Two Rivers Isle Those Who Want To Hurt Us

It'd been a little over a week since Vassago had spoken to Burke beside the river - and since he'd spoken to him at all. Despite sharing the same den and sleeping beside his fathers warmth each night, the sand and chestnut colored boy had chosen to curl into @Malice's belly each night for comfort - usually, he slept sprawled in between the two, touching both slightly at the same time.

If prompted on it, Vass would stay silent, and no amount of coaxing could open his mouth. More often did he find himself wandering the Isle, but he still hadn't so much as attempted to cross the river - he was too busy thinking of those evil wolves Burke said were trained to kill his family. How could his father just let that go, not explain to his son what the dangers were after telling him not to use any of their real names. For now, he relented - strangers would be faced with a different name until he was trained and ready to face them - but he knew the day would come where he called his name across the wilds, daring any one of these assasins to challenge him. 

Vass would have gladly asked his mother for help and information, but she'd been silent lately too. She, however, couldn't talk. Why, he didn't know - but it gave him an excuse to not speak, as well. Today, however, he decided that if Malice could talk again, he would ask her - if she was alone. Poking his nose into the den with  curious yellow eyes following, he called for his mother.

                         "Mom?" 

In the den she lied every night- away from her little wonders as to not infect them with whatever weird disease that had disabled her from talking. It pained her to not sleep with her loved ones, but she knew it was for the best. They were still so young- a simple cold could be enough to kill one of her pups. Still, every day she coughed less, and her voice came back slowly but surely. At first she could only murmur things like "water..." or "food...", but was soon speaking whole sentences again. Being a mute had sucked ass, and she questioned if the total mutes found it as annoying as her.

Vassago-... Her voice was raspy and broken, yet more than normal. What a pleasant surprise, deary. What is wrong?

Her voice wasn't much better, and Vassago winced at the long talk that was sure to come, but he was unwilling to leave now. Malice seemed happy to see him, and with a sad smile he paded over and pressed his back into the curve of her belly, laying his head down next to her paw and loosing a sigh. The chestnut boy was not shy in voicing his request, ears falling back as his yellow eyes gazed up at Malice.

                      "Mom.... Dad said there were people out there that wanted to hurt us. Who are they, and why do they hate us?"

She moved a bit to make a bigger place for him to lie down comfortably, noticing how much he had grown already. He was so much bigger than little Pyro... But Malice, more than almost anyone, knew that what was inside that mattered most. Pyro was sweet and wise, and perhaps his small frame just fit him better than his whole family. There was a sadness that hung around her slightly older son though, and as he spoke he was the one that had all her attention for now.

Her ears slid down into her neck- Burke, vut the feck had he told their children now? They were way too small to hear of anything so threatening. They were supposed to grow up in peace and safety without stories of Blackfeather Woods. They want to hurt us because your father knew what was inside their hearts because of me. They are creatures of the darkness, hate is in their nature. But, please, they will never find us here. I will protect you and your brother... She said softly, lapping carefully at Vassago's head.

Please, never go out to find them. If you die, a part of me dies too... And don't ever tell Pyro of this.

Malice wasn't happy about his question, but she didn't take his side either - like his father, she insisted he stayed away, even though this time he got some information from it. They are creatures of the darkness. He would crush them all, one day... As soon as he learned how to swim. 
   
                        "What are they called?"

Her insistence to protect him and Pyro brought his hackles flaring and his ears back - that simply wasn't acceptable. He wasn't going to die! The only ones that would die were those creatures of the darkness who dared threaten his family. The last straw was Mom asking him to keep a secret from Pyro, and a rumble built in his chest.

                                                                   "Pyro should know, too! When I'm all big, when I'm a Mercenary, I'll protect you guys - and I'll kill them for even thinking of hurting us!"

Malice was far from happy- her oldest son just showed the same foolishness she had lived with her whole life before stumbling onto Teekon. Father would've liked him, she thought, for he showed the same desire to kill that was present in most if not all of the Peak's wolves. Malice had grown past it and was now trying to raise her children in a calm environment- wanting to keep the away from as much violence as possible. One day they'd be ready, but for now she was in charge.

I won't tell you- even their name tastes bitter on my tongue. I wish to never hear it again- not even out of my own mouth. She said, tears stinging in her yellow eyes yet she refrained from crying. She would not show weakness in front of her child- she was supposed to be a picture of sophisticated grace and protection, not a weeping house-mom. She was an ex-warrior, daughter of Lucifer himself and proud exile of the Peak. And she wanted her children to live long enough to listen to her tales for goodness sake!

She pulled up her lip as Vassago seemed to growl at her- she could have it when he was trying to threaten loners on their borders and new wolves, but she was his only mother- if she hadn't been there he wouldn't even have lived. Her throat was too soar to growl, but even if it wasn't she wouldn't have done it. You are foolish to think you can stop an entire pack- You are foolish to think you will be ready to even beat me in a fight for the next year! She hissed. And if you tell Pyro before I say you can, you'll never even leave the Isle without an adult!

Vassago didn't understand the root of his mothers anger - he wanted to protect them! The dark woman wouldn't even give him a name, and it pulled another rumbling growl from his throat, missing his mothers tears entirely. This one was swiftly cut off by Malice's show of teeth, and it was at this point Vassago scrambled away and got to his creamy paws. Her scathing words brought stinging tears of his own to yellow eyes - so much like his mothers - and a louder, meaner snarl came from his throat.

