-Silver River-Midnight storm... (Firestorm w/Corona)

It was a perfect night to be outside, the air was cool and crisp. And wet.

Very wet.

In fact, it was raining.

Lightning flashed overhead, briefly illuminating the packlands and the wolfess below. Chances are, one could not have seen a more interesting sight. Thunder Wolf was running rampant tonight, as the deep rumbling sound vibrated the earth beneath Silver River's grey toes. Rain fell in torrents, sluicing down the huntress' lean body, dripping from her fur and soaking into her skin.

Silver River looked around briefly, green eyes scanning the area as she trotted away from where many wolves dens were. She walked without the greatest amount of attention, though her paws seemed to know where to step to avoid the swampy pitfalls. It was not a usual thing, for Silver River to be tromping around in a rainstorm in the middle of the night.

A strange thing it seemed indeed, but to Silver River, it made more sense than some things in the world. The rain seemed cleansing, washing away the sorrow of the days previous. Lightning lit her eyes from the outside the way that they didn't from the inside. But it was the thunder that drew the lithe wolfess from her den at the smell of the rain earlier.

The thunder drowned her mourning.

It was a small clearing that Silver River had finally stopped in, where she could hopefully be alone to her grief. Summit Shadow threw himself into his work, Black Stag and Corvus spent time with others. Silver River went away to grieve. Something about being alone simply changed the dynamic. She didn't like to cry in front of others, but could mostly readily cry when she was by herself; it seemed.

And the rain hid that too.

As thunder rolled overhead once more, Silver raised her head and howled with it, letting the raging storm drown her out. As the thunder died away, so did her howl. She leaned her head against a tree, eyes closing a moment as she thought quietly in her mind.

Then her nose twitched. A scent. Hard to pick up in the rain, but it was there. Silver River's grey tipped ear flicked behind her before her head and then the rest of her body followed suite to face who it was, green eyes flashing in something akin to a sense of anger as lightning flashed above as well. She knew that scent well...

Corona didn't always sleep well. On nights like this, the dreams he had, the flashes of his past life's memories were all too real to him. Like the rest of the pack, he knew what he had once been, but he couldn't imagine having been mated to Sage Ghost, or fought in a great war... or dying. None of it made any sense to him, so on nights like tonight, those memories all but drove him insane.

Tonight's dream had been especially intense... He remembered the final battle. He could smell his own body's musk and filth as he fought his way toward another wolf. He understood in the back of his mind what was happening, but parts were still blurred. His vision fixed on another wolf, a dark gray wolf with a long scar along one flank. The two fought... Corona fell. His eyes opened suddenly as a seering pain lanced through his body, as though he'd been bitten. He had checked himself over then, and finding no injury beyond the normal scratches and cuts of swamp life, he'd gotten up and gone for a walk, only to overhear the faint sound of Silver River's mournful howl.

He made his way toward her clearing, pausing only briefly while Silver River turned. Only his eyes could be seen in the darkness, and he stalked out of the underbrush toward her. "It is not a wise choice, being alone on a night like tonight, Silver River," he said bluntly, "I know you are still mourning, but there is no shame in doing so back at camp."

"It is not a wise choice, being alone on a night like tonight, Silver River,""I know you are still mourning, but there is no shame in doing so back at camp."

Her green eyes watched Corona's blue ones carefully while the thunder continued to rumble overhead. She didn't seem to betray much by her gaze. To Corona, perhaps it didn't make sense to be outside tonight, but to Silver, it was much more therapeutic than any talk or mourning in camp would have been.

"If it's not a wise choice, Corona; then why are you out here? Sounds like the crow is calling the raven black."
((Pot calling the kettle black. She's accusing him of being a hypocrite.))

Silver River shook herself out, sending droplets of water spraying everywhere, and a few droplets of mud just as well.

"And there may not be any shame in mourning in camp for most, but everyone mourns differently. Summit Shadow throws himself into his work, Corvus and Black Stag spend time with others to alleviate the pain. I prefer to be somewhere where I can cry and howl and scream as much as I want to without disturbance. The rain is soothing and the thunder covers the sound. It makes more sense than waking up half of the pack because I want to rage."

The huntress watched the beta a moment, one of her grey tipped ears flicking sideways before moving back forward as she continued to watch him with her piercing green eyes. One eyebrow raised itself in a face that could only be called as question.

"Why are you out here, anyways?"

Corona listened quietly to Silver River's rantings. Truthfully her tone was rather impertinent, given the fact that she was speaking to her beta, but he let it pass. She was still very much in pain from her mother's death. Losing Cold Mountain had been bad enough... but this... this was something else entirely.

