Fierce white eyes flashed from the darkness as the figure crept beside the shadows, his body melting against the darkness of the trees, his eyes the only thing visible in the absolute darkness. Kedge would gather allies again, and he would seek vengeance on those who had followed him, he would avenge them, he swore. The shadow beast knew a pack resided in these areas, from an informant he had charmed into giving him the details of these lands. Teekon Wilds these lands were called, rich rolling hills without a single hint of northern mountains he had yet to see. Despite the color of his coat, he was a true wolf of the northern lands, the color of his coat had nothing to do with his heritage.
Perhaps Kedge could charm the wolves of this pack into following him and leading them to war against the pack that had killed his sword followers, they would die and he wouldn't really care. He did not know them like he knew his now dead followers, they meant nothing but pawns on the battlefield to him, he did not mean to know them well, he did not mean to become friends with any of them like he'd done with his former followers. Many had been drawn to him and it had always worked, it would not fail him now.
Kedge was still quite some distance away from the pack, and his intention was to arrive at morning, now traveling at a casual pace, but his fierce eyes were wary and he was careful to stay by the darkness where he was not to be seen. His paws made nearly no sound on the earth and his muscles were tensed, ready to leap and pounce when needed. The exiled princeling was an expert with the shadows and darkness.
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Three times in a row had the doppelganger seen the moon this time, three times in just one awakening. He was feeling powerful. Meldresi offered him not so long ago to free him from his weaker state of mind, the weaker side of him that crumbled to the ground whenever he wasn't able to deal with a tough situation. It had been This man who saved Keith from death many times before, in his homeland mostly, it had been him, MoonBane, the one to face the problems Keith got into.
The moonlight always made him feel at home, it was like a familiar face that understood him, that released him from his leashes. But tonight, it was company. It had never been his job to guard the packlands before he arrived to Blackfeather, and so far he wasn't completely sure he liked it. It made him thing about where his life was turning to. He had never put so much commitment to something before, and even though it wasn't a difficult task, he found it hard to keep a hold to it for much longer. He wasn't that guy.
Maybe it was her. Maybe his bond to the night priestess was so strong that he feared letting her down. Or maybe he was just too fond of her to leave.
It was just too much to think about, too much for him at least, so he decided to shun the thoughts away and keep his mind busy on something else. Elk. He had seen them around a couple of times, a big herd that he planned to target with the rest of the pack soon. So he went out to track them. Through the dark woods when the moon was at its highest point, moving silently in the darkness of the woods. But, where did they go? The scent had dissipated in the wind, it wasn't anywhere near for the young Zeta to catch it. Maybe they're outside the territory.
He crossed the borders around midnight, shining brightly under the moonlight. He prowled silently, sniffing his surroundings seeking for a hint on the herd's whereabouts. But that wasn't the scent he got. Was he imagining it? That scent was buried deep within his memories, but not forgotten.
Kedge.
The northerner whispered as he halted to a stop. Should he hide? Should he go to him and say hi? His muscles tensed, and his mind went BOOM! But his body didn't move. He stood like a gargoyle in the open plain.
Kedge was not a warrior for no reason, a wolf made of the shadows and ice, cold and darkness, he heard the whisper of a familiar voice. He moved towards the sound and fierce eyes of pure ice glowed out of the pure blackness of the land. And he saw his brother, the one that he hadn't seen for about a year now. The same white wolf with white eyes, had he finally found the sense to leave dad behind and go? Or had his mad disorder taken over forever? Keith's pelt glowed, surrounded by utter darkness and a soft chilling laugh slipped from the exiled princeling's lips as he stepped forward.
"Forgot how to hide, Keithen? Anyone could see you here, with that pelt of yours." he said with a cant of his head, a sardonic smirk spreading across his features. It was the full moon today, but Kedge would not call his brother Moonbane, he loved Keith not the beast inside him and he was not going to talk to Moonbane, he was going to talk to the little silver bastard that was his brother. "I hope you haven't forgotten your brother, my lord
Kedge moved forward, white eyes staring at his twin emotionlessly. His black figure moved soundlessly as he walked, the shadows seemingly wreathing around him, as if accompanying him and shielding him. Keith smelled of a pack, he wondered briefly if it was in the North, and if he was king and lord of the lands. He doubted it, the customs and traditions here were different, packs that resided here all had their different cultures.
His brother. His twin. No, Keithen's twin. They both shared a body, but that didn't mean he acknowledged whatever Keith did as his own. And Kedge was one of those things. Time after time during their days as pups, Kedge had made it clear that he didn't like him, that he preferred the weaker state of mind he dared say was his true brother... Bullshit. And there he was. Looking at him like nothing ever happened and, ironically, making fun of his pelt?
Dude,
he said rising an eyebrow without much amusement, Haven't you seen your pelt?
the pale one nagged in an attempt to break the sly smile that traced the dark bastard's lips. Even your Father said you are an abomination... And I would appreciate if you stopped calling me that, that's not who I am and you're not my brother...
he said with a smirk that threatened to flash his fangs in a growl.
"What? Stop calling you Keithen? Brother? My lord? I thought you were smarter than this, Bane. You don't deserve to rule Keith's body by right. It belongs to him and I'll appreciate it if you just go and die or something." he smirked broadly, white eyes fierce and gleaming with cold amusement. Kedge canted his head as he waited for the reply, or the leaping and pouncing and try to kill your own brother part. He cursed their father for making Keithen into this wolf,
So it was the same cunt he had always been now, huh? In spite of their differences, Keith and Kedge still were twins. Their minds were somehow connected with each other, making their bond not only by blood, but by soul. And whether he liked it or not, Bane shared a big chunk of that connection too. It was inevitable for him to feel so much hate for Kedge. From the ones that picked on him for being a freak, a weirdo, Kedge was the most harsh, he knew the deepest of his whole, he knew how to make him feel useless, like a monster. But even Bane was a different wolf now. He knew better than to break with the bastard prince's words, he knew the reason for them. He wanted Keithen, not him, that was pretty clear, the existence of Bane was an obstacle to get what he wanted from his brother, whatever it was, but the pale savage wasn't just about to willingly give it to him.
He would fight too.
Pearled daggers flashed as the obsidian bastard took a step closer to him, arrogance slopping out of his black self like it always did. I don't think Keithen is with us anymore...
Bane said faking a sad face that then turned into an devilish smile followed by a chuckle. He's not coming back. Not this time.
he growled. The young warrior was submerged in a pool of emotions he was loosing control of. But he had a point. The MoonBane Kedge knew only came out once a moon, always during the nights where the bright orb shone in its full form. And now he was free to walk under the sunlight too, and he hadn't shifted during the last three lunar cycles, not even once.
"Arrogance and assumption has always been your downfall, dear brother. But now since Bane has taken over, I suppose it will be even more of your fatal flaw. You're worse than Keithen." he frowned and shook his head, as if disappointed in him, the way a father would be disappointed with a son. But inside, Kedge was secretly forming a plan, no matter how Moonbane had ruled his brother's body and head, he knew Keith was still somewhere in there, no matter how small it was. His true silver twin had never been one to just give up.
Worse. Than Keithen? That brat wouldn't even be alive if it wasn't for him. He was the part of Keithen that confronted life as it was while the silver prince just blacked out every time he found himself in trouble. That bitch owed his life to him.
You know? I'm done with this shit. What do you want from me? Why did you come here for? Because I got more important things to do than sit here and listen to your shit.
Bane barked as he finally realized he was fed up with his brother's insults. He knew there was something Kedge wanted from him, and if giving it to him meant that he would leave him alone, he might even consider making a deal.