Blacktail Deer Plateau Calling by stormlight

I power-played quite a bit here. Please let me know if you mind. :)

In the spirit of the season, the leadership of Bon Dye encouraged its members to form small parties and pay visits to the park's other packs. They called it trick-or-treating with an emphasis on the trick. Although a generally peaceable individual, Pied's lips curled into an impish grin as she thought of the pranks they would pull on their neighbors. They would be harmless and all in good fun, yet still mischievous—at least, that's how she understood it.

Partnering with Hawkeye, her only real friend so far, and the pack's Omega, the troupe set out into the park. Pied had not left Blackfoot Forest since her arrival and was not familiar with the region. She enjoyed the chance to explore. They headed west, up and over the mountains, deciding to skirt the pack they smelled there and plumb further into the valley beyond. They came across an enormous lake, rested and watered there, then followed the river northwest against its flow. The journey took hours but Pied personally enjoyed every minute of it.

The shadows lengthened, gilding the terrain in a molten light so bright that it made Pied squint her heterochromatic eyes. She knew relief when the sun finally sank behind the sawtooths to the west, plunging the park into twilight. Her patchy ears pricked when she heard a distant but telltale rumble of thunder and that same impish smile found its way onto her pale face. A stormy autumn night would make the perfect spooky backdrop for their hijinx.

"I smell another pack," she announced as they neared a plateau looming ahead, marking the end of a sprawling flatland. "It's—" she began to say when the scent registered as familiar. Pied's jaw dropped. Koontz! she thought to herself. Although Koontz was technically her aunt, the two considered each other cousins. During their time together in Flightless Falcons, they had become good friends. Koontz had left several months before Pied's own departure and, until now, she hadn't known what had become of her companion.

Deciding that this changed nothing about their intentions, Pied decided not to mention the connection to her two companions yet. She did bark to get their attention, though, and when they stopped and looked at her, she said, "Okay, this is it. We've discussed several ideas"—they had brainstormed during their travels—"but now it's time to decide what we're actually going to do." She paused. "Let's vote. Since there's three of us, majority rules. I vote we call for the leadership and demand a treat." She smirked as she considered the ways this could play out, what with her secret connection to Koontz. "What about you two?" she queried as lightning pulsed against the dark skyline.

ooc: nooo problem! pay no attention to Hawkeye... she's being a meanie. bloodlust. you know, "normal" things ;)

Hawkeye growled the moment she smelled Koontz. Now was her chance--she could rip the "Alpha"'s throat out now that she had a few pack members to back her up. The fact that the grey female could possibly be alone and ambushed was just a treat to match her "trick". Red spilled over her sight, and the visions she had lusted for were now a solid picture in front of her. She could taste the metallic flow of blood on her tongue already.

Her growl faulted while her eyes shifted to Pied as her friend suggested that they--what? Just ask her for meat? Absurd, she thought cruelly. Her words in the open matched those of her mind as she made a cool comment, her voice almost a drone. "Asking another pack for some of their stash is idiotic. The entire pack could be on us, and, honestly, you two aren't much for fighting." The glow-in-the-dark orbs moved over to Cuan, expecting the same answer from the Omega. Her view was realistic; it was just asking for trouble. Hawkeye felt a bit bad for being so harsh to her friend, but facts were facts. Fighting wasn't a game.

And the sweet flavor of the dark red substance she so lusted to have wasn't, either.

set by sophie

I'm going to squeeze my post in right here so that I don't have to reply to myself every round. xD

Koontz stood watch on her ledge, her icy blue eyes watching the storm encroach beyond the mountains to the south and west. She heard the roll of thunder in the distance and smiled wanly, her tail swaying. When it suddenly struck something solid, she started and glanced sideways to find that Ray had silently flanked her. He grinned when he saw her reaction and she growled playfully and nipped at the side of his neck.

"Don't sneak up on me like that," she said reproachfully. Before she could say anything else, she saw Ray stiffen. She blinked, then followed his gaze to the foot of the plateau. At the same time, lightning stitched its way across the dark sky. For a split second, everything was as bright as day and she could see three distinct figures skulking in the direction of their borders.

"Let's go," she said quietly, nudging Ray and then slinking past him. She paused at the head of the path that descended to their borders and waited for him to fall into step beside her, then trotted downward to meet the trio. En route, she put on a severe display of dominance. There was no telling who they were or what they wanted. They could simply be wanderers or otherwise benign visitors. Yet something about the timing of their approach made her uneasy. She didn't trust their intentions.

