Suspicions and Showdowns [isolde + spectators]

[alya]

Small paws barely thudded against the earth, moving as smoothly as they could. It was rather obvious that the small, running figure had a limp, as her gait seemed a little odd. She paid no attention to it, however, too determined to get back to the Occasus. She had wasted too much time at the ruined site known as Kalus's Post, spent too much time away from recently claimed lands. A nagging voice kept tugging at the back of her mind, telling her she should have spent more time exploring before running off.

Alya ran alongside the Aughgar River, determined to make it back to the desert before the sun reached high noon. Even rain couldn't slow her pace as she crossed various terrains. Her tongue lolled from her mouth, and despite the cold temperatures her body was sweating from her efforts. She needed to get back. She needed to be back as soon as possible.

Only when she felt the desert's sand beneath her paws did she finally let herself slow down. She was panting heavily, and let herself settle into a slow walk. She was too exhausted to even bother trying to mask her limp, and instead put all of her remaining energy into scouting out the lands. She had much work to do to ensure her claim, and the long run from the post to the desert had been no easy journey.

Eyes, ears, and nose were all alert. Her eyes searched out any unusual scents and sounds, her body moving foreward with caution. Her breathing eventually evened out as she walked, and by the time she had picked up on the scents she was looking for she was calm. Pink tongue no longer hung limply from her maw, and her pace increased slightly though it was still only a walk. She could devote some energy to masking her imperfect leg, and as she traversed the land her limp was now only visible to those who took the time to observe, like that stranger she'd met at the post.

'Hmm... Maybe I did misjudge those scents.' The faint smell of wolf reached her nose, and she'd recognized it as the scents she'd first come across while in the desert. They were still just as faint, but the closer she got to Pievunt-An the stronger the scents became. A frown tugged on her maw as she realized the scents were fresher than she had first though, though they did have a bit of a staleness to them. And, with the way her luck had been lately, there was a pretty good chance she would be running into trouble sometime soon.

Alya's claws clicked against the rocks of the dormant volcano, sand giving way to stone and bits of vegetation that occassionally popped up. For a while she climbed the sloping mountain, hoping to find a decent vantage point to overlook the lands. All was quiet, and she needed a bit of time to think; she needed to come up with a plan that covered all the worst situations.

Her light brown orbs took in the scenery, and finally she paused when she was about a quarter of the ways up the volcano. Tall ears twitched, catching every sound. She paid no mind to the gentle pitter patter of the rain, despite the water's presence making it harder to shift through scents. Right now her goal was to figure out what to do incase the wolf who belonged to the old scent showed up, and she wasn't going to let a little bit of rain deter her from coming up with a perfect plan.

[briya]

[ try to tell me what i shouldn't do
you should know by know i won't listen to you ]

Isolde ran swiftly through the land. Her land. A warning snarl echoed from her lips as she remembered the cry. Who the hell was trying to claim these lands? They were hers and no one else's. She had claimed them first. End of story. They were hers to... start a pack in? Her eyes narrowed. She liked the idea of being an alpha- of being in charge, persay- but she didn't really feel like so much commitment. Not now, at least.

As she ran she noticed a scent growing stronger and stronger. The fae who had howled? Perhaps. She gave another quiet growl adn sped up, finally seeing a figure in the distance. She slowed down and approached the fae, head held high in a dominant stance and she glanced down with disdain for the fae who was surely of a lower rank than herself. She was in charge here.

"Did you howl?" she asked sweetly, though the niceties were all fake. Her voice hardened. "Because if you did than we have some issues, being that I have already claimed these lands and I do not appreciate you coming and trying to take over just because there is not yet a pack. Screw Zahir or whatever you called it, these lands are mine." She realized that if this was the wrong fae she would probably be mad but Isa was too upset to care so she just glared at her.

[alya]

Alya was not caught offguard by the appearance of another female. She wasn't the type to drop her guard, and her nose had caught the stale scent that seemed to slowly be growing fresher with every second that past. The angry femme seemed to be rather vocal as well, for the Iranian fae hadn't missed the sounds of frustrated snarling in the distance.

