Blackfoot Forest ROLE CALL · River seeks the deep

Although Pied had seen more pack mates in recent days than she had in the past month prior, she still considered Bon Dye's status uncertain at best, most of all because there was no longer any trace of Jinx. With the leader missing in action, the remaining wolves drifted in a river of uncertainty. She did not feel qualified to lead or even properly rally what was left of them, yet Pied nonetheless wanted to send out a lifeboat to gather up the survivors and figure out whether to find a new anchor here in the forest or set sail on a different course...

This morning, Mag perched on Pied's shoulder, thought the young she-wolf felt nothing but an indistinctly cool sensation there. Happy for the bird's company on this particular day, Pied threw back her head and sent up a cry toward the cottony white sky. "Bon Dye!" she howled as loudly as she could muster, her voice breaking the dawn stillness and echoing through Blackfoot Forest. "If there's any of you left out there, come meet me in the center of the forest so we can decide our pack's fate..."

Leaving it at that, she let her muzzle drop as silence resumed. Absently, she angled her snout sideways as if to nuzzle the ghostly bird at her shoulder. She started when she felt cool, soft feathers touch her nose. As soon as she noticed it, the sensation vanished and she found herself nuzzling thin air, Mag looking back at her with lifeless black eyes that somehow seemed to smirk at her.

The large black female lifted her head from sniffing the forest floor. She heard a faint echo of what sounded like Pied's voice. She's calling you to help determine the fate of the pack. Hawkeye nodded, lifting her head to the sky, sun dappling her ebony fur, and let out a response that told Pied she would be there soon.

Breaking into a gallop, she watched her surroundings for anyone else who might have heard Pied's call. How many of them were left? And where had Jinx gone? Hawkeye knew that leaving the pack was an act of betrayal for the members, but what would Jinx's consequence be if she and her scent were nowhere? And would the pack disband or stick together? A whimper escaped Hawkeye's throat with a rough sound. She had felt so included with this pack, and she didn't want it to end.

As she arrived in a slow trot, she saw a strange bird, but turned her attention toward her friend. "Hello, Pied," she spoke gently. "It seems as if we are the only ones here so far." She left everything else to silence, feeling as if talking would put too much energy into sadness at the moment.

set by sophie

It had become clear that Bon Dye wasn't quite devoid of hope—although they had been abandoned by their leader and it could very well destroy the bonds between them, it might be as simple as finding a new figurehead. Zombie, of course, knew this on an instinctive level if not in words she could articulate. There was a small chance that the pack would survive, and the yearling would not allow herself to put much belief in it, but it was a chance nonetheless. All of this, of course, was based solely on the fact that she had quite literally run into a pack-mate the day prior—who seemed to think there were more of them scattered through the woods.

So, Zombie had decided to haunt the forest for a while longer before she moved on... to either die or attempt to worm her way into the ranks of an unsuspecting pack. It would offer her more survival time, at least until the bad luck that seemed to cling to her ripped the next pack apart as well.

Lost in these stormy thoughts as she wound her way through the trunks of trees, Zombie's ears came alert as a song echoed through the dawn air. A summons to see what pieces remained, and how they might all fit back together. It was with a mixture of hope and apprehension that the thin girl arrived; this moment would decide everything, and could either end in a stronger bond or end in bloodshed.

She bobbed her head in submission to Pied—she was the only one of the two that Zombie recognized, and had called this meeting—before settling on her haunches to wait for more (if there were more) to arrive.

Vires had known for a while that her pack had gone silent amiss the forest they once prospered in, even if it was for a short time. This let Vires with a feeling of uncertainty that followed her around like a storm cloud, darkening her every move. Leaving her with questions she couldn't answer, and most of all leaving her with dread of the winter. Vires for once in her existence, was scared and feared for her life. 

