Kaina

A tempest wind stirred restlessly through the knotted, gray-barked trunks, heavy and warm... almost muggy. Rain in the air - a summer storm soon to break loose and drown the land for a spare few minutes, enough to tempt the delicate senses but not to quench the parched ground or revive the smaller vegetation, which was withering in the heat wave that had swamped the valley these last weeks. Wait! There was light... movement. What was that...? No, it couldn't be... a stream? Near dry, to be sure, the bed as cracked in places as the rest of the earth, but the depression at least would hold rain, for as short a period of time as it would descend from the heavens. Light silver paws - so pale that they could almost be mistaken for white, in bright enough light - turned and carried the slim body toward the water of their own volition, without consulting the mind long enough to realize that the water was in claimed territory. It's only just there... surely, they won't mind, the paws seemed to say, and so the warm amber eyes found themselves staring down into the bed of the stream, even as a crack of thunder marked the opening of the skies to drench her through and through in only seconds, darkening the glistening coat into a sad-looking mop of gray. The ears flicked in irritation for the dampness, but the moment there was water to be had, out peeked the soft pink tongue and drank thirstily, hardly paying any mind to the still trees around the river or the possibility of a sentry set at the border near to such a valuable resource. Soon enough, poor Kaina looked bedraggled and more than a little pitiful, but her thirst was satisfied, and she closed her eyes with a sigh. The water was warm and tasted almost metallic, but it tasted wonderful to her, in the heat.

Starscream

The last few days had not been good to Starscream. To say they'd been terribly would have been an understatement, even. He'd lost his mate to an unknown assailant, another female in the pack had recently given birth to his pups, he'd caused an uproar by allowing Kurok to become beta, and he'd managed to half-blind one of his own pack members. And that all paled in comparison to what he knew was coming - eventually Cavan would find out what happened to his sister, and the Aspen Grove would have the Haunters knocking at the door. And what could he do to protect his family? What could one lone alpha do against so many? Starscream was not about to give up, despite how things had spiraled for the worst in his pack, but he was not optimistic about the future either. Too stressed to think clearly, the alpha returned to the one place he always visited when his mind was so heavy with worry.

The thick air and sweltering temperatures had the alpha panting lightly by the time he'd skirted through an old stand of birch trees and down along a shallow rise. A gathering wind was rattling through the branches above him, swaying the trees until they groaned and creaked. Yellowed, fungus-spotted leaves cascaded down where they had been knocked from their branches above, peppering the ground and bouncing lightly off of Star's grizzled coat. The tiny pattering of them hitting the ground was suddenly drowned out by a crack of thunder that almost drew a flinch out of the wolf, for he'd stopped at the resting site of his father, and had been staring down at the remains of Vestige's whitened bones. Starscream recovered from that quickly enough and blinked back down at leaf-covered skull, 'Here we are again.' The pattering of leaves was quickly overtaken by the drum of rain as a downpour ensued, flattening down the wolf's fur and dragging his proud coat into an appearance not far removed from Kaina's.

A shift in the wind brought a scent to Starscream that he hadn't earlier noticed, and immediately, the alpha went on alert and snapped out of his funk. A few hasty steps forward brought him to the edge of a second rise, and just a few yards from that he saw the source of the scent - an unknown fae, on his territory! An alpha posture was adopted in an instant, and down the slope Starscream went, rushing across the ground with hackles raised pitifully against the deluge that continued to soak them both, and bright canines bared. "You, who are you and what are you doing on my land?" The alpha stopped just short of entering the creekbed, but everything about his posture and tenure said that he would attack if given reason.

Kaina

The wind shifted in Starscream's favor, not in hers, and yet by the time he'd crested the rise to see her at the creek, one soft ear had swiveled around to catch the sound of his steps, despite the distance between them. For some reason though, the ears didn't communicate their findings to the brain, because she didn't turn to face him until he was almost upon her - although, maybe she had understood, because she didn't seem too startled by his sudden arrival. His manner surprised her a little though, enough where she half-lowered her body and pasted her ears back, the very tip of her tail waving appeasingly. After a moment, her voice came forth sweetly, a soft alto. "I'm sorry, I..." By this time, her brain was catching up with her, and informing her that she had smelled the borderline of the territory when she'd crossed it; now she couldn't deny that awareness. "It's only that, with it so dry, I've not seen clean water in several days. And when the rain began to come down..." She shrugged her shoulders, knowing that, if this male was alpha of this land as his dominant attitude was presenting, he should know the geography of it, and know that this riverbed was the only place nearby where she could have gone to get access to the water as it fell. "I suppose I wasn't thinking quite clearly... I couldn't resist a drink. I apologize... I'll... I'll leave."

