operation little birdie

The ghost made his way through the valley, long legs carrying him effortlessly over the pleasant terrain. It was odd, at times, knowing how rough and rocky the the entrance was, only to see that the inside was without such brashness. He hadn't left the valley since the wolves had made their claim known to the world, but had gone through the boulder path in order to greet a loner wishing to join. Kove had enjoyed the feeling of having a say in who stayed and who went in the pack, though his outer appearance may not have showed such an emotion. He was alone now, though, and due to that he allowed a small smile to creep onto his face as his eyes took in his surroundings. The man really did love his new home, for a number of reasons. The only thing he disliked was knowing that, according to hearsay, some foxes had been seen in the valley. So far, he had yet to spot any with his own two eyes. Up until now, that is.

The scent of a fox was soon invaded his nose, causing his smile to vanish and his face to scrunch in disgust. Based on the strong smell, he knew it to be a red fox, but that didn't change his thoughts. Many foxes were all the same, in the sense that they were thieves, always looking for an easy meal. Without missing a beat, Kove followed after the offensive odor, refusing to stop until he had the vixen in his sights. Experience wise, he had nothing against vulpines like with cougars, but he had been raised to see them as beings that could not be trusted no matter what. In his birth place, his pack had held an agreement with the foxes that helped to keep them away, but every now and again he recalled hearing of someone or another complaining about them. Never had he heard a good thing about a fox. Whether it was that or his curiosity, the fact of the matter continued to be that the pale lupine was steadily closing the distance between himself and the red-furred animal. “What are you doing here?” he inquired, voice breaking the previous silence. His copper gaze stayed focused on her brightly colored fur, watching for a movement of any type.

  

  She had just about to climb a tree when she was confronted by a wolf. She madly dashed up a tree before she did anything. Her history with wolves was not a pleasant one. She didn't like them at all really. She wasn't trustworthy of them. Their snapping jaws and jagged sharp fangs frightened her until she turned yellow. She looked down at the elegant white wolf from her perch. She needed to fool him. And she was best at fooling around. 

"I was just practicing my climbing skills. I thought these trees where perfect." She let her paw droop from the side of the branch. Her head was set down on the splintery pine. "Why don't you come catch my furry butt?" She smiled with glee. Up here there was no way he could reach her. "Oops, sorry. I forgot wolves were too fat to climb. Oh well, I guess I can't leave." She lifted her dangling paw and started grooming it cutely in defiance. She looked down at the wolf with a glint of challenge. I'd love to see him try to get up here!

The male watched the fox dash off and then up into a tree, his eyes following her smaller form with ease. He didn't know she thought of fooling him, but had she spoken of doing such he would have had a good laugh over it. If anyone was to be fooled, it would be the fox. Sure, they were sneaky and truly vile little mammals, but Kove knew he could be better. He could lie like a rug to get information out of someone, and there was nothing, or no one, stopping him from lying simply because he could. After all, who would defend some thieving, bushy-tailed vulpine? Definitely not him, and he hoped for everyone's sake he wouldn't have to worry about any of his pack mates trying to stand up for the creature. Not that they would truly have a reason to, as his intentions were not to harm the girl. She'd yet to really do anything wrong, aside from insult him, but a mere insult was nothing, particularly when such words came from the mouth of an obnoxiously childish pest.

Nevertheless, he allowed a nonchalant grin to spread across his maw, and a low chuckle followed after it like a lost puppy. “Why would I want to catch you?” he called up to her, long legs bringing him closer to the tree as he spoke. The Inuit man walked close enough to see the girl, but not so much so that his neck would cramp from tilting his head back to see her. “You foxes really don't know how strong your scent is, do you? It is highly unappealing, too.” Kove's grin widened, a bit mischievously, even. It'd been awhile since he acted in such a childish way with anyone other than Scarlett, but today he'd decided to make an exception. All because he was a bit curious about the vulpines and how they thought. His personal interests were put aside when she made a cheeky comment on the weight of not just him, but all wolves in general. It caused him to quirk an invisible eyebrow at her, before settling his facial features back into a more neutral expression—almost, anyways. The grin still remained, though it had shrunken ever so slightly. “All wolves are different, you know. Some might be large, but others are rather slim. Some have even found ways to get into trees before, so it might be best to watch what you say. Never know what type of wolf you're speaking to, fox.” The pallid lupine was not one capable of such a coup, but the lady in the tree couldn't possibly know that.