As they came closer and Koontz picked up on two familiar scents, she almost froze in her tracks. Vilocity! she thought with a sneer of disgust. Had that overgrown child brought back reinforcements to exact some sort of petty, undue revenge? What's Pied doing with her?! she thought next, exchanging a startled glance with her litter mate. Ray looked unsettled but when he caught her troubled expression, he quirked a brow questioningly.

"It's that trespasser I told you about," Koontz said even as Ray asked, "Is that Pied?" They lapsed into sudden silence, then the Alpha spoke again. "Yes, that's definitely Pied. And one of the two others is Vilocity, the wolf who came here and harassed myself and Yildun. What the hell are they doing here together, I'd like to know?" she questioned out loud. Ray's look answered her: There's only one way to find out.

When the Redleaf-DiSarinno pair emerged within view of the trio, Koontz's pale eyes immediately sought Pied. The three appeared to be having a heated discussion. The Alpha female heard Vilocity insult the others, inferring that they were weak. Koontz felt every silver hair on her body stand on end as she then locked eyes with Vilocity. Although she had a lot of questions she wanted to ask, it seemed there wouldn't be time for talking, as Vilocity began to growl immediately.

Infuriated by Vilocity's presence here and doubly so by the way she talked to her own companions, Koontz didn't think before she lunged at the large black she-wolf. "I told you to stay away from my lands, you petty, juvenile bitch," she hissed between her teeth as she snapped her jaws at Vilocity, not even sure herself if she intended it as a bluff or if she intended to land the hit.

Fall swept the national territory in a swift, colorful grip. As the trio stepped through the woods, the multitude of warm, rich hues assaulted Cuan's golden orbs. Normally, the Omega would be more interested in lazing about and watching the leaves fall, but the Bon Dye queen had different plans. Hawkeye, Pied, Cuan. A little less then a day ago the assignment had come out; trick-or-treat. Cuan did have a sweet spot for treats- a good bone or a tough jerky-esque piece of meat was pleasing to all wolves. Immediately, the Omega had followed behind the two females, a little more than curious to this course of festive spirit.
The evening was setting in as the trio approached a swath of ridges, with a plateau rising beyond it. For most of the day, they had traveled swiftly in a single file, following a river through woods and meadows. Cuan had enough time to enjoy his jaunt through nature, often falling behind as he inspected the fresh blanket of leaves on the ground or a stray trail left from a deer. But the Omega soon left his playful nature when he scented the aroma of another pack. The tawny beast was never for confrontation, and preferred his role as peacemaker. The small band stopped, and Pied had spoke up.
Let's vote. Since there's three of us, majority rules. I vote we call for the leadership and demand a treat.
His ears flickered at that idea. Cuan had already given consideration to the prospect of something sweet. But before he had time to voice his opinion, Hawkeye had responded, her opulent pearls sparking violently. Obviously, she was in no favor of a kind approach. A treat would be nice, the male added in after Hawkeye's poisonous remark. He doubted the vote would go for much, however, when a figure appeared in sight. The omega immediately took a step back, ears flattened and nose twitching. The stranger female was no subordinate.
Watching from a rather unattached standpoint, the apparent 'beef' between this rival pack member and Hawkeye had sparked an insulting comment, and a push to attack. Well, he suspected that their little trick or treat outing would not be all flowers and roses. Cuan let out a sorrowful whine. Why are you doing this?

Pied did not anticipate Hawkeye's harsh words and her gray ears flicked backward. She didn't know what to say in her own defense. Her lips pursed and she glanced at Cuan, who seemed to be in favor of a treat. Her eyes then shifted back to Hawkeye and she peered at her searchingly. She saw muted fury etched in the lines of the dark female's face and it took her aback. Pied wondered at the violence behind those bright eyes of hers.

Before she could think of what to say, two wolves materialized from their dimly lit surroundings, each of them familiar. Pied's heart leaped as she spotted first Koontz, then Ray. Although this meant that the surprise was spoiled, Pied could only think of how happy she was to see her family members, especially in these unexpected circumstances.

Sharp growls and even sharper words slew the briefly happy atmosphere, if it had ever really existed. Pied's entire body tensed as Koontz hissed at them, Hawkeye in particular. She didn't even acknowledge Pied. The bewildered yearling blinked at her pack mate, then exchanged a look with Ray. Her eyes were questioning but he answered her only with a stony look.

