Claiming Kamari

[tain]

Damp, hot, and smelling of eggs. It seemed like everywhere Tain of the Plains went was one of those three things.
The young she-wolf, the wanna-be alpha, was at a hot springs now. Or, at least, that was what it looked like. Tain could never be sure of these things, because her vocabulary and such was pretty limited. For all she knew, this was something entirely different and a Hot Springs was actually a type of rabbit.
She stopped a few yards away from the place to laugh at that picture. It was pretty funny. She imagined that a Hot Springs would be tasty, like once when she'd found a squirrel all cooked. It had been struck by lightning.
Of course, squirrels and rabbits didn't really taste the same, so..

Tain trotted a few feet more, having finished with this idiotic train of thought at long last. She now paused to examine the water of the springs.
First she tried a sniff, her yellow eyes staring at the water as she did. It made her sneeze, which she did, and back away. Eggs again, just like the field with the sunstuff in it. Only the sunstuff had been pretty, and this water was not.
It was yellow, like in streams when there was too much sun in them. Also, it bubbled, and was all gooey-looking with mud. Tain wouldn't drink this stuff if her life depended on it. It would kill her anyway.
She could, though, see herself in it. Tain thought she looked pretty funny, though. Her eyes were too big, and her nose was squashed very flat. Also, her ears were squished, too.
This was obviously not a reliable source of image. One would think that Tain would've known about it if she really did look this strange. Meikou or Mother or someone would've mentioned it, probably. Besides, she could smell fine out of her nose right now.

Anyway, Tain wasn't here to look at herself in the funny water. She was here to be an alpha! If only she knew exactly how one went about that..
Tain sat down next to the water, keeping her toes and tail carefully away from the edge, and thought about it.
Well, he black he-wolf she'd met last time she was here had said some stuff about it. Something to do with 'claiming' and 'empty' and 'wasteland.'
Wasteland, check. She was in the right place.
Empty..well, Tain didn't see any other wolves around. Also a check.
Claiming...
How did one go about that?

Tain tilted her head to one side and thought. It was a curious thing. Maybe being an alpha was more complicated than she'd thought after all. Claiming was not something she'd ever had to do before, mostly because there'd never been anything to claim.
Well, as far as she could see it, there might be several ways. Tain might have to go out and say she was claiming this Kamari place. Or she might just go around like she owned the place, which she would when she'd claimed it, and say she'd always been here and it was hers..
Well, okay.
It seemed like saying she'd claimed Kamari was best. After that she could do going around like she owned. That would work.
Tain got ready for a Howl again. She'd have to make sure everyone heard about this.

First she stood up and tried to look like she hadn't had to think about this at all. That involved mostly retracing her steps and coming in with head held high. Easy enough.
Tain turned tail and trotted back the way she'd come. Once she was sufficiently far away from the springs to make a difference, she turned around and raised her tail and head high.
The ground here was like glass. Tain tilted her head a bit to look at her reflection in it. It was pretty nice. Her head looked good held up.
Next step..go forward. Tain headed off in her usual wide stride toward the spring. She went a bit too fast, unfortunately, stopped, and did it over again so as not to look like an idiot. Almost stepping into the Hot Springs looked pretty silly, right before she was going to claim them for her own.
This time she managed to stride up to the springs, although a little slower than she'd like. Tain stopped, looked up, thought a moment, and did her Howl.
Hello! I am Tain of the Plains! I am alpha now! I have claimed this place, Kamari, for my own lands!
Right, that sounded okay. Now to make sure nobody else showed up..
None dare challenge me for it, because I am a mighty warrior, Tain of the Plains! I am the daughter of Zahor the Seer! My eyes are yellow!

Good. Now they knew who she was, what she was, and also a little useless information too. That should do fine.
Tain settled into a sitting position, right where she was when she got here, and waited for an answer. Presumably someone was going to say something back..although what, who knew.

[koli]

Koli had wondered far from the lands of Salen, he was still in deep thought as to wether or not he should offically join. Right now he was only there to keep an eye on Athabasca, he didn't want to leave her in a hurry, not when she was injured. What kind of Alpha born wolf would he be if he abondoned other wolves just for his own gain?

But Koli had gone away for a while, but he had promised to return. He had heard tale that there was a land, completly and utterly free. And Koli's heart could not resist, after all. It was his destiny to be leader of a pack. And now he had the chance, if he claimed the land as his own. He could return to Athabasca and ask her to be his Alphess, and they could run through the lands together, free and powerful. They would listen to no one but each other. No one would dare look down on them, not when they were the Alpha and Alphess.

And then? Then Koli could have his own pups, and he would raise them the way he had always wished to be raised. They wouldn't know any cruelty, only love. Of course; he would teach them of the dangers in the world and make sure they were always alert. But he wouldn't make the same mistake his father made. And he would never hurt his own pups.

Sniffing the air, Koli snorted and picked up his pace, he wanted to reach the lands and claim them before any other foolish wolf. He was an Alpha by blood, he was the first born to his father's pack. He had been trained to be an Alpha, hehad the birth rights to be one. And he wasn't about to let another wolf stand in his way... but if it was claimed? Koli probably would fight the wolf, and if he lost [which was highly unlikely in his mind] he would return to Salen and live his life with them.

Hearing a howl on the wind, Koli snarled to himself. How dare this 'Tain' wolf think that they were so mighty. They clearly hadn't met him. Once they did, they would see how wrong they were, they would realise that they were weak and pathetic compared to him.

