebon Star, but still...

"No, it's alright," he said, "His name was Deepening Shadows. When the Black Mountain Pack was still small, Thrawn (That was his name at the time) brought me to the pack. I was just a pup then, and he was like an adopted father to me. Things happened... The Swift River Clan, an old rival Pack of the Black Mountain emerged and threatened war... Deepening Shadows and Sage Ghost led us through that whole affair, but in the final battle, the truth finally came out. A traitor within Swift River was responsible for everything. He killed their alpha male, betraying everything Swift River claims to believe in. Deepening Shadows saw this and confronted him. The fighting was terrible, but Deepening Shadows was tired, and he was finally overpowered... If not for our Delta, Cold Mountain, the traitor probably would have killed CrystalStream (the new Swift River Clan alpha) and Sage Ghost too... He was that mad with bloodlust. The war finally ended. Sage Ghost called for peace, and shortly afterward we were forced to find our new homes here... but she's never recovered from his loss... The only comfort we have is Ebon Star's belief that Deepening Shadows may return to us somehow."

Amaranth listened quietly to Stone Fur's brief tale, about Deepening Shadows and the war, and all that had come after it. She looked thoughtful a bit, before she posed her question.

"Is all of that the reason why Ebon Star and Aspen seem so intent on having me watched by a mentor until they consider me loyal?"

In all honesty, Amaranth was indeed a curious she-wolf, but she also seemed so shy at times, and very outspoken at others. She herself was a curiosity in herself, in that her personality did not always seem so pinned down as others were, how it seemed to shift and change regardless of what she did.

"You know, I didn't get a chance to thank you, Stone Fur. It's nice to have a home again and I wouldn't be here without you having invited me."

She smiled once more, before her ear flicked slightly, catching some wolf running through the brush nearby. Tensed, the ebon she-wolf jumped when a small white puppy burst from the bushes, giggling all the way and running past the two. Another, larger silver form burst from the same spot, clearly giving chase. Amaranth had a very perplexed look on her face as the two vanished from her sight, a shout echoing over the night air of a mother chasing her young daughter.

"Silver River! You will come back here and go back to sleep! I will not have anymore of this nonsense!!"

Amaranth looked to Stone Fur once more, still very confused as the mother's voice faded away into the night. Blinking a few times, Amaranth pointed a paw in the general direction of where the puppy and mother had disappeared.

"I know pups are energetic, but is that a nightly occurrence?"

She looked from Stone Fur to where the mother had disappeared again, like she was almost expecting the pup to double back and come back in their direction (Truth be told, she was) then she looked back to Stone Fur, before she realized that when the pup has surprised her and she had jumped, that she had inadvertently landed closer to the healer and that their sides were touching. Amaranth moved away surprisingly fast, feeling heat creep up through her ears in her version of a blush; though her fur was much too dark to see it in the moonlight...

((Hehehehehe.))

Stone Fur was about to reply, but the sudden emergence of Silver River and Storm Raven from the brush quickly cut him off. He laughed as he watched the mother chasing her more disobedient pup. Storm Raven often boasted about how proud she was to be a mother, but she was finding her pups a pawful.

With the two gone he could finally answer. "No, that's not a nightly occurance. Silver River's just getting used to the idea that she can leave the den on her own. Normally pups her age are supposed to be under the supervision of their mother or one of the pup-sitters." He shrugged, only then just realizing that Amaranth was leaning against him. He quickly slipped away, biting his lip. Truth be told he did find Amaranth to be quite an attractive she-wolf, but then, he had never had such a crush before. Around females his own age, he was still quite awkward.

"And as for Aspen and Ebon Star, I'm not certain of their motivation. I think Ebon Star trusts you more than he'll let on, but Aspen's been hurt so many times..." He shook his head. "Ah well... you'll learn all you need eventually. I promise."

"No, that's not a nightly occurance. Silver River's just getting used to the idea that she can leave the den on her own. Normally pups her age are supposed to be under the supervision of their mother or one of the pup-sitters."

Amaranth nodded lightly, that made sense. But if the young pup; apparently named Silver River, was just getting used to be able to leave the den, wouldn't that mean more chasing in the future? Shaking her head slightly, bringing her mind back to where it should have been, instead of drifting off into the fast moving stream of her overactive thoughts.

"And as for Aspen and Ebon Star, I'm not certain of their motivation. I think Ebon Star trusts you more than he'll let on, but Aspen's been hurt so many times...""Ah well... you'll learn all you need eventually. I promise."

She nodded lightly as well, still feeling rather shy from the unintended contact with Stone Fur. Geez, what was wrong with her? Her ears still felt like they were burning!

"So how much further is the healer's den, Stone Fur?"

Stone Fur looked up. "Not much further now," he said, "It's in the middle of the camp, so that all of the others can get to it if there's an emergency. And trust me, in a new territory we have our fair share of those." His search for herbs was completely forgotten now. He had some of what he needed, but not all, and he would need to go search for those come morning.

Soon enough the two had reached his den. Amaranth would smell the strange scent of dozens of mingling herbs and poultices gently wafting from the den, along with the scent of clean water. The dug out den led down into the ground, and was surprisingly spacious at the bottom. Stone Fur had made sure of that to allow for multiple injured or sick wolves, and for the storage of herbs. Suffice to say his was probably the largest den in the pack, but it was simple enough. "There should be plenty of space," he explained, "All my herbs and clean water I keep toward the back, so you should be able to move without a problem."

"Not much further now,""It's in the middle of the camp, so that all of the others can get to it if there's an emergency. And trust me, in a new territory we have our fair share of those."

Amaranth nodded lightly, understanding the reasoning for the placement of the healer's den. As they came closer, the she-wolf extended her head, nose twitching lightly as she sniffed the air. The mix of herbs and poultices was not altogether, an unpleasant smell; Amaranth had smelled much worse before. Although the scent was not unpleasant, she felt a familiar tickling in her nose that usually came after she sniffed something very strong for the first time.

She backed up a step, as was force of habit for her; before she sneezed four times in rapid succession. Her head jerked each time and the look on her face right before she actually sneezed could only be described as funny. As her nose finally calmed, she glanced at Stone Fur, giving him a smile that could only be described as sheepish before she entered the den.

As she entered, Amaranth's bi-chromatic eyes looked around, and she could felt herself wanting to sniff everything. She looked back towards Stone Fur again, smiling lightly. This had to be one of the biggest den that she had ever seen.

"Any particular place you want me to sleep?" ((With Stone Fur. *giggle*))

Though the den was large, it would seem rude of Amaranth to just pick a spot and plop down...

Stone Fur couldn't help but laugh as he watched the sneezing fit ensue. He had seen other wolves sneeze from time to time of course, but not quite so violently or so rapidly. He smiled at her, truthfully finding it rather adorable. Her question, though, came as a shock. Most wolves simply laid down in his den where it was clear and comfortable, and given the nature of the place, he didn't at all mind.

"Well, I wouldn't mind some company," he said, blushing a bit, "But of course you're free to lay down wherever you want. Most of the herbs are kept out of the way, just in case any rambunctious young pups wander in by accident." He smiled, thinking of Cold Mountain and Storm Raven's pups. Those three seemed to have their parents' endless energy, especially Silver River.

((Zero? Gonna' post here? :p My turn to pester! ))