[OPEN] `arrival of a true warrior

[blahblah56]

The large tundra wolf fae walked along the bottom of the mountain, her yellow orbs searching for a way to climb it. It was quite large, and much taller then anything she'd ever attempted to master. However she knew that should she make it even halfway up she would reel from the benefits. Her massive paws padded onto the hard, rubble ground. Looking around she made clear notice that no other wolves were currently close to her. This didn't not bother her, and was probably for the best. Her history prevented her from having any normal relations with others of her kind. It had even gotten her into some trouble and given her a few memorable battle scars. Though over the years she had indeed became a bit calmer, yet her thirst for power still remained.

As she moved around the mountain she remained silent. Though she didn't realize it she had trained herself to avoid stepping on anything that would make noise. It had proved helpful and was key in surviving as a loner, and had worked pretty well thus far. Now tilting her head up toward the snow capped mountain top she silently decided to procrastinate climbing it for now. It wasn't that she couldn't do it or that she didn't want to, it was simply that the fae wished to do something else.

Feed..

Yes, the growling hadn't been from her snout but instead her belly. Even though she had hunted and eaten an arctic fox just a day or two ago, she was beginning to feel as if she needed something more. Being a loner meant that she moved a lot, not sticking to one place for too long. Also, being the hunter and wolf that she is meant she ran quite a bit. Being almost all muscle, she was quite an overpowering fae. With determination in her eyes she then padded over toward the evergreens and look ahead, searching for any kind of prey nearby.

Tilting her head back once again she let her senses run wild. Smelling a faint scent of something, she moved farther away from the mountain toward a small covet between two large boulders. Sniffing around the rocks and on the ground she began to pick up a trail of what seemed to be a medium sized bighorn. By the size of the imprints on the ground it looked as if the sheep would be more then enough for Athena. Following the scent more carefully and more stealthy now, she made her way into the covet. About fifty or so yards away she could see what looked to be a young, medium-sized male bighorn. Now in a crouching position she began stalking up silently to her prey until she was about ten yards away, or thirty feet. Then coming in a bit closer she waited until the sheep's attention was on something in the distance to make her move.

Once his head was turned she began to make chase. Taking off with such speed and determination the wolf showed her superior skills as she cornered the male. He attempted to head butt her and she dodged to the right, then quickly leaping back at his throat. Large and sharp teeth sinking in she felt the blood trickle down her throat, a tickling sensation. Her power led by hunger she quickly snapped his neck and watched satisfyingly as his body dropped to the ground with a thud. There, she looked around to make sure she was alone before she began to feast.

After her dinner she left the remaining meat in the covet and moved a few feet away, laying down against the side of the boulder. Licking her paws and quickly cleaning herself up, she then made sure yet again that she was safely alone. Laying her head on her giant, white paws she kept her eyes on the entrance as she relaxed. She felt like napping, but knew that this was not the place. Her belly now full and her mind calm, she silently sat resting and waiting until she felt less bloated before she would leave.

[Uruviel]

A generally friendly, multi-hued alpha brute trotted along towards the scent of the unfamiliar, unwelcomed guest. It's time these wolves learn that they cannot just waltz onto claimed lands unpunished, he thought grumpily. He had already dealt with a huge group of new members swarming him at once; he didn't need this right now. Especially on an empty stomach.

A growl rumbled in Xinelil's as he caught whiff of what this femme had been doing on his lands. Hunting. What an idiot! he thought in a sudden rage. It was one thing to enter a claimed terra without permission. By hunting on the lands, this femme easily could have signed her death warrant. It was a major foul of wolven etiquette to enter a territory and hunt without permission. Xin was not pleased; not pleased at all. As he strutted through the forest trees, the smell of the kill's fresh blood angered him even further.

Xinelil burst out from the trees to find a rather bloated looking femme laying against some boulders. He growled angrily at her, his head and ears shooting up dominantly. "What do you think you're doing?" he snarled, riled up by her already unpleasant presence. "Did you not check to see that these are my lands? My pack?!" He wasn't in the mood to play games with trespassers anymore. If they were not going to abide by the rules of simple loner etiquette, he was not going to treat them very kindly. Enough wolves had trespassed on his lands already that he could not stand to let another one get away unpunished.

