Horizon Ridge [J] Forever in the Black

Two years. It has been two years since the ebony and chocolate wolf had seen a pack of wolves. Diluculo kept to herself after leaving home. Following the west wind the wolf journeyed far from home. For drama daily she pretended dangers laid around each bend: Some monstrous bear, a rogue rabid infested coyote, a member of her old pack coming to claim her head for Mors. Truly the one danger was her own hunger. Savenging and picking meat off the bones of leftover prey wouldn't last much longer. A year at most. If she was lucky. Rarely had she caught her own prey, a few hares and rabbits, off the wall rodents and other small mammals.
The female had left out necessity. She needed to escape. Their customs had grown too savage even for her. That was the past, it didn't matter anymore. The things seen had seen, what she had done; they couldn't be unraveled now. The scents surrounding the obvious border of the pack territory was strong. Wolves has been there recently. The icy eyed wolf needed shelter, and a perminate home. She was tried of being a vagabond, a rascal, a rogue. An unnamed wolf darting from place to place, straying away from territories claimed ages before. The coal wolf stayed outside of the territory lines, then she howled.

Oh hi! :3

Though Ragnar had taken three wives previous to Thistle and was by now far and large used to how the role of husband worked there was a novelty to this mateship that had not been present in the previous ones, each morning as he stirred awake to see her sleeping beside him, it was a satisfactory sort of feeling that he could not put words to - neither common or old norse. His daily routines had not changed much, altered fragmentally to bring her food, or just to check up on her, mostly though it felt like he was just checking up on her more than he was bringing her food because she was still in the stages of her pregnancy where she was sick. Many thoughts swam through the Viking’s mind even as he dutifully patrolled the borders of the Ridge knowing that Pump was likely not far off of his position. He had never intended to take another wife when he came here and yet here he was. It seemed to the savage that while it may not have been in his plans it had been in Odinn’s and as a firm believer in fate and that it was already decided he chose to let it go because that was all he could do.

And he genuinely liked Thistle though they were two polar opposites in almost every way imaginable.

The howl had risen not far from where Ragnar had been working his way towards and picked up his pace. When he arrived he was silent, tail rose over his back in a stature of dominance as he approached her location, his Caribbean blue eyes assessing. “Who are you? And why are you here?” He demanded in his soft spoken, heavily accented voice expecting satisfactory answers.

The pale wolf was silent. His sea blue eyes spied the midnight pelted she wolf. The male inquired her immediately. His voice thick with an accent that was unfamiliar to the female. It had been many years since the smaller wolf had met and spoken with pack wolves. Being s rogue led you to other vagabonds. Some stood out in her head but most wolves that she met in these past years had been long forgotten. It was different being here, she knew she was going to ask for acceptance into their pack. This wolf standing in front of him could change her life. Or keep it the same. Her icy cyan eyes watched the male looking for any clues on what answers he wanted. His face stayed blank and emotionless. Now the female's only choice was to be honest.

"I'm looking for a pack what else would I be doing here. It would be stupid to attack alone." The female answered in a condescending voice.  It would, in all honesty be dumb to attack alone. She was significantly smaller than this male. One paw of the pale male's could smash her head in. While it was also unintelligent to be to sassy with him, she didn't care. She wasn't going to hold back the truth to soften it for some pretty boy wolf.

Lol, pretty boy. I don't know why but that really amused me. ;p

The female, the Viking noted, did not submit to accept his dominance over the situation. His upper lip curled back exposing his sharp teeth in discontent. Not acknowledging him as the superior - for until Pump arrived on the scene he was the superior of the Ridge’s borders - was a strike against her as far as Ragnar was concerned. Horizon Ridge was small, a fact he had acknowledged and even brought up to Pump but he was doubtful that Pump would want such insolence within her borders - or at least this was the assumption the Viking made based upon his own opinions, especially since she seemed to like leading such sparse numbers. This was a great contradiction to Ragnar who found the small size of the Ridge to be threatening to their survival. At the end of the day Ragnar knew he had no true stake in the decision of if she should be allowed into the pack or not because he wasn’t a leader and therefore it wasn’t his call but that didn’t stop him regardless.

He was annoyed that she had more or less ignored his first question regarding as to who she was but did not draw attention to it immediately given the one she did answer, and in the way she had spoken it, deserved his attention more at that point. “Sarcasm and disrespect will get you no where,” The Viking rumbled his first and final warning. “You stand at my borders asking for a home within them, you are at my mercy. Do not forget.” The savage told her coldly, his soft spoken voice laced through with ice. “And it would be stupid,” He agreed to her comment of attacking alone, suspicion rising within him.

