fortissimo

Caspa Al-Fateh · 10-12-2011, 05:34 AM

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A strangely warm, still day and the hot threat of war. Felt like summer's peak, although that solstice had been and gone months ago. Caspa went on two legs, though resenting the lack of Lupus speed she had a bag to carry and a weapon belt over one shoulder, with its many empty sheaths ready and waiting for ammunition. Truly, the willowy and exotic dog was an unlikely looking warrior, but her fierce expression denied doubt. Her home had been raided and an innocent killed and the severity of it stiffened her movements to a red-alert stalk. An otherworldly figure in the copy-and-paste repetition of Halifax's suburbs.

Late morning, and a weak sunlight washed out the streets and cul-de-sacs to shades of grey so that cracking tarmac and wildly overgrown lawns seemed as mundane to Caspa as they had originally been when first installed. But she did not have leisure to penetrate further into the city, and would have to find her treasure out here somehow. Actual tools or weapons would mostly have been gleaned long ago but she could improvise. Picking up a glass bottle, she returned it to the paving slabs with force and bent to study the resulting shards for any suitably long and sharp.

Dresden Thrace · 10-12-2011, 09:53 PM

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Thank you for starting!

Dresden had finally convinced himself to take a look around the old city after much internal debate. There was something about the thought of these tall buildings and concrete slabs cluttered together in such a large scale that set his teeth on edge. It was such a drastic change from the natural world just outside of the city lines. To him, the concrete jungle represented everything that was corrupt about the human race. They had become tainted, tried to rise above their positions and the gods had struck them down for their insolence. But their mistakes could be learned from. The Lords had allowed the Luperci to rise from the ashes of humanity to succeed where they had failed.

So Dresden allowed himself to inspect the ruins of a crumbled civilization every so often, despite the unease he felt. There would be much to learn and much to see, and he had to admit, it would break up the monotony of his endless travel. His companion Stranger was left behind today in a secluded glade not far from city limits that the warrior had been camped out in for the past few days. Dresden had no intention of remaining within the city for long.

The male found himself drifting through a portion of the city filled with smaller buildings with patches of uncontrolled plant life that Dresden liked to imagine were trying to reclaim the concrete-laden ground. He was nearly startled of out his skin when a sudden shattering sound erupted from just around the corner of the next street. The husky turned and trudged closer to the street with cautious steps. As he turned the corner, icy blue eyes soon discovered the source of the noise—a willowy canine figure rifling through glass shards on the pavement. He had to admit, he had not expected to find anyone else during his brief jaunt through the city. The warrior allowed himself to draw a little closer to the stranger with slow steps. He cleared his throat a little awkwardly to draw attention to himself before speaking. “I see I’m not the only one out here today.”

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Caspa Al-Fateh · 10-15-2011, 11:11 AM

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She chose a piece, hefting it in a slender palm - a long and narrow icicle, a little curved. She lifted it merely to tuck into her shoulder belt for safety, but in a single heartstopping moment scented the stranger, saw him approaching and turned the movement into a brandishment of the glass to aim point-first with instinctive defensiveness. Efficient eyes ran businesslike over the husky. He had the build of a fighter and various possibly tribal markings, possibly a bad sign, although his scent was unfamiliar and not like the raiders. His words were neutral enough, but Caspa knew she carried the scent of a pack at was and fear made her tones dark as she answered 'how unfortunate for us both.' She raided her usually orderly mind for all she knew of the foe, the Great Tribe, recalling they hated hybrids... And took captives. 'If its prisoners you hunt, you can think again,' she threatened. He might owe other allegiance but either way captivity had been a whisper in the wind for some time now and in a godforsaken place like this she would not trust anyone easily.

