Haunted Wood wondering eyes of the ones that were left behind

@Valour ^^ Set late night/very early morning in the Shadow Grotto. The first part is a dream. Kinda gory. 

The sirens were loud, blaring in a way that 734T3 had never heard them before. The gates had opened, all at once, and one of the humans had come in, rushing the canids out in a hurry. 734T3 sat in his cage, watching the commotion - it was a long drop from his to the floor, and he wasn't even sure what he would do when he got out, anyway.

"Come, Clarence. Good boy," urged the human, getting to the young wolfdog's cage and removing his muzzle. 734T3 did not bite the human - that was forbidden, and they were soft and fleshy. No defense against the ripping jaws of the canines they bred here. 

Reluctantly, 734T3 allowed himself to be helped down from the cage, and waited only a moment before he raced out of the door the human had opened to the room. Most of the others were in the hall already, dogs and wolves much bigger than 734T3 was. Some of them were fighting one another, ripping each other apart in the metal walkway, and 734T3 had to avoid the massacre that was occuring. 

Only, he didn't avoid it well enough.

One dog hybrid - easily two thirds bigger than 734T3 was - snatched him by the scruff and yanked him off of the ground. This was not in his weight range for fights, and the smaller wolfdog was flung around like he was a ragdoll. The hybrid slammed him viciously into a wall, and 734T3 felt his skull crack against the metal one... two... three times, and everything went black.

...

When he opened his eyes again, everything was blurry and the stench of blood permeated the air. Humans were shouting, canines were snarling, and the boy understood none of it. There was a red haze over his line of vision, and his head throbbed as he got to his feet. One human to his left was tackled to the ground by a beast of a wolf that went straight for the throat. To his right, he saw what looked to be a floppy-eared dog missing his lower jaw. And then there was the blaring noise that wouldn't quit ringing in his ears.

Everything was too loud, too overwhelming. His senses were out of control, and so Clarence did what he could. 

