Haunted Wood Like a Forgotten Song

Memory dipped his nose to the ground, inhaling the scent of the forest around him. Earth, moss, wolf, blood, death. If he didn't know better he could mistake it for home...but that time was past. Nix had Abandoned him. His past needed to be buried like an old rotting carcass. 
Still, he only had so many skills, and there was only so many places a wolf like himself belonged. So the scarred male found himself here, on the edge of a territory. He lifted a paw, extended it, paused. A wrong move could mean death. There were choices to be made here.
He could Trespass and fight his way into the Alphas graces. But that most likely wouldn't end well. 
He could wait, living on the border till he was eventually noticed. Still not the best Idea, he could be accused of trespassing or stealing prey. 
He could leave his scent and wait to be sought out- a possibility. 
Or he could howl and demand and audience, and admission. 
Deciding, he inhaled. He threw his head back and allowed the notes to leave his maw. 

@Hela

Valour walked along the borders, lifting his leg to mark over the places he remembered Vengeance's having been and the spots where Hela's scent had already needed to be remarked anyway. The pack hadn't changed much from when Vengeance had run it, everyone still went about their day and the dark woods was as quiet as it usually was. At least until the howl for a leader came from somewhere up ahead of him, shattering the quiet and giving him something to do. Ears perked he straightened himself up and with his usual expressionless stare he went to greet the wolf, not really caring if he stepped on Hela's toes one more time. 


Coming to a stop before the man he didn't speak at first but looked him up and down. The dude was probably the smallest man he had ever seen but he wasn't dumb, he knew that even the smallest wolves could kill. "How can I help you?" he asked his tone neutral, ears flicking as he tossed a glance over his shoulder looking for Hela.

He looked up as a yearling approached- he quickly assumed it was either a wandering young upstart, or an Alpha pup in training. He himself wasn't much bigger than a 2 year old, but with size came speed, and he had trained for years to develop the strength, agility, and speed necessary. 
Any other pack he would have smirked at the pup, but here he knew better. Pups his age could kill full grown warriors with the right training. 
He fixed his Amber eyes on the pup and gave a halfway grin. "Just a rogue looking for a place to rest my paws. Maybe contribute. Maybe get some Rank under me." He feigned nonchalance, having been the cause of the downfall of the alternative, Idiot upstarts demanding things.

There wasn't anything about the male to really make Valour want to be nicer than he usually was, so he remained silent and stared Memory down for a good long pause after he spoke to show how little he thought of it. After a moment the neutral expression changed though it became icier in a way "We don't do maybes here. If you join and fail to be of use you'll be back out alone fast. Or maybe we'll eat you and that would be your use" there wasn't any venom or rudeness in his tone, the boy was getting eerily good at keeping his tone clean of emotion. Taking a deep breath he sighed and studied the man trying to consider everything like a leader would. What would Vengeance have done? Probably eaten the dude for being so casual about joining the Nightwalkers. "Can you fight? I mean fight well enough to make a job of it" he asked the man, knowing the requirements to join would require him to have the skillset.

The lithe brute gave a half smirk at the thinly veiled threat. 
"Your warnings don't frighten me, kid. This ain't my first time in a pack like this. Good to know wolf is still on the menu Though. Some things never change." He turned his head, exposing the scarring on his throat and chest. He noticed the cold reserve in the pups eyes- so it was a pup in training. "where's your mentour, kid? Who's teaching you the ropes of a world like this?" His memories flashed to Nix and he flicked his tail, irritated with the sentimental direction his mind was taking. As the pup prodded at his skill his eyes lit up. "Boy... fighting is all I know how to do. Fighting, hunting, and training."

"his mentor is dead," she announces, stepping smoothly beside Valour. weeks have come and gone, and none have challenged her. the girl begins to relax, leaning further into her position. perhaps killing the alpha is enough of a deterrent, perhaps she hasn't yet done anything to warrant challenging. she's kept things the same, mostly, and so the pack has settled. 

Valour didn't need him anymore, really. he was almost an adult, they both were. the man claims skills, though the warlords gaze is touched with doubt as it roves over him. gaze moves to Valour, then, brief flick of her ear telling him to be ready. she does not ask his permission; she doubts he'd mind, and he had answered the call, after all. "prove it. fight him." she commands, motioning smoothly to Valour.

At the tone of the smooth feminine voice he turns. It's another pup...his brow furrows for just a moment and then he remembers himself and Axel, barely older than this and commanding Black Cliffs. "Pity. Hope he held onto the lessons. Not much of a mentour if he goes off and dies." He shrugs dismissively. He's not given much time for more conversation as the apparent Alphaess gives a brief but obvious command. The order sings through his body, awakening the dark, bitter part of himself...Cyn. it roars to life like a thunderstorm in his mind, the monster that Nix created. 
A slow grin crawls across his maw and his eyes flash. "Let's see what you got, kid." He moves forward, head level with his body, moving with the practiced care of a trained warrior, lips curled back in a display of agression. He knew better than to attack head on, and instead moves to use his size and speed, dodging to the left and swinging to make contact just behind the pup's shoulder.

