Tyrande Nightshade studied the swirling water of the river in complete silence. Her ears flicked about and her nose twitched constantly. She was just one the edge of a pack territory and she knew it.
She pace the edge of the marked border warily. Had this been a normal meal, she would have simply turned her back and gone of to find another water vole to eat. However, this one had been particularly plump, and she hadn't had a good, whole meal in ages.
Not that it was your fault, was it? Tyrande thought bitterly. The very few odds of being born from a lone mother and left to die at only six months doesn't happen to every wolf you meet.
She cursed silently and continued to pace. She couldn't give up that vole, even if it was a small vermin... It might be just large enough to actually sustain her.
Tyrande Nightshade finally made her decision. Inhaling deeply, she picked up her prey's scent and gingerly took a paw forward.
hello! lecter is evil sorry
Lecter counted silently through his store of dried herbs, pleased to note that none of them had been depleted in his absence. But the necessity of hoarding the precious plants was never ended, and so the shaman roused himself to depart into the gloom of his roundabout forest.
The borders loomed ahead, and icewater eyes caught sight of a shadow slipping boldly into claimed land. The shaman's interest was diverted; from his downwind cover, he watched. Fox was usually upon the borders — he wondered why it was the redwolf had not caught sight of the interloper.
For several moments he watched her, until intrigue seized hold of him and Lecter broke from the undergrowth silently, hackles raised. Blotched with black blood, eyes glittering madly, he was terrifying to behold, and stride lengthened to quicken himself toward the invader.
I can see Lecter replying, so I'll keep Bazi distant until the second round. :D
Bazi's days were a flurry of constant activity - often far beyond the Creek's borders, but recently much closer to home. Ferdie was injured, and her desire to feed and tend to her pack-mate kept her from ranging beyond the mountains in the east.
It also left her with spare energy, and border patrols had become a near constant source of distraction. It was tedious work, but exhausting - especially if scent markers required reinforcing. Peeing on things wasn't Bazi's favourite thing in the world - there was only so much fluid her bladder could hold, and males had an easier time of it.
But today there was someone at hesitating at one of the checkpoints - and that someone was clearly not in luck, for she had secured Lecter as her greeter. He burst out of the undergrowth like a bat out of hell, spry for someone of such advanced years, and rounded on the dark stranger like a plague.
Bazi hesitated. She could leave him to it, or.. no; this girl, whoever she was, looked young and rangy, hardly a threat but potentially an asset if cared for. The bright-white female quickened her stride, approaching the hostile encounter with a cautious but altogether friendlier attitude than the blood-caked shaman. She waited to see what Tyrande would do - fight, flee, or submit - and hoped that her presence there would dissuade the darker youth from the first option at the very least.
Tyrande heard a snarl from not far off and silently cursed again. Of course, as soon as she stepped into the territory a member of the pack would come in. Packs always keep a close eyes on their borders.
Tyrande didn't like it, but she knew that she was in the wrong here. She quickly spun to face the defender. She quickly crouch low to the ground and tucked her tail, backing away. Though her actions showed submission, her face certainly didn't, as it was locked in a silent snarl as her eyes glared like fire at the pack wolf. Tyrande silently waited for his next move, ready to jump outside the borders should the wolf try to attack. At least out there, she wouldn't be harming a pack wolf within its territory.
You guys are so fast. @_@
To think that Fox could have eyes everywhere was preposterous. She was only one wolf, and she had plenty of followers who were quick to watch the borders. Those who lingered there were not left alone for long, and the yearling was confident that the creek was well-protected. Even then, it was possible for a straggler to get through, if they timed themselves right and if nobody was around to catch them. But they would not last long within the creek's borders, and they certainly would not be welcomed with open arms if they intruded uninvited. Not that Fox was about to invite an outsider into her precious homeland.
