Let Your Instincts Rule

Terra · 02-05-2012, 12:12 AM

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OOC Feb 13

The crash of hormones as her body finally settled down had been a shock. It had been gradual, slipping away slowly the last couple days. Then today she woke up, the burning need completely gone. With her mind finally clear to think without crazy hormones plugging her up Terra looked over the last couple of days.

And decided maybe it wasn't the best idea to go out of the territory for a while. Maybe a month or so.

In fact, she might not even be able to leave her room. Not only had she been hitting on every male she'd seen, making a complete fool of herself, she'd also made a lot of noise, let loose her name all over the place, and almost jumped a new pack member that she'd forced to submit to her. Melting into a puddle in her mattress Terra groaned. She couldn't even claim that she'd been drunk at the time. The only thing controlling her had been instincts. Drakien probably wanted nothing to do with her, let alone that male who'd tried to force her, and the nice one that had rescued her. That wouldn't be so bad, if it weren't for the fact that she promptly began to repeat her mistake with him. And Shandom!

The worst part was she had been warned. Granted, that was after the first ten days of madness, but after that she'd clearly been told she was in heat and to stay at home in her pack where she'd be safe. Instead she'd gone round bugging their neighbors with her moodiness and running wild through the festival. Cracking an eye open Terra stared at what had been an empty closet. Over the course of the festival it had filled up quite rapidly with her stolen goods, all kinds of shiny objects and scraps of fabric stuffed inside. She doubted she could find her daggers in that mess at all. Terra had no need for all of that, simply taking it to sate her want at the time, filling it with other petty items that filled her mind.

That cheered her up a little. Terra hadn't been completely nuts. True, she was now going to have to explain why she'd been attempting to jump every male she saw and then rudely turning them away as they tried to give her what she asked for, but Terra had followed her instincts. Everything was cared for. Terra had played, and while her games had not been the usual variety, maybe after a little while Terra could come out without feeling the need to drown herself with embarrassment. After all, it hadn't really been that bad. Then again...

Deciding she needed a distraction to cheer her up Terra climbed out of the mattress. Shaking her fur Terra glanced at the closet, shaking her head slightly. She'd need to find something to do with all of that stuff somehow. For now though, she was hungry. Even more important, she had changed, and Terra wasn't yet fully aware how changed she was. The burning desire was gone, but Terra had the feeling that if she wanted to Terra could summon that part of her again. It wasn't just something to control her, it was now part of her, that lust and need.

Trotting through the grounds Terra sniffed the air. A delicious smell reached her nose. Not recognizing it Terra turned, finding a bunch of horses padlocked together. Terra drooled slightly, tongue lolling out. That looked like a good meal. In fact, if she put some effort into it, Terra might even be able to take one down on her own. The pack would really like that. The fog of the past while still sat in her mind, clouding her with instincts that Terra now had to regain control over. Carefully she selected a young horse, the perfect age to be taken down. There was enough meat on it for everyone to eat. Carefully she slipped through the fence, moving to begin driving it from the others.

Alder · 02-07-2012, 12:04 PM

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Alder hummed. It was an idle habit of his, a soft tune that sometimes seemed to bring a little tinge of calm through him and the horse he was working with. He had raked the sandy floor of the small ring until there was a soft cushion beneath all their paws and hooves. But the horse on the end of his line did not seem to appreciate that effort, or the calm composure that the Marshal attempted to hold onto. It was not always easy to keep both hands onto the allusive serenity that was needed when working with the skittish prey animals. All Alder wished to do was walk the beast around the ring. But it did not trust him. Such a thing brought him sadness rather then frustration, and yet he knew that he needed to be confident rather then emotional. The male straightened his posture slightly, quit his throaty song and lead the horse rather then attempting to coax it to follow.

Engaged in the task at hand he did not notice the minor evidence of a new canine among the stables. But when he heard the deep beats of hooves he could almost feel the panic that rang in the sounds and vibration. Alder turned, the lead falling from his hand and hastily walked away from the horse. Blue eyes grew wide, fear tightening around his heart and gripping it tightly. Almost mindlessly he hopped the fence, and walked towards the sound.