This femme would be his example to anyone else who thought it would be smart to enter a pack land without howling first. He would allow her to speak, of course, but whatever she had to say would need to be pretty damn good for her to get off scotch free. He wasn't in the mood to be toyed with any longer; he needed to show that he had authority on his own lands. "Speak." The order was rough and unkind, but he wasn't really feeling like dealing with the situation in a sweet mood. She had trespassed; that in itself was warrant enough for him to attack and kill her. He didn't care if she could not find food elsewhere; she still needed to respect the boundaries of his pack's territory.

I will show them... I will show them all that I'm ready for this responsibility, he thought, still snarling at the femme and eying her carefully. If she were to make any sudden movements, he would be ready for her. He wouldn't let her have the upper hand; especially since this was his land. Perhaps now was the time he needed to start acting dominant rather than just prancing around the land with the title. He snorted roughly to cover up a chuckle at what the femme had done. There were still bits of meat left on the bighorn carcass that were driving him nuts. It had been over a week since his last meal, and he was getting quite weak because of it. Food was essential.

Hopefully the pack listened and went to hunt some small game, he thought, grateful that he had the authority to send them to do something like that while he dealt with this femme. It would be great to come back to some rabbits, maybe a few squirrels. He wasn't expecting anything overly large, as they didn't have a big enough pack to take down some of the larger prey on the terra. Even with himself, Kadhi, and Siscarm earlier, it was likely that they could not have taken down a very large animal. But that had all been foiled by the arrival of Exodus.

Xin growled; he would deal with the food issue later. If he were to scare this femme off, he would be able to feast on whatever was left on the carcass. True, reducing himself to a scavenger was weak, but he needed to do what he needed to do. Survial of the fittest was definitely the concept out here.

[blahblah56]

As she laid against the hard rock, she felt a certain amount of ease. These lands were quiet and seemed to have good hunting grounds and for this she was thankful. It wasn't often that she got to have such a large feast such as this one. Usually she ate whatever she could. Whether that be birds or rabbits, or at times even unsuspecting field mice. It didn't matter to her what it was as long as it was edible. She needed the supply of food to keep her muscles strong, so that she could run and hunt as well as she did. It was necessary in the life of a loner.

Sometimes she did indeed wish for a pack she could be a part of. However she knew that her nature would only allow her a dominant, alpha role. This would be almost impossible unless she were to start her own pack. However it was a stretch to think of herself in a pack again. Even after all of this time she still had an non trusting feature within her. It was from her past, and it was why she had been alone for thus long.

Looking over at her kill a small hint of pride gleamed in her yellow eyes. All her life she'd been an exceptional hunter. It was the only thing she actually loved to do. Stalking her prey, watching it walk its last steps. Then the thrill of the pounce, and the way she heard the neck snap as she bit on. Simply the thought of the meals blood trickling down her throat made her mouth water. Of course she wasn't hungry anymore, but it was thrill that she hungered for. Sometimes when she was wandering through lands she would often kill small game. A rabbit here, a squirrel here, and only eat a bit leaving the rest for any wolf who came behind her. This was usually why most packs didn't mind her passing through; she often left them food behind.

Licking the rest of the blood of the sheep off of her front paws, she then snapped her attention to the front as she heard someone approaching. It was then that she saw a brute burst out from within the woods. Watching him carefully she eyed him until he came closer, though she stayed on the ground. If she stood abruptly he would think that she was afraid, or submissive. However she wasn't; and because of this, she stayed right where she was. Muscles relaxed and heartbeat steadied, she watched him come closer to her. She wasn't trying to have an attitude or say that she had no respect, she simply wasn't a submissive fae. The femme knew that if it came to it, she would defend herself. From the way he stood and looked at her, she could already tell he must be the alpha male of these lands.

