Moss Poets (Read only)

The Moss Poets inhabit the depths of the forests, chasing any enemy with the protection of the leaves. Trees and bushes work as their hideouts, a memory of the village they used to live in. When the Nine Tailed Fox was freed, their home was shattered- and the survivors dispersed, each one on their own and in different biomes, as the demon was too strong and fear lingered in the air.

Slowly, the pack was formed, first with two secret lovers that decided against travelling alone. Their old home was ubicated in the depths of the Rainforest, and maybe... maybe they will be able to return one day.

Konoha was the name of their home. Back then, they couldn't meet- there were powerful families, divided in Clans, and Neji... he was from the strictest of them all. Lee could only speak with him during their scouting missions, or when Gai invited them for a reunion (he was their mentor, after all. Their father- even if not by blood. Not even the Clan leaders could refuse to those meetings, as they were disguised as skill sharing).

In a way, they were blessed by its destruction. By the dispersion of the survivors, even though they had been alone for a while before meeting again under the leaves of a tiny forest. Tala had reunited the lovers without realizing, smiling to herself once she realized the happiness in their voices was genuine. Once she noticed how they just cuddled in the leaves, in a way that no strangers would ever do.

- Their objective is to return to the Rainforest and fight off the Nine Tailed Fox, defeat it with intelligence rather than brute force. They have to move between forests as they go, because the other Tailed Beasts still roam free around the world- they weren't as strong as the Fox, but they were still lethal and forced all wolves to hide.

- The Moss Poets always share stories about the past, the present, and some that are just limited by each wolf's imagination. These tales are shared between wolves, those that leave the pack as the wind sometimes carries rumours about their loved one's hiding places. It's not needed to explain that those who leave are never seen again, though it's uncertain where those rumours come from everyone started to get an idea by now...

- Neji doesn't plan to retire for now, but the next Pack Leader will be chosen by their abilities- after all, only a strong wolf will be able to return them to their home. Anyone, related to him or not, could be the next leader.

- Clans were disbanded, as every pack member agreed that they did more harm than good, due to the few members remaining and to their clashing different rules- the remaining of those Clans now is just the pelt color of their ex members.

- Back in the village, they did missions for other villages and smaller packs. Once they are stablished enough, they will try to start doing missions again.

beginning

Neji and Lee weren't alone for long- a wolf from the neighboring village had found his way to the small forest, his red fur having been dyed to become darker with dry blood.

He used to be a leader. Used to be the scariest Alpha of them all, with the power of the One Tailed Beast in his soul- his eyes revealed how tired he was, even though that demon wasn't inside him anymore.

The nine of them now ran free, chasing wolves for fun or food. Killing them mercilessly, observing every place in search of more. Nowhere was safe, and the three knew they would need to move soon.

"Gaara," the white wolf started, with a nod of acknowledgement sent on his way. Lee had been exhausted since their reunion, resting at his side as he recovered. "It's good to see you're alright. Welcome."

"Thank you, Neji," Gaara replied, sitting down. His tired voice was softer than usual, having noticed the sleeping canine inside the den. His stomach seemed bigger, but it was not something the reddish wolf had obligation of pointing out. "I appreciate you let me stay. Is there something you would like me to do while I remain here?"

It was said with an unsettling tone... but again, Gaara was unsettling on a daily basis. Neji didn't understand him well, all he knew was that he had injured Lee in the past- and he wouldn't let him touch a hair of his mate, no matter how kind he had become through the moons. No matter how much he had changed, he still had broken his lover's bones.

It didn't matter that he felt sorry. It was something he still did, and the white wolf would never forgive him (even if Lee did, with a smile and playful bow).

"We don't have any food. Go hunt something, if possible."

Gaara left the den without a word.

~

He had wanted to tell his mate for a while. He had intended to, since Tala had told him the good news.

She was a spirit of sorts, she had said. And the proof was that he could reunite with Neji again, after all those moons of living in loneliness and hunger. They could rest in the same den now, in the same nest- it was the only positive thing from the loss of their home. The best thing was to feel his soft fur brushing against his own during the night, to wake him up by licking his nose.

They could show their love without hearing any growl from the Hyuga Clan, who observed every movement that Neji did when he left their cave. They could discuss things they couldn't in the past, like... pups.

That's what Tala helped in. She gave Lee a special herb, whose name he couldn't remember and whose appearance was unique and intricate like the bark of a tree. He was told that, if he ate it, he could have pups with his mate. That they wouldn't fail, and the young wolves would come earlier and healthier.

Neji's face turned from his usual neutral expression, to the widest smile he had ever showed. It was beautiful, like a quarter moon reflexed in a lake during the night. A bright light of hope and happiness.

Now, Lee was resting in their nest, his body feeling extremely heavy- how many offsprings would they have? They were kicking pretty hard already, maybe they would become Explorers or Hunters! 

It was something Lee looked forward to see. To train with his pups, teach them about the past... Their family howling together under the light of the full moon was an image that Lee dreamt for a long time.

He could relax, with his mate's fur giving him warmth after returning from a successful exploration. Neji licked his head with care, laying at his side after he was done with the silent greeting. 

Lee closed his eyes for a moment, tiredly wagging his tail to his mate to let him know he was awake. 'Was', because he felt asleep once their warmth combined and the white wolf cuddled with him- it was the most comforting thing to do, and Lee couldn't resist...

He was woken up by the pain of his offspring trying to go out, as fastly as Tala promised they would come. She had promised that they would be healthy, but...

She could not promise that they would be safe. That the eagles wouldn't go down and fetch them the first day they escaped to play-

The pack soon learnt that a birthing wolf couldn't take care of the pups alone. Neji was exploring, Gaara was hunting... Lee had passed out by exhaustion, and their pups were two little troublemakers. Of course something bad would happen.

For a while, the black wolf stayed inside of the cave to take care of the newfound pups, slowly becoming able to live with the grief. Neji smiled sadly whenever he saw him and the younger wolves, and it became a normal smile after a long, long time.

But Lee was an Explorer. The day Gaara left to find his old villagers was the same day that he felt ready to explore again, and Kiba quickly replaced him as the Pack's Pupsitter.