Misfortune for the poor

Torture du Nox · 03-30-2012, 05:39 AM

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(700+)

Adrenaline fled freely through her spry frame; the adept Luperci charging gracefully through the lopsided expanse in angry chase of a fat rabbit. Hunger drove her forward, desperation kept her ignorant to the near-blinding sting of her right arm—wounded the previous afternoon in some callous, senseless attack by some wolf. The thought curdled unhappily within her head, and only kicked her into a more determined run. She had to keep getting away and she had to keep surviving. This was all that mattered.

It might have been faster for her to have caught the rabbit in Lupus form, but there hadn’t been time to shift and she’d just finished making a very poor, but passable spear from a malleable birch. Time to test it out. Her aim was usually impeccable, but after more than two days without a suitable meal, an injury on her dominant arm that she hadn’t intended on having, and the combined fact that she would now have to use her left arm to aim and throw, all conspired against in her. Her chances of success now were slimmer than ever, and fear of failure threatened to make her even more clumsy.

But suddenly, as the pair—hunted and huntress—crested a grassy knoll, the air expanded and the land opened up, allowing her to come into an all out sprint behind her fleeing quarry. And still the rabbit was faster, pulling away… she had to throw the spear. Drawing back, as accurately as she could with her unpracticed hand, she zeroed in on her target with deadly eyes and threw her arm-length weapon with all her might. It soared, whistled maybe, cutting through the space between her and the rabbit. At the same time, she noticed a skull hanging midair, ten yards ahead.

Skidding to a halt, the black coyote doubled over, hands on her knees, panting and slavering. Pain registered, and with a disdainful hiss, she gripped her right arm, feeling the sticky ooze of blood. Trying not to grimace, she remembered what had made her stop, and she looked up, not quite expecting to see the post, with the hanging skull and the others that followed and proceeded in an obvious sign. She cautiously edged towards the barrier, hit then with the scent of a pack. Upon closer inspection, she noticed they were the stouter, thicker skulls of wolves. Though she did not quite understand, the prospect pleased her.

Sneering in appreciative acquiescence, she backed away from the line, and looked instead to see where her spear had landed. She could see it, through the grass, it’s pale, rugged finish wriggling back and forth between the slender stalks of the prairie. Wriggling? The dark woman tilted her head and narrowed her burnished eyes until she could make out that, fifty or so yards into claimed lands, was the rib-pierced rabbit she had been so diligently chasing.

On sight, her jaws slavered, watching the creature as it struggled futilely to escape the lodged stick. At some point, it got unstuck from the ground and crawled (with the spear dangling like a large quill) another fifteen yards away, never quite leaving her sight. Snorting, she found that she had to steel herself against the near-maddening smell of that rabbit, and the best way to do it seemed to be the smell of her own blood. Unclasping her hand from her arm, she inhaled the sharp tang of her seeping arm (three thin, fresh claw marks) and felt her stomach turn. Good.

Satisfied, the woman rocked back on her heels, and fell almost gracefully to her rump, unhurt by the harsh maneuver but obviously frustrated by the look on her face. The border kept her from eating. She was certain she could simply run in real quick and grab it—but somehow she knew that with her luck she would be caught or hunted down and caught, and her skull would be a lovely addition to one of these posts. Perhaps if she waited, someone would be kind enough to give it to her (or she’d be sorely disappointed). Either way, she sat there and thought about it all before making her decision anyway. In the time she sat thinking, the rabbit gave a final twitch and died.

“ The glint of light that caught the scythe,

Perhaps if I could pay a tithe… ”

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Zana Avaya Lykoi

#2

03-30-2012, 09:03 AM

The tiny Lykoi of Inferni had grown bored. Helotes had been in a dark place since the death of his brother and she had heard no word on if he and their Aquilla had spoken yet. She didn't mind, the pygmy had never imagined she would be viewed as wanted so she had never believed a mateship was in her future, besides, she had been the one to make certain that he was ready for this. If he wanted her he would have to ask their leader for the right to claim her. She was her own woman, but she was a creature of the Aquilla and loyal to him. Conditions had to be met.

