Blackfeather Woods That don't impress me much

@Damien , you get Shania Twain songs yo

After the ceremony , Akela had filled his duties as beta. While he knew he had the respect of the royal couple, he also knew that some would question his rank, or even try to challenge it. This was not his first rodeo on that spot.  He remembered when his uncle decided to make him Beta of his pack. While him and Catori had been happy , there were those grumpy wolves that just gave you that look of envy and made you sleep at night with one eye open. In Blackfeather woods, he felt the same thing coming from no other than the eldest son of Meldresi and Burke. The only one he did not have the pleasure of meeting. Potema and Cicero were intriguing and good company, but he wondered about the eldest. He seemed sour. You just could see it on his features. a shame really for such a young soul.

As the sun was laying low, Akela returned from a hunting trip with a rabbit to put in a cache for the members of the pack, when he saw the center of his recent thoughts. You truly invoked the devil when thinking about him.

I suppose this happens after the packtivity so i'll be vague about many things...

A cloud of smoke and mist, blood splashing all over, teeth glints and overwhelming noise. That's what Damien's mind had become after the incident with Grimnir. He still wanted to secure his family, and Grimnir's survival did little to tranquilize him. He had discovered that neither Burke nor Meldresi had taken upon Grimnir when the had reasons to blame him for Potema's attack, which made him feel uneasy about who should really be making the calls in the pack. And someone had been appointed the position of Beta. Someone Damien didn't trust, someone who had been in the pack less than enough, and who had still to prove his worth to Damien. And then there were the twins, who had been born into all that mess.

Damien had kept close to Spiderlings' Glen, feeling uncappable of leaving his mother and baby siblings in the seemingly uncappable care of Burke. But even then Damien had to take care of himself. He needed rest. He needed food. And sitting idly next to his mother's bed didn't get him any of that.

A low growl rumbled in Damien's throat as he walked, eyes down, through the darkness of his home. The shadows were the only thing that felt safe these days. But even there he could not know what he would find next.

Pale eyes locked with a dark form, probaly just as dark as him. But a lot less desirable. The new Beta.

The boy knew that he was doing little to camouflage himself, but he had yet to see through this one's eyes.

One would think Meldresi's kid were polite and well educated. From what he got from meeting the mom, the daughter and son, he expected no less from the elder boy. However, defiance or bitterness or maybe jalousy drove that kid to act like a spoiled brat , during his naming as beta, and now. He was just staring at him like a deer in headlights. Akela thought about leaving him be, but then again where would the fun be in that.

He could use som juvenile tension , it was amusing him in a weird way. "See something you like, kid ? " he asked Damien , making it really hard not to see this as a provokation. But wolves like that, Akela needed to see which button could be pushed, and belittlement was a great classic.

The Beta decided not to avoid interacting with Damien, who was now officially a full-fledged member of the pack. And with the recognition, his own ego and security had grown a tenfold. There was nothing anyone could say or do that would make him feel incapable of anything. However, Akela's own ego seemed to have been boosted by his recent promotion, which made things even more sour for Damien.

Pale eyes went up and down on Akela with disdain, and back to staring into his eyes, Damien said "Nothing..." and he was being honest.

"Yeah ,,,,thought so ... I lack some white in my fur. " he provoked him, nothing mean, nor a display of ego. Just him being a little 9 months shit in the body of an elder wolf. He could just see the sourness of the male's features, he could even almost taste it.

He gave a head shake.  " Side's still sore ? " he asked , more genuinely this time. He had nothing against the male, he did not know him, only saw him at the gathering, so might as well get to know who he was, by seeing what he would say about his wound.

To Akela's provocation, Damien responded with a cold stare and silence. He wasn't looking to pick up a fight with the Beta, that was the last thing he wanted. But a healthy rivalry with a superior wouldn't do him any wrong. He would stand in his place one day, Damien just knew it, but he also knew that he wouldn't get it by responding to childish provocations from Burke's right hand.