Feeling a rumbling in his belly, Koli lifted his head up in a angry howl. "No!" He howled powerfully. "I claim these lands. I Koli, son of Nataku the strong" Koli's eyes seemed to darken as he felt the threat of a fight hang over him. Not that he was scared, he would gladly fight this other wolf. "I who stand tall and strong, I who have the knowledge to run a pack claim these lands for my own."

Dropping his head, his ears flattened and his upper lip curled, with a snarl he looked around him, whereever this 'Tain' was, he was ready. And he would fight to the death if he had to. These lands were too beautiful to give up. It would be a perfect place for him and Athabasca

[lan]

'Well, I can't say that went as planned...' His thoughts were nagging, pesky things, weren't they? They seemed to take enjoyment in criticizing his every action. It was only a last minute decision... How could he predict if it would affect his future? True, he can be a fairly precise predictor, but he guessed today was not his day. How could he possibly know he would later regret his decision to retreat, possibly even rescue himself from harm? He had thought it would have been best to beat it before even witnessing the alpha's - Exodus's - reaction. Oh lordy, what a sight that would have been, but the silence prevented it. It wouldn't listen to reason - the silence - and couldn't be controlled and... Well, that was enough said.

Personifying both toxic waste and the nature of silence... Lan was truly a wolf like no other. Now the only dilemma was to decipher if that was a good or bad thing...

And now, here, his story continues where it had began. 'How ironic.' The thought caused a small smile to crease his lips. Once the area morphed from a, more or less, thriving forest to a rather pathetic, barren landscape, Lan immediately knew that near the centre of that mass of brittle foliage was a pool of waste, which he had come to know as the Soul Sucker. Of course, it was only sensible that if he returned using the path he had come, Lan would only end up in the exact same place. Although he supposed it didn't matter too much. Lan had no preference of change or familiarity, but he would have rathered to have the meeting of the Soul Sucker remain in the past. Looks like something - or someone - doesn't want Lan to receive his wishes and considering the fact that their was no candidates he could elaborate, he supposed it was best not to interfere with their plans.

Why did Lan continue his journey forward, you ask? Well, there could be many possible answers, but the most probable would be that he only wished to converse with an old friend - even if he would be the only one speaking. It could keep him occupied for a few minutes and that was plenty good enough for Lan.

Before he was able, however, a howl entered his senses, speaking of introductions, claiming, and the beginning of alphahood. Lan's immediate reaction was to simply pursue his travels along a different route and hope for the best. At the moment, he was in no mood to confront another alpha. Then again... It seemed this one was only just beginning, therefore, easier to keep himself from entering the path of their jaws or claws. He couldn't really pinpoint the exact reason, but it was as if he were an extractor of an alpha's anger, or a wolf who was simply in control - or so they thought. Some would call it a lack of respect for authority while others refer to as lazy, but Lan... He calls it living. If they aren't fond of it, well, they should consider having a new rank.

Although as he had thought before, Lan was in no mood. It wasn't as though he were depressed... Only wanting to begin anew and if there was one thing he knows, it's that meetings with alphas never promise new beginnings. More like dead ends. 'Maybe if I keep moving, she won't notice...' Just as the thought entered his mind, another howl penetrated the skies - a different howl, formed by a different wolf and it seems this one wished the very same as the female. To claim the lands that were once free, for themselves. How arrogant. If it were Lan's decision, the lands would remain free, as they should be, but at the moment, this was the least of his concerns. 'What the hell? This a battle for land?? And I'm right in the friggin' middle of it???'

In attempts to escape, his additional weight caused a fairly fragile twig to collapse, the snap it emitted revealing his position. To make matters worse, Lan just had to add the unneeded commentary, "Ah, shit." Once the words slipped out, he sucked in a breath, attempting to suffocate his urge to say anything further. 'Maybe... they're at a different side of the lake.' That was his one hope.

[tain]

Tain wagged her tail in a slow, thoughtful sort of way, considering with some amusement that nobody was going to respond. This was good! She wasn't sure what she'd have to do if someone else wanted the land, but...
A snarl ripped the air, followed by a howl that was a little too close for comfort. Tain yelped and ducked behind a convenient..if prickly..bush, and huddled down. Because of this, she missed most of the words. Tain only caught the 'tall and strong' and 'Koli' parts.
Still, even she could guess the gist of the message, because there wouldn't be any point to mentioning what you looked like unless you wanted to fight. Also, the tone of the voice was rather nasty..

She huddled for a moment, then got curious as to what this new wolf looked like. It had sounded like a he-wolf to her. Tain wanted to see what he looked like, in case he was lying and was small and weak. And maybe his name wasn't Koli actually. Maybe it was..Teek, or something small like that.
Tain backed slowly, peeking over the top of the bush to see who it was. Unfortunately, she backed a little too much and into another pricker-bush.
A yelp escaped the she-wolf's jaws. She jumped up, the fur standing up on her back like bristles, and spun around. She spent a moment in a flurry of activity, trying to get the spines out of her tail.
They evaded her for a moment, before she caught the offending limb in her jaws. The prickes were removed by dragging her jaws down her tail (leaving, of course, a large path of soggy and damp fur). Tain turned around to spit them out.
"Ah, shit."[/i]
She stopped halfway through the movement as her eyes settled on the he-wolf. It was a white one, looking around in confusion and probably slight fear. Tain tilted her head to one side in her own gesture of confusion.
Well, that was odd. This one didn't look like he was tough or anything at all. In fact, he seemed to be rather nervous.
Well, Tain would have to run him off. Maybe if she snuck up on him and jumped out and said 'Boo!' it would work. Yeah..