Starscream

The response that met his aggressive rush towards the creek bed worked to dismantle a lot of Starscream's concerns about this intruder. He was much slower about reflecting this on the outside however, and wasn't about to drop his high-held tail into a friendly position, even if it did look pitifully drenched, and far from the proud, fluffy banner it normally was. What he did do was ease up on his growl and relax his intensely narrowed eyes as Kaina lowered herself and turned her ears back. "You should be more observant next time, stranger." Gruff and unhelpful as his response was, the alpha at least hadn't charged down at the much smaller fae. Her submissive response and diminutive size prevent that, as well as the fact that she was a female, and Star was known for his disinclination to be as aggressive with them as he was with other males. "Well... might as well drink while you're here." 'Wait, what? She's an intruder... she can go get a drink somewhere else.' Starscream mentally chastised himself when his mouth worked faster than his brain. Aside from being more lenient to females, Starscream was also quite well known for being a bit too chivalrous towards them on occasion, and easily disarmed by their charm. Or, in this case, a twinge of sympathy for the soggy mess that stood submissively before him. 'Look at her, she's smaller than Darling...'

Kaina

"I am observant of many things," she answered him quietly, still keeping her ears laid back against her wet head but daring to bring her tail ever so slightly out of it's semi-tucked position, to indicate that she was still aware of his dominance and submissive to that, and yet was not afraid of him, necessarily. "That twig you've just stepped on is elm... it has a softer snap than aspen, which I would have expected in this area - that bit of twig was probably carried here by whatever birds have built their nests above your head. Your water here feeds on a tributary from the falls close by, rather than from the lake as many do in the valley - I can still smell the tiniest hint of the higher mountain trees whose sap leaks into your water supply; it is ingrained in the creek bed now, after so many years; the water here is usually sweet, I would surmise, flavored by those trees. This rain though - it comes from out over the ocean. You can still taste the faintest hint of salt." These were things most wolves didn't think about or concern themselves with; very few people knew or cared what one particular kind of twig sounded like in relation to another - only that the snap of it told them a potential meal or threat might be approaching. She offered those facts without ever turning her eyes away from Starscream, even though her gaze remained somewhere in the middle of his front legs rather than meeting his eyes, and she shook her head when he spoke again. "You needn't fear that I present a threat here... I hear the caution in your voice. At any rate, I am much smaller than you - you could pin me easily and have my throat torn out before I could look at you cross-eyed, so let's both of us get a drink, and I'll be on my way."

Starscream

'This kind of thinking is exactly why Nachi...' Starscream stopped himself in the middle of those thoughts, with a passing scowl and a barely suppressed grimace. 'It was a rogue male that killed her, not a fae that's far less than half my size.' If only Kaina had showed a fang, growled, or displayed herself as anything other than apologetic and submissive, he'd have saw to it that she was driven off, but not only did she represent herself accordingly, the speckle-faced wolfess caught him off guard by her response. That was the last thing he had expected from her, and the sheer fact that she'd managed to surprise him - while still appearing quietly confident and sure of herself, caught his interest. The debate derailed in his mind and he lowered his tail slightly from its rigid position, "Observant... that seems to describe you, yeah." Curious, Star tilted his head up, squinting against the onslaught of raindrops until he saw the distinctive cluster of branches and bits of wolf and rabbit fur that made up the bird's nest. Amber sights landed back on Kaina and he listened to her go on, now detailing the distinct flavor of this creek, which Starscream had noted before but had never given it a second thought. "Well, I mean, I didn't think you were a threat persay... it's only our pack has recently had troubles with rogue wolves attacking us." Fearing that his aggressive approach to Kaina could be construed as overkill on his part, and suggest a lack of confidence in his skills, Starscream spoke to spare his dignity; even if the overkill approach was his main tactic in response to a potential threat. The alpha watched her a moment longer, and out of a piqued interest, had to question her, "Where are you from, anyway? You must have been in this valley for a little while at least."

Kaina

At the sign of something a little less intimidating and formal from him, if only in the way that his tail lowered some, Kaina smiled a little; it was a friendly, unassuming, easy smile - the sort that was usually infectious, when things were casual and not tense. "One of my littermates was blind," she offered, without any prompting on his part, and without seeming self-conscious about that. "She was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, but especially when we were young, my father used to worry about her, and often assigned me as her escort; when you wander about with a blind wolf for long enough, and hear their comments about sounds and smells, you learn to use all your senses more fully. I could walk our home packlands and all the surrounding wild areas blind myself, before too long." As he began to relax, she bent and drank for a few seconds more, even as the rain continued to drip from above, and when she'd had her fill, she seated herself casually, and returned her attention to him. "Indeed, I was born and raised here in the valley, in the lands that were once known as Green Haven. I left it only two years ago, when... most of my family was killed, and the rest vanished." Her voice got a little less easy there, hesitating and not entirely happy, and after a moment, she shivered faintly. It wasn't clear whether that was due to her discomfort - or perhaps for the fact that she was clean soaked through, and that the wind was now picking up in the typical, violent way of summer storms.

