[html]OOC name: Void
IC name: Skoll
email: aldonwoodridge@yahoo.com
Luperci?: Yes
Age: 6
Well, I remember this place, Skoll thought drily, thoughts drifting back to his fight with Gibraltar. It was ironic, he thought, that the third alpha he'd seen--the one who he thought he understood best--would be the one he'd butt heads with. I was too proud...and he was too paranoid, the warrior thought as he approached that familiar borderline. It seemed to Skoll that the alpha had a penchant for exiling those who didn't show absolute obedience to him. The bronze male--who had operated mostly on his own without any complaint from his leader up to that point--was not accustomed to kneeling before such accusations, or simply swallowing the lack of faith Gibraltar had shown in him when he leveled that accusation in front of the eyes and ears of Skoll's peers, and the people he protected.
Slander was sometimes a killing offense, back in the fierce cold of his homeland, it was a tool to demean and dishonor an enemy or a victim, and physical retribution was an understandable reaction. Still...if he had learned anything in his time with Storm, it was that his morals from back home, away from 'civilized' packs, did not often hold sway here. Even where he came from, the packlands belonged to the alpha, and unless he wanted to challenge for ownership(which was not an acceptable practice here for obvious and sensible reasons), he should not have acted the way he did. The politics of the region were alien to him, they always had been, and sometimes it was off-putting. When the social climate had changed, and the coyotes of Inferni were gaining land and power, he had felt the compulsion to get up and act. To this day, he had trouble understanding why those who felt similarly were so few.
Enough of that, though. I'm tired of being portrayed as the villain. If the wolves here won't take a stand on their own behalf, who am I to step in for them? I tried to rescue a little girl, succeeded, and punished a few coyotes on the way out, receiving extensive injuries in the process...and I was cast out at a word by our enemies. All in the name of politics...my honor, my pride, attacked in the name of good relations with the enemy. Next, I track down these new cultists, and how am I received? As a villain! The very people they victimized stood in my way in their defense! 'The devil we know to the devil we don't' they said. Well...I'm tired of trying to use my skills for the good of strangers. Enough is enough. He had decided to find himself a patch of easily defensible land, somewhere north of Storm, where his enemies would be unlikely to discover or come after him. He would do his best to hunt on his own, maybe he would find some other wolves...the fact was that he was unlikely to last long on his own. Food wasn't as easy to come by outside of the packlands, and he wasn't known for his great hunting skills. Being too active also wore him out more quickly than it used to. He had taken a lot of abuse in the last year or two.
Suddenly, he noticed something different in the air. He had come right to the border of Storm territory, he had run into the first mark. Shifted as a were, carrying all of his packed away wargear in a deerskin sack around his hip, he knelt down to get a better take on the scent. This isn't Gibraltar... [/html]
[html] It would be a happy home, perhaps, or she could only hope so now that Tsunami was back, the very last thing that she had to hold on two. In the span of less than a week she had lost two children, a pack, and person who she thought she might spend the rest of her life with. How long had that been though? Months now, perhaps more than she could remember. Time had been lost to her, sitting alone in her cave den, wasting away the days and taking advantage of the graciousness that her friend, and now her Alpha, had shown her. She would no longer allow such things though, she'd do her best for Storm just as she had done her best for Syemv, even when everyone all but abandoned her.
With change on heart often came change of person though. The raven lady was slowly becoming something else in her older age, something much different than the naive wolf she'd been before. Laruku, though their rocky past, she had always thought of him as a friend. It had been he who killed her son, he who had eaten the flesh of her child. And now who could she trust? Likely not anyone. Making her way down the edges of the borders, which was only a short walk from her home, she south and followed them along, much as she did each day, scouting and perhaps even watching out for her beloved to return. Tsunami said he would come back and she trusted him, though he was about the only one.
Unfortunately for the raven Gamma it wasn't her beloved that she found lingering at the borders. A stranger, rather rough around the edges, it seemed, and packed up as if he had plans for something. Cautious, the shifted lady stopped a few feet away, eying up the male. "I'd be best not to make yourself so suspicious looking, what with our pack missing a child and all." It was a stern sort of statement, rather unlike the sweet and soft spoken woman usually was. How could she continue like that though? She'd seen it all before. A kidnapped child, a dead mother soon after, and another child turned into a rapist. She wouldn't chance a thing. |
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[html]Skoll was broken from his reverie by stern words and a stern look from a wolf he had never seen before. Looking up to her, he quickly averted his eyes. These weren't his lands, and despite the fondness he held for them, they never had been. He could consider the border his own once, but in truth, it had always been Adreon's, or Gibraltar's. Here he was, now a stranger at what he had once considered his own doorstep...he could understand her suspicion of him. The fact was, he looked like more trouble than most of the people he fought against. He had wondered several times if in fact he wasn't more trouble and more dangerous than they were. His most recent experienced suggested that this was the case, but at the same time his heart could not accept this. He had always tried to fight with honor, and he had always fought to defend or to avenge. Surely there had to be something to be said for that?
