Born in the Night

[xolilippehox]

ic. Winter rain danced on her thick pelt of dark obsidian, and the rays that happen to get through those large rain clouds were reflecting off to vanish in the cold mist that surrounded her. The Mackenzie Valley wolf was an eerie figure, walking dominantly through the layers of sun stroked mist. Confidence buoyed up her dainty, but large paws and made her appear smaller in a way, but this female was a loaded pistol. The illusion hovered on the brink of reality, silence encasing the creature and the mists. It was no mean thing to call her terrifying because she is and always will be a rude creature walking amok the land.

She seemed at ease in the mists of those woods, night still tainting the far edges of the sunrise painted sky. Her presence rendered the world in a new light, throwing all those simple natural beauties into shadows as she made her way through the moist lands, even the rustles of the wind stopping as she glided through eternity on her path to a unknown destination. The world was crystal clear, sharp to her bright and all-revealing gaze. Her paw steps were silent as they breathed across the sand-covered ground, ears perked at the enjoyment of quiet sanctuary.

This lupine was called Artemis, and by how she stepped confidently, her rather large paws keeping a steady pace, she kept a snarling look on her lips. Her nails dug into the ground as she was nearing water, but wondering why it got warmer. The rain still didn't stop though as she came closer to the hot springs, instead, it go harsher on the wolfess. Golden gems peered through the misty maze, those eyes widening at the spectacular view in front of Artemis.

A beautiful blue of drifting water in a lake lurks near in her honey optics. It made a calming sensation flying up her spine, creating a chilling effect. The lupine still wondered why it was warmer. She never had traveled near a hot spring, especially heard of one. And the misty air bothered her eye sight, and made her a bit agitated, but luckily, shrugged off the little problem. It wasn't worth getting angry over.

The female slowly made her way closer to the wondrous springs, the beautiful blue colors never escaping her fixed eyes. Once her toes wiggled against the liquid, she jumped at first from the shock of it being warm. Water is never warm like this. 'What the hell is this place?' she asked inside her thoughts, a snarl given out into the open. Artemis didn't like the unique lake, but the pistol wanted to have a go of swimming in it. She did like adventure and action, and if exploring new obstacles or differences on Earth would heighten her senses, she would take the risk. Her long, black plume hung limp behind her, slender crania bending down to breath in the scent of the heated waters.

Without another thought, Artemis leaped with her powerful legs. Her body propelled into the air, the lupine's body being soaked and refreshed. The warmth made her aching muscles from weary travel unravel their troubles and stress, a groan escaping her mouth in delight. She soon forgot about the drizzling heavens and swam back to shore, but leaving her hindquarters sitting in the liquid heat, a yawn flying from her lips. Eyes grew heavy as she stood there in unknown lands, forgetting why she came to this place. All she wanted to do now was sleep. Being so possessive of lands, Artemis soon though that where she was became her new home. "Home sweet home," she chimed in joy, resting her head on her forepaws.

ooc.
word count~ 624 words
comments~ Kinda rushed near the end. Sorry.

[xolilippehox]

ic. The mist from the springs continue to rise with its heat, the young wolfess' mind dazing on and off. The rain began to wane as the dawn light changed to the afternoon time, but it still had a light drizzle other then a regular precipitation. The day's temperature didn't seem as cold as the morning, feeling as wintry-spring as sent in. Artemis has been hanging around those springs since the beginning of that day, never leaving it once because of the warmth and security of silent serenity and she wanted the place as her own. For being a female, she was very territorial for one, claiming something without another thought, but to her own knowledge, no one had taken the land.

A rather large growl came from her abdomen, Artemis' stomach scolding at the empty mouth. She simply shrugged and an apathy sigh was released into the air, the Mackenzie valley wolf remaining in her spot. Her legs were still weary from her travels, so she was in no haste to hunt right away. She did happen to caught a fish before entering the Enackir Hot Springs, so her glutton side was pushed aside for her lazy trait to kick in. "Mm.. I wonder if there is any prey that can survive around or in this boiled lake," a mumbled thought escaping her lips.

Soon enough, the female dragged her lower self out from the blue, heated liquid, a slender bodice shaking any unwanted crap in her pelt out. It was already poorly maintained, but Artemis has been disapproving the slick feeling from her mangled fur. Her pink tongue slithered out from her mouth, a blatant lick being heard. It sounded like the wolf was already having difficulties managing the obsidian pelt pelt. Those auric gems narrowed in dis-tasted from the taste of the mad-ted coat, a 'bleh' rolling out from her throat. Rolling the half-lidded eyes, she hesitated before continuing her 'bath.' It took about a few minutes til she finished only her one spot on her spine, but she was content on her work and simply shrugged off the rest of the job.

