give my heart a place to rest

For Ton and one other. :)

It came as no surprise that the woman who welcomed him into her home was actually the Alpha. Tonravik treated him as he expected her to: with quiet dominance and counsel. She exuded no-nonsense ascendency, but she was capable of other emotions. As far as he knew, there was another who ruled beside her, but he has not met him yet. Did not truly want to for fear of being more authoritarian than Tonravik. If that was even possible.
INDENTIn the meantime, he set himself to work. Still feeling a tad broken-down from being rogue and nearly drowning, Tatsuya did not overexert himself in an attempt to impress his superiors. Tonravik has made it abundantly clear that the Spine does not tolerate the slothful yet he did not want to push himself to the point of injury. On that note, his new home had an enemy. This information should not have been shocking, but it was at the time. Tatsuya wondered why his alpha did not simply kill the badgering intruder but he also understood why she kept her fangs clean; Ouroboros Spine was not small by any means. There is nothing to be gained in war and with pups on the way (which should not have been a surprise, but it was anyway), it was wise to not engage in mindless bloodshed. Speaking of bloodshed...she departed with two requisites: he must master the Warden and Warrior trades. News he was not enthused to hear but did not question her. He knew why.
INDENTIt has been a few days since then. He has yet to truly meet with anyone aside from the casual meet and greet. Nothing exciting was going on currently and he was fine with that. Thankfully, patrols were unremarkable. Life as a pack wolf was, thus far, ho-hum, but it was a lot better than being alone and hungry. Tatsuya was content. He wants for nothing except for getting acquainted with his pack mates...or this place; a forest, aphotic and mossy with trees he could not see the tops of. Mist blanketed the ground, swirling about with each step he took. What a queer and dismal area! He liked it as opposed to nitid and cheery woodlands. Like something dangerous lurked further within...

Eighty-six degrees, but there were fortunately clouds. Still. Tonravik looked at that very moment like the devil himself must have when cast down from his place in the heavens and into the rancid pits of hell. How miserable her countenance was. Her vaguely unimpressed demeanor shifted into another trademark expression of hers, though it had melted there quite without intent. As she kept to the shade to escape the heat of the day, there she lurked with her perpetual grimace that spoke: I hate. She was inclined to find Nellayok and nap, and her course changed in that direction. When the day cooled into midafternoon, she could live life again.

The bear of a wolf sniffed at the air absently, and the scent of the wolf who wore the colors of the wolverines she had brought into the fold caused her path to alter some. He was on the way, in the crosshairs of her path, and she would see that he was well before going into her morning-long hibernation.

Something dangerous, most definitely. The white monster prowled the forest, not only patrolling the borders but at times, the interior hiding spots as well. Their borders spanned many miles and if a pest was to slip through, she would find and dispatch them with no thought,  no remorse. The Beta of the Spine was not a forgiving creature, much less an understanding one. Her world was kill or be killed, black and white, Spine — Tartok — or those outside of it. 

The scent she picked up was mostly unknown, the scent of Tonravik faintly mixed in. A new underling, surely, as there were no outsiders that would ever be introduced to the layout of the Spine's interior ( or any Tartok territory for that matter). She drifted that way, making no move to be silent, her paws heavy upon the forest floor. Her eyes would be visible first, gold and fierce in the gloom of the forest, and her pale fur after. 

She knew that Tonravik was near but yet stared at the newcomer, his loyalty and usefulness to the pack not yet proved. It didn't need to be said that she looked down upon him; that much was evident in the way her tail was raised and her posture stiff and unkind. Even so, her gaze averted for a moment, chuffing to the pregnant leader, a brief greeting. Her gaze came back to the male, wondering where in the hell he'd crawled out of. Why? Well, he looked like shit. 

The moment of peace and silence has come to an end, it seems. Not that he was complaining, but he might have should he have known the company. The first to enter the scene was Tonravik, looking miffed and inquisitive. Tatsuya wagged his tail slowly at the sight of her, not yet approaching to greet her as another lurked in the gloom. With weighty footfalls, a silvery she-wolf came strutting in, tail raised, bearing rigid, clearly prone to disliking newcomers...or maybe she dislikes everyone. She greeted her superior nicely enough, so maybe his first assumption was right on the money.
INDENTWhat were lowly ranked wolves supposed to do again? Ah, right. Lower the head and piss a little. Ha ha. How would the Beta react to a neutrally positioned wolf? One who did not dispute her position, but not acknowledging it either? Looking to Tonravik, neutral gradually shifted into something joyous and submissive. Slowly padding up to her, he licked the side of her mouth and shoved his cold nose into her ruff, if she allowed it. Regardless if she did or not, she was hot. Her annoyance made more sense now but there was nothing he could really do about it. Perhaps a dip in a lake or stream...
INDENTTonravik was not to be the sole focus of his attentions, however. His molten stare flickered back to the Beta, unintentionally meeting her eyes while examining the planes of her face. It wasn't like he did it out of defiance. More out of wondering what her face looked like and less about her position within Tartok. She had eyes similar to the color of his own, burning bright despite their Stygian environment. He wondered if he would turn to ash at any hints of ire...She was not lithe. Actually, she was a heavyset woman, similar in stature to himself and Tonravik. I think I'm beginning to see a pattern here...Tonravik associated largeness with strength, didn't she? Feeling glib about this revelation, he tried to prod and lick his Alpha in the shoulder before contemplating doing the same to Kroc. His eyes lingered on the Beta, silently questioning...

