Kamari's neighbors had been quiet for quite some time. Zethrox was content to finally make his move.
Haishin was growing rapidly, and the pack's numbers were swelling with each passing day. Soon, they would be too large for just one territory. They needed to expand. I'm sure good old Meikou will not mind, he thought with a quiet laugh. That is, if she's even still around. The scent markers on the territory were faded and virtually undetectable. The brute was confident that he would be able to secure the forest, and relatively quickly, as well. What could possibly go wrong?
Zethrox knew the risks of expanding his pack's boundaries. The other packs could potentially be put on edge, and he ran the risk of them turning against him. But he needed to do what was best for his family, and this was it, at the time. Haishin needed breathing room, and this was the best way to do it. As the brute strolled through the trees, he let out a short, announcing howl. It spoke of his desires to rule this forest, to take it as his own. He wandered about, spreading scent markings without the slightest sign that the territory was even occupied. Maybe old Xinelil's pack finally met its demise, he thought, slightly amused. It had been the first reorganized pack since the humans, and it only made sense that it would be the first to go.
The alpha was curious. What if he could siphon all of the Oriens? Haishin would become a greater power on the continent, and they would be one step closer to his ultimate goal. He wanted to make Anikira a better place, and if that meant stepping on some toes, so be it. Akihra and her pups were in Kamari to oversee the pack, though he was not sure yet how the older members would take to his granddaughter. He was pleased with her decision to stay, but would Legacy, Revan, Apollo, and the others be as excited? She was not kin to them, and they had no reason to love her as he did.
But that was a minor detail now. Akihra would be staying with them, and Zethrox actually had a great idea for what she would do. He had intended to spread his claim for quite some time, yet there had never been an opportune moment. If Akihra would agree, he would make her his Beta, in exchange for her watching over the Oriens while he ruled over Kamari. Heck, he would be fine if she chose to establish her own pack here, so long as she remained under his watchful eye. He needed someone to take over Haishin from him, and he was determined to make her into that wolf. It might be the last thing he would do, but it was his goal; Zethrox never abandoned his goals.
Morde wasn't sure where he was. He knew he was far enough from his old pack lands, which was really all that mattered to him, and he hadn't smelled any signs that he was in anyone else's. There were other wolves around, he had passed along boarders and even heard a few distant calls. None had been close enough for him to investigate, nor had he felt any particular inclination at the time. Curiosity was beginning to get the better of him, however, and he found himself ambling more slowly than usual as he passed through the trees.
He saw his first sign of life in a long time. Granted, he would have much preferred it had come in a different form. And if it had to be in the form that it was - a bark full of claiming - he wished it had been further away. As it was, he couldn't see the wolf, but whoever he was, he wasn't too far out of sight. And moving closer, by the sound of it.
How would he react to seeing Morde standing there?
As far as Morde could tell, he wasn't technically trespassing. This was the unseen wolf's land, but he hadn't marked it. Should Morde turn and go back the way he'd come? Or continue through and just hope no one noticed his passing? Or maybe he could change direction and make for the mountains over there? Or...
His mind was made for him. The owner of the bark and the now-increasing sent appeared, moving around as he marked his new territory. Running now would make him look guilty, and he couldn't risk that. So that left him only one choice...
Morde slid closer to the bush nearest him and waited, his mismatched eyes fixed on the bigger wolf.
Stale. Ever since Siscarm had disbanded the pack, the Oriens had be stale. A snort. No, that wasn't true. The Oriens had gone stale when Meikou took over as alphess. Another snort. Wrong again. When Xinelil had died, he took with him the life of the mountainous pack. It was as if when his body exhaled his soul, it had also exhaled everything that had made Aldgar, well, Aldgar. The pack had never recovered, and now it was nothing more than a lingering scent, a memory, another piece of violent Anikiran history that was probably better left forgotten. Who would want to hear the tale of the beheaded alpha and the pack that could not thrive without him? A third snort. Better forgotten indeed.
