Bramblepoint Self-appraisal

He was an ‘adult’. The word held connotations that Mason did not think could apply to him particularly. Not yet, anyway. He had nearly reached his full and gangly height it seemed, but it wasn’t a particularly elevated one. He was certainly not a small wolf, but he was long rather than tall. Thanks to his early exit from the womb his legs appeared a few inches too short for his size, and lent him the appearance of crouching low to the ground at all times. The long, thin and somewhat sparse fur of his belly and chest dangled mere inches from the mucky earth. He spent a lot of time keeping himself clean and grey/white when the rains were heavy and mud was thick on the floor. The snow and frozen dirt were a blessed relief.

 

Blazing orange eyes – the only real inherited trait from a mother he didn’t remember – spotted a movement in a bush nearby. Mason darted forwards and stuck his nose straight into the bush but nothing could be seen. Whatever mouse or creature had dived into the bush must have dived straight out of the other side again. Mason huffed a sigh then looked up at the sky through the bordering trees of Bramblepoint – it was a straggling canopy and he could see that there was limited sunshine. He shivered at the thought, glad that the trees appeared to be keeping the wind at bay.


He moved on, bright and alert, his brown-tipped ears swishing this way and that to catch any noises of an approach

Stealing all your threadz! ^_^

Dash hadn't intended to leave the territory directly after the announcement of Floki being promoted, but the day after was kinda soon. It wasn't like he was leaving the pack, but he needed to get away- which was nothing new. Was that why they had skipped him over? Because he wasn't social enough? He knew he had pack mates he hadn't even met, but he knew they were there. If he had bothered to really get to know them, he would know he wasn't the only one feeling grumpy about being overlooked for the promotion. And, he would know others wanted it a lot more than he did.

He headed southeast, into the small forest he hadn't visited before, but had seen on other travels. Movement caught his eye and he paused as he watched a wolf go after something Dash couldn't see. Apparently, he didn't catch it. The other male started to head to the right of Dash, and he gave a huff to announce his presence. He wasn't really sure why he had done it, since he wasn't a very social wolf, but it had come out automatically. Must of been from being in a pack.

Mason started when a sudden huff reached his ear drums. He did a weird twist which nearly rent the front and back ends of his body asunder with a gory split down the middle. He caught a glimpse of the other wolf whilst he was trying to right his posture. Remembering he was an adult now and supposed to be dignified (he represented the best pack in the world after all) Mason shook off his surprise and padded carefully towards the other male. With his tail and stance neutral, Mason allowed a friendly twitch of a smile and fixed his eyes on the other wolf’s chest. The male was much taller than he, and his dark fur was marred with blemishes that could only be determined in the dim light through the way his fur spread around the marks rather than flowing over his entire body.

Sensitive to both inner and outer scars – indeed his paw still throbbed in the cold although he no longer had any hindrance with his movement – Mason coughed back his initial response of ‘what in the world happened to you’ and instead managed to blurt out “Who are you?”.

After a momentary blip, where he openly stared at that scarred, skinny, lanky body, Mason suddenly realised he sounded a bit hostile and added: “I’m from SilvertipMountain, my Dad’s FitzDutiful.” He found it easier to introduce his father than himself, because it was Dad who was usually well-known. He was just a hanger-on to his father’s fame.

His chuff seemed to catch the stranger off guard, and he did a weird twist, causing Dash's ears to perk in  interest and his eyes to widen in surprise. He hadn't meant to startle the other male, but it seemed that's exactly what he did. He steady himself, though, and padded over, his body language telling Dash he was neutral in this meeting. Dash's tail hung behind his back legs and his ears folded softly on his head, expressing he was a little more submissive. It was obvious he was not here to start any trouble.

His ears perked again at the tone of the other male, who came off a little hostile at that point. Dash took a few steps back, in case the male had changed his mind about being neutral. But, then, he introduced himself as being from Silvertip Mountain. Dash wasn't sure why he mention who his father was. Was Dash supposed to know of him? The other male hadn't even said his own name. I'm Dash, he responded. From Moonspear.

Mason watched the other male with interest but no fear. He had been brought up in a close-knit environment where the only pain he had ever received was chastisement from his parent, or an accident. Except for Zaria... but he didn't want to think about her. She had snatched half of his childhood, and he kinda wished Dad would just kick her out now. His childhood crush had twisted just like his body, until he was left with some sort of hatred. It wasn't apathy, and there were feelings still there, but they were no longer loving.
 
The other male acted pleasantly but his words were brusque. He had stepped back and Mason immediately took the same amount of steps again, towards Dash. His ears twisted backwards, lowering to adorn his brown/grey drizzled ruff. Mason lowered his tail slightly. He didn't feel affronted that his dad wasn't mentioned. Here was a wolf who didn't know Fitz (or at least didn't admit it) -maybe this was his chance to shine. Mason's chance.
 
