A Fresh Kill

[athaza]

The white male carried the cadaver into the entrance of the mine, not wanting to leave them unattended too. He would have left the bodies outside if it weren’t for his fear of the precious prey being stolen. From his knowledge so far, loners countlessly intruded upon this land. He knew out of experience that loners wouldn't pass up two freshly killed deer.

It was hard to open his jaw and release the neck of the deer that now lied on the cave floor. In the back of his mind he just wanted to start digging into the prey. ‘No, wait for Exodus,’ he scolded himself, managing to even growl at his weak thoughts of giving into temptation.

Turning his back on the prey he moved down into the mine, following the cold tracks that were left behind by the humans. Their scent was faint, but it was enough to make him uncomfortable in these dens. He couldn’t wait till more wolves came and covered up the sweaty scent of humans. The smell was just a reminder of the destruction those filthy mongrels had left behind.

With a content grin he found Naira lying where he had left her, leaning against one of the cold mine walls comfortably. Softly he nudged her white scruff with his black nose to see if she would awake, yet hopelessly she did not stir. The state she was in was so coma like it made him shiver. That type of peaceful state he’d never want to be in. It was just too calm. She might as well be a zombie the way she was acting.

With a small sigh he turned around, leaving the white female to her dreams. She’d awake when she was good and ready. After he got back to the entrance, the off white male took a seat. As if he was at some sort of post, his brown ears rose to listen to the area around the den and eyes searched around intently. The trail they had left behind might lure in some unwanted visitors. Nonetheless, when they got a good look of his fangs they’d be smart enough to back away. He’d resort to tearing into flesh if he had to in order to guard the prey.

Brown eyes glanced around for Athabasca, knowing she’d been pretty close when they had both dragged the deer back from the hunt. In the back of his mind he wondered if he had missed her while darting to check up on Naira and coming back to the entrance of the mine.

[rainstar]

Athabasca stepped silently into the mine, her blue eyes fixed intently upon the bloody carcasses that lay in a mangled heap beside the white wolf and the other sleeping femme.
"What's wrong with her? She got a chill or something?" Athabasca nodded toward Naira indifferently as she bent down to feast upon the deer. Her long, white fangs sunk into the flesh and warm, sticky blood filled her mouth, dribbling down her cheek. Athabasca viciously tore the deer's leg from its body, pleased at the sound of the sinews and muscles ripping apart as the hard bone snapped sickeningly. Scarlet drops splattered on the wall of the mine like red rain. Athabasca dragged the torn, bloodied limb over to a far corner, leaving a trail of blood that led into the darkness. Crunching, gulping sounds came from the shadows as Athabasca hungrily ripped apart her meal.
"Try some, it's delicious. She growled with a mouth full of flesh, offering her kill to the white male, which she usually didn't do. Her icey eyes peered out from the darkness at him as she licked the blood from her maw, the rest of her body blending into the dark shadows.

[athaza]

At the female’s comment about Naira he couldn’t help but shrug. “That’s a good question.” was all he could manage to slip out as he looked at the other white female over his shoulder. He wasn’t exactly sure what was wrong with the small snow colored dame. When Exodus had brought him into the forest she had been in the same position and the alpha appeared protective of her. At the time, she was the only member of his pack. That was the only explanation he could think of from his knowledge of Exodus. He’d have to study the alpha further when he returned from his trip. The male looked very closed off, history and personality covered around a tight silver box. Once he opened the lock to that box would he finally get vital information that would help Taurus understand the alpha’s actions. He highly doubted it was going to be easy.

As the smell of blood filled the mine he immediately turned his head back towards scenery outside. Just to be careful, he took a few steps outside so the cool air could fill his lungs and chill him. He didn’t need the thought of blood and food filling his mind. He was a monster when it came to food. Those past incident when he was younger still damaged him mentally, making him incapable of feasting well with others. He’d have to be careful around this pack. If he had too he’d take a leg and go to a vacant area just to eat it. Prey blood just messed up his mind and blurred his decision-making skills.