So far, the Viking was not overly impressed.

“Who are you?” The Viking asked again giving a pause before he continued with, “What skills besides sarcasm and insolence do you have to offer the Ridge?”

She tries wayyyy to hard sometimes :3 forgive me. She can be a bitch!

Oh wow now the big bad Wolfie pup is trying to act tough. How cute. Keep snarling. The sassy female spoke to herself as the male tried, unsuccessfully, to attempt to scare her. She had seen it many times before, all wolves were big and bad until the time came to swing the sword. He would snarl and spit and growl and gnash his teeth but in the end he wouldn't do anything but reject her. That's how they all were. Scared. Scared for their lives. They all feared the same thing, death, Mors, or whatever they called it now. Wolves kept in packs for survival only to push off death for a few more seconds. It was pitiful really. The things that wolves would do to survive. They lost all morals in attempt to save their strange little lives. They lost themselves in the act of saving themselves.

"Disrespect will get me no where. But rejecting me will get you pretty boy nowhere. One more strong able bodied wolf is a blessing. I think we both know that." Diluculo spoke answering most of his inquires in a serving, speaking sassily but telling the truth. The ebony female was always one to tell the truth. Never holding it back for the likes of simple wolves. "I am Diluculo I was a hunter in my past. And you are?" The female inquired bowing her head in respect but keeping eye contact. While she respected authority she wasn't going to let the male get the best of her.

@Pump

It's ok! ;p Also directing ME's attention to this because Ragnar's about ready to tell her to get lost. He's not very nice. xD

What the apparently nameless female - as Ragnar would mentally refer to her until she did give her name - didn’t realize about Ragnar was that he had no qualms about forcibly taking a “innocent” wolf’s life. He had done it countless of times during the raids, whether they had fought back or not. He also did not fear death for what was there for him to fear? He knew he would go to Valhalla when Odinn came to collect his soul. There was nothing of it to scare him. The only thing that kept her safe was that he did not lead the Ridge and did not want to have to explain to Pump why he was burying a body - not that he feared Pump either, for that matter. But he did fear for his pregnant mate and their unborn children (technically not his but it wasn’t as if it mattered). His loyalty to his family would always come before his own desires. Ragnar did not appreciate her blatant arrogance, her blind assurance that he had to accept her (even if in reality that power did not lie with him). “Do you think so, maiden?” The Viking asked her quietly, tilting his head a slow haughty smirk beginning to play at the edges of his lips.

Pump seemed content with their small numbers and even though Ragnar was used to many he would never stand for someone like her talking to him like she knew him, like she knew what the Ridge did or did not need. In fact, he didn’t like it and he wasn’t even a leader yet. “The summer months will be upon us soon, prey will be plentiful. As it stands to me you need us more than we need you,” Ragnar told her with a steely gaze and a lift and fall of his shoulders. He did not like how she presumed to talk to him and had an inkling that Pump wouldn’t like her attitude either.

Despite the warning growl he could feel bubbling within his chest he instead smirked at her, hiding his anger and irritation behind false mirth. In reality, he itched to force her beneath him in submission, to taste the salty tang of her blood as it spilled into his mouth. Your worst nightmare he wanted to answer but did not. “Am I to assume that you have no skills to offer us then?” The Viking spoke in a conclusive tone, “Able bodied isn’t specific enough. Every wolf is able bodied,” His mouth twisted the word as he wondered which corner of his den her skull would like nice in. He had no intentions of giving her his name simply because he was the one asking the questions - not her.

At the moment, he was confident that she was just wasting his time feeling that she was not serious about joining their ranks and if she was she was making an enemy with the wrong wolf as she would come to learn in due time.

It seemed like the pale wolf in front of the midnight wolf liked conflict. The smirk that played on the edges of his muzzle made her eyes narrow and sharpen. Diluculo didn't know the age of the wolf in front of him, nor his background or what he stood for. She could, however, pick out a few key features of him, one in particular that stood out. A strong scent of female drafted his pelt which told Diluculo he had mate. Pups were uncertain but a mate was something she could play off of.

"I think we both know that prey isn't the only thing that threatens a pack." The she wolf spoke slowly, articulating every word adding in a fierce backdrop to her voice with every syllable. "One more would could be the difference between your female's throat ripped out and a victory for all. You seem like a warrior so I think you know that." The female spoke of her past expirences. She had seen one wolf make the difference in a victory and countless other lives taken. One wolf could tip the scale and favor your pack. One more wolf to defend, to hunt, to attack, and if needed to die for another. "I can fight, I am fast, so I can hunt. As you can tell I do not fit well with certain wolves so being a diplomat isn't thebest position to put me in." Which was very true, the female would fare well in a diplomatic situation.

