ice kept getting thinner

Vesper · 01-29-2012, 09:45 PM

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SSWM Word Count → 514 :: A wild Vesper appears! Anyone is welcome to respond to this. I don't mind any nastiness and "omfg coyote" at all; a hint of conflict might be fun, even if Ves is not here to cause trouble. :3

The slender coywolf sped through the forest, small paws falling softly on a carpet of fallen snow, leaves, and conifer needles. She skirted the deadfall and dodged a lump of snow dropped by a pine bough unable to hold the weight. The air was crisp with the late January winter, and she was feeling energized after a long night’s rest in a den she had all but forgotten in the rock. It was one she had made use of when first crossing the mountain range, during a summer so recent but one that felt like many years ago.

She paused and took a moment to stretch, lest she get a cramp in one of her old wounds. She had a myriad of scars for her age, and while she preferred not to acknowledge the fact, they had their toll on her after a while, especially after her long run to reach her destination. Just on the northern tip of the range lay the gathering of wolves that she had been sent to investigate—and that she had wanted to come see for herself, a motive that was perhaps stronger than the new rank driving her actions.

The rumors that she had heard about this pack were vague, and as far as she knew none of her own comrades had actively come to check it out. They seemed to keep to themselves, which was something that the coyotes could relate to, but for the sake of the naturally wary Aquila and the rest of her clan, let alone to satisfy her own burning curiosity, Vesper wanted to know more.

She loped along again, pausing only once at a stream that assumedly branched off from the larger Pictou River. Water bubbled underneath a frozen barrier, causing her to wrinkle her nose impatiently. Her claws skritched against the thin layer of ice before she struck it with both forepaws; immediately the cold water soaked her legs and caused her to yelp. She drew back quickly, shaking each limb at a time, then with a glance at her surroundings, she smirked. She dipped her nose to lap at the chilly, refreshing water then lifted her head again, droplets glistening on her whiskers.

And then the Optio set off on the last stretch, soon climbing over the final snow bank between her and the foreign territory. Her lean patchwork body slithered down the opposite side of the pile, and she landed lightly on all fours outside the strongly-scented borders. There was something oddly familiar about the dominant smell, but it was interlocked with enough others to give the presence of a whole family rather than just its head. Curious, she sniffed again then gazed beyond into the lands. It was a far cry from Inferni, that was for sure, and something else certain was that her dormant wolf blood wanted to sing to this place.

Giving her head a shake, Vesper paced once along that small section of border then seated herself a safe distance from it, tipping her head back and letting a cry burst from her throat.

Zalen Damaichu · 01-29-2012, 10:05 PM

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Yay Raze! / + 481

Zalen still occupied his optime form, something he hadn’t changed out of since his encounter with cougar. His leg still hurt where it had been twisted, but luckily he managed to move around the den site without letting his limp seem to obvious. There was danger when it came to appearances in his pack, and he could not, would not look weak.

He wanted to spend some time with Titania this day but it seemed as if she and her mother were off doing something. No matter, Zalen could occupy himself one way or another. Most of the pack members were napping or milling about, and while he greeted the awake ones in turn he took his leave into the brush. He headed towards the south eastern border then, which had turned out to be the most active since New Dawn’s inception. This was only rightly so, since it was border facing the only safe passage through the Halycon mountain range; only he and a select few knew the secret pass that went through the mountains and came out where the Pictou River spilled from the rock.

He was nearly at the borders, stopping to scent mark when the call rang out. It was clearly coyotes and Zalen scowled at it. It was not Myrika, for he had made sure to remember the lilt in her voice. No, it was another female, and Zalen loped in that direction all fours. Zalen had found that even in optime, movement on four legs was much more comfortable then jogging on two, so he remained a quadruped even when his form lent him the bipedal option.

He paused in the trees as he neared the place the call had come from, and there he spied a small female coyote. But where he might have been annoyed and frustrated at her appearance, this female was familiar to him. Yes, it was Vesper, the ragged and scarred coyote he had met those many moon’s ago, on the outskirts of Halifax. The memory brought a smile to his face, for she had been so silly and clumsy around the car he had found her in. Now in a better mood, Zalen stepped forward out the trees and took a casual gait towards her.

Vesper! He called out, coming right up to the female and bumping noses with her. It wasn’t that they were friends, for their first meeting had been cordial at best, but he had no quarrel with her, and was only curious as to her appearance. But as soon as his nose was close, he could smell upon her the stench of Inferni and he backed up suddenly, the hair on his shoulders and back perking just for a moment. But he calmed then, Hello, do you remember me? He asked then, standing many inches above her in this form, and in a dominant stance.