Vires  was out hunting when she heard Pied's call. Vires in mid-hunt forgot about her hunger and listened. Pied's signal beckoned her to the center of Blackfoot. She left the rabbit she was stalking unharmed and immediately ran towards Pied. After a few paces Vires arrived where in front of her stood 3 wolves. Two she had met prior, Pied and Hawkeye, while the third she hadn't a clue who they were. Silently as winter snow with pelt as opposite Vires nodded to Pied and took her place amongst her pack mates.

set by sophie

Made some presumptions in this post, if there are problems let me know. =)

There was an absence, keenly felt, within the pack, and Leto was much displeased. Jinx's scent no longer permeated the very earth on which they walked, and had faded into ambiguity, buried beneath layers of dead leaves and the first slushy snow of the season. Bon Dye was without its empress, and Leto waited to see who would seek to rise in the Kesuk wolf's stead. She herself had eyes on the throne, but she did not wish to declare them too soon, lest Jinx return from an extended hunting excursion and be wrathful at seeing her position usurped. And the niggling doubt in the back of Leto's mind told her that though she was ambitious, she was also young and inexperienced, and that she might not be accepted at the helm of this wolf pack, as a result of her coyote heritage.

Nevertheless she worked to solidify her claim; fresh urine markers on a twice-daily basis around the borders would buttress her authority, and adding to their stockpiles of food would prove that she was a strong provider. For the spiritual aspects of service to Bon Dye, Leto had little use; their strongest proponents, Jinx, Kerberos, and Lecter, all seemed to have fled the lands or at least were too scarce for Leto to place any faith in anymore. A residual of religion was left in her, however, by the dreams that came more frequently and with more intensity as autumn turned into winter, dreams in which fire clashed with ice, and sunlight warred with darkness. These night visions alarmed her at times, but she felt they had a greater significance she had not yet discovered.

These dreams were far from her mind when the call came on the crisp, cold air. Instead she had been in the middle of collecting willow bark, one of the very few medicines she knew, from a tree, a hedge against sicknesses that might befall them in the coming season. The howl's source seemed unlikely--it was the voice of Pied, one of the wolves that Leto recalled from their meeting some time prior. Obedient to the summons of one of the pack members she hoped to lead, Leto made a quick cache of the gathered willow bark and took off at a lope to meet Pied and whomever else might answer the call.

Pied. Hawkeye. Zombie. Vires. Leto padded silently among the group and chose a spot near the center, seating herself primly and lifting her head confidently. She looked around to those assembled. "Jinx seems to have fled, and unless they appear now, I think she must have taken Lecter and Kerberos with her. A fine way to start the winter." This was her commentary; she would save any further surprising news for the group when all who would arrive had done so.

It's been five days, so I'm going to go ahead and get on with this. Others are welcome to join in the fun belatedly if they like, though if you don't hop in soon, we're going to assume you're no longer a part of the pack (both IC and OOC). :)

Pied only turned away from the bird's strange gaze when the first wolf came in response to her call. "Hey," she replied to Hawkeye's greeting, her voice weary. "I'm glad you're here." She nodded and sighed simultaneously in reply to her companion's observation. "Let's hope there's more where you came from," she quipped weakly, managing a small but mostly mirthless smile.

Another pair arrived within seconds of one another. They were the two wolves Pied had met most recently. "Zombie," she said to acknowledge the first, then, "Hi, Vires," when the dark female appeared right behind the second arrival. "Thanks for coming. I'm glad you're both here," she said earnestly.

A few more minutes passed and Pied felt a fresh wave of hopelessness. The four of them could scarcely call themselves a pack. Was there no one else left? Even as Pied fought back the lump forming in her throat, another she-wolf approached the group. She walked with confidence and Pied dipped her muzzle without thinking about it. Her mismatched eyes followed the wolf—Leto, she thought, from the pack meeting—and remained impassive as she seated herself in the center of the group.

Leto's remark took the last remaining wind out of Pied's sails. Her shoulders slumped momentarily and she felt the cool tingle of Mag's presence. A second later, she sat up straight, squared her shoulders, and looked each of the four in the face. Hawkeye, Zombie, Vires and Leto, she thought, feeling a fierce sense of loyalty as she mentally enunciated each name.

"We need to figure out where to go from here," Pied said, looking primarily at Leto, though her eyes skipped over Zombie and Vires to rest on Hawkeye. "I'd like to make a decision as a group. My thought is that we can either stay here and sort of start over as a pack... or maybe agree to go together to another pack." Of course, Pied couldn't make them do it as a group, though she sorely hoped they would all stick together, come what may. "What do you ladies think?" she asked, since it was notable to her that it was five females left standing.

