Voices in the Wood

[rhodan]

Oh, he would kill her for this.

A large wolf crashed up against the rocky shore, the boulders looming up around him. What a shame it was, that he was pushed to the western shore, and not the southern. He clung to a rock of proportional size to himself, and heaved his diaphragm in and out, taking gasping breaths. What an hour being torn about by the ocean would do to a fellow!

The creature stood, and plunged his body upward, onto the high shore. The ocean swelled menacingly, screaming at Rhodan to come back, come back! The wolf ignored, though tears welled in his eyes. It was a shameful time for him to feel sorry for himself, he knew. As if a punishment, one of the rocks he was climbing cracked underpaw, making him jump and temporarily losing his balance. "Damn it!" Rhodan hissed under his breath. Wherever he was, he would kill her. Wherever he was, he would find his way back, and rip her to shreds! Feed her to a grizzly, that's what he'd do!

When Rhodan rose to the shore, a looming forest greeted him. It was extremely dark, and the timber wolf was frozen to his very core, though the air was almost sixty degrees. The moon shone, however, and there was an eerie mist inside the forest. "This is definitely the place I wanted to be today," Rhodan said loudly, his words layered thickly with sarcasm. "Absolutely." His skin immediately crawled, and the sound of wind made his ears bristle. The brute shivered. Absolutely not.

Rhodan scanned the environment. The first thing he noticed was the smell. The jagged scent cut through his sinuses, and he sneezed. Burned wood, and the scent of an odd oil, probably from skin. It was a very old smell, like the forest had been in it's partially burned state for a long while. Somehow, new life had not found it's way into the forest, however, and the smog that laid under the crooked branches almost sent Rhodan running.
Oh, wait, he thought to himself, with a bitter laugh. I've only got one way out of here, and that's through this beautiful mess. God blessed. He would kill her! If the stupid girl hadn't dared him, hadn't tested his ability... stupid girl. She was his sister, but he'd kill her.

Rhodan dropped down to his rear, settling onto his haunches as if to spring up from a sleeping position. The brute's fur bristled over his back, and especially around his collar. The vibe from the forest was much too odd for him. Much too odd.

Then again, he thought, the faster I move through it, the faster I get out. It sounded so optimistic at the time. The thought sounded good. The action didn't, but the thought did. Soon enough, both of them lost their charm.

Rhodan trotted through the misted forest, large boulders stacked atop one another casting the most disturbing images in his path. His tail was seemingly plastered in between his legs, and the poor animal's ears were so far back, one could have wondered if he had ears at all. Apparitions appeared around these boulders, wolves, with missing limbs. Black eyes, and then shocking yellow irises, as if everything had been reversed. 'They will not come back for you,' they would whisper, with terrifying smiles that curved past their jawbones. One, 'They will not, they with two hands, two feet.' Another, 'Shattered by bones, shattered them bit by bit! Burned my fur... burned my eyes...' Constant screaming. To Rhodan's dismay, his bladder did not hold up as well as his mind did, and he kept a constant whine to deter the noise from his consciousness.

Eventually, the large creature came near the bank of a large lake, but just inside the wood. His position was, admittedly, just as terrifying as the woods themselves, for at least they lacked the voices. Rhodan shook, and curled himself into a ball, very much unsleeping, and very much petrified.

He would kill her for putting him through this. Oh, would he kill her.

Dawn broke over the horizon, but Rhodan didn't see the light.

- - - - - - - - - -
727 words. Open to anyone. 8)

[krever]

"The forest seems just as dark during the day... I can't even tell if it even is night time anymore..." The young Krever announced in a whisper to her raven friend Fohn, with a hint of worry in her soft tone. Fohn, perched on the tree limb above her, remained silent. His silver eyes were the only thing about him which Krever could make out. The forest was dark, Fohn was dark, everything was just... Dark.

The brown femme rose to feet, her bronze irises gazed her surroundings. Everything looks the same... Her ears flattened against her head. "Fohn... Do you see anything?" She swallowed hard, her paws padding the ground as she paced back and fourth. I can't see anything, its too dark. I believe its still dusk." The bird said quietly to the wolf.

Why won't my eyes adjust to this darkness... Maybe it's just the thick fog... Or that I just woke up... Krever sat back down. She couldn't stay still. She was anxious, nervous, and frightened... All at once, which wasn't a good thing. "Krever, please stay calm, there is nobody here... Only us." Fohn demanded, leaping off the branch, his wings spread out as he glided to the forest floor.

"This is definitely the place I wanted to be today... Absolutely."

Voices echoed through the forest. Krever's ears stood erect. "Fohn... Did you hear that?" She questioned, a whine slowly slipped. "Krever, we have been hearing voices since we got here, but I haven't seen anything." The bird sighed, then ruffled his feathers. "I suppose so... But that one seemed lou...." The femme paused, her nostrils flared as a fresh scent was introduced to her. "Louder... Fohn there is another wolf here, I can smell it."

