Blackfeather Woods Call for the Brotherhood

Backdated a bit! @Meldresi

Burke just dragged the black and tan dog on the cashes. The masked grey male felt the pride surge to his body. After showing interest in the brotherhood while joining, Burke socialized with Bother Kove, Brother Slade and Brother Bane. Brother Kove told him what to do to join the brotherhood, which was to kill someone and show good behavior. Burke had helped Brother Slade with a hunt and he had talked with Bane about becoming an Outrider for the pack. Of course Burke also tried to socialize with the priestess herself but he understood that the mother was busy with her young.

He had completed what needed to be done. He had killed an intruder mercilessly. The thief was on top of the pile she thieved from. Burke loved the irony. His well know smirk was on his maw. Maybe he should hurt for more of these dogs. Maybe he could find a smaller one and make the young try and catch it. That would be fun to watch. Burke stepped off the pile himself and shook out his blood stained fur. It was everywhere, soaking his chest, muzzle and front paws. Even a streak of blood was drying on his side.

It was Mephala's will that brought her to Burke, killing the canine trespasser. Meldresi watched in the shadows the whole time, noting with pride at how efficient he was with his murder. It was clean and swift, something an assassin should first master before moving onto more interesting kills.

She waited a while longer, observing the docked wolf as he dragged the dog from the borders onto the cache it tried to steal from. She chuckled lowly at the irony before she revealed herself to the gray tank. "Well done." she praised him.

The tank of a male immediately looked up when he heard the female voice. Once he saw the dark priestess a wicked grin turned on his lips. "Thank you," he returned politely. She was good, since Burke hadn't noticed that she had been hiding in the shadows while he made his kill. Burke was pleased that she saw it. Maybe this would finally be the day that he was turning into a dark brother. One of his missions would be succeeded.

The masked male licked his blood stained muzzle and let his eyes fall into hers. "I guess you like my joke? I never had dog before. Would that be cannibalism or not?," the male wondered out loud, just to make a starting topic into a conversation.

@Burke Sorry!

Meldresi walked closer to the man and the dog carcass. She observed the wounds, noticing how clean they were. It was a kill worthy of a Dark Brother, she thought. Burke was a devoted wolf. He was beginning to fill the void that Slade and Bane had left, but his flings with the new female of the pack, Tanith, did not go unnoticed. Despite that, she was certain that he would be a new addition to her Dark Brotherhood. They needed a new member anyway.

"I have heard that dogs were once our brothers, a very, very long time ago." She mused, walking around the carcass, examining it. The dog was dead skinny and would not provide much, but its size would make up for it. "Now, they look so unlike us, it seems like they are just a distant relative, like foxes or coyotes. I am certain that we can eat it without that moral concern."

Not to worry!

The masked male looked at his kill and then listened to the priestess words. He snorted in disagreement that they would ever be brothers with these things.. He didn't see that connection. But then, Meldresi explained that they looked so much different now. "Yes, because they are touched by men," the large wolf spoke grimly. He never really encountered one. He stayed far away from those weird transport lanes with objects rushing by at high speed. He had seen wolves killed by it.

"Well since you approve I will leave her on this cache to be eaten," Burke grinned. He shook out his coat since the blood was starting to dry and itch his fur. He needed a bath. He would go after this meeting with Meldresi, maybe explore the outside of this territory.

Meldresi nodded her head, but her mind was on something other than that of how dogs were related to them. She was interested in retaining the Dark Brotherhood's numbers. Burke had expressed interest in it when he had first joined, and after a month, she thought he was ready. Besides, they needed to replace the missing Bane and Slade, who cut the Dark Brotherhood's membership down from four to two. With Burke joining, they would have a nice, even four again.

"You mentioned joining the Dark Brotherhood when you first came here, didn't you?" She said rhetorically. "I do think you are ready for it, Burke. Walk with me." She gestured to the nearest tunnel, where her dyeing herbs lay underneath the earth.

The tank of a male watched Meldresi think for a moment. It wasn't in a creepy kind of way, but more, wondering what she was thinking. He didn't need to guess long since the female revealed her thoughts pretty quickly. Instantly the large grey rose his head proudly. Finally getting recognition that he was good enough for being a dark brother was all he wanted. The male courtly nodded. "Follow is what I will," he returned and walked with her.

His gaze turned to the nearest tunnel and walked towards it. His body carried him underground without any fear in the world, frankly he was a bit excited that he would get his mark!

