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Gabriel, hope this is ok :]
Short claws sunk into fresh moist soil, the remnants of a late spring rain clinging to the short forest grass. Paws and ankles wet from the rain, and cold from the nights’ chill the wolfess made her way through the edges of her homeland. Thunder rolled above, distant yet a deep dull rumbling presence. A waning moon peered helplessly behind dark clouds, leaving a feeble glow against the stalwart shadows night.
The Major General walked steadfast, her nightly patrol of the territory one in hopes of easing her worry. Her daughter’s wounds were healing, though her physical wellbeing was far more secure then her emotional, and the mother would not let the monster of her nightmares find her again. It brought a violent entity out of the placid creature, seeking the strength of her halfling form and rejecting any visitor that stalked their boarders during the hours of darkness, friend or foe.
Emotion did not bubble at her surface, and Anu chose to remain in her comfortable more natural lupus form. Anger and rage no longer propelled her further, and as she neared the coastline, the beach of their newly added territory Anu only felt a harden look cross her face. Brought on by the scent that lingered along the altered foliage, a foreign smell that spiked her interest and her defenses. Blue eyes grew stoic and she moved with stealth and ease, trailing it until she could find the source.
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The scarred she-wolf, with her red hair and yellow eyes, had told him about the new pack. Gabriel had intended to see the place for himself, and made the journey south to do so. He had observed the area for several hours and gathered what he needed to know. Then, curious as to the tribe the raven-coated woman had spoken of, he had circled the borders of AniWaya until spooking a horse and sending it crashing off into the forest. Gabriel had waited out the rain until dark. Now, he traveled swiftly east, aiming to close as much distance between himself and Inferni as possible.
He had stuck to the coast-line, intent on avoiding the damp foliage that would do nothing more then weigh him down. The rainwater and salt in the air had dulled the border-markings to the point that Gabriel had not smelled them. The Aquila, moving at a comfortable lope in his lupus form, was perhaps halfway through the bottle-neck area of the lands when a stronger, fresher scent hit his nose. Gabriel stopped almost immediately, and turned his head, seeking the source.
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Her home was no short cut, though Anu hoped that it was the only reason the beast moved so fluidly through the undergrowth. The female followed or thought she did, the scent growing stronger as she moved. Her gait had increased with haste, blue eyes searching for his form among the shadowed forest. She neared the beach, the canopy thinning and allowing glowing dots of moonlight to shower over her back.
Before Anu could slow, she was met the with the face of the larger brute. Blue eyes facing the dog, who was in his own rushed motion. She instantly stopped, her face showing her surprise. They had nearly collided. She felt a rush of fear, and the fur along her back rose giving the feeling away.
She did not want him here. The scent of Inferni deep in her pelt, the golden eyes secure and confident as she only attempted and pretended to be. Her voice was hushed, but by the third word she was able to feel the strength in her own words. Do you know where you are, stranger? The name she gave him held a harsh tone, bordering on a growl.
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They were close enough that he felt her breath, and Gabriel took one swift step backwards. Her fur bulked up immediately, either out of surprise or fury. Right now he was caught in a cross-hair—she was standing directly in his way, which had been (so he assumed, judging by the position of the stars) north and en route towards Inferni. Then the woman spoke, and his ears perked forward. What was peculiar was the tone and inflection in her words, which changed as she continued.
Though he did not give her any submission besides the distance, Gabriel’s tone remained even. “I’m guessing packlands,” he said flatly. “I was just passing through.” Hopefully she would accept that explanation and let him pass, but an Inferni member in wolf territory often spelt trouble.
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SOOO sorry for the delay.
Anu watched as the male moved immediately backwards. Her confidence grew at the movement, though it was obvious through his posture that she did not intimidate him. Anu scoffed at his words, not believing that he could not tell or that he hadn’t already known that this was packlands, her lands. Crimson Dreams is not a passthrough. her voice came with an icy tone.
Looking at the Inferni dog Anu wondered if his clan was an ally to the wicked male that had attacked Mati. She would not put it passed the sly coyotes to join the dark wolf’s mission. But the coyotes hated wolves, and forming a union with one unlike their own was unlikely. But it was possible. You like strangers cutting through Inferni? She questioned him. Maybe if she got a free pass to trample all over his lands she would be kind enough to escort him out of hers.
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The woman was doing her best to appear intimidating, but Gabriel had forgotten the taste of fear. He understood the lingering doubt that plagued him at each turn, at the concern for his children, but these were things that did not affect him here. There was only the wolf and the dog, and he knew, deep in his heart, that if the need came for it he could kill her. So he remained still and he listened.
