Two Rivers Isle Twisted sanity

For @Malice!

Rain fell lightly from the grayscale sky, peppering the dark mantle of the boys back with shimmering droplets as he padded through the forest and back towards the nest. Over the past couple of days, he had begun to feel more at home here on the isle, he had found a suitable place to rest during the darkness and talked with his superior about what future he could build here in these lands. Fighting the weakened beast side by side with the dark dame had awoken his protective spirit and he was still worried about her spawn; the chestnut youngster had suffered major injuries yet he trusted Burke's word that he would be alright. His thoughts trailed off absent mindedly sometimes to seek for the pale vixen but, judging by her experience, she was probably handling herself pretty well. He emerged into the familiar jaded clearing, the milky warm scent filling his nasal cavities once more as his paws carried him closer to the mossy entangles, letting a light chuff rumble out of his throat as he called for his Queen.

Malice was curled up inside of her den that she shared with her family, wide awake as the rain sprinkled down on the earth with soft drop sounds. Her children she had shoved close her her belly in case it begun to storm. It was possible that it would, summer always bringing more storms than any other season because of the temperature that attracted the big gray clouds. There was definitely some magnetism in the air, and seeing as the boys were so new to the world, she didn't want them to be scared of a little thunder and lightning. Malice herself had a kind of appreciation for the storms, seeing as how it made sure the plants grew back in their full glory and seemed to wash away all the sorrows off the surface of the planet.

When the familiar voice of Shink had rung through the moist air, her head popped up. She wondered what the cause was of his sudden summoning, but did not hesitate to go outside to find him. The children were asleep, she knew, and would not wake unless awoken by either herself or Burke. They would be safe her, safer than anywhere on earth.

She quickly spotted the odd colored young man and approached him with a smile. The journey had not been long, but still her back was soaked by the rain. She did not care; rather enjoyed the feeling. Good day, Shink, what is the cause of your summoning? She greeted politely. She had not thought about their first meeting and did not blame him for scaring her back into the den. It had only been natural to flee for a male that lunged at her children, but really did not held it against him.

As the dark Queen emerged from her hideaway, the yearling let his gaze slide towards her paws, honeyed orbs focusing for a moment on her gleaming black claws safely nestled within her charcoal fur. "Malice," he greeted with a low rumble, offering her a friendly sweep of his bi-coloured tassel, "I wanted to apologise for our first meeting." Though from her current demeanour the dame didn't appear to be holding a grudge, he wanted to get the appology out the way for fear of a repusiveness building up towards him in the future. "And also wanted to ask if you'd like to spar with me," he offered, kneading his paws against the softened ground as he drew his gaze from her paws and up to graze the amber pools of her own. "Burke said that I could become a guardian should I wish to and, since the fight with the bear, I was thinking that I could learn a thing or two from you." He finished his offer, tilting his head hopefully and reclining back onto his haunches, grimacing slightly at the dampness. Though it was a surprisingly pleasant feeling compared with the scorching heat of summer.

She smiled at his apology. It was appreciated, but not needed. She had long forgiven him for doing something that was not really wrong to do. Apology accepted, though now time has passed, I think I might have overreacted a bit. Don't think I won't ever let you near my children again after just such a small incident. She said, a smile present on her features all the way through her short speech. They had both been in the wrong, and therefore-now that they had both realized their mistakes- could forget and forgive. She knew Vassago would seek Shink out again anyway, so it was no use forbidding the male seeing the pups again anyway. She almost chuckled at her own thoughts.

The next part of his reason was quite unexpected. It was true she was an experienced fighter, having been trained to kill ever since she could walk and speak, but to teach someone the art of how to end lives? She knew fighting was in their nature, for defending and making sure everyone knew their place, but she preferred a peaceful conversation. Then again, had she not wanted to be a fighter herself? She thought about it as he finished his explanation. So Burke thought the boy could be a fighter? Oh well, who was she to crush dreams?

I'm flattered, and think you would make a great guardian. Alright, I'll spar with you. She said and bowed before him, tail high in the air and head lowered to protect her neck. 

A light laugh escaped the boys maw as he listened to his superiors words, dipping his cranium in understanding. "Thank you, Malice," he spoke quietly, shivering in anticipation as he rose confidently to all fours, "Forgive me for my inexperience," he added, his honeyed pools sincere as his tongue protruded slightly to dampen his lips. With his words said and done, he observed in silence as Maloce slid into a low bow, copying her movements as he slid to the ground, his chest brushing the dampened leaves as his paws splayed out in front of him. Rising to his paws, he tried the only offensive move he knew of, lunging in an attempt to sink his teeth into any part of the dames flank he could grab. He aimed for her shoulder, knowing her head was guarding her neck to prevent him from delivering the ending bite just yet, but perhapse he could use his youthful frame to his advantage; only time would tell.

