Pound of Hope [CLOSED PERMANENTLY]

[! october]

A Note to the Judge;

Hello; thank you very much for reading and considering this form; but before you do so, I'd like to quickly explain two things.
The first is that yes, the 'history' section will seem a bit strange at first. I wanted to try writing it in a more abstract, interesting way; but I did also write it out normaly below all of the pieces of different stories. c:
Also; the boy mentioned in this story, Alexei, is a real person, and the events that happened to him are both very real and tragic. If you wish to learn more about him and his story, click here.
Thank you again, I've completely fallen for this character, and I really do appreciate you being willing to read my form for this precious boy. <3

This goes further than the stars ...

Kennel number: P105
Name: Paris
Breed: Eurasian Wolf

Why do you want this animal and what will you do for it?:

I love this character. Absolutely, completely love him.
From the moment I was looking through Spotty's donation and saw him, I knew that we were meant for each other. I knew his personality, I knew his history; I knew his pains and his joys and his wishes and his dreams.
I connected very well with him, and I still do.
His design is absolutely stunning; he's the kind of character that one can only dream of owning; natural yet unnatural; handsome and gentle yet somewhat dark and dangerous.

If I were able to to call this precious boy my own, I can promise that he would not be left to gather dust. I would draw him very often; he's the first character that I've ever tried drawing with my tablet, and I can guarantee that he would be drawn many, many more times. I would also write about him very often through short stories and poetry; as obvious in the 'history' section in this form, i've fallen in love with writing little snipets of stories about him. Paris would also be used in many 1 x 1 RPs; I've a dynamic character to use for those for a while now, and I've found the perfect one, as he has the history to be able to fit into many situations.
Lastly, he would be a beloved 'headmate.' As with all characters I try for, I've already attempted to 'speak' with him; and it was a very enjoyable experience, we connect very, very well together.
Paris would be given a place in the character thread that I'm still working on, where he and his art and stories would be proudly displayed so that others can see just how brilliant he is. <3

I really do love this character; with me he would be treasured and cherished, loved for eternity.

Personality:

Loyal - To those that he loves, Paris is extremely loyal. He would never betray someone that he's devoted to, and is willing to go to great lengths to keep those that he cares about safe and happy. For example, Paris has been traveling for years just to find his master again, and plans on continuing to travel for forever until he finds his Alexei.

Steadfast - Paris is unwavering in his opinions, stubborn and true to himself. He won't change his mind for someone else, and won't give up on something he caes about until the task has been completed.

Intelligent - This wolf is equipped with a very high intelligence level that he's able to apply to many aspects of his life. he's a brilliant problem solver, and is always able to get himself out of though situations, whatever they may be.

Kind - Paris is very caring towards others; he doesn't like causing harm to other creatures, and only fights when necessary. He's always willing to helpt hose in need, even if it means putting aside his own needs for a little while.

Brave - Paris is brave. Very, very brave. As a spirit, he has nothing to fear but fear itself, and the prospect of never meeting Alexei again. he does, however, choose to look ahead to the future, and not wworry about the dangers of the present.

Sociable - This wolf loves to be around others, and doesn't cope well in isolation. He's able to talk about everything and anything even with complete strangers, and is never hesitant to strike up a conversation with someone he's never met.

Protective - Paris refuses to let harm come to those he loves. He'll fight to kill if needs to, and won't look back as long as he was able to save someone he cares about in the process.

Likes:

Alexei - Paris is completely, wholly devoted to his master. Alexei ceated paris, gave Paris life; and this wolf is, in return, forever in dept to the boy. Paris is will to travel for forever to find Alexei again; every bit of purpose and hope that the wolf has revolves around the boy.

Freedom - After having been controlled by Alexei for many years, Paris now treasures the freedom that he has. He can say what he wants to say, do what he wnts to do, and live the way he wants to live. He doesn't dislike Alexei for having intially taken his frredom from him, but simply is happy to have it back.

The Royal Library - Back when the Romanov family was alive and Paris was part of Alexei, his favorite place was the royal library. Full of starcases and books, it was the perfect place to dash about, full of obstacles to leap over and dart around; yet was also a perfect quiet place to simply relax.

Traveling - Paris is constantly on the move, as wandering is the only way that he may ever meet up with his master again. He loves to see things along the way , though; visiting different places, seeing different cultures, meeting new creatures.

Movement - This wolf has a hard time staying in one place; he absolutely loves to run and stay active.

Loyalty - Bonds of trust are very important to Paris. He knows that somewhere out there Alexei is waiting for him, and that's one of the few things that can provide him with hope and something to hold on to.

Warmth - Cold places bring back memories of Russia's frigid labor camps that Paris and the Romanov family had been forced to stay at. Paris, therefore, tries his best to stay in only warm, bright counrties and cities.

Dislikes:

The Murderers - Paris shall forever hold a grudge against the people who killed his master and his master's family. Though he knows that there's nothing he can do, paris does secretly wish that he could get revenge upon them

Darkness - Like cold places, dark places bring back bad memories of past pains and hardships, and Paris therefore tries his hardest to avoid them.

Loneliness - Paris is the type of creature that is only happy and content when he's around others. He never stays in desolate, isolated places for long, butchooses to stay in crowed, busy areas with lots of other people, animals, and spirits.

Memories - This wolf loathes the memories that he has from his time in the labor camps, not because of his own pain, but because of Alexei's. Paris hates that he had been able to do anything to protect his master during that time, and therefore harbors nothing but bad feelings for it.

Depression - When he becomes too wrapped up in sad memories and thoughts of the master he once had, Paris becomes depressed and unhappy, which he absolutely hates. he knows that he'll only be able to be reunited with Alexei through hope, not desperation.

History/Background:

p h o t o g r a p h s , s n a p s h o t s , m e m o r i e s

[They do tell stories, you know.]

-

"No," the child smiles petulantly. "I don't want to go to dinner, I want to play with my friend."
The nurse blinks, quickly surveying the room filled with the royal child's playthings.
"There's no one else here, Alexei..."
He grins all the wider.
"Of course there is, Paris is here!" The boy proceeds to 'pet' the air next to him, stroking the companion that exists only in his mind.
"If you say so."
The nurse shakes her head, smiling softly; and returns to her chair, monitering her charge while humming quietly to herself.

The song is one that words akin to 'devotion' and 'forever' are usually paired with, but Alexei doesn't know this as the smiles at the tune, he'll know someday, though, and that's when it will matter. For now, all he knows is that his friend, the wolf, is here beside him.

[You were always there.]

-

He's always loved Paris; the city, that is. He wants to go there someday; it looks magnificent from photographs; all lights and towers and elegance.

When he travels there, only after death, his own Paris accompanies him.

[I think we'll go together.]

-

Carefully, carefully Alexei flips through a book. A little cut wouldn't just be a little cut. It would be the cause of lots of blood, too much blood. Perhaps his death, Rasputin used to say. But the man's been 'healing' him, and death won't come so easily for the Tsarevich. It will take bullets and bayonets; but especially bullets. Lots and lots of bullets.

[This is not so easy.]

-

[Hello, old friend.]

-

r e m i x , r e s t a r t , r e v e r b e r a t e

[It's the best way to go about these things.]

-

Paris is cold. Paris is very, very cold. Cold; and fluffing up his fur does no good, shaking the snow of his back is no good; because it's Alexei that's cold, not him. Because Alexei is cold, and Alexei is Paris, and Paris is therefore cold.

[It's the transitive property: if a = b and b = c, then a = c.]

-

The bell tower is ringing. Ringing, ringing, ringing; and Paris loves it. There's something magical there, in the echo, in the clear metallic sound. Paris wonders if he loves it only because Alexei loves it. Or mabey it's the other way around. But then again, perhaps Paris is truly thinking for himself. The thought makes him smile, but then soon enough his mind is again clouded with the thoughts his creator is thinking.

[Is this a blessing or a curse?]

-

They're in Alexei's dream, and all is well. Paris' mind is less controlled by the boy, and the boy is less controlled by his deadly condition. They playfully chase each other, and all is well.

[I think we'll be okay.]

-

a c t t w o :
[Blood, camps, running, fear, slavery, punishment, darkness.]

-

And then, there's a basement. The years of hardship put upon by members of the bolshevik party have worn the boy out, and he's seated in a chair; weak and waiting. The rest of his family waits too.

Then, the waiting is over, and the soldiers have told them that they're to be executed.

At this, the boy, now thirteen, calls back his invisible creation, pale fingers tighting fearfully in nonexistant fur.

There are gunshots and stabbing and more gunshots; and the family of Russia's house of Romanov lies dead.

-

However;

-

This goes further than the stars ...

.
.
.

Paris was, at first, nothing more than the 'imaginary friend' of Alexei, Russia's Tsarevich, a young boy who belonged to the royal House of Romanov.

Upon his creation, Paris was not at all 'real.' All of his thoughts and actions were controlled by the boy, but Paris wasn't at all unhappy. He was able to see the world from Alexei's eyes from the saftely of the boys mind. He could play with the boy, eat with the boy, sleep with the boy, and travel with the boy. They were, in a sense, inseparable.

Then, things took a turn for the worse.

The visits to the massive library stopped, the trips to the clocktower they loved were put to an end.

The House of Romanov had been dismantled.

Alexei and his family were sent to labor camps, and Paris, being tied to the boy, was therefore unknowingly shipped off as well. During those tough, painful years he always remained by the now older boy's side, invisible to everyone but his beloved master.

Being a hemophiliac, Alexei was in constant danger during his time at the labor camps. It was only paris who got him through the day, only Paris who could give him hope. Only Paris could be a bright friend in the darkness that had overtaken the boy's life.

Every day paris accompanied the boy to whever he was assigned to work, and every night he lay beside the boy, trying to provide warmth but unable to do so in is stricktly spiritual form.

One dark day, things changed even more.

The royal family was escourted to the basement of a mansion, where they were promptly shot, stabbed, and killed.

It was the end for the boy and his wolf. Or, rather, the end for them in the physical world.

When Alexei went to the afterlife, Paris went with him. When the boy went through the golden gates to the world beyond, led by his mother and sisters, Paris did not.

There was an afterlife for humans, and there was an aferlife for animals.

There was no afterlife for strictly spiritual friends.

By that time, without Alexei to influence him, paris had gained complete control of his thoughts, actions, and decisions. He was free, but not truly so.

The wolf wanted back his master.

Unsure of exactly where his Alexei had went, Paris began to wander, travel, journey.

Always going forward, hoping and believing that someday he would be reunited with his beloved boy master again.

.

Today, Paris still travels.

Perhaps he always will, or perhaps someday he'll find those golden gates again.

But for now, seeing the world through his own eyes and meeting other spirits like him is enough to keep him content and moving forward, hoping that someday, he'll be with Alexei, his creator again.

So he'll travel and he'll wander and he'll hope; becase through hope, can't all dreams come true?

They shall have stars at elbow and foot;

Though they go mad they shall be sane,

Though they sink through the sea they shall rise again;

Though lovers be lost love shall not;

And death shall have no dominion.

Art:

[This was the first thing I've ever drawn with a tablet; I apologize for the poor quality. ^^;]

Other:

Thank you so very, very much for reading and considering my form. Paris really does mean a lot to me, I hope and pray that I'll be able to call this precious boy my own. <3

[.kestral]

I am looking to adopt...

Kennel number: 99
Name: Rebellions Run
Nickname: Rebel
Breed: Eastern Wolf
Why do you want this animal and what will you do for it?: Why wouldn't you want him? He is absolutly stunning. I plan to write his story, I am doing an overview for his history and plan to write the rest if I get him.
Personality:
Likes:
Dislikes:
History/Background:
I warn you before you read this, my life isn't a happy one. It is a life filled with guilt, hate, murder and despair. The one happy moment in my life was ruined as easy as a wolf catches a hare. I ask you to keep this is mind as you read this.

The happiest time off my life was when I was a pup, or at least it was supposed to be.
Art:
Other:

WIP

[Dancing with Bears.]

