Akela

## Application Sheet

Akela is a dark-gray wolf with copper eyes. He entered the Domain in Chandor at first, alongside Rhys, before he traveled to Highvalley, where he became a Theta Seeker under Gwendolyn's tutelage. He was haunted by thoughts of his first love, Rue, and the cost of their relationship and his place in the pack, and ultimately left Highvalley after a short time. He was designed by SilverPocky, created and RP'd by FaIIenShadows.

## Personality

* ***Suave, but Empathetic and Compassionate.*** Although born and raised in a foreign pack, Akela was taught basic etiquette from a young age. His parents were both highly esteemed, and he had high expectations to meet. Charismatic and genuinely likable, Akela has a way with others, making him warm and approachable. Wolves tend to feel quite comfortable when in his presence. He finds a great deal of joy in quiet company, preferring to live among many rather few. With an uncanny ability to understand emotion, he is very empathetic, able to speak into other's hearts and approach them from a personal standpoint.
* ***Honest and Capable.*** In his youth, Akela underwent vigorous training exercises to prepare him for leadership. As a result, he is undoubtedly reliable and honest, although he has a tendency to hold his tongue during confrontations, for the sake of peace. Although most within his pack were raised to believe females were the lesser sex, Akela had a respect and appreciation for all who resided in the pack. He felt disgusted by the way his fellow warriors treated their female counterparts and refused to partake in any derogatory conversation. He has a strong belief in equality, regardless of their sex, bloodclass or circumstance.
* ***Guarded and Conservative.*** Despite his strong morals and mentality, Akela has a hard time voicing these opinions. Having been shamed by his family pack, the young male has grown accustomed with keeping his jaws shut.Preferring to say little rather than risk open confrontation. Although branded a lowblood, Akela was raised by two Beta's, and therefore received high level education. He is articulate and bright, rarely intimidated by challenges, both of an intellectual and physical nature. His strange yet subtle accent may come off as unintelligent or foreign to some, especially in the Highvallian community. But once a wolf takes the time to speak with him, he presents as quite the opposite.
* ***Creative and Artistic.*** Witty and bearing a prominent sense of humor, Akela is known for his occasional quips and jests. Despite his initial soberness, he is naturally a light-hearted fellow, preferring laughter over silence. He is a barrel of entertainment to those he dares call friends. Creative and unique in his way of thinking, he likes to utilize his insight and often comes up with bold and unusual ideas. Although withdrawn from personal experience, he has a great deal to offer if he was approached with the right attitude. Curious about the world around him, Akela genuinely loves to learn and finds particular enjoyment in tactile tasks.
* ***Unpredictable.*** Having been born with a love for adventure, he adopted the Seeker task to follow this passion. Although travel was never on his agenda's during his childhood, the journey to the domain and then to Highvalley has broadened his horizons, and he feels a constant calling to keep his paws moving. Due to the fact that he does majority of his thinking internally, Akela can come off as very spontaneous or unpredictable to those around him. He fails to discuss his plans or thoughts aloud, expecting other's to simply "know" and often proving a confusing and frustrating individual. Particularly to those who haven't taken the time to understand his methods.
* ***Tense, Sensitive, and Depressive.*** Akela tends to live life in the present and is a very emotional being. When involved in overwhelming or intense situations, he is easily stressed and has a tendency to loose his outward charisma. He was born into a highly oppressive world, feeling a great deal of weight on his shoulders and it tends to show in his lowest moments. Chronically exhausted, he has failed to find true peace within himself and often feels as though he has to prove his worth. He has many regrets in life and is a very tormented individual, blaming himself constantly for the mistakes he has made and finding it near impossible to accept the past and move on. His guilt oft prevents him from achieving new goals and it takes a sharp reminder now and then to snap his attentions back to the present. His depression hits hard, dragging him down so viciously that sometimes he can barely leave the den. It takes a great deal of perseverance for him to get up everyday, and his poor sleeping patterns often leave him feeling weary and worn out before the day has even begun.