Now, her mind wondered about. Still the question of how a lake can be so warm in the winter. Of course, she had the knowledge of how water heats up in the summer, and then once winter comes, the liquid would be at a favorable temperature. But, never it has the boiling lake, what she thinks it's called, kept the degrees of the spring, surely early summer the most, temperature. This truly confused the canine.

ooc.
word count~ 439 words
comment~ Finished.

[varkan]

Amber optics gazed about momentarily, the figure halting on the spot to drink in the unfamiliar view of a new terrain. Paws had been previously hitting the earth at an impact that the figure had not cared about at all, yet now, something made the paw steps become more gentle, no sound emitting from the collision, and imprints left behind small. Eyes directed back on the set course, before the paws went back into action again. Cautious action, forced by the figures mind. Not a usual way to traipse into a terra, yet the figure did, in fact, do so.

A dull chestnut spot from a distance. No, a chestnut blur. Yet, from up close, it was obvious what this creature really was... what this figure from far off had looked like was much different than up close. Oak-hued eyes belonged to a wolf; no, a brute, in more exact terms. Yes, male. His fur meant to be a rich brown and creamy white, with a shining pelt that reflected the light, but not anymore. From continuous wandering of the land, no matter how rough the terrain, his pelt had gathered dirt and dust, and he had not bothered to clean it off. Too lazy. Or even memories. Memories from cleaning? What could possibly lead off from that?

A mother, of course... a caring mother that cared for your existence like nothing else in the universe. As long as you were there, she would be as happy as can be, always smiling with pearly white canines showing as her lips curled in the familiar grin. When away, she would wait intently for your return, to see your face again...

This was starting to turn into more of a memory, than an answer to the question, but that was how grooming could effect his own thoughts, triggering the memory of some time ago...

He had wandered from the den, from his mother's eye once again, only wishing to be alone for a while... not with the crowd of siblings, and an overprotective mother... Yet, as it seemed, it was not time for this, and he was soon collected up, loose skin gripped in his mother's jaw... what to gain? A purely clean pelt...

Yet the brute did not only consist of the brown-flecked-with-dirt pelt. His paws were dipped in a creamy white, a light color, which faded into a brownish cream once reaching his ankles, and this faded again into the chocolate hues of his pelt.

His eyes were still directed closely on the path he had chosen to take, weaving his way through confusing ways, instead of going purely straight. Paws halted abruptly, the brute skidding to a stop, surprised at himself. Now... there was a decision to make here... what would he choose to do? Saunter about this area for a while, and wait to be confronted? Go on, and risk an attack? Or give off a howl, to be confronted by another earlier, and saving some patience? At the moment, he was quite unsure...

After a while, he decided he'd just wait to be confronted... if he howled, there was still a chance of an attack, and, this way, he would only come upon one wolf. And, if they were dangerous, he'd be able to handle it much easier...

The male heard distant splashes nearby. It was created from a heavier force, as the rain drops were too tiny to really cause such noise. Ears erect, Varkan moved towards the source, catching the sight of a ruffled up femme. She was grooming herself, and it reminded him of his early memory of his mother. So, he wasn't the only dirt-covered wolf in this territory. Head tilted, he fell onto his rump, slouching as he silently continued his observations.

[koli]

Koli was rather happy now, after the disturbing event of having the Knave leader practically manipulate him, it was good to have a new pack member and a Beta. He was truely happy to have stumbled across the young femme, and now the two were walking practically side by side, searching for others who'd roamed onto Haishen pack lands. He probably wouldn't be as merciful as what he'd been like with Tailise. He couldn't allow others to see him as a weak Alpha, especially when the borders were marked with his scent. He'd gone easy on Tailise because of his own feelings of lonliness, but that had passed and now he was determined to be the Alpha he was meant to be.

Sniffing the ground, Koli quickly picked up the scent he'd been following and snorted before facing Tailise. "Come Tailise, their scent leads this way, I think they may have gone to the hot springs." Turning left, he continued to follow the scent of the stranger wolf. They would surely be punished for coming this far into his lands, crossing the border was one thing, but going into the heart of his lands was another, and he wasn't well pleased. Did no wolf respect pack lands anymore? Were all wolves blind and stupid to the laws of the land? Or were the laws suddenly changing? Growling, Koli glanced at Tailise for a moment before quickining his pace, he wanted to find these wolves soon, they had to be punished.

Dark thoughts brooded within Koli's mind as to what he'd do when he eventually saw the wolf, or wolves that were on his land. He'd been taught by his father to be cruel and cold to any who crossed his land without permission, he'd been taught to attack and wound them if it happened, and if they joined, to make sure they remembered their punishment. Yet, when he'd wondered onto Salen, it had been different. Taurus, though displeased hadn't hurt him, he'd shown a fair amount of kindness and fairness, and Koli was beggining to wonder what he should do. Inside his mind a war was going on, it was a struggle to concentrate at times, and Koli found himself getting more and more angry as he neared his destination.

