After leading Enya his new slave to her quarters, he made his way to the meadow to find Adair. Jupiter and Mars bring shame on him he thought darkly as he strode out of the forest where the captives and slaves lived and trotted through the short grass until arrived in the meadow. Keen silver eyes scanned the maze of flowers and grass, dark thoughts swirling around the Praetor's head as he looked for the brown male which had actually finalized his decision to make Enya a slave.
He spotted him and began trotting silently through the grass, a cold smirk dancing on his lips and the usual glint of a madman or a genius visible in his eyes. He might be nice and kind and a family member to his packmates but when they did not follow the rules of Rome, when they were acting nice towards a stranger that was trespassing. That was just stupid, that crossed the line.
"Adair," he said in his trademark soft but steely voice, standing a distance away from him, wanting the older wolf to walk towards him. And he better showed some subordination and respect.
"Aye, Shadow. "
Adair got to his pads, and faced the leader. He saw him waiting for him to come closer, so he walked up to him, keeping a respectable distance, with his tail held the proper level below Shadow's.
Gazing at the hessian before him with calmness and patience, his hazel orbs could only keep out the most of his hurt over what would come next. Only most of it.
The silver Praetor's keen eyes did not miss the difference in Adair's hazel eyes however he did not care, at least no at the moment. He did not speak instead let the uncomfortable silence swarm around them for a moment as he gazed at his subordinate. He wondered whether this would be the first time the second highest ranking wolf in a pack was demoted to the lowest rank. He would not do that just yet, he would hear out Adair's explanation of whatever he was doing before concluding Adair's sentence or whatever it was.
Finally he spoke a single word, cold and icy. "Explain." was the one word he said as looked at the brown male. He had better dip his head and tuck his tail as he explained, the Praetor had no patience for him now and if he didn't, the sadistic savage side of him might come out.
His expression betrayed nothing, neither did his eyes or his voice. They were all cold, hardened, icy and steely. The smirk still danced on his features as he waited.
"Explain"
Taking a breath, the woodied brute responded.
"Yes. She was tresspassing. Flash saw the act. I saw the act. She had no right to touch lands that she held no claim to.
Flash desired to chase her off. I acknowledged the want. I too wanted to get her off the lands. And I proceeded to take the action to do so. Yet I did it in a humbler manner.
I told her to take herself back over the border. And she oblidged. She responded to how I said it with no smart retorts. No refusal. She complied. She even spoke herself, how she appreciated how I spoke to her, rather than Flashes wish to chase her out."
Adair swished his silked banner, still gazing at his alpha.
"I did what would have been done, regardless, with as little hostility and confrontation as possible. I got her back over the border. A new pack needs no new enemies, while still in an infant stage, Shadow. We have much to do, much to explore, still so much more to learn of this land, before we begin to start hostility between our kind." Adair concluded.
Adair did not know how his leader took his opinion, as he could not judge from the distant look in his silver and unfeeling orbs. He knew not of his leader's origin, nor how he was raised, nor how he had lived, before meeting him that day, at the creek. He only knew him from that day. And the more Adair attempted to understand his alpha, the more he grew to care for him. He had swore his loyalty to this man, and that was his job. But whether the alpha took the time to reflect upon the good travels they shared, the explorations, the new finds, the knowledge and bond they aquired through their discovery...lied in the heart of Shadow, himself.
Adair stood, awaiting the platinumed wolf's word.
He kept his promise, he listened. "I did what would have been done, regardless, with as little hostility and confrontation as possible. I got her back over the border. A new pack needs no new enemies, while still in an infant stage, Shadow. We have much to do, much to explore, still so much more to learn of this land, before we begin to start hostility between our kind." Surely Adair wasn't so stupid, surely he wasn't so dumb to think that he a low rank wolf, A Tirone. A wolf that was not a Senator, that held no power could advise him when he so clearly disobeyed the laws? He couldn't even imagine there could be such a stupid wolf in this world and if Adair hadn't prove to be a valuable wolf, he would have kicked the male out of his pack the moment the words escaped his mouth.
However the mask did not vanish, the cold smirk was still there with the same icy eyes glaring down at his subordinate. "I am a Roman and I am the Praetor." he spoke softly. "Therefore this pack will follow me and my rules and laws. There will be no time for humbleness and respect for trespassers that clearly deserve no respect when they trespass. Even if they might oblige to leave, their first action already determined the type of wolf they are."
He approached the other male, tail raised dominantly over his hindquarters. He was the Praetor, the Imperator here not Adair, a simple soldier. How dare Adair even look upon him, if he did not cower now, did not tuck his tail between his legs and slouch, he would have him become a slave. "And so your first action determines who you are too." he said coldly with a slight tilt of his head.
