Redtail Rise shall we play a game with your heart?

@Arion

Heron had traveled a long way from Bloodclaw Grove and had recently arrived in a new land, after threatening a local wolf, he had found out that this place was called Teekon Wilds and various packs reside in the area. Despite that, the agouti male had no wish to join a pack so fast after he had left one. He did not wish to converse with wolves in a friendly and peaceful manner, he wished to fight and conquer and lead his own pack. But that was only a dream, who would wish to follow a bastard like himself?

No, he was better off fighting as a loner, living as a loner. Heron had found out he was a traveler at heart and loved exploring new places, as a pack, he would no longer be able to wander where he wished but had to submit to stupid 'high ranking' wolves, hunt and fight for them. It was utterly pathetic. Heron was his own man, he would fight for himself and hunt for himself. He never understood the way of the pack. Why would wolves wish to serve someone else when they could survive on their own?

Sure, it was way harder and you might die, but it was better than kneeling before another.

Black leathery nostrils flared as the stench of a pack drifted towards him, the first pack he had encountered in Teekon Wilds. Herodias strode up to the borders and was about to step straight through and trespass when he stopped and lingered directly behind the scent line. Did he wish to be killed by a patrol so soon after his escape?

Arion had woken up to cloudy skies. The weather these days hadn't been too good, which reflected his mood and probably the mood of the Rise. Gone for the days where potential recruits were greeted with a smile and a few questions, new recruits were watched carefully and would be the subject of the senior member's suspicion until proven loyal. It was a necessary protocol and Arion would be lying if he said he liked the previous carefree way they had with recruits before Saena's absence.

Truthfully, the chocolate warrior preferred this way, for it was the way he had grown up to know, this was the way his father dealt with recruits. To the stallion, this wasn't a bad change but a good one. For if they were on their guard and kept an eye on newcomers, they would not be easily betrayed.

After a quick hunt and a few bites of a mule deer meat that the pack had caught that week, Arion set off to the border markers. When he neared the scent line, the wind changed direction, black leathery nostrils flared as they caught the scent of a stranger near the borders, immediately, his hackles rose along the strong curve of his spine, his ears flattened against his skull and his tail rose as he charged towards the stranger.

It was an agouti loner with burnt legs and the tip of its tail missing, amber eyes peered out from a black mask and he was lingering right behind the borders as if wanting to go in. The Greek's black lips were peeled back and gleaming alabaster fangs were shown, a low warning growl rumbled from Arion's chest as he skidded to a halt in front of the loner. "You are too close, get back or I'll tear your throat out," the stallion snarled.

Before Heron could make a decision, a wolf came charging towards him, his speed rather remarkable to the brawny male. A coat of rich chocolate covered the pack wolf while a saddle of pure ebony lay on his back. His eyes were a piercing, fierce honey gold and when he got closer, the savage's eyes found the deep scar that crossed the other male's muzzle. A smirk graced the loner's features as he shifted his weight and waited for the scolding that was sure to come.

Sure enough, the pack wolf bared his fangs at Heron and growled, snarling at him that he was too close to the borders and to get back before he would tear his throat out. The words sounded hilarious to the Bloodclaw and a low laugh escaped the savage's maw. "You?" Heron said with a smirk. "You, you think you can tear my throat out? Petty little servant of the pack?"

The savage laughed again but obeyed the pack wolf's wishes and backed away a few steps, he would listen for now but soon, soon, he would taste blood in his jaws and watch another light fade from another wolf's eyes.

The male loner did not back off immediately and run away with its tail tucked between its legs as expected, but stared at him (probably with amusement) and laughed. Laughed at him! Arion felt fury rising like a wildfire, his heart beating furiously with rage beneath his breast but the Greek was beneath petty anger and tantrums, instead his face remained stoic as he questioned in an icy, silky tone of masked anger, "May I ask why you're laughing? What is so funny?"

Then the loner proceeded to smirk at him which infuriated Arion greatly, but he concealed his emotions behind his impassive mask. "Oh yes I think I can," the Greek answered, matching smirk by smirk. "I can do more than rip your throat out, I'll tear your head from your body and let the crows feast on your bloody meat." All that was said in the same calm, silky manner.

The loner backed away, but only for a few steps which led the Greek to step forward and let loose another growl. "More, you are still too close, petty loner."

"No you may not," Heron retorted as the pack wolf inquired coldly about what was funny. "Oh nothing, other than the fact that you're an absolute fucking idiot," the loner snarled, breathing hard suddenly. It had something to do without his anger issuses that he had ever since he had reached six months old in Bloodclaw Grove. But Heron quickly regained his smirking look, the agouti male swiped his tongue over his teeth.

The pack wolf said he would rip his throat out and tear his head from his body, then he would let the crows feast on his flesh. "Thats a good death," was all Heron said. For some really weird reason, the agouti male was really fond of the beheading kind of death, it amused him greatly to see a head away from the body. It was rather...cute to Heron. Stop. You're not a sadist, Herodias, but the Bloodclaw knew it was false.

