Deceit, at its Best

@Finley , set within forest, but not past pack borders:)

The tranquil silence could be suffocating for those who knew nothing of silence, but it was peacefor the dark kind. On his side, he lay nestled amongst the remains of a dying rose bush, as if the once great floral arrangement was his throne. Content, he gazed through the thinly set tree trunks, his volcanic eyes feeling as though the could burn holes in the ravens that pecked at a dead creature in the distance.

Softly, the man hummed to himself,
"The sky has blacked, shadows fall upon the land, and within the swift blink of your eyes,
The Nightmare has Begun.
The slush of the blood, a spare limb left in the mud, the pitiful dying cries,
The Nightmare has Begun. "

The rest, he couldn't say, because it would make him want to go satisfy his bloodlust on some innocent creature. Not that he wasn't hungry, but he could wait.

He lowered his thickly furred head on the top of his wide paws, the soft pelt providing a pillow for him. The man curled his tail around the left of his body, the ethereal look of the obsidian coat due to the strange sprinkles of snow that refused to melt on his hide. Slade watched the world, as it withered away.

All that had gone on the past few days with the forming of the new pack at the Caldera had distracted Fin completely from her mission to find Adair. Her worry for him had been replaced with worry for how long the herds typically lingered around the massive lake at their flank, where would be the best places to form caches for the Winter, where in the Caldera could she find herbs and remedies to begin stockpiling since she seemed to be the only wolf amongst them that knew anything about medicine (which was truly frightening and hopefully everyone in the pack was sufficiently wary). There was so much for the budding new pack to do, and now with Lasher gone, they were down to only four wolves to bear the many, many tasks required to be done if they were going to survive until Spring.

Others would be nervous; Finley was absolutely flourishing under the pressure.

Nothing inspired the young Blackthorn more than danger. Adrenaline had always been her fuel of choice and nothing got it pumping through her veins like life or death situations. Redhawk Caldera was not in that dire of a predicament, but Fin knew that if they didn't work their very hardest now, they would be. So, instead of doing any of those things I previously listed that needed to be done, Fin was contributing to the pack's future by searching for recruits.

Her journey brought her to the borders of a very dark wood, one that she had never before realized was claimed by a wolf pack. She hadn't been there in quite some time, however--not since she'd first come to the Teekon Wilds. She wondered vaguely how long it had been there, and how devoted the members of the pack were to this creepy-as-hell forest. After a moment or two, lingering a few yards away from their borders, she decided that she didn't really want to know. Whoever would choose this place to live in probably was not the kind of wolf the Caldera really needed.

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Almost in the manner of a snake slithering its moist tongue out to taste the air, finding oddities amongst naturualities, the dark brute saw an unusual color of gleaming silver, a stark comparison to the cold and shadowed colors of the dreary forest. Lifting his ebony crown, he studied, leaving not a sound in the air besides the one the newcomming company created.
wolf the light 5mph breeze whispered to him, as it danced around his nose, ruffling his fur only slightly.

Slade stood, and decided to be a gentlemanly host, greeting the lupine who stood uncannily at the fringes of the border.

Silent as death, but with more purpose, the giant man strode before the sterling girl, taking to mind her scents, her biochemical identification. She resisded in a pack, and due to his short time here, he did not know which one. The swirl of smells upon the young female did not daunt, but only peaked his intrest.

His fiery gaze swept over her, no hostility within them, only sightful curiousity.

"Hello there. Can I assist in any way?" His deep words sidled over to her silked auds.

Fin had just turned to go when a deep voice suddenly disrupted the silence, causing her to start violently. "HOLY--" she barked as she spun to face the hulking wolf that had emerged from the darkness. She stared wide-eyed at him for only a moment before regaining her composure by releasing the breath that had caught in her throat. "My god, you scared the hell out of me," she gasped, shaking herself to relieve the remaining tension that had seized her at his sudden appearance.

Finley gave the man an appraising look, wondering at how to respond to his offer of help. "That's nice of you.. giant, creepy dude..." she started slowly, a thin smile flickering across her lips, "But I think I'm good..." As she spoke, she was slowly backpedaling away from him. Maybe it was the dark, ominous forest that surrounded them, but this encounter was seeming a little too beginning-of-a-ghost-story-esque for her liking.

