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+--- Thread: Firefly Glen Monster in Disguise (/showthread.php?tid=43537)
Monster in Disguise - RIP Fury - August 26, 2020
Takes place during Nyra's spy mission to scope out Neverwinter Forest and Yuelong. Preferably any NWF members but All Welcome!! Forward-dated to 8/30/2020
Nyra had taken special care to wipe the Saints from her scent. She bathed and covered herself in the scent of all plantlife she could find.
Now, the massive she-wolf lurked at the borders of Neverwinter Forest, soundless in her presence like a ghost.
Granted, she was a titan-size creature with a snow-white pelt, so being entirely unseen was almost certainly too much to ask for. Being completely undiscovered however? Probably a different story.
"I wonder..." She murmured under her breath, staring into the depths of the trees from her place in the grass and underbrush.
RE: Monster in Disguise - Hydra - August 26, 2020
The Saints was not the reason Hydra ranged from Moonspear this day. She wondered about the progression of her son, and so traveled with @Keres and @Bronco (the latter of which wished to thank the wolf who had aided him, and Hydra wished to thank them in turn), both of which had more to learn of the surrounding territories. The she-wolf seemed eager to meet this son, too, and Hydra had plenty more getting to know her sister to do. But the trio hardly spoke along the way; they sparred, testing the terrain and how it moved and shifted differently now, and investigated their surroundings for anything awry. It would take getting used to, the consistently soaked earth... This did little to fray her nerves. She knew Osiris could now protect himself, and had @Desdemona with him... but Revui had just arrived upon her doorstep beaten and bloodied and she—
Hydra would not think on that, now.
But perhaps Neverwinter Forest had seen something as of recent, and had news to share. So after their spar, Hydra moved deeper into the Glen, but further from Moonspear. Her sharp gaze was alert, but along the way she could see nothing out of place. Even upon arrival, nothing seemed immediately amiss... and she was not searching for any wolf of the Saints as her snout pressed against the earth. Rather, any indication of Osiris or Desdemona stopping here before heading home—had she missed them? Entirely possible, given the inclement weather.
The scent instead that came was one that was vaguely familiar. Too fresh to be ignored, Hydra was alert at once, rumbling. The mud did much to benefit Nyra, as Hydra's gaze had yet to land directly upon her brown form in the underbrush, but it was clear Hydra knew someone was there.
You will not like my brand of hide and seek,she promised coldly,
so you had better come out before I find you,she forewarned.
RE: Monster in Disguise - RIP Fury - August 26, 2020
Nyra had heard unfamiliar wolves coming and made to hide in the underbrush. But, the form she saw and the voice to match was an off-putting surprise.
She had seen this female before, long ago. It had been several moons, if not more, since she ran into the wolves of Moonspear looking for a home. That day was faded now, for she did finally have a home. But, not one she would readily reveal under the circumstances she was under. Moonspear may be an ally to Neverwinter and she couldn't risk her cover being blown. Best to be compliant for now, she supposed.
Mulling over the options she had, the titaness decided it would be better to just do as the Alpha had said. Grumbling under her breath, Nyra stepped into view with a low swish of her tail. Suspcion would likely already be in the air, so she stayed quiet as she allowed Hydra to look her over, familiarize herself with her massive form once again.
"It's been a long time since I've been out here." Nyra sighed after the long silence, looking around casually, not looking Hydra directly in the eye once her fiery gaze landed on her. She had learned quickly from that mistake.
RE: Monster in Disguise - RIP Bronco - August 26, 2020
Bronco moved a bit more slowly than Hydra, tagging along behind her often falling out of view as he carried with him a gift intended for Minori- the haunches of a young deer, likely one from this Spring, so it wasn't too heavy to carry, but was still a choice cut of meat. Given the fact he had his mouth full, he was fairly quiet, but travelled without qualms along with Hydra and Keres, one of the pack's newest members. He'd dawdled a bit to save energy and reduce the strain on his neck and shoulders, which would without a doubt aggrevate the pain he still felt in his ribs.
