Blackfeather Woods Entering the Mine Field

(OOC: Sorry for the short post, don't really know how to begin)

Tired, Goliath stood before the end of the meadows, facing the dark woods, the clouds had taken what little light there was in the aforementioned woodlands. He could smell the sense of other wolves ahead, a thick scent, one he hadn't smelled in a long time, but didn't dare tread past their borders. What creatures could live in a shade like this, he did not know, but either way, as a lone wolf, he would not live long. 

He readied himself, this was no time to ponder the scenery. He lifted his posture, pushed out his chest, looked at the clouded sky and howled.  A long and deep howl until his breath gave out, with the cawing of startled crows accenting his call. He sat, his tired eyes looking forward, the journey looking for a pack was exhausting, and he had little food. Either way, his large body endured the first moon of  winter alone. His large mane was comfortable, but his size was getting thinner quickly. His hunger had been for several days, hunting squirrels could not satisfy him easily, and he was not very fast either way. 'What if I am of no use to them?' he thought 'What if these 'Wolves of the Dark' are cannibals, and quickly make do of me?'  He shook the thought of his head 'Don't be childish, they are wolves'  With that thought, he straightened his back, and waited once more.

You write what you feel comfortable with writing! Not to worry! 

Burke was already on patrol when a howl sounded. He had been re-adjusting one of the rotting bodies at the border, along with a new layer of scent marks. Often one helped him with that but today he had been flying solo. The large grey tank of a male wondered if this one was going to make it into their pack. They had to say the right things or prove to Burke that they were worthy to be in the Dark Brotherhood. There was only a place for Elite here. It wasn't impossible to get into the brotherhood. Burke had even accepted a mute that managed to convince him. It was all about the presentation.

When Burke arrived at the scene his eyes fell on a brown colored male. His pale eyes glancing over him, not a young one as most of them. One would expect to at least have him in a better shape with life experience. Burke's docked tail instantly raised up dominantly. The bobbed tail making his frame even more square like. "You called," he stated. The male didn't look very welcoming but at least he gave him a chance to speak which was in Burke's eyes amazingly friendly of him.

His ears perked as he heard the large male come out of the darkness ahead of him. It took him a while to see his stance was dominating, and in respect, placed his own tail down. He noticed that the wolf before him had a gray and dark fur and notably older than himself, 'fitting for something which lives in the darkness' he decided. Goliath bowed in submission, and with his head and ears drawn back. He spoke slowly and cautiously, hoping not to make a bold action. He had not come so far to slip up now.

"Indeed, I have come a long way from my home to the meadows you have settled in" he began, trying not to speak too long, he didn't want to bore the wolf he presumed was the Alpha of the wolves in this area. His eyes quickly looked around, making sure if there were any other wolves were around, he turned his gaze towards the male. He was tempted to ask him what needed to be done, but didn't want to be rude, or undermine the authority of whoever this wolf was. He knew how disrespect could end, and wouldn't rather end the same way several others in his birth pack had.

"I came to join your pack, it would be a shame to have walked all this way without purpose" he added, to clarify his intents

Burke watched the wolf before him, he did take a right stance but Burke was not close to being convinced yet. The heavy male looked at him. "Meadows?," he repeated with disgust in his tone. "You think we are prancing like little deer in a meadow?," he huffed. He knew that the wolf was probably not thinking that, but Burke was enough of a jerk to want to see some distress, or not, he just liked to see how this male would handle it. Burke always gave those little tests. Burke raised his head. "I couldn't care less if you came from the other side of the world. I would reject you if you weren't a right fit for the brotherhood," he stated. "There are enough other packs, so why us?"

Burke often wondered how wolves ended up on their doorstep. He had his own story when he came here, but he knew about this place most did not. He wasn't sure if he liked this male using his journey as an excuse, it sounded like an excuse. "A journey is never without purpose, if you end goal fails then you find a new one or you reflect back on what you learned during your journey to take it with you as new experiences. You clearly have a lot to learn how life works," he pointed out, his inner counselor coming out for a brief moment. They were a dark brotherhood, they had missions and yes sometimes they failed.

Apparently, you’re a bunch of crows, hiding in the darkness he thought, but instead, acted as if he ignored the first bit. "I never expected leaders would manipulate the words of others" he simply said, standing back up, He didn't enjoy having his thoughts guessed. "I was surprised".

As the male explained to him of what Journeys were, he became abit annoyed, "Ah, of course, but where there is a will, there is a way, and my journey was not a simple journey, it was a pilgrimage" He responded, wondering if this had something to do with his initiation. The tables had quickly turned as the dark male before him had prompted that he 'still had to learn about life'. His jaws started to tense, but tried not to show the anger at which he was told about the meaning of life.
 
"I always thought there is only one thing to know of life, and that was how noone can decide how someone else should live it.” He remarked, "Either way, I came here for enlightenment," he responded, and the willow tree he added in his head, but that was quickly pushed aside, work before pleasure, he told himself, yet pleasure before life.