  She let both paws hang over the branch, watching him speak with eyes almost closed. "Ah, do I really smell that bad? I've never really smelled like a wildflower." When he made the comment of all wolves being different, she sneered in disgust. "Well I don't think they are different. Sure, I guess they can all be different in color and size, but on the inside they're all just cold blooded killers." She tucked both of her paws under her chest. She was never a fan of wolves. They killed her family. And for what? Walking in their territory? It made her want to spit in their faces.

  She looked down at the wolf and saw a strange marking on his shoulder. A red paw marking. What was that for? Well she didn't really care. What she cared about was getting out of the tree. He could camp there all day and night. She would soon have to escape or die trying. She needed to trick him. "If you are so full of yourself, than why don't you show me?"

It seemed as if both the lupine and the vulpine had their minds set on what they believed to be true for every member of a specific species. Foxes were thieving nuisances, and wolves were blood thirsty killers. Such statements seemed fair enough in the man's mind, though, in truth, both were thinking like close-minded bigots. Being rather prideful, in the sense that he would never back down from a fight, Kove would never admit to his views being incorrect. “Your stench is worse than that of a corpse,” he informed her, exaggerating quite a bit. The man's face wrinkled from a sense of contention alone, but it was gone in a blink of an eye. He wouldn't allow the fox to get to him, and calmed himself back down in a breeze. “We all kill to eat,” the wolf pointed out to her. “Some kill to defend what is theirs, and others to protect those they love. When it comes to killing, foxes are no different.” His statement didn't exactly have anything to back it up, since it was his first time speaking to a fox that he could recall. Still, common sense told him that killing was one in the same, whether you be a wolf, a fox, or even a tiny spider. No one got away without killing in life, as everyone needed to eat and defend themselves.

Kove contemplated accepting the challenge laid out before him, but in the end he chose not to. While getting into a tree didn't seem as if it would be too hard if you had a bit of leverage, he didn't want to risk making a fool out of himself. His want to keep his pride fully intact brought him down a different path, one that he preferred much more anyways. “I'd rather not,” he answered, indirectly brushing the trap she'd attempted to set aside. “I'll just wait down here. Eventually, you'll come to me. Lucky for you, I don't really have anywhere to be right now.” In all truthfulness, he did need to be somewhere, but the man had chosen to procrastinate. Trying to lure the fox down and out of the tree kept his mind occupied, and a distraction was just what he needed to calm his nerves.

   She folded her ears back on her skull. She ignored the comment about the stench and made a sneeze like growl. "Well my family was killed for no good reason! Why should I trust what you say?" She wanted to leap down and attack, but she stood no chance against the brute. One swipe to the chest and she would be dead. It made her shiver in fear when he told her he would stay there. Her amber optics moved around. If she could reach a lake, she could defiantly swim away. When it came to water, she swam like a fish. No one could possibly reach her full speed in the water.


  "Hey, where can a fox like me find a lake? I was just out here to find one." If her plan worked, he would take her to the lake. When they reached there, she could immediately swim underwater and make a quick escape. 

Sorry for a bit of a wait. :o

It took nearly all his willpower to keep from laughing at the fox's “growl”. It was an interesting sound. No, not interesting, it was outright hilarious. Perhaps it wasn't just their size that kept them from hunting large prey as wolves did, but also the fact that they were the least threatening predators around. He almost didn't catch what she said about her family. Almost. He settled his internal laughter and quirked an invisible eyebrow at the vulpine. “You are a fox, I am sure there was a reason,” he commented. “I wouldn't kill a fox unless they tried to steal from me, and I'm sure whatever wolves killed your family lived the same way. You probably come from a family of thieves.” There was a clear tone of distaste in Kove's voice as he spoke. You could never just a fox.