The scent of her Beta wafted into the air. Tonravik lazily looked in her direction, and when Kroc averted her gaze the leader was content. She let out a rumbled greeting in return, and watched as the bright eyes of Kroc fell onto their newest member. Tonravik looked to him, too, noting his lowered head. In that alone she found that he had acknowledged Kroc's place, and his own beneath her. If he disputed it, Tonravik could not at this moment see. But his posture seemed to slacken even more as he neared her, which Tonravik regarded with two perked ears and a watchful eye.

As he licked her mouth, which the leader took to be submissive, the leader lingered. As he went for her ruff, Tonravik idly snapped at him. Too hot for tomfoolery. She was slightly irate by it, simply wanting to find a place to nap until the heat left. Tonravik shifted aside, and then darted some feet away before finding cover beneath a tree that's root lifted into something of a wooden cave, except for the open area beneath it that would render the place useless when it rained. But it provided more shade in that moment, so she settled beneath it, reclining first on her haunches and watching Kapvik, and then her eyes turned toward the woman she had unwittingly named after her never-known, never-named aunt, Nanuk. The polar bear.

She watched and waited to see what the newcomer would do, watched him silently, almost visibly debate what he would do. She watched as his eyes moved away from her to Tonravik and then as his posture deferred to the Alpha alone, his eyes only for the similarly dark creature. Kroc's own narrowed as he further ignored her, tail lashing once or twice behind the bulk of her body. The only reason she did not immediately attack and dominate him was that he was greeting Tonravik; still, he would get but a single warning.

The pregnant leader moved away from them, settling in some shade and the Beta continued to observe his actions. She was yet silent, her irritable attitude hovering just below the surface as it always did. His presence changed nothing except her in the moment actions. With a steadfast confidence, she swept closer, circling the Zeta much as Tonravik had once done her. Sniffing, learning, the pale creature ended the interaction with a firm nip aimed at his rump, not to bleed but to goad. 

She would test his reactions and personality in such a headstrong, bull-in-a-china-shop manner that in the same breath, she would exert her dominance as well. He would learn their ways, and would learn that if he was found insubordinate, she would not be one to go soft on him because he was new. No, they were gonna play hardball, and they were gonna play it right fucking now. 

Tonravik snapped and Tatsuya stepped away, put off by the belligerence. Watching her take refuge beneath a battered tree, the Zeta slanted his ears in glumness. Was their leader always so hot? It was cause for worry. He wondered why she yet remained. Kroc made it glaringly obvious: the Beta was slighted by his impassivity in submitting to her and she was not going to let that slide.
INDENTTatsuya jerked back away from Kroc as she approached, thinking she harbored ill content in response to his neutrality. He was used to having teeth at his neck by now, but Kroc might as well have done so with her circling him.
INDENTHe mentally and physically sighed at Kroc's inciting nip. "Their ways" were nothing new; the constant reinforcement of leaders and those who allowed to be led was as old as time itself. Tartok was not so much interested in what was, but the right this very second. Tonravik has proven herself in that she gave him a home despite being attacked by him not once, but two separate times. She spoke of him looking "strong" and "useful." That his...that his death would have been a waste.
INDENTShe wanted submission. Tatsuya calmly turned to face Kroc, locking eyes to goad her back. Come on. I know you want to lay into me. Don't pretend that is not exactly what you want. She wanted submission. From him. Then she'd best get to it. Chop chop and all that jazz.

Tonravik panted heavily beneath the shade of the tree, the stifling heat more and more of a bother as the Summer days grew hotter. Well, soon, Fall would be here; but she still thought of snow, and perpetual cold, and sifted through the places that she knew had them. Again, the Taiga came to mind... 

The leader was not so bothered by the wolverine and the polar bear. Skirmishes happened frequently to prove oneself. Tonravik did not know why he would incite Nanuks wrath instead of biding his time; he was hardly in a state to win, but, one could never know how these things turned out. Tonravik had seen underdogs surprise her. But that was rare. As they measured one another, the alpha rest her head on her forelegs, ear twitching as an insect drew near to it. 