Crimson Dreams. Two faces and names cut through his memory banks—an orange wolf, Conri, and his white bitch, Naniko. Of course, he should wind up here. Perhaps if he had been lucky, he would have found one of them. If that had been the case, he would not have hesitated to spill blood. It was not until her bold question that the expression on his face changed—his muzzle twitched, whiskers turning up, and he almost smiled. “It takes someone incredibly brave or incredibly stupid to do that,” he offered, tilting his head doggishly. “I’m not here to cause trouble,” he continued, speaking slowly as if to indicate he was being very patient with her.
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It almost surprised her that he did not say "no" out right. Instead the dog had a snide remark to make about the power of his clan. A coy smile was hidden behind his features, and Anu was keen enough to find it. Did he mock her? She knew that she was an easy target, small and seemly breakable. All the while trying to stand up for her pack and the plain as day boarders that he neglected to notice. Who wouldn't be suspicious?
Well you have earned yourself an escort, out of here. The woman spoke plainly. He could either accept the terms of his departure or she would call for pack members and he would be chased out of here. Anu didn't flinch at the thought of him overpowering her. She was fast and on edge, ready to face him if need be. Her instinct told her to remove the male with a quiet force, and she hoped this would work.
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He knew that she had every right and opportunity to call the pack down on him. Of course, Gabriel would kill her before that if he had too—but such brutality was not necessary. The escort was not an offer, but a demand, and the Aquila reasoned that he himself would likely have done the same. That was, of course, had he not struck first. Asking questions was something that was often overlooked in the Waste. Not after what had happened between Inferni and Dahlia.
After that, Gabriel cared little for the rights of trespassers. “That’s fine,” he responded, and turned his body. While he did not give the female his back, the doggish hybrid would allow her to guide him from behind. It was a sign of respect that felt peculiar to the Inferni leader.
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Anu did not know many of the Inferni clan, and she found that she didn’t truly care to know this male. Who he was to them was a mystery as well, and she almost shrugged at the thought that he might be something important, if they held a leader at all. Maybe they were ruthless, savages with no sense of orders. Or maybe they held a common indifference, as this male so eagerly showed her.
He turned, giving his shoulder and agreeing to her conditions. But as he moved away, she wondered if he would try to leave her behind. Anu took off at a trot, moving quickly so that she walked beside him. She was no longer afraid, or weary. Feeling that the male could be tamed, Anu felt a flood of confidence. She looked at him, a sideways glance and spoke, You new around here? she paused, waiting for the look that would tell her to shut up or go away. Not knowing about us, and all. The question was innocent enough, from where she stood she had the right for many more in depth questions. A little small talk for the road never hurt anyone.
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There was a very strong impulse to lie; to do what Anselm would have done in such situations and wash his hands at the affair. Of course, Gabriel was not as quick as his cousin was—and while he knew that a lie might save him grief, it felt unnatural. With the woman at his side, Gabriel allowed her to believe she had mastered him. It was a part of his wolfish nature that let this happen; had his coyote blood been thicker, he might have turned on her then and there.
One ear turned, and Gabriel’s upper lip twitched. “I know a little about your pack,” he offered cryptically. It was true, though, that no Inferni member had really picked up the reigns of keeping tabs on the packs as his cousin had. Gabriel could not tell who remained leader here, and had no clue that they had expanded their borders (albeit it recently, it seemed). “Are Naniko and Conri still leading here?” A seemingly innocent question. This, at least, was a game Gabriel could play.
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Anu could have called out the obvious in his words. Of course he knew little, just as she knew little about Inferni. It was his question that made her soft flow of thoughts stop abruptly. It had been months since she had even thought of the male he spoke of. No. she spoke, giving him just a small bit of poison in her voice. Naniko leads us, without him. Without the rapist.
Maybe she should have kept silent, but if he didn’t know much about her pack maybe is was more important what she educate him. Its been almost a year, since we have changed our name from Twilight Vale. Anu followed Nani just as the transition was occurring. It had been over a years since she had returned to the ‘Souls region. As they walked she hoped to learn more about him, maybe if she offered something of her own. I am the Major General, the third in command here... Anu.
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The malice in her tone in regards to Conri puzzled the Inferni leader. After all, it had been Conri who had come to the Waste and demanded justice. It had been Conri whose ribs he had nearly broken and who had only survived by throwing himself in the river. Perhaps it would have been better for everyone if the hybrid had managed to kill the orange male that day. Regardless, her tone told him that something had happened, and likely something horrible at that.
The Aquila spared a glance over his shoulder at the mention of her name, but this did not linger long. “Gabriel,” he replied. He did not offer her his rank, suspecting that the dreaded leader of Inferni had a reputation set out before him. “What happened to Conri?” An honest, albeit ignorant, question. It was apparent something had gone horribly wrong, but Inferni’s chosen isolation left Gabriel mostly in the dark.
