Strength in Numbers
#1
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This is set at the outskirts of Ethereal Eclipse / + 285


The trek back from the now claimed lands had been draining but Titania and Zalen had managed well. Titania had stayed once they had reached Zalen’s den… his old den now he supposed… so she could rest while he continued on towards Crimson Dreams. He hadn’t slept for more than a day now but he was full of excitement and determination. He was heading to Crimson Dreams to gather Soran and her partner for the journey to their new home.

Their ranks were growing faster than he had expected, already there were five of them including Titania and himself; she had picked up a loner in their territory, and the man, Shandom he believed his name was, was residing there waiting for them to return.

Zalen’s mind drifted to the others he had asked to join him; Saxif, Lucia, Mordecai… they all should soon know that the pack was founded and that they were free to come. He’d make sure to leave scent markers near his den telling of these things, and Titania said she would howl out the message as well. He hoped everyone would hear of it and come to the territory to the North; there was strength in numbers.

Soon he was near Crimson Dreams territory, and he did not venture as close as he had the last time; he figured his howl would carry here and Soran would hear. Zalen climbed to the top of a small rocky mound to give himself height before calling out; his strong voice carrying into the frosty winds. He would only wait an hour or so for Soran to arrive, after that he would give his trust to the fates that she would come eventually.

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#2
The silvery hued male had been hunting outside the pack lands this day, he had wanted to explore again, growing weary of never knowing his place and duties. It always seemed appreciated when he showed his submission to the elder pack mates but the very lax method of things here still bothered him. It was as close as he could come to the pack life he was accustom to but it was not everything he dreamed of. He carried a plump rabbit in his maw as he brooded over these thoughts, continuing his even pace towards the pack's ground when the call was heard. He frowned to himself and at first ignored the call, it wasn't for him after all..but curiosity soon worked his mind into a frantic, wondering why a stranger, a loner by the scent, was calling to ones of Crimson Dreams. He wasn't certain of how things really went around here but associating with loners so close to the pack lands was dangerous in it's own ways.

Finally the worse ideas got the best of him and the newly made member of Crimson Dreams padded off into the rocky outcropping, looking to end the mystery and find out just what this loner was doing so near the borders..and just what his own pack mates had to do with a loner as well. It didn't take him long to find the male, the burly silvery male from Crimson Dreams dropped his kill between them and sat back on his haunches, his muscles rippling under his fur as he studied the male. "What is the meaning of this..." he asked, curiosity needing to be dealt with, but a protective aire for the pack as well was at hand as he waited for the answers to questions, some he hadn't even asked yet..
#3
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OOC / + 456


The ebon male sat on the mound for several moments pondering to himself. His breathing was slow and the area was calm and quiet and he couldn’t help but let out a yawn. He was very much exhausted, and though that it probably would be best to sleep for a while back at his den once Soran arrived. They could all benefit from the extra energy for the following day’s journey. Soran, though strong, was an older female and freshly pregnant; the travel to the new territory would have to be a slow and steady one.

Movement twinkled in the corner of his eye and Zalen looked over to see a silver male wolf carrying a rabbit coming towards him. Zalen let out a half sigh half snort; he was hoping his call would not alert any others. But sometimes these things could not be avoided; he was very near the pack lands after all, if not a mile or so away from their marked border. As the male came better into view Zalen stood erect, to his full height but did not show extreme dominance, for it was not his place to. The male sat, dropping his dinner and asking Zalen what the meaning of his call was. Zalen could smell Crimson Dreams on him, but knew that he had done nothing wrong to call Soran out; by now he was sure she had cut her ties with Crimson Dreams amicably.

