Deepwood Weald When it is dark enough you can see the stars

@Damien and @Nocturnal

He had tracked Aries down the day of their interaction and made note of his half brother's home after smelling him upon the borders. He had not attempted to join at first however but had disappeared for a while to roam.

The air that day was frigid, fog misting everything and obscuring his vision. It was a very fitting day for the Svartell to try to join the pack of Damien and Nocturnal and if he had known the complete history of his father perhaps he would have stayed away. Alas, he did not and he followed his desire to learn more of his brother, to study the shadowed man who radiated death. He moved slowly up to the borders and looked around, heart beating wildly as the realization that he was about to pledge loyalty to a group of strangers sank in. Would he fit in? Would they all be like Aries, cold and quiet and deadly? Would he have to become molded into something deadly? Would he have to embrace the curse that was the Svartell nme? All his questions swam around inside his mind and before he could let them freak him out he lifted his muzzle and forced a call out of his muzzle for the leaders of this group.

When he wasn't with Alarian, he could usually be found patrolling. Their claim may still be new, but he wanted to make sure there was absolutely no doubt that trespassing here would be a mistake. He caught the unfamiliar scent before the howl rang out across the territory, and he had already been headed that way, intent on intercepting the stranger and informing him that lingering near their borders might be the last thing he ever did.  

As he approached, he stared at the male, his expression eerily blank as he stopped at the threshold of their territory to stand in front of the stranger. Why are you here? he asked, his tone emotionless. He continued to fix the other wolf with a vacant gaze as he waited for his answer, ready to do what needed to be done should it not be a reason the beast deemed acceptable.

His call was answered promptly by a male he had never seen before but was definitely immediately scared of. His eyes flared wide for a moment before he looked off into the woods, remembering that his brother was in there. He sucked in a breath and it was like a wave of calm washed over him, his eyes hardening and expression going blank. Unsure if this was a leader or not he played it smart and dropped his gaze, lowering his chin "To join. I have nowhere to go and no home or family to give my loyalties to, except for one that lives within these borders." oh he wasn't sure if that had been such a good idea, Aries hadn't seemed to keen on the whole "hey we're brothers" thing to begin with. Now this hulking, intimidating, scary but....attractive now that he noticed...brute would know if he asked who it was. "I am a jack of all. I excel in none but if something appeals to you, then I will work on that. I currently fight and gather information the most" he tried to keep his sentences short, not babble like he always did. It seemed that few words were used around here, between Aries's speaking style and now this man's.

He stared at the stranger while he talked, calculating eyes raking over the other wolf's form to gather whatever surface information he could. At the mention of a family member here, question briefly leaked into his violet gaze, gone just as quickly as the other man continued to speak. He certainly didn't look like a Melonii, so Midar wondered who here was related to this man. What family member of yours lives here? he asked first. That was the question at the front of the beast's mind currently. As for the other things, he wasn't the one to make that call; the other wolf would have to wait for one of the leaders to arrive and judge him on his skills. Midar didn't didn't bring that up now, though. He was more interested in the answer to his question.

Drakonis of course didn't know whether or not Aries had been open about his heritage and he knew not of his father's betrayal to Damien in the past and due to this he felt no hesitation answering "Aries. We share blood due to an asshole of a father" he felt honesty would be his saving grace, as lying always made things worse in the end. He studied the male for a moment, going over the conversation in his mind. Nothing pointed to this male being the leader though nothing said otherwise either. "Do you run this pack?" he asked curiously. It seemed that this brute was very territorial and held some authority if he was here asking Drakonis these questions.

Ah, so he was related to Aries; that made more sense. Midar thought he could see the resemblance now that the stranger had pointed it out. The rest of his answer mattered little; he had no care for how they were related or honestly what brought him here. All he really cared about was that he stayed on the other side of their borders until he was invited inside the territory. To his next question, the beast lifted a dark eyebrow. I am not, he answered first. They should be here soon. I just like to be the one that deals with trespassers, he explained further, a nefarious smirk tugging the side of his mouth. It was the perfect opportunity to serve his favorite kind of justice. I am Midar Melonii, he offered next. He was beginning to grow bored now that the stranger's intentions seemed to be harmless, but he would stay until his leaders allowed the other man in just to make sure his services weren't needed after all.

Ah, so this man was just their guard. He did a good job,anyone who trespassed with this man around was either a fool or a truly skilled warrior to be so confident. He eyed Midar as the man smirked, he seemed proud of the fact that he watched the borders so much "I pity anyone who tries then" he said with his own lips curving upward with dark humor. "Drakonis Svartell" he gave an introduction back in return.

I'll give tony a week to reply ^_^ otherwise I'll have Drako scoot back out and maybe return later

He arrived at what some call a fashionably late time (who am I kidding I totally should have replied days ago omfg), holding himself high, confident that his lover wasn't here to be exposed this time, yet somewhat worried for leaving her after so long guarding her. But the borders needed tending to and yet another request for an audience sounded through the woods in the form of a howl and while he trusted his subordinates to manage cases of intrusion he wouldn't want anyone entering his kingdom as a guest or recruit without his approval.