She had decided to pad down the border this day, even though she knew that there were many other members who held the ranks and the experience to do their duty she missed her old rank. She knew in time she would discover what Ezekiel wanted of her in a new rank but for now she was itching for something to tend to. At just under three feet six inches she was a pathetic looking excuse for a luperci but she was dangerous just the same. She hadn't been going far along their lands when the scent of blood caught her attention.

She raised her maw to the air, testing the scent, registering more than one beast marred. She was slightly confused but she padded onward, her whalebone spear in her hands as she rounded the bluff and came onto the sight of the dark hued woman and what seemed to be her prey. Zana looked over the kill a moment, tipping it from one side to the other with her weapon as she ignored the woman for now. She had done right in not crossing their borders, even after the prey she had obviously killed had drug itself onto their lands to die.

The small woman finally raised her head to glance at the other, noting the wounds as she asked. "What, besides a meal brings you to these lands.." Her grey lavender orbs scanned over her wounds as she added. "Fresh I take it?" gesturing to her arm.

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Torture du Nox

#3

03-30-2012, 02:15 PM

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Thanks for joining! (500+)

An unhappy growl crawled uncomfortably within the blank abyss of her belly, almost begging her to simply run in and snatch that meal. As her mind began to wrap around the worth of this risk, a scent on the cool, spring breeze drew her attention from the far-away, dead quarry, and onto the figure that strode confidently in her direction. Apprehension gripped the vagabond, but her steely resolve told her to regard the whole situation in a way that would get her that catch. She wasn’t thinking of much else other than that.

While she pondered how she would verbally approach this, her maroon eyes raked the figure drawing nearer, at first mistaking her for a child—accented by the ribbons tied around her tail. Sighing, the stranger pushed herself up and stood lankly at the skull-clad border, watching the russet girl examine the speared rabbit before finally addressing her. And when she did address her, the hybrid was surprised to hear the voice of a woman exude from the small canine’s mouth—the clan member was no child.

Though she could feel a stunned gape creeping upon the fringes of her expression, her muzzle remained acutely impassive until she spoke herself. Nothing, she admitted; I did not notice that I had come so close to a pack, and I threw the spear before I realized the border. Gripping her arm again, to stifle the blood, she simply nodded in the direction of the pygmy woman—respectfully averting her eyes—and explained:

Some wolf advanced on me just east of here mid-day, yesterday. I re-opened the wound chasing that rabbit. There was distaste in the spitted word “wolf”, but her animosity was kept fully from her exuding on her face. Succinct, she didn’t feel that she had to explain more than that, unless asked, so she fell quiet. She lifted her muzzle slightly to regard the smaller female again, but the glare of the sun caused her to squint her eyes and for her figure to become hazy. Or maybe the pain was deluding her vision. It was either that, or her hunger. A punctuating growl in the depths of her stomach confirmed that it was the latter. Black lips pulled into a light grimace, but it dissipated as she remembered what she was standing here for.

Using her free hand, on her injured arm, she motioned to the rabbit. It might do me well to mention that I am looking for shelter.. but my first concern is that rabbit. Starving does not quite describe my hunger. Though it couldn’t have done her much good to relinquish the fact that she was weak at the moment, but she really couldn’t see the harm in it. She was either going to get the rabbit back or not—and though she thought this might be an opportunity to find a suitable place for a home (the bone-clad border amused rather than bothered her), it wasn’t her main concern at that exact moment. Her mind could register little else other than the meal, lying uselessly beside the stranger. I would like my ragged spear too, but I understand that I may have relinquished my rights to either, as they are both in your lands.

“ The glint of light that caught the scythe,

Perhaps if I could pay a tithe… ”

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Zana Avaya Lykoi

#4

03-30-2012, 11:54 PM

She stood quietly watching the woman as she explained herself, her situation and how she had come to be on the borders of their lands wounded and famished. Her grey lilac orbs were steady as she tried to catch and fault or lie in the pattern of speech the woman gave. She found nothing but a bruised and battered beast before her wishing to claim what was rightfully hers. The small woman lifted the rabbit from the ground and with a flit of her spear she send it head over tail across the border to land smartly at the paws of the dark hued woman. "I can't have you dying on the borders.. you're a bit too big for me to have to cart off and bury you know.." she said with a slight glitter in her eye as she proceeded to fetch the spear for the woman as well.