Zalen shifted his position and jumped down from the mound, I am calling upon my friend and mentor Soran, she is joining me in my pack to the north. it was blunt, but truthful; Zalen supposed he might just tell the truth, it would soon be spread like wild fire throughout Crimson Dreams as soon as Soran departed. The sable male looked over this Crimson Dreamer; he was strong, in good health, and obviously could hunt well. His markings however were… odd… he was clearly a wolf through and through, but the hues of gold and silver contrasting with black were unusual. Not that Zalen hadn’t seen stranger; his mind wandered to Panda in Anathema for a moment.

With non-threatening body posture that spoke of neutrality Zalen walked forward to sniff the male and inspect him closer; he most definitely was from Crimson Dreams. Zalen looked at him again, You are from Crimson Dreams; tell me, what is that pack like? Does it suit wolves or is falling to the ways of the humes? Zalen didn’t know much of the pack, save that they had recently been at war with Aniwaya. He wondered if Crimson Dream too had started to turn from the wild to the domestication left behind by the long dead humes.

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#4
The darker hued male stood before him for a moment on high before he finally answered the Crimson Dreams pack member's question. The silvery male shifted his weight from side to side as he watched the other, his answer was well enough but it still caused him slight disturbance as he asked in turn. "Why would she turn from the pack she's served so long to venture forth and follow you?" He could tell that the male before him was a strong and dominate but was he worth following, worth leaving a pack one had been loyal to for so long. He didn't know but if the male was willing to answer him he would find out soon enough.

He stiffened slightly as the male moved forward but Thoirni didn't budge as the other began the routine of investigating his scent and being further. His sun shot sapphire eyes watched the male carefully, his body firmly placed as he moved forward to meet the other. He came from a land where dominance was shown to all but your own pack. This male was an outsider and seemed to believe that he had every right to take their pack members loyalty and stance. His body was held erect, his eyes firmly watching every move the other made as he in turn investigated the scent of this male.

He could tell the male had taken a mate, or at least he had a female friend that he knew quite well. Her scent clung to him, intermingling with his own even though she was not there. He caught the scent of distant lands and of what must be home to the male before him. The scents were strong and fresh, speaking volumes to the male from Crimson Dreams. It took him a moment to realize that the other had asked him a question and Thoirni took a step back, shaking the scents from his mind as he was quiet a moment before answering. "It is not like the packs of old. They shift and walk as man once did..they seem to prefer houses over dens.." His discomfort over the ways of his pack was apparent as he sighed. "I am of old blood, I will not take the change, not if I can help it.. and these new ways are not what I was reared to believe.." His eyes lifted to meet those of the other male as he demanded. "What of this pack you hold.. are they just as soft as those that follow man..or has man not killed the beast in some just yet.."
#5
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Didn't mention InH in this cuz Zalen has no knowledge of that pack's existence, he will soon though! / + 458


The male seemed stiff and awkward at Zalen’s advance and he tried to cool his stance a bit; already the change to alpha male was beginning to take place, especially now that he had taken Titania as his mate, but he must learn that not all places were his. He asked him why Soran would leave her pack to join him and Zalen took pause for a moment, Truth be told I’m not certain. She became my mentor in the height of summer and I asked her to be my side as my Beta. I believe perhaps she grows weary of Crimson Dreams and wants something new for her partner and herself. The male seemed alright in the moment then, and after investigating Zalen himself he finally answered his question, the answer much to Zalen’s dismay. So Crimson Dreams was no different than any of the other packs he had knowledge of; Anathema, Salsola, Aniwaya, Cercatori d’Arte, Cour des Miracles, and now Crimson Dreams. He was sure that both Inferni and the newest pack, Casa di Cavalier were similar. It was a sad state of affairs in this area indeed.

The male seemed to be uneasy with the affairs of his pack and this made Zalen’s ears perk; he seemed to have a propensity for running into like-minded wolves; apparently his sentiment of the domestication were more wide spread then he thought. He bumped his flank against the male’s in a sign of friendship and understanding, This is why I have decided to make the pack, the ways of the Luperci here are in my opinion flawed. We are wolves are we not? Why take to the hume’s ways? I am founding this new territory in the north were we all can be what we were born to be. He looked into the male’s stunningly beautiful eyes, If you wish to join me, then come. Do not feel a burden of duty to the Crimson Dreamers, they have chosen their folly.

