Wolf RPG

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Time to go raid another unoccupied area for something delicious.  The shortage of food had given her an excuse to actually leave the territory.  Probably a good thing, given how many questions she'd come up with -- a few had been partially stifled, but there were a few that still burned, awaiting their proper answers -- as it gave her time to think.  One day, things would be not so up-in-the-air and that would be nice, but for now things were just annoying.

Solitude was the other thing that these trips gave her, at least most of the time.  There were still quite a few too many weak-willed sorts in the pack for her tastes and this meant she didn't have to run across them... Theoretically.  Maybe at some point she'd have to think of what to do if the situation didn't change.  Treason, after all, wasn't going to walk on eggshells for anyone and she wasn't going to stick around if one of them turned out to expect it.  Everyone saw how well that turned out when the Fools wandered into the vale, and that was pretty tame, all things considered.

Either way, she reached the lake's edge when the day was still young, drinking from the water before she started to investigate for prey.  Fish maybe if they came close enough to shore or she wandered to one of the connecting rivers.  If not, there was always the surrounding forest, which seemed lively enough.  Options.  Options were good.  The question was what would make itself available.
It is Time. -rubs paws-

The shadow broke off from the group as he tended to, desiring solitude and freedom. Perhaps he'd even find a suitable territory on his travels. After crossing a rather large expanse of partially scorched plains, the scent of water reached his sensitive leather nose. Desiring to cool off after several miles of travel in the heat, he trotted towards it, and a lake soon came into view. More interestingly, something else came into view―an imposing white figure with familiar dashes of darkness on her dorsal side. It was unmistakably the sharp-tongued woman from that Sunspire pack they met in Northstar Vale.

Feeling that he had nothing to fear and not wanting to leave this place, he slowed to a walk. Corvus approached the water's edge to lap up the cool liquid. Once he had his fill, he lifted his head to see if the woman would take notice of him; if she did, how would she react? He suspected it wouldn't fail to amuse him.
*dramatic chord!*

Of course, eyes hunting for prey were also keen at spotting any movement.  Once he'd broken from the treeline, she'd kept an eye on him as she continued along the shore towards the mostly-jet figure.

It took her a little bit longer to put a few pieces together and figure out who he was -- thanks in part to his potential packmates who made the whole group seem like they were worthy of forgetting as they'd be dead soon anyway -- but eventually things fell into place.  She hadn't been impressed then, and now wasn't any different.  Was this guy going to whinge about how she wasn't friendly and willing to play doormat to fools?  Probably, but she wasn't going to let his existence foil her plans, or even just her vaguely planned path.  If he stayed put, he'd just have to deal with it, simple as that.

The more she thought about the lake, the less likely she thought she'd be able to catch anything in it -- this section of shore seemed too smoothly sloped to allow for a not-expert fisher to get the jump on prey, so her goal had shifted to getting towards one of the feeder rivers to see if that would allow for better access.  First, though, she had to go by the Fool. As she got close enough to gauge expression she gave him a vaguely inquisitive look tainted by a low expectation of common logic, just waiting for the complaint to arrive.  There was no question that she'd painted them with a very broad brush, as she figured idiots would only attract their ilk.
The woman was approaching him, and she appeared curious about his presence. When she neared enough for him to be heard in a regular speaking voice, he said, Fancy meeting you here. A grin, however small, began to form. There was no malicious intent in his voice, for he was never bothered by harsh words or quips. From how he saw it, the Sunspire wolfess was just being brutally honest, anyway.

Frankly, Corvus was disappointed with how the alphas reacted to her―especially Liri's words to the Sunspire alpha. What pack leader would've ordered an attack on a pack wolf just for giving advice not coated in sugar? Was his skin exceptionally thick, or theirs too thin? Regardless, he'd continue to stick with them for now, as a pack was a pack. There were others he got along with just fine, anyhow.
But... That was not the response she was expecting.  He smiled?  The hell?  That was enough for her to slow to a stop and slowly tilt her head.  What, you're not all offended I didn't act like your alphas were chosen by the gods or something stupid like that?  Because wow, the egos attached to that pair if they expected everyone to grovel and bend to their will... They might even have Treason beat.  Sure, it was obvious that neither Rannoch or Wraen gave any weight to what that chick had said but that didn't mean that the whole thing hadn't rubbed her the wrong way.