Forgetting about the spines in her mouth, Tain dropped into a crouch and headed for the white wolf. He didn't even notice her, busy as he was looking around nervously. This would be easy..
The bushes were definitely against her today. A few feet away from the white he-wolf, Tain stomped hard down on another prickle. She jumped several feet, yelped loudly, and spun around.
Oh.
There was another wolf behind her, black, a he-wolf. Bigger, too. And, also, he looked pretty pissed...
Tain stood, one paw in the air, her mouth still with prickers in it, and stared for a moment while she regained her wits. She cut her eyes from side to side and said the first thing that came to her mind.
"Mph..h'llo, T'k. I m'n, Kol'."
She mumbled this around the prickers in her maw, smiling still, then remembered something all at once: she was Alpha here. Tain the Alpha. And this black wolf..Teek, Koli, whatever his name was..was not. In fact, he seemed to think he was, and he wasn't, and Tain would have to do something about it.
Preferably without the prickers in her mouth and paw.
"S'c'se m'."

She spat the prickers out, overbalanced once or twice pulling the thorn out of her paw, and spat that one out too. Next she rearranged her features into a look of deep wisdom, pride, and idiocy and cleared her throat. Her head and tail went up, and she attempted to look down her nose at the bigger he-wolf in the way her father Zahor had.
(And, of course, she said the words her father always had in this particular occasion, pitching her usually light voice into a sort of squeaky growl.)
"Hullo. I-am-Tain-the-of Plains-(oops, I mean of the Plains)-and-Alpha-Here. Durst-thou-wish to-challenge-my-Precedence. I-Warn-Thee-and-Thou-what-I-will-Require-Satisfaction-for-this-offence. Fool."
Good! That would do nicely. If that didn't send Teek-Koli into shivers and shakes, Tain didn't know what would.

[koli]

Koli snorted in disgust, did this Tain really believe that she could beat him? It was pathetic, he was clearly more powerful. Her howl had been so...weak. An alpha needed strength, courage and good leadership skills. Something he'd been raised to have. He couldn't wait to meet this femme and see what she was like. He wondered what she looked like... for some reason in his minds eye, he could see a Omega wolf, weak, small and frail trying to be bigger then they were.

A scent caught his strong nose and Koli's eyes searched the area around him, and his eyes fell on a white wolf. Growling his eyes borred into the white wolf. Was this the 'mighty' Tain? Seeing the wolf's lips move and hearing what sounded like 'Ah, shit' Koli began to assume that it was, why else would that wolf seem so scared? Maybe Tain had finally realised who was the stronger wolf and who was the right wolf to be Alpha here. "Hmph, what kind of Alpha are you? You're nothing more then a coward" He growled relaxing slightly, after all. What threat was a coward?

Suddenly there was a flash of grey and Koli saw another wolf stop infront of the white wolf. Narrowing his eyes he looked between the two, which one was Tain? One of them had to be... unless Tain was still hiding. Hearing the other wolf try to talk, Koli had to clamp his mouth shut to top himself from laughing. What on earth was wrong with that femme? It didn't take long for him to work out that the white wolf was a tresspasser. Afterall Tain was a girl, and this white wolf wasn't. Koli could tell that now that he was close enough to catch his scent.

Watching as she spat out thorns, his eyes darted along the surrounding lands of Kamari and saw a few thorn bushes. So... that was where the coward Tain had been hiding. What sort of Alpha hid away in shrubs and bushes? A real Alpha stood firm and strong and would risk his life for the sake of the pack. IF in some way Tain won the lands, Koli really feared for the pack. How long would it be till Tain killed them all?

As Tain regained her posture and tried to scare him with pathetic words, Koli found he couldn't stop himself. Letting out a loud laugh he almost fell to the floor. What on earth was she saying? Not even the old shawman in his pack had spoken like that. Was that supposed to scare him? Did this 'Tain' really think a few old words would freak him out? No it was entertaining him.

Straightining himself up he stiffened his laugh and looked directly at Tain. "I have to thank you for that. It's been quite a while since I laughed" He said cruely. "If you thought that would make me back down or scare me away, then you need to look in a river and see who is the true fool." Arching his back he bared his teeth, the word 'fool' became a harsh and dangerous snarl. Now that he had seen Tain he could tell that he could easily beat her, she was no Alpha, and he would prove it. "If you want these lands, you'll have to fight me for them coward!"

[tain]

A puzzled look appeared on Tain's face..the wolf Koli was..laughing? What was there to laugh at? She couldn't see anything funny around here, really, aside from the Hot Springs. But then, they weren't rabbits, like she'd imagined, so they weren't really that amusing..
She titled her head as the black wolf got up and glared at her and forced herself to stay with her head and tail up. That one looked like he might try to fight, in which case..well, she'd have to as well. After all, that was what Alphas did, and she was One now. Plus, he was a trespasser, and a bit of a jerk, too.
And his sense of humor was wierd.
"I have to thank you for that. It's been quite a while since I laughed. If you thought that would make me back down or scare me away, then you need to look in a river and see who is the true fool."[/i]
Tain decided to disregard Teek's..(no, it must be Koli. Maybe the other wolf was Teek. This one wasn't.)..Koli's tone of voice, and instead smiled brightly. Well! Maybe he wasn't so bad as all that. He was polite, if nothing else, and also, could admit to a few faults. Maybe he wouldn't be too bad of an alpha when he found his own territory.
Well, she'd better be polite in return.
"You're welcome!" Tain smiled, her black lips curving back over her fangs, and wagged her tail back and forth to show that she meant it. It was always nice to make somebody laugh, and that was one thing she was good at. She'd made Meikou laugh, too, right after she'd met her.

