Duck Lake to new beginnings

[size=x-small] @Scimitar if you want to :] don't really know how to do the tag thing.. xD[/size]

Falwasi sat by the sun streaked lake, swishing her chocolate tipped tail. She was thinking about her old pack. Swiftcurrent Creek was very different to Eagle Mountain. The difference was pretty obvious. Swiftcurrent Creek was flat, whereas Eagle Mountain was quite hilly. Also, the lake was much bigger. If you stood at the highest summit at sunrise, you could see the most amazing view: looking through the tall trees at the soft blue and yellow sky after dawn shining across the lake, making it sparkle. The morning due dampening your feet, waking you up from your groggy actions. Listening to all the creatures coming out from their dens, buzzing with excitement for the new day.

Falwasi looked at her reflection. It was the same reflection as the one back at the mountain. She was herself. She was the same, lithe grizzed chamoisee and fallow colored, copper-eyed she-wolf she always was, except that her expression was now fiercer; stronger. She had grown up mentally since she left her pack. She hated thinking about her old pack. Every memory she ever had came back with a pang of pain, thinking about how she left her parents, her friends, her brother... .

The velvet-furred wolf smiled at her reflection. It was her choice. She wasn't content before, and she was hopefully going to be now. She liked her new self. She liked her new home however different or dramatic it might be. With a long breath, Fal sat up taller, pleased with her decision. 'To new beginnings.' she said to herself with a curt nod.

Scimitar found himself outside Swiftcurrent borders – not to escape, but simply because every so often, he found a walk outside of his lands was good, if only to keep touch with the surrounding territories and what might be occurring. Shadow’s scent was more distant now – it seemed to cling less and less among the foliage of the neutral territories, and the cinnamon male gave a low growl of satisfaction to that – let the asshole simper off elsewhere.. as long as he stayed far enough from the Creek to not stir up trouble, that was all that Scimitar cared about.

His travel brought him to Duck Lake. It was not a place he visited often, but the serene stillness of the lake was intriguing to the male after hearing the background noise of rushing waters on a daily basis in his home. His strides were lengthy, though they slowed as he spotted a fawn-colored wolf by the waters edge. He recognized Falwasi by her scent long before his mind attached her visually, and he offered a low bark to gain her attention as he closed the distance between them. “Falwasi, hi,” he offered, giving her a nod as his bright aqua eyes moved from her to sweep across the peaceful water. “How are you settling in to the Creek?”

Falwasi turned her slim face towards the source of a bark, followed by a voice which she recognised as Scimitar's. She stood up swiftly. 'Hello,' she said, bowing her head lightly, 'Pretty well. I like it here.' she replied, giving the wolf a small smile. She followed the beta's eyes to the water. It was much quieter than the creek. She watched as two geese flailed as they took ever-so-slightly off the water, sending ripples across the once-still water.

'So what's its story?' she asked, changing her gaze to look at Scimitar's turquoise eyes, 'The pack, I mean.' she added, realising she hadn't told him what exactly she was talking about. No one so far had said anything about the pack's history... aside from what Shadow had told Dovev and her about Bazi. Fal felt somewhat smaller than Scimitar, and she wondered whether he had a role in Danica and Shadow's banishment.

She offered him a small smile -- lithe and almost fragile looking, Scimitar could only imagine this was far from the truth. Fox and Bazi were two forces of nature that came in tiny packages, and yet he knew they could thoroughly kick his ass any day. Somehow, he could only imagine the fire that burned beneath the she-wolf's quiet exterior and mused if she could also.

Her question lured him to glance over her carefully, quickly recalling her retreating form when he had come upon Shadow and Dovev. If she was looking for a more in depth tale to what had transpired, she would have to ask a different question than that. His shoulders lifted in a nonchalant shrug as his eyes drifted back to the waters, feeling the cooler breeze ripple through his agouti pelt. "Swiftcurrent Creek was once led by a female named Fox. I guess she took the reins when the founder of the pack killed herself.. though I had never met her. Njal and Bazi were the Betas when I joined, though Njal stepped down shortly after his mate had the Creek's first litter of pups." There was a small pause as his eyes skimmed back to the honeyed female, watching for her reaction.

"Shortly after I joined, Fox kicked two of the higher ranked males from the pack, banishing them. They had fought with one another, almost killing each other.. she deemed them unsafe to the pack. They forged their own pack on The Sunspire. Needless to say, there was quite a bit of tension between us and them." Shifting his weight as he retold the history of the Creek as he knew it, it dawned on him only then the drama the pack had survived in such a short time. "Fox took a juvenile and one of our smallest members up the mountain one day to go terrorize them a bit -- the kid and the girl got caught, while Fox took off. They were held captive, and Fox disappeared in the night." He left the bit about Haunter out -- he did not know what truly had transpired there, but the rocks burying the man's grave were still snug in place. If disease had been involved, it would not reach the Creek wolves.