So maybe she'd been wrong about some of them?  That didn't make any sense though.  If they didn't think anything was wrong with the way Treason had acted, why hadn't they given the alpha a bit of a stink-eye when it was happening?  Eh.  She could always hope that any intelligent pack members had reconsidered and maybe had a proper spat after Treason and the rest of the Sunspire wolves left.  She had absolutely zero qualms trying to poach -- or, say, rescue -- reasonable wolves from groups she thought were unworthy.  Just subtly planting a few more seeds of doubt that might cause them some trouble... You know, totally normal behavior, not anything Machiavellian about it all, right?
She was utterly confused by his demeanor, it seemed. She came to a complete halt and tilted her head at him to ask, "What, you're not all offended I didn't act like your alphas were chosen by the gods or something stupid like that?" Corvus chuckled at her verbiage.

Of course not, He replied. I certainly don't think of them that way. The nosferatu tilted his head in turn, finding it curious she thought he viewed the alphas in such a ridiculous light. I am Corvus. I don't believe I caught your name, He then decided to introduce.
So they were fine with their own minions but as soon as someone wasn't under their paw, you better be a prim and proper politician?  Is that how it worked?  She briefly raised her brows from their eternal scowl, Better watch out then, you might be next.  She treated it with the same respect a skeptic would give a bogeyman of their choice but with a slightly different focus.  Obviously it wasn't that they didn't exist, but that they deserved the same level of faith as a bigfoot-chupacabra hybrid.  In other words, basically none.  She had faith that they'd destroy their own pack due to their own ineptitude.

Her name.  To a certain point she it was unfortunate she didn't get to play that card, their reaction would've been golden if the rest of their reactions were a sign.  She snorted, Yeah, I'm sure that would have vexed them even more; I'm Treason.  Honestly, Treason couldn't see anything other than them jumping to even more conclusions.  She needn't touch on the whole them thinking she was a liar thing again, right?  Treason was definitely a wolf with opinions.
Raising her brows, she said, "Better watch out then, you might be next." He laughed then, taking what she said to be a joke of sorts.

I will, Corvus replied. The wolfess gave her name as "Treason", and as non-judgemental as he was, he simply couldn't let that slide. 'Treason'? He repeated with a quirked brow of his own, not sure he heard that right. Was she toying with him? He couldn't tell. Is that your real name? Perhaps asking that would offend her, but Corvus felt it was a fair question. He doubted it was her given name at birth and even suspected it was an alias like the one he fronted. But... even if it were an alias, why 'Treason', of all things? And why was she seemingly comfortable with going by such a name? So many questions racked his mind by such a strange, negative name.
Treason had pretty much been serious about it.  Wry humor, certainly, but she wasn't rating them too highly.  They'd bring their own doom.

Oh it did entertain her when people asked.  Her maw split into a somewhat devilish grin, You're the only one here who's even bothered to ask.  It was said with a hint of a laugh, though not really an answer.  Honestly she found it weird they just accepted it.  Sure, they might look at her strange, but it was like she'd just said her name was some unpronounceable keyboard smash and they thought it was ok.  Does it really matter, though?  It's what I'm known here, not that it's out of place for my family to start.  Maybe a little, but she didn't have to stretch too far to find it appropriate.  Treason didn't even really have a reason to be cagey about her past -- she just was just 'cause she could.

Then again, maybe her reason for having such a weird name was clear -- she got some sort of strange enjoyment of the confusion and unease it could cause.  It put her in a minor position of power with no effort on her part at all.  Treason was a rather odd bird.
"You're the only one here who's even bothered to ask," Was her initial response to his question. Corvus blinked.

Really? He asked, voice carrying how unimpressed he was with every last person who'd learned her name in these wilds. That was the very first question to come to his mind upon hearing such an epithet. Had she only met fools up to this point?