I am looking to adopt...
Picture:
Kennel number:
P19
Name:
Orignal Name: Katoori ||| New Name: Soul
Breed:
Wolf
Why do you want this animal and what will you do for it?:
Why..
Thats a very interesting Question and Many people Will get stumped on This Question. Many want it for the fact That The Animal Has a very neat design.. Which Orignally Made me want this wolf. But Its not just the design.. I have been looking for New characters and this one Seems just perfect. And Considering 'Katoori' Was once a Fursona Made Her even more special to me.. Since I have a chance of owning Someone elses once loved Or still loved Character.
Personality:
'Katoori' Is a very sly, intimadating, Sneaky, And Dangerous Female. She always has a trick to get out of a situation, and is very inteligient, Thoughtful, and protective. 'Katoori' Hates attention. And is extremely shy. But 'Katoori' Is the type of wolf always searching for a thrill.. a rush. Something Dangerous. She tends to keep to herself and is extremely stubborn.
Likes:
- Being Alone
- Hunting
- Thrills
Dislikes:
- Other wolves
- Boring Days
History/Background:
Katoori Arose from her spot underneath the Huge oak tree. Her ears perked as she scented the air. Fire. Fear Imediately Filled her mind as Thoughts Raced around In her Head.
She knew the scent straight away- Learning those human scents had paid off.. She Remembered her mother Taking her closer to the human camps every day Along side of Her dad. Teaching her the ways Of them. Teaching her that Humans were evil Creatures and shall not be Trusted..
Katoori's Mind Filled with Memories as she Raced through the woods, her Heart Pounding up against her chest: And slowly making its way up to her throat. Fear and Panick Quickly Filled Katoori's Mind as she Still Flinted through the woods silently. Her breath was ragged and rough- Only being a pup. She yipped trying to warn them. She ducked under a log and splashed noisly through some water. A Flock of birds exploded from the ground as Katoori Ran through some brush. The sun was dappled along the ground in sploches of golden, Blinding the earth with its light. Katoori Longed to see her mother and father again.. Longing for the things.. That She feared something bad had happened too. The scent of Dead Wolf Was Stronger around these areas and Katoori Froze- Her mind wandering. Her legs shaking in Fear. Her Ears layed back and Her tail tucked underneath her belly she stepped out of the darkness of the woods- The sun blinding her for moments. Warming her face By Splashing its heat up against her body. She gasped and almost Collapsed in tears. The woods here was Burnt. Dead Wolf bodies lay Scattered across the meadow- Some ash Fluttered down from the burnt tree overhead and Landed on the ground sizzling. " no.. " Katoori Murmered. " No! " She cried out falling to the ground and Howling out in pain. In desperation...
-A couple of years later-
Katoori Raced through the woods- Her fur ruffled by the wind. She was breathing a bit heavy, And her heart was out of control as the Thrill of this Was about to Fill her mind. She Lept over a log swiftly- Moving without effort. Her paws gracefully Skimming across the air was a great Speed as she raced through the woods faster now, Slinking around the trees with speed.. Splashing through Streams and Finally Coming into a Meadow. She lept out from the brush Landing on the ground with a fierce Thud- She continued to run. The Edge of the Cliff close Now. Closer.. closer... it sneaked its way closer to Katoori until she lept off the edge: The wind Running through her fur as she fell Into the waters below.
Katoori Smiled As she Swam up to the shore and layed down happily.
Art:
none :C
Other:
Thanks If you choose mine<3

[bearlygrunge]

Just wanted to let whoever is gathering the forms sometime on Sunday, I am withdrawing my form. I do love all of Spotty's donations, especially the one I was applying for, but I need more time on my story & wasn't feeling super connected with her.

Good luck to all those who applied!

[scourgestar4117]

i would like to have her! im not shure how this works though........so if you could tell me that would be great! hehe......

[Miss Park Avenue]

Umm, Friday was yesterday and my form wasn't put on the page, or haven't you done them yet

[Ranua]

i would like to have her! im not shure how this works though........so if you could tell me that would be great! hehe......

Fill out one of the forms at the front for adoption
Make sure to make it nice and neat and well written.
The best form wins the character ^^

[! october]

Umm, Friday was yesterday and my form wasn't put on the page, or haven't you done them yet

It's still Friday for me; and I'm working on the list right now, actually. c:

[Dia.]

Whooo... This is the hardest I've ever worked on a form before... ^^' it was worth it though. I hope I win, but I wish everyone else luck as well.

I am looking to adopt...
Picture:


Kennel number:
P103

Name:
Armitzu (Are-mit-sooh)

Reason:
There is no meaning to her name. Her mother simply thought that the name Armitzu was pretty and she liked it. Armitzu feels that no other name would fit her.

Nickname(s):
Itzu (it-sooh)
Ar (Are)
Mitsy (Mit-see)

Gender:
Female

Age:
In the story she is four years old.

Breed:
Tsjecho-Slowaakse Wolfhond
xXx

Why do you want this animal and what will you do for it?:
When I saw this character, my heart nearly leapt out of my chest. I was completely smitten with the design and instantly my creative juices started to flow. The colors and the way they are used are incredible, and I admit to have a weak spot for stripes. Those green eyes are soul-burning and they compel me to write this form. It sounds cheesy, but she spoke to me when I was scrolling down this page. I can't imagine what would have happened if I hadn't visited this thread and never knew I could even try to adopt her. Her personality seemingly developed itself and I was only there to get it down on the computer and I'm having such a fun time writing this form. I know when I found I character I "connected" with when I feel like the form isn't a chore that I must get done by the deadline. I am just having too much fun with this.
She will have her rightful spot on my character thread, which I'm hoping to turn into a website where she would have her own page. I will order and make art for her like I do with all of my lovely characters. I feel that she will fit in well with the crowd. It is also possible that I will RP with her and she could make an appearance in my stories that I write for fun.

Personality:
-Strong-
Armitzu is very strong, both physically and mentally. Although it doesn't appear so, her lean body is a powerhouse. She has an immense amount of stamina and strength. It allows for her to survive when she is on her own for those periods of time. Armitzu has a quick, agile mind and she is able to think a plan over and act within a few moments. She can calculate a distance almost as soon as she needs to, such as during a hunt or a fight. She also has a higher level of intellect than many of her kind.

-Congenial-
Her strength and power could be considered a mask, as Armitzu really is quite friendly and easy to get along with, provided that you act like a normal, intelligent being around her. She is willing to work things out peacefully, as long as you agree to do so as well. She doesn’t take well to those who act like complete imbeciles, and tends to try to avoid them. She loves to be around those who live up to their potentials and really try hard to be successful. Also, she is willing to help anyone or anything, given that they will accept the help or wont expect her to take care of everything.

-Extroverted-
Armitzu is a pack animal. She loves to be around other and is quite outgoing. While many will wait around and wait for someone else to do something, Armitzu is the one to go right ahead. She definately isn't a follower, but a leader. When she isn’t around anyone else, she feels somewhat out of place. This is quite strange, given her occupation and her place in the world. Armitzu thrives in the company of others and loves to be needed.

-Gifted-
She is quite talented in a few areas of her life. Armitzu has an excellent creative understanding of the world around her and is able to pull a compelling story out of thin air. She is very popular among the young ones because of this. It is also well known that she is very proficient in medicine and sciences. Armitzu understands the medicinal properties of many plants and is always looking to learn more about them. She is curious and is constantly studying the sky and the Earth.

-Attentive-
There are many things that are caught by the eyes of Armitzu that others probably won’t notice. She is quick to find something small that is different about someone and is very observant of her surroundings. It is easy for her to read body language and see through the eyes of someone like they are some sort of window into their thoughts and feelings. She will know if something is bothering someone, even if they don’t admit it at first. If something has changed, Armitzu will notice that as well. She will know if someone had been digging through her possessions upon quick examination.

-Abstruse-
To many people Armitzu might be difficult to understand until they get to know her. Even then, it might still be difficult for them to really know what she is all about. Even though she is an extrovert, Armitzu keeps many things to herself, as she doesn’t like people to know too much about her. She believes that it would leave her vulnerable and it would also make her loose the mysterious air that surrounds her.

Likes:
-Freedom
The feeling of being able to do what she wishes is one of Armitzu's favorite things in the world. She dislikes being tied down and not being able to express herself how she wants to.
-Running
Armitzu enjoys the sensation of the wind blowing through her fur as she races across the sand. It is even better during the night, when the sun isn’t beating down harshly on her back.
-Thinking
Thinking allows one to better understand and appreciate even the smallest things in the world. Armitzu is known to spend hours at a time just sitting in the shade thinking. It clears her mind and calms her nerves.
-The World Around Her
To Armitzu, nothing is better than the world around her and all its life and glory. In her eyes, everything is glowing with life. She loves to study it and just take in all the beauty that Earth possesses. She is all too aware that at any moment, her life could be over, and she could never see the world as she knows it again.
-The Sky
The sky stretches on forever and ever, and it fascinates Armitzu. It seems to move with the sun and the clouds, and never has she turned down a chance just to lie down and stare up and into the never ending blueness.
-Being needed
For Armitzu, when she is needed, she has a purpose. She doesn’t see what she would do with her life if she wasn’t needed. There is no way that Armitzu would be able to do anything else besides healing.
-Healing
She loves to feel like she is making the world a better place by curing one person at a time. Armitzu loves the feeling that she gets when she knows that through her medicine and work, one more life was made better.
-Story Telling
Being able to make up a story from nothing and just let it flow from her muzzle is always something that Armitzu has been able to do excellently and she enjoys it immensely. The feeling that she gets when others, especially young pups, are sitting around her, totally captivated is one like no other.
-Young pups
Armitzu feels that youth have the power to make anyone feel young again as well. She loves how they are so energetic and happy almost constantly and she feels that it is a welcome change from all of the illness and death she is around.
-Understanding
Being able to understand is very important to Armitzu. If she doesn’t understand something, she feels vulnerable and helpless when she is confused about something. If she knows what she is doing and what she is talking about, it makes her feel so much more confident.
-The Night and Everything About it(The Moon, The Dark, The Stars, etc.)
At night, Armitzu has the opportunity to feel so much more alive than she does during the day. It is much cooler at night and it is easier to run and move around quite a bit. The sand doesn’t burn her paws, the sun doesn’t get in her eyes, and the heat isn’t unbearable. Armitzu is also fascinates by the stars and the moon. She loves how bright and peaceful they look. She also enjoys looking at the contrast there is between the black of the night sky and the white of the moon and stars.

Dislikes:
-When Too Much is Known About Her
Armitzu feels very vulnerable if people know too much about her. Too many things could be used against her if everyone knew everything about her.
-Feeling Trapped
When Armitzu feels trapped, she is greatly uncomfortable. She needs to be able to move and feel free, or else she has a sort of temporary mental relapse.
-Snakes
They hiss, have no legs but still can move, and above all have the power to kill. Armitzu hates everything about them. She fears them above most things, although she rarely admits it. The base of this fear is probably the fact that one bite killed her mother and she wasn’t able to do anything to save her mother's life. They have taken so many innocent lives, and she resents them for it. Many of her nightmares are based around a snake.
-Feeling Helpless
Feeling helpless is one of the things Armitzu really dislikes. She feels helpless when she is confused or when she can’t do anything to help someone in need.
-Being Alone For Too Long
Being alone for short periods of time is good for Armitzu as it allows her to think and learn more and more. However, one of the reasons that she travels so often to the different communities is so she can be with others. If she is alone for too long, Armitzu starts to feel somewhat depressed.
-Creativity Block
Being a story teller, creativity block is one of her worst enemies. Armitzu is extremely disappointed when no matter how hard she tries, a satisfactory story just won’t be developed. Her mind thrives on the "creative juices" that she stores there. It keeps her feeling young and it helps restore the way she thinks.
-Confusion
To Armitzu, feeling confused is like feelings trapped. If she is confused, she doesn’t know what to do, where to go, or how to approach something that she wants to do.

History/Background:
Looking up at the sky, Armitzu could see the moon shining at its fullest. A slight, coastal desert breeze ruffled her fur gently and she embraced it. At her paws lay a clump of leaves, stems, and various other pieces of foliage. She looked around her once before bending and picking up the bundle. Then she turned and padded through the sand towards a group of large boulders. She placed the plants gently in a small cave between two of the rocks and then lay down in front of it. Her striking green eyes stared out across the desert, taking in all of the night life. Her eyelids started to grow heavy and her breathing started to even out, and she eventually let sleep take her. She had to wake early the next day, and she needed her energy to make the journey.

An annoying scratching sound made Armitzu blink one eye open in frustration. A small rodent was racing back and forth across the sand in front of her and she watched it for a few moments, an amused smile spreading across her maw. Every time the rodent ran past, there was something different in its tiny jaws. Armitzu pushed herself up to the sitting position as it scurried to her right, but it stopped midway and turned to look at the large beast that just awakened. It squeaked in fear and dashed away. She waited for it to return, but it didn’t and there was no time to loose. Armitzu stood up, stretched, and picked up part of her plant hoard in her mouth. She ignored the wave of sweet and bitter flavors that washed over her tongue and started to trot off steadily towards the area of lush vegetation west of her den.