Sorry for not adhering to a posting order—I just figured we'd free-for-all unless a fight or something breaks out. Also, EXCITED. <3

Of the wolves that had gathered, Zombie knew the majority—if only in passing. They were small, but they were enough and they were here. Still, the yearling did not allow her hope to grow large and unruly. If the rest of them didn't feel it, Zombie certainly could feel the tension that quivered amongst the small group of them. Soon, it would snap—for better or for worse. The yearling knew she wasn't cut out for leading, but it was hard to tell which of them could. Zombie didn't know any of them nearly well enough, but she caught the way Pied's eyes moved from Hawkeye to Leto—with little regard for her, or the other that sat next to her. She bristled at the subtle insult, her lip twitching slightly, but remained quiet.

Although Zombie rarely felt comfortable enough to be the first to speak, her response to Pied's questions were immediate, "We stay. We took a blood oath." The others might not take it as seriously as she did, and she knew if there were a bitter challenge for rank the small band of them could be divided regardless, but it was an important point nonetheless.

"Zombie is right," she said assertively while keeping her straight posture and looking to Zombie. The seriousness of the words were understood by the charcoal-colored she-wolf. "Though Jinx has left, we are still here, which means we are still sworn." The mountainous wolf let her words ring in the air, and left her wishes of Lecter and Kerberos to show up confined in her mind. They were not here, at least not yet, so their presence did not matter at the moment.

set by sophie

I wanted to post again to keep things moving, hopefully without leaving anyone far behind. If things start to progress, please slow down to make sure nobody gets left behind. I just... really want to push this toward a resolution!

Zombie answered her immediately, pointing out that the five of them had taken a blood oath and, though Jinx had broken her own oath, they were still bound by it. Hawkeye quickly seconded Zombie. Truthfully, Pied hadn't contemplated the verbal pledge she'd made upon joining Bon Dye until now. She had never run with a pack so invested in spirituality and other ecclesiastical trappings, so she was simply unused to the significance of such things as vows.

Yet she appreciated the reminder, as well as the new opportunity presented by the life she'd begun to cultivate here, even if Bon Dye had fallen apart at the seams. "You're right," she added. "So we stay together then." She glanced at Vires and Leto to see if they also agreed, her gaze begging they not challenge this.

"But do we stay here?" Pied asked in the next beat. As soon as she asked it, she realized she was leading the conversation and she didn't want to be mistaken for the de facto Alpha. Pied knew herself well enough to know that she wasn't up to the challenge of leadership. "Maybe, before we decide anything else, we should elect a leader in Jinx's stead..."

Pied was clearly the sort of mediator that any good pack needed, to help make decisions and to play the voice of reason in a dispute. Zombie, it seemed, was a loyal follower, for she only reaffirmed her blood oath to the pack and made no further motion to step up in Jinx's stead. In fact, it almost seemed that the lot of them were dancing around the subject, until Pied suggested electing a leader. Hawkeye's words were spoken without direct mention of leadership, either, but her mannerism was as serious and her posture was as erect as Leto's own, and the coy-wolf fixed her emerald gaze on the dark female she suspected could be her direct competition. The she-wolf was an inky-black figure, contrasting with the pale snow, possibly not far removed from Leto's own age, and almost certainly larger than the halfblood. If it came to a fight, it would almost certainly be a formidable one, not easily won.

Leto cleared her throat, and moved her head to look at each of her companions in turn. "We have little that draws us together, but I see in each of us a fierce will to survive. We can, if we are willing to work hard, to defend what with have with our very lives if the need arises. We can recruit others to our forest home as well. After all, who wants to live the winter on a damn mountain?" Her laugh, directed at the expense of both neighboring packs who claimed Going-to-the-Sun and Silvertip Mountains, was meant to lighten the mood and point out their obvious advantage against their closest competitors. Quickly, though, she sobered, though not without the hint of a proud smile playing on her lips. "Without Jinx, Kerberos, and Lecter we are leaderless, but not lost. I can't speak to the faith on which they founded Bon Dye-spirits and loa cannot keep us alive in a blizzard, or fill our stomachs when our caches are empty. But I can stand behind their goal of taking what is rightfully ours, and building the bonds of a strong pack."