Of course, one of the wolves that still called these lands home was not much better off. In a way, he had been forgotten too. He was a hermit now, a lonely soul living on his own. Short fur was scruffy and unkempt, muzzle greying, ribs protruding from a two thin frame. He looked... old. Then again, he had turned six last month. But he looked more like an elder than he did an aging adult. He felt a lot like an elder as well, muscles stiff and joints aching. For a mountain dweller, he should have been in better shape. It was a pity he had let his habits go to hell, sacrificing well-being in favor of stubborn determination.
Then again, Kadhi had always been a stubborn ass. And his choice in home was a rather ill one given that he was an Arabian. Food was hard to come by in the mountains when your pack was disbanded and prey avoided cold weather. Most of his time was spent cooped up in Aldgar's stale dens, drinking snow for water and eating the stray mouse that entered his cavern. If he was smart, he would have left like the rest. But he didn't. This was his home and he'd be damned if he wouldn't stay there till he took his last breath. He guarded it like a mother bear protected her cubs, and there was no one who would tear him from these lands.
Which is why the sound of short howl instantly roused him from his nap. The scrappy little male was up on his paws faster than a cheetah on a gazelle. It took him minutes to scale the side of the mountain, the old paths familiar even though they had not be traveled in a while. Danger had never been a concern of his; he practically thrived on it. So sprinting down a mountain to meet some intruder despite his frail appearance was a typical Kadhi move.
The stranger was deep into the Zaor Forest by the time the Arabian caught scent of him. Kadhi easily picked his way through the trees, knowing which places to avoid by heart. He had yet to visit the place he'd found Xinelil's body ever since he'd returned, and as of now he had no plans of doing so. Instead he kept to higher ground, keeping himself upwind as he sought out the trespasser. He was not going to let some old coot get the jump on him.
Kadhi crested a small rise in the ground, descending the other side of it and bursting into the small clearing with as much dignity as a banshee. Head and tail were held high in dominance, amber eyes wild with a stubborn, demanding fury. For a puny runt of a wolf (he was average sized for an Arabian but compared to the fluffier species was rather small) he commanded a lot of attention, making it perfectly clear that he was the only one allowed to be here. "The hell ya doin' in my land?" he screeched, voice rumbling in a snarl.
The elder brute paused, sensing the presence of another wolf nearby. He could feel the gaze of a stranger and, as he turned, spied a brute with mismatched eyes staring in his direction. He dipped his head in a form of greeting before approaching the stranger, careful not to exude signs of dominance to the point of the stranger feeling threatened. He could not possibly have expected this entire area to be vacant, especially since the previous scent markers were so scarce.
“Hello there, brute,” he greeted the wolf cordially. Zethrox was not opposed to treating others with respect until given reason not to. From what he could tell, this stranger was not a threat to his claim. If anything, he was just another loner looking for somewhere to find food. The alpha was just as much a stranger in these lands as the next wolf. “My name is Zethrox, and I am the alpha of the Haishin Pack that resides in Kamari,” he introduced himself.
As he spoke to the brute, Zethrox’s ears perked. The sounds of yet another wolf in the vicinity caused the brute to tense involuntarily. How many wolves could be nestled in these trees? he thought briefly as a smaller brute ambled towards them. His eyes glinted in amusement as the small brute snapped at him. Am I supposed to be intimidated? he thought absently, though he would never voice that thought aloud. He was polite enough to keep snippy comments such as those to himself. “I believe you are mistaken, sir,” he retorted. The arabian brute was a minor conflict in this situation. “As these lands are no longer claimed by a pack. I have quite a large one, you see, so I feel that it is in my best interest to take hold of this forest. You see, I wouldn’t want my family to starve, now would I?” The brute’s eyes twinkled. He was thoroughly enjoying these. “I am under the impression that these lands are no longer claimed, as the scent markers are faded to virtually invisible at this point,” he explained.
Zethrox was fairly certain that this brute was a member of Xinelil’s old pack, which had been handed to Meikou with his death. If that was so, he would be fairly accommodating to the small wolf, as he knew what it was like to lose his home. There was no vindictiveness in the brute’s actions. He was simply looking out for his own family.