"Well I can't disagree with you there, your sense of smell is fantastic. Do you know which direction? Maybe I'll go check it out..." The bird asked, his wings spread again as if he was about to take off. Krever pointed her moist nose to the air, many scents surrounded it. But it was the same smell for the hours they remained here, except for the wolf scent. "It's over there... Not far though. Try to scare it away..." She whispered, her ears still erect listening to any odd noises, other than the mysterious voices she heard... Which she ignored.

The raven flapped through canopy of the tall trees. His silver orbs peering through the brush and thick fog. He spotted movement in the forest. At first, Fohn thought it was a deer of some sort. The large bird swooped down close to the canine, watching the wolf trot through the forest. Little did Fohn know that the wolf was in the direction Krever was in. The forest was like a mirror, every direction he went, it looked the same from which he came. The raven flew closer to the wolf, his wings flapping hard. Fohn cawed loudly, in an attempted to frighten the wolf.

Krever heard Fohn caw. Her ear turned, noticing that her companion wasn't far. Oh Fohn.. Please don't lead the wolf here... She swallowed again, her tail beating against the ground repeatedly. The femme shook, she was even more nervous than before. For one thing, she didn't want to fight tonight. Secondly, she was scared enough as it was, this approaching wolf would only make it worse. Krever started to pant, shaking profusely. She shut her eyes tightly closed, whispering over and over for her friend to return.

[rhodan]

Rhodan looked through the mist, completely convinced he'd heard a voice. Not just one inside his head, but another one of the apparitions that seemed to be following him. The brute was thoroughly ashamed of himself already, and was fighting a second accidental urination. The poor creature pinned his ears against his head and let out a single, long whine. Don't come near me again, he thought out to it when his mouth and brain failed to connect in speech. Please, leave me alone.

Rhodan heard more whispers, of which nearly drove him over the edge. Where has the strong, brave, manly timber wolf gone? he thought again, even his mental voice a few octaves higher than usual. All that is left here is a spineless female puppy. Rhodan mentally scoffed at himself. What else could he do? He'd rather be in hell than have to go through those wicked spirits' haunting again.

Suddenly, a raven appeared near him, which let out a shrieking crow. Rhodan growled, holding in the terror that was ebbing at his spine. The raven shrieked again, and with this sudden noise, Rhodan lashed out at the creature, attempting to snap it in his jaws. Completely terrified, the brute retreated inside his own mind and let his instinct take over.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Sorry this is so short and piece-of-crappy. I couldn't think of anything to post. x_x

[krever]

Krever remained as a statue, she was able to calm herself down. Even the shrieks of Fohn would scare her a little. Her brown ears swiveled in every direction. Fohn... Where are you? The femme grew a bit worried. She knew Fohn wouldn't be gone long, just a simple task... Scare off the intruder. But what if the worst happened? What if the intruder attacked Fohn?Krever stood again, her legs began to tremble the more nervous she got.

Fohn continued to caw at the wolf. Go on... Heh heh... Yeah be scared, get outta here! What Fohn didn't expect was that the frightened wolf turned to attack. The bird was too full of himself to notice, Fohn was struck with force as the wolf lashed out on him. Fohn shrieked again, but it wasn't a meaningful screech, it was a terrified screech.

The young females bronze eyes widened at the shriek of her friend. "No..." She whispered to herself. Without hesitation, she bolted in the direction of the cry of Fohn. Dodging tree's and squinting her eyes, the fog was her enemy now. No... The one who was attacking her friend was her enemy! A sharp snarl broke through her fully bared teeth. The fur on her spine stood straight like spikes. "I'm coming Fohn! Just hold on!"

The scent of the wolf grew stronger. She could smell urination in the air. Was he marking territory? Did they actually intrude on this wolf's land? From the scent, Krever automatically knew this wolf was a male. Which made her more angry and nervous. The only thing on her mind was to save Fohn. The brown femme jumped through the shrubs, growling slithered through her teeth when she finally witnessed the wolf.

[avani]

Almost immediately following his outburst, some crazy looking wolf leaped almost comically from the brush to come to the creature's rescue. He was a menacing looking creature, his wirey fur standing on end and her teeth bared. The wolf had a twinge of fear scent, and also smelled of... heat? Heat, mating season... Oh. A female, Rhodan concluded. My bad. One of those exotic looking ones, maybe. Not a goddess, but pretty, if nothing else.

We never claimed him to be the brightest bulb in the box.

The bitch stood, facing him, and let out a kind of growling snarl. All this over a stupid bird? he marveled.

Rhodan sat on his haunches, his teeth still slightly bared and his entire body tensed, just in case. "There's no need to get all worked up. The stupid thing will heal up in a day or two, if he's even got a mark on him at all."

With his mind still slightly in retreat, his body almost automatically stood into a fighting stance. His tail was low, but not tucked, and swiped at the ground in a kind of intimidating way.

