[html] http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j40/k ... efinal.png);background-repeat: no-repeat; padding-bottom:140px; background-position: bottom center;">Forgive me, this stinks.
For the life of him, the AIpha of St0rm didn’t know why he hadn’t done this long ago. His daughter was gone, and he had searched everywhere for her—except in Cl0uded Tears. Certainly, he had taken time cursorily sweep the borders for her scent, but neither her nor DaVinici’s evidenced recent activity. It was obvious they had left the valley, beyond Phoenix’s reach—but perhaps her kidnapper (assuming he had taken her against her will) had left a clue or two as to where he was going. If that was the case, then Phoenix could easily track them down and bring his baby girl h0me.
Damn his rank. If St0rm wasn’t so dependent on him Phoenix wouldn’t have it holding him down, preventing him from leaving for a few weeks to track his wayward child. He had never even wanted to be a Gamma, let alone the AIpha. In his naïve youth he had always believed an aIpha to be someone almost god-like in nature. He was no one special, and it even bothered him to think that others might hold him to that standard.
Without hesitation Phoenix crossed over passed Clouded T3ar’s marked borders. He didn’t know many wolves in this pack, but technically he and the aIpha were now family. Cousins-in-law, linked through Iskata. Phoenix admittedly didn’t know his “cousin” that well, nor did he expect him to care about his daughter, but Hamlet was linked to Firefly by blood and he at least had an obligation to point Phoenix in the right direction if he could. Using information gleaned from Iskata, Phoenix eventually found his way to the entrance of Hamlet’s den. He took a moment to calm his twisting stomach before he woofed out an unsure “H’llo? Anybody h0me?” | [/html]
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Don't worry; this sucks too.
It had been three weeks already, but though the injuries had all started to scar over again, his body still appeared tattered and weary, unkept and exhausted. He seemed to have neglected everything in that time. The borders had defaulted to the judgment of whoever happened upon newcomers, but considering how quickly most people came and went, he doubted it really mattered much if he was there to personally approve every one. Besides, what good was his judgment anyway? The gash across his throat no longer stung when he spoke or breathed, but he could feel it there when he swallowed and every time he did, he wondered why he hadn't died. It was a very tiring train of thought, considering how often he had already revisited it.
The tawny male couldn't remember where he was returning from, but only because he hadn't been paying attention. Part of him had wanted to go visit some graves because he hadn't in a long time, but most of him just didn't want the two dead ladies to see what he had become. He didn't recognize Phoenix at first as he approached his den; it had been a long time already since he had last seen the other leader, since he had told him about what had happened to his unfortunate cousin. Hello? he offered sullenly, stopping several feet away. No one ever really just came to visit. It was always bad news or questions. Phoenix had become Iskata's mate. So what was it this time? Bad news or questions? Or both, perhaps?
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[html] http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j40/k ... efinal.png);background-repeat: no-repeat; padding-bottom:140px; background-position: bottom center;">What stressed Phoenix out the most was that he wanted to be a hands-on leader, who knew everyone and everything about his pack. A good Omega knew all that stuff, right? He wanted to be there for everyone and do everything for them, otherwise he would fail the unwanted mantle that had been put on his shoulders. That was Phoenix’s greatest fear, failure—a side effect from his youth, when failure, or even the slightest mistake, meant death. But he was mature enough to know that the effect of his failure in this role wouldn’t cost him his life. Just the lives of everybody else, if the screw-up was monumental enough. Juggling relations with the Land of Wuffluvers and trying to honor his friendship with Skoll had been one such high-stake moment, though Phoenix hoped the worst of that issue was behind him.
The first time he had seen Hamlet, he was surprised by the odd little hybrid that called himself the Omega male of a coyote pack. This encounter was no less of a shock, but for different reasons. Hamlet hadn’t exactly been awe-inspiring the first time they’d met, but this time he looked downright half dead. “Hey… you a’right?” Phoenix asked as he took a few steps into the other’s den, concern tinting his voice. Should he care so much about his counterpart though? Iskata had told him not to expect much, but Phoenix was an optimistic creature by nature and he wanted to see Hamlet as family, as hard up as he had once been for it. And Phoenix cared about his family. | [/html]
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He had long since resigned to the fact that he was a sub par leader, but as no one seemed to question it, he didn't have a good excuse for abandoning anything (and even if he did, it would still just be an excuse). Besides, there was no one else to take up the reigns and though most of him was convinced that it really didn't matter much if the pack fell to ruin, a sliver still held on to the duty and responsibility, even if it was more than a little half-assed. But it also seemed inevitable that he brought some harm to the members, what with that darker monster hiding in the back of his head, and the some days he thought maybe it would actually even be better if the fog just dissolved into nothing quietly than have everything explode in their faces.