Vesper · 01-29-2012, 10:34 PM

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SSWM Word Count → 465 :: NATNAT. I GIVE THEE MY SSWM WINNING POST (even if this reply is crap whuut)

It was not long before a dark shape came forth from the foliage—and Vesper startled, her hindquarters rising quickly off the ground as she stared at the black giant. It was a moment later that she realized, despite the four-legged gait, this was merely a luperci in its optime form and not an anomaly of nature. And then, a moment after that, she recognized the scent and the apple-green eyes of the male who came forward and touched his nose to hers.

Cornflower blue eyes widened, and immediately the coywolf broke into a welcoming grin and wagged her tail. His recoil did not go unnoticed from her keen awareness, but she did not remark on it; after all, she was shocked to see he belonged to a pack now, and that sentiment could easily pertain to her as well. She had been quite anti-pack during her time as a loner in Nova Scotia, still carrying that immature streak of so-called independence from her adolescent months. But she had aged properly, the process accelerated by the power of blood and duty, and she knew she was only a shade of the girl who’d foolishly blasted the car horn in Halifax.

“Zalen!” Vesper greeted warmly. “I didn’t think I would ever see you again.”

He had been curiously absent from the Sequoia mission even after he’d helped guide its plan, but now, seeing him on the outskirts of a new pack’s lands in a dominant posture, she could guess as to why that had been. She had struggled with the covert operation with her third-tier rank, and she knew that a new alpha would have even more troubles if he was recognized.

There was a heartbeat’s pause before the lupine instinct embedded in her blood caused her to lower her posture in response to his, but it was out of a lack of attention rather than disrespect or ignorance. It was strange for her to submit to someone who was not her own Aquila—and even Ezekiel was lax in the hierarchical displays favored by wolves—but it was required since she was so close to the resident leader’s lands.

So she kept her head and ears low, her tail in line with her hind legs, but looked at him with unrestrained curiosity. “I heard about a gathering of wolves in the north, but never thought that I would already be acquainted with one of its leaders.” She spoke lightly, but there were many actual questions swirling in her head. She was uncertain where she stood, as all packs were different in their leniency on border-visitors, and even though Zalen was a favored acquaintance connected to her in beliefs, Vesper was aware that neither was that significant to the other in the grand scheme of things.

Zalen Damaichu · 01-29-2012, 11:00 PM

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OOC / + 452

She indeed did recognize him, and her tail wagging showed that she was of no threat, despite her obvious connection with Inferni. How funny it was that despite Zalen’s extreme prejudice towards coyotes, he found that Vesper and the female he had met a moon’s turn ago, Myrika, both of Inferni, were cordial acquintances. However, this would not change his opinion, not yet, though it did make him more comfortable with the idea of the Infernians. Zalen did not plan on going running back to his pack-mates telling them that it was alright to go off and revel with coyotes. Such a thing was preposterous, and dangerous.

She did submit to him, somewhat, but she was still outside the borders, and a friend, so he did not mind how lazy it was. Instead, he wagged his tail back at her, his stance, though awkward due to this form, was relaxed. She spoke of how she had heard of New Dawn conception and that she wished to come see for herself. He nodded, Yes, it is true that we settled here a moon’s turn ago. I am the Alpha, and I was set upon this destiny by the ghost of my great-grandmother and the love of my now mate and partner. He smiled crookedly, for he understood how strange that must sound, to mention a ghost and sudden romance in one sentence. But it was of no matter if she believed him or not, it was the truth either way.

Then, sitting back on his haunches, Zalen made note of a difference in her scent; thought she showed herself in lupus form, as he had seen her before, her smell was now obviously tainted with that of the Luperci. So, you have been changed I see. Pity, you were perfect as a forever four legger. He gave her strange grimacing look, remembering how adamant she had been about remained a non-Luperci. He wondered who changed her, and if it had been willingly.

Then, returning to the first scent that had caught his attention, he cocked his head at the coy-girl, You now belong to Inferni? I will have you know that your kind is not welcome here, save a girl named Myrika, who I had chosen as my envoy between our two packs. But then, continuing, his voice soft, But if you are a member then you are also welcome at the borders, but not inside I am afraid. You were the first coyote I met that did not anger me so, and that way you shall remain. He held out a paw to her, not sure what the gesture would do other than to convince her of the sincerity of his words.

