Post by zethrox on Jun 20, 2009 15:38:26 GMT -5
As Koli spoke, Zethrox tried his best to keep a straight face, to hide the anger and distaste at the brute's actions. He would not allow his facade to falter; doing so would be a dire mistake. Under such tension, the brute was often conflicted between the ways he had adopted and the ways of his puphood. Often, the darker side would emerge. But now he fought those urges, fueled only by the thoughts of how his pack would be affected by such emotions. It would be a terrible problem if he were to lose his temper. But what he had imagined was simple compared to what Koli now told him. That, not only was Ardemu around and gathering more support, but that the black brute had aligned himself with his son. As the former alpha continued, Zethrox settled slightly. He saw logic in the wolf's thoughts, but striking a deal with Ardemu was disastrous. He could return to the territory at any moment and, after possibly recognizing his scent, would attack. He was under no condition prepared to involve his pack in this ordeal, but now he felt obliged to tell his side to this story. They must know the truth, he thought, his eyes sliding closed momentarily.
After what seemed like ages, he opened his eyes once more, glancing around at the wolves he now considered his family. It would be suicide not to tell them now. Beckoning to Koli to follow, he stretched and rose. He padded back to the wolves, nodding in acknowledgement to Zhen as she arrived. He figured that she would not stick around long; most likely few of them would after they discovered what a monster the elder brute had been. "I'm afraid there are things I must tell you..." he stated unwillingly, his desire to hide the truth overwhelming. If it were not for the safety of his pack being in danger, this story would never be heard by another wolf's ears. "And it may very well change the way you look at me, I fear."
He glanced back at Koli, knowing that the former alpha would want to hear this story. "Koli has just informed me of an involuntary treaty made between this territory and the Knaves." The statement was blunt and unemotional. He refused to give in to the dam that threatened to burst with anger, hatred, anxiety, and fear all mixed into one. "And the brute Ardemu that leads them." His head lowered for a few seconds before he stared back into the eyes of his pack. "I don't know how much you wolves know of the history of this land. I was born and raised here, unfortunately. Here in this territory, in fact, shortly after the humans left, I was born to a litter of pups not much unlike all of you likely were. I had a mother and a father, but my circumstances were much graver than yours." A tense edge had crept into his voice, but he continued, forcing out the story that he had so long hidden.
"My 'family,' you could call them, were cruel, heartless wolves. They were a menace to these lands. They weren't much unlike this wolf Ardemu that Koli speaks of. They sought for domination, spilled blood, and uncontested control of these lands. The period of time was dark for these wolves. Not only were we all fighting to survive after the ruin the humans left the lands in, but the wolves were fighting amongst each other for power and against each other for food and territory." He paused momentarily, regathering his thoughts. The history of the lands played so heavily into this situation that it was not funny. After all, history was doomed to repeat itself time and time again. "Between all the battles between not the good wolves, I was raised as a brutal monster. We all were. Nothing was different; everything we knew was death, pain, and blood. It was a terrible life, but at the time, I loved it. I lived for it and nothing else. And this was what ultimately brought ruin to these lands." His eyes grew old, showing momentarily the age and maturity his spirit truly bore. It was uncommon for him to allow such feeling to overtake him.
"It was frequent that my family would raid packs, snatching away their young. They were often used for training the younger members of the band. But we stumbled across an unusual pair of pups, Rixes and her brother, Illidar. I was only a few months old at the time, and I was intrigued that these wolves were raised with us. Long story short," the brute skipped past the details of his bitter romance and troubled life, "Rixes became my mate and it was not long before I left the group. I was troubled by what she told me I had become, by what I knew deep inside was wrong. It took me years to realize everything she had said was the truth, ages of molding to become the wolf I am now. But I never let the wolves wander far away; I always kept an eye on them. It was this way that I discovered that my mate had become pregnant before I left." He winced slightly, censoring the details of how he left and why exactly she had been heavy with pups. Such things were not only horrible memories, but they were also very private ones. "I had three pups, two girls and one boy." His gaze turned cold. "And that brute... His name was Ardemu."
He stopped, knowing that it would be a lot for these wolves to absorb. But there was more to the story, more that he needed to tell them before he allowed them to judge him, to take their leave if they so desired. "I never imagined what would happen to him. It wasn't too long after his birth that my daughters were dead, and I was far away, north of here, wandering the territory in search of myself once more. It was a few years ago that I decided to come back, to see what had happened to my son." He now spoke with venom in his voice, his obvious disapproval leaking from every word. "The band was dead; he had killed every last one of them. I've heard what he has done to these lands, and it is the worst of all things to believe that you are the father of a monster."
Zethrox was done. He knew that the wolves would likely be wary of him, and possibly even turn against his leadership. He would not blame them; his past was not one to be proud of. But deep inside, he hoped that they had what he had once believed Ardemu might carry. He hoped that they had compassion and forgiveness, something that he had seen in Rixes from the first day he had met her. Something that he had loved in her, and the one thing he hoped would survive in his offspring. Without her, his world was utterly lost; now, all he could hold to was the hope that somehow Ardemu could be swayed, turned into a wolf much like his mother. That is not likely... His conscience nagged with a sickly cackle. But Zethrox ignored it, ignored the logic that he always carried with him. Somehow, he would do what he had intended to do.