Fine, he answered with a shrug. As fine as he ever had been and ever would be, maybe. Obligatory concern was not the same. Maybe part of him (there seemed to be many parts of him; he knew he couldn't keep track of them all) still appreciated the gesture, but there was a bitter voice that said no one would really go out of their way to ask or visit if they didn't feel like it was convenient or necessary. And even then, who really, really cared about his long and sad life story? But that's not what you came here to ask, is it?
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[html] http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j40/k ... efinal.png);background-repeat: no-repeat; padding-bottom:140px; background-position: bottom center;">It was not in Phoenix’s nature to settle for sub par when it came to certain affairs. When it came to his own living conditions, sub par had at times been all he could grasp, and he was glad to have that than nothing at all. But when it came to what he gave back to the world… well then, those that depended on him deserved no less than the best he had to offer. And if that wasn’t good enough, that only meant he just had to try harder. He only hoped that he never pushed himself to the breaking point, but thankfully he had Iskata to be his buffer. Perhaps he had never outgrown his childish need to be loved, but in his mind he was only making up for time lost as a child. So his reasons were not totally altruistic, but so few wolves were, if any.
The hybrid somehow determined that there was no altruism involved in Phoenix’s visit, and the massive coyote shrugged slightly in sheepish concession. He seemed nonchalant about his condition, so Phoenix wisely chose not to pursue the matter further. It was most likely that Hamlet didn’t share his sentiments toward family, and any effort on Phoenix’s part of becoming closer with his mate’s cousin might only cause the opposite effect. “No,” he admitted. “Our daughter… I mean, mine an’ Iskata’s…she went missin’ not long ago. We think DaVinci took her, an’ I was hoping you might know where he was goin’.” He scanned the other male with his eyes, desperately hoping that Hamlet held the clue he needed to bring his daughter 127.0.0.1. “Please… if you know anythin’…” | [/html]
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Once upon a time, he had tried. He had worked hard to not be like all of the people that had disappointed or hurt or abandoned him in the past. He had tried to make himself into someone that could half-convince himself that his mother's death could have been worth it to bring him to life. He had tried to care, and to help, and to love, and to live, but even the most selfless of people wanted at least a little bit in return. A gesture, a thanks, an acknowledgment of effort, anything, anything. Perhaps some were able to keep going without anything at all, but when the returns weren't even nothing, when they were everything he had never wanted to happen, then giving up seemed like the only reasonable thing to do. He used to think he was logical, anyway.
The hybrid raised an eyebrow as the other explained himself, first wondering if it was either one of the children he had met the last time he had seen Iskata, then wondering why the hell DaVinci would want to kidnap one of them. But then, what had the poor kid ever wanted but his mother's love? He had seen the post-litter jealousy syndrome in his own brother (he wasn't really your brother), so maybe it wasn't such a big surprise after all. DaVinci left a few weeks ago, he said, He told Naniko he was going to look for his sister Magdalena. He didn't have anyone else with him when he said goodbye.
Missing children weren't a new thing though. How many of each litter actually stayed until adulthood? It was ironic in a way -- if the parents didn't abandon them, then they would abandon their parents. It seemed a nice and tidy nuclear family just didn't exist anymore, if it ever had for them. If I see anything, I'll let you know. That was his obligation. He had never loved Iskata and they rarely seemed to have anything good to say to one another, but obligation fell into habit and he had killed for her before. How are the rest of them doing? Maybe he just wanted confirmation that life outside of the mist and fog was better after all.
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[html] http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j40/k ... efinal.png);background-repeat: no-repeat; padding-bottom:140px; background-position: bottom center;">Damn you, you raised the bar!
Phoenix didn’t understand his twisted stepson nor was he sure he wanted to. The misbegotten little thing had rejected his mother over an incident that she could not fairly be held accountable for. Iskata had lost her memories, she didn’t even know who she was let alone the identity of her children. Injured and without an identity, she had been much like a wounded animal when DaVinci found her. Once she’d had her memories restored, she tried to make amends but wanted nothing to do with her. Phoenix had been witness to that day, he’d seen the heartbreak he’d intentionally put his mother through. Even though it had been that cruelty that sent Iskata to him, Phoenix couldn’t forgive the boy for rejecting his mother so coldly.
