Greatwater Lake Teufelskreise

@Tatsuya I'm excited!

It was a cloudy summer day and Ayana was strolling through the territory to find a few hurt rabbits or injured deers to eat. She wasn't extremely hungry anymore because the pack had just successfully hunted, but the food was still rare after the storm. She wans't really sure where she was, but she did not care. There was something inside her that liked adventrues, which would be beneficial for her mission as a spy. She was thinking about the future, when suddenly her past popped in her head. She remembered the day she joined Blackfeather and how she was cooling her injured paws in the lake nearby. She had not been to that lake ever since, probably because she wanted to close the chapter, but maybe there were some fish or ther animals to hunt, so she decided to go there.

She started to trot a little faster, her stomach was empty and she wanted to get something nice in there as soon as possible. Ayana remembered exactly how Meldresi and Burke appeared behind the shadows of the dark woods and how scared and nervous she was. Now she was part of this dark pack, she was still learning how to blend in with the shadows perfectly - her golden coat made this rather hard - but she felt at home. The dark woods were her home now and she loved them. They kept her dark secret perfectly hidden and she was free. Free of her past, which still haunted her from time to time, but it was easier to deal with now that she was surrounded by wolves with dark sides inside of them. Except Misty maybe. She was as innocent as her white coat, Ayana thought.

Eventually she reached the lake and stepped inside it a little. The water was dark and muddy from the storm and she could not really see through the water, which would make it rather hard to hunt. Ayana sighed. This would not be successful. She would probably have to return with an empty tummy. She sat down.
Suddenly she heard some cracking. Someone was with her. She was not alone. She could feel that there was another animal, probably a wolf. But what did it do so close to Blackfeather's borders?

The golden wolf stood up and smelled the air. Yes, there was definitely someone there, but she couldn't see anyone. She looked around and got nervous. Calm down, lol. This is not really a big deal. Just tell whoever there is to f*ck off and you're good.

His days did not bleed together as much. His nights grew less fretful. He was growing used to the idea of not having Arverk around. If he was mindless enough to pursue something as savage as a cougar or bear...he may have deserved the inevitable. Even so, Kapvik worried for the whale, so he kept up the blistering hunt. He would not believe Arverk deceased until he saw the remains with his own eyes.
INDENTFollowing along the northwest face of Sawtooth Spire, he stopped to study the spring of water that fed Otter Creek. He the crisp liquid, licking his lips as he descended. Here the stonework grew more steep so Kapvik circumvented that area, heading for the level footed formation dividing the creek from Sleepy Fox Hollow. Climbing down into the profuse eatage of Otter Creek, he stuck close to the mountain, gradually approaching the lake in the distance. He spared Blackfeather Woods a mistrustful glare, gaze sweeping the treeline for any wolves. Nothing. Satisfied, he pressed on to Greatwater Lake.
INDENTIt struck him like lightning, her fragrance. Kapvik tried to stop and analyze one of Burke's own but he gave himself away by stepping on some twigs. Lamely he stared down at the trampled sprigs before stepping slowly into the clearing, eyes and body on the alert. Of course the first thing he saw was the body of water. It was not as lucid as it was back at the spire, dingy by the natural turbulence. Kapvik would have thought it would cleared out by now...It's been a while since the tornado despoiled the Teekon Wilds. The lake was still except for a few ripples. They drew his eyes to the origin of the commotion. It was the female he scented before, seemingly reposeful in the ankle-deep waters. He chewed over approaching but instead entered the lake without preamble. Paddling into its depths, he reemerged looking like a drowned rat. Clearing his nose of excess water he then shook the rest that clung to his summer coat. Kapvik enjoyed taking a bath if only because it mitigated the sun's inexorable brightness. Come wintertime, he would no longer have this opulence so he'd best enjoy it while he still can.
INDENTFacing the creamy tipped stranger, he went about his business licking himself like a cat while remaining cognizant of the woman's whereabouts at all times.

Ayana panicked. Her heart was racing and she felt the blood being pumped through her veins. She felt a weird pressing sensation around her neck, as if someone wrapped something around it. Breathing was harder and she stood there like paraliyzed. Suddenly she noticed that she was alone. Nobody was there to rescue her if something happened. She was not too close to the borders and nobody would hear her scream here. Ayana almost passed out from the raising panick inside her. What is wrong with you? Crazy freaking girl. Ugh. This is pretty much Blackfeather territory. Kind of.