Nervousness filled her stomach suddenly in a rush of nausea, but she did not falter; she only continued, asking Zombie, Pied, Vilocity, and Vires, "Will you accept my leadership as Alpha of Blackfoot Forest?" Though she was seated, Leto's tail lifted over her dark-furred back as the query passed her lips, and she looked over the group, expectant for their answers. Her paws itched faintly as her muscles tensed ever so slightly, in anticipation of physical attack if she were to be directly challenged over the matter.

"No," Hawkeye said smoothly."Next in line would be Kerberos, then Lecter. After those two, I am the highest ranking wolf--put in this rank by Jinx herself. I have walked the borders and stood to protect the pack at all costs the moment I was accepted into the group." She kept her smooth tone, and spoke cooly and gently. She looked at each wolf individually while speaking. "I would do anything to protect you; my packmates." The humongous wolf finished her words, feeling as if she had shown that she would be willing to sacrifice herself to defend her friends--because they were just that.

set by sophie

Truthfully, Zombie would have accepted any wolf that had volunteered—so long as they remained together. She had felt the tension, however, and knew it was a possibility that more than one would seek to fill the position that Jinx had abandoned. When Leto spoke, requesting their acceptance of her claim, Zombie's ears went back and her posture sank into one of nervous submission. It was not directed towards any particular pack mate, but all of them; she wanted no part of the challenge. It was in this moment that the tension would erupt to the surface—in this moment that Bon Dye might be destroyed completely.

Zombie moved a few paces backwards, not wanting to be caught in any crossfire, as Hawkeye came forward and renounced Leto. In the yearling's mind, neither of them had a solid claim and she did not know them well enough to favor one over the other. The fourth in line, or the sixth? Neither had been leaders, and their positions in the back were too close to make a determination. She looked at the ground, her body still kept low and non-threatening, as she shakily voiced, "I do not know either of you well enough to make a choice. I just want us all to stay here, together. None of us were part of Jinx's inner circle while she was here; if we were, we would have left with the rest of them. Does the power she entrusted to each of us really matter now that she's gone? We... we need to start over."

Her body tensed as she finished this speech, ready to flee any attacks she might receive for her remarks. Zombie knew what she was asking for, though she wasn't coming right out and saying it. It was the way of the wolf. They would need to exert their dominance over one another, and see which of them would be victorious.

I don't think Cuan is present in this thread—yet... *PMs player*

Leto spoke almost immediately, delivering a few eloquent words before volunteering to be the Alpha. Before Pied could even process a single thought in reaction to this, Hawkeye promptly declined the offer and nominated herself instead. She pointed out an inarguable fact: she was the highest-ranked wolf present.

Then again, these were the ranks assigned to them by Jinx, who was now gone. In this scenario, it really came down to which wolf proved her dominance most effectively. There was no official leadership to decide where they fell amongst one another; they would have to resort to their basic, feral instincts and figure it out amongst themselves.

The surest way would be for Leto and Hawkeye to spar for the crown. Although Pied worried that they would hurt each other, she knew that lots of so-called fighting came down to posturing and bluffing. The chances of actual bloodshed were minimal. Still, she fretted a little, as they didn't have the support of a pack, much less a dedicated medic, and getting injured right at the start of winter would be a death sentence.

Wondering if it would stave off a fight, Pied decided to throw out a vote. "I don't doubt that you have good intentions, Leto, but I don't know you. I do know Hawkeye well. We have stuck beside each other through some... hard times." She gave the dark Ogoun a pointed look. "I can vouch for her, and so I have to offer my support to her." She knew it still might come down to a standoff, as was their instinctive right. Pied didn't mention it—she was trying to discourage a fight, after all—but she would nonetheless defer to the winner, no matter who came out on top.

The incessant scuttling of something across dried foliage echoed into his ears, invading his dreams. The yearling woke with a start, his glittering sun dials flashing with surprise with what he found at his pawtips. A light grey moth lay fluttering in the dead bed of leaves, it's blank black orbs for eyes staring right back at him. Tiny, lacy wings beat furiously behind it, but the moth was on its back and was unable to regain itself. Slowly the young male rose to his feet, still gazing down at the helpless insect. He had heard the low, naturally mournful cry of a wolf that lifted his audits and Cuan turned away. His mottled fur blended into the dimly lit forest as the moth struggled helplessly behind him.