Akela asked about Damien's wound, which other than an ugly reminder of Grimnir didn't do anything else to alter Damien's life.

"This is nothing." said the boy as an attempt to seem tough. "A mere scratch compared to what I'll do to it's provider..." he shared no more, feeling no need to talk further about his plans for Grimnir with this wolf.

The older male noted every microexpression he found in the kid's body language. Enough to know he had struck a nerve. At the other's reply  Akela frowned. He had not gotten the whole story about Lusa and her mate, male he had never met, just knew the story Burke told him about them going after Grimnir after they found out about Potema being hurt.

"Good to know, although I was only asking about your mark on your side, not the aftermath of that confrontation with that wolf. " Akela replied . "You are still not letting that go, huh ? Not gotten the revenge you expected ?" he asked , wishing to know where Damien's mind and interests were lying now.

Looks like I just turned this standard thread into a Chronicler thread B)

This far, it seemed like Akela was way too interested in Damien's mind, something he didn't want at all. With every word it seemed as if the Beta was trying to pull strings to see which one got him a bad scar, and he was getting close, dangerously close. The boy did not like to be corrected, and he hated to be wrong.

"My side is not sore," Damien raised his voice subtly, "It is an honor to bear this mark." he almost growled. And then the right string was pulled. "Letting it go? You know nothing, do you? Oh, but how could you if you've barely been a couple weeks in the pack? he said, clearly pissed. "Please do allow me to guide you through our history, Beta, You will need it if you want to be half as good a leader as any of the others have... Grimnir had been with the pack as long as I've lived. One of the longest-standing members of the pack, but barely of any use to it. He came up to my sister one day, halfway through a gathering to threaten her life in front of the whole pack, and he was stupid enough to attack her afterwards when no one was looking... But no one seemed to notice the coincidence. He remained a member, unjudged, unsuspected, unscathed. He ate our food when he was barely there to catch it. He mated one of our females, and sired pups that he raised with our resources. And he deserves to die for all the pain he's made us all go through. So no, I will not let it go until the bastard is dead."

A bundle of anger and juvenile attitude, while having redeeming qualities such a loyalty and unconditional love for family. Such was Akela's conclusion after only a few minutes of talking to the other wolf.  He let the defiance slip, not because it didn't offense him, but because he felt like the wolf, despite his attitude towards him , needed to let it out. May it be ferocious or not, Akela remained perfectly impassible, unreadable while the other let that cancer that was consuming him for weeks on , let itself known. He knew parts of the story, but that the other male did not need to know it. Letting him think he was dumber than he looked was a way to not be considered a threat. 

He let a moment of silence settle , looking with one eye at the younger male. "This has greatly wounded you, hasn't it?" he finally spoke on a much calmer tone than Damien had used.  " Yet revenge will not bring you the peace your mind needs. Yes, you will hunt him down, tomorrow, in a week, in a month, after winter, you will eventually face your nemesis again, maybe you'll come out victor of the fight resulting, maybe you'll go down a more twisted way of revenge : hurt someone he loves deeply to make him feel the same pain , doubts and fear....because death has this side of being ...easy...life , life now that's hard, especially when you live with the pain. " he spoke and took a step forward towards Damien. "But the thing with revenge is ...it doesn't allow you to move forth with your life. You're stuck in that one desire, while the other lives his life , while things change around you. " he added.  "You have many qualities young Damien, one day you'll be a fierce leader, but do not let your hatred and revenge steal your heart and soul, trust me, you'll only lose yourself if not worse. "

Although Akela's words truly seemed to come from experience, Damien couldn't help feeling like a grounded child. Akela was no counselor, he was not Damien's voice of reason. Akela was merely a member of the pack that Damien was supposed to respect, which in this case, wasn't Damien's preference either.

"What do you know?" Damien asked, looking away. It was a rethoric question more than a direct one. Damien wasn't really interested in the reason behind Akela's words for sound as they were.