Adopting her own sickeningly sweet smile, she rose to her full height. She stood tall and proud, stance matching that of the red wolfess. She refused to let herself be intimidated by some child. The snappy little wolf may have been larger than herself, but judging by her self-absorbed attitude and coarse manner of speech, Alya was pretty sure she'd easily gain the upper hand. The fae was a rather stubborn creature when it came down to it, and four hard years of striving for perfection had taught her a few things in the ways of breaking wills.

"I'm not in the habbit of 'screwing' anything," she replied calmly, advancing toward the femme. Her pace was slow and her gaze calculating as she began to circle the other wolf, examining her. The feeble attempt at a glare rolled off the sand colored fae with ease, Alya used to such stares and knowing she could throw one more vicious back with half the effort. Intimidation was hard for a wolf her size, and sometimes a well executed death glare had been the only thing keeping idiots in line.

She refused to show any weaknesses or imperfections while scrutinizing the acclaimed 'alphess.' Her limp was practically invisible as she circled like a vulture, and even the most observant of creatures would have difficultly in spotting it. To show her imperfections meant she would lose any chance of gaining and maintaining the upper hand. The femme was far from stupid, after all, her sharp mind compensating for her short-comings on more than one occassion.

Her tone was still light and teasing as she continued to speak. "And howling causes such an aweful racket, don't you think? Nothing but noise that strains the voice." In truth, Alya wasn't much of a howler at all. It was rare when she did howl, and she never enjoyed her own song or listening to the songs of others. "But if you really are dying to know... I may have let a little howl slip. Any wit with half a brain would when such a vast desert was barely decorated with any scent at all."

With her last sentence her tone dropped from light and teasing to cruel and cynical. She had started out by simply trying to get on the other femme's nerves by dancing around the topic. Her words had been dragged out and calm, Alya acting as if she was making petty conversation about the weather. Her last words finally carried her confirmation that it was she who had indeed howled a claim. Accompanying that confirmation was a direct insult to the red femme's abilities as an Alphess. A spite filled glare masked her own face, nowhere near as scary as a few of her other glares. Still, Alya's light brown eyes attempted to delve into the other's flesh, determined to see directly into her soul. Her pace halted as well, and she stood there rather smugly, curious to see how long the younger fea would last before her composure cracked.

[briya]

Isolde narrowed her eyes at the smaller fae in contempt. She couldn't believe she had gone and tried to claim the lands. Already, she was having trouble. Being in charge was not going to be as easy an anticipated. She pushed these thoughts to the very back of her mind, refusing to worry about it now when she had more pressing issues. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes as the other fae matched her stance. At least she was bigger and therefor taller. Ha.

At the fae's words, Isolde narrowed her eyes. "Well I am so tough it up." She was not gonna let this fae screw things up for her but she was going to screw up her big plans for 'Zahir' or whatever she had wanted to name the pack. If this was the fae. But her next words confirmed Isa's suspicions and she let loose a soft growl. "Forgive me for not rushing to plsater my scent all over it. I was more occupied with meeting the residents and getting some member though you've now interrupted that." Her cold tone matched the other's fae and she narrowed her eyes into slits. "Anyway, you'd better be going unless you're looking to join my pack because there's no room here for 'Zahir.' Go play somewhere else."

[alya]

The female quirked a brow, sitting down casually as if she weren't currently getting chastised by someone she thought incompetent. She decided to let her glare drop, listening intently to the other fae. The red wolf seemed to be much more territorial than herself, Alya liking the position of alphess because it meant she got to be in control. In all honesty she didn't really care what lands she owned. She just liked to boss everyone around.

Slipping a bemused smile on her maw, she couldn't help but try to fuel the femme's rage. She could argue for hours on end if she really wanted to, never letting anger, rage, or annoyance get the better of her. Well, most of the time anyway. There were certain things that could set off her temper faster than a jackrabbit running from a wolf. "If you talk in such a manner all the time, I'd be surprised if you'd gain any members at all. I've yet to meet many wolves that would voluntarily follow a fool." Her smile widened into a smirk, eyes never leaving the female. "As for leaving, personally I'd rather stay. The desert has always been my home, and there's something thrilling in living in hundred plus degree weather for extended periods of time. If you'd like to go 'play' somewhere else, however, feel free to leave."