Turning to Tailise, he wondered if he should confinde in her, she had experience after all, and was bold enough to tell him the truth, or that's what he had been led to believe. But if he confinded in her, it meant revealing his struggles and would make him seem weak. Shaking his head he sighed and lowered his head slightly, he had no idea what to do. His mind was in totaly conflict, and he felt completly alone. He couldn't deal with anyone like this, maybe it was best to talk to his new Beta. Tailise was his right hand wolf after all. "What should I do?" Stopping, Koli looked out to the horizen and sighed. "I've always been taught what to do... but recently, i've seen different ways of dealing with situations like this, and they seem more fair... and I am unsure which is the best way." Gritting his teeth, he growled at himself, he was being stupid, this was stupid. What kind of Alpha was he? "Ignore what I said, it was stupid of me to ask."

Secretly, he still hoped Tailise would answer, he might have dismissed his own words, but the subject was still relativly open, and he was still seeking advice from her, but his own stubborn nature and narrow view that he'd been brought up with was causing him to try and wriggle out of the subject. He'd been tested so much these last few months, he'd experienced things he never thought he'd experienced. And now he no longer knew what to do. It was a dangerous and somewhat frightining place for Koli, and he hoped Tailise would be able to lend a helpful paw.

[/size]

[talise]

Despite the hard ground, Talise padded happily beside Koli. The pair had covered distance quickly. This pleased Talise, she was eager to scout out the new territory. The land wasn’t the prettiest, but land recovered quickly. By this spring it should shoot up with fresh green foliage. Winter was when everything looked the worst, so surely things will be better in the spring. Talise felt like her paws had wings, nothing could get her down today. She was eager to please her new alpha, and eager to meet the wolves that had wandered onto the territory.

Talise nodded, after inhaling deeply the scent of the wolves. She didn’t know were the hot springs were, but the scent trail would lead them to it. Hot springs? Talise mused. Never before having been around such a thing as a hot spring, Talise didn’t know what to expect. The name sounded pretty straightforward though. They padded deeper into the territory. Surely these wolves wouldn’t be so foolish as to go this far into the territory. They would have to run that much further if things ended badly. Talise had no image in her mind of them loosing the fight, despite Koli’s minor injuries. They both had fight experience, and were strong wolves. She wouldn’t hope for a fight, but she would be ready.

Finally they came into sight of the trespassers. A mild growl punched the air, half from excitement, and half from annoyance. It was good to see other wolves, but not under these circumstances. They looked pretty comfortable in Koli’s land. A raging need to protect the territory welled up inside of her. If she hadn’t been trained so well, she would have dashed down to confront the wolves. Good thing she knew better. Already her mind was planning what she would do if it went well, and if it went bad. Talise was a planner.

She stopped, broken out of her thoughts and confused when Koli turned and spoke to her. The look of confusion she wore on her face disappeared in an instant, once she realized that he was asking her advice. Talise’s ears pricked with pride that the new alpha would ask her advice. The wise ask council when they are unsure. Her father had said that when he was training her to be beta. Thoughts raced through her mind as she thought about the best way to approach this. His harsh, frustrated words didn’t faze her. She understood that he didn’t want to seem weak for asking advice, and she thought no less of him for it.

”They don’t appear hostile, so charging in with a sharp and brutish manner wouldn’t be wise. I’d say let’s see what they want. If it is a place in the pack, well that depends on the character of the wolf. If it is for another reason, we should escort them off the territory, or run them off if they will not go willingly.” Talise said thoughtfully. Her head lowered slightly as she kept her eyes on the wolves.

”We should avoid a fight if necessary, but if not, we must protect the territory. I think word will spread that you will not be taken lightly on the subject if we chose that path.” Talise finished, raising her head to look at Koli. She was careful to keep her words respectful, not wanting to seem over-dominant.

[xolilippehox]

ic. "Mm.." The female grumbled outside her mind. She tried to match her stomach from before to pretend she wasn't hungry, so she can just mistake it that it came from her own mouth. The question from before still lingered in her thoughts, but as her auric optics grew tense from an eerie scent that ran up into her nares. Those nostrils breathed in rather deeply, taking in the new scents that were flooding her land. She knew the new smells were wolves. This made her muscles tense and mane bristle in livid rage. Artemis wasn't kind to strangers in the past, and so there will be no tolerance for them walking on her piece of property.

To make herself threatening, she added her fur into the sand by rolling on her spine, twisting her upper self towards her rip and vice versa. Her skull pressed onward into the soft dirt, eyes squinting so the grains wouldn't be able to stun her eye sight. If that had happen, she would be running into the warm water, splashing around like an idiot to rid of the debris. She had to have the best first impression. After all, the she-wolf had claimed the lands(which she doesn't know yet as been taken by Koli), and she didn't take pity from others, just strict business.