Now as he bombarded her with these questions she simply laid there listening intently. After he finished speaking and then instructed her to reply, she continued laying for a moment. The fae tundra wolf then stood up slowly and lazily, showing that she was a dominant wolf as well. Not backing down, she stared the male right in the eyes. Standing at his level she knew that he would get the message. It was disrespectful to stand this way to a superior, especially to look at them with such intensity. However Athena didn't think of him as a superior. No, instead she looked at him as an equal. Legs straight and tail straight as well, her stance alone showed her refusal to be scared by this wolf.

Even as he spoke she could see him looking at her kill. He was hungry, and she could tell. Now, at this point any other wolf would have either laid down with submission, or began yelling and fighting with the alpha. However Athena felt that it was more effective to stay calm in such situation. The less words the better, as it showed no fear. Seeing him lust at the carcass one last time, she then looked to the sheep as well and then back to the alpha. She was signaling that he was more then welcome to feast upon it.

"Eat." She spoke softly, her voice light and wispy; her tone calm.

This wasn't signaling her defeat; no this was simply respect from one wolf to another. He was an alpha and she knew that with his status he would need to feed and keep up his strength. Most likely he would just continue to either question her, or kill her instead, but that was his choice. Her having just eaten she was a tad bloated, however in much better condition to fight then him. The fae tried not to fight other wolves whenever possible. But then again, she wasn't going to back down either. Waiting to see his response she continued to stand there; her stance the same as his own.

[Uruviel]

With a sullen shiver down his spine, Xinelil stared down the femme with anger in his eyes. How DARE she keep such a dominant posture towards me, as a trespasser on my lands, he thought, dulling a snarl that was caught in his throat. The brute was flabbergasted that a femme would ever try something as stupid as wandering onto claimed lands, yet fail to acknowledge that anything was even wrong. "What would possibly give you the right to act so dominantly towards me, the alpha male of these lands?" he grunted, growling angrily. At this rate, the femme would be lucky to get away unpunished.

As she gestured towards her kill, Xinelil felt his stomach lurch irritably. He was not one to take handouts, but the kill had been made on his lands and therefore belonged to him. Keeping a wary eye on the femme, the brute's head dropped towards the flesh, tearing chunks from the carcass and filling himself in mere moments. He was quick to step away from the kill; he hated what he had just done. He was no scavenger, and no femme had the right to tell him what to do on his lands.

"You do not have long. Explain yourself, or you will be punished," Xinelil whispered cruelly. The darker side of the brute was emerging; it had taken this long for him to realize what a true leader needed to do. He was most definitely not an evil ruler. He merely sought organization in his territory. If he could not secure the territory, he was little more than an omega in the eyes of most wolves. The creatures of this land had waltzed on and off without as much as a howl, and it was about time he did something about it.

If there was one slight thing that intrigued him about this femme, it was her dominance. It was the main reason he had been angered by her presence, yet it still caught his attention. Many femmes crumpled at his feet, willing to please him at all costs. This one, however, was standing up for herself. She never gave the slightest signs of obedience. It both infuriated and excited Xinelil. He couldn't quite determine whether she was a regular femme or not. She was strong, a fighter for sure. Although he had the advantage of size and strength over her, he was certain that she would not be an easy target. Regardless of what he thought, though, something still needed to be done.

Whatever you have to say, it better be good, he thought, his vivid green orbs still focused on the femme's opaque fur. He had given her ample time before she had offered the food to speak. Yet all she had told him was to feast on her kill. What kind of femme was this?!

((OOC: I'm soooo sorry about this. I meant to post a long time ago ))

[narcissa]

((OOC: Would it be alright if Narcissa joined this thread? She's just heading across the island to find a cooler climate and I'd like to get her in a thread with some other characters since her first thread wasn't really a success lol although that's probably due to my impatience and eagerness to begin with her. Blah blah blah, lol, I'll stop rambling now :/ If you'd prefer this one to be just for Xin and Athena I can delete this ))

---

She licked her lips, feeling much better after the squirrel she'd chased down and hunted. Funny little bugger, he'd been. A bit like the ones back home but different at the same time. She would definitely need to get used to things around here. She snorted. Or not. Why was she acting like she was going to stay here? True, it was far away from home - not even the same land mass - but that didn't mean she needed to set up and settle down this instant. It was an option and merely that, she reminded herself, lifting her head up a little bit higher as her eyes gleamed with some unexplainable emotion.