She stood on the edge of their lands, holding her whalebone spear in one hand and the shabby makeshift spear of the other woman in her other. She glanced towards the lady's wound as she asked. "Can you generally defend yourself better than you did against that wolf?" She couldn't offer the woman a place in the clan but she could find out everything she needed to know about the creature and see if she was worthy of finding a home for herself within their ranks.

The pygmy woman titled her head to the side as she ran claws down the length of the other's weapon. Her ears flicked back slightly as she commented. "I would hope you have better weapons than this.. or you won't last long out there in the Waste.." She padded across the borders to the stranger, offering the woman her spear back as she began to explain. "You're on the borders of Inferni.. a predominate coyote clan. While not all of us are pure blood, we claim favor to our coyote blood over whatever else muddles our veins." She glanced to the other and gestured to her own frame. "If you couldn't tell.. I'm not pure of blood here.." She didn't generally make cracks on her size or bloodlines but anymore it didn't seem to matter, and what was the woman going to do now that was any different than anyone else had done in the past.

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Torture du Nox

#5

03-31-2012, 12:48 AM

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Without verbal conformation, the small Luperci picked up the rabbit and threw it expertly to the dark ‘yote’s feet. Though she flinched from the surprise movement, immediate recognition of the favor shone on her face, and she dropped to her knees and grabbed the limp carcass with such hungry intensity that she had to throw an apologetic glance in the ribbon-tailed woman’s direction before allowing herself to finally take a bite. Under normal circumstances, she would have taken the time to cook it over a fire, but raw would do for now. The taste of blood and flesh was so rewarding to her, that she had to force herself to remember her manners and not continue to eat. Though it did nothing for her hunger, that simple bite had done wonders for her morale.

A tall ear flicked, bringing her attention back to the russet female again, who now had her spear (as well as an additional, noticeably well-crafted spear that made hers look like shit) and was standing somewhat nearer. She mentioned the wolf and the sable hybrid grimaced. I am capable, she said, though couldn’t honestly speak more on her skills since she knew it would look dishonest on her part. I had been hunting, and he caught me unaware when I was about to take down my target. If he had been normal, I would have killed him—and if I had been normal, he would have killed me. I was lucky to escape him. It was as simple as that, and she wasn’t ashamed to admit she had been outmatched; perhaps not that, but he’d definitely had the element of “surprise” on his side.

At the secondary mention of her weapon, she smiled slightly, a little ruefully, but remained quiet until the clan-dweller had finished speaking, and stood before her now, spear outstretched to her. The dark woman took it, gently, and ran her thumb over its crudely crafted surface. Still... it hadn’t disappointed her. I abandoned my supplies to hunt and could not return to get them after my attack. I had a dagger, but after cutting that lout in the ribs to escape his grip, I lost it in my haste afterwards. This spear I made in twenty minutes, and it is all I have for now. She looked up finally, setting it at her side (as she was still braced comfortably on her knees, seeing no real need to get up), as well as the bitten rabbit, both items bloodied.

You say… this is sanctuary to coyotes? she piped again, feeling her heartbeat pick up for a reason she couldn’t quite finger. If the wolves around here were going to treat her as hostilely as the first one had, then she needed to be around her own kind. Though only half coyote herself, her striking physical resemblance to her mother’s blood was unequivocal, and had led to several serious altercations in the past. Not to mention the one yesterday. Damn wolves. If there is any hope here for a miserable Halfling like me, then I would be foolish not to try and prove my worth.

She peered cautiously into the gray-lilac eyes of her greeter, hard-pressed not to recite her many talents then and there. But she held her tongue, save for a soft, necessary introduction: My name is Torture.

“ The glint of light that caught the scythe,

Perhaps if I could pay a tithe… ”

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Zana Avaya Lykoi

#6

04-01-2012, 12:15 PM

ooc: you can put leader neededin your title now.