When the chocolate Acheron told him to move more, Heron smirked the infuriating smirk and leaped past the pack wolf and jumped past the border into pack land, going as far as to run several meters into Redtail Rise land. A crazy smile decorated the savage's features, "I won't be moving," he laughed maniacally.

Arion's muscles tensed as the agouti male suddenly snarled, was this wolf crazy? The stranger quickly regained his smirking look which nearly made the aspiring warrior lose control, he really wanted to attack the stranger now but his father had taught him to give everyone a fair trial, even those who did not seem to deserve it. They were Zeus's men and the children of the gods, they had to act like it. They had to set a good example to other wolves who did not bear the blood of the gods in their veins.

An eyebrow quirked when the loner said a beheading was a good death. Yep, definitely a crazy wolf. He had never met someone like this loner before and he wasn't eager to, the sooner the wolf was on his way the better. "Move, loner." Arion barked and was about to spring forward to frighten the male when the agouti wolf did something strange and leaped past him into pack lands. The stallion turned around swiftly and was already racing towards the Rise when the savage smiled crazily and stated he wouldn't be moving.

The chocolate warrior leaped forward, ears flat against his skull, lips peeled back, snout dipped to protect his throat. Arion charged, swiftly attempting to sink his fangs into the loner's shoulder while his forepaw swiped at the wolf's forelimb, hoping to unbalance him.

His crazy grin greew wider at the sight of the chocolate pack wolf racing towards him and by the looks of it, ready to fight. Oh, finally, he would be able to feel the adrenaline rush through his veins, the thrill of having your life on the line with every stroke. Oh, whichever sweet deity that ruled above had finally granted Heron what he wanted, and with luck, he might even be able to kill and see the delicious light of life leave the wolf's eyes.

A laugh escaped Heron's lips as he felt fangs dig through his fur into skin, blood seeped out of the wound and stained his golden fur. The claws raked at his forepaws but pain matter naught to the savage, he had endured much worse as a child. "The sweet gods have granted me battle," the agouti laughed and shook his fur, fixing crazed amber eyes on the chocolate wolf and charged.

Heron aimed to sink his fangs into the man's chest and tear away some of that rich chocolate fur...

The loner did not make to defend himself or dodge in any manner, instead simply stood there and laughed as Arion sank his fangs into the fur and into flesh, tasting the blood of his opponent seeping into his jaws. "Begone from my sight and away from the pack!" The stallion snarled, about to leap at the other wolf again but he did not need to for the agouti male said another crazy sentence about how the sweet gods have granted him battle and ran towards him.

Cursing in his native tongue as the loner charged at him, Arion managed to sidestep at the last moment and prevent the ripping of his fur from happening. "Is that all you've got?" the stallion smiled, muzzle stained with his enemy's blood. "You better wish for a merciful death if you can't fight better than that, better than a....fucking vole."

The chocolate coated nobleman streaked forward, rearing up on hind legs like stallions do and aiming to tear a piece of the loner's left ear away from him as well as attempting to push him off balance with his front paws.

I'm assuming Arion would fall back on four paws after his attack, I'll edit if you mind the PP.

Heron swore colorfully when his attack missed, though he did so with a large grin on his face. Blood seeped from his shoulder would and it throbbed painfully but he dismissed it, a fight was only a fight with injuries after all and although the loner knew he was a powerful fighter, he was not so arrogant to believe he could best every local here. The pack wolf taunted him and goaded him, and Heron could feel his blood and body responding.

With a roar like a lion, Heron met the other warrior as they charged, Arion's attack on his ear worked and he could feel half of his left ear torn off. Now, he was no longer gleeful about the first battle he had in the wilds, he felt fury and rage streaking through him. A few cuts did not matter, but half an ear gone? Too hell with happiness.  

The agouti wolf charged forward, feinting a strike to the pack wolf's right shoulder but in the last moment, fangs bared, changed direction and aimed to sink his fangs into the chocolate wolf's chest and tear it wide open.

Its fine :)

The agouti loner swore when his attack missed although a large smile still adorned his features. Keen golden eyes alighted on the blood that was leaking from the shoulder wound Arion had inflicted upon him, he knew it was rather deep and should hurt but Heron was not displaying any signs of pain, instead all he displayed was happiness, no, crazy, maniatic happiness at bleeding to death. Yep, the loner was obviously a crazy one.

A roar met his ears as they both charged, Arion reared on his hind legs and his teeth caught the loner's left ear and with a clean twist of his head, half of the ear left the wolf's body and fell onto the ground. Droplets of blood welled and the stallion knew without doubt that soon, more would leak out and pain would molest the trespasser nonstop. It was Zeus's justice, and the agouti loner deserved it, he deserved a lot more.

It seems the torn ear had caused the crazy wolf to turn from being happy to raging with fury. The brawny male streaked forward and feinted a strike to his shoulder, Arion rolled his shoulder forward but it had been a feint and pain shot through him, the source of it was his chest. Honey eyes watched as the wind carried a large tuft of his fur away. Blood seeped from his chest but he ignored it. Right now, his job was to chase Heron out of the territory, then he would ask for medical assistance.