The male spoke of respect but offered the she wolf little. Which made her a little upset. "Are you going to grant me the common curtsy of knowing your name, or are you okay with being called pretty boy for the remainder of the time you're in my presence?" The female asked in a stern tone but playfulness ran throughout the words.

Pump would never admit anyone that she was a bit of a stalker at heart, preferring to mask her motives by the common need of keeping an alert eye on all of the pack members. Yet she was - Ragnar may not have known this, but ever since he had made that offer of becoming the second in command, she had been observing him. Both in direct action, when decision making was involved, as well as watching the borders and from afar - how he interacted with other members, how he treated strangers. The wolf-dog could be very quiet and "invisible", if she so desired, and this was a valuable skill, when she wanted to get to know more about the character, when it was not around her, pretending to respect and like her.

She hadn't been very far from borders, when she had heard the howl. Knowing well that Ragnar would probably beat her to it or arrive mere seconds or minutes later, she didn't make haste and this turned out to be a good decision. Because the conversation between him and the female with a spitfire temper had been quite amusing to listen. Her packmate was doing a good job and yet it was nice to see that there was somebody, who didn't fear him for a change. "The pretty boy's name is Ragnar," Pump told, when she had left her hiding place not too far away and approached the two. "My name is Pump and I am in charge here," she went on, giving the female an amused look. "You would be?"

Ragnar just smirked at the woman when she attempted to use Thistle against him, resisting the urge to go into a fly off the handle rage at her audacity to bring and dangle his wife in front of him as if it were a guaranteed way to ensure her acceptance. No, Ragnar’s rages were quiet and in this, likely more dangerous than being reckless. “I would rip the lungs out of anybody’s body that tried.” Granted, not in a blood eagle execution - no that was a slow torture method but there was a quicker way to rip lungs out of a body that was not the precision that the Blood Eagle called for. “Not fitting well with other wolves is a poor excuse,” Ragnar drew stoic, now. “I have been called savage, feral, heathen. I am all of these things, obviously I do not get on well with some wolves, either. But you learn.” And if at the end of this meeting Pump decided to accept her then Ragnar was determined to get the chocolate female before him to learn to get along - with himself and others she rubbed the wrong way. Of course, because of her blatant lack of respect towards him he did not trust her as far as he could throw her and would warn Thistle away from her, not desiring Thistle and their unborn children to be anywhere near her until she proved herself to him. Especially her willingness to throw Thistle around as a wildcard to earn her way into the pack.

Ragnar showed her no respect because as far as he was concerned she had not shown him it an ounce of it, either and he was a firm believer in giving what you got. His lips spliced apart to respond to her only to close when Pump made her appearance, speaking his name on his behalf. This earned a glimpse from the Viking who bowed his head to his superior, and offered her a subordinate lick under her chin before he recoiled and kept his icy oceanic gaze back upon the stranger. “Her name is Diluculo, she says she is fast, can fight, and can hunt. She wants a place within our pack and is confident that we need her, while displaying sarcasm and disrespect.” Ragnar would not lie to Pump for her, and had every intention of warning Pump to keep an eye on her, if she was accepted as he, himself, was making partial plans of doing.

Before the snowy wolf could reply another member of his pack stepped out of cover. After doing so she introduced herself and the pretty boy as Pump and Ragnar. Diluculo always had more respect for females than males, there wasn't an event in particular that caused this but she felt more kinship towards females. She had always been ruled by males from the leaders of her old crew to her father. She has been raised with males always in charge and once she stepped out from that world she felt the need to take it out on the rest of the males she encounters.

Dipping her head Diluculo acknowledged the female and her stance in the pack. Even before Diluculo could respond to the ebony wolf-dog's questions the pretty boy, now deemed Rhagnar, spoke for her. "I believe I am capable of introducing myself boy. I'll show you respect when you have earned it, just because you're a male it doesn't automatically grant the earth to bow down to your presence." Diluculo replied. "I am confident that you need me because every pack could use an extra wolf to help with chores that plague the average pack wolf."

Pump listened to, what Ragnar had to say about this lady and it was quite clear that he was annoyed by her, which was not the case with the wolf-dog. Diluculo was so full of herself - brash and confident - not begging for mercy, rather offering her skills for the greater good of their pack. If they said no - she would turn her back and find elsewhere to live. To her Horizon ridge wasn't the only chance - a mere stop on her journey in finding a new home.

