If you were walking through the forest right now you would probably here whimpering from seemingly no where. The only way you would be able to find the source of the sound would be to follow it and watch the ground. The dull cool day sun would revile a small black wolf puppy with dark purple markings on his face. One marking seems to be three loops within a triangle, while the other marks make it look like the purple color started to run towards his terrified eyes. The orbs that you would see peaking up at you are a shocking gold, the original mark of the wolf to most. His body curled into a tight ball making it hard to tell how large he really is. Untangled from himself and standing tall he would be about 12 inches at the shoulder and almost two foot long, from tail to nose. Now on the poor scrap you would smell fear of course, pack scents, and his own young blood. How did he end up here, you might be asking yourself, well that is exactualy what he is going over in his young mind.

'Why did he steal me, why me?! I'm the largest yes, but I was just sitting there! And why did he have to bite so hard... Owww my neck hurts so bad...' The poor pup whimpers on still hoping his mother might come bounding through the thick trees and save him, take him home to his siblings. All those days he had wished he could go exploring on his own were forgoten, he only wanted to be with his family now. Fear and the twinge of pain were keeping him crying and curled in a ball. He had been smart enough to stumble out of the middle of the trail, only to curl up in the roots of an old tree. He would just stay here and wait. 'Mother always told me stay and call if I became lost...' He thought morbidly his crying slowly becoming louder.

Walking, "Tones", 'Thinking'
Words: 342

Kahlua returned to the Threshold, because she always returned to the Threshold. It was here that she had made so many friends, here that she would make so many more. She trusted that the lands would keep her safe, for no harm had befallen her here before. Even her mind did not try to think today. She was determined, absolutely determined, to do nothing and to have a happy day for it. With the sun overhead and the gentle autumn breeze brushing against her coat, she wandered the woods, the chill in the air enough to give her a spring in her step. Today was a good day.

Then she heard whimpering, a terribly sad sounding noise that broke through the rustle of the leaves and reached her ears. It drew her from her daydreams of waves and glass, leaving her looking around both curiously and cautiously. She had met a wolf here once, a long-legged creature, but he had actually turned out to be alright, in the end, though she had not seen him since, Mr. Vertigon. Perhaps one day he would show his face again. He had been terribly interesting, as wolves come. Still, not every wolf in the woods was to be trusted. Regardless, she began a search for the sad-sounding creature, wondering what sorrows had befallen him to make him cry so.

It was not until she was nearly standing upon the pup, if he had not moved, that she noticed the gold eyes looking up at her and started. “Oh!” Taking a quick stumbling step backwards, the mare looked around her to see if there was any sign of a mother coming to attack. But she saw none, and so then she wondered if the small thing was actually a companion. Knowing they could not talk, but could understand, Kahlua decided to speak to him. “Where is your bonded, friend?” Blue eyes took in the curious purple markings around his eye as she waited for him to motion to where his companion horse was. In the meantime, she flicked her tail about gently.

He could feel His precious red life force slowly leaking from the bite marks on his neck, as well as his hope slipping away. He just knew he would not make it, he was sure he would die right here in the gnarled roots of his tree. His gold eyes gazed around him morbidly, not even bothering to lift his head. He could hear a soft rhythmical thudding slowly making it's way towards, him but in his own self pity and fear he barely heard it. 'I wonder if mother is looking for me right now. I hope that stupid omega gets kicked out.' He thought angrily as he lay there sure he was dying.

Suddenly he was leaping to his feet in fright, a massive spotted animal had stopped mere inches from himself. The hair on his neck was standing on end, a snarl caught in his throat. He could feel his fear and anger mixing and bubbling, fighting to be the main emotion He could suddenly remember his mother telling him stories of a not so distant land he must never go too, that held horses. His pack had sworn off horse meat,but he could not remember why. His mother had brought himself and his brothers a few stray horse hairs to smell, and she had told them of their looks and to never eat one.

He stared up at the, 'What was it mother called females?' mare as she stumbled backwards with an exclamation. He watched her silently head and tail held high, his ridge of hair slowly lying flat. Her darting eyes made him wonder if he was going to be attacked by another uneatable animal. He tilted his ears around him listening intently now. His black nose quivered drawing in all the surrounding smells, but all he could smell was horse and his own coppery blood.Her next question made his head cock uncomprehending. He cast his eyes up to her bright blue orbs. 'She is so big and colorful!' He thought nervously before replying to her. His squeaky puppy voice touched the air, "What is a bonded?" He could practically hear his mother in his mother in his head telling him to not answer a question with a question, so he woofed again, "Umm. sorry if I scared you... I'm Teras... Where am I?" His intelligent gold eyes gazed up into her alien face trying to look brave, even though his mother's teaching were screaming at him to run home.


Walking, "Tones", 'Thinking'
Words: 420

So maybe the poor girl should have been a little more careful. Because obviously almost- stepping on wolf pups was as bad for the pup as it was for her. Calm flicking of the tail became a more violent thrashing as she tossed her head in surprise and began dancing on her hooves. The only reason she didn't run immediately when his hair started standing was that she caught the brief sight of blood on his neck. And, of course, she was no doctor, but Resplendence had taught her a thing or two about being a worried mother hen and there was a small part, hidden deep inside of her, that actually cared if the pup was hurt or not, and so she gave him just a little more room, white showing around the edges of her eyes as she tried to size up the situation.