On the corner of her eye, Varkan was spotted. Teeth gleamed with rippled lips, a nasty bark-growl directed towards the male. The narrowed slits burned into the wolf's own eyes with murderous intent, but she kept her feet on the ground, prohibiting herself from attacking the brute. Only she will inflict the male is when he tries any funny business or, being gullible enough to attack back. "Keeping yourself at that distance was pretty smart, boy," she complimented, but sheering at Varkan by twisting her head left and high. Her cranial lowered even more from before, but her obsidian tail remained straight up, reflecting her dominance to the older one.

As she felt another coming near, she rose her head back to regular height, ears perked forward to hear. She heard a low voice, but then listen long enough to sense a more petite tone. They must be a female and male, most likely mates, in Artemis' mind. The rain didn't make it heard to hear, so she must be correct about the gender guessing part.

Now, back to work.

Her distracted side silently left as her more demanding, rude, and selfish side roared back to life. "State your name, boy," she question, but by the way her tone, it seem more demanding than allowing the wolf to choose to not tell or to do tell. She wasn't in for formalities at the time as well, but the 'mates' where close by, and probably, watching her, so she wanted to get through with this wolf. She didn't wait for his answer, so she asked again. "Tell me your name."

ooc.
word count~ 501
comments~ Completed and Yay!

[varkan]

The obvious gleam of suspicion passed in Varkan's dark enchanting amber eyes. A male patrolling the perimeter? Quite unexpected, but not too unexpected. You had to be ready for anything at all times and this male certainly was. Constant running and fighting had made Varkan into a stocky muscular wolf. He was built yes, and his body held a glint of supreme elegance, but that was to be expected of him. Still, he of course had no intention of answering this female's question. Usually before Varkan would answer any questions, he searched for proof of authority. "Who are you, why are you here, were did you come from?" He retorted, a sly little grin on his maw, staring at this female. "All that jazz, always the same." And then he turned his head in the direction of a light growl.

He knew this hostile female wasn't the owner of these lands, if she was, why would those two be off a ways, one growling defensively. Varkan was not to be toyed with in any manner, but he enjoyed toying with others. He was unusually calm for a brute, and he wasn't going to let this dark-hued femora bother him.

"If I may say, I'm not a 'boy'. Surely, you're wise enough to see I'm way too big for pupling years, no?" Varkan stood from his sitting position, got real low, and brought his tail between his hinds. He had trespassed, that was right. Crawling a bit towards the pair, he halted only after a few feet. His nose was held so low, his breathing scattered the sands, and his belly was only centimeters from laying so low.

With a slight bow varkan gently flickered his aud and said, "I apologize for trepassing. I am sure you're the real wolves in charge. Seems this fem' back here things she owns this place." Varkan's crystal voice hit clearly, and his amber eyes again rested upon the pair with a nervous smile.

[koli]

Koli shook the water from his coat and sighed as the rain continued to pour down upon the land. He wanted to make this confrontation as quick as possible and then find shelter. Although rain wasn't dangerous, if they stayed out in it for too long, they could run the risk of getting cold and sick, and with no Shawman in the pack, he was reluctant to let anyone get hurt. He had to be very cautious until someone with knowledge was found. Of course, he knew bits and pieces, but not enough to do much if something were to go wrong.

He'd noticed the slight confusion in Tailise when he'd mentioned the hot springs, and made a note to explain them as best as possible. Of course, he didn't quite fully understand the strange thing himself, but he knew enough to know that the spring was always warm no matter what the weather. He assumed it was either because of what man had done, or because of the earth itself. Whatever the reason, he was rather glad to have such a thing in his lands. It gave him great comfort, and calmed him when he was in a foul mood.

Spotting the wolves, he noticed that one of them had a black pelt, and a deep and dangerous snarl escaped his lips. Athabasca. Had she returned to seek forgivness? Or had the Knaves work been complete? Whatever the reason, it was darkening his mind, he was suddenly filled with anger, and he couldn't wait to unleash it upon her for the pain she had caused him. His eyes firmly fixed on her, he watched as she rolled on the ground, marking her filthy scent on his land. Did she really expect him to take her back after what she'd done? She would certainly pay for that.

As Tailise advised him on what to do, he shook his head and snarled once again. "Hostility is clearly an issue with that black femme." The hackles on his neck rose as he prepared for an attack. He was completly blind to who the femme truely was, in his mind, she was Athabasca. "The black femme must be punished for marking my terriroty, but the brute may still have a chance."

Walking forward, he closed in one the black femme only to hear her demanding the name of the other wolf. Snarling once again, he ran at her barking, opening his jaw, he went to attack her, hoping to punish her for what she was doing, as he did so, he noticed the differences between this wolf and Athabasca. This femme wasn't Athabasca, but she still needed to be punished. "Fool! Are you blind? Do you have no sense of smell?!" Shaking with anger, he tried to calm himself down by thinking of the words spoken to him by the Shawman in his old pack. "You are not the ruler of these lands, I am the Alpha here, and you have no right to act as if Haishin is yours."

