My head is bloody but unbowed

*Two Face* · August 01, 2013, 07:49 PM

ooc text.

Two Face

Two Face stood on a narrow ledge high above the ground. A slight shifting of his weight from one paw to the other caused pebbles to go tumbling over the side. Two Face watched the pebbles as they disappeared in the thick fog below. He lifted his scarred muzzle to the wind and caught the scent that had brought him this far. There were easier paths that he could have taken to reach his prey, but none would have held the thrills that he was feeling just then. Two Face with the scent fresh and strong in his nose continued his way across the ledge, walking with a cavalier attitude to his precarious position on the cliff.

*Koontz* · August 02, 2013, 10:27 AM

Hi. :)

Her confidence in herself and her pack grew each day. Although she still clung to the title of second-in-command, Ariston allowed (and encouraged) her to come up with and execute ideas, sometimes even without his input. It could be intimidating at times, that sense of responsibility, especially coupled with the knowledge that she must take ownership of her role and accountability for her decisions. At first, it made her anxious. Presently, it gave her a sense of pride and accomplishment, as she gradually and organically grew into the role intended for her: Alpha female.

She thought about all of this as she crept down from the plateau toward the valley below. She passed her brother, Ray, on her way out and stopped to talk with him. "Will you take a midday patrol?" she asked him. "Sure," he said and the two went their separate ways, Ray climbing up to the plateau and Koontz walking through the springs. With Ray promising to take the lunchtime circuit, she didn't even need to worry about returning home until suppertime.

Happy to have the day to herself—though she intended to use the time wisely—Koontz began to walk in the shadow of Sheepeater Cliff. She did not intend to climb it, as she did not want to repeat the incident with Teklar. Her nose had healed quickly, yet the embarrassment had lingered a while. Nonetheless, her pale eyes drifted up to regard the bluff and she slowed in surprise when she saw a small tawny wolf tiptoeing precariously along the ledge. Koontz came to a full stop and watched him, unwittingly holding her breath. She wanted to call out to him, yet was afraid that in doing so, she would startle him and cause him to fall to his death.

*Two Face* · August 02, 2013, 04:40 PM

HI!!! I really didn't think any one would respond to me i am seriously super excited!!

Two Face

Two Face stared at the chasm in his path and grew increasingly annoyed. Annoyed that he was so close to his prey and the mountain was throwing obstacles in his way, and annoyed that the wolf down below might judge his hesitance at this gap as weakness. Two Face wasn't one to show his fear, especially in the presence of others. In his mind there was only one choice before him.

Two Face turned and trotted back the way he had come, head drooped down watching each of his steps. He kept walking till he could no longer see the gap and stopped. He looked down at the wolf on the ground and shouted "Hey, watch this!" Two Face turned as he finished his boast at the other wolf and sprinted at the gap, his ears laid back and head low so he wouldn't be fighting the wind.

The gap approached quicker than he was expecting but Two Face didn’t slow his pace, he didn't allow himself time to think about what could happen if he didn't make it. Two Face knew those kinds of thoughts caused hesitation and any kind of hesitation right now would stop him from obtaining his prey, it would stop him from obtaining any prey ever. Two Face was now a foot away from the gap; he tensed the muscles in his hind legs and pushed off with all the power he could muster and went flying through the air.

He closed his eyes as he soared across this rift in the earth, savoring the feeling of the wind blowing through his fur, and the way the danger caused the pounding in his chest. The thought of danger snapped Two Face back to reality. He opened his eyes to see the ledge he had been aiming for approaching. The glint of satisfaction shone in his eye as he landed on the other side of the rift. Two Face looked down at the other with a satisfied expression. “Well, what did you think?”

*Koontz* · August 03, 2013, 11:07 AM

Yay! :D

He seemed to notice her, though he didn't say anything right away. When he did, her brow furrowed in confusion and her pale eyes panned to the right, spotting the gap in his path. "Don't—" The word leaped from her tongue unbidden, a surprised mutter that he wouldn't even hear. She watched very apprehensively as he broke into a gallop, heading directly toward the broken rockery. Shit, she thought to herself, tensing as he approached the small gulf. She couldn't help but flash back to her own clumsy attempt to make a leap on this cliff, which had resulted in a bloodied nose.

Trying not to picture the bloody mess that would result if this wolf didn't clear the jump, Koontz closed her eyes and waited. When she opened them three seconds later, her pinched lips loosened and she let out a long, low breath. The wolf had not only made the jump, he had done it in top form. He appeared to be proud of his accomplishment and even shouted down to her, asking her what she thought.