He ran.

~~~

Clarence woke with a start. The first thing he realized was that he was no longer surrounded by blood and metal, but instead by sleeping wolves. The second thing was that his head was aching, throbbing behind his skull that would not abate. 

Carefully, the boy stood up, trying not to disturb any sleeping packmates. He needed to get out of this den and see the sky, to be sure he wasn't in that building anymore.

His head hurt.

The moon was large in the sky, only partially obscured by clouds. Once he was a substantial distance from the dens, he came to a halt, body still trembling and crimson eyes locked on the sky. 

"Seven-three-four-tee-three," he vocalized to himself, dazed from the dream.

Sleep wouldn't find him that night. He'd come back to the woods and stayed in his den after what happened with Clay, sulking and trying to fight off the voices that echoed at him that he wasn't good enough. He heard them all, Orochi, Vengeance, and now Clay's added on. He growled to himself and then froze as a new voice grabbed his attention. Realizing it came from outside his den he slowly rose to peer out and spotted an unfamiliar face. Tail rising he confidently stepped fully out and into view silver eyes studying the pale man with mild annoyance. "What're you muttering about?" he asked chin lifting as he began to assess the other man in the moonlight. He noted the healed scars but it was the shaking that he paid the most attention to "You get messed up or something?" he asked his voice getting just a hint gentler though he honestly wasn't all that interested, he still had Clay on his mind.

This was more lucid than Clarence had likely been in months, in spite of the pounding behind his eyes. He turned his attention to the newcomer and scanned him over - there were scars on him, too. "Uh, no. Nothing. Doesn't matter," he responded, shaking his head and rising to his paws. "Just a headache."

Perhaps he should be grateful that he was finally present, here in the moment, but it made him feel sick. This was why he preferred to forget. "Messed up?" he repeated, a small smile crossing his muzzle. Clarence wondered if he'd even remember this conversation in the morning. "Yeah, I guess so. But you're awake too, so maybe we've got that in common." The boy turned to face the other, his own muzzle tipping up to look him in the eye. "My name is Clarence. Who are you?"

Valour nodded at the explanation of a headache and motioned in the general direction of Serem's den "Serem can probably give you something for that in the morning" he had no issue still sending her people to tend as a medic despite her having pups and tending to the other ones as well. 

His gaze grew sharper as his second question was answered though he narrowed his eyes at the personal comment about what he was doing up. Clay. All night. Fighting tears. Hurting. "Yeah well I'm used to it. I just can't sleep" his tone came out harsh ears shifting back on his skull as the gentle demeanor broke for a moment before he remembered that he needed to be familiar with everyone before taking Serem's place. "I'm sorry. It's... just a rough night. I'm Valour" once again he sounded sociable and his eyes shifted away uncomfortable to be attempting some sort of friendly behavior. It was always business and posturing around here and he'd learned from Nightwalker's maker. Shifting and taking a silent breath he straightened up and this time looking the other over with open curiosity he inquired "How long have you been here Clarence?"

Serem probably couldn't help this. Still, Clarence offered the boy a smile, red eyes tired and posture sagging and defeated. He wasn't even sure how much of this he'd remember by morning, if he was being honest with himself. If he were lucky, he'd probably remember this boy, maybe his name. 

A dark brow arched when the other male's tone grew harsher, but he made no comment. "I understand the rough nights," he offered supportively, looking the boy over before turning his attention back up to the sky. It was mostly clear, and the stars were pretty. Faraway, distant. "At least it's a nice night to be awake. With company that doesn't want to kill you." His head throbbed and he winced, flattening his ears momentarily before regaining his own composure. "I'm... not sure." Days tended to blend together when you weren't sure who you were anymore. "Not long. I came here with a wolf I met." A friend? Maybe. Santiago was his name. With his unstable mental state, it was probably best for Clarence to stay with this pack regardless of if he was friends with the man or not. 

"If you don't want to talk to me, you don't have to," he offered with a gentle smile, looking back at the other boy. That white streak down his muzzle was charming in the moonlight. "But if you want, you can stay up with me. I don't want you to feel obligated to or anything."

Where he was testy, Clarence showed resignation and optimism. Valour followed his gaze up to the stars listening with a stubborn frown to the comment on the pleasantness of the night though he eyed the spotted man from the sides of his gaze once or twice studying the dazed expression of the newcomer as he mentioned not being in danger as if it were new to him. Looking down he shook his head snorting softly. Of all the places to be feeling safe, the dark woods was the last he would ever think an outsider would choose, Then again Vengeance's death had brought much change to the woods. "Well....glad we've made you feel safe" he spoke of the pack as a whole before falling silent again. 


