The image of the Alpha's eyes haunted Sansa.

Her progress was slow after that.

She hesitated at continuing – of not turning around and trying more to help him. But she knew in her heart that once the decision had been made there was little a stranger could do.

The eyes haunted her.

Sansa cried herself to sleep some nights – fear setting into her that she would one day carry those same eyes.

She had read about it in her medical journals.

There was no known cure.

There was no known name.

Some joked of the disease, foolishly saying that wolves literally would die of a broken heart.

Sansa had been worried while reading the book upon the disease. Her mind had immediately turned to Doctor Nox, worry gnawing inside her at the idea that one day the male could suffer from this.

When she asked him, his answer was blunt and honest.

"Yes. All wolves who lose their mates eventually succumb to this."

"Is there a cure?"

Doctor Nox's smile had been one of infinite sadness as he softly shook his head and walked away.

No cure.

The merging of two souls was already a great occurrence. Sansa knew just the encounter and realization of Night being her mate had been a wonder. But mating...

A heat crawled up her skin at the thought.

It was fusing together two souls. Merging them.

But when one soul passed...The process of leaving was not a clean one. It was ripping away another half. Tearing apart something.

The textbook had used the example of leaving a wound open – letting it sit there gaping and wide as blood leaked out. Eventually, as with all things, losing to much blood resulted in the same thing. Not even a medical profession needed to research to know such an obvious conclusion.

Sansa sat in front of the fire, thinking about the disease she had come face to face with.

Her attention was captured by the sound of a branch breaking.

Her head snapped up, eyes becoming alert and weary.

She saw a shadow coming near her. Something in the distance approaching.

Cautiously, Sansa stood.

She had no way, other than her wolf, to defend herself.

It could be a rouge. She was lucky she had not encountered any this far along in her travels. Mainly it was because she had stuck so close to pack borders, knowing they were shy in coming near such a thing.

She remained silent, not calling out to whoever it was.

Until the shadow stepped into the light of the fire.

An older male stared back at her. She had to blink twice to fully process his ragged appearance.

His matted white hair and somewhat toothless smile caught her off guard.

"Fancy meeting you here missy."

He sat down in front of the fire, putting his hands out and letting a long sigh leave him.

Sansa continued staring at him, startled by his appearance.

He patted the ground next to him, smiling up at her.

"Don't mind me. Sit on down."

Slowly Sansa lowered herself to the ground, complete amazement causing her to lose her words.

"Um....Hello..."

Sansa looked around searching for any others. But it was just this single male.

He shook out his coat, sighing again at the warmth offered.

"Winter is such a nasty season."

"I like the winter," Sansa wanted to hit herself at the unfiltered statement. Her mouth had opened before her mind could even register it.

"Do you?" The male raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Uh...yes..."

"I can't see anything good about it...maybe you can enlighten me?"

"The...the nights are longer..."

The male laughed, "they are indeed. That's one winning point."

Sansa found herself smiling with him.

"Thank you for letting me use your fire."

Sansa almost wanted to laugh at his innocently framed statement. She saw the knowing look in his eye and realized that he was silently laughing with her.

"You're welcome."

"I'm Tryton."

"Sansa."

"It's lovely to meet you Sansa."

There was a silence before Tryton spoke, "So where are you traveling?"

"No where...no specific pack...I'm trying to find..." she hesitated before sighing and revealing the truth, "I'm trying to find a soothsayer...but she is a far distance from us now..."

"You want your fortune told?"

"No, I..."

Sansa hesitated again, looking apprehensively at the male.

He smiled encouragingly at her, "Let me tell you Sansa dear, don't hesitate when you speak. The mind should be heard in what it genuinely wishes to say."

Sansa felt her eyes widen at his words before she tilted her head and whispered, "I'm looking for legends...certain legends..."

"If you want legends, I have plenty to tell!"

Tryton stood then, excitement growing in his voice, "What would you like to hear!? Wolfs that are half man-half creature? I know stories of those who can only change into their fur at the fullness of the moon! Or maybe something darker...of packs who are hidden in shadows? Of openings in our world that lead to another land? That's always nice to tell by firelight."

Sansa felt enraptured by the sudden explosion of information.

"There are wolves who can only change at the full moon?"

"Of course! They walk in skin for the other days of their life, but when that one night comes – the hunt is on for them. What is skin? What is human? They shed everything for that one night. Even though they are a creature for that short time, there are many who say they are more connected to their animal than even us- those who have access to it whenever we so please."