What did Koontz think? She thought he was crazy. Lucky too. She sort of wanted to scold him like a child, especially for putting her—just some random passerby—through that. At the same time, she was impressed despite herself, as well as a little envious of his skills. If he could navigate the cliffs like that, so quick and bold and sure of foot, then he was probably an incredible hunter.

"I'll give it a nine out of ten," she eventually called up to him, tail swaying. "I had to dock you at least a point for sheer stupidity." Despite the emphasis put on the word, her icy eyes lit up good-naturedly. "Are you part mountain goat?" she wondered and, already, she began to wonder if he was a free agent. The Dragonwatchers could probably use a wolf with skills like his.

*Two Face* · August 05, 2013, 12:09 PM

ooc text.

Two Face

Two Face stared back at the gap he had jumped. All thoughts of the scent he had been following flew from his mind quicker than an eagle after its prey when he heard her say nine out of ten. Two Face could not comprehend how a jump like that could get less than a perfect score. He looked down at the gray wolf, ready to argue the reason he deserved a ten out of ten, but then he saw a sparkle of playfulness hidden behind her glacial-like orbs.

Two Face didn't associate with other wolves very often but this one intrigued him. She seemed to be around the same age as Two Face but she spoke funny, and even though she was just standing there she did it with a sort of authority and confidence that was magnetic. Two Face was snapped out of his survey of the gray wolf and back to reality by her inquiry into his lineage.

Was he part mountain goat? Truth be told he very well might have been. Two Face never had the chance to meet his parents. For all he knew his mother may have been a duck and his father a dog whose unholy unnatural union birthed him unto this world. He didn't even have a name to go by until he stole some carrion from a raven who circled over his head screaming 'two-faced jerk'. He liked Two Face but he dropped the jerk part.

Two Face had no clue how to answer such a simple question and he didn't want to insult the other wolf by ignoring her. " Truth be told I'm not the guy to ask." Two Face sat down on the ledge and smiled at the gray wolf "I like you. The raven named me Two Face. Who are you?" Two Face began walking again, this time not in search of some delicious scent on the wind, but instead to a path that would lead him to the ground so he could get a better look at this gray wolf

*Koontz* · August 05, 2013, 03:40 PM

His response took her by surprise. Unsure what to make of it, Koontz simply dismissed it, then puzzled over his next words. "The raven?" she repeated after him, unable to make heads or tails of that response. "My name is Koontz," she added. More recently, she had stopped using her surname when introducing herself. It just didn't have much meaning here and, besides, she wanted to make a name for herself. Her family would understand.

Although unwilling to join him on the sheer cliffs overhead, Koontz ascended the much-less treacherous area closer to the vale floor. Conversation wouldn't be easy from here, per se, but she really wasn't willing to go any further and she didn't feel right asking him to come down here. If he wanted, he could join her. If not, they could shout back and forth a few moments before moving along.

"I'm from Dragonwatchers, a pack that lives on the plateau northwest of here," she told him next. "Are you part of a pack, Two Face?" It felt a little odd to call him that, as she felt like she was insulting him. He seemed fond of the name, though, so who was she to question it?

*Two Face* · August 07, 2013, 09:45 PM

ooc text.

Two Face

Two Face smiled at the questioning tone that Koontz had as she said the raven. Not many believed the story whenever he told them. In fact, the majority thought he was mad hearing birds speak. That was part of the reason he had been alone so long. He had almost found his way down to Koontz. It made it easier that she met him part of the way. Though for some reason he couldn’t comprehend, she seemed very hesitant to travel very high up the cliff. Two Face didn’t mind coming down to her though; he didn’t really get to talk with too many wolves, and he learned a long time ago to savor interesting creatures whenever he found them.

It took some time but Two Face finally found his way down to Koontz’s. He approached slowly and stopped a distance away from her. She seemed really nice and very interesting, but he didn’t allow himself to forget that she was a stranger and he knew nothing about her besides her name. Two Face’s ears perked up when Koontz said she was part of a pack and one that made their home close by. He was sure she had to be the leader of the Dragonwatchers or somebody high in the chain of command. The way Koontz carried herself gave it all away — her whole being radiated command. Two Face wasn’t one to just hand out information about himself, but every time Koontz asked him a question he felt compelled to answer.