Starscream

Ever so slightly, Star's head cocked to the side, and in doing so, broke the overall dominating posture he'd taken up. In fact, with his rain-drenched coat and the way he'd squint his eyes when drops landed on them, the alpha's menacing appearance had all been watered down quite a bit. "...blind, huh?" The smile had gotten to him as well, striking one of the alpha's main weakspots, and the reason why he now had two sets of offspring in the pack with two different mothers. Not that Kaina was in any way flirting with him, or that Star perceived it that way, but his defenses were lowered and his mind shifted from cautious mode to personal interest. "Well I'll be. Something like that takes dedication and focus; I'm impressed. No doubt those sharp senses make you something of an expert tracker when it comes to trailing prey?" When she bent down to drink, Starscream half wondered whether she would take off and leave after that as he'd ordered her, but Kaina remained long enough to answer his question. Rather than nodding to that and reminding her it was time to go, the alpha purposefully picked up the conversation and carried on with it, "I've heard of the Green Haven, but I've never traveled much past the western side of the Valley. Too much chaos over there for my liking." The last comment reflected a quieter, almost murmured tone in acknowledgement of her family's death. Hardly knowing Kaini, he wasn't going to immediately offer his sympathy for it, but he wasn't going to ignore they way her polite, easy going tones had dipped and become less certain for a moment. "You're a loner, then?" The shivering caught his eye, and what little remained of hesitancy against the female withered away.

Kaina

Now she was laughing, a soft, sweet sound that couldn't be taken as insulting, no matter how prickly one was; she had her father's gentle spirit, and her mother's shrewd intelligence. "Ahhh... you know how to turn a compliment gracefully - but you come on a little too strongly. Oh, there are females that like that, though... I'm sure you have no shortage of admirers." She offered him a smile there, indicating that she wasn't upset by his comment, and yet the smile held a wisdom that said she wasn't fooled by it, either. She stepped back away from him for a moment, and then shook herself violently, sending water flying every which way even though the continually-falling rain made her effort more or less useless - but she'd shown the courtesy of backing off so that she wouldn't get Starscream any wetter, at least. "It is chaotic there now... when my parents were alphen there though, it was peaceful - truly a haven. It has only become so terrible since the lands passed from their power. I had no reason to stay after that." She shrugged a little, refusing to get too bogged down there, and then nodded to his question. "More or less - I've wandered the valley, here a night, there a night, but never really settled anywhere... no one particularly to go home to, so... eh, I've made do."

Starscream

The alpha sported a side grin, a far cry from the vicious display of teeth and harsh words a few minutes ago. "You are a very observant fae." All thoughts of chasing or escorting Kaini out of the territory had pretty well vanished with this remark and the way Star had given up trying to raise his water-soaked fur. Only his raised head and loftily held tail remained to show he was an alpha; everything else about his posture had relaxed, "Have you ever considered joining another pack? Not to denounce your size, but you'd be easy pickings for the big cats out there by yourself, and an easy target against any less-forgiving alpha that found you on their domain." As if he hadn't charged her all a-bristle and threatening a few minutes ago, Starscream painted a better picture of himself by talking down of other pack leader. "My pack is fairly strong as it is, but a tracker with your abilities would be quite a boon." The wolf didn't beat around the bush about it; as soon as he learned she was a loner, he not only invited her, he tried to entice her into the offer.

Kaina

She let her smile warm a little, and eased slowly back up into a less submissive stance, taking a more casual pose while still keeping her tail held in a low, neutral sort of position. "It might also be said that I'm rather verbose and bold of tongue... or at least, my father used to say so. Not quite enough tact to go with all the brains." She made it a joke, and her tail swished a little behind her to indicate her enjoyment of the conversation, even though it had started out a little roughly. "I'll admit... I am a fairly skilled tracker, and I certainly bring a unique set of skills and perceptions to that. Not many wolves or other animals can fool or mislead me." Indeed, Starscream didn't have her fooled - she knew that he was complimenting her because of that old flattering habit as much as because he might actually be impressed by her skills; she honestly didn't expect his next words to be an invitation to join the pack, however. She glanced up at him through the raindrops, still looking pretty pitiful with the water having completely soaked her beautiful fur and, especially with her small size compared to him, she looked like nothing so much as an overlarge, long haired rat. "I have never lived in any pack outside my parents'... when that disbanded, I-" She stopped, and turned her gaze aside shyly; apparently, one place where her easy confidence faltered as in talking about herself. "I am not large enough to be much protection, and not good at hunting. No packs I ever came across were interested in a seeing wolf who lives as though she were blind."