"Bazi had to pick up the pieces. Fox tried to come back, and they fought. Bazi came out the victor.. and a shaky truce was formed with The Sunspire wolves and us. They returned our captives, but they have since left." The story he gave was lengthy.. and sadly, the short version of it. "We still have our moments, but we're rebuilding and moving forward."

Falwasi sat still as Scimitar glanced over her, hoping his shrug hadn't meant he was bored by her question. She put on a calm exterior - although she felt pretty relaxed, she was still keen to hear what the agouti wolf had to say. She assumed the pack had had a lot of difficulties, possibly influenced by the story she had heard from Shadow, but she knew better than to pre-judge.

The long-legged wolf adjusted her position by shuffling her paws a little as the beta started speaking. 'Swiftcurrent Creek was once led by a female named Fox. I guess she took the reins when the founder of the pack killed herself.. though I had never met her.' Falwasi pushed her eyebrows together and raised them slightly. Tragedy had already stricken the pack in the second sentence. She wondered why the founder had killed herself... and where. A small chill rippled across Falwasi's back as she thought of the possibilities of where the suicide could have taken place.

The chill was soon replaced by surprise as she listened to Fox's story as Alpha. She had thought of the pack as more introverted, the thinking type versus a physical pack. Falwasi frowned internally when Scimitar had said Fox had taken off while two Creek members were in a crisis, and then disappeared. She admired Bazi for picking up where Fox had left the pack at, which by what Fal could tell was not a very easy place.

'Wow...' she remarked. The pack's history had dampened the mood, 'That's a conversation stopper.' the she-wolf said, looking at Scimitar with a small smile to try and lighten the mood. She looked back on the water, keeping her peripheral vision on the male as she asked her next question: 'No drama since then?' she asked, her head faced towards the lake. She waited for his reaction, and his answer.

If Falwasi thought she was being clever with her questions, she might not realize how open of a book she currently was. The comment elicited a small snort from the male before he took to lowering his form completely upon the cool grass, his paws dangling to the sand and water's edge. "Falwasi, I seen you leave Shadow and Dovev that day -- if you have a specific question, ask me. Bazi and I have nothing to hide."

Never one to beat around the bush, his eyes fell gently upon her. He could only imagine what Shadow had told her -- it had been apparent that day that it had been enough to upset her, and now, as she skirted the topic with him and fished for details, he allowed her a moment to gather her thoughts to formulate whatever question she so desired. Shadow had started a ripple, clearly, and if he did not clear the air, then she would likely leave.. his thoughts darkened as they thought of the arrogant wolf. He was certainly asking to have his hide tanned rather thoroughly.

Falwasi stood as the male snorted. Was he mocking her? She narrowed her eyes at him; the casual question that had slipped between her lips' meaning was clearly obvious. She wasn't shocked that a wolf had seen her leave Shadow and Dovev, she had smelled one coming but had decided to ignore it, thinking they hadn't seen her leave. She was maybe a little surprised that that wolf was Scimitar.

'I don't care about what Bazi supposedly did. It's none of my business.' she said, staring straight into Scimitar's turquoise eyes, 'All I need,' she paused, 'Want, to know is one thing: is it true?' she asked regarding Shadow's story, her heart thumping. It wasn't a big deal, but the fact that she was about to have her question answered after three weeks of pondering was stimulating. When she left her pack, she had left it for one sole reason: it was too familiar. Falwasi liked being slightly out of her comfort zone, constantly being challenged. She had found this at Swiftcurrent Creek, and was not planning on leaving. Its past made her even more intrigued by the pack. It was eventful... sadly eventful, but it gave it character, and character was the sort of thing the young wolf wanted.

What was once casual dangerously shifted -- a flash of annoyance went through her, and the moment her eyes stared straight in to his -- a challenge by any wolf in terms of dominance -- the Beta bristled and rose up slowly. One fang slipped past his lip to reveal her mistake, and his own chin jutted up now as his tail arched in tune to his position. He had worked to be the Beta of the pack, and he was not about to let a newcomer try to snake that rank from him by challenging him so directly.

"If I knew what Shadow's version was, I'd have an answer for you," he replied coldly, a snarl tracing the edge of his lips as he took a step toward her, waiting for her flash of submission to the eye contact. This was the very reason Shadow had been kicked from the ranks at Swiftcurrent -- one too many times he had challenged the authority in posture and words.. it had nothing to do with his questions or concerns. No, Scimitar had all the patience in the world to answer questions.. but the moment he was physically challenged? That was an entirely different story.