"My apologies ma'am, of course you are correct. Forgive my short-sightedness...I fight for a living, and sometimes my cautiousness impedes my manners. I did not mean to come so close to your border so outfitted." He took several steps back, lifted the sack from his body, and laid it down against a tree. With that, he began to reverse his shift, opting to be as small as he could before this new leader of Storm. He didn't think she was the alpha, but by her posture he assumed she was of some status in Storm. As his body began to shrink, his bones cracking and muscles slithering into new arrangements, he wondered who exactly this was? He had never seen her before, though her smell wasn't necessarily unfamiliar. It was a scent he'd picked up somewhere before, maybe from Inferni's new acquired territory? No...he couldn't tell, and that was a big jump to make. He'd do better to learn from her directly at some point, if he was interested. If he ever saw her again, that was a big variable, as well.
"There isn't much I can do to fix the scarring," he said apologetically. "This is about as unsuspicious as an old beat up wolf like me can manage. Still...it troubles me to hear of the child. Whose was it?" It occured to him that he had forgotten something very crucial, and that he needed to go through necessary channels to be courteous to this wolf. "Forgive me, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Skoll. I lived here for a time, but that was a while ago."[/html]
[html] It wasn't so much the worn and scarred look of his body that made her so nervous, rather it was the gear that he carried, much more than she'd really seen anyone carry around, even if they were switching homes. Phasma, despite her knew distrust of people, was not the type to judge by physical appearance. If that were the case then she surely would've back away from Tsunami much more than she would have this creature. Her scarred and one eyed beloved. Even then she felt like cracking a smile at the thought of him, though her face was kept just as straight as she could keep it, upholding the serious attitude that she'd started with. She listened to him speak, watching him remove his gear, and finally relaxed just a bit as he neared once more, without his equipment or whatever it was that he was dragging around with him.
"Your scarring isn't what bothered me so." She motioned to his gear. "It was that stuff." If there was anyone who knew human things, it was Phasma, which meant she also knew just how dangerous such things could be. "Often you can't help your scars, even if you aren't a fighter." And for a brief moment she motioned to her own ear, torn in half and frayed at the edges. It had been a fight, one that she had run from, but not before the Inferni Queen had taken a piece of her. "Your scent is familiar, as is your name, but I don't think we've ever met before now." She'd taken notice of that before though she hadn't spoken on it, unsure who she'd heard the name from. Soran, perhaps, but she couldn't be sure.
"Phasma Kiles." She offered simply, nodding her head in proper greeting toward him. "I was once Alpha of Syemv, now I am Gamma here." Her words were just a bit downtrodden, it was obvious in her tone, but that wasn't at all to say she didn't appreciate what had been given to her. Even still she felt as if she'd failed Syemv. "It was a child of the new Alpha, Phoenix, one of his and Iskata's daughters." Certainly if he had lived here before, he knew who the two of them were. "Why did you leave and what brings you back here now?" |
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OOC: I apologize for the length, I didn't mean for it to come out this long.
IC: Skoll's eyes widened fractionally. That was a lot to take in all at once, and for a moment he was silent. This was the alpha of Syemv. No, this had been the alpha of Syemv. That meant that Syemv had dissolved. He wondered if any of his friends had decided to stay here after that, if they had joined other packs, or simply gone away...Fenrir forbid any of them going after Inferni alone. He had told one or two of them that he wanted to start a resistance of some sort, but he had grown wiser since then, and knew that no such effort could really succeed unless it was headed by a leader who they trusted and who had been directly involved in the first place. This was the leader that he had been indirectly disappointed in...but was it right to be disappointed in her when he had never even gone to the trouble to learn her name? That was history now, though, and he would have to either let it pass, or let it drive him insane. They had their reasons...he had friends from Syemv who he knew would not forsake their values...if Inferni's actions against them had gone unrevenged, he would just have to assume that there was a reason they could not be. It was easy--convenient--to blame their leader, the wolf before him...but that didn't mean the blame was rightly placed. Inferni was not an easy target, and no doubt was more suited to battle than Syemv had been. Politics as they were...it was entirely possible that this wolf had been left out to dry the very same way he had...by people who didn't want to mess up their political standing. She had gotten that scar somehow, after all, it was likely in a fight with the canines who had taken her territory.