Burke quirked up his lips. He could do as he liked, especially with loners that did not have a place in his heart. The male stood back up and had quite a lot to say about Burke and what he clearly disliked about him. Burke's face kept its stoic expression. Even if the male kept going about his journey Burke did not feel any interest for it. If the would tell him what this journey was of his, and why he had this 'pelgrimage' all the way to these dark woods it might have interested Burke. It came later, his answer, it was about enlightenment. At least it was a different answer than most were saying, it was his only savior of not being chased away yet.

Burke really didn't feel like listening to this male anymore, it was already a lost case in his mind. "Enlightenment," he repeated so the male would elaborate further on it. Burke wanted to comment that the loner should not talk to him like that if he wanted to have a chance of ever fitting in this pack. Currently Burke didn't have the feeling that this male saw him as a leader. In order to have this conversation over with he decided to ignore the wolf's comments and listen to wha the had to say about his enlightenment, the male seemed pretty good at voicing his opinion. But at one point Burke would have to draw the line, and he was not going to allow the male to talk back like that again.

Goliath saw the certain disinterest in the previous topic, but as the male before him said 'Enlightenment', he was probably saying something right. "Yes, Enlightenment..." he began "I have heard of your dark goddess," he continued, placing his tail back submissively, the quick rush of aggravation had subsided. He began to try and recall all he was told of this dark 'religion' which was followed in the dark forest, but only three distinct words could come out of it MURDER, SEX, DECEIT  he kept remembering, the three aspects their goddess spreads, there was another one as well... Siris, but it was never the cause of him to arrive here 

"Two of them, Siris, for Death and.. " he continued, trying hard to think of the name that kept him many nights awake, and alive, matter of fact, "Mephala" he replied, the names were rather particular. Either way, with the darkness that will come, "I believe, once I devote myself to them, I will be able to see in the darkness where I feared of the unknown.." he finished, from now on, I will keep my jaw shut, he reminded himself, he had spoken quite a bit, but that was nothing that could lead to trouble.


Atleast, it usually wasn't

Nemesis cameo

She waited silently in the shadows of the dark forest as Burke interrogated the male. By now, her presence would be known to Burke by merely her scent, yet she would not present herself without being summoned first. Enlightenment, what, did he think they were a circus act? They did not exist for amusement, and the strange surely would not find any of that in the soulless woods. A poor choice of words, she could only think malevolently. This one she would have fun running off, if she was allowed. She would show him their kind of alignment, alright, she thought with a cunning grin.

She wanted to snort in laughter at mispronunciation of their god, and a disrespect it was. But she held her tongue, keeping quiet until she was needed. One could not simply learn their ways, they needed to be already maleficent and nature to even try at a spot in their ranks. No, this one would not pass for he showed too much promise of leaving. His soul simply wasn't dark enough and she was positive Burke seen it too. 

Burke listened to the wolf about his enlightenment. So he had heard about their religion? Hm. Curious. He watched the male when he continued. Maybe there was some hope left for the male. He squinted his eyes when he stated about their dread father but he pronounced the name all wrong. Burke's face fell into a bit of a frown, that was not how they wanted their gods to be treated. Burke now had the feeling that this wolf was all talk but not dark enough himself. His ears moved back, feeling like there was a presence in the shadows. Burke wasn't worried, it gave him the reassurance that the pack was close or at least one member was.

The male spoke about their religion and told them once he was devoted he would see the darkness? He would already need to see darkness to make certain offers to Mephala. "It is Sithis, not Siris," he commented firstly. "Clearly you don't know what you are talking about, yet," Burke returned. "To be in the Dark Brotherhood you need to see the darkness already before entering these woods. You talk about finding it," he added. His pale eyes were strict. They had limited places in their brotherhood and they were allowed to be even stricter. Goliath would have made it in to Black Feather Woods, but now they were the Brotherhood, they need that little extra.

"I do not believe you are ready to join us, so I will ask you to leave. We ask utter devotion and loyalty from our members and proof of their darkness. I do not see both of that for a full 100% in you," he added. Sometimes the one loners Burke would be doubtful off he would plainly reject and see if their devotion would bring them back to their border at a later moment in time. That would show the devotion Burke wanted to be certain of, but then this wolf also needed to prove to them that he had truly darkness in his heart and was ready to kill, ready to follow the path of becoming a brother in the brotherhood.

Sorry it didn't work out! Burke is mostly a big jerk to loners but you are more than welcome to try again! You are totally allowed (and I would love to!) to prove to Burke wrong and that Goliath belongs in the brotherhood!

Once again, Goliath was severely disappointed, he placed his gaze directly to the wolf infront of him as he was nodding, and told him through gritted teeth, "Thank you for your time", he tried not to show his anger, but if anything, he was angry at himself. How did he think he would be accepted, what an idiot he had been. The darkness was not for him. He nodded to the male, took one last look at the dark forest, swung around and prepared to sleep in the cold once more. He tensed, and began to walk back in harsh conditions he came from.

Exit Goliath, Sorry for the teeny tiny post, thanks for the thread!