Starscream

As Kaina's smile warmed, Starscream's grin eased up. "You've got enough tact to be respectful when it's needed," And that was important in this pack, if the recent incidents between his packmembers could attest to - the alpha's temper could flash quite quickly if he felt he wasn't be respected, or there was even a hint of aggression displayed towards him. "-and you've got enough spine not to grovel and show your belly if you don't have to. I like that." The grin reappeared briefly before his expression settled into a more dignified look that matched a wolf at his ranking. "Those are exactly the kind of skills that we need here at the Aspen Grove. We've got strength; there are plenty of us who have enough power and muscle to defend ourselves against our neighbors, and we've even got a cougar who's a friend of the pack. It's smarts and sharp observation that we're more in need of right now, especially with two new litters in the pack." One litter had yet to arrive, but scent and simply observation was enough to let most in the pack know that Hulia would be pupping soon. And while most of the reason behind his spontaneous invitation for Kaini was because of her gender and the personality that had sparked his interest, there was a secondary side to it all. No matter how much he tried to ignore the fact, in the back of his mind, Starscream knew that Nachi's death could not be kept from Cavan for long. And when that time came, they would need all the help they could get.

Kaina

"Have you seen my size compared to yours?" she asked, her voice still very light and pleasant. She turned a depreciative look down at her petite frame, and went on, "That's not 'tact'... that's 'instinct for survival'." Her giggles chimed in the thick, muggy air like muffled bells, and she shivered a little... this time clearly for a bit of chill, and not for any fear of him. Following his line of discussion though, she sobered from her joking, and did not complain for the slight cold... instead, she listened intently to him, wisdom and quick intelligence in her warm yellow gaze. "As long as the understanding is made where my talents are - and where they are not - I suppose... yes, I would like to have a home again. I have no strength to offer - I'm hardly fit to protect myself, but... if it is my intelligence and my observation you want, I will be glad to offer them." Slowly, carefully, she talked that out with herself and with him, emphasizing just once more that she wouldn't be of much value as a guard, a fighter, or a hunter... but under those terms, she was willing to accept his offer, and even felt a little bit of relief. Not to be on her own anymore, to fend for herself and grab a meager meal off of someone's left behind, near-stripped kill... yes, that sounded near to paradise, to her. And yet- "So, now that we have that out of the way, and I've accepted your offer... what's the catch? What are you keeping from me?" Her eyes turned sharp there; clearly, she'd picked up on some subtle thing in his behavior that let her know that he might have an ulterior motive in allowing her to take up residence here. As long as it wasn't something terrible, she didn't really care and would remain here... but she wanted it clear that she didn't want it kept secret from her.

Starscream

Starscream actually laughed now, a short, pleasant chuckle of noise that briefly highlighted his fangs again as he humored back, "Instinct of survival is another great trait to have. Right up their with tact, in my opinion." Once the laughter subsided, the grin he'd sported a few moments ago had returned, and this time it stuck around for a little longer. Star could be a fiercely dominant canine and all business when he needed to be - and as alpha, he needed to be that more often than not - but he also craved the lighter, funner side of life and embraced it whenever he could. With Nachi, he'd never shared a real laugh or any joke that wasn't a vaguely disguised insult against him, so he enjoyed this little interaction with Kaina while it lasted. Eventually the grin melted away again and he sobered to address her more serious questions and statements, "A bunch of strong wolves would still starve to death if they were unable to find prey. And they could just as easily be brought down in an ambush if they didn't have the skills to keep a sharp eye on their surroundings. That's where you come in... heh, you know, I don't think I caught your name..? Mine is Starscream, the alpha of these lands; but I'm sure you've gathered that much already." Her observational skills showed again when she picked up on something Star hadn't intended on giving away, catching the alpha off guard. "The catch? The catch is we have young pups, and there are wolves out there who are not entirely friendly with us. But you'll have that in just about any pack; an extra pair of eyes and ears like yours will help ensure their safety." He was being a little sly there and not entirely forthcoming with the truth, but it wasn't a lie by any means.

Kaina

His laughter sustained her smile, and her tail dared wave a little behind her. "Now see there? When you don't try so hard, you're even a little funny." That was a very gentle tease, and she giggled for a few seconds more, enjoying the friendly interaction. Wow, when he's not coming on way too strong... he's actually kind of cute, in a way. The thought occurred to her, but she quickly laid that aside, mentally shaking her head to herself. Watch yourself; he doesn't need any encouragement, this one. One misplaced word, and you'll be the next one bearing pups to him. That was a stern reminder to herself, and it encouraged her not to enjoy their interaction too much, but then again she'd been wandering pretty well on her own for so long that she could help like this a little bit, at least, even with her mind screaming at her to watch herself. "Kaina... my name is Kaina." She offered a half of a smile there, and there was something... quietly discontented about that, but she didn't let that bog her down; instead, she looked up to his explanation of that little something extra she'd latched onto. Perhaps it was because she didn't know him well enough to detect the evasion, or perhaps because she didn't want to prod too much on her very first day here, but she chose not to push him for any further details, instead nodding to indicate her understanding. "I haven't been around pups since I was a pup myself... that'll be... an adjustment," she replied, but she didn't sound negative about it; just aware that it would take some time before she was accustomed to small creatures again.