"You never know what outsider might try to use the rain to cover his scent and enter our territory," he pointed out, though it was obviously an excuse more than anything, "I had to check the borders. That and... my dreams have been keeping me from sleeping again. I keep seeing things from what everyone says was my former life but I... can never quite put my paw on what is happening."

"You never know what outsider might try to use the rain to cover his scent and enter our territory,""I had to check the borders."

Silver River's quirked eyebrow raised itself even higher, if that was at all possible. The look on her face clearly read 'Uh huh, yeah sure.' She knew an excuse when she heard it, and that was a blatant one.

"...That and... my dreams have been keeping me from sleeping again. I keep seeing things from what everyone says was my former life but I... can never quite put my paw on what is happening."

Her face changed at that statement, and she nodded lightly. "Corvus says that sometimes too. He remembers things, here and there. He says they're fuzzy but they're there. And he's had nightmares since as far back as I could remember."

The huntress watched Corona a moment before she looked to the ground, sighing lightly. For the moment that she looked at the muddy ground, Silver River appeared how she felt, small and lost.

"Corona, what's the best thing that you remember about your parents?"

Corona nodded at Silver River's mention of Corvus. He knew the young wolf well, but he worried too. Corona had memories of his past life, but he was who he was. He wasn't Deepening Shadows... not anymore. He was Corona. He lived for the here and the now. But Corvus... It was hard to tell sometimes. It was like he was two different wolves.

He looked up suddenly at Silver River's next question, and he nodded, though his face was a bit sad. It was no secret his father and mother had left the Black Mountain Pack, and their positions as betas, because of differences with Hailstorm's father, Ebon Star. He was perhaps the youngest wolf, only a year old, to take up the role of Beta, and then out of duty more than anything.

"Well... it's hard to tell really," he admitted, "My father was strong and quiet, like yours... And my mother... she had a pup's heart for as long as I knew her. They were so different, but they were so perfect for each other... I suppose the best thing is that no matter what, they were always there for one another, or us... Their first concern was always everyone else, and they passed that onto me... What about you, Silver River? What is the best thing you remember?"

"Well... it's hard to tell really,""My father was strong and quiet, like yours... And my mother... she had a pup's heart for as long as I knew her. They were so different, but they were so perfect for each other... I suppose the best thing is that no matter what, they were always there for one another, or us... Their first concern was always everyone else, and they passed that onto me... What about you, Silver River? What is the best thing you remember?"

She listened quietly, watching Corona as he reflected on his parents. As he turned the question back on her, she smiled lightly, something she hadn't done for awhile. Looking back to the ground, she answered; still smiling only lightly.

"Alot of things, Corona. I remember mom's smile, her kind heart and protective spirit. Dad was strong and quiet, but he was the rock for us when we needed him. Mom was the only wolf that could reprimand dad and not get an ear bitten off for it. I remember being a pup and going to sleep at night, knowing that I was safe between them."

Looking upward one more time, she looked at Corona again before she sat down, uncaring of the mud beneath her.

"It feels like there's a giant hole where my heart should be without them."

Corona frowned. It was a feeling that, somehow, he knew well. He knew his parents were still alive out there, somewhere, but he still knew the feeling in his heart from his previous life. He moved forward, sitting down beside her and offering Silver a brief, comforting nuzzle.

"Your mother and father are still with you, Silver River," he said, "They're inside you... You're strong as your father, and caring as your mother. Your mother gave you all the skills you would need to become the best huntress this pack has ever seen and I know you'll do just that. You'll surpass her in every way, because of all she and your father gave you."

He smiled a bit... a rarity for the ever-serious Corona. "And you know I'll be there to help as much as my duties let me. Your father and mother... I can't remember a lot from my previous life, but I think I owe them more of a debt than I could ever repay."

Silver River jumped a bit when Corona offered the comforting nuzzle. Contact unfortunately, had been rare the past few days. Summit Shadow had thrown himself into work and both Black Stag and Corvus had been away with others. She look uncomfortable a moment, before she leaned into Corona's offered comfort, a great sigh heaving itself from her lungs as some of the tension of the past days seemed to melt away.

"Your mother and father are still with you, Silver River,""They're inside you... You're strong as your father, and caring as your mother. Your mother gave you all the skills you would need to become the best huntress this pack has ever seen and I know you'll do just that. You'll surpass her in every way, because of all she and your father gave you."

The huntress smiled lightly, remembering her lessons over lessons with Storm Raven. But it was interesting, Silver River had never been told that she had Cold Mountain's strength. Perhaps everyone liked to assume physical strength, but strengths of other kinds.

"And you know I'll be there to help as much as my duties let me. Your father and mother... I can't remember a lot from my previous life, but I think I owe them more of a debt than I could ever repay."

