Nyx

Nyx was alarmingly obnoxious when she was a pup, and it did not improve as she grew into adulthood. It was to the point where the hunting party of her then-pack, infuriated with her antics, drove her from their territory. Lucky for Nyx, she was taken in by a lead wolf named Phantom, who found a place for her as an herbalist in his pack. She settled into her role quickly, showing a knack for pestering her packmates until she found what ailed them then stubbornly searching for just the right herbs to aid them. It helped her focus to the point where her new pack tolerated her, and a few even began to enjoy her presence among them.

Despite her irritating nature and being a bit older than her leader, she always deferred to Phantom and listened to him whenever he told her she needed to stop talking (if only because she knew he was the only reason she had a place in the pack). When she decided to take on a young pup by the name of Fracture as an apprentice, Phantom allowed it. Though rumors circulated that she was just training someone to get out of working as an herbalist (and to have more time to pester her pack), Nyx ignored them and put everything she had into training the young male. The whole pack noticed her demeanor change once she took him under her wing, and all breathed a sigh of relief whenever she would take him out to teach him where to gather herbs. It seemed the only time they could get some peace and quiet was when she was out of the den.

But Nyx had found her place in the pack. Her obnoxious nature meant that her packmates couldn't just ignore her whenever she demanded they come to her to get patched up after a rough hunt or a difficult patrol. She watched over Dream whenever he was having low energy days and needed a break. She pestered Pepper to remind her to rest more when she was close to having pups. She wasn't afraid to stand up to the more stubborn pack members and show them what a truly irritatingly stubborn wolf was like.

She took great pride in her work, in training Fracture, and in looking after her pack. She truly loved them, and worried about them all. Especially Phantom – she wasn't entirely sure he was taking care of himself. But as she let her beloved apprentice take on more work, she realized he was able to take care of Phantom. And Dream, and Pepper, and all the pups and adolescents. Although she knew she still had a place in her pack, it made her wonder…

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"Oh yes, stranger, please come closer and scare off the only prey I'll be able to find this week." As the sounds of hoofbeats grew softer, the dark wolf in front of her let out a huff, the sound quickly turning into a wretched cough. Nyx rolled her eyes – the wolf hardly seemed in shape to be outside of his pack's den, let alone hunting in the snowy mountains so close to another pack's territory.

The bundle of herbs in her mouth hardly muffled her words, as she was used to talking through them, "Are you sure it wasn't your hacking that scared it off?" The fur along the male's back rose and he spun his head toward her in a snarl, though his lungs began to seize before he could lunge. It sounded wet, as though the male was drowning in air. Nyx quickly dropped her bundle of herbs and sorted through them as the male collapsed, hurriedly picking out the spicy root she needed.

The male seemed to have no fight left in him by the time she approached, his breathing ragged and eyes half closed. They snapped open as her paws crunched through the snow beneath them. The sharp fury within them softened as she dropped the simple remedy in front of him and told him to chew it slowly. She didn't want to use her usual tactics, especially not knowing how the stranger would react to her.

Little did she know how similar her face was to one he once knew and loved, and how familiar the herbal scent clinging to her fur had been to the male. He would have done anything she asked in that moment, his mind weary and wishing so badly she was the friend he had lost so long ago. He chewed the root, the burning juice from it sending him into another fit as it helped clear his lungs. Once it had passed, the male slowly relaxed – he could finally breathe easier.

Though it was nearly nightfall by the time he woke up, Nyx hadn't left his side – aside from finding a small rabbit to snack on while she waited. Although she had originally intended to return to her pack, she couldn't bring herself to leave the sickly male. She told herself it was just curiosity, she just wanted to know what he was doing so close to the Forgotten Dreamer's territory. But another part of her didn't want to leave him alone in what were possibly his last moments.

Once he woke, they talked. Well, Nyx more or less pressured the stranger into telling her more about him by bombarding him with irritating amounts of questions. When he finally answered, she found his name was Kodak. He didn't remember much aside from that – he had nearly died after being swept up in a flash flood and dragged away from his home. Though being in a new territory wasn't too bad, as he recalled having a few unpleasant experiences with the packs in his old home. And although he survived their cruelty and the flood that brought him to this new land, the cough he developed after inhaling so much water would probably kill him.

If starvation didn't first.

Though the anger behind his eyes when he spoke about his old pack made her feel he wasn't being entirely honest about how much he remembered, his pessimistic outlook on his current situation brought about a protective nature inside of her. "You are going to survive this – if only because I'm going to make sure you do."

The male needed her. He had been exiled from the packs of his old home and was sick and alone in a strange place. She didn't know how her pack would react to him - Kodak didn't exactly seem friendly, or too happy about the idea of being in a pack. In fact, she felt the only reason he didn't attack her now (aside from having no energy) was the half-finished rabbit and healing herbs she had offered him.

Perhaps… she would need to say her goodbyes to the Forgotten Dreamer's. The thought was bittersweet – she loved them greatly, but knew with Fracture they were all in good hands. With him, they could survive without her.

This wolf wouldn't.

And that's how she came to leave her old pack and join Kodak in creating his new one, the Northern Fangs. Their territory border isn't too far from the Forgotten Dreamer's, so she still sees her old packmates from time to time. And always pesters them to see how they're doing, just like she had when her place was among them.