He smirked, danger hidden behind it. "She won't thank you for being nice to her and I'm sure neither will all the next trespassers that you speak nicely to. Do you know why she won't thank you for how you didn't chase her away on first notice? That Roman is no longer a free woman, she is my slave and that decision was made final by your actions."
If he had not any control over his form, Adair would have given Shadow an incredulous look. His rules? His laws? How the hell was he, nor anyone else, know what the hell those were? The pack had only been born for a week!
There will be no time for humbleness and respect for trespassers that clearly deserve no respect when they trespass...
Oh.
great time to mention such a world disastrous rule at such short notice, Praetor,The deed was done already, and now information is passed, Adair's conscious spat.
Yet he kept his gaze without any shred of his internal turmoil revealed.
"Do you know why she won't thank you for how you didn't chase her away on first notice? That Roman is no longer a free woman, she is my slave and that decision was made final by your actions."
The calm 4 year old was intrigued by his leader's claim for no gratitude by the ivory female. He felt as if he would recieve a thank you. Not now, but one day.
Something in him wanted to defend the rights of the femme, because it was not right to have another as a slave, let alone enslave another kin.
Still he held his tongue on such a rash act.
"Would you have kept her, otherwise, Shadow? If she still tresspassed, and I had not interfered, if the rust cloaked wolf had attempted to run her off, what if she had not run? Would you still consider her? Would she even still be breathing? What if that russet had never even been there? Him or I. What if she ran into you? Would you kill her on sight? Would you chase her off? Shadow, what of she would have only been spotted by lady Paarthurnax? What would have passee between the two? And what if your slave would have been hostile in that moment, if not the one that just happened? "
Adair kept his focus on his leader, wondering why he just could not focus on the safety of many though less harsh means.
"Shadow, everything happens for a reason. Everything. No blood was shed. Blood needs not be wasted for such small endeavors. Thats why I did what I did.
I know not how you were raised, yet I know my ways of life were obviously considerably different from yours. If you can see I know not what you consider 'rightful laws and rules', then explain what it is you wish to happen, because I don't know what you know. I was not raised how you were."
![[Image: tumblr_mdiov328bJ1rsf3ylo3_250.gif]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mdiov328bJ1rsf3ylo3_250.gif)
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He was honourable and no matter how arrogant he seemed, he was still fair and he kept his word. So he listened while his subordinate, the Tirone spoke volumes of disrespect. But he still listened even though other Romans would probably have Adair pinned onto the ground and killed for how he acted. And he felt as if he was being a bit too nice, that he should enforce discipline and respect upon his subordinates now. That no matter how fair and nice he was, there was no exception to his personality. Adair was a mere Tirone, not even a full fledged legionnaire therefore respect was needed, alright maybe the pack had only been formed but that didn't mean he didn't deserve respect. He had brought them together, founded this and gave them a new life.
He resisted the urge to scoff at Adair's words. Apparently he was indeed that stupid. If the female hadn't rank, Flash would have called him, the most usual thing to do when there was a wolf inside his lands. And if Enya had ran into him, she might have been killed, taken captive or would still have became a slave. As if Adair had the right to look at him, much less question him.
He had done enough listening, listening to such disrespect from his subordinate and before Adair could speak another word after he paused and dared to look at him. he said in a dangerously cold and soft voice "Shut up.".
"I do not know where you come from but if this is how you treat your superiors, I wonder how you would have survived for so long." he canted his head in a birdlike manner, the usual glint in his eye maddening with icy anger while the rest of his face remained cold. "But I will not tolerate such disrespect and I will not be questioned by a mere Tirone. You will not talk to me like I'm a child, you will not question me and you will never show me such disrespect again, do you understand?" he hissed the last few words.
His tail arched dominantly over his hindquarters, platinum eyes burning with cold fire as he snarled "Show some respect if you wish to keep your life, tu excors inhonestis." He didn't doubt that Adair was a good fighter but he knew he was better. Younger, stronger, more agile while Adair was mostly just a hunter and he was confident that he could snap the old man's neck anytime. And he had just went past the line. This was no time for smirks, the situation was too serious for that now. He was beyond angry.
Not only had he been told to shut up, Adair was labeled as disrespectful. And that baffled him. He had only given his opinion, not called any names. Well, he did sort of point fingers...but 8t wasnt mean, or anything. Now he was utterly confused.
He understood he should not have questioned him, that was a fault on his own agenda. Yet he wanted the wolf to see outside of a violent box. It only made him more violent. Went in one ear, and flew with flying colors, out the other. Like,..what the hell?
