Ouroboros Spine i'm coming up only to hold you under

For @Sitri; I like how I said I'd post this after din-din some odd 30+ hours ago... x_x

For a couple of days, the season seemed to hold onto something from the past. Almost unseasonably warm, the brisk winds hadn't seemed so icy. But as the day began and rolled into the afternoon, the weather shifted. Those winds turned back to their icy gales; the temperatures dropped and reminded Mordecai of how fickle the end of autumn really was. It was as though it were more turbulent than spring into summer, and perhaps it truly was that way. He had intended to reach some of the higher climes of their territory on that day, but instead found himself confined to the lower pieces of the basin.

Following a stream not unlike the one he had led Dijax to, the fledgling leader found himself unusually absent of thought. He took in the sights and smells instead, relishing in a past-time long set aside in their preparations for winter. Things were coming together however slow and sure, and Mordecai could only hope that it would be enough to get them through. He found himself seeking to rally them all together soon, but it was more of a matter of when. There were things he had to be sure of and among those were the fractured pieces of his fellow long term pack mates.

Pausing to gather himself along the winding banks of his narrow stream trail, the tawny Ostrega drank. The water here too had grown cold with the lengthy season's close, but it was still refreshing. In spite of this, he did not find the rejuvenation he sought from it, but it was also a start. His confidence in the Spine's well-being strengthened all the same.

band of horses — the funeral

It was not abnormal to find Sitri on the outskirts of the pack lands, silent and wraith like as he traveled to and fro doing his duties and keeping silent. He had turned into a silent feral animal some could say, his role instinctual only some would say. He could speak and seek out those if he wanted too, but the ripe feeling of betrayal still beat him over his swarthy head. He had considered Mordecai a friend, he had even warned Mordecai he would kill the female if he got the chance, and yet the male had still wanted his death. It was something the brute could not understand and it hurt a little bit if he thought of it, but as his history had dictated her merely shoved the offending thought down.

So it was with these worrisome thoughts and this hurt heart that he traveled along the creek looking down at it. The sparkling pebbles catching his eyes and making him study them more. It was strange these rocks, the creek had wore them smooth. In this way he wished the world would do that to him. Wear his edges and hard angles down to smooth and soft, but he knew that would never happen. He was a demon a monster and he would never change.

He heaved a sigh and shifted to look at his reflection in the water, to study his still open neck wound. It was closing a little more everyday, soon enough it would be nothing more than a scar and a reminder that he shouldn't trust anyone.

Further along the path, he picked up on the sight of Sitri. Mordecai's pace slowed and at first, he only watched the healing beast from afar. While the memories of a rather unpleasant day were calling back to him, there was little Mordecai could have done to undo the past. What was done was done, and for the most part they had all moved on. And so he approached Sitri, instinctively leery of him as he felt he should have been. But there was no ire to be found in the gaze that he cast at the reflection-studying wolf. He may have been out for his blood at one point, but the anger behind it had long settled.

“It looks like it's healing up all right,” Mordecai said evenly, unable to let his gaze do anything but wander over what had once been a grave wound. One that Ptarmigan had dealt, the one that perhaps might have been an end for Sitri if not for the aid he had found. Even now, weeks later, it still seemed much more horrible than it really was. Or so Mordecai hoped. “How are you feeling?” He had seemed in better shape than on that day when they had hunted together, but Mordecai had never gained the chance to truly ask him. It was safe to imply that he did not ask entirely as a friend, but from the standpoint of a leader. Sitri was still apart of the Spine, and his well being was just as important as his ability to contribute.

Sitri heard footfalls and turned with hackles raised on his guard immediately. His fur slowly lowered along his spine as he saw that it was Mordecai, and he was further away. Sitri thought briefly about turning the other way and just walking away. But that would be moot, and whether he liked it or not, Mordecai was his leader now. Not that he really didn't like it, he was mostly uncaring about it all.

Sitri nodded his head It is healing how it should yes. I have had worse than this and lived to tell the tale. HE briefly remembered the one time his head had been thrown wide open, the scar above his brow living testament. Sitri tilted his head and frowned unsure how to answer. Adrift? Lost in translation? Confused? Betrayed. To say all those would be accurate, but also false. It was strange the way he was feeling so he just nodded I'm fine for now. Much to think about.

There were many ways their paths crossing could have gone. Negatively would not have been out of bounds by any means, but Mordecai was glad that it did not come to that. Sitri was a formidable fighter, and his experience unquestionably trumped any scuffles Mordecai had ever been in. The fledgling leader took it as a good sign that Sitri did not move to avoid him, or otherwise suggest that his happening upon him was an unwelcome sort. If anything, the true feeling of his presence there was ambiguous at best.

“I don't doubt that,” he said; an applicable statement to both accounts. Sitri was scarred for a reason and visibly so, and there was little doubt in Mordecai's mind that he had many thoughts weighing in on him. “Do you know why I was angry with you?” The question in itself almost felt insulting coming from his lips, but he wondered if Sitri had his ideas. It wasn't meant to be any notion of a provocation, but the gap between them remained for a reason. Healing or not, Mordecai did not desire to find himself in the same position as Ptarmigan.