The young leader had just taken a drink from the creek's waters, lapping up the cool water with the enthusiasm of a young child eating candy. The days were quickly growing hotter and more humid, and she could only imagine what summer would be like. Already, the trees had started budding, birds had been chirping, and a million and one animals were all twitterpated. Prancing happily toward the border, Fox sniffed the air to find one scent she recognized all too well—Lecter—and another that she did not know. The second one caused her lip to curl, and she began heading toward it to investigate. A flash of white (and blood red) heading toward the unknown wolf verified Fox's thoughts on their borders being protected well, but just as she was about to follow the shaman, she caught sight of Bazi.
Fox slid up alongside Bazi, nudging her shoulder softly and watching the scene before them unfold. The stranger had submitted, as she should have, and Fox turned to Lecter to observe his reaction to this.
<3
He had been silent as he drew close to the interloper; not a sound had broken from the madman. Drawing up as the stranger fell to the ground, Lecter gave a dark snarl, bristling, shouldering the other roughly even as teeth snapped before her face; her eyes burned hotly and with a tail flung high the man demanded that she lower them.
"You are truly a fool," he growled in a low tone meant only for the other's ears. "It has been long since my God delivered a sacrifice unto me, and now I shall paint this wood with your blood."
A mad laugh bubbled from the shaman; he circled her, icewater eyes glowing with savagery. The scents of Fox and Bazi floated into his awareness, but they went quite ignored as he stood over the invading woman, inviting her words, her attack.
The Creek's on fire today.
Lecter's methods were extreme, and frightening to watch. Bazi wasn't entirely sure if he
just meant to scare the young trespasser, either, but a soothing touch from Fox kept her still. She hadn't crossed paths with their alpha since their exchange regarding pack relations, and the familiar interaction touched her heart - she told Fox as much by licking the Creek leader's chin in a brief show of submission.
But Lecter's strange, warbling laugh sent a chill up her spine, and Bazi was suddenly more fearful for the girl than their borders.
"Do we..?" she asked, looking between Fox, Tyrande, and their ..
off-colour (in more ways than one) healer.
Tyrande was ready to lunge at his throat, and her hackles raised slightly, but before she could act, she quickly kept her anger in check and lowered even further to the ground. Softly she spoke.
"I apologize for venturing onto your territory, Sir, I had only meant to fetch the vole that had crossed your borders. I would have simply caught it and left."
Whoops. She didn't mean to sound so disrespectful...
Tyrande Nightshade felt a shiver run down her spine. If she attacked, she would certainly be run off, injured, or worse. The wolf had two companions watching and waiting in case anything should happen...
The shiver filled her with a slight fear, but also a tingle of excitement. She had never fought another wolf, and she was reluctant to take on three, but she couldn't help herself from smirking ever so slightly at the battle that was on the verge of happening.
Lecter's threat did not phase the yearling. Maybe he was just taunting her, but due to the girl's trespassing, Fox would not have made a fuss if he truly did intend to "paint the wood with [her] blood." Death was fine punishment for trespassing, especially when one trespassed to steal food from their home. Bazi's soft question was met with a slow shake of Fox's head. There was nothing to be done except to watch the events unfold. Fox would intervene only if it looked as if Lecter was in trouble.
The outsider apologized, admitting that she would have simply taken the vole and left, provided she had been able to catch it. This, of course, was not to Fox's liking at all, but she allowed Lecter to act as he pleased. She imagined that he would dislike her response, but that was up to him. The sneer on the outsider would likely not do her well in the long run.
She spoke, but he did not care for her tone, her stance, nor the smirk that coloured her face. "It would seem you are as stupid as you are invasive," he muttered, though a dark smile of his own rose to haunt his face grotesquely. Fox and Bazi had made no move toward him, and Lecter continued in this same vein.
He was still for a moment. The smell of her blood would rise hotly in his nostrils, and perhaps Sos would bless him for the sacrifice. The redwolf had made no move to stop him; meat taken from the borders was the same as taking it from the collective mouth of the Creek.