Looking upward at Corona, Silver River looked confused. Neither her mother or father had ever mentioned any kind of debt to Deepening Shadows. But then again, the two of them had never really mentioned much that had to do with the war with Swift River, even though her brothers and herself had pestered them about it. The biggest part of what he had said that confused her, was that he would be there; taken into account his duties. She wondered whether that had to do with his duties themselves because he was a beta, or for another reason.

But for now, she didn't think about that so much as she smiled a small smile. Granted the smile was small, it was the first true smile that she'd had in the time since Storm Raven had finally passed. She looked upwards at Corona, still slightly smiling before she returned the nuzzle he'd offered her earlier.

"Thank you."

Corona smiled a bit himself. Silver River did need someone. Her brothers were dealing with their mother's loss in their own way, but what good was it to be part of a pack if she had to suffer alone.

He quickly turned away though as she nuzzled him. "C'mon," he said finally, "We should get back inside. It's really not a good idea for either of us to be out here on a night like tonight. My den isn't very large but if you would feel better, it's open to you." Truly he didn't want to spend the night alone either.

Silver River frowned a moment when Corona turned away from her nuzzle.

"C'mon,""We should get back inside. It's really not a good idea for either of us to be out here on a night like tonight. My den isn't very large but if you would feel better, it's open to you."

A broad (and slightly devilish) grin split across Silver's face, before she ran ahead of Corona, uncaring of the mud that she was throwing up by doing so. Stopping quickly, she turned to look at Corona again, still smiling devilishly before she leaped forward and slapped her muddied paw on top of the beta's head.

Now, this would by most wolves be considered inappropriate behavior, but it rather surprising. Silver for the first time in a long time, felt her walls come down. What Corona was seeing was Silver River as she should have been. And apparently, she wanted to play a bit before she slept.

After she slapped her muddy paw on Corona's head, she took off, running through the mud and muck, not caring the least bit that her white coat was being splashed and splattered with the mud as well...

((I'm sorry, but I just have to say, Zer, that the image of Silver River slapping a muddy paw on Corona's head is AWESOME xDD))

((Why thank you, Meo. I think I will draw that soon.))

Corona was close behind as he took off after Silver River. The young huntress was fortunate that he wasn't as strict about rank and order as Hailstorm, or even Deepening Shadows would have been. He skidded to a stop, throwing up his fair share of mud as Silver River placed a paw on his head. He growled slightly, shaking his head free.

Still, it was good to see a Silver River who wasn't being too quiet or outright mourning. He chased after her then, easily catching the huntress despite her footwork and bringing her down in the mud, laughing as he did so. "Now then, did you really think you could just get away after pulling a little stunt like that?" he laughed.

Silver River laughed at the chase. So this was what it felt like to have fun again.

"Now then, did you really think you could just get away after pulling a little stunt like that?"

She laughed as the mud squished against her side, still grinning that devil grin of hers.

"Perhaps. perhaps not."

The huntress brought her paw up again, and with it; a mound of slimy mud. She placed her paw on Corona's white muzzle and covered it in the goop.

"But this'll do for revenge since you caught me."

Silver continued to smile, but it wasn't just because she wasn't feeling quite so horrible.

"Oh dear First Wolf, you're laughing. Who are you and what have you done to our beloved Beta Corona?"

The huntress laughed. It seemed now, that they had both needed the laughter somehow. Corona needed to relax a bit and Silver River needed the bit of happiness in the dark days...

Corona wondered what the she-wolf intended... until she slathered that mud all over his white muzzle. He shook the mud off and growled, though a smile soon cracked his features. "He's still here," he chuckled, "Just don't let it get around that I have a fun-loving side. I still need the respect of the pack." He smiled a bit as he worked briefly to clean off his muzzle before making his way back into his den. After so much time out in the cold, he could use the warmth the closed in space offered him. He turned back around, waiting to see whether Silver River would follow him.

"He's still here,""Just don't let it get around that I have a fun-loving side. I still need the respect of the pack."

Silver River s continued to grin broadly, even when Corona growled at her. She laughed lightly before she rolled and stood, shaking the water from her coat, with mud flying in all directions regardless. The dark mud stood out against her white coat, though the rain had washed some of it from her fur. The huntress followed the beta smiling lightly.

"They'd still respect you, Corona. They would just know more about you, nothing entirely wrong with that. It's not like they'd start treating you like an omega if you had some fun every once in a while."

Poking her head into the den, she indeed notice that it was smaller than some of the others that she had slept in. She made her way into the den behind Corona, fighting the urge to yawn and failing miserably as a wide yawn broke her features....

Corona didn't seem to mind the yawns that emerged from the young huntress, and her words did carry the ring of truth, but he wasn't entirely sure.