Oh, wait.
There was a snarl building in the he-wolf's chest now, and it made Tain slightly nervous. Growling wolves were not happy, unless they were also crazy. Tain didn't think this Koli fellow was insane..he just didn't seem like the type.
For a moment, she considered growling back at him, but he was talking again. She didn't want to interrupt; it was rude.
"If you want these lands, you'll have to fight me for them coward!"
"Hey.."
Tain's voice trailed off, although not uncertainly. She was trying to think of something to say next, because she'd have to say something. That had been an insult, after all.
"Um.."
She cocked her head to one side to facilitate her thinking and licked her lips. What would she do?
Well, her mother had always said that her father had always said that she should never drink yellow water, eat a plant with three green leaves, or be rude to other wolves. So Tain wouldn't be rude, even if this wolf had obviously not had her upbringing. Instead, she'd stay with the challenge formula.
That sounded safe enough.

Tain cleared her throat again, put her head rightside up, and raised her tail as high as it'd go.
"Your-Challenge-Hath-Been-Reciepet. Please-wait."
Did she accept or not? Well, she probably would have to..after all, she was an Alpha, and he was a..something else. So she accepted.
"Your-Challenge-Hath-Been-Accepted. The-time-for-the-fight-ith-Right-Now. Defend thee, Recreant Wolf!"
Tain looked around, having finished with her denouncement, wagged her tail twice, and gathered her paws beneath her to prepare for a pounce.
Here goes!
She stared the he-wolf right between the eyes, as taught, and leapt in a flurry of gray fur and tail and bright yellow eyes...[/size]

[lan]

That small hope Lan had held was soon denied. There she was, attempting to keep from being seen. That must not be going too great, judging by her sudden out cry. How amusing. However, this female - Tain, he guessed - did not ease his disappointment. Disputes weren't entertaining when he wasn't the cause of it. Sad, but true. May as well add another comment while the peanut gallery is still open, "Ah... I completely blew it, didn't I?" He sounded genuinely discouraged, but not afraid. The small smirk growing across his snout proved it. A smiling wolf was not a scared wolf. Lan had always been too careless to be frightened. Besides, at this point, there was no need for such emotions.

"Hmph, what kind of Alpha are you? You're nothing more then a coward."
Lan's earthen eyes met those of another, darkly-coloured male - the wolf Lan supposed created the second howl. What Lan had first thought as arrogance rose to a entirely new level of ignorance and self-pride. So much so, even his mind was unable to rediscover a word to describe it. However, he did know this much: this Koli, he supposed, regarded Lan as inferior before giving him much of a chance to speak, and could also say the comment did not affect Lan in the least, coming from this wolf he had only laid eyes on moments ago. Well, of course, it had changed Lan's view of this Koli. Greatly, in fact. Lan felt he cannot find any respect for Koli, but then again, it wasn't as if Lan freely gave his respects in the first place. This would have been a much different story if Koli had actually learned of Lan's persona, which I must say, can become highly unpredictable.

Well, he guessed a rebuttal was in order, "Judging before knowing, I see..." This was more of his mind spoken aloud than anything else. During his course of thought, Lan's eyes had strayed elsewhere, but now levelled themselves with Koli's. "Well, Koli, son of Nataku the strong," - which Lan must admit, the name had never even been heard before - "I am truly sorry to disappoint... And I must say, being insulted by you is a real let down." The last statement was complete fib - sarcasm, to put plainly, but the tone Lan had used to speak caused his true intentions to become skewed with his facial expression matching his words. This meant Lan was attempting to assay just how proud this wolf was. It was also a test of his intelligence, as well. Which ever way it went, Lan would find the results highly amusing.

With their words no longer concerning Lan, a small barrier assembled near the back of his mind. It was meant to tune himself out from their current alpha conversation. Quite frankly, all this talk bored him. What use was it to him? That Koli was correct in one aspect: Lan was one crappy fighter, which can be classified as cowardice in somes' mind. What he was half-decent with was running, and perhaps dodging, as well. Both great survival skills, but in the means of defending oneself... They weren't exactly life-saving. But as far as Lan knew, he was not involved in this battle. He would have rathered if the Kamari lands remained unclaimed, but he wasn't in a position to stop them, now was he? If only he had a few muscles to show... Maybe adding a few inches could be intimdating... 'Yeah, that'd be the day. And on the same day, the sky'll turn orange.' A small chuckle escaped him at the thought.

To an onlooker, it may have appeared Lan was in deep thought and in all truth, he was. Though, the importance of these thoughts were still debatable. Usually, they range from, 'Huh, look at that shiny piece of garbage,' to 'Gee, that cloud really looks like a fish to me.'