Disrespect wasn't even in his dictionary, let alone personality. Adair was too perfect at holding his calm to let this conversation riddle under his hide, though.
It seems as if everything he said just got his own hide dipped further into lava.
So he went mute.
And said nothing else.
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When the male did not answer, or submit, the young Praetor trotted forward silently until he was close enough to the other and he looked him straight in the eye. Platinum eyes blazing with icy fire as he spoke in a dangerously soft voice. "I asked you if you understand. And when I ask you something, you will answer. I will ask again, do you understand?" he said slowly as if Adair was a pup and didn't know what he was talking about. He wondered whether or not Adair even knew how to fight, if he didn't then he wasn't going to find himself a place here in the Bypass.
"Also, show some respect, I'm the Praetor here not you." he growled, there was a limit too things and Adair had crossed his. Like who in the name of Jupiter did he think he was, the king? He was most certainly not a king, let alone a fighter, just a pathetic wolf that always spoke of peace and kindness when there wasn't a space in this world to have such things. He was pathetic. Shadow couldn't even believe there could be a wolf this stupid, like seriously, did the gods curse him or something?
Everyone had their breaking points, even a wolf like Adair. He should know that. "Just because you might currently be the highest ranking wolf in the lower tier doesn't give you the right to question me or advise me when I didn't ask for it. Learn your place in the pack, Adair Erïksőn, or do you always wander? Stealing one pack's resources then leaving for another?"
He didn't really know if Adair had actually been in a pack when he found him but the first time he had met him in Northstar Vale, he had smelled distinctly of a pack which meant he was from a pack before he decided to leave them and join the Bypass. He was grateful for that, of course but by how faint the smell of the pack on Adair's pelt was, he had only joined briefly then left which to him seemed as if he was betraying the pack that he had sought shelter with.
He flashed Adair a chilling smirk, head raised high in the air. If the other male did not submit right now, he would make sure that he would have a scar to remember this encounter. He wasn't usually this violent but Adair, trying to talk peace and kindness to him had made him extremely mad. He was kind and peaceful and nice to a certain extent on a certain time. That didn't mean he had to always be peaceful and joyful and all angelike because he wasn't and he never would be. Adair's childhood might be bad but he was sure that his childhood was worse than anybody here at the Bypass. He was sure it was worst than any of the Creek wolves and he had a reason to appear as such.
The words pierced his heart. He had heard the same ones from the leader of the Stavanger Bay pack, and to hear them from the wolf he remained under, it infuriated him.
Keeping the smooth face of peace and calm had almost ceased, but he managed. It simply got millions of times harder.
Adair dug his obsidian claws into the soft virgin soil, trying to find a base to keep his tranquil resolve.
This wolf, he tried his patience. He could try the patience of a stone, and possibly force it into dispersing into gravel and rubble, but Adair was no simple stone.
"What is it you wish for me to say, Shadow? Because whatever I say seems to only anger you more. What do you desire to come out of my mouth?"
"What is it you wish for me to say, Shadow? Because whatever I say seems to only anger you more. What do you desire to come out of my mouth?" He laughed coldly, oh truly Adair was stupid and he did not wish to be in the company of stupid wolves. He looked Adair in the eye, "Praetor, you will address me as Praetor. And the next time I see you, you better grovel at my feet for mercy." he said softly, canting his head slightly as he looked at his subordinate. He did not wish to be in the presence of such a disrespectful male, since he was currently raging, he decided to determine Adair's fate later when his mind was clear. That was proof enough he was fair.
Usually he wouldn't ask for any of his subordinates to address him as Praetor but Adair had crossed the line and it made him nearly spit in fury when his name came out of the cursed male's mouth. Usually only slaves, captives and probatio called him Praetor but now, even if he hadn't decided Adair's fate yet. There was no way he was keeping the rank he had now, no way.
Steely eyes found hazel ones and he smirked coldly, dangerously. "I shall decide your fate later, be glad you aren't dead now, Erïksőn." he said softly before turning around and making his way towards the clearing.
"Praetor, you will address me as Praetor. And the next time I see you, you better grovel at my feet for mercy."
Grovel? What was he, scum? What did he do to be forced to do such a pathetic act? He still, to this moment after such a long discussion with the sterling wolf, didnt know what he did wrong.
"I shall decide your fate later, be glad you aren't dead now, Erïksőn." spoke the wolf he had almost considered a friend.
Was killing Adair worth the small act of the discussion? Had Adair committed a crime that was worth the loss of his life?
Watching the hessian before him, Adair simply nodded, as the Praetor walked away.
Adair sat there, weary from such a draining conversation, and blacked out, his body, mind, and soul, trying to repair what the cold wolf had touched...and that was his heart.