He moved to the front of the male; if he did decide to join he would be a good addition indeed, and with Soran and her partner there would be an even balance between male and female in the pack. Zalen turned his head to look towards the Crimson Dreams borders, hearing nothing, smelling nothing of Soran. He sighed and turned back to the Dreamer, I am Zalen Damaichu, and though you do not know me now I will tell you that the blood of the first Alphess of these lands runs through my veins and I will not forsake you or any of my pack-mates as a leader. He raised his head high again, pride shooting through his heart, as well as the weight of responsibility.

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#6
He had lived his whole life in the ranks of tradition, where to bare one's throat to your leaders and lowering and bowing down when rank and duty demanded it was the everyday. The changes in the world when he had ventured over the mountains had been so strange that he hadn't been sure he would find a pack he would belong to..oddly enough the pack he thought would work had been pleasant enough but everything he did, the styles and mannerisms of old seemed out of place and lost to most but the leaders. The awkward feeling of having chosen wrong and graced his loyalties to a pack he couldn't guarantee he would stand beside were weighing on his mind more and more, and this male did nothing to drive those thoughts away.

His sapphire eyes turned to study the stranger as he explained just what Soran meant to him and why he wished her by his side. His eyes sparkled slightly as he asked. "Does she believe too in returning to where we belong.. to belong to the packsong, to hunt as one.. to know one's place in the grand scheme of life..." He was a strong wolf, but secretly part of him was a dreamer too. He wanted what he had grown up with, but he wanted new faces, new blood, a new life to call his own. The wheels in his head were beginning to turn as he listened to Zalen speak.

He growled playfully as the other male bumped against his side in understanding. It took a moment for him to readjust to the ways of old, he had been a loner for a few moons and within this pack long enough to begin to lose his edge on things. He let his eyes follow the male as he began to give a speech on this pack he was forming, of the ways they had been meant to live, of how he had lived til summer's end. The silvery male lifted his head high as he asked. "..And how do you plan on keeping with the old ways.." He would test this male, to make certain he wasn't some fool of an omega trying to play at prince and wanting to jump to the top of the ranks. While the idea of this pack was tempting he had to know who he was following had the heart and soul to keep them strong when times grew rough.
#7
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Damn Shannon you make me write a lot! / + 493


The still nameless male asked if Soran wanted to return to the old ways just as Zalen did and he nodded, I believe so, I believe the strangeness of the past war has worn her thin and she lusts for the natural life. It is more difficult seeing those you love fall under the knife rather than under the claw like nature intended. He had never considered this until now, but it made perfect sense. The time before last when he had spent time with his mentor, she had told him of the horrors of the war, of the stress of it, of the devastation and meaninglessness of it all. These wars did not happen in the packs he had known, the only reason to fight was to defend ones territory or claim new ones for a growing pack. Fighting over members leaving like the Aniwaya and Crimson Dreamers had was foolish.

The male then shifted suddenly, lifted his head in such a way that caused Zalen to flick his tail in agitation. It was strange this sudden change in demeanor and Zalen supposed the male might be testing him, to see if he had what it took to be an Alpha or he was just blowing smoke. Zalen let out a low and warning growl in his chest and he raised himself up to full height again, ears held forward and erect and tail straight with his spine. In this position he looked nearly twice his normal size, it was a feat for the silver male was nearly his size if not larger.