Their eyes locked and it was in that moment that her calm, collected (though insistent) demeanor dropped. Instead, her muzzle wrinkled and lips lifted to reveal yellowed teeth in a truly ugly and equally terrible snarl as she regarded the frumpy little shithead. Her eyes gained a malignancy rarely shown and while she knew that disputes were not meant to harm one another, like hell she would allow a newcomer to challenge her like this. 

Head struck forward like a snake at his own muzzle but the movement and the sound of her teeth crashing together was meant to distract, instead bringing a sizable and heavy paw to smack him across the face, to disorient and dizzy should it connect. If not, she had other methods of subduing but this one was of a bedraggled look and likely would not last all too long. The bear-like creature would show him what it was to incite her into such a dance, though in the end, they would remain packmates and in all likelihood, they would work together better in the future for this occurrence. 

Whether he was in a state to fight had not crossed his mind, to entranced by the fickle push and shove of I am your better, I am your equal, and I am beneath you. More often than not, it was a test of wills rather than force...but, as expected, the Beta was making it about force. The threat of violence only proved to fan the flames; striking the match of his currently testy placement among Tonravik and her brethren.
INDENTIf he had to show Kroc that he was not just another vagrant to pique Tonravik's interest, so be it. If he had to prove that he does not bend his head to every wolf wanting to flex their rank in his face, so be it. Tatsuya has never lived a quiet life. It sure as shit was not going to start now.
INDENTTense, he waited for Kroc to make a move. The quick movement of peeled lips caused his own to do so, fangs and gums revealed for all to see. The exact second her fangs parted, Tatsuya jerked away from her. He'd be damned if he was going to stand there and let her rip off his face. It was one of his good features. That might not have been her initial purpose - face ripping and the like - but Tatsuya was smart enough to avoid her mouth. Watching her jaws close shut, his own opened to enclose her's...until a big fat paw slammed into the side of his face. Maybe he got something. Maybe he didn't. He was seeing double at the moment, stunned. Yeah. Who's smart now, huh? Dumb ass.

Tartok itself was about force and strength, not understanding. Sometimes, very rarely, there was compassion but it was only for fellow Tartok. If he would become that, he needed to learn the way of things. Fast. There would be a steep learning curve now and she sought now to be his instructor. 

Her paw connected, colliding with his head as the Alpha female observed them. His teeth only grazed her muzzle and before they could leave a mark, his own had been turned away already with the force of her blow. She took the chance now to crowd him, closing the distance between them while her jaws opened to aim for his neck. This was a spar, and there would be no blood, but neither would the white bear waste her time in shoving him to the ground to show who was boss between the two of them. 

In this, Kroc was inherently sure that this would not be their first scuffle, but she had been made Beta for a reason, one that she would proudly prove to him. Every single fucking time. This would not be because she would demand his submission every time they met but because if he goaded her, like he had only minutes ago, she would respond in kind. Truthfully, this was first time she had demanded submission, and it was only because he had made a showing of his lack of it to her. 

We, uh...kind of left Steph out there, yeah? Sorry Steph! <3

There was not much fight in him today. Many factors came into play here, but being burned-out and somewhat malnourished was one of the biggest problems. So when Kroc's big ass foot smacked him in the face, he knew with a certainty he was not going to win this fight. Any drive he assumed earlier left him. Rightfully so, Kroc wanted to get the point across no matter what he felt in the seconds between her fangs at his neck. She sunk into the side of his neck and forced him down to the ground. Rendered to accept her superiority no matter what, Tatsuya let out a pained gasp as he laid flat on his side, face twisting into one of discomfort.
INDENT“私は降伏します!” He spoke the tongue of his home, but even the Beta would hear the note of acceptance in his voice: I submit to you. He would have loved to tack on a “for now,” but suspected Kroc already sensed as much. Hopefully she would not think any less of him because of it.

oops I forgot to mention in my last post that steph said it was okay to post until they finished! Sorry! Lol

He went down. She felt him go slack, heard his voice and the intonation wrapping his words. He was done, for today. The Beta held him there for a moment, teeth never breaking skin but not relinquishing their hold immediately either. Then, her jaws opened and released him, gold eyes staring down at the male with a certain instensity. 

Another few moments and she moved back, allowing him to get up. "Your name." Her tone was firm, demanding the information. He was of the Spine now, and she would know his name. Hail flickered behind her, watching and waiting. 