"I was really just.. admiring the trees.. is all.... Lovely place you've got here!" Why, oh why, was she still talking?

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My god. Is it bad if I cant stop laughing? I just might die, trying to type this post. Thanks Finley. xD

At her admittance of the fear that clutched her, the man barked a resounding laugh, his bright orbs gleaming from amusement. Adorable.
Slade had no intention of scaring the girl, merely attempting to be nice, though his sadistic lust at the fright from the girl purred its happiness at the reaction.

"Then fear, no more. Didn't mean to scare you, there. But then again, turning to see a giant deep voiced wolf dude who blended in with the house of horror woods behind him, ..I'd be frightened of me too. "

With another short laugh, he looked down at the girl.

"I'm Slade. Merry meet, girl."
Tilting his obsidian draped head, he murmured,
"Who are you, and what brings you to this knack of the woods? If anything, be scared more of them, than me. You shouldn't be at all, threatened by me. "

Lol I'm having too much fun with her

The sudden rumble of laughter from the dark man made her stop instantly in her tracks. She peered curiously at him, wondering if this was the sound everyone heard before demons reached up from the earth beneath their feet and dragged them down into hell. The notion was dismissed shortly when looked upon her with kindness in his freaky-ass eyes. She gave a nervous laugh along with him, still a little worried that this was all part of the trick, but wanting to play the part of the super-cool chick who had totally been messing with him when she'd acted all scared. She failed at the facade, by the way.

"I'm Finley," she replied, her smile tightening as the words be more scared of them danced in merry circles in her mind, "I was just exploring the area, looking for new recruits for a pack that's forming--" STOP STOP STOP "--way far away from here, you wouldn't know the place. It's great though.. But not THAT great, I mean." This was going well.

"So there's a pack here, eh?" Fin said quickly, trying to distract him from asking any further questions about her great-but-crappy-located-in-a-fantasy-world-across-the-planet-that-no-one-could-ever-find-or-want-to-go-to pack.

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So....kinda got kicked out of Trig and Cal for laughing so hard in the middle of class at how this conversation reeks of Akwardness for Finley. My god. Also, gonna direct you to get a glimpse of @Ashton because hopes they can be friends...and maybe more? *eyebrow wiggle*

Slade raised a furry black eyebrow, watching the girl flounder for her words. The silver speckled femme was both hot and cold, yes and no, in and out, up and down ( see what I did there).
Slade was enjoying every confusing second of it.
The conversation was going as smooth as the prickly scales of a matured pinecone.

The dark king sat there a few seconds, before a sly glint made a brief appearance in his volcanic stare.

"I see. If your..you say..'far far away' pack need some recruits, I recommend Ashton, to you. Great little spurt, and he's quite a bit...like you. "

At her mentioning of the residing pack, the black brute smiled, his bright sharp ivories staining rhe darkness with their luminescent color.

"Indeed, there is, and I am a member of it. Very much so proud to say such a thing. I've survived a couple of nights here. Adair wouldn't last a night, in such a place."

He chuckled, reminiscing the very thought of his compadre who had not lasted very long in his presence.

Fin canted her head slightly as he made a recommendation to her of a potential candidate for their new pack. Someone named Ashton. She wondered for a moment what he meant by him being like her. Extremely uncomfortable? Nervous? Squirrelly? If that was the case, then it didn't sound like this wolf was actually anything like her at all, as this wasn't typically how she acted. But then, she wasn't typically hanging out in haunted forests with demon spawn.

The man's next words brought her completely out of her thoughts. Her gaze shot to his face in surprise as the name Adair fell from his lips. "You know Adair?" she asked. Her hunt for her friend had been waylaid with recent events at the Plateau. Getting their new pack set up had taken precedence over satisfying her personal desire to find him again and make sure he was alright, but now suddenly, without even trying, it seemed she might be about to get a clue as to how to find him.

"Of course, I know him. He's my brother. "

A grin whos bright ivories gleamed in the dark fall of the shaded trees, emerged.

