always

oh your hands can heal, your hands can bruise. I don't have a choice but I'd still choose you.

For quite some time now, the behemoth had been holed up in his cavelike den, observing the packlands from high above. He trusted his children to tend to the pack’s daily needs – patrolling the borders, scouting through the territory, recruiting new members. It was good practice for Daenerys, as her third birthday approached and she grew ever closer to the day she would assume the throne. Another year seemed like…such a long time to Alcide. The aged alpha felt lonely, though it was beginning to become self imposed as he withdrew into his den for longer periods of time. But he knew he had a duty to uphold, and that was what had prompted him to leave the den on this chilled autumn afternoon. He moved down the mountainside, investigating the areas of the pack lands that were not visible to him from the ledge outside his den.

The wind that pulled the leaves from the trees tousled his multihued coat, exposing the soft under fur that was growing in as winter drew closer and closer. Soon snow would blanket the mountain, and Alcide’s constant missing of MoonGlow would grow more severe as another season passed. For some, time might dull the pain, but for him, it only intensified. A sigh found its way to his lips, and he exhaled softly as he moved on, paws finding their place along the familiar paths of the pack that he tended to.

A howl carried on the wind as the afternoon waned, and Alcide lifted his head as his ears perked towards the source. He felt suddenly inclined to greet this stranger on his borders. Shifting into a jog, he adopted a slight bounce in his step, not wishing to come across as some sullen giant that ruled these lands. Spirane was a place to be loved, and he would not drive someone away with his personal woes. No, today he would wear the mask he frequently wore when he did not want his pack to see how much he suffered. His tail waved in its erect posture as he made his way towards she who had called for him, and it did not take him too long to reach her.

As he came into sight of her, he noted her posture and the way her tail wrapped around her paws. She appeared relaxed, not nervous like some who sought a home in the mountains did. She seemed confident enough in herself, but from her presence alone Alcide was unable to read what her business here might be. Drawing near, he slowed to a walk and his chest naturally lifted slightly, showing his impressive size. Even though he was getting on in his years, he was still a striking specimen to behold. Halting before her, and offered a slight dip of his head in greeting. “Hello, I am Alcide,” he said. His rank in these lands was made obvious by his stature. His eyes glanced over her, assessing her petite size in comparison to his own. “What is it that you seek here upon the borders of Spirane?” His eyes returned to her face with this question, watching her for reaction or indication of what she might want.

alcide | seventeen | moonglow | polaris of spirane
sleekwing, swallowbane, orca, daenerys, ceal, taliesin | ♥