Dark Horse [Open/Descai]

[Vorilye]

After all these years, he was finally free.

It did not seem like much to step down to beta, but Vorilye felt such a lightening of his burden. While the realization that he had been responsible for Shayde's death still plagued him every moment, at least he could not have that placed on him again. With his son at the helm, Descai would have a much better chance of survival. Not only that, but the boy had made a wise decision by keeping him close. It was a smart move to help win the pack over since he was sure many of them would not take well to the change. He especially wondered how his other offspring would take the change of power. In his eyes, he was not much higher on the power scale than them. While it might not have been the truth, Vorilye was curious just how this transition would take place. Would Ryker continue to be the somewhat reserved male he had been thusfar, or would he really come out of his shell like the former alpha expected? The beta male knew that Ryker had great potential, but he could still see in his son's eyes that he was skeptical. But the golden and black brute would not have dared to hand over the pack if he did not believe Ryker to be capable.

It also helped that his son was now his confidant. What Vorilye told him, he had never told another soul. Ryker would never have recognized the Vorilye that had once laid a claim on these lands. What that male knew was father Vorilye, alpha Vorilye... And the wolf he used to be, he never wanted to be again. It only furthered his progress to walk away from the pack's highest rank because it showed that he was able to relinquish the power that he fought so hard to obtain in the past.

Part of it could be his age, but Vorilye knew that he was not going to be around much longer. While Ryker might not have seen that the former alpha was struggling physically, Vorilye felt it every day in his bones. He was tired and worn by the stress of the pack. It might be his saving grace, after all, to step back. And while he kept having to come up with justifications for why he did what he did, Vorilye knew that he had made the right decision. But what will Atriell think? he wondered, curious what the sweetheart he had just promoted to beta would think of his demotion. While he might not have been quick to admit it, the opinion of that particular female meant more to him than he cared to show. Atriell was different than the other females of Descai, and that intrigued him. She was special physically and mentally, and it was that inner difference that attracted the male.

But Vorilye was not stupid. He knew many of the others resented Atriell for her position beside Vorilye. He hoped that his decision would not reflect poorly on the femme. However, Ryker had mentioned he would be beta alongside Atriell, which led him to believe Ryker did not intend to override his decision. Surely he could see what Vorilye saw in the female. While she had a pretty face, she was far more of an asset to the pack for what was on the inside than the fact that she could stun a male with a simple gaze.

If anyone dared to oppose his son, though, they were going to have something else coming to them. Vorilye was behind his eldest 100%, and he intended to let the pack know that. Anyone who dared to oppose Ryker would face the wrath of his father. While their situation may have been unconventional, he was sure they could make it work.

He could not afford for it not to.

---

Count | 652 words
Muse | Okay-ish?
Tags | None
Notes | Anyone in Descai is welcome to hop in.

[Zirena]

Ryker was alpha. That sentence alone sent Zirena a whirlwind of emotions. She was happy for her eldest brother, though she wanted the position herself, she could secretly agree that she wasn't the best wolf for the job. She wasn't totally convinced that Ryker was the best either, though. He was so... shy. So... reserved. He almost never spoke and up until recently, he spent most of his time away from every one else. He was incredibly different from the rest of his siblings.

It was then that she realized that her eldest brother didn't have any litter mates. Was he an only pup? With Shayde as his mother, it was possible, she supposed, but unlikely since she herself was one of three. Maybe that was why he was so different? She had heard that only pups have difficulty socializing. Maybe because of all the attention he got as an only pup, made him want to be alone more now? It was possible. She was wary of having her eldest brother as alpha. Zirena never had any problems with Ryker but she's picked up one the fact that he's not too keen on her. She wondered if he would take his new position to punish her for annoying him when they were younger.

She tried to clear her head of Ryker and his new position. There was nothing she could do about it and there was no way of telling how it would work out. She prayed that Ryker could keep the pack afloat. This was the only home she has ever known and she's old enough now to realize that Descai was not invisible. They had weaknesses. She hoped that Ryker would see these and address them rather than avoid them.