The news of her family was followed by a question of the whereabouts of a lake. Her timing made things all too obvious to him, though he decided he should, perhaps, play along. “A lake?” he questioned, acting as if he was double checking with what she'd asked. “Of course I know where you can find one.” In the valley, there was only the river, and though it lead into a pool created by a waterfall, he didn't necessarily see it as a lake. Just a naturally formed pool that could provide a good spot for swimming, just as long as you didn't get too close and swept under by the falling water. Either way, it wasn't like he would actually take her there. Instead, he would probably lead her as far from the water as he could. Teach her to try and outsmart him.

  You probably come from a family of thieves.

  It stung her likes a bear's claw. Did he think she was a scavenger? Well, it was half true, but she would only grab it if she knew no one wanted it. If she did grab it while someone was looking, well, that was her dead. She wanted to protest against his words, but she stayed quiet when he told her he knew where one was. Of coarse, alas, she wasn't dumb.

 She leaned over the branch, looking down at the pale wolf from her perch. "How do I know you won't eat me if I come down? I do not wish to be a snack." She suddenly became more comfortable. She spoke in a quiet tone, "You have to promise you won't eat me. Or I'm gonna tear your ear off if you try!" With that, she climbed down and landed on the earth with elegance. "You go on in front. I'm not turning my back on you."

Kove never gave much thought on whether his words would hurt the girl or not, since he didn't really care what happened to her. She was an enemy, not even worthy of becoming a meal for himself or the other wolves. If she tried to pull anything, he'd simply kill her and dispose of the body somewhere, or perhaps offer it to Meldresi and her children as a gift. Mentally, he relieved himself of such thoughts, not wishing to do anything within his new home. It was to be a place where Scarlett felt safe, and he worried that leaving a puddle of fox blood somewhere might effect that. He might not like foxes all too much, but he loved the albino woman. For her, he would allow the girl to keep her life, but only if she didn't do anything deserving of death. "I won't eat you," he said, not having to lie there. Even if he was starving, he'd probably never eat such a smelly creature. "If you don't try anything, you'll be allowed to leave with your life." If being the key factor, as he didn't really think a vulpine of any sort would be able to act decently.

The man's copper gaze followed the fox's form as she jumped down from the tree. He didn't wait for her to speak before turning around, walking towards the maple forest. His ears where positioned in a way for him to be able to listen to his follower, and every few steps he'd toss a glance over his shoulder to make sure she was still there. “Make sure you keep up,” he voiced. His legs carried him closer and closer to the maple woods, sticking close to the valley walls to avoid the rive entirely. If she followed him all the way, he would probably give her a good chase before herding her towards the valley's exit. If not, well, he would still give her a good chase and try to steer her out of the valley.

  She followed him slowly, keeping a distance between the big bad wolf (or so she thought) and herself. The environment around her felt still and eerily silent, which sent a chill down the vixen spines. Her amber eyes flicked side to side, expecting some others to attack her from all angles. She looked back at the wolf she had followed and called out, "I'm not some criminal you know! I have responsibilities just like you." She darted up to his side and looked up. From above, he looked quiet small, but now he looked like a giant.

  "I eat, sleep, and feel pain just like you. So doesn't that make us similar in a way?" She doubted her own words for a moment. How could a wolf be like a fox? There was nothing in common. But still, they were both living, breathing, creatures. Both have fur. Both have blood. Both feel emotions. Maybe wolves weren't that bad after all?

 "But I don't know. Maybe that's just weird." She started to trot in front, almost darting, but not quite. She spun her head over her shoulder to keep an eye on him.