Starscream

It was Starscream who took a moment to shake his fur out in a fruitless effort to rid himself of the water that had drenched him through and through. The act briefly caused his fur to stand out in a more normal, if rather unkempt appearance, but a few moments later the heavy rain had dragged it all back down again. Undeterred, the alpha continued to carry himself proudly, and a bit more loftily as he took a few steps to turn himself in the direction of the central lands. It was a nonverbal cue for Kaina to move forward with him, "Personally, I think ever pack needs a leader who knows how and when to have a little fun. Strength and appearance can only get you so far, after all." It was more of a tease than a serious statement, meant to draw out the brief moment of lightness between them, though it was a teensy bit of boasting, too. As he started to walk forward now, pausing only long enough to ensure that Kaina was following, Starscream quirked a look at the female and her diminished smile. "What, you don't like your name?" Though not as observant as her, not by a longshot, the alpha was highly perceptive - it was a quality that allowed him to pick up potential trouble within the pack, and it served him now to notice the discontented note in her voice. "If you're not keen on pups, we do have plenty of pupsitters as it is. My mother and daughter are both naturals at it, but neither are as good at keeping a lookout for danger."

Kaina

As she turned her steps alongside his, while still carefully keeping a pace or two back to let him lead the way, she quipped, "Oh good... you're not going to be an old stiff, then. Solid as a rock, and boring with it." If she'd known him a little better, she would have nudged him playfully there, or maybe even have offered a shove to make him fight for his footing, but she wasn't so foolish as to start out too bold with him, even if this conversation was a teasing one. And after that, it was her turn to be a little surprised by his perception, and she was secure enough that she let him see a little of her surprise, and then turned the small half-smile into something a little more genuine, but still fairly soft to indicate that it was a bit of a ponderous subject. "No, it's nothing like that, just..." She paused, and seemed to weigh him in her gaze for a moment before going on, "...it's a family name. I'm named after my Da, and... well, sometimes, I miss him. Alot." That was something that Starscream could probably relate to, though he'd never had the privilege of actually knowing his father in order to miss him. In the male, it was probably closer to a longing to have known his sire, rather than the longing Kaina felt to have hers back. She was glad to move on to a less sensitive subject though, and smiled a little more easily to his next words. "It's not so much that I don't like pups, it's... well, I'm rather out of practice. It's been awhile. Perhaps your mother and your daughter might refresh my memory, some."

Starscream

A little on the brazen side, Starscream purposefully shifted his steps to the side, to place himself closer to Kaina while they walked. As she'd taken notice of already, he was not shy about flirting, even with a fae he'd only just met. Of course, on the other hand, his closeness could simply be a show of trust and the comraderie that was so vital to a wolf pack, and perhaps a bit influenced by the way he'd seen her shiver in cold a few times during their talk. "What fun would that be? If you want to know who's boring and solid as a rock, that would be my mother. Use to be the alpha here, before the years caught up to her eventually." His tones suggested no ill feelings against his mother, whom he loved very much, but that didn't mean she didn't often get on his nerves with her overbearing personality and desire to act like she was alpha when she wasn't. That made her fair game to tease about even when she wasn't here to defend herself.

A sudden, blinding flash of light illuminated the ground near them, and the following crack of thunder was so loud it caused the wolves' ears to ring. With the rain pelting them as heavily as it was, Star never noticed the bit of bark that had stuck his shoulder fur after being blasted off the unfortunate tree struck by the lightning, but he did notice a strange tingling along his spine for how close he'd been to the strike. "...I love storms, don't you?" The sarcasm came on thick and spoken in a voice that was a notch higher than what had had been, accounting for the jump in fear he'd felt. He never caught the loud yowl that Namir had given further in their territory, and so after pausing to look at the destroyed aspen tree, Star shook head head and looked to Kaina again to get himself back on track. "It reminds you of him. ...I take it he's not here any longer, is he?" Curiously softer, Starscream's voice was not one that demanded an answer if she didn't want to offer it up.