The movement was like watching a school of fish swim in a small bowl with a brown figure pushing them forward, and Alder paused for the briefest of moments at the shock the sight brought him. Masked eyes narrowed, a swelling of rage coming over him almost to the point where he could barely think. If he could rip the skin from his chest to reveal an angry beast inside he would have, yet with the painfulness of a clouded mind his body changed from an Optime beast to his four-legged form. As soon as his paws touched the ground he began to run. His body was too large to fit beneath the fence and so he jumped over it, back paws pushing him off the top rail. Alder raced for the cause of the chaos, not yet knowing who it was, and caring little about such a detail.

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Terra · 02-07-2012, 12:33 PM

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OOC

The horses had ignored her at first as she moved around them, used to canines. Their instincts were subdued, firm in the trust that they were safe. That quickly shattered as Terra nipped her teeth. The horses shifted uneasily, stamping, before Terra's efforts at driving the young horse out sent them into panic. The horses milled around desperately, the small space keeping them from escaping as they wished. Snarling Terra cornered her target. Fruitlessly the horse paced back and forth, desperate to return to the herd, now grouped on the farthest side.

Only the sounds of further panic gave Terra any warning. She was still trying to figure out how to bring the horse down when the disruption occurred. Turning she watched a masked wolf barrel towards her, eyes glinting with anger. Terra didn't understand, until her nose engaged the scent. Alder, the one who looked after the horses. The realization broke the hold her instincts had taken, reminding her that the members of her pack did not eat horses. She was going to be in a lot of pain for this. Her stomach still rumbled at the scent surrounding her, but escaping the angry wolf now turned into her first priority. Terra broke off, and the panicked horse raced back to the others. Swiftly Terra ducked through a gap in the fence, spinning around to face her opponent.

Her tail swished expectantly, waiting for him to follow. He was so large, and Terra's mind registered for the first time the thick muscles on his body. If he managed to catch her, she was dead. Whirling with panic Terra twisted back around, breaking for one of the paths that she'd created leading around the pack.

Alder · 02-07-2012, 01:22 PM

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It was hard to make the tree-named male angry. For a long time he was unsure how it even felt to be angry, or how others got so enraged so seemingly easily. Then, AniWaya had attacked Crimson Dreams. His place of birth and where his mother and brothers lived. It had been his home, and the lands were as familiar to him as Cour des Miracles. News that his mother had been taken and held prisoner opened Alder up to a new world. It had shown him how cruel it could be and how heartless beings could truly act. Yet it was not until he felt the betrayal of Cypress that Alder snapped. He had shown his rage and the power that his large muscled body actually had. He was no longer the horse handler, no longer the small and soft spoke creature his mother had raised. Alder returned to that creature as he sprinted after the coyote that terrorized the horses that he cared for and protected.

The lithe creature saw him, and cowardly turned tail and ran. In the moment their faces met Alder knew that it was not an intruder that hunted his friends, but it was a pack member. A new fire raged, and he did not stop at the fence yet leaped over it as he had before. Muscles screamed as his front legs hit the ground, followed by the back. Terra! He screamed after her, a audible growl lacing itself around her name. It was then that the Marshal stopped his pursuit. His breathing was rough, hasty and ragged. Masked eyes looked down the trail, wondering if she would hide herself and show her face and take the scolding the male would have for her. But he would not leave his charges, the engraved protectiveness telling him not to leave the pasture’s outskirts.

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Terra · 02-07-2012, 01:34 PM

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OOC here.

The growl of her name stopped Terra's flight. He had cooled down enough to be able to talk at least. If she did keep going, he would be able to find her anyways. Tail tucked between her legs Terra crept back to Alder. She kept low to the ground, submissive. Her body was still poised for flight, ready to take her flying if Alder decided that the pack had no room for someone who was so disrespectful towards the horses. Stopping a good distance between them Terra met his eyes.

Fear filled hers, though there wasn't regret. Terra rarely regretted her actions, rarely felt shame. She had felt shame this morning when she woke up and remembered the frenzied actions of the past few days. She hadn't been in her right mind at all. Feeling bad about chasing the horses wasn't there though. She had simply done what she had felt was right. It was natural for her to view the horses as food. It was just taking her a while to get used to not eating them. Especially when she still ate their corpses when she came across them.

