Moonlit Wanderings (Ketaro/Wings)

[Lilith]

The moon was high overhead, and the silvery light it cast made Lilith feel exposed. She’d wandered around for ages, and this place, out of all the places she’d discovered, she hated most of all. She growled softly to herself.

Perhaps the most annoying thing was the blanket of leaves on the ground. Lilith hurried through them, head low. The water was even easier to wade through! She paused by it for a moment to take a long drink, and then sat down. She wasn’t sure where she’d find shelter, though she figured that nestling in the mountain of leaves would be warm enough. She gave a sharp bark of laughter at the idea.

Her paws ached, and she dipped her front ones in the river to soothe the dull, throbbing pain. She sighed with relief, closing her eyes momentarily. For a moment, a memory slipped into her mind.

She and her brother had been having some sort of swimming contest. The two pups were drenched when they exited the water, and Lilith gloated. Their mother watched them coolly from the shade of a large oak. Her eyes were so cold, her posture so stiff. She almost seemed to be angry with them.

Lilith shook her head. That was absurd. Her mother had adored her. Had she even had siblings? She strained to remember, but gave up after only a few minutes. Years of lying had ruined her memories. She couldn’t tell if her father had taught her to hunt or he’d been dead since she was a little pup. How had she learned to swim? Had she fallen into the water or had her mother carefully, patiently taught her?

Her head began to ache. There really was no use in trying to remember. It was times like these, when she struggled for her memories, that Lilith longed for a friend. She needed a companion to explore the world with her. Perhaps her companion would see through her lies. Perhaps he or she would be able to see understand that she had no way of knowing how to react to other wolves.

Lilith liked to be cruel, though she couldn’t even remember how that had come to pass. Her heart seemed to have slowly frozen over during her years of solitude. Her lack of contact had made her so frustrated when she saw another wolf that she took out her anger on them. The only way she passed the time was by toying with others, and even that got boring once in a while.

She finally lied down in the leaves. Their rotting stench filled her nose, and she covered it with her paws. It was so sickly sweet. How was she supposed to get any sleep surrounded by dead leaves?

Though her eyes closed, she did not fall asleep. Her mind was whirring with memories. So many were lies, and only a few were true. She felt the sudden urge to tear something apart. Perhaps a rabbit. She liked killing rabbits.

However, she remained still.

[wings]

Ketaro had been walking, bored after hunting. He had decided to walk around, letting the swiftness of his feet guide themselves over the branches and leaves that had fallen from the rather tall trees. Ketaro had realized that he should be guarding his pack territory but this was one of the only times his alpha let him get a break so he smiled every time at the thought. He loved breaks just as much as he loved picking fights with the strangers.

Ketaro had come around a tree and he saw a female but yet she didn't see him not yet. He growled deeply, letting her be aware of him and where he was. She was now here and his relaxing was no longer the thing on his mind. He really wanted to fall asleep until the sunset hit the beautiful sky above his head.

Ketaro's tail had gone low and his ears pointed forward, feeling dominance over the smaller female. He would overpower wolves, in his mind and of course not everything he thinks is true. Ketaro really wanted to tell this wolf off but she was relaxing, his heart was stone, he felt.

[Lilith]

Lilith raised her head to look at the stranger. Her pulse had quickened at the growl, as she knew that she wouldn't win in a fight no matter what happened. The intruding male was obviously larger than she was. Her thoughts shifted from her lies/memories. She relaxed. In fact, she looked rather bored, as though the stranger was no more than an insect that had crawled into her sight.

This was her chance, though. She could prove that she could get along with other wolves. So she opened her mouth, but paused. Would she really make nice with a stranger that had growled at her on sight? Anger surged through her. No, she wouldn’t. She had been there first, and he had no right to intrude.

“And who are you?” she asked softly, grinning. “If you’re so important that you’d be rude to a complete stranger, especially one that had been here first, perhaps…” She paused, choosing her next words carefully. “Perhaps you don’t deserve whatever title has made you so proud.”