"How can they know about me, when I still know so little about myself?" he questioned, "Silver River, I know I seem confident beyond anything else, but if I were entirely honest, then I would have to admit, each day that passes, I wonder more and more. Do you know what it is like? To have a mind and a soul so different from one another? I still see flashes of my old life in my dreams. Some nights I wake up, and I wonder if I am him, or me."

It was so unlike the beta, to be so open with anyone, especially one of lower rank than himself, but Silver River's own vulnerability, and her pup-like demeanor seemed to bring it out of him.

"It doesn't really matter I suppose... The pack sees what they need to see of me."

"How can they know about me, when I still know so little about myself?""Silver River, I know I seem confident beyond anything else, but if I were entirely honest, then I would have to admit, each day that passes, I wonder more and more. Do you know what it is like? To have a mind and a soul so different from one another? I still see flashes of my old life in my dreams. Some nights I wake up, and I wonder if I am him, or me."

Silver sighed lightly, watching the beta with what could only be a studying expression on her face. She walked closer, still staring at him. Others would say it was creepy, but the huntress was thinking. A slight smile slipped over her muzzle as it seemed that she had reached her conclusion.

"And what about your heart, hmmm?"

The huntress continued to watch him lightly. One could say it was a bit unnerving how intense Silver's gaze seemed to become when she stared at something or someone.

"Okay, your mind is Corona. Your soul is Deepening Shadows. I don't see him right now, I see you; Corona. Deepening Shadows would have never allowed me to slather mud all over his face from what I've heard of him. You however, did. Now why is that? You didn't take a piece of my ear and you even joined in and actually had fun. No story that I was ever told of Deepening Shadows would've had me believe that he would've joined in on fun and games."

"It doesn't really matter I suppose... The pack sees what they need to see of me."

The huntress had laid down before Corona spoke. As he did, her eyes watched him from where she was and seemed to sharpen into something fierce though her voice was calm.

"No Corona, the pack sees of you what you allow them to see. My father spent his time as an omega being obstinate and trying to make it seem as if he were a bad packmate. Enter my mother and slowly but surely he changed and the pack saw something more. You might remember Saeros, hmmm? No wolf in Black Mountain could've been as stoic as him, but enter Kerridwen and others started seeing something else in him. He changed after Umbra and Twilight were born, you remember? He gave a damn. Wolves change, Corona. The views of others change with it, given the time."

She shivered slightly, having picked a spot on the other side of the small den. Silver raised herself up halfway and scooted towards Corona before she curled unceremoniously against his side. The huntress predicted the look on the beta's face without looking at him entirely.

"Don't even say it, Corona. You're warmer than a patch of dirt is."

Corona didn't answer the huntress right away. She made a lot of good points he knew, but still, he just couldn't be sure. Silver River didn't understand. She couldn't understand. No one could unless they were where he was. The closest he had was Corvus, but he wasn't sure Corvus really knew what his own problem was half the time.

He couldn't help but smile though when she laid down beside him. It was nice, having another so close by. Ever since his parents had left and his siblings had begun growing their own separate ways, Corona had been largely alone.

"There's a difference," he said finally, "Your father... and Saeros both knew who they were. They changed, but at least they knew who they were. I don't... not really. You must have noticed, how some days I'm quiet and serious, and other days, I let you slather mud all over me. It's like there's a tug-of-war going on inside me, between my new life and my old life... and it's not easy to find a balance between them. Until that balance is found, the only thing I can let the pack see is what Deepening Shadows and Corona have in common." He laid his head down then.

"At least I know I have someone to talk to," he finished, "Between Hailstorm and you, I don't have to be strong every moment of the day."

"There's a difference,""Your father... and Saeros both knew who they were. They changed, but at least they knew who they were. I don't... not really. You must have noticed, how some days I'm quiet and serious, and other days, I let you slather mud all over me. It's like there's a tug-of-war going on inside me, between my new life and my old life... and it's not easy to find a balance between them. Until that balance is found, the only thing I can let the pack see is what Deepening Shadows and Corona have in common."

It seemed that Silver River's constant energy had finally run down and though she was trying her best to listen, she was slipping further into sleep as Corona spoke.

"I say...you tell.....Deepening...Shadows to....stop tugging......then..........."

"At least I know I have someone to talk to,""Between Hailstorm and you, I don't have to be strong every moment of the day."

The huntress, despite her best efforts had fallen asleep against Corona. While Silver River was not aware of doing it, her head had moved in her sleep and now rested on Corona's leg as her ears drooped. It was in her sleep that the worries and stresses of the day left Silver River, leaving behind only a slight smile on her muzzle as she twitched and fidgeted in her sleep on occasion....