Turning to the other wolf, he tried to control his anger, he just wanted to rip the black femme to pieces, even though she wasn't Athabasca, he wanted revenge, he wanted to unleash his anger. But it would mean driving everyone away, and he wasn't about to do that. "You should have howled!" He snapped, he was softer with this wolf, at least he'd apologised, but his anger and furioisty was too much to handle and control. "Is nothing sacred anymore." He snarled.

He dared not look at Tailise, he had seeked advice from her, and because of his anger he'd ignored it. He felt guilty, but also afraid. What would she think of him, seeing him like this? Would she want to leave, running aay in fear of him? Or would she attack him, angered by his own stupidity? Shaking in anger, he felt his legs weaken and his breath became short and sharp as he struggled to contain everything. He wouldn't allow himself to become monsterous. Not again.

DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUN

[talise]

As Koli let out the snarl, Talise turned to look and see what brought on the reaction. The light of recognition was in his eyes. Talise looked back down at the pair. Koli seemed to be staring at the black female. Whether he knew her or not, Talise didn’t know, but she did know that there must be a reason for his anger. Had he some bad history with this particular female, or just one that looked like her? Talise was curious, but now was not the time. Tearing away her gaze from Koli’s face, she once again turned to her alpha. Even when she wasn’t looking at him, she could feel the anger rolling off of him like heat waves. What had been done to cause such hate?

Parts of his words about the female were true, but she didn’t ready herself for a fight yet. The female appeared confused. It also seemed that his pent up anger wasn’t exactly for the female that was here now. Talise remained stoic as she walked forward with Koli, shaking her fur one last time to rid her of the annoying rain. What a dreary day. Talise stopped closer to the tawny male to watch her alpha. He lunged fiercely at her. Hopefully the female would be wise and listen to the warning. She certainly was confused; Talise only hoped that the situation would not be made worse by Koli’s outburst. Unlike most others, she didn’t resent her alpha for his decisions, even if she didn’t agree with him. Koli stood there, shaking with anger, then turned to scathe the male.

Talise turned to the tawny male. She didn’t interfere with Koli’s decision to punish her, she would let him take care of her. Her ears pricked forward slightly, she held her tail mid-way up, asserting that she held a decent place in the pack. Talise stared at the tawny male calmly.

”My alpha grows weary of wolves trespassing on his land. State your purpose for being here.” Talise said solemnly. She wasn’t making any excuses for her alpha, merely stating the fact. Hopefully Koli wouldn’t misinterpret her; she wasn’t trying to cover up for him, making excuses for him, or trying to take charge. Talise was an odd wolf to understand. Turning her head toward Koli, she looked for reassurance that he was alright with her speaking up. Koli still had not yet looked at her through the whole thing, and hopefully he wasn’t angry with her. If he was angry with her, hopefully he would understand her motives were innocent. Tension hung as thickly in the air as the mist rising from the warm water. Talise now noticed for the first time the hot springs, and made a mental note to check them out when all the trouble was over.

[varkan]

Amber eyes changed their position, as the other pair of his species moved forth. He eyed him, reading him for a second. Varkan fidgeted slightly, before re-maintaining that position that showed a bit of respect, but he couldn't stop his nervous grin. He couldn't find it in him to wise up and gain any sort of mature compsure. Just not his style, really.

The male opposite Varkan came near, before speaking with a hostile tone, that seemed to lower his spirits slightly. Haunches shifted in a sort of shrugging movement, as he remembered not everything was at it seemed. He was far from happy with what this fiery female had said and done here. So, this angry male was the Alpha?

And I hope that's right... He thought, before settling on the thought that he had no reason to lie like this black-pelted female if he had another wolfess following him. He flinched when the gaze of the Alpha male locked on his, and Varkan this time felt his smile completely vanish. Tail was still sweeped low, belly close to the ground and head lowered so that his nose was inches from the sand. He kept the same position, only his maw moving as he spoke.

I gathered that I was within your borders, and I do, in fact, have no reason for not calling for you.

Varkan's tassle flicked, slightly, as he awaited the answer of the brute in front of him. His eyes gazed just above his head, off into the distance of the terra. Audits were listening closely, to all the sounds about, and also to the wolf in front of him.

Few thoughts ran through Varkan's mind. Just wanting a positive response to what he had said. And he contemplated on asking for a place to stay for the time being. It didn't seem like too much to ask, after all, and it looked like a reasonable terra to stay on. And if any better than what he suspected, he would request it as a permanent home. Was this the place? It was far enough from where he had started out, it looked okay from where he was standing, and only one more test remained. The Pack members.