"Does it really matter, though? It's what I'm known here, not that it's out of place for my family to start." She was fine with admitting her family was treasonous? So her alias was fitting, at least to some extent. Well, he didn't have the details, and he wouldn't ask. Still, Corvus held onto a healthy amount of wariness and suspicion, though he kept it under lock and key.

Deciding not to comment on her latter sentence, he said, I suppose not; it matters more what you do with yourself than what you're called. A subject change was in order. One of his favorite questions came to mind: What brought you out here?
There'd been a slow shift in her attitude -- from standoffish to something more fluid, a mix of confidence and curiosity that spawned from the fact he'd asked the right question.  Mhmm. They just accept it.  Maybe with a funny look, but that's about it.  It's sometimes disappointing.  Hell if she knew why.  Not curious enough?  Not cautious enough?  It didn't matter other than she wasn't getting the reactions she wanted.  It was supposed to be an easy way for her to judge, but if nobody did anything how she was supposed to do so?

She wanted him to keep talking, to reveal a few more things about his nature so she could decide if maybe he was one worth her time.  Treason had no qualms trying to plant seeds of disloyalty towards the Fools' pack, to try to lure away anyone who had seemed reasonable.  After all, every wolf should be interested in joining the best fitting pack for them, and Sunspire was obviously far superior of the two.  But was he worth the pale devil's effort?  Mm.  At least he had a brain.  It was a start.

To think, to grab a snack on the way.  Though if it turns out to be a more entertaining trip, I wouldn't be against it.  For a second, Treason grinned, and though it wasn't necessarily wicked, it certainly wasn't warm and kind.  Her words had been equally vague; were they a euphemism for something?  Maybe, but she hadn't given them much emphasis, and the fact that her face turned neutral as she now looked off the direction he'd come from, perhaps she was just a really odd wolf.  A farther walk for you, isn't it?  She had no idea where they'd settled, but it hadn't been any of the regions nearby that she'd prowled.  They were somewhere beyond the radius she'd set.  As long as she wasn't going to discover the pack line started another hundred yards away, she didn't care too much.
So sorry for the long wait! ;v;

"To think, to grab a snack on the way. Though if it turns out to be a more entertaining trip, I wouldn't be against it." Treason grinned again, and Corvus found her seeming much like himself in that moment. He couldn't help but to return the expression.

I was doing just the same, He said.

Her grin soon faded, and she looked in the direction he'd come from before asking, "A farther walk for you, isn't it?" Corvus nodded.

It is, He answered vaguely, not keen on disclosing his pack's exact location. It wouldn't be that difficult to find out, but the dark man was curious to see if she'd ask. This wolfess was interesting to him, and he wanted to learn more about her nature and intentions.
No problem! :D

Mmhm.  Was about all she had to say regarding pack locations, apparently, though her nostrils did flare again in his direction.  It wasn't like he'd be able to hide his pack's location if she went questing for it.  But really, she seemed happy enough that they just weren't right there in the end.  She'd investigate some other day, but at least if she remembered his scent, she'd know if she stumbled across it by accident.

At least so far he hadn't done anything that totally bored her.  It was just too bad about the company he kept unless he could be turned.  Then again, she didn't exactly have high hopes for that pack, so perhaps all she needed to do was wait and it would fall apart -- then she could be a "friendly" face when it turned out things went as Treason predicted.

She raked her gaze swiftly across him again, analytical as ever -- but would he actually be worth the trouble to try?  Surface level said maybe,but she expected to be disappointed -- he was fit enough, yet in the end scrawnier than her kin.  She canted her head slightly, So what do you do for fun then, Corvus?  Would it entertain me?  Her use of the word continued to be indistinct -- that was part of the game she was learning, to either give them enough rope to hang themselves or surprise her.  Treason's overall attitude had shifted to be decidedly catlike the more he'd proven to be unlike his alphas, and she took a couple of slow steps in an arc around him, casually observing.
She seemed disinterested and did not ask the question he expected. Instead, when Treason looked back at him, she asked, "So what do you do for fun then, Corvus? Would it entertain me?" Corvus liked this question more. A grin crept onto his face, even as she began to circle him like a vulture above a carcass. Her fixation on him was strange and baffling, as was the inquiry of whether his idea of fun would entertain her. Why would she tack on such a question after the first?