"Have you met someone like that?"

Tryton shook his head, "But I've met someone who met someone who knows an aunt who had a son who knew someone like that."

Sansa shook her head in dizzy bewilderment as Tryton continued. "There is so much out there in this world Sansa!"

He had extended his arms wide, opening them now to be in full view of the half-moon sky.

Sansa looked up with him, staring out into the vast openness.

His arms slowly fell back down. It wasn't until he was staring directly at her that Sansa was able to take in what a startling blue color his eyes were. They were the palest blue she had ever encountered.

"Your eyes are beautiful," she said.

"Thank you," Tryton smiled, "the moon gave them to me."

Sansa smiled, alarm bells ringing within her head at the craziness of this strange male. But she only nodded her head, acknowledging and letting go of his statement.

"Why are you out here?"

Tryton had sat back down by the fire. Watching him closely, Sansa could detect an almost nervous energy from him. It was as if he could not stay still. Some part of him was moving, fidgeting- restless. There was a crazed, wandering gaze in those pale blue eyes that made her want to look at them closer- yet at the same time draw away.

Tryton realized she had asked him a question a minute too late. He shrugged in response, "I go where I go. The moon guided me to you tonight."

He leaned back against a nearby tree, still that same restless energy hanging around him.

"Is there something bothering you Sansa?"

She could have sworn there was a knowing look in his eyes. Something in that gaze that made it seem as if this male could look into her soul.

He sat there silently. Patiently.

Sansa shook her head, but he quickly spoke, "you do not need to hold yourself back. I'm crazy after all. I have no one to tell and nothing to judge."

Sansa stared at him longer, until finally, she sighed, "I...A couple of weeks ago I met a male who had recently lost his mate."

Tryton's eyes fell in sorrow.

"Out of all the pain, that is one, not even the moon can fix."

"No..." Sansa questioned why this male spoke so often of the Moon before she let it go.

"Sometimes I wish I had the power to heal that," Tryton whispered, "but it is not something that another can fix."

"What do you mean?" Sansa asked.

Tryton's expression became thoughtful as he spoke, "it's not something another can make right. The soul is damaged...but it's a damage that needs to be fixed by the soul itself...do you understand what I am saying?"

"So you mean...a self-treatment?"

"Oh, are you familiar with the medical world?"

"I'm a healer," Sansa admitted.

Tryton's eyes fell to the herb pack that she carried. "That's wonderful. I could sense you had a healing soul."

His eyes seemed to grow brightly though as his next words came out, "but there is something darker also. No amount of such light can go completely pure without having a stain of the shadows."

There was an ear-splitting silence after his words. Sansa shifted uneasily, staring away from the male, to look anywhere but at his eyes that seemed to glow.

And then he was back.

"Sorry, Sansa dear. What were we talking about?"

"Uh... I'm a healer..."

"Yes, yes a healer...and that horrible disease..."

"Yes," Sansa still eyed Tryton nervously, "how it can only be fixed by the one in pain."

"Right," Tryton said, his eyes glued to the Moon above, "Easier said than done. You can't take a sewing kit and throw it at a patient who had their leg cut off and tell them to simply put it back together. It's messy and they wouldn't know where to start with the process."

Sansa absorbed his words, a small thought coming to her mind.

It was interrupted as Tryton suddenly stood up.

"I know!"

"You know?"

"I know who you're looking for!"

"You..." Sansa wanted to move away as Tryton eagerly approached her.

"Give me your map."

"I-,"

Without warning Tryton took the map from her, opening it and stabbing a single spot with a nearby stick.

"What are you doing?" Sansa looked at the hole that now gaped in the paper.

"Go there! It's where you need to go!"

She turned to Tryton's happy smile.

Anger was starting to fill Sansa as she stood and waved the map at him.

"You can't just go around stabbing holes in people's maps!"

Tryton laughed at her words, going around her and back to the other side of the flames.

"It was nice meeting you Sansa."

"You're leaving? After disfiguring my map for no reason?"

Tryton walked to the edge of the fire's light. He turned back to her, that same smile on his face. Sansa loosely held the map in her hands, watching him.

"Don't worry Sansa dear. You'll find him."

Sansa felt her heart drop as she watched the stranger disappear into the darkness.