When he heard Hydra's voice, though, he paused for just a moment in surprise, before he hastened his pace, picking up a trot so that he could catch up on what was going on. He peered over the haunch of meat at the two wolves ahead of him, drawing closer to Hydra though he paused to place his gift upon the ground for a moment, keeping it between his forepaws lest the stranger get the idea of trying to steal it. Faced with two- technically three, with Keres tagging along as well- imposing wolves, even the brawny, pale female would be outmatched, so he feared very little for the safety of his prize.
He flicked his ears forward, and his tail waved slightly at his hocks, before he tuned into the tension that held Hydra's frame in a statuesque pose, and adjusted his posture slightly. She seemed somewhat suspicious of the stranger, which Bronco could understand, simply given the fact they were both on high alert for dangerous strangers lurking about in the wilds. Still- his natural inclination was to be amicable first, and abrasive second- so there remained a kindness in his bourbon eyes as he regarded the stranger, keeping silent to allow Hydra to steer the conversation as she wished.
RE: Monster in Disguise - Keres - August 27, 2020
The offer to accompany Hydra and her follower was accepted in an instant, happily leaving the bubble of her new little world to join them. There was a deep, strong desire to seek out her fellow packmates and create the initial bond that could be built upon later and it seemed that Bronco would be the first of them. Though there was little conversation, even just being around the other would at least make them the barest bit familiar. For Keres, at leeast, she didn't need words to learn about another. The spar, the exploration, the jaunt through the Glen, all of it was enjoyable for the grey Ostrega.
It was Hydra that stopped their tireless pace, bringing their little trio to a halt when a new scent was caught from the wind. An ear flicked in her leader's direction, noting the rumble, the sudden tension, the chilly tone that frosted her words. Eyes gravitated towards the source of movement, a bear of a wolf stepping forward with heavy footfalls. Big though she was, Keres saw the way she refused to meet Hydra's eyes, the almost meek behavior displayed to the queen of their mountain home.
With Bronco taking position on the leader's opposit side, Keres' attitude landed somewhere in the middle of the other two's. Not approachable but also not aggressive; stoic in her stance, she kept her attention on the opposing one, curious to see what turn this meeting took.
RE: Monster in Disguise - Hydra - August 27, 2020
The aversion of her gaze mollified her, to a degree. But it certainly did not answer the questions that sprung to mind. She knew this wolf by scent, and so although Hydra had already recognized who it was the memory of how they had first crossed paths came to the forefront of her mind. Hydra had not trusted her then, and thought of her own wisdom. One ear backturned to listen for Bronco and Keres, and she knew they were both listening.
Nyra,she remembered aloud, ears pressing forward ever so slightly as her gaze sharpened as she continued,
the last of the Direfangs, if I remember rightly—but not for long, if you are dishonest with me. You will be another to die for bloodshed, and... that might not be necessary. Not if you speak true. I am a fair woman, when wrongs are made right,the matriarch drawled, not in an unkind, hateful way (though she thought lowly of spies)... simply matter-of-fact, before adding,
who do you serve, and are they your true master? What do you seek to gain here?Hydra had once given the girl a chance, but what had she done that for? She would not be fooled again, now that she was aware of who this woman really was. But who was it that had her under their employment...? And what was their interest in Neverwinter? While the pack was no true ally of hers, they were certainly close enough to home for any wolf that came sniffing with dark intentions to be a wolf that warranted looking at.
When it came to Nyra, Hydra was not thinking of the Saints—but an older enemy than that. She waited to hear the name she had been seeking for months now, without ever looking too hard to hear it. Hydra had always imagined it might come to her... and here, she felt, it might stand. Muddy, and familiar.
RE: Monster in Disguise - RIP Fury - August 27, 2020
Nyra listened to Hydra's words, her warning of death if the alpha was met with dishonesty. The titaness listened intently.
However this went, the muddied savage figured she would probably be injured, if not killed. If that were the case, she would not go down without a fight.
But, Hydra had given her a chance once and Nyra remembered it clearly now, after so long.
Perhaps some form of the truth, if not the full truth, would be the best direction to go. She hoped it didn't bite her in the ass later.
