If its worth //savin' me//(for Thorn)

[.Shadow.]

.Kia.
Prison gates won't open up for me
On these hands and knees I'm crawlin'
Oh, I reach for you.

Wide, green eyes darted around the area, glowing like a cat's in the cover of complete and utter darkness surrounding them. The figure was crouched, only its long, leen muzzle jutting out from the shrubbery it used as coverage. Black nose twitched as it inhaled the scents swarming about it, and a feathered tail flicked once, rustling the leaves enclosing it. Finding that the coast was clear and no danger lurked about, the canine crawled her way out of the bush, standing at her full height, long legs' muscles stiffening and relaxing in an effort to stretch them. Head is given a brief shake, throwing a small leaf off of it. Emerald gaze still danced around the blackness, her mostly obsidian pelt blending in just a bit. Though, the white covering her chest, and the ivory that painted all four legs up to the knees made her stick out a little bit more than she would've liked. Tan muzzle jerked to the left, then the right, and the glances about finally convinced her that the road was safe to venture down in the search of food and shelter for the night.

The Smooth Collie was merely a ten-month-old pup, yet she already had forced herself to become independent and street-smart to the bone. Though she very well should be still learning the ways of the strays from her parents, both of them had been killed; her mother from a car accident, her father from a mysterious illness. Never the less, the purebred called Kia attempted not to dwell on the past; rather, she preffered to look at here and now. And right now, she needed to find sufficiant, edible garbage. Lowering her head to allow her coal-colored nose to hover just above the concrete sidewalk, and she began to trot down the road, heading towards the sleeping civilization - or, atleast what was left of it. She'd noticed the recent dissapearences of many of the humans, and concidered herself lucky; now, she could help herself to the trash cans in the backyards of abandonned houses without getting thrashings from angered humans and, sometimes even their pampered house mutts.

The pup veered suddenly to the left, hopping a short white-picket fence to follow a sudden trail of food. The stench was that of fresh bread, eggs and dog chow; now who in their right minds would throw that away? As if to answer her, when she rounded to the back porch and trotted eagerly up the creaky, wooden steps, she found that the food hadn't been thrown away. Rather, it'd been left out for some pooch - perhaps a stray the former owners of the household had been feeding? Right now, Kia didn't care. Shrugging her shoulders simply, she padded forward and grasped the red, plastic bowl, carefully placing it in her jaws before picking it off the ground and turning. She walked then to the edge of the steps, placing the bowl there and laying down with it between her white fore-paws.

The pup managed to devour the bowl of helpings in less than ten minutes. Pushing it to the side with her muzzle, she lifted to a stand. Padding down the steps, she made her way to the front of the house; from here, she would travel to a gorge that she'd spotted when she'd been scouting out the stray's area. Some of the rocks jutted out sharply from above, making a perfect one-night shelter for a small canine like herself. Trotting at first, she headed to the sidewalk, where she spead up and began to dash away toward the gorge.

---

An hour later found her trotting forward along the gorge, the smooth rocks cool and refreshing beneath her burning, ehausted pads. Her tongue lolled out of her long, ajar muzzle, and she panted heavily, her chest heaving. Haulting for a few moments, Kia glanced quickly about, emerald gaze straining through the darkness to find a good area to nest for the night. Finally, she spotted a place where the rock above overhung, providing good enough shelter for what was left of the night. The collie plodded heavily on her paws and over to the space, where she cirled twice before plopping carelessly down, curling up and shivering as the cold air sunk into her pelt.

Heaving a content sigh, she crossed her white fore-paws, resting her tan muzzle and black head atop them, large ears laying flat against her head. 'There,' she thought, just a flicker of hope passing her gaze, 'now that you have had food and found shelter, perhaps you'll sleep a full night. And tomorrow, maybe you'll even find him.'

Well I'm terrified of these four walls,
These iron bars won't hold my soul in.
All I need is you.
Come please, I'm callin'.
And oh I scream for you,
Hurry I'm fallin', I'm fallin'.

