Phantom Hollow True Colors

She'd tried her hand again at hunting water fowl without any luck. It was rather discouraging--she'd really hoped to have something to show for her effort--but Mitanni wasn't to be dissuaded so easily. I'll just try again tomorrow, she told herself as she cast a stubborn stare over her shoulder at the river as she retreated further into the territory, this practice has to pay off sometime.

Clinging to optimistic thoughts, she tread closer toward the center of the Phantom Hollow, wondering vaguely what everyone else was up to. Had they had as much luck with their endeavors for the day? Maybe someone's not too busy. She was feeling in a particularly chatty mood.

Now searching for one of the Moonlit Hills pack to chat with, she trotted casually through the spooky wood, keeping her eyes and ears out any of her fellow wolves.

Mitanni's really going to need to work on her observation skills after this.

I am assuming this is the thread?

Judas had been wandering, thinking to himself. This place, this pack. It was not like the others he had seen and infiltrated. It was changing him. What confused him the most was whether it was for better, or for worse. Soon, his thoughts were replaced by recognition of a scent. Mitanni, he thought to himself. The first that had changed him, made him feel these feelings. Somewhere deep, something arose. A little voice in his head told him that this was it. She had given him the most information on others, so they must know much about her. And care for her. With a grin only those with evil hearts could appreciate, he made his way towards her.

"Mitanni" he purred, adding in a bit of charm. "It's been awhile, hasn't it?" He looked her over, searching for some kind of weakness to use against her. There had to be something, and if he found nothing, well it would not matter. He would achieve what he set out to do, one wolf at a time.

Yep, this is it.

Before she could find anyone, someone found her. Mitanni's ears perked and and her trotting paws stopped, her lithe body turning so that she could face the wolf that had spoken her name. Judas. She smiled just a little playfully, offering a friendly wag of her tail as her good mood carried through her gestures. Long time or not, she was happy to have found company.

"Has it?" she questioned curiously, though she supposed it had been a while. Her time had gone too much to her new trade of hunting lately, her scouting . She'd need to work out some way to better spread out her time.

She turned fully to face him, taking his approach of her as an invitation to talk. And since she'd been looking for just that, this seemed to work just fine. "How are things, Judas? You keeping busy?" She wanted to go on and talk about her new efforts in bird catching if he'd listen, but she waited to see how he'd been spending his time first.

Judas stopped before her, standing tall. Judas' posture remained dead still. His eyes piercing. He waited, then made a small response. "Indeed, it has" he replied, putting a purr at the end. He gave a toothy grin, curling his upper lip up to reveal pearly white teeth. He wasn't afraid to show his true colors (See what I did there?) to his victims. "And it has been going great. I have been keeping very busy."

He closed in, stalking toward her. Scuffing a paw around when he was barely a pace from her, standing in front of her. "You know what I hate more than dirt?" He glanced up, a psychotic look in his green eyes. "Wolves. Always taking from lesser creatures, always stealing the life from another just trying to make a living. And not for food, no. Because they can. Well, here's what I say to that..." He looked back at his paw, then all of a sudden flicked dirt up into her face. Then, he leaped forth, aiming his jaws at one of her legs to bring her down.

There was something different about Judas today. Mitanni noticed it almost instantly, but it was hard to name just what it was. Was it a new sort of confidence? More charisma? Perhaps it was a combination of both? It's kind of fun, she considered, intrigued, unaware and only assuming that his peculiar good mood was like her own.

Her tail wagged again, her mood feeding off of the perceived good cheer she saw in him. "That's good to hear," she answered delightedly, refraining for the time being from prying into whatever it was that he'd been doing since he'd helped her out. We should have that other lesson soon, the black and brown wolf remembered, and made a note to work it into the conversation somewhere.

As the thoughts entered her mind, Judas walked closer. The invasion of her space surprised her more than anything, but as her amber eyes stared into his green ones with a puzzled look she didn't back away. He was part of the pack, and though he'd spooked her initially with the way he'd acted he'd been nothing but helpful and friendly since he'd joined Moonlit Hills. What had she to fear?

The unsettled look within his eyes as he rhetorically asked her a question rekindled some of that fear. Mitanni tried to stifle it, reminding herself that he was a friend now, but as he admitted to hating wolves she couldn't manage it. The smile on her face slipped away, and changed into an increasingly worried expression. What did he mean by this?