Her mind was right. There was no valid reason for her to panic. Ayana clamed herself down as well as she could and stepped out of the water. Her lungs felt free again and her heart did not beat as fast as before. She still felt trapped though, and she wanted to find the stranger as quickly as possible.
Suddenly she saw him. He was inside the lake, looking like a big whale that had stranded. Ayana did not know what to think. She prepared for everything, but not for a wet otter in the lake. She stared at the big, dark male as if she had never seen a wolf before. What the hell did he do in the freaking water? She could not help but let out a little laugh. He left the lake finally and shook his coat. He was as calm as a child. What was going on?

Ayana decided to trot closer to the male and ask him what he was doing so close to the borders. He did not seem very impressed by her, so she made sure to seem as dangerous as she could. Just think about your brother. Remember his blood? Remember his little howls, screaming for mum? Yes, you remember. Every second. And the worst thing is ...

The anger was rising up inside her. Who the hell did this person think he is? Her muzzle was pulled back, revealing her white teeth which were as sharp as razoblades. Ready to kill. Anyone. She looked at the stranger. "What are you doing so close to Blackfeather's borders? Who sent you?" Ayana was becoming a little paranoid since she was trained to be a spy, it felt like every lone wolf was a threat to Blackfeather now.

Ayana's dilemma was overlooked by the ordinarily perceptive Kapvik. He was focused on preening. Moreover, the wolf's problems did not align with his own. Not yet anyway. As she approached, the wolverine accosted her with a skeptical gaze. It quickly turned to rage as she showed signs of aggression. Was she trying to claim Greatwater Lake? Was that why she was being so aggressive? Kapvik rumbled dangerously, lips peeling back to display gum and ivories, muzzle obstructing his throat. His bistre mane spiked, shuddering with leashed aggression. His growls grew quiet as she spoke. Borders? What? Kapvik has not been alive this long by testing pack borders. He was far from Blackfeather Wood's immediate claim. This female was paranoid...or thickheaded.
INDENT“No one.” She claimed that he was close to their borders whereas he was clearly not. If they claimed Greatwater Lake as well, they were doing a piss poor job in marking it. Queerly enough, if anyone should be paranoid here, it should be Kapvik. Blackfeather Woods and its many denizens were unknown to him. Knowing nothing of their inner machinations was bad enough, but it did not help that he had a run-in with her Alpha mere weeks before. Still, the Epsilon did not let his emotions run rampant at the sight of Burke's supporter. He was not as weak minded as the delirious Ayana.

Haha, I'm sorry about her. Thickheaded describes her so well!

Ayana was confused. She tried to overcome her aggression and pay attention to the dark male. No one, he said, which made Ayana think. She assumed that because she was accepted to Blackfeather out here, this was Blackfeather territory. But then, she had not smelled any of Burke's marks and the two wolves were the only ones around. Maybe this whole situation was not as dangerous as she had assumed when she noticed the stranger. You're literally getting paranoid. Just leave. But she felt guilty, she had kind of attacked the male without any reason, which was probably due to her spy mission. The golden female assumed everyone except her pack mates were danger and a threat. What if she was wrong?

Ayana glanced over to the male, who seemed very calm after all. She opened her mouth but did not dare to talk to him as this was a very difficult situation for the shy female. One thing she still had to make some improvements on were her social skills. Eventually she dared to look the male in the eyes and every last bit of anger and aggression abated from her eyes. Her voice cracked a little when she spoke. "I .. am sorry.", she said, looking down onto her paws, not knowing if the male wanted a proper apology or not. "I am Ayana from Blackfeather Woods. So ... who did I just randomly attack?"
It all felt extremely awkward and Ayana was ashamed of herself. How could she be so stupid and just be so mad at this stranger? What if he was a friend of Burke and she just overreacted like crazy? Maybe it's that time of the month... But this was no excuse. She behaved inappropriately and now she probably made the male dislike her for no reason. This is exactly what you do every single time when you meet someone. Just stop.

Enmity fell away to regret. Repentance did not ease the seam of his forehead. Nor did it take away his cautious stance and protruding hackles. The aspiring sleuth's mood shifted far too quickly. Thus she was unworthy of his slack, sociable lineament. If the wolf was unfeignedly sorry, she would persevere his misgivings for it was not uncalled for. Kapvik did not yearn  combat. Especially if it resulted in the strain betwixt their packs. Backing up to put space between them, the wolverine relieved some of the inelasticity from his limbs. At this distance, Burke's faithful would be hard pressed in catching him unawares.
INDENT“You always greet strangers like this?” Gruff and forthright to get the point across. Ayana would know the error of her ways by pettish words alone. He had no desire to capitalize on her mistake by force. If they came to trading blows, Kapvik would make damn sure his hits count. Every last one. The female dug for identification and the Epsilon grudgingly gave it to her. “Hibiki.” The name of a dead man. Hibiki was the first mistake of many back then. Too bad Hibiki was aught else but sun bleached bones now.

