breakfast is served. [shayde-open]

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“Shayde is not one to be trifled with..” The words continued to course through his mind as he made his way through the territory in the early morning. What made the beta so aggressive? He was sure it wasn’t only because she had recently given birth, although he was certain that did put her on edge. Child hood trauma? He wondered, lost in his game of guessing. Of course he would not pry into her past, but what went on in the kalak’s mind was often not for the ears of others, it was merely his way of passing the time and keeping his mind sharp. Few understood that, so he no longer bothered playing the game with others.

Spring was an excellent time for pups; it was the best time to catch prey, as they were too troubled with mating and gorging themselves on the fresh greens to really pay attention to the presence of a predator. Unfortunately, as the kalak was beginning to remember, it also meant the prey was lively and quick on their feet. The maned wolf had not failed thus far, he had successfully captured a hedgehog, but he doubted it would be suitable for young ones. He would leave that to Shade and Ryker though.

Still, as he jogged quietly onto the plateau his head lifted and his prowling gait turned to one of alert attention, his pace slowed immediately as his ears flicked forward listening for the scurrying of small creatures that were easy to pounce upon. The hedgehog hung delicately in his jaws, careful not to be poked by the less than sharp quills it possessed, but also so that he could drop it and pounce upon another prey item when he was ready.

The familiar rustling of grass caught his attention and his stride halted mid stride, paw still in the air as his head swung to the right, head tilting to the side as his nostrils flared to bring in the scent of the hedgehog and a less noticeable scent of rabbit. His tail waved in excitement as his head ducked low, dropping his prickly meal to the ground softly before creeping forward. His paws were placed softly and carefully to the ground as his head poked up to its highest level. Cassian was in full blown hunting mode as he took to move quiet steps forward, head cocking to the side as he listened to the rustling before his muscles tensed and his legs bent, preparing to pounce.

In one smooth, quick movement he was in the air and then on the ground, his paws brushed the ground in greeting before he bounced upward much like a fox would as his eyes found the rabbit. Angling his paws to land on the rabbit as he descended, he felt the flesh under his paws and heard the soft squeal as his weight pinned the prey to the ground. Quickly, his jaws found its throat and he gave a sharp jerk of his head, the prey went limp and its squeals went silent. A grin stretched the kalak’s lips as he picked it up and returned to his hedgehog, which he barely managed to grasp hold of and continued on his way to the den.

Vorilye had not exaggerated on how easy it was to find the den; his silver eyes immediately found the mines that the alpha had said the dens would be in. As he approached, a sense of nervousness and unease crept into his chest, he wasn’t sure how close was too close to the mines…was she just inside? Or would he need to get close to the entrance to alert her to his presence. Mulling over his options as he neared, he quickly decided that it would not be worth getting bitten and stopped about ten feet from the mines grand entrance and dropped the descent meal. For a moment he stood in silence, soaking in just how quiet the early morning was, he heard no whimpering but then again he expected everyone to be sound asleep at such an hour.

Attempting to keep the young ones asleep, he barked softly, hoping that it would be loud enough for her to hear and just strange enough for her to investigate. Once he had shattered the morning silence his head lowered respectfully, his tail limp behind him as he peered at the dark mines with curiosity and interest. Perhaps…when there were no children or soon expecting mothers present he would explore the caverns within. Licking his lips out of nervous habit, he continued to wait, his ears forced forward to listen for the whimpering of children or the upset stirrings of a disgruntled mother.

After what seemed like a good few minutes of silence he shifted ever so slightly, his body moving to the right ever so slightly. “Shayde…er…the alpha sent me with food for you and the pups.” Again his voice was soft as he very noticeably tried to remain quiet while still trying to speak loud enough for her to easily hear him from the depths of the man made tunnel system.