"What kind of crap are you trying to pull anyway? You think some bird is going to be the one to scare me off?" Rhodan paused, almost as if to laugh, but lacked the foggy air lacked the comical element. He smelled the air again, trying to judge the female's actions by scent. To his surprise, the dominant scent was, in fact, his own. "Not saying this is my land, though. When you've got to go, you've got to go. Know what I mean?"

Rhodan tensed himself a bit more, knowing fully well that the female might take this as a challenge. But, a guy had to be prepared for these kind of things. Churning inside his belly was only terror, though he assumed under any other circumstance, he would have welcomed the fight as a bit of practice. Rhodan didn't intend to hurt the female, only the bird. But, if she proved to be a threat to his health, he would, in self defense.

Sometimes, you had to do what you had to do.

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edit: HAHAHA. Just realized I posted on the wrong account. xDD Sorry! I won't mess up the post count by posting it again, but I apologize! Just... pretend it says Rhodan, not Avani.

x__________x[/center]

[krever]

Her bronze eyes automatically fell upon her friend. "Fohn!" She shouted. Her glare rose back to the male who was sitting, baring his teeth back at her. Krever lowered herself close to the ground, ready to attack if needed. She knew nothing about this wolf, but whoever he was, she already didn't like him.

"There's no need to get all worked up. The stupid thing will heal up in a day or two, if he's even got a mark on him at all."

Krever paused in her stance, she continued to growl at the wolf. Fohn slowly got back to his feet, and hoped back over to Krever, his wings fully extended which nearly matched the length of his friend. Which made him look larger. "Fohn is NOT stupid!" She snapped. Fohn folded his wings back to his sides, he shook slightly, terrified from the event.

"What kind of crap are you trying to pull anyway? You think some bird is going to be the one to scare me off? Not saying this is my land, though. When you've got to go, you've got to go. Know what I mean?"

The femme's eyes narrowed, darting straight into his. "You're right..." She sighed, and turned her focus to the raven. "I'm sorry Fohn... I never should have asked you to do that... I was only thinking about my safety... Not yours. I'm sorry..." She frowned, then slowly glanced back at the male, a glare crossed her face again. "I forgive you Krever." The bird replied.

"I trust no wolf who dares come near me and my friend. Every wolf is the same, they see Fohn as a meal... He isn't just a meal, he's my best friend. And I'm glad to hear this isn't your land, that means I won't be punished for trespassing."

Krever's attempt to be intimidating was pitiful. She started to relax, her fur settled back in place, and her shaking softened. She was moments away from having a panic attack. And who knows what could have happened. She could have full out attacked the brute if it wasn't for his remark. She remained in her defensive stance, her glance shifting back and fourth between the male and Fohn.

[silver]

As he approached the Lleingas Woods, different sounds emerged from within the depths of the fog encased area. Exodus paused briefly at the boarder when the sounds reached his ears. The black brutes lips pressed together tightly to show his disapproval of the arrival of these wolves. Really. Could no one on this bloody island smell? Perhaps they could smell perfectly fine and it was just their ability to obey that was the problem. Either way, it was a pain in Exodus’ fuzzy ass. A low growl formed within his chest as he stepped over the invisible line and pressed further into the fog. Any who truly knew Exodus would know that these fools were in for a good snarling. Or… Maybe Exodus wouldn’t just give them a good piece of his mind. Yes, there were other ways to get back at others. There were always different ways. Grinning mischievously, the black brute chuckled to himself. Oh, this would be fun.

Licking his muzzle, Exodus paused again after having traveled for a ways. He scented the air taking note of the male and female scents that came to him. Were they together, or were they each by themselves? Was it possible for two wanders to both ignore his scent markings? Blah. Growling once more, Exodus trotted over to a tree and gave it a good squirt, marking this territory as his own. He guessed it was high time he renewed the markers anyhow. Obviously they weren’t strong enough. I wonder if there’s a way to have it so that any who try to come onto my land without permission are like… electrocuted or something. Hmm. I’ll have to look into that later.

A rather boisterous caw rang out into the rising dawn’s air. Exodus stopped abruptly, ears erect and face serious. The scruff of his neck bristled slightly before smoothing out and falling back into place. “ Bloody birds.” He snarled angrily. Exodus never really liked birds. At a young age, he made the mistake of lunging into a flock of birds who were simply getting a meal. They didn’t take too kindly to his little joke and made sure to perk the lesson into him well. Ever since then, he’d never hidden his irritation for the beasts. Sure they were a valuable part of life, but in all honest, Exodus could care less about them so long as they left him be. Moments later there came the snap of powerful jaws.

Exodus’ silver orbs narrowed severely. Not only were these trespassers on his land unannounced to him, but they were also fighting, or something of the sort. If they were hunting though, well now they’d really be in for it. His land wasn’t open to the public, you know. Unsure if Crise and Mizuki were behind him, Exodus softly called back to them. “Stay hidden until I make my own presence known.” He muttered with a growl before advancing forward. This male and female were in for a fright.

