Private for Raze Dated to the 8th if that's alright with you? Set in the Halcyon Mountains
It was early in the morning, the sun had just begun to peek from above the horizon, painting the clouds that blotted the sky with bright and vibrant rose and gold tones. The sky was slowly beginning to lighten, as were the lands around it, a faint dusting of snow covered the lower lying lands, the tips of the mountains themselves were covered in what seemed to be a very thick layer of recent snowfall. The night had been a very cold one, with a small snowstorm in the early hours of the morning, there was a cold wind that was sill blowing through the lands, a reminder of the chill of the previous night. The lands seemed abuzz with nose this morning, the birds seemed more alive and awake than they had in previous months, perhaps the coldness of the hours before had awoken them from their silent slumber. Their chirruping and calls filled the early morning air, they were managing to be just as noisy as the less hardy summer time birds that had left long ago and would not be back for some months to come yet. Soran smiled as these sounds caught her dark ears, the silver hoops in the tip of her left ear twinkled in the pale sunlight as the velvety appendages turned to catch the cheerful sound of the awakening birds. The sable female walked slowly through the low lying hills of the Halcyon mountains, she had left earlier in the night to go for a walk, the dark Beta wolf had been quite the recluse in the previous weeks and had decided to change this. She had decided that the best thing that she could do would be a proper member of the pack, she was the second in command after Zalen and Titania after all and it was her duty to behave as such. It was true that she had still continued her duties while avoiding the other wolves in the lands, but she was supposed to be there to care for those of a lower rank to herself and her only real interactions had been with Deuce, her mate and lover and Zalen and Titania; the time had come for her to be more sociable.
She had not left the lands during her time living as something of a hermit, which was why she was now out this very morning, she had decided to walk and gather her thoughts, to stretch her legs and clear her head. The ebony pelted female walked at a relaxed pace, jade eyes scanning the lands around her as she did so, ears twitching and stirring at the sounds that surrounded her. She smiled softly to herself as she walked, she was in her Optime form today, her arms swung by her side in time with her strides as she walked; her mane had been pulled back into a long braid that rested down her back, it gently bumped against her spine with every step she took. Today seemed a good day, the dark Beta wolf felt exhilarated, she was planning on having a quick walk, perhaps a bit of a run around these lands and then she would go home in order to attend to her duties. So far she had already begun to meet others in her pack, new members that she had never seen before, it seemed that she had missed too much, the time had come to rectify that. Yes, perhaps just another hour or two out here and then she might head for home, well... maybe a little longer, the sable female would simply just have to see how the day took her, yes, perhaps that was simply the best way.
The morning was swollen with birdsong, as if the weak rays of the early morning sun had been given music. The twittering winged creatures praised a new day that was otherwise cold and blustery, bringing what little cheer they could to the snow-covered trees on the mountain range. And when the sun rose higher, it cast out a glow that glittered on the frost and perked up the hardy mountain plants and disturbed Vesper from her goddamn sleep.
The coyote hybrid growled, her muzzle wrinkling into scarred folds as blue eyes opened a peek to the blasted light. She began to shift her weight, to push herself up onto all fours, but the weight on her back gave her pause. Quickly, she shook herself and bared her teeth at the blanket of snow that had covered her while she slept. It had been a bitter night, and she’d been exhausted; that was all that would excuse her napping after the sun broke the horizon.
Shaking the last of the flakes from her mane, the lithe young woman began to walk among the bushes, pausing at a scent-marked one. She rooted at its base with her muzzle then dug up the remaining half of the fat squirrel she’d taken the day before. She ate quickly, spitting out the excess fur from the brushy tail, and without further preamble began to run down the mountain trails.
For several days she’d been lingering north of Inferni, ever since she’d been promoted to Optio and rushed out to gather what intellect she could from the rumors beyond the mountain. The rumor of the new pack had panned out, of course, with the discovery of New Dawn and its leadership. With this information, she felt like she had enough to venture back home—though little did she know that various distractions would keep her from her straightforward intended path.
When she caught odd, mingled scent, Vesper halted in her tracks and sniffed to figure out its source. It was the same as the markings along the new wolf pack, as well as the odor that had seeped into the pelts of Noah and Zalen. As always, she was driven by her desire for knowledge and control to seek out the scent, and it wasn’t long before she was breaking off in that direction.