And it seems just as he laughed, a mass of gray blurred his vision. What it was, Lan had no definite answer, but he had a strong feeling the action was beginning. Well, all there was to do now was wait. There was no way he was leaving until the alpha was decided. Can't deny his curiosity, and it had no plans of moving until a few answers were given. May as well take a seat, have himself comfortable. If it was a battle they were doing, Lan had a sure prediction in the winner. Now, he wasn't one to pick favorites, but he had hoped his prediction was wrong.

[koli]

Snorting at the white wolf, Koli wondered what he had meant by his words. Surely he wasn't challenging what Koli had said? After all, that white wolf was creeping around, and he seemed uncomfortable. Surely that showed he was a coward? Koli had always been taught that an Alpha was looked up to for leadership and guidence, and that if the Alpha was a coward and was weak, then so would the rest of the pack be. An Alpha was the core to the pack, and he must always be strong. "I judge only by my teachings, an Alpha must show no fear, by doing so he risks the lives of his pack" Koli said attempting at an apology. "I am sorry if my judgement was a little.... blind"

Honestly, what had the Salen done to him? What had the kindess of Tarus and the beautiful Athabasca turned him into? He was never one for apologies, he had always been taught that he didn't need to. That as an Alpha he was always right. Then gain, had what his father done been right? Hadn't Koli always thought it wrong of his father to be so cruel? Frowning, a thought crossed Koli's mind. He wasn't like his father was he? He couldn't be, he had worked too hard to turn into a monster like his father. He would never be so cruel... true, he was a wolf of the darkness, a wolf of the shadows. For all he knew was cruelty.... but that didn't mean he was like his father did it?

No of course not, he had apologised to the white wolf, that was something his father never did... maybe that was his mother. The side of him that had his mother's blood in him. But how did he know for sure? He'd never really gotten to know his mother, not after she'd been torn to shreds by dogs..all because he had been a coward. That's why he would never show fear, not again. He wouldn't allow someone else to die.

Koli was surprised when Tain took his insult as a compliment. Did she really believe that he was being kind to her? He had meant to insult her, to show that he found her words amusing and entertaining. Did she really think he would be kind to someone he was going to fight? If so then she was truely foolish, and he was beginning to wonder what would happen to a pack led by her. She would seriously need a strong Alpha to knock sense into her.

Trying not to laugh again when she used ancient language on him, Koli flexed his paws and got ready to fight, even if she didn't 'accept his offer' he'd still fight for these lands. He wasn't about to let these lands fall to someone like her. After all, what kind of Alpha hid when there was danger and was hesitant to defend their land? And anyway, his snarls hadn't been an offer, but a challenge. It wasn't something that could be said no to. Surely all wolves knew that!

Hearing that she'd accepted, a smile played on his lips, he could see her tail wagging, she probably thought it was a game. Maybe she was till a pup, who went around play fighting to gain more strength. Either way, he wasn't going to go easy on her.
As she lept at him, Koli let a deep snarl erupt from his throat and he stood his ground, opening his jaw, he snapped at her as she drew close to him, in high hope of sinking his teeth into her flank or her leg, if he was successful, then her attack would be meaningless.

[tain]

OOC: Sorry about the long wait. I wasn't home. Yeah.
BIC:

Sure of her success, Tain aimed for the middle of Teek-Koli's back and got ready to bite. This was an invincible attack, on her mother or on some sticks she'd once used to practice fighting. It would be great! She'd wi-!
A yelp escaped the small she-wolf's jaws as pain flashed in her left foreleg. Tain hit the ground and twisted away, shuffling backwards as fast as possible.
She stopped to examine the injury, her tail wagging in a blur. It didn't look bad..the black wolf had only taken off a little skin and scraped the fur some. It might leave a scar, but probably not. But even to Tain it was obvious that this wasn't going to work. Fighting for the territory was a sure way to lose.
Her mother had never mentioned this. Neither had that black wolf in the desert. Tain would think of another idea, and fast. First, though, she'd have to distract Koli.
"Look over there!" Tain pricked her ears, her golden eyes huge and wide, and stared hard at a point over Koli's shoulder. "It is a nostrich!"

Now a plan. Tain tucked her injured paw up by her chest and backed up a couple more paces, thinking hard. Obviously she couldn't give the territory to Koli. Suggesting that he give it to her wouldn't work. Therefore, they ought to divide it. That made sense.
"Look! I mean, don't. I mean, look here." Tain wagged her tail hard, trying to look sincere and unthreatening. She kept her head and ears erect with an effort. "We can't fight about this. It's too serious. After all, you don't fight about food do you? That's serious. This is more serious. We can't fight about it."
Um, um, um. Now what?
"I propose something else. I propose we divide the territory. You can have half and be an Alpha and I'll have half and be one, too. That way everybody wins."
Tain smiled and nodded. That sounded like a great plan to her. After all, Kamari was a big territory. There was more than enough space for two packs.
"We can divide it here, at Hot Springs. I'll take the desert half and half of the Springs, and you can have the Human Remains and the other half."
Hopefully that would be acceptable to Koli. After all, the Remains had good things at it..shelter, food, and even some kinds of medicines (or so she'd heard.) The desert had food and shelter, too, but less of it and harder to find. Tain didn't mind, though..she'd grown up in the plains, and was good at finding food on a large empty area.
"Whatcha think? Good idea?"
Tain cocked her head, staring at Koli sideaways and smiling a bit. She liked the plan. Maybe Koli would too..that would be good. Then she wouldn't have to fight and, heh, lose. She didn't think that the other white wolf wanted to help her, so the chances of Tain winning a fight were very small.
The she-wolf turned her head back over and waited for an answer, eyes hopeful.