She hadn't a moment more to consider it as his shuffling paw suddenly flung upward, bringing dirt along with it. It hit her face, stung her eyes with a startled cry, and momentarily blinded the petite wolf as she hunched in on herself and raised a paw to wipe at her face, eyes clenched tightly shut as tears gathered in them. With one foreleg raised, the other was a very open, very easy target, and as she felt teeth sink in and latch onto her leg she yelped loudly, falling instantly to her side.

She cried out again, unused to the pain in her leg and terrified at the green-eyed wolf's sudden turn. He's attacking me. Why is Judas attacking me? With teeth bared and another yelp, Mitanni wildly kicked out with her hind legs in a feeble effort at defending herself.

Sage heard the yelps and cry of a wolf within the borders, her heart began to race and she lifted her head from the ground as she had been tracking a rabbit. She leapt quickly in the direction of distress, light and quick, adrenaline raced through her. She couldn't allow anything bad to happen in Moonlit, and if a member was being attacked in a fight without supervision she would have to end it. It wasn't long before she spotted the young and petite wolf, Mitanni being fiercely attacked by none other than... Judas?

"Hey!" She yelled rather sternly at the two. Flashbacks from when he was almost rabid telling her of what his father did arose in her mind. What he unsafe? She should have assumed this before it to happen, how could she let such a thing slip by without second thought? No one looked or spoke as savagely as he did and be fine, something was wrong with him, compelling him to betray Moonlit. 

She searched to see if @Malice was in the area, but let out a howl for both her and @Issun, perhaps he could help break up the fight? The ebony girl inched closer to the two, but kept a cautious amount of space, unsure if either one would lash out agaisnt her. Damn, did she hate fights and the idea of her in one again, becoming savage like she'd seen Judas become, was something she wished to stay away from.

The sound of distrustful calls along with Sage's was enough to get him running to the scene. His tail stood up like a flag and his paws stomped along the ground, making his presence booming. What could be happening?

Upon arrival, he could see Judas mercilessly attacking Mitanni. Shock clearly overtook him to see one attacking his own. It was soon covered up by rage, and he went barreling towards the two, growling fiercely. His jaws were open wide and aiming to drag Judas away by his scruff.

Thought that not everyone would see him strike @Malice. Hope that is okay with you

Judas saw the worry in her eyes upon his strike by dirt. He enjoyed it. After he lunged, he latched onto one of her forelegs, flipping her onto her side. This was easy due to her focus on her eyes and her size, most likely. He savored the fear and pain. Yet some part of him stopped him for a moment. he held a blank stare as a small part pleaded for him to stop. He didn't even notice the other wolf come in.

This pause proved to be enough for a kick to knock him back. He still had his jaws clamped down on her leg, which would have resulted in some wounds on her leg. After falling back, buffeted by the unforeseen defense, he finally caught Sage in his peripheral vision. She had seen too much. He would have to make this quick. But he wanted to savor the moment, so he stalked over to his target, his head low with the stare of a killer. He had tasted blood, and wasn't giving up so easily. "You wolves. Always fighting back. Why can't you just lay down and die like a good prey!" He lunged forth again, this time aiming for Mitanni's neck. Only for someone else to grab him by the scruff.

"Let me go!" he shouted, kicking and screaming, gnashing his teeth and saliva flinging everywhere. With his continuous movements, it would be no surprise if he lost some fur.

Sorry I'm late!! Sleeping is pretty important :)

Cries of pain, a true treat for an insane being like the queen, but these cries were from someone she didn't like to see in pain. She raised an eyebrow, looking behind her where the cries seemed to come from. A desperate call from Sage, growling, yelping. Everything went by in a flash and Malice found herself frozen in place. After a few seconds of wondering what was going on, she turned, sprinting to the battlefield. What she saw was a shock. Sage, watching a fight with a worried look. Mitanni on the ground with a bloody leg, screaming in pain and maybe even shock. Issun, dragging a struggling body away from the poor girl.

What she saw next made her gasp in disbelief. All memories of their fun together flooded her mind when she watched Judas, eyes gone, face savage. She growled softly before sprinting to the young warrior. She stepped on Judas' legs, trying to make him stop moving. What was going on with the half breed? She stared the insane boy in his green eyes, trying to come through to him. Stop it! She screamed at the top of her lungs. Judas, please, come to your senses!

Her grip on him loosened, giving him the perfect opportunity to hit her in the face if he wanted to as she broke. Tears starting to form in her eyes, she closed them, only hearing the struggling of Judas trying to escape.

Perfect opportunity for Judas to give her a nice scar :P You can chose where, but my preference goes to one over her eye or something.