Words: 856
Tagged: Shayde, open
Muse: Good
Notes: sorry if its a bit rambling and long.
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[atrb=background,http://tinyurl.com/d45fdh4] Long red legs carried the lean form of the red beta across the expanse of the Descai territory at speeds even she was unaware she could reach. The cool wind through her fur felt wonderful! Oh how long it had been since she’d run like this! Not that Shayde had ever just gone for a run spur of the moment. She wasn’t lazy, per se, but had never seen much point in running around aimlessly. But since having the pups, being able to stretch her legs was just great! Shayde could hardly believe that time had flown so quickly. The pups no longer needed her to watch over them day in and day out. They could basically take care of themselves. She could leave them alone for days on end, and they wouldn’t cry or get lonely. She was free! Though being away from them was a little heart wrenching, Shayde couldn’t just give this freedom up. She was beta once again, held all kinds of power over the growing pack. The only one over her head was Vorilye. But he never really barked out orders at her as he did all the others. She was special or something. His beta. Trusted. A soft bark ripped Shayde from a dream she didn’t realize she was submerged in. Still somewhat groggy, the red beta jerked her leg, as if she were still running through the Lleingas Woods. In doing so, she shifted enough to cause one of the pups at her side to whimper in its sleep. That small sound alone woke her right up. But whichever pup had made noise had gone quietly back to sleep. Shayde sighed deeply, licking each of the furballs in turn. There were four now under her care. Shayde had been stunned beyond belief when Vorilye appeared with a young pup in his teeth. All of a sudden, a new scent reached Shayde’s nose. It was one she didn’t recognize, and all of the fur along her back rose in an instant. The intruder was far too close to the dens. She got to her feet carefully, not wanting to rouse the pups, and immediately let out a warning growl as she ventured toward the mouth. To think a loner could be this deep into the territory... What the hell were the others doing? Shayde leapt the remaining distance to the entrance of the cave, her fur on end, her eyes wild with protective rage. And then the morning sunlight temporarily blinded her. Days seemed to pass by easily for Shayde, and she was usually up at dawn with the pups. But the sunlight always seemed to throw her off a bit. The contrast between the lighting in the den and the lighting in the open was too great. And given that spring had arrived, the sun was beginning to appear earlier and earlier, sitting in the sky at the perfect point to soak the entire den site in blinding light. “Do you have any idea the time, stranger?” she snarled, blinking her eyes. The tall, lean figure of a maned brute came into focus moments later, and Shayde scowled at him. “Well? Do you?” To Shayde’s utter surprise, this brute knew her name. She blinked at him, temporarily stunned, before looking down at his feet. A rabbit and hedgehog lay bleeding into the ground. “Whaddya know. Breakfast.” Without so much as greeting the brute formally, or even asking his name, Shayde strode over and scooped up the two animals. With a jerk of her head, she signaled the brute to follow her into the mines. Once with the pups again, Shayde dropped the meal, nudging the pups awake. She then turned to the maned brute. “I take it you’re new to the pack then? Have you been given a rank?” In all honesty, she couldn’t care much if the brute did have a rank or not. She wasn’t beta anymore—temporarily. Still. When she resumed her place at Vorilye’s most trusted position, she would need to know the trivialities of the pack. Even if that meant learning the names of all the members, along with their mediocre ranks. words:: Seven-Hundred and Six muse:: Good <3 tags:: Cassian ooc:: She can be such a bitch sometimes XD

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Ears twitched at the sound of a whimper, followed by a grimace, had he woken a pup up? He then heard the unmistakable sound of a disgruntled growl. Lovely. He mused, taking a quiet step back from the meal and the den. He did not want to be perceived as a threat, not to a mother with pups in the den, they were not the friendliest to deal with on a good day, let alone being woken early in the morning. You could have thought that through a bit better. He thought, flinching as he heard the steps of a wolf approach from within the mines.

In a glorious display of aggression and devoted protection for her pups the beta appeared at the mouth of the den, fur bristled and hackles raised. Immediately his head ducked lower, his legs bending as he lowered himself to show submission. He was not an idiot and if lowering himself placated the angered bitch then he would gladly do so. For a lingered minute the beta did not move, but blinked and tried to make her eyes rapidly adjust to the blinding morning light. Rather regretfully he had not realized that the sun would be so sharp and painful to her eyes- though he should have. Idiot.

When she snarled, he frowned and looked down at his peace offering a meager meal of a hedgehog and hare. Her words were not lost to him, but his answer was obvious, yes he knew what time it was. It was time for him to sleep and normal wolves to wake. It was early morning and the sun was bright to wake up the day creatures. Lifting his eyes as to her as she seemed to angrily demand an answer, his mouth opened but no words came out at first. It was several long seconds before he managed a polite answer. “Yes….I brought breakfast.” His tone was still low, but mention of breakfast had his voice lift in pitch, hoping that it would be enough to calm her fiery temper.