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[Maybe ♫]

The black wolfdog sighed, his golden eyes half-covered by heavy eyelids that threatened to close completely, sending the male into a deep slumber. But he wouldn't have that. There was still so much to do. He had to hunt for Kitty, hunt for Shadow, watch both litters so the females could have a break, go on patrol, and last of all, hunt for himself. The day was bound to be a long one, so a refreshing rest in the peaceful Gorge would be sure to calm his nerves.

For about an hour Thorn rested peacefully by the rocks, enjoying the feel of the cool granite on his heavily-furred skin. But soon his eyelids began to get heavy, and his struggled to keep them open. Getting up into a sitting position, the male shook his fur and craned his neck in order to lick his chest where some renegade fur was sticking out scruffily. Just then, a familiar scent wafted into his nostrils, and he spun around to face the entrance to the Gorge. Standing there was a young collie, one that looked eerily similar to a childhood friend of his, but it couldn't be her. This dog standing before him was much too young. The confused male inclined his head, sniffing the air. She smelled like his childhood friend as well. Tilting his head in confusion, the wolfdog took a step forward, his massive paws hardly making a sound.

"Do I know you?"

[.Shadow.]

.Kia.
Show me what its like,
To be the last one standing.
And teach me wrong from right,
And I'll show you what I can be.

A shiver travelled down the yonug one's spine as she lay there, green eyes darting warily around as she fought off sleep. Falling into a slumber here couldn't be safe in the least bit, she'd just have to wait until the moon was at its highest point to get some rest. It was then that the scent struck her. Kia's nostrils twitched and flared, her harks pressing against her skull as the faint stench of wild Wolf became distinctive, mingled with that of the stray dog. Shifting her position to that of one where she could easily leap to her paws if need be, the Smooth Collie pup waited for the other canine to show itself. At the thought of meeting a Wolf Hybrid for the first time, her bodice began to tremble uncontrollably, and a gulp passed down her parched throat.

Suddenly, a deep, frightening voice accompanied the mixed scent, and Kia was forced to stifle whimpers as she stared into the stoic golden eyes of the prodominantly-black hybrid that stood before her. "Do I know you?" he had asked. 'Well, how could he? He's like..three years older than me, and..and he's a Wolf--wait! Could it be...him?' Kia's innocent emerald eyes opened wider, and the ten month old stammered as she spoke, "I-I don' know. Maybe? My...my name's Kia. Is--is your name Thorn?" Giving her mostly-black, short-cropped fur a quick shake, Kia allowed a whine to escape her throat as she slowly rised to a stand, shaky legs bringing her out from under the overhang and allowing her to step into the open, her emerald optics reflecting the moon's shine as she stared into the wolfdog's, her heart skipping beats as she waited for his answer.

Say it for me,
Say it to me,
And I'll leave this life behind me.
Say it if its worth savin' me.

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[Maybe ♫]

It was not hard for the canine to smell her fear now. He could almost hear her heart beating wildly, pulsing against her rib cage, in an attempt to break free, it seemed. Ocher eyes pierced the veil of darkness before him to better see the pup. She did indeed look familiar. And then she spoke his name.

"Wh-what did you say?" he gasped, his usually even gaze widening as he spoke. How did this meager pup know his name?

[.Shadow.]

.Kia.
Heaven's gates won't open up for me,
With these broken wings I'm fallin'.
And all I need is you.
These city walls ain't got no love for me,
I'm on the ledge of the eighteenth story...

When she spoke his name his eyes visibly widened, and Kia realized that the brute was just as astonished as she was. Gulping down a lump in her throat, Kia lowered her cranium in a respetful manner, and the smooth-coated Collie stepped forward, her tri-colored pelt doing nothing to protect her from the cold; she was clearly shivering, and not from fear. "Uhm...did you know a smooth Collie male named Grenade? He was tan, actually...m-more of a sable color." Another breeze washed over her and she shook violently; her body seemed to be attempting to warm itself by continuos movement. Lowering her rump to the cold stone earth, green eyes glowed in the moonlight as she searched the brute's golden gaze, waiting anxiously for his reply.

And oh I scream for you;
Come please I'm callin'.
And all I need from you;
Hurry I'm fallin', I'm fallin'.

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