Dresden Thrace · 10-15-2011, 09:03 PM

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And just like that, Dresden’s slow steps came to a sudden halt. The stranger whirled on him, brandishing the sharp piece of glass like a weapon. The husky stiffened, hackles rising as he eyed the stranger. He hadn’t exactly been expecting that, but in hindsight it seemed like it shouldn’t have been much of a surprise. The people in this area had proved to be a jumpy or weird bunch, some a combination of both. If things developed into a struggle here, Dresden felt that he would likely have the upper hand, as he outweighed the woman and likely outmatched her in combat experience. The warrior didn’t make a habit of underestimating potential opponents, however.

He remained still as she spoke, tone dark and unyielding. Her threat had him widening his eyes, and as he took in the meaning of those words, he had to fight to keep himself from sighing in exasperation. This again, seriously? Something seriously messed up had to be happening around here for Dresden to have been mistaken for some sort of kidnapper twice in less than as many weeks. That first encounter had been brushed off as a single oddity. Those two had had no affiliations to speak of, but this woman had the unmistakable scent of a pack lingering with her own. Things were getting both interesting and troublesome. Perhaps the interesting part of it would have been more prominent if he hadn’t been the one being accused of the ill deeds each time.

The Thrace male took a few cautious steps back, muscles tensed and ready to maneuver himself out of the way should she choose to strike. “I must have some sort of look about me screaming “kidnapper!” because you’re not the first to throw that accusation at me this week.” His eyes narrowed darkly, but he managed to keep the rest of his face impassive. Dresden typically wasn’t one to worry himself over what others thought of him, but if people were going to attack him at every turn around here, he might have to rethink that policy. “What exactly is going on around here?” He didn’t expect to get many answers from this one, but it was worth a shot.

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Caspa Al-Fateh · 10-17-2011, 12:06 PM

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OOC: xD I'm sorry - I think my brain is on too much caffeine - there is very weird grammar in this post, hope it's understandable! o.O

His reaction to her words was indecipherable, so she didn't relent her stance for a moment, but nor did she advance. Of course, it was ridiculous - she was so clearly outmatched, if not so much that she could probably at least do a little damage, which was the assumption she was relying on to protect her if he was the mercenary she feared. He did not deny her words explicitly, but the implicit sense was that he was innocent of involvement with such nefarious activities as he had been accused of by her, and it seemed, previously as well. There was something disarmingly honest in the admission - he was either good at acting, or it was true - but she continued to stare him down hawk-like, disparagingly enough to perhaps hint that she certainly could see why those conclusions had been reached beforehand. "Well, my honourable friend, I will tell you what little I know of the story so far, just as soon as you relay to me your legitimate business here, which I am sure you can do easily enough as an innocent of these war-torn lands." When frightened, she noted with wry self-deprecation, how floral her language became - formal, like a poem or a speech from one of her family's stories. They had been mostly of war and violence, fittingly enough.

Dresden Thrace · 10-19-2011, 02:04 PM

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It's all good. XD

The fact that she remained vigilant in her stance and continued to glare daggers at him seemed enough of an indication that he did appear suspicious. As annoying as this was getting, when he got right down to it he supposed he couldn’t blame her. Walking around as he did seemed to garner a lot of attention out in this region. Even knowing this, he had no plans to change that; he wasn’t going to go around unprepared and unarmed just to make friends.

Dresden remained as still and tense as she was as she spoke. He could almost see the sarcasm dripping from her words, but that did not hide the fact that she had very well explained what seemed to have the canines in this region all in a tizzy. War. Well, he certainly seemed to have wandered into quite a fine place, hadn’t he? He was no stranger to battle, as his scarred form and numerous weapons could attest to. The warrior had no idea what was going on here to breed war and strife, but it was not his battle. There was no need for him to get involved. “War would explain why everyone around here’s so tightly wound,” he muttered. But she wanted him to explain himself. “I’m here to learn. There’s quite a lot to see in the skeletal remains of a civilization like this. And I’d just as soon be out of here, to be honest. This place gives me the creeps.”

