Phoenix Maplewood my flesh and soul are still at war

Time was something of a lost concept to Mercury as he had traveled, keeping track of the month by his age. He would be a year old in a small handful of days, but if not for the release from childhood that it would bring, though he would be a yearling until the following May — not yet a man but not a boy. The search for his father, for his blood father, Crete DiSarinno had not been made in vain, for Mercury had found him and had ran with Flightless Falcons for a while; though not after seeking out Odinn's Cove and running with the Vikings, under the leadership of Ragnar's younger brother Vali. Mercury could not place his desire to go to his adoptive father's home pack, and when he'd gotten there he'd realized starkly that he did not belong there; though this came as no real surprise to him. He had never been Ragnar's favorite, never really taken to the Viking ways, and learning the truth of his birth from his mother had been a betrayal, but also a crude awakening. It had all made sense to him then.

Yet, even Flightless Falcons was unable to hold him. Still, he felt the call of the Teekon Wilds, drawing him away from his mute father and numerous family members, all of which were welcoming enough to him. He had ran with many, all of different veins, experienced firsthand the cruelties of the world, though the first strike had struck true by the lie Thistle and Ragnar had told him and his siblings. As if it would never come about, as if it was something that could so easily be forgiven. Perhaps for Gyda and Gunner it was easily forgiven, but not for Mercury. They could pass as Ragnar's biological children but he was the literal black sheep. 

Thoughts were deftly tucked away as he crossed the threshold back into the Wilds, inhaling deeply, drawing in the familiar scent pushing forward. Whether he would stay or return to his nomadic pacing he could not be certain, but he had business here and regardless could not leave until he saw it resolved. Mercury's surroundings were not easily recognized, and in his absence he had forgotten the precise layout of the Wilds, some territories clearer to him than others. The Maplewood he walked through gave him a distinct feeling of nostalgia to a territory in the Seahawk Valley, though the DiSarinno was confident that he was back in the Teekon Wilds. Still, he moved quickly, with purpose Southbound, though he moved with caution, nevertheless.

Pura followed.

Even though he had no intention of killing his target, there was satisfaction in stalking - and seeing how long he could get away with it. He followed Mercury at a distance, purposely losing sight of him multiple times and falling back on scent to close the gap.

The black wolf moved south with purpose, but at a pace that allowed him time to look around. When he was close enough to see detail, Pura kept his cold eyes fixed on the loner's smoothly pumping shoulder blades. He imagined the sound of the rhythmic thudding of the heartbeat that kept them going - on and on and on to whatever his intended destination was. Where was he going? It wasn't often that Pura showed any interest in such matters, but he was still full from his last meal and this wolf looked close to his own age.

The Blacktail yearling increased his speed, winding his large body through the trees with practised grace. When he was within one hundred meters of Mercury, he deliberately stepped on a bundle of dry twigs. A corridor of empty space separated them - Mercury had only to turn around.

Not normally one to claim himself as oblivious Mercury, however, failed to notice the other yearling stalking him as he continued to move south. His first instinct was to head to Stavanger Bay, to see his mother though he was still upset with her. She had likely given her reasons for withholding the truth of his parentage to him but so caught up in the shock of her betrayal he'd been to truly pay attention to the words she had uttered in her defense. No other words she had to say to him had been nearly as important as the words that had set his world ablaze and crashed it into ruin. Being upset with her did not change the fact that she was his mother, nor did it diminish nor burn away the fact that beneath the deep feeling of betrayal he loved her. She had given him life, after all. That was not a debt he could ever repay her. Even to just make sure she was alright and that Ragnar was taking care of her would be enough to satisfy him. 

Thoughtfully, the Tyrant pushed through the Maplewood, steps slowing to a stop as the crack of dry twigs under paw alarmed him. His ears splayed on either side of his head and, instinctively, he turned his head to glance over his shoulder, eye of imperial green taking in the form of the other yearling with  natural weariness, wondering how long the other boy had been there. Svelte form turned so that Mercury was facing Pura in the distance between them, silent as he watched the other boy with muted and tempered curiosity. 

Mercury whipped around, startled by the sound. Pura remained where he was until he was certain that no attack was forthcoming, watching for bristles and flashes of teeth. Mercury did nothing but stare back, so the titan took a few lumbering steps forward to get a better look at the stranger.

He was tall and leggy, with charcoal fur and delicate ears. They looked to be of a similar age, but this wolf was considerably less bulky. Unless there was something wrong with his legs, it meant that Mercury had a considerable speed advantage. Pura licked his lips, weighing his options. He had not intended to make a move, but he did not relish the idea of tracking down and hunting any game today.