Hamlet’s story made both Phoenix’s heart sink and his ears perk up. As far as both he and Iskata knew, Magdalena was dead, murdered by Davinci’s own father. ”What do y’mean? Magdalena’s dead,” he said. They had no reason to assume the opposite. The Stormster sighed in frustration, angry at DaVinci for making his life more complicated even after he was gone. Phoenix would have gladly accepted him into his family if he’d felt he could trust him, but it had been fear of just this that prevented him from welcoming the boy with open arms. This sadistic feud between mother and “son” had leaked over to harm Phoenix’s children, and that angered him. Now that DaVinici was gone, it would probably be best that he never returned, unless Firefly was with him. Phoenix didn’t take kindly to losing his children.
Then came the words that calmed him down somewhat. Phoenix nodded his head, gladly taking whatever promise he could get, even if it would never come to bear fruit. The normally patient coyote lost all sense of serenity when it came to his children. But they could also be his greatest source of mental stability. “The other three are doin’ fine,” he said, glad to see Hamlet taking an interest in his kin. “They miss their sister, though. I a couple months, they’ll be old enough to start venturing into the Pack of White Supremacy. They’re anxious t’see the place, after everything their mother’s told ‘em.” He was too polite to state that he didn’t see the appeal himself. | [/html]
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I didn't mean to!
He rarely actually thought about it, but it was strange how similar he and DaVinci really were. Both had been conceived by less-than-fortunate means, but while Iskata had lived and Kiriska had died, both had had their mother-figure go through amnesia, and consequently a period of time when they were no longer remembered. At the time (god, that had been such a long time ago), Colibri's rejection and denial that the hybrid was her child at all had struck him deep and he had not been ready to forgive his adoptive parent for a very long time, even after learning what had happened. Conspiracy came easily to a younger mind and the idea your own mother could forget you was a serious blow to self-esteem. Even after everything, L.aruku had never vocally forgiven Colibri, and now it was probably too late.
She's not dead, he said with a slight shrug, She wandered back... a few months ago? Scared the shit out of DaVinci, but she didn't stay long. I have no idea where she ran off to or why. The scarred canine did not remember very well that night on the beach. Iskata and Magdalena had both fallen by the time he had gotten there and afterwards, he had been more concerned about getting the hell out of I.nferni's territories before he was caught with another dead body. He had never had a chance to look twice.
Talk of a normal family felt strange to him. A mother and a father, both healthy, alive, in the same pack, and supposedly in love. It was utterly unheard of. An almost unbroken litter. One missing child didn't seem like much when there were three left, at least from his standpoint, where they were just numbers. The hybrid could have laughed at the idea that his pack was a sight to see. Well, you're all welcome to visit whenever. In all fairness, it was a beautiful place physically. The lake and the fog set them apart and he would still attribute the scenery as being one of the reasons he had decided to stay after all, but for all its prettiness, he still felt like it was cursed. Or maybe it was just him.
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[html] http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j40/k ... efinal.png);background-repeat: no-repeat; padding-bottom:140px; background-position: bottom center;">A successful nuclear family unit was a shockingly rare occurrence, yet it was something Phoenix had worked almost his whole life to build. Perhaps it was odd that he wanted one so badly, since he’d lost his at a young age and had time to get used to the lack thereof. His own parents had either died or lost interest his litter. Either way, he’d been left alone to watch his siblings die one by one. Most other wolves would have been hardened by such an experience, if not driven insane. But the life of a loner had proven odious to him early on. Phoenix needed people to keep him from going insane.
He should have been acclimated enough to loss that his daughter’s disappearance shouldn’t affect him as it did, but all the work he put into building his family only made the loss more poignant. What would Iskata say if she knew her daughter was alive, but she still couldn’t see her? “I’m… not gonna say anythin’ to Iskata, least not right now.” It was all in the timing. Losing Magdalena before even really getting her back would only feel exponentialized by the loss of Firefly. Phoenix sighed, feeling his “perfect” family already begin to crumble. That was how he always lost them, one by one. Cynically the male couldn’t help but wonder just who would go next. He knew he should have been thankful for the three healthy pups he still had, but he still missed his daughter.
