&&W.ithin T.hese S.hadows&&|Open|

[Nyra]

|No one loves you| screamed his past

---

Running, flying over the new, crisp fluff that descends from the clouded skies. Owls flew above him, after what he charged for. A ear jarring screech shuddered the trees, a snap followed soon after. The new, perfect snow, now spattered with scarlet. Apollo looked satisfied at his kill. He licked the fur, tasting the blood, before leaving it for the owls above. He wanted something else, the owls. He watched as they circled the rabbit from above, both landing. He sniffed cautiously, quietly, smelling the tantalizing smell of the parents. He new the nest was near by, they never ventured far. He sniffed once more, following the smell to a low tree, were the nest lay. He new better, trying to get them while they ate the rabbit. Instead he would wait here, were they would stay to protect the nest, instead of flea.

His sadistic pools of molten silver looked at the low baring nest. He could reach it easily on his hind legs. He let his back legs hold him up as he braced himself against the trees trunk. He looked in the nest at the two surviving chicks, and an unhatched egg. He licked his chops. An appetizer wouldn't hurt. he thought, jaws engulfing the egg. His mouth watered as he felt the egg crack in his mouth, bits of flesh and bone crunched with the egg, what was left of the placenta warming his mouth. The unhatched chick was a delicacy. He had always loved to eat birds, and he was tired of berry and bug eaters. He wanted to fight these predators of air. He turned his head, auds catching the sound of moving air. His eyes danced at the look of the enraged parents, pinpointing on the largest, male.

He jumped from the hold of the trunk and smiled a devilish grin. The male charged him as the mother checked the nest. Apollo jumped strait up at the father-bird, grabbing a leg. He closed his eyes as the owl went to peck and claw him with his free talons. He wouldn't allow it. He quickly maneuvered and had the other leg rapped in his tight hold of razor ivories. He then ran from the tree, the mother ignoring her lost mate as she morned the lost egg. Apollo smiled, stopping to look at his catch. Still alive and breathing, the bird thrashed, and dangled from his mouth. He set the bird down, placing a paw carefully over its breast. He laid on it, though not enough to suffocate or hurt it. He looked down to admire his prize, the owl staring at him in terror, going from predator to prey. He soon yelped, noting not to look to closely as a sharp beak split his already cracking nose. Apollo sighed, placing his ivories neatly around the great greys neck. His jaws waited patiently for the bird to thrash, then he would kill it. Now, the waiting game.

|When you die, they'll be glad.| Confirmed his heart

[Frostbyte]

[[don't regret anything that ever made you smile]]


Her paws hit the earth beneathe her. She moved forward easily. She smiled as she moved through the trees, seeing two owls flying overhead. She smiled at the beauty of the two. A pair, mates, with a nest somewhere near. She looked ahead of her, seeing nothing but snow and trees. She sighed a heavy yet happy sigh. She had nothing to worry about, no past to be scared of haunting her. Her mind was clear. Nothing to fear.
Her golden eyes closed as she listened to the owls, she heard the surviving chicks in the nearby tree await their first meal. She smiled, having no knowledge of the male only yards away from her.
She saw a rabbit dart place to place into a clearing ahead of her. She smiled she saw the rabbit's family watching after him. The tiny babies of the pair chirped after him, wishing him to come back soon and safe. Her eyes closed again as she listened, a screech. Her afternoon interurrpted, the smell of blood trailed to her nose. Her eyes opened again and she looked into the clearing. She sighed, poor rabbit she thought.
She moved forward into the clearing, a wolf with a blood stained face watched the birds overhead. She couldn't see what he was thinking, of course not... She watched the wolf closely as he went to the nest, the nest with the chicks. Her eyes grew wide, why would he do this? Was he that hungry? Why didn't he just eat the damned rabbit? She looked to the rabbit which was being picked at by the owls. Her head tilted, she looked back the wolf. His front paws supporting him on the tree, to reach an egg. She studied him closely. Her mind confused. She stepped forward, getting herself closer. Another screech, this time from the owls. She smiled, their blood stained beaks opened, both enraged. They flew forward, toward the nest and the wolf.
The wolf had already eaten the egg, and was now just waiting for the birds to reach him. She watched him carefully now knowing fully well what it was he was doing. Though he had a cruel way of doing so. She figured he must've had a reason though. So she watched, the male bird being taken down instantly as the two reached the nest and the wolf.
Her head went straight, she moved closer, the wolf now laying ontop of the poor owl. She sighed, his jaw wrapped around the bird's throat. Waiting.. for a struggle, of course. She moved closer only feet away, she sat down, the bird still. Her head tilted, maybe she could help? "Hi," her voice soft, the bird, startled, jumped and began it's struggle. She waited, her eyes locked on the male before her.