His eyes glared coldly at the grey stranger, and as he brushed past Midar with a dominant posture to assess the aspirant his nose flared haze as he took in the scent. You were saying? requested Damien, a chance for the male to impress him and earn himself a way in. For now, his chances were thin, much like his own bearing and mostly because of them too.

His introduction was met with a blank expression once again, but the beast committed the name to memory just in case it provided some kind of advantage for him later. As for his pity, Midar didn't think anyone dumb enough to cross into a claimed territory deserved pity or anything really aside from a swift death. 

Damien appeared then, and the beast was thankful; this would be over soon, and he could go back to patrolling. He remained near his leader's flank, standing back a respectful distance so there was no confusing who was in charge here. His gaze still remained locked on the stranger as Damien spoke, watching for any signs that the he might do something stupid; Midar would gladly intercept then, but for now, he just watched and assessed.

His joking response was met with silence and he shifted slightly, swallowing as the air grew uncomfortable, if he were to fit in he'd surely have to smother his friendly nature and Definitely stop being so awkward. He averted his eyes and once again looked around him, blue eyes falling upon a dark male who strode forth and moved confidently past Midar. It was clear who he was before he even spoke and Drakonis lowered his chin, praying that maybe a subservient, respectful nature would make up for the lack of...whatever it was these wolves had. "I would like to join. I don't have anything i excel in but I know enough of everything to be useful. My current interests are to hone my skills in information gathering and fighting" he offered nothing more than the basic, simple information that he felt the leader needed to know. He felt that pleading his case would seem desperate and was a bit scared these wolves would tear him apart at a sign of desperation and weakness.

The wolf went straight ahead into listing the things he offered to The Melonii like so many before had come to Blackfeather. It was quite confusing trying to figure out why someone would request to join an established band of strangers without having a proper reason or intention, but Damien guessed that the hunger and craving for social support were good enough reasons. Now, did this one know who they were? Did he know what he was getting himself into? Or was this perhaps the first opportunity he'd come across to beg for a belly fill and a place to crash?

Who are you? would have been a good place to start. Out of all people, Damien was perhaps the most insistent being on building a basis of trust, and begging for access without even trusting his identity to the night kings was most definitely not a strong foundation.

He was met with silence and he began to wonder if this was how rabbits felt, being chased and herded by predators more powerful than he was...it brought a sort of instinctual fear out within him. If this band of wolves could do this just by aura, just by standing and staring he wished more than ever to learn their ways. First his brother, then the giant brute who came before the leader and how the shadowed leader himself. He steeled himself and answered directly, honestly, and simple "Drakonis Svartell. My half brother Aries lives here, he is part of why I want to seek residence" he wasn't sure if that would be seen as a good reason or not, to be close to family. He wouldn't tell his tale, how Aries was currently all he considered himself to have. The silent ghost of a male had made an impression on Drakonis and he would do anything to learn more.

Not sure if we're supposed to just skip Midar?

The power of words in someone without possessing the care to handle them could be a very dangerous thing, and Drakonis Svartell most certainly didn't. Damien's most prized asset was his pristine memory. He never forgot a name, or a face, but he hadn't realized how much this stranger looked like that traitor Dakarai until he vocalized his surname, and things were't getting any better when he mentioned Aries was his brother. He had never thought of asking the silver soldier for his full name, he had always been just Aries, but then again Nyx had brought him back to Blackfeather Woods at such a young age that Damien never really thought he could remember much about his life before them.

A sharp and seriously toned howl rumbled through the Weald. Damien was requesting @Aries' presence at the borders immediately, and until he did the dark master wouldn't utter a single word. He would just stare down at the blue-eyed spawn of a long-lost traitor, pinning him to the ground with rays of dry ice cast from his pale orbs.

Damien would never have to worry about the reaper's heritage - Aries had never pledged loyalty to his cowardly father, and in his disquietude about the jumbled family and their situation, he'd removed himself from their midst and accompanied the star-dusted consort of the melonii clan. She'd tempted him with stories of the night, and from his first days within blackfeather woods he had become her ward, her soldier, a firm loyalty beginning to course through his veins. Despite his twisted demeanor, the outcasted Svartell was not a traitor (at least, not to those he trusted), and he did not intend to be, not to Damien and Nyx.

The summon was sharp, sincere, and the steel warrior wove swiftly toward the borders, stopping a brief distance away and dipping his head in respect to the man who's baritones had reached across the weald to demand his presence. "Damien, you called?" he enquired, before sharp orbs of ice assessed the scene in a quick flick of his eyes - Drakonis. So, he'd been correct: the half brother that had emerged out of nowhere had followed his scent back to the clan. He wasn't entirely pleased about this (blood-ties often resulted in disappointment), but he had thought about what he could turn the confused traveller into, should his life be cast into the hands of the melonii's. 

He would not speak yet; not until asked of him, and when his appearance was no longer required, the soldier would slip back into the shadows he had slithered from.