A male’s voice drifted into his auds. At the words, Exodus’ lip curled back in a sneer. "Not saying this is my land, though. When you've got to go, you've got to go. Know what I mean?"

“Damn right it’s not your’s.” Exodus muttered under his breath. The brute flag waved high in the air like a banner showing colors. It was time to play Alpha. The female soon replied to the male’s words. Exodus didn’t pay them much mind. There was nothing really said by her that he needed to listen to. Though, he did catch the part about a bird and how it was her friend. He thought the idea was quite ludicrous. A bird and a wolf as friends. Ha!

“And I'm glad to hear this isn't your land, that means I won't be punished for trespassing."

As these words left the femme’s lips, Exodus finally came to rest atop the large boulder onto which he decided to make his perch. A second after the words entered his mind, Exodus’ thunderous laugh echoed all around in the dimly lit woods. The menacing laugh was followed by a fierce snarl. “Ah, my dear femme, you’d be wrong on that point.” He said with his deep, rough voice intimidating. A very small patch of light filtered through the trees and landed upon his blackened body. Exodus’ fur stood on end causing him to look far larger than his already massive body was. The nape of his neck and spine were sharp with raised hackles. Ivory fangs glinted in the slight light that shone along with the silver mark upon his forehead. The mist trailed around his paw and shadowed his body creating a rather ghostly effect.

“I am the Alpha of these lands, and if I see fit to punish you both for trespassing upon my lands, then I shall! Who are you and why are you here without permission? Neither of you bloody mongrels howled asking permission to enter, or else I have lost my mind. What purpose do you have being here, while we’re at it. If you came for free food then I strongly suggest you leave within the minute least I lose my temper further and do something which you might find quite painful. If you came to join my pack, the Salen pack, then you already have a black mark against you.” As he spoke, his cold, hard eyes flickered between the male and the female to ensure his point got across to them both. “So what say you both? Speak!” He snarled his harsh voice ringing clearly through the air. As his eyes lay upon the black bird near the female wolf, Exodus sneered recalling those not so fond memories of past dealing with the birds.

(Dude, I had loads of fun doing this post. XD)

[crise]

Silent paws deftly padded through the lands, barely leaving hollow pawprints in the hardened earth. Stormy grey eyes darted left to right, up and down. Gently pointed ears swiveled every which way, catching all sounds of the forest. Dozens of foreign scents flooded a cold, black nose, and the only sounds that escaped the female was the quiet panting of overexcitement. Crise's senses were working on overdrive, trying to take in everything all at once and process it as best she could. To say such a task was easy for any normal wolf was laughable. To say such a thing when it concerned Crise was the understatement of the century.

The think woods were covered in a harsh blanket of mist that fooled the vision and deadened the nose. The eerie silence was deafening, and yet at the same time madening loud. The crack of a twig underfoot seemed to echo, and hidden voices screamed desperate pleas of attention. Of course, none of this really interrested the Mexican femora. Every sound was checked and filed away for investigation at a later date. Every scent was investigated and then promptly ignored. Every sight seemed to pass by in a blur, and nothing was doing what she wanted it to.

Trailing behind the Salen Alpha, the walk to find the strangers was rather silent. The fae had begun to dwell on her memories, or rather what little memories she had. Her senses were on red alert for anything that might give her a clue to her past, but so far she was finding nothing. All she had clearly were the last few hours. Everything else was nothing more than a splinter, revealing subtle hints but never giving her the entire story. For instance, she remembers her skull making contact with a rock many years ago, but she does not recall what she'd been doing before the fall. She also recalls drifting quietly at sea, though for how long and why she cannot remember.

The extra loud caw of a raven did not catch Crise off guard in her hyperalter state of mind. She merely filed it away as another sound of the forest and went on to seek out the next unsuspecting noise. She wanted to know everything, needed to know everything. The only way to get her memories back would be to trigger her mind. Unfortunately, there was no familarity for her with these spooky woods, so she probably would remember no more than what she already had.

At the alpha's order, Crise halted and ducked down into a crouch. "Yes sir, mister sir Exodus sir!" she chirpped out quietly, keeping her enthusiastic voice low. Then, as stealthily as she could she crawled in the direction the alpha was headed. As he climbed onto an elevated boulder she pointed her ears and settled in behind a small bush. The conversation between the two strangers was somewhat amusing, and when Exodus finally began to speak the poor girl couldn't contain her laughter. Of course, this gave her position away so she'd decided she might as well show herself.

Bell like laughter fell from her maw as the multihued female stepped from behind the bush. How absurd that the strangers think these lands unclaimed when the only thing that could mess with their awareness was the dense fog? They couldn't have stumbled in under the sandstorm that had brought her here, and even then she had had the courtesy to send up a howl. Granted, it had been more of a plea for help than an alert that she was tresspassing...