Alya curiously watched the other female, wondering how she'd react to her words. The Occasus was mainly desert territory, and it was rare she came across someone less adapted to the heat willing to spend his or her entire life in such a harsh climate. The breed that belonged to the agressive fae wasn't exactly one Alya had seen many times roaming around a desert, even if the red wolf's coat wasn't as long as many. She was also wondering how the other femme would react to her insults. Her prediction was that she'd see more of that snappy attitude, but nothing ws ever one hundreded percent predictable.

Comfortably relaxing on her haunches, she never once let her gaze wander. Her plans didn't involve leaving any time soon. Quite the contrary, she was determined to find herself a permenant home within these lands. She just wanted to see how far she could push the 'alphess' before deciding to role over and play nice.

[ithy]

Padding quietly behind Isolde, Ithyph trotted up to the base of the volcano, Pievunt-An. She watched in amusement as Isolde confronted the much smaller and obviously older femme. She seated herself a few yards away from the pair, settling in to watch an old-fashioned arguement like anyone else would do. She would look from face to face, following the conversation as best she could.

As Isolde blew up on this new femme, Ithy couldn't help but giggled. There was something about this femme's temper that was quite entertaining. Am I to truly believe that she wants to be an alphess? she wondered with a slight smirk, careful to keep the expressions hidden from Isolde, but not necessarily hidden from Alya. The new femme's responses were sensible; how could she have been expected to hold to an uninforced claim? Her orbs widened with surprise as Alya spat words back at Isolde.

In all truthfullness, Ithyph was not much of a pack wolf. She would wander where she wished until she felt like doing otherwise. However, she felt somewhat exposed without Kaoru nearby. It was different to be all by herself; she'd always been shielded by another wolf, whether it be her siblings or a new wolf, like Kaoru. However, this was not something that she wished to missed. It was... entertaining.

[briya]

At the fae's words, Isolde let out a soft growl. She wanted to just fly at her and let her have it but knew that that wouldn't be the way to win things- at least not yet. Talking would be a better solution and that would require composure, something she grudgingly aceeded to. A playful smirk made its way onto her maw. "Ooh, tough there. I'll just go cry in a corner now." She rolled her eyes. "There's another good one. Taking my words and using them against me? They do say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." She grinned and took a step closer.

This fae may have been smart but she was no match for Isolde who had spent her life pregnant doging and destroying the reputation of other faes. To her this would just be another game and one that would have disastrous consequences for the other fae if she wasn't careful enough. Isa wasn't exactly cautious with her words and she would by no means try and soften the blow. Blunt as a knife edge- that was her. Though lying was a favorite past time she never softened the truth.

"Well if your only here for the landscape I suppose I could let you stay." She smiled politely and then her expression hardened. "But if you're here looking to be in charge, there's no room. What's it gonna be? What will it take for you to give up your silly 'claim' and leave me in peace, b****?" She narrowed her eyes. She wanted to get back to Kaoru and find some other wolves to be members. If anything, this meeting had certainly made her want to get the pack going instead of waiting around and leaving the lands open for someone to try and take over. Next time, she would be prepared.

[alya]

"The best way to convince a fool that he is wrong is to let him have his own way." -Josh Billings

Tilting her snout up, Alya adopted an innocent facade as she looked up to the other femme. "Leave you in peace?" She had to fight to keep down her laughter, enoying the pup's pissy mood much too much. It seemed that other fae was enjoying watching too, though the Iranian never bothered to spare a glance in the direction of the fuzziest wolf present. One misplaced glance could be the death of her, though she had a feeling the red wolf wasn't looking for a fight. If she was she would have dropped the insults long ago, judging by her rash personality. Though, even with her permenant disadvantages, Alya was near positive she had more than enough smarts to take down the 'alphess' without much trouble. Attacks fueled by irrational thoughts just weren't destined to fully succeed, and so far that femme didn't seem to have a rational thought in her. Or if she had, it was burried far within the recesses of her brain, never to see the light of day for a long while. 'I'm certaintly glad I was never such an idiot when I was that young.'