Considering all that, he would withold judgment(for all his judgment was worth) until he knew her, if he got to know her. The second piece of news was just as jarring: Phoenix was alpha now?! What had happened to Gibraltar? He couldn't see that wolf giving up power, not after some of the ways he'd abused it, in the bronze wolf's eyes. Something must have happened. Still, Phoenix was the leader now...it made sense, he had been second in command when Skoll had been exiled. It followed that he'd be next in line...and he was a father! What a surprise that was, and Iskata was his mate. A more dire piece of news came with all of that, though. Though the wolf had hit a strange string of luck after Skoll had departed, one of his children was missing. It was while his mind was racing, digesting all of this, that Phasma addressed him directly.
"My, that's a lot to take in all at once," he said, eyes still open a bit wider than before. "I'm sorry to hear about that...in light of a missing pup, all of Phoenix's other successes don't matter a bit. I am aggrieved." He organized his thoughts, seeking for the best way to sum everything up to the new Gamma of Storm. "I was exiled by the previous alpha, Gibraltar, for getting into a fight with some Inferni coyotes. I tried to save a little girl, Iskata's daughter, to hear it told, from an adult coyote. His older brother and two kids showed up to join the fray. When it was all said and done, the young'uns got hurt, and the coyotes blamed me, instead of the older brothers who I would guess had been charged with watching over them. They complained to Gibraltar, saying I'd come across their border and attacked their children, and when I didn't accept his allegations kindly, he insisted I pack my things and leave." That about summed it up, he guessed.
"As for today, I'm back from a minor quest, and I figured I'd just pass on through Bleeding Souls and see what friends I could along the way. There were Storm wolves who didn't agree with Gibraltar's decision, and I've had people come out to visit me on the border before. I was just noticing that Gibraltar's scent no longer marked Storm's edges when you found me lingering at the border. I apologize for my lack of tact...looking the way I did and shifted and all, I wasn't thinking."
[html] I apologize for how short my responses seem, but I only have a few minutes now and then to check the board until I get home Sunday, so I'm trying to keep this rolling for us.
Phasma had already figured that a wolf claiming to have been a member would know that things would be looked in to, even if she did recognize his scent. Safety precautions, they were, and she was rather hoping someone wouldn't be stupid enough to falsely claim they'd been a member of a pack before. Such stupidity was rare now, which was a good things, but she wouldn't doubt for a second that there were still some lurking. "It is a lot to take in, I suppose, so it sounds like you've been gone for a good while." How long had Phoenix been Alpha now? I'd been quite a few months, she was sure of that, but Phasma hadn't heard the news until she'd come to visit that day when the pups had been born. It was after that when Phoenix had accepted the position, she was unsure of the timespan of things.
Listening quietly, Phasma fed his words into her brain to remember them for later. Being exiled was no laughing matter and the raven woman was unsure how to react to such things. If someone was exiled then it was surely for a good reason, she'd met Gibraltar before, and he'd been levelheaded enough. Moreso, Phasma had her own experiences with exiling, having had to exile her own adopted child from Syemv. It was an extreme measure to take, exiling one from a pack, and she doubted that such a decision was easy to make. From his words, though, she knew that he felt justified in what he had done that day. Lucifer had been the same way, really, as they were words from his mouth and not his victims. When it all came down to it though, Lucifer had raped a girl, one that she'd watched grow, and there was no changing that.
"It isn't very often that someone is exiled from a place, this is only the second time I've heard of such a thing." There was doubt in her voice now, after hearing of what had transpired. It was never wise to take the word from one who felt that they were wronged, often it could become twisted. Phasma had dealt with Inferni before, she'd seen the horror and pain they could bring, but despite that she simply couldn't allow things to stand as they were. She would go and investigate, there was no doubt that someone there would remember Skoll and what had happened that day. "No need to apologize, people often arrive shifted, it really isn't anything to be sorry for. Would you like me to call someone here for you? If you came to see friends, that is?" |
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OOC: Take your time, you don't need to get on this immediately. I'll try to keep my replies to a reasonable length.