"What's going on?" she finally managed to say. "Koontz, it's me—Pied." She felt silly pointing it out, as if she wasn't the most recognizable individual on the planet. Yet she really felt like her relative had looked right through her. It wasn't a good feeling. "Can—" she tried to say, hoping to somehow diffuse this perplexing situation, but a sudden movement cut her off.

Evidently having no patience for words nor other pretenses, Koontz lunged at Hawkeye, her jaws snapping. Pied didn't know whether her cousin intended to simply frighten Hawkeye or do some real damage. Without even thinking about the consequences, she flung herself at Koontz, her jaws closing around the meat of the other female's shoulder to stop her forward momentum. She jerked backward as hard as she could, effectively halting Koontz and preventing her from getting to Hawkeye. She then released Koontz and took a step backward.

"Don't touch my pack mate," she heard herself warn Koontz and Ray. She felt an unpleasant, creeping heat all over her body as she stood up to two wolves she never would have thought she would have to face off against. "We don't mean you any harm; we're just here to trick-or-treat!" she hissed, unaware of Hawkeye's history here or her friend's ulterior motives but instinctively siding with her. Bon Dye and its members were her family now.

Hope it's okay if I slide him in here... If not, just yell at me and tell him to go away ;)

His day, thus far, had been filled with thoughts of her. It was nothing new, really, especially since he had hunted for her successfully and he had gotten the chance to show her that he really wasn’t incapable of doing certain things that others with sight were able to do. It had left him in a rather good mood, though, and, well, he almost felt like he was emotionally on top of the world. Sure, his depression was still there, still trying to hang on firmly, but he no longer thought about wanting to join his parents, his father. Instead, he thought about reasons why he wanted to stay alive, remaining here. And it all pointed back to her. The sound of voices in the distance caught his attention and he headed in the direction they were coming from, keeping his ears pushed entirely forward and using his hearing and nose to guide him. He already knew the forest inside and out, knew his way around almost better than he did back in the pack he’d been born into. That right there spoke volumes, too. But it was the sound of a growl that caused him to pick up the pace. Sniffing the air as he got closer, the fur down his entire back raised, standing on end. He knew that scent. Would never forget that scent. She had some nerve coming back to these borders, that was for sure. Stepping out of the line of trees, he moved up beside Ray with his head and tail lifted. Milky eyes stared forward, unblinking, unseeing, but he didn’t need his sight to know the location of everyone that was present, or to know that Vilocity was one of the ones there. He said nothing as he stood there, tall and proud. He was there because this was his home, this was where he belonged, and being there to back up Koontz was what he was supposed to do.

Hawkeye stood her ground with the opposing pack's Alpha lunged at her, her eyes blazing fire with challenge and a smirk spreading across her face. But--before anything could take place--Pied pushed Koontz back, protecting her. The large female was a little taken aback by the fact that Pied had known Koontz, but put the information to the back of her head. She would ask--asserting to herself it would not be a confrontation--her friend about what was going on later.

Spotting Yildun at the corner of her eye, she followed him with her eyes as he stepped in line with the other male. Neither of them said anything, though she knew he could sense her.

The inky black wolf glanced to Cuan, trying to give him a comforting look and then to Pied, searching for answers. Hawkeye heard an echo of a laugh rise to the right side of her ear, like it had as of late. A brief pause occurred before Cousins... was whispered into her ear.

The world seemed to spin around Hawkeye, and she was finding it harder and harder to focus. "Cousins?" she asked outwardly, not realizing her thoughts had pushed themselves out of her mouth.

set by sophie

Before Koontz could possibly connect, something grasped her shoulder and held her back. Initially, she thought it must be Ray, yet when she whirled to face her assailant, she saw the familiar face of Pied. Her lips moved, though Koontz found herself stunned into speechlessness. She felt Ray whisk to her side, his face grim. When Pied began to yell at Koontz, she could see him bare his teeth out of the corner of her eye. Her own silver ruff bristled indignantly.

She struggled with what to say and how to react. During the heavily pregnant silence, she heard and smelled Yildun approach. Still, words failed her. Finally, Ray spoke for her. "You need to leave—all of you," he told the threesome. "Now," he added emphatically. Koontz could see that he was avoiding looking at Pied too much until that moment; he looked directly at her even as he enunciated the word.