## Pre-Group History

Akela was born to his mother Chantelle and his father Percy, both honorable Beta's of their home pack. As was the custom, he was birthed alongside the rest of the litters. Akela's parents were ranked highly and, as their son, he was often favored by the Alpha's, and generally popular among the other pups. When he reached the required age, Akela and his peers prepared themselves for the training necessary to make them honorable members of the pack. But a few days in, he began to notice a young female appear during the sessions. She was the daughter of a pair who had a loner's lineage, and due to unfortunate planning, was born behind himself and his comrades. But their Alpha's had pardoned her parent's mistakes and she was to be accepted among the rest of the Juveniles and treated as such. But, unfortunately majority of their peers used her unfortunate beginning as a weapon, teasing and jeering, separating her from their clique's. Akela on the other hand, had been raised to respect and accept all the lived among them, and approached her after a training session. The pair connected almost immediately, and with someone to stand by her, Rue continued with the training and the two young wolves grew and strengthened together.

Despite their closeness in the younger years, as Akela aged, his parents legacy began to weigh heavily on his shoulders. They had both trained exceptionally hard to get where they wanted to be, and wished nothing more for him to follow in their paw-steps. Anxious to make his parents proud, the young male began to devote more and more of his time into his training, and less time with Rue. Their friendship began to crumble, and Akela feared that his parent's expectations would ruin their relationship...but his determination to satisfy them pushed the young male onward regardless. The days rolls into seasons, and soon the juveniles began to mature into young, strong adults. The training intensified as their muscles grew, and despite her original struggles, Rue accelerated successfully, keeping up with the sessions and earning her place among the other youth. Akela quickly began to notice that in the passing seasons, Rue's features had accentuated beautifully, fur growing sleek and eyes bright and intelligent. The young male certainly wasn't the only one to admire her beauty, noticing that a few of his male counterparts watched her pass with hungry gazes. A rush of protectiveness seemed to fill his body, and despite the distance that had grown between them, Akela made it his personal business to remain by his friend's side, warning off the other intrigued males. Although it took time for their friendship to mend, the pair were soon spending ever evening together.

When their training finally drew to a close, Akela found his chest began to ache every time Rue was gone, he yearned for her attention and his stomach twisted anxiously when her scent touched his nose. He knew that his parents had already hoped that himself and the Alpha's daughter Lapiz would eventually marry, but couldn't resist the feelings that were clutching his heart. Unfortunately, the young wolves bliss was short lived, as one evening Akela was approached by his parents, announcing his engagement to Lapiz. Devastated, the young male nodded stiffly, not willing to reveal his secret love for his childhood friend. This was the only way...his parents teachings and his training had all led to this moment. Where he would step up and lead his pack as the Alpha, his mate by his side. But every time he imagined it, Rue's face came to his mind, not Lapiz...Distraught, Akela reluctantly approached his beautiful friend and told her the news. Rue shared in his heartbreak and broke down in front of him. Determined to reassure her, Akela pressed his body against hers and admitted his deep love for her. Overcome with emotions and willing to do anything to chance his future, Rue offered herself to him, and the pair spent a fervent night together.

Afterwards, Akela awaited until Rue was asleep before getting to his paws. His heart felt heavy and grief glistened in his eyes...All his instinct were commanding he stayed...run away with her. He could be with her then...but the honor and love he felt for his family was too great to simply walk away from. He had a duty. Returning to his pack, the Alpha's approached him and prepared him to wed Lapiz. But just before the ceremony took place, Rue burst into camp announcing their doings and calling him a traitor. Aklea flinched, grief and sadness overwhelming, but his paws felt like stone. His fellow pack-mates moved to silence her, but Akela found his voice and stopped them with a vicious growl. She may have been causing a scene, but *no-one* would dare lay a paw on her. Raising his chin, Akela told her he was no good for her. That she would need to find someone else, as he had a promise to uphold. The pain and hurt in her luminescent eyes was enough to break his heart, and he watched helplessly as she turned with a wail and fled.