IC: Skoll wasn't certain of just how she had taken his version of what had happened. Her tone had changed a little, but she hadn't immediately rebuked him or sent him off, so he supposed that it was a good thing. Besides, if he had heard of someone else hurting children, he'd be leery of them, and cast doubt on their words. He regretted what had happened, but he didn't think he'd had a choice. The two adolescents had been out there to kill him. He couldn't hold back for long against four adversaries, but he had tried, hadn't he? He wouldn't have hurt the two youngest had they left the fight when he told them to...in the end it was his life against theirs, and he wasn't about to die just because the coyote queen's spawn felt they had the right to kill him and the right not to get hurt in return. They chose to participate, their siblings chose to let them(or knew that they couldn't deter them), and Skoll had done what was necessary to leave alive. He would need to keep reminding himself of that, as long as there was doubt in the hearts of others. Still, it stirred up a well of emotion and resentment each time it came up, or each time he had to explain it.
"After everything you've told me, I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to speak with Phoenix, provided he isn't busy. I would offer any help I could in retrieving his daughter, if I can be of any help at all. I thank you for your courtesy to me, also. After arriving as I have, and knowing the conditions of my exile, many would have turned me away already." He didn't know her, but he could already tell that she was less hot-headed than Gibraltar had been...he hadn't even waited for his Wahrer's side of the story before accepting the coyotes' words as truth. Gibraltar had helped stabilize Storm in a time of need, but he could not forgive that insult to his integrity...the fact that the alpha had a good name and people would put stock in his opinion only made life that much harder for the vagabond warrior, who would like to visit his old home without that old cloud hanging over his head.
[html] http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j40/k ... efinal.png);background-repeat:no-repeat; padding-bottom:140px; background-position:bottom center;">Heh, might as well save you’s guys some posts and bring Phoenix in now.
Much had indeed changed in the span of time Skoll had been gone, but that was only to be expected. Life was all about change, adaptation and struggle. The sooner one accepted that the greater the odds they kept their sanity. Phoenix often felt like his was just tangling with a thread. The coffee-colored wolf tried to roll with the tides of change but still found himself getting dashed against the rocks more often than he would have liked. Yet throughout it all, Storm was the one constant in his and many other wolves’ lives, and he would not allow that to come to an end on his watch.
He could understand his predecessor’s reluctance to start a war with Inferni based on the same desire, even if he did not necessarily agree with his means of preserving that peace. But then, he also didn’t agree with the way Skoll had acted towards the alpha that day. Both parties had been hot-headed and refused to give ground, leading to only one possible conclusion. If they had just been more willing to hear each other out patiently perhaps Skoll would never have left. But who was too say? Phoenix had tried to intercede on Skoll’s behalf, but it had done no good.
There was a ghost in the wind, and for a moment the alpha believed it wa just his own nostalgia playing tricks on his memory. But why would he be nostalgic for Skoll? It wasn’t like they had been good friends. Pack-mates with mutual respect (at least he hoped so) for one another was the best they had gotten. Phoenix once had a taste of Skoll’s violent life and didn’t want anything more to do with it. Still… it was fortune that shifted the winds in just the right direction, and Phoenix could have sworn he heard his own name uttered in it, more than once. Finally deciding to go investigate, he happened across his Gamma and trusted friend speaking with none other than Skoll himself. No wonder he had been on the mind lately. “It’s a good thing y’didn’t Phasma,” Phoenix interjected to announce his presence. “Hello, Skoll. It’s good t’see a familiar face.” | [/html]
[html] Phasma found it quite surprising that he'd expected her to turn him away, as it really wasn't anything that he wanted, other than to see friends. The raven lady already had it in her mind though, even without the slightest hint from the fellow. He'd stumbled across lands that he'd been exiled from only to find that leadership had suddenly changed and she had very little doubt that he might suddenly be considering the place to be a potential home once more. This, on the other hand, Phasma would have to have taken time to consider. He'd been exiled after all, and Phasma hadn't been around for the events that had transpired. Could she trust the coyotes when she left to investigate? Certainly not, but would she trust the words of this stranger? She wouldn't let herself.
She hadn't been given a chance to answer, nor to call Phoenix, before the Alpha arrived on his own accord. Turning to the sound of his voice, Phasma gave the bronze wolf a polite nod, slate eyes quickly moving back to Skoll. Phoenix seemed rather content with the stranger being there, she could tell by not only his words, but the tone that they were spoken in as well. It was an unsettled feeling, the feeling that suddenly hit her stomach, and for a moment the raven woman showed sudden discomfort across her features. Such a thing was quickly removed, though, and the same bland look that she had taken before had been brought back. "I told him about your daughter." She mentioned almost idly, masking the discomfort within her with idle speech. There was no doubt what this would lead to and she could only hope that Phoenix would consider that he'd been exiled before. |
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Skoll was usually rather perceptive when it came to reading people, it was part of what had kept him alive so long--being able to read opponents. Still, it had been a long time since he had seen Phoenix, and his attention was focused elsewhere, missing Phasma's look of discomfort. A slight smile came to his face, for he was glad to see a familiar face as well, but the news of Phoenix's daughter(who he had never so much as smelt before) was enough to suck the cheer right out of the reunion. He was a fighter and a tracker, he wasn't sure of what help he could be, but he would offer it nonetheless.
