• neutral

    Present
    "Nashoba (Náshõbá)! Come on, wake up!", a distant voice called, as if through dense fog.
    "Mh..." he mumbled his reply still staying in the dreaming realm of sleep.
    "I- We don't have time for this!" the female voice still called.
    "Just a couple more minutes... "
    "Your so lazy." she quickly stomped down on his exposed belly.
    Nashoba's eyes flew open immediately, "Oogh! *cough cough* What the heck?" He croaked and curled into a tight ball, his face holding a painful grimace.
    "Remember... you told me to wake you, and I quote 'in any way necessary'" she taunted him with an impression of his own voice.
    "Toralu!" Nashoba glared at the wolf who stood above him as he got to his feet. She in return beamed contently, "Did you need something? I'm not in the mood for playing."
    "Oh! You forgot again?" Toralu's shoulders slumped in disappointment.
    "Hehe... "
    "You have guard duty with Ixion, remember?"
    Nashoba's memory clicked, "Right! You didn't wake me sooner?!" he turned to look at her sarcastic expression, "Oh... Yea, Thanks."
    "Now do you want to make it or not? If he finds that your not there and slacking off again he's bound to tell Azreal. If we run we might still catch him on his way there." Toralu suggested.
    "No, no..." he mumbled to himself, "If we sneak through the foliage and-"
    "Your so arrogant you won't even accept my help?"
    "Uh... I..." he felt immediately guilty. The fact she was still his friend was enough to show she cared. He knew he wasn't the ripest berry on the bush...
    "You do remember my father's words." she asked monotonously.
    They recited in unison what the pack's Alpha had enacted just days ago, "One more screw-up, one more mistake, just one incident and he's going to be forced to exile me..."
    "Yes, I know I've made mistakes," at that Toralu scoffed, "OK, a lot of mistakes so, I need your help... Please?"
    "Well... I don't know." she turned away.
    "You mean..." Nashoba looked heartbroken, his lay back against his head and his tail was between his legs.
    "Of course I'll help! You nimrod."she playfully pawed his ear, "Now, I'm going to follow the trail make conversation with Ixion. You just cut through the bushes and be there before him." she ordered.
    "Thank you! I owe you one." Together they left the confines of the Dens into the clearing. The open courtyard was padded with thin grasses and sparse shrubbery. Overhead the solemn grey sky watched omnipresent, peering through the branches of the towering trees. The pair trotted across their pack's mighty stronghold.
    Nashoba glanced sideways at the sizable sections of lumber, a long ancient gift his predecessors had constructed, seemingly by magic. Not one wolf had ever uncovered the secret they used to move such immensely sized tree trunks into those positions using only those who were in the pack. And as he looked he again noticed, long deep scaring across the surface of the bark, to deep for canines, way to lengthy for any kind of feline. But, the mystery behind their haven didn't discourage them from using it, Nashoba's pack had found enormous success with this defendable camp. There was one easy entrance through the wall of wood and bush, guarded at all times. But, Nashoba was headed towards the end of the hunting trail. A post no one really understood why a patrol was necessary. They were easily the largest congregation of wolves in any worthy distance. Azriel's words echoed through Nashoba's mind, 'and I'll be forced to exile you... I won't want to but, we have enough dedicated workers without you...' Nashoba swallowed loudly, his heart paced faster at the thought of being forced from the safest refuge in miles.
    Toralu glimpsed his distraught, "I'm sure we'll make it." she flashed a hopeful smile.
    "And if we don't?" his response made her hesitate. Together they approached the lichen coated gateway. Nashoba came up to the guard on duty, Char, "Ixion hasn't passed by recently has he?"
    "And who wants to know?" Char taunted spitefully.
    "This is important! I don't have time for your games!"
    "Aw... The mutt thinks he's in control..." Char swiftly brought his paw up to bash Nashoba in the face.
    "DON'T!" Toralu stepped in between the two males," Touch him and I'll rake you down your spine before you can so much as whimper." Her instant ferocity cast fear along Char's face, even Nashoba was taken aback by his friend's anger.
    "Um... Y-Yea, you just missed him. He has guard duty." Char stumbled.
    Toralu looked towards the shaken Nashoba, "Come on were running out of time."