Armitzu was glad that she had gotten an early start, or else she would have had to travel the longest during the hottest time of the day. The temperature had only just started to become brutal and she was already nearing the end of her trip to the Western Oasis. She was glad when the outlines of the lush vegetation started to become clear and the ground underneath her burning paw pads started to feel cooler and more comfortable. She came upon a short mesquite tree which provided a small patch of shade. Armitzu took a much needed break on the cooler sand and set down her bundle of plants. She knew this route well, and her destination was only a short distance away. She decided that she had taken up enough of her valuable time, and took the plants into her jaws again. Then she ventured out of the shade and continued on her way.

Yelps and yowls exploded into Armitzu's pointed ears as she reached the top of a small dune signaling that she had arrived successfully. She dropped the plants she held in her mouth before being trampled by a stampede of excited pups. She fell over backwards with the impact of their combined weights and laughed.
"Armitzu! Will you tell us a story?"
"Yeah, please?"
There was a chorus of different pleas and statements. It swarmed in Armitzu's head until all she could do was nod deafly and try to get all of the small voices out of her ears. This continued until the pups' mothers rushed over and rescued the Travelling Medicine Dog. They all apologized for their children's behavior, but it was clear from the way that their eyes shine that they were just as amused as Armitzu was. She got to her paws and gathered her plants before looking at the group of them who were staring wide eyed and expecting at her.
"I have to work first... then I'll find you and tell you a new story." She made her promise and they all nodded slowly. Her bright green eyes gleamed as she watched them run off to bother some other poor soul. Picking up the bundle, she trotted towards an old, broken down human building.

The light was dim as she ducked through the entrance to the building.
"Ah, Armitzu. You've arrived safely. Welcome." The community's live-in healer stepped out of one of the back rooms.
"Yes, thank you, Darkwing. It's good to see you're still doing well." She spoke through the leaves in her jaws. It took a while for her eyes to adjust to the dark gloom of the building, but when they did, she padded carefully over to a corner. She placed her bundle down on a low table and then looked around. Darkwing was standing on his hind legs, front paws resting on the window sill. He was staring out past the broken glass.
"Are you alright?" Armitzu asked the elderly healer. She picked her way around bits of leaves and small stones as she walked up to stand next to him.
"Quite alright." He answered, "It has just been a rough time since you left us last." He backed away from the window and stood on his four paws once again.
"What happened while I was gone?" She questioned. Her bright green eyes glowed with some concern.
"A war has somehow started between our little community and those strays in the human village farther west." He said. His old voice was usually deep, strong, and full, but now Armitzu noticed how he actually sounded his age. As he spoke, his voice cracked and wavered nervously. It proved that things were truly going terribly. "Many of the younger males have gone off to try to sort things out, it the outcomes have been grim. Those who even returned have been horribly injured, and then there have been too many that passed on while in my care."
Armitzu listened carefully and she flinched slightly when a small bird flew overhead, its tiny wings making a lot of noise in the quiet of the hospital. "That's terrible. Has the situation gotten any better?" She spoke quietly and slowly, thinking everything over.
Darkwing shook his head sadly, "No... Another patrol left right before you arrived. Oh I hope they return well..." He blinked and turned his head. The light from the window hit his ice blue eyes and made them glitter slightly. She said nothing for a moment, letting him recover.
"Well... we can only hope and pray until they do return. Where's Wyatt? I have to ask him to do something for me." Armitzu named the young dog who Darkwing was training to become a healer as well. Darkwing only looked at her, eyes expressionless. Her heard leapt up into her throat and her legs felt weak as she choked out a strangled, "No." The strong-willed, young male had joined the patrol going to the small village.

Armitzu sat in silence in the hospital as she sorted her plants out and cleaned up her old stores. Each little movement seemed to echo through the quiet hospital. She had been very close to the young healer. He was almost a brother to her, and now there was the chance that she'd never see him again. She didn’t know what she would do if word came back that he had been killed. She glanced up from her work to look over at Darkwing. The old healer seemed equally as worried about this whole thing. If Wyatt never returns, not only will they have lost a good friend, but they would have to take on another young healer to train.

She got to her paws and sighed, "Darkwing, I'm finished here... Call for me if I'm needed. I promised the youngsters that I would tell them a story when I got done working." Armitzu started to walk towards the exit, weaving around the sharp rocks on the floor.
"Alright. Have fun." He let out a long sigh and blurted out quickly before she could leave, "Do you want to stay around until the patrol comes back?"
Armitzu knew that above all, the old healer wanted to have comfort and company until his apprentice came back. She nodded and smiled weakly at the dog who had turned into more of a father to her than her real father had, "Yes, of course I'll stay." Darkwing nodded thankfully and walked into one of the back rooms.
Armitzu stepped out of the hospital and the sunlight slammed into her like a wave, heating her fur instantly. She blinked her eyes rapidly, trying to once again get used to the brightness of the sun. She trained her eyes on the pathway that was covered in sand until her vision returned to normal. She spotted two young pups tussling in the shade of a tree and walked over to them, paws kicking up small amounts of sand.
"You two want to gather your friends and meet me in the town square?" She asked them. The bigger of the two jumped to his too-large-for-his-body paws and nodded ecstatically, "Thank you Armitzu!"
Armitzu laughed and padded off towards the center of the community. When she arrived at the large clearing that was tastefully decorated with a variety of old statues made of stone and beautiful vegetation. She noticed with delight that the two pups she met earlier had already gathered quite a crowd. The square was already full to bursting with youth and their watchful mothers.
"Are you guys ready?" She called as she took a spot on top of a large stone. There were excited yips and yelps as the puppies scrambled to get a good seat around her. As they all settled down, Armitzu started her story. Mouths were quieted and closed, and eyes opened wider in anticipation.

•••
11 Days Later
Armitzu paced around the floor of the hospital. She was getting worried; it had been eleven long and traumatizing days since she had arrived at the Western Oasis. It had also been eleven days since Wyatt left with a patrol that pretty much meant certain death. One of the older patrols had returned home two days ago, and the results had been grim. There wasn’t one member who got out of the fighting unscathed. Armitzu and Darkwing had been extremely busy since the patrol came back and their supplies were running thin. Suddenly, a sharp yowl split through the air. It made her fur stand on and her eyes widened. She watched Darkwing move the fastest that she's seen him move in years.
"What's going on?" He asked, ice blue eyes wide and practically illuminating the air around his face. His fur stood on end as he tried to look out of the windows, "Are we being attacked?"
Armitzu shook her head and her fur fluffed out, "I have no idea... maybe the village strays decided to bring the battle to us this time?" She ran to the door of the hospital, feeling the hot breath of Darkwing on her tail as he scrambled after her. She watched the hectic scene before her. Pups were being shepherded into their homes and males were dashing past them. Armitzu stopped a white wolf dog as he passed the hospital.
"What's happening?" She asked, staring at him and noticing that he looked a little young to be going off to fight. He turned his gaze on the healer.
"A patrol is returning!" He yelped and from the way his large paws moved around in the sand under him, kicking puffs of it into the air. "My father should be coming home!" He stretched his neck to look over Armitzu's head and the healer let him scamper past.
"Darkwing! The patrol--" She started to tell the elder, but was startled when she noticed that the black canine was already scurrying after the crowd. Armitzu chuckled lightly and ran after them.

Beneath the view of the dune everyone was standing on was a ragged patrol. The strong scent of blood slammed into Armitzu's senses like a wave and she gagged slightly. Shoving the terrible feeling aside, she strained her eyes to catch sight of Wyatt's golden brown pelt. It was hard to distinguish who was who in the mix of tattered fur. As the patrol got closer to the dune and started up the slope, she still hadn't spotted Wyatt. She could feel the tension rise with the group. It radiated off the pelts of the anxious others around her. The patrol got closer still and eventually, there were a few dogs who bounded forward, their voices high as they ran to greet mates and fathers. She saw the young, white wolf dog run forward to meet another larger wolf dog. Armitzu assumed that he was the youngster's father.

Armitzu watched as one by one family members were reunited and tears of joy or sorrow were being shed. Still, Wyatt was nowhere to be seen. Exchanging a quick, nervous glance with Darkwing, it was clear that they were both thinking the same thing: Wyatt was dead.... He would never be returning. She stared into the blue sky, the sun still burning brightly overhead. Muttering caught her attention and she looked over at the other healer. His dark head was bowed and his blue eyes were closed. His mouth moved deliberately as he whispered a prayer. Armitzu dropped her muzzle so it pointed towards the ground and closed her eyes.
"Armitzu? You're still here?" A weak voice made the female's head snap up. A black blur of movement out of the corner of her eye convinced her that the heat wasn’t getting to her and she wasn’t hallucinating.

She had trouble believing her eyes, but there in the flesh was a very dirty Wyatt. His normally bright, chocolate brown eyes were dull. A fresh would was only just starting to heal above his right eye. His golden pelt was matted, torn, and bloody and his right ear was shredded. There were a ton of fresh wounds along his sides and on his neck. Armitzu didn’t care about that though, he was alive, and that was all that mattered. His wounds would heal and so would his personality.
"Wyatt!" She yelped, nosing him over gently, searching for any unseen wounds. Every time she came to a sore spot, he would flinch away. "I figured I stay to see if you came back alright..." She said through her concentration as an answer to his initial question. Darkwing had also stepped up to examine the younger trainee.
"It's good to see you alive." Darkwing said through a smile. For the first time since she arrived, Armitzu could see the light shining again in his eyes.

Ever so slowly, the crowd on top of the dune started to head back to their homes closer to the oasis. Armitzu stood close to Wyatt, helping him down the slope. She noticed he was limping significantly, and wanted to get him into one of the beds at the hospital as soon as she could. Wyatt was giving the whole story to Darkwing in detail, but Armitzu's mind was too busy with other thoughts. He seemed happy to be back and he also seemed quite well. However, what was the probability that he was hiding something dangerous. Was he telling the whole story about what happened? Was the young healer's life in danger if he didn’t let them know about each wound he received during the excursion? So many questions and "what ifs" crowded her brain and she started to feel confused and trapped. She was almost too relieved when they arrived at the hospital where already patients were lining up. At least she would have something to set her mind on. Darkwing and Armitzu slowly helped Wyatt over to a nest in the far corner where the female had her station.
"Don’t you want me to help?" He asked when they had him lie down.
"No." Darkwing and Armitzu said almost too quickly.
"I'll be with you after those with more serious wounds are tended to," she told him as Darkwing walked to get started.

The rest of the day was trying and tiresome as the two healers worked nonstop. However, the time wasn’t noticed until there were only a few more patients to be seen and the moon was starting to rise into the sky. Armitzu called the last soldier over to her station. She looked the black wolf dog over quickly and asked a few questions.
"Is there anything else that's bothering you?" She asked after starting to dress a large wound on his flank.
"Physically, no." He answered. Armitzu noticed that his voice was hollow and distant.
"Well, tell me what the problem is mentally then." She sat down after examining her work and stared into his eyes.
"I witnessed so much death and bloodshed on that trip. I don’t think I can ever do something like that ever again." He bowed his head.
"Battle isn’t for the faint of heart," She said gently, "Everyone is going to be thankful for what you have done for this community."
He looked up and blinked, water shining in the corner of his eyes, "Thanks... Er, when should I come back?"
"No problem. Come back here if the dressing gets wet, comes off, or it starts to hurt more or burn. Darkwing will want to see you in a few days, then at least once a week until it heals. It might start to itch as it heals." Armitzu recited her little speech hardly without a thought; she had said it so many times throughout the day. The male nodded, "Thanks again." And then he padded out of the building.

Finally Armitzu could turn all of her attention to Wyatt who was still lying in the corner. She walked over to him and sat down, "So, how are you feeling."
"Like I got drug by my tail through a rock pit." He answered. Though his eyes were still dull, they shone in slight amusement.
The female nodded, "Could you stand so I can look at your injuries better?" She asked tentatively, not wanting him to make anything worse. However, Wyatt stood with few problems and Armitzu got to work. It was true. He even looked like he was drug through a rock pit by his tail.
"Why did you do it?" The question that had been haunting Armitzu since she arrived at the Western Oasis finally spilled from her jaws.
"Because I wanted to be a help to the community... and they needed me." He answered smoothly; so smoothly it almost seemed rehearsed.
"But you help the community plenty by working as a healer, Wyatt. Darkwing needs you here. He's not immortal. If you would have..." She couldn't even say it, "He would have to find another with the right personality and mentality to train."
Wyatt was silent, "I'm sorry... I just needed to feel that I was part of something," He paused and let out a small whimper as Armitzu pressed on a large scrape on his neck with a poultice of herbs, "bigger."
Armitzu continued with her work a little more gently, "I understand perfectly... just do me a favor and don’t do anything stupid when I'm not around." She smiled playfully and he flicked his ears in amusement.
"I promise I won’t do anything stupid Mommy," He whimpered, mimicking something a pup would tell his mother. This made Armitzu feel a little better about everything. He hadn’t changed too much and his humor was gradually coming back.