The canine shape walking along the vegetation was an upright one, slender and dark-furred. Scent told Ves that this was an older female, and that only built her curiosity. The elderly had always been intriguing for her; so few survived to such an age, and their wisdom was something that should always be expected. She didn’t worship every old coot she came across, of course, but it drew her in whereas she had been hesitant before.
Her small lupus form darted along the treeline to the edge of the path that the black luperci walked; she stepped out into sight, a far enough distance to remain nonthreatening, but her ears and head remained turned to the she-wolf to let her know that she was interested.
I liked your post. Sorry if Soran's a bit of a jerk here, she has never forgiven Inferni for the Inferni-Syemv war... which was yeeeeeaaaaars ago (she is uber old XD)
The sable female was enjoying her time out in these mountains, there was something oddly relaxing about them, perhaps it was the seclusion, the fact that one could walk around them for hours without meeting another soul on your travels. Soran was attempting to be more sociable once again, but still she was enjoying her solitary time, some part of her did not want to let it go once more. There was something about solitude that the coal furred Beta had come to like, something that was not in her nature, well at least it had not been for a long time, when there had been all the trouble with Hollow she had retreated to being alone, but that had been a long time ago; there had been no such trigger this time for the self seclusion that the dark female had subjected herself to this time, but there had been a shift in her nature somehow, a simple want to be alone for a short while. Slowly though, ever so slowly that was changing. The dark lady did enjoy being alone, that much was true, but now at least there was some of the old longing to be around others, some of the old longing to be with her pack mates and to care for them as she once had, after all she was hopeless when it came to restraining her urge to mother others, often she was seen as the mother and grandmother of everyone she met, she was getting back to that old behavior once again. She thought of this as she walked, pulling her braid to rest against her shoulder and playing with the strip of leather that bound the fur together, she twisted it around her deft fingers as she walked, happy and quiet for once. Soon though there was a scent that broke the peaceful reverie of the sable Beta. She caught the scent long before she saw the owner, a scarred hybrid not far away from her, normally that would not have been a cause for concern, but the scent that clung to this female's pelt was enough to make the sable female's hackles rise. Inferni.
Suddenly her mind began to whirl, why was there a member of Inferni so close to her home? Why was she there? Was she scouting for weaknesses? She would not put it past the clan of coyotes, the dark female remembered how they had attacked Syemv, their cruelty and savagery burned into Soran's memory forever, she had never trusted a member of Inferni since. Then again she had not really seen another member of Inferni since, avoiding them like the scab ridden, plague bearers that her mind had painted them as. This was perhaps an unfair view of them, but still the usually very rational dark lady could not shake that image from her mind. They had been so cruel, they had driven her from her home, she had seen pack mates die, she had lost everything, she had nearly lost her son to them, no, she could never forgive them for what they had done. The dark female was not a creature that would hold a grudge, she was quick to forgive and even quicker to apologize if she felt that she had wronged another, but this was a grudge that she had never been able to end in her own mind, in her very soul. The dark female watched the unfamiliar female with cold eyes, they narrowed as she watched her. The dark female's ears flattened against her skull and her fists clenched as she moved closer, she had a view of the Inferni that they would attack without a moment's hesitation, so she knew that she had to be ready. Especially as this female was so close to New Dawn, what if she were here to scout the lands to make it ready for an invasion? No, that could not be allowed. She moved closer and narrowed her jade eyes further, they were giving away her true emotions, she seemed calm on the outside, but her green eyes snapped and burned with a cold, rage fueled fire "What is an Infernian doing so very far from home?" She asked the unfamiliar hybrid through gritted teeth. Soran braced herself, readying herself to fend off the attack that she was certain was about to come.
Smelly old wolf woman. Vesper is an arrogant little brat by comparison. xD And just in general.
Word Count → 554
Almost as soon as the coyote revealed herself, the black luperci’s posture and demeanor changed instantaneously. Dark fur bristled, ears flattened, muscles tensed and fists clenched as the wolf took note of her. Had it only lasted for a moment, it could have been written off as the paranoia of a traveler; instinct drove home the benefit of suspicion until a potential threat was sized up. However, even as the wolf came closer, tense but calm outwardly, her burning jade green eyes thinned.