Alder · 02-07-2012, 02:15 PM

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She slunk back into view and the male’s tail rose. There was what Alder thought to be an apology written along the lines of her body. But she said nothing as she stopped before him. Alder could hear the disrupted herd behind him. Hawthorn was among them, the stallion surrounded by a few mares. Knowing that had only fueled Alder more, and her lack of verbal communication did not help to ease his urge to show her his teeth. Alder began to cool slowly, but the questions were many and he did not hesitate when he ask them.

Do you know what you have done? He did not turn from her, though part of him screamed to leave the confrontation. But the larger portion was appalled at her actions and the consequences would be his mess to clean up. A horse was easily spooked, and unfortunately when rattled as thoroughly as they had been it was no easy task teaching them to trust once again. Why would you hunt the pack’s horses? He was unhappy, and his tone and glaring eyes showed his emotions well. She better speak up, or he would bring the matter to the King.

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Terra · 02-07-2012, 02:30 PM

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OOC

Her ears flattened to her skull at his words. Terra didn't know what he was talking about, asking what she had done. Terra thought it was pretty obvious that she'd been hunting, and Alder's next question proved just that. Her tail twitched unhappily, tucking underneath her. A small whine slipped out, attempting to appease him. She didn't know the answers to his questions. Well, to the first one at least. The second one was fairly obvious.

Still not daring to move closer Terra eyed him cautiously. If he decided to tear her apart she would be ready. I forgot you don't eat horses here. I was hungry and they would make a good meal. Her words weren't exactly the best for calming him down, but it was the truth. Lying would just aggravate things even worse. Terra whined softly, asking for forgiveness.

Alder · 02-07-2012, 02:52 PM

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Eat horses? When did any beast eat horses? The wolf did not understand her thinking at the least. Theses were not free horses living beyond the safety of the pack, and beyond his realm of protection. She whined, calling like a pup that asked for the forgiveness of their mother. Alder was confused, and though his anger was slipping away slowly with each breath that he exhaled he was still greatly unhappy about her actions.

He watched her. It was odd for the male to be in the dominant position, but his feelings were so strong and his thoughts clear and just that there was no other position for him to take. He wished that Vigilante was here, to give her the punishment that she deserved and make the ruling for her crime. In his eyes there was no room for misunderstanding the reasons for housing the horses here. And the fear that one of his own pack members would reach out to hurt them tugged at his heart. He had never thought such a thing before, believing that they were safe here.

We don’t. He said with a strong tone. Though Alder had thought them to be friends, or at least friendly acquaintances that tie was severed. His trust for her had slipped away. These horses belong to the pack, and are my friends. He paused, eyes falling away and then returning to her face. I don’t think you should come around here anymore. He spoke when he looked back to her. Those words were less confident, if was not his right to tell her that she did not belong in a certain area around the stables but it was certainly how he felt.

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Terra · 02-07-2012, 03:07 PM

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OOC

Alder stood quite strong, his voice severe as he firmly pointed out that horses weren't to be eaten. At least not the pack horses. She kept low to the ground, waiting to be forgiven. Instead he completely baffled her. Friends? He was friends with the horses? That was the strangest thing she'd ever heard. Terra could grasp not eating the horses. It was difficult, but doable. Being friends with them was something entirely different. They weren't canines, couldn't talk. They smelled like food, and yet Alder said they were friends.

His eyes fell away, and Terra straightened up from her crouch, now burning with curiosity. When his eyes returned a snarl broke from Terra's lips at his words. Hold on! It was an honest mistake! I didn't grow up in a place where horses weren't food! She didn't even really know what they were used for either, just that she wasn't supposed to touch them. A simple slip up! And how can you be friends with them? Her voice was tinted with curiosity at the end, though she was still mad that he'd tried to order her away.

Alder · 02-10-2012, 09:31 AM

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It hard for Alder to believe that she had no idea or simply forgot that in Cour des Miracles one was not to kill a horse. He found nothing honest in her actions, they were penned animals. What kind of hunt was that? The thought of loosing a horse brought a great sadness to the Marshal. He was not a strong-minded wolf, he could not bare the thought of ending the misery of an injured horse and was grateful that he had never needed to do such a thing. They all had their place, and the pack trusted him with the care and housing of their steeds. What if she had hurt a pregnant mare, or the one the King’s son cherished? Sadness did not overwhelm his still steadily standing anger, but he felt it touch his heart.