She guess she had missed fighting, even though it reminded her of the dark days. Perhaps it was some sort of art, the art of killing maybe, yes, but still an art. She smirked as he lunged for her shoulder, her yellow eyes shimmering as his neck was right to her side. Perhaps it hadn't been a smart move, but he still managed to almost topple her over with his quick move. She felt his teeth just softly grab her shoulder, and let out a surprised yelp in the process.

She soon shifted, muzzle preening the soft skin of his neck, the same spot she had once bitten through to kill her own mother. She grabbed him and pulled slightly harder though not hard enough to do any real damage. She tried to throw him off of her, and if that didn't work, she had more trick up her sleeve.

Surprise glanced through his pools as his teeth connected with her flank, canines barely scraping the surface as his attempt to latch on had proven to be a failure. He wished not to hurt his superior, yet the instinct to fight coursed through his veins, forcing a low growl to shudder through his body, yet her cry spurred him on and as he felt her ivories tickle the nape of his neck, he kicked out with his back legs, hoping to land perhapse a couple of blows to her exposed chest before he hit the ground. Matted leaves rose up to connect with his rump as he slammed into the dirt, emitting a grunt as pain exploded at his hip. He rose to his paws, trying to ignore the dull throbbing as he lowered himself to stare at his opponent, orbs glazed with determination as he awaited her next move.

Of course Malice did not try to hurt the boy, knowing he was still a beginner at fighting and a young soul more delicate than her. His growl came as a surprise, it having been a while since she had last sparred, but soon her own rumble made her body shudder slightly. Her hackles raised as instinct took over her massive body. The kicks connected, if only barely, and she closed her eyes to let him fall over. 

He was soon to rise though, and her plans on pinning him then and there disappeared as another growl left her throat. She followed his moves, body lowering to the ground while her bum was high up in the air in another bow. She showed her teeth to playfully mock, and then her hindlegs pushed her forward in an attempt to grab the side of his neck.

A glint of admiration stole through his honeyed eyes as Malice stood above him, clearly unfazed by his naive offence. Once again, his tongue slipped out from between his ivory canines to lap at his nose, his auds slick back as his opponent lowered herself to mirror his stance. Her growl made him shiver in apprehension and he responded with an instinctual snarl that rippled through his bunched muscles as the dark dame made a lunge for his jugular. As she leapt though, her ivories scraped the side of his throat yet, almost without thinking, he lowered his form so that his creamy belly fur brushed the damp forest floor, propelling himself forward towards his Queens front leg in hope to avoid the brunt of her gnashing fangs.

She almost smirked through her angry battle face, his snarl being quite a treat to her ears. The last time she had sparred had been with Issun, a wolf that would now live among them once again. She now wondered how well he had trained on his skills on his own. Perhaps they could spar again one time, or maybe Issun and Shink could battle each other for training purposes. 

As Shink lowered further, Malice saw her chance, even though his sudden dash toward her legs did make her stumble. Her massive form was hard to topple though, quickly placing one paw to her side to hold her balance. Though it did slow her down, she couldn't help but try jumping on his back to pin him.

Though his unexpected action had caused his opposer to trip, it had also drained the yearling of what little energy he had left. As Maloce used her weight to position herself in a more stable position, Shink raised his head panting, a tired sheen beginning to glaze his pools. With the last of his reserves, he jarred his head forward in an outstretched lunge towards his superiors muzzle, just as her form came crashing down upon his lithe self, flattening his body to the ground. He drew his tail in close, offering her a defeated wave as he forced his limbs to relax and give in to the dames hefty movements. Though her mocking glances had surprised the boy, leaving him curious as the pain in his rear began to emerge once again. "Adrenaline," he voiced breathlessly wincing under the sheer bulk of his Queen, a slight grin playing out across his muzzle as he continued "You won."

You'll be at 50 posts in no time, Jezus XD I'm like drowning in replies rn and desperately trying to catch up.

She hoped she wouldn't crush the boy to death with her muscles -not fat, like Nemesis would've done-, though she made sure to shift her weight onto her legs rather than just letting her plop down on him. as he made a final attempt to get her, she looked to the side to expose her scarred eye. If he was to hit, at least she would have one good side of her voice not covered in scars. Lucky for her, his teeth only brazed her muzzle slightly, but it did draw some blood. It would not scar, she could tell by how it felt, but maybe she'd have to clean it to prevent it getting infected. 

As he surrendered, she immediately rose to her feet, standing over him, panting just as much as he was. It had been great practice and a good fight for a young warrior, though they both could learn some more. She let her balance be and fell onto the ground, her side softly flopping down. The mother was exhausted if she was being honest. She moved her paw to the scratches on her muzzle. It was a minor wound, one that would easily heal if treated right, and she supposed she deserved it for so recklessly crushing Shink. 

You're pretty good for your age. She panted out. You know, my old friend joined some time ago. He can fight as well. Perhaps you'll both make great warriors.