[[don't regret anything that ever made you smile]]

[Nyra]

|You should have Died| screamed his past

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His eyes twinkled, orbs dancing at the sight of the owl. Drool ran freely from his tongue, gliding down the birds fine feathers. He heard a hi, and the bird thrashed rapidly. His jaw muscles tensed, teeth moving through layer of feather, down. He stopped as he hit the skin. He did just hear a hi, didn't he, a feminine voice to be exact. He looked at the fea-wolf, laying harder on the owl, as to stop its moving. "Who are you, and what the hell do you want" he snapped, blood stained jaws moved to show razor, crimson ivories. "If you can't tell, I'm rather busy." He didn't wait for the she-wolf to answer, the owl still fluttering under him. He turned, snapping the neck in an instant. He jumped from it, letting the body thrash and bleed as the nerves worked themselves dead. He smiled at his prize, before turning to glare at the female who disturbed him.

He decided first off that she was fairly attractive. Clean white fur, a bit brutish, but still feminine build. Though he could tell, by something, that she wasn't his type. He could sense she wanted to stop him from killing the owl, but mercy wasn't his thing. Nether was dealing with prissy little females. He never really like them much, he couldn't remember why, but the feelings flooded him after going crazed from loneliness to long. He pinned his ears, hackles raising slightly, his muscles twitching in annoyance. Hopefully she won't be clingy, or she'll hate dogs as I do. Hopefully I can find something to tolerate her with, I need someone from keeping me from going crazy again, and this is the Best I can do, for now.

He glimpsed the mate of the owl he had killed, glaring at him. It made him feel satisfied, hurting something, by killing others. He wanted to go over there, and rub it in the she-owls face, if only the owl could talk. But his feet wouldn't allow him any way, he had another to deal with. He wouldn't mind a slave, and his mind couldn't help coming up with ideas for this wolfess. His face, unknowingly, took on a crazed look of 'Murderer, Crazed Murderer', as if it were any normal look a wolf held upon there face.

---

|Go Away| screamed his heart

[Frostbyte]

[[don’t regret anything that ever made you smile ♥♥;]]

She smiled gently as the bird thrashed the wolf’s jaws closing tighter, Her eyes closed. She waited, if she cared she would have done something to stop him rather than standing there, She knew a wolf had to eat.. So it made since, though he probably could have been a little less wasteful. She shrugged, and looked at him as he spoke to her. I…” her voice cut off by his again. She sighed smirking at him ”Well, The bird was smarter than you think, he wouldn’t have thrashed without being scared.” She said once the wolf snapped the neck. She looked at the bird’s thrashing body, just nerves. Her head tilted as she looked at him. ”and can a wolf not take a walk and say ‘hi’ to the first wolf she sees?” she asked the question in a bland, slightly irritated voice. Her eyes serious.
She watched as the female bird sat in her nest grieving over the egg and mourning her mate’s death. She closed her eyes before looking away. She smiled and looked back at the wolf. ”So…I am Kris, and you are…?” she asked before thinking ahh damn maybe I should’ve walked away, he doesn’t seem to want any company. She sighed but she had already spoken, she couldn’t pull the words back into her throat. Impossible.

[[don’t regret anything that ever made you smile ♥♥;]]

[Nyra]

|Look What You've Done| scolded his past

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Wind fluttered, wind pushing snow through the trees, a bit of snow tickling his nose. He sneezed, hard, blinking away the tears. He loved to sneeze, he didn't know why, maybe the way it made his heart race, or lungs feel clearer. He was half ignoring the female for a while, till the sneeze left his mind. He shuffled his paws, making lines in the snow as he listened, he was bored, he did bore easily. But he made himself useful, and answered.

"I know birds are smart, I have been hunting them my whole life, it's much more challenging than following a deer or rabbit. Birds can fly, and birds of prey, like this owl, can fight back. It's fun, for me at least, to have a challenge." He paused briefly, to catch his breath, and enjoy the cool mountain breeze. It was close to night fall, and he heard the rumors of the large moon. "As for walking around to say 'Hi', I don't really care. But you might want to judge if someone is busy or not. Maybe waiting till I was done playing with my prize. Either way, there are plenty more birds out there" He moved his muzzle in a half circle, in a gesture of such an area.