Kaina

Her eyes turned to him as he dared draw a little closer, even as they kept moving toward the main part of the terra. Since he hadn't done anything really inappropriate yet, she didn't protest, but kept her eyes upon him; it was nothing terribly significant, since they were talking anyway, but it would let him know that it had best not go any further than this friendly talk they were having. Indeed, she brought the conversation back to a more intellectual level again, just to send the point home, "Your mother, former alphess... well, then that means..." She trailed off, thinking for a moment, and finally recited, "You're the son of Cortinarri, mate to Vestige, alpha male of these parts when my parents held Green Haven. We never visited here ourselves, but we had alliances with some of your allies, through Aunt Karai." She might never have held the alpha title herself, but she had been the child of the leads of her pack, and so she was well-versed in whom the leaders of other packs had been, when her parents had ruled their terra. Before she could go on to detail anymore though...

A flash lit up the area so brightly that she was suddenly blinded, and that didn't really bother her so much, except that at the same time, the thunder rolled and the crack of the energy breaking the sound barrier near-deafened her simultaneously. With her ears and eyes both useless to her, she felt very vulnerable... and the way the fur stood up along the ridge of her back completed the feeling of fear. Hardly knowing was she was doing, Kaina froze in place, and backed toward Starscream, using only the power of her nose to steer herself toward him until she felt her hip bump against his side, and she hunkered down, ears pasted down and body trembling slightly, waiting for her senses to clear - and not answering his question.

Starscream

If he noticed the look he'd gotten, Starscream didn't make any obvious indication of it. And yet, perhaps the way he didn't try to get any closer proved that he'd caught the signal and respected it, without either of them having to say anything about it. As if nothing had just occurred between the lines there, Starscream rolled along smoothly and took Kaina's cue to divert away from the teasing. "So you've heard of my parents?" As it turned out, Starscream almost didn't need her cue to switch his interest elsewhere, such was the surprise he felt with the information she'd offered. It was very effective in diverting him to the more intellectual side of things, "I'm impressed. You've got a knack for detail, and a memory as sharp as a shark's tooth."

The start of a potentially interesting discussion was shot down by the stunning bolt of energy that struck the aspen tree, forcing the bark off in a tremendous explosion of force that peppered both wolves with miniscule debris. Starscream's mind had recovered far quicker than his senses, leading him to trying and pick back up the interaction with Kaina even as his eyes blinked stupidly at the incomprehensible daze of light that seemed to be burned into his vision. When he didn't get a response to his meek attempt to brush off the fear he'd felt, Star had tried to pick it up with a comment about her father; but at about this time, Kaina had bumped up against him, and he could feel her shaking. She's not cold this time, she's scared half to death! Hard as it was to hear above the ringing in his ears, Starscream spoke again, "That was about enough to scare the life out of a grizzly, wasn't it? Come on, maybe we should find somewhere to shelter, and get out of this rain. A storm like this might bring hail." With his muzzle, he nudged very lightly across the back of her shoulder, the kind of touch that Liseli had used to reassure a distressed Darling. He took a few slow steps, while keeping his body in contact with hers; as much for guidance as it was for the sense of protection he wanted to offer her, when it was clear how badly frightened she was. It struck a very strong cord in the alpha, who had spent so much time looking after Darling herself when she came cowering to him to escape her mother's abuse.

Kaina

"In my experience, the alphen of one territory usually keep tabs on the alphen of the others," she answered with a nod, mentally pouring over the information that she had about Starscream's father without bringing anything else out to him; for example, she didn't think it too polite, at this point, to point out that Cortinarri hadn't been Vestige's first mate, or he hers... and that he'd been mercilessly murdered. Rather than go into any of that, she had been resolved to keep their voice light and pleasant, since after all she barely knew him - but the storm changed all her plans in a heartbeat. She might have been prepared to cower beside him until her vision and hearing returned, and indeed looked like she might - but a gentle touch laid itself to her shoulder, and despite how a moment ago she'd been watching Star very closely to be sure he didn't try anything, she was so frightened by the storm that she couldn't help but be comforted by the protective way he responded to her; even an absolute stranger was better company, when one was afraid, than having to be alone. So she allowed him to encourage her out of her crouch beside him, beginning to take slow, mincing steps with him, her paws barely leaving the ground as she used the texture of the earth beneath her to guide her way and keep her from tripping. Even so, she still offered a shudder when Starscream's attempt at comfort reached her, in little bits and pieces that she could sometimes hear around the ringing in her ears, and she told him, "I... hate thunder..." in a whisper that thoroughly expressed that fear, while also indicated that she was... maybe a little embarrassed to admit it.

