First post awkwardness, go! Have a novel! He's in West Berwick, really close to CdA's eastern border. / 578 words.
Nova Scotia, he'd learned on the road from passing travelers and traders, was a hotbed of Luperci activity. Wolves, coyotes, and hybrids from all walks of life. The knowledge had made Jackal more than apprehensive about what lay ahead of them, mostly due to Fox's do-or-die mentality that had ushered them along this far. The siblings had passed not one, but three established packs on their way in from the mainland, one of which was very clearly marked by a row of skulls on stakes. Wolf skulls, Fox had noted with an edge to her usually chipper tone. It certainly wasn't the welcome Jack was expecting and they'd spent the rest of the day choosing their trails a bit more carefully at his urging.
After a heated discussion over breakfast over what their next plan of action should be, Jackal left Fox back in Berwick to salvage what goods she could from the abandoned buildings. He didn't reckon she would find much in the way of anything working or useful, as the town seemed pretty well picked through already. She disagreed, of course, and he couldn't find the energy to argue with her further over something so trivial. Admittedly, he was worried about leaving her alone for any stretch of time. They were strangers to both land and locals, and the big dark unknown masking the little knowledge he managed to glean about this area made him nervous.
But he was already thirty minutes gone from their hideout and reaching what used to be the far end of town. It was overgrown, the forest moving in and reclaiming what was once clearly defined streets. This side of Berwick was in an even greater state of disrepair than the center; trees sprouting up from beneath thick slabs of cement, weaving up through creaky, water-stained floorboards and making this vestige of human residency seem ancient in comparison to the new growth.
Another thing entirely caused him to pause and reconsider. A complex scent marker; the smell of a pack border clearly defined like a line drawn in the sand. It was not the grotesque display that the coyotes had placed to deter strangers and enemies both from their front, but the meaning was the same. The hybrid was not known for following a strict code of conduct, but he was not the kind to disrespect others without due reason. He would not overextend his curiousity, even though he was thrown into a heightened state of awareness by this impromptu discovery. Fox's safety was paramount, and if this pack proved to be ill intended, they would need to leave and quickly.
Jack reached down and gripped the hem his jeans, readjusting the belt so that they settled a bit more securely on his hips, before striding forward to get a better idea of who laid claim to this tract of land. He knelt down and placed his hand on the pavement near where the heaviest marker lay, eyes following the woodland until it became a unified tangle of forest. His ears twitched as he listened to a crow cackle overhead, echoed by his fellow murder as they winged away on the chilly winter air.
He straightened slowly as not to raise the ire of any hidden scouts, and lifted a free hand to cup around his muzzle, calling out to the pack, "Hallooo!" It carried far, bouncing off the trunks and the houses stacked like matchsticks in their pretty little rows.
The days were growing colder and colder. Ever since Orin's outburst about Taliesin being evil incarnate and the like, Sky had been uneasy and unsettled. She still wasn't ready to let him come back home, but he was back amongst the territory now at least... or maybe, unfortunately?
Ugh! Damn it, Orin, you've got me all confused now! The purple haired woman shook her head, growling in protest at her mixed thoughts. Taliesin was her mate, not the enemy. But Liam had been her step-son... as well as the enemy? So did that mean that Taliesin, just because his father was Lucifer, could prove to be a murderer and rapist as well? Did genes really make the man?
And if so, what of their children? A cold fear settled into her chest and she kicked her heels into Queen's sides to speed up the walk.
She'd been riding her mare for the last half hour now, patrolling around the borders with a vicious little bobcat and a stubborn, kicking mare as her only real protection. She wasn't afraid, though. The dangers thus far had come from inside the pack, inside Thornbury and even so, there was nothing the witch doctor had to fear. If danger came, Sanja would find a way to protect her. Simple as that.
She was rounding the corner towards Flanders Feilds when a call was heard over the wind. It came from Berwick border, which meant someone had wandered into the little town d'Arte was slowly claiming for themselves. Curious and bound by duty to check it out, she clicked her split tongue and Queen rode off at a quicker pace in the direction of the caller.
Pregnant as she was, she still rode facing forward and she wasn't afraid to bounce around a little. Even though she'd lost her first litter, she could feel these ones growing nice and strong, which meant good things for them. She didn't have to worry so much. So when she arrived at the border where the mixed male stood, it was at an even trot. She woahed Queen to a stop and eyed the blue-eyed male from her spot atop the mare, her posture instantly becoming dominant and weary.
You've found Cercatori d'Arte's borders. My name's Sky Katruk. She used her original name, still unsure of whether or not she could even consider herself a Rhiannon now. What brings you by our territory? Her tone, posture, that cool stare, all suggested a high rank and her pelt did little to suggest otherwise, thick and well groomed under a tank top and jeans. She didn't need the wamrth anymore. Hot flashes did plenty to keep her toasty, even in the cold winter.