There was a change as soon as he had spoken his surname, the dark furred man's glare turning even frostier and Drakonis immediately analyzed the scenario. So the man knew the Svartell name, he had no idea whether it was due to Aries or if the man had known his father. Due to the negative reaction and Aries's place here, he assumed the latter and his opinion of his father darkened even more. When the man howled for Aries Drakonis lowered his head, his whole body shrinking before the male. It was apparent that he meant no bad intentions by the way he shot quick confused and panicked glances upwards. Aries hadn't told the man his heritage. Drakonis had just outed him. What had he done?

The arrival of his brother was quick and he looked up, ears going back. If the killer had let him go before, surely his careless tongue would get him killed now. His eyes rose until they met his brother's nose, refusing to look into the eyes of possible death. His expression was one of regret, he obviously knew his mistake and regretted it but at least he had the sense not to open his mouth again. 

I'll send a PM and ask if they wanna pop again before another post!

What is the post order in this omg

Aries appeared and still, Damien was silent. He knew that the tension in the air had grown exponentially and it bolted even higher when Aries ' question went largely ignored. Of course he had called, and it was obvious that there was something going on that was perhaps not so beneficial for his standing within the Melonii. Everything had been revealed, and while most likely none of them but Damien knew what their daddy had done (and even if under conventional terms it wasn't really as bad) it would not be forgiven easily.

He claims to be your brother, Damien informed the silver soldier, still without giving him a formal greeting to their little reunion. And yet, he had just been made responsible for it and everything that it could possibly lead to. Damien couldn't allow a traitor's son to wander knowing where they resided. It would be easier to just kill him and get rid of the problem, but the information that he had just revealed made things much more complicated. He couldn't just kill Aries if things didn't turn out fine.

i really don't know???

It was a cold, lifeless expression that met the incredulous demeanor of the half-sibling; Aries cared nothing for his past family ties, the bonds he'd shed like a snake would lose their old skin. He was not the boy he had once been, but a man, a killer, a soldier, one serving the melonii bloodline and nobody else - there were few worthy in the world. You ought to watch your mouth, whipped the sharp sting of his watching stare, but it was gone in the barest flick of his ear, and even Drakonis himself was likely to have missed it; in truth, there was nothing able to curse the starborn with the plaguing fear that most felt. He was not afraid of what his past had been, did not try to run from whatever mistakes he may have made, but to have his father's memory brushed to the surface inspired a licking flame to hunger at the slayer's mind.

Dakarai is dead, he reminded himself, his presence no longer blights the earth.

"If he does not lie, then perhaps." A stoic proclamation, one that little room for lingering secrets. "My father was stupid, it would not surprise me to know he'd had other spawn." It was, supposedly, the first mention that Aries had made of the man to any member of the brotherhood, of the dark followers, the blackfeather survivors; a snatch of history that he'd buried away, where he did not have to look at it. Burying something was different to running away. He simply did not care, but at least he could admit when he was wrong - he would not flee. If it had been him facing such a dreary fate, not Dakarai, he would not have disowned his children - he did not run from his mistakes.

"But I do not know him, so I cannot vouch for him. I broke all connection to my old family long ago." Truth spilled from his tongue, in the gravelly, low nature of his speech: indeed, he had no idea who (aside from his father) was alive and who was dead. In conclusion, the decision was of course the sovereign's own to make - the ousted Svartell did not trust so easily, and Drakonis had yet to prove himself of much use.

Aries claimed that there were no ties to his former family anymore, and still Damien couldn't shake off the feeling of betrayal he was getting from Aries' secrecy. He wouldn't have had any problem with him being Dakarai's son at all if the information had come up sooner, but the time at which it did was hardly appropriate, after having trusted him to help them settle down for good. Damien had already considered making Aries his second in command, but this new information needed to be taken into account before a decision could be made. And as for the brother... Well, he was Aries' problem now.

Handle it, Damien instructed before leaving the scene, plain serious and emotionless. Well, perhaps there were traces of anger in his eyes, but he tried to conceal it, for he thought it best to find another time to discuss these issues with the silver soldier personally. The instruction had been purposefully ambiguous, for Damien cared little about the surprise brother's fate. Should Aries choose to take him in and polish him to Melonii standards and purposes, or end his life right there and then, truly cutting every loose end and link to Dakarai and everything else in his past for good, Damien did not care. But whatever Aries did would determine his own standing within the pack and the future of The Melonii clan.

Midar watched the exchange between the three wolves, silently forming his own opinions on the matter. It seemed he was missing something here and whatever it was, Damien didn't look pleased. Their leader gave his orders before taking his leave, making it clear that the stranger would not be permitted to enter their territory today but leaving his fate up to Aries. With the opportunity for dealing with his packmate's family member not granted to the beast, he felt no reason to stay here any longer, but he didn't wander far; he hid in the shadows and waited to see what Aries would do with his orders, part of him honestly curious about what the other man would choose and part of him wanting to make sure the stranger was, in fact, handled. Once business was taken care of, he would leave his hiding spot and continue on his patrol.