Starscream

"Mmmhm." Starscream gave kind of a general response to that one. It was true that most alphas did have tabs on the other leaders, but Star had failed rather profoundly on those chores and had no idea who lived to the south or east of him. Oh, he'd heard their howls of course, and knew approximately how many members there were in those packs, and general things like that, but he'd never taken it upon himself to actually meet with the other leaders. As a result, he chose not to elaborate on her comment, and thus inform her that he'd slacked off on these common duties. Another flash of lightening, this one tearing across the sky above them, provided a nice distraction from that, and he pasted his ears back to prepare for the ensuing boom of thunder that rumbled and rolled across the land. "Eh, I'm not a big fan of it myself. It's rough on the ears." Star stated this in an effort to detract from the embarrassment he detected in her words. And if it helped to ease that feeling any more, she might just feel the rapid thundering of his heart as she pressed up against him, showing that he too had been greatly rattled by the explosive noise and blinding light. Only, as an alpha, and in particular a male that was very conscientious about how others perceived him, Starscream did his level best to hide that short bout of terror. "This rain is cold, I'm betting there will be hail with it. Here.." As he blinked not only to clear the water from his eyes but to focus them against the temporary blindness, Star led Kaina on towards a small hill, where one side was made of old, grumbling granite that had been worn down and exposed over the years. A slight overhang provided meager protection against the rain, and would be a blessing if chunks of ice did start falling from the skies. "We can wait out the storm here." The alpha was moving slowly and stumbling here and there, but he knew his territory well, and soon had them at the base of the small hill. Another nudge was given to her shoulders, to guide her against the rocky wall, offering her the best spot before he would settle down beside her.

Kaina

The second flash of lightning made her snap her eyes closed and freeze beside him once more, only to flinch and lower herself abruptly again when the thunder sounded afterward, her four limbs splayed out bracingly as though she thought the earth were about to split beneath her. It took more words from him and another soft touch before she could be persuaded to move again, and she stayed pinned right alongside him very tightly, not considering the kind of reaction it might get from the rest of his pack later on to find their scents intermingled so much - she was too wrapped up in her fear for such delicate thoughts to form. The shaking continued to plague her, equal parts from cold and fear now, and yet her steps never faltered, despite how she had kept her eyes clamped closed, as if that would close out the lightning and make it less real - she'd told the truth in indicating that she knew how to move like a blind wolf. Of course, the touch of fur and the feel of a strong heartbeat beside her helped there as well, guiding her along gently until they reached the relative protection of the overhang, where she gratefully heaved herself down, still shuddering mightily, but at least with the rain kept mostly off of her, and the warmth of another wolf beside her, the cold should wear off quickly enough. Less easy would be allowing her fear to fade, but she was fighting through it as a best she could, trying to be a trooper. "I've hated it ever since I was little. Ramses used to tease me about it... he'd sneak up behind me and make some loud noise. He was so mad when I learned to hear him coming."

Starscream

If Kaina wasn't so completely terrified, and if he'd known her a little better, Starscream would have given her a tease for the way she'd splayed her legs as if she expected the ground itself to crash and roll beneath her paws. He did not have that less kindly edge that his son did though, and the last thing on his mind right now was teasing the poor wolfess that pressed against him more and shivered in fear. All he felt was that strong desire to keep her safe and comforted; it was the one major tug on his heartstring that had been strengthened and built upon in the last three years of guarding over his daughter, and it called to him very powerfully right now. Guiding her along as he did, Starscream's vision had more or less returned by the time he was nudging her down by the rock face, and folding his limber legs down to crowd up against her. In that manner, she had something solid at either side of her to help amplify the feeling of security. Starscream himself understood this well from his days as a pup, though he felt too proud nowadays to squeeze himself into a den whenever he was feeling particularly down or frightened by something. "It's not like it's a stupid thing to fear. Lightning is the father of fire, and can shatter trees in its anger; I'd hate to see what would happen if it ever chose to strike at us." To Star, lightning was a living thing, ambiguous and with more power than he could fathom, and this a force to have a very healthy respect for. Of course, he said most of this to assure Kaina that he didn't think she was foolish. "You might have to watch yourself around here though; my son for one would be one to mimic your Ramses."

Kaina

A little alarm went off in Kaina's head, when he settled down beside her and squeezed in to offer her the warmth and security of his bulk. Too close, too close! Don't even know him beyond his name, and- But the side of her that was desperately afraid, and longing for the comfort of another furry body to snuggle against - an instinct that still remained from her days as a pup, huddled with her siblings - quashed that careful, cautious voice. After all, if he'd wanted to kill her, he could have done that easily several times over by now, especially when the lightning had blinded her. And who did he have to fear if he did? She had no family left. No... it just felt too nice, to be snuggled in, warm and safe beside him, and at last she relaxed, and actually tucked her head against his shoulder as she rested her chin on her paws, trying her best to quiet the shaking and squelch the little stammer that wanted to work into her voice. "A wise thought... I had never considered it in that fashion before." She fell silent then, allowing herself to slowly begin to work down from the peak of her fear until at last her shaking reduced to slight trembles every now and then, and her voice came out a little drowsy when she took up speaking again after several minutes. "Ah... so he's a little imp, is he? Like his Da."