He had begun to vanish into thought before Clarence spoke again and he turned a surprise gaze as he was given a chance to leave. His brows furrowed and he tried to figure out how to respond to the gesture of kindness, feeling both grateful for it and guilty that he wanted to actually go lay down and mope. After a moment he exhaled slowly and made a shrugging gesture awkwardly looking away but wagging his tail "Thanks....can't sleep anyway. Do you wanna come with me to a cache? I was gonna eat something" he asked turning in the direction of the one he had buried the piglets in. "Food in our stomachs may help us sleep"

It wasn't that Clarence was feeling safe, per say. More that he felt that he was not under constant threat of being murdered, which was nice. He didn't have to worry that a human would suddenly decide to pitch him against another of his own kind and make him spray their blood all over the metallic floor. He simply hummed in response to the other boy, a small, patient smile on his maw. 

"Yeah, food actually might be nice right now," he acquiesced, following the darker wolf to the cache. The other Clarence didn't eat often enough, really - something about the blood bothered him, and now that he could remember, as briefly as it may be, he needed to sustain this body. The blood wouldn't seem so bad now, when he was fully in control. The skinny, piebald wolf padded up alongside Valour and looked the other kid over. "Were you born here?" he asked.

"having so many pups makes it go fast so I try to eat good when there is a stocked cache" he said as they walked. It was him and a handful of others that provided the food so he didn't see why he should hold himself back from a good meal. He remembered the earthquakes and how all the food was gone for a long time. He had been so hungry that he had even considered what Vengeance had told him at one point, that other wolves could be food in a desperate situation. His stomach clenched at the reminder of his violent tendencies just as Clarence asked if he was born in Nightwalkers. "No but close enough. I was born in a different pack" the flashes of memory were so hazey except for the pieces kept fresh by Orochi. Shadewood Keep....the name repeated a few times and he stiffened at the reminder of how his life had been shit from the start. "The old Warlord found me wandering when I was just a fluff ball and brought me here when Nightwalkers was being settled" he didn't want to put the effort into giving details right then, especially not when he was processing the haunting memory of his fathers bloated and scavenged corpse. Spotting the cache he uncovered the food and grabbed the last remaining piglet that lay discarded amongst the other tasty options stepping away so Clarence could get his "Where are you from?" he asked curiously as he picked a spot to the side of the cache to settle down to eat.

That was right - there were a lot of pups around that needed food. Clarence really needed to work on his hunting skills. A baleful look was cast to the metallic object around his wrist - that was going to make that task a lot more difficult.

So Valour wasn't an original Nightwalker, but he'd been there for a long time. It explained why the scent was so ingrained into his fur. "I'm from further south," he responded with a small smile. No need to go into the details - it was too gritty for a first conversation. Hi, I'm your new packmate who doesn't remember how many people I've killed and I may kill again. Clarence doubted that would go well. "I met Santiago over the mountain and came here with him." The boy leaned down to pick up a rabbit and laid down across from Valour, leaning in to take a bite. "I like it here, though. No one's tried to kill me yet, so that's a plus." It was a joke, and Clarence offered the other boy a smile.

South. Valour tried to recall if he had explored that way yet but he couldn't and so he simply followed Clarence's silently munching on his piglet. "Santiago... I'm not sure if I've met him yet but I've heard the name" he had to start taking it upon himself to meet the pack, it was embarrassing to still be unfamiliar with who resided within the walls of his own home. Giving a laugh at the joke he smiled back, a quick flash of one before he dropped his gaze and picked at the piglet. "Nightwalkers doesn't have the best reputation but it's home" he said softly, avoiding Clarence's gaze. He wasn't sure how much the guy knew about the history of the pack but he was glad that it didn't seem to cause fear in it's gentler members anymore.

Clarence nodded his head slowly. "Maybe it doesn't always have to have a bad reputation," he responded, taking a slow bite of the rabbit at his paws. "Things can change." If there was a way to make Nightwalkers seem not as bad, Clarence was going to do it. "I don't think I really... fit the typical mould, for this pack. Too soft, not harsh enough. I couldn't ever see myself as a Warlord or a true... warrior. Maybe a scout." A scout sounded good. Maybe an ambassador. "I hope I'll be able to help in some way." Red eyes sought out Valour's expression. 

"What do you do, in the pack?" he inquired with a small smile.

Clarence's words caused his ears to prick and he swept his silver gaze up quickly to gauge whether he was serious or not. It was a little surprising to hear outloud, the statement that he wholly agreed with and had already thought himself. Listening intently and forgetting the piglet at his feet he regarded the black and white wolf with a thoughtful expression, thinking how Clay had been soft but would have made the most wonderful packmate if only he would come back.  "if you can help fill caches and watch pups then you're more than useful" the most basic requirements were needed to keep them afloat with so many new lives to be fed, Vengeance's declaration that everyone would be a savage warrior could be forgotten for all he cared.