Today, Zirena planned to spend some time with her Daddy. They had all gone through a rough patch when Shayde's body was found and Zirena believed that things were starting to get back to normal. Though the tensions in the pack over the new alpha weren't showing any signs of stopping, Zirena was determined to go about her life like everything was fine. She tried to spend at least a little time with her father every week, though she feared that he only saw her as a reminder of Shayde.

Her tracking skills were getting pretty darn good and she had used them to find Vorilye. She wanted to check up on him and see how he was doing. She approached her father with a smile and said, "Hi, Daddy."

---

Vorilye
Notes: n/a
Muse: pretty good considering I haven't played her in forever  

[Vorilye]

A soft voice brought the beta male back to the world of the living, and with a soft smile, he greeted his smallest daughter. "How are you, dearest?" he acknowledged his daughter fondly. He always had a soft spot for Zirena, whether it be due to her size or sweet temperament. It was so unlike both himself and her mother that some days Vorilye wondered who her real parents were and where Shayde had scooped her up. She was such a sweet soul, and Vorilye never tired of her company. "How are you holding up, sweetheart?" he inquired softly. He could never really read his boys, but his girls, with the exception of Valeria, were willing to open up to him. Both Zirena and Zofia were very straightforward, and he thanked his lucky stars every day that he did not get more difficult daughters.

Vorilye was certain the death of Shayde had taken a hard toll on Zirena, but they were all trying to find a new normal. Most of his children had reached adulthood, and any day now he expected them to take off on their own ventures. He would be foolish to think that many of his children would stick around in the long term, especially since he handed the pack over to their eldest brother. It was sad that some of the siblings barely knew each other due to their differing mothers. Maybe one day that would change, but for now the young ones were all in different points in their lives. Ryker was learning to take control and lead those around him (not much unlike how Vorilye had started so many years ago), he rarely saw Zephyros or Sypher, and Zofia and Valeria were constantly running around together. Zirena always seemed to isolate herself from the others, at least from the times Vorilye had seen his offspring, and he tried his hardest to dote on her to make up for the lack of attention from her siblings.

"It's really beautiful out here this time of year," he commented. It was rare that he ventured out to Kamari anymore since the majority of the territory was used as hunting grounds for the pack. In fact, the last time he was out here, he was talking to his other daughter... It always hurt to think that his angel was gone like so many more of this children. Parents should not outlive their children, and yet he had managed to outlive almost as many of them as there remained alive. Ryker's litter had clearly been a disaster, and Vorilye was happy just to have one son remaining. Truthfully, he knew most of his offspring resented him, and the fact that Ryker had a good relationship with him was a blessing. He could never figure out what the pups who grew up within Descai thought of him. They were always surrounded by family and safety, yet Ryker struggled almost his entire first year with his psychopath of a mother. To this day he could never truly figure out why Kallik had not stuck around long enough to show him that the pups were his. One glance at the golden fur of Ryker and Taqqiq would have erased any ounce of doubt in the alpha's eyes.

He was at a loss with how to interact with Zirena at this moment. Vorilye could only hope that Zirena inherited some of her mother's ability to communicate, as Vorilye surely lacked in that area. Even with his own daughter whom he loved very much, he struggled to carry on a conversation without giving orders. While everyone thought Ryker was struggling with adapting to the alpha role, they clearly could not see how much Vorilye was struggling to forfeit the power. He knew it was the best course of action. The mess with Shayde had hit him deeper than he ever though possible, but it did not erase all those years of control...

---

Count | 658 words
Muse | Semi-ok-ish.
Tags | Zirena
Notes | This could've been better but also could've been worse.

[Zirena]

Vorilye had looked as though he were in deep thought when Zirena greeted him. His voice was soft and calm. She had always known her father to be a kind and thoughtful wolf. His way of carriage and speech made others respect him, not brute strength or intimidation. The young red wolf really admired that about her father and wished that she could have the same type of respect someday.