She regretted the words almost instantly. It could be taken as a light, almost harmless insult. However, it could also wound one’s pride deeply, depending on the wolf. Looks like she’d have to lie her way out of another fight. Perhaps one truth wouldn’t hurt. There was only one thing Lilith never lied about.

Before she gave the male a chance to speak, she said quickly, “My name is Lilith. If you hadn’t noticed, I was minding my own business before you came along.”

[wings]

Ketaro had tilted his head and nearly came to a frown. He hadn't noticed that she was resting but he did feel arrogant for growling towards her when she had done nearly nothing wrong. She was now taking an angry approach which had no affect on Ketaro.
I uh, didn't mean to be rude, ms. Lilith. I just wanted to know if you were aggressive or not. No one can be too sure in a wolf eat wolf world like this.
Ketaro let his head hang low, disrespecting a lady like that. His mother taught him not to be this way, so he lifted his head and regained his confidence quickly.
I am Ketaro, wolf of Silver Stone pack, known as a warrior. Excuse my actions miss.
He had showed respect to any wolf, big or small yet no pup gained respect till they had fully proven themselves. It was nice for Ketaro to meet a wolf which hadn't yet been claimed by pack life.

[Lilith]

In response, Lilith sniffed, gaining a snooty air. "You should be sorry, threatening a poor defenseless wolf like myself.” She looked about herself. “Really now, does it look like I could hurt anyone?” She wasn’t counting psychologically.

Ketaro, eh? She ran the name through her mind as she did every name, trying to match it to a memory/lie. Nope, she’d never heard of him.

“You are excused,” she said with haughty air. After he’d mentioned his pack, she didn’t really feel like toying with him. Most of the wolves she’d met were loners. What was it like to be in a pack?

She didn’t realize she’d voice this thought aloud. To cover up the mistake, she snarled. “What do I care what pack you’re from? All packs are the same. They’re full of wolves fighting for power. How you all stand each other is beyond me. Personally, being alone seems much simpler. I left my pack because I got sick of their constant bickering.”

Yes, packs were silly. Still, it felt good to talk to another wolf. Even if she refused to be nice to him, his mere presence was comforting. However, she kept her body tense and her gaze hard.

[wings]

Ketaro sighed, he guessed having another rude wolf was the least of his concerns. Not many wolves had been nice to him anyways. His alpha was nice to him but maybe because she just wanted pack mates.
Perhaps, some packs are but I am new to my pack. I have not found out the true meaning yet. I of course am not power hungry. It is, may I add, nice to have a group of wolves that have your back.
Ketaro shrugged and sat down, liking the presence of the female wolf, for he was lonely rather often. Ketaro should've said something more intimidating in the beginning.
I wasn't saying sorry to honor you I was saying it because I came of being rather aggressive. No mercy huh.
Ketaro had teased, looking at her straight in the eye, taking a small step closer. They were now about a few feet form each other, but what was he going to do? Hurt her!? That would be quite petty hurting someone smaller than him, especially one who is trying to bring his self-esteem down.

[Lilith]

For most, that would’ve been the sign for Lilith to stop. Instead, she took a step back with a grin that held no trace of friendliness. “When did I indicate that you could come closer?” she asked. She considered what he said about packs and added, “Considering that anyone could be a liar and turn on you at a moment’s notice, it’s better off to be alone. I gain enough company by bumping into others, though I don’t stay long. Everyone’s far too annoying.”

She thought about throwing out a threat. She’d already stated she was defenseless, but what about insane? Perhaps she could mention her first mate, and how she’d led him to death. This made her grin fade, and she looked up toward the sky. Had she even had a mate? What about the friend she’d traveled with for years before ditching during a bear? Wait. She growled in frustration. She had rare moments where she couldn’t collect her thoughts well enough to even lie. When she found she couldn’t separate fiction from fact, there was no point in saying anything at all.

Instead, she turned a cold look on Ketaro. She made no move to get any closer or run. She merely stared, trying her best to blank her mind of the warring thoughts.

Instead, she chose something simple. Something that couldn’t be a truth or a lie. A question. “Why did you venture from your pack? Aren’t they supposed to keep you company?” The malice had drained from her voice. She needed a moment to collect her thoughts.