"I'm Mason, and I'm an adult now." He admitted a little bit shyly, his gaze becoming sidelong as he tried to rein the conversation back in before he lost Dash forever. He usually wasn't this bad at conversation.  "Is Moonspear a nice place to live?" He asked gently, his voice quiet and expressive as he watched Dash's breaths cause his fur to flutter against the scars.

While Dash had taken a few steps back, the while male had made them up by coming towards him. It was a sort of dance that Dash didn't understand, but the stranger didn't seem aggressive, and even lowered his ears and tail. It made Dash relax a bit, even if he was still a bit confused.

The other male, Mason as he introduced himself finally, also decided that him being an adult was useful information for Dash to have. Good to know, Mason, he replied. Dash was always bad at conversation, sometimes to the point it gave him anxiety, so he tried not to look anything but interested.

Mason asked about his pack, and Dash nodded. Yeah, pretty much, he said. I'm still acclimating to pack life, so for me it has its ups and downs, he confided. But, there was really nothing to complain about. Charon and Amekaze had been very patient as Dash did his best to learn the ways of the pack. He didn't think many other Alphas would have been. What about Silvertip Mountain? he asked.

These two make me laugh xD
 
Thrilled that Dash agreed him being an adult was a big deal (ok he didn’t say it exactly like that, but whatever) Mason grinned. Dash hadn’t backed away again. Cool – Mason was managing this conversation well, even if it had started poorly. The other male looked to be hanging on Mason’s words. God, he was good

Acclimating to pack life wasn’t something Mason could relate to, but he had met another lone wolf. Presumably Dash used to be a lone wolf. “Silvertip is great. I was born there, so I don’t know if I could not live there forever.” There was no current reason for him to leave. Who knew what would happen when the new sprogs arrived.

“I do like travelling a little bit though.” This was a new wanderlust, and mainly undertaken with Uncle Sted, not alone. Until he was an adult Mason had barely left packlands. He now knew Silvertip inside and out – whislt he loved exploring, he felt that he was missing out on meeting other wolves and mapping the entire of Teekon wilds. There was so much he didn’t know about the other packs. “Sometimes I think maybe I should go out more, so I don’t get under Dad’s feet.” It was Mason’s turn to confide. “So I’ve been coming to these places that are near enough for me to travel in one day.” His eyes swept around to incorporate Bramblepoint. He loved it here, and he had managed a few successful hunts of small creatures which had had managed to carry home

I know! It's so cute because Dash hasn't ever met anyone like Mason. Maybe he could learn a thing or two from him!

It seemed the younger male had been born and grew up in his current pack. Once in a great while, Dash thought about what it would be like to have that life, that stability. But, he didn't allow his thoughts to linger too long on what might have been. It wouldn't change anything, after all.

It seemed Mason liked to do a bit of traveling. I traveled for several years before finally settling into a pack, he confided. He wondered if Mason had the experience to be out here traveling alone. Did he know how to fight? Dash couldn't see any signs that he had received any scars from another wolf. Do you, uh... Fight? he asked. It wasn't like Dash to butt into someone else's business, but if Mason was going to travel, he hoped he knew how to defend himself.

“Bloody hell!” Mason spluttered, before biting his tongue. For one, he hadn’t realised Dash was old. For another, he couldn’t imagine travelling for years. A month maybe.

Dash asked him something else, and Mason looked at the ground as he admitted: “No… I don’t really like fighting much. I don’t think I’d be very good at it.” Feeling somewhat inadequate in face of all of Dash’s battle scars, Mason squinted up at his acquaintance’s face to determine what he thought of the admission.

“Actually, could you teach me?” he tacked on suddenly, his tail giving  a swish. He was nothing, if not forthright and earnest. It didn’t occur to him that maybe Dash had so many scars because he was bullied as a kid, or a terrible fighter.

Dash's muscles above his eyes rose with his shock at the shout-out from the other male. He wasn't quite sure what the "bloody hell" was for, but Mason didn't seem angry about anything, so he let it go.

Mason admitted that he didn't, in fact, know how to fight. This surprised Dash. He wasn't sure how wolves got by without knowing how to at least defend themselves. But he supposed if one lived in a pack their entire lives surrounded by family, there wouldn't be much need to fight. Unless, of course, someone trespassed.

The other male asked him outright if Dash could teach him how to fight. An ear swiveled as he considered it. Dash had learned to fight as means of necessity, for his own survival. He had never taught anyone else to fight, and wasn't entirely sure that he knew how. I've never taught... anything before, he admitted. I suppose it wouldn't be all that difficult, though... he pondered aloud.