Arion began circling and once in a while, he leaped forward to attempt to land a nip or two.

His attack was successful and his teeth finally dug into flesh, his tongue finally tasted to delicious taste of enemy blood. And a soft sigh escaped his maw, the chocolate fur dropping to the ground before being carried away to the distance by the wind. Amber eyes found the wound he had created, it was deep and bleeding, hopefully it would become a scar as a reminder that he had fell to the fangs of Herodias Bloodclaw, just like the torn ear would remind him of the idiotic kneeler.

His opponent switched tactics and began the old dance of wolves. Though Heron was an impatient wolf, his thirst for blood had been sated and he was calm enough to play the pack wolf's game. They circled each other, muzzles wet with each other's crimson blood. Every once in a while, they would leap at each other before backing away once more.

A few hits landed on Heron but none of them was as serious as the one on his ear or shoulder.

His opponent seemed to have calmed down and decided to play the game with him, to dance the old dance that all wolves knew. Arion knew it as the dance of death, for he had slain his first wolf using the very same tactic he used now and knew that although it was an ancient tactic, it was useful for surprise attack. The circling method often made wolves let down their guard, and Arion hoped that his opponent also let down his guard, for if he did not, the fight would last much longer.

A few of the loner's bites landed but none of them were too severe, Arion was sure they would heal soon. The worse of his wounds was the one on his chest, it hurt badly and he was losing blood quickly. This battle had to be over soon, or they would end up killing each other. Redtail Rise would not benefit from a dead warrior, so he had to be the one who won and killed the other.

Sensing the time had come, the stallion let out a loud snarl and charged at the other male, hoping to catch him off guard and using his weight, knock him off balance and into the ground.

True enough, the old dance of wolves had caused the already reckless wolf to let his guard down. The burly beast was in the end, like his father and his various mentors said, a stupid beast. Even a large, muscular wolf would in the end, lose to one that had brains. It seems that the sweet gods above would grant him a battle, but would not grant him victory. But that had always been his destiny hadn't it? Losing fights. Why would it surprise him now?

The weight of Arion crushed against him and while he knew he shouldn't be knocked off balance, he was, because he hadn't been expecting it. Heron's right hip sank to the ground and with it, his whole agouti body kissed the blood stained earth. The weight of the pack wolf sank on top of him, he was crushing him, he was dying.

Teeth and claws flashed in the sunlight as the two battling wolves fought, but in the end, Arion won the fight and the brawny male fell underneath his weight. He pinned the male down with strong forepaws and relished the victory for a brief moment before the Greek bared his fangs at the loner and snarled "I gave you a chance, a chance to leave peacefully and avoid bloodshed, instead you ran straight into my pack's territory and challenge me. Pathetic," the stallion spat.

"You did not take your chance, petty loner, and so I will take your life," Arion growled. "This is the sentence the gods wish me to deliver to you, and I shall do so willingly." Blood matted his chocolate fur, in fact, he did not doubt that he was covered in red blood all over. The various cuts and scratches the loner gave him bled, but the stoic man ignored it.

Leaning downwards, he attempted to sink his fangs into the wolf's throat and tear it out like he promised.

For anyone reading, I have permission from Will to powerplay. Last post.

Strong forepaws pinned him down and Heron's amber eyes were locked on the pack wolf's chocolate face as he bared his fangs at him and snarled, saying that he had given Heron a chance to leave but he had chosen to route that involved blood. Of course he had chosen that path, it was the only path he had ever fucking known. But he did not say it out loud for fear of provoking the wolf to kill him earlier. In fact, he did not speak at all, allowing his silence to reply to the warrior's words.

Arion said something about justice of the gods, yada yada yada, the only part he actually listened and understood was the part about taking his life. No, his life had been too short and he had only just escaped, he would not die so soon after freedom was giving to him. But it seemed inevitable. No, a Bloodclaw wouldn't give in so easily.

As the chocolate wolf leaned in to tear his throat, Heron arched his back as much as possible and the brown wolf lost his balance and staggered backwards, leaving him free. "The name's Bloodclaw, Heron Bloodclaw and next time, servant, you shall not be so lucky." With blood spilling freely from various wounds on his body, the loner fled and ran and ran until he was sure he was safe.

The loner did not give up so easily and when Arion leaned down to bite into the agouti wolf's throat, he arched his back and made the Greek stumble backwards, giving the sentenced wolf freedom once more. That meant the gods were not done with him yet, perhaps the next time they met, the stallion would end his pathetic trespassing life and send him straight from the living world into the deepest darkest pits of Tartarus.

The loner offered him a name and a subtle threat before leaving, Heron Bloodclaw, Arion would be sure to remember that name so he could deliver his, and the gods justice the next time they met. Blood seeped from his various wounds and tiredness coursed through his body. He sat down, knowing he would never make it to Reek's den quickly.