Starscream

Starscream was not aware of the mild bout of wariness and panic Kaina felt when he dropped himself down and settled against her. Whatever subtle signs she might have given were easily assumed to be spurred by the lightening and crashing thunder, rather than fear of himself, who was essentially a stranger, and one so much larger than her. "It's a fear that makes sense, is what I mean. Better than being terrified of... leaves, or mud, or something." The canopy above them lit upon more, providing a brief glimpse in the growing darkness of wind-thrashed branches and frantically twirling leaves. Thunder followed a few beats later, loud and heavy, and rolling on in a dissipating rumble for many seconds afterwards. The alpha settled his head down, placing it over his own paws and keeping it from leaning against Kaina; he'd taken that earlier look to heart, apparently. As he lay there and listened to the clatter of rain drops and the howling winds, a tiredness began to creep over him for the long, trying few days he'd had. "He's something alright. Don't be afraid to give him a good nip if he bothers you too much, either."

In all the noise around them, Starscream never heard the approaching steps of two other forms, a pair of wolves who were familiar with the very spot where Kaina and Starscream were huddled under, and sought it now to escape the sudden, fierce storm that had started. "...haven't heard anything yet about them, but apparently he's sick." The voices would be recognized by Starscream at least, once they had gotten close enough - this was his nephew Crow, a silvery wolf with green eyes. Striding beside him was a smaller brute with a white pelage, colored with a mixing of black across his face, neck, and back. Golden eyes and a white blaze on his muzzle gave him a unique appearance, "There's a lot of strange things going on, lately. Crow...!" In'Alak froze in midstep and gaped at the sight that lay before him. Crow swung his head around to see what had startled his friend... and there was his uncle, cuddled up close to some strange fae.

Kaina

Despite her fears, and the definite resistance she'd put up against Starscream the moment he'd identified him as excessively-flirtatious, Kaina couldn't restrain a smile that formed at the thought of shying at leaves or mud the way she did at thunder and lightning. It was a sweet smile, the sort she'd offered him at first when she'd realized he was funny - and it wiped from her face a second later, as she flinched and crowded down against him again, listening to the thunder roll overhead and squinting her eyes shut against the light that flashed. Another shiver quaked over her, and then she calmed - somehow, it was less scary, with him beside her. And so the smile came back sleepily. "Oh, not to worry... I know how to handle unruly males," she whispered, one last jibe against him, and then snuggled in a little more to help muffle the noise of the storm around.

And perhaps it was because of this - and how she was trying to tune the noise out due to her fear - that she didn't hear the others coming, even with her superior hearing. Between the rain and the howling of the wind, the sounds were masked, and her eyes were closed - she couldn't see a thing, anyway. So Crow and In'Alak remained unnoticed as she cuddled in a little closer and began to fade toward sleep.

Starscream & Others

Crow's gaze was stuck fast on the two, particularly the small fae snuggled up so close to his uncle. His uncle, who had very recently lost his mate, and fathered pups with another female just before then. Completely floored, the wolf shifted his green eyes in question to In'Alak, who shared the look and shook his head, whispering, "Neither have seen us.. we should go." Crow nodded, and the two backed hastily away, then turn and slunk away into the approaching night.

Never the wiser for the two guests they'd just had, Starscream thought nothing of his closeness to Kaina right now. Perhaps if he'd been emotionally connected to Nachi during their years together, there would have been some feeling of guilt or awkwardness, but Star felt neither of those, nor did he consider how controversial his actions might appear. Instead, Starscream allowed Kaina to be the one to lead them back into a lighter place of conversation, to which he replied with a wry remark, "Well lucky you, I'm not unruly." As she hunkered down against the latest roar of thunder, Star remained steadfast and calm beside the frightened she-wolf, and shifted his muzzle so that it was angled slightly towards her.

Kaina

Likewise, Kaina knew nothing of their visitors, or even of the mate that Star had lost only days ago; perhaps because he and Nachi hadn't been close, she didn't smell the female on him, and he hadn't mentioned a mate, though she knew he had children... but she didn't feel it her place to ask him under what circumstances those pups were born. After all, with him established as something of a loose fellow with his breeding habits, who knew if the mother of those pups was even in the picture? And surely, if he'd had a mate... he'd have said so. So she never let that cross her mind, and didn't ever consider that her snuggling beside him might get him into a bit of trouble. No, she allowed herself to innocently accept his protection, and to laugh very lightly and gently before allowing her last tense muscles to uncoil, and her body to lay evenly on the earth below them. And if she noticed how he'd curled his head in a little toward her - a more friendly gesture that could even be read by some people as a little more intimate that he should be indulging in with her - she didn't protest, and shortly thereafter her trembling stopped and her flinches ceased, because sleep slipped over her, and she burrowed in with a sigh.