“No- no, I’m fine.” he stifled, yet soon he regained his composure, “I’ll wait for Exodus to get back first. Thanks anyways.” Ears flattened against his skull as he heard her tear into her meal and again his lips twitched anxiously. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t block it all out. “What’s your name again? I didn’t catch it last time you were talking to the Alpha.” It all spilled out of his mouth fast, hinting to her he needed to get his mind off eating. He hoped this worthless conversation starter would distract him. She didn’t look like the type that had pleasant conversations, drank tea, and dabbed her mouth with a napkin. Hopefully she’d just spit something out at him, even if it was simply out of pity. He’d regain any dignity that he might have lost later. It would be an idiotic move to lose his credibility by losing control of his lust.

[rainstar]

Athabasca's cold blue eyes followed the white male as he strode outside, his ears back against his skull. She peered at him from the shadows, her eyes the only visible thing from her perch in the darkness.
“No- no, I’m fine.”
Your loss. Athabasca shrugged indifferently and gnawed hungrily at the splintered, bloodied deer bone. She closed her eyes and let the taste of blood fill her mouth and mind, the crimson liquid dripping rapidly to the ground.
“What’s your name again? I didn’t catch it last time you were talking to the Alpha.”
There was a hint of desperation in the male's voice, which puzzled Athabasca but she raised her head and licked her maw anyhow.
"I'm Athabasca. And, er, you are?" She half-mumbled, half-growled, looking at the white male in a confused manner. She could tell that something was wrong, for in the wolf's tone and body language were all signs of anxiety. His ears were flat against his head, she noticed, and he did not look at her but tried to focus outside. Then suddenly it hit her like a stone- and she chuckled, her eerie, choked laugh echoeing against the walls of the mine.
"What, are you a vegetarian or something?" she giggled, her chest falling up and down in laughter. She hadn't laughed in a long time, and it felt good, she realized suddenly. It felt odd. But good.

[abyss]

The eerie black mackenzie valley femme wandered along, following the scent trail towards the other wolves that had ventured here. She knew that they were the ones from the group, as she had followed their now semi-familiar scents. Hopefully, they would've either hunted already or wouldn't necessarily need her; she was not useful for hunting. She wasn't good working with others, and quite frankly, her technique sucked. She couldn't really contribute to their hunt...

As the scent of blood flooded Abby's nostrils, she released a sigh of heavy air, not realizing that she'd been holding her breath the entire time. Hopefully, they would see no reason for them to hunt any more. Spying the two other wolves, she approached them. There was no submission or respect in her posture; she felt these both needed to be earned. She would show submission and respect to an alpha on first impressions, but no one else had necessarily earned her trust or respect since then. There would be no expression until she felt comfortable around these wolves.

Abyss approached them and grunted, "Ello." She said no more; that was all she really felt like saying. She truly wanted to talk with this Exodus brute, to see whether she could get some help with the fundamentals of wild life. She wouldn't survive long without good fighting technique or any knowledge of hunting. She'd never needed these things in the past, but now it was all coming back to bite her in the rump.

Sniffing the brightening air of dawn, she smiled briefly. The sun was barely rising over the edge of the plateau, and it was quite beautiful. All the other areas of these lands seemed dark and dreary, like she often acted. This place was very opposite, as the radiant heat, although little, was warming her very soul. I can't let it get to me, she reminded herself, wiping the smile off her maw and lowering her muzzle to stare at the ground. These wolves... They were unfamiliar to her. How could she trust them? The only other wolf in her life had been nothing but a nightmare to her, and this was how she associated most of her memories with other wolves. She would fear and distrust them until they showed her the truth of her own species.

[athaza]

“Taurus.” he replied shortly, closing his lids as he tried to relax his tensing muscles. Her gnawing wasn’t helping his peacefulness at all, nor was the smell of blood pooling onto the ground. As his fur began to prick up by his neck her next words couldn’t help but calm him. Somehow the lame insult or simply bad interpretation of his behavior was like a splash of cold water on his face. He was used to these kinds of situations and dealt with them well. A cool smile curved on his face, yet he didn’t have the will to turn around and face her. “A vegetarian? That’s a new one.” he spoke, chuckling lightly, “No, I’m far from it.” He actually loved blood too much to be an herbivore. Eating meat was actually where his problem started. Like an alcoholic he just couldn’t get enough of it and it brought back memories that triggered a dangerous domino effect.

Tail twitched left and right tranquilly while his lids lifted, and promptly the male stood up on all fours. Stretching his body out by leaning forward and than back, he took another deep breath from outside, his body taking it in greedily. Ears began to perk up once again and shortly the rest of his body recovered from what took hold of him minutes ago.