Relief flooded through his lithe form as she removed her bulk from his body, a shuddering huff escaping his maw as his jaws closed with a quiet click. Tiredness still stole through his veins as he watched his superior flop to the ground, manoeuvring himself into a more comfortable lounge so to catch his breathe back. "Thanks," he replied, a surprised glimmer glazing his orbs as his tassel twitched with gratitude. The compliment had been unexpected yet he embraced her words, glad to know that what little resent she had had for him was gone. "I still have a lot to learn though," he continued, drawing his tail in close to cover the majority of his rump, "I'll make sure to seek out your friend sometime." He was glad that more canids were being drawn by their settlement in the area; so long as Malice trusted them, Shink believed that they'd probably be a good asset to the forming band, perhapse aid them into becoming something as magnificent as Bluegrass. The thought sent an excited shiver through his body and his auds perked up in anticipation, only to fall as his pools came to rest on the minor scratches that Malice bore. "Do you think they'll be alright?" he questioned, nostrils flaring as he bent forward to sniff at the scarlet liquid beginning to lace his Queens dark fur.

Even though they both weren't the best, her compliment had been meant. He wasn't bad, maybe a little less experienced than Issun or her, but with training everything would work out. She let out a long yawn, her maw open for anyone to see her white teeth. She was tired now, and soaked, and she just silently asked the Gods to not let them both get a cold. The chance was small though, since even with the cool rain, it was more of a tropical temperature and the things that caused colds were only very active in cold weather, she assumed. She nodded at him, her own way of saying that it was no problem. 

Well, here you can practice as much as you want. We're all safe here, so why not spend this time learning? She chuckled. She also thought Issun would find it quite an honor to be tasked for training Shink, though of course he was free to refuse if he truly didn't wish to teach. It would be unfortunate, but no impossible. I think he'll like that. She said, her panting having slowed down. She removed her paw from the bleeding scratches and saw the blood getting thinner by the rain as it slowly dripped off her muzzle. the rain was doing a good job of cleaning the minor wound as well as clean her up a bit. 

She hoped Shink wouldn't feel all too bad, since these things happened when fighting. Yeah. It's not like I have no experience with treating wounds like these. It doesn't hurt, really. She tried to comfort him with a chuckle. She had cared for her scar as well, which had been way more of a mess than these lil' scratches. Finally she wobbled from side to side to lift her heavy body off the ground and stand up.

He listened as his queen spoke, eyes alight with interest at the mention of training. Memories of his father blurred his vision as he remembered observing his older siblings practice from the safety of the nest. He had been too young to really take in any information he was giving them, yet he had enjoyed watching them spar through his puppyish periwinkle blue eyes. Lost in thought, he recalled his sisters squirming body beside him, her rich scent filling his glands as he had snuggled beside her in the moss bed, the warmth of his mothers figure calming his writhing self and lulling him into a daze. Only when Malice spoke again did the boy realise he had drifted off into his own slumber, head snapping up as he returned her chuckle with a small smile, auds flicking in irritation as he scattered crystalline droplets into the forested clearing. "I trust your word," he spoke quietly, rising to his paws and stretching out his limbs, maw parting in a large yawn. "I'll let you get back to your sons, they'll probably be mad at me for tiring you out." He offered her a gentle wave of his tail as he allowed the rain to sift through his mud-spattered pelt, glad to have it as a source of relief after the spar.

She looked at him with interested soft yellow orbs shining brightly, blinking some of the raindrops away. She felt small bundles of these here droplets run down from all over her body and shivered. She was covered in mud, and here and there a leaf stuck to her pelt of a blend of obsidian and brown. She was a mess, but all had been worth it. She thought of going by the river before entering the den of her family, as to not cover the whole place with icky stuff. Plus, she doubted Burke wanted to snuggle with a lady covered in mud and forest bedding. Looking at Shink, she saw that he was just as big of a mess as she was, only he didn't have to look proper for anyone but himself. She wondered what had happened that made him join the band, but decided to let it rest. There was no use in poking into the past. If it was something she should know, she would know when the time was ready.

She saw the male's eyes slowly closing, almost as if he was about to die, but she soon realized he was just a bit distracted. She would not take it to heart that he would rather dream than continue the conversation, everyone liked living in their own world, and instead waited for him to either fall asleep or snap out of it.

The latter had happened, and she watched as Shink pulled his lithe body off the ground with another few words. She nodded at him with a warm smile. Those little devils of mine are indeed probably waiting for their meal. Thank you for calling me, it was delightful sparring again after a long time. She said as she set a few stepts toward where she knew the river would be. You are welcome to come by again to play with the pups, if you want. She said as her final goodbye.

Closing the thread here, thanks for the spree though! Almost at 50 posts >.> And sorry it's short

A sheepish expression crept its way up the yearlings form and he shivered, shooting an apologetic glance towards his queen as she turned to pad away. "Absolutely," he agreed with a small chuff of amusement, pulling himself up into a proud position as he took her word in an accepting manner. "I'll probably wind up back here if the rain doesn't stop," he added with a chuckle, swivelling his own body to face the brunt of the trees, "Take my greetings to your brood." With that, he offered his Queen a last nod of admiration before turning tail and slinking off into the wilds of the forest.