As the mighty black beast transformed into the dominant creature he was, Crise looked on in utter amusement. She stood along the side of the boulder that held Exodus, her own posture very much unlike his. Where he was ferocious, she was overly relaxed and hadn't stopped giggling. Her fluffy tail swayed back and forth as her gray eyes sparkled with amusement. A silly smile was on her maw, holding a sort of smugness that came from realizing she knew a bit more than others. Unlike the strangers before her, she knew that these lands were claimed and would not end up punnished. Considering she knew little to nothing else, this was a rather satisfying thought for the unstable femme and she had no trouble finding amusement at the expense of others.

For once the Mexican wolf managed to bite her tongue and keep the millions of questions she wanted to ask inside of her head. Right now it was not her place to speak, and she recognized that. Once Exodus got the answers he was seeking then she would be able to perform her own amused interrogation of sorts. For now, however, she stood quietly by and waited to see what was about to unfold. The only sound she made was the occassional laughter at what she deemed a rather absurd situation. Honestly, who could possibly time the alpha's arrival at the exact moment the stranger stated joy for the lands being unclaimed? Absurd situation indeed!

[rhodan]

"...He isn't just a meal, he's my best friend."

[/b]

That sent Rhodan over the edge. He lowered his hackles, and a liquidized laugh poured out from his maw. A bit of his fear melted, and any sort of threat he might have saw inside the female completely vanished. However, in the midst of his own laughter, another menacing roar joined his own, which made the brute freeze mid-chuckle. Seconds later, a ferocious snarl broke through his screen of temporary comfort.

“Ah, my dear femme, you’d be wrong on that point.”[/b]

Rhodan shrunk down a bit during the alpha's introduction of himself. Shit, he thought. Of course I had to end up here. When the alpha asked him to speak, the timber brute dipped his head in respect. "My name is Rhodan. I was slammed into rocks and ended up at the edge of this forest. I don't actually know what I'm doing here, and this stupid bird attacked me. I haven't eaten a thing, but either way I'm getting my ass dragged over coals soon." He gestured with his nose toward his scent-mark, and decided to add a regretful postscript. "I deeply apologize for marking here, but my bladder was about to explode."

Rhodan attempted a weak smile, but failed miserably as his fur stood again as another figure stepped out from the brush, giggling to herself. Granted, she had a charming laugh, but it only made the timber brute angry. Who the hell was she to laugh at him? He set his ears back a bit and held in a growl. "As for this one, she sent some bird over here to scare me away. I took one snap at the thing and she went crazy." He pinned his ears and gave her a hard glance before returning his gaze to the alpha's feet.

At least he had that much common sense.

Rhodan was never the brightest one. Strongest, sometimes. Largest, occasionally. But the smartest? He was known for sarcasm, though poorly put together and never witty enough to be laughed at. And, this alpha had mentioned something about a pack? Sahlom? Salem? Something like that. Rhodan had no where to go, but a pack seemed almost ludicrous to mention so early into meeting. Whatever suited his fancy.

The creature was definitely a large one, though. Rhodan estimated somewhere around one-hundred-forty pounds and almost three feet tall, which duped his own size. Not one I was planning on messing with today, he thought to himself.

This is so not my day.[/blockquote][/size]

[krever]

The male's laugh annoyed the hell out of the femme. She growled again. "You better shut up, I bet you don't even have any friends... Stupid..." She stopped as she caught the scent of another wolf, and the scent marks of a wolf. Her gaze followed the scent as she spotted the ebony wolf perched on a high rock. Ah crap...

“Ah, my dear femme, you’d be wrong on that point.”

Her bronze eyes widened with fear. This wolf didn't seem friendly, though every wolf in Krever's eyes never seemed friendly. But this wolf... Was frightening. She only glared back at the large male when he introduced himself. Alpha wolf of this territory... Big whoop. Her ear turned at the sound of giggling coming from behind the rock. Woo.. Big alpha wolf needed a little help I assume. She rolled her eyes.

"My name is Rhodan. I was slammed into rocks and ended up at the edge of this forest. I don't actually know what I'm doing here, and this stupid bird attacked me. I haven't eaten a thing, but either way I'm getting I disagree dragged over coals soon... I deeply apologize for marking here, but my bladder was about to explode."

Krever took a quick glance at the smaller male. She scoffed. "Pathetic..." She muttered quietly to herself. Why was this wolf sucking up to the Alpha? Was he planning on joining that stupid pack? Krever rolled her eyes again, then stared back at the black male, who was peering at the raven. "Fohn, go somewhere safe, I'll be okay." The bird nodded, and hoped a few times before getting airborne. He perched on a tree limb nearby.

Her bronze irises gazed back and fourth between the two males. She stood up straight, her head held high. Though her size was still smaller than the males... She didn't care. Krever wasn't going to kiss at the Alpha's feet just because she ended up on his land by accident.