A small grin appeared on the face of Varkan, somewhat relieved at the words of the female. So, she didn't have to go in search of another place to stay. He still had a chance to request a temporary resting place. He felt himself straighten considerably, before he disguised his smile, exchanging it with no expression. He blinked for a second, running through his memory to remember what Talise had said. He processed it, thinking of how he could say so to not add any more oil to the fire the dark-pelted wolfess had started. Well, that wouldn't exactly be too hard.

He cleared his throat, sending one back-glance to that spit-fire female, and then looked back to the authoritive one. "I think it'd be fair for you to know my name, but you may call me whatever you wish. Most call me Varkan." the male chuckled with a light-hearted contentment in the joke he used to try and lighten the tension. "I've crossed the Great Water, and ended up on lands unknown. Days upon days I've walked, without a home, without a place to lay my head at night... without a home." Varkan continued to explain.

"It's is only obvious that I am exhausted, and I come here to request permission to... stay here for a while, and perhaps join your pack."

[xolilippehox]

ic. The tough acting female perked her ears more towards Varkan, awaiting an answer. The wait seemed forever for this impatient wolfess, but once he spoke, she didn't like what he had said. And that cocky grin of his made it worst. Artemis lashed out at the male by growling and snarling like a ravage beast, saliva trailing from one corner of her lips. "How dare you speak to me that way!" she scolded the other, golden gems barely open from how much she was squinting from her wrinkled face. Her claws retracted in the soft sand as her large paws were about to leave the ground, but remained firmly on it, trying to avoid any fights. She was not healthy enough to win a battle or even survive one right now, so what she was doing was smart for once.

"Oh, I'm sorry, boy," she egged on, the same smile Varkan had before being painted on her furry face. She felt accomplish by getting back at the smart-ass wolf and he needed to get some of his cocky comments back at him. As she was going to go on with the male, another came right at her. Her skull when down to the ground, her body recoiling backwards to keep a distance between the outraged lunatic, ears crushed into her cranial to be prepared for any lash outs from Koli.

"Fool! Are you blind? Do you have no sense of smell?!"

Those once widen eyes narrowed into slits again, a tassel up in height, but not as high as before. Soon enough, it lowered to in between her legs, her dominance being washed away, not from the rain, but from Koli, the real holder of the lands. His shaking self made Artemis fear that he was losing control, and from the earlier outburst, she wouldn't be surprised if he does. His anger seemed to decrease as he focused on the other brute, confusing the female. He did keep a stern voice at Varkan, except the obsidian fea had a more threatening tone. This pissed her off. Why the hell does the male only get a smack on the paw while she gets a full throttled beating of words!? She wanted to snarl back at him, but refrain from doing so. She was on his lands and he had the right to end her life right then and there.

The mist from the hot springs flowed throughout the small group, creating a eerie affect and difficulty of who is who. But then, a tail was caught in her eyes as it belong to Tailse, the beta. The wolf knew she was probably high ranked by the way she stand and how her tail was representing herself. And then, there arose that petite tone from before, speaking out loud.

Varkan gave no second for her to answer, the Mackenzie valley wolf raising her head back to a reasonable height to hear on his short story. The light-hearted chuckle he emitted made her scoff in disgust. All males take these things lightly, like a joke of some sort. A firm shake of her dark pelt rid of the sandy particles, though some were stubborn enough to stick in, auric gems blinking in interest at the end of Varkan's explanation. A 'humph' grunted from her throat as she began to tell her reason, but paused to take in a deep breath.

"Being a traveler or wanderer, which ever you might call me," she sighed and then started again. "I wanted adventure, excitement, thrills, but being out where I have no home made it hard to live. I wanted to find a place to call my home, like this place, but.." she trailed off, smacking her lips, a tongue rolling out to lick the wet lines that formed a sad frown. She shook her head two times, and held her determined look again. "I'm the same as this boy. May I rest or even possibly join? Or is that too much to ask since I have already grew on your bad side?"

ooc.
word count~ 674
comments~ Like the sound effects, Koli. Lol.

[koli]

Koli was somewhat glad that the dammned femme had recoiled. But not glad enough, he wanted to pay, he wanted to make her squirm and squeel for what she'd done. How dare she try and claim his lands. How dare she act like the Alphess, no one would take that position. His patience was running thin, he was once again turning into that cold and ruthless wolf that he'd tried to escape from. And all because of Athabasca. She had destroyed him, he'd tried for such a long time to be a calmer wolf, to not release his anger on others unless it was absolutly necissary. And it seemed now that all that hard work was for nothing.

Turning to look at the male, Koli watched as he lowered himself to the ground, breathing out his anger, he listened closely to Tailise's words. At least she wasn't afraid of him, or at least she didn't sound like she was. In fact she appeared to be rather loyal to him, standing by him even when he was in this state. Turning to look at her quickly, he felt warmed and comforted with her presence. No other wolf had stood by him when he was like this, they had either run in fear or had attacked him. It was strange to think that Tailise still stood with him, even when he was like this, but he was happy. He didn't have to hide the monster that he truely was. Turning back to the brute and growled. "No, you don't have a reason." Pausing, Koli tried to think through his next words, he had to be careful, phsycohogicaly acute. "If you knew you were in my lands, why did you not howl?" It was not a question that could be avoided, if the brute avoided it, he would be on the same level as the femme. "If you had howled at my pack borders I would have come, and my anger wouldn't have been so great."