He looked the man straight in the eyes, though it was not a threat more than a show of complete steadfastness, The “old ways” as you call them to me are nothing but natural, as wolves we are born with them. I do not need to implement rules and laws as these other packs do, it is knowledge that come in the birth blood. He let a large canine tooth reveal itself and he shook his head in frustration, not at this male but at the erroneous ways of the other packs, The true wolves will come to us, once they realize what the rest of the clans of Nova Scotia offer. They will come in flocks, I know it. Dogs and coyotes will come too I’m sure, but they are not wolves and will not be accepted. Respect, loyalty and the bond of family will keep us together, just as our ancestors before us. Like one we will sleep, eat, and play together; there is no other way. Zalen shook himself, fur fluffing in the wind and then he sat, still in a dominant stance. He had realized in the instant that the male had questioned his authority that had they been on his territory he would have pushed him down and made his dominance clear; this thought invigorated him, and he somewhat wished Titania had been here.

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#8
His eyes shimmered slightly as Zalen gave him the information he wanted to hear. The old ways were not dead yet it seemed in the new generation, rather just dormant in most. To see that there were still some who believed that the way of the luperci was not the way of the wolf soothed his soul as he listened quietly. The answers he received, the truth of the war and the changes to the more humanistic life were things that Thoirni had feared often, for the change would mean leaving behind what was their right by birth, by tradition, blood and pride. He had nothing to say though in response just yet as he turned his sapphire hued orbs to watch the male before him.

It seemed that the blood of an alpha did indeed run through his veins, and while having the blood of an alpha did not make you the next leader it was something to be proud of and would help the male down the path he was choosing. Thoirni watched with searching, knowing eyes as the body language of the other changed suddenly with the subtle challenges that the Siondaite male brought to the table. He was not offended when Zalen showed himself to be the bigger male, instead a slight smile broke across his maw as he relaxed and shifted himself into a slight submissive stance, letting the leader of this new pack know that he had proven his worth to him.

He couldn't help but chuckle, knowing that in a way it was rude, but he had yet to swear himself to another, and Zalen had in a way amused him. Thoirni had come so far to escape the pack he had belonged to only to find himself begging for the life he once knew. He turned towards the other male as the chuckling subsided. "Alright, you have me. Once I thought I was leaving the old ways behind, but I believe I just needed to find new blood.." His eyes turned dark for a moment as he mentioned the one thought that had surfaced in his mind. "You know though, having the blood of leaders running through one's veins.. does not make one a leader." He looked off in the distance towards the north where Zalen claimed to be creating his new stance on the pure ways. His voice was soft as he added. "But.. having the heart of one just might.." A slight smile crept upon his lips as he let the male take the insight as he saw fit.
#9
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I’m PPing an ending here for us. That was an awesome reply btw Big Grin I’ll have this archived tomorrow unless you want to continue it for some reason just PM and I’ll edit the post. / + 317


Whatever the male had been searching for in Zalen, he apparently found it, for his stance became submissive and Zalen calmed. It had been his first challenge, and though it had been subtle, it had meant a great deal. The male conceded to him and spoke the words that Zalen was waiting for; he would join up with the pack. Zalen wagged his tail furiously and bumped sides with the male again, I will be honored to have you by my side, but I need your name… He smiled a little, knowing that names were something that wasn’t always necessary to know, but in this case Zalen would like to have knowledge of it.

Zalen nodded sagely to the words the male spoke, that blood alone did not define a leader. Zalen would have to prove himself yet he realized. He looked again now to the borders, he had waited long enough and Soran had not come. He was sure that she had good reason, and trusted her fully. He turned to the male, If you could, when you return to Crimson Dreams, seek out Soran and make sure all is well with her, and that is time to join me. Then, you must all make haste, do not hesitate, and come quietly. He looked seriously at the male, It is important to avoid any unwanted followers. It had been a concern of his that there might be those individuals who would seek to kill a pack in its infancy, and he wanted to avoid this scenario at all costs.

The two males parted, the Crimson Dreamer leaving Zalen with his name, Thoirni Siondaite, with his word that he would fetch Soran and her partner and they would soon join Zalen and Titania to the northern territory. With this knowledge, Zalen turned and set back for Arachnea’s Revenge and Titania, brimming with good news for his mate.

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