[lan]

Hold on, here. An apology? Could he be hearing correctly? Well, Lan couldn't exactly say it was a sincere, 'I'm so sorry,' justification, but it was an attempt to have words previously said mean nothing. Koli's attempted apology caught Lan off guard. Then again, his effort didn't deserve a first class trophy. More like a well done sticker. Hell, if it weren't an overly confident male, that would have been the one of the most shabby things he's heard. But Koli was an overly confident male, and his words managed to struck pangs of disbelief within Lan. Now that, my friend, was something to be proud of.

As if he were an innocent bystander, Lan only watched. He found the fact that this Tain was attempting to defeat Koli fairly amusing, but he had hoped it wouldn't become serious. He wouldn't do anything, of course, but conflicts weren't as amusing when he wasn't the cause of them. Then, they become normal, regular... Boring, and Lan couldn't stand that. What good has being normal - a clone copy of the rest of the population done to achieve anything? Sure, you may be of a different descent when compared to another, but really, we're all the same. We all work toward a particular goal. Otherwise, there would be no reason for continuing the life you have been given.

Now this is what truly defines an individual. Their hopes and dreams speak for who they are. And that is why Lan is hellbent in discovering these goals.

"Look over there! It is an ostrich!"
He looked. Saw nothing. Looked back at Tain. Saw blood. His predictions about this Tain character were correct, he supposed. The chance of her winning are next to none, and Lan was no better off.

"I propose something else. I propose we divide the territory. You can have half and be an Alpha and I'll have half and be one, too. That way everybody wins."
What? Did she say 'divide' the territory? Koli wouldn't agree to that... would he? His heart seemed to be set on dubbing himself the leader of these wastelands. Why would he freely give away half when he could claim it all? To Lan, Tain's proposal seemed like a shot in the dark.

"Everybody wins... Then what do I win?" Lan blurted, refusing to continue this conversation without getting his two cents in.

OOC: Yeah, I know. Crap post.

[koli]

Koli smiled as he heard the almost heavenly sound of thet she wolf Tain's yelp. In battle it was a good sound to hear from the enemy, but out of fights it was a deadly sound. Thankfully, Koli was in the right situation to be able to enjoy it without the judging eyes of other wolves. It felt good to hear her yelp, it made him feel like he had the upper hand, and it made his certainty of winning seem only greater.

As the she wolf backed away from his Koli snorted in disgust. Was the wolf going to give up so easily after one small bite? He probably hadn't even got to the bone. It was a skin injury nothing more. If she truely wished to be an Alpha she'd have to learn to step up and learn to endure pain. What if they were attacked? Would she run as soon as a few hairs were pulled out of her tail, even if it meant endangering the pack?

Clearly this she wolf was a coward and didn't understand the importance of being an Alpha. She didn't understand what it required, if she did, she would know never to back down... or use useless tricks. Her attempt to make him look away had been useless. The whole 'look behind you' was the games of pups, not adult wolves. "Do you take me for a fool?" He snarled the hackles on his neck rising as he began to feel insulted.

And yet still this... pup acted like everything was a game. Wagging her tail she tried to be friendly and it semed like she wanted to end the fight. Koli had an urge to knock some sense into her. Who was she trying to fool? She'd be a weak Alpha and she'd put everyone in danger... if she'd been born of Alpha blood,why hadn;t her parents trained and taught her properly? Why hadn't they told her that games didn't get you through life?

Koli was slightly worried for the wolf, one day something would happen to her. And her childish acts would get her in serious danger. Although she was an enemy, Koli hoped she would grow up and learn some harsh truths before that. Otherwise she could end up sprawled out on the floor. Some wolves wouldn't be as tolerant as he was being right now.

On the question over fighting for food Koli laughed. "You are still a pup" He growled. "The law of the land states we must fight for territory and food. Would you allow a Sikla to take the best parts of the meat?" He asked rhetorically. Of course the answer was no, the best parts of the meat went to the Alpha's and the pups. "If we do not fight we die, we are wolves and it is what we do" He growled hoping to teach this pup a few lessons that had clearly not been taught to it before.

Koli was taken back by the she wolf Tain's proposition... had she really suggested dividing the land? Clearly she was a fool, no wolf would propose that. The land of Kamari was meant for one Alpha and one Alpha alone. Pack boundries didn't work like that, by sharing territory Tain was asking for dissagreements and more fights. Koli had seen what sharing could do to some packs. It drove them to hate and to uneeded fights over simple things.

"I refuse your offer pup, your mind is clearly blinded. You should return to your mother and learn the facts on life. Lands cannot be shared, if you wish to cause unecciary fights and deaths then divide this land. But I have knowledge of how to run a pack and I do not see the world as a large game" He snarled. "Any pack run by you right now would die" He said revealing the truth that he could see about the wolf, she was untrained... unfit to be an Alpha... for now. One day maybe she could make a good Alpha, but right now she was too young, she had no experience and didn't appear to know anything.

Turning towards the other wolf Koli sighed and looked at him closely. "Do you wish to claim these lands aswell?" He asked in a gentler tone, he held no anger towards this other wolf... not anymore. "I won't allow this land to be divided, I have seen lands which are devided, and it has left blood to be foolishly spilled on the ground. If you wish to fight, then fight." He said qiving a quick glance at Tain "Properly" He said before looking back at the grey wolf. He had nothing against Tain, the wolf looked strong and although he had acted like a somewhat coward earlier he could see greatness within him.