Zana did not expect the woman to admit that she might be weaker than a wolf, but the small woman had come to realize long ago it didn't matter your strength when coyotes were far more cunning that their larger cousins. She watched as the woman took a bite of the rabbit then seemed to abandon it. She gave a little wicked smile and commented smartly. "I said I don't wish you to keel over here, you can finish your meal.." She was only half joking, for she had no clue how in the world she would move the other if she did die of starvation or anything else here on the borders. The thought was a grim one but she wouldn't be surprised if it had happened in the past to some clan or pack.

The smaller creature listened as the other woman spoke of her attack. Zana knew that she would be foolish to think that she could ever best a wolf with teeth and claws unless she had been graced with luck but she remained quiet. It wasn't the first time she had heard of wolves attacking out of spite or for no reason at all. They were viewed as a vermin of sorts and while the coyotes could view their cousins in the same way.. it hardly ever seemed to amount to much but more fighting and hostility. The tiny woman was getting tired of the hostility. She wondered what this creatures view on their cousins was.

"Fair warning, many of the packs about here have the same reactions to strangers near their lands as the stranger you met.." she said as she crouched down low to the ground and ran her fingers along the spear she carried, checking for splinters and cracks as she went on. "The clan can teach you better skills with weapons, extend your knowledge and teach you new things as well.. It comes with a price, but all knowledge is worth having in the end.." She was still a spy, even if she didn't hold the rank anymore the woman would always think like a spy and her mindviews were that of the only duties she had known for so long. She couldn't change that, but the truth was the truth.. and the price for knowledge within the clan was fair. Loyalty was not hard to give.

She smiled lightly as the woman asked if there was a chance to find a home within their lands. She raised a brow slightly and scratched the back of her head as she admitted. "It is not my answer to give, but it wouldn't take long to find out.." The small woman tilted her head back and gave the high pitched yipping call for one of their leaders. She knew that the wait might be long if neither of them were near the border so she turned her head back to the woman as she finished the announcement of a newcomer on their borders. "I would finish that if I were you.." she said, gesturing towards the rabbit as she used her spear to advance her body up one of the posts where a gruesome wolf skull rested.

Once settled on her post of outlook the pygmy woman looked down to the other and nodded. "I'm Zana.." she stated simply as she raised her head to look about the lands incase the leaders were closer than she believed.

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Vesper

#7

04-01-2012, 12:39 PM

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fear my promptness!

Vesper was never far from the borders these days. She stalked through the vegetation with an enduring four-legged gait, her senses awake to danger. The attacks on Inferni soil had kindled a slow-burning rage in the coyote hybrid, and she was more paranoid than ever. But her paranoia was polished; she was used to keeping an eye open to danger at all times. Life had not been unduly cruel to her, but it had not been kind, either.

Her patrol was halted by the high cry of a clanmate, and her muscles stiffened under patchy tawny fur as she froze. There was only a summoning in the call rather than panic, but she was no less cautious as she turned and padded in the direction of her pygmy comrade’s voice.

The scent of blood was in the air as she padded within sight of Zana and the dark stranger, but it was lapine rather that canine. The coywolf halted, her pale blue eyes trailing over the small, sylphlike shape of the night-dark female and her wooden spear. She was surprised to see a coyote so dark, but then she remembered Ángel. Where his eyes were a blue ice similar to her own, however, this woman’s gaze was red as wine.

She blinked and was back in the present. “Who do we have here?” she asked, a supercilious smirk flitting across her lips.

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Torture du Nox

#8

04-01-2012, 04:57 PM

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Though she had been advised to continue eating, Torture waited as long as her stomach would allow her. There was a slight apprehension in letting one’s guard down to eat (especially in the voracious manner in which she wanted to attack this rabbit), so she exercised a well-practiced patience, and considering that starvation had once been a normality to her, she found it easy to hold off for now. She talked—and listened—instead, only falling quiet when the pygmy Luperci tossed her slender muzzle back and yipped for assistance.

At the second mention of her meal, the dark hybrid was hard pressed to ignore the woman’s advice this time around. Hesitantly she picked up the rabbit, with a large bite already taken from its gullet, and began feasting on an unmarred portion of the rabbit. Without feeling embarrassed, she hungrily tore at the meal, finishing most of it in a little more than three minutes, but savoring the remainder for another five. After licking her muzzle and hands somewhat clean, she glanced up at Zana, who was now perched gracefully atop a skull-clad pole. She thought she should thank the dark-handed female, but before she could find the proper expression, a rustle beyond them drew her eyes sharply towards the source.