Pump saw so much of her former self in this she-wolf, that she began to like her almost immediately and was amused by her manner of talking. Disrespect and sarcasm - these were things she could live with as long as the she-wolf would do her best to blend in and didn't challenge Pump for her rank. "Very well then..." the alphess spoke after a brief pause. "Just as much we have to earn your respect, you will have to earn ours too," Pump began and raised her eyebrows.

"I don't expect proud and strong wolves bow down to me, since this is a thing I wouldn't do myself. However, a common courtesy is a must," she fixed her gaze at the she-wolf and held it for a while. "Besides... what do you think of bears?"

Diluculo nodded as the alpha female spoke about respect. The ebony female gained her respect immediately. "I will gladly work for your respect." The chocolate she wolf spoke truthfully. She would try her hardest to gain respect from members that were worthy, Ragnar being excluded from that group, for now. The female continued to nod acceptly as the alpha spoke of common courtesy for everyone.

Diluculo tilted her head as the female asked her what she thought of bears. It was a curious question, one that was met with confusion by the midnight female. "Bears could pose a threat, as long as there are wolves to warn it away it shouldn't be a problem. As long as I'm here I'm almost positive the bears will stay away. I'm told occasionally my reputation proceeds me." The she wolf replied glancing at Rhagnar when she spoke the last portion.

Ragnar resisted the urge to rip and tear and teach in the most brutal way he knew how (which was rather brutal and ruthless). This little girl before him, all sarcasm and contradicting speeches of respect when she was so willing to disrespect him had no idea what kind of boy she was messing with; and if she thought she was safe from him because she was a female she had something else coming to her. Ragnar had slaughtered for less during the raids he led. If the Viking had a conscience it’s morals of “right” and “wrong” were horribly mixed up with in the terms of others. Oceanic eyes narrowed viciously. “I have nothing but respect for the female gender,” He contradicted her, feeling a bought of déjà vu wash over him for he had said something rather similar to Thistle mere weeks ago. “In my culture females are just as equal as any male so you shouldn’t assume,” He warned her in his soft voice. “And as far as respect you speak of me needing to earn it yet at the borders, as I told you, you are at my mercy. A little respect whether you know me or not, is expected.”

And then there was Pump, who was basically telling the ignorant and rude female before them that she didn’t have to bow down to her. For a moment Ragnar seriously contemplated his leader’s sanity, and furthermore felt that she had stabbed him in the back, not reprimanding the woman for her lack of respect. He was the Warden and she was just a stranger - essentially nothing and even when she was allowed in the pack she would be below him making him the girl’s superior. For all the respect Pump had earned of the feral Viking her betrayal stung him like the lash of a whip. Betrayal …it was not something Ragnar believed in forgiving.

He would gather up his mate and any that would follow him and be gone on the cusp of the morning if she truly wished to push him. Ragnar remained stoic, silent and cunning as he fumed with anger.

Oh god what has she done.

The female held in the laughter the bubbled in her throat when the male being upset by the respect or lack there of that she had shown. The male had done nothing to earn her respect, being apart of a pack doesn't automatically qualify you for respect. Any wolf can be in a pack, it takes a strong wolf to be truthful or to have morals. "And tell me white wolf, what have you done to earn my respect. Name one measly thing that you have done in the past that has shown morals, or kindness, or honesty?" The chocolate female spoke slowly turning to address the male. Having the ability to kill others doesn't make you a respectable wolf, making wolves respect you by fear is cowardice. Showing honesty and not crying and throwing a fit when you don't get the respect you think you deserve is brave. It takes bravery to do the right things." The she wolf continued on her rant. "You don't see me whining about the lack of respect you have shown me, because I have no right! I have done nothing as far as you know to earn your respect."

The she wolf paused before finishing up her statement. "I am at no ones mercy Ragnar. No wolf can scare me into respecting them. Not even death can scare me into submission. I will go as an equal as I have lived as an equal. You would do best to die an equal to death rather than falling as a foolish wolf."

When Pump had talked about earning respect and not bowing down, she thought she was fair. Not too long ago she had had the same conversation with Ragnar - she hadn't asked him to submit to her, she had told him that in order to become a queen she had to prove her worth to them. Was there any difference now? Probably... the context. Because Ragnar didn't like Diluculo at all and the feelings were mutual. From her hideout Pump hadn't heard every part of the conversation, therefore she was unaware that some things Diluculo had said had insulted the proud wolf.

The good intentions lead, where they usually lead and all of a sudden, rather than having a rational conversation with the newcomer she found herself in the middle of a conflict. Each of them were about their own thing, each of them had a little bit of truth in their words. And yet this made Pump feel that she was left out, even though she was the important person here. "SILENCE!" she barked, tail up in a dominant manner and fur bristled along her spine. She gave a pointed look at both parties, then went over to sit in the middle. In case the two decided to go for each other's throats next.