Perhaps this place was “127.0.0.1” to Hamlet and Iskata, but to Phoenix it was just a dank, miserable land. The fog gave the lands an eerie, unholy atmosphere, and the Stormster never felt like he could let his guard down when in the fog’s grasp. You couldn’t see an attack coming when the land-bound cloud inhibited your vision. “Thank you,” he said politely, though he knew Iskata wouldn’t wait for an invitation to bring the children to see her own childhood 127.0.0.1. At least the place gave the pups a connection to their heritage. That was something he, as a vagabond wanderer not native to the valley, could not provide. | [/html]
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It was funny sometimes how some ideas never seemed to die, no matter how many generations pass without the idea coming into fruitation. Perhaps once, the nuclear family had been a common occurance; perhaps once, the land was not filled with so much strife and hardship, hatred and violence, but as their society gradually deteriorated, it did not seem as if that perfect ideal was lost to the chaos. Indeed, they were all still born relatively innocent and as they grew, most still secretly harbored that dream and cherished everything that seemed to be heading in that direction. Laruku had never wanted children, but if he had to have them, he certainly would have chosen for it to have happened under much different circumstances. His was not a family that could ever really be whole.
S'better that way, I guess, he agreed, though he wasn't really sure if his cousin would really react much to the news. It wasn't really like anything had changed; it was just that now, there was some fractional hope that maybe her first daughter would come home some day. But then, sometimes, believing that someone was dead was better. Pining after something or someone for too long didn't do much at all.
And then the tawny hybrid didn't really have much to say anymore (he never really did to begin with), but for some reason felt compelled to continue the conversation. It had been a long time since he had had any real conversations with people (what constituted as a "real" conversation, anyway?), even if the premise had been less than joyous. He leaned against a tree and studied the other idly. So I hear you're alpha now and that Gibraltar's gone. Leadership had changed everywhere. Mordulin was gone too. Syemv, Chimera, and their ridiculous hybrid pack were all gone. And now Kaena as well. When would it be his turn? How's that going for you?
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[html] http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j40/k ... efinal.png);background-repeat: no-repeat; padding-bottom:140px; background-position: bottom center;">Phoenix didn’t like the idea of keeping secrets from his mate. It was hard to, anyway, when they were both telepathically inclined. His life was an open book to her, and vice versa. He would tell her someday, but not until after the shock of losing Firefly had dissipated. It would only hurt her to know that her daughter was still alive out there somewhere but was making no effort to see her again. In the back of his mind Phoenix wondered why they hadn’t heard from Magdalena during her brief time back in Bleeding Souls. Had it been DaVinci’s doing? That would make the most sense. The Alpha of Storm was finding the hybrid boy a convenient scapegoat on whose head he could lay his family troubles.
His reason for coming expended, Phoenix could have easily just left Laruku alone and gone back home. Not that he was adverse to getting to know his Clouded Tears counterpart and cousin-in-law better, but he wasn’t sure just how welcome he was here. The massive male still didn’t feel comfortable enough to lie down, but instead he found himself sitting down awkwardly. As long as Laruku showed an interest Phoenix would stay. “Yeah,” he said with a nod. “Gibraltar said somethin’ ‘bout everyone he cared ‘bout bein’ dead so he couldn’t stay, then ran off an’ left me in charge.”
There was a tinge of bitterness in his voice as he spoke. As much as he once respected Gibraltar, there near the end he’d inevitably lost his youthful awe-like regard for his former alpha. “Th’job keeps me busy, that’s for sure. I got less time t’spend with my family, which is what bugs me th’most. How long did it take you t’get used t’the job?” Perhaps some benefit could be derived from Laruku’s experience. Oddly enough, he was now the longest-standing leader amongst the packs. | [/html]
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In another time, he might have laughed at the reasons Gibraltar had apparently given as excuses he should leave, but he supposed it didn't really matter what he thought. If they were reasons good enough for the former leader, then no one else's opinion would ever change it, so what was the point of really approving or disapproving anything? The hybrid caught the bitterness in the much larger male's voice easily enough; after all, hadn't he felt the same way? Sometimes, he still felt as if Ceres had simply been running away, though her end had come much more abruptly and much more violently -- no goodbyes or reasons given there. And of course, her departure was much more final.