Narcissa had first seen the mountain range not too long after leaving the beaches though at that time they'd only been distant monoliths on the horizon. Now with every paw step she took they loomed closer and closer. And with that came the promise of cooler temperatures and a respite from this blasted heat. Narcissa narrowed her eyes and began to run harder and she spied trees up ahead. Granted, the weather here wasn't as bad as it had been on the beach near that not-really-a-mountain but still. Compared to the north, it was hot enough. But so had the mainland when she'd been traveling there. The further south she went, the hotter it got. It was starting to become a fact to her - some weird unexplainable equation. Not that she particularly cared to understand. Some things were better left unsaid - the mysteries of life.

She had reached the beginnings of the mountains now and began to pick her way up through the trails. When she was a bit higher and it was cooler she'd find a cave or something to rest in and maybe hunt for something more substantial to tide her over until the morning. Who knew what sort of weird animals this land might hold? She managed a small grin at that but it was halted as fresh scents became apparent. Wolf scents. Narcissa rolled her eyes and then glanced around, wondering where she could head. But then angry growls came from not too far away and a small smirk appeared on her maw. She crept forwards along the path, tail held high as to not drag behind her. She glanced around the corner when she got there, just taking a peek before stepping back again. The brute, had he not said something about being an alpha. Narcissa resisted the urge to growl. Stupid prat. And the fae? Who was she? Some random nobody trespasser? Narcissa snorted and turned to leave, wanting nothing of their business.

Or perhaps, if she was to consider staying on the island, it would be....amusing...to re-invent herself. Smirking at the thought, she slipped around the corner, a polite expression on her face. She forced her eyes to widen in surprise at the pair of them. "Oh!" she remarked in surprise. "I'm sorry, sir. I didn't see you there. Am I interrupting? Oh dear... I'm sorry," she rambled fretfully. What the hell was she playing at? She had no clue but it was certainly different. She felt slightly uncomfortable but if it was visible it would surely only add to the charade. "Are you the alpha?" she added politely, dipping her head in respect. "I thought these lands were claimed but I wasn't sure you see - I'm not all that good and making out different scents and such - and I didn't want to howl in case something else heard." She shivered, glancing around as if expecting some bear to come charging out of a cave. Sometimes her youth could have an advantage. "I'm dreadfully sorry for my rudeness," she apologized, worry etched on her face. It was surprisingly easy to slip into the role of... well, her old self, she realized with a start. If none of... the bad stuff... had happened then maybe this would have been her. So maybe... this was a good thing. Maybe she could finally put her past behind her and become the old/new her. Not just as some act though... for real.

[Uruviel]

As Xinelil eyed the femme suspiciously, she made no move to respond or run away. This only angered the brute more; she was refusing to answer his call to speak. What an arrogant femme, he thought, his lip curling back with a snarl. If she did not speak soon, he would not hesitate to go after her. Regardless of his current condition, he could easily take her. Besides, these were his lands. He was the ruler; he set the rules. Those who broke the rules were subject to punishment.

After feasting upon the corpse of the femme's kill, Xin was much more alert, and definitely much stronger than before. If she didn't speak soon, any leverage that offering the food to him would've earned would be erased. However, the alpha brute suddenly caught the sound of another wolf approaching. This wolf, too, was not familiar to him; yet another trespasser on his territory. What will it take to keep these wolves off my territory if they choose not to howl? he thought, growling deeply. He watched as a femme that looked eerily similar to the femme before him approach.

Xinelil growled as the femme addressed him as if he were simply another wolf of the same status; loner. This lack of respect was what kept brutes like Xin in an irritable mood. What did it take to get the wolves to respect him? However, at least this femme had noticed her mistake. Still, doesn't make up for the obvious negligence on her part, he thought angrily, watching her still closely as she rambled on with apologies.