Brown eyes swayed towards the newest lady, recognizing her from the gathering in the forest. Respectively, he lowered his head in a short nod, before returning his gaze to the horizon. Unlike Athabasca, she was a member of Exodus’s pack. It was pretty amusing that out of all three of them, there was only one real pack member. Interesting how things worked out the way they did. Another fact suddenly struck him as he looked at both females. They both had black coats like their alpha, helping them blend into the night that was gradually surrounding them. His, on the other hand, would be no use to him until winter came along. Never did he feel like he stuck out so much in his entire life…

“Your name is Abyss, correct?” he asked, turning his head towards the female. If she were to turn around his brown eyes would stare directly into her’s. His tone wasn’t harsh or rude. To anyone it would appear as if he was just trying to get everyone’s name straight. Maybe even be a little friendly. Of course, that wasn’t his motive. He was studying her and would note on her reaction to his question. So far she looked very silent, possibly shy in one way or another. It was possible he was wrong, though. This lack of expression and communication could easily be a result of trauma in her past or malicious encounters with other wolves. A smile couldn’t help to curl on his lips, wondering if he was over thinking all of this. Other wolves were so peculiar and all had their own unique stories. It was his job to figure it out. Not out of duty, but for his own personal gain. He felt if he had the personality and history of others down he would be more able to predict what they would do next. In other words, he’d have the high ground if anything… well happened.

[abyss]

Raising her brow curiously, Abyss nodded. "Yes, that is my name, Taurus," she responded curtly, emphasizing the fact that she knew the brute's name. She was always observant; if anything had come out of her lack of hunting and fighting ability, it was her accutely honed observation skills. She'd had nothing to do those long weeks, months... She knew all there was to know about what the humans had done to her and her comrades. She would most definitely overhear the name of a wolf that puzzled her. This brute... He had not been accepted into Exodus's pack. Why was he here, and why had Exodus trusted him to take over the hunt? Abby was not dull; she had heard the howl that her new alpha had emitted.

Taurus's statement to her had seemed almost friendly, but Abyss refused to return the gesture in her tone. There was no reason to show friendship or acceptance to them. They had not yet proven to her that they would not betray her like every other wolf she had ever known. Never trust. Only tolerate. They will turn on me the first chance they have, was the main thought that filled her mind as she kept a tense, unfriendly posture. There were things about all these wolves that wer puzzling to her, however. They were so different from all that she'd ever know.

These wolves... They were so social, so accepting of a wolf they had just met. The black femme's ears flicked back, both in irritation and frustration. Why could she not function like them?! It was killing her on the inside... Her lack of socialization and overall likeness to the others of her kind was unbearable. The scent of blood hung heavily in the air, and Abby had the most tempting urge to tear the kill to pieces, filling her aching, malnourished body with the warm, bloody flesh it required. There was so much that was telling her to do so... It was the hardest thing she could remember. Then again, many of the past days she could not remember. Due to the hunger, she'd blacked out quite often and could not recall days and weeks. The drool dripped down her patchy black cheek, leaving a damp trail to the ground as she stared at the body intently...

Suddenly, there was a disturbance in her mind. There was something... No. Someone. There was someone new on the territory. She'd heard the crackling of paws in the forest nearby... The sound of a new wolf that could not have been approved by their alpha. He was away... Trespasser!

A snarl instantly erupted from the black femme's maw. A new scent... A trespasser! Abby's nostrils flared as a ripple coursed through her muscles, tensing at the thought of an unfamiliar bodice on the territory. There had been no howl... No signal of arrival. "Trespasser!" The snarl trumpetted into the air for anyone in the surrounding area to hear. She would not let this go un-noticed. Although she held no authority in these lands, she would not hesitate to defend them, and she doubted that this wolf, Taurus, or the other, Athabasca, would stand for it.

[athaza]

He was disappointed when Abyss hadn’t said more and kept her reply nice and short. He couldn’t help but sigh softly, wondering how he was ever going to open these wolves up. It wasn’t like he was asking them to tell him their sob story. All he wanted was a tone or interesting response that he could base his profile of them on. He couldn’t even tell if she was an optimistic or pessimistic person. All he could figure now was she wasn’t going to be easy to read like a book. Typical. Everyone in this dark territory ended up being extremely reserved.