As the rain continued to pour down on them, the wind picked up, pushing the steam from the springs towards them. It warmed Koli for a while, but it also worried him. Although he could still see everyone, it was restricting his view ever so slightly. And he didn't want these tresspassers to suddenly run off. They had to understand what they had done, they had to be punished. If they ran, they could do it again to some other Alpha, and that would not be fair. Turning away from the two wolves, he walked up to Tailise and stood close to her. "Forgive me" He whispered in her ear. "I shouldn't have so blindly ignored your advice." Apologies weren't his strong point, and it felt strange to be apologising to her, but he saw no other way. He didn't want Tailise to resent him. "I hope I didn't scare you."

As his words finished, he heard the brute address him and he turned his head away from Tailise and walked closer to the two wolves. At least he knew the brute's name now. But he didn't take too kindly to Varken's chuckle. Did he think that this was a game? He was at death's door, Koli could kill him in a heart beat, and he had the nerve to chuckle? Growling, he looked to Tailise, hoping to once again calm his anger. He cared not from where Varken was from, it seemed all wolves had crossed the great waters. He was no different, and he would get no special treatment for it. It almost made him sick that Varken was trying to gain some sympathy, he wouldn't get any, he'd tresspassed, he didn't have that right.

It seemed Varken wished to join his pack, even if it was for a little while. Growling, he listened as the femme gave her own heart felt story. At least her story wasn't so predictable, but that didn't lighten Koli's mood at all. The two were the same, they had tresspassed on his lands, and that still angered him. They were both as bad as each other. The femme for marking his territory, and Varken for wondering onto his land when he knew it was claimed. It seemed that the femme wanted to join aswell, decpite what she had done. Growling, Koli paced back and forth, unsure as to what to do. They needed more numbers, especially if he was planning to overthrow the Knaves. But their behaviour had been unacceptable. He was faced with a dilema, and he didn't know what to do.

"You can stay one night." He growled finally coming to a decission. "Tomorrow I shall make up my mind about you two." It seemed the best option, and at least he had the remainder of today and tonight to work things out. "If you do join, do not expect to be taken so lightly. You have broken the laws of the land, and have disrespected me. Neither of you will be trusted until it is earned." Pausing, he looked at the two, waiting for a reaction. "Is that clear?"

Post: Complete
Words: 905
Comment: Okay, I think we need a posting order. So from now on, It will go Artemis, Varken, Koli, Tailise, Artemis, Varken, Koli, Tailise etc.[/size]

[talise]

Talise gave a small smile in response to Varkan’s. The situation had improved greatly in such a short time, and not just by her actions. Varkan submitted easily, which was good for him. Talise expected this though, he didn’t seem to be as hot a wolf as the black female. This was a much desired trait for new members. It made the whole transition easier for all of them. No, Talise didn’t worry for Varkan, if what she felt was worry. The male would keep himself out of trouble. Talise sat down near Koli to see what his next moves would be.

The female’s appearance took a drastic turn when Koli asserted himself. A small, slightly wry smile edged its way onto her maw. It was slightly amusing to watch the transformation from forcefully dominant to utterly submissive. The smile wasn’t cruel; Talise didn’t enjoy the female’s discomfort. It just amused her that one can change their attitude so fast. If the female continued this way, she should fit in well also. Koli, of course, would decide if they did join or not. She didn’t expect him to decline quickly though. They needed members.

As Varkan, the tawny male, introduced himself, Talise looked his way. His story was similar to hers. She had also crossed the water that separated their island for the mainland. His request to join their small pack didn’t surprise her. Hunting was not an easy task when one was alone. Talise had found this out when her small pack scattered, leaving her to fend for herself. A rabid wolf had killed her father, and the other two members took off, never to be found by Talise again. Talise thought she knew hard times when her pack was only four wolves. Nothing compared to being on your own though. Remembering this, she felt a little compassion for the trespassers, despite her annoyance with their blatant disregard for pack boundaries.

The eerie fog started to surround them. Talise flicked her ears in annoyance. Her vision wasn’t the only sense being reduced. Scent and hearing seemed to be muffled slightly by fog. That was really quite annoying. Talise was focusing on her annoyance when Koli walked up to her. Her eyes darted his direction, then her head soon followed. Talise stood respectfully as he approached her. She was expecting a rebuke or a firm word to not interfere, so when he apologized it surprised her. Surprise flickered over her face, and then a small, reassuring smile replaced it. Talise didn’t like to show surprise for long. Talise breathed deeply, inhaling her alpha’s scent further. It was already beginning to be a comfort to her.