Raised voices drifted through the branches, mere whispers and murmurs as they were snatched away by the breeze. Soon, audible snippets of conversation reached his ears, and the male began to fit together the meanings of the calling. Bon Dye was deciding their fate. He wasn't sure whether or not he would play a major role in this. Cuan was enjoying his time within the pack, even if there was little activity through the fall. The wolf had learned a lot, and next spring he would become a full adult. He was growing out of his puppyish behavior, and becoming more experienced in pack dynamics. This was one of these situations. The male slipped into the clearing, and his lamps had a clear, bright shine to them. There was no hint of insubordination, but rather a stand-offish curiosity. From what he had picked up, there were two female vying for the spot of Alpha.

Vires chose to stay quiet for most of this ‘meeting’. She herself had no intentions of wanting to be alpha. It was too much responsibility and she would rather watch someone else flop then have to deal with that sting herself. Vires had met Hawkeye before while something about the wolf seemed to draw in destructive air, Vires would take the chance at bloodlust rather than putting her faith into a wolf she didn’t know. Vires stepping forward quietly but with a firm voice agrees with Hawkeye and Pied. "I also stand by Hawkeye. She is the wolf to lead us. At least I hope so."

With that conclusion Vires takes a look at Hawkeye and bows her head. The last sentence was meant as a warning to the wolf. They needed a firm headed leader, not a weak unstable one. Vires phases back into the wave of wolves acting as if she never treaded up.

set by sophie

Hawkeye's words dd not impress Leto. She pulled the rank card, but Leto could only snort softly. Jinx's favor meant nothing now. They were an entirely new entity, this small pack gathered in Blackfoot Forest. "Next in line is not how things work. We are not a kingdom, where hierarchy is determined by the Queen. We are a pack, where rank is determined by size, by determination, by intimidation, and by bloodshed if need be." The half-coy hadn't wished to coax the other into a fight, but she could not give up leadership to Hawkeye by a charade of inheritance. As if Jinx had any intention of leaving her pack to this female she'd barely known! Neither had the bear-queen meant for it to fall to Leto, or Zombie, or any other. The premise of Hawkeye's argument was just wrong.

And her further words were selfish. I have walked the borders. I would protect you all. It was quite a show of selfishness, really, veiled in a generous tone. Leto saw nothing in her words to inspire the pack to greatness, to rally them for the coming winter, and to prepare them for the hard but rewarding work that the season would bring. "That's all you have to say, Hawkeye? You'll protect us?" Leto's tail lashed back and forth, cat-like, with her irritation. Her emerald gaze cast about the assembled pack members with an expression that conveyed her disbelief that they would all buy into this.

"I do not want an Alpha to protect me. I want an Alpha who will lead: who will see each of my packmates' potential and help to draw it out, to form a cohesive family out of a group of strangers. An Alpha who will negotiate with our neighbors, as I have already begun, and wage battle on those who would take what is ours. A leader who would teach others how to protect themselves, and build a sustainable pack that won't crumble if something should happen to their leader." Leto gave them all a pointed look, for perhaps Jinx had been the same sort of self-centered leader that Hawkeye would be. Hawkeye no doubt felt that she'd make a great mother figure or big sister figure for the pack, and they'd all be one big happy family. Nevermind that they'd soon be overrun by stronger packs.

"We seem to be at a stalemate, Hawkeye," Leto pointed out. The name was something of an ugly one, and no matter how she said it, Leto couldn't seem to make herself sound pleasant. One by one the others had either stood by Hawkeye or refused to take a side--Zombie had been the closest to lending support to Leto, by denouncing the argument that Jinx's ranks meant anything now, but even she was neutral. "I would sooner not fight with you, for this pack needs as many able-bodies members as it can get, and neither of us needs to be wounded or driven away. But I cannot subsist here as a mere subordinate when my vision of greatness for us all burns so brightly and yet I cannot make it come true." Leto fell silent, reflecting that she had nearly forgotten her own misgivings, and her halfbloodedness seemed thankfully to be a non-issue. Her words were the truth: she could see a vision of their glory whenever she closed her eyes, but if Hawkeye would seek to lead Leto felt they would never achieve it.