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Caspa Al-Fateh · 10-21-2011, 03:21 PM

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She was an unlikely soldier, but he looked the part. An outsider with the marks of battle clearly visible, who had wandered into the vicinity of war seemingly by chance. It was a strange chance, if so. "You don't look like a scholar," was her only remark, still holding out on the full story, although it was on the tip of her tongue - as anybody who wholeheartedly believes themselves to be in the right and on the side of the better good, she was ready to be utterly honest, in the expectation that the truth would win over any right-minded and reasonable person hovering on the periphary. If this was truly what he was: she was yet having trouble looking past the hardened and fight-torn exterior. She hoped her curt answer would lead to a fuller explanation, so she could relent her guard a little. So long as he maintained the ring of truth in his tone, she would be ready to believe him.

Dresden Thrace · 10-22-2011, 07:51 PM

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“And you do not look like a warrior,” he returned, “but situations have a way of bringing out the seldom-seen sides of people.” He motioned toward the daggers hanging from his belts. “Fighting’s clearly my strong suit, but there’s more to me than that.” It seemed clear-cut enough to him, though he knew the woman would remain skeptical. A wise move, certainly, but Dresden only had so much patience.

The husky took another step back, lifting a hand in a peacekeeping gesture. “If you truly believe me to be here to bring you harm, say the word and I’ll be out of your hair. I’m not looking for a fight today.” Easy to say and a lot harder to prove. If the situation continued on it’s current path, Dresden was tempted to simply leave anyway. As curious as he was about what may have been going on in this region, it wasn’t worth starting a fight over, even if he did have the clear advantage. There would be other opportunities to learn.

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Caspa Al-Fateh · 10-28-2011, 06:56 AM

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Foolishly enough, she'd already given him a perfect moment to strike - or more than one - while forming her over-cooked sentences, and instead of pouncing, the man had returned her language with equanimity. Caspa was almost at ease: she lowered her shard of glass, hand trembling a little, perhaps with relief or the strain of not clasping too tightly upon the sharp edges. She would have to sand those down. Did she believe him to be out to cause harm? "There are few things I truly believe, learned warrior," she answered tautly, "it is a strong word to use. But I do not think it likely you would quibble so much if you were here for flesh or blood." An uneasy truce seemed to be forming, the two dogs - with traits from opposite ends of the globe, but origins both in a tribal society - backing away to form a suspicious stalemate. "I promised you a story, so here." She kept moving, not wishing to be off her guard for too long. Her slow movement circled her around to his left, her dark eyes flicking over him, marking his weapons, his tattoos. He had a story too - she could tell. "I am from a pack named Cour des Miracles. We have many allies in these lands. When a vicious pack further east took hostages from among them, we moved to set them free. We were repaid for our good deed by a raid, which left innocent wolves dead. We are a peacekeeping land, but there are limits to the good of peace. So, there is war." A story - and in some small corner of Caspa's mind, perhaps a call to arms. They needed all the allies they could get.

Dresden Thrace · 10-28-2011, 10:09 PM

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He was pleased to see the woman begin to slowly lower her guard. His gaze lingered briefly on the glass shard clasped in her hand as it was lowered before returning to her features as she spoke. At last she realized that he waste time on idle chatter if he desired conflict. Ah, now they were getting somewhere. The willowy woman began a slow and steady move to his left, to which Dresden responded to by remaining just where he stood, following her only with his eyes. Let her get a good look and assess the threat he may pose. The warrior had learned through experience that when appearing as a threat, as little action as possible would sometimes be the best method of showing good intentions and garnering trust.

The husky listened in silence as she finally explained her story. A pack named Cour des Miracles. Hostages taken, alliances kept, and payments taken in blood. A sticky situation, to be sure, a plight not unfamiliar to the seasoned fighter. He certainly couldn’t blame her for her caution in such times. Enemies had a way of sneaking in just when you least expected them. “I see,” he said as her brief tale ended. “I am sorry to hear that lives have been lost over this. It is not an easy thing to endure." Experience told him this as well.