[wings]

Ketaro looked at her and stood his ground, not moving but returning a blank emotionless stare although hers was rather aggressive towards him which made him feel like she was going to attack him. He sighed, this female was a rough female.
Hm, am I being annoying to you? I shall not stay for long anyways.
Kill her with kindness eh? She wasn't very sweet but he wasn't sweet either so this would be rather interesting to him. He couldn't stand a female asking for a true disrespectful comment.
I wasn't asking for you to trust me. My pack is made of two others. Meeting new wolves is interesting, is it not? You aren't very kind I can tell but lets not be annoying to each other, I would rather not argue with a female. Females are to be untouched as it would be rude on a males part to hurt a female.
Ketaro stared at her and let his feeling be softer but his heart was slowly turning to cement as he held back so many words.

[Lilith]

Not staying for long? She felt relief, though there was something else sparking in her. Don’t leave me alone, she wanted to say. As annoying as he was, he was still better than being alone. She bit her tongue and kept her gaze as cold as ever. She didn’t back away any further, however. In fact, she sat down. She was sure that he wasn’t a threat. Though she meant for this to be insulting, she realized that he might not be the type to take it that way. Too late to change her mind.

Her racing thoughts had nearly exhausted her, and all she wanted to do was sleep. However, sleeping in the presence of a stranger was asking to be killed. Rarely did anyone catch her off guard. If she did spark a fight, there was no guarantee she’d get away.

“While interesting, meeting others does nothing for me beyond amuse me. Others don’t seem to like…my attitude.” She grinned proudly at this. “I don’t believe you’re truly kind or civil. In my pack, strangers were never trusted. They were killed on sight.” Was that right? Oh, she wouldn’t dwell on it. “Just because I know I’m incapable of killing almost any wolf I’ve met doesn’t make me any more likely to think you’re anything but fake. As for males hurting females, well…” She thought really hard for a response, thinking of a time when she had stood up to some strange wolf, defending her siblings. She’d been a pup, but she’d been much braver back then. She’d managed to get away with them, after all. “I’m not exactly one to talk, but some of us are pretty tough.”

With a sigh, she cast her eyes to the ground. Self-preservation was key, and she was doing a poor job of trying to keep her life. Though he wasn’t a threat now, the fact that she couldn’t run away was enough to kill any hopes of trickery. “Look, I don’t want a fight. I’ve been on my own for a while, so communication isn’t my strong point.” She rolled her eyes.“Obviously.”

[wings]

Ketaro couldn't help but give a smile to the female. Not only was she hard to break through, she was tough. He knew she was hiding who she really was. Somewhere in her barrier there was a heart and that heart could be tended to.
I would not like to fight either. I wish not to be mean but only to let you know, ease up. I might be fake in your eyes but I do have a heart and it, in my opinion is not fake, thank you very much. I wish for you to one day understand that I mean no harm to you.
Ketaro said it how it was and nodded his head, in response to her and everything she had just done. He sat down, now looking into her eyes, not letting her emotions out. He started to like her. She had pretty striking features, which he had just forced himself to notice. He started to like her more than hate and her feisty nature, let him know she was tough, emotionally. He accidentally let his tail wag but it stopped immediately as he noticed and looked away, almost too embarrassed to let her know he started to feel her energy.

[Lilith]

Lilith almost smiled at the “one day” comment. She actually did smile when she caught his tail wagging, though more in amusement than delight. He appeared much more comfortable, which made her grin. She was not even close to it. The encounter was unnerving. Forcing herself to play nice took way too much energy. Lilith was a coward through-and-through, and if it wasn’t for her weakness due to being tired, she would’ve bolted.

He was a strong, sturdy-looking wolf. She was certain of that. She’d met many along her travels like him, though never one without a female by his side. Either he was too young or too annoying. She wasn’t quite sure yet. It didn’t really matter. It was just a curiosity. Some males were easily embarrassed when they didn’t have mates.