"The feeling is mutual, Phoenix. It's hard to believe that the awkward youth I remember in my first pack hunt grew up into the alpha I see now. You've come far, my friend, and made more of yourself than I have, in a third the time." Skoll had worked hard to be a good warrior, and trained his nose well to make tracking HawkWind easier, but he had never come close to being leadership material to anyone, alpha, beta, or gamma. He had also never been a father. Life wasn't going to bear with him forever, especially not in his line of work, and there were many facets of wolf-life that he had not been successful in. For all his age-bought wisdom and well-recited beliefs, he would do well to take a page out of this younger wolf's book. I doubt if that path is even open to me anymore, he thought, dismissing the subject.
"As she says, Phasma has been kind enough to share this ill news with me. I would offer any help I could, I've offered my talents to strangers before and since my stay in Storm, and I can certainly do the same for a friend." He wasn't certain that it was appropriate to ask to be allowed back into Storm...he'd have to work up the nerve to do so, at any rate. As Phasma had guessed, the idea of rejoining had already crossed his mind, he missed his border and guard duty, but it wasn't a decision to rush into. Especially not after everything that had happened already.
[html] http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j40/k ... efinal.png);background-repeat:no-repeat; padding-bottom:140px; background-position:bottom center;">At the comparison to his younger self, Phoenix shifted his weight in awkward embarrassment, shuffling a paw in the earth. He had never really thought that Skoll held him in such regard. For a moment he fumbled the Alpha’s Composure that he had worked so hard to acclimate himself to. Yes, he distinctly remembered those days, and not with much fondness. He was glad to no longer be the “awkward youth,” as Skoll had (politely) put it. Now when he roamed the lands he carried himself high and proud as if he owned them (and in a way, he did), rather than slink submissively as he once did. Yes, he had come a long way, and he had a mate who was proud of him and children who looked up to him… but such accomplishments seemed marred by the loss of his daughter.
Regaining his poise, Phoenix mumbled an obligatory “Thanks,” before the subject changed to the very last thing he wanted it to. He shot Phasma a strange look, not angry but curious. By now Phoenix had come to grips with the fact that his daughter had been taken by her delinquent half-brother, the misbegotten child of Iskata’s life before their mateship. And DaVinci was gone, taken off before he could face justice. What pained Phoenix the most was that he didn’t know if his daughter was really dead or alive… just as he didn’t know the true fate of his parents.
Still… there was something about Skoll’s offer that caused Phoenix to take a closer look at the older wolf. For a moment he misunderstood Skoll’s offer. “Are… you sayin’ you wanna come back?” he asked. “I’d have nothin’ against it, but there’s hafta be conditions. Biggest of ‘em would be you stayin’ away from Inferni.” He was no fool. Even if he didn’t blame Skoll for his actions he couldn’t risk starting a war with the coyote clan over one wolf. | [/html]
[html] Short as Phasma is leaving the two to catch up.
A grudge was not an easy thing to be rid of, Phasma knew that both from experience and from simply observing others in their lives. Hate, revenge, blame, all of them were powerful things and she knew that not everyone could overcome such feelings, especially when it came to drastically changing their lives. It had been the coyotes that the male had tangled with and that fight had been the reason that the male had been exiled, at least from what she had been told. Even now Phasma still felt anger toward the coyotes for stealing away their original home but, unlike the fellow Skoll, she was not a fighter. She would not risk her live nor the lives of her friends and pack members to take back a piece of land.
The raven woman was only half listening as the two spoke to one another, ears only perking in interest as Phoenix spoke once more. An offer to stay. The feeling became worse suddenly, despite the 'conditions' mentioned, and Phasma could no longer hide her displeasure at the concept. Turning away from the two males, Phasma frowned to her herself and began her quick trek away, almost figuring that neither would notice. It was a hasty decision, in her mind, and she needed to be away from the scene before speaking up on her thoughts. The raven woman was out of sight shortly after, though it wasn't her den the she was headed to. Instead, she turned when she met another stretch of the borders, making her way out of the lands and to the last place she ever thought she would go, Inferni. |
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Skoll's solitary ear swiveled to follow the Gamma as she quickly made her way out of the situation. She was troubled, possibly by the prospect of him joining. It was troubling, but he knew to expect it at this point. A simple twisting of the truth could go a long way. It was hard to believe that anyone would take the coyotes seriously after everything they had done, but then again, it was possible that she--maybe even Gibraltar--had feared that Skoll was like the coyotes he had fought with: heartless, bloodthirsty, ambitious and vengeful. I am vengeful, he thought before he could stop himself. I enjoy a good, close fight, and kill so often that I'm as good as bloodthirsty. His ear fell in temporary shame. Damnit.