One of her wild kicks managed to make contact, but it backfired in assisting her. With Judas' jaws still clamped around her leg, the sudden motion pulling him away strained further at her captured forelimb, and Mitanni cried out yet again as she felt the wound his teeth had inflicted burn further. Let go! Please, stop! She wanted to cry the words aloud, to beg for mercy, but in her panic she couldn't formulate words, only sounds of torture and distress.

At last her leg was released, but in her pain the mottled black and brown female couldn't get to her feet fast enough. She barely had enough time to whine and roll to her side before her green-eyed attacker was right there beside her again, stalling her efforts at retreat. Her eyes still stung, but she managed to squint them slightly, vaguely making out the blurred shapes of Judas and one of the darker members of Moonlit Hills. Malice? Sage? Had someone come to her aid?

Feebly, she scooted back on the ground, but as Judas lunged once more for her Mitanni knew she wasn't going to get away in time. Her amber eyes clenched shut again, her entire body flinching and recoiling from the close quarters attack she could feel coming, but instead of more guttural snarls and pain she felt nothing and only heard Judas lash out at someone else.

Her eyes blinked open again, making out the figure of her attacker being drawn back forcefully by another dark shape. Hastily, the lithe little wolf turned and stepped, flinching and whining at pain that lanced through her injured foreleg. Tucking it slightly, maneuvering her weight between her other three legs, Mitanni awkwardly managed to find her footing and with her vision blurred by a new volley of pain-induced tears she hobbled over to the solitary black figure she'd first noticed, drawing herself closer to Sage as Malice--when had she gotten here? Was she the one who'd restrained Judas?--tried to get her traitorous pack member under control.

When the solider got a hold on Judas' scruff, he held on tightly and did his very best to keep him still. By now, Issun didn't really care if his hold was tight enough to spill blood or not. The male was a traitor. Turned on his own. There would be consequences, whether it was banishment or imprisonment.

Being Judas was a half breed, there was a noticeable size difference from the two, which would mean that it should be easy to get him under control. Still, with the male twisting and turning, it made his job difficult.

The half-breed lashed and gnashed back and forth after his legs were pinned down. If anyone neared his face, they would be sure to be struck by his sharp teeth and strong jaws. He didn't care who he hit, or who hit him as a warm liquid trickled through his fur along his back. As soon as he had been grabbed, all logic left his mind and he went full attack mode.

But something made the half-breed's mind pause. The voice that followed after. He knew that voice. Even though his body still acted savage, Judas' mind was different. It was Malice. The only one almost as insane as he was. With much focus from his mind, he stopped, his eyes carrying recognition. Before being driven mad again by a little voice in his head.

The smell of spilled blood floated in the air, everyone in shock by the boy that went savage. What had made him snap was a mystery to the queen, as well as probably everyone here now. Her eyes still closed, she stumbled by the kicking and moving Judas was using to escape. She didn't even feel his teeth going across her face, starting at her right eyebrow, going through her eye and stopped at her cheek. The smell of the crimson liquid became stronger, her own blood now adding to both that of Mitanni's and Judas. 

She opened her eyes, the sting of the wound now intensifying. Her actual eye hadn't been damaged luckily, but as soon as she realized what had happened, she gave a soft whimper as she stared at Judas. Whether this had been intentional or not, it would heal to be a reminder of the boy for as long as she lived. Her voice had made him calm down for only a brief moment, and that was exactly what gave her hope now. With blood gushing out of her fresh wound, she begged him.

Judas, I beg of you, stop! She yelped, attempting to come through to him. You are hurting the wrong ones, my boy, realize that! She screamed once again.

He had struck Malice. It was then that Issun put as much force as he could. He leaned over the male, then tried pushing his head towards the floor. There had to be a time where this guy would just give up.

He growled sharply. "You better listen!", he warned through his fur.

The mad canine continued to flail, ignoring their cries. Until he was finally brought down, his head under another's paw. Judas snapped his jaws a couple of times before finally giving up when the other male snarled down at him. His vision cleared as he began to calm. Deep, heavy breaths. Now he could see clearly. Mitanni, with her wounded leg. Malice standing over him, blood on one eye. And Sage standing nearby (not sure if you want me to mention if she was injured or not). 

Wolves that once trusted him. What would they think now? He knew escape was no longer a chance. The tan half-breed knew he should have run while he had the chance. But he had made a promise. One he could not keep any longer. Soon, his vision began to fade, and his breathing slowed due to exhaustion from all his snapping and his violent outburst. And in a moment's notice, he passed out, his anger simmering down to almost nothing.