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Caspa Al-Fateh · 10-29-2011, 05:19 AM

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She did not complete the turn, ending on a simple semi-circle - just enough to view him from all angles - then turning and retracing her slow tread. She did not know where her new found confidence came from, for she was still as light and insubstantial as a wolf-sized feather; but now she had a strange sense that her strength had been there all along, and lay in places other than muscle and limbs. She could pinpoint the spot behind his ear, for instance, and hit it with a poison-dart no bigger than a needle. She eyed the place dispassionately, but such a step would not be necessary today. Her arc continued, leaving her off to his side, vision resting on the various brands that littered his leftmost flank - scars, tattoos and rings - marks? Or medals? The intention was unclear.

His words were equally dispassionate. He was clearly not looking for a fight - perhaps any good warrior avoided battle wherever possible. She was disappointed by this, though. She had been hoping for tones of outrage, and a show of solidarity with her wronged people, if not an outright pledge to help. The husky seemed to speak from experience, but his words were non-committal regarding the pain of loss. "It is a hurt best shared," she said dangerously in those low tones that belied her form. She - much more naturally a scholar than a battler - would up the ante, speaking words of threat against the unnamed enemy, trying to rile the weapon-bearing wanderer into more of a warlike mindset. "You have seen battle, then..." She needed a name to fill the gap, but none had been spoken. "...I am Caspa, by the way," she finished lamely.

Dresden Thrace · 10-29-2011, 04:41 PM

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Despite his best efforts to remain still and unthreatening, the woman’s constant movement was beginning to make him antsy. It was not in his nature to remain passive for this long while a potential threat stood before him—no matter how much the intensity of their encounter seemed to be dwindling by the second. As she turned and retraced the steps she’d taken in the half circle, Dresden shifted his stance slightly—and slowly—to a more comfortable position. He crossed his arms over his chest, icy gaze watching the Courtier canine the whole while.

Her dangerous words encouraged the ghost of a smirk to tease his lips, but he subdued it quickly. “A wise view to have. Perhaps your cause is not so hopeless if you can see that,” he said, the sound of approval dancing among his words. One could not win a war without inflicting hurt upon their enemies. Peace did not win wars. Cowardice did not win wars. It seemed like this woman understood that, which pleased the warrior. She introduced herself at last, and the warrior returned the favor. “Dresden,” he supplied, along with a short nod of greeting. “And yes, battles are a song and dance I have practiced many times over.” The scars littering his torso were evidence enough of that.

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Caspa Al-Fateh · 11-02-2011, 08:43 AM

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Another mark of inexperience - she was quick off her guard. As he returned her introduction, she bowed her head briefly then half-removed her attentiveness, fixing the makeshift knife into her belt and snatching a glance at the ground to see if any other pieces were prominent. Her question had not really sought the information requested, as it was obvious enough he'd endured many fights. Really, she'd wondered about his frame of mind regarding these instances. Had he suffered through, or enjoyed them? His words hinted at his being even more experienced than she'd expected, but also perhaps a little jaded. The phrase 'a song and dance' seemed trivial, considering what he referred to. He had found no meaning in his campaigning, perhaps. Perhaps a lone warrior didn't feel a point was necessary, when fighting. It was outside her realm of experience - Caspa would never have gone to war if circumstances had not forced her. But there was another point to address. "Did someone say our cause is hopeless? Have you heard something?" Her eyes were narrow. She was sure she hadn't said that. So had he pulled it out of the air, or heard it from someone else? She had no idea what kinds of rumours might be flying around. Or, indeed, truths. She had only trust in her leader - a man she didn't know at all - to give her belief that they weren't outnumbered or bound to lose. She was not even privy to his tactics or plans, or whether they would have reinforcement. It was something she was programmed to accept; obedience without question. But she was no automaton - if someone had told this wandering warrior that the Miracles wolves were marching to their deaths, then she would have questions to ask.