Vesper · 01-31-2012, 10:17 AM

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Word Count → 800 :: Longpost out of nowhere. Hopefully it's coherent at least.

Zalen wagged his tail then spoke of the settlement of the pack—adding a curious explanation as to how it came about. Brows rose in a mixture of incredulity and interest even as he smiled in amusement, and Vesper hummed though she said nothing aloud on the subject. Thoughts worked behind her blue eyes, though—thinking about the ghost that had led them into Salsola, and wondering what sort of wolf the dark male had claimed. At the thought of love, she found herself imagining Blind, whom they’d both met in Halifax…then shook the memories aside. That ship had passed; she had made her decision, and it was childish to look back. Instead, she smirked and gave a small nod as if to show she accepted his story.

“What is the pack called?” the tawny hybrid asked, tilting her head. She did want something to tell Ezekiel, definitely, but she also didn’t want to have to refer vaguely to Zalen’s group for less important things either. Who knows—she might end up directing someone his way to find a home, if he was as good a leader as he seemed and they didn’t fit in with Inferni.

The male sat down, still towering in his optime form. It looked almost awkward, but it also gave a sense of feral power, a blend of luperci and ancestral wolves, running on all fours but with hands to reach up and grab and size to wrestle down prey. She wondered if she could accomplish such a thing in her own optime shape, but she already looked scraggly and awkward in it as she was; she would keep to four paws when she could.

He brought up that point—her being luperci—and at his grimace she cut her blue eyes away bitterly. “Perfect—would if I could’ve stayed that way,” she muttered, feeling again the loss that her natural body held. Sure, she didn’t spend much time out of her natural-looking shape, but she was still different—or normal, maybe. She was normal compared to all the others, and she didn’t want to be after fighting so hard to prove herself just fine without other shapes. “I got in a fight with some mongrel wolfdog,” she said, glancing back at him; the memory wasn’t a pleasant one, but she knew he would want to know. “She had a knife and a large wolf friend.” Her slender muzzle dipped down to trace one of the multitude of scars she’d received from that event, both blade and tooth and claw. “Luckily, my life was saved, but I was still infected. I won’t lie and say that I still live entirely with the old ways, but—I don’t shift much.” She glanced up at him, tilting her ears. “Inferni—Inferni helps, I guess, because they don’t completely revoke their ancestry. They don’t parade around pretending to be civilized and wearing clothes at least.”

And so she was admitting her new ties, something that he had likely picked from the distinct coyote scent on her patchwork fur. He mentioned it then—but went on to shock her with her words. “Her kind”—something she had not heard for a long time. It was not spat at her like she was used to, but it was still shocking, she who was genetically as much wolf as coyote. She knew that the fire clan did not have the best reputation, either, but…

“Myrika,” Vesper said, blinking at the familiar name in the midst of the warning. “Oh, good—she’s—she’s really nice.” Had she a hand, she would have smacked herself in the forehead for letting her tongue stumble; the other woman wasn’t even around.

His voice softened as he concluded, however, and he extended one of his large paws. She flattened her ears hesitantly, still taken aback by what she’d heard, but slowly she moved to place her small natural-formed one in his to show her acceptance of his words. “You were the first decent-minded luperci I met,” Vesper murmured, and shook her head. “I wish the boundaries of species did not have to come between us—or between anyone.”

She lifted her head suddenly. “I want you to know that Inferni, while it has some violent fools who play to the worst stereotypes, is also full of sensible coyotes like Myrika and I. Just… I’m the Optio there—the gamma. I’m sure between Myri and I you won’t find much reason to fear the clan. I’m not asking that we be friends”—a wry smirk crossed her muzzle—“because you’re smelly wolves like we’re smelly coyotes. But I want to let my Aquila know that I met you and that there will be no unnecessary blood spilt between us, if Myrika didn’t already pass along the message.”

Zalen Damaichu · 02-03-2012, 01:44 PM

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OOC / + 523

She seemed curious about them, and not in a nefarious way, and though Zalen would have hesitated to give out any more information than he already had, he considered Vesper a friend and comrade. The hybrid female had seemed trustworthy, even from the moment he met her, and he doubted such a strong femme would succumb to any form of negative influence Inferni might bestow upon her. So he answered her, It is called New Dawn, and we are steadily growing. He said this with pride. Already they were eleven members strong, nearly all young, fit males. This meant that their bellies were always full, and any other predators lurking in the area were kept at bay. For now, they were safe.