Issun proved his skills as a warrior once more, finally pinning down the savage beast, just not in time for Judas to not give Malice a nasty scar. She closed her right eye as to prevent the red liquid from dripping in it. Despite being pinned down, Judas was still quite active, squirming and snapping under the weight of the young warrior. A muffled voice spoke and as soon as the words were spoken, the squirming pile of wolf stopped moving. Malice didn't have words to describe what had happened. Veritas wasn't here anymore and they had no other healer to get Mitanni back on her feet. The queen only knew that one should keep a wound clean, and perhaps they still had some leaves to stop the pain in the abandoned Healer's Den.

Malice watched as the savage boy calmed down, his breathing now just as heavy as that of hers. Blood dripping down her face, she wondered if he was even still alive. She stepped off his legs after a good 10 seconds and saw his chest still going up and down. Whether it was a good thing or a bad thing he was still alive, it was a relief to see the boy breathing. His eyes closed, he almost looked peaceful. The daughter of Lucifer looked up to the black warrior and signed to let him go now, one pale yellow eye requesting it. He had passed out, so the chance was small that he would try to do anything else.

Malice turned, her legs heavy and sore from Judas kicks and struggles, and made her way to Mitanni. She nuzzled the girl's face to comfort her. Don't worry, he won't hurt you anymore... She whispered. We'll get you fixed soon, promise, just take it easy for a while and clean the wound with the fresh water in the Healer's den. She whispered after in a comforting tone.

As soon as she was done with comforting her family member, she looked up to Sage, then to Issun and the unconscious Judas. Right, make sure Judas doesn't cross the borders of Moonlit Hills once he is awake. We can't have a maniac running lose in Kintla Flatlands with our pack's smell on him. For now, let's keep him locked down in one of the dens until he realizes that we are his true family. She said, her voice serious and even hateful towards the savage boy. Deep down however, she knew that she couldn't stay mad at him for maybe something out of his control.

The male had finally subdued to Issun's hold, bringing a somewhat content wash of pride over him. When Malice signaled him to let go, he released him, but still stayed close to Judas' side just in case he was trying something funny. He then picked Judas to carry him to the den.

It was shocking and disappointing to see someone turn on their own packmates. Never in his life had he witnessed something like it. In his eyes, wolves were supposed to be loyal to one another. Unlike Malice, it would take a longer time to trust the male again.

Edit; //CLICKS EDIT BUTTON REPEADTEDLY

She blinked repeatedly, tears streaking from her stinging eyes. She couldn't reach up and rub at them--her dominant right forelimb was currently her only support as the left was still held suspended and bleeding. Eventually her vision began to clear, and across from her she recognized the members of her pack. Malice and Issun, both struggling, and Judas beneath them. Mitanni whined softly to herself, shrinking a little in place. Don't let him back up.

Between the two wolves, they managed to subdue the traitor, though not without a bit more bloodshed. After Judas seemingly went unconscious, she saw it across Malice's eye--the eye itself thankfully unharmed--and she felt gratitude well up within her as her alpha stepped over to offer her a nuzzle. The Healer's Den, right. She'd forgotten about it, but now it sounded like the most important place in the world. "Okay," Mitanni answered, surprised to hear her own voice shake. Maybe she didn't feel as composed as she thought.

Afraid that she might further succumb to her shock in front of everyone, and desperately wanting to be away from Judas before he could possibly be given a second chance to finish what he'd started, Mitanni hobbled away on three limbs toward the Healer's Den while everyone else remained distracted with the traitor.

It all went by in a blur, she not having any time to enter and save the day, was she really that worthless? The thought grew in her head. She's done nothing for Mitanni, and even allowed Malice to get hurt. If anything, she was more angry at herself than she was Judas. Once entering reality to walked towards her alpha, ears lowered. "I'd like to speak to you about this...ordeal. Her voice was serious, they had to do something with Judas. His acts could be forgiven, yes, but they would have to make a plan to fix it. He had inflicted something against Malice, and she couldn't just let that go as nothing significant.

She shot a worried glance at Issun, at least he was generally okay. But poor Mitanni, she could help but feel bad for the poor girl. This could be traumatizing to her, hopefully it wouldn't impact too horrible a mental scar. A part of her was disappointed he didn't have any injuries resulting a scar, at least not one she could see, Sage having a strange...liking towards them. Though she'd been unharmed, just watching the fight as it came to an end.