His words hit her like a blow in her chest. A feeling she could not categorize as shame, rather as indignation, built up inside her. The content of his words was not what hurt her, it was the way the dark male had said them. Ayana felt like he did not really want her around him anymore, if he ever did. She shook her head to give the answer to his question. However, she did not know whether she should be honest or not. After all, he was a stranger and did not seem too interested in her past and inner conflicts. So she simply denied his question. She looked around the lake while he introduced himself. There was this tone in his words again that annoyed Ayana. He seemed ... unsure? Something was wrong with him, maybe he lied about his identity. What if this was a test Burke had set up for her? No, not this far away from the borders. And he does not really seem like a threat after all, to be honest. Her mind was right. This was reality for once.

She breathed in the warm summer air and looked back to the stranger. His name sounded foreign - Hibiki - kind of like the wolves her mother used to talk about. Far away from Teekon Wilds. Ayana's mind started to wander. She wanted to forget her past and finally attain peace, but the time was not right. Maybe this wolf knew about her family, though. It was worth a try and asking did not hurt - usually.

She turned to him and sat down, although she was still able to jump up and run away if necessary. "You seem to be from far away? Your name leads me to judge. It sounds foreign.", she said carefully. Firstly she needed to find out whether the tall male was interested in a conversation or not. After her approach it was understandable if he did not want to talk to her again.

Words cut whereas he had meant to reprimand. Inwardly, he sympathized for the girl but made no show of it. Callous words might do her some good. Make her grow a second skin to lashings of tongue and wit. Kapvik could see a younger version of himself in her. Like all things, his kindness and fragile demeanor suffered adversities both large and small. The wolverine had been forced to grow up in the span of a few short weeks. Never would he forget the snark, the backstabbing, the general nastiness and manipulation of Sakuya's brethren...When reality turned to dream did he relive those moments. Perhaps he came out better for it. All the physical and verbal abuse...
INDENTNo. No one should go through that. It was this realization that smoothed his handsome features. Once Ayana hunkered down to sit, Kapvik eased up on the rigidness. A readiness yet remained in his muscles. If she moved suddenly, he would not hesitate in bull rushing her. Tiny though she may be, she could not withstand a full bodied tackle from the Epsilon.
INDENT“I would be surprised if it did ring familiar.” The blood that coursed through his veins varied from region to region, but the Masuyos did not gather here. Mayhaps one of his lineage walked these lands in the distant past. Or maybe...another roamed Teekon Wilds in the present. Truly they were not so scarce as to not happen upon these lands. Nothing of interest here for those of his strong willed blood. But I'm Hibiki right now. He wasn't family, as far as I know. Nonetheless, the departed shared differing origins very similar to Tatsuya's. Unknowingly, Hibiki might have been a distant relative of his. Awesome. More crap to carry.
INDENT“I'm not native here, if that's what you're implying.” Conversation came easily to him now. Just like fibbing. “And your name – Ayana, was it? You're not from around here either, are you?” Her timidity, her hungriness for fellowship, her expressed regrets...Overall, she did not jive well with Blackfeather Woods. Having witnessed Burke's wrongdoing against a wee lass did not paint the pack in an upstanding light. To rope Ayana into that mess would not do her justice.

Ayana smiled when the male showed some kind of interest in her. He was not from around here, but he seemed to be more familiar with Teekon Wilds as she was. Something gave her the feeling that she knew this male, which her mind labelled as pure imagination and wishful thinking. It would have been nice to have someone around that shared a similar past, especially if they came from the same region. Suddenly Ayana dwelled in her thoughts and could not help but remind herself of where she came from.Stop talking to him. Maybe he does know you, maybe he knows about your past and this is why he is here. Vengeance. Fury. But the male did not seem to want to seek revenge. His words came out with ease now, he sat down aswell, though Ayana noticed how tensed his muscles still were. Ready to fight.
Her heart was beating faster again, though she did not know whether this was caused by fear of the male or much rather fear of her own past.

Oh, you're scared now, little one? How sweet. Maybe this will show you how unworthy of friends and family you are. Your past is what defines you, you will never be able to change what you have done. Your poor brother. So sweet and innocent. A child. Just because you were so incabable of taking care of things. No sign of responsibility in your veins, not even when it came to your brother. How defenseless he was. I know you still remember it. The sharp smell of blood is still in your little nose. And the look in your mother's eyes when she expelled you. You're a disease, Ayana.
But she changed. She was responsible now, she saved Lusa's puppy and she made sure Cicero did not die. The female bit her tongue. But what if he does know her. What if this male would talk about her past as if she was an open book. What if he knew?