Her father asked her how she was doing and how she was holding up. The truth was that Zirena missed her mother terribly. They were so similar but so different. Zirena was quite different from both her parents and from her siblings. She didn't feel like an outsider at all but it was hard sometimes to find other wolves to relate to. She felt like if she tried to explain how she was feeling, her father wouldn't understand her. She liked to believe that Vorilye loved Shayde the way that she loved both of them but with news of the possible mating between her father and the beautiful beta she-wolf, Zirena doubted that Vorilye cared for Shayde in a romantic way at all. This made her question how her father really felt about her. Was she just the product of a one-night stand and nothing more? Was that how her father saw her? Was she important to him? Or if Atriell was pregnant, would all his love go to her litter? The whole situation caused Zirena emotional stress. She was happy that Vorilye had finally settled down but she wished that it could have been with her mother. She wished that he would have stopped having children after she was born. That would mean that Shayde meant something to him. That she meant something to him. "I'm not sure. I'm doing as well as anyone would I suppose." That was the truth, of course, even though she didn't tell him the whole truth. She couldn't bring herself to lie to the only parent she had left even if she was confused and hurt by his actions. Her father often doted on her when her siblings were together. She knew that her father loved her but it worried her that it may change when the new litter came. She had never felt that way until she had heard of the mating. She was the closest with her brother Sypher but she hadn't seen him around much. Perhaps he had left. The litter was nearing sexual maturity so it was possible Sypher had left in search of a mate. She could understand why he wouldn't want his sister on that journey with him.

She nodded when he commented on the scenery around them. She knew he was trying to lighten the mood or perhaps distract her from her sad thoughts about her mother. She wondered that if Shayde was Ryker's mother that if her death was effecting his ability to be the alpha. It was possible that Vorilye had made a bad judgement call in terms of timing.

The two had a few moments of comfortable silence. Or at least Zirena thought it was comfortable. She hated to bring up her brother to her father but it was something that she wanted to understand better. Why now? Why him? Ryker hadn't shown much leadership quality, in her mind at least. He was reserved, quiet, socially awkward, sometimes impulsive. He shut other wolves out and wouldn't let them help him. She knew her brother was never very fond of her even though she never had any quarrels with him. "Do you think Ryker is going to be okay? I mean with Shayde and everything. It's hard to lose your mom and then to have your whole life change." Vorilye knew her eldest brother the best and she was trying to trust his judgement but she couldn't help but doubt.

---

Vorilye
Notes: it's kinda weird to have one of your characters talking about another one x.x but I think I did okay seeing this situation from her view point?
Muse: not too shabby  

[Vorilye]

More so than Vorilye expected, Zirena was almost... normal about the situation. It threw the male a little off, as he expected his little princess to still be emotional about her mother's death. It was her concern for Ryker that surprised the male, as most of his children were wrapped up in their own problems. But not his Zirena. She had a heart of gold and the smile of an angel. She was his little ray of sunshine, and Vorilye had always had an overwhelming desire to keep her safe.

The black and gold male sighed softly. It was apparent that Zirena did not know much of her older brother. For as long as she had been born, Shayde was Ryker's mother. It was not a secret, per say, of the pack, but Ryker had a much more difficult upbringing than his siblings. Vorilye never knew how familiar his other children were with his eldest son's life before Descai. "Sweetheart, have I ever told you the story of your older brother?" he asked softly. Ryker was the epitome of strength and endurance, and he wanted his daughter to understand why he placed so much faith in him to lead this pack well.

From the day Vorilye discovered his sons and daughters, his mind had been in a constant state of turmoil. And now that his life was growing shorter by the day, he knew he had done well by handing the pack to Ryker. He would take care of their legacy and keep it afloat. It is not in his nature to allow things to fail, he mused with a half-smile. Ryker was a fighter this whole time, and he knew that that fighter's spirit would come in handy, even if he were a little more reserved than his father. Then again, no one truly knew what a wolf was capable of until placed in a position of power. So long as he could keep Atriell by his side, he had no issues with the dealings of the pack. He was there to advise his son, not to chastise him for his decisions. He would learn to make his own mistakes and how to fix them, just like Vorilye and all other alphas had done before him.