"I will not hunt him down. I know that's not clever," Damien revealed, "But if I'm lucky enough to come across him, or if he's stupid enough to come back that will be his end."

However, one thing Akela said di make Damien think. He praised him, and said Damien would be a fierce leader once, and Damien looked up. Was he accepting the fact that Damien was bound to take over his spot one day? Well, that was clearly something not even Akela could ignore.

Akela smiled sadly, not feeling like responding. His expression was an answer enough to tell the younger wolf that he ahd lived more and seen more of this world  and the pain that belonged with it than him.  "It is known that not clever things are often done despite one knowing they are not clever. I wouldn't wish for it too hard, sometimes you might regret what your wishes bring with them. " Akela advised and tilted his head.

"Would you mind telling me about Blackfeather ? " he asked then.  "Your mother had started narrating me the past and the ways of its culture, but now that she is with child and focused on other things, I do not wish to bother her, yet, I wish to know more about its recent history.  " he explained. It wasn't an innocent question, he wanted Damien to talk to him, share something with him, and thus create an exchange, even if he wasn't respecting him, and seeing him as a stranger having taken his spot. Akela was simply acknowledging Damien's assets and value, thus doing exactly what he had told Cicero he wanted to do, give the respect without asking it to be earned, just going with his guts.  He was not making a fool of Damien or thinking himself better, he was just higher in rank, but really, they were equals.

Akela smiled, but Damien noticed the pain behind it and he shut his mouth. Damien did not care about Akela's past enough to ask, but he wouldn't keep pressing if it hurt him. Damien was no demon. Just a dick, but not a demon.

The boy listened to Akela's advise, and although it was clear he had the insight to make it sound logical, Damien didn't quite agree with him. Or perhaps he just didn't want to agree. In any case, though, Damien did not mention anything else. He looked away and flicked his tail in annoyance.

But then Akela asked about Blackfeather Woods' past, and Damien couldn't help feeling excitement for a split second. It seemed to him that not enough members cared for their pack's history. Of course, no one went around shouting it out, not anyone could know a lot of it, but if someone really cared, they would mind to know where their present comes from.

Damien's eyes gleamed eerily, There's only so much I can really tell you. There are secrets among the Guild members that not even I know. But if you really wish to know I suppose I can brief you on the few months before you arrived. Damien said, getting comfortable.

The pack has been too quiet for a long time. But I guess that's me and my siblings' fault... My mother's intention with the pack was always truthful to the guild's purpose. To Reek Havoc upon the land. The Dark Brothers are bringers of chaos, and in some occasions, heroes. Sometimes taking the right life can bring peace to a pack. Damien stopped for a second as his mind drifted away on imaginary adventures. But Blackfeather Woods hasn't had that kind of action... Not since Bane... Meldresi had been straightforward when it came to satisfying Damien's need for information about his departed father. And it did not pain him to know.

My mother and Burke... They're too peaceful... Bane was reckless. Trouble followed him everywhere. He killed a trespasser once. Her bones still decorate our borders. And he started the war with Swiftcurrent Creek. He took one of their members prisoner in Wolfskull, and tortured her for weeks. And then he brought her back to her pack and beat their alpha's ass... he finished with a devilish smile.

That had not been how Meldresi had told him the story. Damien had his own version of it, and oddly enough, Bane was the hero in it. Damien hated the fact that his father had abandoned them before he could even learn anything from him, but he couldn't deny that Bane was badass. Just the kind of wolf the Brotherhood needed.

Blackfeather Woods has had many members since it's beginning, but it seems that only a few of them had the loyalty requires to get to the next level. Only Burke and Kove remain loyal to the Brotherhood and the pack... Although Burke doesn't seem to be too keen on the Brother Kove... I suppose you know about Kove's failed mission? He asked, but naturally Akela wasn't aware of how underperforming the Dark Brother had been on his mission. Damien had no problem telling a story though, and he took his time to spill the details. But his patience could only last for so long and after one too many clever comments from Akela Damien left to find something worth his time. Akela sure wasn't.