He grumbled at the last question. He didn't much like giving his name. But if he were to force himself to acquaint himself with this fea, he needed to grasp hold of his emotions. "My name is Apollo, how about yours?" He questioned, leaning back on his haunches, listening as the owl stopped thrashing, finally to lay down for its dirt nap. He turned to grab it, ripping off a piece of the large raptor. He held it out to the fea, offering it against his entire will.

---

|You Walk Tall, but Your Only a Street Rat| informed his heart

[Frostbyte]

[[don’t regret anything that ever made you smile ♥♥;]]


She sighed as the wind ruffled her fur, blowing it along with the leaves in the branches of the trees. She jumped not expecting the wolf to sneeze. She looked at him and smiled, trying not to laugh at his sneeze. She made a face and sighed to herself. She fixed her face immediately afterwards. She shook her head and looked at the ground before he started speaking.
She sighed ”Alright, so birds are a challenge? So you leave a rabbit for the bird then you eat the bird… I guess that makes sense… But okay.. Not the point, I have fun taking down the deer, alone. It’s a challenge too, if you go after the large bucks. She said looking at him her voice almost defensive. She looked at him her eyes locking with his once again. She sighed shaking her head. ”I just gave you some help with your bird. Now you can eat without starving yourself much longer. And I knew you were busy, why else would I bother you?” she asked as she was tempted to turn away, and leave, but there was something about him that kept her standing there. She sighed ”You know if you want to have a challenge you can go find another and I won’t bother you again.” she said standing still, her feet planted she really wasn’t planning on going anywhere. Though it would be his choice… if she stayed or left… She didn’t want to be somewhere she wasn’t welcome. She didn’t want to intrude of his feast he obviously was upset about not playing with first. She sighed. Apparently, he was upset about her presence at all… or maybe it was just the bird… She was having a hard time figuring that one out.
She stood there.’Apollo’ he stated his name. She sighed as he asked her, her’s. ”Kris,” she repeated. She looked to the still flopping body, and watching its nerves finally die and the bird finally rest before being eaten, unless this wolf would waste it too… She sighed and waited for his answer she was tempted to ask him a more ‘to the point’ question… like ‘do you want me to leave’ or ‘am I that terrible’ but instead she stood there allowing him to be a male, nothing like she had grown up with but something she expected. She sat down her tail curling around her hind leg. She breathed deeply and let it out slowly as she sat there, the mother owl ‘hooted’ towards her and then turned back to her babies, all the bird had left of her mate.
The wolf turned to the dead bird, and tore a large bit of it orr the body. She tilted her head in confusion when he offered it to her. Her eyes questioned. "Thank you.." she said before standing up and stepping forward to grip the piece of meat held in the stranger's jaws.

[[don’t regret anything that ever made you smile ♥♥;]]

[Nyra]

|Why Did They Praise You| questioned his past

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He stared at her, though it seemed more like a glare than anything. He waited as she took the bird from his jowls, listening to her words. He grunted slightly, a sort of laugh for him, and shook his head slightly, "I find no fun in taking down deer, it's become too simple. Even if they are big, they are easy kill for me. Birds though, have better senses, and can go high in the trees. They are also much smarter than most ground animals." He looked around once more, the sun was almost set, and the moon close to fully risen. He inhaled deeply, filling his lungs full capacity, the thought of the full blue moon easing. He looked back to her, eyes deep, almost hypnotizing. " 'Tis fine if you stay, company is how the wolf lives, and being alone for long isn't good for you, take my word for it." He smiled crookedly. He shared a little more past than he was used to giving. He didn't much notice, or care though. " And your welcome, I'm not all that hungry, I don't work enough to need to."

Apollo rose slowly, carefully, as if moving too fast would set off a bomb, stretching his legs out. His spine and shoulders popped, back arching like a cat. His fur bristled from the cold of the coming night, skin growing bumps from the feelings. He looked back up to Kris, before falling back on his haunches. He reached his head down, taking a piece of meat from the owl and eating it slowly, for a wolf at least. His audlets pricked up, swiveling as he listened to the night talk, squirrels chattering, birds crying there good nights, and old leaves shaking. He looked at the shadows, arms grasping around them in there ghostly manner. That was his only true peace, night. He turned to look at the full rising moon, "Isn't it beautiful, I'm glad the gods thought to do something good." For the first time in days he felt peaceful, he even looked it. His lips spread in a calm smile, his tail wagged slightly, and his ears hung loosely about his head. He realized his state, but gave up the idea of being disgusted with himself. It was too heavenly for that. He would just enjoy himself for the time. But once he had slept, and night was gone, he was sure Kris would see his cranky side. The thought made him smile sadistically on the inside.

