Bramblepoint devil's song

I would strongly prefer those who are currently a part of the "brat pack"!

Rannoch woke to the gentle dappling on the morning sun; it's ray reaching through the treetops to reach the earth. He did not stir immediate; instead, he slowly opened his eyes as they adjusted to the early light of the day. When he did eventually stir, Rannoch lifted himself discreetly, attempting not to wake any of the others that slept nearby. Once standing, the gunmetal haired man tiptoed away in search of both a place to urinate and the remains of an abandoned meal. 

Once he had relieved himself, Rannoch took a few steps away, drawing his tongue over his chops as the thought of food came to mind. Deciding silently that this was his next course of action, Rannoch looked to the treeline with hopes of catching any indication of the smell of prey. When he did not, he shook off the last droplets of urine with a strong kick of his hind leg, Rannoch abandoned his makeshift toilet in search of anything that would quench his appetite. Traveling slowly, Rannoch sniffed gently at the air as he strode forward, attempting to catch wind of anything that he could track down and kill.

He watched with one eye partially opened as the large male — perhaps the largest of their small band — roused awake. Redshank had been with the group for a few days now after being recruited by beefy man's brother and, so far, had had no problems with them or the rest of the young wolves he found himself surrounded with. In fact, despite his better judgement, he found living was far easier within a pack.

He hadn't had the chance to get acquainted with the other male yet, however, so as the grey wolf began to amble away, Redshank leapt to his feet and immediately followed with his tail waving high in the air. "Y'going for a mornin' hunt?" he asked in his usual loud, annoying fashion as he drew up beside the other.

As Rannoch had not been the one to invite Redshank into the pack, he had not gotten the know the band's tiniest member as he had the others. So it was when the gentle pattering of sounded behind him that Rannoch turned, expecting their youngest, and he smiled as the other pulled alongside him. 

Nodding to his question, Rannoch replied, "Yes, I am." He was unsure what experience that Redshank possessed if any, but, he knew it wouldn't hurt to bring along the earth-colored child. Keeping his attention to his hunting partner, he tipped his head curiously. "What have you hunted before?" Given the fact that Redshank was alive and well, Rannoch assumed that there had been some success in the kid's short life.

He beamed back in delight as Rannoch confirmed his assumptions and invited himself along, even if the older male objected to it. Thankfully, he didn't seem to have any intention of sending him back. At his question, Redshank shrugged. "Nah. Sol never taught me," he said casually, not bothering to explain who Sol was. He didn't exactly want to, either.

"You can though, right?" the boy continued hurriedly, turning to the larger boy and sizing him up. He seemed almost fully grown, definitely able to hold his own against some stupid rabbit.

The question of just who "Sol" appeared within an instance and though tempted, Rannoch did not voice these thoughts. After all, the pair had just met, and Rannoch did not want to bombard the boy with questions upon them meeting. No, Rannoch wanted to be there for Redshank and be somebody that the child could rely on. After all, Rannoch had never interacted with someone so young, and there was something inside of him that urged him to keep an eye on the boy. Perhaps it was his lack of having a guardian from such a young age, but, the steel-colored man knew that he wanted to be there for Redshank when he could be and help take care of him. This was not a sudden thought for Rannoch and instead was a place that was grown after the child's arrival to the pack. 

The conversation shifted from one question to the next and Rannoch smiled at the inquiry. "Yeah, I can," he confirmed, picking himself up as he looked upon the small shadow. Deciding that this was as good of a place to halt, Rannoch paused his pace. 

"Now, sniff the air and let me know what you smell," he instructed, turning from their conversation and to the forest before them. "Anything smell like something you've eaten?" Though Rannoch had already established that there was both mice and rabbits about, he wanted to see what Redshank could smell.

His smile widened as Rannoch confirmed his hunting prowess. Just as he had thought. He didn't even think about asking the older boy if he could teach him, instead assuming he'd do it without hesitation. When they stopped, Redshank paused slightly ahead of him, quirking an ear back as he listened to his directions. He obeyed, lifting his head and taking a whiff of the air, immediately crinkling his nose as a flurry of scents invaded his senses.

"Yeah, I smell...rodents," he started, taking a step forward as he followed a faint trail. He stopped and smirked back at Rannoch. "And pee." He turned back to the forest again and dipped his head a little, snarling "and stupid fuckin' rabbits" under his breath.

