[It's the Least I Could Do][A Proper Burial]

[Malo]

A slow figure moved along the melting snow, falling where it was deeper, and leaving a trail of footprints and a large sliding mark as an impression. The figure grunted and huffed, as he dragged the heavy, decaying body of a white male with him. Heaving the corpse another few feet, the male stopped, and dropped the neck of his fallen packmate. Key's body lie motionless beneath him, and he looked down on it with emotionless green pools, not knowing what to do now.

Josiah knew he had to do something, anything right now. He hadn't gone into battle, just waiting for a chance to feel the male's lifeless body in his jaws, but now here he was, carrying him away from Falling Moon, and to into No Man's Land. Looking up, he realized he didn't know exactly where he was, but he had a feeling he was supposed to be here right now. He noticed the knotted roots of a large tree, that looked as if it had been here since the valley first came into existence. He picked up his charge by the neck and dragged him there, stopping in front of the large tree. He looked down at the body of Key again, and then moved from on top of it, sitting back on his haunches to think.

He looked at the body, and his last words echoed in his mind. Tell Dagger I love her...the male had said, before he slipped away into the cold darkness that Josiah hoped had ended his pain. He stood up again, and looked back towards his packlands, the wind picking up and blowing the fur on his face and neck back. He lifted his head to the winds and called the fae, whom this now gone brute had loved. In his mind he had made a silent promise to honor the male's last words, and that was what he intended to do. He could only hope she wouldn't try to make him join Key.

[Pokemo~]

Dagger lay by the river, scowling at the other side of the river. The river was her favourite spot, because even though many wolves came here, it was still a quite sanctuary to think. She sighed heavily, then pushed herself onto her feet, she was about to start her journey home when her ears pricked to howl.

She knew who it was, and she had known it was coming, but she hadn't expected it right now, she jumped a little, the thought of Key had been pushed to the back of her mind thanks to the sound of the river, but now he was mentioned again, it was like a fresh knife wound that had just been seen to, was stabbed again.

She grimaced, but she knew she had to go. She heaved another sigh, and slowly began to walk towards the shadowy forest, towards Josiah and her ex-mate.

She watched as Josiah and a limp, snow white corpse came into view. She narrowed her eyes slightly, but didn't say a word, practically ignoring Josiah until sha gave a very small, very curt nod of recogniton.

[Malo]

Josiah nodded as the fae appeared, then turned to look towards the tree, its knotted roots calling him towards them. Without a word, he grabbed Key's neck again, and slowly made his way over to the tree, searching the various holes for one big enough for two wolves to fit at once. He found one, safely hidden away, and entered the hole, winding his way carefully through the roots, and still having a hard time.

He looked back once to see if she was following, then continued on until he was deep within. It amazed him just how huge this tree was, and he looked around in awe. Sniffing the cold ground, he put Key's corpse down, and began to dig quickly and carefully, looking back at the body to make sure the hole would be the right size. He paused in his work, waiting for Dagger's reaction.

[Pokemo~]

Dagger followed him without a word, twistnig and turning through the roots of the tree, until they both finally reached a desitination. She tensed while he dug a hole, glaring at him, but when he turned to see her reaction, she simply stared at him. She quickly glanced at Key's body, then to the hole Josiah had done.

'Thanks...' she murmered, then padded over to Key's dead body. She heaved a sigh, and shook her head, looking up at Key, 'I'll do it if you don't mind...' she said quietly, but didn't wait for a response.

She picked Key up by the neck, as gently as she could, and dragged him into the hole, then let go of his neck. He landed with a small clunk in the hole. She closed her eyes, goodbye, Key... she whispered silently in her head.

She took a deep breath and then opened her eyes to look at Josiah.

[Malo]

Josiah took a step back and watched quietly as Dagger put the snowy body into the hole. He would hate to be in her position, and for a moment, felt sorry for her and regretted what he had done. Seeing her turn to him, he just looked at her for a moment. He had no idea what she was going through, and he realized that. Moving cautiously toward the grave, he began to cover the body with the dirt he had dug up, until he could no longer see white in the darkness, and there was a small lump in the ground.

He kept his gaze on the hole for awhile, avoiding the fae's gaze temporarily. Still looking to the ground, his voice was a whisper as he spoke, so low she might not have heard. He told me...to tell you he loved you. And not to be sad, he is in a better place, and died for something he wanted so badly. It was a brave effort Dagger. You should be proud of him, he said, adding his own words to the last ones of the deceased wolf before them.

He stood there quietly, not knowing what else to say at the moment, waiting to hear her words cut through the silence.

[Pokemo~]

Dagger listened to the words fly over her head. She paused and then said, 'Yeah, I guess.' she felt like her heart had been stabbed at. She loathed Almira right now. She hated her with a passion and she wanted her to die.

A life for a life... she thought. If she killed Almira she would get the Beta position hopefully, and she would cause Josiah the same ammount of pain he had caused her.

[Malo]

Josiah looked at her, wondering what she was really thinking; her answer had been shallow and emotionless, and he had expected her to blow up and yell and curse and be angry. But she hadn't. He knew that she wouldn't be the same with Key gone, but he wondered just what she would do now. Nothing good, he figured.

Feeling awkard, he looked back towards the entrance to the hole, and gave a nervous cough. Uh..I um...do you want to...I don't know, get a drink of water? With me, Dagger? He avoided her gaze and waited patiently for an answer, wondering how much she hated him right now. The least he could do was be nice to her, not only because he was beta, but because he wasn't totally heartless like others.

[Pokemo~]

A frown nestled into her brow, what was with this wolf? He'd just killed the first wolf that had actually had the courage to be her mate and...Now he wanted to get a drink with her. She remembered that he was a Beta, though, and that disrespecting the alpha's hadn't got her very far.

'Okay.' she said blandly, then waited for him to lead the way, perhaps she would find out he was an okay kind of guy, after all, he was accepted into the falling moons from the dancing stars, that must count for something, right?

[Malo]

Josiah gave a nodd as she spoke, seeing how emotionless she was. He knew it must be weird to her, seeing how he had killed Key, and was now trying to be friendly. He knew that as Beta, he had earned the right to be respected more-so than others, but he didn't want to be feared or hated because of it. He wanted to be respected, and liked. He was going to try to make amends with Dagger. And if she didn't accept it, at least he could say he tried.

He made his way to the entrance, taking one last glance at Key's grave, then stepped out into the sunlight. He blinked as his eyes adjusted to the bright lighting, and turned back to check if Dagger was making her way towards him. He turned back, and made his way towards the forest, and the river that he was sure would be at least semi-melted.

He wondered why she had agreed to go with him, if she was plotting something. He decided to invest a little trust in her, for she was his packmate afterall. And this burial had been the least he could do for her, whether she gave him a 'thank you' or not.

[Pokemo~]

Dagger followed him out of the roots, and into the sunlight. She narrowed her eyes at the burning sun, but she said nothing and didn't blink. She trotted after Josiah, perhaps this was finally a packmate she could talk to? Perhaps he might understand how she felt?

But even if she poured her life story at him, which she couldn't because he was a Beta, what good would it do? He'd probably through her out the pack for being too soft.

She gave him a faint smile as he looked back, then she, too, entered the forest.

ooc// New thread at the river?

[Malo]

ooc||Yep ^^

[Pokemo~]

ooc// Could you make? ^^;