The male continued forward, just barely keeping his pace slow enough for the vulpine to keep up. As she came up beside him, he tossed her a glance from the corner of his eye, but other than that he did nothing to truly acknowledge her presence. Just as long as he could feel her close by, hear he steps, that was enough to reassure him that she hadn't taken off running. He snorted at her remark and gave a slow shake of his head in absolute disbelief. His head turned in order to stare down at her, unaware of how such a look might appear when viewed from a lower angle. It probably made him look annoyed or intimidating, which was not his intention. “Not some criminal? Are you so sure about that? Foxes are scavengers, in case you forgot. You're a criminal by default.” It was unfair of him to view her in such a way, which he knew, but he wasn't about to correct himself in front of her.

“In a way, possibly...” Kove didn't particularly enjoy admitting to that, but he'd be lying to both her and himself if he'd said anything different. They were similar, very much so, even. Wolves and foxes shared more in common than many would ever admit to. He'd learned that long ago, in all honesty, but something drew him to push it to the back of his mind, to view the smaller mammals as enemies. It was probably his father's constant complaining and overreacting when he was younger that caused him to react in such a way, but he didn't think that far into it. No use in digging up old memories just to humor a narrow-faced animal. His head bobbed slightly, though the motion most likely went unseen as it fell within the same time as the girl took the opportunity to move out ahead of him. The Inuit man kept his copper gaze on her, still, not daring to let her out of his sight. “It is rather weird,” he noted, but did not bother to elaborate on his thoughts towards the matter.

 

  She listened to what he had to say from the back of her. She made a smug expression, but of coarse he wouldn't see. "True. True. But personally I would like to find my own food don't you think? It's just awful to crunch on some stale carcass. Not even knowing where it's been! Disgusting!" She didn't like to scavenge for food like the other foxes. It was another habit that separated her from others. It was just a rude, despicable act to her. A automatic crime, just as the wolf had said. When she did scavenge, it was always for a reason. Mostly if she hadn't had a proper meal in days. And still she would always want to gag when she finished. Yes, she was a weird little creature.

 She turned her head over her shoulder, her amber gaze studying from behind. "My name is Marble by the way." She turned her head back over, her ears listening to his footsteps. "What's yours? Or I'll have to call you Mr. Tooth or Furry Face.

Kove found the vixen's words to be rather... curious. Never had he met a fox who showed such obvious distaste towards scavenging for food. Apparently, eating a carcass without knowing of it's previous whereabouts was 'disgusting', to quote the smaller being. It was quite clear she was being truthful with her words, as he couldn't detect a lie. Though vulpines of all sorts, and particularly red foxes, where known for being the tricksters of the woods, he doubted one could be so good as to fool him. No matter if they shared some things in common or not, he would still view them as being lesser beings, and the fact that some wolves ate them, and not vice versa, only helped to strengthen his views—though by then they were already practically unbreakable. “Never once have a heard a fox who would prefer hunting their own, fresh meal, over stealing from another creature,” the man pointed out pretty bluntly. If he would go so far as to overreact, perhaps he would have gone on about it being something like a new discovery, and that his findings would need to be shared with the world. Being not such a wolf, however, Kove didn't even begin to delve into something of the sort.

Soon after, the girl introduced herself, then followed up by asking for his name. Had she not added the two potential names for her to call him into the mix, he would have answered right away, but since that wasn't the case, he took a few larger steps in order to snap at her tail. He did not aim to actually bite into it, but to just get hive teeth close enough for her to feel their presence. If she would then turn to look at him, she'd be met by an annoyed and unamused scowl from the Inuit. Those names were out of the question entirely, if they'd ever been there to begin with. “My name is Kove, and if you ever call me anything else, I will make sure you do not leave this valley in the same condition as when you entered it.” The tone of his voice was filled with pure seriousness, and maybe even a tinge of his previous annoyance.