When asked what he did he snorted and smirked sitting up better "Serem made me in charge of stepping in if Hela doesn't get things going better" there was a flicker of guilt and he dropped his gaze back down to his food, pawing at it half heartedly "She's an incredibly skilled warrior, deadly to be honest...but she isn't a Warlord. That was mine to begin with" the last bit was grumbled under his breath before he offered Clarence an apologetic glance unsure how much of his question that answered. He had basically the same routine as everyone else if not just a little more extra duties with the weight of helping actually run the pack but he figured that was just common sense.

A small smile formed on Clarence's maw at the remark about the puppies. He had been doing some of that lately. "I'm glad there are pups here," he replied, tail thumping the ground. "I've never been around puppies before, so it's really cool to be able to play with them and watch them and stuff." He moved his forelimb and the bracelet jingled. "Though... I'm not the most stealthy hunter."

Oh, so this was supposed to be their leader. "Maybe we need somebody less... deadly, to be our Warlord," he responded with a supportive smile. "As long as you really want to take care of the people around you, and you work hard, I think you could do a good job." Red eyes flicked back up toward Valour and he tipped his head to the side. "Let everyone know life doesn't have to be all about fighting."

Valour gave a soft laugh as Clarence gushed about the pups which he couldn't quite relate to but he offered a reluctant "Yeah I 'Spose they're kind of entertaining" a smile curled his lips upward as his eyes were directed to the bracelet on Clarence's wrist. He leaned in looking closer and his brows furrowed slightly with confusion as the contraption was totally foreign to him and he couldn't figure out how it stayed on Clarence's ankle and idea of it just being there was concerning. The man continued on though, seeming to support him though he didn't like the mention of him being "less deadly" in fact he would consider himself more deadly though you wouldnt hear him say it to Hela.  

"Let everyone know life doesn't have to be all about fighting" 

The words sank deep into his very soul like barbs from a plant and he exhaled slowly, his ears twitching backwards as he considered it. Changing the very aspect of what made Nightwalkers...Nightwalkers. They were all mercenaries, all deadly in some way shape or form and....what would he do for the wolves like Clarence who lacked the sort of warrior skill needed or the drive to fight? His thoughtful expression returned and intensified as he nodded again, trying to hide his own troubled thoughts behind silence. What would eliminating the Mercenary focused structure of the pack leave him to be?  He was little else but a product of the cruel, cold mercenary training Vengeance and Serem had given him. The General was who he had to thank for having killed another wolf, a frightened living breathing intelligent woman. He dropped his gaze suddenly "yeah" he murmured and began to gnaw at the skull of his piglet for a few moments until the memory of the incident faded and he no longer felt like he was going to vomit up the meal. "You said scouting was something you were interested in?" he asked trying to push past his lack of proper response and changing the subject.

They hadn't really been getting a lot of eating done tonight, Clarence thought as he took another bite of the rabbit. He'd probably end up putting it back in the cache, but that didn't really matter. Someone else could eat it later. 

It seemed Valour was floundering for words, which Clarence understood. He offered the other boy a soft smile and wag of his tail, supporting even if he wasn't using words. "I hope so. Something like that," he responded, stretching his legs out and standing once more. "Want to try and get a little sleep tonight?" He was less than tired, himself. "Or would you like to go with me on a walk?" That might be interesting. He didn't want to just leave the boy, but he also didn't want to overstay his welcome. It would be up to Valour to decide.

Scouting. Could be potentially useful, if anything just for keeping tabs on their allies and gathering info on things beyond their usual reach. Nightwalkers was so secluded for a pack meant to be a hub for mercenaries to be hired out. "I'll let you know if anything comes up that needs a scout" he stated with a smile of his eyes, relaxing a bit under the kind support of the black and white male. Unsure if he would be able to sleep or not he shrugged, standing with a wag of his own as he returned the remaining half of the piglet to the cache "I could go for a walk. Maybe catch a little sleep afterwards" he didn't see anything wrong with taking a couple of extra hours to himself to sleep in a little. Whenever Clarence was ready he'd set off, joining him for the remainder of their walk. 

I'm gonna ask to close this up if that's okay?

Clarence nodded his head with a small smile at Valour's acceptance of his request. A scout sounded good for him, he thought. "Thank you, Valour," he responded, getting to his feet and heading to bury the rest of his rabbit alongside the piglet. After, he'd head off with the future Warlord on a midnight patrol, and maybe get a little bit of sleep later.

fade