Straight up took that from sweet home alabama :)

Sitri was pretty certain he bore more scars and had more fights than those who followed the pack. He was not proud of this, and he didn't voice it often. It was just knowledge that he knew to be true. Sitri did not wish to be on bad footing with the wolf in front of him. But he was fairly certain it would never be equal again, there was too much mistrust and anger there.

Sitri furrowed his brow and then spoke softly Just because i talk slow Mordecai, doesn't mean i'm stupid. Sitri was not upset with the words, just pointing out the obvious. He wasn't stupid, yes he misunderstood things, and yes he had moments where he couldn't understand what others were talking about, but he wasn't stupid, just flawed. Because i killed her while she was down. But I did tell you I would and I did. Sitri was a matter of fact beast and he proved that right then and there. He understood sort of why he was angry, but what he didn't understand why he was when Sitri had told him he would kill her and he had. He was merely going by his words, he told what he would do and then he did it. No more and no less than that.

Holy shizz my internet is working at the moment. MAD DASH TO POST FROM NOT PHONE. Also if you want to draw this out for EXP, feel free. Otherwise I'll let you have last post and I'll archive it afterward? :3

It troubled him briefly that Sitri thought Mordecai thought him stupid, but then again that had been a situation he had walked himself into. But the answers that he gave weren't entirely incorrect either. Mordecai would have preferred that fight to stop, to either let Sitri get away from Ptarmigan or to deter Ptarmigan from going after him. But it hadn't been, and all of the work Mordecai felt he had put into aiding Ptarmigan into being more suitable for them was for naught. If nothing else though, Sitri had been true to his word. He had put an end to her.

“I didn't mean for you to take that like I was saying you were stupid,” he said as he folded back his ears apologetically. “But yes, I was angry with you for what you did. What I don't think you know is that I was trying to get Ptarmigan to lighten her attitude. Shift her focus somewhere else than the anger she felt towards everything.” The words felt waxy in his mouth, and perhaps Mordecai felt they were of no use now. He shook his head dismissively.

“I guess this really doesn't mean anything now.” He considered mentioning that she had been family to him, family that he had wanted to know better, but withheld. He hadn't come to try and imply anything, or otherwise make an attempt to guilt trip his pack mate. It didn't seem right, especially when there was nothing they could have done to raise the dead anyhow. If that were the case, Jinx would have been nice to have. Composing himself momentarily, he gave Sitri a once over again. “I guess I'll leave you to it then.” He sought closure to something unseen, and moved to leave the scene.

[size=x-small]I'd like to get 10 if that's okay for the exp.[/size]

Sitri couldn't really be expected to know what Mordecai exactly wanted. And he also couldn't know that the male had worked with the dead queen to make her fit better. He wasn't privy to those details.

Sitri shrugged his large shoulders, It's okay if you were. Lots of others think Sitri is stupid you would not be the first. That was all he said about that, there was no point in denying that many had called him stupid, many had made him believe that, but he finally realized thanks to a strange patterned she wolf, that he was not and he was worth something even if it was just a little something. Sitri stared at him for a long moment a little confused, how was he supposed to know this was happening? And why should he have stopped because clearly it wasn't working, but he didn't say that. Though he did point out the obvious. I didn't know, but I'm sorry still wouldn't stop me. I told you the truth and I honored my word. HE suppoed it was rather foolish to reiterate, but it was true why not be honest.

Sitri sighed and shook his grizzled head, Sitri is just walking you are welcome to come along? If you are wanting company? Sitri shouldn't forgive so easily, but he was a loyal beast and it had been ingrained anyway. Beat him to a pulp one minute love him the next story of his life.

One more post from you should do it, I believe. Happy early Thanksgiving, btw! <3

Before he could move on, Sitri spoke again at length. The broken patterning of his speech came back in and within it, Mordecai felt he saw the amount of unhappiness that had built up behind it. But he also he found that he had little care for it, bothered more by the fact that his attempt to bring conversation forward to explain things was truly useless. Not because it would have changed anything, but because there was little they could really do about the past.

“No, I'm not really looking for the company,” he said, giving his head a shake. Normally he would have accepted the company, especially coming from Sitri, but not today. “I just wanted to touch base with you, I have a lot of thinking to do. Perhaps I'll see you patrolling the borders later?” His tone suggested that he held nothing against Sitri for it, and in turn he hoped that Sitri would not hold the decline of his invitation down.

Sitri didn't even reply finding that he was bored with this conversation. he felt that he had done exactly what he had said he done. Mordecai wasn't upset with him so let the water under the bridge otherwise they'd all just get wet. So he shrugged and dipped his muzzle to the ground. Very well Have a good day Mordecai. Then he turned his large brutish shoulders and scarred visage away and continued his trek back the way he had come.