Dresden Thrace · 11-06-2011, 11:20 PM

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Dresden was further put at ease by the woman’s drifting attention. Good, less trouble for him, it seemed. Had she truly been toying with the idea of launching an attack against him, he doubted she would have been so quick to divert her attention. Those lacking in experience only looked away for two reasons; an unfortunate slip of their guard or an unintended declaration that they were not prepared to attack. In either case, Dresden would have the advantage. He found himself shaking his head at her next volley of questions, staring back impassively at her narrowed gaze. “A simple guess. This is the first I’ve heard of any war.” He gave his shoulders a slight shrug. “Had I known what was going on before now, I likely would have been well on my way out of this region. I may be an adept fighter, but I see no need to risk my life for a cause I have no stake in.” Yes, to some extent Dresden enjoyed the thrill of a fight, but full-scale war between packs could easily escalate into a brutal and bloody thing. Perhaps the months of solitude had left him jaded, but he was not eager to put his life on the line for a bunch of strangers by getting involved in this mess now.

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Caspa Al-Fateh · 11-07-2011, 06:10 PM

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However beadily she could eye him, she could spy no trace of a lie, so let the suspicion pass. The mongrel girl pursed her lips regretfully as he elaborated on his views of the situation. "That is a shame, but your point is understandable." She could try to wheedle him further with pointed words about honour and obligation and temptations of shelter and sustenance, but really, it didn't seem fair or polite. He'd stated his standpoint clearly enough. Besides, he probably had a good home to go back to anyway, such as wherever it was he'd done all his fighting. If it had been worth any time at all, he would have at least won some ground, surely. Everything he'd said so far pointed to his being only passing through. "I wish you good speed on your way, then, and may you return in more pleasant times. Unless you want to collaborate in this exploration?" Her eyes hovered over the empty suburban landscape. "I seek weapons, and you seek knowledge. Perhaps you could share your knowledge of weapons? Then we are both satisfied." Neatly put, she thought, wondering if he'd acquiesce to this decidedly one-sided proposal.

Dresden Thrace · 11-13-2011, 10:02 PM

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Perhaps he should have felt a little shameful for not offering his skills to aid these warring canines. He had the ability to be a great help to them if he so chose, but these solitary days had left him more than a little jaded when it came to dealing with others. As far as he knew, he would only be here a short time, and the risk of injury or death was too great, and in exchange for what? Honor? The male had left his honor behind with his family, it seemed.

The woman offered for him to accompany her as she searched about for weapons, and of course, wouldn’t it just be so handy if he shared his knowledge with her as well? He hesitated for a moment. Their encounter hadn’t been the friendliest, but it hadn’t exactly been hostile, either. And given the apparent situation surrounding her pack that was breeding strife, he couldn’t really blame her. Fleeing the city this quickly would feel cowardly, even if he would be the only one to know it. Perhaps tagging along with this woman for a little longer would make the concrete jungle seem less hostile. A little company in this desolated graveyard of humanity was well worth the exchange of a little knowledge of weapons, as far as the male was concerned. Dresden offered her a quick nod. “Why not? Anything in particular that you’d care to know?”

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Caspa Al-Fateh · 11-22-2011, 05:04 AM

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With his nod, she was off and walking down the pavement along the cracked and uneven kerb, eyes fluttering between car shells and the ubiquitous, uniform houses, completely ignorant as to where to start. Where did humans keep their things of steel and sharp? "I am in need of blades... or tools... that can best serve the use of skill above strength," she explained to the wolf, but she wasn't going to take advantage of him. If they were to be companions, co-operation was in order. "But how rude of me, I have not asked what specifically you are seeking. We must help each other here - we can cover twice the ground and be home before sunset, if we can gain a clear idea of what the other needs." She didn't look around as she spoke, thus risking the slightly ridiculous circumstance of herself walking further and further away from him until her words weren't even audible, but Caspa didn't care what he thought about her, and he could easily be following. Most of the human stuff here was just rubbish, broken items of mystery that didn't look they'd be any use to anybody ever again. She pushed a fallen mailbox with her toe as she passed it, and the little door banged on its hinges. It would have been near impossible for her to understand what it would have been for, but to her it resembled a tiny trap, and it doubled the tingling in her spine that came over her when at her most wary.

Image courtesy of ®DS @ flickr; Table by the Mentors!

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