As two howls were sounded from the distance, his face creased in frustration. Happily, one had stated their arrival and wanted to join Exodus’s pack. Unfortunately, the other sounded very arrogant and like he didn’t care that someone owned these lands. With a short growl Taurus started to move forward before turning his head around to face the other two females. “I’ll go take care of it. Better me than Exodus I suppose. He’s on his last straw,” he muttered, remembering his speech in Drarynough. By the sounds of it, he’d better move fast. He didn’t want to give Exodus one excuse to make him propose that Taurus had ‘messed up’. With a snort, he added, “You two can eat if you want, but please watch Naira for me. I’m sure Exodus will be on all our necks if anything happens to her. I shall return shortly. If you need anything just howl.” In the back of his mind he hoped these two ladies would get in a spat while he was gone. That was the last thing he needed.

After his words he dashed off, deciding to meet the one wolf in the woods that had looked over the territory’s borders. Taurus was pretty sure the other wolf would wait. At least she had some respect for boundaries.

[rainstar]

Athabasca's ears pricked as howls sounded in the distance. Something must have been wrong, for Taurus and the other femme had taken up a hostile tone, and the male seemed to have grown tense.
"Trespasser!"
“I’ll go take care of it. Better me than Exodus I suppose. He’s on his last straw,”
Athabasca really hadn't been listening to their conversation, but it appeared that it had been quite rudely and promptly interrupted.
Were they even having a conversation?
The black femme watched indifferently from the shadows as Taurus bounded away, a white streak across the terra. Then suddenly, like a bolt of lightning through her mind and feet, something clicked on inside of her and she tore after him, her paws thundering like heavy hail as she effortlessly raced to catch up. All thoughts of Naira or the deer, or the other femme vanished. Just Athabasca and her paws barely touching the ground, with Taurus in front of her. It was almost like running in a pack.
What am I doing?!
Like in a endless trance of delusion Athabasca ran, her paws barely touching the ground as she stole across the land. Her jet-black pelt rippled in the sharp wind, and she pondered disbelievingly to herself.
I am not even of this pack, yet I defend its grounds? Yet again, neither is Taurus...
"Wait, I-" Athabasca began, not knowing what to say or why she was speaking at all. "I think I want to join the pack!" she howled, the words escaping her lips shocked and unplanned.
What?!
Ever since the destruction of the Bloodspills, she had vowed never to join a band of wolves, but now that promise shattered like a brittle pane of glass as the sacred words passed out of her maw and rang out into the air.
Do I? I do. I do!
"I want to join the pack!"

[abyss]

Taurus's sigh did not slip past Abyss. She was riled up because of the non-howling wolf, but that didn't mean she was stupid. I don't know what to think, she thought, shaking her head in distress. She pawed at the ground, staring off in the direction that Taurus had headed with an amused smirk on her lips. The black femme, Athabasca, headed off as well, and Abby growled quietly. Why did she get stuck babysitting some sleeping member of the pack? It wasn't her responsibility.... Was it? She glared at the sleeping femme's form. She hated femmes as it was; what was she supposed to do, just sit around and stare at her? No, that would be creepy.

Listening acutely, Abyss tried to listen in on the conversation off in the forest, but it seemed that they were a bit too far away, and the wind was blowing the wrong direction. "Darn," she grumbled, frustrated. She was not good at entertaining herself, let alone entertaining herself in a semi-unfamiliar, though more familiar than most, land. So... She stared around, searching for random objects in a futile attempt to preoccupy herself.

.... What the HECK am I doing?! She thought, snarling rudely under her breath. Since when did a wolf who wasn't a member of her pack get to tell her what to do?! What gave him more authority than her? Nothing. She growled quietly. She wouldn't just leave the femme laying there, though. Despite her weak muscles and tattered fur, Abyss stooped down and scooped the femme up onto her back roughly. If she was going to do this, it was going to be willingly. She would show that brute, sooner or later, that no one bossed Abyss around.

Assuring herself that she could carry the stressful amount of weight that Naira added to her frame, Abyss set off at a gentle canter. She wasn't going to blame and punish the femme, however much he disliked other femmes, because she was irritated with Taurus. If Exodus had a problem with it when she got back, then she would apologize to him, but Taurus was a different story. She remembered the mines in the plateau, the place that she'd dwelled for a bit while waiting for the flames to pass over the area, but she had never wandered deep into them. Hopefully, they would still be stable. Stating down the dark tunnel as her orbs adjusted to the darkness, she headed down in exploration. She would just have to see of herself...