"I'm a wolf of the Saints." She answered calmly, "I was given the job of gaining intel on Neverwinter five days ago. All I was told was to see what they were up to and if it involved my packmates. The alphas I serve are Donovan Azura and another male, Derg."
She was very much telling the truth and every ounce of her being showed it, but she really didn't expect Hydra to believe her, which is why this information wasn't given with eagerness or desperation.
The titaness's voice was casual and seemed almost hollow, like she expected some sort of show of aggression even though she was honest.
She seemed to subconsciously brace for an attack, even though her overall stance was calm.
RE: Monster in Disguise - RIP Bronco - August 28, 2020
Nyra, the last of the Direfangs. So she had a name- and Hydra seemed to know it, which initially brought a bit of relief to the young man, who figured then that as long as this intimidating female was known, then she wasn't likely a threat. He did catch the suspicion in Hydra's tone, though, and his hackles bristled when his alpha uttered a very clear threat. She wasn't taking any chances, it seemed- either with strangers or with wolves whose affiliation she did not already know. He forgot about protecting the chunk of meat he carried with him, and instead focused his attention on the stranger with the goldenrod eyes, stepping forward to Hydra's flank and allowing his lips tp part in a silent threat. If she lied to Hydra, or displeased his alpha whatsoever, she'd have more than just one foe to worry about.
And while it seemed she was being honest, her message made Bronco's ears prick forward, and he flicked his tongue over his teeth in a silent grimace, a subtle flash of his fangs at the mention of the word Saints. Her deadpan delivery confused Bronco slightly- why would she so carelessly volunteer such information, unless she expected Hydra to grant her some sort of pass simply because she'd been honest? Regardless, Bronco was at Hydra's side, and at his alpha's first move, he too would be pulled into action alongside her or otherwise remain still and silent.
RE: Monster in Disguise - Keres - August 29, 2020
Her ears switched and swiveled atop her head, focusing on the conversation between the two. New to Moonspear, Keres did not have knowledge of the current political climate. Perhaps in this instance, there was no need to have prior knowledge; the threat lacing the Mountain Queen's words lended plenty inclanation to the temperatures of the proverbial waters they stood in.
The pale, bulky woman bent to the other's will post-haste, spinning words with little emotion and an equal amount of care sprinkled over top. Nyra. Direfangs. Saints. Neverwinter. Donovan Azura. Derg. Names and beings etched into the stone tablets that made up her memory; eventually they would wear away but for now, her memory was a strong, ruthless vice. These subjects would be ones that she would surely inquire about at a more appropriate time.
In the midst of this conversation, Keres remained a stoic sentry near her leader's flank, watching and waiting for the moment she might be needed.
RE: Monster in Disguise - Hydra - September 01, 2020
A Saint?
That had not been what Hydra had expected.
No; she thought this wretch to be a woman who knew the man with the patch of crimson somewhere upon him, and his witch dark as pitch. Why the Saints wanted intelligence upon Neverwinter, Hydra was not positive. Mal could get under ones skin quite efficiently, though, what with his loud mouth... so, it was little wonder he had earned the ire of someone. Donovan was a name she heard of before, but Derg was not. Not yet, anyway. She slipped it neatly away, regarding Nyra with fresher eyes than before.
At least one of her own suspicions were true. Nyra was a spy.
The Saints,Hydra echoed, ear twitching; one cupped behind her to indicate she had heard properly, but there was more to be said. To be done.
Do the Saints operate alone? Have you allies,she inquired next, the question indication enough that for now, she trusted Nyra enough to answer true... or so it seemed.
And are you happy there, as a spy?she hummed, some genuine interest there. Hydra wondered at that in earnest; the woman was not at all built for the duty she was assigned, and the other talents she might possess were utterly wasted by the man Donovan. Honesty would gain Nyra precious minutes more.