The femme cleared her throat before speaking. "I'm not scared of you... Alph-uhhh..." Krever knew she was going to get in big trouble for that. Mocking a larger, dominant wolf was a bad thing to do. But she didn't seem to care. "Maybe you should get off your lazy ass and fresh your territory borders more often, and then maybe you wouldn't have random wolves showing up because they didn't smell it!" At the time, Krever was too focused on where she was going then sniffing around for territories.

Fohn shook his feathery black head slowly. Krever... What are you doing? You're going to get yourself killed... The bird watched the commotion below.

[silver]

As he waited for the accused to explain themselves, a Mexican femme appeared at the side of the rock. His eyes flickered over to the side so as to view her from the corner of his eyes. She seemed to have fallen into a giggling fit. Rolling his orbs, Exodus shook his massive head and sighed. She was so different than when he first met her, that Crise. The complicated Crise. Hmm. She knowledgeable and gave the other seemed, yet now she was innocent and cheerful almost to the point of being called childish. Putting that from his mind, Exodus’ eyes flickered back to the two wolves. His hard stare did not change.

As Rhodan confessed his reason, Exodus’ face turned into a not so happy sneer. “Yes, so that may be true but I’m sure you had plenty of time to make a quick howl. It’s really not that hard, you know.” A growl ripped through his body once more and the large beast leaped down from the rock and padded close to Rhodan. Soon, the black brute was so close that his muzzle nearly touched the other’s ear. “Let me show you.” He whispered and then threw back his head and let lose a mighty howl. The howl was filled with annoyance and warning for any who would have heard. It spun the tale saying how Exodus would no longer take crap from wandering idiots. The last straw was now. Lowering his head, Exodus narrowed his eyes looking for any sign that the brute had flinched. It would be difficult not to seeing as Exodus had howled whilst standing right beside Rhodan. “See. It’s not so hard now is it?” He grumbled and then gave a snort. “You should have left immediately as soon as you realized you were on a claimed territory. Unless you were seeking a pack.” The Alpha said and turned over to Krever. His lecture for the male was done. For now.

“My name is Exodus. So, femme,” He began his voice rumbling on the boarder line of irritation and amusement, “You’re not scared of me, hmm?” Oh, did she know what she was getting into? Wait a second. Hadn’t he done this already? Yes, in fact he had. That female Athabasca or so. “Hmm.” He mumbled to himself, thinking. As Krever shouted at him for him to ‘get off his lazy ass and refresh his scent marks’. For a second, Exodus remained stoic, his eyes nor posture showing what he was about to do next. Quick as a flash of lightning, Exodus snarled and lunged dominantly at Krever, pinning her to the ground. Though she was not really that much smaller than him, or heavier, it would be quite difficult for her to get him off. Exodus had placed his strength just right just for that reason.

The brute lowered his muzzle down close to her face and snarled. His eyes were blazing mad. “Bloody bitch!” He snarled and snapped at her muzzle. If he bit her, he didn’t care. Either way, she was in deep shit. “Do not tell me how I should run my lands. What would a young femme such as yourself know about that anyhow? You know nothing about me or these lands. My markers are fine. It is your nose that is the problem.” Exodus stared directly into the brown eyes of Krever. He lowered his muzzle so that it was pressed right into her ear. In a harsh voice that was a sharp as a knife, he went on, “If you do not submit, I will honestly chase your ass out of my land and make it so that you will never find a pack on the entire continent of Anikira. Not even the bloody Rouges would want you.”

“Humph.” Exodus scoffed while looking down in disgust for a moment longer before removing his body off atop of her’s. “Choose wisely.” He spat making it clear that the wrong answer would result in him taking cruel actions. To be honest, though, Exodus really had no wish to do as he said. The brute disliked being so nasty to others, but this femme had pushed him over the edge. For a long time now, he had been on the very brink. This was the straw that broke the camel’s back. However, unless Krever straightened herself out, Exodus would not hesitate to do as he proposed.

[crise]

Exodus's power of intimidation was more effective than he'd probably expected it to be. Or maybe Crise was just a coward, given her current state of mind. She hated not knowing who she was, hated having no memories. Every second spent not knowing was agonizing torture well concealed beneath a childish mask. And, with all of her senses being hyperalert it would be understandable that her startle trigger was extra sensitive as well. Untill she knew more of herself, the Mexican femora would definately be one who startles easily.

"Oh dear lord!" she whimpered out, auds flattening tight against her skull. She visibly winced, cringing back into herself as the bitter howl rang out through the dense fog. Pure terror flashed through her eyes as all giggling ceased immediately. The bemused smile was wiped from her face, and to say she hadn't been expecting the howl was an understatement. Crise had figured the alpha brute would be taking his frustrations out on the tresspassers. She had not, however, counted on him punishing them so loudly. Unfortunately, she also was not expecting the flood of memories that Exodus's behaviour had plucked from the recesses of her mind.