Armitzu finished patching up Wyatt's many wounds and she stepped back to admire her work.
Darkwing padded up to stand by them, "He looks like some kind of ragdoll."
She chuckled and looked at the older healer, "You're right... he kinda does."
Wyatt stuck his tongue out at the two of them childishly. Armitzu smiled, "You really should go rest now." She gestured towards the bed in the corner with her head and the young male walked stiffly to go lie down.
Darkwing had walked over to his side of the hospital and was cleaning up. Zarmitzu started to clean up where she was and every once in a while she glanced over at Wyatt. She noticed his breathing was deep and slow only a few moments after he lay down. "The poor boy's exhausted..." She said to herself.
"What's that?" Darkwing asked, hearing her.
"I'm just talking to myself." Armitzu put the plants where they were supposed to do and gathered all of the trash in a pile at the end of the table. Then she padded over to Darkwing's station.
"I'm worried about him." She blurted out, hoping that the older healer was much wiser and would be able to offer some kind of help.
"I'm afraid to admit that I am too... " Darkwing agreed and Armitzu sighed. The male continued, "While you were working with his wounds, I was watching. It seemed that he was in more pain than he was letting you know about."
Her eyes widened as she thought that it was possible that she missed something so important, "Do you think I should wake him?"
"No, let him sleep. He must be tired." Darkwing said and stifled a yawn.
Armitzu nodded and her own jaws gaped into a huge yawn, "You'll talk to him tomorrow, won’t you?"
"If that's what you want me to do, I will." He promised her. "Now why don’t we both follow our own advice and get some sleep." The female nodded and walked to the back room where her own bed was. She listened as Darkwing walked through the dark into his room and knew that he was asleep when she heard his snores. Armitzu sighed and lie still for a while and let herself think before going to sleep.

Just as she was about to close her eyes and sleep, soft whimpers from outside made Armitzu sit up in her bed. When she moved, the nest material was noisy as it rubbed together. She held her breath and listened, but the whimpering had stopped. However, she only needed to wait a little while longer until it started again. Summoning some amount of courage, she stepped out of her bed and padded through the doorway.
"Is something wrong?" She whispered. There was no answer. A shadow cast by the moon moved in the corner and Armitzu stepped lightly over to her station and sat down. "Wyatt, I know you are awake." She spoke quietly as to not alert Darkwing. The golden pelt of the young male moved again, and this time it was to face the traveller.
"Sorry I woke you..." He muttered. His eyes were dark, even with the light reflecting in them.
"I wasn’t asleep. Now what's the matter? I heard you whimpering." She rose to her paws, walked closer t him, and sat next to his bed.
Wyatt took a deep breath and it was with great effort, Armitzu notice, he rose to a sitting position, "I'm just a little sore from everything that's happened the last few days."
"You're lying." She said in a monotone voice, staring into his eyes, "Please tell me what's really wrong so I can help you."
"I'm really fine, Armitzu. You don’t have to worry about me." He spoke defiantly and Armitzu was slightly afraid to challenge him again.
"Fine... You'll tell me if something is up though, right?" She looked at him.
"Yeah." Wyatt said. He practically collapsed into his nest and a look of pain spread across his face, "See, that hurt." He snapped at her, "I tell you what's up if something is wrong."
She rolled her eyes slightly and walked back to her nest to sleep. Her dreams were haunted by her worries.

•••
6 Days Later

Darkwing fixed Armitzu with a hard stare.
"What?" She asked, looking up from sorting her plants.
"Not that I want you to go... but I'm surprised that you haven’t gone by now... With normal circumstances, you would have left only a few days after you arrived. I understand you wanting to stay until Wyatt was on his paws again. Honestly, I thought you would have left the day he got back to work. You're still here though. What's up?" He looked deep into her eyes as if trying to read her thoughts in the bright green depths.
Armitzu lowered her voice, "I'm still not convinced that he's back to normal. I still hear him whimpering in the middle of the night. I don’t want to leave until I'm positive everything is alright." They both watched the young trainee hobble to the main store room with a mouthful of leaves, flowers, and stems. His eyes watered from their pungent scents mixing together.
"But what about the other communities? They must be wondering where you are and if you are ok. I'm sure we'll be fine here." Darkwing said quietly.
"That skinny mutt that was here the other day was a scout from one of the other communities. He was sent to find me. I told him to alert the others that I was fine." Armitzu felt stubborn about this. She wouldn’t give up and leave until she knew that everything was actually going to be fine in her absence.
"Alright, fine. I'm not protesting to your staying. It's nice having another hand around here." He went back to work and then stopped short. "Hey! Wyatt, we haven't checked on your wounds for a few days. Get over here."

Wyatt hobbled over and stood still as Armitzu and Darkwing peeled old dressings off and started to look at the different injuries. The female left Darkwing to work alone while she went to make more mixtures to put on the wounds. She whipped around at a nearly silent gasp from Darkwing.
"What's wrong?" She heard Wyatt ask, the anxiety clear in his vice.
Armitzu carried a leaf bundle of the poultice over and she listened to the old healer.
"You've a pretty dreadful infection in this deep cut on your neck." Darkwing said quietly, "I knew that we shouldn’t have let you talk us out of checking up on your injuries every day."
The female dropped the leaf bundle and practically ran back to her stores to make up another mixture for the infection. She felt good that her suspicions were right about things not being ok. Then she also felt terrible that this was happening. As she chewed and mixed the right leaves up for the medicine, she tried to listen to Darkwing and Wyatt's conversation. However, between the size of the room, the community outside the hospital, and their voices being hushed, she could hear nothing. Armitzu finished up the poultice and carried it on another leaf bundle to Darkwing. He had already started to dress the other wounds and carefully cover them up. His worry was evident in the depths of his ice blue eyes.

As Darkwing worked to clean and dress the infected wound on Wyatt's neck, Armitzu simply observed. Throughout the whole process, Wyatt's face was twisted with pain, but she was impressed that he didn’t utter a sound throughout the whole thing. Not a whimper left his muzzle. When the healer finished, he stepped back and then walked to stand in front of the trainee.
"Did you feel any pain before we discovered it?" Darkwing asked him.
"A little, but I thought it was normal." Wyatt answered, looking at his paws.
"Why didn’t you tell us?" Armitzu questioned.
"Because it wasn’t much different than the pain I had before I noticed it change." He said calmly.
Darkwing sighed, "It's as much our fault as it is his. We didn’t check it as much as we should have. We'll just keep watching it."
Armitzu nodded, "Yes. And tell us if anything changes." She fixed Wyatt with her soul-burning green eyes and he nodded submissively. The female nodded back to him, "Good. I'm going for a walk. Send for me if I'm needed."
"I'll do that." Darkwing said.
Armitzu padded to the exit and out onto the pathway.

The sun washed over her pelt immediately and Armitzu blinked rapidly as she walked blindly down a path in the direction of the town square. She figured that she'd be swamped with story requests from many jubilant youngsters and honestly, she didn't feel like telling a tale. She didn’t have a very positive mind state at the moment, and she felt utterly at a loss. Every ounce of creativity had left her the last few days through all of her stress. She had been given very little time to simply sit, relax, and think.
"Excuse me?" A small voice asked.
Armitzu looked down to see a small black and white pup with big blue eyes staring up at her, "Yes?" She answered kindly.
"You're Armitzu, the travelling medicine dog, right?" She shuffled her paws uneasily.
"I'm sorry, I don’t feel like telling a story today, hun." She said apologetically and she started to continue walking.
"No, wait. That's not what I wanted." The pup said. Armitzu stopped and started to pay attention to her again. "Could you share some of what you know about medicine with me?"
"Are you interested in healing?" She asked, stepping closer.
"Yes... I-I see all these patrols returning, and I'd love to be able to help." Her voice was small and nervous.
Armitzu smiled warmly, "Sure, what's your name hun?"
"Lizard... Er, Liz." She answered, "You cured my father after the patrol returned six days ago. He was one of your last patients... He has black fur". Armitzu knew exactly who she was talking about; the mentally injured male who didn’t want any more to do with bloodshed and war.
"Ok, Liz. Come by the hospital any time later." She smiled again.
"Thank you, Armitzu." The black and white pup turned on her heel and ran towards her mother who had been calling her the past few minutes.

Armitzu heard her name being called and she turned towards a lithe, white hound dog. His amber eyes were wild and his sides heaved heavily, "You are needed at the hospital... Now."
"What's going on?" She asked, her heart sounded to pound nervously.
"I don’t know. Darkwing just caught me on the streets outside and told me to find you as soon as possible. He seemed really worried about something." The hound said, "I'm sorry I don’t know more."
Armitzu nodded quickly, "Of course. It's ok. Thanks for getting me."
She bunched her muscles and then bolted across the hot ground towards the hospital. The wind blew through her fur and her tail streamed out behind her like a banner. She barely felt the heat; she was so concentrated on getting back to Darkwing to help with whatever she was needed for. She slowed down to let her heart beat return to normal when the old, broken down building came into view. She ducked through the entrance and shook her head in the dim light as if telling her eyes to adjust faster. She was barely able to see the dark shape of the old healer as he padded towards her.
"Thanks for coming so quickly, Armitzu." He said. She could see his blue eyes gleaming with distress and his voice wavered uneasily.
"What's wrong?" She asked him quickly, desperate to know why she was needed so desperately.
"It's Wyatt... H-He collapsed and now I can’t wake him." Darkwing choked a bit, "I-I don’t know what to do about it... I'm not sure if you do either, but I thought you'd like to try." Armitzu's heart was in her throat and she couldn’t move or speak. She could only stand there in shock. What had happened in the short time she had been out to cause this?

"Armitzu?" Darkwing's voice broke through her trance and finally she was able to walk on weak legs to the crumbled, patched up, golden pelt of Wyatt. She nudged him gently and he didn’t stir. His eyes had turned glassy and were staring blankly ahead of him. Armitzu knew that expression all too well. She felt as if a rock was sitting in the pit of her stomach and her mind instantly went back to the day her mother was bitten by the snake.
"I think I know what happened..." She started to search around in his fur on his limbs and muzzle for the tell-tale signs of a snake bite.
"Oh, please tell me." Darkwing plead.
"There's a snake in here." Armitzu said weakly as she pinpointed the location. On his left forepaw were four neat holes where he had been bitten.
She sighed and bowed her head. Every moment that passed brought back a heart-wrenching memory of her mother's death. Darkwing sat down close to Wyatt's body and nudged his fur, "He's gone through this much just to have a lousy snake take his life away?" The elderly healer's voice was rough and angry as it disguised his heartbreak.
Armitzu watched a thin trail of saliva drip from the corner of Wyatt's mouth and his sides as they rose and fell uneasily. She couldn’t say anything in reply, for in truth, she didn’t know what to say.

The minutes that passed seemed like hours, but eventually the two healers watched as Wyatt took his last breath. Armitzu felt her legs collapse beneath her. She looked helplessly up at Darkwing. He was looking defeated, staring at the walls of the building as if he couldn’t believe what just happened.
"What am I going to do now?" He asked, lying down, his head on his paws.
Suddenly, Armitzu's mind clicked as she remembered Liz. "I know a solution to one problem." She said slowly. "It won’t take nearly as long to find a new trainee... I met a young wolf dog on my walk this morning."
"And you think she'll be suitable for this job?" He asked before letting out a long sigh.
"Yes... She should be coming around for a visit any time now."