He soon lost interest in the moon as his tongue lay dry in his blood stained mouth. He turned to look for a near by pool or puddle, but only snow. He didn't want to eat snow, that would make him look ridiculous. He turned his head to and fro. "Join me for a drink?" it was more a command than a question as he trotted off to the smell of running water. He reached the place soon, lapping up a few drinks, before looking back for Kris.

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|You Should be Looked Down Upon| spat his heart

[Frostbyte]

[[don’t regret anything that ever made you smile ♥♥;]]

She watched him closely as he had a glare in his eye as he stared at her, She shifted and moved her front paws, as if to get in a more comfortable position… She moved as if she were nervous or uncomfortable under his stare. He stated how deer had become un-fun for him. She shrugged ”I, myself, enjoy it., But Birds, are something I’ve never even thought about hunting…” she said her voice sounding as if she were considering it. It did seem like more of a challenge and more fun than jumping on the back on a Buck and almost being killed every time.
She looked at the setting sun, she smiled at the beauty of it, her fur looking almost orange. She glances back at Apollo, and was startled by her gazed, it was almost hypnotizing. She looked at him her eyes calm, as he told her she could stay, that it wasn’t good for a wolf to be alone for too long. So she stayed. She smiled at his crooked smile, a smile that made his face seem almost cute rather than mean. She tilted her head and studied his crooked smile for a moment before looking away. She nodded as he told her she was welcome and that he was not all that hungry… She looked at him again ”So why kill it?” she asked as she ate the piece of fowl. She sighed swallowing the last bit of it. She yawned and looked at him. She laughed softly to herself, as he went to get up. So slow, as if he thought he was about to set of a series of bombs, having them both killed instantly.
She smiled as she watched him as he looked like a cat, his back arched and his legs stretched out. She tilted his head as all his movements were slow, before he sat back down and looked at her. He slowly took a piece of the bird, and she watched how slow he ate and smiled.
Her pelt glowed a bluish color in the night sky, a peaceful night as the night creatures made their ways out to hunt or just to live their lives. She smiled as he spoke. ’isn’t it beautiful?’ he asked. She smiled and nodded ”It is, it’s lovely.” she said smiling, a sigh escaped her throat. She looked at him, his calm state confused her. She tilted her head once again and looked at him, her eyes adjusting to the night. She watched his ears, they seems almost as if they didn’t belong to him, he seemed too relaxed from the wolf she had only just met.
She relaxed and was tempted to lay down before he spoke again. She smiled and nodded, as he asked her to join him for a drink, his mood swing confused her, but she let it slide, she would figure this wolf out soon enough. She stood and followed him as he followed his nose. She smiled as she heard the sound of running water as they soon reached it. She moved slower than he did with her shorter legs, she walked up behind him as he lifted his head from his drinking. She moved beside him only a few feet away and her head fell to the water, her tongue leaving her lips as she lapped the cool water. Her mouth feeling itself with the cold substance. Her maw replenishing itself. The water washing away the blood that stained her white muzzle.

[[don’t regret anything that ever made you smile ♥♥;]]

[Nyra]

|No One Tried| whispered his past

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He ignored her questions for a moment as the water slid down his tongue, cooling his body, though already in the cold snow. His tail swayed at the feeling, orbs closed to any colors, as his body enjoyed the sensation. He looked up to watch Kris drink the water as he had just done, though he didn't know if she felt the same. "I can teach you to hunt birds if you want. Not all are a challenge though, like the birds that don't mind being around other animals. He sat back, looking at the stars, the milky way, and the moon. His eyes caught the water as it sparkled the sky's reflection dully. "Silly questions"He whispered to himself, inaudible to Kris, before saying "You can save a bird's meat as you save a deer's for another day." He left it at that.

His ears swiveled lightly at the sounds of the rapids. Nap Time he told himself silently. He wasn't to be rude though and fall asleep while his new company was around. He was still testing her, curious of her weak points and what she enjoyed. Vigor filled his yawn, large and loud. He blinked his eyes several times to clear them of tears, before laying over his mits to keep them warm. He hoped Kris was tired too, though he had been up longer than most wolves. He'd spent the whole day since two in the morning deciding what owls he would hunt, how to hunt them, and just playing in the snow.

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|It's Not All Your Fault| gloomed his heart