"I...didn't necessarily mean that. I think we can guess how Phasma Kiles feels about the prospect, though. I don't want to cause you trouble, Phoenix, especially of the political sort, which I don't understand very well." Would the other Storm wolves react this way? His name had been sullied, and it seemed that there weren't many ways of clearing it. The fact was that the coyote kids had been hurt, and he had hurt them, but he wasn't the one who had put them in harm's way. No group as ambitious and violent as Inferni could expect to have borders safe from retaliation, letting their kids linger there was pure carelessness, and assuming that their group could rightly expect peace from their neighbors was utter hypocrisy. He had told the fools as much after the fight, but they had plugged their ears and hurled threats and obscenities at him, refusing to learn from their mistake. But I still lost it...I still berserked, and I didn't mean to. I was trying to hold back because of the kids, but I was going to die, and the pain...the adrenaline...I couldn't hold it off. That was my failing alone, and not something that I can blame the coyote parents and siblings for.
"If you think she'll ever be alright with it, I'd be glad to take up my border again, under that restriction. Still, she's your Gamma, her consent on the issue is...if I know anything about politics, desirable at the very least, necessary at the most. People like me...I think we scare people like her, or maybe most people, period. If she truly is the former alpha of Syemv, she's seen fighters before, and what just a few allowed Inferni to do to her homeland. Look at how easily Gibraltar turned his back on me, despite my years of service...I may be driven by different motives, but I doubt that most can tell the difference between those lunatics and someone like me. Hell, sometimes I wonder if there's any profound difference at all. I can understand if she's apprehensive about me." He sighed a little, and smiled. "Listen to me being pretentious, figuring it's all about me. Maybe she just has something important she forgot to do." For some reason, he wasn't really confident about that. Still, there were more important matters at hand. "Phoenix, whether you choose to accept me or not, I'll still be willing to help you get your daughter back. I'll do anything I can, even if it's just sitting back making certain it doesn't happen again."
[html] http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j40/k ... efinal.png);background-repeat:no-repeat; padding-bottom:140px; background-position:bottom center;">Politics and compromise, the newest alp ha had minimal experience with such dealings and that was perhaps what he dreaded most about his new job. It was only inevitable when some inter-pack incident would demand his skills as a politician and negotiator. Life had been so much simpler as a mere sub ordinate: hunt, protect, etc. Black and white was beautiful. He’d gotten his first taste of politics when Skoll had inadvertently caused that incident just trying to save a young girl’s life. Really, the Land of Wuffluvers was more trouble than it was worth, and if Phoenix didn’t know that there was at least one decent creature in that clan, he wouldn’t be adverse to the idea of them being driven off.
Just for harboring the creature that had raped and murdered the innocent daughter of his mate, Phoenix didn’t understand why the other pack tolerated them at times. That wasn’t to say that Phoenix supported genocide… attacking an entire clan was not something to be taken lightly, but neither was the havoc they had caused over the years. The best Phoenix could hope for was to be left alone by them, and in return he would give them the space they were so willing to kill for without remorse.
Fortunately Skoll seemed to have mellowed somewhat, and didn’t desire any further conflict with the clan. Phoenix couldn’t detect any malice within the other dog, and he did try to look without completely entering the other dog’s mind. Since honing his psychic prowess inside Iskata’s mind, he had better control of himself but he still had his limitations. And he preferred it that way. Even so, he was oblivious to what might be bothering Wannabe Pirate. He would have to talk with her next time he saw her, make sure she was all right. “I appreciate your help, old friend, but it may already be too late for my Firefly. She was taken by her older brother, Iskata’s child from… before ‘us.’