The casual confidence with which Vesper carried herself faded; her posture tensed and her head lowered slightly, gaze sharply angled up at the old she-wolf. The other’s demeanor had changed to restrained aggression alarmingly quickly, and her mind could only race to figure out why. While she had been a nobody coyote in the wild north, just another name and face, the prejudice in Nova Scotia among so many different lifestyles was disturbing—especially when she could change none of what others looked down on her for. Some spat upon her breeding. Others distrusted her because of the past deeds of her clan, bloody events that happened long before she had joined and even before the current Aquila reigned.
Hell, a mongrel had plunged a knife into her again and again just because she had a smattering of grey fur.
The coywolf knew that all she could do was find out why she was being looked at in such a way, and either attempt to convince the other to relax their guard or otherwise take her leave. She wasn’t going to risk her life preaching how she was a good creature; that would be pointless, for everyone sinned. All she could do was pull out the stops to survive this encounter.
When the elder woman spoke, voice all but hissing from her aged teeth, the reason for the tension was revealed. And, despite herself, despite what she already knew about New Dawn’s leader and about how generalized prejudice was only folly that should not enrage her so, Vesper was frustrated by this piece of information. She was not perfect, and so she drew herself up slightly, four paws light upon the ground and her tawny tail swishing out behind her.
“You speak as if Infernians belong on a leash,” the half-blood growled, but she maintained the distance between them and gave no signs that she would attack. In fact, she even stepped backwards a couple of paces to be sure. By this point, there was no formulated plan of how to ease the other’s aggression. Her mind was blank, and the words that came to her tongue came merely on a whim, screened only briefly before she let them out into the cold mountain air.
“I’ve committed no wrongs since I joined the clan,” Vesper added—oh, but for the memory of a sobbing coyote boy, she could claim she had commited no wrongs at all. “You don’t have to keep yourself puffed up, New Dawner.” The hint of a cocky smirk scrawled across her lips—but she was ready to add that she knew more than just the name of the new pack. She knew its alpha and was on good terms with him, but this knowledge would be her wildcard. She would try playing this game without it first.
I'm so so sorry for keeping you waiting on this! It's been super hectic here and then I dislocated my thumb XD
The sable female was more than a little tense, more than a little on edge; she could not help it, the dark lady was usually a rational creature and judged everyone she met on their own merits, their own deeds and personality; but somehow when it came to Inferni all that happened was a red mist fell about her eyes, she could not control her reaction to the members of the clan. She was not usually an aggressive creature, with the occasional exception of the wars that she had been involved with and of course if anyone every threatened her children... Unfortunately it happened that Inferni had managed to do both of those things in the past, Soran could not help but be on edge. She clenched and released her fists as she watched the scarred hybrid. She was much older than this young creature and was beginning to regret having approached in such an aggressive manner, she would just have to hope that in this girl's youth she would do something foolish which the Beta wolf would be able to take advantage of; if this hybrid attacked that was. But somehow Soran was sure that she would, the only experiences that she had ever had with Inferni were violent ones, ones that she had not started herself. Soran's ears moved from their flattened position to swivel and catch the reply that the girl made; her tone was almost cocky to the dark female, but to Soran's surprise she stepped back as she said it; this was shocking to the dark female, she had expected an immediate attack, she had even braced herself for it... When it did not come she was not quite sure what to do. She softened a little, watching the younger girl with careful green eyes. "Well... from my experiences with your clan I think perhaps you all should be on leashes." Soran replied, her voice was still cold, but it had softened a little; Vesper backing down in such a way was something she had not expected.