Perhaps it would, Was all the shadow said, eyes trailing her calmly as she walked. The manner of his answer carried a teasing undertone that murmured, "Wouldn't you like to know?" His eyes gleamed with mischief while his teeth remained bared in a cheeky smile. Corvus felt a strong desire to pick this wolfess apart, to learn what made her tick and what her intentions were. It was strangers like this that made going out so exhilarating.
Well, at the very least he didn't seem to be put off from her question.  Perhaps he even seemed interested?  Games were much more fun when the other players were compliant with whatever rules she'd placed on the board.  The average wolf would have given a mundane reply, others would have tried to go away entirely.  Treason was left wondering what would prod him to action, and if it would be the wrong direction.  She wanted a response not just little clues -- getting to them was fun to a point, but she was also young and likely to lack patience that she'd have in later years.

As he spoke, she took a final step and paused in half-stride.  Her ears cupped forward, expression shifting to feigned shock, Perhaps?  It faded back to something curious but neutral, I can work with 'perhaps...'  But you can't make a girl do all the work.  But look who was talking -- a quite burly young woman, who almost certainly needed no help at physically prying information out of the average wolf.  Facetious, obviously.  It was all the game.  The scars he bore weren't particularly telling clues -- they could be from a hunt, a fight, or being a clumsy oaf.  His stature spoke even less.
The nosferatu chuckled at her reaction. The way Treason spoke made it sound like she really wanted to know more about him. Why? Was she plotting something? Sure I can, He replied devilishly with a lidded gaze to boot. Sharing a little surface information about himself wouldn't hurt, though, and Corvus didn't want the pale devil to lose interest. ... Would you care for a walk to better acquaint ourselves? He took a few steps in the direction she'd been traveling in, glancing back at her to silently ask if she was coming. Corvus was sure Treason would tag along.

If she did, he'd wait a few leisurely footsteps before finally speaking again. Going off on my own like this is something I enjoy often, he revealed, glancing at the strange woman from the corners of his eyes. What about you? Corvus asked in a tone that sounded unnaturally conversational for him, but it was just to quell his itch to understand this wolf even just a bit.
Treason was definitely plotting, but what entirely she wasn't sure yet.  It depended if the pieces she found fit one of the puzzles she had going.  He could even prove to just be some useless one that she'd toss aside in the junk pile -- it really was up to him to a point.

At least he wasn't totally turned off from her actions thus far.  Walks, though, weren't particularly exciting; then again it might allow her to keep her nose out for something edible if she did get bored of him.  Multitasking was good.  Either way, she responded with a slight affirming noise and a look that did its best to ask if that was all he had up his sleeves.  More than just a walk, she hoped.

Not as much.  Typically stay to patrol -- would be less useful to be elsewhere if something happened.  --  But well, recent events...  Shrug, not a finished thought.  Recent events left her wandering, questioning things.  Sure, getting reliable food was a good enough reason to wander but she did have other reasons for expanding her investigations, even if her thoughts didn't get actualized.  She would be somewhere she felt respected, she would get what she wanted.  Anything else was not an option in her book.  Is it just wandering you do?  It maybe sounded a little more playful than she meant, but she did need to know if he simply wandered and that was all, if it was maybe a case of harmonizing attitudes but not interests.
As expected, the woman agreed to tag along, though she gave him some kind of expectant look. Treason answered his question genuinely but didn't complete her latter sentence, leaving what "recent events" were up in the air. She was trying to get him to bite, surely. He didn't, simply accepting the response with a nod. "Is it just wandering you do?" She then asked in return. Corvus wondered where she thought he got his scars from, if not battle―or perhaps she knew but just wanted to see what all she could squeeze out of him.