•••
3 Days Later

Finally Armitzu felt that she could leave the Western Oasis and feel confident that things would be just fine until her next visit. Wyatt had been given a proper burial and the snake had been located, killed, and disposed over. All of the little places a snake could hide had been blocked as well to prevent this from happening in the near future.
"Are you sure you have to leave?" The small black and white wolf dog asked her as they worked together to sort the plants in the storage room.
"Yes... I'll be back though. You needn’t worry." Armitzu answered. She placed the last bundle in the pile on a stone shelf and then walked with Liz to the front of the hospital. Darkwing looked up from where he was treating an insect bite.
"You're leaving already?" He asked.
"Yes... I'll wait until you finish up though." Armitzu and Liz walked over so the new trainee could see what he was doing. When Darkwing wrapped up his treatment and sent the patient off, he rested his head on the travelling healer's shoulders.
"We look forward to seeing you again. You better come back." He laughed and Armitzu nodded.
"You don’t have to worry about that. I'll return soon to see how Liz is coming along."
The three canines started to walk slowly to the entrance and soon they were outside. Darkwing let the females go outside first and then followed them. Armitzu started to pad off down the pathway leading out of the Western Oasis and towards her own home in the middle of the desert. She looked back once to the old healer who's seen too many deaths for his own good, and the new, eager apprentice ready to take on the world. This was all Armitzu needed to convince herself that they would be just fine until her next visit. She waved her tail in farewell and then disappeared down the other side of a dune.

•••


Art:
Oekaki Drawing

Other:

Physical Build and Appearance
Armitzu has a strong, lean body with long legs and a pointed snout. Her fur is dense at a length somewhere between short and medium and it is somewhat bushier on her tail. She has pointed ears with an alert expression and clear eyes. Armitzu has a unique pelt, showing the characteristics of a tiger. She has stripes on her legs and a white underbelly and chest. There are also a few faded stripes on her chest and her facial markings are very "tigeresque". She also possesses the white spots on the back of her ears like any tiger.

Mental Capacity
Armitzu has a high mental capacity for her species. She is far more intelligent than the average member of the canine society. She has a human-like intellect and is able to comprehend. Her emotions are defined and she is able to study the way other creatures live and respect them. Her mind-set is very open to new things and she enjoys culture.

Family Information
Her Mother was a very important figure in her life as she was growing up. She always encouraged Armitzu to do her best and strive to achieve whatever she believed in. While no one is currently aware of her mother's name, everyone knows how much she looked up to her. Armitzu was extremely devastated when she was bitten by a snake and she couldn’t do anything to save her mother's life.
Her Father was never very involved with Armitzu. She met him only a few times, where they didn’t get along at all. He is extremely logical and doesn’t appreciate Armitzu's artistic representation that she gives the world in her stories. Like her mother, her father's name is unknown. His location is also unknown, even to Armitzu. She doesn’t know if he is dead or alive, as she has not seen him in years.
Her Brother was always a daddy's boy, so like their father, he was never close to Armitzu. He would always agree with their father and now stands on the same terms. His name is Roc, named for the giant mythical bird of prey. Every once in a while, Armitzu will run into him on her travels, but it is never a happy reunion. She rarely speaks of him, and few even know that she has a brother.

Sexual Orientation
Armitzu is bisexual, but still prefers a male companion over a female 93% of the time.

Relationship Status
Armitzu is single, and at the moment she is in no hurry to find a partner. She can’t see herself settling down in one place, as she feels that the different communities around her need her skills. She has been courted a few times before, but it was never serious.

Occupation:
Armitzu is a Travelling Medicine Wolf. She keeps much of her store in one location, a group of large boulders in the middle of a Coastal Desert. She makes journeys for different durations of time to the various communities in her area. Sometimes, she is sent for in case of an emergency, but this is rare. Many times, she doesn’t make it to the area in time.

Habitat
She's always lived in some kind of desert biome. At the moment it is in a Coastal Desert. The summers are long and warm and the average temperature is 13-24˚C(55.4-75.2˚F). The winters are short and cool and the temperatures are 5˚C(41˚F) and below. The maximum annual temperature is around 35˚C(95˚F) and the minimum is around -4˚C(24˚F). Average rainfall is 8-13 cm per year.

The soil in the area is fine with a moderate salt content. It is porous and drains quickly, so some plants have extensive root systems close to the surface to take advantage of the rain when it comes. Other plants have adapted to be able to hold and retain water for future use. Vegetation Includes: salt bush, buckwheat bush, black bush, rice grass, little leaf horsebrush, black sage, and chrysothamnus.

The animals have specially adapted as well. Some toads lie dormant for as long as 9 months until a heavy rain occurs. Insect eggs may not hatch until a suitable living condition is provided. Animals Include: Insects; coyotes and badgers; toads; great horned owl, golden eagle and the bald eagle; and lizards and snakes.

Musical Tastes and Preferences:
While Armitzu might seem like the type to enjoy calming music the most, she prefers Rock. This includes Alternative Rock and Indie Rock. However, like many, calm and soothing music is welcome at times of stress or anger.

Theme Song:(s)
Blue Beard by Band of Horses
Astronomy Domine by Pink Floyd

Favorite Song(s)
Hold On by Michael Buble

Favorite/Theme Color
A bright, soul-burning green, or the same color as her eyes.

[Micki.]

***Warning:
This form is no where near complete. I always add onto forms once I win a character. Also, if I win him, I'll share everything I write involving him on the PoH fanclub thread to prove I use him [and for those who are interested in his story].***

I am looking to adopt...

"Die unterbringen in mein Gemüt wohin Sie gewohnt an sein Schmerze."
"The place in my heart where you used to be still aches."

[[Kennel Number<3;;]]
P99
[[Name You'd Choose for It <3;;]]
Stärke einer Soldat [will be called Stärke for the most part, also note that I cannot type his name properly with my keyboard so it will be typed as Starke, but his name is still Stärke]
[[Breed <3;;]]
Krieger Hetzen
[[Reason You Want It <3;;]]
I saw him and completely fell in love with him. His natural colors combined with his strange tattoo-like markings immediately made me go into 'SQUEE!' mode. Then I looked at his eyes and to me they seemed to say, "I kinda, well, need you." His entire story came to me as I stared at him. It was only a matter of putting it into words. I connected so well with Starke and the thought of him not being mine, well, hurts.
[[History;; Background;; Other <3;;]]
After being one of eleven creatures to cheat death, Starke was found by a Nazi soldier during World War Three. He was the first Krieger Hetzen "bred" by the Nazis. [Story is further down.]
I understand that by adopting this creature I take full responsibility for it.
Yup, definitely. :]]

||What will you do for it?||
Starke will receive as much love as possible. I'll make sure to draw him on occasion. Hopefully he'll help me out when it comes to canine anatomy. He'll also be featured in several of my writings [website is in the making]. If I can pay for it, then I'll be sure to order art of him. I really can't stress how much he'll be loved if I get the privilege of being his owner. :]
||Art||
Clickie!
More coming soon! <3
||Other||
Krieger Hetzen translates to Warrior Hound. Krieger Jagdhunde translates into Warrior Hounds, so it's plural. The Krieger Jagdhunde are an original breed of canine made up by me. I made this breed up specifically for Starke and I have expanded it a lot to make it more realistic [hopefully that combined with the art and my form will show at least a little of how dedicated to him I am]. For more information on them clickie.
German isn't my first language, so forgive me if these translations are wrong. Also, if any of my other translations are wrong, please forgive me.

[[.Basic information.]]

[[Name <3;;]]
.Birth Name.

...Meaning...<3;; None.
...Reason[s]...<3;; His mother thought it sounded nice.
...Nickname...<3;; None.

--Full name <3;;
Ahli

.Current name.

...Meaning...<3;; Starke einer Soldat means Strength of a Soldier
...Reason[s]...<3;; He represents the strength of a soldier and helps
the Nazis remain strong. He, himself, is also a soldier.
...Nickname...<3;; Starke

--Full name <3;;
Stärke einer Soldat


.Aliases.

...Meaning...<3;; Justiça means Justice.
...Reason[s]...<3;; He's a bit of a [canine] symbol for Justice.
...Nicknames...<3;; None.

--Portuguese Alias <3;;
Justiça


--Spanish Alias <3;;

...Meaning...<3;; Sombra means shadow.
...Reason[s]...<3;; He spent his time in Spain laying low.
...Nicknames...<3;; None.

Sombra
"Yes, I have aliases. Yes, I changed my name. Get over it."

[[Age <3;;]]
Ninety-one thousand and sixty-two [91,062] years old
"Oh how slow the years pass when you have nothing left..."
[[DoB;; Date of Birth <3;;]]
January 30
"Why is this of any significance?"
[[Voice <3;;]]
Most of the time Starke's voice is strong. It's confident, bordering cocky, and dominant. His voice is bold, demanding, and harsh. You can hear the authority in his voice.
Sometimes, depending on who he's talking to, his voice is calm and gentle. Occasionally, depending on who he's with, he gets a loving and concerned voice.
"I don't pay attention to my own voice, but I must say that I don't think you're right."
[[Sexual Orientation <3;;]]
Bisexual. He prefers females 63% of the time and males the other 37% of the time.
"Yeah, I've liked males before, got a problem?"
[[Relationship Status <3;;]]
Starke currently has absolutely no desire to be with a female. It's unlikely he'll ever choose a mate, but it's possible.
"No it is not possible, in fact, it is impossible."
[[Mate <3;;]]
None. Some say he fancies Uin, but he just hasn't realized it yet.
"How can I possibly fancy someone without knowing I fancy them? Hmm...No answer? Exactly. I can't."
[[Gender <3;;]]
Male
"I would think that was obvious."
[[Life Expectancy <3;;]]
He is expected to live forever, but Death may or may not allow this to happen. After all, Starke's already cheated Death of his life once before.
"If I'm lucky, Death will not allow this to happen."

[[.Origins.]]

.Mother.
[[Species <3;;]]
--Breed <3;;
Domesticated dog; Saarlooswolfhond
[[Birth Place <3;;]]
Germany
[[Status <3;;]]
Deceased
"That's my ma."
.Father.
[[Species <3;;]]
--Breed <3;;
Domesticated dog; Saarlooswolfhond
[[Birth Place <3;;]]
America
[[Status <3;;]]
Deceased
"That's my dad."
.Him.
[[Species <3;;]]
--Breed <3;;
Stärke einer Soldat
[[Birth Place <3;;]]
Unknown Island
[[Status <3;;]]
Living
"And lookie there! It's me...still alive and everything. Woop-dee-freakin-doo."

[[.State of Environment.]]
***Please note that this is for the environment he grew up in because this is the only natural environment that he stayed in for more than a few months.***

[[Habitat <3;;]]
.Soil.
--Edges of habitat <3;;
Dryish, but not dry.
--Center of habitat <3;;
Quite moist.
.Rocks.
--Edges of habitat <3;;
There's definitely not any shortage of rocks on the edges of his habitat. He lived in a hanging valley.
--Center of habitat <3;;
There are tons of small rocks, but not too many large rocks.
"That's where I used to live."
[[Organism Life <3;;]]
.Vegetation.
--Edges of habitat <3;;
The vegetation at the very edges of the habitat is nearly absent.
--Center of habitat <3;;
The center of the habitat is jungle-like.
.Predators.
--Canines <3;;
Several different species of wolves
--Felines <3;;
Bengal Tigers
--Reptiles <3;;
Several tree snakes of different kinds, but few other snakes. Nearly all of the snakes here are poisonous.
--Birds <3;;
Sharp-shinned Hawks and several other hawks
--Other <3;;
Unknown.
.Prey.
--Rodents <3;;
Several species of mice
--Deer/Deer-like <3;;
White-tailed Deer, Elk, Red Deer, and Water Chevrotain
--Other <3;;
Badgers, many other species of weasels, moles, birds, certain snakes, and frogs.
"The Water Chevrotain are the tastiest, in my opinion, but they're hard to catch."
[[Resources <3;;]]
.Water.
--Streams <3;;
There are a great deal of independent streams and a few that flow into rivers.
--Rivers <3;;
There are three main rivers. Two of the three are located on the lower part of the hanging valley.
--Lakes <3;;
There's one lake on the upper part of the hanging valley.
--Waterfalls <3;;
There is one waterfall flowing down from the upper part of the hanging valley [DUH].
--Over-all availability <3;;
The over-all availability of water in Starke's habitat is great.
.Food.
--Availability [in spring] <3;;
During spring food is over-abundant.
--Availability [in summer] <3;;
During summer food is less abundant than in spring, but still abundant.
--Availability [in autumn] <3;;
In autumn food isn't as abundant as in spring or summer, but it's still enough to sustain all of the wildlife leaving there.
--Availability [in winter] <3;;
In winter food often becomes scare and is often the reason for conflict between animals.
.Shelter.
--Edges of habitat [availability] <3;;
Availability of shelter near the edges of the habitat is great. Several caves, ledges, and rocks are shelter to the wildlife.
--Center of habitat [availability] <3;;
Shelter in the center of the habitat readily available. Trees, underbrush, and abandoned dens all make good homes. The soil is also great to burrow in.
"You take what you can get."
[[Dietary <3;;]]
.Habits.
--In spring <3;;
Starke hunts large prey to bring back to his pack. When it's his turn to eat he gets to eat as much as he desires. He eats mice and weasels as snacks.
--In summer <3;;
Same as his spring dietary habits.
--In autumn <3;;
Starke hunts anything, but mainly larger prey, to store for the winter.
--In winter <3;;
Starke eats what the pack has stored for the winter. If the food runs out he eats small birds and mice. He'll also scavenge or eat insects if necessary.
"Again I say you take what you can get."