The sable female watched her as she spoke, she confessed to having never committed any wrongs since she had become a member of the clan, but Soran was unsure as whether or not to trust her, after all she knew more than well from her experiences with Inferni that they were all more than capable of lying and they often seemed happy to do so if and when it benefited them. Then came the more cocky comment; a comment clearly intended to show that this girl knew where Soran had come from, once again the lady's green eyes narrowed. It was a dangerous thing having Inferni know the name of your pack, knowing where it was, that had been Syemv's downfall, once the clan had decided that they preferred Syemv's lands to their own they took them and by force. The beta could not, would not allow that to happen again, she could not bear to see another pack fall to the paws of a group of vicious and cruel creatures. The lady growled a little at the girl's words, they seemed mocking in a way, suggesting that she should stand down as it were, still as she growled she did soften; she decided to see what this hybrid had to say before she concluded whether or not they had a problem at hand. The dark female relaxed her shoulders and unclenched her fists, allowing her arms to rest by her sides, her ears returned to a position that was more friendly, although her eyes were far from inviting. She watched the girl with caution before speaking once again. "So you know New Dawn then? Have you visited us?" Soran asked, hoping that her second question would not be seen as an invitation, the last thing she or the pack wanted were Inferni crawling all over the place. "I'm Soran Aatte, Beta wolf of the pack. May I have your name Infernian?" Soran asked, her tone was a little warmer than it had been, but it was still edged with caution and what she hoped sounded like strength, she did not want to make New Dawn seem weak and having a weak Beta would suggest that.
I hope your thumb heals quickly! :c And the wait's fine; I was overwhelmed with threads earlier, haha, so it was a nice break. +3
The days of youthful foolishness had passed from Vesper, who might have confronted this old she-wolf with snapping jaws and a cocky stride when she was but a yearling venturing angrily out in the world. She had grown many years with the passing of one, however, and she didn’t need excellent hindsight to see how she might have treated this situation before. She had more than just her own reputation riding on her shoulders now; her pride in her clan and her ideals about equality rode along with something trivial. She would do Inferni proud by not succumbing to its stereotypes, succumbing to the bloodlust of its war-torn past.
The moment of danger had passed, it seemed, as some of the tension eased from the black wolf. Her voice, though far from friendly, carried less of an edge, although Vesper still snorted at it.
“Some Infernians probably should; I’ve heard the stories.” She allowed the old woman that much, and she knew she would have to learn more about the dark past that caused everyone to look at Infernians so. “I respect my current comrades for not being blind and bloodthirsty, however. I would not bow my head to a leader who wreaked havoc for the sake of havoc.”
She ignored the growl directed at her smug words, knowing that they would incite some anger. She’d have no trouble goading the woman into a fight then besting her with a young but experienced body in its prime. However, if there was blood shed on this day, it would be a mistake of the New Dawn wolf—and the wolf seemed to have the wisdom suited to her commendable age.
“I know Zalen,” Vesper replied. “We’re of like minds, actually; I respect New Dawn for returning to true wolf roots. A different me might have run with you, to tell you the truth.” She shrugged, knowing that it was somewhat dangerous to admit such a thing to the stranger. She was loyal to Inferni through and through, but she still wondered what might had happened had she not been infected with the virus. New Dawn would have been a haven for her.
“I’m Vesper,” the coywolf added as she was asked, allowing the rest of her posture to relax. The defensive gruffness had disappeared from her voice completely as she recognized they were approaching peace. “And I’m sorry if Inferni caused you harm in the past.” She truly meant it. “Everyone has their ghosts,” she added, as she had once told Tayui.
she's quiet when she's down strangers from other towns
nowhere to be found on this side of the scene
Sorry for the wait on this again! My thumb is a lot better now And I love, love, love! This table Thanks again WC: 673
The ebony matriarch knew that it would not be a good idea to get into a fight with this coyote, she seemed young and strong and although Soran was a seasoned warrior she was not sure that she would be able to fight like she used to. The older female would have cunning on her side of course, but if the Inferni clan member did not attack then it would be no more than unnecessary bloodshed. The dark pelted female continued to soften a little as the female replied, saying that she had heard the stories of the past acts of Inferni, that she agreed with them being on a leash. For a reason that the dark female could not place a small smile crept onto her lips at these words. The female then spoke again and the sable female nodded, what she said made sense, it seemed that Inferni might have softened since the dark female had last had dealings with them, perhaps then this was a sign that times were changing, that the coyote clan would not be as much trouble as they had once been. Somehow Soran felt that perhaps the pair might find an understanding after all, but if the clan were to ever cross her pack, her family, if they even thought of putting them in danger then the sable female would not be held responsible for her actions. When the female said that she would not bow her head to a leader that caused havoc for the sake of havoc the sable female quirked an eyebrow. “If you are indeed telling the truth then it would seem that Inferni has changed a great deal since I last clashed with them. I feel the need to tell you that I never started any fight with them, they were always the aggressors, I hope you can understand why I am on edge when meeting someone of the clan. I saw them do terrible things, commit crimes that I can never, ever forget or forgive. I saw many die by their teeth and their claws.” Soran replied, her eyes darkening as the memories flooded over her. The memory of the raid, the terrible, awful attack, watching friends and loved ones die at her feet, the dark female shuddered and snarled as she thought on it, before the rage and sorrow faded somewhat, she returned back to the matter at hand.