"Yes," Koontz said finally, "you all need to get away and stay away." A thick growl rolled out with her words and her teeth glimmered in the stormy light. "I can't believe you," she added, looking directly at Pied now. "You would defend this disrespectful bitch? This is the second time she's come mouthing off at my borders. Why are you aligning yourself with such garbage, Pied?" Her lips wrinkled in evident disgust. "If you'd side with her over family, then I guess I can't consider you mine any longer."

After glowering at Vilocity, Pied and their silent companion for several minutes, Koontz unleashed a snarl as loud as the distant peals of thunder. "Get out now!" she hissed loudly, wintry eyes flashing with fury. "And if you come back, we won't hesitate to attack with intent to kill."

Since it's been over a week and I consider this an important thread, I'm going to skip ahead in the posting order. Sorry to skip Cuan; feel free to toss in a post at any time. :x

Now both Koontz and Ray squared off with her, the latter baring his teeth openly. Pied blinked at him, swallowing against the lump forming in her throat. She took a few steps backward, more hastily when another wolf appeared on the scene. Although the numbers were even, she felt outnumbered, perhaps because it was tough being faced off against her cousins this way. Furthermore, she sensed danger all around them and she wondered how soon the rest of the pack would be upon them.

Ray ordered them to leave and Koontz punctuated this demand with her own. Pied said nothing but exchanged a sideways glance with her pack mates. She wanted to go, now, before things got any worse. Before she could possibly convey this message verbally, the silvery Alpha female suddenly began laying into her, her words both surprising Pied—she hadn't known her pack mate's history here—and stinging her deeply. The words sank into her like a whip biting through fur, flesh and bone, particularly when Koontz effectively disowned her.

To add insult to injury, she then threatened bodily injury to all of them, including Pied. Balking inwardly, Pied slowly began to shake. Simultaneously, large, cold raindrops began to fall as the stormy heavens' gates finally opened. Before long, she quaked furiously, a combination of being emotionally overwrought, soaking wet and chilled to the bone in more than one sense of the word.

"Fine," she said just loudly enough to be heard over the rainfall. "I guess that makes us—and our packs—mortal enemies then." She shivered violently as she said it, her eyes briefly connecting with Koontz's. She was upset and also angry. No matter what had transpired between her cousins and Hawkeye, she didn't understand why Koontz had felt the need to abruptly disown her. Quietly, Pied seethed.

"Come on, you two," she muttered to her two companions, who had stood quietly by during most of the altercation. "Let's go home and let Jinx know what happened here," she added under her breath, so that only they could hear. There was a subtle threat contained in those words. Koontz had blown this whole matter way out of proportion and Pied felt she had no choice but to let her leadership know about the vendetta between the packs. And though she might feel differently once she'd cooled down, currently Pied savored the idea of one day getting revenge on Koontz for her hasty overreactions.

Decided to wrap up this thread since no one else is posting.

Hawkeye growled softly, both at he betrayal of family and her unanswered bloodlust. The large she-wolf saw in night-vision red. She followed after Pied next to Cuan, contemplating their return. Would Jinx retaliate? Bon Dye was not a pack to be messed with.

The three wolves walked in silence, something that Hawkeye did not mind. It seemed they all had things to think about--well, at least her and Pied. She wasn't sure where Cuan stood on the situation.

You haven't seen the last of us, Koontz, she spat in her mind.

set by sophie

Thanks, lady! Your post was fine. I'm going to tack on this final conclusion for Koontz, then archive this... :)

It didn't take long for Koontz to feel a pinprick of remorse over her crass words. Yet before she could think about taking them back or asking Pied to wait, her cousin retorted, naming them enemies. Koontz felt a mixture of rage and dismay at this. Her face contorted, though the sudden onslaught of rain hid her grayscale features.

The trio sulkily retreated and soon Koontz found herself alone with her brother, rainwater dripping off their muzzles as they stared after their nemeses. "Let's... get back," Koontz said sullenly after a few beats, turning to nudge Ray. Her pale eyes scanned her surroundings and she sniffed the damp air, yet she no longer sensed Yildun nearby. Had he spotted Vilocity and held back? Or had the storm posed too much risk, overwhelming his limited senses? In any case, she didn't blame him and was glad Yildun hadn't gotten involved in this disastrous mess.

Guts now twisting with a violent storm of emotions to complement the literal storm blowing at their backs, Koontz led the way back up to the plateau. She fought the urge to retch the entire way. She knew that, even once they sought out the safety and comfort of their den, she wouldn't be sleeping anytime soon. The events of this stormy night would eat at her for hours, if not days or even weeks...