Leto lifted her chin slightly, and stood up, making clear her upright carriage and confident posture, tail brushing the top of her back. Softly, her words meant for Hawkeye and not so much for the group as a whole, Leto asked again, "Will you accept my leadership?"

Hawkeye let out a condescending "tch" at Leto's words. Red flooded her vision, but she forced it to subside. Who did this half-breed think she was? The large black female would not have brought up Leto's parentage in her mind otherwise, but she was taken aback at the creature's gall.

"You talk of size. I do not see another larger than me. You speak of determination and intimidation, where I believe I am unmovable. You claim no problem of bloodshed--well, here I stand." Hawkeye proclaimed. She had no problem taking the opposing female down if needed. "Of course the pack would need to protect themselves; but, an Alpha should be willing to sacrifice everything for their members. Should be willing to defend the borders, as I have while Jinx has disappeared. An Alpha should be just but fair." She moved her head to glance across the wolves that gathered near, even Cuan, who stood apart from the crowd. "I want us to be more than a pack. A unit. Family. Somewhere where you all feel welcomed and where you feel as if you belong." Hawkeye looked sympathetically to Pied, knowing her personal feelings, and then to each individual, ending on Leto. "If you desire to fight for this role, it is up to you. But I will not back down." The midnight female spoke with a steady and intense tone. She desired this role strongly, and knew she would not abandon them as Jinx had; she was right for this role. Felt it deep in the pit of her stomach.

set by sophie

It seemed her attempt to mediate and divert a physical fight was not going to work, even with Vires seconding her. Although the leadership in Bon Dye had influenced rank, despite what Leto said, she was right about the current circumstances and rightly pointed out that they were the only ones left to determine status. Pied reluctantly but firmly nodded her head to acknowledge this fact, though she paused at the word bloodshed, her mouth twisting into an apprehensive frown.

This expression deepend when Leto began to verbally mock Hawkeye before launching into a long speech meant to highlight her candidacy. Although tempted to interrupt, Pied politely waited until Leto finished before opening her mouth—only to be cut off as Hawkeye rejoined. Giving no indication of her impatience, Pied nonetheless didn't bother listening to either pitch. Words meant little, possibly even nothing, in this situation.

Eventually, Pied said, "Stop." She paused, ears twisting backward slightly. "Words don't mean much of anything right now, so let's not waste time. It looks like a challenge is inevitable. Whoever wins it should be Alpha, fair and square." She wanted to give Hawkeye an apologetic look, yet resisted. "And maybe the loser can step up as Beta."

Whether or not they heard her, Pied wasn't sure. They seemed to have only eyes and ears for each other right now—and not in a particularly good way. Leto repeated her request for acceptance of her leadership—directing it at Hawkeye in particular now—and Pied frowned simply because she felt a camaraderie with Hawkeye and really wanted to see her triumph. She found Leto both pompous and overbearing. However, that didn't mean she wouldn't make a good leader and her preference did not change the fact that Pied would defer to the victor.

"Fair and square..." Pied muttered under her breath, shifting her weight and feeling a flash of cold feathers against the side of her neck. Lower, so as not to be overhead by anyone but Mag, she added, "C'mon, Hawkeye..."

She drew in a breath to steady and brace herself for the eminent locking of horns. She looked sideways to exchange a glance with Zombie and Vires. To her surprise, she saw Cuan standing on the outskirts of their group. Her mismatched eyes studied him a moment, then she flicked her head to gesture for him to step closer. One more wolf, even an Omega like Cuan, would make their makeshift pack stronger yet.

I apologize for skipping people, but I wanted to progress this and continue the Leto/Hawkeye conversation.

Leto listened to Hawkeye's words, but they felt like a ghost of Leto's own, and her thought that Hawkeye meant to make a cozy and warm pack for all an sundry was confirmed by the female's words. There's nothing wrong with bonds between pack members, she agreed in the privacy of her thoughts, but the pack can't survive on love alone. Balance, always balance. Yet even as Pied suggested a challenge, Leto was shaking her head. She knew that her words, when they came, were going to be twisted and taken wrongly, mistaken for cowardice, but she said them anyway. "I do not wish to fight. I've said it once already and I stand firm to it. Will I subtract from our strength when we need it most?"