“Back t’the business of you rejoinin’ though… I’d hafta start you back at th’bottom of the ranks, though I doubt that would stop you from doin’ your job. An I mean it about the Land of Wuffluvers. I doubt they forgave you for what happened, no matter who started it. I don’t think you’ll start any trouble, but if you go down there I can’t protect you. As it is I dunno what I’ll do if they come here lookin’ for trouble all at once.” Yes, he knew he was taking a risk, but Skoll was his friend and pack-mate. After all he’d done for the Place of Lightning and Thunder he’d been rewarded with an unfair (in Phoenix’s perspective) exile. He deserved better, and Phoenix was happy to be able to make up for the sins of the past. | [/html]
The bronze warrior frowned at the news of the Omega's daughter, Firefly. Jealousy played a role there, he was certain, but for Phoenix to already have no hope meant that it had happened a while back, and given that it involved two people whose smells were completely alien to him, it was unlikely that he had much to offer the aggrieved father. This land...it was plagued by internal strife...by familial terror and dysfunction. In some ways, this place was infinitely softer than where he'd grown up, and it seemed completely terrified of the idea of violence...yet the price it paid for these came in myriad tribulations that he had yet to see anywhere else. One child kidnapping another from a parents new mateship was a massive crime and extremely serious in most places, not perhaps a killing offense, but an exiling one. Here, it seemed to bleed into grey beside all of the other wrongs the wolves were doing to one another. He had never seen anywhere else that had such prevalent rape. Murder, he supposed, wasn't too unusual an occurence on his travels, though.
As Phoenix voiced his concerns about the warrior's past interactions with the dog clan, Skoll was reminded of other situations like this one. As it is I dunno what I’ll do if they come here lookin’ for trouble all at once. For just a moment, Skoll remembered the cultists skulking over the the Place of Lightning and Thunder border, steel weapons glinting in their hands as he lay in wait, axes in his own, anticipating the clouds passing over the Le Soleil in Teh Sky so that he could make his first strike. He blinked the memory away as he felt a twinge in his left forepaw, a physical reminder of that night, one of a few.
"You should know that I can protect myself, Phoenix. You think those murderers went to Gibraltar instead of trying to kill me directly out of civility? They avoid me now because they've tangled with me before, and they don't fancy their chances. One or two might prefer words to bloodshed, but if it were feasible to get rid of me permanently, you know the rest would have tried." He didn't know Gabriel personally, nor any of the others he'd seen or fought. Never the less, he had seen how the Lykois treated obstacles to their desires, and he knew that if he were a weaker dog and they'd wanted him dead, they wouldn't have gone to Gibraltar, they would have gone for Skoll's own throat.
"You do have a point about them coming up here en masse, though. I killed nine wolves in a night once, four them I took all at once, but I would be lying through my teeth if I said that was typical of my abilities. There is definitely call for careful planning, especially if your Gamma is so uneasy about it."
[html] http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j40/k ... efinal.png);background-repeat:no-repeat; padding-bottom:140px; background-position:bottom center;">Relativity or not, DaVinci had hurt Phoenix where he was most vulnerable, in more than one way. The fact that he didn’t know if his daughter was alive or not, just like his parents, was perhaps what most drove him crazy. If Phoenix was not anchored to the Place of Lightning and Thunder, he would have not hesitated to drop everything to find his daughter. And if DaVinci had actually killed her, well… there was not much Phoenix could do then. Hunting down DaVinci for revenge would have been a waste of his life. The misbegotten hybrid had better not show his face n these lands again, because if Phoenix ever found him he would make DaVinci regret ever touching his daughter, no matter if he was Iskata’s child or not.
Skoll seemed confident in his abilities, but Phoenix was not so sure. He didn’t know the older coyote’s exact age, but he knew it was respectable. And a hard life like his tended to increase the aging process considerably. Phoenix only hoped he ended up living that long, but with depravity such as the the Land of Wuffluvers clan seemed to support running amok, the brunneous male wasn’t so sure about his odds. Of course, when he’d been a pup he hadn’t really expected to live to be three, with a mate and family. So who knew? Maybe he was just a pessimist after all.
“I ain’t sure what I would do if I ended up in a confrontation with the Land of Wuffluvers,” Phoenix admitted. He knew aIphas were not allowed to divulge weakness or vulnerability, but Skoll had known him since he had been a fool youngster and so the façade of perfection didn’t work on him. “War is somethin’ I wanna avoid at all costs, ‘specially with my other children runnin’ around. It’s my job t’make a good life for ‘em, Skoll, not get ‘em killed.” | [/html]
Skoll frowned. Phoenix had kids...kids who needed protecting. the Land of Wuffluvers wanted his head, or at least the presiding family did, and might come to take it if they knew where to find him. He could protect himself usually(assuming that he was vigilant enough to avoid letting them get the drop on him...an ambush of two would be dangerous for him, more than two and his chances of survival would drop sharply), but his protection was not better for the pack than simply passing under the radar. The coyotes were a bloodthirsty bunch, and the wolves here didn't have the right mentality to band together against them. Skoll and Phoenix certainly couldn't stop all of them on their own, it would be...more political...to ignore their notice for the time being. The bronze dog's somber expression softened somewhat, before turning his amber eyes to Phoenix.