The tunnel's darkness enveloped them silently, and soon the uncomfortable silence and darkness was pushed aside by the soft glow of the glowworms and the glowing mushrooms. She had travelled through the tunnels so long that she did not pause a moment to gather her bearing. With regal confidence in where she was going, the priestess turned around a few corners before finding the small opening where her herbs lay hidden.

Expecting Burke to stay outside and wait, the priestess slipped into the crevice, turning her head towards the familiar smell of her dyeing herbs and picking them up with a smooth move of her head. She then backed out and walked towards a large open cavern to perform the ceremony. It would not do to have it in such a cramped space such as the tunnel.

Ahhh Excited! :D

The large male followed the female obediently. He had to walk a bit slower since his steps were bigger than hers. As much as he liked to have his nose under her tail that was something even he didn't dare. Not on this moment. He wanted his Brotherhood mark like Kove and Slade. He already explored the tunnels with its glowing mushrooms and worms and wasn't really impressed by them.

Burke waited for Meldresi to grab her gear and then followed her once more to an open cavern. He curiously moved his nose at the new scent that came to him. It were the dyes that scented strangely to him. The docked male stood there patiently even in his excitement. Burke would only show calmness instead of other emotions.

Meldresi placed the herbs down in the middle of the cavern, nearby a hole she had already dug prior. The priestess established that this was going to be her own place: for healing, rituals, and ceremonies, such as this. The woman would begin fixing the place up so that it served those purposes, but for now, it lay barren.

She dropped a few of the herbs into the hole and grabbed a stone in her mouth. The dark priestess spent a few moments grinding the herbs into a paste, then took a damp clod of moss from the bundle and squeezing, releasing the liquid to let it mix with the herbs. She took the stone in her mouth again, grinding away until she felt the dye was ready. Content, the woman stepped back and fixed her gaze on Burke. "Before you join the Dark Brotherhood, there are five tenets you have to follow. They are the only rules that a Dark Brother has to follow, without question."

The large male watched with great interest how the priestess mixed the herbs. His blue eyes focussed on the motions she made and how the rock seemed to grind the herbs into a paste. The masked male realized that this would be the dye for the paw print on his shoulder. Water from the moss was added and the mixture turned into a real dye. Once Meldresi spoke Burke focussed on her.

"Of course, Meldresi," he spoke with a court bob of his head. "I will follow them religiously."

Meldresi's ear flickered as he blindly followed the rules, without truly knowing them. It was proof of his loyalty; he would follow anything she said, regardless of the lack of details, but it annoyed her slightly. Ever so slightly.

"Of course, you must know them before you join," she said, mixing the dye to keep it from freezing in the chill of the tunnels. "One, never dishonor the Night Mother, Mephala. Two, never betray the Dark Brotherhood or its secrets. Three, never disobey or refuse to carry out an order from a Dark Brotherhood superior. Four, never steal the possessions of a Dark Brother or Dark Sister. Five, never kill a Dark Brother or Dark Sister. To do any of these is to invoke the Wrath of Sithis, the God of Death." At the last word, Meldresi locked eyes with Burke, wondering if he would still accept the tenets now that he knew the full extent of them. She did not see why he wouldn't, for they were very easy to follow.

Burke didn't move a muscle after sitting down and boasting his chest forward. He remembered few of the rules, but frankly he would do anything for the brotherhood. This was a big thing for Burke. When Meldresi spoke he nodded after each rule. Most seem the same as pack rules, only with a heavier punishment. Death. The large grey found it interesting they couldn't kill each other. Though it also gave some safety for him. He couldn't be killed by his brothers either.

"I still accept," he returned. The a smirk tugged upon his lips. "And what if a Brotherhood Superior orders to kill a brotherhood member?," he asked, chuckling lightly. Maybe even a superior member couldn't even order that from another brotherhood member. Burke just wanted to know, if there could be such a corruption and if the rules also applied to someone higher than him.

@Burke spreeing now~

Meldresi tilted her head curiously. No one had ever asked that, not in her ranks. They simply accepted the rules and gained the marks, no questions asked. But this made Meldresi smile slightly. "Superiors apply to the same rules as the rank-and-file, but there are Purifications, which is the slaughter of all Dark Brotherhood members by the leaders if they have been compromised, but that has only occured twice in my knowledge. Of course, traitors are free game." She dipped her paw into the crevice, feeling the cold liquid stick firmly onto her paw.

Stretching forward, Meldresi pressed her paw firmly on Burke's shoulder, holding it there for a few seconds before lifting it and pulling away. A perfect mark. "So begins a contract, bound in blood. Welcome to the Dark Brotherhood, Brother Burke." Meldresi smiled at the docked male.