[[.Appearance.]]

[[Pelt <3;;]]
.Type.
--Originally <3;;
Short and dense.
--Currently <3;;
Medium length and dense.
.Colour.
--Originally <3;;
An auburn-like colour with dark brown spots and a white face, neck, chest, underbelly, and front legs.
--Currently <3;;
Same, but with black tribal markings.
.Tail.
--Originally <3;;
A pretty plain aburn-like coloured long, bushy tail with dark brown spots.
--Currently <3;;
The same colour, but with a white streak and it's now a bobtail.
"Yeah, that's kinda how I look. What's the big deal?"
[[Eyes <3;;]]
.Colour.
--Originally <3;;
Hazel
--Currently <3;;
Pale green
.Size.
--Originally <3;;
Medium
--Currently <3;;
Larger than before, but still medium sized
"I see no point in this."

[[.Physical Examination.]]

[[Body <3;;]]
.Build.
--Originally <3;;
Quite heavy, muscular build.
--Currently <3;;
Slim, elegant, but muscular build.
"What's the point of this?"
[[Endurance <3;;]]
.Muscular.
--Originally <3;;
Okay-ish.
--Currently <3;;
Great, but still not at maximum potential.
.Heart and Lung.
--Originally <3;;
Maximum potential [at that time]
--Currently <3;;
Maximum potential [higher than it used to be]
"Does this have any point?"
[[Speed <3;;]]
.Average.
--Originally <3;;
Average speed.
--Currently <3;;
Sorta fast.
.When in urgent situation.
--Originally <3;;
Speedy, but not fast.
--Currently <3;;
Quite fast.
"Any point at all?"
[[Balance <3;;]]
.Ability.
--Originally <3;;
Starke's ability to maintain his balance...well, it wasn't so great.
--Currently <3;;
Starke's ability to balance has improved tremendously. His *ability* to balance is now fantastic.
.Practice.
--Originally <3;;
Starke was just about the clumsiest wolf on earth.
--Currently <3;;
Starke is still the clumsiest Krieger Jagdhunde in his unit, but mainly because he doesn't put his ability to balance into full action unless it could jeopardize the Nazis/his unit.
"Seriously."
[[Height <3;;]]
.At the withers.
--Originally <3;;
Approximately 73 centimeters; approximately 29 inches
--Currently <3;;
Approximately 81 centimeters; approximately 32 inches
"This is getting annoying."
[[Length <3;;]]
.Body.
--Originally <3;;
Approximately 81 centimeters; approximately 32 inches
--Currently <3;;
Approximately 90 centimeters; approximately 35 inches
.Tail.
--Originally <3;;
Approximately 51 centimeters; approximately 20 inches
--Currently <3;;
Approximately 18 centimeters; approximately 7 inches
"This is seriously annoying me now."
[[Weight <3;;]]
.Kilos.
--Originally <3;;
He used to way 39.1 kilos
--Currently <3;;
Starke weighs approximately 51.7 kilos
.Pounds.
--Originally <3;;
Starke weighed approximately 86.2 pounds
--Currently <3;;
He is currently at a weight of 114.1 pounds.
.Ounces.
--Originally <3;;
He was approximately 1321.6 ounces.
--Currently <3;;
Starke currently weighs approximately 1825.6 ounces
"I'm beginning to think this has no point at all."

[[.Mental Examination.]]

[[Cognition <3;;]]
.Ability.
--Past <3;;
Starke's ability to learn was always incredible, even at an early age. It was often said that he had a gift given by the gods.
--Present <3;;
His ability to acquire knowledge has grown over his life span [aka his ability to learn things is shocking]. Now, since it is of great importance and also his job, Starke can learn things faster than the average dog. He's even smarter than the average Krieger Jagdhunde.
.Acquired.
--Past <3;;
He only acquired the knowledge he needed or cared about.
--Present <3;;
Now, because of his job, Starke has learned a great deal of things. He finds most of it very interesting.
"Really, now? Really?"
[[Intelligence <3;;]]
.Book smarts.
--Past <3;;
His book smarts, or ability to remember charts, graphs, important educational things, etc., were always pretty good.
--Present <3;;
His book smarts are great. Starke has a pretty amazing memory, so that helps.
.Street smarts.
--Past <3;;
Starke's street smarts, or ability to survive in harsh places, were often tested. He did survive, but he had no knowledge of ways to survive in other places.
--Present <3;;
Since his job requires being able to survive in harsh places/situations, his street smarts are a lot better than they were. Not that Starke really needs street smarts, but he knows how to survive in several different places and situations.
.Common sense.
--Past <3;;
Well, he didn't really have any common sense. On occasion he would shock everyone with use of common sense.
--Present <3;;
Unfortunately, Starke still doesn't really have much common sense. Actually, he has some common sense, but he definitely hasn't figured out how to use it yet.
"Are you gonna tell me if there's a point to this or not?"
[[Suicidal;; Suicide <3;;]]
.Tendencies.
--Past <3;;
None.
--Present <3;;
Occasionally Starke looks back on his life and gets upset. He kinda dreams about what it would be like to die sometimes, but nothing other than that.
.Attempts.
--Past <3;;
None.
--Present <3;;
He knows attempting suicide is stupid since he was made immortal.
"There can't be any point to this...can there be?"
[[Satisfaction <3;;]]
.With home/habitat.
--Past <3;;
For the most part, he absolutely adored his habitat. Other than the food shortage in winter, Starke thought it was a pretty nice place. However, he didn't like the idea of staying in one place his entire life.
--Present <3;;
.With family.
--Past <3;;
He was perfectly happy with his parents, but he was disappointed that he had no siblings. Starke only desired a family of his own during one part of his life and well, that didn't work out.
--Present <3;;
Starke misses his parents and sometimes wishes he would've had a family earlier on in his life. However, he currently has no desire for a family.
.With friends.
--Past <3;;
He was always content with his small, close-knit group of friends.
--Present <3;;
As to be expected, Starke misses his old friends, but he's pretty happy with the friends he has now.
.With religion.
--Past <3;;
Starke was never one of those 'uber Olks [that was what the followers of their religion, Olken],' but he always believed in the gods and that they would help him through everything.
--Present <3;;
He no longer has a religion because he no longer believes in any god or goddess. Starke is happier without a religion than he ever was with a religion.
.With life.
--Past <3;;
Over-all, Starke loved his life. It was great [until his run-in with Death].
--Present <3;;
He doesn't like his aspects of his life. In fact, sometimes he even wishes that he wouldn't have cheated Death. Starke hates that he is immortal. However, he loves his Nazi, Adam. He also loves having a purpose.
"Will you stop with the pointless questions?"
[[Self-Control <3;;]]
.Ability.
--Past <3;;
Starke's ability to control himself was never the best.
--Present <3;;
His current ability to control himself has improved greatly.
.Practice.
--Past <3;;
When he got angry he often lost his temper and went off on others. So, he never really used the little self control he was capable of.
--Present <3;;
Starke's ability to control himself has improved, but he very rarely chooses to use it. It's just too hard to break a ninety-one thousand year old habit.
"I'm two seconds away from murdering you. How's that for self-control?"
[[Temperance <3;;]]
.Ability.
--Past <3;;
His ability to resist temptation or desire was normally pretty good, but that ability faltered occasionally.
--Present <3;;
Starke's ability to resist temptation or desire has improved some, but not by much.
.Practice.
--Past <3;;
Depending on what it was, he could easily resist temptation [most of the time].
--Present <3;;
Now, since there are few things tempting to or desired by Starke, he finds there is no need for temperance. Why not enjoy the few things that bring you pleasure?
"I'm tempted to kill you and, as you said, I find there is no need for temperance."

[[.Music.]]

[[Bands <3;;]]
.Favorites.
--Number one <3;;
The Academy Is... Well, it's definitely one of his favorite bands. Yeah, they're old, but living with Adam has made Starke develop a taste for older music. This is one of Adam's favorite bands and he plays them all the time.
--Number two <3;;
Three Days Grace. Yup, it's another old band, but again, it's one of his favorites. Besides, who says old is bad?
--Number three <3;;
Goo Goo Dolls. Again, this band is an old band. And, yet again, it's one of his favorite bands.
--Number four <3;;
Twisterz. This is one of the few modern bands that Starke is fond of.
--Number five <3;;
8D. Believe it or not, yes, this is a band. It's another of the modern bands he likes. Twisterz and 8D are both very similar bands.
.Hate to Love.
--Number one <3;;
Plain White T's. Starke hates himself for it, but he really likes this old band.
--Number two <3;;
The Avett Brothers. This band is old and kinda hippie-like, but he thinks they're pretty cool.
--Number three <3;;
Train Station. This is a modern band that he likes. He probably shouldn't like them, but he does.
"I've picked up Adam's taste in music."
[[Songs <3;;]]
.Theme Songs.
--Main theme song <3;;
"Savior" - Rise Against

'It kills me not to know this but I've all but just forgotten
What the color of her eyes were and her scars or how she got them
As the telling signs of age rain down a single tear is dropping
Through the valleys of an aging face that this world has forgotten
There is no reconciliation that will put me in my place
And there is no time like the present to drink these draining seconds
But seldom do these words ring true when I'm constantly failing you
Like walls that we just can't break through until we disappear.'

This would kind of fit into his present life. It's really hard to reword this song to explain how it fits with him because, for the most part, it's pretty easy to see. I'll try anyways. Even though it hurts knowing he's right about this, he's, well, all but just forgotten what the colour of her eyes were and her scars and how she got them. Basically, Inahe[i-nah-hE]'s been gone so long that she's starting to become a foggy, distant memory. I feel the next three lines are really self-explanatory. He's old and it's as though the world has forgotten about him. The world has altogether forgotten he's still here.
Since he is immortal and, as far as anyone can tell, will always be, there is no reconciliation that will remind him of who he is and who he needs to be. There's no time like the present to saver the time you have because it'll only last for so long, which is something that Starke desperately hopes [the part about you're time'll only last for so long]. This is where the point of view thing gets a bit tricky. It's still the present, but it would kind of be like him talking to Inahe even though she's dead. However, in his opinion, he is constantly failing Inahe and so rarely are those words true. The walls that the two of them can't break refers to him being immortal and her being dead. 'Until we disappear' is more like 'until I find a way to die.'

'So tell me now
If this ain't love then how do we get out?
Because I don't know
That's when she said I don't hate you boy
I just want to save you while there's still something left to save
That's when I told her I love you girl
But I'm not the answer for the questions that you still have.'

This would be more appropriate for his past. This is gonna be hard to explain, so please just bare with me. Starke was in love with Inahe, but she never told him whether or not she loved him back. This would be like him asking a friend, "If she doesn't love me, then how do I get over her? Because I really don't know how to." Inahe only revealed that she didn't hate/dislike Starke. This was at a time when he'd already started going down hill. And she told him that she wanted to save him before he completely changed into someone else, but never said why. Starke said that he loved her and then proceeded to [basically] say that she needed someone else because he wasn't right for her.

'But the day pressed on like crushing weights
For no man does it ever wait
Like memories of dying days
That deafen us like hurricanes
Bathed in flames we held the brand
Uncurled the fingers in your hand
Pressed into the flesh like sand
Now do you understand?'

This would be more like someone, perhaps Inahe, talking to Starke instead of about him. The first line refers to the day Inahe died. Even though she was gone, the day continued as though nothing had happened because time doesn't just stop. Memories of dying days, whether it be the 'dying' of a tradition, feeling, etc. or the dying of a person, loved one, etc., are always bitter things and they tend to 'deafen us,' or make us do stupid things because we're not thinking clearly. The next three lines would be about Inahe forever 'branding' him with her memory and the memory of how he loved her. Then the last line changes to Starke asking Inahe if she understands what she means to him.

'1000 miles away
There's nothing left to say
But so much left that I don't know
We never had a choice
This world is too much noise
It takes me under
It takes me under once again
I don't hate you
I don't hate you, no.'