I'm still not used to it, he answered blandly. It was almost an understatement, really. He had never really acted the part of the leader as far as he was concerned -- Laruku still had problems with holding his head up higher, with appearing with any sort of authority on the borders, with handling politics and relations with other packs and clans, or hell. He could hardly handle his own goddamn life; of course, he couldn't handle a pack. He shrugged though, But I don't have much else to keep myself busy with, (nevermind your bastard kids on the beach, eh?), So I guess it's more trouble for you. But you seem to be handling yourself better than I am anyway. It wasn't self-pity; it was just truth.
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[html] http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j40/k ... efinal.png);background-repeat: no-repeat; padding-bottom:140px; background-position: bottom center;">Every wolf was different, and handled trauma in their own different ways. Phoenix could sympathize with his former alpha, yet at the same time he considered him a coward. Whatever his loss, it couldn’t have been greater than anything Phoenix had experienced. Gibraltar was too old to believe one could run away from grief; it followed you know matter where you were. And no matter how miserable he would ever get, Phoenix would not run away from his home. That would only be one more loss, not a healing move for him. But, wherever Gibraltar was now, Phoenix wished him happiness. It was the least he deserved after leading Storm for nearly two years.
Laruku’s cynical answer cut down a couple of Phoenix’s delusions, and his ears withered as an outward sign. At first the massive male hoped his cousin-in-law was merely exaggerating; but upon searching his face it was obvious he was dead serious. Phoenix had no problems with appearing the role of a good leader. He could hold his head up for newcomers and look strong for intruders. Occasionally he made good decisions but for every good one he probably made one equally as bad. At Laruku’s comment Phoenix scoffed. Now it was his turn to burst the other’s bubble. “Hardly,” he stated. “I can’t even keep track of my children, let alone a whole pack. An’ I nearly started a war with Inferni th’other day.” Perhaps one day he would become a great leader—he just hoped he didn’t get everybody killed before then. | [/html]
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Laruku didn't really think he handled anything himself. Instead, he filed all of the problems neatly into cabinets in his head and pretended that they weren't really there until everything exploded in his face, but even then -- when had he ever really handled anything? He had denied things; he had run; he had fought tooth and nail; he had tried to destroy the causes and everything else, but in the end, he never actually got around to dealing with anything. Either they faded away in the real world enough that it didn't matter anymore or he just came to accept that there was no fighting it anymore. Everything remained in the drawers though, never really disappearing from the weight crushing down on his weary shoulders.
I did start a war with Inferni, he offered quietly. He'd gotten two members killed and Iskata -- well, Phoenix already knew that story, didn't he? Once again, he could have laughed; it was absolutely hilarious in so many ways. Clouded Tears's relationship with the coyotes had hit every possible rung on the ladder and then some. Sure, they had been at war, they had tried to kill each other. And then Segodi had upped and left and the psychotic demon in his head had decided that it would be a great idea to sleep with Kaena Lykoi and have a litter of poor children that would most likely grow up just as fucked up as their parents. And then they were almost back where they had started because Laruku's relationship with Gabriel was possibly even more volatile than the one with Segodi. But because he was masochistic and selfish, the hybrid almost didn't want the silence and calm between them to last.
Gabriel's hard to get along with, isn't he?
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[html] http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j40/k ... efinal.png);background-repeat: no-repeat; padding-bottom:140px; background-position: bottom center;">Why did the other packs continue to tolerate Inferni after all the trouble they’d caused? Certainly, coyotes had just as much a right to claim land and live communally as wolves did if they wanted to. But how could they expect to have their rights respected when they didn’t even respect the rights of the other packs? They had driven Syemv out of their home, harbored murderers and rapists, and who knew what else. Genocide was practically unthinkable to Phoenix, but what would he ever do if Gabriel ever decided to pit the can against his pack? If it came down to a choice between the pack that had never harmed anybody or the clan that accommodated every known vice, would they help Storm?
By now he was all-too familiar with the details of the Inferni-Clouded Tears war from the memories he’d gleaned from Iskata. He didn’t want that madness reoccurring with his own pack, not if he could help it. At Laruku’s character observation Phoenix merely grunted in agreement. He’d only met the leader of Inferni once but that unpleasant experience, plus his reputation and the deeds he’d done to Iskata were all the details Phoenix needed to know about him. He didn’t trust Gabriel and he never could.