He listened with empathy as she retold her story of the vicious dog and her brute wolf that changed Vesper into a Luperci. Zalen was disgusted at the complete lack of regard for other by some of the inhabitants of Nova Scotia. It seemed that viciousness went hand in hand with the more humanized of the species, and he assumed this to be the case here despite Vesper not having said such. But still, to forcefully turn one into something they weren’t born as; such an offence deserved the greatest punishment.

Vesper seemed somewhat off guard when he issued his slight warning and he immediately felt guilty for it. It was too bad that she now served as a representative for the coyotes twenty some miles away, instead of just herself. In fact, had she come to him on her own, he would have accepted her into New Dawn as a member; damn the others! Coyote or not, she was a good soul, and a friend.

When her tiny paw connected with his though he couldn’t help but lend her a sweet smile; he did not want her to think him an unintelligent brute. She then spoke on behalf of her species, speaking about the sanity of the coyotes in Inferni and Zalen listened with rapt attention. What she said both confused and excited him; could there be a possibility that some day they could live in peace? Such a thing was a very utopic idea, one that sadly could not come to fruition until Zalen’s heart was mended and he could learn to forgive what had happened to his mother.

He nodded at her words though, It is good you have such a high rank there, at least I know then that I can trust at least one member of the Inferni leadership, as I hope you can trust me. Tell Ezekiel what you will, I’m sure Myrika has already spoken to him. Suddenly his face took on one of apologetic embarrassment, Frankly, I believe I might have scared the poor girl, I hope she did speak too badly of us. He chuckled then.

Suddenly, though, a memory came to his mind, Oh, what of Sequoia, and Noir? Have you struck upon Salsola yet? I wish I could have joined you, but as you can see, I had much more pressing matters to attend to. He glanced briefly behind him.

Vesper · 02-05-2012, 09:20 PM

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Word Count → 638

New Dawn.

Vesper smiled lightly at the name as she let it roll around her mind. It was a name full of promise that she found herself hoping the wolf pack would fulfill. The fact that there was a growing population of wolves in the region, especially in the north, might have troubled her at any other time, but she was happy for the noble dark-furred male in front of her. He deserved to lead a pack; the healthy percentage wolf blood buried within her could recognize his dominance and prowess.

His smile calmed her nerves, but she lowered her blue eyes anyway. She felt like a child defending her actions against her parent, if her actions were having different blood than the rest of the civilized world. It was almost funny; she’d been looked down upon for walking on four legs, and now that she was a part of the luperci world, she was spat upon for her parentage. However, it was obvious that Zalen was not like the others in this regard, other than his obvious distrust for the coyote clan. She didn’t expect him to be a raging heathen, anyway, after he’d proven himself to be more decent a wolf than most she had met before.

It was still a relief when he spoke, and the tawny coywolf nodded quickly. She wouldn’t give up her ties to her clan for the black alpha’s sake, but she would do all in her power to keep the peace between them. She’d seen too much of violence these past few months.

A smirk quirked the side of her mouth when he admitted sheepishly to frightening Myrika, and she shook her head at him. “You’d best be careful, Big Bad Wolf. Can’t have you scaring all the pretty girls.” Her tail wagged in the snow behind her even as her smirk transformed into a friendlier half-grin. She was sure anyone in Inferni could handle themselves against him, but it was still amusing.

The green-eyed man asked about Sequoia then, and the mirth disappeared from Vesper’s scarred face in an instant. Cornflower blue eyes became frosty and large ears tilted back against her angular skull. “Her true name is Tayui,” she corrected, trying to keep the bitterness from her tone; after all, everyone had secrets, and she had hidden her own identity for the sake of her pack. “And it—well, to start off with, I recognized almost no one who’d gathered, other than…Tayui and that Ichikan. The rest were strangers, many who didn’t seem the type to fight for our cause; if anything, they were sinners and troublemakers.” She shrugged her shoulders, though the gesture was somewhat violent. She disagreed with the attitude of the brats who’d shown up, but if they were all there to accomplish the same actions, the intention didn’t matter.

And then finally, the rest of her frustration poured out, her hackles rising and her teeth shining behind dark lips. “We failed. I barely managed to make it out alive. I don’t know what happened to most of the others, to be honest. All I remember was being led in, and trying to save an elderly slave…” Her voice trailed away as she thought of the old and near-senile coyote woman she’d tried to goad into following her. “One of the Salsolans struck her down. They would rather kill their own slaves then lose them to freedom.” Her narrow muzzle wrinkled with disgust. “It was a failure. And I’m not sure what else to do at this point, other than focus on my own responsibilities. I wouldn’t feel too guilty about focusing on what you could help rather than joining us.” Her tone softened at last, and her ears turned toward his new territory—but still, she was quaking slightly with fury at the defeat.