But soon enough his hair flattened down, and this gave the spotted mare a little more confidence, relaxing her slightly, bringing her nervous prancing back to a solid stand still. Nevertheless, she still regarded the pup with cautiousness. It wouldn't do to be eaten by a wolf pup, or an angry mother, right now. She had important things to attend to. And then he spoke. She gasped softly, ears pricking forward. So he was not a companion. “My apologies,” she murmured softly, still trying to decide how she felt about him.

But if she had been very worried, she relaxed as he apologized, taking it as a sign that he would not hurt her. Her previous experience with Vertigon gave her some idea that not all wolves were bad anyway, so she was a little less flighty this time. “You're in Helovia. I'm Kahlua, Glazier of the World's Edge. I make things out of glass,” she explained, her dancing soprano back to its normal, chipper tone. “A bonded is a uh.... well.... some of the horses here have companions, other animals, that follow them, are connected to their minds. I thought you might be one of those companions. I'm so sorry.” Taking a breath to fill her lungs back up, she finished up her ramblings. “Are you alone?”

Teras couldn't help the yelp of alarm as the much larger horse started to dance as if she had gone wild. He pushed himself as far back into the exposed tree roots as he could whimpering again, softly fear pounding through his system. His gold eyes grew showing his fear plain as day. A strange thought was wiggling it's way into his young brain though. Was he what was scaring her? His head cocked once again curiously still pressed against the tree roots trying to avoid her flailing hooves. He took in the shinning white around her sky blue eyes. She wasn't scared of him, she was terrified of him, but why? His squeaky mouse like voice spoke again, "I wont hurt you Miss, I promise. Momma always taught us not to attack or eat horses, and I always listen to my momma." As she stilled he carefully crawled out of his hole and tail lowered, his tail wagging slightly. He wasn't sure if horses understood wolf body langue but to him it was worth a shot.

His smile was toothy and he quickly suppressed it, not wanting to scare her again. His thick furred tail kept swaying as he looked her over careful not to look at her throat, mother had always said it was rude and scary to prey animals you couldn't eat to look at their necks while talking to them. He slowly carefully started to extend his neck towards the white splotched, or was it black spotted, mare. His curious puppy side was getting the better of him, and he longed to smell her. As his neck extended so did a jagged fork of pain, searing into his neck and down through his back. A yelp and whimper quickly in sued and he pulled his head back like a turtle into it's shell. Scared the pain would attack again, he carefully lowered his body towards the ground laying his head on his overly large paws.

His ears pricked towards her as she spoke,in a surprised tone. He was utterly confused as to why she was sorry. He ran over the short conversation so far, and came up empty pawed. The black and purple pup just let it go and listened to the rest of her words. Helovia, he rolled that name around in his mind, but he could not remember any pack member using it. He was about to say it was nice to meet her, but she stormed on her voice filling the air, not that he minded. Make things out of glass, he didn't even know what glass was, animals that follow horses and are connected at the mind?

This was all very strange to the simple pack raised pup, but he was eager to learn more. His head rose up and his midnight colored ears tilted up interested. Her last word made his pricked ears drop slightly. He lowered his golden eyes trying to hide the sadness there. Then he let the anger of the strange wolf fill his mind. "I am alone, because some strange male wolf stole me from my family and left me here. He's been gone for a while, I've been trying to smell him, and I can't." His voice was slowly starting to break again, "Can I please come home with you? Maybe you can show me what glass is, and... and AWWW my neck hurts!" His voice ended in a half howl half whimper as more pain jabbed through his neck and back. Tears welled up in his yellow eyes making them look like liquid gold.

"Talk", 'Thoughts'
Words: 600

I won't hurt you Miss, he began, further calming her agitated soul. It seemed that perhaps they would be able to come to sort of agreement after all, an understanding that she was not food and that he was not predator. Oh, all the things she had learned since she had entered Helovia, and less than a year ago at that. She could hardly believe it, how many things she had done in such a short time. Most of them good, several of them evil, and none of them what she would have ever expected. She only lamented that she had not known about all the wonders of the world earlier, that she did not have a chance to dance among the masses when she was young. Perhaps she would have grown to be a different mare, though... And Kahlua was really quite happy with how she was.

And, while the girl did not understand wolf language, she did know that somehow, she felt comfortable around him, like she trusted what he was saying. A smarter horse would have wondered if the wolf pup was playing a game, drawing the girl in so that she would be easier for the kill. The painted girl thought none of that, just continued along in her daisy filled head, thoughts a mess of nothingness as they so often were. So it was, that as he extended his nose to her, she actually returned the favor, lowering her nose to his. And, while she jerked back when he yelped, it was not because she was scared but rather because she was surprised.

Of course, the poor dear didn't mean to hit a sore spot with the pup, she had on accident though and she couldn't take it back now. And how really, how could the girl deny him his only request, after hearing his sad story of being left alone with no home to go to. “Of course, friend, you can come with me. Only...” she paused, wanting to reach out to him, not wanting to hurt him though. So, avoiding his neck, she reached out to try and touch his paw. “What is your name?” And then, giving him long enough to answer, she tossed her head to the side and set off an easy walk, hopefully one slow enough that the pup could keep up even with his injuries.