Especially when she shot him a challenging snarl. His features hardened, eyes growing cold once again and he lashed out once more. A mistake that could have cost you the life of one of my horses, or even your own. The male shot back, the hair along his spine rising a second time. It is my job to care for them, a position given by the King. He spoke more calmly. Alder believed it to be his place to protect the herd from anyone. They can learn to trust us. I hope that their trust wasn’t completely broken today… He looked at the coyote female, wondering if she would ever understand how hard it was for such a bond to form between a predator and prey.

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Terra · 02-10-2012, 11:15 AM

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OOC here.

Nothing showing any understanding glimpsed in the coyote's eyes. She was taken back when he said that she could have killed her own horse. Terra wasn't even aware that she could have one. If she did, Terra was more likely to eat it than anything else. Bewilderment shot through her features as she crouched down in response to his actions. Keeping the horses penned for easy food access made sense to Terra, as it could save lives during a difficult time finding prey, but keeping them for other reasons was completely foreign.

Hearing Alder defend the horses as a task granted by the alpha at last got through to Terra. That was something sh could understand. Trust was a strange thing though. Trust? Why do you need their trust? Maybe he could teach her why what she did was so wrong, though at this point it was just as likely that he would decide he'd run out of patience and decide to drive her off. Terra glanced towards the horses, slowly settling down from their panic. She didn't see the trust broken, not understanding what that consisted of.

Alder · 02-10-2012, 12:01 PM

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Her confusion was obvious and so questions arose in his own mind. Did she think that she was invincible? The tree-named male exaggerated quickly. They weigh much more then a deer, they are dangerous and could easily kill you. Was the cost of her own life worth a meal that was only an easy catch from first glance. Hawthorn was of the Shire breed, and weighed in over two thousand pounds. Compared to the average canine, the odds were obvious. He spoke in an informative tone; the young female seemed to have a lot to learn. Alder wished that she hadn’t had to make such a mistake in order to gain such information.

If they don’t trust their rider, there is no way to live peacefully together. For you and I to coexist we need to trust one another, no? Alder was not normally so agitated, but the idea that he would not be able to handle of the horses that had just been spooked filled him with great anxiety. They can not see us as a threat, we have to accept them as equals. He tried to explain. Alder watched her, his body growing less visibly uneasy and relaxing slowly.

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Terra · 02-10-2012, 12:13 PM

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OOC here.

Alder's next words cleared some of the confusion for Terra, though it didn't remove her impression that they were food. Terra couldn't even take down a deer on her own, but fighting larger more powerful animals was such a part of her life Terra didn't even think about the risk it held to herself anymore. Catching rabbits was generally safer, but she couldn't hunt, leaving her to steal whatever food she could. That didn't mean she didn't occasionally lose her mind and do something like this, just that she had the skill to avoid being killed in the process. It was part of the reason why Terra had picked the horses however. Pinned made it much more easier for her to hunt, lacking the basic skills.

Confusion settled in again at Alder's next words though. Rider? What was that? The image of being chased down by two hybrids on top of the horses flicked into her mind. Wait, you ride them? Terra did nod her head about needing trust to exist together. After all, with no trust one was liable to turn around and kill those surrounding them for the peace of mind it would give. His last words had Terra choking back laughter though. Equals. Prey and predator as equals. It was ridiculous!

Alder · 02-10-2012, 02:17 PM

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At her next question Alder slowly leaned back into a sitting position. The fear that she was a threat to the horses had diminished and he turned to a mode of teaching rather then protecting. She didn’t know much about their lifestyle in the Court. But Alder could not judge her. His mother would have been unhappy with his impatience thus far, he thought of his dear elder and realized he needed to think of what she would do more then what his emotions drove him to.

Many do, it is a facet in our lives here. That is why we care so deeply for them, thats why I do. I learned their language, and how to train them. It took time, effort and more energy then Alder could describe to master a single horse. He hoped that she would someday understand his reaction to her actions. It was not driven by hatred towards her, but simply love stemmed from the herd. Having respect for the creatures around you will bring you wisdom. He told the girl, it was not overly apparent but he got the sense that she was amused by his attitude towards the topic.

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Terra · 02-10-2012, 08:04 PM

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OOC here.