"Well, then you'll just have to not get into a war with the Land of Wuffluvers, then." Skoll offered a slight smile, before he took a breath and went on. "I spent two and a half years in the Place of Lightning and Thunder repaying the pack for kindnesses to my ancestor, VoidFane. I risked my life for this pack, because unknowingly, it might have been doing the same by harboring him. He asked me to repay them, and I feel that I did. When Gibraltar let me go, I felt free for the first time in a long time. I miss that border, I miss that feeling of belonging somewhere, but I've been a nomad for a long time, and I had missed that too." The ragged thane turned his gaze out, surveying the land outside of the Place of Lightning and Thunder.
"Truth is, I came here to visit, I was surprised when you invited me back. I'm not sure I'm ready, and with Miss Kiles and the coyotes to deal with, I may be a little too much to deal with right now anyway." He closed his eyes and flicked his right(and only) ear in a wolfish shrug. "Besides, I don't have to be a part of the Place of Lightning and Thunder to watch after it. Do you see those woods out there? Where Chimera used to be? I'll be there if you need me. I have all the gear, training, instincts, and experience I need to take care of myself. The clan won't be able to use me as an escuse to come after you or your kids, and if they find some other reason, I'll be within howling distance. All the benefits of the old Wahrer with none of the drawbacks." He smiled to indicate an attempt at humor, but he knew that Phoenix had a lot of concern rushing around his brain. Perhaps the older dog could assuage that some by his refusal to rejoin.
[html] http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j40/k ... efinal.png);background-repeat: no-repeat; padding-bottom:140px; background-position: bottom center;">Phoenix didn’t know that much about the Place of Lightning and Thunder’s history before he came into it, but he did know that it had once had a problem retaining aIphas. Gibraltar seemed to have syntax error'd that trend, but the brunneous coyote often worried that it would resume with him. He did not intend to die for his position, but then he knew of no other wolves capable of leading the Place of Lightning and Thunder. Sure, there were other wolves within the valley more worthy then him, but would the other members of the Place of Lightning and Thunder trust their fates to an absolute stranger, as the previous generation had with Gibraltar? Ironically the wolves of the Place of Lightning and Thunder had more confidence in him than he had. Eventually he would grow into the role, perhaps even become a great leader… but that day was a long way off, in Phoenix’s mind. Self-confidence had never been his strong suite.
It came as a bit of a surprise when Skoll suddenly rejected his offer, and a bit of s disappointment. Even if he risked angering the Land of Wuffluvers, Phoenix still would have felt more secure with Skoll once again guarding the borders. Strength in numbers, and all that. The only coyote currently assigned a border-guard rank was his daughter Dierdre, and he worried for her safety at times, especially considering her resent past with a morally challenged male. the Place of Lightning and Thunder needed all the recruits they could get, especially with the little ones running about and needing supervision.
“Y’sure ‘bout this?” the AIpha asked. He had to respect Skoll’s wishes but he wanted to give him one more chance to change his mind. In a way he was coming to envy the old warrior’s freedom, if not his lifestyle. “If that’s your choice, then so be it. But you’re always welcome here… as a friend. I’m sure Iskata would love t’see you again. An’ Skoll? Th’protection works both ways. If y’need help, don’t hesitate t’call out an’ I’ll come runnin’. I may not be th’warrior you are, but I’ll do whatever it takes t’make sure my friends are safe.” | [/html]
"Don't worry, Phoenix," the older male laughed, "Don't think I've forgotten about the last time you helped me. If you can fight...Glaesring, was it? I won't hesitate to call you the next time I'm outnumbered." He broke his smile for a moment, thinking that this might cause more concern than relief. "I'll do my best not to get outnumbered, though." Still, there was no reason for any of the coyotes to hear about his reappearance. Without a border to watch, it was entirely possible that he might even manage to lead a peaceful life here, daily training aside.
"I would like to see Iskata as well, not to mention your kids. For the time being, though, I think you need to calm your Gamma, and I need to find a place to put my gear for the night. Come the morrow, I'll find some place more permanent to reside within the woods. Somewhere where the prey is lazy enough for me to catch them on my own, and I can lay my head down to sleep each night without worrying too much about cultists and what not. My good ear will still be listening out for your call, though." With that, the bronze warrior turned back to his gear, and began the shift necessary so that he could carry it. His stay in Bleeding Souls would be less familiar, but excitement could be found in the change. Tomorrow was a new day; without a border to attend or a cult to hunt down, he had no idea what it might bring.
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