The marked one's words did not register within her ears. She had no clue as to the verbal cruelty spewing forth from his mouth. And yet, she still slowly slipped into a shadow of the female that had been standing by and laughing. Hackles rose as fur bristled, a quiet growl rumbling in her throat. Sharp fangs were bared as her eyes narrowed into the slits of a glare, ears remaining pinned in place. Crise did not move from where she stood, but as she watched Exodus launch himself at the large fae she could not help but slip into an alternate reality.

Footsteps. Loud footsetps. Everywhere! She was running, heart pumping, blood coursing through her veins. Faster, faster, faster! A viscous snarl echoed through the woods. And then she lunged. Teeth sank into fur. Blood spilled onto rock and earth. Her heart beat faster, harder. Her mind was totally consumed. She knew not what she did, only that it was happening. And then... Darkness. Total darkness. The canine she'd killed had no face, no gender, no anything. She simply knew that it was wolf and that it was no longer living. When the darkness finally cleared, she was left with an odd sense of deja vu, as if she'd killed in such a viscious style before. Details were impossible to recall. And, in many ways, she could not even bring herself to believe it had been her. She would not kill, could not kill. And yet she had, twice, viciously. Two loved ones lost. Two souls so very near and dear to her heart gone forever. And the worst part was she couldn't even remember their names.

Crise jolted out of the memory with a panicked growl as Exodus pulled himself off of the femme. This was not good, not good at all. As desperately as the female wanted to remember things, she did not want to remember the worst parts of her life. Now, as she'd stood and watched an alpha exercise his power she had been forced to relieve moments of her life so horrible they made death seem like a much better choice than life. At yet, as she stood there defensively cowering from her own mind, she wasn't sure if she could trust in the memory, believe in it. Had it really been herself who had once been so cruel? Had she really acted in the past how Exodus was acting now, only to have her actions have much more devastating effects?

She shook her head, trying to chase away the pain. The figure in her memory had no distinct characteristics, though it felt like the incident had happened twice. With one memory the innocent, happy Crise was stripped from her body and once again replaced by the bitter femme the marked brute had first met. Though, this new Crise was more so a happy medium between the two than anything else. While the darker memories had flooded back, they were unclear and indistinct. She managed to hold on to some of her childish charm, though it was now laced with the wisdom of an aging fae who'd suffered more in her lifetime than anyone should.

"What a pity children aren't taught manners anymore." She laughed again, though this time it was a dark chuckle. This laugh was a sharp contrast to the giggles of earlier. As her eyes refocused on reality, she let a smile curve up the corners of her maw. Despite everything, watching these fools get throttled would proove to be quite amusing. It meant that she was not the only one suffering. Too bad her sufferings couldn't be dealt with by simply leaving the territory though. They were all in for a hell of a good time when the moment arrived for her to tell Exodus exactly what ailled her. If he thought the tresspassers were troublesome, just wait until he found out all about the roller coaster of a monster he currently had as an ally.

[rhodan]

When he was spoken to, Rhodan dipped his head to the alpha. Again. Though he was not usually one for submission to others, this was a severe exception. He could have howled. It would have been easy, but he neglected it in his own disappointment at his location. He was making excuses for himself, but it seemed that his negligence was going to get him negative points with the leader. Rhodan rarely tried to please everyone, but it really had been his fault. Though, it was courtesy and proper etiquette to still show his respect even if he was feeling a bit embarrassed. After the leader had unleashed an angered howl that reverberated through the land, the Timber brute shook his fur. Embarrassment really was not his prime emotion. Dealing with that kind of public showing was something he hadn't ever experienced, and with respect for his elders, he managed a quiet, but sincere apology. "I'm sorry, sir. I did not mean to intrude on your lands. It was my fault for not notifying you." This kind of thing could potentially be called sucking up, but he couldn't do much else at his point.

Suddenly, the raven accompanying the Mackenzie fae fluttered off, and the wolf opened her mouth.

Rhodan's jaw dropped.

"Maybe you should get off your lazy ass and fresh your territory borders more often, and then maybe you wouldn't have random wolves showing up because they didn't smell it!"

Had this female never been in a pack before? And even if she hadn't, what the hell was she thinking?! He let out a snarl directed exactly at her, telling her to shut her mouth. It was completely unacceptable in any society to put your leaders and elders above you, and always show respect, no matter what the custom was. Even Rhodan, who was accustomed to bowing to authority, didn't know what this large alpha considered respect. However, he was confident that, at least, this leader had understood that Rhodan had that respect.

Almost immediately, the large brute had the femme pinned to the ground, and with an array of flying spittle and harsh speaking, tried to force her to submit. In retrospect, Rhodan supported him. There was no reason for these chestnut femora to act in such a crass way.