“A while back they nearly killed Naniko,” he told Laruku. He’d never met the girl personally but she already played a big role in his life, in more ways than one. “A member of Storm named Skoll fought t’save her life, but practically th’whole clan ganged up on him. When he injured a couple adolescents tryin’ t’get away Gabriel came lookin’ for trouble. Gibraltar banned Skoll, but it was a decision I didn’t agree with. Skoll’s back in th’lands now, an’ when I offered t’let him back into Storm Gabriel heard about it somehow an’ came t’threaten me.” He hadn’t let the threats intimidate him outwardly, but it was clear looking back on that night that Phoenix was outmatched in terms of political experience. And it didn’t help that now he had to wonder where his gamma’s loyalties lay. All Phoenix had wanted to do was help his friend… and he’d almost made a royal mess of things. | [/html]
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Justice was such a subjective thing. It would always be impossiblel to tell who was in the right and who was in the wrong. Phoenix offered his account of what had happened on Inferni borders -- he didn't know Skoll, he hadn't known Gibraltar very well either, and he wondered vaguely what the hell Naniko had been doing wandering around the beach, but he knew that if he were to ask any of the coyotes involved in the scuffle, their recount of events would be entirely different. The current Storm alpha hadn't been there, but he obviously had a stance on the issue. It was a sticky situation if Phoenix was really friends with this Skoll but Laruku had no advice to give. It was already difficult enough keeping his own messed up lines and relationships in order.
His relationship with Gabriel ran back much further. He had been suspicious from the very beginning, pretending to be from Chimera when the dog-like hybrid's relationship with his father was nothing to sing about. But it was easy for the tattered male to forget that it had been Gabriel that had killed Iskata's first mate, if only because the entire mess of a war blurred together in his mind as a beginning and an end with no middle to speak of (why? because the beginning and the end both involved the same person, whether directly or indirectly, didn't it). All the same, in the brief stint between the war and his monster's reign of terror, he and Gabriel had had a civil conversation. He knew the other was intelligent and had some set of morals, however fucked up they were. Maybe to some degree, he respected him, but that changed nothing at all. Worst of all was perhaps the fact that the man was the son of the only person he could venture to call a friend these days and a brother to his own children, as much as he had tried to distance himself from them all. What a tangled tree they all hung from.
If Gabriel thinks this Skoll is a threat to Inferni, he'll consider Storm a threat also if you take him back in, he said matter-of-factly, though he knew Phoenix probably already knew that. D'y'know if you're gonna let Skoll back then? What was more important in the end? Relationships with individuals or the safety of an entire pack? Laruku didn't really have a definitive answer for that one -- it depended on the person, didn't it? Even now, he thought he might throw everything away for someone and nothing away for anyone else.
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[html] http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j40/k ... efinal.png);background-repeat: no-repeat; padding-bottom:140px; background-position: bottom center;">Phoenix knew, of course, that since he hadn’t been there at the fight he could never know what had really happened. Even if he read the minds of those involved he would not get the truth, since memories were not immune from become twisted and tinted by personal bias, especially after such a long time had passed since then. It was all a matter of trust at this point, and Phoenix trusted Skoll over a bunch of murdering coyotes. He wished he could remain neutral from it all and help his friend without having to worry about the political implications, but unfortunately that would never happen unless there was another shift in power over in Inferni to a leader who didn’t know Skoll or care about the misdeeds of the past. But as chaotic as the coyotes of Inferni could be, the alpha of Storm doubted that would happen.
Laruku said nothing that Phoenix didn’t already know, but it was still a comfort to know that he could speak candidly with another alpha within the valley. Syemv was gone (thanks in no small part to Inferni) so he couldn’t count on their support any more. He didn’t know the leaders of Jaded Shadows but it was obvious they had taken Inferni’s side in all this, though for the life of him Phoenix couldn’t understand why. How had it ever come to an us-against-them mentality anyway? Phoenix had never before held bias against coyotes. It was just this lot that gave him so much to worry about.