"Half brother. My father killed his sisters, and his mother, so Bleh. But my mother was from another pack. A one night stand, yes? "

With a glint in his fiery gaze, he regarded the girl.

"Why, do you know of my sissie brother, little Finley? "

His brother? Fin looked at the dark wolf with new found wonder. She supposed they did look somewhat similar. They were both wolf-shaped, she supposed. And there was some similarity in their faces, besides they fact that they were both the faces of wolves.

The history he shared with her caused her mind to spin as well. Was this part of why he walked on unbridled backs? Were the rules of this former pack the ones that were unfair and junk? But no, that wouldn't have made sense. Whatever pack this was, it was not one within the Wilds. Rumor of a pack this violent would have made it to their ears.

"I met him once," Fin admitted, returning her gaze to his face with knit brows, "Do you know where he is now?"

'So she had interacted with the soft hearted idiot, ' Slade internally scoffed. Then they both be fools.

Slade stood, making a slow circular path around the dainty little femme. His voice lowered, seeming to drown out all other sounds, except his voice.
Compared with the horror tell lighting, this was bound to get good.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. I feel bad for you, miss Finley. Do you find him sweet? Caring? Gentle? That man is everything but such lies. His façade worked on you, I see. And I warn you, once he has a hold of you, it will only be death that lets you go."

The dark king finished his orbit, staying straight into the soft irises of the small fuel.

"You see, Adair is a murderer. He's killed countless wolves. And then, thrives on the pity of others, only to kill them. I bet he's told you a tale of how hard his life is, how he might have to leave his pack for a better one. .. the truth is, Finley, he's a nomad. He doesn't stay in a pack very long. He kills, and keeps moving. His truths, the deceit, is st it's best, with him."

It was like a cold block of ice slipped down her throat and landed with a 'plunk' right in the pit of her stomach. She eyed the dark wolf as he told his story about her friend, a whirl of emotions winding through her veins. Fear, disappointment, anger, distrust, and confusion. Most of all confusion. Could what he be saying really be true? Was Adair a killer?

Fin's eyes narrowed as mistrust overtook her most of all. If it was going to come down to a contest between Adair and this wolf... Perhaps neither of them would have her complete trust after this, but Adair would sure as hell have more of it than this creature.

"Why should I believe you?" she spat out only seconds after he finished spewing his venom, all fear of him gone and replaced by indignity. Maybe Adair was a killer, but how dare this dude suggest she was so foolish and naive as to trust him (even though she totally had). Fin didn't get angry very often, but she knew when she was being insulted--even when it was subtle and unintentional.

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Last post from me! Great thread, Stevie! Now go find Adair! xDDD

A solemn look, only faintly dazzled by the amusement in his ember like eyes, he spoke to er softly.

"Would you like to hear it from the horses mouth, himself? Because he sure as hell will not tell you the truth, little Finley. It's harder to hear the truth from a liar, than a lie from a truther, trust me, I know that. But it's from the darkest pit of my heart. Thats as far as you can get. "

Slade stepped back into the shadows, his ebony coat making him almost one with his surroundings. His naturally fit home.

"Again, hear his side. He awaits you at Noctisardor Bypass. "

Another step back.

"And Finley?,...don't be deceived, again."

Slade vanishes back into the suffocating abyss of darkness entrenched woods, making his way back to his brambled bush, contemplating the life of his own Half Brother.

Fin could do nothing but glare as the man talked down to her as though she were a dumb little pup. All he needed to do was give her a pat on the head and the whole incident would have been complete. The thought brought a low growl out of her throat. She didn't like this creepy, and she didn't like this creepy pack he came from. Peregrine would certainly be hearing of this place, even if she left out some of the finer points of their conversation. After all, she knew her friend well. He would never allow her to continue her search for the supposed "murderer", and Fin was definitely going to do that after this conversation.

The Blackthorn turned away and broke into a quick lope, eager to get away from this creepy-ass place. The name Noctisardor Bypass remained in her mind as she went. If Adair was there, then she was definitely going to check it out. Then they would see.

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