Rannoch watched carefully as Redshank sniffed lighty to take in all the smells that the forrest had to offer, a smile appearing as Rannoch attempted to motivate the younger wolf the search. A list different items, all of which Rannoch had sampled, came into their conversation and he nodded. 

As Rannoch nodded, a colorful array of vocabular slipped from the child's mouth. Freezing at that, and somewhat gobsmacked at the language he had heard, Rannoch pressed forth a stern expression. "What was that?" He asked, his voice void of emotion.

He was almost sort of getting to like this other boy, but then his own expression hardened in defiance as Rannoch reacted to his comment on the rabbits. He had the exact same look that Sol had whenever Redshank had stepped out of line during his training or made a snide remark. His words were even the same. Resentment for the man and, by a small extension, Rannoch, flooded the younger boy.

He looked to him daringly from the corner of his eye, tail waving behind him gently. "I said stupid fuckin' rabbits." Because that's exactly what they were.

The flash in Redshank's eyes and the manner in which he so proudly waved his tail did not sit well with Rannoch, nor did the disrespect that the other spoke with. Instantly, feeling a spark of anger ignite, as a result, a grinding noise sounded from the depths of Rannoch's throat in reaction to what he was offered, not all that pleased to hear and see what Redshank had expressed. Lifting his tail, Rannoch turned to that he could look at the smaller boy with raised chin. 

"You don't talk like that to me," Rannoch's was stern, yet, there was a snap to his command. "Nor do you stand like that around me," the male surged a step forwards so that he could stand over the molten-eyed boy, his own eyes blazing despite their cooler color. Cutting right to the chase, Rannoch stalked forward another step as the growl within his chest crescendoed. "I am your superior, Redshank. Start acting like it." His voice was nearly a spat, his newly-exposed fangs glistening in the early morning light as he waited for some indication of the other submitting. If there was nothing done on the other's side to show respect, then Rannoch would drive the other to the ground in an attempt to knock some sense into him.

PP to your hearts content lmao

The mood had shifted. Where the groggy calmness of the morning had once been was quickly replaced with rising tension and a brewing battle of dominance. Redshank stood defiantly before the much larger man, meeting his show of teeth with his own flash of fangs. He did not know of the extent of sheer offence his stance caused the other; his alpha for all intents and purposes.

His command caused the boy to growl lowly, not at all off put by Rannoch's display. Deep down, some instinct that every wolf was born with was screaming at him to submit, to show some form of self preservation, but the young fool ignored it. Whenever Sol had sought to intimidate him, he learned to not back off like a coward and was rewarded for it. It didn't occur to him that Rannoch might not be so easily placated. "I can say whatever the fuck I want," he said with a sneer, glaring upwards at the man.

What little restraint Rannoch had harbored vanished within an instance of Redshank's last remark. Driving himself forward quickly, aiming to knock the child in the chest in an attempt to drive him onto his back and he brought a well-aimed forepaw off of the ground to drive this action. Once Rannoch had stopped before the kid and had thrust his paw forward and made contact, Redshank was forced onto his back and it was then that Rannoch assumed his position over him. 

Though it was apparent that the wayward boy had not been raised as traditionally as Rannoch had, the gunmetal colored alpha knew that this was a lesson that had to be taught. "You will be respectful with your language when you talk to me," Rannoch hissed, bearing his teeth to further asert himself. "'Fuck' is no longer in your vocabulary around me as long as you want to be a part of this pack. And if you continue with this desrespective nonsense?" He leaned in closer, drawing his much larger canines before the youth's face. "You'll be back on your own." Rannoch was not one to act so ruthlessly, especially to somebody that so obviously needed his help, but he didn't know what else he could do. This wasn't the first time that Redshank had shown insubordinace towards him and he guessed it wouldn't be the last. 

"Now," he continued steadily, his eyes training on Redshank's. "What is your choice?" Life with us? Or Life on your own? He waited then, poised for whatever reaction he'd stirr from the other.

He didn't realise the consequence of his actions until it was quite literally staring him right in the face. For a moment, a look of surprise and a fleeting hint of fear crossed his face as Rannoch suddenly surged forward, his form looking all the more larger and intimidating than it had before. 'Wh—!" he started to cry out before a massive paw suddenly landed square on his chest and the wind was knocked out of his lungs.

The boy landed roughly in the dirt with a grunt, pinned by the other, before an involuntary whine escaped his throat as he tried to catch his breath. His gaze, wide with shock, turned to Rannoch as if he hadn't expected such a thing would happen. The boy had yet to learn about respect and submission. The lesson here would be one he wouldn't forget.