Again, this is the present and told by Starke. 1000 miles away isn't really accurate, but this line means that Inahe is far, far away. There's nothing left he can say to Inahe because he's already told her it all, but there is a lot of things that Starke doesn't know. Like why she had to leave him, why it all had to happen to him, etc. The next line refers to the fact that they weren't in control of their faith and so they couldn't choose when to die or who to love. The world is too much noise basically says that the world is harsh, at times overwhelming, and often gives you a headache, but you have to deal with it. The next two lines mean that it has, once again, overwhelmed Starke. Last two lines are very self-explanatory. He's kind of talking to the gods and to Inahe at the same time.
--Secondary theme song <3;;
"Soldier" - Goo Goo Dolls

'When you came back I knew you'd have a story
You need someone to ease the pain of living life
You're like a soldier in the fray, seeking shelter
from all the madness that you've seen raining down now.'

Starke came back from the dead and Inahe, being one of the few witnesses of his death, knew he would have to have an amazing story. After all, who meets Death and lives to tell the tale? And now, since he cannot die and doesn't really have anything to live for, he needs someone to help him get through life. He just hasn't found that someone yet. Well, this line can be taken both metaphorically and literally. Not only is he literally a solider [in the middle of the fray might I add], but he's also a metaphoric soldier. Life brings Starke down and often causes him pain, but he keeps marching on through all of it. He's also seen a lot of crazy things in his life and Starke frequently wishes he could just hide from the world and escape it all.

'I know things change, your world has slipped away
I know things change, but you're living like a soldier who's caught in the fray
Don't lose your faith, it's not so cold, it's not too late.'

Indeed, things do change. And yes, Starke's world has slipped away. Not only has pretty much everyone he used to know died [a longgg time ago, too], but he used to live for the thrill of being in danger. Now he's never truly in danger, so there is no real thrill. In case you can't tell, Starke has been living like a soldier who's caught in the fray for a long time. Another words, he's been living as though he's caught in a battle for quite some time now. The last line would be something similar to what one of his loved ones would tell him if they could. After all, his faith is long gone and he thinks the world is just some cold place. Starke believes it's too late to make anything of himself.

'When you were naive you were so invincible
and you laughed at anyone and anything that ever got in your way
But now the mirror shows the change and you don't see that
you're sinking back into the crowd, an echo fading.'

Ignorance is bliss, right? Well, he used to be unbelievably naive. Starke thought that nothing would ever happen to him, as young ones often think, therefore he was 'invincible.' When someone tried to stop him from doing something, which was near impossible, he would laugh and say, "And who's gonna stop me? You? You and what army?" He rarely took the warnings of others seriously. Starke has changed a lot since then, but he doesn't realize/see it. Unique. That's how he used to be, but now it seems as though he's just trying to fit in and live a normal life.

'And I never thought I'd see
you living on your knees
A slave to some disease
that holds you captive.'

This is, of course, figuratively speaking. This would, most likely, be from Inahe or one of his friends point of view. The disease would be his immortality. Starke used to be so happy and free-spirited that hardly anything could ever get him down, but now he appears to now be broken and well, a slave to some disease. His immortality is constantly controlling his life.

'And you can look inside of me
but the answers that you seek
and everything you need
is all inside you.'

I don't have much to say about this one. All I can really say about this one is that Starke has a lot of questions, but he hasn't realized that all of the things he needs to answer them is inside of him.
.Favorites.
--Number one <3;;
"Never Too Late" - Three Days Grace. He thinks this song not only sounds great and is well-written, but the theme can be applied to many things.
--Number two <3;;
"Attention" - The Academy Is... Starke loves this song. He's not 100% sure why, but he does. It's well-written and sounds good.
--Number three <3;;
"I and Love and You" - The Avett Brothers. Yeah, it's kind of a hippie-like type of music, but Starke absolutely adores this song.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Bleck."

[[.Disposition.]]

[[Personality <3;;]]
.In a Nutshell.
--All together now <3;;
Broken, devoted/dedicated, passionate/compassionate, awkward, strong, charismatic, sly, clever, distant, unsure/nervous, quick, encouraging, gentle, endurance, consideration, guiding, persuasive, dominant, funny, smarta**, sarcastic, cruel, decisive, opinionated, suspicious, vigilant, and secretive.
.In Depth.
--YupYup <3;;
Starke's personality is extremely complex, so more than this is to be shown in his story. He can appear to be somethings that he's really not. His personality also changes depending on several things [but he's not bipolar]. Romantically speaking, however, here are a few things to expect from Starke.

Awkward. Because it's been such a long time since Starke was the ladies-man he used to be, he tends to feel awkward around someone he has romantic feelings for. He also feels weird when he's around someone who has romantic feelings for him which he does not return. Sadly, there are many females that develop romantic feelings for Starke.

Distant. Starke has been hurt by a lot of people because he got close to them and it clouded his judgement. He also tends to hurt others unknowingly, so he just tries to be as distant as possible. It helps him to avoid heartache.

Unsure/Nervous. He has nearly no idea how to act around someone he cares for or someone that cares for him. Since he's made a few mistakes when it comes to someone's character, Starke often questions his judgement which can make him more nervous.

Despite being a hopeless romantic, Starke has several qualities of a fantastic leader. Here are a few of the many traits of a good leader.

Strong. It takes a lot for his mental state to be broken and, likewise, it takes a lot to physically break him. Starke has a good deal of strength and he knows how to use it for maximum advantage. He is, for the most part, not easily broken and, most of the time, he can deal with stress, risk, loss, grief, and other difficulties with ease.

Enduring. Starke's mental and physical endurance are both great. He can endure nearly anything, which is a superb quality for a leader to have. He can withstand the painstaking job of hunting in the winter as well as any battling he may have to take part in.

Quick. Both physically and mentally. His reflexes and and reaction time are stunningly good. Starke is also a quick-thinker and, as a result, he can think up solutions to problems in a very short amount of time.

Gentle. It may come to as a shocker at first, but Starke knows when he needs to be gentle. He's gentle to pups and with Adam, but not so much with his unit. Starke is often a bit gentler to the females in his unit, however, it's not by much.

Guiding. He helps not only to guide the soldiers and his unit out of harms way, but he can also help others to learn things. He sometimes helps others to 'find their way.'

Considerate. Unlike so many other Krieger Jagdhunde in charge of units, Starke listens to what the others in his unit have to say. His decisions affect them, too, so why should he make a choice without, at least, listening to what they have to say?

Encouraging. Starke encourages his entire unit, but differently. Some need to be encouraged with a bit of a push, others need to be encouraged with kind words and actions. He knows how to encourage each individual in his unit as well as most of the Nazi soldiers.

Compassionate. Even though he has ignored others' pain several times in the past, he doesn't anymore. Starke is much more sensitive to the pain others suffer. At times, he even feels sympathetic towards his enemies and desires to help them.
[these two go together]
Passionate. Unlike several other Krieger Jagdhunde, he does his job because he wants to make a difference in the world; Starke cares. He doesn't, in any way, do it simply because he has to.

Persuasive. Starke can convince others to do crazy stuff. This is often useful when dealing with a situation where Starke's unit doesn't agree with a decision he has made. There are other uses for this, but that is his main use for it.

Dominant. Although Starke is very caring and kind, he's in charge and he makes sure it is known. He hates when others forget their place, especially if they are challenging him or his leadership. When this happens, Starke deals with them harshly.

There are also traits he carries only when his guard is down with friends.

Sarcastic. Sarcasm is never in any shortage when he's around. Starke is very sarcastic and often uses it to mock others or situations. It adds to his humor.

Funny. Starke enjoys the laughter of others and he loves being the one to make them happy. He's often the one cracking the jokes and making others feel better. His jokes never fail to be funny and sometimes he says something that everyone, but himself, finds hilarious. Then he doesn't understand what's so funny.

Like everyone else, Starke has qualities that are always carried with him.

Broken. He's been through a lot and, in a way, he's broken. It's like Starke's a toy that's dangling from the ceiling fan; he still works, but he's distant and beyond the reach of others and so, over time, they give up on him and he becomes forgotten. If he'd let others in then he might be able to leave the past behind and look forward to the future, but Starke is afraid he'll be hurt again.

Confused. There are so many things in life that can confuse people, but Starke isn't confused by a thing in life. He's confused about life itself and whether anyone really has a purpose or if it's all a lie. In a way, Starke is just as lost as everyone else, if not more.

Lost. Even thought he hides it well, you shouldn't let him fool you. Inside Starke is completely lost. He doesn't know who he is or who he needs to be. He doesn't even realize that he's changed since he cheated Death. Starke also doesn't know where he needs to be or who he needs to be there with. [Little story insight -since I know I won't get to it unless I win him-; with Uin's help he'll find his way again, but that's much, much later in the story.]

Judgmental. Starke is always incredibly judgmental of everyone. He's fast to criticize others' conduct and pasts. If he finds that they did anything suspicious in their past then he is quick to make assumptions. Starke doesn't trust those whose past or behavior is suspicious.

[Great] Actor. He was gifted with the uncanny ability to act. It helps him pull off his lies and also helps him to convince his unit what he is saying is true. Starke can also use this to escape his enemies' detection.

Misguided. How can some one who is so guiding be so misguided? Starke lets himself be led by ideas that are mistaken and convinces himself that they are right, when, deep down inside, he knows they are mistaken. He gets his motivation from these things and so his actions are often a step in the right direction in his mind, when really they're another step into the dark and unknown.

Determined. After he sets his mind to something, Starke will go to extraordinary lengths to see it through to the end. He doesn't like quitting and only does so if it puts his loved ones in danger.

Rebellious. Starke doesn't like being controlled by others and he will fight to no end to gain his freedom. He refuses to be 'tamed.' It's also, to him, very fun to rebel and gives him a sense of power and happiness. Starke has always been a rebel in any and every possible way. In a way, it's a set of moral codes that he lives by.

Dedicated. He is dedicated not only to his loved ones, but also to his job and unit. Starke is wholeheartedly committed to them and will always be.

Not confident. He comes on as extremely confident and slightly cocky, but, most of the time, Starke isn't very confident in himself. However, he has some degree of confidence at all times and, depending on the situation, day, and who he's with, sometimes he is very confident. Starke is confident when it comes to his job and how to protect the Nazis and his unit, but most of the time he lacks confidence in himself and his judgement.

Loyal. Once he lets you in, you're in forever. And once you become his friend, Starke will be a friend for life. He would go to the ends of the earth and back for the ones he loves. It's beyond anyone's comprehension just how loyal he is.

Decisive. Starke has always been the first to decide what to do. He doesn't dwell on his options and spend forever wondering which choice to choose. He makes his decision and he sticks to it. He will ask for the opinion of a select few others, but often he already has his mind made up. If they present good reasoning, his choice might be changed.

Opinionated. He feels strongly about certain subjects and he won't let others influence those feelings. Starke has his own opinions and sticks to them stubbornly and, often, unreasonably dismisses others' views on the subject/matter[s]. He won't hide his opinions or change them to suit others.

Vigilant. For many reasons, Starke has learned to be watchful. He pays great attention to his surroundings because he knows something little could be the difference between life and death. He is always very alert and has, on more than one occasion, memorized the typical day in his surroundings to be able to tell if there is any small change.

Suspicious. This can come with advantages and disadvantages. He has been betrayed several times and, as a result of this, Starke is suspicious of almost everyone. He finds it difficult to trust anyone, even friends, but he also has difficulties trusting himself and his own judgement.

Secretive. He doesn't like talking about his past and very few, with the exception of the ones that were there, know anything about his past. Those that do know his past only know small bits and pieces of it. Starke has kept lots of secrets from his unit, and everyone else for that matter, and he will continue to do so, especially if that insures their safety.

Harsh. Although Starke has a good heart, he can be extremely cruel to both his enemies and traitors. Traitors normally get the short end of the stick and are often treated more harsh than others. He also tends to act harshly towards others he dislikes.

Smarta**. After thousands of years of life, of course he's smart, so why not use that to his advantage? Starke loves to use his smarts to piss off others, particularly ones he doesn't like.

Witty. He can use his words in a very apt, clever, and amusing way. His actions are also strikingly clever, stylish, and original in both design and execution.

Charismatic. Starke has a magnetic personality that helps him to gain the upper hand in most situations. He often inspires enthusiasm, interest, or affection in others by means of personal charm or influence. It is also easy for Starke to penetrate his enemies' defenses by both charm and force.
[Influential goes along with Charismatic]
Influential. He is able to influence his unit as well as his enemies. He can sometimes affect the thoughts and actions of others by use of his own actions or by force of his personality.
[Cunning goes along with Charismatic]
Cunning. In a situation where the enemy has the advantage, Starke can be very cunning and sly to gain the upper hand. He's also quite cunning when trying to convince others, especially his unit, of something he knows to be untrue or when issues are being discussed.