[/size]

[tain]

Tain glanced at the white wolf, wondering exactly what he might get out of this. That was an interesting question, she supposed..
"You are still a pup. The law of the land states we must fight for territory and food. Would you allow a Sikla to take the best parts of the meat? If we do not fight we die, we are wolves and it is what we do"[/i]
Sikla? What was that? Tain ignored the wolf's tone of voice (and the slight about the pup,) wondering to herself vaguely what on earth a Sikla was. Obviously some kind of lower rank..
She didn't want to fight. Fighting was counter-productive, it seemed to her. Why should wolves die when they could live? Living was, after all, what any creature deserved.
A vague memory of her mother saying something penetrated Tain's thoughts. Might is right when bullets take flight. Tain didn't know what a bullet was, of course, but she got the general understanding. Wolves fought because other wolves fought.
Maybe something should be done about it.
"I refuse your offer pup, your mind is clearly blinded. You should return to your mother and learn the facts on life. Lands cannot be shared, if you wish to cause unecciary fights and deaths then divide this land. But I have knowledge of how to run a pack and I do not see the world as a large game. Any pack run by you right now would die."[/i]
That was unfair..but, come to think of it, maybe truthful? Tain wasn't very old..barely over two years. She didn't know for sure how a pack might be run, even though her father had been an Alpha. But she still didn't see why Might had to be Right and the wolves had to fight eachother for things. Couldn't everyone live like decent creatures?
She bristled slightly, but in an uncertain manner. Tain did not anger easily, and she was starting to think this Koli was right, somehow. She might not make a good Alpha, although she wouldn't go so far as to kill anyone.
And then there was her father. He'd had to kill before. He'd killed her brother and then himself. Tain couldn't do that, not ever. That would be terrible...it would mean that Might was Right, and she'd have killed other wolves that might have lived otherwise. And she didn't think she could fight, either, even this one called Koli and not the white one, who hadn't harmed her.
He might be right about her not being an alpha. Her father had been an alpha, but her mother had said he wasn't really a great one..just the only wolf that would lead. Other wolves were willing to lead here. She might not have to.

Tain's tail and ears dropped. She stared at the back of Koli's head and licked her lips. She might jump on this black wolf now and win the fight..he couldn't stop her. He'd as good as inivited her to do it; he was off his guard and had dismissed her as a threat to him. She could prove him wrong, and be an alpha.
Nah, Koli was right. She wasn't going to attack him. That wasn't something that was in her make. She'd dismissed the thought as soon as it came to her.
Tain looked up again, wagged her tail at the white wolf (who was facing her) and backed away into the brush. Koli was right. Alpha was not for Tain. She'd remain Tain of the Plains, and not be Tain the Alpha.

A few hundred yards off, Tain turned and loped off with her wide stride. She felt better now that that was over anyway. It hadn't been any fun even for the few second she'd been the Alpha. She could find somewhere else that she liked better.
Tain would go somewhere more hospitable..maybe north to Aldgar, where her friend had gone. That would be okay. She'd heard it was nice up there.
Tain sped into a sort of gallop, the kind she usually used to travel long distances, and turned herself north, dodging pricker bushes. This land was a bust anyhow. Koli could have the sandbox, and welcome to it in her opinion.

[rainstar]

Athabasca limped through the trees, her nose to the ground. She had been following Koli's scent all the way from the mines, and she could tell she was getting close. Her ears were perked forward and her mouth was slightly ajar as she breathed in slowly, analyzing and checking over each scent that hit her. As she moved ever so slowly across the land, her heart thudded wildly in her chest. Athabasca had been travelling for two days now, hobbling along on her good three legs and stopping only to rest when she had to. The black dame hadn't eaten in at least a week, and she was exhausted.

A whimper of pain escaped Athabasca's maw as her right hind leg brushed against a rock. Every touch hurt, like cold water on a sensitive tooth- but much worse. She couldn't exert enough pressure on the leg to walk properly, but she could tell that it was healing. Whatever herbs and medicine Thalia used back at the mines must have been working, and Athabasca was thankful.

The wound in her side hadn't given her much trouble, and the searing pain there had now faded into a dull throb with each step she took towards Koli. Exodus had been right about her unstable condition in a way, but Athabasca knew that she was getting closer to Koli with each step and when she did, she would rest and heal.

Suddenly a fresh scent wafted over the femme's senses and her head raised immediately. Koli!
The wolf was nearby! He couldn't be but ten wolflengths from where she was standing, swaying precariously in the faint breeze. Athabasca's ice blue eyes darted through the trees and came to rest with contentment on the figure of a black wolf standing, his back turned to her.

"Koli!" she howled, limping down the slope with more energy than she had in days. Her leg scuffed the ground a few times but she took no notice, her eyes fixed to Koli and her maw wide with happiness.

[lan]

Lan focused his earthen gaze onto Koli's once Lan had been addressed him. Did he wish to claim these lands? Having thought for a moment's time, the clear answer was no, he did not. He wished to freely walk the lands once more, and have others do the same. He supposed that option had been omitted long ago, however, ever since Koli choose to rule them. It seemed Koli had some sort of experience in conflict and Lan did not have much of a chance in winning. He hadn't been much of a fighter in the first place... Why would that change now?