 She laughed at his words. "Yes, I am a bit different from the rest. But I don't want to be rude and steal anyone else's food. What if it was for someone's babies? Or for someone who was practically dying from hunger?" She had always felt guilty when she had watched her parents scavenge as a kit. They tried their hardest to teach and persuade her, but she had refused to learn. Always making and excuse like 'I'm tired' or 'I don't feel very well.' Maybe the second excuse was true. It made her want to puke when she saw another's dead body. Good thing she hadn't lived with any other foxes, otherwise she would be teased till' the cows came home. She had qualities only her parents could love.


 Teeth scraped onto her bushy tail, making her yelp. She pushed her tail back to her side Her face had a baffled expression until Kove told her not to call him that. "Sorry Kove. I didn't want to offend you." She turned around to back around behind him, fearful he might do it again. Tiny drops of blood started to pat onto the floor, but the vixen just ignored it. She could wash t off. She sighed heavily and called over, "You're such a bore sir. I know you don't want to speak with me, and your probably tired of me yapping..." She silently added to herself, I can't help it. "But tell me Mr. Kove, what do wolves like to do for fun? I know you do more than patrol and hunt all day long."

Kove raised a nonexistent eyebrow at the little fox, all the while listening to her speak. It seemed as if his impression of all foxes had been incorrect. Perhaps there was an exception the the species, but that was something he would only eve admit to himself, within the comfort of his own cranium. While the vulpine held the possibility of being teased by others of her kind given her dietary choice, the same could be said for the wolf, but for different reasons. If any of his family members would see him walking so close to the narrow-muzzled mammal, especially any of the males, he would never hear the end of it. They would probably taunt and tease about him 'chatting with his meal', though each of them knew he'd never stoop so low as to eat a fox. They were quite the chase, there was no denying that, but he couldn't see the appeal when another wolf would eat them. The scent they carried alone was enough to make him lose his appetite entirely. “That is true,” he stated bluntly, drawing himself from his mind in order to focus on the present situation. “Remember that next time you see another of your kind trying to steal, and stop them.” The way he spoke of the task made it obvious he believed it to be something extremely easy, even for the young vixen. Whether she believed that to be the same or not, he did not know, and probably would not care, anyways. Most likely, he would write it off as nothing more than an excuse. An excuse to protect a thief.

The Inuit man gave a satisfied nod of his head when he heard the yelp leave the girl's mouth. He did not feel guilty, nor did he feel any remorse—not even when a coppery scent infiltrated his nostrils. He had not aimed to draw blood, in all honesty, but the fact that he had accidentally did not phase him in even the slightest. Marble was just a fox, and not worth his worries. “I would recommend never calling a wolf by anything other than their name in the future,” Kove stated, not bothering to give her even a glance. “Someone might try to do worse than just nip at your tail next time.” It wasn't his problem, he was sure of that, but a little warning wouldn't hurt anyone. Well, perhaps it would hurt someone who wished to eat her in the future, but he didn't count that in.

A glare was shot her way as she called him a bore, his expression making it obvious he didn't take too kindly to that. He stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her, or, rather, stare down at her. He concocted an idea quicker than it took a heart to beat, wondering if he would be able to frighten her. “For fun?” he repeated, though his tone made it clear he was asking a rhetorical version of her inquiry. “Well, we hunt down trespassers for fun. In my old pack, we actually had a wolf hunt, even. The poor fool had crossed into land that did not belong to her, and it cost her something no one ever wants to pay—her life.” Kove paused in order to keep the smirk from spreading across his maw, and instead lowered his head slightly. His copper gaze bore into her's, but no matter how much it wished to break through, he managed to keep his amusement from reaching them. “After we kill the trespassers, or anything, we tear out their hearts and play games of all sorts with it. Ever play with the heart of another animal before, little fox?” Never had he torn the life-giving organ from the chest of another wolf, but he felt she didn't need to know that.

  As he spun around to face her, she leaped back in fear. Her ears folded back at his description of 'fun'. Why the hell would anyone play with someone's insides. It all just sounded disrespectful to her. Made a cold rush down her spine.