"I will accept your apology, but be warned. Not many other wolves will take what you have done lightly. Trespassing is one of the most frowned upon things in the wolven world," he barked deeply, a sullen gaze settling on the femme. He was not quite as anxious about this femme as he was about the other; the first femme had shown no signs of submission and had even gone as far as matching his dominant posture. He was quite angered by her behavior; however, something in the back of his mind was snared. I like a fighter, he thought, a wicked smile curving across his maw. He shook his crown roughly, a frustrated gaze settling back on Athena as he waited for her answer.

If she did not take his offer to speak, then he would give her one last chance. "This is your final warning, femme. Speak; tell me why you believed it would be alright to wander onto claimed territory and hunt without permission?" he growled. He would, if she refused to answer once more, be forced to make an example out of this femme. He could not allow these wolves to think that it was alright to randomly wander onto the territory of the Aldgar Pack. He would have no choice but to rough her up a bit and kick her from the lands. If she would retaliate, he would have every right to kill her, though he didn't believe it would get that far. One last chance.

[narcissa]

((OOC: Sorry for not being on in a while, I was waiting for Athena to reply but then I thought I should probably post since it's been a while.))

Narcissa bit her lip, her mind still reeling with her new thoughts. Did she really want to become her old self? She journeyed so far to come here and this would be her climax? A faint slip back into a previous identity? She exhaled softly, claws tearing lightly at the sparse grass. She was just so confused. She didn't want to be this way. So... weak. Her eyes flashed angrily at the thought as she dipped her head down in mock shyness. No. She wasn't going to give in so easily - abandon the character she had worked so hard to create. Until it had become less of a character and more of her self. Now her old self would become the character in this strange new land. For not, that was all it would be. An illusion, a facade... A veil which she, the true Narcissa, would hide behind.

She raised her head back to the alpha, blushing slightly. "Thank you, kind sir," she simpered, her mind growling in protest at such a submissive attitude. With time she'd allow herself to grow more bold... to show her true self. Though the thought made her want to bark with laughter. "I don't know how it happened, I was just being so silly..." She sighed, shaking her head in mock despair at herself. Now she was feeling sick. This wasn't how even her old self would have acted. She lifted her head. "I swam across to get over here and the smell of salt is still clogging my senses." Not completely true but much better than acting like a foolish ditz. It was plausible too. Just not entirely accurate in her case.

[Uruviel]

((OOC: Since Athena's account has been deleted and she's still in the thread, she has to be killed. So... violence away! There IS powerplaying in this post, but the character doesn't exist anymore, so it's fine.))

Xinelil watched the femme that still refused to answer him, his lip curling up angrily as he revealed his long, sharp canines. "You have pushed me too far," he snarled. Her overall lack of respect and refusal to answer him warranted action. As much as he hated to make an example of this femme, he needed to. With a growl, the brute sprung forward, his claws tearing at the femme's coat. He watched as the scarlet liquid from within her veins poured to the outside, Xin's eyes glinting angrily. The red blood stained the femme's coat, and the alpha brute violently shoved her to the ground.

"I asked you nicely, three times," he growled, his fur bristled on end and an evident frustration and anger in his voice. He snapped at her neck, piercing the flesh and watching as more blood spurted out. "Those who trespass and hunt on other's lands deserve to die." He clamped his jaws around her neck, biting roughly until he heard a satisfying crack; the sound of the bone snapping beneath the pressure of his jaws. Xinelil watched as the femme's eyes grew dull; she was dead.

It was about this time that the brute turned back to the new femme, carefully wiping the blood from his maw. "I'm sorry you had to see that," he barked gruffly. "I am Xinelil, alpha of the Aldgar Pack. What is your name, femme?" he asked, no more anger in his voice. At least this femme had taken the time to apologize for her deeds. He made one last glance at the other femme's carcass before snorting. He would leave it out for the buzzards. Any other wolves who dared to trespass would see her bones and think twice before entering his lands unwelcomed.