Her snarl was cut off as a brief display of surprise was shown on her countenance before she strode forward, mentioning breakfast. He took a hasty step back, giving her room to take the offering without him being near. Cassian was certain that he would then be dismissed; in fact he was counting on it. To his surprise, she jerked her head in a commanding way, wanting him to follow. He nodded, mostly to himself and let his weary paws follow her into the confines of the mines and towards the litter of pups.

Shayde stepped over the pups, returning to her former spot he assumed and nudged the pups awake. The kalak kept his distance, glancing over the four young ones before his eyes turned to the beta, his body language exuding caution as he waited for her permission to approach the pups and her, for the time, he kept several long feet between them. It was not lost to him that he was still a stranger and that while he had brought them a meal, he was likely to not be welcome near the litter until she was content that he meant no harm.

She asked if he had been given a rank and he nodded. “Yes, subordinate. The alpha would like me to prove myself…least that’s what he said.” There was a hint of excitement in the maned wolf’s voice as he spoke, he loved a challenge and proving himelf to the wary leader would be a wonderful one. He shifted, unsure if he should say more. “I was only accepted a few hours ago. The alpha asked for me to bring you and the little ones food.” He had already stated that, but he could think of little else to say and he did not like the uncomfortable silence that seemed to settle in the den when no one was talking. He felt enclosed, trapped. Maybe…I wont explore this after all. He mused as he looked up and then around him.

(Note From Staff:I was reading this thread and thought that I should point out that unless Vorilye told Cassian his name, he can't know what it is. If Vorilye did tell Cassian his name then feel free to correct me.)

My apologies, it has been corrected in his speech.

Words: 677
Tagged: Shayde, open
Muse: Good
Notes: sorry if its a bit rambling and long.
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As brown eyes studied the maned brute before her, Shayde couldn’t help but judge Vorilye. He’d been accepting more and more males into the pack lately. Before his son had arrived, he himself had been the only male. Now there were just as many males as females in the pack, not including the pups. It didn’t really bother her; she just wondered what made Vorilye change his mind. Was it because he now had a litter of pups to worry about? Or was it simply that males never wanted to join the pack of their own accord? And if that was the case, why had this brute wanted to join? Curiouser and curiouser. The femme snatched up the hedgehog, ripping the little rodent into pieces, offering portions to each squirming pup. They weren’t completely weaned yet, but their teeth were really beginning to hurt her. The sooner they were out catching their own meals, the better. She loved her children dearly, and didn’t want them to grow up too quickly, but she couldn’t wait to have her life go back to the way things were. She would return to Vorilye’s side as his beta, proud and strong, just as it should have been. And, of course, she would watch over her children as they each grew into fearsome warriors that would one day bring fear to the hearts of the wolves of Anikira. Just like their father. As Shayde turned back to the brute, she was pleased to see that he had kept his distance. She had grown a little more comfortable with the pack around the pups, but it took a fair bit of persuading otherwise. This brute was still a stranger to her, but if he was part of the pack now... He claimed the Vorilye had merely accepted him, keeping him at a lowly subordinate rank for the time being. Shayde could understand that logic, and gave a curt nod. “Thank you for the meal,” she murmured graciously. Even if it was an order from Vorilye, she was pleased that someone brought her food. Of course, she would have much rather gotten it for herself rather than have to rely on others. A silence lingered for a few moments as the pups ate their meal. The maned brute didn’t seem up for conversation; whether he was nervous or just comfortable with silence, Shayde didn’t ask. As she studied him, however, he seemed a bit antsy. He kept looking around, as if the walls were closing in on him. “You don’t need to stay if you would rather not.” When she first entered the dens, she remembered the claustrophobia that slammed into her. Having spent so much time here since, however, she felt safe and secure within the dark mines. It was a feeling one had to grow accustomed to. “There is plenty of space further in if you’re looking to rest.” She was being oddly kind, especially to one who had just woken her from a pleasant dream. words:: Five-Hundred and Twelve tags:: @cassian ooc:: I apologize for the wait </3