"What a pity children aren't taught manners anymore," said the smaller Mexican fae. Feeling not obligated to speak, but still finding humor in the comment, he turned to look directly at the female. He put his ears up and gave her a weak smile, almost as if to assure her that the two were not together.

When the alpha released her, Rhodan backed a few steps to give the two their room, no matter the outcome of their situation. He positioned himself somewhat parallel to the multi-hued Mexican female, yet still with distance, for he knew he was not anywhere near an ally to them.

[krever]

Nearly most the time Krever wasn't paying attention. She just wanted out of that place. She was greatly startled by the thunderous howl near her delicate ears. She shivered slightly, but snapped out of it quickly.

After the remark she made at the Alpha, her eyes remained closed, as if she were awaiting an attack. And as she knew it, a large blow struck her, knocking her to the ground. She gasped for air and groaned slightly. The brute had some force on him, that was for sure. Fohn cawed lightly, preparing to swoop down and attack. "Fohn don't you dare get involved!" She shouted to her friend. The male began his angry rant at the young Krever.

“Bloody bitch! Do not tell me how I should run my lands. What would a young femme such as yourself know about that anyhow? You know nothing about me or these lands. My markers are fine. It is your nose that is the problem... If you do not submit, I will honestly chase your ass out of my land and make it so that you will never find a pack on the entire continent of Anikira. Not even the bloody Rouges would want you.”

A low rumble formed deep within Krever's throat. She was not intimidated by this wolf. The brute removed himself from her. The femme laid there for a moment, a little startled from the experience, but she was not afraid. She rolled to her feet, her hind glued to the ground. "Who ever said I was looking for a pack?" She snapped, narrowing her eyes at the male and her ears flattened against her skull.

"What a pity children aren't taught manners anymore."

Her glare was directed towards the small female. "You best shut the hell up and stay out of it... Runt."

Krever already knew what deep shit she got herself into. But it didn't stop her from acting her normal, stubborn, bitchy ways. "I don't have to submit to you. I know this is your land, big whoop. We ended up here by mistake anyway." She rolled her bronze eyes then continued with a harsh, quite tone to her voice. She turned her head away from the wolves as she spoke. "No wonder such dark souled wolves live in such a haunted evil place..."

"Krever... You should do what he says, he could easily kill you! They all could, they all are taking his side..." The bird shouted to the femme. Krever took a sharp glance at Fohn, her teeth slightly bared. "Fohn just stay out of it okay? I am doing all this to protect you anyhow." Her lids lowered over her eyes, looking back at the group of wolves with a low growl.

[machi]

<sub>Machi couldn’t help but giggle as she followed her so called alpha. She was surprised she had snuck up on him at the time. It was funny seeing him yelp like a pup caught off guard. Goes to show everyone was scared of something and can be taken by surprise. Even a large great alpha brute. Machi was no longer afraid of him after that. She had it now in her mind that he was just a big softy on the inside playing the tough guy for his pack. She thinks he should show himself more often, maybe he’d gain more respect that way. Then again, she didn’t know anything about being in a pack besides her home lands. Her father and mother won respect the same way, force, and fear. Maybe that was just the way a pack was suppose to be run. Power, pure power. Making the weaker fear those of power or made them believe you at lest had power.

Mizuki remembered Exodus’ words back then. She frowned slightly, could she talk? Could she trust herself or him to open up and speak to him. She wondered. Her mouth opened to speak to Exodus but nothing came out. She cursed herself, and her fears. Her eyes lined with slight tears. She wanted to speak, she did she did! But, she just couldn’t let herself.

“Stay hidden until I make my own presence known.”

Her ears perked up slightly at his words and she simply nodded. Laying down where he had told her and the other Mexican femme like herself to stay. Mizuki was slightly interested in this other femme. She was of the same breed, she knew that. She could smell it in her fur, however she’d never seen her before. She hadn’t been where she had lived. She was from somewhere else. And obviously Mr. Exodus was another breed all together. This other femme, Crise, Machi believed her name was, seemed a lot older than Machi herself. Roughly around Mr. Exodus’ age she guessed.

Yawning slightly, Mizuki laid her head on her paws and watched from their hiding place the two other wolves who somehow angered Mr. Exodus. His temper, she had to admit frightened her slightly. The way his silver hues glared at them and the way his voice spiked with venom. She made a note to herself to never make him angry in the future.

Listening to the whole conversation, Mizuki was shocked when he started fighting with the other femme, and Crise seemed to be struggling with her inner pain. Mizuki was frightened, she laid her ears back and took several steps back from the sense, and the other Mexican femme.

"What a pity children aren't taught manners anymore."

Crise’s voice rang in the air, with a lingering dark laugh that brought back terrifying memories to the young Mexican femme. She wanted to run, and go home. Flee, and hide, but she was too terrified to move. Why had she come here, what did she expect to accomplish by following Mr. Exodus? She just wanted to go home now.</sub>