His eyes strayed else where... to Tain, who gave her tail a slight wag, then disappeared into the undergrowth's mass. Silently, he wondered to himself why the she-wolf would quit so easily. Perhaps her motives were not strong in the first place, but Lan realized the certainty of this thought could never be reached. Koli, however, was a different story. He was still here, awaiting Lan to speak. Lan could ask him. Now, the answer may not be truthful, but it could bring forth a few ideas.

As the silence stretched on, Lan finally voiced his thoughts aloud. “Why—” he paused a moment, choosing the next tone and words mindfully. There was no need for unnecessary provoking. “—Do you wish to claim these lands?” During his course of thought, Lan had neglected to answer the other’s question, but was hoping he would take no notice and simply answer Lan’s. What Koli had said about him being a coward was, in one way, true, considering Lan had lost any battling skills he had long ago, and there was no other method of prevailing over Koli at the moment.

Lan shifted his gaze to Koli’s once more, and a pestering thought entered Lan’s mind. If this were his brother’s decision, he wouldn’t hesitate to take these lands for himself. He would have been quite capable in bringing this Koli down and doing whatever he so pleases with the land. Thinking this uncovered the truth; that Lan was not his brother, but in fact, a different individual entirely, forcing a personality that was not his own to replace hidden sadness.

After realizing he was not alone and that these thoughts could interfere with his upcoming actions, Lan immediately absorbed an unexplored concept to distract his mind… Like that wolf who suddenly arrived, appearing to be unusually happy to see this Koli. And there was nothing like two staggering wolves to make poor Lan feel insignificant, but being relatively short for his breed, the small size difference didn’t seem to faze him. What he was wondering was why this female was apparently rather happy to lay eyes on Koli, while the limp in her stride seemed to go unnoticed by Lan. He had been rather confident with his safety, since he did not violate Koli in any way, and Koli didn't seem to be one who would attack without reason while Lan was deep in thought, but now... Now he wasn't so sure. He did, however, take a small hint of relief in the fact that Tain was no longer present.

Was this some sort of recruit to eliminate whatever opposition prevented Koli in receiving his wishes? Then again... She did seem to be damaged. But would there be more in his arsenal? After rethinking this, he shook his head in disagreement. They could have had the upper hand—the element of surprise—but they immediately lost that chance.

He rose a brow, speculating the sudden change of situation.

[koli]

The wolf Tain seemed to be thinking things through, which amazed Koli. He had thought that the young wolf would make some olden english comment or yap and bark for strange joy. Maybe Tain had come to realise what Koli was saying...maybe Tain was taking on board what he had said and was realising that she was too young to be an Alpha.

As she left the lands, guilt entered Koli for a moment... he couldn't leave her in such a cut and dry way. He had to let his thoughts be known. He didn't wish to cause constant conflict between them, and he realised that although his words spoke truth. He had delivered them rather harshly... there were better ways to inform wolves of their mistakes.

Throwing his head back into a howl, he howled to Tain. "Tain, I stand by my words... but know this pup. You will make a good Aplha one day" He hoped his words would comfort the wolf and give her some sort of emotional boost or whatever it was that the wolves called it these days. Whatever it was called, Koli hoped that his words would brighten the pup's spirits. And he hadn't said it just to be kind... if that wolf grew up a little and learnt more about the truths of life...she could become a great Alpha.

Turning back to the other wolf, Koli sighed and listened to his question. For once Koli would try to be patient... was it not obvious that he wished to claim these lands? If he hadn't, he would not have fought so much with Tain. But... he was done being angry and impatient.. he knew that anger could easily blind him...and he didn't wish to be like his father. "Yes" Koli said trying not to let his frustration show. "I am claiming these lands... If you also wish to, then as the law of the land states... we must fight." Koli said flicking his ear as he felt a fly buzzing its way round it. "If not, and you wish to join a pack.. then the pack I will be making is open."

Koli did hope this wolf would consider his offer, after all. A one wolf pack didn't do much, and it would be little use against predators and stray wolves. And the land of Kalamari was big, one wolf couldn't protect it all. And Koli had no idea if Athabasca would even join him when he returned and asked her to be his mate. After all, they'd only just met...and she seemed so happy in Salen.

Just thinking about Athabasca caused Koli's spirits to drop. These past few days a lot had happened between the two. At first Koli had disliked the fiesty she wolf for insulting him and cutting him deeper then most wolves had... but when she had gotten injured he had blamed himself...and his anger had dissapeared. As he had fought to keep her alive, he had seen her in a new light, and he had realised that he loved her.

Hearing his name, Koli growled with confusion and looked behind him...and joy filled his heart. There she was, the very wolf who he'd been thinking about. It was as if his thoughts had brought her here. He was so happy to see her that his tail began to wag quickly. How on earth had she got here? Why had she come? How on earth did she even know that this was where he was.

But Koli soon realised that even though he was happy that the beautiful black wolf was here... she was still injured. He watched as she limped towards him and his tail suddenly froze. She still wasn't well, why had she traveled all this way in her state? Did she wish to hurt herself even more? "A-Athabasca!" He whined as he met with her and licked her muzzle. "I'm so glad you're here... but pardon me asking..why are you here? You're not in a great state to travel such a great distance... what if you had gotten killed? I would have died if I found out that my foolishness had gotten you killed."