RE: Monster in Disguise - RIP Fury - September 01, 2020
"We seem to operate mostly on our own. But, Donovan has made allies with a pack called Ursus within the year. I personally don't approve of the allies Donovan has made within that pack." Nyra's tone soured, her teeth showing slightly as she spoke further "Merrick seems to be a huge slut, and his little black bird... I would love nothing more than to decapitate that obsessive harlot with my jaws. If you ever want to find them, I'll gladly tell you they're located on the other side of the Sunspire territory. In Bearclaw Valley." Nyra's hackles raised as she spoke of the black songbird and her fire flared high in those hellion eyes of hers.
"As for if I'm happy there with the Saints...I was only assigned the duty of spying five days ago. Normally I would be training to fight. I'm not truly happy there, but there is power and safety in numbers, among the added benefit of a good meal."
Nyra had no intentions of dying today, so if Hydra and her followers decided to attack anyways after her show of honesty, she would fight ruthlessly and flee once an opportunity arose, for there was no way she could take on three wolves by herself. In the meantime, she kept herself as collected as possible, though the hatred for the Ursus leaders was still highly apparent.
RE: Monster in Disguise - RIP Bronco - September 03, 2020
For a wolf confronted by three others, who openly admitted to being a part of a heinous pack of murderers, Nyra was unnervingly calm. Bronco should have felt confident, knowing that he, Hydra and Keres outnumbered the Saint three-to-one, but instead he found his pulse racing as he waited for so much as a gesture from his alpha to signal an attack. Instead, though, he found himself listening in, an incredulous statue- as the Saints' alleged spy told them everything they needed to know.
But was it a lie? She didn't flinch, and faced by three wolves that could easily overpower her, he doubted she'd risk trying to lie unless she was an expert at it. He'd simply have to rely on Hydra's ability to do so, as he neither knew Nyra, nor could he tell if she was lying. He tried to decipher why she might tell them so much- as they could then go on to take this information to the Saints in an attempt to broker for some sort of alliance by outing their mouthy spy. He also felt they owed it to the wolves of Neverwinter to warn them that the Saints had sent a spy in their direction- though for all he knew, Nyra could have actually been sent to spy on Moonspear. Perhaps she was telling them her orders in an attempt to curry favour with Hydra, so she might be welcomed into their midst. At the end of all those possibilities, Bronco could only come to one conclusion. He did not trust Nyra- and did not want her going anywhere near Moonspear or Neverwinter.
RE: Monster in Disguise - Keres - September 05, 2020
Similar to her cohort, Keres did not trust Nyra so far as she could throw her, which was not far at all. The words that spun from her perhaps offered an insight to this pack of Saints, who honestly didn't sound like saints at all, what with their spying and violence. The silver wolf was opposed to neither — if she was on the side doling these actions out. From someone else was another story entirely.
Green eyes did not move from the stocky female, offering no particular expression at the moment, deferring to Hydra's current demeanor.
RE: Monster in Disguise - Hydra - September 10, 2020
None save for those that knew Hydra best of all—those that shared the womb in the same sac as her—would have ever seen the imperceptible shift in her attention as a name was shared. After all this time, just as Hydra had wanted, the enemy had been delivered all but to her doorstep. All she had needed to do was wait, and she had the patience to do so. It was worth it, now. And they did not even know, she imagined, that Nyra despised their own ally; if she made it no mystery to her, then how could Donovan not know? Or perhaps Nyra felt comfortable here with her then and there. Safe.
She was absolutely not. Nyra had unwittingly found herself between a rock, and a hard place. Which one between the two was Hydra remained to be seen. But Nyra had granted her with a wealth of knowledge, and that... that meant something to the matriarch. And, it seemed they had a common enemy. That meant something, too. But was she serious, or was it simply a ploy to gain knowledge herself? Hard to tell, but this was yet another thing Hydra hoped time would reveal to her.
Ahh,she drawled,
that would be nice for you, would it not? To be able to decapitate her. Though I am sure your own leader would not approve. Who does he care more for, I wonder? His allies, or his subordinates?Hydra licked her chops.
Let me share something with you, Nyra. Numbers mean nothing. Loyalty, everything. I only hope your Donovan would aid you in your own endeavors and risk his own neck for you just as you do for him, here and now. I ought to kill you,she snarled, muzzle wrinkling. And everything about her person, then and there, suggested that she would as her hackles lifted, one by one, and the row of her teeth were granted the light of day. Not even the slanting rain could reduce the contrast of their terrible white (the tips of her canines stained from their consistent use with red) flush beneath the charcoal black of the lines of her lip, the dark of her gums.