Mouth opened and ready to give the reply that Hela gave for him, Valour turned to look at Hela. His eyes swept over the she wolf, leadership had been treating her well he thought. The way she carried herself was admirable even to Valour who felt the burn of jealousy and bitterness rise up in his chest. Catching her signal he stiffened and turned to face the stranger, muscles already prepared to fight before the man even accepted Hela's challenge. 


As the man came at him with trained precision everything he has learned kicked into action. He remembered how Vanity taught him to be on guard and as Memory swung left he dipped backwards and to the right his jaws parted as he lunged in to meet Memory's attack head on maw aimed for maw in what would be a violent clashing of fangs if successful.

His eyes widened at the quick reaction, a small note of impression nudging his mind. The kid was fast. Fine. So be it. Fang to fang. 
He raised onto his hind paws, raking his claws across the point where Valour's neck met his chest, his jaws closing on the soft part of Valour's lip, his top canines closing on his snout. He pressed down threateningly, capable of fracturing his sinuses.

Pain coursed through his nerves, searing hot like fire causing Valour to gasp. Pupils dilating as he felt the man's fangs close down upon his snout he immediately dropped low and twisted feeling the grip loosen and yanking himself free. Blood dripped from bite Mark's on his face and he breathed quickly, the toll on his young body evident though he faced Memory again fire burning in his gaze as he bared his fangs his lips trembling as he struggled to maintain his composure. This was another fine warrior, a man with training that the other adult Nightwalkers held above him. He and Hela were naturals though and he just needed to fight harder. Vanity had told him he was better, he intended to prove himself to Hela once and for all as someone who is either a fantastic ally or a dangerous enemy. With a mighty snarl he sprung forward, jaws parting and snapping to place a quick bite to the side of his face and a second just below the man's ear where he clamped down and held tight snarling and shaking his head viciously. 

Time flowed slowly for a moment, the metallic tangy flavor of blood flowing over his tongue. It exploded as it always did, it was such a strong flavor compared to the easy to swallow taste of prey. His jaws clamped down harder, it became less important to fight and more important to hold onto and savor the interesting taste. It was only the sight of Hela watching the fight go down that he caught for a moment that brought the bloodlust to a pause long enough for him to remember the true purpose to the fight and steady his grip on Memory.

He was once again only slightly surprised by the willingness of the pup to rip his own face off to win. The pups teeth had only slightly punctured the soft flesh under his maw, and he reared back to avoid the pups series of furious bites to his face. 
Good. With the pups young age it was natural to be over-eager, to let the rage overtake him. His own blood pulsed in his ears, urging him forward. 
He let out a snarl as the pup's jaws closed on the tissue below his already torn ear- a lesser wolf would have submitted. But Nix taught him two things- never surrender, and think before you act. He would use the kid's pride. 
"That the best you got, kid? I've seen coyotes kill faster!" He taunted, slamming his front paws into the kid's chest, and pivoting his head to bite anything within reach, his fangs hooking the side of the kid's head. He felt flesh tear away from skull, his fang hooking the tender flesh near the eye. If he didn't release, he would possibly be blinded. Even if valor used his current lack of reasonable balance against him, memory would simply bite down harder. 
"Give it up kid." He huffed.

The taunt only sank into his skin because it was so untrue. He had slaughtered several coyotes, to say he couldn't was a blatant offense. The moment Valour took to contemplate was his mistake and in seconds the tables turned and Memory slammed his paws into his chest knocking him breathless and leaving him open to the next attack. The pain was startling and brutal, he yelped and went limp out of fear of losing his eye which shut tight defensively as physically the fight went out of him. As he was released he stepped back breathing raggedly as he took a moment to check himself over and compose himself "You're good but you'll need to keep something in mind. Me and Hela run this place. We're young but the rest of the pack has our back. Learn to respect me" his words were bold but he turned to @Hela, his left eye swollen shut and dripping blood but his right staring directly at her with an intensity that almost dared her to do anything but support him before tossing another remark at the man "I've killed more than just coyotes by the way" the threat was intended though he hoped that the man didn't act on it because he was already in a good deal of pain.

Memory felt the fight go out of the kid, and loosened his own hold, backing away. He panted slightly, a sideways grin on his lips as blood trickled down his neck, staining his chest. Another painful scar. At least the kid hadn't opened his belly or damaged a leg.  The words made him quirk an eyebrow.
"I was your age once. Doing the same damn thing," he answered, his voice a soft growl. "An alpha is an alpha. Packs like this you gotta be a special type of wolf to last long. Don't worry. I'm not dumb enough to disrespect an alpha. However, if you ever need advice, or wanna spar again, come find me." With that he turned to the Fae. "Good enough for ya, Sweetheart?" He asked lightly, shaking out his pelt and flinging blood drops in every direction.

arrogant, but effective enough. the fight is quick, bloody; certainly bloodier than a fight like this one ought to, but she remains silent. her gaze flickers once to Valour as he claims to run this place alongside her; a fact that isn't entirely true but one she lets stand. 

it is blatant disrespect that has her attention snap back to the potential joiner like an elastic band to a wrist, and she moves. in one smooth motion, she snaps her jaws at her muzzle; her aim is to clamp down on his muzzle for a moment, two, in a clear display of dominance that the recruit seems to have missed. a message and a test; if he truly respects her as leader, he will let the display go uncontested. and then, she withdraws

"I am the warlord. call me anything else and I'll tear out your jugular." it is true that the girl still seeks to learn the formalities of her position, how to lead, how to yield her power. but these simple power dynamics, the language of violence and fangs, comes all too naturally. 

but he's passed the test, despite his arrogance, disrespect. gimlet gaze is hard as she glances once to Valour. let him handle this one, then. "welcome to the nightwalkers." she that, she turns away, vanishing soon back into the woods from whence she came.