"He has gone through far worse life changes than this, darling. I have faith that he will take care of us all," he reassured Zirena with a soft smile. No matter how tense things might get, it was always refreshing to spend a little time with his baby girl. True, Zofia and Valeria were technically younger, but they weren't as... fragile as his little Zirena. Although he would never say it to her face, Vorilye hoped she would never leave the pack, and she would stay with her father forever. that way, he could continue to watch over her and ensure no harm came to him like his sweet girls before...

---

Count | 488 words
Muse | Not very good but managable.
Tags | Zirena
Notes | I'm kinda stuck on this one, but here you go ;-; hopefully you can do something with it...

[Zirena]

Vorilye sighed as if she hadn't understood something correctly which had confused her. She had only asked about her eldest brother and had stated that Shayde was his mother, which was a fact. She wasn't sure what it was that she had misunderstood.

"Sweetheart, have I ever told you the story of your older brother?"

She shook her head softly, "No."

Zirena wasn't even aware that Ryker had a story. Ever since she had been alive, Sahyde was his mother and Vorilye was his father. He had no siblings because Shayde was so small and he was Vorilye's eldest child. However, now that she knew that there was more to the story than she had originally thought, she was intrigued by it. Ryker's bold golden markings were evidence enough to prove that Ryker was indeed Vorilye's son but now that she thought about, he held little if any resemblance to Shayde. Was it a coincidence? Perhaps.... or perhaps not. If Shayde wasn't Ryker's mother and his real mother was much larger, it was possible that Ryker had siblings... but where were they? Was Ryker born a loner? Did he find Descai by some random act of fate? If he did, why didn't he bring his siblings with him? There were so many possibilities and Zirena wanted to know the truth. Maybe his story would help her understand him better. She knew Vorilye had reason to give Ryker the pack but she was never sure about what that reason was. Perhaps his story would clear it up for her... or perhaps it would only confuse her further. Maybe Vorilye wouldn't tell her. Maybe things happened in Ryker's life that he would rather keep hidden or things that he was embarrassed about. Maybe she would have to talk to Ryker himself but she knew the likelihood of him telling her was minimal.

"He has gone through far worse life changes than this, darling. I have faith that he will take care of us all."

Was that all she was going to get? That vague description that told her nothing? Zirena wanted more. She knew that Vorilye had faith in her oldest brother but that didn't mean that she did. She wanted all the facts so she could make that decision on her own. She wasn't a baby anymore, she could handle hearing about whatever horrific changes Ryker went through. Zirena guessed that he was trying to protect her from something but she didn't see the harm in knowing her alpha's past. If she were to entrust her life and safety to her brother, she needed all the information.

Though she would never leave Vorilye, leaving Ryker was a whole different ball game. Zirena had tried to get close with Rkyer before and all he had done was push her away. She didn't hate or resent Ryker for that but it didn't make her like him either. She was neutral about him, indifferent. If Ryker was now going to be leading the pack, she needed to think about his ability to lead and if she thought he had it in him to keep everyone alive. Zirena knew that Ryker had already gone through at least one bout of depression, what was stopping him from going through another one and letting the pack be invaded? Though she'd like to believe that Vorilye made the best decision for everyone, she couldn't help buy doubt. She had to think about it logically which wasn't something she normally did. She normally made decisions based on her emotions like that one day when she gave Atlas a scar on his face for calling her a bitch. She hadn't thought that through at all. She was angry so she reacted with violence. To her, emotions were simple and straight forward while logic was messy as it got in the way of her emotions. But in this case, she didn't think they would.

"What do you mean?" Zirena asked, wanting the full story. As sad as it was, Vorilye was Zirena's best friend. He was the closest wolf to her and she hoped that he trusted her enough to share this story with her. She hoped that he understood her need for answers and her doubts about Ryker especially now that she knows that there is more to his story. Not many wolves understood her but she was casting a line out to her father to see if he would.

---

Vorilye
Notes: Sorry for the ridiculously long wait. I totally forgot about this thread. I hope your muse hasn't completely died for it x.x
Muse: Ehh.. I hope I gave you enough to respond to.