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Death, I hope. Anu spoke, spite and bitterness in her voice. She would rather not give the male anything more. Not letting the history of Naniko pass to a creature that she did not trust. It was not her place to give that to just anyone, not in casual conversation. Gabriel had given her little to go by, leaving her unsure of where he stood within the tribe. Maybe he was no one. Though in a well formed, and structured pack not a single beast was “no one”. She shouldn’t judge though, she knew so little of their ranking, but Anu could not help but wonder if he was a spy, or a tracker. Maybe he was just doing his job, though that was no an excuse for what he had done.
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Gabriel’s ears swiveled at her voice. He did not balk at the words, however. A half-mad smile broke across his face, and barking laughter escaped his chest. Behind him, his thick, black tipped tail waved with the motion.“I almost killed him once,” the Aquila said, and looked over his shoulder. Both of his amber eyes were burning, wicked fire laughing as he had been doing just moments ago. “Who knows,” he continued, turning ahead again and smiling still. “He might have found his way to the grave by now.”
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Her words invoked something form within the male that she found disturbing. His laugh filled her ears, and she turned to see his smile, and to the female it was a mocking one. Though they seemed to hold the same feelings towards that male Anu did not find it humorous. It was quite the opposite. So did he rape one from you pack too? Blue eyes blazing as fiercely as his own seemed to burn. It was not a topic that Anu could even discuss lightly. We can only hope that the rest of his kind quickly follow him. The rest of them, the ones that took without restraint and those that felt it was their right to do so.
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There was terrible hatred in her voice, and had Gabriel turned his head he would have seen blue hell-fire that rivaled his own. There was no doubt that Anu hated the orange male, and as she spoke it became vastly apparent why Conri no longer led this place. Gabriel’s lips pressed together and his eyes narrowed slightly. The boy seemed incapable of doing much damage when he had been running from the Inferni leader.
She spoke in regards to rapists as a whole, and this outlook reminded the hybrid of the same sort of righteous hatred that was carried by many of his own clan. “There will be water if God wills it,” he said calmly, and spared a glance upwards to the dark night.
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He didn’t answer her. But Anu didn’t need an answer. She stopped looking for reasons to hate the long gone male. He deserved only a fate full of hellfire. Though... Anu no longer held the same relationship with the victim, so it shouldn’t plague her as it had. What he did say made her want to scoff at him, tell him that this world was a godless one. But Anu could not, for she didn’t believe it was so. Her god was only sleeping, hidden while the moon sat upon its throne.
He didn’t agree with her, and such a thing made her uncomfortable. Anu paused in her step, remembering the things that had always been said about the coyote clan. They were only rumors and whispering gossip, things she could not place trust in. Is he the same that wills fire? She questioned, knowing that it was not her god that gave them this water. Still he gave a different sort of life. Curious to know what he would say Anu listened intently.
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The situation in which Gabriel viewed the world was a peculiar one. After all, his father had raped a woman before he had been conceived. His mother had crushed the skulls of infants. His brother had raped his daughter. She did not deserve to know these things, of course. Still, they weighed on his shoulders like the chaos star tattooed there.
Until she spoke, he did not stop moving. It was those peculiar words that made sudden and unreasonable suspicion well up in his chest. Gabriel’s heart quickened its pace and the fur between his shoulders rose, just slightly. Aware of this, he turned to face her, eyes burning in the dark. “He wills everything,” the hybrid (truly more wolf then coyote) replied, digging his toes into the sand. Despite his remarkably even tone, Gabriel was wary and on edge. Had it been mere coincidence she had asked him about fire? Especially when it had been by God’s Voice that he had been set to burn? He hoped so.
If not he would rend her asunder then and there.
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The continued to walk, slow and steady as she spoke. But is seemed that once she had heard her words he had been moved in a different direction. The usually peace bringing wolfess was not in herself, the cynicism was rising as her aggression and suspicion had. The way he looked at her, the change in his energy was as powerful as a slap in the face (though not disrespectful). His words, holding a faith that Anu was all too familiar with. He believed in this, and she smiled at his conviction.
"In your world, perhaps." Anu was growing eager to know who he served, but she didn't believe in the existence of false gods. Commandments would not rule her from believing in a one and only. She had her own, even if he chose to hide himself behind a viel of clouds. Anu knew he stood over her. And this male would have his, where ever he may be hiding.
To each their own.
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There was not the fanatic light in her eyes as he had seen in Lillith. Until the moment she spoke, he did not even believe she could hold ground with him on such a matter. He saw then that she was not so different then he, not as different as his dead father or the peculiar woman with the ice in her eyes. No, that smile told him she knew faith. It was naïve and wrong, but it was faith none the less.
For that reason, he respected her. Because she was blind to the truth, he pitied her. So he returned the smile, condescending, showing he knew that she was so similar, and flicked one ear. “And your world is so different, then,” he half-asked, half-stated.
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