Dropping the innocent act, she rose to her full height, wincing lightly at the stiffness of her bum leg. Of all the times for it to act up, why did it have to be now? She hid her frustration behind a shake of her sandy pelt, and then plastered a smile back on her face as she looked back up to the female. "If you want the lands so much..." she began, letting her words fade for a moment. "I'll gladdly give them to you." She paused again, letting her words sink into the alpha's brain. Alya had no problem giving up her claim. "On one condition."

All nicieties in her voice had dropped, her tone hardening as she looked directly into the eyes of the fae. Yes, Alya would give up the lands. No, she would not give them up without expecting something in return. 'It'll be so much fun to watch her fail.' "You shall be the alphess, and I will be your beta."

Her smile widened into a fanged grin, showing off her glistening canines. If the pup wanted a few good reasons on why Alya should be her beta, the fae was ready to give them. It had already been pointed out that she was a b*tch, and she made no move to deny the claim. She was a b*tch in every sense of the word, and if it meant things were done exactly the way she wanted them to be, she'd gladdly keep the title. Sure, serving under the rule of a little idiot for a while didn't exactly fit into her plans for the perfect life, but it would prove to be amusing. And the moment the red femme failed, the sand one would be ready and willing to take her place.

[briya]

Isolde rolled her eyes. "Uh, yeah. Please." She met the other fae's stare with perfect focus, managing to remain composed even as irritated as she was with this newcomer. Who in their right mind would waltx into someone else's territory and just claim it! I mean, a challenge was one thing but to just disregard the other wolf's claim? Isolde narrowed her eyes. She could have fought the fae and she probably would have suceeded. But that wasn't her plan because fighting was not her idea of fun and right now all Isa wanted to do was end this and go have some fun.

She couldn't help but smirk as the fae winced. Old injury? Pathetic. There was no way she could beat Isa in a fight. Especially cause she was such a damn good fighter. She would have grinned but instead kept her cool, controlled expression on her face calmly, though she couldn't help but snort as the fae continued to speak. "'Give them to me?' Aw, thanks. Unfortunately they aren't yours to give and never were." She narrowed her eyes even further and took a step forward, closing the distance between them.

She raised one brow as the fae said she had one condition, just humoring her. She snorted again when the condition was said. Beta? That was what she wanted? Isolde didn't exactly think it made much sense- betas were supposed to be loyal to the alphas- but on the other hand it wasn't such a big deal. She could always demote her later. Yes that would turn things into a replicate situation of have they were now but then Isolde wouldn't have any problems fighting her. "Sure, whatever. You're the new beta of Zahir." She smirked, knowing her usage of the same pack name wasn't meant to flatter the fae but to give her a sense of something being taken from her. Then she'd know how Isa had felt when she heard that howl.

[alya]

"Sure, whatever. You're the new beta of Zahir."

Opening her jaw to speak, she promtly closed it again. Alya was flabbergasted, to say the least. 'She really is an idiot.' No snappy comments? No arguement? No fight? A quick little agreement, just like that? What kind of fool was this femme, giving out such a high position just like that? She didn't seem the type to be nice.

Blinking, she opened her mouth again to try and say something. Realizing it was going to be biting comment, she closed it again and grit her teeth. How was she supposed to respond to such an unpredicted reaction? Alya was the type who wasn't happy unless everything had be carefully planned out. Her plans were always flawless, well she thought they were anyway, and when things didn't go according to her plans it often took her a few moments to adjust. The alphess being nice wasn't at all something she expected, and though it was a pleasing turn of events, it caught the newly appointed beta more off-guard than had the red femme attacked.

"And what, pray tell, is the name of my new alphess?" It had taken her a few minutes to finally regain her composure, but with a calming deep breath or two she managed to get out what was hopefully a nonoffensive comment. Throughout their whole little dispute, not one wolfess had declaired her calling. Now that things had been...settled, it seemed a fitting question to ask. As long as the pup didn't pull one of those childish, "I'll tell you mine if you tell me your's," sorts of phrases. Alya wouldn't really put it past her, judging by her current opinion of her alphess. Immature, over-eager, fiesty, b*tchy, foolish... Traits that weren't really redeeming in an alpha, but if trained properly could form one formidable foe.

As for the use of the packname, Alya easily resisted the temptation to growl. It was a cheap shot and a rather un-thought-out insult, not even worth a little acknowledgement. The fae may have lost the position of alpha, but she still held impressive power as a beta. And, with her clever mind she was positive she could use the position to its best advantages. The small femme may have held the title of alpha, but the smaller femme would find a way to make sure she was the one pulling all the strings.