As she waited for the young man's reply, a sleepy head poked up from the saddle bags the mare wore. The bobcat, Fella, eyed the stranger curiously but made no sound. As odd as he looked curled up in a bag, one that was starting to get too small for him to do so, the sharp intelligence in his stare suggested that maybe he wasn't so harmless afterall.
He resigned himself to wait ten, maybe fifteen minutes for someone to answer before returning to Fox and continuing on their way. Nothing about this situation struck him as particularly threatening, but one could never be too sure. One of his typical mantras was better safe than sorry' which never failed to annoy Fox when she was getting particularly antsy about something or other, but his caution had saved their hides from a few bad spots more times than he cared to think about at the present. The hybrid stepped up onto the curb, leaned against a rusting chain-link fence, and crossed his arms in an idle manner. Jackal wasn't the type to fidget unnecessarily. As a matter of fact, his marble statue impression was remarkably good... or so Fox said when she was trying to be particularly irritating.
But no sooner had he begun to distract himself by counting the cracks in the pavement did the distinct rumble of hoof-beats alert him to the approach of another from inside the pack boundary. His ears flicked forward as he pushed himself off the fence which gave a metallic jingle as it vibrated from the sudden movement. He did his best to seem presentable but entirely unassuming for whoever was going to appear out of those woods; he didn't want to raise any ire, but he knew from experience that many wolves didn't take too kindly to dogs, even dog hybrids. But he was momentarily distracted from this train of thought when his eyes caught a flash of movement that quickly materialized into a Luperci seated on the back of a large horse; the animal wasn't wearing tack, which struck him as a completely useless thing to notice as far as first encounters are concerned.
Jack lifted his gaze to get a better look at the woman seated atop the mare, but was conscious not to meet her gaze. Her dominant posture and the lack of nervous tremble in her voice told him that she was, indeed, one of the higher ranked members of this pack—Cercatori d'Arte, and she was heavily pregnant at that. Jack was not necessarily concerned with that fact (though he would later remember after he finished picking up the pieces of his carefully constructed interrogation plan from the pavement), but rather the name that passed her lips. Katruk. Sky Katruk.
He blinked once, twice, and then spoke. Sky Katruk. Related to a Dusk Katruk, by chance? Fox would be delighted at his find, but Jack only looked up at Sky with a reserved expression. He wasn't entirely sure what to think; this was Fox's area of expertise, dealing with people that is. He was thankful that his brain hadn't taken this time to blue screen at this sudden discovery. A small, furry head poked out of a saddlebag and he directed his attention to the small bobcat with a quirk of his brow. However, he didn't comment.
Realizing he should probably introduce himself before he scared her off with his considerably forward question, he reached a dark hand up in an amiable gesture. Jackal Katruk, but I go by Jack to most folk. He offered by means of breaking the ice, if any had formed to begin with.
From her position on Queen, Sky almost didn't catch his pause. Then he spoke again and the words that came out were familiar to her. Dusk? He knew Dusk? Er... yes, she's my older sister. She replied almost dumbly, caught off-guard by the question, though handling it rather well. Her torn ears perked forward and she decided that this male was suddenly very interesting. He knew Dusk, even by the woman's full name with was uncommon. How did this guy know--
The answer came in his introduction. Jackal Katruk. Too old to be Dusk's son, there was only a single explanation that she could determine. Suddenly, she and Dusk had a half-sibling, a half-brother. That meant daddy dearest had been getting around since he'd left them. Well damn.
For a moment, she stared at him, taking him in. The blue eyes could've been a dead give-away. He had the same dark markings on his legs as she and Dusk, the same cool eyes as the eldest girl but the color matched Sky's own eyes, if a bit darker. He wasn't the rich brown as his sisters, but it was obvious that he wasn't really a wolf either. His build was too lanky for that. Probably coyote? Either way.
Well fuck me. She cursed, unreadable expression becoming a grin. She took a moment to slide herself off of her mare and adjust to standing again before approaching the male with a sort of... perk to her step. This was a fantastic discovery! The old man really is still kicking, huh? Your dad's name is Vaughan, right? Belgian Shepherd?
Meanwhile, poor Fella was left to stare, confused and slightly befuddled. This guy was his mamma's half-brother? When did this happen!? He barely knew of Auntie Dusk! Now he had an uncle Jackal? He made a sound of mild confusion as he pushed out of the bag and onto Queen's back, watching the scene unfold with sharp eyes and a curiosity only fitting of a kitten.
/ 578 words.
♥