Scarred and tawny, a small, one-eared coywolf trotted lightly up to them, authority in her figure, but she wasn’t trying to seem intimidating. Not that it would have been easy for her to seem that way, given her rather tattered appearance and stature that was no bigger than her own in Lupus. Clasping her hands together, she bowed her head quickly, and sat back on her knees, averting her eyes steadily. My name is Torture, she said, as she saw no need for anyone else to have to do it for her. Torture was perfectly capable of speaking on her own.

While I was not originally looking for a home, it would seem fate has other plans for me… she drew off, turning her shoulder slightly so that blue-eyes of the stranger could grace the fresh claw marks on her arm. A wolf tried to murder me just yesterday, and from what I have gleaned from Zana, she motioned graciously to the woman smaller than either of them, I will not survive these lands very long without further assistance. I believe her, as I have already faced more trouble than in my many months of peaceful traveling.

It would later seem rather redundant that she would want to settle in lands that had already done her so wrong, but in all honesty, Torture was lonely. And if there was camaraderie to be gained here, finally among her own kind, then she would jump at the opportunity.

“ The glint of light that caught the scythe,

Perhaps if I could pay a tithe… ”

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Zana Avaya Lykoi

#9

04-03-2012, 04:33 PM

ooc: nevermind about skipping Zana, stealing net at McDonalds.

ic: Zana oddly enough didn't have long to wait for one of their leaders to appear. Her ears flitted back slightly when Vesper came into view but almost instantly perked back to attention and to the strange woman she had greeted at their borders. She seemed to have no trouble in investigating the newest creature upon their borders and while the two of them spoke Zana continued to view the lands about them, keeping a cautious eye to the edge of their lands as introductions were made.

She turned her face towards Vesper and Torture as her name was spoke. "I figure once she's trained she will be a value to the clan as well, if she decides it's welcoming enough for her." Zana looked to the new woman a moment before added. "She can hunt at least.. that's a plus." An almost wolfish smirk landed on her lips a moment before she turned an ear off to the distance while keeping her eyes on the other two women.

The small woman had heard rumors of trouble coming but she didn't know how bad it was. She would hate a newcomer to be attacked on their borders and the two of them not to be able to protect her, if it came down to that. She knew she was just paranoid, but stranger things had happened in the past.

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Vesper

#10

04-04-2012, 08:29 AM

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As the Optio looked over the stranger, Zana set an eye on their surroundings, and Vesper was glad for that. Her natural paranoia could be called caution, a necessary attribute for loners, but nowadays it was hard to give it such a nice name. She flicked her good ear, swiveling it toward the dark she-yote as she bowed her head in greeting or respect and gave her name.

“Torture,” Vesper echoed, and while she tried not to show her reaction, her brows pulled slightly closer together. She had heard strange names within the clan before, but she still had to wonder what kind of mother would name her child something so horrible. Did it sound dark? Was it a wish? She could only think of her friend under the knife.

She nodded in understanding as the other offered their clawed arm. “Strange wolves have started to become a problem,” she muttered, more to herself than for the loner’s benefit. “But Inferni is no simple sanctuary for those that need one. We expect things from our members such as loyalty and willingness to fight and bleed for the clan.” It didn’t seem like too much to ask for, however, and even a once-independent soul like Vesper had accepted the agreement.

The small hybrid piped up then, and Vesper spared her an amused smirk. “Maybe you’ll learn how to stick an enemy with that thing,” she remarked, gesturing toward the spear.

She cleared her throat then, adopting slightly more dominant posture although it was only a subtle change: erect ears, a faintly lifted tail, a strong stance that showed her confidence and pride in her speech. “If you’d like to join Inferni, Torture, and are willing to train… You will touch our clan’s soil and say an oath. None of us give a damn about the exact words you say, so long as you can pledge loyalty and service to Inferni and its Aquila, Ezekiel.” Her smirk softened, and she waited to see if the vow would be accepted. Truly, she knew that Inferni could use all the help it could get.

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