Leto fixed a thoughtful look on Hawkeye's squared jaw and determined expression. "I will not weaken this pack when we are already down by wounding either of us. I do not doubt that Hawkeye feels she is the best choice to lead--I feel the same about myself." That much was obvious, and the admission cost her nothing in the scheme of things. Yet an idea was coming to her, spurred by Pied's suggestion that they might both lead as Alpha and Beta.

Leto did not much like the idea of bowing however slightly to Hawkeye's will, but it might be the best way to divert a physical challenge. Then she could sit back and watch as Hawkeye either proved her wrong and made a successful leader of herself, earning Leto's respect and fealty... or she could sweep up the mess Hawkeye would make of things and then take the reins of the pack that had already come to see her as a respectable leader. Either way, all it would cost Leto was time, and she would win either way: as the co-leader alongside Hawkeye as a capable Alpha, or as the Alpha herself when Hawkeye was no longer seen as the best choice by the pack. Slowly, Leto let her tail lower to a half-mast, and dipped her muzzle nearly imperceptibly. "You speak of sacrifices for the pack, Hawkeye. I will make one now. I will step aside, and allow you to lead unfettered, if you would take me as Beta beside you. Perhaps in time we could share the same vision and take the pack to it together."

Her final words were true and pure speculation, without deceit, and perhaps they would come true. Leto would give Hawkeye a chance, if she would extend the same to Leto.

last post of the Leto/Hawkeye thing.. now we are waiting on everyone's replies/reactions!!

At Pied's words, she began to flatten her ears, but checked herself quickly and kept her posture. Her friend made her feel a little foolish making a speech, when she was right. Whoever won, won--fair and square. But, at Leto's words, she had to keep her mouth from parting and she straightened herself more (if doing so was even possible). Her left ear twitched at the hybrid's words. The large wasn't sure whether to trust the female.

You'll be fine. The charcoal wolf's eyes darted to the ground, thinking of the male's voice, and then to Leto's form. Thoughts flooded her mind for a moment, before what she had to do became clear. "Having a strong wolf like you helping me lead the pack would make us immensely powerful." She nodded to Leto, and then matched her key-lime eyes to each wolf and spoke again. "I would be honored if you all had me as your Alpha. I will not abandon you. I will be stable and I will not let you down." A serious but gentle air came from her words as her chest swelled with nerves and pride. Her father would be proud.

set by sophie

Pied had done her best to prevent a fight, only for one to seem inevitable anyway. Leto surprised her—and likely everyone else present—by staunchly refusing to bring it to blows. Wondering how else they could possibly sort this out, Pied looked expectantly at the half-breed, waiting for some resolution to this quandary. Leto surprised her again by indirectly seizing on Pied's own suggestion and offering to claim the Beta role, allowing Hawkeye to step up as Alpha after all.

Pied's earlier impressions of Leto were effectively wiped away in that moment. She no longer seemed at all pretentious. In fact, she was the picture of humility. Pied almost didn't trust this rapid change in image, yet she gave Leto a long, hard look and decided to trust that she didn't have ulterior motives. The piebald yearling even forgave Leto for calling attention to her supposed sacrifice.

"Well... that settles it then," Pied said, almost framing it as a question as her eyes shifted from Leto to Hawkeye, then scanned the others gathered. Although she wasn't cut out to be a leader, she felt like she'd played the role of mediator pretty well and she would see it through to the end. "Hawkeye will be our Alpha and Leto will be our Beta."

Stepping toward her friend, Pied smiled up at her and then gladly bumped her snout against Hawkeye's chin in a gesture of submission. Her tail waved from where it dangled low behind her. After acknowledging the new leader, she turned next to Leto and did the same with her. She then withdrew, giving the others room to welcome their new leadership.

"That worked out even better than expected, Mag," Pied remarked under her breath. Instead of one leader, they had two, making the foundations for the new hierarchy very strong indeed. She smiled. There was still a lot to work out—would they keep the same name? the same territory? the same beliefs?—but, for now, Pied simply reveled in her sense of relief, as well as pride for her new leaders.