Ahh, okay! Fine by me. :3

There was a brief moment where he thought the Beta was going to rip his throat, but Tonravik words calmed him. “It would have been a waste.” Insubordination was not punishable by death, right? Especially in meeting the longstanding members. Kroc relinquished her hold, settling back and away to allow him to stand. He did so with a grunt, careful so as to not give her the idea that Tatsuya was up to anything.
INDENT“Tatsuya, but –” Cutting off mid sentence, he silently looked to their reposeful Alpha. “But she calls me Kapvik.” One name held memories of home, the other, a title bestowed by Tartok's leader. He was fond of his name – a gift from his father. It roughly translated into assertive dragon. He would have fondly smiled but his eyes betrayed the emotion. Kapvik was a name he felt no connection towards. It was an empty title compared to the other. In time he would come to accept Kapvik, but he felt unworthy of the role right now.
INDENT “And you?” he countered. He would know her name or he would give her one. What about 'Thug'? Or 'Bull'? Or 'Asshole'? Despite the meaning behind those words, the wolverine did not truly consider Kroc to be any of them...Except for Asshole. She had that name down in spades.

He stood and she made no move to keep him from doing so, instead focusing on his words. Tatsuya. Kapvik. He obviously held no attachment to the name Tonravik had given him. "You will understand." In time. Eventually. Tomorrow. In a year. The precise time he would, Kroc didn't care to know, for knowing wouldn't change what was inevitable. 

He asked her the same question. Her ears flickered but there was no hesitation, just beginning again to listen to he sounds around them. "Kroc or Nanuk." In truth, she would answer to both. "Don't be a shithead next time and I won't have to beat your ass." It wasn't a malicious statement, just matter of fact. It was her way of telling him that she wouldn't hesitate to do this all again. 

Tonravik watched the display. In the end, Nanuk rose victorious; Kapvik showed due respect, and their differences were settled. It was the way of the wolf, and Tonravik knew no better way. She listened to them speak for the moment, hearing his once-name. Tatsuya. It was clear he identified with the word more than her own name for him, but her pale Beta's words were true. In time, he would come to see.

Tatsuya was nothing, a word she did not understand, a word that tethered him to where he once had come. He would break free of those bonds on his own, as they all had. When did not matter. It only mattered that it would happen. She had seen the change in Iqniq; if one did not believe in their way, their method, one only need to look to her mate to see his growth, his success, his understood strength and more than that, his understanding. For some, it could be a slow process.

As she looked contentedly to the uniquely marked wolf, she did not doubt that his transition would come soon. Slowly, but surely. For he was a strong wolf, and strongwilled; but Tonravik knew his devotion to her was true, and knew that he was a stone that would be carved to a point of perfection. Time, they had.

She rose to all fours to join them again, panting in the heat and nosing them. She remembered a rabbit warren, and wanted to bring them with her to take them out and refill caches. In itself, it would be a team bonding activity. Tonravik trudged forward and followed her nose, only looking over her shoulder once to be sure they followed.

I'm thinking we should end it here? With one more post from you two, of course. :3

Kroc's statement made his thoughts swim. What exactly did she mean by understanding Kapvik? Was he to shed his name and take on this new one? Hm...That made him uneasy. He was content with his current name and all that it entailed, but to the likes of Tartok, Tatsuya meant nothing. Steadily, perhaps, he would grow to accept the title more than his current one but the Zeta did not think it possible to shed an identity entirely. He would always be Tatsuya, but Kapvik was an anonymity; a guise geared towards Tartok and it's creed. Or so he thought. One day he would confront Tonravik about...this. Whatever this is. She will likely ease his worries. Or make them worse. It was hard telling with her.
INDENT“But...being a shithead is my favorite pastime,” he demurely replied. So long as Kroc would not find his occasional defiance as anything personal, Tatsuya was fine having her above him in rank. He roughly nudged her with his nose. I defer to you and am currently happy about it was what he tried to convey, but the motion might have been seen as an exuberant display. Maybe it was both. It's been a while since he has run with his own, so social awkwardness was to be expected.
INDENTTonravik rose, drawing Kapvik's gaze. She padded over to them and nosed them both. Kapvik wagged his tail. An elated and deliberate movement at Tonravik's proposition. He wasted no time in shadowing the Alpha's steps. Surely Kroc would come...? As much as he enjoyed spending his time with Tonravik, he would like to see more of Kroc as well. There was more to her than capability and crassness, no?

Steph can close then! <3

She snorted at him, swiping a paw to bat his muzzle. It was not as heavy a hit as their scuffle but she did not seek to cripple. The contact he gave her was accepted and acknowledged with a steady look from her. She would beat him down again if he tried anything but she was sure he'd learned that. In fact, now that things had been settled between them, Kroc was a much more amicable creature. She turned from him to follow Tonravik and yet remained aware of the new one, ready to see how well they worked together in the thick of a hunt. 

The duo followed suit, and she took off into a sprint with her wolves behind her. They moved in a V formation until the last; and together, they were able to take down a mountain goat after harassing it for some time. It was old and weaker than its herd, and they let him go; and go he did, losing his footing and breaking its neck in its misstep. The hunt was not a difficult one, the odds in their favor as nature ran its course... and they ate, according to rank, before caching the meat once they were done.