Valour watched silently as Hela sprang forward his ears shifting back as he watched her sink her fangs into his muzzle and then slip backwards like a snake while issuing threats. His lips quirked up into a smirk and he watched her leave, nodding silently as she passed before turning back to the man. "She can too. She's the one who killed my mentor. Did it before I could" he stared at the man and then his stance eased up and he motioned for him to follow as he begun to walk deeper into the territory. "I'm Valour. That was Hela. We work together kind of. What's your name?"

He bit back the urge to return the agressive gesture, figuring he probably wouldn't get off to the best start if he fought the Alphaess before he had even crossed the border. 
Instead he pinned his ears, motioning his submission. He relaxed a bit as she turned and walked away, shooting a threat at him as she did. "Temper on that one. I can respect that though." Hearing about the murder of the kid's mentour he frowned. In some packs it was a tradition to do so, but he somehow suspected that wasn't the case here. For now, as he followed the kid into the packlands, he chose not to comment on it. He gave his signature grin as the kid exchanged formalities. "Valour, Huh? Nice name. I used to go by Cyn but...For now...you can call me Memory." He answered, his tone less cocky now but carrying the same note of confidence. As a gesture of Goodwill he looked over at the kid, hesitating before he spoke. "You fought well back there. Made a lot of smart decisions a lot of wolves wouldn't make. If you want help with that eye, my mother was a healer- I may have picked up a thing or two. "

Once the man started following, the conversation took off and Valour snorted amused at the comment he made about Hela. "Vanity calls her 'Fire Screamer' and it fits" he didn't try hiding the amusement now that the man was accepted into the pack. Valour rubbed against a tree leaving his scent near the borders before he got too far away from them while listening to the man introduce himself. Memory....it was an interesting name. The word was common enough but why would you name a wolf that? The curiosity was put aside for a later time since Valour didn't have enough interest in the new recruit to desire much more than simple small talk. As silence fell over the conversation Valour considered the offer for help. Serem was the resident healer but every time he had bothered to try and get fixed up she wasn't ever around. "Alright, yeah. Thanks I guess" he said warily eyeing the man from the corners of his gaze. He was used to wolves with such chaotic personalities that it was clear that pushing boundaries and being rude would lead to severe consequences. Outsiders always seemed so soft compared to those of the woods but Memory seemed neither soft nor like the hardened, vicious kind of criminals that resided here. It put him on edge not being able to get a good opinion of the man from this first meeting. How would he be sure that the newest Nightwalker was not a threat to him or to Hela? "Can you teach me to fight?" the question flew from his mouth before he could stop it and he frowned though he didn't take it back. 


Turning to face Memory he eyed the man directly, no longer afraid to flaunt his ego now that the one man he feared was dead and the new Warlord had promised to have his back. "figured if you wanted to eventually climb ranks, I could help. Me and Hela have our own little deals made, all you'd have to do is promise to never lay a fang against us. The rest of the pack...well in my opinion that's fair game" his age spoke for him, the words freely tumbling from his mouth and leaving a dangerous silence hanging in the air. If Memory declined the offer Valour would know that he posed a potential threat to everything he was planning to run the pack and if not he had just secured another Ally in making those plans happen.

At the nickname he chuckled, agreeing with the Title. "She'll need to get a handle on that temper. I know a wolf or two who died because of their own." It wasn't a threat and he made sure the tone of his voice was that of a teacher rather than an agressor. He hadn't been in Nix's pack more than a year or so, but Nix's way of teaching worked fast. 
At the pups uncertain reply he nodded. "Comphrey root. Bonset too to help any fractures. Wash it in cool water a few times a day- an infection there could be fatal. If I knew you better I would share tongues." He shrugged, admitting his lack of a grudge. This was a pup and he saw more of himself in the kid than he'd like to admit. 

The kid's eager response took him back, and he blinked a moment, before nodding. "You'll be up at dawn. Every day. We'll work until noon at various things. I will not go easy on you. If you mess up, you will know discipline." He leveled his gaze at the pup, the flash in his eye filled with the intensity of a trained- and skilled- warrior. 
At the pups next string of word vomit he shifted, giving a Curt nod. Having rank would be nice again- Lead Warrior or perhaps even Beta. "I only have loyalty to one wolf other than myself, and that is my Alpha. So long as you continue to prove yourself capable, You have my alliegance." He answered, his voice somewhat cold.