Ayana looked at the male. He seemed sweet, underneath a thick layer of power and will. She smiled at him weakly and replied."No, I am indeed a stranger. My old pack was nowhere near Teekon Wilds, though we often moved around. Prey was short. My father once ruled the pack.", she said, when she suddenly remembered how they called themselves. Aquila Summit, wasn't it? Ayana was unsure, but she rememberred her father telling stories about it. The female was still looking at the dark wolf and told him the name of the pack, frightened, yet also excited.

Ayana's demure smile was met with firm indifference. Conversation with this gilded passerby could be considered a kindness. She best be glad there was a sliver of mercy within him else this meeting would have gone south quickly. It still might. Nothing was set in stone, after all. Her fear was not helping matters, either. It showed in her bulbous turquoise eyes and her quickened breathe. It riled within her like a sickness, dripping from her mouth in black ichor. Dread bred dubiety, but this he managed to contain.
INDENTShe revealed her beginnings. Ah, so she was born into a nomadic pack as well? There was not many of those as far as he knew. Once she announced her pack's name, the air around them grew onerous. Eyes distant, jaw clenched, body statuesque – Tatsuya was visibly impacted by Ayana's portentous reveal. Aquila Summit...He suddenly wished he had not left the spire at all today.
INDENT“ここでは私たちの「友人」、貴重に私たちの要求を暗唱。それらのすべて、ためです。そして、何のどもりません。あなたが行う場合は何が起こるか知っています。” Tiny notes carved in flesh for first offense. Maiming for second. Living evisceration for the third. How could he forget the gritty penalties for the thoughtless? Queasy, Tatsuya looked away once he began licking blackened teeth, framed by obsidian gum and stringed by caustic saliva. Like staring into the pits of hell.
INDENTTatsuya looked down at Ayana's paws. Why was the world spinning? Stop...STOP!
INDENT“You have transgressed against us.” The man let out a miserable burble, blood seeping through cuts and abrasions. They would scar, but fur would hide them. Of course. Mar them where others won't see. Some things never change.
INDENTDizzying. Why was everything so bright? The wolverine closed his eyes, shielding them. Sound failed to reach him. The high-pitched cry of locusts, the croak of bullfrog, the impalpable breeze bumping cattails together...His perception lied only in the past now. Sand, blood, poison...Aridity made him thirst. Rent flesh upset his stomach. A foul odor was emitted from Sakuya's mouth which now teased his cheek. “続けます,” the slayer urged. None gentler than a lion unto a lamb.
INDENT“Now you will pay for your life.” The words. They came. Like bile spilling from his tongue. The captive protested, each inarticulate grunt and whine hitting him like a kick in the gut. This was torture all its own, forcing this man to squirm and tremble in fear for his life. Tatsuya wished to break away from here. This moment, this place – please, JUST PLE–
INDENT“But I am not without mercy!” exclaimed the tyrannical psychopath, slithering close to the bloodied and broken interloper. Did he draw close for the kill? But his words – mercy? Since when is he EVER compassionate? You hapless fool. Wish for death. It is preferable. Trust me. Of course, he pleaded. They always plead.
INDENTTatsuya heaved dryly.
INDENT“If I spare your life,” he paused, voice singsong, “what will you give me in return?” Tatsuya and the rest gathered 'round their prey – like vultures – need not read minds to see the man's answer: anything.
INDENTAnother heave. Not so dry this time. Emptying his stomach on to Ayana's pristine mitts, Tatsuya leaned back with a throbbing head and a sour taste in his mouth. I can't, I can't. Lips caked in vomit, he stumbled away to the lake, taking huge gulps. The gelidity of the water soothed him. Mentally, physically. Senses returning. The sun still glared. He needed to return home. Now. Right now. Finding his center, he weakly roved through muck and marsh towards Otter Creek.
INDENTAyana was forgotten. Momentarily. Should she approach him, he would kill her. He departed by giving her a loaded stare. Do not look for me. Do not follow me. Do not speak my name. You look for me, I will kill you. If I am unsuccessful, I will spend every waking moment finding a way to end you. Do. Not. Seek. Me. Out.

I am going to rip the fur from his skin while bloody drowning him in this bloody lake. What a freaking cheeky ... Was he taking the piss of me? Did he seriously just fu*king throw up on me are you kidding me mate? Who the hell does he think he his for goodness' sake?!