Finding a nice alcolve a ways in, Abyss set down Naira and dropped to the ground, panting. She was not cut out for things like that.. Resting her head on her paws with one eye open to make sure nothing would come, Abby dozed off into a very light sleep.

[abyss]

With a yawn, the ebony femme gracelessly raised her head, her ears flicking irritably as the sound of other wolves entering the cave filled her mind. Go away. I'm tired, she thought crossly, resting her head back on her paws with an irritated grunt. She missed the sounds of Athabasca's scream as she drifted off to sleep once more...

Delicately raising her head from what she believed was her nap in the mines, Abyss's ears flittered slightly as she stood gracefully. She opened her glossy orbs and basked in the sight of a flower-filled field. The birds chirped happily in the flower-soaked trees; everything was perfect. But as she basked in the beauty, an awful hush washed across everything. She rotated her crown, and her jaw dropped in horror as she watched the dreaded wolf, Brute, stroll across the field towards her, an evil smirk on his maw...

Abyss jerked, shaken up by the nightmare. That's all the past. No one will hurt me, she reassured herself. She wasn't going to worry about that anymore. Now that she had a pack, she wouldn't have to worry about all the horrible wolves out in the real world. It was a shield to her; she was protected.

((OOC: Terrible post, but I still really don't have time to post anywhere x.x))

[abyss]

After resting for quite some time, Abyss finally rose to her age-worn, tattered paws. She could hear others in the mines, and she was curious to see who all was there. Not all familiar scents, she thought, subduing a snarl with much effort. Abby was not very kind to those she was not familiar with. Actually, she wasn't all that kind to anyone. Trespassers will suffer. Those who dare tread here without permission run the risk of death by our pack, she thought, her nostrils flaring.

A quick memory of Exodus's earlier howl for the pack members rushed back into her corrupted mind. With a sigh, the femme weakly howled her position, not bothering to carry it further than their pack lands. The howl would echo in the dens, and this would likely magnify the sound. It would reach the alpha; she was sure of it. "Meh, I should probably head over to the others," she grumbled under her breath. Perhaps this whole experience would not be a bad thing. However, she had her doubts. Everyone around her seemed to dislike her. Of all the wolves she had met so far, none of them had acted overly welcoming or kind. There was no tolerance in Abyss's mind for the weak or the rude. She had encountered enough brutal interaction with others in her life to realize that not everything was happy and wonderful...

As the black, lonely femme rested there in the spooky mines beneath the plateau, something reached her heart. Maybe this won't be that bad... Maybe... It was her first optimistic thought since her arrival. However, it would not last for long. In her current state, she would not survive long. The lack of food tore at her mind and body; the muscles in her body were quickly deteriorating as her body resorted to cannibalism to survive. Her ribs clearly showed through what was left of her coat. Whenever she brushed up against anything, patches of fur rained to the floor in a wave of darkness. She needed a pack; it was the only way she would live.

With a heartened sigh, the dark-hearted, abandoned femme gathered her wits about her and slowly padded along the passage, wincing slightly as the cracks in the pads of her paws scraped against the uneven, rocky floor. Small pebbles rained from the ceiling occasionally, pelting her coat and leaving small welts on the skin beneath. As her paw caught the edge of the mine cart tracks, she stumbled, and her body slammed against the wooden supports of the tunnel. With a groan, she rose once more, feeling the warm, sticky, crimson liquid trickle from her skin where she had impacted. Even the trek back into the mines was rough for her... She could not last much longer like this.

Need... food.... Abyss growled quietly, attempting to cover the constant thought in her mind. It had been weeks since her last meal, and if she didn't eat, she would never recover from her current state. Sure, many wolves looked sickly, but she was different. The femme was weak from hunger not because she could not find the food, but because she lacked the ability to do it herself. Ignorance was not truly bliss, unless bliss was considered a bloodied side, patchy fur, and a sulking heart. Ignorance of the laws of life was her weakness. Lack of exposure... Lack of experience, the works. As the femme grew nearer to the voices, she pushed all these thoughts from her mind and simply trotted on, unsure of what the future held for her.