Koontz was asking so many questions. Was he part of a pack? Two Face's heart skipped a beat at that question. Perhaps she was as interested in him as he was in her. He had never been part of a pack before. Two Face didn’t even know how one would behave in a pack. Two Face stopped himself before his imagination took him too far. After all it was just a simple question. “I’m not affiliated with any group, I’ve been by myself for as long as I can remember actually.” Two Face had so many questions about these Dragonwatchers; were all the wolves like her, how many wolves were in the pack, did they like to climb high things for fun also? Two Face didn’t want to weird out Koontz though so he asked the simplest of the questions that were racing through his mind. ”why do you ask?” Two Face tried as hard as he could to hide the hopeful glimmer in his eye. He unconsciously held his breath as he waited for Koontz to reply.

*Koontz* · August 08, 2013, 07:57 PM

Without being asked, Two Face descended to meet her, which earned a grateful smile and a casual, "Thanks," from Koontz. He did not come that close to her, hanging back a little cagily, yet she didn't hold this against him. They were strangers, after all.

She could see that her questions made him apprehensive and Koontz couldn't guess why, though she wondered if he, like her, was a bit nervous in social situations at times. Eventually, he admitted that he not only wasn't part of a pack currently, he had never been part of one, by the sound of it. Her lips parted in surprise at this admission, brow furrowing with perplexed curiosity. She was, of course, familiar with the idea of lone wolves, but she had always considered it a largely temporary status.

"Just curious," she replied lightly, trying not to let on to the thousand questions buzzing in her brain like a swarm of bees. "You've never been in a pack before? Weren't you born in one?" she questioned, trying not to press too hard in case it was a sensitive subject. Thus far, however, Two Face didn't seem bothered by the topic. She sensed a sort of trepidation about him, but not any outright fearful avoidance.

*Two Face* · August 11, 2013, 03:22 PM

ooc text.

Two Face

”I…” Confusion painted Two Face’s face as he tried to think back to his childhood, but his clearest memories were of him traveling alone. There were occasions when he would travel with another wolf for one reason or another, but those times were always brief and out of some necessity, and more often than not they ended badly. There was one thing he remembered though; perhaps this memory would sate Koontz’s curiosity about his previous packs.

“There is one thing I kind of remember.” His eyes cast to the ground as if he hoped to find some better answer clawing its way out of the mud. Two Face forced his answer past a tongue swollen with worry. ”I have this dream a lot … I’m a puppy and this wolf is tucking me in a hollowed out log with some other puppies.” Two Face paused to swat at his nose with a paw as if some bug were annoying him though nothing was there. ” She covered the opening of the log with some branches and said we needed to stay quiet.” Raising his head, Two Face looked at Koontz; he didn’t understand why this stupid dream was so painful to tell, but it hurt more than any fall or fight he had experienced. Though try as he might he couldn’t stop that pain from seeping out of his eyes. It hitched a ride on every word he spoke. ”Then she let out a long howl and ran away. I peeked through the branches and saw others wolves following the path she took” Two Face’s gaze cleared. Where pain had once burned now a soothing wave of serenity flooded forth, extinguishing all traces of sorrow. ”That’s when I usually wake up.” He searched Koontz’s features for some sign of how she would take the tale. It was the closest thing to being in a pack he had experienced.

Two Face didn’t want to hog all the spotlight — he had questions for Koontz also. ”So why is a pack wolf walking around without her pack? Aren’t you all supposed to do everything together?” Throwing caution to the wind, Two Face stood and took a few steps towards Koontz. He felt they had a decent rapport so far, and he knew how difficult it was to make allies if you never let them get pass the portcullis. He didn’t want to invade her space or make her feel threatened so he avoided getting very close, but he wanted to see how Koontz handled him shortening the distance between them.”I thought that you die if you leave a pack after joining it.” His face contorted with worry. ” You aren’t going to die if you stay here talking with me for too long, are you?” Two Face looked to the northwest ” You should go home. I don’t want you to die because you stayed away too long. It would make me sad to lose a new friend.”

*Koontz* · August 12, 2013, 09:32 AM

Koontz inwardly kicked herself when she saw the pained confusion drift across his face. She opened her mouth to tell him he didn't need to get into it if it was too painful, but before she could say so, Two Face launched into a story. Her jaws clicked shut and she listened attentively as he recollected aloud.

She felt even worse by the time he finished, having obviously made him relive an early memory that was not exactly heartwarming. The way he looked at her made her feel downright awful, though Two Face didn't seem to blame her for dragging up his sad history. In fact, his expression cleared as if a burst of sunshine had broken through storm clouds.

