夏至其六

🍉Solstice🍉

"Don't get cocky, brat"

Personality: Unfriendly

----------------------------------------------------------

The day
was bright, winters touch encasing the land in a frozen hold, halting all life
for a few short months.  A colourful shape moved under the icy growth,
weaving between the tree trunks.  His bright fur a stark contrast to all
around him, his eyes like pools of diamond.  
Alone he
walked, his paws leaving light imprints in the snow behind him.  He was a
wolf, a usually social species.  

He may
not have been the most social of his species, but his heart still craved the
interaction, the companionship.  Apart from this he was growing every day,
his slim form slowly filling out, his smooth fur growing longer and his muscles
becoming stronger.  

His
name was Solstice, he wasn't old, had only just left his parents to begin his
life as an adult, searching for a mate and home to call his own.

Solstice
was a bright young wolf, he knew many things, had picked up lots of skills from
his parents in his short lifespan.  He hunted well, was observant and
intelligent.  He just had to find a start to begin his new life...
*_*_*_*_*

It wasn’t a young female he found; it was another wolf.  Dappled cream and brown fur made the earth around her seem alive, even in the cold months of Winter.  Powerful muscles rippled under her shiny pelt, eyes the colour of leaves observed the green adolescent from where she sat.

Full of the cocky attitude most younglings had, Solstice immediately stood tall, not yet realizing the true power of the Alpha in front of him.

“Stand down”
The brown speckles wolf said, softly yet with hidden warning.  Solstice, not heeding his warning, raised his lip.

In a flash he had been knocked to the ground, cold seeping through his fur follicles and chilling his skin.  Above him stood the older wolf, looking unbothered by his attitude, not a hair out of place.

The wolf introduced herself as Havord, Alpha of the Dewfire pack.  She scolded him for his reckless actions, and Solstice was inclined to agree.  She had an air about her, one that made him feel as if he should agree with her, maybe it was his conscience trying to tell him something, maybe it was fate.

“If I had been any other wolf, you’d be dead.” She chided. “You’re a very lucky pup.”

He had huffed at what she had called him, his green and red fur ruffled.

“You’re looking for a home?” She questioned.  He had not answered straight away, had thought over his answer for a moment.

“Not exactly.” Havord tilted her head, awaiting him to continue.

“I don’t want to be just another hunter in a pack.” He said slowly, his ears rotating as
a particularly loud bird call echoed from his left.  “I want to have a purpose.”

He had set off to start his own pack, but now… Now he wasn’t so sure that was
what he had wanted.

Solstice was strong, and clever.  He knew
that most wolves never even got far enough to find themselves a mate.  But he also knew how little most Alpha’s cared for their hunters.They loved their packmates, sure.  But that didn’t stop them from moving on with life if one fell ill.

The green-eyed wolf tilted her large head, eyes thoughtful.  “Then don’t be just another hunter.” She said simply, further confusing Solstice.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean,” She started.  “Join a pack that
cares.  Like mine, for example.”

Solstice
let out a little snort, amused.  “Are you
inviting me to join your pack? Even after I tried to attack you like that?”

The brown wolf let out a little huff of laughter, her kind eyes staring out
into the icy forest, watching as small birds and other animals ran past, engrossed
in their own daily activities.  “Only if
you’d be interested.  We could always use
young blood in our family.”

“And what would I do in your pack?” He asked.

“Whatever you’re good at.” She replied with a small shrug, pushing herself to her
paws.  “Would you like to come with me to
have a little look around? I’m sure the others would be happy to meet with you.”

He thought about it for a moment, his pale eyes observing Havord’s
unthreatening posture, her honest words.

Finally, he said. “Okay.”

And that was the beginning of his new life in the Dewfire pack, where he wasn’t
tied to the top, burdened with responsibilities he now knew he wouldn’t have
been able to handle on his own, with no experience in the ways of the pack.

He made
friends, worked as a part of something much bigger than his own desires from
when he was younger.

Solstice
No longer wished to lead, instead he wanted to continue his life in this pack, watching

pups grow and age as he had as a youngling.

Story written by Glacier