For a week, at the very least.

The threats were noted and Redshank nodded with some defiance still, his lips curling even in his vulnerable position. He wanted to tell Rannoch about Sol; that he didn't care about such words, he actually praised him when he didn't back down but, making perhaps the smartest decision he had for today, the boy kept his mouth shut and let his...superior finish speaking. He avoided his cold, stern gaze and let the final question linger for a moment, his struggle for an answer quite visible. "I...I want t'stay with you guys." He couldn't be on his own. He wouldn't survive. He couldn't let Sol find him again.

Redshank had been blind sighted and, honestly, Rannoch was not surprised by this. But even with the surprise, he also did not pity the kid. Redshank had to learn the proper pecking order and Rannoch were going to make him learn if he didn't like it or not. He felt as thought a conviction had been his only choice at that moment, knowing that the ultimatum would grab Redshank's attention. Rannoch hadn't been sure just what reaction he'd received, but, he waited. With Rannoch's sentence lingering between them he watched, noticing as the expression of the other shifted as he struggled outwardly to figure out what he wanted.  

Redshank's confession tugged at Rannoch's heartstrings when it was spoken, and despite how he felt, Rannoch kept his expression stern. "Good," replied Rannoch eventually, as he had kept his stoic expression for more than a beat after Redshank had answered. Taking his paw off of the child, Rannoch took a step back to allow some breathing room. "To run with us, Redshank, you'll have to learn that there are some wolves you have to respect-- myself and my brothers included." He sat himself down then, buckling in metaphorically for the long haul that would be this lesson. "As your leader, you will respect me. You will not use the language that you did, nor will you approach me with the body language you did." Rannoch could have done worse in punishing the kid, but he figured enough had been done to rattle his cage. "In return, you will have a position among my ranks, a home to live in, food to eat, and most importantly a family." Hopefully through this thinking, the kid would see the importance of being respectful. 

The alpha's demeanor had softened considerably, as he felt that Redshank had gotten the point and Rannoch did not feel at this time that any further punishment was needed.

After a pause that seemed to last a lifetime, Rannoch finally removed his gigantic paw from Redshank's chest. The boy quickly scrambled onto his feet and stepped away a few paces before the other man decided to change his mind. He tried to hide his wheezing as he tried to breathe air back into his winded lungs, all the while staring daggers at his supposed leader now. Despite all his resentment towards the man, however, he listened to what Rannoch had to say. They seemed to both know that a wolf his age had little chance of surviving without the strength of a pack behind him. Even if that pack was filled with similarly aged orphans and runaways.

He stood silent, tail laying flat against his hocks with his gaze averted and, after Rannoch finished laying out his expectations, Redshank remained quiet. His lips formed a slight pout as any child would after being harshly reprimanded. Sol had never done this. In the case of physical punishment, however, Sol would have also aimed to draw blood. He still had the scabs to prove it. "Okay," he said solemnly after a long pause, still refusing to meet the older wolf's gaze. A family. He gagged at the thought. He didn't need a family. He just needed the numbers.

Rannoch and Redshank seemed to have reached a point of agreement in their dispute. With that behind them for the moment, Rannoch reached forward and nudged the child's cheek with a smile, happy that it appeared that Redshank was both submissive and willing to agree to Rannoch's terms. 

"So, about that hunt," said Rannoch offhandedly as he pulled from the touch, attempting to retract their steps to get back on track with Redshank's lesson. "You still feel like joining me?" His tail wave as he spoke as he attempted to appear friedlier to the younger wolf. He had learned his lesson and Rannoch saw no point in reiterating what had just been taught. Redshank would only get such lessons when he was disruptive to the order of the pack and Rannoch knew he'd be the first to put him in this place.

For once in his life, Redshank felt some semblance of modesty. It was fleeting and short-lived, but he felt it spike within his chest before it quickly faded as Rannoch gently nudged the side of his face. He pulled away slightly from the touch with a grunt, unwilling to take part in such affection, though some part of him didn't actually mind it.

The mood had shifted once more. No longer was tension filling the space between the two wolves. As Rannoch brushed past him, Redshank slowly rose and began to follow, ears pricking at the mention of a hunt once more. He hesitated slightly, debating whether he really wanted to spend any more time with the man. However, aggression and adrenaline still ran through his veins and he both wanted to eat and kill something. Besides, Rannoch could still teach him a thing or two, he supposed.

"Okay," he said again with a small wave of his tail, falling into step behind the larger man as they set off.