Trying to teach Terra to treat what she thought of as food as an equal was a pointless endeavor. She could accept not eating the pack horses, though she'd continue to eat horses outside the pack lands. Terra could even deal with the fact that the luperci rode them. Being a friend and an equal with a horse was too much for her though. As adaptable as Terra was, that was the one thing she couldn't understand. Luckily she didn't need to. As long as she got along with the horses and didn't eat them Terra didn't need to do the rest.

She shook her head slightly to Alder's words, hearing them and trying to make it work with the world the way she understood it. So much was changing, and still was. Not a moment had passed in her life when something hadn't happened, forcing Terra to change her perspective of things. The fact that her blood could be hated was new. So was the fact that prey wasn't always just that-prey. I learned some tricks from foxes. Terra tilted her head at him, wondering if that was what it was like.

Alder · 02-20-2012, 10:27 AM

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Alder felt it possible to leader lessons from any creature. From lessons came wisdom and patience. It brought knowledge that their own species was incapable of giving. Alder had been taught such a thing from his mother, who looked to the Sun, to trees and plants and creatures that could not talk nor walk for her wisdom and her faith. He found it easy to see horses as intelligent beings that deserved respect, for he gave it to the trees around him as well.

Alder saw his prey as honorable and deserving of life. Through his effort he expelled in the hunt, and the quick death that he provided Alder was able to feed himself and allow even a small hare the respect that it deserved. What right did he has to believe that he was above another creature?

Her words were along the lines of what Alder had been thinking. Foxes were cunning creatures, intelligent. Even if they were their competition, Alder had a certain respect for the red beasts. He nodded slowly, not having much more to say to the coyote looking female. He had scolded her enough, though his trust for her not to return and startle the herd a second time was slim. He wanted to believe that she would look at the horses as partners in their hopes for living a content-filled life, but he was still very unsure if she understood.

Perhaps one day I can show you how we work as a team, my horse and I. He did not believe that today was the day. But if she showed interest in learning, she could come back another day and watch with respect rather then what she had brought today.

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Terra · 02-21-2012, 12:17 PM

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OOC here.

Her grasp of the lesson seemed to satisfy Alder, as he was no longer intent on driving her away, with threats to make sure she never approached them again. Well, not threats exactly. Even at his angriest Terra had found herself facing a gentle beast, one more used to healing and protecting than threatening and hurting others. Terra still didn't understand what the connection between foxes and horses were. Foxes were valued, told in the stories as friends and enemies of their kind. Prey made no such mention in their stories except for the occasional mention of Coyote tricking someone into hunting for her. Well, this was a different land, with very different rules than she was used to, uncertain about how anything would be viewed.

Alder's offer was curious for Terra. A horse and a wolf working as a team would be a sight to behold. She still couldn't believe that food was intelligent enough to treat as an equal. If it was, Terra would have to work a lot harder at catching food than she already did. One poor warren had been subjected to her tricks, allowing some to escape repeatedly, and none of them ever learned from it. That seemed a good enough reason for her to believe they weren't equals, and allow her to eat them without much thought. Perhaps. Terra dipped her head courteously before turning away. I should probably leave you to calm the horses. Tail swishing she moved away, deciding that it was much safer to hunt off the territory. That way she wouldn't be eating anyone's 'friends'.

Alder · 02-21-2012, 01:14 PM

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Alder nodded to the female’s reply. Lip’s closed and eyes intent on watching as she moved away and out of sight. Alder sat there for quite some time after she left, his thoughts a haze of gray and white. His heart felt strained, and he was unsure of what to do next. With a large breath he gave a huff and concentrated on the transformation back to his Optime form. Alder remained sitting on the ground, head resting on his hand as he tried to catch the whirling dizziness that the shift of form brought him while he was already physically spent. The large male slowly got to his foot-paws, dusted off his legs and turned to see that his true friend was standing behind him.

The black stallion nickered at him, and wondered what all the ruckus was about in his horse dialect. Alder shook his head, reaching the fence slowly and then began his attempt to wrangle one horse after another until they were all in their rightful stalls. It was tiresome and slow work, but by day’s end he was able to walked Hickory home to their cabin before night set in. He resolved to speak the King, if he could, about the matter. Understand the dog-King's perspective and perhaps get to know more about the horses place among them.

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