But this wolf could be a complication. If he refused to side with Haishin and also refused to leave the territory, there would be problems. He would not tolerate insubordination in territory that was under his control. Zethrox was a proud alpha, and he would not let a little desert wolf damage his grasp on lands that should be rightfully under Haishin's rule. The pack needed extra room; with Revan's and now Akihra's pups, their numbers were steadily swelling, and soon there would not be enough prey to sustain the pack's members. Once it got to that point, it would be too late. The brute was doing what he felt was necessary in order to provide a way to survive.
Zethrox had a feeling that this brute would not understand. I don't want to have to get violent, he thought. The alpha would have to give this wolf two options: side with Haishin and stay where he was, or get out.
Morde tensed when the big brute moved toward him, even though he sensed no aggression - it was an instinctive reaction. Even when the brute greeted him pleasantly, he couldn't make his body relax. In fact, it got worse the more the other wolf spoke. And then he said the worse thing he could, that he was as an alpha. Alpha brought horrible thoughts of Max, Max brought thoughts of... His wounded pride stiffened him all over, pulled his ears back, and bared his teeth as it sent the scar on his hip to aching. He was being stupid, he knew it. The alpha was bigger...was an alpha. Morde refused to make a noise, though one wanted desperately to get out. (Whether it was a whimper or a growl, he couldn't be sure.)
After a moment he gave up trying to make his body relax, and instead forced his head down slightly, just trying not to offend the alpha. Max... The scar on his hip throbbed a steady beat. "I am called Morde. I'm just a loner travelling through, though…if I could beg shelter for a while..."
He knew what he was asking, knew how it would look paired with his stance. He knew he'd never get it. If the alpha would just look away from him for a minute so he could get a grip on himself…
The arrival of a very small, very brash wolf provided him the distraction he so desperately needed. The alpha turned his attention away from Morde to gently rebuke the Arabian's claim to the land. (Even Morde knew the alpha - What had he said his name was? Zethrox, he thought - was in the right. There had been no markers, no evidence that a pack had been there for some time. In fact, as far as Morde could tell, there was no proof that the Arabian had been there.) While Zethrox was looking somewhere else, Morde made himself relax. It was an effort. He managed to force his tail down, lowered his body slightly... He managed it by repeating steadily to himself, Submissive...submissive.... And there was his wounded pride again, railing against his smarter half in an attempt to force him to fight back.
Finally, Morde felt he was properly positioned for when Zethrox turned back, and so he could turn his attention to the confrontation. It almost immediately undid all his hard work. There was a tension in the air, mostly coming from the alpha. It made Morde wonder if a fight was coming... And if one did, which side would he take?
Timber wolves, the lot of them. Kadhi sniffed distastefully, determined to look down upon the two much larger males. He didn't care about the rules of conquest or the safety of someone else's family. He didn't care that he was being stubborn and irrational, or that more polite behavior might keep him in the territory. He didn't care that Xinelil was gone and with him went the glory of Aldgar.
All the Arabian cared about was his self. Numero Uno. Him, himself, and he. It was all he'd ever cared about, deep down inside. Sure there was that brief period of time where he'd belonged to the Aldgar pack, where he'd cared for those he let into his life. And look where it had gotten him! Xinelil was dead, Siscarm was more than halfway to dead, Meikou had disappeared, and lord knows where the pup had gone. They'd all left him. He was alone in the mountains and back to his old way of living. Kadhi disregarded everyone, sticking strongly to his thoughts and convictions, convinced that he was in the right because he was the only one that was still trying to be loyal. The problem with being stubborn was that he never knew when to quit.
Which is why he scoffed at the words of the visiting alpha. He hadn't showed submission to Xinelil when he'd first joined Aldgar and he sure as hell wasn't going to show any now. No. If Kadhi ended up not getting thrown out of the land, it would be on spirit. The spunky little desert wolf was the opposite of conventional, and though he had matured during his years spent in the mountains there were parts of him that would never change. They were the parts of him that would never change, the ones that made him who he was, and the ones that had earned him respect in his own right.