The sable female listened as the coyote hybrid spoke again, now visibly more relaxed, softer than she had been. The Infernian spoke of knowing Zalen, saying that they were of like minds, there was something of respect in her voice when she spoke of him, something which again brought a small smile to the dark female's lips. "Well I am glad that the relations between our groups is fairly amicable then. If Zalen trusts you then perhaps I may be able to, he is like a son to me, I respect his judgment. I trust him." The Beta replied, managing a small smile again. The female then introduced herself, naming herself and even adding an apology for what her clan had done to Soran in the past. This shocked the dark female, to hear an apology from the lips of an Inferni coyote was something that Soran had never imagined would ever happen. "It was not you that committed the crimes against me or my packs, but it means a lot that you have apologised. Thank you." Soran replied, again a weak smile crossing her lips. Finally she felt comfortable enough to relax, she moved to perch on a nearby rock, stretching her long legs out in front of her. It was then that this coyote's name sparked something of a memory in the dark female's mind. "I am sure that I have heard your name before, someone once told me of you, they must have done. Did you know anyone from Crimson Dreams by any chance?" The lady asked, turning her head to one side slightly as she thought.
Yay! And this was weird to write since Blind is dead now but this takes place befoooree. xD; +5
Vesper wondered if she might turn out like this dark wolf when she grew older, bitterly confronting old enemies, seeing sinister specters in the silhouette of a stranger. She wondered mostly if she would even live that long. She had seen her second autumn and was already wrecked with numerous scars, so she doubted it. But if she did reach this woman’s age, or reach the Lykoi matriarch Kaena’s age, what would her thought processes be like? Would old wrongs have such an effect?
Already, she did not generalize her hatred to the world. Many in her clan resented wolves for the wrongs they’d committed, for the murders, for the rapes. Others hated them through word of mouth, or were simply wary, and only a small few liked them as they’d like any other canine. She knew she had a reason to hate wolves from the sound of the others’ tales, her father being the murdering maniac he was, but strangely, she felt nothing of the sort. It was beginning to be an uplifted ideal for her, judging the individual rather than the breed, even if she was not perfect.
She hoped, at least, that her explanation would lower the elder’s hackles—and it did. The woman explained her reasons, and Vesper nodded without expression. It was still difficult for her to think of her pack as full of dark aggressors, especially from the other tales—the tales of coyotes misunderstood, persecuted, forced to band together and dot their borders with skulls to feel safe. She thought of the wolf attacks at the borders she’d heard about, the potential one she’d been involved in.
Her mention of Zalen and her apology eased the tension even more, but when they came to the topic of her name… The words “Crimson Dreams” caused her large ears to shoot up and her expression to contort in a soft grimace of muddled emotions. “I knew…” Her voice faltered as recent memories twisted her heart. “A girl,” she went on vaguely, and then her mismatched eyes rose before her, for a moment smiling and gentle and in the next instant angry and hurt.
“Blind,” Vesper managed to get out, her ears drooping. And then she made the connection with this grandmotherly figure of a wolf, and she blinked. “You were— She spoke of you, how you helped her, took her in.” Her words were coming with obvious difficulty, and she realized that the wound of leaving the girl was not fully healed. She’d said that their goodbye would not be forever, but the truth of the matter was that her emotions were still raw when she brought them up. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to forgive the girl or herself, and she doubted she’d see her anyway. She’d made her choice; she’d chosen the wolf-hating troupe of evil coyotes over the sweet girl.
Snorting, she looked away at the ground. “Didn’t think she’d talk about me much,” she muttered, and knew it was a lie.
Dated to the 8th if that's alright with you? Set in the Halcyon Mountains 
Vesper is an arrogant little brat by comparison. xD And just in general.
WC: 673