The pack was silent with shock, and immediately turned on him for answers. Lapiz's parents hounded him and questioned the validity of Rue's claims. Knowing full well that the truth would spell disaster, Akela attempted to deny the previous night's events. But the grief and hollowness in his voice spoke otherwise. Ashamed by his actions, the Alpha's forbade him to wed Lapiz. Shocked and stricken, the young male left the camp, not daring to look into his parents gaze. He ran blindly, unsure of where he was headed. But the stain was permanent now, and his pack would never accepted a traitor...Akela lived the next few weeks as a loner, trekking through territory's and by-passing strange packs. He became familiar with the surrounding factions, but deciding it best to maintain his distance, despite the growing fascinating with Highvalley.

One evening, after a successful kill, Akela was approached by a young brown male. The other was weakened from the winter months, and starving. The larger male offered the newcomer a part of his kill, and the two took the chance to talk a little. Rhys introduced himself as a loner, born and raised in Highvalley. Akela knew the other was far too young to survive on his own, and took him under his wing, teaching him the ways of survival. The pair grew close, brother's of sorts, and traveled the lands until they found themselves at the borders of Chandor.

## Group History

Akela and Rhys joined Chandor in the springtime. Rhys loved enticing him to play in the flowers, though Akela suffered from seasonal allergies. He had a bit of an embarrassing start to his time in Chandor, when he got stuck under a tree root while chasing prey - fortunately, Nadia came along to help him. She was also one of the wolves to show him around the territory when he first arrived.

After more than a season in Chandor, however, Akela felt truly out of place. He thought about moving to another noble pack, like his birth pack, called Highvalley. He'd heard it was to the east. He broke the news to Rhys, who didn't take it very well. It broke Akela's heart to leave things in such a bad place, but he was steadfast in his decision, and left when the season changed, his heart aching to leave Rhys behind.

Admittedly, Highvalley was a *very* strict pack. The first wolf he encountered at the borders was Gwendolyn, and he asked for placement in Highvalley. She saw potential in him, and agreed to allow him to meet High King Rodwen, who would decide his ultimate fate. When he was accepted, he took on the task of a Seeker.

One of his first friends in the pack would be Samwell, another lowblood, who offered to show him where the dens were and took him to the nearest river to relieve his thirst. They got along very well.

He was tutored in his duties as a Seeker by Gwendolyn, and worked with her to track the herds and hunt. He was a skilled hunter who learned fast, and honestly, the pack was good for him.

Yet, Akela still felt an emptiness, a pain, in his heart. He thought about Rue, about his transgressions in his birth pack. He didn't stay in Highvalley for long before he set off again. Nobody knows where he's gone, but he has not been seen in the Domain since.

## Trivia

* Sporting a slight Spanish accent, he occasionally uses foreign words. He refers to his male friends/family as *Hermano* (Brother) and his female friends/family as *Señora/Señorita* (Lady). Through his early days in Highvalley, Akela has supressed these habitual quirks, but as he grows more comfortable, he tends to let slip.
* He has unusually large ears and a strangely small tail.
* He loves the ocean dearly, but visits rarely due to his packs distance from it's shores.
* He loves to dance, and was taught well by his mother as a child.
* He has a great passion for traveling, and finds it clears his mind.
* The tearing marks on his left ear were delivered by his former pack, as a "black mark", or mark of shame.

## Quotes

* "Rhys...I know this is hard to understand, but it's for the best. When I left my home pack, I had a very simple goal in mind, so, when I met you, those priorities took a...back seat. Not to say I blame you, in fact, quite the opposite! I fear loneliness would have taken me long before the elements did, and for that, I thank you." (explaining his departure to Rhys, *Friends Never Say Goodbye*)
* "Family had been important, but it wasn't the cornerstone of our hierarchy like it is here. No matter our parentage, all wolves had the opportunity to earn their place among the pack. Respect came down to hard work rather than the blood in your veins...I was required to train just as hard as my counterparts...even harder. I had large prints to fill." (to Gwen, *The Lessons You Have Learned*)

## External Links

* Official Application Sheet
* FaIIenShadows's deviantART Gallery