Forum Thread

"I don't think anyone in the cave would eat you," Khaalida paused after realizing that she wasn't entirely right, perhaps she shouldn't have said that... "My favorite weather, hmm," She began so as to keep moving. "That'd have to be either just before a thunderstorm, when the gentle sound of the distant thunder can be heard, and the scent of the approaching rain is carried on the breeze... And then when it snows, that almost padded silence of the frozen flakes falling in the forest, seeming to push out any other sound..." She took a deep breath inhaling the cool and somewhat damp evening air.

Faolan gave her a squeeze, grinning. "I love thunderstorms. The scent, the feel of the rain, all of it! Except the wet dog smell of me if I'm a wolf during it. So I tend to be human when that happens. Snow is good too. When I'm in my wolf form, I'll keep warm and can pad silently through any brush."

Khaalida giggled and squeezed back. "I don't feel the cold of the snow, so I never have issues with that, though my body does get cold so people who try to hug me would get cold." She kissed his cheek softly. "So, do you have a favorite food?"

"Good thing I run warm. I feel nothing but special when I hug you," he told her, then thought over his favorite food. "Right now? Fish or berries are my favorite. But I'd be so happy to have a bowl of my mom's oatmeal. I hated it when I was little. My favorite is when she'd make a great big meal. Biscuits and gravy, mashed potatoes and carrots, green beans, stuffing the whole nine yards. And chicken. Those were my favorite...haven't had that in...since the night I was changed," Faolan sighed. Then looked up at her, a twinkle in his eye replacing the sadness. "I know what your favorite food is going to be. Me," he told her, smugly before kissing her.

Khaalida listened to his description of his mother's cooking and it made her smile to think how happy he must have been, and how he must mi- Her face quickly turned red while he kissed her as she sat there in his arms rather stunned, before she practically melted and kissed him back, her frame shaking slightly from withheld laughter. "Oh Faolan," She breathed once they broke the kiss.

The blonde grinned, a self satisfied smirk on his face. "I know. I'm just so cool," he told her, wiggling his eyebrows. "So smart, so handsome, so humble!" he added, teasingly. "What's something that makes you smile?"

Khaalida giggled and moved her head to look into his eyes. "Well, you for one, but many things make me smile. Baby animals learning to walk, and the noises they tend to make definitely makes me smile."

Faolan grinned, kissing her nose. "You'd have loved the farm then. Little baby chicks and lambs, calf's and ponies," he said, reminiscing. "While I've never had kids, I have looked after wolf pups. I think they are my favorite. Running around and play fighting, they are just cute."

Khaalida's eyes widened. "You've looked after wolf pups!? Why? Did you find them on their own? Did their momma die?" She suddenly looked solemn and worried. "What happened to them?" She tilted her head wanting to know their story.

"Well, there was a winter, my first winter as a wolf, where a pack of wolves found me half starved and frozen. They shouldn't have taken me in. I think it was because they knew I was a werewolf that they did take me in. The mothers had their pups, not quiet full grown yet, and I spent a lot of time with them, learning how to be a wolf and look after them," Faolan explained. He smiled, remembering the pups. "They should be okay. They were free to run and be free, be wolves. I think they are still with their pack but I haven't seen them...well...now that I think about it, they have most likely lived and died. Their great grandkids are probably running the pack. They are probably running in the afterlife."

Khaalida smiled and hugged him tightly. "And I'm sure they look down on your from time to time and watch how you've grown, and where you've gone," She kissed his cheek softly. "I'm sure they still wag their tails at your memory..." She wanted to make sure that he wasn't sad about those memories, about having to leave the pups. She wanted to nothing more than to make him happy, for his happiness was hers.

Faolan smiled, hugging her tightly. "I'd be honored if they were. I enjoyed their company, their help and unconditional love. I hope they have everything they want and need. Thank you for cheering me up," he murmured.

"I once heard an interesting story of one person's opinion on how the afterlife works... Well, I've heard a lot of them, but the best one was that of this old little man who lived on the streets of a big town. If you can picture a grandfather-like figure, all hunched over, the biggest and warmest grin and these bright eyes," Khaalida smiled, the image of the man crystal clear in her mind. "He was loved by everyone, though he'd never accept their offers to go live with them, sure he'd visit, but he'd never stay. The children especially loved him because he'd tell them stories... Anyways, he'd sit somewhere and soon enough he'd be surrounded by a whole flock of young'uns he'd call them, though he wouldn't be angry, no he never got angry when they'd follow him." She chuckled softly. "He'd tell tales of just about everything, and somehow he'd always find a way to apply a moral to the story. One day, in answer to a child's question about death, he said that the energy that's inside every living thing, every animal, every person, every blade of grass, never really leaves the earth, it's just renewed and birthed again into something else..." She grew quiet for a moment before continuing. "I waited around one night and followed him to a little shack, and it seemed like he didn't even know I was there at first, then he told me that I was special, that someone had big plans for me..." She held her breath a moment. "He sat down outside of his little shack, and told me that even though it feels like I'm not human, that I'm not alive, he said that I'm more human, and am more alive than some people in the world... I sat there beside him for the rest of the night staring up into the stars..." A single silent tear rolled down her cheek, though her voice remained steady. "I listened to his breathing, his heartbeat, those were the only sounds that I could hear for a long time... After a couple hours of just sitting there he placed his warm hand on mine and said even the sun has to set on the best of days... And there, in the night, under the stars, his energy left him," She paused again, a second tear following the first. "His breathing stilled, but the strange thing is, I could still hear his steady heartbeat... And you know what?" She turned to look up at Faolan, her eyes filled with unshed tears, a soft smile on her lips. "If I listen carefully on a still night, I can still hear it..." She whispered.

"I've always felt that way. We die to give energy to others while our soul is reborn. Maybe not right away but after a while, we come back. The circle of life," Faolan said, rubbing her back gently. "I'm sorry he's gone but I think he watches over you. When you hear his breathing, he is checking in on you. I agree with him. You are more human and more alive then many people I've met."

Khaalida hugged him tightly, the rest of the tears falling down her cheeks freely. "Life and death is one of the oldest dances in the world, a swaying movement that follows a soundless tune... Like the tide, it ebbs and flows..." She whispered, losing herself in his scent and warmth.

"Aye. One that will go on long after we're gone. I don't believe you'll be left alone, Khaalida. I will stay with you as long as I possibly can. And that is going to be a long, long time," Faolan told her, gently picking her up and settling them down on the lip of the cave, looking out at the sunset.

Khaalida leaned her head over onto his shoulder as she watched the sunset. Eventually she yawned and smiled up at him. "Are you tired?" She asked, her voice soft so she wouldn't wake anyone up.

He smiled sleepily, nodding. "I kinda went into a relaxed half sleep. Shall we go to bed? I'll carry you, my rose," he offered.

Khaalida kissed his nose and nodded. "That sounds good, my Faolan," She whispered leaning her head against his.

He carefully stood, taking her with him as he walked into the cave, quietly slipped past the girls, and headed for the room set up for him and Khaalida. There he set her down on the bed and climbed in with her.