”I forgive you Koli. You have the right to disobey my advice any time. And your hopes were not in vain, you did not frighten me.” Talise said with a playful scoff. To take any edge that might be in her words, she gave Koli a friendly lick across his cheek. This action surprised even her. Talise didn’t usually show her attachment to others physically. Many new things were happening today for the young female. She looked down, slightly embarrassed at her quick actions and then looked over at the other two wolves.

Talise was pleased with Koli’s decision to let them stay the night. He was a strict alpha, but it seemed that he was trying to be more compassionate. The memory of Koli’s extreme hate towards the black female flashed through Talise’s memory. This also brought up her note to find out why this was. Talise turned her gaze back to Koli, inspecting him silently. She tried to keep the curiosity that burned in her eyes toned down a bit.



OOC:// OMG! Sorry for taking so long guys :/ Been camping this past weekend and got behind in school. Bleh

[xolilippehox]

ic. The winter clouds lessen more rain has it poured more and more, which concern Artemis of her health of being out this long. Her nostril began to sniff up any mucus that would slither out, unwilling to make herself unwanted in Koli's fiery eyes. That male was strong in words and body gestures, and of course, the wolfess would wince at his spitting nature, so she attempted to avoid that authoric tone by behaving. When he used it on Varken for not howling, she had to hold back her chuckles. He finally got his end of the punishment and it amused her to no end.

Auric gems narrowed slightly as they rolled to one side of her lids to see Tailse being as quiet as she can ever be, the Mackenzie valley lupine breathing out in an obnoxious way. The silence made her uneasy with the beta, unknowing how she really acts if she would be angered. She was such a small wolf to the male, but her interior was probably more threatening than her exterior. Her body trembled, not from the rain, but Tailse's vibes.

Her paws marched in place as she wanted to rid of the eerie feelings, but Koli's growl made her hesitate from continuing. Him pace back and forth made her wonder what he was going to say. He was probably going to accept the male since all he did wrong was not howl. Freaking suck up. Artemis, on the other hand, try to claim all of Hashin pack alpha's land without concern and a care in the world. As he spoke, a sign of hope was beaming on the obsidian wolfess's face, but it was immediately wiped away with a cocky smirk. She didn't want to seem desperate, so she had to mask it.

His decision made her go wild inside. Her heart beat pumped vigorously as the news of possibly making it into a pack, a home of which she was searching for from many weary moons and suns, but his warnings did put her back in place. 'Damn,' she curse inside, flaring her nostrils. Of course, how she made her first impression will last in Koli's mind forever. He will never trust her, unless she tries so hard to gain it back, but that will be a while. Showing up others weren't her thing.

"Yes. You are very clear, sir."


ooc.
word count~ 405 words
comments~ Fin~ Sorry took awhile

[varkan]

Koli snarled a question, but Varkan masked his amused grin. "I had told you I had no reason for not howling." he'd repeated, almost with a teasing note hanging onto the end of each syllable. Varkan's visionaries moved onto Artemis' form, as she spoke once again, the words exiting her jaw with a bit of disdain and slight fear. Was his time wasted here? Well, he wouldn't want to keep the Alpha much longer. He was almost done anyway.

He was inside the border already so there wasn't a real reason to speak out of turn anymore. The wolf granted permission to stay the night, and this would be time he'd consider joining the pack permanently(with Koli's permission). After the members had been seen by him, of course. He wasn't keen on being stuck within a Pack of wolves who hated his very guts, and looked at him with pure hatred. He'd rather get along with a few. Sure, the land had a nice mark on it, but it was nothing without the Pack, to ensure the mark.

Varkan shook his head, ever so slightly, not wishing to make it noticeable he was debating with himself within his own mind. At shaking his head at himself. He seemed crazy. But he wasn't. He just needed to ask himself questions sometimes, to... make sure he caught them properly. And he sure did hear what Koli had said. He had permission to stay on the land for an evening, while at the same time considering to join the Pack. And it seemed like a thing that wasn't of average occurrence. Yet, he was granted permission. He had heard it with his own ears. Yes. Right there. Perfect. Absolutely perfect.

"Crystal." Varkan confirmed the brute in front of him, nodding in agreement with his own words. Now, off to see the Pack members? Or was there more the Alpha requested? Alpha's seemed to ask of quite a few things these days, but Koli was probably worn out from his frustration with not one but two trepassers. So, he may just leave it at that, and leave to sleep. Varkan wasn't purely sure.

Just a few minutes wait to see. He actually wanted a chance to join this Pack, so he was going to be a bit give a little more respect that usual. The goody-goody Packs he more mocked, anyway, if that was really considered giving no respect. So, now to wait to see if there was anything else the Alpha asked of him, before they'd return to the dens(hopefully to escape the rain), and met the members...