“I gave him an offer, but he turned me down,” he answered. “But if he ever comes back, it’d be under th’condition that he stays away from Inferni. An’ I kinda promised Gabriel that if he ever harmed a member of his clan while a member of Storm… I’d help him kill Skoll myself. It’ll never happen though. Skoll’s not interested in causin’ trouble, no matter what Gabriel would tell ya.” Phoenix was a wolf of his word, but he knew such a drastic oath would never come into fruition. And if Skoll could somehow fool Phoenix and (hypothetically) do something to start a war under the flag of Storm… well, he would have (hypothetically) betrayed his trust and deserve whatever fate he (again, hypothetically) brought on to himself. | [/html]
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I don't think that Gabriel would start anything without provocation, he said, Though I guess what he considers provocation may be more subtle than you'd like to think. Despite the sadism that the hybrid liked to attribute to the now-leader of Inferni, he knew very well that Gabriel was merely protective of his family and clan, nevermind that he probably didn't actually care for much personally. He was a man of duty as much as anyone else, bound by some holy scripture or invisible god -- he would not kill without reason, but even when he had reasons, no one else might be able to understand them, or even see them at all. And besides that, level as he tried to be, he was probably just as crazy as the rest of his goddamn family. It was, very simply, just in their blood.
I doubt anyone here wants to start trouble, he continued, It only ever seems that way. But anything that starts will end with casualties on both sides. Kaena had another litter before she ran off, yeah, yours, So I don't think Gabriel would be eager to start another war. It almost sounded like he was on Inferni's side, but if it really came down to it, well... He had no friends in either Storm or Inferni (or anywhere else, huh?), so what difference did it really make? His bastard kids? Weren't they all better off dead when all that awaited them in age was insanity, chaos, and destruction? Wouldn't it be such a load off his shoulders too, if they all just turned up dead? He had never wanted them in the first place. But he couldn't say that and really, he didn't know.
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[html] http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j40/k ... efinal.png);background-repeat: no-repeat; padding-bottom:140px; background-position: bottom center;">It reality, the only thing that the massive wolf desired was the safety and well-being of his family and his pack. If that was Gabriel’s primary means of motivation as well, then why did they have to clash? If they just lived and let live, then the wellbeing of the pack and the clan wouldn’t be mutually exclusive. Far from it, it was better for everyone if they learned to get along, or at least tolerate each other. Perhaps it had been imprudent to offer Skoll a home in Storm again, but all Phoenix had been trying to do was help someone he still considered a part of his pack, even if the ties were no longer official.
The news of children in Inferni surprised Phoenix somewhat. So, Kaena had found some other stupid male to play her games, eh? The thought that that could have been him in that position made him shudder, even today. The female had tried to seduce him, once, and he’d ended up running away. Perhaps it hadn’t been the most mature thing to do but he would rather have had his eyes ripped out of his skull than have anything to do with a murdering sociopath like her. Still, it was good news, since young children tended to weigh a pack or clan down. Perhaps he didn’t have so much to worry about for the time being… and when that time of grace would be over, his own children would have grown into strong adults themselves capable of defending the pack.
“Thanks,” Phoenix finally said. “You gave me some things t’think about, lot of it not as bad as I thought.” Laruku’s presence here in Clouded Tears was highly advantageous to him. Though he couldn’t expect his cousin-in-law to help him in any hour of need, he knew he wouldn’t be betrayed by him either. And at least he could draw from whatever experience Laruku had—scant aid was better than none. Phoenix realized he was grasping at straws but for the moment, it was all he had. He’d worked with a lot less in the past. | [/html]
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Seemed like an appropriate place to end? You can reply again if y'want.
Politics were a horrible game. It was impossible not to tangle diplomatic and personal, especially when their numbers were relatively few and relationships connected everyone into an outrageous web. Laruku knew nothing of all of the grief and drama that would come to involve Jaded Shadows and Phasma and alliances of all sorts, but he would not be surprised if someone told him. Trust was difficult to come by, but it would seem as if those who had it had it for keeps and not murder or death would sway it. Righteousness and morals also clashed with these sorts of things -- everyone had a different idea of why someone should be condemned and why someone else shouldn't be. It was in their nature to fight, even when everyone wanted the same thing.
It was ironic in some way that Clouded Tears seemed to be the least involved here, but it had been a 'Tearswolf that had started the entire ordeal. If Naniko had not chosen to wander into Inferni that day, then she would have never been attacked for trespassing and Skoll would not have had to fight to save her, or whatever it was he had been doing. And so on. Vaguely, the hybrid did wonder why the girl had been there in the first place and whether she knew of all the bloodshed that had transpired between her pack and their clan in the past. He gave Phoenix a half-hearted shrug, completely out of things to say now and no longer with the desire to continue. Well, think about them then, he said; shoving off from the tree, he started to walk away, N' good luck. You'll probably need it. Poor bastard.
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