It had been a while since he'd spoken with his pack. The alpha brute lifted his head and emitted a deep howl. "All members of the Aldgar Pack, return to the dens immediately." He needed to speak with them all and see who was still around. Those who still wished to be considered a member of his pack would meet him there.

[narcissa]

((OOC: So sorry again, my life has just been kinda hectic but I should be good now lol. Ah, okay, that's fine. Haha, sounds good to me ))

---

Narcissa took a step back at the growl from the alpha before realizing that it was directed towards the other fae. She couldn't help but feel smug. This she-wolf seemed just as vicious and independent as she was only far more dull-witted. Whereas Narcissa had realized how to maneuver her way into a good situation and when to drop the attitude, the femme stubbornly refused to heed way to the alpha when she was alone and Narcissa was certain that this would not bode well for her.

She was right, as the alpha attacked her. Narcissa's eyes widened as the blood seeped over the white fur. Such a strong contrast. She twitched. White fur seeping with blood... Red blood falling against the bright pelt, dripping to the ground... She squeezed her eyes shut and took a shuddering breath. What was happening to her? She'd been so good at repressing those... memories. She hadn't thought about all that... stuff - since she'd left her homeland. For months she'd been trying to escape it in the belief that the further she moved away from where it had happened, the less real it would become until it ceased existing all together.

Now she was on a different mass of land and far far away to the south and they had to spring up again. It wasn't that big of a deal... just some mental images... things she didn't want to remember. But what if this - breakthrough - what if it meant that more memories were going to come flooding back to her? She shivered, taking a step back towards the alpha and nodding politely as he introduced himself. "Greetings, Xinelil." Ah, damn it, her voice was shaking. He'd think she was reacting to the death of that stupid fae she couldn't have cared less about. She cleared her throat. "I am Narcissa. And there's no need to apologize, I'm fine. It just reminded me of something, that's all."

Not all the truth but those were "painful memories" he couldn't just press her for them. She dipped her head again, already getting annoyed with the formalities. Thankfully he was distracted at he let out a howl for all Aldgar pack members. That was his pack. Her pack. She shivered again. She didn't like packs or alphas. Hadn't since... She pushed that thought away, inhaling slowly as she tried to calm herself down. Breathe easy, she reminded herself. Everything is going to be okay. But one thing that Narcissa had learned early on in life is that no matter how matter times you tell yourself that...

It's not going to make it true.

[Uruviel]

Xinelil sat quietly and listened to the new femme; he had pretty much ridded his body of any anger once the other femme was dead. "Hello, Narcissa," he spoke with a smile. Narcissa had, at one point, been trespassing on his lands, but there were many things in this world that could be forgiven. He wasn't about to jeopardize losing another pack member if there was an opportunity to gain on. "What brings you to my lands?"

It seemed an innocent question, but after the howl he had heard from the free lands by a wolf named Kaoru, he had his suspicions. Xin had heard; there was a wolf that had kidnapped the alphess of Zahir, one of the neighboring packs, and he had to be cautious. He didn't believe this femme was one that would do something like that, but he could never trust anyone until he got to know them. The multi-hued brute yawned, his jaws stretched wide and his head leaned back towards the sky. It had been a long day. Hopefully, there would be smoother sailing ahead. There was no telling what the next day would bring him. Typically, it had been bad news. However, he hoped to turn that around.

The alpha brute glanced around at the base of the mountains. They were not far from the Aldgar dens; Xinelil could finish his business here and head straight up. That was, he could if...

Xin's nostrils flared, inhaling the scent of three unfamiliar wolves on the lands. Why did these wolves insist on trying his patience? He sighed lightly, glancing over at Narcissa before confessing, "I need to go deal with some more trespassers. If you wish to stay with us for a while, you could head to the dens. Just take the path over here up the side of this mountain, and I will meet you there as soon as possible." Xinelil hated to just walk away from another wolf, but duty called. The brute trotted away, determined to deal with these new wolves before they caused any trouble on his territory!