[size=x-small]This is getting intense! xD[/size]

As Scimitar rose from the ground, his calm demeanour changed to a harsh, cold one and Falwasi furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. Had he thought she wanted to fight? Maybe he had misinterpreted her attempt at genuineness by looking him in the eye for a challenge. Her eyes softened at the realisation but her body steeled and her hackles raised as the burly male towered above her. If worst came to worst, she would fight, however she had no intention of doing so. She wasn't foolish enough to attack Scimitar; it would ruin her chances in the pack - Bazi wouldn't be too pleased to hear her new friend had been quarrelling with her second-in-command.

She lessened her stare but didn't break it. She had to be clever now, these next few moments would be crucial. Falwasi watched Scimitar closely; the revealed fang, the jutted chin, the arched tail, the snarl... the Beta was ready to go. She shook her head and sighed, 'I don't want to fight - I have no reason to - but I will if I have no other option.' she told Scimitar in a slow, clear voice.

The air was tense; the water seemed still and the birds were quiet, as if they had all flown away, expecting a tsunami. Falwasi stood comparable to a statue, unsure of what Scimitar would do. Was she about to experience a tsunami, or was it a false alarm?

He's pretty intense when it comes to body language. :(

She did not stand down – her gaze remained fixated on his own, and he took a step closer, bristling dangerously. Instinct would have him stride forward, seeking to push her down in place until the white of her belly flashed up in a flag of submission – such was the way of the wolf. Her words contradicted her actions greatly, and Scimitar withheld a sneer – gone was the friendliness in his tone.. how could one not be in tune to their own heritage and species? “Then do not look me in the eye and challenge me,” he responded darkly, waiting for her to stand down.

He waited for her response then – if her gaze did not break, he would force her to submit. Long forgotten was their conversation now, and while he had been completely open to offering her whatever information she had previously sought, her blatant disrespect through her body language had quickly burned that bridge.

[size=x-small]As are all boys, haha![/size]

As the Beta spoke in an unfriendly, cold tone, Falwasi realised she had been correct in her assumption: the stare had been too much, or at least enough to have aroused a fight. She was standing in a defensive posture, sure that Scimitar would've leapt towards her, but he was giving her the option to submit. Don't be stupid. Don't be stubborn. Use your brain. she thought to herself as the two wolves locked eyes with each other, deciding to ignore the reckless pride burning in her eyes. She was an intelligent wolf, and she wasn't going to let the situation contradict that.

Moments later, a heavy sigh escaping her chest, a flare of her nostrils and a low growl of frustration, Falwasi peeled her eyes off of Scimitar's and looked at the sand lining the water's edge, her head close to the ground. 'This has been a lovely conversation,' the young wolf said as her body lowered in submission, rump curled down and ears drawn back marginally. There was no sarcasm apparent in her voice, instead, a calm tone replacing it. She knew she was pushing her luck by speaking again, but she wanted confirmation from the male. 'However, I'm pretty sure it has been terminated. What do you think?' she looked up at Scimitar, avoiding his eyes as she asked for his opinion, her body still submissive, careful not to trigger the muscular male's violence.

She finally broke her gaze, and while the regal was still slightly ruffled by her sudden challenge, he felt himself relax for a moment. Baffled by the entire situation (had he not offered to tell her anything she wanted to know? Why then did she see it fit to flag dominance over him?) he fell to silence for a few moments, his features stern as he contemplated.

She was about to dismiss herself then, and the cinnamon Frostfur’s first reaction was to agree. However, he did not want the tension to grow between them, and a frown escaped the stoical mask that was so carefully set in to place before he prowled closer. Should she not move, his nose would bump her cheek as he exhaled a sigh. “I do not want things to be unsettled for you here Falwasi – whether from myself or because some bitter ex-Creek wolf was whispering something to you.” There was a small pause as he pulled back, his eyes drifting to the waters now. “I would appreciate it if you would tell me what it was he said – if he’s causing disrupt among the ranks, we’re not going to move forward.” And.. Scimitar would definitely be paying the jackass a little visit then.

Falwasi was on her toes ready to leave; she expected the bear-like wolf to agree with her suggestion - she imagined they'd both had enough. She thought over what had happened in the time she had spent with Scimitar that day, and the emotional escalation levels were drastic. So when the Beta approached her even closer, exhaling warm breath that tickled against her cheek, she relaxed her muscles, preparing to prolong the chat.

'I do not want things to be unsettled for you here Falwasi – whether from myself or because some bitter ex-Creek wolf was whispering something to you.' Falwasi was worried this was going to lead to a lecture in some shape or form. He paused and pulled away from her while shifting his gaze to the waters. 'I would appreciate it if you would tell me what it was he said – if he’s causing disrupt among the ranks, we’re not going to move forward.' The copper eyed wolf cocked her head. She had remained surprisingly still while Scimitar spoke, not moving a muscle until then. She thought it through. Of course Shadow wouldn't have told Scimitar if it was a lie. And if Scimitar didn't know what Shadow had told the two new Creek wolves... it clearly was a lie.