There's a whole lot more to him, but these are some of them. Others might be shown in his story.
"I don't think you've quite gotten me figured out yet. Hey, when you do, lemme know!"
[[Likes <3;;]]
.Likes a Lot.
--Food/drink <3;;
*Kool-aid
*Mountain Dew White Out
*Mello Yello
*Sweet Tea
*Cherry Slushies
*Beef Jerky
*Doritos
*Fried Squash
*Cherries
*Heath [candy bar]
*Mike and Ikes
*Cookies [especially chocolate chip]
--Activities <3;;
*Swimming
*Running
*Night Duty/Watch
--TV show/movies <3;;
*White Collar
*Law & Order: UK
*Doctor Who
*Twiz
*Ocean Avenue
*Aliases
*Christian Bale Batman movies
*The Prestige
--Other <3;;
*Adam
*His unit
*Belly rubs
*Fireflies
*The moon
*Cold weather
*Dark
*Sunset
*Water
*Rain
*Thunder/Lightning
*Storms
*Watching clouds pass by
*Silence
*Felines
.Kinda Likes.
--Food/drink <3;;
*Red wine
*Dr. Pepper
*Snickers
*Bottle Caps
*Twix
--Activities <3;;
*Fetch
*Watching movies/tv
*Doing tricks
--TV show/movies <3;;
*October
*Underground
*Spliced
*Harry Potter movies
--Other <3;;
*Snow
*Lunar Eclipses
*Birds
*Raccoons
"What? I lived with Adam for eight years before he was sent to battle. I know what you're thinking, but I wasn't pampered...okay, well, maybe just a little...okay! FINE. I was spoiled rotten."
[[Dislikes </3;;]]
.Strongly Dislikes.
--Food/drink <3;;
*Cream Soda
*Grape Soda
*Beer
*Ham
*Cheese puffs
--Activities <3;;
*Acting
*Singing
--TV show/movies <3;;
*All Disney shows
*Distracting
*Friction
--Other <3;;
*Horses
*Squirrels
*Gun shots
*Loud/screechy noises
*The French
*Immortality
.Sorta Dislikes.
--Food/drink <3;;
*White wine
*Apple juice
*Cherry soda
*Butterfingers
*Peanut butter
--Activities <3;;
*Taking directions
*Fighting
--TV show/movies
*Scorpion
--Other <3;;
*Screamo music
*Rap
*Pot/weed
"Again, I lived with Adam... Squirrels are just plain annoying. They all need to be strapped to a nuclear bomb. We could drop it on France! Then two problems would be neutralized."
[[Fears Dx;;]]
.Terrified.
--Activities <3;;
Nothing
--Other <3;;
*Love
*Unknown
.Kinda Scared.
--Activities <3;;
Nothing.
--Other <3;;
*Spiders
*Bees
"I am NOT scared of love or the unknown. And so what if I'm sorta kinda afraid of spiders and bees? I had a cousin who died from a spider bite! True story."
[[Habits >.<;;]]
.Worse Habits.
--Eating/drinking <3;;
*Complete SLOB
--Other <3;;
*Sleepwalking
*Howling/barking/making loud noises/etc. in sleep
.Tolerable Habits.
--Eating/drinking <3;;
*None
--Other <3;;
*Flicking ears and bobtail
*Pawing ground
"For the last time, I am NOT a slob...am I? And I don't sleepwalk."

***Please note that some of these 'chapters' are still a WIP [like the Present before Lab Rat]***

[[My Story <3;;]]
The Miracle Pup - The story of Starke's birth.
Present - Starke receives an intriguing message.
The Reign - Looking back on a day full of fun he had with friends.
Present - Starke gives instructions to his unit and leaves to go meet a friend.
Sunset Dreams - Remembering when he and Inahe were pups. Looking back he realizes he had feelings for her even then.
Present - He meets what seems to be an imposter...and he has a surprise.
Lab Rat - Something his friend says sets off a memory of him being tested on.
Present - Starke is offered a deal, but he refuses and his "friend" attempts to kill him. He then leaves.
Dare Devil - His wounds trigger a memory of him taking on a dare from Inahe; a dare that also resulted in him being severely injured.
Present - Upon seeing his injuries, Uin becomes worried. She tends to his wounds and provides company for him. Uin once again reminds him of Inahe.
So, This is L-O-V-E - Starke realizes he loves Inahe.
Present - After much prodding from Uin, Starke makes a deal to tell her a small portion of his history, but she must share her history and family tree.

'One with eyes and soul
both so bright and full of good intent,
But one whose heart isn't quite whole.
One of powerful descent
who is said to be a savior.'

---

'I don't want my screams to be silenced,
I want to scream aloud for the whole world to hear.
I don't want my cries to be muffled,
I want to cry for the whole world to watch.
I don't want my pain to be ignored,
I want to see the whole world to hurt with me...with her.'

---

'In the Winter I stand,
nose twitching and tail swishing.
The cold bites at my ears,
as I wait to see if it's true.
A story of heartache,
of war and death.

Nervous and twitchy I stand,
the falling snow I watch.
My blood turns to ice,
as I think of the past.
A story of heartache,
of war and death.

I stand on the river bank,
frozen and cold beneath my paws.
And so there I await my dear friend,
with the cold wind sifting through my fur.
A story of heartache,
of war and death.

Then with his presence I was graced,
but he wasn't who he used to be.
He brought with him a surprise,
also one changed with time.
A story of heartache,
of war and death.'

Why did this happen to me? The gods were always said to be so understanding, so forgiving and kind. They were said to give everyone what they deserved. So, was this what I deserved? A world crumbling like the ground beneath my paws, a life watching my loved ones grow old, a never-ending life. What did I do to deserve this?

||The Miracle Pup||

A long, long time ago, on a stormy night, with the red moon hanging high in the sky, Elisha went into labor. Her mate, Guar, lay beside her. 'This is it,' Guar thought silently, 'the day I'll have a beautiful daughter.' After several torturous hours, Elisha gave birth to two still-born pups. Minutes later, three more still-born pups. Then a miracle happened, she gave birth to a healthy pup. Elisha and Guar were both extremely happy to have a pup, but both were disappointed that it wasn't a female.

'The Miracle Pup.' That's what I was. That's what everyone called me.

||Present||

Feeling the tickle of breath in my ear woke me up with a start. "What? What is it? Are we in danger?" I bolted upright, ready to move the soldiers and unit. Or, if necessary, fight. "Starke, relax. Nothing's wrong." The silky voice of Uin calmed my nerves. "Well, then why have you waken me? Surely it's not my shift already...?" My voice was confident, but my eyes were unsure.

She laughed and swished her tail provocatively, "No, Starke, it's not you're shift. Not yet. However, well... there's been a message for you." It seemed as though she was reluctant to relay the message. "Well? C'mon now, Uin. What's the message?" Uin was starting to unnerve me. "The message was; Tell Ahli that his reign is coming to an end." At this I sat up, ignoring the annoying swishing of her long tail. "It was a mistake, though. Right? It has to be; your name isn't Ahli, it's Starke." Her eyes seemed to plead with me as she spoke. "From who?" My voice turned demanding as I asked.

"Bron."

||The Reign||

My panting grew heavier as I sprinted next to my friends. "Ready to get left in the dust, boys?" Inahe asked us, speeding up. I grinned at her as she passed. Inahe was ahead of all of us, for now. When it- the river- came into view, we all sped up. Inahe was still ahead of me, but she wouldn't be for long. I ducked my head down low and sped up even more. Inahe growled in annoyance as sped on, determined, watching me the entire time.

Then, sporting the same grin I had moments before, I passed her. I skidded to a stop in front of the river to wait for my friends. With fur hot and heavy on our backs, we wasted no time diving into the river. "One day, Ahli," Bron joked, "one day, you're reign will come to an end." Wio grinned and gave the others a 'look,' "And that day is today!" They all attacked me. And so there we were, four of us, the best friends in the world, nipping at each other and trying to pull one another underneath the water.

After hours of playing in the murky water of the river, we dragged ourselves onto the river bank. We must've all had blurry vision and water in our noses from being pulled under so many times.

||Present||

I must've looked as awful as I felt because Uin had to ask me if I was alright several times before I would answer. "Yes, Uin I'm fine...just a little shocked." It seemed as though she was still holding back something. "Well, u-ugh...S-S-Starke, there's m-more," Uin was stammering now and it suddenly got on my nerves. "Well?!" My voice boomed out, making her shrink in fear. Suddenly reminded of Inahe, I scolded myself silently and my voice became softer as I repeated the question, "Well?"

"The rest of the message was: You tell Ahli, tell him if he wants to escape this bleak faith that he'll meet with me at the river." She finished relaying the message. I could feel the corners of my mouth twitch out of nervousness. "But, Starke, it's gotta be a mistake, right? You're not this Ahli character and there's millions of rivers...how are you supposed to know which one?" I cocked my head to the side as I looked at her. Now that I was actually looking at Uin, she looked very similar to Inahe...was is possible? I shook my head, 'No.'

My head was still half-cocked as I said, "Uin, I'll talk to you more about this when I get back. Is the rest of the unit still awake?" Her eyes grew wide after she had processed what I said, "Yes, but Starke-" I cut her off, not particularly in the mood for her protests, "Good. Follow me."

Uin gave me a look, which once again forced me to think of Inahe, but she followed me. I gave a short howl. This was the signal for a gather-round and my unit knew it. When everyone was gathered around I barked out orders quickly. I had no time to spare. After giving my unit their orders I started to slink off. "Uin's in charge until I get back," I called over my shoulder before I broke into a run. The sun was setting and the ground was covered in snow, making for a beautiful journey.

||Sunset Dreams||

I bounded after Inahe, "You're a cheater; that's what you are!" She called over her shoulder, "You're just jealous you're not as fast as me!" Not wanting to be called the 'slow poke,' I sped up, soon to catch up to Inahe. Out of corner of my eye I saw her skid to a halt. "What's wrong? Afraid we'll be caught?" I turned my head towards the gods and laughed. The wind was suddenly knocked out of me and I was on my back.

Inahe trotted up from behind me, "Nope. I just wanted to see you run into that tree." She swished her tail in my direction as she passed by me. I shook my head, scrambled to my feet, and followed her to the edge of our territory. We both sat there for a while before either of us spoke. Inahe stared out at the sunset and sighed, "What do you think is out there?" Squinting because of the bright orange in the sky, I shrugged. "I don't know, but I'll find out sooner or later."

The two of us sat there, staring out over the sky and watching it turn to night, sharing our dreams. Inahe, like most females, dreamed of a mate and pups. I, on the other hand, dreamed of adventures. She yawned and laid down beside me, closing her eyes. And, sitting here, looking down at Inahe, I felt...different.


||Present||

My paws felt like solid ice, but I ducked my head down in determination. I had to know if it was really Bron. Besides, I was already here, so why turn back right before I got my answer?

'You're staying here.' I told my self firmly as the wind sifted through my fur. A shiver ran down my spine. The river bank beneath my paws was hard and frozen solid.

||Lab Rat||

I fought with the man in a white coat for a long time. 'But you didn't fight hard enough!' The words rang in my head. What if I really hadn't fought hard enough? What if this was my fault?

My yelps echoed off the walls and sounded raspy and cold. It was almost as if this were unreal, but the pain of being pricked over and over told me it was real. They shoved me inside of a big, clear box and chained me up. One of them kept sticking cold needles into my veins. I pawed feverishly at the muzzle around my mouth. If I could only get it off of me... Aha! The sleek black material hit the ground and I whipped around to face the one with the needles. My jaws clamped down onto his arm and I refused to let go.

Blood filled my mouth and I was glad that he was getting a taste of his own medicine. Other men rushed into the room and I felt another prick, this time on my rump.

...

When I awoke I felt odd, somehow different. One of those awful men in the white coats came towards me, gun in hand. I stood up, tall and proud. My head was held high and I was ready. I would greet Death as an old friend, not as an enemy.

The sound of the shot rang off of the walls, but I was still here. Had the darned fool missed? I'm right in front of him! No. Wait. How was that possible? The man had hit me directly in between the eyes, so why was I not dead? I turned, confused, to find the bullet had passed directly through me without causing me any harm. No. How could this be? The men all erupted into cheers. I turned back to face them, hunched over and teeth bared, but found they were looking at me and cheering.

Was it possible they were, indeed, cheering for me? Yes. Yes, but why?