 "Of course not! That just sounds awful!" She nearly screeched the words out. It angered her to hear of such a thing. Once again she thought of her parents dead body. A horrible scene to stare down upon. Had the wolves played around with the fox's insides? She shook her head, not willing to think of such a thing. And now she was fearing for her own life.

 "Kove, I don't think your leading me to a river..." she whispered in her soft accent. She took a step back, then another. Her fur bristled and her heart raced. She needed to leave now.  She couldn't linger to long.

The reaction he received from the fox brought a chuckle out of his throat. It had amused him much more than what he had expected it would. Perhaps he was too good at mixing lies and the truth sometimes, but that skill had aided him much more often than it's ever harmed him. Normally, he would have continued on with a serious charade, but he didn't bother with it this time. Instead, some more short bouts of laughter left him. “Not as awful as you might imagine,” he informed her, amusement clear in his voice. He was enjoying himself, in a rather twisted sort of way. If she had been a wolf, then perhaps he would have interacted with her differently, but the unlucky girl was born a fox instead.

When Kove heard her voice, or more importantly the words it formed, he couldn't help but shake his head. It had taken her long enough to realize that, but not nearly as long as he'd figured. He was certain it would have taken her right up until they reached the forest to understand that he wasn't leading her anywhere near a river, but she had been quicker to figure it out than that. He mentally gave her props for being able to do so. “I was wondering when you would realize that,” the man commented, another chuckle mixing with the end of his sentence. He lowered his head and pushed his ears forward, grinning at her in a way that would most likely resemble a madman. It was all an act, of course. “Are you going to run now?” he inquired, grinning all the while. It was like a game to him, messing with her.

  She stood still as he made the most crazed face  she had ever seen. Her legs refused to move. Oh, common now. He's going to flay me! Her tail stuck out straight and she made herself as confident as she possibly could. "I've noticed right when you said you would lead me," she said in a calm tone. Her head screamed to her legs, ordering them to run, but she knew he would catch up quickly.

  Are you going to run now?

 His voice and grin made her turn white inside, but she made sure to keep back her fear. "I do not wish to run." Was the vixen going insane? Of coarse she wanted to run away! "I might trip over a large rock and leave myself as food. I'd rather say goodbye and leave in peace. Don't you?" She added quickly, "I think peace is better than death. I wasn't intending to steal anything."

We can end this within the next post or two, if you'd like. c:

The wolf let out a chuckles. He was enjoying himself quite a bit. It'd been awhile since he'd really been able to mess around with anyone, and found the fox's reaction to it all to be priceless. “Oh really?” he returned, the question clearly rhetorical. “You knew, and yet you followed anyways. IkKumanngituk.” It was not a common thing for the man to speak in the tongue of his family, but the word accidentally slipped out without him even realizing it. The moment reminded him of days with his siblings more than anything else, as they'd been quite the troublemakers towards all creatures—foxes included, of course. Plus, as stated before, he hadn't been able to play around with anyone since leaving the dark forest. He missed it on occasion, but couldn't help but prefer being with Scarlett and witnessing the light she had to show towards everyone. She made him better, but the albino was not currently there, leaving the fox with only him to deal with.

Kove's enjoyment started to falter soon after, however, as the fox tried to get out of the situation. What fun would it be if they simply turned and walked away from one another? Granted, he didn't intend to actually give chase anymore, as she was not worth even that in his mind, but it's the thought that counts. He took a step towards her, copper eyes practically glued to her face as he watched her. “Intended or not, even if you hunt a rodent within this valley, that is an act of thievery,” he informed her, most likely just making stuff up as he went along now. Most saw it as that when it was a loner or a member of another pack doing it, but a fox? They were viewed as prey by some, so their hunting on pack grounds wasn't entirely frowned upon, since they would eventually become a meal themselves. The Inuit was not such a wolf, though, and wanted the vixen gone as soon as possible. “I suggest you leave, now, before I make a meal out of you.” The 'game' was drawing to a close, and no longer was the ghost having any fun.