                       "Once I grow up, theres nothin' you can do to stop me. I cant wait! And I'm not hiding nothin' from my brother!"

Spinning around in a whirl of soft brown fur and unpreportionate limbs, Vass took off - clearly, if Malice wouldn't take his side, she was of no use, and he had nothing more to say. The stubborn, rude child that he was did not care if he hurt her feelings or worried her sick - there was nothing she could do to make him see he was wrong.

She was aware that Vassago only wanted his family to be safe, but HE was part of the family too. The Blackfeather Woods wolves would show no mercy, not even to a foolish child who clearly had too big dreams for such a small frame. When he kept growling at her, she opened her mouth and snarled the best she could. The disrespect Vassago showed did not suit the Lady well, and she was furious. She had not raised her children like this, and she was certain even Burke valued respect to ones superiors. 

I'M YOUR MOTHER, AND I WILL STOP YOU WHENEVER I WANT- NO MATTER HOW BIG YOU GET, YOU WILL ALWAYS BE A FOOL IF YOU THINK FIGHTING IS THE ANSWER TO ALL OUR PROBLEMS. She screamed at him, her voice cracking every now and then, straining her vocal cords. When he showed signs of leaving, Malice scampered up and moved swiftly out of their den. She would not allow her child to just run away from a serious argument, and so she chased her oldest son with the intention to stop him by force and weight.

Vassago had no intentions of getting hurt, himself - while the boy knew he wasn't unstoppable, he planned on being such a wonderful Mercenary by the time he faced these wolves that he would not allow harm to come to anybody. Perhaps he was really being selfless, uncaring if he got hurt or not - but it was likely the naivity of his pup brain that controled his motives.

While he'd expected to get away scotfree here, Malice had other plans; she tore off after him, screaming, and the boy's eyes widened. Vass was lucky to have a smaller size - he could maneuver faster and easier, slipping underneath the branches his mother would have to go around, slipping through plants that would tangle her larger paws. 

                                "NO!"

One word was all he screamed, ears flattening against his skull in refusal to listen to another word, paws pounding against the earth in his frantic scramble to get away. The young boy did not recognize or understand how rude and disrespectful he was being - he was going this for the good of his family!

While Vassago could flee faster, Malice knew the forest like the back of her paw. For every shortcut her son could take she knew an even faster one, and keeping up with her warrior's stamina was quite a jiffy too. With the rage building in her brute form, she did not care about the pain she was doing to herself- barely felt it as she chased Vassago who was still not listening to her. 

Once close enough to be on top of him with a powerful jump, she decided to let him run some more to get his energy out. While she knew her kid to be hyperactive, his stamina was way less than hers, and that would show sooner or later. 

Malice kept hot on his heels, sometimes vanishing from his peripherials to reappear elsewhere he hadn't expected her - eventually, she drew up behind him, and though Vass could sense the attack looming, the pair kept running. By now, he was growing tired - as much as he so dearly wished he could keep going, he needed to stop soon.... 

That was when he saw the fox den - scent alone told him it was long, long empty, and that was the only thing he needed before flinging himself at the entrance. It was a tight, awkward fit, but the chestnut boy eventually wormed his way back around to watch the entrance: he was fully ready to lash out at any paw or muzzle that showed itself out of his own fear of being hurt. Now, however, Vassago had learned to keep his mouth shut, not even making the slightest of rumbles that might make Mother even more upset. 

Lol since they're both too stubborn to cave and this thread is kinda old, wanna fade soon?

No - this thread is very important for their relationship! We can't just rush it because it's old :)

She was almost close enough to touch his little behind as she chased him numb. This was what it felt like to be scared! He had to know the feeling - he had to know that this was what the Blackfeather Wolves would do, only worse! He was stubborn and foolish - he was almost no son of hers. Could he not be more like Pyro? Pyro was polite, even shy at times, and Malice thought that her second born would make a far better leader than the fool she was chasing. Silently she hoped Burke would agree if she would bring it up.

Malice knew these woods as her own left paw pad, and the empty fox den she knew well. It had been too small to settle in, but she knew exactly where it was and that Vassago could fit. Before he could escape, she jumped, aiming to land upon him softly as to not break his bones and grab him by the scruff. 

He'd felt Malice's hot breath, felt her land softly from a pounce that surely would have caught a full-length tail, and heard her teeth grab at the air where he'd just been. His pelt was on all ends, both in fear and anger, and this time Vass didn't keep his mouth shut. Without thinking about how his words could effect her, only hoping it would make her leave him alone, Vassago yowled out a terrified and rage-filled:

                                "I HATE YOU!"

The child sobbed -- this wasn't how his mother was supposed to act! This was something he could expect from his gruffer father, but his mother? He'd wanted her to comfort him, even if she hadn't given him the story -- why was she being so mean? He just wanted to help everyone.

When she slightly missed, she did not give up. He wanted her son to be scared of her - to be scared of the things that kept even her awake at night. He had to realize that what he was planning to do would not give him a place among them. If he wanted revenge so badly, he could do it all on his own - as long as he did not return, ever. Arthendal did not encourage revenge, and she certainly thought higher of her firstborn. He had proven her wrong though as the words left his lips.

AND I HATE HAVING TO DISCIPLINE YOU LIKE THIS! I HATE THE WAY YOU THINK YOU CAN DO ANYTHING. YOU CAN'T - VASSAGO, YOU ARE MORTAL! She yelled back. She forgot to add that everything he was doing now was reminding her too much of her former self - of Lucifer and the Peak he probably still held.