"This is Aldgar territory. Always has been. Always will be. Ain't nuthin' you can say to change that, geezer. Now friggin' get out!" Did he not believe the situation to be so serious, Kadhi probably would have looked quite comical snarling at these strangers. He didn't so much as look like an alpha, his body too unkempt to show any productivity. He had no power here anymore. But he would not give up without a fight. He never gave up without a fight. To do so would be a dishonor to the former glory of Aldgar.
Zethrox stared down at the arabian in disbelief. This was when his alpha side was bound to show.
"You are a fool," the brute snapped back instantly. "Your home is gone, your pack has disappeared, and I am willing to offer you a form of protection. You are being a selfish, arrogant bastard to believe that your pack still has any hold here." He was angry at this point. If the little brute thought that he was going to stand a chance against the alpha, then he was a fool indeed.
"If you think you are doing a service to Aldgar, then you are wrong. What do you think Xinelil would say if he saw you fighting against someone who actually is in a position to help you?" he snarled. He knew that the comment would likely hit the brute hard. If he was this loyal to the former pack, then such a statement would be a bold one, indeed. The alpha had only briefly known Xinelil, but it did not mean thta he had not heard of the pack. At one point, Aldgar had been great. The pack had thrived instantly, nestled in its mountain home, and kept a tight grasp on the territory.
But now, he had sat back and watched the pack fall to pieces. Ever since the first alpha disappeared, no successor had managed to rebuild it. Aldgar was a ghost of the past, just like its alpha. Aldgar had died with Xinelil.
Zethrox was willing and able to provide this brute a home; he would even be willing to allow him to stay in the Oriens. But if the little monster struck first, Zeth would have no choice but to throw the rebel out by the scruff of his neck. And Zethrox would not hesitate one moment to do it, either. He did not want to be the bad guy in this situation, but the arabian was not giving him much of a chance. How do I make him see what a fool he is being? he wondered offhandedly.
"Brute, you will have two options," he stated firmly. "You may remain here, with my permission, under the claim of the Haishin Pack. Or you must leave. You may choose to fight against me in this matter, but mark my word, young one. I do not lose. You do not know who you stand before, do you?" Zethrox squeezed his eyes shut, recalling a tale from not too long ago, yet it seemed like it had been forever.
"I am sure you remember the knaves. In fact, it was one of Ardemu's little henchmen that was responsible for your alpha's death. That deadly wolf, Ardemu? Who do you think handed him his life? And who do you think took it away from him when he abused it?" he asked stiffly. This was no laughing matter. "I am not a wolf to be trifled with, brute. I do not resort to violence unless absolutely necessary. But you need to pull your head out of your ass and realize what you are doing. Don't throw away a good offer because you are simply too proud to take it."
Morde watched the imminent fight with trepidation. He was no peacekeeper. He'd tried back home, and look what it had gotten him. All those deaths, a scar, and banishment. The great achievements of my life, Morde thought bitterly. He couldn't keep thinking like that; it was a dangerous line of thought to follow and it would lead to dangerous places. (He had followed once before and almost ended up in a lake.) So he jerked himself out of the thoughts and turned them instead back to the two wolves and the...delicate situation.
The little Arabian made Morde want to laugh as he attempted, yet again, to lay claim to the wild land. There seemed to be a great deal more talk than actual wolf, and the wolf didn't seem to care. The alpha did, though. The more the Arabian talked, the angrier Zethrox's words got, and the more worried Morde felt. Really, though, the Arabian was being unreasonable. Zethrox even seemed willing to let him stay in those lands, just under a new name. Would it be that bad? As soon as he'd had the thought, Morde thought he understood. It would be that bad to the Arabian; this wouldn't be the same land once it belonged to someone else and strange wolves had moved in.
...Still, could Morde side with him? He knew Zethrox was trying to be fair, and he knew the offer wasn't terrible. And on top of all of that the alpha was reminding (because Morde assumed he was the only one that didn't understand the reference to some knaves and a dead wolf) of his previous victories. Morde wasn't a peacekeeper, but he wasn't going to just stand by and watch the alpha kill the other. He stepped forward cautiously, "Maybe it isn't my place to say anything, but I think you should listen, Arabian. The offer's a good one."
((OOC: I feel like this was a really bad post, and I'm sorry for it. I just can't seem to get in the rhythm here.))