"I'm so sorry, Two Face," was all she managed to say before he tossed out some questions of his own. "We do a lot of things together but not everything," she said softly. "I go out alone sometimes to meet wolves outside the pack and, well, I guess I hope to recruit some of the better finds," she admitted.

Two Face moved closer suddenly. Koontz felt vaguely uneasy by the proximity, yet there was nothing threatening about him. And when he spoke again, the only thing she felt toward him was pity. Her pale eyes locked onto his very directly, albeit not in a challenging or otherwise commandeering way. She simply gazed at him for a long, silent moment.

Finally, she said, "No, I won't die because I stayed away from my pack for too long. It doesn't work that way, thankfully." She paused. "Two Face, would you be interested in joining Dragonwatchers? I think you ought to know what it's like to be in a pack. I know I'll probably have to teach you a lot about pack life but I know that you'll be a good addition. I think that you would make a brilliant hunter or something, with those fleet feet of yours," Koontz said, realizing that she was trying to convince not only him but herself that Dragonwatchers would benefit from Two Face's recruitment.

*Two Face* · August 12, 2013, 11:55 AM

ok I’m going to do this post without having Danielle check behind me so I’m not sure how rough it will be but you have to lose the training wheels sooner or later so please don’t judge me too harshly

Two Face

A wave of relief surged through Two Face Koontz didn’t react negatively to him moving closer, and best of all she was not in danger of dying. When he thought about it Two Face couldn’t help but laugh at himself. What had made him believe that wolves die if they leave a pack? He couldn’t help but think that Koontz was dying, not from some solitary pack syndrome but from the laughter in her head. Two Face sat down and waited for Koontz to release the giggles that were surely building up in her head.

It wasn’t mocking guffaws that poured forth from her mouth though she actually answered his questions, and treated them as if they were valid to her. That meant a lot to Two Face he stared at Koontz and his tail began to wag left and right rubbing against the ground. There was a look in Koontz’s eye as if she felt sorry for him like he was a puppy that just couldn’t be taught how to hunt. Two face’s tail stopped moving, and he opened his mouth to inquire about her sympathetic expression. No words passed through Two Face’s mouth though they were frozen in his throat by Koontz’s sudden invitation to come with her to Dragonwatchers.

Shock was plastered over Two Face’s whole being he didn’t know how to proceed. He had been alone this long and did ok, and he enjoyed his freedom. Koontz was able to come out here though so perhaps he would still be able to do some exploring every now and then. Two Face’s tongue grew heavy in his mouth it felt like his body was trying to stop him from answering her. He had been traveling alone for a long long time. With sheer will power Two Face forced his legs back under his control and stood up. Tail wagging Two Face stared at Koontz with an excited fiery expression. ”I’m honored … It sounds like great fun, and I accept.” Two face looked to the northwest and thought about all the new wolves he would meet and wondered what kinds of adventure and fun he would find with the Dragonwatchers. He turned back to Koontz with a playful glimmer in his eye ”as long as you are positive about that whole dying thing.”

*Koontz* · August 12, 2013, 12:28 PM

Your post was fine! I think I'm going to fade this to black, so this will be my last post (you're welcome to post again, of course, to conclude it). I'd love to have an up-to-date thread with Two Face whenever you're up for one. :)

Koontz could see the shock in every line of his face, which froze for several beats. While she waited for his ultimate response, she wondered if taking on someone like Two Face was a good idea. He would not know the inner workings of pack life, so she would have to be patient and ask that everyone else be patient too. Would the others accept him? Her heart thumped and her own jaw set as she decided that she would defend her decision to bring him to Dragonwatchers and make absolutely certain that he lived a happy, accepted life there.

When, at last, he seemed to get over his initial surprise, he favored her with a smile of delight. He accepted her proposal, which earned a sweep of her tail. She still felt a little anxious about what this all meant, yet she felt happy too. She was a leader, which meant that she had to keep her pack's best interests at heart always. It was a great responsibility and it sometimes meant she had to take risks, weighing the pros and the cons for every decision. Despite her age, Koontz was already making of herself a true pack mother, evidenced by this latest catch.

To solidify her acceptance of her newest Sigma, Koontz stretched out her neck, her pewter fur ruffling, and touched noses with him. She then jerked her head toward the plateau. "Let's get you back to the plateau, so I can show you around... so can make yourself at home," she added, hoping he liked the sound of that. She exchanged a look with him, then turned to lead her new recruit home to the plateau.