He took a step towards Mason before freezing, his brain trying to figure out exactly how to start. So... I guess one of the first things you need to know are your soft points, like your neck and underbelly. If another wolf got a hold of those, it's easier and faster for them to kill you. So, with every move you make, defending those spots are crucial. Yeah, that sounded good.

Why don't you come at me, trying to get to those spots, and I'll defend myself, he suggested, fairly confident he could fend off the other male. This was a teaching session, and Dash felt relatively safe, but he also knew if Mason got too close to his soft spots, instinct would kick in and the fight could turn very real.

If Steady finds out someone else is teaching Mason to fight, he's gonna be like "whaaaaa?!"

xD hehe Mason will have to grovel in apology.


 

Mason did border patrol but if anyone had the audacity to trespass, Mason would call for Steady or Fitz or Zaria or Alastor. He would perhaps hold his ground, but he was not stupid – coward or no, he knew he wasn’t a match for most adult wolves. Or he hadn’t been, but maybe he would be now he was nearing his full size. He sometimes surprised himself when he spotted his reflection in the glass caves, or visited an area he hadn’t been to since he was a pup, and it now looked tiny.

 

Mason waited patiently to see whether Dash would agree. He wasn’t exactly enthused to learn, so he wouldn’t be upset if it was a no. It appeared that Dash merely wasn’t sure because he hadn’t taught before. Dash couldn’t have picked a more willing, nor a more clumsy, pupil for his first fighting class. A little worried about the word ‘kill’, Mason still nodded and listened carefully to where he needed to try and strike. But that also meant he needed to protect his own soft spots while he attacked – how confusing.

Mason bounded forward with all the grace of a dustbin. He immediately honed in on Dash’s dark neck, attempting to grip the fur of his sensei. Not only was his hit off the mark, with Mason almost mis-stepping past Dash’s front end towards his rear, Mason had stretched out his own neck in the manoeuvre and it was now an open target in easy reach.

The other male seemed to listen rather intently, and Dash figured he would take the direction just as well. That was a little off, however, when Mason came galloping towards him rather awkwardly. Dash wasn't really sure what happened. Did Mason trip? If so, over what?

Either way, it gave Dash the opportunity to grab Mason as he went past him, his neck outstretched. Dash quickly opened his jaws and attempted to grab a hold of the other male's scruff. If he was successful, Mason would know instantly the mistake he had made, and would hopefully learn from it.

Gotta spice things up a bit! xD And I give myself permission to PP all I want ^_^

Steady had noticed Mason's scent exiting the borders of Silvertip Mountain and had decided to follow it, wondering where his nephew was going. It probably wasn't anything unusual, maybe just a scouting trip, but Mason was alone and Steady, in his protective nature, didn't like it.

The black male couldn't of come upon the scene at a worse moment. Mason was charging at another wolf, rather unsuccessfully. The other male went for Mason's scruff, and that's when Steady went at him in a dead run. Steady felt much too far away, but it didn't take but several seconds to cover the ground between them. With a growl, Steady hit Dash at full force, putting all of his weight behind it. His jaws went for Dash's own neck, his intent to give Dash a dose of his own medicine and teach him a lesson about going after Mason.

OMG this thread is ace! xD I am literally laughing out loud

Mason’s body tried to sidle off to one side, but he felt a pull on his scruff that almost caused him to fall. He immediately stopped in his tracks, scrambling a bit to avoid yanking his scruff from the others’ teeth and causing major damage to the skin. Mason’s ears flattened and he had a split-second to think about how to remove himself from such a predicament… when something unexpected happened.

Suddenly Dash’s jaws were missing from his scruff (apparently having the air booted out of him had caused him to open his mouth) and there was another black wolf wrestling with his ‘attacker’. Mason looked around, confused, until the scent of his Uncle properly registered in his mind. His first thought was excitement – Uncle Sted was here too! – followed quickly by fear – holy crap, he was going to rip Dash to shreds.

Poor Dash, he would never have seen it coming – Steady was an amazing fighter. This was probably going to set him back even further in his social skills.

The unscathed lad twisted to hover close to the other two, but unwilling to bite his Uncle who had clearly misunderstood the intentions of the lesson. “No, Uncle Sted, no! He was just helping me! Don’t hurt him!” Mason’s short legs danced on the spot as he watched his mentor grappling with his mentor. What a way to start – and end – a fighting lesson.

Dash was successful in grabbing the other male's scruff, and he seemed to go still under Dash's hold. It seemed like only a fraction of a second that Dash had a hold of the flesh, when all of a sudden he was knocked backward. Dash wasn't able to react before he went to the ground, and suddenly his scruff was in the jaws of another wolf, a stranger that smelled just like Mason.