Ayana was shaking. Blood rushing through her veins, mixed with adrenaline, which made her feel like she had endless power. Invincible.
He disrespected her. Her, Ayana. Nobody does that, especially not that bloody chav, for fu*k's sake. She let out a deep growl, which even scared herself a little. She had never heard herself growl so deeply, not even when Burke trained it with her and the two other females.
She looked around with fire in her eyes, she wanted to kill this muppet of a wolf. The female closed her eyes when she saw the male walking away. She would not let him get away. Everything was black now, she did not hear a thing. Anger was rising up inside of her, she tried to control herself and stayed calm on the outside, her eyes still closed.

Suddenly she saw herself standing near the lake, trembling from all the anger and blood rushing in her veins, pumped by a fast-beating heart. Madness. Rage. Fury. The female saw herelf taking a step towards the male, who was still walking away from her, disrespecting her even more. He did not make a sound, neither did he apologize for his ... little accident. Ayana growled again. The golden female started to run, her vision was red and unsharp from all the anger inside of her. It felt like something wrapped a fist around her neck, she could not breathe well. Faster, faster. The male was only a few meters away now. One jump and she ... With all her power, she jumped onto the male's back. He cried from pain when her razor sharp claws buried deep inside his skin. Not even his thick coat could protect him from her claws, they were digging deep inside his flesh. She scratched open his back, the male did not move. He simply cired out loud like a puppy, like her brother. Thinking about her brother made her even agrier, she could not control herself anymore.
The next moment her teeth were cutting deep inside the male's neck. She ripped out a big piece of his skin, the male was fully quiet by now. The female buried his teeth deep inside his flesh again and dragged the male inside of the lake. She jumped onto his back again, her claws full of warm blood. She smiled and growled at the same time. Bloody bastard. Now you regret it, hm? Nobody humiliates me. Not even you.
After minutes of destroying the male completely, Ayana finally let go of him. She had killed this wolf. He was dead. Ayana started to giggle. She killed him. He would never humiliate her again. Her giggle turned into a laugh, scary and deep. She laughed so hard it scared herself.

Suddenly she opened her eyes. The sun was to bright, it took a moment until she found the male walking away. She followed him quietly, trying to not make a sound. He was insane, she thought. It was as if he had some kind of weird epileptic fit, and Ayana needed to make sure he was okay.
She quickly cleaned her paws by stepping into the lake and wiggling around a little, until she followed the male again. After a while of letting him calm down, she spoke to him. "Wolf. Breathe. I need to make sure you are okay. I know you won't hurt me.", she said, not fully believing her own words.

“Weird epileptic fit” sounds about right. One more post from you and we should be done!

Delirious, the Epsilon stumbled away, squinting at the string of mountains in the distance. So distant! Why were they so far? And fuzzy. He could not make out the sharp-toothed crown of Spotted Eagle Mountain nor the snowy summit of Sawtooth Spire. Worrying, and yet he gravitated towards them. Even in this unstable state, he could associate mountains with safety and quiet. I need – I NEED...to get the hell out of here. A nice long session of meditation was sorely needed right now. A migraine borne of fright, revolt, and abhorrence thrummed within his temples. It sounded like a stampede inside his skull. His heart fluttered; a caged bird seeking freedom.
INDENTAll attempts to dissuade Ayana from approaching must have failed to reach her. She rushed to his side, all mother-hen. Nothing was going to relieve of this unfortunate malady. Not words, medicine, and certainly not violence. Her words did not reach him as he lunged towards her, jaws open as wide as physically possible. Foamy, white spittle flung from his unfastened maw as he did this. If she did not leave straightaway, she would be food for the crows.

The golden wolf looked at Tatsuya in horror. He looked sick, mental. She was scared and he lacked the skill of a healer to take care of him. She had no idea what to do and no words came out of her mouth, it was like her mouth was tied up.
Her breath was heavy as she watched the male leave. This is all your fault you stupid, dumb girl. LEAVE. Leave him alone, you killed him. You killed him. Murder. MURDERER. He turned insane because of your words, SICK. LEAVE. Leave him alone. MURDER! Her mind screamed and she felt like her head would explode. Ayana let out a loud cry and looked at the male one last time. Something inside her felt weird, she had never had this feeling before. It was like she had lost something important, something irreplaceable.

He knew about it. He knew what happened that night. Aquila Summit was not forgotten, and Ayana knew that her past would haunt her forever. But for now, it was gone. As quickly as the chance to hear answers came, it was gone again. He was gone. Was this her chance to leave her past behind?

Ayana shook her head and smiled at the stranger leaving. She would probably never see him again, which made her feel good and extremely sad at the same time.

I hope that they will meet again! <3