But she sheathed them quickly enough, taking a breath as she thought for a moment. Quiet for that beat, Hydra determined,
but for my final act of kindness toward you, I shall spare you once more. However,she rumbled coldly,
should you ever return to my Glen again, or me and mine find you within my Wilderness... it will be for the last time. Now, leave,she commanded, brooking no argument,
before I change my mind.Hydra trusted her enough to value the skin on her back, but that was the extent of it.
RE: Monster in Disguise - RIP Fury - September 10, 2020
Sorry for shortness ;w;
As Hydra spoke, Nyra was starting to lose her cooled edge and was growing nervous, especially as the alphess bared her teeth, I ought to kill you
But as she sheathed her teeth, to Nyra's surprise and told her to leave, the pale wraith wasted no time whipping around and bolting out of sight.
She needed to be here long enough to make it seem like an effort on her part was made, but that was the extent of her stay in the Great Bear Wilderness.
Past that, she would likely not return.
RE: Monster in Disguise - RIP Bronco - September 11, 2020
As Hydra's growl thrummed, it was amplified by a sympathetic resonance in Bronco's chest- fuelling him to growl as well. He bared his teeth and snapped them once at the white female in a warning. He stared at her features so that he might remember them, regardless of how many injuries she would inevitably receive from choosing to be a part of a pack like the Saints. He'd recognize her, and without having to follow Hydra's rules, he would find some way to make her pay for the potential har, she might bring to Neverwinter Forest's borders. Hydra had specified the Wilderness, after all- and that meant anywhere within miles and miles of either Neverwinter or Moonspear. If Bronco saw Nyra again- he would take her down.
She disappeared hastily and Bronco raced a few paces after, ushering her away with snarls and growls so that she might realize the truth of Hydra's threat. Once he was satisfied that she'd left, he turned around and stiffly made his way back to Hydra and Keres. He touched his muzzle to Hydra's chin, the tension melting from his form as he did so, easily transforming back into his usual, calm and caring self. He moved to Keres, gave her a wink, and touched his nose to her cheek. She hadn't been in the pack long, but she'd held her ground well. He was right to think that the Ostregas were a lot of wolves wrought from legendary stuff; Keres had held her ground well.
He walked back to the gift he'd been previously carrying with him, and shook his head. "Not much of a spy, if you ask me," He commented softly. "Why'd she tell us everything? Just because we didn't hurt her doesn't mean we wouldn't have sent a scout to run to the Saints and let them know how inefficient their spy is," He said, with a shrug. "Then they'd prolly roll her. Guess she's kinda screwed either way, hmm?" He asked, pausing for any orders or comments from Hydra and Keres before stepping in to pick up his gift again. "We gotta let Neverwinter know Saints're spyin' on them." He said, a pleading tone in his voice.
RE: Monster in Disguise - Hydra - September 14, 2020
consent to skip Keres! Last from me!
Hydra watched Nyra go, striding after her as well though only following for the remaining stretch of the Glen. Her chase, though, was halfhearted, and she allowed the woman her escape. Hydra, at least, was a woman of her word. Nyra would learn the truth of that should she return to the Wilderness and the matriarch catch wind of it. Nosing and nipping both her comrades in thanks, she listened to Bronco and responded with,
we could, though to what end? Perhaps that is what she anticipates we might do. And if not... There might be more yet to gain. If she is to be believed, she detests a wolf that I, too, would like to see dead and gone. I imagine her leader, being allied with them, does not echo her sentiment,she informed, looking to him. Dissension from within would no doubt come of it... sooner or later. From Nyra, Hydra estimated... or any other Saint that might feel the same as her and not Donovan.
As far as sharing the news with Neverwinter, Hydra drawled,
mmm. It seems we do,with a nod of her head.
Cover your tracks,she instructed simply, taking a different route to Neverwinter despite their immediate proximity from where they stood.