[shadow]

Kaoru curiously patted into the area. To see some other femme plus to two he had been with earlier. He looked between them, so this small femora had been the one to howl wanting to claim these lands as well? He moved closer to the sene. Coming up to Ithyph's side he whispered to her. "What's going on?" He questioned, obviously he must have missed something while he took his time getting here. His deep brown orbs wandered out to the field above where Isolde and the other smaller fae stood. They did not seem to be ingaged in a battle of any kind. Just kind of glaring at each other. Kaoru felt a little more, invited with a nother wolf just as small as him, but from where he stood she looked shorter than he was. Older as well.

Deiciding that sitting here was no fun he patted up farther up to the two and nodded to them both gingerly. "Hello, I'm Kaoru what would your name be?" He questioned, the new femora he did not know. Like he had thought he was indeed taller than her, but only by about two or three inches really. 'I hate being short...' He thought, feeling like a kid but this was his full height and he would always remain this high forever. 'So Kaoru meets yet another pretty young femora... Has Kaoru wandered onto the land of the femmes or are there actually brutes inhabbiting this land as well?' He narrated, questioning weither or not there were more brutes in this place, but it was nothing new to Kaoru his pack had been made of mostly femmes so he did not feel that out of place.

OOC: || Sorry for not posting for a while, Uru. >.<

[ithy]

The shy femme's distrustful gaze shot back and forth as the two argued. She half expected Isolde to attack the smaller, but obviously older, femme. She snorted lightly, the less friendly portion of her personality showing. This femme was obviously a better ruler in her eyes, and Isolde didn't know how to keep her temper down. Why should I follow her? she thought, nearly glaring at the femme who'd flirted with her new friend, Kaoru. She shrugged lightly, accepting the fact that at least this new femme, Alya, would be in a position of power. It would be good to have a level headed wolf somewhere important, even if she seriously frowned upon the actual Alphess.

Eh, whatever. I'll figure something out. Ithyph placed a fake smile on her maw and approached the "alpha" of the new pack, Zahir. "I'd like to join," she whispered, not revealing her newly found confidence in the situation. She would follow, but that didn't mean she necessarily trusted. She needed a support, a backbone for her existence. She needed the comradeship and the feeling of belonging. Besides, she liked these lands, and she was hesitant to leave them.

Yawning slightly, Ithy watched for any signs of Kaoru's appearance; she felt quite exposed without someone to fall back on. The new femme was someone she felt more confident about, but Kaoru was the first wolf, other than her family, that she'd ever spoken to directly. It took a lot for her to open up to anyone, and the simple words that had left her mouth expanded the horizon to an extreme extent. I wonder what we're going to do, she pondered, staring across the sky with a quirky gaze. There were dark clouds hanging over where her and Kaoru had previously been; hopefully it wouldn't flood, as that was often a problem. I guess I'll just wait here. Hopefully, he'll show up soon...

Just as this thought came, Kaoru appeared, and Ithy let a smile slip, another expression that was not common. "Hey Kaoru," she said quietly, a trusting look in her eyes. There was a difficult way and an easy way to earn her trust; Kaoru had obviously earned it. As he whispered to her for an explanation of the situation, she quietly replied, "This is the femme that howled earlier. Apparently she's the new beta of the pack here, Zahir. I'm surprised they didn't fight." She shrugged lightly, unsure of how else to explain it.

[briya]

Isolde smirked, sensing the fae's surprised. Perfect. Isa was nothing is unpredictable and hopefully this would serve as a lesson that you could never have her 'figured out'. She raised one brow at the fae's formal speech but made no comment. For now. "Isolde," she said simply. "And pray tell what is yours, madame," she wanted to reply mockingly but for once held her tongue. "And yours?" she asked politely.

It was then that she noticed Ityph nearby and the other brute, whats-his-face. Kaoru. Kaoru. She liked the neat, rolling sound of it and found herself smirking slightly as she trotted closer to the pair. At Ityph's request she couldn't help but grin. "Of course. Consider yourself the newest member." Feeling that she should at least put on the impression of an alpha she added, "Do you have any strengths or experience with past ranks?" She blinked.