Zalen Damaichu · 02-11-2012, 09:20 PM

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OOC / + 401

Zalen chuckled lightly at her joking about how he had frightened Myrika, but he had to suppose that the coyote female hadn’t gone running back home with curses of New Dawn on her lips, especially if their gamma stood before him in such a friendly manner. Well that was good then, Zalen, despite his dislike of their race, judged more by content of character than anything else, and Myrika had been a sweet and innocent thing. Vesper was not so innocent, but she was genuine, without a hint of bad blood within her, so Zalen felt he could trust her fully. However, he would remain ever cautious, for he knew with whom her allegiances lay, and if it were ever to come down to his words or Ezekiel’s, he knew which she would listen to.

After he asked about Sequoia though, her expression told all before her mouth even opened to speak. Anger and dismay clouded her features like a dark storm and Zalen’s ears flicked back against his head. She told him that Noir was in fact named Tayui, which did not surprise him much; he was always under the impression that the light colored wolfess was hiding something. But as Vesper regaled him with the sad tail of their ultimate failure, and what Salsola had done, his eyes darkened. Was disgusting, spiteful creatures lived in the pack just across the mountains from them. Zalen’s black fur bristled when his friend told him that they had killed and elderly slave rather than see them free. The dark Alpha drew back a lip, showing white teeth which a pink tongue came out to lick in frustration.

Vesper seemed just angry as he and he could understand why. Failure in such a heroic deed was one of the most painful of blows, especially for those who held heroism and valor in their hearts like she did. But from what she had said it seemed as if the expedition had been doomed from the start; vagrants lead by a shady leader into the mouth of the beast. Zalen sighed, This news troubles me, especially with Salsola so near to us. I had always thought that Inferni would be our greatest thread… then, remembering who he was talking to, no offense… but now it seems Salsola is the true beast. I hate all that they stand for. Darkened apple eyes looked away in anger.

Vesper · 02-17-2012, 10:27 PM

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Word Count → 486 :: Poked you on AIM about it, but let me know if you'd rather not end this yet!

Sharp white teeth flashed in his dark jaws once she had told him the news, and he looked even more large and formidable with his fur fluffed and his green eyes sharp with hatred. She might have stepped back, had she been a lesser creature, but she only burned with the emotions he was displaying now.

She nodded lightly as he spoke, choosing to overlook his mention of Inferni as being a threat to New Dawn. It was only a natural assumption: the wolf-pack against the coyote-clan. However, anyone who truly knew Inferni knew that they only wanted to be left alone, and their iconic violence was against trespassers and warning to trespassers. She could only assume Zalen would be the same way to those who tread on his own territory. Perhaps he wasn’t a killer—she didn’t like to think that of others—but defense of family was a powerful motivation and would excuse spilling blood.

Vesper bared her teeth in agreement. She found herself hating very few things; hate was a powerful word. But she hated Salsola, and she was sure she would spill blood in the future trying to end it.

“The rest of the region is turning a blind eye,” she spat. “They’re secretive beasts; not many have heard of them, let alone what monstrosities they commit. All we can do for now is spread the word, if we don’t attack.” She wasn’t sure that she would make it out alive next time she attacked, anyway—or if she would be found out, assuming she survived. She would be silent about Ezekiel’s attempt at an allegiance with the Thistle Kingdom, an allegiance she disagreed with strongly. She would not betray her clan now, however, not now that she had been granted such responsibility and trust within it. In her own time, her own way, Salsola would fall and the region would be at peace.

Wolves and coyotes would be at peace, too, if she had anything to do with it. With a slight sigh, she glanced at her brother in ideals then stepped toward him. She ventured to brush her nose against his strong dark shoulder in a friendly gesture, her tail flickering behind her. Her voice was quiet.

“Salsola will meet the end that it deserves. Until then, we will do what we can, and we will protect our packs—our families.” Vesper smiled lightly at him. “I should probably go back to mine to let our Aquila know I like our new neighbors. You take care of yourself and New Dawn, Zalen; I want to hear great things about it.”

She stepped back and turned as if to leave, but one last thought came to mind, and she grinned slightly. “And if any canines pass by too wolfy for Inferni to permit, I will send the decent ones in your direction. I would love to help preserve the old way.”

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