Nonetheless, the sliver of a grin returned as he reminisced about all of the entertaining encounters and fights he'd already experienced here. No. I am a mercenary. Heading out is a good way to find interesting opponents, among other things. The strangest people come out at night, Corvus offered, tossing in the hint that he was nocturnal for free. It was no secret. Do you have any fighting experience? He asked next, having taken notice of Treason's brutish size. Her confident attitude also lent well for it, so Corvus would be surprised if she wasn't a fighter to some degree.
Some of her packmates had taught her to not assume from scars.  Mostly Seabreeze, who had proved herself to be dumb as a bag of rocks by repeatedly flinging her obviously-not-a-fighter self into every conflict she could find so she could come away a wounded martyr or whatever her thinking was.  Treason in the end would rather ask and make sure or alternately assume it was from hunting misadventures than get her hopes up.  It was easier to just not expect much from people.  Either way, the fact that he was confirmed a fighter earned him a pleased nod and yet another once-over glance.

The bit about nighttime didn't pass without her notice.  Perhaps she was lucky then to have crossed paths with him now?  Maybe.  The jury was still out.  I've found the fools out there don't much care about the time of day.  They just somehow know if it's inconvenient to rear their heads.  And yeah, that included his alphas.  And some of her packmates.  There really weren't a lot of wolves Treason liked once she started really going through a list.  Maybe that male she met way back upon entering the region would return some day -- in distanced retrospective he seemed like a sort that might please her.

I am a soldier.  Born and bred.  And though she didn't carry any obvious scars of war, that didn't mean she couldn't absolutely screw someone up if she wanted to.  Also possibly worth noting was the slight difference in terminology.  Though the trade might be called that, she felt the term wasn't serious enough for her upbringing.  Perhaps that was her current reason for her dissatisfaction -- she expected more from the leadership she followed, to be worthy of the skills her loyalty brought them.  Though I can't say many of the wolves I've met would make good opponents.  Which was unfortunate, sure, but perhaps right now a little untrue -- she didn't know that the newer recruits to the pack claimed some fighting prowess.
"I've found the fools out there don't much care about the time of day. They just somehow know if it's inconvenient to rear their heads." Corvus chuckled.

Not all I meet are necessarily fools, just... different, He added. It took a different kind of wolf to defy one's diurnal nature and be active in the absence of the sun―himself included―only granted the light of the moon.

Answering his question, Treason said, "I am a soldier. Born and bred." That garnered respect from him. He was not raised to be a soldier, but that is what he became. To be trained from a young age meant she likely had much experience under her belt, despite her youth. She then added, "Though I can't say many of the wolves I've met would make good opponents." Corvus raised a brow at that.

Really? I've met several skilled foes here. Perhaps we could spar sometime. Just the idea of dueling with Treason sparked excitement in him. He wanted to experience just how skilled she was firsthand and give her a good fight.
Edited on a conclusion since you're inactive at the moment!  Def want another thread if you bring him back. ;)

So again she was just getting the short end of the stick, apparently.  Why did that keep happening?  Mm. I suppose it would just be luck having a laugh at my expense.  It made her feel out of place.  It was as if those who would never match her fighting prowess tagged after her like a moth to a flame.  If they'd just burn up already and leave her alone, that'd be great.

And I'm sure that could be arranged.  But how do you suggest it happening with you... Elsewhere?  Wherever.  Not easily reached the way those in her pack were.  I'm not so sure your leaders would appreciate being reminded I exist, but from the sly smirk, she wasn't too serious.  Probably.  Though for real, she didn't know if they were the types that would get bent out of shape by someone showing up to call for one specific member.  As already discussed, Treason wasn't going to give them the benefit of the doubt.

She did wonder if he'd actually be able to impress her.  Treason was a pretty tough audience and had some very specific likes.  Corvus wasn't the best at hitting all those points, but he wasn't necessarily doing awful.  Meh.  But he hadn't lost her attention yet, so that counted for something, didn't it?  Just the same, the hours were dragging on.  If you end up tiring of them, I'm sure you would be welcome at Sunspire.  And I'm a howl away for spars.  With a catlike flick of her tail at him, she turned back home.  Sure, she hadn't found food on this outing, but she'd found something else that qualified as interesting.