Which gave her an idea. “You speak as though we’ll know each other beyond this one moment. Don’t get your hopes up. I don’t keep to one place for too long. It irritates me. Don’t you have a pack to get back to? Maybe a mate and pups? Surely you have more than a pack to go home to. Any male worth anything does.” She was taking stabs at him again, but she couldn’t help it. It was just in her nature.

[wings]

Ketaro only laughed at her petty comment only a feeling a slight wave of emotion from her. Of course she didn't get to him but it made him think. Why didn't he have a mate? He was too lonely to think about it right now.
Okay, my bad for every bringing it up that we would be friends beyond this point.
He rolled his eyes and walked around the tree, looking bored but really he was only getting started on being amused. This girl was really a little interesting jack-in-the-box wasn't she? It was weird to think how rude she was after being alone for so long. You would think she would be a little more kind after just receiving some hints of him trying to be nice.
Every wolf starts out somewhere. No pup or mate but I will have one, one day.
Ketaro said, not trying to pore out his feelings to some stranger but feeling some reason to let her know that he would get a mate maybe not today and not tomorrow but some day. He wanted pups just as badly as he wanted to fit in with a pack and be called brotherly to the wolves among the forests.

[Lilith]

Well. Apparently it’d take more to get to him than she’d thought. Of course, most wolves she met cracked easily. She just happened to be at full strength and a fast runner. She was losing interest fast. Especially since he seemed to be oh-so-bored of her already. She felt like growling again. Maybe snapping at him. She needed something to vent her anger. She was not one to be cast aside. Not again.

She blinked. Where had that come from? Not again? She chose not to pursue the thought when Ketaro actually answered her question. One day, eh? She snorted.

“I don’t see myself ever having a mate or pups. Too much work. Too much trouble. I’ve seen plenty of wolves with mates, and I’ve seen quite a few who lost theirs. A touchy subject, I assure you. Those are the ones that live out their days in misery. So to risk misery like that is something only a fool would do!”

She didn’t mean to raise her voice at the last part, but she was glad she did. She wanted to put emphasis on yet another insult. What lengths did she have to go to unnerve Ketaro? Did she have to outright bite him to get a reaction? She was seriously considering it.

[wings]

Ketaro shrugged at her walking back a forth thinking of something to get to her good side. Dang this was harder then he thought. Why wouldn't she be a nicer feminine wolf?! Every female should be like that but she was one tough nut to crack!
Ever heard of love? It's when one wolf likes another wolf just enough to spend possibly the rest of their lives together. I personally wish I had a mate because it's someone who knows you. Someone you can trust to be brutally honest with and it's someone I just about need so I don't need to go out and take crap from females who don't even care about me like you! Ketaro said, with great power in his voice that he sighed with pleasure.
He hoped his point got across but knowing her for only about an hour, she could respond just about any way she wanted. She could be nice or totally mean and try to take another blow to the gut with him. He was just about to say something else but of course it wouldn't be wise to say it. Nothing would be wise to say against a defenseless wolf who's only power came from her bark. Not her bite.

[Lilith]

Love? Lilith shook her head, pitying Ketaro. The poor fool believed in love. Wolves paired up because it was nature’s way. Not because of any special bond. Of this, she was sure. If love existed, she wouldn’t be alone. Her mother wouldn’t have cast her aside. Her mother had taken a mate for power. Not for the foolish idea of “love.” She hadn’t even held love for her own pups. She’d only asked the new alpha to let them run off into the wilderness so he didn’t get his paws dirty. She hadn’t come looking for them, and Lilith had watched them starve one by one. If love existed, Lilith had never seen a trace of it anywhere.

He had strongly argued his case, however. That was a mistake in her mind. Oh, this was perfect. Lilith had been waiting for the perfect opportunity to trip him up. She hadn’t even expected him to respond in such a way. It was as though some other force had driven him to say the exact thing she needed to hear to either embarrass or confuse him.

Lilith grinned slowly. “Certainly you don’t have to put up with me. However, there’s just one problem with your complaint. It’s the fact that perhaps you just enjoy the misery of my company.”

With the next sentence, she emphasized each word with a sort of sadistic joy. “Otherwise, why are you still here?”