"Get up," he commanded. She was hale, and perhaps even mad, given her lack of true submission in the face of three wolves, and countless others — she knew not how strong they reigned.
Before she had presumably complied, Lecter suddenly leapt at her, silently, teeth glittering. She would defend, or he would teach her a lesson in border etiquette before asking Fox if he could have her for his own purposes.
Fox shook her head and Bazi obeyed, stepping back to watch the spectacle. Tyrande was doing herself no favours, flirting with submission but ruining the effect with sarcasm and an unfortunate smirk. The newest among her greeters crinkled her brow into a frown, disappointed. The thought that she might invite this stranger in and see to it that she was fed and briefed had disappeared, and she was starting to understand why Fox was so protective of the borders. Perhaps it was best to let Lecter loose on all newcomers - if they weren't put off and managed not to die, they probably deserved to stay.
The shaman launched - Bazi managed not to flinch, and waited with bated breath for Tyrande's reaction. She couldn't have been more than a year old, and reminded the youth of her own arrival into the Creek mere weeks ago (but some wolves knew how to submit and mean it).
A shot of adrenaline ran through Tryande. As the wolf lunged at her, leaping, she yelped and slithered underneath him. Using her nose to push up on his hind paw, which should upset his landing, if successful. As she stood up behind him, she whirled around and snarled, but anyone could probably catch the hint of fear in her outburst. She backed away slowly towards the direction of the border.
Her muscles tensed as she realized her mistake. She swore and her hackles rose. It wouldn't be long until the other two would show up...
She swallowed, her youthful fear beginning to take its course. "Listen, sir, I... I did not mean any harm..."
She fervently sniffed and angles her ears, waiting for the next attack, whether it came from this male or the two wolves that were still hidden.
She closed her eyes and cursed. Idiot! She told herself, You couldn't hold your tongue! Now your going to pay with your life, or maybe worse... This wolf seems a bit of a lunatic, maybe he has a very slow ending for you...
She tucked in her tail and lowered herself as low as possible. This time, there was no smirk, or anger. She looked up at the wolf, with a blank stare, showing surrender.
"Please, sir. I didn't mean to intrude... Please, if you wish, lead me to the border...
Fox was curious as to what kind of plans Lecter had for this one. Considering the trespasser had shown nothing but disrespect up until this point, the yearling did not care what happened to her. She was doing nothing but sealing her own death warrant, as far as the Alpha was concerned. Bazi's presence was welcome, if only because it would teach the girl how trespassers were to be dealt with. Fox did not wish for her wolves to be kind and forgiving to those who were not part of the creek. Especially when they waltzed right in like they owned the place.
The elderly shaman was one of the highest ranked among the creek wolves, and it would be up to him how he dealt with this one. It would not be the first time that Fox took a backseat and allowed one of her own to act as they pleased. Unlike some of the other leaders she had served beneath, she thought it better that her comrades had a mind of their own.
She evaded him by some method of trickery, and he whirled to close his teeth a scant few inches from her tail. Whimpers arose, pleas for lenience, and Lecter was pleased; now she was filled with fear. Now she would know that he alone was her god. Fox would not save her.
And Lecter was not inclined toward mercy, not when this woman had fired the primal bloodlust that had made him the beast he was today. Her backing steps were greeted with a growl, and when she lowered, a long flicker of laughter mocked her.
"Mercy? Mercy, when you wished to fight only mere moments ago? No. I shall not give you mercy." His eyes glittered, beginning to trace the curves of her body with what appeared to be a masculine interest — but those who knew Lecter would understand his intent.
"I will give you a chance to redeem yourself. You will come with me. And you will submit. Otherwise I shall slay you here, and then I will feast upon your flesh and take your skull back to my den. What do you say?" the shaman purred conversationally, circling her lest she try to evade him.
Exiting Bazi here!
Lecter escalated, and still Fox did not intervene - and by some strange osmosis of philosophies, the more Bazi saw, the less inclined she was to object. The shaman's threats and posturing made the Creek seem strong, confident -
frightening. She almost wished a Vale wolf was present to witness proceedings.