"Are you from the pack?" Pura asked in his toneless rumble of a voice.

At first it appeared to Mercury as if neither of them would break their silence, and though the young DiSarinno could not speak for the other male, he personally was contended to simply watch, returning the favor of the other boy. While it might have been the polite thing to offer a hello, or greeting of an equal standing but it hadn't been him that had been the one following. No, he'd been the one to be followed. Not that Mercury could prove either way if he was being followed or not, it could have easily been pure circumstance that Pura's path had crossed Mercury's own. Mercury watched as the other licked his lips, and allowed the subtle flare of black, leathery nostrils to inhale what he could decipher of Pura's scent. His scent was not littered by others, so surely a loner such as himself, then? Of course Pura could have easily washed the scent off to carry about some leader's orders or something. The other yearling was built like a tank when compared to Mercury's svelte form, clear which one of them was built for blunt and brutish attacks and which was built for speed. Still, size alone would not take or save a life, something that the Vikings had taught with a reverence, and thus Mercury did not put much stock into such thoughts and easily dismissed the size comparison.

The stranger's question was strange, and ears slicked back to rest at half mast atop his skull. “The pack? There are many packs in these Wilds. Which one do you speak of?” The answer was no. He wasn't apart of any pack, though he supposed that he could easily lie and claim to still be apart of Stavanger Bay. It wasn't as if would be an entire lie at that, he'd been born in Horizon Ridge, later to become the Bay and surely his birth place — which he assumed was still a pack — could stand for something. 

Mercury could have answered differently - told Pura that he was from a pack, but perhaps not the pack his stalker was referencing. The Blacktail yearling took this to mean that Mercury ran alone, and was hungry enough now for the line between guess and certainty to be blurred. He watched the other wolf inhale deeply, processing the mixed scent of wolf and woodland.

Pura took a single step closer, stopped, watched, and chanced a second. His muscles hummed with tension, the marble-like eyes stared. "Doesn't matter any more," the silvery creature responded tonelessly. Then he charged.

Would Mercury have known anything about the other fellow — namely the fact that he enjoyed eating faces — the DiSarinno (nee. Lodbrok) would have taken excruciating measures to ensure that he spun a tale, one that would state plainly that someone would miss him if he was eaten, and that someone would notice if he never returned. Perhaps someone would miss him, but it was moot for they were already missing him and if he never returned then they would never be any the wiser. Despite having no knowledge of the other yearling, Mercury did not deign to ignore the quivering feeling of uneasiness in the strong swell of his chest. It had blossomed without any warning, nor any precursors of indication. He could not place it but he was suddenly uncomfortable, and this predator's instinct was something that the tyrant was unwilling to ignore.

The other ghosted forward a step, and Mercury's eyes hardened, definitely not liking ...anything about this situation. “Of course it matters,” Mercury countered calmly, holding his pose, bold and determined not to let the other male know of his internal unease. “You failed to respond to my inquiry, but whether it means anything to you or not, I belong to Stavanger Bay.” A lie, and also not a lie. Mercury had felt that he no longer had a place there for he was little more than a bastard son, a disappointment to Ragnar, a heartache for Thistle Cloud; but Mercury played upon the fact that he assumed that the other male did not know that. He tried to keep control of the situation by talking, though if it would work or not Mercury supposed he would find out soon enough.

All he knew was it felt like the right lie to tell, borne of his unexplained unease, and the simple fact that he'd once heard that smart guys always covered their asses; yet when the other boy charged — with no provocation that Mercury could see — his movement were deft, made with the intention of getting out of the other's path, hoping to avoid a collision. "What is your problem?" Mercury demanded through a snarl. He couldn't understand and in the next few seconds after that concluded that he didn't care too. The other boy was a threat and perhaps a little off his rocker as far as Mercury was concerned.

Edited because I entirely forgot about the part where Pura charged him last night. I promise I wasn't blatantly ignoring it. This is why I shouldn't post when I'm only half awake. xD

I've been away so I'll try to steer this in a direction where there's no consequences! :)

Stavanger Bay. Pura heard the words in passing, but did not recognize the name. Mercury leapt effortlessly out of the way - testament to his youth. Pura barrelled onwards, slowing to a stop a few meters away. He knew straight away that this was not going to work. Mercury was too even a match to consider - at least for now. The silvery wolf turned to stare at his adversary, took a moment to really size him up, and announced his decisions with a soft snort. It wasn't worth it.

Without further word, Pura took off into the forest.