Falwasi looked at Scimitar; what Shadow said was not valuable information to her, so she began to speak in a steady voice. 'Shadow said that a wolf, Danica, liked Bazi. Liked Bazi in a relationship kind of way, so Bazi decided to kick her out of Swiftcurrent Creek for that reason. Then Shadow confronted Bazi to ask her if it was true, and she told him to leave too.' However, something told Fal from the former Gamma's smirk that he was sugar-coating it - if the story he spun was true.

He regarded her cheek as she spoke, listening to the rather simple version of the story. Shadow had indeed left great details out – especially the true reason of his ousting from the pack. While he would never know the true details that had transpired of that day – for he had only heard it from Bazi after the damage had been done – but he did know that Shadow had been grating on the frayed nerves of many of their members with his attitude.

“It’s not technically a lie. Seems he just left out a few key details” he mused dryly then, his tongue swiping across his lips as he leaned back, wondering how Falwasi would take this. “Bazi panicked when Danica told her and she reacted poorly. Something she felt terrible for after and wished she could take back – and afterward, told the other members of the pack of her wrongdoing. She regretted every moment of it.” It had been a terrible act.. but one she had made rashly, and as a mistake. “I’m not sure what truly transpired between Bazi and Shadow, but she made it clear that the reason she made him leave was because he was an ass. Given his insubordination and the fact he was making others uncomfortable with his attitude constantly, I would say he pushed her too far at the wrong time.”

Either way, Scimitar had not been sad to see him go.. a fact that had been reiterated at their latest meeting when the male had done nothing but smirk and refuse to state ‘the truth he had told’ to Falwasi and Dovev.

The fawn-like wolf snorted, slender head shaking as Scimitar revealed that the arrogant silver male had left out some critical specifics. 'Of course,' she said bitterly, 'Of course he would.' she added, detesting the wolf even more than she had before. His smugness had annoyed her and made her grimace, but now it had gotten under her skin. For weeks she had been debating what to believe - after all, both wolves were only acquaintances but Shadow's version was pure innocence, causing Falwasi to question it with great confidence. If he wanted her to believe him, he had played his cards terribly badly.

Somewhere deep down, Falwasi must've felt satisfied. Bazi wasn't really being capricious when she expelled Shadow. Maybe she was when she did so to Danica, but she felt remorse afterwards. Falwasi wondered whether she had apologized to the wolf, but as far as she knew, Danica hadn't reunited with the pack.

The she-wolf didn't ask any questions returning her attention to the Beta. She acknowledged his honesty, and seeming open to answering any of her questions, probably expecting a bombardment of them, Falwasi didn't have any in mind. She only wished to know what the other Creek wolves knew, which was probably exactly what Scimitar had told her. And, the confirmation that Shadow was in fact an ass was the cherry on top.

He studied the tawny woman momentarily, intrigued by her reaction to Shadow’s deceit. It had been a brief interlude, from his understanding, but clearly he had tested not only her patience, but her loyalty to her new pack. His mind drifted back to Paarthurnax and what he had told her – if Shadow began to stir up shit, the Creek would not be tolerant of it. As far as he was concerned, this fit perfectly in to that category, and he regretted allowing the male to simply walk away unscathed now.

“Galileo is our pack’s advisor. He is a gentle soul, and if you are still troubled by anything, I suggest you seek him out. He would hold nothing back from you.” There was a small pause as he pressed his tongue to the roof of his mouth, wondering if he should try to reassure her once more. But there was nothing to say – the story was brief, but it had certainly shaken the pack to its very core.

[size=x-small]Concluded?[/size]

The temperature had cooled considerably, the sun disappearing behind the clouds. It set a grey dimness to the surroundings, an enlightened preview into the winter season.

Nodding her head faintly and subconsciously, Falwasi stopped herself when Scimitar finished speaking. She waited, thinking he was going to say something more, but after a long pause she spoke up: 'Thank you.' she said plainly. And she meant it. He could have decided to leave after the affirmation, like Falwasi would have done if she were in his position, especially after their disagreement. She was not a forgiving one, and letting go of a grudge was one of the most difficult things the earthen wolf was yet to face.

Yup! Exit Scim. <3

She seemed to have no more questions, and as the large man glanced over her as she spoke, he gave a nod in return – clearly, she had needed this information to move forward after what Shadow had told her, and he was grateful they had still conversed – until now, he had no idea what the silver male had actually said. It was the barest bones of truth he had offered – missing the most important part of how it was actually his attitude that had gotten him evicted from the ranks, rather than a simple question. If he believed that, he was stupider than Scimitar originally pegged him for.

Bending his muzzle down to touch his nose to the she-wolf’s cheek, the Beta extracted himself from the situation then, giving his pelt a shake. Casting one more glance to the willowy creature, the male loped away, in the direction he assumed Bazi was – he desired to talk to her now more than anything.