"Diluculo," Pump spoke calmly and turned to the angry she-wolf. "I prefer that no one insults my friends," she hadn't thought about Ragnar as a friend up until now. However, she couldn't deny his dedication to the pack and she had given her word to each and every wolf, who had joined, that if they worked hard and were loyal, she would stand beside them in good and bad times. Odd, what timing fate chose to test you and yet Pump was sure that she was doing the right thing. "You can have your differences, you are not forced to like each other or be friends, but be on polite terms the least. Do not forget that this pack is about working together for a greater benefit of us all," and she would really hate to see them being split apart by two people, who didn't get along.

"Ragnar," she turned to the white beast, who was regarding her with an icy stare. Pump guessed that she had done something wrong according to him and that this argument was not over yet. "I see that you are not satisfied with my decisions - we will see each other later to talk the matter through. For now - thank you for your good work - you are free to leave," she dismissed him and then turned to Diluculo. "Each of us, who come here, have a history. We cannot erase it, but my request is that it doesn't cloud your judgement of the people, who reside in the Horizon ridge," she looked seriously at the she-wolf. "If you can't do that, then you will have very hard time finding a true home here. The decision to make is yours."

Ragnar’s patience was growing thin at a rapid pace. His temper was usually not so out of control but this female was digging under the Viking’s skin which would only prove to make her life a living hell if she was accepted into the Ridge, because the savage had no intentions of certiantly making it easy if Pump allowed her in the ranks though at that point Ragnar was left with the urge to kill rather than to send her off. Likely, she would just go to another pack’s borders and disrespect and talk back to them in which case Ragnar did not think anyone would allow. He did not need the girl’s lecture of “right” and “wrong” and her insults were only, proverbially, digging her grave deeper with the Viking. She was bold - stupidly so in his opinion - to insult him without even knowing what he was capable of doing. As it stood, only Thistle was vaguely aware of some of the things he had done in Odinn’s Cove and there was much he didn’t tell his wife because the little bit he had confessed upon had left her upset.

It was not shame for himself that kept him quiet but rather the consideration of how the knowledge made Thistle feel that kept him silenced upon the true extent.

Pump silenced them both and Ragnar, despite that she had stood up for him finally even going so far as to call him her friend, could not dispose so easily of his initial feelings of betrayal that lingered, stubborn. It should have not gotten as far as it had before Pump had chosen to speak he felt, but they would discuss it later. She dismissed him and without another word the Viking turned and disappeared, heading into the heart of the territory feeling too much pent up hurt and rage to go back to Thistle, yet.

The ebony wolf-dog silenced Diluculo and Ragnar. The female, reluctantly, stayed quiet. She had much more that she wanted to say to the pale wolf, but that could wait. She has no intentions of speaking to him anytime soon. The male's only source of dominance was from fear, and if he didn't get the respect he wanted he could be level headed. Dispute her dislike for the male Diluculo listened intently to the other female's plight and command.

The wolf-dog spoke first to the male trying to mend whatever thing she had broken when Diluculo walked into the picture. From this meeting, if she got accepted, it was obvious that she would have a very hard time making friends. That wasn't new. Her overall lack of empathy and a filter often caused her to push away wolves that couldn't stand the truth. The pale wolf left after the wolf-dog spoke to him. Once the she-wolf turned back to the chocolate female she spoke of not judging others inside the ridge. Diluculo stayed silent and nodded her head. "Is there anything else you need of me?" the female questioned.

ooc: I will add you to the ranks tomorrow. I think you can fade this out in your next post. A good thread and she is sure to stir up the calm waters here. :)

Ragnar left without saying a single word. Something had upset him and Pump wondered, which of her actions had caused the change. She had never seen him be like this. Even though she didn't particularly look forward to the upcoming searious conversation, the positive thing was that they would try to make things right again. Hopefully...

It seemed that her words had had effect on the brown she-wolf too - she nodded silently and Pump took it as a "yes". "We have a bear problem, which I will tell you about later," she said, raising to her feet and stretching thoroughly, glad that she had been able to keep the thunderstorm at bay. "I will show you, where the denning area is - you will find a comfortable place of your own there," she explained.

"I prefer that all of my pack members are easy to access, when needed, but if you wish, you can find a spot to lie on elsewhere too. The territory is big enough," she beckoned Diluculo to follow her. "Have a rest today and find me tomorrow. We will have business to do."