Dash wasn't stupid. He went limp, his tail tucking between his back legs as he curled his body into submission, a whine coming from his throat. He heard Mason pleading to this "Sted" to let him go, but Dash said nothing, waiting to see if he would be freed.

Steady grabbed the other male's scruff, growling into his flesh as he lifted him up off the ground, feeling the full weight of the attacker in his jaws. What a puny wolf to think he could attack his nephew. To a large, muscular wolf like Steady, this one weighed about as much as a feather.

Steady was just about to toss the idiot into a nearby tree when Mason's voice came through his anger, pleading with him not to hurt the male. Steady looked to Mason, who looked frightened, and earnest that this male wasn't, in fact, trying to hurt him. Steady, after a long, thoughtful moment, promptly dropped the male to the ground, who landed with a thud, not bothering to set him down softly. Anger still flowed through him at the thought of Mason being attacked and it would take a few for him to settle down.

Dash crumpled into a diminished underdog, Steady literally LIFTED him off the ground like a rabbit, and Mason felt his heart pull. Was this all his fault? Steady better let go! Mason couldn’t be responsible for someone else getting hurt.!  Especially not someone who had tried to help him so readily and who had been so nice.
 
Thankfully some of his words seemed to be getting through to his Uncle. Steady dumped Dash unceremoniously on the ground. Seeing that his mentor was no longer fully intent on blood-lust, Mason skittered forward to nuzzle Steady swiftly under the chin, in both deference and thanks. He had also conveniently positioned himself between the two other men.
 
Mason knew about stranger-danger, but Dash had seemed nice enough. Unless there was some odd feud between the two darker wolves, Mason was pretty sure that Steady had just been worried for his safety.
 
“It’s okay, look, I’m fine.” Mason struck a silly pose to show off his fine-ness, but the scared tone in his voice was still evident to everyone. Mason turned his back on Steady (he had nothing to fear) and reached out to gently touch Dash with his nose. “Are you okay?” he asked breathlessly, hoping that Dash didn’t simply turn tail and run. Was Mason going to be too much drama to ever get a friend?

With help from Mason, Dash was promptly released, landing on the ground with a thud. With his self-preservation high on his priority list, Dash would not wait around to see if the large male would change his mind about letting him go. He was on his paws in an instant, whisking himself away, and not stopping until he felt he was safe. He stopped long enough to ensure he wasn't being followed, and then made his way back to Moonspear, no more thought given to Mason.

Last from Dash!

Steady had let the male go, non too softly, and he fled, not bothering to stick around and chat. Steady watched him go, his anger replaced with guilt. He turned to Mason, who was obviously fine. I'm so sorry. I thought he was attacking you, he said. Steady had felt he had perfectly good reason to attack the male. How would he have known they were simply sparring?

Steady knew Mason was growing up, and with that probably feeling a little more adventurous. As much as Steady would like to confine him to the pack lands, he knew that wasn't a possibility. Mason would learn through his own experiences, and Steady would have to let him.

Steady sighed. Maybe I should go after him, apologize, he said. He didn't want to ruin any friendships Mason had with his own overbearing and protective personality.

Dash was gone. The ever-friendly Mason didn’t know what to think. He didn’ like rejection. His black Uncle spoke. Mason turned to Steady with sad, soft eyes. He couldn’t be angry at his Uncle for trying to make sure he was okay. It was better to be safe than sorry. He knew his Dad would commend Steady for this.
 
“He was teachin’ me to fight…” Mason glanced at the trees where Dash had literally dashed away, empty of all movement in his absence. “I wouldn’t bother, I don’t think he’ll be back.” Mason moved a few steps towards his Uncle and then stopped, not sure what to do anymore. The adrenaline from his short-lived spar was slowly ebbing away.

Steady sighed once again when Mason explained that the stranger had just been teaching him to fight. He fought back a little jealously that Mason hadn't come to him first, and instead went to some stranger, to teach him how to defend himself and his pack. Mason was free to go to whomever he wanted, and Steady knew he shouldn't get in the way of that.

Well, I think I've screwed up enough here. I'm going to head home before I do anymore damage, he said. He attempted to nudge his nephew, mainly in addition to his apology. You're welcome to walk with me, if you want, he added, just in case Mason was thinking of heading home. The large black male turned and began his way back to Silvertip Mountain.

Last from me.

Mason had no real interest in fighting anymore. Steady sounded a bit dejected, but Mason didn’t really want to have this conversation right now. He didn’t hate his Uncle for what he did, but he did wish he could manage to learn to defend himself without someone jumping in. The cougar, this, every time he had a chance he didn’t actually keep the chance. Although he knew he was being stupid, because he couldn’t defend against a cougar.
 
The pale boy returned his Uncle’s nudge and fell in step with the larger male. He was ready to go home, and he realised that alienating one friend was enough for the day.