She wondered who else among their number had been 'welcomed' into the pack by Lecter, and what they thought of him now, on the other side.
Jinx probably likes him, she thought to, matching the two without knowing a thing about the relationship between them. And for his work, Bazi liked him too. He was a skilled medic, and not to be trifled with - wolves like that had their place.
Tyrande would have to fend for herself. Bazi nuzzled the rust-red ruff of Fox's neck briefly and began to withdraw (the situation was in hand, that much was clear), determined to put some of Lecter's methods into practice with the next trespasser. Once out of earshot, she sat down to watch the interaction between the black and white shapes, curious to see if they entered the territory together.
Tyrande's jaw dropped slightly. She had imagined to one day join a pack, certainly, but not on terms like this...
What did this wolf want?
She studied him, they way he looked at her made her feel... uneasy. What was it? Something about this wolf she was unsure of... But if she rejected his offer...
She shivered and looked down. All this, for a stupid vole... She sighed. Was her trespassing so wrong that she must give either her freedom or her life to fix it?
She shook her head as fear slowly crept over her body... This wolf... What plans did he have? Why would he even offer this to her?
She looked back up at him. "If that is my only option besides death... I guess I shall go with you..."
Fox glanced to Bazi, but made no move to follow the girl. Instead, she watched on as the stranger admitted defeat and agreed to go along with Lecter, reluctantly so. Fox broke her silence then, addressing Lecter directly. “Lecter, I’ll leave it up to you to decide how to handle her.” That was probably already obvious, but she wanted to make sure she said it aloud just in case.
Fox then turned to the black female. “Stranger, what is your name?” Captive or not, Fox wanted to know the names of those who resided within the creek's borders. Perhaps names did not matter to some, but to Fox, they were at least somewhat important.
As he had hoped, and assumed, the girl submitted, taking the option he had given her. A fond, triumphant cast of his eyes was given Fox as she approached, granting him ownership of the situation — Lecter smirked. Intentions were already illustrating themselves within his mind, and he circled 'round her to his leader's side, though remained close enough to lunge for the woman, should she attempt to escape.
"I want her skin," Lecter hummed, though perhaps it was only loud enough for Fox to hear.
Ah, sorry, went to look a other stuff ;p
Tyrande squeezed her eyes shut. This was her end of her freedom to wander where she wishes. She wondered if this wolf would ever let her out of his sight at all, or if he was to have her cling to him like a pup. For the first time in her life, Tyrande actually began to shiver with fear.
"M- My name is Tyrande N-Nightshade, Miss..." She glanced up at the duo, and glanced back at the way towards the end of the border. Her flickering hope extinguished. She doubted, because of the other two's experience, that she would make it very far.
You have been accepted in a pack. Be happy about that. She told herself...
But... at what cost?
Fox gave Lecter a mischievous smile, but returned her attention to the stranger when she spoke her name. “No need to stutter,” she replied, “Do what Lecter asks of you, and you will be fine.” With no reason to linger any longer, Fox gave them both a curt nod, and headed toward the inner depths of the creek.
Tyrande would surely have an interesting first impression of her new home, and Fox was curious to see what Lecter planned to do with her. Despite his words, she doubted he would kill her, although she would not put it past him if the newcomer showed up dead the next day (or sooner).
Last post for me! I'll start a new one for us a bit later.
Lecter returned Fox's smirk, and mouthed the stranger's name to himself: Tyrande. Icewater eyes watched the departure of their leader, and then returned themselves to the cringing woman. "I am not going to call you by your name. You will answer to whatever title I give you."
With that, he reached down to grab the new Creek wolf's scruff, not harshly enough to harm her or break the skin, but firmly, to enforce his dominance over her.
Heading in the direction of his gloom-ridden den, the shaman dragged his new slave alongside himself, a last cackle seeping out through his mouthful of flesh and fur.