Uch timezones. "POSTED BY MELDRESI - TODAY 05:46 AM" Haha xD Sorry I was asleep! XD

Somehow that smile suited the priestess. The large male returned a hint of a smile. "Good to know. Thank you. I would still follow your orders, Meldresi. I choose this brotherhood and only by death I will leave the ranks," he returned with his husky voice. He large male turned his head to see her place his mark on his shoulder. It was interesting to see and he loved every minute of it. He knew he was worthy now. Of course the male found himself worthy but now it had been confirmed.

He bobbed his head courtly. "Thank you, Priestess Meldresi. I will give you my full 110%," he spoke one more. She probably knew he would otherwise he wouldn't have been chosen. "So the brotherhood consists of You, Crescendo, Kadence and me?," he asked to confirm.

Mine says 1:46 AM. XD I don't think I was even up that late. EDIT: My computer, phone, and watch say it's 3:38, the post says it was 5:38 when I posted this.

Meldresi nodded as she wiped the dye off of her paw onto the damp moss. She didn't doubt Burke's loyalty, and was pleased by having another longstanding member of the pack in the Dark Brotherhood. When her paw was clean, she looked up towards the docked male and answered his question. "I consider Kove to be a part of the Dark Brotherhood, even if he is no longer a part of the pack." She said, recalling the white male who had left prior.

"And I hope to have my children join when they come of age at their first year, but we can always train them as unofficial members at the meantime." She had a feeling about what positions they would grow into as they matured: Damien as an assassin, Cicero a spy, and Potema a priestess like her. But that categorizing would have to wait; they still depended on her for warmth and food, and cried for her like the children they were.

I think the 5:46AM is from my timezone. I believe! Edit; Also Burke xD I can't.

Burke slowly nodded as the priestess involved Kove in the dark brotherhood too, of course, how could he forget the male. Burke wasn't pleased to see the white brother leave. He liked him the most, if he was being honest. His pale eyes settled on Meldresi even being taller than her didn't mean he showed more dominance over the dark female.

"I will make sure to get on the training of your little ones, then. They will be mini dark brothers and sisters before you know it," Burke spoke, nodding seriously. The pups would need to learn the right ways and beliefs, Burke agreed to that. He wasn't really keen in raising Bane's brood, it wasn't in his nature, but he would do it for Meldresi. Burke didn't really fancy someone, ever. He didn't really do the love thing. But he did very much approve of Meldresi, which wasn't a secret. "Any specialization you want for your young ones?," he asked. He was always calm, Burke would be a good mentor even if he might not like the task that was ask for him. He would do it with full ambition.

Last post!

She already knew what niches her children would settle into. Damien was the assassin, if he could learn to temper his aggression and gain some patience, he would become a powerful warrior of the night. Cicero had shown interest in spying, what with him sneaking about everywhere, following her in "secret" whenever she left the den. Potema was the quiet one, the healer of the trio. Meldresi would oversee her training personally, but she did not think the princess would not benefit from a few sparring sessions. "I want Damien to focus on assassination training and Cicero on spying. Potema I will train by myself, but she could learn a few stealth tricks and fighting moves." She curled her tail tightly around her paws, like a cat. "I would not mind if you took them out together on a few training sessions. They need to get out and do something productive for once."

She decided to end the conversation there. It was anticlimactic at best, but Meldresi, despite her mystical ways, was a practical woman. Bending down, she grabbed her bundle of leftover herbs, tucking the green bundle under her chin so she could still speak and not sound ridiculous with the leaves in her mouth. "Welcome to the Dark Brotherhood, Brother Burke. So begins a contract bound in blood. Remember that." She said before disappearing into the dark tunnels.

You can totally tag everyone for a training sess. if you want. ;)

"They need to get out and do something productive for once." - Lol, Meldresi. They are just pups! XD Love her! Oh Burke will. He takes his job seriously.

Burke stood across from Meldresi pleased that she accepted him training her young. That felt as a compliment to him. The masked male bobbed his head. Damien and he would doing some sparring. He already met the youngster. Cicero could easily be taken on a spying lesson. He would only need to tackle Potema for her training. Maybe with her two brothers. Burke could teach them a few tricks. "I think most of them are running around anyhow, so I agree with them learning something in the process."

Burke nodded once more, looking very pleased for once. His stoic face showed some hints of being happy about his new title. "Forever and Always," he returned. He made the priestess leave first. He followed his own route back to the upper ground level.