She swung her head to face Kaoru, grinning at him and giving the brute a little wink before she spoke. "And would you be liking to join too, handsome Kaoru?" She smiled at the brute, raising one brow suggestively but saying nothing more. For now.

[alya]

'Maybe I underestimated the pup...' The appearance of yet another wolf, and the wish to join by the "until this time silent" fae made Alya wonder if Isolde was better fitted for the position of alpha than she'd first thought. Watching the manner in which the femme went about accepting her new member, as well as the way in which she addressed the male, caused the Iranian to shake her head, chasing away such thoughts. Isolde was flirty, agressive, and irrational. 'She's just an actress.' Alya doubted her alphess knew much about being an alpha.

When asked her name, she turned just enough so that she was facing all of the wolves present. She wasn't fond of repeating herself, so one self-introduction would suffice. "I answer to Alya," she stated matter of factly, letting her eyes wander over the forms in front of her. They were an odd group of wolves, that was for sure.

Starting with Kaoru, he at least looked desert suitable. He was small with a short coat, though obviously taller than herself. He seemed sweet too, judging by his introduction. Then there was Isolde, the alphess. She didn't seem quite like the type to love the heat of the desert, but she was better suited than most. Alya found her too young to be worth a true judgement, though thus far she'd thought the alphess needed a few lessons in manners, anger managemet, and life in general. Finally, there was the fluffy femme whose name she did not know. Out of all of them she seemed like the least suited for the terrain she'd chosen. Ah well. If an Arabian could survive in the snowy mountains, a Tundra could survive in the desert. 'And as for myself, I wouldn't even begin to be happier in any other place. A desert life is the life for me.'

Knowing she needed to get familarized with her new packmembers, the fae walked towards the unknown femme who had just been accepted. She had sketched herself a rough outline of Isolde's character during their dispute, and as Kaoru was not exactly a member, she saw no need to address him. If he did accept the alphess's offer, however, Alya saw herself giving him the same little interrogation she now proceeded to give the fluffy femme.

Circiling around her once, Alya's limp was slightly noticable. She nodded, though, as she came to halt directly in front of the femme. "Tell me your name, please." Her tone was kept soft and gentle, like she was talking to a pup. It held none of the sting it had when Isolde was her target of conversation. It was obvious the wolf she was addressing wasn't the most confident of creatures. A small smile was on her maw as she looked up at the femme, waiting for an answer.

From the corner of her eyes she kept tabs on Isolde. Until she knew the alphess better, her plan was to keep a close watch on the red femme. She didn't want to see the pack run into the ground, after all, and she was curious to discover if time would correct the alpha's poor personality. Alya herself was approaching the age of five rapidly, her birthday now only days away. She had the experience that Isolde lacked, and it was her plan to pick up any pieces the inexperienced pup lost along the way. After all, what kind of beta would Alya be if she just sat back and watched her alphess fail miserably, despite how entertaining that idea was to her.

[shadow]

<sub>The young two year old earthy colored brute nodded to Ithy when she told him the jist of what happened. "I see." He muttered, flicking his rather large ears slightly. So Isolde really was the alphess of this land. Zahir the pack was called, or so said Ithy. When Isolde accepted Ithy into her pack Kaoru turned to her. 'She's actually joining?' He thought, looking at her almost disbelief. This other femme too, she was following as Beta? Kaoru thought these wolves to be mad. Yet maybe they had a reason, a reason to let go of their past and move onward. Maybe Kaoru should do the same.

When he was addressed his large ears flicked forward, and he gave a short moment of debate before giving a short nod. "I would like you join your pack, Miss Isolde." He said with a confidence, just because he was shy and had some low self-esteem did not mean he had to show it. After all only cowards get scared and run away, and he was no coward. When the elder femme spoke and gave her name, Kaoru nodded, making a mental note to at lest try and remember her name. 'Alya, simple enough.' He thought, and watched her asked Ithy for her name. He wouldn't butt in, but he did know Ithy was extreamly shy, and if she needed him he would help her. Ithy to Kaoru was a really nice and sencire femme. He trusted her, as she did for him. The other two however, he needed to get to know them better.</sub>